Extending wage subsidy scheme JobKeeper beyond March for businesses forced to shut due to outbreaks is on the wish list of top Australian economists who are warning inconsistent border rules are creating havoc for employers trying to recover from the pandemic.

After record spending from the federal government to keep companies and workers afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels said the multibillion-dollar schemes introduced at the height of the pandemic to support businesses and workers "now needed to change".

Professor Allan Fels wants ongoing support to be more targeted. Credit:Steven Siewert

"They need to be more selective and targeted," Professor Fels said, adding the "dilemma" was the "difficulty of separating businesses which can be expected to revive post-COVID and those that are not going to survive".

While he wasn't supportive of extending support to businesses facing "short-term" lockdowns, such as the three-day closure of Brisbane, he said he was not opposed to additional assistance during prolonged shutdowns.
By David Meyers

The recent violence on Capitol Hill, followed by death threats and harassment of even Trumps biggest supporters (Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Lindsey Graham), and videos shared on Parler before it went offline show that more political violence may be coming to this country.

Some of it will be inevitable; if only just a fraction of people who believe Trumps election lies  or even a fraction of those who stormed the Capitol  are willing to kill for their cause, the U.S. could be entering a period we havent seen since the 1860s.

Assassination attempts, of everyone from the president and vice president, down to members of Congress (in Washington and at home), are possible. The FBI has just put out a warning about armed protests across the country next week, and the National Guard is being deployed to Washington.

Does anyone think these people will just disappear? If anything, the fact that they and Trump have been denied access to various social media platforms and other mainstream outlets is going to inflame their rage. Trump clearly has no intention of calling off the mob; in fact, most of his statements and actions since Wednesday have given either open or tacit support for it.

And if you dont think those people will resort to violence, then you simply havent been watching.

These are very upsetting things to contemplate  and theyre upsetting to write. But closing our eyes to reality wont save us from it.

The FBI and state and local police will make their best efforts to stop these attacks. But will they stop all of them? Doubtful.

So what, if anything, can be done to stem this rapidly growing threat?

Anyone who has served in a war zone knows that trying to stop attacks before or while theyre happening is just whack-a-mole. You have to address the underlying source of the violence to stop it  and its here that the GOP has its final chance to show that it is more interested in saving this country than destroying it on behalf of Donald Trump.

Republican complicity is what has led us to this point; without Republican support in Congress and nationally, Trump would have been powerless.

Despite Trumps promises of violence and malevolence since Day One  Republicans supported him anyway, believing that their other priorities (political power, judges, deregulation, tax cuts) justified the decision to shut their mouths and look the other way.

Even after the armed coup attempt on the Capitol, 60% of House Republicans voted to overturn the will of the American people  in effect, staging their own (if peaceful) coup attempt.

But look at it through the eyes of a Trump fanatic. Trump tells you the election has been stolen; the only news sources you get confirm this information with fake evidence of ballot dumps and other schemes. Then, 60% of your political party votes to overturn the election on the grounds that it was stolen from you.

If you are unwilling or unable to seek outside information or critically examine these claims yourself  what other conclusion could you draw besides the fact that the election was stolen by Joe Biden.

And if you truly did believe that the country you loved was about to be seized by undemocratic forces  wouldnt you be outraged? Wouldnt some of you, even a very small percentage, think violence was justified? And wouldnt a small segment of that population, especially those who have a litany of grievances, whove been stoked up for four years, and whove seen perpetrators walk away without consequences since Charlottesville, be willing to carry it out?

Heres where Trumps GOP supporters come in.

Imagine if all of these Republicans in Congress decided to tell their constituents the truth. Imagine if they were willing to admit that it was all a con, that the election was completely fair and legitimate, and that they went along with Trumps false claims because of political expediency or a desire for power.

Imagine if Fox News, Breitbart, and others decided to systematically, and constantly, present evidence to their readers and viewers that there was no voter fraud (just play Lindsey Grahams speech on the Senate floor  or bring guests on like Tom Cotton and Richard Burr to loudly repeat their statements that there was no fraud). Bring on legal experts to explain why more than 60 court cases have found these allegations meritless.

Yes  some hardcore fanatics will argue that its just another ploy by the deep state, and remain committed to Trump and his desire to sow chaos and burn down our government. (Thats why I say that some violence is inevitable  these kinds of people can only be stopped by law enforcement).

But there are others who might be convinced. A Republican disavowal of the election lie might also bring down the heated level of rhetoric and anger in the country, which has only grown worse since Wednesday. The country is a tinderbox right now  and besides law enforcement  the only people with the real power to do anything about it are national Republican elites in Congress, at the state level, and in the media.

Sadly, based on recent events, it seems that few, if any, prominent Republicans are willing to take these steps. That means well be left with a largely law enforcement response  which wont stem all the violence or address the root cause of the problem.

If the violence grows, maybe Republicans will realize the role theyve played in all this and the role they can play in stopping it. But it would be a shame if more innocent people die because Republicans chose not to act now  when they have the chance.

David Meyers worked in President George W. Bushs West Wing from 2006 to 2009, and later in the U.S. Senate. Hes a produced playwright, screenwriter and author  and a New Jersey native.

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COVID-19 vaccine will be made



available to all people free of cost in the Union Territory,and the vaccination drive would be held in three phases, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said on Tuesday.

The full expenditure would be borne by the administration, he told reporters here.

In the first round, 14,000 health workers would be inoculated.

In the second phase, field staff engaged in carrying out Covid control programme would be vaccinated and it would cover those from police, revenue and local administration departments.

In the third, those above 50 and also those having complaints of diabetes, hypertension and cancer would be vaccinated.

The CM said he has appealed to the Prime Minister that the vaccine vials for Mahe and Yanam be distributed from neighbouring Kozhikode in Kerala (for Mahe) and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh (for Yanam).

Transporting the vaccines from Puducherry, as soon as it made available by the Centre, to these distant pockets would be practically impossible, particularly in maintaining them in cold storage,he said.

Narayanasamy said he had requested prime minister Narendra Modi at the video conference with Chief Ministers on Monday that political leaders, ministers and those in public life also be brought under the first phase for inoculation as it would set an example and give people the confidence in the vaccines.

Already two rounds of dry runs were conducted to ensure full logistics and preparedness of the Health department to implement vaccination once the vials were available from the Centre, he added.

Modi has said India will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16.

(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 New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The New Jersey-bred U.S. Capitol Police Officer, who was killed during an insurrectionist attack at the Capitol carried out by supporters of President Donald Trump, was remembered as a humble soul and dedicated officer.

The family of Officer Brian Sicknick on Monday thanked law enforcement officers and the public for the outpouring of support. Sicknick, a South River-native who served with the New Jersey Air National Guard, died after he was reportedly struck with a fire extinguisher as a mob breached the Capitol.

There really arent enough kind words in any language to describe how sweet Brian was, his family said in a statement released by the U.S. Capitol Police.

He was truly a lovely, humble soul. We are missing him terribly. He was sweet natured through and through, family members said. Everyone who met him adored him. He also loved his dachshunds dearly, spoiling them, and ensuring they got the best care possible.

Sicknick, a 12-year veteran of the Capitol Hill force, served with the agencys First Responders Unit, according to officials.

He loved his job with the U.S. Capitol Police, and was very passionate about it. He also had an incredible work ethic. He was very serious about showing up to work on time and refused to call out sick unless absolutely necessary, the officers family said.

Our loss of Brian will leave a large hole in our hearts, the statement added.

Gov. Phil Murphy extended the time period for when flags would be lowered to honor the fallen 42-year-old officer, who was a former staff sergeant in the states Air National Guard.

We would normally lower the flags for someone lost in service for a day. I have made the decision to extend this until he is laid to rest, the governor said at a press briefing.

Murphy said he had the honor of speaking with Sicknicks father and brothers Monday to offer condolences. Sicknick was the youngest of three boys to grow up in the Middlesex County borough. He graduated from Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School in East Brunswick, where he showed an interest in becoming a law enforcement officer.

Once a New Jerseyan, always a New Jerseyan, and Brian will always be a New Jerseyan, Murphy said. He was honored and proud to serve. He was honored and proud to uphold the Constitution. He was honored and proud to work in the United States Capitol which is, let us not forget ever, the greatest symbol of democracy in the world. His death is rightfully being investigated as a homicide.

Fellow officers from multiple departments and others lined the street in Washington, D.C. on Sunday to salute a hearse carrying Sicknicks body. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, said she asked military officials that Sicknick be buried with posthumous honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

As tributes to Sicknick continued, an online fundraiser for the officers family has received more than $500,000 in donations as of Monday. The fundraising page was being managed by an officer from the Capitol police.

His fellow officers remember him as someone they could always count on to be there and also could always bring a smile or laugh to them, a post on the page said.

Federal authorities have not announced any arrests or suspects in the officers killing. More than a dozen people - including a Cape May County man - face charges for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot sparked by the presidents false claims of widespread election fraud. A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, attacked police and breached security barriers as lawmakers were holding a vote to affirm President-elect Joe Bidens Electoral College victory.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Its not that often nowadays that we hear of something interesting on the military front coming from Europe. Until late last week, that is, when one of the regions most prominent robotics and autonomous systems company, Milrem Robotics, announced a major milestone was passed in the development of something called Type-X: the completion of the mobility tests.The project was first presented last year as an autonomous, tracked platform meant to be deployed in support of mechanized units. Its main purpose is to accompany battle tanks and light infantry vehicles in a bid to provide support , not unlike the way current army robots support operations of the infantry.As seen in the video below, the Type-X is just that, an empty platform, but on top of it, a variety of armaments can be fitted, from anti-tank missiles to cannons up to 50 mm. When using a smaller offensive weapon, a 30-mm cannon, the Type-X can also be airdropped right into combat.The 12-ton (24,000-lbs) machine has a height of 2.2 meters (7.2 ft) and uses a hybrid engine, meaning it gives out very low visual and heat signatures. But being hard to spot doesnt mean its hard for it to see: the thing can be packed with cameras and sensors.As for how exactly it is supposed to work, programming is the key. The autonomous war machine will be capable of performing autonomous functions that include follow-me, waypoint navigation, and obstacle detection.The Type-X will provide equal or overmatching firepower and tactical usage to a unit equipped with Infantry Fighting vehicles. It provides means to breach enemy defensive positions with minimal risk for own troops and replacing a lost RCV is purely a logistical nuance, said in a statement Kuldar Vaarsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.The company did not say when it expects the machine to be ready for combat, but it did inform the platform has been already ordered by ten countries, seven of which are NATO members.

Egypt reopened its airspace to flights from Qatar, state media reported Tuesday, in a further easing of its row with the Gulf state.

The head of Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority, Ashraf Noweir, told Ahram Online that Egypt had signed off on a request for Qatari aircraft to fly over Egyptian airspace. Noweir added that aviation authorities were waiting on flight schedules from EgyptAir and Qatar Airways.

A Qatar Airways flight will land in Cairo on Friday, airport officials told The Associated Press. The flight would be the first between the two countries since Egypt joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in imposing an air, land and sea embargo on Qatar in June 2017. The Saudi-led bloc also severed diplomatic relations with the gas-rich country, accusing it of funding terrorism and backing its regional rival Iran.

Qatar denied the allegations and refused to comply with the quartets 13 conditions for lifting the 3-year blockade, including cutting ties with Iran and shutting down the Qatari-funded Al Jazeera TV network.

Kuwait and the Trump administration helped broker an end to the diplomatic crisis. A deal to restore relations with Qatar was reached during the annual summit of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which was held Jan. 5 in the Saudi desert city of Al-Ula. A day before, Saudi Arabia agreed to lift its yearslong blockade of Qatar.

A commercial plane landed in Saudi Arabia from Qatars Doha Airport on Monday in the first direct flight since 2017. The same day, Bahrain opened its airspace to Qatar, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported.

The UAE reopened its land, sea, air ports to Qatar over the weekend, but the Emirati foreign minister warned that establishing diplomatic relations with its former regional rival could take longer.
Most seniors do not want to live in long-term care facilities. They want to continue living in their family home, in the same community with familiar neighbours, surroundings and amenities. Credit: Shutterstock

Canada's population is rapidly aging, but is it aging well? In our November 2020 report "Ageing Well," we found both good and bad news.

The good is that Canadians are living longer. Back when medicare became the backbone of our health-care system about 60 years ago, seniors made up 7.6 percent of the population. They now constitute 17.5 percent and will be almost 25 percent in 204110.8 million people whose average age will be in the low 80s just over 20 years from now. They should all age happily and well.

The bad news is that they don't want to live in old-folks' homes where current policy tends to put them. Also, ensuring they have the support services they need to age well will require major changes to how, where and by whom those services are provided, and change can be difficult to implement in any dimension of health care.

Providing those services will also cost each of us more, both individually and as taxpayers. Canada is heading into a less robust economic period, in part due to the need to pay down our COVID-19 debtand we may be hard-pressed to pay that bill.

Long-term care (LTC) in all Canadian provinces has become more or less synonymous with the care and services provided in nursing and retirement homes owned and operated by private for-profit and not-for-profit companies, charities and municipalities.

Relative to many other developed countries, the foundation of Canadian policy to meet the needs of the elderly is aptly described as "warehousing," housing designed primarily to optimize the efficient provision of nursing and personal care. Most if not all such care homes also do their best to provide other services too, but it's fair to say that meeting seniors' social and recreational needs plays second fiddle to meeting their personal and health-care needs.

Credit: Ageing Well, Queen's University School of Policy Studies

What seniors need to age well

What do our seniors want? It's not to live in an institution, the possible exception being the poor soul who has lingered too long in an alternative level of care bed: no longer in need of intensive in-hospital care but still requiring some services not readily available in most Canadian provinces other than LTC facilities.

To age well, seniors have four interrelated needs:

Housing appropriate to their needs and preferences. For most, their strong preference is for the family home in the same community with familiar neighbors, surroundings and amenities. They want to age in place and remain there as long as they possibly can, receiving the care and support services they need at home. Flexible health and personal care, and household support appropriate for each individual or elderly couple as their needs wax and wane. These needs usually increase as they age, but not always. Evidence shows clearly that if the well-being of seniors is supported in all its dimensions, and if the delivery of services begins "upstream" at the first sign of trouble, the prevention and slowingif not reversingof the onset and progression of both dementia and other manifestations of frailty can be achieved. Socialization is another of the four key needs of aging well, a need met best by enabling seniors to remain in their own communities with their families, friends and neighbors and recognizing their familiarity with the range of the services their community provides. Meeting seniors' lifestyle and/or recreational needs is also vital to aging well, especially as they're integrated with the individual's or couple's social needs. Sadly, data indicate that seniors, like too many other Canadians in our contemporary online society, are succumbing to "couch potato" tendencies that erode the beneficial effects both of social interactions and regular exercise.

With respect to the money we spend to help our seniors age well, Canada is an outlier among developed countries. We spend less overall (in 2017, 1.3 percent of Canada's GDP) on long-term continuing care and services; only Spain spends less (0.7 percent). Implementing the likely recommendations to come out of several provincial COVID-related LTC reviews will likely take us to the OECD average, or slightly above it.

However, our outlier status will remain accentuated by our remarkably imbalanced spending of $1 on home care for every $6 spent on institutional LTC. Most others spend roughly equal amounts, and those most highly regarded for the high quality and happy outcomes of enabling seniors to age wellDenmark and the Netherlands, for exampledo the reverse. They spend more on home and community services than on institutional care.

Credit: Conference Board of Canada 2016, BC Care Providers Association 2019, and the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario 2019. The BCCPA and FAO projections were made provincially and converted to Canada-wide projections. (Ageing Well, Queen's University School of Policy Studies), Author provided

Four factors that must change

Given our foreseeable demographic and economic circumstances, continuing with the same policy choices defies comprehension.

First, as COVID-19 has clearly demonstrated, care homes are dangerous places in which infectious diseases can spread easily; some 80 percent of deaths in the first wave in Canada were in LTC homes.

Second, given the increased number and advancing age of the baby boomer generation, continuing with our warehousing propensity is doomed to failure. The number of care-home beds that would be required is simply beyond what we could afford. This is compounded by the fact that such beds were already subject to long waiting lists even before their post-COVID-19 downsizing to eliminate shared rooms and washrooms.

Third, to reiterate, few seniors want to live in long-term care, preferring strongly to remain in their own homes and communities or in various alternative forms of communal housing in which they have access to home and community services.

The authors of the Ageing Well report present highlights from their research.

And fourth, the cost of institutional accommodation and careto residents, their families and the public purseexceeds by far what it would cost to provide an extended range of seniors' needs through beefed-up home and community support services. That would be expensive too, but it's an approach to helping our seniors age well that our country could afford.

Substantial change to Canada's long-term support service systems is long overdue. It's time to get at it.

Explore further Canada ranks worst in elderly care home coronavirus deaths: study

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By Long Island Published: January 11 2021

Former Congressman Peter T. King is joining the Board of Trustees of the Museum of American Armor at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Old Bethpage, New York

Until his recent retirement from Congress he served as a member of the Homeland Security Committee and Ranking Member of the Sub-Committee on Emergency Preparedness, and was twice past Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee where he was an effective ally in Americas campaign to confront terrorism, both at home and abroad.

Armor Museum president and founder, Lawrence Kadish, stated, No one in Congress has been as outspoken or as respected in Americas War on Terror than Peter King. He is very much welcomed to join the museums trustees and volunteer corps as we pursue our mission to educate and honor.

Mr. King explained, I have been visiting the Armor Museum with members of my family for years. Its power to educate a new generation of patriots was made apparent to me when I brought my grandson to one of the programs and it made an inedible impression on him. Lawrence Kadish created a living history lesson for Americans and it is something I very much want to be involved in as I return to private life.

The former Congressman joins fellow Armor Museum trustees, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, senior museum trustee Michael Sapraicone; owner/founder of Squad Security; Lawrence Trivigno, vice president at Bethpage Federal Credit Union; Michael Polimeni, president and CEO of Polimeni International; Fred Daum, PSEG, L.I.; Ed Blumenfeld, owner of BDG, Ltd.; Steve Napolitano, Senior Executive Vice President at Amtrust Title, and Gene Spiegelman, a principle at RIPCO.

Welcoming words from Armor Museum colleagues

I am delighted to welcome a good friend, Congressman King, to this team of Americans who share a similar passion to honor those who have served over the generations to preserve and protect our freedoms, stated former Commissioner Kelly.

Congressman Tom Suozzi said, Pete King consistently demonstrated that people from different political parties have the means to work together, respecting the opinions of those we differ with, while finding common ground such as our enormous respect for those Americans who have protected our freedoms. The Armor Museum is fortunate indeed to have Peter join its board.

Armor Museum senior trustee Michael Sapraicone observed, I cant think of another Long Islander so uniquely qualified to serve on the board of a museum dedicated to honoring our American military while educating a new generation regarding the debt we owe the men and women who wear the uniform.

A legacy of service

During his years in Congress, Rep. King has been a strong supporter of law enforcement and our military, and has fought to bring veterans benefits into the 21st Century. He also championed the needs of our region. Typically, he led the successful fight in Washington to obtain $60.4 billion in emergency funding for the victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Prior to serving in Congress, Pete King was elected to three terms as the Comptroller of Nassau County. Before serving in county government, Rep. King had extensive experience as a practicing attorney and civic leader. He began his political career in November 1977 by winning election to the Hempstead Town Council. Rep. King is a member of numerous civic organizations including the Knights of Columbus, Knights of Pythias, AMVETS, and the Fighting 69th Veterans Corps.

The Museum of American Armor has some 40 operational military vehicles within its building on the grounds of Nassau Countys Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Its current hours are Friday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. An admission donation of $15 for adults is requested, $10 for seniors and veterans, and $8 for children.

Article contributed by the Museum of American Armor.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world, and a new public art installation on Houston's Northside is bringing awareness to the topic.

Four "mini murals" have been placed on traffic control cabinets at Airline and Crosstimbers, Airline and Cavalcade, Jensen and Crosstimbers and Moody Park as part of UP Art Studio's ongoing initiative. Houston Council Member Karla Cisneros, a sponsor of the installments, hopes the pieces don't go unnoticed.
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Oregons U.S. Attorneys Office filed the most cases classified as domestic terrorism in 2020 compared to all other federal districts, according to a court tracking clearinghouse run by Syracuse University.

Most of the cases stemmed from consecutive nightly protests last summer outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in the wake of George Floyds killing by police in Minneapolis.

By the end of September, 40 people had been accused of assault on a federal officer and 15 faced the rare charge of civil disorder during protests, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Others were charged with destruction of government property, arson or attempted arson of federal property and violating national defense airspace.

The period covered the federal fiscal year that runs from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020.

Across the country, U.S. attorneys offices filed 183 domestic terrorism prosecutions -- the most since such tracking began 25 years ago. That compares with 90 in fiscal year 2019, 63 in fiscal 2018 and 69 in fiscal 2017.

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse is a data gathering and research organization at Syracuse University.

Federal criminal prosecutions classified as domestic terrorism cases over the last 20 years.

Cases categorized as domestic terrorism include allegations of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees, alleged threats against the president, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, importing or storing explosives, civil disorders and making threatening communications.

In late September, Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams issued a statement, saying his office is committed to prosecuting people who impede or assault law enforcement officers, damage federal property, and set fire to buildings. Make no mistake: those who commit violence in the name of protest, will be investigated, arrested, prosecuted, and face prison time.

In stark contrast, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Seattle recorded one alleged domestic terrorism-classified prosecution, according to the clearinghouse figures.

In early July, President Donald Trump sent 114 federal officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to bolster Federal Protective Service officers in Portland to help secure the federal courthouse. On July 3, some people tried to barricade the front doors of the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and they shattered. The enhanced and aggressive federal law enforcement response drew larger crowds of demonstrators who demanded that the extra contingent of federal officers be sent home. On July 29, Oregons Gov. Kate Brown announced that state troopers would replace federal officers outside the federal courthouse for two weeks.

Domestic terrorism prosecutions, as classified by the federal government, far outnumbered the 21 international terrorism cases filed for the fiscal year.

International terrorism cases are defined as those occurring outside the United States or involving an alleged foreign terrorist organization. In recent years, those cases have included kidnapping, hostage taking, fraud, misuse of visas or conspiracy to commit such offenses or fraud against the United States.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

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Bethlehems historic Moravian settlement is on the U.S. UNESCO World Heritage site short list and it needs help earning the nomination.

Bethlehems almost 15-acre historic Moravian settlement first landed on the U.S.s tentative nomination list in 2016 after 14 years of advocacy.

Its an arduous process to even be considered to join the UNESCO  United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization  list of more than 1,100 sites worldwide. The U.S. boasts just 24, two of them in Pennsylvania: Independence Hall and architect Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater.

Historic Moravian Bethlehem would love to become the 25th American attraction.

On Monday, the tourist destination appeared in a Federal Register notice Monday seeking public input on the next potential nomination to the World Heritage List.

Nominees on the tentative list vie to be one of the two sites the U.S. Department of Interior can nominate each year to be selected by UNESCO. New additions to the list cannot be nominated for at least a year.

World Heritage sites do not receive funding, but the designation signals to travelers that these are must-see tourist destinations. Some of the spots include the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China.

Officials hope inclusion would elevate Bethlehems reputation as a Colonial-era historic site.

Located in the heart of downtown Bethlehem, the sites original architecture along with its town planning across 14.7 acres, 10 structures, several ruins and a cemetery, stands today as a reflection of and tribute to the resilience of a community built on universal human ideals that are essential and relevant to this day, Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites said in a press release.

Bethlehems Moravian settlement preserves some of the most important structures and sites relating to Moravians in the New World and is significant as an outstanding example of Moravian architecture and town planning. The settlement played a key role in both the international and American Moravian communities, the release states.

Bethlehems World Heritage Commissions been pursuing the international honor since the city landed on the shortlist in 2016.

As Historic Bethlehems Executive Director Charlene Donchez Mowers has fought to get Bethlehem onto the nomination list, shes networked internationally with other Moravian communities and theyve joined the effort. A delegation from Denmark visited Bethlehem in 2015.

Historic Bethlehem is working with the Moravian community of Herrnhut, Germany, to extend the 2015 World Heritage listing of Denmarks historic Moravian community Christiansfeld to Herrnhut, Bethlehem and possibly other historic Moravian communities around the world.

The comment period for the nomination is open through Jan. 26. Letters of support can be mailed to: Jonathan Putnam, Office of International Affairs, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240 or by email to: jonathan_putnam@nps.gov.

The U.S. proposed the World Heritage Convention to UNESCO in 1972. The World Heritage Program promotes local and international cooperation with the aim of preserving national and cultural heritage.

Nominations for the U.S. World Heritage site designation are at the discretion of the assistant secretary of the interior for fish and wildlife parks, but there is no set schedule. The World Heritage Committees rules limit countries to two nominees a year.

Since 2011, there has been a prohibition on the U.S. paying dues to UNESCO or the World Heritage fund, which does create uncertainty about Americans ability to make nominations.

In 2012, the Moravian settlement was designated as one of the nations approximately 200 National Historic Landmark Districts.

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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
[January 12, 2021] SAI360 Editions Simplify How to Buy, Scale and Deploy Risk Management Software and Learning, Ending Risk Silos and Costly Implementations

CHICAGO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SAI Global, the leader in cloud-based Governance, Risk and Compliance software and learning, today announces the latest release of its flagship SAI360 risk platform, and introduces SAI360 Platform Editions, purpose-built bundles that enable risk management best practices for any organization  no matter size or the GRC journey. SAI360 Enterprise, Professional, and Essential Editions were designed by SAI Global's risk and compliance experts to fit any business's needs, get up and running quickly, and provide an actionable, connected data ecosystem with real-time insights. Each bundle comes with access to a dedicated client success team committed to successful onboarding and speedy implementation, achieving customer goals in weeks, not months, drastically simplifying how to buy and rapidly accelerating time to value. SAI Global's flexible, simplified and cross-functional use cases, aligned to risk management obligations, provides a solution to increasingly complex responsibilities for any step in an organization's journey and program maturity: SAI360 Enterprise Edition

Unify and centralize your complete risk management and compliance training infrastructure with access to all solutions within SAI360

Unify and centralize your complete risk management and compliance training infrastructure with access to all solutions within SAI360 SAI360 Professional Edition

Take the next step on your GRC journey with rapidly deployed, purpose-built, cost-efficient SAI360 Professional Edition bundle for compliance, risk, and operational resilience teams

Take the next step on your GRC journey with rapidly deployed, purpose-built, cost-efficient SAI360 Professional Edition bundle for compliance, risk, and operational resilience teams SAI360 Essentials Edition for GRC

Start with the basics and quickly implement an integrated approach to policy management and compliance training "SAI360 Editions is a central part of our 2021 growth strategy and sets apart our platform leadership as the risk software market continues to reset amid the Covid-19 Pandemic," said Peter Granat, SAI Global CEO, "We have been listening intently as uncerainty continues to test the resilience of risk and compliance teams and we recognize the need for a more agile strategic partner. The Editions bundles enable us to meet our customers where they are, across all levels of risk management maturity, and offer an alternative to point-solutions that reinforce silos and limit digital transformation."



The first SAI360 release of 2021 also furthers the cadence of continuous use case enhancements for Operational Resilience and EHS and Operational Risk: Reduce third-party and vendors risk with automated vendor onboarding, risk assessments and external data capabilities.

Mitigate high-priority risks with out-of-the-box content for a strong and resilient third-party posture.

Combine risk and crisis management with a solution designed for perpetual business continuity management to ensure operational resilience

Reduce risk exposure and reduce costs dynamically by mapping policies to regulations, risks, and controls to manage the impact of regulatory change on existing policies.

Track attestations and demonstrate policy compliance to regulators and senior executives. A single, secure online repository for all policies and procedures with automated email notifications about policy changes, escalation to managers and attestation support. "2020 forced us all to revisit what it means to be risk-ready," said Anton Lissone, SAI Global CTO. "To drive customer success, we continue to focus and invest in our platform, technology, and solutions to empower risk management game-changers. These rapid deployment configurations of the SAI360 Platform are the culmination of hundreds of hours of in-the-field development, implementation and support and our hands-on best practice."

About SAI Global SAI Global is headquartered in Chicago, U.S., and operates across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Discover more at www.saiglobal.com/risk or follow us on LinkedIn . To see SAI360 in action, request a demo . Media Contact Jacqueline Fleming

SAI Global

VP, Brand Strategy & Corporate Communications

288953@email4pr.com

(917) 573-6120 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sai360-editions-simplify-how-to-buy-scale-and-deploy-risk-management-software-and-learning-ending-risk-silos-and-costly-implementations-301206306.html SOURCE SAI Global

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India has long been served sleazy films and songs in the name of regional content. While talent always existed in small towns, there werent many takers due to the lack of suitable distribution channels.

Now, however, with the internet having become affordable over the last couple of years, anybody can upload a video to grab the attention of millions of viewers.

One Indore-based Over The Top (OTT) platform is going a step further by providing a platform to promising video content generators. The platform, called Stage, aggregates exclusive videos by local artists in regional dialects.

Founded by siblings Vinay and Praveen Singhal and Shashank Vaishnav, Stage features art forms such as poetry recitals, comedy and motivational content. To begin with, it aggregated content across dialects such as Haryanvi and Rajasthani and plans to expand this to at least 15 other dialects over the next few months.

Changing tack

However, this is not the original idea the trio had started off with. The company was founded as a content curation website by the name Wittyfeed, attracting funding from marquee investors such as Ritesh Malik, founder of Innov8, and Anand Chandrasekaran, former director of Facebook, among many others.

With over 420 million page views, the company had a promising future. However, it had to shut shop overnight after a conflict with Facebook in 2019. The company then pivoted to the existing model, rechristening the start-up Stage.

Stage accepts professionally generated content after sanctioning it to content creators. Currently it works with around 150 creators and the numbers are rising by the day.

It recently also launched a few web series and also plans to get into the movie space  not with dubbed content but original material.

Over 35 million people speak in Haryanvi. Thats more than the population of Canada. But still while growing up we never had access to good quality content, said Vinay Singhal.

Seeing a clear gap and a huge market opportunity, it was an easy decision for the trio to decide on their first pivot.

Modest start

Started in 2019, Stage, like any other start-up, had a humble beginning. It was launched with just 100 original videos. A year down, the founders claim to be having 550 videos across multiple genres with over 1 million downloads of the application and 3 lakh monthly active users.

While the app is currently free, the idea is to launch a subscription model with a Rs 50 monthly fee. Talking about leaving the National Capital Region and setting up the company in Indore, Singhal said Tier 2 cities have their own comfort.

The cost of living in a small town is at least 30-40 percent lower than in a metro. So, we as founders can afford lower salaries. Besides this, even the cost of infrastructure and operations is relatively way lower, said Singhal, adding that they also try to hire more local talent. According to Singhal, the local talent understands the context of their venture way more given their exposure to vernacular content.

Job loyalty is a big thing for the startup, keeping the company in a very secure position. Stage currently has over 30 employees with about 14 engineers and 10-12 people working on the content side.

Some of the popular shows on the platform include names such as Naye Zamare ki Choriyaan  the first womens stand-up comedy show in Haryanvi  and the recently launched web series Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi.

Fertile ground

Stage has raised Rs 8.5 crore in a round led by Venture Catalysts and is already in advance-stage talks to raise a Pre-Series A round of funding from a bunch of investors.

With big-ticket investors such as Google entering the segment, 2021 can definitely be seen as the year of content creators in India. The internet giant recently funded regional language news and content aggregator Dailyhunt and inMobis Glance, a lock screen content firm.

The Indian market is also ripe with a billion mobile phone users and 750 million internet users. By 2025, the number of internet users is expected to grow to more than 974 million, says data platform Statista.

However, the big question is whether people will be willing to pay a premium to watch regional content.

Currently the OTT space is predominantly occupied by large streaming companies such as Netflix and Amazon, which provide original content or professionally generated content. The rest of the market has been occupied by user generated content start-ups.

It will be interesting to see if this home-grown firm is able to create a niche for itself on the content stage.

Dharmavaram : , Jan 12 (IANS) A 20-year-old woman was arrested in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district on charge of fatally stabbing her boyfriend while riding pillion on his motorcycle, police said on Tuesday.

The crime occurred around 7 pm on Monday at Dharmavaram village, around 75 km north-east of Bhimavaram, while the two were on way to Kapavaram village from Malakapalli in the district.

Accused Gassikuti Pavani was angry with victim Ambati Karuna Tataji, 23, over his alleged relations with another woman.

"Tataji had promised to marry Pavani but had become friendly with another woman," a police official told IANS. Tataji also allegedly told her about his conversations with the other woman, apart from demanding money from her whenever in need.

On Monday evening, Tataji approached the final-year degree student again for money.

As both set off on his motorcycle, Pavani took out a knife and stabbed Tataji in the back. As both fell off the two-wheeler, Pavani repeatedly stabbed him all over his body.

"She later sat by her dead boyfriend's body and called up her friends. We took her into custody and registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC," said the official.

Police said Pavani was calm after the murder, adding that murder weapon, and two cell phones had been seized from the spot.

Tataji earlier worked as a salesman but was jobless at present.
Irish actor Fionn OShea has been selected for the 24th edition of European Shooting Stars, a prestigious initiative to promote European acting talent. The actors selection follows in the steps of Irish actors Ruth Negga, Domhnall Gleeson and Andrew Scott, all previous recipients of the honour, which is presented by European Film Promotion (EFP).

Fionn is best known for his roles as Eddie in Dating Amber (2020), Jamie in Normal People (2020) and Ned in Handsome Devil (2016).

In their selection, the jury commented that he  has an ebullience and winsome charm yet, at the same time, misery and rage are always bubbling just below the surface, as seen in his performance as closed-off gay teenager Eddie, in the critically acclaimed coming-of-age comedy Dating Amber from writer/director David Freyne.

Commenting on the award, Fionn OShea said: Its such a huge honour to be named as one of this years European Shooting Stars and Im over the moon! I feel so lucky to be in the company of all the brilliant actors this year, and to follow in the footsteps of heroes of mine from previous years. I am extremely grateful to Screen Ireland and to EFP for giving me such an amazing opportunity.

Louise Ryan, Marketing and Communications Manager, Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland, said: We are delighted to congratulate Fionn on his selection as one of this years European Shooting Stars. Few could forget Fionns role as the detestable Jamie in Normal People and, in the same year, the stark contrast of his charming, vulnerable performance in David Freynes Dating Amber. Screen Ireland is delighted to have supported these projects that showcase Fionns range as an actor, as well as his debut leading role in John Butlers Handsome Devil only 5 years ago. We look forward to seeing his undoubtedly bright future as an actor.

Typically presented at the Berlinale or Berlin Film Festival in February, this years European Shooting Stars programme will take place online from 23rd to 25th February, with three days of curated press, industry and public-facing activities to showcase each of the 10 chosen actors, providing a unique platform for the Stars to meet casting directors, producers and filmmakers. The Shooting Stars Award Ceremony will take place in the framework of the Berlinale screenings in the summer.

The ten selected EFP European Shooting Stars for 2021 are: Seidi Haarla (Finland), Nicolas Maury (France), Albrecht Schuch (Germany), Natasa Stork (Hungary), Fionn OShea (Ireland), Elena Jakstaite (Lithuania), Martijn Lakemeijer (The Netherlands), Sara Klimoska (North Macedonia), Alba Baptista (Portugal) and Gustav Lindh (Sweden).

"Although this year we sadly cannot meet in person, we invite you to join, discover and celebrate the best in rising European acting talent, while staying safe at home. This is the motto for this year's digital European Shooting Stars programme. We are thrilled that we have been able to create a digital experience via our online Home of Acting Talent, that will open its doors and emulate the spirit of our annual physical events by offering 3 days of specially-curated press, industry and public-facing promotion and networking activities for this years chosen talent., says EFPs Managing Director Sonja Heinen.

This years international jury consisted of US Casting Director Cassandra Han, Kosovan director Antoneta Kastrati and Danish producer Rene Ezra.
[January 12, 2021] Winged Keel Group Expands into Texas with Acquisition of Knight Planning Corporation

Winged Keel Group ("Winged Keel") today announced the acquisition of Knight Planning Corporation and opening of its Houston office, which will be led by Principal Brady C. Knight. Joining Brady will be his longtime colleagues, Douglas Doughty, who will have the title of Director, Case Design and Merrill Rome, who will serve as Office Manager and provide operational and client service support. The expansion to Houston follows another exceptional year of growth within the firm's Traditional Life Insurance, Business Continuation Insurance, and Private Placement Life Insurance businesses. In recent years, Winged Keel has extended its footprint from New York City, where the firm is headquartered, to San Francisco, Boston, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005652/en/ Brady C. Knight (Photo: Business Wire) Brady Knight joins Winged Keel's leadership after serving as Founder and CEO of Knight Planning Corporation in Houston, working closely with ultra-affluent families, business owners, key executives, and their legal and accounting advisors. He brings extensive experience in the structurig, implementation, and servicing of life insurance and annuity portfolios designed to optimize multi-generational wealth accumulation and wealth transfer strategies. Brady is a native Texan and serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and The Whitehall Club.



Douglas Doughty previously served as Director of Planning for Knight Planning Corporation, where he was responsible for product research, advanced planning techniques for estate and business planning, and overseeing financial underwriting. He brings vast industry knowledge and experience to the firm. Winged Keel Principal Eric Naison-Phillips said, "We have known Brady and his team for many years and collaborated on numerous opportunities. The friendship and business success that emerged was the critical foundation that enabled both sides to move forward with this partnership. It is an honor to welcome Brady, Doug, and Merrill, with whom we share common ethics and a dedication to working hard every day to deliver an exceptional client experience. Their product knowledge, market presence, and commitment to excellence make them the perfect team to lead our presence in Houston and support sophisticated clients, family offices, and centers of influence in the area."

Brady Knight added, "Joining Winged Keel commences an exciting new chapter for us, and the complete alignment of our core values makes this an easy transition. The firm's continual investment in infrastructure is peerless amongst life insurance brokerage firms that cater to ultra high net worth clients and their advisors. We look forward to bringing these resources to those who have placed their trust in us over the last two decades." About Winged Keel Group Winged Keel Group is an independent life insurance brokerage firm that creates and implements tax-efficient, multi-generational wealth accumulation and wealth transfer strategies for ultra high net worth families. With offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Richmond, Washington, D.C., and Houston, the firm specializes in the structuring and administration of large blocks of Traditional Life Insurance and large portfolios of Private Placement Life Insurance and Annuities. For more information on Winged Keel Group, please visit www.wingedkeel.com. Winged Keel Group is independently owned and operated. Securities offered through M Holdings Securities, Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. #3381284.2 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005652/en/

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Electronics on Tuesday unveiled its new mobile application processor (AP) for premium smartphones that boasts upgraded performance and energy-efficiency.

The Exynos 2100 is Samsung's first high-end mobile AP with a 5G modem manufactured on an advanced 5-nanometer extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process technology to provide better solutions to gaming and multitasking environments, the tech giant said.

The 5G-integrated chipset, which will be the brain of mobile devices, was introduced at Samsung's Exynos On event held on the sidelines of the all-digital Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021.

"Our Exynos team has been committed to creating premium mobile computing experiences by bringing innovations to processors that are at the heart of today's smart devices," said Kang In-yup, who heads System LSI Business at "Exynos 2100 will set a new standard for tomorrow's flagship mobile devices."

Using the latest cores from British chip design firm Arm Ltd., said the Exynos 2100 comes with tri-cluster architecture and that its multi-core performance is 30 percent better than previous models, reports Yonhap news agency.

Also equipped with Arm's latest Mali-G79 graphics processing unit (GPU), Samsung said the Exynos 2100's graphic performance improved 40 percent compared to its predecessors, helping users to enjoy seamless experiences on their mobile devices when using augmented reality and virtual reality services.

"The evolution of technologies such as 5G, advanced graphics and machine learning have been critical in enabling new mobile experiences," said Paul Williamson, vice president and general manager, Client Line of Business at Arm. "Arm and Samsung have collaborated closely to incorporate Arm's powerful next-generation compute and graphics platform, at the heart of the Samsung Exynos 2100."

Samsung said the Exynos 2100 features three next-generation neural processing units (NPU) in order to have upgraded on-device artificial intelligence (AI) processing capabilities that boast 26-trillion-operations per second (TOPS) with more than twice the power efficiency of the previous generation.

This means the chip can process massive amounts of data on its own without help from a cloud server, thus providing stable services to users.

The Exynos 2100 also comes with a high-end image signal processor that supports an image resolution up to 200 mega pixels. It can be connected with a maximum six image sensors.

Samsung said the latest chipset is also energy efficient as it is equipped with its power saving solutions known as Amigo, or Advanced Multi-IP Governor, when running high-quality games and programs.

Samsung, the world's largest memory chip and smartphone producer, is looking to expand its presence in the systems-on-chips (SoC) sector, hoping more smartphone makers select its Exynos chipset for their devices.

The South Korean tech titan said the Exynos 2100 is already in mass production. The chipset is expected to power Samsung's premium Galaxy S21 smartphone, which is scheduled to be unveiled on Thursday, along with Qualcomm Inc.'s Snapdragon 888 mobile AP.

According to market tracker Counterpoint Research, Samsung's share in the mobile AP market was 12 per cent in third quarter of 2020, down 4 per cent points from a year ago. The company was ranked third behind Taiwan's MediaTek Inc. with 31 percent and U.S.-based Qualcomm with 29 per cent.

--IANS

wh/ash

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avista Capital Partners ("Avista"), a leading New York-based private equity firm with over $6 billion invested in more than 35 healthcare businesses globally, today announced a strategic partnership with Capital Constellation ("Constellation"). Constellation, a group of premier global institutional investors who provide catalytic investment capital and expertise to growing investment management platforms, is managed by leading private equity and alternative investment manager Wafra Inc. ("Wafra"). Avista focuses on five healthcare sub-verticals: medical devices and technologies, pharmaceuticals, pharma outsourcing, healthcare IT and distribution, and consumer-driven care. Constellation acquired a minority ownership interest in Avista, providing significant investment capital to support the continued growth of Avista's healthcare-focused investment business and enabling Avista to increase its commitment to its funds under management.

"We are delighted to welcome Constellation as a partner whose investment is a strong endorsement of the long-term vision that we have for the Avista platform, as well as Avista's values, strategy and performance," said Thompson Dean, Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Avista. "We are excited by the opportunities that will be unlocked by this partnership, and the Constellation relationship will help us to build on the success of our healthcare-focused investment strategy with a global impact," said David Burgstahler, Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Avista.

"Constellation is pleased to partner with Avista, a proven private equity firm with an established team specializing in the healthcare sector, a large and critical segment of our global economy," said Russell Valdez, Chief Investment Officer of Wafra and a Board Member at Constellation. "The partnership with Avista reflects Constellation's strategy of providing investment capital to growing, dynamic private equity platforms and supporting the development of those platforms by promoting peer-to-peer collaboration among leading institutional investors and investment managers. We look forward to supporting Avista as they pursue a differentiated strategy in their target sector."

Houlihan Lokey served as the financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Avista on the transaction. Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal counsel to Constellation.

About Avista

Founded in 2005, Avista Capital is a leading New York-based private equity firm with over $6 billion invested in more than 35 growth-oriented healthcare businesses globally. Avista partners with businesses that feature strong management teams, stable cash flows and robust growth prospects  investing in the medical devices and technologies, pharmaceuticals, outsourced pharmaceutical services, healthcare IT and distribution, and consumer-driven healthcare sectors. Avista's Operating Executives and Advisors are an integral part of the team, providing strategic insight, operational oversight, and senior counsel, which helps drive growth and performance, while fostering sustainable businesses and creating long-term value for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit www.avistacap.com.

About Capital Constellation

Constellation unites the expertise and capital base of premier institutional investors around the world with next-generation alternative asset managers. By providing strategic and financial support alongside a substantial, stable capital base, Constellation seeks to catalyze investor entrepreneurs and generate consistent, long-term returns for its members, who include the Alaska Permanent Fund ("APFC"), RPMI Railpen, the Kuwait Investment Authority ("KIA"), the Third Swedish National Pension Fund ("AP3"), and the Public Institution for Social Security of Kuwait ("PIFSS"). Constellation has partnered with seven managers since its inception across North America and Europe and a range of asset classes and strategies spanning technology, renewable energy, healthcare, communications, as well as real estate credit and private credit. For more information, please visit www.capitalconstellation.com.

About Wafra

Wafra is a global alternative investment platform. Wafra and its affiliates manage assets and commitments of approximately $28 billion. Funds advised by Wafra currently have 21 minority partnerships with both growth stage and mature alternative investment management firms. By providing flexible and accretive capital solutions and focusing on long-term partnerships, Wafra aligns and partners with best-in-class management teams. Headquartered in New York, Wafra and its affiliated and associated firms have additional offices in Austin, London, Kuwait, and Bermuda. For more information, please visit www.wafra.com.

Media Contact for Avista

Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

212-521-4800

[email protected]

Media Contact for Capital Constellation and Wafra

Katrina Allen

Edelman

917-640-2753

[email protected]

SOURCE Avista Capital Partners

Related Links

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New Delhi: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday (January 12) said that Pakistan and China together form a "potent" threat, and the "threat of collusivity" cannot be wished away, ahead of the Army Day.

During his annual press conference, General Naravane said, "Pakistan and China together form a potent threat and the threat of collusivity cannot be wished away," adding "Pakistan continues to embrace terrorism. We have zero-tolerance for terror. We reserve our right to respond at a time and place of our own choosing and with precision. This is a clear message we have sent across."

The Army Chief said, "We did so and came out on the top. The main challenge was COVID-19 and the situation at the northern borders... We have maintained a high state of alertness all along the northern borders. We are hoping for a peaceful solution but are ready to meet any eventuality. All logistics are taken care of."

Naravane said, "A broad roadmap has been prepared to bring in all the new technologies to develop a technology-enabled army to meet challenges of future."

Live TV

Talking about increasing security challenges at the Line of Actual Control, Naravane said a need was felt about "rebalancing" of troops along the northern borders, adding "that is what we have put in place now."

The Chief of Army staff said he was hopeful that India and China will be able to reach an agreement for disengagement and de-escalation based on an approach of mutual and equal security, adding "I am confident of finding a solution to the issue on the basis of mutual and equal security."

Gen Naravane said there was no reduction in the deployment of troops by both India and China in eastern Ladakh. He said Indian troops are maintaining a high level of alertness all along the Line of Actual Control and not just Ladakh.

In a significant development, the Chinese Army has moved back around 10,000 troops from the depth areas near the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. The deployment in the frontline areas, however, remained the same and the troops from both sides remain in an eyeball to eyeball situation at several locations in that sector.

Government sources told ANI that the Chinese Army has moved back around 10,000 troops from its traditional training areas opposite Eastern Ladakh sector and areas near it.

Currently, about 50,000 troops of the Indian Army are deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero temperatures as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have not yielded concrete outcome to resolve the standoff.

(With Agency Inputs)
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[January 11, 2021]

Gibraltar BSN Launches Live Chat for Real-Time Customer Service

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad ("Gibraltar BSN") today launched a live chat service on its corporate website to provide immediate and personalised support to its customers.

The live chat is available during operating hours and enables customers to obtain real-time information on their policies, latest products, and other pertinent information directly from a Customer Care Representative.

President and Chief Executive Officer Rangam Bir said, "We are pleased to elevate our customer experience with the launch of our live chat. Our data insights demonstrate that today's customers prefer digital communication and the live chat allows us to seamlessly connect with customers in real-time while delivering quality service."

The launch of the live chat complements the life insurer's other customer touchpoints such as its customer service call centre and GINA (Gibraltar INtelligent Assistant), an automated Chatbot providing instant customer service on WhatsApp 24-7.

Bir added, "Our customers' strong response to the launch of our digital initiatives supports our belief that going fully digital is the way forward. Today, almost all of our customer communication is paperless, 96% of premium payments are made digitally, and over 85% of policies are delivered digitally on WhatsApp. We will be advancing to an AI Chatbot in the near future and will continue leveraging digital to deliver superior customer service, increase customer engagement, and strengthen brand loyalty."

In light of its digital accomplishments such as the introduction of the country's first WhatsApp e-Policy delivery system and partnership with Boost Malaysia to allow premium payments via Boost's mobile e-wallet app, Gibraltar BSN was named Malaysia's Digital Insurer of the Year by regional insurance publication InsuranceAsia News in 2019.

For more information please visit: www.gibraltarbsn.com

For more information, please contact:









Sharie Elina Ibrahim Brandon Luke Valladares Head, Corporate Communications Sr. Executive, Corporate Communications Tel : (03) 2298 2038 Tel : (03) 2298 2039 Email : sharie.ibrahim@gibraltarbsn.com Email : brandon.valladares@gibraltarbsn.com



SOURCE Gibraltar BSN
On Wednesday, January 13, at 13.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Ukraine to be able to receive COVID-19 vaccine in March." The Lekhim group of pharmaceutical companies signed an agreement for the supply of 5 million doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in the first half of 2021 with the Sinovac Biotech leading Chinese vaccine manufacturer, delivery is scheduled for March to May 2021. Participants include President of the Association of Employers' Organizations of the Medical and Microbiological Industry of Ukraine, Member of the Board of the Health Ministry of Ukraine, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Lekhim group of pharmaceutical companies Valeriy Pechayev; PhD in Chemistry, Director of the Department for Development of the Lekhim group of pharmaceutical companies Mykhailo Rensky (8/5a Reitarska Street). The number of seats in the press center's room is limited due to the imposed lockdown restrictions and the need to observe social distance. The presence of a mask is mandatory for those present; mandatory temperature control is performed before entering. Media accreditation by phone: (050) 448 6591 or by e-mail: natalia.sekh@ad-hoc.com.ua
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. has added veteran litigator Alexandra Bach Lagos as a shareholder with the Products Liability & Mass Torts team in Miami and the national Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Health Care Litigation group. A former partner with Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Miami, Bach Lagos will focus her practice on products liability and mass torts, including bet-the-company litigation for domestic and international pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers.

Lagos arrival at Greenberg Traurig follows that of Shareholders Enjolique Aytch Lett and Rebecca A. Ocariz, and Associate Akiesha Gilcrist Sainvil, who joined the firms Miami Products Liability Practice over the last year. The practice, which is undergoing significant expansion, is led in Miami by Shareholder Sabrina R. Gallo.

We are thrilled to welcome Alex to our Miami Products Liability Practice as part of our teams strategic expansion designed specifically to provide exemplary service to our clients nationwide, said Lori G. Cohen, chair of Greenberg Traurigs Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Health Care Litigation Practice, who also serves as vice chair of Greenberg Traurig, co-chair of the firms Global Litigation Practice, and chair of the Trial Practice. She is a known superstar with experience litigating some of the most complicated products liability matters in Florida, as well as managing large teams and relationships with joint defendants. These skills will be highly valuable to our clients.

Bach Lagos has represented cigarette manufacturers in thousands of smoking and health cases known as the Engle progeny lawsuits pending for the last decade in Floridas state and federal courts. She has been involved in all phases of that litigation, including case strategy, written discovery, depositions, expert witness preparation, motion practice, trials, and appeals.

Greenberg Traurigs international reputation as the go-to firm for products liability and medical device litigation is unmatched, which provides me with the ultimate opportunity to grow my practice and take an active role in the further growth of the Miami offices Products Liability & Mass Torts Practice, Bach Lagos said. The opportunity to work with legendary litigator Lori Cohen and to be part of her prestigious team was a tremendous draw for me, and I look forward to contributing to the teams continued success.

During her career, Bach Lagos has litigated dozens of federal and state jury trials, all of which involved claims for punitive damages. She routinely argues significant motions in courts across the state and has also briefed and argued cases in Floridas appellate courts.

The continued expansion of the Miami Products Liability practice and Greenberg Traurigs success throughout the years, especially in 2020, is largely due to our emphasis on providing consistently exceptional client service, a core value that Alex shares, said Miami office Co-Managing Shareholders Jaret L. Davis and Yosbel A. Ibarra in a joint statement. As a Miami native and attorney who is active in the South Florida legal community, Alexs longstanding leadership locally is a great addition to the practice and aligns well with the firms commitment of giving back to our community.

Bach Lagos is a past president of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), the largest bar association for women lawyers in South Florida. She uses her platform as a former bar association president and first-generation American to advocate for greater diversity in the legal profession, often lecturing  in both English and Spanish  about the value of diversity in the law. Bach Lagos is also active within The Florida Bar. She is a graduate of The Florida Bars Leadership Academy and was appointed to and served on the Judicial Nominating Procedures and Technology committees.

Bach Lagos also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing children in immigration proceedings and as a guardian ad litem.

As a first generation American, immigration issues affecting children resonate with me on a personal level, Bach Lagos said. I have focused my pro bono work on helping children because I feel that they are especially at risk when it comes to access to protection and justice.

Bach Lagos received her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A. from Smith College.

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

Donald Trump promised to make the world respect and fear America. In the end, he accomplished neither. He has made a laughingstock of America and its democracy. Nobody could blame Russian, Chinese or Iranian leaders for thoroughly enjoying what they saw on Jan. 6 as a mob incited by the president ransacked the Capitol.

The scenes looked like something out of a color revolution, the street protests in Ukraine and Georgia that toppled governments and sent shivers of fear down many authoritarians spines: irate citizens, propelled by social media, protesting what they viewed as fraudulent elections and calling for democracy, draped in the American flag. The only difference was that this time it was not an opposition candidate but a sitting American president protesting a rigged election, and the storming took place in the United States.

There is already an abundance of commentary on the impact of Mr. Trumps mutiny on American democracy. We can only hope that the attack on Congress was the final battle of the last Civil War, not the beginning of a new one. The 19th-century German chancellor Otto von Bismarck is often said to have asserted that God has a special providence for fools, drunkards and the United States of America. If he was right, we have reason to believe that America will eventually transcend its current crisis. But what happens in the meantime?

The storming of the Capitol and the growing prospects of Mr. Trumps impeachment in his last hours in power have showcased not simply a crisis of American democracy, but a crisis of American power. Next to Washingtons monumental failure to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, Washington law enforcements inexplicable failure to prevent protesters from invading the Capitol makes America look dysfunctional and weak to its enemies  and unreliable to its allies. (It didnt help that this occurred just weeks after the humiliation of Americas cybersecurity defenses in the case of Russias hacking of at least 10 federal agencies.)
Midland Health officials said Tuesday the rising COVID patient numbers across the region took them by surprise.

Because while the Department of State Health Services shows the percentage of COVID patients above 15 percent across the region that includes Midland, Midland Health officials were seeing the opposite impact at Midland Memorial Hospital.

As of this morning, only 59 (patients) are COVID-positive, said Russell Meyers, CEO of Midland Health. I can't remember the last time we dipped below 60 (active COVID patients).

Meyers said the numbers regarding COVID-19s impact in Midland are down from a high of 108 patients a few weeks ago. Midland Health also showed other numbers that show a downward trend on its website Tuesday. The percentage of COVID patients at Midland Memorial fell from 30 percent on Monday to 26 on Tuesday morning. Also, the week has started off with 55 people testing positive at Midland Health testing centers. Last week, there were more than 400.

It's a good reminder to us that our mitigation efforts do work, Meyers said. We have to continue them. We have to encourage our friends to continue them.

On Monday, the Department of State Health Services reported that the percentage of COVID patients  compared to all hospital capacity -- jumped from 12.41 percent on Friday to 16.22 percent on Saturday and 15.96 percent on Sunday.

According to Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order (GA-32), if any trauma service area or region has seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients exceeds 15 percent of total hospital capacity, restrictions are put into place that include 50 percent business occupancy.

Dr. Larry Wilson, Midland Healths chief medical officer, said he was surprised about the higher numbers in the region, which also includes the cities of Odessa, Andrews, Pecos and nine other counties.

Unfortunately, it's just a reminder, that COVID-19 is still out there, Wilson said.

Other statistics from the weekly briefing include:

There are 22 people in the COVID Critical Care Unit (age range of 44 to 81);

-- There are 37 in the COVID medical unit (age range of 23 to 88);

-- There are 77 staff members who are quarantined; 45 are positive for COVID;

-- Another 44 staff members are self-monitoring but continuing to work.

Meyers said Midland Memorial Hospital is still providing monoclonal antibody infusions for those who test positive for COVID. Meyers said there have been 262 patients who have received an infusion and of those, three have required hospitalizations.

That's a high risk population, Meyers said. And we would have expected it to be about 20 percent hospitalized within a few days of a positive test. So, we're encouraged that the antibody infusions work.

He said those interested can check the hospitals website or ask their doctor to order it.
Victorian Liberal Party members say leader Michael O'Brien's political standing is being damaged by his continued refusal to rebuke upper house MP Bernie Finn after his latest controversial comments about last week's riots at the US Capitol.

Five Liberal party MPs, including both factional allies and opponents of Mr OBrien speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Age on Tuesday that there was growing discontent within the party that Mr Finn had for years retained his safe position at the top of the Legislative Council ballot paper. Two other MPs declined to provide their opinions.

Liberal members are urging their leader to publicly rebuke Bernie Finn. Credit:Jason South

One factional ally of Mr O'Brien said the Coalition risked taking "Team B" to the 2022 election, where it already faces a severe electoral rout, if it continued to support "dead wood" in the party.

"Michael would win a bit more kudos if he made a clear stand against someone who's doing nothing," the Liberal source close to Mr O'Brien said of Mr Finn.
Republicans who voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden's victory faced more backlash Tuesday.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and ally of President Donald Trump, was removed from an advisory committee she served on at the Harvard Institute of Politics after she refused to step down from it.

She accused the college of 'bowing to the woke left'.

And Sen. Ted Cruz, one of the ringleaders of the so-called 'treason caucus' in the Senate, has lost his communications director, who quit in disgust at his bid to overturn the election.

Overall, eight Republican senators and 139 House members voted in favor of challenges to Electoral College votes going to Biden in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Both of the controversial votes took place after Capitol Hill was mobbed by MAGA rioters, in a violent incident that killed five, including a Capitol Police officer.

US Rep Elise Stefanik (pictured on Wednesday during the confirmation of New York) has been removed from a panel at Harvard University for making comments that perpetuated Donald Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud

Sen. Ted Cruz was one of the ringleaders of the so-called 'treason caucus,' with members continuing to face consequences this week. For Cruz that meant losing his communications director who felt uncomfortable with his role in inspiring the Capitol Hill riot

Sen. Josh Hawley and Cruz received much of the early blowback for their decision to sign on to the House GOP effort to object to certain swing state Electoral College votes.

Cruz's communications director Lauren Blair Bianchi quit her job in the wake of the Capitol Hill riot

During the January 6 joint session to certify the Electoral College results, a House member must be joined by a senator to file an objection.

Hawley, for instance, lost his book deal with Simon & Schuster and was reprimanded by his political mentor in his home state.

Biden said Friday that Hawley, Cruz and others are complicit because they furthered Trump's 'big lie' - that the election was rigged.

There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

Their move to object to certifications also pushed the fallacy that Congress had the power to change the outcome of the election - which inspired the mob to attack the Capitol Building.

In response to Harvard's decision, Stefanik slammed the university for 'bowing to the woke Far-Left'

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Halwey, seen giving a clinched-fist salute to the crowd that would overwhelm the Capitol building Wednesday, originally took most of the blowback for challenging Electoral College votes

In a letter released Tuesday, Harvard Kennedy School's Dean Douglas Elmendorf chastised Stefanik, who graduated from the university in 2006, for pushing Trump's chosen narrative.

'Elise has made public assertions about voter fraud in November's presidential election that have no basis in evidence, and she has made public statements about court actions related to the election that are incorrect,' Elmendorf said.

Elmendorf also said he offered the New York Republican the chance to step aside - and she refused.

'In my conversation with Elise, she declined to step aside, and I told her that I would therefore remove her from the IOPs Senior Advisory Committee at this time,' Elmendorf said.

Stefanik responded by calling it a 'rite of passage and badge of honor to join the long line of leaders who have been boycotted, protested, and canceled by colleges and universities across America.'

Harvard's Institute of Politics cut ties with Rep. Elise Stefanik for voting against the certification of Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden. The dean said Stefanik 'made public assertions about voter fraud ... that have no basis in evidence'

'The decision by Harvards administration to cower and cave to the woke Left will continue to erode diversity of thought, public discourse, and ultimately the student experience,' she said in a statement Tuesday.

Cruz's communications director since 2019, Lauren Blair Bianchi, had become uncomfortable with the role her boss played in inspiring the riots, according to reporting from Punchbowl News.

She, however, left the job by wishing Cruz and her former colleagues good luck.

'I'm grateful to Senator Cruz for the opportunity and wish him and his first-rate staff nothing but the best,' she said.

A number of large companies including American Express, Marriott, Morgan Stanley, Dow and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association have said they will no longer donate to Republicans who voted in favor of the Electoral College vote challenges.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Over the past day, January 11, ten ceasefire violations by invaders were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas. One Ukrainian serviceman was killed.

All attacks were launched in the area of responsibility of the operational and tactical group East. The armed formations of the Russian Federation fired grenade launchers of various systems, a heavy machine gun and small arms near Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk); hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms  in the suburbs of Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk); tripod-mounted man-portable antitank gun  outside Pavlopil (25km north-west of Mariupol). The enemy fired provocative shots from small arms near Vodiane in Donetsk region and Vodiane in the Sea of Azov area and used sniping weapon near Donetsk, the press center of the JFO Headquarters posted on Facebook.

As a result of the enemy shelling, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed. Ukrainian troops opened fire in response to the attacks launched by the armed formations of the Russian Federation several times.

In the area of Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk), the Ukrainian military spotted an enemy UAV which crossed the contact line. The UAV was shot down.

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, January 12, two ceasefire violations have been recorded in the Joint Forces Operation area.

Ukrainian troops sustained no casualties.

"The situation in the JFO area remains controlled by Ukrainian soldiers," the Headquarters informs.

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FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2018, file photo, a severely malnourished boy rests on a hospital bed at the Aslam Health Center in Hajjah, Yemen. A leading aid organization on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 warned that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's move to designate Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization would deal another devastating blow" to the impoverished and war-torn nation. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File)
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After the successful cinema run of Rattle Snake and Nneka The Pretty Serpent, Nigerian filmmaker, Charles Okpaleke, has acquired the rights to produce a biopic on the 90s Nigerian robbery kingpin, Shina Rambo.

The former bandit, who terrorised South-West Nigeria in the 1990s, has since turned a new leaf.

After serving jail-time for his crimes, he who now calls himself Shina Jesus saying he is now committed to preaching the gospel.

A biopic is a film that dramatises the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or a famous person.

Such films show the life and times of the person while the central characters real name is used.

Mr Okpaleke revealed he secured the intellectual property rights to produce the film following a long conversation with the former-bandit-turned-pastor.

I sat down for 3 hours and listened to a former bandit and armed robbery kingpin who terrorised Southwest Nigeria in the 90s. Though he is now a pastor preaching the gospel, his story was intriguing. I decided to acquire the Intellectual property rights to his story and make it an action-packed feature film. His name is Shina Rambo, Okpaleke wrote on Instagram.

Since his foray into Nollywood as an executive producer, Okpaleke has been behind some of the biggest Nollywood movies albeit remakes in recent times.

His movie credits include RattleSnake to Living in Bondage made over N140 million within the first few weeks of its release in cinemas and most recently Nneka the Pretty Serpent.

Shina Rambo

During an interview on Opeyemi, a programme on Fresh 106.9 FM and anchored by Yinka Ayefele, Rambo revealed that he took to armed robbery and crimes to seek revenge for his brothers death.

The show was streamed live on Facebook in November.

He said, The police killed my elder brother who was very wealthy and so I vowed to take revenge. I didnt become an armed robbery because I wanted to, but because I needed to get back at the police for killing my brother. I also sought metaphysical powers.

Rambo debunked several reports, which he said emanated from the police that he had been killed.

He said many fake Shina Rambos were killed by the police, but they were not him. Other persons were killed.

He attributed his past actions to evil spirits and expressed regrets for his actions.

He also added that the police killed his pregnant wife and three children at his home in Cotonou.

He described the incident as the worst day of his life.
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Park Systems quickly adapted a virtual platform at the onset to seamlessly continue to grow our business operations during the pandemic.

Park Systems was selected this year for Forbes Asias Best Under A Billion list spotlighting 200 top performing publicly listed companies in the Asia-Pacific region with sales under $1 billion.

Companies on the list were selected from a group of 18,000 qualified in the region with criteria ensuring a geographic diversity of companies from across the region. Consideration was based on a composite score that incorporated their overall track record in measures such as debt, sales and earnings growth over both the most recent fiscal one- and three-year periods, and the strongest one- and five-year average returns on equity.

According to Forbes Asia, the list of companies in the Best Under a Billion group also demonstrated their strength when faced with the pandemic, thriving in the face of adversity by adapting quickly to todays business environment.

Making the Best Under A Billion list is no easy feat. For these small and midsized companies, the pandemic presents a true test of their ability to find ways to survive and even thrive in the face of adversity, according to Forbes. The companies chosen showed resilience in adapting quicky to a new and challenging business environment.

Park Systems reports earnings for 2020 surpassing the previous years and a healthy pipeline of orders, resulting from their agility and leadership.

Park Systems is honored to be selected as Best Under a Billion by Forbes Asia in 2020, commented Dr. Sang-il Park, CEO and Founder, Park Systems. Our strategic plan to grow our AFM business globally has been steadfast resulting in continuous gain in stock price and investor confidence, surpassing the $500 million mark in company valuation.

Park Systems quickly adapted a virtual platform at the onset to seamlessly continue to grow our business operations during the pandemic, adds Keibock Lee, Park Systems President. "Looking towards the future, Park Systems will continue to create best-in-class AFM tools that allow customers to focus on doing incredible work, knowing that their measurements are accurate, repeatable, and easy to obtain."

Park Systems, founded in 1997 by Dr. Sang-il Park, is a global market leader in the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) industry. Park Systems holds 32 patents related to AFM technology that enables unprecedented high accuracy in sub nanometer measurements, full automation metrology, and non-contact scanning. Customers of Park Systems include a majority of the universities, national laboratories and industry leaders world-wide and they are the premier supplier of AFM to nearly all of the top 20 semiconductor companies in the world.

Park Systems innovative design for Atomic Force Microscopy, combined with investments in capital assets, research & development and personnel positioned them for high growth in the fast-moving nanotechnology industries they serve. Park Systems has a long history of providing accuracy and unmatched superiority in AFM technology, which has been the hallmark for their sustained growth. Park's exclusive product line has evolved from a research tool to an industrial system for cutting edge technology companies where unmatched performance has resulted in user-customized product lines at leading manufacturers world-wide. Looking towards the future, Park Systems will continue to create best-in-class tools that allows customers to focus on doing incredible work, knowing that their measurements are accurate, repeatable, and easy to obtain.

Park Systems has new initiatives to promote their AFM tools for researchers including the Park Nano Research Grant, where they recently announced a $1 Million Dollar Grant Fund to support Nano Researchers with AFM equipment. They also offer a Park AFM Scholarship Program and have recently expanded an online learning program that offers company webinars, live demos and user chats and conduct NanoScientific Symposiums to promote applications and technology to advance scientific discoveries.

About Park Systems

Park Systems is the fastest growing and world-leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopy (AFM) systems, with a complete range of products for researchers and engineers in the chemistry, materials, physics, life sciences, semiconductor and data storage industries. Our mission is to enable nanoscale advances for scientists and engineers solving the worlds most pressing problems and pushing the boundaries of scientific discoveries and engineering innovations. Customers of Park Systems include most of the worlds top 20 largest semiconductor companies and national research universities in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Park Systems is a publicly traded corporation on the Korea Stock Exchange (KOSDAQ) with corporate headquarters in Suwon, Korea, and regional headquarters in Santa Clara, California, USA, Mannheim, Germany, Beijing, China, Tokyo, Japan, Singapore, and Mexico City, Mexico. To learn more about Park Systems, please visit http://www.parksystems.com.
Mainland lawyer who helped HKers 'harassed'

Mainland lawyer who helped HKers 'harassed'

Candice Wong reports

One of the mainland lawyers hired by family members of the 12 Hongkongers captured in mainland waters by the Guangdong coast guard last year has complained he was harassed by officials on Tuesday  a day before he faces a hearing that could see him stripped of his legal licence.



Lu Siwei said he was about to drive off on Tuesday afternoon when two cars suddenly drove up and blocked his way.



He said the drivers claimed to be officials from the Ministry of Justice, and asked him not to leave. He responded by calling the police, then taking video of what happened next.



When officers arrived, he asked them if they knew the officials, to which an officer said no.



They then allowed the men to leave, prompting Lu to protest angrily.



Is this a joke? You didnt confirm their identity, right?" Lu said, according to a video he purportedly took. He was then taken away to the police station.



Lu is one of two lawyers who helped family members of the 12 young Hongkongers to be told his licence to practice law may be revoked.



The Department of Justice in Sichuan had said Lu had repeatedly made inappropriate remarks on the internet, seriously damaged the image of the legal sector and had an adverse impact on society.



Authorities there said what he did had violated relevant laws governing lawyers.



He is scheduled to attend a hearing on the possible revocation of his licence in Chengdu on Wednesday.



Another lawyer who had also helped the 12 HongKongers, Ren Quanniu, has been told to attend a separate hearing in Henan next week.



The families of the 12 Hongkongers have condemned what they said was clear oppression by the mainland authorities, alleging that the action against the lawyers is retribution for their involvement in the detainees' case.



Ten of the detainees were last week sentenced to between seven months and three years in jail for allegedly crossing into mainland waters last August while apparently trying to flee to Taiwan. The other two detainees, who were minors, were sent back to Hong Kong.
[January 12, 2021] RingCentral Hires Jaya Kumar as Chief Marketing Officer RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG), a leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications, video meetings, collaboration, and contact center solutions today announced that Jaya Kumar has joined the company as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) reporting to Anand Eswaran, president and chief operating officer (COO) at RingCentral (News - Alert) . This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005322/en/ Jaya Kumar (Photo: Business Wire) "I am delighted to welcome Jaya to lead our world-class marketing organization," said Anand Eswaran, president and chief operating officer at RingCentral. "Jaya has a terrific track record of envisioning and leading category changing marketing programs across several industries and geographies. The boundaries between businesses and consumers are collapsing, and Jaya's global experience, and pioneering marketing work at this intersection of onsumers and businesses will prove invaluable in RingCentral's journey to lead the digital transformation of business communications solutions in the work from anywhere environment."

Kumar brings more than 25 years of experience with multiple Fortune 100 companies including PepsiCo, Kraft Foods/Mondelez where he held both president and CMO positions. In addition, Jaya has worked in multiple markets of the world including Asia, Middle East, Canada, and USA. Most recently he was Global CMO at Capital Group, the world's largest fund manager with over $2.2 trillion in assets under management for individuals and institutional investors. "Throughout my career I've been lucky to work around the world in different industries and bring unique approaches to drive successful business outcomes. The opportunity to join a company like RingCentral that's at the center of a major global shift as people start to work from anywhere, comes along once in a lifetime," said Kumar. "RingCentral is well positioned to help companies of any size support a hybrid workforce using the very latest cloud communications solutions. I couldn't be more excited to join the company. The possibilities are endless." Follow Jaya Kumar on LinkedIn. About RingCentral RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of business cloud communications and contact center solutions based on its powerful Message Video Phone (News - Alert) ????(MVP) platform. More flexible and cost effective than legacy on-premise PBX and video conferencing systems that it replaces, RingCentral empowers modern mobile and distributed workforces to communicate, collaborate, and connect via any mode, any device, and any location. RingCentral offers three key products in its portfolio including RingCentral Office?, a Unified Communications (News - Alert) as a Service (UCaaS) platform including team messaging, video meetings, and a cloud phone system, Glip???the company's free video meetings solution with team messaging that enables Smart Video Meetings, and RingCentral cloud Contact Center ??solutions. RingCentral's open platform integrates with leading third party business applications and enables customers to easily customize business workflows. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has offices around the world.  2021 RingCentral, Inc. All rights reserved. RingCentral, Message Video Phone, ??MVP, RingCentral Office, Glip, Smart Video Meetings, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005322/en/

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Hospitality firm Oyo Hotels and Homes has appointed Martin HP Soderstrom, the chairman of DIG Investment, as a non-executive director at its European arm, Oyo Vacation Homes.

As a mark of his trust and commitment towards the company, Martin will also buy shares worth an undisclosed amount in the parent company," it said on Monday.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Oyo launched its European business in May 2019, focusing on vacation rentals. Vacation homes are a large and critical part of its global business and the firm will continue to expand it and invest in it, Oyo said.

In recent months, 3,400 homeowners from across Europe have joined the platform, adding more than 5,000 units to its portfolio of 140,000 homes.

As a board member, Soderstrom will work closely with Oyos management team to drive growth and offer guidance on potential merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities. He will also help build strategic partnerships with other EU-based companies and lay out its brand positioning strategy as a thought leader in the vacation rental space, Oyo said.

For Oyo, its customers and homeowners in the EU region, especially in the Nordics, hold immense strategic importance. Given Martins deep understanding of the region and strong business acumen, I am elated to welcome him as an investor and a fellow board member at Oyo Europe," Oyo founder and group chief executive officer Ritesh Agarwal said.

Oyos vacation homes business is leading the road to recovery and the preference of small hotels and vacation homes over large five-star properties is leading a structural change in the hospitality industry, he said.

We are positive that his deep experience in M&As and working with high-growth companies will add a lot of value to our growth journey in Europe, both organic and inorganic, and support us in our long-term goal of an initial public offering," he said.

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The Gulf Arabs recognize a strategic reality that has eluded the stove-piped US foreign and security policy bureaucracy for too long: The Horn of Africa is an integral part of the Middle Easts security landscape, and increasingly so. No country demonstrates this more clearly than Ethiopia. That countrys escalating internal crises pose an increasingly grave threat not only to the countrys citizens but to international peace and security and to the interests of the United States and its partners in the Middle East, principally Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As a recent bipartisan study group convened by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) concluded, developments in the Horn of Africa are not only shaped by the states of the Middle East but also have a direct impact on [these states] political, economic, and security environments. Ethiopias internal and external borders are being changed violently, and the centrifugal forces of nationalism that now dominate Ethiopian politics are indicative of the weakness of the central state, not the strength of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed or the federal government. These intrastate fissures are undermining the countrys territorial integrity and morphing into interstate conflicts involving, to date, Eritrea and Sudan.

The armed confrontation that erupted Nov. 3 between the federal government and the regional government in Tigray state precipitated what Abiy characterized as a domestic law enforcement operation. The involvement of Eritrean combat forces, however, as well as the federal governments use of airstrikes, mechanized ground units and ethnic militias undermines the credibility of that characterization. Similarly, assertions that the operation has succeeded in stabilizing Tigray is belied by the persistent violence in the region; a worsening humanitarian emergency; the governments unwillingness to allow adequate access for a humanitarian response; and reports of severe human rights abuses, including of Eritrean refugees in Tigray being killed or forcibly returned to Eritrea.

The war in Tigray is symptomatic of a national political crisis in Ethiopia, which preceded Nov. 3 but has been exacerbated by the nationalist rivalries that have been unleashed since then. Much of western Tigray may now be occupied by Amhara regional state forces, and a border war has erupted between Amhara militias and the Sudanese military. Ethnically motivated killings of Amhara, Oromo and others in Benishangul-Gumuz regional state have precipitated the intervention of Amhara security forces, an unprecedented military deployment by one of Ethiopias states into another. In addition, the federal government has been engaged in an intensifying campaign against insurgents in Oromia regional state for months. While each of these conflicts involve historic and complex claims over territory, resources, identity and political representation, the pursuit of those claims by force of arms has set the country on a trajectory toward fragmentation.

The fallout for the states of the Middle East is significant.

First, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both made considerable political and economic investments in the leadership in Addis Ababa, Cairo and Khartoum, investments that will be undermined by bourgeoning conflict among the three. Egyptian-Ethiopian relations have long been strained by the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and Ethiopian-Sudanese relations have become increasingly toxic due not only to the GERD but to the border conflict. The recent spike in violence in Benishangul-Gumuz, where the dam is located, could also pose a threat to the control and function of the dam itself. The Nile is an emotive and sensitive issue in Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, and the crisis facing Abiys government makes any realistic compromise even more difficult.

Second, Ethiopias fragmentation could portend displacement on a scale not seen in modern times. In 2018-19, approximately 300,000 people  the vast majority of whom were Ethiopian and Eritrean  fled the Horn of Africa for Yemen, in spite of that countrys civil war. As the USIP senior study group report warned, the breakdown of Ethiopia  a country of over 110 million people  would result in a refugee crisis that could easily dwarf that figure. Over 56,000 refugees have already fled from Tigray into Sudan since November. Large-scale refugee outflows could destabilize Sudans delicate transition, and the consequences of state collapse in Ethiopia would also certainly extend across the Red Sea.

Third, calls for the secession of one or more of Ethiopias states are gaining steam, which would put additional strain on the already fraying state system in the Middle East, wracked as it is by the ongoing wars in Libya, Syria and Yemen. Somewhat unique among world regions, the Horn of Africa has several recent experiences with secession  Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993, South Sudan from Sudan in 2011 and the self-declared independence of Somaliland from Somalia in 2001. The prospects and ramifications of further changes to the regional order should not be underestimated.

Fourth, the risk of radicalization is real should extremist groups exploit the political and security crises inside Ethiopia, particularly if Abiy and his supporters continue to reject dialogue as a means of channeling political grievance. For example, al-Shabab, the Islamic State or al-Qaeda could play for advantage inside Ethiopias Somali region or among disaffected and disenfranchised Muslim communities in Oromia and elsewhere.

Brute force is no more likely to be successful in Ethiopia than it has been in Syria in preserving the integrity of the state or in mitigating threats to its neighbors or to the states of the Middle East. Nor can elections that Abiy has announced for June be credible, free or fair in the current political and security climate and therefore able to reconcile the competing visions for the countrys future. The political transitions that have unfolded in Ethiopia and Sudan in the last two years in fact illustrate that the restive and youthful body politics of the Horn of Africa are too diverse, pluralistic and eager for political change for authoritarian repression to result in stability.

Ethiopias recent history provides a sobering precedent. In 2015-16, large-scale protests against Ethiopias federal government, which was then dominated by Tigrays ruling party, was met by a military crackdown that both failed to quell the unrest and led to expanding violence. The widening political and security catastrophe only abated with the resignation of former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, the promise of a new political dispensation heralded by Abiys accession to the premiership and his articulation of a reform agenda that included a loosening of restrictions on civic space and the prospect of a more inclusive political discourse.

Similarly, when a junta deposed Omar al-Bashir following months of nationwide protests in Sudan, there were those within the security services and among their supporters abroad who argued that stability could be achieved through military rule. This proved elusive, however, amid the massacre of protesters at a sit-in in Khartoum and continued mass demonstrations demanding civilian rule. Following talks between the junta and the umbrella group representing the protesters, an agreement was reached to form a transitional government based on a cohabitation arrangement between a civilian-led Cabinet and a council chaired by the military until elections in 2022  an agreement due, in part, to diplomatic coordination between the United States and the Gulf. While fragile, this negotiated arrangement has so far averted fears of a slide into civil war akin to that of Libya, and Sudan is now a more responsible member of the international community than it has been at any time in the last three decades.

The Gulf states policies toward the Horn of Africa are undoubtedly rooted in their own strategic and political calculations. They understand that the two sides of the Red Sea comprise an integrated region that transcends the geographic distinctions between Africa and the Middle East. The close bilateral relationships that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have cultivated with Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, alongside Abu Dhabis historic ties with Asmara, can be strong assets in stabilizing the Horn of Africa in the long term. The long-awaited reconciliation among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries could also alleviate competitive pressures in Somalia, where Qatar has supported the federal government and the UAE has backed the federal member states.

US-Gulf coordination is needed most urgently, however, in the case of Ethiopia. The Gulf states explicit or implicit support for Abiys shortsighted approach or for Eritrean military intervention not only risks implicating the Gulf in the humanitarian emergency in Tigray but damaging their own strategic interests as the Ethiopian state deteriorates. While Abiy and the federal government continue to prejudice military action over dialogue  not just with Tigrayan leaders but across the political spectrum  there is an urgent need for a process that provides an opportunity to build a new national consensus in Ethiopia, including an understanding of the electoral calendar. The United States and its Gulf partners must cooperate in promoting and supporting such an effort.
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of FBL Financial Group, Inc. ("FBL Financial" or the "Company") (NYSE: FFG) in connection with the proposed interested-party acquisition of the Company by Farm Bureau Property & Casualty Insurance Company ("FBPCIC"), an insurance company serving clients in eight Midwest and Western states. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive $56.00 in cash for each share of FBL Financial common stock that they hold. FBPCIC and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, a not-for-profit, grassroots advocacy organization, together control approximately 61% of the Company's outstanding common stock.

If you own FBL Financial Group, Inc. shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:

https://www.weisslawllp.com/FFG/

Or please contact:

Joshua Rubin, Esq.

WeissLaw LLP

1500 Broadway, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10036

(212) 682-3025

(888) 593-4771

[email protected]

WeissLaw LLP is investigating whether (i) FBL Financial's special committee of the board of directors was truly independent and acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the $56.00 per-share merger consideration adequately compensates FBL Financial's shareholders; and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed. Notably, multiple analysts have set a price target of $65.00 for the Company, $9.00 above the proposed merger consideration.

WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected]

SOURCE WeissLaw LLP

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The 1975 have cancelled their 2021 tour amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The band - made up of Matt Healy, 31, George Daniel, 30, Adam Hann, 32, and Ross Macdonald, 31 - were due to begin an European tour next month.

They also revealed they are currently in the process of making a new album, but while Matt admitted that it won't be released for a while, 'other stuff' will be out in the meantime - likely music from the band's side-project, Drive Like I Do.

Cancelled: The 1975 - made up of Matt Healy, 31, George Daniel, 30, Adam Hann, 32, and Ross Macdonald, 31 - have cancelled their 2021 tour amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic

The 1975 shared the notice on their Instagram on Tuesday, saying: 'We are really sorry to announce that we have made the decision to cancel all scheduled touring for 2021.

'These are incredibly difficult times for a lot of people, and until we can be sure that we will be able to play shows in a way that is safe for our fans and crew, we have decided the best course of action is to cancel our touring so that, where possible, everyone can get their tickets refunded sooner rather than later.

'We're currently making a new album and look forward to seeing you all at a show as soon as it is safe to do so.

'Stay safe and look after each other': The band have cancelled performances until they 'can be sure' they'll 'be able to play shows in a way that is safe for our fans and crew'

'For information on refunds for Finsbury Park please go to your point of purchase. Stay safe and look after each other. Matty, George, Adam and Ross x' [sic]

The tour was due to start on February 12 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and end in Barcelona, Spain, on March 9.

They were also due to give a performance at Finsbury Park in London in July and at various festivals across Europe this summer, including Boardmasters in Newquay.

Coming soon? They also revealed they are currently in the process of making a new album, although Matt (pictured in February) admitted that it won't be out for a while, but 'other stuff' will be out in the meantime

Matt also shared the notice on his own Instagram account, captioning it: 'This is so s*** as I love attention, especially on a stage with loads people shouting "I love you!" or "rat lives matter! or "play antichrist!

'Unfortunately The 1975 live is not something for 2021.

'I already love the new album we are making and I hope you will too. That won't be out for ages. Other stuff will be tho'

Lockdowns and social distancing measures across Europe mean large groups of people cannot gather indoors.
U.S. President Donald Trump, facing impeachment on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" on Tuesday disavowed responsibility for his supporters` violent invasion of the US Capitol last week and said his remarks before the siege were appropriate.

The Republican president told reporters his speech before Wednesday`s assault - in which he urged supporters to march on the Capitol and fight - had been analyzed by unnamed others, who he said believed it was "totally appropriate."

"If you read my speech ... what I said was totally appropriate," he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews when asked about any personal responsibility he had regarding the Jan. 6 attack when his supporters stormed the Capitol with members of Congress and his own Vice President Mike Pence inside.

"They`ve analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody ... thought it was totally appropriate," he said before heading to Alamo, Texas to visit and sign his signature wall on the border with Mexico.

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to impeach Donald Trump on Wednesday unless he steps down or is removed before then, which would make him the only U.S. president ever to be impeached twice.

Trump`s remarks on Tuesday were his first in public since Wednesday, although he released a video on Thursday in which he condemned the violence but did not concede the election.

Trump did not answer a shouted question before leaving the White House about whether he was responsible for the violence at the Capitol, which led to the deaths of six people.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy told Republicans on Monday that Trump had acknowledged during a phone call that he bears "some responsibility" for the siege.

"I asked him personally today if he holds responsibility for what happened if he feels bad about what happened. He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened," McCarthy told Republicans during a 2-1/2-hour conversation, according to a source who took part in the call.

However, Axios reported that Trump during the same call had blamed `Antifa people` for storming the Capitol, even though clear video and documentary evidence shows the rioters were overwhelmingly his supporters.
Experts Call on China to Democratize After US Lifts Restrictions on Taiwan Engagement

Diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan were recently strengthened after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lifted decades-old contact guidelines on how U.S. officials should interact with their Taiwanese counterparts. The decision was condemned by the Chinese regime.

Some experts said the U.S. decision makes clear why China, like Taiwan, should develop into a free nation that can engage openly with other countries.

Beijing claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory, although Taiwan has its own military, democratically-elected government, and currency.

In the announcement made on Jan. 9, Pompeo explained the reason for lifting the self-imposed restrictions that have regulated diplomats, service members, and other officials interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts: Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and reliable partner of the United States, and yet for several decades the State Department has created complex internal restrictions to regulate our diplomats, service members, and other officials interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts. The United States government took these actions unilaterally, in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing.

The United States doesnt have a formal diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, but maintains unofficial ties with the island under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which was signed into law by former President Jimmy Carter in April 1979.

The TRA authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense, and set up a nonprofit corporation called the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which is now the de facto U.S. embassy on the island.

Two experts shared their views on the United States latest move to deepen ties with Taiwan, and they believe that it is time for China to democratize.

He Cheng-hui, a researcher at the Taiwan Association of Strategic Simulation, told The Epoch Times that the recent series of actions by the United States, including lifting the diplomatic restrictions, have challenged the Chinese communist regime and pointed out the crux of the conflicts between the United States and China.

It is precisely because China is a totalitarian and non-democratic country. The nature of the conflict is not only about economic and trade interests, but more deeply, about the political system and the concept of universal values.

It [U.S. decision] also hinted to China that it must make fundamental changes, He added.

As to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s strong reaction to the removal of the Taiwan restrictions, He thinks that the U.S. move poses a big challenge to the CCPs authority, and that the regime naturally reacts fiercely when it feels threatened. He analyzed that the meaning behind Pompeos statement was to clearly point out that the key to the solution to the confrontation between the United States and China is that China can develop toward becoming a democratic nation.

Su Tzu-yun, a military expert and chief executive of the Tamkang University Integrated Strategy and Technology Center, analyzed that Pompeo likely removed the restrictions at this time to ensure that U.S.-Taiwan contact becomes routine under the new administration.

And if president-elect Joe Biden chooses to restore the restrictions in the future, it would be tantamount to Biden appeasing Beijing, he said.

As to whether this lifting of restrictions is a harbinger for formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan in the future, both experts believe it is unlikely to happen soon.

Su recalled that Taiwans Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu said a few months ago that Taiwan currently has no plans to establish diplomatic relations with the United States. In this regard, Su further explained that there are three steps in normalizing U.S.-Taiwan relations that need to be achieved first. First, the United States should give Taiwan sufficient capacity to defend against Chinese military aggression; second, it should assist Taiwan in gaining recognition from the international community; third, any future U.S.-Taiwan tech cooperation and free trade agreements should be carried out in accordance with the common interests of both countries, without interference from the Chinese regime.

Su emphasized that the lifting of restrictions is setting things right in U.S. policy toward China. The most important task for the United States is to regain the strategic balance between China and Taiwan.

The United States has deepened its relationship with Taiwan under the Trump administration. Last year, it approved several large arms deals with Taiwan and increased engagement with the island.

Jiang Yuchan contributed to this report.


A sign is posted on the exterior of Twitter headquarter in San Francisco, Calif., on July 26, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Twitter Suspends Over 70,000 QAnon Accounts

Twitter announced on Monday that it has removed more than 70,000 accounts that promoted content related to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Given the violent events in Washington, DC, and increased risk of harm, we began permanently suspending thousands of accounts that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content on Friday afternoon, the social media giant said in a blog post.

These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service.

Twitter said that the removal resulted in changes to the follower count for some users, sometimes in the range of thousands.

The coordinated purge began on the same day that Twitter announced it will permanently suspend the account of President Donald Trump. Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador decried the suspension. Trump said that Twitter coordinated with the Democrats to silence him and the 75 million Americans who voted for him.

The QAnon movement follows clues from cryptic messages posted on an anonymous board online. One of the prominent themes of the theory alleges that global elites are part of a satanic pedophile ring.

The purge appears to have ensnared prominent pro-Trump figures, including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who embraced some of QAnons slogans and terminology, and Flynns attorney Sidney Powell. Ron Watkins, the former head of the 8kun message board, which hosts the QAnon posts, also vanished from Twitter around the time of the mass removal.

Twitters explanation for the removal suggests that it blames QAnon for the violence in Washington and the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. It used a similar explanation to banish the president, alleging that his rhetoric incited the violence and that removing him was necessary to prevent further incidents.

Weve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm, Twitter said.

The removal of QAnon accounts is part of a larger censorship search that has been carried out by big tech companies since Jan. 6. Google, Apple, and Amazon effectively shut down Parler, a free speech platform. Facebook, which has banned Trump until at least Jan. 20, began deleting all content mentioning the Stop the Steal slogan.

Parler filed a lawsuit against Amazon on Monday.

Twitters stock ended trading on Monday down 6.4 percent in the wake of its removal of Trump. Facebooks shares dropped 4 percent.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has weighed in heavily against the decision to ban U.S. President Trump's account by blasting Twitter. Merkels chief spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told reporters in Berlin on Monday that "The right to freedom of opinion is of fundamental importance. Given that, the chancellor considers it problematic that the presidents accounts have been permanently suspended."

Seibert added that while Twitter was right to flag Trumps inaccurate tweets about the 2020 U.S. election, banning his account altogether was a step too far. He added that governments, not private companies, should decide on any limitations to freedom of speech.

Merkel is often described as the de facto leader of the European Union. Her apparent alignment with the president against the decision by Twitter to remove him came as a surprise.

Yet Merkel isn't alone in Europe waving a warning flag against tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and Apple. The U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock and EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton who is already angry with Apple, said it raises key questions about the power of tech companies and the need for regulation.

Breton said in a Politico opinion piece that "The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on POTUSs loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing. It is not only confirmation of the power of these platforms, but it also displays deep weaknesses in the way our society is organized in the digital space."

On Sunday Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple & Social Media's Acts to Suppress Free Speech have been condemned by the ALCU, Putin's Opposition and more." In the report we stated: "If the EU Commission ever needed a clear-cut case of American Tech companies wielding too much power, this is it. The EU Commission already has the Apple App Store in its crosshairs for being a gatekeeper and the act of censorship could be what they need to justify the App Store being separated from Apple.

As noted, the EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, who is already angry with Apple along with France's Digital Minister Cedric O for not cooperating with their country's "StopCovid" app, said recent events raised key questions about the power of tech companies and the need for regulation.

While U.S. tech companies have a short term gain in popularity for shutting out conservative voices from the American landscape, there will likely be a high price to be paid for their actions in Europe, if not the U.S. over time.

How much of the rhetoric from Mr. Breton is simply political puffery for the press or insight as to what may take place later this year against U.S. tech companies is unknown at time.
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YEREVAN.  Azerbaijan has always delayed the return of captives; this is done with the obvious purpose of causing as much mental suffering as possible and creating tension in the Armenian society. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, stated this at Tuesdays press conference

He reminded that the permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the UN recently issued a letter in which the issue of 62 Armenianswho were taken captives after the ceasefire statement of November 9was discussed. They are presented [in the letter] as terrorists, from which political conclusions are drawn, including the issue of Armenia's violation of the November 9 statement is raised. (). Azerbaijan politicizes the issue of captives, which is absolutely inadmissible. Arrest and artificial delay in the exchange of prisoners is inadmissible; this is a direct violation of the Geneva Convention. The 8th point of the trilateral statement is about the exchange of all the captives. Unfortunately, no deadlines are noted there, and Azerbaijan is playing on that. (). Azerbaijan is obliged to return the captives, even if there were no such demand in the statement; this is a requirement of human rights and international humanitarian law. () In fact, it applies to all captives as s result of operationand there are examples of returns. Azerbaijan's actions contradict the intentions of the parties that signed the statement. (). It refuses to give the exact number of [Armenian] captives; according to our information, they are lot more than reported by Azerbaijan," Tatoyan stressed.

According to him, after the recent Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war, however, the anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijan has deepened further.

The ombudsman stressed that the Armenian military in Artsakh protects the civilian population, and its presence there should be considered in the context of the genocidal policy by the Azerbaijani authorities.

The Armenian ombudsman's response to the aforesaid letter by the Azerbaijani permanent representative to the UN has been disseminated Tuesday within international organizations, and the ombudsman's staff is constantly working with partners, and the reports are constantly transmitted.
The year 2020 was a roller coaster ride for investors, but benchmark indices managed to close the show with handsome return of about 15 percent each. The big winners of 2020 were the small & midcaps which will continue to remain in focus in 2021, suggest experts.

Despite a muted Budget for the stock market in the year 2020, retail investors jumped on D-Street. Data suggest that about 10 million new Demat accounts were opened last year amid the coronavirus outbreak which gave retail investors the extra time to study and manage stocks, according to media reports.

With an economy that is gradually reviving from a COVIDF-induced slump, all eyes will be on the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, who will present the Union Budget on February 1.

On the stock market front, a lot of regulatory changes were announced by the SEBI over the last few months, to reduce systemic risks within the broking industry and to bring in additional transparency, suggest experts.

While most stakeholders are acclimatizing to these new regulatory changes, the FM can extend support by certain measures, putting the investment and broking community on a strong footing. A few proposals that can bring cheer to retail investors, Tejas Khoday, Co-Founder and CEO, FYERS told Moneycontrol.

We spoke to various experts and heres what they think could cheer retail investors in the upcoming Budget:

Abolishing the much-criticized Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax

This would be a welcome move. A widely discussed point of note is redefining the concept of Long Term to 2 years and the change of taxation to Zero.

This move can also bring stability to the duration of investments across financial assets, suggest Khoday.

Budget highlighted that LTCG over Rs 1 lakh on listed equity shares will be taxable at the rate of 10% without the benefit of indexation.

Abolishing STT

LTCG and STT coexisting is acting as a deterrent to attract investment. STT was introduced with the objective to replace LTCG, but in Feb 2018 LTCG was reintroduced without abolishing STT.

STT or Securities Transaction Tax is a kind of transaction tax that is similar to tax collected at source (TCS). It is a direct levy on every purchase and sale of securities listed on the exchange.

LTCG and STT coexisting is acting as a deterrent to attract investment. In the last 3 years, LTCG has not given any meaningful revenue to the government but has caused significant damage to capital markets thus doing away with LTCG will definitely make markets cheer,

Indexation benefits to Equity-related Mutual Funds

Indexation helps investors pay taxes on the real value of investments as opposed to the nominal value. Currently, the government offers indexation benefits for investments in gold, Debt mutual funds, and real estate.

However, equity-related funds are not eligible. From 2018, Long-term capital gains (LTCG) are taxed at 10% without indexation benefits.

The LTCG up to Rs.1 lakh is exempted from tax every year, the impact on the tax liability is not substantial. Also, this rule incentivizes investors to book profits every year as opposed to staying invested for a longer period, Harsh Jain, Co-founder and COO, Groww told Moneycontrol.

: 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.
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Firefighters responded to a 2.5-story structure fire Monday night in the citys Heritage Hill neighborhood.

Grand Rapids Fire Department crews responded to the blaze early Monday evening, Jan. 11, in the 30 block of Prospect Avenue SE, near E. Fulton Street, according to a Facebook post from the department.

Within an hour, the fire was under control, GRFD stated on its page. No injuries were reported and overhaul was underway as of 7 p.m.

Another post from Grand Rapids Professional Firefighters Local 366 said companies arrived to find heavy smoke and fire showing from the second floor.

GRFD also reported locating active fire on the first floor as well.

Also on MLive:

Michigan AG claims wins in ongoing presidential election fraud cases

Spectrum Health facing astronomical demand as COVID-19 vaccine eligibility broadens

Muskegon GOP chair remains strong Trump supporter after Capitol violence
While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to wreak havoc in many parts of the world, a new variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged.

This new variant, called N501Y, has caused skyrocketing cases in the UK, where it first emerged in September 2020. To date, the country has reported more than 3.12 million cases and over 82,000 deaths.

The rise of this highly infectious new strain has raised serious questions about whether or not the current vaccine candidates will be effective in immunizing against it. It has also brought a new urgency to the vaccination effort in the UK and elsewhere where roll-outs have begun.

Researchers from Pfizer and the University of Texas, USA, have presented evidence showing that people in a previously reported trial of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2  commonly known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine  had equivalent neutralizing titers to the N501 and Y501 viruses, suggesting that the vaccine could be effective against this new strain. The team's findings have been published on the preprint bioRxiv* server.

Fast spreading SARS-CoV-2 variant

Emerging in September, a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has recently exploded across southeast England, prompting the government to impose stringent restrictions and lockdown orders in what is now a third national lockdown since the pandemic first begun. The new variant is highly transmissible and fast-spreading.

The new variant contains 23 mutations, 8 of which are in the spike proteins, the part of the virus that binds human cells and facilitates its entry. The novel mutations include the N501Y mutation that allows the virus to bind more tightly to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. It also contains the D614G deletion, which has been observed to spread more rapidly between people than earlier strains.

In an investigation of the new strain conducted by Public Health England, researchers have noted that the N501Y shows significantly higher transmissibility than previous strains, though have not found any evidence to suggest it is more lethal or virulent.

The study

In the study, the researchers generated isogenic N501 and Y501 SARS-CoV-2. Blood samples of participants in a previously reported trial of the BNT162b2 vaccine showed equivalent neutralizing titers to the new variants.

To arrive at the study findings, the researchers obtained the blood samples from the participants that were obtained 2 or 4 weeks after immunization with two 30- g doses of BNT162b2 spaced three weeks apart. The blood samples were tested for neutralization assay.

The results showed that the ratio of the 50 percent neutralization geometric mean titers (GMTs) of the blood samples against the Y501 virus to that against the N501 virus was 1.46. This means that there was no reduction in the neutralization activity against the SARS-CoV-2 that contains the Y501 spike.

Nevertheless, preserved neutralization of Y501 virus by BNT162b2-elicited human sera is consistent with preserved neutralization of a panel of 15 pseudoviruses bearing spikes with other mutations found in circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains, the researchers concluded in the study.

The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine has demonstrated a 95 percent efficacy in protecting against COVID-19 in its human trials, which involved at least 44,000 participants who are 16 years of age or older. The results present evidence that the vaccine could potentially target even the novel variants, which have caused surging cases in some countries, particularly in the UK and South Africa.

Since SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus, it is expected to evolve, leading to the emergence of new variants. The ongoing evolution of the virus requires persistent monitoring of the significance of changes to ensure vaccine coverage. Many scientists have emphasized the importance of preparing for future mutations of the virus, which may necessitate a vaccine strain change.

50% plaque reduction neutralization titers of 20 sera from BNT162b2 vaccine recipients against N501 and Y501 SARS-CoV-2. Seven sera (indicated by triangles) were drawn 2 weeks after the second dose of vaccine; 13 sera (indicated by circles) were drawn 4 weeks after the second dose.

A previous study has also noted that it is better to target fast-spreading strains of the virus to reduce the initial ballooning of cases.

To date, there are nearly 91 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of these, 1.94 million have died from the infection. The United States reports the highest number of cases, reaching 22.61 million; followed by India, with 10.47 million cases; Brazil, with about 8.13 million cases; and Russia, with over 3.41 million cases. The virus has now reached 191 countries and regions across the globe.

*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.
Thomson Reuters Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2020 Earnings Announcement and Webcast Scheduled for February 23, 2021

Conference call and webcast scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EST

TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters (NYSE, TSX: TRI) announced today that its fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 earnings will be issued via news release on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

Steve Hasker, president and chief executive officer, and Mike Eastwood, chief financial officer, will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast that morning at 8:30 a.m. EST. Discussions may include forward-looking information.

You can access the webcast by visiting the "Investor Relations" section of the Thomson Reuters website. Registration for the webcast is now open. Additionally, an archive of the webcast will be available following the presentation.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is a leading provider of business information services. Our products include highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting and compliance professionals combined with the world's most global news service - Reuters. For more information on Thomson Reuters, visit tr.com and for the latest world news, reuters.com.
The Marlins have had discussions with the Cubs about catcher Willson Contreras, according to SportsGrids Craig Mish (Twitter link). There isnt any sense that a trade might be close, as Mish describes the situation as very fluid considering how the Cubs have big decisions to make across the board (namely, trade talks involving several of their veteran players).

As you might expect, Contreras has been a key figure in these talks, as the Angels and multiple other teams have inquired about the backstops services. It stands to reason that pretty much any team with a need behind the plate has at least checked in on Contreras, and Miamis interest hints that even teams who seemed to have a catching option in place are interested in Contreras as an upgrade.

2020 was a tough season for Jorge Alfaro, acquired as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade package in February 2019 and immediately tabbed as Miamis next catcher of the future. After hitting decently well in 2019, Alfaros numbers took a significant step backwards in the shortened 2020 season, to the point that the Marlins turned to Chad Wallach as their regular catcher in the playoffs so the club could at least get some defensive stability out of the position.

The Marlins also recently signed Sandy Leon to a minor league deal and re-signed Brian Navarreto for further depth, indicating some desire on Miamis part to address its catching mix. Acquiring Contreras would obviously be a much more seismic move, and it seems possible that Alfaro could be part of a hypothetical trade package heading to Chicago. Catcher Miguel Amaya is one of the Cubs top prospects but has yet to play above high-A ball, so Alfaro wouldnt necessarily be blocking Amayas progress. Alfaro is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and is controlled through the 2023 season.

Contreras, meanwhile, has two arbitration seasons left and is projected to earn between $5MM-$7.4MM for the 2021 season. Its a very reasonable price for one of the sports better overall catchers, a two-time All-Star who continued to post solid (.243/.356/.407 in 225 PA) hitting and framing numbers last season. Landing such a productive player on short-term control would be a fit for any team, but particularly a Marlins organization that is starting to stretch its payroll a bit as the Fish have become competitive. After acquiring Starling Marte at the trade deadline and exercising his $12.5MM option for 2021, Miami has yet to swing any major moves this winter, mostly focusing on lower-level bullpen additions.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday said that opposition figure Kem Sokhas treason trial was not a high priority, despite its willingness to continue legal proceedings against rights activists and dozens of former opposition members.

Taing Sunlay, president of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said that Kem Sokha's trial was not a priority for the court, despite calls from his defense lawyers to resume the proceedings after it was delayed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He [Kem Sokha] is not in a detention center. So, his case is not a priority over those who are in prison, said Taing Sunlay.

Kem Sokha was charged with treason and detained in September 2017 for allegedly attempting to overthrow the Cambodian Peoples Party government, with the assistance of the United States. The trial commenced in January 2020 and was suspended in March because of the rise in COVID-19 cases in Cambodia.

His defense lawyers have asked the court to resume hearings, but judge Kuy Sao has yet to agree with them. At the same time, several of Kem Sokhas former colleagues from the Cambodia National Rescue Party have been tried and convicted for various crimes.

Kuy Sao, the presiding judge in the Kem Sokha trial, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

While Kem Sokhas case languishes in limbo, around 50 CNRP defendants will be tried for alleged conspiracy and incitement on Thursday and another 80 former party members will face similar charges in a trial scheduled for March. Both trials are linked to former CNRP president Sam Rainsys failed attempt at returning to Cambodia in November 2019.

In September of last year, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Kem Sokha's trial could take up to 2024, ensuring that the former opposition party president will not compete in the 2022 commune election and the 2023 national election.

Lawyers representing Kem Sokha recently asked the Ministry of Justice to intervene and speed up the trial because the court had not responded to their petitions.

Pheng Heng, one of Kem Sokhas lawyers, said the case was politically motivated and if the trial was completed it would be possible to find a political solution or national reconciliation.

We want to see a speedy trial. The courts decision will help bring national reconciliation, he said.

He added that he wanted the trial to end so that Kem Sokha could regain his freedom. The opposition leader is currently under court supervision and is still not allowed to conduct political activity, but has, on occasion, met with supporters during provincial visits.

Chin Malin, a spokesperson at the Justice Ministry, said the ministry had no power to interfere in the courts work.

In principle, the ministry has no power to force the court to start the trial. It is at the courts discretion, he said.

Em Sovannara, a political science professor in Cambodia, said all court cases must be prioritized to ensure that a citizens constitutionally-guaranteed fair trial rights were respected.

Kem Sokhas case is an important issue for the nation since it is related to the United States, he said. If the relations between Cambodia and the US is broken, it can affect diplomatic ties and trade relations.
AMD fans looking for the promised land of a Zen 3-based laptop running Nvidias latest GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs wont have to look further than Lenovos stack of Legion gaming laptops, which marry AMDs latest Ryzen notebook CPUs with Nvidias new Ampere-based mobile graphics.

Lenovo will introduce no fewer than five laptops offering just about every screen configuration you could want. Well kick this off from the most affordable in the lineup: The Legion 5 series.

Lenovo Legion 5

The Legion 5 will come in both 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch versions, all at 1080p resolution. Lenovo will, however, offer offer the 17.3-inch with refresh rates of 60Hz or 144Hz. The 15.6-inch Legion 5 will run the gamut with 60Hz, 120Hz, and 165Hz options.

Lenovo

The 15.6-inch version of the Legion 5 will weigh about 5.3 lbs. and offer options of a white keyboard backlight, a blue backlight, or a 4-zone RGB backlight. More importantly, the laptops will be based on AMDs newest Ryzen chips which havent been detailed at the time of writing. Lenovo does say the Legion 5 will feature up to a Ryzen 7.

Also left intentionally blank: Details about the new Nvidia GPUs are inside, with Lenovo instead saying: Up to the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX. Thats obviously the GeForce RTX 30-series for laptops, which is expected to be announced in Nvidias GeForce RTX: Game On stream today. Well update our story once more information is available but based on the Legion 5s 170 watt adapter, we think that means everything from GTX 1650 on up in lower cost versions. How far Lenovo takes it isnt known.

The 17-inch version of the Legion 5 also obscures its parts but we do know its packing AMDs newest Ryzen 7 chips and Nvidias latest graphics offerings. As its adapter starts at 230 watts, that means it might come with a more powerful GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q GPU. The larger screen and bigger body will push the weight up to about 6.6 lbs.

Rather than use typical heat pipe designs, Lenovo said its upgraded Legion laptops will use a vapor chamber design as well as liquid metal thermal compound on the CPU to increase cooling performance.

Lenovo Legion 7

Lenovo RGB vents. Because its better and you know it.

Moving up a step, the Lenovo Legion 7 brings a Zen 3-based Ryzen 9 and the GeForce RTX 30-series to a QHD-resolution 16-inch laptop. If you dont know what QHD is, were not surprised. Most gaming laptops have been built around wide and narrow 16:9 aspect ratio panels. The Legion 7s 2560x1600 resolution panel uses 16:10 aspect ratio that gives you a taller screen. The G-Sync panel comes with VESAs DisplayHDR400 certification and will also reduce blue light levels using TUV Rheinland technology.

Perhaps just as noteworthy is the Legion 7s RGB lighting, which has now spread beyond the keyboard and chassis ring into the cooling system itself. Yup. If Lenovos image is an indicator, the new Legion 7 features RGB lights along the laptops cooling vents.

The Legion 7 with 16-inch screen should weigh in at about 5.5 lbs. and with its 300 watt power brick, wed guess the Legion 7 will offer up to a GeForce RTX 3080 along with its next-gen Ryzen 9 CPU.

The 16:10 panel wont be confined only to the Legion 7 as Lenovo will also offer the panel in its Legion 5 Pro variant for people who arent into the RGB. That model is slightly lighter at 5.4 lbs. and will top out with a Ryzen 7 CPU. Its 230 watt base power brick likely indicates it holds a GeForce RTX 3070-class GPU, but as we said, well find out more details soon.

Lenovo Legion 7 Slim

Lenovo The Legion Slim 7 will weight 4.2 lbs. and come with a next-gen AMD Ryzen and next-gen GeForce GPU.

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 may appeal to people who want their gaming machines as slim and portable as possible. The laptop pairs next-gen Ryzen and next-gen GeForce with a 15.6-inch 4K 60Hz screen or a faster 1080p 165Hz panel. Like the other laptops, the Legion Slim 7 also features liquid metal thermal interface compound.

The 4.2 lbs. Legion Slim 7 will be available in May and Lenovo didnt announce a price. The Legion 5 in either 15- or 17-inch versions will start at $770 and should hit shelves in March. The Legion 5 Pro will notch the starting price up to $1,000 and also should be available in March. Finally, the Legion 7 will start at $1,700 and wont ship until June.
TBILISI -- The billionaire businessman-politician who founded the ruling Georgian Dream party back in 2012 says he has decided to leave politics for good.

Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili announced on January 11 that he was stepping down as the chairman of Georgian Dream and will quit the party.

Proclaiming that hed accomplished his mission, Ivanishvili said, I have decided to completely withdraw from politics and let go of the reins of power.

He said the fact he will turn 65 next month also was a factor in his decision.

But few in the Georgian capital are taking Ivanishvilis announcement at face value.

One reason is because it is not the first time Ivanishvili has announced his retirement from politics in the former Soviet republic.

In November 2013, when Ivanishvili voluntarily stepped down as prime minister after just 13 months in office, he also said that he was quitting the political arena.

Then, in 2018, Ivanishvili announced his formal return. He was promptly elected to serve again as chairman of Georgian Dream.

In the meantime, all four men whove served as prime minister since Ivanishvili quit that post have been party colleagues -- including current Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. And critics accuse Ivanishvili of having continued to govern the country from behind the scenes.

They also accuse Ivanishvili of being close to the Kremlin, something Ivanishvili denies.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ivanishvili is the richest man in Georgia with an estimated wealth of about $5.7 billion.

He made his fortune during the 1990s by building up a collection of iron-ore producers, steel plants, banks, and real-estate properties in post-Soviet Russia -- selling off most of those assets from 2003 to 2006 and the remainder in the run-up to his election as Georgian prime minister in October 2012.

He created the Georgian Dream party in April 2012.

Sources familiar with the inner workings of the party tell RFE/RL it is virtually impossible for Ivanishvili to relinquish his political power -- regardless of his formal position or membership in the party.

Ghia Khukhashvili, a former adviser to Ivanishvili, said the Georgian Dream's governing structure is designed so that all roads lead to Ivanishvili. Consequently, Khukhashvili says, even if Ivanishvili sincerely wants to leave politics, it will be difficult for him to do so without the collapse of that party system.

Political tensions have been high in Georgia since the official results of parliamentary elections on October 31 showed Georgian Dream maintaining its grip on power.

Ivanishvili wants to present himself as a democrat who is not fundamentally opposed to the opposition. But he does not want such an opposition."

The opposition -- led by the United National Movement (ENM) and European Georgia, plus six other parties that won parliamentary representation -- claims the vote was rigged. Thousands of opposition demonstrators have taken to the streets of Tbilisi to protest the official election results.

Georgian Dream has rejected its demand for new elections, insisting the vote was free and fair.

The OSCE's international election-observation mission concluded that the vote was "competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected," although it cited "pervasive allegations of pressure on voters and blurring of the line between the ruling party and the state."

In his January 11 announcement, Ivanishvili said he was heartbroken that a constructive opposition has not been formed in Georgia.

I will not hide it and I will honestly say that at the end of my political career, one of the things that makes me grieve is that a state-minded and responsible opposition has not been formed yet that would help Georgia meet the standards of European parliamentary democracy.

Ghia Nodia, a political analyst who heads the Tbilisi-based Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy, and Development, told RFE/RL that he doubts Ivanishvilis sincerity.

"This is complete hypocrisy, said Nodia, who served as Georgias minister of education and science in 2008. Ivanishvili wants his favorite opposition, which has not appeared before. It is clear that he considers the United National Movement as an enemy. His attitude is similar to those parties that are also critical of the National Movement.

He will not go anywhere, of course, and he will not leave either. Ivanishvili's goal has always been to be able to do whatever he wants without hindrance."

Nodia accused Ivanishvili of failing to "recognize any opposition party as a legitimate player."

Ivanishvili wants to present himself as a democrat who is not fundamentally opposed to the opposition. But he does not want such an opposition," Nodia said. "He wants to control the opposition as he had controlled Georgian Dream when he left the first time.

David Zurabishvili, a former member of the Georgian parliament who used to lead the opposition Democratic Front faction, said the threat posed to Ivanishvilis interests by the current opposition isnt the only reason he will not be able to fulfill his dream of leaving politics.

"He will not go anywhere, of course, and he will not leave either, Zurabishvili said. Ivanishvili's goal has always been to be able to do whatever he wants without hindrance. This means his business, infrastructure projects, and all that require control of state institutions.

He cannot leave politics, Zurabishvili said. The political leadership may decide otherwise. The legislation may be different [and unfavorable to him]. But the man does not know where he wants to build or move. He has to run to get permits every time. So he cannot relinquish full control and, in principle, remain as an informal ruler as he was before. I am absolutely sure of that.
AN Irish Rail service from Dublin to Cork has been delayed after group of people were found using drugs on the train.

Gardai have been called to the incident, with the train stopped at Hazelhatch, in Co Kildare for the suspects to be removed.

It was the 6pm service from Heuston to Cork and Irish Rail told passengers to expect a delay of at least 30 minutes.

Just before 7pm a spokesperson for Irish Rail told Independent.ie the incident was ongoing.
Bangkok, Jan 12 : Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy have withdrawn from the Thailand Open after testing positive for Covid-19.

"Two Indian players, Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy, have tested positive for Covid-19. Both players have withdrawn from the tournament and have been isolated in a hospital for a minimum of 10 days," the Badminton Association of India (BAI) confirmed on their official Twitter handle.

"BAI is in constant touch with BWF, team management, players and organiser," it added.

Saina returned positive in her third round of Covid-19 test on Monday. She was slated to take on Kisona Selvaduray of Malaysia in her opening round contest on Tuesday who has now been given a walkover.

Prannoy, on the other hand, was slated to take on Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in his opening round contest.

This is the second time that Saina and Prannoy have tested positive for Covid-19. Last month along with Parupalli Kashyap, the players had tested positive during Gurusaidutt's wedding in Hyderabad. All of them served quarantine period and tested negative for Covid-19 before arriving in Bangkok.

Saina, 30, had recently raised concerns over the fitness of the athletes after physios and trainers were restricted from meeting the badminton players during the entirety of their Thailand tour. However, the rules that have been put in place by the Badminton World Federation and BAT stated that it was only for the first three days that players could not meet their support staff until the start of the training period.

The Olympic medallist last participated in the All England Open in March last year and Tuesday's game was supposed to be her first since the outbreak of coronavirus.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Restrictions will also be introduced on the export of technology used to repress Uyghur and Kazakh Muslims. Beijing targeted for its internment system and labour camps. Tense relations between the two countries also due to the events in Hong Kong. The UK is not the first state to impose restrictions on human rights violations in China.

London (AsiaNews / Agencies) - This week the British government will announce a ban on imports of goods from Xinjiang suspected of being produced through the use of forced labour this week.

British media announced the move today, under which Boris Johnsons executive will also introduce restriction to the export of technology that could be used by the Chinese regime to repress the Muslim minority.

Recent press revelations have highlighted the existence of labour camps in Xinjiang, where hundreds of thousands of Muslims are reportedly employed by force, mainly in the cotton harvest. China produces 20% of the world's cotton, most of it in Xinjiang.

In addition, Beijing is accused of having organized a system of internment camps to keep the Uyghur and Kazakh populations under control. Data collected by experts and confirmed by the United Nations estimates that over a million Uyghurs and other Turkish-speaking minorities of Islamic faith are arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, which the local population calls "East Turkestan". The Chinese deny all charges, arguing that they are vocational training centers and poverty reduction projects.

The measure prepared by the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab provides for fines for companies that fail to adequately verify the origin of their imports from Xinjiang. However, the law does not include sanctions for Chinese leaders linked to prison systems, labor camps and forced sterilizations.

London's move is destined to further strain relations with the Asian giant. For a couple of years, the British government has been on the run with the Chinese government to crack down on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. Beijings irritation has grown especially after the British offered citizenship to residents of the former colony who intend to flee abroad.

But the UK is not the first state to impose trade restrictions with Xinjiang. In December, the Trump administration banned imports of cotton produced by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a semi-military organization that covers 30% of the Chinese market in the sector.

Last September, Swedish clothing giant H&M broke off relations with a cotton producer suspected of exploiting Uyghur prisoners. The fashion company has specified that it will no longer take yarns or raw materials from Xinjiang.

Egypt's foreign ministry condemned on Tuesday the Israeli decision to build 800 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, calling it "a new violation of international legitimacy decisions."

The ministry's spokesman, Ahmed Hafez, expressed in an official statement grave concern over the consequences of such Israeli steps in "undermining the chances of the two-state solution at a time a number of international parties are exerting tireless efforts to revive the negotiations path between the Palestinian and Israeli sides."

Hafez also said such steps have negative ramifications for the security and stability of the region.

On Monday, the Israeli government approved a plan to construct 800 settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

Egypt has maintained its position of rejecting illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories as well as its full support for establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the borders of 1967.

Egypt has recently pushed efforts aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process.

On Monday, Cairo hosted a meeting of Munich's quartet group, a bloc comprising Egypt, Jordan, France, and Germany, which is tasked with reviving the peace process in the Middle East between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to the quartet group members that "settling the Palestinian issue will alter the reality and condition of the entire region for the better,"

The quartet group forged 11 provisions detailed in a joint statement outlining the endeavours to revive the peace process.

Short link:


Amaravati, Jan 12 : The Andhra Pradesh government employees associations have welcomed the High Court's ruling to suspend rural local body elections in the state.

The Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' Association (APNGO) President N. Chandrasekhar Reddy said the Court's ruling is a positive development.

"It is a positive development as the ruling came in favour of APNGO's demand, considering the coronavirus pandemic and the threat it poses to the health of employees," Reddy said.

Echoing Reddy's comments, representatives from the Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee (AP JAC) comprising employees, teachers, workers and pensioners also welcomed the court's decision.

AP JAC Chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu said the ruling came in favour of justice and fairness.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Employees Federation Chairman Kakarla Venkatarami Reddy said the action by State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar against the department's Joint Director G. V. Sai Prasad is an unfortunate development.

The government employees and police officers' associations have vociferously objected to the unilateral declaration of the election schedule by Kumar, and even conveyed to him that they would approach the court.

They cited the prevailing coronavirus pandemic and the crucial vaccination programme which would be underway shortly, as the reasons why the panchayat elections shouldn't be held now.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka.

Thursday, Jan. 7

10:43 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence in reference to a domestic assault. A 32-year-old man said his 21-year-old live-in girlfriend assaulted him. A report was forwarded to the courts.

10:26 p.m.  Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Edenville Township.

8:04 p.m.  Officers responded to a report of domestic violence in the 2100 block of Hillgrove Parkway.

7:45 p.m.  Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lee Township.

7:20 p.m.  Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Jasper Township.

6:47 p.m.  Officers responded to a report of domestic violence and obstructing justice in the 4900 block of Artcrest Drive.

5:41 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Greendale Township residence in reference to a 20-year-old man who had threatened his 42-year-old mother with a knife. There were no injuries and the 20-year-old was arrested for felonious assault. Prior to the assault, the man had driven a vehicle without valid insurance and he had a suspended Michigan driver license.

4:34 p.m.  Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of westbound U.S.-10 and Sturgeon Avenue.

3:04 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to the area of East Bombay Road near North Hope Road for the report of a two-vehicle traffic crash.

1:30 p.m.  Officers responded to a retail fraud in the 900 block of Joe Mann Boulevard.

1:05 a.m.  Officers responded to a report of domestic assault in the 6800 block of Paige Court.
BOZEMAN, Mont., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance today announced their proposal for new Wilderness designations on the Custer Gallatin National Forest (CGNF) in Southern Montana.

GYWA plans to introduce a Wilderness Bill to the US Congress, titled the Gallatin-Yellowstone Wilderness Act. The Bill would designate about 800,000 acres of new Wilderness in the northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and nearby federal lands. GYWA has identified Montana's CGNF as the epicenter of some of the most spectacular unprotected wild lands in the nation.

Wild Montana Cutthroat Trout  Adam Bronstein The Spectacular Gallatin Mountain Range in Montana.  Adam Bronstein

Phil Knight of GYWA offered, "It's a new year, after a very tough 2020, and we all need positive ideas. How about a fresh start by protecting more Wilderness? What could be better for the people, the wildlife and the land?"

George Wuerthner, author, ecologist and GYWA board member, said, "The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is part of the global heritage, and we have a responsibility to do everything we can to preserve it."

"We are talking about protecting some of the top one or two per cent of wild country in the lower 48," said Knight. These wild lands are some of the best wildlife habitat in the country, providing a home for Grizzly Bear, Lynx, Wolf, Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, Wolverine and Bighorn Sheep, and are the source of waters that support genetically pure Yellowstone and West Slope Cutthroat Trout.

Anne Millbrooke, GYWA board member, explained, "Big open spaces are not actually open and certainly not wasted. Nature fills that space and uses it. As byproducts, nature protects our clean air and clean water. It even stores carbon."

The CGNF caps Yellowstone National Park like a crown of wild mountains. From Cowboy Heaven to the Tongue River Breaks, the Crazy Mountains to the Line Creek Plateau, the Gallatin Crest to Lionhead, the Beartooth Front to the Pryor Mountains, there is no other national forest like it. GYWA believes that what the CGNF does best is provide for high-quality wild lands. It is not the nation's wood box, nor should it be the nation's outdoor gymnasium.

Wild lands protection is critical to the quality of life of the region's communities, and essential to the outdoor economy that draws visitors, as well as contributing to the wellbeing of residents, providing clean water, important fish habitat, critical wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, and solace for people in troubled times.

According to Conservation Biology principles, larger protected areas are better than smaller patches of habitat. So, it is important to conserve larger unprotected wild lands, especially if they are contiguous to existing protected areas such as Yellowstone Park.

In addition, some wild lands are critical corridors for the movement of wildlife between other protected landscapes. For example, the Bridger Mountain Range can serve as a corridor connecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to other wild lands further north.

You can view GYWA's draft wilderness legislation at https://www.gallatinyellowstonewilderness.org/

Contact:

Phil Knight (406) 209-4727

George Wuerthner (541) 255-6039

Anne Millbrooke (406) 599-1096

SOURCE Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance
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The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is among the most highly-anticipated yearly events in the tech industry where various tech companies showcase their new products that will go on sale soon or gears they are currently developing.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CES 2021 had gone virtual and some are fully embracing the platform, such as LG, who got the help of a virtual influencer to present their new gear.

Meet Reah Keem, Virtual DJ

According to Digital Trends, the company decided to get the help of a virtual musician and DJ, Reah Keem, to introduce their products during the company's online press conference this Monday, January 11, 2021.

The virtual influencer has around 6,000 followers on Instagram, according to The Verge, plus a SoundCloud page with only one song.

It might be an odd choice to use a virtual influencer, but since everything's going virtual, it's a cool way to have everyone curious and get their attention, which might play well in LG's favor.

Just like every virtual influencer that exists these days, the virtual DJ is often given a lifelike personality, so it comes with no surprise that Keem talked about traveling and how it's a "part of my life" and "inspiration."

But of course, the pandemic came and traveling was almost impossible.

Read More: Kohler CES 2021: This $16,000 'Smart Bathtub' with LED Lights Simulates 'Japanese Forest Bathing'

LG's New Sanitizing Robot and Gram Laptop

Soon enough, the AI was talking about LG's new CLOi UV-C sanitizing robot that uses ultraviolet C (UV-C) light to neutralize germs and viruses.

People can use the wheel-based robot to sanitize high-touch areas in public places like hotels and restaurants, or even at home, just like the virtual musician, who says she would rather "chill in my studio and work on my videos."

For those who don't know, Keem seems to be living (virtually) in Seoul, South Korea.

Just as Keem says that she presents LG's latest Gram laptop that features a 16:10 aspect ratio display, a clean-cut design, and a hidden-hinge display that runs on Intel's 11th Gen Core processor and Xe graphics.

With that, Keem's screentime is over, handing the presentation over to Samsung executive Samuel Chang.

The Era of Virtual Influencers?

Virtual influencers are not new, but Reah Keem is rather on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to popularity, especially when comparing her to Miquela Sousa, otherwise known as Lil Miquela, a social media virtual influencer who currently has over 2.9 million followers on her Instagram page.

Nevertheless, Keem might have been created by LG for this purpose, with published a press release saying that LG "introduced" the virtual DJ, plus during her presentation with LG, people can see that LG put "virtual influencer designed by LG."

Regardless, it was definitely one of the highlights of CES 2021.

Although LG's presentation may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's definitely entertaining to see how the companies are coping with the virtual show, making sure their presentations can get the consumers' undivided attention to pitch their new gadgets to the public.

Related Article: CES 2021: This Amazon Alexa-Integrated Healthcare Tracker Detects Physiological Abnormalities in Less Than 60 Seconds

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Written by: Nhx Tingson

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LOS ANGELES : US President Donald Trump will visit the US-Mexico border on Tuesday just a week before he is due to leave office to tout what he views as one of his biggest accomplishments: the partial construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Trump plans to visit the wall in Alamo, Texas, a town in Texas Rio Grande Valley. It is distinct from the site of the Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal Texan loss in the Mexican-American War, which was used by some Texans to invoke a battle cry before the Americans ultimately won the war. The White House denied any symbolism in Trump's choice of destination.

Why is trump visiting the border?

White House spokesman Judd Deere said the visit would mark Trumps completion of more than 400 miles of border wall  a promise made, promise kept  and his Administrations efforts to reform our broken immigration system."

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

The 400 miles (644 km) includes a significant amount of wall construction in places where previous administrations had already built structures.

It represents arguably the most concrete legacy of Trump's four-year administration and his overhaul of the US immigration system, including a crackdown on migrants crossing the southern border.

In his 2016 presidential run, Trump had originally vowed to build a big, beautiful wall" on the US-Mexico border that would be 1,000 miles long. He also promised that Mexico would pay for its construction, but funding has come from the United States.

How much was actually built?

As of Jan. 8, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the Trump administration had completed 453 miles of border barrier overall.

Much of it replaces barriers that had been put in place by previous administrations, with only 80 miles of primary and secondary barrier in areas where there were previously no structures, according to CBP.

Who paid for the wall construction?

Trump claimed throughout his 2020 election campaign that Mexico was paying for the wall, but in fact the US government has footed the bill. About $15 billion in funding has come from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as from the Defense and Treasury Departments.

Will Biden continue to build the wall?

President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to halt construction and focus more on technology to secure the border. He said in August that not another foot of wall" would be built under his administration and that he would drop lawsuits to seize land for border construction.

It is not entirely clear what Biden's administration will do with contracts for wall construction that have already been awarded but have yet to be completed, or how it will deal with land that has already been condemned.

The Trump administration has filed dozens of lawsuits to seize land in Texas since Election Day as it scrambles to move forward with wall construction. It has also sped up construction on public lands where opponents say mountainous rough natural terrain already acted as an effective barrier.

Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who sits on the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, is among those pushing for remediation for environmental damage caused by wall construction. He also wants potential reparations for people whose land was condemned for wall construction under Trump.

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LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infradata proudly announced today they have deployed the BroadForward Diameter Signaling Controller (BroadForward DSC) at Truphone's two main data centers in the UK and the Netherlands, enabling Truphone to centrally configure and manage all their Diameter signaling traffic. As a leading expert in intelligent routing and interworking solutions based on the BroadForward product portfolio, Infradata can bring extensive experience to the table in designing, implementing and supporting mobile network functions for telecom operators around the world.

Truphone is a GSMA accredited global mobile network, combining its own network infrastructure with partnerships with other operators. Its customer base includes more than 3,500 multinational enterprises in 196 countries. The company is headquartered in London and has offices in ten other countries, spread across four continents. Truphone is a recognized top three eSIM player globally through its SIM provisioning service and counts over 30 major operator customers as its customers. Its unique global infrastructure provides plans with world access to over 100 countries and a flat rate plan covering 32 European countries.

The BroadForward Next Generation DSC (DRA, DEA and Interworking) provides Truphone with an intelligent signaling solution designed to orchestrate converged signaling services across 2G/3G, 4G/LTE, Fixed/Wi-Fi networks and ultimately 5G. The highly versatile and easy to configure software solution comes with multi-protocol routing, mediation and interworking. This enables Truphone to also integrate non-Diameter systems using for instance RADIUS or HTTP.

Victor Pinto, Head of Network Engineering at Truphone, commented: "With a global network such as ours it is of vital importance we can integrate with the technology of our customers and enable services quickly and smoothly. As our previous Diameter router had reached its limits, we were in the market for a new solution. The BroadForward DSC deployed by signaling expert Infradata provides us with the extensive signaling flexibility for Diameter as well as other protocols such as RADIUS and HTTP, whenever we need it. We are pleased with the possibilities the solution brings."

Infradata Head of Business Unit Mobile Security Solutions, Nela Zrilic added: "It is a great honor that Truphone - who are themselves a technology leader in their own right  have selected Infradata to replace their legacy systems and provide vital routing technology for their global network. Once we were able to showcase the solution, by means of a proof-of-concept, the team at Truphone was quickly convinced of the features, the flexibility and the overall power of the DSC solution. In close cooperation with Truphone, we very quickly got the BroadForward DSC up and running in their data centers, handling all Diameter services."

About Truphone

Truphone believes that connectivity can be easier, smarter and more efficient. Since 2006, we have built state of the art SIM software, intuitive management platforms and a powerful global network to make this a reality. Every day, our technicians engineer better connections between things, people and business to make the world smarter. Headquartered in London, we have 15 offices across four continents and continue to expand globally. To learn more, visit www.truphone.com

About Infradata

Infradata is the worldwide provider of Cyber Security, Cloud Networking solutions and Managed Services. Infradata refines networking and security to meet the business needs of Telecom Operators, Service Providers and enterprises with Mission Critical Networks. With many years of experience, extensive knowledge about the Service Provider networks combined with Infradata's innovative approach to deliver highly complex technical infrastructure projects, Infradata helps customers to accelerate their success. With the Infradata Mobile Solutions, Infradata helps Mobile Operators on the path to 5G, with a Security By Design approach, including Network Slicing and Virtualization.

Infradata is located in Belgium, the Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Poland and the United States of America with a global 24/7 Direct Expert Access support organization.

www.infradata.com

About BroadForward

BroadForward is leader in intelligent signaling software for 2G/3G, 4G/LTE, 5G, IMS, Fixed, Wi-Fi, IPX and M2M/IoT networks. Five-time GSMA Best Mobile Technology nominee BroadForward delivers core network products for routing, interworking, security and number portability, designed for convergence across legacy and next generation networks. Our active 5G roadmap supports service providers with their network transition to 5G NG Core, with the Service Communication Proxy (SCP), Binding Support Function (BSF), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), 5G EIR, 4G-5G interworking and multi-protocol signaling orchestration. All BroadForward products are hardware-agnostic and support network virtualization, OpenStack and cloud deployment. BroadForward's software development is entirely done in The Netherlands.

www.broadforward.com

SOURCE BroadForward
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 20:31:32|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly admitted Monday that he bore some blame for the riot on Capitol Hill, an acknowledgement that came the same day when House Democrats took their first step to impeach the president for a second time during his presidency.

Multiple U.S. media reported the news, citing a conversation between the president and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and a conference call where the California GOP congressman informed House Republicans.

GOP STRATEGIES COUNTERING IMPEACHMENT

Prior to the conference call, McCarthy, one of Trump's staunchest allies, sent a letter to House Republicans saying he was against impeaching the president.

"Personally, I continue to believe that an impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get America back on a path towards unity and civility," the Republican leader said.

McCarthy outlined four alternative options he said would ensure that what happened on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 is "rightfully denounced and prevented from occurring in the future."

The measures include "a resolution of censure under the rules of the House," "a bipartisan commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack," "reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887," and "legislation to promote voter confidence in future federal elections."

GOP congressman Tom Reed of New York wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times that House Republicans will introduce a resolution on Tuesday to censure Trump. "We must also look at alternatives that could allow Congress to bar Mr. Trump from holding federal office in the future," he added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, told House Democrats in a phone call Monday that censuring the president is "an abdication," and that she would not consider that option, CNN reported, citing people familiar.

Trump, whose social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have all been locked following the Capitol unrest, spoke Monday with Vice President Mike Pence for the first time since Pence presided over Congress's joint session and fulfilled his constitutional duty to certify Biden's election victory, despite being pressured by Trump not to do so, according to CNN.

"They reiterated that those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America First movement backed by 75 million Americans, and pledged to continue the work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term," the network quoted a senior official as saying when describing the Trump-Pence conversation in the Oval Office.

DEMOCRATS RESOLVED TO IMPEACH TRUMP

House Democrats on Monday formally introduced an article of impeachment against Trump, taking the first step to impeach the president for a second time during his presidency.

The single article of impeachment, contained in a resolution introduced when the House gaveled into a pro-forma session, charged the president with "incitement of insurrection," pointing to his repeated false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

Those claims and a speech Trump delivered to supporters in Washington incited a group of rioters to breach the Capitol as Congress convened a joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the election, the resolution said.

The resolution also cited Trump's phone call on Jan. 2 with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the president urged the secretary to find enough votes to overturn the election results in the state, as one of a series of efforts by the president to subvert and obstruct the certification of the election results.

"In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," the resolution said. "He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."

Citing the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the resolution noted that the law "prohibits any person who has 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against' the United States" from holding office.

Calling Trump "a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office," the resolution said the president "thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States."

Resolved to impeach Trump for a second time after they did so in December 2019, House Democrats are expected to expedite the impeachment process by holding a floor vote on the resolution Wednesday.

Before unveiling the impeachment resolution, House Democrats sought to pass a separate, nonbinding resolution through unanimous consent asking Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution with a majority of Trump administration cabinet members to remove the president from office.

That effort was shot down by Republicans in the chamber. As a result, Democrats are holding a floor vote on Tuesday on the resolution requesting the direct removal of the president absent the impeachment and the subsequent Senate trial.

Pence, who initially inclined not to invoke the 25th Amendment but, per a more recent CNN report, hasn't ruled out that possibility, was given 24 hours to respond to the resolution, or the impeachment will proceed.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

The introduction of the impeachment resolution came not only as calls for Trump to resign or be forced out grew among a majority of Democrats and some Republicans following the violent intrusion of the Capitol, but also at a time when Trump has merely 10 days left as the occupant of the White House.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that while the House is poised to impeach Trump this week, Democrats may wait until after the 100th day since Biden assumes office to deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial.

Such a tactic is aimed at not letting the trial complicate congressional proceedings of the incoming president's policy agenda, including Senate confirmations of the president-elect's nominations for key administration posts. Biden's inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a memo circulated among Republicans last week that he would not call the Senate -- now in recess -- back in session before Jan. 19, meaning that the earliest possible time for the chamber to conduct the impeachment trial is on Biden's inauguration day.

If that were to happen, Trump would be the first U.S. president in history to be tried on impeachment charges after stepping down.

Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said he didn't see "any constitutional problem with the Senate acting fast or slowly," suggesting that for a former president to be tried in an impeachment trial doesn't violate the Constitution. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 19:54:07|Editor: huaxia

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NAY PYI TAW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China and Myanmar have reached consensuses on an array of issues ranging from bilateral relations to the joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The consensuses and outcomes were achieved during Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday.

Both sides reached consensus in principle on the action plan to jointly build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the announcement by leaders of the two countries to jointly build such a community.

They agreed to cement anti-epidemic cooperation and improve the "fast tracks" and "green lanes" for personnel and goods movement.

China will donate a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar.

Both countries pledged to dovetail their development strategies and push forward cooperations such as jointly building the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, the New Yangon City and the China-Myanmar Border Economic Cooperation Zone.

Both sides agreed to implement the five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation and upgrade the bilateral trade.

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they agreed to extend the celebratory events marking the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the China-Myanmar Year of Culture and Tourism to 2021.

China welcomed Myanmar's assumption of the role of the country coordinator of China-ASEAN relations, and is ready to work with Myanmar to elevate the China-ASEAN relations, build a China-ASEAN partnership on blue economy, and strive to put into force the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement at the earliest possible date.

As this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), the two countries vowed to play their role as the co-chair of LMC and promote water resources cooperation.

Both countries backed the Global Initiative on Data Security and pushed for the establishment of a China-ASEAN community of cybersecurity.

China supported Myanmar in properly addressing the Rakhine state issue, supported the talks between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the issue, and the early repatriation of displaced people to Myanmar from Bangladesh.

The two sides also signed or announced eight documents or outcomes, including the China-Myanmar five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the feasibility study of a railway linking Mandalay and Kyaukphyu, and the launch of the Myanmar National Center of Disease Control (CDC) and Medical Training Center project, among others.

Wang is on a four-nation tour to Southeast Asia on Jan. 11-16, which will also take him to Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. Enditem
A Duke-led team of scientists has developed a bio-compatible surgical patch that releases non-opioid painkillers directly to the site of a wound for days and then dissolves away.

The polymer patch provides a controlled release of a drug that blocks the enzyme COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2,) which drives pain and inflammation. The study appears Jan. 10, 2021 in the Journal of Controlled Release.

We were making hernia meshes and different antimicrobial films. We thought you could potentially put pain drugs or anesthetics in the film if you just sew it in as you're stitching the person up, then you wouldn't necessarily have to prescribe any opioids." Matthew Becker, the Hugo L. Blomquist Professor of Chemistry at Duke, and Last Author on the Paper

The work grew out of a $2 million grant Becker received from the state of Ohio at his previous institution to investigate non-opioid pain management , one measure toward fighting a nationwide epidemic of opioid drug abuse. Since arriving at Duke in 2019, Becker's team has partnered with Duke pain control expert Dr. Ru-Rong Ji and his team to refine the idea.

The polymer itself, comprised of poly(ester urea) homopolymers and co-polymers, is also special, Becker said.

"Most polymers that are used in medicine swell, and everything comes out at once," Becker said. But this polymer erodes slowly, and its painkiller dose and longevity can be controlled simply by varying the surface area and thicknesses. "The film is about like a piece of paper."

"If you can get four or five days of pain control out of the patch and not have to take those other pain drugs, not only do you avoid some of the side effects and risks of addiction, you're concentrating therapy where you need it," Becker said.

Rat studies also showed that the painkiller stayed in tissues close to the patch site, rather than dissolving into circulating plasma.

Becker said the patch should be able to provide three or four days of wound-pain management, which is the critical period for post-surgical pain. The implantable film would be particularly useful in endoscopic procedures and instances where the physicians and patients would like to avoid opioid exposure such as Cesarean births and pediatric surgeries. In studies with mice that mimic the neuropathic pain of diabetes, the pain patch was placed against a nerve and provided a four-day nerve block.
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"We have had several short, voluntary closures of our head office and manufacturing facilities in the last two months and wanted to make sure our employees have access to one of the best rapid testing technologies available on the market," said Syahrudin Rasjid, head of Human Resources at PT Mowilex.

PT Mowilex selected Abbott among many test suppliers because Abbott's tests offer very high accuracy. The Panbio Covid-19 Ag Rapid tests purchased by Mowilex are based on nasopharyngeal swabs and have a role in detecting active infections. Panbio COVID-19 Ag is CE-Marked and has received WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL). To date, Abbott has launched eight COVID-19 tests globally, including lab-based and rapid molecular tests, and antibody tests. Abbott has delivered more than 300 million COVID-19 tests worldwide.

"Abbott is one of the leading healthcare companies in the world and has received WHO Emergency Use Listing for its Panbio Covid-19 Ag Rapid tests. We are proud to partner with such a respected organization, and we've been impressed with the company's responsiveness," said PT Mowilex CEO Niko Safavi.

COVID-19 has profoundly impacted manufacturing companies, as many functions cannot be performed remotely. Furthermore, guidelines for the Jakarta region require that companies in breach of distancing and hygiene protocols may face mandatory closures of up to two weeks.

"We know that the health and safety of our employees are directly linked to our company's health. And while efficiencies and productivity have suffered over the last year, we know acting early and aggressively reduces our risks considerably," said Safavi.

In addition to implementing a companywide pandemic mitigation plan in March, PT Mowilex has responded to COVID-19 by donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to area hospitals. The company also made hand sanitizer to donate throughout local communities, following a widespread sanitizer shortage in March.

About PT Mowilex Indonesia

PT Mowilex Indonesia (PT Mowilex), a subsidiary of Asia Coatings Enterprises, Pte. Ltd., is a leading producer of premium paints and coatings. Since launching the first Indonesian-made, water-based paints in 1970, the community-minded company has expanded its commitment to environmental ethics, equality and innovation. PT Mowilex is Indonesia's only certified carbon-neutral manufacturer, producing zero- and low-VOC paints in modern colours, and the company regularly earns awards for its corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1418831/Swab_test_8.jpg

SOURCE PT Mowilex Indonesia
The First Fleet of 11 ships arrived at Botany Bay after a 252 day voyage carrying over 1,000 passengers including 586 male convicts, 192 women convicts and wives and 213 marines plus some of their wives and children.

All 11 ships arrived within two days of each other.

There was hardly any loss of life.

The 16,000 mile (25,750km) voyage, made at the speed of a man walking, eventually settled in what Captain Arthur Phillip called Sydney Cove, very close to what is now Circular Quay.

So ended one of the great nautical achievements of the modern world.

Detractors

So many books have been written about the First Fleet, its arrival at Sydney Cove and what followed in the next few years, its difficult to discern between fact and fiction.

Charles Wilson, in Australia: The Creation of a Nation, rails against the inefficiency, carelessness and idleness of the masters and servants of the ministries which all had a finger in the pie called the First Fleet.

Its fate rested, he asserts, with an ill-chosen, ill-organised, contentious and unwilling body of what passed for public servants  and a venal and corrupt body of private contractors.

The stereotype is the infant colony of New South Wales was a terrestrial hell to which were assigned the socially damned by an uncaring government who only wanted to solve their crime problem as cheaply as possible without concern for human life.

The First Fleet was one of the most successful voyages in modern maritime history.

So how did these writers come to the conclusion the organisation, the trip and the settlement were such a disaster?

One noted critic of this so called disaster is Associate Professor & Director, Centre for the History of Christian Thought & Experience, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia, Dr Stuart Piggin.

Dr Piggin said the letter announcing New South Wales was to be settled by convicts was signed by Lord Sydney, British Home Secretary, on 21 August 1786.

Sydney decreed the new colony was not to be a military prison, but a civil administration, recognising the property rights of convicts.

Captain Phillip who then became Governor of the new colony also laid a humane foundation to the colony with his declaration that there can be no slavery in a free land and consequently no slaves.

His humanity extended to the Aboriginal people: he ordered there was to be no pay-back when he was himself speared at Manly by an Indigenous warrior.

Phillip was himself quite capable of envisioning a great future for the infant colony. He wanted to call it New Albion, and a sketch he commissioned in July 1788 incorporating his plans for Sydney Cove, showed wide streets and a church and hospital at the centre of the future town.

Dr Piggin wrote a great deal more about how many of the controllers of various parts of the organisation for the First Fleet were humanitarian Christians however space precludes me from naming them and their backgrounds however some are included.

The contractor for the First Fleet was William Richards Jr, an evangelical Christian. Far from being venal and corrupt, he honoured his contract with the government both in spirit and in the letter. He ensured convicts and marines on the First Fleet were so well provisioned they became healthier (heavier anyway) as the voyage proceeded.

He was subsequently engaged to transport 100 convict women on the Lady Juliana, and they arrived healthier and happier than they had ever been in their lives.

For the second and third fleets, by contrast, the contractor was Camden, Calvert and King, a firm engaged in the slave trade. They were both disasters: 267 of the 1006 convicts on the second fleet perished and the death rate on the third fleet was twice that of the first fleet.

So William Richards was re-engaged as the contractor for the three ships which arrived in 1792 after the third fleet, when only one life was lost.

The Forces of Humanity at Sydney Cove

Chaplain Johnson and his wife Mary were not the only representatives of vital Christianity and humane civilisation in the new colony. Among the devout Christians were also two future governors of the Colony: Captain John Hunter, who was 2ic to Governor Phillip and became governor of the colony from 1795 to 1800 and Lt Philip Gidley King, destined to follow Hunter as governor from 1800 to 1806.

But the most truly remarkable of the First Fleets contingent was Lieutenant William Dawes. He befriended the Indigenous Eora people and attempted to learn their language. His notebooks have survived and they reveal his wonder at aspects of Aboriginal culture and his sensitivity to their plight. He also became the first person appointed by the Church Missionary Society to teach its prospective missionaries.

The year 2014 was the bicentenary of the death of Arthur Phillip. Monuments to him were unveiled in St James Church, King Street, Sydney and in Westminster Abbey. His essential, if not perfect, humanity makes him worthy of the honour. However, he was neither alone, nor even pre-eminent, among the long line of humane founders of the Botany Bay experiment.

Charles Middleton (1726-1813), Comptroller of the Navy Board was responsible for finding the eleven ships of the First Fleet, only one of which was more than six years old and supervised their fitting out and their equipping with stores and provisions. He hated corruption and there was no doubting his contribution to the success of the First Fleet.

He used religion as his instrument and believed; Without religion there can be no public principle.

Gandhi is learnt to have started talking to opposition leaders for holding a joint meeting of various parties ahead of the session.

New Delhi : Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament this month, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is in touch with leaders of various opposition parties who will soon meet to chalk out their joint strategy to corner the government on farm laws, sources said on Monday.

The sources said Gandhi has spoken to some opposition leaders on Monday and will talk to some others on Tuesday to chalk out a joint strategy to corner the government on the farm laws and the state of the economy.

Opposition parties, especially the Congress, are pressing upon the government to repeal the three farm laws, against which the farmers have launched an agitation.

The Budget Session is slated to start from January 29 with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of both the houses.

The Winter Session of Parliament was not convened due to the pandemic situation.

WOODBURY, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With a mission of providing healthy, nutritious meals to school children since its inception, E S Foods has worked closely with school districts and non-profit groups to develop innovative ways to feed more children and families. The tragic COVID-19 pandemic has put further focus on the ongoing need to expand outreach and provide healthy nutrition for the food insecure.

Whether it is feeding school children who are remote learning or families relying on food bank assistance, E S Foods has continued to innovate by developing 7-Day Meal Kits and combo food boxes for expanded outreach.

For example, E S Foods' expertise in providing kid-friendly, nutritious meals through school foodservice combined with their experience with food banks has led to the development of Home Prep Family Meal Kits that are now newly available to food banks. The boxes contain 16-18 meals. "What is unique is that each kit contains menus and recipes so that healthy, nutritious meals can be prepared for the entire family," explains Jeff Rowe, President of E S Foods. Some kits include fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to staples such as oatmeal, healthy beans and lentils.

"While the pandemic brought attention to the severity of food insecurity and childhood hunger in America, unfortunately it is not going to be resolved when the pandemic ends," says Rowe. "The focus on reducing hunger needs to remain strong and that is why we plan to do our part by extending our reach of kid-friendly and family-friendly nutrition. We need to meet hunger head-on by finding solutions to feed more meals to those in need."

Since the start of the pandemic, the federal government has provided waivers for universal school meals  free meals to all students regardless of income  as an effective means of reaching more children. Schools got creative distributing shelf-stable meals and individually wrapped foods as well as frozen and perishable items. Some districts have school "curbside pick-up" while others have arranged for school bus deliveries door-to-door. Rowe cites these as examples to carry forward.

For example, changes to the Children and Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP) have made it easier to implement Afterschool Meals. New waivers now allow organizations to provide up to 7 meals at one pick up. "This provided the impetus for our new 7 Day Meal Kits, so we can more efficiently get a week's worth of meals to families in need," explains Rowe. School districts are partnering with local Boys & Girls Clubs and Parks & Rec organizations to help distribute meals. "Like all of E S Foods' products, these meals are nutritious, kid-friendly and meet USDA guidelines."

"For years, the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) has published a report titled Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation on the issue of our youths' nutritional needs during summer breaks  we must not lose sight of this," says E S Foods CEO and founder, Gary Davis. The company plans to continue providing convenient portable meals for distribution to schools during summer and school recess as well as boxed meals for food banks, and individual meal varieties for colleges. "We plan to continue to help fill this need in 2021 and beyond  by addressing hunger and food insecurity one healthy meal at a time."

A leader in school foodservice for over twenty years, E S Foods today serves all foodservice channels with over 100 products that comprise their product categories of shelf-stable, frozen entrees, heat & serve, smart snacks and protein innovations. For more information, visit www.esfoods.com.

SOURCE E S Foods

Thai Union - says antitrust case now settled

Seafood giant Thai Union Group has revealed it has settled a long-standing civil case linked to tuna price-fixing in the US.

In a statement today (12 January) to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the company said it had reached a final agreement to settle remaining antitrust litigation cases, pending court approval.

Details of the amount of the settlement were not disclosed.

The case goes back to 2017 and involves Thai Union's US subsidiary Tri-Union Seafoods, which owns the Chicken of the Sea brand. It was accused of anti-competitive activity in the US tuna market, which led to a class-action lawsuit from customers and consumers claiming compensation.

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Thai Union, which owns the John West canned seafood brand, said in its statement today that "the settlement of these remaining antitrust litigation cases brings to an end the antitrust litigation cases in the United States of America against the company and Tri-Union".

In a US Department of Justice criminal investigation in 2017, Tri-Union received "conditional leniency" for providing "relevant information" in relation to the probe.

The deal meant that no cooperating executives or employees would face criminal fines, jail time or prosecution.

The French Minister of Defence has warned that the Islamic State is re-emerging in Syria and Iraq and that Frances mission in the region continues reports Al-Modon.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly, said that the Islamic State (ISIS) may re-emerge in Syria and Iraq.

Parlys statement came as part of an interview, in which she explained that, France believes that ISIS still exists. It is even possible to talk about some form of re-emergence in Syria and Iraq.

She pointed out that, since the fall of the town of al-Baghouz in the Euphrates Valley, where ISISs last stronghold was, we can see that ISIS is regaining its strength in Syria.

Parley confirmed that ISIS is rebuilding its ranks in Iraq as well, considering that ISIS, has not been eradicated in the Levant, and we [France] still have a presence there through training missions and through our fighters, specifically four Rafale aircraft which are participating in the International Coalitions missions to combat ISIS, led by the United States.

The French ministers statements come at a time when ISIS attacks against the Syrian regimes forces and their affiliated militias have increased, the most recent of which was an offensive on Saturday that killed seven members of the Civil Defense militia in the Shula area in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

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

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope launched the Covid Vaccine Dry Run in 4 districts- Jalna, Nandurbar, Nagpur & Pune, here on Saturday.. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Jan 12 : With 963,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine being allotted and received on Tuesday, Maharashtra is all prepared to start administering the vaccine across the state, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.

The Serum Institute of India (SII) has dispatched around 14.50 tonnes of the eagerly-awaited vaccine vials all over India, of which 9.63 lakh doses have been sent to the state health authorities.

"It will now be distributed district-wise as per the instructions from the Centre's corona vaccination experts group. The vaccination drives shall be carried out in 511 locations across 36 districts," Tope informed the media.

All the selected places are fully equipped with electricity, webcast, internet and other facilities, besides 3,125 cold chain centres which have been set up in the state.

"As many as 7,84,000 health workers have already registered on the state's Covid-19 portal and the process will continue till midnight (Tuesday-Wednesday)," said Pradip Vyas, Principal Secretary (Health).

Tope said that the nine priority groups for vaccination purposes have already been identified and they include healthcare and frontline workers comprising all government and private health institutions, Asha, Anganwadi, central police forces, armed forces, home guard, municipal workers etc.

The third group includes all people above 50 years of age and those below 50 years with comorbidities.

Besides the 7.48 lakh persons registered, another 17,749 vaccinators have also registered for the mega-drive, said Vyas.

Each centre will vaccinate at least 100 people and all arrangements have been made for the vaccination teams comprising around five members at all locations.

Of the 3,135 cold chain centres set up across the state, there are 34 at various districts and 27 in different municipalities, including four walk-in freezers, 21 walk-in coolers, 3,937 deep freezers, and 4,153 ILRs.

The walk-in coolers have come up at Thane, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Latur, Akola and Nagpur.

The Centre has sent 1,200 vaccine carriers, which have already been despatched to the districts and municipal corporations.
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Chandigarh: Under the leadership of Punjab Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla and guidance of Education Secretary Krishan Kumar the education department has released an amount of Rs 4 crore to convert government schools into smart schools.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the education department said that under the 'Smart School Campaign' the schools are being revamped and state-of-the-art technology is being provided to the government schools to make them smart.

Vijay Inder Singla

According to the spokesperson, a letter has been issued in this regard by the Director General of School Education-cum-SPD to all the District Education Officers (DOs). Accordingly 738 government schools would be converted into smart schools.

Under this grant, Rs 15,000 per school has been released to government primary and middle schools for beautification of gates, Rs 25,000 per school for color coding and Rs 10,000 per school for education parks. Similarly 18,000 per school for beautification of gate of government high and senior secondary schools, Rs 50,000 per school for color coding of high schools and Rs 75,000 per school for senior secondary schools and Rs 20,000 per school for high and senior secondary schools for education parks.

According to the spokesperson, out of this grant Rs 24.84 lakh has been released for 51 schools of Amritsar, Rs 17.60 lakh for 37 schools of Barnala, Rs 23.19 lakh for 36 schools of Bathinda, Rs 17.42 lakh for 30 schools of Faridkot, Rs 12.17 lakh for 24 schools of Fatehgarh Sahib, Rs 22.93 lakh for 30 schools of Fazilka, Rs 24.78 lakh for 40 schools of Ferozepur, Rs 23.74 lakh for 36 schools of Gurdaspur, Rs 8.59 lakh for 14 schools of Hoshiarpur, Rs 26.02 lakh for 35 schools of Jalandhar, Rs 9.01 crore for 15 schools of Kapurthala.

Punjab government

Rs 27.24 lakh for 42 schools of Ludhiana, Rs 23.87 lakh for 51 schools of Mansa, Rs 14.39 lakh for 34 schools of Moga, Rs 6.24 lakh for 17 schools of S.A.S. Nagar, Rs 16.18 lakh for 31 schools of Sri Muktsar Sahib, Rs 21.29 lakh for 49 schools in SBS Nagar, Rs 13.02 lakh for 24 schools of Pathankot, Rs 22.45 lakh for 47 schools of Patiala, Rs 7.17 for 14 schools of Rupnagar, Rs 17.95 lakh for 48 schools of Sangrur and Rs 19.31 lakh for 33 schools of Tarn Taran district.

The Education Department has also issued instructions to use this amount judiciously and in accordance with the financial rules.
The latest . . .

Barring an unlikely last-minute intervention by federal courts or President Trump, convicted killer Lisa Montgomery will be put to death Tuesday at a federal facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.

National news offers a more sympathetic tone . . .

U.S. set to execute 1st woman in decades as lawyers claim she has severe mental illness, trauma from lifetime of sexual torture

Here's a story with more local deets . . .

by: AP Wire Posted: / Updated: MISSION, Kan. - Becky Harper sobbed as she spoke to a Missouri dispatcher after stumbling across her expectant daughter in a pool of blood, her womb slashed open and the child she had been carrying missing. "It's like she exploded or something," Harper told the dispatcher on Dec.
KABUL  Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with the U.S. Embassys Charge d Affairs in Kabul, Mr. Ross Wilson, to discuss cooperation with the incoming U.S. Administration on the Afghan peace, security, stability, and issues of bilateral interests.

The Foreign Minister discussed the progress in the second round of peace negotiations and termed reduction of violence and a comprehensive ceasefire as key priorities for moving towards a peace deal. Mr. Atmar noted that a sustainable peace will not be there without an acceptable end-state, defined by the Afghans, and their regional and international partners.

Expressing his appreciation for the U.S. continued support to peace and stability in Afghanistan, Mr. Atmar congratulated the U.S. Charge d Affairs on the confirmation of the U.S. elections results by the American Congress.

The two sides agreed to increase efforts to expand and strengthen regional and international consensus around the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government delegation and the Taliban in Doha.

Mr. Atmar reiterated the importance of the US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership, stating that Kabul favored a conditional-based approach and a roadmap that could result in a political settlement while preserving and building on our democratic gains, including human rights, womens rights, and freedom of speech.

The U.S. Embassy Charge d Affairs in Kabul assured Mr. Atmar of Washingtons long-term commitment to helping Afghanistan in different areas, including trade, security, human rights, and combating terrorism and organized crimes.

The federal government is considering giving workers the choice of putting more money into their superannuation or having more take-home pay in an attempt to break a political deadlock ahead of a looming rise in the super guarantee.

The plan, which has not gone to cabinet and is part of a range of possible reforms being examined by the government, would trigger a battle with Labor, the unions and the $3 trillion industry superannuation fund sector who argue increases above the current 9.5 per cent guarantee are necessary for workers to have an adequate retirement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will consider a proposal for opt-in superannuation increases. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Increasing the super guarantee to 12 per cent was a Coalition election commitment and Labor is prepared to campaign fiercely if the government changes its mind. But with some Coalition MPs pushing for no increase in the super guarantee and economists concerned the rise will affect the nation's economic recovery during the coronavirus pandemic, the Morrison government is looking for fresh ways to manoeuvre on the promise.

The 9.5 per cent guarantee is scheduled to rise to 12 per cent in 2025, delivering an extra $20 billion into earners' retirement accounts with the first 0.5 percentage point hike legislated to kick in from July. However, a new model being considered for the superannuation system could see workers given the choice about whether to put more of their money into super.
OPEC+ groups compliance with the oil production cuts fell to 75 percent in December 2020one of the lowest levels since the pact was enacted in May 2020, tanker tracking firm Petro-Logistics said on Tuesday.

According to the companys estimates, even the leader of OPEC and the worlds top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, saw its compliance decline by 10 percentage points to 92 percent last month.

The ten OPEC members part of the OPEC+ pact complied at 82 percent with the production cuts in December, with compliance slipping by 10 percent month over month, Petro-Logistics said on Twitter. The nine non-OPEC producers in the pact had an even lower compliance rate. At 64 percent in December, their compliance had dropped by 8 percent month on month, according to the tanker-tracking firm.

Recovering oil production from Libya led to yet another increase in OPECs output in December, the sixth rise in six months, the monthly Reuters survey showed last week.

The 13 members of OPEC produced 25.59 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil last month, a 280,000-bpd increase compared to November, mostly due to a 150,000-bpd rise in Libyan crude oil production, as well as smaller increases in members with quotas such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, Angola, and Nigeria, according to the Reuters survey of tanker-tracking data and information from OPEC sources and sources at oil companies and consultants.

Among those with production quotas bound by the OPEC+ pact, the UAE boosted its crude oil production by 70,000 bpdthe biggest increase in output among OPEC members with quotas, according to the survey. Still, the UAE was within its quota.

Two other major producers in the Arab Gulf, Kuwait and OPECs top producer Saudi Arabia, kept their output relatively steady in the last month of 2020.

Official OPEC data about the cartels production in December is expected in the Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) on January 14.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:


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The pandemic has provided a taste of a future at the limits of existence, where people are bereft, governments are stymied and economies wither.

by Agnes Kalibata

In 2020, the entire world knew what it was to be hungry. Millions of people went without enough to eat, with the most desperate now facing famine. At the same time, isolation took on a new meaning, in which the lonely and most remote were deprived of human contact when they most needed it, while the many victims of Covid-19 were starved of air. For all of us, the human experience fell far short of satisfying even the most basic needs.

The pandemic has provided a taste of a future at the limits of existence, where people are bereft, governments are stymied and economies wither. But it has also fuelled an unprecedented global appetite for change to prevent this from becoming our long-term reality.

For all the obstacles and challenges we face in the weeks and months ahead, I start 2021 with a tremendous sense of optimism and hope that the growling in our stomachs and the yearning in our hearts can become the collective roar of defiance, of determination and of revolution to make this year better than last, and the future brighter than the past.

It starts with food, the most primal form of sustenance. It is food that determines the health and prospects of more than 4.5 billion people and counting across Asia. It is food that employs more than 860 million in Asian agriculture alone and offers the promise of economic growth and development. And it is food that we have learned impacts our very ecosystems, down to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the climate we enjoy, come rain or shine.

Even before the pandemic, 2021 was destined to be a super-year for food, a year in which food production, consumption and disposal finally received the requisite global attention as the UN convenes the worlds first Food Systems Summit. But with two years worth of progress now compressed into the next 12 months, 2021 takes on a renewed significance.

After a year of global paralysis, caused by the shock of Covid-19, we must channel our anxieties, our fear, our hunger, and most of all our energies into action, and wake up to the fact that by transforming food systems to be healthier, more sustainable and inclusive, we can recover from the pandemic and limit the impact of future crises.

The change we need will require all of us to think and act differently because every one of us has a stake and a role in functioning food systems. But now, more than ever, we must look to our national leaders to chart the path forward by uniting farmers, producers, scientists, hauliers, grocers, and consumers, listening to their difficulties and insights, and pledging to improve each aspect of the food system for the betterment of all.

Policymakers must listen to Asias hundreds of millions of smallholders and farmers as custodians of the resources that produce our food, and align their needs and challenges with the perspectives of environmentalists and entrepreneurs, chefs and restaurant owners, doctors and nutritionists to develop national commitments.

We enter 2021 with wind in our sails. More than 50 countries including 13 from Asia have joined the European Union and African Union in engaging with the Food Systems Summit and its five priority pillars, or Action Tracks, which cut across nutrition, poverty, climate change, resilience and sustainability. And more than two dozen countries have appointed a national convenor to host a series of country-level dialogues in the months ahead, a process that will underpin the Summit and set the agenda for the Decade of Action to 2030.

But this is just the beginning. With utmost urgency, I call on all UN Member States to join this global movement for a better, more fulfilling future, starting with the transformation of food systems. I urge governments to provide the platform that opens a conversation and guides countries towards tangible, concrete change. And I encourage everyone with fire in their bellies to get involved with the Food Systems Summit process this year and start the journey of transitioning to more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

The Summit is a Peoples Summit for everyone, and its success relies on everyone everywhere getting involved through participating in Action Track surveys, joining the online Summit Community, and signing up to become Food Systems Heroes who are committed to improving food systems in their own communities and constituencies.

Too often, we say it is time to act and make a difference, then continue as before. But it would be unforgivable if the world was allowed to forget the lessons of the pandemic in our desperation to return to normal life. All the writing on the wall suggests that our food systems need reform now. Humanity is hungry for this change. It is time to sate our appetite.

The writer, UN Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 04:58:50|Editor: huaxia

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KHARTOUM, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government on Tuesday announced that six civilians were killed in an attack by Ethiopian militias near Sudan's border with Ethiopia.

"Yesterday (Monday) afternoon, Al-Quraisha locality in eastern Sudan was attacked by the Ethiopian Shifta gangs, which left five innocent women and a child killed, while other two women went missing, all of whom were Sudanese who were busy with harvesting activities," said Sudan's Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The ministry condemned the targeting of defenceless civilians, urging the international community and regional organizations to condemn such criminal acts and calling for stopping them immediately.

Since Sept. 2020, the Sudan-Ethiopia border has been witnessing rising tensions and skirmishes between the two sides.

Sudan accuses Ethiopian farmers, backed by its forces, of seizing Sudanese lands along the border and cultivating them since 1995.

On Dec. 16, 2020, the Sudanese army announced that Ethiopian forces and militias ambushed its army on the Sudanese side of the border.

On Dec. 19, 2020, the Sudanese army announced the deployment of strong reinforcements to Gadaref State on the eastern border with Ethiopia in preparation for liberating "the seized lands."

The border area of Fashaga between Sudan and Ethiopia, one of the five localities of Sudan's Gadaref State, often witnesses deadly attacks by Ethiopian militias during the preparation for agricultural season. Enditem
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Remembering-Sheldon-Adelson.html

The casino tycoon set new standards of Jewish mega-giving.

The Jewish world has lost one of its most prolific funders with the passing of Sheldon Adelson, whose business empire spanned continents and whose $35 billion personal fortune ranked him #38 on the Forbes list worldwide.

At times outspoken and controversial, Adelson, age 87, had been receiving treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Philanthropy

Though Jews are disproportionately generous in charitable giving, less than 10 percent of Jewish mega-donations go to Jewish or Israeli causes.

Sheldon Adelson broke that mold. Together with his wife Miriam, the Adelson Family Charitable Trust donates $200 million annually to Jewish and Israeli causes, including:

$400 million total to Birthright, which has sent 600,000 young Jews with free trips to Israel

$25 million to Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust museum

$50 million to Adelson Educational Campus, the largest Jewish school in Las Vegas

$20 million to open a new medical school at Israels Ariel University

The Adelson School of Entrepreneurship at IDC Herzliya college

Adelson credited this ethos to his father, who kept a charity box for the poor in our house. Charitable giving, he said, is my humanitarian legacy. Were prepared to pay billions.

Another hefty chunk of Adelsons donations went to U.S. political campaigns. An estimated $340 million went to Republican candidates in the past few years, making him the largest individual donor in the country.

Adelson also influenced the political milieu through his ownership of media outlets, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the largest circulation daily in Nevada and one of Americas top-25 newspapers. In Israel, after an unsuccessful attempt to purchase an existing newspaper, Adelson started his own, Israel Hayom, which is now the countrys largest-circulation daily.

Adelson was unabashedly pro-Israel, and was hawkish about issues relating to Jerusalem, the Palestinians, and Iran. In 2013, Adelson suggested sending a nuclear missile to the Iranian desert  that doesn't hurt a soul, maybe a couple of rattlesnakes and scorpions  as a message to the Ayatollahs radical regime to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Sheldon and Miriam Adelson at a Birthright event with former Israeli President Shimon Peres. (credit: GPO)

Personal Journey

Sheldon Adelson was born in 1933 in Boston to a low-income Jewish family. His father, of Ukrainian and Lithuanian ancestry, drove a taxi. His mother, an immigrant from England (whose father was a Welsh coal miner), ran a knitting shop.

Adelson took to entrepreneurship early in life and at age 12 borrowed $200 from his uncle for a license to sell newspapers. At age 16, he borrowed $10,000 from his uncle to start a candy-vending-machine business.

Through his first marriage, Adelson adopted three children. His son Mitchell died of a drug overdose, leading Adelson to crusade against legalized marijuana, considering it a gateway drug to the cocaine and heroin that claimed his sons life.

In 1991, Adelson met his second wife, Miriam, on a blind date. A child of Polish refugees, she grew up in Israel and achieved success as chief internist in the emergency room of Tel Aviv's Rokach Hospital. She shared her husbands opposition to drugs and founded a substance abuse clinic.

Serial Entrepreneur

Adelsons business breakthrough came in 1979 when he created COMDEX, the computer trade show in Las Vegas. The timing was fortuitous, as the personal computer industry  IBM, Apple, Microsoft  was just taking off and COMDEX quickly became the largest trade show in Las Vegas. Adelson later sold it for a personal profit of $500 million.

In 1988, Adelson and his partners purchased the legendary Sands Casino in Las Vegas, marking the start of a deep foray into resort development. In 1991, while on honeymoon with Miriam in Venice, Italy, Adelson got an idea which later materialized as the $1.5 billion, 4,000-room Venetian casino in Las Vegas  complete with canals, gondolas and singing gondoliers.

Adelson later built China's first Las Vegas-style casino on the island of Macau, the center of a massive Asian gambling market  featuring a half-scale copy of the Eiffel Tower. Adelsons vision continued to expand and in 2010 he opened the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore at a cost of $5.5 billion  the third-most expensive building in the world.

The spectacular Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is known as the most-Instagrammed hotel in the world.

In 2014, Adelson was named to CNBC's list of transformational business "leaders, icons and rebels who have had the greatest influence, sparked the biggest changes, and caused the most disruption in business over the past quarter century."

Adelson explained his philosophy of entrepreneurship: Businesses are like buses. You stand on a corner and you dont like where the first bus is going? Wait ten minutes and take another. Dont like that one? Theyll just keep coming. Theres no end to buses or businesses.

Once, when his business holdings suffered a 93 percent drop in value, Adelson said: "So I lost $25 billion. I started out with zero... [There is] no such thing as fear, not to an entrepreneur. He described an entrepreneur as possessing courage, faith in yourself, and above all, even when you fail, to learn from failure and get up and try again. (Within two years, Adelsons business had recovered.)

I never thought about becoming wealthy. What really motivated me was to try to accomplish something.

Despite great financial success, Adelson claimed not to be motivated by money. I never thought about becoming wealthy, he said. It never crossed my mind. What really motivated me was to try to accomplish something.

Adelsons gift of $70 million to Birthright  in honor of Israels 70th anniversary  solidified his leading position in Jewish philanthropy. Before Israel was founded, my father always said he wished there was a place where Jewish people could live. He always wanted to go, but by the time I could send him, he was too old and too sick. I dont want any kid to say they were too old or too sick to visit Israel.

Over the centuries, great philanthropists like Rothschild and Montefiore have dedicated themselves to meeting the critical needs of the Jewish people. In our generation, Sheldon Adelson carried that tradition proudly. May his memory be blessed.

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Bengaluru/Panaji: Union Minister Shripad Naik was injured in a road mishap in Karnataka on Monday and brought to Goa Medical College Hospital later in a critical condition while his wife and an aide were killed.

The 68-year old minister was admitted in a critical condition to Goa Medical College and Hospital late night for further treatment, sources in Panaji said. Naik and five others -his wife Vijaya, personal assistant Deepak, a gunman, a confidante and driver - were travelling in a car through a village of Uttara Kannada district tonight when the vehicle met with an accident after the driver appeared to have lost control, according to Karnataka police.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

"It was not a collision between vehicles. Prima facie it appears to be the case of the driver losing control of the car," a police officer told PTI in Bengaluru.

The Union Minister of State for AYUSH's car, skidded and veered off the road and rammed into a roadside tree. The vehicle was badly mangled in the impact and while the Minister and others were injured, Naik's wife and assistant Deepak died.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant arrived at the GMCH before the ambulance reached the government-run hospital where medical specialists were ready to treat Naik, who is also the junior defence minister. After holding preliminary discussions with doctors, including Dean of GMCH Dr Shivanand Bandekar, Sawant took the physicians in his car to the ambulance, which was on the way to the hospital, for providing immediate attention to Naik.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to ensure proper medical treatment for the minister, sources said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Sawant about speedy medical treatment of Naik. In Panaji, Goa BJP President Sadanand Tanavade, General Secretary Satish Dhond and other party office-bearers gathered at the GMCH to enquire about Naik's condition.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressed shock over the accident and condoled the demise of Naik's wife. "Shocked to know that the car which Union Minister Shripad Naik ji was travelling met with an accident in Uttara Kannada and the death of his wife.

My heartfelt condolences on the tragic death of Smt Naik and prayers for the speedy recovery of Shri Naik and those injured," Yediyurappa tweeted. Inputs from Panaji said Naik was returning to Goa from Dharmasthala in Karnataka. Police in the southern state said Naik's car was headed towards Gokarna (a coastal Karnataka town, on the highway towards Goa) from Yallapur (Uttara Kananda district).

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Things are so bad in Los Angeles County that health officials are now advising all essential workers to wear masks inside their own home to prevent spreading Covid-19 within their household.

'Right now, because there is so much spread, we're recommending that people wear their face coverings while they're inside the home,' Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said in a news conference Monday. That's for people who are either leaving their home every day for work or who are running errands regularly for their family, Ferrer said.

Doing so, she said, 'will add a layer of protection while we get through this surge.'

For the county, that surge has been long and brutal. Every minute, an average of 10 people test positive for the virus, county health officials said Monday. More than 932,600 people have tested positive in the county throughout the pandemic.

There are more than 7,900 Covid-19 patients hospitalized countywide -- 22% of whom are in intensive care units. In just two months, the county has seen an increase of more than 1,000% in its average hospitalizations -- a grim jump that has pushed hospitals to their breaking point.

And last week, the county said a person was dying of Covid-19 every eight minutes. A total of more than 12,300 people have died, county health officials said.

'The damaging impact to our families and our local hospitals from this surge is the worst disaster our county has experienced in decades,' health officials said Monday. 'And, as with other terrifying situations, the end of the surge only happens when more people and businesses take control and do the right thing.'

As Los Angeles approaches the one-year mark of its first known positive case of Covid-19, the numerous citations and business closures where large outbreaks have occurred have been insufficient because appropriate action is not being taken on an individual level as many residents are 'failing to protect each other,' Ferrer said.

'Now is not the time to meet with friends at your home to watch the game,' Ferrer said in a statement. 'It is not the time to go for a walk without a mask.'

'All it takes is one mistake and soon, five, 10 or 20 other people become infected -- many of whom could be your friends, family members, or colleagues.'
The term "Orwellian" has become lazy shorthand for exercises of authority with which one disagrees. When a publisher drops your book because your brand has become toxic, it's Orwellian. When an internet platform enforces its terms of service and kicks you off, it's Orwellian. When a store has you removed from the premises for refusing to wear a mask during a pandemic, it's Orwellian. Loading "It tends to be a kind of catch-all for repression," says David Ulin, associate professor of English at the University of Southern California and former book editor of the LA Times. He's read and studied Orwell's works extensively, and he finds Hawley's and Trump's Orwell name-checking not just inaccurate, but ironic. "There's a real irony in the fact that someone who paid such attention to clarity in language - Orwell's whole thing was about transparency in language, that language needed to be absolutely clear like a pane of glass - that a writer like that becomes a rhetorical tool for the people who would have been at the point of his lance," Ulin says. "It's actually almost counter-Orwellian," says Pallavi Yetur, a practicing psychotherapist with an MFA in creative writing whose critical thesis was on Orwell and how his life experiences formed the way he thought about government. "In fact, Donald Trump Jr.'s tweet is Orwellian because he is using language as a way to control people's opinions about something that's happening in his favour, and that's propaganda."

"Orwellian" is probably the most widely used adjective derived from the name of a writer (Kafkaesque might come close), yet so many are using it wrong. It helps, first, to understand who Orwell was and the deeply held political convictions that fuelled his writing. Orwell hated fascists so much he went to war with them. "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism, as I understand it," Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay handily titled Why I Write. It was in 1936 that Orwell joined a leftist militia to fight in the Spanish Civil War against fascist Francisco Franco's military uprising in Spain. A still from the movie 1984, showing Big Brother and the masses. Eric Arthur Blair (Orwell was his pen name) was born to British civil servants in India, a member of what he called the "lower-upper-middle class." A deeply moral thinker and writer, Orwell didn't sit comfortably in his privilege, but was a committed democratic socialist, "along the lines of a Bernie Sanders," as Yetur describes him. He was also, Ulin says, a brilliant critic of pre-World War Two British liberal isolationism.

So when war broke out in Spain, Orwell saw it as his moral duty to kill some fascists. "When I joined the militia I had promised myself to kill one Fascist - after all, if each of us killed one they would soon be extinct," Orwell wrote. He got shot in the throat by a fascist sniper and nearly died. His experience in the Spanish Civil War also wised Orwell up to the failures of Soviet communism, whose tactics of oppression and obfuscation mirrored those of the fascists they were fighting despite existing on opposite ends of the political spectrum. The opposing ideologies were two sides of the same totalitarian coin, each flavour of undemocratic authoritarian control intolerable to Orwell. "He was very wary of totalitarianism from the left as well as from the right," Ulin says. Orwell's experience in the Spanish Civil War crystallised his politics, which formed the literary fabric of everything he would write thereafter. So what's 1984 actually about and what makes a thing "Orwellian"? Newspeak. Doublethink. Thoughtcrime. Big Brother.

1984 is often reduced to its base components, the catchphrases and slogans of the fictional government in Orwell's dystopian allegory for Soviet totalitarianism. The takeaway is often: Oppression bad, liberty good. But Orwell's book is much more sophisticated. Orwell was interested not just in communicating the badness of totalitarian regimes, but also dissecting how they succeed through the manipulation of language. "He was really most concerned with language and how language was used in a propaganda type of way or as a means of control," Yetur says. Orwell observed that totalitarian governments, whatever their ideologies, cannot simply impose their wills; they must indoctrinate. Their success requires complicity. "He's really sharp on the ways in which people get indoctrinated," Ulin says. Which brings us to the term "Orwellian." If Hawley's book deal getting cancelled and Donald Trump getting booted from Twitter aren't Orwellian, what is?

"'Orwellian,' in the most orthodox way, is about language as a means of control," says Yetur. "A Nazi propagandist like Leni Riefenstahl, that would be very Orwellian, because that's somebody who's using words to invoke feelings, to invoke allegiances, to discredit enemies." "Orwellian" is not just applicable to the fascists and communists of Orwell's era, though. Ulin thinks 1984 is relevant to our current political moment. "There are aspects of the novel that are quite reminiscent, interestingly enough, of Trumpism, even though (Trump's) right wing," Ulin says. "Things like the dissemination of false information, the use of information to obfuscate rather than illuminate." He also sees shades of 1984 in social media. In the book, Orwell invents "Two Minutes Hate," a daily event in which video of the enemy is publicly screened and the audience is encouraged to stir itself up into a froth of rage. "That kinds of reminds me of what we see in terms of social media mob mentality, and this extreme QAnon type of conspiracy theorists," Ulin says, "working on people's most negative and virulent emotions and using that as a way to control them but also to make them feel as if they are being heard." What else you should read by Orwell 1984 and Animal Farm are Orwell's greatest hits and certainly worth revisiting (or reading for the first time; we won't judge). But Orwell was also a prolific essayist, literary critic, journalist and columnist, and much of his best work is in his less flashy nonfiction. If you want to expand your understanding of Orwell and better appreciate the philosophy of one of our most enduring modern political writers, these works are good starting points:
Living near Rockaway Townsquare Mall, where a regional COVID-19 vaccination center is located, I went to ask if there was a protocol for getting vaccinated on a standby basis if there were fewer arms to vaccinate than the number of prepped doses. I thought theyd be better used than disposed of. The immediate answer given at the door was that there is no such protocol; the vaccine was only for those with 1A status for now.

I was told there has been no waste, which I was relieved to hear. But the eye-opener was when I was told that nearly all of the 80-plus daily appointments had shown up. If that total of 80 is even close to accurate, we are in serious trouble.

We were told this is a mega vaccination facility. Are they working bankers hours and limiting appointments to 80 per day? Either there arent enough in the 1A category (mainly health care workers and nursing home residents) making appointments, or this is an example of total incompetence in the rollout of getting masses of New Jerseyans vaccinated.

If there arent enough interested 1As, why cant the first two hours daily be reserved exclusively for them, with the rest of the day opened up also to 1Bs, 1Cs, etc.? You would still give the priority to deserving 1As, but not waste valuable time and vaccine stock waiting for appointments that dont fill the schedule.

Even grocery stores have the business and safety sense to have an early-morning hour for seniors to shop. Come on, Gov. Murphy, you have corporate experience. Lets treat this like a well-managed business and get the vaccines you already have in stock into arms now.

Mike Maher, Rockaway Township

Disagree, but not disagreeably

Civility in politics: Dont tell me it cant be done. Ive done it!

When my term as Woodbridge Council president expired 25 years ago, I decided to challenge the township mayor in the next election. With 1,000 lawn signs, hundreds of home visits and volunteers all over town, I still lost.

In my concession speech, I called then-Mayor Jim McGreevey my mayor, because residents of the town where I grew up and was now raising a family had voted to reelect him. I also went to his inauguration  not because I believed his ideas were better than mine, but simply because he was chosen by the people.

Like anyone else, President Donald Trump was entitled to a recount in areas where the election was close. But once it became obvious he had no path to victory, he should have conceded. His behavior disrespected the office he held, just like former Gov. Chris Christie and some other elected officials. Our democracy and the debate that comes with it can be messy. Yet, its the best system in the world. One of the great things about our election process is that, ultimately, it comes to an end.

After my mayoral loss, I became a Woodbridge fire commissioner and served with civility again. While I had an extremely heated debate with other board members about sick time, we got beyond it. Later, I actually supported the hiring of a fire election opponent, promoted his campaign manager and accomplished several initiatives the union had requested  because they were proper.

I encourage others to get involved in our government and community groups. Dont get me wrong. I understand I wasnt running for president of the United States. But my love of community and country is no less than those who do. We should all stand together against those who try to destroy people simply because they disagree with them. Together, we can continue to form a more perfect union from the local level on up.

Ken Gardner, Woodbridge

It cant be freedom when its ignorance

More alarming than the insurrection in Washington itself is the ignorance  not stupidity  of the people engaged. A prominent catchword of people involved at the riot was freedom.

Its more than ironic that, in the cause of freedom, people attack the citadel of the foundation of their freedom. Such can only stem from ignorance.

But how did we get there? Social media and unethical talking heads on cable news, to a large degree, are responsible by dumbing down America. There are those smart enough to evaluate the world about them and, unfortunately, there are the Donald Trump cultists who bought into the social media liars who pander to the cultists basest instincts.

I can understand voting for someone who promises to clean the swamp. I cant understand those same people continuing to support that person when they do the polar opposite, and prove to be an unmitigated liar.

Maybe, as Forest Gump once said, Stupid is as stupid does.

Eric Herrmann, Bridgewater

Christie didnt see this coming?

Concerning the article, Trumps conduct selfish and self-centered, long-time ally Chris Christie says.

Seriously? Former Gov. Christie couldnt see this coming four years ago? He didnt know until last week,, as the rest of us did much sooner, that President Donald Trump was selfish and self-centered, not to mention dangerous?

Christie doesnt deserve space in the press. Hes an enabler. Christies response to the Trump presidency was, to use the ex-governors own words about Trumps response to the riot, Wholly insufficient.

JoAnn Katzban, Montclair

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Seven Kenyan servicemen killed in car blast in southern Somalia

Mogadishu, Jan 12 (UNI) At least seven members of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) were killed when their military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in southern Somalia, the Dalsan radio broadcaster reported on Tuesday.

The incident took place near the town of Hoosingo in the Lower Juba region. According to local residents, the car was severely damaged.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet, the broadcaster added.
The hit caused to the airline industry by the pandemic has truly tested the resilience of the aircraft leasing business model, according to Domhnal Slattery, the chief executive of Dublin-based lessor Avolon.

But he has insisted that there is significant pent-up demand for people to start flying again and that the airline sector will underpin economic recovery.

In a 2020 trading update yesterday, Avolon said it had $6.5bn (5.3bn) of liquidity at the end of last year, having raised $4.4bn of debt last year at an average cost of 3.7pc.

The company delivered and sold a total of 83 aircraft during the year, executing 141 lease transactions in the period.

It also entered in sale and leaseback commitments for 44 aircraft, in deals valued at a total of $2.3bn. Airlines desperate to free up cash during the pandemic have been turning to lessors to ink sale and leaseback deals.

Read More

Avolon is one of the largest aircraft lessors in the world. At the end of 2020, it had an owned, managed and on order fleet of 842 aircraft.

Listed Chinese firm Bohai Leasing owns 70pc of Avolon, while Orix Aviation owns 30pc. Bohai is controlled by Chinese conglomerate HNA.

Mr Slattery described 2020 as the most challenging year the commercial aviation industry has ever faced.

But he said Avolons decisive actions to reduce its capital commitments, strengthen its liquidity and reduce its future obligations has left the company well positioned to benefit from a recovery.

He added that the lessor saw its cash flows improve in the second half of 2020 from a low in the second quarter.

Last year, Avolon cancelled orders for 102 Boeing Max jets and deferred deliveries of other aircraft.

It will take time for the aviation industry to recover, said Mr Slattery.

The pace and scale of recovery will not just be determined by the roll-out of vaccines, but also by rapid testing programmes and the depth of coordination between governments.

The leasing boss said aviation will drive economic recovery.

It is clear there is a strong desire to travel and latent demand in markets across the world, he said.

If the debt raised by Avolon last year, $3.4bn was senior unsecured notes and $675m was secured term loan debt. The company reduced its near-term debt maturities by $1.4bn via a tender offer and the buyback at a discount to par of $651m of senior unsecured notes that were due to mature between 2021 and 2026.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Denni Karlsson, 50, owns farmhouse on the remote East Northern part of Iceland

Used to be film director, having studied at American Film Institute in Los Angeles

Decided to leave movies behind to become a farmer in remotest part of country

Now offers horseback tours of the Icelandic wilderness and owns guesthouse

A movie director who trained in Hollywood has told Ben Fogle how he turned his back on city life to become a farmer and horseback touring guide in a remote part of Iceland.

Father-of-three Denni Karlsson, 50, welcomes Ben Fogle to the farm he refurbished in the Eastern Highlands of Iceland on tonight's New Lives in the Wild at 9pm on Channel 5.

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The farmer and guesthouse owner, who offers horseback tours of Iceland, studied at the American Film Institute of Los Angeles and was an independent film maker until 2013 when he took over the derelict farmhouse.

Denni, who is separated from his ex-wife, who lives with his seven-year-old twin daugthers four hours away, and shares a 20-year-old daughter with another former partner, says he never feels lonely on his farm, thanks to nature.

Ben is shocked when he reaches his destination, in the Icelandic wilderness, and Denni greets him by asking him to jump on a wooden chariot suspended over rapids.

Ben Fogle visits film director turned farmer Denni Karlsson, 50, in the Eastern Highlands of Iceland on tonight's New Lives in the Wild, at 9pm, on Channel 5

In order to access Denni's farmhouse, Ben has to be pulled in a wooden chariot suspended over rapids (pictured)

In order to access the farmhouse, Ben has to trust Denni as he pulls two cords to bring the chariot closer to the edge of a small cliff.

Ben is then finally treated to a tour of Denni's farmhouse, which he spent seven years renovating.

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The farm houses Denni's living quarters, as well as guest dorms for tourists and a museum.

Denni proudly tells Ben he and his ex-wife refurbished the farm with traditional materials and building methods, in order to keep it as authentic as possible.

Denni, pictured, likes to bathe in a waterfall near his farm. He says he never feels lonely when he is in nature

The farm owner was raised on the island and would visit his aunt and uncle's farm every summer, helping with their horses and herding sheep.

But at 22, motivated by his love of movies, which was born out of helping out his projectionist dad unroll films in the local theatre, Denni went to study at the prestigious American Film Institute, in Los Angeles, which counts Terrence Malick among its alumni.

After graduating, Denni became a director and released several films, but his love of nature and Iceland brought him back to the Highlands.

The filmmaker keft his life behind to refurbish the farm, and now uses is as a base for horseback tours of the mountains around

Ben says he is intrigued to learn more about his host, pictured, who seemed reserve, but has strong opinions

In 2013, the took over the farm, planning to fix it up with his ex-wife. The dwelling has heating and hot water as well as electricity.

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The couple spent years dedicating their time to their shared vision of what the farmhouse could be, but in 2017, they split up, and the unnamed partner moved away, taking their daughters with her.

Ben is keen to learn more about his host, who he says 'seems to be a bit of everything.'

Denni is separated from his wife, who lives four hours away with their twin daughters, who are seven

Ben, pictured, is impressed by Denni's farmhouse and the dramatic way it needs to be accessed by

'I'm quite intrigued by Denni,' Ben says. 'He's very Icelandic, he's got that Icelandic look: a little bit hipster, quite cool. But what he's created here is a throwback to a different century,' he adds.

'I cant really work out if it is a museum, if he is a farmer, I'm definitely intrigued and I've never stayed anywhere quite like this.'

While the two men are smoking trout, Denni explains he wants to 'hold on to the legacy' of his ancestors, to 'tell their stories' so they don't get forgotten.

Ben notes: 'he's deeply respectful of the past. Though he's quite reserved, he has very strong opinions, a streak of perfectionism, which I think comes from filmmaking.'

Denni's daughters come to visit and his takes the whole family and Ben on a horseback ride to go heard sheep with the rest of the community

Denni says he likes how rough the scenery around the farmhouse is. He;s been living there for the past seven years

'I feel like I'm living film set right now,' he adds.

With Ben keen to find out how rooted in nature Denni is, the two men discuss the farmer's upbringing.

'When I was a kid we'd come here every summer, herding sheep,' Denni says.

He explains he was drawn to the world of filmmaking thanks to his father, who worked at the local cinema, and whom he would help from time to time.

But he says city living was 'very aggressive,' which led him to accept a local farmer's offer to take over the house and fix it up.

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'I was always interested in visual things. The passion for this area and telling the story made it worth it,' he says.

Denni takes Ben on a horseback tour and shows him the plateau surrounding the valley where he is working on refurbishing old huts into pods where tourists can stay.

'It's not a pretty place but it's quite graphic and rough and it has its beauty,' he tells Ben.

While impressed by the beautiful scenery of the Icelandic highlands, Ben explains he wonders whether Denni gets lonely, and assumes he misses his daughters more than he shows.

Denni with his older daugther Sofia, 20, and his seven-year-old twins on an Iceland horse, near the farm house

'It's a very quite place here and I wonder whether he ever gets lonely [...] he did live here with family at one point,' he tells the camera.

The three girls come to visit, which gives Ben a chance to see Denni as a father.

Speaking to Ben, Denni admits he misses his daughters, but makes the most of their time together when he can.

'You always miss your kids when they are not around, but we have some days together, either here or somewhere else, so we make the best out of it,' he says.

As the family takes Ben herding sheep, an event which takes place yearly on the highlands and bring all the inhabitants together, Ben finally understands that Denni offers an unique experience for his daughters.

'For me as a father, I would love my kids to see this and feel part of something and it's exactly what he's had, ever since he was a small boy,' Ben says.

Before Ben leaves, Denni takes him to a waterfall and they both bathe in the water. The farmer says there is nothing that can match the beautiful nature that surrounds his farm.

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Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
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A health worker gives an injection during a coronavirus vaccine drill in Bali, Indonesia, Jan. 11, 2021.

Indonesia on Monday authorized emergency use of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinovac, becoming the first country outside China to approve the drug, ahead of a mass inoculation drive this week.

Meanwhile, the Philippines announced its first purchases of coronavirus vaccines, and health officials in Bangladesh confirmed the countrys first delivery of a vaccine for later this month.

Preliminary results of late-stage trials in Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey showed that the vaccine  known as CoronaVac  had efficacy rates of 65.3 percent, 78 percent, and 91.25 percent, respectively, according to Indonesias food and drug regulator, BPOM.

Taking into account the emergency situation and responding to the need to act swiftly to deal with COVID-19, BPOM decided to issue an emergency-use authorization, agency director Penny Lukito told a press conference.

The World Health Organization has set a minimum target of 50 percent efficacy for vaccines tested against the coronavirus.

The Indonesian Council of Ulema, the countrys semi-official authority on Islam, last week declared that the vaccine developed by Sinovac, a state-owned firm, was halal  meaning it does not contain ingredients forbidden for Muslims, such as pork.

Indonesia, the worlds largest Islamic-majority country, leads all nations in East Asia in COVID-19 cases and deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. As of Monday, the cumulative number of cases had reached nearly 836,800, resulting in 24,343 deaths.

Indonesia is set to begin its mass vaccination drive on Wednesday. President Joko Jokowi Widodo will be the first person to receive a shot, in a bid to assure the public that the vaccine is safe, the nations health chief said last week. The vaccine will be available to all Indonesians at no cost to them, officials said.

Indonesia so far has received 3 million doses of CoronaVac  with 15 million doses in bulk scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday  for production by state-owned vaccine company Bio Farma, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Monday.

Indonesia also expects to receive between 54 million and 108 million vaccine doses for free from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), he said.

Vaccines developed by other companies are expected in the coming months.

The chairman of the Technical Advisory Association for Immunization in Indonesia (ITAGI), Sri Rejeki, said the organization would monitor the vaccination campaign for the next six months.

We believe that CoronaVac is safe and useful to alleviate the pandemic in Indonesia, she told reporters.

Filipino Catholics join an event in downtown Manila to celebrate the Black Nazarene, a statue of Jesus Christ, Jan. 9, 2021. [Basilio Sepe/BenarNews]

The Indonesian governments announcement that it had cleared Sinovacs vaccine for emergency use came on the eve of a scheduled visit to the country by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as part of a four-nation Southeast Asia trip.

While in Myanmar on Monday, Chinas top diplomat promised vaccines against the coronavirus during talks with government officials there, Reuters reported.

Wang will also visit Brunei and the Philippines  which ranks after Indonesia as the second most Covid-affected country in East Asia.

On Monday, the Philippine government announced that it had clinched its first deal to procure coronavirus vaccine, with the purchase of 25 million doses of the vaccine made by Sinovac.

The first shipment of only 50,000 doses of the vaccine will arrive in the Philippines next month, presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a virtual news briefing.

But at least, we will start vaccinating, he said, adding that by June and July, Pfizer and AstraZeneca were also expected to ship in additional supplies of vaccines.

Roque urged the public not to remain complacent about the pandemic.

He noted that despite repeated health warnings, thousands of Catholics had gathered in Manilas Quiapo district on Saturday for Masses honoring the Black Nazarene, a statue of Jesus Christ believed to have healing powers.

Roque conceded that at some point, social distancing was ignored during the religious event.

On Sunday, Carlito Galvez Jr., the Philippine official who heads up the governments pandemic task force, announced that it had signed a deal to secure 30 million doses of the Covavax vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India in partnership with Novavax.

Those doses would be available starting in the third quarter of 2021, Galvez said in a statement.

Bangladeshi vaccine efforts

In Bangladesh, health officials said Monday they hoped to begin coronavirus vaccinations in early February, as they announced that 5 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would arrive later this month.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals has informed us that they can bring 50 lakh [five million] doses of vaccine from India between Jan. 21 and 25, Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid, who heads the Directorate of Health Services, told a news conference, referring to a Bangladeshi drug maker.

Last month, Bangladeshs health directorate signed a deal with the Serum Institute and Beximco to import 30 million doses of the vaccine. On Jan. 7, Bangladeshs government cleared the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use.

Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, a former director of Bangladeshs Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), noted that the vaccine had been approved in the U.K.

According to our rules, we can use vaccines approved by seven developed countries, including the U.K., without trials. So, we do not need any trials of the vaccine, he said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
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Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

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Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

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Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

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Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

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WASHINGTON  Americas greenhouse gas emissions from energy and industry plummeted more than 10% in 2020, reaching their lowest levels in at least three decades as the coronavirus pandemic slammed the brakes on the nations economy, according to an estimate published Tuesday by the Rhodium Group.

The steep drop, however, was the result of extraordinary circumstances and experts warned that the country still faced enormous challenges in getting its planet-warming pollution under control. In the years ahead, U.S. emissions are widely expected to bounce back once the pandemic recedes and the economy rumbles back to life  unless policymakers take stronger action to clean up the countrys power plants, factories, cars and trucks.

The most significant reductions last year were around transportation, which remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, said Kate Larsen, a director at Rhodium Group, a research and consulting firm. But as vaccines become more prevalent, and depending on how quickly people feel comfortable enough to drive and fly again, wed expect emissions to rebound unless there are major policy changes put in place.

Before the pandemic hit, Americas emissions had been slowly but steadily declining since 2005, in large part because utilities that generate electricity have been shifting away from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, in favor of cheaper and cleaner natural gas, wind and solar power. Over the past decade, utilities have retired hundreds of coal-burning power plants despite President Donald Trumps efforts to revive the industry.

Then, the coronavirus arrived. As governors placed their states under lockdown last spring and Americans sheltered in place, emissions started plunging across parts of the economy that had rarely seen sustained drops before.

Transportation, the nations largest source of greenhouse gases, saw a 14.7% decline in emissions in 2020 as millions of people stopped driving to work and airlines canceled flights. While travel started picking up again in the latter half of the year as states relaxed their lockdowns, Americans drove 15% fewer miles overall last year than they did in 2019 and the demand for jet fuel fell by more than one-third.

Emissions from heavy industry, such as steel and cement, dropped 7% in 2020 as automakers and other manufacturers churned out fewer goods amid the economic slump. Americas buildings, which produce carbon dioxide when they burn oil or natural gas for heat, saw emissions fall 6.2%, driven by both lockdowns and warmer-than-average weather.

In the electricity sector, emissions plunged by 10.3% in 2020, driven by a sharp decline in coal burning. As electricity demand sagged nationwide, utilities ran their coal plants far less often because coal has become the most expensive fuel in many parts of the country. Instead, they used more natural gas  which produces less carbon dioxide than coal, but still generates significant heat-trapping methane  and drew more heavily on emissions-free wind and solar power.

Renewable energy surged in 2020, as energy companies overcame disruptions from the pandemic to build a record number of new wind turbines and solar panels before a key deadline to claim a federal tax credit. The United States produced roughly as much electricity from renewable sources last year as it did from coal, a milestone that has never been reached before.

Overall, the fall in emissions nationwide was the largest one-year decline since at least World War II, the Rhodium Group said, and put the United States within striking distance of one of its major climate goals under the Paris agreement, a global pact by nearly 200 governments to address climate change.

As part of that agreement, former President Barack Obama had pledged that U.S. emissions would fall 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. Trump disavowed the Paris pact, and, before last year, it looked like the United States would miss that target. But in the wake of the pandemic, Americas industrial emissions are now roughly 21.5% below 2005 levels.

But that milestone comes with several caveats. First, those numbers do not account for any uptick in emissions resulting from last years record-setting wildfires in the West, which burned millions of acres of forests and grasslands, sending the carbon dioxide locked away in all those trees into the atmosphere.

One preliminary estimate in November from BloombergNEF suggested that wildfires could offset roughly 3% of last years drop in American emissions from energy and industry. While many trees that went up in flames will eventually grow back, absorbing carbon dioxide as they do, that process will take years. And scientists have warned that wildfires will become larger and more frequent as the planet warms.

The other caveat is that Americas emissions could tick back up again once vaccines are widely distributed and the economy recovers. The Rhodium Group report noted that a similar rebound occurred after the financial crisis of 2008-09 caused emissions to fall sharply. And it noted that many sectors, like air travel and steel making, have already been rebounding in recent months.

Unfortunately, 2020 tells us little about what we can expect to see in 2021 and beyond, the report concluded. The vast majority of 2020s emission reductions were due to decreased economic activity and not from any structural changes that would deliver lasting reductions in the carbon intensity of our economy.

Scientists warn that even a big one-year drop in emissions is not enough to stop global warming. Until humanitys emissions are essentially zeroed out and nations are no longer adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, the planet will continue to heat up. As if to underscore that warning, European researchers announced last week that 2020 was quite likely tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record.

President-elect Joe Biden has called global warming a top priority, setting a goal of slashing Americas emissions to net zero by 2050. Doing so, experts said, would require major new steps to accelerate the use of renewable electricity, shift Americans from gasoline-burning cars to cleaner electric models and rethink methods for processes like home heating or steel and cement production.

And those efforts would need to be replicated across the globe. On Monday, the International Energy Agency said it would publish a detailed blueprint in May for how the global economy could reach net-zero emissions by 2050, noting that the worldwide drop in greenhouse gas emissions last year was likely to prove temporary unless nations took the opportunity to rethink their reliance on fossil fuels.

Nothing short of a total transformation of our energy infrastructure will be required, said Fatih Birol, the agencys executive director. That calls for decisive action this year, next year and indeed every year to 2050.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
THE river fell all day. Even the fears of another flood on the afternoon high tide were unrealised. As the day went on the river cleaned itself out. The debris was all but gone. The last of the yachts had been swept away. Gulls were back. There were reports of a shark cruising the streets of Ipswich.

This was a catastrophe on a good day. The water hadn't risen as high as predicted; the death count was not as appalling as feared. To everyone's relief the police found no corpses in the tangled mess on the bridge at Grantham. Still the death toll rose by three to 15 and there will be more.

Suburbs were filled with water. Apartment blocks stood in a brown sea. The markets were swamped. The CBD was an archipelago. Everyone was waiting for the water to go down. Only then will the worst of the damage be known. But the warning signs are clear enough: as the water retreats it's leaving behind a rank mat of rubbish and mud.

"This is not a tourist attraction," said Queensland's Minister for Main Roads, Craig Wallace. "It's a tragedy. If you are not assisting the effort, please stay at home." But this is history, too. On vantage points along the river, the people of Brisbane turned out to witness something they will want to talk about for the rest of their lives: this immense river, flooding their city. They can't be kept away.

For another day, Anna Bligh seemed to be carrying the state on her shoulders. She praised; she warned; and she had the figures: 3000 bedding down in evacuation centres, 5000 businesses flooded and 25,000 homes under water. Some of those houses will barely be touched, she said. "Others will go into their homes and find they are never habitable again."
Sangju Mayor Kang Young-seok attaches a written order of a facility shutdown at the entrance of BTJ's center in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, Jan. 7. / Courtesy of Sangju City Government



By Lee Hyo-jin



Concerns are rising over an infection cluster among followers of an evangelistic religious sect showing an uncooperative attitude to the government's antivirus efforts. The situation is reminding many of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus which was at the center of public criticism for not following state orders during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic last year.



The infection cluster is at the Back to Jerusalem (BTJ) center located in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province.



The center is the headquarters of InterCP International, a sect with some 1,400 missionaries dispatched to several countries. The facility is used to hold missionary training camps offering lessons on biblical and spiritual studies, according to its official website.



The missionary group was found to have conducted several training camps at the center from November to December last year, even when indoor gatherings of 50 people or more were banned while Level 2 social distancing measures were imposed in the region.



The health authorities estimated that a total of 2,797 people from across the country had participated in the camps from Nov. 27 to Dec. 27.






Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 8:41AM

Samsung unveiled a number of its smart home appliances at CES 2021, emphasizing the use of artificial intelligence in ways like helping you determine when to restock your ref or learning your washing and drying cycle and preferences so it can set those up for you.

And then the company has actual robots it hopes to help you out. The one that will be available for purchase soon is the JetBot 90 AI+. Samsung boasts that it's the first robotic vacuum to run on Intel AI. With the help of sensors like LiDAR and 3D as well as AI-enhanced object recognition tech, it can clean and maneuver around your house without an issue.

The JetBot 90 AI+ uses the information it gathers to clean as close as it can to objects around your house, and it can lower itself beneath furniture when needed. It can classify items to make sure it avoids those it deems dangerous or those likely to cause "secondary contamination" like dog or cat poop.

This vacuum's digital inverter motor makes the most of its Jet Cyclone system's 30W suction power to trap dust in the air and dirt on the floor. Its self-cleaning brush is made with fine fibres made from soft woven textiles to pick up dust from hard to reach crevices and hard floors.

The JetBot 90 AI+ retreats to its Clean Station when it's done cleaning, where it will then automatically empty the dirt it collected into a bag. Samsung says you only need to replace it once every two to three months.

And since we're talking about a smart vacuum, it connects to the Samsung SmartThings app, allowing you to control it from anywhere. It will let you schedule a clean, set "no-go zones" on a map of your home, and connect to its camera to keep an eye on your house.

Samsung plans to launch the JetBot 90 AI+ in the first half of 2021 in the US.

Source: Samsung
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

An 'inseparable' couple who had been married for 47 years both died from Covid within less than a week of each other.

Sue Shaikh died of the virus in hospital, and then just four days later her devoted husband Basim Shaikh contracted it and passed away at their home.

Their children had not told Basim his wife had died - but said he 'just knew' and 'just gave up'.

Sue, 75, and Basim, 76, had lived in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, all of their married lives but moved to London five years ago to be nearer their two children and three grandchildren.

Their daughter, Caroline, 43, said her mother died in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on December 29, and her father at their flat in Kensington on January 2.

Sue Shaikh died of the virus in hospital, and then just four days later her devoted husband Basim Shaikh contracted it and passed away at their home

Caroline, a mother-of-two, said: 'I do think my dad knew my mum had died and just gave up.

'In a way, it's a blessing they died within days of each other because I cannot imagine how my mum would have coped without the love of her life.

'They were inseparable, two peas in a pod, who wouldn't have been able to live without the other one,' she said.

The family lived in Berry Drive in Barnt Green and Caroline and her 46-year-old brother Jonathon went to Bromsgrove School.

Basim was an Iraqi who had fled the country when he was a teenager to escape religious persecution because he and his nine siblings came from a prominent Catholic family.

He met Sue when he was doing a Phd in mechanical engineering at Birmingham University where she was a secretary.

A well known prominent businessman, he worked in the oil and gas industry, spending large parts of the year in Abu Dhabi.

Caroline said her mother went into hospital in London just before Christmas after contracting Covid and died a week later.

Her father was at home and because he had a terminal brain tumour hadn't been told about his wife's death.

'My parents had been really careful and hadn't left the house for four months - apart from hospital visits for my dad because of his brain tumour,' she said.

'We honestly thought mum would pull through, but in the end because she had Type 2 diabetes, Covid got her and she passed away after a week.

'Because my dad was very ill we decided not to tell him straight away that she'd died, but he somehow knew she'd gone.

Sue and Basim Shaikh, with their two grown up children Caroline and Jonathon

'He said to us 'she's gone hasn't she?' and then a few days later passed away himself.

'We didn't even know he had Covid until the last two days when he developed a cough and then it just took over really quickly and he was gone.'

Caroline said her father had been diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumour last May and had been told he wouldn't survive beyond 2021.

Because of his condition, the couple had been careful and hadn't left their flat for four months.

It's thought they contracted Covid either through a carer bringing it into the home, or when he had to go to A&E for a procedure just before Christmas.

'Because I'd had Covid myself in November, I was able to spend the last three days of my dad's life by his bedside, talking to him and reminiscing about his life.'

She said her parents' life had been a real life fairy tale romance.

Despite both being engaged to other people when they met at Birmingham University, they fell in love, broke off their engagements and within a year were married to each other.

'Back in those days, my dad - this little Omar Sharif figure - and my blonde mum stuck out like sore thumbs as a couple because then, mixed marriages such as theirs were unusual, especially in a place like Barnt Green,' she said.

She said they had been 'inundated' with messages and cards of condolences from people in the village.

The funeral will be in London on January 18.
William during The Tusk Conservation Awards at Banqueting House in London in 2018. (Jeff Spicer/AFP)

Prince William has called an attack that left six park rangers dead horrendous and condemns the actions of those responsible.

Six rangers were killed at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is home to endangered mountain gorillas. The youngest victim was 25.

The attack took place on Sunday morning and was confirmed by a spokesman for the park, Olivier Mukisya.

He said: A group of armed men attacked our positions in the region of Nyamitwitwi in the middle of Virunga national park.

Prince William with the Shakarimba band, who were flown in from Botswana to perform at the Prince's 21st birthday party in 2003. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

Prince William (L) gives sports equipment to pupils during his visit Ol Maiso primary school in Laikipia, Kenya, in 2018. (Reuters/Thomas Mukoya)

Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly quit social media

Read more: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accused of ignoring COVID travel advice during tour to Scotland

The Duke of Cambridge said: The horrendous attack on staff at the Virunga National Park is abhorrent and I condemn the actions of those responsible in the strongest terms.

Rangers who work tirelessly to protect both the national park and the neighbouring communities should be honoured not attacked. They should never find themselves in a position where their lives are on the line.

The six men were named as: Surumwe Burhani Abdou, 30; Alexis Kamate Mundunaenda, 25; Reagan Maneno Kataghalirwa, 27; Eric Kibanja Bashenkere, 28; Innocent Paluku Budoyi, 28; and Prince Nzabonimpa Ntamakiriro, who was 27.

Rangers at a field post in Virunga park, in 2016. The park's rangers are often in danger because of the situation in DR Congo. (Thierry Falise/LightRocket)

A baby mountain gorilla rides on its mother's back on the slopes of Mount Mikeno in the Virunga National Park, in 2008. (Reuters/Peter Andrews)

One other ranger was wounded but his injuries were reported to be non-life threatening.

A statement shared online explained: At approximately 07.30am local time, the Rangers were ambushed while on foot patrol inside the Park. The attack took place near Kabuendo, which is located near the border of the Park, in the Central sector, between Nyamilima and Niamitwitwi.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the rangers were taken by surprise and had no opportunity to defend themselves, and that those responsible for the attack are local Mai-Mai groups.

Mai-Mai groups refer to community based militia groups in the DR Congo. They have previously been linked to attacks on rangers and gorillas in the park.

Story continues

Prince William and Prince Harry meet a cheetah when they visit Mokolodi Education Centre in 2010 in Gaborone, Botswana. The brothers have over the years forged strong links to Africa. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Prince William and Prince Harry hold an African rock python at the Mokolodi Education Centre in 2010 in Gaborone, Botswana. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle felt 'alone' and 'displaced' during US move

The statement added: Virunga National Park deeply regrets the tragic loss of life among its Rangers, who work tirelessly and with dedication to protect both the Park and the neighbouring communities from the tyranny of armed groups. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten nor be in vain.

According to Reuters, more than 200 rangers have been killed in the last decade in the park, with the deadliest attack taking place last April, when 12 died.

Virunga has been UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site since 1979. The wildlife population has been under threat from poaching as well as a result of the Congolese civil war.

Prince William, 38, and his brother Prince Harry, 36, have a long association with the continent of Africa, and William proposed to his wife Kate in Kenya.

Harry has called Africa his second home and took his wife Meghan there early on in their relationship.

Watch: Prince William hears of horror of handling third coronavirus wave surge at London hospital
Thank you for reading!

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While the oil and gas industries experienced a difficult year in 2020, with decreased demand and a severe drop in prices, energy suppliers have continued to provide vital fuel sources for people around the globe. Though there were dramatic shortages of other products during the pandemic panic, oil and gas have remained stable sources of energy for those confronting the difficult realities of living in a strange new normal. People around the world have been able to heat their houses, fuel their cars, and use vital cooking energy to maintain a relatively normal standard of daily life. Transport continued as needed, with new safety provisions in place. There was no panic buying of fuel at gas stations as, despite the drop-in demand, supply remained stable. Overall, the provision of stable energy sources allowed people to avoid further panic during uncertain times.

As well as providing people with the reassurance that theyll have their regular supply of energy, oil and gas have proved vital in the fight against Covid-19.

Much of the medical equipment and PPE needed over the last year is petroleum-based and relies on oil and gas plants to manufacture vital components. Adapting manufacturing processes to meet demand in the early months of the virus allowed the USA to provide much of the medical equipment needed at a fast rate.

While the energy sector has been largely overlooked, due to our daily reliance on fuel, many big companies have been tirelessly adapting to new restrictions and lockdowns to combat the difficulties faced under the pandemic.

As the vaccine begins to be rolled out across the USA and several other countries, governments are once again relying on energy companies, big and small, to support production and transportation processes. Vaccines must be transported locally and long-distance, kept in safe storage facilities at extremely low temperatures to ensure their efficacy. The energy sector continues to support this mission, hoping a new normal will bring a resurgence in demand and greater stability in 2021.

Related: India Oil Demand Falls For First Time In 20 Years Due To COVID



While much of the focus is on drilling for crude oil when we think about energy, the raw materials needed for vital medical equipment and as many as 70,000 other products cannot be overlooked. Gasoline, propane, and several other chemicals provide the basis of many plastic products needed to tackle the global pandemic, in addition to surfactants, pigments, synthetic rubber, polymers, fertilizers, and materials for batteries.

As the decrease in demand for oil and gas led activists to call for greener practices and a shift away from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives, we must dismiss the current need for many of the little-discussed products and services that energy companies provide.

Just one example of the use of petrochemicals is in the development of the N-95 protective facemask. The mask relies on petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas to protect its wearer and people around it from bacteria that spread the virus. To create effective filters, mask manufacturers use polymers like polypropylene to create a more effective mask than the cloth alternative.

Further, as demand for energy fell, we saw a clear increase in the efforts to develop and incorporate innovative technologies into the sector, seeing several start-ups emerge in support of the energy industry. Many of these new technologies have helped the sector weather the storm, making it possible to work remotely and providing jobs for thousands of workers who might otherwise be unemployed.

So, while the energy sector has been largely overlooked as a key player in the fight against Covid-19, oil, and gas companies have been lurking in the background to ensure that the daily energy supply has remained largely unaffected. Any shortage in fuel could have led to significant panic and an inability to manufacture and transport medical equipment, tests and vaccines. However, as the media and environmentalists are quick to criticize the industry, it has been a constant in the continued combat of Covid-19, ensuring the smooth-running of vital operations around the world.



By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks on Tuesday released a statement on the response to his speech at a rally prior to the break out of a riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and the move by two of his Democratic colleagues to censure him in the House of Representatives.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey told WAAY 31 last week that residents upset by Brooks should tell him at the ballot box, and said he does not speak for all Alabamians or all Republicans. (Read about the censure attempt HERE and Ivey's statement HERE)

You can view Brook's statement by clicking HERE or reading below:

Washington, DC Tuesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) issued the below statement in response to scurrilous Fake News Media and Socialist Democrat attacks related to his January 6th Save America rally speech:

As one of Americas most effective conservative leaders, I defend my honor and reputation against scurrilous, George Orwellian, 1984, Socialist Democrats Politics of Personal Destruction, the same attack strategy used in 2012 against then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and nonstop against President Trump with false Russian Collusion charges and the 2019 sham impeachment effort.

Lets be clear, this entire smear campaign is about intimidating, censoring and suppressing the ability of American citizens to fight at the ballot box the efforts of Socialist Democrats to seize control of the United States of America.

So that I am unambiguously clear, American citizens' recourse is at the ballot box (maybe this comment will deter Socialist Democrats and Fake News Media from again shrilly shouting false claims of violence advocacy).

As you read these remarks, I ask that you consider two quotes.

First, as Jesus said in the Bible, John 8:32, And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

Second, I quote the words of American patriot Martin Luther King, who stated in 1958 that, "True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

I ask the Members of Congress, the citizens of the great State of Alabama, and the citizens of America, to bear these words in mind, set their political stridency aside, and strive for justice.

Before I get into the meat of my remarks, let me add that January 6 was supposed to be a day of great debate on the floors of the House and Senate about voter fraud and election theft that is supposed to propel America to more honest or accurate elections.

Instead, our message was hijacked by people whose illegal breach of the Capitol did a great disservice to our cause and America.

Those who engaged in illegal conduct should be ashamed of themselves because their attack on the U.S. Capitol destroyed two months of debate and work.

Those who engaged in the illegal breach of the U.S. Capitol could not have done more damage if they had followed any script written by the Democrat National Committee.

I take great offense at anyone who suggests I am so politically inexperienced as to want to torpedo my honest and accurate election system effort I spent months fighting on.

Mo Brooks Background

Let me share a little about myself. My long-time acquaintances and family would describe me as a straight arrow or a square.

I have never smoked tobacco.

I dont consume alcohol.

I have never taken illegal drugs.

I have never been accused or convicted of any felonies or misdemeanors.

In half a century of driving, I have never had a DUI, a reckless driving ticket or even a speeding ticket.

I did once misjudge a traffic light and deservedly got a ticket, but that is it.

I have never had a vehicle wreck in which anyone claimed I was at fault.

My parents raised me to be a good, self-supporting citizen and I have strived to be just that.

My parents also encouraged me to participate in government if the opportunity arose, as this was a part of my ancestry.

On my mothers side, we have a North Carolina ancestral history that includes a county sheriff, a state legislator, a board of education member, a road commissioner, and the like.

In fact, the first rest stop you come to on I-40 when you enter North Carolina from Tennessee is named after my grandfather, D. Reeves Noland.

I am proud of that ancestry. I have tried to follow it.

As such, I have served the public for 36 years as a Tuscaloosa assistant district attorney, an Alabama legislator, the Madison County District Attorney, a county commissioner, and U.S. Congressman.

In my 36 years as a public servant, I have a perfect ethics record, having never been found guilty of an ethics violation, large or small.

I am proud that, in 1982, I was the first Republican legislator ever elected in Alabama House District 18.

I am proud that, in 1983, I was the first Republican legislator ever elected in Alabama House District 10.

I am proud that, in 2010, I was the first Republican elected in Alabama Congressional District 5 in more than 130 years.

I am proud that, in the history of the State of Alabama, no person has successfully carried the Republican banner in general elections more than I have.

You can imagine my dismay upon learning that Socialist Democrats, without ever even bothering to first discuss this matter with me to discern the truth, and without any substantive and connective evidence, so viciously besmirch my good name and character that took 66 years to build.

It is with that as a background, that I will address how misplaced and malevolent the motives are of those who falsely accuse me of bad conduct.

Accusation Flaw #1:

Mr. Malinowski, in his Censure Resolution, alleges that Representative Mo Brooks addressed a rally in Washington, DC, attended by numerous members of known extremist and anti-government groups, including the Proud Boys, QAnon, Boogaloo Boys, and Oathkeepers, who would shortly thereafter march to seize the United States Capitol

That statement is meaningless because it omits a key fact. Mr. Malinowski fails to allege I knew any of that!

Why? Because I did not know any of that.

For the record, I have never knowingly associated or communicated with any of those groups in my life and I certainly had no inkling any of these groups were a part of the Trump rally at the Ellipse. Perhaps, at some political event, I have had a photo with one, or a five second conversation with another, but, if so, I dont recall it and paid no attention to it.

Per my cell phone records, on Tuesday morning, January 5, I had a telephone call with Brian Jack, White House Political Director. He asked me to speak at the Trump rally the next day, Wednesday morning.

I had never attended a Trump rally in my life but had seen many on TV, and thought it honor for the White House to invite me to address Trump volunteers and supporters, so I readily agreed.

Due to lack of time, I did not draft my speech from scratch.

The bulk of my January 6 White House Ellipse speech comes from my often-used America is Great political speeches that I have given dozens of times, perhaps hundreds of times, in my 34 years of public service as a Tuscaloosa assistant district attorney, an Alabama legislator, the Madison County District Attorney, a county commissioner, and U.S. Congressman.

Further, I spoke very early in the political rally. There was music, there was my speech, there was more music, then there was some number of speakers, then a couple hours or so later, President Trump began speaking.

I ask this question, if my remarks were as inspirational as the Socialist Democrats and their Fake News Media allies want the public to believe, why didnt the Trump rally participants, after my remarks, immediately get up and storm the Capitol?

Why not indeed! The answer is simple. No one at the rally interpreted my remarks to be anything other than what they were: A pep talk after the derriere kicking conservatives suffered in the dismal 2020 elections.

As I will prove later, my remarks were clearly designed to reinvigorate people for the 2022 election cycle that had already begun two months ago and is now only a year away.

Accusation Flaw #2:

Mr. Malinoskis Censure resolution alleges, Whereas, Representative Brooks then exhorted the audience: Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.

While I did utter those words, what is deceitfully omitted is the immediately preceding sentence, that begins with, But lets be clear, regardless of todays outcome, the 2022 and the 2024 elections are right around the corner.

This preceding sentence, clearly and unambiguously confirms that my take names and kicking derrieres remarks refers to fighting to win elections in 2022 and 2024 and had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal breach of the Capitol that occurred later in the day.

Notably, Mr. Malinoskis Censure Resolution deceitfully omits the key introductory clause of the take names sentence that confirms what I just said. After focusing on winning the 2022 and 2024 elections, the beginning of the next sentence is As such. As such, today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking as.

The phrase As such confirms that my take names sentence is in the context of the preceding 2022 and 2024 sentence and that I was encouraging people to join our fight to win the 2022 & 2024 elections Today.

I was not encouraging anyone to engage in violence. I was encouraging people to begin a 2022 and 2024 election fight!

Accusation Flaw #3.

Mr. Malinoskis Censure Resolution alleges I encouraged and incited violence against his fellow Members of Congress, as part of an assault on the United States Capitol.

That statement is utterly false and beyond contempt.

In addition to the foregoing rebuttals, consider the following:

1. I was in the House Chamber when the attack began! The idea that I would encourage and incite violence on myself, my friends, and my colleagues is absurd.

2. The Censure resolution (and the Fake News Media) conveniently and deceitfully omit the action I asked rally attendees to undertake: take WORDS (not violence) to the Capitol!

At the start of my speech, I tell the audience quote, Ive got a message that I need you to take to your heart, and take back home, and along the way stop at the Capitol.

My message is NOT violence, it is WORDS. Only the most malevolent or partisan of people would construe my speech otherwise.

At the very end of my speech, I emphasize that:

What are the simple words we must shout to the heavens and carry, the message, to Capitol Hill? What are the words that cause Socialists and weak-kneed Republicans on Capitol Hill to shake in their boots and cower in their foxholes?

What are the words that scare the hell out of Socialists and weak-kneed Republicans alike?

Join with me! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! Washington! America! Heed those words, because were going to carry them right to you.

That is right. I exhorted the Trump rally attendees to bring words, NOT VIOLENCE, to the U.S. Capitol.

And those words are USA, USA, USA.

3. Mr. Malinowski and the Censure Resolution deceitfully attributes to me things that are absolutely false. It asserts, with no credible evidence, a linkage between my words and the illegal breach of the Capitol.

Let me emphasize something in that regard. I have proudly served the people of the Great State of Alabama for 34 years.

I have given hundreds if not thousands of political speeches. I have given dozens if not hundreds of political rally speeches. Not once in those 34 years of speech-giving has anyone been incited to violence. Not once!

As far as I knew, the Trump rally attendees were patriotic Americans who wished to exercise their Constitutional right to freely assemble, freely speak, and freely exercise their Constitutionally guaranteed right to protest.

Certainly, as far as I am aware (and granted I have never previously attended one), no prior Trump rally resulted in violence.

4. I made my speech in front of a bank of TV cameras. The notion that I would give a recorded speech calling for riots and violence is the height of arrogance and stupidity. I called for fighting in the 2022 and 2024 elections

5. The growing evidence is that various Militant groups came to Washington, DC on January 6 to engage in violent acts regardless of speech content.

For example, Mr. Malinowskis Censure Resolution claims that militant, extremist and anti-government groups, including the Proud Boys, QAnon, Boogaloo Boys, and Oathkeepers, helped seize the United States Capitol.

One or more of these groups brought pipe bombs, firearms, and other explosive devices with them.

This level or preparation is evidence that violent actions were planned long before my remarks. Ergo, my remarks had nothing to do with the ensuing violent acts.

WHY?

The reckless, defamatory, and deceitful nature of the Censure Resolution begs the question of why would Socialist Democrats go to such lengths to deceitfully slander and defame the reputation of an honorable member of the opposition party?

Perhaps I can share a few very plausible motives.

Motive #1: Hypocrisy.

There is no end to the hypocrisy of Socialist Democrats who are so often willing to condemn what they themselves do!

I submit the following quotes, and the absence of any Censureship efforts regarding them, as evidence of how hypocritical this Censure Resolution is.

In 2019, Congressman Joaquin Castro stated, Well also fight him [Trump]  in the streets!

In 2020, Congresswoman Maxine Waters stated, And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them. And you tell them theyre not welcome anymore, anywhere.

In 2018, former Attorney General Eric Holder stated, Michelle [Obama] always says that, you know, When they go low, we go high. No. When they go low, we kick them. Thats what this new Democratic Party is about,

In 2020, Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris encouraged people to help post bail out for violent protestors in Minnesota when she posted, If youre able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.

In 2020, Congresswoman Cori Bush stated, We DISRUPT PEACE because lives are on the line. NO, I wont coddle you or baby you by giving you a peaceful protest. Get a backbone- get some fight in you! Were putting our lives on the line because black people are and IT STOPS NOW!! NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!!

If Socialist Democrats were really concerned about stopping the violence, then why do they encourage, rather than discourage, the violence, the looting, the arson, the killings by Black Lives Matter or fascist ANTIFA?

Socialist Democrats are not motivated by justice. They are motivated by political advantage.

Socialist Democrats acquiesce to violence they believe helps them at the polls and engage in fake, manipulative politics when they believe the violence hurts them at the polls.

In contrast, I oppose all violence of the kind we saw last week at the U.S. Capitol and have, as such and on numerous occasions, called for aggressive prosecution of every person who illegally breached Capitol security, regardless of their political motivation for doing so.

Motive #2:

I have evolved into a national leader in the:

Fight against dictatorial Socialism and fight for free enterprise and the freedom and liberty on which freedom is based.

Fight against the killing of unborn babies and fight for life.

Fight against unsustainable deficits that threaten Americas solvency and fight for financial responsibility that threatens to cut off a reliable Socialist Democrat block vote: those people on welfare who prefer to vote for a living rather than work for one.

Fight against Big Tech censorship and Socialist Democrats suppression of free speech and fight for freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.

Fight against the voter fraud and election theft so many Socialist Democrats rely on to get elected and fight for honest and accurate elections.

The burden of being a national leader in the fight for the foundational values that have combined to make America the greatest nation in world history is being a target of deceitful Socialist Democrat politics of personal destruction.

But know this, I am from the Great State of Alabama, where our motto is We Dare Defend our Rights.

Socialist Democrats and their Fake News Media Allies wont get an apology from me because my remarks were not wrong. Conversely, the Socialist Democrats and their Fake News Media Allies should be apologizing to the public for the egregiously and manipulative way they have deceived the public on this issue.

Rest assured; I will never apologize for fighting to win our causes at the ballot box. That is the American way!

I conclude with two famous quotes.

The first is from Jesus, in the King James Bible, Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 2: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

I recommend everyone take these words to heart and very carefully consider them.

The second is from American patriot Martin Luther King, in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
by Nirmala Carvalho

For Archbishop Leo Cornelius of Bhopal, This goes against constitutional principles and freedoms, and is a plan to systematically harass minorities, especially Christians.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel last Friday signed into law the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020. After promulgation, the decree was published in the Official Gazette, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora said.

The law penalises religious conversions obtained by fraudulent means, including through marriage. It reads:

The said ordinance states that no person shall: Convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any other person by use of misrepresentation, allurement, use of threat or force, undue influence, coercion or marriage or by any other fraudulent means.

Marriages performed with the intent to convert a person shall be null and void [Section 6]. Marriages performed in contravention of Section 3 shall be deemed to be null and void.

The ordinance imposes ten years in prison in some cases. It has several provisions similar to the ordinance issued by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh against fraudulent conversions.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has taken the path of ordinances as the bill cannot be presented to the Assembly after its winter session was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government approved the ordinance in a meeting on 29 December.

The ordinance imposes three to ten years imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees (US$ 680) for marriages in which religion is concealed.

In cases of religious conversion of members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minors, the ordinance imposes two to ten years and a fine of 50,000 rupees.

Parents, legal guardians, or custodians and brothers and sisters of the convert can file a complaint about it. Those wishing to convert must apply to the district administration 60 days in advance.

Women victims will be entitled to maintenance. The children born in such marriages are entitled to their fathers assets.

Archbishop Leo Cornelius of Bhopal told AsiaNews that This goes against constitutional principles and freedoms, and is a plan to systematically harass minorities, especially Christians. This is not a new law; it has existed since 1968 and modified in 2006 and now they have tightened it up to make it more stringent.

This ordinance (now law) was brought in on account of Love Jihad, which is specifically aimed at the Christian minority. There is no data to prove Love jihad. This is driven by politics, not by evidence, and now they have these laws.

It appears that the political leaders of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are in competition with each other to please their political supremo and shine in the eyes of their political masters.

People have been accused, but none of this can be proven in court. For Christians in particular, if they gather for family or community prayers, where there is singing, etc. an extremist group can interrupt the prayers, while another goes to the police to file a case of fabricated conversions against Christians.

Meanwhile, right wing Sangh Parivar groups (pictured) carry out mass conversion drives, which they term Ghar Vapasi or homecoming. These laws are not applied to them; they are one-sided with the sole intention of persecuting the Christian minority and pleasing their political bosses.

This is completely against the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom in secular India.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DALBAR is excited to announce that Putnam Investments has earned the Total Client Experience Award for 2020. This award recognizes Putnam for their outstanding telephone support to mutual fund shareholders, including both their interactions on the phone and the behind-the-scenes processing of customer requests. This is the tenth consecutive year in which Putnam has been recognized with this prestigious award.

According to DALBAR Director Brendan Yeager, "Putnam Investments has made the experience of their shareholders a top priority. This begins with providing excellent service on the phone, building a great relationship, communicating effectively, accurately providing all relevant details, and managing the flow of the call. But that is not all there is to it. What happens behind the scenes after the call also matters. Putnam shareholders can rest assured that their requests are being promptly and accurately processed."

In order to qualify for the Total Client Experience Award, Putnam Investments underwent a thorough year-long audit of their shareholders' telephone service experience. This begins with a review of the service interactions themselves, to ensure that the customer received world-class service during their call. Beyond the call, DALBAR reviewed security procedures, the accuracy of information provided, and followed all transactions through to completion to ensure that they were processed accurately and within the time frames quoted. DALBAR's Total Client Experience criteria are based on more than three decades of experience within the financial services industry, combining industry standards, best practices, and leading research to ensure that customers are receiving an exceptional, well-rounded experience from the time they pick up the phone until their requests are completed.

For more information about DALBAR Awards and other Customer Experience Audit programs, please contact Brooke Halloran at 617-624-7273 or [email protected].

DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community's leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of a superior standard of care in the financial community.

SOURCE DALBAR, Inc.

Related Links

www.dalbar.com


Donald Trump leaves a new poisoned meatball to his successor Joe Biden: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the United States has put Cuba back on the list of sponsoring countries of terrorism, a select club that includes Syria, Iran and North Korea.

Havana's reaction was immediate, which "condemned the political opportunism" of Washington's decision which relegates Cuba to "a cynical and hypocritical definition".

Trump's decision, made "for having repeatedly provided support to acts of international terrorism by guaranteeing a safe haven for terrorists", revokes a measure taken in 2015 by the Obama administration in the context of the thaw towards its former Cold War opponent.

The reinstatement on the list of "rogue countries" risks complicating Biden's efforts to improve relations with Havana and is the latest in a series of foreign policy moves by the outgoing administration a few days before the farewell to button rooms.

Pompeo justified the reintegration of Cuba by the fact that "for decades many Americans wanted or convicted of political violence" have found asylum on the island: among them the former Black Panther Joanne Chesimard (aka Assata Shakur), the aunt of rapper Tupac Shakur , ended up in prison for complicity in the 1973 killing of a policeman from New Jersey and then the protagonist in 1979 of a sensational escape in which, according to American accusations, the Italian Silvia Baraldini also played a role.

The US embargo against Fidel Castro's island already limits commercial exchanges and ordinary visits by Americans, but the new definition could hinder trade with third countries that Havana relies on to import essential goods, as well as discourage investors eager to enter as a partner in the important Cuban tourist offer.

Pompeo's announcement is just the latest "spite" against Biden in foreign policy. Yesterday, the secretary of state had designated the Houthis of Yemen as a terrorist organization in a move called for by anti-Iranian hawks in the US and criticized by the United Nations. On Saturday, the State Department lifted the restrictions on contacts between US diplomats and Taiwan, infuriating China and complicating Biden's future relations with Beijing.

(Unioneonline / vl)
"SkillCAD provides over 120 fully-validated commands to enable Virtuoso design teams to realize significant productivity gains through automation, reducing design times by up to 50%. Anyone designing analog, mixed-signal, or RF ICs can benefit from the SkillCAD routines."

EMA Design Automation (http://www.ema-eda.com), a full-service provider and innovator of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) systems solutions, today announced that it is extending its focus on designer productivity to the IC world by partnering with SkillCAD to bring their LAS (layout automation suite) to the Cadence Virtuoso User Community.

Much of the time spent designing an IC is during the layout phase, said Manny Marcano, president and CEO of EMA Design Automation. SkillCAD provides over 120 fully-validated commands to enable Virtuoso design teams to realize significant productivity gains through automation, reducing design times by up to 50%. Anyone designing analog, mixed-signal, or RF ICs can benefit from the SkillCAD routines. Current Cadence Virtuoso users have access to these new, time-saving routines directly inside their Virtuoso design environment, providing virtually zero learning curve and an instant productivity boost.

SkillCAD has evolved into over 120 functions, including:



Patented V-Editor tools that introduce a revolutionary way of editing layouts by simply drawing a directional line (vector) instead of conventional clicks (this consolidates the layout steps for object selection, stretching or moving, and design rule compliance into a single step, significantly minimizing the number of mouse clicks or keystrokes)

Metal routing tools that allow the designer to route one or fifty metal lines with equal ease

Pin placing tools that allow the placement of hundreds of pins in a matter of seconds

And many other tools that greatly improve layout design productivity

Widths, spacing, and other design rules are known to the SkillCAD tools, enabling simple commands to correctly construct complex layout objects according to the design rules. This significantly improves productivity of the layout designer, while reducing costly design iterations. Also, the SkillCAD routing commands are extremely powerful, yet easy to usethey automate and simplify usage. There are five main routing commands, with over 200 sub-routines and parameters to automate routing and editing.

SkillCAD is very excited to have EMA Design Automation to be our exclusive distributor in the US. EMA not only provides SkillCAD with a proven sales and support organization, they also have a marketing and inside sales team not found in the industry, said Pengwei Qian, founder and CEO of SkillCAD. EMAs sales and support organization coupled with SkillCAD proven technology will give us the resources to provide the Cadence Virtuoso community with powerful routing commands coupled with our patented V-editor, which can improve layout designers productivity by hours a day while reducing design errors.

We have a long history of enhancing the Cadence design environment in the PCB space with EMA technology like CircuitSpace, so it was a natural fit to help bring this same level of efficiency to IC designers, added Marcano. We are extremely excited about this important partnership and look forward to helping support the Cadence Virtuoso user community.

For more information about the SkillCAD Cadence Virtuoso Layout Automation Suite, go to go.ema-eda.com/ema-SkillCAD or call toll free at 877.362.3321.

About EMA Design Automation, Inc.

EMA Design Automation is a trailblazer in product development solutions offering a complete range of EDA tools, PLM integrations, services, training, and technical support. EMA is a Cadence Channel Partner serving all of North America. EMA develops Ultra Librarian, TimingDesigner, CircuitSpace, CIP, EDABuilder, and a host of custom solutions to enhance the OrCAD and Dassault products, and all are distributed through a worldwide network of value-added resellers. EMA is a privately held corporation headquartered in Rochester, New York. Visit EMA at http://www.ema-eda.com for more information.

About SkillCAD Inc.

SkillCAD has been providing layout tools for Cadence Virtuoso accounts since 1998 and has been a Cadence connection partner for over 12 years. Over 80 of the worlds leading analog, mixed signal and RF companies now use SkillCAD in their layout design flow. SkillCAD IC (LAS) and Cadence Virtuoso are now the industry standard solution for mixed signal and analog design layout tools. SkillCAD will be releasing a new version of its IC (LAS) that will specifically target advanced nodes Q1 2021. SkillCAD is privately held and is headquartered in San Jose CA. Visit http://www.skillcad.com for more information about the company and our products.

# # #

EMA Design Automation, TimingDesigner, CircuitSpace, EDABuilder, Ultra Librarian, and the EMA and Ultra Librarian logos are registered trademarks, and Component Information Portal is a trademark of EMA Design Automation, Inc.

Cadence, Allegro, and OrCAD are registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

All other trademarks in this release are the property of their respective owners.
PETAH TIKVA, Israel, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Migdal Insurance announces a step that places it on par with the world's leading investment institutions: establishment of the Next Generation Finance specialty fintech investment arm. This investment arm plans to invest at least 1-2 billion $ in fintech companies, startups and funds in the next two years, with the global perspective of a significant financial player.

Ran Oz, CEO of Migdal Insurance, said: "The growing fintech sector has recently gained substantial momentum and maturity. We are high achievers, aiming to position ourselves as a leading financial investor not only locally, but also globally. Maintaining an edge in this innovative field will allow us to generate high yields for savers and enrich our investment portfolio with the new generation of finance. This is yet another step in our investment strategy of a strong shift from traditional finance to innovative financial sectors that we deem as the future leaders of the finance industry. Having honed our expertise in this field over the recent months, accumulating extensive knowhow, we are now ready to launch an extensive investment operation."

Migdal views fintech as a significant growth engine and intends to channel a substantial portion of its activities and investments to this sector. To this end, Migdal has created a broad infrastructure for fintech investments, including processes for the examination of investment opportunities with leading global entities and the establishment of a professional team comprising fintech analysts and experts, which is personally headed by Guy Fischer Chief Investment Officer in Migdal Insurance. Moti Shatner, long-standing entrepreneur and esteemed senior consultant in fintech, who is among the founders of Bluevine, provides consulting and guidance to the investment arm.

Concurrently with the establishment of the investment arm, Migdal announces an investment of US$ 100 million in consumer loans in the United States. The investment will be carried out through Pagaya, a fintech company that manages investments in U.S. consumer loans using a technology-based decision-making process. The companies have also agreed on an option (soft commitment) for a future investment of US$ 150 million in the various instruments.

Changes in the business environment in recent years, and more notably during the coronavirus crisis, have significantly accelerated the development of fintech, which has achieved a significant foothold in the financial industry, challenging the existing order and affecting both organizations and consumers. Today, the fintech sector is commonly believed to have reached maturity and already comprises more than a few companies with a proven track record.

In 2019, investment transactions in fintech companies exceeded 3,280, aggregating more than US$ 150 billion, as reported by KPMG. According to CBInsights, within six months, from September 2019 to April 2020, the number of fintech unicorns increased by 76%, and their estimated value rose by 74%, from US$ 144.9 billion to US$ 252.6 billion. In September 2019, the global rate of adoption of fintech solutions by consumers was very high, most notably in developing countries, China and India leading the trend, with 87% of consumers implementing fintech technologies (as reported by EY). In the Western world, too, adoption rates were high, reaching 73% in the Netherlands, and 71% in Ireland and the UK.

Migdal plans to become a central player in this field, capitalizing on its advantage as a dominant institutional investor with the largest investment portfolio in the sector, its solid investment infrastructure, expert and experienced team and its close ties with investment entities in Israel and overseas, that enable it to identify diverse opportunities. Migdal will base its investments in fintech startups on equity and/or debt investment models and will continue to guide its portfolio companies, including in following financing rounds. The company intends to focus on advanced financing rounds, but may also consider some first-round investments.

Migdal will pursue opportunities in all fields of finance that are currently affected by the fintech industry, including insuretech, capital market trading, lending (in lieu of bank credit), personal finance (day-to-day money management tools), payments and debits, money transfers, blockchain, risk management and more.

For more details, please contact Michael Swift, Head of fintech investments, Migdal Insurance / [email protected]

SOURCE Migdal Insurance
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Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award Jollibee Foods Corporation, also known as Jollibee Group, is the first ever Philippine-based company to be recognized with the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award (GEWA), given to only 38 organizations worldwide whose cultures drive high engagement among its employees. Winners of the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award put people at the heart of their business strategy, focusing on people's strengths and coaching talents to reach their full potential, unleashing human motivation, creativity, and innovation as a result.

"This award is Gallup's highest honor, presented only to organizations that meet rigorous standards of excellence. As an award winner, you rank among the most elite organizations around the globe," said Gallup in its letter to the Jollibee Group.

Forbes' List of the World's Best Employers

In this year's Forbes' list of the World's Best Employers, the Jollibee Group is one of only three Philippine-based companies that were cited.

Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey 160,000 employees from 58 countries who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. They were also asked to rate their satisfaction with their employers' Covid-19 responses and score their employers on image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility.

"We are honored to receive these global awards that reflect the kind of organization and strong culture of Jollibee Foods Corporation. We take pride in having professionals in our teams who are not only excellent in what they do, but also live the values that make the Jollibee Group what it is today," said Jollibee Group President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong. "We know that a company is only as strong as the quality of its people, and it is our people who incessantly inspire us to be better."

"To all our teams across the world, thank you for your commitment and trust in the Jollibee Group. We will continue to uphold the culture and values that have made us who we are and develop programs that will continuously uplift our teams," Tanmantiong added.

The Jollibee Group has a dedicated People Agenda in its business strategy, characterized by a people-focused culture, strong talent pipeline, and highly engaged teams. The organization is defined by its values of customer focus, speed with excellence, humility to listen and learn, integrity, and spirit of family and fun. Despite challenging external factors, employees remained resilient and engaged with the Jollibee Group mission of serving great-tasting food, bringing the joy of eating to everyone.

In previous years, the Jollibee Group has also received global citationsnamed as Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years and honored as one of 'Asia's Fab 50 Companies' by Forbes Asia Magazine.

Jollibee Group is one of the fastest-growing Asian restaurant companies in the world with 16 brands including Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Smashburger and has a joint venture with the Tim Ho Wan Group to open Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan restaurants in Mainland China.

About Jollibee Group

Jollibee Group is one of the fastest-growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 34 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and India. It has eight wholly-owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger), three franchised brands (Burger King and Panda Express in the Philippines, Dunkin' Donuts in certain territories in China), 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24 brands.

Jollibee Group is a significant investor in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund and the ultimate holding entity of the Tim Ho Wan (THW) Brand and has a joint venture with the THW Group to open THW restaurants in Mainland China. It also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.

Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, in line with its mission of serving great tasting food and spreading the joy of eating to everyone.

SOURCE Jollibee
When Roadside America shut down in December, the owners announced that the items in the vast miniature collection would eventually be put up for auction.

That auction is now open, with handcrafted miniatures from the 8,000-square-foot attraction now up for bid along with numerous other memorabilia items.

The bidding is being hosted by the Renaissance Auction Group in an online-only auction. The item listings include hundreds of scale-model buildings created by Laurence Gieringer, as well as antiques and collectibles such as signage, furniture, folk art and sculptures collected over seven decades.

Here are a few highlighted items from the auction:

Hex signs

Hex signs are one of the most notable pieces of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, and there are many from the Roadside America collection that are up for bid. Among the designs are tulips and lovebirds, stars and hearts, pinwheel patterned stars, common barnyard animals and many more.

Mural and Welcome Sign

The 48 x 96 Roadside America mural commemorates a moment from Laurence Gieringers childhood that helped inspire him in his love of model-making, and would eventually lead to the creation of Roadside America. It depicts his childhood view of the city of Reading, with a train and mountain resort in the distance. Also up for bid is the welcome sign crafted for Roadside America, which bids visitors to look closely at the highly detailed and hand-crafted models built over a span of more than 50 years.

Model Homes and Businesses

The many models that made up Roadside America are already racking up bids, with items such as this Fairfield Stone and Brick House, the Fairfield Cape Cod Clapboard House w/ Cottage or Dutch Barn w/ Cottage Addition. From Tudor-style homes to furniture stores and theaters,

Model Bridges and Transportation

The models of the Funicular Railway System and the Fairfield Train Station were just a few of the stops for the model trains that ran through Roadside America. Also up for bid are the numerous railway bridges, including this steel railroad river bridge.

Antique Signs and Novelties

From a vintage Pepsi cylinder trash can to a sign that states Positively No Smoking, Roadside Americas collection contains several vintage items that may draw a collectors eye. Other unique items include more Pennsylvania Dutch novelties, such as a Pennsylvania German farmhouse scene painted onto a cast iron pan, or a sign that reads Wilkum To Roadside America Shartlesville, PA. One framed poster, originally sold by the Old Reading Brewery, shows a view of Reading (including the famed pagoda).

Vintage US Flag

Unfortunately, no photo yet accompanies the listing of this 50-star polyester American flag, or the ornamental wooden pole adorned with cast iron base and gold enamel, as well as a gold cast metal eagle finial. The listing notes that the stand, eagles and pole have some wear, though the flag is in very good condition.

Horse Drawn Open Sleigh

Another of the most notable items for collectors - or Jingle Bells enthusiasts - is a two person sleigh, recently restored, with the label Lull Carriage Co. Kalamazoo, Mich.

For more info:

Bidding is currently open on the items being sold from Roadside America, and will begin closing for Lot #1 at 6 p.m. on Jan. 23. To view the items up for bid or register to make a bid of your own, visit the Renaissance Auction Group website.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Despite the increasing availability of the coronavirus vaccine, herd immunity wont be achieved this year, the World Health Organizations chief scientist warned Monday.

At a press briefing, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the agencys chief scientist, pointed out that while its good news the COVID-19 vaccine is becoming more widely available, it takes time to scale production of doses, not just in the millions, but in the billions.

In the meantime, while vaccine doses continue to be produced, people must be patient and not forget public health measures, like social distancing and mask wearing, that help stave of transmission of the virus, according to Swaminathan.

Its really important to remind people, both governments as well as individuals, on the responsibilities and the measures that we continue to need to practice for the next, well, for the rest of this year at least, she said. Because even as vaccines start protecting the most vulnerable, we are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021, and even if it happens in a couple of pockets in a few countries, its not going to protect people across the world.

Swaminathan is not the first senior official at WHO to dismiss the possibility of herd immunity, the idea that an entire population can become protected from a virus once a majority is immune.

In October, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus painted herd immunity as an unrealistic strategy in combatting the pandemic and called proposals suggesting the idea scientifically and ethically problematic.

The WHO director-general also noted at the time that to obtain herd immunity from the measles, for instance, roughly 95% of the population must be vaccinated.

Herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it, he said. Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak.

In Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States, two vaccines have started to become available, one made by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company Moderna and another by Pfizer and BioNTech. Both immunizations have proven to be around 95% effective during large-scale testing.

As of last week, 139,895 people in the commonwealth had been given first doses of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Healths weekly COVID-19 vaccination report, which is updated around 5 p.m. every Thursday.

Hundreds of first responders in the Bay State started to receive their vaccines Monday as part of the commonwealths three-phase rollout of the immunization.

I think this is not the time to get disheartened, Swaminathan said. Weve made incredible progress, and a year ago, nobody would have predicted that there would have been not one, but several vaccines against this new virus that have been developed, manufactured, produced and distributed.

This is a testament to scientists around the world, both in the private sector and the public sector who have worked together, governments who have supported them, companies who have manufactured them, the WHO chief scientist added.

Still, COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and fatalities continue to rise rapidly throughout the world, with the United States leading the world with its caseload and death toll.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. has identified 22.62 million cases of the viral respiratory infection and 376,295 coronavirus-related deaths.

On Monday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 4,239 new infections and 54 more virus-linked fatalities, bringing the states cumulative caseload since the start of the public health crisis to 417,568 and its death toll to 12,929.

So the public health and social measures - which are tried, tested, known to work - are important, even as we start scaling vaccines, starting from the most vulnerable and then expanding to cover the whole population, Swaminathan said.

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Thousands of women around Australia have voted for their favourite products at the annual Beauty Heaven beauty awards, and the final results are in.

Nude by Nature's virgin blush was named the winner for the 2020 best blush category, followed by L'Oreal Paris' life's a peach blush.

The $19.95 loose mineral powder is made with nourishing natural ingredients to add a soft touch of colour to enhance the look of the cheekbones.

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Nude by Nature's virgin blush was named the winner for the 2020 best blush category, followed by L'Oreal Paris' life's a peach blush

The loose mineral powder is made with nourishing natural ingredients to add a soft touch of colour to enhance the look of the cheekbones

As the mineral powder is highly pigmented, only a small amount is needed and it's recommended to use a tilted blush brush for best results.

The light-reflecting micro particles in the powder blend naturally into the skin to leave a soft, sheer finish.

For an even application, gently apply the product onto the apples of the cheeks then blend in a sweeping motion up to the cheekbones.

The product can be purchased online and in stores from varying retailers including Priceline

The lightweight formula is also buildable to create either a natural look or well-defined look.

The product is also fragrance free, easy to blend and is a neutral bronze shade to suit all skin tones.

On the Beauty Heaven website, the product has received countless positive reviews from happy customers who would recommend the blush to others.

The blush can be purchased via the Nude by Nature website and varying retailers, including Priceline.

As the mineral powder is highly pigmented, only a small amount is needed and it's best to use a tilted blush brush for best results

The light-reflecting micro particles in the powder blend naturally into the skin to leave a soft, sheer finish

'I really like the Nude by Nature mineral blush; I've been using it for a few years now, it's good value for money and it lasts forever. The colour is a nice rose gold with a slight shimmer, that complements a lot of skin tones,' one woman wrote.

'I enjoyed using this powder blush for many reasons; It's super fine and doesn't exaggerate my pores and the powder is well pigmented, so a little goes a long way. The colour is suitable for my everyday work look,' another said.

A third added: 'The texture is nice and fine and if you build it gradually (using a good brush) you will get great results.'
Tran Hung Khuong, owner of an automobile shop in HCM Citys Tan Binh District, said people could now save up to VND15 billion by buying a Rolls-Royce Wraith directly imported from the UK, thanks to the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

Under the EUVFTA, which took effect on August 1, 2020, the EU immediately removed import duties on 85.6 per cent of tariff lines equivalent to 70o .3 per cent of Vietnams exports. Photo vneconomy.vn

The saving is a result of the drastic cut in import tariffs on vehicles, he said.

Earlier a Rolls-Royce imported from the EU cost 266,200 pounds (VND8.3 billion). On top, buyers had to pay around VND30.5 billion in various types of taxes like the 70 per cent import tax, 150 per cent special consumption tax and a 10 per cent VAT.

The UKVFTA took effect on December 31, 2020.

It was negotiated based on the commitments under the EU-Vietnam FTA with necessary adjustments to ensure it conforms with the Vietnam-UK bilateral trade framework.

As it inherits the EUVFTA, the UKVFTA is expected to create a comprehensive, long-term and stable economic and trade co-operation framework between the two countries at a time when they have agreed to keep bilateral relations at the strategic partnership level.

Under the EUVFTA, which took effect on August 1, 2020, the EU immediately removed import duties on 85.6 per cent of tariff lines equivalent to 70.3 per cent of Vietnams exports.

After a seven-year period 99.2 per cent of tariff lines, equivalent to 99.7 per cent of Vietnams exports, will be eliminated.

For its part, Vietnam cut 48.5 per cent of tariff lines, equivalent to 64.5 per cent of the EUs exports, to zero per cent as soon the agreement took effect. After seven years 91.8 per cent of EU tariff lines will be eliminated.

Under the UKVFTA, the UK has eliminated 65 per cent of tariffs and will increase it to 99 per cent within seven years. Vietnam has removed 48.5 per cent of tariffs, and this will rise to 92 or 98 per cent after six years.

Thus, the import tax on vehicles is now down to zero, the special consumption tax levied on a Rolls-Royce has decreased to VND12.450 billion and VAT to VND2.075 billion.

In the next five years the market for vehicles imported from the EU and the UK will see great change, enabling local consumers to buy luxury vehicles, Khuong said.

Benefits

Many market observers concurred with Khuong pointing out the UKVFTA would enable Vietnamese consumers to buy not just cars but also other luxury products at reasonable prices, including famous fashion brands like Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Karen Millen, Coast, Missguided, and Warehouse.

In the past, these products attracted a 30 per cent import tax, which made them expensive in the Vietnamese market. But the import tax is now gone.

A member of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Mechanical Engineering said import of machinery and equipment from the EU and UK would surely increase since taxes on them have been cut to zero.

This is good news.

UK Trade Secretary Elizabeth Truss said the trade deal would allow trade in goods and services to continue to flourish.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said the UKVFTA would ensure trade between Vietnam and the UK is not interrupted after the latters transition period in the Brexit process ends.

Vietnam would have greater opportunity to export to the UK thanks to commitments to market opening and quotas for some of its most competitive exports like agricultural and fisheries products.

While the continuing COVID-19 pandemic is causing great difficulties to businesses, the UKVFTA is expected to mitigate them somewhat.

It would also contribute significantly to promoting the bilateral relationship in a more comprehensive and broader manner, and create a solid base for Vietnam and the UK to strengthen the strategic partnership they have just established, Anh said.

Experts agreed with Anh, saying that there is ample room for increasing exports of Vietnamese products to the UK since they now account for less than 1 per cent of the countrys imports of nearly $700 billion in 2019.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKs demand for agricultural products, food, electronic products, personal protective equipment, and laboratory equipment are increasing, and the UKVFTA will offer Vietnam the opportunity to export these items.

Competition: yes or no

According to the General Customs Office, Vietnams imports from the UK are diverse, ranging from materials, machinery, tools, components, and chemicals to automobiles, seafood, garment accessories, and fabric.

A Ministry of Industry and Trade official said the exports by the two countries to each other would be complementary and not competitive.

Diep Thanh Kiet, vice chairman of the Vietnam Leather Footwear and Handbag Association, said the signing of the UKVFTA would open up the two countries markets.

Imports from the UK would not compete with domestic products or those from neighbouring countries after the import tariffs are cut to zero thanks to the UKVFTA since a majority of the former are in the high-end market segment.

This is also the reason why while the UKVFTA offers Vietnamese enterprises a big opportunity to export to the UK, imports from that country would not flood the Vietnamese market, analysts said.

In 2019 Vietnam imported over US$857 million worth of goods from the UK and exported $5.8 billion worth.

The lower import tariffs under the UKVFTA might increase imports of some products from the UK but this would not change much the balance of trade, they said.

But admittedly there would be some pressure in certain sectors in which the UK has strengths in such as financial services, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, they said.

Challenges

A trade ministry official said the Vietnamese industries that would benefit most from the deal are fisheries, textiles and garments, furniture, fruits and vegetables, and leather shoes.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment expects garment exports to the UK to increase by 67 per cent a year until 2025 because of the trade deal.

Rice is expected to become one of Vietnams biggest export items to the UK.

Truss said the deal represents the beginning of a new phase in the trade relationship between the two countries since not only does it liberalise goods and services trade, it also incorporates many other important elements such as working towards clean growth and sustainable development.

This would help Vietnam have a comparative advantage over rivals like China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, which have yet to signed FTAs with the UK, she said.

But she also sounded a warning, saying since the UK has very high-quality standards and requirements for imported products, Vietnam needs to improve product quality and ensure consistency to sell there. VNS

Thien Ly
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A former Grand Rapids physician was called a drug dealer in a white coat for prescribing opioids that were sold on the street.

Dr. Richard Samuel Piazza, 63, pleaded guilty to three charges of unlawfully writing prescriptions for controlled substances such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, two of the drugs behind the nations opioid crisis.

U.S. District Judge Janet Neff on Tuesday, Jan. 12, sentenced Piazza to nearly six years in prison, to be followed by three years on supervised release.

Piazza was remorseful and said he had thrown away a God given gift. He was known by many as a compassionate doctor who cared about his patients.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler said that doctors play critical roles in society, with people placing their lives in their hands.

With that trust comes responsibility, as embodied in the Hippocratic Oath to First, do no harm. Dr. Richard Piazza violated that oath in the worst possible way by becoming a drug dealer in a white coat, he wrote, in a sentencing memorandum.

He lived a frenetic, meth-fueled lifestyle which consisted of driving to drug customers homes, crashing on their couches, and setting up his laptop to print illegal prescriptions for more than 6,500 hydrocodone pills, more than 2,600 oxycodone pills, and more than 2,800 alprazolam (Xanax) pills, in exchange for cash, a portion of the pills, or other drugs, Stiffler wrote.

He said Piazza is treated by law no different than a street-corner drug dealer but he is worse than a street dealer, because he has fewer excuses for his crimes than a street dealer, and his status as a doctor imbued his actions with a false facade of legitimacy.

He called Piazaa the ultimate wolf in sheeps clothing.

He wondered why Piazza even had a license to practice medicine in Michigan. He previously faced sanctions in three other states, court records said.

In 2008, he obtained a license in Michigan to prescribe drugs.

The illegal prescriptions were written outside of his work at the Society of Healing Arts Institutes, a holistic healing office that also provides medical marijuana certification.

Sean Tilton, an assistant federal public defender, said Piazza, a U.S. Navy veteran, had serious, untreated mental-health issues. He was depressed by his wifes death in 2017 and blamed himself because he was working several hours away when she suffered an asthma attack.

Once he tried methamphetamine he was hooked. It led to his writing illegal prescriptions to buy drugs.

When he was high, instead of being depressed about his wife, Dr. Piazza would think about their good times together. He believed methamphetamine allowed him to relive experiences they had together, Tilton wrote.

Piazza believes his drug use would have killed him if he hadnt been arrested, the attorney wrote. A court-ordered evaluation in 2019 showed that Piazzas mental health substantially impaired his ability to help in his criminal defense. The court later ordered him hospitalized to determine if he was competent to stand trial.

I cant believe I took a God given gift of a license to practice medicine, and threw it away like it had no meaning, Piazza wrote in a letter to the judge.

I embarrassed my profession, my family, my friends, my patients, and myself.

He said he hasnt had a drink or used drugs since November 2018. Piazza remains optimistic and hopes to help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

I never dreamed PTSD could be so devastating, until I lost my wife, he wrote in the letter.

The judge said Piazza can report to prison at the direction of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons or U.S. Marshals Service.

Read more:

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Former Gov. Rick Snyder to be charged with crime in Flint water crisis, AP reports

Psychologists license suspended after sexual relationship with patient, state says
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Billionaire casino owner Sheldon G. Adelson died Monday night. He was 87.

His family confirmed his death in a statement provided by his company, the Las Vegas Sands, and said his death followed complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

It is with unbearable pain that I announce the death of my husband, Sheldon G. Adelson, of complications from a long illness, said his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson.

To me  as to his children, grandchildren, and his legions of friends and admirers, employees and colleagues  he is utterly irreplaceable.

Adelson grew up in Boston, working as a newsboy as a child to help support his family before working his way up to becoming one of the most successful resort developers in Vegas.

He often called himself Team Member Number One of the Las Vegas Sands, the company said in a statement, a company which now employs more than 50,000 team members.

Las Vegas Sands properties include The Venetian Resort and Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

He used his wealth to fund both political and philanthropic efforts.

The family was among President Donald Trumps largest donors - having given $75 million to a super PAC formed in opposition to then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden - and has donated more than a quarter of a billion dollars to GOP candidates, according to The Associated Press.

A funeral will be held in Israel, the family said Tuesday, with plans for a memorial service to be held in Las Vegas at a later date.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
OTTAWA - Canada's biggest province declared a new state of emergency Tuesday and is invoking a stay-at-home order as COVID-19 threatens to overwhelm Ontario hospitals.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provides an update on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Canada's biggest province declared a new state of emergency Tuesday and is invoking a stay-at-home order as COVID-19 threatens to overwhelm Ontario hospitals.

The dire news came as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada has secured another 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19. Along with doses of Moderna's vaccine, this means Canada has enough confirmed shipments to vaccinate every Canadian who wants it by the fall.

The shipping schedule currently has three million Canadians on track to be vaccinated by the end of March, another 10 million by the end of June and a further 22 million by the end of September.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the vaccines provide hope that wasn't there when his province implemented a state of emergency the first time last March. However, he said vaccines will not stop the pandemic until a critical mass of people are vaccinated.

New modelling in Ontario released Tuesday projected soaring cases and deaths if more isn't done to slow the spread of the virus.

Hospitals in many regions are already overwhelmed with half the province's intensive-care units at capacity or with just one or two open beds at any given time. More than 1,700 people are being treated in Ontario hospitals for COVID-19, including 385 in intensive care and 262 on ventilators.

"The system is on the brink of collapse," Ford said.

Ontario reported 2,903 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, which was the first time in more than a week daily cases fell below 3,000. But another 41 people had died in the province since Monday and 138 more were admitted to hospital because of COVID-19.

Ontario is not alone. Quebec warned Monday that its hospitals are so stretched doctors might soon be forced to decide who gets a ventilator and who doesn't. Quebec hospitals have 1,497 COVID-19 patients, including 221 in intensive care.

Quebec implemented an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew last weekend, but Ontario is opting for a stay-at-home order rather than a curfew.

Ford said the state of emergency will allow police, bylaw officers and workplace safety officers to ticket people who leave their homes for non-essential reasons. Acceptable reasons include buying groceries, going to a pharmacy, physical exercise, and going to and from an essential job.

The order also restricts hours for non-essential retailers offering curbside pickup, and limits outdoor gatherings to a maximum of five people, instead of 10.

Saskatchewan, which reported 248 new cases Tuesday, extended its public health orders until Jan. 29, including occupancy restrictions on restaurants, movie theatres, places of worship and fitness classes.

Alberta announced a new record daily high of 38 deaths due to COVID-19, along with 652 new cases.

Manitoba was a limited bright spot on the day, reporting fewer than 100 new cases for the first time since October.

Manitoba also began vaccinating long-term care residents Monday, as vaccines continue to roll out across the country, albeit much more slowly than most people would like.

As of 4 a.m. Tuesday, almost 360,000 doses of vaccines had been administered in Canada, about two-thirds of the quantity that have been shipped to Canada to date. Another 208,650 doses of Pfizer's vaccine and 171,700 of Moderna's are expected in Canada this week.

Provincial governments are still clamouring to get more doses faster, and Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Canada increased its spring allocation from Pfizer by two million doses. But there is no change to the six million doses scheduled to arrive this winter.

Health Canada is reviewing two other vaccines but can't make a decision about either AstraZeneca's or Johnson & Johnson's candidates until they report on their U.S. trials. Data from both is expected in late January or early February.

Together, those two vaccines could vaccinate about 20 million Canadians, but there is no information yet on when they could be approved or when the first doses would begin to arrive.

Canada has options to buy even more from both Pfizer and Moderna but those deliveries wouldn't come until late this year or even into 2022.

Front-line health workers and long-term care residents are the first priorities for vaccines, and Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday we should start to see the impact of those groups being vaccinated within a month or two.

Tam said we don't know yet if the vaccines prevent the virus from being transmitted at all, but they do prevent serious illness and long-term care residents are particularly vulnerable.

Forty per cent of Ontario's long-term care homes are experiencing outbreaks right now and one in 10 of the new cases reported in the province Tuesday occurred in long-term care. Across Canada, more than 44,000 long-term care residents and 19,500 staff have contracted COVID-19.

More than 70 per cent of the Canadians who have died from COVID-19 to date were residents in long-term care homes.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province has also detected eight more cases of a COVID-19 variant from United Kingdom, bringing the total number detected across Canada now to at least 22.

Provincial officials are worried the new variant is already spreading rapidly. Five of the eight new cases are linked to one person who recently travelled from the U.K.

The variant is believed to spread more easily but does not cause more severe illness. Preliminary studies from Pfizer show its vaccine protects against the new variant as well.

Trudeau also announced Tuesday that the Canada-U.S. land border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Feb. 21  another 30-day extension to the restrictions in place since mid-March.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2021.
Doctors from Odisha in North America OSA-HWG (The Odisha Society of the Americas Health and Wellness Group) chalked out plans last year to involve themselves in every possible manner in the healthcare of Odia population. They are now working at local levels to provide means and expertise to treat common people. OSA-HWG Chairman Dr. Devashish Ray along with other physicians conceptualized and formed a global team, now called ODIA (Odisha Doctors' International Association).

US-based Dr. Devashish Ray, global anchor of the programme, said, "Odisha doctors from the US, UK, Australia, UAE, other European and Asian countries joined hands to launch the Golden Parachute programme in Odisha., It is an ambitious mission and aggressive vision to help the Odia people."

Popular Odia movie star Sabyascahi Misra, who has helped thousands of migrant workers during the difficult months of lockdown and Covid crisis, will lead the efforts of Odia at the local level in Odisha. As the global ambassador of ODIA, he is implementing the doctors' mission by collecting data, liaisoning with the Odia government and monitoring the ground-level progress.

Under the Golden Parachute programme, 3 mobile vans for Covid testing and screening have been delivered to the Government of Odisha, Dept of Health. The vans are future proof and can be deployed for vaccination. The vans are operational in Ganjam and nearby districts of Odisha. Other immediate needs met are distribution of hundreds of pulse oximeters and essential medicine to the needy.

The ODIA mission is to promote health and wellness of people of Odisha by sharing knowledge and expertise, including telemedicine facilities. It also offers professional development and create opportunities for people of Odisha by offering vocational training in healthcare.

"The mission is divided into sub projects and preventive health comes at the top of the list. It includes vaccination, women cancer screening, maternal health promotion, anemia and nutrition screening, obesity awareness, dental and eye care camps. Our ambitious programme will focus on prevention of infant mortality, women healthcare and vaccination of elderly people," Dr. Ray added.

ODIA is also setting up teams to respond to emergency situations and frame guidelines for emergency relief teams.

Going forward, under the Golden Parachute project, ODIA is exploring adopting villages for health care, improving water sanitation, roads and telecommunication.

The ODIA mission has received support from eminent people. Tech guru and pioneer of Indian telecommunication Sam Pitroda has offered his unconditional support to the ODIA mission. He wants to see "software in the form of healthcare skills using local and alternative medicines." He says "use local knowledge and finetune best global medical practices to treat people. Telemedicine and skill training of local staff will immensely help in this noble endeavour."

Achyuta Samata, MP and philanthropist, has declared his unconditional support to ODIA projects and has offered to adopt a village to implement the Golden Parachute programme. He said, "providing good health is the responsibility and duty of able human beings. I am happy to see efforts of Odia doctors from across the world in contributing to the health needs of Odia people to bring much relief and succor."

About ODIA (Odisha Doctors' International Association)

ODIA (Odisha Doctors International Association) is a global team of doctors formed to involve themselves in every possible manner in providing healthcare to Odia population. The ODIA mission is to promote health and wellness of people of Odisha by sharing knowledge and expertise, including telemedicine facilities. It also offers professional development and create opportunities for people of Odisha by offering vocational training in healthcare.

Website: www.GlobalODIADoctors.org

Contact :

M J Srikant

[email protected]

+91- 9845115065

Founder & CEO, MJSPR

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1418722/ODIA_Sponsored__ambulance.jpg

SOURCE ODIA

International

Pak FM, Afghan politician discuss peace process

Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) | Publish Date: 1/12/2021 11:26:38 AM IST

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday held talks with leader of Afghanistans Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami party Karim Khalili in Islamabad on the war-torn countrys peace process.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said that Khalili, a former Vice President, arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency. Qureshi described the progress in intra-Afghan negotiations currently underway in Qatar to decide a future political roadmap as good omen, according to the statement. It has been Pakistans long standing stance that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict.

A comprehensive negotiated political settlement is the only solution acceptable to the Afghan leadership, the statement quoted Qureshi as saying.

He said Pakistan will welcome decisions at the negotiations among Afghans and said intra-Afghan dialogue is a unique opportunity for the Kabul leadership to bring peace to the country.

We believe that peace in Afghanistan is linked to peace and stability in the region, he said.

Qureshi told Khalili that Pakistan is taking measures to promote bilateral trade and has also introduced a liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals.

Khalili appreciated Pakistans role in the Afghan peace process, according to the statement.
Precious moments! Nicole Kidman gave fans a rare glimpse at her and husband Keith Urbans two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith, in a throwback video.

Read article

Just looking back, Kidman, 53, captioned the Instagram clip of herself goofing around with her little ones on Sunday, January 10. Wonderful memories. #Uluru





. The Big Little Lies actress filmed the video in Uluru, Australia, with Sunday Rose, 12, and Faith, 10.

The sweet memory showed the Hawaii native wearing a white dress, boots and long overcoat as she played with her little ones hair. Her daughters wore matching white dresses as they danced with her in the desert and tried to tag her.

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Kidmans kids faces were mostly covered in the clip, but fans could see that both girls have long, wavy locks similar to that of their moms.

The Oscar winners video came just weeks after the family celebrated Faiths 10th birthday.

Happy Birthday darling Faith Margaret! We love you so much





, Kidman captioned a photo of her youngest childs birthday cake last month.

Read article

Two days prior, both Kidman and Urban, 53, posted on social media for Christmas, but their daughters were not featured.

The Blue Aint Your Color crooner shared a video of himself playing guitar and singing alongside his wife on December 24, while the actress posted a photo with a llama. Holiday Kisses from us to you





, she captioned the snap.

The Moulin Rogue! actress, who is also mother to Isabella, 28, and Connor, 25, from her marriage to Tom Cruise, occasionally shares images of her younger children on social media but their faces are usually hidden.

Kidman did, for example, share a photo hugging Sunday Rose in July 2020 and a black-and-white photo of Faith as a baby in December 2019, for their respective birthdays.

Birthday hugs for our darling Sunday, she captioned the Instagram photo of Sunday Rose for her birthday. She celebrated Faiths birthday writing, Our baby girl is now 9! We love you so much precious, precious girl, she wrote via Instagram at the time.

Read article

When it comes to couple photos, however, the Australia native and the Hours star have no problem sharing PDA-filled moments with fans.

Happy Anniversary Baby!!!!! 14 years. and i feel like your boyfriend in ALL the right ways!!!! Urban wrote via Instagram in June 2020, alongside a photo of the duo jumping together on the beach.

Kidman, for her part, celebrated their anniversary with a black-and-white photo of the pair cozying up at an awards show, writing, Us



.

The couple wed in June 2006 in Australia, one year after they met at the GDay USA Gala in Los Angeles.
When you go for your coronavirus vaccine in New Jersey, you will not be required to show documentation to prove you are eligible, state officials said Monday.

We are trusting the integrity of all of you to do the right thing in this regard and not `jump the line, said Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli at the governors coronavirus press briefing. We know everyone is anxious and were asking for your patience as we await a larger supply of vaccine.

The state does not currently require documentation to prove eligibility - just you, just your most trustful part of you, she said, adding that at this time, the state doesnt see the need to require it and an identification requirement would slow down the process.

We would rather it be a positive experience. People are showing integrity, she said. We just want a culture of positive vaccinations.

If someone shows up at a vaccine site but theyre not in an eligible category, the state is asking the site to take their information and call them back if by the end of the day they have leftover doses.

The demand for vaccines is still greater than the supply, Persichilli said, but the state is getting more doses on a regular basis.

People are really begging to get the vaccine, she said, noting she gets many emails from people who are asking for their turn. I dont blame them, but we have to try to do it in an orderly fashion so we can avoid whats happening in other states, people waiting in line overnight in the cold to get vaccinated.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

So far, the state is only vaccinating health care workers in the 1a category, as well as sworn law enforcement officers and fire personnel from the 1b category. Nursing home residents and staff and those who live in congregant settings are also eligible for the vaccine at this time.

More than 214,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in New Jersey as of Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced. That includes 199,293 first dose shots and 14,984 second dose shots.

We wish we had enough for everyone, but demand at this time is greater than the supply, she said.

New Jersey is waiting to hear when the state will open up vaccines for more people in the 1b category as New York State has done.

More than 1 million New Jersyans have registered to get their vaccine for the coronavirus when they become eligible as of Monday, the states top health official said on Monday.

We will have enough. Its just a matter of time, Persichilli said.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

NJ Advance Media Statehouse reporter Matt Arco contributed to this report.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.
Participating in a local program to plant trees.

Participating in a local clean-up effort.

I will take alternative transportation to conserve fossil fuels.

I will volunteer with a local recycle drive.

I don't know, but I will do something to mark the day.

I would like to, but I'm not aware of any volunteer efforts for Earth Day.

I do these things regularly.

I never recognize Earth Day.

Vote

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This article first appeared on the Boston Business Journals website.

Sandra Doran was emboldened by the power of an education as a middle schooler by watching her mother complete her college coursework for Nazareth College  previously an all-womens school  while seated at the kitchen table.

Dorans now the president of Bay Path University, an all-women college in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and remains resolute on her mission to educate women at different stages in life. In doing so her school has bucked discouraging enrollment trends plaguing much of higher ed and womens colleges in particular by targeting adult learners in need of flexible options. Bay Path enrolled about 3,400 total students in the fall of 2020, a 68% increase from 2010, among the largest increases posted by womens colleges over that span.

The graduate programs are a big part of our growth story, Doran said. One thing we really pride ourselves on is innovation and trying new programs.

Bay Paths story is something of an outlier among all-women colleges  a diminishing category of schools in U.S. higher ed  as many have struggled to maintain enrollment in recent years. In fact, more than half of the 35 womens colleges in the country posted five-year enrollment declines heading into the pandemic, with a dozen institutions posting double-digit drops. Among the schools to see the largest enrollment drops was a sampling of colleges of varied sizes and in diverse locations, including Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Virginia; Salem College in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Judson College in Marion, Alabama; and Mills College in Oakland, California.

In all, 18 womens colleges posted five-year undergraduate enrollment declines during the period analyzed, while the entire community of all-women schools held roughly flat at about 78,000 total students, according to a Business Journals analysis of federal education data. Undergraduate enrollment at womens institutions remained at about 55,000 students during the same period.

The pool of womens institutions has also dwindled. Fifty years ago, there were about 200 womens colleges in the U.S., said Emerald Archer, director of the Womens College Coalition. Today there are just 35 womens schools as institutions have closed or become co-ed over the years. Emmanuel College in Boston, for example, opened its doors to men 20 years ago and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York welcomed men in 1969. Men now represent 45% of Vassars student body, while about one out of every five applicants at Emmanuel are men.

Emmanuel enrolled 2,209 students in 2019, down 4% from 2015.

Within five years of welcoming its first coeducational class, traditional undergraduate enrollment nearly tripled, Emmanuel spokeswoman Molly Honan DiLorenzo said. Since that time, undergraduate enrollment has increased and remained steady.

Like the higher education sector as a whole, the womens colleges with larger endowments and well-known brands have fared better of late. For example, Wellesley College in Massachusetts grew enrollment by about 9% in the five years prior to the pandemic while also padding its endowment, which ended fiscal 2020 at $2.2 billion. Other womens schools with deep pockets include Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, (endowment of $1.9 billion) and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, ($789 million). Mount Holyokes enrollment was up about 3% between 2015 and 2019, while Smith saw a dip of about 3%.

A CLEAR PATH

Despite troubling enrollment trends, presidents of single-sex colleges defended the need for womens education. At Bay Path, Doran said that she knows the school needs to innovate and evolve to retain and recruit students. She said the need is clear despite the fact that Bay Path grew its undergrad headcount by 21% between 2015 and 2019.

Over the trailing 10 years, that number was up 29% at Bay Path, while all womens colleges reported a drop of about 1% as a group. Bay Paths endowment ended fiscal 2020 at about $55 million, putting the school at a disadvantage relative to its wealthier peers when it comes to investing in new programs and technologies. Still, Doran said she is committed to pushing new boundaries.

We are not going back to the quad as we knew it, she said.

Leaders of womens colleges are in agreement that more programs aligned with employer needs are in store, with online and hybrid offerings emerging as effective means to deliver those options. Examples include Simmons new online undergraduate program launched in partnership with technology company 2U Inc.

Those same campus leaders also agree the role and importance of an all-women campus experience will remain relevant for the foreseeable future.

At womens colleges, we have the ability to provide this outstanding academic experience and learning to get students into the workforce, said Ann McElaney-Johnson, president of Mount Saint Marys University in Los Angeles, during a recent interview with The Business Journals. We also have this laser focus on helping women become leaders and find their voice.

This story was published in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation as part of a project in which The Business Journals will report news and analyze national trends shaping higher education in America.
We to see dynamics of further process in Donbas soon  Kuleba

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says in the coming days it will become clear whether the Kremlin is disposed to resolve the issue of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine in Donbas.

"The coming days will be important, because, in addition to the visit of the Moldovan colleague of President Zelensky [Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Ukraine], processes will now take place at different diplomatic levels that will show that Russia is really ready for a conversation at the beginning of the new year, and what will be the dynamics of the further process," Kuleba said on the air of the 1 + 1 television channel on Tuesday.

"Therefore, literally from day to day, we will learn the sentiment in the Kremlin, and we will see whether they are still determined to speak and resolve the issue, or speak up the issue," the Foreign Minister said.

Kuleba said Ukraine is always ready to resolve the issue of ending the war in Donbas.
The question of school closures has dogged those within the sector throughout the pandemic.

Schools in Luxembourg resumed with a semblance of normality on Monday, with many pupils returning to in-person classes after a week of home learning.

Overview of measures in Luxembourg's schools

Masks are mandatory in almost all cases, whether primary or secondary. Carbon dioxide detectors are also in use to help staff with ventilating classrooms, while the mobile testing teams have been reinforced.

The above graphic states that primary schools will not undergo alternate weeks of homeschool, while masks are obligatory unless pupils are seated.

Secondary schools may decide whether they wish to instate a mandatory mask policy. The upper classes, with the exception of students in their final year of school, will continue to alternate weeks at home and at school until half term.

The phase model deployed before the winter break will be used, should infections be discovered among pupils.

Scenario 1, in which a single case of Covid is identified in a class, will result in the infected student being isolated, while the rest of the class is distanced from the rest of the school without going into quarantine.

Scenario 2, in which more than one case of Covid is discovered in a class, results in the whole class going into quarantine.

In scenario 3, if multiple infections or clusters are identified in a school, will be decided by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.

All scenarios will have tests carried out six days after first contact.

Further details can be found on the Ministry of Education website.

Schools: Hotspot or not?

A study conducted by ETH Zurich, which analysed some 1.5 billion movements in Swiss telecommunication data between 10 February and 26 April 2020, showed that closing schools was one of the most efficient anti-Covid measures, resulting in 21.6% less mobility. The biggest impact was observed in banning gatherings of more than 5 people, which slashed mobility by 24.9 percent, while shutting restaurants and non-essential shops yielded a reduction of 22.3%.

An Austrian study reported that school-age pupils were just as likely to be infected as adults.

German virologist Christian Drosten tweeted that the United Kingdom saw around 1% of adults infected with Covid prior to the Christmas holidays, with 2% of primary school pupils and 3% of older students. The prevalence of the virus dropped among pupils during the holidays, while it increased among adults. Drosten concluded with a question: "Are there still doubts about the role of schools in spreading SARS-CoV-2?"

So waren die altersspezifischen Pravalenzen vor Weihnachten in England (office for national statistics, ONS). Erwachsene gut 1%, Realschulalter ca. 3%, Kita/Grundschule ca. 2%. Dies sind jeweils die wochenbezogenen PCR-Positiven in reprasentativen Haushalten. Schulen offen. pic.twitter.com/Uot5AsUI9I  Christian Drosten (@c_drosten) January 8, 2021

Potential impact of the British variant

During a German Science Media Centre Webinar on 8 January, virologist Isabella Eckerle said it was difficult to say at the moment whether the UK strain played a major role among children or not.

Eckerle said:

"You can't really comment on whether this variant plays a bigger role in children or whether we're just seeing what has been there the whole time. Because of this idea that children don't get the virus and schools don't play a role, I think most of the science is shelved at the moment. The virus can infect children, the virus can also circulate in children. I think we have had the problem for a long time that it went unnoticed because the children did not meet the test criteria, and are often asymptomatic."

GPR Ventures has purchased a 23,000 square foot industrial property in the Power Inn submarket of Sacramento. As we look towards enhancing our portfolio throughout the rest of the year, industrial properties will continue to be a key focus for GPR Ventures.

GPR Ventures has completed the purchase of a 23,000 square foot industrial property located at 6201 27th Street in the Power Inn submarket of Sacramento. The building includes both warehouse and office space and is 100 percent occupied by Sunoptics, a designer and manufacturer of prismatic skylights and daylighting delivery systems. This property marks the fourth acquisition in the past month and 28th purchase overall for GPR Ventures, which closed escrow on January 8.

We are excited to further expand the GPR Ventures footprint into South Sacramento, said GPR Ventures co-founder and Managing Principal Phil Rolla. This property provides a great opportunity to develop our presence in a new local submarket and take a very active approach to property management and tenant relations, as we do with all of our properties.

TWEET THIS: Real estate investment firm #GPRVentures is adding to its portfolio with the purchase of a 23,000 sq foot property in South Sacramento. The building is fully occupied by one tenant and is the firm's 28th overall acquisition. https://gprventures.com/ #business #realestate

Sacramentos industrial market continues to shine, even in such a disruptive year, and the submarkets within South Sacramento offer tremendous growth opportunity, said Glen Yonekura, GPR Ventures co-founder and Managing Principal. As we look towards enhancing our portfolio throughout the rest of the year, industrial properties will continue to be a key focus for GPR Ventures.

Property Features + Benefits

The property is situated on a 1.38-acre lot and includes 10,000 square feet of office space, a sizeable, fenced yard, and abundant warehouse space. The space also features six grade-level doors that allow easy access for forklifts, hand trucks and foot traffic throughout the warehouse area.

The property is located just minutes away from Highway 99, as well as the 47th Avenue light rail station to provide an easy commute.

For more information on GPR Ventures and its complete portfolio, visit https://www.gprventures.com/.

About GPR Ventures

Founded in 2011, GPR Ventures is a privately held real estate investment firm with offices in Silicon Valley and Sacramento that specializes in providing real estate opportunities for a select group of sophisticated investors. GPR Ventures uses a dynamic, fully developed process and the acquisition-to-disposition expertise of founders Glen Yonekura and Phillip Rolla to yield consistent results. GPRs portfolio includes 82 buildings totaling over 2 million square feet and an additional 26 acres of land. For additional information, please visit GPRVentures.com or call (408) 559-3300.
Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Both Jack Martin and David Ferrie were clergy in the Orthodox Old Catholic Church of North America. It was an "odd sect" which drew the attention of Jim Garrison, thinking that perhaps there was some CIA connection. Making it all the more suspicious, there was a rumor that Oswald had tried to seek refuge in the Abundant Life Temple, after killing office J.D. Tippit. He hadn't, but he probably ran through the alleyway next to the Temple.

And so Garrison had investigator Bill Boxley look at the Abundant Life Temple. Here is his report:

The Abundant Life Temple was a member of the American Council of Christian Churches - a right-wing organization headed by Carl McIntyre. This became more interesting to Garrison because Edgar Eugene Bradley, whom Garrison indicted for conspiring to kill JFK in December 1967, worked for McIntyre.

Garrison opened an "Odd Sects" file:

There is a notation on the file that it was copied and returned to Garrison in 1978 - perhaps to prepare material for the HSCA or for his book.

Here is a memo that Garrison wrote on Odd Churches:

This is very much in line with Garrison's theory of propinquity. Note the section above on the Jewish Civic Press - they had the misfortune of being located near David Ferrie's house. I hope Garrison didn't cause them any trouble.

Here are some other memos from Garrison's "Odd Church" folder:

In July of 1977 Garrison sent a memo to the HSCA about Thomas Beckham. He included a section on "old churches." Here is that part of the memo:

Here is a typed version of the above memo:

A Note as to the Possible Function of the Old Churches :

Similarly, as with Crisman, I think that in the course of the memo the periodic necessary references to the OLD CHURCHES have half answered the question. Applying to this subject the available models, I suggest that the most likely rational conclusion is that here, again  except with more particularity  we have a clandestine substructure, developed to serve the intelligence communitys concept of national security.

A bygone structure, to be sure, but its very strangeness  its threadbare irrelevance makes it all the more safe from possible investigators who are looking for spies wearing trench coats and carrying, like so many James Bongs, gold cigarette cases. The churches  like all churches  are virtually free from official inquiry by virtue of the Constitution, not to mention American custom. The monasteries and bishops can accumulate money (religious fund raising) without serious inquiry as to the sources. They are free from the 9 to 5 routine expected of normal patriotic Americans, free to operate in relative seclusion from the expected social involvements, free to engage in obscure crusades or missions and free to travel extensively (for unmarked and unobserved periods) as assignments may dictate. And where, as may be the case in some instances, they may naturally be a home structure for the particular church, one would have the most natural of safe-houses.

Let a few examples make the point. Crismans background with the Air Force and with Boeing before he takes up his unconfining ministry in the Boeing Companys backyard (Tacoma, Olympia). Beckham, upon his accession to bishop (and, apparently, following some time spent with Crisman in Washington) arrives in Omaha  a place with which he has no previous discernible affiliations or contacts  and sets up his own obscure ministry in  (establishing, en passant, a high level contact officer at Offutt A.F.B. with whom he is in business) a ministry which  despite its obscurity  is sufficiently successful so that by 1968 he is driving a 1968 Dodge Charger. David Ferrie, whose contract pilot-adventurer indicates affiliation with the agency, should no longer need elaboration, who by 1963 is not only operating out of BANISTERS place (who, a year or so earlier, was helping to administer the New Orleans version of the Cuban Revolutionary Front), is not only a priest in the Old Orthodox Catholic Church but has, to boot, the warranty supplied by a priests xxx vestments. And last, but hardly not least, we have the handy old evangelical church, (which I now recall was the Abundant Life Church or something close there to) at the scene of Tippits killing, which provided apparent sanctuary for his murderer  and no telling what cover and organizational xxx prior to the assassination itself. Nor should one overlook the expressed affiliation of the peripatetic Laverne Crafard with the General Assembly and the Church of the First Born, whatever that is).

*all of which may happen to be relevant, operating, needless to say, at different levels, ranging from couriers and spear-carriers on through the ranks of foreman and supervisor on up to section and logistics executives.

Of course, this was all swallowed by Joan Mellen in her book, A Farewell to Justice, (page 290 - 291).

I'll be publishing Garrison's Chrisman-Beckham HSCA memo tomorrow.
BARNSTABLE, Mass. (AP)  A Roman Catholic priest who delivered the homily at U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy's funeral in 2009 has pleaded not guilty to child sexual abuse.

The Rev. Mark Hession was released on $2,500 bail Monday after his arraignment in Barnstable Superior Court in Massachusetts on two counts of rape, indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14 and witness intimidation, the Cape Cod Times reported.

His passport was confiscated, and he was ordered to stay away from the accuser.

One of Hession's attorneys, Joseph Griffin, declined comment when reached by telephone on Tuesday.

Hession was ordained in 1984 and served at nearly a dozen parishes in southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

He is charged with assaulting a child on multiple occasions between 2005 and 2008, according to court documents.

Hession has been suspended from ministry by the Diocese of Fall River since 2019, after he sent what the diocese called inappropriate communications to several adult parishioners.

The diocese said in a statement last month that it is cooperating with law enforcement.
DORRIS, Calif.  When 15-year-old Quiana of Dorris, California was diagnosed with cancer, raising and showing pigs at competitions gave her something to focus on  something that kept her looking forward.

It seemed to spark a little fire in her, said Quiana's mother, Ellen. It got her outside and it got her doing something, because she had a goal to work towards.

Quiana has always enjoyed raising pigs and bringing them to the county fair to show. But a year ago, she got the opportunity to show her pigs at a national competition in Arizona. The event, and her good performance, got her hooked.

Now that Quiana is in remission, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, which serves Northern California, granted Quiana's wish  to get a trailer that can safely carry her pigs to competitions around the country.

According to Make-A-Wish, Supreme Trailer Sales in Oklahoma designed a top-of-the-line air-conditioned trailer for Quiana and towed it to Northern California, just in time for her to use it for a competition in December.

"While Make-A-Make-A-Wish is able to safely grant wishes like Quianas, more than 5,000 wishes nationwide that involve traveling, gathering, or other health and safety concerns are still on hold as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic," the organization says.
After days of hectic negotiations, discussions on pricing and much back and forth, India has finally inked two vaccine deals. Bharat Biotech International Limited signed a deal with the central government on January 11 to supply 55 lakh doses of its inactivated vaccine called Covaxin. The vaccine acts against the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes Covid-19. The vaccine got approval for emergency use while under the clinical trial mode. The Serum Institute of India (SII), meanwhile, has inked a bigger deal, News18 has learnt from highly placed sources.

SII to supply 4.5 cr doses, Bharat Biotech 38.5 lakh

SII will supply a total of 4.5 crore doses of the Covishield vaccine, of which 1.10 crore doses will be in the first phase.

Bharat Biotech, which has collaborated with the Indian council of Medical Research (ICMR) to develop the vaccine, will, provide 55 lakh doses of the vaccine over the next few months.

Of these, the Hyderabad-based company will provide 38.5 lakh doses in stage 1, and will give 16.5 lakh doses to the government in stage 2. The supply of doses for the second stage will be free of cost, sources told News18.

At a later stage, Bharat Biotech will provide an additional 45 lakh doses.

Both SII and Bharat Biotech have been asked to give some doses free of cost. However, at the time of filing this report, it was unclear if SII has reached an agreement with the government on its supply of free doses.

Also read: Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: First Consignment of Serum Institute's Covishield Vaccine Arrives in Delhi from Pune

How much do the vaccines cost?

Each dose of Covishield will cost the government Rs 220, inclusive of taxes. Each dose of Covaxin will cost Rs 309.5, inclusive of taxes. Without the taxes it will cost Rs 295. For SII, each vial consists of 10 doses, for Covaxin, a vial will have a single dose.

A company source who did not wish to be named told News18 that the cost of Covaxin was higher because its a single dose vial and an inactivated vaccine.

HLL, a PSU, Will Procure Vaccines from SII, Bharat Biotech

News18 has learnt that the HLL Lifecare Limited, a PSU, will be the procurement agency for the Covid-19 vaccines from SII and Bharat Biotech.

The company has already issued the supply order on behalf of the Union Health Ministry in the name of Prakash Kumar Singh, additional director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India. The letter of commitment has been accessed by News18.

HLL says on its website that it is "aimed at realizing the governments family planning programme, HLL Lifecare Limited started as a manufacturer of natural rubber latex condoms." HLL Lifecare has developed contraceptives marketed as Saheli  the world's first and only oral non steroidal contraceptive pill. It was set up by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1966.

PM Cares Fund will pay for vaccines of 3 crore people

On Monday, Prime Minister Modi said that the state governments will not have to pay for the first round of COVID-19 vaccines as the Central government will bear the cost of around 3 crore people. News18 is privy to documents that reveal that the funding will come from the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM Cares Fund) that was created in March 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic in India.
A strong and wet front packing heavy rains and blustery winds may bring delays in traffic and hazardous driving conditions Tuesday.

A small rockfall on U.S. 30 near Linnton closed a lane eastbound early before being cleared by Oregon Department of Transportation crews before 6 a.m., according to KGW News reports.

Road crews actively clearing rocks off Hwy 30 Eastbound, just West of Linnton. Please slow down, move over and give @OregonDOT a chance to make your commute safer. @KGWNews pic.twitter.com/BCUcVaf6EM  Eric Patterson (@KGWphotog) January 12, 2021

Just after 7 a.m., ODOT crews removed a tree that had fallen into the right shoulder on U.S. 26 westbound prior to the Oregon Zoo.

***

GASTON 11:15 a.m.: Bates Road is closed between Old Highway 47 and Patton Valley Road due to flooding. Avoid the area.

***

WEST LINN 10:50 a.m.: West Linn Public Works heading to a rock fall on Willamette Falls Drive near Sunset Avenue. No lanes are blocked now, but expect delays and lane blockages when work begins.

***

BEAVERTON 10:26 a.m.: Southwest 149th Avenue is closed at Southwest Division Street for flooding.

Road Closure: SW 149th Ave. is closed at SW Division St. in Beaverton due to flooding. pic.twitter.com/I2Pyr4DiwU  Beaverton Police (@BeavertonPolice) January 12, 2021

***

HILLSBORO 9:40 a.m.: Washington County Roads reports Northwest Gordon Road is closed between North Avenue and Commercial Street due to high water. Avoid the area and choose an alternate route.

***

TRIMET WES 9:20 a.m.: Powerline down in the Tigard area has WES shutting down morning service.

WES disrupted through the end of morning service due to downed power lines near Tigard. Shuttles serving stations between Tigard and Wilsonville. Expect delays.  TriMet Service Alerts (@trimetalerts) January 12, 2021

***

SOUTHWEST PORTLAND 7:45 a.m.: Report of dark signals in the area of Southwest Fourth Avenue and Caruthers Street.

***

SALEM 7:30 a.m.: An overturned tanker hauling liquid fertilizer has closed the southbound lanes of the Salem Parkway at Liberty Street in Salem. The southbound lanes will be closed indefinitely for cleanup. A local detour is in place. Travelers should avoid the area or expect delays.

Update 11:50 a.m.: This crash is now clear.

***

The Washington County Road Department is warning of possible road closures with area rivers and streams rising throughout the morning. Do not drive over water-covered roads. Also, do not cross barriers or go around road closed signs. Monitor road closures in Washington County at wc-roads.com

Expect occasional rain through this evening, which will result in most area rivers rising steadily through the day. Rain could be heavy at times, particularly this afternoon and evening across Lincoln, Benton, Linn and Lane Counties. #pdxtst #orwx #wawx pic.twitter.com/1uDPWp1EO3  NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) January 12, 2021

Portland General Electric is reporting various power outages Tuesday morning. If you encounter a dark, or malfunctioning traffic signal, treat it as an all-way stop. Use caution and move slowly through the intersection.

#pdxtraffic Seeing reports of standing water on I-405 SB to I-5 split. There's certainly a lot of slow traffic coming down off the Sunset and onto I-405 S. pic.twitter.com/LuIyzeuaTg  PDX Traffic Alerts (@TrafficPortland) January 12, 2021

Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland
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President Trump on Tuesday showed no contrition or regret for instigating the mob that stormed the Capitol and threatened the lives of members of Congress and his vice president, saying that his remarks to a rally beforehand were totally appropriate and that the effort by Congress to impeach and convict him was causing tremendous anger.

Answering questions from reporters for the first time since the violence at the Capitol on Wednesday, Mr. Trump sidestepped questions about his culpability in the deadly riot that shook the nations long tradition of peaceful transfers of power.

People thought what I said was totally appropriate, Mr. Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, en route to Alamo, Texas, where he was set to visit the wall along the Mexican border. Instead, Mr. Trump claimed that protests against racial injustice over the summer were a real problem.

If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem, he said.
Federal authorities arrested one person in connection with a conspiracy to smuggle 240 immigrants who were in the country illegally, states an arrest affidavit filed on Jan. 8.

During the investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol dismantled two human stash houses, according to the affidavit.

Jose Luis Ramos Jr. was arrested and charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport the immigrants.

A red tractor hauling a white refrigerated trailer arrived at the Interstate 35 checkpoint at about 6:30 a.m. Jan. 6. The driver was identified as Ramos. He stated he was a U.S. citizen out of his open window without coming to a complete stop.

While the tractor was passing through the primary lane, a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of contraband, according to court documents. Agents used their flashlights to signal Ramos to stop. When questioned, Ramos stated he was hauling Broccoli. Ramos was then referred to secondary inspection. Ramos, however, fled the checkpoint on I-35, according to court documents.

Ramos drove about two miles before pulling into a gas station. Agents instructed Ramos to return to the checkpoint and escorted him back. An inspection of the trailer yielded 126 people, including two juveniles. All were in the country illegally.

In a post-arrest interview, Ramos stated he has been a professional truck driver for about five years. Ramos further stated he was unemployed when a friend he identified as Sergio offered him a job driving trucks for Sergio and Sergios father.

Ramos stated he has driven for Sergio three prior times in the past month, where he transported commodities in refrigerated trailers from Laredo, Texas to Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio, Texas, states the affidavit.

Ramos stated that on Jan. 5, he and Sergio arrived in Laredo to pick up a tractor-trailer to deliver a shipment to Dallas. A man and a woman took Ramos to the location of the trailer. The woman gave him a bill of lading indicating the shipment had broccoli, court records state.

Ramos stated he told the woman that the air refrigeration on the trailer had not been fixed. Ramos stated she told him he was just going to Dallas, Texas and that you will make it.

Ramos stated he drove away from the checkpoint because he observed an agent wave his hand, and Ramos believed the wave meant he was cleared to leave. He then stopped at the gas station because he observed problems with the trailers refrigeration.

Authorities contacted the shipper in the bill of lading and found out they do not have an office in Laredo. Further investigation revealed Ramos was in possession of a fraudulent bill of lading.

During processing of the immigrants, an agent assigned to intelligence encountered an immigrant from the trailer who was able to identify the stash house they were in before being loaded into the trailer.

Agents responded to a home on Lane Street, where they discovered one stash house operator and 43 immigrants. All were in the country illegally, according to Border Patrol. The stash house operator further revealed the location of another stash house on San Luis Street. There, agents discovered an additional 70 immigrants inside the home.

All 240 immigrants were processed accordingly.
ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS), a pioneer in healthcare cost management, is pleased to announce it has acquired Drexi, a pharmacy solution that enables savings by transparent pricing and pass-thru on prescription medications available at a nationwide network of more than 65,000 pharmacies.

(PRNewsfoto/Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS))

The addition of Drexi expands the AMPS cost management suite further into prescription medications, one of the most nontransparent industries today. Complementary in nature, both firms use reference-based pricing to enable transparency; AMPS specializing in medical costs, and Drexi specializing in pharmacy costs.

"This acquisition is part of AMPS' strategic vision and growth plan to provide a spectrum of programs to manage healthcare costs," said Kirk Fallbacher, AMPS president and CEO. "With the addition of Drexi, AMPS can now drive savings on more than 90 percent of the benefit expense associated with a self-funded group."

AMPS and Drexi have been working quietly behind the scenes to jointly service several groups, ensuring the combined capabilities drive deeper savings than traditional approaches and legacy vendors.

"We've been using the combined AMPS and Drexi solution for more than two years now and continue to realize savings that were not possible in other programs," stated Dean Rigg, CFO at Mesilla Valley Transportation, one of the largest locally-owned truck load carriers in U.S. "As a unified program, the transparency and resultant savings from an AMPS and Drexi combination is hard to beat."

When the pharmacy benefits administration capabilities of Drexi are added to the AMPS cost management suite, AMPS' customers gain the added benefit of lower administration fees through a series of shared services. This allows AMPS to offer pharmacy cost containment programs at a fraction of the cost, while continuing to achieve deeper savings on prescription medications.

"Based on our Blueprint Process, our firm strives to implement the best benefits programs available to our clients, and we have repeatedly seen success using the AMPS and Drexi solutions," stated Mark Matsock, founder and CEO of Matsock and Associates, a benefit advisory and partner firm of United Benefit Advisors (UBA), with clients across the nation. "The combined AMPS and Drexi solution is powering savings for clients across many of our markets."

"For years AMPS and Drexi have partnered independently through Health Rosetta advisors to drive down healthcare costs," said Dave Chase, best-selling author and co-founder of Health Rosetta. "By combining these two companies, local search capabilities for prescription drugs and medical services deepens and expands. This allows for further savings and the localization of healthcare, thus giving control back to the employers and the members they serve."

AMPS is already well underway in its efforts to add pharmacy enhancements to its industry-leading Medical Bill Review program, which can drive savings upwards of 80 percent on out-of-network claims. Beginning January 12, 2021, the AMPS and Drexi engineering teams will combine in Phoenix, with new joint enhancements and services launching shortly thereafter.

"AMPS and Drexi have a similar focus - to provide transparent pricing for better healthcare decisions," stated Bill Miller, CEO of Drexi. "Both firms are focused on using data insight to help clients get the most bang for their healthcare spend."

About Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS)

Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS) provides market leading healthcare cost management services for self-funded employers, public entities, brokers, TPAs, and reinsurers. AMPS mission is to help clients attain their goals of reducing healthcare costs while keeping members satisfied with quality healthcare benefits. AMPS leverages 16 years of experience in auditing and pricing medical claims to deliver "fair for all" pricing both pre-care and post-care. AMPS offers innovative dashboards and analytics to provide clients with insights based on Plan performance. Learn more at www.amps.com.

Contact: Kelly Neumeier

Director of Marketing

AMPS

678.608.2787 ext. 1614

[email protected]

Related Images

amps.jpg

AMPS

SOURCE Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS)

Related Links

http://www.amps.com


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Guwahati/Agartala, Jan 12 : The much-awaited Covid-19 vaccine reached two northeastern states -- Assam and Meghalaya -- as the special flights from Pune delivered the doses to 11 other locations across the country on Tuesday.

The first phase of Covid-19 vaccination will start across the country on January 16.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted earlier on Tuesday: "Today @airindiain, @flyspicejet @goairlinesindia & @IndiGo6E will operate 9 flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow & Chandigarh." According to Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials in Guwahati, a consignment of over 2.40 lakh vaccine doses reached the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on Tuesday evening.

AAI's Regional Executive Director (northeast region), M. Suresh, said that a total of 20 boxes having 2,40,000 doses was delivered at the Guwahati airport by a Spicejet aircraft.

"Of the 20 boxes, each box has 12,000 doses of the vaccine, of which 17 are for Assam and the remaining three for Meghalaya. No communication has been received yet as to when the next consignment for the other six northeastern states would come," Suresh told IANS over phone.

He said: "We are very much equipped to transport Covid vaccines to different parts of the northeast region. The LGBI airport has been marked as the nodal point of distribution of vaccines for the region, and we would fully cooperate with all the agencies in timely distribution of the vaccine through air cargo. Our cargo wing in Guwahati has readied up its infrastructure and has marked the pick-up points for effective and smooth flow of the consignment." The Spicejet flight arrived at the Guwahati airport from Pune via Kolkata and departed for Hyderabad.

Suresh said that all the 20 vaccine boxes were handed over to the respective state health departments for further distribution within nine minutes of their arrival.

He said the cargo complex at the Guwahati airport has made all possible arrangements for smooth dispersal of vaccines to their destinations. The arrangements include cold storage, dedicated pick-up points, help desk, exchange points, entry-exit and sanitisation area, among others.

LGBI airport Director Ramesh Kumar said: "We are hopeful that the AAI in coordination with our stakeholders and partners would effectively deliver the vaccine doses to all the state governments in the region." The officials from Assam and Meghalaya health departments, CISF officials, airline staff, traffic police, cold storage chain members and other stakeholders were present at the airport to receive the vaccine boxes.

According to the officials of the Assam health department, the state has short-listed close to two lakh people for the first phase of vaccination while Meghalaya has choosen 30,000 frontline health workers for the vaccination drive.

Tripura's state immunisation officer Kallol Kumar Roy told IANS that the Immunisation Division of the Union Health Ministry has allocated 56,500 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to be supplied by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

Additional Secretary at the Union Health Ministry, Manohar Agnani, in a letter to the Tripura government said that it is being informed that for the vaccination of prioritised beneficiaries in the initial phase of Covid-19 vaccination, including healthcare workers of the state government, Central government and armed forces, 56,500 doses of Covid-19 vaccine are being supplied.

"The states and Union Territories are requested to ensure expeditious transportation of the vaccine to the last mile cold chain points as per the beneficiary load," the letter said.

All the eight northeastern states have already prepared around a thousand vaccination sites to administer the Covid-19 vaccine to the frontline workers and armed forces personnel in the first phase.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
January 12, 2021

Apartheid News

Sheldon Adelson, the casino oligarch who has financed far right causes as well as the political careers of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahoo, has died. In 2013 Adelson had called for nuking Tehran (vid).

Good Riddance.

Unfortunately his money will continue to flow to the far right as his Israeli wife is the one who is now running the show.

In other news B'Tselem, the topmost Israeli human rights organization, finally describes both Israel and its control of the Palestinian territories as a single apartheid regime:

BTselem rejects the perception of Israel as a democracy (inside the Green Line) that simultaneously upholds a temporary military occupation (beyond it). BTselem reached the conclusion that the bar for defining the Israeli regime as an apartheid regime has been met after considering the accumulation of policies and laws that Israel devised to entrench its control over Palestinians.

Nothing really new there but it makes it official.

With B'Tselem finally speaking out it is much easier to refute those who falsely denounce the much justified condemnation of Zionism and Israel as anti-semitic.

This comes at a time when Israel is scheming to derail the incoming Biden administration's plan to return to the nuclear deal with Iran:

Israel will start by sending a stream of envoys on visits to Washington, the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Its stated publicly that it doesnt want the U.S. to abandon sanctions on the Islamic Republic without a new deal, and that a tougher stance should be taken toward its nuclear project, ballistic missile program and regional proxy forces. That strategy runs against the Biden teams willingness to re-enter the deal, then negotiate an expansion of its terms. Its conditioned on Irans returning to compliance with the accord, whose limits it breached after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018.

...

Israel also has a higher-risk card up its sleeve: the potential to upend diplomatic efforts through covert operations against Iran.

...

Netanyahu has been open about his intention to thwart renewed U.S. participation. In a rare public split, he rebuked his envoy to Germany for supporting Berlins push to expand the deal. There should be no return to the Iran nuclear agreement of 2015 -- a deal which is flawed to its foundations, Netanyahu said.

With Biden being an arch-Zionist and with a team of Zionist Jews leading the State Department the chances of a fast return to the deal can be regarded as slim.

Posted by b on January 12, 2021 at 18:07 UTC | Permalink

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TSB is still yet to complete the introduction of a security measure for all online banking customers nearly a year on from a deadline set by regulators, an investigation has found, while it also relies on unsecure text message codes to allow customers access to their account.

The bank, which has touted its pledge to refund all victims of fraud, is leaving customers' accounts open to attacks from cyber criminals by failing to fully introduce two-factor authentication on its online banking services, the consumer group Which? found.

This is despite the fact the Financial Conduct Authority asked banks to introduce two-factor authentication by 14 March last year, a deadline which had already been extended by six months, under rules known as Secure Customer Authorisation.

TSB came under fire for failing to roll out extra online banking security 10 months after the deadline set by regulators - although all mobile customers are now covered

The rules mean those logging into online or mobile banking have needed to enter a second form of authentication to protect their account, usually through a code sent to a mobile or landline phone, an authenticator app or through biometric identification like a fingerprint or facial scan.

They are designed to protect customers from having their bank account accessed by criminals. Such remote banking fraud cost victims 79.7million in the first half of 2020, with losses rising by a fifth, according to the latest figures from trade body UK Finance.

Internet banking fraud accounted for four-fifths of the money lost.

The absence of two-factor authentication for some online customers meant the bank finished second bottom after Tesco Bank in rankings compiled by Which? and the IT firm 6point6, with a score of 51 per cent. It scored two out of five when it came to login security, which accounted for 30 per cent of the overall score.

'Our security tests have revealed a big gap between the best and worst providers when it comes to keeping people safe from the threat of having their account compromised', Which? Magazine editor Harry Rose said.

'The serious failings we have exposed with some providers reinforce the need for banks to up their game on scam protections, and for greater transparency and stronger standards on fraud reimbursement to be made mandatory for all banks and payment providers.'

The new rules require online and mobile banking logins to be authorised with a second layer of authentication - such as a text passcode or an authenticator app

While the Financial Conduct Authority said banks facing further delays rolling out SCA due to coronavirus could apply for an extension on a case-by-case basis, it refused to comment to Which? on whether it would take action against TSB for the delays.

The bank said all mobile banking customers benefited from two-factor authentication, but that it was still in the process of being rolled out to users of online banking.

It said it was staggering two-factor authentication enrolment in order to manage the impact on its customer services.

TSB's lack of login security saw it come second bottom in Which?'s rankings

This is Money has also learned the bank primarily uses text message codes to authorise users' logins, which is often seen as one of the least secure methods of providing passwords.

It does also allow one-time passcodes to be sent to a work or home landline phone.

Guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre most recently updated in August states 'text messages are not the most secure type of two-factor authentication' and says authenticator apps 'offer lots of advantages over text messages'.

Text messages are not the most secure type of two-factor authentication National Cyber Security Centre, August 2020

Which? ranked banks' logins out of five based on how easy it was to access accounts, providing top marks to those which required customers to use a card reader or a mobile banking app to login.

Meanwhile guidance published in November 2019, after SCA was originally supposed to be rolled out by Britain's biggest banks, said text messages were 'never intended to be used to transmit high risk content' and featured 'a number of inherent weaknesses', and as a result alternatives like push notifications should be considered.

Which? added it viewed text message passcodes 'as the least secure way to authenticate customers'.

The Financial Conduct Authority's own guidance states banks are expected 'to develop solutions that work for all groups of consumers' and 'may need to provide several different methods of authentication, including ones that do not rely on mobile phones'.

The bank said in a statement: 'Providing customers with safe and secure banking is a priority and we continue to invest in strengthening online and mobile protection for customers.

'We are the only bank that offers a guarantee to refund all innocent victims of fraud  including those who lose money to online scams.'
(Photo : Screenshot From Pxhere Official Website) Over 400GB of 214 Million Social Media Users Have Been Exposed by 'Misconfiguration' from Chinese Company SocialArks

Over 400GB of a mixed private and public profile data coming from 214 million Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Other social media users coming from all around the world has recently been exposed to the internet. This includes certain details for even social-media influencers and celebrities coming from the United States and other places.

Social media user data leaked

According to an article by ThreatPost, this leak now stems from a certain misconfigured ElasticSearch database that is owned by the Chinese social-media management company known as SocialArks, which was said to contain personally identifiable information or PII coming from Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms according to the researchers over at Safety Detectives.

The server was actually found to be exposed publicly even without password protection or a simple encryption during the seemed routine IP-address checks made on potentially unsecured databases according to the researchers. This contained over a total of 318 million records.

Chinese company hosted by Tencent

SocialArks' own data-management platform is specifically used for programmatic advertising as well as marketing. It also bills itself as a particular cross-border social-media management company that is dedicated towards solving certain current problems of the brand building, marketing, and social customer management in China's foreign trade industry.

The particularly affected server was said to be hosted by Tencent and was segmented into certain indices in order to be able to store the data that was obtained coming from each of the social-media sources. This allowed researchers to look straight into the data much further.

Millions of user data leaked

A blog post by Safety Detectives noted that their research team was able to determine the measurement as to the leaked data that was "scraped" from certain social-media platforms. It was then also stated to be both unethical as well as a violation of Facebook's, LinkedIn's, and also Instagram's terms of service.

The total scraped profilers were said to include around 11,651,162 Instagram profiles, 66,117,839 LinkedIn profiles, and even 81,551,567 Facebook profiles. There were also 55,300,000 Facebook profiles coming from those that were deleted within only a few hours after the previous open server was first discovered.

These public profile data included some profile pictures, biographies, location setting, follower totals, contact details like emails and phone numbers, follower numbers, frequently used hashtags, number of comments, company names, and even employment position and a lot more.

Read Also: Data Privacy Protection: How to See What Data Websites Get from You

Is social media safe?

Jack Mannimo, the CEO at nVisium gave a statement to ThreatPost saying social media data scraped from the marketing purposes will inevitably also include a number of sensitive information. It was also said that for every particular privacy-conscious person through the use of social media. It was also said that there is now an exponentially greater number of those people all publicly sharing certain intimate details about their own private lives.

It was then said that in order for people to protect themselves, they should restrict the public access towards their profile and their social media assets. They then said that people should be sensible regarding what they post online and that they should be careful regarding what permission they grant to certain applications that might just abuse, misuse, or even steal user information.

Related Article: Gab Parler Alternative App Sees 753% Users Surge: How to Download and Use

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian Buenconsejo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI  Two suspects are in police custody after officers responded to a domestic dispute and were led on a 25-minute chase through three Southeast Michigan counties.

Sterling Heights Police officers were dispatched to the 34000 block of Birchgrove Street around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10, for a domestic dispute, according to a news release from the Sterling Heights Police Department. Upon arrival, they saw the suspect fleeing on foot toward a vehicle and a female victim advised them that her boyfriend had fired a shot into the home.

The suspect got into a silver Lincoln MKZ  later determined to be stolen from Detroit  and fled the scene, police said. He did not stop when officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, initiating the police chase, which reached speeds of up to 120 mph, FOX 2 Detroit reports.

The high-speed chase began in Macomb County, then crossed into Oakland County before ending in Wayne County, according to the reports. During the chase, Sterling Heights Police were joined by Warren Police and Michigan State Police.

While the chase was in Detroit, an MSP officer performed a PIT maneuver to stop the suspect, MSP said in a tweet. However, the suspect performed a U-turn and sped away. Later, a Warren officer performed a PIT maneuver and was successful; the suspect vehicle flipped onto its side and came to a rest in Redford Township.

The 22-year-old male driver and a 16-year-old male passenger were both arrested without further incident, FOX 2 reports. They were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

READ MORE:

Michigan man dies after end-over-end snowmobile crash

Woman forfeits rights to 250 dogs, horses in horrible UP puppy mill case

Michigan man accused of killing wife with shotgun, hiding body

A Michigan state prison is in outbreak status with 774 inmates positive for coronavirus
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Washington  Rep. John Katko said today he plans to vote to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting a riot last week at the U.S. Capitol, making sure Trump can never hold federal office again.

Heres Katkos full statement about his decision:

To impeach a sitting president is a decision I do not take lightly. The U.S. Constitution outlines its use only when a high crime or misdemeanor has occurred.

As a former federal prosecutor, I approach the question of impeachment by reviewing the facts at hand. The facts are this: last week, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a mob intent on disrupting a Joint Session of Congress and preventing certification of the Electoral College results.

Consequently, the U.S Capitol Police were overrun. Insurrectionists stormed and vandalized the U.S. Capitol, assaulting those who stood in their way and leaving five Americans dead. One law enforcement officer was killed and approximately 50 others were injured. Many of those officers were severely beaten by the mob. For the staff and police officers who were in the Capitol that day, this event will forever haunt them.

It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection  both on social media ahead of January 6th, and in his speech that day. By deliberately promoting baseless theories suggesting the election was somehow stolen, the president created a combustible environment of misinformation, disenfranchisement, and division. When this manifested in violent acts on January 6th, he refused to promptly and forcefully call it off, putting countless lives in danger.

We take oaths to defend the Constitution because at times, it needs to be defended. Without the peaceful transfer of power and the acknowledgment of election results, we cant sustain our political system. Congress is tasked with holding the Executive accountable. As the Ranking Member of House Homeland Security Committee, country always comes first.

To allow the President of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy. For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action. I will vote to impeach this President. The divide in our country is more clear than ever before. I hear my Republican colleagues in their argument that impeachment only further divides our country at a time when we must move forward. I agree. There must be a continuance of government and a peaceful transition of power. But I also believe firmly that I must follow the law and the facts and hold this President accountable for his actions.

Finally, ahead of tomorrows vote on impeachment, the House will this evening consider a non-binding resolution requesting that the Vice President invoke the 25th amendment to remove this President. Vice President Pence has made clear he will not do this, and believes elected representatives should be tasked with this effort, not acting and remaining cabinet members. Accordingly, I will not support this effort.
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MASON CITY, Iowa  A North Iowa man accused of shooting someone in the leg is pleading not guilty.

Kevin Ray Bergman, 61 of Mason City, is charged with willful injury resulting in serious injury, going armed with intent, and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Mason City police say Bergman shot someone in the leg on November 9, 2020, in the 1100 block of 1st Street NE. Court documents state Bergman shot the victim with a handgun after a dispute over property. Police say the victim was following Bergman when he was shot.

A trial is scheduled to begin on March 2, 2020.
The Founding Fathers didnt tweet.

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson would have been great to follow on Twitter, especially when disagreeing with each other, which was often and rancorous, but had the social media platform existed in the 18th century and suspended their accounts, neither would have claimed their First Amendment rights had been violated. Neither would have yelled their voices were being silenced or they were being censured in violation of the Constitution.

They knew then what too many people today seem not to know  that the First Amendment is a restraint specifically and only on Congress from making laws that restrict freedom of expression. Its not a say-anything-you-want, anytime-you-want, any-place-you-want free pass.

Last week, Twitter permanently suspended the account of President Donald Trump. Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Snapchat also disabled Trump accounts. The removal of Trump from these platforms came in the aftermath of years of incendiary and false claims by Trump that culminated in his inciting a violent insurrection among his supporters, who stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Soon, many Republicans, members of Congress, and current and former members of Trumps administration were taking to Twitter to complain about the tens of thousands of followers theyd lost. The reasons for those losses can be gleaned from Twitters statement to NBC News: Weve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm, and given the renewed potential for violence surrounding this type of behavior in the coming days, we will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content.

QAnon is a bizarre, dangerous and thoroughly discredited far-right conspiracy theory in support of Trump. Anyone bemoaning losing QAnon adherents as followers should ask themselves what is it that attracted such an element to them.

Instead, many are turning this into a First Amendment issue in which the right of conservatives to speak freely is being curtailed. Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, We are living Orwells 1984. Free-speech no longer exists in America.

Wrong. Twitter is a private platform for speech  and it has no constitutional obligation to amplify all speech.

Twitter and other social media platforms arent the only entities being accused of First Amendment infringements. Simon & Schuster announced it was canceling the publication of Sen. Josh Hawleys book after the Missouri Republican became the first U.S. senator to dishonestly challenge the results of the Electoral College.

In response, Hawley called this a direct assault on the First Amendment. Like Trump Jr., Hawley should re-read Orwell. The Yale Law School graduate and former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts should also take a refresher on the First Amendment, which reads, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment doesnt guarantee anyone protection from the decision of a privately owned business to not post their tweets or publish their books. Nor does it override policies by universities, nonprofits, religious institutions or any private business that determines what is an unacceptable expression by any employee or member. Its a protection from encroachments by Congress.

While it is true that the most vile forms of speech have to be protected to ensure true freedom of speech, its also true that such speech doesnt have a right on private platforms  just as its also true that vile or inflammatory speech will have consequences. If you libel someone, you might get sued. If you promote baseless lies that subvert an election and threaten democracy, you might get removed from social media platforms or lose your book contract.

Given Trumps long history of disseminating hateful disinformation and now promoting the big lie about voter fraud this election, the question shouldnt be why he was kicked off Twitter but rather, why did it take Twitter so long?
Xavier DeGroat has long advocated for policy changes to help people with autism  and that work ultimately landed him an internship at the White House.

The Michigan resident, CEO and founder of the Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation, recently completed a White House internship and believes he is the first person with autism to participate in the program.

He said the opportunity stemmed from a previous meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where he discussed his work to make interactions with law enforcement easier for people with autism.

That meeting was something that highlighted my mind to think bigger picture, DeGroat said, noting that he hopes to be a boundary breaker for others on the spectrum. His efforts resulted in an internship role in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, where he assisted with responding to constituent letters.

In addition to his internship work, DeGroat said he and other interns heard from and met with a number of officials over the course of the program, including Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who DeGroat introduced ahead of his remarks to interns.

Prior to his experience in Washington, DeGroat played a key role in getting legislation designed to make interactions with law enforcement easier for people with autism signed into law last year.

The new laws allow drivers with autism or hearing loss to voluntarily disclose a communication impediment designation to the Secretary of State when obtaining a drivers license or registering their vehicle to give law enforcement officers a heads up. They passed both the House and Senate with wide bipartisan support.

The legislation was inspired by DeGroats own experience of getting pulled over for going over the speed limit in Lansing several years ago. The flashing lights of the police car and the interaction with law enforcement gave him severe sensory overload anxiety, and the stress made it difficult for him to communicate with the officer or provide required documentation in a timely manner.

Michigan Senate-passed bill could improve police interactions for people with autism, hearing loss

DeGroat has met with politicians and other dignitaries across the political spectrum over the last several years, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Betsy DeVos and the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

He continues to work with officials on both sides of the aisle, including Michigan U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, who DeGroat previously interned with in 2016. DeGroat is working with Kildee in an effort to get the Transportation Security Administration to change its policies to recognize state IDs that show someone has a communication impediment and improving the security process at airports for people with autism.

Now that his White House internship is complete, DeGroat said he plans to work on a book about his experiences and work on other initiatives, including establishing a sensory room at the University of Michigan for people with sensitivities to sound and light.

In the future, he hopes to get a job in Lansing working for a state lawmaker or within state government and is interested in running for office himself down the line.

DeGroat said he takes inspiration from Lewis, who he said told him that he could build bipartisan support by focusing on issues both Democrats and Republicans can get behind, such as mental health treatments or increasing services for people with autism.

In a way, autism is one of those subjects that if you do good things for it...you can most likely find everybody to support you, he said.
LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, K2 Integrity announced Olivia Allison has joined the firm's London office as a Senior Managing Director in its Investigations and Risk Advisory practice. Ms. Allison brings more than 15 years of global experience in investigations, anti-bribery and corruption (ABC), and corporate intelligence.

"I am delighted to welcome Olivia to the K2 Integrity Investigations team in EMEA. Olivia is well known for her ability to build and lead international teams and achieve high-quality results in financial fraud and anti-bribery and corruption investigations and corporate intelligence engagements for clients," said Darren Matthews, Executive Managing Director and regional head of EMEA.

"K2 Integrity is committed to providing unrivaled investigative and business intelligence services to our clients wherever they might be. Olivia brings a broad set of skills to the firm and will be an invaluable addition to assist our EMEA-based clients," said Robert Brenner, Global Co-Managing Partner and Chief Legal Officer.

Ms. Allison joins K2 Integrity from KPMG where she was a Partner and Head of Forensic & Risk Consulting in Ukraine and Kazakhstan and led Internal Audit & Risk Consulting services, including corporate governance, risk management, internal audit, and IT and cybersecurity. Ms. Allison joined KPMG's Forensic practice in London in January 2011. In 2013, she became as Head of Corporate Intelligence, Russia and CIS, and in 2016 moved to Ukraine where she helped build up a large local team that worked with Ukrainian and international businesses to help them manage risk and improve compliance. Before joining KPMG, Olivia worked in an international risk consultancy in the former Soviet Union, Africa, and the Middle East. She has also worked as a journalist and researcher.

Ms. Allison is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She received her M.A., with merit, from King's College London in international peace and security; was a recipient of the Roy and Hazel Zeff Scholarship for Fellowship from Rice University; and holds a B.A. from Rice University in Slavic studies. She is fluent in Russian.

K2 Integrity's Investigations and Risk Advisory practice provides clients, their counsel, and other advisors and stakeholders with the relevant and timely information required to make fully informed business and legal decisions necessary to prevail in a complex, international operating environment. Whether a company faces a regulatory inquiry or a criminal probe, is engaged in a commercial dispute, or is contemplating a cross-border transaction, K2 Integrity can provide the necessary research, intelligence, analysis, and investigative expertise to support the client through the entire process, providing insight, identifying risks, and often uncovering unexpected opportunities to protect clientsand frequently advance their interests. The diversity of backgrounds and approaches that K2 Integrity's practitioners bring to every engagement means that the firm's investigations are tailored to the needs of the client and adapted to the unique circumstances of each situation.

About K2 Integrity

K2 Integrity is the preeminent risk, compliance, investigations, and monitoring firmbuilt by industry leaders, driven by interdisciplinary teams, and supported by cutting-edge technology to safeguard our clients' operations, reputations, and economic security. K2 Integrity represents the merger of K2 Intelligence, an industry-leading investigative, compliance, and cyber defense services firm founded in 2009 by Jeremy M. Kroll and Jules B. Kroll, the originator of the modern corporate investigations industry, and Financial Integrity Network (FIN), a premier strategic advisory firm founded by Juan Zarate and Chip Poncy dedicated to helping clients achieve their financial integrity goals.

K2 Integrity leverages unmatched multidisciplinary experience to develop cutting-edge solutions, stimulate business opportunities, and shape global economic security in a complex world. Whether it's protecting clients' assets or navigating the complex financial regulatory landscape to help clients identify, manage, and mitigate risk, K2 Integrity is an advisor trusted to meet and exceed clients' goals in a rapidly changing world. To learn more about how K2 Integrity is revolutionizing the management of risk, visit our website, www.k2integrity.com, or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

CONTACT:

Paula Zirinsky

Global Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected]

Lindsay Sweeney

Media Relations Manager

[email protected]

SOURCE K2 Integrity

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NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader, has launched Broadridge Proxy Policies & Insights (PPI) Data, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive platform providing an open data-feed of proxy voting data and analytics. This new platform, which will leverage Machine Learning (ML) services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), provides broker-dealers, institutional investors, mutual funds, retail investors, regulators and academics with access to over 5 million proxy voting data points, from more than 85,000 meeting agendas and a wide coverage of regulatory documents.

For broker-dealers, PPI Data provides an opportunity to differentiate their customers' experience in the broker's app or website by making it simple and easy for passionate investors to be aware of, for example, ESG proxy proposals that impact the future of their investments. Broadridge PPI Data can be used by broker-dealers to provide content to retail shareholders during the voter experience, as well as engage investors with insights on top-of-mind proxy proposals. For institutions, it provides an independent set of proxy voting data that can inform voting without providing voting recommendations. For retail investors, it provides better data to inform them how they can make a difference through voting their shares.

"Broadridge is providing the industry with better data to increase and inform proxy voting by leveraging AWS machine learning solutions," said Martin Koopman, President, Bank Broker-Dealer Investor Communications Solutions at Broadridge. "Broadridge PPI Data is a great example of applying technology to increase voting by retail shareholders, for brokers to engage with their customers, and for institutional investors to inform their voting. We see AWS as a preferred cloud provider in our drive to improve and transform corporate governance by creating next-gen tools."

Broadridge PPI Data can be used to create push notifications based on the retail investors' proposal category preference (i.e., climate change, board diversity, etc.). The broker-dealer can then highlight securities with upcoming proxy proposals that match those preferences. The platform enables broker-dealers to provide retail investors with a quick and personalized voting experience with a goal of increasing voter participation. AI/ML capabilities of the platform allow faster automated information processing so that shareholders receive more information faster than prior manual processes. Furthermore, AI/ML allows the platform to predict likely contentious votes, allowing shareholders to focus on meetings where their votes may be critical.

Broadridge is rolling out this new platform ahead of the 2021 proxy season, leveraging solutions like Amazon Comprehend, a natural language processing (NLP) service that uses machine learning to find insights and relationships in text. Among other features, the platform automates data extraction from key SEC regulatory filings, specifically proxy statements and Form N-PX proxy voting records. Broadridge plans to include additional regulatory filings on the platform in the future.

"Broadridge continues to bring solutions to market that differentiate the investors' experience, and Broadridge PPI Data is the most recent example of how they're meeting the industry's evolving needs," said Scott Mullins, Managing Director, Worldwide Financial Services Business Development at Amazon Web Services, Inc. "We are excited to support Broadridge as they leverage AWS to deliver data to investors faster, who can than act on critical information. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Broadridge across their machine learning and digital innovation initiatives."

Free for Regulators, Academics and Non-Profits

Broadridge PPI Data will be made available to regulators, educational and qualified non-profit organizations for free. These regulators, academic and non-profits can leverage the platform to review historical proxy policy and votes, which may lead to optimal regulatory policy, a better understanding of how institutions vote, and more transparency on the outcomes of proxy voting.

PPI is a service Broadridge provides institutional investors through ProxyEdge. Institutional investors can view critical information related to shareholder meetings, build customized data-driven voting guidelines based on their internal proxy policies, or the historical voting patterns of top-rated ESG funds, or the Top 50 Institutions based on AUM. Broadridge does not provide voting recommendations.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a $4.5 billion global Fintech leader, is a leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and corporate issuers. Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 50 percent of public companies and mutual funds globally, and processes on average more than U.S.$10 trillion in fixed income and equity securities trades per day. Broadridge is part of the S&P 500 Index and employs over 12,000 associates in 17 countries.

For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com .

Investors:

W. Edings Thibault

Investor Relations

+ 1 516-472-5129

[email protected]

Media:

Tatjana Kulkarni

Broadridge Financial Solutions

+1 203-285-0766

[email protected]

SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

Related Links

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Lets call this column, and perhaps the next couple of columns, an old-timers memories of the past offered with the hope that they may help u Read more
You are here: China

North China's Hebei province has suspended activities at city parks and squares amid efforts to tame the latest outbreak of COVID-19.

Authorities will beef up routine patrols at parks and squares, advising visitors to maintain social distancing, while persuading those conducting group activities to leave, to prevent gatherings and potential cross-infections, the Hebei provincial housing and urban-rural development commission said on Monday.

Local authorities have ordered the closure of parks and squares in or within 500 meters of the high-risk areas. As for those in the medium- and low-risk areas, the number of visitors should not exceed 75 percent of maximum capacity.

Hebei reported 82 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 49 asymptomatic cases on Sunday, the provincial health commission said Monday.

Of the confirmed cases, 77 were reported in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, and the other five in the city of Xingtai. Of these, 27 were previously asymptomatic carriers.

All of the new asymptomatic cases were reported in Shijiazhuang.

By the end of Sunday, there were 265 locally-transmitted confirmed cases and two imported ones in hospitals in Hebei.

A total of 203 locally-transmitted asymptomatic cases and five imported asymptomatic cases are under medical observation, said the commission.
Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode.

After the Capitol riot, members of Congress began seriously taking up the prospect of President Donald Trumps removal from officeeven with just a week left to gobut diverged on the exact method for making this happen. Some members wanted to impeach the president; others wanted to somehow encourage Vice President Mike Pence to take over for his boss. This week, they tried both options at once: drawing up impeachment articles while also introducing a resolution to encourage Pence to declare Trump unfit for office, which is being debated today. Additional options have been put on the table: Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said his caucus might back censure for Trump, while President-elect Joe Bidens team was said to be exploring whether impeachment could proceed in half-day increments, giving senators time to legislate during the trial. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Brian Kalt, a professor at the Michigan State University College of Law, about the various tools the government has at its hands to punish Trump and which path forward might be the most ideal one. An excerpt of our conversation, edited and condensed for clarity, is below.

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Brian Kalt: The 25th Amendment is really not up to Congress in any way, so asking for this resolution to be passed, requesting the vice president to invoke it, its kind of an awkward thing to do. Its his call. Its the Cabinets call. Its not Congress call.

Mary Harris: If the system worked the way it should, it would be the other way aroundthe vice president and a majority of the Cabinet would be the ones who come to Congress and plead their case.

Theyre supposed to declare that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

Seems kind of vague.

Well, it is. And it was not designed to be restricted to incapacitation, comas, things like that. But that was what [the amendments drafters] were mainly thinking about. That was the situation where the process they set up was designed to function smoothly. So if the presidents in a coma, we can immediately transfer power to the vice president so we dont have nobody at the helm. Its not supposed to be for presidents who are doing bad things. Its supposed to be for presidents who cant do anything.

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I look at what Congress is doing, introducing this resolution about the 25th Amendment and saying that thats the remedy they would like to see implementedI see it as a delaying tactic where everyones sort of looking around and saying not it.

I see it as them looking at a situation that they think is untenable and finding whatever tool can fix that. And the 25th Amendment, whatever its intended for, the reality is if they invoke it, the problemworry over what Trump will do with presidential power in the next nine daysis solved. This would be the only way to prevent him from doing things with his power as commander in chief, doing things with his pardon power.

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Youve talked about how the 25th Amendment is actually biased to let the president keep power, because once the vice president triggers all this, there are just four days when hes in charge, if the president wants the power back.

Well, if the vice president and Cabinet respond to a declaration by the president that hes OK by saying, No, youre not, then it goes to Congress. And Congress has 21 days to debate the question. During that wait, the vice president remains in charge, but you need two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate to vote against the president in that 21-day period to keep him out of power. So in the middle of the term, if the president says hes OK, he takes his power back unless the vice president and the Cabinet and two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate say hes not. Thats a very high bar.

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Americans dont really have a collective idea of how the 25th Amendment would work in practice because its never been done before. And all of our ideas about how to do it come from television, where its often used to wrest power from a president with enemies.

Any show about a TV president, eventually they come around to a 25th Amendment story: The president is just fine and the vice president and the Cabinet engage in something like a coup. And because Section 4 [which allows the vice president to assume the presidency after a joint written declaration by the VP and some executive offices] has never been used in real life, thats peoples view of it.

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If people see it as a way to get rid of a bad president, then it becomes a real problem, one that the designers of the amendment had hoped to avoid. So it really does need to be a pretty severe crisis situation to warrant running that risk of watering down what its meant to be used for. Putting the vice president and Cabinet at the front line was one way they did that. They said, look, if this is going to be triggered, its not going to be by people who might have already wanted him gone.

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that if the vice president doesnt move forward with the 25th Amendment, shell plan to proceed with another impeachment. My main question is how long everything needs to take, because the last impeachment, of course, took months.

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Part of the issue is, because of how long it would take, it would prevent Congress from doing a lot of other things that need doing. It looks like theyre leaning toward impeaching before he has left office because that doesnt take as long.

And that just involves the House.

That just involves the House. And it involves facts that they could investigate a little bit. But I think they know enough that a majority is already willing to go forward.

And then, because the Senate wont do it before the 20th, theres no rush. So theyre talking about maybe giving the new administration 100 days to get things done and then holding the trial. Because when they hold the trial, its going to take a while and its going to suck all the oxygen out of the room.

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So much of the conversation about what we should do now is about symbolism. Ive heard people say that if you impeach, it sends this symbol that no future leader can do what this president did without being punished. But there are real, practical reasons why an impeachment over a censure would make sense. Like, what are the chances of having something like financial support for a former president withdrawn, or having him banned from holding office again?

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Disqualification from future office is the one reason why an impeachment after Trumps left office might actually amount to something, because thats the only punishment the Constitution allows besides removal for an impeachment conviction. As far as his pension and post-presidential benefits are concerned, the current law specifies that these benefits are available to former presidents, and it defines former presidents as those whose terms ended for reasons other than them being impeached and removed. In other words, unless hes convicted in an impeachment trial while hes still in office, he still gets his pension. Convicting him after he left office under current law would not strip him of any of those benefits.

So no matter what, hes going to get that money.

Unless they change the law. They can always do that. There would be some constitutional issues with doing that retroactively, but I think they could.

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"I'm thrilled to join Sterling Bay as we seize this opportunity to pioneer the future of Life Sciences in Chicago and around the world," said Dr. Suzet McKinney. "I look forward to bringing together groundbreaking healthcare and life sciences organizations that improve social and health outcomes throughout the city, creating jobs and community wealth for our communitiesand putting Chicago on the map as the country's top life sciences city."

Throughout her career, Dr. McKinney has been at the forefront of emergency response efforts including this year when she was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker as Operations Lead for the State of Illinois' Alternate Care Facilities, a network of alternate medical locations designed to decompress the state's healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this role, she worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and multiple construction, architecture and project management teams to prepare five facilities to open for overflow patient care. She previously led Chicago's 2014-2015 Ebola response; the operational response to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak; the Chicago Department of Public Health's participation in the 2012 NATO response; and the 2010 Haiti Earthquake response.

"Dr. McKinney's new role with Sterling Bay's life sciences division solidifies our commitment to advancing the growth of this critical sector across Chicago and in new markets around the country," said Andy Gloor, CEO of Sterling Bay. "Under her guidance and with the impressive power of her scientific and leadership experience, Sterling Bay will create new jobs, generate new economic revenue and increase diversity in the biotech community."

In her new role, Dr. McKinney will lead the strategy to expand Sterling Bay's footprint in life sciences nationwide, pursue grant programs for laboratory incubation and graduation space, advance the work of various Sterling Bay life sciences initiatives including Prysm Institute, and will serve as an integral part of the vision and execution for Sterling Bay's life sciences developments.

"Dr. McKinney is an ideal and exciting choice to lead the Life Sciences Division at Sterling Bay, which will simultaneously spur new lab locations across our city, support cutting-edge innovation, attract talent nationwide, and unlock the wealth of potential right in our own backyard," said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. "Her combined experience, energy, and expertise will help burnish Chicago's status as a global life sciences leader and expand our city's equitable recovery as we rebuild and move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic."

Prior to joining Sterling Bay, Dr. McKinney was CEO and Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District (IMD) where she managed medical research facilities, labs, a biotech business incubator, universities, four hospitals, and more than 40 healthcare-related facilities.

Before her time at IMD, Dr. McKinney served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response at the Chicago Department of Public Health where she oversaw the Department's emergency preparedness efforts and coordinated those efforts within the larger spectrum of the City of Chicago's public safety activities.

"Dr. McKinney brings an incredible depth of experience with more than 20 years working to create innovative solutions to some of society's most pressing challenges," said Bruce Katz, Founding Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University and a Board Member of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts. "I'm convinced that with her proven leadership and vision, Sterling Bay can design and deliver the next generation of Life Sciences campuses, thereby driving both innovative as well as inclusive growth in cities in the United States and beyond."

Beyond her professional accomplishments in the field of public health, Dr. McKinney serves on numerous boards and advisory committees and has had an extensive career in academia, serving as an Instructor in the Division of Translational Policy and Leadership Development at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health and as an adjunct assistant professor of Health Policy Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.

Dr. McKinney holds a Doctorate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Brandeis University. She received a Master of Public Health degree and certificates in Managed Care and Health Care Administration from Benedictine University.

About Sterling Bay

Sterling Bay is a Chicago-based real estate investment and development company with expertise spanning all aspects of real estate ownership. Known for creating world-class urban campuses for companies such as Google, McDonald's, Glassdoor, Pinterest, Dyson and Tyson Foods, Sterling Bay is consistently recognized for award-winning projects that transform space, enhance communities and strengthen a company's culture and brand. Sterling Bay's team of more than 250 professionals is responsible for a portfolio exceeding $5 billion, and a development pipeline in excess of $10 billion. For more information, visit www.sterlingbay.com

SOURCE Sterling Bay

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:02:15|Editor: huaxia

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BUJUMBURA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The government of Burundi on Monday launched a second nationwide mass screening campaign of COVID-19, as the coronavirus cases have been increasing in recent days.

The 30-day campaign is taking place in the commercial capital Bujumbura and several provinces where cases have been reported.

Burundian Minister of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS Thaddee Ndikumana encouraged more people to join the campaign to know about their status at a launching event.

Since last week, 100 out of 5,300 persons who had been in contact with the confirmed COVID-19 patients tested positive, Ndikumana said.

He urged Burundian people and foreigners living in the country to respect hygiene measures of washing hands with soap, avoiding handshakes and hugs, and social distancing.

The campaign is part of the new measures announced by the government last Friday to fight against the pandemic.

Other measures effective from Monday included closing all land and water borders, extending the quarantine period for travelers entering Burundi by air from three days to seven days and conducting two COVID-19 tests for them.

The first nationwide mass screening campaign starting in July last year lasted three months, which led to positive results according to the Burundian government.

Since March 2020, the central African nation has recorded nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases with two deaths. Enditem
When most people imagine the internet, the last thing that comes to mind is huge, on-the-ground facilities and thousands of miles of wires across the ocean floor, but even the digital age depends entirely on material things. Even the cloud, whose very name suggests an ethereal, floating datasphere free from servers, towers, and wires, is housed in data centers around the world. And those data centers require energy--a LOT of energy. As more and more people get connected to the internet around the world and spend increasingly lengthy amounts of time online, that means that the internets energy and ecological footprints are massive and growing. Especially now, when so many people around the world are working online all day before retiring to a relaxing evening online before sleeping next to a phone that is still awake and connected to the internet to receive all those emails and notifications while you dream, the energy usage of the data warehouses that run the internet has become astronomical.

Google estimates that each search emits roughly 0.2 grams of CO2 into the atmosphere, due to the energy it takes to power the cables, routers, and servers that make Google work, Wired reported back in 2018. Watching or uploading a video to YouTube is worse for the environment: 1 gram of carbon for every 10 minutes of viewing. All of those clicks really add up: internet companies emit as much carbon dioxide as the airline industry--and that was before COVID-19 grounded most planes.

Related: India Oil Demand Falls For First Time In 20 Years Due To COVID



Google, a company that has long taken an interest in curbing climate change and supporting green energy tech, is now hard at work trying to reverse the public perception of its massive data centers insatiable hunger for energy. You may have noticed that Google proudly boasts on their homepage that theyve been carbon neutral since 2007--a major accomplishment considering the amount of carbon emissions they need to offset. So far, theyve been achieving that by purchasing renewable energy credits and investing in solar and wind energies.

But carbon neutral is a far cry from carbon-free. Currently, Google relies on diesel-powered backup generators to keep their data centers running, a decidedly emissions-intensive model. For as loud as Google has been about their green energy innovations and carbon neutrality, however, the company has been mum about exactly how often their diesel-powered generators run and how much carbon dioxide they are emitting. But climate news outlet Grist reports that, according to Googles own estimates, worldwide, there are more than 20 gigawatts of diesel generating capacity in service across the data center industry, which is the equivalent of nearly 63 million solar photovoltaic panels  enough to power more than 833,000 homes for a month.

In spite of these less-than-stellar stats, Google aims to be carbon-free 2030. One step toward that ambitious target: converting one of its massive server farms into one insanely big battery. Converting the diesel-powered backup system into a battery-powered model will have a two-fold advantage: a much smaller carbon footprint and the potential to store renewable energy when the batteries are not otherwise being used before distributing that energy to the local grid.

Google is already in the process of testing this method out at its data center in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium. If this new venture is a success, according to Googles own vice president of global data centers Joe Kava, this new hybrid model of data centers that moonlight as renewable energy storage facilities could soon become critical components in carbon-free energy systems.

The innovation is timely: as the global emissions crisis becomes ever more urgent and more dire and Big Tech receives more attention and outrage from environmental activists, a solution to the energy-guzzling nature of data centers will be a huge boon to the planet as well as to Googles reputation.



By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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A west Alabama man earlier accused of falsifying his military record now faces theft charges after investigators say he took money from a veterans group.

William Travis Tucker, 43, of Florence, has now been indicted by a Colbert County grand jury for first degree theft of property. Tucker is accused of stealing $3,000 from the Wounded Warrior Project.

The charge is related to an fundraising event for the group, which offers programs and serves wounded veterans of the U.S. militarys action following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Back in December, Sheffield police charged Tucker with stolen valor and forgery after investigators say he used forged documents to receive free prisoner of war tags from the Colbert County Probate Office.

An investigator at that time said Tucker falsely claimed to have won the Silver Star and Purple Heart. While he did serve in the military, he was not a prisoner of war.

Police also anticipated more charges back in December, with an investigator saying that the original charges were just the scab.

It is not illegal to claim military service, but it is illegal to do so in order to receive something of value.

Syracuse, N.Y.  Three Onondaga County residents died of Covid-19 since Sunday, county officials said today. Thats the fewest daily deaths in more than three weeks. Its also the first time in more than three weeks that there were no coronavirus deaths among nursing home residents.

County Executive Ryan McMahon said he is cautiously optimistic that the numbers are improving because over the past couple weeks local nursing home residents have received their first doses of vaccine.

One of the things well have to look for and watch, moving forward, is that we believe this is a sign of the vaccine working,' McMahon said today at a news conference.

The county executive acknowledged that its too soon to draw conclusions about the effect of vaccines. It usually takes a few weeks after the shot to build up a persons immunity, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. And local nursing home residents have only had the first of two shots, which provides about 50% of the combined protection.

Some Syracuse-area nursing homes began vaccinating residents a few days before Christmas, although others started later. As of today, all 13 nursing homes in the county had administered a first dose to residents, McMahon said.

The county reported 222 new cases of coronavirus since Sunday, the lowest number since Dec. 1. Six of the new cases were discovered in nursing homes, McMahon said.

The vaccine continues to roll out slowly. It likely will be weeks before everyone who is currently eligible, including anyone 75 or older, can get a vaccine, McMahon said.

The three people who died since Sunday included two men, ages 90 and 88, and a 49-year-old woman. The female victim had underlying medical problems, McMahon said.

There are 249 Covid-19 patients in local hospitals, about 26% fewer than the peak of 338 in late December. Forty-four patients are in intensive care.

The positive test rate for the past seven days has been 7%, down from 8.6% a week ago, McMahon said. The county has 3,676 active cases, down from more than 6,000 eight days ago.

When you look at some of these data points, we think these are all very positive,' McMahon said.

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



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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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According to a new report published by Polaris Market Research the essential oil market is anticipated to reach USD 16,172.2 million by 2026. In 2017, the orange essential oil segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. Europe is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period.

Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/essential-oil-market

A significant increase in disposable income, changing lifestyles, and initiatives by market players to promote healthy lifestyles drive the growth of this market. Other driving factors include increasing incidences of stress and anxiety, growing inclination towards use of natural and organic products, and increasing awareness regarding physical and mental health. The use of essential oils in various applications such as food and beverages, healthcare, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and aromatherapy further propel the market growth. Increasing demand in developing nations is expected provide numerous growth opportunities to the market players during the forecast period.

There has been a shift towards e-commerce and consumers are increasingly purchasing essential oils through online platforms. The variety of choices available coupled with ease of purchase offered by online platforms encourages consumers to buy essential oils online, supplementing the growth of the market.

Improvement in lifestyle due to rise in income level, especially in the developing countries of Asia-Pacific fuels the demand for essential oils market. Factors such as increase in per capita income and changes in consumer behavior towards physical and mental health are expected to accelerate the adoption of essential oils in the coming years.

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Europe generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The high geriatric population in the region coupled with high disposable income drives the market growth. The high demand of essential oils in food & beverages and cosmetic products support the market growth in the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to increasing disposable incomes in developing countries of this region, rising awareness about benefits of essential oils, and rising demand of essential oils from healthcare sector in this region.

The different types of essential oils in the market include lemon, lime, orange, corn mint, eucalyptus, peppermint, citronella, clove leaf, and others. In 2017, the orange essential oil segment accounted for the highest market share. The increasing demand for orange essential oil is owing to properties such as anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and antispasmodic. Use of orange essential oil has a calming effect on mind and body, and is used in various cosmetics products. It is also used in various foods and beverages to enhance flavor.

Make Inquiry about this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/essential-oil-market/inquire-before-buying

The well-known companies profiled in the report include Doterra International LLC., Rocky Mountain Oils, LLC, Naturals Together, Robertet SA, Now Health Group, Inc., Biolandes SAS, Falcon Essential Oils, Ungerer Limited, The Lebermuth Company, Flavex Naturextrakte GmbH, Farotti Srl, and E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company 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.

Essential Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Product Type Lemon Lime Orange Corn mint Eucalyptus Peppermint Citronella Clove leaf Others

Essential Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Distribution Channel Offline Stores Online Platforms

Essential Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Application Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Cleaning Food and Beverages Spa and Wellness Others

Essential Oil Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa



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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Lets call this column, and perhaps the next couple of columns, an old-timers memories of the past offered with the hope that they may help u Read more

WASHINGTON - Five days after a pro-Trump mob moved to sack the Capitol, congressional Republicans have yet to mount a coherent response as they spar among themselves about whom to hold accountable for the rampage and how exactly they should do it.

The effort to take stock of Wednesday's shocking events has been complicated by President Donald Trump's ongoing hold on the vast majority of the party's voters - as well as the role numerous lawmakers played in validating, repeating and amplifying Trump's false claims about a stolen election.

Instead, the GOP is retreating to a tried-and-true playbook: Accusing Democrats of overreaching and dividing the country with a second push for Trump's impeachment.

Shortly before convening a conference call of House Republicans on Monday, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sent a missive asserting that "an impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get America back on a path towards unity and civility."

He floated several other options, including a censure resolution, a bipartisan investigative commission, changes to the law governing the counting of electoral votes, and legislation to "promote voter confidence" in elections.

Nowhere did he mention specific consequences for Trump or any other Republican. Later, on the call, he said Trump agreed that he bore some responsibility for Wednesday's riot, according to two Republicans who heard his remarks and spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay a private discussion.

Other key Republicans stuck to similar positions Monday, with Democrats threatening to move forward within days with an unprecedented second impeachment of the same president.

"After the abhorrent violence we saw last week, our country desperately needs to heal and unify," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said. "I have concerns that impeachment proceedings will only divide us further."

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the chairman of the House GOP campaign committee, said impeachment proceedings would "fracture our nation even more instead of bringing us together."

Some rank-and-file Republicans have discussed censuring Trump and the lawmakers who spread false claims about election fraud - including some who promoted "Stop the steal" and other slogans embraced by the rioters. Some are exploring the more serious step of perhaps barring Trump and others from future office under a little-known clause of the 14th Amendment, according to GOP aides.

Still, no particular effort has emerged as a consensus alternative to impeachment - infuriating Democrats who watched McCarthy and other GOP leaders tolerate Trump's persistent efforts to undermine and overturn Joe Biden's Nov. 3 victory.

"The people who have helped cause this are not the people who can lead in healing. They need to move out of the way," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., in a Monday CNN interview. "To try to overturn a legitimate election, to try to trample on the will of the American people, is something that is unforgivable."

Monday started with more silence from the House GOP leadership, who sent four rank-and-file lawmakers to the floor to block a Democratic request to unanimously approve a measure calling on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to remove Trump under the authority of the 25th Amendment.

The group uttered just two words - "I object," Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., said - and then scurried away from the House floor unwilling to explain their position.

Mooney exited the floor and took several back stairways to avoid reporters. Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., who was sworn in eight days ago to her first term, ducked into an elevator without answering any questions. And Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a proud Trump supporter who led the effort to overturn Trump's defeat in his home state, declined to say what next steps Republicans would take.

Mooney later put out a statement opposing the 25th Amendment measure on procedural grounds, calling it a "precedent-setting resolution that could imperil our Republic."

But there are signs that Republicans will not be able to ride out the post-riot firestorm by arguing about process and civility rather than contending with their own culpability in stoking the mob. For one, many GOP lawmakers are openly calling for a reckoning - and a handful are entertaining a vote for impeachment this week.

"It's something we're strongly considering at this point," said freshman Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., in an interview with WXMI-TV in Grand Rapids. "What we saw on Wednesday left the president unfit for office."

For another, a rising tide of corporate donors are declaring that lawmakers who voted to support challenges to the electoral college are, at least for the time being, persona non grata.

Several major banks and blue-chip corporations announced in recent days that they are pausing their donations in some manner due to Wednesday's events. Dow, the multinational chemical company, said Monday that it would immediately suspend contributions to any of the 147 lawmakers - all Republicans - who voted to object to the certification of electoral votes.

"Dow is committed to the principles of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power," the company's statement said.

Speaking on the House floor after the riot, McCarthy denounced the violence. He then voted to reject 31 electoral votes for Biden, representing ballots cast by more than 10 million Americans.

In the weeks leading up to Wednesday's riot, McCarthy brushed off concerns about the electoral college count. He joined his name to a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the Supreme Court in a case that challenged the electoral votes cast by four states. The court dismissed the case in a three-sentence ruling on Dec. 11, but McCarthy and other Republicans continued to publicly support Trump's crusade to question the election.

David Wasserman, the House editor of the Cook Political Report, said publicly in recent days that McCarthy did so over his personal conviction that Joe Biden had won the November election fairly. Wasserman relayed, in a recent series of tweets, details from private conversations he'd had with McCarthy.

"A few weeks after the election," Wasserman wrote on Wednesday, "McCarthy acknowledged Trump's clear loss to me and I asked him if the president's refusal to concede would lead the country down a dangerous road. His response: 'Maybe.' "

The next day, Wasserman wrote that McCarthy had acknowledged "multiple times to me there was no doubt as to Biden's victory."

Wasserman on Monday declined to further discuss his conversations with McCarthy. A spokeswoman for McCarthy did not reply to a question Monday about Wasserman's allegations.

In the Senate, the crisis has been less acute - thanks, in part, to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's effort to rally his ranks against Trump's effort. McConnell emphatically rejected Trump on the Senate floor, declaring that "our democracy would enter a death spiral" should valid elections be challenged in Congress without evidence.

Yet nine Republican senators voted after the riot to reject at least some electoral votes - including Florida Sen. Rick Scott, the incoming chairman of the Senate Republican campaign arm.

Scott defended his vote in a Sunday interview with The Washington Post, raising concerns about changes to Pennsylvania's mail-in voting rules that were ultimately dismissed by both the state and federal supreme courts. "I want to get these election laws fixed," he said.

Two GOP senators - Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania - have expressed openness to hearing an impeachment case. Unlike McCarthy, McConnell has not yet spoken out on the merits of impeaching Trump.

Individual Republican lawmakers are also facing backlash for their support of Trump's sweeping voter fraud claims. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., in particular, have faced withering hometown editorials and alienated key backers.

Chad Sweet, a veteran Republican consultant and fundraiser, denounced both senators in an online posting Friday. He said he had warned Cruz, whose presidential campaign Sweet chaired, in advance of the electoral vote count that he would lose Sweet's support if he proceeded.

"In moments like this, all freedom loving Americans must put the survival of our democracy above loyalty to any party or individual," Sweet wrote.

- - -

The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey and James Hohmann contributed to this report.
ALBANY  U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer personally urged General Electric Co. CEO Larry Culp Jr. in a recent telephone call to build its new Haliade-X offshore wind turbines in New York state  and possibly the Capital Region, a move with the potential to create hundreds of new high-paying manufacturing jobs in the area.

New York state has been pushing for a wind turbine assembly and staging area to be built by the Port of Albany on land along the Hudson River, although a Norwegian firm is expected to be the first potential tenant of the facility, which is located in the town of Bethlehem.

GEs long history in the state, its investments here, and its thousands of existing workers make New York an ideal place for the company to build its wind turbines and continue to grow its leadership in green wind power development and manufacturing," said Schumer, who is poised to become Senate Majority Leader later this month.

GE employs thousands of workers in the Capital Region, most of whom work at the company's historic Schenectady campus. Although GE's renewable energy division is located in Paris, many workers in that unit are employed in Schenectady. Others at GE Research in Niskayuna are also involved in the design of the turbines.

The company does not make its wind turbines in New York state currently, although GE has a wind farm monitoring center in Schenectady. GE makes wind turbines down south in Florida and Louisiana.

GE employs thousands of workers in the state of New York, across six manufacturing facilities, in addition to partnering with over a thousand suppliers in the state," a GE spokesman told the Times Union in a statement. "Should we need to build additional facilities for our Renewables business, we would weigh a number of factors in determining where to locate them, including access to customers, order volume and the general business environment."

The new Haliade-X is the most powerful offshore wind turbine ever designed. Just one rotation of the blades can create enough electricity to power a house for two days. It is unclear where GE is currently planning to make the turbines, which were first announced in 2018.

Schumer said he helped push through a 30 percent federal investment tax credit on offshore wind projects in recent budget legislation. GE said it welcomed that effort greatly.

"We look forward to working with Sen. Schumer and New Yorks federal and state delegation to ensure a strong future for all our businesses," the GE spokesman added.

New York state has pushed for the Port of Albany to prepare sites along the Hudson River that could be used for large off-shore wind turbine assemblies, and supporting such sites has been a major focus of the Capital Region Economic Development Council despite the ongoing pandemic  showing how important a priority it is for the state.

Schumer says that New York state has committed to trying to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2035, while other offshore wind farms are in the development stage along the Northeast coast. If GE were to win contracts for those projects, a site in upstate New York would be ideal, Schumer said.

However, most of GE's orders for the Haliade-X are overseas, where the offshore wind market is much more developed and integrated into government policy.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 72F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
COLUMBIA  The FBI has notified the State Law Enforcement Division of possible armed protests in South Carolina's capital soon, a state agency spokesman said Monday.

SLED said it received information about the possibility of armed protests in the nation's state capitals after a riot by supporters of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol last week that left five people dead, including a police officer. The state agency didn't provide dates the protests are expected in Columbia.

"We are and have been in constant communications with our federal, state and local partners about this information and are prepared to provide any necessary assistance as requested," SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby said.

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said his department is working with state and federal authorities in gathering intelligence and monitoring social media on possible protests through the Jan. 20 inauguration. Columbia will have access to hazardous device units, and aviation and tactical teams from other agencies.

"City of Columbia citizens can expect to see high visible police presence on and around the South Carolina Statehouse, or other identified protest locations as events are announced or detected," Holbrook said.

An FBI bulletin said armed protests are planned in all 50 state capitals starting Jan. 16 through at least Jan. 20, the date of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, according to multiple media reports.

The riot at the U.S. Capitol interrupted Congress' efforts to certify the 2020 presidential election results and were fueled by claims of election fraud that have been rejected in the courts. The results were certified after midnight when deliberations resumed after the disturbances.

Now federal authorities are warning of the potential for more unrest in the waning days of Trump's presidency.

The S.C. Bureau of Protective Services, which protects the Statehouse, increased security last week, an agency spokesman said in a statement.

"We are remaining in a state of heightened security and vigilance and monitoring developments in the state and around the nation," the statement said.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott declined to directly address the FBI's warning during a news conference Monday to discuss murders in his jurisdiction during 2020, saying only that his office works with local partners in such instances and would do so again if required.

A statement from the FBI's Columbia field office didn't directly address the possibility of armed protests in the city, but said the agency will work with state and local agencies as needed.

"As we do in the normal course of business, we are gathering information to identify any potential threats and are sharing that information with our partners," the statement said. "The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property."

On the same day a mob pushed into the U.S. Capitol, about a hundred Trump supporters came to the S.C. Statehouse in a peaceful show of solidarity for the defeated president.

More than 100 people attended a pro-Trump rally at the S.C. Statehouse on the same day as the Capitol riot.

The event, which included a speech by Republican state Rep. Josiah Magnuson of Spartanburg, was peppered with "Stop the Steal" and other placards asserting that the Nov. 3 general election was comprised by voter fraud.

Though the gathering was nonviolent, there was a police presence and about 25 members of the Proud Boys, a far-right organization labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Adam Benson contributed to this report.
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SAGINAW, MI  Police have arrested a man accused of opening fire on another man on a Saginaw street in broad daylight.

Officers on Sunday, Jan. 10, located and arrested Willie Scott Jr., 29, and lodged him in the Saginaw County Jail. The next day, Scott appeared before Saginaw County District Judge M. Randall Jurrens for arraignment on single counts of assault with intent to murder  a life offense  carrying a concealed weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and three counts of felony firearm.

Jurrens set Scotts bond at $500,000 cash-surety or 10 percent.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at 1:18 p.m. on Jan. 5 and began at Babel Food Market, 2321 Webber St. on Saginaws East Side, police have said. Scott and his 52-year-old mother, Kaylen D. Oehring, visited the store and Scott got into a disagreement with another male customer, said Saginaw Police Sgt. Matthew Gerow.

A 30-year-old man also entered the store and intervened in the dispute, Gerow said. Shortly thereafter, Scott and Oehring drove away from the store and followed the other customer who had intervened in the earlier dispute, according to police.

Near Webber and Sheridan, Scott fired a several shots from a handgun at the other customers vehicle, Gerow said. The driver of that vehicle took off and collided with another vehicle, Gerow said.

The man who was shot at was not struck by the bullets, though his vehicle was, the sergeant said.

The assailants fled the scene before police arrived. Police later arrested Oehring on Jan. 6, the same day authorities issued a warrant for Scott.

Oehring is charged with single counts of assault with intent to murder and felony firearms. She is to appear for a preexamination conference on Jan. 15, while Scott is to appear for one on Jan. 19.

Read more:

Saginaw woman charged in dispute that led to gunfire, police seeking 2nd person

Dispute at Saginaw store leads to gunfire, woman arrested

Saginaw man found shot to death is citys 26th homicide of 2020
[January 12, 2021] Minnesota Power Announces Vision for 100 Percent Carbon-Free Energy by 2050

Minnesota Power, an ALLETE company, today announced its vision to deliver 100 percent carbon-free energy to customers by 2050, continuing its commitment to climate, customers and communities through its EnergyForward strategy. Minnesota Power's vision for a carbon-free future builds on its recent achievement of now providing 50 percent renewable energy to its customers. In its upcoming Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), the company will lay out bold next steps in its clean-energy transition over the next 15 years, reflecting plans to expand wind and solar resources, achieve coal-free operations at its facilities by 2035 and invest in a resilient and flexible transmission and distribution grid. The IRP will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) on Feb. 1. "We are proud to be the first Minnesota utility to provide 50 percent renewable energy, but as we said when we reached this exciting milestone in December, our transformation to a sustainable energy future is not yet complete," said ALLETE President and CEO Bethany Owen. "As a clean energy leader, we are meeting the challenge of climate change with a reliable energy supply while keeping costs affordable for customers in this region." In the IRP, Minnesota Power will identify plans to increase its renewable energy supply to 70 percent by 2030 and achieve a coal-free energy supply by 2035. These steps include: Adding an estimated 400 new megawatts of wind and solar energy.

Retiring Boswell Energy Center Unit 3 by 2030. (335MWs)

Transforming Minnesota Power's Boswell Energy Center Unit 4 (468MWs) to be coal-free by 2035.

Investing in a modern, flexible transmission and distribution grid. Minnesota Power has set a target to achieve an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 compared to 2005 levels, meeting the tate's goal for greenhouse gas reductions 15 years ahead of schedule. Like other area utilities, Minnesota Power's plan will recognize that advances in technology will play a significant role in completing its transition to a carbon-free energy supply, reliably and affordably. The IRP filing will acknowledge the need for this flexibility.



When the IRP is submitted, the MPUC will begin a regulatory process that provides for input from customers, organizations and communities. Minnesota Power spent the past 12 months in discussions with stakeholders that helped inform the details of its IRP, including the goal of delivering 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050. A final decision on the IRP is expected later in 2021. As the company achieves the benchmarks outlined in the IRP, it will continue to work with community and environmental stakeholders, local businesses, consumer advocates and other interested organizations on additional strategies for reaching the 2050 carbon-free energy goal reliably, safely and affordably.

In recent years, Minnesota Power has transformed its energy supply from more than a 95 percent reliance on coal to become a leader in the nation's clean-energy transformation. For example, since 2013, the company has closed or converted seven of its nine coal-fired units and added nearly 900 megawatts of renewable energy sources. Additionally, Minnesota Power has been a leader in energy conservation, surpassing the state's conservation goals each year for the past decade. "For Minnesota Power, this plan is about more than achieving the most significant sustainability goal in our long history - it is about becoming 100 percent carbon-free the right way," Owen said. "Our diverse customer base relies on us to continue to provide reliable and affordable energy. We also believe it is critically important that our transition to carbon-free energy takes into account the needs of our employees and the residents of communities that have hosted our generation plants. By embracing this vision, Minnesota Power and our employees will continue to support the quality of life that has made our residents, businesses and community organizations choose this region as their home." Minnesota Power provides electric service within a 26,000-square-mile area in northeastern Minnesota, supporting comfort, security and quality of life for 145,000 customers, 15 municipalities and some of the largest industrial customers in the United States. WPPI Energy is a 20 percent owner of Boswell Energy Center Unit 4. More information can be found at www.mnpower.com. ALE-CORP The statements contained in this release and statements that ALLETE may make orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks discussed in documents filed by ALLETE with the Securities and Exchange Commission. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005694/en/

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Parliament Closed to Public due to COVID-19 Measures

Parliament is scheduled to next meet on Friday 15th January 2021 at 3:00 pm.

The Civil Contingencies Emergency (Coronavirus) (Health Protection Measures No.4) Regulations 2021 that were published on 2nd January 2021 state that a person, for the purposes of the protection of the health of oneself and others from Coronavirus, is prohibited from leaving their place of residence except in certain circumstances set out in these regulations.

These regulations do not permit for a member of the public to attend a meeting of Parliament. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of spread of the virus, the meeting of Parliament will be closed to the public.

However, the meeting will be televised on GBC and streamed on the Parliaments website www.parliament.gi for those wishing to view the proceedings.
By Arthur I. Cyr





President Vladimir Putin of Russia held his traditional year-end press conference on Dec. 17. The annual show is certainly preferable to the grotesque show trials of Stalin's Soviet Union, and provides real information.







Putin dismissed United States elections as flawed. Later, when rioters invaded the U.S. Congress on Jan. 6, Russia's media reacted with scripted condemnation. In reality, Putin's press conference is one highlight within a repressive political environment.







Putin held forth for over four hours, impressively well informed. In deference to the continuing pandemic, he met with the media remotely from his home outside Moscow.







Russia's autocrat emphasized economic matters. He cited statistics indicating pandemic reversals have been lower than in other industrial nations.







However, Russia began from a much lower, weaker baseline. Despite the end of old-fashioned Communist control, extensive state involvement in industry remains. This facilitates producing relatively positive statistics, at least for a while.







Above all, stay mindful that Putin not only survived but also advanced professionally in the KGB, the ruthless, murderous Soviet secret police. He spent significant formative years in Communist East Germany, a disciplined totalitarian state that grew directly from Nazi Germany. He is one tough, shrewd and capable adversary.







Russian mischief in other countries is ongoing, with the United States a prime target, and the regime is ruthless toward critics. Last summer, Alexei Navalny, a prominent influential Russia opposition leader, was poisoned and survived only because of emergency evacuation to Germany in a secure aircraft.







For the U.S. as well as our allies, effective policy must reflect historical context. George Kennan, probably the most perceptive American analyst of Russia, wrote in 1954 that Soviet leaders "are not like  us."







Russia lacks great power, but uses advantage and influence skillfully. The 2014 annexation of Crimea, which was part of the Soviet Union until 1954, reflects traditional Russian insecurity about reliable access to the global oceans. A home port of Russia's Black Sea fleet is in Crimea, where support for Russia is strong.







The Obama administration and the European Union protested the invasion and imposed sanctions, no idle gesture given the structural weakness of Russia's economy. That however did not escalate to a return to the Cold War.







Ethnic instability is endemic throughout the former Soviet Union. One example is Ukraine's complex history of relations with Russia. The Russian revolution in 1917 sparked an independence movement. After years of struggle, Ukraine eventually was absorbed into the Soviet Union.



Given this history, caution with alertness should define U.S. policy. Kennan insightfully advocated "containment" of Soviet communism, and that remains the best approach. Russia remains weak economically. That provides opportunity for the U.S., especially with the many ethnic populations within and surrounding Russia.







Meanwhile, Putin steadily expands Russia's influence in the Middle East. President George H.W. Bush orchestrated victory in the First Gulf War, and followed up with brilliant diplomatic leadership. Today, Russia has successfully reduced U.S. influence.







Putin's press conference comments on Navalny showed a flash of the brutal KGB killer: "Who needs him anyway? If we had really wanted, we would have finished the job."







Political and media criticism of Donald Trump for being too friendly and accommodating to Putin has been constant. However, the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama were also guilty of naivete about Russia.







Let us hope the Biden administration will be more realistic.









Arthur I. Cyr (

) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU and Palgrave/Macmillan).






Motorists zipping along E. NASA Parkway may not have noticed, but a sign shows that a Pasadena body of water previously known as Mud Lake has a new name.

The renaming to Lake Mark Kramer after a longtime local conservationist was made official Monday during an online ceremony that drew more than 100 people.

Kramer has plied the waters of Mud Lake and Armand Bayou throughout his life and has spent the bulk of his adulthood working there, too. For the last 25 years until his recent retirement, he has served as the conservation director and chief naturalist at Armand Bayou Nature Center in Pasadena. Before that, he spent eight years with the Harris County Parks Department, where he led tours and taught classes from an ecotour boat on the waterways.

Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner recounted that his first interaction with Kramer was on an tour of the bayou.

I was fascinated at the things he was saying, because he just didnt know them, they were in his heart, he said. His passion was real.

I learned more about that bayou on that one visit than I ever did studying before I got there.

The name change became possible after Wagner received the go-ahead from the state of Texas.

Kramer prepared some remarks that were read at the online ceremony by George Regmund, who had been a naturalist and educator at the nature center from 1976 to 2013 and who worked with Kramer on many projects.

I have been a student of Armand Bayou for more than 40 years, Kramers statement said. With mud under my toenails, I have found a lifetime of happiness being immersed in this lovely place. Im deeply grateful for this unexpected honor.

The renaming has the enthusiastic approval of Tim Pylate, executive director of the nature center.

Mark is a native son of Pasadena, Pylate said. He grew up swimming in Armand Bayou as a kid. For him to be honored this way by the city of Pasadena, it is a huge honor.

As you approach the end of your career, one of the things that you wonder as you go into retirement is, Did I make a difference? Did I move the needle? Did I have an impact?

For someone who works in conservation and preservation, to have a public waterway named after you is a very nice affirmation that your career has been successful.

Another way to measure a persons impact is through how far his reach extends.

One of the most wonderful things about Mark Kramer is that if you look in parks departments and preservation and conservation workers all around the city of Houston and even beyond, you will find people in leadership positions that will tell you they cut their teeth here at Armand Bayou Nature Center under the tutelage of Mark Kramer, Pylate said.

Even though (Mark) is retired, he still serves as our director of conservation and chief naturalist emeritus, Pylate said. He is officially retired, but we still consider him a part of our team.

The decision was easy to put a new name on Mud Lake, which links Armand Bayou to Clear Lake, Pylate said.

No single person has done more for the health of the environment of the ecology along Armand Bayou, which is a tributary of Mud Lake, he said. This is to honor more than 30 years of work in conservation and restoration along the bayou.

The goal is for the new name to eventually make its way to maps of the area.

Thats what were working toward, Pylate said. Were working with the powers that be to make sure it shows up on all of the maps.

Pylate said one of those authorities is the Texas General Land Office.

Armand Bayou itself also got its name from a tireless preservationist.

In the early 1970s, Armand Yramategui spearheaded efforts to create a preserve on what was then known as Middle Bayou. When he died, the waterways name was changed to honor him.

John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com.
Connecticut's first round of COVID-19 vaccinations at nursing homes was completed on Friday. This marks a milestone that comes as skilled nursing facilities continue to tackle the second wave of novel coronavirus cases.

Connecticut Completes Nursing Home Vaccinations

Connecticut is currently in Phase 1a of its statewide vaccine dissemination.

The first week of 2021 ended on a positive note for the state amid a concerning increase in coronavirus cases that have been recorded with 111 fatalities in skilled nursing facilities in Connecticut from December 30 to January. 5.

With the immunization of staff and residents at LiveWell, a facility specializing in taking care of people with dementia, Governor Ned Lamont stated Connecticut became the first state to set forth inoculation to all skilled nursing facilities.

According to Lamont, "The fact that by the end of today we're going to have first doses for all of our nursing homes is an important, big deal. You know, today our infection rate spiked up again, up at about 8%."

Workers and residents who were not yet administered the shot or who decided against it during the first series will still have an opportunity to get inoculated. Walgreens, CVS, and other pharmacies that have cooperated with nursing homes in the immunization effort are slated to make a total of three stops at the facilities.

As the first batch of COVID-19 vaccination clinics at Connecticut nursing homes came to a close on Friday, according to state and public health officials, there remains dubiousness among a couple of nursing home workers to be administered the vaccine.

Governor Ned Lamont stated on Thursday that early data from Connecticut's initial dissemination of vaccines at nursing homes indicate merely 40% to 50% of nursing home staff decided to receive the shot, reported Connecticut Public Radio.

Also Read: Millions of Stimulus Checks Through Prepaid Debit Cards to Be Mailed Out Starting This Week

The last facility to hold its first clinic was LiveWell, a long-term care facility in Plantsville.

According to Lamont, "The fact that by the end of today we're going to have first doses for all of our nursing homes is an important big deal," reported US News.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice declared on December 30 that his state was the first in the United States to finish providing the first of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to its nursing homes.

The federal government has been denounced as slow and under fire from President-elect Joe Biden, who remarked not enough of the vaccine is being manufactured.

"We are one of the first states in the country to get over two percent of our population at least their first vaccine dose," explained Lamont, reported News 8.

The Connecticut governor said it was not made clear why LiveWell was the last to be administered the vaccine.

According to a spokesperson for LiveWell, 100% of its residents have been administered the first dose of the vaccine, and an estimated 80-85% of the staff have taken the jab.

Notwithstanding the milestone, the most recent statistics still show that residents are still dying in nursing homes at a concerning rate.

Even as the first series of vaccinations were finishing in Connecticut, others were beginning to provide the second round of doses at an Apple Rehab facility in Middletown.

Related Article: Bar Owners Sue Arkansas Over COVID-19 Curfew Reportedly Taking Their Livelihoods

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Earlier this week CNN interviewed John Sullivan from Utah after the shooting death of Ashli Babbit by Capitol Hill police.

John Sullivan, a noted leftist leader from Utah, stormed the US Capitol with fellow activists on Wednesday.

John Sullivan is a Black Lives Matter goon from Utah who was flown into DC during the planned Stop the Steal rally.

In August John Sullivan threatened to rip President Trump from the White House during violence in Washington DC. Sullivan was flown to DC for the protests.

At the time John Sullivan was described as a Black Lives Matter leader from Utah.

From our earlier report:

John Sullivan stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday. He was near Ashli Babbit when she was killed by Capitol police.

Amy Mek at RAIR Foundation reported:

Meet BLM criminal John Sullivan was arrested for threats and violence against conservatives in Utah! John was interviewed on CNN about the film he took inside the CAPITOL of Ashli Babbit lying in a pool of blood dying  WHY was he there? Listen to John threaten Trump & Violence pic.twitter.com/uAVM6y1NxT  Amy Mek (@AmyMek) January 7, 2021

So what was John Sullivan was caught on camera in the US Capitol?

https://twitter.com/OrbitaEduardo/status/1347193007095894016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1347193007095894016%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2021%2F01%2Fignored-media-flash-bangs-going-off-us-capitol-trump-finished-speech-antifa-organized-protest-near-us-capitol-stormed%2F

On Friday investigative journalist Millie Weaver ran into John Sullivan in Washington DC.

She overheard him say he was not being charged.

https://twitter.com/Millie__Weaver/status/1347722833024200707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1347722833024200707%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2021%2F01%2Fignored-media-flash-bangs-going-off-us-capitol-trump-finished-speech-antifa-organized-protest-near-us-capitol-stormed%2F

As we reported earlier  and from Millie Weaver  John Sullivan organized a BLM-Antifa event at the Washington Memorial on Wednesday, January 6th.

 then he was seen storming the US Capitol!

How many of his Antifa buddies were with him?

Raheem

I agree. I was walking past the Capitol and flash bangs were already going off and this was before Trump's speech had ended.  Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) January 11, 2021

And now there are reports that the flash bangs started going off at the US Capitol before President Trump was finished with his speech at the Ellipse.

A vast majority of patriots left the Ellipse and went home after President Trump finished his speech.

It was bitterly cold in Washington DC that day.

https://twitter.com/anotherday1/status/1348619104169709572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1348619104169709572%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2021%2F01%2Fignored-media-flash-bangs-going-off-us-capitol-trump-finished-speech-antifa-organized-protest-near-us-capitol-stormed%2F

Oh, cops didnt use tear gas, other chemical agents, and flash bangs on Trump supporters at the Capitol yesterday? This must just be a drill. Nothing to see here. Wouldnt want to upset the narrative or anything. https://t.co/vIUfqgxaOF pic.twitter.com/XRrfGk1HSQ  ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) January 8, 2021

CNN even admitted that flashbangs were going off at 1 PM.

President Trump was still speaking at 1 PM!

Shortly after 1 p.m. ET pro-Trump protesters pushed through barriers set up along the perimeter of the US Capitol Building. They tussled with officers in full riot gear, some calling officers "traitors" for doing their jobs. https://t.co/dUV3AQNIUk  CNN (@CNN) January 6, 2021

Gateway Pundit
AFP

After the Supreme Court slammed the Centre over farm laws, farmer leaders said they would continue their agitation even if the government or the Supreme Court stays the implementation of the new agri laws. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:

1) India To Begin World's Largest Vaccination Drive On Jan 16: All Your Questions Answered

Reuters

On January 16, India is set to begin the world's largest vaccination drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. Read more

2) Centre Asks Supreme Court To Stop Farmers' Tractor Rally On Republic Day

PTI

The farmers have planned to hold a huge rally in Delhi on the day, if their demands to scrap the contentious farm laws are not. Haryana farmers plan to hold a rally too, with one tractor from each village joining in. The farmers had said they were expecting at least 20,000 tractors. Read more

3) Farmers Refuse To Bow Down, Say Won't Leave Protest Site Until Agri Laws Are Taken Back

BCCL

The apex court also said a committee would be formed to take over negotiations to end the crisis. "We are staying the three farm laws until further orders," Chief Justice SA Bobde said. Read more

4) Bird Flu Hits 10 States, Thousands Of Birds To Be Culled; Haryana Reports Highest Deaths

BCCL

Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat are other states which had earlier confirmed the presence of bird flu after several birds were found dead. Read more

5) Avian Flu Is Spreading Beyond Chickens And Crows, This Is Bad News For Endangered Birds

Representational Image

The bird flu outbreak which is fast spreading across the country is posing a threat to the poultry industry in India. But there is a growing concern that the Avian Influenza which began reporting in India some three weeks ago may go well beyond that. Read more
Vertical Flight Society and its members continue to move forward to support transformative vertical flight aircraft developments While the commercial aviation industry saw massive economic impacts, investment in eVTOL has continued at the rate of about $1B per year. Some $5B has been invested into eVTOL aircraft and systems development to date, with much of the funding coming from outside of the traditional aerospace industry

The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the worlds leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that the growth of worlds electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developments have continued apace despite the global pandemic.

This past year saw continued growth and progress in eVTOL developments, said Mike Hirschberg, VFS Executive Director. Our members in industry, academia and government agencies around the world have been tackling the toughest challenges in vertical flight, proving out the promise of this new approach to air mobility.

Even while the commercial aviation industry saw massive economic impacts, investment in eVTOL has continued at the rate of about $1B per year. Some $5B has been invested into eVTOL aircraft and systems development to date, with much of the funding coming from outside of the traditional aerospace industry. The eVTOL industry has grown at an exponential pace with thousands of engineers, programmers and technologists now employed by eVTOL developers worldwide.

Nearly 250 companies and innovators have been studying the promise and challenges of eVTOL, with more than 400 eVTOL aircraft concepts now catalogued by VFS. Two dozen companies are now known to be flying full-scale or large-scale multi-passenger eVTOL aircraft. Last year saw a number of first flights, as well as a significant increase in flight-testing  demonstrating electric VTOL capabilities and expanded the aircraft performance envelopes.

Annual Electric VTOL Symposium

VFS has been at the forefront of what it calls the Electric VTOL Revolution since 2014 when it held the worlds first meeting of the eVTOL development community. Later this month, the Societys 8th Annual Electric VTOL Symposium  being held online Jan. 2628 in conjunction with its 9th Biennial Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting  continues as the worlds largest and longest-running event focusing on the incredible promise, progress and challenges of eVTOL aircraft.

As in previous years, the annual symposium will present the latest insights, trends and progress in eVTOL developments. This months symposium features keynote presentations by government leaders from NASA, the US Army, US Air Force and the FAA, as well as industry keynotes from Boeing, Joby Aviation and Honeywell executives. More than 50 additional VIP speakers and panelists in the symposium cover important topics regarding electric VTOL, while 25 technical papers on drones, autonomy and advanced air mobility (AAM) will be presented as part of the Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting. Details are available at http://www.vtol.org/eVTOL2021.

When VFS launched the first meeting in 2014, the idea of electric VTOL aircraft was greeted with widespread skepticism, but growing technical progress, flight demonstrations, government validation and private investment have helped reverse public perception. It is now recognized that the vertical flight market is poised for significant expansion over the next few years as eVTOL aircraft enter service that can have higher performance than conventional helicopters for certain missions, as well as lower operating costs and lower noise.

Exponential Growth Continues in the eVTOL Industry

As of today, the Society has cataloged 407 different electric VTOL concepts from 245 companies and innovators on its authoritative World eVTOL Aircraft Directory at http://www.evtol.news. More than 150 new designs were added in 2020. When VFS launched the site in April 2017, only a dozen eVTOL programs were under development. The site now also includes 435 eVTOL news stories, including some 200 in-depth articles from the Societys Vertiflite magazine, the leading periodical on eVTOL and rotorcraft developments.

VFS has also seen record growth in corporate members continue. As of Jan. 1, more than 135 companies are now members of VFS, a 15% growth over 2020 and a doubling over the past five years. Much of this growth in members is due to the extensive support efforts and resources that VFS provides to the eVTOL industry, including technical resources, talent acquisition, educational opportunities and networking.

Despite the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, companies around the world that are seeking to succeed with eVTOL technologies turn to VFS, said Hirschberg. We have been leading efforts to advance electric vertical flight for the past seven years and have been working tirelessly to expand the eVTOL community.

VFS was founded as the American Helicopter Society in 1943 by the visionaries of the early helicopter industry, who believed that technological cooperation and collaboration were essential to support this new type of aircraft. Today, history is repeating itself, with VFS playing a similar role helping to advance todays revolutionary eVTOL aircraft.

VFS holds the largest and longest-running vertical flight technical conference in the world, which this year will be its 77th Annual Forum & Technology Display on May 11-13, 2021, which is planned for West Palm Beach, Florida: http://www.vtol.org/forum.

Follow VFS on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube) at @VTOLsociety.

The Vertical Flight Society

2700 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 275, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA

1-703-684-6777  fax: 1-703-739-9279

pr@vtol.org  http://www.vtol.org
The School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes Univ ersity has started a 5 million grant-giving programme, to improve the documentation of endangered wooden architecture throughout the world and make records freely available online.

The Endangered Wooden Architecture Programme (EWAP) has been made possible through a grant from Arcadia - a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, and will be delivered in collaboration with CyARK, a non-profit organisation that digitises and shares significant cultural heritage.

The aim of the project is to provide funding to researchers based at higher education, research, heritage conservation or museum institutions around the world, to help establish an open-access digital repository, which will document endangered wooden building traditions and preserve records long term. The programme will also develop research capacity, foster new collaborations and initiatives, and raise awareness and appreciation of wooden architecture.

Sustainability and cultural heritage

The project is being spearheaded by Professor Marcel Vellinga, Professor of Anthropology of Architecture, together with Dr Aylin Orbasli, Reader in Architectural Regeneration, both at Oxford Brookes University. A call for proposals will begin in September 2021.

Professor Vellinga commented: "We would like to receive project proposals which can play a transformative role in documenting and raising the profile of endangered wooden buildings worldwide. Wood has earned its place as a key building material throughout time. However, extensive and rapid global deforestation, combined with competition from industrially manufactured materials, threatens the continuity and survival of many wooden buildings.

"In many parts of the world, carpentry traditions and ways of life associated with them have diminished. There is an urgent need to document the endangered wooden architectural heritage, before much of it disappears. I hope the results of the programme will provide a tangible legacy which can be accessed by all. It will hopefully also provide inspiration to a new generation of architects and engineers who are re-discovering timber as an environmentally sustainable and low carbon building material."

Spotlight on most endangered wooden buildings

EWAP will support projects that focus on documenting wooden architecture that is endangered because of neglect, conflict or environmental effects, including climate change. The programme will also support the documentation of bamboo, palm, reed or grass traditions, if a strong case for their at-risk status can be made. EWAP will pay special attention to projects in parts of the world where documentation is less developed and funding support is more difficult to obtain. Support for local research teams and capacity building in rapidly developing documentation methods is a key component of the project.

Funding allocations will be decided by an international expert panel, composed of leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of wooden architecture, architectural conservation and digital heritage documentation.

Funded projects will produce a range of data, including digital outputs (point cloud images, photogrammetric images, scaled ortho-images, 3D models), as well as drawings, plans, sections and elevations, photographs, videos, maps, oral histories and other forms of written documentation.

The first call for applications will go out in September 2021 and will be announced on the programme's website.

If you would like to know more about the project, please contact Professor Marcel Vellinga or Dr Aylin Orbasli: Email: mvellinga@brookes.ac.uk or aorbasli@brookes.ac.uk

Pictured: Heralded as China's oldest woven-arch timber bridge, the Rulong ("like a dragon") Bridge was constructed during the Ming dynasty in 1625 and renovated between 1821 and 1859 during the Qing dynasty. Author: Ronald G. Knapp, 2019.

###

Notes to Editors:

Arcadia is a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin. It supports charities and scholarly institutions that preserve cultural heritage and the environment. Arcadia also supports projects that promote open access and all of its awards are granted on the condition that any materials produced are made available for free online. Since 2002, Arcadia has awarded more than $777 million to projects around the world.

Oxford Brookes University will provide open access to all data generated by the projects and ensure its long-term storage. The grantees' host institutions will provide back-up storage. To provide support and help build research capacity, training in documentation methods will be delivered by Oxford Brookes University, in collaboration with CyARK.

An open access platform that stores data on wooden architecture, will have the potential to make an invaluable contribution to the preservation of the world's cultural heritage. It will trigger new understandings, applications and collaborations among conservationists, academics, policy makers, architectural practitioners, engineers and local communities.

The School of Architecture is placed second for teaching in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings. The School celebrated its 90th year in 2017 and is one of the oldest in the UK.

Find out more about the range of research in the Oxford Brookes School of Architecture

Set in a historic student city, Oxford Brookes is one of the UK's leading universities and enjoys an international reputation for teaching excellence and innovation as well as strong links with business and industry. More information is available on the Oxford Brookes website at http://www. brookes. ac. uk

Professor Marcel Vellinga and Dr Aylin Orbasli are available for interviews. For further information please contact Pauline Brandt in the Oxford Brookes Press Office: 01865 484 454 or email pr@brookes.ac.uk
Talk about passion! Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess became Instagram official on Monday, January 11, when the Dancing With the Stars pro, 35, shared a PDA pic of the duo.

Read article

Him, she captioned the photo of her kissing the 47-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 alum. She also added the lips emoji. It didnt take long for her famous friends to react in the comments.

Courtesy Sharna Burgess/Instagram

Omg omg omg. I have no words, former Dancing With the Stars pro Jenna Johnson wrote. Peta Murgatroyd added, There they are, with heart emojis. LOVE you guys.

The pair were first spotted together on Christmas Day jetting off to Hawaii for a vacation together.

We had a great time. We had a really good time. Hawaii is an amazing place, the Masked Dancer judge told Access Hollywood on Saturday, January 9. Its all going really well right now. Its early on, so we dont have any labels or anything, obviously, but were really enjoying each others company.

Read article

The California native also raved over the amazing Australia native. Shes super responsible and shes super sweet and caring, passionate, fun to be around, so I feel blessed right now, he said, noting that they met via their shared manager. She was like, Hey, Ive got a client that you should meet.'

Although he wasnt sure since he was still reeling from his split from Megan Fox, he begrudgingly went and the two hit it off.

Christopher Smith/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; Kelsey McNeal/ABC

In May 2020, the California native confirmed he and Fox, 34, had separated after 10 years of marriage. The pair share three sons, Noah, 8, Bodhi, 6, and Journey, 4. The Transformers star, who filed for divorce in November, has since moved on with Machine Gun Kelly.

Read article

Last month, Burgess confirmed to Us Weekly that she is off the market and seeing someone new. The Burn the Floor alum hinted that the person is famous and said that this romance felt different than her previous relationships.

How funny would it be if I actually found the love of my life during a pandemic? she told Us at the time. Im looking for that soulmate stuff  that thing where that something inside you recognizes that something inside them.
Hot Tub Time Machine is about to get another sequel. But instead of super talented funny men like Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson, the third installment of the franchise will star politicians like Mitt Romney, Larry Hogan, John Kasich and Ben Sasse.

The plot is to return the conservative movement to a super polite group of stiff losers who wait their turn to speak while inspiring no one. Colin Powell approves.

As President Donald Trump fights for America, the beloved cherub-like Sen. Ben Sasse, alleged Republican of Nebraska, fights for the media and the Democrats.

This is not a new problem. Sasse stood up as the Senates NeverTrumper all the way back in 2016. When Trump was fighting Hillary Clinton, Sasse was fighting Trump. When Trump was fighting the Obama administrations Russia hoax, Sasse was fighting Trump. When Trump has fought socialism, Marxism, wokism, antifa, defund the police, and the entire Big Tech/media industrial complex, across four grueling years, guess where Ben Sasse was when he wasn't in the hot-tub with Jeff Flake?

Teach your children to never grow up and be Ben Sasse.

Not one time during Trumps successful term in the White House, did Ben Sasse put his own ego aside and step up for the conservative, American principles he claims he supports.

Donald Trump delivered the most conservative presidency since Ronald Wilson Reagan. Trump out-performed both Bushes by miles. His conservative accomplishments for America include:

The strongest job market, for all demographics, in decades

Tax cuts that strengthened the lower and middle classed and unleashed American business

Bringing jobs that the Bushies NAFTA sent to China and Mexico back to America

Historic peace deals between Israel and several of its Arab neighbors

Curbed illegal immigration through the wall and enforcement

American energy independence and dominance for the first time in decades

Where was Ben Sasse when Donald Trump was racking up win after win for Americans? Where was Ben Sasse when Donald Trump was donating his salary while making sure more and more Americans could find jobs and put food on their tables?

Sasse was sniping at Trump. Sasse compared Trump to the odious David Duke and even Hillary Clinton. Sasse became the medias favorite Republican, like John McCain before him, by taking pot-shots at a more successful Republican.

In 2017, just four months after inauguration, Sasse was already sitting down for cozy interviews with the media and plotting against Trump. Trump was already fighting for his political life. He had been since before taking office. Sasse was preparing to frag him.

Trump battled back against the media as it launched wave after wave of attack against him on the Russia hoax. Trump could have used some Senate support. He could have benefited if a conservative from the heartland had his back. He got none of that from Sasse. Instead, Sasse accused Trump of weaponizing distrust in the media. When Trump was fighting against the media as the enemy of the people, Sasse was making sure the media knew whose side he was on.

Trump had every right to call out the media for its campaign of lies against him. The media is dishonest. Its untrustworthy. It is the hider of truth and the enemy of the people. Led by the New York Times, the media attacked the foundations of America itself through the 1619 Project and cancel culture. Most Americans rightly despise the media. But Sasse weaponized the media against Trump.

Trump used Twitter before his banishment to fight back, get around the lying media, and talk directly to the American people. What did Sasse do? He clapped back -- at Trump.

When the media created the lie that Trump had not denounced white supremacists, which he clearly did immediately after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Sasse shamelessly helped push that lie forward.

As Trump built his astonishing success record, Sasse continued to attack him. In 2018, Trumps second year, Sasse went to the media to tell the world that he was not on board the Trump train. The truth is, Sasse never even gave Trump or his ideas a chance.

February, 2019: Trump is still battling the media, still racking up conservative wins for America, and getting ready to face the Democrats for reelection. Where was Sasse? Head-faking that he just might run against Trump in the GOP presidential primary. That earned Sasse more fawning media coverage and helped the Democrats. It didnt help Trump fight for America.

But fast forward to September 2019. Sasse is up for reelection to the Senate. Trump is successful and leading a conservative juggernaut in American policy. Trump has the approval of about 90% of Republicans. Sasse the NeverTrumper decides he needs a helping hand from the president he has spent years trashing.

Trump graciously endorses Sasse, and Sasse wins reelection to the Senate.

How does the allegedly conservative Republican senator repay Trumps generosity?

By undermining Trump as he fights for the integrity of the presidential election, the foundation on which the legitimacy of our republic rests. Across 2020 before and after the election, Sasse has come at Trump over challenging the election, presidential pardons, even Trumps quick walk to a historic church showing order had been restored after antifa rioters nearly destroyed it, and Washington DCs inept mayor did nothing to stop them.

Sasse isnt done kicking Trump. After protesters including some Trump supporters and antifa apologists broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, Sasse set a land speed record for getting to his keyboard to blame Trump. The fact that there were election irregulariries that rated attention, and that Democrats including Joe Biden had not opposed months of violent rioting and attacks on symbols of America across the nation, doesnt seem to have ever entered Sasses mind.

Sasse is a waste of a Senate seat for the Republican party. In a nation seeking authenticity, Sasse is a steaming fraud. He uses the labels of Republican and conservative to undermine the republic and hand power to the opposition. Hes a menace to the party and to the principles he claims to cherish.

Does Sasse see a President when he looks at his reflection in the hot tub? Most likely. But the GOP has changed under Trump and no one is time traveling back to the days of losing honorably like John McCain did in 2008.

Ben Sasse, alleged conservative, has delivered no help to the most conservative president in decades. Parents, teach your kids not to be the fair-weather friend that Ben Sasse has been to Donald Trump. Teach them to be better than that.
SARS-CoV-2 UK variant testing now available as a fee-for-service and as a complete PCR kit for testing labs! Tweet this

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By applying this method of community wastewater monitoring to the newly circulating UK variant, GT Molecular is the first to go one step further and actually "genotype the sewer".

According to Dr. Rose Nash, GT Molecular's Director of R&D, "This is a fantastic opportunity to leverage the advantages of wastewater epidemiology over conventional swab-based testing. With a single rapid analysis, we can assess an entire community for the presence of the new hyper-transmissible COVID-19 variant and return results to public health officials within 24 hours."

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These new tests enable GT Molecular to provide communities, researchers and wastewater treatment operations across the U.S. with the latest information about the new COVID-19 variant. GT Molecular has deep experience in both wastewater testing and clinical assay development for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic and this release underlines its commitment to serving communities and wastewater treatment operations across the country.

"We continue to make great strides in waterborne pathogen detection both for communities and testing labs with our fee-for-service offering and our PCR assay kits," says GT Molecular CEO Christopher McKee. "These new tests will allow communities to quickly determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 variant is present while giving health officials timely data that can better help manage outbreaks."

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Whether it be cancer, GMO or harmful pathogens, GT Molecular (GTM) is a leader in providing highly customizable, ultrasensitive digital PCR and qPCR tests for researchers and the Molecular Diagnostics community. GTM's molecular app technology is an easy-to-use, end-to-end solution for rapid deployment and provides reliable and consistent measurements while detecting as little as 1-3 molecules of target nucleic acid.

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Award-winning Chef Justin Turner has found a place to expand his interests and specialties with a new restaurant at Redemption Square in Generation Park near Summerwood.

A champion on Food Networks Chopped and creator of Bernies Burger Bus, Turner is exuberant to host a grand opening this month for Bocca Italian Kitchen and Lupo Pizzeria, which took the spots once occupied by Wholesome Kitchen and Wholesome Pies. Their soft opening began Dec. 18, but the official grand opening of the new restaurant will be at 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 15.

INVESTIGATIONS: How do you get a COVID-19 vaccine? In Texas' rollout, it's a game of luck and chance.

Turner said this is not a burger guy merely attempting Italian food  this is a chef expanding his talents into a new realm he is more than prepared to exhibit.

This is an opportunity to grow a beautiful ecosystem of hospitality, Turner said. This was not any kind of response into a COVID world. This is a guy whose had the forethought to know that what hes building over the next decade or longer is going to need that touch of local hospitality.

On the Bocca Italian Kitchen side of the two-unit restaurant, patrons can expect a classic Italian street fare focusing on using local ingredients.

Fresh pastas are sourced from BOH Pasta in Houston and breads are baked locally from Bread Man Baking Company, according to Turner. The new restaurant also focuses on varying specialties, such as the Italian-inspired brunch menu served every Saturday and Sunday with offerings like Italian baked eggs, a ham, egg and cheese sandwich, their version of an Italian-inspired french toast and six signature brunch cocktails. Wines are all imported from Italy and paired with plates served on a constantly changing menu.

Lupo Pizzeria is much more causal atmosphere by comparison, serving New York-style pizza by the slice or by the pie.

While there are differences between the two, both menus can be served on either side of the dual restaurant building. They have a full liquor license and run a happy hour every day on both sides from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close.

We partnered up with a lot of great local Houstonians to kind of put this menu together, Turner said. Im sticking in the same principles as I did and I have for my entire life, which is to make everything from scratch when possible, and if not, find the best.

HOUSTON: Meet the chef leading James Hardens new Thirteen restaurant

While COVID-19 has caused a series of issues within the restaurant and bar industry, Turner is confident in their ability to respond to the new normal that comes with the pandemic.

The one thing about restaurants is we were already prepared for something like this because of our cleanliness standards that had to be there anyways, and so to add the things that we needed to make it even more safe and social distancing was a very easy transition, Turner said. And since I got to do that with Bernies previously it was very easy for us to implement all of those procedures into Bocca Italian Kitchen and Lupo Pizzeria.

Bocca and Lupos hours of operation are Wednesday - Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday will also feature inventive brunch menu offerings and cocktails served 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For more information about Generation Park, visit generationpark.com.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday mourned the passing of U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, one of Netanyahus staunchest American supporters, lauding his efforts to bolster ties between the U.S. and Israel that helped drive pro-Israel policy under the Trump administration.

FILE - In this May 14, 2018 file photo, Sheldon Adelson attends the opening ceremony of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2020, that U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson will forever be remembered for his work strengthening ties between the U.S. and Israel. Adelson's death at 87 was announced earlier Tuesday. With Adelson's death, Netanyahu loses a staunch supporter who for the last four years had the ear of the American president and helped drive U.S. policy toward Israel. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

TEL AVIV, Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday mourned the passing of U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, one of Netanyahus staunchest American supporters, lauding his efforts to bolster ties between the U.S. and Israel that helped drive pro-Israel policy under the Trump administration.

With Adelsons death, Netanyahu loses a key U.S. backer who for the last four years had the ear of the American president and worked tirelessly to push Israels priorities at the White House and in Congress. He also bids farewell to an important backroom player in Israeli politics who funded an influential free daily newspaper that served as an unofficial mouthpiece for Netanyahu.

Sheldons great actions to strengthen Israels position in the U.S. and to strengthen ties between Israel and the diaspora will be remembered for generations, Netanyahu said in a statement, adding he had received news of Adelsons death with deep sorrow and heartbreak.

We will forever remember Sheldon and his great contribution to Israel and the Jewish people.

In a later, more personal statement in English, Netanyahu said Adelson was a wonderful friend to us personally," saying the warmth of his heart, the clarity of his thinking and the decisiveness of his actions were truly exceptional.

Israeli legislators from across the political spectrum as well as other public figures rushed to praise Adelson and his support for Israel and Jewish causes.

Gideon Saar, who is challenging Netanyahu in upcoming elections, said Adelson devoted his time and energy to speaking up for Israel, making Israels case to U.S. decision-makers, and strengthening ties between Israel and the United States.

Isaac Herzog, a former opposition leader and now the head of the Jewish Agency, an organization that works to fortify links between Israel and the diaspora, called Adelson one of the leaders of the Jewish people in our generation, one of the pillars of Jewish education in the world.

Adelson, the son of Jewish immigrants, was a staunch supporter of Netanyahu and a driving force in pushing President Donald Trumps strong pro-Israel agenda, including the controversial move of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to contested Jerusalem.

Adelson sat in the front row when the Trump administration inaugurated the Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 and attended the unveiling of the Trump's Mideast plan, which overwhelmingly favoured Israel over the Palestinians, at the White House last January.

More recently, he reportedly purchased the U.S. ambassadors official residence near Tel Aviv for some $67 million last year in a move that was seen as helping prevent the embassy from relocating back to Tel Aviv after Trump leaves office. Just weeks ago, Adelson provided a private plane for Jonathan Pollard, a former U.S. intelligence analyst who spent 30 years in prison for spying for Israel, to move to Israel after his parole ended.

Las Vegas Sands said Adelsons funeral would be held in Israel.

His attachment to Israel was life-long and so deep that he once said he wished his military service had been in an Israeli uniform instead of an American one. Friends of the Israel Defence Forces, a group that supports Israeli soldiers, said Adelson was one of the organization's greatest backers and that he had adopted three Israeli military brigades as part of one of its programs.

Adelson was also active in Israeli politics, launching a free newspaper called Israel Hayom that served as an unofficial mouthpiece for Netanyahu. The newspaper has played a central role in Israeli politics, promoting exclusives and leaks from his office and even helping trigger national elections in 2015 when a Netanyahu rival tried to pass a law that would limit its influence.

It also is connected to one of the corruption scandals for which Netanyahu is standing trial. Netanyahu is accused of promising the publisher of a rival newspaper that he would limit Israel Hayoms influence in exchange for more positive coverage in the publishers daily, Yediot Ahronot. Adelson and his wife are listed as witnesses on the indictment against Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing.

The Israeli people were not getting a fair and balanced view of the news and views and thats why we started Israel Hayom, he told reporters on a visit to Israel in 2013. Go read the Yediot about all their attacking against Bibi all the time. They just attack him. Is this a fair and balanced view? Bibi is Netanyahus nickname.

After Adelson's death was announced, Israel Hayom's website was flush with photos of Adelson, with the site posting four articles on him, including an obituary written by his wife.

Adelson supported some causes linked to the Israeli settlement movement, including Ariel University, Israels only university in the occupied territory, as well as City of David, a controversial archaeological park situated in an Arab neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Adelson was also a major donor to numerous mainstream causes, and his foundation was a prolific giver to Jewish and Israeli groups, including Israels national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.

His family foundation's tax return for 2018 showed donations of $34 million to the Birthright Israel Foundation in New York, a program that brings young Jews from around the world on free trips to Israel.

It also lists a $10.7 million donation to the Maccabbee Task Force Foundation. The group says on its website that its dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism generally, and the Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts and sanctions against Israel specifically, on college campuses. Adelsons return also features more modest contributions, such as $10,000 to the Caribbean Jewish Community.

In the U.S., Adelson helped underwrite congressional trips to Israel, helped build a new headquarters for the lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and later was a top supporter of the Israeli-American Council, whose conferences have attracted top Republicans and Democrats.

Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.
Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' following far right threats to blow up its data centers after the tech giant banned Parler, a leaked memo reveals.

In an email to staff Saturday, Chris Vondehaar, Vice President of Infrastructure at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: 'We all need to [be] vigilant during this time to keep one another and our facilities safe.

'If you see something, say something  no situation or concern is too small or insignificant.'

Amazon has also blocked service updates on their systems in an effort to avoid a cyber attack by those upset at the decision to remove the right leaning social media site used by Donald Trump fans. Twitter enforced a permanent ban on the president Friday following Wednesday's deadly riot at the Capitol.

Parler was on Monday forced to move its domain name to a right-wing web-hosting firm and said it will sue Amazon for antitrust violations after the site was scrubbed from the web overnight.

In a statement to DailyMail.com Amazon said the lawsuit has 'no merit', arguing it 'is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others'.

Parler went offline shortly after 3am EST Monday after Amazon booted the platform off its web hosting service, effectively shutting the site down until it can find a new hosting partner or fund its own servers.

Vondehaar sent the email titled 'Be safe. Be vigilant' on Saturday, Business Insider first revealed. It said the company 'continues to closely monitor civil unrest in the United States'. He added: 'Please remember that in the coming weeks your work remains vital to our customers.'

The exact location of Amazon's data centers are not known due to security concerns. DailyMail.com has contacted Amazon for comment.

Scroll down for the full suit against AWS

Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning far-right social media site Parler, a leaked memo reveals (stock image)

John Matze founded Parler in 2018 as a 'free-speech driven' alternative to mainstream platforms. He is pictured with his family. Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning the far-right social media site

Shortly after 3am EST, Parler disappeared from the web with an error message saying 'we can't connect to the server' after Amazon pulled the plug

Hailed by Trump supporters as a conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter, Parler is seen as a magnet for the far right and was accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of continuing to allow messages inciting violence after Wednesday's riot in DC.

Parler had already vanished from the Apple and Google app stores after they cut ties with the platform in the wake of the deadly mob attack at the US Capitol before Amazon booted it off its web hosting service.

It was reported Monday by domainnamewire.com that the site has since moved its domain name from DreamHost to right leaning Epik.

Web services company Epik hosted Trump friendly Gab.com when it was dropped by GoDaddy in 2018 and had helped 8chan get back online. CEO Robert Monster previously said: 'De-platforming a haven of free speech is not about left or right.'

It also emerged Monday that all of Parler's deleted posts have been archived. The hacker who has gathered them together, @donk_enby, told Gizmodo they provide 'very incriminating' evidence.

But Parler CEO John Matze said he was doing more than Facebook and Twitter to try and remove violent content from his app. In a statement self declared libertarian Matze said: 'Evaluated objectively, our system worked as well or better than the methods used by our competitors, while adhering to our principles.'

Hailed by Donald Trump supporters as a conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter, Parler is seen as a magnet for the far right and was accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of continuing to allow messages inciting violence after Wednesday's attack at the Capitol

What are Parler's options now? Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple  whose operating systems power hundreds of millions of smartphones  severely limits Parler's reach, though it had continued to be accessible via web browser. The decision by Amazon Web Services to remove Parler means it now needs to scramble to find another web host in addition to 'rebuilding the site from scratch'. Google and Apple both booted Gab from their app stores in 2017 and it was left internet-homeless for a time the following year due to anti-Semitic posts attributed to the man accused of killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Microsoft also terminated a web-hosting contract. It now hosts through its own servers, so that is an option. Or it can find another server willing to host the site. Max Aliapoulios, a computer science Ph. D candidate told Business Insider: 'It is realistic to expect that Parler will find another provider to host their services like AWS. 'That being said, now the precedent is set and Parler will likely always have an uphill battle with finding a home to host them on the internet.' On Monday it was reported that the site has since moved its domain name from DreamHost to right leaning web hosting company Epik. Advertisement

Parler announced it will sue Amazon Monday and asked a federal judge to order the tech giant to reinstate the platform.

The 18-page suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle against Amazon Web Services (AWS). It claims: 'AWS's decision to effectively terminate Parler's account is apparently motivated by political animus. It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.'

It notes: 'Friday night one of the top trending tweets on Twitter was 'Hang Mike Pence.' But AWS has no plans nor has it made any threats to suspend Twitter's account.'

AWS said in statement: 'AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we respect Parler's right to determine for itself what content it will allow,' a spokeswoman said.

'However, it is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others, and that Parler is unable or unwilling to promptly identify and remove this content, which is a violation of our terms of service.

'We made our concerns known to Parler over a number of weeks and during that time we saw a significant increase in this type of dangerous content, not a decrease, which led to our suspension of their services Sunday evening.'

Parler are thought to have targeted AWS, rather than Apple and Google, as 'both the apps and the website are written to work with AWS's technology'. 'Without AWS, Parler is finished as it has no way to get online', the suit adds.

Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple severely limits Parler's reach to millions of smartphones. Losing Amazon Web Services means Parler needs to find another web host to be accessed on a browser.

Matze argued 'up until Friday afternoon it seemed Apple, Amazon and Google agreed' the app had been effective in their efforts to remove 'objectionable content', adding: 'You can expect the war on competition and free speech to continue, but don't count us out.'

Matze had initially said that Parler might be unavailable for 'up to a week as we rebuild from scratch', but now says it might be offline for longer.

Critics have continued to slammed the big tech giants for purging free speech in the wake of Donald Trump's Twitter ban.

Fox New host Jeanine Pirro argued Parler's deplatforming 'is akin to a Kristallnacht'. In 1938, Nazis in Germany and Austria vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses during an attack that became known as Kristallnacht.

She said: 'They gave us a taste of this pre-election when they suppressed the Hunter Biden story. And now that they've won, what we're seeing is a kind of censorship that is akin to a Kristallnacht, where they decide what we can communicate about.'

Pirro later clarified in a tweet: 'Although book burning started earlier, Kristallnacht included the destruction of Jewish stores, homes & synagogues containing rare Jewish books & Torahs. My reference was in context of books.The Holocaust was the greatest hate crime the world ever tolerated. I abhor all violence.'

The app was removed from the Google app store after conservative social media users flocked to the site in the wake of the Capitol attack

In his final post before the 3am deadline, Matze said that 'most people with enough servers to host us have shut their doors to us'

The president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. said it was a 'purge of conservative ideas and thought leaders.'

Piers Morgan wrote: 'It has been quite sinister to witness the speed in which the tech world has conspired to use the Capitol riot to silence not just Trump but entire right-wing social media platforms like Parler which has been effectively driven offline by Google, Apple and Amazon.'

American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Ben Wizner told The New York Times: 'There is a difference between a social media platform like Twitter...deciding who its members are and what its guidelines should be, and a company like Amazon that really hold the keys to the internet.'

Parler CEO John Matze warned in his final post before the 3am deadline that 'we will likely be down longer than expected' as tech firms distance themselves from the site

Wizner also pointed to a 2017 quote by CloudFlare CEO Matthew Prince when he took down The Daily Stormer who said: 'I woke up in a bad mood and decided someone shouldn't be allowed on the internet No one should have that power.'

And journalist Glenn Greenwald on Sunday accused the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' to Parler. He claimed 'far more violence' has been planned on Facebook.

He tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

Greenwald wrote: 'Tech monopolies -- FB, Google, Apple, Amazon -- have more concentrated wealth & power than any in history. They have used brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics: censoring NY Post, banning Trump, destroying Parler. And liberals are overwhelmingly supportive.

'That these Silicon Valley monopolies are grave menaces to political freedom & economic well-being is *not* a right-wing view.

'Authoritarians never believe they're authoritarians, no matter how much censorship, surveillance, jingoism, & imprisonment they demand. They tell themselves their enemies are so uniquely evil and dangerous - terrorists - that anything done in the name of fighting them is noble.'

Parler is bankrolled by prominent conservative donor Rebekah Mercer Parler, which styles itself as a 'free speech-driven' space, is bankrolled by hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer's daughter Rebekah, the Wall Street Journal reported in November. Rebekah has described her as a co-founder of the site with CEO John Matze. 'John and I started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech, as our founders intended, and also to create a social media environment that would protect data privacy,' she wrote in a post on the site this fall. 'The ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords demands that someone lead the fight against data mining, and for the protection of free speech online,' she added. Hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer is pictured with his daughter Rebekah in 2017 Matze replied to the post: 'Bekah is a great friend, an American patriot, and most importantly committed to the Parler vision of neutrality and data privacy. We are grateful for her support since 2018, and her early faith in the founders has enabled us to reach these heights. #transparency.' After WSJ reported Rebekah's links to Parler she issued a statement saying that her multi-millionaire father Robert was not an investor in the site - while sources close to the clan claimed that the investment was a family affair. Rebekah referred to herself as a co-founder of Parler in a post on the site in November Advertisement

Twitter saw its shares drop by as much as 12 per cent Monday. The tech giant lost $5 billion on the first day of trading after it permanently suspended Trump. Trump friendly platform Gab.com tweeted Monday: 'Twitter lost $4 Billion today. LOL.'

Parler, which Apple claims was used by some of the rioters to help plan the insurrection, was the most-downloaded app in the Apple store on Friday before both Apple and Google cut off its access to their app stores.

Following Parler's removal Don Jr. retweeted a post which read: 'The internet was a hell of a lot safer before @Twitter, @Apple, @Google, and @Facebook started protecting us from it'. Don Jr. added: 'This times 1000.'

Republican congressman Devin Nunes, who had an account on Parler, raged at what he said was 'political censorship' after Apple and Google removed the app.

'Spread the word so your fellow Americans know about this,' he urged his three million followers on the site.

Right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro warned on Twitter that 'the tech bros are making a horrible and dangerous moment significantly more horrible and dangerous'.

'There are no consistent standards being applied. There is reactionary deplatforming in the name of one side,' he claimed.

'Everyone on the right is correctly concerned that these same companies are five minutes away from simply removing the ability of conservatives to host content anywhere.'

The social media crackdown has revived a debate over whether tech giants should be treated as 'publishers' with the same liability as news providers.

The fallout of Twitter's permanent ban on Trump continued over the weekend, as his eldest son lashed out at the social media site and loyalists fled to alternatives such as Gab and Parler.

'The world is laughing at America & Mao, Lenin, & Stalin are smiling. Big tech is able to censor the President? Free speech is dead & controlled by leftist overlords,' Don Trump Jr said in a tweet on Saturday, urging followers to join his mailing list, 'In case I'm next.'

On Friday, Twitter also permanently banned two Trump loyalists  former national security adviser Michael Flynn and attorney Sidney Powell  as part of a broader purge of accounts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Its CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly made the extraordinary call to permanently suspend Trump's account while he was vacationing in French Polynesia.

After Twitter red-flagged some of Trump's posts last year, the president demanded that the website be stripped of a 'liability shield' known as Section 230.

Fox News personality Dan Bongino, a supporter of Parler, raged that 'the greatest threats to liberty are the destructive tech tyrants who have acted as publishers in their ongoing wars on conservatives and free speech'.

'This will be my final post on this anti-American platform,' he wrote on Twitter on Friday.

But concern over Big Tech's power is not confined to the American right - with Angela Merkel's spokesman calling it 'problematic' that free speech could be obstructed by 'decision of the management of social media platforms'.

Lionel Barber, the former editor of London's Financial Times, said on Sunday that 'now we can agree that platforms are publishers and that there are some limits to free speech, we need a serious debate about social media's influence in a modern democracy'.

And UK government minister Matt Hancock said the Trump ban 'raises a very important question, which is it means that the social media platforms are taking editorial decisions'.

Many Democrats also want to rein in the power of Big Tech, with dozens of attorneys general launching a lawsuit last month in a bid to break up Facebook.

Launched in 2018, Parler operates much like Twitter with profiles people can follow and 'parleys' instead of tweets.

'Our mission is to create a social platform in the spirit of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,' it boasts. 'We prefer that removing community members or member-provided content be kept to the absolute minimum.'

The site claims more than 12million users in total, although analytics firm Sensor Tower puts the number at10 million worldwide, with eight million in the US.

Founded by computer engineer Matze and Republican donor Rebekah Mercer, it attracts a mixture of far-right users and more traditional Republican voices - and is already used by the president's children Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka.

Fox News star host Sean Hannity has 7.6million followers on Parler, while his colleague Tucker Carlson has 4.4million.

There are also elected officials, including Nunes and South Dakota's Republican governor Kristi Noem.

The president's daughter Ivanka Trump was among those who had set up a Parler account as conservatives dissatisfied with Twitter flocked to the site

Sean Hannity, the Fox News host favored by Donald Trump, also had an account on the page

Trump supporters flocked to the app after the president was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other sites in the wake of the violence at the Capitol.

But despite speculation that Trump himself would join Parler, he had no known account by the time the site was shut down today.

Late on Friday, Google announced it was banning Parler from its app store because of posts inciting violence and a casual approach to moderating content.

Apple followed suit a day later after alleging that Parler was being used to 'plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities'.

Apple had given Parler 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, claiming that participants had used the service to co-ordinate Wednesday's siege.

Public safety issues will need to be resolved before access to Parler is restored, Apple said.

The moves by Apple and Google drastically limited Parler's reach but did not completely block the app, because people who already had it could keep using it while new users could access it on a web browser.

But Amazon's decision to strip Parler of access to its Amazon Web Services hosting platform directly threatens the site's online presence.

The journalist tweeted Sunday to accuse the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' the app after Donald Trump was on Friday kicked off of most mainstream social media platforms

Greenwald tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

Amazon said it had informed Parler of 98 examples of posts 'that clearly encourage and incite violence' and said the platform 'poses a very real risk to public safety.'

'We've seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms of service,' said an Amazon letter first reported by Buzzfeed.

Given the riot at the Capitol this week, the letter continued, there was a 'serious risk that this type of content will further incite violence.'

Parler was given 24 hours to find an alternative host but, Matze said, 'Where are you gonna find 300-to-500 servers in a 24-hour window... It's an impossible feat.'

'What they are doing is unprecedented, unfounded and absolutely disgusting. Shameful,' Matze said of the tech giants.

'Our mission is free speech, democracy and us the people having the power. The elite don't want us to be free, they want hate, division and power.'

Tech giants have moved to shut down what they say is dangerous online content after a Trump-incited mob overran the seat of American democracy (pictured)

As the crackdown gathers speed, conservative sites might have to follow the example of another site popular on the far right, Gab.

That platform drew fierce criticism in 2018 when investigators found that the shooter who killed 11 people in an attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue had earlier posted anti-Semitic messages on the site.

Gab, already at loggerheads with Apple and Google, subsequently installed its own servers so as not to be dependent on outside providers.

Meanwhile, the DLive video streaming service, used by several protesters during the invasion of the Capitol, has closed seven of its channels and pulled more than 100 videos off the site.

How Parler CEO John Matze married 'Russian he met during her US road trip' before founding 'free-speech' platform that is now bankrolled by conservative donor Rebekah Mercer and used by MAGA fans

By Lauren Fruen for DailyMail.com

John Matze founded Parler in 2018 as a 'free-speech driven' alternative to mainstream platforms.

The self described libertarian soon began courting right-leaning users as prominent supporters of Donald Trump moved there.

And Parler had been the leading candidate for the president to continuing voicing his opinion, at least until Google and Apple removed it from their app stores and Amazon decided to boot it off its web hosting service Sunday.

Not much it known about Matze's personal life but he is reported to have married Russian Alina Mukhutdinova after the pair are said to have met in Las Vegas.

She was said to have been on a two week road trip around the United States, TED Talk host Dave Troy reported in November.

Alina's Instagram pictures show the couple have at least one child. In one picture she hold rifles and wears a t-shirt which reads: 'Trust me, I'm a Russian spy.'

The couple appear to live a luxury lifestyle with numerous vacation pictures taken with their young child.

Not much it known about Matze's personal life but he is reported to have married Russian Alina Mukhutdinova, pictured, after the pair are said to have met in Las Vegas

Alina's Instagram pictures show the couple have at least one child

After graduating in 2014 Matze, who studied math, German and business at the University of Denver,teamed up with fellow alumni Jared Thomson, now chief technical officer, to create Parler.

Matze told Forbes in July last year: 'I don't have too many friends, but the ones I do have, we just talk amongst ourselves about ideascrazy ones, easy ones, whatever.'

He told the magazine he 'does not watch TV' but instead 'gets everything off Parler'.

Alina shared this image of her husband appearing on Fox News to her Instagram account

One of Alina's Instagram picture shows her promoting her husband's app Parler

Matze's app is now bankrolled by hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer's daughter Rebekah, the Wall Street Journal reported in November.

The two-year-old magnet for the far right claims more than 12 million users, though mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower puts the number at 10 million worldwide, with 8 million in the U.S.

Rebekah has described herself as a co-founder of the site with Matze. She is also thought to have studied at the University of Denver.

'John and I started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech, as our founders intended, and also to create a social media environment that would protect data privacy,' she wrote in a post on the site this fall.

'The ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords demands that someone lead the fight against data mining, and for the protection of free speech online,' she added.

Matze replied to the post: 'Bekah is a great friend, an American patriot, and most importantly committed to the Parler vision of neutrality and data privacy. We are grateful for her support since 2018, and her early faith in the founders has enabled us to reach these heights. #transparency.'

After WSJ reported Rebekah's links to Parler she issued a statement saying that her multi-millionaire father Robert was not an investor in the site - while sources close to the clan claimed that the investment was a family affair.

Those who have joined Parler include commentator Candace Owens, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who handcuffed herself to the door of Twitter's New York office in November 2018 to protest a ban on her by the site.

Trump's sons Eric and Don Jr. are also already active on the site.

Not much it known about Matze's personal life but he is reported to have married Russian Alina Mukhutdinova after the pair are said to have met in Las Vegas. She was said to have been on a two week road trip around the United States, TED Talk host Dave Troy reported in November.

The couple appear to live a luxury lifestyle with numerous vacation pictures

Parler hit headwinds, though, on Friday as Google yanked its smartphone app from its app store for allowing postings that seek 'to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.'

Apple followed suit on Saturday evening after giving Parler 24 hours to address complaints it was being used to 'plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.' Public safety issues will need to be resolved before it is restored, Apple said.

Amazon struck another blow Saturday, informing Parler it would need to look for a new web-hosting service effective midnight Sunday.

It reminded Parler in a letter, first reported by Buzzfeed, that it had informed it in the past few weeks of 98 examples of posts 'that clearly encourage and incite violence' and said the platform 'poses a very real risk to public safety.'

Matze decried the punishments as 'a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace. We were too successful too fast,' he said in a Saturday night post, saying it was possible Parler would be unavailable for up to a week 'as we rebuild from scratch.'

'Every vendor, from text message services, to e-mail providers, to our lawyers all ditched us too on the same day,' Matze said Sunday on Fox New Channel's 'Sunday Morning Futures.'

He said while the company is trying to get back online as quickly as possible, it's 'having a lot of trouble, because every vendor we talk to says they won't work with us, because, if Apple doesn't approve and Google doesn't approve, they won't.'

Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple  whose operating systems power hundreds of millions of smartphones  severely limits Parler's reach, though it will continue to be accessible via web browser.

Losing Amazon Web Services will mean Parler needs to scramble to find another web host, in addition to the re-engineering.
GLENS FALLS, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainable PR , a new public relations agency based in New York's Adirondack region and specializing in earned media content for green companies, announced it has been selected by Soho Waterworks , a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based start-up water distributor, to promote the company's line of naturally sourced fine waters to retailers and consumers nationwide.

Soho Waterworks engaged Sustainable PR to generate exposure for their line of naturally sourced bottled waters. The PR agency is developing a compelling company narrative and a national media strategy to help Soho Waterworks gain consumer and industry media coverage in the beverage industry. Thanks to Sustainable PR's ability to target, engage and land stories with credible media, Soho Waterworks has become a company to watch in the booming sustainability market, which is projected to reach $28.9 billion by 2024. The start-up water company is being interviewed by influential trade media and is meeting with the nation's largest retail companies.

"We are extremely pleased to have engaged Sustainable PR," says Angela Cooper, chief executive officer of Soho Waterworks. "Led by Tony DeFazio, a respected agency leader, Sustainable PR is helping us tell our story to the industry and consumers. We recognized that Tony could help us break into the beverage industry and spread awareness about the health benefits of naturally sourced waters on a national scale. He has guided us through the process of integrating our mission in sustainability with our sales and marketing to take advantage of increased consumer demand for green products."

Soho Waterworks serves as a unique marketing and distribution platform for regional bottlers of naturally sourced waters, enabling them to grow their retail footprint and market share. Soho Waterworks is campaigning to educate Americans about the health benefits of fine waters for both the body and the planet. The company recently won its second client, Canadian bottler Jackson Springs Water, and will use its integrated marketing services to expand the company in U.S. markets.

Launched in early December 2020, Sustainable PR represents Tony DeFazio's lifelong dream to combine his earned media experience with his passion for the environment and establish a thriving public relations practice in the Adirondacks. He conceived of Sustainable PR on a hike with a friend during the early stages of the pandemic. After 30 years leading agencies in Philadelphia, DeFazio desired to chart a new course and give back. Led by veteran PR practitioners, Sustainable PR is one of the only green-focused PR agencies offering earned media services to companies navigating the growing sustainability market. As the agency's first client, Soho Waterworks represents the model customer Sustainable PR seeks to attract as the consultancy gains traction helping clients contribute to a green economy.

"We are excited to support the launch of Soho Waterworks," DeFazio said. "Soho Waterworks and their partners have sustainability and transparency at the core of their mission. Their commitment to the environment  and their innovative approach to the marketing of fine waters  makes the business an ideal first client for us. We look forward to a long and productive relationship together."

About Sustainable PR

Sustainable PR is an Upstate New York-based public relations agency which brings earned media expertise to green companies. Founded in 2020, the company wins top media placements, develops key brand messaging and builds award-winning campaigns which help companies realize their sustainability commitments and take advantage of a growing sustainability market  all while contributing to a greener planet. For more information about the company's mission and services, visit their website sustainablepr.com or call (518) 223-9962.

About Soho Waterworks

Soho Waterworks is a Water as a Service (WaaS) company, providing a one-of-a-kind marketing and distribution platform assisting regional brands to increase their retail footprint and market share. The company's customized sales and marketing solutions allow bottlers of naturally sourced water to project a bigger image and reach more prospects through a tailored and integrated marketing, communications, and sales services. As a company aspiring to be a leader in fine water sales, distribution, and merchandising in North America, Soho Waterworks has set a goal to change the way consumers think about bottled water. Soho Waterworks is fully committed to transparency and sustainability in the sourcing, development, distribution, and marketing of bottled water. For more information about the company's products and services, visit their website www.sohowaterworks.com or call 1-800-432-0166.

Contact: Tony DeFazio

Phone: 518-223-9962

Email: [email protected]

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Bengaluru, Jan 12 : The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police has nabbed Aditya Alva, brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, in the Sandalwood drug case.

Confirming the arrest to the media, Bengaluru Joint Police commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil said that Aditya Alva, who was absconding for over four months, was arrested on Monday night from Chennai.

"We were involved in a continuous operation to arrest him. We received a tip off that he was in Chennai after which a team arrested him," he explained.

Aditya, who is the son of late Janata Party leader Jeevaraj Alva, is accused number six in the Sandalwood drug case and had been absconding for four months.

According to CCB sources, Aditya was arrested from a resort located between Chennai and Mahabalipuram.

CCB sources said that the investigators were tracking mobile phone locations of persons close to Aditya and that they had compiled a list of people whom he was in contact with regularly.

Sources claimed that CCB Inspector Puneet received information of his whereabouts after which an operation to arrest him was planned and carried out.

CCB sleuths have brought Aditya to Bengaluru and he is currently being questioned at the CCB's office in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. Police sources said that he would be produced before the special court in NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases later in the day.

Aditya has been accused of hosting parties at his farmhouse in Hebbal in Bengaluru, and police suspect that banned and narcotic drugs were supplied and consumed during the parties.

CCB sources had earlier revealed that Aditya and one of the prime accused in the case, party organiser Viren Khanna, had allegedly hosted parties together.

While Aditya is accused of providing space for the parties at his resort House of Life in Hebbal, the CCB claimed that Viren Khanna was involved in organising and driving high-profile persons to these parties.

The CCB had earlier in September conducted a search operation at his resort - House of Life - and his residence and seized several documents.

On October 15, 2020, in search of Aditya, the CCB had raided the house of his sister Priyanka Alva, who is the wife of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, in Mumbai. Subsequently, the police summoned her to appear before them in Bengaluru in connection with this case. But Priyanka failed to acknowledge the summons and did not appear before the CCB.

CCB have also interrogated Ricky Rai, son of former underworld don and social activist Muthappa Rai, a day after his house was raided in Hebbal in northern Bengaluru.

The CCB had conducted raids at Rai's farmhouse in Bidadi in Ramanagara district and his house in Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru.

The police believed that Ricky had given asylum to Aditya and so they called him over the whereabouts of the accused. The police also suspect Ricky Rai as he is in contact with some of the accused in the Sandalwood drug case.

Aditya was among the 17 people who are booked in the case in which actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani have been arrested.

Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court denied Aditya Alva's plea to quash the FIR registered against him at the Cottonpet Police Station in connection with the drug case.

The apex court also denied Alva's plea to procure anticipatory bail. Aditya's legal counsel Nishanth Patil had earlier filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Karnataka High Court, which was also denied.

The Kannada film industry has been under the scanner of the police for drug-related offences after the police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) nabbed an international drug trafficking racket in multi-city raids in August 2020.

The CCB police had issued a lookout notice for Aditya and two other accused who were on the run since September 21. Aditya, instead of seeking bail from the court, had approached the high court seeking the cancellation of the FIR lodged against him.

The CCB has now successfully nabbed Alva and Kannada film producer Shivaprakash Chippi in a gap of just two days while they are yet to nab Sheik Faazil - another prime accused in this case who is also said to be on the run. He is suspected to be a hawala operator who was funnelling funds to a well oiled drug supply chain for high-profile events.

The CCB claimed that they have visited Assam, West Bengal and Goa among other places to search for the accused who are on the run.

So far, the CCB has been able to gather electronic evidence against most of these accused. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate is also probing a money laundering case against the accused persons in the Sandalwood drug case.

The ED sources said that the actors had assets worth more than they could have procured based on their income. The ED told the NDPS court in Bengaluru that it suspects the accused funnelled money procured by distribution of drugs.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Black Tusk Resources Inc. ("Black Tusk" or the "Company) (CSE:TUSK)(OTC PINK:BTKRF)(FSE:0NB) is pleased to announce that the company has begun clearing of access routes for the upcoming diamond drill program on the McKenzie East gold property located north of Val d'Or, Quebec.

The company's geologic crew have just completed a reconnaissance of the proposed drill sites in in advance of mechanized brush removal and preparation of access routes and drill pads. The crew has identified 5 priority target zones for initial drilling, with nine drill pads prepared to provide flexibility. The work is being supervised by VD Geo Service based in Val d'Or and company director Dr. Mathieu Piche. The Company has obtained permits to drill from up to 23 drill pads on the property that allows for drilling to continue after receiving successful results.

Black Tusk has been monitoring the Covid-19 status in Quebec and the associated protocols for safely conducting work. Activities will be limited to only those required to complete the work. Shifts will be coordinated to limit the number of staff present at any time on the work site.

At this time, the drilling is now slated to begin on the Monday, January 18, 2021 on McKenzie East. The Company is also prepared to start drilling on their Lorrain PGE project as part of this winter's exploration campaign.

Black Tusk has signed a contract with Forage Val d'Or for 3,000 metres of drilling, of which a minimum 2500 metres will be drilled on the McKenzie East Gold Project. The remainder drill meterage will be used to test drill targets at the Lorrain Property located in western Quebec, near Lorrainville.

Perry Grunenberg, P.Geo, a "Qualified Person" as that term is defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Grunenberg is also a Director of the Company.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of that date. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; fluctuations in the prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Prospectus dated September 8, 2017 available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Roman Rubin, CFO

778-839-2505

SOURCE: Black Tusk Resources Inc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623916/Black-Tusk-Resources-Inc-Undertakes-Access-Preparation-for-Diamond-Drilling-on-the-McKenzie-East-Project-Quebec
We cherish this distinction from NAIOP because we know the work they do will strengthen where we live. We are proud to be a part of that.

Resource Branding, a brand development and experiential graphic design studio, has been named the 2020 Associate Firm of Year by NAIOP Georgia.

The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) gives this annual honor to the firm that has most significantly elevated the commercial real estate industry in Georgia. To earn this prestigious recognition, Resource Branding worked alongside NAIOP Georgia to launch two new philanthropic initiatives in 2020, tied together by the unifying theme of Forward Together.

It was an obvious choice for us to call on Resource Branding, who had helped thoughtfully curate and put together the Forward Together campaign, the mantra we live by today, said NAIOP Georgia President Jeanette Meyers. For both of these initiatives, this team spent countless hours in helping us craft just the right message for our diversity campaign, and also developing just the right brand for the Together We Care campaign.

Resource initially developed the Forward Together campaign several years ago but revitalized the messaging and imagery this year. The events of 2020 made it clear that the mantra needed to take on additional meaning in respect to the social justice movement. NAIOP turned to Resource to help define what Together meant to the organization and help communicate that if NAIOP truly aims to uplift the city and state that they serve, they must first reflect it in their membership.

Its always an honor to partner with NAIOP because of the tremendous impact they have on our community, said Jae Robbins, president of Resource. Its truly a testament to the meaningful initiatives NAIOP undertakes as well as the thoughtfulness of the work our team produces that the Forward Together message can continue to deepen in its significance. We cherish this distinction from NAIOP because we know the work they do will strengthen where we live. We are proud to be a part of that.

Resource Branding also produced the Together We Care campaign. This initiative benefitted the Atlanta Community Food Bank in a time of great need with the pandemic. Their work involved the campaign naming and brand development as well as all of the promotional materials including social media initiatives and interactive maps showing the food drive drop-off locations. Given the pressing urgency of the event, Resource pulled off the challenging task of completing the full campaign in just three short weeks.

Countless individuals have given their time and money to this wonderful cause and its truly inspiring to have the opportunity to use our talents in collaboration with them, Robbins said.

About Resource Branding

Resource Branding is a creative studio based in Atlanta that strengthens communities and companies through brand development and experiential graphic design. Resource crafts brands that create emotional connections and memorable experiences through a thoughtful and creative process. Find out more about the agency at resourceatlanta.com
The UK government has launched its public consultation on the deregulation of gene editing in England. To kick things off, somewhat predictably Environment Secretary George Eustice recently spun a staunch pro-industry line at the Oxford Farming Conference by stating:

Gene editing has the ability to harness the genetic resources that Mother Nature has provided in order to tackle the challenges of our age. This includes breeding crops that perform better, reducing costs to farmers and impacts on the environment and helping us all adapt to the challenges of climate change.

In the wake of Brexit, he attacked the EUs stance on genetic engineering in agriculture by saying:

Its potential was blocked by a European Court of Justice ruling in 2018, which is flawed and stifling to scientific progress. Now that we have left the EU, we are free to make coherent policy decisions based on science and evidence. That begins with this consultation.

Eustices statements form part of a long-term pro-genetic engineering-deregulation propaganda campaign. It follows on from Boris Johnsons first speech to parliament as prime minister in 2019 in which he proclaimed:

Lets start now to liberate the UKs extraordinary bioscience sector from anti-genetic modification rules and lets develop the blight-resistant crops that will feed the world.

The type of liberation Johnson advocates forms part of the usual neoliberal evangelism which this time revolves around the adoption of unassessed genetically engineered crops and food, while overseeing the gutting of food safety and environmental standards, especially in light of a potential post-Brexit trade deal with the US.

It is no secret that various Conservative-led administrations have wanted to break free from the EU regulatory framework on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for some time. In 2014, Genewatch exposed collusion between the government and global agribusiness giants to force GMOs into Britain above the heads of a highly sceptical public.

In response to Eustices comments, GMWatch stated on its website that deregulation would result in no or few safety checks and probably no labelling for gene-edited products. This is despite dozens of top scientists having warned that they could be dangerous for human health and the environment in a 2017 Statement on New Genetic Modification Techniques.

Commenting on the governments recent press release sent out to journalists to publicise the consultation process, the Beyond GM campaign group said:

the mendacious propaganda material on the benefits of genome editing which was sent to journalists throughout the country will be widely taken up as fact, preventing any intelligent public debate during the consultation period.

The press release is in GMWatchs view a pack of lies from beginning to end based on unsubstantiated jam tomorrow claims that gene editing has the potential to protect the nations environment, pollinators and wildlife. These claims ignore the reality that the first gene-edited crop to be commercialised (Cibuss SU canola) is gene-edited to survive being sprayed with toxic herbicides. GMWatch argues that there is no gene-edited crop available anywhere in the world that offers environmental benefits.

It is telling that all the claimed advantages of gene-edited crops of the future are already available in the form of agroecological farming methods and high-performing conventionally bred crops. Agroecology offers system-wide solutions that tackle the now well-documented system-wide health, nutrition, social and environmental problems inherent in the model of industrial agriculture supported by corporations behind the genetic engineering project.

However, the UK government shows no interest in these solutions.

GMWatch notes that the government press release claims that gene editing is not genetic modification. The industry has put much effort into spinning this next generation of genetically engineered crops in this way. It wants at all costs to avoid the bad press and negative public perception that has surrounded the first generation of transgenic GMOs by avoiding the GMO tag.

However, gene editing most certainly falls within the definitions of GMOs from technical, scientific and legal (in the EU) standpoints. In fact, the EU and existing UK definition of a GMO does not depend on whether it contains foreign DNA. EU law defines a GMO as an organism in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. Regardless of what the government says, gene-edited organisms fall under this definition.

Moreover, the government is wrong to claim that gene-edited organisms do not contain foreign DNA. This can happen intentionally (in the case of certain types of gene-edited organism) and unintentionally, as a result of the inherent inaccuracy and imprecision of gene-editing procedures. To support this claim, a compilation of peer reviewed evidence has been posted on the GMWatch website in the article Science supports need to subject gene-edited plants to strict safety assessments.

As for the governments claim that gene-edited organisms only contain changes that could be made more slowly using traditional breeding methods, GMWatch says:

We look forward to their proof that the unintended outcomes of gene editing could happen in traditional breeding. They include large deletions, insertions and rearrangements of DNA, as well as unintended incorporation of foreign DNA and entire genes.

Long-time campaigner Jim McNulty of the Genetic Engineering Network is scathing in his assessment of how the UK government is currently acting. He says:

When we look at this administration, filled to the roof with fraud, corruption and cronyism, we now have Boris Johnson trying to make or break the rules on new gene-editing techniques.

He adds that the Brexiteers in government wasted no time in setting their pro-GMO agenda:

Within a week of leaving the EU, the UK moved quickly to challenge and compete with our former European partners. The US is refusing to regulate the new genetic engineering techniques, just like they did with the first wave of transgenic GMOs. We in Europe, in the mid-90s, were faced with untested, unstable and unregulated GMOs in soy and maize going into two thirds of EU food products.

It was a mammoth task to bring politicians, supermarkets and all government bodies on board to regulate the original wave of GMOs.

McNulty explains:

We succeeded because in the UK, Germany and France campaigners and activists demanded action. The media, retailers and politicians buckled under the massive pressure of public opinion that we created to bring that about.

The US also felt the pressure:

Because the EU and its markets were the prize and there was so much anti-GM sentiment, GMOs were driven out and EU lawmakers have never changed their position. Science and public opinion won.

McNulty argues that we now see treachery in our midst: a former member state has seen fit to bury 25 years of evolving laws and regulations founded on a science-based approach and the precautionary principle.

The consultation will close on Wednesday, 17 March at 23:59 and can be accessed here.
EDMONTON - Blood was splattered nearly everywhere in thebathroom of an Edmonton hotel room, when police found the lifeless body of Cindy Gladue in a bathtub a decade ago.

A courtroom at the Edmonton Law Courts building on Friday, June 28, 2019. A jury trial is to begin today for an Ontario truck driver charged in the death of a woman at an Edmonton motel a decade ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON - Blood was splattered nearly everywhere in thebathroom of an Edmonton hotel room, when police found the lifeless body of Cindy Gladue in a bathtub a decade ago.

Edmonton police Const. Meghan Hawrish described for a jury Monday the graphic scene in Room 139 of the Yellowhead Inn.

Ontario truck driver Bradley David Barton, 52, is accused of killing Gladue, a 36-year-old Metis and Cree woman, after a night of drinking.

Wearing a grey T-shirt and pants, Barton stood tall in court on the first day of the trial and pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.

Hawrish was the first witness to take the stand and described where Gladue was found on the morning of June 22, 2011.

The officer pointed to photos she took of drops of blood on the hotel bed and a pillow. There was significantly more blood on the bathroom floor, the sink faucet, all over the bathroom walls, on towels, in the soap holder, on the bathroom doors frame and in the tub with Gladue's body.

Next to the bed, there was also a bundled up comforter with more blood stains, Hawrish testified.

"There was a lot of blood," testified Det. Nancy Ho, with the crime scenes investigations unit, who responded to the call with Hawrish.

GRAPHIC WARNING: The following details may disturb some readers.

Gladues mother, Donna McLeod, sat in the gallery at Edmonton Court of Queen's Bench as a judge warned that evidence during the trial will be graphic and unsettling.

Crown prosecutor Julie Snowdon said in her opening statement that an autopsy found Gladue died from blood loss due to a catastrophic and unusual wound in her vagina wall.

"Her vagina was torn all the way through," Snowdon told the jury.

"The fatal wound spanned 11 centimetres," she said. "It perforated the entire thickness of her vaginal wall."

Snowdon added that after calling police, Barton gave different versions of his interactions with Gladue to officers and a colleague.

Barton, who was working at the time as a long-distance furniture mover, had been drinking with Gladue the night before, said Snowdon. Security footage showed the two going to Barton's room.

The next morning, at about 7:40 a.m., footage showed Barton checking out of the hotel and meeting a colleague in the parking lot, the prosecutor said.

She said Barton told the colleague that a woman had knocked on his room door the night before and asked to take a shower. The next morning, Barton told the colleague, he woke up and found her unresponsive and naked in the tub.

The colleague told Barton to call police, so he went back to the room and did so, said Snowdon.

She added that when police arrived, Barton told a longer story to investigators about how he met Gladue. He said the woman arrived at his door and she offered herself to him sexually, but he declined.

Snowden said that during the trial, evidence about Barton's internet search history will be presented to show that nine days before Gladue's death, he did a Google search of "vaginas getting ripped or tornby large objects."

Barton's trial, set for about seven weeks, is to resume Tuesday afternoon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story; a previous version said Snowden said that Barton said he had been drinking with Gladue.

The federal appeals court in Philadelphia has reversed criminal convictions of former Wilmington Trust president Robert V.A. Harra and three top executives on charges of lying to regulators and investors, and ordered a retrial on charges of securities fraud and conspiracy.

The four had been sentenced to prison in 2018 by a federal judge in Delaware for failing to come clean about bad loans to big developers before the financial collapse of the $12 billion bank in 2010, but had been free on appeal since.

Seven years after charges were filed, a jury convicted the four of hiding more than $300 million of bad real estate loans from bank examiners and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, leading to big losses for investors and the taxpayers.

The U.S. Treasury had bailed out the bank as part of recovery efforts after the 2008 national economic skid. In the end, more than 700 workers lost their jobs when it was sold at a deep discount to M&T Bank to prevent it from failing.

The bankers lawyers argued they acted legally, and at least some regulators approved of the bank routinely extending unpaid loans for big developers, not listing them as delinquent. The defendants said the bank could have recovered as property markets recovered, given enough time.

The three-member appeals court tossed the convictions of the defendants on charges of making false statements.

The government here produced insufficient evidence from which a rational jury could find defendants statements false, because the rules are ambiguous, wrote U.S. Judge Cheryl Ann Krause in an opinion for the appeals panel.

The panel ordered them acquitted on that charge, saying that the judge had erred in his instructions to the jury.

But while also setting aside the defendants convictions for conspiracy and securities fraud, the judge permitted prosecutors to seek a new trial on those charges. She noted prosecutors had separately based these charges on a second theory  that the bank had wrongly extended a long list of bad loans and pretended they were still good  and the bankers could again face trial on those accusations.

I am disappointed with this result, said David C. Weiss, U.S. attorney for Delaware, in a statement. He said his office had not yet decided whether to retry the defendants.

The four senior Wilmington Trust officials were among only a few bankers convicted of crimes related to the financial collapse that forced a spate of job-destroying bank mergers and takeovers in the late 2000s during what is called the Great Recession.

It was not the only bank, or the largest, to face insolvency. But prosecutors argued Wilmington Trust officials crossed a line in defending collateral on large, shaky loans that had lost much of their value and in sticking to that script far too long, causing worse damage for investors who believed them.

Harra was sentenced to six years in prison. David Gibson, the banks former chief financial officer, was given the same sentence, while former chief credit officer William North faced 4 1/2 years and controller Kevyn Rakowski three years. None served any time.

Harra is very happy, and incredibly relieved, said lawyer Michael P. Kelly, chairman emeritus at McCarter & English LLP, who defended Harra. I never understood why this case was brought.

Kelly argued that the former Office of Thrift Supervision, one of the banks regulators, had agreed with the banks reporting practices, and that prosecutors had blamed other bank problems on a relatively small number of loans.

Harra never dreamt of breaking the law, Kelly added, but was subject to a nightmare prosecution. The lawyer added that Harra, as well as the other defendants, reported to the banks chief executive, Theodore Cecala, who was never charged.

Rakowsky is no doubt gratified, but the personal toll on her has been incalculable, added her lawyer, Henry Klingeman.
On Sept. 12, 1964, hundreds crowded across freshly-painted highway stripes to watch the dedication of a new $12.5 million, 2.6-mile stretch of Interstate 70 designed to ease traffic congestion on what had been a four-lane street.

City and state officials joined highway engineers as an enormous ribbon was cut and onlookers applauded the first ever segment of I-70. Shortly after, the first vehicles poured through the section, headed to destinations east and westbound on a freeway that connected Jackson Street to the Valley Highway (present-day Interstate 25). The new interstate would make room for 38,500 vehicles and replace 46th Avenue, roundly criticized as the biggest traffic headache in the Denver Metro area.

This was the most congested corridor in the city. Something had to be done and the I-70 viaduct was the result, said Dianna Litvak, a historian with the consultant Mead & Hunt.

Initially everybody was gung ho, added historian Tom Noel. It meant jobs, it meant faster transportation around town. It meant joining the modern interstate era. Denver was trying to keep up with Los Angeles.

THIS SERIES:

Denver's Central 70 project: Digging in troubled ground

Denver I-70 construction problems lead to extra $100 to $150 million cost

Video: Central 70 project is troubling residents

In two Colorado neighborhoods, even life expectancy is much diminished

The gleaming interstate meant progress for Denver but disaster for the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods, which were already crisscrossed by railroad tracks and booming factories. The viaduct divided the neighborhoods, cutting Elyria-Swansea in half and further chopping up Globeville, which had been split years earlier by the Valley Highway.

Hundreds of family homes that stood in the way were destroyed to make room for a parade of traffic.

It made it easier for cars to get through at the expense of people, said Dennis Gallagher, who represented the GES neighborhoods as a state senator for over 21 years, starting in the mid-'70s. Gallagher, who grew up in the area, remembers being away at college when he heard about a priest from Holy Family Church agonizing over losing 400 parish families who had to be relocated. The emotional distress was just astounding.

Betty Gallo Wonder, 81, born and raised at 46th Avenue and Claude Court, described the trauma she experienced as a kid when she participated in the Denver Public Librarys Oral History Project. This is why I got involved with the community, the neighborhoods, about the new highway coming through.

She remembered the helplessness her aunt felt when she lost her home to the highway. They had went over to her, and they said, Well, were buying your house. They never came to us and said: Were going to have meetings to talk to you, let you guys know whats going on. We didnt know what was going on. We just heard they were going to build a highway; Eisenhower wants his highway put through, and thats it. You know, we had NO say-so.

The Piro family was part of the I-70 routing collateral damage. Rocky Piro, who grew up at 48th Avenue and Wyandot Street, was a child when his extended family was split by the interstate. He remembers it damaged the social cohesion of the working-class families who lived there. Interestingly, he grew up to become a city planner.

The freeway ended up being built between our familys homes along either side of 48th Avenue. I remember the homes taken out. All along 48th Avenue it was a residential neighborhood, he told the Denver Gazette. After 10 years of staying put in an area which had become noisy, polluted and layered with soot, his parents made the hard decision to move away, as did other members of the family. My parents ended up just throwing in the towel. And we lost the social cohesion we had known.

The Valley Highway

The history of I-70 is tangled with the tale of two highways. Interstate 25, or the Valley Highway as it was known back then, came first.

The first cranes and bulldozers started breaking dirt on Denvers Post-War Superhighway in 1948. It was completed 10 years later, and city officials would eventually demand an east-west connection, but that was planned for later.

I-25s beginning was star-studded but controversial.

When residents realized that the roadway would wipe out existing homes on the western side of Globeville, they fought it. Ernest Marranzino, a City Council hopeful, was an early voice in the fight to keep the GES neighborhood intact. At one neighborhood meeting, in the spring of 1947, his words could still apply today as a mantra of the GES neighborhoods.

Running I-25 through Globeville would mean ... the destruction of Denvers industrial hub, he warned. The blighting of three of Denvers oldest and finest communities and inconvenience to thousands of persons.

Marranzino earned two things for his trouble: a Denver City Council seat and a postponement of the planned superhighway in order to allow for a six-week review. During that time, hundreds of Globeville residents showed up to protest the plan.

Op-eds in the Rocky Mountain News supported the highway for the good of the city, but wondered what would happen to the people who would be displaced. The proposal was considered bold and farsighted by Mayor J. Quigg Newton, and many city politicians who lived along city parkways and trolley lines agreed. When the Valley Highway was on the agenda for a June 1947 Denver City Council meeting, jeering and catcalls from 600 protesters in the audience were so loud, police were called to calm the disturbance. When the City Council approved the highway by a vote of 7-2, proponents had to be escorted out of the building by law enforcement.

A rapidly growing Denver: Interstate 70

The idea of building I-70 from Denver to the Kansas border took root during World War II, authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act in 1944. According to Litvaks masters thesis, Freeway Fighters, which she wrote while at the University of Colorado-Denver, the city and the state highway department started looking to replace 46th Avenue west of York Street as early as 1947. Between 1952 and 1957, the city got more serious, submitting annual inquiries. During that period, engineers recommended a route that followed East 46th Avenue on the east side of town and West 48th Avenue on the west side.

Residents fought to have the stretch of interstate moved to Adams County, just blocks to the north, along 52nd Avenue, but Litvak explained the decision to turn down that proposal had everything to do with money. If the freeway were built through that area, she said, Denver would lose federal funding and be stuck with a still problematic bottleneck at 46th Avenue.

Denver was torn as to whether or not they should have the highway moving through the city, says Litvak. They were afraid of losing the money to do something with 46th and 48th avenues when they knew that they were the most congested in the city.

As the wheels were turning among officials, the people who lived along east 46th and east 48th avenues were getting wind of what the changes would mean to an area which was already trampled by industry.

This wasnt the first time the GES felt jerked around by the city. Just a couple of years earlier, Denver was initiating plans to rezone its districts, which were already heavily industrial, to include even more industry.

Residents were so angry about the oncoming factories and the pollution they were sure to bring, they proposed secession from Denver. Their meetings were called The Council of War, and were often held in community churches. The so-called "North Denver Rebels" believed their taxes were going to support the Denver Country Club set at the expense of their own interests.

They can give kids in that area playgrounds and swimming pools, complained a GES resident at one gathering. But they take away all the privileges from our children. And give them a nice, stinking dump full of dead animals to play on."

The proposal to replace a busy street with an interstate advanced like a gathering tidal wave. Neighborhood groups complained to local officials and even went up the chain to highway officials in Washington, D.C. There were petitions, public meetings and trips to the nations capital with pleas to spare GES families, but their fate was sealed.

Eventually, state officials convinced the City Council that the highway department would continue with the original plan to replace 10 miles of 46th Avenue, from Colorado Boulevard to Brighton Boulevard, with a six-lane freeway. According to Fred Merten, the Metro District Engineer for the Colorado Highway Department at the time, other routes were not practical or failed to serve the traffic desiring to use them.

'A Genie ... let loose'

Not all Globeville residents who attended public hearings were sour on the highway. Some of them could see the convenience it would bring, and, according to Litvaks research, at first, the mostly blue-collar residents were willing to live with the changes. Still, the Globeville community did have one important Hail Mary request: they preferred a ground-level interstate instead of an overhead viaduct. That $5 million proposal was ignored.

As to why the residents didnt fight harder to block the impending freeway, Noel can only speculate.

My guess is they didnt think about this ahead of time and wouldnt have a way of knowing exactly what the impacts would be, he told the Denver Gazette. The unintended consequences didnt show up until later.

Litvak called I-70 ...a genie that was let loose.

In 1962, two years before the highway opened, neighbors got a taste of what it would feel like to have traffic at their front door: As the 46th Avenue arterial shut down, detours began through the residential area at the rate of 20,000 vehicles a day.

That winter, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced that decent winter weather had the project on time.

A year and a half later, the highway was finished and hundreds of homes were gone.

University of Colorado News Corps journalists Tayler Shaw and Tory Lysik contributed to this report
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The son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge left court wearing Baby Yoda pajamas after he was released on a $100,000 bond having been arrested by the FBI on four federal charges in connection with the riot at the US Capitol last week.

FBI agents arrested Aaron Mostofsky, 34, who is the son of Judge Shlomo Mostofsky, in New York Tuesday morning. He cried when he appeared in court and now faces up to 10 years behind bars.

The younger Mostofsky, who dubbed himself a 'caveman', has been hit with multiple charges, including theft of government property for allegedly stealing a police riot shield and bulletproof vest, unlawful entry and disorderly conduct, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Mostofsky made an appearance before US Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara on Tuesday.

Bulsara, who called the charges 'quite grave', approved Mostofsky's release on a $100,000 bond along with other restrictions that include GPS monitoring. The bond was to be secured by real estate.

The judge ordered him upon his release to reside with his brother, Nachman Mostofsky.

Aaron Mostofsky leaves Brooklyn Federal court after being arraigned on being part of the mob that stormed the Capitol

Mostofsky leaves Brooklyn federal court wearing a windbreaker and Star Wars pajama pants

Mostofsky appears to be a fan of 'baby Yoda' from the Disney+ series The Mandalorian

Mostofsky didn't say anything as he left court by himself on Tuesday surrounded by photographers

Shown crying in court, Mostofsky was ordered released on $100,000 bond along with other restrictions that include GPS monitoring. Mostofsky also must surrender his passport

FBI agents arrested Aaron Mostofsky (right), who is the son of Judge Shlomo Mostofsky, in New York Tuesday morning

The government, which is being represented by Josh Hafetz, Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, asked for the travel restrictions to ensure Mostofsky doesn't flee the jurisdiction or participate in any other political protests, especially ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week.

Hafetz told the judge: 'It is important that Mr Mostofsky not engage in the behavior that he engaged in last week.'

Mostofsky's travel has been limited to New York City. If he needs to travel outside the jurisdiction, he will need to acquire permission. He was also told to surrender his passport and he will be under a curfew.

He was also ordered not to have contact with co-defendants or co-conspirators involved in the riot on the Capitol.

His attorney, Jeffrey Schwartz, told the court: 'I believe evidence will show that he was not part of the mob, he was not rampaging, he got caught up in it.'

'He will stay far away from Washington, any political rallies, he will have nothing to do with any of that stuff,' Schwartz added.

BREAKING: Aaron Mostofsky, the son of a NY Supreme Court judge was arrested in Midwood Brooklyn on Tuesday morning for his alleged involvement in the Capitol riot. pic.twitter.com/MweFpdvLkX  NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) January 12, 2021

Mostofsky, shown in a court sketch, appeared virtually before US Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara on Tuesday

Mostofsky's travel has been limited to New York City. If he needs to travel outside the jurisdiction, he will need to acquire permission. He was also told to surrender his passport and he will be under a curfew

He was also ordered not to have contact with co-defendants or co-conspirators involved in the riot on the Capitol

He was ordered to reside with his brother, Nachman Mostofsky, upon release

Mostofsky's lawyer promised the judge he will 'have nothing to do with' any political rallies upon being released on bond

'He understands how the thing in Washington got out of hand... I can ensure the court that his only interests now is to address the charges against him.'

If convicted on the theft of government property charge, Mostofsky faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Mostofsky was later seen leaving the courthouse clad in a windbreaker and Star Wars pajama pants.

Mostofsky's arrest comes nearly a week after he was pictured walking down the stairs outside the Senate Chamber dressed in fur pelts and a bullet proof vest and carrying a wooden walking stick.

Video of Mostofsky's arrest showed agents walking out of his brother's home carrying the fur pelts that Mostofsky wore while inside the Capitol on Wednesday.

Authorities were also seen carrying the wooden walking stick Mostofsky was seen holding at the time.

Mostofsky was seen walking just ahead of a man carrying the confederate flag during the riot. He told the New York Post at the time: 'The election was stolen.'

Video of Mostofsky's arrest showed agents walking out of a home carrying the fur pelts that he wore while inside the Capitol on Wednesday

Authorities were also seen carrying the wooden walking stick Mostofsky was seen holding at the time

Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara, seen in a court sketch, called the multiple charges that Mostofsky faces 'quite grave'

Authorities said when Mostofsky (pictured) tried to coordinate meeting up with a friend, he told him: 'If we find each other look for a guy looking like a caveman'

His brother, Nachman Mostofsky, who also attended the rally but claimed he did not enter the Capitol building said his brother 'did nothing illegal' and 'was pushed inside'.

Other images of Aaron Mostofsky showed him holding a police shield that he claimed he found on the floor.

A spokesman for Shlomo Mostofsky, told the New York Post: 'Justice Mostofsky has no knowledge of these unfortunate events.'

Court documents released on Tuesday revealed that investigators received a search warrant for Aaron Mostofsky's Instagram account, where officials say he 'confirms' that he is the person seen wearing and holding property of the Capitol Police.

In one exchange on Instagram, a user send a photo showing Mostofsky in the Capitol and says: 'Your famous.'

According to court documents, Mostofsky says in response: 'IK unfortunately.'

During the conversation, Mostofsky also describes his presence in the Capitol, authorities said.

'But it was like I'm here now how did I get there,' the complaint reads. Officials said he also talked about being on a bus to Washington, DC, just after 6am on January 6.

Authorities said he then tried to coordinate meeting up with a friend, saying: 'If we find each other look for a guy looking like a caveman.'

'He later states, in a likely reference to the presidential election: "Even a caveman knows it was stolen",' the complaint alleges.

During the riot, protesters attacked police with pipes, sprayed irritants and even planted live bombs found in the area.

The younger Mostofsky has been hit with multiple charges, including theft of government property for allegedly stealing a police riot shield and bulletproof vest

Mostofsky was photographed sitting inside the Capitol building during the riot on Wednesday

His arrest comes nearly a week after he was pictured walking down the stairs outside the Senate Chamber dressed in fur pelts and a bullet proof vest and carrying a wooden walking stick

Mostofsky, 34, who is the son of Judge Shlomo Mostofsky (pictured), was released on $100,000 bond on Tuesday afternoon

The FBI has continued its search for those who violently and illegally entered the Capitol.

So far, at least 82 people have been arrested and more than 55 have been charged over the insurrection. Hundreds more are being hunted by the authorities but are yet to be found, including 25 people who are being investigated on terrorism charges.

The acting US attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin has called the scope of the multi-agency hunt for the rioters 'unprecedented'.

He has also fumed at Capitol Police for letting so many of them get away, saying it now makes the task of tracking them down more difficult.

He told NPR that staffers are now working round-the-clock to try to identify the criminals from photos and videos taken on the day.

'I don't want this tyranny of labels saying this was sedition, this was a coup. But what I will say is, it was criminal,' he said.

There is no running list of all those charged because the investigation into what happened is being handled by multiple authorities; the DC Metropolitan Police, Capitol Police and the FBI are all running probes, along with prosecutors from the Justice Department.

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died on Thursday after he was struck in the head by a fire extinguisher.

A second member of the Capitol Police, Howard Liebengood, was on duty on Wednesday and died by suicide on Saturday.

Four rioters also died - one woman was shot by Capitol Police, and three others died during medical emergencies.

One of those was apparently trampled in the melee.
Clear skies are over San Antonio today, but May has a history of torrential  and fatal flooding in the area.

This Memorial Day marks four years since Central Texas was pummeled by rain, that lead to flooding that claimed the lives of 17 people across the state and Oklahoma.
MYRTLE BEACH  Horry County Treasurer Angie Jones temporarily deleted her campaign Facebook page following calls for her resignation after she attended the election protest in Washington, D.C., last week.

Jones, an elected Republican who won an uncontested race last year, attended the rally Wednesday that resulted in a violent mob storming the Capitol building. In the days that followed, social media posts began circulating calling for her to resign, with some going as far as calling for her arrest, and for the arrest of Myrtle Beach mayoral candidate Gene Ho and radio talk show host Chad Caton, who also attended the rally.

Ho could not be reached for comment. The Horry County Treasures Facebook page returned to Facebook on Monday afternoon after this storys initial publication.

Videos posted by Caton show him and Jones in a crowd of people, most wearing Make America Great Again gear but no masks. No video shows Jones, Caton or Ho near the Capitol during the time the mob was entered the building.

The three have discussed their day in D.C. through a videos, Facebook posts and a conversation on Catons radio show. The videos sparked comments on social media accusing the three of insurrection with calls for the U.S. Attorneys Office to investigate the group.

Jones said in public statements that she took the day off to attend the rally and no county money was used in the travel or hotel expenses. She claims to have returned to the hotel well in advance of the storming of the Capitol, at the request of Caton, who claimed to have intel that fights could break out.

Ho said in a social media post that he spoke at an event in support of Trump earlier during the day but was in Richmond, Va., by the time the president spoke at 11 a.m. Riots began later that afternoon. He added that a photo circulating of him with a man seen inside the Capitol was weeks old and he did not know the individual.

Caton said in a Sunday night video that he was nowhere near the Capitol on Wednesday. Instead, he claims to have been closer to the White House debating with antifa members about their beliefs and his own. He claims video proof of his exchange should be coming out once he is done editing it. While he believes there is vast corruption in the federal government, he said it isnt a time for violence.

The treasurer declined to answer questions for this story, citing threats she had received, but said she does not condone any violence.

"I have received threats and believe it is appropriate to tap down the rhetoric so I will be doing no more interviews," Jones said in a text.

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In the days following the Capitol protest, Jones removed the treasurer page and her personal account from Facebook.

Caton released a video claiming those rising up against him, Ho and Jones lack any proof that any of them were involved with illegal activity.

South Carolinas U.S. Attorney Peter McCoy said his office would investigate anyone who went to Washington, D.C., with the intent of causing destruction but clarified that citizens have a right to peacefully protest.

Caton said no federal investigators have contacted him.

Michael Mule with McCoys office said he couldnt comment on any potential active investigation, but if charges were filed against any South Carolinian involved in the Jan. 6 riots, the public would be informed.

Only Gov. Henry McMaster would have the power to remove Jones from office for unfit or criminal behavior with approval from the state Senate, but the governor has made no reference to the treasurer attending the rally. In wake of the protests, McMaster called for the public to not let one day overwhelm the memory of good things the president and his supporters did.

Jones is a popular treasurer, especially among Republicans, running unopposed in 2020, responsible for several initiatives that saved taxpayer money like streamlining billing and cutting down on mailing costs. She sued the county government in 2018 to get more staff members.

Ho, currently campaigning for Myrtle Beach mayor, which is a non-partisan position, was Trumps photographer during 2016 and is a regular speaker at conservative events, including a Red Pill Road Show QAnon event over the summer in Florida, according to ticketing information for the event.

Filing for the Myrtle Beach mayoral race has not formally begun.

Washington  U.S. Rep. John Katko said today he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting a riot last week at the U.S. Capitol.

Katko, R-Camillus, is the first House Republican to publicly acknowledge that he will join at least 218 House Democrats who signed onto an impeachment resolution. A vote is expected Wednesday, a week before President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office.

Katko said he felt compelled to uphold his oath of office and defend the Constitution by impeaching Trump.

To allow the president of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy, Katko said in a statement. For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action. I will vote to impeach this president.

Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking House Republican, told GOP members in a conference call Monday that their impeachment decision is a vote of conscience and not a political vote, The Associated Press reported.

About an hour after Katko shared his decision with syracuse.com, Cheney said she will vote to impeach Trump.

The president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack, Cheney said in a statement. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the president...There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.

Later Tuesday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, said he will join Katko and Cheney in breaking with the GOP and voting to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection.

Katko said he considered the question of impeachment through his lens as a former federal prosecutor by reviewing the facts of what happened last week.

It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection  both on social media ahead of January 6th, and in his speech that day, Katko said. By deliberately promoting baseless theories suggesting the election was somehow stolen, the president created a combustible environment of misinformation, disenfranchisement, and division. When this manifested in violent acts on January 6th, he refused to promptly and forcefully call it off, putting countless lives in danger.

Katko was among hundreds of members of Congress locked down in the Capitol for hours on Wednesday waiting for rioters to be cleared out of the building and for Trump to call off his supporters.

The House impeachment resolution seeks to remove Trump from the presidency and prevent him from ever again holding federal elected office.

Katko, who co-chairs the Tuesday Group caucus of moderate Republicans, is expected to be among fewer than a dozen House Republicans to break ranks in Wednesdays vote.

Read John Katkos full statement about impeaching President Trump

Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, said today he will support a bill to censure Trump and an effort to ban him from holding federal office in the future. But Reed said impeachment was too big a step, and could further fan the flames of division without accomplishing anything.

For Katko, his decision to support impeachment caps a rapid reversal of his support for Trump since the attack on the Capitol.

Katko endorsed Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He joined a unanimous House Republican conference in a vote against impeaching the president in December 2019.

After an angry mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last week, Katko said the president lost his support. The violence left one Capitol police officer and four rioters dead.

If I knew back then what I saw yesterday, I clearly wouldnt have supported him, and I cant support him going forward, Katko said Thursday when asked about Trump. Hindsight is 20-20.

Even before the attack on the Capitol, Katko had rebuked the president for making baseless claims about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Katko refused to join the GOP House majority that objected Wednesday to certifying the Electoral College vote for Biden.

Trump, in comments to reporters today, criticized the effort to impeach him for a second time in 13 months.

Trump said the impeachment resolution is a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. He called for no violence but said this impeachment is causing tremendous anger.

Before voting on the impeachment resolution Wednesday, House Democrats plan to vote tonight on a measure that formally calls for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and strip Trump of his duties.

Katko said he plans to vote against the resolution tonight.

Vice President Pence has made clear he will not do this, and believes elected representatives should be tasked with this effort, not acting and remaining cabinet members, Katko said. Accordingly, I will not support this effort.

Any impeachment trial in the Senate likely would not start until Jan. 19 when senators are due back in Washington, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY., the Democratic leader, said he may try to use emergency powers to move up the start of the trial.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar on January 12 co-chaired the 13th India-Vietnam Defence Security Dialogue with Vietnamese Sr Lt Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh and Deputy Defence Minister, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During the virtual interaction, both the Defence Secretary and Vietnams Deputy Defence Minister expressed that they are satisfied with the ongoing defence cooperation between the nations despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The official statement by the Ministry of Defence, it said that both sides exchanged views executing the plans discussed in Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc in December 2020.

Ministry of Defense said in a statement, During their virtual interaction, Defence Secretary and the Deputy Defence Minister expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries in spite of the limitations imposed by COVID 19.

During the virtual interaction, Defence Secretary and the Deputy Defence Minister exchanged views on the plan of action that has emanated from the recently concluded Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in December 2020. New areas of defence cooperation were also discussed, it added.

Read - With Aim To reinforce maritime Interoperability, India, Vietnam Concludes Naval Exercise

Read - India, Vietnam Resolve To Broadbase Ties With A Focus On Indo-Pacific Region

India-Vietnam reviewed the progress

The interaction, both the countries not only expressed satisfaction with the current level of cooperation but also reviewed the progress made in several areas. India and Vietnam reiterated commitment to further enhance the engagement between the Armed Forces under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Both nations have also agreed that in recent past India and Vietnam have made notable strides in Defence Industry and Technology cooperation. The nations now look forward to even greater cooperation in the same field.

During the India-Vietnam Virtual Summit, PM Modi had called Vietnam an "important pillar" of India's Act East Policy and vital partner of our Indo-Pacific Vision. He had said, "Mutual contacts between us are also growing rapidly and spreading to new areas. We look at our relations with Vietnam from a long-term and strategic view. Next year both of us will be members of the UN Security Council. So the significance of our cooperation in the global context will increase. We will implement a Joint Vision Document 2021-23 which is a plan of action for bilateral engagement".

Read - PM Modi Calls Vietnam A 'strategic & Vital Partner', Looks Forward To Membership In UNSC

Read - India, Vietnam Expected To Ink Pacts To Expand Ties At Virtual Summit On Monday
The death has taken place of the former Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Rt Revd Roy Warke.

Bishop Warke (90) was until recent times a resident of Naas. He was predeceased by his wife Eileen on Christmas Eve last. He had retired as Bishop of Cork in 1998.

Bishop Pat Storey of Meath and Kildare said that he was well known in the parish of Naas, and the Warkes would be missed greatly.

She said today: I was deeply saddened to hear today of the passing of Rt Rev Roy Warke, former Bishop of Cork, and member, until recently, of Naas parish. Roy lost his wife, Eileen, just 19 days ago and our thoughts and prayers are with Ruth and Jane, who have lost both their parents within a few weeks.

"Due to Covid restrictions, people will not be able to pay our respects in the normal fashion, so I would ask your prayers for the family circle. Roy and Eileen were inseparable in life, and it seems fitting that they are now together again after such a short time apart. Roy was a man of great integrity, wisdom and sensitivity. He will be greatly missed.

Bishop Warke was educated at The King's Hospital and Trinity College, Dublin and ordained in 1953. He served 10 years as Bishop of Cork before his retirement, and he was also a former Archdeacon of Dublin.

Late of Brabazon House, Sandymount, he is survived by his daughters Jane and Ruth, sons-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandson, extended family and a wide circle of friends.

In accordance with government guidelines, the funeral will be private.

A service will be held on Friday, January 15, at 11.30am, which can be viewed HERE on YouTube.

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Janes Good Witch Farm is now just over a year old. By definition, a witch is a woman thought to have magical powers. Born on Halloween, Jane would tell you that shes committed to using her powers for good in the world.
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For billionaires, when it comes to boats - bigger is better.

The oceangoing super-rich are in a perpetual state of one-upmanship with their fancy vessels  and its this mindset that sparked Project Indah, a boat that according to its designer has been created to meet the growing demand for megayachts over 100 metres.

She actually measures 120 metres (393ft)  which would put her in the top 30 lengthiest superyachts in the world  and she has a lengthy list of features to match, one of the most notable being a patented fold-out beach club.

Megayacht concept Indah has a patented fold-out beach club (pictured), additional deck space that comes courtesy of transom bulkheads that can rotate outwards

The oceangoing super-rich are in a perpetual state of one-upmanship with their fancy vessels  and its this mindset that sparked Project Indah, a boat that according to its designer, Opalinski Design House, has been created to meet the growing demand for megayachts over 100 metres. Pictured is the stern in cruise mode

Opalinski Design House says: 'This yacht utilizes proven design template, at the same time pushing the boundaries of what is possible'

Florida-based Opalinski Design House, the firm behind the boat design and creator of the concept, explains that while at anchor, the transom bulkheads (the sides of the boat at the stern) rotate outwards, revealing additional deck space that nearly doubles the size of the conventional swim platform.

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Like any self-respecting floating state-of-the-art hotel, Indah has a helicopter landing pad, with the option to install a below-deck helicopter garage

A key part of a floating swank-pad set-up is the ability to zoom from port to port to show off, something Indah, which means beautiful in Indonesian, will be able to accomplish with ease, should she be built, thanks to a 24-knot (27mph) maximum speed

Indah has a gym and sauna behind tinted glass with views aft, a private owners suite with dedicated aft deck balcony and a foredeck hot tub with sunbeds and retractable sunshade

Indah measures 120 metres (393ft)  which would put her in the top 30 lengthiest superyachts in the world

Opalinski Design House says: While the yachting industry is constantly improving in every way possible, we notice there is a need for a vessel, that introduces progressive design, state-of-the-art technology and innovative features.

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EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season.

CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15.

GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season.

BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career.

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President-elect Joe Bidens presidential inauguration isnt the only one happening this month. Bidens adopted German Shepherd named Major will have his own indoguration to raise funds for his former shelter, according to The Hill.

The gathering will be virtual and held on Sunday, Jan. 17 just days before the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration. Delaware Humane Association will host the virtual event alongside Pumpkin Pet Insurance.

The associations website reads:

Delaware Humane Association & Pumpkin Pet Insurance invite you + your pup to the worlds largest virtual party for dogs in honor of Major Bidens Indoguration. Join us to celebrate the first-ever shelter pup to become First Dog and raise funds to help more DHA shelter animals like Major live the American Dream! To claim your spot, simply donate $10 or more to DHA today.

Major was adopted back in 2018 and will be the first rescue shelter dog in the White House. The participating dogs in the indoguration reportedly will also be able to join Majors Cabinet for the Secretary of Rescue Dogs.

With 100 percent of the proceeds going to Delaware Humane Association, the executive director Patrick Carroll hopes the indoguration will raise awareness for shelter dogs and other homeless animals who need homes.

With Major heading to the White House, its our sincere hope that we can continue to connect more homeless animals with families than ever before, Carroll said in a statement, according to The Hill. If a shelter dog is good enough for the White House, theyre good enough for your house!

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A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
The Hong Kong police served four media organisations with court warrants requiring the handing in of internal documents related to July's primary elections on January 6. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA), expressed concern about the chilling effect that such acts will have on the press and called on Hong Kong authorities to stop harassing journalists and media organisations.

A man (R) holds a copy of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily during a demonstration at a mall on the eve of the first anniversary of the Prince Edward MTR station incident in Hong Kong on August 30, 2020. Credit: May James/AFP

On January 6, the Hong Kong polices national security department turned up at the offices of online news outlets StandNews and InMedia, as well as media group Next Digital and its subsidiary newspaper Apple Daily with court orders. The media organisations were reportedly asked to hand in information about the pro-democracy camps primary elections held in July 2020 within seven days.

The police did not search the newsrooms.

Steve Li Kwai-Wah, a senior superintendent at the National Security Division, said during a press conference on January 6 that the authorities were not seeking to obtain journalistic materials. According to Li, the police were asking the media outlets to provide assistance in the investigation.

Both Apple Daily and StandNews said they would be seeking legal advice on the matter. Editor-in-chief of StandNews Chung Pui-kuen also said he was asked not to disclose details about the court order.

This came hours after the Hong Kong authorities arrested 53 pro-democracy leaders for their involvement in the primaries last year, including former lawmakers, district councillors, activists, and scholars. The authorities said the unofficial vote to choose opposition candidates for the citys now postponed Legislative Council elections was part of a plan to overthrow the government.Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, a journalist-turned-politician who used to work with StandNews and the BBC, was one of the detainees.

According to Hos Facebook admin , the police searched Hos residence and took away business cards and electronic devices she had used when working for the BBC. Ho was released on bail late on January 7.

The HKJA said, The HKJA is extremely concerned about the incident. Although the police have emphasized that they are not requesting journalistic materials from media organizations, operational information about media organizations poses a real psychological threat against journalists, causing a chilling effect and worsening the problems of self-censorship and suspicion in the industry.

The IFJ said, We call on Hong Kong police to stop using chilling methods to intimidate the media and call on Hong Kong authorities to stop harassing journalists and media organizations.

Download the Traditional Chinese Translation here
Kim Jong Un inherits title of his father and grandfather, and their dependency on China.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo supplied by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 11, 2021.

Leader Kim Jong Un branded the United States North Koreas biggest enemy to be met with increased military capabilities in remarks at a ruling party congress that experts said reveal that he faces the same limited pathways out of his countrys poverty and isolation that his father did twenty years ago.

North Koreas economy lies in shambles between the double pinch of international nuclear sanctions and the closure of the border with China due to the coronavirus combined with a summer of natural disasters that ravaged cropland, while Pyongyang has shunned a South Korean government that would eagerly help once progress is made on the nagging nuclear dispute.

Kim finds himself in the same position his father Kim Jong Il was inneeding a diplomatic and security breakthrough with the United States on his countrys nuclear program, while uncomfortably dependent on China to make up food and energy shortages.

Our foreign political activities should be focused and redirected on subduing the U.S., our biggest enemy and main obstacle to our innovated development, North Korean state media quoted Kim as saying on Saturday at the ruling Korean Workers Partys Eighth Congress.

No matter who is in power in the U.S., the true nature of the U.S. and its fundamental policies towards North Korea never change, Kim said. He promised to pursue closer ties with anti-imperialist, independent forces and vowed to improve Pyongyangs nuclear and missile capabilities.

On Sunday, Kim assumed the title of general secretary of the Korean Workers Party, following his late father and grandfather in what is seen as a symbolic move aimed at legitimizing his authority during what Kim last week described as difficult times.

He opened the congress last week with a rare admission of the countrys failures, saying the country fell a long way short of the set objectives of the five-year economic plan introduced in 2016, the last time the congress met, which was the first such meeting since 1980.

Experts in South Korea and the United States said that Kim faces the same conundrum as his father: Reversing the countrys sliding fortunes depends on either dealing with the U.S. and its allies to resolve a 25-year-old nuclear disarmament dispute or leaning ever more heavily on a China whose patience is not infinite.

North Korea watchers said Kim is likely to turn to China for support, like his father.

The party opened the congress emphasizing the countrys close relationship with China, with the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper running a lengthy congratulatory from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the Korean Workers Party which highlighted cooperation between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Kim.

Joseph Detrani, the former U.S. special envoy for nuclear talks with North Korea, said the emphasis on Beijing ties reflects the fact that China is North Korea's major trading partner and its economic safety net, with China providing the North with the crude oil and petroleum products needed for its economy to function.

As North Korea deals with a Biden Administration, they know China will continue to be supportive, highlighting the importance of China playing a role in efforts to resolve the nuclear issue with North Korea, Detrani told RFA.

Kim Jong Uns relationship with Beijing, the only economic lifeline that Kim basically has, will be crucial in the short term, said Harry Kazianis, the Center for the National Interests director for Korean Studies.

It's pretty clear that the DPRK is in a deep state of crisis. So, there's only one thing that's going to provide immediate help for Kim, and that's going hat in hand to China, and I'm sure that's something Kim doesn't want to do, he told RFA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo supplied by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 13, 2021. KCNA/via REUTERS





U.S. engagement with North Korea is likely to return to the core denuclearization issue under President-elect Joe Biden after dramatic personal summitry under President Donald Trump, said Dennis Halpin, the former principal advisor to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Asia-Pacific issues.

President-elect Biden, who publicly referred to Kim Jong Un as a thug, has indicated that he is skeptical of Trumps bromance diplomacy and will demand concrete steps from Pyongyang before going forward in diplomatic negotiations, he told RFA.

Despite first engaging each other in a war of words, the two leaders eventually agreed to meet to discuss denuclearization in Singapore in June 2018.

Their first summit resulted in a resolution where both sides agreed to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations and work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but nothing concrete was finalized.

Kim and Trump held a second summit in February 2019 but it was cut short with no deal reached. Trump explained that the meeting was called off when North Korea requested an end to all sanctions.

Trump then famously said at a political rally later that year that he and Kim fell in love after exchanging letters, a statement widely criticized by his political opponents.

On the heels of the G20 meeting in Osaka Japan in June 2019, Trump paid a visit to South Korea and met with Kim at Panmunjom, even briefly stepping across the border into North Korea. The meeting was criticized by pundits as little more than a photo opportunity, even though both sides agreed to resume working level talks.

Trumps overtures towards North Korea have been characterized as an upending of three decades of U.S. strategy that did nothing but give Pyongyang positive PR and accomplished very little in terms of denuclearization.

But engagement with the U.S. is not completely off the table, Ken Gause of the Virginia-based CNA think tank told RFA.

All of [Kims] actions up until this point have really pointed in this direction that he's trying to keep his options open for possible engagement with the United States. And if that goes well then of course engagement with South Korea, Gause said.

Gause said the new administration in Washington will give North Korea several options on strategy.

Either he can go the old traditional route of brinksmanship, which will pretty much put an end to any potential relationship with the United States for the foreseeable future, because this is a very traditional foreign policy team that Biden is bringing in, or he can try to keep his options open as long as he can and see if the United States provides any sort of incentive for him to re-engage, he said.

North Korea will likely follow its predictable pattern of small carrots and big sticks, Soo Kim of the RAND Corporation told RFA.

North Koreas interactions with the outside world throughout history have made it quite clear that its definition of diplomacy does not align with ours, Soo Kim said.

Kim likely views the new year and a new U.S. administration as an opportunity to reinforce his strategic line  and perhaps test the resolve of the new U.S. presidency. So, I would say that the call for diplomacy at the party congress is the first of many baits from Pyongyang to test the waters with Washington and Seoul, she said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo supplied by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 13, 2021. KCNA/via REUTERS





Robert Winstanley-Chesters of the University of Leeds in Britain told RFA that above all else, North Korea desires regime survival.

What North Korea ultimately wants is to be taken seriously as a legitimate, viable state with a place at the world table, and to have its security and continued existence and sovereignty guaranteed, he said.

Pyongyang ultimately sees the United States as the guarantor of that security and so would like to achieve that on equal terms, and not to involve South Korea in whatever deal that might involve, Winstanley-Chesters said.

A House of Representatives committee aide told RFA that Kim Jong Uns hostile words toward the U.S. follow a generally consistent pattern of North Korea increasing pressure at the beginning of a new administration to attempt to drive the U.S. to negotiations.

Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundations Asian Studies Center that a provocation could happen in the near future, but there could also be a delay due to the coronavirus.

The provocations are meant to force the US back to the table or to gain concessions in negotiations. But if North Korean diplomats are unable to meet with U.S. counterparts due to COVID restrictions, then the catalytic provocations may be postponed until the situation allows for talks, Klingner said.

A U.S. Senator said that the transition presents an opportunity to Biden to make tangible progress that eluded the current administration.

President-[elect] Biden can work fast to lower the temperature by engaging with the Kim regime on smart-diplomacy that charts a course towards peace, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), told RFA.

An interim agreement could provide sanctions relief in exchange for a commitment by North Korea to provide a full-accounting of its nuclear program and verifiably freeze its production of additional material for bombs and ballistic missiles. Markey said.

The Biden transition team declined to comment.

Kim Jong Un also touted at the congress several weapons systems that Pyongyang is developing, including several types of missiles and even spy satellites. He also said it was important for North Korea to be able to hit targets within 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles), likely a reference to the mainland U.S.

Nothing would be more foolish and dangerous than not strengthening our might tirelessly and having an easy-going attitude at a time when we clearly see the enemys state-of-the-art weapons are being increased more than ever, Kim said at the congress.

The reality is that we can achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula when we constantly build up our national defense and suppress U.S. military threats, he said.

The goal of the North Korean weaponry would not be to attack the U.S., but rather as a means to goad Washington into agreeing to negotiations.

This is an ambitious program for a small country, which is suffering from economic mismanagement and severe UN sanctions. Some of these projects have been under development in recent years, but it will take more than a decade to mature most advanced ones, Olli Heinonen, former deputy director general for the International Atomic Energy Agency, told RFA.

A fait accompli with small number of nuclear devices and established technologies would provide for North Korea leverage for stepwise denuclearization, he said.

Kim Jong Uns sister Kim Yo Jong, who had been considered by some observers to be second-in-command to her brother, was seemingly suddenly demoted out of the Workers Partys politburo after enjoying years of increasing influence.

The party voted in candidates the Central Committee Sunday, and Kim Yo Jong, the First Deputy Director of the United Front Department, which is responsible for relations with the South, was absent on lists of the politburo released by state media.

Lee Inbae, director for the South Korea-based Institute for Cooperative Security noted that Kim Yo Jongs demotion came after a year in which North Korea erupted in anger, cutting off all communication with the South and destroying a Seoul-funded joint Korean liaison office inside North Korea.

Pyongyangs outburst, spearheaded by Kim Yo Jong, came in response to South Korean civic groups launching propaganda leaflets by balloon into North Korean territory.

Experts said the strategy was to pressure South Korea into making concessions in return for a resumption of dialogue.

Reported by Seung Wook Hong, Albert Hong, Erin Ji, Hee Jung Yang and Jeongeun Ji for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
We are going through an unprecedented economic and health crisis whose main and only response must be a better mastery of the analysis of our investments.

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Telugu star Allu Arjun on Tuesday celebrated the first anniversary of his film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. He had a reunion with the film's team, including director Trivikram Srinivas, too.

Sharing a pic of the reunion, he posted on Instagram: "One-year Reunion of AVPL. Thank you all for this unforgettable and memorable film. Thank you all. Gratitude forever."

His co-star Pooja Hegde shared photos from the celebration and wrote: "We just HAD to celebrate the 1st birthday of this one! #massive #alavaikunthapurramuloo #1yearofAVPL."

Apart from the film's team meeting up to mark the occasion, three rappers including Roll Rida, Asura, and Harika Narayan performed a rap that chronicled the journey of Arjun from his first film (Gangotri) to Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo.

The film, co-starring Tabu, and Jayaram revolves around Bantu (essayed by Arjun), who grows up being constantly subjected to his father's scorn until he learns of his real parentage. He decides to carve a place for himself within the family he truly belongs to.

Along with the film, its soundtrack was also a big hit, with songs such as "Butta bomma" and "Samajavaragamana" becoming chartbusters.
A fuel primarily used for cooking has surpassed gasoline as Indias second most popular oil product following a boost from a government buying program, cold weather and stay-at-home orders due to Covid-19.

Consumption in 2020 of liquefied petroleum gas -- which is also used for heating -- was higher than motor fuel for the first time ever over a calendar year, data from the government showed. Demand got an additional boost later in the year following a six-month extension of a government program providing free LPG cylinders to lower-income people and an early start to winter.

While LPG use rose as more people cooked at home due to tighter coronavirus restrictions, Indias full-year consumption of gasoline never fully recovered from a collapse in demand during a nationwide lockdown in the second-quarter of 2020.

View Full Image Virus proof

Despite Covid-19 causing a major slowdown in the world economy, LPG imports into India have grown in 2020," said Sam Sng, a Singapore-based analyst at industry consultant FGE. Consumption has been fueled by greater residential demand for cooking fuel and the government providing free cylinders to lower-income people, he said.

Indian LPG consumption in 2020 was at 27.41 million tons, 4.3% higher than a year earlier, according to government data. Gasoline demand over the same period plunged 9.3% to 27.27 million tons. Diesel remained the top consumed fuel at 71.91 million tons, although 14.5% lower than a year earlier.

India has been encouraging wider adoption of LPG to replace the more polluting coal and firewood in a bid to clean up one of the worlds most toxic air. The nation imports most of its LPG supplies and the boost in demand last year led to greater tanker congestion off its ports. Ships waited about 5.5 days on average to unload in 2020 -- peaking at 11 days in July -- compared with 4.6 days in 2019, according to data intelligence firm Kpler.

LPG consumption in the country is growing and it will continue to grow for the next 25-30 years," said N. Vijayagopal, finance director at Indias second largest fuel retailer, Bharat Petroleum Corp. We see a lot of LPG potential in the rural side of India."

Motoring back

Strong LPG demand has also led to higher prices in Asia. Propane swaps were almost $632 a ton on Monday, near the highest since October 2018, according to PVM data. Prices rose 13% last year, capping a second annual gain.

Motor fuel demand, however, is expected to regain its long-standing position this year as Indias second most consumed oil product after diesel as drivers hit the roads again, according to FGE. Gasoline consumption is seen at 32.3 million tons, while LPG is estimated at 28.3 million tons.

I think gasoline will come back this year with more people using private vehicles," said Mukesh Kumar Surana, chairman of state-run oil refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp. All said and done, we are still not 100% out of the pandemic, and people are still working from home."

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WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday night began to clear the way for the execution of Lisa Montgomery, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection - the first woman to face the federal death penalty in nearly seven decades.

The court granted a request from the Justice Department to vacate a divided federal appeals court that would have delayed her execution until after President Donald Trump leaves office next week.

The court's three liberals - Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan - dissented.

There were other challenges filed in courts around the country, and a delay of days could have a significant impact on Montgomery's fate. The Trump administration pushed to restart federal executions for the first time since 2003 and resumed them out last year. It has since carried out 10 federal executions, the most in a single year in the U.S. in decades.

President-elect Joe Biden opposes capital punishment, and has pledged to push to eliminate the federal death penalty and is expected to pause executions.

The executions of two other death-row inmates scheduled for later this week were temporarily delayed, after a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday said they should first be allowed to recover from covid-19 contracted in prison.

Montgomery, 52, was convicted in 2007 of strangling a Missouri woman who was eight months pregnant, and cutting the baby from her abdomen. The infant survived and was raised by her father.

Her lawyers say her horrible crime was preceded by years of abuse and mental illness. Doctors who have examined Montgomery say she has bipolar disorder and brain damage; she has said the child she kidnapped might be hers and that God speaks to her through connect-the-dot puzzles, according to court affidavits. Her mother abused her and her stepfather repeatedly raped her, her lawyers say.

Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall urged the justices to "immediately set aside" the District of Columbia Circuit's "unwarranted obstacle" to carrying out an overdue death sentence. The court has done just that in a series of rulings in recent months.

The late night action from the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Circuit, filed after 11 p.m. on Monday, is a "belated about-face" and contrary to its rulings on identical claims in other cases, Wall wrote.

But Montgomery's lawyers replied that the circuit court has set an expedited briefing schedule that the government and the high court should respect.

"Her life will be irrevocably cut short" if the stay is lifted," lawyer Meaghan VerGow wrote, adding that the government's only justification for seeking the stay is "so it can execute Mrs. Montgomery on the arbitrary date it has selected - today - before her claims can be fully adjudicated."

Montgomery's execution date was initially delayed after two of her lawyers fell ill with the coronavirus after traveling to visit her in prison. She was scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m., having been moved Monday from a women's prison in Texas to the federal execution facility in Indiana.

Members of the victim's family have traveled to Indiana to witness the execution and, according to the Justice Department, it should not be canceled at the "eleventh hour."

"The victim's family, her community, and the Nation 'deserve better,' " the government said.

The Supreme Court has rejected previous attempts to stop the Trump administration from carrying out federal executions using a new lethal-injection protocol.

The order from the full District Circuit reversed an initial three-judge panel decision that had allowed the execution to proceed. Writing for the panel majority, Judge Gregory Katsas rejected Montgomery's claim that when it comes to scheduling executions, the federal government must follow the law of the state in which the death row inmate was convicted. Montgomery's lawyers argue that her date is inconsistent with Missouri law and violates the Federal Death Penalty Act.

The full court sided with Judge Patricia Millett, who dissented in the panel ruling and noted that Missouri law requires 90 days notice between the scheduling of an execution and the execution itself.

Four judges, including three nominated by President Trump, indicated they would not have granted the stay.

Judges Cornelia Pillard and Merrick Garland, who has been nominated as Biden's attorney general, did not participate in the ruling by the full court.

The stay of execution gives the District Circuit time to consider whether federal law governing executions requires the government to follow Missouri's 90-day notice requirement. The order says oral argument will be scheduled after Jan. 29.

Montgomery's lawyer Kelley Henry said in a statement Tuesday that the court "was correct to accept this appeal because it is a question that keeps coming up in these cases and the lower courts are split on the issue."

Separately, two other appeals courts on Tuesday reviewed efforts to put Montgomery's execution on hold. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit overturned a judge's order seeking to review whether Montgomery's mental illness and history of sexual abuse as a child bar her from being put to death under the Eighth Amendment.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit sided with Montgomery and put the execution on hold based on her claims that the scheduled date violates the sentencing court's judgment.

Montgomery has also petitioned the president for clemency.

- - -

The Washington Post's Mark Berman contributed to this report.
People ride their bicycles past the Alley Theatre on Thursday, March 19, 2020 in Houston. The Theater District venues have closed due to precautionary measures against Coronavirus. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Faced with no live audience for the foreseeable future, the Alley Theatre launches its Alley@Home season this month with digital adaptations of Swedish playwright August Strindbergs The Stronger and A Half-Sheet of Paper. Artistic director Rob Melrose translated both plays himself.

Its something I like to do, even with a play thats been translated many times, he explains. I like to get back to the original and really figure out whats actually there; and then do my best to capture that, but also to put it into language that feels contemporary. I feel like it makes me a better director, because then Ive really accounted for every single word in the play.

Strindberg is a pivotal figure in the development of modern drama; his naturalistic style and psychological intensity influenced Eugene ONeill, Edward Albee and Tennessee Williams, among others. Although the two ultimately followed different paths  Strindberg toward the dream plays that presaged German expressionism, for example  his innovations often link him with fellow Scandinavian Henrik Ibsen.

With Strindberg, the reason I find him so exciting is, every play he wrote was a different experiment, says Melrose. It was a different challenge. It was a different size, a different set of rules, even a different style of theater.

The Stronger When: Jan. 15-Feb. 7 "A Half-Sheet of Paper" When: Jan. 22-Feb. 14 Details: Tickets are free, registration required; alleytheatre.org

In The Stronger, which runs Jan. 15 to Feb. 7, two women encounter one another at a cafe on Christmas Eve. They know each other and share a connection that is revealed in the course of the play. Strindbergs rule here is that only one of the women speaks; the other communicates through facial expressions  and silence, of course.

Its kind of extraordinary to have one character have no lines at all, but all of a sudden you realize, Oh my gosh, she has all the power, not the person speaking, says Melrose. And then, as time goes on, the power dynamic shifts yet again.

The play also allowed Melrose the opportunity to team two members of the Alleys Resident Acting Company, Elizabeth Bunch and Melissa Pritchett, who dont often appear onstage together. Ironically, the women filmed their parts in their respective homes; a split-screen effect creates the appearance of a conversation.

Theyve shared a dressing room for years, but they said because of the shows that have been done in the past, they actually have almost never gotten to play a scene together; its never the two women onstage talking, he says. Oddly enough, this was their first time getting to do a really big, long scene together, so that was really exciting for them.

In Half-Sheet of Paper, available from Jan. 22 to Feb. 14, Chris Hutchison  another Resident Acting Company member  plays a man moments away from leaving his apartment for the final time. He notices a scrap of paper by the telephone, and suddenly, the memories come flooding back: the scribbles and doodles on the page conjure various milestones in his life over the past two years.

To Melrose, the story reminds him of the old Tennyson line Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all  simple, yet profound.

(Hutchison) really owns that in a way thats very authentic and really beautiful; and really feels like he is grateful for the fact that hes alive, and the fact that he experienced some of the most beautiful and wonderful things that life has to offer, says Melrose. And just because theyre gone now doesnt make them any less.

The Alley has actually created two versions of Half-Sheet of Paper, in which Hutchisons performance is enhanced in different ways through the visual effects of scenic designer Michael Locher. One tells the story through a series of still photographs based on the 1962 French film La Jetee; in the other, the drawings on the page take on a fanciful life of their own.

Melrose hopes both plays will be the first steps toward his goal of helping audiences think differently about the Alleys fare, at least until its safe to come back to the theater. Both will be presented free of charge through the Alley website; registration is required.

Even though this pandemic has hurt theater like never before, he says, I think the fact that weve opened theater up to the digital world ultimately will really be a positive thing.

Chris Gray is a Houston-based writer.

MOSCOW: A Russian who reutrned from Britain has tested positive for the more infectious variant of COVID-19, the first such case in Russia, the RIA news agency cited Anna Popova, head of the country's consumer health watchdog, as saying on Sunday.

Popova gave no further details.

Russia suspended flights to Britain last month after the more contagious variant was detected there.

Meanwhile, Russia has registered 22,851 COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, down from 23,309 the day before, taking the tally to 3,401,954, the coronavirus response center said on Sunday.

"Over the past day, 22,851 coronavirus cases have been confirmed across 83 Russian regions, including 2,589 cases (11.3 percent) that were detected actively, with people showing no clinical symptoms," the center said.

The highest daily increases were confirmed in Moscow (4,216), St. Petersburg (3,010) and the Moscow Region (1,292).

Russia's cumulative case count has now reached 3,401,954, with the rate of increase at 0.3 percent.

The death toll has totaled 61,837, with an increase of 456 over the past 24 hours, down from 470 the day before.

Total recoveries count 2,778,889 as 24,080 more people have been discharged from hospitals over the past day, up from 23,680 the day before.





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Normalcy returned to Ilesha-Baruba community in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara on Monday after a Friday clash between security operatives and commercial vehicles drivers.

The clash between the security operatives and drivers in the area left at least three persons dead and several people injured from gunshots.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the clash occurred on Friday during a misunderstanding over bookings between the operatives mounting roadblocks on the Ilesha-Baruba/Chikanda highway and commercial drivers plying the route.

The corpses of the deceased, which had earlier been deposited at a morgue in Saki, Oyo State, were brought into Ilesha-Baruba on Sunday night for burial.

NAN correspondent who went round the community reports that the residents have returned to their normal businesses.

Market men and women were seen thronging into the international cattle market located in the area.

Operatives of security agencies were sighted patrolling the area to further douse tension.

The security operatives have also temporarily withdrawn from the checkpoints.

The Emir of Ilesha-Baruba, Halidu Abubakar, told NAN it was regrettable that a little misunderstanding between the residents and security operatives could lead to the unfortunate loss of lives.

Mr Abubakar, a professor, blamed the incident on pent-up grievances between the operatives and members of the transport union.

The grievances, he said, was due to alleged extortion of commercial motorists by the operatives.

The traditional ruler, however, commended the prompt response of the police in containing the spread of the crisis.

He said that the community enlisted the help of elected political officials from the area to fund the treatment of the injured.

This is because treatment of gunshot injuries is always expensive. You know (the) majority of us here are Muslims. So we have taken the issue as an act of God.

We are all families one way or the other and we have been able to talk to the families of the deceased, the emir said.

He commended the Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly for their support during and after the crisis.

(NAN)
HORSHAM, Pa., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company (Penn Mutual), a Fortune 1000 company, has announced a strategic relaunch of two of its Southern agencies, aligning the firm with a unified presence in the region highlighted by a commitment to having a positive impact in their respective communities.

The newly-named Strategic Planning Group consolidates the former Penn Mutual Carolina Partners, headquartered in Charlotte, NC and the XXI Financial office in Atlanta, GA. The refreshed company brand showcases a new lighthouse logo embodying the firm's mission to provide foresight, strength, guidance and security to their clients.

Penn Mutual will remain the preferred partner for Strategic Planning Group, fully assisting the firm with industry-leading life insurance products, financial planning technology systems, broker-dealer services, financial professional education, and other support.

"We're excited to continue our impact in the Carolinas and grow our firm's presence in Atlanta," said Dr. Tomas H. Parks, managing partner. "Strategic Planning Group wants to be a light that shines ever brighter as a transformative force for individuals, families and businesses. The combined strength of these two offices and the track record of excellence and service from our family of financial professionals will serve our clients as we help them focus on meeting their goals, dreams and desires."

Founded in 2017, Strategic Planning Group offers purposeful financial plans and superior life insurance strategies that protect and maximize wealth potential and help clients control and enjoy that wealth. SPG's family of financial professionals currently work with more than 5,000 individuals, families and businesses to provide a comprehensive approach to wealth management needs, including retirement planning, business-owner planning, special needs planning and estate planning.

About The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company

Penn Mutual is committed to helping people live life with confidence. At the heart of this purpose is the belief that life insurance is central to a sound financial plan. Through our network of trusted financial professionals, we are dedicated to helping individuals, families and businesses achieve their dreams. Penn Mutual supports its financial professionals with retirement and investment services through its wholly owned subsidiary Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Visit Penn Mutual at www.pennmutual.com.

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Jeff Leinen Katie Small, FLMI, ACS Penn Mutual Strategic Planning Group (215) 956-8530 (704) 362-6781 [email protected] [email protected]

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 20:25:00|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has tightened rules for the city's taxi and ride-hailing services after a new asymptomatic COVID-19 case was reported Saturday involving a driver on a ride-hailing platform.

The driver lives in Shunyi District, which saw a recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases. He had recently been in close contact with 144 passengers, all of whom have been notified, according to Zhi Xianwei, deputy head of the district.

Following the case, Beijing requires passengers of taxi and ride-hailing platforms to register their health status through a phone app when using the services. Drivers can deny services to passengers who refuse to register, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

The commission has also suspended the taxi and ride-hailing services of drivers living in Shunyi District. Ride-hailing platforms are required to avoid orders from or to the district.
Automakers in North America are beginning to feel the effects of a global shortage of semiconductors that has caused a crunch for manufacturers worldwide, adding a wrinkle to the industrys attempted comeback from the coronavirus crisis.

Ford Motor Co. confirmed Friday that it will idle its Louisville assembly plant in Kentucky this week due to a supplier part shortage connected to the semiconductor shortage, company spokeswoman Kelli Felker said.

Ford builds its Escape and the Lincoln Corsair SUVs in Louisville. The automaker said it has moved up a previously planned week of downtime to next week due to the parts shortage. The production stoppage will affect 3,900 workers who will make approximately 75% of their gross pay during that time.

"We are working closely with suppliers to address potential production constraints tied to the global semiconductor shortage," Felker said in a statement.

Semiconductors are crucial components used in everything from instrument clusters to the infotainment systems that are ubiquitous in modern-day vehicles. And, automakers are increasingly competing with other sectors for the components as they need more of them for technologically advanced, electric-powered vehicles.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Friday that it would delay the restart of its Toluca, Mexico, plant, which builds the Jeep Compass, and would schedule down time at its plant in Brampton, Ontario, which builds the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger.

"This will minimize the impact of the current semiconductor shortage while ensuring we maintain production at our other North American plants," company spokeswoman Kaileen Connelly said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Toyota Motor Corp.s North America division told the Detroit News that the automaker has scaled back production of its Texas-built Tundra pickup truck by 40% this month in response to the shortage. Toyota is still evaluating how the shortage might affect other products as the manufacturer attempts to put in place counter-measures to minimize the impact.

General Motors Co. has not announced any impact on its production schedules, but spokesman David Barnas said in a statement that the Detroit automaker is "aware of the increased demand for semiconductor microchips as the auto industry continues its global recovery."

The shortage is sending a ripple of disruptions across the automotive industry, according to automakers and media reports from around the world. There are a number of factors that explain the parts issue, but a major one has to do with the pandemic.

When large swaths of manufacturing operations ground to a halt in early 2020, suppliers found themselves with plenty of capacity to fill new orders. But as consumer demand bounced back more quickly than expected, much of that capacity went to consumer goods such as gaming devices and cell phones.

When the automotive manufacturers resumed production and encountered more robust demand than they had expected, they were essentially at the back of the line.

"If you consider this to be one of those onion analogies, as you pull it apart, it's all going to go down to the pandemic," said Phil Amsrud, senior principal analyst for IHS Markit's automotive semiconductor research area.

Its not uncommon in any year for there to be tightness in the supply chain, but a lot of what were seeing now is a result of, everybody hit the brakes early last year and then has been trying to read the tea leaves to figure out, when do I start ramping production back up? he said. By the time the automotive [manufacturers came] back, all that capacity is consumed elsewhere.

Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. is adjusting production of its Note hatchback at its Oppama plant in Japan. A spokeswoman for the automakers North America operations said: For the U.S., specifically, we are working closely with our supplier partners to monitor the situation and assess any potential impact on our operations.

The Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper, reports that Honda Motor Co. will cut back vehicle production due to the shortage, as well. The Japanese automaker will cut production by about 4,000 units this month, the newspaper said.

A spokesman for American Honda Motor Co. Inc. said that, due to the shortage, Hondas purchasing and production teams are currently evaluating this issue in the effort to limit the impact of this situation on our production in North America and maintain our ability to meet the needs of our customers.

German automakers Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG, too, have said the shortage will require them to scale back production. Also sounding the alarm: automotive parts manufacturers.

The disruptions caused by the coronavirus crisis have caused extreme volatility in the automotive industry, Continental AG, a German parts maker, said in a statement, explaining that the semiconductor industry has lead times of six to nine months and has not been able to keep up with auto industry demand. The bottlenecks from the semiconductor industry are expected to continue well into 2021, causing major disruptions in Continentals production.

The supply-chain constraint comes as the global auto industry undertakes a recovery from the early days of the pandemic, which shuttered production in North America for eight weeks in the spring of 2020. Auto plants have largely avoided any major disruptions related to the virus spreading among workers, but other pandemic-related supply issues have at times slowed down production.

IHS Markit's analysts don't see this as a long-term problem for the industry, but one that could cause production snarls through the first half of the year.

Its a mix problem; too much of it is going to consumer applications, compared to automotive. That will self-correct over time, Amsrud said. Well get through this, even though its going to be an uncomfortable period of time until we get there.
New Delhi:

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a press conference on protests in Mandsaur on Friday where he said that he will fast at Dussehra Maidan on Saturday from 11 AM to bring peace. He also said that people may come to him to discuss their problems.

From 11 am tomorrow I'll sit at Dussehra Maidan, people may come & discuss things with me. I will fast to bring peace, Chouhan said.





From 11am tomorrow I'll sit at Dussehra Maidan, people may come & discuss things with me. I will fast to bring about peace: MP CM #Mandsaur pic.twitter.com/LGl0LUyYYF  ANI (@ANI_news) June 9, 2017

He further said that they will not allow anyone to disturb the law and order in the state.



Negative elements will be dealt with strongly. Establishing law & order is our priority. Some people have handed over stones to youth, he said.



Earlier, curfew was relaxed on Friday for the day in Mandsaur and Pipliamandi as the situation in the areas hit by violent protests by farmers improved. SP Manoj Kumar Singh said that authorities decided to relax curfew from 10 am to 6 pm as the situation has improved.

ALSO READ: Madhya Pradesh farmers protest: Farmer succumbs to injuries at Indore hospital, wife attempts suicide on hearing news

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This is the heartbreaking moment an elephant lost its month-long battle for life despite Thai medics performing CPR in a last-ditch effort to save the dying animal.

The 20-year-old bull elephant, named Plykhanoon, has been in critical care since December 10 after it was found shot 43 times in woodland in Prachuap Khiri Khan, a province in southern Thailand.

Veterinarians had taken the elephant to a wildlife sanctuary for treatment where it tragically crushed a park ranger to death with its trunk while being treated.

Despite that, vets kept battling to save the animal for another month before it suddenly fell into critical condition as it was being transported for surgery.

An elephant found shot 43 times in the face, legs and body in Thailand has died after a month in critical care - as tragic video captured the moment it lost its battle for life (pictured)

The elephant was discovered badly wounded in woodland on December 10 and taken to a nearby wildlife sanctuary, where it lost its battle for life on January 10

The bull elephant had been shot twice under the eyes, three times on the front leg, twice on the ribs, and 38 times across its face and body when it was found.

Despite being critically-injured with bullet shell casings still inside its body, the frightened elephant resisted rescuers and had to be sedated before being transferred to the nearby Kui Buri National Park.

A day later, a park ranger was killed after being crushed by the elephant's trunk while trying to treat the three-tonne jumbo.

One of the park rangers, Pichai Watcharapongpaiboon, said his colleague was a hero.

He said: 'The elephant had violent tendencies so we understand it was only trying to protect itself when it accidentally killed the ranger.'

The elephant has spent the past month receiving treatment at the National Park's head office by a team of vets.

Veterinarians had battled to save the elephant despite the wounded animal crushing a park ranger to death with its trunk during treatment (pictured, the animal after its death)

A spokesman for the wildlife park said the elephant was being taken for emergency treatment to stop sudden swelling in its leg when it fell into critical condition and died

Suporn Polpan, the head of Kui Buri National Park, said they did everything they could to save the jumbo. Pictured: Locals grieve over the death of the elephant and lay candles and flowers by the animal

But this weekend, the elephant's condition suddenly deteriorated and shocking footage shows the moment veterinarians were frantically giving the jumbo CPR.

Despite the best efforts of the National Park's veterinarians to save the injured elephant, the animal finally succumbed to his injuries and died on Sunday as a result of organ failure.

Suporn Polpan, the head of Kui Buri National Park, said they did everything they could to save the jumbo.

'The elephant was admitted on December 10 and was being cared for by the veterinary hospital inside the Kui Buri National Park. His behaviour was aggressive and he did not heal from the injuries from the bullets,' Mr Polpan said.

He added: 'The elephant was being moved for treatment to the park office where the vets are on hand when it had an unexplained swelling in the right leg and could not stand on January 10.

The elephant had been shot twice under the eyes, three times on the front leg, twice on the ribs, and 38 times across its face and body. Pictured: Bullets retrieved from the animal's body

The elephant was buried in the national park grounds while investigations are ongoing

After its death, police from examined the dead elephant with a metal detector to check for any further bullet cases

'Officers tried to perform CPR but sadly the elephant died later.

'An autopsy assumed the cause of death to be caused by internal organs failure.'

Officers are still investigating who shot the elephant but they believe that it had an encounter with several armed men who opened fire at the same time.

After its death, police from examined the dead elephant with a metal detector.

The elephant was buried in the national park grounds while investigations are ongoing.

The elephant is the national animal of Thailand. An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the wild in Thailand and a similar number in captivity.

There is conflict when they come in contact with humans who also use the area for farming and gathering food.

Elephants are a protected animal in Thailand and killing them carries a maximum prison term of up to three years and a fine of 1,000 baht (25).

Wildlife rangers are now working with police to find those responsible for the death.
Tesco signs second deal with non-alcoholic spirit brand Stryyk

Non-alcoholic distilled spirits brand Stryyk has secured a second listing with Tesco in anticipation of an increase in demand in 2021.

Stryyk Not Rum is now available in more than 650 Tesco stores across the UK, joining the brand's Not Gin which launched with the retailer last April.

It is one of many brands to take advantage of a recent shift in consumer behaviour which has seen more people lowering their alcohol intake and considering no and low-alcohol alternatives. According to a recent You Gov poll, more than a quarter of drinkers are looking to cut down their alcohol consumption in 2021.

Alex Carlton, Elegantly Spirited CEO and founder of Stryyk, said: "Consumers are responding really positively to Stryyk and this is a major coup in a highly competitive sector. Stryyk has an excellent taste profile, premium branding and an accessible price point and hits the spot for Tesco shoppers looking to enjoy the drinks they love, minus alcohol but without compromising taste or experience."

Launched in the UK on-trade in 2018, Stryyk is distilled and bottled in the UK. The range now comprises Not Gin, Not Rum and Not Vodka, with each bearing characteristics of its namesake spirit. In 2019 Funkin Cocktails, another brand founded by Alex Carlton, signed a long-term deal to act as Stryyk's exclusive UK distributor.

Alex added: "Drinkers want brands that resonate with their changing tastes and Stryyk offers an exciting alternative to alcoholic spirits and meets the demand for low and no-alcohol. The Stryyk range is stylish, credible and category-aligned, allowing consumers to maintain their desire for ritual and taste."

12 January 2021 - Bethany Whymark

[January 12, 2021] Lincoln International Announces Managing Director Promotions

Lincoln International, a global investment banking advisory firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of eleven investment bankers to Managing Director (MD), the largest number of annual MD promotions in the firm's history. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112006095/en/ Congratulations to Lincoln International's eleven professionals who have been promoted to the Managing Director level - the most in firm history! The new MDs, based in five different countries, are a key part of Lincoln's continued global growth and deepening product and sector coverage across industries. (Photo: Business Wire) The new MDs are a key part of Lincoln's continued global growth and deepening product and sector coverage across key industries. These professionals, based in five different countries, work with clients across an array of advisory service lines with nine delivering mergers and acquisitions advisory (M&A) with clear areas of sector and/or geographic coverage, one in capital advisory and one offering valuations and opinions advisory services. Several of the new Managing Directors have risen through the ranks having started their careers with Lincoln, while others were attracted from competitor firms because of the quality of Lincoln's people, platform and culture. The new Managing Directors are Smitha Balasubramanian, Cynthya Goulet, Chris Gresh, Adam Hunia, Phillip Knotts, Christoph-Sebastian Meier, Sibert Meulenbelt, Sathya Ramanathan, Alex Ring, Xenia Sarri and Charles Walder. "We are pleased to celebrate our respected colleagues for their well-deserved promotions," commented Jim Lawson, Chairman and Global Co-Chief Executive Officer of Lincoln International. "They deliver valuable insights, real connections and commitment to excellence that clients seek from their best advisors. All are important contributors to our future, and we are highly confident of their success as Managing Directors. This record number of MD promotions reflects Lincoln's ability to attract junior and middle level talent and develop them into highly effective senior bankers. Lincoln is poised for continuing rapid growth as our pipeline of quality Managing Director promotions is very strong." Lincoln's newest Managing Directors, in alphabetical order, are: Smitha Balasubramanian | Chicago, Illinois Smitha provides valuation opinions and advisory services to public and private companies and investment advisors and focuses on new technology initiatives to advance the firm's Valuations & Opinions Group. Prior to joining Lincoln as an Associate in 2011, Smitha worked with Macquarie Group, where she provided M&A advisory services and equity research. Cynthya Goulet | Chicago, Illinois Cynthya provides M&A advisory services for clients withinprecision medicine with a focus on diagnostic and research products and medical device outsourcing. Cynthya has spent her entire career at Lincoln since joining in 2007.



Chris Gresh | New York, New York Chris is a senior member of Lincoln's Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group providing M&A and capital raising advisory services for a wide variety of technology clients across an assortment of sub-sectors, with keen expertise in enterprise software and in the sub-verticals of human capital, governance and compliance. Prior to joining Lincoln in 2011 as an Associate, Chris focused on M&A advisory across various industries with Lazard.

Adam Hunia | Chicago, Illinois Adam provides M&A advisory services for clients in the automation, material handling and chemicals and materials sectors. Prior to joining Lincoln in 2010 as an Associate, Adam worked in the Debt Capital Markets group at The Royal Bank of Scotland. Phillip Knotts | Chicago, Illinois Phillip specializes in providing M&A advisory services to healthcare services companies, with a focus on physician practice management, dental services and home and community-based providers. Prior to joining Lincoln as a Vice President in 2012, Phillip was a Vice President in the healthcare investment banking practice at BB&T Capital Markets. Christoph-Sebastian Meier | Zurich, Switzerland Christoph-Sebastian advises corporate and private equity clients on domestic and cross-border M&A and has gained significant experience and client relationships in the Swiss technology community. Prior to joining Lincoln as an Associate in 2015, Christoph-Sebastian worked for Leonardo & Co. and Sal. Oppenheim Corporate Finance. Sibert Meulenbelt | Amsterdam, The Netherlands Sibert provides M&A advisory services with a focus on companies in the industrial sector and has gained significant experience in advising private equity, corporate and private clients in cross-border transactions. Prior to joining Lincoln as an Associate in 2014, Sibert worked in the corporate finance teams of Bank Oyens & Van Eeghen and Stamford Partners. Sathya Ramanathan | Bangalore, India Sathya leverages more than 15 years of corporate finance and M&A advisory experience to lead the firm's technology, media & telecom efforts in India. Prior to joining Lincoln in 2019 as Director, Sathya worked at EY in its investment banking group, holding several roles over his 12+ years with the company, most recently leading the technology investment banking team in South India. Alex Ring | Chicago, Illinois Alex specializes in providing M&A advisory to financial services companies and has a rich understanding for the dynamics driving opportunity in the business services market. Alex has spent his entire professional career with Lincoln, joining as an Analyst in 2007. Xenia Sarri | London, UK Xenia is a debt specialist with more than 14 years' experience in the London, Amsterdam and New York debt capital markets, advising on leveraged financings, cross-border transactions, special situations, acquisition finance and restructuring matters. Xenia joined Lincoln as a Director in 2018 after working in the Debt Structuring & Origination team at Jefferies and the TMT Structured Finance team at ING. Charles Walder | Los Angeles, California Charles has extensive experience advising companies in the consumer sector for clients focused on the restaurant and pet industries, including experience with domestic and cross-border M&A, capital raising, restructuring and other strategic advisory assignments. Prior to joining Lincoln as an Associate in 2013, Charles worked for Duff & Phelps in London where he focused on mid-market M&A and restructuring transactions. About Lincoln International We are trusted investment banking advisors to business owners and senior executives of leading private equity firms and public and privately held companies around the world. Our advisory services include mergers and acquisitions and capital markets advisory for the mid-market. We also provide valuations and fairness opinions and joint ventures advisory services. As one tightly integrated team of more than 600 professionals across 16 countries, we offer an unobstructed perspective, backed by superb execution and a deep commitment to client success. With extensive industry knowledge and relationships, timely market intelligence and strategic insights, we forge deep, productive client relationships that endure for decades. Connect with us to learn more at www.lincolninternational.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112006095/en/

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The Catholic Bishops of Germany repeat the Church's opposition to medically-assisted suicide, and say every dying person needs to be supported with the Christian message of hope.

By Lisa Zengarini

From a Christian point of view, assisted suicide is not an ethically acceptable option."

The German Bishops Conference (DBK) spokesman Matthias Kopp reiterated that point in response to an article published Monday by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Faz).

In the article, entitled Allowing Medically Assisted Suicide, Prof. Dr. Reiner Anselm and Reverend Ulrich Lilie argue that: Church institutions should guarantee the best possible palliative care, but not refuse assisted suicide and should offer advice, support and accompaniment to a people who wish to die, respecting their self-determination.

Ethically unacceptable

From a Christian point of view, people's freedom to decide for themselves at every stage of their life according to their personal ideas is very important and this applies to death too, providing the rule of law is respected, Kopp explains in a statement published on the DBK website.

However, this does not make suicide an ethically acceptable option, the German bishops spokeman stresses. He also notes that research shows that the desire to end one's life is, in most cases, the result of fear, despair resulting from extreme situations, and therefore cannot be understood as the expression of self-determination."

For this reason, he says, the desire to commit suicide cannot be accepted without asking questions, nor considered as a normal form of death. On the contrary, it is precisely in these "highly dramatic situations of life that respect of self-determination requires a special observation and an empathic attention."

The spokesman, therefore, reiterates the Church's position that allowing assisted suicide is not the right answer to the problem. What is needed in these situations is not a help to die, but rather "support to develop prospects of life."

He also points out the risks of all sick people being pressured to give their consent to assisted suicide so as not to be a burden to others... This must not happen!" he says.

Pastoral care of the dying

Referring to the pastoral care for people with suicidal thoughts, Kopp further emphasizes that it cannot be neutral.

It approaches each person with an open mind while at the same time giving a Christian message of hope and is always on the side of life, he says. Pastors accept people for what they are while offering orientation. This is how the Catholic Church and charitable institutions promote life. Making it possible to offer assisted suicide in their facilities would incompatible with their nature.

Assisted suicide in Germany

Euthanasia in Germany is illegal according to the German Constitution.

However, in February last year the Federal Constitutional Court of Karlsruhe allowed pro-euthanasia associations that help people commit suicide to publicize their activities, declaring a law which was approved by the Bundestag (the German Parliament) in 2015 unconstitutional.
Work from home cannot be isolated from other types of work taking place in the home.

Work from home (WfH) finds mention in the draft model standing orders for the service sector, released by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment on 31 December 2020. Applicable to establishments employing more than 300 workers, Section 10 of the draft states that subject to conditions of appointment or agreement between employers and workers, employer may allow a worker to work from home for such period or periods as may be determined by employer. While 2020 saw a hurried passage of the controversial labour codes, 2021 appears to mark the operationalisation of the new labour regime. Many have applauded a separate draft for the service sector and consider the inclusion of WfH as recognition of the changing nature of work, hastened by the contingencies of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, before welcoming this inclusion, WfH needs to be interrogated, recognising the fault lines through which it threatens workers rights and entitlements, while continuing to ignore the various precarities that work and home represent.

In May 2020, NASSCOM proposed a set of recommendations to accommodate WfH for the information technology (IT) sector. These included flexibility in choosing working hours and weekly offs, and exemption from registration where 100% of the employees are working from home. In fact, it suggests complete exemption of the IT sector from standing orders, stating that in a flexible work regime, service conditions change regularly, making certifications expensive. Section 5 of the draft echoes this: in case of IT Sector, the working hour shall be as per agreement or conditions of appointment between employer and workers.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security on Monday initiated legal proceedings against a flight attendant, who was COVID-19 patient 1,342, for spreading dangerous infectious disease to others.

The legal proceedings were launched against D.T.H., a 28-year-old flight attendant with Vietnam Airlines, according to Vietnams penal code.

H. is also currently prohibited from leaving his residence.

According to preliminary investigations, the man returned to Vietnam from Japan on flight VN5301 on November 14, 2020 and was quarantined at a facility managed by Vietnam Airlines at 115 Hong Ha Street in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City from November 14 to 18.

When staying at the quarantine center, the flight attendant came into contact with his colleague, patient 1,325, who was also put in quarantine there, but in a different isolation area.

As H.s first two tests for the virus while at the quarantine facility returned negative, the flight attendant was let go to self-isolate at home, as per regulations.

H. hosted a male friend during the self-quarantine at his home against quarantine guidelines.

The flight attendant also visited several public places, including his university, and came into contact with many others during that period.

H. was registered as patient 1,342 on November 29.

The friend who stayed with him was confirmed as patient 1,347 on November 30.

Two other individuals who had been in direct contact with the friend were then confirmed as patients 1,348 and 1,349 on December 1.

The Ho Chi Minh City police on December 3 announced that they decided to launch a criminal investigation into the case related to H., on the charge of spreading dangerous infectious disease to others.

The citys chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong criticized H.s behavior breaching quarantine rules for COVID-19 prevention and control, allegedly leading to the spread of the disease and causing serious consequences to the community.

Phong suggested not only a criminal investigation into the case but also legal proceedings against the flight attendant to show an exemplary punishment.

Police officers also determined the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals in the case.

Vietnams penal code regulates that a person accused of spreading dangerous infectious disease to others may be subject to a charge of one to 12 years in prison.

Regarding H.s health condition, he was confirmed to have recovered from COVID-19 on December 22, after testing negative for the coronavirus, and went to practice 14-day quarantine as per regulations.

Patients 1,347, 1,348, and 1,349 also tested negative for the virus and underwent quarantine for 14 more days.

In relation to these four domestic infections, a total of 3,263 people were tested for COVID-19, with their results all returning negative.

Vietnam had gone 88 days without an infection in the community before patient 1,347s diagnosis.

The national tally has reached 1,515 patients as of Tuesday afternoon, with 1,361 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

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Angola, IN (46703)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 72F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that he did not consider it a good idea to use the COVID-19 vaccination certificate for easier circulation of European citizens, pointing out that this would create a discrimination framework.

"Personally, I don't think this is a good idea. This would create a framework of discrimination that is simply unacceptable. I believe that there should be a vaccination certificate and this certificate will also exist also here but it must be used for medical reasons. (...) But to use these vaccination certificates to divide the population of Europe in two, those who have already been vaccinated and those who have not yet been vaccinated, it does not seem a good thing to me," Iohannis told a news conference.

He was asked how he sees Greece promoting, in contacts with the European Commission, the other European institutions, but also with other member states, the idea of creating a single European certificate as proof of vaccination for citizens, so that Europeans can circulate more easily with this certificate.
(This story is being updated with additional information as it becomes available.)

FLINT, MI -- Former Gov. Rick Snyder and others have been told theyre being charged for crimes related to the Flint water crisis, the Associated Press is reporting.

Snyder, who served as governor during the water crisis, appointed a series of emergency financial managers who ran Flint government before and during the water crisis, and has previously apologized for state governments role in the emergency.

The AP did not detail the potential charge or charges facing the former governor, whose cabinet members downplayed the seriousness of the water crisis for most of 2014 and 2015, a time when emergency managers appointed by Snyder made a series of decisions that led to the citys use of the Flint River as its source of drinking water.

The governor later accepted the resignation of former Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant and members of his cabinet were charged with crimes, including involuntary manslaughter, for their roles in the crisis.

Brian Lennon, an attorney for Snyder, issued a statement after the AP report, saying they have been told that the Michigan Attorney Generals Office of Special Counsel plans to charge former Gov. Rick Snyder with crimes related to the Flint water investigation.

But the statement says that office has refused to share information about these charges with us, which is an indication that a public relations smear campaign is a higher priority than any official legal action.

It is outrageous to think any criminal charges would be filed against Gov. Snyder. Any charges would be meritless. Coming from an administration that claims to be above partisan politics, it is deeply disappointing to see pure political motivation driving charging decisions, Lennons statement says.

In addition to Snyder, an attorney for Richard Baird, a former senior advisor to Snyder, issued a statement Tuesday that said his client has also been told he will be charged for crimes related to the water crisis.

At this time, we have not been made aware of what the charges are, or how they are related to (Bairds) position with former Michigan Governor Rick Snyders administration, the statement from attorney Randall L. Levine says.

Baird was among former Snyder administration officials whose state-owned mobile devices and other electronic data was seized by water prosecutors after Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud took over the investigation with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Less than one year ago, Baird called for an end to the ongoing criminal investigation of state employees in a statement to MLive-The Flint Journal.

Charges related to the water crisis against eight former state and city employees were dropped in June 2019 and the criminal investigation was relaunched under the leadership of Hammoud.

A spokeswoman for the solicitor general said Tuesday, Jan. 12, that Hammoud was not in a position to comment but hopes to have an announcement soon.

Former Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said Snyder, if charged, will get what he deserves.

Im glad. Its about time. We have been asking for this and asking for this. Governor Snyder is on the list (of individuals who should be charged). What happened in Flint was criminal, Weaver said.

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, expressed support for the ongoing investigation after news of upcoming charges broke Tuesday.

What happened to the people of Flint is a terrible tragedy, he said. Justice for Flint families comes in many forms, including holding state officials accountable for what they did to Flint. While I never prejudge the outcome of any criminal charges, I support the Flint water crisis investigation following the facts, wherever they may lead. No one is above the law.

Justice for Flint also comes by making sure families have access to critical resources, like the Flint Registry and other health care, educational and nutritional services, that can help mitigate the effects of lead exposure. Flint families deserve our continued support and we owe it to other communities to learn the lessons of the water crisis so it never happens elsewhere.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, also said no one is above the law.

While we do not yet know the full extent of the charges expected to be made, I have said from the beginning that justice requires even the most powerful be held accountable for what happened to the families of my city, Ananich said in a statement. No person, no politician, is above the law. I have every expectation that our attorney general and her team is pursuing every legal avenue to deliver justice for Flint.

Read more:

4 pieces of unfinished Flint water crisis business you need to know heading into 2021

EPAs new lead and copper rule will require testing at schools and plans to replace lead water lines

Flint criminal cases will wrap up early next year, says Michigan AG Nessel

Congress passes bill that includes $4.5 million for Flint Registry

Divided Flint council agrees for city to join in settlement of residents water crisis claims

As Flint was slowly poisoned, Snyders inner circle failed to act
Michigan Commission Bans Open Carry of Guns in State Capitol

The commission that manages the premises of the Michigan State Capitol adopted a policy Monday that bans open carry of guns in the building, although people with concealed-weapons permits may still bring firearms inside.

In a unanimous 6-0 vote, the Michigan Capitol Commission opted to impose the open carry ban, which goes into effect immediately. The commission argued against against adopting a full weapons ban inside the Capitol, saying its authority to do so is questionable and it lacks the budget for enforcement, which would likely require such measures as installing metal detectors at entrances, according to NPR.

We have no authority to implement the infrastructure to go beyond that at this point, said Commissioner William Kandler in remarks to NPR. We have no budget. Were not experts in security.

For years, the commission resisted such a move, at times claiming it did not have the authority to order a firearms ban. The shift in thinking may relate to the Jan. 6 violent breach of the U.S. Capitol, along with an internal FBI memo issued on Monday, as reported by ABC, warning that armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens Jan. 20 inauguration.

Moves to ban weapons at the statehouse have been pushed since April, when protesters opposed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmers COVID-19 restrictions, some armed with long rifles, entered the Michigan Capitol demanding to be allowed onto the floor of a legislative chamber that was closed to the public.

A spokeswoman for incoming House Speaker Jason Wentworth, a Republican, said he wants everyone to abide by the rule, even though he doesnt believe the commission had the right to issue it.

The speaker is grateful for the work of the Capitol Commission, but it does not have the authority to set policy in the Capitol, Lynn Afendoulis said in a news release. The speaker will be looking at options for handling that moving forward. In the meantime, the Michigan State Police will be enforcing the new ruling.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, in a letter to the commission last week, said the Michigan Capitol Commission has the authority to impose a firearms ban in the building, according to Detroit Free Press.

In a statement issued following the commissions decision, Nessel said the open carry ban does not go far enough.

Though I appreciate the commissions decision today to prohibit the open carry of firearms, its only a single step down the long path of reforms that are necessary to make our legislators, state employees, and visitors safe in our state Capitol, Nessel said.

Firearmswhether explicitly visible or concealed by clothingpossess the same capability to inflict injury and harm on others and only banning open carry does little to meaningfully improve the safety and security of our Capitol, she said, and urged legislators to pass laws further restricting guns in the state Capitol.

Ahead of Mondays decision, Michigan was one of only three states that had virtually no firearms regulations in place for its state Capitol, according to the Michigan Advance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Cebu City (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The friars of the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino announced the cancelation of all public novena masses leading to the Sto. Nino feast day on January 17 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting today, the supposed fifth day of the nine-day novena masses will only be available online via Facebook and YouTube pages of the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino.

The announcement was made during a virtual press conference with local reporters on Monday evening which was also joined by local government and police officials of Cebu City.

"At present, it has been a tough challenge for the Basilica administrators with the government and private agencies to manage the flock of devotees and pilgrims at the Basilica in our simplified celebration of the novena and the upcoming feast," said Fr. Rick Anthony Reyes reading the official statement of the Order of Saint Augustine.

"For four days we have observed that the surge of people coming to venerate and celebrate the Novena Masses has brought us into a conclusion that a greater action should be done to prevent us from the virus (infection)."

Reyes said the Basilica will remain open for the devotees, but there will no longer be Holy Masses. The public may only go inside the Church to "venerate" for a few minutes and leave afterwards.

Lighting of candles which often gets crowded will also be not allowed inside the Basilica.

"As this change in our celebration may bring sadness to many of us, but the situation has called us to rise above the situation and to choose this course of action for the common good and benefit of all," said Reyes.

To prevent further influx of devotees from towns in Cebu Province, the Basilica and the Archdiocese of Cebu will bring five pilgrim images of the Santo Nino to different parishes in the different towns as far as Bantayan Island. The other images of the Holy Child will be also be brought to Boljoon and Ronda in the Southern portion of Cebu and Danao City in the North as well as Balamban in the Western Coast of Cebu Island.

Cebu-based correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this report.
A study indicates that there has been an increase in the number of children hospitalized for COVID-19 in recent months.

An 800% increase in the number of COVID-19 hospitalization rates for children across the United States between mid of May up to the mid of November was discovered according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics.

In analyzing the data from the 22 US states, the researcher found that the children who are infected with the new coronavirus or COVID-19, was typically mirrored by those of the older adults. The only difference however, is that children are much less likely to be hospitalized than adults and are much more likely to have a chance at survival.

These should not be treated without concern, children are still at risk of having a severe illness stemming from COVID-19. "While children are at very low risk for severe illness from COVID-19, there is a misperception that there is no risk," research co-author Pinar Karaca-Mandic, a professor of healthcare risk management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, shared. Further, Karaca-Mandic mentioned that the study showed that the virus has the potential to cause harm and damage in children and not just to the seniors.

Karaca-Mandic and her fellow researchers have analyzed data on more than 300,000 COVID-19 related hospitalizations in 22 states between May 15 until November 15 of 2020 to have this study.

Among the millions of COVID-19 cases in the United States, only one-fifth represents the children, teens, and young adults according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the agency estimates roughly about 1% of all virus-related hospitalizations and deaths across the United States involve people who are 24 years old or younger.

According to the COVID-19 Tracking Project, there are more than 129,000 people who are hospitalized with the said virus and the United States have already recorded more than 374,000 COVID-19 related deaths. Karaca-Mandic and her team found out that 5,300 of these hospitalizations involved children. Although these are small figures compared to the total number of hospitalization, the children were hospitalized at a rate of 17.2 per 100,000 children in the general population by the 15th of November. They had compared it with the previous six month which only accounted for two per 100,000 children.

The study also shows that South Dakota and Arizona were the ones who had the highest rates of hospitalizations of these children due to COVID-19 at 33.7 per 100,000 children and 32.8 per 100,000, respectively. However, their study had its own limitations as well, "[The study] was not designed to analyze whether children fueled the spread of COVID-19," Karaca-Mandic revealed.

As of writing, the United States is currently at the top position with the most cases of COVID-19 around the world. However, the current administration has already started with the vaccination across the country which will surely slow down the spread of the virus.

President Trump had made a timely decision by declaring the virus as a National Emergency, unlocking billions of dollars to fight the pandemic--assuring all Americans that the administration has everything under control.
Former Prime Minister of Georgia and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili said he will donate 90% of his material assets worth $1.5 bln, except those with credit or other obligations, to the Cartu Charity Foundation.

He told Entrepreneur news agency that the purpose of the assets cannot be changed in the process of management or alienation, because most of them are not ordinary business projects but projects which are targeted for the development of individual branches, or even entire regions, and are designed to ensure improvements in economic, tourism and other fields.

The assets will also include Ivanishvilis collection of paintings, Agenda.ge reported.

Twenty-six assets have already been donated to the foundation per the State Registry Agency, while two others are being transferred.

Ivanishvili, who announced yesterday that he has left Georgian politics, stated that he will keep $200 mln for himself from his property.

"To my children I will leave enough not to lose motivation for their full self-realization and development," Ivanishvili said.

Ivanishvili stated that the information released by Forbes and Bloomberg that his wealth amounts to $5.5 bln, is incorrect.

"The figure is outdated. I have not worked with Forbes in over a decade. As for Bloomberg, I have never worked with them, though they too publish their own data," Ivanishvili said.
Two men are being quizzed by gardai this morning following the seizure of 220,000 worth of drugs and over 5k in cash from a South Dublin home yesterday afternoon.

The pair were arrested after Gardai carried out a raid on a house in Carrickmines, Dublin 18, as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale and supply of drugs in the area.

During the course of the search, Gardai seized 11kg of suspected cannabis herb, in various sized packaging, with an estimated street value of 220,000.

Other items seized by Gardai include suspected cannabis resin to the value of 1,000, a small quantity of cocaine, 5,250 in cash and various drug packaging paraphernalia. All drugs will now be sent for analysis.

Both men, aged in their 50s and 30s, were arrested at the scene and taken to Dun Laoghaire Garda Station where they are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

Investigations are ongoing.




Waving aside warnings by humanitarian organizations that his action threatens mass starvation in Yemen, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that Washington will designate the Houthi rebels, who govern territory containing 70 percent of the Yemeni population, as a foreign terrorist organization.

This cynical and potentially catastrophic measure is being taken by the ostensibly lame-duck secretary of state as part of an unrelenting maximum pressure campaign of punishing economic sanctions and continuous military provocations against Iran.

Destroyed house in South Sanaa, Yemen. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Washington has sought to portray the Houthi movement, which has existed and ruled over parts of Yemen for generations, as a puppet of Tehran, something the Houthis have continuously denied. Claims of substantial amounts of Iranian aid for the Houthis in the nearly five-year-old war launched against them by Saudi Arabia have never been proven.

As for terrorism, the statement refers vaguely to Houthi cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure and commercial shipping. Pompeo also insisted that one need not look further than a December 30 attack launched against the airport in the southern port city of Aden that killed 27 people. The attack, which took place as a Saudi puppet unity government landed at the airport, was blamed by Riyadh and Washington on the Houthis, who denied they were responsible. Afterwards, Saudi forces ordered the arrest in connection with the attack of a senior leader of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which, with backing from the United Arab Emirates, repeatedly clashed with Saudi puppet forces over the past two years.

Washingtons branding of the Houthis as terrorists for cross border attack and inflicting civilian casualties is the height of hypocrisy given the billions of dollars worth of weapons along with logistical aid the US has provided Saudi Arabia as it has waged an unrelenting campaign of bombings that has killed an estimated 100,000 people, most of them civilians.

With basic infrastructure, hospitals and food production deliberately targeted, the war has unleashed the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet. More have starved to deathincluding 75,000 children under the age of fivethan have died from military violence, while at least half the population is facing famine, and the worst cholera epidemic in modern history has infected 1.2 million. On top of this, COVID-19 has begun to spread uncontrollably across Yemen.

For Washington, all of these civilian victims are mere collateral damage in US imperialisms drive to exert uncontested hegemony over the oil-rich Middle East.

While the State Departments terrorism charges are entirely fabricated, the impact of the US designation will be all too real.

Yemens faltering economy will be dealt a further devastating blow, Mohamed Abdi, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Sanaa, said, warning that the sanctions imposed together with the terrorist designation would hamstring the ability of aid agencies to respond to the catastrophic conditions in the country.

Oxfam warned: The consequences will be felt acutely across a country also hit hard by extreme hunger, cholera and COVID-19, as banks, businesses and humanitarian donors become unwilling or unable to take on the risk of operating in Yemen.

The terrorist designation constitutes an act of pure diplomatic vandalism, said International Rescue Committee CEO David Miliband. After four years of a failed war strategy that has created the worlds largest humanitarian catastrophe, the last thing the Yemeni people need is further interruption of aid and economic flows.

While Pompeo claimed that Washington would issue licenses to allow certain humanitarian activities to continue in Houthi-governed territory, the Washington Post reported that the US Treasury Department had opposed the designation on the grounds that the conditions of war in Yemen would make it impossible to effectively issue waivers.

Mark Lowcock, head of United Nations emergency relief operations, reported last month that mere reports that Washington was considering a terrorist designation produced a chilling effect resulting in a 25 percent reduction in food supplies in November. Banks and other commercial entities refuse to participate in humanitarian transactions out of fear they will run afoul of unilateral US sanctions.

The State Departments terrorist designation against the Houthis in Yemen is part of a raft of anti-Iranian measures imposed by the Trump administration in the run-up to the scheduled transfer of power to an incoming government led by Democrat Joe Biden on January 20.

These measures have been accompanied by a menacing military buildup in the Persian Gulf, where the USS Nimitz carrier strike group has been deployed, together with a US nuclear submarine, the USS Georgia. Meanwhile, pairs of B-52 heavy bombers have been flown over the Persian Gulf four times in little more than a month.

At the same time, top Trump administration officials and advisers, including Pompeo, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner have made trips to the region.

The latest official dispatched to the Middle East is Anthony Tata, the retired general and Fox News commentator, who was installed as undersecretary of defense for policy, the number three position at the Pentagon, in a post-election purge ordered by Trump. Tata, a notorious fascist and Islamophobe who denounced Obama as a terrorist leader, a Manchurian candidate and a Muslim, met with Khalid bin Salman, Saudi deputy minister of defense and royal family member along with other Saudi officials on January 7.

According to the Pentagon readout of the discussion, Tata discussed the U.S.-Saudi defense partnership, particularly in light of the threats by Iran and praised the Kingdoms commitment to share the responsibility for supporting U.S. forces.

In concluding its report on Tatas mission to Riyadh, the Pentagon stated: The U.S. Department of Defense will continue to execute its mission, including by reassuring allies and partners of our nations steadfast resolve, as we uphold our oath of office and the Constitution.

In the context of the fascist insurrection instigated by Trump and his supporters on January 6, this seemingly innocuous statement has ominous implications. Those who stormed the Capitol claimed that they too were upholding the Constitution by resisting a fraudulent election.

Most foreign policy analysts have cast the frenetic anti-Iranian campaign in the waning days of Trumps term as an attempt to establish facts on the ground that would thwart an attempt by an incoming Biden administration to reset relations with Tehran.

There are growing concerns, however, that Trump and the cabal of fascistic loyalists he has installed at the Pentagon will provoke a war with Iran with the aim of creating a crisis that could be used as the pretext for the imposition of martial law and the upending of the transition of power.

Last Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reported to the Democratic caucus that she had spoken to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes for nuclear war. Milley provided a non-committal assurance that safeguards are in place.

Neither Biden, Pelosi nor any section of the Democratic Party leadership are issuing any warning of this danger to the American or world public. On the contrary, the Democrats are seeking to replace Trump with an administration even more committed to the pursuit of US global interests by means of militarist aggression.
Gardai can now hand out on-the-spot fines of 100 to people who are found travelling beyond the 5km Covid travel limit and refuse to turn back.

Gardai can prosecute breaches of travel restrictions introduced during Level 5 with a fixed charge notice.

Garda Headquarters yesterday announced that a person who breaches travel regulations, and fails to comply with an officer's directions, can be prosecuted.

This includes an on-the-spot fine of 100 but in other cases directions may be taken from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Gardai have escalated their policing response after beauty spots across the country were packed over the weekend with visitors outside their 5km limit.

The fixed-charge notices can be now be handed out under emergency health legislation measures which state that a person shall not leave their place of residence 'without reasonable excuse'.

Gardai say they are continuing to police by consent and enforcement is a last resort.

Assistant Commissioner John Twomey, who oversees the force's Policing and Security, said: "An Garda Siochana continues to see significant compliance by the public with Public Health Regulations, however we also continue to see some activity which is in contravention of these regulations introduced to stop the current spread of Covid-19 and protect our communities.

"I appeal to every person without a reasonable excuse for travel - stay at home. This is your duty as a citizen and will save lives and support our frontline services, nurses, doctors, hospital staff and my Garda colleagues at this time," he added.

Travelling beyond the 5km is permitted in certain instances, including work-related travel for essential services, medical appointments and visiting a person within your bubble.

Excuse

Gardai have also repeatedly emphasised that the 5km limit does not apply to victims of domestic violence who are seeking help.

A number of people have already been prosecuted for breaching Covid-19 travel restrictions.

In Leitrim, a man was jailed for two months for breaching lockdown travel restrictions without a reasonable excuse.

A man in Dublin was jailed for 30 days for the same offence, while in Tipperary a man was given a 400 fine. Other prosecutions in Sligo, Kildare and Cavan have resulted in fines ranging between 150 and 300.
Samaritans Purse opens COVID-19 field hospitals in North Carolina, California

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As COVID-19 cases are rising in nearly every state in the U.S., the Christian disaster relief organization Samaritans Purse has announced the opening of two emergency field hospitals  one in North Carolina and the other in California  to care for people suffering from the disease.

Samaritans Purse has opened an Emergency Field Hospital in Lenoir, North Carolina, and is preparing to open one in Lancaster, California, as a steady influx of patients is expected to arrive over the next several days, the group, led by evangelist Franklin Graham, said.

Last Thursday, the country reported more than 4,100 deaths due to COVID-19, and on Friday, 300,594 new cases were reported, both single-day records, according to The New York Times. Thus far, more than 374,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center.

In Lenoir, the evangelical humanitarian groups medical team has started treating patients from surrounding communities, the organization stated, adding that the hospital is helping five regional healthcare systems respond to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

North Carolina reported 8,833 new coronavirus cases Sunday, bringing the total to 623,188, according to ABC11.

These hospitals have come to us for help because they are full, and case numbers continue to rise, Graham said. This is our home state, and we appreciate the frontline workers battling COVID day in and day out. We are glad that we can be there to help lift the load. Our medical team is going to help provide professional, compassionate, and quality care to every patient who is sent to us.

Caldwell UNC Health Care reached out to Samaritans Purse about partnering and setting up one of our field hospitals, and that is what we are doing, said Edward Graham, assistant to the vice president of programs and government relations for Samaritans Purse.

In Lancaster, Samaritans Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team is already on the ground with more personnel to arrive in the next couple days.

More than 30,000 people have died of COVID-19 in California, which was recording an average of 481 deaths a day for the previous week, as of Sunday night, Los Angeles Times reported.

Samaritans Purse is setting up 50-plus beds to receive patients in the parking lot of Antelope Valley Hospital, where the rooms and the wards are completely overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

In Los Angeles County, where Lancaster is located, one person is dying from the coronavirus every eight minutes, the organization noted. Of the more than 8,000 patients hospitalized, about 20 percent are in intensive care. Sadly, nearly 11,400 coronavirus patients have died so far in Los Angeles County.

A DC-8 cargo jet was ready for an airlift on Monday to Southern California.

The doctors and nurses themselves cant get a reprieve, said Edward Graham. Theres no break, they dont see the end of this and theyve asked for helpalong with the community leaders, the mayor, and the church leadership here.

Samaritan's Purse had previously set up a field hospital in New York's Central Park last year. Doctors and other medical staff from the aid organization Samaritans Purse treated 333 coronavirus patients during their one month mission in New York City as part of the Mount Sinai Health System, and 190 of them were treated at the field hospital.
Foul play is not suspected in the case of a Stony Mountain inmate who died Monday while serving time in connection with the shooting of a Manitoba Mountie in 2018.

Foul play is not suspected in the case of a Stony Mountain inmate who died Monday while serving time in connection with the shooting of a Manitoba Mountie in 2018.

Tommy Edward Beaulieu, 23, was found unconscious and was later pronounced dead, RCMP said in a news release.

Tommy Edward Beaulieu, 23, was found unconscious at Stony Mountain Pentitentiary Monday afternoon and later died. Foul play is not suspected. He had been serving time in connection with the shooting of a Mountie near Onanole in August 2018.

Since May 2020, he had been serving a sentence of 10 years and five months for aggravated assault on a peace officer, break and enter to steal a firearm and robbery with violence.

No cause of death was given in a news release, but his next of kin has been notified.

Correctional Service Canada will review the circumstances as required by policy. Stonewall RCMP, along with forensic identification services, and officials from Stony Mountain Institution continue to investigate, RCMP said.

Beaulieu, who was 21 at the time, was one of four people charged in relation to two break-ins near Onanole on Aug. 29, 2018. Cpl. Graeme Kingdon was shot in the head and suffered a fractured skull after he and his partner responded to the call. The suspects remained at large for 18 hours as Mounties conducted a manhunt and western Manitobans hunkered down in their homes, fearing for their lives.

Police arrested the last suspect in Neepawa following a tense standoff at a home near an elementary school.

Beaulieu pleaded guilty a year later and was sentenced to 13 years, but his term was reduced because he had been in custody since the time of his arrest. Although he didn't pull the trigger, the Crown argued in court he was culpable for the crime against Kingdon and endangering his partner because it was a "foreseeable outcome" to their crime spree.

A social media page for Tommy Edward Beaulieu, which used a pseudonym, included many posts that expressed disdain for law enforcement. Numerous posts contained statements such as: "Im a thug"; "kill kill"; "wanted dead or alive"; and "(expletive) the cops."

Therae Racette-Beaulieu admitted to firing a shotgun at the two Mounties, striking Kingdon. He was given an 18-year sentence for attempted murder in April 2019. A week later, while in custody at Brandon Correctional Centre, Racette-Beaulieu stabbed a fellow inmate with a knife fashioned from a mop handle, and was later sentenced for attempted murder.

A third accused didn't show up in court on Nov. 12, prompting a warrant to be issued for his arrest. Delaney Houle, 25, pleaded guilty in September 2019.

A fourth accused, Shane Beaulieu, will be sentenced in Minnedosa next month after pleading guilty in 2019 to two counts of break and enter, firearms charges and possession of a vehicle obtained by crime.

 staff
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Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this Thursday, June 18, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump looks at his phone during a roundtable with governors on the reopening of America's small businesses, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Though stripped of his Twitter account for inciting rebellion, President Donald Trump does have alternative options of much smaller reach. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

The conservative-friendly social network Parler was booted off the internet Monday over ties to last weeks siege on the U.S. Capitol, but not before hackers made off with an archive of its posts, including any that might have helped organize or document the riot.

Amazon kicked Parler off its web-hosting service, and the social media app promptly sued to get back online, telling a federal judge that the tech giant had breached its contract and abused its market power.

It was a roller coaster of activity for Parler, a 2-year-old magnet for the far right that welcomed a surge of new users and became the No. 1 free app on iPhones late last week, after Facebook, Twitter and other mainstream social media platforms silenced President Donald Trumps accounts over comments that seemed to incite Wednesdays violent insurrection.

The wave of Trump followers flocking to the service was short-lived. Google yanked Parlers smartphone app from its app store Friday for allowing postings that seek to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.

Apple followed suit on Saturday after giving Parler a day to address complaints it was being used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities. It was later joined by Amazon, which informed Parler it would need to look for a new web-hosting service after Sunday.

Parler CEO John Matze decried the punishments as a co-ordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace.

Parlers lawsuit in a Seattle-based federal court makes the argument that Amazon violated antitrust laws to harm Parler and help Twitter. It also alleges Amazon breached its contract by not giving 30-day notice before terminating Parlers account. Amazon and Parler did not return requests for comment about the dispute Monday.

Matze has signalled there is little chance of getting Parler back online anytime soon after every vendor, from text message services, to email providers, to our lawyers all ditched us too on the same day, he told Fox New Channels Sunday Morning Futures.

In a Monday interview with Fox Business, he said the company may even have to go as far as buying and building our own data centres and buying up our own servers.

Trump may also launch his own platform. But that will not happen overnight, and free speech experts anticipate growing pressure on all social media platforms to curb incendiary speech as Americans take stock of Wednesdays violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol by a Trump-incited mob.

Meanwhile, a group of activist hackers have salvaged much of what happened on Parler before it went offline and said they plan to put it into a public archive. One described the operation on Twitter as a bunch of people running into a burning building trying to grab as many things as we can.

The action to download and archive posts, including image files that can be tied to geographic locations, has instilled some fear in Parler users, though law enforcement would likely have been able to access the data anyway, and experts said the archive does not include information that was not publicly accessible.

If this wasnt done, we would only have fragments and scraps of the information that was on Parler before the takedown, said Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist at McGill University who has studied hacker movements. Its important because these forums are increasingly where people come together to organize themselves. You learn about motivations, ideological tactics.

Coleman said Trump loyalists are likely to find other ways to communicate, such as encrypted messaging apps or old-fashioned email lists, but only if they already knew where to find like-minded groups.

Where losing places like Twitter or Parler hurts is for recruitment, she said.
Best-selling author Sally Rooney is hoping to replicate the success of Normal People with a third release due out later this year and titled Beautiful World, Where Are You?.

The Mayo writer (29) scored a global success with her second book, a follow-on to her debut novel Conversations with Friends.

The tome, based on the complicated relationship between two Trinity students, was adapted by BBC Three and Hulu, and made huge stars out of Kildares Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Rooneys new book tells the story of two best friends named Alice and Aileen who are both in their late 20s, but in different places and on very different trajectories.

Read More

The narrative centres around them exchanging emails about art, friendship and the world around them, as well as the complex love affairs unfolding in their own lives.

They indicate they want to see each other again soon but are uncertain what will happen when they do.

Publisher Alex Bowler has acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights in a two-book deal from Tracy Bohan at the Wylie Agency. It will be published in Canada and the US by Knopf.

Speaking about the novel, he said it was a book of friendship and sex, art and faith, power and love.

It absorbs you once again in the inner lives of characters with brilliant minds and aching hearts, while marking the next creative leap from a singular writer. The book scintillates with intelligence, empathy and, yes, beauty, he said.

It will be published by Faber in September 2021 in paperback and hardback form and is expected to attract huge interest among Rooneys many fans.

Nominated for an Emmy for her work on the TV adaptation of Normal People, Rooney first came to prominence with her 2017 novel Conversations with Friends which earned her a string of awards.

But it was her 2018 release that centred around two angst-ridden youngsters attending Trinity College Dublin and trying to find their place in the world that really propelled her to international success.

The 12-part adaptation, released during the first lockdown in April 2020, now holds the title of BBCs most-streamed release, clocking up some 62.7m views during the year. It had over three million streams here on the RTE Player.

It was also a huge success Stateside, earning Irish newcomer Paul Mescal his first Emmy nomination for his role.

Read More




NSW has recorded five local cases of coronavirus and 11 in hotel quarnatine

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said restrictions would not be relaxed this week

She also hit back at WA leader Mark McGowan who called for more rules

Coronavirus restrictions in Greater Sydney will stay in place for at least another week, Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday as the state recorded five new local cases.

Masks were made mandatory and home gatherings were limited to five visitors after an outbreak on the Northern Beaches of Sydney was identified on December 16 and another cluster emerged in western Sydney on December 29.

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Asked if any rules would be relaxed this week, the premier said: 'Unlikely given where we're at, because we're still mopping up.

'We're still seeing community transmission. Even though in most instances, the household contacts or people are already in isolation, but we have had a couple of examples where they're still unlinked, and that's always a concern.'

New South Wales has recorded five new local cases of coronavirus as Gladys Berejiklian warns the disease is 'bubbling away in the community'

She added: 'I doubt there will be an easing of restrictions. But if the health advice changes on that, we will, of course, do that.'

Of the five new local cases on Tuesday, one case is linked to western Sydney's Berala cluster and is a close contact of a previously reported case.

Two cases, from the Northern Beaches, are household contacts of each other and the source of their infections is under investigation.

A man in his 40s who went to Mount Druitt Hospital's Emergency Department on Saturday and his close household contact have also tested positive, with the source of their infections under investigation.

The hospital was closed for cleaning on Monday morning and has now re-opened.

Click here to resize this module

Eleven cases were also recorded in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

There were only 14,738 tests reported to 8pm on Monday night, compared with the previous day's total of 18,570, prompting calls for residents to get tested in greater numbers.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard asked multicultural families in Sydney to stick to the rules on family gatherings, which are capped at five visitors to homes.

'I call on community leaders in western Sydney to make sure that the various multicultural communities, our wonderful multicultural communities that make up this fabulous nation, get the message to their communities to stick to the limits at the moment, listen to the public health advice,' he said.

What are the coronavirus rules in Greater Sydney? Visitors: Up to 5 visitors from any number of households may visit another on any day. Gatherings: No more than 30 people can gather outside in a public place which includes public parks, reserves, beaches, public gardens and spaces. Masks: Compulsory in public indoors Venues: A maximum of 300 people, subject to the 1 person per 4 square metres rule applies for each separate area of a hospitality venue. Nightclubs: Closed Singing: No more than five performers should sing indoors, with 1.5m between performers and 5m between performers and the audience. Gyms: Indoor gyms are subject to the one person per 4 square metres rule. A maximum of 30 people per class applies to gym and recreation classes such as yoga, tai chi and pilates. Sport: For community sporting activities that involve more than 100 participants, the organiser must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan. The maximum number of participants at a community sporting activity must not exceed 3000 participants, or one person per 2 square metres (whichever is less). Source: NSW government

'I know it's great to have large families around but it's proved challenging in the last few weeks,' he added.

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Ms Berejiklian hit back at Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan after he called for greater restrictions in NSW by saying: 'The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.'

The premier said elimination was not possible because Australians have to be allowed to return from overseas where the disease is rampant.

'Anyone who thinks we're going to eliminate or eradicate this disease, unfortunately doesn't appreciate what the pandemic means,' she said.

Digital signs encourage customers to wear face masks at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney

She also criticised Mr McGowan for shutting his state's borders to any jurisdiction that suffers just one Covid-19 case.

'I don't believe keeping your borders closed and inflicting pain and suffering on thousands of people is the way to go,' she said.

'In New South Wales, we want our citizens to live as freely as possible, to maintain their livelihoods as much as possible. But in a Covid-safe way. And that's always been our objective.'

Ms Berejiklian said she was disappointed that Mr McGowan didn't seem to appreciate that NSW has accepted about half of all arrivals from overseas since March.

'I think that no doubt each state premier has their views of the world. We don't all agree on everything, which is fine. But I think respect goes a long way,' she said.

'And I think just appreciating what New South Wales has done on behalf of Australia in terms in returning 100,000 travellers is a big deal. That's why overnight, we had 11 cases in quarantine,' she said.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro hit back even harder on Tuesday morning, telling Mr McGowan to 'stop lecturing'.

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'For Mark McGowan, it's easy. He puts up the borders in Western Australia, cuts off the rest of the nation,' he told 2GB radio.

In Tuesday's press briefing, Ms Berejiklian hit back at Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan (pictured)

'We've had Covid deaths in this nation but we're going to have more deaths from mental health from people locked away in isolation, people not being able to reunite with family and [that's what] Mark McGowan stands for.

'I'm happy to say that this morning and have a go straight back at him. Stop lecturing, look after your own backyard.'

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is filling in while Scott Morrison is on a week of leave, also said Mr McGowan has an easier job than other premiers.

'Western Australia and NSW are very different states. Look at the NSW border, for instance, there are 57 bridges and openings across to Victoria. The Tweed River area with Queensland is just a massive economic area.

'Western Australia doesn't have anything like that, so it's easier for Western Australia to shut its borders and keep them shut tight.'
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

Lesson Overview

Featured Column: My Ten

Were trying something new: occasional lesson plans that feature a fun New York Times column that we invite students to read closely and emulate.

First up: My Ten. In this monthly feature for the Arts section, Times writers interview famous artists, musicians, actors, dancers, chefs, authors and others about their top 10 cultural must-haves  the books, movies, songs, hobbies, clothes, art, people, places or cherished objects that they cant live without.

In this lesson, we invite you to read several of these lists, then create your own My Ten of the cultural necessities that enhance your life.

Ideas for Teachers

This might make a fun get-to-know-you or community-building activity. After students have created their My Ten lists, you can hang them around the classroom or post them to a virtual bulletin board, like Padlet. Invite students to pair off and read each others lists and then share one new thing they learned about their classmates.

You can also teach this as an independent writing activity or try it as a speaking and listening exercise by having students interview each other about their top 10 lists using some of our questions below.

Warm Up

What are some of the cultural items that you cant live without? The people, places or things that entertain you, teach you, comfort you or inspire you? The things that might have helped you through this tumultuous past year or have always been your favorites?
[January 12, 2021] Employee Navigator Raises $34 Million in Growth Equity Financing

Employee Navigator, a leading benefits administration & HR software provider, announced it has raised $34 million in growth equity funding from JMI Equity. The minority investment will go towards hiring across all functions and expanding Employee Navigator's product offerings. The company began licensing its benefits and HR products to insurance brokers in 2012 and has expanded its offerings to partner with the nation's leading insurance carriers, payroll companies, and third-party administrators (TPAs) to provide a unified benefits and HR solution. Employee Navigator's growth has accelerated over the past few years; they now support over 2,000 of the nation's leading insurance brokers, over 50,000 employers, and over 10 million employees and dependents. "As our business matured, we became convinced of the opportunity to sustainably build a substantial company supporting our core market," said George Reese, Founder and CEO of Employee Navigator. "We believe there is a need for an agnostic company to bring the benefits ecosystem stakeholders together, and we are confident Employee Navigator can be that trusted partner. We have come to know JMI very well over the last two years and feel they are the ideal long-term partner for our business goals. Ultimately, this was an opportunistic fundraise as we've been profitable since 2015 and continue to grow profitably despite the COVID-1 headwinds, and we are excited to deliver more great products and services to our customers and partners."



"George and the Employee Navigator team have built a resilient business well-positioned for accelerated growth, as demonstrated by their record new business and profitability through COVID," said David Greenberg, General Partner at JMI Equity. "The Company has established itself as a leader in the benefits administration software space, with impressive employee scale on the platform and some of the most positive customer and partner reference calls we have ever completed. Most importantly, George and the team have the deep insurance industry experience that is crucial to sustained success in this space. We are incredibly excited to partner with Employee Navigator and support their compelling long-term vision." About Employee Navigator

Employee Navigator is a rapidly growing benefits, compliance, and HR software provider. The company currently works with more than 2,000 industry-leading brokers nationwide, providing benefits administration and HR products to over 50,000 companies and 10 million employees and dependents. Employee Navigator has also been named a Top Workplace by the Washington Post in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. For more information, visit www.employeenavigator.com About JMI Equity JMI Equity is a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software companies. Founded in 1992, JMI has invested in over 150 businesses in its target markets, successfully completed over 100 exits, and raised more than $4 billion of committed capital. JMI partners with exceptional management teams to help build their companies into industry leaders. For more information, visit www.jmi.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005105/en/

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Barings, one of the world's leading financial services firms, announced today it has closed a joint venture between Barings and The Fallon Company to recapitalize the Class-A+ office property, 301 Hillsborough, in downtown Raleigh, NC.

A 280,381 square foot, 19-story office tower, 301 Hillsborough includes 12,162 square feet of ground floor retail and is located in Raleigh's most vibrant downtown submarket. This office project is the first phase of the mixed-use development, Raleigh Crossing, which will become the nexus of Raleigh's office, residential and hospitality activity. Construction is approximately 50% complete, and the property is already 45% pre-leased by Pendo, a leading software company.

"This investment is an excellent example of Barings' value-add real estate investment strategy, built on the power and promise of innovation," said Joe Gorin, Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Management and Value-Add Investing for Barings U.S. Real Estate Equity. "In particular, we are targeting market locations and projects at the intersection of a highly educated workforce and a significant STEM employer presence. 301 Hillsborough more than satisfies those criteria."

"The joint venture development of 301 Hillsborough represents the latest collaboration of a long standing and successful relationship between Barings and The Fallon Company," said Kevin Miller, Barings Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, U.S. Eastern Region. "Together we have invested billions of dollars in successful developments, including the landmark Fan Pier project in Boston's Seaport."

"We are excited to bring the Fallon and Barings partnership to the Triangle market," said Michael Fallon, President of The Fallon Company. "Our collective vision for 301 Hillsborough will transform a vacant lot into Raleigh's premier downtown commercial development, and we are proud to partner with Barings in making this vision a reality."

"We continue to be excited about the positive impact 301 Hillsborough will have on Raleigh's thriving downtown districts," said Zac Vuncannon, Fallon's Managing Director, Raleigh-Durham. "With its booming population, blossoming tech and life sciences sectors, and concentration of world-class academic institutions, the Raleigh-Durham region is poised for decades of continued growth. The Fallon Company is thrilled to contribute to this thriving community and play a role in the evolution of the region for years to come."

301 Hillsborough represents a commitment to sustainability, tenant health and wellness, and digital connectivity. The development includes smart building systems, green design elements, and is currently pursuing LEED-Gold, WiredScore Gold and Fitwel certification.

About Barings

Barings is a $354+ billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*Assets under management as of September 30, 2020

About The Fallon Company

The Fallon Company is a privately held commercial real estate owner and developer of large-scale urban mixed-use environments. Headquartered in Boston, with offices in Charlotte, Raleigh and Nashville, the company was founded by Joseph F. Fallon in 1993. Over 25 years, Fallon has earned a reputation as one of the premier developers on the East Coast and for partnering with a variety of stakeholders to transform communities. To date, Fallon has developed more than six million square feet of property and has been a catalyst for some of the most vibrant new urban neighborhoods in the country.

Contacts

Cheryl Krauss, Communications, Barings, 980-417-5858, [email protected]

Eileen O'Connor, Fallon Communications: [email protected]

20-1474790

SOURCE Barings

Related Links

www.barings.com


200 million vaccines will be produced in India this year. It is planned that the vaccination process will be completed by September.

India, with its huge magnitude faces a greater problem than the development of a vaccine- its production and distribution amongst 130 crore people. The government and frontline workers have been consistently working on the logistical front.

To analyse the whole situation more closely, Prime Minister Narendra Modi to held an in-house virtual meeting, yesterday, with all state Chief Ministers, to discuss covid situation and vaccine roll out. The talk was televised on Doordarshan for the masses to watch. The meeting was also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Until now 16th January has been decided as the date that the nation will begin the worlds largest vaccination program. The question that who would get the vaccine was addressed by PM. Health workers, government as well as private, will be vaccinated first of all. Sanitation workers, other frontline workers, defence forces, police and other paramilitary forces will also be vaccinated in the first phase, PM Modi said during his interaction with the CMs. The government also discussed the loopholes and outcomes of the dry runs that took place pan India.

An emotional moment for the team at @SerumInstIndia as the first shipments of #Covishield finally leave for multiple locations across India. pic.twitter.com/AmrZLesmj5  Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 12, 2021

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Indian Medical Association will also partner the government in covid vaccination which is going to take place in 3 phases. In first phase, transportation of vaccine at primary healthcare centres will take place and 1 Crore healthcare workers will be vaccinated. The cost of vaccinating health workers will be borne by the centre.

Until now, GOI has approved two vaccines for emergency use and 4 more are in development. According to sources, the government has placed an order worth Rs 1300 Crore with Serum Institute of India and Rs 162 Crore with Bharat Biotech for vaccines.

Each dose of Covishield is estimated to be priced at Rs 200 and with GST of Rs 10, it would cost Rs 210.

To facilitate the throughout, Covin- app will be launched by the centre in 1-2 days. Ajay Sawhney, Chairman of Empowered Group Technology and Data Management has also done a meeting with the government to discuss the working of this particular app.

200 million vaccines will be produced in India this year. It is planned that the vaccination process will be completed by September.

On the other hand, reports from Bhopal had been coming in which stated that an individual had died after getting vaccinated. But later it was found that it was not due to the vaccine but a poison that the individual had consumed.

As per latest developments, the first consignments of SII Vaccine arrived at the Ahmedabad and Delhi airport on Tuesday morning. The consignments were flown from Pune by private carriers.
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Meeting with Amit Shah not about change of leadership: Karnataka Minister

Cyclone Yaas: Amit Shah to hold review meeting with Chief Ministers of states to be affected

No threat to Haryana govt: Khattar, deputy Dushyant meet Amit Shah

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 12: Facing heat over the ongoing six-week-long farmers'' agitation, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said there is no threat to the BJP-JJP coalition government and it will complete its full five year term.

After an hour-long meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both Khattar and Chautala said they have discussed about the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

"There is no threat to the Haryana government and it will last its full five year term," Chautala told PTI.

Khattar also said, "There is no point in speculating about the future of this government, it will complete its term."

The chief minister said Haryana is the epicentre of farmers'' agitation so they discussed with the home minister about the law and order situation in the state.

"We also discussed about holding celebrations for January 26 without any trouble," he said.

Khattar said after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the farm laws, they were hopeful that farmers will end their agitation.

"It''s a national festival and everyone understands its importance and the value attached to it," he said.

Chautala said the Supreme Court has set up a committee and he hoped that things will be resolved soon.

Both Haryana leaders met Shah hours after the apex court stayed the implementation of controversial three farm laws till further orders and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers'' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

State presidents of BJP, JJP and state cabinet ministers were also present in the meeting with the home minister.

Before meeting Shah, Dushyant met MLAs of his party JJP here at a farm house, in which a section of MLAs said it would cost the ruling alliance heavily if the laws were not repealed.

Khattar had to cancel a public meeting in Karnal on Sunday after the site was ransacked by the protesting farmers.

A section of MLAs belonging to Jannayak Janta Party, headed by Chautala, is believed to have been facing pressure from the agitating farmers.

[January 12, 2021] Laurence Innovation Launches Fund to Invest in Fourth Industrial Revolution Tech Companies

Laurence Innovation, a new pre-seed investment fund with a focus on early-stage tech companies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) verticals, announces the close of their Innovation Fund I pilot and opening of their Fund II rolling implementation. The fund is founded by blockchain industry vet and angel investor Tiana Laurence and David Nayer, a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and seasoned commercial operator. "Although I understood the risks associated with investing in young, dynamic companies in the 4IR industries, I wanted to figure out how to mitigate those risks and get money flowing to diverse founders capable of making the world a better place," said Tiana Laurence, Partner at Laurence Innovation. "So I teamed up with my now partner, David, to build the right mix of quantitative portfolio basics that factored the reality of investing earlier where there is the highest impact and return. We developed a rich Monte Carlo simulation to account for the full spectrum of variables needed for a sound funding strategy - and that's when Laurence Innovation was born." Laurence Innovation was conceived to fund and support the companies that are building disruptive 4IR solutions (such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and biotech sectors) for the most pressing challenges the world is facing, from climate change to food insecurity. The fund's passion for solving big problems is key for any investment. Another core priority for the fund is having a robust portfolio of companies founded and led by women, people of color, and entrepreneurs in under-capitalized areas. While the fund will work with any company that has a compelling vision and the right team to make it a reality, it actively searches for founders and opportunities that other firms have traditionally overlooked. For portfolio companies, the fund goes beyond traditional investment and offers multiple layers of support often missing early in the startup's lifecycle. B pairing pre-seed funding with quantitative modeling and strategic planning and early stage business development in its digital incubation program, Laurence Innovation is a synergistic partner for early-stage startups looking for market traction.



For investors, the fund focuses on a large, broadly diversified portfolio to offset idiosyncratic risk while capturing the outsized returns of great pricing offered by investing earlier in a company's lifecycle. By leveraging portfolio theory, automation, and quantitative selection methods - as well as a uniquely diversified funding strategy focused on small investments in a large pool of companies, Laurence Innovation stands poised to deliver predictability in an unpredictable market. "Funds have been over focused on Type I error, the fear of false positives," said David Nayer, Partner at Laurence Innovation. "This is the insistence that an investment be fully confirmed as a winner before it gets capital. This habit perpetuates investing late when price competition has squeezed out all the alpha. Our fund is at least equally concerned with Type II error, the false negatives. This error is about the great overlooked teams and innovations that have false negatives or weak signaling when they are in fact a great opportunity - we are focused on actively finding these."

Currently, Laurence Innovation is deploying its Fund I pilot program in Q1 to complete development of the primary systems of its investment thesis. It consists of $125k in capital allocated to 18 investments and participation in the fund's 12 week digital incubator. Laurence Innovation Fund II launches in Q2 and will build upon the validated data and success of the pilot program. Laurence Innovation has funded these companies as part of its pilot program with additional companies systematically rolling out by the end of Q1: Skycom: Skycom is an aerospace startup that creates High Altitude Lighter Than Air Platforms (HALTAPs) that are low-cost, geostationary airships that float above 60k ft altitude to create a high-speed wireless network in the sky.



Mona Love Gustav: Mona Loves Gustav created ArtDNA, an AI platform, designed for the discovery and matching of art esthetics, by facilitating an understanding of the viewer's personality traits as they relate to visual characteristics in art works.



GrowUPP: GrowUPP is a modular platform integrating hardware and software making next generation agtech accessible to farms of any scale. "Laurence Innovation provides true partnership to the entrepreneurial community," said Sean Jump, President and COO of Skycom. "The team is smart, agile, well connected, and most importantly, have built their own startups and understand the struggles entrepreneurs face in trying to change the world for the better." About Laurence Innovation Laurence Innovation is a pre-seed investment fund uniquely sourcing tech companies - particularly in Fourth Industrial Revolution (News - Alert) fields such as AI, IoT, and biotech - access to capital and an intensive digital incubation program at the earliest stages of their development. By focusing on a higher number of early-stage companies and providing the resources they need to scale with our incubator program, Laurence Innovation limits risk and reduces costs for our investors while supporting a wider and more diverse range of founders. Laurence Innovation is disrupting the status quo in venture capital - we're building partnerships with the people who are driving the 4IR and who have been overlooked by traditional investors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005428/en/

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Formula 1 has denied claims the sport is working on a secret plan to vaccinate every member of the travelling circus in 2021.

With the published 2021 calendar already at risk amid reports Melbourne, Shanghai and other races will be postponed, the Swiss newspaper Blick claimed F1 was working on a plan to minimise the disruptions with a widespread covid-19 vaccination program.

"I can confirm that the report is wrong and there is no such plan from the FIA or from Formula 1," a spokesman told the n-tv broadcaster in Germany.

Another race at risk early in 2021 is Monaco, where a spectator-free event is not viable.

But even bigger question marks hang over whether UK-based teams can travel at all amid the surging outbreak of the reportedly more contagious covid-19 strain.

(GMM)
(Newser)  Major companies and their political action committees are voting with their checkbooks against the members of Congress who voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden's victory last weekthe issue that inspired the attack on the Capitol. On Monday, several companies said they'll no longer donate to the 147 lawmakers who voted to overturn election results. Others are ceasing all political donations, the Washington Post reports. And at least one wants its money back. Hallmark Cards, which is based in Kansas City, Mo., has asked Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley to return the $7,000 it donated to his campaign in the past two years. It also wants Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall to return $5,000. Both Republicans voted against certifying the results. "Hallmark believes the peaceful transition of power is part of the bedrock of our democratic system," a company statement said, adding, "The recent actions of Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall do not reflect our company's values."

story continues below

The companies or their PACs that said they'll cut off those who voted against certification include Marriott, AT&T, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Dow, American Express, and Airbnb. Those suspending all donations, per Axios, include Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Boston Scientific, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, and BP. Google, Facebook, and Microsoft also are stopping all political spending. In addition, the Lincoln Project, which opposed President Trump's reelection, plans an ad campaign against companies that still donate to the Republicans who fought certification. "I've never heard of this happening before," said a lobbyist for Public Citizen. "It's a fantastically, extraordinarily big deal," said the head of Project on Government Oversight. Danielle Brian said politicians who voted against certification calculated that they could keep the support of the Republican Party and keep receiving contributions. "This is adding a counternarrative to that calculation," she said. (Read more political donations stories.)
Celebrity Jewelry Designer Befriends Homeless Woman, Fundraises to Get Her an Apartment

A TikTok star has given a homeless woman on Skid Row in Los Angeles, California, the opportunity to reclaim her life, documenting their interactions in a series of viral videos on TikTok.

Isaiah Garzaa jewelry designer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur from downtown Los Angeles with over 4 million followersstarted visiting Robin Clayton on Skid Row in August 2020, and he fell in love with her infectious positivity.

She just has a way of making you smile whenever youre around her, Garza told KABC. Shes hilarious.

Isaiah Garza with Robin Clayton on Skid Row, Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Isaiah Garza)

Troubled by the effect the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, pandemic was having on the homeless community, Garza had driven around in hopes of finding someone to help. Clayton, citing a toxic relationship for being homeless, became the ideal candidate.

Garza started out driving by Clayton with gifts. On separate occasions, he presented the woman, who has been homeless for over 10 years, with a new pair of shoes, new clothes, an appointment to get her hair and nails done, a new smartphone, over $500 in cash, flowers, and a hotel room.

(Courtesy of Isaiah Garza)

However, the gifts were all leading up to Garzas great ambition to get Clayton into an apartment before the holidays. To help reach his goal, Garza, who works with some of Hollywoods elite, started a GoFundMe campaign.

Little do people know, she has struggled her entire life, Garza explained. She lost her child when her daughter was only 2 years old and has been a victim of abuse. She was forced out on the streets trying to escape the abuse.

Donations will go towards a two year long apartment lease, he detailed, food, furniture, car, healthcare, her starting a business, and much more.

The philanthropists fund gathered momentum. Garza has raised over $58,000 and was able to present Clayton with the keys to her new apartment in Boyle Heights just in time for Christmas. A video has documented the time when Garza hands over the house keys to Clayton, who was initially in disbelief but later overcome with emotion. After seeing the apartment, Clayton, who was really excited, shares that she loves her new apartment.

(Courtesy of Isaiah Garza)

Sharing lunch, the pair said cheers over a hot cappuccino, with Garza documenting the happy moment in a video for TikTok. Heres to new beginnings, housing, and helping others, Clayton toasted.

(Courtesy of Isaiah Garza)

Perhaps best of all, Garza and Claytons heartwarming friendship is enduring into the future; the pair are teaming up in 2021 to help others overcome homelessness. With plans for a business venture of her own, Clayton also has the chance to become financially independent.

Clayton told KABC that she felt really overwhelmed by the whole experience. Due to my past, the things that Ive been through, and just conquering all of that and being able to just be here today is a miracle, she expressed.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com.

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday lashed out at the Centre's decision of not printing copies of the upcoming Union Budget and termed it "cheap theatre." Sharing a media report on Twitter, the former Union Minister asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman what "what will this tokenism achieve?"

'What will this tokenism achieve?'

"COVID-19 count stands at 10.5 million cases -11.57% of cases worldwide, social distancing is non-existent, mask-wearing is the exception, not the norm what will this tokenism achieve," the Anandpur Sahib MP wrote.

The Budget documents will not be printed this year following the COVID-19 protocol and will instead be distributed electronically to the Members of Parliament (MPs), news agency PTI reported on Monday. This will be the first time since the presentation of independent India's first budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing income and expenditure statement of the Union government along with finance bill, detailing new tax and other measures for the new financial year, will not be physically printed.

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Govt not to print Budget documents

Due to COVID-19, it has been decided not to print documents related to the Union Budget for the fiscal beginning April (FY 2021-22), PTI sources said. All MPs will get soft copies of the budget and Economic Survey that contains an account of the state of the economy.

The printing of documents requires staff to be locked up in the basement printing press of the Finance Ministry couple of weeks ahead of the presentation of the Budget. The printing all these years began with a 'Halwa' ceremony that marked the staff going into the basement press only to emerge after the budget is presented. "This will be the first time since independence that physical copies of Budget documents will not be shared with MPs to avoid the risk of COVID-19 infection," the sources said.

The familiar sight of trucks loaded with budget papers in Parliament on the budget day and scanning of these by security guard will also be given a miss. The Union Budget for 2021-22, the eighth Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, is scheduled to be presented in Parliament on February 1, 2021. Sitharaman will be presenting her third full-time Budget.

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Priti Patel will lead a Downing Street coronavirus press conference this evening - the first to be hosted by a female Cabinet minister in almost eight months.

The Home Secretary will address the nation as the Government steps up its efforts to persuade people to comply with coronavirus rules and its stay at home message.

It will be just the fourth time Ms Patel has represented the Government at one of the events which have been a fixture throughout the pandemic.

It came as Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse warned the UK is at a 'perilous stage' in the battle against coronavirus.

Home Secretary Priti Patel will host today's daily Downing Street coronavirus press conference

Ms Patel hosted three Downing Street press conferences in the early months of the crisis last year: April 11, April 25 and May 22.

But she has not made an appearance since then with Number 10 having faced accusations from critics of having a 'blind spot' when it comes to using female ministers to get its message across.

It is estimated Ms Patel's appearance will represent the first time in almost eight months that a female Cabinet minister has led one of the Government's daily press conferences.

It is thought Ms Patel's press conference on May 22 was the last time a senior woman in Boris Johnson's top team led one of the briefings.

The Home Secretary is expected to use the press conference to urge people to adhere to the Government's stay at home message.

Earlier today her Home Office colleague Mr Malthouse told Sky News: 'We are at a very, very perilous stage in the progress of this virus through our country.

'If we are going to get through this in good shape, and if we make sure that this is the last, big lockdown of the country, it's very important that we all stick to the rules, and we see very high compliance.

'The vast majority of people are complying happily, well, not happily, miserably, but complying, and recognising the emergency that we face.

'But we do have a small number who aren't.'

He added: 'If we are going to make sure that this is the last lockdown  please God it is  we all need to stick by the rules and take it really, really seriously.

'Unfortunately, we haven't seen that in some parts of the country from a minority of people who are, frankly, letting the rest of us down.'
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MOSCOW -- Russia's telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor has drawn up its first eight administrative protocols -- all against Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty -- for violating the country's controversial foreign agents law.

Roskomnadzor said in a statement on its website on January 12 that the offenses are "for noncompliance by the media performing the functions of a foreign agent with the requirements of the law on labeling information disseminated by them."

The protocols target four of RFE/RL's Russian-language projects -- its main service for Russia, Radio Liberty; the Current Time TV and digital network; and Siberia.Reality and Idel.Reality, two regional sites delivering local news and information to audiences in Siberia and the Volga-Urals.

"The drawn-up protocols will be sent to the magistrate's court within three working days to make decisions on the imposition of administrative fines," Roskomnadzor said.

RFE/RL President Ted Lipien called the move "a dramatic escalation" and reaffirmed the broadcaster's determination to fulfill its mission toward its audiences in Russia and elsewhere.



"Internet regulator Roskomnadzors action is a dramatic escalation by the Russian government in its efforts to keep the Russian people from accessing the uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate offered by Radio Svoboda (Liberty) and our other Russia-focused reporting services," Lipien said.



"RFE/RL will not abandon our audiences or our mission, in Russia or anywhere else in our coverage area," he said.

The "foreign agent" law, originally passed in 2012, requires designated organizations to report their activities and face financial audits. Amendments to the law in December 2020 oblige the media to note the designation whenever they mention these individuals or groups.

The new law also says that individuals, including foreign journalists, involved in Russia's political developments or collecting materials and data related to Russia's defense or national-security issues must be included on the list of foreign agents.

Critics say the law has been arbitrarily applied to target Russian civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and political activists, including outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Amnesty International recently slammed the legislation, saying it would "drastically limit and damage the work not only of civil society organizations that receive funds from outside Russia but many other groups as well."

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as a whole was listed in the original registry in December 2017, along with several of RFE/RL's regional news sites: the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service; the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service; Kavkaz Realii of RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service; Idel.Realii of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service; and Factograph, a former special project by RFE/RL's Russian Service.



Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice of America, was also named in the original list, as was Voice of America.



In November 2019, the list was expanded to include Sever.Realii. In February 2020, the Russian Justice Ministry added RFE/RL's corporate entity in Russia.

Moscow began adding individuals to the list in December 2020, including three journalists who contribute to RFE/RL: Lyudmila Savitskaya and Sergei Markelov, freelance correspondents for the North Desk (Sever.Realii) of RFE/RL's Russian Service; and Denis Kamalyagin, editor in chief of the online news site Pskov Province and a contributor to RFE/RL's Russian Service.

Russian officials have said that amending the "foreign agents law" to include mass media in 2017 was a "symmetrical response" to the U.S. requirement that Russia's state-funded channel RT register under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

U.S. officials have said the action is not symmetrical, arguing that the U.S. and Russian laws differ and that Russia uses its "foreign agent" legislation to silence dissent and discourage the free exchange of ideas.
CNRP vice president Mu Sochua is shown during an interview with RFA in a screen shot from video, Jan. 4, 2021.

A lawyer representing Cambodia opposition officials living in self-imposed exile said Monday he plans to make a formal request that a court allow his clients to return to the country to defend themselves against charges of incitement and treason, days after the government said it will not admit them.

In November, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court summoned at least 113 individuals connected to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to stand trial together on charges of conspiracy and incitement to sow chaos in societycrimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Presiding judges later split the defendants, including many who live overseas, into two groups for hearings to be held in January and March.

Last month, CNRP Deputy President Mu Sochua said she would lead the party leadership and activists back to Cambodia on Jan. 14 to face the charges, which they insist are politically motivated. However, members of the party in exile say Phnom Penh has canceled their Cambodian passports and those with foreign travel documents have been unable to obtain visas to enter the country.

Sam Sokong, who represents the CNRP defendants, told RFAs Khmer Service that he will submit a letter to the court on Tuesday, asking that it allow his clients to appear at their trial.

I will submit the request in writing to the court so that the court can make the authorities enforce these criminal casesmeaning take the necessary means to allow my clients, the accused, to be present during the court proceedings, he said.

It is very important for them to listen and defend themselves against the accusations. Their appearance during the court proceedings will allow them to directly answer all questions as well."

Last week, government spokesperson Phay Siphan told RFA that Mu Sochua and other CNRP members are not welcome in Cambodia, despite their upcoming trials. He said the government will not grant them passports or visas and they will have to find a way to enter Cambodia on their own because they organized a coup detat.

Phay Siphans comments appeared to suggest the CNRP exiles are already presumed guilty of the charges against them and that the government does not intend to provide them the right to defend themselves in court.

Right to defend oneself

Am Sam Ath, senior investigator with local rights group Licadho, told RFA that for justice to be done, those charged should be allowed to return to Cambodia to attend their trial and said it is the responsibility of the government to issue them visas and passports to do so.

The accused have the right to receive information related to the indictment and to defend themselves with arguments and evidence in court, he said.

Moreover, the authorities should use all means to notify the charged and help them to appear in court, especially when they have expressed a desire to attend the court proceedings in person.

RFA was unable to reach court spokesperson Ey Rin or government spokesperson Phay Siphan for comment Monday.

Speaking to RFA during a live call-in show on Monday, Mu Sochua said she and other CNRP officials who have been summoned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court remain determined to return home for their trial.

We already bought tickets on Singapore Airlines and were ready to go, she said.

Beyond that, it is the responsibility of the Cambodian government to allow us to return to Cambodia to appear at the court proceedings to face our charges.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Cambodia has ceased issuing visas on arrival. Mu Sochua, who holds an American passport, said she will travel to Cambodia regardless.

Mass trial

On Jan. 14, the court will try 47 CNRP activists and officials, including acting CNRP President Sam Rainsy, deputy president Eng Chhay Eang, Mu Sochua, and others on charges of plotting to overthrow the government and incitement to cause social unrest.

CNRP President Kem Sokha was arrested in September 2017 for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, and two months later the Supreme Court banned the CNRP for its supposed role in the scheme.

The move to dissolve the CNRP marked the beginning of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in the countrys July 2018 general election.

Sam Rainsy, who has lived in self-imposed exile since late 2015, vowed to return on Nov. 9, 2019 to lead nonviolent protests against Hun Sen, urging Cambodian migrant workers abroad and members of the military to join him. However, his plan to enter Cambodia from Thailand was thwarted when he was refused permission to board a Thai Airways plane in Paris.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
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January 6, 2021 was a sad and dark day in America, but some of the reporting of what happened has been off the mark. To make crystal clear up front: As many of us condemned the rioting in America from early June until now, we fully condemn those who broke the law at the Capitol. I did so on Facebook as soon as I learned about it. Whether by assaulting law enforcement or violating property, that behavior was inexcusable. The vast majority of those who took part in the rally were peaceful, but that gives no excuse for those who broke the law. Those actions are why the day was such a sad and dark one.

However, on the bias of reporting, I am not referring to the factual reporting of what actually occurred on video in the Capitol. That was appropriate and proper journalism. The problem came with the hyperbolic criticism that included the complete failure to provide any criticism regarding the actions and hypocrisy of Democratic leaders in Congress. Let me explain.

After what happened, I think the president would agree the rally got out of hand. This will serve as a black eye to his legacy as president in the years to come. However, the reporting of the presidents role has been wildly off the mark. When the president spoke to the crowd about walking over to Capitol Hill, his exact words about it were them acting peacefully and patriotically. In actuality, many of those who went in to the Capitol building were not even at his speech in front of the White House. Anderson Cooper at CNN spoke similarly to many mainstream reporters in alleging Trump turned his mob on Capitol Hill in a direct incitement of insurrection. Nancy Pelosi went further with the hyperbole claiming, Yesterday, the president of the United States incited an armed insurrection against America in a seditious act. That charge was repeated and even exaggerated through various reporters throughout the coming days.

The hyperbolic charges are rich with hypocrisy coming from Democratic Congressional leaders like Pelosi and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer. Trump condemned the violence and told protesters to go home that day. Yet, as Nick Arama of Red State noted about Democratic leaders including Pelosi and Schumer: These are the same people who ignored attacks on federal buildings for the last several months because they were perpetrated by those on the left, ignored over 700 law enforcement officers being injured and over 32 people being killed. These are the same people who celebrated the BLM radicals at their Democratic convention. Kamala Harris and 13 Biden staffers even donated and encouraged people to donate to a fund to bail out rioters.

Beyond the hypocrisy is a story ignored by the media about an arguably dangerous coup attempt on January 6 by Speaker Pelosi. As most are aware, the Constitution allows Congress to remove a president solely by way of impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate. This is to preserve the independent powers and checks and balances of the three branches of government. The Constitution also ensures civilian control of the military with the elected president as commander in chief, and the military subordinate to the president. Yet while Trump told his followers to act peacefully and patriotically, Speaker Pelosi attempted to foment and encourage a military coup against the president in violation of those Constitutional mandates.

According to the New York Times: In a phone call to the Chairman, Gen. Mark A. Milley, Ms. Pelosi appeared to be seeking to have the Pentagon leadership essentially remove Mr. Trump from his authorities as the commander in chief  But General Milley appears to have made no commitments. Short of the cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment or removing Mr. Trump through impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate, it is unconstitutional to defy legal orders from the commander in chief  Mr. Trump, they noted, is still the commander in chief; unless he is removed, the military is bound to follow his lawful orders. While military officials can refuse to carry out orders they view as illegal  or slow the process by sending those orders for careful legal review  they cannot remove the president from the chain of command. That would amount to a military coup, the officials said.

In addition to that attempted military overthrow, Speaker Pelosi attempted to coerce the vice president to use the 25th Amendment to remove the president from power. The provision of the 25th Amendment relevant to the decision of the vice president and a majority of the cabinet removing the president leaves no power in that decision to Congress. It is for incapacity, and not for allegations of wrongdoing.

As President Trump has stated, he is transitioning the office to Joe Biden on January 20. In the meantime, the hyperbole and misinformation in reporting about the president needs to stop, and Speaker Pelosi and others need to be called out for their unconstitutional overreach. Each branch of government should be respected. Its time to rely upon God in getting us through these tough times, and not giving in to fear. In God We Trust is the motto we need to follow again.




BASEL (dpa-AFX) - China-based biotechnology companyBeiGene Ltd. (BGNE) said that it will collaborate with Novartis to develop, manufacture and commercialize BeiGene's cancer drug tislelizumab in the United States, Canada, Mexico, member countries of the European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Japan.



The companies have agreed to jointly develop tislelizumab in those licensed countries. Novartis will be responsible for regulatory submissions after a transition period and for commercialization upon regulatory approvals.



In addition, both companies may conduct clinical trials globally to explore combinations of tislelizumab with other cancer treatments, and BeiGene has an option to co-detail the product in North America, funded in part by Novartis.



As per the deal, BeiGene will receive an upfront cash payment of $650 million from Novartis. BeiGene is eligible to receive up to $1.3 billion upon the achievement of regulatory milestones, $250 million upon the achievement of sales milestones, and royalties on future sales of tislelizumab in the licensed territory.



As per the terms of the deal, BeiGene will be responsible for funding ongoing clinical trials of tislelizumab, Novartis has agreed to fund new registrational, bridging, or post-marketing studies in its territory, and each party will be responsible for funding clinical trials evaluating tislelizumab in combination with its own or third party products. Each party retains the worldwide right to commercialize its propriety products in combination with tislelizumab.



Tislelizumab is approved by the China National Medical Products Administration as a treatment for certain patients with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma and metastatic urothelial carcinoma.



In addition, BeiGene has filed three supplemental new drug applications for tislelizumab in China for first-line treatment of patients with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC in combination with chemotherapy, first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC in combination with chemotherapy, and previously treated unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

NOVARTIS-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Mr. Sheinbaum joins Ashley Stewart after over 25 years at Tommy Hilfiger and PVH, where he was most recently Chief Executive Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Americas. During his tenure, he guided the Tommy Hilfiger brand through numerous stages of growth and transformation with product innovation, digital initiatives, expansion of leading wholesale partnerships, and enhanced customer experiences.

In making today's announcement, Chris Larson, Ashley Stewart Board Director said, "We are very excited to have Gary join Ashley Stewart as our CEO. As one of the apparel industry's most skilled, accomplished, experienced, and respected leaders, we know Gary will take Ashley Stewart to the next level and beyond as the preeminent brand that delivers uncompromising style, fashion, confidence and empowerment to the Ashley Stewart customer."

Mr. Sheinbaum commented, "I was drawn to the opportunity to lead Ashley Stewart at this important time in the company's development. Ashley Stewart has uniquely passionate and loyal customers and an authentic brand, making it well-positioned for significant expansion in the growing plus segment."

At Tommy Hilfiger, Mr. Sheinbaum expanded the products available on North American e-commerce by offering a great mix of the best products from the company's global assortment. In addition, under his leadership, Tommy Hilfiger's licensing business saw strong results and growth year over year in key categories including women's apparel and outerwear, luggage, tailored men's apparel, kids' apparel, watches and jewelry, and footwear.

He significantly re-positioned the North America retail business and built Tommy's outlet business into the powerhouse that it is today. Throughout North America, he elevated the Tommy Company Store experience through technology and store design.

In apparel innovation, because of Mr. Sheinbaum's foresight, passion, and drive to create a movement, Tommy Hilfiger created Tommy Adaptive, the first global brand to develop collections for people with disabilities, and expanded it into leading retailers including Amazon, Zappos, and Macy's. To create greater awareness for the need for adaptive products, Mr. Sheinbaum championed partnerships with organizations in the adaptive space including and Runway of Dreams, the Special Olympics, and Champions Place.

With Tommy Hilfiger's wholesale business, Mr. Sheinbaum fostered an exceptional, leading partnership with Macy's that reignited the brand in North America in the early 2000s. As the business grew, he opened the brand to new wholesale opportunities and partnerships that supported growth and equity building initiatives.

As a mentor, Mr. Sheinbaum was recognized by associates across Tommy Hilfiger for creating a close knit, people-first workplace.

Mr. Sheinbaum was named Chief Executive Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Americas in September 2014. In this role, he led the North American business and oversaw Tommy Hilfiger's Latin America operations. Previously, Mr. Sheinbaum served as Chief Executive Officer of Tommy Hilfiger, North America beginning in 2009. Since joining the company in 1995, he worked in various capacities including President of Specialty Retail, President of Retail Development for the U.S. wholesale business and Group President, North America for outlet, specialty retail and e-commerce.

Prior to joining PVH, Mr. Sheinbaum was the President of J. Crew Retail for five years. Prior to J. Crew, he was the Managing Director of the Polo Mansion on Madison Avenue. He began his career at Macy's New York in a variety of store line and buying positions.

Mr. Sheinbaum graduated from Bucknell University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Spanish. He serves as Chair of the Fashion Institute of Technology Foundation.

Ashley Stewart retained executive search partner Kirk Palmer Associates to assist in filling this role.

About Ashley Stewart

Since its founding in 1991, Ashley Stewart has stood for uncompromising style, fashion and value, championing the confidence and empowerment of women. Today, Ashley Stewart is a leading omni-channel retailer offering the hottest looks for women sizes 10 to 36 with a significant e-commerce presence at www.AshleyStewart.com and 83 stores across the United States.

For more information:

Melissa M. Krantz

Krantz and Company

917-653-6716

[email protected]

SOURCE Ashley Stewart

Related Links

https://www.ashleystewart.com/


Sports lie at the margins of our culture, different from how it is elsewhere in the world, and from how it used to be. This is one of the reasons why criminality among youth proceeds unchecked. There is no youth labour market, and the school system ruthlessly triages youth.
David Fitzgerald offers professional music tuition David Fitzgerald offers professional music tuition

Norwich-based David Fitzgerald has enjoyed an outstanding international career as a saxophonist, flautist and composer. He now offers to shares the treasures of his experience as a private tutor.

If you would like to learn Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Piano or Music Theory, David is one of the most inspiring teachers working in Norwich. Under his encouraging teaching, countless students have gone to pursue careers in music.



David is a Christian who has spent some 35 years in the Christian music world, recording and touring with many key worship leaders, song writers and musicians. He now aims to bring all of his past experience to a new generation of aspiring musicians.



David commenced his studies at the age of 15 (for three years) at the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, and played in the Far East and Pacific as principal Flute and Saxophone in Her Majestys Royal Marine Band. Back in the UK he took regular part in Royal and State occasions such as the Trooping of the Colour, Royal Tournament and Edinburgh Tattoo.



On leaving the Marines, he continued to play across the world: at events such as the Coronation reception for Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands, with Adrian Snell at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, and not least alongside Marc Bolan, Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Sir Cliff Richard.



He has toured and recorded with many other Christian artists and worship leaders over the years, including Graham Kendrick, Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Noel Richards, Barry and Batya Segal (Israel), Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.



In 1989, after travelling to Lindisfarne and Iona, he co-founded (with David Bainbridge) the highly acclaimed musical project IONA and recorded two albums (Iona and The Book Of Kells). Four further albums as a solo artist followed: Columcille, Lux Aeterna, Breath of Heaven and God Is Love. He toured widely and in 1992 returned to study for three years at Anglia Ruskin University before continuing with a recording and touring career.



David moved to Norwich in 1996 and two years later premiered his project The Eye of the Eagle at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, performing in Norwich Cathedral. The event was filmed by Anglia TV and later broadcast on national television.



He has taught at many schools across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and currently teaches at Norwich School, giving one-to-one lessons and directing ensembles.



My purpose, said David, is to equip pupils with good practical skills as well as to assist them to discover a deeper understanding and appreciation of music. He promotes the progressive study of ABRSM Grade tuition (Classical and Jazz, including improvisation), and equally encourages students to look beyond grades and explore the wider musical landscape.



I consider my role as a music teacher to be an honour and a privilege, he said. It is a God-given blessing to be able to pass on what has been given to me from the very finest of teachers and colleagues to those on the threshold of their journey.



You can contact David on david@davidfitzgerald.co.uk or 01603 632444 or 07872 929346. More information is on his website on www.davidfitzgerald.co.uk



Pictured top is David Fitzgerald on the Norfolk Coast, and (centre) on tour with Graham Kendrick









Eldred Willey, 12/01/2021

Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 63F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 42F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
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The Akwa Ibom State government on Sunday held an emergency meeting to discuss the surge in COVID-19 infection in the state.

The state recorded 36 new cases on Sunday, the highest of late.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Ini Ememobong, said the 36 cases were from 149 tests carried out by the state government.

The emergency meeting presided by the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, resolved that monitoring teams will be reactivated for strict enforcement of compliance and COVID-19 protocol enforcement by security agencies to be reactivated immediately.

Mr Ekuwem heads the COVID-19 Management Committee in the state.

The government also resolved that contact tracing would be intensified across the state.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state is 512 as of January 11, though a small percentage of the overall 10,0087 cases in Nigeria.

Lagos State, which remains the epicentre of the infection, has 36,101 cases, followed by 13,448.

Kaduna State is the third-highest, with 5,801 cases.

Plateau, Oyo, and Rivers states have 5,774, 4,323, and 3,913 cases respectively.

Kogi State, with only five infections so far, has the lowest number of COVID-19C cases in Nigeria.

Akwa Ibom State has recorded nine deaths from COVID-19, including the passing of a former military governor of the state, Idongesit Nkanga.

The state government recently banned large gatherings to curb the surge in infection.
Armie Hammer reportedly said he 'wanted to cut off' his girlfriend's toe and 'keep it in his pocket' according to new disturbing screenshots leaked by a woman who says the actor sent her vile Instagram messages about rape and cannibalism.

Hammer, 34, began trending on Twitter on Sunday night after a series of screenshots showing graphic messages he'd allegedly penned to a woman were leaked by the anonymous, now-private Instagram account, House of Effie.

The actor is yet to speak publicly on the matter, and multiple requests for comment sent to his representatives have so far gone unanswered.

The alleged messages, said to be sent between October 2016 and February 2020, include conversations about BDSM, in addition to numerous sexual references to cannibalistic acts and 'blood-sucking'.

The authenticity of the screenshots has not yet been verified, however the woman behind the House of Effie account shared new alleged correspondences with Hammer on Tuesday, in which he appeared to refer to her as his 'slave'.

'You just live to obey me and be my slave,' a message purported to have been sent from Hammer's official Instagram account reads. 'I will own you. That's my soul. My brain. My spirit. My body. Would you come and be my property till you die?'

The message continues: 'If I wanted to cut off one of your toes and keep it with me in my pocket so I always had a piece of you in my possession?'

It comes as one of Hammer's exes, writer Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, has spoken out saying she believes the shocking messages 'are real', and later wrote: 'It takes an army to hide a predator' in reference to the allegations.

The authenticity of the screenshots have also not yet been verified, however the woman behind the House of Effie account has shared new alleged correspondences with Hammer (left) on Tuesday, in which he appeared to refer to her as his 'slave'

The woman has also shared a photo she claims to have received from Hammer during her purported exchange with him, showing a tattoo on his ring finger

Hammer has a similar looking tattoo on his finger, as seen in the above images from 2020 (left) and 2018 (right), which is said to be of the initials of his now ex-wife

In a second alleged exchange of undated messages shared by House of Effie, Hammer allegedly writes: 'I feel like the same way you are on one side of the slave spectrum, I Am on the other side of the master spectrum and I can't ever imagine another slave.

'You are mine and I am yours. No matter what happens,' it continues. 'And we've tested each other to the extremes.'

The new screenshots were released Tuesday morning as the woman behind the House of Effie account sought disprove speculation the messages could be fake.

In another post uploaded Tuesday, the woman claimed she first started talking to Hammer in 2016, after 'fangirling' him on Facebook.

The correspondence, dated October 13, 2016, begins with the woman writing: 'Omg I love you'.

An account, purported to belong to Hammer, then appears to accept her invitation to chat, which marks the woman's message as 'Seen'.

'Totally fangirling and can't sleep now!' the woman writes in response, sometime after 3:00am. 'I loved loved loved you in The Social Network, The Lone Ranger, and U.N.C.L.E. Have a beautiful day.'

Hammer then allegedly replies: 'Got to sleep. And thank you.'

The woman then reacts to the response with shock, telling him: 'I actually volunteer for a nonprofit that helps children with disabilities. I'd love to talk to you about it if you're interested.'

A photo that seems to be sent from Hammer's official Instagram account where he grabs his neck is shown above

In a second alleged exchange of undated messages shared by House of Effie, Hammer allegedly writes: 'I feel like the same way you are on one side of the slave spectrum, I Am on the other side of the master spectrum and I can't ever imagine another slave.'

In another post uploaded Tuesday, the woman claimed she first started talking to Hammer in 2016, after 'fangirling' him on Facebook

The leaked DMs, alleged to be from Armie's Instagram account, also include graphic accounts of sex acts and the message: 'I am 100% a cannibal'

Hammer (left) is pictured on a date with Jessica Ciencin Henriquez on August 31, 2020 in Los Angeles. Henriquez says she believes the messages 'are real'

It's currently unclear how the woman's alleged relations with Hammer escalated from that point.

However, in dozens of screenshots shared across Sunday and Monday, Hammer is alleged to have messaged the woman across a period of just under four years, until February 2020, about various sexual kinks including cannibalism, rape fantasies and 'sucking blood'.

In one message, the actor allegedly writes to the woman: 'I am 100% a cannibal. I want to eat you.'

'F**k. That's scary to admit,' the message continues. 'I've never admitted that before.'

One exchange, alleged to be from December 2019 reads: 'I'd chase you down and pounce on you so fast if you tried to walk away.

'Fuuuuu**. You'll need something strong to hold me back from you.'

An additional message, again from Instagram, reads: 'I need to drink your blood. Why the distance?'

Fans of the Call Me By Your Name star, 34, have voiced skepticism over the authenticity of the messages, insisting they appear to be fake.

However Hammer's ex, Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, took to Twitter Monday to affirm her belief that the messages are in fact real.

'If you are still questioning whether or not those Armie Hammer DMs are real (and they are) maybe you should start questioning why we live in a culture willing to give abusers the benefit of the doubt instead of victims,' she wrote.

A screenshot from a conversation purported to be from December 2019 shown above

Henriquez, who was pictured on a date with Hammer on August 31, later took to Instagram to add: 'It takes an army to hide a predator.

'Behind every abuser is a team of people working hard to cover up the trail.'

The writer reportedly blocked Hammer on social media shortly after their August meeting. It's unclear how long they dated.

Henriquez previously posted a meme to Twitter that showed a picture of her with Hammer, bearing the caption 'How it started', alongside a screen shot showing Hammer's blocked account, with the words 'How it's going'. The post was uploaded on October 30.

Another woman Hammer was recently said to be dating, model Paige Lorenze, tweeted Sunday: 'anyone got a good therapist?' as the messages were first leaked.

Henriquez responded to the post the following day, telling Lorenze: 'Yeah girl, I'll send you the number', accompanied with a wink-face emoji.

A request for comment sent to Lorenze's publicist has not yet been returned.

Later Monday, House of Effie uploaded a photo she claims to have received from Hammer during their apparent exchange that proves he is responsible for authoring the messages.

The image shared shows a male's hand splayed out across a script on a wooden table, and purports to have been sent from Hammer's Instagram account in an undated message. Visible on the man's ring finger is a small tattoo.

Notably, Hammer has a similar looking tattoo on his finger, having previously had the initials of his ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers inked on his ring finger shortly after they married in October 2010.

Henriquez, who was pictured on a date with Hammer on August 31, later took to Instagram to add: 'It takes an army to hide a predator. 'Behind every abuser is a team of people working hard to cover up the trail'

Henriquez reportedly blocked Hammer on social media shortly after their September meeting. It's unclear how long they dated

Another woman Hammer was recently said to be dating, model Paige Lorenze (left with Hammer in December), tweeted Sunday: 'anyone got a good therapist?' as the messages were first leaked

Henriquez responded to the post the following day, telling Lorenze: 'Yeah girl, I'll send you the number', accompanied with a wink-face emoji

The pair were still married at the time the alleged messages from Hammer were apparently sent to the woman. They announced their divorce after 10 years in the summer of 2020.

An audio clip has also surfaced on Twitter, which purports to document Hammer speaking in reference to 'risque' messages he'd sent to someone in the midst of a 'kink-based' relationship.

In the clip, the male voice is heard saying: 'They were very risque dms with someone I was involved with in very much a sort of kink-based relationship, if you will.

'So a lot of s**t was said that also most people dont relate to. Its kink, its niche, its fetish  so thats bad.

'So if that wasnt bad enough, imagine this: Youre having sex with someone and you say something in the heat of the moment  if someone comes up to you and says Oh my god, I heard you said this out of context, out of the heat of the moment, out of that safe place where it sounds perfect to say - its a little cringey.'

Hammer previously made headlines of a similar nature in 2017, after he liked a series of tweets about BDSM sex acts.

In light of the newest allegations, the 34-year-old has switched off comments on his Instagram posts.

Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers were still married at the time the alleged messages from Hammer were apparently sent to the woman

Hammer, best known for his acclaimed role in 2017's Call Me By Your Name, has appeared in recent years in films including On the Basis of Sex, Sorry to Bother You and the upcoming Death on the Nile.

DailyMail.com has reached out to 20th Century Fox, who are behind Death on the Nile, and ViacombCBS, who are developing The Offer in which Hammer is set to star, for comment on the allegations but has not yet received a response.

In a November interview published to Netflixs Brazilian Facebook page, Hammer declared that his dream dinner guest to be Marques de Sade, a French philosopher known for his lurid works regarding pornography and sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, suffering and anal sex.

While Hammer offers no further explanation for his choice in the clip, De Sades novels - such as The 120 Days of Sodom - inspired the term sadist, which is defined as a person who derives pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from inflicting pain or humiliation on others.

The radical 18th Century liberintes frequent references to sodomy, pedophilia and sexual perversion, in addition to his fictional accounts of excessive orgies, which describe sexual cruelty and murder in excessive detail, led many to presume he was deranged. He spent a third of his life in prisons or insane asylums.

In a November interview published to Netflixs Facebook page, Hammer declared that his dream dinner guest to be Marques de Sade, a French philosopher known for his lurid works regarding pornography and sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence

In an interview with Playboy magazine in 2013, Hammer lifted the lid on his 'wild' sexual habits with women in previous relationships, telling the outlet: 'Well, if youre married to a feminist as I am, then its. I dont know how much we can put here without my parents being embarrassed, but I used to like to be a dominant lover.

De Sade (above), was an 18th Century liberinte whose frequent references to sodomy, pedophilia and sexual perversion, in addition to his fictional accounts of excessive orgies, which describe sexual cruelty and murder in excessive detail, led many to presume he was deranged

'I liked the grabbing of the neck and the hair and all that. But then you get married and your sexual appetites change. And I mean that for the better - its not like Im suffering in any way. But you cant really pull your wifes hair. It gets to a point where you say, I respect you too much to do these things that I kind of want to do.'

Hammer later blamed what he called 'over-sharing' about his past sexual exploits on alcohol.

'Let's just say hindsight is 20/20. Don't drink during an interview,' he told E! News.

However, in an interview with Elle later the same year, he claimed a former girlfriend once tried to stab him in bed.

'One chick tried to stab me when we were having sex,' Hammer said. 'I should so not be telling this story. She was like, "True love leaves scars. You don't have any." And then she tried to stab me with a butcher knife,' he added. 'Of course I promptly broke up with her...seven months later.'
Syracuse, N.Y.  The owner of an apartment building near Temple Concord is fighting a proposed 635-bed student housing project on the temples property near Syracuse University.

Sherbk Inc., owner of Sherbrooke Apartments at 922 Madison St., has asked the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals to deny a request from Syracuse Landmark Property Owner LLC for zoning variances for the project, which would be known as The Standard at Syracuse.

Sherbrooke Apartments is a 22-unit, 95-bed apartment building that sits directly behind the proposed apartment complex at the Temple Concord property.

Designed by famed Syracuse architect Ward Wellington Ward, Sherbrooke Apartments were built in 1914 and added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1997. They are believed to be the largest Arts and Crafts style building in Syracuse.

The company behind the project, Landmark Properties, of Athens, Georgia, is one of the countrys most active developers of student housing.

It has proposed building a seven-story building on the southern side of the temple sanctuary and an eight-story building behind the temple, on the east side of the property. The new buildings would contain 202 student apartments with a total of 635 beds.

The temple sanctuary, which opened at the southeast corner of University Avenue and Madison Street in 1911, would be retained and used for tenant amenities. Two additions to the historic building  a 1920s educational and administrative wing and a 1960s addition attached to the wing  would be demolished.

Douglas H. Zamelis, an attorney representing Sherbk, said the new buildings would keep the back portion of the four-story Sherbrooke Apartments in shade 10 months of the year.

In addition, he said the project, consisting of tall, modern structures, would be out of character with the surrounding area.

This modern, eight-story facility just doesnt fit in this space, he said.

John Langey, an attorney representing Landmark, said the opposition from the owner of Sherbrooke Apartments stems from the fact that the Sherbrooke serves a similar population of tenants.

Simply put, and not surprisingly, they dont want the competition, he said in an email to The Post-Standard | syracuse.com.

Zamelis said the Sherbrookes owner has no problem finding tenants and is not opposing the project out of fear of competition.

Sherbrooke Apartments at 922 Madison St. in Syracuse were designed by architect Ward Wellington Ward and built in 1914. Google MapsGoogle Maps

Sherbk filed a lawsuit Jan. 4 seeking to bar the zoning board from even considering Landmarks application. The lawsuit alleges that Landmark waited 10 months to appeal to the zoning board the city code enforcement offices denial of permits to build the apartments, when city law requires that such appeals be filed within 60 days.

Zamelis said Onondaga County Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri denied his request for a temporary restraining order against the zoning board but scheduled a hearing on his request for an injunction against the board for April 1. The zoning board held a public hearing via the web on Thursday but made no decision on Landmarks application.

Landmark is seeking four variances to allow it to:

Build within 10 feet of the rear property line, when the city zoning code requires a 77-foot setback

Build on the southern property line, when zoning code requires a 10-foot setback

Build on 72% of the property, when zoning code permits no more than 40%

Have 448 square feet of space per apartment instead of the zoning codes requirement of 1,000 square feet per unit

In his application for the variances, Langey said the project would bring no undesirable change to the neighborhoods character because the neighborhood is zoned for residential use.

He said the requested variances were necessitated in large part by the requirement and desire to preserve and protect the temple. The sanctuary and the grassy area adjacent to it comprise 20% of the property and are being set aside for preservation, he said.

If this land area on the site was available, the need and extent of the variances would be significantly reduced, he said.

Temple Concord opened at 910 Madison St. in Syracuse in 1911.Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

Landmarks portfolio includes more than 75 student housing properties, totaling over 46,000 beds, across the country.

The company reached a deal with the Temple Society of Concord in 2019 to buy the temple complex for $9 million. The purchase is contingent on the company obtaining city approvals for the proposed apartments on the site.

The congregation plans to move to temporary quarters while it makes plans for a new permanent home. Temple officials cited financial challenges faced by the 182-year-old congregation, the ninth-oldest Jewish congregation in the country, as the primary reason for agreeing to the sale.

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Hot air balloons rising up in Old Bagan, Myanmar appear like a fairy tale. "Asia has a myriad of unexplored beautiful scenes as does Vietnam. I want to show the world that Vietnam and Asia are even more beautiful than everything they have ever seen before. "Soon I will be back to Vietnam and Asia to develop my projects. All this is just the beginning." 'Come from Vietnam' and 'Asia - Home sweet home' are two of seven grand projects Trinh has undertaken. For them, he will continue to visit beautiful landscapes in Vietnam and around Asia.
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January 12 : Disha Patani is an avid social media user and never failed to treat her fans with beautiful posts. Taking to her Instagram story today, the Bharat actress shared a gorgeous sun-kissed selfie to brighten up her fans.

The Radhe actress looked stunning in a maroon full-sleeve top with her luscious locks left open. The radiant glow of her skin kissed by the morning sun grabbed the attention of her fans, who loved every bit of it. Earlier, Disha shared a glimpse of her cheat day meal and sugary treats with muffins, cake, tarts, and more.

Image Source: Instagram/dishapatani Disha Patani shares a gorgeous sun-kissed selfie

One of the fittest celebrities in Bollywood, Disha has her cheat days as well and in her recent Instagram post, she revealed about her sweet cravings. The actress shared another picture of herself posing with a cute expression as she looked forward to relish her sweet meal. Cant wait to cheat tomorrow, she wrote while she revealed that she is craving for Mithaiii.

Image Source: Instagram/dishapatani Disha Patani shares a gorgeous sun-kissed selfie

Disha has recently returned from Maldives with her rumoured boyfriend Tiger Shroff, where they celebrated the New Year. Disha shared stunning pictures of herself from her vacay and stunned all in her bikini avatar.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Disha will be next seen in Salman Khan starrer film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai. The film also stars Randeep Hooda, Jackie Shroff and Gautam Gulati. Disha will reportedly play Jackie Shroff's sister in the film. Disha also has in her kitty Mohit Suri's film Ek Villain 2 with John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor and Tara Sutaria.
President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday stated that it's absolutely normal to have very different opinions in a governing coalition, pointing out, at the same time that, in his opinion, there are no disputes between PNL (National Liberal Party), USR PLUS (Save Romania Union - Freedom, Liberty, Unity Party) and UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania).

"In my opinion, what you call disputes are not, in fact, disputes, but talks. A coalition is not an army - with one giving orders and everyone else executing them. A coalition is more like a living body. People discuss and not all of them have the same opinion, and discussion is not the same thing with divergence, we are talking about a discussion that is more or less public, which is aimed at finding solutions. So it's absolutely normal to have opinions, maybe even very different ones sometimes, in a coalition, while it's the leadership's role to negotiate on these differencies. There is no reason to believe people are arguing. People discuss matters and they all have their own opinions until a conclusion is reached," Iohannis told a press conference held at the Cotroceni Palace.
A woman who reportedly dated Christian Kadima, the suspect linked to the murder of lawyer Elizabeth Koki Musyoki, has revealed more details about the man.

The woman who sought anonymity said she met Christian in October 2017 through Tinder, Tuko News reported. She reportedly told the online tabloid that Kadima was a charming pathological liar with violent tendencies.

The suspect told the woman that he came to Kenya in 2017 and was staying in Nairobis Pangani area.

We started chatting and talked for long without meeting. Thats how we fostered our friendship. He then randomly called and said his roommate was moving to their family house and needed me to accommodate him for two days. The two days turned to close to two years, the lady was quoted by Tuko.

During that time, the two fell in love, with the woman going as far as introducing Kadima to her parents.

He was a narcissist. Though I only came to know this when we broke up because my friends wondered how we stayed long in a relationship. He was however, a pathological liar, a very smooth talker that one will easily fall for, she said.

However, things started going South when Kadima would get angry and leave the house for days without explanation.

He would go missing for days leaving me worried because he was a foreigner. I thought he was hanging out with friends but found out he had many other women where he used to disappear to. He used to accuse me of cheating on him whenever he knew I had discovered something wrong, said the lady.

She recounted an incident where Christian Kadima turned violent after they had returned home from a party.

He hurled a whisky glass to me and began choking me. I was shocked to see blood everywhere but he pleaded with me not to call the police. He had badly cut my small finger and I needed 12 stitches. We broke up like thrice but he could just find a way of winning my heart back, she said.

The woman also mentioned that she had communicated with the deceased Elizabeth Koki and told her about Kadima. Apparently, Koki reached out to her in June 2020 asking about the suspect because he had hit her(Koki).

She introduced herself saying she had reached out because she found out I was her lovers ex-girlfriend. She asked if he had a violent history. I honestly told her the guy was bad news and she needed to report to police as she had planned, she said.

Koki promised me that the man had landed himself in trouble because she would get him arrested and prosecuted because she was a lawyer. I was relieved because we were afraid he would prey on other women and hurt them. I thought she pursued the story but sadly she ended up being the victim. Sadly is that this man used to be that perfect guy. There was a way he could talk well and persuade you. I dont blame Koki for letting him back because I was there and would fall for his persuasion. I feel bad for Koki because I gave her all the information but never knew she would go back to him, the lady added.

Kadima was arraigned at the Mavoko Law Courts on Monday and will remain in police custody for 14 days.

The case will be mentioned on January 25, 2021.
Cyber threats across commercial and government enterprises appear to be so common that seldom do we see major stories on the topic. The past couple of weeks were an exception, as gas stations along the East Coast ran out of fuel supplies, thanks to the paralyzing cyberattack on null
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 23:40:24|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) on Tuesday killed eight al-Shabab militants in a security operation in the southern region of Gedo, a military officer confirmed.

Ali Mohamed Mohamoud, SNA's 43rd commander said the army launched an attack on bases run by al-Shabab fighters in Bardhere town, inflicting casualties on them.

"Our forces destroyed many bases used by the militants and killed eight al-Shabab fighters including the militants' operational commander in Bardhere town named Zakarie Sheikh," Mohamoud said.

The latest incident came amid sustained operations by the government forces against al-Shabab militants in the southern regions. Enditem

Portland, Oregon, is one of the most amazing places to visit because of the sheer character of the city. Surely you've seen at least an episode of Portlandia, the sketch comedy series with Fred Armisen (formerly of Saturday Night Live) and Carrie Brownstein (formerly of a band called Sleater-Kinney). And if you haven't, you should; but if you really haven't, you at least must be aware of the reputation this town has in the hearts and minds of Americans. The weather in Portland might not be great, but even people on vacation to San Diego, widely considered one of the sunniest places in the country, occasionally encounter a solid week of "May gray" or "June gloom." In other words, the weather isn't a guarantee anywhere, so why not forget about it and head to a city with heart, soul, and a lot of fodder for your social media account. And you never know--you might end up with some of that rare, sunny weather you don't hear so much about when you hear about the Pacific Northwest.

Visit The Roxy, an Eclectic 24-Hour Diner

The Roxy's motto is "Keeping Portland Weird Since 1994," so if that appeals to you, head downtown to 1121 SW Harvey Milk St. and wait to be seated. The meals are served in large portions, with names based on actors and B-movies. The Steve Buscemi Breakfast, for example, is a couple of eggs, hash browns, toast, and corned beef hash. If you ordered the Lord of the Rings, you'd be served a plate of cheese fries with beef chili and onion rings on top. The Lou Reed is a cold turkey and cheddar sandwich, the Robin Williams omelet is served with Tillamook cheddar cheese, and the Soylent Green omelet comes with spinach, mushrooms, and cheddar. But the food is only a small portion of the appeal at The Roxy. Get your smartphone camera out, and get ready to have a memorable experience.

Have an Amazing Craft Beer

Portland is home to some of the most sought-after craft brews in the world. Visit Great Notion Brewing if you want to try one of their glorious pastry stouts, sours, or hazy IPAs, and be sure to post pictures on your Instagram so the beer lovers in your life can express appropriate envy. Then head over to Cascade Brewing for one of any number of interesting, esoteric styles made with local fruit and wine barrels. This brewery has been part of the "sour beer renaissance" for nearly 15 years, and their beers are renowned all over the world. And don't forget pFriem Family Brewers (yes, that's spelled correctly). This brewery is known for making craft beers so beautiful and true to style that your pallet will be refreshed after all of the crazy ales you've tried at Great Notion and Cascade.

Take a Tour at Bob's Red Mill

If you're a health food nut or just a fan of old fashioned oats, stop by Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie, Oregon, about 15 minutes outside of Portland. You can take a tour of the facilities and see how grains are milled and packaged. There's also a restaurant and bakery on the premises, called the Whole Grain Store, and you'll find fresh baked goods, an espresso bar, and all kinds of organic groceries. There's even a gift shop with souvenirs for the most die-hard Bob's Red Mill fans. And if you're lucky, Bob will be there, and he might even play you a piano ditty!

Have a Donut at Voodoo Doughnut

Here's another 24-hour establishment for your Instagram account, and the line is known to wrap around the block at certain times of the day. We should point out that at Voodoo, they want us to return to the traditional spelling: doughnut instead of donut. You can order stuffed "cannolos" or one of many infamous varieties of doughnuts, including the "Oh Captain, My Captain," with vanilla frosting and Cap'n Crunch cereal; the Voodoo Bubble, with vanilla frosting, bubble gum dust, and a literal piece of bubble gum; the Bacon Maple Bar with maple frosting and actual bacon on top; a doughnut called The Homer with strawberry flavored frosting and sprinkles; or the Maple Blazer Blunt, a doughnut rolled into the shape of a blunt, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and dipped in maple frosting and red sprinkles.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SEBI headquarters (Representative image)

Markets regulator SEBI has imposed a penalty totalling Rs 85 lakh on Orient Resorts (India) and two individuals for not complying with the watchdogs earlier directive to wind up its operations and refund investors money.

The fine has been imposed on Orient Resorts (India) Pvt Ltd (ORIPL), Dilpesh V Shah and Darshanbhai Arvindbhai Shah (noticees).

In November 2013, SEBI had passed an order directing Orient Resorts to wind up its operations and refund the money of the investors which it had collected through its illegal collective investment scheme.

According to the order, Orient Resorts had launched 'Vanashree Teak Bumper Profits Scheme in 1993.

It called for an investment of Rs 910 per unit for a period of 18 years from the investors and claimed that the investors would receive Rs 91,000 for every Rs 910 invested for one unit.

The money collected was pooled towards setting up a teak plantation.

However, the regulator observed that the 18-year period stipulated in the scheme has expired and ORIPL has not yet made repayment of profit, income to investors as promised by it.

Also, there is no documentary proof on record to substantiate the claim of the noticees for having repaid the income or returns to the investors, the watchdog said.

Besides, ORIPL and Dilpesh V Shah failed to submit any report to SEBI about compliance with the directions issued by SEBI earlier, it added.

"I find that ORIPL has illegally continued the scheme in contravention of the..provisions ofCollective Investment Schemes (CIS) Regulations, SEBIs Adjudicating Officer Prasanta Mahapatra said in its order passed on Monday.

While imposing penalties the watchdog said, the hard earned money of the investors cannot be allowed to be duped by the illegal activities of the company.

Further it said, the activities of unauthorized pooling of funds from the investors by the company are illegal because it has launched CIS without obtaining registration from SEBI.

For the violations, SEBI levied Rs 35 lakh fine on Orient Resorts (India) Pvt Ltd.

Besides, a fine of Rs 35 lakh and Rs 15 lakh has been imposed on Dilpesh V Shah and Darshanbhai Arvindbhai Shah, respectively.
Omarosa, James Carville, Politico: 5 people who predicted that Biden would become president

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Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was elected president last November, with Republican incumbent Donald Trump only recently conceding defeat.

Upon being sworn in next week, Biden will become the second Roman Catholic to serve as president and, at age 78, the oldest commander-in-chief in United States history.

His running mate, former U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, will become the first female, the first African American, and the first Indian American to serve as vice president of the United States.

In a year like 2020, when uncertainty abounded, some people predicted that Trump would be reelected while some predicted that Biden would unseat him.

Here, in no particular order, are five notable people who predicted that Biden would win the election. They include a former Trump staffer, an expert pollster, and a distinguished political strategist.
[January 11, 2021] Dable, content discovery platform, raises US$12M Series C round for global expansion

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dable, a leading global content discovery platform, based in South Korea announced today that it has raised US$12 million in a Series C round with a valuation of more than US$90 million. This round was led by SV Investment along with other new investors KB Investment and K2 Investment Partners, as well as Kakao Ventures, a previous investor, that has participated since the seed funding stage. Dable closed its Series B round, which totaled US$5.4 million, in April 2018. The company has since raised a total exceeding US$20 million, including the latest round. Dable intends to use the new funds to promote its label in Asia and accelerate growth markets. Dable CEO, Chaehyun Lee, says, "Through this series round, we will expand our service countries so that Dable's personalized recommendation solutions can operate in more countries. Dable will aspire to become the No.1 personalized recommendation platform with our technological competitive advantage." Joowan Jung, Principal at SV Investment, said, "We are excited to lead Dable's Series C investment and are impressed by the outstanding personalization technology it owns to help improve the media's competition." "We think it has the potential to become the No.1 content discovery platform in the near future and look forward to seeing the company advance." "Dable creates meaningful business performance by incorporating AI solutions into the media and advertising fields," said Kijun Kim, Partner at Kakao Ventures. "It's no wonderthat it doesn't stop at its success in Asia, but thrives in international markets as well. It is a company whose future is highly anticipated. We are excited to be a part of their journey going forward."



Founded in 2015, Dable recommends high-quality personalized content to media, e-commerce, and other content providers such as blogs and apps. Dable's engineering team is composed of members who developed South Korea's first product recommendation platform and owns world-class big data processing and personalization technologies. Dable recommends 5 billion contents to 500 million users per month, and results in 100 million clicks per month through Dable's platform. Dable CEO, Chaehyun Lee, added, "Dable's personalized recommendation solution contributes to improving the media's competitiveness, to enhancing advertisers' performance, and to increasing user satisfaction on the internet. Its excellence has already been proven in several countries in Asia."

Dable's personalized content recommendation solution contributes to the media's revenue by increasing article consumption and dwell time of the site's visitors. It helps shorten the information search process and serves a cleaner web as it provides only the content users are interested in. In addition, advertisers can expose ads on premium media sites that have partnered with Dable, as well as on Google, MSN and Kakao through RTB based Dable Native Ad Exchange. It also effectively executes ads by purchasing only the desired ad impression from a wide range of inventories. Currently Dable covers Asian markets including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. It has partnered with over 2,500 premium media such as: Korea - MBC, SBS, Chosun Ilbo, Taiwan - ET Today, LTN, Now News, Indonesia - Liputan6, Tempo, Suara, Vietnam - Thanh Nien, Saostar, Bongda, Malaysia - Ripple Media, Nanyang, Malaysiakini. Dable has become the most utilized personalized recommendation platform in South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam. And it is also growing rapidly in Taiwan, exceeding US$0.4 million in monthly sales, two years since its launch. The average annual sales growth rate has recorded more than 50% since its establishment. In 2020, sales reached about US$27.5 million, rising 63% from the previous year driven by its expansion in the Asian market. Dable plans to accelerate its international expansion aiming to service all Asian countries by 2024 and increase market awareness as the leading content discovery platform. It will enter 6 additional countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, mainland China, Australia and Turkey this year. Based on its success in Asia, the company hopes to provide services to the US and Europe as well. For more detailed information on Dable, please visit http://dable.io About Dable Dable is the No.1 content discovery platform that provides personalized content recommendation solutions. Dable, headquartered in South Korea, was established in 2015 by the best local team that developed the first big data-based personalized recommendation platform in the country. It is widely recognized for its technology, as proven by its awards such as K-Global DB-Stars Grand Prize(2015), Korea Online Advertising Grand Prize(2016), TIPS Award Grand Convention(2017), Ministry of Science and ICT Grand Prize(2019), Ministerial Citation of Ministry of Science and ICT(2020). Dable has raised about USD 20 million in funding over 4 consecutive rounds from leading investors. It provides services to Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia through partnerships with over 2,500 global premium media including MBC, KBS, Ettoday, NOWnews, Liputan6, Suara, Thanhnien, Bongda, Ripple Media and Nanyang Siang Pau. *Contact: Eunjin Kang, PR manager

Yeeun Song, PR manager

*Email: press@dable.io, eunjin@dable.io, yeeun@dable.io

*Website: dable.io SOURCE Dable

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Recently, waiting for the bus and regretting that I didn't just become a 'house husband' for one of the many angry women in the legal profession rather than walk around with a toothache and all of this useless self-respect . . . I noticed one of many signs that ANTIFA runs pretty deep in the Kansas City urban core.



Similarly, there's no question that this cowtown is awash MAGA proponents judging by last year's truck rally wherein a parade of massive vehicles demonstrated their devotion to the Commander-In-Chief by circle-jerking around town in oversized trucks and totally HOPEFULLY NOT compensating for other shortcomings in their lives.

Unfortunately, these groups of opposing activists will likely never meet in a battle royale that would make the world a better place and rid us of AM talk radio AND fair trade coffee in one fell swoop.



Instead, there's a far greater threat that MAGA & ANTIFA groups will target individuals who they rightly or wrongly assume align with their political opposition. This risk of politically motivated violence has worried local authorities since the Capitol riots.



Sadly, what we've learned over the past week is that neither MAGA nor ANTIFA will disavow violence and fighting words across social media have spiked.



Even worse, the risk of politically charged confrontation in the Kansas City metro doubles the threat to the plebs given that police & politicos still haven't figured out if they're going to do anything special to address last year's historic crime wave.



Check the links and maybe realize that your favorite political pundit hack earns a generous salary for delivering talking points whilst everybody else just repeats their garbage and risks alienating friends & family or starting an altercation with one of the many wacko true believers who, sadly, hasn't figured out that the antics of a former game show host shouldn't be taken so seriously . . .



KSHB: KC experts explain FBI warning of 'armed protests' at state capitols

The Guardian: More violence planned as extreme rightwing groups draw Trump backers

The Hill: Planned protests spark fears of more violence in Trump's final days

Developing . . .
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Aid agencies were thrown into confusion Monday over the Trump administration's out-the-door decision to designate Yemen's Iranian-backed rebels as a terror organization, which they warned could wreck the tenuous relief system keeping millions alive in a country already near famine in the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

The designation is to take effect on President Donald Trump's last full day in office, a day before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. Several aid groups pleaded on Monday for Biden to immediately reverse the designation. The Biden transition team has not yet expressed his intentions.

``Acting on day one cannot only be a figure of speech,'' Oxfam America's Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul said. ``Lives hang in the balance.''

Six years of war between a US backed Arab coalition and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been catastrophic for Yemen. Most of its 30 million people rely on international aid to survive. The UN says 13.5 million Yemenis already face acute food insecurity, a figure that could rise to 16 million by June.

Aid agencies said Monday they were struggling to figure out the implications of the designation, which would bring sanctions against the Houthis. Some were considering pulling out foreign staff. They warned that even if the US grants humanitarian exceptions as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised Sunday, the move could snarl aid delivery, drive away banks and further wreck an economy in which millions can't afford to feed themselves.

The Houthis rule the capital and Yemen's north where the majority of the population lives, forcing international aid groups to work with them. Agencies depend on the Houthis to deliver aid and pay salaries to Houthis to do so. Still, the rebels have been implicated in stealing aid and using aid access to extort concessions and money, as well as in a catalog of human rights abuses including rape and torture of dissidents.

Houthi officials Monday were defiant over the US designation.

``We are not fearful,'' tweeted the head of the group's Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi. ``America is the source of terrorism. It's directly involved in killing and starving the Yemeni people.''

In Iran, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the designation was ``doomed to failure'' and the US would eventually have to enter negotiations with the Houthis.

The US designation move is part of the Trump administration's broader effort to isolate and cripple Iran. It also shows support to its close ally, Saudi Arabia, which leads the anti-Houthi coalition in the war. Saudi Arabia has advocated the terror designation, hoping it would pressure the rebels to reach a peace deal. Past rounds of peace talks and cease-fire agreements have faltered.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry welcomed the US decision, saying that it hopes the designation would force the rebels to ``seriously'' return to negotiating table.

Maged al-Madhaji, the director of Yemen's most prominent think tank, Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, said the designation will ``shut the doors of (Houthi) attempts to win international legitimacy.'' It will also ''paralyze their finances and drain money coming from regional allies,'' he said.

But the designation could hamper UN mediation efforts and hurt peace talks by polarizing each side's positions, said UN secretary-general spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Yemen's war has killed more than 112,000 people and has reduced to ruins the country's infrastructure, from roads and hospitals to water and electricity networks. It began with the Houthi takeover of the north in 2014, which prompted a destructive air campaign by the Saudi-led coalition, aimed at restoring the internationally recognized government.

The Houthis receive financial and military support from Iran, and they have pelted Saudi cities with missiles and drone strikes. Their opponents say they aim to impose an Iranian-style fundamentalist rule under the group's religious and military leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi.

Already, the US, which is one of the largest donors to Yemen, suspended millions of dollars in aid to Houthi-controlled areas after reports of theft and looting of relief supplies. UN agencies have long complained of rebels stealing and rerouting food aid.

Announcing the decision late Sunday, Pompeo promised measures to reduce the impact on humanitarian efforts. Those include special US Treasury licenses to allow US aid to continue flowing and aid agencies to continue working.

Still, aid groups said the impact could be disastrous.

``Even with exemptions, the operation will be compromised,'' said Janti Soeripto, the president of Save the Children. She criticized the ``chaotic manner'' by which the US took the decision, which she said left agencies scrambling to figure out the implications and how to deal with them.

Delays or confusion in the license-issuing process could slow or disrupt imports of food, medicine and fuel, at a time when even slight interruptions have major consequences.

International banks are likely to retreat from any dealings with Yemen's Houthi-dominated banking system. That will cripple aid agencies and NGOs, which must use the banks to move funds, pay salaries and keep operations running. It could also hurt a main income source for individual Yemenis remittances from relatives abroad.

``Yemen's faltering economy will be dealt a further devastating blow,'' said Mohamed Abdi, Yemen director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. He said banks, businesses and donors could ``become unwilling or unable to take on the risk of operating in Yemen.''

Once the designation is in effect, the World Health Organization will carry out contingency plans to relocate its international staffers, said its country director in Sanaa, Adham Ismail.

``It will definitely limit our capacity to bring international expertise,'' he said, as well as make it harder to get donations and deliver health services to Yemenis under Houthi control.

Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, said ``there is a broad consensus that if mismanaged this could have a devastating impact on millions of ordinary Yemenis.''

``What is less clear is how much of an immediate impact it will have on the Houthis, who will be the last to starve.''

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Udayapur Cement Industry looks to increase production

12 January 2021

Nepals state-owned Udayapur Cement Industry has announced plans to increase production capacity to 800tpd from 350tpd, according to the New Business Age.

General Manager, Gopi Krishna Neupane, who has been in charge since Tuesday, has stated that the company is preparing strategies to upgrade the 30-year-old factory with new technology and regulate coal and gypsum imports. The hopes are that the changes will return the company to profit.



"Even if we produce 800tpd of cement from the stock of limestone that we have, it will be enough for 300 years," said Mr Neupane. "The goal is to make the best use of this resource and to supply quality products to the consumers by competing with the private sector."

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Along the Way to All That Is

By Gretel Ehrlich

When we think of migratory peoples, the images that most likely come to mind are of pastoralists clinging to dwindling herds, their cultures threatened by climate change and the cruel expansion of modern ways. But there exists another class of semi-nomadic people, an exceedingly small one, who are still able to migrate freely as the weather moves them. They pride themselves on their grit and independence and tend not to mention the key resources  money and petroleum  that make their lifestyle possible.

Gretel Ehrlich is an exemplary member of this tribe. Unsolaced, her latest book, opens in an off-grid cabin set on a glacial moraine in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. She has another house in Hawaii  on the Big Island, where I live four months of the year  and another on 100 acres of untrammeled California coastland. (James Cameron is a neighbor.) Some internal churning, a chronic restlessness, she writes, pushes her to travel to the Arctic and to Africa and to wherever fate takes her. A trauma surgeon she meets in an airport tells her about the village in Kosovo where he grew up and his mission to save the forgotten people of the world. Ehrlich weeps. Ive spent a lot of time living in subsistence villages, she tells him. I understand. Soon shes on a plane to Pristina.

Born into wealth in Santa Barbara  her mother dabbled in the fashion world and her father always had a plane  Ehrlich threw off the bon vivant life and spent years toiling on cattle ranches, cowboying with the last of the breed. I needed to strip away anything that impeded the feel of the earth, Ehrlich writes, anything that obscured direct access to the raw pulse of terrestrial existence. Her courage is impressive, her experiences no less than extraordinary.
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Uttam Sugar Mills | Company reported profit at Rs 11.70 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 13.32 crore, revenue rose to Rs 433.26 crore from Rs 426.68 crore YoY.

Indonesia could emerge as the largest importer of raw sugar from India and may make up for any drop in exports to Iran, where shippers are facing payment problems.

The roles of Indonesia and Iran with regard to Indias sugar exports are set to change with Jakarta likely to import over 10 lakh tonnes against three lakh tonnes last season (October 2019-September 2020), said MEIR Commodities India Managing Director Rahil Shaikh.

Personally, I see Indonesia importing 20 lakh tonnes of sugar from India, which is more than Irans 14 lakh tonnes purchase last season, said Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) Director-General Abinash Varma.

During 2019-20, Iran imported a record 14 lakh tonnes of sugar out of the total 57 lakh tonnes shipped out from India.

Iran is a grey area and no one knows how much of Iran money UCO Bank currently has, said Shaikh, who is also vice-president of All India Sugar Traders Association.

Iran cannot use US dollars for selling crude oil as is done in international trade following sanctions imposed by Washington in response to Tehrans nuclear programme.

India, worlds second-largest sugar producer, used to buy crude oil from Iran and the amount due was earlier put in accounts of Iranian Banks with UCO Bank. Tehran used it to procure key commodities such as rice, tea, sugar and drugs.

However, following US pressure India stopped buying crude oil from Iran since May 2019 after the formers special waiver for India expired.

Iran continues to use the accounts for buying these commodities but the amount in the accounts is depleting.

In December, Reuters reported that UCO Bank had written to its clients that exports could be done only if rupees had been allocated and paid in advance.

One option Indian exporters have is to trade in the Euro. But they are not used to it, said MEIR Commodities Indias Shaikh.

ISMAs Varma said Indias chances of exporting sugar to Indonesia are bright since Thailand, which accounts for 80-85 percent of Jakartas total sugar imports, is having a second consecutive bad crop year.

It gives India an advantage. Also, Indian sugar is now allowed into Indonesia at preferential import duty like Thailand and Australian sugar, which will help it to make further headway, said the official of ISMA, the apex body of private sugar mills in India.

Shaikh said that at least 16 lakh tonnes of sugar have been contracted for exports since the Union government announced a Rs 6,000 per tonne subsidy for shipments on December 16.

Under the incentive scheme, which will cost the Union government Rs 3,500 crore, up to 60 lakh tonnes of sugar can be exported.

The Centre announced the incentive to help the sugar mills clear a part of their inventories and pay cane arrears to farmers to the tune of about Rs 13,000 crore for the crop procured last season.

The incentive is, however, lower than the average Rs 9,750 per tonne provided last year.

Shaikh said exports had begun well with prices being good for raw sugar. We are not as competitive as Brazil in the market but compared to other destinations, we are better, he said.

However, India has an opportunity to export a good quantity until March, when the crop from Brazil, the worlds biggest sugar producer, enters the market. Arrivals of its crop ended in September.

Sugar for exports was quoting at Rs 26,000 in December and is now Rs 27,000-27,500, Shaikh said, adding that a major part of the exports was raw sugar.

Currently, raw sugar in New York is quoting at 15.88 cents a pound, up from 14.32 cents on December 16 when the Centre announced the export incentive.

White sugar in London during the same period has increased to $440 a tonne from $392.50 a tonne.

Sugar prices have gained 2.25 percent since the beginning of this year.

Domestic sugar prices are currently ruling around Rs 32,000 a tonne.

Sugar prices have gained mainly since the US dollar has weakened, said the MEIR Commodities India managing director.

Last week, worlds largest sugar trader Alvean CEO Paulo Roberto de Souza told Bloomberg that the global market will face two years of sugar shortage with production falling short of demand by 50 lakh tonnes this season and 60 lakh tonnes next season.

It could be difficult for India to export white sugar now. We will be able to push raw sugar in view of limitations on ports, movements and containers, Shaikh said.

While raw sugar can be exported in bulk, white sugar is shipped out in containers.

Demand for raw sugar is good. Most countries have set up facilities or refineries for raw sugar. If Indonesia becomes the largest importer of Indian sugar, then raw sugar will play a big role, said ISMAs Varma.

Countries such as Malaysia, Bangladesh and those in the Gulf all have refineries for raw sugar.

However, exports to countries such as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and East Africa will be in whites, Varma said.

India needs to export at least 50 lakh tonnes of sugar this season to ensure sugar mills are not burdened with huge carryover stocks.

The industry carried over 10.7 million tonnes of sugar stocks from last season to this season. The huge carryover stocks were despite a record 57 lakh tonnes sugar exports.

The carryover stocks are projected to be a high 9.6 million tonnes this season, too, in view of sugar production being high. Indias sugar production has been estimated at 31 million tonnes against 27.42 million tonnes last season. However, some industry sources now peg production lower in view of lower yield in States such as Uttar Pradesh and diversion of cane for the production of khandsari sugar.

(Subramani Ra Mancombu is a journalist based in Chennai, who writes on topics in commodities and agriculture)

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Surge in Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga probably from new strains THE SURGE in Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga City may have been caused by new s...
Some people raised in the aftermath of the horrors of Nazism understand its meaning for today, while others get it exactly backwards.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is no friend of Donald Trump, but having grown up in totalitarian East Germany and cognizant of the dangers of Nazi suppression of dissent, she sees the dangers in silencing political thought. And she is not alone among European leaders. Politico reports:

On Monday, a spokesman for Merkel said Twitter's Trump ban was "problematic." "The fundamental right [of freedom of expression] can be interfered with, but along the lines of the law and within the framework defined by the lawmakers. Not according to the decision of the management of social media platforms," government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said. (snip) French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, while condemning Trump's "lies," also expressed his disagreement with Twitter's ability to unilaterally decide to remove the American president from the platform. "What shocks me is that Twitter is the one to close his account. The regulation of the digital world cannot be done by the digital oligarchy," Le Maire said on France Inter Monday morning. Le Maire oversees the ministry for digital affairs, whose junior minister Cedric O also raised questions over the weekend. "The regulation of public discourse by the main social media companies with regards only to their Terms and Conditions ... seems, to say the least, a little short from a democratic point of view," O tweeted on Saturday. Twitter's move in the U.S. comes as the EU is pushing to broaden the regulation of digital platforms through the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. Thierry Breton, one of key EU commissioners behind these reforms, wrote in an op-ed in POLITICO that "the fact that a CEO can pull the plug on POTUS's loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing. It is not only confirmation of the power of these platforms, but it also displays deep weaknesses in the way our society is organized in the digital space." The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, wrote in a blog post that Europe needs "to be able to better regulate the contents of social networks, while scrupulously respecting freedom of expression. It is not possible for this regulation to be carried out mainly according to rules and procedures set by private actors."

While European nations generally lack the guarantees of our First Amendment, they do have more historical experience in the dangers of repression of free speech. But they also are more eager to regulate social media, perhaps because the robber barons of Silicon Valley swing less political weight than in the U.S.

Meanwhile Arnold Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria, made an utter fool of himself with a produced video, complete with musical score, in which he compared the Capitol incursion to Kristallnacht, the "night of broken glass," in which Nazi mobs smashed literally thousands of Jewish-owned stores and many synagogues in multiple cities on the same night. Via The Daily Caller:

"I grew up in Austria. I'm very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass," Schwarzenegger explained, according to Fox46. "It was a night of rampage carried out in 1938 by the Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys."

My message to my fellow Americans and friends around the world following this week's attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/blOy35LWJ5  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 10, 2021

Schwarzeneggers embrace of the prop sword he used in Conan The Barbarian is downright embarrassingly inapt, not least because a sword is metaphorically the enemy of free speech, as in The pen is mightier than the sword (except when the sole supplier of pens refuses to supply them to one side of an argument).



Twitter video screen grab.

But that is far less egregious than his misapplication of Holocaust history. There were no mobs attacking anyone based on racial identity on January 6. That comparison aptly fits the summer of Black Lives Matter riots, but not the incursion on the U.S. Capitol. But Arnold was nowhere to be found when an actual set of Kristallnachts was underway.

Schwarzenegger should know his Nazi history much better. After all, according to the Wiesenthal Center, his father was a member of the Nazi Party.

It looks as though Arnold is sucking up to Biden, hoping for some sort of appointment:
Lawmakers returned to Austin on Tuesday for the start of the legislative session, electing a new House speaker and displaying at least a moment of unity amid deepening political divides, the resurging coronavirus pandemic and an economy teetering on the edge of recovery.

The mostly ceremonial day kicked off what is sure to be a grueling five months, centered on shoring up the states battered budget and responding to the growing health crisis. Republicans retain their majorities in both chambers, and will also oversee the once-in-a-decade redistricting process, in which they will likely strengthen their electoral positions.

Even as members of both parties came together for the opening remarks and swearing in of new members, they remained visibly at odds over proper health precautions amid the pandemic. In the Senate, masks were not required and at least half of lawmakers declined to wear them while seated at their desks.

Plexiglass barriers lined administrative desks at the front of the room, but only Sen. Borris Miles, a Houston Democrat, had a protective shield around his desk.

A PRIMER: What you need to know about 6 key issues before the Texas Legislature

Were here to do the peoples business, said Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, who heads the Senate and has been a vocal opponent of mandated restrictions. We want our Capitol open this session, unlike many states, he added. We want the public to be here and have your voice heard in committee, to be able to visit your representative.

Members and their guests were required to test negative for COVID-19 before entering the Capitol.

The new session arrives as infections in Austin have reached all-time highs. On Tuesday, state and local emergency officials opened a temporary facility for overflow hospital patients as the citys hospitals continued to be overrun with coronavirus patients.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, was among those who at times removed his mask in the chamber, including when he was speaking. He noted that no mask-related rules had been adopted in the chamber yet, and "everyone on the floor was tested negative this morning, along with the gallery."

Restrictions inside the Capitol were already divisive leading up to opening day. On Monday afternoon, two House Democrats from the Dallas area  Reps. Michelle Beckley and Ana-Maria Ramos  announced they would forgo the ceremonies in person over concerns about it becoming a superspreader event. Instead, the two were to be sworn in by Ramos husband, who is a public notary, at an alternate location.

Across the nation, many state legislatures convened for the first time this week with varying safety protocols. In New York, lawmakers met mostly over Zoom, and the Capitol building is closed to the public. California had intended to begin session last Monday but delayed it by a week amid a surge in coronavirus cases; its Capitol precautions include temperature checks and plexiglass dividers between employees.

In Montana, one of only three other states with a biennial Legislature, a lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19 after just four days of a session with some remote participation, the Helena Independent Record reported.

While the Texas House and Senate had published rules last week regarding protocols for COVID-19 precautions on Tuesday, with senators agreeing to be tested beforehand and House members keeping it optional, the Department of Public Safety made a last-minute change Monday night, saying testing would be required of anyone who enters the Capitol.

Senators will not be required to wear masks on the floor of that chamber, but House members will.

MORE ON THAT: Pandemic leaves Texas with $1B deficit as virus still surges

A spokeswoman for Patrick did not respond to a request for comment on his decision not to require masks in that chamber.

Miles, the Democrat who had a barrier installed at his desk, said they were offered to all members, and he decided to accept as someone who has underlying health conditions, including a kidney transplant I received in late 2019. The Senate is still discussing safety rules for the remainder of session, he said.

In the House, lawmakers elected Beaumont Republican Dade Phelan to be the next speaker on a nearly unanimous vote. The sole dissenters, Republicans Jeff Cason, R-Bedford, and Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, had tried unsuccessfully to dissuade Phelan from appointing any Democratic committee chairs.

Replacing former House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Phelan vowed to continue prioritizing education, following last sessions funding boost, and said hes committed to helping small businesses stay open amid the pandemic.

Texans are resilient, flexible and capable of incredible feats when theyre allowed to do their jobs, operate their businesses and live their lives as they see fit, he said.

Two House members did not attend Tuesdays ceremony because of recent positive COVID tests: Reps. Drew Darby and Tracy King. Darby said in a statement he is feeling healthy and strong and look forward to us getting to work. His chief of staff said he was sworn in outside the building.

King was sworn in at home Tuesday after testing positive last week, according to his office.

Rep. Tom Oliverson, a Republican from Cypress who is a practicing anesthesiologist and chaired a bipartisan workgroup convened to make recommendations for legislative operations during the pandemic, said he has been stressing to fellow lawmakers that this is a fluid situation.

My exact words to them were the most important commodity this session is going to be patience and flexibility, Oliverson said. And sort of this idea that we need to understand that in addition to taking precautions, this is going to be a session that evolves over time, just as this pandemic has evolved over time.

Gov. Greg Abbott addressed both chambers, asking them to replicate the tremendous success of the 2019 legislative session. Tackling COVID challenges and supporting our law enforcement officers are among his top priorities, he told members of the Senate.

We all need to come together and work together over the next 140 days, Abbott said. We have the opportunity to put Texas on a trajectory to make our state even more extraordinary.

Law enforcement officials had warned about potential armed protests heading into Tuesdays ceremonies, but only a handful of demonstrators showed up, and were met by hundreds of state troopers clad in tactical gear.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com

cayla.harris@express-news.net

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
The social media application logo from Parler displayed on a smartphone in Arlington, Va., on July 2, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Parler CEO: Claims That Users Drivers Licenses Were Hacked Are Viral Misinformation

The CEO of Parler, John Matze, on Tuesday dismissed claims that the social media website was hacked and users personal information, including pictures of drivers licenses, was leaked.

Rumors being spread on Twitter, Reddit, and an article published by Russian state-backed RT.com asserted that more than 70 terabytes of data from Parler servers were captured and archived before the website was effectively taken down after Amazon Web Services suspended its account on Monday. Other posts and the RT report suggested that drivers licenses, which some Parler users uploaded to verify their identities online, were obtained in the alleged data breach.

Matze told The Epoch Times via text message the claims Parler was hacked or drivers licenses were obtained is untrue.

Such claims are viral misinformation spread on Twitter, he remarked via text message on Tuesday.

A self-described hacker, donk_enby, said they obtained the data including posts, videos, pictures, and metadata. These are the original, unprocessed, raw files as uploaded to Parler with all associated metadata, the person wrote, adding that it may include things from deleted/private posts.

Hours later, donk_enby said that publicly available information was archived.

Since a lot of people seem confused about this detail and there is a [expletive] reddit post going around: only things that were available publicly via the web were archived. i dont have you e-mail address, phone or credit card number. unless you posted it yourself on parler [sic], the person wrote.

A Reddit group known as ParlerWatch pinned a post that the heavily upvoted description of the Parler hack is totally inaccurate.

An inaccurate description of the Parler hack was posted here 8 hours ago, and has currently received nearly a thousand upvotes and numerous awards. Update: Now, 12 hours old, it has over 1300 upvotes. Unfortunately its a completely inaccurate description of what went down. The post is confusing all the various security issues and mixing them up in a totally wrong way. The security researcher in question has confirmed that the description linked above was [nonsense], the post read.

The group furthermore claimed: TLDR, the data were all publicly accessible files downloaded through an unsecured/public API by the Archive Team, theres no evidence at all someone were able to create administrator accounts or download the database, as some on Twitter and Reddit previously asserted.

Seventy terabytes is a relatively small amount of data given that Parler had tens of millions of users.

On Monday, Parler filed a lawsuit against Amazon in Washington state in a bid to reinstate the website, arguing that the Seattle-based tech giant violated its contract.

The emergency order asked a judge to reject Amazons shutdown of Parlers account and said it is akin to pulling the plug on a hospital patient on life support. Amazon will kill Parlers businessat the very time it is set to skyrocket, Parlers complaint said.

When Twitter announced two evenings ago that it was permanently banning President Trump from its platform, conservative users began to flee Twitter en masse for Parler. The exodus was so large that the next day, yesterday, Parler became the number one free app downloaded from Apples App Store, the lawsuit reads.
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PM-KISAN: Govt Paid Rs1,364 Crore to 20 Lakh Undeserving Beneficiaries, Say Reports

In yet another example, how benefits meant for deserving citizens are ending up with undeserving beneficiaries, reports quoting a reply received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveal that the Union government paid Rs1,364 crore to 20 lakh people who are not the right beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammann Nidhi (PM-KISAN). A report by the Quint found that Aadhaar numbers of actor Riteish Deshmukh, Hanuman and Pakistani spy Mehboob Rajpoot were used to register for the PM KISAN scheme.

Venkatesh Nayak of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), told PTI, "More than half (55.58%) of these undeserving persons belong to the income tax payer category. The remaining 44.41% belong to the ineligible farmers' category."

The ministry identified two categories of undeserving beneficiaries who received PM-KISAN payouts as 'ineligible farmers' and 'income tax payee farmers. According to a reply in the Lok Sabha by minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a total amount of Rs94,119 crore has been disbursed to 10.21 crore beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN scheme across the country.

On 24 February 2019, prime minister Narendra Modi launched the PM-KISAN scheme at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme, an income support of Rs6,000 per year in three equal instalments is paid to small and marginal farmer families having a combined land holding or ownership of up to two hectares.

Mr Nayak says data obtained under the RTI Act, 2005, indicated that since the commencement of the PM-KISAN Yojana in 2019, Rs1,364.13 crore has been paid to ineligible persons and income-tax-paying farmers till 31 July 2020. "Government's own data indicates money went into the wrong hands," he added.

As per the data from the ministry, a major chunk of these ineligible beneficiaries belong to five statesPunjab, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

"Punjab tops the list accounting for 23.16% (4.74 lakh) of the total number of undeserving persons across the country who received payouts, followed by Assam with 16.87% (3.45 lakh beneficiaries) and Maharashtra with 13.99% (2.86 lakh beneficiaries). These three states account for more than half (54.03 per cent) of the number of undeserving persons who received payouts. Gujarat is at the fourth position with 8.05 per cent (1.64 lakh beneficiaries), followed by Uttar Pradesh at fifth position with 8.01 per cent (1.64 lakh beneficiaries)," Mr Nayak was quoted as saying in a report by Business Standard

report from Outlook says , several categories of farmers are excluded from the scheme. This includes institutional landholders; farmer families in which one or more members are among beneficiariesformer and present holders of constitutional posts; former and present ministers, members of Parliament (MPs), members of the legislative assembly (MLAs), members of the legislative council (MLCs), mayors and chairmen of district panchayat; serving and retired government employees; pensioners receiving over Rs10,000 monthly pension; income tax payees and professionals such as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants and architects, the report says.

December 2020 report by the Quint revealed Lord Hanuman, ejected ISI spy Mehboob Rajput and actor Riteish Deshmukh received direct benefit transfer (DBT) instalments of Rs6,000, Rs4,000 and Rs2,000, respectively.

"...scamsters successfully registered for the scheme on the PM-KISAN portal using publicly available Aadhaar numbers of the above-mentioned persons, a bank account number, land record details and a phone number. This data was accepted by the official public financial management system (PFMS) software, thereby making them eligible to receive DBT of Rs2,000 per instalment, up to Rs6,000 a year," the report says.

Quoting an expert who tracks public distribution programmes, the report says, "The scheme checks whether you have a valid Aadhaar number and a bank account linked with the Aadhaar and that is good enough. What allows this modus operandi to thrive at a scale is systemic vulnerabilities that have crept in at various parts of the loan dispersal mechanism.
Two different tire coupons are available now

Manhattan Beach Toyota is offering two new tire coupons with the start of 2021 underway. The first coupon they are offering is employee pricing on tires, and the second offer is a coupon for up to a $75 rebate on select tires.

With the employee pricing coupon available until Jan 31, 2021, interested drivers have a limited time to take advantage of this amazing deal. Manhattan Beach Toyota has all Toyota sizes and brands available, if they dont for some reason, they will get them either the same day or the next day. Eligible tires must be purchased at Manhattan Beach Toyota. The tires come with a 24-month tire road hazard coverage, 50% coverage the second year of ownership along with flat tire repair coverage.

The second available coupon for tires at Manhattan Beach Toyota is an offer for up to a $75 off rebate on select new tires. This coupon is valid until Dec 31, 2021, so potential users of the coupon have the whole year to keep it handy. This coupon is only redeemable at Manhattan Beach Toyota, which is in Manhattan Beach, CA.

In order to take advantage of these deals, interested drivers will have to visit the Manhattan Beach Toyota website at https://www.manhattanbeachtoyota.com/ and go under the service tab and click on service specials. Interested customers can either have the coupon sent to their email, their phones or get it printed off straight from the site. In order to use the rebate coupon, interested customers should call the Manhattan Beach Toyota service department at 310-683-0041.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 4:43 pm

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Theft

 Vehicle parts were reported stolen at around 5 p.m. on Jan. 8 from the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue. The incident is under investigation.

 A caller reported at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Jan. 10 that $5 had been stolen from their vehicle in the 100 block of Halliday Road.

 Brandon J. Pickens, 21, of Chehalis, was arrested at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 11 and booked into the Lewis County Jail for residential burglary after going into a house in the 1400 block of Prospect Avenue and taking keys.

 Just before 8 p.m. on Jan. 9, a caller reported theft of personal property in the 1200 block of North Tower Avenue. The incident is under investigation.

Crashes

 A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and West First Street at approximately 3 p.m. on Jan. 8.

 A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported in the 900 block of Harrison Avenue at approximately 4 p.m. on Jan. 8.

 A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of Harrison and Reynolds Avenues at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 9.

 A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of North Tower Avenue and West First Street at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 9.

DUI

 Phillip M. Pollock, 24, of Centralia, was arrested just before 1 a.m. on Jan. 9 in the 500 block of South Cedar Street and booked into the Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Assault

 Kevin D. Cook, 32, of Centralia, was arrested in the 600 block of J Street just after 11 p.m. on Jan. 8 and booked into the Lewis County Jail for assaulting someone who he had a domestic relationship with.

Criminal Impersonation

 David B. Fountain, 43, of Olympia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for first degree criminal impersonation after providing officers with a false name at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 in the 400 block of Centralia College Boulevard. Fountain was also booked for possession of methamphetamine and heroin, and on an outstanding warrant.

CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Crash

 A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported in a parking lot at the intersection of Southwest Interstate Avenue and Southwest Parkland Drive just after 1:45 p.m. on Jan. 8.

Theft

 Just after 7 p.m. on Jan. 8, a caller reported that someone stole money that was left at a register in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue.

Restraining Order Violation

 At approximately 9 p.m. on Jan. 8, a caller reported that his wife, who he had a restraining order against, had texted to say she was at his address in the 100 block of Southwest 11th Street. Antonia Estrada Bibins was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Harassment

 At approximately 9 a.m. on Jan. 9, a caller in the 400 block of Southwest William Avenue reported that an ex-partner had sent them multiple death threats via email.

Assault

 At approximately 6:40 p.m. on Jan. 9, a caller in the 500 block of Northwest Rhode Island Place reported seeing a man in a white truck yelling at and possibly assaulting a teenage boy. Irwin G. Deboer, 58, and Maryann E. Cook, 55, both of Chehalis, were arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for fourth-degree assault.

 Leif E. Allen, 48, Rochester, was arrested in the 500 block of Southeast Adams Avenue and booked into the Lewis County Jail at approximately 5:20 p.m. for second-degree assault.

Accidental Gunshot

 Just after midnight on Jan. 10, a caller in the 400 block of Southwest 18th Street reported that his 20-year-old son had shot himself in the leg while cleaning his gun.

LEWIS COUNTY JAIL STATISTICS

As of Monday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 149 inmates, including 119 in the general population and 30 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center. Of general population inmates, 89 were men and 30 were women. All WERC inmates were male.



By The Chronicle staff

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Dr. Steve Demetropoulos was swept into office just under a year ago with nearly 74 percent of the vote in a special election to fill the Pascagoula mayor post vacated by Dane Maxwell.

But Demetropoulos term will be short-lived.

The Singing River Health System physician announced via Facebook this week he will not seek a full term in this years municipal elections.

This past year has been a very difficult one, Demetropoulos said in a 58-second video. Weve dealt with a global pandemic and three local hurricanes in our community. Because of COVID, my medical practice has become incredibly busy, as well.

I have enjoyed serving as your mayor and feel like weve accomplished a lot in a short period of time, he continued. My concern is my ability to manage an increasingly demanding medical practice, and devoting the time to doing the job of mayor with excellence.

After much prayerful reflection, I will not be seeking reelection to the office of mayor of our city.

Demetropoulos was one of three candidates who qualified to fill Maxwells unexpired term after he was elected to the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Demetropoulos was sworn in last Feb. 18 and his term will end June 30.

Thank you for all your support and words of encouragement while Ive been in office, Demetropoulos said. Ill continue to work hard on your behalf until my term ends. I love being part of our great city. God bless you all.

According to the Pascagoula City Clerks office, there have been qualifiers as yet for the mayors race. Qualifying for Mississippi municipal elections began Jan. 4 and will continue until 5 p.m. on Feb. 5.

Party primaries are set for April 6, with runoffs (if necessary) on April 27. The general election is scheduled for June 8 and the new term begins July 1.

A team of HIV researchers, cellular biologists, and biophysicists who banded together to support COVID-19 science determined the atomic structure of a coronavirus protein thought to help the pathogen evade and dampen response from human immune cells. The structural map - which is now published in the journal PNAS, but has been open-access for the scientific community since August - has laid the groundwork for new antiviral treatments tailored specifically to SARS-CoV-2, and enabled further investigations into how the newly emerged virus ravages the human body.

"Using X-ray crystallography, we built an atomic model of ORF8, and it highlighted two unique regions: one that is only present in SARS-CoV-2 and its immediate bat ancestor, and one that is absent from any other coronavirus," said lead author James Hurley, a UC Berkeley professor and former faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). "These regions stabilize the protein - which is a secreted protein, not bound to the membrane like the virus's characteristic spike proteins - and create new intermolecular interfaces. We, and others in the research community, believe these interfaces are involved in reactions that somehow make SARS-CoV-2 more pathogenic than the strains it evolved from."

Structural biology in the spotlight

Generating protein structure maps is always labor intensive, as scientists have to engineer bacteria that can pump out large quantities of the molecule, manipulate the molecules into a pure crystalline form, and then take many, many X-ray diffraction images of the crystals. These images - produced as X-ray beams bounce off atoms in the crystals and pass through gaps in the lattice, generating a pattern of spots - are combined and analyzed via special software to determine the location of every individual atom. This painstaking process can take years, depending on the complexity of the protein.

For many proteins, the process of building a map is helped along by comparing the unsolved molecule's structure to other proteins with similar amino acid sequences that have already been mapped, allowing scientists to make informed guesses about how the protein folds into its 3D shape.

But for ORF8, the team had to start from scratch. ORF8's amino acid sequence is so unlike any other protein that scientists had no reference for its overall shape, and it is the 3D shape of a protein that determines its function.

Hurley and his UC Berkeley colleagues, experienced in structural analysis of HIV proteins, worked with Marc Allaire, a biophysicist and crystallography expert at the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, located at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS). Together, the team worked in overdrive for six months - Hurley's lab generated crystal samples and passed them to Allaire, who would use the ALS's X-ray beamlines to take the diffraction images. It took hundreds of crystals with multiple versions of the protein and thousands of diffraction images analyzed by special computer algorithms to puzzle together ORF8's structure.

"Coronaviruses mutate differently than viruses like influenza or HIV, which quickly accumulate many little changes through a process called hypermutation. In coronaviruses, big chunks of nucleic acids sometimes move around through recombination," explained Hurley. When this happens, big, new regions of proteins can appear. Genetic analyses conducted very early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic revealed that this new strain had evolved from a coronavirus that infects bats, and that a significant recombination mutation had occurred in the area of the genome that codes for a protein, called ORF7, found in many coronaviruses. The new form of ORF7, named ORF8, quickly gained the attention of virologists and epidemiologists because significant genetic divergence events like the one seen for ORF8 are often the cause of a new strain's virulence.

"Basically, this mutation caused the protein to double in size, and the stuff that doubled was not related to any known fold," added Hurley. "There's a core of about half of it that's related to a known fold type in a solved structure from earlier coronaviruses, but the other half was completely new."

Answering the call

Like so many scientists working on COVID-19 research, Hurley and his colleagues opted to share their findings before the data could be published in a peer-reviewed journal, allowing others to begin impactful follow-up studies months earlier than the traditional publication process would have allowed. As Allaire explained, the all-hands-on-deck crisis caused by the pandemic shifted everyone in the research community into a pragmatic mindset. Rather than worrying about who accomplished something first, or sticking to the confines of their specific areas of study, scientists shared data early and often, and took on new projects when they had the resources and expertise needed.

In this case, Hurley's UC Berkeley co-authors had the viral protein and crystallography expertise, and Allaire, a longtime collaborator, was right up the hill, also with crystallography expertise and, critically, a beamline that was still operational. The ALS had received special funding from the CARES Act to remain operational for COVID-19 investigations. The team knew from reviewing the SARS-CoV-2 genomic analysis posted in January that ORF8 was an important piece of the (then much hazier) pandemic puzzle, so they set to work.

The authors have since all moved on to other projects, satisfied that they laid the groundwork for other groups to study ORF8 in more detail. (Currently, there are several investigations underway focused on how ORF8 interacts with cell receptors and how it interacts with antibodies, as infected individuals appear to produce antibodies that bind to ORF8 in addition to antibodies specific to the virus's surface proteins.)

"When we started this, other projects had been put on hold, and we had this unique opportunity to hunker down and solve an urgent problem," said Allaire, who is part of Berkeley Lab's Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division. "We worked very closely, with a lot of back and forth, until we got it right. It really has been one of the best collaborations of my career."

###

Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 14 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
President Donald Trump lashed out at Silicon Valley on Tuesday in his first public comments since Twitter banned him from the site, stressing the industry had done a "horrible thing for our country and to our country."

The president told reporters that the social-media sites had made a "catastrophic mistake" and acted in a politically "divisive" manner after punishing the president for comments last week the companies said threatened to incite violence. And Trump defended his speech in front of a mob last week that later stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent, failed insurrection that left lawmakers on lockdown, stressing even its controversial parts were "totally appropriate."

Trump renewed attacks come as House Democrats plan to ramp up their scrutiny of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. Party lawmakers in recent days have faulted tech giants for acting too slowly to stop Trump's online rhetoric from precipitating real-world chaos.

"There's no question that our committee is going to investigate and have hearings on the whole issue that we've been dealing with, in terms of what they can do on their platforms," said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Twitter and Facebook "were letting the president say things that ultimately resulted in incitement of this mob that attacked the Capitol, and I'm glad they've taken action now," Pallone added in an interview. "But this opens up a whole issue of how are they policing the internet to prevent false information and incitements of violence."

Democratic lawmakers for years have called on Facebook, Google and Twitter to take a more aggressive approach to a wide array of harmful content online, including election-year disinformation and hate speech. All three tech giants in response have invested heavily in hiring thousands of workers and developing fresh artificial-intelligence tools to spot and remove more problematic posts, photos and videos before they can go viral. But the tech industry's efforts have not come fast enough for many policymakers in Washington, who repeatedly have threatened stiff regulation in response.

The assault on the Capitol last Wednesday that forced lawmakers into lockdown and left five dead has injected new energy into calls for reform. Democrats say Facebook and Twitter should have acted sooner to ban Trump, well before his attacks on the 2020 election threatened to incite real-world violence. Some party members in recent days have revived their campaign to rethink Section 230, a decades-old law that spares a wide array of sites and services - from newspapers to tech giants - from being held liable for the content their users post.

The new congressional scrutiny comes as Facebook, Twitter and their tech peers continue to face blowback for their sudden decisions to take aim at Trump and some of his most controversial allies ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Trump's aides say they expect him to call out Silicon Valley over claims of censorship in the final days of his term. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to liken the decisions to ban Trump to authoritarianism during a speech late Monday.

In addition to the bans, Facebook on Monday announced a heightened crackdown on election disinformation ahead of Biden's inauguration. Twitter late Monday said it purged approximately 70,000 accounts associated with the conspiracy theory QAnon. Companies including Amazon, Apple and Google have set their sites on Parler, an alternative social network on which pro-Trump supporters appeared to glorify the attempted insurrection last week.

The site remains dark online and unavailable on two popular smartphone app stores as a result of the tech industry's concerns about its lack of robust content moderation practices. Parler denies the charges and has sued Amazon to force its cloud-computing unit to resume hosting the site. (Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
Sudan signs US-brokered deal to normalize economic relations with Israel

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Sudan has officially signed a peace agreement with Israel, becoming the latest Muslim nation to normalize relations with the Jewish state through the United States-brokered Abraham Accords.

The signing took place last Wednesday at the U.S embassy in Khartoum, the capital of the northeast African nation.

An initial agreement between the two countries was announced in October but the Sudanese government warned that a final decision on the deal rested with a transitional parliament, Reuters reports.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signed on behalf of Washington, while Sudanese Minister of Justice Nasereldin Abdelbari signed on behalf of Khartoum.

The signing comes after the U.S. State Department removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in December, giving the country access to international loans.

The U.S. also agreed to give Sudan a $1 billion bridge loan towards its debt to the World Bank.

They are choosing a future in which Arabs and Israelis, Muslims, Jews, and Christians can live together, pray together, and dream together, side by side, in harmony, community, and peace, President Trump said in a statement released by the White House last October.

Israel and Sudan would cooperate in agriculture, economy, trade, aviation, migration issues, and other mutual benefit areas, according to the statement.

After decades of living under a brutal Islamist dictatorship that supported terrorism, the people of Sudan are in charge and democracy is taking root, the White House noted at the time.

The deal carries symbolic value" for Israel because Khartoum hosted the 1967 Arab League summit where eight Arab nations approved what became known as the "Three Nos  no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel, The Wall Street Journal explained.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom had earlier cautiously acknowledged improvements in Sudans religious and political atmosphere under the transitional government since the ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The commissions former chair, Tony Perkins, visited Sudan last February.

It is heartening to see a spirit of cautious optimism infuse so many of our conversations with government, religious, and civil society representatives in Sudan, Perkins said. We are grateful to Prime Minister Hamdok and other members of the countrys bold transitional leadership who met with USCIRF to convey their explicit desire to bring a new era of openness and inclusivity to their country that suffered for 30 years under brutal and autocratic religious repression.

After regularly being included among the worst countries in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, Sudan was removed from the U.S. State Departments list of countries of particular concern" in December 2019. The "CPC" list designates nations that tolerate or engage in egregious violations of religious freedom

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have also signed the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel.

U.S. officials hope to encourage the Palestinian Authority to return to negotiations with Israel, according to Reuters. However, Palestinians have said there can be no resolution of the core conflict unless they are involved.

Last September, U.S.-brokered talks also led to the leaders of the rival nations of Serbia and Kosovo to normalize economic ties after decades of dispute.


Democrats in the US House of Representatives plan to impeach Donald Trump on Wednesday unless he steps down or is removed before then, after drawing up charges accusing him of inciting insurrection ahead of last week`s siege of the Capitol. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told his fellow Democrats the chamber would take up impeachment on Wednesday if Vice President Mike Pence does not invoke the US Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, a House aide said.

Passage would make Trump, a Republican, the only US president ever to be impeached twice. An impeachment would prompt the Senate to hold a trial to decide whether to convict and remove him from office, although it is unlikely the proceeding would be completed before Trump's term expires in nine days.

A Senate conviction could also lead to Trump being barred from holding public office again, ending his potential 2024 presidential bid before it begins. Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the seat of Congress last Wednesday, forcing lawmakers who were certifying Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory into hiding in a harrowing assault on the heart of American democracy that left five dead.

The violence occurred shortly after Trump urged supporters to march on the Capitol during a rally where he repeated false claims that the Nov. 3 election was 'rigged' against him. Democrats formally introduced an impeachment charge on Monday, accusing Trump of 'incitement of insurrection'.

"The President represents an imminent threat to our constitution, our country and the American people, and he must be removed from office immediately," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Republicans blocked a parallel effort to immediately consider a resolution asking Pence to invoke the never-used 25th Amendment to remove an unfit president. The House is expected to vote on Tuesday evening on the resolution as Democrats seek to ramp up pressure on Pence and his fellow Republicans.

Pence advisers said he opposed invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows a vice president and the Cabinet to remove a president who is incapable of fulfilling his duties. Trump acknowledged a new administration would take office on Jan. 20 in a video statement after the attack but has still not conceded that he lost the election.

He has not been seen in public since the riot, although he met with Pence on Monday for the first time since lambasting him for refusing to block the certification of Biden's victory. Twitter and Facebook have suspended Trump`s accounts, citing the risk of him inciting violence.

Security Concerns

Washington remains on high alert ahead of Biden`s inauguration, which had already been scaled back dramatically because of the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The National Guard was authorized on Monday to send in up to 15,000 troops, and tourists were barred from visiting the Washington Monument due to threats of more violence from Trump supporters.

The FBI has warned that armed protests are being planned in the US capital and in the 50 US state capitals ahead of the inauguration, according to a federal law enforcement official. Two members of the Capitol Police have been suspended in connection with last week's attack and 10 to 15 officers are under investigation, Democratic US Representative Tim Ryan told an online news conference.

One suspended officer took a selfie with a protester, while another wore a Trump-supporting hat and started directing protesters around, said Ryan, who chairs a House subcommittee looking into how Trump supporters were able to breach Capitol security.

The lawmakers who drafted the impeachment charge say they have locked in the support of at least 214 of the chamber's 222 Democrats, indicating strong odds of passage. Democratic Representative Diana DeGette said some Republicans had privately expressed support for impeachment.

"I heard from several Republicans over the weekend, making sure I was OK, and saying how outrageous this was, and they said that they think this is impeachable," she told reporters.

Conviction Unlikely

House Democrats impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, but the Republican-controlled Senate voted not to convict him. Even if the House impeaches Trump again, the Senate is not scheduled to return to Washington until January 19. Recalling the Senate to conduct an impeachment trial before next week would require the consent of all 100 senators.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has been exploring ways to call the chamber back into emergency session, a senior Democratic aide said, although Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would have to consent.

An impeachment conviction needs a two-thirds majority, which would require at least 17 Republican votes. So far, only a handful of Republican lawmakers have publicly said they would consider voting for impeachment.

Other Republicans have urged Democrats to abandon impeachment in the name of unity. "Pushing partisan driven articles of impeachment through Congress days before the inauguration will further divide our country," Senator Steve Daines said in a statement. He was among a group of Republican senators who had planned to object to the election certification but changed their minds after the assault on the Capitol.

Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, called the impeachment drive "ill-advised" on Monday in a Fox News interview, saying he saw no path to a conviction in the Senate.

"We have been trying to send that message over" to the House, he said. "They know the votes aren't there."

Democrats will take Senate control once the winners of Georgia`s recent runoff elections are seated, which will create a 50-50 split with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tiebreaking vote.

Some Democrats worry an impeachment trial could tie up the Senate during Biden`s first weeks in office, preventing the new president from installing Cabinet secretaries and acting on priorities like coronavirus relief. Biden said on Monday he had spoken to some senators about impeachment and officials would check with the Senate parliamentarian about whether a trial could be conducted at the same time as other business.

"Can you go a half day on dealing with the impeachment and a half day getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate as well as moving on the (stimulus) package? That`s my hope and expectation," he told reporters in Delaware after getting his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

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Dozens of desperate Victorians are risking their lives driving a long desert dirt track in an almost 4,000km journey home from Queensland.

Holidaymakers found themselves trapped in the Sunshine State when Victorian Premier Dan Andrews closed the border to NSW.

Facing the prospect of driving all the way to the border only to be denied entry, they instead headed west then south to go the long way around.

The route takes them along the Birdsville Track, a lonely dirt trail cutting 517km through barely-populated desert where temperatures can top 50C.

A couple are pictured with their 4WD in Birdsville after travelling through the outback town to avoid New South Wales

Usually the drive from the Gold Coast or Brisbane to Melbourne is about 18 hours and less than 1,700km through NSW (red) but with the NSW-Victoria border shut, many took the long way round - a 46-hour, nearly 4,000km trek (blue) that includes the Birdsville Track (yellow), a dirt trail through the desert from Birdsville to Marree

Driving the route in a standard car, as most stranded Victorians are doing, is not recommended and tourists have died after getting bogged in the hot sun.

It takes about 18 hours to make the 1,700km journey from the Gold Coast or Brisbane to Melbourne while travelling directly through NSW.

But the detour, which includes the Birdsville Track, is a grueling 46 hours non-stop, for about 4,000km.

The sealed road ends and the track begins in Birdsville itself, an outback town with a population of just 115.

East of the Simpson Desert in far western Queensland, it struggles to attract tourists at the beginning of the year, with an average temperature of 38.8C in January.

Birdsville Hotel's general manager Ben Fullagar joked they have temporarily renamed the Birdsville Track. 'We're calling it the Covid Highway,' he said. Pictured: A woman smiles for the camera in front of the Birdsville Hotel

But in recent weeks locals say it has seen a surge in visitors after the border closure forced interstate travellers to detour around NSW.

Birdsville Hotel's general manager Ben Fullagar jokes they have temporarily renamed the track, which ends at Marree in northeastern South Australia.

'We're calling it the Covid Highway,' he told the ABC.

'This is my eighth summer in Birdsville [and] I don't recall having a single motel room [booked] for a night between Christmas and New Year,' Mr Fullagar said.

There were guests in 18 rooms on New Year's Eve.

Mr Fullagar said the increased crowds were brought on by state border closures, particularly after Victoria shut to NSW on New Year's Day.

Mungerannie publican Phil Gregurke (right) said he has seen about 10 visitors a day following the tightened border restrictions. 'It's not the Birdsville Track anymore  it's become the Queensland Highway,' Mr Gregurke said

TIPS FOR THE BIRDSVILLE TRACK Travel with sufficient food and drink

Advise someone of your intended route, departure time and expected arrival time

Make the journey in a 4WD

Book accommodation in advance

Travel with a spare tyre Advertisement

'What we have noted is a very small amount of visitors just doing the regional tourism thing, [as] opposed to people who are almost desperate to get home,' he said.

Mungerannie publican Phil Gregurke said he has about 10 visitors a day since the tightened border restrictions.

'It's not the Birdsville Track anymore - it's become the Queensland Highway,' Mr Gregurke told The Australian.

Mungerannie is about 315km south of Birdsville, past the haf way point to Marree.

Mr Gregurke said he was 'definitely' worried an unprepared traveller could die tackling the sweltering outback.

'Two days ago, I got a kid out here with a temperature gun and the ground temperature was 65C. If you're stuck out here without water, you won't last long,' he said.

Birdsville Roadhouse shared safety guidelines for motorists looking to take the Birdsville Track.

'After smashing out 922km today it sure does feel good smashing down some Bundy at Birdsville Hotel,' one visitor wrote alongside this picture

'Are you travelling through Birdsville to avoid New South Wales soon?' they wrote on Facebook.

'We love our visitors and are so grateful for you at this time of year, but it's hot, remote (and beautiful) out here, so here's a few things we think you should know to stay safe.'

The advice includes travelling with food and drink, advising someone of your intended route and booking accommodation ahead.

Motorists have documented their journeys on social media, sharing pictures of the orange dirt roads and remote outback pubs.

'Here we are out way way waaaay outback. Made a snap decision to head back to QLD but with border closures had to to go a slightly (much!) further route around from South Australia,' a woman wrote with a picture of her posing in front of the Birdsville Hotel.

'So here we are at the famous Birdsville Hotel. Town population 115. We've found it charming and the town folk have lots of funny stories.'

Mr Fullagar said the increased crowds were brought on by state border closures, particularly after Victoria shut to NSW on New Year's Day. 'What we have noted is a very small amount of visitors just doing the regional tourism thing, [as] opposed to people who are almost desperate to get home,' he said

A motorcyclist shared snaps with Mr Gregurke at the Mungerannie Hotel.

'I left Queensland to enter South Australia riding on the legendary Birdsville Track and stopping at the non less famous Mungerannie Hotel,' she wrote.

'I fell into a time warp in this crazy place, becoming a waitress for 48 hours and getting to know the owner Phil.'

Fortunately for desperate tourists, they no longer have to make the enormous trek as new Victorian border rules mean they can cross the border if they avoid Sydney.

They still have to obtain a permit to enter, or face an almost $5,000 fine, and Brisbane is still banned while it waits to ensure its hotel quarantine breach is contained.
Israel has said that the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are responsible for their own health care. It insists that the Palestinian Authority is in charge of the West Bank and that, with the redeployment of Israeli troops from Gaza in 2005, Gaza is also self-ruled.

But the reality is that Israel and its military still essentially have control over the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian Authority does not control the borders, crossing, or air space. Indeed, the Palestinian Authority is present in only 38 percent of the West Bank, land that is fragmented by the wall, checkpoints and Israeli settlements. Sixty percent of the West Bank, known as Area C, is off limits to the authority. In Gaza, the crossing, borders, sea and airspace are under Israeli control (aside from one part of Gazas southern border that is controlled by Egypt).

As outlined in the Geneva Conventions, an occupying power, which, despite its denial, Israel continues to be, has the duty of ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory, with particular reference to the adoption and application of the prophylactic and preventive measures necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics.

The economic and geographic control Israel holds over the territory of the Palestinian Authority has led to great discrepancies and inequities. In 2018, the average expenditure on health care for a Palestinian in the Palestinian territories was a mere $344, compared to $3,324 for an Israeli.

The risk that the health care system will collapse increases daily in the West Bank, and even more in densely populated Gaza, where about two million Palestinians live, mostly in poverty. Until recently, hospital beds there were near capacity. While hospitals in Gaza have received a much-needed influx of oxygen, they are still suffering from shortages of medications and disposable equipment needed to treat Covid-19 patients.

The Israeli governments decision to make the vaccine available only to Israeli citizens is not just a moral injustice, it is self-defeating. Herd immunity will not be achieved for Israelis without vaccinating Palestinians. There are more than 130,000 Palestinians working in Israel and the settlements, and hundreds of thousands of Israelis travel between Israeli settlements or engage in military activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

When we received our medical degrees, I and other doctors swore an oath to not discriminate. Medicine and medical care should not treat some patients as less worthy of treatment. Such an approach violates the values and integrity of the medical profession and hurts everyone  including Israelis.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is a medical doctor and a former Palestinian minister and Palestinian Legislative Council member.

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Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has termed the 11-party movement against the incumbent government of Imran Khan a 'jihad', reported Dawn.

At a PDM rally organised at Malakand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he declared that the nation is ready to offer any sacrifice for this cause. He pledged that jihad would continue till 'rulers stopped oppressing the poor'.

The Malakand rally is among the several rallies organised by PDM to oust the corrupt government of Imran Khan. Earlier this month, a rally was held at Bahawalpur, including those in Peshawar, Karachi, Quetta, Multan and Lahore since October 16. It has demanded the resignation of Imran Khan by January 31 on corruption charges.

Maulana in Malakand rally equated the Imran-led government with General Zia-ul-Haq and General Pervez Musharraf's repressive regime and said that there was no democracy in the country and government was conspiring against the Constitution and provinces and "martial law is in place which is worse than General Zia's and Gen Musharraf's eras," reported Dawn.

He urged the people to gather under the umbrella of PDM to kick out this 'incompetent government' and restore real democracy in the country and remove the 'incompetent and selected' government from power who had snatched the mandate of the people.

Charging the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of acting on the orders of Imran-government he criticised the ongoing accountability process in the country and termed it partial and challenged NAB officials to come and arrest him if they had the courage. He said NAB was only filing cases against leaders of opposition parties and it had closed eyes on the corruption of leaders of the incumbent government, reported Dawn.

He also informed that PDM will stage a protest in front of the Election Commission in Islamabad on January 19 and also hold a protest million march in Karachi on January 21 against conspiracy to recognise Israel.

Earlier, Imran Khan has begun to take steps toward ending a decades-old diplomatic impasse with Israel, following its key ally, Saudi Arabia, settling on an unstated position of discrete contacts but no diplomatic ties due to shifting geopolitics in the Middle-east. The recent recognition of Israel by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan is a case in point.

Islamabad has introduced the emotive issue to the public through pro-establishment media, so as to condition them for a prospective shift in policy as they have never recognised Israel. The Pakistani passport is the only one in the world that explicitly states that you can travel anywhere using the document -- except Israel.

Reiterating his resolve to march on Islamabad, he added that the entire country was ready to oust the corrupt government of Imran Khan.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also addressed the public meeting and said that this rally was a referendum against the 'selected government', adding that the people of Malakand had given their verdict to oust incompetent rulers from power, reported Dawn.

Taking a shot at Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said the people had become fed up with rulers due to their continued suffering at the hands of these incompetent and fake rulers for a long time. He charged them with non-fulfillment of promises made with the people during the election campaign.

Bilawal vowed to get rid of this 'puppet government' and restore true democracy in the country with the support of the masses. He said the people of Malakand were brave as neither they bowed down before terrorists nor dictators.

Terming Imran Khan as 'coward', he said that when the Army Public School in Peshawar had been attacked, this Imran Khan was dancing at the D-Chowk in Islamabad and now when families of Shia Hazara victims of the Mach tragedy were staging the sit-in, the prime minister had called them 'blackmailers', reported Dawn.

"This proved that blood of the people is cheaper in Naya Pakistan than their life," he added.

He also took a shot on the plunging economy of the country, the economy of the country had been ruined by policies of the 'selected government', adding that "even economies of poor countries like Afghanistan and Bangladesh are going up at a rapid pace than Pakistan", he added.

Reminding Imran of his promised ten million jobs to the unemployed youth and building five million houses for the homeless, he said that after coming to power Imran-led government 'incompetent govt' had started destroying houses in the name of encroachments.

He also termed the NAB ongoing accountability process one-sided and selected one, adding that corruption could only be eliminated from society when the process of accountability was fair, even-handed and was the same for everyone including politicians, judges and army generals, reported Dawn.

Earlier, the rally was also addressed by PML-N provincial chief Amir Muqam, PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Maulana Owais Noorani, Agha Hassan and others, reported Dawn.

(ANI)

Also Read: Donald Trump, Mike Pence meet for first time since Capitol riots

One in six workers are caregivers , but less than one in five have access to paid family leave benefits. Unum's research among more than 600 working caregivers across the country found the toll of caregiving far-reaching . Many working caregivers face stress, anxiety, or depression (61%), exhaustion (49%), and financial strain (44%).

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The paid caregiver leave benefit is one way Unum helps its diverse workforce balance their work and personal lives, across all stages of life.

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A Unum survey among more than 400 employers in June 2020 found 44% of companies plan to expand paid leave benefits in 2021. For more information on how to plan or enhance your company's paid leave strategy, download the Future of Leave guide.

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Unum Group provides a broad portfolio of financial protection benefits and services through the workplace, and is the leading provider of disability income protection worldwide. Through its Unum US, Unum UK, Unum Poland, and Colonial Life businesses, the company provides disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental and vision benefits that protect millions of working people and their families. Unum also provides leave and absence management services that streamline the leave experience for employers and employees, and stop-loss coverage to help self-insured employers protect against medical costs. Unum reported revenues of $12 billion in 2019 and paid $7.5 billion in benefits.

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DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Out-of-Home Advertising Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Major players in the OOH (Out-of-home) advertising market are Daktronics Inc., JCDecaux SA, Lamar Advertising Co., OUTFRONT Media, Inc., Stroer SE & Co. KGaA, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., Exterion Media, oOh!media Limited, Intersection and Watchfire Signs.



The global OOH (Out-of-home) advertising market is expected to grow from $25.29 billion in 2019 to $25.49 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.8%. The slowed growth is mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of industries and other commercial activities resulting in operational challenges. The entire supply chain has been disrupted, impacting the market negatively. The market is then expected to recover and reach $31.05 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 6.8%.



The OOH (Out-of-home) advertising market consists of the sales of advertising services and related goods by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that plan, develop, create and manage advertisement and promotional activities at out-of-home advertisement facilities. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.



In September 2018, the Australian outdoor ad operator oOh!media acquired Adshel, an out of home advertising company, for a deal amount of $570 million. The acquisition of Adshel is expected to complement the oOh!media business. oOh!media is entering into new segments of street furniture and rails in Sydney and Melbourne. The company is looking forward to fast-tracking innovation across their entire network to build engagement with the audience and to make their offering more compelling for advertisers.



The OOH market covered in this report is segmented by type into billboard; transport; street furniture; transit displays; others. It is also segmented by platform into static; digital and by application into food and beverage industry; vehicle industry; health and medical industry; commercial and personal services; consumer goods; others.



The volatile cost of advertising is expected to limit the out of home advertising (OOH) market's growth. The billboard advertising costs are volatile and are affected by several factors such as circulation (total volume of traffic that passes the billboard), demographics, and impressions. Additionally, the cost of designing an ad and the cost of building the physical one also influences the overall cost. According to Fit Small Business, a digital resource company, costs of average physical billboards in US rural areas are $250, in the range of $1,500 - $4,000 in mid-size cities, and $14,000 and above in large cities.



Companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence to advertise their product. The major applications and benefits of artificial intelligence for digital out of home advertisement are agile and trigger data-driven campaigns. For instance, McDonald's used data like weather and time of day to remind the consumers to promote ice creams sundaes on a hot day, and on the other hand Coca-Cola promoted smart water when the temperature exceeded 21 degrees. Virgin trains also used real-time traffic data to show motorists how much quicker their journey could have been by using trains. Therefore, AI and automation can optimize ads and update them creatively according to the data.



The rising urban population contributed to the growth of the out of home (OOH) advertising market. The increase in population in urban cities increases traffic congestion and waiting time. According to INRIX 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard, Boston is ranked as the most congested city in the US losing 149 hours per year to congestion, followed by Chicago (145 hours), Philadelphia (142 hours), New York City (140 hours), and Washington D.C. (124 hours). With people spending more time outside their home in traffic and other areas, OOH advertising holds the utmost importance in advertising.



The rise in the urban population in developed and developing countries, which is contributing to the increasing traffic congestion, is driving the OOH advertising market.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Out-of-Home Advertising Market Characteristics



3. Out-of-Home Advertising Market Size and Growth

3.1. Global Out-of-Home Advertising Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion

3.1.1. Drivers of the Market

3.1.2. Restraints on the Market

3.2. Global Out-of-Home Advertising Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

3.2.1. Drivers of the Market

3.2.2. Restraints on the Market



4. Out-of-Home Advertising Market Segmentation

4.1. Global Out-of-Home Advertising Market, Segmentation by Type

Billboard

Transport

Street furniture

Transit Displays

Others

4.2. Global Out-of-Home Advertising Market, Segmentation by Platform

Static

Digital

4.3. Global Out-of-Home Advertising Market, Segmentation by Application

Food & Beverage Industry

Vehicle Industry

Health and Medical Industry

Commercial and Personal Services

Consumer Goods

Others

5. Out-of-Home Advertising Market Regional and Country Analysis



Companies Mentioned

Daktronics

JCDecaux

Lamar Advertising Co.

OUTFRONT Media Inc.

Stroer SE & Co

Clear Channel Outdoor

Exterion Media

oOh!media

Intersection

Watchfire Signs

Formentco

Outdoor Advertising Association of America

Capitol Outdoor

Affichage Holding

CBS Outdoor

EPAMEDIA

Captive Network

Adam Outdoor Advertising

Fairway Outdoor Advertising

News outdoor

Focus Media holding limited

Air Media

CEMUSA

Bell media

APG

SGA SA

Burkhart Advertising

DDI Media

Fairway Outdoor Advertising

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vddf7e

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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The Diner Cake at Dessert Gallery is a thing of undeniable beauty  three layers of buttery yellow tablets lavished with a thick robe of chocolate frosting.

Its flavors of moist crumb and deep swirls of fluffy icing have made it the bestselling cake at the 25-year-old bakery business at 3600 Kirby.

Without fail or exception, people who are new to the Diner Cake say its the type of cake that their grandmother made for their birthday, Dessert Gallery owner Sara Brook said. Its very sweet to hear, no pun intended. It makes me feel good about what we do; we touch people.

Perhaps times of political unrest and an ongoing worldwide health crisis have made us yearn for simple, comforting foods. We could do worse than reach for a slice of layer cake.

Any way you slice it, Houston is stacked with options, whether from a bake shop or professional cake baker (Chocolate Bar, Red Dessert Dive, Take the Cake, Ooh La La Dessert Boutique, Jodycakes, Ashley Cakes, Three Brothers Bakery, Fluff Bake Bar) or from local restaurants (Empire Cafe, Field & Tides, Kenny & Ziggys, Katzs Deli, Truth BBQ).

Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

During this time of uncertainty, layer cakes are a comforting thing, said Ziggy Gruber, owner of Kenny & Ziggys New York Delicatessen restaurant, where showstopping layer cakes rule the dessert options. Cakes are a throwback. They bring a hominess to the table.

Gruber suggests that food television such as the hit The Great British Baking Show have opened up the eyes of home bakers to the rich possibilities of the sponge. Stack it, frost it, call it your own.

When people think of celebrations, especially birthdays, they almost always go to cakes, said Bobby Jucker, fifth-generation owner/baker of Three Brothers Bakery. A slice of cake is like a slice of happiness. We really saw that a few years ago when we started making the Rainbow Cake for the LGBT community.

The seven-layer stack of rainbow-colored layers with white frosting was introduced four years ago for Gay Pride month in Houston. It became so popular the cake is now offered year-round.

No matter the occasion, a good layer cake offers a sense of nostalgia as powerful as anything that comes from the oven, said Martha Stewart, who celebrates the joys of classic scratch cakes in her new Martha Stewarts Cake Perfection cookbook.

Cakes have and will always signify celebration in my mind, but you dont necessarily need to celebrate something to bake a cake, Stewart said. I think that throughout the pandemic, cake baking can offer bakers the opportunity to celebrate anything, big or small, and that to me is what makes cake baking so special.

Paula Murphy / Paula Murphy

To be sure, a good layer cake is a commitment of time and effort. Multiple layers, cream and fruit fillings, flavorings and frosting options contribute to making a spectacular layer cake a time-consuming process.

Pushing the layer cake beyond familiar tiers of sponge and frosting is brave new territory for the home baker. While new cookbooks such as Stewarts Cake Perfection and Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz embrace the beauty of layer-cake desserts, they also invite a deeper dive into cake recipes that require more patience and skill.

David Berg, the new executive pastry chef for Common Bond Bistro & Bakery, says that though people are looking for something identifiable and familiar, they also appreciate the adventurous spirit layer cakes afford.

Right now, for me, its all about what you can put between a layer, he said. Flavors are whats really important in creating something new.

To that end, Berg is experimenting with densities and flavors in cake, fillings and frostings  meringues, buttercreams, mousses shot through with nut powders, chocolate, lime, coconut and rose water. His new Opera Cake, coming soon to the Common Bond menu, will offer intense coffee and chocolate in compact bites.

Houston, he said, is ready for new layers of flavors.

Recipe: Dessert Gallerys Diner Cake

Recipe: Milk-and-Cookies Cake

Recipe: Carrot and Pecan Cake

greg.morago@chron.com
Altnagelvin Hospital will have a maximum of 16 intensive care beds to cope with the expected surge of Covid-19 patients in the coming weeks.

Once the capacity of the Derry hospital's intensive care unit has been reached, local Covid patients will be transferred to the Nightingale Hospital in Belfast.

The Western Trust today outlined details of how they plan to deal with the projected imminent surge in Covid-19 admissions to hospital.

At present, there are 13 intensive care beds available at Altnagelvin Hospital.

Ten of these beds are currently occupied, with seven of the patients having Covid-19.

As of today, there are currently 67 Covid positive patients being treated at the local hospital.

Under the Northern Ireland-wide plans for dealing with the pandemic, Altnagelvin can have a maximum of 16 intensive care beds.

Health chiefs believe that capacity will be reached in the coming weeks because of the expected increase in cases.

At a media briefing today, Teresa Molloy, Director of Performance and Service Improvement at the Western Trust, which manages Altnagelvin Hospital and the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, said they expected an average daily intake of between 15 and 25 Covid-19 patients across the two hospitals in the next week to ten days.

Once the intensive care capacity at the two hospitals is reached, all other Covid patients requiring critical care will be transferred to the Nightingale Hospital which was set up within Belfast City Hospital last year in response to the first Covid-19 wave.

The Nightingale facility will be used to care for patients unable to be treated at their local hospital because of the strain on the health service created by the pandemic.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 03:46:02|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken in Paris, France, on Jan. 11, 2021 shows screens displaying leaders attending the One Planet Summit for biodiversity. World leaders on Monday reiterated the urgent need for concerted global action to safeguard biodiversity and for a global governance framework on climate issues in the post-pandemic era. Organized by the French government in partnership with the UN and the World Bank, the One Planet Summit brought together world leaders to commit action to protect and restore biodiversity. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- World leaders on Monday reiterated the urgent need for concerted global action to safeguard biodiversity and for a global governance framework on climate issues in the post-pandemic era.

"We have been poisoning air, land and water -- and filling oceans with plastics," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, while addressing world leaders at the One Planet Summit for biodiversity.

Organized by the French government in partnership with the UN and the World Bank, the One Planet Summit brought together world leaders to commit action to protect and restore biodiversity. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the event was largely virtual.

"EVERYONE MUST DO MUCH MORE"

"Now, nature is striking back. ... And we are extremely fragile. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has taken more than 1.8 million lives and devastated economies," Guterres said. "As we rebuild, we cannot revert to the old normal."

Pandemic recovery is mankind's chance to change course with smart policies and the right investments. Biodiversity innovations in energy and transport can lead to sustainable recovery and economic and social transformation, said Guterres.

But the global community has not met any of its biodiversity targets set for 2020, and biodiversity is facing a financing gap of 711 billion U.S. dollars per year until 2030, the UN chief said.

"Our meeting in Kunming, the COP in China this year (the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15), is a vital step in establishing a post-2020 global framework for biodiversity and stopping the extinction crisis," he said.

On climate change, Guterres regretted that today's adaptation efforts account for only 20 percent of climate finance, while only 14 percent of climate finance is dedicated to the least developed countries.

"Everyone must do much more. COP26 cannot be another missed opportunity," he said, referring to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

"DEVELOPING COUNTRIES NEED SUPPORT"

Apart from Guterres, about 30 world leaders and politicians had also joined the event via video connection, including Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and World Bank Group President David Malpass.

Malpass said the developing countries must be supported to draw up long-term strategies for low-carbon and climate-resilient economies to end their reliance on coal and address biodiversity loss.

The World Bank Group has announced an ambitious target that an average 35 percent of its financing portfolio should have climate co-benefits over the next five years, he said.

Malpass pledged to continue working together with the private sector, civil society, governments and institutions to help developing countries address climate change and adapt to its mounting impacts.

For her part, Merkel said that Germany plans to put 30 percent of land and sea areas under protection by 2030, and called on other countries to do likewise. The commitment sees Germany join over 50 countries in the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC), launched by France, according to German news agency dpa.

Merkel also appealed to the global community to stop destroying forests, saying that protecting forests meant protecting people's health, dpa reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in his closing remarks, said that nations worldwide had pledged to spend some 14.3 billion U.S. dollars to tackle the climate crisis and environmental degradation at the One Planet Summit.

The sum is to be spent on the Great Green Wall project to plant trees in the Sahel region in Africa, he said.

Launched in 2007, it aims at greening the Sahel, the arid savanna on the south border of the Sahara Desert in Africa, with trees planted over a total distance of 8,000 kilometers crossing eleven African countries.

"Africa has a huge number of solutions in hand and our role is to help it so as to help us too," Macron said. Enditem
(Newser)  The British socialite awaiting trial on charges that she recruited girls in the 1990s for Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse is appealing a judges order that she remain jailed. Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell notified a trial judge Monday of plans to appeal her decision two weeks ago to reject a $28.5 million bail package for Maxwell, the AP reports. The notice of appeal was posted publicly on Tuesday in the Manhattan federal court record. In late December, a federal judge in Manhattan said the bail package proposed by defense lawyers only strengthened her confidence that her decision over the summer to keep Maxwell incarcerated until the July trial was correct.

story continues below

The bail package included $22.5 million that lawyers said amounted to all of Maxwell and her husband's assets. They also said she would be under 24-hour guard and restricted to a New York City apartment where she would wear an electronic bracelet. Prosecutors opposed bail, saying Maxwell remained a threat to flee in part because she had access to considerable wealth and connections abroad. They also noted that she is a citizen of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Maxwell, housed at a federal lockup in Brooklyn, pleaded not guilty after her July arrest to charges that she recruited and groomed girls for Epstein, including one who was 14 years old.

(Read more Ghislaine Maxwell stories.)


DARIEN  Some parents have continued to oppose how the school district makes decisions on remote learning during a meeting that was originally billed as a budget roll-out last Thursday.

Superintendent Alan Addley said decisions regarding whether students are remote, hybrid or in-person is based on the health of the children and staff.

That is the only reason  there are different factors  but that is my only motivation and priority, he said.

Addley said he is not a medical professional and neither is the Board of Education. He added that he met with head of nursing Alicia Casucci, Darien Department of Health Director David Knauf, and medical advisor Dr. Timony Kenefick on Dec. 30 in anticipation of reopening to the previous hybrid/in-person schedule.

Due to the contact tracing done after Christmas and vacation break, the districts medical advisors said the amount of travel they observed by school families, and gatherings that had occurred, along with the lag in testing results caused them to switch to remote learning for the first week.

Were not disputing nor or our teachers disputing that the best place for students is in school as safely as we can, Addley said. He added that the remote learning week ensured students could come back in-person in elementary schools and hybrid for secondary on Monday.

Addley said he did not intend to mislead the board or the families.

Im sorry thats the perception, he said. The only focus I have is to keep your children safe.

Were in a pandemic and we are going to have to make changes. I respect the parents concerns and dont intend for these decisions to be last minute, he said.

Board member John Sini asked if any changes could be made to ensure continuity with students in school, especially relative to staffers being out due to illness or quarantine.

Kenefick said additional testing wouldnt be practical as it would need to happen daily and test results would take too long to have an impact.

He also said group testing isnt practical as it puts several teachers in a room together when they are trying to social distance, and there isnt enough testing to make it an effective method of keeping schools open.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that the teachers are in the next phase of vaccinations, which will begin next week.

Joslyn DeLancey, the head of Dariens teachers union, said she was enthusiastic to get the vaccine and said many other colleagues are as well. She noted that some were a bit apprehensive to see how the first round goes.

As far as substitutes, Addley said sometimes having several non-regular staffers coming through the schools makes things more complicated.

Casucci said all staff in the district are eligible in the second group to receive vaccines, and would be prioritized by the amount of one-on-one exposure they have with students.

Board of Ed member Tara Ochman encouraged district families to get their information directly from the district and Board of Ed and not on social media.

Ive seen some respond to questions with misinformation because it isnt their expertise, Ochman said.

In some ways, we unintentionally spread anxieties when we go so far afield and share incorrect information. We have enough anxiety, she said.

Board member Debra Ritchie asked when Addley expected the middle and high school to return to four days a week in person.

Addley said he hoped to welcome them back, but it depends on the metrics.

Other board members asked about whether the remote response to time off could be put in place after next Mondays Martin Luther King Jr. holiday or February break.

Knauf said he was less concerned with short breaks versus a long Christmas holiday, which lent itself to family gatherings, especially with Christmas and New Years Day falling on a Friday.

Ochman also said the district families shouldnt pit neighbor against neighbor in terms of where they go and what they do.

Certain people traveled and followed the rules, Ochman said, adding theres no reason to demonize or hound each other on social media.

Board of Ed Chairman David Dineen said he thanked all the parents who had sent emails outlining their concerns and feedback.

There is no playbook for running a school district during a pandemic, he said.

He also said casting blame on others doesnt help anyone.

Public comment

During public comment, several parents objected to the remote learning decision, the timing, the transparency of it, and the criticism of using social media to discuss it.

Taylor Carter, a finance board member and school parent who started the Facebook group Teach Our Kids, said the group began because people feel they arent being heard, and she said some parents are afraid of backlash.

They are viewed as anti-administration, teacher haters, deniers or worse. The culture around this issue has become as harmful as the virus itself, she said.

There is no data to support keeping our kids at home. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, a month everyone was highly concerned about, student caseloads in Connecticut were lowest among in-person learners, despite being the most frequently observed learning model, Carter said.

Remote learners actually reported the most cases in all but one week, when hybrid learners were most effected. Further, there is no evidence that COVID is being transmitted in our schools, she said.

Teach our Kids also circulated a petition following the announcement the first week of January would be remote. It is now closed with 186 signers, including several couples.

Parent Alicia Mehlberg said she questions the transparency of the decision making, and said the fact that parents are reaching out to each other to get answers shows theres room for improvement.

Parent Elizabeth Drew echoed the need for more parent feedback and urged Addley to reopen the schools as soon as possible.

Jamison Reilly, another parent, said he was wondering why the school was maintaining a half day on Fridays and wanted to know when the district would return to full days on that day.

He also said that encouraging school families to not talk about their issues and share thoughts on social media seems to be silencing opposition and opposing opinions. He said that it was ovious the Teach our kids group was being targeting in the unnamed discussion.

Feeling like we werent being heard was the reason the group was created, Reilly said.

Jon Dunn said the decisions about whether to open schools shouldnt be held behind closed doors.

Several parents commented that the remote learning was especially hard on special education students, including Emily Shelley.

The willingness to go fully remote for special education students without a plan in place is concerning, she said.

Elizabeth Pawloski said there was no clear direction as to when the middle and high school would return to in-person learning like the elementary school.

She said she felt the superintendent had hoodwinked the entire middle school community with the decision to go hybrid in the fall.

Theresa Vogt said she has a junior at Darien High and she thanked the district going remote the first week of January.

Vogt said her child had to be quarantined earlier in the year and it was not fun.

We quarantined him correctly. He did not enjoy it, she said.

For parents who are concerned about their children missing out during their early years, Vogt offered a different perspective.

My 2020 Darien High grad was a cancer patient in kindergarten. She was in the hospital for chemo treatments and could not have play dates for her safety, Vogt said.

I want to assure you she made it through, and she is thriving. We cant let this define us. We can do this. Children are resilient, Vogt said.

The next Board of Ed meeting is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Those members of the community wishing to view only, should do so through the Darien Youtube link. Those members of the community wishing to participate in public comment should join the meeting via Zoom.

sshultz@darientimes.com
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says the agreements reached with President of Moldova Maia Sandu on the creation of a presidential council to address the tasks of the bilateral agenda. "Together with Mrs. President, Mrs. Sandu and her team, we touched upon a range of issues of Ukrainian-Moldovan relations. This, in particular, the joint intention to renew the dialogue at the highest level and make it dynamic and, most importantly, to make it effective. For this we agreed to create the presidential council, within which we will format the strategy and coordinate our actions to meet the challenges of the bilateral agenda," Zelensky said in a press statement after talks with Sandu in Kyiv on Tuesday.

According to him, the parties agreed the priority spheres "for the joint economic impetus" of Ukraine and Moldova will be the spheres of energy, infrastructure and transport, in particular, transit. "We have an ambitious idea, namely the construction of a modern highway that will connect Kyiv and Chisinau. To this end, we discussed the construction of a border checkpoint across the Dniester River and this will reduce travel between the capitals of our states to five hours. It is also an intensification of trade, facilitation of transit, improvement of interpersonal contacts  this is the most important thing," Zelensky said.

In a joint statement of the heads of state, released on the presidential website of Ukraine, it is noted: "The Presidents of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova decided to create the presidential council as a new permanent high-level dialogue format and a mechanism for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of urgent cooperation tasks."
WINNIPEG - Vaccine distribution has begun on a handful of Manitoba reserves as a task force reports that 61 per cent of the people with active COVID-19 in the province are First Nations.

Doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived in Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba on Jan. 7, 2021. Leslie and Veronica Apetagon were the first Norway House residents to receive their vaccines on the remote Manitoba reserve about 455 kilometres north of Winnipeg. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.

WINNIPEG - Vaccine distribution has begun on a handful of Manitoba reserves as a task force reports that 61 per cent of the people with active COVID-19 in the province are First Nations.

Manitobas First Nation COVID-19 pandemic response team says as of Monday there were 1,578 active COVID-19 cases on reserves and 514 in off-reserve First Nations populations.

First Nations now account for 40 per cent of new infections while making up about 10 per cent of the overall Manitoba population.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, says there are unique challenges with the virus spread in remote and isolated communities.

There is less access to health care and alternative housing for people who need to isolate.

He says getting the vaccine out is a top priority.

Our most pressing issue is vaccine quantity right now, Roussin said.

About 5,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine were reserved for Indigenous people in Manitoba. It can be stored and transported more easily than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The province said all 63 First Nations will receive a portion, but the first shipments are heading to communities with personal care homes. A second shipment of doses is expected by Feb. 23.

The vaccine began arriving in those First Nation communities last Thursday, including 240 doses in Norway House Cree Nation. The First Nation about 455 km north of Winnipeg is prioritizing the doses for personal care home staff, residents and elders who are over 70 years old.

Chief Larson Anderson said in a statement Monday that housing shortages, limited health care and underlying health issues among many community members could mean a rapid and devastating spread of the virus.

This experience is like being part of a crew on a boat in the vast ocean. Sadly, the boat has many leaks and damages and is in constant need of repairs, Anderson said. The pandemic is like a massive storm that is battering the boat and making an already dangerous situation more critical.

He credited the resilience of the community for keeping infections low  48 people on the reserve have tested positive and none of the cases are currently active.

First Nations have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic during the second wave. While the number of daily infections in Manitoba has started to decrease the five-day test positivity rate amongst First Nations is 19 per cent for people who live on reserve and 16 per cent for those off reserve.

First Nations make up a larger proportion of people hospitalized, including 38 per cent of those in intensive care units. The median age of death for First Nations is 66, while its 83 for the rest of the Manitoba population.

Indigenous Services Canada said as of Friday there had been 10,217 confirmed positive COVID-19 in First Nations communities since the beginning of the pandemic. The department does not keep track of those living off reserve.

Peguis First Nation, about 190 kilometres north of Winnipeg, received 250 vaccine doses for residents and front-line workers at its senior centre. In a Facebook post Monday, the First Nation posted images of elders receiving a shot holding signs that said First one. Thank you. They were surrounded by health-care workers applauding.

York Factory First Nation Chief Leroy Constant posted online that the reserves first doses arrived by charter flight last week. The community north of Thompson gave its first dose of the vaccine to an elder Monday.

Dr. Marcia Anderson, who is Cree-Anishinaabe and works with the First Nations response team, said in a video posted on the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Facebook page Friday that the benefits of getting the vaccine will outweigh the risk.

Vaccination is a critical tool for us to employ in order to reduce the harms of COVID-19 that our communities are currently experiencing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.
Fox News host Jeanine Pirro has sparked backlash among Jewish leaders by saying that tech companies' decision to boot the far-right social network Parler off the Internet was 'akin to a Kristallnacht.'

Pirro drew the comparison between Parler's de-platforming and the 1938 Nazi pogrom targeting Jewish-owned synagogues and businesses, also known as the 'Night of Broken Glass,' during an appearance on 'Fox & Friends' on Monday.

Amazon kicked Parler off its web-hosting service over ties to last weeks deadly siege on the US Capitol, and both Apple and Google followed suit.

Jeanine Pirro (right) is facing a backlash after going on Fox & Friends on Monday and drawing a comparison between Parler's removal from the Internet to Kristallnacht

'What were seeing is a kind of censorship which is akin to a Kristallnacht where they decide what we can communicate about,' said Pirro. She claimed that tech companies had given conservatives a 'taste' of the censorship before the election by suppressing stories about Hunter Biden's laptop

When asked to offer her opinion on the Parler 'shutdown,' Pirro said, in part: 'what were seeing is a kind of censorship which is akin to a Kristallnacht where they decide what we can communicate about.'

She also claimed that tech companies had given conservatives a 'taste' of the censorship to come before the election by suppressing stories about Hunter Biden's laptop allegedly containing compromising emails.

After being criticized on Twitter for likening Parler's business woes to the historic Nazi atrocity that served as a prelude to the Holocaust, Pirro stated that she had been referring to the burning of Jewish books that took place during Kristallnacht.

'Although book burning started earlier, Kristallnacht included the destruction of Jewish stores, homes & synagogues containing rare Jewish books & Torahs,' she tweeted on Monday. 'My reference was in context of books.The Holocaust was the greatest hate crime the world ever tolerated. I abhor all violence.'

Pirro was not the only voice on the right drawing dubious parallels between the deadly mass hate crime perpetrated by the Nazis and Parler's removal from cloud services.

Former Republican Congressman Steve King lamented in a tweet on Sunday that he has lost 8,000 followers in a day, adding: 'Apple, Google, Facebook, & others have cancelled many conservatives. Last night was cyber god's Kristallnacht!'

Former Republican Congressman Steve King has been raked across the coals for invoking Kristallnacht in his tweets

He doubled down on his argument the next day, tweeting: 'The CyberGods have shut down every effective platform hosting speech contrary to their Leftist ideology. Last night was Kristallnacht 2.0. Today began Impeach Trump 2.0. I can't think of a better way to incite March on Capitol 2.0.'

Prominent Jewish leaders and cultural figures on the left and the right wasted no time raking Pirro and King across the coals for their respective Kristallnacht remarks.

'Kristallnacht was an organized pogrom by the Sturmabteilung and Hitler Youth destroying hundreds of synagogues and thousands of Jewish-owned businesses, killing dozens of Jews, and hauling tens of thousands of Jewish men to concentration camps such as Buchenwald,' CNN host Jake Tapper tweeted.

Neoconservative political analyst Bill Kristol tweeted: 'your occasional reminder that Fox News has a board of directors who are responsible for this programming, and, for that matter, for the salaries of Ms. Pirro and those listening: Rupert Murdoch Lachlan Murdoch Chase Carey Anne Dias Roland Hernandez Jacques Nasser Paul Ryan.'

Dov Hikind, former New York State Assemblyman, minced no words in taking Pirro and King to task, tweeting: 'CAN EVERYONE STOP WITH THE TERRIBLY IGNORANT HOLOCAUST COMPARISONS?!?! If you didnt lose anyone to Hitlers death machine then KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!'

Avi Mayer, Managing Director of Global Communications at American Jewish Committee, tweeted at Pirro, demanding an apology.

'Members of my family were taken to concentration camps on Kristallnacht, our synagogue was burned to the ground, and my grandparents and their families were forced to flee for their lives. This is nothing like that, @JudgeJeanine. You owe us an apology.'

Political cartoonist Eli Valley also took a swipe at Pirro, remarking sarcastically: 'Yes Kristallnacht, where Jews were denied a forum to plan Nazi terror. '

Parler, a 2-year-old magnet for the far right became the No. 1 free app on iPhones late last week after Facebook, Twitter and other mainstream social media platforms permanently suspended President Donald Trumps accounts over comments during a rally that seemed to incite Wednesdays deadly insurrection.

The wave of Trump followers flocking to the service was short-lived. Google yanked Parlers smartphone app from its app store Friday for allowing postings that seek 'to incite ongoing violence in the US.'

Parler CEO John Matze decried the punishments as 'a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace'

Apple followed suit on Saturday after giving Parler a day to address complaints it was being used to 'plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.' But the death knell came from Amazon Web Services, the leading provider of cloud computing infrastructure, which informed Parler it would need to look for a new web-hosting service after Sunday.

Parler has filed a lawsuit to get back online, arguing in a federal court Monday that Amazon was abusing its market power in a way that 'will kill Parler's business - at the very time it is set to skyrocket.'

Parler CEO John Matze decried the punishments as 'a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 11:17:52|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday welcomed the reopening of schools in Libya.

UNICEF welcomes the Ministry of Education's announcement to reopen schools from Jan. 2 onwards after closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said UNICEF Libya Special Representative Abdulkadir Musse.

"We are excited that girls and boys will resume learning, while attending their schools that fully adhere to strict COVID-19 control and prevention measures," he said in a UNICEF statement released Monday.

The North African country has to date reported a total of 105,378 COVID-19 cases and 1,589 deaths since it confirmed its first infection in March 2020.

Musse reaffirmed UNICEF's commitment to supporting the Libyan government during these "exceptional and challenging times," stressing the need to come together to ensure a smooth and safe return for the students.

In 2020, the UN body worked with the Education Ministry in this regard by launching a "Safely Back to School" workshop on infection control measures targeting educational personnel, said the statement.

Meanwhile, UNICEF rehabilitated 31 schools in Libya, providing improved learning environments for nearly 18,867 children, while scaling up distance-learning by recording some 1,800 core subjects across grades, with the help of such entities as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the European Union, and the governments of Germany and Japan. Enditem
(Natural News) The only thing more stunning than our loss of freedom and liberty in the age of the Wuhan coronavirus is the lack of angry responses and pushback against the authoritarians and dictator-wannabes imposing lockdowns and other restrictions.

But that said, some Americans are pushing back in any way they can, whether it be refusing to stay at home under threat of fines and arrest to filing legal action against the tyrants.

In Boca Raton, Fla., residents of a homeowners association (HOA) have filed a lawsuit in Palm Beach County alleging false imprisonment and invasion of privacy, CD Media reports.

The outlet noted further that the suit was filed after officials at the Palmetto Place Condominium Association allegedly deactivated the key fobs of two homeowners who said publicly that they tested positive for COVID-19.

Without the authority to do so, according to the suit, HOA officials used the deactivation as a means of constraining a husband and wife and forcing them to remain in their condo for two weeks  the normal quarantine time. HOA officials also allegedly told the couple the association would contact police to request that you be removed from the building and arrested if they attempted to leave.

In addition, the association has been accused of trying to enter the couples condo to ensure that they remained inside.

Boca News Now adds:

Steven and Nancy Iscowitz are suing Palmetto Place at Mizner Park for false imprisonment, invasion of privacy, negligence, violation of Florida law, and more. You can read the entire lawsuit, below. Units in the building near Mizner Park range from $300,000 to nearly $1,000,000.

The filing follows a lawsuit filed over the summer by the Palmetto Place Condominium Association  and its management company First Service Residential  seeking to order the Iscowitzs to stay in their unit. The Association dropped the suit after Palm Beach County Judge Scott Kerner refused to hear the case as an emergency.

The suit alleges that the association, along with First Service Residential Manager Leann Dodd, established unreasonable and possibly illegal rules, then claimed they had limitless power to enforce them.

At no time were police authorized to effectuate arrests based on COVID status, Boca News Now reported. At no time were Florida citizens required to divulge COVID status to anyone other than health department officials for the purposes of contact tracing (which in and of itself is a massive violation of the Fourth Amendments privacy protections).

The suit says, Defendant Firstservice Residential through its agents and employees, had no reasonable basis for detaining Steven Iscowitz and Nancy Iscowitz against their wills. No exigency of circumstance existed which could warrant Associations behavior.

Defendant Association unlawfully intruded into Plaintiffs unit after the deactivation of the electronic Fobs. Such action deprived Steven Iscowitz and Nancy Iscowitz of their liberties, including their ability to move freely within their rights in the unit, the suit also alleges. (Related: 5,500-page COVID relief bill could criminalize sharing memes online.)

Boca News Now reported further that the Iscowitzs legal action is the second major COVID-19 issue regarding Palmetto Place and First Service Residential. In November, the outlet reported that both entities were trying to fine another unit owner $5,100 for a mask infraction.

In that case, resident Boca Raton realtor Bobbi Engelke, who was in the process of selling her home in Palmetto Place, fought the fine for the violation which allegedly occurred in the spring of last year.

The condo association is doing all this contrary to the Florida statute, to the Governors executive order and to the Palm Beach County emergency order, she told the outlet.

The fine was for her alleged failure to wear a mask, but she told Boca News Now that she has a medical exemption, though she didnt specify what it was (because its no ones business but hers and her medical provider).

The Age of COVID has brought out the authoritarians, but in America, such people should never be allowed to thrive.

Be smart and take care of yourself (and others) as best you can, but when it comes to stripping away your rights, fight back. Thats the only way to beat a tyrant.

See more reporting like this at Liberty.news.

Sources include:

BocaNewsNow.com

CreativeDestructionMedia.com

FreePress.news
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The position of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ukraine (NEURC) on the issue of distribution of NPC Ukrenergo's loan funds provided for repayment of its debt to the state-owned Enterprise Guaranteed Buyer contradicts the norms of the current legislation and the powers of the regulator, according to the profile RES associations.

This is discussed in the letter of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association, the Ukrainian Association of Renewable Energy and the European-Ukrainian Energy Agency (EUEA) dated January 12 to Head of NEURC Valeriy Tarasiuk, as well as Chair of the Dispute Resolution and Negotiation Centre of the Energy Community Secretariat Dirk Buschle, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas, World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe Arup Banerji, EBRD Managing Director for Eastern Europe Matteo Patrone, and IFC Regional Manager for Belarus, Moldova Ukraine Jason Pellmar.

Heads of specialized associations ask the addressees of the letter to take into account their position and consider it necessary to remove from consideration the issue of making additions to the previously adopted resolutions on approval of loans to Ukrenergo in state-owned Oschadbank, Ukrgasbank and Ukreximbank for a total amount of UAH 10.25 billion "to use these funds to pay off debt to electricity generation, except for debt to renewable energy sources accumulated as of August 1, 2020 (about UAH 22.5 billion).

The signatories of the appeal consider the position of NEURC, set forth in the materials to the draft resolution, according to which the regulator proposes such a solution, as unjustified, since the repayment of the debt as of August 1 is envisaged by issuing government bonds in accordance with law No. 810-IX on the conditions for supporting renewable energy sources.

Arguing their opinion, they draw attention to the fact that law No. 1006-IX, adopted on November 17, grants the Cabinet of Ministers the right to provide government guarantees to attract loans by Ukrenergo and ensure the fulfillment of its debt obligations. At the same time, in the explanatory note to bill No. 4119, which became law No. 1006-IX, it was determined that it was adopted to regulate settlements with "green" energy producers at the legislative level, they said in the letter.

"Neither the purpose of the adoption of the act, nor the forecast of socio-economic and other consequences of its adoption determine the repayment of debts to other economic entities, except for producers of electricity from renewable energy sources," the authors of the letter said.

They also said that in pursuance of law No. 1006-IX, the government adopted resolution No. 1203 dated December 9, 2020, in an explanatory note to which the Ministry of Finance indicated that the funds borrowed under government guarantees will be used to pay off Guaranteed Buyer's debts to renewable energy generation.

"The Verkhovna Rada, realizing its own sovereign powers to adopt laws, by law No. l006-IX actually determined an alternative (additional) method previously defined in law No. 810-IX to compensate the debt of SOE Guaranteed Buyer to renewable energy producers," the associations said in the letter.

At the same time, its authors insist that, in accordance with the theory of law and the procedure for applying its norms, in the event of a conflict, an act issued later is applied, even if the previously adopted act is valid.

In addition, the adoption by the parliament of an alternative way to pay off Guaranteed Buyer's debt to renewable energy generation does not contradict the general principles of lawmaking and is legal, the leaders of the associations said.

Regarding their position on exceeding the authority of the regulator in making the planned decision, the authors of the letter said that the funds that Ukrenergo will send to Guaranteed Buyer are not "other receipts" in the meaning of the methodology for forming the budget of the SOE, requiring appropriate approval from NEURC.

According to the stated position of the profile associations, these funds will be transferred to Guaranteed Buyer as repayment of the debt for the service provided by it to increase the share of electricity production from alternative sources, the amount of which has already been approved by NEURC in the respective settlement periods in the prescribed manner.

"As a result, these funds are receipts established by budget items, in respect of which only Guaranteed Buyer exercises control over their use on the basis of payment documents," the authors of the letter said, adding that NEURC is not given the authority to establish the direction and priority of funds transferred to Guaranteed Buyer as a debt for the provided service.

As reported, on January 6, the regulator postponed making the decision to distribute the Guaranteed Buyer's funds received from NPC Ukrenergo.
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Peru's mining industry has been on the upswing in recent years and is headed higher still as investors continue to pump money into projects. The country's mining construction portfolio now totals $56 billion and will likely continue to grow following the new mining minister's vow to streamline the permitting process. The renewed interest in the sector presents an excellent opportunity for precious metals producers like Rio Tinto plc (NYSE: RIO), Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE: GOLD) (TSX: ABX), Fortuna Silver Mines Inc (TSX: FVI) (NYSE: FSM), and Gold Fields Limited (NYSE: GFI). It also creates a favorable opportunity for exploration companies like Oro X Mining Corp. (TSXV: OROX) (OTCPK: WRPSF).

Oro X Mining is a gold exploration company focused on developing its gold projects in mining friendly Peru. The company underwent some significant changes throughout 2020, including a name change , new management, numerous acquisitions, and a capital raise.

Gaining a Stake in Peru's Prolific Mining Regions

When the Peruvian government named Jaime Galvez as the new head of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), the minister vowed to streamline the consultation period prior to granting mining licenses as part of a set of planned reforms to Peru's mining regulations. The potential changes will not only speed up current projects, but it will guarantee existing operations as well as promote investment and exploration.

The reforms bode well for Oro X Mining, which has acquired two promising gold projects in the region. In October 2020, the company completed the acquisition of the Coriorcco and Las Antas options in Peru, two high-grade gold exploration assets located within an established metallogenic belt in the San Juan de Lucanas Mining District. At the same time, Oro X Mining announced the closing of a $6.25 million private placement, which it plans to use for exploration at its 2,000 hectare past-producing high-grade Coriocco gold project.

Oro X Mining's flagship Coriocco project has 17 known mineralized veins at surface with widths ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 meters (m) within a 700m by 800m zone. Previous exploration activity at the property includes surface channel sampling and follow-up trial mining completed in 2010 to 2011. Three portals were developed and over 400m of sub-horizontal mining were completed on three veins up to 60m below surface within the silica cap of the Coriorcco dome structure. Previous historic development on two of the tested veins exploited over 7,500 tonnes of material averaging 7.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, while limited surface rock sampling by the previous operators include:

22.90 g/t Au; 19.25 g/t Au; 14.20 g/t Au; 13.05 g/t Au

Average grade from surface sampling 1.91 g/t Au over 181 samples

Past Production Points to Bright Future for Peru's Mining Industry

The mining industry in Peru has been historically important to the nation for over 500 years and has been home to a large number of high-grade gold and copper projects. In 2019, Peru tied with Ghana as the seventh largest gold-producing country. Peru is also the second-largest copper producing country with estimated copper mine production of 2.4 million metric tons and the second-largest silver producer.

Although gold giant Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX) is no longer focused on projects in Peru, the company contributed to the country's position as one of the top gold producers on the planet. Prior to closing its Lagunas Norte mine in 2019, 2018 production totalled 245,000 ounces of gold, while the company's Pierina mine produced 97,000 ounces of gold in 2013 prior to its closure.

Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RIO) has also had a mining history in Peru that dates back to the 1990s. Some of the copper giant's most significant deposit finds include Pampa de Pongo, Carhuacayan, Yanque Accha, and Pukaqaqa. Last year, Rio Tinto was in talks with First Quantum Minerals to team up to develop La Granja, one of Peru's largest untapped copper deposits. However, a deal has yet to materialize.

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc (TSX:FVI) (NYSE:FSM) is one precious metals producer that has continued to work within the region. In 2019, the company's Caylloma mine in Peru produced 900,000 ounces of silver, 28.7 million pounds of lead, and 45.6 million pounds of zinc.

Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI) is another precious metals producer with a stake in mining friendly Peru. In 2018, the company announced its plan to invest $240 million to extend the mine life of its Cerro Corona mine, which has now been extended until 2030. In 2017, the Cerro Corona mine produced 5.1 million grams of gold.

It will be exciting to see how the new mining regulations benefit Oro X Mining Corp. and the development of its Coriocco gold project.

For more information on Oro X Mining Corp. (TSXV:OROX) (OTC:WRPSF), please visit this link.

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A family court in Cross River State, South-south Nigeria, on Tuesday, sentenced a man to 22 years imprisonment, without the option of a fine, for raping his 14-year-old daughter. The judge, who is the acting Chief Judge of Cross River State, Eyo Ita, had earlier convicted the man for rape in December.

The convicted man, Emmanuel Thompson Udo, 47, raped his own daughter at his residence in Calabar, according to a report by CrossRiverWatch.

Mr Udos arrest and prosecution by the police followed a petition from a non-governmental organisation, the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, after the mans wife reported his incestuous act to the organisation.

James Ibor, the principal partner of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES about the court ruling.

I want to use this opportunity to commend first, the mother of the child who was bold to seek help by contacting us at the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, I want to commend the police that carried out a thorough investigation, he said.

I want to also commend the attorney general and commissioner for justice, and the members of his office, for the way he conducted the prosecution, I want to commend my staff for providing psychosocial support to the child throughout the period of the proceedings. Above all, I want to commend the acting Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Eyo Ita for the judgment.

Mr Ibor said the ruling would serve as a deterrent to paedophiles.

The truth is that rape has not been on the increase (in Nigeria), the reporting has increased.

If you do a thorough investigation youll discover that we have a culture of rape, and that explains why somebody would ask you can a man rape his wife. If you have sex without the consent of your wife, it means rape has taken place, he said.

Mr Ibor said the judgement was a relief to the victim.

The survivor has this feeling of justice, yes, the person who did this to me has been punished. Theres that satisfaction, theres that relief, and that is justice. The society also has that satisfaction that justice has been done, perpetrators or would-be perpetrators would be deterred by that judgement, he added.

Cases of rape appear to be on the rise in Nigeria. Only on January 4, the police in the north-west state of Yobe Police arrested four men for allegedly raping two minors.

A day earlier, the Ogun State government suspended its Commissioner for Environment, Abiodun Abdul-Balogun, for allegedly attempting to rape a 16-year old student.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Labforward has closed a new financing round. The laboratory equipment manufacturers Tecan and 2mag as well as existing investor Peppermint Venture Partners are investing more than  5 million in the laboratory software company with headquarters in Berlin.

Laboratories face the challenge of having to work with a multitude of complex software and hardware solutions, resulting in extensive data management effort, repetitive tasks, errors and data loss. Labforward intends to use the new capital to transform its software suite into a connectivity platform that provides reliability, security and structure on the one hand and flexibility, agility and freedom on the other. In addition to that, Labforward will expand internationally.

The growth plans build on a solid foundation, as Dr. Simon Bungers, co-founder and CEO of the company explains: "Were already trusted by hundreds of laboratories worldwide and we have been profitable since 2019. We work together with renowned academic institutions such as the Max Planck Society, as well as with U.S. biotech companies such as Nkarta Therapeutics or international pharma giants such as Bayer. We have proven that our products solve key problems in the digitization challenges of the laboratory industry. The fact that we can help our customers leverage the huge potential that lies dormant in the vast amounts of lab data generated daily was another ingredient in the successful conclusion of the round".

We truly believe that in addition to innovative instruments and consumables, the lab of the future will need open digital solutions with broad connectivity and integrability of multiple devices. This equity investment strengthens our relationship with Labforward, an innovation leader in smart lab software tools, said Erik Norstrom, Executive Vice President and Head Corporate Development at Tecan.

In 2019, Labforward acquired and successfully integrated cubuslab GmbH from Karlsruhe, Germany. Since then, the combined team has grown to 35 employees. Labforward attributes its success in growing the company to its diversity and focus on international recruiting. Mario Russo, the US-born CTO, explains: "Our team is incredible. We represent 16 nationalities. The unique mix of backgrounds and perspectives enables us to more easily adapt to challenges while simultaneously maintaining our high standards of quality as we expand our platform."

Labforward expects to grow the team to 80 employees by the end of the year.
Commuters wait for a tube train at Canary Wharf underground station in London, during the normal rush hour, Monday Jan. 11, 2021. England's third national lockdown with increased restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus, is imposed on the public. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

England's chief medical officer warned Monday that the coming weeks would be the worst of the pandemic for the National Health Service as he appealed to the public to strictly follow guidelines meant to prevent the spread of the disease.

Chris Whitty said political leaders are considering tightening the rules as a new, more transmissible variant of COVID-19 aggravates an already difficult situation. Hospitals are overflowing and exhausted medical staff are under strain.

"I think everybody accepts that this is the most dangerous time we've really had in terms of numbers into the NHS,'' Whitty told the BBC.

The warning comes as hospitals in England struggle to keep up with a surge in coronavirus infections that has seen the number of beds filled by COVID-19 patients rise steadily for more than a month. English hospitals are now treating 55% more COVID-19 cases than during the first peak of the pandemic in April.

"In a sense, tinkering with the rules may be useful, but the far more important thing is that everybody abides by the spirit of the rules that are there at the moment,'' Whitty said. "Everybody knows what they need to do. And I think that's the key thingminimize the number of contacts."

England last week entered a third national lockdown that closed all nonessential shops, schools, colleges and universities for at least six weeks. But police report many violations of rules that require people to stay home except for essential reasons such as exercise and grocery shopping.

People wait in line for their injection of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at the mass vaccination centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. The centre is one of the seven mass vaccination centres that opened Monday as the government continues to ramp up the coronavirus vaccination programme. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

The prime minister's spokesman, Jamie Davies, said rules allowed people to be outdoors for "exercise, not socializing," but there is confusion over where the line should be drawnfor example, whether walking with a takeaway coffee counts as exercise. When asked in a briefing if people were allowed to sit alone on a park bench: "Let me take that away and come back to you," he said.

The government hopes the restrictions will reduce the strain on the NHS while it ramps up a nationwide mass vaccination program. Seven large-scale vaccination centers are set to open Monday, joining around 1,000 other sites across the country, including hospitals, general practitioners' clinics and some drugstores.

At one center in Stevenage, north of London, medical personnel administering the shots described the mood as filled with relief and joy.

"They've been quite emotional actually, really pleased that there is some hope at the end of this tunnel, this very long tunnel for everybody," said Caroline Shepherd, clinical expert for immunizations at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. "A few people quite teary, saying 'I'm really pleased to be here, thank you so much, we're really grateful for the NHS'".

More than 2 million people in the UK have received a COVID-19 vaccine so far, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a visit to a center in Bristol. The government's goal is to vaccinate 15 million people by mid-February, targeting people over 70, front line healthcare workers and others who are especially vulnerable to the virus. That will protect people who account for almost 90% of coronavirus-related deaths and may allow restrictions to be eased, the government says.

"We cannot be complacent,'' Johnson said. "The worst thing now would be for us to allow the success in rolling out a vaccine program to breed any kind of complacency about the state of the pandemic."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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[January 12, 2021] Second Life Mac Continues Growth Streak; Triples Staff, Grows Procurement by 250% in 2020

SKOKIE, Ill., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Second Life Mac, the leading Apple buyback company for schools and businesses, posted its second year of triple digit growth in 2020, increasing device procurement by 250 percent and tripling its staff. The company anticipates it will double device procurement and staff in 2021. Click to tweet.

Second Life Mac purchases used Apple devices, including iPad and MacBook, from schools and enterprises looking to refresh their device fleets. After wiping the data and refurbishing devices, Second Life Mac sells them via wholesale and retail channels. Second Life Macs growth came predominantly in the education sector, where K-20 schools rely on tapping the residual value of their used Apple devices to pay off leases early or to make a down payment on the next fleet of digital learning devices. The companys ability to quickly innovate during the COVID-19 shut down of schools by offering a Touchless Trade-in service was responsible for the procurement of more than 67,000 devices alone.



Second Life Mac also grew its enterprise division with key hires, and announced the availability of its enterprise platform, which solves the challenges encountered by corporate asset managers who need a way to easily and securely take back aging devices from employees located around the globe. 2020 was unprecedented in many ways, and fortunately we were able to innovate to help ensure our customers could get the devices they needed to foster distance learning and working, said Scott Pauga, CEO of Second Life Mac. Our ability to anticipate our customers changing needs and provide thoughtful solutions propelled our strong growth this year.

Second Life Mac also won numerous awards in 2020 for its innovation and entrepreneurship, including awards from EdTech Digest, Tech & Learning, and Chicago Innovation. About Second Life Mac

Second Life Mac is disrupting the device buyback industry by coupling the best Apple lifecycle expertise with outstanding customer service, start to finish custody of devices, and the most transparent process. The used devices Second Life Mac procures from schools and businesses are refurbished, data is securely erased to Department of Defense standards, and they are resold via wholesale and retail channels. Headquartered in Skokie, Ill., the company is an Entrepreneur 360 winner, and has been awarded for its innovation by EdTech Digest, Tech & Learning and Chicago Innovation. More information is available at www.secondlifemac.com or on Twitter @SecondLifeMac. For information contact: Linda Muskin, 847-432-7300

lmuskin@teamclarus.com Mara Conklin, 847-816-9411

mconklin@teamclarus.com



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TMC-BJP lock horns over Swami Vivekananda legacy ahead of assembly polls

India

pti-Deepika S

Kolkata, Jan 12: The Trinamool Congress and the BJP Tuesday indulged in verbal duel in a bid to appropriate the legacy of Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary ahead of the assembly polls.

The opposition BJP said it wants to take the state on the path of development following the principles of the 19th- century monk, while the TMC asserted that the land of Swami Vivekananda will never accept the "hate politics imported from Gujarat".

Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary was celebrated on Tuesday across West Bengal with the main attraction being his house at Simla Street here, where leaders of various political parties paid tributes to the Hindu spiritual leader and reformer.

Leaders of both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress made a beeline at the residence of Swamiji since morning and paid floral tributes to the monk, whose birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Youth Day.

With the state polls in Bengal only months away, the occasion triggered a war of political one-upmanship between the TMC and the BJP.

Bengal elections 2021: BJP will win 200 seats says union minister

The saffron party lined up several programmes across the state to prove themselves as the true followers of the monk. Trinamool Congress youth wing president and MP Abhishek Banerjee, who participated in a five km long march to commemorate the day, mocked at the BJP for propagating themselves as followers of Swami Vivekananda and said he never preached "divisive politics".

"A political party is trying to propagate themselves as the followers of Swami Vivekananda. I want to tell them that Swamiji never preached hate politics and communalism, practiced by the BJP", Abhishek said while addressing a rally after a march in South Kolkata.

Abhishek, who is also an MP and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said the land of Swami Vivekananda has no place for the hate politics imported from Gujarat.

"The people of Bengal and the land of Vivekananda, which is his birthplace, will reject the hate politics practiced by the saffron party. "They (BJP) have passed a new citizenship law CAA, where a person will get citizenship on the basis of religion. Did Swamiji ever said that citizenship should be granted after determining the religion?" he asked.

Accusing the BJP of insulting icons of Bengal such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Banerjee said, none of them propagated pitting one religion against other, like the BJP.

Senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim said the BJP is using Swami Vivekananda and other icons for their political gains.

"They are trying to use the icons of Bengal for their vested interests. If they are so concerned about Swami Vivekananda, in the last six years what has the union government done to commemorate his birth anniversary and his ideals. The answer is nothing", he said.

Paying tributes to Swamiji, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted "His message of peace and universal brotherhood is of utmost relevance today and inspires all of us to strive hard in safeguarding these ideals in our beloved nation".

The TMC and its youth wing took out rallies in various parts of the state to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Meanwhile, the BJP, trying to shed the tag of "outsider" branded by the TMC, left no stone unturned to mark the 158th birth anniversary of the monk with pomp and grandeur.

Apart from taking out rallies in various parts of the state, the BJP leadership took out a rally from Shyambazar to the monk's ancestral residence at Simla Street in North Kolkata.

"Swami Vivekananda ideals are more relevant in today's world. We would take the state on the path of development following the principles of Swamiji", West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said after leading the rally. There is a need for change in Bengal and his ideals are our guiding light, he said.

Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said the party has always been an ardent follower of ideals of Swami Vivekananda. BJP national vice president Mukul Roy and other state- level leaders like former state president Rahul Sinha, Jaiprakash Majumdar also participated in the rally.

Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and senior leader Suvendu Adhikari garlanded the statue of Swami Vivekananda at his north Kolkata residence.

The election to the 294-member West Bengal assembly is scheduled to be held in April-May.
DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global consumer electronics repair and maintenance market.



This report focuses on consumer electronics repair and maintenance market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the consumer electronics repair and maintenance market which will be shaping and changing our lives over the next ten years and beyond, including the markets response to the challenge of the global pandemic.



The global consumer electronics repair and maintenance market is expected to increase from $16.34 billion in 2019 to $16.52 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.11%. The low growth rate is mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of industries and other commercial activities resulting in operational challenges. The entire supply chain has been disrupted, impacting the market negatively. The market is then expected to recover and reach $20.52 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 7.5%.



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Benchmark performance against key competitors.

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Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis

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 consumer electronics repair and maintenance market, and compares it with other markets.

The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.

The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, the influence of the COVID-19 virus and forecasting its growth.

Market segmentations break down market into sub markets.

The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the growth trajectory of COVID-19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets.

Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.

The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers.

The consumer electronics repair and maintenance market section of the report gives context. It compares the consumer electronics repair and maintenance market with other segments of the consumer electronics repair and maintenance market by size and growth, historic and forecast. It analyses GDP proportion, expenditure per capita, consumer electronics repair and maintenance indicators comparison.

The consumer electronics repair and maintenance market consists of sales of consumer electronics repair and maintenance services by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that are engaged in repairing and maintaining consumer electronics such as televisions, stereos, speakers, video recorders, CD and DVD players, radios, and cameras, without retailing new consumer electronics. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.



North America was the largest region in the consumer electronics repair and maintenance market in 2019. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the consumer electronics repair and maintenance industry as governments across the globe have imposed lockdowns and put restrictions on non-essential services to prevent the spread of the virus. Repair and maintenance services hugely depend on labor and the availability of labor during this pandemic is a big challenge. The repair industry across countries such as US, the UK, Germany, Italy, the Middle East and India have also witnessed an increase in labor cost due to labor shortages in the lockdown. The repairing industry, in general, fixes around 25 million electronic appliances in a month, but due to lockdown and social distancing norms, the products are expected to pile up for repair. Besides, the supply chain disruptions in various countries have made it difficult to find spare components for mobile and other electronic appliances making consumers wait longer for availing services.



The consumer electronics repair and maintenance market covered in this report is segmented by type into consumer electronics; home appliances; medical equipment; industrial equipment. It is also segmented by service type into in-warranty; out of warranty and by end-user into industrial/commercial; residential.



An increase in equipment failure rates and cost benefits of repairing old equipment rather than disposing of them are expected to drive the consumer electronics repair and maintenance market. The branded and non-branded low-cost products regularly flood the market and need repair in some time as they are made with poor quality material or due to regular maintenance. However, research suggests that companies are now taking a different approach, which is building products that could be easily repaired for use as fixing an issue in a gadget is always a cost-effective solution than buying a new one, thereby enhancing the trust of the customer. Customers tend to buy and refer the products of the company that offers repair manual, spare parts and provide assistance and guidance on fixing the product. Apple has begun assembling the older iPhone in India. Companies like iFixit and Repair Cafe are bringing people together to work for repairing devices. The European Commission is all set to discuss eco-design regulation for smartphones from 2021, including access to spare parts and repair information.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Characteristics



3. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Size and Growth

3.1. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion

3.1.1. Drivers of the Market

3.1.2. Restraints on the Market

3.2. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

3.2.1. Drivers of the Market

3.2.2. Restraints on the Market



4. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Segmentation

4.1. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market, Segmentation by Type

4.2. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market, Segmentation by Service Type

4.3. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market, Segmentation by End User



5. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Regional and Country Analysis

5.1. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market, Split by Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5.2. Global Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market, Split by Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion



6. Asia-Pacific Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



7. China Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



8. India Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



9. Japan Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



10. Australia Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



11. Indonesia Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



12. South Korea Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



13. Western Europe Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



14. UK Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



15. Germany Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



16. France Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



17. Eastern Europe Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



18. Russia Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



19. North America Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



20. USA Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



21. South America Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



22. Brazil Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



23. Middle East Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



24. Africa Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



25. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Competitive Landscape and Company Profiles

25.1. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Competitive Landscape

25.2. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Company Profiles

25.2.1. Encompass Supply Chain Solutions Inc

25.2.1.1. Overview

25.2.1.2. Products and Services

25.2.1.3. Strategy

25.2.1.4. Financial Performance

25.2.2. Electronix Services

25.2.2.1. Overview

25.2.2.2. Products and Services

25.2.2.3. Strategy

25.2.2.4. Financial Performance

25.2.3. iCracked Inc

25.2.3.1. Overview

25.2.3.2. Products and Services

25.2.3.3. Strategy

25.2.3.4. Financial Performance

25.2.4. Mendtronix Inc

25.2.4.1. Overview

25.2.4.2. Products and Services

25.2.4.3. Strategy

25.2.4.4. Financial Performance

25.2.5. Moduslink Global Solutions

25.2.5.1. Overview

25.2.5.2. Products and Services

25.2.5.3. Strategy

25.2.5.4. Financial Performance



26. Key Mergers and Acquisitions in the Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market



27. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Trends and Strategies



28. Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis



29. Appendix

29.1. Abbreviations

29.2. Currencies

29.3. Research Inquiries

29.4. About the Publisher

29.5. Copyright and Disclaimer



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T wo women who received 200 fixed penalty notices after travelling to a reservoir for a walk around five miles from their homes have had their fines rescinded.

Derbyshire Police said it had apologised to Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore after previously describing their trip as clearly not in the spirit of the national effort to reduce travel and the possible spread of coronavirus.

Ms Allen and Ms Moore, both 27, were surrounded by police and assumed someone had been murdered when they arrived at Foremark Reservoir last Wednesday afternoon.

Ms Allen, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, was also told the hot peppermint teas they had brought with her was not allowed as it was classed as a picnic.

Both women accepted the forces apology  adding that they are pleased to draw a line under the incident.

Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore / Jessica Allen

Before the pairs fines were rescinded, the chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation Brian Booth had urged the Government to make coronavirus regulations crystal clear to stop officers being made scapegoats for poor policy.

Mr Booth said officers trying to enforce the rules have been hung out to dry as a result of woolly laws.

After receiving the apology from police, Ms Allen said in a pre-prepared statement: This afternoon we both received a phone call from Derbyshire Police.

After reviewing our case, our fines have been rescinded and we have received an apology on behalf of the constabulary for the treatment we received.

We welcomed this apology and we are pleased to draw a line under this event.

Following criticism, Derbyshire Constabulary decided to review all fines issued during the third national lockdown.

After the reviews conclusion, the forces Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: I can confirm that a review into fixed penalty notices issued by my officers last week has been completed.

Two fixed penalty notices that were handed to two women who had travelled to Foremark Reservoir on Thursday have been withdrawn and we have notified the women directly, apologising for any concern caused.

I support the fact that the officers were trying to encourage people to stay local to prevent the spread of the virus. This is a responsibility for all of us.

All of our FPNs issued in conjunction with the Covid guidance are subject to review. Having received clarification of the guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs Council on Friday, these FPNs as well as a small number of others issued, were reviewed in line with that latest advice, and so it is right that we have taken this action.

We have been working hard to understand the ever-changing guidance and legislation and to communicate this to our officers in a way that makes it clear what is the right course of action to take.

Before the forces apology, Home Secretary Priti Patel had defended the way police have handed out fines for lockdown breaches, stressing that there is a need for strong enforcement.

Despite former police chiefs arguing there had been damage done to public trust by Derbyshire Constabularys actions, Ms Patel praised efforts by officers to tackle the spread of Covid-19.

But Mr Booth said stories about incidents like those in Derbyshire undermine policing.

He said: The Government need to make it crystal clear whats involved so the public know what they can and cant do and police officers know what they can and cant enforce.

In the guidance it says exercise should be local. Why not just move that straight into the law and say you can take exercise within one mile of your home address? Really simple to understand, really simple to enforce.

It stops us being the scapegoats. It shouldnt be the police officers being criticised because someone hasnt written the law properly.

In her statement, Ms Swann also said: At present there is no clear limit as to how far people can travel to exercise, but Government guidance strongly requests people do not leave their local area.

We all have a responsibility to follow both the regulations and the guidance put in place to protect the NHS and save lives, and I would expect my officers to continue to take the four Es approach; to engage, explain, encourage, and enforce, to help us to keep them and their communities safe.

It is important to note that the force has received complaints from residents living in some scenic parts of Derbyshire asking that we carry out activity to stop others travelling to the area because it becomes more crowded for local people.

Our activity is aimed to address these concerns and to remind people to stay local. We will continue to show a visible presence in these areas and encourage people to comply with the guidance.

North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said the laws should be enforced not overstepped following the forces apology.

Ms Allen and Ms Moores constituency MP tweeted: My two constituents who were fined by Derbyshire police on Thursday for attempting to walk around Foremark Reservoir have had there fines removed.

The laws must be enforced but not overstepped.

Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa welcomed the decision to rescind the fines.

He said: While the police are doing their absolute best to protect public safety during what is a critical time of the pandemic, the public should rightly expect a proportionate and balanced approach, taking full consideration of individual circumstances.

We recognise that errors will occur in the face of complex guidance and legislation and it is important such situations are resolved quickly and fairly, as has been the case here. There is certainly a need for clearer direction on how the new regulations should be applied in the real world.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Entomologist Akito Kawahara's message is straightforward: We can't live without insects. They're in trouble. And there's something all of us can do to help.

Kawahara's research has primarily focused on answering fundamental questions about moth and butterfly evolution. But he's increasingly haunted by studies that sound the alarm about plummeting insect numbers and diversity.

Kawahara has witnessed the loss himself. As a child, he collected insects with his father every weekend, often traveling to a famous oak outside Tokyo whose dripping sap drew thousands of insects. It was there he first saw the national butterfly of Japan, the great purple emperor, Sasakia charonda. When he returned a few years ago, the oak had been replaced by a housing development. S. charonda numbers are in steep decline nationwide.

While scientists differ on the severity of the problem, many findings point to a general downward trend, with one study estimating 40% of insect species are vulnerable to extinction. In response, Kawahara has turned his attention to boosting people's appreciation for some of the world's most misunderstood animals.

"Insects provide so much to humankind," said Kawahara, associate curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. "In the U.S. alone, wild insects contribute an estimated $70 billion to the economy every year through free services such as pollination and waste disposal. That's incredible, and most people have no idea."

Insects sustain flowering plants, the lynchpins of most land-based ecosystems, and provide food sources for birds, bats, freshwater fish and other animals. But they face a barrage of threats, including habitat loss, pesticides, pollution, invasive species and climate change. If human activities are driving the decline, Kawahara reasons, then people can also be a part of the solution.

In an opinion piece published in a special edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, Kawahara and his collaborators outline easy ways everyone can contribute to insect conservation.

Mow less

If you have a lawn, mowing less can give insect populations a boost. Kawahara suggests reserving 10% of a landscape for insects, either actively replacing a monoculture of grass with native plants or simply leaving the space unmown. These miniature nature preserves provide crucial habitat and food reservoirs for insects, he said, particularly if they remain free of chemical pesticides and herbicides. Benefits for lawn-maintainers include less yardwork and lower expenses.

"Even a tiny patch could be hugely important for insects as a place to nest and get resources," Kawahara said. "It's a stepping stone they can use to get from one place to another. If every home, school and local park in the U.S. converted 10% of lawn into natural habitat, this would give insects an extra 4 million acres of habitat."

If you don't have a lawn, you can still help by cultivating native plants in pots in window boxes or on balconies and patios.

Dim the lights

Nighttime light pollution has spiked since the 1990s, doubling in some of the world's most biodiverse places. Artificial lights are powerful attractants to nocturnal insects, which can exhaust themselves to death by circling bulbs or fall prey to predators that spot an easy target.

You can give insects a hand - and reduce your electric bill - by turning off unnecessary lights after dark and using amber or red bulbs, which are less attractive to insects.

Use insect-friendly soaps and sealants

Chemical pollutants in soaps for washing cars and building exteriors and in coal-tar-based driveway sealants can harm a variety of insect life. Kawahara recommends swapping these out for biodegradable soaps and soy-based sealants. In winter, trading rock salt for salt-free formulations is safer for both insects and pets.

Become an insect ambassador

In the U.S., insects have historically been depicted as devourers of crops, disease vectors and hallmarks of poor sanitation, even though the vast majority do not harm humans. Kawahara said rethinking your own stereotypes of insects and gaining a better understanding of their beauty, diversity and roles is a first step in helping others appreciate them, too.

He recalled leading schoolchildren on an insect-collecting trip during which a student found an elephant stag beetle, an enormous insect with massive jaws - "one of the coolest, most amazing bugs," Kawahara said.

The student wanted to step on the beetle, thinking it was a cockroach.

"Other students were grossed out, too," Kawahara said. "When I saw that, I was dumbfounded. If this was Japan, kids would be clamoring to be the first to get it and keep it as a pet. The juxtaposition of those cultural reactions was striking."

He pointed to media characterizations of Asian giant hornets - which he grew up seeing drink sap from the oak tree outside of Tokyo - as "murder hornets" as another example of how framing insects as dangerous or disgusting has the power to evoke strong reactions from the public.

As antidotes to unfounded fears, walk outdoors to look for local insect life or adopt pet insects, a simple, inexpensive way to introduce children to science, Kawahara said. Documenting what you see on platforms such as iNaturalist not only helps you learn more about your finds, but also provides data for scientific research.

These small steps have the power to effect immediate changes for the planet's insects, Kawahara said.

"The best way for change to happen quickly is for everyone to pitch in. As individuals, we can all do these kinds of activities right away."

###

Co-authors of the article are Lawrence Reeves of the University of Florida, Jesse Barber of Boise State University and a Florida Museum research associate, and Scott Black of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
US wildlife authorities are hunting those responsible for the cruel and illegal mutilation of a manatee after the word Trump was etched across his back.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) opened an investigation after photos showed the protected animal swimming with the outgoing US Presidents name clearly scratched into its back.

The marine mammal was spotted on Sunday in Florida's Homosassa River.

Officials said the animal does not appear to be seriously injured, and the word was scraped onto algae growing on its skin.

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But a video of the West Indian manatee has led to public outcry.

Manatees, nicknamed "sea cows," are protected under US law, and anyone found guilty of harassing them faces up to a year in prison and a $50,000 (41,000) fine.

The Centre for Biological Diversity said it was offering a $5,000 (4,100) reward for information leading to a conviction for the cruel and illegal mutilation of the animal.

Officials have warned that the act was a form of harassment of a protected species and is illegal under state and federal law.

There are around 6,300 manatees in the Florida.

They are federally protected under the endangered species act.
Etienne Boiteux France

A musical artist, Etienne left his home region of Doubs when he was twenty years old to move to the capital after having studied classical piano for several years. He painted his first work, an auto portrait covered with a transparent lily pad leaf at age 23. He learned drawing at the Sevres Workshop, and painting with Christian Zeimert, and attended the School of Visual Communication (ECV). He worked as a graphic artist for twenty years, which allowed him to renew his relationship with imagery, while keeping a critical eye on his work as an artist. His first exhibition was held in Tours in 1993. 2010 marked a turning point in his artistic career. Etienne decided to dedicate himself exclusively to his passion. He found the medium of paint more fascinating than the flat surface of advertising graphic work, finding inspiration in his different travels (Turkey, Burkina Faso), natural elements (water, earth, air, fire) and in his urban environment. The sight of Parisian walls, worn and covered with graffiti makes him question the traces of time on modern society. The artist defines his melancholic works as ""scenic abstraction"". Searching for a language that is void of all artifice, Etienne doesn't hesitate to question the medium in an ""archaeological"" approach to art. His colour palette is reduced to a minimum. Sombre tones invade the battered space of a canvas that is scraped, scratched and attacked by the coloured material. This purist conception of art shows the influence of his models, Antoni Tapies (Spanish artist, 20th - 21st century), Pierre Soulages (French artist), Alberto Burri (Italian artist, 20th century) and Anselm Kiefer (German artist). A constant need for novelty pushes him to explore different techniques (painting, collage, engraving) and to use different and varied materials (resin, zinc, lead, coal, glass, gold leaf). During his travels, photography helps him fix ""instants"" of life that feed his active imagination.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Millions of farmers oppose the changes. The Supreme Court appoints a committee to mediate between farmers and the government. Farmers unions plan to continue protest until the new laws are scrapped. For Bishop Vadakumthala, the country is being sold off to large multinationals.

Delhi (AsiaNews)  Indias Supreme Court today put on hold a controversial farm reform that has sparked protests by hundreds of thousands of farmers, who have been camped for weeks on the outskirts of the capital.

The Court also appointed a committee to look into the farmers grievances and broker a deal between the government and their unions.

The government has reacted, challenging the legal arguments used to suspend its legislation.

Protesters who set up their camps and blocked several highways on the outskirts of Delhi have caused major traffic problems for the city and factories located in the area.

Farmers are planning a major rally for Republic Day, 26 January, that includes driving their tractors on city streets. The Supreme Court will decide next Monday whether to authorise the protest.

Adopted in September, the reform laws open up the agricultural market, allowing Indian farmers to sell to anyone at any price, instead of being required to sell their crops to the state at a fixed price.

Small farm holders want the reform reversed and the old system of government-controlled wholesale markets or mandis with assured floor prices re-instated.

Farm leaders have rejected the government's proposal to change some parts of the reform. They said that the stay of implementation by the Supreme Court will not stop their protests.

Their goal is for the reform to be scrapped altogether and their produce be assured a floor price. Farmers fear that under the new rules agrobusinesses will monopolise the market and impose more competitive prices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended the reform, saying it will bring great benefits to tens of millions of growers.

Government supporters note that the legislation does not dismantle government-controlled wholesale markets, nor does it eliminate the floor price.

Bishop Alex Vadakumthala of Kannur (Kerala), chair of the Commission for Labour of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), said that Catholics back farmers.

Our traditional slogan is Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer, but today the country has forgotten its farmers. They are out there in the cold fighting for their rights. It is truly sad and surprising to see the government ignoring them.

According to Bishop Vadakumthala, the reform seriously hurts small farmers. It is as if India and its resources are about to be sold off to multinationals, with the rich getting richer in an obscene way and the poor getting poorer.

When he came up to me, I said he has become the teacher and I have become the pupil, she said. He embellished on what I taught him, and he made me know more. It was amazing. I was so proud. My student has become a priest. It was so wonderful.
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TORONTO - Two Canadian nurses who spoke at an anti-lockdown rally in Washington, D.C., on the day of the deadly storming of the Capitol are under investigation by their regulatory body.

Trump supporters rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. Two Canadian nurses who spoke at an anti-lockdown rally in Washington, D.C., on the day of the deadly storming of the Capitol are under investigation by their regulatory body. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Julio Cortez

TORONTO - Two Canadian nurses who spoke at an anti-lockdown rally in Washington, D.C., on the day of the deadly storming of the Capitol are under investigation by their regulatory body.

One of them, who is already suspended from her work in neonatal intensive care, is also facing an investigation by her hospital in London, Ont.

In a statement, the College of Nurse of Ontario acknowledged the investigation against Sarah Choujounian and Kristen Nagle.

"We are aware of the information regarding travel to Washington," the college said. "The legislation does not permit us to provide details on the progress or ongoing status of this investigation."

The London Health Science Centre said it had suspended Nagle without pay in November for attending an anti-mask rally in the southwestern Ontario city. An investigation was still ongoing into the earlier incident but the hospital said it was now aware of further actions "not aligned" with its values.

"We want to assure our community that we take this situation and the new events that have come to light very seriously," the hospital said in a statement. "While we are not able to address the specifics of an internal investigation due to privacy."

The hospital said it would likely complete its investigation within weeks.

Nagle and Choujounian were both speakers at the Jan. 6 rally organized by a group called Global Frontline Nurses, which maintains "fraud is rampant" regarding the COVID-19 crisis inside and outside hospitals. The group said the speakers had seen "blatant deceit" with COVID reporting, and glaring mistreatment of patients first-hand.

Neither woman responded to a request on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

Choujounian, a registered practical nurse since 2004 who spent most of her career at a north Toronto nursing home until last year, has publicly decried COVID-19 vaccines as "experimental" and "unsafe." The founder of a group called Nurses Against Lockdowns, she has called the vaccine promotion and use a "crime against humanity."

At the Capitol rally, Choujounian, who said she had been fired, lashed out at treatment of people in long-term care, saying they were being treated like prisoners in solitary confinement. The situation, she said, was "devastating."

"The lockdowns have been detrimental to their well-being," she told the crowd. "Many are dying of failure to thrive and others from broken hearts all by themselves."

For her part, Nagle, a registered nurse since 2006, said nurses were being threatened for speaking out or holding contrary views but said that would not stop them standing up for the "truth." She also slammed policies she said isolate new mothers at a critical time.

"We are sharing truth with you whatever the cost may be," Nagle said. "Nurses, it is our time to rise."

Neither woman is reported to have been part of the pro-Donald Trump mob that stormed the Capitol in an effort to halt congressional certification of the presidential vote.

Global Frontline Nurses said it was organizing a news conference on Jan. 21 and called on nurses willing to speak out to come forward.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2021
Delicious boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas and Lemon-Ups are at the touch of a button this year.

Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts are selling Girl Scout cookies through Grubhub this year as a way to stay socially distant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Girl Scouts are selling in creative, socially distant, and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe during a challenging time, Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts said.

Grubhub will allow customers in Holyoke, Lee and Worcester to purchase cookies through their app.

The proceeds these sales will still stay local, going towards the local Girl Scouts essential leadership programming.

Girl Scouts will still be selling cookies online through social media, emails and virtual cookie booths.

Drive-through cookie booths will also be available, which are lemonade stand style neighborhood booths, the group said. It will allow for sales to be made but continuing to follow Gov. Charlie Bakers COVID-19 safety protocols.

From running virtual cookie booths on social media to participating in drive-through locations to facilitating orders that ship directly to customers doors, girls as young as five years old are continuing to embrace their entrepreneurial spirits, stay connected to their communities, and have fun by participating in the cookie program, the group said.

Cookie season begins Jan. 15.

Related Content:
London:

Britain on Friday got its first female Sikh MP and first turban-wearing MP as the UK general election results threw up a small increase in the number of Indian-origin MPs in the House of Commons.



The latest tally indicates the Labour party has improved its record from five to seven MPs, with the Tories retaining their five Indian-origin MPs taking the total up from 10 in the 2015 general election to 12.



Labours Preet Kaur Gill won her Birmingham Edgbaston seat by polling 24,124 votes, defeating her Conservative party rival by 6,917 votes.



I am delighted I have been given the opportunity to become the next MP for Edgbaston?where I was born and raised. I want to engage with the people of Edgbaston and with hard work, passion and determination I think we can achieve great things together, she said.



Weve had a really strong campaign, a really good team of people here in Edgbaston and its just been phenomenal. Im really excited to learn more and really connect with communities, Gill added.



Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, known as Tan, won his Slough seat decisively polling 34,170 votes, to become Labours first turban-wearing MP. He defeated his Conservative party rival by a whopping 16,998 votes.

ALSO READ: UK election 2017: Labour partys Preet Gill becomes first woman Sikh MP



He said he was humbled and wanted to serve the town where he was born and raised. The size of the majority shows that the people have chosen hope over fear and progress over stagnation.?On the doorstep we found that people dont want any more cuts, they need a Labour government, he said in his victory speech.



Nationally nobody was predicting the results weve had in so far a month ago, we ran a good campaign and I will be seeking to serve the many not the few, he noted. British Sikh groups which had been campaigning for the candidates celebrated their success.



Credit to the Labour Party leadership for taking the bold step of giving Sikhs the opportunity to fight for winnable seats. Labour now needs to turn its attention to having visible Sikh representation in the House of Lords at the first opportunity so Sikhs are better represented and can bring fresh thinking and ideas, Sikh Federation UK said in a statement.



A second turban-wearing Sikh, Labours Kuldip Sahota, lost out narrowly to his Conservative party rival by just 720 votes. Among some of the other Indian-origin contestant results, Conservative party?s Priti Patel has held on to her stronghold of Witham in Essex with a solid majority of 18,646.



She is likely to remain a leading figure in the new Theresa May led Cabinet, having served as the international development minister in the previous government.



Alok Sharma, the minister in charge of India in the Foreign Office in Mays previous Cabinet, has held on to Reading West by 2,876 votes and Shailesh Vara has won in Cambridgeshire North West by 18,008 votes.



The 2015 general election first-timers for the Tories, Rishi Sunak and Suella Fernandes, have also held on to their seats decisively with a margin of 23,108 and 21,555 votes respectively.



For the Labour party, the longest serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz held on to his Leicester East seat attracting 35,116 votes, despite a scandal-hit 2016, and his sister Valerie Vaz also won solid 25,286 votes to hold on to her Walsall South seat.



Lisa Nandy won in Wigan for Labour with 29,575 votes, Seema Malhotra held on to Feltham & Heston with 32,462 votes and Virendra Sharma polled 31,720 in his safe seat of Ealing Southall.



The election marked an overall record for the number of black and minority (BME) MPs in the new House of Commons ? with 51 BME MPs elected compared to 41 in the last Parliament.



Sunder Katwala, director of independent think-tank British Future, said: The 2017 Parliament will be the most diverse ever, with 10 new ethnic minority MPs taking the total of non-white parliamentarians to 51. Thirty years on, that tells a positive story about integration since the breakthrough election of 1987.



Most of the new minority MPs will sit on the Labour benches. The Conservatives had hoped to build on progress made under David Cameron and even to edge ahead of Labour on minority representation. But instead they are once again left behind, after a disappointing night for Theresa May and a failure to select enough BME candidates.



The election also marked a success in terms of the number of women elected to Parliament, at 207 ? up from 197 in the 2015 general election.



Overall 32 per cent of MPs are women but there are significant variations between parties. For Labour the figure is 45 per cent, and 21 per cent for the Conservatives.



After the success of Women2Win in addressing gender balance, there are now calls from within the Tory party for similar structures to ensure a strong supply of minority candidates in the future, Katwala noted.



Among some of the prominent Indian-origin losses, Labour?s Dr Neeraj Patil ? the?former mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth ? lost to Justine Greening, the UKs education minister. He lost by a margin of?1,554 votes to Greening, who was defending her Conservative party stronghold.



Paul Uppal, who was expected to regain Wolverhampton South West for the Tories, also lost out to his Labour rival. Other Tory Indian-origin hopefuls - Rahoul Bhansali, Samir Jassal, Ameet Jogia, Resham Kotecha, Reena Ranger, Meera Sonecha and Minesh Talati - all lost out to Labour, as was predicted.



Among the remaining Labour party hopefuls - Rohit Dasgupta, Hitesh Tailor, Navin Shah, Navendu Mishra and Manjinder Kang - were also unable to make a dent and in most cases lost out to popular sitting MPs.



The Labour Party had selected 14 and Conservative 13 Indian-origin politicians as their parliamentary candidates. The Tories had come under attack for failing to put many in so-called winnable seats or in even in target seats, where the sitting MP had a small majority.



As the overall result of a hung Parliament in the UK polls becomes clear, the May led Conservative party looks set to end with 318 MPs as opposed to Jeremy Corbyn led Labours 262.

ALSO READ: UK election 2017: British PM Theresa May loses majority as UK votes for hung assembly, Brexit uncertainties ahead

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The Fox News host last night drew parallels between Silicon Valley's ban on Donald Trump and the way it suppressed laptop story ahead of general election

Trump was banned by Twitter and Facebook after riot on Capitol Hill which left five people dead. The claimed that the president had incited violence

Hannity said that emboldened by their gagging order on the leader of the free world, tech companies were now intent on a total purge of Trump's supporters

Sean Hannity has slammed Silicon Valley's censorship of conservatives as 'dangerous and chilling.'

The Fox News host last night drew parallels between Big Tech's ban on Donald Trump and the way it suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the general election.

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Trump was banned by Twitter and Facebook last week following riots on Capitol Hill which left five people dead. The tech companies claimed that the president had incited violence.

Hannity said that emboldened by their gagging order on the leader of the free world, tech companies were now intent on a total purge of Trump's supporters.

'These are scary times, shadow-banning, erasing all conservative thought, all conservative opinion, these are dangerous and chilling times,' the anchor said.

Sean Hannity last night warned that the salacious contents of Hunter Biden's laptop will 'shock the soul of this nation' and devastate the President-elect's family

The computer, which lacked basic security measures, allegedly contained the personal numbers of senior political figures plus compromising photos that appeared to be of Hunter receiving a sex act and smoking what appeared to be a crack pipe

In the weeks prior to Hunters appearance, Rudy Giuliani, President Trumps lawyer, allegedly obtained Hunters old laptop after it was reportedly left at a Delaware repair shop and never collected

WHAT THE HUNTER LAPTOP REVEALED Emails with Ukrainian businessman which suggested Joe may have met him when he was VP Hunter was taking money from the firm at the time and while unproven, the emails suggest the businessman met with Joe or had some contact with him. Ukrainian prosecutors who were going after the businessman then stopped Details of business deal in China which Hunter said would be 'interesting for his family' including 'the big guy' The deal was with China's leading energy company, CEFC China Energy. Over the course of multiple years, Hunter was paid $5m from them for, he says, investing in US energy projects Photos of Hunter smoking a crack pipe and 'sex an drug video' The laptop contained a trove of photos of Hunter, a recovering drug addict, intoxicated or high, asleep with a crack pipe in his mouth or posing embarrassingly in mirrors for selfies while wearing sunglasses. There was also an 11-minute 'sex and drug' video that has never been made public

Hannity described how in the weeks leading up to November 3, Twitter, Facebook, and others 'tried to banish, not let you see what turned out to be an accurate report from The New York Post about the salacious materials on Hunter Biden's laptop.'

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He said that it was impossible to place a monetary value on the colossal effect the suppression of the story had for the presidential candidate, Hunter's father.

At the time the story was dismissed as 'misinformation' by Democrats and the intelligence community who claimed that it stemmed from Russian election interference.

As well as homemade sex tapes and images which appear to show drug abuse, it is also alleged the laptop contains details of Hunter's business dealings with Ukraine and China.

But the contents of the computer, which is in the possession of the FBI, will blow Big Tech, the Democrats and Joe Biden out of the water, Hannity warned.

'Democrats, the media mob, Big Tech, buckle up,' he said. 'I have numerous, credible sources telling me the contents of this laptop will be devastating to the Bidens and the Democrats. I've been told it is beyond that bad.'

'We will see in the months ahead where all these groups stand on issues like law and order, impeachment,' Hannity said, 'and who knows, maybe even the 25th Amendment.'

Hannity said he was disturbed by the 'overwhelming support' among the media and liberals for the recent social media bans for the president and his supporters.

He pointed to the words of the American Civil Liberties Union, a body which called for the impeachment of Trump, but which has condemned the tech censorship.

In a recent statement ACLU senior legislative counsel Kate Ruane said: 'We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions  especially when political realities make those decisions easier.'

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Hannity also decried how Parler - a conservative-leaning alternative to Twitter - was removed from the internet, with Amazon pulling the site off its servers.

The tech giant claimed that it had done so because Parler was not doing enough to clamp down on violent rhetoric among its users.

The concerted action wiped millions off the company's value and, in addition to censorship, it raises grave fears over antitrust violations.

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to his supporters at the Save America Rally on the Ellipse on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 near the White House in Washington, D.C

Twitter and Facebook last week both suspended Trump's account, while online payment service Stripe said it would stop handling transactions on Trump's website following the riot in the Capitol.

Twitter also said that it had begun purging QAnon-linked accounts Friday, permanently suspending 'more than 70,000 accounts... with many instances of a single individual operating numerous accounts.

'These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service,' Twitter said in a blog post.

The far-right QAnon conspiracy theory claims Trump is waging a secret war against a global liberal cult of Satan-worshipping pedophiles.

Twitter said its decision to suspend Trump's account and others also factored in that plans for more armed protests have been proliferating on and off the service, including a proposed second attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17.

Parler, which launched in 2018, operates much like Twitter, with profiles to follow and 'parleys' instead of tweets.

In its early days, the platform attracted a crowd of ultraconservative and even extreme-right users. But more recently, it has signed up many more traditional Republican voices.

Trump supporters expressed outrage at the news the platform was being taken down.

Ahead of the shutdown, the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., complained that 'big tech has totally eliminated the notion of free speech in America.'

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The platform drew fierce criticism in 2018 when investigators found that the shooter who killed 11 people in an attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue had earlier posted anti-Semitic messages on the site.
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Election 2020 Calls For Myanmar Govt to Scrap Terrorist Label for Arakan Army

Arakan Army fighters. / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy

Sittwe, Rakhine State  A lawmaker from the Arakan National Party (ANP) submitted a proposal to the Rakhine State parliament on Monday, urging for the Arakan Army (AA) and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), to no longer be regarded as terrorist groups.

If permanent peace is to be built, the terrorist label must be removed as it poses obstacles to the peace process, said U Tun Tha Sein, who put forward the proposal.

The government declared the groups to be unlawful associations and terrorist organizations in March last year.

The AA on Nov. 12 called on Myanmars military and government to hold elections in parts of Rakhine State where voting in the Nov. 8 general election was canceled for security reasons. Within hours, Myanmars military welcomed the AAs request.

Guns have fallen silent since then and residents are having a peaceful life for the first time in more than two years, said U Tun Tha Sein.

There were clashes for nearly two years, but after the two sides issued statements, there has been no gunfire. And people can live peacefully and farmers can harvest their paddy until late at night. These are the benefits of the ceasefire, said the lawmaker.

U Kyaw Zaw Oo, the vice-chairman of Arakan Front Party and Rakhine State lawmaker for Sittwe Township, said the revocation of the AA status as a terrorist group is the precondition for the two sides to build peace.

Removing the ULA and AA from the terrorist group list is the first step in the peace process. Only after that step is taken, will we be able to move forward to further steps in solving the issues of Rakhine State. This is the view of our party, he told The Irrawaddy.

U Tun Aung Thein, a parliamentarian for Buthidaung Township, seconded the proposal and no one objected to the discussion.

The Tatmadaw (military) and AA are in discussion about how to hold elections in areas of Rakhine State where voting was canceled on Nov. 8.

Voting was not held in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Rathedaung, Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya and Myebon townships and parts of the state capital, Sittwe, Kyaukpyu and Taungup townships.

Translated from Burmese Thet Ko Ko

You may also like these stories:

Claiming Electoral Fraud, Myanmar Military and Proxy Party Calls Special Parliament Session

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It's a presidential visit to Texas that's been widely criticized, scrutinized, and for some, feared.

In his last presidential visit, President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Alamo, Texas on Tuesday in an attempt to mark the incomplete construction of his long-promised border wall. Despite facing a second impeachment for inciting insurrection on Jan. 6, Trump will arrive Tuesday morning in the Rio Grande Valley.

It's a move that has Texas on edge and tensions "running dangerously high," according to Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez.

"I urge both sides to keep passions in check because ultimately the Rio Grand Valley has a unique opportunity to demonstrate to the world that peaceful public discourse is more effective than public violence," Cortez tweeted ahead of the presidential visit.

TRUMP'S VISIT TO TEXAS: Should Trump head to Texas after facing impeachment for an insurrection?

Texas Rep. Vincente Gonzalez of McAllen also weighed in about Trump's visit.

"This is a time for good South Texas American pride to beam into our communities and to not allow ourselves to be used like an old rag by a modern day traitor," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez added that Texans should not be deceived about President Trump's motive for the trip.

"Don't be fooled: President Trump does not care about the people of South Texas, this country, or the rule of law," Gonzalez added. "This individual fomented an attack on the United States Capitol and American democracy."

Community activist group, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) sounded off, mobilizing a petition to cancel Trump's visit.

"Border communities rightly see his trip as an immediate threat to community safety and security," LUPE's Facebook post stated.

Sign our petition: lupenet.org/cancel President Trump will reportedly make a trip to the Rio Grande Valley this Tuesday... Posted by La Union del Pueblo Entero - LUPE on Sunday, January 10, 2021

What is most concerning is that after a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump decides to make an "optics" visit that has Texans rightfully concerned, according to University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus.

"It's a serious worry. I don't think we aren't going to see the same kind of organized violence that we saw in Washington, D.C.," Rottinghaus told Chron. "I think the violence we're likely to see will pop up in all sorts of places that weren't expected, and that's the real danger in the future."

Rottinghaus said that as long as Trump remains in the presidency, he has the potential to continue to fuel false claims of winning the presidential election.

"He's still president. He can still make these unsubstantiated claims which could potentially lead to violent outbreaks from his supporters," Rottinghaus said. "That threat is still very real as long as he is the president. "

During the Trump administration, taxpayers spent $12.7 billion on the border wall. It's anticipated that Trump will take credit for building 450 miles of the border wall during his visit. However, the border wall remains unfinished, with only less than 40 miles of newly constructed fence, Rottinghaus said.

"He can claim very little credit for the border wall," Rottinghaus said. "This was a presidential pet project. As a result, it was left mostly undone."



Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday and asked him to ensure the best medical treatment for Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, who was seriously injured after his car hit a tree in Ankola in Karnataka on Monday night. Naik's wife and an aide, who were travelling with him, succumbed to their injuries. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too spoke to Sawant and offered any assistance required, including air-lifting the minister, who is an MP from North Goa. Singh tweeted, "I am shocked and extremely saddened by the news of Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik being injured in a road accident. I spoke to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The state government is ensuring best treatment for Shripadji. I pray for the speedy recovery of Shripadji." Naik has been shifted to the Goa Medical College from a hospital in north Karnataka. The Goa CM directed the doctors of the medical college to ensure best treatment for the minister. Naik was travelling by car along with his wife and an aide in the north Kannada district as part of a private visit when his car overturned near Yallapura.




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Attempts by China, Russia to Undermine Britain Risk Igniting War, UK Defence Experts Warn

Action is needed to counter 'unconvential warfare' attacks

If unconventional warfare attacks on Britain from hostile adversaries such as China and Russia are not kept in check, this could lead to a conventional war, the head of the UKs armed forces said.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Nick Carter made the comments in a new Sky News podcast, Into the Grey Zone, published on Sunday, describing how theres a risk a shooting war could be triggered by the significant amount of activity which is below the threshold of what we would [normally] call war.

Under unconventional warfare, also known as unrestricted warfare, almost anything can be weaponized to undermine a target country.

Methods include using cyber tools against us, using disinformation into our society, in some areas using financial corruption, using organised crime to divide us, to weaken us, or to compete with us, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, also interviewed on the podcast, said.

Asked what will happen if Britain doesnt tackle the unconventional warfare threats Carter said, We might wake up one day and discover that we are in a police state and all of our freedoms have been denied us.

Without us noticing, he said, Our opponents will have found a way to unravel our democracy from inside.

And all without a shot being fired, Wallace added.

[Adversaries] know that if they can do all of those things, they might not have to commit a gun or a tank, he said.

And they will have done it using proxies, done it through cyber, done it through crippling an economy.

After that, if an enemy wanted to invade with its armoured brigade, then theres not much left to get in the way, Wallace said.

Uncontrollable State of War

Carter said the most worrying thing is the risk of Britain miscalculating the unconventional hostile attacks and allowing them to end up lighting a fuse.

Of course, if you look back over history, its those moments of miscalculation which often precipitate what ends up being an uncontrollable state of war. And thats the bit that we really, really have to watch, Carter said.

Former director of UK Special Forces Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb, also speaking to the podcast, said that Britain is neither in a state of peace nor war but sitting in this very dangerous place between.

I find the terms war and peace absolutely irrelevant. Everybody assumes we are in a peaceful statenothing could be further from the truth; we are in a warlike state, he said.

Undermining Society

To undo a democracy, you dont just go against the military  you work on all the other things  the warfare people cant find the word for, Lamb said.

This includes deliberately undermining confidence in the countrys economy through manipulation of the media and via the misuse of diplomacy, intelligence, and information channels, he said.

He also said adversaries use divide and rule, amplifying messages that sow division, doubts, or undermine respect for the country or leadership to separate parts of society from each other.

You separate the individuals within the country, and suddenly, in fact, now they are malleableso these things are absolutely under attack by others who wish to gain an advantage, Lamb said.

In a chilling analogy, Lamb said Britain is being slowly boiled like a frog and subjected over time to attacks that are more subtle and surreptitious than immediate conventional military attack.

Nevertheless, Britains enemies still have the same objectives.

Evoking Winston Churchills account of the run-up to World War II, Lamb likened the current state of unconventional warfare that Britain is in to a gathering storm.

This is not a case of a Cold War against China, this is not a new Cold War against Russia, this is the 1930s, he said.

He warned that if we merely try and accept that others would act in our best interest when they absolutely by design did not intend to, then dont be surprised if we end up in 1939and a world war which nearly killed this country and would have changed the global order as we know it.

Unrestricted Warfare

Unconventional or unrestricted warfare is a strategy crafted by two Chinese military colonels in the 1990s, which espouses using a series of unconventional tactics designed to accomplish the objectives of war without engaging in actual combat.

China has been strongly criticized for using such tactics. In one example, last year a Chinese database containing the personal information of 2.4 million people around the globe was leaked to Western media, offering a glimpse into the regimes vast data harvesting campaign targeting foreigners.

A reconstruction of just 10 percent of the database by an Australian cybersecurity firm named Internet 2.0 revealed that it included nearly 10,000 Britons. The database included records on people ranging from ordinary business professionals to naval officers and members of the British Royal family.

It also provided details on countries infrastructure, movements of military assets, and public opinion analysis.

Casey Fleming, CEO of intelligence and security strategy firm BlackOps Partners, said at the time that the intelligence gathered in the database was used to support the Chinese regimes unrestricted hybrid warfare operations. This includes espionage, covert overseas influence campaigns, and stealing foreign innovation and military technology.

The ultimate goal of this strategy, Fleming said, is to destroy democracy for the takeover of Chinese communism globally.

Cathy He contributed to this report.
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Representatives of social media firms, including Twitter, are and will always remain safe in India: IT Ministry.

Through its actions, deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India's legal system: IT Ministry.

Twitter attempting to dictate terms to world's largest democracy: IT Ministry.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 12) stayed the implementation of new farm laws till further orders, and decided to form a four-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmers' unions.

During the hearing in the apex court, when farmers' advocate ML Sharma said that farmers protesting on the borders of Delhi have complained that several people have come to discuss the issue of new farm laws but why didn't Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the meeting?

Chief Justice S A Bobde, who headed the top court bench headed, said, "We cannot ask the Prime Minister to come to the meeting, because he is not a party in this case." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta then said that Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is already holding talks with farmer unions as the matter is related to his department.

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The apex court formed the four-member committee to look into the farmers' grievances against the three laws. The four members of the committee are BKU president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Shetkeri Sangathana, Maharashtra president Anil Ghanwat, Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

The Supreme Court has also stayed the implementation of the three laws -- the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- against which several petitions have been filed challenging their constitutional validity.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.

Ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, and in light of last Wednesdays insurrection, when a mob of President Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol during the certification of electoral votes, Washington-area airports and hotels, as well as airlines that fly into the region, are tightening security measures.

Five people died as a result of the violence on Jan. 6. Members of Congress were evacuated from the Capitol, which was put under lockdown.

Anxiety about traveling to the nations capital, for many, hasnt been this high since 9/11. On Monday, the F.B.I. notified other law enforcement agencies of the potential for protests in the Washington area and in all 50 state capitals by far-right extremist groups. As of Monday about 6,000 National Guard troops from six states had already arrived in Washington in preparation for the inauguration; by this weekend, that number is expected to have grown to 15,000.

Travelers may notice additional law enforcement and canine presence, especially when events such as what we have just seen and the upcoming inauguration justify an increased security posture, said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration.
Alabamas largest county says it may begin offering the COVID vaccine to anyone over age 75 before the statewide rollout next week.

Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson said Monday that the county is working to vaccinate more of its health care workers in the next few days, but hopes to begin offering vaccine appointments to others soon.

We think were getting really close, Wilson said.

Frontline healthcare workers, some emergency responders and people living and working in nursing homes were given top priority in Alabamas vaccine rollout, but Wilson said Jefferson County is close to being ready to offer the vaccine to additional populations.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced last week that on Jan. 18, the state will begin offering the vaccine to anyone over 75 and any emergency first responders (law enforcement, firefighters) who were not included in the initial rounds of vaccination.

Wilson said Monday that Jefferson County may be able to offer the vaccine to those groups a few days earlier.

Well be in communication with various vaccination providers, such as our area hospitals this week, to see if it is possible to start vaccinating these two additional groups before January 18, Wilson said. Were not sure at this point whether were going to be ready to move before the 18th, but on the 18th, we will start vaccinating these two groups, again, those are people age 75 and older, and all first responders.

WIlson said the state, and county, are not yet ready to offer the vaccine to everyone included in Phase 1b of the states vaccine allocation plan. Phase 1b includes first responders and people over 75, but also teachers, childcare workers, food service workers, postal workers, and people living in congregate settings such as prisons or group homes.

Wilson said including people over 75 and first responders would add 46,000 people to the list for vaccination, so it may be some time before teachers or other essential workers included in Phase 1b can receive the vaccine.

We dont know how long it will take to get to that point but it could be a few more weeks before we get to those, Wilson said. It really depends on the supply of vaccine, which is still coming out in limited amounts.

More than 17,000 register for vaccine notification

The county launched a phone line and online registration service for people to sign up for notifications as to when they are eligible for the vaccine, which has gotten more than 17,000 combined requests, according to Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker, more than 13,500 through the web site and 3,500 by phone.

The online questionnaire asks for information about a persons age, occupation and health conditions, and the county will contact people when they are eligible to schedule an appointment.

Were keeping a list and keeping peoples contact information, so that we can circle back with them with opportunities to get the vaccine if they havent had it yet, Wilson said. The call center is not exactly an appointment center, but its a way just to help make sure people are linked to those entities that can schedule appointments.

Wilson said Jefferson County residents should call the Jefferson County hotline rather than the statewide hotline to reduce the flood of calls to the statewide call center.

The Jefferson County vaccine hotline number is 205-858-2221.

The statewide number is 1-855-566-5333.

Supplies the limiting factor

Wilson said the limiting factor was still supplies of vaccine doses, which are scheduled but not guaranteed.

We do not have a set guarantee how much vaccine well get say next week or the week after that, Wilson said. We request a certain amount, and then we may get all of that amount or we may get some subset of that because the state is allocating this you know through the entire state, multiple entities.

Thats just the nature of the beast, but thats what we have to do. We have to plan accordingly, and with a little bit of unpredictability at this point.

Wilson said there are still more people lining up to get the vaccine than vaccine doses available.

I just really ask everybody to be patient, he said. There is currently a limited supply of vaccine and a lot of people to vaccinate.

Its a big undertaking. Lots of logistics. Were going to have hiccups. But were going to work really hard to get there as fast as we can, so we can get enough people vaccinated to get out of this horrible situation we are in with this pandemic.
Government Confirms Death with COVID-19

The Government has said it is saddened to confirm the death of a resident of Elderly Residential Services related to COVID-19.

The resident was a man aged 95  100 years old, who died last night of old age. The resident had tested positive for COVID-19 on 3rd January 2021, although COVID-19 was not the cause of death. Government have confirmed this will be reported in todays statistics as a death with COVID-19.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: The loss of any member of our community for any reason is extremely saddening and my thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased. Although COVID-19 was not the cause of death, it is heart breaking that this individual was also positive for COVID-19 in their final days.

The rollout of Gibraltars vaccination programme brings us a significant step closer to being reunited with our loved ones, but we must not become complacent. Even if you have received a vaccine, please remember that immunity can take weeks to develop, and you must continue to take every precaution. Stay home, wear a mask, wash your hands, and call 111 if you develop any symptoms.
NORWALK  A new policy for signs posted on a community fence in the heart of Rowayton is undergoing another change, just days before residents are set to vote on it.

The Sixth Taxing District announced on Monday the vote will now be limited to two choices, days after announcing a third option.

The first option would keep the fences regulations as is, meaning signs would be allowed for a two-week period, the Sixth Taxing District would need to be alerted when a sign is hung, and the messages could not be political in nature.

The second, which was added last week, would keep the rules regulating signs the same as the first option, except it would also allow a Black Lives Matter sign to remain on the fence for up to a year.

In an email to residents, Commissioner Tammy Langalis said the third option, which would allow residents to hang signs for local announcements, events, promotions and supportive statements or creative expressions of human rights, was removed at the request of Rob Pratt, a resident who had run point on a crowdsourced effort to refashion the regulation.

The decision to change the ballot comes just two days before residents are set to vote.

Residents are scheduled to vote in person on Jan. 13 in the courtyard of the Rowayton Community Center at 33 Highland Ave. Commissioners said the vote will be held in a socially distanced manner.

All residents who wish to vote must be registered voters in Norwalk. Those who would prefer not to vote in person are asked to contact Andrea Woodworth, the Sixth Taxing District clerk, at awoodworth@rowayton6td.com.

The vote was prompted by a controversy that began in June when a group of Rowayton residents hung the BLM banner on the fence.

For years, the Sixth Taxing District has allowed the community to post signs on the Old School Field fence, located at the corner of Witch Lane and Rowayton Avenue, for a two-week period. Residents often leave messages there congratulating high school students on graduation, wishing children happy birthday and posting signs for neighborhood gatherings.

But in less than a month, the groups sign was twice vandalized and once stolen.

Then in July, the Sixth Taxing District Commission asked that the sign be taken down, citing complaints from residents claiming it was political and had been allowed to stay up for longer than two weeks.

But in late October the commission reversed course and allowed the sign to return. Days later, a Back the Blue banner appeared feet away, sparking a second wave of controversy.

Within a week, the Sixth Taxing District asked that all signs be removed from the fence as commissioners examined possible rules changes. Langalis said this move was prompted by a request from the community group behind the BLM sign.
The infants graveyard at Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Tipperary, which was mother and baby home operated by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary from 1930 to 1970. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Weve seen the Philomena movie, most of us  yet all can still see, dotted around the country, the dripping stone-clad exteriors of the remaining Mother and Baby Homes, mute edifices to a gigantic indifference. And mass death.

It was Tuam that caused another commission to be set up to catalogue our past horrors.

And five years later it left the Taoiseach holding the report.

Answering for past generations and all arms of State, with the Church nowhere to be seen.

Read More

Micheal Martin was even asked to apologise on behalf of Fianna Fail, and cavilled at that despite the strangely strong bond between politically-dominant Dev and Catholic Archbishop John Charles McQuaid.

Yet Micheal did not fail the test.

I would draw a distinction between religiosity and Christianity, he said. The Church had perpetuated a perverse morality that undermined the value of every human being.

Mother and Baby Homes were established for the express purpose of protecting people, the Taoiseach noted. Instead the opposite happened  you had a reduced chance of survival. A vivid illustration of twisted values.

He spoke of the repeated efforts documented in the report aimed at getting an incompetent Mother Superior out of the running of the Bessborough home, which were blocked by the Bishop in Micheals native Cork.

At this press conference, at last, were four women and two men on the platform. The signers worked mutely, their openness and inclusivity contrasting the silent and pernicious undercurrents that transmitted tyrannical attitudes to almost everyone in old Ireland.

Anne Rabbitte, minister of state for children, passionately told how she was battling deep anger at what she read  including a bitter remark on a teenager giving birth: Another little piglet in the world.

What in heavens name had we become?

Never again.
The FBI has warned of armed protests being planned for Washington and all 50 U.S. state capitals in the run-up to President-elect Joe Bidens Jan. 20 inauguration, a federal law enforcement source said on Monday.

Threatened with more violence from outgoing President Donald Trumps supporters following last Wednesdays storming of the U.S. Capitol, the FBI issued warnings for next weekend that run at least until Inauguration Day, the source said.

In other steps to safeguard the U.S. capital, the National Guard was authorized to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington, and tourists were barred from visiting the Washington Monument until Jan. 24.

The chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel Hokanson, told reporters he expected about 10,000 troops in Washington by Saturday to help provide security, logistics and communications.

He said the number could rise to 15,000 if requested by local authorities.

At least one lawmaker asked the Pentagon to do more.

Senator Chris Murphy, who said he was sending a letter to the acting secretary of defense on Monday, said it was unclear if the National Guard would be sufficient to protect the nations capital and that active-duty troops may be needed also.

Im not afraid of taking the oath outside, Biden told reporters in Newark, Delaware, referring to the traditional setting for the swearing-in ceremony on the Capitol grounds.

But he said it was critically important that people who engaged in sedition and threatened peoples lives, defaced public property, caused great damage be held accountable.

Bidens inaugural committee said on Monday the theme of the Jan. 20 ceremony would be America United.

Trump, who has sought unsuccessfully to overturn the Nov. 3 election results with false claims of widespread fraud, said last week he would not attend the ceremony, a decision the president-elect supported.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden walks into the Queen Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., January 10, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Washington monument closed to tours

The Park Service said it would suspend tours of the Washington Monument, an obelisk honoring the countrys first president, due to safety concerns from threats to disrupt the inauguration.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called for the U.S. Interior Department to cancel public-gathering permits through Jan. 24.

This inaugural planning period has to be very different than all the others, she told reporters on Monday.

In a letter to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf made public on Sunday, Bowser called for a fresh approach to security after what she called last weeks unprecedented terrorist attack.

Bowser asked Wolf to extend the National Special Security Event period from Monday through Jan. 24.

The Secret Service heads security operations for events, including presidential inaugurations, considered to be nationally significant.

Wolf said in a statement he had instructed the Secret Service to begin National Special Security Event operations for the inauguration effective Wednesday, instead of Jan. 19 as previously scheduled.

The acting secretary told his staff he was stepping down on Monday.

The assault on the Capitol, challenging the certification of Bidens election victory, sent lawmakers into hiding and left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

Dozens of people have been charged in the violence and hundreds of more cases are expected.

The assault occurred shortly after Trump urged supporters to march on the Capitol during a rally where he repeated false claims his resounding defeat in Novembers election was illegitimate.

Democrats in Congress began a push on Monday to force Trump from office, introducing an article of impeachment that accuses him of inciting insurrection.

The presidential inaugural committee and Bowser have told Americans not to travel to the inauguration, and said Washingtons National Mall would be covered with 191,500 flags of different sizes, to represent the missing crowds.

A presidential inauguration traditionally draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Washington, but the ceremonies have been scaled back dramatically because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In state capitols, governors are on high alert ahead of the inauguration.

In Wisconsin, a swing state where Trump alleged election fraud, Governor Tony Evers authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to support the states Capitol Police.

In Michigan, another swing state where Bidens victory was contested by Trump, the states Capitol Commission, which oversees the legislature, issued an order to ban the open carrying of weapons inside the Capitol building in Lansing.
MUMBAI: Morgan Stanley has appointed new heads for its Indian investment banking unit, promoting its senior bankers Kamal Yadav and Sachin Wagle to the role of co-heads of India Investment Banking, said a person aware of the development.

Yadav and Wagle will be responsible for client coverage and management of the investment banking business in India, the person said.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Yadav joined the firm in 1999 and has been instrumental in building Morgan Stanleys India banking franchise over the past 21 years, while Wagle joined Morgan Stanley in 2000. He had been heading the firms global capital markets practice since 2014.

The firm has also announced that Sanjay Shah will be the country head in India. He was the India co-head along with Aisha de Sequeira since 2013. Shah had joined Morgan Stanley as an associate in 1996 in the institutional equities division. He was promoted to managing director in 2005.

These changes follow the passing away of Sequeira, one of the few top women investment bankers in the country, last month. She was undergoing treatment for cancer.

The firm has also promoted Samarth Jagnani to the role of head of India, global capital markets. Jagnani joined the firm in 2007.

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About 79 per cent of Nigerian farmers were estimated to have been affected by the ravaging effects of drought and flooding in 2020, a survey conducted in seven states of the country has shown.

The analysis by SBMIntel, an Africa focused research firm, revealed that the harvests of 26.3 per cent of Nigerian farmers were greatly affected by extreme weather conditions.

It said 52.60 per cent were somewhat affected and a fifth (21.1 per cent) were not affected by drought and flooding in the year under review.

The survey, titled: Nigerians just want to eat and published this month, chronicled the major challenges bedevilling Nigerian farmers and food transporters which are capable of impeding national food security.

Survey

Data for the survey were sampled from seven Nigerian states, namely; Nasarawa, Osun, Benue, Oyo, Katsina, Ogun and Lagos.

Of the seven states surveyed, the report noted that the majority of the respondents (farmers) had their farms in the South-west States (73.7 per cent)Lagos (36.8 per cent ), Oyo (21.1 per cent ) and Ogun (15.8 per cent ) .

Meanwhile, 10.5 per cent of the respondents had their farms in Benue and the remaining 15.9 per cent were equally distributed between Nasarawa, Osun and Katsina states respectively.

The farmers surveyed were mostly crop farmers who grew a wide range of staples with fruits, vegetables, cassava and maize farmers in the majority, the report noted.

Scourge

According to the survey, extreme climatic events such as flooding and drought witnessed in some states within the country triggered the negative effects being noticed on the prices of staple foods.

It said flooding in Nigeria was experienced in the north, mostly in states like Bauchi, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara, and some parts of Kwara.

In fact, in Kebbi alone, 500,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed by flooding, with the cost being upward of N5 billion, the report said.

Also, it stated that the problem that faced farmers in the South-western region was the lack of rainfall experienced during the mid-planting season last year.

Last year, the August break actually began in early July and lasted through till the end of August. This prevented the planting of maize, cassava and cash crops like cocoa, the survey added.

According to the survey, more than half of the farmers engaged had no irrigation system, even when they believed that it will help greatly in their farming endeavours.

It said 57.90 per cent of the respondents said they do not own any irrigation system that could help complement the absence of rainfall when asked if they have, only 42.10 per cent had.

However, about 94.7 per cent of the respondents agreed to a large extent that an irrigation system would help their farming system while 10.5 per cent said it would only help to a small extent and 5.3 per cent said to no extent, it added.

The survey said most farmers are getting discouraged over their inability to own irrigation systems or the technology of Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) to support crops during adverse weather conditions.

Recommendations

In order to mitigate the challenges being faced by these farmers and food transporters, the report recommends that both state and federal governments adopt wider irrigation systems and as well facilitate the provision of early maturing and drought-resistant crop varieties.

ADVERTISEMENT

Switching to climate-smart agriculture is the best way to guard against crop failure and poor yields, the survey reads in part.

The report said respondents asked the government to fix access roads and provide adequate transportation that is cheap, effective and efficient.

An efficient rail system will reduce the cost of transporting farm produce to the markets and improve food security. Security remains paramount followed by access to land and irrigation infrastructure, the report quoted the farmers to have said.
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
A movie director who trained in Hollywood has told Ben Fogle how he turned his back on city life to become a farmer and horseback touring guide in a remote part of Iceland.

Father-of-three Denni Karlsson, 50, welcomes Ben Fogle to the farm he refurbished in the Eastern Highlands of Iceland on tonight's New Lives in the Wild at 9pm on Channel 5.

The farmer and guesthouse owner, who offers horseback tours of Iceland, studied at the American Film Institute of Los Angeles and was an independent film maker until 2013 when he took over the derelict farmhouse.

Denni, who is separated from his ex-wife, who lives with his seven-year-old twin daugthers four hours away, and shares a 20-year-old daughter with another former partner, says he never feels lonely on his farm, thanks to nature.

Ben is shocked when he reaches his destination, in the Icelandic wilderness, and Denni greets him by asking him to jump on a wooden chariot suspended over rapids.

Ben Fogle visits film director turned farmer Denni Karlsson, 50, in the Eastern Highlands of Iceland on tonight's New Lives in the Wild, at 9pm, on Channel 5

In order to access Denni's farmhouse, Ben has to be pulled in a wooden chariot suspended over rapids (pictured)

In order to access the farmhouse, Ben has to trust Denni as he pulls two cords to bring the chariot closer to the edge of a small cliff.

Ben is then finally treated to a tour of Denni's farmhouse, which he spent seven years renovating.

The farm houses Denni's living quarters, as well as guest dorms for tourists and a museum.

Denni proudly tells Ben he and his ex-wife refurbished the farm with traditional materials and building methods, in order to keep it as authentic as possible.

Denni, pictured, likes to bathe in a waterfall near his farm. He says he never feels lonely when he is in nature

The farm owner was raised on the island and would visit his aunt and uncle's farm every summer, helping with their horses and herding sheep.

But at 22, motivated by his love of movies, which was born out of helping out his projectionist dad unroll films in the local theatre, Denni went to study at the prestigious American Film Institute, in Los Angeles, which counts Terrence Malick among its alumni.

After graduating, Denni became a director and released several films, but his love of nature and Iceland brought him back to the Highlands.

The filmmaker keft his life behind to refurbish the farm, and now uses is as a base for horseback tours of the mountains around

Ben says he is intrigued to learn more about his host, pictured, who seemed reserve, but has strong opinions

In 2013, the took over the farm, planning to fix it up with his ex-wife. The dwelling has heating and hot water as well as electricity.

The couple spent years dedicating their time to their shared vision of what the farmhouse could be, but in 2017, they split up, and the unnamed partner moved away, taking their daughters with her.

Ben is keen to learn more about his host, who he says 'seems to be a bit of everything.'

Denni is separated from his wife, who lives four hours away with their twin daughters, who are seven

Ben, pictured, is impressed by Denni's farmhouse and the dramatic way it needs to be accessed by

'I'm quite intrigued by Denni,' Ben says. 'He's very Icelandic, he's got that Icelandic look: a little bit hipster, quite cool. But what he's created here is a throwback to a different century,' he adds.

'I cant really work out if it is a museum, if he is a farmer, I'm definitely intrigued and I've never stayed anywhere quite like this.'

While the two men are smoking trout, Denni explains he wants to 'hold on to the legacy' of his ancestors, to 'tell their stories' so they don't get forgotten.

Ben notes: 'he's deeply respectful of the past. Though he's quite reserved, he has very strong opinions, a streak of perfectionism, which I think comes from filmmaking.'

Denni's daughters come to visit and his takes the whole family and Ben on a horseback ride to go heard sheep with the rest of the community

Denni says he likes how rough the scenery around the farmhouse is. He;s been living there for the past seven years

'I feel like I'm living film set right now,' he adds.

With Ben keen to find out how rooted in nature Denni is, the two men discuss the farmer's upbringing.

'When I was a kid we'd come here every summer, herding sheep,' Denni says.

He explains he was drawn to the world of filmmaking thanks to his father, who worked at the local cinema, and whom he would help from time to time.

But he says city living was 'very aggressive,' which led him to accept a local farmer's offer to take over the house and fix it up.

'I was always interested in visual things. The passion for this area and telling the story made it worth it,' he says.

Denni takes Ben on a horseback tour and shows him the plateau surrounding the valley where he is working on refurbishing old huts into pods where tourists can stay.

'It's not a pretty place but it's quite graphic and rough and it has its beauty,' he tells Ben.

While impressed by the beautiful scenery of the Icelandic highlands, Ben explains he wonders whether Denni gets lonely, and assumes he misses his daughters more than he shows.

Denni with his older daugther Sofia, 20, and his seven-year-old twins on an Iceland horse, near the farm house

'It's a very quite place here and I wonder whether he ever gets lonely [...] he did live here with family at one point,' he tells the camera.

The three girls come to visit, which gives Ben a chance to see Denni as a father.

Speaking to Ben, Denni admits he misses his daughters, but makes the most of their time together when he can.

'You always miss your kids when they are not around, but we have some days together, either here or somewhere else, so we make the best out of it,' he says.

As the family takes Ben herding sheep, an event which takes place yearly on the highlands and bring all the inhabitants together, Ben finally understands that Denni offers an unique experience for his daughters.

'For me as a father, I would love my kids to see this and feel part of something and it's exactly what he's had, ever since he was a small boy,' Ben says.

Before Ben leaves, Denni takes him to a waterfall and they both bathe in the water. The farmer says there is nothing that can match the beautiful nature that surrounds his farm.

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. More categories of residents will be able to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus infection in Moscow from January 13, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday.

On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, registration for vaccination will begin for employees of the following economic sectors: research and development; information technologies; telecommunications; social services provided by private and non-profit organizations (staff of the city-run social services had an opportunity to get inoculated in early December); real estate management and transactions; hotels, travel agencies and other organizations offering services in the travel sector, Sobyanin wrote on his blog.

Apart from that, according to the Moscow mayor, 30 more vaccination centers will open in Moscow on January 14 to bring the total number of such centers up to 100.

Moscows authorities plan to vaccinate from six to seven million city dwellers against COVID-19. It is not ruled out that an issue of giving privileges to those vaccinated against the coronavirus infection could be looked at. The mayor promised that when the vaccination campaign was over it would be possible to lift the coronavirus lockdown.

The anti-COVID vaccination campaign kicked off in Moscow on December 5. People can register for vaccination via the internet.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is protesting against the decision of the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation dated January 12 to convict citizens of Ukraine Ayder Dzhapparov, Enver Omerov and Riza Omerov in the case of the so-called Belogorsk "Hizb ut-Tahrir case" on charges of "organizing and participating in the activities of a terrorist organization and the violent seizure and retention of power."

In a statement released on the agency's website on Tuesday, the decision of the Russian court was called "shameful," and the charges against three Ukrainian citizens were fabricated.

"They were illegally detained on the territory of the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea by the power structures of the occupation administration of the Russian Federation on June 10, 2019 and, in violation of international law, were transferred to the territory of Russia in Rostov-on-Don. The pretrial investigation and trial took place with numerous procedural violations and in conditions of complete disregard for the evidence provided by the defense that the accused were not involved in the incriminated actions, which indicates the political motivation of the decision," the Foreign Ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry said that Enver Omerov was sentenced to 18 years, Ayder Dzhapparov to 17 years, Riza Omerov to 13 years of imprisonment in high security penal colonies.

"These sentences are yet another proof of the use of the Russian judicial system, which has nothing to do with justice, to continue the policy of persecuting the Crimean Tatars and suppressing any signs of dissent in the occupied Crimea," First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands from the Russian Federation to cancel the court decision and immediately release all three convicts, as well as all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry also called on the international community to condemn the use of political persecution by the Russian Federation against the citizens of Ukraine, as well as to increase political and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation in order to release the illegally detained Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.
The Condor PEA will focus on the Northern Epithermal Area and will include the Camp, Soledad, Cuyes and Enma deposits. The scoping work calls for advancing the Camp deposit as an underground operation to be codeveloped with open pits at the other three deposits. The study will evaluate an industry standard gravity and CIL circuit to process gold and silver into a dore product. Plant throughputs of 10,000 to 25,000tpd will be studied to identify the optimum mining rates. Luminex drilled two metallurgical test holes at Los Cuyes in late 2020; sample analysis will add to existing metallurgical results and help determine the metal recoveries used in the PEA.

Holes CC20-33, CC20-36, CC20-37 and SO20-06 from the 2020 campaign were drilled as a fence that extended the southeastern extent of the steeply dipping 80-130m wide slab of mineralized rock that comprises the Camp deposit. Holes CC20-34 and CC20-35 tested surface rock chip anomalies that may be a northwest splay or fault offset of the Camp deposit and further exploration is required in this area. All holes encountered gold bearing zones on strike from the Camp deposit with higher grades tending to occur over narrower thicknesses. Holes CC20-36, CC20-37 as well as SO20-06 intersected multiple zones of mineralization such as 4 meters of 7.05 g/t gold in CC20-37 and 1.3 meters of 9.9 g/t gold in SO20-06 leaving the Camp deposit open to the southeast and to depth.

The exploration model for the Northern Epithermal Area is being refined with results from an extensive mapping and structural geology study that was finalized in December last year. Updated geological modelling work will be incorporated into the PEA.

Table 1: Drill hole results.

Hole Azimuth / Dip

(degrees) / Depth

(m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) True Width (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Zinc (%) CC20-33 30, -45, 196 m No significant Intersections  hole lost short of target.

















CC20-34 30, -45, 410 m 177.0 178.0 1.0 0.7 5.36 48.5 3.00

















CC20-35 210, -45, 301 m 17.0 18.0 1.0 0.9 5.14 10.4 0.04

















CC20-36 210, -65, 318 m 51.0 52.0 1.0 0.5 2.20 4.8 0.48 And

117.0 118.0 1.0 0.6 4.35 29.9 1.08 And

165.9 166.7 0.8 0.6 2.41 97.4 6.62

















CC20-37 210, -50, 505 m 340.0 342.0 2.0 1.6 2.35 21.1 1.36 And

348.0 349.0 1.0 0.8 2.63 47.1 3.97 And

353.0 354.0 1.0 0.9 19.5 97.1 4.59 And

365.0 367.0 2.0 1.4 5.59 15.9 1.54 And

440.0 444.0 4.0 3.5 7.05 41.2 2.20 And

462.0 463.0 1.0 0.9 4.80 23.6 2.35

















SO20-06 210, -70, 631 m 130.0 131.0 1.0 0.6 2.49 5.9 0.96 And

133.0 134.0 1.0 0.6 2.46 7.2 1.32 And

153.0 154.0 1.0 0.5 6.80 63.0 4.88 And

326.0 328.7 2.7 0.7 3.71 26.1 1.04 And

347.0 348.0 1.0 0.2 7.61 73.6 4.33 And

360.0 361.0 1.0 0.5 4.14 88.0 2.03 And

412.0 413.0 1.0 0.5 2.74 39.0 3.72 And

474.0 475.0 1.0 0.6 4.34 17.1 1.30 And

482.0 483.0 1.0 0.7 5.91 40.1 3.51 And

497.7 499.0 1.3 0.8 9.90 3.2 0.40 And

502.0 503.0 1.0 0.6 3.58 7.4 0.54 And

517.0 518.0 1.0 0.8 5.10 18.4 0.86 And

569.0 571.0 2.0 1.0 3.15 25.4 0.64

Intervals calculated using a lower limit of 2.0 g/t Au with a maximum inclusion of up to four continuous metres below cut-off and the highest gold, silver and zinc values used in the reported weighted averages are 19.05 g/t Au, 97.4 g/t Ag and 6.62% zinc.



Quality Assurance

All Luminex sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality assurance / quality control protocol which includes the insertion of blind standards, blanks as well as pulp and rejection of duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at Luminex's core handling facility located at the Condor property. Drill core is diamond sawn on site and half drill-core samples are securely transported to ALS Laboratories' ("ALS") sample preparation facility in Quito, Ecuador. Sample pulps are sent to ALS's lab in Lima, Peru for analysis where gold content is determined by fire assay of a 50-gram charge with ICP finish. In the future all samples from the Camp deposit area grading greater than 0.5 g/t gold will be re-analyzed via the metallic-screen technique.

Silver and other elements are also determined by ICP methods. Over-limit samples assaying greater than 10 g/t gold and 100 g/t silver are re-analyzed by ALS using screen fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Luminex is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. ALS is independent of Luminex.

Qualified Persons

Leo Hathaway, P. Geo, Senior Vice President Exploration of Luminex and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed, verified and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release and has verified the data underlying that scientific and technical information.

Notes

See the Condor National Instrument 43-101 technical report with an effective date of March 4, 2020 on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and Luminex's website (www.luminexresources.com) for more details on the mineral resource estimate.

About Luminex Resources

Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV:LR,OTCQX:LUMIF) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on gold and copper projects in Ecuador. Luminex's inferred and indicated mineral resources are located at the Condor Gold-Copper project in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. Luminex also holds a large and highly prospective land package in Ecuador, including the Tarqui and Pegasus projects, which are being co-developed with BHP Group plc and Anglo American respectively.

Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminexresources.com/.

To receive news releases please sign up at https://www.luminexresources.com/contact/contact-us/.



LUMINEX RESOURCES CORP.



Signed: "Marshall Koval"

Marshall Koval, CEO and Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to the scope, content and inputs of the PEA, including the evaluation of an industry standard gravity and CIL circuit to process gold and silver, the study of various plant throughputs to identify the optimum mining rates, the refinement of the exploration model for the Northern Epithermal Area and the incorporation of updated geological modelling work into the PEA and the advancement of the Camp deposit as an underground operation to be codeveloped with open pits at the other three deposits, the re-analysis of all future samples from the Camp deposit area grading greater than 0.5 g/t gold via the metallic-screen technique, and the timing for completion of the PEA. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur or be achieved.

With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting mining concessions); and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Luminex Resources Corp.
(Newser)  The Trump administration on Monday redesignated Cuba as a "state sponsor of terrorism," hitting the country with new sanctions that could hamstring President-elect Joe Biden's promise to renew relations with the communist-governed island nation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the step, the AP reports. He cited in particular Cuba's continued harboring of US fugitives and its refusal to extradite a coterie of Colombian guerrilla commanders, as well as its support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The designation is one of several last-minute foreign policy moves that the Trump administration is making before Biden takes office. Removing Cuba from the blacklist had been one of former President Barack Obama's main foreign policy achievements as he sought better relations with its government, an effort endorsed by Biden as his vice president. Ties had been essentially frozen after Fidel Castro took power in 1959.

story continues below

Trump has sought to reverse many of Obama's decisions involving Cuba, rolling back many of the sanctions that Obama had eased or lifted after the restoration of full diplomatic relations in 2015. Since Trump took office, after a campaign that attacked Obama's moves to normalize relations, ties have been increasingly strained. The Trump administration has also suggested that Cuba may have been behind or allowed alleged sonic attacks that left dozens of US diplomats in Havana with brain injuries starting in late 2016. However, few US allies believe Cuba remains a sponsor of international terrorism, quibbling with either the definition based on the support for Maduro or outright rejecting American claims that Cuban authorities are bankrolling or masterminding international terrorist attacks. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump's move would not help the Cuban people and seeks only to tie the hands of the Biden administration.

(Read more Cuba stories.)
Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West have been reportedly headed for divorce. Though they had a tough 2020, fans are still wondering what exactly it was that caused the deterioration of the celebrity couple. Now, reports have come out that Keeping Up With the Kardashians may have had something to do with the couples demise.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West | Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images

Kanyes Twitter rant

2020 was especially hard for many people. But Kanyes run for presidency put an added strain on his relationship. After he admitted at a rally that he and Kim almost aborted their oldest daughter North, he took to Twitter to call his wife out.

Kim tried to bring a doctor to lock me up with a doctor, he tweeted before deleting the post. If I get locked up like Mandela Yall will know why.

Kim was trying to fly to Wyoming with a doctor to lock me up like on the movie Get Out because I cried about saving my daughters life yesterday, he wrote in a follow-up tweet.

He even alleged that he had been trying to divorce Kim for months.

I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the [Waldorf] for prison reform, he wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

Later, Kim took to her Instagram story to defend Kanye and remind fans that he has bipolar disorder and to ask people to show him empathy and compassion.

JUST DROPPED: @SKIMS Body Basics. Give new life to your top drawer with breathable, crisp cotton foundations. Shop Body Basics now in 7 styles, 5 colors, and sizes XXS  4X at https://t.co/Qsy51Sl2Sd and enjoy free shipping on domestic orders over $75. pic.twitter.com/mYrZ0laL7o  Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 5, 2021

RELATED: Kim Kardashian West Spotted Without Her Wedding Ring Amid Divorce Rumors

Kim and Kanye are headed for divorce

Things reportedly havent been great between Kim and Kanye for some time.

Kim and Kanye are in counseling and exploring their options, a source recently told People. They have been working on their marriage for a long time, but no decision has been made.

The counseling hasnt been working and according to sources, Kanye thinks Kim is done with the marriage.

He knows that shes done, a source told the outlet of Kanye. She has had enough, and she told him that she wants some space to figure out her future.

Hes OK, the source continued. Hes sad, but OK. He knows the inevitable will happen, and he knows that its coming soon.

Was KUWTK also a problem?

Though the Twitter rant may have been one of the first big clues to the public that the relationship was ending, Keeping Up With the Kardashians was also reportedly a big reason for issues within their relationship.

Kanye has never been into doing the show, the constant paparazzi or the cameras and he and Kim had that understanding, but that was a big thing theyd fight about for years, a source told HollywoodLife.

He really helped her with her fashion career and the choices she was making, the source continued. He really feels he helped make her a fashion icon and she does give him credit where credit is due.

Join the waitlist now at https://t.co/Qsy51Sl2Sd to receive early access to shop. pic.twitter.com/1ZRbcjwqS6  Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 11, 2021

Kanye has only made a few appearances on KUWTK, which was a big part of Kims life for over a decade.

Kim has felt for years that she has had Kanyes back, but he hasnt had hers, the source continued.

Neither Kim or Kanye has officially filed for divorce, but Kim has been posting pictures to social media sans wedding ban.
[January 11, 2021]

Forest Interactive Releases Inaugural Whitepaper on Digital Connectivity, 5G Connections, and Mobile Economy

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Forest Interactive releases its inaugural whitepaper on digital connectivity, 5G connections, and the mobile economy in selected regions, providing an overview of the telecommunications industry in 2020 and delving into forecasts up till 2025.

Titled "2020 Telecommunications Industry Roundup", Forest Interactive's 2020 whitepaper provides crucial insights, delving into the following key elements:

Significance of digital connectivity in an ever-changing world

Worldwide 5G rollouts in 2020

Technological developments contributing to 5G's expected success

Use case of 5G's implementation in business operations

Record boosts in social media, digital marketing, and streaming services

Effects on mobile gaming due to widespread lockdown

Featuring market projections and interviews with key industry players, the whitepaper sheds light on current challenges and proposes next steps to navigate the mobile industry's evolving landscapes and the new age of digital connectivity.

"The world we live in today is changing quikly with widespread COVID-19 impacts on consumers, businesses, and communities. This situation has magnified the crucial role that the telecommunications industry plays in keeping businesses, governments, and societies connected and running. This whitepaper summarizes challenges that the industry has been confronted with and illustrates the importance of building network infrastructures and improving digital connectivity to anticipate the 5G era," said Johary Mustapha, CEO of Forest Interactive.







Download the whitepaper in English / Spanish now.

About Forest Interactive (as of January 2021)

Forest Interactive develops scalable mobile platforms that enable mobile operators and content providers to build enriched customer experiences with highly-customizable and easy-to-use platforms. With over a decade of industry experience, Forest Interactive has expanded to include a workforce of 27 nationalities in 17 regional offices and 39 operating countries, providing innovative and comprehensive solutions to over 90 mobile operators and over 120 content partners with the capacity to reach 1.3 billion subscribers worldwide.

Visit forest-interactive.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:

Basir Zainuddin

basir@forest-interactive.com

Forest Interactive Press Bureau

+60-3-2162-2728

newsroom@forest-interactive.com

SOURCE Forest Interactive
Dont be distracted by President Trumps Tuesday visit to Texas.

Dont be fooled into believing a White House spokesman who claimed this hurried trip to Hidalgo County is to mark a promise made, promise kept  and his Administrations efforts to reform our broken immigration system.

Trump didnt keep the promise. After four years, the big, beautiful wall he promised from sea to shining sea includes a grand total of 30 new miles. And news flash: Mexico didnt pay for it.

More importantly, though, Trumps scurry to the Lone Star State is a blatant attempt to distract from the violent insurrection his dishonest and hate-filled rhetoric helped incite. Its a stunt to draw attention away from an impeachment effort on Capitol Hill, the very place a horde of his fanatical supporters stormed last week. Five people died, including a Capitol police officer.

Trump seeks to use our conservative state, which he won in November with 52 percent of the vote, as a backdrop to lend a veil of normalcy to the last days of his failed presidency.

Its the basest kind of political theater  and its not welcome. Dont bring your mess to Texas, President Trump. This state may be red but its nobodys sanctuary city.

Along the border, community organizers are protesting the trip and have created a petition drive urging local officials to refuse to cooperate with Trump and to cancel his dangerous stunt. The Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe also started a Change.org petition seeking to keep Trump off their ancestral land, saying he believes insurrection, treason, sedition are ways of life.

Even Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, certainly no profiles in courage when it comes to challenging Trump, have chosen to stay away. Neither will join Trump at the border; opting instead to be in Austin for the first day of the Legislature. Patrick, who skipped opening day in 2019 when Trump summoned him to the White House, has condemned the pro-Trump rioters, even decrying the myth of Antifa involvement, but minimized the presidents role.

Texas Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, a Democrat whose district includes part of Alamo, however, minced no words about Trumps visit. This is a time for good ol South Texas American pride to beam into our communities and to not allow ourselves to be used like an old rag by a modern day traitor, Gonzalez said.

Trumps visit is a con mans shell game  and we musnt play along. We cant let it overshadow the horrific events of the Jan. 6 insurrection, when pro-Trump rioters staged the first occupation of the U.S. Capitol since it was torched by British troops during the War of 1812.

Hold on to these bone-chilling images: A ravenous mob dragging a police officer out of the building and beating him with crutches and a pole carrying the U.S. flag. Another officer screaming in agony as the red-hatted throngs crushed him in a doorway. Rioters rushing through the hallowed halls of the Capitol shouting Hang Pence and Hang Pelosi. Shattered windows. Broken doors. Feces smeared on walls. A placard honoring the civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis trampled and destroyed.

The pulse of our democracy was nearly stilled by a rabid crowd radicalized by a president so unwilling to admit defeat that he pushed a conspiracy theory about nonexistent election fraud and who, moments before sending his followers toward the Capitol, said youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.

Trumps visit cant erase the horror of what happened in the Capitol Hill coup attempt  or his responsibility for roiling the rage, something hes been doing for years.

Our state is all too familiar with the damage Trump can inflict. We saw it in 2019 when a gunman sharing the presidents anti-immigrant zeal, opened fire in an El Paso Walmart, killing 23 and injuring dozens more. We saw it when migrant children were ripped from their parents arms at the border, with more than 500 still separated more than two years later.

Trump started his campaign with lies to stir up white nationalism and incite hate toward immigrants, tweeted former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro. Hes ending his presidency the same way.

Trumps support among Texas voters is undeniable and there may be many who support his anti-immigrant policies, but that doesnt give him the right to wield our state as cover for his sins.

Texas is a big, diverse state. We have our differences. But the vast majority of us love our country, our democracy and respect the rule of law.

So, Mr. President, before you smile for your photo-op in a town not coincidentally called Alamo, remember this about the sacred piece of our lore that youre re-appropriating for your cynical purposes:

Texas is a land that celebrates bravery in the face of defeat. Its no country for old seditionists.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
DENVER, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GigSmart, the staffing company that connects businesses looking for talent with individuals looking for work through the Get Workers and Get Gigs apps, announced expanded functionality to allow businesses to post and advertise their part-time and full-time positions to a user base of nearly 300,000 active job seekers.

After analyzing internal data from its apps over the last quarter of 2020, GigSmart observed the following:

The number of hourly Shift Gigs completed from October 2020 to December 2020 increased by 39%.

to increased by 39%. The top three industries that hired in Q4 were warehouse (up 381%), delivery services (up 386%), and cleaning (114%).

As a result of the increased overall growth, the number of hourly shift workers converted to full-time employees increased 167%, confirming the desire to retain top talent once identified.

Launched in November of 2018, GigSmart's Get Workers staffing platform has successfully connected a rapidly growing number of job seekers to temporary opportunities at businesses operating in all industries. As more organizations used Get Workers to convert their temporary hires to permanent employees, the need for adding support for permanent hires within the Get Workers platform became evident.

Now, in addition to sourcing workers for hourly Shift Gigs, business users can post Full/Part-Time Positions on the GigSmart Job Board. GigSmart launched the Job Board to help businesses combat labor shortages and to aid workers on their paths to connect to local work opportunities. With the Job Board, GigSmart's ability to connect job seekers with their next role and employers with qualified candidates to power their workforces will grow exponentially as the gig economy continues to grow.

"U.S. employers continue to face talent shortages and struggle to fill open positions," said Rich Oakes, President of GigSmart. "With unemployment at record high levels, our mission of helping people get jobs has never felt more important. In addition to finding and hiring temporary labor, now businesses can source workers for their open permanent positions, giving users one platform to connect with local workers for any role in any industry."

Full/Part-Time Position posting plans start at $20 and enable Get Workers business users to:

Promote their open roles to thousands of active job seekers on the GigSmart Job Board.

Route quality applicants to their company's hiring website or a specified email address.

Measure and track their job post performance.

Boost posts to notify all Get Gigs users within a 75-mile radius of the posting address.

While applicants for those roles are being sourced, Get Workers users can utilize Shift Gigs to find, hire, and manage hourly workers to fill vacant positions immediately.

"As uncertainty around COVID continues to impact the American economy, we predict more companies will turn to flex labor solutions," continued Oakes. "Those who hire a diverse mix of W2 employees, 1099 contractors, and third-party solutions will be most successful."

To hire a worker, visit the GigSmart website at gigsmart.com or download the Get Workers app for iOS or Android. To become a worker, download the Get Gigs app for iOS or Android.

About GigSmart

GigSmart is a staffing company focused on providing modern solutions to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving economy. GigSmart's apps, Get Workers and Get Gigs, connect businesses and residential users looking for labor with local workers. The apps are available in all 50 states serving industries including construction, manufacturing, food service, delivery services, transportation, retail, customer service, and professional services.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jenay Sellers

[email protected]

720.828.7720

Related Images

image1.png

SOURCE GigSmart
Regarding Resign, Sen. Cruz. Your lies cost lives, (A16, Jan. 10): Thank you for your editorial urging Sen. Ted Cruz to resign. Cruz, like Donald Trump, doesnt want the job he was entrusted with. Again, like Trump, he wants the role to play and the personal prestige and self aggrandizement that comes with the title while taking no personal responsibility for actually serving the country, his constituents or the Constitution. His cynical and pandering attempts to now decry the violence he helped unleash is absolutely disgusting. He was prepared to lie to the American people for his own political gain, with no regard for the consequences to others. Now he needs to be forced to face the personal consequences of his outrageous irresponsibility.

Cruz cannot be allowed to walk this back and pretend this was done out of some purer motive. He must never be allowed to think we will forgive and forget after what he has done. If he doesnt do the honorable thing and resign, the Senate needs to expel him from the chamber, either under the Senate rules, or by invoking the 14th Amendment. He cannot be allowed to escape the consequences of his actions. He must resign or be removed.

Bruce R. Bodson, Missouri City

Ted Cruz, you need to resign as senator of Texas because you have not fulfilled your oath to defend the Constitution of the United States and the associated electoral procedures. You were not elected to represent or defend Donald Trump, or to claim that the vote count in Arizona and Pennsylvania was fraudulent. You have practiced before the U.S. Supreme Court and understand the details of constitutional law as a scholar, yet you mislead millions of Americans by giving them hope of changing the results of a valid election for president when you know that it was not possible. You, sir, are guilty of aiding and abetting the mob that invaded the Capitol, an action which required you to seek shelter and safety. Why did you not stand in the door to stop the mob and explain that they were wrong to listen to you and President Trump? When the highly educated and experienced leaders such as yourself do not have the courage to tell the truth to their followers, then you do not deserve to continue in office.

Resign, Sen. Cruz!

John Martinez, Houston

I havent been mad, Ive just been so sad. Then I remembered the last time I felt this way. It was Sept. 11, 2001. I didnt know what to do, and I walked around the house crying. Then an amazing thing happened. People started putting their American flags out like so many do on the Fourth of July. I quickly got mine hung out and found it so comforting. That flag that represents so much immediately told me that things were going to be OK. It was so uplifting to look down a street and see all the flags flapping in the wind. Today I went outside in the rain and put my flag out. I hope others do the same. Its one way we can all come together in spite of everything and remember that once again our democracy is going to be OK.

Betty Martin, Houston

Much is being said about the lack of sufficient security at the Capitol last Wednesday. What people need to realize is that what the Capitol Police were expecting was a demonstration by Donald Trump supporters. These are Conservatives, Republicans, Trump people, these are people who believe in law and order. These are people who respect the police, these are people who believe in the rule of law, these are people who are patriotic and love their country who would never break the law. Right? What they were, and still are, are a mob with a mob mentality bent on mayhem and destruction of the Capitol building and our Democratic Institutions. They were whipped up to a frenzy by Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and their allies in the GOP and Fox News with their lies about voter fraud. Sadly there will be more mayhem in the future. America is being torn apart by those who presume to love her or to paraphrase a quote from the Vietnam era, we had to destroy America in order to save her.

Gonzalo Martinez, La Porte

What about last summer?

The riots at the Capitol were heinous and despicable without a doubt and never should have occurred in a democratic society. On the other hand, the violence we saw this past summer in New York City, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis and other places around the country should have been canaries in the coal mine for what more was to occur. Some of the leaders of these communities as well as the mainstream media decided that there was nothing wrong with those rioters and mobs which burned down buildings and destroyed business while being deemed a summer of love by some. The public was supposed to be understanding of those types of actions while their cities were being trashed and livelihoods ruined. Is Main Street any less sacred than the U.S. Capitol and those who oversee the rule of law? I just hope that those caught in the middle like myself understand that there is plenty of blame to go around.

Carole Paul Vesely, Houston

From outside Texas

I am writing from Philadelphia, and I just wanted to reveal an outsiders view of Sen. Ted Cruz. I view him as a man who sold his soul to the devil and acts strictly for political gain. I lost all respect for the man as a result of a single incident that happened when he was running for president, and I think the incident tells you all you need to know about Sen. Cruz. The president called his wife ugly. Now what man takes that sitting down? What man doesnt stand up for his wifes honor? Not Sen. Cruz, thats for sure. If someone said that about my wife, I would disown him right then and there for the rest of my life, and hed have a nice black eye for good measure. Yet here stands Cruz today, still supporting the president, even after Trump engineered an insurrection on our country, an insurrection mind you that could have cost Cruz his very life. So what kind of crud is Cruz, really? The worst kind.

Charles D., Philadelphia, PA

Hi from the UK. Just a simple message to congratulate the editorial board on taking their stand against Ted Cruz. Your comments are well deserved by him. Ive been observing your election for months in some detail in conversation with Democrat friends in Rochester, NY. Again, well done, good work.

Mike Ingham, United Kingdom

Impeachment

Not surprised that our own, Congressman Al Green, is calling for impeachment of Donald Trump. In 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected president, he was calling for impeachment of Trump. Some things never change.

Tommye Torian, Houston
In 1985, director Kevin Sullivan brought Lucy Maud Montgomerys 1908 novel, Anne of Green Gables to the small-screen for the beloved Emmy-winning made-for-TV movie.

Though Sullivan, who had purchased the books rights, eventually cast Megan Follows in the role, she was not Sullivans first choice. In fact, the legendary actor Katharine Hepburn was almost connected to Anne of Green Gables.

Katharine Hepburn | Ernest Bachrach/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

It was a major struggle to find the right actor to star in Anne of Green Gables

It was a major struggle for Sullivan to find the perfect Anne during the year-long search he took before the movie went into production. By the time Sullivan landed on Follows, he had seen over 3000 young women for the role.

I quickly realized through the process that I was not going to find Anne of Green Gables sitting in a field in Saskatchewanthat I really needed someone who was a seasoned performer that would have the ability to play Anne, he said in an interview for the Anne of Green Gables DVD.

RELATED: Will Anne with an E Get a Fourth Season Amidst CBC and Netflix Drama?

Megan Follows won the starring role in Anne of Green Gables because her toilet overflowed

Follows had actually auditioned to play Anne very early on in the process. However, her first audition was rather lackluster. She looked too old, and her first audition was almost too contemporary, Sullivan said via Mental Floss. I brought Megan back to do another audition, and this was a real screen test in costume, and the first test that she did really was mediocre.

However, an overflowing toilet eventually won her titular role. As Follows was set to head over to her second audition, a toilet in her home overflowed, causing her to arrive flustered and overwhelmed.

There was water pouring out, Im running out the door, and weve tried a plunger; nothings working, she recalled. I got [to the audition] pretty haggled and harassed and finally it just seemed to click  The piece, it seemed to work much better  maybe I just needed to be harassed.

Sullivan agreed, She was so beside herself and so flummoxed  that she was totally brilliant.

Katharine Hepburn was almost linked to Anne of Green Gables

A legendary actor is known for her roles in Mary Queen of Scott, Little Women, and Bringing Up Baby, Hepburn still had some pull in Hollywood when Sullivan searched for the perfect Anne. In fact, the Academy Award winner desperately wanted Sullivan to consider her niece for the role.

Hepburn had long- loved the character and had wanted to play Anne in the 1934 adaptation of Montgomerys book. She was gravely disappointed that it never happened.

One day, out of the blue, I had a call from Katharine Hepburn. She offered me an idea, Sullivan said. She asked me to go to California and to meet with her niece, Schuyler Grant, and to audition her  and Schuyler was terrific.

Unfortunately, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Telefilm Canada wanted a Canadian actress to play Anne, so they disapproved of Grant.
President-elect Joe Bidens inaugural committee said it would refund a $500 donation from former California Sen. Barbara Boxer because she was working as a lobbyist for a Chinese firm that allegedly helps Beijing imprison hundreds of thousands of Uighur Muslims in concentration camps.

The controversy prompted Boxer to de-register as a foreign agent Tuesday.

Initially, Boxer said in federal documents she signed last week that she would be providing strategic consulting services to the U.S. subsidiary of Hikvision, a Chinese firm that the Trump administration placed on a trade blacklist last year after the Defense Department said the company was controlled by the Chinese military.

Hikvision is a large manufacturer of video surveillance equipment that human rights advocates say is being used to subjugate Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic groups at forced labor camps in China. Beijing has imprisoned at least 1 million Uighurs in northwestern China since 2017, according to reports.

President Trump signed an executive order last year banning U.S. investment in Hikvision and 19 other Chinese firms that the U.S. said had ties to Chinas military.

Bidens inaugural committee said it would return Boxers donation because it does not accept contributions from registered foreign agents. Last year, Bidens campaign described Chinas treatment of the Uighurs as genocide.

Boxer, a former Marin County resident who represented California in the Senate from 1993 to 2017, now co-chairs the Los Angeles office of Mercury Public Affairs, a lobbying firm that was working for the Hikvision subsidiary.

But after her donation and lobbying agreement were reported by the Daily Caller and Axios, Boxer said Tuesday that she would be de-registering as foreign agent and would no longer advise Hikvision.

My intent in agreeing to provide strategic advice to the company was based on my desire to help make them better in every way and preserve American jobs, Boxer said in a statement to The Chronicle. However, due to the intense response to my registration, I have determined that my continued involvement has become a negative distraction for the effort so I will be de-registering.

Boxer is not the only former senator working for Mercury on behalf of Hikvision. Former Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, also registered as foreign agent to advise the company.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli


The Lufthansa Group airlines and Sabre Corporation, the software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, have announced a new, mutually flexible distribution agreement that enables modern airline retailing as well as technology innovation.

Under the agreement, which covers the carriers Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Air Dolomiti and Brussels Airlines, Sabre will continue to distribute Lufthansa Group airlines content through traditional connectivity to hundreds of thousands of travel agents and thousands of corporations through its global distribution system (GDS). In addition, the agreement enables the distribution of Lufthansa Group airlines content via the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard in the Sabre travel marketplace.

After the planned launch later this year, the diversified NDC program will give Sabre-connected travel agencies globally the ability to access Lufthansa Group airlines content through the Sabre marketplace and by signing up to one of the two available commercial models for NDC.

The agreement supports Lufthansa Group airlines strategy to implement NDC technology and deliver personalised price offers through the newly launched Continuous Pricing. The continuation of this partnership equally supports Sabres vision to provide distribution flexibility and evolve its global travel marketplace, as well as enable personalised retailing for Lufthansa Group airlines utilising Sabres industry-leading technology solutions.

Our agreement with Sabre is a landmark deal for airline distribution. I am very excited to shape our joint path towards modern airline retailing and innovate by introducing a diversified NDC program with associated commercial models, - enabling agencies to agree bilaterally on NDC with Lufthansa Group airlines, said Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Senior Vice President Revenue Management and Distribution Lufthansa Group Network Airlines and Chief Commercial Officer SWISS. Sabre and Lufthansa Group airlines share an ambition to innovate at the forefront of our industry. Through this new level of flexibility, we jointly enable a diverse distribution ecosystem, extend the reach of NDC and allow for differentiated commercial models. With this customer-oriented agreement, Sabre and the Lufthansa Group airlines team up to put the interests of our travel agency partners and our joint clients at center stage.

The agreement between Lufthansa Group airlines and Sabre marks a key milestone in the travel industry. It is the expression of the shared vision of interactive retailing, which enables both companies to jointly stay at the very forefront of innovation. Lufthansa Group airlines and Sabre are working together intensely to bring Lufthansa Group airlines offer live on NDC solutions. The go-live plan for NDC will be communicated during the first half of 2021.

Today maybe more than ever, we are looking to engage creatively with our airline and agency partners to deliver outcomes that provide added value to all players in the travel ecosystem, said Dave Shirk, President, Sabre Travel Solutions. Sabre is committed to finding flexible, sustainable solutions that address traveler expectations, deliver against airlines strategies, ensure scalability, and safeguard efficient agency workflows. Im proud that we have signed a sustainable agreement with our partners at Lufthansa Group and one that provides both companies a new level of flexibility to drive a new generation of retailing. - TradeArabia News Service
CALIFORNIA CITY  The California City police chief said he suspects foul play in the disappearance of two young children in the community loca
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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RIDGEFIELD  School officials said they learned of more COVID-19 cases Monday and late last week.

Monday morning, district officials said they learned a member of the Branchville Elementary School community had tested positive, according to a letter from Aaron Crook, the districts COVID-19 health and safety compliance liaison. That person had last been in the building while potentially infectious to others on Friday, Crook said. Two staff members were instructed to quarantine for 10 days as a result.

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Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday mocked the BJP for claiming to be a follower of Swami Vivekananda and said the people of the state will never allow "hate politics" of the saffron camp to triumph in Bengal, where the monk was born in 1863. The BJP has no right to celebrate Swamiji's birthday, the Trinamool Congress MP from Diamond Harbour said while addressing a rally in south Kolkata.

"West Bengal, which is the birthplace Swami Vivekananda, has no place for hate politics imported from Gujarat", he said. The 158th birth anniversary of the monk, a key figure who had introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world and established the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, is being celebrated on Tuesday.

Calling the BJP as "fake Ram Bhakts", he accused the saffron party of "following the principles of Nathuram Godse who had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi". "They claim to be followers of Lord Ram. They are not followers of Ram, they are followers of Nathuram (Godse). They are followers of divisive politics," he said.

Abhishek Banerjee is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew. "I don't want to politicise today's event. But, I must say one thing that a political party is trying to portray itself to be a follower of Swami Vivekananda. I want to tell BJP members that Swamiji never preached hate politics and communalism, which is the basis of the saffron party," he said.

Accusing the BJP of insulting icons of Bengal such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Banerjee said, none of them propagated pitting one religion against other, like the BJP. "The people of Bengal and the land of Vivekananda, which is his birthplace, will reject the hate politics practised by the saffron party.

"The BJP has passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) according to which a person will get citizenship based on religion. Did Swamiji ever say that citizenship should be granted after determining one's religion?" the MP asked. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

The Trinamool Youth Congress, led by Abhishek Banerjee, took out a five-km long rally in the city on Tuesday commemorating the birth anniversary of the 19th-century monk. The TMC and its youth wing also took out rallies in various parts of the state.

The monk's birth anniversary has triggered a war of political one-upmanship between the TMC and the BJP, with the saffron party also lining up several programmes across the state to celebrate the day.
A pastor with the Christ Embassy Church and one of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's proteges, Biodun Lawal, has said that heaven is ashamed of Christians and pastors who wear the facemask and even dare to wear it in the house of God.



In a video that has gone viral, Lawal who is based in the church's branch in Ghana said



''If you still want to wear a mask, wear it but do not call yourself a man of God. He is a baby of God. We can't even call you son. You are a baby of God. Son is too high. We can't even call you child of God.



You can frown if you liKe.

I have seen some people wearing mask to pray inside church. Heaven is ashamed of you. Inside the house of God, you wear mask and you are praying to God?'' he said.













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A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial)



















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River & Mercantile Group PLC - London-based asset manager - Chair Jonathan Dawson buys 10,000 shares at 234 pence, worth GBP23,400, on Monday. Now has 100,800 shares, a 0.1% stake.

Last Friday, AssetCo PLC, a Middle East-focused provider of management and resources to fire and emergency services, said it had acquired 2.9% stake - 2.5 million shares - in River & Mercantile for GBP1.86 per share for a total of GBP4.7 million. On Monday, AssetCo said Martin Gilbert - the co-founder of Aberdeen Asset Management who joined the River & Mercantile board as deputy chair last week - had bought a 29.8% stake in AssetCo, together with associates. The Gilbert purchase didn't involve River & Mercantile.

Current River & Mercantile stock price: 236.40p

Year-to-date change: up 37%

By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

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ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bazelet Oglesby announced it received approval of its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-free Panakeia plant variety from Florida A&M University (FAMU) under its Industrial Hemp Pilot Project as administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Panakeia is a patented zero THC, zero CBD cannabis plant that produces high concentrations of Cannabigerol [CBG], a molecule Bazelet Research has studied globally for years. According to Bazelet Research, the harvested cannabinoid from our Panakeia plants is the most promising of all cannabinoids for broad use in food, drug and cosmetic applications. It is a unique plant both in the lab and as well as in the field.

Bazelet Oglesby, the patent and trademark licensee of Panakeia enrolled the plant in the FAMU Industrial Hemp Pilot Project. The FDACS-required 12-week grow cycle was managed by Scott Burgett of Green Earth Cannacueticals who has evaluated numerous hemp strains through the FAMU Pilot, including Panakeia. "Having a truly THC free genetic is going to be a game changer for Florida farmers," said Burgett. "This will allow farmers to maximize their crop yield, without the risk of having to destroy a non-compliant crop."

"The potential of this cannabis variety and the major cannabinoid found in the Panakeia plant is like no other," added David Grand, Bazelet's Research Director. "I look forward to working with colleagues, scientists, farmers and patients globally, to study, innovate and access the potential of this plant."

According to company Director Michael Elzufon, their Panakeia plants are the first-ever 0.00% THC cannabis plant grown, harvested, researched, tested and approved in any state in the country. "Proudly, this historic crop was produced in Altha, Florida by our business partner Oglesby Plants International, a 74-year-old, panhandle strong, agriculture powerhouse," said Elzufon.

Florida A&M University is boldly leading the charge of Florida's Industrial Hemp Pilot Projects and winning. "The University is pleased to partner with Green Earth Cannaceuticals and Bazelet Oglesby in the Industrial Hemp Pilot Project," said Charles Weatherford, Ph.D., Vice President for Research at FAMU. "The scientific analysis of Panakeia indicated zero percent of Delta 8 or Delta 9-THC and a high CBG content and is indicative of a significant commercial value with very small risk to hemp farmers in Florida."

"Bazelet Oglesby is one of only a few companies positioned to establish legal cannabis and hemp as a respected, sustainable industry," stated Gary Hennen, Director with Bazelet Oglesby and President of Oglesby Plants International. "We are honored and accept with responsibility that we are part of authoring its history and our Panakeia plants support that effort."

Bazelet Oglesby's Panakeia young plants will be readily available to farmers throughout Florida and other key U.S. markets for the 2021 planting season.

About the Company:

Bazelet Oglesby is a leader in the propagation of young hemp plants, plant breeding, plant tissue culture, and plant-based product development. The company is a subsidiary of Bazelet Health Systems and Oglesby Plants International.

Bazelet is an American company leading the world in THC Free Cannabis (0.00% tetrahydrocannabinol) plant genetics, purpose-built for fiber and grain production and cannabinoid derived food, drug and cosmetic products. Bazelet also operates cERI, the cannabis Education and Research Initiative providing accredited education for undergraduates, physicians, farmers, and regulated industries coupled with a robust scientific platform conducting fundamental, applied and clinical research.

Contact:

Robyn Frick

(321) 558-2170

[email protected]

www.bazeletoglesby.com

SOURCE Bazelet Health

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Larry Brock, a retired Air Force Lt. Col. from North Texas, has been arrested after being reported by multiple people to the FBI for his participation in this month's attack on the Capitol. One of the informants who helped investigators was his Brock's ex-wife of 18 years.

CAPITOL RIOT: A Texas woman took a private jet to D.C. to 'storm the Capitol'

ABC 13 reports that an affidavit sent to the D.C. District Court states that Brock's ex claims to have seen her former husband in photos from the U.S. Capitol.

"I just know that when I saw this was happening, I was afraid he would be there," she said according to court documents. "I think you already know he was there. It is such a good picture of him, and I recognize his patch."

Brock was seen wearing a combat helmet, bandana, body armor and a tactical vest that included a Texas flag, and was holding multiple pairs of zip-tie handcuffs. He was photographed in the Senate chamber and with a group that breached Speaker Nancy Pelosis office suite, though it is unclear if he entered the suite.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

NPR's Greg Myre reports that Brock was also named by John Scott-Railton from Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, who has been gathering clues and crowdsourcing information to identify rioters at the Capitol. Scott-Railton focused on those who seemed prepared to take hostages.

"I kept finding footage of men wearing body armor, communicating with each other and moving with purpose," Scott-Railton told NPR. "It made me think there were people in there who had specific ideas of what they wanted to accomplish and had come prepared to execute on them."

Scott-Railton worked with New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow to identify Brock. Brock gave an interview to the New Yorker in which he admitted he was the man in the photos and repeated Trump's baseless claims of election fraud.

The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important, because of how much I love this country, to actually be there, he told Farrow.

Brock claimed he found the zip-tie handcuffs on the floor and did not intend to use them.

I wish I had not picked those up, he told Farrow. My thought process there was I would pick them up and give them to an officer when I see one... I didnt do that because I had put them in my coat, and I honestly forgot about them.

Brock was arrested in Texas on Jan. 10 and faces charges of knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
An F-2 fighter jet is in a test flight carrying two ASM-3A supersonic air-to-ship missiles.

In the past month, Japan has taken constant moves on the research and development of anti-ship missiles by proposing plans to buy ASM-3A supersonic air-to-ship missiles, enhance the range of Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles and develop the stealth anti-ship missile with a shooting range of 2,000km. Eyeing the long shooting range and the supersonic/subsonic performance targeting both sea and land objects, Japan attempts to establish a new-generation anti-ship missile system, which reveals its ambition to break the confines of the exclusively defense-oriented policy and create an offensive combat system.

Japan will buy its first supersonic air-to-ship missile

On December 25, 2020, the Japanese Defense Ministry announced to include the new ASM-3A supersonic anti-ship missile procurement plan in the 2021FY national defense budget, saying this was the result of selecting new key equipment.

Japans previous anti-ship missiles are all subsonic missiles whose defense penetration performance isnt outstanding. In 2010, the country began to develop air-launched supersonic anti-ship missiles code-named XASM-3, whose cruise speed exceeded Mach 3 thanks to the combination of the solid rocket booster and ramjet engine. Mounted on an F-2 fighter jet, the XASM-3 weighs 900kg and measures 5.52m in length, equipped with an active/passive radar seeker and a GPS system. To realize the 200km range, it has to contain more fuels, hence a larger size than other air-to-ship missiles of Japan.

The Japanese Self-defense Force (JSDF) planned to buy the XASM-3in the name of the ASM-3 air-to-ship missile in 2019, but postponed the plan in consideration of changes in the naval strengths of surrounding countries. Meanwhile, it upgraded the missile to extend its shooting range further. Since the upgrade cycle was too long, Tokyo launched the ASM-3A supersonic air-to-ship missile with limited modifications for mass production, but analysts said it wouldnt have marked performance enhancement.

Notwithstanding, ASM-3A is still the first supersonic air-to-ship missile commissioned in Japan, and it will improve the countrys anti-ship missile defense penetration capability given its combat performance equivalent to that of same-type missiles in other countries.

Japan extended the range of surface-to-ship missiles

The Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is a truck-mounted land-based anti-ship missile developed by Japans Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2012 and an upgrade of Type 88 surface-to-ship missile. It is launched from a six-barrel launcher.

The subsonic Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is 5m in length, 0.35m in diameter, and about 700kg in weight, with the maximal flying speed of Mach 0.9. Adopting combined guidance, the missile applies initial-course and mid-course inertial guidance and GPS guidance, with a strong landform matching ability.

After the missile is launched, it is able to detour along a preset route before heading to hit targets on the sea. It features a long capture distance, high guidance precision, and strong anti-jamming ability while also hitting small targets moving at high speed.

The shortcoming is that Type 12s shooting range is only 200km, and the actual working radius on the sea is even shorter, so it doesnt pose a severe threat to vessels or aircraft carrier fight groups. To address this, Japan has extended the missiles range in disguise.

At the moment, the ship-borne variant of Type 12  the Type 17 ship-to-ship missile  is already in service, mounted on the Maya-class guided-missile destroyer and the Kumano guided-missile frigate with an extended shooting range of 400km. The air-launched variant is also under testing with the range extended to 300km, and the actual range will be longer, taking into account the carrier planes flying range.

Moreover, the Japanese government at the end of last year decided to enhance the Type 12 missiles range to 900km and eventually to 1,500km, which will turn it into a land-targeting assault cruise missile that can hit military ports and warships there. But its not easy to achieve such a long range, which is practically equivalent to developing a new missile.

Japan will develop a strategic cruise missile under the disguise of an anti-ship missile

Japans Sankei Shimbun reported on December 29, 2020, that the Japanese government has put forth a development plan for a new type of anti-ship missile with the range of 2,000km. Called the Japanese version of Tomahawk, the new missile will be able to not only carry out anti-ship tasks, but also attack land targets. Public pictures show the new missile has a similar stealth appearance as Americas JASSM and LRASM anti-ship missiles, but with a shooting range twice longer.

Technically speaking, the new-type anti-ship missile will be a sizeable subsonic missile featuring good stealth performance and high maneuverability. Americas JASSM anti-ship missile, for example, weighs as much as 1.1 tons and carries warheads weighing up to 450kg, with a speed of Mach 0.95 and range of over 1,000km.

What Japan tries to achieve is a missile range of 2,000km with an equivalent warhead weight, so the missile will surpass JASSM in size and total weight and reach the class of Russias Kalibr-NK strategic cruise missile, which is mounted on strategic bomber, surface vessel and submarine with a 6m length, 1.25-ton weight, 500kg warhead and 2,100km range.

When the country first began to design the new-type anti-ship missile, Japan made it clear it must be capable of attacking land targets, an undisguised revelation of its yearning for establishing strategic deterrence. Its safe to say that Japan wants to develop a strategic cruise missile in the name of a long-range anti-ship missile.

Sankei Shimbun reported that Japan intends to deploy the new missile on its southwestern islands for island defense. With Okinawa-Jima in the center, the missile will cover Chinas southeastern coast and the entire Korean peninsula, which is far beyond Japans defense demand and contravenes provisions in its Constitution of Peace.

The Japanese government recently decided to put off unlimitedly discussions about the ability to attack enemy bases, but it is secretly making preparations to possess it. Kyodo News quoted a JSDF official as jeering that which targets on earth would the missiles be hitting? If they were launched to attack the cities of another country, wouldnt that be a deviation from the exclusively defense-oriented policy? Japan hasnt developed a mature strategy yet, but its taking significant strides in developing military equipment.
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If the firefighter performs emergency medical services (EMS) duties, such as those of a paramedic, emergency medical technician or first responder; or if the firefighter otherwise provides support in the field to those performing EMS duties, the firefighter has occupational exposure to aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs), as defined in section 5199, and is covered by the requirements of section 5199, and not the ETS. This is true even when that firefighter performs tasks that do not necessarily involve potential exposure to ATDs, e.g., when responding to non-EMS calls and when otherwise traveling in fire department vehicles; when performing routine tasks, such as training and maintenance; and while engaged in the normal routines of a fire station, including meals and sleeping.

Section 5199(e) requires employers to use feasible engineering and work practice controls to minimize employee exposures to aerosol transmissible pathogens. This includes implementing COVID-19 protections in fire department vehicles and facilities, such as by improving ventilation, physical distancing and mask use in accordance with CDPH requirements, including in facility sleeping quarters and other common areas.

Under Section 5199(h)(6)-(9), covered employers must implement specific follow-up requirements in the event an employee is exposed to an aerosol transmissible pathogen. This includes fire departments when firefighters are potentially exposed to COVID-19, regardless of the source of the exposure.

If a firefighter is not identified as having occupational exposures to ATDs in the employer's ATD Prevention Plan or if a firefighter is not protected under that plan, the firefighter would be subject to the ETS.
Royal Mail Says 28 UK Areas Not Receiving Regular Post Due to CCP Virus

Royal Mail said on Tuesday that 28 areas in the UK are no longer receiving regular post as its workforce has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite our best efforts and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards, Royal Mail said in a statement.

This is due to the exceptionally high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices to keep our people and customers safe, it said.

Royal Mail attributed the high volumes partly to the greatly increased uptake of online shopping during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

It said the company will work hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as we can.

The 28 areas where post might be late include 27 in England and one in Northern Ireland. Thirteen zones in or near London have been affected.

Some UK residents have complained in recent months that they had not received mail for weeks.

In November, it was reported that residents in parts of Oxfordshire had been left without post for weeks because of a shortage of postal workers.

Earlier this week, Valerie Wallbank from Hainault in northeast London told the Ilford Recorder that she had not received any mail since Dec. 12.

A Royal Mail spokesperson told the local paper that the company had staff absences linked to the CCP virus, with 40 percent of staff in the area off sick before the Christmas holidays.

Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford, said he is concerned about residents not receiving letters from the National Health Service (NHS) inviting them to get vaccinated against the CCP virus.

More than half a million letters inviting people to be vaccinated will be sent in the coming days. @RoyalMail delays have been so bad  because covid is knocking out staff  that I am worried about them arriving. Is there a way to prioritise these letters, @nadhimzahawi?  Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) January 10, 2021

More than half a million letters inviting people to be vaccinated will be sent in the coming days.

@RoyalMail delays have been so badbecause COVID is knocking out staffthat I am worried about them arriving, he wrote on Twitter.

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, responded by saying that the government will work with Royal Mail to ensure the invitation letters are prioritised.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
January 12 : Malaika Arora was recently vacationing in Goa with sister Amrita Arora Ladak and beau Arjun Kapoor. The sibling duo spent quality time together at Amrita and her husband Shakeel Ladaks gorgeous house at Candolim Beach. Taking to her Instagram today, Malaika shared a picture of herself with Amrita along with an adorable caption.

In the picture shared by Malaika, the diva is seen chilling with Amrita amidst the greens. While the duo is looking their best without makeup, their expressions are even better. In the funny caption, Malaika said that while Amrita is thinking what should be her next meal, Malaika has already eaten that meal. @amuaroraofficial thinkin Wat should be her next meal.... me, I ate that meal #webondoverfood, the Chaiyya Chaiyya girl wrote.

The siblings are often seen together, chilling at a cafe or shopping together. On Monday, Malaika and Amrita visited the mom-to-be Kareena Kapoor at her Mumbai residence. The girl gang also included Karisma Kapoor, who were there for a pyjama party before Kareena moves to her new apartment. In the picture shared by Malaika, she can be seen sitting on the couch with Kareena and Amrita and Karisma standing at the back. While all the girls in the picture are wearing pyjamas, Kareena can be seen in her favourite kaftan.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Malaika Arora was last seen as a judge on the dance reality show Indias Best Dancer. She was also seen in a special appearance in Netflix web series The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives, which was released in December 2020. Malaika also shares pictures and videos of her yoga session and aces complex asanas like a pro.
There was much celebration among Bay Area nature lovers, hikers and cyclists last month when Foothills Park announced it would finally end its controversial restrictions, and welcome nonresidents of the city of Palo Alto to the green space.

But the park has seen so much traffic since the opening, it's closing its entrance to visitors in cars through peak hours.

"With Foothills Park newly open to everyone as of December 17, holidays and weekends have seen very high visitation. Foothills Park has reached max capacity numerous times, most frequently between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends, which creates safety, traffic and other issues, and a large number of visitors have been turned away," a press release from the city this weekend read.

"Foothills Park will close (typically around 10 a.m.) and stay closed until 3 p.m. Pedestrians and bikers may enter the park as long as they are not parked illegally."

For 51-years the 1,400 acres of beautiful Santa Clara County land had only allowed residents of Palo Alto entry. The ban was seen by many as archaic, and worse, racist.

After a decades of feuds in the community over the rule, an ACLU lawsuit in September claimed the restriction, the only of its kind on a public park in California, was unconstitutional, and the city council soon rescinded the residents-only mandate.

SFGATE's Grant Marek visited the park on its opening and was filled with both admiration at the natural beauty, and anger that it had been kept from so many for so long.

While the new measure to exclude visitors arriving from distance by car, yet allowing those arriving locally on foot may raise eyebrows, the new closure is characterized as a temporary step. Signs have been be posted at Page Mill and Arastradero Road to notify visitors.

"If Foothills Park is at capacity, we encourage you to visit one of Palo Alto's other open spaces or parks or return at a later time," the city added.
The former Friendlys restaurant on Housatonic Street in Lee, which closed in October 2019, soon will be the site of a Starbucks coffee shop.

Patna, Jan 12 : The first consignment of 5.5 lakh doses of 'Covishield' vaccine against coronavirus will arrive in Patna by a SpiceJet flight on Tuesday, a health official said. Another 4.5 lakh doses will arrive on Wednesday.

The vaccine doses have been dispatched by the Serum Institute of India at Pune in Maharashtra. The vaccine doses will be stored at the Bihar government's facility at the Nalanda Medical Collage and Hospital in the state capital.

The official said that the Centre had allotted a total of 10 lakh doses for the vaccination drive in Bihar in the first phase. The vaccine doses will be first provided to 'corona warriors' like doctors, nurses, ward boys, police and other officials.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has announced that the drive in Bihar will begin from January 16, participated in a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, and state Health Minister Mangal Pandey.

Pandey said that 1.93 crore corona tests have been done so far in Bihar, which now has only 3,907 active cases.
The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran

The Faravahar is arguably the best-known symbol of the Persian Zoroastrian faith. This symbol consists of a winged disc with a man emerging from it. The man is shown holding a ring. Whilst the symbol is well known, the meaning behind it is more complicated. The Faravahar was adopted as a secular symbol to represent the modern nation of Iran.

'Faravahar' is a Pahlavi (known also as Middle Persian) word and is said to be derived from the Avestan word (the language of the Avesta, the Zoroastrian scripture) "fravarane," which translates to mean "I choose." Alternatively, it has been suggested that the name of this symbol is connected to the Old Persian word "fravarti" or "fravashi," meaning "to protect." The former implies the choice one makes to follow the teachings of Zoroastrianism, whereas the latter implies the divine protection of a guardian spirit. Incidentally, the name "Faravahar" was given to the symbol in more recent times, and it is unclear as to how the ancient Persians referred to this symbol.

The Ancient Historical Origins Of The Faravahar Symbol

Although we may not how the ancient Persians referred to the symbol, we do know that it was an important one for them. This is evident in the fact that the Faravahar appears in a variety of different places. For instance, the symbol is depicted on the famous Behistun Inscription . In this rock relief, the Faravahar is shown hovering above the prisoners of Darius the Great and giving the king its blessing. The Faravahar is also seen in Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenids.

In its form as a winged disc, the Faravahar was used long before the Achaemenids came to power. It is likely that the Persians adopted this symbol from the Assyrians, who also used it widely in their monumental art. Unlike the Zoroastrian Faravahar, the Assyrian symbol has a human figure depicted within the disc. The symbol, and the figure in the disc, is meant to represent Assur, the national god of the Assyrians. Like its Zoroastrian counterpart, the Assyrian winged disc is depicted as a kind of divine protection of the king.

Apart from the Achaemenids and Assyrians, the winged disc was also used by other ancient Near Eastern powers, perhaps most notably the ancient Egyptians, from whom the Assyrians may have adopted the symbol. Unlike the Faravahar, the Egyptian winged disc has no human figure associated with it. The symbol is meant to be a solar disc, and a representation of Horus, the falcon-headed god. Therefore, the Faravahar, though in a slightly different form, was already in use long before its adoption by the Zoroastrians and Achaemenids.

Following the demise of the Achaemenids in the 4 th century BC, the Faravahar seems to have fallen out of use, as it did not appear in the art of their successors. One exception to this was Wadfradad I, a local king of Persis (modern day Fars, in southwestern Iran) who lived during the 3 rd century BC. Although the area was under Seleucid rule at that time, the local kings, for a brief period, were able to issue their own coins. On the reverse of a silver coin issued by Wadfradad I, the king is shown standing in front of a sanctuary. Above the sanctuary is the Faravahar, giving the king its blessing.

Apart from that, some elements of the Faravahar were preserved by the successors of the Achaemenids. For instance, the ring that his held by the figure on the Faravahar can be seen in Sassanian art. In this context, the ring is meant to symbolize the royal diadem, which is given to the king during his investiture. For example, in the investiture relief of Shapur II at Taq-e Bostan, the Sassanian king is shown receiving the royal diadem from Ahura Mazda , the supreme deity of Zoroastrianism.

These exceptions aside, the Faravahar was not used much until the 20 th century AD, when it was revived as a nationalistic icon. This is, in part, due to the adoption of this ancient symbol by the Pahlavi dynasty, established by Reza Shah Pahlavi when he came to power in Iran in 1925 AD. Even after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the Faravahar, despite being a Zoroastrian symbol, was tolerated by the new government and preserved as Iran's national symbol.

The Faravahar: Meanings And Interpretations

Various interpretations regarding the Faravahar's exact meaning have been made in the recent past, and there is still no real consensus as to what the symbol is supposed to mean. According to one popular interpretation, the Faravahar is supposed to represent a fravashi, a guardian spirit in Zoroastrianism. The fravashis, however, are regarded as female beings , and thus contradicts the image depicted in the Faravahar, i.e., a man emerging from the ring.

Another interpretation is that the Faravahar is meant to symbolize Ahura Mazda. This interpretation has also been discredited, since this deity, in Zoroastrianism, is abstract and transcendent, and therefore cannot be represented in any form. Incidentally, the exception to this rule is seen in the investiture reliefs of the Sassanian period. It has also been suggested that the Faravahar does not really have any religious meaning, and that it is supposed to represent the khvarenah, or royal glory, of the king.

Yet another interpretation of the Faravahar divides the image into six parts, each of which is meant to remind a Zoroastrian of his / her purpose in life. The first part of the Faravahar is the elderly man, which is supposed to represent the human soul. Since it is depicted as an elderly man, it is also meant to symbolize the wisdom of age. The man's hands represent the second part of the symbol. One of the hands points upwards, which is taken to mean that the only way to choose in life is forward. In the other hand is a ring, which may represent faithfulness and loyalty to the teachings of Zoroaster, as the object is a ring of covenant, representing loyalty and faithfulness, the basis of Zoroaster's philosophy.

The third part of the Faravahar is the ring from which the man emerges. This ring represents either the eternal nature of the universe, or the immortality of the soul since a circle has neither a beginning nor an end. Alternatively, it has been suggested that this circle is a reminder that all our actions have repercussions. The two wings on either side of the ring form the fourth part of the Faravahar and are thought to symbolize flight and advancement. The feathers of the wings are said to represent good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Conversely, the feathers of the tail, the fifth part of the Faravahar, represent bad thoughts, bad words, and bad deeds, which the Zoroastrians strive to rise above. Lastly, the two streamers coming out of the ring represent positive and negative forces. The man in the ring faces one of them, and turns his back to the other, indicating that one should choose good, and shun evil.

Lastly, it may be said that even though no one knows for certain the real meaning behind the Faravahar it is nevertheless a potent symbol indeed. Whether it is meant to represent the Iranian nation, or the way of life that Zoroastrians try to achieve, the Faravahar is a powerful symbol that still means a lot to many people today.
Two studies in today's Nature Neuroscience, led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), and Harvard Medical School (HMS), implicate mosaic mutations arising during embryonic development as a cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings open new areas for exploring the genetics of ASD and could eventually inform diagnostic testing.

Mosaic mutations affect only a portion of a person's cells. Rather than being inherited, they arise as a "mistake" introduced when a stem cell divides. A mutation in a stem cell will only be passed to the cells that descend from it, producing the mosaic pattern. When mosaic mutations occur during embryonic development, they can appear in the brain and affect the function of neurons. The earlier in development a mutation happens, the more cells will carry it.

Characterizing mosaic mutations in the brain

The two studies were part of the Brain Somatic Mosaicism Network, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The first study used deep, ultra-high-resolution whole-genome sequencing to quantify and characterize mosaic mutations in the frontal cortex of people with and without ASD. It was led by Rachel Rodin, MD, PhD and Christopher Walsh, MD, PhD, of Boston Children's, and Yanmei Dou, PhD and Peter Park, PhD, of HMS.

When the researchers examined samples of brain tissue from 59 deceased people with ASD and 15 controls -- the largest cohort of brain samples ever studied -- they found that most of the brains had mosaic "point" mutations (alterations in a single "letter" of genetic code). They calculated that embryos acquire several such mutations with each cell division, and estimate that about half of us carry potentially harmful mosaic mutations in at least 2 percent of our brain cells.

In the brains of people with ASD, however, mosaic mutations were more likely to affect parts of the genome that have a pivotal role in brain function. Specifically, they tended to land in "enhancers," portions of DNA that do not code for genes but regulate whether a gene is turned on or off.

"In the brains of people with autism, mutations accumulate at the same rate as normal, but they are more likely to fall into an enhancer region," says Rodin, first author on the paper. "We think this is because gene enhancers and promoters tend to be in DNA that's unwound and more exposed, which probably makes them more susceptible to mutations during cell division."

"Mutations in enhancers are a hidden kind of mutation that you don't see in typical diagnostic exome sequencing, and it may help explain ASD in some people," notes Walsh, chief of genetics and genomics at Boston Children's and co-senior author on the paper with Park, who led the study's computational analyses. "We also need to better understand the effects of these mutations on neurons."

Mosaic deletions and duplications

The second study is the first large-scale investigation of copy number variants (CNVs) in people with ASD that occur in a mosaic pattern. As opposed to point mutations in a single gene, CNVs are deletions or duplications of whole segments of a chromosome, which may contain multiple genes.

A team led by Maxwell Sherman, MS of BWH, Po-Ru Loh, PhD of BWH, Park, and Walsh studied blood samples from about 12,000 people with autism and 5,500 unaffected siblings provided by the Simons Simplex Collection and the Simons Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) datasets. They used blood as a proxy for brain tissue and applied novel computational techniques to sensitively detect mosaic mutations that likely arose during embryonic development.

"People have been interested in CNVs in autism for a long time, and would occasionally notice that some of them were mosaic, but no one had really looked at them in a large-scale study," says Loh, co-senior author on the paper with Walsh and Park.

From these large samples, the team identified a total of 46 mosaic CNVs in the autism group and 19 in siblings. The CNVs affected 2.8 to 73.8 percent of blood cells sampled from each subject.

Size matters

Notably, the people with ASD were especially likely to have very large CNVs, with some involving 25 percent or more of a chromosome. The CNVs spanned a median of 7.8 million bases in the ASD group, versus 0.59 million bases in controls.

"This is one of the more interesting and surprising aspects of our study," says Sherman, the paper's first author and a PhD student at MIT. "The kids with ASD had very large CNVs that often hit dozens of genes, and likely included genes important for development. If the CNVs were in all their cells, rather than in a mosaic pattern, they would likely be lethal."

The study also suggested that the larger the CNVs, the greater the severity of autism as assessed with a standard clinical measure. Another surprise was that smaller CNVs already known to be associated with ASD when found in all cells, such as deletions or duplications of 16p11.2 or 22q11.2, were not associated with autism when they occurred in a mosaic pattern.

"This suggests that in order to get autism, you have to mess up a large number of cells in the brain in a pretty substantial way," says Walsh. "We're fairly sure that these large CNVs change the behavior of the neurons that carry them."

"We don't really know what cell fraction is important, or what particular chromosomes are most susceptible," notes Loh. "These events are still very rare, even in people with autism. As larger cohorts are assembled, we hope to get some finer-grained insights."

The findings of these studies could eventually be incorporated into diagnostic testing in children with autism. Testing could incorporate the non-coding portions of the genome, such as gene enhancers and promoters, and include higher-resolution chromosomal analysis to identify large mosaic CNVs. For now, the findings add to the ever-evolving autism puzzle, deepening the mystery of why so many different genetic mechanisms can lead to the same presentation of autism.

###

Walsh is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Other supporters of the studies include the National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH124393, T32MH112510, U01MH106883, P50MH106933, R01MH104964), the National Institute of General Medical Science (T32GM007753, R01GM108348), the National Institutes of Health (K25HL150334, DP2ES030554), the National Human Genome Research Institute (T32HG002295, R01HG00685), the Allen Discovery Center program through the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, the National Science Foundation (DMS-1939015), and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

About Boston Children's Hospital

Boston Children's Hospital is ranked the #1 children's hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. Today, 3,000 researchers and scientific staff, including 9 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 23 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 12 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators comprise Boston Children's research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children's is now a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care. For more, visit our Discoveries blog and follow us on social media @BostonChildrens, @BCH_Innovation, Facebook and YouTube.
Heres how it could happen. First, the partys non-Trumpist faction  embodied by senators like Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski, various purple- and blue-state governors and most of the remaining Acela corridor conservatives, from lawyers and judges to lobbyists and staffers  pushes for a full repudiation of Trump and all his works, extending beyond impeachment to encompass support for social-media bans, F.B.I. surveillance of the MAGA universe and more.

At the same time, precisely those measures further radicalize portions of the partys base, offering apparent proof that Trump was right  that the system isnt merely consolidating against but actively persecuting them. With this sense of persecution in the background and the Trump family posturing as party leaders, the voter-fraud mythology becomes a litmus test in many congressional elections, and baroque conspiracy theories pervade primary campaigns.

In this scenario, what remains of the center-right suburban vote and the G.O.P. establishment becomes at least as NeverTrump as Romney, if not the Lincoln Project; meanwhile, the core of Trumps support becomes as paranoid as Q devotees. Maybe this leads to more empty acts of violence, further radicalizing the center right against the right, or maybe it just leads to Republican primaries producing a lot more candidates like Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, to the point where a big chunk of the House G.O.P. occupies not just a different tactical reality from the partys elite but a completely different universe.

Either way, under these conditions that party could really collapse or really break. The collapse would happen if Trumpists with a dolchstoss narrative and a strong Q vibe start winning nominations for Senate seats and governorships in states that right now only lean Republican. A party made insane and radioactive by conspiracy theories could keep on winning deep-red districts, but if its corporate support bailed, its remaining technocrats jumped ship and suburban professionals regarded it as the party of insurrection, it could easily become a consistent loser in 30 states or more.

Alternatively, a party dominated by the Trump family at the grassroots level, with Greene-like figures as its foot soldiers, could become genuinely untenable as a home for centrist and non-Trumpist politicians. So after the renomination of Trump himself or the nomination of Don Jr. in 2024, a cluster of figures (senators like Romney and Susan Collins, blue-state governors like Marylands Larry Hogan) might simply jump ship to form an independent mini-party, leaving the G.O.P. as a 35 percent proposition, a heartland rump.

None of this is a prediction. In American politics, reversion to the gridlocked mean has been a safe bet for many years  in which case youd expect the MAGA extremes to return to their fantasy world, the threat of violence to ebb, Trump to fade without his Twitter feed and the combination of Biden-administration liberalism and Big Tech overreach to bring the rights blocking coalition back together in time for 2022.

But if Biden governs carefully, if Trump doesnt go quietly, if MAGA fantasies become right-wing orthodoxies, then the stresses on the Republican Party and conservatism could become too great to bear.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

San Francisco, 12 Jan 2021: The Report COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product & Service (Instruments, Reagents & Kits, Services), By Sample Type, By Test Type, By Mode, By End Use, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2027

The global COVID-19 diagnostics market size is expected to reach USD 104.7 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.1% from 2021 to 2027. Since testing is pivotal for effective management of the rising burden of coronavirus cases, the rate at which testing is performed has witnessed a steep increase. More than 150 million tests have been performed in the U.S. as of November 2020, followed by more than 100 million tests conducted in India, and around 20 million tests performed in Brazil.

A paradigm shift towards point-of-care (PoC) Covid-19 testing is estimated to offer significant momentum to the market expansion in the near future. Point-of-care (POC) testing enables accurate real-time, lab-quality diagnostic results at patient care settings, such as urgent care centers, hospitals, clinics, and emergency rooms. In response to the pandemic, many diagnostic test manufacturers are focused on the development of rapid and easy-to-use POC COVID-19 diagnostic tests to facilitate testing outside of laboratory settings.

High investments by medical technology companies are expected to offer profitable opportunities for the coronavirus testing industry. These companies have witnessed a moderate to high spike in the revenue generated by the diagnostics/testing business segments in 2020, attributed to the pandemic outbreak. Such key industry entities have also witnessed a high influx of orders exceeding their manufacturing capacities, which has compelled these companies to increase their output by reorganizing their test production structures.

Expanding scales of COVID-19 testing are expected to be a boon for various medical technology companies operating in the market. Additionally, the government authorities are actively moving forward to scale up COVID-19 testing, further creating a favorable environment for emerging diagnostic companies and new entrants. Both smaller entities and multi-national companies have undertaken unprecedented mobilization to ensure timely availability of the tests.

Companies such as F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd.; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Perkin Elmer, Inc.; Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings; and Abbott have marked their presence in the market with highly efficient FDA-approved tests for coronavirus infection. The companies are implementing commercially viable strategies to gain a competitive advantage in the market. These include new test development, collaborations and partnerships with key stakeholders, and business expansion strategies to fulfill the demand of their customers across the globe.

High investments in the development as well as commercialization of antibody and antigen COVID-19 tests by key industry participants have been witnessed recently and this trend is expected to gain significant momentum in the coming years. For instance, in October 2020, Roche announced the launch of Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 Antigen test to support high volume COVID-19 testing of suspected patients. The test is anticipated to be available by the end of 2020 in the European market. Similarly, in October 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. launched two antibody tests, namely, OmniPATH COVID-19 Total Antibody ELISA and EliA SARS-CoV-2-Sp1 IgG tests for the screening of antibodies against the virus. This initiative was intended to expand the testing capabilities of the company against COVID-19.

Access Research Report of COVID-19 Diagnostics Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/covid-19-diagnostics-market

COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Report Highlights

By end use, diagnostic centers and clinics are estimated to witness the fastest growth from 2021 to 2027. This is attributed to the fact that the service providers are boosting their testing capabilities by expanding technological footprints in existing labs and diagnostic centers as well as by launching new, high-capacity laboratories

Based on sample type, nasopharyngeal swabs are estimated to account for 43.88% share in 2020. Nasopharyngeal swabs are the most preferred for COVID-19 sample collection. These swabs are employed in PCR-based COVID-19 tests at a large scale, boosting the segments revenue generation capacity

In terms of mode, the PoC segment is expected to witness the fastest growth from 2021 to 2027. Increasing popularity of at-home testing and handheld instruments targeted toward combating the shortage of coronavirus test kits has been witnessed. This has propelled the adoption of PoC COVID-19 tests

The laboratories end-use segment is estimated to account for the largest share of 39.91% in 2020. The increasing number of laboratories are leveraging high-throughput technologies to process COVID-19 tests rapidly and effectively on a large scale. This is driven by effective implementation of favorable reimbursement policies in developed economies

Asia Pacific is projected to register the highest CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2027. This is attributed to the robust funding for fast-track clinical validation studies with respect to rapid tests for COVID-19 diagnosis, along with minimizing the duration required to introduce novel products. The increasing pool of local diagnostic kits and reagents manufacturers providing testing solutions for COVID-19 detection is anticipated to contribute to revenue generation in the region

List of Key Players of COVID-19 Diagnostics Market

Hoffman-La Roche Ltd.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Perkin Elmer, Inc.

Neuberg Diagnostics

1drop Inc.

Veredus Laboratories

ADT Biotech Sdn Bhd

altona Diagnostics GmbH

bioMerieux SA

Danaher

Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

ALDATU BIOSCIENCES

Quidel Corporation

Quest Diagnostics

Hologic Inc.

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Luminex Corporation

Abbott

Access Press Release of COVID-19 Diagnostics Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-covid-19-diagnostics-market
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Patrick Byrne in an interview with NTD Television's "Focus Talk," which premiered on Jan. 11, 2021. (Courtesy of NTD Television)

Patrick Byrne: This Is a Communist Party Takeover

Patrick Byrne, founder and former CEO of Overstock, told Jenny Chang, the host of NTD Televisions Focus Talk program, that what is happening now in the United States is a Communist Party takeover.

Thats what the left is trying to do here. They have a bill that theyre ready to pass as soon as they get in that basically imposes a Chinese-style censorship state, Byrne said during an interview premiered on Monday. I think this is a Communist Party takeover.

Byrne is concerned that in the future, even questioning the reported irregularities of the 2020 election will count as an act of domestic extremism.

What theyre going to try to do is take the FBI and Department of Homeland Security and CIA, and just completely unleash them as instruments of oppression against their domestic political opponents, all under the disguise of Were fighting domestic extremism  you saw Congress get overrun, Byrne warned.

Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trumps account on Jan. 8. Meanwhile, Google and Apple have removed Parler, a social media app similar to Twitter, from their respective app stores. They accused Parler of allowing dangerous content be posted on its platform. Amazon followed and removed Parler from its services too.

This is a color revolution. And it was managed really to the T and executed, Byrne said.

Byrne went on to explain that the unfolding color revolution has been implemented through four stages: demoralization through the COVID-19 pandemic, disorientation through Antifas burning of buildings and the like, with no state response; the crisis of the presidential election; and the normalization phase, which is now the media and big techs wiping out any opposing points of view.

Its quite Orwellian, Byrne continued. He emphasized that he did not vote for Trump but was absolutely appalled by the reports of election irregularities.

I think that the Achilles heel of liberalism is corruption of the institutions, Byrne continued. He suggested that the CCP (China Communist Party) long ago realized this and has been doing influence peddling in the United States for 20 or 25 years. He said he believes that the CCP also has had a hand in interfering in the November elections.

But he expressed some optimism that America still has its Supreme Court and federal judicial system. He indicated that if they could hold up for two years, theres a possibility to flip Congress, maybe flip the Senate.

Elections for the House of Representatives are held every two years. For senators, its every six years. Thirty-four of the 100 Senate seats are up for re-election in 2022.

Byrne pointed out that the Supreme Court should make some decisions in response to some of the cases that are in front of them, to ensure integrity and transparency in Americas election system.

Everythings going to be about ballot integrity, he said. Get involved. If we dont do that, the next time its over, it is over. So we have to get it done two years from now.
A mother who is accused of allowing the death of her three-month-old baby daughter has been pictured for the first time.

Kirsty Burdett, 25, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, appeared outside St Albans Crown Court today charged with causing or allowing the death of her daughter Millie Rose Burdett by failing to protect her from the risk of significant harm.

She was joined by her boyfriend Davey Everson, 23, from Edmonton, north London, who is charged with the murder of the baby.

Millie Rose, who was born in October 2018, died in hospital aged just three-months-old on January 11, 2019.

The trial of Burdett and Everson did not go ahead today.

Kirsty Burdett (left), 25, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, and Davey Everson (right), 24, from Edmonton, north London, appeared outside St Albans Crown Court today

Today's hearing saw the barristers from both sides discuss procedural matters with the trial judge.

It also dealt with how the jury should be selected and what questions they should be asked to ensure they did not know those involved.

From a panel of 20 potential jurors the final 12 will be selected tomorrow for the trial which is expected to last six weeks.

The charges were not read out in court today.

The court expects the defendants to plead not guilty tomorrow when the charges are put to them.
The coronavirus pandemic has seen many struggle to maintain their tresses without being able to enjoy a trip to a salon.

And Gok Wan revealed he's been having some trouble with his own long locks as he shared a hilarious childhood snap of himself rocking a bowl cut hairstyle on Monday.

Posting the image to Instagram, the TV presenter, 46, joked: 'So I guess my hair is gonna look like this again very soon... want some treats for that bowl, mate?'

It's a struggle! Gok Wan has shared a hilarious throwback snap and joked that he might end up with a VERY different hairstyle after lockdown (pictured in September)

In the sweet image Gok, who was made an MBE in 2019, is seen beaming a grin for the camera while wearing a polka-dot jumper over a white shirt.

However it is the young fashion expert's statement hairdo which catches the eye, with Gok sporting a strong bowl cut and slightly wonky fringe.

This is not the first time Gok has lamented the closure of hair salons as he also took to social media in December to discuss his growing tresses.

Now that's a look! The TV presenter, 46, posted a snap of himself in his younger years when he rocked a bowl cut hairstyle

At least he's laughing: Gok penned , 'so I guess my hair is gonna look like this again very soon... want some treats for that bowl, mate?'

The Say Yes To The Dress host posted two black and white selfies, with one showing his hair sticking up while he pulled an unimpressed face.

Another image revealed the star had managed to style his locks back into a tall quiff to restore some kind of order to his stylish look.

He penned: 'When the hairdressers open again? My hair is so big has its own postal code!'

Hair salons and barbers shops in the UK are currently shut amid the coronavirus pandemic and third national lockdown.

Government guidelines on hair salons in lockdown state: 'Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons.

Out of control! In December, Gok shared a black and white snap of his hair sticking up while he pulled an unimpressed face

That's better: Another image revealed the star had managed to style his locks back into a tall quiff to restore some kind of order to his stylish look

'Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. These services should not be provided in other people's homes'.

During the previous lockdowns Gok has been trying to keep his followers spirits up with funny snaps and encouraging quotes.

However just before the country was plunged into its first lockdown, Gok revealed how show How To Look Good Naked, which he presented after its launch in 2006, had a huge affect on his own mental health.

Speaking on This Morning ahead of its return after a 14-year hiatus, Gok admitted that he had therapy to be able to cope with his own body-image issues while filming.

He told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that he was part of the reason why the show has taken so long to return to screens, saying it could have been dangerous if he'd continued.

Wan explained: 'I needed a break, we made 78 of them. There's only one way I can make the show, which is to completely envelope myself in the women's lives.

'Back in the day, I used to have therapy as I was making the show to make sure that I could discuss the issues that I've got. There's so many triggers for myself in there, what goes on in my body and how I felt about myself.

'We made so many of them, it probably would have been dangerous to carry on, for me, as a host, because I just don't have enough heart to hold it all in, you sponge up those emotions.'
BEIJING, Jan. 11 -- January 11th marked the 10th anniversary of the maiden flight of China's J-20, a domestically-developed stealth fighter jet nicknamed "Black Ribbon" by military fans.

Here are important events of the aircraft:

At 1:11 pm, Jan. 11, 2011, a black-painted J-20 fighter jet took off from an airport in Chengdu, Southwest China and made its successful maiden flight.

At 10:20 am, Nov. 1, 2016, two J-20 fighter jets made their first public flight demonstration at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.

On July 30, 2017, three J-20s in a wedge formation flew over the parade field in the Zhurihe military training base in north Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the military parade to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It was the first time for the J-20 fighter jet to appear with combat-readiness posture in public occasions.

On February, 2018, a spokesperson of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) announced J-20s started to serve in the air force's combat units, an important step towards forming full combat capability.

On Oct. 1, 2019, five J-20s in a wedge formation streaked across the sky in a military parade to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing.

By 2035, J-20s will surely be the best in the back bones of the PLAAFs family of fighter jets, and will get further developed to be more advanced, according to Yang Wei, chief designer of J-20.
(@FahadShabbir)

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza handed a protest note to the UK ambassador over the UK's interference in Venezuela's internal affairs, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Jorge Arreaza is handing a note of protest to the British ambassador," the ministry said on Twitter.

The move was designed "to condemn the interventionist policy towards Venezuela," it said.
Hungary has ignored complaints about its practice of escorting undocumented immigrants back across the border to Serbia without due process, a watchdog group said on Tuesday after it raised the alarm about the ongoing human rights violations.

Hungarys nationalist government has long taken a tough stance on migrants and asylum seekers entering the European Union, an issue that has contributed to a sharp souring of relations with some EU partners.

The European Court of Justice ruled in December that Hungary had broken EU laws on protecting migrants by denying them asylum and forcibly deporting them. Hungary is an EU member but Serbia is not.

Since then, police data show Hungary has escorted back 2,346 undocumented immigrants, while it detained and started proceedings against only 120 people  meaning its primary method remained swift expulsion.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a legal advocacy group, urged Hungarys police chief to end the practice and asked the EUs border guard agency Frontex to cease cooperation with Budapest.

Neither the government nor Frontex replied to our letters, Helsinki lawyer Andras Lederer told Reuters.

A government spokesman said the EU ruling was devoid of purpose as the circumstances at issue in the present proceedings no longer exist. Transit zones have been closed. However, strict border control is maintained.

Hungary closed the so-called transit zones last year. The zones had comprised shipping containers for lodging and were surrounded by heavily guarded barbed wire perimeters.

Asked about the push-back practice, the government spokesman declined to comment, but added: We will continue to protect the borders of Hungary and Europe, and will do everything we can to prevent the formation of international migrant corridors.

EU AGENCY TURNED BLIND EYE

Frontex is currently assessing the impact of the (EU court) ruling on our operational activities in Hungary, Frontex spokesman Chris Borowski told Reuters, without elaborating.

The Helsinki Committees request to Frontex to sever ties with Hungary was based on an earlier commitment by the agency to part ways with member states that breached human rights norms.

In a separate report on the Frontex record in Hungary, the Helsinki Committee said the Agency turned a blind eye towards well-documented systemic human rights violations at Hungarys Schengen borders for more than four years.

Frontex did not immediately respond to questions seeking comment on that.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Dublin, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "CBD Regulatory Report: Cannabis is a Narcotic Substance in Hungary" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



CBD is not a controlled substance in Hungary, and the authority that is responsible for CBD-related products depends entirely on their intended purpose. This report covers a wide range of aspects including hemp cultivation and disposal, extracts and finished products, imports and exports, and medical and recreational cannabis, including the numerous laws and relevant bodies that are involved in the enforcement and regulation of each.



This report will provide you with a deeper understanding of the current regulatory landscape in Hungary. The country takes an especially tough stance on cannabis, with no indication of the possibility of a medical cannabis programme being introduced, as is the case for many other EU countries.

This report will enable you to obtain a detailed knowledge of all aspects of Hungary's CBD regime.

Key Topics Covered:





Executive summary

Hemp plant

Cultivation

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THC

Disposal

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Extracts as a consumer product

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Full spectrum

Flowers

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Food

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Cosmetic products

Vaping products

Pet food

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CBD/full spectrum

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For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/t8buw

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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.
TUPELO, Miss (WTVA) -- People in Tupelo now must go to a new location to get their Moderna coronavirus vaccination. Instead of doing getting vaccinations at the Lee County Health Department, people must now go to the Mall at Barnes Crossing. The site is in the Sears building parking lot right beside Hobby Lobby.

Its going on, were getting closer.

People pulling up to get their coronavirus vaccine in the mall parking lot. Photo taken 01-11-20. People pulling up to get their coronavirus vaccine in the mall parking lot. Photo taken 01-11-20.

A long, long line wrapped around the side of the mall on Monday, but that wasnt going to discourage Jerry Palmer from getting his coronavirus vaccine. He said one reason for the line was a delay that morning.

[I] had an appointment at 2:40, but I got emails and texts from the health department saying that it would be late, Palmer said.

He explained the unexpected delay affected everyone who had appointments on Monday. The reason for it was one Mississippi doesnt see too often: snow.

One lady waiting on Monday told WTVA they were supposed to start vaccinating at 8:00 A.M. on Monday, but the weather delayed the National Guard medics from giving the vaccinations until at least 11:00 A.M. Palmer added the Health Department gave them one guarantee.

If you had your appointment, you would get a shot today.

Lieutenant Jonathan Chaney and his team are working the vaccination site. He said they expected a big day.

We anticipate on vaccinating around 400 people today at this site, Chaney said.

Just a short time later, he said it looks like theyll vaccinate many more than that.

One of the National Guardsmen said that earlier in the day, several people were confused about where to go for the vaccination since it moved to the mall parking lot. He said they apparently found out all around the same time, because the line was wrapped around the building, all the way back to JC Penney.

Ultimately the reason for the move to the new location was simply space. By moving to the mall parking lot, the National Guard could serve many more people at once.

We anticipate it to get smoother and easier every day, Chaney said.

An EMA worker told WTVA the site will be doing vaccinations Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 at night.
Advertisement

A treasure trove of newly-unsealed CIA records has revealed chilling accounts of hundreds of UFO sightings across the globe dating back to the 1950s - along with international intelligence agencies' efforts to understand them.

The XXXX dossier with nearly 3,000 pages of documents about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) - the government's official term for what are commonly called UFOs - was published on The Black Vault website last week.

Thousands of paranormal enthusiasts have already started poring through the collection of more than 700 individual documents, according to Black Vault's founder John Greenewald Jr, who has spent the past two decades suing the CIA to release the records and then scanning the pages into his database one by one.

The CIA purports that the files account for its 'entire' collection of declassified UAP intel, but Greenewald cautions that there's no way to verify that claim and has vowed to continue searching for further records.

The dossier was released ahead of a June deadline for US intelligence agencies to reveal everything they know about UFOs to Congress under a clause slipped into the $2.3trillion coronavirus relief bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in December.

An ongoing DailyMail.com review of the files has uncovered a bevy of perplexing - yet unverified - accounts of mysterious disks tracking across the sky, spewing beams of light across small towns, causing explosions and even a few claims of military officers confronting aliens that come out of outlandish vehicles.

Other documents show correspondence between CIA officers about the UFO sightings. Sometimes the officers brush off observers' stories as purely superstitious, even when another explanation isn't clear. But in several instances the officers show genuine concern that perhaps something XXXXX is at play.

Russian airliner crew describes coming within 50 kilometers of a yellow disk shooting beams of light in Belarus in 1985

Many of the documents included in the Black Vault archive describe UFO sightings in the former Soviet Union - but this one is particularly detailed.

An article from Moscow's Trud newspaper dated January 30, 1985, describes how an airline crew en route from Rostov, Russia, to Tallinn, Estonia, came upon what they perceived to be a UFO about 120 kilometers from Minsk, Belarus, at about 4am.

The article dramatically recounts the incident from the perspective of the crew. 'Glancing over his portion of the sky, the copilot noticed a large star that was not flickering on his upper right. But this is no star, this yellow speck the size of a 5-kopeck coin, stretched out along the edges.

'"No matter..,"' he told himself calmly, "refraction of light in the atmosphere or something else..." A very thin beam of light emerged from the speck and fell vertically down to the ground itself.'

The pilot nudged his three comrades in the cockpit and they watched as the 'beam of light suddenly opened up, turning into a luminous cone. ... A second cone emerged, wider, ... then a third one, broad and quite bright.'

The pilot recommended that they report the sight to the ground, but the commander stopped him, unsure of how they would even describe it.

The men estimated that the object was only about 40 to 50 kilometers away. The copilot pulled out a paper to draw it before 'the beam of the "projector" rose from the ground and focused on the aircraft.'

'The commander was still hesitating: should he report what is taking place or not? But something that put an end to his doubts happened here. The white spot flashed up, and a green cloud emerged in its place.'

The commander recalled seeing the object rush toward his plane, before it suddenly disappeared. 'Well, now they will say we weren't in our right minds.'

The article goes on to describe the crew's conversations with dubious ground controllers.

It concludes with a statement from N. A. Zheltukhin, deputy chairman of the Commission on Aerodynamic Phenomena, who said: 'The commission is conducting a systematic study of [UFO] sightings over the territory of the Soviet Union.

'However, we have to note that regrettably, all the accounts which we have at our disposal suffer from being one-sided or fragmentary to one degree or another.'

Swedish pilot and flight mechanic spot a 'completely unorthodox, metallic object' flying at 'the speed of sound' outside Stockholm in 1953

A CIA report from April 1954 includes three newspaper articles about a purported UFO sighting five months earlier in Sweden.

Captain Christiernsson and flight mechanic Olle Johansson were flying a Trasnair Airlines plane between Malmo and Stockholm on December 17, 1953, when the object appeared in the sky in front of them.

'I do not doubt for an instant that it was not a jet plane,' Christiernsson told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. 'What I saw was a completely unorthodox, metallic, symmetric, round object which was unlike anything I have seen before.

'The silhouette was thin and it approached me at a very high velocity. Olle Johansson and I have discussed the matter of its speed, and we have estimated the speed to be about that of sound. The whole business took place fantastically quickly, but I believe that I was able to see the object for four to five seconds.'

Johansson said: 'What I saw was an ellipse with sharp outlines and something between silver and white in color. It was approaching from the north in a direction opposite to ours, at a speed of about 1,200 kilometers per hour. It was flying entirely above the clouds. Since we had the automatic pilot on, we had no chance to turn quickly enough to see where the object went.'

More than 700 declassified CIA reports about UFOs dating back to the 1970s were published on The Black Vault website on Thursday (file photo)

Urgent UFO information is hand-delivered to the CIA's top scientist for review in 1976

Asked about which documents had piqued his interest, Greenewald highlighted a report about seemingly urgent UFO information being hand-delivered to an Assistant Deputy Director for Science & Technology at the CIA in April 1976.

Most details about the information were redacted in the document, but Greenewald said he is determine to uncover more through further FOIA requests.

The name of the deputy director was also redacted but records indicate that Carl Duckett served in that position at the time.

The document states: 'We contacted A/DDS&T (Dr [redacted]) to see if he knew of any UFO program and also to answer the questions posed by [redacted].

'Dr [redacted] exhibited interest in [redacted] which was handcarried to his office. After a short examination of its contents Dr [redacted] advised us that he would personally look into the matter and get back to us.'

A second document from June of 1976 appears to request an update on the review, but there is no record of the ordeal after that.

The heavily redacted report above describes seemingly urgent UFO information being hand-delivered to an Assistant Deputy Director for Science & Technology in April 1976

CIA officials discuss the possibility that UFOs were behind a 'mysterious blast' in the small Russian town of Sasovo in 1991

In another report, CIA officials discuss the possibility that UFOs were behind a 'mysterious blast' in the small Russian town of Sasovo - about 400 kilometers southwest of Moscow - in 1991.

Residents reported seeing a 'fiery sphere' descend from the sky before a shockwave tore through the town, leveling an entire block.

The report said investigators had failed to come to a conclusion about the cause of the explosion, leaving open the possibility of UFOs.

It states: 'Some people are talking about munitions left buried since the last war, while others claim that a powerful bomb fell. A third group blame it on a meteorite, and a fourth group blame UFOs... There are people who supposedly saw a moving "fiery sphere".'

Among the more than 700 files in the Black Vault database is this report, where CIA officials discuss the possibility that UFOs were behind a 'mysterious blast' in a small Russian town

UFO enthusiast hounds the CIA for information about a sighting at Ohio Air Force Base

Several of the files appeared to reference the same incident, in which a possible UFO was sighted at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio in 1978.

The reports refer to someone named Dr Leon Davidson who made multiple requests for information about the matter and did not appear to be getting any response.

He is believed to be the same Dr Leon Davidson who studied UFOs for decades beginning in 1949, according to Columbia University, which was gifted a collection of the engineer's research on the subject after his death in 2007.

One report states: '[Redacted] received a letter from Davidson [redacted] in which Davidson asked if the [redacted] tape had been analyzed at Wright Field.

'[Redacted] replied that the tape was forwarded to proper authorities for evaluation and no information was available concerning results.

'[Redacted] then received a second letter dated 19 March from Davidson in which he said since [redacted] was not in a position to make enquires he would like the address of proper parties to make them to.

'[Redacted] replied that he understood the proper address for forwarding information on "flying saucers" is Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

'Subsequently, [redacted] learned that Davidson made enquiries there. Apparently they stalled him.'

In May of that year another report asks: 'What progress has been made? This correspondence is more than a month old. I am afraid the longer we procrastinate the more fuel we add to the fire. Also, the people at Wright Field are holding their breaths awaiting advice.'

A third report, for which the date is illegible, says: 'Davidson is on our backs again. He wants a verbatim translation of the "space" message and the identification of the transmitter from which it came.'

In a fourth report - which indicates that the case is 'closed' - the author states that Davidson was writing an article about the incident entitled: 'The Air Force and the Saucers, Part Three: The Central Intelligence Agency becomes involved with Saucers.'

It indicates that the CIA did provide Davidson with some information, but does not disclose what that information was.

In the final report on the matter, the author indicates that the CIA will no longer be responding to Davidson's correspondence.

Wright-Patterson AFB has long been linked to conspiracy theories about alien life, after serving as the headquarters of an Air Force program- dubbed 'Project Blue Book', which studied UFOs from 1947 to 1969.

Over the course of those two decades the project garnered more than 12,600 reports of UFO sightings - 701 of which were never 'identified', according to the Dayton Daily News.

Several of the files appeared to reference the same incident, in which a possible UFO was sighted at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio in 1978. The reports refer to someone named Dr Leon Davidson who made multiple requests for information about the matter and did not appear to be getting any response

In May of that year another report asks: 'What progress has been made?'

A third report, for which the date is illegible, says: 'Davidson is on our backs again. He wants a verbatim translation of the "space" message and the identification of the transmitter from which it came'

In a fourth report - which indicates that the case is 'closed' - the author states that Davidson was writing an article about the incident entitled: 'The Air Force and the Saucers, Part Three: The Central Intelligence Agency becomes involved with Saucers'

In the final report on the matter, the author indicates that the CIA will no longer be responding to Davidson's correspondence

UFO sighted in Morocco in 1976

One of the most heavily-redacted documents reviewed by DailyMail.com is dated September 23, 1976, and features the words: 'To immediate director - with personal request to investigate UFO sighted in Morocco.'

The full-page report is covered in 25 black lines that appeared to have been made directly with a pen.

The report was first approved for release in February of 2010, a footnote indicates.

One of the most heavily-redacted documents reviewed by DailyMail.com is dated September 23, 1976, and features the words: 'To immediate director - with personal request to investigate UFO sighted in Morocco'

Many of the files are similarly redacted to remove nearly every little detail beyond the word UFO.

Some in the mix merely mention the keywords 'UFO', 'UAP' or 'extraterrestrial' in the context of unrelated topics, offering little to no insight about the CIA's overall knowledge about those keywords.

For example, one document entitled 'Hypervelocity Test Techniques Discussed' describes a French study of a force which could be used to deflect UFOs - defined in the document as 'undesired flying objects' - not unidentified ones.

Another document joined the pile because it features a newspaper column about a Bosnian fugitive, in which the author mocks the Pentagon's failure to find the man despite 'communicating regularly with extraterrestrial beings'.

One document entitled 'Hypervelocity Test Techniques Discussed' describes a French study of a force which could be used to deflect UFOs - defined in the document as 'undesired flying objects' - not unidentified ones

Another document joined the pile because it features a newspaper column about a Bosnian fugitive, in which the author mocks the Pentagon's failure to find the man despite 'communicating regularly with extraterrestrial beings'

'It was like pulling teeth': Greenewald recounts the 20 years he's spent fighting for access to CIA records on UFOs

Black Vault's founder John Greenewald Jr (pictured) has spent the past two decades suing the CIA to release the records and then scanning the pages one by one

Greenewald began investigating the US government's research on UFOs when he was just 15 years old in 1996.

He described his painstaking efforts to Motherboard on Monday, saying he filed countless Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to unseal the records.

'Around 20 years ago, I had fought for years to get additional UFO records released from the CIA,' Greenewald said.

'It was like pulling teeth. I went around and around with them to try and do so, finally achieving it.

'I received a large box, of a couple thousand pages, and I had to scan them in one page at a time.'

The dossier contains both the records that Greenewald requested and others that the CIA had already released publicly and compiled into a CD, which Black Vault purchased last year.

In a blog post Greenewald noted that while the CIA claims it has released all of its UAP documents, there is no way to verify whether some documents may have been withheld.

In a Twitter thread on Tuesday he explained how the records available on the CIA's website are incomplete, despite the agency 'giving the illusion' that everything is there.

He posted screengrabs of a CIA site search which produced 415 results for UFO-related FOIA requests - compared to the 713 files on the Black Vault.

In a Twitter thread on Tuesday Greenewald explained how the records available on the CIA's website are incomplete, despite the agency 'giving the illusion' that everything is there

Greenewald also emphasized how the CIA releases its records in a format that is far from user-friendly.

'The CIA has made it incredibly difficult to use their records in a reasonable manner,' Greenewald told Motherboard.

'They offer a format that is very outdated (multi page .tif) and offer text file outputs, largely unusable, that I think they intend to have people use as a "search" tool.

'In my opinion, this outdated format makes it very difficult for people to see the documents, and use them, for any research purpose.

'Researchers and curious minds alike prefer simplicity and accessibility when they look at data dumps such as these.'

Despite the inconvenience, Greenewald said thousands of people had already downloaded the archive on the first day it was posted on the Black Vault.

He's offering the archive for free but set up a Patreon account for anyone who wants to donate money to support his past and future efforts to uncover CIA records.

'Plain and simple, the public has a right to know,' Greenewald said.

'When I began researching nearly 25 years ago at the age of 15, I knew there was something to this topic. Not because of viral internet hoaxes. Not because of back door meetings wherein I cant tell you who, but I promise it was mind-blowing information. No, none of that.

'It was simply because of the evidence that I got straight from the CIA. And the NSA. And the Air Force. And the DIA. I feel I am achieving what I set out to do. Easy access, to important material, for people to make up their own minds on what is going on.'

Greenewald (pictured) began investigating the US government's research on UFOs when he was just 15 years old in 1996. His Black Vault database is the result of countless different Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests

US intelligence faces six-month deadline to submit unclassified UFO report to Congress

UFO detectives like Greenewald may soon have even more intel to sift through, with the upcoming deadline for US intelligence agencies to submit an unclassified report about 'unidentified aerial phenomena' to congressional intelligence and armed services committees.

The director of National Intelligence and the secretary of defense have just under six months to do so, after a stipulation in the 'committee comment' section of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 was included in the huge bill, according to CNN.

The Senate intelligence committee's directive said that the report should be unclassified, but it can contain a classified annex. Therefore, it is unlikely to reveal the discovery of extra-terrestrial life reaching earth.

It does, however, state that the report must contain detailed analysis of UFO data and intelligence collected by the Office of Naval Intelligence, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and the FBI.

Detail of 'an interagency process for ensuring timely data collection and centralized analysis of all unidentified aerial phenomena reporting for the Federal Government' must be included, and it should designate an official responsible for that process.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed the requirement for the report to the fact-checking website Snopes.

Navy pilots believe they spotted a UFO just off the coast in Jacksonville in 2015 (pictured)

In April last year, the Pentagon released three short videos - one from 2004 and two from 2015 - that showed 'unidentified aerial phenomena', which had earlier been confirmed to be real by the US Navy.

The videos, recorded by infrared cameras, showed what appeared to be unidentified flying objects quickly moving across the sky.

In the background of two of the videos, service members can be heard reacting as they watch the objects, with one speculating it could be a drone.

In August, the Pentagon announced that it was setting up a task force to investigate the objects, but it is still unclear what the objects are or where they came from.

Both Pentagon officials and members of Congress have been concerned about the appearance of unidentified objects flying over US military bases, with some suggesting the objects in the video could be drones collecting intelligence.

In June last year, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to have the Pentagon and intelligence community provide public analysis of such encounters.

This is not the first time the Pentagon has investigated aerial encounters with UFOs, having previously studied recordings of such incidents as part of a classified program launched by former Senator Harry Reid, that has since been shut down.

That program was launched in 2007 and closed in 2012, the Pentagon says, after it decided there were higher priority areas that required funding.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -Whitehorse Gold Corp. (TSXV: WHG) ("Whitehorse Gold" or the "Company") announces the appointment of Ms. Bhakti Pavani to the Board of Directors (the "Board"). The addition of Ms. Pavani as an independent director increases the size of the Board from three to four.

Ms. Pavani has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry working for several U.S. based investment banks. A majority of her career has been spent working as an equity research analyst covering the precious metals sector. During her time as an analyst, she has covered a range of exploration and development stage companies through to established producers. Ms. Pavani has an MBA degree from California State University and is completing her CFA charter.

"We are very pleased to welcome Ms. Pavani as an Independent Director to the Whitehorse Gold Board," stated Kevin Weston, Whitehorse Gold CEO and Director. "Her financial sector experience will enhance the Board's depth and add significant value to the Company as we focus on expanding our capital markets profile and continue to advance the Skukum Gold Project."

ABOUT WHITEHORSE GOLD CORP.

Whitehorse Gold is focused on its wholly-owned Skukum Gold Project (formerly named the Tagish Lake Gold Project) located in the Whitehorse Mining District of the southern Yukon. The project consists of 1,051 mineral claims covering an area of 170 square kilometres and is located approximately 55 kilometres south of Whitehorse, Yukon, in the Wheaton River Valley region. The project hosts the advanced-stage Skukum Creek, Goddell and Mount Skukum high-grade gold deposits and multiple high-priority exploration targets. The project infrastructure includes an all-weather access road, an all-weather 50-person camp, approximately 4.8 kilometres of underground workings, an extensive surface road network and a previously operating 300-tpd mill along with a tailings management facility and service buildings. Over 140,000 metres of drilling was completed on the project by former operators. Historical underground operations on the Mount Skukum deposit from 1986 to 1988 saw a total of 233,400 tons of ore mined and processed in the plant, recovering approximately 79,750 ounces of gold under a previous operator.

On Behalf of Whitehorse Gold Corp.

"Kevin Weston"

CEO & Director

For further information please contact:

Steve Stakiw

Vice President - Corporate Affairs

Phone: 1-604-336-5919

Email: info@whitehorsegold.ca

www.whitehorsegold.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, Ms. Pavani's expected contribution to the Company and the Board, the Company's future plans with respect to the Skukum Gold Project and other future plans, objectives or expectations. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "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. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions, factors and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others: social and economic impacts of COVID-19; actual exploration results; results of future resource estimates; future metal prices; availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms; general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis; accidents or equipment breakdowns; delays in receiving government approvals; and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71860
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Core technology includes promising bivalent single-domain antibodies simultaneously targeting two surface structures of the viral spike protein.

Lead candidates DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 are engineered for high potency and their potential to avoid the emergence of escape mutants.

DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 entered into accelerated development to initiate clinical studies later this year.

BONN, Germany, January 12, 2021 - DiosCURE SE announced a publication in Science describing its core technology of multivalent single-chain antibodies with a unique molecular mode-of-action to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virions. An international team led by scientists at the University of Bonn developed and characterized the lead candidates, which are exclusively licensed by DiosCURE.

"This global pandemic requires an arsenal of therapeutic and preventative tools and our lead candidates will allow us to contribute to what will be an ongoing battle," stated Klaus Wilgenbus, Chief Executive Officer at DiosCURE. "DiosCURE was established with the goal of developing novel, best-in-class immunotherapies to protect a significant population which will remain at risk, including exposed healthcare workers, immunocompromised patients, non-responders to vaccines and patients experiencing post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. The data now published provides a solid foundation to continue our development efforts with the goal of entering the clinic later this year."

The company's lead candidates, DIOS-202 and DIOS-203, are synergistic combinations of single-domain antibodies derived from camelid heavy chain-only antibodies. These next-generation immunotherapies against SARS-CoV-2 were designed based on detailed structural information of the antibodies' interaction with its viral target protein and result from functional and evolutionary experiments. The discovery and promising early preclinical data were published in an article in Science entitled "Structure-guided multivalent nanobodies block SARS-CoV-2 infection and suppress mutational escape" on January 12, 2021. The study details the identification of DiosCURE's lead candidates out of millions of potential structures, as well as the rational design of multivalent constructs, which increased neutralizing activity more than 100-fold. Preclinical studies demonstrated that DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 selectively target two distinct epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein at once, which largely prevents the emergence of escape mutants. The dual targeting induces the premature activation of the fusion machinery, rendering the virions non-infectious. These discoveries were accomplished through a collaborative effort of research groups at the University Hospital of the University of Bonn (led by the Institute of Innate Immunity and the Core Facility Nanobodies), The Scripps Research Institute and the Karolinska Institutet.

The lead candidates are expected to be highly efficacious, well-tolerated, cost-efficient in production and are amenable to a wide range of clinical applications. As immunotherapies, DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 are suitable as prophylactic and to treat infected patients to avoid severe COVID-19 disease.

"The structure-based multivalent single-chain antibodies we discovered have strong potential for clinical applications. This is owed to their highly potent neutralizing activity and in-built protection from the rapid emergence of escape mutants. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutants will remain an ongoing challenge in this pandemic, and novel therapies are urgently needed to address this problem," stated Eicke Latz, Director of the Institute of Innate Immunity at the University of Bonn, co-founder and Board member of DiosCURE. "Our understanding of the short- and long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly evolving, and rational therapeutics targeting the virus are needed to curb the potentially devastating consequences of COVID-19."

###

About DiosCURE

DiosCURE is developing next-generation immunotherapies focused on a novel approach against SARS-CoV-2. The Company's proprietary bi- and trivalent variable domains of heavy chain-only antibodies (VHHs) are synergistic combinations of single-domain antibodies, constructed following structural information and optimized for potency as well as their potential to avoid the emergence of escape mutants. DiosCURE designed lead candidates that target two different epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with the potential to be highly efficacious, well-tolerated and manufactured at a large-scale standardized process. To learn more about our company, please visit http://www. DiosCURE. com

DiosCURE Contacts:

Klaus Wilgenbus, M.D.

Chief Executive Officer

info@DiosCURE.com

Media Contacts:

Trophic Communications

Eva Mulder or Sophia Hergenhan, Ph.D.

DiosCURE@trophic.eu

+49 89 238 877 30
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
'Streaming' the Gospel On-Demand in Middle East, North Africa

Christian broadcaster SAT-7 launching 'game-changer' video streaming service, targets tech-savvy generation





'VISUAL GOSPEL' GOES 'ON-DEMAND' IN MIDDLE EAST: Christian satellite broadcaster SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) is launching the first-ever faith-based video-on-demand service in the Middle East and North Africa -- sharing the hope of the gospel with a new generation glued to their phones during the pandemic. The network anticipates many more young people in countries like Iran, Turkey and Syria will stream Christian programs on their phones and mobile devices.



NEWS PROVIDED BY

SAT-7

Jan. 12, 2021



EASTON, Md., Jan. 12, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- A one-of-a-kind Christian broadcaster is launching the first-ever faith-based video-on-demand service in the Middle East and North Africa -- sharing the hope of the gospel with a new generation glued to their phones during the pandemic.



The new streaming service comes as people across the volatile region -- including those in their late teens and early 20s, known as Gen Z -- search for hope online amid the continuing pandemic and soaring unemployment.



After 25 years of locally-presented Christian satellite television broadcasting in the Middle East and North Africa, SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) says the SAT-7 PLUS video streaming service will be a "game-changer," giving millions living in countries closed to the gospel the ability to watch culturally-sensitive Christian programs whenever they want in their own language, and without being tracked.



"For millions stuck at home and desperate to see signs of hope in their world, satellite television and online streaming can be their life support," said SAT-7 CEO Rita El-Mounayer. "This year, SAT-7 PLUS will bring the hope of Jesus to more people, in more places, directly into homes across the Middle East and North Africa."



Skyrocketing Demand

Around the world, on-demand video streaming on smartphones, tablets and smart TVs has skyrocketed in the past year -- and the Middle East and North Africa is no exception, said Antoine Karam, director of SAT-7 PLUS. "People are anxious to see real hope right now. And now they'll be able to access hope all day, every day with this free on-demand service."



Amid strict lockdowns, millions in Iran, Turkey, Syria, Egypt and other countries turn to SAT-7 for emotional and spiritual support, as well as health advice, through programs in the local languages of Farsi, Turkish and Arabic.



In places closed to Christian activity, satellite television and online services cross borders, bringing the message of gospel hope seen through the lives of local Christians straight into people's homes.



The network's presenters -- all local Christians broadcasting out of studios across the Middle East and North Africa -- are a lifeline for viewers on the brink of giving up, living in fear of COVID-19, and those who are suicidal. Viewers can call in or message on social media to chat with a SAT-7 team member in real-time.



Streaming Plus Jesus: 'Game-Changer'

Show hosts are especially eager to connect with the young generation -- Gen Z and others -- streaming video content for hours on their phones and mobile devices.



"We aim to break through the 'dark box' that mobile devices can be for young people, and bring them hope using the same technology," Karam said. "Just one word from Jesus can be a game-changer."



Last year, the network saw a massive surge in viewers and social media activity across all its channels, including children's channel SAT-7 KIDS and education channel SAT-7 ACADEMY.



About SAT-7

Launched in 1996, SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) -- with its international headquarters in Cyprus -- broadcasts Christian and educational satellite television programs to more than 30 million people in the Middle East and North Africa. Its mission is to make the gospel available to everyone, and support the church in its life, work and witness for Jesus Christ. SAT-7 broadcasts 24/7 in Arabic, Farsi (Persian) and Turkish, using multiple satellite channels and online services.



SOURCE SAT-7



CONTACT: Matti Stevenson, 719-360-0586, mstevenson@inchristcommunications.com



Related Links



www.sat7usa.org


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"Babes-Bolyai" University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca is the best performing among Romanian universities at national competitions for funding research projects.

"Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca (UBB) is the best performing among Romanian universities in the national competitions for financing research projects organized by the Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI) in 2020," reads a press release UBB sent on Tuesday.

The Cluj-based university ranks first both in terms of the number of projects won (29 projects funded) and in terms of their total value (approximately 7 million euros).

According to the same source, UBB has submitted and won projects in all major research areas, especially in the field of social and economic sciences, where the success rate of project funding was 45.45 per cent.
(Natural News) New data compiled by a non-profit political unrest monitoring group reveals that at least 25 Americans died in 2020 while participating in George Floyd protests and other associated political demonstrations. Most people never heard about any of it, though, because the mainstream media completely ignored it, even as it now bellyaches about the so-called insurrection that took place at the Capitol building.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project found that in 2020, 11 people died while participating in political demonstrations, along with another 14 who died in other incidents linked to political unrest. Nine people died specifically while attending Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, while two conservatives were reportedly killed at pro-Trump patriot rallies.

What this important data further shows is that long before the Capitol siege took place, cities all across the country were destroyed, property was ravished and dozens of American lives were tragically lost. And the left-wing media is directly to blame for inciting said violence while egging on protesters to tear apart the country under the guise of advancing social justice.

In reporting on the data, The Guardian (United Kingdom) made sure to add the caveat that despite all the violence and chaos, most of the BLM demonstrations that took place across the U.S. after George Floyds death were peaceful, or so they claim.

More of the latest news about the ongoing chaos surrounding the fraudulent 2020 election can be found at Trump.news.

Had BLM invaded the Capitol rather than white people, Pelosi and Congress would have knelt down and washed their feet

As much as the media wants us all to believe that the Capitol siege was the worst thing to ever happen in American history, the reality is that it pales in comparison to what the left did to our country in response to the death of George Floyd.

The George Floyd riots resulted in billions of dollars in damages, many lost lives and the further disintegration of national unity. Not only that, but BLM and Antifa rioters largely got off scot-free for their crimes, despite claims by Joe Biden and others that black people are treated worse than white people.

Biden actually went so far as to suggest that the Capitol invasion would have gone much differently had the invaders been BLM  the implication being that black people entering the Capitol would have prompted a much more violent response from law enforcement.

The reality, however, is that nobody would have done a thing to stop a Capitol invasion by BLM because BLM is allowed to do whatever it wants as a protected special interest group. In fact, Congress likely would have knelt down before the rioters and allowed them to loot the property as reparations for the inequality they have supposedly had to endure due to systemic racism.

Nancy Pelosi would have put on an African scarf and carted out a bowl of water to wash the feet of the BLM rioters while apologizing to them for her white skin. The fake news media would have followed this up with reports about the bravery of BLM in challenging the symbol of whiteness that is the Capitol building.

Various non-profit organizations would have then joined in by donating tens of millions of dollars to BLM to honor the groups efforts to dismantle whiteness and create a more equitable society run by blacks and LGBTQs.

Perhaps this is the disparity in treatment Biden was actually referring to in his canned response to the Capitol invasion? Because everyone knows that in the New America, white people can do nothing right, and black people, just so long as they identify as Democrats, can do nothing wrong.

Sources for this article include:

TheGuardian.com

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Bank Nizwa, a leading Islamic bank in Oman, said it has signed an agreement with Arab Open University for the funding of its new campus in the sultanate.

The Omani bank said already the Ministry of Housing has allocated 37,850 sq m plot for the university in South Al Mabela.

Established as a non-conventional academic institution, the Arab Open University has been reaccredited by the Open University Validation Service of the Open University in the United Kingdom for a period of five years (2017-2022) for the fourth time.

The AOU has signed a series of memoranda with a number of international universities to offer academic programs required in the labour market.

Bank Nizwa has always been at the forefront of investing in ventures that help in the economic growth of the country, stated Khalid Al Kayed, CEO of Bank Nizwa after signing the deal with Dr Moosa Al Kindi, Director of Arab Open University, Oman branch in the presence of senior officials.

By supporting an institution like the Arab Open University that is established on the principles of quality education and is dedicated to steering development in scientific, social and cultural spheres, Bank Nizwa has further reaffirmed its commitment as a responsible corporate citizen that believes in investing in the youth of the country, noted Al Kayed.

"Education is one of the key sectors that the Oman Vision 2040 focuses on and Bank Nizwa is committed to being a vital contributor to the nations growing economy through strategic partnerships like these," he added.

The new Arab Open University falls under the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) which is a regional organisation established in 1980 by the initiative of late Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz and the support of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The first phase of the Arab Open University was launched in October 2002 and then it started in Oman in February 2008. With 15 branches and centres in nine Arab countries, it aims to reach all Arab countries.
A Russian judge has been asked to jail Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in absentia for having allegedly broken the terms of a suspended sentence he had been serving and for other infractions, court documents showed on Tuesday.

Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's leading critics, was airlifted to Germany for treatment in August after collapsing on a plane in what Germany and other Western nations say was an attempt to murder him with a Novichok nerve agent.

Russia's Federal Prison Service (FSIN) last month ordered him to immediately fly back from Germany, where he is convalescing, and report at a Moscow office or be jailed if he failed to return in time.

It accused him of flouting a suspended sentence he had been serving over a conviction dating from 2014, and of evading the supervision of Russia's criminal inspection authority. Navalny said the original conviction was politically-motivated.

Read More

On Tuesday, a court database showed authorities had requested that the suspended sentence be cancelled, raising the prospect of a custodial sentence instead.

"Putin is so furious I survived his poisoning that he ordered the FSIN to go to court and demand that my suspended prison sentence be changed to a real one," Navalny tweeted.

His spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh accused Russian authorities of trying to scare Navalny into not returning to Russia, something he has said he intends to do ahead of parliamentary elections due in September next year.

Russia has said it has seen no evidence he was poisoned and has denied trying to harm him. The Kremlin has said Navalny is free to return to Russia at any time like any other Russian citizen.

Read More




Lebanon on Monday tightened novel coronavirus measures by imposing a 24-hour curfew for an 11-day period and introducing new travel restrictions to stem an unprecedented spike in infections, AFP reported.

The latest measures came as officials and health professionals warned that hospitals were quickly running out of beds, leaving many scrambling for treatment, even though a lockdown has been in place since January 7.

The new measures will be enforced from Thursday until January 25, according to a statement released after a meeting of the Higher Defense Council, the country's top security body.

All citizens are to remain at home with few exceptions, including health professionals, journalists, those working in the food sector and other essential workers, said the statement.

Land and maritime borders will be closed to all travelers except those carrying a valid transit visa and passenger traffic at the Beirut airport will be slashed to 20 percent of arrivals in January 2020.

Travelers arriving from Baghdad, Istanbul, Adana, Cairo and Addis Ababa will need to quarantine in a hotel for seven days at their own expense.

They must take a PCR test upon landing in Lebanon and then again six days later.

Lebanon, a country of more than six million, has recorded 219,296 COVID-19 cases, including 1,606 deaths, since February.

Over the past seven days, it has recorded a 70 percent increase in infections, placing it among the countries currently experiencing one of the world's steepest virus upticks, according to AFP data.
The Houston Federation of Teachers headquarters was badly damaged Monday after what officials speculated was a gas explosion, according to Andy Dewey, the union's secretary-treasurer.

The building , located at 2704 Sutherland in southeast Houston, was unoccupied. No one was injured, he said.

Houston Fire Department spokesperson Martee Boose said she could not confirm whether the damage was caused by a gas explosion. She said dispatchers took a report of an "office fire" at the building, but she could not provide any further details.

Dewey said fire officials at the scene guessed it was a gas explosion. The stone wall of a meeting room had collapsed, and a subsequent fire damaged the interior. Dewey said he saw the flames around 2 p.m. on a security camera. He said he could not immediately provide a damage estimate.

Dewey said the federation, Houston ISD's largest teacher's union, has been working remotely throughout the pandemic.

At some point, CenterPoint shut off the gas in the empty building, he said. One employee recently returned to the office to handle administrative work. The gas was turned back on Monday to allow the employee to operate the heating system, he said. The employee, however, had taken Monday off, Dewey said.

Dewey said he left the building around 1 p.m. and didn't smell any gas. One hour later, the building's security system alerted him to an open door. That's when he saw the flames on the security footage.

Roughly a dozen CenterPoint workers responded to the scene. Firefighters left around 7:30 p.m.

Dewey emphasized that the incident will not disrupt union services.

"We've gotten used to working from home, so this won't be much of a blip at all," he said.

Still, he acknowledged the close call.

"I'll tell you, when I go to bed tonight and it all hits me, I'll probably start shaking," he said.

Yi-Chin Lee contributed to this report.

julian.gill@chron.com
A suspect is accused of shooting their former manager at a restaurant in Scottsboro.

Scottsboro police received a call on Monday around 9:30 p.m. that a person was shot at the Zaxby's restaurant on John T. Reid Parkway. Officers arrived and learned the manager had been shot after going out the back door of the business to talk to a former employee.

The department says the former employee fired several rounds at the victim, hitting him at least once, and then ran away from the scene.

Investigators developed a suspect and responded to a home in the 1700 block of Veterans Drive in Scottsboro. They say a barricaded situation developed and during the incident, the home caught on fire. The Scottsboro Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

The department says after a search was conducted of the home that burned, the remains of an adult male were found and sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy.

The shooting victim was taken to an area hospital and is listed in critical condition, according to police.

The Madison County Sheriffs Office and the Alabama State Fire Marshals Office are assisting in the investigation.

Scottsboro police say this is an ongoing investigation and no further information is being released at this time.

A spokesperson for the company provided this statement on behalf of Sandra Kay Foods, Inc. dba Zaxbys:

"We can confirm that a Zaxbys employee was shot around 9:30 pm on Monday, January 11 at our Zaxbys location in Scottsboro, AL located at 24729 John T Reid Pkwy. The employee suffered injuries and is currently being treated in the hospital. At this time, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our team members and cooperating fully with law enforcement are our top priorities. As a result, Zaxbys will be closed today, January 12. We are truly saddened by this incident and will be praying for a speedy recovery."
Sony India has confirmed that the PlayStation 5 console, which went Live for preorders across multiple shopping platforms, has been completely sold out for the time being. This means that there is no point you step out of your home and heading to a nearby gadgets store to attempt at preordering the Sony PlayStation 5 console. Sony does not confirm how many units of the PlayStation 5 were up for preorders earlier today. Shopping platforms including Amazon.in, Croma, Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales and the Sony Center online store were accepting preorders for the PlayStation 5 console, including certain No Cost EMI schemes with credit cards.

PS5 has met with unprecedented enthusiasm by PlayStation fans in India, resulting in a stockout during the pre-order period. Keeping the current situation in mind, we kindly urge all customers to keep their health and safety first and refrain from visiting any retail store to pre-order a PS5. Please stay in touch with retailers for the next pre-order phase, Sony India says in a statement shared with News18. There are no details if further stocks will be made available for preorders in the coming days. However, we must note that at the time of writing this, Croma is still accepting preorders for the PlayStation 5 console on their website, which indicates stocks might still be available with some retailers.

The latest generation PlayStation 5 consoles will be available in two variants, with the standard edition priced at Rs 49,990 and the Digital Edition that is priced at Rs 39,990. At this time, just the standard edition was available for preorders. Sony had confirmed a few days ago that the PlayStation 5 would go Live for preorders on multiple offline and online retail stores, from January 12, with the console going on sale from February 2.
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During the past several months, there has been much talk and concern regarding Christian nationalism.

There is a fine line, an almost indiscernible line, between Christian nationalism and patriotism.

I am willing to die for my nation. I believe the United States of American is the greatest nation on the earth despite all its flaws and sins. Hence, I am a patriot. I support our right to have a strong military, and I believe God had a special plan for the nation from its very inception. I would love to see the United States build its laws upon the Scriptures standard of morality and justice. I am strongly pro-life and pro-biblical marriage. I also advance a biblical worldview in many of my teachings.

These beliefs do not make me a Christian nationalist.

I am more committed to advancing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God than a set of policies of a particular political party. While being a patriot is a noble thing, its more important for a person to be born from above and become part of the Kingdom of God (John 3:3-8). I am first a Christian, secondarily an American. As a Christ-follower, I am a citizen of the world; my concern is global. I desire for Gods kingdom to influence every nation, not just the United States.

In the context of this article, most of the recent concerns about the rise of Christian nationalism are coming from the radical Left. This is primarily because most Evangelicals support President Trumps policies. The radical Left utilizes a lens of interpretation skewed against anything for what Conservative Evangelicals stand. However, there are also important concerns coming from Conservative Evangelicals. Joel McDurmon criticized Trump supporters for desiring top-down power and control. Although I thought the article in which Joel criticized Trump raised some crucial issues, Joel failed to mention that it is the radical Left themselves who seek top-down control. It is the Left themselves who promote laws and celebrate court decisions that most Americans would never vote for (e.g. abortion and gay marriage).

Some in the Body of Christ have done an excellent job addressing Christian nationalism. (My dear friend, Dr. Michael Brown, has written about Christian nationalism).

The purpose of this article is to further clarify the issue by contrasting the Kingdom of God from Christian nationalism.

1. The Kingdom of God focuses on the advancement of the Gospel. Nationalism focuses on the advancement of the politics of the nation.

As much as I believe politics and economics are vital and, to an extent, can represent biblical ethics, I am much more committed to making disciples and seeing humanity change. (It is also possible for a committed Christian to be a faithful witness for Jesus while serving in public life as an elected official.) For me, anything that potentially distracts my energy and focus away from advancing the Gospel takes a backseat in my personal life and ministry.

2. The Kingdom of God produces loyalty to Christ above all else. Nationalism produces loyalty to the nation above all else.

I have studied the behavior and writings of Christians for many years. In some cases, I have concluded that some Christians are more committed to their nation and ethnic heritage than they are to God. The Kingdom of God transcends all nations and ethnic identities (Psalm 103:19).

In the mid-20th century, we witnessed Christian nationalists turn a blind eye to the 3rd Reich when most of the German churches aligned themselves with Hitler. If it happened once, it can and will continue to happen again, especially to a non-discerning church.

3. The Kingdom of God produces martyrs for the cause of Christ. Nationalism produces citizens who are willing to die for their nation.

Although I am willing to defend my neighbor and die for my nation, I believe the greatest honor is to die for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. (Some may argue that I am a better citizen not because I am willing to die for my nation, but because of my faith in God.) Hence, it has to do with motive, not merely actions.

4. The Kingdom of God raises the banner of Jesus above all else. Nationalism raises the national flag above all else.

During this acerbic political season, I have witnessed Christians fighting on social media, becoming irate and condescending towards those with a different political view. (Consequently, Christians are jeopardizing the eternity of unbelievers who may be the recipients of their political rants!)

We are called to walk in the ideals set forth by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and aspire to represent His Kingdom. We must be the salt of the earth and light of the world (Matthew 5-7).

5. The Kingdom of God promotes the interests of God above the world. Nationalism promotes the interests of the nation above the Kingdom.

In the Old Testament, we have seen many times that prophets like Jeremiah, Amos, Jonah, Isaiah, Elijah, and more, declared words from the Lord that were not always good for Israel. They risked their lives because their first allegiance was to His Kingdom rather than the nation of Israel. Jesus even corrected Peter because he was more interested in the things of men rather than the things of God (Mark 8:33). Consequently, we in the Kingdom of God should have our essential allegiance to Christ and His gospel, even if it does not comport with our nation's rank and file, and the policies they espouse.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 01:18:16|Editor: huaxia

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U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns attends a press conference in Tripoli, Libya, April 24, 2014. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)(zhf)

"The CIA and America's other national security institutions have to reimagine their roles on an international landscape that's profoundly different from the world I encountered as a young diplomat nearly 40 years ago," says William Burns.



WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday that he has picked William Burns, a longtime diplomat serving in the State Department, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

"I'm asking Ambassador Bill Burns to lead the Central Intelligence Agency because he's dealt with many of the thorniest global challenges we face," Biden said on Twitter. "As a legendary career diplomat, he approached complex issues with honesty, integrity and skill. That's exactly how he'll lead the CIA."

Burns "shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect," the president-elect said in a separate statement.

"The CIA and America's other national security institutions have to reimagine their roles on an international landscape that's profoundly different from the world I encountered as a young diplomat nearly 40 years ago," said Burns, who was U.S. deputy secretary of state from 2011 to 2014.

Libya's First Deputy President of the General National Congress Ezzedine Muhammad Yunus Awami (R) meets with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in Tripoli, Libya, April 23, 2014. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)

"It's a world in which we face familiar threats, like terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but it's also a world in which climate change and global health security are increasingly powerful challenges, and a world in which cyber threats are only going to grow more significant," said the 64-year-old who served in the U.S. foreign service for 33 years under five presidents and 10 secretaries of state in a variety of posts.

After retiring from public servant in 2014, Burns became president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank.

If confirmed by the Senate, Burns will be the first director of the CIA whose entire public career was spent in the diplomatic arena.

While Biden-appointees are expected to have relatively easy confirmation processes in the Democratic-controlled Senate in the new Congress, it is possible that senators will grill Burns on his role in the 2012 terrorist attack on U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, which killed then U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and other senior U.S. diplomats. 
 Flash

The United States added Cuba to the list of "State Sponsor of Terrorism" on Monday, a move to constrain the incoming Joe Biden administration's efforts to improve relations with Havana.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Cuba was designated for "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists."

The statement cited that Cuba harbored several U.S. fugitives from justice and supported Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro government that "created a permissive environment for international terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela."

According to the statement, the designation would result in sanctions that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with Cuba, restricts U.S. foreign assistance, bans defense exports and sales, and imposes certain controls on exports of dual-use items.

In addition to Cuba, the State Department currently lists Syria, Iran, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.

The action by the outgoing administration of Donald Trump has immediately drawn condemnation from Cuba and Democrats at home.

"We condemn the U.S. announced hypocritical and cynical designation of #Cuba as a State sponsoring terrorism. The U.S. political opportunism is recognized by those who are honestly concerned about the scourge of terrorism and its victims," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy in a statement blasted the move as a "blatantly politicized designation."

"In fact, domestic terrorism in the United States poses a far greater threat to Americans than Cuba does. Secretary Pompeo has self-righteously defended Donald Trump's worst foreign policy failures, and on his way out the door he seems intent on making things as difficult as possible for his successor," he said.

President-elect Joe Biden previously slammed Trump's policies on Cuba, saying he would "try to reverse the failed Trump policies that inflicted harm on Cubans and their families."

In October, Biden said that the United States needed a new Cuba policy, though it remained unclear how quickly Biden would implement his policy on the island.

Cuba had been put on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1982. In May 2015, then Barack Obama administration officially removed Cuba from the list, clearing a major obstacle to reestablishing diplomatic ties between the former Cold War rivals.

Bilateral ties have significantly deteriorated since Trump took office in 2017. The Trump administration rolled back the detente by stepping up economic sanctions against Cuba and sought to prevent Havana's support to the Maduro government, which Washington is openly seeking to oust from power.
Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has doubled down on the governments plan to charge people with computers, smartphones, and tablets TV licence fees.

This was part of a response from Ndabeni-Abrahams to a question from the DA deputy chief whip in the National Assembly, Michael Waters.

Waters asked the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies:

What is the justification of (a) charging persons with mobile devices the cost of a TV licence and (b) transferring all the income of TV licences derived from mobile devices to the SABC?

In response, Ndabeni-Abrahams cited sections of the recently published Draft White Paper on Audio and Audio-Visual Content Services Policy Framework: A New Vision for South Africa 2020.

She said amendments to the TV licence fee section to broaden the definition and collection system for television licences are necessary because of the SABCs financial challenges.

There are also plans to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and penalties of non-payment of TV licenses.

She added that achievement of the above will be determined by the submissions expected from all South Africans towards the draft White Paper.

What Ndabeni-Abrahams is referring to is the public comment process related to the Draft White Paper which closes on 15 February 2021.

Ndabeni-Abrahamss response did not sit well with DA Shadow Minister of Communications Zakhele Mbhele.

Mbhele said Ndabeni-Abrahams did not properly justify governments intention of charging people with mobile devices the cost of a TV licence and giving the money to the SABC.

This draft paper proposes to exploit another stream of revenue to bail out yet another state entity brought to its knees by years of gross mismanagement, he said.

And it seems the Minister knows that this is not justifiable, given her poor attempt at answering the question.

Mbhele added that it is the same White Paper that seeks to extend TV licence fees to include streaming services like Netflix, regardless of whether such a service is viewed on a television.

He urged the public to make written submissions opposing the Draft White Papers plan broaden the definition and collection system for TV licences.

The DA has also launched a petition against the governments plan to force people to pay for a TV licence to stream Netflix or watch DStv.

You should not have to pay a cent more to keep the SABC afloat, the DA said.

Expert opinions about the planned TV license changes

Ian Jacobsberg, director at Tabacks Attorneys, said there are many challenges related to the TV license proposals in the Draft White Paper.

Jacobsberg said dealers are currently not allowed to sell TV sets to anyone who is not in possession of a licence.

It would be easy to introduce a similar regulation obliging a subscription services like Netflix to ensure that a potential subscriber has a licence before making the service available.

The more difficult issue arises if the government wants to compel the service providers to collect the licence fee and pay it over to the SABC.

Services like Netflix are typically provided on a month-to-month agreement, which complicates the traditional annual TV license fee collections.

Another problem is that many people subscribe to two or more streaming services. Which one will bear the primary responsibility of collecting the licence fee? Jacobsberg asked.

Looking at device-based licensing, he said the current definition of a television set in terms of Television licence Fees Regulations is wide enough to include smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

This does, however, raise a question regarding retailers of these devices, and network service providers who provide the devices as part of a package to subscribers.

Should they in fact be insisting on seeing every customers TV licence before they supply the device? Jacobsberg asked.

There are also questions about the legal authority of the SABC to delegate the authority to collect licence fees to businesses in the private sector.

Jacobsbergs comments echoed those of MultiChoice CFO Tim Jacobs who said it would be difficult to implement the collection process under current law.

Right now, the regulations do not allow broadcast services to collect licence fees. Its not even a debate at the moment, Jacobs said.

He added that DStvs customers often subscribe to and drop packages throughout the year, which would make it difficult to calculate and manage licence fees.

The question becomes how do you charge and how do you recover that money? Its really complicated when you get into the real detail behind it, Jacobs explained.

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams TV license response

Draft White Paper on Audio and Audio-Visual Content Services Policy Framework: A New Vision for South Africa 2020
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial services company Fortis Lux today announced the launch of its Impact Investment initiative, a new strategy to address the widening American wealth gap. The portfolio focuses on increasing economic resources and wealth creation for minorities and African Americans.

The Impact Investment initiative will develop investment vehicles to support publicly traded companies that emphasize racial and ethnic diversity policies to empower their employees no matter their race or cultural background.

"Supporting socially responsible companies creates awareness and drives equality," says Reginald Canal, Financial Services Representative at Fortis Lux. "We're happy to be involved in pushing these initiatives forward."

How the Impact Investment strategy works:

A portion of Fortis Lux's advisory fees are earmarked to support organizations addressing the issues that stifle wealth creation for African Americans and other minorities in the U.S.

Investment strategies and portfolio management will support organizations showing a commitment to racial and ethnic diversity through their policies

Fortis Lux recognizes that issues like paying for higher education, misinformation about student loans, increases in student loan balances, and lack of capital availability for black entrepreneurs all contribute to the wealth gap impacting Black Americans.

The Impact Investment Strategy

We construct the portfolio to provide 100% equity market exposure using active management, investing in select companies with strong racial and ethnic diversity policies that seek to empower employees irrespective of their race or nationality.

Specifically, the strategy seeks to focus on companies that reflect the values noted below and retain attractive growth prospects aligned with the Impact Portfolio's vision of equality:

Strong representation of black and/or minority senior executives

Companies that have strong practices in black and or minority leadership development

Companies with initiatives to significantly increase diversity in their workforce

Corporate governance practices are transparent and shareholder-friendly

Fortis Lux is backed by a diverse team that is committed to investing in companies that are socially responsible. The benefits of this strategy go beyond increased awareness and more funding for companies in need. These investments will also change the landscape for greater economic equality while helping clients realize bigger returns.

"Fortis Lux is committed to impact funding, the cornerstone of our business philosophy, and hopes to drive long-term change in racial equality," says Michael Luftman, Executive Vice President - Head of Wealth Management at Fortis Lux. "Adding the Impact Investment Strategy, designed within the WMS Advisor Select Platform, to our offerings will allow our clients and our firm to invest in promising companies that are truly aligned with those goals."

The Impact Investment initiative comes at a time when diversity and equity initiatives are on the minds of many. For more information on the Impact Investment, visit fortislux.com.

About Fortis Lux: Fortis Lux Financial provides customized financial services to meet the needs of each of our clients, including financial planning and wealth management services. Our team knows that money is a powerful tool for social change, and we are committed to helping our clients make big social impacts.

"We're always working to close the racial wealth gap and foster economic equality," says founding partner Felix Malitsky.

Investment advisory services offered through MML Investors Services, LLC., a member SIPC and a registered investment advisor. Supervisory Office: 420 Lexington Avenue Fl 25 Suite 2510, New York, NY 10170. (212) 578 - 0300. CRN202212-274819

SOURCE Fortis Lux Financial

Related Links

https://fortislux.com/



Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 16:24:29|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday held talks with leader of Afghanistan's Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami party Karim Khalili in Islamabad on the peace process in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said.

Khalili, the former Afghan vice president, arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit on Monday.

Qureshi described as "good omen" the progress in intra-Afghan negotiations currently underway in Qatar to decide a future political roadmap, according to the statement.

"It has been Pakistan's long standing stance that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict. A comprehensive negotiated political settlement is the only solution acceptable to the Afghan leadership," the statement quoted Qureshi as saying.

He said Pakistan will welcome decisions at the negotiations among Afghans and said intra-Afghan dialogue is a unique opportunity for the Afghan leadership to bring peace to the country.

"We believe that peace in Afghanistan is linked to peace and stability in the region," he said.

Qureshi told Khalili that Pakistan is taking measures to promote bilateral trade and has also introduced a liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals.

Khalili appreciated Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process, according to the statement. Enditem


By Jun Ji-hye



Kim Kyung-wook, former vice minister for transport, has been nominated as the ninth president and CEO of Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) to fill the leadership vacuum following the dismissal of the previous CEO in September.





Kim Kyung-wook
"To turn this purpose into an achievable and measurable objective, the WEF has formulated a metric system capable of measuring efficiency in the use of not only financial capital, but of all kinds," he commented in the "A new start" session of the virtual Annual Conference of Executives (CADE-Executives) which kicked off today.





Schwab affirmed that the Peruvian business community has the possibility of becoming the first to adopt this new measurement system. Thus, it will be able to comply with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, as well as measure prosperity and economic progress.





In this sense, he suggested businesspeople to start thinking with a purpose about how to serve people, the planet, and how to respect the application of good corporate governance principles.





Pandemic





The WEF founder said that the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic could mean a great restart opportunity for the planet and for Peru.





According to the expert, people should not only think in terms of recovery and reconstruction.





Schwab went on to add he believes that it is time to also think about a great restart.





"We know that the traditional capitalist system contributed significantly to lifting people out of poverty, particularly in Peru, and reduced it well. However, the country faces challenges to promote inclusion and sustainability," he expressed.





Lastly, Schwab stressed that the great restart seeks to build a new system which brings humanity a better model of employment, quality of life, and sustainability. Thus, a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future will be achieved for all objectives that are aligned with the goal of creating a new Peru for its Independence Bicentennial (in 2021).
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / There's no stopping the power of marketing automation in 2021. Thanks to the pandemic, companies that once considered AI-powered marketing automation like Fastbase Inc. (OTC:FBSE) a "nice-to-have" are now scrambling to adopt technologies that automate routine tasks and meet the rising influx of customer demand. Businesses are prioritizing productivity-enhancing martech investments with Gartner's Annual CMO Spend Survey Research 2020 stating that despite 2020 budget cuts, 68% of CMOs expect martech budget increases in 2021. Let's take a closer look at how we predict Fastbase will move the needle this year.

AI-Powered Martech Fuels Productivity in the Workplace

The demand for artificial intelligence technology is surging with McKinsey confirming in their article, The next normal arrives: Trends that will define 2021-and beyond, "During the Covid-19 crisis, one area that has seen tremendous growth is digitization, meaning everything from online customer service to remote working to supply-chain reinvention to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve operations." As business demands increase, AI can help fill gaps and automate repetitive work tasks helping employees focus on the work that matters most. For marketing and sales teams, AI-powered martech, specifically ones that provide predictive analytics, can help determine the best leads, their online behavior, and their likelihood to convert. Let's dive into one company that is helping marketing and sales teams increase productivity while accelerating revenue growth.

Converting Big Data into Actionable Strategies

Working smarter means getting more work done in less time. When you're constantly spending time on the same tasks every day, this takes time away from the critical work that attributes to the bottom line. Using marketing automation tools like analytics powerhouse, Fastbase, helps marketing teams better customize content and sales teams to focus on the most qualified leads. How does Fastbase work?

Fastbase's WebLeads tool pulls back the curtain on exactly which companies are visiting your website, how they go there, the content viewed, and so much more. Providing deep insights into audience behavior, customer preferences, and online engagement, marketers identify which campaigns are performing best and which advertising converts to sales.

Within its suite of products are two powerful tools that are invaluable to lead generation and help business development teams build pipelines with high-quality leads. InMarket Leads and Similar Leads help business development teams routinely source new prospects that match their most qualified buyer profile. The power of InMarket Leads derives from its ability to display prospects that are currently in-market and actively searching for your product or service. Powered by AI, Fastbase's Similar Leads tool discovers new leads with similar attributes to your existing customer base. Add in Fastbase's LeadScoring technology, and now you're able to add your new leads into a nurturing campaign and only get notified when a prospect is ready to buy. Fastbase's LeadScoring technology is a marketing automation platform similar to HubSpot but at a much lower price point. Fastbase's suite of products helps businesses continuously and reliably build their pipeline, improve productivity, streamline existing processes to ultimately provide customers with better, more personalized experiences.

Fastbase Inc.

140 Broadway, 46th Floor

10005 New York, United States

Phone +1- 800 490 7454

www.fastbase.com

SOURCE: Fastbase Inc.

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Unions claim Qantas has underpaid many of its workers more than $10,000 each by subsidising their overtime payments with the government's JobKeeper scheme.

The Australian Services Union, Transport Workers Union and Flight Attendants' Association of Australia are among a coalition that will on Wednesday seek leave to appeal a landmark court judgment on how JobKeeper works to the High Court.

Qantas unions say workers have been underpaid more than $10,000 because of how Jobkeeper has been applied. Credit:Paul Rovere

The case has broader implications for the governments JobKeeper scheme because it could force some companies to pay staff more in overtime and penalty rates.

The unions won their legal challenge to the way Qantas applied JobKeeper payments in the Federal Court in September before the case was overturned on appeal last month.


He is best-known for playing Scott Windsor in Emmerdale and Chris Longworth in Grange Hill.

And now actor Ben Freeman has joined EastEnders where he is set to play mysterious newcomer Caleb.

The soap star's, 40, character will be an associate and blast from the past of Chelsea Fox, played by Zaraah Abrahams.

Exciting: Ben Freeman has joined EastEnders where he is set to play mysterious newcomer Caleb (pictured as his character Scott Windsor in Emmerdale in 2006)

Chelsea has been pretending to forgive her murderous father Lucas, played by Don Gilet, and wants to seek revenge on him.

Only recently, it was revealed that Chelsea had actually planned the brutal attack on her father.

Caleb will be appearing in a slew of episodes as Chelsea's storyline with her father Lucas intensifies.

Ben is no stranger to soaps and he is best-known for playing Scott Windsor in Emmerdale from 1998 to 2007.

Plot: The soap star's, 40, character will be an associate and blast from the past of Chelsea Fox, played by Zaraah Abrahams (pictured with actress Gina Beck in 2016)

During his time in the Yorkshire village, his character had a scandalous affair with his stepsister Kelly Windsor, played by Adele Silva.

While Scott also fathered a child, Jean, with Zoe Tate, played by late actress Leah Bracknell, following a one night stand. As part of the storyline, Jean's paternity was kept a mystery for months.

Aside from Emmerdale, Ben played Chris Longworth in Grange Hill from 1996 until 1998.

Plot: Chelsea has been pretending to forgive her murderous father Lucas, played by Don Gilet, and wants to seek revenge on him (pictured in soap still)

Role: Ben is no stranger to soaps and he is best-known for playing Scott Windsor in Emmerdale from 1998 to 2007 (pictured with Charley Webb in a throwback soap still)

More recently, Ben has appeared in several musical and theatre productions, which included The Rocky Horror Picture Show alongside Diana Vickers.

He also starred in an episode of Doctors and 2018 film Robin Hood: The Rebellion.

Only recently, Zaraah made her debut on EastEnders and she joked that she asked the soap to push back her Christmas Day opening episode.

Scandal! During his time in the Yorkshire village, his character had a scandalous affair with his stepsister Kelly Windsor, played by Adele Silva (pictured on the soap in 2000s)

The former Waterloo Road star said: 'I was honoured but also extremely frightened. I said I think we should do it the next day as I didnt want to let anybody down.

'Everyone looks forward to "EastEnders" on Christmas Day, its a lot of pressure! EastEnders' has such loyal fans so I want them to be happy on Christmas Day.'

EastEnders continues on BBC One.
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The extent of the damage caused by the massive fire at the R&H Hall grain storage facility in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork will be assessed in the coming days.

The company told the Farming Independent that the facility will be reopened later this week, although the fire services were still on site yesterday.

The quantity of product stored in the silo that went on fire was not detailed by R&H Hall, but industry sources indicated that up to 30,000 tonnes could potentially be affected.

Fire services are still on site and a full assessment of the damage will be carried out as soon as possible once the incident has been fully dealt with. As a result we cannot speculate about the amount of feed that may have been potentially affected at this stage, the company stated.

It is also important to note that there are other storage areas at our Ringaskiddy facility that have not been affected by the fire, so the site will be operational again once the incident has been fully dealt with.

Concerns have been raised in farming circles that the Ringaskiddy fire could exacerbate an already tight feed supply situation as shipments of soya meal and other protein products out of Argentina have been disrupted by a dock workers strike.

Engaging

However, the R&H Hall statement confirmed that the company had been engaging with its customers since Saturday and was maintaining a dialogue with them on continuity of supply.

We envisage that the site will reopen this week and we will be able assess any impact on the supply chain at that point, but we are in a position to rely on our four other facilities on the island of Ireland at Dublin, Belfast, Foynes and Lisahally, all of which remain operational, the company said.

Responding to reports that this was the third fire at the companys Ringaskiddy site in recent months, R&H Hall stated that one incident was very minor, while the other was a precautionary call-out.

Local senator Tim Lombard said it was important that the fire was not used by co-ops and feed merchants as an excuse to increase the price of concentrate feed.

However, Senator Lombard said the fire highlighted the dependence of the Irish livestock industry on imported feed, and particularly protein sources.

The long-term aim for the industry has to be producing more protein-based products on the island [of Ireland], and to reduce our dependency on imported protein products, he said.
San Francisco, Jan 12 : California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state would open mass vaccination sites in major cities to step up its coronavirus vaccination efforts this week.

At daily online press conference on Monday, Newsom that these mass sites, including at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego and Cal Expo in Sacramento, was aimed at vaccinating 1 million more people by the coming weekend, reports Xinhua news agency.

The move came as the state reported a record 1,163 deaths from Covid-19 over the last weekend and an additional 264 deaths on Monday.

Meanwhile, the state also saw nearly 40,000 new cases Monday and 22,633 hospitalizations.

Los Angeles' Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a statement on Sunday saying local authorities have decided to shift away from testing at Dodger Stadium and Jackie Robinson Stadium so that public health officials could immediately focus personnel, equipment and other resources on vaccination distribution.

These two facilities account for over 30 per cent of the testing that takes place in Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the US with over 10 million residents.

This shift in resources would "temporarily reduce testing capacity in Los Angeles County, but it will more than triple the number of daily vaccines available to be dispersed", the Mayor's statement read.
India will be able to decide on exports of coronavirus vaccines within the next few weeks, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday, as governments abroad seek to shore up supplies.

India, one of the world's biggest producers of vaccines and generic drugs, is expected to be a key manufacturing centre for Covid-19 vaccines.

Jaishankar told the Reuters Next conference that India understood the anxieties of foreign governments about getting the vaccines delivered to their populations.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

"We will get clarity pretty soon on what our own consumption is going got be, (what) deployments are going to be. And we will keep our global role very much," he said.

Last week, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking to expedite a shipment of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, which is being made by Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest producer of vaccines.

Bangladesh this week said it expected to receive initial shipments of the vaccine from SII by Jan. 25.

India has to balance the needs of its own population, which is set to receive the first shots this weekend, with that of foreign countries, Jaishankar said, speaking from Delhi at the virtual conference.

"The policy of course is we will start the rollout in India. We have our own challenges," Jaishankar said.

"A number of countries are in touch with us... and what we are telling them is, look, this is the first month," he added. "The production is now coming into stream. There is a certain amount of stock taking going on."

Along with AstraZeneca's locally branded COVISHIELD, India's drug regulator also cleared an indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech, jointly developed with a government institute.

Four more vaccines are in clinical trials, Jaishankar said.

Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D and Russia's Sputnik V are among those being tested.

Jaishankar said India had done well to control the pandemic, beating grim forecasts about the virus' tearing through the world's second-most-populous country.

"We surprised ourselves, probably the world as well. And if you recall the kind of apocalyptic scenarios around the summer of 2020, at the end of the year, it is very visible who came through better, and who came through less," he said.

India, which has the world's second highest number of coronavirus infections - nearly 10.5 million - after the United States, has among the lowest coronavirus fatality rates.

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Budget carrier GoAir has operated a flight to Chennai from Pune, containing 70,800 vials of COVID-19 vaccines as the much-awaited roll out of the vaccine commenced on Tuesday.

The flight took off for Chennai from Pune early morning on Tuesday, carrying 70,800 vials (7,08,000 doses) of the vaccine, according to GoAir.

"We at GoAir are overwhelmed with the kind of responsibility bestowed upon us to transport the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. We are grateful that we have got an opportunity to be able to contribute to the vaccine movement and support the noble cause," GoAir chief Executive Officer, Kaushik Khona said in a statement.

"In our efforts to alleviate the complexities of the vaccine movement given the scale of the consignments and logistics, we are taking every possible step to support the institutions and our stakeholders to reach the vaccine in all possible corners of the country," he said.

This responsibility of vaccine shipment recognises the efforts taken by GoAir towards developing its cargo services for critical vaccine movement and motivates us to take the lead in order to remain the preferred choice for the industry, Khona 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

Earlier in the day, flights started ferrying vaccines to different cities from Pune with the first consignment of Covishield vaccines in a flight operated by budget carrier SpiceJet reaching Delhi from Pune at around 10 am, four days ahead of the launch of a nationwide drive against coronavirus.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said four airlines will operate nine flights to transport 56.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pune to 13 cities across the country on Tuesday.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Krasnoyarsk (734.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was sitting in a chair. and it felt like I couldn't keep my balance. | 19 users found this interesting.    

I didn't feel but my 3years old daughter said me "when you were sleeping something at home vibrated".

 ,     / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Krasnoyarsk, (730.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : WakI woke up from a strong wave, the noise seemed to be knocking on the walls, it felt like two waves On the third, it felt like I was already preparing to leave the building. At the time of the push, he was in the doorway, the furniture moved away from the walls by 20 centimeters. | 16 users found this interesting.

Ulan-Ude, Russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : This earthquake woke up us in the morning. Doors opened, it was scary and long | 18 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk (286.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It was very long for this place. the shaking was along a long build-up. furniture rattled in the second part of the thrust. the second shock was very weak, short and hardly noticeable. | 15 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk, Russia (283.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : We experienced a few earthquakes here in Irkutsk, Russia the past couple of months, the strongest of which was a 5.6 with the epicenter about 100 km away from us. This felt like a more powerful earthquake even though the epicenter was further away. Still feeling aftershocks at the time of writing. | 14 users found this interesting. Please stay safe and know you are never alone! May the Lord keep you and everyone safe / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

594.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : I was waken awake by a swinging motion and sat up immediately on my bed. I saw the loose hanging dreamcatcher move sideways but dismissed it as my imagination. Then I heard the jar of water in the toilet tank clank and knew it has to be an earthquake. All these took about 15 seconds since waking up. | 10 users found this interesting.

Darkhan-Uul, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was the 1st time I felt this shaking when I was sleeping in my country, in last 30years. It was too scary. Love the earth. Save the earth | 8 users found this interesting. You are never alone May the Lord bless you and keep your safe / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : It was scary. I thought that i almost die. I was sleeping and suddenly my bed shakes and lights are striking. My mum and dad awakens too. It was first time earthquake experience for me. | 8 users found this interesting.

Kutulik Irkutsk region (283.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : 5:34    .   2   .      | 5 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : my table, chair all stuffs are shaking | 7 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : It was 30 seconds. Woke up feeling like strange viberation getting harder. Actually I can't think about run outside or hide anything about save ourlifes. | 5 users found this interesting.

273.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :        ,      | 4 users found this interesting.

Darkhan, Mongolia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : 5th floor older apartment building - it woke several of us up | 6 users found this interesting. Thank you,be safe! / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Irt (18.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / vibration and rolling : Woooooow what a explosion | 5 users found this interesting. Like a bomb?

Was it a natural gas explosion? / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / vibration and rolling

Ulaanbaatar (591.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : Noise from outside right before the shaking happened /similar to airplane engine/ | 5 users found this interesting.

722.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : We were awakened. | 5 users found this interesting.

Erdenet / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : It was my first time of experience with earthquake. I was sleeping and my bed was shaking i thought like someone was shaking me then i woke up and it became more severe windows and walls are making cracking sound whole apartment was moving now still feeling dizzy and got headache. Also 30minutes later it shaked little bit. | 4 users found this interesting.

285.8 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Start 5:34 morning. Doors Was Opened. Qwaqe 2 min.      .     2 .      | 3 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Awaked! | 5 users found this interesting.

Ulan-Ude city, Russia (498.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was sleep in bed and felt, on 3 floors. It was strong, like in December 2020, near Baikal lake. | 4 users found this interesting.

Erdenet (373.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : I was sleeping and i woke up. The door and chandelier was swinging. I felt the intensive vibration | 4 users found this interesting.

497.1 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : - wake up | 4 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) : building was shaking beds and furniture was also shaking chandeliers very shaking and making noises I woke up by shaking my bed | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Its like Vibrating and many sleepers awakened and I heard something like water, or liquid things making noice. | 3 users found this interesting.

343.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : I think earthquake happened all around our country. Mostly center and north areas. Hovsgol,erdenet,darkhan,ulaanbaatar, bulgan etc. It still early but most people awakened. | 2 users found this interesting.

 (673.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :  9 .      .      2 . | 2 users found this interesting.

Zheleznogorsk Krasnoyarsk Krai (722.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging :          04:30  .    ,  ,          ,  1-2 ,  . | 2 users found this interesting.

, . , .  (286.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling :    ,     ,  . | 2 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It made our family awakened. | 4 users found this interesting.

284.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s :  . | 3 users found this interesting.

Bratsk (569.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Awaked, two waves, second much stronger. | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) : i was sleeping that time but start feeling my bed shaking strongly then just woke up informed to my wife. After that just stand on feet but i could not stand fully, ground still shaking and I was so afraid. My apartment is placed top floor of 12 level building. Until now heart is still shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar (593.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I woke up at 5:32 by this shake and it was really strong. I sleep very deep but i wonder that i u woke up by this earthquake. I thought it was someone pushing side wall very hard and strong. Then i heard about it from news. Its the second time i am feeling earthquake. Few years ago when i was in class i am person who raised my leg and said what was it there something under my foot. How strange it is, isnt it? | One user found this interesting.

591.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I woke up suddenly for some reason, and heard water in my fish tank was making sound like it is boiling. I run to the aquarium and removed some water, because I thought it is going to spill water on floor. It was very weird and I didn't find the reason. Then I went back to my bed, it was 5:33AM, then I fall sleep. Around 7AM, I heard a message notification on my phone and checked it, then my colleague sent a chat asking "Did an earthquake happen?" Then I replied "Was it around 5:30AM?". He said | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar city (592.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Woke up the whole family. We are on 7th floor. Our building was built by the Japanese engineers (Japan town)). Neighbors (Hunnu residence) on 15th floor say their building swayed. | One user found this interesting.

589.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was quite scary. I was sleeping and heard some glass shaking noise then opened my eyes then felt like swinging. | One user found this interesting.

572.3 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s :  5  9       .     | One user found this interesting.

733.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :   10 ,      ,  20-30  | One user found this interesting.

Erdenet city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I dont know. I thought first its maybe ghost,evil shaking my bed lol.Its very weird to believe. | 3 users found this interesting.

9r khoroo, sukhbaatar district, ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Awakened and Frightened | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : it was so scary we didnt expect that | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar (599.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : In a high rise in the city | 3 users found this interesting.

591.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My dog was very alarmed and scared.She kept whining and trying to wake everyone | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, bayanzurkh district (593 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s : Was woken up by strong shake, felt terrible. | 2 users found this interesting.

3rd subdistrict of Bayanzurkh district, Ulaanbaata (592.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Sound of a vagon, rolling on the bed | 2 users found this interesting.

502.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : It was quite strong, my plant kept wiggling for a couple of minutes. | 2 users found this interesting.

728.9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :     2 . | 2 users found this interesting.

497.6 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging :  , .   | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Top floor of 21 story residential concrete rebar reinforced high rise. Felt like rocking from side to side, not shaking, swayed. Lasted several minutes and few objects on narrow ledge fell over, curtains moved, chandeliers and dishes rattled. Lower floor residents felt less if any | One user found this interesting.

Zakamensk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : I had an early morning-5: 30 am. I live on the 5th floor. All my friends and neighbors and relatives woke up. Furniture swayed very much, paintings fell and there are cracks on the houses on the street. People in a panic, 35 tremors in a day. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, River Garden / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was on my bed and I felt a sudden rocking movement. My room was heard to creak and the paintings on the wall were swinging. Closed doors violently shaking as if someone trying to enter through a locked door. In addition to the quakes around 5:30 am, low rumbling noise can be heard from outside and this noise lasted until 5:43 am before silencing. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : I was sleeping and my bed started to shake, as soon as I felt it I realized that it was earthquake. However it was very short and very weak shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Woke up shortly after the quake started. The shaking was similar to the vibrating of a train cart on the go. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It continues about 2-3 minutes and I felt shaking. Because I just sleeping a few minutes before that shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) : i was sleeping but start feeling my bed shaking strongly just woke up and stand on feet but i could not stand fully and so afraid. By apartment is placed top floor of 12 level building. Until now heart is still shaking and cannot sleep back. | One user found this interesting.

Darkhan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) :             | One user found this interesting.

- / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s :     -,    .   . | One user found this interesting.

590.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Just a bit of shaking. Closets and tables were making lots of rattling noise, and I myself could feel it, but it wasn't enough to send me panicking. As I live on the 4th floor, it might have dampened it.

589.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was quite scary. I was sleeping and heard some glass shaking noise then opened my eyes then felt like swinging.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (592.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake : At around 05:36 AM my body started to swing back and forth lightly while i was sleeping. It felt as if someone was lightly shaking me to wake me up. As i woke up no other abnormal movement, swaying was detected for i was not sure what happened.

 (567 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging :   .      

Irkutsk (291.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Increasing horizontal swinging took place during app.20-30 seconds at 5:32 local time, vibration was felt on the floor only, some small and lightweight objects were displaced. The next significant aftershock took place app during 8-9 minutes and although it was good felt but was not so strong and long as the first atack. During the next 2-3 hours there were several relatively light and quick aftershocks.

ulaanbaatar (1.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : During the time i was totally awake, i live in 11 store appartment, there wasn't any shaking rather swinging, i could feel the building swing 3-5 times side to side

591.3 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Immediately woke me up from sleep. I could also hear the squeaking of furnitures. It didn't last long though. Max 10 seconds.

Ulaanbaatar, Hunnu 2222 / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : I felt like I was sleeping in rocking chair. Also our Christmas tree was all clinking. | 2 users found this interesting. You should put away your christmas tree. Tsagaan sar is coming / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I felt like a uncomfortable me like a vomiting. | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Woke up when shaking started. Fell afraid. Thinking of next step. | 2 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Horizontal wavy shakes, non fitted wardrobes and windows rattle , flowers on the windows rocking | 2 users found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar zaisan / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Scared | 2 users found this interesting.

Angarsk / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Long lasting shake. Very weak but long lasting | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar (594.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like swinging bed | One user found this interesting.

590.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : 20 sec shaking | One user found this interesting.

Russia, Sankt Petersburg(GMT+3), not felt. / not felt : Wow, M.6.8 (6.6) - Strong Earthquake effects. My appartament, not felt event earthquakes, stay sayf all. Next aftershaking, this geology rulles. | One user found this interesting.

285.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s  .   30   | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Irkutsk (285.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Long as usually | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar city, khan-uul district / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Woke up from the shaking, the chandelier, bookcase next to me and the bed was shaking and making rattling noises, went on for a what felt like few minutes

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : We live on the 9th floor of a 12-story building. The bed on the 9th floor moved. I felt very uncomfortable.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : While I was sleeping I felt a bit dizziness and woke up Heard my furniture shaking It was around 6am Ulaanbaatar time

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was sleeping and I felt like my heart was arithming, so I got up and heard some knocking noises from my bedroom door.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : I was already woken up, although still in bed. I felt the bed moving and heard an unstabilized light bookcase moving.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : While I was sleeping I felt a bit dizziness and woke up Heard my furniture shaking It was around 6am Ulaanbaatar time

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : While I was sleeping I felt a bit dizziness and woke up Heard my furniture shaking It was around 6am Ulaanbaatar time

Mongolia, ulanbator / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s : I think my baby cried.but it was not. And then my bed shakes so strong i thought it was a dream. Our Aquarium water sounds like a ocean. I was shockod. And than i understand it was earthquake

Turt, Mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : There was so much shaking and many building fell apart | One user found this interesting.

irkutsk / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / rattling, vibrating : jsus christ uhlee l gj bodlo. ulaanbaatart bga humus hudlaa aimr hudlsn ntr. orsod bur alsan plz | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia,District 5, government office / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My dog was very alarmed and scared but we kind of slept it off | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : The building was shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : i was so scared. When i was sleeping suddenly bed desk andeverythinf started swinging | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, Zaisan area / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : 13th floor felt really badly still heart shaking | One user found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) : it seems dangerous. it shakes everything especially window. | One user found this interesting.

Muren / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I felt 3 times, first strong, | One user found this interesting.

Krasnoyarsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was awakened by it! | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake : I felt such a terrible feeling for the first time | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Buildings are shaked sideways but not too much | One user found this interesting.

. ,  . / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s :    | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt indoor, bed was shaking about 30-40 seconds | One user found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : weird | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / not felt / 5-10 s : I woke up because my lights were ringing. | One user found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Meh... | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It lasted pretty long, woke me up from a sleep. | One user found this interesting.

Republic of Tuva. Kyzyl. Chingis / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I dont know | One user found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar (593.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (589.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Khatgal village (77.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

275.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

317.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX) : very very shaky

592.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

290 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

287.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) :       .

289.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

275.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

287.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

738.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

591.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Krasnoyarsk (724 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (591.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

589.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

277.7 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

592.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk (291.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

351.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (592.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sleeping then everything started to shake and vibrate.

591.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

284.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

351.7 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : It felf even its located 200 or 300km away from earthquake center.

592.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

krasnoyarsk (732.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

341.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar (609.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

289.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (601.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar (591.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Woken up by shaking.

288.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

591.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

721.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

729.9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

730.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Ulaanbaatar (596.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Irkutsk (286.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

282.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

276.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

289.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar (593.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

584.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

593.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar (596.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

277.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

283.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

588.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

592.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

ulaanbaatar (593.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kansk (633.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Ulaanbaatar Chingeltei district 3rd horoo (590.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

281.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

554.3 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Krasnoyarsk (734 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar (591.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

. - (276.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

283.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

282.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

275.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

4050.4 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

583.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

e (313.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

730.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

ulaanbaatar (591.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

286.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar (594.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

574.7 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

278.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

281.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

289.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

589.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk (276.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar (590.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

592.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Tomsk (1169 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : 14th floor

Irkutsk (287.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

276.1 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

284.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

727.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

. (478.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar (589.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar (596.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

287.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

292.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

599.7 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk (278.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s

Bratsk (571 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

731.3 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

. (286.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

731.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

296.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

668.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

287.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

592.7 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

289.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Krasnoyarsk (731.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Mongolia (352.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar (592.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

286.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

557.1 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

732 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (2.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

734.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

176 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling

727.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

284 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

288.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar (596.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

274.8 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

351.9 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

300.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

289.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating : Bad

275.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

287.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Krasnoyarsk (733.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling

730.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Krasnoyarsk (724 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

. (271.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

293.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kuitun (356.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

740.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

735.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar (562.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

572.3 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

285.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

273 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar (592.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

496.3 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

256.8 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

725.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

730.1 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Ulaanbaatar (594.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

273.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk (728 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

732.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

720.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Krasnoyarsk (732.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Irkutsk (285.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (593 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

282.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

287.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

. ,  (284.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s

Ulan-Ude (497.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

285.6 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s

592.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Ulaanbaatar (592.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

729.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Irkutsk (282.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

589.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

574.8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

594.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

495.4 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

731.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

730.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

342.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe

Ulaanbaatar (599.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

386.5 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk (290.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

293.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

 (588.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

548.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

733.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

288.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

288.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Erdenet (345.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

 (671.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

284.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

277.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

 (556.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

727.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

284.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

280.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

288.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

- (491.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

737.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

727.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s

283.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

498.4 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

343.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Krasnoyarsk city (736.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

irkutsk (6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

591 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

283.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

593.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

493 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Angarsk (274.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

275.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

726.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

730.8 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

275.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

  (283.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

289.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s

289 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

 , ..  (274.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar (589.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

287.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Irkutsk (286.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

273.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

286.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

848.3 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

555.5 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

496.6 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

278.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

500.5 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

276.5 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

156.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

438.7 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX)

273.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

280.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

287.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Darkhan-Uul Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I felt bumps and vibrates

Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russian Federation / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Darkhan / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Darkhan / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar / not felt / 5-10 s : I woke up because my lights were ringing.

dzuunkharAa / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down)

ulaanbaatar / not felt

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / not felt

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : Chandeliers were shaking and clashing each other making sound

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

ulaanbaatar / not felt / rattling, vibrating : some peoples felt moderate shaking some peoples not felt

Ulaanbaatar, Bayangol district / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / single lateral shake

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

IZMIR / not felt

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s

Irkutsk / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It is was terrible, creepy

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Darkhan / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / not felt

irkutsk, russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar, Zaisan / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Murun / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single lateral shake

Krasnoyarsk city / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Most people in household woke up. Slightly felt in ground floor (light sleepers awakened).

 / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Wok up from sleeping

Bratsk / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar city / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My bed was moving

Khovd / not felt

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Ulaanbaatar / not felt

ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : It was awful

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar Yarmag / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Suddenly woke up from sleep my bed swinging horizontal and wall painting was swinging as well.

Ulaan-Bator / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar, bayangol district / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt like on the boat while i was sleeping on the floor.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolua / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Dundgobi, Mongolia / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Shaking xxxxxx

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / not felt

ulaanbaatar city mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Darkhan / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Darkhan, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

Ulaanbaatar officer / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Felt strong shaking and scared

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Ulaanbaatar. Was sleeping and awakening. Light dizzle. No damage.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV)

khutul selenge mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russian Federation / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

 .    / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / not felt

Ulaanbatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Angarsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar 4th District / not felt : We did not feel anything at all. There is no damage to buildings or anything broken in our apartment

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Felt shaking about 3 min

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

Erdenet / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Mongolia / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Darkhan-Uul Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I felt bumps and vibrates

ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar Khan uul district / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : it was surprising and scary i was sleeping 15th floor bed was shaking

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar, Momgolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : Nervous and wondering what's happening. 1st time experienced here in mongolia.

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Khan-Uul district / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Panic

Krasnoyarsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s

Ulaan Baatar city / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar city / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating : Light bulbs were shaking when stood up, bed was shaking before

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Because of light shaking I woke up at 5.35am.

Irkutsk, Russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Darkhan / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : i was slept. and get up when i felt shaking.

Muren Mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : First earthquake was continuing 15-25 seconds.

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Our home lighting shook for a minute.

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Waken by a shaking shelf and bed and moving sound

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Ub / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

 / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar city / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down)

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Very

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

   . / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

ulaanbaatar / not felt

Monholia Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Darkhan city / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar, king tower / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Irkutsk, russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolua / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

 / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Muravyeva 2/2 / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Krasnoyarsk / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : 1 minute

 / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Krasnoyarsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Terrifying

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Got awoken.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling

Mongolia Ulaanabaatr city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : i felt dizzynes

zelenogorsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : shaking for 1 minutes countlesso

Murun / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) : 8 storey monolithic building, i was on 8

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Angarsk / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

darkhab / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My bed was moving

Angarsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III)

.-, . / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Bratsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

,   / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s
Businesses yesterday called for tougher lockdown measures, with some going as far as proposing a long curfew spanning from 6 p.m to 6 a.m.

The curfew now starts at 9 p.m. and goes till 5 a.m. Businesses also called on the Government to free up the importation of Covid-19 vaccines to allow private sector participation and to allow people to travel overseas to get vaccinated.
No permission given for use of vaccine against bird flu; not even by other nations: Centre

Bird Flu: Chicken, egg prices fall by nearly 50% across India

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: The fears of the deadly bird flu has led to the nosediving of egg and chicken prices in many parts of the country.

Bird Flu confirmed in 8 states and 1 UT: Delhi and Maharashtra confirm Avian Flu| Oneindia News

The demand for chicken and chicken products has decreased by more than 70 per cent and the prices have dropped by 50 per cent.

Both Delhi and Himachal Pradesh have banned the import of hens from other states. North India has been the most hit due to restrictions in the movement of poultry products.

Monitor poultry farms, zoos to control bird flu, says PM Modi as virus spreads to 10 states

The price of broiler chicken came down to Rs 85-105 from Rs 130-14 in Delhi. In Maharashtra the prices have drop to Rs 58 from Rs 82, while in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, the prices are at Rs 65 and 70 respectively.

Similarly the prices of eggs have dropped by nearly 20 per cent. A dozen eggs which cost an average of Rs 60 has fallen to Rs 50.

Bird flu is a viral disease caused by the H5N1 virus. Since humans can contract the virus by eating meat or eggs of sick birds, the sale of poultry products have been banned in several places in India.

In 2005, the World Health Organisation had said that chicken and other poultry products are safe to eat if cooked properly. But if the birds from the flocks with the virus have entered the food chain, people are at risk of contracting the bird flu after eating chicken and eggs, if not cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). To avoid contracting the by eating eggs, cook them until the yolks and whites are firm.

While there are no problems in eating poultry and poultry products if the above norms are followed, it would be still safe to avoid the same until the virus is gone.
Global sukuk supply is expected to accelerate in 2021 following a resilient 2020 as issuers seek to address the elevated debt and to meet large budget needs caused by COVID-19, Fitch Ratings on Tuesday.

The reconciliation deal signed between GCC countries, Egypt and Qatar is also expected to contribute to higher volumes of investments.

In this regard, Fitch expected that Qatari sukuk volumes will gradually increase after the normalisation of relations with its GCC neighbours, and the eventual easing of investment restrictions for Islamic investors based in countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Fitch Ratings also said that green, sustainable, transitional and hybrid sukuk, as innovative investment instruments, are likely to continue attracting wider investor demand appetite.

For Islamic finance, Fitch expected sovereign funds in key Islamic finance countries to remain major contributors to overall sukuk volumes, while issuance from first-time sovereign issuers, financial institutions and corporates are set to increase as they face challenging conditions and take advantage of the current lower cost of funding.

Sukuk issuances with maturities of more than 18 months from the GCC region, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan dropped slightly by 1.9 percent (Y-o-Y) to reach $41.3 billion in 2020, while the volume of total outstanding Fitch-rated sukuk reached $118.6 billion, a 12.9 percentage higher (Y-o-Y) over the year.

It added that green and sustainable sukuk supply rose significantly by 96.2 percent (Y-o-Y) to reach $8.4 billion in 2020 as well.

Yet, according to Fitch, the rating outlook for sukuk remains challenged, especially that the proportion of sukuk from issuers with negative outlooks increased sharply to 23.4 percent in 2020, up from the 1.5 percent in 2019.

Fitch attributed it to the COVID-19 pandemic, its related disruption and the low oil prices.

For the sake of diversifying its investment instruments and making benefit of Islamic investments, Egypt announced in November its intention to issue first sovereign sukuk.

The cabinet approved in November the sovereign sukuk draft law, to be submitted to parliament for approval, and then to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for ratification.

The action paves the way for Egypt to be a part of the Islamic finance world, which recorded a $2.7 trillion in transactions by the end of June, according to the finance ministry.

Despite the COVID-19 crisis that has hit world economies, this year's global sukuk volumes are expected to match last year's and sukuk supply is expected to increase with the rise in funding needs, according to a report by Fitch Ratings in October.

According to the October report, sovereigns are expected to remain the major contributors to overall sukuk volumes as they face widening fiscal deficits and high borrowing needs, caused by the dual shock of coronavirus-associated economic disruptions and the collapse in global oil prices.

The volume of outstanding Fitch-rated green and sustainability sukuk reached $7.2 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2020.

Throughout September and October, Egypt issued sovereign governmental green bonds, worth $750 million, domestically and in the London exchange stock market, the first of their kind in the Middle East and North Africa.

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Japan is working to isolate and analyse a new variant of the coronavirus detected in four people who arrived from Brazil, a health ministry official said Tuesday.

Japan announced the detection of the new variant on Sunday, but officials have been at pains to emphasise there is no evidence yet that it is any more transmissible or dangerous than others.

"In order to further analyse the variant, we need to isolate it first," a health ministry official told AFP.

"It's hard to say right now when we can release the details," he said, adding the process could take weeks or months.

The variant was found in two adults and two children who arrived in Japan on January 2 from Brazil.

The health ministry said one of the four, a man in his forties, has been hospitalised with breathing difficulties, while a woman and male child developed mild symptoms and a female child was asymptomatic.

The World Health Organisation said Monday it has been notified by Japan about the new variant, warning "the more the virus spreads, the higher the chance of new changes to the virus."

Experts note that viruses mutate regularly, and not all mutations make the disease easier to catch or more serious.

But the discovery of a variant in the UK that is significantly more transmissible, and a second strain in South Africa, has raised concerns about whether a vaccine-resistant version could eventually develop.

Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases has said there are some similarities between the newly detected strain and the ones found in the UK and South Africa.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
There were expectations that the January 10 elections in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan would fail to truly reflect the will of the people in those two Central Asian neighbors.

Now that preliminary results are in, they look even worse than feared.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's vote was its first parliamentary elections since Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev became president nearly two years ago.

Campaigning was barely noticeable, but election officials still claimed that more than 63 percent of voters cast ballots.

Despite Toqaevs promises of allowing genuine opposition parties to participate in politics, no such parties were registered and allowed on the ballot, though several tried.

That left five pro-government parties to compete.

Toqaev also said he would ease restrictions on peaceful demonstrations, but there was no evidence of that in the days leading up to elections or the day of voting.

Reports from Kazakhstan on election day included members of Oyan Qazaqstan (Wake Up Kazakhstan) and the unregistered Democratic Party of Kazakhstan being surrounded by police in Almaty and forced to remain there in freezing temperatures for more than eight hours.

Police prevented any of those who were ring-fenced from leaving, forcing some with no choice but to urinate on the ground, and prevented outsiders from bringing tea or food to the demonstrators.

Two people were taken by ambulance to the hospital, one with frostbite.

Dozens of activists were detained, arrested, or fined ahead of or on election day.

Reports said more than 100 people were detained in Almaty alone. Some people planned to protest, but others said they were detained as they left their homes on the way to cast their ballots, thus depriving them of their right to vote.

The number of independent election observers has been growing in Kazakhstan since the 2019 presidential election. But on January 10, many were prevented from doing their jobs.

Some were ejected from polling places.

Some said they were turned away because they didn't have documents certifying they had been tested and were negative for the coronavirus.

Activist Roza Musaeva posted on Twitter that she was a legal observer but that police detained her and that the head of the local election commission told her that her accreditation had been revoked.

The outcome of the elections was never in doubt.

But when the preliminary tally was announced, it also appeared to vindicate the skepticism of those who warned that there would be no difference between these elections and previous Kazakh parliamentary elections.

The results suggested that the only three parties to win seats in the 2012 and 2016 elections were once again the only parties to be awarded seats.

In 2012, the state allocated some 5.2 billion tenges (about $34.5 million at the time based on the 2012 average exchange rate of 150 tenges to $1) from the budget for the elections to parliament and local councils, or maslikhats. The result was that the Nur-Otan party, headed by longtime Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, won 83 of the 98 available seats, the Aq Zhol party won eight seats, and the Peoples Communist Party of Kazakhstan won seven.

In 2016, Kazakhstan held early parliamentary elections after authorities said the deteriorating economic situation caused by the fall in the price of oil -- Kazakhstans major export -- demanded a new parliament with fresh approaches to deal with the situation.

The state allocated 4.8 billion tenges (about $14 million at the March 2016 exchange rate of 340 tenges to $1) for those elections.

The result was that the Nur-Otan party won 84 seats, while Aq Zhol and the Peoples Communist Party of Kazakhstan were each awarded seven seats.

Kazakhstans Central Election Commission said in October 2020 that some 15.3 billion tenges (about $34 million at the January 2021 rate of 420 tenges to $1) would be spent on the January 10 elections to parliament and local councils.

The result was the Nur-Otan party reportedly winning 76 seats, Aq Zhol 12, and the Peoples Party of Kazakhstan (they dropped "communist" from their name in November) 10 seats.

Even if these results were genuine mandates from the masses, the three parties that won seats are neither gaining nor losing much support over the past decade. The government has spent tens of millions of dollars (or tens of billions of tenges) in that time for elections that produced essentially the same results.

And this continues to happen as the younger generation in particular in Kazakhstan has been calling for change since Nazarbaev stepped down as president in March 2019.

Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, fewer than 40 percent of eligible voters participated in the snap presidential election and national referendum on January 10.

According to RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Azattyk, Kyrgyzstan has 3.56 million eligible voters, some 1.354 million of whom cast ballots.

Among 17 candidates, Sadyr Japarov, a man who was in prison barely three months ago, won the election with almost 80 percent of the vote, the second-highest total in a presidential election in Kyrgyzstans history after Kurmanbek Bakievs 89.5 percent in the 2005 poll.

According to Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission (CEC), Japarov received 1.1 million votes.

In the accompanying referendum on whether Kyrgyzstan should have a presidential or parliamentary form of government, almost 81 percent, or some 1.147 million people, voted for a presidential system.

Both figures look like overwhelming victories for both Japarov and change.

But looked at another way, it is difficult to see them as the will of the people.

In part, that is because more than half of eligible voters did not participate.

Some good reasons have been offered for this.

Japarov and others in his interim government claim there was less vote-buying and less use of administrative resources. Certainly the former, if true, would be one reason that fewer people turned out on January 10.

Vote-buying plagued the October 4 parliamentary elections and played a large role in fomenting the popular backlash in Bishkek on October 5 that eventually brought down the government.

Authorities scrapped the use of Form No. 2, a document that allowed people living away from their registered area of residence to vote anywhere in Kyrgyzstan so long as they registered there ahead of election day.

And perhaps some of the 2 million-plus voters who did not cast ballots were simply disillusioned. Kyrgyzstan held a referendum on constitutional changes in 2016, a presidential election in 2017, and then there were last years parliamentary elections.

It is worth remembering that the population of Kyrgyzstan is around 6.5 million.

So Japarov is said to have received the backing of 1.12 million people, while the referendum got support from 1.15 million. Each figure represents around 17 percent of the countrys population, which arguably does not qualify as overwhelming popular support.

Japarovs amazing rise from prisoner to president is thought by some to be the result of backing from organized criminal groups.

Such suspicions will likely limit foreign investment in Kyrgyzstan in the coming months, and possibly years, potentially prolonging the deep economic problems that Kyrgyzstan faces.

Democratic governments have given the lions share of Central Asian aid to Kyrgyzstan because it was seen as an island of democracy that could set an example for its neighbors of the goodwill that accompanies democratic progress.

Voting for a presidential system of government could limit such aid in the future.

Russia has been cautious about the change of power in Kyrgyzstan after October and has withheld promised aid, though President Vladimir Putin did send Japarov a letter of congratulations on January 11.

Kyrgyz authorities -- before and since October 4 -- have made repeated requests to China for more time in repaying loans. In so doing, they likely put Kyrgyzstan on Beijings list of high-risk countries for future investment.

And the coronavirus continues to affect Kyrgyzstans economy, with little indication so far of when vaccines will be available and the health crisis brought under control.

Speaking to supporters on Ala-Too Square in Bishkek on January 11, Japarov said time is needed to put the country on the right track.

But some think Japarov will need to hurry. He has promised a lot, and much of the reason people voted for Japarov was because they wanted change for the better -- and soon.

And in a country that has seen three presidents chased from power by protests since 2005, there already seems to be ample room to bring Japarovs election and the referendum into question.

Aigerim Toleukhanova of RFE/RLs Kazakh Service contributed to this report.
Lets call this column, and perhaps the next couple of columns, an old-timers memories of the past offered with the hope that they may help u Read more
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Chronicle

San Francisco police on Monday announced the arrest of a suspect in a shooting that left one man dead Thursday in San Franciscos Tenderloin neighborhood.

The victim was Kelvin Wilkerson, 37, a resident of Solano County who died at the scene, said Devin Etheredge, an investigator with the medical examiner's office.
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Gambier Gold Corp. (TSXV:GGAU) (the "Company") is pleased to announce it has appointed Mr. Michael Burns as Vice President of Exploration. In addition, Mr. Darin Wagner, former CEO of Balmoral Resources, and Dr. Lee Groat have been invited to serve as technical advisors to the Company.

Mr. Michael Schuss, CEO, Gambier Gold stated "The addition of Mr. Burns, Mr. Wagner and Dr. Groat to our company provides the additional management and technical experience required for success. Mr. Wagner's extensive knowledge of the Detour Gold Belt, as the former CEO of Balmoral Resources, will be an asset for the Company as we move toward our initial testing of the Detour West Property this winter."

Mr. Burns earned his M.Sc. in Economic Geology from Laurentian University. He has been actively involved in the mining and exploration industry since 2007 as a founding partner of the consulting firms Mackevoy Geosciences Ltd. and Pioneer Exploration Consultants Ltd. Mr. Burns has managed multiple grassroots exploration programs projects within Canada and internationally over the past 14 years. Prior to his current position, Michael was in charge of Geology and Exploration for Potentate Mining LLC's sapphire and gold mining operations near Philipsburg, Montana.

Mr. Burns is currently the president of Pioneer Exploration Consultants Ltd., and led the development of their commercial, un-manned aerial vehicle magnetometer geophysical survey system. He successfully led the growth at Pioneer which serves mining clients globally with high-quality, safe and efficient drone based geophysical surveys. In addition, Michael has previously served as CEO and President, as well as a Board member on multiple public companies and brings valued capital market and management experience to the Gambier team.

Mr. Wagner is a Professional Geologist (B.C., Ont.) with over 30 years of mineral exploration and corporate development experience. During that time, he has been directly involved in a number of M&A transactions in the mineral exploration sector and has raised several hundred million dollars for mineral exploration globally.

After a decade with major Canadian miners Cominco and Noranda, Mr. Wagner became Vice President, Exploration for New Millennium Metals Corp. which was merged with Platinum Group Metals Ltd. in 2002. Mr. Wagner served as Exploration Manager for Platinum Group Metals through the acquisition, discovery and initial delineation of the Maseve PGE mine in South Africa.

Mr. Wagner became President of Sydney Resource Corp. in 2005 and steered the successful merger with Band Ore Resources to form West Timmins Mining Inc. He then served as President, CEO and Qualified Person for West Timmins through the discovery of the high-grade Thunder Creek and 144 gold deposits - which form part of the Timmins West Mine Complex in Timmins, Ontario. He oversaw the acquisition of West Timmins by Lake Shore Gold in an all-share deal valued at $424 million which was completed in 2009.

He then founded Canadian explorer Balmoral Resources Ltd. and served as its President and CEO through a series of gold and base metal discoveries culminating in its 2020 acquisition by Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. in an all-share deal valued on closing, at $160 million. Balmoral's primary assets were located along the Sunday Lake deformation zone adjacent to the producing Detour Lake gold mine and along trend from Gambier's Detour West property.

Mr. Wagner was also a founding director of Falco Resources (acquired by the Osisko Group in 2017), NewCastle Gold (acquired by Equinox Gold in 2017) and TSXV listed VR Resources, where he continues to serve as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Wagner also currently acts in an advisory capacity for Nova Royalty Corp., Ely Gold Royalties and KORE Mining, all Canadian-listed companies.

Dr. Groat graduated from Queen's University with a B.Sc. (Honours, Geology) in 1982 and from the University of Manitoba with a Ph.D. in 1988. From 1988 to 1989 he was a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at Cambridge University. Professor Groat has been a faculty member at the University of British Columbia since 1989. His main research interests are the economic geology (including strategic elements) and the crystal chemistry of minerals. He has published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

From 2001 to 2006 Dr. Groat was Editor of American Mineralogist. He is the former Co-Editor (2012) and present Editor (2013-present) of The Canadian Mineralogist. In 2003 Dr. Groat was elected a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America, and in 2009 the new mineral groatite, NaCaMn2+2(PO4)[PO3(OH)]2, was named in his honour. In 2019 he was awarded the Leonard G. Berry Medal for distinguished service to the Mineralogical Association of Canada.

Since 2007, Professor Groat has been Director of Integrated Sciences at UBC, a program for the top students in science that allows them to customize their degrees. Professor Groat is an Independent Director of multiple companies in the exploration and technology spheres and a partner in a private consulting company.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Michael E. Schuss

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Gambier Gold Corp.

Phone: (604) 241-2254

E-mail: info@gambier.gold

Website: www.gambier.gold

Forward-Looking Statement (Safe Harbor Statement):

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "expect", "estimate", "objective", "may", "will", "project", "should", "predict", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Company's exploration plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company cannot give any assurance that they will prove correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of assumptions, factors and risks. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, assumptions and risks associated with conditions in the equity financing markets, and assumptions and risks regarding receipt of regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Management has provided the above summary of risks and assumptions related to forward-looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more comprehensive perspective on the Company's future operations. The Company's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive from them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

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: Gambier Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623915/Gambier-Gold-Corp-TSX-V-GGAU-Appoints-Michael-Burns-as-VP-Exploration-and-Adds-Darin-Wagner-and-Dr-Lee-Groat-as-Technical-Advisors
A Christian pastor in Pakistan now faces blasphemy charges over a Facebook post.

A Christian pastor in the Charar neighborhood of Lahore, Pakistan faces charges for allegedly committing blasphemy over a Facebook post. On Dec. 27, the 25-year old Pastor Raja Warris was taken to police custody after posting a social media post that Muslims claim to be critical of Islam.

Police officials filed blasphemy charges against Warris under Section 295-A and Section 298-A of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. He was charged for allegedly committing "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings," the International Christian Concern (ICC) reported.

Reports say that on Dec. 22, Warris posted a Facebook update that ignited anger from the Muslim community. The pastor immediately took down the post and apologized for the offense caused. Sources say that the case was resolved that day.

However, even after the social media update was taken down and the officials considered the case solved, the problem went worse. On Dec. 26, a large group of Muslims went to the community where Warris lives and demanded the beheading of the pastor.

The mob said they will do as they threaten if the police officials will not do anything to make the young pastor suffer the consequences of his act. The group further threatened to set the whole village on fire.

Police officials intervened with the situation and headed a negotiation with the rallying group. Leaders from the Christian community, on the other hand, reached out to the authorities seeking instructions on how to resolve the escalating situation.

"We sought time for negotiation with the protest leaders, but the police said they could not guarantee the safety of our people if the accused was not presented for arrest," said Rev. Ayub Gujjar, Vice Moderator of the Raiwind Diocese of the Church of Pakistan.

Although against their own will, Christian leaders had to agree to surrender Warris to the authorities in order to calm the situation and to save the hundreds of Christians from having their houses burned down. The leaders sought officials' assurance that Warris life will not be in danger once in police custody.

"We reluctantly agreed to bring Warris, but demanded that he be kept at an undisclosed location due to the serious threat to his life," Gujjar explained, according to ICC.

However, since the authorities could not assure the security of every individual in the community from the threat of mob violence, fear continued to surround the entire place. Although anti-riot policemen surrounded the place, hundreds of Christians from the community fled their homes and sought shelter from relatives and friends in communities far from risk.

"The situation turned dangerous when someone found out the Muslims were planning to set fire to the houses of Christians," Saleem Khokhar, a displaced Christian from Charar said. "This forced the Christians to flee the neighborhood," Khokhar added.

Meanwhile, if Warris will be convicted of the blasphemy charges filed against him, he could suffer up to 10 years imprisonment. As of the moment, there are 24 reported cases of Christians imprisoned for 21 blasphemy cases represented at different levels of Pakistan's judicial process.
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
By renting a physical mailbox from SwiftLink, customers have an alternative to the traditional P.O. Box; their mail delivered to a prime Chicago location, use of a real, credible address, and access to other services such as scanning, printing, faxing, shipping, travel services, and more.

SwiftLink Worldwide is excited to announce the launch of two new services designed to provide customers with dependable mail solutions. Since 2008, Swift has been the go-to choice for travelers in need of expedited passports and visas. This year, due to the stagnate state of travel, the company decided to diversify by adding in a full suite of new services including two new mail solutions.

In the city of Chicago, physical mailboxes are in demand, particularly in business saturated locations. SwiftLinks office is located in one of the busiest districts in Chicago, River North, and experiences a high volume of foot traffic on a daily basis. The company saw an opportunity to meet the needs of its current and future customers by installing 141 physical mailboxes in the space adjacent to their main office.

By renting a physical mailbox from SwiftLink, customers have an alternative to the traditional P.O. Box. They also have their mail delivered to a prime Chicago location and get to use a real, credible address. The mailboxes are available for both professional and personal use and are completely secure.

Our physical mailbox service starts at just $28.00 a month. We wanted to make it incredibly affordable for all types of customers. As part of the service, we include management of all envelopes, packages, and deliveries, said Rob Lee, co-owner of SwiftLink Worldwide.

Customers that rent a mailbox from SwiftLink on a monthly basis also get access to other services offered such as scanning, printing, faxing, shipping, travel services, and more.

The other new mail solution launched by SwiftLink in the summer of 2020 was virtual mail. While working with a multitude of travelers, Swift often heard their customers say they wished they had access to their mail from anywhere in the world. This way, they would have one less thing to worry about during their trips.

When asked about the new virtual mail service, Rob said, we always listen to what our customers are saying. The fact that they wanted access to mail while traveling the globe was something we hadnt considered, but then we realized how valuable this type of service could be, and not just for travelers.

Upon the launch of their virtual mail service, Swift had many customers sign up. The customers ranged from executives, to road warriors, to owners of home based-business owners. As a customers mail comes in to SwiftLink, it is scanned. The customer gets an alert whenever mail is received and can then view their mail from their computer, tablet, or mobile device from any place in the world.

Living between Shanghai and Chicago has its challenges, but managing my mail is no longer one of them. With Swifts virtual mail service, I get my important mail scanned to me, and the unimportant mail shredded, said Toni Aducci, a SwiftLink customer.

SwiftLinks virtual mail service starts at just $9.99 per month and customers can sign up online.

About SwiftLink Worldwide

For over 10 years, Swift Passport & Visa Services has been recognized as a global leader in their industry. However, one thing has always set the company apart; their mission to meet the diverse needs of their clients while keeping our team small, adaptable, and customer-centric. While the companys roots are in travel, it has continued to evolve and onboard new solutions to solve customers ever-changing challenges. This mission to serve and provide reliable solutions naturally led to the expansion of our company and the creation of SwiftLink Worldwide. To learn more about the company, please visit: http://www.swiftlinkworldwide.com
EDWARDSVILLE  With vaccines slowly trickling in and more testing sites available, Madison County is making some progress in its battle against COVID-19.

But plenty of work remains to be done.

On Monday, 127 new cases (119 confirmed and 8 probable) were reported in the county, bringing the total to 22,645, including 9,161 active cases.

No COVID-related deaths were reported in the county on Sunday. However, three deaths were reported Monday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 387.

Another 997 people were tested as of Monday, bringing the total to 207,318.

The seven-day case positivity rate was 13.10 percent.

As of Sunday, there were 62 COVID patients in Madison County hospitals, with four of them on ventilators.

There is now a slight uptick in cases and positivity rates, which would be expected coming out of the holiday season, said Amy Yeager, public information officer and director of community health for the Madison County Health Department.

There were 6,421 confirmed cases and 109 COVID-related deaths in the county in December, compared to 6,417 cases and 97 deaths in November.

The number of cases and the number of deaths in November and December are almost even, and were expecting January to look fairly similar to that, Yeager said. You had the pre-Halloween time followed by the election and the religious holidays at the end of the year plus the New Year. January may not be too different, but hopefully, it will be a little less.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been approximately 12,400 confirmed cases in the county among females, with approximately 10,100 cases among males.

Statewide, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,776 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus on Monday, along with 53 deaths.

Currently, the IDPH is reporting a total of 1,033,526 cases, including 17,627 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.

The seven-day statewide positivity rate, which indicates how rapidly the virus is spreading, fell to 7.6 percent on Monday from 7.9 percent on Sunday, officials said. A week ago, the positivity rate was 8.6 percent.

In his daily address on Monday, Gov. JB Pritzker said some regions across the state may be able to move back to Tier 2 mitigations as soon as Friday.

Pritzker said regions that show improvement in the following metrics could see an easing of restrictions this week:

 Less than 12 percent test positivity rate for three consecutive days.

 Greater than 20 percent available intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital bed availability.

 Declining COVID hospitalizations in seven out of the last 10 days.
In December 2020 the FBI arrested American born (in 1998) Abdulwahab Humayun for lying on his application for a job as an FBI computer tech. Humayun graduated from George Mason University in early 2020 with a degree in computer science and had first applied for the FBI job during a 2019 FBI campus recruiting effort. Humayun was charged with lying to the FBI during his job application interview and trying to conceal a Twitter account he controlled and been using since 2018 to promote Islamic terrorism. Humayun denied knowledge of the account but it was traced back him to via Twitter records.

The FBI, Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies found that after 2001 that their Moslem employees were often pressured by Moslem friends and associates in the United States and abroad to either quit working for the infidels (non-Moslems) or support the struggle to defend Islam by attacking infidel, especially Western, targets. Many Moslem employees reported the harassment but others feared losing their jobs or security clearances by doing so. A smaller number, especially younger Moslems experiencing a lot of peer pressure over the issue of Islamic radicalism and violence against infidels, were persuaded to support Islamic terrorists openly or more directly and not publicizing it.

In many Moslem majority countries Moslems take it for granted that they can accuse local non-Moslems of anti-Islam behavior and get away with murder, literally. This is common in Pakistan, where Humayuns family is from. Muslims from these countries emigrate to the West, especially Britain and North America, to get their kids away from these unsavory attitudes. Unfortunately, September 11, 2001 coincided with growing Internet access in Moslem nations and teenage children of immigrants found themselves exposed to the taunts and peer pressure from the old country that their parents hoped to get their kids away from.

Adult Muslims in the West can also be persuaded to break the law by family or friends back in the homeland. This is not a new problem. During World War II it was a deliberate tactic by the Nazis to use family connections back in Germany to pressure German-Americans to commit espionage. That tactic was not often successful but it worked often enough to add questions about such family connections to Americans applying for a security clearance or sensitive jobs. The tactic was used by communists during the Cold War and now China is doing the same thing. China has a cultural angle in their favor because it is customary for Chinese governments to consider Chinese born outside the country, even to families that have lived outside China for generations, to remain subject to Chinese law and loyalties. Thats literally the law in China, although nearly all foreign countries consider it invalid. Most of the time it is but China has had a lot of success recruiting ethnic Chinese born or living outside of China to carry out espionage tasks for the motherland.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
He returned home sometime after 4 a.m. on Thursday, after Congress finished certifying the election results in the shadow of a mob invasion, and tried to get some rest.

"I haven't been sleeping a lot since we've been without Tommy," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., admitted.

It had been a week since his 25-year-old son, Thomas Bloom Raskin, died by suicide, less than two days since they buried him, and just over 12 hours since Raskin took cover with his daughter and son-in-law at the U.S. Capitol as thousands of Trump supporters ransacked the building and fatally attacked police.

But Raskin still had work to do.

The constitutional law professor was out of bed before 8 a.m., and spent the week drafting an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump as well as a resolution asking Vice President Mike Pence to set in motion the 25th Amendment to incapacitate the president, which the House will consider Tuesday.

His source of strength, he said in an interview Monday, is his son.

"I felt him in my heart and in my chest," Raskin said. "All the way through the counting of the electoral college votes and through the nightmare of the armed attack on the Capitol."

House Democrats say dramatic action is necessary to sideline Trump in the final days of his tenure, given the president's relentless attempts to undermine the results of the election and incite the crowds that breached the Capitol.

Raskin has played this role before, though not at a time of such personal loss and national trauma. Last year, as a member of the House Judiciary and Rules committees, he was among the Democrats to present hours of testimony making the case for impeachment.

He's spent four years pushing Congress to sharpen unused tools contained within the 25th Amendment - namely the ability for lawmakers to appoint an independent body to debate the fitness of a president - in the event it would become pertinent during Trump's presidency. It was the first bill he ever filed.

Now, with his family grieving and the nation's democratic institutions under siege, he has written a new resolution, asking Pence and Cabinet members "to declare what is obvious to a horrified Nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office."

Should Congress advance the resolution Tuesday, the House will give Pence 24 hours to decide whether to weigh the 25th Amendment with the Cabinet. If Pence declines, Democrats have vowed to try to make Trump the only president in history to be twice impeached.

The legal argument for impeachment turns on a legal principle that Raskin said he discussed not long ago with Tommy, who had followed both his parents to Harvard Law School and was in the middle of his second year.

In his First Amendment class, the younger Raskin was studying the "incitement to imminent lawless action," which Raskin described as "the line where speech ends and conduct begins." Tommy had asked him, Raskin recalled, would a government official be held to a higher standard than a private citizen?

"That ironically is going to be the critical issue for us talking about Donald Trump," he said. "Some people are saying, 'Well, Donald Trump was just exercising his free speech.' As president of the United States, he cannot be encouraging, counseling and inciting mobs that go and attack the Capitol of the United States."

In his four years in Congress, Raskin has been a prized asset for Democrats because of what Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., called his "unparalleled knowledge of our Constitution." That same legal prowess, coupled with an activist's spirit, has bolstered his reputation since he entered Maryland politics roughly 15 years ago.

Raskin, who lives in famously liberal Takoma Park, joined the Maryland Senate in 2007, establishing himself as an intellectual powerhouse with a dizzying array of interests, a master of the witty quip and a favorite of the civil rights and environmental groups he championed unequivocally.

"He has an extremely gifted mind, intellectually," said Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, D, who served in the Senate with Raskin. "He can be eloquent on almost any subject. And the most endearing, or impressive, thing about it is he's not arrogant. He's not full of himself."

Off the floor, Raskin's wide-ranging interests earned him friends and connections of all political stripes, including a running chess duel with one of the chamber's most conservative members, now-state Senate Minority Leader Bryan Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel.

"He's very affable," Simonaire said. "But he'd kill you in a debate."

So when, on New Year's Eve, Raskin's office revealed that his son Tommy had died, lawmakers across the political landscape flooded the Raskin family with support, which Raskin said was heartening.

He and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former senior Treasury official under President Barack Obama, published a searing tribute to their son a few days later that revealed his struggle with depression. The tribute included Tommy's final wishes: "Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me"- a plea that has since led hundreds of strangers to honor his legacy with acts of kindness of their own.

On Jan. 5 they laid Tommy to rest, a small, private ceremony because of the pandemic.

And then came Wednesday, when Republicans in Congress would heed Trump's calls to challenge - without evidence - the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

Raskin's daughter Tabitha asked him to stay home from work that day. But Raskin told her that as a lead floor manager, tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., he couldn't do that.

"I said, 'Why don't you just come with me?' " he recounted. She agreed, hoping to see her father in action. Raskin's son-in-law Hank Kronick, who is married to his other daughter, Hannah, joined them.

As Raskin took the podium to speak against Republican objections to the electoral college votes, he thanked his colleagues for their support. The chamber gave him a prolonged ovation.

Less than an hour later, the mob breached the building.

In the tumult, Raskin and his family got separated: Raskin and other lawmakers, donning gas masks, were whisked away to an undisclosed location; his daughter and son-in-law, who were seated elsewhere, ended up in Hoyer's office adjacent to the House floor with Raskin's chief of staff.

"They were locked inside and barricaded the door," Raskin said, "and Tabitha and Hank were hiding under the desk as this mob pounded on the doors."

They were reunited an hour later in a committee room, where they stayed for hours, Raskin said, and where he hugged Tabitha tight and told her he was sorry, feeling responsible, horrified by what they, and everyone, had witnessed.

"We cannot let this go," he said of the need to hold Trump accountable.

In the days that followed, as Raskin joined Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, Calif., and David Cicilline, R.I., in drafting the article of impeachment, and prepared to make his case against the president on the House floor, he thought of his son again and again.

If he were here, the law student and moral philosophy devotee would have thought the violence at the Capitol was "the absolute worst form of crime against democracy," Raskin said.

"It really is Tommy Raskin," he added, "and his love and his values and his passion, that have kept me going."

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.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Sylvan Learning, the leading brand in supplemental and enrichment education, has partnered with Elevate K-12, the leader in live-streamed teaching, to revolutionize teaching not only for students, but for the professionals that dedicate their lives to education.

Sylvan brings over 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence across North America to the partnership. Its an established brand that millions of students and families have come to trust for before-and-after-school education supplementation and acceleration.

Elevate K-12 partners with Sylvan with a laser focus on providing the best possible live-streamed teaching service in the world. Elevate K-12s dedication to quality educators, curriculum and engagement with students positions them to thrive in association with Sylvans network of teachers.

The partnership fits a natural need in each company based on their business models and hours of availability.

Things clicked for Sylvan and Elevate K-12 when Sylvan Learnings VP of Education Emily Levitt and Elevate K-12s COO Kim Kross recognized both companies had something the other needed.

Sylvan has teachers teaching remotely after school, and we are always looking for strong teachers that can teach during the day as well, said Levitt. Elevate K-12 had the same need, they have teachers busy during the school day who can pick up hours before and after class.

Both Sylvan and Elevate K-12s core values overlap and allow for collaboration because both brands focus on finding absolute top teacher talent.

The teachers that were sharing already come to us vetted, theyre already background checked. It saves us and our franchisees time and money because theyve been screened, said Levitt.

Im always thinking about how to make our supply of teachers better, Shaily Baranwal, CEO of Elevate K-12 said. When we thought about which other organizations have high-quality teachers, we immediately thought of Sylvan Learning. We only partner with the best.

For Baranwal, the partnership with Sylvan isnt just a marriage of convenience, but a way to adapt the teaching industry to the challenges of the future.

The problem were solving at Elevate K-12 is the teacher shortage, said Baranwal. The Learning Policy Institute estimates that in the U.S. there are a total of 500,000 teacher vacancies and subpar teachers. That data is only from the states that were reporting, many states did not report numbers.

The problem plagues lower income areas, she said. A lot of the work we do is on reservation camps in Arizona or urban fringe areas where teachers dont want to teach. If its hard to find a math teacher in some zip codes, then how will they find the calculus teacher?

Thats where Elevate K-12 steps in. Elevate K-12 allows schools to bring in teachers even for just one or two periods without having to invest in a full resource. Now the cost of those teachers can be spread across the country, where any classroom with any number of students can tune in to the live teaching.

We are not in the business of providing teachers to just address a shortage. We're in the business of providing engaging, awesome teachers. Were selling engagement, selling happiness. Were not a staffing company, were an instruction company. Were always training the teachers to make sure the quality of instruction remains strong, Baranwal said.

Elevate K-12s teaching program allows them to teach at any school in the country from any zip code, a feature Baranwal says the teaching industry as a whole needs to evolve.

We provide teachers the flexibility that many industries that work remotely already have. Teachers want to live in a low-cost area so they dont need to look for that high paying job. Some 83% of teachers are women and most of them are moms. Now they can work from home while their kids are asleep, she said.

By partnering with Sylvan, Elevate K-12 can provide those teachers more flexible work hours throughout the school day. For example, if the Sylvan teacher is tutoring students after school, the teacher may choose to teach for Elevate K-12 during the school day.

But for Baranwal, the partnership with Sylvan goes far beyond simply providing better hours.

Nobody is talking about the teaching workforce of the future, she said. It's not just about, Lets share our teachers, its a most strategic rethinking of teacher workflows, of the flows of human capital in the industry.

For Sylvan, Elevate K-12s extreme focus on teacher quality and commitment seals the deal.

We have a really nice alignment because we believe that good teachers make all the difference. You can have the best curriculum in the world, but if you dont have the best teacher to be in the childs corner rooting for them, the child wont engage, said Levitt. If Elevate K-12 and Sylvan can have access to more great teachers, that benefits everyone, especially the kids.

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING LLC

With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvans proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync technology on the iPad for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE  STEM and accelerated courses  and Sylvan Prep  college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit http://www.SylvanLearning.com or SylvanLearning.com/blog.

About Elevate K-12

Elevate K-12 is a Chicago-based instruction-technology company that brings high-quality live streaming instruction into K-12 classrooms. Schools and districts partner with Elevate K-12s unique instructional solution to solve their teacher shortage challenges, overuse of long-term substitutes or low-quality teachers. Its tech-enabled service comprises Proprietary Live Instructional Management Technology, Live Instruction Service, Curriculum and Classroom Management to provide the necessary tools for collaborative teaching and learning that emulates the experience of a real, physical classroom. Elevate K-12 currently operates in 11 states and is rapidly expanding to new states across the U.S. in K-12 schools. For more information, visit http://www.elevatek12.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Lands at Long Beach Airport

LONG BEACH (CNS)Long Beach Airport opened a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site Jan. 12 available exclusively for people planning to fly to Hawaii and hoping to avoid a state-mandated quarantine for visitors.

The testing site is being operated in partnership with Hawaiian Airlines, offering $90 PCR tests with results within 36 hours. The site is open to upcoming Hawaiian Airlines passengers who would otherwise be required by Hawaii to quarantine upon arrival. Hawaii visitors can avoid the quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their trip to the islands.

The testing site is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily at the airports main entrance on Donald Douglas Drive. Appointments can be made online.

A second testing site will open at the airport Jan. 16, and will be open to any passenger with a ticket for a flight from the airfield. That site will offer rapid testing with results within two hours.

Information about reservations and testing prices is available online.

This is a welcome effort to add testing capacity for the city of Long Beach in a strategically important location, Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. As we look ahead in 2021, Long Beach Airport is well-poised to take advantage of an eventual increase in demand for air travel.
[January 12, 2021] Hyliion Appoints Sherri Baker as Chief Financial Officer

Hyliion Holdings Corp. (NYSE: HYLN) ("Hyliion"), a leader in electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles, today announced Sherri Baker will join the company as Chief Financial Officer, effective February 8, 2021. Baker will succeed Greg Van de Vere, who will retire after serving nearly four years with Hyliion. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005329/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) "I want to thank Greg for his dedication and immense contributions to Hyliion since early in the company's founding," said Thomas Healy, founder and CEO of Hyliion. "Greg has been critical in shaping our business, from startup to public company, and has established a strong foundation for our future success. We wish him all the best in his retirement." "Sherri joins Hyliion at a truly exciting time for the company as we accelerate our commercialization strategy and scale the business. With extensive experience in senior financial leadership roles, Sherri has a proven track record of helping to drive profitable business growth and will play a critical role in Hyliion's sucess," Healy added.



In the role, Baker will oversee Hyliion's financial operations and strategy, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, treasury, tax and investor relations. Baker has nearly two decades of finance and accounting leadership experience, as well as a strong understanding of investor relations, M&A and manufacturing operations, including go-to-market and engineering functions. "Hyliion is well-positioned for growth and I am excited to partner not only with the leadership team, but the entire talented organization at such an important time in the company's evolution," said Baker. "Drawing on my diverse public company experience, I look forward to helping Hyliion execute its strategic plan, drive its commercial goals and deliver value for stockholders."

Baker previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for PGT Innovations, a publicly traded, national leader and advanced manufacturer of premium windows and doors from March 2019 to January 2021. While there, Baker was responsible for the company's finance strategy, budgeting and planning, accounting, legal, IT, financial reporting, and investor relations functions. Prior to joining PGT Innovations, Baker served as Vice President, Commercial Finance for Dean Foods Company, the largest dairy subsidiary in the United States, with 2018 revenue of more than $7.7 billion. Earlier, Baker served as Vice President of Investor Relations, Strategy and Corporate Finance, as well as Vice President of Finance, Logistics for Dean Foods. Prior to Dean Foods, she spent 13 years at Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, in a succession of finance and accounting roles. Baker holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting from the University of North Texas. To learn more about Hyliion, its products or leadership team, please visit www.hyliion.com. About Hyliion Hyliion Holdings Corp.'s (NYSE: HYLN) mission is to reduce the carbon intensity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of commercial transportation Class 8 vehicles by being a leading provider of electrified powertrain solutions. Leveraging advanced software algorithms and data analytics capabilities, Hyliion offers fleets an easy, efficient system to decrease fuel and operating expenses while seamlessly integrating with their existing fleet operations. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Hyliion designs, develops and sells electrified powertrain solutions that are designed to be installed on most major Class 8 commercial vehicles, with the goal of transforming the commercial transportation industry's environmental impact at scale. For more information, visit www.hyliion.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005329/en/

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The pandemic has struck most Americans--unemployment cases on the rise and no money to spare. This has been the case for Fallon LaGuerra and her family, she has lost her job during the pandemic and on top of that she has to take care of her seven children. She thought she was alone in this struggle--but the Church had her back.

Pastor Andre Miller Sr. of New Beginnings Christian Church knew her situation and he wanted to take action and help her out. He and the other members of the Christian Church wanted to help a struggling sister out. At the same time of losing her job, LaGuerra's family car also broke down. With no money to spare for repairs, she decided to let it go.

However, Pastor Miller decided to help out with her struggles and immediately went on Facebook to post an inquiry. He asked who can help him out in donating a minivan to a deserving and worthy mother, ABC15 reports. In no time, his post was answered by people who were willing to help out.

Jeremy Whitaker, a former council member in Mesa, saw the pastor's Facebook post and shared it. The nonprofit group, "Helping Hands for Single Moms" and the Neighborhood Auto Repair Professionals (NAPRO), teamed up and repaired a minivan that would be donated to LaGuerra and her family

LaGuerra was still clueless on what was happening. She was just about to have her usual chat with Pastor Miller but little did she know he would surprise her and her family with the minivan.

"It's amazing. It's amazing because you don't see that in too many places. I know the pastor's heart is in a good place," LaGuerra happily shared.

She is very much thankful for the people of her community who went out their way to help struggling people just like her. She believes it was divine intervention that helped her receive these gifts from the community.

Pastor Miller already has a history of helping people out during the pandemic. His church community has started a fundraiser to help people out struggling people in need. Kristen Smith, a single mother and a frequent churchgoer from the community, was helped by the community and was given $250 which was enough to cover her expenses.

The New Beginnings Christian Church does not only help the people from their community but they really help those who are in need. Tattoo artist Beau Banks did not attend Pastor Miller's church, yet it was the same church that helped him. All Banks needed to do was ask and he did receive help.

He was about to be evicted from his home if it were not for the help of Pastor Miller's church. "I almost came to tears, yet it was pretty moving," Banks shared.

Pastor Miller's church is just one of the many churches that have helped thousands of people ever since the pandemic happened. Continuously spreading the good news and the good mission of the Lord.

(Edited to add photos from Pastor Andre Miller Sr.)
The Brexit experiment has begun: the UK started 2021 outside the European Union, now independent of its rules and regulations after 47 years of membership.

With few celebrations on either side, both started with the job in hand, which is to see how the new relationships between the UK and the EU after Brexit will take shape.

But the final destination will take time and possibly even decades as the historic free-trade agreement between London and Brussels at the end of 2020 was mainly on goods and commodities. There will be new negotiations on financial services, data-sharing, security coordination and political arrangements around Gibraltar.

It is difficult to predict how the talks will go, especially on financial services and data-sharing. They are also happening during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a third wave of this led this week to a new national lockdown in the UK.

With Covid-19 infections seen as out of control in the UK, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to postpone a visit to India later this month and focus on the pandemic. This is a setback to Johnsons Global Britain agenda, as the aim of the talks with Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to strike a free-trade deal with India.

Britains services economy  including not only Londons powerful financial industry, but also sectors such as hospitality, law, architecture, insurance and others  was largely left out of the 1,246-page deal, despite the sector accounting for 80 per cent of British economic activity.

Londons financial sector started to feel the effects of Brexit on the first trading day of 2021 when nearly 6 billion of EU equities shifted away from the city to facilities in European capitals.

Trading by banks like Santander and Deutsche Bank moved to EU market places like the Madrid, Frankfurt and Paris bourses, according to data from Refinitiv, a provider of financial market data, an abrupt change for investors in London who have grown accustomed to trading shares in Europe without restrictions.

Although not the citys most lucrative business, the departure of the share-trading will mean less tax receipts for the UK government. There are also fears that it could encourage companies to list in the EU rather than in London in order to benefit from smoother trading conditions.

The UKs trade deal with the EU largely omitted financial services, and Johnson admitted the agreement had failed to meet his ambitions for the sector. During the talks in 2020, the EU had refused to recognise most of the UKs regulatory systems as equivalent to its own, forcing Euro-denominated business to move to Europe.

With the EU having no interest in keeping London at the heart of its financial services, many doubt that the EU will grant the UK equivalence in trading soon. Brussels has also sought greater oversight of Euro-denominated assets and is keen to reduce its reliance on the City of London for finance, an activity it views as strategically important for the EU.

According to the London Financial Times, financial services lobby groups on both sides have urged the EU and UK to quickly build on the trade deal and agree on common supervisory standards. The two sides are trying to draft a memorandum of understanding on future co-operation on financial services by the end of March, although this will not have the same legal force as an international treaty.

Emphasising that the EU and UK were now distinct jurisdictions, EU regulators on Monday withdrew the registration of six UK-based credit-rating agencies and four trade repositories  data warehouses that provide information on derivatives and securities trades. EU companies and investors will now have to use EU-based entities.

The problems do not stop there, as on Tuesday a number of online retailers in the EU decided they would not deliver to Britain because of the new costs involved in sending packages.

European firms have said they are unwilling to register for VAT in the UK. The news comes as problems emerged with the first lorries to cross from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland. Some food shipments did not have the correct paperwork, leading to waits of 10 hours at new border posts. The disruption means that the UK Sainsburys supermarket has reportedly lost around 700 product lines in Northern Ireland.

Moreover, the UK Marks & Spencer supermarket said the new trading rules in place since Britain left the EU were delaying deliveries of food to its stores in France, where at least three branches had empty shelves on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the UK National Federation of Fishermens Organisations (NFFO) declared its dissatisfaction with Downing Streets promise of 100 million to help expand fleets over the five-and-a-half-year transition period.

The industry has expressed its outrage at the Brexit trade deal, which sees only 25 per cent of fish stocks in British waters returned to UK fishermen. Asked if the funding package would help to soften the blow of the trade deal, NFFO Chief Executive Barrie Deas said that the short answer is no.

The fishing industry would much prefer to have our full quota entitlements, which an independent coastal state has the right to expect, Deas told the UK Independent newspaper. Unlike agriculture, fishing has never been an industry highly dependent on subsidies.

Economic activities were not the only casualty, as citizens from the UK and the EU also faced difficulties with the new set of rules. Many UK nationals have been refused entry to Europe since 1 January because Britain is no longer exempt from Covid-19-related restrictions on non-essential travel from outside the EU since it left the bloc.

A Dutch border force spokesman confirmed on Monday that up to 13 British citizens had been turned away at Amsterdams Schiphol Airport since Friday because their trips were not necessary and third-country coronavirus regulations now applied to UK citizens.

The news came after British citizens living in Spain were barred from boarding flights in the UK because the airline said their pre-Brexit residency papers were no longer valid, while others were refused entry to Germany.

There were also reports of passengers turned away from KLM flights from UK airports to the Netherlands because they did not have a negative coronavirus test, their journey did not qualify as essential, or they could not show proof of Dutch or EU residency.

Only a handful of countries with low coronavirus rates are exempt from EU rules barring non-essential visitors from outside the bloc. The UK was removed from the list at the end of the Brexit transition period.

Britain has departed the EU, but its exit is only the beginning of a high-stakes experiment to unstitch commercial relations across the continent. The challenge now for Johnson is to make Brexit a success. Otherwise, the cost will not be only economic but also political, with nationalists in Scotland waiting for the Brexit experiment to fail, which could lead to the disintegration of the United Kingdom.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 7 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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(Newser)  Quebec police issued 750 tickets over the weekend as an 8pm curfew, the first of its kind in Canada, went into effect. Two of those tickets went to a couple who got creative in trying to skirt the new coronavirus restriction. As residents are allowed to be out on the streets after 8pm to walk their dogs provided they stay close to home, police say a 24-year-old woman claimed she was doing just that. She even had a leash. But that leash was not attached to a dog, per CTV News. Instead, it was hooked to the woman's 40-year-old partner as the couple walked in Sherbrooke after 9pm Saturday, police tell the Montreal Gazette. The woman "said she was taking her dog, pointing to her partner, out on a walk, as allowed under the exceptions," a police rep tells the Gazette.

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The man and woman, described as uncooperative, were each fined about $1,200. Fines for curfew violations start at $780. Repeat offenders could be charged upwards of $4,700. Quebec's first repeat offender also emerged over the weekend. After being given an initial fine, the person was caught violating curfew again, per CTV. A Crown prosecutor will now determine if a second fine is warranted. Quebec Premier Francois Legault had announced the nightly curfew, to last until 5am, at the start of last week, saying the province's hospitals were strained and might not be able to treat every new arrival. "We cannot accept that a few irresponsible people put the population at risk," he said Monday, per Global News. The curfew is to extend until at least Feb. 8. (Read more Quebec stories.)
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The profile of Davit Kuzmyn has been added to the list of Europe's most wanted fugitives.

Kuzmyn's profile recently appeared on the "EU Most Wanted" platform, which, since its launch, has helped to arrest many fugitives wanted in Europe.

Kuzmyn is wanted for his involvement in luxury car thefts in Luxembourg at the end of 2019 and is believed to be part of a major criminal organisation. The fugitive is said to use several aliases and has not been seen for some time.

The authorities report that some of his accomplices have already been arrested and are currently in detention in the Grand Duchy.

The "EU Most Wanted" platform allows anyone to report the presence of a wanted criminal in complete confidentiality.

Several of Luxembourg's most wanted fugitives have recently been arrested thanks to tips sent via the Europol website.

These include Jean-Marc Sirichai, who ended up being released by the Spanish authorities, and Cihan Guzel, who was handed over to the Luxembourg authorities in November 2019.

Another fugitive wanted by the Luxembourg authorities and part of the EU's most wanted criminals is Yeon Choy Teoh, who has been implicated in numerous cases of violent extortion. In 2003, he was involved in a gunfight which took place in a Chinese restaurant in eastern Luxembourg.

Albany, N.Y.  Internet companies in New York would be required to offer high-speed internet service to low-income customers for $15 a month under a new proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo announced proposed legislation on the mandate today as part of his annual State of the State address in Albany. Companies would also be required to advertise the low-cost option to ensure it reaches low-income communities across the state.

While the state has made great strides in ensuring widespread access to high-speed connections, the service often costs over $50 a month. Thats too much for some families, Cuomo said.

Access is one thing, he said. But access if its not affordable is meaningless.

Low-income families and children will find themselves left farther behind in the post-Covid economy without affordable, reliable high-speed internet access. Remote work and school arent necessarily going away once the pandemic ends, Cuomo said.

He argued affordable broadband is a social justice issue.

We have seen through Covid low tide in America, Cuomo said. Low tide showed the systemic injustice that is pervasive in our society. We must act in this moment to address those disparities.

In addition to the proposed mandate, the state, Schmidt Futures and the Ford Foundation will launch a fund to pay for internet subscriptions for students who cant afford the $15 a month cost during the Covid crisis. Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy.

The state is also undertaking other actions to protect internet customers including:

Requiring companies to provide a universal disclosure notice that explains all charges and fees so consumers arent hit with unexpected costs

Promoting a dig once policy to spur the buildout of fiber optic cable throughout the state

Launching a website to help New Yorkers find an affordable internet plan and report on coverage gaps and consumer experiences

We must adapt and be strategic and visionary and move quickly when we see the opportunity, Cuomo said.

Today was the second day of Cuomos State of the State address, which he began delivering Monday at the Capitol. Instead of a one-day affair, the governor is delivering a series of speeches on multiple topics over several days.

He also called today for the aggressive expansion of rapid testing to reopen offices, the arts and more.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
If the California Republican Party has a future statewide, it will likely be in office-holders like Reps. Mike Garcia and Young Kim  relatively young people of color who were elected in battleground districts by playing up their moderate positions rather than tying themselves to President Trump.

But they and a handful of other Republicans in similar districts face a precarious vote as the House barrels toward impeaching Trump for a second time: Support impeachment and write-off Trump backers, who are now all but synonymous with the Republican Party, or vote against it and risk alienating moderate voters they will need to win re-election in 2022.

Nearly two in three California voters supported Joe Biden, and the president-elect won Kims Orange County district and Garcias district, which straddles Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

In the days since last weeks attack on the U.S. Capitol, California Republicans have shown signs that theyre splitting on how to navigate a Trump-less future.

After police cleared the pro-Trump militants who took over the Capitol on Wednesday, Garcia and Kim differed on whether to certify the Electoral College results that gave Biden the presidency. Garcia opposed certifying the results  a position that backed Trumps lies that the election was stolen from him. Kim supported the results, in line with five dozen court rulings that found the election results to be valid.

Garcia, R-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), explained his vote by saying that while I am a federalist, I believe there is enough evidence of compromised processes and breakdowns in election integrity by certain state legislatures that do in fact warrant a closer examination.

Kim, R-Fullerton, supported certification because Congress does not determine which electors states send, and we must respect the authority of the states.

Their dilemma is emblematic of the California Republican Partys struggle to return to relevance statewide. No GOP candidate has been elected to statewide office since 2006. In the past two U.S. Senate elections, no Republican so much as survived the primary.

The party is reduced to a few regional strongholds in rural areas and Orange and San Diego counties  it is all but nonexistent in the Bay Area and metro Los Angeles. But in those regional strongholds, the need for Republicans to stick to Trump is still strong. One of the new Republican House members, Rep. Jay Obernolte of Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino County), barely had to worry about Democratic opposition in November  he defeated his challenger by nearly 15 points.

Fred Whitaker, chair of the GOP in Orange County, is confident that Kim and GOP Rep. Michelle Steel of Seal Beach, another Asian American who flipped a Democratic seat in the county in November, will both vote against impeachment. Kim and Garcia did not respond to requests for comment Monday, nor did Steel, who missed the Electoral College votes after testing positive for the coronavirus and may also miss the impeachment debate.

Whitaker likewise expects Garcia and every other Republican in the California delegation to vote against impeachment.

There are a lot of supporters of the president in these districts, he said.

I dont think its a tough vote, Whitaker said. Impeachment requires a high crime or misdemeanor. I dont believe anyone who is serious about unifying the country believes that anything that Donald Trump said on Jan. 6 actually incited violence.

There is potential cover for California Republicans  some Republicans nationally have broken with Trump since the Capitol attack, including former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells wife.

In her resignation letter to the departments employees, Chao said that our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the president stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed.

But Whitaker said it was superfluous to try to remove the president when he was already leaving office.

If you put an impeachment vote out there with just a few days before the end of his presidency, it looks like youre kicking him out of office when you dont need to, Whitaker said. And if you do, youll have a tremendous contingency of people who will feel that they are being canceled as well.

Whitaker said any punishment for Trump should be left up to voters. If they dont want him to run for president in 2024, they can show their displeasure by voting against him then, Whitaker said.

Impeaching him now could turn him into a martyr, he said.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday shows that support remains for Trump among Republicans nationally, despite last weeks attack. While 52% of respondents overall thought Trump should be removed from office, 87% of Republicans said he should not be.

Republicans wont want to take a vote that could alienate nearly 90% of their base.

There are a lot of voters who are saying, This thing (Trumps term) is almost over. Lets let it slide, said Tim Malloy, a polling analyst with Quinnipiac.

But GOP House members from California representing battleground areas with large numbers of Latino voters will have to take their opinions into consideration as well, said Anais Lopez, an analyst with the Latino Decisions polling firm.

A Latino Decisions poll taken shortly before Election Day last year found that 16% of Latino Republican voters in California felt that Trump did not care about them. An additional 7% said that Trump was hostile toward them.

Latinos also hold the key to Republicans future statewide, given that they make up nearly 40% of the state.

These Republican (House members) should be careful when they vote on impeachment, especially in a district that was really close, Lopez said. They would risk losing some votes. Latinos are very protective of democracy.

California Republicans will likely follow the lead of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who reportedly is floating the idea of censuring Trump instead of impeaching him.

McCarthy said Monday, An impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get America back on a path toward unity and civility.

Tellingly, McCarthys statement did not express support for Trump.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar sets up India's UNSC agenda. All the members of the UN Security Council will speak on the 20 years of adoption of resolution 1373.

Union Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar virtually addressed the United Nations Security Council today. The subject of the meeting is Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts: International cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1373. Jaishankar sets up Indias UNSC agenda and put forward an 8-point plan on terror financing.

All the members of the UN Security Council will speak on the 20 years of adoption of the resolution 1373. Indias External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar will also take part in this open debate today. The meeting will be held virtually via video conferencing, it will start at around 7 p.m. IST or 8.30 a.m. EST (New York time)

Resolution 1373 was adopted by the UN Security Council on September 28, 2001, after the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. Resolution 1373 is a counter-terrorism measure that calls on the United Nations member states to execute steps to prevent terrorism at home and around the world.

We must not countenance double standards in this battle. Terrorists are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones. Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable: EAM Dr S Jaishankar at UNSC Open Debate https://t.co/cA7SrGfbjX  ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2021

Some States lack legal/operational frameworks &

technical expertise to detect, investigate & prosecute terrorist financing cases. However, there are other States that are guilty of aiding & supporting terrorism & provide financial assistance, safe havens: EAM at UNSC Open Debate pic.twitter.com/BOvFNmKrrl  ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2021

Also read: Bird flu confirmed in 10 states, including Delhi, Maharashtra & Uttarakhand: All eyes on Parliamentary Meet Today

Also read: Centre to bear expenses for first-phase vaccination: PM Modi at Covid-19 vaccine rollout meet

The meet will be chaired by the Tunisian foreign minister as Tunisia is the chair of the UNSC for the month of January. Some of the key speakers of todays meet are Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, Michele Coninsx.

We must summon up political will to combat

terrorism. There must be no ifs & buts in the fight. Nor should we allow terrorism to be justified & terrorists glorified. All members must fulfill the obligations enshrined in int'l counter-terrorism instruments: EAM at UNSC Open Debate pic.twitter.com/ypCExY62WJ  ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2021

Also read: Deadlock over farm laws continues: SC rebukes Centre over handling of farmer protests

WASHINGTON - It was the spring of 2015 and the U.S. Capitol Police had suffered a string of embarrassing incidents.

Officers who protected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and then-House Speaker John Boehner had left their guns in bathrooms in the Capitol in January and March. Another unattended gun was found by a janitor cleaning police headquarters in April. That same month, a Florida postal worker protesting the influence of money in politics was able to land a small aircraft on the West Lawn in broad daylight.

By May, members of the House Administration Committee were asking pointed questions. The police chief said he was addressing the problems.

And then, Congress moved on.

"What that hearing really showed was the ineptness in the organizational hierarchy, the inability to get a handle on the agency, their lack of transparency and accountability to anybody," said former congressman Richard Nugent, R-Fla., a retired county sheriff who served in Congress from 2011 to 2016. "If you let things like that go, there's larger questions to be asked - what else are you sweeping under the rug or not paying attention to?"

Lawmakers considered changes five years ago and periodically over the past 15 years. Yet they left the Capitol Police largely impervious to public scrutiny, despite its ample funding and its prominent presence at the seat of U.S. government.

The force of about 2,100 sworn officers, which patrols a hallowed but tiny area, boasts a $516 million budget. That is more than twice the spending on police in Atlanta, 1 1/2 times the spending in Detroit and approaches the $545 million budget for the District of Columbia, budget documents show. Yet reports by the force's Office of Inspector General, tasked with rooting out waste and fraud, are kept under wraps. The Capitol Police, like Congress, is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Unlike other law enforcement agencies, the police force releases little public information, even after calamitous incidents.

Six days after a pro-Trump mob overran the U.S. Capitol, the department still has not held a news conference to explain the enormous security breach or to highlight the heroism of individual officers. And it has not released the name and employment records of the officer who fatally shot Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt.

On Monday, a member of Congress first disclosed that two officers had been suspended and others were being investigated because of suspected involvement with or inappropriate support for the rioters.

Congress could require the Capitol Police to operate more like a government agency and less like a private security detail. But such demands for transparency might force awkward questions about Congress's own exemption from public records laws.

"There hasn't been a willingness to open it up to scrutiny by an institution that is reticent to do that," said Terrance Gainer, who served as chief of the Capitol Police from 2002 to 2006. "Congress hasn't made the rules apply to the department, so we didn't have to meet the expectations that a state or city police agency have."

He added, "If we are not transparent with the public for whom we are responsible, then what we are doing is suspect."

Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki did not respond to detailed questions from The Washington Post about whether the department needed to be more transparent or receive stricter oversight.

The department reports to a little-known board that dates to the 1800s. It has three voting members: the sergeants at arms for the House and Senate, and the Architect of the Capitol. The archaic structure is established in federal law and means that the police chief has three unelected bosses, none of whom answers directly to the public.

"You have a lot of bosses, and I had to learn as chief how to deal with that," said Gainer, the only person to serve as both police chief and Senate sergeant at arms. "If you have a process that doesn't allow you to exercise your expertise, that's a problem."

Members of Congress are now calling for a full-scale investigation into what went wrong on Jan. 6, as a joint session met to count electoral college votes while an angry crowd incited by President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol.

The police chief and the House and Senate sergeants at arms all have resigned. In an interview with The Post on Sunday, outgoing Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund blamed his bosses on the police board for not promptly approving multiple requests to put the D.C. National Guard on standby.

"The arrangement needs to be changed," Sund said. "I think ultimately it would really be good if the chief could make certain decisions; it would make the job a little easier."

Neither House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving nor Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger has commented.

Five deaths have been linked to the riot, including that of Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured in the confrontations. Officer Howard Liebengood, who was also at the Capitol, took his own life days later, a spokesman for Liebengood's family told The Post.

Charles Ramsey, who worked with the Capitol officers as D.C. police chief from 1998 to 2007, said the federal force already should have provided a detailed accounting of its actions.

"The public has a right to know," said Ramsey, who also led the Philadelphia Police Department. "There are a lot of unanswered questions. That is everybody's Capitol. It belongs to all of us."

Now, the upheaval that the Black Lives Matter movement has brought to law enforcement departments nationwide has arrived in the Capitol.

Some law enforcement experts say change at the Capitol Police has been elusive and may continue to be so because, unlike other police departments, it doesn't have customary constituents.

"They don't have residents. They serve congressional members," said J. Thomas Manger, former police chief in the neighboring counties of Fairfax, Va., and Montgomery, Md. "One of the things that encourages police to evolve is community pressure, but a big part of what the Capitol Police do is provide personal security for the members."

Congress recently awarded an additional $50 million to the department for the 2021 fiscal year - extending a funding run that has seen the Capitol Police budget grow by more than 50% in the past decade, budget documents show. Lawmakers stopped short of requiring greater transparency, only suggesting that the Capitol Police "explore the possibility" of releasing more comprehensive arrest data and share information that "follows the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act."

The department also does not use body cameras, another tool increasingly used by police forces to capture and share details of police work with the public.

Daniel Schuman, who tracks federal spending for Demand Progress, one of the few advocacy groups that acts as a watchdog on Capitol Police, said the department did not start disclosing weekly arrest reports until 2018. It still doesn't provide aggregated information about its activities.

"If we were grading them, I would give them an F-minus," Schuman said. "Why is so much [money] going to the Capitol Police, and what do they do with it?"

Since 1998, when a mentally ill man entered a checkpoint reserved for members of Congress and killed two officers, lawmakers have struggled to balance security concerns with the desire for an open door to the house of U.S. democracy.

Over the years, lawmakers have asked Capitol Police to secure the complex against all manner of threats, but they also feared making the building appear militarized or inaccessible to the public.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led to sweeping security upgrades in government buildings. By 2005, however, members of the House grew concerned about how Capitol Police were managing a $19 million contact to prevent vehicles from getting close to the complex. Lawmakers successfully pushed to include language in a budget document indicating that they had "serious concerns over the lack of stewardship of the taxpayer dollars and how this exemplifies pervasive management issues and lack of asset accountability."

- - -

When the Capitol Police force has been embroiled in heated controversies, the investigations that followed were released only in part or not at all.

After 12 people were killed in a 2013 mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, the BBC reported that an armed Capitol Police tactical team was nearby when initial reports came in about an active shooter. The team requested permission to enter the building where the violence was underway but was denied and directed to return to the Capitol, according to the BBC.

A review by the Capitol Police Board concluded the reporting was unfair because the unit had been redeployed to address threats to the Capitol building. Only a two-page summary of the report was released.

James Konczos, then the head of the police union for the force, rejected the findings at the time and said last week that had the team stormed the building where the shooting was underway, "that situation would have been neutralized a lot quicker."

Capitol Police faced tough questions again in 2013 when officers, along with members of the U.S. Secret Service, fired into the car of a Connecticut woman driving erratically on Capitol Hill. Miriam Carey, 34, was killed with her infant daughter in the back of the car. Her family has said police did not have to resort to violence, arguing that Carey - who was unarmed and had no criminal record - panicked while driving on unfamiliar streets.

The names of the officers who fired at her car were never divulged. An investigation into the incident was not made public by the department. A two-page news release by the U.S. attorney's office in Washington announced "insufficient evidence" to charge the officers.

In an interview last week, Carey's sister, Valarie Carey, said Wednesday's riot at the Capitol by a mostly White mob "resurrected" the anger she has felt since the death of her sister, who was Black. The department's lack of transparency made it difficult to learn basic details about officers' response to her sister, their training and any reforms, she said.

"They have not been brought to justice. They haven't even had to answer for their actions," she said. "If the public, including families, aren't given information, who's to say what exactly happened?"

Gainer, who was serving as the Senate sergeant of arms in 2013, said he now regrets that the Capitol Police were not more responsive to the public after Carey's death and the Navy Yard shooting.

"Those were the rules we had grown up with, but there's no reason to continue doing that," he said. "Over the past few years, police departments have been expected to release videos and reports and had to adapt. We should have had to explain why we did or didn't use deadly force, just like the Capitol Police should have to do for January 6th."

Capitol Police leadership faced a rare grilling on Capitol Hill in 2015. During a House Administration Committee hearing, lawmakers said they never would have found out about the guns left unattended if it hadn't been leaked to the news media.

In the same hearing, members wondered how Capitol Police could have been so unprepared that same year for a gyrocopter landing on the West Lawn. The postal worker piloting the small aircraft had live-streamed the flight, and a Florida newspaper reporter had emailed the police agency about it a half-hour before the landing. "To me, it just seems like it would be all hands on deck when you get an email like this," Nugent told Kim Dine, the Capitol Police chief at the time.

Lawmakers wanted to know how the agency prepared for attacks, how it filtered daily online threats and whether the police board was getting in the chief's way - questions gaining new relevance in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot.

"It was pretty disturbing to be honest," Nugent said this week. He spent 38 years in law enforcement before his election to Congress, including a decade as the sheriff of Hernando County, Fla. "It just seemed like they took things for granted instead of saying, 'What's the worst thing that could happen?' and preparing for it. Which is how you need to look at things."

Nugent drew a line between the lack of preparedness for the gyrocopter stunt and the underreaction to calls on social media to swarm Congress. In his six years in Congress, Nugent said, he does not remember ever seeing an inspector general report or an internal investigation of the Capitol Police.

Dine defended his record in an interview this week and said decisions about releasing information to the public typically were made by the Capitol Police Board.

The incidents with the misplaced guns were "addressed internally and swiftly," he said. The gyrocopter pilot was arrested immediately, he said, and no property was damaged. And he noted a number of changes on his watch, such as putting the entire agency through active-shooter training and creating a board to review investigations into employee misconduct.

"Stuff happens when you're the chief, and leadership depends on how you handle it," he said. "We were interested in trying to raise the bar and hold people accountable as best we could."

Congress's inconsistent oversight of its own police force has been a source of frustration to the union, which has clashed with the leadership over the years.

Konczos, the former union chief, who retired in 2016 after 30 years as a Capitol Police officer, said the union repeatedly told leadership that top managers were not qualified, that too much training was online and that the chief lacked power under the police board.

"We would explain how dysfunctional the department was. No one ever listened," said Konczos, who served for a decade as chairman of the labor committee's executive board.

The current union leader, Gus Papathanasiou, echoed those complaints and blamed police officials for poor planning for the Jan. 6 session of Congress.

"I want to highlight that the lack of communication with the officers on January 6th was not an anomaly," he said. "It is part of a pattern we have seen from the current USCP leadership."

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who chairs the House committee that provides funding for the department, said at a news conference Monday that Congress needs to step up oversight "1,000%." He said he had urged the acting police chief, Yogananda Pittman, to engage with the press in the future because "there's been an issue with the Capitol Police around transparency."

About four hours later, Pittman sent out a news release saying that several officers had been suspended and that "the investigation of the January 6 riot is continuing."

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Carol D. Leonnig contributed to this report.

BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2021virtual conference on 8-10 March 2021.



The three-day virtual event, with live content from exceptional speakers, will continue the year-round agribusiness conversation among the Women in Agribusiness(WIA) community, which is thousands strong and growing each day. The Summit will include two virtual tours, an integrated platform that is the portal to knowledge and networking, and the promise of connecting with speakers and attendees from several countries.

The agenda includes discussions on how upstream agriculture in the EU can be made more sustainable, opportunities in plant-based foods, supply chain challenges and possibilities, and a special two-hour strategic networking workshop. Speakers include Jaine Chisholm Caunt, director general of GAFTA; Geraldine Kutas, director general, European Crop Protection Association; and Dorothy Dalton, CEO of 3Plus International Ltd. Registration is now open, along with the chance to take a peekat the 2020 U.S. event to learn more about the conference.

"If the last year has shown anything, it is that staying connected is imperative to advancing your business," said Joy O'Shaughnessy, event director and chief operating officer of HighQuest Group, the parent company of Women in Agribusiness. "Our commitment in providing networking opportunities to nurture and expand, as well as the knowledge and know-how to stay relevant, has not waivered during a year of unknowns, and we are grateful to continue to service the WIA community."

Along those lines, WIA announced the start of its European WIA Meet Up dates for 2021. WIA Meet Ups are a night of networking from the comfort of one's own home, while making new contacts and building new business relationships. Admission is free to WIA members.

2021 Virtual WIA Meet Up - Europe

Thursday, 14 January - 6 p.m. CET

Thursday, 11 February - 6 p.m. CET

Connect with Opportunity

In keeping with opening new doors within the ag sector, Women in Agribusiness has introduced the WIA Career Connector. The multi-tiered website offers opportunities for both employers and job seekers in its goal to connect talent with opportunity. Visitors to the site - careers.womeninag.com- can post new jobs, examine featured jobs, search by candidate, and get assistance with resume creation, job interview skills and much more. The world's largest food and ag companies are already using the WIA Career Connector, and its contents will be freely shared with the WIA community of over 10,000.

Visit womeninag.comto make plans now to join the burgeoning WIA community in 2021. Also visit us @Womeninagri, on Facebookand LinkedIn.

About Women in Agribusiness

The annual Women in Agribusiness Summit in the U.S., which started in 2012, is renowned for annually convening close to 1,000 of the country's female agribusiness decision-makers, with 30 percent at the CEO/executive level and another 25 percent at department management level. Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe debuted in Barcelona, Spain, in February 2015, which was praised by an executive in attendance for being "a solutions-oriented event that also brought up current trends in the market" and "a uniquely-focused agricultural event for women".

WIA initiatives have grown to include the WIA Membership , WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Scholarships , and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.

CONTACT:



Michelle Pelletier Marshall

Senior PR/Media Manager & Managing Editor

10 South Main Street, Suite 209

Topsfield, Mass. 01983 USA

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Pfizer is increasing its 2021 production goal from 1.3 billion coronavirus vaccine doses to 2 billion.

The news of ramped-up manufacture of the life-saving vaccine was announced by Albert Bourla, Pfizers chairman and CEO, during a call Tuesday, Jan. 12, open to investors and the general public.

The new production goal comes at time when the U.S. is still experiencing more than 200,000 new daily cases and vaccine distribution has been slower than expected.

As of Tuesday, 25,480,725 doses of the vaccine had been distributed across the nation. Originally, government officials aimed to vaccinate 20 million by the end of 2020.

Both the U.S. and the European Union have approved the Pfizer product. Both governments doubled their supply from the original contracts, EU has secured 600 million doses and the U.S. purchased 200 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will deliver at least 70 million doses by June 30, with the balance of the 100 million doses to be delivered no later than July 31, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Increased production of the vaccine includes a label change instructing six doses to be produced in each vile instead of five. A new syringe is also being implemented to avoid any liquid being left in the needle and wasted.

Bourla assured stakeholders during the call Tuesday that increased production would happen, but noted production at that level was a challenge all its own.

We say what we mean and we mean what we say, Bourla said. We feel confident that we will be able to do that. Its almost equally difficult to the scale up manufacturing at that level so fast as it was to develop the vaccine.

The coronavirus vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech is now the fastest produced vaccine in history, far surpassing the mumps vaccine that was developed in four years and distributed to the public in 1977.

BioNTechs head start in mRNA vaccines, which have seen results in animals with influenza, Zika and rabies virus, was a huge advantage.

The mRNA technology is a new approach to vaccines. Rather than a vaccine putting a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies, a mRNA vaccine teaches cells how to make a protein to trigger the immune response needed to fight a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When asked if mRNA technology will be used in the future at Pfizer, Bourla said it is a must moving forward. He spoke of using it to keep up with variants for influenzas so that the flu vaccine could keep pace.

Within the year, we accumulated scientific knowledge and technology and know-how years ahead, Bourla said. We have developed infrastructure that normally would take years, we developed in months. Its time to use it for the betterment of humanity.

Related: How Pfizers coronavirus vaccine was produced and distributed from Michigan plant in record time

Pfizers Michigan site, which manufactures more than 150 products, can trace its local roots back to the Upjohn Company, founded in 1886 by William E. Upjohn, known as Kalamazoos First Citizen. After Upjohn merged with Sweden-based Pharmacia in 1995, Pfizer acquired the company in 2003.

In July 2019, Pfizer announced it will split off its Upjohn generic brands and merge them with Mylan. In November 2020, that transaction was complete.

Bourla said the separation of Pfizer from Upjohn has created a company more focused on U.S. culture and science. He said the development of the vaccine is a shining example of what Pfizer is capable.

This requires very different mentality, very different risk taking, very different culture, Bourla said. I couldnt think of a better start of this new journey for Pfizer then with a demonstration of what our scientific (community) can do.

In relation to the companys interest in U.S. culture, Bourla was asked what part Pfizer will play in lowering prescription drug costs. Bourla said he was looking forward to working with the incoming presidential administration and the U.S. Congress on healthcare reform and lowering out-of-pocket costs for individuals.

We need to have a vibrant, innovative biopharmaceutical industry and I dont think I need to explain why after what happened with COVID, he said. The pain of not having it will not be multiple but exponentially higher. All these breakthroughs dont do any good if they dont reach the patient.

More on MLive:

Pfizers vaccine works against extra-contagious COVID-19 mutations, study shows

New variant of COVID-19 very likely in Michigan, but no confirmed cases yet

For Michiganders newly eligible for vaccine, excitement is high but details are few

Whos eligible for COVID-19 vaccine and what else to know about program expansion

It appears a clear case of judicial overreach and may potentially shake the foundation of Indias representative democracy by undermining the legislative organ of the state

The Supreme Court of India has set a terrible precedent by staying the implementation of farm laws aimed at liberalising the farm sector that were passed by the Parliament last year. It appears a clear case of judicial overreach and may potentially shake the foundation of Indias representative democracy by undermining the legislative organ of the state, diluting the Constitutional tenet of broad separation of powers between the legislative, executive and the judiciary  thereby upsetting the delicate balance on which the republic is founded. Tuesdays development is at once sad and worrying.

According to reports, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian in a ruling on Tuesday stayed until further orders the implementation of three laws  Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance & Farm Services Act 2020, Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act & Amendment to Essential Commodities Act.

Alongside, the apex court has also constituted a four-member committee of agri-experts comprising Bhupinder Singh Mann of All India Kisan Coordination Committee, Pramod Kumar Joshi, former director of International Food Policy Research Institute, agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and Anil Ghanwat, chief of Shetkari Sanghatana Maharashtra to hear all the parties and stakeholders and present its report to the court.

That the Supreme Court is in favour of forming a committee was evident on Monday when the CJI, hearing a batch of petitions on the farm laws, had observed that that the bench was mulling the setting up of an independent panel to resolve the deadlock and may stay the implementation of the law. The apex court had also refused to pass an order to stop the protests but added that the protesting farmers may be asked to consider shifting the venue elsewhere.

During Mondays hearing, the Supreme Court had also observed that it was extremely disappointed with the governments handling of protests, said the law was promulgated without enough consultation resulting in a strike, made it clear that the court reserves the right to put on hold the implementation of the laws, expressed apprehension that continued protests may lead to possible loss of lives and property and observed, we are the Supreme Court and we will do what we have to do.

The Supreme Court evidently wants to present itself as an honest negotiator and has constituted a committee mandated with the task of breaking the deadlock. The court ostensibly feels that continued protests are in nobodys interest and has therefore suggested a way out for the two sides. The committee of experts will buy time, and since it is constituted by the apex court, the hope is that farmers will be more trusting of the panels intentions than the Centre on whom the protesting farmers apparently have no trust, as Nobel laureate and economist Abhijit Banerjee had recently suggested.

The Supreme Courts intentions may be noble. Its aim may be reasonable, but there are several drawbacks to the judiciary assuming the functions of the executive. First, the court has made itself vulnerable to the pulls and pressures of political posturing.

For instance, the protesting farmers rejected on Monday itself the Supreme Courts suggestion to appoint a committee to resolve the ongoing crisis and said they were unwilling to participate in any proceedings before a committee.

This prompted the apex court to observe during its ruling on Tuesday that it will not hear an argument that farmers are unwilling to go to the committee. Addressing the farmers, the three-judge bench said we are looking to solve the problem. If you want to agitate indefinitely, you can. Every person who is genuinely interested in solving the problem is expected to go before the Committee. The Committee will not punish you or pass any orders. It will submit a report to us.

According to reports, the CJI told the farmers side that there is no power on earth which can prevent us from forming the independent committee. We want to solve the problem. We want to understand the ground situation. This is not politics. You have to cooperate. He also clarified that the implementation of the laws has been stayed to facilitate negotiations with the committee.

The trouble is, despite the Supreme Courts decision to suspend the laws, the farmers have vowed to continue protests until the government repeals the laws. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has said the tractor rally program will continue as per the plan on 26 January and the farmers will not leave the borders, according to a report in DNA.

This could be an embarrassing development for the apex court, but there are graver implications of judicial overreach. The staying of the laws, duly passed by an elected government, impinges on the governments ability to make laws. Since the Parliament represents democracy and the will of the people, suspension of laws passed by a majority of elected representatives may indicate that the will of the people do not count.

As former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju writes in The Week, when a law is made by Parliament, it is only Parliament which can repeal or suspend its operation by making another law. The Court can no doubt declare a law ultra vires if it finds it unconstitutional, but it has no power to temporarily stay its enforcement even without recording a finding that it is prima facie unconstitutional.

The suspension also sends a terrible signal that any interest or pressure group within the state may force the government to rescind a law, duly passed by the Parliament, if it succeeds in gathering a large enough crowd in a country of billions to demand attention, and their demands will be met as long as there is a threat of disruption and the laws are challenged in court.

The judiciary is mandated with scrutinising the legality and Constitutionality of a law, but if the court starts making policy prescriptions too, then the very validity of Parliament is thrown in doubt. This is a worrisome development in a democracy.

The government is frequently blamed for not implementing reforms. Any reform worth its salt will upset status quo and go against some interest group or the other. If the majority stands to benefit from the step, then it must be persisted with. The protesting farmers, who represent a fraction of their community, has so far refused to budge even an inch from their stand. If they are rewarded for their maximalist approach, then the vast majority of farmers who are ostensibly in favour of the reforms will be wronged, and it may also encourage extortionary tactics in the future.

Finally, it has been claimed that the courts decision is an elaborate ploy to break the protest movement. It further underlines the dangers of judiciary overstepping its remit.

Most patients who had been hospitalized with Covid-19 still suffered a variety of symptoms -- including fatigue and sleep difficulties -- six months after infection, a Chinese study has found.

The study of more than 1,700 patients treated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic, shows 76% suffered at least one symptom months after they were discharged from hospital.

The findings indicate that even people who recover from Covid-19 could suffer long-lasting health impacts from their bout with the coronavirus, which has infected more than 90 million people worldwide.

The study, the largest of its kind yet carried out, published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet. It found that fatigue and sleep difficulties were the most common post Covid-19 symptoms, occurring in 63% and 26% of the patients, respectively, six months after the onset of their initial diagnosis.

The disease could also have long-lasting psychological complications, with anxiety or depression reported among 23% of the patients, the study found.

Patients who were more severely ill tended to have continued evidence of lung damage on X-rays, according to the researchers.

"Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, we are only beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients' health," Dr. Bin Cao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University, who led the study team, said in a statement.

"Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after leaving hospital, and highlights a need for post-discharge care, particularly for those who experience severe infections. Our work also underscores the importance of conducting longer follow-up studies in larger populations in order to understand the full spectrum of effects that Covid-19 can have on people," the statement said.

Covid-19's long-term health effects

Scientists around the world are studying the long-lasting effects of the virus, commonly referred to as "long Covid" symptoms.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain and chest pain as the most commonly reported long-term symptoms. Others, such as difficulty with thinking and concentration -- known as "brain fog," depression and headache, are also reported among coronavirus long-haulers.

"While most persons with Covid-19 recover and return to normal health, some patients can have symptoms that can last for weeks or even months after recovery from acute illness. Even people who are not hospitalized and who have mild illness can experience persistent or late symptoms," the US CDC says.

A study published in the British Medical Journal in August found that around 10% of patients had a prolonged illness from Covid-19 lasting more than 12 weeks.

But the Chinese study is the largest, with the longest follow-up duration, to investigate the long-term impact on discharged patients, according to its authors.

The patients of the study, with a median age of 57, were all discharged between January 7 and May 29, 2020, from Wuhan's Jinyintan Hospital, a designated Covid-19 facility that treated the world's first known people to contract the disease from December 2019.

In total, the study included 70% of all discharged Covid-19 patients in that period, after excluding those who died, who were unable to participate due to severe mental or physical conditions, and who declined to participate.

All participants were interviewed with a series of questionnaires for evaluation of symptoms. They also underwent physical examinations, a six-minute walking test and blood tests, the study said.

Unexpectedly, 13% of patients who did not appear to have acute kidney injury while hospitalized exhibited signs of kidney malfunction.

Nearly half a million people may have had Covid-19 in Wuhan, study shows. That's almost 10 times the official figure

Nearly half a million people may have had Covid-19 in Wuhan, study shows. That's almost 10 times the official figure.

However, a team of researchers at the Institute of Pharmacological Research in Bergamo, Italy, who were not involved in the study, wrote in an accompanying commentary in The Lancet that the findings "must be interpreted with caution" as there were limits to the way it was measured."

However, the findings on fatigue, sleep difficulties, and anxiety or depression fit in with previous research following patients who had a related coronavirus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and 2004, according to the Chinese researchers.

A follow-up study of SARS survivors showed 40% of patients had chronic fatigue symptoms more than three years after infection, the researchers said.

Another study showed that 38% of SARS survivors had evidence of lung damage 15 years later, the researchers at the Institute of Pharmacological Research noted in their commentary.

Growing coronavirus outbreak

China largely contained the initial coronavirus epidemic in Wuhan in March, and has been able to swiftly curb sporadic local outbreaks in its territory since then.

But it is now facing the country's worst coronavirus flare-up in months in the northern province of Hebei, which surrounds the capital Beijing, just weeks before the Lunar New Year festival -- the most important time for family reunion in China.

A year after Wuhan, China locks down another city of 11 million people to contain a coronavirus flare-up

A year after Wuhan, China locks down another city of 11 million people to contain a coronavirus flare-up

Last week, the province rolled out mass coronavirus testing on 13 million people in the cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai, which identified 364 positive cases, Hebei officials said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon.

Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital and epicenter of the ongoing outbreak, was placed under a strict lockdown last week. Residents have been barred from leaving the city, as major highways were blocked, train and bus stations closed and flights canceled.

Within the city, public transport and schools have been suspended, and residential communities and villages are also closed off, with residents ordered to stay home for seven days after completing their coronavirus tests.

On Sunday, Hebei province detected 82 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, with 77 reported in Shijiazhuang and five in Xingtai, according to China's National Health Commission.

Local coronavirus infections are also being reported in several cities in northern China, including Beijing, and the provinces of Liaoning and Heilongjiang.

In Beijing, an online ride-hailing driver was identified as an asymptomatic case on Saturday, prompting authorities to track down 144 passengers who had been in his car. Starting from Monday, all passengers must present a QR code from Beijing's Covid-19 health app on their smartphones, before they are allowed to get in any taxis or ride-hailing cars.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  Some senators criticized Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque's remark that Filipinos cannot afford to be "picky" with the COVID-19 vaccine brand that they will receive from the government.

During the Senate hearing on the national COVID-19 vaccination plan on Monday, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri described Roque's pronouncement as unfair.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros also questioned why Filipinos can't choose a COVID-19 vaccine brand when President Rodrigo Duterte himself is choosing between the vaccines made in China and Russia.

"It seems the message the Palace is sending to us is 'conform or get COVID-19'. Malacanang must put an end to its threatening statements and stop ramming vaccine preferences down the public's throat," said Hontiveros.

Sen. Franklin Drilon stressed Roque's statement will trigger "such aversion to vaccination" which will not be good in the country's vaccination program, while Sen. Kiko Pangilinan noted that Roque's insensitive comment "aggravates the already tenuous public mood against vaccination as a whole."

In a separate interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday, Pangilinan said that such remarks do not help in assuring Filipinos of vaccines safety, noting that the public has the right to choose which product they would use in the future.

I think they should be able to [choose a vaccine], up to a certain extent, they have the right, Pangilinan told The Source.

So dapat ayusin nila yung kanilang communications, dahil hindi nakakatulong yung ganoong klaseng take it or leave it, bahala kayo, dahil libre. It doesnt help, unfortunately, he added.

[Translation: They should fix their communications, because this type of take it or leave it remark wont help.]

Sen. Leila de Lima, in a statement she issued from jail in Camp Crame, insisted the Filipinos are not asking for too much, but their right to choose must be respected so they would know the side effects of such immunizations. She added that even Davao City, the hometown of Duterte, did not procure the China-made Sinovac vaccine which the national government said will be the first to be administered to priority sectors by February.

"Do we have to blame our countrymen who are having second thoughts on getting inoculated with vaccine made from China? Certainly not when news reports keep surfacing about the adverse effects of some vaccines," said de Lima in the written statement.

Instead of endorsing one COVID-19 vaccine brand, Sen. Panfilo Lacson urged the national government to prioritize high efficacy vaccines. He explained this will help build Filipinos' confidence in getting vaccinated.

"Cockiness has no place in a pandemic situation. Certainly this is not a smart information campaign to promote mass vaccination," said Lacson.

Sen. Joel Villanueva shared Lacson's sentiment on raising public confidence to get vaccinated amid the recent survey where nearly half of Filipinos are apprehensive.

"Our government should be working on building confidence in the vaccine program, instead on toying around with their announcements at the risk of increasing people's aversion to the vaccine. Likewise, regulations are instituted precisely to protect the lives of our people," said Villanueva.

In an interview with CNN Philippines' The Final Word on Tuesday, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the national government must ensure there is enough supply of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines that should be administered immediately to priority sectors such as medical frontliners.

Gatchalian also declared he is okay to receive any COVID-19 vaccine brand as long as it passes Philippine Food and Drug Administration standards.

"As long as it is approved by FDA and passed their standards, I'm okay to be inoculated with any brand," he said.

Roque said in a briefing Monday that Filipinos will not be forced to get vaccinated against the COVID-19, but they cannot be "picky" once doses become available in the country.

Numerous local government units have announced they already secured deals to acquire hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses for their constituents. Majority of the local chief executives said they have sealed tripartite agreements with the national government for doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, which has an efficacy rate of up to 90% for those who received a half dose followed by a full dose.

READ: LIST: Local governments secure vaccine doses in advance


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The Louisiana Department of Health reported 3,292 more confirmed coronavirus cases and 47 more confirmed deaths in its noon update Tuesday.

The number of hospitalizations increased by 53, and the number of patients in need of ventilators increased by 12.

There are also 37,357 total "probable" coronavirus cases in Louisiana, according to the agency's dashboard.

The latest vaccination data for Louisiana shows that 78,113 more doses of the coronavirus vaccines have been administered since the Department of Health's last update on Thursday.

Since Dec. 14, the state has administered a total of 159,698 vaccine doses.

The state releases data on vaccinations twice a week, as part of its regular updates on coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The initial doses are the first of two -- spaced three weeks apart -- required for immunity.

Louisiana nearly doubles places where people 70+ can get coronavirus vaccine: See list Louisiana added more than 100 pharmacies and other providers administering vaccines to elderly patients across the state on Monday, as officia

In Louisiana, 21,652 people have now completed their vaccination by receiving both doses.

These are another few key statewide statistics as of Tuesday:

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

Total confirmed cases: 315,582

Total "probable" cases: 37,357

Total confirmed deaths: 7,536

Currently hospitalized: 2,035

Currently on ventilators: 244

Vaccine series initiated: 138,046 (updated twice weekly)

Vaccine series completed: 21,652

Presumed recovered: 280,373 as of Jan. 4 (updated weekly)

Note: The Advocate and The Times-Picayune staff calculates daily case count and confirmed death increases based on the difference between today's total and yesterday's total of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The Louisiana Department of Health releases a daily case count on its dashboard that includes probable cases as indicated by a positive antigen test. That case count can be different than the one listed here.

Here are some of the parishes with the highest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, based on the Tuesday report:

Jefferson: 404

East Baton Rouge: 312

Orleans: 251

St. Tammany: 236

Lafayette: 179

Caddo: 167

Livingston: 151

Rapides: 126

Ouachita: 120

Ascension: 107

You can view more graphs and charts breaking down the data by clicking here.

Louisiana began reopening for Phase 1 on May 15-16 then moved to Phase 2 on June 5. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana's Phase 2 restrictions twice in August before moving the state to Phase 3 on Sept. 11. The governor then moved the state back to a modified Phase 2 near the end of November.

This is a developing story. More details and analysis to come.
Kathmandu, January 12

The South Korean Ambassador to Nepal has announced to facilitate the investment in Nepals tourism, hydropower and infrastructure sectors.

Interacting with the office-bearers of Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) on Monday, Ambassador Park Chong-suk assured of additional investment from South Korean investors in Nepal and facilitation for such investment.

On the occasion, the CNI President Satish Kumar More said that the CNI was ready to cooperate with the investors from South Korea stating that opportunities and returns for foreign investment in Nepal were lucrative.

Stating that the friendly ties between Nepal and South Korea should be transformed into a robust economic partnership, President More urged the ambassador to support for bringing in Korean capital and technology.

Likewise, the CNI office-bearers shared that a favourable environment has been created to manage the skilled workers in Nepal due to a pool of returnee migrant workers from South Korea and suggested that the returnees could be utilised in the enterprises.
Feature Article

Physicists can apply to work for Rosen Scholar Fellowship at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center

Fellowship supports research on neutron scattering, dynamic materials, isotope production, and both applied and basic research in nuclear physics for up to one year

DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory

Rosen Scholar fellows spend up to 12 months conducting experimental or theoretical research at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., January 11, 2021--Experimental and theoretical scientists seeking an opportunity to pursue research in neutron scattering, dynamic materials, isotope production, and both applied and basic research in nuclear physics at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) can apply to the Rosen Scholar Fellowship.

Applications are due March 1, 2021. For application details, contact LANSCE user program coordinator Nina Roelofs at 505-665-9967, or by email at nroelofs@lanl.gov

"As Los Alamos National Laboratory's flagship experimental facility, LANSCE, research touches almost every aspect of the Lab's mission, and we are always looking for opportunities to push that work forward in novel ways," said Mike Furlanetto, the LANSCE User Facility director. "The Rosen Scholar Fellowship provides the opportunity to combine the unique tools at LANSCE with some of the most creative ideas from academia to answer cutting-edge scientific questions. It is also a perfect way to commemorate the creativity of Louis Rosen, the visionary behind LANSCE."

Research at LANSCE currently includes materials science using neutron scattering at the Lujan Center, dynamic materials at the Proton Radiography Facility, isotope production at the Isotope Production Facility, and both applied and basic research in nuclear physics at the ultra-cold neutron facility, Weapons Neutron Research facility, and the Lujan Center.

The Rosen Scholar Fellowship is reserved for individuals recognized as scientific leaders in a field of research currently performed at LANSCE and who exemplify the innovative and visionary qualities of Louis Rosen. The fellowship was created to honor the memory of Rosen, his accomplishments, his hard work, and his affection for the broad range of science performed at LANSCE. Louis Rosen's outstanding leadership and scientific career at Los Alamos covered six-and-a-half decades and included both the initial concept for the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility during the 1960s and its commissioning in 1972.

The Rosen Scholar is expected to be resident at LANSCE and bring their scientific expertise both to LANSCE and the broader Los Alamos scientific community. The position will support the Rosen Scholar at their current salary including relocation expenses for up to one year. Beginning date, end date, and duration (12-month maximum) for the scholarship are flexible, but must be between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022.

Former Rosen Scholars can attest to the value of the fellowship. "I was extremely excited and honored to be named the 2020 Rosen Scholar, which has provided me the opportunity to devote a full semester to working at the Lab and with kindred spirits in the sub-atomic physics group," said Tim Chupp, professor of physics, applied physics, and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.

"We have been developing the Lab's neutron electric dipole moment experiment," Chupp said. "Los Alamos has the world's best ultra-cold neutron source. The dipole moment would arise due to as-yet-undiscovered elementary particle forces that may also have produced the dominance of matter over antimatter in the early universe. I've particularly enjoyed working and learning from Los Alamos physicists, engineers and staff and hopefully bringing some of my experience to bear on this awesome project."

"Being the 2019 Rosen Scholar Fellow was an incredible experience from a technical, professional, and human perspective," said Paolo Rech, associate professor at the Institute of Informatics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Rech called Los Alamos National Laboratory "a unique place," where outstanding researchers from the most varied fields meet.

"Whenever you have a doubt or a question, you'll be sure to find someone with an answer or, even better, with more questions," Rech said. "This stimulates research. Los Alamos is the right place to have new ideas and have them implemented. Moreover, the staff are very helpful, making you excited and productive from day one. Finally, Los Alamos is a wonderful place, where it is easy to be inspired, to discover impressive landscape and peaceful corners. I couldn't be more thankful and proud of what we achieved during my year at the Lab."

Further information about LANSCE is available at http://lansce.lanl.gov

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is managed by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

LA-UR-21-20085

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu confirmed their readiness to continue cooperation to strengthen the Eastern Partnership initiative, especially in the context of preparations for the 2021 Eastern Partnership Summit.

"We consider it necessary to further develop the EU + 3 Associated Partners cooperation format and call on the European Union to deepen the dialogue on the DCFTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas between Ukraine and the EU] and extend it to other aspects of cooperation and gradual sectoral integration, including in the spheres of justice, digital economy, energy, transport and the environment," the presidents said in a joint statement following the talks in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Professor Jon Deeks, a biostatistician from the University of Birmingham, accused the Government of making lateral flow tests seem 'better than they are'

Boris Johnson's extortionate Operation Moonshot mass-swabbing scheme could accelerate Covid's spread because the tests are so inaccurate, a top expert has warned.

Professor Jon Deeks, a testing expert at the University of Birmingham, accused the Government of making lateral flow tests seem 'better than they are' in a bid to justify the 100billion scheme.

Professor Deeks and other scientists are concerned that the tests are significantly less accurate when people do them themselves, as is the plan for Opertaion Mooonshot.

A trial of one test used by the Government found that it detected 79 per cent of coronavirus cases when administered by a trained professional but only 40 per cent in a real-world self-swabbing scenario. This is significantly lower than the more expensive but slower PCR tests which detect 70 to 99 per cent of positive cases.

Despite concerns about their reliability, the 15-minute tests  which the UK has spent more than 1billion on  are being offered to councils across England to be used as self-tests in schools, universities, care homes and in critical businesses to keep the country ticking over until everyone is vaccinated.

Over the weekend Business Secretary Alok Sharma suggested the rapid tests had the potential to make workplaces 'completely safe', while Matt Hancock claimed the quick tests had 'been hugely successful in finding positive cases quickly'.

But Professor Deeks warned the tests missed 60 per cent of infected people in a mass trial in Liverpool when people swabbed themselves, a statistic which he feels is not being communicated to the public.

He told Sky News: 'Government messaging on this hasn't been explaining this to people and it's a bit difficult. Most of us have never done a diagnostic test in our lives ourselves, and we would expect a positive to mean 'yes' and a negative to mean 'no'.

Rouxel Maryline, a lorry driver travelling to Caen, France, via Portsmouth tonight at 11pm, receives a lateral flow test

WHICH LATERAL FLOW TESTS DOES THE UK GOVERNMENT USE? There are currently four lateral flow test devices on the Government's approved list. They are: SD Biosensor Standard Q Antigen Test Manufacturer: SD Biosensor When tested: August Claimed accuracy: 95.5% Real-world accuracy: Thought to be around 70% - source Price: Unknown SD Biosensor's rapid coronavirus test Innova Antigen Test Manufacturer: Innova Medical When tested: August Claimed accuracy: 99% Real-world accuracy: 'At least 50 per cent', according to Dept Health Price: 8.69 per test (bulk order) Innova's rapid coronavirus test Healgen Rapid Covid-19 Antigen Test Manufacturer: Healgen When tested: September Claimed accuracy: 97.3% Real-world accuracy: Unknown Price: Unknown Healgen's rapid coronavirus test SureScreen COVID-19 Coronavirus Rapid Antigen Test Cassette Manufacturer: Surescreen When tested: December Claimed accuracy: 98% Real-world accuracy: Unknown Price: Unknown Surescreen's Coronavirus Rapid Antibody Test Cassette Advertisement

'But here a positive means "probably" and a negative means "we really can't tell". So it's a difficult message to get out to people, and I don't think it's been done at all well.'

Professor Deeks added: 'This weekend the Business Minister was quoted as saying "This will make workplaces completely safe". It's not the right way to tell people about this.'

'I think there's an anxiety that, if we tell people the truth as to how bad this test is, people won't bother getting it. But we have to do the truth - we can't tell people that the test is better than it is.'

In a lateral flow test, a swab of the nose or throat is taken and then mixed with fluid that is applied to a piece of absorbent paper that will change colour to indicate whether or not the virus is present, taking just 15 to 30 minutes to produce a result.

Ministers have suggested the tests were a way to help regions come out of tougher lockdowns, enable relatives to visit care home residents and let schools open on time in January.

But there is fierce debate about whether they are effective enough to allow people to make decisions about their behaviour and movements.

University of Oxford researchers initially found the tests picked up 77 per cent of cases, rising to over 90 per cent of the most infectious.

However, accuracy fell from 79 per cent when used by experts to 58 per cent when carried out by ordinary people without any training. Real-world testing in Liverpool found the LFDs only picked up 41 per cent of cases when people were using them themselves.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said last month that lateral flow testing 'should not be seen as a way on its own of enabling high-risk activities to take place, but could reduce the risk of activities that are due to occur anyway'.

Meanwhile, a blog published in The BMJ has called for the Government to rethink the rollout of the tests.

The article, published in the journal by Professor Deeks and colleagues, says extending the programme - which could potentially involve at home use - could cause 'serious harm'.

'We call on the Government urgently to change course,' the authors write.

They add: 'Low test accuracy would be less dangerous if people being tested and the public at large received accurate information about the risks and implications of a false negative result. Instead they are being misled.'

They conclude: 'We call on the Government to at least to pause the rollout of rapid asymptomatic testing using the Innova test, including its use in care homes, schools, communities and self-testing by untrained people at home, until clearer messaging on the risks of negative results can be developed.'

The BMJ editorial came on the back of Professor Deeks' own study into the reliability of lateral flow tests on students at the University of Birmingham.

Professor Deeks' trial found that the test picked up on only two positive results out of 7,189 people.

To check how well the tests were working, experts at the university retested some of the students using a PCR machine, which is the test used by the Government and is up to 97 per cent accurate. PCR tests are analysed in laboratories and usually take at least a day to return a result.

Retesting around one in 10 of the students in the trial (710 out of 7,189), they found that six of them had wrongly been given negative results and were actually infected.

Multiplying this by 10 to take the whole group size into account suggested as many as 60 cases may have been missed.

HOW LATERAL FLOW TESTS ARE ONLY TRUSTWORTHY WHEN ADMINISTERED BY TRAINED STAFF Lateral flow tests are only accurate at diagnosing coronavirus when administered by trained professionals, studies have repeatedly shown. The tests, which give results in as little as 15 minutes, use swabs of the nose or throat. Samples are then mixed in a testing liquid and put into a plastic cassette which can detect the presence or absence of coronavirus and then produce an image of a line, the same way as a pregnancy test, to indicate whether it is positive or negative. The Department of Health and NHS are instructing people to use the tests on themselves, despite manufacturers of some kits saying they shouldn't be used as DIY swabs. Both the swabbing procedure and the use of the test cassette can easily be done wrong and affect the accuracy of the test. If the swab isn't done for long enough, or deep enough into the nose or throat, it may not pick up fragments of virus. Medical professionals are also able to use nasopharyngeal swabs, which go right to the back of the nostril, whereas this is not advised for people who test themselves. And if the sample isn't properly inserted into the cassette the result might be wrong, or people may misread the display when it produces a result. SELF-TESTING CUT ACCURACY FROM 79% TO 58% A University of Oxford and Public Health England evaluation of the Innova lateral flow test, which is being widely used in the UK, found its sensitivity - the proportion of positive cases it detected - fell from 79 per cent to 58 per cent when it was used by untrained members of the public instead of lab experts. Based on this evaluation, officials pushed ahead and used it for a real-world self-testing trial. PILOT IN LIVERPOOL FOUND FEWER THAN HALF OF POSITIVES When the same Innova test was trialled on members of the public in Liverpool - with people taking their own swabs and trained military staff operating the tests - the swabs picked up just 40 per cent of positive cases. In the study the rapid tests detected 891 positive results, compared to lab-based PCR swabs that found 2,829 positives in the same group. This means 1,938 people got a wrong negative result from the rapid test. The study didn't compare this to professionally done rapid tests, but the manufacturer Innova claims its test is 95 per cent sensitive in lab conditions. ...BUT TESTING DONE BY MEDICS IN SLOVAKIA 'REDUCED INFECTIONS' Despite rapid lateral flow tests getting bad press, officials in Slovakia used them on 5.2million people - almost the entire population of 5.5m - in a trial that a study later estimated to have cut the country's infection rate by 60 per cent. The tests used were between 70 and 90 per cent accurate and all the swabs and evaluations were carried out by trained medical workers. They used deep nasopharyngeal swabs, that go to the back of the nose, whereas self-testing generally relies on a swab of only the nostril. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine researchers said that the scheme successfully weeded out coronavirus cases that wouldn't have been found otherwise, slashing the number of cases by over half in a week during a lockdown. HOW RAPID TESTS ARE DIFFERENT TO LAB-BASED PCR SWABS Lateral flow tests are an alternative to the gold standard PCR test - known scientifically as polymerase chain reaction testing - which is more expensive and more labour-intensive but more accurate. PCR tests also use a swab but this is then processed using high-tech laboratory equipment to analyse the genetic sequence of the sample to see if any of it matches the genes of coronavirus. This is a much more long-winded and expensive process, involving multiple types of trained staff, and the analysis process can take hours, with the whole process from swab to someone receiving their result taking days. It is significantly more accurate, however. In ideal conditions the tests are almost 100 per cent accurate at spotting the virus, although this may be more like 70 per cent in the real world. Advertisement
Producing clean energy and reducing the power consumption of illumination and personal devices are key challenges to reduce the impact of modern civilization on the environment. As a result, the surging demand for solar cells and light-emitting devices is driving scientists to explore new semiconductor materials and improve their performances, while lowering the production costs.

Semiconductor nanocrystals (materials with sizes about 10 nanometers, which is approximately 10,000 times thinner than our hair) hold great promise for these applications: they are cheap to produce, can be easily integrated in these devices and possess exceptionally enhanced properties upon interaction with the light, as compared to their bulk counterparts. This strong coupling with light gives them a distinctive edge over conventional semiconductors, thus paving the way to high efficiency devices.

Unfortunately, this edge comes at a cost: when the size of a semiconductor is reduced, electrons can no longer travel freely across the material constrained by their physical dimensions. Furthermore, their much larger surfaces necessitate the use of passivation strategies (e.g., with organic ligands) to reduce the traps that could inadvertently affect the charge transport even further. Therefore, practical wide-spread applications of nanocrystals are limited, and their disruptive potential cannot be exploited.

In a new paper published in Light: Science & Application, a team of scientists, led by Professor Tze Chien Sum from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, have discovered that nanocrystals made of halide perovskites possess extraordinary properties of energy transport, which replace the transport of charges, and could open new venues for implementing these materials in high efficiency devices.

Prof. Sum and his team have already pioneered the study of charge transport in these materials. In 2013 the team reported unprecedented electron transport properties for bulk halide perovskites and this discovery underpinned the successes of halide perovskites in the following years.

In this work, Prof. Sum's team demonstrated that surprisingly energy can be transported very efficiently in films made of nanocrystals. The team used a microscopy imaging system to "visualize" the energy traveling using their strong light-emission as a probe, as shown in Figure 1.

While negative and positive charges (electrons and holes, respectively) alone cannot travel inside this nanostructured material, they can team up and form so-called "excitons" to travel together, as shown in the Figure 2. The energy mobility in these materials exceeds that of other conventional nanostructures, such as Cadmium Selenide (CdSe) quantum dots by more than 1 order of magnitude. Moreover, energy can even travel in these materials further compared to what charges can do in bulk halide perovskites.

"This result is unprecedented. When you reduce the size of a material, usually it means you reduce the maximum distance that the charges can travel inside it. However, in halide perovskites, when you reduce their dimension to quantum size, these charges manage to arrange themselves into excitons and find a different way to travel. Their range now is even for longer distance than their initial travel range before you reduce their sizes!" said Dr. David Giovanni and Dr. Marcello Righetto, two of the lead authors of the work who shared equal contributions.

Here, two energy transport mechanisms were identified: the excitons "jump" very effectively between different nanocrystals, and their transport is assisted by emission light being trapped within the film and therefore reabsorbed. For the first time, scientist provided a method to distinguish these two contributions.

While the next challenge to directly implement these extraordinary properties for actual devices still remains (i.e., excitons have to be split in positive and negative charges to create a detectable current), this discovery of long-range energy transport and their mechanisms provide new ways of exploiting nanostructures into devices.

###
Belfast: In the last weeks of 2020, Ireland had one of the lowest coronavirus cases per capita in the European Union. Now it has the highest in the world.

While countries across Europe battle a third wave, in Ireland, the trajectory in recent weeks isn't just an upward curve: it's the path of a rocket ship.

Going into Christmas week, Ireland was reporting 10 new coronavirus cases each day per 100,000 residents - compared to about 66 cases per 100,000 residents in the United States. But three weeks later, Ireland is reporting more than 132 new cases per 100,000, according to the latest seven-day rolling average compiled by Johns Hopkins University, while the United States has risen less dramatically, to about 75 cases per 100,000.

"I think we've run out of adjectives to describe how serious this is," Irish health chief Paul Reid said.
But when we got home and saw the images of a guy in a Camp Auschwitz sweatshirt storming the U.S. Capitol, I said, I changed my mind. Make me a Oaxacanite, he said.

Others who had pledged a month of sobriety managed to stay dry through the crisis, if barely.

Hitha Palepu, a pharmaceuticals executive in New York, leaned on more than 20 Dry January accountability groups she had started on Instagram to convince her to boil a kettle for tea (albeit, with a drop or two of CBD) rather than uncork a bottle of pinot noir.

I had spent the past four years numbing the feelings that the news brought me with wine, Ms. Palepu, 36, said. This time, I chose to fully feel these feelings and find a new way to process them. It was my own little act of resistance for my present and future self, against my past self.

The vision of the president of the United States goading his supporters against Congress, the Senate and his own vice president proved to be a shocking test for Frauke Weston, who is German and a marketing manager in Brooklyn. She was wondering if she could stick with her alcohol-free month she began, as she awaits her final interview to gain citizenship later this month.

I keep getting messages from German and American friends alike, jokingly asking Are you sure you want to sign up for this? Ms. Weston said.

For those who signed on to Dry January as a wellness experiment, like a juice cleanse, it seemed all in good fun to ditch their resolve after a few days and post jokey memes on Twitter, like the oft-quoted line from the 1980 comedy film Airplane  Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

Jan. 12, 1926

Hood to design Masonic Temple

A jury of architects selected Raymond Hood, of New York City, as the designer of the new Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral on North Washington Avenue.

Hood, who has designed the Chicago Tribune Building and the American Radiator Building in New York City, was selected unanimously from a field of several other architects. In addition to being the architect of the project, Hood was also given a $1,000 prize for being selected.

Hoods designs call for an auditorium, banquet hall/ballroom, lodge rooms, library, art gallery, ladies parlors, club room to be used by members, billiard room, card room, bowling alley and administrative offices.

The auditorium, with seating for 2,000, will be used for York and Scottish rite ceremonies and for concerts and theatrical performances.

The new building will be built on a piece of property that is located between the Albright Memorial Library and the Elks Lodge.

200 children receive free soup

Students at Patrick Henry and Benjamin Rush Schools in Scranton received a special lunch of soup and bread Jan. 11, thanks to the junior department of the Scranton Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The junior department last week provided the same lunch to the students at Willard, Lincoln, Emerson and Van Buren schools.

The special lunches are being offered because of the ongoing mine strike in the area and the organization felt the children might not be getting enough to eat at home.

Sale at Scranton Dry Goods

All mens suits and overcoats were 30% off, prices as low as $16.67; mens shoes were $3 a pair, womens and misses slickers were $4, womens spring dresses were $10, extra heavy white bath towels were three for $1, five-piece white enameled kitchen set for $1, six light bulbs for $1, waffle iron for $1, bread box for $1 and feather pillows were $1 each.
The account had nearly four million followers before disappearing, with Iranian state sources indicating the ban is "permanent".

PressTV had already faced repeat instances of targeted censorship, for example its YouTube channel being subject to removals and blockages, over what it says are its political stances which run counter to US and Israeli foreign policy.

According to an English language statement by the outlet:

In a notification upon taking down the page early on Tuesday, the US-based social media giant said the decision was "final," adding that it could not provide additional information for "safety and security reasons." Over the past years, Facebook  along with YouTube, Twitter and Google  have repeatedly targeted Press TV among other media outlets of Iran and the countries critical of the West and the Israeli regimes occupation of Palestine.

The timing of the action is interesting given it not only comes amid the broader ongoing US-based big tech purge of pro-Trump as well as independent media accounts, but comes at a moment Mike Pompeo and the administration continue to ramp up anti-Iran rhetoric, which includes on Tuesday Pompeo charging that Tehran and al-Qaeda are working together to plot acts of terror.

Google had blocked access to PressTV multiple times over past years. Similarly it had taken action to remove Syria's state-run SANA from its search engine.

The #BigTech censorship will blow into their face. You can't purge everyone & still keep your dominance. After blocking accounts from Left to Right, @Facebook now takes aim at #PressTV & takes down its page with almost 4 million followers. pic.twitter.com/uvmok94nRX  Ahmad Noroozi (@ANoroozee) January 12, 2021

Lately Twitter and Facebook have come under intense public criticism and scrutiny, including from US administration officials, for targeting Trump and his supporters in the US while at the same time allowing foreign despots to have accounts that amass millions of followers through which they can freely propagandize masses of people using the platforms.
Tens of thousands of farmers have besieged New Delhi for more than six weeks now, setting up well-organized protest camps stretching for miles at all of the capitals main entrances. They have stood firm despite the winter cold, frequent rain and dozens of deaths in their ranks.

The farmers said they will not only continue their sit-ins around New Delhi, but they will go ahead with a large tractor march inside the capital later this month. The government has tried to prevent the march from happening with claims that the protesters are infiltrated by separatist militants. The Supreme Court justices on Tuesday asked the attorney general, who appeared on behalf of Mr. Modis government, to submit evidence substantiating those claims.

Our program on January 26 will be completely peaceful, Mr. Rajewal, the farmer leader, said regarding the planned tractor march. We were peaceful, we have been peaceful, and we will remain peaceful.

The government of Mr. Modi, who has said he wants to nearly double Indias economy by 2024, hopes that injecting private investment into the troubled farming sector will expedite growth. The new laws, which Parliament passed in September in a hurried manner that led to protests from opposition parties, would ease some government regulations in order to encourage private investors to deal directly with farmers.

Even with the governments regulatory support over the past decades, such as minimum guaranteed prices for certain crops, the farmers had been struggling with rising debt, which has driven many of them to suicide. They fear that the new laws will remove the scant protection they have enjoyed and that they will struggle to fight corporate giants for fair treatment.


The home to California's most famous legume soup has hit the market for $4.7 million.

The Lompoc Record first reported Pea Soup Andersen's three-acre parcel off Highway 101 in Buellton, Calif., is listed for sale.

"The current approx. 35,000 SF building has hosted Pea Soup Andersens restaurant, shops and various banquet rooms for many years and is prime for redevelopment," the listing reads. The sale is being handled by Radius Commercial Real Estate of Santa Barbara. A second location in Santa Nella does not appear to be for sale.

The famed California road stop was founded in 1924 by Anton and Juliette Andersen, immigrants from Denmark and France, respectively. They settled in the Solvang area, today still renowned for its Danish influence, and opened Andersen's Electrical Cafe for travelers between San Francisco and Los Angeles. According to restaurant lore, it was Juliette who developed the recipe for the pea soup.

Because the cafe was located on the route to Hearst Castle, the Andersens' restaurant was a stop for the writers and editors heading to the newspaper magnate's estate. It got favorable write-ups in Hearst papers, launching it to nationwide fame.

It was also the subject of local fascination, the Andersens becoming celebrities in their own right. In 1932, they made news when nearby restaurateur Max Ferslew sued Anton Andersen over an alleged spite fence. Andersen filed a cross complaint demanding $2,500 in damages because he said Ferslew had erected a sign claiming his restaurant was the real home of split pea soup. "We Serve the Famous Split Pea Soup Made Fresh Daily," Ferslew's sign read. Andersen won his injunction, and he got the final word six years later; in 1938, he bought Ferslew's cafe to remodel and add to his pea soup complex, which by then also included a hotel.

George Rose/Getty Images

The restaurant passed to the Andersens' son Robert and then to Vince Evans, an actor and friend of Ronald Reagan's. In 1980, Evans died in a plane crash and the restaurant switched hands a few times before being purchased by restaurateur Milt Guggia in 1999. His son, Milt Guggia Jr., runs the property today.

The adjacent Pea Soup Andersen's Inn is not included in the sale, although its proprietor is excited about the potential sale of the restaurant lot.

"Hopefully the new owners can bring the restaurant back to its glory and we can continue with that tradition," inn owner Linda Johansen told the Lompoc Record. "And if they restore the building we could use the public rooms again for groups as they do have some great space there as well."
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Germany on Tuesday recorded its first case of the coronavirus variant sweeping South Africa in a member of a family that returned from a lengthy stay in the country in December.

"After their arrival (on December 13), the family entered the required quarantine and got tested five days later. Those tests were negative," a spokesman for the social affairs ministry in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said in a statement.

"The following week, the first members of the family developed mild symptoms of illness."

In the meantime, six coronavirus cases have been recorded from three households.

Genetic sequencing was carried out on Monday at a lab at Berlin's Charite hospital on a swab from the first member of the family to fall ill and identified as the virus variant B.1.351.

It is also known, and has been identified by South Africa, as 501Y.V2.

Swab samples taken from people who came in contact with that patient are now being tested, the spokesman said.

The new coronavirus variant discovered by South African scientists in December is fuelling a surge of infections across the country and raising global concern.

The South African variant has also been detected in Britain, Finland, France and Israel. Switzerland, Denmark and Britain have banned incoming travellers from South Africa.

The WHO has said that while the South African variant shares the 501Y mutation with a strain spreading in Britain which has also been detected in Germany, the two are distinct.

On December 31, the WHO said it saw no clear evidence that the new variant by itself led to more severe disease or death.

On the other hand, as more people become infected by a more transmissible virus, more risk becoming seriously ill.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP

He looks like a regular guy. Hes unnamed as they usually are in any one of the dozens of commercials for personal injury lawyers that show up daily on Louisiana television, highway billboards, social media and elsewhere.

These are the ads that were supposed to change on New Years Day  but wont because officials wont be enforcing the new law.

In this commercial, chosen at random, our regular guy climbs behind the wheel of a new pickup. He talks about a nagging back pain received in a car wreck, yet the insurance company wouldnt pay. I did what I see on TV all the time, I made that one call to Morris Bart. He got me $250,000, its just that easy.

Lowering car insurance rates is a top priority for some lawmakers this legislative session Business groups see an opportunity with the new, more conservative Republican-led Louisiana Legislature to gain traction on a top goal, to rei

Left unsaid is how much of that $250,000 went to Bart, Louisianas highest profile TV lawyer, as fees and expenses. Fee structures are set in advance in a written contract, but the amounts vary from case to case, lawyer to lawyer.

Generally, however, a lawyer handling soft tissue personal injuries from a vehicular accident receives about a third or $82,500 in this example.

Critics derisively call the ads jackpot justice that equates car wrecks with hitting the lottery and leads to people filing more lawsuits.

Though no studies show a causal connection between advertising and the number of lawsuits, clipping attorney ads was about all they talked about, at least at first, when business and insurance met with legislators to begin drafting legislation to change Louisianas legal system, said Bob Kleinpeter, a Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer who doesnt advertise and was the only non-business connected member of the task force that sought lower auto insurance rates.

The American Tort Reform Association, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, found in May 2019 that television viewers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport saw more than 250,000 ads  about one per minute  for lawyers, lawsuits, and legal services during the last six months of 2018.

Garey Forster: Avalanche of lawsuits and lawyer ads hurts Louisiana businesses Its that time of year when youre thinking holidays and presents under the tree. But business is thinking the annual "Judicial Hellholes" report.

But lawyers have the same rights as car dealers to hawk their products. Lawmakers worked around that hurdle by requiring ads trumpeting how much a client received in a particular case to also include how much was deducted in fees and costs. Louisiana legislators overwhelmingly passed two bills earlier this year, both requiring disclosure of fees when the full amount is mentioned. The new law went into effect on Jan. 1.

Bart said he was going to wait on the Louisiana Supreme Court before changing his commercials.

Lawyers in Louisiana, according to our State Constitution, are regulated by the Louisiana Supreme Court, not the Legislature, Bart said. If our Supreme Court enacts some measure requiring that, then Ill review at that time and decide if Im going to challenge the constitutionality of it.

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Bart points out that the only legal way to limit commercial free speech is to build an evidentiary record showing some sort of harm to the public. There is no record, at all, built in this case that advertising in any way harms the citizens of Louisiana or promotes lawsuits. I see it as constitutionally flawed, Bart said.

Mark Ballard: Louisiana TV lawyers are at the heart of the debate over car insurance costs In his spirited attempt to pass legislation that he says will lower auto insurance prices by 25%, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has taken

But there is strong evidence that insurance companies offer New Orleans and Louisiana drivers less to settle lawsuits stemming from injuries received in car wrecks than they do in other cities, like Atlanta, he said. It stands to reason that if you dont offer people the right amount of money, then youre going to force people to file lawsuits.

The office charged with enforcing the rules is also waiting for the Louisiana Supreme Court.

When those rules of professional conduct are amended, if they are amended, to include additional regulatory requirements of lawyers in the advertising arena that will be the day when we begin enforcement, said Chief Disciplinary Counsel Charles B. Plattsmier at the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board.

The Louisiana Supreme Court released a statement Friday saying the justices are studying whether or not to adopt additional attorney advertising rules. There is no timeline for completion of the study.

That Supreme Court justices would have to weigh in shouldnt come as a great surprise to legislators.

They know something has to be done, Republican Sen. Patrick Connick, a lawyer in Marrero who sponsored Senate Bill 115, said of the justices during committee hearings. Were hoping that the Supreme Court will bring this under their umbrella.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who had run a small-town general practice in Amite before being elected, signed Connicks legislation turning what became Act 231 into law.

Attorney advertising is a black eye, said state Sen. Heather Cloud, the Turkey Creek Republican who filed the other measure, Senate Bill 395. She said lawyers make false promises of big payouts, which encourages injured people to sue businesses.

Her bill also was approved overwhelmingly by the Legislature. Edwards vetoed the measure, partially to avoid confusion and partially because Cloud gave Attorney General Jeff Landry to ability to enforce the rules, which the governor said likely violates the state and federal constitutions.

Read the Constitution. The Supreme Court is the proper body to make and enforce these rules and not the Legislature, said Jody Amedee, a former state senator from Gonzales who is name partner in a firm that advertises. He points out that his firms commercials dont include clients bragging about how much they received in compensation.

The public perception of lawyers is probably not real good and those kind of ads hurt, Amedee said. Still, advertising is one of the most efficient way for a lawyer to get his name out in the public, he added.


Bengaluru, Jan 13 : The special NDPS court in the city on Tuesday sent Aditya Alva, one of the prime accused in the Sandalwood drugs case, to seven-day police custody. Alva was on the run after the infamous Sandalwood drugs case came to light last year with the arrest of actress Ragini Dwivedi.

With Dwivedi's arrest on September 4, and the subsequent arrest of another actress, Sanjjanaa Galrani, on September 8, the Sandalwood drugs case caught the public imagination, and Alva was on the run since then. Alva is the brother-in-law of Bollywood actor actor Vivek Oberoi.

He was produced before the special NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) court on Tuesday evening via video conference and was immediately sent to seven-day police custody, the police said.

The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police had nabbed Alva, the son of late Janata Parivar leader Jeevraj Alva, from near Chennai late on Monday night.

Confirming the arrest to the media, Bengaluru Joint Police commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil had stated that Alva, who was absconding for over four months, was arrested on Monday night.

"We were involved in a continuous operation to arrest him. We received a tip-off that he was in Chennai after which a team arrested him," he said.

Alva is the accused number six in the Sandalwood drugs. His mother Nandini Alva is also a famous personality in Bengaluru.

According to the CCB sources, Alva was arrested from a resort located between Chennai and Mahabalipuram. The sources said that the investigators were tracking the mobile phone locations of people close to Alva. Sources claimed that CCB inspector Puneet received information about his whereabouts after which an operation to arrest him was planned and carried out.

Alva is currently being questioned at the CCB office in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. He has been accused of hosting parties and allowing high-profile parties to be organised in his farmhouse in Hebbal, Bengaluru, and the police suspect that banned narcotic drugs were supplied and consumed at such parties.

CCB sources had earlier revealed that Alva and party organiser Viren Khanna used to host parties together. In September last year, the CCB had conducted a search operation at his resort - House of Life - and his residence and seized several documents.

On October 15 last year, a CCB team had raided the premises of his sister Priyanka Alva, who is the wife of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, in Mumbai. Subsequently, the police summoned her to appear before them in Bengaluru in connection with the case. But Priyanka failed to acknowledge the summons and did not appear before the CCB.

The CCB had also interrogated Ricky Rai, the son of former underworld don-turned-social activist Muthappa Rai, a day after his house was raided in Hebbal.

The CCB had conducted raids at Rai's farmhouse in Bidadi in Ramanagara district and his house in Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru. The police suspected that Rai had given asylum to Alva. The CCB had said that Rai knew Alva from their school days and that they were good friends.

Alva is among the 17 people who have been booked in connection with the Sandalwood drugs case. Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court had denied Alva's plea to quash the FIR registered against him at the Cottonpet police station. The apex court had also denied Alva's plea to procure anticipatory bail. His legal counsel Nishanth Patil had earlier filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Karnataka High Court, which was also denied.

The Kannada film industry has been under the scanner of the police for drugs-related offences after the police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted an international drug trafficking racket in multi-city raids in August 2020.

The CCB has now nabbed Alva and Kannada film producer Shivaprakash Chippi in a gap of just two days while they are yet to nab Sheik Faazil, another prime accused in this case, who is also said to be on the run. He is suspected to be an hawala operator, who was funnelling funds to a well-oiled drug supply chains in high-profile events.
Headquartered in Seattle, WA, Jade Leaf was founded in 2014 as a partnership between two friends who are passionate about matcha green tea and committed to sourcing high quality, organic, and affordable Japanese matcha products. Jade Leaf created a brand rooted in fair pricing, quality, and transparency, and cultivated relationships with partners in Japan to build the broadest network of family-run tea farms. This sourcing network, known as the Kizuna Tea Collective, stretches across Japan's premiere growing regions, where its members have been cultivating high quality matcha green tea since 1858. The Company sells premium quality, organic Japanese matcha tea in a range of pure grades, as well as blended products. Jade Leaf's matcha is plant based, organic, non-gmo, keto and paleo friendly, and Whole30 approved. It attracts health-conscious consumers looking for functional health benefits, such as antioxidants and an energy boost from an alternative to coffee. The Company sells its products through major retailers in the natural, conventional, and mass channels, including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Sprouts. Jade Leaf is the top selling matcha brand on Amazon, and also sells direct to consumers, foodservice, and wholesale clients on its website, jadeleaf.com.

HPH II is focused on acquiring lower-middle market companies with leading brands in the health and wellness sector and growing the companies through an operational buy and build value creation strategy. HPH II is focused on the following subsectors: functional foods, natural personal care and natural over-the-counter remedies  fast-growing, defensive and highly fragmented subsectors. These strong fundamentals are appealing to WM Partners' value creation strategy as HPH II aims to consolidate multiple complementary brands into several holding companies and grow and scale them operationally, so they become attractive to strategic buyers. The acquisition of Jade Leaf complements HPH II's existing portfolio of brands in the functional foods subsector: Ultima Replenisher, a hydration brand acquired in 2019; and Great Lakes, a collagen brand acquired in 2020. The Company will be consolidated into the functional foods holding company.

"We are excited to work with the Jade Leaf team and implement our value creation toolkit to help take the brand to the next level of growth, as well as capture operational and commercial synergies with our existing portfolio of brands," said Jose Minski, co-founder of WM Partners.

"WM Partners is the right partner to help take our brand to the next level with its many years of operational experience and networks in the health and wellness industry," said Will Crowthers, co-founder of Jade Leaf.

Lincoln International served as financial advisor for Jade Leaf. King & Spalding served as legal advisor for WM Partners. BraunHagey & Borden served as legal advisor for Jade Leaf.

About WM Partners, LP

WM Partners is a middle-market private equity firm specializing in buyout investments in the health and wellness sector. WM Partners seeks to acquire small and medium size businesses with attractive growth prospects and generate sustainable, long-term value through its operational expertise in the health and wellness sector, and strategic business approach working in collaboration with experienced management teams. WM Partners is certified as a diverse-owned firm by the National Association of Investment Companies. WM Partners is based in Aventura, FL. More information about WM Partners is available at www.wmplp.com.

About Jade Leaf, LLC

Jade Leaf is a provider of premium quality, organic Japanese matcha green tea products. Founded in 2014, Jade Leaf partners with a network of family-run tea farms across Japan that have been cultivating high quality matcha since 1858.

For media inquiries about this press release, please contact:

WM Partners, LP

Vanessa Gabela

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE WM Partners

Related Links

http://wmplp.com


London:

An Indian-origin man and his son are wanted for an 80 million pounds money laundering trial in London and Scotland Yard has launched a public appeal to help trace them.

Bhadresh Shah, 49, and his son Abhishek, 25, from Wembley, north-west London, attended the first week of the trial at Southwark Crown Court in London but absconded while on bail on April 21.

"A warrant has been issued for their arrest. The pair were found guilty and sentenced in their absence on Thursday, May 25", Metropolitan Police said in a statement this week.

Read more: US: Indian-American lawyer killed in train accident in California

Bhadresh was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property and possession of Class B drugs (mephedrone and ketamine) with intent to supply.

Abhishek was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for one count conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

In the police report, the father-son duo are referred to as having links to Wembley and India implying they may have fled to India.

Bhadresh is described as Asian, about 5 ft 10 ins, of heavy build, with dark hair, brown eyes, glasses and a thin moustache.

Abhishek is described as Asian, about 6 ft, of large build, with dark hair, brown eyes and glasses.

They were on trial alongside three co-defendants, also of Indian-origin.

Read more: London attack: Pakistan-born man among two identified as attackers

Bhadresh's wife Falguni, 46, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

Dipakumar Doshi, 57, and Dinesh Thakoraka-Parmar, 35, were sentenced to five years' imprisonment each for one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

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There was a much broader scope of issues discussed during the talks in Moscow, and this can be deduced from the indirect statements by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.

This is what political scientist Andrey Areshev told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Among those issues is the issue of prisoners of war and their transfer which the Armenian side considers a priority in this stage. It is also safe to assume that the continuation of the talks within the scope of the OSCE Minsk Group was also touched upon in some way, he explained.

According to him, the only issue that was agreed on was the de-blockage of communications, which is important for Azerbaijan, and Aliyev has always declared its intention to ensure the shortest transport communication with Nakhchivan and Turkey through Meghri. In exchange for this, railway communication between Armenia and Russia through the territory of Azerbaijan was promised. It is still hard to say how this will be established.

The important thing is that the meeting was a face-to-face meeting and it was stated that the meeting was hosted by Putin. Stability in the South Caucasus and the prevention of repetition of military escalation in the region are important for Russia. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has a long history, but new realities are being formed in the region that need to be taken into consideration. Moscow will do everything it can for the establishment of certain economic ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan so that it will be possible to advance the political agenda as well, the political scientist emphasized, adding that the changes need to be interpreted, including in the context of benefits and damages, that is, in case of establishing railway communication through not only Meghri, but also from Armenia to Iran through Nakhchivan.

Taking into consideration the fact that in many sectors the railway road is simply dismantled, but it is still difficult to say when this can turn into a reality. In any case, its not hard, but the political issues are more serious issues, taking into consideration Bakus position. Apparently, Armenian-Turkish talks are also being held over the normalization of relations and the opening of the border. The establishment of an overriding position in the region will favor Turkey. We see that Turkey is actively increasing its military presence in Azerbaijan, and I believe this will continue. Alongside this, Turkey and Azerbaijan will aspire to increase their economic influence on Armenia, he summed up.

After the meeting of President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Moscow on January 11, the leaders signed a statement on the creation of a trilateral task force to be jointly chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of the countries that will work on de-blockage of all economic and transport relations in the region. However, the issue of prisoners of war, which is considered a more priority issue for the Armenian authorities, remained unsolved.
BIG RAPIDS  After a career of protecting, serving and defending his country, Big Rapids native and U.S. Army Master Sergeant Jeffrey Saum was laid to rest over the weekend.

Saum, 33, passed away Dec. 7, 2020, in Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

At the age of 20, Saum  a 2006 Big Rapids High graduate  enlisted in the United States Army in January 2008 as a 25U, Signal Support Systems Specialist.

He completed Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Gordon, Georgia.

Saum was assigned to the 546th Military Police Company located at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, where he served as a Communications Specialist.

During his extensive career, Saum was deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom, Special Operations Joint Task Force to Afghanistan, Operation Atlantic Resolve, and the CENTCOM Commanders Counter Terrorism Crisis Response Force to Iraq.

For his bravery of service, Saum received various awards and decorations, including four Army Commendation Medals an Army Achievement Medal, four Army Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Overseas Ribbons and much more.

In addition to his time spent serving the U.S. Army, Saum was an avid hunter, enjoyed traveling and spending time with his wife of 12 years, Emilee Saum, and two children, Josephine and Everest Saum.

On Friday, Dec. 18, the Big Rapids community welcomed Saum home with arms wide open. Residents  many donning and proudly waving American flags  stood along Perry Avenue and South State Street awaiting Saums arrival home with a special funeral procession tribute.

Flags at the Michigan Capitol flew at half-staff Saturday in honor of Saum.

Our state mourns the loss of Army Master Sergeant Jeffrey Saum as he is laid to rest today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. The flags will be lowered to honor his life and signal our gratitude for his selfless service to our state and nation in the United States Army. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

Saum's remains were laid to rest at Mount Carmel Cemetery.
Nicole Kidman in "The Undoing" was just pure perfection.

But the 53-year-old revealed that the role had a disturbing and negative impact on her life, especially her immune system because it doesn't know between what's real and what's acting.

In the HBO thriller mini-series "The Undoing", Nicole Kidman plays Grace Fraser, a psychologist.

On the show, she discovered that her doctor husband, Dr. Jonathan Fraser, played by British actor Hugh Grant, has been having an affair behind her back and murdered his lover Elena, played by Matilda De Angelis, to death.

Nicole revealed to the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast that filming the hit series has left her feeling uneasy with a "disquietness" to her personality.

"Even on 'The Undoing,' it kind of happened where I just like suddenly was in this place of. There was sort of a disquietness to my personality. There was duress on who I was."

She added that she "becomes" the character in a sense, even once the camera has stopped rolling.

"I went down for a week because your immune system doesn't know the difference between acting and truth when you're doing them."

The Australian babe further believes that it is something, "a big thing" that is common to actors and actresses.

Though some of them also train their bodies that it's just acting, Nicole Kidman revealed that "it doesn't work" for her.

Furthermore, Keith Urban's wife also added how she leaves the set and feels "not well" and having difficulties sleeping at night because of her role.

She further revealed that "it's that disturbing for me."

Nicole Kidman, who also starred in another HBO series, "Big Little Lies," openly talked about her experience working with "Eyes Wide Shut" director Stanley Kubrick.

She divulged that Stanley had asked her to. Call him via fax the night before he died, but never managed to do so.

When she discovered he passed away, the actress revealed, "I just started screaming. I collapsed on the ground. I was that close to him."

The "Bombshell" actress also admitted that she has a phobia of answering phone calls late at night because of the incident.

"I have a huge fear of phone calls in the night now because I've received a number of them with that sort of news, my father included."

Her ex-husband Tom Cruise was said to have been by her side as she was going through those moments.

READ MORE: Kamala Harris Vogue Controversy Explained: Cover Disrespects the VP-Elect?

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles

[January 12, 2021] CES 2021 Taiwanese biotech startup mProbe CADx develops AI health analysis platform

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- mProbe Taiwan is a subsidiary biotechnology company of mProbe Inc, committed to promoting human health and wellness by transforming the field of precision health and precision medicine. With multi-omics as the critical evidence, mProbe has endeavored to interpret that evidence against a proprietary, vast clinically annotated, a library of phenotypes using artificial intelligence. The company uses a small amount of blood or body fluid for high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis to assess multiple metabolites, combined with the medical big data model and AI calculations owned by mProbe, they can quantify the health status, assess the risk of disease, diagnose diseases, and give personalized intervention suggestions to avoid disease and promote health. "Currently, we have health quantitation models for risk prediction of four diseases: Lung Cancer, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and End-stage renal disease. mProbe CADx can quantify the health status, assess the risk of disease, and give personalized intervention suggestions for health promotion," said mProbe Vice President KuoYuan Hwa. The innovative personalized health management platform comes with AI analysis Personalized active health management - Combining biochemical testing, multi-omics testing and artificial intelligence analysis, using precise health checkup as an approach to monitor the riks and trajectory of various diseases.



The integrated medical service model of "prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery" in collaboration with multiple medical centers and clinics to provide a full range of artificial intelligence and precise medical services for precise prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Artificial intelligence big data analysis, including integrated medical records with deep learning methods produces artificial intelligence health quantitation models for chronic diseases and cancers.

The mProbe multi-omics high throughput, multi-dimensional platform can detect thousands of proteins, peptides, metabolites and environmental factors in the human body, reflecting the current physiological and pathological state of the individual. The core technology behind the multi-omics analysis The so-called "omics'' in biology refers to the science of simultaneously and comprehensively exploring a certain class of molecules. The earliest "omics'' is genomics (genomics). Compared with traditional genetics, which only focuses on the interaction of individuals or several genes, genomics uses high-throughput methods to explore hundreds or thousands at the same time. Since then, this emerging discipline that uses high-throughput technology to generate and analyze large amounts of data has developed rapidly to include proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, microbiome, exposureomics, etc. These so-called "multi-omics" explore multiple omics at the same time, so that scientists can more comprehensively analyze the intractable diseases encountered in medicine or biology. Can multi-omics testing replace a hospital diagnosis? The mProbe multi-omics test allows medical doctors to understand detailed metabolic changes in the patient. Based on the test results, the doctor can refer the patient to further examinations to achieve early intervention. The innovative platform developed by mProbeTW has been selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021. CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3bsqcz View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ces-2021-taiwanese-biotech-startup-mprobe-cadx-develops-ai-health-analysis-platform-301206792.html SOURCE mProbeTW

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As Covid-19 incidences and death rates remain on a high level in Germany, stricter contact restrictions would take effect nationwide until at least the end of January, the government announced.

Some of Germany's federal states already introduced over the weekend stricter rules that Chancellor Angela Merkel and the minister-presidents agreed on last week, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

Non-essential shops as well as bars, restaurants and leisure facilities remain closed. In addition, German citizens are only allowed to meet with one additional person who is not part of the household, according to the government.

For regions that exceed a 7-day incidence of 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, the travel radius is restricted to 15 kilometers around the place of residence, unless a valid reason for travel can be provided.

The federal and state governments are aiming to bring the 7-day incidence, which increased from around 137 per 100,000 inhabitants on Friday to 167 on Monday, back down to less than 50 so that the country's health system would not be overburdened.

Covid-19 infections in increased by 12,497 on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to more than 1.92 million, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The death toll in the country rose by 343 within one day 40,686, it said.

Meanwhile, more than 613,000 people in have received a Covid-19 vaccination since the vaccination program started late last month, said the RKI.

This corresponds to 7.4 vaccinations per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the federal government agency for disease control and prevention.

--IANS

int/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the 30th anniversary of a grisly killing at an illegal gambling den in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, the FBI has announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a Vietnamese fugitive accused of executing five men.

Hung Tien Pham, now 60, and two others are accused of shooting six men at close-range while they played cards at the social club on Tyler Street in the early morning hours on January 12, 1990.

Of the six victims, only one survived the attack and subsequently identified Pham, along with Nam The Tham and Siny Van Tran, as the shooters.

'Cold-blooded killer': The FBI is offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Hung Tien Pham in connection to the 1990 Boston Chinatown massacre. Pham is pictured on the left and 1989 and on the right in an age-progressed image

The FBI has been hunting for the Vietnamese national of Chinese descent for the last 30 years

Tham and Tran are serving life sentences after being arrested in China and returned to the US, but Pham has never been found.

Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the Boston FBI office, urged anyone who knows anything about Pham's whereabouts to come forward, saying no amount of information is too small or irrelevant in the hunt for the 'cold-blooded killer.'

'We will not rest until Hung Tien Pham is located, arrested and brought to justice,' Bonavolonta said.

Pham, a Vietnamese national of Chinese descent, was last seen in Bangkok, Thailand, in the mid-1990s. He also has family in the San Francisco area, South Korea and North Vietnam. The FBI says he was known to be a 'big spender who liked flashy cars and cognac.'

The FBI has released crime scene photos, including an image of playing cards resting on a wooden table stained with what appears to be blood, and an age-progressed photo of Pham, and are launching an international publicity campaign in a renewed effort to track him down.

Investigators say on the morning of January 12, 1990, Pham and two accomplices walked into this social club on Tyler Street in Boston and opened fire

The social club housed an illegal gambling den. At the time of the attack, a half-dozen men were playing cards inside

The victims were shot execution-style while playing cards at this table, which is stained with what looks like blood. Five of the men died

Authorities have never established a motive in what Bonavolonta called 'one of the bloodiest massacres in Boston history.'

'Were not sure if it was a robbery or if it was just bad blood between rival groups, but they did go in there with a plan, and they did go in there shooting, and five of the six people that were there ended up dying,' said Daniel Duff, a lieutenant detective with the Boston Police Department who is investigating the case.

Pham is also wanted by Boston police for another killing that happened four days before the social club slayings, Bonavolonta said.

After the massacre, Pham allegedly left his two children and their mother, drove to Atlantic City to gamble, and then took a flight from New York

Following the massacre at the Tyler Street social club, it is alleged that Pham left his two children and their mother and drove to Atlantic City to gamble, and then to New York, where he boarded a flight for Hong Kong on February 1, 1991.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Pham two weeks later, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution for the crime of murder.

'For those of us who were in the Boston area 30 years ago, the massacre is something that cannot be forgotten,' stated Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. 'Five families lost their loved ones that night, the one surviving victims life was changed forever, and an entire neighborhood was traumatized.'

It took law enforcement officials decades to track down Pham's alleged accomplices until they were arrested in China in 1998. Following extensive negotiations they were extradited back to the US in 2001.

In 2005, both Tham and Tran were convicted of murder and handed five consecutive life sentences. But Pham, who was known as a major associate of Asian organized crime, specifically the Ping On crime syndicate, operating in Boston; Philadelphia; Chicago, and Toronto, Canada, remains a fugitive

At the time of the murders, he was a legal permanent resident of the US and had black hair, brown eyes, weighed approximately 115-135lbs and stood at 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-4.

In 2005, Pham's alleged accomplices, Nam The Tham, center right, and Siny Van Tran, behnd left, were convicted of murder and handed five consecutive life sentences

Pham is now 60 years old. He is fluent in Chinese, Vietnamese and English. Over the years, he has used at least 10 different aliases and held a variety of jobs, inclduing a cook, a bicycle repairman and a floor sander.

'It took years to find Phams co-defendants, and we will not rest until Pham is brought to justice and held accountable,' Rollins said. 'There is no statute of limitations on murder. We will not stop looking until we find him.'

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should take no action themselves but should immediately call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), their local law enforcement agency, or their nearest American embassy or consulate.
Schumer: First Order of Business in Democratic-Controlled Senate Is Emergency COVID-19 Relief

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday a Senate under his control would focus first on passing further emergency COVID-19 relief and confirming President-elect Joe Bidens Cabinet nominees.

As our first order of legislative business, please prepare to address additional COVID emergency relief legislation, Schumer said in a letter to fellow Democrats.

The caucus is poised to renew the push for $2,000 direct payments, an idea first floated by President Donald Trump that quickly won support from Democrats and some Republicans, but not GOP Senate leadership. Democrats also want to provide more money for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and funding for small businesses, schools, and state and local governments.

The Senate, before the end of the year, passed a $900 billion stimulus package that included $600 checks, money for colleges, and funding for food stamps.

Schumer could become the Senates majority leader after Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, fresh off wins in Georgia runoff elections, are sworn in, along with Alex Padilla, who is replacing Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The composition of the body will be 50-50, but if Democrats take the presidency, the tiebreaking vote will go to Harris in her role as president of the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked the narrow bill that would have upped the $600 payments by $1,400. He later introduced his own bill, which included other issues. That bill was never brought for a vote.

Besides COVID-19 relief, Schumer said the Senate will work on bold legislation to defeat the climate crisis by investing in clean infrastructure and manufacturing. And the body will hear from and vote on Bidens nominations, particularly Cabinet nominees.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks during an event at The Queen Theater in Wilmington, Del. on Jan. 8, 2021. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

With committees under Democratic control in the Senate, oversight on key issues will be conducted, including a close examination of the rise of violent extremist groups, white supremacists, and violent fringe conspiracy theorists, Schumer said, linking those to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol in Washington.

The Democrat made no mention of an impeachment trial. The House of Representatives is planning to vote on impeaching Trump this week. Because Democrats have a majority in the lower chamber, its expected to go through.

Biden on Monday said he spoke to House leaders about having an impeachment trial take place in the Senate for half of each day. The other half would be dedicated to getting my people nominated and confirmed and approving a fresh relief package, he added.

A number of Republicans have said they oppose efforts to impeach Trump again, noting that Jan. 20, when his term is scheduled to end, is fast approaching.

To drum up another impeachment proceeding seems politically opportunistic and completely tone deaf to a nation that needs to heal, Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) said in a tweet.

Trump told reporters outside the White House earlier Tuesday that the impeachment push is causing tremendous anger.
Our democracy cannot heal from last weeks insurrection, let alone block further violence from far-right terrorists, unless Republicans stand with Democrats to refute President Donald Trumps Big Lie.

Trumps whopper  that the election was stolen via massive fraud  is the reason tens of thousands of his fans swarmed Washington, D.C., last week.

Amplified by the presidents incitement at his pre-insurrection rally, that lie drove rioters to storm the U.S. Capitol. But for luck, it could have led to the deaths of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence.

And if pro-Trump terrorists kill anyone at the inauguration, or at state capitols  as the FBI warns of a real and present danger  the blame will not lie only with a traitorous president. Blood will stain the hands of Republican leaders who refuse to tell their base that Trump lost the election fair and square.

No surprise, Trump insisted on Tuesday that his rally rhetoric was totally appropriate. Only his ban from Twitter prevents him from easily mobilizing followers to further sedition (which is why Twitter shut him down).

Yet, with a few courageous exceptions, Republicans are unwilling to tell the truth to their voters. Unless Trump is permanently banned from office (via an impeachment conviction) or publicly shamed by GOP leaders, he will continue to promote this traitorous myth to his base.

 READ MORE: Autocrats think Trump broke U.S. democracy. Biden can prove them wrong. | Trudy Rubin

Although many Republicans condemn the terrorists attack on the Capitol, most GOP legislators wont debunk the Big Lie in public. They refuse to recognize that a democracy cannot properly function if a huge chunk of its population believes the election was rigged, and that far-right terrorists are patriots.

Republican claims that they must pay attention to concerns of the base about a stolen election miss the point entirely. GOP voters have those concerns because Trump conned them with his Big Lie.

The best way we can show respect for the voters is by telling them the truth, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said bluntly the evening of Jan. 6  with legislators still reeling from the horror of the invasion. The truth is that President-elect Biden won. He begged Republicans that evening to join a unanimous vote to confirm the Electoral College results. Yet, 147 GOP legislators, led by Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, voted against.

Frustration over the Republican Partys aversion to truth has driven Democrats to embrace a second impeachment, even though they know conviction is unlikely, and a belated trial may consume President-elect Joe Bidens important first days in office. Republican leaders havent even offered a tough censure measure that would debunk Trumps election lies  and cite his responsibility for the Capitol attack.

GOP leaders (except the brain dead) know Biden won fairly, know that 61 out of 62 court cases brought by Trump lawyers were thrown out because the lawyers had no evidence. They have heard the phone recording of Trump trying to strong-arm Georgia election officials. They know Trump incited the mob at the Capitol to go after the vice president if Pence wouldnt overturn the election  unconstitutionally  even as rioters were screaming Hang Mike Pence.

Yet, Pence still refuses to invoke the 25th Amendment, even though Trump betrayed him. And GOP legislators at House Rules Committee hearings Tuesday, on a resolution to urge Pence to do so, had the gall to accuse Democrats of dividing the country.

If we want to talk about healing, said Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.), we have to talk about truth. He then addressed Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, to whom Trump just awarded the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom after Jordan voted against certification the night of the insurrection. McGovern asked Jordan if he would now say the election was not stolen and Joe Biden won fair and square  and put it on Twitter.

Jordan refused.

What is so dangerous about this GOP myopia is what it portends for Americas future. If a president can try to overturn election results with political pressure and force, he shatters the most basic principle of our political structure. Especially if he retains strong GOP support in Congress after he steps down  and gets off scot-free.

Unchecked, the Big Lie will eat at our democracy like a cancer. A lot of people buy into his conspiracy theories, former Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Charlie Dent told me. He has poisoned political discourse, and threatens the continuity of our institutions.

This time, key institutions held under pressure. The courts threw out frivolous cases, unlike, say, in Poland or where a populist government is restricting judicial freedom. Republican officials such as Georgias governor and secretary of state refused to buckle to Trumps threats, unlike in Russia where the Kremlin recently seized the independent-minded governor of Khabarovsk and charged him with murder.

 READ MORE: Trump's promotion of armed militias risks provoking civil war | Trudy Rubin

But we got off lucky this time. President Trumps effort to provoke a coup was clumsy, his shock troops insufficiently organized. Just imagine what would have happened if the Proud Boys or QAnon nuts had come with automatic weapons.

Worse could happen next week, or after. If it does, those Republicans too timid to debunk the Big Lie  along with the leader who promotes it  will have blood on their hands.
A prominent educationalist says with more Kiwi kids engaging in part-time online learning this summer, its positive that Childrens Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft has supported the flexibility online education can offer many young students.

Its really refreshing to hear from the Childrens Commissioner about the importance of versality in education and the need for fair and equitable access to technology for learning, says Jamie Beaton, Founder of Crimson Global Academy.

Jamie says we often hear from the Childrens Commissioner responding to negative statistics around child violence and deprivation. For Judge Becroft to also focus on the future of education is an exciting prospect for the new year.

Young students dont have anyone independently advocating for them. The Office of the Childrens Commissioner is perfectly placed. I hope we hear more from those in leadership positions in 2021 on how to better meet the education needs of New Zealands school students to ensure theyre fully equipped to deal the realities of the 21st Century, he says.

He says strong advocacy for New Zealands young students, and not being afraid to fight for an education system with flexibility and choice, will help secure their futures.

Reflecting on 2020, and the impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns, Judge Becroft observed that for many children being able to work in their own home in their own way was a winner for them. He believes schools have learned that flexibility aids good education success and that's key to long-term success.

Jamie echoes the Childrens Commissioners concerns that if the country was ever to go into lockdown again, the country must ensure all children have access to devices and to online learning so they can fully flourish.

A Life in Lockdown survey of more than 1,400 young people, published by the Office of the Childrens Commissioner late last year, also highlighted the importance of spending quality time within families.

Giving children your time is everything. I would also argue that in 2021 providing children with educational opportunities is also more critical than ever before as young New Zealanders face an increasing globalised job market, says CGAs Founder.

Jamie says 2020 taught us that online learning suits a lot of students, and for many that means online learning continues this summer.

Its important for our decisionmakers to be aware that not every Kiwi kid is completely on holiday this summer. More and more are studying part-time online to achieve internationally recognised qualifications, such as A-Levels.

He says post COVID-19s lockdowns and 2020s reliance on online education, CGA is seeing a spike in interest and enrolments, particularly from those wanting to study over and above their traditional schooling and school year.

Weve just hit 200 students which is a significant milestone for CGA. Interest in online learning is stronger than we forecast, as are enrolments from New Zealand students.

The accelerated Kiwi students we generally see want to keep with their current school, but they want to go deeper and wider. That is, they want to go deeper into a particular subject matter or go wider by taking on subjects or qualifications not offered at their school. Thats where online schooling can be a great supplement, says Jamie.

Crimson Global Academy (CGA) opened its virtual doors in April 2020. The first registered New Zealand-based online high school has 200 students enrolled from 29 countries.

Executive principal is former long-serving Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris, while former Prime Minister Sir John Key and Olympian Barbara Kendall are advisers to the online school.
Korea Development Bank Chairman Lee Dong-gull speaks during an online press conference at the bank's headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Development Bank



By Lee Min-hyung



SsangYong Motor should put an immediate end to the unceasing dispute between management and labor to ensure it can revive its business after painstaking restructuring efforts, Korea Development Bank (KDB) Chairman Lee Dong-gull said Tuesday.



"Any further discord between the two is intolerable," Lee told reporters during an online press conference. "The carmaker should stand on its own feet by maintaining a sincere attitude for its ongoing discussion with a potential investor."



Lee stepped up criticism of the carmaker over its deepening internal dispute at a crucial time when the company needs to focus its energy on revival. SsangYong Motor filed for court receivership recently amid snowballing debts after the subsidiary of India's Mahindra & Mahindra failed to repay loans worth 60 billion won ($54 million) last month.



"SsangYong Motor should be reminded that this is the company's last opportunity for survival," Lee said. "First and foremost, SsangYong's management and labor should extend the collective agreement to a three-year basis from the current one-year renewal."



The KDB chief said the union of the carmaker should not make any excessive self-serving demands before the firm's business is normalized and it turns into a rebound.



"We urge the two parties to drop such self-injurious behavior," Lee said.



The state-run lender also remained firm in its determination not to provide any additional financial support at all unless the carmaker shows sincerity for survival and presents specific plans for its growth after holding thorough discussions with a new investor.



Lee, however, declined to comment details over KDB's ongoing negotiations with Mahindra and other investors of SsangYong.



"We want to make it clear that a company can never survive only with the help of money," Lee said. "If SsangYong loses this last chance, it stands a very slim hope for survival. No investors will be willing to inject capital into the debt-ridden carmaker anymore if its management and labor lose this final opportunity."



Mahindra plans to sell all of its 74.7 percent stake in SsangYong Motor by the end of February after a grace period of the carmaker's court receivership ends.



Mahindra Managing Director Pawan Goenka confirmed recently that the Indian car manufacturer is in talks with a potential investor and it expects to sign a "term sheet" as early as the end of this week.



With expectations surfacing over SsangYong finding a new investor, the state-run lender has shifted its position as the expected economic impact will be felt nationwide.


Every person who flies into Ireland will require a negative Covid-19 test from Saturday, the Government has announced.

The existing requirement for passengers from the UK and South Africa has been extended following Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, as Covid cases surge across Europe and Ireland confirmed a further 46 deaths.

The test must be taken within 72 hours prior to arrival, a statement from the Government said.

Arrivals from the UK and South Africa will continue to require a negative/not detected PCR test and must continue to isolate for 14 days, even if they take a second test after arrival.

Read More Walk-in testing facility opened at Belfast International Airport

Those who come from red and grey list countries on the EU traffic light system, and all locations outside of Europe, will have to restrict their movements for 14 days. However this may be lifted if they get a second negative test within five days.

Arrivals from green and orange countries will not be required to restrict their movements on arrival, but will be expected to adhere to local restrictions.

Exemptions will be limited to those currently exempt  hauliers, flight crew and frontline workers.

Transport minister Eamon Ryan said last week that a person arriving at an Irish airport without a negative test faces a fine of 2,500 or six months in jail.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 15:47:11|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has newly released four national technical standards for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), according to the China Satellite Navigation Office.

This is a major move forward of China in standardizing and ensuring the development and industrial application of the BDS through drafting national standards, said the office.

The four newly-released technical standards are for fields of the data format, map application, ground-based augmentation system and atomic clock of the BDS.

These new technical standards have been released by the Standardization Administration.

In the next step, China will continue to promote the technical standardization works to sustain the design, production, test certification and data sharing of BDS-related products.

China officially commissioned BDS on July 31, 2020, opening the new BDS-3 system to global users. Enditem
An Apple car, if it is ever launched, would be a big deal. But the potential rewards for manufacturers come with a sting.

Shares in Hyundai Motor Company rose 9% Monday after a Korean newspaper reported that the car maker plans to sign an agreement with Apple for an autonomous electric vehicle. The stock had already jumped 19% on Friday, when Hyundai said it was in early-stage discussions with the iPhone designer.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Apple started to work on a vehicle in 2014, but the project has progressed fitfully and the company has rarely acknowledged it publicly. A Reuters report last month said it was targeting a 2024 launch, which would be very ambitious for anything with a meaningful degree of autonomy. Hyundai would likely be a production partner, akin to the role Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn plays in iPhone assembly.

For all the glamourand potential manufacturing volumesof being associated with an Apple-branded car, the almost $15 billion gain in Hyundais market value since Thursdays close is hard to justify. Besides the risks that the talks come to nothing, or that any project drains cash for longer than expected, contract manufacturing isnt an especially attractive business.

Canadian supplier Magna International, which is also seen as a potential partner for Apple, assembles vehicles under other brands, notably the Jaguar I-Pace, an all-electric sport-utility vehicle. The activity hasnt been very profitable. Magnas complete vehicles" division reported operating margins of 2.1% and 1.1% in 2019 and 2018, respectively, lower than at its parts businesses.

So why are some established car makers now offering to make EVs for potential rivals? Beyond Hyundais talks with Apple, General Motors agreed to make a pickup truck for U.S. startup Nikola last year, before that part of the deal unraveled amid revelations that Nikola founder Trevor Milton exaggerated the companys technology.

In GMs case, the arrangement was a way to spread the cost of its EV technology over a broader base of vehicles, whether or not they bear a GM brand, and to pave a new growth path. Hyundai, which unveiled its own EV platform last month, may be making a similar calculation in its talks with Apple, which could be much more consequential. Both car makers have come to be seen as forward-thinking and their stocks have risen close to previous records.

The risk is that such deals facilitate the rise of new EV brands, while giving established car companies an even less satisfactory return than Magna currently makes from vehicle assembly. Foxconn, whose iPhone margins are infamously thin, in October launched an automotive platform that it wants to be the Android of EVs." It is unclear how far the company will get involved with the difficult business of vehicle assembly, but the move underlines the risk of new, return-sapping competition from the electronics and battery manufacturing hubs of East Asia.

Much activity in the car industry is currently motivated by the $834 billion market value of Tesla. If this number can be rationalized, which is challenging, it is only with reference to the value of Teslas brand and product developmentthe elements no EV startup wants to outsource. For car makers, seeking assembly contracts is a growth strategy that may run into a dead end, even with a brand as powerful as Apple.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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A new study conducted at the New England Aquarium finds that as climate change causes the ocean to warm, baby sharks are born smaller, exhausted, undernourished, and into environments that are already difficult for them to survive in.

In a recently published paper in the journal Scientific Reports, lead author Carolyn Wheeler, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Massachusetts Boston and at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, examined the effects of increased temperatures on the growth, development and physiological performance of epaulette sharks--an egg-laying species found only on the Great Barrier Reef. Wheeler studied the sharks as embryos and hatchlings, under the supervision of Dr. John Mandelman, Vice President and Chief Scientist of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

"We found that the hotter the conditions, the faster everything happened, which could be a problem for the sharks," said Wheeler. "The embryos grew faster and used their yolk sac quicker, which is their only source of food as they develop in the egg case. This led to them hatching earlier than usual." Wheeler said the hatchlings were not only smaller, but they needed to feed almost immediately while lacking significant energy.

"The ocean faces increasing threats from humans, such as the effects of climate change, and it is vital to conduct scientific research to help strengthen the management and protection of those ocean species most negatively impacted and vulnerable," Mandelman said. "In this case, we addressed a pressing threat--ocean warming--and the potential impacts on a species that could serve as a model for other egg laying species among sharks and their relatives."

The Aquarium has a successful breeding program for epaulette sharks, allowing the researchers to use some of the eggs to study climate change impacts on a shark species native to the other side of the world. The research was housed at the Aquarium's Animal Care Center in Quincy, Mass. under the direction of Barbara Bailey, Curator of Husbandry and Sustainability.

"This work included the efforts of staff, volunteers and interns across a number of departments. I was very excited to find a connection between the animals in our exhibits and the opportunity to contribute to an incredibly important scientific study," said Bailey.

Co-author and Associate Professor Jodie Rummer, Wheeler's co-supervisor at James Cook University, says the waters of the Great Barrier Reef will likely experience summer averages nearing or even exceeding 31C/87.8F by the end of the century. Sharks do not care for their eggs after they are laid, meaning a shark egg must be able to survive unprotected for up to four months. Rummer cites rising ocean temperatures as a major concern for the future of sharks, particularly those that lay eggs.

"The epaulette shark is known for its resilience to change, even to ocean acidification. So, if this species can't cope with warming waters, then how will other, less tolerant species fare?" Rummer said.

Sharks and the class of animals they belong to, which includes rays and skates, are slow growing. They also do not reproduce often compared to other fishes. The populations of many of these creatures are already threatened across the globe. The study suggests the sharks of the future will be born--or hatch, in this case--not only at a disadvantage but into environments already at the warmest they can tolerate.

Epaulette sharks reared through the New England Aquarium's husbandry and sustainability program can be seen on exhibit in the Shark and Ray Touch Tank at the Aquarium's main building on Boston's Central Wharf. The Aquarium is currently closed to the public as part of the City of Boston's restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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A flower arranger could be awarded a 650,000 payout after he fell and smashed a vase while working for a florist at Yotam Ottolenghi restaurant.

Davy D'Agostino, 43, said the accident at the Belgravia restaurant left him with PTSD, OCD and social anxiety disorder.

Mr D'Agostino was cut when he fell while carrying a goldfish bowl sized vase up stairs to replenish flowers at the celebrity chef's restaurant in London's West End in August 2014.

He had to hold his wrist together after glass shards sliced through tendons and flesh, leaving him pouring with blood and fearing he would 'bleed out' in the stairway.

In 2019, he won the right to a compensation payout after suing his former employer, florist Caroline Farthing, of Essex-based Farthing Flowers Ltd.

Davy D'Agostino (pictured), 43, said the accident at the Belgravia restaurant left him with PTSD, OCD and social anxiety disorder

The former barman initially sued a company owned by chef and food writer Mr Ottolenghi, who is known for his inventive dishes, characterised by unorthodox ingredients and flavour combinations.

He blamed defective stairs but later dropped the case.

But he could now be in line for up to 650,000 damages from his employer after suffering a devastating decline in his mental health as a result of his accident, his lawyers told Central London County Court this week.

An expert instructed ahead of a trial of his compensation claim next month said he had developed PTSD, depression, OCD and a social anxiety disorder - on top of continuing disability in his arm.

The case is set to go ahead at the London court in three weeks, when Judge Christopher Lethem will decide how much Mr D'Agostino is due from his former boss.

Today, the judge said the payout could reach as much as 650,000, although it is unclear how much Mrs Farthing will be able to pay, as she was not insured.

During the first trial of the case in 2019, the judge heard how Mr D'Agostino was carrying a heavy vase up stairs at Mr Ottolenghi's Belgravia restaurant when he fell.

In 2019, he won the right to a compensation payout after suing his former employer, florist Caroline Farthing (pictured), of Essex-based Farthing Flowers Ltd

The restaurant-deli is one of six owned across London by Yotam Ottolenghi's company, Ottolenghi Ltd.

The court heard Mr D'Agostino worked for Ms Farthing, of Loughton, Essex, accompanying her as she drove to her clients' premises, including Ottolenghi, replenishing flower displays overnight.

Mr D'Agostino insisted he had only received about 45 minutes' training and that he was instructed to take the vase to a large sink downstairs to be emptied, cleaned, refilled and returned upstairs.

On the way back up, he slipped on a step and fell forward onto the full vase, suffering 'deep lacerations' to his wrist.

The former barman initially sued a company owned by chef and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi (pictured), who is known for his inventive dishes, characterised by unorthodox ingredients and flavour combinations

Giving evidence, he said he had been left gripping his wrist to stem the bleeding in the fear he might 'bleed out'.

Contesting his claim for damages, Ms Farthing said 'not in a million years' would she have told him to carry the heavy vase up and down the stairs.

He should instead have filled it in situ, using a watering can.

But finding against her at the end of the 2019 trial, the judge rejected Ms Farthing's evidence, which he said was 'chaotic and contradictory'.

'Mr D'Agostino was instructed to carry the vase downstairs and empty it in the basement and expected to clean and refill it down there,' he found.

'The stairs were an obvious risk...and an accident waiting to happen. It was an unsafe system of working and inherently risky.'

The restaurant-deli (pictured) is one of six owned across by London by Yotam Ottolenghi's company, Ottolenghi Ltd

Lawyers estimated Mr D'AGostino's claim to be worth about 100,000, but subsequent medical evidence resulted in the increased value, the court has now heard.

According to medical reports, Mr D'Agostino continues to suffer almost seven years later with pain, discomfort and twitching in his right forearm.

He is unable to write anything more than the most 'basic things,' his doctor said, while he is also more susceptible to the cold.

But Judge Lethem said allegations of psychiatric damage - including PTSD, OCD, depression and anxiety - would be contested at the trial next month.

Mrs Farthing's barrister, Connor Kennedy, said it was unclear how much she would eventually be able to pay him.

The Covid-19 pandemic had robbed her of a year of earnings and she could not even afford to pay her lawyers after this week's hearing, he said.

He urged the judge to adjourn the planned trial until later in the year, when the parties might be able to attend court in person, rather than via a video link.

Judge Lethem rejected the suggestion, saying the case needed to be resolved as soon as possible, as it is now more than six years after the accident.

'This is a case crying out for the earliest determination of the quantum issue,' he said. 'In those circumstances, the trial will proceed.'
The Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) has called on the Government to as a matter of urgency and on humanitarian grounds, increase the daily feeding allowance for the upkeep of prisoners across the country.



Even though we appreciate the effort of the government, we are still asking for more in order to cater for the basic needs of inmates. The current feeding grant of GH1.80 per inmate is woefully inadequate and we are pleading with the government to review the rate.



Superintendent Vincent Ziniel, Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Service who made the appeal, said the increment would ensure adequate and nutritious meals for inmates at all times.



He was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Cape Coast on Tuesday.



Notwithstanding, Supt. Ziniel appreciated the efforts by government to reform the Service to deliver its mandate of providing safe custody of prisoners and to ensure their welfare, reformation and rehabilitation.



Currently, the Central Region has more than 2000 male inmates in seven prisons at Kasoa (Awutu Prison), Osamkrom, Winneba and four clusters at Ankaful, namely the Maximum Prisons, Annex Main Camp and Communicable Disease Prisons.



Furthermore, Sup. Ziniel urged the government to resource the various prison infirmaries with the right quantities of pharmaceuticals, logistics and personnel to provide medical care for both inmates and officers of the Service.



Citing challenges at the Ankaful Maximum Prison to buttress his appeal, Sup. Ziniel said the facility lacked drugs to support its infirmary services, mattresses, logistics and infrastructure to deliver on its mandate.



"Currently, we have some drugs but they are not enough to cater for inmates here. Our mattresses, food, logistics and infrastructure are woefully inadequate to support our inmates services," he added.



In the absence of these essential items, Sup. Ziniel assured that the Deputy Director of Prisons, Dominic Nicholas Arthur, the Central Regional Commander and team were determined to go all out to ensure the health and welfare of inmates across the Region were improved.



"The Regional Commander has been buying drugs for inmates when the infirmary run out of stock. Other times, we take sick inmates to designated hospitals and look for money by ourselves to pay for their bills because we can't watch sick inmates die," he revealed.



We have also been getting support from religious organizations, corporate entities, individuals and families of inmates, he said, and pleaded with all to support the Service.



Sup. Ziniel reiterated the Command's commitment to ensure that the Service purged itself of all miscreant officers who connive and condone with criminals to dent the reputation of the Service.



He announced that the Service in the year 2020, succeeded in arresting more than 10 officers and some civilians.



Some of the officers were interdicted and some together with the civilians were processed for court for various offences, to serve as deterrent to others.

Source: GNA









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New Delhi: Hours after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the Centres new agriculture legislations, farm union leaders while welcoming the apex courts decision said they will not call off their stir until the central government completely repeals the new laws.

The SC in its Tuesday order said it will form a committee to look into the legislations and hold talks with all stakeholders.

Supreme Court "Those who genuinely want a solution, will go to the committee," the apex court said on Tuesday, seeking the cooperation of farmers' unions.

Meanwhile, the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action. The farmer leaders also said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha.

"We welcome the court's order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha said.

Supreme Court

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the controversial farm laws till further orders on Tuesday and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmers' unions protesting at Delhi's borders over the legislations.
Vice President Mike Pence presides over the Electoral College vote certification during a joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Some Corporations Halt Donations to Republicans Who Voted Against Certifying Bidens Win

A host of American corporations have announced that they are halting donations to Republican members of Congress who on Jan. 6 objected to certifying the Electoral College votes cast for President-elect Joe Biden.

During a joint session of Congress last Wednesday, a total of 147 Republicans voted against certifying the electoral votes in two states, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

The same day saw a massive pro-Trump rally, after which some people violently breached the U.S. Capitol, prompting some companies to issue statements of condemnation.

American Express CEO Stephen Squeri issued a statement on Jan. 6, saying, Like many of you, I watched with profound sadness, anger, and disgust at the violence and lawlessness that took place earlier today at the U.S. Capitol building. These actions were dangerous and anti-American.

In a follow-on statement on Jan. 11, Squeri said the American Express political action committee, which previously made contributions to 22 of the 139 House members who voted in favor of the objections, would no longer support any Republican members of Congress who cast votes in opposition to certifying Bidens win.

Last weeks attempts by some congressional members to subvert the presidential election results and disrupt the peaceful transition of power do not align with our American Express Blue Box values; therefore, the AXP PAC will not support them, he wrote.

Other corporations have issued similar statements, including Airbnb, Amazon, AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Commerce Bank, Dow Chemical, Marriott, and Mastercard.

Airbnb strongly condemns last weeks attack on the U.S. Capitol and the efforts to undermine our democratic process, the company said in a statement. The Airbnb PAC will update its framework and withhold support from those who voted against the certification of the presidential election results.

AT&T released a statement on Monday, saying, Employees on our Federal PAC Board convened a call today and decided to suspend contributions to members of Congress who voted to object to the certification of Electoral College votes last week.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association issued a statement on Jan. 8, saying, In light of this weeks violent, shocking assault on the United States Capitol, and the votes of some members of Congress to subvert the results of Novembers election by challenging Electoral College results, BCSBA will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy.

Congress on Jan. 7 certified the Electoral College vote for Biden in an election overshadowed by allegations of irregularities and fraud, which have been roundly dismissed by state election officials, and others.

A number of Republican lawmakers objected to the electoral votes, arguing that allegations of election-related irregularities had been insufficiently addressed. Ahead of the joint session of Congress, around a dozen Republican senators called on Congress to appoint an electoral commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election results.

Republican lawmakers succeeded in launching objections to electoral tallies from Arizona and Pennsylvania, forcing both houses of Congress to retreat to their respective chambers in order to debate the reasons for objecting to the votes.

Both chambers ultimately voted to reject the challenge for both states, with the final tally showing Biden garnered 306 electoral votes while President Donald Trump won 232.

Bidens inauguration is set for Jan. 20, with police saying there will be no public access to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol for the event and that there are comprehensive plans in place to prevent the kind of violence that took place last Wednesday.
The decision was later upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit, pushing any new execution date into Joe Biden's administration unless the Supreme Court intervenes.

The 11th-hour ruling, granted late in the night, was based on evidence that she was unable to understand the government's rationale for her execution.

Michigan City: A federal judge in Indiana has blocked the execution of Lisa Montgomery, a convicted murderer and the only woman on federal death row in the United States, on mental health grounds.

Montgomery, who was due to be killed by lethal injection within the next 24 hours, was convicted in 2007 in Missouri for kidnapping and strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett, then eight-months pregnant.

In December 2004, Montgomery drove about 270 kilometres from her Kansas farmhouse to the north-west Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a puppy from Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder. She strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude caesarean and fleeing with the baby.

Bobbie Jo Stinnett was 23 and eight-months pregnant when she was murdered by Lisa Montgomery. Credit:Maryville Daily Forum

She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasnt spoken publicly about the tragedy.

Tips had begun arriving about Montgomery, who had a history of faking pregnancies and suddenly had a baby. Randy Strong, the sheriff of Nodaway County, where the killing happened, hopped in an unmarked car with another officer. He learnt while en route that the email address fischer4kids@hotmail.com that was used to set up the deadly meeting with Stinnett had been sent from a dial-up connection at Montgomerys home.
Judge Approves Discovery Motion in High-Profile Michigan Election Case

A judge in Michigan on Monday approved a motion for discovery, ordering Secretary of State Jocelyn Bensons office to give information to the plaintiffs in a lawsuit.

Judge Kevin Elsenheimer with the 13th Circuit Court in addition to ruling that the state can release the names of forensic investigators, granted a motion from the plaintiff that seeks information from the office of Benson, a Democrat.

Matthew DePerno, who is representing plaintiff William Bailey in Bailey v. Antrim County, asked Elsenheimer to order Benson to produce correspondence between her and county election officials, the state Legislature, and Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.

Elsenheimer approved the motion, with a deadline of Feb. 1, the Traverse City Record Eagle reported.

They fought us on every one of these requests they didnt want to turn over any documents or information to us. And they now have to turn over a substantial amount of documentation regarding the election, DePerno told The Epoch Times on Tuesday. They essentially have to disclose to us how they ran the elections in 2020.

The only limitation is that Bailey agreed to remove the phrase state of Michigan from each request because Benson argued they dont control all aspects of the state of Michigan.

Bensons press secretary declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Dana Nessels office told The Epoch Times via email, We were satisfied with the Courts resolution of the disputed issues, as he narrowed the plaintiffs overbroad requests.

According to court filings obtained by The Epoch Times, Bensons office will have to produce communications, correspondences, and documents regarding training conducted in Antrim County for the 2020 election, and the same regarding Michigans voting system contract terms. The office must also produce documents from exchanges between it and state lawmakers, county officials, and Dominion Voting Systems, among others.

The case was brought after the November 2020 election. Bailey, an Antrim County voter, noted that the county initially said Democratic President-elect Joe Biden won the most votes, but later reported that President Donald Trump actually did. Officials claimed what happened was due to a human error, but a forensic audit of voting machines and software concluded the system was designed to lead to election fraud and argued the results in the county shouldnt have been certified.

The Jan. 11 ruling against Benson was only possible because her office intervened in the case last month. It has since taken the lead in the defense.

Remember Secretary of State Benson got into this case. She brought herself in, we didnt ask her to come in. She intervened in this case and she intervened because she wanted to stop the release of a [forensic] report. That failed. Now shes in the case. Shes a party defendant. And she didnt want to produce documents, DePerno told The Epoch Times. The judge rightly saw through those objections and granted our motion to require that she produces the documentation to us. That was the real important part of the hearing.
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Contractor admits role in Sisseton housing project bribery scheme

A contractor has admitted to his role in a bribery scheme and his partner has now been charged.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the religious orders associated with mother and baby homes should make a financial contribution to a redress scheme.

The religious orders concerned in particular should make a financial contribution to any scheme that the Government will be developing, particularly where lands would have been sold, for example, he said.

However, he declined to clarify what amount should be contributed.

Mr Martin said the report has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and was reviewed by the Attorney General.

"Obviously, there is a length of time that has elapsed for quite a significant degree of the issues contained in the report. But nonetheless, obviously the gardai can pursue some of these issues, and the DPP as well," he said.

The Taoiseach will make a State apology in the Dail tomorrow in light of the publication of the report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

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Speaking in a press conference after the release of the report, he said that it opens a window to the deeply misogynistic culture in Ireland.

He said that it shows serious systematic discrimination against women.

We did this to ourselves as a society, said Mr Martin.

We treated women exceptionally badly. We treated children exceptionally badly.

He added that the report shows significant failures of state and society.

Mr Martin said it also brings to light a warped attitude to sexuality and intimacy with a very striking absence of kindness.

Undoubtedly one of the deeply distressing findings is the exceptionally high rate of infant mortality in the homes, Mr Martin said.

He said the Government will put in place a comprehensive response to the report.

This Government is focused on moving forward to implement a comprehensive response.

Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman said the report on the homes shows a stifling, oppressive, deeply misogynistic culture in Ireland prior to the 1970s.

We have to be honest about acknowledging State responsibility, he said.

He said that the redress scheme for survivors sees 22 actions.

This will include a package of health supports including an enhanced medical card for those who spent longer than six months in the homes, as well as counselling services.

Legislation which will allow for dignified exhumation of the site in Tuam and DNA identification of the remains will also be passed through the Dail and Seanad this year, Mr OGorman added.

Junior Minister for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan said the report reflects a society where curtain twitching and reputation mattered above all else.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the report shows a complete absence of Christianity, despite mother and baby homes often being run by religious orders.

I do believe that the church should examine this report comprehensively, he said.

And make appropriate apologies from respective sectors of the church that behaved so badly here, in many ways described earlier, a perverse moral code in relation to sexuality.

You have excessive religiosity here, you dont have Christianity evidence here at all.

Mr OGorman said that he is seeking a meeting with religious orders following the report.

Read More




Kerri-Anne Kennerley broke her ankle and collarbone after suffering a horrific fall during a performance of the stage musical Pippin last month.

And on Monday, the 67-year-old was pictured with her arm in a sling as she was seen for the first time since the accident.

The showbusiness veteran flashed a faint smile while stepping out near her home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

On the mend! Kerri-Anne Kennerley, 67, was pictured with her arm in a sling as she stepped out near her home in Sydney's eastern suburbs following her horrific fall from a trapeze during a performance of the stage musical Pippin

The former Studio 10 panellist looked stylish in a long colourful kaftan by Camilla Franks and a pair of comfortable sneakers.

She accessorised the ensemble with a straw hat, statement earrings and held a bag.

Kerri-Anne tied her short blonde hair in a low ponytail and wore a neutral palette of makeup for the outing.

Ouch: Last month, Kerri-Anne broke her ankle and collarbone after suffering a horrific fall from a trapeze during a performance of Pippin at Sydney's Lyric Theatre

Putting her best foot forward: The former Studio 10 panellist looked stylish in a long colourful kaftan from Camilla and a pair of comfortable sneakers

Last month, Kerri-Anne broke her ankle and collarbone after suffering a horrific fall from a trapeze during a performance of Pippin at Sydney's Lyric Theatre.

She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital 'as a precaution' and bowed out of the musical.

Footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed the shocking moment the former Studio 10 host dropped to the floor as the audience gasped in horror.

An X-ray also showed the full extent of her injuries, which left her in a 'significant amount of pain'.

Low-key: Kerri-Anne tied her short blonde hair in a low ponytail and wore a neutral palette of makeup for the outing

In a statement released by her management at the time, Kerri-Anne confirmed she would no longer be starring in the stage production.

'Good riddance to 2020,' she said. 'Pippin has genuinely been one of the great experiences of my life exceeding all my expectations.'

She added that she loved the cast 'more than ever', before saying of the accident: 'What happened is just a random misstep in the trapeze and circus world.

'I've always felt safe in their hands but accidents just happen. I was trained well and loved getting stronger and the routine smoother.

Hospital dash: She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital 'as a precaution' and bowed out of the musical

'I'm devastated that I can't finish the run. It was just so much fun. I broke my collarbone quite severely and have a slight chip of my ankle bone.'

Kerri-Anne said she would know 'within a week' if she needed surgery.

'I'm hoping my injury will heal in the natural course of time, but for now I have to bow out. I will miss my Pippin family!' she concluded.

Kerri-Anne was playing the supporting character Grandma Berthe in Pippin, and her signature song involved climbing atop a 15ft (4.5m) trapeze.
(Alliance News) - Greeting cards retailer Moonpig on Tuesday set out plans to float in London, hot-on-the-heels of bootmaker Dr Martens which outlined initial public offering plans of its own on Monday.

The online greeting card and gifting platform, which also includes the Greetz brand in the Netherlands, said it will seek a premium listing on the London Main Market for holding company Cards Holdco Ltd.

The Times on Friday reported that Moonpig was eyeing a GBP1 billion stock exchange listing.

The IPO will be led by Citigroup Global Markets Ltd and JP Morgan Securities PLC as joint global co-ordinators. HSBC Bank PLC, Jefferies International Ltd and Numis Securities Ltd will be joint bookrunners, Moonpig said on Tuesday.

Moonpig recorded GBP173.1 million in revenue in the financial year that ended April 30, 2020. Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were GBP44.4 million.

It operates in a GBP24 billion card-attached gifting market in the UK, Netherlands and Ireland, it estimated.

"Moonpig Group has demonstrated unbroken revenue growth since inception," the company said.

"The IPO is being considered, among other reasons, to further raise the profile of the company, provide it with a platform for continued growth."

The greeting cards seller, owned by Exponent Private Equity, has thrived while peers such Clintons and Paperchase have struggled due to lockdown measures forcing closures and emptying high streets across the UK.

Stationery chain Paperchase is on the brink of collapsing into administration after sales were hammered by closures at the end of last year, PA reported on Tuesday last week. The firm, which has 127 stores and 1,500 employees, confirmed it has filed a notice to appoint administrators from PwC to advise on its insolvency process

Iconic footwear brand Dr Martens on Monday also announced plans for a Main Market listing.

The IPO will involve the sale of existing shares by IngreLux and other shareholders and won't see any new shares issued or funds raised by the company. IngreLux is a Luxembourg company owned by funds advised by Permira. It bought Dr Martens, which started making its iconic boots in 1960, in 2014.

By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
LAST Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his team made their usual weekly briefing on the status of the coronavirus in Trinidad and Tobago.

Given the rise in cases, the addition of a state of emergency was added to the existing public health measures, setting a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

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After a brief respite of milder and wet conditions, winter is set to return with a vengeance to parts of Britain as up to a foot of snow falls over 40 hours and temperatures drop to as low as -12C (10F).

Blizzard conditions are expected to strike from early tomorrow morning until Thursday night across Scotland and northern England - while freezing rain, which turns to ice on hitting the ground, is also possible.

It comes as much milder conditions have moved into southern England and Wales, with highs of 11C (52F) expected in Cornwall today - although much of the South will be hit by heavy rain over the next two days.

However, colder air is hanging on in the North, with highs of just 3C (37F) expected amid sunny conditions this afternoon. It follows a warning of ice this morning for Scotland and England as far south as the Peak District.

Britain could also be hit by another 'Beast from the East' in the coming weeks because of an unusual meteorological event taking place above the North Pole. The sudden stratospheric warming, or SSW, began on Tuesday last week and could trigger weather changes that would lead to a severe cold snap in Britain.

Swimmers brave the cold at Tynemouth Beach on the North East coast of England this morning

Swimmers splash around in the waves at Tynemouth Beach in the North East this morning

Huge waves crash against Tynemouth pier in North Tyneside this afternoon

Swimmers and dog walkers on Tynemouth Beach on the North East coast of England this morning

Gulls fight for food thrown onto the lake at Sefton Park in Liverpool this afternoon

The Met Office has warned widespread snowfall of up to 6in (15cm) is likely in areas at least 500ft (150m) above sea level in Scotland and northern England from tomorrow, and up to 2in (5cm) at lower levels.

But in some areas, particularly on high ground, there is a chance up to 12in (30cm) could fall. 'Significant travel disruption' is predicted, with the chance of motorists becoming stranded and isolated rural communities 'cut off'.

Britain could be hit by another 'Beast from the East' in the coming weeks Britain could be hit by another 'Beast from the East' in the coming weeks because of an unusual meteorological event taking place above the North Pole. The sudden stratospheric warming, or SSW, began on Tuesday last week and could trigger weather changes that would lead to a severe cold snap in Britain. Dr Richard Hall, an expert in SSWs from the University of Bristol, said it 'loads the dice' or 'tips the odds' in favour of another blast of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures from Siberia. A study by experts at the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and Bath shows how dramatic meteorological changes above the North Pole can have severe consequences for the UK's weather. During an SSW the stratosphere - the layer six to 31 miles above the Earth's surface - can rise in temperature by up to 50C over a matter of days. This disturbance can travel down through the atmosphere to the Earth's surface and cause shifts in the jet stream, the fast-moving air currents that cool Europe. UK experts studied 40 stratospheric warming episodes from the last six decades in the latest study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Dr Hall said an SSW happens 'every two years in three' and one is 'taking place at the moment'. In 2018 there was an SSW event two weeks before the 'Beast from the East' brought 50cm (20in) snowfalls. However Dr Hall said only two thirds of SSWs reach the surface and the current one could 'just peter out'. He added: 'The main area of impact is over Siberia where you get intense cold and that then extends westwards toward Europe. We are right on the edge of this and so slight variations can affect if it reaches us.' Advertisement

A flood risk also remains for many parts of England today with a total of 36 Environment Agency alerts in place across the country along with eight more serious warnings which are all in North Yorkshire.

Forecasters predict sub-zero conditions will cause more problems in Scotland today. Met Office meteorologist Nicky Maxey said: 'This could be the time to begin looking after elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

'Relatively warm rain is going to collide with cold ground over Scotland. It will certainly be worst over high ground but we will also see some snow down to sea level.

'Nights are going to be cold, too, with -10C or 12C on Thursday night. Daytime temperatures will also be pretty low across Scotland for the rest of the week.'

The snow is predicted when a weather front moves north east through tomorrow, falling as rain in Wales, southern England and the Midlands, but turning wintry as it hits cold air over the Pennines.

In its warning, beginning at 8am tomorrow, the Met Office said: 'The area of rain is expected to increasingly fall as snow, at least for a time, as it encounters colder air across Scotland and parts of Northern England.

'There remains a possibility that milder air makes inroads, with the snow turning back to rain more widely, in which case the snow would largely be restricted to the highest ground.'

The Met Office also warns of possible power cuts and disruption to mobile phone services. In the wake of the heavy snow and rain, the end of the week is set to be mostly cloudy with some patchy rain at times.

Temperatures are set to remain in the low single figures in northern areas - between 4C (39F) and 7C (45F) - and slightly warmer in Wales, the Midlands and South, where 7C (45F) and 9C (48F) is forecast.

The weather is likely to remain unsettled for the next fortnight, with 'spells of rain accompanied by strong winds at times'.

Forecasters say the wettest and windiest conditions are expected in the south and west, with the best of any dry weather expected in the north and east.

Snow remains possible 'at times' in northern areas, especially on high ground, and temperatures are likely to remain 'below normal' for the time of year, in the low single figures Celsius.

In the Highlands, melting snow brought flooding yesterday, with the A9 at Slochd, 15 miles south of Inverness, particularly badly hit. Bear Scotland said it had 38 gritters out across the north-west alone last night.

The severe weather followed in the wake of Storm Bella, which struck in the days after Christmas. And after a short reprieve, parts of the country were then left under a blanket of snow in the early days of the New Year.

Heavy rain will fall in the South this morning (left) before snow comes to Scotland and the North tomorrow (right)

Met Office weather warnings are in place for ice today (left) and snow and rain tomorrow (right) in Scotland and the North

People go for their daily exercise at Sefton Park in Liverpool this morning during the third national lockdown for England

A person walks a dog at sunrise on the beach at Scarbourough in North Yorkshire this morning
[January 12, 2021] Tree of Life Appoints New Executive Vice President of Channel Strategy

Tree of Life Bookstores (TOL) is excited to announce the hiring of Ross Craycraft as Executive Vice President of Channel Strategy. "We are thrilled to have Ross on the TOL and Textbook Butler team," said Darren Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of TOL. "His expertise in the industry will help us further our mission of driving affordability and access for all students before the first day of class." For over a decade, TOL has been partnering with institutions to provide its flagship subscription based program for course materials called Textbook Butler. Textbook Butler provides all of the required course materials, for all students in their preferred format, delivered before the first day of classes, for one low cost. All of your materials. None of the hassle. Ross will be responsible for partnering with content, technology, and service providers to drive affordability and access for students, ensuring students get the content they need, and providers realize the value of the TOL partnership. Prior to joining TOL, Ross had a successful role as Director of Channels & Strategic Partnerships at VitalSorce, leading a team providing technology to deliver and manage content for inclusive and equitable access models for enterprise institutional partners. Prior to joining VitalSource, Ross led sales at OPM providers, and began his career in the industry at Pearson Education, where he was a consistent top sales performer and rookie of the year, while completing his Masters of Education Technology degree from Boise State University.



"I am beyond excited to be joining the TOL team," Craycraft commented. "I have dedicated my career to helping improve education by delivering affordable education technology, content, and services that allow institutions to focus on teaching, learning, and student success, giving institutions the peace of mind students will have the tools they need to succeed. TOL has been delivering a model focused on that same goal for over 20 years. There is no organization in our industry with more experience in delivering full service equitable access (Textbook Butler), so I am really looking forward to bringing my experience and knowledge to the team to increase our value and offering for current and future customers and partners." About Tree of Life Bookstores

TOL, headquartered in Marion, Indiana, is a privately held company that has served campuses from coast to coast for more than 20 years. Through original thinking, unique solutions, and relevant products, TOL strives to transform the student experience, impact graduation rates, and contribute to the financial health of our partner schools. TOL provides innovative course material auto-fulfillment services through Textbook Butler; ensuring every student has all of their course materials at an affordable price before the first day of class. For more information, visit textbookbutler.com and treeoflifebooks.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005580/en/

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Some Comal County residents who were at the nations Capitol last week in support of Donald Trump said they didnt expect the violence that unfolded and spoke out against those who smashed windows and beat police officers.

The supporters marched to the Capitol as members of the House and Senate were certifying the outcome of the 2020 presidential election for Joe Biden who will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

Trump Train NB Founder Steve Ceh said he and a small group of Trump Train members were among those outside the Capitol.

There were people from all over Texas, we saw lots of Texas flags, Ceh said.

He said the event began with a peaceful march on the grounds.

It was an awesome experience, it was cold, Ceh said. We stood there and there were just so many patriots, so many American flags, so many Trump flags. Just circles of prayer praying for the country.

Anita Valdez, from New Braunfels, said she also went to the Capitol to support President Trump. She had not anticipated any violence.

But thats what happened as hundreds of people stormed the Capitol building, clashed with police officers and ransacked offices  with many of them taking pictures and videos for social media as they did so.

Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated ahead of the breach and senators and representatives were moved to secret locations to wait for the scene to be secured. By the end of it, five people would be dead. Authorities say one was shot and killed by officers, three more died from medical causes during the event and an officer of the Capitol police died as a result of injuries sustained during the attack.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the attack a failed insurrection from the Senate floor after the House and Senate returned hours later to finish work.

Valdez said she had no indication that the day would unfold like that.

It was the feeling of patriotism and community and kindness and uplifting throughout the entire day, Valdez said. Then of course when things went a little south, the small group I was with decided to vacate and get to the lawn area and make our way back to our hotels.

Valdez arrived around 6 a.m. and left around after 4 p.m. as members of Congress began to be evacuated.

They stood at the Capitol on the terrace for about 30 minutes or so, Valdez said.

I have attended Trump rallies since 2015 and I have never seen something like this specifically, Valdez said. Ive witnessed violence against Trump supporters but Ive never been in a situation exactly like this.

It wasnt until she got to a TV later that she saw that it had become deadly.

For me, I just want to make a strong statement: I do not condone violence for any reason, Valdez said. I feel it barbaric and ineffective to get your point across. My first feeling about even attending this was, number one, to be there for the President and to be safe.

Ceh and his group left to go back to the hotel and then later returned to the Capitol, where thousands were standing.

These guys were throwing things at the cops and the same guy was smashing one of the windows and it was shattering, Ceh said. We were like, What are you doing? Were mad about violence like this. What are you doing? Some guys told them to stop doing that and it was a lady that grabbed him and drug him down.

Capitol police and people clashed on the steps and later in the Capitol itself.

What really bothered me was as we were walking away from the Capitol were on the grass area going towards the monument, you could still see the flash grenades going off and the pepper spray, Ceh said. I looked at my wife and said, This is where our country is?

Valdez said she hopes those who were violent are held accountable.

What Im hoping will happen from here on out is that any person involved in this will be held completely accountable and that justice will prevail, Valdez said.

Ceh said he is unhappy with both parties.

I think we got way out of place, Ceh said. Im an Independent, the Republican party left me years ago. I think both sides were trouble because they are all paid off, self-serving. I dont care if youre Republican, Democrat, independent. They dont care about me or you. They can say whatever party theyre all the same.

As tensions rise, Ceh said he hopes God leads the country.

Its been coming to a head, Ceh said. We have some very bad people in our leadership right now in our country. Im going to start praying that God will take care of it.

Ceh uploaded a video to Youtube on Jan. 8 called Truth blaming liberals, ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter.

It was a great rally, great spirit, and then what happened? Ceh said in the YouTube video. The liberals, ANTIFA. In front of me I saw ANTIFA breaking windows. No it was not the patriots. Trump did not incite this, the liberals incited this.

The FBI, which is investigating the attack has said theres no evidence of Antifa involvement.

Valdez said she hopes people wait until all the facts come out.

Whatever side you believe in, we need to be patient, Valdez said.

Another New Braunfels resident at the Capitol was featured in New York Magazine.

New Braunfels Valerie Muldez said she was at the Capitol and left with her kids, with Muldez saying that authorities tear-gassed her children.

I have to teach the next generation how to stand up for righteousness and I want them to see these are wonderful patriots, Muldez told the magazine.

The FBI is continuing to investigate the incident at the Capitol and is seeking the publics help in identifying people pictured inside. Twenty people have already been arrested across the country.

For more information and photos under investigation go to: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/violence-at-the-united-states-capitol
Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Tuesday's trading session based on latest developments.

Share Market News Live: Sensex down 100 points, Nifty at 14,460; Nestle, SBI, NTPC, HDFC, HUL top losers

Dr Reddy's Laboratories: The Data and Safety Monitoring Board has recommended recruitment for the phase 3 clinical trials of Sputnik V vaccine for Covid-19, that has met primary endpoints of safety. The pharma has also has submitted phase 2 safety data to DCGI for review and approval.

GAIL: Company board meeting is scheduled on January 15 to consider the proposal of buyback of shares.

Force Motors: The company's board has approved raising up to Rs 500 crore via NCDs.

Mahindra & Mahindra: Korean media reported that the domestic creditors have put conditions on further fund infusion into Ssangyong.

Tata Motors: Jaguar Land Rover's retail sales were at 425,974 units, down 23.6%. Q3 retail sales stood at 128,000 units, up 13.1% QoQ although down 9% YoY. China sales rose 20% QoQ and 19% YoY.

Sunteck Realty: Pre-sales growth at 7% YoY and 75% QoQ to Rs 349 crore. Collections up 52% YoY and 79% QoQ to Rs 252 crore.

Hindustan Unilever: The Bombay HC has passed urgent interim orders in favour of HUL against 'disparaging' advertising by Sebamed soap.

Kesoram Industries: The board meeting is scheduled on January 14 to seek de novo approval for raising funds including through the Issue of Optionally Convertible Debentures.

Adani Green Energy: The Competition Commission of India has approved acquisition of share capital in the company by Total SE through its subsidiary Total Renewables SAS.

Indo Count Industries: The company has announced the voluntary deregistration of its wholly owned subsidiary, Indo Count Australia with effect from 7 October as there was no business since incorporation.

Dishman Carbogen: Company's promoters Adimans Technologies LLP will sell 3.87% stake in the firm via offer for sale on 12-13 January.

DCM Shriram: The board will consider payment of interim dividend for the financial year 2021 on 19 January. The record date will be 28 January, if approved by the board.
Days before a global rollout kicks off with the President of Indonesia receiving the Sinovac Biotech Ltd . vaccine on live television, uncertainty swirls over the efficacy of the leading Chinese shot, for which four different protection rate numbers have been released in recent weeks.

Indonesia, which is moving the fastest on distributing the Sinovac shot to its population, said that a local trial showed an efficacy of 65% against Covid-19. But only 1,620 people in Indonesia took part in that trial -- too small for meaningful data.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Turkey said last month that the same vaccine showed efficacy of 91.25% in its local trial, which was similarly too small to draw a sufficient conclusion.

In Brazil, where Sinovacs biggest trial of more than 13,000 people is being conducted, dueling efficacy rates have been publicized. The companys local trial partner, Butantan Institute, said last week that the vaccine was 78% effective in preventing mild cases of Covid-19 and 100% effective against severe and moderate infections.

Yet a local news website reported this week that the true" efficacy rate was between 50%-60%, citing unnamed sources. Butantan Institute said this was speculative" and that it would release additional data on Tuesday.

Overlapping efficacy data is not unprecedented in the Covid-19 vaccine race -- AstraZeneca Plc released two separate protection rates based on different dosage regimes last month -- and all the findings are above the threshold of 50% efficacy required by regulators for approval.

China is struggling to get the world to trust its vaccines

Yet the confusion, which comes as several governments commit to inoculating their citizens with Sinovacs shot, is fueling skepticism over Chinese vaccines, which have disclosed less safety and testing information than western front-runners. The data kerfuffle risks further undermining trust in shots that President Xi Jinping has promised to share with the rest of the world as a global public good.

There is enormous financial and prestige pressure for these trials to massively overstate their results," said Nikolai Petrovsky, a professor at the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University.

In many cases, such overstatements are also politically motivated, as countries that have failed to properly control the pandemic now want to overstate the benefits of the vaccines to win votes and appease local unrest."

A Sinovac spokesman declined to comment on the numbers from its trials in Brazil, Turkey and Indonesia and said more data would be released by its Brazil partner this week.

The data issue appears to already be holding up regulatory approval for Sinovacs vaccine in some places.

Initially, Sinovac was going to ship the vaccine supply to Hong Kong in January. But they delayed the announcement of the Phase III clinical trial data three times," said David Hui, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who sits on the Asian financial hubs Covid-19 advisory panel. That would delay the assessment of their application."

Calculation confusion

The massive Brazil trial, which Sinovac has said will be where it gets its definitive efficacy data, has received intense scrutiny.

Observers were flummoxed by the first efficacy rate of 78% announced by Butantan Institute. According to the information disclosed, the trial saw about 220 participants infected: 160 in the placebo group and almost 60 in the vaccinated group.

If trial participants were evenly split between the vaccine and placebo group, then the efficacy rate should come out to 62.5%, said Petrovsky, whos also a research director for Vaxine Pty Ltd., a company that is developing a Covid-19 vaccine.

External calculations remain speculative unless more data, like the total number of people in the placebo group and vaccinated group, is released in peer-reviewed scientific journals, said Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales.

It remains unclear if Sinovacs trial in Brazil deviated to some extent from its protocol. This was the case with the shot developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University: a protection rate of 90% was found when a half dose was delivered first, followed by a full dose, which was done by mistake. Two full doses as designed by researchers showed an efficacy of only 62%.

Brazilian drug regulator Anvisa is requesting additional data from the Butantan Institute on the Sinovac shot trial, including whether dosage deviation occurred and its impact, before deciding whether to approve the vaccine for use.

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Hackers posted confidential documents regarding COVID-19 medicines and vaccines on the internet after a data breach late last year at the European Medicines Agency.

Timelines related to evaluating and approving COVID medicines and vaccines haven't been affected, the EMA said in a statement on Tuesday. The agency said it remains fully functional and that law enforcement authorities are taking action on the breach.

Caught up in the hack were some documents submitted by Pfizer and BioNTech during a regulatory review of their vaccine, approved last month. The EMA said it would notify any additional entities and individuals whose documents and personal data may have been subject to unauthorised access.

Hackers have accessed data about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Credit:AP

Pfizer shares fell 2.2 per cent in New York, with BioNTech's American depositary receipts down 5.1 per cent.
SC stays implementation of three farm laws, forms four member committee

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the three farm laws. The court also formed a committee of agriculturists to hear the grievances of the farmers against the farm laws.

SC stay the implementation of the three farm laws, forms a committee to end agitation|Oneindia News

The committee would comprise of H S Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi, Ashok Gulati and Anil Dhanwant.

The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde had earlier asked the farmer unions if they want to go before the committee. The farmer unions had said that they were not ready for the same and have stuck to their position that they will not settle for anything less than a repeal of the farm laws.

Advocate M L Sharma informed the court that he had spoken with some of the farmers and they had told him they do not want to go before any committee. The farmers are scared that their land will be snatched away. They have said that the lawyers who purportedly appear for them in court are working at the instance of the of the BJP, Sharma also told the Bench.

Also Read:

The CJI said that there cannot be an empty suspension of the legislation without any purpose. All of you who are genuinely interested in solving the problem should go before the committee. The committee will only hear you and not punish you, the CJI also remarked.

The court said it is ready to suspend the law, but not indefinitely and without any activity going on in the ground. All people who genuinely want to solve the problem must go to the committee. This is our committee and we will decide on the composition of the same. This is part of the revision process, the court also said.

The court then asked the farmers if the unions have tried getting permission to conduct protests in Delhi.

On a plea filed by the Delhi police seeking an injunction on the tractor rally to be held by farmers on Republic Day, the court issued notices to the farmer unions. The CJI said that the matters of law and order is left to the police. If protests are allowed to enter the city, it is within the power of the police to see a specified number of people enter unarmed.

On the formation of a committee, the SC said that the same is not being formed to appease everyone's opinion about it. We are forming the committee for our purpose the CJI led Bench also said.
01/11/2021

It's not too late for students to join the university's Honors Program. While applicants are typically incoming freshmen, any student who does not qualify based on their ACT score as an entering freshman may reapply after completing a semester at JSU.

Becoming a member of the Honors Program includes many benefits. The smaller classes and other activities associated with the program - including special advisement, career planning, and service opportunities - help to create an interdisciplinary and interdependent community of scholars engaging one-on-one and as groups with each other and their professors, the university and the wider community.

Benefits of being a member include:

 Enrollment in Honors classes with some of JSU's most talented instructors

 Priority class registration

 Special Honors speakers and symposiums

 Community and campus service and service-learning opportunities

 Study away (domestic) and study abroad (international) for course credit opportunities

 Honors by Contract in major and minor

 Honors conference presentation eligibility

Contrary to popular belief, Honors classes are not designed to be more difficult than non-Honors classes, but rather are smaller and more engaging. General university courses - such as American History and Biology - are offered with an Honors section, which only Honors members may register in. Special topic participation courses are also available for honors students.

To graduate with distinction as an Honors Program Graduate, students must earn 24 hours of honors credit, maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA overall, and complete each honors course with an A or B.

Learn more about the program and access the application online. Email honors@jsu.edu, call 256-782-5696 or stop by Martin Hall, Room 104, for more information.
State Capitol Police are investigating a social media post that might have a been threat of physical harm to veteran state Sen. Gary Winfield over last years controversial police accountability law.

The possible threat was made in response to a Facebook post last week by Republican state Sen. Rob Sampson of Wolcott, who on Monday disavowed any intent to inflame followers.

The allegedly threatening post came over the weekend, after Sampson commented on Facebook that the legislative Judiciary Committee, led by Winfield and state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport have zero interest in looking back at the police accountability law and other recent criminal justice reforms. That law, adopted in a special legislative session bans choke holds; requires officers to report others that are violating procedures; and bans the hiring of those dismissed from other police departments.

Added together, these misguided laws have undermined the rule of law in our state and emboldened criminals, particularly juvenile car thieves, Sampson wrote on the original Facebook post. I will be counting on my community to help me create public pressure to force the majority party to have this conversation whether they want to or not. Stay tuned.

The post generated 87 responses as of midday Tuesday. One responding comment said, Or we can take justice in our own hands. Hopefully the sanitation system will pick up the carcass.

Sampson included a link in the original post to a story about the judiciary committees upcoming agenda by The CT News Junkie, which first reported news of the alleged threat.

Sampson said he was neither responsible for, nor condones the post. It was unclear Tuesday why the post was taken as a threat to Winfield, a co-sponsor of the police accountability bill, and not other lawmakers. Capitol police declined to comment except to confirm they are investigating.

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff on Tuesday condemned the alleged threat and stressed that Sampsons criticism of the police-accountability bill was incendiary, alarmist and reckless fear mongering.

We've always known that violent words lead to violent action, Looney, D-New Haven and Duff, D-Norwalk, said in a written statement Tuesday morning. When violent words of the public are met with silence from our leaders we are implicitly saying that these words and the actions for which they advocate are within accepted norms.

The Senate leaders said that it was no coincidence that the posting on Sampsons comment came during a tense week in which hundreds of pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building and the FBI warned that armed supporters of Trump may appear at federal courthouses and state capital buildings throughout the nation in response to the presidents denial of the election outcome.

Winfield, in a Twitter post, said threats seem to be the routine price he has to pay. Ive had death threats, been stalked, run off the road and confronted, Winfield tweeted on Monday. But he said, none of that involved another legislator in any way,

Winfield added, I would expect that even if the comment were missed when brought to a colleagues attention the action would be condemned.

Sampson, in a subsequent Facebook comment, said he did not initially read the comment, and indicated that Democrats and sympathetic progressive members of the media are trying to use someone elses post to attack him politically.

First, I obviously condemn violence or threats of violence, Sampson wrote. It is worth noting that I am on the receiving end of the same kind of hostility on a regular basis. I do everything I can to remind my neighbors that the beauty of America is that we are free to disagree, and to do so with passion. However, there is no reason we cannot do so politely and with respect for our fellow man or woman. Second, there is no way we can track every comment that is made on our posts, particularly if they are shared in multiple places by multiple people.

Stafstrom, the co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday that he is shocked and disappointed that thinly veiled death threats can remain on colleagues social media pages without criticism.

To a lot of extent, the advent of social media has really poisoned not just our politics, but how we interact with each other as a community, Stafstrom said in an interview. It is exceptionally unfortunate we do live in an age where elected officials rightly fear for themselves and their families as a result of policy decisions they make in support of a community they are advocating for, and their constituents.

Stafstrom said that in the wake of the siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington last week, he is researching Connecticut law on inciting riots, interfering with the General Assembly, and threatening legislative staff. Some of those laws have been on the books since the mid-1970s, he said. The statutes need to be updated. We need to make it a felony for preventing or attempting to prevent the General Assembly from conducting their business. We need to make it a felony to engage in a riot. Those charges currently carry misdemeanor penalties.

State Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, said in an afternoon statement on Tuesday said he was disappointed by Looney and Duffs criticism.

"Now more than ever, our state and our nation need healing and unity, not more division, Kelly wrote. "I would remind Senate Democrat leadership that as lawmakers, we all work in the marketplace of ideas. A policy such as Connecticuts new police accountability law is worthy of review, criticism and debate.

At the height of the summer debate over the police legislation, State Capitol Police provided security for Duff outside his Norwalk home, following an aggressive encounter the senator had at Norwalk Police headquarters that was followed-up by shouted taunts from motorists outside Duffs home.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin is proud to announce that Attorney Ben J. Whitman has become a partner. In 2015, Mr. Whitman joined the firm as an associate attorney, contributing deep insight and expertise handling in catastrophic injury cases including defective products, trucking crashes, and wrongful death cases.

"Ben is a strategic and tenacious trial lawyer," Mark Clark, managing partner. "Driven by a dedication to seeking justice, Ben has helped lead our team through some of the most complex liability cases in the nation resulting in significant victories for our clients."

"Clark, Fountain has been a vital part of my life and success as a lawyer," Whitman said. "I am eager to continue working hard as part of a team that is devoted to bringing justice for our clients and I am honored to be joining the team as a partner."

In addition to securing numerous multimillion-dollar recoveries, Whitman has served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association since 2018, speaks regularly at Continuing Legal Education events and seminars to lawyers around the country, and has earned multiple awards and honors as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, AV Preeminent rated attorney, and "Top 40 Under 40" by The National Trial Lawyers.

For more information or to contact Mr. Whitman, visit www.clarkfountain.com.

About Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin

The attorneys at Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin, a West Palm Beach law firm, have been representing clients in all areas of personal injury litigation, including automobile and trucking crashes, product liability, wrongful death, and medical malpractice law for three decades. Clark Fountain attorneys have secured more than one billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for their injured clients in Florida and throughout the United States.

SOURCE Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin

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https://www.clarkfountain.com


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140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

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Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

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Sheldon Adelson, Casino Mogul and GOP Power Broker, Dies

LAS VEGASSheldon Adelson, the billionaire mogul and power broker who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China and became a singular force in domestic and international politics has died after a long illness.

Adelson died at 87 from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Las Vegas Sands announced Tuesday.

He was the son of Jewish immigrants, raised with two siblings in a Boston tenement, who over the second half of his life became one of the worlds richest men. The chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. brought singing gondoliers to the Las Vegas Strip and foresaw correctly that Asia would be an even bigger market. In 2018, Forbes ranked him No. 15 in the United States, worth an estimated $35.5 billion.

If you do things differently, success will follow you like a shadow, he said during a 2014 talk to the gambling industry in Las Vegas.

Blunt yet secretive, the squatly-built Adelson resembled an old-fashioned political boss and stood apart from most American Jews, who for decades have supported Democrats by wide margins. Adelson was considered the nations most influential GOP donor over the final years of his life, at times setting records for individual contributions during a given election cycle.

In 2012, Politico called him the dominant pioneer of the super PAC era.

Philanthropist Chief Executive Officer of Las Vegas Sands Sheldon Adelson attends the Israeli American Council National Summit 2019 at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Adelson regularly hosted the partys top strategists and most ambitious candidates at his modest office, wedged among the casinos on the Strip. Throughout, he helped ensure that support of Israel became a pillar of the GOP platform, never more visibly demonstrated than when the Trump administration relocated the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.

More recently, he reportedly purchased the U.S. ambassadors official residence near Tel Aviv for some $67 million.

When asked at a gambling conference what he hoped his legacy would be, Adelson said it wasnt his glitzy casinos or hotels, it was his impact in Israel. He donated $25 million, a record sum for a private citizen, to Israels Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. He established a think tank in Jerusalem. He was closely aligned with the conservative Likud party and funded a widely-read free daily newspaper called Israel Hayom, or Israel Today.

In the United States, Adelson helped underwrite congressional trips to Israel, helped build a new headquarters for the lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and later was a top supporter of the Israeli-American Council, whose conferences have attracted top Republicans (Vice President Mike Pence) and Democrats (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi). He also sponsored Birthright trips to Israel for young Jewish adults.

Adelson was a late bloomer in business and in politics. He didnt become a casino owner, or a Republican, until well into middle age. Through the 1990s and after his wealth soared his engagement in politics intensified. He was a supporter of President George W. Bush and backed Republican Rudolph Giuliani for the 2008 presidential race, before turning to the eventual candidate, Sen. John McCain, who lost to Barack Obama.

Sheldon battled his way out of a tough Boston neighborhood to build a successful enterprise that loyally employed tens of thousandsand entertained millions, said Bush in a prepared statement Tuesday. He was an American patriot and a strong supporter of Israel.

Adelsons leverage grew considerably in 2010 after the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision lifted many restrictions on individual campaign contributions. He and his wife spent more than $90 million on the 2012 election, funding presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and later Mitt Romney, who also lost to Obama.

Im against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections, he told Forbes magazine in 2012. But as long as its doable Im going to do it.

President Donald Trump stands alongside Las Vegas Sands Corporation Chief Executive and Republican mega donor Sheldon Adelson before speaking at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Hollywood, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)

Adelson came around slowly to Trump, who during the campaign had said he would be neutral in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump even ridiculed his initial liking for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, tweeting in 2015: Sheldon Adelson is looking to give big dollars to Rubio because he feels he can mold him into his perfect little puppet. I agree!

Adelson eventually endorsed Trump in 2016. He gave more than $20 million in the final weeks of the campaign after reports that he would contribute $100 million, and was more generous with congressional races.

But after Trumps surprise victory, the new president spoke often with Adelson and embraced his views on the Middle East. He withdrew from the Obama administrations nuclear nonproliferation deal with Iran and he also moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Adelson aided Trump financially, including $5 million for his inauguration, and supported him through his media holdings. Late in 2015, Adelson secretly purchased the Las Vegas Review-Journalthe papers own reporters revealed he was the new ownerand some longtime staffers left in protest.

His wife Miriam Adelson was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump in 2018.

Adelson, who contributed more than $100 million to the 2018 off-year elections, held extraordinary power among Republicans even though he didnt always agree with them. In a 2012 interview with The Wall Street Journal, he called himself basically a social liberal, pro-abortion and supportive of immigrant rights. He cited taxes and differences over Israel as major reasons for leaving the Democratic Party.

His life made him a fearless advocate for freedom and entrepreneurship and a source of counsel and support to a generation of conservatives, including me, said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif).

In Nevada, his influence was such that even the states most prominent Democrat, Sen. Harry Reid, hesitated to take him on. In a 2014 interview with MSNBC, the then-Senate majority leader differentiated between Adelson and fellow GOP billionaire donors Charles and David Koch. Reid had sharply criticized the Koch brothers as callous and greedy, while saying that he respected Adelson because he was not in it to make money.

He had previously told MSNBCs Rachel Maddow that he remained friends with Adelson despite their political differences.

Sheldon Adelson and I still meet and have conversations. He has a problem, I try to help him, Reid said.

U.S. billionaire Sheldon Adelson (R) and wife Miriam Adelson attend the Swarovski show during the Front Row at Shoppes at Parisian in Macau on Sept. 14, 2016. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

Adelson was married twice. He and his first wife, Sandra, were divorced in 1988. Three years later, he married Miriam Farbstein-Ochshorn, an Israeli-born doctor he met on a blind date. Their honeymoon trip to Venice inspired Adelson to raze the historic Sands hotel-casino, once a favorite hangout for Frank Sinatra among others, and replace them with a pair of massive complexes: The Venetian and The Palazzo, one of the citys tallest buildings.

Sheldon Adelson adopted his first wifes three children and had two children with his second wife. Among numerous philanthropic projects, he and Miriam Adelson were especially committed to the research and treatment of substance abuse, a personal cause for Sheldon Adelson. His son Mitchell, from his first marriage, died of an overdose in 2005. Adelson would spend millions opposing state efforts to legalize marijuana.

Adelson was born in 1933 in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. His father was a taxi driver, his mother the manager of a knitting store. A natural entrepreneur, he was selling newspapers by age 12 and running a vending machine business at 16. After dropping out of City College of New York and serving in the Army, he attempted to start dozens of businesses, from toiletries to deicing windshields.

Adelson, who said he disdained email, began to amass his fortune with a technology trade show, starting computer convention COMDEX in 1979 with partners before selling his stake in 1995 for more than $800 million.

When he bought the Sands Hotel in 1989, he was thinking convention space, not just gambling, would make money. It did. He built a convention hall to keep his hotel rooms full on weekdays and others soon followed the business model. Meanwhile, he began to replicate the Strip in Macao, the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.

When faced with water and marsh land, Adelson directed his company to build land where there wasnt any, piling sand up to create the Cotai Peninsula. Soon his Macao revenue outstripped that of his Las Vegas holdings. He later expanded his business to Singapore, where his Marina Bay Sands hotel and its infinity pool were featured in the hit film Crazy Rich Asians, and had been pressing to open a casino in Japan.

His Macao business also spawned a long-running wrongful termination lawsuit brought by a former chief of Sands China Ltd. who accused Adelson and the company of firing him for exposing a host of misdeeds. Adelson often clashed with attorneys while appearing on a Clark County courtrooms witness stand.

The Sands China lawsuit was among dozens involving Adelson, whose cases included his suing a Wall Street Journal reporter for calling him foul-mouthed (the parties settled, the words remained) to being sued by his sons from his first marriage for cheating them out of money (he won).

A long-running feud with fellow casino tycoon Steve Wynn turned to friendship when Wynn joined Adelsons effort to end online gambling. Critics said Adelson was trying to stifle competition. Adelson countered that there was no way to ensure children and teenagers wouldnt gamble and said he was not in favor of it exploiting the worlds most vulnerable people.
Connecticuts U.S. senators said Monday they believe violent threats against the federal government will persist, raising particular concerns about President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration next week and pressing for investigations into the security collapse that led to a siege of the Capitol.

I think you have to assume that this insurgency against the federal government is going to continue into 2021 and there will be many other moments when the White House or the Capitol complex will be at risk, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said at the state Capitol in Hartford.

Congressional leaders are now speaking with federal officials to amp up security around the inauguration on Jan. 20. The National Guard said Wednesday it will increase troops in Washington D.C. to at least 10,000 by Saturday to boost security ahead of the inauguration four days later.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said people should beware what may happen on Jan. 20 because domestic terrorism is a growing threat in this country.

An FBI bulletin issued Sunday, obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, said various groups planned armed demonstrations in Washington D.C. and all 50 state capitals in the days leading up to and including the inauguration. Multiple reports indicate various threats to harm President-elect Biden ahead of the presidential inauguration, the memo says. Additional reports indicate threats against VP-Elect Harris and Speaker Pelosi.

Murphy, who has spoken with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy and the outgoing Capitol Police chief about the attack last week, said it was clear that approval was needed from too many people before the National Guard could be deployed to the U.S. Capitol. That delayed the Guards arrival by several hours and left the Capitol Police defending without much back-up.

The approval process involved the Capitol Police chief, the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms, Washington D.C. mayor and top Department of Defense officials.

Murphy said he hopes to simplify the required chain of approval before the inauguration, so one person will be in charge. He and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., asked the Pentagon Monday to speed up future deployments of armed forces to the Capitol.

You have to be much more worried about the upcoming activities and whether they are going to be heavily armed, Murphy said. One of our fears is law enforcement will get outgunned.

RELATED: Himes, DeLauro were in House chamber breached by Trump mob

Many members of Congress are furious about the breach of the Capitol Wednesday, which forced lawmakers into lockdown and left five people dead after President Donald Trump encouraged thousands of his supporters to march on the Capitol. Democrats plan to impeach Trump for inciting violence against the government and some Republicans support the idea too.

All members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation back a second impeachment for Trump  something which would be a first for any U.S. president.

Members of Congress are also investigating how the U.S. Capitol was left so exposed when clear evidence pointed to the possibility of violence before the attack Wednesday. House Appropriations Chair, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, announced last week that her committee, which funds the Capitol Police, will review law enforcements response and hold hearings to question officials about it.

We recognize the bravery of the Capitol Police and law enforcement officers who protected members and essential workers in the Capitol Complex, DeLauro said. At the same time, it is obvious that there was a severe systemic failure in securing the buildings perimeter and in the response once the building was breached.

Murphy, a ranking member on the Senate subcommittee that funds the Capitol Police has also promised an investigation.

Blumenthal, by contrast, advocated for an independent commission to look into the issue, like the 9/11 Commission after the attacks in 2001.

The U.S. Capitol Police has primary responsibility for security of the Capitol complex. On Wednesday, 1,400 Capitol Police officers were on duty to respond to 8,000 Trump supporters descending on the Capitol, the Washington Post reported. They were overrun in 15 minutes.

In a press conference Monday, Murphy challenged an account Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund gave to the Washington Post about how he pleaded for back-up help two days before the breach of the Capitol, but was rebuffed by the sergeants-at-arms for the House and Senate. Murphy said he spoke to the outgoing Sund last week on Wednesday night and Thursday, and Sund did not say he wanted back up from the National Guard either time they spoke.

I was surprised to see his comments today, Murphy said.

Members of the National Guard did eventually provide reinforcement at the Capitol, as did local police, Park Police and Federal Bureau of Investigations officers.

emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
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The wedding bell is tolling for former speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole, three years after he divorced his first wif...

The wedding bell is tolling for former speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole, three years after he divorced his first wife.

Bankole will on Friday 15 January tie the nuptial knot with Miss Aisha Shinkafi Saidu, granddaughter, of Umaru Shinkafi, former head of Nigerias security organisation.

Aisha is also daughter of Kebbi Governor, Atiku Bagudu, who doubles as chairman of the APC Governors Forum

The bride, is a lawyer and graduate of the University of Hull in the UK.

The brides mother is Shinkafis daughter and a sister to the former Zamfara Governor, Aliyu Shinkafi.

A statement from the Bankole family of Iporo, Abeokuta disclosed that a quiet introduction between the two families had taken place.

At the introduction, Sokoto Governor and Bankoles successor as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, led the grooms family to the brides family home to seek her hand in marriage.

Tambuwal, who chairs the PDP Governors Forum will also be on hand to lead Dimeji Bankoles family to the solemnisation ceremony.
The president-elect offered his comments shortly after publicly receiving a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a hospital in Newark, Delaware, part of his effort to convince Americans that the inoculations are safe.

He said Monday of the rioters, "It is critically important that there'll be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable." Biden also told reporters, "I'm not afraid of taking the oath outside," referring to next week's swearing-in ceremony, which traditionally takes place at the U.S. Capitol's west steps, one of the areas where people stormed the building.

President-elect Joe Biden said it is his "hope and expectation" that the Senate could simultaneously hold an impeachment trial and confirm his Cabinet appointments after he takes office, while also approving more aid for the flagging U.S. economy wreaked by the soaring coronavirus pandemic.

With the Democrats holding a slim majority, the House could vote on the impeachment resolution in the next day or two. A total of 218 Democrats have signed on to the resolution, ensuring a majority in the 435-member House without any Republican votes against the outgoing Republican president. But it is unclear whether House leaders would immediately send the resolution to the Senate for a trial on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office, given that his term ends next week.

Even though Trump's four-year term expires at noon January 20, the four-page impeachment resolution said Trump has "demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law."

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives moved Monday to impeach President Donald Trump in the waning days of his presidency, accusing him of "incitement of insurrection" in last week's storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters seeking to overturn his reelection defeat.

Even if Trump has already left office, a Senate impeachment conviction after his term ends could mean he would not hold federal office again. While Democrats pushed for impeachment, House Republicans blocked a tandem Democratic effort calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to try to remove Trump as incapacitated to continue to stay in office.

The four-page impeachment resolution cites Trump's unfounded accusations that he was cheated out of a second four-year term by vote and vote-counting irregularities, his pressure on election officials in the southern state of Georgia to "find" him more than 11,000 votes to overtake Biden's margin of victory in the state, and his statements at a rally last Wednesday urging thousands of supporters to march to the Capitol to pressure lawmakers to overturn the election outcome.

Trump, banned from Twitter for his false, incendiary comments alleging election fraud, has not publicly commented on the effort to impeach him a second time, which would give him a singular distinction among 45 U.S. presidents in the 245-year history of the United States. The House impeached him the first time in late 2019, accusing him of trying to get Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden ahead of last November's election, but the Senate acquitted Trump in early February.

At last Wednesday's rally near the White House, Trump told several thousand people, "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." The largely white mob that walked to the Capitol quickly overwhelmed police there, storming inside in droves, breaking windows, ransacking some congressional offices and scuffling with security officials.

Dozens of Trump supporters have been arrested and authorities are scouring security videos and social media accounts the rioters posted of themselves inside the Capitol to identify other wrongdoers. Five people died in the mayhem, including a police officer whose death is being investigated as a homicide.

In a letter to House Democrats late Sunday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "We will act with urgency, because this president represents an imminent threat. The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this president is intensified and so is the immediate need for action."

Pence has given no indication that he will play a role in trying to oust his boss before Trump's term ends. However, to Trump's anger, Pence refused his entreaties to disavow the certification of the Electoral College outcome last week that showed Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had defeated Trump and Pence to oust them after a single four-year term in office.

Trump has refused to concede his defeat or call Biden with congratulations, but he has acknowledged there will be a "new administration" come Jan. 20. Trump has announced that he will not attend Biden's inauguration, ignoring a long-standing tradition in the U.S. of an outgoing chief executive witnessing his successor take office as a show of the peaceful transition in power in the U.S. democracy.

Pence, however, does plan to attend the ceremony on the steps of the Capitol, which will be down-scaled significantly because of the surging number of coronavirus cases in the U.S.
Some 24,257 foreign cars were sold in Korea last month, an increase of 9.8 percent on-year.

Despite the coronavirus epidemic, tax breaks for new vehicle buyers and the roll-out of new models propelled sales.

Mercedes-Benz came in first, followed by BMW, but Audi and Volkswagen's sales also grew markedly. Sales of the four German automakers in Korea had been impacted by a diesel-emission-rigging scandal in 2015.


[January 12, 2021] Dieli Murawka Howe Foodservice Design & Consulting Promotes Amy Dieli to Vice President of Operations

Dieli Murawka Howe ("DMH") Foodservice Design & Consulting, an industry leader and innovator in the highly specialized field of foodservice design, has promoted Amy Dieli to Vice President of Operations, effective January 1, 2021. In her new role, Amy will work closely with the leadership team to maximize and optimize all business functions, including accounting, contracts, insurance, and proposal requests. She will also support operations and be responsible for project management, strategic planning, and implementation of processes, projects, and procedures. As Vice President of Operations, Amy will continue to report directly to Richard V. Dieli, FCSI MA MBA, Founder and Design Principal at DMH. "Since joining DMH over seven years ago, Amy has shown an aptitude for operational excellence that not only produces effective outcomes for all stakeholders but are key to the growth and success of our company," Richard Dieli said. "This promotion is well deserved and reflects her contributions to the team and DMH's position as an industry leader in foodservice design."



This promotion comes on the heels of the company's partnership with the Architecture for Education ("A4E"), who received the 2020 Learning by Design Honorable Mention Award for the Boys Republic, Max Scott Culinary Arts Center in Chino Hills, California. About Dieli Murawka Howe Foodservice Design & Consulting

Over the past 40 years, Dieli Murawka Howe Foodservice Design & Consulting has built a reputation as an industry leader and innovator in the highly specialized field of foodservice design. DMH is committed to providing quality and functional foodservice design in a collaborative process that meets each client's needs. DMH design teams are experts in project analysis, design, contract drawings, specifications, budgeting, and contract administration. DMH leverages its proven expertise in School Nutrition Programs (SNP) and California Department of Education's Cafeteria Special Revenue Fund (Fund 13) used to account separately for federal, state, and local resources to assist our clients in optimizing their food service programs. For more information about Dieli Murawka Howe ("DMH") Foodservice Design & Consulting, please visit www.dmhfoodservicedesign.com and follow DMH on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005181/en/

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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
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 12) stayed the implementation of new farm laws till further orders. The top court also decided to set up a 4-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

NCP president Sharad Pawar welcomed the top court's decision to stay the implementation of three farm laws and set up of a panel to resolve the impasse. In a tweet, Pawar said "A welcome decision taken by the Apex Court of India to put on hold the implementation of three farm bills and set up a four-member committee to resolve the issues. #SupremeCourt #FarmLaws."

Last month, Pawar, who was the Union agriculture minister from 2004 to 2014 in the Manmohan Singh government, along with other opposition leaders including Congress's Rahul Gandhi met President Ram Nath Kovind and sought a repeal of the three farm laws.

A section of JJP MLAs said that the Centre should repeal the three farm laws or it will cost the ruling BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana "heavily", hours before their party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Chautala and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar are scheduled to meet Shah in the national capital, and they will be accompanied by BJP state president O P Dhankar.

DMK President MK Stalin welcomed the apex court`s decision to stay the three farm laws. In a tweet, Stalin said: "I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court to stay the farm laws in the cases filed by various parties including DMK."

Stalin said, "This is a victory for farmers protesting across India," urging the Centre to commit to repealing the three farm laws in the next Parliament Session.

The reaction of farmer leaders

Farmer leaders welcomed the apex court's order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday and said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.

Speaking to media after the SC order, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, "Our protest will continue. We are demanding that the government repeal the three laws and also make a law to guarantee Minimum Support Price (MSP) for our produce."

Live TV

Tikait said farmers will continue the protest, regardless of the number of days it takes, adding that he will discuss the Supreme Court order of putting the three farm laws on hold with other farmer leaders.

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action.

The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha. "We welcome the court's order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the controversial farm laws till further orders on Tuesday and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmers' unions protesting at Delhi's borders over the legislations. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it will pass an order to this effect.

The committee will look into the farmers' grievances against the three laws. The four members of the committee set up by the apex court are BKU president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Shetkeri Sangathana, Maharashtra president Anil Ghanwat, Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.

The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the three laws -- the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- against which several petitions have been filed challenging their constitutional validity.

Press Release

12 January 2021

The World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH) is joining forces with new member Charitable Travel to make it easy for travel consumers to donate to registered charities doing good work around the world.



With the motto, "for charity, not for profit", Charitable Travel has been launched as a new social enterprise and financially protected travel agency.

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Charitable Travel offers a wide range of global travel experiences around the world: beach holidays, cruises, adventure and outdoors, responsible travel and more.

"We are a true not-for-private-profit social enterprise with the aim of giving back to the world," said Melissa Tilling, CEO and founder of Charitable Travel. "We also pride ourselves in offering travel expertise, a wide choice of holiday options, quality, great value and a unique way of creating travel-for-good for our customers."

When consumers anywhere in the world book a holiday or cruise with Charitable Travel, it sacrifices its travel agency commission. This allows bookers to make a 5% donation to a choice of 167,000 UK-registered charities, many of which have projects around the world. The consumer makes the fiscal donation through the JustGiving website which makes the process safe and easy.

The consumer then returns to the Charitable Travel website to apply the 5% discount to the price of the travel booking. So, for example, a US$1,000 holiday only costs the consumer US$950, with US$50 going to the charity of the traveller's choice.

As a social enterprise, any net profit that Charitable Travel makes at the end of the year has to be donated to charity.

"We have effectively replaced private shareholders with public beneficiaries," said Ms Tilling.

Acknowledging that there aren't many travel bookings anywhere at the moment, she said: "Covid-19 is the crisis now. But Charitable Travel is here for the future."

As a social enterprise, philanthropy is enshrined in the governing documents of Charitable Travel. The Charitable Travel Foundation is the registered charity beneficiary of the surplus profit created from selling travel and holidays.

The charity, of which Tilling is also a trustee, seeks hotels, tour operators, airlines and ancillary travel support companies to pledge transactional support, for example 1 (US$1.35) per booking by travel companies. This allows organisations of any size to donate to the Fund. Money raised is already helping unemployed hotel staff in Siem Reap, Cambodia and a women's group in Guinea, West Africa.

WTACH CEO Chris Flynn said that WTACH's ethos is fully aligned with Charitable Travel and the Foundation's agenda: prevention or relief of poverty or financial hardship, the relief of sickness, injury, disease, and other suffering and the advancement of vocational education and training to aid recovery or diversification.

Three videos here give further information on exactly how Charitable Travel does good.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The United Nations has warned on that a U.S. move to designate Yemen's Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization is "likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :The United Nations has warned on that a U.S. move to designate Yemen's Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization is "likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions." The decision over the designation was announced by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who issued a statement on Sunday saying that his aim was to hold what he described as the "deadly Iran backed militia group" accountable for attacks that have threatened civilians, infrastructure and shipping.

Pompeo referenced the 30 December attack on Aden Airport, which killed at least 26 people and injured more than 50.

The US chief diplomat will present his plan to Congress on 19 January and, if the US follows through on his threat, imports of food, and other essential items, could be negatively impacted, at a time when more Yemenis are starving, Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson warned, briefing correspondents at UN Headquarters on Monday.

Pompeo's statement on Sunday acknowledged concerns that the designations would have an "impact on the humanitarian situation in Yemen", adding that the US would put in place measures to reduce their impact.

Dujarric called for the US to ensure that licenses and exemptions are granted, so that humanitarian assistance continues to reach the people who need it, and the private sector can continue to function, in order to stave off complete economic collapse and large-scale famine.

The huge humanitarian operation in the country  the largest in the world  cannot replace the private sector or compensate for major drops in commercial imports, he said.

The political process in Yemen also risks being destabilized as a result of the terrorist designation, continued Mr. Dujarric, and the positions of the opposing sides in the conflict that has riven the country since 2015, could become even more polarized.

According to figures released by the UN in December, more than 230,000 Yemenis have died due to the war, mostly because of a lack of food, health services and infrastructure.

Dujarric pledged that the UN will continue to work with all parties to "resume and continue an inclusive political process to reach a comprehensive negotiated settlement to end the conflict".
Washington: A day before rioters stormed Congress, an FBI office in Virginia issued an explicit internal warning that extremists were preparing to travel to Washington to commit violence and "war", according to an internal document reviewed by The Washington Post that contradicts a senior official's declaration that the bureau had no intelligence indicating that anyone at last week's pro-Trump protest planned to do harm.

A situational information report approved for release the day before the Capitol riot painted a dire portrait of dangerous plans, including individuals sharing a map of the complex's tunnels, and possible rally points for would-be conspirators to meet up in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina and head in groups to Washington.

"As of 5 January 2021, FBI Norfolk received information indicating calls for violence in response to 'unlawful lockdowns' to begin on 6 January 2021 in Washington DC," the document says. "An online thread discussed specific calls for violence to include stating 'Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal."

BLM is a reference to the Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice. Pantifa is a derogatory term for antifa, a far-left anti-fascist movement whose adherents sometimes engage in violent clashes with right-wing extremists.
Now the hospital is gobbling up homes in the 600 block of Maple Avenue, and wants the village to rezone them to a hospital district. The hospital flat out refuses to reveal what it plans to do with the properties. This marks a new low in the hospitals longstanding lack of transparency and neighborhood engagement.
Pennsylvania officials say unclear communication from the federal government and reporting delays have much do with data that appears to show Pennsylvania behind many other states in getting COVID-19 vaccine to residents.

In a Tuesday afternoon update, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the state has distributed about 311,000 doses, with about 30,000 people having received the second of two doses needed for the vaccine to have full effect. She said 16,925 doses had been administered since Monday. The state expected to receive another 138,000 doses throughout the week.

Federal data as of Tuesday afternoon listed Pennsylvania as having received about 975,000 doses since vaccine first became available late last month. The state had vaccinated about 2.7 out of every 100 residents  putting it behind more than 30 other states. The leading state, West Virginia, had vaccinated about 5.8 of every 100 residents.

However, Gov. Tom Wolf said Pennsylvanias pace for vaccinating its residents is slightly ahead of the national average and praised the state health department for doing a phenomenal job of rolling out vaccine.

Nationally, states had received about 28 million doses as of Tuesday afternoon and had administered about 9.3 million doses, according to the federal data.

Levine said federal vaccine distribution numbers for Pennsylvania arent entirely accurate, with the state sometimes still waiting for vaccine listed as distributed. She also said uncertainty over exactly when vaccine will be delivered is causing delays. For example, she said Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at an ultra-cold temperature, needs to warm up about a day before it can be used. Not knowing exactly when it will arrive can interfere with planning and carrying out distribution clinics, she said.

She also said there can be a gap of a day or more between when doses are given and when it shows up in the states results. And with nursing homes, where vaccine is being distributed by pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS under a federal contract, it takes about three days to receive numbers of doses given, Levine said.

Overall, Levine said the pace of vaccination is picking up speed in Pennsylvania and she believes the state is doing an especially good job of getting vaccine to high-priority groups. So far, doses have been restricted mostly to front line health care workers and nursing home residents and staff.

On Tuesday, the federal government said it will be releasing more of the available doses to states  it had previously held back a second dose for each person who is vaccinated. Now, Alex Azur, the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says he has confidence vaccine production can keep up, making it unnecessary to hold back doses.

Also, federal officials revised distribution guidelines, urging states to expand availability to everyone over 65.

Levine on Tuesday afternoon said she needed to study the new guidelines, but was comfortable with the idea, which is intended to get more vaccine to more people sooner. She repeated her earlier view that, if all the high priority people have been vaccinated at a clinic and theres still vaccine available, the vaccine should be given to lower priority people rather than risk wasting it.

RELATED: When can you get the COVID-19 vaccine? Heres what you need to know

Levine also noted Pennsylvania will receive about $100 million from the recently passed federal stimulus bill toward vaccinations and said the money will help cover things such as large vaccination clinics.

Its still expected to take about two months or more until all frontline health care workers, essential workers and people at high risk are vaccinated. At that point, vaccine will be made available to everyone who wants it at locations including pharmacies. The vaccine is free.
What just happened? It's been quite some time since a Star Wars game has been released under the Lucasfilm Games banner. However, as of yesterday, the brand has officially been revived, paving the way for a "new era" of Star Wars titles across a variety of platforms. It's largely a symbolic gesture, but a welcome and nostalgic one nonetheless.

Before you get too excited, let's make one thing clear: this does not mean that Electronics Arts will be losing its exclusive Star Wars license, nor does it mean that Lucasfilm Games will immediately begin publishing its own full-fledged AAA titles again.

According to Disney, the brand will continue to work "in collaboration" with the "finest studios" across the industry, which, for console and PC, effectively just means EA. At least, for a couple more years (when EA's license expires).

As for what this brand revival means for the future, it's difficult to say. At the very least, the Lucasfilm Games logo is likely to appear in all future Star Wars games, from EA or otherwise.

Beyond that, though, this seems like more of a symbolic gesture than anything. If Disney's goal was to capitalize on the nostalgia many gamers feel for games like Knights of the Old Republic and the Jedi Academy series, it will probably achieve that. But we're not sure what other purpose this announcement serves.

Nonetheless, Disney has opened up two social media profiles for Lucasfilm Games, on Facebook and Twitter. Interested fans can stay tuned to those accounts for "breaking news and more" when the time comes.
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The kiranas will source goods from the retail giant or elsewhere in case it is not available with Reliance Retail.

In a marked change in its strategy, Reliance Retail will rope in kirana stores as franchise partners to sell products while completely moving away from the direct sale of packaged food, grocery and FMCG products on its JioMart platform.

"This marks a shift in strategy that differentiates it from other big e-grocery platforms such as BigBasket, Amazon and Grofers," said a report in The Economic Times.

According to the report, Reliance Retail will continue to sell perishables items on its own. The kiranas will source goods from the retail giant or elsewhere in case it is not available with Reliance Retail.

The Economic Times report further said that Reliance Industries will shelve its B2B cash-and-carry store format and turn Reliance Market into B2B delivery of products to kirana stores.

In December last year, The Times of India in a report said that JioMart was servicing nearly 5 lakh daily orders on average.

Citing a JPMorgan study, Business Insider said in a piece that "JioMart has already crossed BigBasket and Grofers in terms of daily active users" and already registering a million daily active users and 2.3 million active users every month.

According to a CNBC-TV18 report, in March last year, Reliance Industries had expanded its JioMart service to customers across several cities, after successfully conducting a pilot across areas in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan.

In July last year, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani had said while addressing 43rd AGM that JioMart will cover electronics, pharma, fashion and healthcare going ahead.

"JioMart and WhatsApp will be working together with Kirana stores. WhatsApp's 400 million users bring unique value to Jio-Facebook partnership," Ambani said.

Ambani said Reliance Retail was Indias largest and most profitable retail business. "In the last five years, retail business revenue has grown 8x and profits 11x."

"Our growth model is based on partnership with small merchants. We have successfully piloted JioMart grocery delivery and reached over 2.50 lakh orders per day on JioMart," he said.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, of which Firstpost is a part
Authorities in Georgias oldest city say they saw no deaths from fires in 2020, the first time thats happened in a decade.

The Savannah Fire Department said in a news release it responded to 920 fires last year, but nobody died. Savannah wasnt so fortunate during the previous nine years. The department says 41 people died as a result of fires between 2011 and 2019.

Despite the increased number of people working and studying from home in 2020, fire incidents are down, and we made it through a tumultuous year without a single fire-related death, Savannah Fire Chief Derik Minard said.

He credited not only his departments effectiveness at fighting fires, but also its efforts toward fire prevention and education.

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

Topics Trends Georgia
[January 12, 2021] Slice Announces New Board Member

Slice - the innovative tech platform powering America's local pizzerias - announced today that Kat Cole has joined its board of directors. Cole has an impressive background as a strategic leader with deep experience with omnichannel consumer brands, global expansion, restaurant operations, and franchising. She spent the last decade at Focus Brands in progressively larger executive roles, first as the president of Cinnabon, then as group president of Focus Brands overseeing licensing, manufacturing, and CPG, and finally as chief operating officer (COO) and president of Focus Brands for the last four years. As COO, she was responsible for all seven of its global brands: Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe's, McAlister's, Schlotzsky's, and Jamba, as well as the Licensing and International divisions responsible for building the brands in over 55 countries. Cole is credited for driving the turnaround of the Cinnabon business, building that franchise and its multi-channel business into a $1B brand, and for leading strong teams, innovation, and organizational change to support the growth of the company, franchisees, and brands. "We are so pleased to have Kat join the Slice board. Her significant experience growing companies will undoubtedly help Slice achieve our long-term business objectives," said Ilir Sela, founder and CEO of Slice. "She's a powerful operator and change agent with industry-specific experience and a dee understanding of how technology is reshaping restaurants and retail. She will bring valued expertise to Slice - especially as we double-down on our growth and Slice Accelerate."



Slice recently announced its 2021 goal of $1B in GMV (News - Alert) at the recent Goldman Sachs Private Innovative Company Conference, signaling the company's rapid growth. In June 2020, Slice announced that it had surpassed $1B in cumulative sales since its founding in 2010. About Slice

Slice transforms independent pizzerias with the specialized technology, marketplace, data insights, digital marketing, and business services they need to serve today's digital-minded customers, all at a low fixed cost per order. Enabling these small businesses to thrive in today's competitive environment, Slice makes it easy for customers to order from their go-to shops and discover their next favorite. Serial entrepreneur Ilir Sela started Slice to solve his family's New York City pizzerias' digital challenges. Today, the company partners with over 14,000 pizzerias across 3,000 cities in all 50 states forming the nation's largest digital marketplace for authentic pizza. For more information on Slice's product and company, visit slicelife.com, and follow Slice on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005385/en/

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Care home bosses ignited fury after boasting online about being vaccinated  while residents and frontline staff are forced to wait.

Relatives are angry that seemingly healthy executives  one of whom is just 40  have received their jab while their loved ones remain at risk.

In one case, the leader of one of Britain's biggest care providers was vaccinated before Christmas, despite not visiting any homes during the pandemic.

Controversial: Hayden Knight, above, is given his vaccine

Dr Pete Calveley is given his vaccination

Just 14 per cent of frontline carers have so far received a jab even though the Government says its 'top priority' is to get staff and residents in care homes vaccinated first.

The Mail can reveal three chief executives, in charge of more than 300 care homes between them, have posted photos of themselves on social media being vaccinated since Christmas. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing because it is 'up to care home providers how they prioritise vaccinating their workforce', according to the Department of Health. Nonetheless, it has provoked anger among many relatives of residents.

In a post on social media, the chief executive of Orchard Care Homes told of his delight at being 'one of the first people in the in the country' to receive the Oxford vaccine on January 4.

Hayden Knight, 40, would normally run the company's 24 care homes from an office in Harrogate but is currently working from home.

The Facebook post was taken down after the daughter of an 83-year-old at one of the company's homes in Sunderland complained.

Tania Le Marinel said her mother Edith was isolating after the home's second Covid outbreak in under a month, with none of the 42 carers or residents having had their first jab.

She said: 'I was so appalled they would be insensitive enough to post that. He could do his job from his office or on Zoom.' A spokesman said Mr Knight visited a different care home once a week and that nearly half of the company's staff and residents had received their first jab.

Tania Le Marinel, with her sister, niece, and her 83-year-old mother Edith behind the window

The chief executive of Barchester Healthcare, Dr Pete Calveley, 60, was pictured on Facebook receiving a Pfizer jab on December 23.

He has not been going into the company's 200-plus care homes  where fewer than a fifth of residents have been vaccinated.

The daughter of a resident of 82 with Alzheimer's at a Barchester home in Chester said she was 'incensed'. Jenny Townsend said a jab was her only hope of seeing her 'rapidly deteriorating' mother. 'It is simply unjust,' she added.

A Barchester spokesman said Dr Calveley normally visited many of its 200 plus care homes regularly and, as soon as is allowed, intended to again. He added that senior staff had had the jab to reassure workers and residents it was safe.

The chief executive of Methodist Homes, Sam Monaghan, 59, tweeted a picture of himself with his vaccination card. He also said he had the jab to encourage residents and staff to do so.
It looks like many artists and venues have settled into a virtual groove. Fans are finding ways to keep the blues alive, and every so often, a live show takes place. Looking towards summer 2021, festival groups are making optimistic plans.

Paul Gabriel got a nice surprise last week when Brian M. Owens of Blues Music Magazine published a list of Top Ten Blues albums for 2020 from multiple writers and reviewers. His Man Of Many Blues appeared on this list. Quite an honor.

A group has been created for those people who want to play Rockabilly and related styles such as Jump Blues, Western Swing, Tex Mex, and early Rock and Roll. It is also opened to anyone who enjoys that music style. You are invited to post your favorite songs and artists. Go to CT Rockabilly on Facebook.

The Balkun Brothers are hosting an album release party live at The Falcon on Saturday at 7 p.m. They have returned with their most powerful album yet, Here Comes the End of the World, produced by the underground rock legend, Steve Albini and mastered at Thirdman Records by Bill Skibbe.

The power duo from Hartford is planning this as a special socially distanced album release party at The Falcon in Marlboro, New York. The Brothers will be playing their new album in its entirety along with some other very exciting surprises. There is limited seating and this is a reservation only event with strict social distancing protocols. To reserve your table: https://www.liveatthefalcon.com/

Blues Beat just heard that Walter Trout pulled into Don Odells Legends Studios, ready to give us all a lesson on how its done. Live, loud and raw, is the way they like it. Odell is all about showcasing the musicianship and their music. You can check out other shows by the likes of Chris Duarte, Jimmy Thackery, Joe Louis Walker, Ana Popovic, Royal Southern Brotherhood and many more. You can find Don Odells Legends on FaceBook.

As you know, after 22 consecutive years of bringing the blues to a family farm in Pennsylvania, the Briggs Farm Blues Festival was forced to postpone its 2020 event due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The festival confirmed this week its planning to move forward with its weekend of live music and social gatherings for July 8-10, 2021. They will have the same lineup of musicians planned for 2020. It includes a mixture of established blues acts who grace international and national stages, homegrown artists, and local talent from Northeastern Pennsylvania. Two stages will feature over 20 acts from various genres, including eclectic blues, delta-style blues, Americana roots music, soul, and a bit of funk. Tickets go on sale Jan. 15 at noon. Children 12 and under are free.

Festival president Richard Briggs said, Live music creates a special thread of connection. Theres no limit to what music can do to bring us all together, and we need that more than ever.

Blues Beat has often mentioned visiting Clarksdale Mississippi. Another place to visit for a taste of blues history when normalcy returns is The Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Arkansas. It is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. They are dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the Arkansas Delta. Visit them and experience what the Delta has to offer. Places to get information include: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvnTVS6RAnPmUV_G_Z53otA or https://www.instagram.com/deltaculturalcenter

Thursday, the center hosts the legendary King Biscuit Time and Helena is the site of the King Biscuit Blues Festival.

The 24th annual Maple Blues Awards will stream from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver across February Mondays for 90 minutes segments beginning February 1st, at 8 pm. Multiple Maple Blues Awards winners have been selected to host and perform. The 24th Annual Maple Blues Awards will be streamed via Facebook. More information as we get closer to the show date.

Are you a songwriter or music publisher concerned about receiving royalties from streaming services? The Mechanical Licensing Collective may be a useful resource. The MLC (based in Nashville) was created by the U.S. Copyright Office in response to the Music Modernization Act 2018.

Starting in January 2021, The MLC will strive to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time. For more information go to https://www.themlc.com/

Also connect with timely information from The Recording Academy about federal legislation relevant to the music industry. Go to: https://www.grammy.com/advocacy.

The 2021 GRAMMY Awards have been postponed, due to the ongoing pandemic. A statement from the awards executive producer Ben Winston, the Recording Academy's Harvey Mason Jr. and Jack Sussman of CBS, said: After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host, and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd GRAMMY Awards to March 14th 2021.

Any questions or comments should be sent to Domenic Forcella at TWBlus@aol.com.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:26:20|Editor: huaxia

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Team members lead the yaks slowly down the mountain during a border patrol in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 25, 2020. A division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Yecheng County of Tumxuk is stationed in the hinterland of the Kunlun Mountains at an average altitude of about 4,000 meters. A team in the Corps regularly heads towards the mountain peaks and patrols the border with yaks. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
The Ukrainian military returned fire several times to the attacks by the Russian Federation's armed formations.

The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported one killed in action (KIA) amid 10 violations of the latest ceasefire agreement by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Monday, January 11.

"In the past day, January 11, as many as 10 ceasefire violations were recorded in the area the Joint Forces Operation (JFO)," the press center of the Ukrainian JFO Command said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on January 12, 2021.

In particular, the Russian Federation's armed formations fired grenade launchers of various systems, a heavy machine gun and rifles near the village of Pisky.

Read alsoDonbas war update: Ukraine records two ceasefire violations on Jan 10Also, the Russian occupation forces used hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and rifles near the town of Avdiyivka, as well as anti-tank grenade launchers near the village of Pavlopil.

What is more, the enemy fired automatic rifles near the village of Vodiane, as well as automatic and sniper rifles near the occupied city of Donetsk.

"One Ukrainian soldier was killed as a result of enemy shelling. The Ukrainian military returned fire several times to the attacks by the Russian Federation's armed formations," reads the report.

An enemy UAV was also spotted near the town of Krasnohorivka, crossing the contact line before being neutralized.

The violations were reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of the ceasefire in Donbas.

Since Tuesday midnight, two ceasefire violations have been recorded in the area the Joint Forces Operation. In particular, the Russian Federation's armed formations fired proscribed 82mm mortars and rifles near Vodiane, as well as the same type of weapons and automatic grenade launchers near Pisky.

The Ukrainian troops fired back, the JFO HQ said.

No casualties have been reported since Tuesday midnight.

The situation is under full control of the Ukrainian military.

Donbas ceasefire: Background

Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27.

On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has reported more such violations over the latest period.

Reporting by UNIAN
Ungermann is fighting the charges, which involve claims about a girl, 16

'I have... weathered the abuse of the sheep who follow the headlines'

Claims last year he witnessed the 'ugly side' of people and the media

Daily Mail Australia revealed he had been charged with sexual assault

Ben Ungermann was dumped from MasterChef: Back to Win just episodes in

The MasterChef star dumped from the show after child sex charges has published a blistering post slamming abuse from 'sheep who follow headlines' and revealing he has lost friends.

Ben Ungermann, 33, was dumped from the 2020 'Back to Win' season of the high-rating cooking show after just a handful of episodes.

The Queensland-raised chef, who is fighting three charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, broke his silence to lash out at trolls and reflect on last year as the 'toughest' of his life, when he was exposed to the 'ugly side' of society.

'I have kept quiet for a long time and weathered the abuse of the sheep who follow the headlines and know nothing about me,' he wrote recently.

'I've yet to have my chance to speak but my time will come'.

Ben Ungermann recently broke up a long series of workout selfies (above) and cooking tips posted in the past year to address his difficult 2020

The Dutch-Indonesian chef said the year had taught him he had a small circle, and he made cryptic references to the apparent end of friendships.

'My circle is small. Actually the smallest it's ever been and I'm OK with that. Not all friendships end with a bang.

'Not all friendships end with a door being slammed in your face. Sometimes that door just imperceptibly swings shut, without so much a squeak or a creak.'

The chef said he'd learned that blood 'is thicker than water' and that he was lucky to have his family around him.

He described 2020 as involving 'heartbreaks and hardship'.

When the show kicked off last year, vague reports surfaced that Ungermann had been arrested and wasn't going to continue on MasterChef.

Celebrity chef Jock Zonfrillo addressed the matter briefly for viewers, saying simply that Ungermann had left the show due to a 'personal matter'.

Last May, Daily Mail Australia revealed the nature of that matter: Ungermann had been charged with three sexual assault offences.

Another one of a long series of workout photos Ungermann has uploaded in the past year

The beginning of Ungermann's blistering post, published on December 30

In court documents, Victoria Police accuse Ungermann of intentionally touching his alleged teenage victim without her consent at least three times.

One of the charges includes graphic detail of one of the alleged attacks against the young girl.

Police alleged that the girl claimed on Sunday, February 23, Ungermann 'sexually touched her right breast skin-to-skin' against her wishes.

Prosecutor Stephen Payne said police intended to call four child witnesses to give evidence against Ungermann - each of them from interstate - at a hearing.

Ungermann was the runner-up in the 2017 competition, the show's ninth season, and briefly appeared on last year's 'Back To Win' reunion series

Ungermann hit Instagram in late March as police investigated the allegations

Magistrate Andrew Capell heard 13 witnesses would be called in total, including five other interstate witnesses, one from Melbourne, and three police officers.

At the time, Mr Payne told the court there was now no hope of the matter resolving and it would need to be contested at court.

'That won't change,' he said.

The preliminary hearing, which will determine if Ungermann goes to a jury trial at the County Court of Victoria, is expected to take seven days.

The case returns to court on May 21.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness

By Long Island Published: January 12 2021

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the opening of a new COVID-19 vaccine distribution center,

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the opening of a new COVID-19 vaccine distribution center, in partnership between the County, Northwell Health and New York State at the Yes We Can Community Center in Westbury. The vaccines will be administered by Nassau County Department of Health staff, Members of Nassau Countys Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) with assistance from Northwell Health, which has been designated by New York State as Long Islands vaccination HUB. The center began vaccinations today, January 9 for residents who meet the criteria set forth by New York State.

Nassau County is leading the way with distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine as we open another vaccine POD. said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Along with our hospital partners we have already vaccinated tens of thousands of residentswe are not wasting any time or any doses. I am committed to providing equitable access to the vaccine, especially in our hardest hit communities such as the Westbury/New Cassel area. The County will continue to build the infrastructure to dole out this vaccine as quickly and effectively as possible as supply comes in. Thank you to all the volunteers who are the gears keeping our vaccine machine running at full speed. I encourage all residents who are eligible to roll up their sleeve and get the vaccine. We can do it, Nassau!

The site at the Yes We Can Community Center in Westbury will be operating 7 days a week to vaccinate eligible residents with an appointment. The announcement comes less than a week after the County vaccine center opened at Nassau Community College and inoculated over one thousand people.

New York State continues to expand the criteria for who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For regular updates on who is currently eligible for the vaccine under New York States guidance and to make an appointment, residents can visit the Countys vaccine website at www.nassaucountyny.gov/vaccine. Only those who meet the criteria can make an appointment at this time. The vaccine will be provided for free regardless of insurance or immigration status.

As of Friday, January 8, the following residents meet the criteria to the vaccine as per the New York State prioritization guidance:

High-risk hospital staff, affiliates, volunteers and contract staff including State-operated Office of

Mental Health (OMH) psychiatric centers

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel

Medical Examiners and Coroners

Funeral workers who have direct contact with infectious material and bodily fluids.

Health care, other high-risk direct care essential staff and agency staff working in Long Term Care

Facilities and long-term, congregate settings overseen by Office of People with Developmental

Disabilities (OPWDD) the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS).

Residents living in Long Term Care Facilities and in long-term congregate settings overseen by OPWDD, OMH and OASAS

FQHC staff

Urgent Care providers

Any staff administering COVID-19 vaccinations

All public facing health care workers including those who provide direct in-person patient care or other staff in a position where they have direct contact with patients.

Hospice workers and home health aides

Law Enforcement with ALS (advanced lifesaving) certification

A successful, equitable rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is the key to ensuring New Yorkers are protected from the coronavirus, and our community is able to reopen and recover from the pandemic era. Its critical that every community have access to this life-saving resource, and Im grateful to County Executive Curran and Governor Cuomo for working together to open a vaccination distribution center at the Yes We Can Center in Westbury. I encourage everyone in our community to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated as soon as they are able, said Senator Anna Kaplan.

Residents of communities like New Cassel and Westbury have played an indispensable role in Nassau Countys pandemic response through their labor as frontline workers, medical professionals and first responders. By establishing this site at the Yes We Can Center, Nassau County and the Town of North Hempstead are recognizing the valiant efforts of these essential workers, said Nassau County Legislator Siela A. Bynoe. Most importantly, we are increasing access to the COVID-19 vaccine by embedding this life-saving service in a residential community that has been greatly impacted by the pandemic.

The early emergence of COVID-19 vaccines has brought on much needed optimism for the future, said North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth. While availability has been limited, more residents will become eligible to receive the vaccine as distribution centers continue to open and New Yorks supply increases. With that said, we are proud to partner with County Executive Curran to make vaccinations available at our facility in Westbury.

As a Town we continue to collectively monitor and address the uphill battle of the current pandemic caused by Covid -19 and now the virus variant strain of B117. Having access to the newly available Moderna vaccine at a Point of Distribution location set up here at our easily accessible Yes We Can Community Center now provides a strong opportunity to keep this deadly virus at bay. As a heavily impacted area, this POD will greatly benefit the community and serve as a strong deterrent against the virus here in New Cassel/Westbury and the surrounding areas, said North Hempstead Councilwoman Viviana Russell.
BJP president J P Nadda held a series of meetings with senior party leaders of on the upcoming assembly election, the saffron party's state unit Ranjeet Kumar Dass said on Tuesday.

Discussions were held on wide-ranging issues related to the polls, including the strengthening of the party's organisational structure, he told reporters here.

Nadda conducted three meetings with the members of the core committee, election committee and other office-bearers of the party's state unit till late Monday night, Dass said.

He said that Nadda's visit will inspire the party's grassroot-level workers before the assembly elections due in March-April.

"I, on behalf of all party workers, express my gratefulness to him for his valuable guidance which will motivate all members to work hard during the polls," he said.

The meetings were attended by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, senior minister and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP's in-charge Baijayant J Panda and others.

The NEDA is the NDA's version in the northeast.

Nadda had officially launched the party's campaign for the assembly polls in the state by addressing the 'Vijay Sankalp' Rally at Silchar on Monday.

He arrived in Guwahati on Monday night and held party meetings. He did not have any public engagement.

Nadda, along with Sonowal and Sarma, offered tributes to Swami Vivekananda on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Tuesday.

Accompanied by Dass and Panda, the BJP president also visited the Kamakhya Temple to offer prayers, before leaving for New Delhi.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing commitment to advance transparency and efficiency in precision medicine, Concert Genetics today announced the launch of a preferred network of genetic testing laboratories. Invitae, PreventionGenetics, and GeneDx Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health company, are the first to be accepted into the network, having met the rigorous requirements for quality, service and billing integrity.

"Precision medicine has the potential to improve human health and lower the cost of care, and effective relationships between genetic laboratories and health plans are essential for delivering on this promise," said Rob Metcalf, CEO of Concert Genetics. "Today, administrative challenges and confusion stifle productive collaboration between health plans and leading laboratories. Patients pay the price, in both quality and cost. This network is designed to change that."

By systematizing the collection and comparison of laboratory quality information, the Concert network brings transparency to a genetic testing market that lacks a clear means of distinguishing high-quality laboratories. All labs participating in the network submit detailed lab quality information, which Concert quantifies and uses to determine eligibility.

The preferred laboratory network also streamlines the administrative coordination between plans and labs by clarifying the correct coding and coverage policy for tens of thousands of genetic tests. This is especially important given widespread coding variability,1 high denial rates, and growing use of costly interventions such as prior authorization.

"By ensuring accurate and efficient processes in the midst of a complex and rapidly expanding market of genetic tests, this network reduces the administrative burdens that so often arise on the back-end with genetic testing, including denials, appeals, escalations and manual reviews," said Metcalf. "Health plans, laboratories, and, most importantly, patients, each benefit from clarity."

Invitae, PreventionGenetics, and GeneDx, the first three laboratories to join the Concert network, are widely recognized leaders in the space.

Available for health plans today, the preferred genetic laboratory network is the newest component in the Concert Genetics Benefit Program, an end-to-end genetic testing solution. The program also includes reimbursement policy, medical policy, payment integrity solutions (e.g., claim edits), and analytics, all powered by a sophisticated technology platform. More information about the Genetics Benefit Program can be found here: www.concertgenetics.com/genetics-benefit-program .

About Concert Genetics

Concert Genetics is a software and managed services company that promotes health by providing the digital infrastructure for reliable and efficient management of genetic testing and precision medicine. Concert's genetic testing management capabilities leverage a proprietary database of the U.S. clinical genetic testing market, market-leading expertise, and a technology platform that supports genetic test ordering, resulting, coding, coverage, and payment integrity. Learn more at www.concertgenetics.com .

About Invitae

Invitae Corporation is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com.

About PreventionGenetics

Founded in 2004 and located in Marshfield, Wisconsin, PreventionGenetics is a CLIA and ISO 15189:2012 accredited laboratory. PreventionGenetics delivers clinical genetic testing of the highest quality at fair prices with exemplary service to people around the world.

PreventionGenetics provides tests for nearly all clinically relevant genes. These tests include our powerful and comprehensive whole genome sequencing test, PGnome and whole exome sequencing test, PGxome . PreventionGenetics also offers DNA Banking ( PGDNABank ), a long-term storage of a person's DNA. DNA Banking is available direct-to-consumer.

About GeneDx, Inc.

GeneDx, Inc. is a global leader in genomics, providing testing to patients and their families from more than 55 countries. Led by its world-renowned whole exome sequencing program, GeneDx has an acknowledged expertise in rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, as well as one of the broadest menus of sequencing services available among commercial laboratories. GeneDx offers a suite of additional genetic testing services, including diagnostic testing for hereditary cancers, cardiac, mitochondrial, neurological disorders, prenatal diagnostics and targeted variant testing. GeneDx is a subsidiary of BioReference Laboratories, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. To learn more, please visit www.genedx.com.

1 Coding Variability in Genetic Testing. Concert Genetics. Sept. 5, 2019. Access the report at: https://www.concertgenetics.com/resources/coding-variability-in-genetic-testing/

Media Contact:

Nick Tazik

Concert Genetics

(615) 861-2634

[email protected]

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SALEM, Ore.  House Speaker Tina Kotek is calling for Rep. Mike Nearman to resign after surveillance footage showed him letting demonstrators into the Oregon State Capitol during a protest that turned violent back in December.

"Representative Nearman put every person in the Capitol in serious danger," Kotek said in a statement on Monday. "As we tragically saw last week during the insurrection at the United States Capitol, the consequences could have been much worse had law enforcement not stepped in so quickly. His actions have created immense fear among legislators and Capitol staff. I believe he should resign immediately because he has already breached the public trust and endangered our ability to safely conduct the people's business."

Kotek stripped him of his committee assignments and took back his commission appointments.

She's also sending him a $2,000 bill to cover the costs to fix the damage that resulted after he let the demonstrators inside.

On Dec. 21, Oregon lawmakers were holding the third special session of 2020, which sought to address COVID-19 and wildfire relief. A protest, organized by the far-right group Patriot Prayer, was there in opposition to statewide COVID-19 mandates.

Security footage showed Nearman leaving the building around 8:30 a.m. and letting protesters inside.

Nearman agreed to immediate safety measures, including giving up his badge access to the Capitol, and will provide 24 hours' notice each time he comes to the building.

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Women in Deir ez-Zor are being married off to Iraqi from the Iran-back militias for money, with many then taken over the border and into Iraq reports SY 24.

The precarious economic conditions and the constant state of fear that the people of Deir ez-Zor live in has prompted them to marry off their daughters to Iranian-backed Iraqi militia members, who entered the city with the Syrian regime forces after the withdrawal of the Islamic State (ISIS) in late 2017.

Sectarian Iraqi militia members have been exploiting the clan ties that bind them to some families in Deir ez-Zor and its countryside in order to marry their daughters.

SY-24s correspondent in Deir ez-Zor said that marriages were not limited to Iraqi fighters in the ranks of the militias, but also included marriages to Shiite Iraqis through local brokers.

The correspondent said, These brokers are originally Syrian individuals who belong to the Iraqi and Iranian militias in Deir ez-Zor. They get sums of money in exchange for marrying their acquaintances to Iraqis.

He added that, some of these Iraqis live in Deir ez-Zor but the majority end up moving back to Iraq, taking their wives with them.

Shahd, a Syrian girl married to an Iraqi, indicated that, one of her relatives, a member of the Fatemiyoun militia, brought an Iraqi man to their home in order to marry him to me.

She said, in an exclusive interview with SY-24, that, the man offered a large sum of money to my father, in addition to making promises that we will stay in Damascus and not go to Iraq.

She added, We moved to Basra, Iraq, one month after our marriage, under the pretext of sealing the marriage contract there. Now I live with his first wife and children, and when I try to convince him to return to Syria, he refuses to even hear me out.

Local sources indicated that the most important reasons that push girls to accept such marriages is poverty, in addition to fear of retaliation against them if they refuse.

Syrian lawyer, Yassin Hilal, Director of the Crescent Center for Arbitration in Northern Syria stated that, the Shiite militias began to spread the Shiite sect among the population, from the moment they entered Deir ez-Zor.

The economic hardship that afflicts the region has prompted some to marry off their daughters to members of these foreign militias, Hilal told SY-24.

He stressed that, those who remain in Deir ez-Zor are the poorest of the poor, after those who still had some money fled the city, fearing for themselves and their families from these militias.

Hilal noted that, children born to a Shiite father and a Sunni mother will face great problems in the future, due to the divergence in religious beliefs in addition to problems related to education and social and moral values.

The phenomenon of marriage to foreign elements began to appear after the entry of ISIS to the city of Deir ez-Zor in mid-2014, when Islamic State members started marrying Syrian girls.

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.
VERONA, Italy, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Techorizon, a worldwide provider of technology solutions for the Life Sciences industry founded in 2009, announced today the launch of the latest version of its electronic data capture tool, THeCRF 4.0.

With 15 years of experience of providing high-quality e-tools and services for the Life Sciences, THeCRF 4.0 is built from the experience of hundreds of Project Managers, Investigators and Monitors. It is self-configurable and quick and easy to build: this new system turned months into weeks and weeks into hours. THeCRF can be implemented as a standalone tool, and according to each need, many add-on modules or EDC services can be added.

"Techorizon has remodelled its data collection folder with new solutions that allow you to leave the hospital perimeter and enter patients' homes more easily via smartphone, tablet or PC. The integration of external tools such as wearable devices are no longer an option but are in fact becoming an alternative to future diagnostic models," commented Silvio Severini, Managing Director of Techorizon. "Whatever the Industry or type of clinical project, THeCRF captures data efficiently and cost-effectively so that the clients can focus on making the right decisions for each of their projects. We constantly focus on improving our quality management system, relying on cutting-edge technologies and strict security standards," added Silvio Severini.

A robust and well-organized tool yet flexible enough, THeCRF can be easily designed accordingly to each process.

The most appreciated capabilities of THeCRF include:

Welcome Dashboard with a customizable widget

The automatized set up

Third party integration module

Cohort Management and Multiple Case Report Form (CRF) implementation tool

On-demand reporting schedules

Data export in the most popular formats

Post-it comment and note functionality

Image Management and evaluation

Integrated digital signing

About TECHORIZON

Techorizon is a worldwide provider of technology solutions for the Life Sciences. Founded in 2009 as a spin-off of the IT department of CROMSOURCE, an international Clinical Research Organisation, Techorizon supplies advanced solutions and services to the healthcare environment.

It combines technical expertise with 15 years of experience and deep understanding of clinical research processes to deliver innovative and customised technology solutions to its clients. Techorizon's products and services are tailored to offer the best technological solutions for sponsors, CROs and academic and non-profit organisations.

For more information visit https://www.techorizon.com

Contact Info: Silvio Severini, [email protected], +39 045 8222888

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SOURCE Techorizon

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WHAT a run of work Vanessa Kirby is having. Following on from her scene-stealing (and BAFTA-winning) turn as Princess Margaret in The Crown, Kirby is sensational in this drama, new to Netflix this weekend.

She is outstanding as Martha Weiss, a woman whose life gets thrown into turmoil following the tragic circumstances of a home birth. Its easily her greatest performance in what is an already impressive career, and a role that is likely to make her a serious contender for best actress as awards season nears.

Little wonder casting agents are lining up to work with her, with two more Mission: Impossible movies among her many forthcoming projects.

But be warned: Pieces Of A Woman is a tough watch, one that deals with a very difficult subject matter that has impacted many Irish women. There is hope here too, but if youre even thinking of getting pregnant, you might want to take a rain check.

Set in Boston, Martha (Kirby) is in a steady and loving relationship with Sean (LaBeouf), despite their different backgrounds  shes from a wealthy family while hes a blue-collar labourer. LaBeouf is very good here in support, reminding you of his capabilities if he could only move beyond his personal issues.

Despite his tricky relationship with her mother Elizabeth (an excellent Burstyn), they are united and looking forward to the birth of their first child, a girl.

Its a lengthy scene near the very beginning of the film that is the toughest part of it to watch  all 23 minutes of it. Martha has decided she wants to have a home birth, and when her labour begins to come on quite quickly, Sean calls her appointed midwife, only to discover she is at another birth.

A replacement, Eva (Molly Parker) attends to replace her, and tension and tragedy mount.

A court case, much of it driven by Elizabeth in desperate need for her daughter to find closure, follows. But director Kornel Mundruczo is more concerned with Marthas aftermath as every aspect of her life  her relationship, her health, her working life and even her very identity  seem to be slipping from her grasp.

Its difficult viewing, and sometimes quite uneven, but the movie is ultimately a tale of complex human emotions, anchored by a terrific Kirby.

The stars: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn.

The Story: A womans life unravels following tragedy during a home birth.
Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced a single article of impeachment against Donald Trump yesterday, kick-starting a process that could make him the first US president to be impeached twice.

The article accused him of inciting violence against the government of the United States for his role in encouraging the mob that stormed the US Capitol last Wednesday, leaving five dead, including a police officer.

The article was signed by 214 Democratic congressmen  almost all the partys House members  meaning it was all but guaranteed to pass. A vote could come as soon as tomorrow, with some Republican support possible.

The remarkable speed with which the impeachment process began, just five days after pro-Trump supporters broke into the Capitol, was a reflection of the anger felt by many congressmen over what took place. Should Mr Trump be impeached, focus would turn to the next step in the process: the trial in the US Senate over whether to convict Mr Trump and remove him from office.

Holding a trial before Mr Trump leaves office at the January 20 inauguration is not expected. The earliest such a trial could be considered is effectively January 19, given the Senate is in recess.

More likely would be a trial after the inauguration. While Mr Trump would already have left the White House, conviction on the article of impeachment would be a warning to future presidents.

Read More

Critically, given Mr Trump expressed interest in running in the 2024 election, it could result in him being barred from becoming president again. Such a vote could be taken after conviction, needing just a Senate majority to pass.

Mr Trump today visits the US-Mexico border after days of avoiding the cameras and making few public comments, in part a reflection of his permanent ban from Twitter. The visit to Alamo, Texas, is part of a series of events this week highlighting what are seen as his accomplishments in office.

It will focus on the construction of hundreds of miles of border fencing since he took office in 2017. However, critics noted much of it simply replaced existing barriers and that the US defence budget paid for much of it, not Mexico.

But the visit also doubles as a reminder that Mr Trump is getting on with events as president, sending a message of defiance that he will see out his final days in office.



Mr Trump was first impeached in December 2019, after he attempted to get the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden, then his likely Democratic presidential rival and now president-elect. The US Senate acquitted him, leaving him in office.



The four-page article of impeachment introduced yesterday was drafted by Democratic congressmen David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Ted Lieu of California.

It accuses Mr Trump of repeatedly issuing false statements by claiming he was the real victor in the November presidential election. It also alleges he encouraged lawless actions in his speech to the thousands of supporters who then marched on the Capitol.

Democrats also yesterday tried to pass a resolution calling on Mike Pence, the vice-president, to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr Trump, allowing him and a majority of cabinet to remove him if it was deemed he could not fulfil his duties.

The Republicans objected and a vote is expected today.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker, criticised Republicans, saying it allowed Trumps unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]

The leading dailies of the Right and Left both blame the Capitol Hill siege primarily on President Trump.

Magyar Nemzets Levente Sitkei interprets the siege of the Capitol as a cocktail of popular revolt against corrupt elites and violent rampage.



The pro-government commentator acknowledges that President Trump has massive responsibility for the events, but adds that political elites in general are blameworthy for not clarifying what he calls the half-truths over the alleged election fraud.



Sitkei thinks that at this point, we will never learn to what extent such allegations are true.



As for the broader implications, Sitkei writes that after these events, it will be more difficult to offer the US as an example of good governance.



In Nepszava, Gabor Horvath bluntly interprets the events as proof that Trump is a Nazi. Or, if you prefer, a fascist.



The left-wing columnist accuses President Trump of being an undemocratic demagogue.



He goes on to accuse the Hungarian government and pro-government media who hold Trump in high esteem, of interpreting the siege of Capitol Hill as they did the 2006 riots in Budapest  as a revolution rather than mob violence.



The events on Capitol Hill, Horvath concludes, show where right-wing populism leads. Yet US Parliamentarism has proven stronger than the Weimer Republic in the 1930s, this time at least, he adds.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher.

Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

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None of the rights and liberties that the Constitution saw initially as being fundamental are present in the original form today

This month we will celebrate Republic Day, which is different from Independence Day. The difference may not be fully understood or appreciated. On August 15 we mark the anniversary of the day that India stopped being ruled by outsiders. We refer to this as freedom. On January 26, Republic Day, we mark the day when we put in force the laws that make the people of India sovereign. It must be noted that for some reason we mark Republic Day with a celebration of militarism. The marching in formation of armed men and their machines. We might want to ask those in parts of India which have experience of the military, such as the Northeast and Kashmir, what they make of this celebration or whether they consider this a proper way to mark the formation of the republic.

A republic is more than a democracy. A democracy is a system of majority rule government through elected representatives. Universal adult franchise -- meaning the right to vote for these elected representatives -- is only one aspect of being a republic. The other two aspects are guaranteed fundamental rights and civil liberties. These are equally important and without them you can have a democracy but not a republic. These include the right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful assembly, right to freedom of religion, right to form associations and to practise any occupation and the right to life and liberty. You could have a nation where adults can vote and elections are carried out, but none of these rights and liberties exist in a meaningful way. It would be a democracy, but it would not be a republic. The rights would not really be with the people but with the State, meaning the government and those who run it.

To give you an example, Indians have the right to peaceful assembly. It is actually a fundamental right, meaning one that enjoys a high degree of protection from encroachment. But do Indians have the right to peaceful assembly? They do not. They have the right to make an application to the police and the authorities seeking permission for a peaceful protest.

The State has the right to approve, reject or not respond. Similarly, the right to occupation does not exist (there is a Supreme Court judgment which says the rights of the cow surpass those of a butcher), nor does the right to freedom of religion as the new laws in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and several old laws and judgments show. The freedom of expression is legally criminalised in India through laws on sedition, defamation and contempt.

Indeed, none of the rights and liberties that the Constitution saw initially as being fundamental are present in the original form today. It is safe to conclude that India is a democracy, but is it a republic? The reality is that today the rights are not with the citizen, they rest in the main with the State.

This has happened with the passage of time. The Constitution initially gave Indians all the rights referred to above in more or less unrestricted form, as they exist in other republics like the United States. It was the amendments that came later which began to cut away the freedoms to the extent that it can now be honestly said that they do not exist at all.

The State appropriated sovereignty from the people. This happened, as many will know, through footnotes to the Constitution, added as amendments to Part 3, which is the part on Fundamental Rights.

The right to freedom of speech was now qualified. And the footnote reads that nothing shall prevent the State from making any law imposing reasonable restrictions on free speech which affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.

Who will determine whether these restrictions are reasonable? The State.

The people, who through the Constituent Assembly had granted themselves the right to freedom of expression, were now made subordinate to their government. The restrictions came not because of popular demand but because the government felt that it could not allow people too much freedom.

Similarly footnotes and their interpretations took away the real meaning of other rights, including the one to life and liberty. The State in India can jail individuals without a crime having been committed.

This is called preventive detention, and it upends Articles 21 and 22 through a footnote. What is the difference between a government that wants this power over citizens and the British Raj? The question is what can be done about this. The solution is obviously to get the State to undo the damage it has done over the years.

Article 13 says that the State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void. Clearly, the State has committed overreach against its citizens.

Our pledge on this Republic Day must be to use those parts of the Constitution that are still on our side and take back our rights and liberties lawfully from the State, which has usurped them. That would be truly worth a celebration.

The writer is a columnist and a senior journalist
But not everyone eligible has opted to get the shot. Rather than waiting to use those doses, Pritzker said, those shots should be made available to the next round of 3.2 million eligible recipients in phase 1b  those 65 and older and those who are front-line essential workers.
For starters, let's look at the original premise of the law, to protect Georgia consumers from scam credit repair companies. Have you ever heard of a scammer who was afraid to break a law - or even cared about the laws? The law just stopped legitimate and reputable credit repair companies from offering services in Georgia. Although the scam companies continue to prey on Georgia consumers to this day; reputable and legitimate credit repair services are not available in Georgia.

How have Georgia Consumers fared over the last decade with limited access to credit help? According to a recent 2018 study by Experian, Georgia is the 3rd worst credit score in the country! My first thought when I looked at that figure was that maybe Georgia is just a poorer state and the residents don't have a lot of income to pay their bills. After a quick Google search I found that Georgia is 29th in the country for median income. Hmmm, a decent income yet very low credit scores could this be because Georgia Consumers do not have access to the same credit help that Consumers in every other state have access to?

Alright so Georgia has very low credit scores  what's the big deal? For starters, it has affected Georgian's ability to own a home. Georgia ranks 40th in the country for homeownership rates according to the US Census Bureau. Fortieth is really even lower than it seems when you take into consideration some states that are very low because of high median home prices such as Hawaii with a median home price of $631,700, California with a median home price of $546,800, Massachusetts with a median home price of $400,700, and New York with a median home price of $325.000. Obviously, very expensive homes will make home ownership difficult. But with Georgia's median home price sitting at a modest $188,900 why are Georgians having such a tough time acquiring home ownership? The answer is again those low credit scores which are keeping a significant percentage of Georgians from credit qualifying for home loans.

For comparison let's look at Vermont which has a median income at number 21, a little better than Georgia's 29th. But Vermont has the 2nd best credit scores in the country which has led to the 2nd best homeownership rates in the country driving median home prices up (more buyers available) to $233,100. Another state to look at is Maine who ranks 24th in median income as compared to Georgia's 29th. Maine however has the 13th best credit score which has propelled it to number 6 in the homeownership rate and a median home price of $197,500.

Let's look at a state with almost the same median income and median home price, Wisconsin. Wisconsin's median home price is $188,500 virtually identical to Georgia's $189,900 and a median income of 24th on the list which is pretty close to Georgia's 29th. With those two similarities, the only difference is in the credit score where Wisconsin has the 7th best in the country which has propelled them to number 20 on the homeownership index as opposed to Georgia's 40th.

Let's look at a couple of other states who have lower income and credit scores and see how they rank on the homeownership scale. South Carolina is 43rd on the list of median income  substantially poorer than Georgia, with average credit scores that are the 7th worst in the country which are pretty close to Georgia's 3rd worst. So how did South Carolina fare on the homeownership index  pretty well, coming in at 12th! So how did South Carolina do it? The answer is simple with a median home price of $170,800. In this example if Georgia wants to increase its homeownership rate like South Carolina, it could do so by a decline in the median home price which no one wants! Another example of this is Alabama. Alabama has the 46th worst income, tied Georgia for the 3rd worst credit score, yet still came in 16th in home ownership by having an extremely low median home price of $147,900.

Is Georgia right and the other 49 states in the country wrong? Should Credit Repair be illegal unless you are a nonprofit or an attorney? I don't think so. I feel that many other states have done the right thing and allowed reputable credit repair companies to operate in accordance with the Federal Law: The Credit Repair Organizations Act which was devised and implemented by the Federal government to regulate Credit Service Organization.

Georgia has tried the "experiment" of making credit repair illegal in the hopes of protecting Georgian consumers but it has backfired. Georgians are suffering from low credit scores which has hurt them when it comes to things like home ownership.

More information: www.creditrepairingeorgia.com.

Contact:

Matt Liistro

+1-860-785-9800

SOURCE Georgia Credit Repair Trade Association

Related Links

https://creditrepairingeorgia.com


Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
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YAKUTSK, Russia -- A shaman in Russia's Siberian region of Yakutia who has had several attempts to march to Moscow by foot "to drive President Vladimir Putin out of the Kremlin stopped by the authorities has announced a plan to resume his trek to Moscow in March.

In an audio statement placed on YouTube, Aleksandr Gabyshev says this time he plans to cover the thousands of kilometers from his native Yakutia to the Russian capital on horseback, with his supporters most likely following in cars.

"We will cross all Siberia, reach the Urals, from where it will be just a short jump to Moscow," Gabyshev says.

Gabyshev first made headlines in March 2019 when he called Putin "evil" and announced that he had started a march to Moscow to drive the Russian president out of the Kremlin.

He then walked more than 2,000 kilometers, speaking with hundreds of Russians along the way.

As his notoriety rose, videos of his conversations with people were posted on social media and attracted millions of views.

In July that year, when Gabyshev reached the city of Chita, he led a 700-strong rally under the slogan "Russia without Putin!"

At the time, he said, "God told me that Putin is not human but a demon, and has ordered me to drive him out."

His march was halted when he was detained in the region of Buryatia later in September.

He was transferred to Yakutia, where he was confined to a psychiatric clinic and held there for several weeks.

Shamans have served as healers and diviners in Siberia for centuries. During the Soviet era, the mystics were harshly repressed. But in isolated parts of Siberia, they are now regaining prominence.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Insect monitoring cameras in a remote area in East Greenland. Credit: Toke T. Hye

Scientists are combining artificial intelligence and advanced computer technology with biological know how to identify insects with supernatural speed. This opens up new possibilities for describing unknown species and for tracking the life of insects across space and time

Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth and only a small fraction of these have been found and formally described. In fact, there are so many species that discovering all of them in the near future is unlikely.

This enormous diversity among insects also means that they have very different life histories and roles in the ecosystems.

For instance, a hoverfly in Greenland lives a very different life than a mantid in the Brazilian rainforest. But even within each of these two groups, numerous species exist each with their own special characteristics and ecological roles.

To examine the biology of each species and its interactions with other species, it is necessary to catch, identify, and count a lot of insects. It goes without saying that this is a very time-consuming process, which to a large degree, has constrained the ability of scientists to gain insights into how external factors shape the life of insects.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows how advanced computer technology and artificial intelligence quickly and efficiently can identify and count insects. It is a huge step forward for the scientists to be able to understand how this important group of animals changes through timefor example in response to loss of habitat and climate change.

Close up insect (hoverfly) visiting flower. Credit: Hjalte M.R. Mann

Deep Learning

"With the help of advanced camera technology, we can now collect millions of photos at our field sites. When we, at the same time, teach the computer to tell the different species apart, the computer can quickly identify the different species in the images and count how many it found of each of them. It is a game-changer compared to having a person with binoculars in the field or in front of the microscope in the lab who manually identifies and counts the animals," explains senior scientist Toke T. Hye from Department of Bioscience and Arctic Research Centre at Aarhus University, who headed the new study. The international team behind the study included biologists, statisticians, and mechanical, electrical and software engineers.

The methods described in the paper go by the umbrella term deep learning and are forms of artificial intelligence mostly used in other areas of research such as in the development of driverless cars. But now the researchers have demonstrated how the technology can be an alternative to the laborious task of manually observing insects in their natural environment as well as the tasks of sorting and identifying insect samples.

"We can use the deep learning to find the needle in the hay stack so to speakthe specimen of a rare or undescribed species among all the specimens of widespread and common species. In the future, all the trivial work can be done by the computer and we can focus on the most demanding tasks, such as describing new species, which until now was unknown to the computer, and to interpret the wealth of new results we will have" explains Toke T. Hye.

And there is indeed many tasks ahead, when it comes to research on insects and other invertebrates, called entomology. One thing is the lack of good databases to compare unknown species to those which have already been described, but also because a proportionally larger share of researchers concentrate on well-known species like birds and mammals. With deep learning, the researchers expect to be able to rapidly advance knowledge about insects considerably.

Automatic moth trap with moths detected by computer vision. Credit: Toke T. Hye and Kim Bjerge

Long time series are necessary

To understand how insect populations change through time, observations need to be made in the same place and in the same way over a long time. It is necessary with long time series of data.

Some species become more numerous and others more rare, but to understand the mechanisms that causes these changes, it is critical that the same observations are made year after year.

An easy method is to mount cameras in the same location and take pictures of the same local area. For instance, cameras can take a picture every minute. This will give piles of data, which over the years can inform about how insects respond to warmer climates or to the changes caused by land management. Such data can become an important tool to ensure a proper balance between human use and protection of natural resources.

"There are still challenges ahead before these new methods can become widely available, but our study points to a number of results from other research disciplines, which can help solve the challenges for entomology. Here, a close interdisciplinary collaboration among biologists and engineers is critical," says Hye.

Explore further In 25 years the number of hoverfly species has fallen sharply in German nature reserves

More information: Toke T. Hye et al. Deep learning and computer vision will transform entomology. PNAS January 12, 2021 118 (2) e2002545117; Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Toke T. Hye et al. Deep learning and computer vision will transform entomology.January 12, 2021 118 (2) e2002545117; doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002545117
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Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.
An employee of Curative cleans the front of a COVID-19 testing kiosk, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, on the Quad in between Flowers Hall and Evans. Testing is free and administered individually. Participants will produce a cough as well as perform a throat swab on themselves to give to operators.
It's been more than a year since the first cases were identified in China, yet the exact origins of the COVID-19 pandemic remain a mystery. Though strong evidence suggests that the responsible coronavirus originated in bats, how and when it crossed from wildlife into humans is unknown.

In a study published online Jan.12 in the journal mBio, an international team of 15 biologists say this lack of clarity has exposed a glaring weakness in the current approach to pandemic surveillance and response worldwide.

In most recent studies of animal-borne pathogens with the potential to spread to humans, known as zoonotic pathogens, physical specimens of suspected wildlife hosts were not preserved. The practice of collecting and archiving specimens believed to harbor a virus, bacteria or parasite that's under investigation is called host vouchering.

"Vouchered specimens should be considered the gold standard in host-pathogen studies and a key part of pandemic preparedness," said Cody Thompson, co-lead author of the mBio paper and mammal collections manager at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

"But host vouchering has effectively been nonexistent in most recent zoonotic pathogen studies, and the lack of this essential information has limited our ability to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic," said Thompson, who is also an assistant research scientist in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

To fill this knowledge gap, Thompson and his co-authors urge researchers who conduct host-pathogen studies to adopt vouchering practices and to collaborate with natural history museums to permanently archive host specimens, along with their tissue and microbiological samples.

The authors of the mBio article include experts in mammalogy, bat biology, microbiology, natural history, ornithology, bioinformatics, parasitology and host-pathogen biology. Most of them have ties to natural history museums.

"In essence, vouchering provides both an offensive mechanism for pandemic prevention--by expanding the surveillance of wildlife hosts and associated pathogens--and a defensive mechanism by providing a verifiable archive for baseline comparisons," said study co-lead author Kendra Phelps of EcoHealth Alliance, a global nonprofit that works to prevent pandemics and promote wildlife conservation.

"This problem becomes especially critical in navigating novel viral zoonoses, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where it is necessary for the scientific community to swiftly and efficiently leverage its collective knowledge and resources to effectively understand and contain the spread of novel pathogens at a time when lockdown restrictions hamper on-going sampling efforts."

The emergence of infectious diseases attributed to novel pathogens that "spill over" from animal populations into humans has increased in recent decades.

The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has demonstrated that a previously unknown pathogen can emerge from wildlife species and threaten public health on a global scale within months. Experts from the World Health Organization are expected to arrive in China this week for a long-anticipated investigation into the pandemic's origins.

During spillover events, vouchered specimens in museum collections and biorepositories can help disease sleuths quickly track a pathogen to its source in the wild. The authors of the mBio study highlight three examples--yellow fever, hantaviruses and parasitic worms--of host-pathogen research that successfully incorporated natural history collections into collaborative research programs.

Vouchered host specimens can help answer fundamental biological, ecological and evolutionary questions about host-pathogen dynamics. The specimens allow for scientific replicability, they help ensure correct taxonomic identification of the host species, they establish a baseline for future studies, and they provide biological samples that can extend research as new technologies emerge.

At the same time, archiving host specimens in natural history collections provides access to a "vast, largely untapped biodiversity infrastructure" within museums, according to the authors of the mBio paper.

"We need to think of natural history collections as resources for preventing future pandemics, with the potential to promote powerful interdisciplinary and historical approaches to studying emerging zoonotic pathogens," said U-M's Thompson.

As part of their study, the mBio authors surveyed more than 100 microbiologists--bacteriologists, parasitologists and virologists--from around the world to assess their vouchering practices when conducting host-pathogen research.

Fewer than half said they voucher host specimens from which microbiological samples were lethally collected. In the cases where host specimens were obtained, most were deposited in the collections of natural history museums.

To help foster collaborations between microbiologists and curators of natural history collections, the authors also provide recommendations for integrating vouchering techniques and archiving of microbiological samples into host-pathogen studies.

###

In addition to Thompson and Phelps, the authors of the mBio study are:

Marc Allard of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Joseph Cook and Jonathan Dunnum of the University of New Mexico, Adam Ferguson of the Field Museum of Natural History, Magnus Gelang of the Gothenburg Natural History Museum and Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre in Sweden, Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in Malaysia, Deborah Paul of Florida State University (now at the University of Illinois), DeeAnn Reeder of Bucknell University, Nancy Simmons of the American Museum of Natural History, Maarten Vanhove of Hasselt University in Belgium, Paul Webala of Maasai Mara University in Kenya, Marcelo Weksler of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and C. William Kilpatrick of the University of Vermont.

Funding was provided by the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, Distributed System of Scientific Collections, U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. National Science Foundation.

Photo: https:/ / drive. google. com/ drive/ folders/ 1CMatHLe3lu8qF2qkusVa31_FMh6BFN-V

Study: Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies

Cody Thompson
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Banner: A monster black hole siphons gas off of an orbiting giant star in this illustration. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA/GESTAR)

During a typical year, over a million people visit Yellowstone National Park, where the Old Faithful geyser regularly blasts a jet of boiling water high in the air. Now, an international team of astronomers has discovered a cosmic equivalent, a distant galaxy that erupts roughly every 114 days.

Using data from facilities including NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the scientists have studied 20 repeated outbursts of an event called ASASSN-14ko. These various telescopes and instruments are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. By using them collaboratively, scientists obtained more detailed pictures of the outbursts.

"These are the most predictable and frequent recurring multiwavelength flares we've seen from a galaxy's core, and they give us a unique opportunity to study this extragalactic Old Faithful in detail," said Anna Payne, a NASA Graduate Fellow at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. "We think a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center creates the bursts as it partially consumes an orbiting giant star."

Payne presented the findings on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the virtual 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. A paper on the source and these observations, led by Payne, is undergoing scientific review.

Astronomers classify galaxies with unusually bright and variable centers as active galaxies. These objects can produce much more energy than the combined contribution of all their stars, including higher-than-expected levels of visible, ultraviolet, and X-ray light. Astrophysicists think the extra emission comes from near the galaxy's central supermassive black hole, where a swirling disk of gas and dust accumulates and heats up because of gravitational and frictional forces. The black hole slowly consumes the material, which creates random fluctuations in the disk's emitted light.

But astronomers are interested in finding active galaxies with flares that happen at regular intervals, which might help them identify and study new phenomena and events.

"ASASSN-14ko is currently our best example of periodic variability in an active galaxy, despite decades of other claims, because the timing of its flares is very consistent over the six years of data Anna and her team analyzed," said Jeremy Schnittman, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who studies black holes but was not involved in the research. "This result is a real tour de force of multiwavelength observational astronomy."

Image of active galaxy ESO 253-3 was captured by the European Space Observatory's Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer as part of the All-weather MUse Supernova Integral-field of Nearby Galaxies (AMUSING) survey. ESO 253-3 displays the most predictable and frequent flares scientists have yet identified in an active galaxy. Credit: Michael Tucker (University of Hawai'i) and the AMUSING survey

ASASSN-14ko was first detected on Nov. 14, 2014, by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), a global network of 20 robotic telescopes headquartered at Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. It occurred in ESO 253-3, an active galaxy over 570 million light-years away in the southern constellation Pictor. At the time, astronomers thought the outburst was most likely a supernova, a one-time event that destroys a star.

Six years later, Payne was examining ASAS-SN data on known active galaxies as part of her thesis work. Looking at the ESO 253-3 light curve, or the graph of its brightness over time, she immediately noticed a series of evenly spaced flaresa total of 17, all separated by about 114 days. Each flare reaches its peak brightness in about five days, then steadily dims.

Payne and her colleagues predicted that the galaxy would flare again on May 17, 2020, so they coordinated joint observations with ground- and space-based facilities, including multiwavelength measurements with Swift. ASASSN-14ko erupted right on schedule. The team has since predicted and observed subsequent flares on Sept. 7 and Dec. 20.

The researchers also used TESS data for a detailed look at a previous flare. TESS observes swaths of the sky called sectors for about a month at a time. During the mission's first two years, the cameras collected a full sector image every 30 minutes. These snapshots allowed the team to create a precise timeline of a flare that began on Nov. 7, 2018, tracking its emergence, rise to peak brightness, and decline in great detail.

"TESS provided a very thorough picture of that particular flare, but because of the way the mission images the sky, it can't observe all of them," said co-author Patrick Vallely, an ASAS-SN team member and National Science Foundation graduate research fellow at OSU. "ASAS-SN collects less detail on individual outbursts, but provides a longer baseline, which was crucial in this case. The two surveys complement one another."

Using measurements from ASAS-SN, TESS, Swift and other observatories, including NASA's NuSTAR and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton, Payne and her team came up with three possible explanations for the repeating flares.

One scenario involved interactions between the disks of two orbiting supermassive black holes at the galaxy's center. Recent measurements, also under scientific review, suggest the galaxy does indeed host two such objects, but they don't orbit closely enough to account for the frequency of the flares.

Watch as a monster black hole partially consumes an orbiting giant star. In this illustration, the gas pulled from the star collides with the black hole's debris disk and causes a flare. Astronomers have named this repeating event ASASSN-14ko. The flares are the most predictable and frequent yet seen from an active galaxy.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4esMWZZAaA8Download in HD: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13798 Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

The second scenario the team considered was a star passing on an inclined orbit through a black hole's disk. In that case, scientists would expect to see asymmetrically shaped flares caused when the star disturbs the disk twice, on either side of the black hole. But the flares from this galaxy all have the same shape.

The third scenario, and the one the team thinks most likely, is a partial tidal disruption event.

A tidal disruption event occurs when an unlucky star strays too close to a black hole. Gravitational forces create intense tides that break the star apart into a stream of gas. The trailing part of the stream escapes the system, while the leading part swings back around the black hole. Astronomers see bright flares from these events when the shed gas strikes the black hole's accretion disk.

In this case, the astronomers suggest that one of the galaxy's supermassive black holes, one with about 78 million times the Sun's mass, partially disrupts an orbiting giant star. The star's orbit isn't circular, and each time it passes closest to the black hole, it bulges outward, shedding mass but not completely breaking apart. Every encounter strips away an amount of gas equal to about three times the mass of Jupiter.

Astronomers don't know how long the flares will persist. The star can't lose mass forever, and while scientists can estimate the amount of mass it loses during each orbit, they don't know how much it had before the disruptions began.

Payne and her team plan to continue observing the event's predicted outbursts, including upcoming dates in April and August 2021. They'll also be able to examine another measurement from TESS, which captured the Dec. 20 flare with its updated 10-minute snapshot rate.

"TESS was primarily designed to find worlds beyond our solar system," said Padi Boyd, the TESS project scientist at Goddard. "But the mission is also teaching us more about stars in our own galaxy, including how they pulse and eclipse each other. In distant galaxies, we've seen stars end their lives in supernova explosions. TESS has even previously observed a complete tidal disruption event. We're always looking forward to the next exciting and surprising discoveries the mission will make."

More information: An AMUSING Look at the Host of the Periodic Nuclear Transient ASASSN-14ko Reveals a Second AGN, arXiv:2011.05998 [astro-ph.GA] An AMUSING Look at the Host of the Periodic Nuclear Transient ASASSN-14ko Reveals a Second AGN, arXiv:2011.05998 [astro-ph.GA] arxiv.org/abs/2011.05998
President Putin urges prosecutors to step up fight against extremism and crime

11:06 12/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  Russian President Vladimir Putin has called prosecutors to strengthen the fight against extremism and crime and clamp down on corruption and misappropriation of state funds.

We need to step up our efforts when it comes to combating extremism and crime, clamp down on corruption and misappropriation of state funds. There are other areas that require utmost attention as well. They include supervisory support of national projects and environmental protection as well as ensuring that law is observed during the State Duma elections later this year. In each particular case, it is necessary to demand complete restoration of the rule of law and restoration of rights. It is important to take a resolute and principled approach. You have enough authority and competence for that a statement published on the Presidents official website reads.

Among the priority tasks of the prosecutor offices the President also named those to expose and rectify violations of peoples social rights, especially the rights of the most vulnerable groups.

The President reminded that in 2020, prosecutors exposed over 3.5 million federal law violations. More than 820,000 submissions were made to remedy those violations and that almost 19,000 criminal cases were opened following inspection results.

I should note that, considering that the prosecutors office performs the essential functions of ensuring the rights and legal interests of our citizens and the state, its constitutional and legal status was substantially upgraded last year. Among other duties, the prosecutors office received the authority to oversee compliance with the Constitution and the law; a new procedure for appointing senior officials of the prosecutors office was established; the guarantees of independence and transparency of the prosecution authorities were reinforced  President Putin said in his address to current and former staff of Russias prosecution authorities congratulating them on their professional holiday.
Precious Metals rally early in 2021

If you follow our research, you already know my research team and I have authored multiple articles related to how Metals and Miners are poised for a big rally in 2021 and beyond. But do you understand what this means for other market sectors and assets? Are you ready for one of the most dynamic investing environments weve seen since 1945 or earlier? Gold and Miners are showing very clear signs that the Depreciation cycle phase our researchers identified recently is strongly in place.

Precious Metals vs. Miners in a Depreciation Cycle Phase

Gold and Miners are showing very clear signs that the Depreciation cycle phase our researchers identified recently is strongly in place. Both Gold and the Mining sector have been rallying since early 2016. This rally initiated in the midst of an Appreciation cycle phase (between late 2010 and the end of 2019). The rotation between Appreciation and Depreciation cycle phases directly correlates with the underlying strength of the US Dollar, precious metals, and other market sector trends. At this point, the new Depreciation cycle phase means the global markets will transition away from Appreciation phase trends and into new defensive/sector rotation trends.

If our research regarding these Appreciation/Depreciation cycle phases is correct, the new Depreciation cycle phase will usher in a period of 9+ years of very dynamic global market and sector rotation. This will happen because of two key factors: depreciation/decline of the US Dollar (resulting in strong upward trending for precious metals, rare earth minerals and other key commodities) and the Capital Shift that takes place as traders/investors attempt to chase strength in various capital sectors/global markets looking to offset currency trends.

The following Monthly Gold vs. Miners chart (where Gold is displayed as Candlesticks and Miners are displayed as the GOLD line) highlights the last Appreciation cycle phase and how both Gold and Miners collapsed within this cycle phase. What we find interesting is the strength of the trend in Gold while Miners have just recently started to broadly advance higher. We believe the transition away from Appreciation phase assets is now firmly taking place  which suggests Miners may have a lot of catching up to do over the next 12+ months while precious metals continue to move higher.

Within the last Depreciation cycle phase (1999 to late 2010), Gold rallied from $253 to $1923  an incredible 640%. If a similar type of rally takes place from the recent $1040 lows, in November 2015, then a peak level above $7500 is not out of the question for Gold. Some analysts are suggesting $10k or more as the potential peak level. What would this do for other precious metals (like Silver, Platinum, and Palladium) and how would the mining sector react to a huge rally phase in Gold?

Miners Should Attempt To Rally 35%+ Over The Next 12+ Months

The big rally in Gold and Silver that started on the first trading day in 2021 is likely a continuation of the Depreciation cycle phase trending that our researchers identified many months ago. We are still very early in this Depreciation cycle phase and it will likely last until sometime near 2026~2029. What this means is that we can expect an unraveling of the Appreciation cycle phase investments (deployed in technology, healthcare, biotech and other broad market sectors) and new sector trends to establish in core commodities, energy, emerging markets, and sectors where a falling US dollar will likely prompt bullish trends.

Overall, it means we need to prepare for broad market rotations in nearly all market sectors and trends. This transition away from the end of the Appreciation cycle phase means that capital will eventually shift into new forms of investment opportunities  Metals and Miners being one component that we believe is just starting a big upside price trend.

Be sure to sign up for our free market trend analysis and signals now so you dont miss our next special report!

The Miners vs Gold Monthly chart below, where Gold is represented as a BLUE line and the Miners Index is represented as Candlesticks, highlights the very mild uptrend weve seen in Miners recently. Gold has already rallied to levels above the 2011 highs where Miners are still far below the 2008~2011 high price levels. This suggests that Miners may see a big 35% to 55%+ rally over the next 12+ months to catch up with the continued price appreciation in Gold and Silver.

The key takeaway from this article should be that traders need to prepare for a global market shift away from what has been traditionally strong trending sectors over the next 12 to 24+ months. Our research suggests a broad market shift is taking place that will likely end many current trends and start new rally trends in traditionally defensive sectors.

Over 53% of the current Large Cap Index Weighting is directly tied to Technology, Healthcare and Consumers. Of that, more than 52% of that weighting is tied to Technology. If broad global sectors begin to transition away from over-weighted sectors and into undervalued and under-weighted sectors, we believe the major global market indexes may be uniquely setup for very big price rotations/declines in the near future. The weighting of these three sectors have overtaken the total weighting of the other 8~9 sectors. Thus, three unique sectors make up more than 53% of the total weighting whereas the other 8~9 sectors make up only 47% of the total weighting.

To illustrate our point, Materials make up only 2.62% of the Large Cap index. The total weighting of the Industrials, Materials, Utilities, and Real-Estate sectors is only 16.52%  which equals up to only a third of the value of the Technoilogy, Healthcare and Consumer sectors. This disparity of weighting in the Large Cap index presents a very real potential that any moderate downside price trends as capital shifts to new opportunities within the new Depreciation cycle phase may result in a very big and aggressive price decline in the US and Global major indexes.

2021 and beyond are going to present great opportunities for traders in the right sectors. If you are able to see these setups and prepare for them as various sectors roll in and out of favor, while properly hedging your assets, you will likely do really well over the next 5 to 7+ years. If not, you will probably chase failed trends as they continue to collapse or move into deep downward/sideways trends.

The Depreciation cycle phase will not likely end until sometime after 2027. Therefore, we have at least 5 to 7 more years of very broad market rotation to look forward to  where investment capital shifts very quickly away from overvalued risk assets and into undervalued assets and sectors. This means traders must adapt very quickly to how these trends setup and mature. Be prepared, the trending you are probably used to seeing over the past 4+ years is about to become unrecognizable.

Right now is the time to learn how to better prepare for very fast trend and sector rotations and to trade them to your benefit. With the markets near all-time highs, we fear some of you will get caught on the wrong side of these trends  just like what happened after the DOT COM bubble burst. Take a minute to visitwww.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn more about the services we offer and dont forget to take my FREE webinar on how to spot and trade the Best Assets Now!

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent actions this week by several big technology companies, such as Amazon, Apple, and Google to shut down consumer access to the social network Parler is an example of why we built the American Conservative Values ETF (NYSE: ACVF).

When we launched The American Conservative Values ETF in October 2020, we gave 'Big Tech' a fair chance, targeting our boycotts at the worst of the worst --in our opinion, Facebook and Twitter. Although Apple, Amazon, and Google have historically been hostile to conservative values, given their importance to the economy and systemic risk to a diversified large-cap portfolio, we placed these companies on probation, under review for a boycott.

However, based on fresh evidence of their current character, the management team of ACVF has decided to revoke probation. As a result, ACVF will immediately terminate new purchases of Apple, Amazon, and Google, while we determine the best course of action to sell our existing holdings under the most favorable conditions.

This means no new investor money into the ACVF ETF will be used to purchase those companies. No new money that comes into the fund will be used to buy stock of any of these three 'Big Tech, Big Brother' companies that seek to silence free speech. Current stock owned by the fund will be removed from the portfolio in a way that seeks to maximize investor outcomes.

The notion that these 'Big Tech' companies believe that they can anoint themselves defacto censors of free speech not only assaults the rights and freedoms upon which America was built, but also (ironically) the very underpinnings of the United States Constitution that enabled these politically left-leaning Silicon valley companies to become the billion dollar juggernauts they are today. Even the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned in a statement that "it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions especially when political realities make those decisions easier. President Trump can turn his press team or Fox News to communicate with the public, but others  who have been censored by social media companieswill not have that luxury."

About ACVF

ACVF seeks to boycott ownership of companies which the adviser determines support liberal causes, charities, advocacy groups, campaigns, candidates, PACs, and think tanks. The fund is designed to be a core holding replacement for Large Cap Index ETFs and Mutual Funds. Its portfolio is broadly diversified and seeks to manage active risk to capitalization-weighted benchmarks such as the Russell 1000 and S&P 500.

Carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risk factors, charges and expenses before investing. This and additional information can be found in the Fund's prospectus and Summary Prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting ACVETFS.com. Read the prospectus and Summary Prospectus carefully before investing. An investment in the Fund is subject to risks, including the possible loss of the principal amount invested. Overall stock market risks may affect the value of individual securities in which the Fund invests. The Fund is actively managed, the Adviser's investment decisions impact the Fund's performance. The Fund and Adviser are new, the ETF has only recently commenced operations. This Fund may not be suitable for all investors.

The ACVF Fund is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

The Fund is structured as an ETF and as a result, is subject to special risks. Shares are bought and sold at market price (closing price) not net asset value (NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Market price returns are based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00pm Eastern Time (when NAV is normally determined) and do not represent the return you would receive if you traded at other times.

SOURCE American Conservative Values ETF
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Mt. Washington, Kentucky, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MHS Holdings, Inc. (MHS or the Company), a leading global provider of advanced material handling automation solutions, engineering, equipment and software, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase certain assets related to TGW Systems, Inc.s U.S. conveyor business unit, which operated separately from TGWs U.S. integration business unit. The transaction is expected to close in February 2021.

Based in Norton Shores, Michigan, TGW U.S. Conveyors, formerly Ermanco, Inc., is a division of TGW Logistics Group. TGW U.S. Conveyors works across multiple distribution & fulfillment end-markets, including e-commerce, life sciences, food & beverage, and parcel freight & logistics. TGW U.S. Conveyors will help accelerate MHSs product strategy and growth plan so that MHS is best positioned to serve its growing customer base. TGW U.S. Conveyors will begin to operate under MHS Distribution + Fulfillment/MHS Conveyor as a division of MHS, and MHS plans to retain the TGW U.S. Conveyors employees post-close.

We are thrilled to join the MHS family and partner with MHS to deliver market-leading automation solutions for our customer base, said TGW U.S. Conveyors Managing Director Christian Lahnsteiner. Our newly-expanded relationship with MHS gives us a platform to extend our product solutions to a larger set of customers while continuing to deliver the quality product that we have been known for.

MHS was founded in 1999 and now generates more than $1 billion of revenue as they deliver automation solutions for the worlds largest logistics providers and e-commerce retailers. In April 2017, the Companys founders led MHS through a recapitalization in partnership with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. (THL), followed by a series of acquisitions that expanded the Companys global footprint, capabilities and product and service lines.

TGW U.S. Conveyors marks the latest in MHSs series of acquisitions, following its purchase of eMotion Controls in early 2020.

TGW U.S. Conveyors has an impressive history of growth that dates back more than five decades, said MHS CEO and Co-Founder Scott McReynolds. The company brings with it a strong employee base and leadership team. It also expands on our existing capabilities to serve the distribution and fulfillment market with a broader array of automation products and systems. TGW U.S. Conveyors is a fantastic addition to our growing portfolio and further positions us to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity that lies ahead for our company and industry. We are very excited to have Christian and his team join the MHS family.

Harald Schropf, CEO of TGW Logistics Group, added, "Two different conveyor product lines were at odds with our strategic orientation. It was important to us and we are therefore pleased to have found a strategic investor in MHS, who will continue the American division of the TGW Conveyor Business with all employees associated with this business. At the same time, our integration business unit, TGW Systems, Inc., will remain active in the North American market.

PricewaterhouseCoopers acted as an Accounting and Tax Advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to MHS. Financial terms for the transaction were not disclosed.

# # #

About Material Handling Systems, Inc.

Founded in 1999, MHS Global is a full-service provider of innovative material handling systems that solve the challenges of distribution and fulfillment operations. We take a comprehensive, customer-centric approach that includes custom engineering, design, manufacturing and turnkey integration services. Our quality solutions leverage a broad range of controls and automated equipment, including but not limited to sorters, conveyors, extendable loading and unloading systems. We provide complete, responsive support to maintain systems for peak performance, with predictive analytics and local technicians to maximize long-term value and return on investment.

MHS has a global installed base of over $5 billion for small to large distribution and fulfillment projects in a variety of industries, including e-commerce, parcel, third party logistics and outside integrators.

About TGW Logistics Group

TGW Logistics Group is one of the leading international suppliers of material handling solutions. For more than 50 years, the Austrian specialist has implemented highly automated systems for its international customers, including brands from A as in Adidas to Z as in Zalando. As systems integrator, TGW plans, produces and implements complex logistics centers, from mechatronic products and robots to control systems and software. TGW Logistics Group has subsidiaries in Europe, China and the US and more than 3,700 employees worldwide.

Media Contact:

Ben Adkins, Communications Director, MHS

502.619.4267

Ben.Adkins@MHSGlobal.com

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Burma Myanmar Aviation Chief Charged with Corruption

Yangon International Airport. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy.

Yangon  The Anti-Corruption Commission of Myanmar (ACC) has filed a lawsuit against a manager at the Ministry of Transport and Communications for allegedly soliciting bribes.

The ACC said on Monday that it had launched an investigation against U Soe Paing, general manager of the Department of Civil Aviation, after receiving reports of corruption.

U Soe Paing is accused of abusing his position while director of the Air Traffic Control Inspection and general manager of the Air Navigation Control Division.

The ACC said the accused had solicited up to US$100 (134,000 kyats) from foreign agents and operators for each flight permit.

The general manager is alleged to have asked for bribes totaling US$72,000 (96 million kyats) from 12 foreign operators using a foreign bank account in his name, according to the ACC.

The ACC said it opened a case with Yangons Mingaladon Township police under Article 56 of the Anti-Corruption Law, which carries sentences of up to 10 years.

On Dec. 14, the ACC also filed lawsuits against Dr. Maung Maung Soe, director of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department in Magwe Region and deputy director Daw Thandar Sint for abusing their authority and misusing government funds.

Transparency International, a global coalition against corruption, in November praised the ACC for taking on high-level figures and winning public trust.

U Aung Kyi, 74, resigned as chairman of the ACC in early December, saying he wanted to focus on meditation.

The ACC is currently being led by its secretary as interim chairman.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  A judge has temporarily stopped the U.S. governments plans Tuesday to carry out the first federal execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades, finding that the Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and tried to pass off the newborn as her own was likely mentally ill and couldnt comprehend she would be put to death.

When other executions by the Trump administration were similarly stayed in days or even hours before the scheduled execution times last year, the Department of Justice succeeded in getting a higher court to reverse them. Government lawyers also quickly appealed the stay issued Monday for Lisa Montgomery.

Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.

A federal judge in southwestern Indiana handed down the order Monday less than 24 hours before the 52-year-old Montgomery, the only female on federal death row, was set to be executed at a federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Any delay of Montgomerys execution beyond Joe Bidens inauguration next Tuesday would likely mean she will not be executed since a Biden administration is expected to oppose carrying out of federal death sentences.

One of Montgomerys lawyers, Kelley Henry, told The Associated Press Tuesday morning that her client arrived at the Terre Haute facility late Monday night from a Texas prison and that, because there are no facilities for female inmates, she was being kept in a cell in the execution-chamber building itself.

I dont believe she has any rational comprehension of whats going on at all, Henry said.

Montgomery has done needle-point in prison, making gloves, hats and other knitted items as gifts for her lawyers and others, Henry said. She hasnt been able to continue that hobby or read since her glasses were taken away from her out of concern she could commit suicide.

All of her coping mechanisms were taken away from her when they locked her down in October when she was informed she had an execution date, Henry said.

Montgomerys legal team says she suffered sexual torture, including gang rapes, as a child, permanently scarring her emotionally and exacerbating mental-health issues that ran in her family.

At trial, prosecutors accused Montgomery of faking mental illness, noting that her killing of Stinnett was premeditated and included meticulous planning, including online research on how to perform a C-section.

Henry balked at that idea, citing extensive testing and brain scans that supported the diagnosis of mental illness.

You cant fake brain scans that show the brain damage, she said.

Henry said the issue at the core of the legal arguments are not whether she knew the killing was wrong in 2004 but whether she fully grasps why she is slated to be executed now.

In his ruling on a stay, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Terre Haute cited defense experts who alleged Montgomery suffered from depression, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Montgomery, the judge wrote, also suffered around the time of the killing from an extremely rare condition called pseudocyesis in which a womans false belief she is pregnant triggers hormonal and physical changes as if she was actually pregnant.

Montgomery also experiences delusions and hallucinations, believing God spoke with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, the judge said, citing defense experts.

The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomerys current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the governments rationale for her execution, the judge said.

The government has acknowledged Montgomerys mental issues but disputes that she cant comprehend that she is scheduled for execution for killing another person because of them.

Details of the crime at times left jurors in tears during her trial.

Prosecutors told the jury Montgomery drove about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett. She strangled Stinnett performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.

Prosecutors said Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silvers in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.

Montgomery was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasnt spoken publicly about the tragedy.

Prosecutors said the motive was that Montgomerys ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.

The U.S. has executed 10 people at Terre Haute since the resumption of federal executions after a 17-year pause started on July 14. Anti-death penalty groups said President Donald Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.

The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri.

The last woman executed by a state was Kelly Gissendaner, 47, on Sept. 30, 2015, in Georgia. She was convicted of murder in the 1997 slaying of her husband after she conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.

Hollingsworth reported from Kansas.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:48:40|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China is using a combination of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 amid the latest resurgence of the virus in Beijing and provinces including Hebei, Liaoning and Heilongjiang.

The number of confirmed and asymptomatic infections of COVID-19 in north China's Hebei Province has continued to increase since the province reported a new locally transmitted confirmed case on Jan. 2. As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, a total of 326 locally transmitted confirmed cases and 234 asymptomatic cases had been reported, vice governor of Hebei Xu Jianpei said Tuesday.

The provincial capital Shijiazhuang, where more than 300 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been found since the beginning of this year, launched the second round of citywide nucleic acid testing on Tuesday, said Meng Xianghong, vice mayor of the city.

The testing is expected to take only two days, Ma Yujun, acting mayor of the city, told a press conference. There will be sufficient professional staff for sampling, information input and maintaining order at every sampling site to ensure that work is carried out in an orderly and efficient manner.

Residents register their personal information before the COVID-19 test at a community COVID-19 testing site in Qiaoxi District of Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

On Jan. 8, a nucleic acid test laboratory named Huoyan, or Fire Eye, was built in only 10 hours and put into use in 21 hours in Shijiazhuang. It can test up to 1 million samples a day, significantly improving the city's testing capability.

"In the process of combating the epidemic, early and accurate detection is particularly important," said Du Yutao, board member of BGI Group, a Shenzhen-based biotech company which has established Huoyan labs in 16 cities across China and in 17 countries and regions across the world.

Du, together with an experienced working group sent by BGI Group, arrived in her hometown Shijiazhuang on Jan. 6.

"I don't know how to describe my feelings when I saw my hometown fall into silence," said Du. "But we have accumulated rich experience and improved testing capacity. I believe the city will surely succeed in fighting the epidemic."

Undated photo provided by Dalian Ocean University shows members of the university's anti-epidemic volunteer team delivering supplies to students' dormitory at the university in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Dalian Ocean University/Handout via Xinhua)

Elsewhere in China, the northeastern cities of Dalian and Shenyang in Liaoning Province have also conducted several rounds of citywide nucleic acid tests following a resurgence of COVID-19 cases since December last year.

"Through large-scale testing, infections can be detected at the earliest," said Zhao Lian, deputy director of the Dalian municipal health commission.

"We're carrying out scientific and accurate disinfection of the public environment in the city, including disinfection of areas which have seen resurgence of the virus and preventive disinfection of other areas," said Liang Chunbo, director of the Dalian City Administration Bureau, adding that sanitation facilities such as garbage stations shall be sterilized at least three times a day.

"After scientific research and accurate prevention and control, the epidemic situation in Dalian is currently under control," said Zhao. As of Monday, no new confirmed cases were reported in the city for six consecutive days.

The province has decided to further extend the health observation period to 28 days for all inbound travelers from abroad. In addition to the current 14-day centralized medical quarantine and seven-day home observation, the new "14+7+7" model will enforce another week of health monitoring, during which the quarantined individual must regularly report body temperature to the local community.

A medical worker inoculates a recipient with a COVID-19 vaccine at a temporary inoculation site in Haidian District in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Similarly, Beijing has also extended the COVID-19 observation period for inbound travelers to 21 days following sporadic locally-transmitted cases. The capital has further laid out requirements for COVID-19 prevention and control in public transport services, including taxis and road passenger transportation.

Meanwhile, China is administering domestically developed COVID-19 vaccines to specific groups with high infection risks, including medical workers, airport staff and people handling cold-chain imported products.

Over 1 million people in Beijing had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of 11 a.m. Monday. The city is expected to complete administering the first dose of the jab among specific groups by Friday.

Activities at city parks and squares have been suspended in Hebei as part of the province's efforts to tame the latest outbreak.

Upon the implementation of stricter COVID-19 prevention and control measures, Shijiazhuang has taken a raft of measures to ensure supply of staple food, as well as heating, gas and water supply, as all residents of the city have been told to stay home for two weeks since Jan. 6.

Authorities said they have arranged 59 supermarkets and over 300 convenience stores in Shijiazhuang to directly supply over 2,000 residential complexes.

About 25,000 couriers are returning to work to supply daily necessities to stay-at-home residents in the city after a second round of nucleic acid tests among couriers.

"I actually feel proud to be on the front line, to deliver the daily supplies to residents," said Yang Donghai, a 33-year-old courier. "All clients thanked me on receiving their parcels, which is more important than anything else." 
A woman has told of her gratitude for her hero neighbour who saved her daughter's life after he rescued her from the top floor window of their burning house.

The blaze broke out at the property in Victoria Street, Portrush at around 11.15am last Friday.

A fundraising page launched to help the family, who lost all their personal possessions in the fire, has topped 28,000.

Mum Julie Brewster has been overwhelmed by the support of the local community.

The fire started while Juliewas out of the house. Her daughter who was sleeping upstairs was saved by quick-thinking neighbour Conard McCullagh who got a ladder and smashed a window to rescue her.

Conard said: "I had been working from home under the current Covid restrictions and in a Teams meeting when I heard my front doorbell ringing followed by someone banging on the door frantically.

"It was one of Julie's daughters saying that her house was on fire. Initially, I thought it would be a small fire that would be easy enough sorted but when I looked at the house I could see smoke and flames billowing from the windows.

"Julie's other daughter had been upstairs sleeping when the fire broke out and was still trapped inside. I rushed inside but could only get to the bottom of the stairs before being pushed back by the flames and heat.

"I rushed back to my own house to get ladders and an axe and I was able to climb to the top story window.

"Luckily the girl inside had woken up and realised there was a fire. When she got to the window, her face was black with smoke and I was able to carry her down the ladder to safety.

"Unfortunately, the fire was too well developed to save the family dog."

Julie's daughter who was rescued from the fire said the family is "so blessed" to "have neighbours who have supported and helped us our whole lives and now have saved my life".

Julie said she has been moved by the kindness and generosity of the community.

She said: "Portrush welcomed me into the community in 1995 when I knew no-one. Over the years I have built up fantastic lifelong friendships, and now they and the people of Portrush have raised the standard of heartfelt kindness, generosity and goodwill. People have always shown me kindness but now it feels like they have put their arms around me and my family in so many ways with offers of clothing, furniture, food and help.

"This is especially moving when I know people have got their own troubles and are waiting patiently themselves for a light at the end of the tunnel. I will owe a debt of gratitude to this community, the emergency services and people further afield for the rest of my life. I always knew I had good neighbours, I just didn't expect that they would end up saving my daughter's life someday."

Independent councillor Stephanie Quigley who, along with Sophie Irwin and Paula Rogers, set up the appeal said: "There have been losses that can never be replaced for Julie and the family but this financial help removes a huge amount of worry and stress now and in the coming months."
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

The Presidential Council is a new permanent format of high-level dialogue and a mechanism for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of topical cooperation issues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu have agreed to establish the Presidential Council.

"The presidents of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have decided to establish the Presidential Council as a new permanent format of high-level dialogue and a mechanism for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of topical cooperation issues," according to a joint statement by two presidents posted by the Ukrainian president's press service.

Read alsoZelensky on Moldova president's visit to Kyiv: Beginning of new relations between statesThe officials also underscore the joint intention of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to resume a high-level dialogue and attach a dynamic nature to it, create the necessary preconditions for strategic bilateral cooperation in the interests of our states and nations.

"We highlight the common interest in launching new infrastructure projects, facilitating transit and transportation, developing tourism and other areas of mutual interest," the document says.

Sandu's visit to Ukraine

Candidate from the Action and Solidarity Party, former Prime Minister Maia Sandu won the presidential elections in November 2020.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Sandu to visit Ukraine.

On December 10, Sandu confirmed her visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, in January 2021 would become the first foreign trip after her inauguration.

Reporting by UNIAN
[January 12, 2021] Onix Earns ISO 27001 Certification for IT Security and Risk Management Strategy

LAKEWOOD, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cloud solutions provider Onix has achieved ISO 27001 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS) by demonstrating conformance to its documented ISMS requirements comprising technical and organizational security controls. Marcum RAS, LLC issued the three-year certificate. ISO 27001 requirements are set forth by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission. ISO 27001 provides an international standard and methodology for how organizations should implement, manage and maintain information security for software, people and processes. The standard was first released in 2005 and updated in 2013. To receive this certification, Onix invested significant effort into maturing all aspects of its information security program to meet the high bar set by the ISO 27001 standard. A cross-functional team representing all functional areas of Onix's business collaborated in developing appropriate controls. The audits reviewed companydocumentation and testing of conformance of Onix's ISMS with ISO 27001.



The certification is valid for three years, but in years two and three, Onix will undergo surveillance audits to ensure the scope of its ISMS program is consistent with the original certification and that it is showing continuous improvement of its ISMS. The audit also will validate if ongoing monitoring procedures are in place. Onix CEO and President Tim Needles noted this new ISO 27001 certification reflects the company's commitment to providing the highest level of security and continuous improvement to those offerings, particularly because the company has a multinational customer base.

"We started down this ISO path several years ago and are pleased to see it come to fruition," Needles said. "This is a huge step forward for Onix, and we believe it differentiates us from many of our competitors in the cloud computing space. We have a certified security framework that protects not just our organization but our customers. We take their security and data security exceedingly seriously." About Onix As a leading cloud solutions provider, Onix elevates customers with consulting services for cloud infrastructure, collaboration, devices, enterprise search and geospatial technology. Onix uses its ever-evolving expertise to achieve clients' strategic cloud computing goals. Onix backs its strategic planning and deployment with incomparable ongoing service, training and support. Headquartered in Lakewood, Ohio, Onix serves its customers with virtual teams in major metro areas, including Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and New York. Onix also has Canadian offices in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Learn more at www.onixnet.com . Contact: Robin Suttell

Onix

216-801-4984

robin@onixnet.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/onix-earns-iso-27001-certification-for-it-security-and-risk-management-strategy-301206746.html SOURCE Onix

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FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Valor Mineral Management, LLC ("Valor") a mineral asset management and advisory firm based in Fort Worth, Midland and Abilene, Texas, announces the addition of Carson Collins, Dustin Rucker and Skye Estes as mineral managers.

"We are pleased to have three landmen and mineral managers with a vast array of experience and intellect join the Valor team." said Joseph DeWoody, CEO of Valor Mineral Management. "Their collective backgrounds and knowledge base in the oil and gas industry and mineral rights issues are a great asset addition to the team."

Carson Collins has been a landman for nine years, focusing primarily on the Permian Basin. The majority of his experience is in title, leasing and curative work. Carson also previously served as the vice president of a private equity backed mineral and royalty fund and has been involved in the acquisition and divestiture of thousands of acres of mineral rights and leasehold.

Dustin Rucker is based in Midland, Texas and possesses broad knowledge and experience in multiple land functions. Prior to joining Valor, Dustin worked for one of the largest independent oil and gas companies in the Permian Basin assisting with drilling and acquisition curative and due diligence across the Midland Basin.

Skye Estes spent seven years as a landman working with Charbonnet Land Services and Waggoner Land Services with a focus on title work, mineral acquisition, and leasing in the Permian and Delaware Basins. Skye has also worked as a Specialty Asset Manager in the oil and gas division of Bank of America.

About Valor Mineral Management:

Valor Mineral Management, a mineral management company, was founded in 2018 by experienced oil and gas professionals, Joseph DeWoody and Clifton DuBose. Valor's team has collectively managed hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of oil and gas interests and work monthly with over 1,000 oil and gas operators and payors. Valor utilizes its proprietary software, mineral.tech, to efficiently and effectively manage minerals and royalties on behalf of its clients. Valor's clients include individuals, families, partnerships, trusts, non-profits, institutions, investment funds and family offices with assets in 30 states and over 300 counties across the United States.

For more information on Valor:

www.valormineralmanagement.com

Related Links

https://www.valormineralmanagement.com

Liz Jang

(817) 370-0612

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SOURCE Valor Mineral Management
Two Democratic congresswomen who tested positive this week for COVID-19 have each identified last Wednesdays Capitol siege as the likely point of exposure. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington announced her positive test early Tuesday morning, shortly after New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman confirmed Monday she had contracted the virus. Both congresswomen said they believed they contracted the virus while being forced to shelter in place with maskless Republican lawmakers as pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. During the rioting, as many as 150 members were rushed to a secure location where many Republicans simply refused to wear a mask. Some lawmakers were huddled in the large safe room for hours as the incursion played out.

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At one point, footage taken during the lockdown showed Republicans standing and sitting shoulder to shoulder. Video captured Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, walking around the room offering face coverings to colleagues, but to no avail. Oklahoma Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin explicitly refused to take a mask, saying, Im not trying to get political here, but I appreciate you. The newly elected GOP congresswoman from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a founding member of the congressional QAnon conspiracy theorist caucus, stood next to Mullin with her arms crossed.

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The problems with this scene are plain and manifold. Rep. Jake LaTurner, Republican of Kansas, said he received positive coronavirus test results later that evening after spending the day in the Capitol, though his office said he was not taken to the secure location. LaTurner had been sworn in for his first term in office three days earlier. LaTurners Republican colleague, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, also received positive test results Wednesday night after, he said, coming into contact with another infected Member of Congress. When asked about refusing to wear a mask, Greenes office said in a statement: Congresswoman Greene is a healthy adult.  She does not believe healthy Americans should be forced to muzzle themselves with a mask. And away we go.

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Over the weekend the attending physician to Congress warned lawmakers of the risk posed by their extended exposure during the pro-Trump supporters attack. On Wednesday January 6, many members of the House community were in protective isolation in room located in a large committee hearing space, the attending physician wrote in an email to members of Congress Sunday morning. The time in this room was several hours for some and briefer for others. During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.
A Perth truck driver who had methamphetamine in his system when he ran a red light and smashed into a mother-of-threes car has been sentenced to six years and nine months behind bars.

David West, 48, killed Moira Dunstall, 55, when his 40-tonne truck ploughed into her Mitsubishi Magna as she turned at a green light onto Tonkin Highway from Armadale Road in Forrestdale about 12.50pm on April 15, 2019.

West, who was fatigued due to consuming meth two days earlier and suffering from an undiagnosed sleep apnoea condition, failed to slow his truck as he approached the intersection, despite amber lights flashing 100 metres before the traffic lights.

Travelling between 80 to 100 kilometres per hour, West drove through a traffic light three to five seconds after it had turned red.
After noticing some kids learning from home are without space, an Iowa teacher made it his mission to build desks for students.

Nate Evans organized Woodworking with a Purpose.

It's a Core Cause under the Core Foundation Inc., who awarded them with a Community Hero award. Evans and over a dozen volunteers have made over 600 desks since the end of September. Their goal is to make 2,020 desks by the end of the school year, meaning they need to raise an additional $30,000 in materials.

"The very first day I made up my mind to do this, I went to the store with about $300 to spend," said Evans, who then recalled posting a Facebook status explaining his plan and writing if anyone wanted to help to let him know. "I spent about $300 and when I checked my Venmo that day, that's almost exactly what I had collected that day. It was just meant to be."

Evans says shortly after, volunteers kept coming to help. Core Foundation became Woodworking with a Purpose's fiscal sponsor, making their donations tax deductible. Through Core Foundation, Evans told sister station KCCI that a few corporations have stepped up and made donations.

"We're just trying to help. A lot of the people who have made donations--they may not be woodworkers or they may not be craftsmen, but they want to help somehow. So they chipped in that way," said Evans.

A majority of the desks made have gone to students and schools in Ankeny, Iowa, and Des Moines.

"I knew that if kids here in town needed stuff, I knew that that there would be kids all over the county that would need it, too," explained Evans.
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate, Trump said.

Trump made the comments during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Bidens victory. He was heading to Texas on Tuesday to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term, as lawmakers in Congress appear set to impeach him this week for the second time.

The rampage through the halls of Congress sent lawmakers of both parties and Trumps own vice president into hiding, as crowds called for Mike Pences lynching for his role overseeing the vote count. The scene also undermined the hallmark of the nations republic  the peaceful transition of power. At leave five people. including one Capitol Police office, died.

In the days leading up to the Jan. 6 certification vote, Trump encouraged his supporters to descend on Washington, D.C., promising a wild rally in support of his baseless claims of election fraud, despite his own administrations findings to the contrary. Speaking for more than an hour to a crowd on the Ellipse, Trump encouraged supporters to fight like hell and suggested that Republican lawmakers would need more courage not to step up and overturn the will of voters to grant him another term in office. He also suggested he would join them in marching on the Capitol.

As Trump wrapped up, thousands of his supporters were already heading to the Capitol, where lawmakers convened to count the electoral votes. As rioters were still in the building and lawmakers sheltered in secure locations, Trump, at the urging of aides who were shocked by the violence, released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: We love you. Youre very special. Go home.

Speaking Tuesday, Trump said the real problem was not his rhetoric, but the rhetoric that Democrats used to describe Black Lives Matter protests and violence in Seattle and Portland this summer,

Everybody to the t thought it was totally appropriate, Trump said of his own comments.

Trump was headed to Alamo, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexican border  the site of the 450th mile of the border wall his administration is building.

Alamo is named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texan independence-fighters fended off Mexican forces during a 13-day siege. Most of them died, but the mission became a symbol of resistance for Texans, who eventually defeated the Mexican army.

Trumps visit  no doubt a symbol of the presidents defiance  comes as he spends the final days of his presidency isolated, aggrieved and staring down the prospect of a second impeachment.

Aides have been urging the president to spend his remaining days in office highlighting what they see as the chief accomplishments of his presidency: a massive tax cut, his efforts to roll back federal regulations and the transformation of federal courts with the appointment of conservative judges. But Trump has repeatedly resisted their efforts as he has remained ensconced in the White House, behind closed doors, consumed by baseless allegations of voter fraud and conspiracies.

Trump is expected to deliver remarks highlighting his administrations efforts to curb illegal immigration and the progress made on his signature 2016 campaign promise: building a big, beautiful wall across the length of the southern border  an imposing structure made of concrete and reinforced steel. Over time, Trump demanded modifications that have been largely rejected: He wanted it painted black to burn the hands of those who touched it; he wanted it adorned with deadly spikes; he even wanted to surround it with an alligator-filled moat.

In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction  likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. The vast majority of that wall replaces smaller barriers that had already existed, though the new wall is considerably more difficult to bypass.

A few dozen Trump supporters rallied hours before his visit to the Rio Grande Valley near the Harlingen, Texas, airport, where he was scheduled to land. They planned to stage a caravan of vehicles flying flags that support the president and far-right causes like the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Four people interviewed Tuesday morning all said they believed antifa and Black Lives Matter activists staged the Capitol riot, though federal authorities have uniformly identified far-right activists as responsible. Two people said they still believed Trump would be inaugurated for a second term next week, even after Congress certified Bidens victory and courts at every level have dismissed Trumps baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

If he is able to see us, we hope that it would encourage him and lift up his spirits, said Sharon Katie Taylor, a retiree from Iowa. The people voted him in, and that will be proven.

Over the last four years, Trump and his administration have taken extreme  and often unlawful  action to try to curb both illegal and legal immigration. Their efforts were aided in his final year by the coronavirus pandemic, which ground international travel to a halt. But the number of people stopped trying to cross the southern border illegally has been creeping back up in recent months. Figures from December show nearly 74,000 encounters at the southwest border, up 3% from November and up 81% from a year earlier.

Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has warned the next administration that easing Trump administration policies, including a halt to wall construction, would lead to a surge of people seeking to cross the border, creating an unmitigated crisis in the first few weeks.

Biden has said hed halt construction of the border wall and take executive action where possible to reverse some of Trumps restrictions on legal immigration and asylum seekers. But Biden and his aides have acknowledged the possibility of a new crisis at the border if they act too quickly, and Biden has said it could take six months for his administration to secure funding and put in place the necessary infrastructure to loosen Trump-era restrictions.

After the Capitol violence, groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center urged Trump to call off his visit.

The violence Trump incited last week, and the violence his anti-immigrant policies cause stem from the alarming mainstreaming of white nationalist ideology that our country must reckon with and fight to uproot, said Efren Olivares, deputy legal director of the centers Immigrant Justice Project. The presidents planned trip to the border will only further the harm and beget more violence.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

It's been more than a year since the first cases were identified in China, yet the exact origins of the COVID-19 pandemic remain a mystery. Though strong evidence suggests that the responsible coronavirus originated in bats, how and when it crossed from wildlife into humans is unknown.

In a study published online Jan.12 in the journal mBio, an international team of 15 biologists say this lack of clarity has exposed a glaring weakness in the current approach to pandemic surveillance and response worldwide.

In most recent studies of animal-borne pathogens with the potential to spread to humans, known as zoonotic pathogens, physical specimens of suspected wildlife hosts were not preserved. The practice of collecting and archiving specimens believed to harbor a virus, bacteria or parasite that's under investigation is called host vouchering.

"Vouchered specimens should be considered the gold standard in host-pathogen studies and a key part of pandemic preparedness," said Cody Thompson, co-lead author of the mBio paper and mammal collections manager at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

"But host vouchering has effectively been nonexistent in most recent zoonotic pathogen studies, and the lack of this essential information has limited our ability to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic," said Thompson, who is also an assistant research scientist in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

To fill this knowledge gap, Thompson and his co-authors urge researchers who conduct host-pathogen studies to adopt vouchering practices and to collaborate with natural history museums to permanently archive host specimens, along with their tissue and microbiological samples.

The authors of the mBio article include experts in mammalogy, bat biology, microbiology, natural history, ornithology, bioinformatics, parasitology and host-pathogen biology. Most of them have ties to natural history museums.

"In essence, vouchering provides both an offensive mechanism for pandemic preventionby expanding the surveillance of wildlife hosts and associated pathogensand a defensive mechanism by providing a verifiable archive for baseline comparisons," said study co-lead author Kendra Phelps of EcoHealth Alliance, a global nonprofit that works to prevent pandemics and promote wildlife conservation.

"This problem becomes especially critical in navigating novel viral zoonoses, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where it is necessary for the scientific community to swiftly and efficiently leverage its collective knowledge and resources to effectively understand and contain the spread of novel pathogens at a time when lockdown restrictions hamper on-going sampling efforts."

The emergence of infectious diseases attributed to novel pathogens that "spill over" from animal populations into humans has increased in recent decades.

The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has demonstrated that a previously unknown pathogen can emerge from wildlife species and threaten public health on a global scale within months. Experts from the World Health Organization are expected to arrive in China this week for a long-anticipated investigation into the pandemic's origins.

During spillover events, vouchered specimens in museum collections and biorepositories can help disease sleuths quickly track a pathogen to its source in the wild. The authors of the mBio study highlight three examplesyellow fever, hantaviruses and parasitic wormsof host-pathogen research that successfully incorporated natural history collections into collaborative research programs.

Vouchered host specimens can help answer fundamental biological, ecological and evolutionary questions about host-pathogen dynamics. The specimens allow for scientific replicability, they help ensure correct taxonomic identification of the host species, they establish a baseline for future studies, and they provide biological samples that can extend research as new technologies emerge.

At the same time, archiving host specimens in natural history collections provides access to a "vast, largely untapped biodiversity infrastructure" within museums, according to the authors of the mBio paper.

"We need to think of natural history collections as resources for preventing future pandemics, with the potential to promote powerful interdisciplinary and historical approaches to studying emerging zoonotic pathogens," said U-M's Thompson.

As part of their study, the mBio authors surveyed more than 100 microbiologistsbacteriologists, parasitologists and virologistsfrom around the world to assess their vouchering practices when conducting host-pathogen research.

Fewer than half said they voucher host specimens from which microbiological samples were lethally collected. In the cases where host specimens were obtained, most were deposited in the collections of natural history museums.

To help foster collaborations between microbiologists and curators of natural history collections, the authors also provide recommendations for integrating vouchering techniques and archiving of microbiological samples into host-pathogen studies.

More information: Cody W. Thompson et al. Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies, mBio (2021). Journal information: mBio Cody W. Thompson et al. Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies,(2021). DOI: 10.1128/mBio.02698-20
German authorities say they have taken down the 'world's largest' darknet marketplace and arrested an Australian who allegedly used it to sell drugs, stolen credit card data and other illegal goods.

Police in Oldenburg shut down the DarkMarket site and turned off its server on Monday after arresting the alleged operator at the weekend, a statement said today.

The marketplace offered 'all kinds of drugs' as well as 'counterfeit money, stolen and fake credit card data, anonymous SIM cards, malware and much more,' it is alleged.

German police say they have taken down the 'world's largest' darknet marketplace - DarkMarket - which was used to sell drugs, stolen credit card data, and other illegal goods

Calling it 'the suspected world's largest illegal marketplace on the darknet', German prosecutors said the website was brought down by a months-long international investigation involving the FBI and other foreign law enforcement.

At the time of its closure, DarkMarket had nearly 500,000 users and more than 2,400 vendors.

A total of at least 320,000 transactions were carried out via the marketplace, with more than 4,650 Bitcoin and 12,800 Monero - two of the most common cryptocurrencies - changing hands, prosecutors said.

At current exchange rates, that represented turnover valued at 140million (125million).

A 34-year-old Australian national believed to be the DarkMarket operator was arrested near the German-Danish border, just as more than 20 servers it used in Moldova and Ukraine were seized.

Police have also arrested an Australian national accused of running the website, after a months-long investigation involving the FBI and other agencies (file image)

'Investigators expect to use the data saved there to launch new probes against the moderators, sellers and buyers of the marketplace,' prosecutors said.

The prime suspect was brought before a judge but declined to speak. He was placed in pre-trial detention.

The American FBI, DEA narcotics law enforcement division and IRS tax authority took part in the probe along with their German colleagues.

The investigation also involved police from Australia, Britain, Denmark, Switzerland, Ukraine and Moldova, with Europol playing a 'coordinating role'.

The secret 'darknet' network includes websites that can be accessed only with specific software or authorisations, ensuring anonymity for users.
Maryland student sues school for allegedly forcing her to promote Islamic beliefs in class

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A former high school students parents are taking their lawsuit against a Maryland school district over allegedly being forced to promote Muslim beliefs to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The parents of Caleigh Wood, who are represented by the Thomas More Law Center, asked the Supreme Court last week to hear an appeal in a suit they filed against Charles County Public Schools.

Law Center President Richard Thompson said in a statement released last Wednesday that he believed some public schools have become a hot bed of Islamic propaganda.

Under the guise of teaching history or social studies, public schools across America are promoting the religion of Islam in ways that would never be tolerated for Christianity or any other religion, stated Thompson.

Prompted by zealous Islamic activism and emboldened by confusing court decisions, schools are now bending over backwards to promote Islam while at the same time denigrate Christianity. We are asking the Supreme Court to provide the necessary legal guidance to resolve the insidious discrimination against Christians in our public schools.

In January 2016, the law center filed a suit on behalf of the Wood family against the school district in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

According to the complaint, during the 2014-2015 academic year, 11th grader and devout Christian Wood was compelled to promote Islamic beliefs during a world history class.

Allegedly, students were taught that most Muslims faith is stronger than the average Christian and instructed to recite passages from the Quran and the shahada, or Muslim statement of faith.

The lawsuit also claimed that Wood and the other students were instructed that the Islamic religion is a fact while Christianity and Judaism are just beliefs.

For example that the Quran is the word of Allah as revealed to Muhammad in the same way that Jews and Christians believe the Torah and the Gospels were revealed to Moses and the New Testament writers, explained the 2016 lawsuit.

During its brief instruction on Christianity, Defendants failed to cover any portion of the Bible or other non-Islamic religious texts, such as the Ten Commandments. Instead, the class included disparaging remarks about Christianity and the Pope.

Wood refused to do the assignment on the basis of religious objection and requested to do an alternative assignment. The school rejected the request and gave her a failing grade.

In September 2016, District Court Judge George Hazel ruled against the Wood family, rejecting a preliminary injunction against the school district and partly granting a motion to dismiss.

In February, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the district court ruling in a unanimous decision.

Circuit Judge Barbara Keenan, author of the panel opinion, wrote that the court decided that the history course did not violate Woods First Amendment rights, because they did not impermissibly endorse any religion and did not compel Wood to profess any belief.

Nothing in the record indicates that the comparative faith statement was made with a subjective purpose of advancing Islam over Christianity, or for any other predominately religious purpose, wrote Judge Keenan.

The students were not required to memorize the shahada, to recite it, or even to write the complete statement of faith. Instead, the worksheet included a variety of factual information related to Islam and merely asked the students to demonstrate their understanding of the material by completing the partial sentences.
Baker: No Known Threat to State Buildings Related to Biden Inauguration

WORCESTER, Mass.  Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday said there is no specific threat of violence identified against the State House in connection to next weeks inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, but the commonwealth continues to prepare for the worst.

"Weve been talking with our colleagues in law enforcement at the Mass State Police and federal level on a very regular basis for months," Baker said during a visit to the Worcester Senior Center. "That process is going to continue, and, obviously, there are lots of conversations going on between federal, state and local law enforcement about the issues raised with respect to this weekend.

"I can tell you at this point in time we are not aware of any specific threat that involves anything here in Massachusetts."

On Monday, CNN reported it had obtained an internal FBI memo warning of armed protests being planned in all 50 state capitals in the days leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration. (Note: Up to 500 National Guardsmen were activated on Thursday, Jan. 14, to assist with security efforts in Washington, D.C. Another 500 were being called up to assist state and local law enforcement should the need arise.)

Baker on Tuesday said he saw no evidence that warranted calling out the Massachusetts National Guard to help with security around Beacon Hill or other state facilities, implying that he did not need to mobilize the guard too far in advance without an imminent threat.

"The great thing about the Guard is when you call, they come," Baker said in response to a reporters question. "At this point in time, we do not have anything in front of us that would justify activating the National Guard."

Baker talked about the role of the Fusion Centers, defined on the federal Department of Homeland Security website as "state-owned and operated centers that serve as focal points in states and major urban areas for the receipt, analysis, gathering and sharing of threat-related information between state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT), federal and private sector partners."

Baker said federal, state and local law enforcement officials talk with one another all the time.

"The Fusion Centers, there are a number of them all over the country, and they were created in the aftermath of 9/11 when issues were raised about whether every level of law enforcement was talking to each other or not," Baker said. "The Fusion Center works, to some extent, the way the bunker does out at [the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency], in the sense that there are always people there and, depending on what the incoming information is, the number of people goes up or down.

"The Fusion Center has been very active in dialogue and conversation over what people are hearing, learning and discovering either through social media or a wide variety of other contacts about what is out there in the atmosphere."

So far, Baker said, the forecast for the Bay State does not include any specific threats.

"There are currently no known threats with respect to the State House or any other public building at this time," Baker said. "We will be appropriately prepared for anything that might happen. Beyond that, Im not going to speak to plans of where were going to put people or how were going to do it."
January 12 : The news was viral that stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Hart and Netflix has closed a megabucks deal under his home banner HartBeat Productions. The exclusive partnership calls for Hart to be the star of at least four films hell produce and perhaps star as well.

Its a major commitment for the star and the streamer. Last time Netflix made a film commitment this big with a comic star was the one it renewed with Adam Sandler that was said to be in the 150 million vicinity.

Kevin Hart confirmed the news on his social media profile. He shared, Excited about this new chapter for myself & my company. I am beyond blessed and thankful for my team at HartBeat Productions....I truly believe in our ability to make global films that will make a lasting impact in cinema history for years to come. We are just getting started people #HartBeatProductions .....Its all about the We not the Me

Hart is slated to star in and executive produce the recently announced Netflix scripted limited series True Story, produced by HartBeat Productions and Eric Newman (Narcos and Narcos: Mexico), marking Harts dramatic series debut.

Harts latest stand-up special Zero F*cks Given was the No. 1 Netflix comedy special of 2020; more than 21 million accounts chose to watch in the first four weeks after it premiered. Hart was also featured in the 2019 biographical docuseries Kevin Hart: Dont F*ck This Up.

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  wwwnewsofbahrain.com

The government has directed the Interior Ministry to take necessary steps for the immediate release of all citizens detained by Qatar, including the most recent incident involving Bahraini international bodybuilding champion Sami Al Haddad and his companions.

In yesterdays weekly meeting, held remotely and chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Cabinet emphasised that the security and safety of Bahraini citizens is a top priority and rejected any violations against them.

The Cabinet also followed up on the measures taken by the Interior Ministry to assess the damages suffered by Bahraini seafarers affected by the actions taken by the Qatari authorities, in order to compensate them.

Al Haddad, an IFBB Pro bodybuilder and the amateur winner of the international bodybuilding contest Mr Olympia in 2011, and his friends were arrested by the Qatari authorities on Saturday when they were on a fishing boat.

In a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry demanded Qatar to immediately release Al Haddad and his companions and to stop attacking Bahraini fishermen at sea and unfairly arresting them.

Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said last month that Qatar targeted 2,153 Bahraini citizens and 560 Bahrain-registered boats from 2010 to 2020.

Last week, Bahrain and five other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including Qatar signed a reconciliation agreement during the 41st GCC Summit held in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Ula.

The Cabinet also stressed the importance of the Bahrain International Airport expansion project in reinforcing Bahrains position as a primary centre for logistic services and a regional travel hub.

HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister directed work to continue towards beginning operations on 28 January, thanking all relevant authorities and personnel involved in this significant project.

On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the National Guard, the Cabinet praised the National Guard as a key component of the Kingdoms armed forces and acknowledged its competence, readiness and dedication to service.

The Cabinet praised the accomplishments of the Kingdoms diplomatic corps in enhancing Bahrains regional and international standings and relations through a balanced approach to foreign policy on the occasion of Bahraini Diplomacy Day on 14 January.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet offered its condolences to the government and people of Indonesia and to the families of the victims of the fatal passenger airplane crash.

The Cabinet congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense on the success of the 41st GCC summit meeting recently hosted by the Kingdom.


And now, Google Maps navigation has contributed to another unfortunate event, as a 34-year-old driver ended up with the car in the water, eventually drowning because he didnt know how to swim.It happened in India where 34-year-old Satish Ghule was driving his boss and a friend towards Kalsubai, Maharashtras highest peak, for trekking. The driver didnt know the route, so he turned to Google Maps for help.But according to local media citing police statements, Google Maps sent the man to a bridge that can only be used for eight months, after which it ends up submerged, as the authorities release the water from a nearby dam. The information on the Google Maps was most likely outdated, so no warning was provided on the current condition of the bridge.Because the three were traveling during the night, they couldnt see the bridge was already underwater, so they drove directly into the water, with the car eventually started sinking. The trio managed to get out of the vehicle by opening the windows, but the driver didnt know how to swim and eventually drowned.While driving towards Kalsubai for trekking, they had lost their way and sought guidance from Google Maps, when they accidentally drove into the water, Senior Inspector Abhay Parmar of Akole police station was quoted as saying. There is a bridge there, which is operational for eight months. But for four months after the rainy season, the water of the dam is released and the bridge goes underwater, due to which it cannot be used, Deputy Superintendent of police Rahul Madhne added.The locals rushed to the scene in an attempt to rescue the driver, but since it all happened during the night, his body was only found the next day in the morning.
Mandsaur:

A 26-year-old farmer died in Badavan village of violence-hit Mandsaur district, with locals on Friday alleging that he was beaten up by policemen.



In Indore, sources in MY Hospital, where the farmer was taken on Thursday night, said he was brought dead and that his body bore signs of assault. However, police said the circumstances of his death were unclear and they were investigating the matter.



This is the sixth death of farmer reported in the district. Violence has rocked the district after five farmers were killed in police firing in the district on Tuesday.



According to villagers, the farmer Ghanashyam Dhakad was on his way to a temple last evening when some policemen stopped him and thrashed him with sticks.

ALSO READ: Mandsaur: Paramilitary forces reach violence-hit areas; BJP dubs Rahul's visit a 'photo-op', says 'guilty leaders' will be punished



The farmer was taken to the MY Hospital in Indore where he died, they said. Mandsaur SP Manoj Kumar Singh and Collector O P Srivastava reached the spot on Friday and talked to villagers there.



The collector said the cause of his death was being investigated. Angry villagers in the area claimed that they were being beaten up and arrested by the police without cause. The SP assured them that their grievances would be looked into.



Former MP and Congress national secretary Sajjan Singh Verma reached the hospital on Friday and demanded a probe into the matter. He alleged that the farmer was beaten to death.



Three associates of the farmer - Dinesh Malwi, Shivnarayan Malwi and Ganesh Malwi - are also missing, the Congress leader alleged. He said police should find out their whereabouts. He also demanded a murder case be registered against the SP in the matter.



A panel should be formed to carry out the postmortem and the entire process should be videographed, he said. Former Congress MP Meenakshi Natarajan, who is at the spot, said she would meet the SP to demand compensation for the deceased farmer.

ALSO READ: After facing detention, Rahul Gandhi allowed to meet families of farmers killed in Mandsaur

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"Noooooo Mr Engleitner! (C8). If Amazon drivers were trained in delivering COVID vaccines, we would end up with jabs in the arm, buttocks, feet and neck, via the neighbours or being told you had had the jab when they had been nowhere near you. Dont give them any ideas," pleads David Storie of Windsor Downs.

While yesterday's criticism of American beers (C8) was just a bit of froth and bubble, a number of readers did come out in defence of Yankee suds. Peter Miniutti of Ashbury "thought that American beer was only one step above water until I travelled there eight years ago and was pleasantly surprised how good the beer was produced at the plethora of microbreweries. Stay away from the mass-produced Budweiser, Coors and Miller and you cant go wrong." Stephen Knox of Chatswood says: "One of the best brews Ive ever had was a brown ale called Moose Drool from the Big Sky Brewing Co in Montana. I look forward to trying their other offerings including Scape Goat Pale Ale, Trout Slayer Wheat Ale (A taller tale with every ale), Powder Hound Winter Ale and Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout." John Walker of Bonny Hills found the Great American Beer Festival in Denver to be "a revelation" and recommends Sierra Nevadas Torpedo which is easily found in Australia.

"I cant recall if this has been discussed or resolved as yet but do we have a collective noun for a group of epidemiologists?" asks Brian Robertson of Drummoyne.

"In Column 8 in December 2020, I nominated 'deplatformed' as my word of the year for 2020," writes Graham Russell of Clovelly. "I have now seen it for the first time in 2021 in the Herald. I suggest that this word will flourish this year as we debate the use of the internet. Of course, this comes about only because of my other nomination of 'Trump' in Letters of December 1, 2020. Cant get much better than that. I hope you dont deplatform this correspondence." Don't worry. We're on the level.

Exactly 15 minutes before Graham's offering, Tom Mangan of Woy Woy Bay asked: "Do we already have the best new word of 2021  deplatform?"

Political pundits were initially taken aback by the meeting of the Middle East Quartet  made up of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia  in Cairo on Monday. After all, the incoming US president has yet to be inaugurated, Israel is holding general elections in March that might see the downfall of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and even the Palestinians are poised to have their own elections.

But the meeting in Cairo should be seen as directly tied to these potential leadership changes. The quartet appears to be trying to prepare itself for the post-Donald Trump era, which is expected to see a number of regional changes.

Wadie Abunassar, director of the Haifa-based International Center for Consultations, told Al-Monitor the talks in Cairo are not consequential in and of themselves. He noted, however, that "the meeting might be important as a sounding board for what will happen in the coming years.

Riyad Mansour, head of the Palestinian delegation to the UN, told Al-Monitor there is hope that the changes that took place in the United States lead us to believe that our idea of a collective approach to world problems can be used in the Palestine context. Our policy is to have a collective approach in dealing with the Israeli Palestinian conflict. This was reflected in the speech and statements of President [Mahmoud] Abbas at the UN last October.

Mansour said the Palestinian leader urged the UN secretary-general to prepare for an international peace conference. The quartet is the first step to return to the collective approach. We dont want the sole American role in the peace process, which has been disastrous in recent years. Mansour noted that continuing on the same path that has not brought results would be an exercise in futility. He welcomed the need to expand the quartet. If the nucleus of the international community is the quartet, we would like to talk about the quartet plus, he said. Mansour added that the pluses could be Egypt and Jordan in the first instance and anyone else that can make a contribution in the next instance. He said when talks in Annapolis were set, few countries had signed on to join. But within a short period everyone wanted to attend. Fifty countries ended up participating in the peace talks at Annapolis, he said.

The Palestinian UN diplomat said the signals coming from US President-elect Joe Biden's camp have been positive. I can tell you that the signals from the Biden administration during the election process and since have been positive. They have talked about multilateralism and the return for the role of the UN. All these signs of a collective approach in dealing with global issues are welcomed. Just like they are dealing with climate change in a multilateral approach, they need to also deal with the Palestinian-Israeli issue in the same spirit.

The results of the November US elections have already forced the move of the various political chess pieces. Already even before the quartet meeting took place, Turkeys president appears to have started his post-Trump plans by trying to improve relations with Israel and some of the Arab states. Turkey sent an ambassador to Tel Aviv In December after an absence of two years, and the Turkish government appears to be extending an olive branch in the way of Egypt and the Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia, expecting a Biden administration rapprochement with Iran, suddenly decided to end the Gulf dispute that witnessed a three-year air and land siege on their tiny Gulf neighbor. The siege was lifted, and the leaders made up with hugs (despite the COVID-19 pandemic) between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, as well as a personal ride chauffeured by Salman in the historic Saudi town of al-Ula.

The Palestinian split also witnessed sudden movement as the head of the Hamas politburo agreed in writing to the demands of Abbas and the PLO, paving the way for legislative elections to be followed by a national unity government and then presidential elections  all within the coming six months.

Egypt and Qatar, who have been bitter enemies, appear to also be reconciling as Trumps so-called "favorite dictator" is expecting a less-friendly president in Washington and realizes he needs to mend relations with both Qatar and Turkey both for economic and political reasons.

The quartet had last met in Amman in September; at the time, concern over annexation was high on the agenda. For now, Egypt is telegraphing that the current goal is more directly related to the push for the two-state solution. The participants will urge the Palestinian and Israeli sides to resume negotiation in order to reach a just and comprehensive political settlement based on the two-state solution, stated the English-language Egyptian press The Daily News.

The quartet talks taking place in Cairo with the presence of Jordan and Egypt appear to be sending a clear signal to the Biden administration of their willingness and that of the Palestinians for serious talks based on a multilateral approach and not on the singular Trump vision.

TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- POINT Biopharma Inc. (POINT), a radiopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing the many benefits of precision radioligand therapy to cancer patients, today announced that it has signed a licensing and commercialization agreement with CanProbe for exclusive rights to Lutetium - 177 Octreotate (Lu-DOTATATE) for the treatment of neuroendocrine cancer. CanProbe, a joint venture between the University Health Network (UHN) and the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC), developed Lu-DOTATATE as it is being used in 167 neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients in a 180-patient trial with enrollment completed.



"CanProbe's NET clinical program has helped many patients in Ontario who previously had no other options for treatment," says Dr. Joe McCann, Chief Executive Officer of POINT Biopharma. "We are excited to extend access to this treatment by leveraging CanProbe's intellectual property to seek regulatory approvals, with the goal of helping patients in need around the world." POINT is currently building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, to ensure sufficient production capacity is available for Lu-DOTATATE as well as the other drugs in its pipeline.

"We are looking forward to working with POINT Biopharma on the commercialization of Lu-DOTATATE," says Dr. Luke Brzozowski, President of CanProbe. "We believe POINT is the ideal partner to make this treatment accessible to patients in Ontario and across the globe." CanProbe is also developing the related diagnostic agent, Gallium - 68 Octreotate (Ga-DOTATATE), with cyclotron-produced Ga-68 using solid target technology.

About CanProbe

CanProbe) is a joint venture between the University Health Network) and the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization) to create a Canadian Centre of Excellence for the development, translation, utilization and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals. CanProbe provides access to specialized expertise that supports the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, with proven experience translating products to the clinical setting, and world-class, GMP, manufacturing capabilities that operate in accordance with FDA, Health Canada and European regulations.

About POINT Biopharma

POINT Biopharma is a globally focused radiopharmaceutical company building a platform for the clinical development and commercialization of radioligands that fight cancer. POINT is combining a portfolio of best-in-class radiopharmaceutical assets, a seasoned management team, strategic partnerships in radio-isotope supply, manufacturing technology and novel direct to patient targeting to revolutionize theragnostic drug development and radioligand commercialization.





Media Inquiries:

Ari Shomair

VP, Corporate Affairs

media@pointbiopharma.com

(647) 812-2417

https://www.pointbiopharma.com
PRESTON, Minn.  One of the defendants in a Fillmore County drug bust has changed his plea.

Ted John Lord, 61 of Mabel, pleaded guilty Monday to storing methamphetamine paraphernalia in the presence of a child. Charges of 3rd degree drug possession and two counts of 5th degree drug possession have been dismissed.

Lord and Angela Chamberlain, 44 of Neillsville, Wisconsin, were both arrested the Southeastern Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team raided a building in the 10000 block of County Road 113 in the village of Prosper on July 2, 2020. Authorities say 10 grams of meth and a trace amount of cocaine were found.

Chamberlain has pleaded not guilty to the same charges filed against Lord. His sentencing is set for April 12. Her trial date has not been set.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 23:23:15|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Head of the Iran-Iraq Join Economic Committee Reza Ardakanian predicted on Tuesday that the Iran-Iraq annual trade will increase to 20 billion U.S. dollars.

Ardakanian, who is also Iran's Energy Minister, made the announcement while co-chairing with Iraqi Trade Minister Alaa Ahmed Al-Jubouri the opening ceremony of the two countries' fourth Joint Economic Committee in Tehran, Iranian state TV reported.

The Iranian minister announced Tehran's readiness to establish a joint investment fund to support the supply of engineering and technical Iranian services to Iraq.

The two countries plan to sign new agreements in the fields of water and energy, he also revealed.

Ardakanian also underlined the importance of developing transportation routes between Iran and Iraq as an important factor in the development of trade between them.

Iran is ready, he noted, to implement the existing agreements in the fields of electricity, gas and water, and also to formulate new ones in those fields in order to expand the cooperation between the two nations.

Moreover, Ardakanian called for new cooperation agreements in the fields such as double taxation, investment, preferential tariffs, and customs.

Speaking at the meeting, Al-Jubouri emphasized the importance of modern technologies in the development of economic ties between his country and Iran.

The presence of a high-ranking Iraqi delegation at Tuesday's meeting in Tehran, he said, is an indication of Baghdad's determination to boost cooperation with Iran.

The fourth Iran-Iraq Joint Economic Committee, attended by political and economic officials from the two countries as well as representatives of the two sides' private sectors, will wrap up on Wednesday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:45:50|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

- - - -

BUJUMBURA -- The government of Burundi on Monday launched a second nationwide mass screening campaign of COVID-19, as the coronavirus cases have been increasing in recent days.

The 30-day campaign is taking place in the commercial capital Bujumbura and several provinces where cases have been reported.

- - - -

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has consented to declaring a state of emergency in the country to stop the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a televised speech, Muhyiddin said the emergency would last till Aug. 1 or earlier depending on the COVID-19 situation.

- - - -

SYDNEY -- Australia's biggest city of Sydney recorded five locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as authorities urged the public to get tested and increase openness and transparency with contact tracers.

Two of the cases were flagged on Monday, and involved a man who attended a hospital emergency department and his household contact, with investigations continuing into how they contracted the disease.

- - - -

VIENTIANE -- Local authorities have been urged to monitor border crossings to prevent people from entering Laos illegally from Thailand, to stem the spread of COVID-19 after a widespread outbreak in Thailand.

Many Lao workers are returning home from Thailand, both legally and illegally, sparking fears of a second wave of COVID-19 in Laos, local daily Vientiane Times on Tuesday quoted Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control under the Lao Ministry of Health, Phonepaserd Sayamounkhoung as saying.

- - - -

SHIJIAZHUANG -- North China's Hebei Province reported 40 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 26 asymptomatic cases on Monday, the provincial health commission said Tuesday.

Of the confirmed cases, 39 were reported in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, and the other one in the city of Langfang. Among them, two were previously asymptomatic carriers.

- - - -

LA PAZ -- Bolivian Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing, Edgar Montano, tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the third member in President Luis Arce's cabinet to catch the virus, the government said Monday.

Montano is in stable condition and isolated under medical supervision, according to the ministry. Enditem
The picture shows a new-type field cooking container truck. (Photo by Liu Jianwei)

BEIJING, Jan. 12  In a recent maneuver training exercise, the cooks assigned to a combat support battalion under an Army brigade prepared food for troops by using a newly commissioned military field cooking container truck, which was specially tailored for troops operating in the plateau areas.

No sooner had the troops arrived at their destination than the fresh made food was ready to serve. "With this cooking truck, military members have had access to hot and delicious meals wherever they go on the plateau," said Battalion Commander Pan Xiaojun.

Modern warfare set higher standards on the scale, efficiency, and maneuverability of military catering support. Over the years, the Chinese military has always focused on the improvement of such support capabilities. Nowadays, the new-type field cooking container trucks designated for the plateau use have achieved a new leap in the troops hot meal support capability .

"The new cooking truck adopts a self-propelled method, which greatly improves its maneuverability," according to the driver He Aijun. The old-type mobile kitchen trailer needed to be fixed on the ground before operation and could not support the troops' high mobility training in time. In the past few days, I had driven the new truck through the canyons and across the glaciers. The cooks had cooked the delicious meals on the move, and the whole process was so fast and efficient.

The development of the new field cooking container truck has taken various actual needs of the field troops into consideration. For example, since its difficult to light a fire under icy conditions on the plateau, the cooking truck has been equipped with advanced combustion technology and can operate in an environment with temperatures ranging from minus 41to 46 degrees centigrade at an altitude of 4,500 meters. Such a mobile kitchen can satisfy the food and beverage needs of more than 100 troops in the battlefield.

It is said that, with the deployment of new-type logistic support equipment in batches, the PLAs plateau catering support pattern is undergoing qualitative changes and will be more adaptable to the future battlefield.
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[January 12, 2021] CES 2021 Beseye's Skeleton-Print provides AI video analysis for security cameras with long-distance human skeletal analysis

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Beseye is a Taiwanese company that provides AI video analytics for security cameras, featuring long-distance human skeletal analysis up to 30 meters. "Beseye gave security cameras a smart brain to automatically conduct security analysis in public sites, and help stores get consumer insights, saving a large amount of manpower and time required to monitor security videos," said Beseye Founder and CEO, Shaq Tu. Beseye's Skeleton-print technology analyzes human posture and behavior from a distance without being limited by angles, and can be used in all environments. Tu noted that one of Beseye's selling points is that it does not require hardware replacement. Beseye's video analysis platform supports over 90% of the security cameras on the market. Companies do not need to replace existing monitoring equipment. Beseye literally analyze all human behaviors, even for medical use. One of Beseye's application is for security. Beseye automatically analyzes the characteristics and behaviors of each person in an environment to effectively determine security concerns and dangerous events. For example, when someone enters a restricted area, an alarm will sound immediately and the video will be automatically stored. It can also detect falls, fights, and other incidents, such as suspected theft or robbery. For retail applications, Beseye can analyze customer flow, customer demographics, and customer behavior, providing a final push in boosting sales. eseye can achieve more than people counting, including segmenting customers by age and gender, helping retailers formulate the best sales strategies. It also provides insight into customer in-store shopping routes and behavior to truly understand their needs and preferences, records customer dwell time, and analyzes customer engagement with individual shelves.



In addition, Beseye is used for smart manufacturing, helping production lines capture important insights through video analytics to reduce the cost of human supervision. It can enforce standard operating procedures and track operator progress, increasing yield and lowering the cost of rework or scrapped goods. Beseye is also used for rehabilitation analysis where Beseye performs long-term tracking of rehabilitation progress by analyzing patient's postures.

Incredible results with Beseye's AI video analysis platform Beseye has collaborated with several major companies around the world. For example, Beseye had worked with Tokyu Techno Railway Systems by using deep-learning AI video analysis technology to detect humans and analyze their behavior on railways, to determine the risk rate. In an emergency situation, the system will immediately issue an alarm and effectively prevent accidents from occurring. Furthermore, Beseye and Chunghwa Telecom teamed up to introduce retail solutions. Beseye's AI video analysis technology allows stores to get the insights of their customers, optimizing operations and increasing sales. Beseye's retail solutions help brick-and-mortar stores obtain customer statistics that were only available for online stores, including the number of customers by age and gender, customer dwell time in different areas of the store and customer's engagement with specific shelves. Beseye continues to productize its technology. For CES 2021, Beseye is introducting its new AI Business Server, which allows users to setup their own AI video surveillance that calculates footfalls for their business, helping businesses operate more efficiently. The AI video platform of Beseye has made them being selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021. CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/39xeu3 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ces-2021-beseyes-skeleton-print-provides-ai-video-analysis-for-security-cameras-with-long-distance-human-skeletal-analysis-301206233.html SOURCE Beseye

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Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Monday blasted bail commissioners for setting lower bails than his office routinely seeks for those charged with gun crimes at a time when the city is besieged by near-record gun violence.

While his office often has asked for million-dollar bails for those charged with violent gun crimes  with suspects typically having to pay 10% of that amount  the median bail last week for those arrested for possession of a gun was just $110,000, and $150,000 for those arrested for a violent offense involving a gun, Krasner said during a news conference in West Philadelphia with community leaders and anticrime activists.

Im not saying thats a tiny amount of money, but what I am saying is for people who have resources, including criminals who are deriving substantial profit from illegal activity, this is not a hard thing to pay, he said. As a result, he said, many of those accused of gun crimes are back on the street while awaiting trial.

Within 60 days, his office will release a report that will explore the impact bail amounts are having on crime, Krasner said during the first of what he said would be weekly press conferences to keep the public apprised on his offices efforts to combat violence.

From Jan. 3 through Jan. 9, there were six homicides in the city, 18 nonfatal shootings, 114 newly opened cases involving guns or gun violence, and 121 arrests, according to the DA Offices Data Lab, said Krasner, who is seeking reelection.

Since Jan. 1, 13 slayings have been reported, an 86 percent increase from the same time last year, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.

In addition, 54 people have been shot in the city this year, according to police, including 19 people shot on Saturday and Sunday.

Last year, police said, 499 people were killed in homicides, the second-most in one year in the citys history, and more than 2,200 people were shot. Authorities blamed a variety of factors, including some connected to the coronavirus pandemic.

Krasner and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw have pledged that their agencies are working more closely together to examine gun-related arrests in an effort to stem the violence.

But to date, there has been just one arrest in this years slayings, according to police.

Not solving these murders is perpetuating the murdering, said Stanley Crawford, a founder of the Families of Unsolved Murders Project, a grassroots initiative launched last year to bring attention to the fact that most city slayings go unsolved.

The mayor, the police commissioner, the DA and community activists like myself are not sitting down at the table and really hashing out a strategy to deal with this murders. Theres no coordination on any level to do anything about the murders, said Crawford, who did not attend Krasners news conference.

Crawford noted that while most of this years homicide victims are Black, the only arrest was made in the slaying of a white person.

That victim, Rudolph Ebinger, 37, of the 2300 block of Front Street, was the first victim of the year. Police said he was shot in the thigh in the 100 block Ritner Street at 12:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead within an hour at Jefferson University Hospital.

William Croumbley, 27, who lived at the address where the shooting took place, was arrested and charged with murder and related offenses, police said. Court records indicate that Croumbley was awaiting trial for DUI at the time of his arrest, and in 2017 he was sentenced to six months of house arrest for carrying a gun without a license.

The latest homicides took place on Sunday.

Christopher Williams, 43, was found by police with two gunshot wounds to the head in the bathroom of an apartment in the unit block of Farson Street at 8:44 p.m. Williams, of the 5000 block of Market Street, was transported by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died, police said.

Six hours earlier, Jacque Warren, 30, was fatally shot at 2:43 p.m. in the 5200 Cedar Avenue. The gunman, who has not been identified, shot Warren on the highway, once in the head, once in the neck and once in the left arm, police said.

Warren, of the 1000 block of South 51st Street, was driven in a private vehicle to Mercy Hospital and died.
They singled out Pashinians failure to secure the release of Armenian soldiers and civilians held by Azerbaijan two months after a ceasefire deal brokered by Putin stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinian, Putin and Aliyev met in Moscow to discuss the deals implementation. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, they said their governments will set up a joint working group that will deal with practical modalities of restoring transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The statement made no mention of the unconditional exchange of all prisoners also envisaged by the Russian-brokered deal. Pashinian confirmed that he and Aliyev did not reach any agreements on the issue.

The enemys agenda is being fully realized while the Armenian sides is not, said Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK). Why? Because the symbol of our defeat [Pashinian] continues to hold talks.

Pashinian was taken to Moscow for doing only one thing: to sign up to the unblocking of transport routes and arteries vital for Azerbaijan, agreed Naira Zohrabian of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK).

Both Marukian and Zohrabian stressed that in the run-up to the Moscow summit Pashinian said that the release of the Armenian prisoners of war is essential for opening the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for commercial traffic.

A senior member of the ruling My Step bloc, Ruben Rubinian, insisted that the joint statement issued by Aliyev, Putin and Pashinian is beneficial for us even though it makes no references to the POWs. He argued that the planned opening of the border will allow Armenia to have rail links with Iran and Russia.

The Russian president backed in principle the Armenian sides position [on the POWs,] Rubinian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service.

Pashinian thanked Putin for that support when they met separately in the Kremlin following Mondays trilateral meeting. This is the most sensitive and painful issue for us, he said.

Putin stated, for his part, that the summit was useful despite Aliyevs and Pashinians failure to agree on the release of the Armenian captives. I hope that there will be an agreement on all problems, including the issues of humanitarian character, he told the Armenian premier.

According to Yerevan-based human rights lawyers, more than 100 Armenian POWs and civilians remain in Azerbaijani captivity. They include 62 soldiers who were taken prisoner in early December when Azerbaijani forces seized the last two Armenian-controlled villages in Karabakhs Hadrut district occupied by them during the six-week war.

In a letter to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres publicized last week, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov branded those soldiers as saboteurs and indicated the Azerbaijani authorities intention to prosecute them on relevant charges.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned Bakus plans as a gross violation of international law and the Karabakh truce agreement. It accused the Azerbaijani side of using Armenian prisoners of war as hostages to advance its political agenda.
On January 11, at the southern tunnel entrance of Da Nang City, the investor - Deo Ca Investment Joint Stock Company of Deo Ca Group - cooperated with the Ministry of Transport, and the localities of Thua Thien Hue Province, and Da Nang City to hold the inauguration ceremony of the Hai Van 2 road tunnel.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, and leaders of the Ministry of Transport attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. From Thua Thien Hue Province, Mr. Le Truong Luu, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; and Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee attended the ceremony.

The Hai Van 2 road tunnel is a part the Deo Ca tunnel project, with a length of 6.2 kilometers (its route length is 12.4 kilometers including pathways, with two lanes_7 meters in width; of which, its northern pathway is 1.7 kilometers and its southern pathway is 4 kilometers in length). The project has a total investment of VND 26,154 billion; in which, State support capital and Government bonds are VND 5,048 billion.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung posed for a souvenir photo with ministry leaders, the investor and the two localities of Da Nang City and Thua Thien Hue Province

The Hai Van 2 road tunnel was proposed to invest and carry out by the Deo Ca Group, after the implementation of a series of tunnels of Co Ma, Ca Pass, and Cu Mong. It was officially commenced in April 2016, including two phases. The first phase was to upgrade a section of National Highway No 1 running through the Hai Van Pass, and upgrade and repair the Hai Van 1 road tunnel, which was completed in August 2017. The second phase was to expand the Hai Van 2 tube tunnel (on the basis of the old shelter tunnel), the construction finished in September 2020, three months ahead of schedule, and approved by the Ministry of Transport.

During the construction process, the contractor had to both handle complex technical stages, construct the Hai Van 2 road tunnel and ensure the safety of the construction as well as the traffic safety for the Hai Van 1 road tunnel at the same time.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said that the construction was aimed to connect the transport system continually, and create a driving force for the socio-economic development, not only in the two localities of Da Nang City and Thua Thien Hue Province, but also in the provinces in the Central  Central Highlands region and Vietnam East-West economic corridor. The construction has been completed on schedule with quality, celebrating the 13th National Party Congress, and marking the improvement to master the most complex technologies in road and bridge construction, bearing the impression of Vietnamese engineers.

Story, photo, and video: Minh Van and Minh Quan
Industry Update

Appointment

12 January 2021

Stephanie Bisogne

Appointed Executive Chef

At Sal Y Mar Rooftop Bar in Tampa - FL, USA

Executive Chef Stephanie Bisogne will direct daily culinary operations at Sal Y Mar, the hotel's signature rooftop bar. Bisogne has been an Executive Chef for Concord Hospitality for four years, most recently at Embassy Suites Charlotte Uptown. Prior to that, she was a Sous Chef for Marriott International. Bisogne attended Johnson & Wales for her Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor's Degree in Food and Beverage Management. She also completed a hotel hospitality study abroad program in Sarria, Spain, and traveled to several European countries while abroad. Bisogne and her family have relocated to Tampa Bay and look forward to finding and exploring several new hiking locations in Florida.

Concord Hospitality Enterprises Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company, an award-winning hotel management and development company based in Raleigh, N.C., manages more than 90 hotels offering more than 13,000 guest rooms in 20 states and two Canadian provinces. more information

Recent Appointments at Concord Maxwell Chick - Assistant General Manager 11 February 2021  Born and raised in Columbus, Chick began his hospitality career with Marriott International where he recently opened the AC Hotel Charlotte SouthPark as Assistant General Manager. In his new role at AC Columbus, Chick will be responsible for assisting with the management of daily operations, staff development, budgeting and financial planning, increasing sales and revenue and ensuring guest satisfaction. read more

Lisa Garner - General Manager 11 February 2021  Garner brings more than 30 years of industry knowledge and experience to the AC Columbus team. She joined Concord Hospitality in 2017 as Dual General Manager of the Marriott Columbus University Area and Residence Inn Columbus University Area hotels. read more
Elon Musk

Business magnate and world's richest person Elon Musk recently donated $5 million to the American non-profit educational organisation Khan Academy through his Musk Foundation aiming to boost online education.

Elon Musk, along with his brother Kimbal, founded the private charitable foundation in 2002 and provides philanthropy in several areas, including education, renewable energy research, human space exploration research, pediatric research, and the development of safe artificial intelligence to benefit humanity.

Elon Musk tweet impact: Signal app registration system crashes as users look for 'WhatsApp alternative'

"I just want to give a huge shout and thank you to Elon Musk and everyone at the Musk foundation. For their credible generous support for Khan Academy, they just recently gave a $5 million donation to Khan academy," Khan Academy founder Sal Khan said on Tuesday.



Thank you @elonmusk and @MuskFoundation for an incredible $5m donation to @khanacademy. Here is my thank you video:https://t.co/1LyABVmTyt

 Salman Khan (@salkhanacademy) January 12, 2021

He added that this donation will help the Khan Academy and its team to accelerate their content, software, and learning more engaging for over a million of students and teachers around the world.

Sal's Khan Academy, which was founded in 2008, focuses on creating a set of online tools that help educate students, by creating short lessons in the form of videos. The Khan Academy's website also provides supplementary practice exercises and materials for educators, which are free to users of the website and application.

Prior to Khan Academy, Musk Foundation donated $480,000 in grants for water filtration in Flint, Michigan and $424,000 to supply laptop computers to Flint middle-schools, reported the Tesmanian.

Other nonprofits who received Elon Musk's foundation donation include Doctors Without Borders, World Spine Care, the co-educational Mirman School for Gifted Children, Artists for Peace and Justice, the Haitian Relief Organization, and those who suffered from hurricane Laura in Louisiana in August 2020.
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An amused woman has shared her pronunciation of the word 'no' after she discovered foreigners were mocking the way Australians say it.

Tiffany Krylov, from Melbourne, posted a now-viral TikTok video of her 'tutorial' where she demonstrated the different vowel sounds when saying the simple two letter word with an Australian accent.

'So apparently it's like a thing that it's very common for people around the world to make fun of the way Australians pronounce the word "no",' she said in the video.

'I mean, I get it but you know what? I'm embracing it because the way we say it is so much fun.'

She described the pronunciation as 'basically like a whiny combination' of the two words 'no' and 'nah'.

Scroll down for video

Tiffany Krylov (pictured), from Melbourne, has explained how foreigners mock the way Australians pronounce the simple word 'no'

'And the most important part - it needs to have a considerable inflection in the sound. You basically have to turn it into two syllables,' Tiffany explained.

'It also needs to be said with passion... No Ah no. No. No. I don't know. No. [Surprise look] Nooooo.'

Her video has since been viewed more than 330,000 times, with dozens of Australians asking how people around the world pronounce 'no'.

'Can we have an American stitch this or something so I can hear the difference because I'm Aussie and you just sound like you're saying "no" a lot,' one said.

Another person suggested: 'Can people duet this and say the word "no" from other countries or a compilation of Aussies saying "no".'

A third explained: 'Australians like two syllables - Tassie, Aussie etc to the point we make "no" with two syllables. We say "here-ya".'

While a parent also weighed in about the pronunciation, joking: 'Sometimes it has at least six syllables. Just ask a teenager to do a job.'

The Melbourne woman shared a now-viral TikTok video of her 'tutorial' where she demonstrated the different vowel sounds when saying the two letter word

Many Australians said they didn't realise how they pronounced the word 'no' until they watched the video.

'I was today years old when I learnt that we said this differently,' one wrote, while another added: 'I'm Australian and I didn't even realise we did this until this moment and I am shooketh.'

Dozens of foreigners agreed with Tiffany, with one parent saying: 'I'm an American but my son is growing up Aussie and every time he says "no" I can't help from cracking a smile'.

Another person added: 'My American friend pointed out that in sentences... we articulate "know" and "no" differently.'

Some Australians revealed they are always teased by foreigners for the way they say 'no', with one saying: 'My friends make fun of me and say it sounds like I'm saying "NOER".'

The video comes after American actor Zachary Levi told an audience more than five years ago how Australians pronounce the word 'no'

'When you say the word "no", it's not "no" like an American. What you want to do is run through the vowels - it's that easy,' he explained.

'It starts with A - E - I - O - and then U... and you kind of end it there. So you go "noaeiouoo".'
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
Credit: NASA/JPL/UArizona

Earth's seasons are caused by the tilt of our planet's rotational axis to the orbital plane or obliquity. Mars' obliquity is currently about 25 degrees, which is not much different from Earth's 23 degrees. However, numerical calculations by scientists at the Paris Observatory and Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggest that this near-agreement is a coincidence.

Under the influence of gravitational torques from other planets, Mars' obliquity varies chaotically, probably reaching values greater than 60 degrees and lower than 10 degrees. By contrast, Earth's obliquity appears to have been limited to small variations from its current value because of the stabilizing gravitational influence of the Moon. If the calculations are correct, then for most of the Solar System's history, the obliquity of Mars was greater than 25 degrees. This would produce warmer summers and colder winters than on present-day Mars. On Earth, a recent 1 degree rise in obliquity is believed to have triggered ice sheet retreat from the current location of New York City to Greenland. The climatic consequences of 50 degree changes in obliquity on Mars remain unknown.

It is possible, though unproven, that higher obliquity triggered partial melting of some of Mars' water ice. Our best chance at understanding this is to find piles of ice, dust, silt or sand that accumulated over many cycles of obliquity change. Chemical, mineralogical and isotopic variations within those piles could then offer clues to about past climate changes. On Mars, sediment layers of near-uniform thickness visible from orbit are a fingerprint of deposits that record many cycles of obliquity change.

This HiRISE image of an east-facing slope in Tithonium Chasma was taken to follow up an earlier Context Camera image that seemed to show sediment layers of near-uniform thickness. These sediment layers are the dark and light stripes that run diagonally across the center of the observation. In this top-down view, afternoon sunlight picks out subtle east-west trending ridges in the east-facing slope. The dark and light stripes appear to deflect to the east (downslope) across the ridges. To a geologist, this outcrop pattern shows that the dip of the ancient sediment layers is gentler than the slope of the modern hillside. Further analysis of the image may determine whether these layers do record ancient obliquity-driven climate change on Mars.

Explore further Gully patterns document Martian climate cycles
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicaragua is internationally recognized as a global leader in premium beef sourcing, exporting more of its domestic beef production than any other country  more than 95%. Founded in 1962, Nuevo Carnic is the oldest and most respected Nicaraguan beef processor and exporter, providing a wide variety of beef products vacuum packed for restaurants and grocery markets. A USDA-certified company, Nuevo Carnic has established itself as a foundational pillar in the Nicaraguan beef industry with nearly 60 years of operation, providing high-quality products for 15 different countries.

Nicaraguan beef - sustainability Nicaraguan feedlot cattle Nicaragua cattle

Nuevo Carnic (https://www.nuevocarnic.com.ni/) announced that it was expanding its presence in the U.S. marketplace, the single largest buyer of Nicaraguan beef products. The company has also become an important trailblazer in the organic fertilizer market, and serves as an inspiring model for sustainable agricultural practices with its integrated, fully independent state-of-the-art feed lots, wastewater management system, silvopastoral (SPS) reforestation initiatives, and deep commitment to sustainability and cattle traceability.

Nuevo Carnic: Environmental Policies That Make a Difference

"Cattle traceability is an extremely important issue here in the Nicaraguan beef industry," said Enrique Moncada. "In accordance with national law, all of our cattle farmers must certify that their livestock are maintained on their own lands in a responsible way, to keep Nicaraguan nature preserves and indigenous communities protected. Each head of cattle is also ear-tagged in a system that can trace the animals back to the farm that produced it. This is all part of an integrated SPS system that works because each rancher is intimately tied to the ranch that produces his livestock. The whole system  soil, water, trees, cattle, and the rancher  work together to assure that Nicaraguan beef is responsibly raised and ethically harvested for a sustainable beef market."

About Nuevo Carnic: Leaders In Quality

Nuevo Carnic sets the bar for how modern cattle farms conduct business, with an onsite wastewater treatment plant to drastically reduce soil and groundwater contamination, environmentally sustainable practices that include organic farming, continual reforestation, and a massive energy system that leverages 20% solar power to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Nuevo Carnic is rapidly becoming the gold standard for 21st century cattle farming. Learn more at: https://www.nuevocarnic.com.ni/.

For the latest developments, products, and announcements, follow Nuevo Carnic on social media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Enrique Moncada, Commercial Director

+505 2263-3156

[email protected]

SOURCE Nuevo Carnic SA

Related Links

https://www.nuevocarnic.com.ni


YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. By the initiative of the Russian Prosecutor General, a trilateral meeting took place between the Prosecutor Generals of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on January 12.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia, the goal of the meeting was to establish further contacts in the field of international law, to discuss necessary conditions for that, as well as discussing a number of pressing issues.

Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan highlighted the speedy implementation of the 8th point of the trilateral declaration signed on November 9, 2020, which is about returning Armenian POWs and other persons kept in Azerbaijan to Armenia.

The Armenian Prosecutor General emphasized that the return of POWs and civilians kept in detention will become an important guarantee for the implementation of the other agreements provided by the trilateral agreement and strengthening peace in the region.

In this context, Artur Davtyan also raised the issue of preventing the spread of international terrorism in the region and taking joint actions against it.
Welcoming Evan and Joe is an exciting way to start the year and we look forward to their contributions to the development of our specialty business," said Henry Lombardi, executive vice president and head of NFPs P&C division.

NFP, a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides property and casualty (P&C), corporate benefits, retirement and individual solutions, today announced that Evan Garner and Joe Seeger have joined the company as managing directors. Garner and Seeger will lead the newly formed Complex Risk Solutions (CRS) Group in Canada, which provides companies in the forestry, mining, oil and gas, power and utilities, renewable energy and transportation industries with solutions to mitigate a variety of risks, including those involving management liability, risk engineering, analytics and captives, to complement traditional P&C solutions.

Garner joins NFP with over 15 years of risk management experience across a variety of industries, including rail, heavy manufacturing, retail and real estate. Seeger brings over 25 years of natural resources experience, including insurance program oversight, claims management, enterprise risk management program development, and captive implementation and utilization. In these new roles, Garner and Seeger will work together to accelerate NFPs efforts to establish a market-leading CRS Group in Canada.

Our focus remains on growing our specialty business and providing the specialized insight and market access clients need, said Henry Lombardi, executive vice president and head of NFPs P&C division. Welcoming Evan and Joe is an exciting way to start the year and we look forward to their contributions to the development of our specialty business.

I am excited to be joining NFP and to be part of their growing specialty business, said Garner. Now, more than ever, clients require differentiation in the marketplace. It is only through specialized expertise that organizations will effectively navigate the current risk landscape. I look forward to being at a company and on a team that has the commitment and resources required to deliver this value to clients.

Im thrilled to join a company that is so committed to developing the specialized expertise clients need, especially in industries that are critical to the Canadian economy, said Seeger. NFP is a dynamic organization with the focus and resources essential to growth. I look forward to building something special as part of the team.

About NFP

NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant providing specialized property and casualty, corporate benefits, retirement, and individual solutions through its licensed subsidiaries and affiliates. NFP enables client success through the expertise of over 5,800 global employees, investments in innovative technologies, and enduring relationships with highly rated insurers, vendors, and financial institutions. NFP is the 5th largest benefits broker by global revenue, 5th best place to work in insurance and 6th largest US-based privately owned broker (Business Insurance); 9th commercial lines agency by P&C commercial lines revenue and 10th largest property and casualty agency (Insurance Journal); and 12th largest global insurance broker (Bests Review).

Visit NFP.com to discover how NFP empowers clients to meet their goals.


Announcing a new publication for Marine Life Science & Technology journal. In this research article the authors Hungchia Huang, Jinpeng Yang, Shixiang Huang, Bowei Gu, Ying Wang, Lei Wang and Nianzhi Jiao from Xiamen University, Xiamen, China and Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China consider the spatial distribution of planktonic ciliates in the western Pacific Ocea: along a transect from Shenzhen (China) to Pohnpei (Micronesia).

Planktonic ciliates have been recognized as major consumers of nano- and picoplankton in pelagic ecosystems, playing pivotal roles in the transfer of matter and energy in the microbial loop. However, due to the difficulties in identification, the species composition of ciliate assemblages, especially for the small, fragile, and naked species that usually dominate the ciliate communities in the oceanic waters, remains largely unknown.

The authors sampled 22 stations along the transect from Shenzhen (China) to Pohnpei (Micronesia) for the enumeration of picoplankton and nanoflagellates. In addition, pigment analysis of major phytoplankton groups along with the measurements of environmental variables including temperature, salinity, and nutrients were also carried out. Ciliates were identified at species level using quantitative protargol stain to reveal the species composition and their distribution patterns from offshore to open ocean. Ciliate abundance was positively correlated with phosphate, silicate, and pico-sized pigmented eukaryotes (PPEs), whereas the biomass was closely related with PPEs, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, and chlorophytes. The ciliate communities were separated into four groups showing a nearshore to open ocean trend.

The authors identified the combination of silicate and pigmented nanoflagellates as the major factor driving the ciliate community composition. This close relationship between silicate and ciliate abundance and community structure needs further validation based on more data collected from oceanic waters. The study demonstrates the necessity of using techniques that can reveal the community composition at higher taxonomic resolutions in future studies on ciliates.

###

Article reference: Hungchia Huang, Jinpeng Yang, Shixiang Huang, Bowei Gu, Ying Wang, Lei Wang, Nianzhi Jiao, Spatial distribution of planktonic ciliates in the western Pacific Ocean: along the transect from Shenzhen (China) to Pohnpei (Micronesia), Marine Life Science & Technology, 2020, ISSN 2662-1746, https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1007/ s42995-020-00075-7

Keywords: Community structure, Distribution pattern, Diversity, Nanoflagellates, Quantitative protargol stain

Marine Life Science & Technology (MLST) provides a platform that introduces new discoveries and theories associated with marine organisms, bioresources, and biotechnology. The journal is intended for marine scientists, biological oceanographers, conservation biologists, marine technologists, policy makers and legislators. Accordingly, we publish original research papers across a broad range of marine life sciences and technologies with an emphasis on synergistic interactions of multiple disciplines. Both theoretical and practical papers are welcome, including laboratory and field experimental studies relevant to marine life science and technology. Focused reviews, viewpoints, comments, and short communications are also accepted. As the journal's aim is to foster multidisciplinary approaches to marine sciences, authors are encouraged to emphasise the relevance of their work in relation across the journals key-disciplines.

For more information, please visit https:/ / www. springer. com/ journal/ 42995/

Editorial Board: https:/ / www. springer. com/ journal/ 42995/ editors

MLST is available on SpringerLink (https:/ / link. springer. com/ journal/ 42995/ volumes-and-issues ).

Submissions to MLST may be made using ScholarOne ManuscriptsTM (https:/ / mc03. manuscriptcentral. com/ mlst ).

Abstracted and indexed in:

Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

CNKI

Dimensions

EBSCO Discovery Service

Google Scholar

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China

Meta

Naver

OCLC WorldCat Discovery Service

ProQuest-ExLibris Primo

ProQuest-ExLibris Summon

TD Net Discovery Service

ISSN 2662-1746
ALAMO, Texas - President Donald Trump emerged Tuesday from six days out of public view defiant and unapologetic about his incitement of last week's mob attack on the Capitol and warned that his impeachment could lead to more violence.

The president denied any culpability in the violent riot that killed two police officers and threatened the lives of Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. He said his remarks encouraging throngs of supporters last Wednesday to march to the Capitol in a show of force to pressure and intimidate lawmakers to overturn the election results were "totally appropriate."

During a visit to a portion of newly constructed border wall here in the Rio Grande Valley, Trump warned against the effort by congressional Democrats to hold him accountable.

"The impeachment hoax is a continuation of the greatest and most vicious witch hunt in the history of our country and is causing tremendous anger and division and pain, far greater than most people will ever understand, which is very dangerous for the U.S.A., especially at this very tender time," Trump said.

Trump for the first time addressed the calls from Democrats and even some Republicans for Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to remove him from office before his term expires.

"The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration," Trump said. "As the expression goes, 'Be careful what you wish for.' "

3 1 of 3 Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 3 JIM WATSON, Contributor / AFP via Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Washington is seeing a heightened police and military presence in and around the city, and law enforcement authorities are bracing for future violence in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Trump at first hesitated to tell his supporters to stand down when they stormed the Capitol, captivated by the spectacle playing out on live television and entranced by the notion that the rioters were fighting for him, people with knowledge of the events said. And when he issued a video last Wednesday afternoon telling them to "go home," he also declared his support for them by saying, "We love you."

Trump changed his tune here in Texas on Tuesday. Reading from a prepared script, the president seemed to instruct his supporters not to rise up in violence. "Now is the time for our nation to heal. And it's time for peace and for calm. Respect for law enforcement is the foundation of the MAGA agenda," he said, referring to his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump deflected a reporter's question about his "personal responsibility" in the Capitol attack as he boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews for the flight to Texas.

"People thought what I said was totally appropriate," Trump said, claiming he had seen this view reflected across the media. In fact, he has been almost universally condemned for his remarks, including by many of his Republican allies.

Trump then drew a comparison to racial justice demonstrations last summer and suggested other political leaders were more culpable for violence related to those events than he was for what happened at the Capitol last week.

"If you look at what other people have said - politicians at a high level - about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle, in various other places. That was a real problem, what they said," Trump said. "But they've analyzed my speech and words and my final paragraph, my final sentence, and everybody, to the T, thought it was totally appropriate."

On Capitol Hill, Trump's allies differed with that assessment.

A spokesman for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he disagreed with Trump that his comments were "totally appropriate." The spokesman added that McCarthy told House members on Monday that the president bore blame.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declined to comment, and a spokesman for House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., pointed to her previous comments decrying Trump's Jan. 6 remarks at the Ellipse.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement, "We all bear responsibility to reflect on the rhetoric leading up to the abhorrent violence of last week, including the president."

Trump has resisted some entreaties to take responsibility for the mob, claiming that he did not know his supporters would literally storm the Capitol and that he did not want them to do so. He has dismissed concerns from his lawyers and other aides that he might have legal liability for his instigation, according to a senior administration official, who, like some others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal details.

Trump continues to say privately that he won the election, another senior administration official said, but is no longer talking about trying to stay in office after his term has ended.

Tim O'Brien, a Trump biographer, said that Trump's first instinct always has been to lie and attempt to bulldoze his way through any sort of turmoil in his life - and that his response to the Capitol attack has been no different.

"His father trained him to see the world only as winners and losers, and he's never going to acknowledge he's a loser," O'Brien said. "He has no remorse and no regret about any of it. It's what makes him such a damaged and damaging man. He doesn't have any of the minimal guilt or regret that a healthy, stable individual has."

Last Wednesday's events have quickly made Trump a pariah. He is poised to be impeached for the second time - the first president in U.S. history to achieve that distinction - when the Democrat-led House brings an article of impeachment for a vote this Wednesday. Meanwhile, he has been silenced on social media for messages that instigated violence and shunned by much of corporate America.

A poll released Monday by Quinnipiac University found that Trump's overall approval dipped to 33%, tied for the lowest the pollster has recorded, with majorities holding him responsible for the Capitol attack and favoring his removal from office or his resignation.

Trump sought to escape this dark reality Tuesday by flying to the U.S.-Mexico border in a bid to burnish his presidential legacy as a crusader against illegal immigration. He toured a portion of the wall on the dusty banks of the Rio Grande, with soaring steel beams forming an imposing monument to his anti-immigrant agenda. Trump brandished a Sharpie and signed his autograph on a piece of the wall.

Trump's hope is that history remembers him not for encouraging a coup against democracy, but for erecting a physical barrier to keep foreigners out - an apostle of law and order, as he sees himself.

"He's going to do anything and everything to leave a stamp of 'Trump was here' on the national body politic before he heads permanently to Mar-a-Lago," presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said, referring to Trump's Florida resort home.

But, Brinkley added, "anything Trump does now, he is a greatly diminished figure. He shrunk into Thumbelina size. He can act big at the wall, but he's really tiny because of the way he publicly responded to the siege at the Capitol."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who traveled with the president Tuesday, spent four hours with him last Friday helping to orchestrate the border wall trip and other events later this week. The objective, Graham said, is to give Trump daily obligations in his final full week as president and to "not look back on the past."

"We've laid out a plan for him, every day to do something," Graham said.

The Rio Grande Valley continues to be the busiest section of the border for illegal crossings. Although U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified these sections as its top priority for border wall construction, the Trump administration ended up building relatively few miles of new barriers there.

A major impediment to construction efforts in the Rio Grande Valley has been resistance from local landowners. Most of the land the government needed to build new barriers is privately owned. In addition, some of the locations are on river levees, which adds to the expense and difficulty of construction.

Instead, the administration has built hundreds of miles of barrier on public lands farther west, where the government already controlled the land but where there are comparatively fewer migrant crossings than in the Rio Grande Valley.

David Lapan, a former senior official in Trump's Department of Homeland Security, said the irony of Trump's border-wall visit Tuesday was that the Capitol attack showed the more serious danger to the country comes from some of his own supporters, not from foreign migrants.

"Rather than the threat being from Mexicans and Central Americans and people that cross the southwest border, we've seen evidence that the threat comes from within," Lapan said. "The only thing he's done about that threat is encourage it."

- - -

Dawsey reported from Washington.
Good morning, its Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. As House Democrats rush to impeach Donald Trump for the second time, tortured commentary has become the norm -- and not only among political partisans. Perhaps the most unsettling was the medias sudden fixation with the presidents access to nuclear launch codes. Yes, this is a political talking point meant to justify impeaching a guy even as moving vans are scheduled to arrive at the White House. But as the cable news talking heads repeated it uncritically hour after hour, its effect was to terrorize their own viewers. Is that a sustainable business model?

Just when you thought things couldnt get any weirder, Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley came up with the goofiest line of the week. Asked by Fox News anchorman Bill Hemmer whether Donald Trump feels emasculated after being banned from social media, Gidley responded, I wouldnt say emasculated. I mean, the most masculine person I think to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States.

I understand Gidley was being loyal to his boss -- and that manliness is a purely subjective quality. Nonetheless, I cant resist putting this claim in historical perspective, a labor of love Ill undertake later today. In the meantime, Id point you to RCPs front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. Todays lineup includes Birgit Jennen and Ania Nussbaum (Bloomberg News), Nicholas Goldberg (Los Angeles Times), and David Harsanyi (National Review). We also offer original material from our own reporters, columnists, and contributors, including the following:

* * *

Bidens Dilemma: Unity or Impeachment? Susan Crabtree lays out the stakes as the incoming president mulls how to balance party leaders demands to punish Trump with his own desire to heal our divisions.

DHS Chief Wolf Resigns, Sans Mention of Capitol Violence. Phil Wegmann has the story.

A Black Republicans Georgia Autopsy. Autry Pruitt chastises the GOP for making little effort to engage with African American voters in the Peach State.

The Great Social Silencing. Kalev Leetaru weighs in on the banning of President Trump on social media and other developments on the free speech front.

Survival Checks as Universal Basic Income? At RealClearPolicy, Matt Weidinger warns that Chuck Schumers call for additional pandemic relief could morph into recurring payments.

Climate Risk and Financial Stability. In RealClearEnergy, Rupert Darwall argues that when central bankers play climate politics they lose focus on their core responsibility.

Online Educations Stealth Advancement. At RealClearEducation, Glenn Ricketts writes that the expansion of remote learning has avoided the usual scrutiny by program review committees, thanks to COVID.

A Medical Advocate Saved My Life. At RealClearHealth, Trevor FitzGibbon recounts his near-fatal brush with COVID.

How Alcohol Saved Humanity From Foul Water. RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy has this history lesson.

* * *

Carl M. Cannon

Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics

@CarlCannon (Twitter)

ccannon@realclearpolitics.com
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Story by Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG  A federal judge has upheld the validity of hundreds of undated mail ballots cast in Allegheny County, ruling in favor of the Democratic candidate in a close state Senate race.

Republican Nicole Ziccarelli filed the suit seeking to throw out 2,349 mail ballots that Allegheny County election officials counted even though they did not have a handwritten date on the outer envelope. Just over 300 of those votes were cast in Ziccarellis race against incumbent Democrat Jim Brewster, giving him a 69 vote lead.

But in neighboring Westmoreland County, sections of which fall within the 45th senatorial district, election officials did not count ballots that were not dated by voters. That, Ziccarelli contended through her lawyer Matt Haverstick, violated her due process and equal protection rights.

She lost a similar case that went all the way to the state Supreme Court.

In December, Brewsters victory was certified by the state. Still, Republicans in the Pennsylvania Senate refused to seat him last week during a chaotic session.

And on Friday, the chambers top GOP lawmaker, Jake Corman of Centre County, signaled that if the judge didnt rule on the cases merits  finding, instead, it wasnt a federal matter  the Senate could intervene and decide who to seat.

It is our plan to let the election case in front of the federal district court play out and ultimately seat whoever is successful in that process as long as the findings from the court are to the merit of the challenge and the validity of the disputed ballots and not based on the lack of jurisdiction of the federal courts, Corman said in a statement.

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D., Allegheny) said in a statement he was deeply disturbed by Cormans comments.

These comments are particularly disturbing in that they demonstrate a pattern of undemocratic behavior from Senator Corman and members of the Senate Republican Caucus, Costa said. Three times this week, that caucus has locked arms with Donald Trump in its efforts to disenfranchise voters and threaten democracy.

While Corman has conceded he doesnt have any evidence of misdoing during the November election, he and other prominent Republicans have repeatedly criticized the Wolf administration and state Supreme Court.

The latter, he and others have argued, overstepped by issuing rulings that accommodated voters during the pandemic. In the case of Brewster and Ziccarelli, three state justices found the lack of a date to be a technical violation of state law, while a fourth said the requirement may not have been clear to voters.

This story will be updated.

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"Open season" for COVID vaccinations arrived in the Bay Area on Thursday, as eligibility opened to all Californians 16 and older.

More than half of California's local health departments, including San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara in the Bay Area, had already opened up eligibility in advance of the statewide move.

Counties are still grappling with supply issues. (Go here for tips on how to find and schedule an appointment.) California was already expecting to receive fewer doses of coronavirus vaccine in coming weeks before federal officials asked states on Tuesday to temporarily pause the use of Johnson & Johnsons one-shot vaccine after six women in the U.S. developed rare blood clots.

Here are the details about the vaccine rollout in the Bay Area.

Here are county-by-county details and links on getting vaccinated in the Bay Area

(See below for information on eligibility through health care providers and information on getting vaccinated at pharmacies):

San Francisco

Get notified: San Francisco residents can visit this website and submit contact and eligibility information, and then be notified via email when its their turn to get vaccinated.

Vaccine sites: The citys vaccine site lists a number of places to receive a vaccine, including pharmacies by appointment only. The city has several high-volume vaccination sites at Moscone Center, City College, UCSF and the SF Market in the Bayview. Muni is offering free transportation for people traveling for their COVID-19 vaccine with proof of an appointment.

Vaccine tracker: Residents can also track distribution of vaccines through the citys online dashboard.

Alameda County

Get notified: People can fill out this form to be notified when its their turn.

Vaccine tracker: Residents can track distribution of vaccines and learn more about eligibility and distribution through the county and health providers through Alameda Countys online dashboard.

Contra Costa County:

Request an appointment: Visit myturn.ca.gov to schedule an appointment through state or federal sites. Residents 65 and older and essential workers can request an appointment through Contra Costa Health Services via this online form.

The county site states that no walk-up or stand-by service is available at COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Contra Costa County. Please do not visit a clinic unless you have an appointment - no extra doses are available.

Vaccine tracker: Residents can track doses administered and other data through the countys online dashboard.

Marin County

Get notified: Residents can sign up here to be notified when they are eligible to receive shots.

Vaccine tracker: The county is tracking doses administered and other vaccination data on its online dashboard.

Napa County

Get notified: Sign up via MyTurn to get notified when youre eligible to get vaccinated.

San Mateo

How to book an appointment: The county says most vaccinations will be given by health care organizations; when they cannot provide direct vaccinations, a county partner will do so. The county lists information about providers booking appointments for eligible residents here.

Santa Clara County

Josie Lepe

Book an appointment: County residents can go here to book an appointment. The county also provides links to make vaccine appointments for patients of major health care providers.

Vaccine sites: Levis Stadium opened Feb. 9 and became the states largest vaccination site, with a capacity to vaccinate 5,000 people a day when supply allows.

Vaccine tracker: Residents can track distribution of vaccines through the countys online dashboard.

Solano County

Book an appointment: The county has provided information for how residents can schedule appointments with the countys various health care systems, including who is eligible to go through them. Residents can also fill out the vaccine interest form to be notified of vaccine availability.

Sonoma County

Vaccine sites: Sonoma County has has provided a list of vaccine clinics with information about who is eligible at each location and how to book appointments.

Major health care provider information:

 Kaiser Permanente: The health provider warns that its newly eligible members in April will likely face a wait.

Check online for appointment availability as a Kaiser member and non-member, or call the appointment line at 1-866-454-8855. Call the vaccine info line at 1-855-550-0951 for information on supply increases and appointment availability. Visit kp.org/covidvaccine for the latest information. Patients are asked not to try to book appointments through their primary care doctors.

 Stanford Health Care: Members can book their appointment through the MyHealth portal online, or by calling 650-498-9000. Visit this website for the latest eligibility information.

 Sutter Health: The health provider is vaccinating all groups who are currently eligible for a vaccine in California. Those who are eligible can book their appointment online through the My Health Online portal, or by calling 844-987-6115 to talk to a scheduler. Callers are warned of high demand and long wait times. Patients should not call their doctors office to schedule vaccine appointments.

 John Muir Health: Members can schedule an appointment through the MyChart portal online.

 UCSF: Patients who are eligible for vaccines will be notified to schedule appointments. Check the website for more information and eligibility.

 Dignity Health: Several locations are offering vaccinations in California to eligible patients, and those interested asked to check with their closest clinic locations for information.

Major pharmacy information:

The criteria to sign up for a vaccine at CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens and Safeway reflect the states current eligibility requirements. The companies said they would change their systems to incorporate newly eligible groups when the state changed its own system on April 15. Individuals who are currently eligible but having difficulty finding an appointment can schedule one at a pharmacy outside their ZIP code or county for all four companies.

 Walgreens: Schedule an appointment here, or call 1-800-Walgreens or 1-800-925-4733 to find participating locations. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

 Safeway: Start here to search for a nearby store and schedule an appointment.

 Rite Aid: Go to the vaccine scheduler to make an appointment.

 CVS: Visit the online scheduler or the CVS app to book an appointment. Walk-ins will not receive vaccines.

 Costco: More Costco warehouses across California are offering coronavirus vaccines, including nearly two dozen stores in the Bay Area, expanding on the single site in Novato that had shots when Costco started its program in February. Eligibility can vary and is limited in some stores to residents of the local county. For more information and to book an appointment, visit Costcos vaccination webpage.

What about my kids?

Currently, three vaccines have been approved in the U.S. made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. (Use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been temporarily paused after six women in the U.S. who received it developed rare blood clots.) Moderna launched its adolescent vaccine trial in December, and recently administered the first doses to children under 12. Pfizer has fully enrolled its pediatric vaccine trial. Both companies expect to release trial data for children 12 and older this summer. Johnson & Johnson also plans to test its vaccine in children.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("Restaurant Brands" or the "Company") (NYSE: QSR) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and docketed under 21-cv-00148, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired Restaurant Brands securities between April 29, 2019 and October 28, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased Restaurant Brands securities during the Class Period, you have until February 19, 2021, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Restaurant Brands is one of the world's largest restaurant chains with over 27,000 Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories as of December 31, 2019.

On April 24, 2018, Restaurant Brands announced a new strategy designed to improve performance within the Company's Tim Hortons brand. Specifically, the "Winning Together Plan" would focus on three key pillars: restaurant experience; product excellence; and brand communications.

On March 20, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced "Tims Rewards"a new loyalty program for Tim Hortons customers in Canada. Under the Tims Rewards program, customers would be eligible for a free hot brewed coffee, hot tea, or baked good after every seventh paid visit to a participating Tim Hortons restaurant. On April 10, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced that it was expanding the Tims Rewards program to include customers in the U.S.

Throughout the Class Period, Defendants repeatedly touted the implementation and execution of the Company's Winning Together Plan and Tims Rewards loyalty program. On the heels of the Company touting the benefits of these initiatives, the Company completed two stock offerings on or about August 12, 2019, and September 5, 2019, collectively resulting in proceeds of approximately $3 billion to insiders.

This Complaint 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 and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's Winning Together Plan was failing to generate substantial, sustainable improvement within the Tim Hortons brand; (ii) the Tims Rewards loyalty program was not generating sustainable revenue growth as increased customer traffic was not offsetting promotional discounting; and (iii) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis.

On October 28, 2019, mere weeks after the offerings were completed, investors learned the truth about Tim Hortons' hyped growth initiatives when the Company announced disappointing financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019. Specifically, Defendants acknowledged that "results at Tim Hortons were not where we want them to be with global comparable sales dipping into negative territory" and admitted that "discounting [associated with Tims Rewards] is slightly more than offsetting the traffic levels, which is causing a little bit of softness in sales."

On this news, the price of Restaurant Brands common shares declined $2.59 per share, or approximately 4%, from a close of $68.45 per share on October 25, 2019, to close at $65.86 per share on October 28, 2019.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

www.pomerantzlaw.com


[January 12, 2021] Neuropathix, Inc. Appoints World-Renowned Pain Management Clinician Dr. Daniel Richman to the Company's Scientific Advisory Board

DOYLESTOWN, Pa., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neuropathix, Inc. ("Neuropathix" or the Company) (OTCQB: NPTX), a socially responsible pain management life sciences company, announced today that it has appointed pain management expert Dr. Daniel Richman to the Companys Board of Advisors.

Dr. Richman is a world-renowned, board-certified attending anesthesiologist and pain management physician. Since 1991, Dr. Richman has been in practice at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management. Dr. Richman is also an assistant attending and clinical instructor within the Tri-Institutional Pain Management Fellowship in conjunction with New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. For the past 15 years, Dr. Richman has consistently been rated among Castle Connolly Top Doctors as an expert in pain management in the New York City metropolitan area. "As we have been driving closer and closer to positioning our leading drug candidate KLS-13019 into clinical trials, it was important for us to have a leading pain management clinician of Dr. Richmans caliber involved with our unique non-opioid technology for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Dr. Richmans achievements and peer acknowledgments over his most impressive career speak for themselves. We are grateful for his acceptance to join our scientific advisory board, and most importantly, his invaluable knowledge that will be imparted upon the construction of our clinical protocols for our leading drug candidate KLS-13019, a non-opioid solution as a potential to treat chronic inflammation and neuropathic pain, said Dean Petkanas, CEO of Neuropathix, Inc. Additionally, Dr. Richman specializes in orthopedic-related pain management with a specific interest in managing conditions related to the cervical, thoraci and lumbar spine. He is an expert in interventional treatments such as epidural steroid injections, diagnostic nerve blocks both under fluoroscopic and ultrasound guidance, radiofrequency denervation, sympathetic blockade and discography. Dr. Richman has extensive knowledge of managing advanced pain with implantable technology such as intrathecal pumps and spinal cord stimulators. His positive experience in prescribing medical cannabis for difficult neuropathic pain spurred his interest in exploring more extensive cannabidiol (CBD) applications for nerve pain.



About Neuropathix, Inc. Neuropathix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of a pipeline of next generation socially responsible pain management and neuroprotective therapeutics to treat patients with significant unmet medical needs. Over the past ten years, Neuropathix has discovered, developed and patented a global intellectual property estate, led by its lead clinical target, KLS-13019, as novel new therapeutic agents designed to prevent and reverse neuropathic pain, reduce oxidative stress, and act as anti-inflammatory neuroprotectants. The Company's family of patented monotherapeutic molecules focuses on treating oxidative stress-related diseases, chronic pain management and neurodegenerative disorders. The therapeutic targets include chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a chronic neuropathy caused by toxic chemotherapeutic agents; hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neurotoxic brain-liver disorder caused by excessive concentrations of ammonia and ethanol in the brain; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a disorder associated with single and repetitive impact injuries; and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) a disease associated with highly repetitive impact injuries in professional and amateur sports. Neuropathix conducts its research and development efforts at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown, PA.

For more information about Neuropathix, visit www.neuropathix.com and the Companys Twitter page at @neuropathix . Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined 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 press release contains statements about expected future events, the Companys business plan, plan of operations, the viability of the Companys drug candidates, the Companys position, and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act. CONTACTS: Public Relations:

Kathryn Brown

Account Supervisor

CMW Media

P. 858-264-6600

E: kathryn@cmwmedia.com

www.cmwmedia.com Investor Relations:

Louie Toma

Managing Director

CORE IR

P: 516-222-2560

E: louie@coreir.com

www.coreir.com



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A former Minister of Power and Steel, Wole Oyelese, has accused the National Chair of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, of being responsible for the feud between a former governor of Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde.

Mr Oyelese, a chieftain of the PDP, made the allegations in a statement shared with journalists on Tuesday at Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

PREMIUM TIMES has on several occasions reported the feud between Messrs Fayose and Makinde.

The disagreement between the duo is connected to the leadership of the party in the South-West.

While Mr Makinde has consistently claimed to be the leader of the party in South-West, Mr Fayose disagreed, saying the Oyo state governor is a baby-politician.

Despite the fight between the two politicians, Mr Secondus has reportedly not made any attempt to reconcile the two politicians.

The former minister, however, accused Mr Secondus of being selfish and more interested in becoming the chairperson of the party for the second term than the unity of the opposition party.

There is hardly any state where there is amity among the members except in those areas where the leaders of the party are handling the situation with maturity. In this kind of situation, it is quite unimaginable that the chairman of the party will maintain such an undignified silence in the face of serious danger.

It is daily becoming clear that the party is being torn apart by the same individuals who are expected to weld it together. The issue of party organisation does not appear to have much meaning to the chairman as he appears to take a special interest in encouraging factions.

The situation we have in the South West which appears intractable is needless and should not be allowed to fester any further. The politics of survival and assertion currently going on is not in the best interest of the party as the loyal members stand to lose out.

He stressed that if the crisis persists, it may be difficult for the party to retain the only state it won in the southwest during the 2019 elections.

With the current position of things, there is hardly any state that the PDP can be sure of winning in the South West in upcoming elections. Political neophytes and dreamers may think and say otherwise, but the reality is stark enough to the discerning ones.

He concluded by advising Mr Secondus to ensure that the crisis within the PDP in Southwest is resolved as soon as possible in preparation for 2023.
Rege-Jean Page has taken social media by storm after the massive success of his Netflix show Bridgerton.

 Netflix

For the uninitiated, he is a Zimbabwean and English actor, previously known for his critically acclaimed role of Chicken George in the 2016 miniseries Roots.



 The Wolper Organisation

He even starred as a regular cast member on the ABC legal drama For the People briefly for a year. However, he got the most response for his role as Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton.



 Netflix

It was revealed this month by Netflix that over 63 million people have watched Bridgerton already contributing to the immense following for Rege-Jean Page.



 Netflix

Rege-Jean was born in the United Kingdom in 1990 to a Zimbabwean nurse and an English priest. Since he's started acting, Bridgerton is not his first collaboration with Shonda Rhimes.



 ABC Studios

It was Shonda who cast him for the show For the People. He played Leonard Knox, one of the star characters of this show. But it's not just his brilliant acting skills, we also loved his sense of style, case in point:



1. A warm but basic pull-over is not easy to pull-off, but he's done it.

2. Learn from him the trick of making formals look effortless.

3. Even his off-duty outfit looks well put together.

4. There's no denying the fact that he can definitely pull off a bow-tie.

5. He even made a pandemic-outfit look great.
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is genocide, not another fight: human rights head

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Theres a genocide of Armenian Christians, according to the head of a human rights group, but its largely going unnoticed because of conflicts between world powers.

Although people often perceive the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as another forgotten and meaningless conflict in a distant part of the world, its actually a genocide of Christians that springs from over a 100 years of history, Christian Solidarity International President John Eibner told The Christian Post. Disinformation campaigns by the government of Azerbaijan have covered up the truth.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are in conflict over a small area of land called Nagorno-Karabakh. The area is claimed by a small, independent Armenian republic.

From an Armenian perspective, this area is their historic homeland. There are many different ways to describe it. Armenians will say this is part of Armenia, but it is not formally a part of the state of Armenia, said Eibner.

Internationally, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijani land, but its mostly populated by Armenians and self-governed. After six weeks of war, Russia brokered a peace deal last year that left Armenia in control of most of the land and Azerbaijan in control of the rest. The conflict killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Its not just a local pushing and shoving. This problem has erupted as a part of a longer historical process and its erupted now because local geopolitical conditions have enabled it to erupt, said Eibner.

In 1915, the Muslim Ottoman Empire killed over 1.5 million Armenians. Turkey still refuses to admit today that the event was a genocide. Most Armenians are Christians, and Armenia was the first nation to establish Christianity as a state religion. Azerbaijan was once a province of the Ottoman Empire, and human rights groups have called out ongoing discrimination against Armenians and state-supported policy of Armenophobia.

People dont understand Azerbaijanis are Turks. They speak a dialect of Turkish, said Eibner. Whenever there is a weakening in the protection that Armenians have and confusion in the international system, theres another attempt to drive Armenians out of their lands.

The last major attack on the Armenians happened in the 1990s, he said. Because Russia is the major Christian power in the region, Armenia usually works with Russia for protection from its Islamic neighbors. Eibner believes American leaders often dont pay attention to threats to Armenia because Russia and the United States rival each other.

The United States works with Azerbaijan to oppose Iran. Because Azerbaijan borders Iran, American leaders give it money in exchange for a presence in the country, said Eibner.

Support from America, Israel and NATO to oppose Iran makes local leaders feel they have free rein. Often, American leaders do a better job of advocating for persecuted Christians in countries where they are strategically useful, he contended.

Why does Azerbaijan feel empowered to make another move? It has done so because it has become oil rich. It has done so because its a member of NATO. It has done so because it has received sophisticated drones from Israel. It feels it has the cover to do so, he said.

To cover up its genocidal attacks on Armenians, Azerbaijan has publicized stories of Armenian war crimes while minimizing its own, said Eibner. Atrocities happen in every war, but evidence suggests that Azerbaijans atrocities are far worse than the atrocities on the Armenian side. Azerbaijani communities have not suffered the way Armenian ones have.

Information warfare is a part of any war. One has to understand not to take anything one hears from either side at face value, he said. Who lost? Where are the Armenians now who lived in areas now controlled by Azerbaijan? Why arent they living in their own homes today?

In Turkey and in Islamic warfare, victors in war have a long tradition of treating the losers as less than human, said Eibner.

Christians who want to help Armenians should write their leaders in Congress, connect with local Armenian organizations and ask their pastors to speak about these issues in church, Eibner said.

This is a tragedy at many different levels. People are homeless, people are killed, but its very much connected with the disappearance of Christians, he said. Washington has cared much more about Chinese Christians that Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh. If the trend continues, there simply wont be viable Christian communities in the Middle East.
The reopening of the Wistron s manufacturing plant in Kolar district, that produces iPhones for Apple Inc, is likely to take more time on account of delays on the companys part, according to a senior Karnataka government official.

The company is carrying out some internal audit, awaiting clearances and are then expected to update us on the status," said one senior official of the government, requesting anonymity.

The violence by contract workers and others at the Wistron factory in Narasapura in Kolar district, about 60 kms from Bengaluru, on 12 December had forced the company to halt production of products like iPhone-7 and iPhone-SE which it produces and supplies to Apple.

The official cited above said that the state government has offered its full support to reopen the factory and resume operations at the earliest.

Karnatakas labour minister, Shivaram Hebbar on 16 December, had said that the government will help reopen the factory within the next 15 days. The state government had rushed to contain the damage caused by the incident despite glaring irregularities including labour rights violations, salary dues and unpaid work hours to contract workers as pointed by its own inquiries.

The incident threatened to dent not only Karnatakas pro-investment image but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led centres make in India campaign.

Though Wistron earlier claimed that it suffered losses to the tune of 437 crores, it was later revised to between 26-52 crores as shares of the company took a hit in the Taiwan stock exchanges.

A senior Wistron official declined to comment on the status of the reopening of the plant.

Meanwhile, several of the workers who were arrested by the police have since been let off after either lack of evidence or have been given bail.

We received a message from the contractors that we may resume work post the festival (Sankranti on 14 January). We have also received all pending dues on salaries and overtime," said one contract worker, requesting anonymity.

Few others who Mint spoke to have since been let off after a bail amount was deposited while some were found not to have taken part in the violence at the plant.

The delay in reopening the plant had given an unexpected lift to rival suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron, who are angling to capture a larger share of the iPhone makers orders as well as from other companies in India, Mint reported on 21 December.

Apple had suspended new business to the Taiwanese manufacturer after its initial investigations pointed out to violations of its supplier side code of conduct.

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THE United Kingdom (UK) has banned arrivals from Zimbabwe among a number of southern African countries, including the Seychelles and Mauritius as part of measures to contain the spread of the new South African strain of Covid-19.

The British government said the new regulation is in response to new evidence showing an urgent need to halt travel from all southern African countries to help prevent the spread of a new coronavirus (Covid-19) variant identified in South Africa.

In a statement, UK announced that all arrivals who have travelled to or transited through Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, eSwatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola, the Seychelles and Mauritius in the past ten days are now prohibited from entering its territory.

Entry into England will be banned to those who have travelled from or through any southern African country in the last 10 days, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique and Angola  as well as Seychelles and Mauritius, read the statement.

This does not include British and Irish nationals, longer-term visa holders and permanent residents, who will be able to enter but are required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival along with their household.

In her official Twitter page, British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melanie Robinson confirmed the ban.

Please note temporary UK entry restrictions introduced for travellers from Zimbabwe and other countries in the region from Saturday, January 9, she tweeted.

According to the UK government website, the measure will be in place for a provisional two weeks, and apply to all travellers except British/Irish citizens.

Botswana, Mauritius and Seychelles were however, later removed from the UKs travel corridor list along with Israel.

This comes after the UK on December 23 banned entry for travellers who had been to, or transited through, South Africa in the previous 10 days. All flights from South Africa are banned indefinitely.

Findings from a study commissioned by the Zimbabwean Government to ascertain whether or not the Covid-19 second wave currently plaguing the country was triggered by a new imported strain of the virus are expected this week.

The director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira said initial findings from the study indicate that a new strain may be spreading throughout the country.

According to the Health Ministry, as at Sunday Zimbabwe had recorded 507 deaths and 21 477 confirmed cases. Chronicle

NEW DELHI: China is understood to have relocated up to 10,000 troops from its training facilities located around 80-100 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh but there was no reduction in its deployment in frontline areas in the region, people familiar with the developments said.

They said the withdrawal of troops from training facilities located in the depth areas may have taken place due to the harsh winter, adding it does not have any impact on their operational deployment in any of the areas along the LAC.

The Indian and Chinese militaries are locked in an eight-month-long bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The face-off began on May 5 last year following violent clashes between the two armies in the Pangong lake area.

The two countries have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks in the last few months to resolve the standoff. However, no concrete breakthrough has been achieved so far.

Currently, nearly 50,000 troops from each side are deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various locations in the mountainous region braving severe cold-wave conditions.

It is not unusual for the Chinese military to withdraw troops from training facilities during harsh winter months as it becomes difficult to continue with the drills because of the cold-wave conditions, the people familiar with the developments said.

They said India also takes similar steps and relocates soldiers from training facilities in the high-altitude region.

On Monday, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria visited Ladakh to review the deployment of India's ground forces and air assets in the region.

Chief of Air Staff Bhadauria visited the strategically located Daulat Beg Oldie, Thoise and Nyoma advanced landing strips in Ladakh and took stock of the Indian Air Force's readiness to deal with any eventualities in the region, officials said.

The eighth and last round of military talks between Indian and Chinese armies took place on November 6 during which they broadly discussed the disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

India has all along maintained that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are quitting social media to 'safeguard their content' after signing an 100million deal with Netflix and Spotify, a royal expert has claimed.

It was revealed last week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not use social networks to promote their new Archewell Foundation, or return to their Sussex Royal Instagram and Twitter accounts, which they stopped using last year.

It's equally unlikely that Meghan will resume posting personally, even though she was an avid Instagram user in her Suits days, and the couple have spoken out against 'toxic' online culture in recent months.

However, royal editor Russell Myers today claimed on Lorraine that the choice is more 'to do with money' than taking a principled stand.

He said that while the couple have criticised social media in the past, they have signed 'big money deals' and wont want to give content away 'for free'.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are quitting social media to 'safeguard their content', a royal expert has claimed. Pictured, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a Time100 talk last year

Royal correspondent Russell Myers predicted on Lorraine this morning that their choice was 'to do with money'

Russell said: 'This big new charity launch will not have a social media presence and they aren't going to have a personal one.

'Now I think this is probably to do with their big deals with Netflix and Spotify. They have signed big money deals with those corporate giants and obviously they want to safeguard their content. They don't want to give it away for free.

'But they have had a record breaking Instagram page, and they want to produce video and audio content - so I imagine its to do with the money.

'They have spoken about the ills of social media and how they feel it is toxic, but reading between the lines, I think we will see a lot of them on Netflix and Spotify.'

In March last year the couple wrote a lengthy post pinning their decision to quit the account on wanting to focus attention of the coronavirus pandemic

It comes a year after the couple, pictured on Commonwealth Day 2020, announced they were stepping back from official duties and this decision to leave social media signals a further step away from their existence as royals

Harry and Meghan originally became disillusioned with social media after receiving 'hate' online during their time as working royals, but have continued to garner attention through projects with Netflix and Spotify.

It comes a year after the couple announced they were stepping back from official duties and their latest decision to leave social media for good signals a further step away from their existence as royals.

In a final post to their Sussex Royal account in March, the couple wrote: 'As we can all feel, the world at this moment seems extraordinarily fragile.

'Yet we are confident that every human being has the potential and opportunity to make a differenceas seen now across the globe, in our families, our communities and those on the front linetogether we can lift each other up to realise the fullness of that promise.'

Russell told Lorraine (left) the choice was financially motivated rather than because of the 'toxic' online culture the pair have previously spoken out against

He claimed that while the couple have criticised social media in the past, they have signed 'big money deals' and wont want to give content away 'for free'

In October last year, Meghan compared social media users to 'people who are addicted to drugs' during a virtual summit appearance for Fortune.

'There are very few things in this world where you call the person who's engaging with it "a user". People who are addicted to drugs are called users and people who are on social media are called users,' Meghan said.

Meghan, 39, has also previously spoken about being 'the most trolled person in the world' on the Teenager Therapy podcast. She said experiencing abuse while preganant left her feeling 'isolated'.

'I'm told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female,' she said.

'Now, eight months of that I wasn't even visible  I was on maternity leave or with a baby  If people are saying things about you that aren't true, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging  That's so big, you can't even think of what that feels like.'
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The FNF Family of Companies, the largest title insurance underwriter in the country, announced that it is a Founding Donor of the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the American Land Title Association (ALTA).

ALTA established the Foundation in October 2020 to bolster the charitable efforts of title and settlement professionals and help with housing needs as well as those adversely impacted by national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Supporting our agents in their communities has always been a cornerstone of our FNF Family of Companies," said Randy Quirk, CEO of Fidelity National Financial. "The ALTA Good Deeds Foundation is a great opportunity to further that mission as our industry coalesces to show our dedication to the towns, cities and neighborhoods we serve every day."

The ALTA Good Deeds Foundation initially will focus on providing charitable grants to recognized 501(c)(3) organizations and relief for national emergencies. The Foundation's grant application process will be open twice annually with deadlines of January 31 and July 31. The first grant application cycle opened December 1 and will close January 31.

"Our title agents are participants in their communities beyond the real estate transaction," said Steve Day, President of National Agency Operations for the FNF Family of Companies. "They are active in nonprofits, civic groups, health and community boards, youth organizations, educational institutions and so much more. The FNF Family of Companies is proud to support the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation to help our industry do even more for communities we live, work and play in. I encourage all members of the land title insurance industry to get involved in this important effort by donating today."

"The Foundation will award grants and support title professionals as they work to build and strengthen their local communities and exemplify the title industry's values of We Lead, We Deliver, We Protect," said ALTA CEO Diane Tomb. "I look forward to seeing the wealth of opportunities for the Foundation and the ALTA community to be of service."

About Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. More information about FNF can be found at fnf.com.

About ALTA Good Deeds Foundation

The American Land Title Association founded the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation in 2020 to bolster the charitable efforts of title and settlement professionals and help people with housing needs as well as those adversely impacted by national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation has a pending application for 501(c)(3) status in the United States.

FNF-G

SOURCE Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.fnf.com


Saudi Arabias largest telecom company, Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) has named Olayan Mohammed Alwetaid as the Chief Executive Office (CEO) of the group to replace incumbent Nasser S. Alnasser who tendered his resignation in November last year.

Alwetaid according to a statement from the group is taking office starting March 23, 2021.

Before his appointment, Alwetaid was recently the senior VP of Consumer Business Unit at STC, and prior to that he was the CEO of STC Bahrain. He also heads the boards of several STC subsidiaries such as Channels, Intigral, and Contact Center Co. (CCC).

The new CEO holds a bachelor in electrical engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and has certifications in the field of ICT, leadership and strategic planning.

Alnasser, in November, resigned from his position citing personal reasons. He will leave the company on March 28, 2021.
While we may get caught up in the glitz and glamour of celebrities lives and think they have it easy, its worth remembering that filming is often a very physically demanding job.

On-set injuries are certainly not unheard of. Brad Pitt, for instance, tweaked his Achilles tendon while  ironically  filming Troy. Kaitlin Olson had to be rushed to the ER when an injury on the set of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia left her nursing a badly cut leg. Some actors have even died on set  often when special effects went awry.

Luckily, nothing quite that tragic befell Viggo Mortensen while filming Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but one on-set injury did leave him with two broken toes.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a well-received fantasy film

Director Peter Jackson tells us his favorite scene from The Lord of The Rings franchise. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/dikYtMK612  A Late Show (@colbertlateshow) December 12, 2020

When J.R.R. Tolkiens classic series Lord of the Rings finally made its way to the big screen, fans were delighted, and the studio knew they had to deliver the heart-stopping action in a major way. Coming back-to-back-to-back between 2001 and 2003, the films helped set the stage for expansive fantasy worlds that would come after it.

The second installment in the trilogy released in 2002 and was titled The Two Towers. In it, Frodo (played by Elijah Wood) and Sam (played by Sean Astin) must continue their quest to destroy the One Ring. The sprawling ensemble cast gave plenty of actors a chance to shine, and Viggo Mortensens performance has gone down as one of the most memorable and well-received.

Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn

Viggo Mortensen | Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images

Mortensens role in the films was that of Aragorn. Initially, Aragorns significance is only hinted at, but eventually, his full importance becomes clear. Aragon remains steadfast in his commitment to help the hobbits destroy the One Ring.

Many others are swayed by the power that the Ring promises them, but Aragorn remains true to his word, demonstrating his character and resolve. He is also in love with Arwen, a powerful seer who is half-Elven.

A fan favorite, Aragorns role has gone down as one of the best in the series, but Mortensen almost didnt get the part. Stuart Townsend was originally cast in the role, and Mortensen was set to begin filming on a different project.

Fate intervened, giving Mortensen one of the defining roles of his career and helping boost his substantial net worth. This was not a one-way deal, however, as Mortensens agreement to take on the role saved the films from potential cancellation by the studio when Townsend was no longer available.

One Two Towers scene left Viggo Mortensen injured

As one would expect from such an action-packed saga, The Two Towers has plenty of physically-demanding scenes. It wasnt a battle that left Mortensen injured, however. Instead, Mortensen broke two of his toes while kicking a helmet to express his dismay at finding the horrifying aftermath of a slaughter.

Mortensen filmed the helmet-kicking take several times with the director hoping to get a shot of the helmet flying close to the camera. On the fifth take, Mortensen screamed in anguish and then fell to his knees, perfectly capturing the pain of his character. What the creative team didnt know until later was that it was real pain  he had broken two toes with that final kick.

That wasnt even the most hazardous moment of Mortensens filming. Much of the movie was shot in New Zealand, and a particular scene had Mortensen on horseback in a field where the New Zealand military had done training exercises  with landmines.

According to Looper, Mortensen kept improvising, which left director Peter Jackson holding his breath: Having found their perfect Aragorn, they were going to watch him get blown up by an unexploded New Zealand bomb.
Candidacy period extended from one to two years, doubling the cost in bribes.

Women wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus parade with flags during a rally to welcome the Eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.

Revised regulations on joining North Koreas ruling party extend the candidacy period for prospective members from one to two years, effectively doubling the loyalty fees and other bribes required to join the elite, sources in the country told RFA.

The regulations were approved during the Eighth Congress of the Workers Party of Korea last week. The rare meeting of the entire partys leadership was last held in 2016, and that congress was the first since 1980.

Membership in the party is seen as a status symbol that can also be a gateway to better housing, education and food in the impoverished country. Those who desire membership must be endorsed by two party members and demonstrate qualifications for the candidacy period, which has now twice as long and expensive, the sources said.

Some provisions of the revised party rules from the eighth party congress were reported in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. I read about it and only a bitter smile came to me, a food factory worker in Ryanggang province, in the countrys northern region, told RFAs Korean Service Sunday.

Article 3 of the party regulations were revised to shore up the admission procedure, and now party members and candidates should dedicate to the party a higher amount of loyalty funds and bribes, said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The source said that Article 3 also stipulates that only those fully qualified would be accepted as candidates, and the period of candidate membership has been extended from one year to two years.

It means that if a candidate fails to properly dedicate the loyalty funds to the party during the two years he or she will be disqualified from being a candidate, the source said.

It was previously mandatory for the candidates to bribe party officials in charge of the screening process even before screening began. During the previous one-year candidacy period, they offered up loyalty funds from their foreign-currency-earning side projects, said the source.

In the North Korean economy, nearly everyone needs a secondary job to make a living, because the government salary they earn from their assigned careers is nowhere near enough to support themselves.

Extension of the partys candidacy period to two years essentially means the cost of joining has doubled, according to the source.

Those who became candidates last year, who should have become regular party members this year, are complaining.

Another source, from North Pyongan province in the countrys northwest confirmed that change and other revisions to RFA Monday.

A new provision has been added to the party regulations stating that if you do not faithfully fulfill your obligations as a party member for more than 3 years, you will be removed from the party, said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

Many of the party members had been neglecting party activities by bribing the party officially to be exempt from lecture sessions as well as weekly self-criticism sessions, the source said.

The lectures and self-criticism sessions are the means by which the government tracks the loyalty of every citizen, but attending the weekly sessions takes away from the time the candidates would spend earning a living.

Nobody would be so foolish as to stop making money to participate in party life out of any sense of loyalty, even with the threat of being ousted from the party, the second source said.

Instead, the party members will just have to dedicate more money in loyalty funds to the authorities, and many are not happy about it.

Reported by Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Phuket EOCs to enforce COVID measures for new arrivals

PHUKET: Amid growing confusion of the role the Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) recently set up in Phuket, local officials have explained that staff at the centres will be responsible for ensuring that new arrivals in their respective areas comply with COVID-19 requirements.

COVID-19Coronavirushealth

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 12 January 2021, 03:49PM

The notice issued yesterday (Jan 11) explaining the roles of the EOCs. Image: PR Phuket

A notice explaining the role of the EOCs was released by the Phuket office of the Department of Public Relations (PR Phuket) late yesterday (Jan 11).

Each of the 18 local administration organisations (OrBorTor) and municipalities on the island are to arrange for an EOC to be set up for their respective area, with the local base of operations for the EOC to be focussed at the local Subdistrict Health Promoting Centre.

Subdistrict Health Promoting Centres, also called Health Promotion Hospitals, are local medical centres operated by the Ministry of Public Health that are set up in nearly every tambon in the country.

The setting up of the EOCs in Phuket follows a national order for all people travelling from Chanthaburi, Chon Buri, Trat, Rayong and Samut Sakhon to be screened and be granted permission by officials to exit the province they are in.

It also follows Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew last Saturday (Jan 9) issuing a provincial order for all arrivals in Phuket to observe COVID-proevention measures according to the level of risk of the area they are arriving from.

The measures range from 14-day quarantine and mandatory swab tests for people arriving from the highest risk areas down to self monitoring for people arriving from green zones.

Governor Narong ordered that all people intending to travel to Phuket to first register their travel details on the gophuget.com web portal, which is operated by the Phuket Provincial Police and is now available in 15 languages: English, Russian, German, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Filipino, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Khmer, Lao, Malay and Myanmar (Burmese).

The order issued by Phuket Governor Narong on Saturday also required all new arrivals to install the Mor Chana COVID-tracking app on their phones, though Phuket Vice Governor Vikrom explained that those unable to do so would have to report their movements through official documents filed with an EOC.

All EOCs in Phuket will be notified of any visitors expected in their respective areas from the travel details registered through the gophuget web portal, explained PR Phuket through their announcement yesterday.

Staff at each EOC will follow up on all visitors in their areas, and will ensure that all arrivals from high risk zones that are required to observe a quarantine period do so, and will monitor all new arrivals condition, the notice said.

People who register their travel details through gophuget.com are not required to report themselves at the EOC for the area where they are staying, PR Phuket also explained.

Those who did not register through the web portal [gophuget.com] must report themselves at the EOC office nearby or ask a friend or staff at the hotel to report them to the EOC. Hotel staff may have to report EOC about their new guests every day, the notice said.

EOC staff will contact visitors later for checking, it added.

{EOC staff will] Follow up on the symptoms [sic] of visitors during the 14-day quarantine, in order to create the highest confidence, PR Phuket said.
An Bord Pleanala is considering a strategic infrastructure application for a major 450 million electricity interconnector between Ireland and the UK with 190 km of high voltage cables stretching underground and beneath the sea from Great Island in Campile to Pembrokeshire in Wales.

The application which was lodged by Greenlink Interconnector Ltd along with a planning fee of 100,000, will see the building of electricity converter stations at Great Island and the laying of cables through a wide area of south Wexford including Kilmannock, Dunbrody, Saltmills, Grange, Kilhile, Rosetown, Coleman, Ramsgrange, Kilbride, Ballinruan, Aldridge, Booley, Broomhill, Lewistown, Kilcloggan, Templetown, Graigue Little, Graigue Great, Lambstown and Ramstown.

The interconnector will link electricity grids in Ireland and the UK, with a nominal capacity of 500 megawatts, equivalent to powering 380,000 homes.

It will create an electricity connection between Ireland and Wales, allowing power to flow in either direction depending on supply and demand, with onward connections to Europe.

Approximately 250 jobs will be created during the construction period and pending planning approval, Greenlink's intention is to start work later this year and have the project built by the end of 2023, according to Greenlink CEO Nigel Beresford.

The Greenlink Interconnector on which work has been ongoing for about five years, is designated as a European Union Project of Common Interest under the Trans-European Network for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation.

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It is the first privately funded interconnector in Europe and will connect EirGrid's Great Island 220kV substation and the UK National Grid's Pembroke transmission substation, with separate applications required on both sides of the Irish sea.

Planning permission has been sought from An Bord Pleanala for a new converter station, tail station and MV substation at Great Island, 23km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity cables, 420m of high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cables, 23.42km of fibre optic cable, 54 car parking spaces on the access road to Baginbun Beach and the provision of footpaths and street lighting in Ramsgrange village as community benefit projects along with various temporary construction, cable and drilling compounds, on an overall proposed development site of more than 200 acres.

The proposed development will include a temporary landfall compound at Baginbun in the townland of Ramstown, where the high voltage cable will be installed underground, from below the beach and cliff at Baginbun to the converter station at Great Island, approximately 23 kilometres in length.

The converter station at Great Island will have a double perimter fence consisting of a 2.4 m security fence and a 3.4 m high electrified security fence.

A 220kV tail station of 11 metres in height with a 2.6 m high perimeter fence, will be located beside the converter station and there will also be an MV substation building outside these fences but within the overall site..

The UK Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has been notified of the application and of the possibility that the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on the environment of Wales.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) which accompanies the An Bord Pleanala application includes a Joint Environmental Report in respect of the entire area affected by the Greenlink Interconnector.

All the information including a Natural Impact Statement is available to view on the dedicated website www.greenlinkplanning.ie.

Submissions or observations on the proposed development may be made in writing to An Bord Pleanala at 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1 up to 5.30 p.m. on February 12, 2021.

Any enquiries relating to the application process should be directed to the Strategic Infrastructure Section of An Bord Pleanala, telephone 01 8588100 or sids@pleanala.ie.

An Environmental Report submitted with the application concludes that static magnetic fields generated by the cables will be well below standard health limits and will not interfere with potentially susceptible devices such as cardiac pacemakers, implanted defibrillators, cochlear implants and similar devices. The burial depth of the cables will be mostly one metre with the shallowest at 0.9 metres.

The report also states that the converter station and surrounding equipment is designed to ensure that negligible electromagnetic fields would be produced outside the boundary fence.

It points out that the Ireland to Wales East West Interconnector (EWIC) was a similar development to Greenlink with an oral hearing taking place in March 2009.

An Bord Pleanala approved that development and in making its decision noted that it would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity or be prejudicial to public health or safety.

Greenlink Interconnector Limited with an address at Barrow Street, Dublin is owned jointly by Element Power Holdings, part of Hudson Sustainable Investment and Partners Group on behalf of its clients.

Hudson Sustainable Investment is a New York-based independent investment management firm with expertise in investing in sustainable energy infrastructure projects in Ireland, the UK and internationally.

Partners Group, based in Switzerland, is a global investment management firm with 73 billion in investment programmes under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt.

The listed directors of Greenlink are Padraig McManus, Robert Warshauer, Simon Merriweather, Thomas Murley and Shreya Malik with Michael Daly of Ove Arup and partners in Cork acting as agent.

The sites for the converter station and tail station will be permanently acquired for the purposes of the proposed development and various landowners have given their consent to the lodging of the planning application.

Wayleave agreements over land have been made with the relevant landowners, allowing the proposed development to be constructed.

There will be no permanent loss of agricultural land and any land disturbed during the project will be fully restored.

Greenlink can exercise statutory powers under the Electricity (Supply) Act of 1927 to lay cables across or under any land, including a road. Much of the cable will be installed along the local road network.

Greenlink began pre-application consultations with An Bord Pleanala in November of 2016 and during a series of five meetings, it was stressed that consideration should be given to protected views from any archaeological sites, the mitigation of any disruption to local amenity areas, works in proximity to protected structures and possible community gain arising from the development.

Wexford County Council officials are required to issue a report to An Bord Pleanala within 10 weeks of the application being made and elected members of Wexford County Council may add recommendations to the officials' report.

It is open to Bord Pleanala to hold an oral hearing and it may hold a meeting with Greenlink or any other relevant person and may request further information from Greenlink, including a revised EIAR.

An Bord Pleanala must make its determination of the application 'as expeditiously as is consistent with proper planning and sustainable development'. It has an objective, but not an obligation, to make a determination within 18 weeks of the latest date for the receipt of submissions from the public.

Projects of Common Interest (PCI) are cross border infrastructure developments that link the energy systems of European Union (EU) Member Statesx and are intended to help the EU achieve its energy policy and climate objectives - affordable, secure and sustainable energy for all citizens, and the long-term decarbonisation of the economy in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

Public consultation on the proposed development began in the summer 2018 with exhibitions taking place at Fethard on Sea and Duncannon and the project team seeking imput from the community to improve the design and delivery of the interconnector.

Further public consultation took place in 2019 in Fethard on Sea, Duncannon and Ramsgrange with a third round of updates in December of that year.

Various heritage, wildlife, fisheries and environmental agencies were consulted in relation to the the choice of route and landfall site.
The Federal Council

Bern, 12.01.2021 - On 12 January Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, as vice president of the Federal Council, and Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter signed two cooperation agreements  on civil aviation and on migration  during the official visit to Bern by a delegation from the Republic of The Gambia, headed by Vice President Isatou Touray. The agreement on migration allows Switzerland and The Gambia to strengthen their respective efforts in fighting illegal migration.

Ms Keller-Sutter and Gambian Vice President Isatou Touray and his delegation discussed migration issues and the way in which the two countries can strengthen their cooperation. Approved by the Federal Council on 7 October 2020, the agreement signed at this occasion opens up new opportunities for cooperation between Switzerland and the Republic of The Gambia in the field of migration.

Many Gambian citizens are leaving their country for other countries in the region, Europe or the United States. Gambian nationals account for a significant proportion of migrants crossing the Mediterranean each year to reach the Italian or Spanish coasts. After a peak in 2016, the number of asylum applications from Gambian nationals in Switzerland has since fallen sharply.

Faced with these challenges, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) intends to continue to support the Gambian authorities in handling migration, not least by helping to implement projects locally. So far, SEM has organised ad hoc training to enable The Gambia to increase its capacities and is supporting a project with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.



Cooperation over returnees

Operational cooperation with The Gambia over returning citizens generally works well. The agreement covers issues relating to the practical organisation of returnees, such as identification and the issuing of replacement documents. Switzerland has so far concluded eight similar migration cooperation agreements with countries on the African continent, among them Angola, Cameroon, Benin and Tunisia. These are in addition to the 56 other agreements on return migration that Switzerland has concluded.

Agreement on aviation services

In discussions between Mr Ignazio Cassis and Dr Touray, the two countries expressed their wish to strengthen their bilateral relations and cooperate more closely. In this respect, Mr Cassis thanked the vice president for opening an embassy with double accreditation in Geneva. The two parties signed an aviation services agreement which allows airlines to offer passengers and shipping companies competitive prices and services on open markets, while preserving strict safety standards.

Other international issues were addressed, such as the COVID-19 pandemic situation and the efforts of Switzerland and The Gambia in dealing with it. Mr Cassis officially invited The Gambia to join the Remittances in Crisis: How to Keep them Flowing' appeal launched by Switzerland and the United Kingdom in May 2020. The two countries reaffirmed the importance of good international cooperation in addressing this health crisis.

Coronavirus prevention measures were strictly observed during the discussions.

Address for enquiries

Information and Communication, SEM, T +41 58 465 78 44, medien@sem.admin.ch, Twitter : @EJPD_DFJP_DFGP

Communication, FDFA, T +41 58 462 31 53, kommunikation@eda.admin.ch, Twitter: @EDA_DFAE

Publisher

The Federal Council

https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html



Federal Department of Justice and Police

http://www.ejpd.admin.ch



Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html



State Secretariat for Migration

https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home.html




Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 57F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
MIDLAND, MI - The Dow Chemical Co. will not make any more donations to members of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, potentially affecting three Michigan Republicans.

U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Twp., U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, and Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, objected to Electoral College votes in two states as part of an effort to challenge the presidential election outcome.

Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trumps supporters, Midland-based Dow Chemical says it is suspending all political action committee contributions to anyone who voted to object to the certification, according to a news release.

The suspension will last through the next election cycle, which will be two years for House representatives and six years for U.S. senators. Dow also wont contribute to reelection campaigns for any of the objecting politicians.

Dow is committed to the principles of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power, the companys statement reads. Our values  integrity, respect for people, and protecting our planet  are the foundation on which we stand and our values guide our political contributions.

According to Dows corporate contribution disclosures, the company has made donations to both Republican and Democratic entities from 2015 to 2019. The company gave at least six figures to the Michigan Republican Party every year except 2019, including $1 million in 2017.

Read more:

3 Michigan Republicans object to electoral votes in Arizona, Pennsylvania

Republicans pushed election lies and armed protests, but say their rhetoric didnt spur U.S. Capitol chaos

More than half of Michigans GOP senators air unfounded election concerns in letter to Congress

4 dead after mob of Trump insurrectionists storm U.S. Capitol

Michigan representatives denounce attack on U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump mob
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Monday changed ancient rules governing duty requirements for religious service. The order from Pope Francis officially recognizes women as non-clergy, or lay, administrators during even the highest church service.

Francis amended the law to make official what is already common in many parts of the world: Women serve as lectors. They read passages of the Christian holy book to Catholics gathered for religious service. They also serve, like non-clergy men, to assist the priest during the most important ceremony: holy communion.

Francis said he was making the change to increase recognition of the precious contribution women make in the church. He added that all confirmed Catholics have a part to play in the work of the church.

The change comes as Francis remains under pressure to open clergy positions to women. Only men are permitted to serve as official leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, and make rules under which all followers are to live.

Religious history experts say women shared control of Catholic leadership in the early years of the ancient faith. Francis has ordered a group of experts to study whether women could be named deacons. Deacons are the lowest level of clergy. An earlier group had reported to the Pope about the history of women deacons.

People who support expanding the rules say Catholic females deserve greater say in the direction of the Church. They also say such a change would help deal with clergy shortages in several parts of the world.

Opponents want to continue the Roman Catholic tradition of only permitting men to officially serve.

Phyllis Zagano was a member of the popes first study. She called the new rules important. She said they represent the first time the Church has given women access to the altar by religious law. She noted that high-level members of the church have long called for such a move.

Thats a very big deal, said Zagano, a professor at New Yorks Hofstra University.

Lucetta Scaraffia is the former editor of a Catholic Church publication directed at women. She called the changes a double trap. She said they make official what is already happening, including at Pope-led services. She said the changes also make clear that the office of the deacon is an ordained ministry open only for men.

This closes the door on the diaconate for women, she told Associated Press reporters in a telephone call. She described the change as a step backward for women.

Im Ashley Thompson.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

priest - n. a person who has the authority to lead or perform ceremonies in some religions and especially in some Christian religions

precious - adj. very valuable or important

contribution - n. something that is done to cause something to happen

access - n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone

altar - n. a platform or table used as a center of worship in Christian ceremonies and services

ordained - adj. related to officially making (someone) a minister, priest, rabbi, etc.

diaconate - n. the office of deacon
Good morning to all.

Im very happy to be with you this morning.

And I want to start by wishing you all a very happy New Year.

We are just getting out of a very, very exceptional year with a tremendous shock for the world, but also some signs of resilience,

2020 was the year of the coronavirus pandemic and the worst crisis the EBRD countries of operations have faced since the Bank was created at the end of the Cold War.

But looking back at 2020 and the banking sector and, of course, our central and southern Eastern European economies, I want to start by highlighting and praising their resilience.

The region's banks are better capitalised, more liquid and less reliant on volatile wholesale funding.

Non-performing exposures remain broadly under control.

So banks loss absorption capacity has also be significantly strengthened, thanks to the phasing in of the new recovery and resolution regime in the EU.

And the ECB has also been key in this respect.

An obvious benchmark to measure such resilience against is to compare it with the 2008 financial crisis.

Back then the threat of massive deleveraging bringing the regional banking sector to its knees was very real.

What helped see off that threat?

The EBRD was one of the key institutions behind the setting up of the Vienna initiative.

This initiative continues to play a role in facilitating the dialogue between cross-border financial institutions, regulators and international financial institutions,

Which is important to mitigate the impact of the crisis on emerging European economies.

This is true even if we are today in a very different situation from the panic behind the scenes that we encountered in 2008.

Despite the very exceptional nature and magnitude of the economic shock we have been and we are still facing.

And, I may say so, I think it's important to underline that the response of international financial institutions to this crisis has also been very robust and very strong.

And this fully applies, in my view, to the EBRD.

Our operational results will show once again the countercyclical nature of our activity.

The preliminary figures we have for central and south eastern Europe show that the bank invested just over four billion euros in the region.

With its Solidarity Package, it streamlined its processes to provide finances to meet the short-term liquidity and working capital needs of existing clients.

We also developed new approaches.

One example of innovation is our new guarantee for growth mechanism launched just before Christmas.

Under that that we are providing Raiffeisen Bank Albania, for example, with a 100 million euros unfunded guarantee that will free up risk-taking capacity and will allow the bank to lend to the real economy.

This pandemic demonstrated also the vital role that trade plays in keeping the global economy going.

And that's why we have stepped up our capacity for trade finance up to three billion euros for 2020 alone.

We are also very committed to the development of capital markets and make a sizeable contribution to the delivery of the EU capital market union plan, both as an investor but also in our policy priorities, with a view to develop the investor base, to develop the capital market infrastructure and so forth.

Turning to 2021, the New Year will continue to test our agility to address our countries of operations needs.

It will also address the banking sectors and the economy's capacity to operate.

We earnestly hope that economies will begin to rebound and recover in 2021 and will reach the pre-crisis levels of output by the beginning of 2022.

Our working assumption is that growth should be around three between three and four percent in 2021 in the region, supported by the EU exceptional recovery and resilience plan and new resources that will start to be deployed in the region to build back better.

But the crisis will have a legacy, Transport, tourism, hospitality, some supply chains will have taken the long term hit.

The lockdown has forced us to rethink our values and way of working and recovery plans.

And given us a rare opportunity to build back better as consumers.

Businesses and whole economies will tilt to green.

The EBRD has a responsibility to support, to encourage and to accelerate a sustainable transition.

Our next five year institutional priorities are fully consistent with many of the EU recovery priorities such as the Green Deal, Digital and Just Transition.

Digital, energy transition and financial institutions are some of the many sectors impacted by new climate related and environmental risk guidelines prepared at the EU level.

They are also one of the main channels for deploying financial resources in support of green investments and building scale in this area.

That's why we are actively supporting partner banks with green financial products as well as encouraging them to prepare certified green bond frameworks.

And that's why weve invested in all bank green bonds issuance from the region.

Yes, indeed, green capital markets issuance are limited in size and number compared with those in more established Western European markets.

But we are looking forward to stronger activity in this area in the future and this would be one of our key priorities.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need to build back better.

We look forward to continuing to work with you all.

Thank you very much for your attention.
A former nurse who is facing hundreds of criminal charges in two central Pennsylvania counties that he illegally filmed and in some cases molested more than 200 hospital patients, including children, now has another legal problem.

One of his alleged victims has filed a federal lawsuit against Michael Bragg, seeking financial damages.

Filing of the U.S. Middle District Court suit comes as Bragg, 40, of Chambersburg, sits in prison awaiting prosecution in Cumberland and Franklin counties on roughly 400 criminal counts.

Michael David Bragg, 39,

The state attorney generals office filed those charges in 2019 and last year. Bragg, a former nurse in UPMC Carlisles emergency room, is accused of secretly filming patients in various stages of undress between January 2016 and April 2019. He is accused of molesting some patients while they were incapacitated. Investigators said they also found illegal videos, including some of children using the bathroom, and child porn during a search of Braggs home.

The charges he faces include possession and manufacture of child pornography, invasion of privacy, aggravated indecent assault and wiretap violations.

UPMC officials, who aided the criminal investigation, fired Bragg in April 2019. He is scheduled for trial in Franklin County Court in March. No trial date has been set in the Cumberland County case.

The former patient who filed the federal lawsuit is a North Carolina woman identified only by her initials. She says she was notified in November 2019 that she was among the patients allegedly filmed by Bragg at UPMC. Bragg shared some of his illegally obtained videos online, her suit states.

The conduct of which Bragg is accused was extreme and outrageous and utterly intolerable in a civilized community, the woman contends. She seeks more than $75,000 in damages on a count of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
It comes just weeks after England was plunged into a third national lockdown

This is the moment police catch barbers secretly cutting two men's hair during lockdown before hitting the shop's owner with a 1,000 fine for their 'blatant disregard of coronavirus regulations'.

Body-cam footage released by City of London Police shows officers raid The Grooming Lounge Barbers, in Barbican, and catch two customers receiving a haircut from staff despite the current restrictions on January 9.

The scenes come just weeks after England was plunged into a third national lockdown amid the spread of a mutant version of the coronavirus.

Staff inside The Grooming Lounge Barbers, in Barbican, central London, are caught cutting two men's hair on January 9

City of London police enter the barber shop in London which has been covered in old newspapers

During the clip, which was shared by the force on social media, the police enter the barber shop and confront members of staff.

The shop's windows had been covered with old newspapers in an apparent attempt to stop people from seeing they were open.

In a statement the force said: 'On Saturday 9 January 2021, at approximately 14:40hrs, City of London Police officers responded to report by a member of the public and attended a barbershop in the City that was still operating, despite current restrictions.

'This is a clear breach of coronavirus regulations and in line with the legislation, the owner was issued with a 1,000 fine.'

The force also took to Twitter to explain: 'City of London Police officers attended a barbershop in the City that was operating despite current restrictions.

'The owner was issued with a 1,000 fine. This is a blatant disregard of coronavirus regulations & won't be tolerated. The message is clear: #StayAtHome.

'Most people are doing their part and obeying the rules to protect the NHS and save lives, but we will continue to deal with those who flout the rules putting everyone at risk.'

It comes after Sainsbury's reinstated bouncers outside its supermarkets to tackle shoppers not wearing a mask after police said they lacked the manpower to enforce the rules.

The chain sent an email to all customers saying guards would 'challenge' maskless customers or people shopping in groups.

An officer enters the shop and speaks with the hairdressers who have breached the coronavirus laws

The officer catches the members of staff cutting hair despite the current restrictions in place

The Grooming Lounge Barbers, in Barbican, was slapped with a 1,000 fine after they were caught by police on January 9

It joins Morrisons, who has also reintroduced security at the doors and vowed to ban anyone refusing to wear a face covering without a medical exemption.

Britain's policing minister Kit Malthouse said police would intervene in serious breaches of Covid rules in shops, but measures imposed and enforced by owners would be effective in most cases.

Meanwhile Brian Booth, chair of West Yorkshire Police Federation, emphasised that officers would only intervene if 'other offences were committed', such as when the customer refusing to wear a mask became violent or abusive.

Mr Booth criticised the current regulations as 'woolly', saying they left too many 'loose ends' which 'cheesed-off' officers had to interpret for themselves.

It came as Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said it was 'preposterous' that people would not know the Covid rules, and vowed to continue fining lawbreakers.

Writing in The Times today, Dame Cressida said: 'It is preposterous to me that anyone could be unaware of our duty to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus.

'We have been clear that those who breach Covid-19 legislation are increasingly likely to face fines.

'We will still be engaging, explaining and encouraging but those who break the rules or refuse to comply where they should without good reason will find officers moving much more quickly to enforcement action.'

Meanwhile in Derbyshire, two women who were fined 200 for driving seven miles to Foremark Reservoir for a walk said the police had cancelled their fines following a backlash against an overzealous interpretation of the law.

Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore, both 27, were slapped with the penalties on Wednesday after they were approached by several officers in the park.

Derbyshire Police originally defended the decision to fine the women for breaching Covid rules but Ms Allen today revealed they had received separate calls from the force who apologised to them both and informed them their fines will be scrapped.
An Bord Pleanala has given the green light to plans for a 190m build to rent scheme in south Dublin which will feature a dog wash area for pet owners.

The appeals board has granted planning to Lioncor Developments in spite of recommendations by its own inspector and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to refuse planning permission as the scheme is on lands zoned as Institutional Lands and didnt provide sufficient open space to comply with that designation.

In 2019, it is understood the Carmelite Order secured up to 35m when it sold eight acres of lands to Lioncor Developments at Dundrum.

The board inspector in the case, Lorraine Dockery, described the 8.6 acre site as an overgrown field with the site lying to the east and south of Gort Muire Carmelite convent at Dundrum.

The site, located at the end of Wyckham Avenue, is a 10-minute walk from Dundrum shopping centre.

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Planning documents lodged with the application stated that the proposal seeks to deliver a significant quantum of residential development at a zoned residential site that is located within an established suburban location within walking distance of a multitude of services, public transport options and amenities.

The report claimed that the proposed heights and resultant densities are considered to appropriately balance and bridge the conflicting requirements of providing sufficiently high density in this extremely accessible and sustainable site.

Making a pitch to dog-lovers, consultants for Lioncor, Global Apartment Advisors (GAA) confirmed that there will be a suite of measures in place for dogs at the apartment complex.

These include a dog wash, which will be a specific space that will be created for those pet owners who wish to wash their dogs outside their apartment.

GAA also stated that a pet/dog run will be available where an open space will be provided for pets, mainly dogs, to exercise.

The developers are also planning to put in place a rooftop gym on one of the blocks that, according to GAA, will provide gym users inspiring panoramic views across the city.
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(Natural News) A peer-reviewed study published in the highly-respected Elsevier journal EBioMedicine has revealed that the DTP vaccine unleashed by Bill Gates on young girls in Africa killed 10 times more of them than the disease itself would have.

The paper, commissioned by the Danish government and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, was published back in 2017, though it has not received nearly the attention it deserves. In essence, it exposes Gates as a genocidal murderer who has committed heinous crimes against humanity.

Led by Drs. Sren Wengel Mogensen and Peter Aaby, the study looked at the combination diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus vaccine, which was discontinued in the United States back in the 90s due to thousands of reports of death and brain damage.

Despite widespread vaccination, the Great Game India journal notes, the United States and other countries are still experiencing large pertussis outbreaks.

Prior to the publishing of this study, the World Health Organization (WHO) had never bothered to conduct a trial looking at vaccinated versus unvaccinated health outcomes, which would have been necessary to determine whether the DTP vaccine was truly safe and effective.

Even so, Bill and Melinda Gates, arguably the evilest people living today, pushed the drug on innocent African babies, including in Guinea Bissau where half of all children die before the age of five.

Compared to children in Guinea Bissau who did not receive Gates DTP vaccine, children who did were found to have died at 10 times the rate of other children. The jab was also found to make vaccinated children more susceptible to other deadly diseases that unvaccinated children do not typically contract.

The vaccine apparently compromised their immune systems, Great Game India explains.

Wherever black and brown people can be found, Bill Gates is there to inject them with poison

The study itself declared that no prospective study has shown beneficial survival effects of DTP, despite being the most widely used vaccine.

It should be of concern that the effect of routine vaccinations on allcause mortality was not tested in randomized trials, the study further reveals.

All currently available evidence suggests that DTP vaccine may kill more children from other causes than it saves from diphtheria, tetanus or pertussis. Though a vaccine protects children against the target disease it may simultaneously increase susceptibility to unrelated infections.

None of this matters to Gates, though, who continues to financially punish nations for not complying with his vaccination programs. Gates has also been caught trying to bribe nations to push more vaccines on their populations, using mandatory programs, if necessary, to achieve compliance.

GAVI, which is funded by Gates and the British government, has further infiltrated Indias healthcare policy-making mechanisms, which is now aggressively pushing Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines on Indian people.

Wherever brown and black people can be found, in other words, Bill and Melinda Gates are there working to inject them all with sterilizing, DNA-altering chemicals in the name of public health.

Indias Covaxin jab, manufactured by Bharat Biotech, is actually the product of Gates funding through his international pharmaceutical lobby. This is one of the reasons why vaccine truth advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a paper described the billionaire eugenicist as having an obsession with vaccines.

There are revolving door problems with all of our federal agencies and all of our state agencies, Kennedy stated during an interview on RT from earlier in 2020.

Theres a phenomenon or a dynamic by which the agency thats supposed to protect the American public from bad drugs or from pollution of what have you ultimately becomes a subsidiary or a sock puppet for the industry it is supposed to regulate.

You can watch the full interview below:

The latest vaccine-related news can be found at Vaccines.news.

Sources for this article include:

GreatGameIndia.com

NaturalNews.com

GreatGameIndia.com
Daryll Paterson, 36, strangled his girlfriend Louise Aitchison, 33, and then slit her throat at the home they shared in Park Terrace, East Kilbride, on April 28 last year

A man who murdered his partner by strangling her and then slashing her throat has been jailed for life.

Daryll Paterson, 36, has been ordered to spend at least 18 years behind bars after confessing to the murder of his girlfriend Louise Aitchison.

He carried out the brutal attack on the 33-year-old former dental nurse on April 28 last year.

He was arrested after admitting his crime to a friend and his sister, confessing: 'I've done something really bad'.

The murder took place at the home the couple shared in Park Terrace, East Kilbride, Scotland and was sparked by an alcohol-fuelled fight between the couple, who had been together since 2019, the court heard.

The argument escalated and he strangled her before striking her in the neck with a knife leaving a 'gaping wound.'

Police found three washed knives in the flat and Louise's body covered in blankets in a bedroom.

As Paterson pleaded guilty to the murder at the High Court in Glasgow, a judge slammed him for 'betraying the love and trust' of his partner.

Jailing Paterson for 18 years, Judge Lady Stacey said: 'She was only 33 years of age. She had served the community here and overseas and had much to look forward to.

'She was entitled to look to you for love and support but you betrayed her trust and by your actions you took her life.

'You know that you killed Louise and now you will have to live with that knowledge for the rest of your life.'

Former dental nurse Louise Aitchison was murdered at the home the couple shared in Park Terrace, East Kilbride, Scotland, on April 28 last year

The couple met while walking their dogs and began living together at her home in March 2019.

Defence QC Donald Findlay told the court that Paterson had had a difficult childhood and his life was blighted by alcohol.

He added: 'The pair met by chance and through their love of dogs began a relationship.

'He really does not have a clear recollection of how this came to pass. He has various snapshots.

'He does accept the two of them had a considerable amount to drink, there was clearly some kind of argument which gathered momentum and got out of hand.

'He can remember having his hand on her throat, he can remember her having a knife. He can remember a fight and he can remember the aftermath.'

The court heard that on April 28, 2019 Louise phoned the police at 10.45pm and asked them to remove Paterson from her home. He left and said he would phone to collect his stuff.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC said: 'At some point that evening Mr Paterson murdered Louise Aitchison by compressing her neck, restricting her breathing and striking her on the neck with a knife causing a gaping wound.'

At 1am on April 29 Paterson turned up at his friend Adam Ford's house and told him: 'I've done something really bad, I'm going to go away for a very long time. My life's over.'

Paterson was jailed for 18 years by a judge at The High Court in Glasgow who said the killer had 'betrayed the love and trust' of his partner

The next day April 30 Paterson confessed to his sister Khiya Paterson saying: 'She's gone. I've done something really bad.'

When asked where Louise was Paterson told his sister she was in the bedroom and the knife, which he had washed was in the kitchen.

Paterson told his sister: 'We had an argument and she punched me on the throat. I told her not to do that, but she hit me again on the same place.

'She was kicking me and things got ugly and then she had a knife.

'I don't know what happened, but suddenly I was on top of her with my hands round her throat. And then it happened.'

As he made the last remark he moved his hand across his throat.

When police entered the flat they found Louise lying dead in the bedroom, covered with a blanket. Three knives were found in the kitchen sink.

A post mortem examination found the cause of dead was neck injuries.

The wound to Louise's throat measured almost eight inches. There was also a fracture to one of the bones in her neck.

Louise, who was 4ft 11 and weighed just under nine stones, is survived by her mother, sister and brother.

She did voluntary work in India, aged 23 and then worked as a dental nurse for 15 years, before becoming a support worker.
A kindergarten teacher in HCMC's Go Vap District prepares to check body temperature and disinfect hands of her student to prevent Covid-19 spread, May 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Manh Tung.

Having to work 10 hours plus a day and faced with demanding parents, many stressed out kindergarten teachers hope to retire early.

The Government Office earlier this month requested the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to look into a proposal by Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to classify kindergarten teachers as practitioners of arduous and dangerous labor. If approved, male and female teachers may retire at 57 and 55, respectively, five years earlier than usual.

Expressing her delight with the proposal, Diu Thi Quyen, 41, a kindergarten teacher in Dong Van District of Ha Giang Province said: "I think it's quite evident how particularly arduous preschool teaching can be."

With nearly 14 years' experience, Quyen, of Yi ethnicity typically arrives at school before 7 a.m. daily to prepare for her class 15 minutes later. This means she has to leave home between 5:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Quyen said teachers are also on duty at noon to watch over sleeping students. Only after 5 p.m., when parents have collected their children, could they return home in the absence of other administrative tasks. On average, teachers work 10 hours or more per day.

Teaching dozens of under-fives each day is "extremely hard," Quyen said. At home, parents care for two to three children at most, but in class, it takes at least two teachers to handle 30 or even 40 students.

In recent years, kindergartens in Dong Van have been required to incorporate technology into classes. Used to creating materials by hand, and with limited Internet access, Quyen and her economically-strained colleagues are struggling to cope.

"In addition to early retirement, we also insist on better government treatment for this profession. Though teacher salaries in upland areas are a bit better in the delta, living costs are high, weather conditions severe and travel difficult. We need more support to do our jobs professionally," said Quyen.

Pham Thi Ngoc Lan, 52, a teacher at Can Thanh Kindergarten in Can Gio District, around 50 kilometers from downtown HCMC, also agreed with the proposal that preschool teachers should retire early.

"Everyone thinks this job is all fun and games, but it's really tough," the teacher with 27 years' experience said.

Lan usually receives her first class at around 6:30 a.m. and leaves the school at 5 p.m. daily. She only has 30 minutes for an afternoon nap.

Compared to her younger colleagues, physical school activities are proving increasingly strenuous for Lan.

"My husband always helps me with daily chores, so I could rest when I come home from work. Many of my colleagues still have to cook and clean their homes at night," she noted.

A couple of years back, Lan's voice suddenly gave in due to excessive shouting in class.

"Hoarseness is normal. I'm fortunate to have avoided minor surgery on the larynx, opposed to many peers."

More pressure from parents

Lan admits dealing with demanding parents can be an intense and often threatening experience, especially in the case of minor injury during class.

Do to the physical risk, many young teachers have confided they are unsure whether they could stick to the profession until retirement.

"Having done this job for nearly 30 years, I just want to rest. I hope the proposal would be implemented soon," Lan said.

A kindergarten teacher in Ha Nam, soon-to-retire Hong, 55, hopes the proposal could benefit her younger colleagues if approved.

Hong has been teaching since 1996. After 25 years in the profession, she admits her greatest fear remains "excitable parents."

"They just get angry and shout, without enquiring as to the cause of a problem," she explained, affirming this to be a major factor affecting preschool teacher morale.

Nguyen Ba Minh, head of preschool education department under the Ministry of Education and Training, agrees it is appropriate to include kindergarten teaching on the list of heavy and arduous occupations.

Preschool teachers endure longer working hours than many other professionals but receive a low income.

"Small children are very different from higher level students. Teachers have to do everything to help them," Minh said.

Vietnams education is facing a long-standing kindergarten teacher shortage, with 45,000 currently missing from its workforce, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha told a meeting last month. In 2018, the country lacked over 43,700 kindergarten teachers, according to the ministry.

Around three million workers in the country are employed in around 1,800 jobs and fields considered arduous, hazardous and dangerous, including oil and gas operators, athletes and chemists. Those who have worked for 15 years in said jobs may retire no more than five years earlier than usual.
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PFAS investigation in Pellston completes second round of samples

Officials discovered polyfluoroalkyls in Pellston residential water sources in late 2019. The airport is believed to be the source of the substances.


IT cleanup at U.S. Capitol presents massive challenge

Federal IT staff have a massive job ahead of them cleaning up after the rioters who broke into the U.S. Capitol building, some of whom rifled through lawmakers offices.

While improving physical security for the building and for lawmakers and staff who work there is the first priority, experts have said the rioters unprecedented access to offices, files and computers can have serious cybersecurity ramifications.

In some instances, IT equipment was stolen. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said a laptop was taken off a conference table in his office, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) staff also reported the theft of a laptop. A desktop in Pelosis office that was left on and unsecured allowed the rioters to read the staffers email and take photos of the PCs screen.

Fortunately, each lawmakers office runs its own IT systems even as each chamber of Congress shares an IT framework, according to an article in Wired. The resulting segmentation and decentralization prevents a breach in one office from spreading across Congress. On the other hand, there aren't necessarily standardized authentication and monitoring schemes in place, former Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank Larkin told the news site.

While laptops can be wiped, passwords reset and access logs monitored, the fact that intruders roamed freely through congressional offices complicates cybersecurity going forward.

Even though the data on staff computers would not have been classified, adversaries could still piece together intelligence from information exposed or stolen from members offices. The break-in also presented an opportunity to adversaries who may have been among the rioters to install malware on IT equipment, bug offices and exfiltrate data.

I dont think every office that was entered everything needs to be burned to the ground, but you need to be acknowledging that theres real intelligence value in learning legislators intentions and plans on policy, Jake Williams, founder of Rendition Infosec and a former National Security Agency hacker, told Wired. This security breach is a big deal.

Anytime theres a physical breach of a space, I automatically assume it was a digital compromise as well, Kelvin Coleman, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, who formerly worked in the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Council, said. This is just a bad, bad storm that we find ourselves in, and cybersecurity is absolutely included in that.
An Australian man is accused of running a $220million illegal darkweb marketplace which has been called the biggest in the world and 'eBay for criminals'.

A joint investigation by Australian Federal Police, Scotland Yard, the FBI, Europol, and German authorities, among others, led to the arrest of the Queensland man, 34, as he tried to cross the Danish border into Germany this week.

The man, known only as Julian K, is the alleged operator of DarkMarket and has been detained by German investigators.

A screenshot of the illegal website allegedly run by the Australian man which displays drugs for sale (pictured)

DarkMarket was shut down on Monday and its servers, located in Ukraine and Moldova, were taken off the internet, prosecutors in the city of Koblenz said.

'Until its closure, DarkMarket was probably the largest marketplace worldwide on the darknet, with almost 500,000 users and more than 2400 sellers,' prosecutors said.

More than 320,000 transactions were conducted via the website including the sale of drugs, counterfeit money, stolen or falsified credit cards, anonymous SIM cards and malware.

The transactions were reportedly worth a total of 4,650 bitcoin and 12,800 monero - two cryptocurrencies - for an equivalent sum of more than $221million.

The servers will be forensically examined by authorities to uncover information about the website's operations and criminal network.

The accused man has already fronted a German court and been denied bail - to be transferred to a German prison in the next few days.

He has reportedly refused to speak to investigators or court officials.

The man was arrested at the Danish and German border after a joint international investigation (stock image)

German prosecutors said the man was trying to flee Denmark into Germany when arrested and was travelling through Europe either on holiday or conducting business for the illegal website.

They said the investigation around DarkMarket originated after the discovery of a data processing centre run by organised criminals in a 5,000sqm former NATO bunker in south-west Germany.

The data facility hosted illegal websites, which included DarkMarket temporarily, and was shut down in 2019.

The darkweb was originally developed for the United States military but has been overrun by criminals because they can conceal their identity on the platform.
[January 12, 2021] KBRA Releases Research - What a Year for Container Shipping

Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) continues to engage with its rated issuers in the shipping space as the industry rides the waves of COVID-19. Despite the impact of the pandemic on the general economy, KBRA notes a favorable trend for the container shipping industry, given a strong rebound in demand growth for consumer products versus service spending (e.g., travel) as well as aircraft cargo displacement by vessels. Aircraft are the preferred method of transportation for the vaccine, which leaves an opportunity for container ships to take market share from the air cargo industry. This vaccine opportunity may have a positive effect in the next year or two. In addition, supply is depressed with low order books and low idle rates. A wave of consolidation among container shipping companies is illustrated by the market share of large companies rising to 81% from 31% between 2012 and 2020. When the pandemic first hit, this enabled the container ship industry to be more nimble and cut capacity quickly through idling and blank sailing, which has boosted their resilience. In KBRA's view, container shipping companies will likely be cautious about overbuilding in the near to midterm. Shipping volumes are already at pre-pandemic levels thanks to recovery in Q3 2020, and even despite contagion setbacks in Q4. Key Takeaways KBRA has a favorable outlook for the container shipping industry in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Who would have thought the pandemic would have a positive effect on shipping credit quality But it has increased consumption (stuff versus experiences) and shipping opportunities (e.g., airlines), a credit positive. Vaccine distribution may be another near-term opportunity.

Global shipping volumes are already exceeding pre-pandemic levels, thanks to China's robust and early rebound.

The positives will likely dissipate over the medium term as the global economy rebalances toward pre-pandemic norms, with the vaccine effect as a key factor, albeit with no cliff effect on shipping volumes.

Is there a reshaping of global trade? De-globalization trends are likely to be offset by evidence of greater trade cooperation in Asia. As such, KBRA expects moderate but still positive global trade expansion going forward, which also provides part of the basis for our favorable Outlook for the container shipping sector.



here to view the report. Related Publications

Shipping Industry Continues to Look for Alternative Sources of Capital Amidst Consolidation About KBRA and KBRA Europe KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider and is a certified Credit Rating Agency (CRA) with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered with ESMA as a CRA. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is located at 6-8 College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005908/en/

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The Niger takes one of the most unusual routes of any major river, a boomerang shape that baffled geographers for two centuries. Its source (Tembakounda) is just 240 km (150 mi) inland from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river runs directly away from the sea into the Sahara Desert, then takes a sharp right turn near the ancient city of Timbuktu (Tombouctou) and heads southeast to the Gulf of Guinea.



This strange geography apparently came about because the Niger River is two ancient rivers joined together. The upper Niger, from the source west of Timbuktu to the bend in the current river near Timbuktu, once emptied into a now dry lake to the east northeast of Timbuktu, while the lower Niger started to the south of Timbuktu and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. Over time upstream erosion by the lower Niger resulted in stream capture of the upper Niger by the lower Niger.[10]



The northern part of the river, known as the Niger bend, is an important area because it is the major river and source of water in that part of the Sahara desert. This made it the focal point of trade across the western Sahara, and the centre of the Sahelian kingdoms of Mali and Gao.

Well, I think I grew up knowing that river...That has to be the River Niger.Pay close attention to first paragraph of the excerpt below:
H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees, delivered a welcome speech emphasizing the critical importance of AI, especially during the pandemic, as well as in transforming industries to achieve greater outcomes.

He was joined by Professor Dr. Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI, as well as the student body, faculty, and staff from the University.

The event welcomed 78 students who have joined the University from 29 countries, including the UAE, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United States, and others. MBZUAI's first students were selected from thousands of applications received by the University from nearly 100 countries. The first cohort includes 13 PhD students and 65 MSc students, who have enrolled in MBZUAI's Machine Learning and Computer Vision programs.

H.E. Dr. Al Jaber said: "The first MBZUAI cohort represents a milestone in delivering on our promise to establish a centre for AI development and research, at a critical time as the world looks to technology to help power the post-COVID-19 recovery. With global expertise and a truly international student body hailing from 29 countries, the University will empower the UAE to become a leader in the field of AI, in alignment with the wise vision of the country's leadership."

In addition to delivering world-class education, MBZUAI will focus its research and development on four pillars: Services and Quality of Life, to improve services offered by the public and private sectors; Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies, to enhance efficiencies and improve productivity; Future Game Changers, to nurture the growth of new and emerging high value sectors, and Sustainability of Vital Resources and Environment, using AI to optimize the consumption of water and energy to protect the environment.

MBZUAI President, Professor Dr. Eric Xing, set out his vision for the University, noting: "AI is one of the most transformational technologies of the modern age, providing tremendous opportunities for humankind. The vision for MBZUAI is to nurture a new generation of leaders in science, engineering, policy and business with the necessary understanding to unlock the potential of AI through their academic research and industrial applications. We will deliver excellence in the field of AI education, research and development, through a world-class curriculum and collaborative projects with industry leaders. I welcome our first students, and look forward to working alongside them as we explore the future of AI."

As the first academic year commences, MBZUAI is already accepting applications for the Fall 2021 start in Computer Vision and Machine Learning MSc and PhD programs.

Full admissions requirements and application details can be found on the University's website, www.mbzuai.ac.ae.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1419010/MBZUAI_Welcomes_First_Students.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1227419/MBZUAI_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)

Related Links

https://mbzuai.ac.ae/



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The market continued to scale a record closing high for the third consecutive session on January 12, driven by Reliance Industries, auto, telecom, banks, select PSU, and IT stocks.

The BSE Sensex climbed 247.79 points to 49,517.11, while the Nifty50 finally crossed the 14,500-mark, up 78.70 points to 14,563.50, and formed bullish candle on the daily charts as closing was higher than opening levels.

"A long bull candle was formed at the new all-time high of 14,590, which signals an uptrend continuation pattern. Though, Nifty placed at the highs, there is no indication of any trend reversal in the market," Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities told Moneycontrol.

"The short term trend of Nifty continues to be positive. Now, one needs to be cautious about the higher level weakness in the next few sessions (2-3 sessions). The next upside levels to be watched around 14,700-14,800. Immediate support is placed at 14,490," Shetti said.

The overall market breadth was positive on Tuesday and broader market indices like Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices closed slightly higher by around 0.67 percent and 0.09 percent, respectively. This underperformance in the broader market was mainly due to outperformance by the large-cap participants on Tuesday, which resulted in decent upside gains.

We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades:

Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks given in this story are the aggregates of three- month data and not of the current month only.

Key support and resistance levels on the Nifty

According to pivot charts, the key support levels for the Nifty are placed at 14,467.3, followed by 14,371.1. If the index moves up, the key resistance levels to watch out for are 14,625.2 and 14,686.9.

Nifty Bank

The Nifty Bank outpaced Nifty50 on January 12, rising 340.10 points to close at 32,339. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 31,910.57, followed by 31,482.13. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 32,582.67 and 32,826.33.

Call option data

Maximum Call open interest of 20.84 lakh contracts was seen at 15,000 strike, which will act as a crucial resistance level in the January series.

This is followed by 14,000 strike, which holds 16.34 lakh contracts, and 14,500 strike, which has accumulated 14.91 lakh contracts.

Call writing was seen at 15,000 strike, which added 1.85 lakh contracts, followed by 15,100 strike which added 1.13 lakh contracts and 15,300 strike which added 78,975 contracts.

Call unwinding was seen at 14,000 strike, which shed 98,400 contracts, followed by 14,400 strike which shed 88,050 contracts and 14,500 strike which shed 84,075 contracts.

Put option data

Maximum Put open interest of 29.90 lakh contracts was seen at 14,000 strike, which will act as crucial support level in the January series.

This is followed by 13,500 strike, which holds 22.35 lakh contracts, and 13,900 strike, which has accumulated 20.15 lakh contracts.

Put writing was seen at 14,500 strike, which added 4.34 lakh contracts, followed by 13,900 strike, which added 2.49 lakh contracts and 14,600 strike which added 1.66 lakh contracts.

Put unwinding was seen at 13,800 strike, which shed 1.69 lakh contracts, followed by 15,100 strike, which shed 2,235 contracts.

Stocks with a high delivery percentage

A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks.

64 stocks saw long build-up

Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which a long build-up was seen.

17 stocks saw long unwinding

Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long unwinding was seen.

31 stocks saw short build-up

An increase in open interest, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which a short build-up was seen.

29 stocks witnessed short-covering

A decrease in open interest, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates a short-covering. Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen.

Bulk deals

(For more bulk deals, click here)

Results on January 13

Infosys, Wipro, 5paisa Capital, Amtek Auto, Asian Tea & Exports, CESC, Capital Trade Links, GTPL Hathway, Mideast (India) and Rajoo Engineers will announce their quarterly earnings on January 13.

Stocks in the news

Hero MotoCorp: The company appointed new distributor partners in Nicaragua & Honduras, in Central America.

Tata Elxsi: The company reported sharply higher profit at Rs 105 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 78.8 crore, revenue rose to Rs 477.1 crore from Rs 430.2 crore QoQ.

Bharti Airtel: The company received approvals for its relevant downstream investments and is initiating the process to revise the foreign investment limit to 100% with immediate effect.

Tech Mahindra: The company will buy entire stake in Payments Technology for $9 million.

Tata Motors: Global wholesales increased 37 percent QoQ and 1 percent year-on-year to 2.78 lakh units in Q3FY21.

Bharat Rasayan: The board approved the proposal of buyback of 2.2 percent shares at Rs 11,500 per share.

FII and DII data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net bought shares worth Rs 571.47 crore, whereas domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 1,334.5 crore in the Indian equity market on January 12, as per provisional data available on the NSE.

Stocks under F&O ban on NSE

One stock - SAIL - is under the F&O ban for January 13. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit.
We know Granular is a special place to work with best-in-class talent, and our team is solving some really important challenges facing farmers today.

For the first time, Granular, a subsidiary of Corteva Agriscience, has been named one of the best places to work in the San Francisco Bay Area by Built In.

Granular, the worlds leading farm management software platform, received the 2021 Best Places to Work and Best Midsize Companies to Work For by Built In this week thanks to its innovative approach to the industry (agriculture), company culture and benefits, and growth opportunities for its employees.

The annual awards include companies of all sizes, from startups to the enterprise, in the eight largest tech markets and nationally.

Built In determines winners for Best Places to Work based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation, benefits and cultural programs. To reflect the attributes candidates are searching for on Built In today, this years program weighted criteria more heavily, like remote opportunities and programs for diversity, equity and inclusion.

We are proud to receive this award in a region thats as competitive as the Bay Area, said Jennifer Trendler, Vice President of Human Resources at Granular. Our employees and their talent are Granulars greatest asset. Throughout an incredibly challenging 2020, our priority was to ensure our team could succeed and thrive, feel supported, and continue driving our mission forward to put technology in farmers hands to help them run stronger businesses.

Throughout 2020, Granular introduced a number of innovative programs to foster teamwork, family time and keep employees engaged while working remotely. New initiatives included Granular Supports You, an initiative designed to ensure all employees felt supported mentally and physically throughout the pandemic, Recharge Wednesdays, employee care packages to replicate the in-office experience, and virtual events designed for both employees and their families.

"We know Granular is a special place to work with best-in-class talent, and our team is solving some really important challenges facing farmers today, said Tamar Rosati, CEO of Granular and President of Corteva Agriscience Digital Business Platform. Were thrilled Built In recognized our team and our culture, and are honored to be a Best Place to Work alongside some of the most forward-thinking companies in the country. The Granular team is driven by our mission, and with that commitment comes building a team of happy and innovative people to work with our farmer customers. These honors are really a testament to our team and the positive environment they foster for one another.

Founded in 2011, Built In is dedicated to helping tech professionals expand their networks, stay on top of news and trends, and carve out futures at companies they believe in.

Granular is a fast-growing company and always looking for best-in-class talent. Learn more about career opportunities at Granular here, and learn more about Built Ins annual feature of top San Francisco companies here.

About Granular

Granular, a Corteva Agriscience company, is Farm Management Software (FMS) that is helping thousands of farmers to build more profitable and efficient farms today to steward their lands for generations to come. As the worlds leading FMS, Granular uniquely combines an industry-leading support team with the most recommended suite of powerful yet easy-to-use software to help farmers and their teams run all aspects of their farm as a business. From financials to agronomy to operations, farmers are now able to make data-driven decisions with greater confidence in an increasingly challenging environment.

Granular is San Francisco-based, with offices worldwide. Granular is an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary of Corteva Agriscience (NYSE:CTVA). Learn more about Granular at http://granular.ag/, Twitter, @GranularAg, and Instagram, @Granular_Ag, or facebook.com/GranularAgriculture/.

About Corteva Agriscience

Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry - including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at http://www.corteva.com.

Follow Corteva Agriscience on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

About Built In

Built In, a revolution in tech recruitment, serves more than 1,800 innovative companies of all sizes, from startups to the enterprise, delivering content and digital recruitment solutions that work. The platform amplifies companies brands as national, local or remote employers of choice, as well as leaders in DEI. Monthly, 2.5 million tech professionals rely on Built In to stay up on trends, grow in their roles and discover companies with missions they want to join. The platform publishes stories about companies tech, culture and people. This activates sought-after professionals to apply to customers open roles. https://www.builtin.com

1/12/21

 TM SM Trademarks and service marks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies.
The soldiers of India and Bangladesh will march together down the Rajpath in New Delhi on January 26 this year  half-a-century after the bravehearts of the two nations fought shoulder-to-shoulder and vanquished the genocidal army of Pakistan.

A contingent of 122 soldiers of the armed forces of Bangladesh on Tuesday flew from Dhaka to New Delhi. They too will take part in the ceremonial parade in New Delhi on the occasion of the Republic Day of India.

Together We Fought, Together We March, proud of 50 years of a friendship beyond strategic partnership, Vikram Doraiswami, New Delhis envoy to Dhaka, posted on Twitter, along with pictures of the Bangladesh Army personnel boarding a C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in an airfield in the capital of the neighbouring country.

#Bangladesh Armed Forces boarding @IAF_MCC C-17 Globemaster to join #RepublicDay Parade 2021. First time ever to host  contingent in our Parade. Together We Fought, Together We March, proud of 50 years of a friendship beyond strategic partnership.@MEAIndia @adgpi pic.twitter.com/2yFZoUzRps  Vikram Doraiswami (@VDoraiswami) January 12, 2021

This is the first time India will host a contingent of the armed forces of Bangladesh taking part in the parade on the Republic Day.

When the soldiers of India and Bangladesh will march down the Rajpath in New Delhi on January 26 next, the two nations will also commemorate the grit and gallantry their bravehearts displayed together in 1971. They will celebrate the history the Indian Army and the Muktijoddhas or the Liberation Warriors of Bangladesh scripted fifty years ago  ending Pakistans repressive rule over East Pakistan and giving birth to a new nation.

Bangladesh celebrated the 50th Victory Day on December 16 last  commemorating the day 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan Army surrendered to the Indian Army at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka, bringing to the end the nine-month-long war.

A day later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina had a virtual summit and both the leaders paid solemn tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh  the Muktijoddhas and the Indian Army soldiers  for the great sacrifices they made in 1971. Modi and Hasina vowed to uphold and protect the cherished values of democracy and equality in line with the aspirations of the people of the two friendly countries.

The two prime ministers also agreed that they would be commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Liberation War and the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh. They also agreed to jointly organize several activities to commemorate these two epochal events, not only in India and Bangladesh, but also in third countries.

It was in 2016 that the foreign soldiers for the first time participated in the parade on the occasion of the Republic Day of India with a contingent of the French Army marching down the Rajpath.
New Delhi: Though the last date of filing Income Tax returns for FY 2019-20 is over for individual filers, there has been a constant rumours in the media that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) may extend the ITR deadline further.

Clearing the air on the media buzz, CBDT has said that there will be no extension for the above group of ITR filers for AY 2020-21. Replying to an RTI query, CBDT told the Gujarat High Court that there was no such plan. It also apprised the Gujarat HC that the due date for Audit Report filing has already been extended till 15th February 2021.

Recently, the Income Tax department had tweeted the last set of statistics of Income tax refunds filed as on January 10. The I-T department has said that 31,04,761 ITRs have been filed upto midnight of 10th Jan, 2021 and 1,93,552 ITRs filed in the last 1hr. It has also added that in case of any issues, people can connect with the department by filling THIS FORM.

Here is the last set of statistics of ITRs filed today.

31,04,761 #ITRs have been filed upto midnight of 10th Jan,2021 & 1,93,552 #ITRs filed in the last 1hr.

In case of any issues, pl connect on https://t.co/3vqY9TK4jo. We will be glad to assist!@nsitharamanoffc @Anurag_Office  Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) January 10, 2021

It may be recalled that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had on December 20 extended the deadline for filing ITRs for Assessment Year 2020-21 (FY 2019-20) for certain cases till February 15, 2021, due to difficulties faced by people in the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Deadline for filing income tax returns by individuals was extended by 10 days to January 10, 2021 while that for companies has been extended till February 15, 2021.

Live TV

#mute

This year, taxpayers are required to submit the returns for the FY 2019-20 financial year and the assessment year would be AY 2020-21.
We were all told that 2021 would be a better year for the country, but the first two weeks could hardly have been worse. The left is out to discredit not just President Donald Trump and his indefensible behavior since the election but also his ideas. They are triumphantly saying that free market conservatism is dead and that the era of big government is back with a vengeance. Not so fast.

I've lived through two major Democratic takeovers of Washington in my 35 years inside the capital beltway. The first was in 1993, when Bill Clinton and the "new Democrats" seized complete control of power, and the second was in 2009, with the Barack Obama "hope and change" liberal agenda. In both cases, Democrats and their liberal allies outran their mandate from voters with "Hillarycare" and then "Obamacare," obscenely obese spending bills, and a regulatory vice grip on American businesses large and small.

In both cases, within two years of unchecked liberal mischief, voters had had it and pummeled the Democrats with massive Republican victories from coast to coast from local dogcatcher races to congressional seats and governorships.

My prediction is this is precisely what Democrats will do. The dominant far-left wing of the party will feel uncaged. The "squad" in the House, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will be demanding a take-no-prisoners rush to socialist policies on health care, education, student loans and climate change. President-elect Joe Biden has already announced that, right out of the gate, the Democrats will ram through a $2 to $3 trillion stimulus bill with the debt careening past the $30 trillion mark.

Yes, they will try to jerry-rig the rules in Washington to sidestep every check and balance that was installed by our Founding Fathers and nearly 230 years of speed bumps to protect the rights of the minority. This means adios to the Senate filibuster and hello to court-packing schemes. The House Democrats have already canceled the "pay as you go" budget rules requiring new spending to be offset with other deficit-reduction measures.

This whole leftist power agenda has a name: the "Great Reset," which is a repudiation of capitalism and free markets and a grand tilt toward re-empowering the elites and the ruling class. The globalists are all for it. So is the pope. Putting America first is to be replaced with globalism.

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Americans will be repulsed by this anti-freedom agenda. The nation voted against Trump's antics and his bombastic personality, not his policies -- which were a spectacular success, particularly on the economy. Let's not forget that right before the November elections, almost 6 of 10 Americans said the country was better off today than four years ago -- i.e., the end of the Obama-Biden regime. Biden promised that the agenda of Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders would be kicked to the side of the road, but that's not where the party in Washington is. That's not where last year's most liberal senator, Kamala Harris, is at. Democrats will concentrate power in Washington and refill the swamp. Most voters still want it drained.

To save the country from socialism -- which voters in 2020 said they clearly do NOT want -- Republicans need to do what former Rep. Newt Gingrich did in 1993 and 1994 and the "young guns" in the House did in 2009 and 2010: play defense like it's fourth down on the one-yard line and lay out an alternative vision for America based on opportunity, freedom, free markets, choices and, yes, making America great again.

Conservatives may have lost the reins of power in Washington, but they won nearly everywhere else coast to coast in November. Meanwhile, the GOP's corps of superstar governors, from Ron DeSantis of Florida to Pete Ricketts of Nebraska to Kristi Noem in South Dakota, among others, must show to the country the alternative and superior vision to progressivism.

The Biden-Pelosi-Schumer juggernaut is going to be like tanks streaming over the border. Of course, the victims of progressivism and redistributionism, as always, will be the very people who benefited the most from Trump policies: the poor, the working class and minorities.

Liberalism has been unleashed, but it has also been put on trial in 2021 and 2022. I'd bet high odds that voters will convict it two years from now.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
West Midlands Police has defended its actions as "proportionate" after reviewing 200 lockdown law fines issued to seven people paying their respects to victims of the Birmingham pub bombings

West Midlands Police has defended its actions as "proportionate" after reviewing 200 lockdown law fines issued to seven people paying their respects to victims of the Birmingham pub bombings.

The force came under fire over the weekend from two West Midlands MPs, who said it had been "morally wrong" to issue the fines following an anniversary convoy on November 21 last year.

Those sent fixed penalty notices after the event included campaigner Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine was among the 21 victims killed in the 1974 IRA bombings on two city centre pubs.

In a statement describing gatherings to mark the anniversary of the attacks as "spontaneous", Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said the fines stemmed from an inquiry into a 15-minute gathering outside West Midlands Police's Birmingham headquarters, which followed the convoy.

The statement read: "We're aware of a letter which has been sent to our Chief Constable by two local MPs. We acknowledge their concerns and would like to use this opportunity to explain our position.

"A number of fixed penalty notices were issued following a gathering outside West Midlands Police headquarters on November 21.

"Following a review, the people present were found to be in breach of regulation nine of coronavirus legislation. This relates to gatherings of more than two people in a public place."

Mr Todd acknowledged that his force had been given notice of a planned convoy of vehicles, which was reviewed in advance and deemed not to be in breach of the legislation.

Read More

The senior officer stated: "The organisers were made aware that any gathering would be in breach of lockdown two regulations unless exemptions applied.

"The convoy set off as planned and later paused in Bromsgrove Street, where there was a gathering on foot.

"We spoke to the people present and reminded them that such gatherings were in breach of regulations. They left a little while later and so no further action was taken. However, a short time later members of the same group gathered again outside West Midlands Police headquarters, in breach of lockdown regulations. Approximately 20 people gathered for around 15 minutes before leaving."

Officers present on the day had tried to engage and explain, Mr Todd said, adding that a review had decided that enforcement action had been appropriate.
Agartala, Jan 12 : Four top terrorists belonging to Assam and Tripura were arrested on Tuesday by the security forces in Tripura and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from their possession, the police said.

A police officer said that acting on a tip-off, the security forces arrested the four dreaded extremists from Takarjala area under Sepahijala district in western Tripuraa.

The official said that during interrogation, the three National Liberation Front of Tripura militants - self-styled lieutenant Ganga Reang, 32, Jiban Reang, 22, and Lalthanga Reang, 28 -- and Singhamani Reang, 26, who belongs to Assam-based outlawed outfit United Democratic Liberation Front (Breakaway faction), gave vital clues about terrorist activities in Tripura.

A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the custody of the tribal guerillas.

Inspector General of Police (law and order), Arindam Nath, has been monitoring the entire operation and the subsequent steps relating to the arrest of the four militants. After several years of lull, of late terrorist activities have resurfaced in Tripura, which was until 2008-09 devastated by the decades old violent insurgency activities.
PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Bunker Fuel Market by Type (High Sulfur Fuel Oil, Low Sulfur Fuel Oil, Marine Gasoil, and Others), Commercial Distributor (Oil Majors, Large Independent, and Small Independent), and Application (Container, Bulk Carrier, Oil Tanker, General Cargo, Chemical Tanker, Fishing Vessels, Gas Tankers, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027." According to the report, the global bunker fuel industry generated $120.1 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $130.1 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 3.1% from 2020 to 2027.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

IMO regulation on sulfur content in marine fuel and increase in offshore oil & gas exploration activities drive the growth of the global bunker fuel market. However, fuel reduction initiatives by the shipping community hinders the market growth. On the other hand, LNG bunkering financing creates new opportunities in the coming years.

Download Report Sample (417 Pages PDF with Insights) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2143

Covid-19 Scenario

The covid-19 outbreak led to a temporary ban on the import and export. This, in turn, resulted in disrupted supply chain.

However, as the government bodies in various regions have lifted off the restrictions, the demand is anticipated to increase gradually.

The oil major segment to continue its dominant share, in terms of revenue, during the forecast period

Based on commercial distributor, the oil major segment accounted for the largest market share, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global bunker fuel market in 2019, and will continue its dominant share in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This is due to the highest revenues of the companies along with the dominance in crude oil tanker chartering business. However, the large independent segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 3.6% from 2021 to 2027, owing to the presence of blending facilities, storage terminals, financial stability, and others in these companies.

The container segment to maintain its highest contribution during the forecast period

By application, the container segment contributed to the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the global bunker fuel market, and is estimated to maintain its highest contribution during the forecast period. This is due to the increase in demand for cargo transportation through ships and rise in trade-related agreements. However, the fishing vessels segment is estimated to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.8% from 2021 to 2027. Growth in sea food business drives the adoption of fishing vessels. In addition, rise in awareness toward eating nutritious meal and food protein through seafood further augments the segment growth.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Bunker Fuel Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2143?reqfor=covid

North America to manifest the fastest CAGR by 2027

Based on region, North America is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period, owing to the increase in awareness and stringent government regulations toward reducing environmental pollution in the region. In addition, rise in trade of ethylene, methanol, and Para xylene from Canada and Mexico further boost the growth in this province. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific region held the highest market share in 2019, contributing to nearly half of the total share of the global bunker fuel market, and will maintain its lead position by 2027. This is attributed to factors such as presence of huge consumer base and increase in maritime trade activities in the region.

Leading market players

BP p.l.c.

Exxon Mobil Corporation

Royal Dutch Shell PLC

Lukoil, Sinopec Group

Gazprom Neft PJSC

Chevron Corporation

PETRONAS

Total SE

Neste

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Ten years of data from Australia, New Zealand and Canada reveals a drop in drowning deaths among people under 20but a large increase in drowning for adolescent females and First Nations peoples.

Associate Professor Richard Franklin from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, said an international collaboration of researchers looked at drowning in the under 20s between 2005 and 2014.

"Globally, drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death among children and young people, with the greatest toll among children under the age of five years. Many more children are impacted by non-fatal drowning, some experiencing long-term health impacts," said Dr. Franklin.

He said children aged 0-19 years account for an average of 16%-20% of unintentional drowning deaths reported in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

"But we found encouraging reductions in the number of drowning deaths in this age group; 49% in Australia, 51% in Canada and 30% in New Zealand," said Dr. Franklin.

He said this shows the value of sustained investment in research-based prevention measures, increased public awareness and education, legislation and enforcement.

"Strengthening pool fencing legislation, for instance, is an example of evidence-informed policy attributed with halving swimming pool drowning deaths among 0-4 years in one state in Australia," said Dr. Franklin.

He said the study, co-authored by researchers from James Cook University, University of New South Wales and the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada uncovered a darker trend too.

Study author Dr. Amy Peden said among 10 to 14-year-olds, there was a 48% increase in drowning recorded in Australia, and a 26.5% increase among 15 to 19-year-olds in New Zealand.

"This upward trend is being driven by increases in drowning among females, with a 196% increase among 10 to 14-year-old females in Australia and a 200% increase among female 15 to 19-year-olds in New Zealand," said Dr. Peden.

Dr. Franklin said First Nations children are overrepresented in drowning statistics, accounting for 16% of all drowning fatalities and were significantly overrepresented in drowning fatalities in New Zealand.

"Drowning prevention strategies for this at-risk group must consider and address social determinants, especially among young women and Indigenous people. In particular, community driven, culturally appropriate drowning prevention strategies for Maori children in New Zealand are urgently required," said Dr. Franklin.

Explore further Big drop in global drownings

More information: Amy E. Peden et al, Can child drowning be eradicated? A compelling case for continued investment in prevention, Acta Paediatrica (2020). Journal information: Acta Paediatrica Amy E. Peden et al, Can child drowning be eradicated? A compelling case for continued investment in prevention,(2020). DOI: 10.1111/apa.15618
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits the White House on an apparent family tour in Washington, U.S. December 11, 2020. REUTERS-Yonhap



Countries like North Korea and China have no respect for human rights and oppose other universal values such as democracy, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.



"Governments like those in China, Iran, North Korea, they don't have the respect for the universal dignity of every human being in the way that America does," the top U.S. diplomat said in a speech at Washington-based Voice of America (VOA).



"Indeed, that is what America was founded upon. Those regimes are anathema to everything that our nation stands for," he added.



Pompeo insisted the U.S.' job, as well as that of its state-run media such as VOA, must be to promote American values.



"There are oppressed people all over the globe who still turn to America for hope," he told the meeting.






Steven Levy, the longtime president and CEO of Munich Re US, plans to retire on April 1. Munich Re executive Marcus Winter will replace him, the company disclosed.

Levy has worked for Munich Re US for 23 years, holding a number of leadership positions including president of the Credit & Surety Division and Chief Financial Officer. He has held his current job since 2014 and has served as member of the Munich Re US P&C Executive Board since 2008.

Winter currently serves as Head of Reinsurance Development for Munich Re. Since 2002, he has held several roles with Munich Re, including Head of CU Cross Lines based in Munich, and General Manager, Non-Life, Munich Re, Australia, based in Sydney. For his new position, Winter will be based in Princeton, N.J. and report to Anthony Kuczinski, CEO of Munich Re US Holding.

Munich Reinsurance America is a subsidiary of Germanys Munich Re.

Source: Munich Re US

Topics USA Munich Re

Unions claim Qantas has underpaid many of its workers more than $10,000 each by subsidising their overtime payments with the government's JobKeeper scheme.

The Australian Services Union, Transport Workers Union and Flight Attendants' Association of Australia are among a coalition that will on Wednesday seek leave to appeal a landmark court judgment on how JobKeeper works to the High Court.

Qantas unions say workers have been underpaid more than $10,000 because of how Jobkeeper has been applied. Credit:Paul Rovere

The case has broader implications for the governments JobKeeper scheme because it could force some companies to pay staff more in overtime and penalty rates.

The unions won their legal challenge to the way Qantas applied JobKeeper payments in the Federal Court in September before the case was overturned on appeal last month.
Lou Diamond Phillips said his cop drama Prodigal Son may be "out there" in terms of its over-the-top storylines, but it still is rooted in contemporary New York, and will address the real-life police issues at the heart of recent social-justice movements.

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"We're going to meet the racial inequality and the profiling and that sort of systemic racism in the police force head on," the 58-year-old actor told UPI in a phone interview ahead of the show's Season 2 premiere Tuesday on Fox.

"I don't see how you cannot. It has been such a hot-button topic this past year," he added. "I think we have -- as a few other shows do -- a very authentic perspective in the respect that my team, we are all people of color and, even beyond that, we are all mixed heritage."

Phillips plays New York City Police Lt. Gil Arroyo, the precinct's father figure and voice of reason, who joins forces with Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne,) a brilliant, but troubled investigator years after Gil arrested Malcolm's unhinged, serial killer dad, Dr. Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen.)

Among the show's other memorable characters are stalwart NYPD detectives Dani Powell and J.T. Tarmel (Aurora Perrineau and Frank Harts;) bubbly medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka (Keiko Agena;) Malcolm's wealthy, alcoholic mother and Gil's love interest Jessica (Bellamy Young;) and Malcolm's ambitious TV reporter sister Ainsley (Halston Sage.)

"It's not your typical television show," Phillips said. "'Bonkers' is our baseline. That's where we are starting from. We're starting from a floor of 'bonkers' and we're just going up. "

Season 1 ended with evil pharmaceutical tycoon Nicholas Endicott (Phillips' former Young Guns co-star Dermot Mulroney) knifing Gil while Nicholas was on a date with Jessica before Ainsley slit his throat as Malcolm watched in horror.

"The situation with Ainsley and Endicott and Malcolm and then the situation with Gil getting stabbed, and that blossoming, rekindling relationship with Jessica -- all of that continues in Season 2, but certainly not in a straightforward manner. There are twists and there are turns," he teased.

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Viewers also can expect more macabre crimes of the week and even darker humor, Phillips said.

The show's second season, some of which the actor directed, was filmed in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic.

This meant crews were separated and masked while they worked, and actors had their faces covered until just before they filmed their scenes. They then returned to their dressing rooms to wait for their next scene instead of hanging around the set and watching their co-stars work.

"You work so hard in the film industry to create a very comfortable and creative environment, and that way everyone is relaxed, and now, with the COVID protocols, you have to be everything but relaxed," Phillips said.

"It's not as light-hearted as it once was, but everybody is committed to doing this because we want to make the show and get it to people."

Phillips credits a strong work ethic and willingness to reinvent himself for his long and varied resume.

That includes performing "sketch comedy done in punk clubs at midnight," as well as in the classic films La Bamba, Young Guns, Stand and Deliver and The 33, Broadway's The King and I, the music video for Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" and the animated series The Lion Guard.

"I literally trace it back to my theater days, which started in high school and then with my degree from the University of Texas in Arlington," the actor said. "I did everything. I wrote plays and then I went out and raised the money to produce them and then I directed them."

Over the decades, Phillips has played character roles, leading men, heroes and villains.

The key to his success, he thinks, has been his effort to not repeat himself.

For example, even though he has played several lawmen at this point, he always wonders, "How is this cop going to be different?"

"The integrity and the moral compass of Gil Arroyo is very much like that of Henry Standing Bear from Longmire, but one is a very rural guy, a Native American, and the other one is an urban Filipino, so it's nice to have that latitude," he said.

He also recently published his first book, the science-fiction novel Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira, which was inspired by artwork created by his wife, Yvonne.

Phillips originally envisioned the project as a post-apocalyptic movie, but, after he wrote the screenplay for it, realized it would be too expensive and a studio likely wouldn't let him direct it.

So, he decided to write it as a book and make it a collaborative project for him and his wife.

"The novel was off-again, on-again for 10 years, whenever I had time between my day gigs to do some writing, and then it really, really came to a head in the last year, especially with COVID [lockdowns] because that just gave me eight hours a day to write and do the editing," Phillips said.

"The reviews have been so lovely and Yvonne has 30 illustrations in the hardcover version of it that are just stunning."

A second book already is in the works.

With sequels and reboots all the rage these days, Phillips knows what past screen role he would revisit if he could: 1990's The First Power.

"It was a moderate success when it came out, but it's gained a real cult following," he said. "I still feel as if I have not done my quintessential horror film yet, so that would definitely be one of them."

Fans of the modern western Longmire also would love to see Phillips reprise his role of Wyoming bar owner Henry Standing Bear.

The actor said he is game, even if it seems unlikely the show will return more than four years after it was canceled.

"All of us in the cast love those roles and would certainly go back to them in a heartbeat, but I think what we would be looking at are one-off movies," he said.

"There's a huge library of source material because Craig [Johnson] has written 16 books or so, and none of those plots ever made it into the series. [The show] was its own world."
A Mayo nurse described as kind and compassionate, has been laid to rest following her death from Covid-19.

Bernie McAndrew and her husband Ian, from Belmullet in Co Mayo, both contracted coronavirus last week.

Mrs McAndrew tragically passed away on Sunday, with a hearse taking her body from the family home just as an ambulance arrived to rush her husband to hospital.

A notice on RIP.ie says she was predeceased by her parents Josie and Bridget Heneghan (nee Sweeney) and her brothers Willie Paul, J.T. and Dermot.

Expand Close Bernie McAndrew, a nurse from Belmullet, Co Mayo (Family handout/PA) / Facebook

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Locals in the areas were said to be stunned by the death, with Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle described her as: An absolute lady. A friend to everyone.

He said: She was a nurse all her life. But she wasnt just a speaker, but a listener as well.

Shed never push past people and ignore anybody along her way of life.

The way it was with Bernie, shed pull up for a chat. If you were the richest man in the area or the smallest farmer, shed have the same craic with both. She always shared her time.

Theres one thing being a nurse and speaking, but she had the ability to listen.

She had the ability to listen to people and understood their problems as a nurse and as a friend.

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He added: It was so sad with her friends the last day, looking in the window. It was frightening.

Bernies funeral cortege departed the Sacred Heart Church, Belmullet this morning and paused for a moments respect at Ian and Bernies home.

The funeral then continued onto Ballina Road/Attycunnane enroute to Geesala where it proceeded to the Heneghan family home before finally arriving at Geesala Cemetery where she was laid to rest.
She broke both her ankles and feet at the end of July when she jumped off a wall at the Land Of Legends theme park in Turkey.

And Katie Price has started wearing her orthopedic boots again after being left 'in agonising pain from walking'.

After the freak accident last year, the former glamour model, 42, had to undergo major surgery to fuse bits of broken bone together and in October confirmed doctors told her it would be '18 months' until she'd be back walking properly.

Agony: Katie Price has started wearing her orthopedic boots again after being left 'in agonising pain from walking'

In November, Katie, who had been using a wheelchair since July, was given the green light by doctors to walk again.

She took to her Instagram Stories on Monday as she attended a hospital appointment in London to check how her feet were healing.

The media personality then shared a clip of her feet up on the dashboard of her car as she sported the boots once again.

A source told The Sun that the precaution was necessary given how much pain Katie was experiencing.

Ouch: The model broke both her ankles and feet at the end of July when she jumped off a wall at the Land Of Legends theme park in Turkey and was given the green light to walk again in November

They said: 'Katie has been left in agonising pain from walking recently so made a hospital appointment to check on how she's healing.

'Unfortunately, they decided that it's best for her to go back in the boots for a little while and hold off on using her feet again.

'Katie is devastated by this as in November she thought she was truly on the path for a full recovery, but she is following medical advice and will be sticking to the boots so that she can hopefully get back on her feet sooner rather than later.'

Earlier this month, Katie went for a walk in the woods with her boyfriend Carl Woods, 31, and appeared to be unsteady on her feet.

Road to recovery: In October she confirmed doctors told her it would be '18 months' until she'd be back walking properly

She complained about her 'sore' feet as she made her way slowly through the forest as her beau filmed her and shared the video on his Instagram Stories.

Carl tried to be supportive as he filmed Katie, saying: 'Look at this fine creation of a woman. Hobbling away there!'

Katie joked that she was 'hobbling', but said she was doing so because her feet were feeling 'sore' after they'd taken the dogs for a walk.

Major surgery: After the freak accident last year, the glamour model had to undergo major surgery to fuse bits of broken bone together

Sore: Katie Price complained about her 'sore' feet as she walked in the woods with beau Carl Woods, 31, on Saturday after breaking both feet in a freak accident

At the end of October, Katie stunned fans by taking her first steps since her horrific accident, in footage filmed by a fellow guest at her luxury resort in The Maldives.

Her representative told MailOnline at the time: 'Katie is indeed on the mend, however she still has a long way to go in her recovery.

'This time away has done Katie the world of good and is making wonderful progress.'
Steve Sweeney was headed to the Statehouse in Trenton when I got him on the phone Monday morning. He wasnt happy about it.

I wasnt supposed to be there, Sweeney told me.

The only reason for calling the session, he said, was to pass so-called clean-up legislation on the marijuana legalization bill that passed both House last month. But the sponsor had pulled the legislation.

Sweeney and other legislators had expected the governor to sign the bill by Jan. 1, which was the effective date for a constitutional amendment legalizing pot that voters passed by a 2-1 margin back in November.

But Gov. Phil Murphy hasnt signed the bill. Hes holding it up until the Legislature amends it to implement tougher enforcement provisions for underage pot possession.

Sweeney said the governor surprised legislative leaders with that demand.

We thought we had an agreement in December, he said.

He cited a Dec. 4 meeting with Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. Afterward they put out a release announcing an agreement.

The release, endorsed by Murphy as well as legislative leaders, stated Were proud to announce today that weve reached an agreement on legislation providing the framework for legalization, which is a critical step in reducing racial disparities and social inequities that have long plagued our criminal justice system.

The bill passed both houses last month. But the governor let New Years Day pass without signing the bill. The fight was over what Murphys staff termed a drafting error in the bill that left out fines for underage pot possession.

That was not a drafting error, Sweeney said. It was a policy decision.

The prime sponsor of the legalization bill, state Sen. Nick Scutari of Union County, pulled the clean-up amendments last week. At the hearings, legislators from urban areas argued that strict enforcement would mean young people would be stuck with records that will follow them their entire lives.

The day before, I had discussed that with an expert on legal marijuana who works out of a building a few blocks south on State Street, Ed NJ Weedman Forchion. He sells marijuana out of his coffeehouse across from Trenton City Hall.

He agreed with the legislators assessment of how a marijuana conviction follows a young person through life.

I enlisted in the Army when I was 21, but I had friends who couldnt enlist because of marijuana convictions, he said.

Sweeney said thats exactly what the legislators want to prevent.

The point is we dont want to ruin a kids life, he said. I dont want kids using drugs at all, but I dont want to see their lives tarnished.

That approach was echoed by a number of urban Democrats. State Sen. Ron Rice of Essex County termed the language of the stalled clean-up bill, which has fines ranging from $50 to $500, enhanced, modern-day stop-and-frisk.

Assemblyman Jamel Holley, a Union County Democrat, called the language an effort to further target over-policed communities and place a de facto tax on poor people whose children may suffer from drug abuse and addiction.

As for Murphy, at a press conference Monday, he was asked about whats holding up the bill. He said he agreed that The last thing we need is more young kids getting tangled up in the criminal justice system.

But he added, This was never about legalizing marijuana for our kids. That was never what this was about.

Hes right on that. The wording on that ballot referred to legalization only for adults over 21 years of age. Murphy argues that if he signed the bill then kids could use even black-market marijuana without fear of prosecution.

But even if he signed the bill today it would be at least six months before the first state-approved dispensaries could open. Why the delay over such a small point?

This looks like the latest round in the fight between two buildings on State Street  the Statehouse where Sweeney is the top official and that bland office building down the block where Murphy is in charge.

Meanwhile people are still getting arrested for pot possession, Amanda Hoover reported in The Star-Ledger Monday.

Theres debate as to whether marijuana is legal in New Jersey now, Hoover wrote. Some argue that the constitutional amendment decided by the voters took effect Jan. 1, making marijuana use a protected right for those over 21.

Among those supporting that view are the Weedman and his many satisfied customers. Business is booming and every nearby parking place on the block was taken when I visited.

At least theres agreement on one end of State Street.
Plantation, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Nutra Pharma Corporation (OTC Pink: NPHC), a biotechnology company marketing Nyloxin, Pet Pain-Away and Equine Pain-Away in the over-the-counter (OTC) pain management market and which is also developing treatments for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Pain, announced today that the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Rik J Deitsch, has published a Letter to Shareholders on the Company's website.

"The last year was a challenging one for all businesses but was certainly a very busy year at Nutra Pharma," explained Rik J Deitsch, Chairman and CEO of Nutra Pharma Corporation. "Regardless of the global pandemic and economic downturn, Nutra Pharma was able to create new opportunities for our products and technologies. This has provided a strong platform for real growth in 2021," he continued. "I wanted to take this opportunity to update our shareholders and the public on the accomplishments of the last year, the status of the Company and briefly outline our goals and expectations for the coming months," he concluded.

The letter includes some of the following accomplishments made by the Company over the past year:

We announced that Dr. Dale VanderPutten, our CSO, presented a Tech Watch talk to an audience of military and civilian experts in chem/bio defense by invitation of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). He presented our nerve agent countermeasure technology in a talk titled "A Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR) Directed Organophosphate Countermeasure".

We greatly improved our online presence for our Nyloxin product line and created an Amazon storefront at Amazon.com: Nyloxin: Home page that contains in-depth product information as well as comparisons to other OTC pain products.

We started selling Nyloxin for Chronic Pain Relief through the Walmart Marketplace at www.Walmart.com.

We closed our Coral Springs offices to consolidate our operations at our Plantation, Florida laboratory and warehouse space. This streamlined operations in addition to cost savings of over $100,000 annually.

We eliminated all institutional debt with the company when a long-term investor purchased the last of these notes. We feel that this will be significantly healthier for the Company and our shareholders. This will allow us to move our business plan forward without fear of constant selling pressure from toxic convertible debt.

We moved manufacturing in-house to allow for greater quality control and reduced lead times for product runs. This also provides a significant cost savings in production.

We announced our dedication to transparency by re-engaging our Auditors and accountants to start filing our delinquent quarterly and annual reports. We have not filed these since the third quarter of 2018 and are working diligently to complete the process with the plan to be current in the first quarter of 2021.

The Shareholder Letter is available on the Company's website at: https://tinyurl.com/SL-NPHC.

About Nutra Pharma Corp.

Nutra Pharma Corporation operates as a biotechnology company specializing in the acquisition, licensing, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Pain. Additionally, the Company markets drug products for sale for the treatment of pain under the brand Nyloxin, Equine Pain-Away and Pet Pain-Away. For additional information about Nutra Pharma, visit:

http://www.NutraPharma.com or

http://www.nyloxin.com

http://www.petpainaway.com

http://www.equinepainaway.com

Contact:

Nutra Pharma Corp.

Nina Goldstein

877-895-5647

IR@nutrapharma.com

SEC Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Nutra Pharma's ("the Company") business plan. The publishing of a letter to shareholders should not be construed as an indication in any way whatsoever of the future value of the Company's common stock or its financial value. The Company's filings may be accessed at the SEC's Edgar system at www.sec.gov. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company cautions readers not to place reliance on such statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71843


Vietnams Ministry of Health announced five imported COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, all Vietnamese repatriates.

Patient 1,516 is a 24-year-old Vietnamese woman who returned from Japan on board flight QH9417 on Sunday.

She was quarantined in Thanh Hoa Province after landing at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.

The Thanh Hoa Center for Disease Control diagnosed her with COVID-19 on Monday.

The patient is being isolated for treatment in Hanoi.

Patient 1,517 is a 24-year-old Vietnamese returnee from the U.S.

He had a connecting flight in South Korea before touching down aboard flight VN441 at Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa Province on January 1. He was sent to quarantine in nearby Phu Yen Province upon arrival.

He tested negative for the virus on January 1 and 6 before retesting positive on Monday at Phu Yen General Hospital and the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang City.

The patient is being treated at Phu Yen General Hospital.

Eleven passengers on his flight had been confirmed as COVID-19 patients prior to his diagnosis.

The other three Vietnamese patients entered the country via Moc Bai International Border Gate, which lies along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, in Tay Ninh Province on January 7.

They were quarantined upon entry. Their coronavirus tests came back positive at the Tay Ninh Center for Disease Control on January 12.

The three are in treatment at Tay Ninh General Hospital.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,520 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday night, with 1,361 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

It has detected zero local infections since December 2.

The Southeast Asian country is sealing its borders to all international arrivals but it still allows entry to skilled workers, experts, diplomats, and Vietnamese repatriates, who are all subject to mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

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United Nations, Jan 12 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will serve a second five-year term, if that's what member states want, his spokesman said.

In a statement on Monday, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that the 75th UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir on January 8 asked Guterres "about his intentions regarding a second mandate", reports Xinhua news agency.

"The Secretary-General conveyed to him today (Monday) that he is available to serve a second term as secretary-general of the UN if that would be the will of the member states," Dujarric said.

"The Secretary-General also addressed a letter of similar content to the president of the Security Council" for January, Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, the permanent representative of Tunisia.

The spokesman said Guterres also talked about his decision to the five, veto-wielding, permanent members of the Security Council, the uk, China, France, Russia and the US, the heads of regional and political groups over the weekend, "to make sure everybody had the same information".

Dujarric said Guterres spent time on his Christmas holiday in Portugal speaking to family members regarding running for a second term.

Guterres became the ninth Secretary-General of the UN on January 1, 2017, succeeding Ban Ki-moon.

He previously served as High Commissioner of the UN Refugee Agency from June 2005 to December 2015 and Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Relevant forces have embarked on the task of ensuring security and safety for the upcoming 13th National Party Congress which is scheduled to be held from January 25 to February 2 in Hanoi.

Tran Quoc Vuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat, and head of the organising sub-committee of the 13th National Party Congress attends a ceremony on January 10 to launch the task and conduct a drill ahead of the 13th National Party Congress which is scheduled to be held from January 25 to February 2 in Hanoi. Photos: VNA

The drill features different hypothetical scenarios on security and safety, including fighting terrorists and rescuing hostages.

More than 6,000 officers and soldiers of the public security and military forces, and health workers of the capital city, along with representatives from 10 adjacent localities join the ceremony.

Mobile police force is ready to ensure safety for the upcoming 13th National Party Congress.

The public security force is pledged to raise the high sense of responsibility and join hands with other units to drastically, synchronously and effectively roll out plans.

Traffic police force is ready to ensure safety for the 13th National Party Congress.

Forces are ready to ensure safety for the 13th National Party Congress. Photos: VNA

VNP/VNA

Forces ready to ensure safety for 13th National Party Congress Relevant forces have embarked on the task of ensuring security and safety for the upcoming 13th National Party Congress which is scheduled to open on January 25.
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RelaJet was co-founded by two brothers in Taiwan, Blue Chen and Jack Chen. As a hearing aid user, Blue Chen used observations of hearing aid user experiences and his deep engineering knowledge to build Otoadd, a product that uses innovative AI technology to enhance the audio quality and overall practicality of hearing assistance devices.

Hearing aid devices will become available over-the-counter (OTC) in the United States in 2021. RelaJet is looking to use this new window of opportunity to expand its market and to provide those suffering from mild to moderate hearing impairment with advanced hearing aid instruments.

RelaJet understands the limits of currently available hearing aid products. Traditional hearing aid products amplify all sound sources in the surrounding environment, including background noises and other distractions. General noise amplification often prevents the wearer from differentiating different voices and from locating the direction of specific sounds, which can put them in harm's way.

Beyond audio quality, battery life and price point are issues that currently frustrate the user experience. RelaJet is throwing its hat into the hearing-aid ring with Otoadd. Otoadd is designed with innovative AI technology, the RelaJet Speech Enhancement Engine offers 16 hours of battery life at a competitive price of $1,000 to $1,500 per set. This innovative product was selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021.



Collaborating with industry giants, RelaJet proves its future potential.

RelaJet uses innovative software engineering with AI technology to identify and separate different speakers' voices through one microphone enabled with Edge Computing processors. The RelaJet Speech Enhancement Engine identifies and minimizes background noise in the output, allowing users to listen to separated voices clearly. Working with Qualcomm QCC 5141 and Microsoft Azure, the two devices are connected by FOTA updates to deliver Otoadd's powerful capabilities. Qualcomm QCC 5141 handles AI speech enhancement and hearing amplification functions, plays music, and handles phone calls with 16 hours of battery life. Microsoft Azure assists in operating both iOS and Android for hearing tests, remote calibrations, and model updates. RelaJet's Otoadd delivers a better hearing experience and improves quality of life in persons with impaired hearing.

From Taiwan to the world. RelaJet is taking on the $40 billion market.

RelaJet is currently distributing its products in Asia and is looking forward to expanding its market to all continents and especially in the US. RelaJet closely follows FDA regulatory changes, including the new OTC Hearing Aid Act, which is allowing hearing aids to be made available over the counter to improve public access and reduce prices.

RelaJet is looking at an enormous market demand of over 104 million sets of assistive wearables worth $40 billion annually. Potential users may be categorized into four categories: normal, mild (375 million people), moderate (100 million people), and severe (25 million people). RelaJet's Otoadd is aiming at users with mild and moderate hearing impairments who are more likely to seek an inexpensive OTC solution rather than a prescription device, which typically costs $2,000 to $10,000 per set.



The world deserves to hear better

RelaJet's innovation has caught the eye of world-class companies. In addition to the current program with TTA, RelaJet was chosen as the winner by Qualcomm at 2019 QITC with their partnership product, QCC 5141. Moreover, RelaJet's close relationship with Microsoft Azure has positively affected its cloud system construction efforts and global CSR marketing scheme. RelaJet and its ODM partners are working toward mass production capabilities, with a production-scale medical grade production line (ISO13485) and long-term connections with clients worldwide.

RelaJet believes in "More Hearing, More Future." By leveraging Blue Chen's personal hearing aid experience and knowledge and Jack Chen's investment law expertise, RelaJet is ready to "Help the World Hear Better."

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3bcq8t

SOURCE RelaJet
Joint efforts needed to ease social polarization



Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Rep. Lee Nak-yon has proposed a "profit-sharing" system to help ease social polarization amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, he made the proposal during the party's Supreme Council meeting, saying that it is urgent to tackle deepening inequality caused by the coronavirus outbreak.



Lee stressed the need for good-performing businesses to share their profits with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hit by the unprecedented public health crisis. His proposal appears to be a radical measure under a free market economic system. That's why the conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) is strongly against Lee's idea.



But it is not impossible to initiate such a profit-sharing formula. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, American firms, including GM, Ford and Hewlett-Packard, were setting such a system in motion. Profit sharing is a more widely accepted concept in European countries. There is no reason why South Korea should not try this to usher in a more inclusive society.



For instance, conglomerates such as Samsung, SK and LG enjoyed handsome profits last year as their semiconductor and electronics businesses saw an unexpected boom despite the pandemic. Also delivery app operator Baemin of Woowa Brothers and mobile payment service KakaoPay have shown remarkable performances by taking advantage of the "contactless economy" amid social distancing and quarantine measures.



According to Lee, those firms can share their profits with coronavirus-battered subcontractors in return for tax benefits and low-interest loans. They can help those in dire need by providing financial support, increasing supply prices and lowering commissions. This could create a win-win strategy between conglomerates and SMEs as well as between prime contractors and subcontractors. It could also benefit consumers.



As Lee pointed out, profit sharing is required to narrow the income and wealth gap in every sector of our society. This disparity has widened particularly due to the pandemic. In order to prepare for the post-COVID-19 world, the country needs to institute a set of measures such as the profit-sharing system to help all players enjoy a fair share of the economic pie. Otherwise, we will not be able to solve the problem of social polarization, nor promote social solidary and national unity.



Lee's proposal is similar to President Moon Jae-in's campaign promise to introduce "cooperative profit sharing" between large businesses and SMEs. Moon, however, failed to make good on his commitment in the face of strong opposition from large corporations and conservative politicians.



Now is the time for the rival parties to engage in an active debate along with businesses, civic groups and unions on how to bring profit sharing into practice. Most of all, they should go all-out to reach a consensus; while the DPK and the government need to present detailed plans on how to implement it. This is easier said than done. But no effort should be spared to make Korea a better society after overcoming the coronavirus.




WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the lasting financial impacts of COVID-19, some small businesses will seek insight from financial experts to improve their bottom line. A new survey from Clutch , leading B2B ratings and reviews platform, found 24% of small businesses in the U.S. plan to hire a financial consultant or advisor in 2021.

Financial consultants and advisors provide outside guidance for small businesses making financial decisions regarding accounting, payroll, investment strategy, and more.

Clutch finds that 30% of small businesses plan to hire an IT consultant in 2021. 24% of small businesses plan to hire a financial consultant in 2021, according to new data from Clutch.

The survey of 500 small businesses also found that while 44% of small businesses have hired a consultant in the past, only 29% plan to hire one in 2021. This decline comes amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which forced small business closures and layoffs around the world.

Small businesses should include consulting services in their 2021 budgets to secure valuable external perspective and expertise across a range of business functions.

IT Consultants Are the Top Choice for Small Businesses in 2021

The shift to remote work environments means small businesses need secure networks and digital-first operations.

Almost one-third of small businesses (29%) plan to hire an IT consultant to meet the demands of a digital environment.

IT consultants can help small businesses by providing cybersecurity solutions, implementing new technologies, or helping migrate to new digital technologies or platforms.

Dan Bailey, president of WikiLawn , hired an IT consultant after a security breach left his business vulnerable.

"The consultants were able to address our backdoor security issues, recover data lost in the breach, and give us resources to help make sure we don't make the same mistakes twice," Bailey said. "For that, I'd say they were invaluable"

WikiLawn is among the 39% of small businesses that have previously hired an IT consultant.

Some Small Businesses Plan to Hire Marketing, Legal, and Strategy Consultants

Consultants are often a financially strategic alternative to hiring full-time staff.

One-quarter of small businesses (25%) plan to hire a marketing consultant; 23% plan to hire a legal consultant; and 17% plan to hire a strategy consultant in 2021.

Legal consultants in particular can help small businesses navigate the legality of in-person work, as Stephen Light, co-owner of Nolah Mattress , found.

"The company only wanted to ensure that our actions are not jeopardizing our people's rights while keeping the company operational," Light said. "Our consultant suggested using a hybrid type of operation. Employees that can do their jobs remotely can continue to do so, but employees whose physical presence is necessary need to return."

The legal consultant helped Light minimize the risk of viral transmission while keeping the business running.

Read the full report here: https://clutch.co/accounting/resources/hiring-a-consultant

For questions about the survey, comments on the findings, or an introduction to the sources featured in the report, contact Kelsey McKeon at [email protected] .

About Clutch

Clutch is the leading ratings and reviews platform for IT, marketing, and business service providers. Each month, over half a million buyers and sellers of services use the Clutch platform, and the user base is growing over 50% a year. Clutch has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the U.S. and has been listed as a top 50 startup by LinkedIn.

Contact

Kelsey McKeon

[email protected]

(202) 350-4344

SOURCE Clutch
A bodybuilder who is married to a sex doll is cheating on her with a bizarre object while she is being repaired.

Yuri Tolochko, from Kazakhstan, married doll Margo last November in a ceremony which was attended by his close friends. But he revealed Margo had broken days before Christmas and had been sent away for repair.

Instagram

Spending time away from his wife, he recently posted a video on Instagram of himself touching a silver object with small ridges, while wearing nothing but his underwear.



Yuri, who has 99,000 followers, wrote: Looks like I've got a new passion. It soon sent his followers into overdrive who thought he had moved on from his wife and was looking for another partner.

One follower commented on his post: HeyAre you cheating on your wife?!

Yuri was quick to react and said maybe, adding: I cant stand while shes in the hospital.

Also read: Kazakhstan Bodybuilder Marries His Sex Doll One Year After Proposing

Instagram

Another Instagram follower added: Somehow I dont think your wife would have much to say about it all anyway.



Commenting on the video, Yuri also insisted to his followers it was wonderful. He said she was being repaired in another city, adding: When she recovers, it will be a gift for both of us.

Instagram

Dozens of guests attended his wedding to the sex doll in November, which had been delayed for months by the coronavirus pandemic. He also previously said he delayed the wedding a second time after being attacked during a transgender rally in the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan, on October 31, 2020.



Yuri ended up with a broken nose and a concussion after dressing as a woman for the march.

He said he first met her at a nightclub and popped the question in December 2019. The blogger said he has been living with her for more than 18 months.

Also read: South Korean Football Team Accused Of Placing 'Sex Dolls' In Stands During Match, Apologises
Sir,

When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you shall be my witnesses (martyres), Acts 1:8. Dear bishops and priests, we stand at the beginning of the apocalyptic times. Some churches have publicly endorsed same-sex marriage laws and the Vatican has issued documents promoting vaccination for all, combined with chipping. The process of apostasy progressed in secret over a period of half a century and has reached its peak.

The spiritual darkness of the curse hangs like a dark cloud over Christianity and humanity today.

Repent

In all apparitions, the mother of Jesus repeated what was most necessary for our salvation; repent, repent, repent! Unfortunately her voice was not listened to. Apostate Christianity calls down punishment on itself and on humanity. This punishment started with senseless pandemic and is to be followed by vaccination, chipping, reduction, and the lake of fire! The forces of darkness and lies have paralysed the truths of faith and Gods commandments.

As early as 2009, the president of the Bishops Conference of Germany publicly uttered the greatest heresy, saying Christ did not die for our sins but only offered solidarity with the suffering. The Vatican did not punish him. In the years 2008-2011, we, orthodox bishops of the Byzantine rite, in Gods authority, called on bishops around the world to profess the faith and renounce contemporary heresies.

Faith

The bishops concerned were reminded to be aware that if anyone did not profess the faith even after the third appeal and did not renounce heresies, he thus proved through his passivity that he was in unity with heresies and brought down on himself Gods anathema. We only made that spiritual reality public. If bishops had professed the faith, God would have given the light and strength for spiritual awakening. However, many bishops have been under anathema to this day, and are therefore in spiritual darkness.

Dear bishops, it has come to the crunch now. Some of you will be bloody or bloodless martyrs, and others Judases. You will either be saved or eternally damned. If you obey an apostate, you will betray Christ as well as your souls. In addition, by your bad example, you will be responsible for the souls entrusted to you. If you remain silent now when you are obliged to warn, you will be the cause of the eternal damnation of many. How will you stand Gods judgement?

You are obliged to reject the system of pre-programmed death. This requires heroism. But you, bishops and priests, do not have the light and strength to do so. Why? Because you are under a curse.

What can you do to become witnesses, martyres, heroes of faith ready even to sacrifice your lives at the beginning of this apocalyptic age? You need the Holy Spirit. And the condition for receiving the Holy Spirit is repentance. Repent, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38. God is giving a new chance  through the repentance of bishops, priests and believers He will destroy the veil that is spread over all nations (cf. Isa 25:7).

Elijah (Zatriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Timothy (Secretary Bishop)
GLENDALE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- California Credit Union invites college-bound students in Los Angeles County to apply for its 2021 College Scholarship Program. Through the program, the credit union provides $20,000 in scholarships annually to recognize Southern California students who are motivated in their academic studies and active in their schools and communities.

"We realize that managing the costs of higher education can be difficult for many families. Now more than ever, during these challenging times, we want to extend a hand to help support our local students and their families," said California Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell. "We encourage local students to apply for one of our scholarships to make it a little easier to fund their college dreams."

Los Angeles area college-bound high school seniors and community college students transferring to a four-year university who maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 are eligible to participate. Selection criteria include academic performance, school or community involvement, a letter of recommendation, and an essay submission.

Interested students can find more information and apply online at ccu.com/scholarship2021. Online applications will be accepted through March 26, 2021. Recipients will be announced on April 16, 2021.

The California Credit Union Annual College Scholarship program was created in 2005 to recognize outstanding students within local communities. Each year, the credit union awards 20 scholarships of $1,000 each to students in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties. Since the creation of the program, the credit union has awarded more than $335,000 in scholarships.

About California Credit Union

California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of $3 billion, California Credit Union has 25 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Visit ccu.com for more information, or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @CaliforniaCreditUnion.

SOURCE California Credit Union

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Karnataka Bank share price jumped 11 percent intraday on January 12 after the company posted robust Q3 numbers.

Its Q3 net profit rose 10 percent YoY to Rs 135.4 crore versus Rs 123.1 crore and net interest income rose 20.8 percent at Rs 614 crore against Rs 507.7 crore.

Its net NPA was 1.74% versus 2.21% and gross NPA 3.16% versus 3.97%, QoQ. In the absolute term, gross NPA was Rs 1,706.6 crore against Rs 2,188.8 crore.

Provisions stood at Rs 214.2 crore versus Rs 322.1 crore (QoQ) and Rs 314.7 crore (YoY).

At 14:44 hrs Karnataka Bank was quoting at Rs 68, up Rs 3.85, or 6 percent on the BSE.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 75 and 52-week low Rs 34.20 on 14 February, 2020 and 29 May, 2020, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 9.33 percent below its 52-week high and 98.83 percent above its 52-week low.

Hallmark believes the peaceful transition of power is part of the bedrock of our democratic system, and we abhor violence of any kind, Hallmark spokeswoman JiaoJiao Shen said in a statement. The recent actions of Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall do not reflect our companys values. As a result, HALLPAC requested Sens. Hawley and Marshall to return all HALLPAC campaign contributions.
BANGALORE, India, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Portable Generators market size is segmented by Product Type - Diesel Type, Gasoline Type, Gas Type, Application - Commercial, Residential, By key players , Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc. Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212026. This report is published on Valuates Reports in the Heavy Machinery Category.

The global Portable Generators market size is projected to reach USD 4359.7 Million by 2026, from USD 2872.7 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2021-2026.

Major factors driving the growth of Portable Generators market size are the increasing number of weather-related power outages and the growing demand for uninterrupted and reliable power supply in developed and developing nations. In addition, the high demand for portable generators in countries such as the US, Mexico, and Puerto Rico is also expected to fuel the portable generator market size.

This report focuses on Portable Generators' volume and value at the global, regional, and company levels. This report represents the overall Portable Generators market size by analyzing historical data and future prospects from a global perspective. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, etc.

Inquire For Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-10D2216/Global_Portable_Generators_Market

Trends Influencing The Portable Generators Market Size

Natural gas-fueled generators are gaining momentum with the development of strict environmental regulations to regulate the embossing of hazardous gas from diesel generators in developed regions. In addition, many developing nations, such as India, Singapore, and Russia, use natural energy sources in generators, thus providing a lucrative growth opportunity for the portable generator market.

Portable generators are primarily used for small and medium-sized loads, including domestic appliances and industrial equipment, such as air compressors, drills, vibrators, and agricultural applications. The growing number of weather-related power outages creates problems for small and medium-sized enterprises, which are considered to be the key drivers for the growth of portable generator market size.

Increased adoption of portable generators in the rapidly growing construction industry is fueling the portable generators market size. Power tools, such as drills, drives, compressors, and air hammers, are commonly used in the construction industry. Portable generators are primarily used for new construction projects, where much of the work is carried out at night and in conditions where electricity from power grids is not available.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-10D2216/global-portable-generators

PORTABLE GENERATORS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Based on the region, North America is expected to hold the largest portable generators market share during the forecast period. North America's dominance in the portable generator market is attributed to the increased need for power backup facilities, rising demand for low-cost and diesel-fueled generators, growing preference for natural gas-fueled generators in the region.

The Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market for portable generators. The Asia Pacific is home to two of the fastest-growing economies  India and China. The construction industry is on the rise in India and China due to current government initiatives such as smart cities and green building initiatives, which are expected to drive the growth of portable generators market size during the forecast period.

Based on type, the Gasoline segment is expected to hold the largest portable generators market share during the forecast period. Gasoline portable generators have advantages such as availability of fuel stations and low-cost when compared to Gas type. They are relatively cheaper when used for a shorter time to power portable generators, which is likely to increase their demand.

Inquire For Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-10D2216/Global_Portable_Generators_Market

Segment by Type

Diesel Type

Gasoline Type

Gas Type.

Segment by Application

Commercial

Residential

Segment by Region

The report offers in-depth assessment of the growth and other aspects of the Portable Generators market in important regions, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Brazil, etc. Key regions covered in the report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

Key Players

The major players in the market include Briggs & Stratton, Honda Power, Generac, Yamaha, KOHLER, Techtronic Industries, Eaton, Champion, Scott's, Wacker Neuson, Honeywell, Hyundai Power, Sawafuji, Pramac, HGI, Perkins, Mi-T-M, Winco, etc.

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SIMILAR REPORTS

- The major factor driving the growth of residential portable generators market size is a frequent power outage. Furthermore, the increasing demand for portable hybrid power generators is, in turn, expected to fuel the growth of the power generator market size. The use of portable hybrid generators using a mixture of gasoline and liquid propane is growing as liquid propane is cheap, fuel-efficient, and has a longer storage life compared to gasoline.

- Diesel Portable Generator market is segmented by Product Type - <3 KW, 3 to 10 KW, 10 to 15 KW, Application - Low-end models, High-end models, by key players , Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

- Global Commercial Portable Generators Market is segmented by Product-Type: Less than 4 KW, 4-8 KW, More than 8 KW, Application - Office Buildings, Data Centres, Medical Facilities, Telecommunications Centres, Others, by key players , Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

- Portable Gas Generator Market is segmented by Product-Type: <3 KW, 3 to 10 KW, 10 to 15 KW, Application - Residential, Business, Industrial, Infrastructure, by key players, Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

- Residential Portable Petrol Generators market is segmented by Product-Type - Low-End Portable Generators, High-End Portable Generators, Application - Residential, Others, by key players, Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

- Portable Inverter Generator Market is segmented by Product Type - Under 1000 Watt, 1000-2000 Watt, 2000-3000 Watt, 3000-4000 Watt, Others, Application - Outdoor Sports, Home Use, Outdoor & Construction, Others, by key players , Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

- Portable Welding Generators Market is segmented by Product Type - Single Phase Welding Generators, Three Phase Welding Generators, Application - Constructions Sites, Farms, Industry, Others, by key players , Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

- Advanced Gas Generators market is segmented by Product Type - Gas Generators Rated 1. 00 to 2. 00 MW, Gas Generators Rated 2. 00 to 10. 00 MW, Gas Generators Rated More Than 10 MW, Application - Power Plant, Oil and Gas Industry, Industrial Companies, by key players, Region - North America, LAMEA, Middle East, Asia pacific. etc.

Click Here To See More Related Reports On Portable Generators Market

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For more than a decade President Donald Trump has been disseminating lies and abuse on Twitter.

He claimed in 2012 that the Chinese created the concept of global warming. He asserted in 2017 that in the previous years presidential election he had won more votes than Hillary Clinton, though he actually received three million fewer.

Trump has consistently fabricated untruths about his predecessor, Barack Obama, stoking the falsehood that the first African-American President was born abroad, and accusing him of having wire-tapped Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.

For years, as these fantasies spewed out, Twitter was happy to provide a platform for Trump.

Controversial, divisive, rude, inaccurate  he was the perfect ambassador for a social networking service that thrives on sensation and confrontation, and loves nothing more than stirring up a good old spat.

Outrage

And now, in the dying days of his presidency, Twitter has assumed the unaccustomed mantle of virtue and banned Trump for life, due to the risk of further incitement to violence.

So it is that an organisation which promotes intellectual hooliganism, and is probably more responsible than any other for the cheapening and degradation of public discourse, has ejected the hoodlum-in-chief.

Why? Why has it turned on the man who epitomised its values  or absence of them? Why is the President who succoured and fostered the media site suddenly surplus to requirements?

Partly because after Trump whipped up the mob before it marched on the Capitol last week, Twitter executives thought it no longer prudent to offer him a home. Rather in the way a Mafia boss knows where to draw a line, they decided their erstwhile champion should be sent packing.

In the dying days of his presidency, Twitter has assumed the unaccustomed mantle of virtue and banned Trump for life, due to the risk of further incitement to violence

And partly because with an incoming Democratic administration that will have a majority in the House and probably the Senate, Twitter hopes it can stave off disobliging legislation by demonising a President detested by the Democrats. Best be on the right side of power.

This question nonetheless remains: However ghastly and disruptive Trump undoubtedly is, is it morally right for the social media site to single him out for defenestration (along with hundreds of his supporters)?

After all, as Trumps son Donald Junior pointed out yesterday, Twitter still offers a perch to Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is no sweetie. If given the choice of crossing the Sahara with either Rouhani or Trump, in the possession of a single water bottle, I might choose Trump.

Twitter may have improved its record since the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee declared in 2016 that social media networks had become the vehicle of choice in spreading propaganda and the recruiting platforms for terrorism.

But although it has expelled hundreds of thousands of accounts over the years because of their terrorism content, it is a reasonable assumption that no sooner does it get rid of one terrorist than another pops up under a different guise.

This question nonetheless remains: However ghastly and disruptive Trump undoubtedly is, is it morally right for the social media site to single him out for defenestration (along with hundreds of his supporters)?

The fact is that it has provided, and still provides, an arena for many bad people. It allowed the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai massacre, to operate an account. During the Westgate terrorist outrage in Kenya in 2013, al-Shabaab used Twitter to claim responsibility, and tweeted live throughout the attack.

Twitter has kept Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, on its books. He has made various highly provocative remarks interpreted as anti-white, and in particular as anti-Semitic.

Farrakhan once described Adolf Hitler as a very great man and a great German. Perhaps not very surprisingly, he has praised Donald Trump on several occasions, once saying he liked what Im looking at.

Twitter still offers a perch to Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is no sweetie. If given the choice of crossing the Sahara with either Rouhani or Trump, in the possession of a single water bottle, I might choose Trump

Isnt this all very odd? Whereas Hassan Rouhani, Louis Farrakhan, and legions of rogues are considered acceptable to Twitter, the elected President of the United States is suddenly persona non grata.

True, last Wednesday he recklessly called the people who stormed the Capitol patriots, and was locked out of his account for 12 hours by Twitter. But the supposedly toxic two tweets which led to his expulsion dont seem very incendiary.

In the first he raved about how the 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me . . . will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. In the second he merely said that he would not be going to the inauguration on January 20.

Excessive

According to Twitter, the first tweet was construed as further indication that President Trump does not plan to facilitate an orderly transition while the second provided further confirmation of [Trumps view] that the election was not legitimate.

Pushing it a bit? Id say so. The interpretation of the second tweet is especially tendentious. If Trump doesnt want to turn up for Joe Bidens inauguration, that is proof he has bad manners and is a poor loser.

Not necessarily that the election was in his view illegitimate, though he has said as much on other occasions.

Twitter has kept Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, on its books. He has made various highly provocative remarks interpreted as anti-white, and in particular as anti-Semitic

The truth is that Twitter was looking for an excuse to get rid of him and, when it came to it, the offence did not justify his treatment. A life ban is excessive. It could have suspended him again, as Facebook has done, but that did not suit the social media sites purpose.

What all this shows, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested in a television interview on Sunday, is that Twitter is not a social media platform, as it likes to pretend, but a publisher which increasingly makes its own political judgments about what to include and exclude.

No one would suggest that an online newspaper is under any obligation to provide space for the American President or anyone else. It is also perfectly within its rights to moderate the comments of readers so that they conform to its standards of decency and fairness.

Obnoxious

Twitter is different inasmuch as it has generally much looser standards, and claims not to be a publisher selecting pieces, but a platform on which 300 million people can roost and write more or less what they want.

Except for Donald Trump, and others of his political stamp with whom Twitter disagrees. And if Trump is censored  in fact, banned  who comes next? However obnoxious he may be, he is still an elected President, and speaks for many millions.

If he broke the law in fomenting a riot  as has been widely alleged  that is a matter for the law, and upholders of the American constitution. It is not for Twitter to determine what can be written.

The truth is that Twitter was looking for an excuse to get rid of him and, when it came to it, the offence did not justify his treatment. A life ban is excessive. It could have suspended him again, as Facebook has done, but that did not suit the social media sites purpose. Pictured: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey

The suspicion inevitably grows that it and the other social media companies are in fact publishers with a hidden Left-leaning agenda which they disavow. They deplore fascist tendencies in Trump, who was once commercially useful to them, while in suppressing free speech show how illiberal they really are.

How much better it would be for society if social media didnt exist! They have made politics nastier and more confrontational. They facilitate the spreading of lies and misinformation which are lapped up by gullible people.

But, alas, Twitter and the rest are here to stay. And if they insist on behaving like publishers theyll have to take responsibility for the myriad falsehoods they churn out. Then they can decide whether or not to publish Donald Trump.
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KABUL, Afghanistan  Tareq Qassemi, a bookseller, lost a close friend to a suicide bombing that killed 80 civilians in Kabul one scorching summer day. Four years later, he still mourns his friend, but also the nameless Afghans who perished with him.

Their bodies were shattered  the only thing that remained was a shoe or a bag or a pen, he recalled.

Mr. Qassemi, 28, now carries a special slip of paper, known as a pocket note, that contains his full name, his blood type and the phone numbers of family members  like a homemade, civilian version of a soldiers dog tags. He knows too well how fragile and ephemeral life in Kabul can be, and he refuses to become an unidentified victim.

I could get killed on my way to work or in a car or anywhere, and no one knows about me and they will look for my body everywhere, he said. I could just vanish.
Pet owners say the city must be barking mad for erecting a sign about excessive barking at a popular downtown dog park.

Pet owners say the city must be barking mad for erecting a sign about excessive barking at a popular downtown dog park.

Park users say the notice at Bonnycastle Dog Park on Assiniboine Avenue was recently installed by the city.

Josh Bush, who takes his two dogs to the park several times a week, says it's "very rare" to see a dog barking in a way that could be deemed excessive.

"(Residents of) these buildings have been complaining about the park since it opened," he said.

The park is surrounded by condos and apartments. In 2016, the decision to locate a dog park in the area was panned by developers of the apartment building next to it, who complained there would be too much noise from barking mutts. The controversy delayed construction.

Its a community space, dog owners Adrian Crittenden and Katie Pratt said while watching their dog at the park Monday afternoon. Part of living in a community is accepting the natural behaviour of fellow members pets.

"Obviously, we want to be considerate, and if shes barking excessively, well try and quiet her down. Ultimately, if you decide to live right next to a dog park, I feel like thats what you signed for to an extent," Pratt said.

"You already have the operating hours, it already closes at 10 p.m. Obviously, dogs arent barking and keeping people awake or anything like that," Crittenden said.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, chairwoman of the city's parks committee, said she "couldnt have anticipated" the response after sharing a city photo, which includes a supportive message, on Twitter Friday. She soon faced questions and criticism from Winnipeggers.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Josh Bush and Katie Pratt look on as their dogs play in Bonnycastle Dog Park on Assiniboine Avenue in Winnipeg Monday

"I shouldve known better," she joked.

Her intention was to remind visitors to be mindful of the people who live near the park.

"For me, it was about balance  unlike other parks in the suburbs, this one has neighbours right beside and alongside it on Assiniboine (Avenue) and Garry (Street)," she said.

"Its a wonderful little spot, its totally picturesque. For me, it was as much about celebrating Bonnycastle Park and the dogs that frequent it as it was about the new signs."

Excessive barking is relatively low on the list of dog-related complaints Rollins said shes received about the area.

Only two of 45 dog-related complaints she is currently working on relate to barking  both of them involve Bonnycastle Park. One of the complaints, she said, came from a constituent who was concerned about a dog that had been barking at their dog.

Apart from the city's responsible pet ownership bylaw, there are no plans to discipline people who have loud dogs, Rollins said.

The bylaw requires owners to ensure their pets do not disturb others.

"This isnt about policing owners of dogs, and it isnt about just normal dog play," she said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

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Global Instant Workspace Bookings Solution Remote working is here to stay, and individuals are looking for a flexible network of workspaces. Companies may be looking to downsize or offering employees an alternative to the isolated work from home., says Martin Bergonje, CEO of Meetingselect.

MICE Access is an interface technology allowing online travel agencies and meetings & event technology providers to connect to the Meetings API or design their own portals while increasing the reach and distribution for hotels and venues at the same time. MICE Access has been struggling to continue business operations since the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic in the beginning of the year and filed for insolvency. To ensure business continuity, Meetingselect has taken over control of operations, staff and assets since August 1, 2020.

In addition to the acquisition, Meetingselect also introduced a new offering to its audience. Meetingselect now connects companies and its employees with a Workspaces and Remote Location Booking Solution. The individuals can now easily find and book instantly out-of- home workplaces and co-working spaces close to home or the office, at creative meeting spaces and hotels.

Remote working is here to stay, and individuals are looking for a flexible network of workspaces. Companies may be looking to downsize or offering employees an alternative to the isolated work from home," says Martin Bergonje, CEO of Meetingselect.

Visit Meetingselect at the CES 2021 at https://tinyurl.com/meetMeetingselect

For more information, please visit https://www.meetingselect.com

News https://insiders.meetingselect.com/category/company-news

About Meetingselect

Meetingselect is the global meeting management platform to book workspaces, co-working spaces, remote locations and all-sized meetings worldwide. Awarded online venue sourcing platform and supplier of an independent database of more than 245,000 conference hotels and over 500,000 meeting spaces in +100 countries has grown to become a leading partner in the international Meetings Market (MICE) and Tech industry. With their innovative meetings technology API, Meetingselect offers instant booking technology to hotel chains, meeting venues and MICE platforms. The company has been working with some of the largest brands, venues & third-party travel agents.

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DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FlowForma, the leading provider of Process Automation tools for Microsoft Office 365, today announced an exciting new partnership with AFJ Solutions, to deliver the award-winning FlowForma Process Automation tool to businesses across the UK.

As organizations and business leaders adapt to the increased demands and challenges posed by the current economic climate and ever-changing business requirements, AFJ Solutions enable its clients to achieve digital transformation through a variety of IT and enterprise-wide service management solutions. With a need to add a process automation tool to its wide range of software services, AFJ Solutions added the FlowForma Process Automation tool to assist its clients to digitally transform their business processes with speed and agility.

FlowForma Process Automation's 100% no-code approach to automating processes was a significant advantage for AFJ Solutions. With little training and onboarding required to get started, the solution can be deployed across organizations with speed to allow users to automate paper tasks quickly, all while offering a quick return on investment for its clients. The capability to provide forms, workflow, and document generation all in one tool was also a considerable factor for AFJ Solutions, as it enables better compliance, remote working, and customer experience.

Sitting on top of its clients existing Office 365 environment, the FlowForma Process Automation solution utilizes the familiar SharePoint platform as a data repository, meaning users maximize their current Microsoft investment whilst also benefiting from a robust and secure data storage environment. Upon ticking all the required boxes, AFJ Solutions were certain they had selected the right tool to offer its clients to transform digitally.

Having a shared commitment to help organizations in the UK to drive digital transformation across industries such as Construction, Healthcare, Education, Public Sector and more, it became clear from early on that the decision to partner was the natural choice.

"We are excited to be partnering up with FlowForma to bring process automation to our clients across the UK, to help businesses to digitally transform their business processes. Adding a powerful solution such as FlowForma Process Automation will ensure our clients have an award-winning tool available to them as they begin their journey to process perfection!" said Mark Jenner, CEO, AFJ Solutions.

Olivia Bushe, CEO, FlowForma added: "We are delighted to announce this partnership with AFJ Solutions to further support UK organizations, in tackling the increased demand they face for process digitization. As FlowForma and AFJ Solutions service similar industries and share a passion to digitally transform processes to increase efficiency and productivity, I am sure that together we can further assist and support organizations across all industries to digitize their business processes."

Supporting Resources:

To find out how the FlowForma Process Automation tool works visit:

www.flowforma.com/how-it-works

T o download a free 14-day trial of FlowForma Process Automation visit:

www.flowforma.com/start-your-flowforma-trial

To learn more about FlowForma Process Automation, book a demo with one of our experts:

www.flowforma.com/book-a-demo

To find out how FlowForma Process Automation compares against its peers visit:

www.g2crowd.com/products/flowforma-process-automation/reviews

About FlowForma

FlowForma, the leading provider of Process Automation tools for Microsoft Office 365 has been revolutionizing the traditional BPM space with an innovative approach to developing award winning products that empower users to create and streamline processes smarter and faster, utilizing the familiar SharePoint platform, without any coding.

FlowForma is a Gold Microsoft Partner, with over 150,000 users across Europe, America, and Asia. The company is headquartered in Dublin with offices in London and Boston and is motivated by its values to innovate, evolve, and achieve with employees, customers, and partners.

For further information or a 14-day free trial, visit www.flowforma.com

About AFJ Solutions

AFJ Solutions enable its clients to achieve world-class business outcomes. Working in partnership, they leverage industry, frameworks, and technology experience, to create solutions that enable its customers to deliver their digital transformation strategy. Focusing on its core areas of Enterprise Service Management, AI, Automation, Integration and Mobility, their solutions power your digital transformation journey.

For more information, visit www.afjsolutions.co.uk

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BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - (TSX: CWEB) (OTCQX: CWBHF) Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc. ("Charlotte's Web" or the "Company"), the market leader in hemp CBD wellness products, announces that Charlotte's Web, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, has been granted U.S. Utility Patents for its hemp genetics by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The newly issued patents cover two of the Company's new feminized seed hybrid hemp varieties developed under the Company's breeding program; 'Kirsche' (US Patent No. 10,888,060) and 'Lindorea' (US Patent No. 10,888,059). 'Lindorea' and 'Kirsche' are the world's first two allowed U.S. Utility Patents reading on feminized hybrid hemp plants.

The Company now has earned a total of five U.S. hemp variety patent grants: one Plant Patent and four Utility Patents as it advances the science of hemp horticulture.

"Achieving the first patented hemp hybrids demonstrates that it is possible to improve hemp through similar methods as other agronomic crops using natural breeding techniques. We believe that 'Kirsche' and 'Lindorea' are some of the hardiest botanical hemp varietals under cultivation." said Bear Reel, Charlotte's Web vice president of cultivation and R&D and the developer of the new varietals.

'Kirsche,' having a naturally rich phytochemical profile and good disease resistance, has an excellent plant structure and a flower-to-stem ratio that is compatible with mechanical harvesting innovations. 'Lindorea,' developed for the Kentucky climate, exhibits broad resistance to fungal pathogens in the North and South Appalachian regions but also in the wetter autumn climate in Ore. while delivering record breaking yields.

"The 'Kirsche' and 'Lindorea' U.S. patents represent more than four years of scientific research and trials, and some of the most cutting-edge work being conducted in genetics in the hemp CBD industry today," said Deanie Elsner, Charlotte's Web president and CEO. "Charlotte's Web will continue to advance and protect our prized hemp varietals to build consumer confidence in the consistency of our hemp extract products. This is at the heart of our mission to advance the science of hemp for the greater benefit of the people who choose these products for their wellness needs."

About Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc.

Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc., a Certified B Corporation headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is the market leader in the production and distribution of innovative hemp-derived cannabidiol ("CBD") wellness products under a family of brands which includes Charlotte's Web, CBD Medic, CBD Clinic, and Harmony Hemp. The Company's premium quality products start with proprietary hemp genetics that are 100-percent American farm grown and manufactured into whole-plant hemp extracts containing a full spectrum of naturally occurring phytocannabinoids including CBD, CBC, CBG, terpenes, flavonoids and other beneficial hemp compounds. Charlotte's Web product categories include CBD oil tinctures (liquid products), CBD gummies (sleep, stress, inflammation recovery), CBD capsules , CBD topical creams and lotions , as well as CBD pet products for dogs . Charlotte's Web is the number one CBD brand in the USA and distributed through more than 22,000 retail locations, select distributors and online through the Company's website at www.CharlottesWeb.com.

Charlotte's Web was founded by the Stanley Brothers with a mission to unleash the healing powers of botanicals through compassion and science, benefiting the planet and all who live upon it. Charlotte's Web is a socially and environmentally conscious company and is committed to using business as a force for good and a catalyst for innovation. The Company weighs sound business decisions with consideration for how its efforts affect employees, customers, the environment, and diverse communities. The rate the Company pays for agricultural products reflects a fair and sustainable rate driving higher quality yield, encouraging regenerative farming practices, and supporting U.S. farming communities. Management believes that its socially oriented and environmentally responsible actions have a positive impact on its customers, suppliers, employees and stakeholders. Charlotte's Web donates a portion of its pre-tax earnings to charitable organizations.

Subscribe to Charlotte's Web investor news.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements 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 statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Charlotte's Web to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release.

Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including assumptions as to the efficacy and results of research; the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Company's operations; and such risks contained in Charlotte's Web's annual information form dated March 27, 2020 and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on Charlotte's Web's issuer profiles on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc.

THE WORLD'S MOST TRUSTED HEMP EXTRACT

SOURCE Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.charlottesweb.com/


New Delhi: The government should provide additional funds as well as incentives in the upcoming Budget to promote indigenous farm research, oilseeds production, food processing and organic farming for the overall growth of the agriculture sector, according to industry experts. The direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme should be utilised more to support farmers instead of giving subsidies, they added.

"Food processing industry has played an important role in better price realisation for the farmer and reducing the cost of intermediaries. The budget must provide special incentives to food processing through incentives such as interest subvention, lower taxes, access to technology, and so on," DCM Shriram Chairman and Senior MD Ajay Shriram said.

Referring to the successful PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 is paid annually directly into farmers' bank accounts, he said the DBT mechanism should be fine-tuned and gradually should be utilized to support farmers in lieu of other subsidies.

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"Let the farmer decide how to judicially use the money. With the benefit of DBT, farmers can then buy better seed, use new-age fertilizers, optimize water usage, and so on," Shriram said.

Stating that many Indian startups have invested in the agri-technology space, he advocated for a policy that encourages the growth of these companies and the adoption of the latest techniques.

He said there has not been any significant breakthrough in recent years from indigenous agricultural research and development (R&D) and this could be partly on account of resource crunch. "Two areas that need immediate attention are firstly linking agricultural research with industry requirements and secondly avoiding ideological resistance to new-age technologies such GM crops," Shriram said.

Consulting firm Deloitte India suggested that more funds should be allocated for research and development as well as for increasing the domestic production of oilseeds to reduce imports of cooking oils.

Stating that livestock farming is one of the key pillars for augmenting farmers' income, the consulting firm said one of the big impediments for development of this sector is the prevalence of various diseases that affect mortality, productivity, and overall production.

"Supply of vaccines is not adequate to address the increasing demand. Funding for developing vaccines and creating necessary infrastructure would be required in this budget," Deloitte said.

Chirag Arora, Founder, Organisch Overseas, said the government must encourage farmers to adopt organic farming.

"The need of the hour is to encourage the private sector into space by offering tax incentives to startups venturing into this domain. It also needs to augment investment on the creation of cold-chains and increase storage capabilities," Arora said.

Last month, in a virtual pre-budget consultation with the finance ministry, Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) had said that the government should incentivise the balanced use of fertilisers by increasing urea price and lowering rates of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) nutrients in the upcoming Budget.

BKS Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar had also sought a reduction in taxes on diesel and transport subsidy on fruits and vegetables but demanded tax on unhealthy foods. He had pitched for tripling investment for micro-irrigation and solar pumps for individual farmers as well as funding for distribution of soil moisture measuring sensors.

"Prioritize investment in human resources over infrastructure. There are about 50 percent vacancies in agriculture research institutions across India. Target 2 percent expenditure on agri R&D of agriculture GDP over the next few years," BKS had said.
Adelson came around slowly to Trump, who during the campaign had said he would be neutral in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump even ridiculed his initial liking for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, tweeting in 2015, Sheldon Adelson is looking to give big dollars to Rubio because he feels he can mold him into his perfect little puppet. I agree! Adelson eventually endorsed Trump, but remained hesitant through much of 2016. He gave more than $20 million in the final weeks of the campaign after reports that he would contribute $100 million, and was more generous with congressional races.
When asked why the society was changing its official position at the last moment, its president, Professor Gilda Tachedjian, said: Thats for us to know and you to find out. One reason is we dont want to undermine the confidence in the vaccine. And we dont have the full picture. We need to go with the most effective vaccine so we can have herd immunity. But we just dont have the full picture at the moment with the AstraZeneca vaccine." Professor Stephen Turner, president of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology. Credit:Joe Armao Speaking before the virology society's position changed, vice-president and spokeswoman Professor Heidi Drummer said 62 per cent effectiveness was not enough to achieve herd immunity. We should wait to see what data AstraZeneca provides to demonstrate higher levels of efficacy can be achieved with their vaccine and opt to use vaccines that achieve the highest level of efficacy to achieve herd immunity, whichever they are," she said.

Loading If it is 62 per cent efficacy, and that comes out in their further trials, I think there is a really good argument to make for the federal government to invest in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and use that in the wider community. Professor Drummer later said she "had to stand by what the president says". "I dont oppose the rollout of the vaccine provided we can see more data that shows that 90 per cent efficacy can be achieved, she said. Herd immunity means that such a large portion of the population is immune that a virus can no longer circulate and is eliminated.

Associate Professor James Wood, a University of NSW vaccine modeller and member of the federal governments Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, said herd immunity was the long game, and providing a vaccine that could protect life immediately was much more important, particularly given Australia had so far only bought enough Pfizer vaccine for 5 million people. Phase three trial results from the AstraZeneca vaccine published in The Lancet this month show the vaccine was 62.1 per cent effective at preventing disease when given in standard doses. However, in a small group of volunteers who accidentally received a lower dose, that rate rose to 90 per cent, creating significant uncertainty over the vaccines true effectiveness. Not a single person given proper doses of the vaccine developed severe COVID-19. Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer have achieved greater than 90 per cent effectiveness, probably high enough to force the virus out of circulation if widely administered, Professor Drummer said. The Australian government has secured 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with two injections required per person.

It remains unproven if any of the vaccines can prevent transmission of coronavirus. Professor Drummer said clinical data suggested the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were far more likely to do so than AstraZeneca's, but more studies needed to be conducted. Dr Andrew Miller, president of the Australian Medical Associations Western Australia branch, said a vaccine that did not provide herd immunity would not meet the publics expectations about returning to pre-COVID normal. We need it to be over 70 per cent effective  preferably over 80 per cent  to prevent significant transmission still continuing in the community, he said. We've got plenty of money, and we have got plenty of time because we have very good disease control. Why would we settle for the second-best option?

Professor Julian Rait, president of the AMAs Victorian branch, said judgment on the AstraZeneca vaccine should be reserved until more data was available. Burnet Institute director Professor Brendan Crabb said the federal government did a good job with limited information in choosing its vaccine candidates, but it should now review Australia's reliance on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Examine newsletter Science and health explained and analysed with a rigorous focus on the evidence. Examine is a weekly newsletter by science reporter Liam Mannix. Coming soon, sign up now. He said while AstraZeneca still might prove more effective in reality than clinical trials have suggested, at this stage the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were looking significantly better at stopping people from getting COVID-19. Personally, I'd much rather have AstraZeneca than nothing. I would have it tomorrow. It is a highly safe and effective vaccine, he said.

But would I have a more effective one if I could? Yes I would. Health Minister Greg Hunt denied on Tuesday the suggestion that administering AstraZenecas vaccine essentially meant the government was giving up on herd immunity. We are listening to the Australian government medical experts. They are the ones choosing the vaccines. They have chosen on the basis an mRNA vaccine has never ever been done before for anything. There is a very strong history of different types of conventional vaccine being rolled out with high effectiveness. Its important to note that the results also show up to 90 per cent effectiveness more generally, with final results to come. And up to 100 per cent in relation to severe illness. A spokesman for the Health Department said people should be cautious around making assessments of its efficacy until the full data is released and the [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approval process has been conducted.

Loading The government confirmed last year that people would be allowed to purchase vaccines privately. A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca said the company had always maintained that various vaccines would be needed to combat COVID-19. "More data will continue to accumulate, refining the efficacy reading and characterising vaccine efficacy over a longer period of time." The number of people who need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is known as the "critical vaccination level". It is calculated based on how effectively a virus is transmitting in a population.

Loading The more infectious the virus, the higher the critical level. But our behaviour also plays a role. In places with better social distancing, we are already making it harder for the virus to spread, lowering the critical level. Evidence suggests on average around the world every person infected with COVID-19 will go on to infect between two and three other people. To achieve herd immunity and end the pandemic, vaccines need to lower that average to below one  so that, over time, the virus dies out. This may have been achievable in Australia using AstraZenecas vaccine, Professor Wood said.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world's first graduate-level, research-based artificial intelligence university, has officially welcomed its first student cohort at an event with students from across the world beginning their studies in Abu Dhabi this week.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees, delivered a welcome speech emphasizing the critical importance of AI, especially during the pandemic, as well as in transforming industries to achieve greater outcomes.

He was joined by Professor Dr. Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI, as well as the student body, faculty, and staff from the University.

The event welcomed 78 students who have joined the University from 29 countries, including the UAE, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United States, and others. MBZUAI's first students were selected from thousands of applications received by the University from nearly 100 countries. The first cohort includes 13 PhD students and 65 MSc students, who have enrolled in MBZUAI's Machine Learning and Computer Vision programs.

H.E. Dr. Al Jaber said: "The first MBZUAI cohort represents a milestone in delivering on our promise to establish a centre for AI development and research, at a critical time as the world looks to technology to help power the post-COVID-19 recovery. With global expertise and a truly international student body hailing from 29 countries, the University will empower the UAE to become a leader in the field of AI, in alignment with the wise vision of the country's leadership."

In addition to delivering world-class education, MBZUAI will focus its research and development on four pillars: Services and Quality of Life, to improve services offered by the public and private sectors; Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies, to enhance efficiencies and improve productivity; Future Game Changers, to nurture the growth of new and emerging high value sectors, and Sustainability of Vital Resources and Environment, using AI to optimize the consumption of water and energy to protect the environment.

MBZUAI President, Professor Dr. Eric Xing, set out his vision for the University, noting: "AI is one of the most transformational technologies of the modern age, providing tremendous opportunities for humankind. The vision for MBZUAI is to nurture a new generation of leaders in science, engineering, policy and business with the necessary understanding to unlock the potential of AI through their academic research and industrial applications. We will deliver excellence in the field of AI education, research and development, through a world-class curriculum and collaborative projects with industry leaders. I welcome our first students, and look forward to working alongside them as we explore the future of AI."

As the first academic year commences, MBZUAI is already accepting applications for the Fall 2021 start in Computer Vision and Machine Learning MSc and PhD programs.

Full admissions requirements and application details can be found on the University's website, www.mbzuai.ac.ae.

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Pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 went live in India earlier today at 12:00 pm (IST). As expected, consumers around the country scrambled to get their hands on Sonys next-gen consoles. The PS5 consoles are already sold out across all major retailers.

The PlayStation 5 consoles were up for pre-order on Amazon India, Flipkart, Vijay Sales, Croma, and Reliance Digital, among other retail channels. Pre-orders for the console started at 12:00 pm (IST), while the console is slated ship on February 2, 2021.

However, stock of the PlayStation 5 consoles dried out within minutes of pre-orders going live. At the time of writing, the consoles are out of stock on both Amazon India and Flipkart. It also sold out on Vijay Sales within 10 minutes of going live.

Also Read: Sony PlayStation 5 vs Microsoft Xbox Series X: Here's how the Sultans of console gaming compare

Errors are also popping up on Reliance Digital and Croma, suggesting that the console might already be sold out on these e-retailers. Additionally, Games The Shop and the Sony Center are currently unresponsive. Sony has not provided any details about the total number of units that were available for pre-order.

So, if you couldnt pre-order the console today, you might have to wait a bit longer to access the next-gen console gaming as there is no word on restocking. The PlayStation 5 is facing supply shortages across the world, so the wait for many gamers across India might continue.

It is worth noting that Sony has not released the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition in India. At the time of its launch, the company confirmed that the PS5 Digital Edition will be priced at Rs 39,990 in the country but is yet to provide an official sale date in India.

Key Highlights

NEXE Innovations is launching its new in-house brand, XOMA Superfoods , to meet the growing needs of health- and environmentally conscious consumers.

, to meet the growing needs of health- and environmentally conscious consumers. The first XOMA Superfoods SKU, a soluble micro-ground coffee fortified with MCT oil packaged in the NEXE Pod, will launch as a pilot in late January.

SKU, a soluble micro-ground coffee fortified with MCT oil packaged in the NEXE Pod, will launch as a pilot in late January. NEXE plans to add more products, available for purchase online and through subscription, via a new direct to consumer e-commerce platform.

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - NEXE Innovations Inc. (TSXV: NEXE) ("NEXE" or the "Company"), a leader in plant-based materials science and advanced manufacturing technologies, is pleased to announce XOMA Superfoods, NEXE's in-house coffee and superfoods brand, soon to go live at www.Xoma.ca. XOMA - derived from the Greek word for soil - allows the Company to meet its sustainability mandate, while providing our customers with the highest quality coffees and superfoods. NEXE plans to launch the first stock-keeping unit (SKU) under the XOMA Superfoods brand, a soluble micro-ground coffee fortified with MCT oil packaged in the NEXE Pod, as a pilot in late January 2021.

"XOMA Superfoods is the next logical step for NEXE," said Company CEO Darren Footz. "Our innovative, plant-based technology means that customers can continue with their daily superfood and coffee consumption but can now enjoy the experience sustainably. XOMA offers high-quality, healthy products in our fully compostable packaging."

NEXE plans to add more products, available for purchase online and through subscription, via a new direct to consumer ("DTC") e-commerce platform. XOMA Superfoods will eventually include a wide range of healthy lifestyle products, which may include coffees, superfood creamers, coconut oil, MCT oil, mushrooms, and moringa.

The launch of XOMA and the accompanying DTC e-commerce platform, provides NEXE with a sales ecosystem for its proprietary capsules. The launch will better enable NEXE to understand its customers and their tastes, manage quality control and logistics, and maintain high brand integrity, while providing customers with a great overall experience.

The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has forced consumers to prioritize their grocery spend taking a more active role in their personal wellness. This focus on health has increased consumer demand for functional foods and superfoods with high-quality novel ingredients. At the same time, the pandemic has accelerated the move to online DTC sales, as consumers avoid public spaces either by preference or local health ordinance.

With its experience in packaging high-quality coffee using innovative compostable materials, NEXE is well-placed to meet the important demands of the health and environmentally-conscious consumer.

About NEXE Innovations Inc.

NEXE Innovations Inc. is a leader in plant-based compostable technology and advanced materials innovation based in British Columbia, Canada. The company has developed one of the only patented, fully compostable, plant-based, single-serve coffee pods for use in existing major single-serve coffee machines. The proprietary NEXE pod is designed to reduce the significant environmental impact caused by single-serve pods (+40 billion plastic pods discarded every year). With over $30M raised (equity and government funding) to date and over five years of R&D, NEXE is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable products in the single-serve coffee sector and beyond.

Website: www.nexe.ca

Xoma Superfoods: www.xoma.ca

Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/eGV9tKfgt5I

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements or information, which include the proposed use of proceeds, commercialization of the NEXE PODs, including the XOMA Superfoods Brand, and increase production capacity, create other environmentally friendly compostable packaging opportunities, development of technologies, the potential of the Company's technology, future plans, regulatory approvals and other matters. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, business, economic and capital market conditions, the ability to manage operating expenses, consumer demand for and sentiment towards the Company's products, security threats, and dependence on key personnel. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the demand for its products, anticipated costs, and the ability to achieve goals. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, failure to obtain regulatory approval, the continued availability of capital and financing, equipment failures, litigation, increase in operating costs, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, competition, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Nexe Innovations Inc.

Related Links

https://nexe.ca


Bombardiers APM systems are already in service at Beijings international airport and will soon be in service in two of Chinas largest international airports including Shenzhen and Chengdu  making Hong Kong International Airport the fourth

Six Chinese mega-cities will now operate Bombardiers APM turnkey system over a total of 18.5 km

Bombardier is a global leader in this mobility solution segment with over 30 APM systems delivered around the world, and in operation at nine of the worlds busiest airports



BERLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

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Global mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation held a ceremony today to launch the assembly of the first BOMBARDIER INNOVIA automated people mover (APM) vehicle for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) at their joint venture CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems Limiteds (PBTS) site. Bombardier owns 50 per cent of the shares in PBTS, which is consolidated by Bombardier Transportations partner CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co., Limited.

We sincerely thank Hong Kongs Airport Authority for their trust, support and encouragement, we appreciate PBTS teams hard work and excellent performance. We are determined, as always, to live up to our customers' expectations, and we continue to work hard to deliver these state-of-the-art products at a high-quality, within budget and on time despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, said Jianwei Zhang, President, Bombardier Transportation China.

In 2017, a consortium between PBTS and CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co., Ltd. was awarded the contract to provide a BOMBARDIER INNOVIA automated people mover (APM) 300 system to Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA). The consortium will deliver a 2.6-km, three-guideway airside integrated APM system for the Third Runway Concourse (TRC) Line connecting HKIA TRC and Terminal 2. The project applies Bombardiers INNOVIA APM 300 rubber-tired rail transit system technology. The six-car train operation mode is adopted in the early, short and long-term. Project scope includes design and equipment supply (vehicles, communications, signalling, traction power supply, track switches, platform screen doors, depot equipment, etc.); civil construction (walking surface and guide beam); installation (all electromechanical equipment installation); and system integration.

The project has progressed smoothly and in November, 2020, the team achieved two major milestones: completion of the design phase and passing the first statutory car body welding inspection. Wayside and civil work are also proceeding according to schedule. The customer Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) expressed their appreciation for the efforts made by the team, they also recognized the teams high competency, proactive attitude and cooperation in the process of project execution.

Hong Kong International Airport is an internationally renowned hub airport that adheres to four core principles: safety, operational efficiency, customer service and environment, and as a result it has won the World's Best Airport Award over sixty times. The Hong Kong Airport Third Runway System Project is a major infrastructure undertaking that supports both the aviation industry, as well as Hong Kong's long-term economic development. After completion and operation of the Third Runway New APM Line, Hong Kongs airport will greatly improve its passenger travelling efficiency and will be better equipped to meet the needs of over 30 million expected additional passengers. The TRC Line is a core project for the construction of the Third Runway of Hong Kong International Airport.

Bombardier Transportation in China is the full solution provider across the entire value chain. From vehicles and propulsion to services and design, Bombardier Transportation in China has seven joint ventures, six wholly foreign-owned enterprises, and more than 8,000 employees. Together, the joint ventures have delivered 4,700 railway passenger cars, 580 electric locomotives and over 3,000 metro cars, Monorail, APM and trams to Chinas growing rail transit markets. It is a major signalling supplier to the Chinese high-speed network and through its joint ventures, propulsion equipment and signalling systems are utilized in a total of 30 Chinese cities.

About INNOVIA APM 300 system

The INNOVIA APM 300 system embodies the evolution of successful and dependable transit operations over many years. These systems operate on dedicated guideways and are characterized by exceptional route flexibility, outstanding availability and high efficiency in terms of passenger capacity, energy consumption and land use.

The INNOVIA APM 300 system is a driverless transportation system specially designed to serve airports and dense urban areas. It offers quick, comfortable and convenient service for commuters within cities, to and from airports or between airport terminals. INNOVIA APM 300 cars operate on a dedicated guideway underground, on ground level or elevated. This ensures a consistent service that does not interfere with surrounding road or runway traffic. Built on more than 45-years of successful and dependable operation, INNOVIA APM 300 systems incorporate modern aesthetics and advanced subsystems for optimized functionality. Over 30 of Bombardiers APM systems have been delivered around the world and are in operation at nine of the worlds busiest airports. Additional information: https://rail.bombardier.com/en/solutions-and-technologies/urban/people-mover.html

About Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industrys broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 36,000 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.

About Bombardier

With over 52,000 employees across two business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in over 25 countries across the segments of Aviation and Transportation. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Bombardier posted revenues of $15.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to editors

For news, related material and photos, visit our newsroom at www.rail.bombardier.com/en/newsroom.html. Please subscribe to our RSS Feed to receive press releases or follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail.

Bombardier and INNOVIA are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For Information Media relations, China Global media relations Li Wang press@rail.bombardier.com +86 10-85172268 li.wang@rail.bombardier.com

You can also contact one of our worldwide contacts for specific press inquiries.
President Donald Trump, a Republican under pressure to resign after his supporters carried out a deadly breach of the US Capitol last week, on Tuesday called preparations to impeach him in US Congress "absolutely ridiculous" and said they were causing "tremendous anger."

Trump, speaking as he boarded Marine One at the White House for a trip to Texas, called his likely impeachment in the House of Representatives on Wednesday a "continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics."

He said there was tremendous anger about moves to impeach him but added he did not want violence.

"I want no violence," Trump told reporters as he left for a trip to the border wall in Alamo, Texas.

In his first remarks to reporters since Dec. 8, the embattled president did not answer a question about whether he would resign.

Trump would become the first U.S. president to be impeached twice if the House of Representatives votes in favor of impeachment on Wednesday.

With only eight days left in his one-term administration, Trump finds himself alone, shunned by former supporters, barred by social media, and now facing a second impeachment over his instigation of a riot against Congress on January 6.

His trip to Alamo, Texas, where he will tout claims of success in building a US-Mexican border wall, is his first live public appearance since he rallied thousands of followers on the National Mall to march on Congress.

Ever since the November 3 election, the real estate tycoon has been obsessively pushing a lie that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, was the real winner and last week, in a speech he described Tuesday as "totally appropriate," he called on the huge crowd to "show strength."

Amped up on Trump's rhetoric, the mob burst into Congress, fighting with police, trashing offices and forcing frightened lawmakers to suspend briefly a ceremony legally formalizing Biden's victory.

The crisis galvanized many of Trump's former boosters in the corporate and sporting world to turn their backs.

In Congress, where the Republican party has been in thrall to the populist leader for four years, even ultra-loyal senior figures like Senator Lindsey Graham have finally told Trump that he must accept his election defeat.

Trump, however, remains in denial.

He has yet to congratulate Biden or urge his supporters to stand behind the incoming president after he is inaugurated on January 20 -- a gesture of political unity considered all but routine after US elections.

Impeachment 2.0

The House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a longshot bid to get Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet to invoke the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which would declare Trump unfit to perform his duties and install Pence as acting president.

This is unlikely to happen.

Although Pence is reportedly furious about Trump's behavior last week, the two met at the White House on Monday for the first time since the Congress attack and had "a good conversation," according to a senior administration official.

That signaled that whatever Pence and the dwindling number of White House officials feel, they are committed to keeping the presidency limping along until January 20.
Facing heat over the ongoing six-week-long farmers' agitation, Haryana Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister on Tuesday said there is no threat to the BJP-JJP coalition government and it will complete its full five year term.

After an hour-long meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both Khattar and Chautala said they have discussed about the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

"There is no threat to the and it will last its full five year term," Chautala told PTI.

Khattar also said, "There is no point in speculating about the future of this government, it will complete its term."



The chief minister said Haryana is the epicentre of farmers' agitation so they discussed with the home minister about the law and order situation in the state.

"We also discussed about holding celebrations for January 26 without any trouble," he said.

Khattar said after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the farm laws, they were hopeful that farmers will end their agitation.

"It's a festival and everyone understands its importance and the value attached to it," he said.

Chautala said the Supreme Court has set up a committee and he hoped that things will be resolved soon.

Both Haryana leaders met Shah hours after the apex court stayed the implementation of controversial three farm laws till further orders and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

State presidents of BJP, JJP and state cabinet ministers were also present in the meeting with the home minister.

Before meeting Shah, Dushyant met MLAs of his party JJP here at a farm house, in which a section of MLAs said it would cost the ruling alliance heavily if the laws were not repealed.

Khattar had to cancel a public meeting in Karnal on Sunday after the site was ransacked by the protesting farmers.

A section of MLAs belonging to Jannayak Janta Party, headed by Chautala, is believed to have been facing pressure from the agitating farmers.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi has held talks with his counterpart in neighboring Tanzania to prepare a wider regional response to violence from Islamic State-aligned insurgents that threaten the progress of major liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Mozambique.

The presidents of Mozambique and Tanzania have agreed to resume a joint commission on defense and security, Mozambican President Nyusi said on Monday, as carried by Bloomberg.

The terrorists who affiliate themselves with the notorious Islamic State have stepped up violent actions in recent weeks, with attacks getting closer to a project led by French supermajor Total located in northern Mozambique close to the border with Tanzania.

Last week, Total told Bloomberg in an emailed statement that the company had "temporarily reduced its workforce on site in response to the prevailing environment," referring to the attacks from the terrorists.

The Total-led Mozambique LNG Project, for which the US$20-billion Final Investment Decision (FDI) was taken in 2019, is on track to deliver LNG in 2024, Total says.

Total signed in August 2020 a pact with the government of Mozambique to bolster security for its LNG project.

In July last year, Total had secured as much as US$16 billion in funding for its LNG project in Mozambique despite the supply glut and demand decline in the LNG market.

The financing agreement "shows continued progress on project implementation despite security challenges and lower medium-term hydrocarbon prices, raising the prospect of significant positive effects on Mozambique's growth and public finances in the longer run," Fitch Ratings said after Total secured the funding.

While Total secured financing for its project, ExxonMobil has delayed the FID on its US$30-billion Rovuma LNG project to 2021 due to low commodity prices and Exxon's need to cut investments globally. This will delay the start of production by one or two years, to around 2025-2026, Fitch says.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Dr. Sean T. Doherty Wins Castle Connolly Award for Fourth Year in a Row

Dr. Sean T. Doherty, MD, is honored to accept the 2020 Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award in Plastic Surgery for the fourth year in a row. This is a prestigious distinction that very few doctors receive even once or twice, let alone four times in a row. Dr. Doherty has proven his ability to provide patients with an unparalleled experience, year after year, leading to his continued recognition by Castle Connolly.

Every year, doctors in different specialties are screened and critiqued by Castle Connolly on how well they provide services for their patients. Those doctors that have provided the highest quality care and best outcomes are awarded the prestigious honor of Top Doctor. This distinction provides peace of mind and guidance for people who want the best of the best in medical care. Dr. Dohertys multiple wins showcase his ongoing commitment to excellence.

Recipients of the Castle Connolly award have to be members of the Castle Connolly group. This group only accepts admissions from the best doctors, researchers, clinics, and hospitals. In each case, the candidates for admission into the group have to undergo a very rigorous screening and a thorough evaluation. Once the candidates are admitted into the group, they have the possibility of being presented with the Castle Connolly Top Doctor award.

Dr. Doherty excels as a plastic surgeon because of the masterful skill he applies to procedures ranging from blepharoplasties to breast augmentations. His goal is to create natural-looking results that enhance his patients natural assets. With a background in art history and decades of medical expertise, he blends technical ability and an artistic eye to provide patients with the best possible results. His patients have nothing but positive and glowing things to say about their experience and Dr. Dohertys attention to safety and results, plus his dedication to his patients physical and emotional well-being, makes him the best in his profession year after year.

Aside from his thriving plastic surgery offices in Boston and Brookline, which serve patients from all over New England and beyond, Dr. Doherty is involved in medical research and education. He serves as the Medical Director and Principal Investigator for Cynosure and educates other plastic surgeons in proper injection techniques. He is a member of several distinguished medical associations, is a frequent lecturer, and has published a number of papers on his research.

If you are interested in any of the specialty procedures that Dr. Doherty offers, including facelift, thread lift, liposuction, Mommy Makeover, or non-surgical rejuvenation treatments, contact his office in Boston (617.450.0070) or Brookline (617.996.7604), MA today for a consultation. Or visit his website at https://www.seandohertymd.com/.


Federal health officials made a significant policy shift on Tuesday, calling for the COVID-19 vaccine to be given to everyone 65 or older and to those with underlying health conditions.

But in Jefferson County, where clinics have been vaccinating individuals from those groups for at least a week, the ability to disseminate vaccine fast enough doesnt seem to be the problem.

Individuals 65 and older and people 16 years of age or older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at risk for COVID-19 already are listed in Texas Phase 1B in vaccine priorities.

Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick last week said H-E-B and Market Basket already had moved into phase 1B.

Members of the public who fall within that category will need to go to (the pharmacies) websites and try to reserve a spot for vaccination, he said.

But during Tuesday mornings meeting of the Jefferson County Commissioners Court, Branick again expressed frustration that the county is now lagging behind other similarly sized counties in percentage of individuals who have been vaccinated.

Related: Q&A: Who in SE Texas can get a vaccine?

He specifically mentioned a plan to create vaccine hubs that recently was rolled out but did not include Jefferson County.

The plan covers 18 counties, including similarly sized Lubbock, McLennan and Nueces counties. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the majority of the states COVID-19 vaccines received this week will be directed to these hubs to vaccinate more than 100,000 people.

DSHS says all individuals in phases 1A and 1B are eligible to receive a vaccine at the hubs, regardless of where they live. Harris County is the hub closest to Jefferson County. More information about signing up for a vaccination can be found on the departments website.

But Branick said that, after multiple calls to various state departments, he has been unable to get more clarity about how the state is determining how many vaccines each county gets and why Jefferson County seems to continually be on the losing end.

County officials continue to meet with various members of the local medical community and public health departments to put together a plan to begin mass vaccinations when enough doses become available.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

Were still having those meetings with health-care providers to make sure we have a plan for space, generators, facilities, personnel, Branick said. Im thinking that (the state is) starting to listen more to us and our willingness to be a part of the plan to bring the vaccine to as many people as we can. Im hopeful the Week 6 allocations will be better.

All the while, the county continues to average more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 each day.

Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames on Tuesday noted that the northern part of Jefferson County, which is served by her citys health department, now is consistently recording more cases each day than this summer.

It seems like in the beginning, the cases we were hearing about were in other states other cities, she said. Now its hitting home.

Hopefully our vaccinations will speed up and come out and it will be workable for people who get them, and we can get this behind us, she added.

On Tuesday, Jefferson County confirmed 197 more cases of COVID-19 and one additional death. The county has recorded 13,830 positive cases and 223 deaths since the pandemic began.

kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/KaitlinBain

Other states had planned to widen access to older residents gradually over the next month. Ohio, for example, was to start vaccinating people 80 and older next week, people 70 and older on Feb. 1 and those 65 and older on Feb. 8. Florida has been overwhelmed with demand from its 65-plus population, with new online registration portals quickly crashing and people spending hours on the phone or in long lines, often in vain.

The two companies making vaccines that have emergency approval, Pfizer and Moderna, are both ramping up production. In an interview Tuesday with CNBC, the Pfizer chief executive, Dr. Albert Bourla, said Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, have increased their global production estimate this year to two billion doses from 1.3 billion.

We have much more than they can use right now, he said.

The C.D.C. recommended last month that after vaccinating health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, states should vaccinate people older than 75 and certain frontline workers who cannot do their jobs from home. Only after that, the C.D.C. advised, should states turn to people ages 65 to 74 and adults of all ages with high-risk medical conditions. The C.D.C. recommendations were not binding, but many states have largely been following them while demand still far exceeds supply.

The advisory group that came up with the recommendations had emphasized that essential workers are often low-wage people of color, who have been hit disproportionately hard by the virus.

A lot of our members are feeling like this is just beginning to move too fast, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. What were going to get to is a first-come, first-served approach to vaccine distribution, and thats just not going to be equitable.

Mr. Biden is expected to announce details of his own vaccination plan  which will include federally supported mass vaccination clinics  this week. The Biden transition team declined to comment on Tuesday on the new Trump administration policy. But a person familiar with the president-elects plans said Mr. Biden had also been planning to expand the universe of those who are eligible to be vaccinated.

Mr. Azar said the Trump administration always expected to shift from holding back doses when it was confident in the supply chain.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down the updated economic and fiscal outlook in Canberra, Australia on Dec 17 , 2020.(Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Australia Rejects $300M Chinese-Bid for Construction Giant Probuild

A multi-million dollar bid by one of the worlds largest construction firms to acquire a majority stake in Australian-based Probuild has been blocked by the foreign investment regulator and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

The almost $300 million bid by the state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) to acquire an 88 percent stake in Probuild was rejected on the grounds of national security by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

According to an investor notice from current Probuild owner, South Africa-based Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO), the Chinese firm withdrew the proposed investment after it was advised the federal government would reject its application.

The U.S. Department of Defense has blacklisted CSCEC for its links to the Peoples Liberation Army, the military arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Trump administration also banned investment from U.S. firms into blacklisted companies, to counter Beijings Military-Civil Fusion doctrine, which allows the CCP to potentially access and repurpose all Chinese civilian companies, universities, and research for military use.

The Melbourne-based Probuild is involved in building the headquarters of the Victoria Police and world-leading biotech company CSL, which is developing COVID-19 vaccines.

Probuild would likely have access to sensitive blueprints and information, according to the Australian Financial Review (AFR)

In response to the decision, Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz said: Australias sovereignty is not for sale, and our national interests come before economic considerations.

The FIRB is one of many robust mechanisms in place that examines investments and economic activity to protect Australia as foreign interference and risks  come in a variety of forms, he told The Epoch Times.

Probuild Executive Chairman Simon Gray reacted strongly to the regulators decision saying: Its more politics than it is anything else.

No one can give us the real reason why were a national security risk. Its a joke, he told the AFR.

He claimed Probuild was less exposed than competitor John Holland, who was acquired by Chinese giant China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) in 2015 and is involved in critical infrastructure such as rails and airports.

Some companies have complained that recently tightened foreign investment laws are delaying approval processes, and creating uncertainty for overseas investors.

Theres only one way to balance the profit versus the national security issue, and that is to always go in favour of national security, Federal Member of Parliament George Christensen said. We can get investments from many countries that dont pose national security threats to us.

Quite frankly, no strategic asset or infrastructure should be owned, built, designed, or have anything to do with any company that is linked to the CCP, he told The Epoch Times.

It is just a national security risk, full stop.

Foreign investment has been at the heart of the Morrison governments geopolitical and national security concerns.

The head of the FIRB, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has actively blocked foreign investment bids from China, sometimes in disagreement with the regulator itself.

In August, Frydenberg refused to approve a bid by Chinas Mengniu Dairy Co. to acquire Australian-based dairy giant Lion Dairy & Drinks for AU$600 million. This was despite the deal receiving approval from the FIRB and the national competition regulator.

In April, the treasurer blocked two Chinese mining firms from acquiring interests in Australian rare earth miners on similar national security grounds.
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[January 12, 2021] GZ6G Technologies Corp. Retains Auditor & Securities Counsel to Complete 2020/2019 Fiscal Audits & Registration Statement to Become Fully Reporting With Securities and Exchange Commission, Next Step Towards Up Listing to OTCQB Q2 2021

GZ6G Technologies plans to file initial registration statement by March 1, 2021, next step towards plans to upgrade to OTCQB in Q2 2021

Las Vegas, NV, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- GZ6G Technologies Corp (OTCMarkets: GZIC) announces it has retained the PCAOB registered public accounting firm of Pinnacle Accountancy Group of Utah, who previously completed audits of the Companys consolidated 2018 and 2017 financial results, to immediately commence an audit of our current results for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. Further, the Company has retained securities counsel to complete the preparation and submission of a registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission in order to become fully reporting, enhancing our access to investment capital. Coleman Smith, President of GZIC, states, Having recently secured additional financing to allow us to move to the natural next phase of corporate growth, including the addition of employees to our controlled subsidiary, Green Zebra Media Corp., and in order to carry out our 2021 mandate. We are also actively taking the steps to become fully reporting on the Securities and Exchange Commission to ultimately up-list to OTCQB, providing GZIC the opportunity to speak to a larger investment community as we push towards our 2021 business goals. We are excited to be moving beyond the impact of COVID-19 back to the key corporate business of providing wireless hardware gateways, communications, marketing and sponsorship, with an immediate focus on acquiring, developing and overseeing innovative wireless IoT technology companies for the emerging 5Gand WiFi6 marketplaces.



The Company expects to file initial documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than March 1, 2021, with a view to up-listing in Q2 2021, added Smith. We will also expect to unveil updated corporate websites in the near future for GZIC and our controlled subsidiary, Green Zebra Media Corp., providing our investors, customers and business partners comprehensive information on our current and planned operations, our scope of communications, product offerings, marketing and sponsorship opportunities and other key services. Green Zebra Media Corp.

Our operating subsidiary, Green Zebra Media Corp., is a provider of wireless hardware gateways, communications, marketing and sponsorship, data analytics platforms and CRM technology. Our products are used for stadiums, cities, airports, universities and hospitality markets. The focus of Green Zebra for fiscal 2021 will be contracts which can most efficiently, and cost effectively, bring revenue generating operations through partnerships with venues and industries that must adapt to the new 5G and WiFi6 environment. About GZ6G Technologies Corp. GZ6G Technologies Corp. (OTC: GZIC), a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) technology holdings company, is focused on acquiring, developing and overseeing innovative wireless IoT technology companies for the emerging 5G and WiFI6 marketplaces, including target markets such as stadiums, airports, universities, and smart city projects. Safe Harbor Statement In addition to historical information, this press release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include the intent, belief, or expectations of the company and members of its management team with respect to the company's future business operations and the assumptions upon which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to, failure to complete anticipated sales under negotiations, lack of revenue growth, client discontinuances, failure to realize improvements in performance, efficiency and profitability, and adverse developments with respect to litigation or increased litigation costs, the operation or performance of the Company's business units or the market price of its common stock. Additional factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated within this press release can also be found on the company's website. The company denies any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements. To be added to our distribution list, please email, customersupport@greenzebra.net. For more information, visit us at www.GZ6G.com, www.twitter.com/GZ6tech Contact Information cole@greenzebra.net. SOURCE: GZ6G Technology Corp. (formerly Green Zebra International Corp.)



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"As a company, we value the future of education. We feel that it is important to invest in the next generation and give back to the community, which is why we created the scholarship." - Todd Van Horn, Vice President of Career Development

Southwestern Pennsylvanias leading real estate company, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty, is now accepting applications for the Dream, Innovate, Grow Scholarship.

Each year, the company hosts a scholarship program open to local high school students for a chance to win $4000 towards college or technical school. The Dream, Innovate, Grow Scholarship is inspired by the key beliefs and attributes Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty has been built on. To dream, innovate, and to grow are pillars of the company's mission. Encouraging others to dream and think anything is possible; innovate as you desire and put in hard work; be inspired to grow as a professional and as a person to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of those around you.

The recipients embrace these ideals both personally and academically. Each year, The Preferred Realty receives hundreds of applications, and each one is read by a team of corporate employees, managers, and real estate agents. The judging panel will narrow down the submissions to the top twenty finalists and then interview each candidate before voting on the winners.

In the past two years, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty has received approximately 1,200 entries from over 300 public, private, charter, religious institutions, and high schools in its 31-county footprint throughout western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.

The Dream, Innovate, Grow Scholarship is a program the company is extremely passionate about. Todd Van Horn, Vice President of Career Development, has worked hard to get students involved. As a company, we value the future of education. We feel that it is important to invest in the next generation and give back to the community, which is why we created the scholarship.

To be eligible for the Dream, Innovate, Grow Scholarship program, students should excel academically and have an overall grade point average of a 3.0. Qualifying students perform with distinction in terms of leadership, volunteerism, character, and have a positive attitude. They should also serve as an example to fellow students as a participant in the community, charitable organizations, and other school activities, as well as embody the traits of Dream, Innovate and Grow.

All completed applications must be submitted to Scholarships@TPRSold.com by Friday, February 12th, 2021 at 4:00 pm in order to be considered for the renewable scholarship. To learn more about the Dream, Innovate, Grow Scholarship and how to enter, please visit https://www.thepreferredrealty.com/blog/article/need-a-scholarship-heres-how-to-enter/

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty is a locally owned, full-service real estate company serving the Western Pennsylvania area. Our affiliation with the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network provides us with the most advanced technology and tools in the industry. In 2019, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty unveiled its state-of-the-art Call Connect Program. Call Connect allows an agent to differentiate between a robocall and someone calling specifically for real estate business. This program is data-driven and allows sales professionals to create more immediate connections between clients and themselves.

For more information on Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty, please visit https://www.thepreferredrealty.com/
Alabamas State Capitol remains closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and state lawmakers are not expected to return to Montgomery until the legislative session starts on February 2.

The lack of elected officials in downtown Montgomery could be coming at the right time as federal investigators examine the potential of armed protests at all 50 state capitols and at the U.S. Capitol starting this week and running through at least Inauguration Day on January 20.

The FBI received information in recent days on a group calling for the storming of local, state and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings if President Donald Trump is removed from office before the inauguration, according to an internal FBI bulletin obtained and reported on by ABC News. The U.S. House plans to vote in support of an article of impeachment against Trump for incitement of insurrection stemming from the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Threats have put state capitol security officers throughout the country on heightened alert.

Adjust our procedures

Amanda Wasden, director of external affairs with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), said Monday that her agency continues to monitor activity for public safety concerns and possible threats related to the ongoing protests across the nation.

ALEA oversees the Protective Services Division that is comprised of the Capitol Patrol Unit which provides security for State Capitol, Executive Mansion, and other state executive offices buildings within the State Capitol complex in downtown Montgomery.

Wasden, in her statement, said the agency recognizes the constitutionally protected rights to assemble, speak and petition the government and that potential criminality exhibited by certain members of a group does not negate the overall constitutional rights of a group itself or the law-abiding participants to exercise their First Amendment rights.

She added, ALEA safeguards these First Amendment rights, and reports only those activities where the potential use of rhetoric and/or propaganda could be used to carry out acts of violence.

Related content: Limited public access, more live streaming planned for Alabama legislative session

Montgomery police are planning to assist with any protests, as is the Montgomery County Sheriffs Department.

Sheriff Derrick Cunningham said that the Capitol police have not requested assistance.

I am sure they will reach out to us, he said.

Cunningham said that if the focus is on county facilities, we will adjust our procedures to ensure safety.

We have been monitoring all of the intelligence reports, but we still make everyone follow our security procedures, he said.

Montgomery city officials have been reviewing and enhancing security assets across city facilities for several months.

The Montgomery Police Department and Montgomerys City Hall security staff have consulted with partners at the state level as well as those from the private sector to ensure we are as proactive as possible in addressing and eliminating any safety threats. We have added additional safety protocols to all public meetings.

Keeping a watchful eye

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, in Washington. Federal prosecutors say a retired Air Force officer who was part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol was arrested Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Texas. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)AP

City and county governments are mostly monitoring the situation, but additional security protocols seem unlikely at city halls and county courthouses around Alabama.

Those reached Monday said they have not received threats of violence or protests ahead of the inauguration.

We are monitoring for any threats of protests of civil unrest around city buildings or commercial establishments, said Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber. An organized Stop the Steal rally was held in Spanish Fort last month and, while it included spirited remarks from speakers, it was peaceful.

We will take appropriate measures should we become aware of any potential issues; however, at this time, we do not have any intelligence to suggest any of these activities, Barber said.

At Mobiles Government Plaza, county officials are comfortable with the enhance security measures that have been in place for some time. Visitors to the government building, which includes the courtrooms and city and county offices, can only enter through doors that take visitors directly to metal detectors.

I think our security is handled very well, said Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson, who added that there have not been any calls to increase security. Im comfortable and confident its being handled as it should be.

Said Lori Myles, spokeswoman with the Mobile County Sheriffs Department, We always prepare and strategize about the possibility of things happening elsewhere happening here. However, as of right now, we have not done anything more or less than what is currently done, and we always monitor.

Most cities have a uniformed police officer in attendance during regular council meetings. Some cities, like Tuscaloosa and Hoover, have policies not to discuss specifics about their security measures.

Thankfully, there have been no threats to the safety of Tuscaloosa city facilities or elected officials, said Tuscaloosa city spokesman Richard Rush.

Some government buildings, like the State Capitol, are not open to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Access to our public facilities is restricted at this time as a result of the policies in place to protect public health amid the COVID pandemic, said Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper. I dont anticipate adding additional security measures as a result of last weeks events, but we are keeping a watchful eye and will implement additional measures if necessary.

Increasing security at government buildings has been a priority for the Alabama League of Municipalities for almost 20 years, according spokeswoman Kayla Bass.

Our insurance liability company and workers comp poll have a joint loss control department which advises our communities on best practices to secure their city/town halls, as well as other facilities, she said. This has been a major focus of our loss control department since 9/11.

County governments, for the most part, are sticking with their status quo.

Counties do have security at the courthouse and have for many years, said Sonny Brasfield, executive director with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. In addition, the sheriffs and municipal law enforcement are almost-constantly patrolling the areas around the courthouse. But, no, we have not initiated any effort, from the Association, in the aftermath of last weeks crisis.

Related content: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declines to blame President Trump for violence at U.S. Capitol

Mo Brooks facing censure resolution in House of Representatives

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell: We cannot be intimidated by such violence

Rep. Barry Moore deletes Twitter account after suspension, controversial Capitol riot tweets
The SC passed its verdict on the farm laws today amid the ongoing protests on Delhi borders. Following the verdict, a stay has been ordered on the implementation of the three agricultural laws and a committee has been set up to look into the grievances of the farmers.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court passed its verdict on the farm laws on Tuesday amid the ongoing protests on Delhi borders. Following the verdict, a stay has been ordered on the implementation of the three agricultural laws until further orders. A committee has also been set up by the court to look into the grievances of the farmers.

The petitions brought forth before the court had included challenges to the constitutional validity of the farm laws passed by the centre as well as demands for the removal of farmers from the Delhi borders given the deteriorating situation of law and order in the area.

ML Sharma, the advocate representing the joint front of 40 protesting farmer Union told the court that farmers had expressed their unwillingness in being a part of any proceedings overseen by the court-appointed committee. The court, however, stated that it did not want to hear any such opposition and the formation of a committee was in the best interests of solving the problem at hand.

Also read:Bird Flu confirmed in 10 states: China imposes ban on poultry import from Europe; WHO to trace Covid origins in China

Also read: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to address UNSC today

If you (farmers) want to agitate indefinitely, you can do so. Those who genuinely want a resolution will go to the committee, said the CJI Bobde. Headed by former CJI RM Lodha, the other members of the SC set up committee will include Anil Dhanwat of Shetkari Sanathan, HS Mann of Bhartiya Kisan Union, agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and Dr. Pramod Kumar Joshi.

The court has further said that farmers may take permission from Delhi Police Commissioner to continue the protests at Ramlila Maidan or other locations. A notice has also been issued by the SC to various farmer unions in response to the application filed by Delhi police to stop the tractor rally from taking place on Republic Day.

Senior advocate, Harish Salve who represented one of the petitioners has said that the stay in implementation should not be seen as a political victory but rather a serious examination of the concerns brought forth by the laws. On Monday the court had expressed its disappointment with the way negotiations were being handled by the centre and had suggested a stay in laws.

Also read:US lifts restrictions on contacts with Taiwan, leaves China rattled
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniSci today announced it has been named a winner in the 2021 BIG Innovation Awards presented by the Business Intelligence Group.

OmniSci is the first analytics solution to harness the massive parallel processing capabilities of modern GPU and CPU hardware. As the world's fastest open-source SQL engine, the OmniSci platform allows users to interactively query, visualize and accelerate data science workflowseven those involving tens of billions of rows of data. OmniSci offers a rendering engine and a visualization system to drive both standard visualizations as well as geographic maps, geo heat maps, choropleths, and scatter plots. Furthermore, it supports spatiotemporal analysis by integrating timestamp information found in IoT, mobile devices, and other common datasets.

"2020 showed that powerful analytics are essential to solving complex spatial-temporal challenges," said Todd Mostak, CEO of OmniSci, " Supply chain monitoring , COVID-19 tracking and the implementation of 5G all involve in depth data queries requiring innovative solutions. I'm proud of our team for its continued work to create tools to solve these problems."

"More than ever, the global society relies on innovation to help progress humanity and make our lives more productive, healthy and comfortable," said Maria Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer of the Business Intelligence Group. "We are thrilled to be honoring OmniSci as they are one of the organizations leading this charge and helping humanity progress."

Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

About OmniSci

OmniSci is the pioneer in accelerated analytics. The OmniSci platform is used in business and government to find insights in data beyond the limits of mainstream analytics tools. Harnessing the massive parallelism of modern CPU and GPU hardware, the platform is available in the cloud and on-premise. OmniSci originated from research at Harvard and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). OmniSci is funded by GV, In-Q-Tel, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), NVIDIA, Tiger Global Management, Vanedge Capital and Verizon Ventures. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. Learn more about OmniSci at www.omnisci.com .

About Business Intelligence Group

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs , these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

Contacts

Amy Dardinger

Director, Media Relations

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Maria Jimenez

Chief Operating Officer

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SOURCE OmniSci
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Cuyahoga County Land Bank plans to move forward with the construction of two more infill homes on vacant lots in the city -- both on Ludgate Road in the South Moreland neighborhood.

These could bring the total number of new infill homes on Ludgate to four -- upward of 10 citywide -- with two homes in the $250,000 price range, which the county proposes will be built by Beachwood-based Orlean Company, owned by Shaker Heights resident Ken Lurie.

Knez homes built and sold the first infill spec house there and now has plans for a second home once a buyer is found for that lot.

City Neighborhood Revitalization Director Kamla Lewis told council last month that she has been working with the county for over a year since the focus was shifted from primarily demolitions to housing rehabilitations and new construction.

The goal has always been to have several different builders constructing new homes in the neighborhood.

Its such a good point to reach, when you have a competitive demand for infill housing, Lewis told council. Its very gratifying, because weve worked so hard to get to this point, in terms of the good infill opportunities that are in the offing.

Under the proposal, the two vacant lots would be acquired by the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corp. (CCLRC) for $1 apiece to build more spec homes. The land bank will also provide a subsidy of up to $30,000 if needed to make the project feasible, Lewis memo to council notes.

The actual construction costs are not known yet, with the design still needing to be completed.

At the same time, there are 10-year, 100 percent tax abatements for owner-occupant buyers, dating back to the citys 2015 Housing and Neighborhood Plan, which expressed the need to diversify the citys housing stock and revitalize the Moreland neighborhood through creation of new housing.

The CCLRC and the City of Shaker Heights have collaborated on several revitalization initiatives, Lewis noted, including rehabs in the southern Moreland neighborhood.

Most recently, they rehabbed and sold a house on Ludgate, and they have just completed a pilot condo rehab on Van Aken Boulevard, Lewis said.

Founded in 1954, the Orlean Company works in both residential and commercial real estate. Residential projects include Bluestone in Cleveland Heights, Rivercreek at Acacia, Edgewood Trace in Pepper Pike and Kenilworth Mews in Cleveland Heights.

Other projects

The city also received an application for another infill project on Lee Road, while Lewis provided an update to council on an application approved in July for Keystate Homes Development of Pepper Pike to market a vacant lot on Fairmount Boulevard.

Keystate has a buyer, Lewis said, having noted earlier that it was the citys first application allowing a custom home builder to hold a six-month option to purchase while marketing a vacant lot -- for a dollar, as well.

It could be the companys first home built in Shaker. The previous house on that lot was demolished in 2009. Keystate earlier anticipated a sale price of $300,000 for the new dwelling.

Unofficially, there have now been as many as 10 vacant lots sold to builders for new homes -- the previous two on Ludgate to Knez, two on Lomond to Rysar and three on Lomond to Zaremba.

In all these cases, they were spec homes -- this is our first application to instead enter into an option agreement while the builder seeks a buyer for a custom home, Lewis said earlier of the Keystate proposal.

Read more from the Sun Press.
ROME  Over a decade ago, an activist in Italys Five Star Movement wrote to the nascent partys leaders to tell them that his law firm, after years of seeking damages from vaccination, had convinced a judge that a vaccine was a potential source of autism.

Were dealing with a historic legal precedent, he wrote emphatically.

Today that lawyer, Alfonso Bonafede, is the Italian justice minister, and his populist Five Star Movement leads the government.

The Five Stars long history of sowing doubt about vaccines may have made its job that much harder as it seeks to convince Italians that a mass inoculation program is necessary to beat back a pandemic that has killed nearly two million people worldwide and shuttered entire economies.

The irony is not lost on Italians, who are not even Europes most skeptical population when it comes to the benefit of vaccines. While 62 percent of Italians have said they would get an available vaccine, according to figures by Ipsos, a polling firm, in France only 40 percent said they would be.
A piece of wasteland covered by sands in Yongqing county, Langfang, north China's Hebei province, is now turned into a cluster of fashion enterprises, fertilizing China's clothing and fashion industry.

The Yunshang Town, which started operation in 2017 and has been joined by over 3,800 merchants from Beijing, is a major project shouldering the noncapital functions of Beijing.

Located at the junction of Beijing, Tianjin and Xiongan New Area, Yongqing county is less than 10 kilometers away from the Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway and Capital Region Ring Expressway. As Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei further advance their integration progress, the county is building itself into a new high ground for the clothing industry in north China.

The Yunshang Town's major functions include clothing trade, tourism and exhibition. It is also a base for mass entrepreneurship and innovation in the fashion industry that gathers a number of designers and brands. Besides, the town has built a residence zone in it, vowing to offer the most fashionable dwelling experiences in China. At present, the town has been developed into an industrial cluster that covers all link, including designing, R&D, production, training, launching, cross-border marketing and innovation.

The Yunshang Town always invites teachers and students from Minzu University of China and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology for teaching and internship programs, regularly holds exhibitions and fashion shows. So far, the town has attracted over 100 independent designers and high-end customization studios.

At present, nearly 10,000 people work in the town, 2,500 of whom are from local community. The town's annual turnover has reached 5 billion yuan, contributing a total of 260 million yuan of tax. It was listed as a national-level pilot park of textile and clothing industry in November, 2018.

Centering the towm, Yongqing county also established multiple platforms for the clothing industry, making fashion designing a new impetus driving regional economic restructuring and development.

Li Yuanjie, 29, runs a clothe brand in the Yunshang Town. "Our brand has newly opened several stores in Beijing, and the performance is pretty good," he told the People's Daily.

Li's company moved to the town four years ago from Dahongmen, a wholesale market in Beijing. "Our company bought a new store here, which covers over 2,800 square meters, or 3 times of that before," Li said. He believes his company was not able to complete transformation in the metropolis given the high operational cost and little development space there.

Thanks to the resources and consumption market in Beijing and Tianjin, the company has expanded its annual turnover from 200 million yuan to 1 billion yuan, Li said. After four years of development, the company has grown from a traditional wholesale dealer of textile materials into a comprehensive clothing enterprise engaged in designing, fabric processing and branding. Its products have been sold to first-tier cities in China and even overseas markets.
A freshman Republican lawmaker unloaded on her fellow party members during a call with them Monday evening, denouncing them for listening to the conspiracy theories sprouted by a fellow member of Congress.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina chastised her fellow Republicans, telling them she was 'disappointed [the party is] being led by QAnon conspiracy theorists,' Punchbowl DC reported.

She spoke up after fellow freshman Representative Lauren Boebert, a hard right conservative who has expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theories, claimed without evidence that last week's Capitol riot was, in part, a result of Capitol Police who were a part of the mob.

The call was the first time House Republicans met since the MAGA rioters rampaged the Capitol, which resulted in five people dying and left a trail of destruction throughout the building in the form of broken glass, smashed furniture and ransacked office space.

Republicans have become bitterly divided in the aftermath, with some publicly blaming President Donald Trump for inciting the mob. Other Republican lawmakers spoke at a rally the morning of the attack - the same event where Trump disputed the election results and told his followers to march on the Capitol.

Boebert was one of the speakers at the rally. Both she and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, another QAnon follower, called the day the Republicans' '1776 moment.'

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina chastised her fellow Republicans for listening to conspiracy theories sprouted by a fellow member of Congress

She spoke up after Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert claimed without evidence that last week's Capitol riot was, in part, a result of Capitol Police who were a part of it

Security in the Capitol has been ramped up - with thousands of National Guard units brought in to supply extra man power - and investigations into Wednesday's chaos have begun.

Interim Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman is examining the actions taken by some officers in the Capitol chaos. One officer was suspended for taking a selfie with a rioter. Another was suspended for putting on a MAGA hat and acting as a 'guide' for rioters around the Capitol.

'The Department also has been actively reviewing video and other open source materials of some USCP officers and officials that appear to be in violation of Department regulations and policies. Our Office of Professional Responsibility will investigate these behaviors for disciplinary action, up to, and including, termination. Several USCP officers have already been suspended pending the outcome of their investigations,' she said in a statement.

Boebert, who has only been in office a week, has already made a name for herself by asking for permission to carry her Glock pistol in the Capitol. The Colorado Republican wore it frequently on the campaign trail.

Washington D.C. has strong laws against concealed weapons but lawmakers are exempt from them as long as the weapons are stored in the members' offices and transported safely and unloaded.

Boebert is a loyalists to President Trump and helped his challenge to the electoral college vote that ultimately certified Joe Biden's victory.

Now Boebert is facing calls to resign amid allegations she helped incite last Wednesday's mob with her fiery rhetoric.

Additionally, she is being criticized for tweeting information about the location of lawmakers and Speaker Nancy Pelosi while the mob was overrunning Capitol Hill.

Boebert wrote on Twitter that lawmakers had been moved to the House chambers as rioters were breaking into the Capitol. Then, she tweeted out the 'Speaker has been removed from the chambers.' She did not reveal Pelosi's precise location.

She is refusing to step down, defended her tweets, and said the election challenge should not have led to last week's violence.

'They accuse me of live-tweeting the Speaker's presence after she had been safely removed from the Capitol, as if I was revealing some big secret, when in fact this removal was also being broadcast on TV. They act as if Republicans created objections to the Electoral College certification out of thin air, when it was Democrats who objected in 2001, 2005 and 2017,' she said in a statement.

'The violence that we did see take place on January 6th was absolutely indefensible,' she noted.

Rep. Lauren Boebert has already made a name for herself by asking permission to carry her glock pistol in the capitol and her support for QAnon conspiracy theories

Rep. Boebert was criticized for sending these tweets on the day of the riot, which gave the location of lawmakers and information on Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the mob swarmed the Capitol

Republicans have become bitterly divided in the aftermath of Wednesday's attack on the Capitol, with some publicly blaming President Donald Trump for inciting the mob

Monday night's call with Republicans came as Democrats plan one final push to remove him from office. On Tuesday, the House will vote on legislation calling on Vice President Mike Pence to start the process to remove Trump via the 25th amendment. Pence is not expected to do so.

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on beginning another round of impeachment charges against Trump - this time for inciting the violence on Capitol Hill that left five dead and a wave of destruction in the building.

On the call, Kevin McCarthy, the fiercely loyal House Minority Leader, told House Republicans on Monday that Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots and has accepted some responsibility, Politico reported, citing four Republican sources on a private call.

Trump has not publicly acknowledged any responsibility for the attack, which unfolded after he staged a rally on Wednesday and called on his supporters to 'fight' the election result and 'persuade' Republicans not to certify Biden's victory.

McCarthy strongly pushed back against Trump's claim that the rioters were Left-wing agitators intent on discrediting Trump and his followers - a claim made by staunchly pro-Trump congressman Matt Gaetz, and repeated by Fox News' anchors and pundits.

'It's not ANTIFA, it's MAGA,' McCarthy replied, according to Axios.

'I know. I was there,' McCarthy said, according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call.

McCarthy later reiterated his position during a two-hour call with Republicans in the House, telling them there is 'undisputedly' no evidence that people linked to ANTIFA participated in the insurrection.

Some Republicans are expected to join Democrats in the vote to impeach Trump, but the U.S. Senate is unlikely to convene in time to consider the article before Trump leaves office at noon on Jan. 20.

In a memo to Republicans ahead of the call Monday, McCarthy told fellow lawmakers he does not back impeachment and suggested other measures, including censure of the president.
China rebuked the United States yesterday for lifting decades-long curbs on interactions between American and Taiwanese officials, a move that Taiwans foreign minister embraced as a sign of global partnership.

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, announced the change late on Saturday evening to scrap the complex internal restrictions he said had been self-imposed in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing.

The abrupt shift in policy comes in the lead-up to an unprecedented three-day visit to Taiwan by Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to the UN, this week.

The developments are likely to inflame the tense relationship between Beijing and Washington in the waning days of the Trump presidency.

The Chinese Communist Party claims the democratic island of 23 million as its own territory. Yesterday, the Chinese foreign ministry said it was resolutely opposed to Mr Pompeos decision.

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The Chinese peoples resolve to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity is unshakable. We will not permit any person or force to stop the process of Chinas reunification, said Zhao Lijian, a foreign ministry spokesman.

However, Joseph Wu, Taiwans foreign minister, welcomed the development as a big thing for the elevation of Taiwan-US relations.

He added: The foreign ministry hopes to continue to boost the development of Taiwan-US ties.

Under Donald Trump, relations have been strengthened through the visits of senior officials and arms sales have increased. The specifics of Mr Pompeos decision remain unknown but it could mean that officials will be able to interact in more high-profile locations such as the White House, which would be a sensitive issue for Beijing.

Ms Crafts visit is symbolic because Beijing has increasingly tried to squeeze Taiwans presence out of international institutions, including UN bodies. Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwanese president, who will meet Ms Craft on Thursday, said her trip was an important milestone.

Foreign policy analysts have raised concerns that outgoing Republican officials may be using Taiwan to needle Beijing or to complicate early relations between China and the incoming Biden administration.

Read More

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Serbia has repaid early a 172.7 million euro ($210 million) outstanding debt to Azerbaijan under a loan for the construction of a Corridor XI road section, Serbian finance minister Sinisa Mali said.

The government has repaid the debt using proceeds from the sale of its 83.23% shareholding interest in blue-chip lender Komercijalna Banka to Slovenia's Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB) for 394.7 million euro, according to a press release.

"In this way, we saved the citizens of Serbia 25.9 million euro in interest that they would have paid by 2027," Mali said.

Last month, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the repayment of the debt will reduce Serbia's public debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio by 0.42% to 58.5%, SeeNews reported.

Serbia agreed to receive a 300 million euro loan from the Azeri government for the construction of the Preljina-Ljig section of Corridor XI in 2012. The construction works were carried out by Azeri construction company Azvirt.
Electrical engineering expert faces fraud charges in the US over sale of his firm

Michael Lynch allegedly overstated the value of his company ahead of $11bn sale

Ex-ministers and business leaders fear Mr Lynch, 55, faces 'a decade in prison'

A British tech tycoon at the centre of a 3.7bn fraud case should not be extradited to the US because the UK has 'surrendered sovereignty for too long,' ex-Cabinet ministers have said.

Electrical engineering expert Michael Lynch is facing fraud charges in the US, as authorities claim he overstated the value of his software company before it was sold to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

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HP purchased Mr Lynch's company, Autonomy, for $11bn (8bn) in 2011, but the company is seeking damages of around 3.7bn in London's High Court.

Ahead of an extradition hearing next month, former senior ministers and business leaders, including one-time Brexit secretary David Davis, as well as Sir John Rose, former chief executive of Rolls-Royce, have rallied in support of Mr Lynch.

They warned the 55-year-old faces 'a decade in prison,' if extradited and convicted.

Michael Lynch, 54, sold his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011 in an $11billion (8.5million) deal - but faces 17 charges in the US including wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud

A joint letter published in The Times today read: 'The Serious Fraud Office considered the case involving Mike Lynch and decided there was nothing worthy of prosecution.

'The High Court picked over the issues for 10 months. The British legal system is quite capable of dealing with this. But our extradition treaty with the US can mean none of that matters.'

The letter warned that the treaty meant 'any British businessman or woman who finds themselves at odds with a powerful US company could face the same fate'.

It added: 'That means facing a system where prosecutors cut deals offering their own witnesses immunity, while those who want to testify for the defendant risk being dubbed 'co-conspirators' and prosecuted. This is not justice.'

Former secretary of state for the environment Lord Deben is among the signatories of a letter warning Britain's extradition treaty with the US puts British entrepreneurs at risk if they 'find themselves at odds with a powerful US company'

Autonomy, which specialised in software to sort through large data sets, was sold for $11bn, but the sale resulted in heavy loses for US firm HP.

An extradition request for Mr Lynch, who has a PhD in signal processing from the University of Cambridge, was submitted to British authorities in November 2019.

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HP is seeking damages of 5 billion dollars (3.7 billion) from Mr Lynch in a civil case in London's High Court.

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He claims any loss was down to the tech giant's mismanagement of the acquisition.

At a previous hearing in February last year, Westminster Magistrates Court heard MR Lynch faces 17 criminal charges including wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud.

Mr Lynch, who divides his time between London and his farm in Suffolk, was barred from leaving England and Wales. Lawyers told the hearing he had already handed over his British and Irish passports.

Former minister Andrew Mitchell has also leapt to the support of Mr Lynch, who is currently facing High Court proceedings in London with HP

The letter, also signed by Lord Maude of Horsham, warns: 'We've surrendered sovereignty over our own justice system for too long'

Extradition row follows landmark Assange case Concerns over Michael Lynch's possible extradition come after it was ruled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would not be sent to the US for trial. Assange is wanted in Washington to face 18 charges relating to the 2010 release by WikiLeaks of 500,000 secret files detailing aspects of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US claims he helped intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal the 2010 documents before exposing confidential sources around the world. He faces a possible 175-year sentence if convicted but Assange and his lawyers have long argued the case against him is politically motivated. Earlier this month Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the United States' request to extradite Assange, saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh US prison conditions. The US has said it will appeal the decision.

Signatories to the letter in The Times include four Conservative ex-cabinet ministers: former Brexit secretary David Davis, former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, former minister for the Cabinet Office Lord Maude of Horsham, and former secretary of state for the environment Lord Deben.

Joining them is ex-Liberal Democrat MP Sir Vince Cable, who served as business secretary in the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government.

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Veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, former Barclays bank chairman Marcus Agius and Sir John Rose, former chief executive of Rolls-Royce, have also signed the letter.

The letter highlighted Boris Johnson's criticism of the UK's extradition treaty with the US.

It said: 'The Prime Minister accepts the treaty is unbalanced. The Foreign Secretary has railed against it. Politicians on all sides want it changed.

'We've surrendered sovereignty over our own justice system for too long.

'The Government cannot stand by as another Briton risks being delivered like this to the US justice system.'

The letter comes just over a week after a Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the US' request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Assange is wanted in Washington to face 18 charges relating to the 2010 release by WikiLeaks of 500,000 secret files detailing aspects of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The extradition request was denies amid concerns Assange, 49, would take his own life if held in a US prison.

RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hilb Group, LLC ("THG") announced today that it has acquired North Carolina-based Dwayne Wilson Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. ("DWI"). The transaction became effective on December 31, 2020.

DWI is a full-service life and health (L&H) agency, providing a full range of insurance products and advisory services to employer groups and individuals. As a part of the transaction, Dwayne Wilson and his team will join the Hilb Southeast region.

"We are excited to take our business in this new direction and look forward to working with everyone at THG," said Dwayne Wilson. "Our team is committed to continuing our service to clients and welcomes the resources that THG can provide."

"We are excited to welcome Dwayne and his team to THG," said Ricky Spiro, THG CEO. "We are confident they will strengthen our employee benefits practice and presence in the region."

About THG: THG is a leading property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. THG is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. THG seeks to grow through strategic acquisitions and by leveraging its resources and expertise to drive organic growth in its acquired agencies. The company has completed more than 100 acquisitions and now has over 100 offices in 20 states. Please visit our website at: http://hilbgroup.com.

Media Contact:

Ally Barbour

804-533-0191

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M&A Contact:

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Despite being on a holiday break, preschooler Olive Breckon couldnt quite relax.

The four-year-old was so hyper-aware of hygiene  the result of practising COVID-19 safety protocols at daycare and nursery school throughout autumn  she asked her parents to serve her meals using tongs. Olive insisted on staying home so she wouldnt have to wear a face mask or go near other people. She counted aloud the seconds her parents washed their hands.

"She became pretty anxious about germs. It took a long time to get her to even leave the house," said Corinne Mason, recalling she and her partners efforts to calm and coax Olive into going on a walk with the dog during the initial days of the recent holiday break.

For Olive and thousands of youngsters who also started school this year, pandemic precautions and formal education are intertwined. Meantime, some parents are postponing their childs introduction to school to limit close contacts.

Either way, preschoolers across the province are now missing out on many of the early hands-on learning opportunities they would typically have at daycare, playgroups and the park.

Between age two and five is a key developmental period for a childs socialization, during which they learn everything from how to get along with others to what it means to have good manners, said Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk, a professor of education and the development studies program director at the University of Winnipeg.

The inability to see a teachers expression under a mask or share playdough complicates learning such lessons, Skwarchuk said.

"I am worried. However, our young kids are resilient. We just have to make sure we keep education on the radar," she said. "If children arent exposed to these quality environments, focusing on play and on their interests, then parents need to find alternatives to make sure that opportunities are happening at home."

SUPPLIED Winnipeg parents Rune Breckon, left, and Corinne Mason sent their daughter, Olive Breckon to pre-school this year so she could build her social-emotional intelligence with peers and teachers in class.

While its too early to know whether there will be any long-term developmental effects, researchers and early childhood educators alike suggest children will remain resilient.

The tots at Oak Street Nursery School often talk about not being able to see their grandparents or hug their friends, and so, director Karlin Mann said her team is focused on "keeping things as normal as we can" to care for their social-emotional needs.

"Thats our job through all of this, to make sure kids feel supported, they feel safe, and they feel excited about things," Mann said.

The nursery school has set up tables with clear partitions and umbrellas on top of them to promote physical distancing while allowing students to see each other. They are an unusual sight, but Mann said educators have been getting students excited about using the umbrella tables  so much so, theyre going to keep them around post-pandemic.

Much attention has been focused on what and how students are learning in class this year, but Prof. Tracie Afifis main concerns surround whats happening at home.

"What worries me the most about the pandemic is with elevated stress for parents, may come elevated physical discipline," said Afifi, Canada Research Chair in childhood adversity and resilience, who teaches community health sciences at the University of Manitoba.

When caregivers take care of their own well-being and feel supported, kids have better outcomes, she added.

Parenting during a pandemic is no easy task, but Mason and her partner are managing with some help from Olives teachers and the advice of other queer parents in their social circle.

"Its so important for us that she goes to school and continues to go to school to have those child experiences, more than anything," Mason said, adding spontaneous games arent the same with parents as they are with imaginative peers.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Karkhana.io

News Summary

Karkhana.io, a B2B on-demand manufacturing platform, announced its seed round financing of USD1.5 million led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India (Vertex Ventures SEA & India). The company also saw participation from several industry leaders and angel investors. With this funding, Karkhana.io aims to fuel further growth and establish their technology platform to meet the burgeoning demand for custom manufacturing in Indias manufacturing industry.
Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk participates in a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on May 27, 2020. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

Elon Musk: Big Tech Is Now De Facto Arbiter of Free Speech

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, indicated on Monday that Big Tech is now the de facto arbiter of free speech, referring to their recent move to ban President Donald Trump.

A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech, Musk wrote on Twitter, replying to a satirical article titled Evil Fascist Dictator Censored And Voted Out Of Office.

The article was posted by Babylon Bee, a website known for its satirical articles.

West Coast high tech has to make the distinction between banning hate speech and banning speech It hates, wrote one Twitter user.

This is an important distinction, Musk replied.

A Dictator can not be censored. A Dictator is the one doing the censoring commented another Twitter user.

Musks comments came after Big Tech moved last week to ban Trump and his supporters, citing risk of further incitement of violence.

Twitter permanently suspended Trumps account on Jan. 8. Meanwhile, Apple and Google removed Parler, a popular social media app seen as an alternative to Twitter, from their respective App stores. Amazon joined in the effort to take down Parler by rescinding web hosting services.

Parler was criticized by those tech companies for allowing dangerous and harmful content.

A day before Twitters permanent suspension of Trumps account, Michelle Obama publicly called on Big Tech to permanently ban Trump.

Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behaviorand go even further than they already have by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nations leaders to fuel insurrection, she said in a statement.

The move by Big Tech is highly controversial. Supporters say theyre private companies and have the right to do so. Opponents argue that dictators who violently suppress their people such as Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro and Irans Hassan Rouhani can still use Twitter, but Trump can not.

World leaders denounced the censorship, with some calling it an abuse of power and a threat to political freedom.

Signal, Telegram, Gab, and other messaging services or social media companies gained a lot of new users following the ban on Trump.

On Jan. 7, Musk wrote use Signal on Twitter, following an article reporting that WhatsApp mandates its users to share data with Facebook, the parent company that owns WhatsApp. Signal is an encrypted messaging service and app.

Musk also disclosed that he donated to Signal a year ago and will donate more.

Musk became the richest person in the world in January, surpassing Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Signals share price soared dramatically on Monday. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
In the movies, first the monsters attack, the people run away, then the people argue about what to do. Then the monsters come again.

On Wednesday, the monsters came to the Capitol. Now the people are dithering, arguing about what to do.

In the movies, the people stand up to the monsters and the people win. In real life, the dithering goes on and on, but it is time to stand up to the monsters. They will be back.

Bill Parks, Palo Alto

No one is above the law

If this country wants to complete any form of democracy, it is necessary to discontinue allowing a president to commit any crime without holding him responsible for their actions while in office. All other citizens are held responsible for a crime immediately. The present law puts the president above the people. Does not sound like equality. That is not democracy.

Gene Van Dyke, Carmel Valley, Monterey County

Put him to the test

Could President Trump actually pass a citizenship test, including his new, harder version? Should that be a requirement for presidency?

Cynthia Cudaback, Oakland

Youre not welcome

Donald Trump: You are a fake president. It is correct, appropriate and decent that you absent yourself from the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Ruth Bossieux, Berkeley

Schwarzenegger is right

Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves praise for saying the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol started with lies, and lies, and lies. Hes right that what the country saw on TV resembled Kristallnacht, the 1938 night of broken glass and attacks on Jews in Nazi Germany.

If hes inferring some of the rioters conduct was Nazi, so be it.

Bruce Blackie, San Francisco

Badge of ignobility

Sadly, Im quite sure Trump will turn his second impeachment around by bragging that he is the only president to be impeached twice!

Richard Porter-Roth, Mill Valley

Call the senators bluff

When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers  Oscar Wilde

I say we grant Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley their prayers. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer should appoint them to co-lead a Senate committee to investigate voter fraud in the 2020 election. They will have 10 days to produce a report with recommended indictments of voter fraud and vote fixing. Hopefully, they can settle the issue once and for all.

Brendan Meyer, Alameda

Can he really do it?

Why has there not been a definitive answer to the question, Does President Trump have the power to pardon himself?

Thomas Schnurbusch, Foster City

Put this in perspective

Sen. Al Franken was drummed out of office for much, much less than what Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Kevin McCarthy and their Senate and House co-conspirators have inflicted on this country.

They have to go.

Anne Whetstone, Oakland
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) The Constitutional Court of Moldova on Tuesday ruled that the concept of "victim of political repression" includes children born in places of exile, as well as children whose parents were victims of repression, Head of the Constitutional Court Domnica Manole said.

In July, Octavian Ticu, an independent Moldovan lawmaker, addressed the Constitutional Court with a request to declare unconstitutional the law on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression. In particular, Ticu opposed the recognition as victims only of those children who were born before exile and only if the parents had previously entered into a legal marriage.

"The Constitutional Court of Moldova decided to declare unconstitutional the text set out in the first article of Law 276 on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression.

Until the parliament introduces amendments to the law, children born in places of repression or on the way to them will also be considered victims of political repression, if one of the parents is a victim of political repression," Manole said, reading the ruling.

According to the court, the previous text of the law deprived children born out of wedlock in places of exile of the right to be considered a victim of political repression. Children whose parents got married already in the place of resettlement also were not recognized as victims.

The decision of the Constitutional Court came into force at the time of its announcement.
CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the International African American Museum announced a $1.7 million product donation from Sony Corporation of America (SCA), on behalf of Sony Corporation and its U.S. affiliates. The Museum is scheduled to open in 2022 at the former Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston, SC. Historians estimate nearly half of all African captives brought to America arrived in Charleston, most of them at Gadsden's Wharf.

"One silver lining of the pandemic is that museums have been challenged to re-imagine the visitor experience," said Dr. Elijah Heyward III, Chief Operating Officer of the Museum. "Not only will we create more virtual options to learn and inspire, but we will also make use of the extraordinary new technology so generously contributed by Sony inside the Museum. When our doors open in 2022, visitors will experience the journey of African Americans in a way that has never been seen or felt before. Thanks to Sony, the International African American Museum will be a showcase for a new generation of visitor experiences."

The donation, which is being made through Sony's Global Social Justice Fund, will be used to outfit the Atlantic Worlds Gallery  a centerpiece of the Museum  and to support additional environments throughout the space. The Gallery, which is the largest in the Museum, is especially impactful as its windows look out onto the path that the slave ships took to arrive at the Wharf.

"Diversity is built into Sony's DNA," said Mark Khalil, President of Sony Corporation of America. "It is one of our company's values, and this donation translates that vision into action. We are thrilled with this partnership and look forward to working with the Museum on this incredible project."

"This donation is part of Sony's ongoing commitment to social justice and diversity," said Karen Kelso, Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, SCA. "This new museum promises to educate millions of people as to the atrocities endured by Africans in this country."

The International African American Museum will feature a number of state-of-the-art Sony products, including North America's first public deployment of the new Crystal LED display series, in a 32-foot wide, 7-foot high configuration; 3LCD and SXRD laser projectors; 4K HDR professional BRAVIA displays; and wireless microphones.

"We are pleased to be working with the International African American Museum to bring their vision of education and inclusiveness to light," said Mike Fasulo, President and COO, Sony Electronics, Inc. "These innovative products are the pinnacle of acuity and resolution, helping to create fully immersive exhibits that bring important history to life for millions of museum visitors."

About the International African American Museum

The International African American Museum strives to foster empathy and understanding, empowering visitors with the knowledge of the past. The journey will challenge, illuminate, inspire and ultimately, will move people to action. The Museum's exhibitions will share untold stories using classic techniques as well as new approaches driven by innovation, technology and digital interactivity. Themes will include connections across the African diaspora, the spread of African American culture and influence, and the movements for justice and equality. The Center for Family History will enable visitors to trace their genealogy, while changing exhibitions and special events will keep the Museum energized. Educational programs will provide life-long learning opportunities for visitors both young and old.

The International African American Museum will open early 2022. For more information, visit our website at www.iaamuseum.org or connect with us on social media @iaamuseum on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Sony Corporation of America

Sony Corporation of America, located in New York, NY, is the U.S. headquarters of Sony Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan. Sony's principal U.S. businesses include Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Sony Music Entertainment and Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $76.67 billion USD for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 and employs approximately 114,400.

SOURCE Sony Corporation of America
Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, has shut Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Health Centre in Aboru, to curb the sp...





Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, has shut Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Health Centre in Aboru, to curb the spread of coronavirus.

David Famuyiwa, the LCDA Chairman, recently ordered the closure of Meiran Primary Health Care (PHC) after a staff member tested positive to the virus.

In a statement on Tuesday, Famuyiwa said he directed the closure of BAT Health Centre main building after inspecting some health facilities within the council.

However, the fumigated premises would be open for patients.

Famuyiwa assured that COVID-19 testing will continue in the facility to ascertain their condition before medical attention.

He confirmed that fumigation had commenced at the PHC in Meiran.

We will ensure that all other centres are also fumigated to prevent the spread of the pandemic within the LCDA, NAN quoted him as saying.

I am glad to inform you that the nurses in good health conditions will immunise babies on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at the open ground opposite the Meiran PHC.

Famuyiwa advised nursing mothers to adhere strictly to COVID-19 protocols during and after the exercise.
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Gabrielle Friel was found guilty of possessing weapons at various locations

A student who amassed a stash of lethal weapons including a crossbow and machete has today been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Gabrielle Friel was found with a high-powered crossbow, 15 bolts, a 12-inch machete and a ballistic vest and had made repeated internet searches for firearms.

The 22-year-old was sentenced today at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He was cleared of a second charge of wanting to carry out a 'spree killing mass murder'.

Friel had denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the trial, saying mass shooting was a 'fantasy' for him.

He also said he 'felt for' incel mass murderer Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in a stabbing and shooting spree in Isla Vista, California, in May 2014 before killing himself.

Friel had told a doctor he wanted to 'carry out a mass shooting' and his social worker reported he appeared to 'almost idolise' Rodger.

He claimed he also wanted to commit 'suicide by cop' when he stabbed a police officer at Edinburgh College's Granton campus in November 2017.

Friel, 22, was found guilty by majority of having a crossbow, scope, crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest at various locations in Edinburgh between June 1 and August 16 last year

The items and weapons, including the knife pictured above, were found at his home, a social work centre and a hospital, in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable suspicion that possessing these was for a purpose connected with terrorism

As part of this charge, Friel was accused of having 'expressed affinity with and sympathy for one incel-motivated mass murderer' and to have expressed 'a desire to carry out a spree killing mass murder'. Pictured: The crossbow bolts recovered by police

Friel was found guilty of possessing the weapons at various locations in Edinburgh in 2019 including his home, a social work centre and a hospital in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable suspicion that possessing them was for a purpose connected with terrorism.

The 22-year-old appeared via video link at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday where Judge Lord Beckett imposed the sentence with a five years extension subject to licence.

Friel was found guilty of possessing a crossbow, scope, crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest between June 1 and August 16 2019.

A second charge that he prepared for terrorist acts by researching spree killings, particularly those connected with incels - people who are involuntarily celibate - was found not proven after a five-day trial at the court in December.

The incel subculture first turned violent when American Elliot Rodger murdered six of his fellow students before killing himself at the University of California in May 2014.

The court was told he amassed weapons last summer because he wanted to commit 'suicide by cop' to help end his violent thoughts.

Social worker Sarah Drummond's email to his psychiatrist Dr Alexander Quinn read: '[Friel] feels jealous of others and feels that no girls are interested in him.

'He wants to project his anger on to the world and described media attention from mass killing as the the only way the world would take notice.'

As well as the weapons, a telescopic sight was among the items recovered

Friel denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the trial at Edinburgh High Court

Police urge friends and family members to help tackle radicalisation Police Scotland urged people to help tackle the radicalisation of friends and family members after Friel's conviction. Assistant Chief Constable for counter-terrorism Pat Campbell said: 'Gabrielle Friel is a potentially dangerous and disaffected individual, and Police Scotland welcomes the outcome of this case as the consequences of his actions could have been catastrophic. 'I sincerely thank the health and social care professionals and the Police Scotland officers involved in what was an extremely complex and challenging investigation. 'Their actions contributed to an early intervention and undoubtedly prevented him undertaking an act that threatened the safety of our communities. 'This was an unprecedented case and underlines the severity of Friel's intentions.' Mr Campbell added: 'We can't do this alone and we also need the help of families, friends and the wider public. 'I know it can be a big step, particularly when we are referring to terrorism. But if you think that a family member or a friend is being radicalised, displaying extremist views or becoming involved in terrorist activity you should contact Police Scotland. 'Officers will work alongside other public protection partners to safeguard that individual and the public. 'By working together effectively, we will also help to safeguard individuals who have been identified as being vulnerable to radicalisation or being drawn into extremism.' Advertisement

Friel said fears he would fail a test had triggered negative thoughts of being bullied at high school in Singapore and previous attempts to take his own life, which led to further attempts before the college incident.

The court heard Friel was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty at a hearing in June 2018 to the stabbing, which endangered the officer's life.

Items recovered by police were previously presented to the court during evidence from Khaldoun Kabbani, a forensic scientist from the Scottish Police Authority who focuses on ballistics and weapons, including the science of bullets and projectiles.

A report suggested the crossbow was in 'good external condition' and 'in working order', with the specifications stating it could fire arrows at 340ft per second and had a draw weight of 175lb.

When advocate depute Richard Goddard asked if that was a considerable weight, Mr Kabbani replied 'yes'.

Mr Goddard also asked about the registration of crossbows, to which Mr Kabbani read out a document stating they 'cannot be considered firearms' but there is legislation on the sale of those with a draw weight over 1.4kg (3lb).

The crossbow shown to the jury had a draw weight of 79kg (175lb).

Mr Goddard asked what damage this could cause, to which Mr Kabbani highlighted the steel tip arrows could pierce the 'flesh and vital organs', with many factors contributing to potential injury, such as wearing protection.

The advocate asked if it was 'capable of killing someone' and Mr Kabbani replied: 'Correct.'

The court was also shown three packets of five arrows, with the report saying one had been damaged with the steel tip and part of the shaft missing.

Friel is alleged to have test-fired the crossbow at a drinks can at his Edinburgh home.

Mr Kabbani said while one 'empty Pepsi can appears to be pierce-damaged' and could have been caused by an arrow, he added: 'Other methods of damage cannot be ruled out.'

The vest was also shown to the court and worn by Mr Kabbani, who said it did not have the protective plates that would make it bullet or stab-proof.

Brian Gilfedder, Friel's lawyer, asked if someone would be able to tell from a distance if the plates were there, to which Mr Kabbani replied: 'No.'

The court heard Friel had 'expressed affinity with and sympathy for one incel-motivated mass murderer' and the jury previously heard he appeared to 'almost idolise' US killer Elliot Rodger (pictured)
New Delhi: Abdur Rahman aka Dr Brave, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last year in the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) case, was misusing his medical knowledge to develop laser-guided missile system for the banned terror group, the central agency has said.

Rahman had studied ophthalmology and hence knew about the use of ophthalmic lasers in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and posterior capsular opacity.

These details were revealed in the NIA chargesheet filed against Rahman in a special NIA court in Delhi on Tuesday under the IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Rahman, 28, a resident of Karnataka's Bengaluru, was charge-sheeted for furthering the ISIS/ISKP ideology and activities in connivance with co-accused Jahanzaib Sami Wani and others for subversive or anti-national activities in India.

He was arrested on August 17 last year from Bengaluru.

An NIA official privy to the probe told IANS on the condition of anonymity: "Rahman had begun to develop a window-based application 'Helpinmeds' through which medical assistance for injuries or common diseases could be given through online consultation."

The official said that since the app could record signs and symptoms of the disease and gave a probable diagnosis and possible line of treatment by health worker in a distant location, it could be misused to treat many ISIS operatives, the official claimed.

The official said that Rahman was planning to make the application both "online and offline" for possible use by ISIS terrorists even if doctors were not available for their treatment.

"Rahman was using his knowledge of ophthalmic lasers for developing a project on laser-guided system through which the trajectory of an unguided missiles can be changed with laser technology for the benefit of ISIS."

The official said that the "basic components" for such system are pulse transmitters and receivers, which are same or almost similar in flight circuits or ophthamology nanosecond lasers and could be used to guide missiles or rockets or payloads towards intended targets.

According to the NIA, Rahman was radicalised when he was a student of MBBS at the Bangalore Medical College while listening to online lectures of hardline Islamic preachers, including 'Anwar Awlaki'.

The NIA officials claimed that Rahman came in contact with other radicalised youths and even travelled to Syria in December 2013 to participate in terrorist activities of ISIS.

The official pointed out that after his return to India, he continued to be associated with ISIS ideology.

The NIA filed a charge sheet in September 2020 against Jahanzaib Sami Wani, his wife Hina Bashir Beigh, both residents of Jammu and Kashmir but residing in Delhi's Okhla area, Abdullah Basith of Telangana's Hyderabad, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, both residents of Maharashtra's Pune.

Basith is lodged in Delhi's Tihar Central Jail in connection with another ISIS module case.

Delhi Police Special Cell had registered a case in March 2020 after the arrest of Wani and his wife from Okhla Vihar in Jamia Nagar area here for alleged links with the ISKP. The NIA took over the probe on March 20 last year.

Last year, an NIA official had alleged that the charge-sheeted accused were provoking gullible youths to participate in anti-CAA protests in the national capital last year.
Morrisons and Sainsbury's pledge to ban people not wearing masks in stores

Click and collect could be banned at all non-essential retail stores as part of a new tightening of restrictions on the sector, it has been reported.

Only supermarkets and some 'essential retail' would be allowed to continue with the service, with restaurants and clothes shops forced to becoming delivery only.

The latest proposals are said to have been discussed at a Cabinet subcommittee meeting on Sunday.

Click and collect could be banned at all non-essential retail stores and restaurants as part of a new tightening of restrictions on the sector

A letter circulated at the meeting also suggested a ban on workplaces such as estate agents, and enforcing the wearing of face masks outdoors, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Health officials are said to be worried there is a continuing risk of transmission among customers forming long queues to collect items and fast food, with many people not wearing masks while doing so.

Another source said many of the food outlets operating a collection-only service would have had to close due to the lockdown because they were unable to offer deliveries.

'The general feedback is that click and collect is not working, people are not wearing masks in queues, people are too close to each other,' a source told the publication.

Health officials are said to be worried there is a continuing risk of transmission among customers forming long queues to collect items and fast food, with many people not wearing masks while doing so. Pictured: Shoppers socially distance while queuing for Tesco

Ministers are not said to be considering extending the ban to supermarkets, for fear that online delivery systems would be overwhelmed

Ministers are not said to be considering extending the ban to supermarkets, for fear that online delivery systems would be overwhelmed.

Retail industry bosses in Scotland have written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pleading for click and collect to be allowed to continue after she suggested the service could be banned amid a potential tightening of the coronavirus lockdown.

The Mail today reports that Boris Johnson is also under pressure to increase the social distancing gap to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The Mail reports today that experts want the public to maintain a minimum of three metres distance on public transport, in supermarket lines and while out and about

Leading members of the Sage scientific advisory panel want the measure raised from 'one metre plus' to 'two metres plus'.

In practice this would change the limit to three metres - nearly 10ft - and would be enforced on public transport, in shops and while queuing for services like click and collect.

A government spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

It comes as Sainsburys last night announced it would begin deploying trained security guards to police entrances to its stores to ensure customers are wearing masks, as well as urging customers to shop alone.

Britain has today recorded a further 529 Covid deaths - marking a 30 per cent rise on the 407 reported on this day last week. It is also the deadliest Monday since April 20 when 570 people lost their lives

And Morrisons announced it would deny shoppers who refuse to wear masks entry to its nearly 500 stores.

Shopworkers' union Usdaw said it had been 'inundated' with complaints from its members of abuse during the pandemic, and demanded supermarkets and food retailers revert to 'stringent' restrictions.

High street chains including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose insisted that Covid safety remains their 'highest priority' and said that customers were given regular reminders to follow the rules.

But shocking examples of the regulations being broken were seemingly evident in the big-brand shops as Boris Johnson warned of 'complacency' and urged people to comply with the restrictions.
Wife hi to hai, Mera mood hai toh uska bhi ban jayega, Inki naa main haan hoti hai  After the successful launch of Hotstar Specials presents Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, Actor Pankaj Tripathi along with prominent names including Pratik Gandhi, Pink actor Vijay Varma, Thappad actor Pavail Gulati, Nakuul Mehta and Karan Tacker have come together to shatter the misconceptions in our society around consent. These influential male Bollywood actors are making poochna zaroori hai the new norm and putting these fallacies around consent to bed through a powerful social media video, whether or not you are married - consent is a must.

The show displays how Anu Chandra, portrayed by actor Kirti Kulhari in Hotstar Specials presents Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, is a victim of marital sexual abuse  a reality of many married women in India. This show gives a fictional glimpse into the distressing issue of marital sexual abuse that women across the country continue to face behind the closed doors of their homes.

Speaking about how women struggle in real life with their problems, Actor Pankaj Tripathi says, It was unknown to me as well on why women kept quiet when they went through some trauma in their personal life, they were tight-lipped when asked to share their problems. I, as a man, didn't really know how to decode it. This issue exists in our society, whether we stay in liberal urban cities or places outside the city, so why not speak up. But after playing the character of Madhav Mishra and decoding why Anuradha Chandra killed her husband I finally understood why most women like her are not vocal about their problems. Especially with issues related to their married lives because clearly the society demands them to be locked in the closed doors of their homes. Through this show, we hope that more and more women are invoked to share their problems and take the right step for themselves."

Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors is the story of Anuradha Chandra (Kirti Kulhari) who has confessed to stabbing her husband Bikram (Jisshu Sengupta). What initially appears to be an open-and-shut case, lawyers Madhav Mishra (Pankaj Tripathi) and Nikhat Hussain (Anupriya Goenka) believe there is more than what meets the eye. As the story unfolds, the issue of marital sexual abuse comes to the fore, provoking many to think about the importance of consent.

The other cast in the show includes powerhouse talents Ashish Vidyarthi, Jisshu Sengupta, Shilpa Shukla, Pankaj Saraswat, Ayaz Khan, Kalyanee Mulay, Ajeet Singh Palawat, Khushboo Atre, Tirrtha Murbadkar, and others. The 8-part courtroom drama series has been directed by Bollywoods Rohan Sippy, Arjun Mukerjee and written by Apurva Asrani; and is now available in 7 languages on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

What happened behind closed doors? Catch the drama unfold in Hotstar Specials presents Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors Now streaming only on Disney+ Hotstar VIP
[January 12, 2021] CDFI DreamSpring Uses Global's Subsidiary, R3 Score, to Underwrite Loans for Entrepreneurs

BALTIMORE, MD, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Global Boatworks Holdings, Inc. (OTC: GBBT), ("Global" or "the Company") today announced that the first lender, DreamSpring, is leveraging R3 Scores proprietary data-driven scoring tool to underwrite loans for people with criminal records. DreamSpring, founded in 1994, offers business loans along with training, networking, and other support services to those who own or want to start a business.

Last year R3 Score, the operating subsidiary of GBBT, launched a pilot with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to lend to people with criminal records. Today entrepreneurs with records are able to access capital to grow their businesses because of this partnership, said Laurin Leonard, R3 Holdings, Inc., CEO, and Co-Founder. The Company is committed to playing an active role in expanding the number of loans to well-deserved and qualified entrepreneurs with criminal histories and believe CDFIs will be instrumental in helping us reach this goal. While it may have been challenging to find the bright spots for which to celebrate in 2020, I am thankful that we were able to provide an infusion of capital to Phoenix-based Justice Java prior to Thanksgiving. Personally, I am beyond thrilled that the first recipient of this restorative program was right in our backyard, says Michael Langley, Community Lending Officer of DreamSpring. By hiring other formerly incarcerated individuals, their business has a meaningful opportunity to amplify the economic impact on a larger scale. The partnership with the Association Enterprise Organization (AEO) and R3 Score has given us the confidence to remove barriers to successful small business ventures in the future. We are proud to do our part to help enfranchise returning citizens and excited about the potential to serve others across our 17-state market, added Langley. Abut Global Boatworks Holdings, Inc. and R3 Holdings, Inc.



Global completed a definitive Share Exchange Agreement with Baltimore, Maryland-based R3 Technologies, Inc. on September 23, 2020. R3 Holdings, Inc. is a SaaS company that provides a more contextualized criminal background report and alternative credit score for use by businesses of all sizes and in every industry. R3s AI-enabled, financial software platform uses proprietary data-driven scoring designed to unlock new valuable information about employees and financial services consumers utilizing a multi-factor algorithm based on 11 factors assessing character, capacity, and current choice. To learn more about R3 Score, visit www.R3Score.com. About DreamSpring

Founded in 1994 and serving 17 states, DreamSpring is a nonprofit organization that increases access to business credit, makes loans, and provides training to enable entrepreneurs to realize their dreams and be catalysts for positive economic and social change. DreamSpring is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and business owners generate income, build assets, create jobs, and achieve financial success through business ownership. The organization offers business loans from $1,000 to $2 million, along with training, networking, and other support services to those who own or want to start a business. For more information about DreamSpring, visit https://www.dreamspring.org. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the current view about future events. When used in this presentation, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, intend, plan, or the negative of these terms and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements contained in this presentation relating to the view of the management of R3 Score Technologies, Inc. (the Company) concerning its business strategy, future operating results, and liquidity and capital resources outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on the Companys current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, 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. The Companys actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of assurance of future performance. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors or events that could cause the Companys actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results. Contact: Laurin Leonard, CEO R3 Holdings, Inc. Info@R3Score.com Investor Relations Contact: TraDigital IR Kevin McGrath

+1-646-418-7002

kevin@tradigitalir.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
HOUSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Envoy Mortgage today announced it will gift 50 households across the U.S. up to $150,000 in mortgage assistance, including tax, as part of its Gift of Home program designed to show gratitude during a financially challenging time for its customers.

Gift of Home officially launched today in Envoy Mortgage's hometown of Houston, where they surprised three winners with news that their mortgage bill is being paid for one month. For its first gift recipient, Envoy is making all of their mortgage payments, January through December 2021.

"2020 was a challenging year, not only for my family, but also for so many others in our community. I am honestly overwhelmed and so grateful to be receiving the Gift of Home from Envoy Mortgage," said Houston firefighter, Josue Rios, who works at Fire Station 83. "This is life changing and means the world to me and my family."

From January - June 2021, Envoy Mortgage will select 50 of its customers from across the country to receive one month's mortgage payment up to $3,000 per household. Recipients will be randomly selected from Envoy Mortgage's service areas from across the country.

Some Gift of Home recipients are among the hardest hit in their communities during the coronavirus pandemic, including military veterans, first responders, nurses, educators and small business owners and their employees.

"To say the pandemic has made life difficult for many people across the country is an understatement. We had to do something to help lift people up. It's just part of the Envoy DNA," said Ron Millard, chief executive officer, Envoy Mortgage. "We understand the important role and positive impact a home plays in a person's life  it's truly a gift. We feel blessed to be able to offer this gift to our customers, and I can't wait for us to deliver more surprise moments in the markets we serve across the country."

"We're local, and we care. Our customers are our neighbors, so we want to take care of them and deliver a meaningful mortgage experience for them and employees in the communities we serve," said Millard. "We simply want to do what's right by our customers and employees, and we believe having a high touch approach to the mortgage experience is the right thing to do."

About Envoy Mortgage

Founded in 1997, Envoy Mortgage is an independently owned national mortgage lender headquartered in Houston, TX, dedicated to serving retail originators exclusively to allow them to serve their customers and grow their businesses. As a Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie-approved seller/servicer licensed in 47 states, Envoy branches deliver outstanding customer service while offering a full menu of loan products with the tools, expertise and technology needed to support all functions of the mortgage process.

Visit https://www.envoymortgage.com for more information. Envoy Mortgage, Ltd. NMLS #6666.

SOURCE Envoy Mortgage
Usually when Rishi Sunak announces hes adding another couple of noughts to the countrys spiralling debt, he puts on his fluffy bunny act.

You know the one. That caring routine he does when hes as soothing as a nurse treating a toddlers grazed knee. Voice soft as marshmallow. Eyes so meek and doe-like they look as though theyve been smeared in Vaseline.

But yesterday, Rishi arrived in the Commons in a far flintier mood. No smiles, none of his usual cheery hellos. The neverending drain on his resources has zapped him of all bonhomie.

Rishi Sunak arrived in the Commons in a far flintier mood. No smiles, none of his usual cheery hellos

His statement on the economy may as well have been accompanied by the foreboding tones of a haunting requiem. Twice we were informed things were likely to get worse before they get better. The road ahead will be tough, he announced sternly. And a happy Monday to you too, Chancellor.

The furlough scheme, he confirmed, will continue until April at a further cost of 4 billion. There was a time when such figures might have prompted noisy gasps or collective wind sucking around the House. A Covid-compliant chamber has robbed us of that. Or perhaps members have simply grown used to these eye-wateringly vast sums. I know I have.

Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds beamed in remotely through a dodgy internet connection, panicky and distressed as ever. She accused Sunak of being out of ideas. A harsh critic might say shes not had any at all during this crisis.

Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds beamed in remotely through a dodgy internet connection, panicky and distressed as ever. She accused Sunak of being out of ideas. A harsh critic might say shes not had any at all during this crisis

Rishi coolly put it to her that she agreed with his economic strategy far more than shed care to admit. Miss Dodds looked so riled by this suggestion her corkscrew curls almost stood on end.

Labour made much of Rishis absence in recent weeks. This was his first appearance at the despatch box in 41 days. When Gordon Brown was Chancellor he was always accused of disappearing at the first sign of trouble as a way of embarrassing Tony Blair. Rishi at least had the excuse hed been busy working out how to pay for this mess. The Government benches were noticeably less gushing than usual. Several months ago, Conservative backbenchers were dousing the boy wonder in treacle. Yesterday, they lined up, flat caps in hand, simply to demand greater assistance. More money, more relief. More, more, more.

Tom Hunt (Con, Ipswich) pleaded on behalf of the hospitality industry. Siobhan Baillie (Con, Stroud) lobbied for our four billion quid film and television industry. Yes, yes, Rishi implored, Im doing the best I can. A rustling of papers and creaking of shoe leather greeted the arrival of that stately monument Sir Graham Brady (Con, Altrincham). Sir Graham, as I have noted, has developed a habit of addressing the Prime Minister and the Chancellor much the way a hotel manager might admonish an insolent bellhop.

He requested greater support for our decimated aviation industry. Perhaps a cut in passenger duty? Hmm, Ill bear it in mind was Rishis response. Translation: Im looking to add income rather than subtract it.

For the SNP, the 375 million Scotland has been promised was not nearly enough. They were like teenagers imploring for more pocket money from the bank of mum and dad.

Ian Paisley Jr (N Antrim) (pictured in 2018) claimed Northern Ireland branches of Marks & Spencer were having trouble getting hold of supplies

The DUP lot wailed about supply shortages due to Brexit. Ian Paisley Jr (N Antrim) claimed Northern Ireland branches of Marks & Spencer were having trouble getting hold of supplies. A shortage of Percy Pigs? Uh oh. From such trivial concerns do angry middle-class riots grow.

Only a couple of members pointed out the Treasurys profligacy could not continue for ever. Liam Fox (Con, N Somerset) urged the Chancellor to resist calls to increase public spending at the next budget. Swotty-looking Simon Fell (Con, Barrow & Furness) called for a return to resilient public finances when the crisis was over.

Rishi plainly agreed. Excellent point! he yelped  it was the only enthusiasm hed managed to muster all session. I fear it may be some time before we see that smile of his again.
The Trump administrations decision to designate Yemens Iranian-backed rebels as a terror organisation has led to confusion in aid agencies. There have also been warnings from the United Nations and senior Republicans that it could have a devastating humanitarian impact on a nation that is already battered by over five years of war and facing the risk of famine. According to AP reports, the designation is to take place a day before President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on January 20.

Various aid groups have requested Biden to reverse the designation as soon as he gets to the office. Oxfam Americas Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul said, "Lives hang in the balance." However, Bidens team has not yet expressed its intentions. Talking about the US' action, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the action "is likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions."

Read: Trump Defends His Speech After Which Supporters Stormed US Capitol: 'Totally Appropriate'

The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch, and the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Michael McCaul warned that "Good intentions must not be eclipsed by significant unintended consequences."

In a joint statement, the two leaders expressed their concern as they said that without mitigating measures in place, the US designation "will have devastating humanitarian impacts" as Yemen imports 90 percent of its food. "In light of near-famine conditions ... this designation will have a devastating effect on Yemens food supply and other critical imports unless the executive branch acts now to issue the necessary licenses, waivers, and appropriate guidance prior to designation," said the Republicans.

Read: US: Judge Halts Execution Of Lisa Montgomery, Only Woman On Death Row In Nearly 70 Years

UN chief warns

Earlier, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that Yemen is facing an imminent danger of the worlds worst famine. Calling for urgent action in the region, the 71-year-old leader said that many lives could be in the absence of an immediate move. Yemen, located at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, has been torn between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia in a war that has caused widespread poverty and hunger.

In a statement, Guterres stressed that the reasons for the heightened threat of famine include a drastic drop in funding for the UN-coordinated relief operation this year, a decrease in external support for the countrys economy, and the instability of the Yemeni currency rial. In addendum, he also highlighted that the "impediments" for relief organisations imposed by the warring parties and the natural occurrence of locust also played a significant part in heightening the threat.

Read: US: FBI Warns Of Plans For Armed Protests Ahead Of Biden's Inauguration

Also Read: Greenhouse Emissions Plunge To Its Lowest In US Since World War II: Report

(Image Credits: AP)
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 74F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Low near 45F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph.

EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a two-day business and networking conference March 9-10, featuring some of the states most prominent industry leaders. Early-bird registration is open. Tickets are limited.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday he remains optimistic he and state lawmakers can reach an agreement on penalties for underage marijuana use after a deal fell apart late Friday, once again derailing legislation to legalize and decriminalize weed.

The governor stressed, however, his steadfast commitment to both ending arrests and keeping legalized marijuana away from those under age 21.

This was never about legalizing marijuana for our kids, he said Monday at his coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. That was never what this was about. Thats not what the voters voted on in the referendum. Thats not what weve felt strongly and passionately about from moment one. Weve somehow got to thread a needle that gets both of those accomplished.

Im still optimistic were going to figure something out, he said.

Murphy and lawmakers appeared to have a deal on a cleanup bill last week that would address penalties for people under 21 caught with marijuana. But that fell apart suddenly Friday when legislators objected to changes they believed would disproportionately punish Black youth.

That left Murphy with the option of conditionally vetoing the original bills to request specific changes or signing as is  unless the Legislature agrees to go back to the drawing board on their own.

The governor has until at least early February to take action on bills to legalize and decriminalize weed. As he waits, arrests continue.

Disagreement on the issue has stalled the bills for the past two weeks. They passed the Legislature in mid-December, and many expected Murphy would sign them before the start of 2021.

But the governor said he would not sign either the legalization or decriminalization bills until lawmakers made changes that established civil penalties similar to parking tickets for those under 21 who use or possess marijuana. Instead of issuing a conditional veto, he sent suggestions back to lawmakers.

The people voted by a 2-to-1 margin to legalize marijuana for people 21 and older in November.

Legislators spent more than a week drafting their own penalties to address Murphys concerns, and even moved both bills through committees Thursday and scheduled full floor votes for Monday. Under the measure, those ages 18 to 20 would see fines of $50 to $250 for possessing up to one ounce of marijuana, and fines of $100 to $500 for possessing more.

Those penalties are less than New Jersey law levies on underage drinking, but more than it does for tobacco use by those younger than 21.

People under the age of 18 would receive warnings or participate in drug education or treatment programs, but pay no fines, if caught with marijuana, under that proposal.

But the Senate and the Assembly have not scheduled a vote for the cleanup bill. A legislative source with knowledge of the negotiations and the cleanup legislation said the ball is in Murphys court for now. Some lawmakers on Friday said the governor should sign the bills as is.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.
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The COVID-19 vaccine transportation process for the nationwide vaccination drive scheduled on January 16 is already underway. The first consignment of Covishield vaccines has reached several cities and transportation is underway for others.

The Covishield vaccine is being produced in India by the Serum Institute of India at their facility in Pune. For the vaccination drive on January 16, 476 boxes of Covishield vaccine are being supplied out of the Pune Aiport to 13 cities today. Earlier, three trucks containing boxes filled with Covishield vaccine doses had arrived at the Pune Airport from the SII facility.

It is going to be a busy day for the airport authorities at Pune at they ship the vaccine boxes to different parts of the country. Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati and Kolkata are expected to receive the vaccine for two separate final destinations respectively. While nine other cities, including Delhi, will receive the vaccines for a single final destination.

How many boxes of Covishield vaccine will each city receive?

According to the vaccine unloading plans, each city will receive a varied number of vaccine boxes.

Delhi will receive 22 boxes

Chennai will receive 59 boxes

Gandhinagar in Gujarat will receive 23 boxes

Hyderabad will receive 31 boxes

Vijaywada in Andra Pradesh will receive 40 boxes

Bhubaneswar will receive 34 boxes

Chandigarh will receive 18 boxes

Kolkata will receive 83 boxes

Guwahati will receive 20 boxes for states of Assam and Meghalaya

Bangalore will receive 54 boxes

Patna will receive 46 boxes

Lucknow will receive 12 boxes

Karnal will receive 34 boxes

Also read: COVID-19 vaccination: SpiceJet ferries first consignment of Serum's Covishield to Delhi

Also read: 'Covishield, Covaxin both part of vaccination drive; 5,000 vaccine points,' says Dr Vinod Paul
As was evident in her debut collection, This Is Not Your City, Horrocks is adept at playing with perspective, delving into the minds of puzzling, sometimes troubling, characters. The loss feels greater, then, when her intriguing premises sap her characters of interiority and her stories of life. Horrocks cleverly draws upon games to determine the structures of Better Not Tell You Now and On the Oregon Trail, but little else can be said for them. The Untranslatables, the story of a man obsessed with foreign words that capture indescribable experiences, treads into territory better ceded to Lydia Davis. The words truly are untranslatable, so we are left with a slurry of useless definitions and little of the frisson of interlingual delight. The storys saving grace is its final line, which feels, appropriately, as if it were pulled from Kafka: Instead, he swallowed the word and crouched, listening, until his whole body was an ear.

The title story, Life Among the Terranauts, walks this line between intrigue and interiority more gracefully. An engineer raised in a strict religious sect witnesses the final days of NovaTerra  a vast dome in the desert inspired by the real-life Biosphere 2 in Arizona. Inside it is a supposedly self-sustaining ecosystem where six people of varying expertise must remain for two years. The engineers dedication to the project was once strong, fueled by what she describes as an empty space in my stomach that grew no matter what I filled it with, but now she is losing faith. The experiment is failing, the Terranauts are starving and the resident philosopher has become a problem. It is a chilling story, and it is fitting that the volume bears its name. The title captures the collections breadth, its mixture of the strange and the mundane. One only wishes her stories were a bit stranger, or even more mundane, that Horrocks might dive deep in one direction, as the people of Bounty did, diving into sleep.
The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine proposes from February 1 to limit the price of gas for "vulnerable" consumers at the "hub [the price at European gas hubs] minus" level with the addition of a certain ceiling margin of suppliers and fix such a price for a year, acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko has said.

"According to our calculations, we are talking about the price level of UAH 5,356 [per 1,000 cubic meters], that is, 44% less than the weighted average price in January. If we do nothing, then we should expect that the price in February will increase by about 15%," he said on Facebook.

According to him, Ukrgazvydobuvannia, controlled by NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, will sell gas to suppliers for vulnerable consumers at a "hub minus" price, the price will be revised once a year based on quotations on the stock exchange in November, and such pricing is beneficial for the mining company.

"Suppliers will be able to compete by offering a lower margin on this price. Consumers will be able to freely choose their supplier, and if they are not "vulnerable" consumers, they will be able to choose contracts not with a fixed price per year, but any other contracts," Vitrenko added.

He specified that now the proposal of the Ministry of Energy is under discussion.

"There may be pitfalls, in particular legal restrictions; it is important to take into account all risks, in particular the risk of manipulation by suppliers. We need to calmly explain to the IMF that this is just about adequate market measures, and not about a rollback. It is desirable also to attract international partners for joint pressure on Gazprom and others," the official said.

Vitrenko pointed out that the Ministry of Energy is ready to consider alternative proposals if they solve problems in the market better and faster.
The state Assembly passed a bill Monday requiring diversity and inclusion be taught in grades kindergarten through 12 in New Jersey public schools beginning next school year.

The bill (A4454), which was passed by the state Senate in December and heads now to the governor, would update the New Jersey Student Learning Standards to promote economic diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance, and belonging in connection with gender and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, disabilities, and religious tolerance.

The courses also would need to examine the impact that unconscious bias and economic disparities have at both an individual level and on society as a whole, according to the bill.

The bill directs the commissioner of the Department of Education to provide school districts with sample lessons and resources.

The new diversity and inclusion curriculum would taught in schools beginning in the 2021-22 school year.

The current school year brought a new LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum to New Jersey middle and high schools. That law requires schools teach middle- and high-schoolers about the political, economic, and social contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. New Jersey is the second state to mandate an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum.

Supporters argued these are issues students are already talking about and teachers need guidance to help them teach children to accept, tolerate and appreciate differences among them.

But opponents of the measure argued it tramples on the rights of parents and exposes children to these topics at too young an age.

Theres a certain level of naivety that our children enjoy, and we should really protect that, said Assemblyman Brian Bergen, R-Morris, who said he supported a previous version of the bill that was limited to grades 9 through 12. If we as parents want to explain different identities or sexual preferences then thats our prerogative and our choice. This is not a decision for the school system and this is not a decision for the Legislature.

Assemblyman Gerald Scharfenberger, R-Monmouth, argued the proposed curriculum changes stray too far from the purposes of the educational system, which he said is to prepare students for the world and pass on knowledge and skills as to guide them to college or into a trade.

Yet now, the Legislature continues pushing schools to be de facto parents and legislating the direction of moral compasses, he said. Allow kids to be kids and return the duty of morals to parents and preachers.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com.
A white crane family (2 adult cranes and 1 young crane) foraging in a lotus root field in Huayang River farm in Anhui

With a population of only around 4,000 in the world, the white crane is categorized as "critically endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. This "living fossil of birds" is also known for its strict requirements for overwintering sites.

In recent years, these beautiful birds as well as a variety of other rare migratory birds found their ideal overwintering habitat in Anhui's Huayang River farm. The improvements in natural environment here is making this place an ecological paradise for migratory birds including white cranes, swans, wild geese, and oriental storks.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
These enhanced network technologies will be deployed at Millbrook's 700 acre independent test facility in Bedfordshire in early 2021. In addition to its extensive test tracks and laboratories, Millbrook is home to the UK Government Controlled Urban Testbed for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles  part of CAM Testbed UK.

The AutoAir network is being migrated to commercial grade Open RAN, disaggregated RAN and cloud native 5GC based 3GPP 5G SA (standalone) technologies, making extensive use of Airspan Networks' product suite. This deployment supports the UK Government's supply chain diversity initiative and is compliant with emerging O-RAN standards which seek to democratise the supply of Radio Access Units within an open source platform.

The network will operate on spectrum at 4G Band 40 (2.3 GHz), 4G Band 3 (1.8 GHz) and 5G Band n77 (3.8 & 4.2 GHz) under pioneering shared access licenses. This will allow private networks to work with their own allocation of radio spectrum for test and development, whilst also supporting public access from mobile network operators. The n77 band is the same as is already in commercial operation in Japan and which is currently being auctioned in the USA by the Federal Communications Commission. This means that users will be able to test CAVs in the UK, using the latest network frequencies, before exporting vehicles to Japan and the USA.

With standalone 5G, the full capabilities of the latest 3GPP release can be realised in a secure private operating environment with pervasive coverage across Millbrook Proving Ground. This brings Ultra Reliable Low latency Communications (URLLC), Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC), and network slicing capabilities into a real-world test arena for the first time in the UK. Each adds significant value to the technology landscape. With URLLC, latency as low as 3ms can be experienced and mMTC brings the potential of connecting massively more devices per km2 than previously possible. Network slicing in essence gives a dedicated portion of the network to each network service, facilitating separate localisation, edge-computing and cloud access. This is analogous to having your own dedicated lane on a motorway that can expand and contract depending on what is driving through it!

Paul Senior, CEO, says: "Our partnership with Millbrook goes from strength to strength, and we are delighted to announce this major upgrade to the very latest state-of-the-art 3GPP 5G SA Open RAN technology from Airspan Networks. One of the key goals of the DCMS AutoAir 5G project was to ensure that the network we constructed was sustainable and provided a lasting legacy for Millbrook and the UK's CAV eco-system. The deployment of a 3GPP 5G standalone infrastructure using the n77 band creates a unique test and development opportunity that can support both automotive and telecommunication eco-systems, within a bookable and accessible research facility."

Connor McCormack, President of Millbrook says: "This upgrade is a huge step forward in capability, bringing the latest technology to our 5G testbed. It brings vast benefits to customers within our secure operating environment and future-proofs our testbed for the long-term. We are very proud to be part of the AutoAir consortium and look forward to the roll out of this cutting-edge technology."

Eric Stonestrom, CEO of Airspan Networks says: "We are delighted to continue our long term relationship with the DCMS funded AutoAir project. The 5G upgrade using Airspan's OpenRANGE end-to-end Sub-6 GHz solution is another proof point for the use of OpenRAN technology to leverage innovation in the UK"

Contact the team at Dense Air via [email protected] or Millbrook via [email protected] to see how we can introduce you to the new era.

About Dense Air

Dense Air is headquartered in the UK and has spectrum interests in Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, New Zealand and Australia. Dense Air provides unique "carrier of carriers" neutral host small cell services to deliver cost effective densification to any existing 4G or 5G Mobile Carrier or Service Provider. Dense Air New Zealand is based in Auckland where it manages its operational commercial services.

About Airspan

Airspan is a US-based, multi-award-winning, 4G and 5G end-to-end, fully virtualized, cloud-native OpenRAN hardware and software vendor with more than 20 years' experience and over one million cells deployed in the most cutting-edge Tier 1 networks, non-public networks, and vertical applications across the globe. Airspan's expansive product portfolio of indoor and outdoor, Macro and low-power base stations and open vRAN software solutions create the perfect tool kit to fully exploit new technologies such as mmWave, Sub-6 GHz, Massive MIMO, and open vRAN architectures following O-RAN and 3GPP specifications, as well as an industry-leading Fixed Wireless Access and backhaul portfolio for PTP and PTMP applications using Wi-Fi 6. For more information, visit www.airspan.com.

About Millbrook

Millbrook provides vehicle test and validation services and systems to customers in the automotive, transport, tyre, petrochemical and defence industries. It is independent and impartial in everything it does.

It has a range of test facilities for full vehicles, tyres and components located in the UK, the USA and Northern Finland. These include varied outdoor and indoor test tracks, engine dynamometers, environmental chambers, e-motor and e-axle test cells, portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS), structural test laboratories, crash laboratories including a state-of-the-art ServoSled, interior systems laboratories, battery test facilities and advanced emissions chassis dynamometers.



Millbrook designs, builds, installs, and services dynamometer test systems and an associated data acquisition and control system.

Millbrook's employees are passionate about safety, customer service and technical excellence, making them ideal partners at any stage in the development and launch of the vehicles of tomorrow.

In December 2020, Millbrook and the French automotive testing group UTAC CERAM reached an agreement to merge their operations to create a market leading group in vehicle testing, homologation and emerging technologies for autonomous, connected and electric vehicles. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, subject to the normal regulatory clearances.

SOURCE Dense Air
Morressier Logo Particularly now, as efforts are being made to accelerate scientific research in support of cures and prevention of COVID-19, the importance of access to early-stage research has been magnified, -- Lauren Kane, Morressier Chief Strategy Officer.

Today Morressier, which accelerates scientific breakthroughs by providing early insights into the research lifecycle, announced that it has chosen MEI Global LLC (MEIG), a leader in helping publishers monetize their digital assets, to create third party licensing and dissemination partnerships.

Particularly now, as efforts are being made to accelerate scientific research in support of cures and prevention of COVID-19, the importance of access to early-stage research has been magnified, said Lauren Kane, Morressier Chief Strategy Officer. MEIGs expertise in identifying, negotiating, and managing deals with licensing partners in order to expand the reach of Morressiers conference content means more researchers will find emerging data that can make a significant difference.

MEIG was founded by Randall Marcinko to expedite the ability of publishers to identify, negotiate, and manage third party licensing opportunities, which can be challenging when resources for in-house licensing personnel are limited. It can be frustrating for publishers who recognize that the demand for their quality content has never been higher, but who may lack the time and focus necessary to develop strategic distribution relationships, said Marcinko. MEIGs deep industry knowledge of content licensing across vendor families can help their publisher clients reach end users in profitable new ways. We are excited to work with Morressier to make available data that has previously been undigitized or inaccessible. Morressiers unique offering of text, images, video, and datasets from the worlds leading conferences serves an unmet market need.

Having applied its rigorous content and market analysis process to Morressiers rich database of conference abstracts, posters, and presentations, the MEIG team is eager to collaborate with vendors on creative approaches to broaden the impact of this important content set, says Chris Broekhoff, MEIGs President. Were pleased Morressier selected MEIG for this critical role, and look forward to building the same long-term, lucrative relationships that we share with our existing publisher clients.

About MEI Global LLC:

MEIG provides a suite of services to help publishers monetize their digital assets. MEIGs expertise includes prospecting, negotiating, relationship management, and extensive knowledge of vendors and their needs, thanks to decades of industry experience within MEIGs dealmaker team. The company assists publishers with strategic decision making through a lens of revenue growth, brand extension and intellectual property protection. For additional information, please contact Vice President of Business Development Nancy Davis Kho at ndkho@marcinko.com, +1 510 336 1119.

About Morressier:

Morressier is the leading platform for conferences designed for enduring value. Since 2014, more than 200 of the worlds leading professional and scientific organizations trust Morressier to support their virtual and hybrid meetings, engage their users, and amplify their content. Morressier offers its clients a powerful platform, granular data and analytics, and extensive possibilities for revenue generation. At the same time, by increasing access to previously ephemeral content, Morressier helps accelerate breakthroughs and innovation. For additional information, please contact Michelle Kuepper, michelle.kuepper@morressier.com, +49 172 1074 155
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -Next Green Wave Holdings Inc. (CSE: NGW) (OTCQX: NXGWF) ("Next Green Wave", "NGW" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the following corporate and financial updates:

The Company would like to highlight some Q4 2020 achievements:

- Announced its expansion plans to construct a 50,000 square foot premium indoor cultivation facility, adjacent to its current 35,000 square foot facility (Click HERE for the press release).

- Commenced operations at its 3,500 square foot packaging facility (click HERE for the press release).

- As shown in the table below, the Company has increased its quarter over quarter revenue and Adjusted EBITDA*.



Figure 1



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6127/71789_3beee625b4f29bcf_001full.jpg

The Company is also pleased to announce the following appointments:

- Glen Harder, a current director of the Company, has been appointed as Chairman of the Board, effective immediately.

- Mr. Harder is a corporate lawyer and has been a member of the British Columbia Law Society for over 35 years. He advises both public companies and private entities on financing and M&A matters. He is experienced in shareholder disputes, acquisitions/takeovers, matters of corporate governance and dispute resolution.

- Todd Hybels has been promoted from Facility Director to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.

- Mr. Hybels has provided executive leadership for multi-million dollar construction projects both domestically and internationally; provided strategic leadership to both for-profit and non-profit organizations; and envisioned and built the thriving teams and effective systems necessary to achieve profitable outcomes in each fast-paced, growth-oriented opportunity. He has a financial background, with a focus on calculated, high-risk commodities. Mr. Hybels's insight and initiative were integral in scaling the NGW facility from its early days, to what is now a fully operational premium cultivation facility with a staff of over 60 people.

"2020 was a transformative year for NGW. We transitioned from a startup into a fully fledged cannabis CPG company that has consistent revenue growth quarter over quarter, is cash flow positive month after month and has achieved true profitability for the last three quarters. Moving into 2021, we want to build on that momentum through expansion. As such, we are building an additional 50,000 square foot indoor cultivation facility at our Coalinga campus scheduled to be online late 2021 and we are actively pursuing opportunities to expand and diversify our cultivation operations." - Michael Jennings CEO Next Green Wave



Michael Jennings

Chief Executive Officer, Director

Next Green Wave Holdings Inc.



About Next Green Wave



Next Green Wave is a fully integrated premium seed to shelf craft cannabis producer offering products through its in-house brand portfolio and wholesale flower for other large cannabis manufacturers. The Company owns and operates a 35,000 sf indoor facility in Coalinga, CA which is home to our nursery, cultivation, distribution, and future extraction business. NGW has an exclusive seed library consisting of 120 cannabis strains and hybrids including award-winning cultivars and is producing high quality tissue culture plantlets through its proprietary cloning technology with bio-tech leader Precigen. Marketing, product design and formulation are produced in-house, please follow along us at www.nextgreenwave.com or on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

For more information regarding Next Green Wave please contact:

Ryan Lange

CMO

Tel: +1 (604) 684-6844

IR@nextgreenwave.com

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor its Regulation Services Providers (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

*All financial information is provided in U.S. dollars and is unaudited and is subject to change. Any preliminary unaudited long-term financial projections provided herein have not been prepared in accordance with IFRS. Management uses non-IFRS financial measures, in addition to IFRS financial measures, to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, for financial and operational decision making, for planning and forecasting purposes and to evaluate the Company's financial performance. One example of a non-IFRS financial measure is Adjusted EBITDA, which has limitations as an analytical tool as it excludes from net income as reported, interest, tax, depreciation, other income and expenses, non-cash grow costs expensed for biological assets and unsold inventory, and the non-cash fair value effects of accounting for biological assets and inventories. Management believes that these non-IFRS financial measures reflect the Company's ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful comparisons and analysis of trends in the business, as they facilitate comparing financial results across accounting periods and to those of peer companies. Management also believes that these non-IFRS financial measures enable investors to evaluate the Company's operating results and future prospects in the same manner as management. These non-IFRS financial measures may also exclude expenses and gains that may be unusual in nature, non-cash, infrequent or not reflective of the Company's ongoing operating results. As there are no standardized methods of calculating these non-IFRS measures, the Company's methods may differ from those used by others, and accordingly, the use of these measures may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others. Accordingly, Non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for or as an alternative to, and should only be considered in conjunction with IFRS financial Measures.

Next Green Wave Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are "forward-looking statements" and such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information represent only NGW's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of NGW's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts" "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but are not limited to, the Company's expectations for long-term (YE 2020 and YE 2021) revenue and adjusted EBITDA profitability, the ability of the Company to successfully achieve business objectives (including completion of construction and increasing production capacity), and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects NGW's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to NGW and on assumptions NGW believes are reasonable.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing state, local or other licenses and any inability to obtain all necessary governmental approvals licenses and permits to complete construction of its proposed facilities in a timely manner; engaging in activities which currently are illegal under US federal law and the uncertainty of existing protection from U.S. federal or other prosecution; regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. state-law legalization, particularly in California, due to inconsistent public opinion, perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry, bureaucratic delays or inefficiencies or any other reasons; any other factors or developments which may hinder market growth; NGW's limited operating history and lack of historical profits; reliance on management; NGW's requirements for additional financing, and the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability, competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; the need to secure and maintain corporate alliances and partnerships, including with customers and suppliers; and risks and delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although NGW has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. NGW has no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71789
One of Europe's leading executives said he is giving a 'vote of confidence' to post-Brexit Britain and predicted that the economy will enjoy a 'rapid bounce-back' in 2021.

Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, the chief executive of Spanish giant Telefonica, which owns O2 in the UK, welcomed the Brexit deal signed over Christmas, saying it 'marks an exciting new chapter in Britain's history'.

Leaving the EU will give Britain added independence and 'renewed self-confidence,' and an opportunity to 'blaze the trail' in the digital revolution. Alvarez-Pallete, 57, called on the Government to put 'rocket-fuel' into the recovery by taking steps to boost connectivity. He said the Brexit trade deal is 'a good one for consumers in the UK and offers much-needed reassurance and certainty for a number of sectors'.

Backing Britain: Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, the chief executive of Spanish giant Telefonica, which owns O2 in the UK

He added: 'The deal will provide foundations for consumer confidence and  coupled with encouraging news on the Covid-19 vaccine front. There is every reason to believe that 2021 can see a rapid bounce-back for the British economy.'

Telefonica in May announced a 31bn merger of its O2 operation in the UK with Virgin Media, which is owned by US giant Liberty Global. The Competition and Markets Authority has launched a full probe into the proposed deal, which would combine the UK's largest mobile phone operator with its second-biggest broadband player.

O2 has 34m mobile phone customers while more than 5m have signed up to Virgin Media for broadband, pay TV and mobile services.

The CMA is concerned that a merger could lead to a worse deal for British consumers.

Telefonica and Liberty have said they will invest 10bn in the UK if the merger goes ahead. Investing in digital infrastructure will bring 'clear benefits' for businesses and consumers, he told the Mail.

Having left the EU, Britain must modernise its economy to capitalise on the digital revolution including by Ruth Sunderland Business Editor 5G, the internet of things, and artificial intelligence.

'Now, with an added degree of independence in decision-making and renewed self-confidence, it has the opportunity to blaze the trail  there are some clear things the United Kingdom can do to put rocket-fuel in that recovery,' Alvarez-Pallete said.

Advancing arguments that would favour the merger with Virgin Media, he called on regulator Ofcom to focus on boosting investment in the sector.

'We want to help Britain win a race to the top, not preside over a slide in the opposite direction,' he said.

He also called on the Government to modernise planning policy so that better coverage is easier to deliver.

'The industry often must go through a complex planning application processes to undertake even basic upgrades of existing infrastructure.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 22:21:12|Editor: huaxia

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AMMAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for stabbing four tourists, three police officers, and two citizens in Jerash governorate in 2019.

Jordan's State Security Court also sentenced a second person to 20 years in prison for involvement in the stabbing attack and a third person to seven years in prison, according to a statement by the court.

The court charged the man who was sentenced to death of carrying out and plotting a terrorist attack and seeking to join terrorist groups and promote extremists groups as well.

In 2019, a man stabbed three Mexican tourists and a Swiss tourist as well as three policemen, a tour guide, and a driver in the tourist attraction site of Jerash, some 45 km to the north of the capital Amman. Enditem
Indonesia authorized on Monday the emergency use of a Covid-19 vaccine made by a private Chinese company, after late-stage clinical data reaffirmed that the shot is effective. The step cleared the way for a mass vaccination program to begin in the country.

At a news conference, Indonesias Food and Drug Administration said it had endorsed the vaccine developed by Sinovac, a Beijing-based vaccine maker, after its interim analysis showed that the inoculation had an efficacy rate of 65.3 percent.

Jarir At Thobari, a representative for the National Committee for Drug Assessment, said the efficacy rate of CoronaVac, the name of the Sinovac vaccine, was lower compared with the recent announcements from Sinovacs trials in Brazil and Turkey because the Indonesia trial was made up of members of the general public, compared with the volunteers in Brazil and Turkey, who were health care workers or from high-risk groups. A higher number of people who are infected would bring the efficacy rates higher, Dr. At Thobari said.

Prof. Kusnandi Rusmil, head of the Covid-19 vaccine research team at Padjadjaran University, which is running the Phase 3 trials, said that of the 25 people who got Covid-19 during the trial, seven were vaccinated and 18 were in the placebo group.
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Rice University engineers hope to make life better for those with replacement joints by modeling how artificial hips are likely to rub them the wrong way.

The computational study by the Brown School of Engineering lab of mechanical engineer Fred Higgs simulates and tracks how hips evolve, uniquely incorporating fluid dynamics and roughness of the joint surfaces as well as factors clinicians typically use to predict how well implants will stand up over their expected 15-year lifetime.

The team's immediate goal is to advance the design of more robust prostheses.

Ultimately, they say the model could help clinicians personalize hip joints for patients depending on gender, weight, age and gait variations.

Higgs and co-lead authors Nia Christian, a Rice graduate student, and Gagan Srivastava, a mechanical engineering lecturer at Rice and now a research scientist at Dow Chemical, reported their results in Biotribology.

The researchers saw a need to look beyond the limitations of earlier mechanical studies and standard clinical practices that use simple walking as a baseline to evaluate artificial hips without incorporating higher-impact activities.

When we talk to surgeons, they tell us a lot of their decisions are based on their wealth of experience. But some have expressed a desire for better diagnostic tools to predict how long an implant is going to last. Fifteen years sounds like a long time but if you need to put an artificial hip into someone who's young and active, you want it to last longer so they don't have multiple surgeries." Nia Christian, Graduate Student, Rice University

Higgs' Particle Flow and Tribology Lab was invited by Rice mechanical and bioengineer B.J. Fregly, to collaborate on his work to model human motion to improve life for patients with neurologic and orthopedic impairments.

"He wanted to know if we could predict how long their best candidate hip joints would last," said Higgs, Rice's John and Ann Doerr Professor in Mechanical Engineering and a joint professor of Bioengineering, whose own father's knee replacement partially inspired the study. "So our model uses walking motion of real patients."

Physical simulators need to run millions of cycles to predict wear and failure points, and can take months to get results. Higgs' model seeks to speed up and simplify the process by analyzing real motion capture data like that produced by the Fregly lab along with data from "instrumented" hip implants studied by Georg Bergmann at the Free University of Berlin.

The new study incorporates the four distinct modes of physics -- contact mechanics, fluid dynamics, wear and particle dynamics -- at play in hip motion. No previous studies considered all four simultaneously, according to the researchers.

One issue others didn't consider was the changing makeup of the lubricant between bones. Natural joints contain synovial fluid, an extracellular liquid with a consistency similar to egg whites and secreted by the synovial membrane, connective tissue that lines the joint. When a hip is replaced, the membrane is preserved and continues to express the fluid.

"In healthy natural joints, the fluid generates enough pressure so that you don't have contact, so we all walk without pain," Higgs said. "But an artificial hip joint generally undergoes partial contact, which increasingly wears and deteriorates your implanted joint over time. We call this kind of rubbing mixed lubrication."

That rubbing can lead to increased generation of wear debris, especially from the plastic material -- an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene -- commonly used as the socket (the acetabular cup) in artificial joints. These particles, estimated at up to 5 microns in size, mix with the synovial fluid can sometimes escape the joint.

"Eventually, they can loosen the implant or cause the surrounding tissue to break down," Christian said. "And they often get carried to other parts of the body, where they can cause osteolysis. There's a lot of debate over where they end up but you want to avoid having them irritate the rest of your body."

She noted the use of metal sockets rather than plastic is a topic of interest. "There's been a strong push toward metal-on-metal hips because metal is durable," Christian said. "But some of these cause metal shavings to break off. As they build up over time, they seem to be much more damaging than polyethylene particles."

Further inspiration for the new study came from two previous works by Higgs and colleagues that had nothing to do with bioengineering. The first looked at chemical mechanical polishing of semiconductor wafers used in integrated circuit manufacturing. The second pushed their predictive modeling from micro-scale to full wafer-scale interfaces.

The researchers noted future iterations of the model will incorporate more novel materials being used in joint replacement.
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Regarding Resign, Sen. Cruz. Your lies cost lives, (A16, Jan. 10): Thank you for your editorial urging Sen. Ted Cruz to resign. Cruz, like Donald Trump, doesnt want the job he was entrusted with. Again, like Trump, he wants the role to play and the personal prestige and self aggrandizement that comes with the title while taking no personal responsibility for actually serving the country, his constituents or the Constitution. His cynical and pandering attempts to now decry the violence he helped unleash is absolutely disgusting. He was prepared to lie to the American people for his own political gain, with no regard for the consequences to others. Now he needs to be forced to face the personal consequences of his outrageous irresponsibility.

Cruz cannot be allowed to walk this back and pretend this was done out of some purer motive. He must never be allowed to think we will forgive and forget after what he has done. If he doesnt do the honorable thing and resign, the Senate needs to expel him from the chamber, either under the Senate rules, or by invoking the 14th Amendment. He cannot be allowed to escape the consequences of his actions. He must resign or be removed.

Bruce R. Bodson, Missouri City

Ted Cruz, you need to resign as senator of Texas because you have not fulfilled your oath to defend the Constitution of the United States and the associated electoral procedures. You were not elected to represent or defend Donald Trump, or to claim that the vote count in Arizona and Pennsylvania was fraudulent. You have practiced before the U.S. Supreme Court and understand the details of constitutional law as a scholar, yet you mislead millions of Americans by giving them hope of changing the results of a valid election for president when you know that it was not possible. You, sir, are guilty of aiding and abetting the mob that invaded the Capitol, an action which required you to seek shelter and safety. Why did you not stand in the door to stop the mob and explain that they were wrong to listen to you and President Trump? When the highly educated and experienced leaders such as yourself do not have the courage to tell the truth to their followers, then you do not deserve to continue in office.

Resign, Sen. Cruz!

John Martinez, Houston

I havent been mad, Ive just been so sad. Then I remembered the last time I felt this way. It was Sept. 11, 2001. I didnt know what to do, and I walked around the house crying. Then an amazing thing happened. People started putting their American flags out like so many do on the Fourth of July. I quickly got mine hung out and found it so comforting. That flag that represents so much immediately told me that things were going to be OK. It was so uplifting to look down a street and see all the flags flapping in the wind. Today I went outside in the rain and put my flag out. I hope others do the same. Its one way we can all come together in spite of everything and remember that once again our democracy is going to be OK.

Betty Martin, Houston

Much is being said about the lack of sufficient security at the Capitol last Wednesday. What people need to realize is that what the Capitol Police were expecting was a demonstration by Donald Trump supporters. These are Conservatives, Republicans, Trump people, these are people who believe in law and order. These are people who respect the police, these are people who believe in the rule of law, these are people who are patriotic and love their country who would never break the law. Right? What they were, and still are, are a mob with a mob mentality bent on mayhem and destruction of the Capitol building and our Democratic Institutions. They were whipped up to a frenzy by Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and their allies in the GOP and Fox News with their lies about voter fraud. Sadly there will be more mayhem in the future. America is being torn apart by those who presume to love her or to paraphrase a quote from the Vietnam era, we had to destroy America in order to save her.

Gonzalo Martinez, La Porte

What about last summer?

The riots at the Capitol were heinous and despicable without a doubt and never should have occurred in a democratic society. On the other hand, the violence we saw this past summer in New York City, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis and other places around the country should have been canaries in the coal mine for what more was to occur. Some of the leaders of these communities as well as the mainstream media decided that there was nothing wrong with those rioters and mobs which burned down buildings and destroyed business while being deemed a summer of love by some. The public was supposed to be understanding of those types of actions while their cities were being trashed and livelihoods ruined. Is Main Street any less sacred than the U.S. Capitol and those who oversee the rule of law? I just hope that those caught in the middle like myself understand that there is plenty of blame to go around.

Carole Paul Vesely, Houston

From outside Texas

I am writing from Philadelphia, and I just wanted to reveal an outsiders view of Sen. Ted Cruz. I view him as a man who sold his soul to the devil and acts strictly for political gain. I lost all respect for the man as a result of a single incident that happened when he was running for president, and I think the incident tells you all you need to know about Sen. Cruz. The president called his wife ugly. Now what man takes that sitting down? What man doesnt stand up for his wifes honor? Not Sen. Cruz, thats for sure. If someone said that about my wife, I would disown him right then and there for the rest of my life, and hed have a nice black eye for good measure. Yet here stands Cruz today, still supporting the president, even after Trump engineered an insurrection on our country, an insurrection mind you that could have cost Cruz his very life. So what kind of crud is Cruz, really? The worst kind.

Charles D., Philadelphia, PA

Hi from the UK. Just a simple message to congratulate the editorial board on taking their stand against Ted Cruz. Your comments are well deserved by him. Ive been observing your election for months in some detail in conversation with Democrat friends in Rochester, NY. Again, well done, good work.

Mike Ingham, United Kingdom

Impeachment

Not surprised that our own, Congressman Al Green, is calling for impeachment of Donald Trump. In 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected president, he was calling for impeachment of Trump. Some things never change.

Tommye Torian, Houston
Alwaleed Philanthropies, chaired by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud, said it has signed two memorandums of cooperation (MoC) with the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), represented by the Secretary General of the Philanthropy, Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud and SDRPYs Supervisor, Ambassador Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber.

The first agreement is in collaboration with UN-Habitat, represented by the Programs Executive Director, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, to launch the Adequate Housing Project.

The second agreement is in collaboration with Education for Employment (EFE), represented by its Executive Officer, Andrew Baird, to implement an educational program, entitled: Building the Future for Yemeni Youth. Ultimately, the projects are expected to positively impact 4,860 people in Yemen.

The virtual event was attended by ministers, senior officials and representatives from Yemen, including the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Waed Abdullah Badhib, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Dr. Muhammad Al-Zaouri and Minister of Public Works and Infrastructures, Manea Bayamain.

Al Jaber said: "The initiatives are part of our ongoing efforts to assist the Government in Yemen by restoring housing, and offering placement programs, job trainings, and self-employment opportunities to youth, under the directives of King Salman and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman."

In coordination with the Yemeni government and local authorities, and in cooperation with civil society organizations, the Adequate Housing Project aims to restore 600 housing units for low-income households in Aden and other areas with low living standards in Yemen, he added.

Mohd Sharif said: "This partnership will enhance our contributions in Yemen and will enable us to provide assistance and support for these underprivileged groups."

Baird said: "Since 2006, EFE has linked over 114,000 Arab youth to a job or the world of work. We are extremely pleased to be part of this effort to support Yemeni youth."

Studies conducted by experts indicate that the project is expected to benefit up to 4,200 people directly, in addition to indirect beneficiaries of the improvements to the urban landscape of the residential neighborhoods, and the general improvement of the social and economic conditions.

Moreover, the project will benefit more than 200 unemployed youth by providing vocational training, while 1600 new job opportunities will be created during the implementation period.

Princess Lamia said: "Adequate housing and proper job placements are vital in economic, social, and civic development. If addressed properly, a myriad of socio-economic benefits can be reaped and business opportunities will grow."

Todays agreements with the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, UN-Habitat and Education for Employment demonstrates our continuous efforts towards providing long-term solutions and achieving sustainable impact in a way that supports the most vulnerable segments of society, she noted.

The second project, entitled: Building the Future for Yemeni Youth, will aim to provide occupational training and job opportunities for 660 youth and their families, to improve the living standards and achieve economic stability in targeted areas, she added.
[January 12, 2021] IsZo Capital Issues Letter to Nam Tai Shareholders Regarding Status of Lawsuit to Invalidate the Company's Dilutive Private Placement

IsZo Capital Management LP (together with its affiliates, "IsZo"), a long-term shareholder of Nam Tai Property Inc. (NYSE: NTP) ("Nam Tai" or the "Company") with beneficial ownership of approximately 11% of the Company's outstanding shares,1 today issued the below letter to shareholders regarding its lawsuit in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court against Nam Tai, Kaisa Group Holdings Limited's (HKG: 1638) wholly-owned subsidiary Greater Sail Limited and West Ridge Investment Company Limited. In an effort to continue providing shareholders with transparency into our efforts at Nam Tai and address the many questions we have received since commencing litigation in response to the dilutive private placement, IsZo has made public its statement of claim and other helpful materials at www.FixNTP.com/resources. *** January 12, 2021 Fellow Shareholders, You are likely aware that IsZo Capital LP (together with its affiliates, "IsZo" or "we") filed a lawsuit against Nam Tai Property Inc. ("Nam Tai" or the "Company") in October 2020 after the Company announced a $170 million private placement that distributed more than 16 million common shares to Kaisa Group Holdings Limited's ("Kaisa") wholly-owned subsidiary Greater Sail Limited ("Kaisa-Greater Sail") and more than 2.6 million common shares to West Ridge Investment Company Limited ("West Ridge"). Our lawsuit contends that the Kaisa allies currently in control of Nam Tai initiated this dilutive and unjustifiable transaction in response to IsZo obtaining requisite support to convene a meeting of shareholders (the "Special Meeting"), whereat investors could vote to reconstitute the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board"). Today's communication intends to deliver an update on the legal process and reinforce our unwavering commitment to facilitating necessary change atop Nam Tai. We believe there are several key points in the legal process shareholders should be aware of: The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (the "Court") initially granted IsZo's request for an injunction designed to protect shareholders as the legality of the transaction is contested. Nam Tai has since agreed to provide certain undertakings to the Court imposing restrictions similar to an injunction for the duration of the litigation process. Shareholders should feel confident that Nam Tai's ability to take further value-destructive actions is restricted.





Nam Tai has since agreed to provide certain undertakings to the Court imposing restrictions similar to an injunction for the duration of the litigation process. Shareholders should feel confident that Nam Tai's ability to take further value-destructive actions is restricted. The trial regarding the validity of the private placement is scheduled to commence on January 29, 2021. IsZo has retained highly-qualified legal advisors to represent us before the Court. Our goal is to invalidate the private placement and have the Special Meeting convened that approximately 40% of shareholders - including one of Nam Tai's current directors - demanded.





IsZo has retained highly-qualified legal advisors to represent us before the Court. Our goal is to invalidate the private placement and have the Special Meeting convened that approximately 40% of shareholders - including one of Nam Tai's current directors - demanded. The Court is expected to conclude the trial in February. If the Court invalidates the transaction or renders a similarly favorable ruling, IsZo expects the Special Meeting to be convened shortly after Judgment is delivered.





If the Court invalidates the transaction or renders a similarly favorable ruling, IsZo expects the Special Meeting to be convened shortly after Judgment is delivered. West Ridge has agreed to be bound by the Court's ruling with respect to the private placement and will not defend the legal proceedings . IsZo is pleased with this positive development and has stayed its legal proceedings against West Ridge. IsZo intends to demonstrate to the Court that Nam Tai's private placement represents an egregious entrenchment maneuver intended to strengthen Kaisa's grip on the Company by preventing long-suffering shareholders from achieving boardroom change at the Special Meeting. We firmly reject the Board's claim that Nam Tai needed to raise new capital to address lenders' purported concerns regarding potential changes in Board control. It is standard practice across the global real estate sector for loans to be secured by physical assets or properties, effectively providing lenders with valuable collateral and security amidst leadership changes and transformative events. Notably, Nam Tai repeatedly touted its stable financial position and cash flows in public communications before announcing the private placement, making it even more apparent that the true impetus for the $170 million transaction was Kaisa's desire to retain control of the Company in the face of widespread shareholder discontent. Given that the Kaisa-dominated Board's brazen maneuver was followed by an approximate 40% share price decline, the marketplace seemed to quickly reach similar conclusions about this highly-questionable private placement. We appreciate the outreach from many shareholders in recent months to ask questions about the legal process and encourage us to not back down. The marketplace can rest assured that IsZo will not be deterred or intimidated by Kaisa's attempts to undermine corporate democracy. IsZo has retained expert legal advisors to guide us through proceedings in the British Virgin Islands and whatever else arises with Nam Tai. Our slate of ethical, experienced and highly-qualified director candidates remain ready and willing to enter the boardroom. Our six director candidates have the right strategic vision for unlocking the intrinsic value of Nam Tai's portfolio, which may be worth up to $40 per share based on the Company's own valuation reports. Unlike the Kaisa-controlled Board, our slate has been focused on developing the right plan for creating meaningful value at Nam Tai. Our public letter dated September 18, 2020 summarized steps that include: Improving corporate governance and enhancing the Board's alignment with shareholders.

Installing a proven, China-based, high-caliber management team.

Retaining local advisors to support project-level continuity in Shenzhen and Dongguan.

Establishing a disciplined capital allocation approach.

Commencing a credible strategic review of the current project portfolio. We intend to continue investing energy, resources and time into our legal action against Nam Tai to protect the best interests of shareholders. The market's overwhelmingly positive reaction to our public efforts last summer demonstrates that investors realize the potential buried within Nam Tai's underperforming shares and yearn for the change we are seeking to deliver. IsZo remains 100% committed to the process and is not going anywhere. We will continue to provide appropriately-timed updates on our legal efforts when permissible. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Brian Sheehy

IsZo Capital Management LP *** Shareholders interested in learning more about IsZo's action and the overall Special Meeting process should contact our solicitor, Saratoga Proxy Consulting, at info@saratogaproxy.com or (212) 257-1311. We also encourage shareholders to learn more about our slate and its strategic vision by visiting www.FixNTP.com. ***







1 Based upon 39,197,991 shares outstanding immediately prior to the disputed private placement.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005339/en/

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This is the hilarious moment a hunter is attacked by a grouse while searching for deer.

Cameron Labarge, 29, was looking for deer in the woods near his home in Glens Falls, New York, when a bird started furiously pecking away at his head and face.

In the clip the grouse can be seen first sitting on the pharmacy technician's shoulders, before it begins to peck at his cap.

Suddenly, the grouse turns his attention to Mr Labarge's face  nipping on his cheek so badly that the hunter visibly flinches.

Neither the hunter nor the bird move from their position, as the latter continues to tap his cap, appearing to try to peck his way through.

Cameron Labarge, 29, was looking for deer in the woods near his home in Glens Falls, New York, when a bird started furiously pecking away at his head and face

The clip which garnered more than 200,000 views and Instagram users commented on the bizarre incident.

One said: 'When the hunter becomes the hunted.'

Another added: 'I don't blame the bird with that camo on I couldn't even see you.'

The clip which garnered more than 200,000 views and Instagram users commented on the bizarre incident

A third commented: 'Very close to losing an eye...'

Mr Labarge said: 'I was thinking that wow this is one of the craziest things to ever happen to me in the woods, I need to get this on camera so people believe me.

'I was deer hunting when the grouse attacked.

Neither the hunter nor the bird move from their position, as the latter continues to tap his cap, appearing to try to peck his way through

Suddenly, the grouse turns his attention to Mr Labarge's face  nipping on his cheek so badly that the hunter visibly flinches

'I was in my tree stand for about 30 minutes and I was using my grunt (deer call) when he seemed interested in that sound and came to get a better look at what it was.

'Every person I show the video to, their reaction is priceless when he pecks me in the face.

'They're in complete shock of what actually is happening. Also, the shock that it's a wild animal and how calm I was during the entire video.'

'I was thinking that wow this is one of the craziest things to ever happen to me in the woods, I need to get this on camera so people believe me,' Mr Labarge (pictured with a deer) said

Mr Labarge (pictured with a turkey) said his encounter with the grouse has not put him off hunting in the future

Mr Labarge (pictured with a deer) said: 'I would advise people to get out in the woods to experience nature, especially during these times when people have been in extreme isolation'

He said his encounter with the grouse has not put him off hunting.

He said: 'I would advise people to get out in the woods to experience nature, especially during these times when people have been in extreme isolation.

'It would be good for people to get out and disconnect.'
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will arrive here on Tuesday on a three-day (January 12-14) official visit to Pakistan along with a delegation

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2021 ):Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will arrive here on Tuesday on a three-day (January 12-14) official visit to Pakistan along with a delegation.

During the visirt, the Turkish Foreign Minister will hold bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and call on Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr. Arif Alvi.

The two Foreign Ministers will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues, Foreign Office said in a press statement issued here.

Foreign Minister Cavusoglu's visit to Pakistan is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. This will be his third visit during the last two and half years.

The fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkey are deeply embedded in common faith, culture and history and underpinned by exceptional mutual trust and respect.

Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations have been institutionalized under the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which is the highest level decision-making forum, providing strategic direction to further boost the partnership.

Co-chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Imran Khan, the 6th Session of HLSCC was held in Islamabad in February 2020.

The Strategic Economic Framework (SEF), signed at 6th Session of HLSCC, has 71 action points for deeper cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields. Pakistan and Turkey enjoy close collaboration on issues of mutual interest at multilateral fora such as the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Economic Cooperation Organization.

Turkey is an important member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir and has been consistently supporting the cause of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.

The forthcoming visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister will help further cement the bilateral ties and enhance cooperation in multiple areas, the statement concluded.
ITL is dedicated to build a sharing ecosystem in Vietnams logistics market

The negative impacts of COVID-19 on the general economy caused the trade chains to break, borders to close, and transportation costs to increase. The logistics sector faced an uphill struggle in 2020, leading to the dissolution of nearly half a million enterprises, with the rest enduring reduction of 30-50 per cent in revenues and profit.

Despite the crisis, ITL  a leading logistics corporation - utilised its core foundation, strong financial potential, and a methodical strategy to remain in the right direction. It scored a hat-trick of achievements: reaching 109 per cent in profit compared to 2019; attracting investment of $70 million from the International Financial Corporation, a sister organisation of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group; and ranked in the Top 50 Vietnam The Best, Top 500 Biggest Companies in Vietnam 2020 and Top 10 Most Reputable Logistics Companies in Vietnam.

Also in 2020, ITL successfully completed a merger and acquisition (M&A) with Sotrans Group to increase total assets and key infrastructure such as seaports, warehouses, and inland container depots (ICDs), enhancing competitiveness with international logistics companies. With consistent strategies, ITL has expanded its influence and maintained its position in the country, step by step approaching its goal of becoming a national champion.

Ben Anh, CEO of ITL Corporation, said that the enterprise is focused on building its system to provide a diversified and full array of logistics services to domestic and international customers with the lowest cost, saving time and ensuring high efficiency. Besides that, building a large-scale ecosystem with methodical infrastructure will pave the way for ITL to increase its competitiveness, cooperating and trading with major customers in the country and all over the world.

Our goal is to become the national champion in the logistics with a vision of creating a sharing ecosystem in Vietnam. There, we are willing to share with all transportation and logistics enterprises to utilise the values from ITL ecosystem such as supply chains, aviation services, warehousing systems, container ports and ICDs, and railway freight stations, Ben Anh explained. This will create resonance, bringing the highest benefits not only to customers but also for the development of Vietnams logistics industry.

In the long term, ITL will continue to expand its scale, manpower, and strength to participate in the global supply chain, reaffirming the Vietnamese brand mark on the international arena, the CEO added.

ITL has prepared plans for 2021 for investment activities worth hundreds of millions of US dollars in order to complete in the logistics ecosystem. Specifically, the corporation will invest in building infrastructure, managing the supply chain, and applying smart technologies in operation while implementing new M&A deals. At the same time, working with logistics businesses continues to be the strategy that ITL will utilise in order to bring value to the countrys logistics industry.

While COVID-19 has caused many new problems, it has also been a test of endurance and strength for businesses, helping to create stronger foundations and internal strength for enterprises to break out. With its plans, ITL is aiming to conquer the regional logistics market after leading Vietnam  which is already one of the most dynamic markets in Southeast Asia.
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10. And finally, for your viewing pleasure.

If youre like your Briefing writer and have already plowed through Bridgerton, rewatched Greys Anatomy and are on the verge of finishing Lupin, Netflix has good news for you: The streaming platform announced some 70 movies featuring stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Lin-Manual Miranda and Jay-Z. Above, the forthcoming big-budget action film Army of the Dead.

Netflix also released an extended cut of Chris Rocks essential stand-up special Tamborine. And All Creatures Great and Small, a charming mini-series adaptation of the James Herriot book that was a surprise pandemic hit in Britain, makes its way to PBS this week.

Have a leisurely night.

Claire Moses contributed to this briefing.

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com.
WASHINGTON - Democratic lawmakers are asking the country's top telecom carriers to share more information about Americans who are falling behind on their Internet bills, setting the stage for Congress to consider billions of dollars in new broadband stimulus aid as part of the next coronavirus relief package.

With the pandemic still forcing families out of their offices and schools - and into online workspaces and classrooms - Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, Jerry McNerney of California and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania said that AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and other carriers need to be more forthcoming about their customers' financial situations and the steps they are taking to ensure people do not lose access to the Web.

The lawmakers' interest stems from scattered local reports over the past few months that their constituents have been disconnected - along with growing fears that Internet providers may seek to raise prices or put new caps on home Web usage. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission worked out a voluntary arrangement with the country's telecom giants to help people stay online amid the pandemic even if they cannot pay their bills on time. But that agreement expired over the summer, and Democrats say it remains unclear how well, if it all, it actually worked in practice since the Trump administration did not collect any data on its implementation.

Congressional lawmakers since then have approved $7 billion in new federal broadband aid, much of which it has set aside as part of an emergency rebate program that will provide discounts to low-income Americans. But the program may not be ready until February at the earliest, leading Democrats to demand answers now from broadband providers so that they can gauge if they need to act quickly to deliver another round of relief.

"We hear reports from the district that people are losing their Internet service, kids are lacking education as a result, businesses are suffering," McNerney said in an interview. "The companies made a pledge. We know it expired, but we don't see [if] that pledge has been honored - we don't know."

"There are people already susceptible to being cut off, or have been cut off, who are hurting," he added.

The Democratic lawmakers' new inquiry could set the stage for significant new Washington work toward expanding high-speed Internet access, perhaps making it more affordable, and closing the country's pernicious technological gap, known as the digital divide. The inequality historically poses its greatest harm to Americans in rural areas and people of color in cities nationwide. More than 8 million households, containing nearly 17 million children, may lack access to modern-day Web connectivity, according to an analysis commissioned by the Alliance for Excellent Education, the National Urban League and other advocacy groups issued in August.

Democrats long have sought to boost federal investments in broadband, but their efforts have grown only more urgent since the pandemic shuttered much of the U.S. economy. With the party soon to control the levers of power in Washington - the House and Senate, as well as the White House - lawmakers soon may have the ability to bring their ambitious digital agenda into fruition. President-elect Joe Biden similarly has called for billions of dollars in new broadband aid, adding to the potential for reform.

For now, Pallone, the leader of the tech-focused House Energy Committee, joined McNerney and Doyle, two of the panel's key members, in firing off a battery of questions to Internet providers this week. They asked nine broadband companies, including Altice, Charter, Cox and T-Mobile, to detail their participation in the government's earlier, voluntary shutoff moratorium, called the "Keep Americans Connected" pledge. They also asked if those companies have raised prices since the pandemic began, changed service to introduce new caps on data or offered special help to Americans in financial distress.

Publicly, roughly 800 companies including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon say they adhered to the FCC's pledge. The agreement called on providers to refrain from shutting off business or residential customers who could not pay, for example, and suspended potential late fees. The pledge took effect mid-March and concluded at the end of June, though some companies say they have preserved the availability of low-income internet access programs to help people in need.

"We have been at the forefront of keeping our customers and communities connected, working to close the homework gap and bridge the digital divide by making broadband more accessible and affordable," AT&T spokesman Michael Balmoris said in a statement, adding they are reviewing lawmakers' letter.

But Democrats say it's been difficult to assess how well these companies have been able to help their customers who are falling behind. In a letter to the carriers Monday, the three lawmakers took special interest in Comcast, citing public reporting that it would start charging the heaviest internet users in the northeast more. Comcast has said most users would not be affected by the new policies, but the move still has sparked widespread criticism, including on Capitol Hill.

"This is an egregious action at a time when households and small businesses across the country need high-speed, reliable broadband more than ever but are struggling to make ends meet," Pallone, McNerney and Doyle wrote in their letters.

Comcast, for its part, said it still offers 60 days of free service to low-income Americans as part of its Internet Essentials program. It also raised its speeds for those customers and negotiated agreements with school districts and other institutions so that they can pay for students' broadband connections. Sena Fitzmaurice, a spokeswoman for Comcast, added that the telecom giant began imposing data caps in other parts of the country prior to the pandemic -- and the policy only recently has been extended to the northeast.

The FCC declined comment.

In collecting the information, Pallone said lawmakers could seek to authorize additional stimulus aid, including a potential "prohibition on disconnection." Democrats included the shutoff ban as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus aid package they adopted in the House last year, though the idea ultimately was abandoned as part of the year-end deal signed by President Donald Trump in late December. McNerney, meanwhile, said Democrats also could specifically seek to boost funding for a federal program that helps schools get students online, known as E-Rate, to help children stuck at home during the pandemic.

(Natural News) Portland has been a hotbed for Antifa and Black Lives Matter-led anti-police riots and demonstrations during the latter half of 2020. This has resulted in a massive spike in shootings, according to reports, which point out that gun violence-related incidents are up by over 116 percent compared to the previous year.

According to Portland-based CBS-affiliate KOIN, the city logged nearly 900 shootings in 2020, compared to just 393 shootings in 2019. The city also recorded the highest number of homicides since a wave of gang violence swept through the city nearly 30 years ago.

The latest homicide incident occurred on Christmas morning, Dec. 25, when 33-year-old Jaron Weeks became the citys 53rd shooting fatality of the year. He and a second person were shot outside an apartment building in the Lloyd District of the Northeast Portland neighborhood. The second person was hospitalized and is still recovering. Weeks was identified by the Portland Police Bureau three days after the incident.

This was followed by a wave of gun violence on Dec. 26, when multiple people were sent to the hospital after a series of shootings across the city.

At around 8:30 p.m. in the Montavilla District in Northeast Portland, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) received reports of gunshots in the area. A short while later, a 15-year-old girl walked into an area hospital with a gunshot wound that was not considered to be life-threatening.

Around 9:45 p.m. in Southeast Portland, officers arrived at the scene of a gun violence incident and found multiple bullet casings, a vehicle that had been shot several times and significant amounts of blood. While the PPB investigated the incident, a man walked into a nearby hospital with a serious gunshot wound. The man is expected to survive.

Just after 11 p.m. on the same day, PPB officers responded to the third shooting incident of the evening at the Brentwood-Darlington District in Southeast Portland. Several homes were shot at multiple times. While there were people inside the homes at the time of the incident, no injuries were reported.

The final incident occurred just moments after the third shooting. A convenience store worker in Northeast Portland reported that several shots were fired into the building he was currently working in following a heated confrontation between himself and three teenage customers. The worker confronted the individuals after he caught them attempting to steal several items. As the group ran out, several shots were fired.

Gun violence isnt the only criminal action rocking the city. There have also been multiple reports of other kinds of violent behavior, such as assault, since the beginning of the period of engineered civil unrest back in late May. PPB officials also believe that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns associated with it have also made the situation much worse.

They know we are busy, said Derek Carman of the PPB. So, people are more emboldened to carry firearms and use them against each other and not only one or two shots but multiple. There have been thousands of shots fired in the city this year, and it is unfortunate for the community.

Portland police turning to community due to lack of proper options to tackle gun violence

Portland police have stated that they want to turn to the community for help in reducing the gun violence plaguing their city. According to one PPB officer, over 220 people have been shot in 2020, many of whom contributed to the record number of homicides.

The number of bullets that must have been flying around our neighbors, city streets, sidewalks  its awful, said PPB Lt. Greg Pashley.

PPB officials have traced the rise in gun violence to the sudden move to disband the bureaus Gun Violence Reduction Team. This move was made over the summer following an intense anti-police campaign by Antifa and Black Lives Matter activists and rioters who argued that the team was disproportionately targeting the citys people of color. (Related: Violent crime in Portland goes up after city council disbands elite police team.)

Since the teams disbandment, the PPB has not been able to formulate a clear plan to handle the sharp increase in gun violence. This is why they decided to ask the Portland community for help in intervening with people who may be inclined to commit acts of violence.

Social services, government organizations, non-government organizations, church-based organizations  so that people feel as if they have support and options other than to act out violently, said Pashley.

Weve come together to mask up, to stay home to keep others safe, said PPB Chief Chuck Lovell in a televised address pleading for help. We have come together to do our best to stop the spread of a deadly disease. Violence is also a disease that kills and our community is suffering the consequences.

Learn more about how the defund the police movement has directly led to an increase in violence in cities like Portland by reading the latest articles covering anti-police events at Violence.news.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

KOIN.com 1

KOIN.com 2

KGW.com

FoxNews.com
MALTA  Sharon Pineo, the Round Lake resident who was involved in Wednesday's siege on the U.S. Capitol, has resigned as a member of the Malta Zoning Board of Appeals.

Malta Supervisor Darren OConnor said that she stepped down in a brief letter to him, submitted on Monday afternoon.

I tender this resignation with regret but believe that in these challenging times, it is important not to allow any impediment to the smooth operation of the town business, Pineo wrote in the letter provided to the Times Union. It has been my honor to serve on the board. I thank you and former Supervisor (Vincent) DeLucia for the opportunity.

Pineo, who has been on the zoning board of appeals since 2018, did not mention anything about her involvement in last Wednesday's riot when hundreds stormed the U.S. Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify the 2020 Electoral College. While a photo shared on social media shows her being led from the Capitol by police officers with her hands behind her back, there has been no evidence Pineo has been criminally charged.

An officer who answered the phone at the U.S. Capitol Police on Monday said its an ongoing investigation and could not provide further information. No one answered the phone at the U.S. Attorneys office in Washington when the Times Union called.

Pineo helped organize a chartered bus trip to the March on Congress, details of which she put in a post on the Upstate Conservative Coalition Facebook page. It read, in part, My fellow conservative patriotsour President asks that we, the people assemble at the Capital to declare to Congress that we do not support a stolen election.

She went onto say she was coordinating the bus trip/caravan from our area in answer to our Presidents call.

That afternoon, hundreds carrying flags in support of President Donald J. Trump besieged the Capitol, with some forcing their way past police in riot gear, as well as breaking doors and windows. Rioters were pictured with confederate flags inside the Capitol building, and gallows were constructed nearby with a hanging noose.

Five people have died in connection with the siege, including a rioter who was shot and a Capitol police officer who was struck in the head with a heavy object. Another Capitol police officer who responded to the incursion took his own life on Saturday.

Calls for Pineo to resign surfaced this past weekend after photos of her on the Capitol steps circulated on social media.

The Times Union reached out to Pineo on Sunday and Monday, but Pineo did not return emails or phone calls.

In addition to her role on the zoning board of appeals, Pineo ran for village trustee in Round Lake in 2018. Last year, she made an unsuccessful attempt to win the GOP endorsement to run against state Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner for the 113th assembly district.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

India on Monday handed over a missing Chinese soldier who went astray in the China-India border area to China's border troops, according to People's Liberation Army Daily

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2021 ):India on Monday handed over a missing Chinese soldier who went astray in the China-India border area to China's border troops, according to People's Liberation Army Daily.

Due to darkness and complicated geography, a soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) frontier defense force went astray in the China-India border early Friday morning, and the PLA frontier defense force notified the Indian side of the information the first time, hoping the Indian side could assist in search and rescue of the lost Chinese soldier, according to PLA Daily.

Nearly two hours later, the response from the Indian side came, confirming that the missing soldier had been found and would be returned to the Chinese side after receiving instructions from the superior authority.

Indian side should strictly adhere to relevant agreements reached by the two countries and waste no time to return the lost soldier to the Chinese side, so as to add positive factors for de-escalating the border tensions between the two countries and jointly maintaining peace and tranquility in the China-India border areas.

The Indian army agreed and promised to return the soldier after obtaining permission from their superior, said the statement, which asked India to abide by relevant agreements reached between the two sides.

Indian media had reported that a Chinese soldier was apprehended by Indian troops near the south bank of Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh on Friday.

The soldier lost his way and was captured by the Indian side. In past soldiers from both sides lost their way and crossed the border.

In October, a PLA soldier went missing while helping a herdsman find his yak along the China-India border. After China urged India to help search, India later notified China that a missing person from China had been found and would be returned to China after a medical exam.
ITV has been left red-faced after a continuity announcer mistakenly introduced Views From Storm Front, rather than View From Stormont.

The gaffe prompted Belfast comedian Tim McGarry to tweet: Bring back Julian!!!.

The political programme, hosted by Paul Clark, aired on UTV at 10.45pm on Monday.

OPINION: 'View from Stormont' replaced by 'Views from Stormfront' on @utv. How does a pre-recorded announcement like that get to air I wonder. pic.twitter.com/vFWaRTM2BD  Clean Feed @ The TV Room (@cleanfeed_ttvr) January 12, 2021

However, just as the show was about to go on air, an English ITV continuity announcer said: Now as the pandemic continues, we have all the latest developments in Views From Storm Front.

It comes after UTV favourites Julian Simmons and Gillian Porter left the station in November last year.

BBC News Ireland correspondent Emma Vardy called the mistake a Freudian slip but said it had her in stitches.

Meanwhile, Sky News Ireland correspondent David Blevins added that Storm Front might be more apt right now!

In April, local continuity announcements and branding between programmes were suspended to reduce risk and minimise the number of people in the Belfast office.

Read More

ITV said that the changes had worked well and, as a result, it decided to make the modifications permanent.

Continuity announcements have been provided centrally ever since, meaning there is no longer a requirement for local continuity announcers.

Speaking at the time of the departure of Julian and Gillian, Matt Scarff, Director of ITV Creative and ITV Experiences said, it made sense to align all the nations and regions continuity announcements and between programme branding.

Julian, best known for his quirky take on the goings-on of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and former UTV Life presenter Gillian, said they planned to keep working and were excited to see what the future holds.

Mr Simmons said he felt "very lucky" to have worked for the broadcaster for more than 30 years but said it made sense for the broadcast to centralise it operations.

"In-vision continuity was a real stand-out element of UTV for decades. I love the part I played in that," he said.

He had been furloughed for months before the decision was made.

"When the news came in that it was all over, I'd already seen the way things were going so I wasn't surprised by it, and I'll always say that from the moment ITV took over a few years ago both myself and Gillian Porter were treated like royalty as the continuity announcers.

"They treated us like part of the family and we were asked over to London to the dos, and they were very, very good to us. I've no complaints at all."

An ITV spokesperson said: "We'd like to apologise for the continuity error last night before View from Stormont. This was human error and we have reviewed procedures to ensure that this won't happen again."
Jenna Bush Hager has revealed that her father, former President George W. Bush, painted portraits of her one-year-old son Hal while proudly showing off the artwork.

The 39-year-old Today host took to Instagram ahead of the weekend to share two of the heartwarming portraits that her dad gave her over the holidays.

'My favorite Christmas gift. My Hal painted by his Jefe,' Jenna captioned the images. '@georgewbush Love how you see our precious boy. These bring me joy.'

Scroll down for video

Precious: Jenna Bush Hager has revealed the portraits her father, George W. Bush, painted of her one-year-old son Hal

Resemblance: The former president perfectly captured his only grandson's likeness in the paintings, which he signed 43

The first painting shows a shaggy-haired Hal giving a toothy grin, while the second is a bit more serious.

'What a talented artist your father is,' one fan commented, while another added: 'What a special gift!!!! This is so touching and beautiful.'

Jenna opened up about the special gift on the Today show on Monday morning, admitting there was some confusion about the paintings.

'Some people on social media thought Hal had done the portraits,' she told her co-host Hoda Kotb while laughing. 'I think they're really beautiful, and they totally get him.'

Thoughtful: While the first painting shows Hal giving a toothy grin, the second is more serious

All together: Jenna also has daughters Mila, seven, and Poppy, five, with her husband Henry Hager. She and her family are pictured with her parents after Hal's birth

'By the way, it's not that easy to paint a baby, I can just say that,' she added. 'I sent him pictures, and he painted those. You can't have a baby sit for a portrait.'

Jenna said it was her favorite Christmas gift this year, and she already knows exactly where she is going to hang them.

'I'm going to frame it and put it in [Hal's] room so that he knows how his grandpa sees him,' she said. 'To me, those just represent love.'

Hal, who celebrated his first birthday in August, has only gotten to see his maternal grandparents a few times in his life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the little boy is clearly always on their minds.

Looking back: The Bushes have only seen their grandson a few times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They're pictured with they're grandchildren over the summer

Heartwarming: Jenna said she sent her father recent pictures of Hal so he could paint the little boy's portrait

Bush, who signs his artwork 43, has become a dedicated portrait painter since leaving the White House in 2009, but Jenna admitted that she is still a bit surprised by her father's artistic pursuits.

'It's so interesting that my dad is a painter because he hated art when we were little,' she said, noting her mother, Laura Bush, was the opposite.

'My mom would take us by herself to go see Frida Kahlo exhibits in San Antonio or whatever, and my dad would be like, "I'm not going,"' she recalled. 'It shows you that really you can always find a new passion.'

'He painted me, actually,' she said, making a face. 'There was a lot of texture on the face, which made me worried about something, like I need more sunscreen.'

Wonderful: Jenna opened up about the special gift on the Today show on Monday morning while sharing her plans to frame the paintings and hang them in Hal's bedroom

Inspired by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who also painted religiously, Bush told friends and family that he found painting cathartic and hoped to inspire others to explore new interests.

As his interest in the medium intensified, he hired an art teacher to help him finesse his technique, famously telling her he wanted to discover his 'inner Rembrandt.'

His artistic pursuits were first thrust into the public eye in 2013 when an email account belonging to his sister, Dorothy Bush Koch, was hacked and several images of his work were leaked.

Ever since, Bush has relished making his paintings available for public consumption.

Next up: Bush will be releasing his second book of paintings, Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants, on March 2

Hobby: Bush has become a dedicated portrait painter since leaving the White House in 2009. He was inspired by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who also painted religiously

Passion: As his interest in the medium intensified, he hired an art teacher to help him finesse his technique, famously telling her he wanted to discover his 'inner Rembrandt'

In 2017, he published his first book of portraits, Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors, which featured a collection of oil paintings of American military veterans.

Bush announced over the summer that he is publishing a second book of portraits that he's painted to honor 43 US immigrants.

Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants is slated to be released on March 2, with the featured paintings also set to be displayed in an exhibit at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.

'Through powerful four-color portraits  personally painted by the President himself and their accompanying stories, Out of Many, One reminds us of the countless ways in which America has been strengthened by the individuals who have come here in search of a better life,' Crown, the book's publisher, said in a statement.
12 opposition parties extend support to farmers protest call on May 26; urge Centre to hold talks with farmers

All 4 members of SC-appointed panel have supported farm laws: Who are they?

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 12: In a bid to resolve the deadlock over farmers' agitation against three farm laws the Supreme Court on set up a committee comprising experts to hear the parties and understand the ground situation.

The four members of the committee are Bhupinder Singh Mann, President of Bhartiya Kisan Union; Anil Ghanwat, President of Shetkeri Sangthana, Maharashtra; Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

The four-members have been known as pro-reforms in the agriculture space and have openly supported the farm laws.

Anil Ghanwat, President of Shetkari Sangthana

Anil Ghanwat, currently the president of the Shetkar Sanghatan founded by late Sharad Joshi had been has openly supported the Center's farm laws.

Ghanwat, a member of the committee appointed by the SC to hold talks with agitating farmers, said on Tuesday that the new farm laws partially implement what his outfit has been demanding for decades.

''We are not lauding the Centre's three acts that are described as giving freedom to farmers. It was the Shetkari Sanghatana headed by late Sharad Joshi which had pressed for these changes first,'' Ghanwat, whose organisation has been accused of backing the Centre on the issue despite representing farmers, said.

''Now the current government has tried to implement them to some extent. My role in the committee will be to protect the interest of farmers and improve these laws,'' he said.

Sharad Joshi, an economist who had worked with theWorld Bank, founded the Shetkari Sanghatna in the late 1970s.

Agriculture economist Ashok Gulati

Gulati is an eminent agriculture scientist and he received Padma Shri award in 2015 for his contribution in this field. He was the youngest member of the Economic Advisory Council of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the first NDA regime.

He is currently Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Gulati was also Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) during 2011-14 period. Before becoming the Chairman of the CACP, which advises the government on fixing the minimum support price (MSP), he was a director at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for more than 10 years (2001-11).

At present, Gulati is on the Central Board of Directors of the RBI, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and commodity exchange NCDEX. He has written 15 books on Indian and Asian Agriculture, besides several research papers.

Notably, Gulati has written opinion articles in national dailies, and also spoken to the media in support of the farm laws.

Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia

Pramod Kumar Joshi is the director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi.

Earlier, he had held the positions of director of the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad as well as the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi.

Previously, Joshi was South Asia Coordinator at the International Food Policy Research Institute and senior economist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Patancheru.

Joshi, in a piece co-written by him for the Financial Express, said, "Any dilution in the farm laws will constrain Indian agriculture in harnessing the emerging global opportunities."

Bhupinder Singh Mann, President of Bhartiya Kisan Union

Farmer leader Bhupinder Singh Mann is the national president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is part of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee. He was Rajya Sabha member from 1990-96.

He was part of a group of farmers that met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar in December, in support of new farm laws.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) system for their crops.

Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

with PTI inputs

on Tuesday summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register its protest over alleged ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the (LoC).

The Foreign Office alleged that a 10-year-old boy sustained injuries due to the firing in the Nezapir Sector on Monday.

The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the Working Boundary, it said in a statement.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Queenslands chief health officer says the risk the partner of a hotel quarantine cleaner who tested positive to the UK strain of COVID-19 would trigger a large Brisbane outbreak was low, but still there.

Greater Brisbane remains on high alert after a cleaner, infected with the mutant and more-contagious strain of COVID-19, tested positive last week.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty

The woman's partner tested positive for the virus on Monday, but has been in quarantine since January 7.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the man was infectious in the community for two days before going into isolation.
Miamis emergence as a tech hub enhances our capacity to build best-in-class user engagement solutions for our Publisher partners, and increases our ability to service current and future markets." - Zack Dugow, Founder and CEO, Insticator

Insticator, a global leader in engagement and revenue solutions for publishers, today announced the establishment of a second headquarters in Miami, Florida to accommodate the companys rapid growth and to recruit from the regions highly qualified talent pool. HQ2 will support Insticators commenting and user engagement product development across multiple functional areas.

Over the next 12-24 months, Insticator is expected to grow from approximately 80 employees globally to nearly 160, and the company is targeting 20 of those to be based out of the new Miami HQ2. Job seekers are encouraged to visit the companys career page for regular updates.

The decision to grow our team into the Miami metro area is the logical next step in our evolution, said Zack Dugow, founder and CEO of Insticator. Miamis emergence as a tech hub enhances our capacity to build best-in-class user engagement solutions for our Publisher partners, and increases our ability to service current and future markets. We are excited about tapping into the diverse, skilled talent in the region to meet these ambitious goals.

We are thrilled that Insticator has chosen Downtown Miami as the home of its next headquarters, said Manolo Reyes, City of Miami Commissioner and Chairman of the Miami Downtown Development Authority. Miami is one of the nations most welcoming cities for entrepreneurs and our Downtown is brimming with innovation and talent. We welcome Insticator with open arms as the latest addition to our technology community, and we look forward to fast-tracking their path to growth.

Additionally, the company is partnering with the Miami Downtown Development Authority to engage local universities on internship programs. Up to five (5) internships will be available for the upcoming term exclusively to students from Miami-area institutions of higher education across engineering, product and marketing. Interested students should contact their counselors and reach out directly to Insticator for more information.

The expansion follows significant growth for Insticator, with the company reporting a 645% increase in revenue this year. This growth has been recognized with the company being named as one of the fastest growing solution providers by Adweek, and inclusion on the Inc. 5000, the Deloitte. Technology Fast 500 and Crains Fast 50 lists.

ABOUT INSTICATOR

Insticator is the global leader in increasing engagement for publishers through interactive content and community building. Their suite of engagement products empowers publishers and consumers alike to amplify their voices and express their opinions in safe, interactive environments. From their human-moderated Commenting Unit that facilitates healthy, respectful discourse, to their Content Engagement Unit that enables audiences to share their opinions and interact with content that speaks directly to them, Insticator reaches over 350 million consumers monthly across its vast network of premium publishing partners including Ancestry, WebMD, Fox Sports, RealClear Media Group and more. Headquartered in New York and Miami, Insticators global footprint spans the US, Canada, India, the Philippines, Ukraine and the UK. Visit insticator.com to learn more.
Bengaluru, Jan 12 : The much-awaited cabinet expansion of the Karnataka cabinet will take place on Wednesday at 4 pm, with the induction of seven ministers, Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa said here on Tuesday.

The expansion comes a day before one of Karnataka's biggest festivals - Makara Sankranti, and is considered as a very auspicious day to commence any new work.

"Seven new ministers will be inducted into the cabinet and the new list of ministers will be announced at 4 pm on Wednesday," Yediyurappa said.

The BJP high command cleared the much-delayed Cabinet expansion on Sunday.

To a question on whether any ministers will be dropped from the cabinet, Yediyurappa said that the answer to the question who would be dropped will be clear only on Wednesday. "I only appeal to the media not to speculate by writing names as it only adds to confusion," he said.

On Saturday, Yediyurappa had received a call from BJP central leaders and he met BJP National President J. P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party general secretary in-charge for the state Arun Singh on Sunday to discuss the cabinet expansion and the upcoming bypolls to the Basavakalyana and Maski Assembly seats and the Belagavi Parliamentary seat.

Karnataka can have a total of 34 ministers but has 27 now. Besides members representing different factions and the old guard in the party, the Chief Minister also has to accommodate some of those who entered the Assembly through recent bypolls after defecting from Congress and JD(S).

Yediyurappa had assured the rebels of ministerial posts and began looking to fulfil that commitment soon after the BJP won both the bypolls in Karnataka, results of which were declared on 10 November. He had visited New Delhi on 18 November and met with party president J. P. Nadda.

Among the aspirants include BJP MLCs A. H. Vishwanath, R. Shankar and M. T. B. Nagaraj, Raja Rajeshwarinagar MLA Muniratna Naidu whose resignation as MLAs in the previous Cong-JD(S) combine brought the government down and paved the way for the BJP coming to power.

However in the wake of divisional bench of the High Court upholding Vishwanth's disqualification under the anti-defection law directed that he cannot be inducted into the state cabinet on November 30 last year.

As many as 11 out of the 17 Congress and JDS rebels have already been inducted in the cabinet.

The Karnataka cabinet was expanded for the second time on February 6, 2020, when 10 legislators, who defected from Congress and JD(S) were inducted after they won in the December 5, 2019 by-elections.

They had resigned in July 2019, which had led to the fall of the 14-month JD(S)-Congress coalition government on July 23, 2019, and return of the BJP government on July 26, 2019. The first cabinet expansion, in which 17 ministers were inducted, took place on August 20, 2019. Yediyurappa was sworn-in as BJP Chief Minister for the third time on July 26, 2019.
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies this evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Samsung Electronics has introduced its new JetBot 90 with AI+ smart technologies that optimize its cleaning route and new Smart Dial Front Load washers and dryers that learn user preferences and optimise washing and drying cycles.



Samsung Electronics has introduced innovative new home appliances that can help automate daily tasks.



The new JetBot 90 AI+ features smart technologies that optimize its cleaning route and respond to its environment. Meanwhile, Samsungs new Smart Dial Front Load washers and dryers use artificial intelligence to learn user preferences and recommend optimal washing and drying cycles.



Both the JetBot 90 AI+ and smart washer were recently recognized with this years CES Innovation Awards and will arrive in the U.S. in the first half of 2021.



At Samsung, were committed to delivering new appliance innovations that inspire families, while helping make life at home easier in ways not thought of before, said John Herrington, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Home Appliances. By automating your floor care and learning your laundry preferences, these new home appliances remove items from your to-do list, freeing you up to do more of what you love.



JetBot 90 AI+ Vacuum with AI-Based Sensors and Navigation



The JetBot 90 AI+the worlds first smart robotic vacuum, powered by Intel AIgives your floors an amazing clean with minimal effort.



Using a combination of sensors and AI-enhanced object recognition technology, the JetBot 90 AI+ navigates your home with the same efficiency and care you do. A LiDAR sensor, similar to that used in self-driving cars, detects distance and tracks location for precise movements. A 3D sensor recognizes the difference between objects such as a toy and the leg of a chair, detects even small objects on the floor, and recognizes a rooms shape to manoeuvre around it.



An object recognition algorithm allows it to identify objects of all kinds and map the safest, most efficient route. JetBot 90 AI+ then uses this information to clean closely around items on the floor, while being sure to maintain a safe distance from fragile or delicate objects, and to lower itself under furniture when needed. If anything is classified as dangerous or likely to cause secondary contamination, it will simply avoid the object.



As it cleans the floor, the JetBot 90 AI+s advanced digital inverter motor maximizes the 30W suction power of its Jet Cyclone system to trap dust from the air and dirt from the floor. The units self-cleaning brush, which has fine fibers made of soft woven textiles, picks up dust from hard floor and reaches into crevices.



When its finished cleaning, the JetBot 90 AI+ automatically heads back to the Clean Station, Samsungs signature disposal system. There, it empties the dirt, dust, and hair it has collected into a bag that you only need to replace once every two to three months.



And by connecting to your smartphone via the Samsung SmartThings app, the JetBot 90 AI+ literally puts its cleaning power in your hands. Control your vacuum from anywhereschedule a clean, set no-go zones on a map of your home, or even connect to its camera to keep an eye on your home and your pets while youre away.



Streamlined Clothing Care with AI-Powered Washer-Dryer Pair



Samsungs AI innovations are continually changing the way consumers tackle everyday tasks. The new 8800 Series Smart Dial Front Load washers and dryers have been redesigned to make laundry easier, more intuitive, and less stressful.



Samsung is bringing its signature Smart Dial technology to the new laundry pair. The Smart Dial intelligently learns your preferred cycles and settings, then prioritizes them for quick access in a simplified, easy-to-use control panel. It also recommends specific cycles based on intelligent learning of past cycles run on particular days of the week or at specific times.



Its powerful OptiWash feature detects the laundry loads weight and uses a patented Turbidity Sensor to determine the ideal amount of water and detergent to use in the cycle. It also determines how long to wash clothing, ensuring that clothes come out their cleanest.



Using a stacked washer and dryer has never been easier. With the MultiControl feature, you can fully operate both the washer and the dryer right from a centralized panel on the washer,2 keeping all controls within an easy reach.



You can also use the SmartThings app3 to receive end of cycle alerts, remotely start or stop your wash, schedule cycles, and more, right from your smartphone.



The JetBot 90 AI+ and laundry pair will be on display at Samsungs virtual CES exhibit from January 11 to 14.  TradeArabia News Service
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:58:50|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Three people were assassinated in two separate shootings in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the latest in a string of targeted killings in the country, authorities confirmed.

Two female army officers were killed and two officers and their driver were wounded after gunmen opened fire on an army vehicle in Police District 5 of Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of northern Balkh province in the morning rush hour, Hanif Rezai, spokesman of army Corps 209 Shaheen based in the region, told Xinhua.

The wounded were transported to a nearby hospital, he said.

In eastern Ghazni province, an employee of a local bank was shot and killed after an assailant fired on him with a silenced weapon in Police District 2 of provincial capital Ghazni city also in the morning, the provincial police confirmed in a statement.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far.

The Afghan officials usually regard the killings as targeted attacks by the Taliban militant group.

About 60 people lost their lives and many others were wounded in targeted attacks across Afghanistan in December, according to official figures kept by Xinhua. Enditem
Our Intel collaboration adds CPU based threat detection bolstering our industry-leading capabilities in stopping ransomware. The best-of-class hardware and software, provides defenders with full-stack visibility critical to ending ransomware threats," said Lior Div, CEO and Co-Founder, Cybereason.

Cybereason today announced a collaboration to adopt new Intel Hardware Shield protections for Ransomware available on the 11th Gen Intel Core vPro mobile platforms. Cybereasons multi-layered protection, in collaboration with Intel Threat Detection Technology, will enable full-stack visibility to uncover ransomware attacks. The solution represents the first instance where PC hardware plays a direct role in ransomware cyber defense to better protect enterprise endpoints from costly attacks, and underscores both companies commitment to empowering defenders by reversing the adversary advantage.

Ransomware continues to evade traditional anti-malware defenses, highlighting the need for a new approach to protecting the enterprise from costly attacks, system downtime, and reputational damage. Cybereasons superior prevention, detection and response capabilities combined with Intel Hardware Shield protects enterprise customers from ransomware while improving overall security performance.

This collaboration with Intel to add CPU based threat detection bolsters our long history and industry-leading capabilities in detecting and eradicating ransomware. The combination of best-of-class hardware, software, and security know-how provides defenders with full-stack visibility critical to ending the era of double extortion that is currently costing organizations hundreds of millions each year, said Lior Div, CEO and Co-Founder, Cybereason.

Ransomware was a top security threat in 2020, software alone is not enough to protect against ongoing threats. Our new 11th Gen Core vPro mobile platform provides the industrys first silicon enabled threat detection capability, delivering the much needed hardware based protection against these types of attacks. Together with Cybereasons multi-layered protection, businesses will have full-stack visibility from CPU telemetry to help prevent ransomware from evading traditional signature-based defenses, said Stephanie Hallford, Client Computing Group Vice President and General Manager of Business Client Platforms at Intel.

Additional value that Intel and Cybereason are bringing to the market:

CPU Threat DetectionEnables enterprise customers to go beyond signature and file-based techniques by leveraging CPU-based behavioral prevention of ransomware.

Full-Stack VisibilityEliminates blind spots to expose ransomware as it avoids detection in memory or hides in virtual machines while differentiating legitimate data encryption processes for business purposes.

Unleash Machine Learning for Better SecurityEnterprises can accelerate performance-intensive machine learning security algorithms by offloading to the Intel integrated graphics controller to boost capacity to analyze more data and do more security scans.

Accelerate Endpoint Prevention, Detection & ResponseEnterprises can bolster the performance of their security agent processing for better user experiences.

About Cybereason

Cybereason is the champion for todays cyber defenders providing future-ready attack protection that unifies security from the endpoint, to the enterprise, to everywhere the battle moves. The Cybereason Defense Platform combines the industrys top-rated detection and response (EDR and XDR), next-gen anti-virus (NGAV), and proactive threat hunting to deliver context-rich analysis of every element of a Malop (malicious operation). The result: defenders can end cyberattacks from endpoints to everywhere. Cybereason is a privately held, international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 30 countries.

Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/

Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Media Contacts:

Bill Keeler

Senior Director, Global Public Relations

Cybereason

bill.keeler@cybereason.com

(929) 259-3261


In a bizarre incident, a husband and wife in Canada were fined $1500 each after the woman was found 'walking' the man on a leash.

The incident occurred in Canada's Quebec on Saturday night when the woman was caught walking her husband on a leash like a dog at 9 pm, an hour after coronavirus curfew was imposed.

The 8 pm curfew was imposed by Quebec premier Francois Legault, premier of Quebec in Canada, to contain rising cases of COVID-19. On January 9, a woman and her husband were found breaking the curfew.

When asked by cops why she was breaking the curfew, she said that she was within curfew rules to walk outside of her house till 1 km to walk her dog outside of curfew hours.

When cops pointed out that her husband was not a dog, the woman reportedly protested.

Both husband and wife fined $1500 (1,09,934 INR) each, even though the woman has reportedly refused to pay the fine.

Quebec is wrestling with more than 2,500 COVID-19 cases a day, a surge that threatens to increase hospitalizations beyond their spring peak in the next few weeks.

The province imposed a curfew starting Saturday and extended an existing lockdown through Feb 8 to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as it worked to speed up a vaccination campaign to counter soaring cases of COVID-19.

The new curfew runs from 8 pm to 5 am, even as non-essential businesses remain shut and home gatherings prohibited as part of a shock treatment to save lives and the provinces health network, Premier Legault said last Wednesday. Schools will remain open, he said.

The new restrictions come as Canada faces a widespread second wave of the virus and concerns over the pace of vaccination efforts to protect citizens from the illness and combat its spread. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last Tuesday promised that Ottawa would help speed the pace of inoculations.

(With inputs from Reuters)
NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Examity, the online proctoring solution recognized as one of the fastest-growing education technology companies in the United States, today announced the appointment of Paiman Nodoushani as Chief Technology Officer. A 29-year veteran of the tech industry who previously served as SVP of Engineering & Cloud Operations at Veracode, Nodoushani will oversee Examity's Engineering, IT, SaaS Operations, and information security teams.

"Even before the pandemic, the rapid pace of technological change created both new opportunities and challenges for organizations looking to keep up with the latest developments while also responding to user needs. Now, that pace has only accelerated," said Nodoushani. "I'm excited to join a team that has long been at the forefront of innovations focused on security and accessibility, principles that have never been more important as COVID-19 reshapes the intersection of technology and testing."

Nodoushani joins Examity with deep experience and knowledge in designing and developing sophisticated technology tools, from building multi-tenant, cloud-based platforms to managing embedded systems. Prior to joining Veracode, he served as VP of Engineering at Monotype and the next-generation cable provider Layer3 TV, and spent more than a decade at Cisco Systems. Nodoushani has also served on the boards of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, the Massachusetts Network Communications Council, and Habitat for Humanity International. He is currently the co-chair of the MassTLC Technology & Innovation Community.

Examity's founding CTO, Shailu Tipparaju, a globally recognized education industry leader, will remain at the company, taking on the role of Founder and Chief Innovation Officer. In this new position, he will work closely with Examity's product and technology teams to bring design-based thinking and innovation frameworks to enable adoption of new products, as well as furthering Examity's pioneering work with industry associations including IMS Global, universities, and professional assessment programs around the world.

"Building Examity from the ground up, and helping to shape the emerging field of online proctoring, has been a highlight of my career," said Tipparaju. "As a growing number of institutions and testing providers turn to technology for test integrity, I look forward to collaborating with our growing team and continuing to push the industry forward."

Founded in 2013, Examity offers a variety of proctoring styles, from automated through to live, for hundreds of education and certification providers including Adobe, Epic, and Western Governors University. A 2020 winner of Fast Company's prestigious Most Innovative Companies Award, Examity has been named twice to Deloitte's Fast 500 list and has also been honored for three consecutive years as one of the fastest-growing businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal.

About Examity

Examity was founded to meet the needs of colleges, employers, and assessment providers looking to ensure test integrity. Since 2013, Examity has partnered with hundreds of organizations worldwide to provide a cost-effective and flexible online proctoring solution. For more information, visit Examity.com or follow the company on Twitter @examity.

SOURCE Examity
The consignment for Mumbai will leave by road. Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry the vaccine stocks from the Serum Institute of India. (Image: News18)

Security has been stepped up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital from where the first consignment of Covishield vaccines from Pune will be transported to different parts of the city on Tuesday, police said.

A SpiceJet flight carrying the vaccines landed at the Delhi airport around 10 am on Tuesday, four days ahead of the launch of a nationwide drive against the coronavirus.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Rajeev Ranjan said PCR vans along with local police will escort the vehicles carrying vaccines to its designated places.

Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

He said sufficient security arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the transportation of vaccines. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manish Agarwal said, If any schedule and movement of vaccine is shared with us and if facilitation is asked for, we will provide it.

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

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manish Agarwal said, "If any schedule and movement of vaccine is shared with us and if facilitation is asked for, we will provide it.

The Delhi Traffic Police said it will ensure smooth movement of the vehicles carrying the vaccines.

Adequate police arrangements have been made at the storage sites, and PCR vans will also cover these units in their patrolling plans, police said.

The police control room has also been directed to respond promptly to calls from cold storage points, vaccination sites, and immediately pass on the information to PCR vans, local police, traffic police and any other agency, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahadra) Amit Sharma said, "We have deployed the personnel at the storage area of the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
Last week, my wife, my daughter and I were in the middle of a discussion on where to get takeout when I had a flashback to this article. Sounds crazy, I'm sure (welcome to the inner workings of my mind!). But a couple of years ago, I'd compared the choice between a Roth IRA and the Roth TSP to a family decision on where to eat out, and something about that similar discussion fired some neurons and I decided to dust this off.

With all the turmoil of 2020 behind us (fingers crossed), it could be a good time to assess your plans and preparations for retirement.

When it comes to saving for retirement, "Should I use a Roth IRA or the Roth TSP?" may be a question you're deliberating. And while the immediate ramifications may not be as tangible as what's for dinner, the long-term implications could be huge.

Here, I'll take a quick look at 11 factors or considerations that may play into your own decision as you craft your retirement savings strategy.

1. The Roth TSP rules on the expense front. It's hard for an IRA to compete when it comes to operating expenses. In 2019, the average expense ratio with the Thrift Savings Plan was .042%. That equates to 42 cents on every $1,000 invested. On the other hand, what you pay with an IRA will depend on where you invest but, likely, it will be more -- perhaps much more.

2. Access favors the Roth IRA. You can withdraw contributions to a Roth IRA at any time without any income taxes or penalties. That's not an option available through the TSP.

3. Loans are available through the TSP. Speaking of access, the TSP does allow loans. Taking one is not necessarily a good idea, but it's not an option with a Roth IRA.

4. The Roth IRA has more investment choices. Currently, the TSP offers a limited selection of investments. Don't get me wrong, they are broad-based and, in the case of the G Fund, unique. However, if you're looking to invest in real estate, commodities, emerging markets or other more "niche" areas, the TSP doesn't give you the options that a Roth IRA does. By 2022, the TSP plans to make a "mutual fund window" available that should allow participants a wider selection of investments.

5. Either can be automated. Pay yourself first. This is a concept that works. Since contributions to the TSP are made via payroll deduction, that is, by definition, "first." Of course, you can set up an allotment or an automatic investment to fund your Roth IRA and get similar results. What I do like about the TSP is the option to set up your contributions as a percentage of your pay rather than as a flat dollar amount. Over time, with pay raises and promotions, you'll be saving more, even if you don't increase that percentage (which I hope you will!).

6. Both should be top of mind during a deployment. Roth, whether it's TSP or IRA, can be a great way to save for retirement while you're in a tax-free combat zone. Roth contributions with tax-exempt combat pay offer the potential to build a pot of retirement money -- your contributions and potential growth -- upon which you will never pay taxes.

7. The Roth TSP is available to all service members. Anyone who is currently serving can sign up and contribute to the Roth TSP. There are no income limits. In 2021, single taxpayers with income above $140,000 cannot contribute to a Roth IRA ($208,000 for joint filers).

8. The TSP allows you to pile on. In 2021, the maximum you can contribute to the Roth TSP is $19,500. If you're 50 or older, there's an extra additional $6,500 "catch-up" contribution. For a Roth IRA, the max is a relatively paltry $6,000, plus an extra $1,000 for those 50 or over.

9. The TSP may offer free money. Eligible military members covered by the Blended Retirement System who contribute 5% of their own money can garner a total of 5% in employer contributions to their TSP account. That's a sweet deal you don't want to miss out on.

10. The Roth IRA can simmer longer. The Roth IRA is not subject to Required Minimum Distributions. On the other hand, you must begin to pull money out of the Roth TSP at age 72.

11. The Roth TSP may offer more protection. In the event of liability, lawsuits or bankruptcy, the TSP comes with robust federal ERISA protections. IRA protections vary and are based on state laws.

In whatever form or fashion, putting away money for retirement will help create flexibility and options for you -- perhaps adding a few more upscale options to your retirement "where should we get dinner?" dilemma -- down the road. The most important decision may not be which of the two makes more sense, but rather your decision to save.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 - Up to 15,000 National Guard members could be deployed in Washington during the presidential inauguration, senior defense officials said Monday, as lawmakers questioned the military's ability to respond quickly to domestic crises and urged a crackdown on possible extremists in its ranks.

The dual discussions come days after a mob of pro-Trump supporters, some armed, forced their way into the Capitol building last week, beat police officers and hunted for lawmakers as Congress voted to certify President-elect Joe Biden's election win over President Donald Trump.

At least five people, including a Capitol Police officer beaten by the mob, have died.

A contingent of 340 District of Columbia National Guard members had been activated ahead of the riot, which followed a speech by Trump in which he repeated baseless claims that he won the election and directed the crowd to the Capitol.

But the guardsmen were unarmed and mostly on traffic duty in other parts of the city, in a limited mission that D.C. officials had approved. Once the riot began, lawmakers and D.C. officials pleaded with defense officials to send National Guard members to help, but none arrived for hours as details were finalized, officials familiar with the situation said.

Defense Department officials have since activated thousands of National Guard members, with 6,000 in the city as of Monday, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Up to 10,000 are expected to be deployed by Saturday, with the possibility for even more on the streets by the inauguration on Jan. 20, he said.

Hokanson, speaking in a phone conference with reporters, said the final numbers will be determined by the requirements of federal agencies. The National Guard members will carry weapons based on discussions with the FBI, police and other agencies.

"Obviously, we're very concerned that we want our individuals to have the right to self-defense," the general said. "And so that will be an ongoing conversation, and if the senior leadership determines that that's the right posture to be in, then that is something that we will do."

Defense Department officials had carved out a narrow role before the pro-Trump rally, seeking to avoid any appearance that the military was involved in determining the election. The Pentagon had prohibited the guardsmen from carrying firearms or riot gear, interacting with protesters unless required for their own self-defense, sharing equipment with local law enforcement, or using aircraft without explicit approval from acting defense secretary Christopher Miller.

That changed after the bloodshed began.

Hokanson said Monday that the guardsmen will arrive in Washington with protective equipment and will provide security. They will report to Maj. Gen. William Walker, the commander of the D.C. National Guard, and be deployed under federal authorities that allow them to perform law enforcement missions if required.

The expanding discussions come as lawmakers scrutinize why the Defense Department response last week was delayed.

In a letter to Miller, Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said they were "deeply disturbed by the lack of urgency in the immediate response to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol."

"According to preliminary information, over three and a half hours elapsed between the initial breach of the barriers on the West side of the U.S. Capitol and the arrival of the D.C. National Guard," they wrote. "While the exact timeline of requests and subsequent approval for support remains unclear, it is evident that the total response time was grossly inadequate."

In a separate letter, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., requested that the Defense Department's criminal investigators cooperate with the FBI and the Capitol Police to determine whether any active-duty members of the military were present during the riot. Several veterans have been identified and arrested.

"Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security," she wrote.

After speaking with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement Sunday that the Defense Department is aware of further threats in coming days, including on Inauguration Day, and is working with law enforcement authorities to prepare.

Crow also raised concerns that active-duty troops and reservists were involved in the insurrection and said McCarthy agreed to take additional measures to address that problem.

Defense officials have not said what those steps might include.

"We don't tolerate extremists in our ranks, and that's the bottom line," said Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesman. "Any effort and any opportunity that we have to identify individuals that have extremist behavior and extremist tendencies, they will be addressed."

The FBI has been investigating whether current law enforcement and military personnel participated in the riot, and several local police departments have initiated probes into their own personnel. On Monday, the FBI declined to comment about whether it would be involved in investigating the backgrounds of those providing inauguration security to see whether they had ties to domestic terrorism.

If the Defense Department found concerning social media or other posts among its personnel, it is likely that information would be forwarded to the FBI to explore whether crimes had been committed.

- - -

The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
Dutch port officials have made headlines for mocking a trucker as they seized his ham sandwiches under Brexit rules but criminals are having the last laugh as they use the country's shipping terminals to smuggle drugs worth billions of pounds every year.

Famously tolerant of cannabis use, the Netherlands is also a seen as a 'gateway for South American cocaine' and an 'ideal environment' for a drugs trade which has left the country in fear of becoming a 'narco-state'.

While customs officers are busy stopping British packed lunches crossing the border, it is estimated that some 70,000kg of cocaine crosses into the country each year - just 14,000kg of which is stopped, making Holland one of Europe's biggest drug trafficking hubs.

Often hidden in fruit shipments, some of the lucrative stashes of cocaine are worth more than 100million alone and are sometimes smuggled along with firearms.

The criminal trade at Dutch ports has also started to seep into the mainland, with gang violence causing an outcry in Amsterdam where drug kingpins run money-laundering rackets and a 'ring of hustlers and parasites' have 'free rein'.

Busted: In one major drugs raid last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam

Crackdown: A Polish lorry driver arriving from Britain had his ham sandwiches confiscated by Dutch police under the new Brexit rules in footage which made headlines on Monday

In one major drug bust last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam.

Arriving from Ecuador, the illegal drugs were meant to use Holland as a gateway to Europe before making their way to Hungary.

Rotterdam is Europe's largest sea port and handles nearly 15million containers a year, only a small fraction of which are routinely scanned.

Even when containers are inspected, gangs can use accomplices at Dutch and Belgian docks to sneak past authorities.

Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells and a 'torture chamber' used by the criminal underworld.

Believed to be used for kidnappings, 'torture chamber' included what looked like a dentist's chair with straps for the prisoner's arms and legs.

Six people were arrested on suspicion of 'preparing kidnappings and hostage-taking' after the containers were discovered near the Belgian border in a raid linked to the drugs trade.

Pieter Tops, a professor at the Dutch police academy, said in October that Holland's tolerant penal system and its extensive transport links make it an 'ideal environment for the drugs trade'.

The professor said that schoolchildren were sometimes offered 500 to transport a package while farmers were approached about letting out their land to drug gangs.

'The main problem is the enormous flow of money and its rippling effect throughout our society,' he told Dutch News.

A 2019 report by the EU's drug agency estimated that around 14,600kg of cocaine are seized in the Netherlands every year - with a separate IMF report giving a 'seizure rate' of around 20 per cent.

Tops said that each kilogram of cocaine is worth around 50,000, meaning the overall trade is worth billions.

As well as the cocaine trade, Holland is also notorious as a centre for manufacturing ecstasy - with police seizing enough materials to make a billion MDMA pills during one raid in 2017.

The EU's drug agency has previously warned that ecstasy is spreading away from its traditional nightclub scene and 'moving into more mainstream social settings'.

Amsterdam was a pioneer of ecstasy-fuelled rave culture in the 1980s, before the drug took off in Britain during the so-called Second Summer of Love in 1988.

Among the first suppliers to bring the drug to Britain was Steve Brown, an Amsterdam 'coffee shop' owner who later turned against the drugs kingpins who dominated the scene, and is now an author who calls himself an 'ex-gangster'.

Earlier this year, Brown told a BBC podcast that he frequently travelled to England in the late 1980s and early 1990s to facilitate the drug trade from Holland.

'I was in London, I was in Manchester, Liverpool. You go to the airport, they come and collect you, they drive you to a bar or a house, you talk one hour and you fly back,' he recalled.

Asked how many pills he helped to bring into the UK, he replied: 'More than millions'.

'It's over years and years. It's very simple, making big money easy, which gives me and my family the life we want to live,' he said, adding that he backed out of the trade after one of his friends was murdered.

One major Dutch drug lord, Klaas Bruinsma, was shot and killed in 1991 in front of Amsterdam's Hilton Hotel - while his killer, former police officer Martin Hoogland, was himself killed while on parole in 2004.

Bruinsma was believed to be behind a hashish-smuggling ring which operated from 1987 until his death.

Ecstasy was added to the banned 'List I' by the Dutch government in 1988, but it continues to be popular - with eight per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds saying they had used it in a 2019 report.

The drug was the third most-seized in the Netherlands behind cocaine and cannabis, with around 1,250kg of MDMA confiscated by authorities in a year.

Klaas Bruinsma (pictured) was a major Dutch drug lord in the 1980s, when Amsterdam was a pioneer of the ecstasy-fuelled rave scene

Ecstasy was a feature of Amsterdam raves in the 1980s and remained popular even after it was black-listed in 1988 (file photo: a Dutch rave which was first held in the 1990s)

'Torture chamber': Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells used by the criminal underworld

In Amsterdam, a report commissioned by city authorities in 2019 found that hard drugs had led to rising violence and corruption at the hands of 'hustlers, parasites and extortionists'.

The Netherlands has a 'policy of toleration' on soft drugs which means that Amsterdam's 'coffee shops' are not prosecuted for selling marijuana.

But the same laws ban the shops from large-scale growing operations - forcing many to source the cannabis they sell from the black market, funding the drug gangs.

As one former police officer told the Irish Times: 'The cannabis comes to the back door of the coffee shops, where its bought illegally, with no tax.

'Then its sold legally at the front of the shop. Thats no solution to anything. Its simply creating a new problem.'

And reports have now found that toleration of soft drugs is gradually being extended to harder drugs, with up to 17 per cent of the population using cocaine or heroin.

'Amsterdam has given free rein...to a motley crew of drugs criminals, a ring of hustlers and parasites, middle-men and extortionists, of dubious notaries and real estate agent,' the report said.

At the top of the criminal chain are wealthy organised crime bosses who may not be physically located in Amsterdam, the report said.

At the bottom are 'lackeys such as scooter and taxi chauffeurs and even young messenger boys set to follow quite a career path: offering murder as a service.'

The report also found evidence of money-laundering systems and turf wars between drug retailers in Amsterdam.

Across the Netherlands, around six per cent of men aged 15-34 and three per cent of women in the same age group say they use cocaine.

Cannabis produced in Holland is also sold to other countries, while Dutch ports serve as a point of transit for cocaine to be transported elsewhere in Europe.

In 2019, the killing of a lawyer for a protected witness in a drugs case led the head of a Dutch police union to say that 'we definitely have the characteristics of a narco-state'.

'Sure we're not Mexico. We don't have 14,400 murders. But if you look at the infrastructure, the big money earned by organised crime, the parallel economy. Yes, we have a narco-state,' Jan Struijs told BBC News at the time.

The murdered lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in the Amsterdam suburbs by a man dressed in black who fled on foot and was thought to be no older than 20.

Shipping hub: The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and handles nearly 15million containers a year, making it an attractive gateway for drug smugglers

Dutch customs confiscate dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hook of Holland

Wiersum was representing a 'supergrass' witness in a drugs case who had cut a deal with prosecutors to provide evidence against suspected underworld bosses.

Months later, another Dutch lawyer involved in several drug-related cases was shot across the border in Germany, although he was not seriously injured.

Hook of Holland, where the trucker arriving from Britain had his ham sandwiches confiscated last week, was also the departure point for a 35kg cocaine run to Britain which was eventually uncovered when the shipment arrived in Humberside.

Lorry driver Hendrik van der Genugten was later jailed for 10 years after smuggling the drugs out of the Netherlands in 2019.

Police in Hook of Holland were quicker to get rid of the offending sandwiches under the new Brexit rules, leading to claims of 'nit-picking'.

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir... I'm sorry,' said one official as he seized the foil-wrapped sandwiches belonging to the driver.

The driver plaintively asks the Dutch customs officer if he can 'take off the meat and you leave me the bread?'

But the Dutch official replies: 'No, everything will be confiscated.'

'The whole story smacks of one sandwich short of a picnic, literally,' Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline.

'As the Dutch know as well as everyone else in the EU we have the highest food standards in Europe.

'Is this is going to be the way it is then? Are they really going to go through a lorry driver's lunchbox going through customs, for something that is causing any danger?

'We need to talk to the European Union about what is really quite pathetic nit-picking. Otherwise this will not be good for the Dutch ports, hauliers will go somewhere else.'

Mark Francois, Chairman of parliament's European Research Group, said: 'This is pettifogging bureaucracy gone mad.

'The EU have always worried that a dynamic, free-trading UK, outside the EU, would eventually eat their lunch on world markets, so now they are retaliating by trying to steal our truckers' lunches instead! Its pathetic really.'

The new post-Brexit rules say that bringing foods that contain meat or dairy into the EU, even for personal use, is forbidden.
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This story was originally published by High Country News and has been republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Five years and four days after armed militiamen took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a remote federal wildlife preserve in eastern Oregon, for 41 days, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed and briefly occupied the United States Capitol in D.C.

Its not hard to trace the links between Malheur and Washington: Familiar insignia, instigators, and ideologies fueled both anti-government actions. Extremist leaders and movement regulars from the Western U.S., including former Washington state Rep. Matt Shea, who supported the efforts from afar in Spokane, and recent Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jo Rae Perkins, who joined the crowd that laid siege to the Capitol, helped fuel the melee. Backing their message, if not their tactics, was a bevy of Western legislators, who lent the movement legitimacy by supporting Trumps baseless election fraud claims.

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Meanwhile, one of the most visible figures in the antifederal government movement in the Western U.S., Cliven Bundy, expressed dismay that President Donald Trump didnt stick to his guns after he issued a halfhearted message calling for a peaceful end to the occupation.

The anti-government occupations bookending the rise and fall of Trumps presidency show the mainstreaming of right-wing extremism in the United States. They also portend the potential for future conflicts here in the West. When President-elect Joe Biden takes charge of the federal government and its vast Western landholdings, he will enter an already-delicate situation where armed extremist groups stand ready to rise up against the federal government.

The Western U.S. isnt the only place where anti-government sentiment festers, but here the wounds are open, frequently endured, and historically recent. Violence and the threat of violence in the region occur within the context of a nation founded on the genocide of Indigenous people. Leaders of anti-federal movements lean into this violent history and include factions that are specifically anti-Indigenous. In defending his right to graze cattle on federal land in Nevadaa claim he successfully defended at Bunkerville in 2014, when federal authorities withdrew after being outgunned by militiamenBundy argued that his claim to the land was more legitimate than the Southern Paiutes because they lost the war.

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This white-plus-might-makes-right sentiment is a pervasive feature of Western mythology and cowboy culture. Over the past half-century, anti-government leaders have rallied to that image as the Wests population has swelled and control over its natural resources has become more contested and regulated. The original Sagebrush Rebellion of the mid-to-late-1970swhich inspired the modern Bundy-led standoffs but were not nearly as paramilitarycame in response to federal public land laws like the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Wilderness Act, and the Endangered Species Act, which increasingly restricted how natural resources could be used.

Those restrictions were seen as unconscionable overreach by rural Westerners who were accustomed to using public land resources as they wished. The hardest thing to do in American politics is to withdraw a right, said Daniel McCool, a political science professor at the University of Utah. Even though those rights were privileges in the legal sense, the perception that they were rights that were being taken away fueled the original Sagebrush rebels, McCool said. The roots of the Sagebrush Rebellion were when they no longer got what they wanted, he said. Theres a direct line from there to the Bundy groups active today.

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There is a clear link with the Bunkerville showdown and Malheur refuge occupation and what happened at our nations Capitol."  former Bureau of Land Management staffer Richard Spotts

Entitlement isnt the only feature todays anti-government protesterswho snapped selfies and strolled casually through the Capitol after overcoming police barricades, sauntering off with trophies taken from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosihave in common with the original Sagebrush rebels. They also share an alliance with the Republican Party and a lack of accountability for breaking the law. None of the original rebels were prosecuted, and their movement faded with the election of Ronald Reagan, who publicly backed their anti-regulatory ideology. Reagan showed his support by installing Interior Secretary James Watt, who weakened many of the federal regulations they chafed against.

Far-right terrorism is the most prevalent form of terrorism in the U.S., according to the FBI. Reporting by Reveal News and Type Investigations found that right-wing extremism became more common and far more deadly during the Trump presidency. But that uptick comes with a caveat when it comes to Western extremism. During the Trump era, right-wing extremism and the militia movement shifted its focus from the federal government to other targets, like anti-fascist activists and state and local governments, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

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The explanation for this shift in target is simple: Anti-federal extremists found common cause with Trump as he promised to drain the swamp, catered to racist ideologies, and flirted with QAnon conspiracy theorists. He and his administration acted directly in the interest of Western factions within the right-wing extremist movement, including the Bundys. In 2018, Trump pardoned Dwight and Steven Hammond, whose imprisonment for felony arson on public lands helped spark the Oregon standoff in 2016. No attempts were made during his administration to enforce federal law by rounding up Cliven Bundys cattle, which continue to illegally graze on federal public lands in Nevada. Before the Capitol riot, the Bureau of Land Management announced plans to restore the Hammonds public land grazing rights in Oregon, despite the duos record of endangering federal employees and committing arson.

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Those actionsand the inability of federal prosecutors to secure convictions for leaders of the Bunkerville and Malheur occupations, who clearly threatened federal agents and held federal land at gunpointemboldened anti-government extremists. After the acquittals, the movement felt vindicated and victorious. Its a very heady thing to be involved in, said Betsy Gaines Quammen, the author of American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God & Public Lands in the West. It was pivotal in empowering this movement and laid the groundwork for what we saw [at the Capitol], she said.

A former bureau staffer from southern Utah echoed that conclusion. There is a clear link with the Bunkerville showdown and Malheur refuge occupation and what happened at our nations Capitol, Richard Spotts wrote to High Country News. In dodging accountability for their actions, the Bundys have been aided by weak and incompetent federal law enforcement officials, wrote the former bureau employee, who was based in St. George, Utah, from 200217. I hope that the incoming Biden administration wont make Obamas mistakes nor allow meek federal land managers and law enforcement officials to continue hiding under their desks.

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While the Trump era has empowered anti-government extremists in new and dangerous ways, it has offered some relief to the public land employees in the West who often bear the brunt of extremist ideologies. Data collected by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that supports public land reforms and agency employees, found that threats against federal employees and facilities dropped precipitously following Trumps election. In 2017, the Bureau of Land Management recorded a 25 percent reduction in such incidents, the lowest number since 1995. The Bundys didnt see the federal government under the Trump administration as the enemy, said Jeff Ruch, the former executive director and current Pacific director of PEER. The administration acted in concert with the violent movements demands.

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With the target no longer on the federal governments back, anti-government extremists in the West have aimed their tactics at left-wing protesters and state and local governments. Throughout the Trump administration, the presidents supporters went to Portland, Oregon, ready to brawl with locals and anti-fascists, who countered their demonstrations. Members of the Three Percenters vowed to support Oregon state legislators who fled the state to avoid a vote on climate change legislation in 2019, including state Sen. Brian Boquist, who said that if the state police wanted to arrest him for fleeing his legislative duties, they should send bachelors and come heavily armed. This summer, when protests over racial inequity spread across the nation in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police, right-wing paramilitary groups in places like Coeur dAlene, Idaho, and Olympia, Washington, showed up in combat gear, ostensibly to keep the peace and protect property.

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Recently, right-wing extremists have found a new cause: the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent public health measures, such as business closures and mask mandates. Western extremist groups like the Three Percenters and Ammon Bundys newly formed Peoples Rights organization have been seizing on the pandemic and trying to build political power, mainstream their beliefs, and build public trust, said Amy Herzfeld-Copple, the deputy director of the Western States Center. Ammon Bundy, who has played a prominent role in protests against public health orders, was arrested twice this summer for disrupting the Idaho Legislature.

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A couple of weeks before the insurrection in D.C., demonstrators in Salem, Oregon, made a sort of watered-down test run. On Dec. 21, protesters demonstrating against public health restrictions broke down doors at the state Capitol and attacked journalists covering their rally. Since then, reports have emerged that they gained access to the building with aid from Republican state Rep. Mike Nearman, a claim that draws comparison to accusations that federal police officials aided the crowds that entered the U.S. Senate and House.

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This groundswell of anti-government extremism in response to Trumps failed claims of election fraud and the coronavirus pandemic has turned the nation into a possible powder keg. Were likely to see the effects of their violence for years to come, said Herzfeld-Copple. Its an extension of a pattern of local government being threatened by political violence.

While no one knows whether Trumps departure from office will be a source of continued unrest, history clearly indicates that the threat of future violence is likely to lie in the West and its federal public lands. Bidens pledges to act on climate change and restore Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, two national monuments that were shrunk by Trump, could be flashpoints. By simply doing their job, the Interior Department will create more potential flashpoints, said Aaron Weiss, the deputy director for the Center for Western Priorities. Being good stewards means rounding Bundy cattle up. They cant continue to coddle these extremists.

Now the West and rest of the country are left wondering where these tensions will flare up next. History tells us that any attempts at ambitious federal public land policy will be met with right-wing resistance.

And yet there are hopeful touchstones in the region, including the site of the last Bundy occupation in Burns, Oregon. Collaboration and community conversations around land management, both before and since the 2016 occupation, blunted local support for the extremists who descended on the small eastern Oregon town. According to Peter Walker, a University of Oregon geographer who chronicled the occupation and aftermath in his book Sagebrush Collaboration: How Harney County Defeated the Takeover of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, one local rancher told him, Collaboration is what inoculated us from the Bundy virus.

Instead of a glamorous revolution, as promised by the Bundy-led militants, Walker told Oregon Quarterly, the community embraced a less exciting, but far more democratic and peaceful approach. Harney County (has) returned to the much less glamorous, time-consuming, sometimes tedious but often effective work of sitting across the table with people of different viewpoints to find mutually beneficial, practical solutions to shared problems.
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K P Sharma Oli

Ahead of the Nepalese foreign minister's visit to New Delhi during which his talks are likely to be centered on the border row, Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that his country will not compromise on sovereign equality in its engagement with either India or China.

"The area (of) Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani is the territory of Nepal, is (a) very sacred part of Nepal," 68-year-old Oli was quoted as saying by the WION news channel.

"We are not in position to claim the territory of China or India. But we must claim our territory with our friends," said Oli, who had triggered the border row last year after his government came out with a new political map that showed the three Indian territories as part of Nepal.

His remarks came just two days ahead of Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali's visit to New Delhi on January 14 - the senior most political leader from Nepal to visit India after strain in bilateral ties.

On Sunday, Oli had said that Gyawali's discussions in New Delhi will be centered on the border issue.

After Nepal released the map last year, India reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioning Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.

India said that Nepal's action violated an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks.

"I believe that 2021 will be the year where we can declare there are no problems between the two countries- Nepal and India, Oli said.

He also offered to resolve differences between India and China, the channel said in a press release.

"If we can be instrumental to support them, help them to resolve the problems, we are ready, Oli said.

On the domestic political crisis that led him to recommend the dissolution of the House of Representatives, Oli blamed former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' for a split in the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

He also defended his decision to dissolve the House, saying his actions were aimed at preventing Nepal from being pushed towards instability and horse-trading.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House of Representatives in December on the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli and announced mid-term general election in April-May, a decision termed unconstitutional, impulsive and autocratic by the Opposition and the Prachanda-led faction in the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

"Their (Prachanda faction) positions are still there in my party. My second chairman is Pushpa Kamal Dahal- even now, senior leaders are Jhala Nath Khanal and Madhav Nepal- even now. If they come, I can pardon them, Oli said, apparently offering an olive branch to his rival faction.

Oli also claimed that some elements of India are hatching a conspiracy to unseat him from office, but he ruled out Chinese hand in Nepal's internal politics.

"We love our independence and freedom to decide on our internal affairs, and we don't want any type of interference from outside, from north or south, said Oli, referring to China and India.

In December, China sent a four-member high-level delegation to Nepal to prevent a split within the NCP. The team - led by a Vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party, Guo Yezhou - held separate meetings with several top NCP leaders before returning home without much success in its mission.

India has described Oli's sudden decision to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections as an "internal matter" that is for the country to decide as per its democratic processes.
The grant awarded by Intel is part of its commitment to expedite access to technology that can combat the current pandemic and enable scientific discovery that better prepares the world for future crises. In April 2020, in response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Intel committed $50 million to fund a Pandemic Response Technology Initiative (PRTI) to support and accelerate point-of-patient-care solutions. Since it began, the program has supported hundreds of organizations around the world.

"We chose to support Electronic Caregiver's project because of its scalable use of remote monitoring that leverages Intel technology to meet the needs of underserved communities in New Mexico," said Chris Gough, General Manager of Intel Health & Life Sciences.

Electronic Caregiver launched its COVID to Home program in November 2020 in partnership with regional public health stakeholders. The program offers a solution to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, the company's home base. With the region's hospitals and ICUs at 100 percent capacity and staff stretched thin, COVID to Home helps alleviate capacity constraints and ensures COVID-19 patients receive proper care and oversight while preventing further spread of the virus.

COVID to Home is jointly funded by Dona Ana County and the city of Las Cruces at no cost to patients. Since the program rolled out at MountainView Regional Medical Center and Memorial Medical Center in Dona Ana County, it has had a positive impact on many lives. Just one month after launching, more than 100 patients had received services and support through the program. Moreover, COVID to Home has increased critical care capacity in the region by 30 percent.

"[COVID to Home] has allowed us to maintain capacity in our hospitals, while providing effective community-based care to people recovering from COVID," said Jamie Michael, Director of Health and Human Services for Dona Ana County. "It also allows providers to interact with patients safely and allows people to recover in their home."

Under the program, patients are safely discharged to their home or to a designated hotel with an Electronic Caregiver Pro Health smart health hub  a voice-driven, easy-to-use cellular-connected console. Through this Precision Remote Patient Monitoring device, patients receive a daily survey to assess COVID-19 symptoms, including vital signs input from a pulse oximeter, non-contact thermometer, and blood pressure cuff.

A combination of clinicians and clinical volunteers use a HIPAA-compliant secure web portal to assess patient results remotely and provide care as needed. Patients can also use the Pro Health for televisits with a doctor, medication reminders, and 24/7 emergency response. Electronic Caregiver's solution utilizes Intel technology both in on-site workstations and cloud-based servers from Amazon Web Services.

"The major impact of this program is the number of hospital beds it has freed up for patients that are really sick," said John Andazola, MD, Program Director of the Southern New Mexico Family Medicine Residency Program at Memorial Medical Center. "It truly represents the best in local collaboration, and we are pleased to play a role."

Funding from Intel gives Electronic Caregiver the resources to extend support and impact additional lives in the fight against COVID-19. The funds will be used to purchase equipment for the COVID to Home program; create a version of the COVID-19 survey and vitals capture using Electronic Caregiver's Virtual Caregiver, named Addison; create five portable demo "kits" to showcase the program at events/venues; create a video testimonial of the program; and publish a white paper on program structure, goals, and outcomes.

The option to implement Electronic Caregiver's COVID to Home program exists throughout the state and the country.

"We'd be thrilled to partner with anybody, anywhere, to be able to replicate this program and be able to drive a similar type of outcome," said Electronic Caregiver's Chief Digital Health Integration Officer Mark Francis. "If folks want to come together and deal with this critical public health issue, we're here with the proven solution that's driving demonstrated outcomes, that is simple and easy to implement, and can save lives and benefit communities."

About Electronic Caregiver

Electronic Caregiver has become a leading and highly recognized brand for virtual care solutions and Precision Remote Patient Monitoring services. The company staff size more than doubled in 2019 and is nearing 150 full-time employees. Electronic Caregiver has invested more than $55 million and 10 years into research, development, and a staged rollout of virtual care and health management solutions for chronic care patients, child patients, and older adults.

Electronic Caregiver offers its solutions through a network of leading national home care providers and health institutions and team members. Addison Care is the company's most advanced new technology, offering a Virtual Caregiver that deploys technology using IoT, 3D animation, mixed reality, Bluetooth, natural language processing, machine learning, visual sensing, and a suite of integrated electronics. The company manages its business using an advanced proprietary enterprise management platform designed by the company, named Orion.

Electronic Caregiver and Addison Care are now involved in numerous official clinical research initiatives in clinical settings to further validate utilization and efficacy in areas of improved outcomes, improved treatment adherence, and optimized continuum of care.

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The premiers of Queensland and New South Wales have shrugged off calls for a nationally consistent strategy to deal with the pandemic, agreeing it is up to individual states and territories to determine their responses.

States and territories have competing definitions of what constitutes a hotspot or high-risk area and there is a lack of agreement about how states should respond to neighbouring outbreaks.

Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian believe states should be able to determine their own strategies to deal with COVID-19. Credit:Christopher Pearce and Getty.

Variation in rules between jurisdictions has led to mass confusion about what permits people need to travel interstate and whether or not they would be allowed in.

Queensland requires people who have been in New South Wales in the preceding 14 days to fill out a border pass.
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Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has labelled the Black Lives Matter movement a protest over racial riots in a new statement claiming a parallel with the storming of the United States Congress last week.

One day after Amnesty International criticised him for the deeply offensive comparison, Mr McCormack argued that both protests should be condemned for their violence.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack did not concede any difference between the riots and the Black Lives Matter protests. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Any form of violence, any form of protest that ends in death and destruction, is abhorred, Mr McCormack told ABC TV on Tuesday morning. Any form of protest, whether its a protest over racial riots or indeed what weve seen on Capitol Hill in recent days, is condemned and is abhorred.

Asked whether the pro-Donald Trump mob attack on the Capitol was different because it sought to impede a democratic institution, Mr McCormack did not concede any difference between the riots and the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racially motivated violence.

"We've all heard the stories about teachers spending their own hard-earned money to buy supplies," said Jeff Meshey, President and CEO at Desert Financial Credit Union. "As strong supporters of teachers and education, we want to give some deserving teachers all the tools they need to succeed," he went on.

In past years teachers have requested a range of items on their wish lists, including webcams and digital subscriptions for those conducting classes remotely. Each teacher is "adopted" between January and June and enjoys special invitations, surprises and perks during the semester on behalf of Desert Financial.

When she was selected for the Class of 2020 Adopt-A-Teacher recipients, Paige M. said, "This program will positively affect my students because it will allow me to provide them with better, more engaging lessons and hands-on activities. It's amazing how quickly supplies are used up, get lost or are accidentally damaged throughout the school year, so this program will help alleviate some of those moments for me."

Now Arizona's largest credit union, Desert Financial was founded by 15 visionary educators in 1939. Together they launched a credit union just for teachers that has evolved into one of the Valley's most recognizable brands. Today anyone who works, worships or lives in Arizona can be eligible to join the credit union.

About Desert Financial Credit Union

Celebrating 81 years in Arizona, Desert Financial is the state's largest local credit union with $6 billion in assets, more than 340,000 members and 47 physical locations across the Valley, plus our fully online eBranch serving all of Arizona. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Desert Financial takes pride in sharing success, and gave nearly $11 million to Valley nonprofits, the community and members in 2019. Learn more about Desert Financial Credit Union and find news and information @desertfinancial on Twitter.

Contact: Diane Meehl

Phone: 480-651-4654

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Desert Financial Credit Union

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, has been crowned the Worlds Leading Inflight Internet Service Provider for the fourth year in a row at the World Travel Awards 2020.

The prestigious accolade was announced following a year-long search for the worlds top travel, tourism and hospitality brands, with the latest edition of the World Travel Awards attracting a record number of votes from across the world by industry professionals and members of the public.

Inmarsat once again retained its title in recognition of its market-leading GX Aviation and European Aviation Network (EAN) inflight broadband solutions, which enable airline passengers to browse the internet, shop online, stream videos, enjoy social media and more seamlessly during their flights. Inmarsat airline customers include Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Iberia, Singapore Airlines, AirAsia and Virgin Atlantic.

Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: Last year was particularly challenging for the aviation industry, which faced its biggest crisis to date as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In response, we have been working closer than ever with our airline customers, both old and new, to support their evolving needs as they navigate through the storm and head towards a future recovery. It is uplifting, therefore, to receive an award where the industry itself helped to determine the winner. This accolade reinforces our position as the global market leader and is dedicated to our talented employees and partners for their continued hard work and dedication over the past year, even in the toughest of circumstances.

Inmarsat crossed a number of important milestones last year as part of its extensive, fully-funded technology roadmap. This included the commercial service introduction of GX5, Inmarsats most powerful satellite to date, last month. Conceived, designed and procured principally to meet the needs of aviation customers, GX5 delivers approximately twice the capacity of the entire existing GX satellite fleet (GX1-GX4) combined. It is essential to support rapidly growing demand for airline and business aviation connectivity in Europe and the Middle East.

Inmarsats technology roadmap will see seven further satellite launches by 2024: five in geostationary orbit - adding speed, capacity and resilience - and two in highly elliptical orbit, which will enable the worlds only commercial mobile broadband service in the commercially and strategically critical Arctic region.

Other highlights of 2020 included the development of an advanced new lightweight, low drag terminal for GX Aviation in partnership with GDC Technics and the launch of GX+ North America in collaboration with Hughes, bringing unrivalled inflight Wi-Fi to North American airlines and passengers.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a restaurant owner who died following a robbery in Stockport, Greater Manchester Police said.

Shortly after 9pm on January 8, 53-year-old Mohammed Islam was making a food delivery hit when he was by his own car following a robbery.

Mr Islam, who owned the Marple Spice restaurant in Marple, was taken to hospital in a critical condition where he died on Sunday, January 10.

His stolen silver Mercedes was found abandoned in Watson Street, Denton, on the next evening, with attempts made to set it on fire.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has since been charged with murder and numerous driving offences.

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of restaurant owner Mohammed Islam (pictured) was hit by his own car following a robbery in Stockport, Greater Manchester

Detective Chief Inspector Liam Boden, of GMPs Major Incident Team, said: 'As our investigation continues I would like to pay tribute to Mohammeds family who have shown such admirable bravery and dignity this week during the most tragic of circumstances imaginable.

'They and the local community have responded stoically in the last few days and we are doing all we can to support Mohammeds loved ones with specialist officers at this awful time.

'Our priority is to ensure they get the answers they are undoubtedly owed and we urge anyone with information or footage relating this incident to submit to our portal or to contact us via phone so we can ensure we ascertain the full details of this incident.'

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has since been charged with murder and numerous driving offences

In a statement, Mr Islam's family said: 'Our family cannot begin to describe what losing our father has done to us. The fact he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was taken from us so early leaves us devastated beyond belief'

In a statement, Mr Islam's family said: 'Our family cannot begin to describe what losing our father has done to us. The fact he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was taken from us so early leaves us devastated beyond belief.

'Dad was everything you could ask for in a parent: a mentor, a role model - our best friend. We shared everything with him and there was nothing we couldn't tell him that he couldn't fix.

'He was extremely loyal and nothing came between him and his family.'

The 14-year-old has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court tomorrow.

More follows on this breaking news story
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Staten Islanders attitude toward coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions are no longer the target of Gov. Andrew Cuomos ire.

As of Tuesday, the Island is the borough with the third-highest coronavirus testing positivity percentage on average over the past seven days. According to the governor, the Bronx is at 7.4%, Queens is at 6.7%, Staten Island is at 6.6%, Brooklyn is at 5.9%, and Manhattan is at 3.5%.

When Staten Island had the highest infection percentage for weeks in November and December, Cuomo repeatedly rebuked the borough of almost 500,000 people for flouting state mandates meant to limit the virus spread. On Tuesday, he said that appeared to have changed.

Good news to see Staten Island no longer at the highest amount, and I hope it seems like that community is responding, Cuomo said.

All of Staten Island remains in one of two state-mandated micro-cluster zones that place more restrictions on things like businesses and religious gatherings  the North Shore in a yellow zone and the South Shore in a more-severe orange zone.

For example, houses of worship in yellow zones have a 50% capacity cap while orange zone capacity is limited to 33% or 25 people, according to the latest information available from the state.

Previously, orange zone restrictions were more severe, but businesses like gyms and personal care services have since been able to open if they adhere to strict capacity and testing regimens. No area of the state is under the most-severe red zone, and the micro-cluster strategy hasnt been updated since Dec. 14.

New York City remains the states only region with a blanket restriction on indoor dining despite having one of the lowest infection positivity percentages. In total, the five boroughs have a positive infection percentage of 5.9%, while several regions around the state, including neighboring Long Island, have numbers above 9%.

During his State of the State address that followed his Tuesday morning press call, the governor laid out a bit of what the states economic future will look like.

He said that a rapid testing strategy used before Saturdays Buffalo Bills game in which a limited number of fans were permitted to enter Bills Stadium after being tested could be expanded to help other businesses around the state.

Why cant we use rapid testing to open restaurants in orange zones, theaters, offices? There are so many options, Cuomo said.

To that end, the state will be working with the New York real estate community to identify vacant property for pop-up sites for rapid testing. The state will also be working with office building owners to set up testing for tenants, Cuomo said.

While the governor offered an outline of these programs on Tuesday, he has yet to identify a specific location or when these programs could be put in place.
In the hit series Law & Order: SVU, Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) has been an important and necessary member of the squad for 15 years. He was a seasoned detective before working at SVU, and he takes his skills with him to New York City.

In one of the first seasons of the show, Munch makes a comment about what hed have to call his kids. Find out what it is.

Detective John Munch doesnt have any children

Richard Belzer in Law & Order: SVU | Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

Before working at SVU, Munch was a homicide detective for seven seasons in the Baltimore Police Department in the series Homicide: Life on the Street. He then works his way up the ranks from detective to a Sergeant of the SVU squad. His insight is invaluable on many occasions, especially with witnesses and general knowledge about a lot of different things.

Over the years, fans have learned that Munch has four ex-wives. However, he never had any children with them or anyone else. Despite that, Munch has always been fond of kids, and he knows how to talk to them, especially in difficult cases.

Munch left SVU in season 15 in 2013. He retires from the department and becomes a DA investigator. But he has returned before in season 15, episode 24 called Spring Awakening and season 17, episode 20 called Fashionable Crimes.

Detective Munch once revealed the unique nickname hed have to call his kids

Richard Belzer in Law & Order: SVU | Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

RELATED: Law & Order: SVU: The 1 Surprising Item Fans Noticed on Amanda Rollins Desk

Munch has been known to really understand and be able to communicate with children. That trait is on full display in season 2, episode 4 called Legacy. When a girl named Emily McKenna ends up in the emergency room, its discovered that she has a major injury to her head with fractures and bruising on her body. Shes also been molested, and the detectives try to figure out what happened while the little girl is in a coma.

Jennifer, Emilys good friend, is interviewed to figure out what have have happened. According to Movie Fone, Munch speaks to Jennifer about her friend. This is where he mentions what hed have to call his kids.

Hi Jennifer, he says.

Hi, she replies.

Im detective Munch, Munch tells the child.

She laughs and says, Thats a funny name, Munch.

You think thats funny? he tells her back. I guess if I ever have kids Id have to call them Munchkins.' Jennifer laughs at that, and Munch proceeds to talk to her about her friend.

Munch learns from Jennifer that Emilys mother wanted to take her away, which is in reference to Jamie trying to have full custody. But her father, Denny Corea (Yancey Arias), the one with current full custody, was planning a trip  to take Emily to Cuba. Apparently he was trying to get his daughter away from her stepfather, Randall McKenna (Paul Michael Valley), who he thought was molesting her.

After revealing this information to Munch, Jennifer says, I have a Barbie with hair that grows. You want to see it?

Maybe later, Munch replies. Fin and I have to help Emily now. But thank you for talking to me.

Detectives eventually learn the truth

Denny apparently broke three bones in Randalls face after Jamie filed for full custody of Emily. He also threatened to kill him. Randall tried to bribe him with a deal and said he wouldnt file charges against him for assault if he gave up custody.

Then Denny attacks Randall thinking he was molesting his daughter, hitting him in the head and leaving him in critical condition. Although accusations are flying around everywhere, its actually her mother, Jamie Huntington-McKenna (Jennifer Dundas), who has been hurting her daughter, according to the Fandom page for the episode. Munch gets a hunch about the situation, and learns that Jamie was molested as a child by her own father. She admits to hurting her daughter while speaking to the detective.

This case is extremely difficult for Munch, and he reveals why to Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). When Munch was younger, he knew a girl who was his neighbor on the Lower East Side. She was being physically abused, and Munch even saw her with visible marks. One day the girl wasnt standing on her porch like Munch usually noticed. Her mother had actually killed her. Munch was just a teenager at the time, but he had remorse and felt responsible for not helping her. He went to her funeral, and its something that has stuck with him ever since. The case reminded him of the terrible situation.

Munch always seems to know how to speak to children in difficult cases, and it says a lot about him.
Nicole Kidman has revealed the 'disturbing' impact that filming The Undoing had on her body as her immune system doesn't know 'between acting and truth'.

The actress, 53, stars as Grace Fraser in the HBO thriller series where she discovers her oncologist husband Dr. Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant) has not only been having an affair, but has also bludgeoned his artist lover Elena (Matilda De Angelis) to death.

And now Nicole has admitted that filming the show left her feeling 'uneasy' with a 'disquietness' to her personality.

Intense: Nicole Kidman has revealed the 'disturbing' impact that filming The Undoing had on her body as her immune system doesn't know 'between acting and truth' (pictured with co-star Hugh Grant in a show still)

The star said that other actors are able to differentiate between 'acting and the truth' but that it 'doesn't really work' for her.

Speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Nicole said: 'Even on The Undoing it kind of happened where I just like suddenly was in this place of

'There was sort of a disquietness to my personality, where I was uneasy and there was duress on who I was.'

Nicole also revealed that she was left unwell as her immune system doesn't know 'between acting and truth'.

Role: The actress, 53, stars as Grace Fraser in the HBO thriller series where she discovers her oncologist husband Dr. Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant) has not only been having an affair, but has also bludgeoned his lover Elena (Matilda De Angelis) to death (Nicole pictured in 2020)

'Uneasy': And now Nicole has admitted that filming the show left her feeling 'uneasy' with a 'disquietness' to her personality (pictured in show still)

She continued: 'I went down for a week, because your immune system it doesnt know the difference between acting and truth when youre doing them.'

Nicole added that sometimes when she leaves filming, she is left unable to sleep and not feeling well, she said: 'It's that disturbing for me!'

The star noted that she is unable to train her body between acting and truth, adding: 'It doesn't really work for me!'

'Acting and truth': The star said that other actors are able to differentiate between 'acting and the truth' but that it 'doesn't really work' for her (pictured with Hugh in a show still)

The Undoing came to a close on Sky Atlantic in the UK in December after it was revealed who murdered Elena, after Jonathan was arrested for the crime.

The six-part series is based on Jean Hanff Korelitz's book You Should Have Known, which follows a marriage counsellor whose seemingly perfect life disassembles in front of her.

In the end, Jonathan was unmasked as Elena's killer, despite mounting evidence in previous episodes that someone had framed him.

Shocking: The Undoing came to a close on Sky Atlantic in the UK in December after it was revealed who murdered Elena (pictured), after Jonathan was arrested for the crime

A major cliffhanger at the end of episode five had left viewers once again questioning the culprit, after Grace (Nicole Kidman) discovered a mallet - the potential murder weapon - hidden in a violin case by their son Henry in his bedroom.

Nicole also had a difficult role to play in the hit series Big Little Lies, where her character was trapped in an abusive relationship.

Season one of Big Little Lies explored the complex and disturbing marriage between Celeste and Perry Wright, played by Alexander Skarsgard.

Nicole also spoke about when her Eyes Wide Shut director, Stanley Kubrick, died in 1999.

Distressing: Nicole also had a difficult role to play in the hit series Big Little Lies, where her character was trapped in an abusive relationship (pictured with co-star Alexander Skarsgard in show still)

The actress revealed that the filmmaker had asked her to ring him via fax the night before he died but she never managed to do so.

Nicole said of when she discovered he had passed away: 'I just started screaming, I collapsed on the ground. I was that close to him.'

The star admitted that she has a 'huge fear' of phone calls at night due to the incident, she added: 'I have a huge fear of phone calls in the night now, because Ive received a number of them with that sort of news, my father included.'

Sad: Nicole also spoke about when her Eyes Wide Shut director, Stanley Kubrick, died in 1999 (pictured during filming with ex-husband and co-star Tom Cruise in 1999)

Nicole also admitted that she used to jet to Sydney or Paris when she was on standby during filming, although this once backfired when Stanley asked her to join the UK set.

She said: 'Tom [Cruise, her ex-husband] was like, "Aww, we're screwed. You're going to have to call Stanley."

'So I was like, "Stanley, Im sorry. I'm actually not in the house, I'm in Sydney," and he goes, "Unfaithful woman."'

Nicole and Tom were married between 1990 to 2001. They starred opposite each other as Bill and Alice Harford in the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut.
Washington, Jan 12 : The US Treasury Department has announced sanctions against seven Ukrainian individuals and four entities "that are part of a Russia-linked foreign influence network" and accused them of interfering in November 3, 2020, American presidential election.

In a statement on Monday, the Department said that the designated individuals and entities were part of the Russia-linked foreign influence network associated with Andrii Derkach, who had been blacklisted in September 2020 for his attempt to influence the election, Xinhua news agency.

"Since at least 2019, Derkach and his associates have leveraged US media, U.-based social media platforms, and influential US persons to spread misleading and unsubstantiated allegations that current and former US officials engaged in corruption, money laundering, and unlawful political influence in Ukraine," it said.

The blacklisted individuals include Ukrainian government officials Konstantin Kulyk, Oleksandr Onyshchenko, Andriy Telizhenko, and current MP Oleksandr Dubinsky.

According to the Department, the individuals "have publicly appeared or affiliated themselves with Derkach through the coordinated dissemination and promotion of fraudulent and unsubstantiated allegations involving a U.S. political candidate".

"They have made repeated public statements to advance disinformation narratives that U.S. government officials have engaged in corrupt dealings in Ukraine." The sanctioned entities include NabuLeaks and Era-Media TOV, which are "media front companies in Ukraine that push false narratives at Derkach's behest".

"Russian disinformation campaigns targeting American citizens are a threat to our democracy," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was quoted as saying in the statement.

"The US will continue to aggressively defend the integrity of our election systems and processes." According to the statement, all property and interests of the property of designated individuals and entities in America have been blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from transactions with them.

US officials in November said that the 2020 presidential election is the most secure election in the country's history.

"We have no indications that a foreign actor has succeeded in compromising or affecting the actual votes cast in this election," said Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.
[January 11, 2021] CropIn raises US$20 Million in Series C funding round led by ABC World Asia to advance the reach of its farm management and predictive analytics solutions

CropIn, a leading global artificial intelligence and data-led agri-tech organization empowering stakeholders to reimagine agriculture with data, has raised US$20 million in a Series C funding round led by ABC World Asia, an Asia-focused private equity fund dedicated to evidence-based impact investing. Existing investors Chiratae Ventures, Invested Development and Ankur Capital also participated in this funding round. Other new investors in this round include CDC Group and Kris Gopalakrishnan's family office Pratithi Investment Trust. CropIn will use this capital infusion to focus on its global expansion, while continuing to innovate on its machine learning-based predictive analytics platform, SmartRisk to further strengthen its artificial intelligence capabilities. CropIn is also investing to penetrate deeper in its target markets globally. Recently, CropIn opened an Amsterdam office, and will be hiring local leaders to drive growth in the European market. CropIn's data-driven farming solutions enable agri-enterprises and growers to 'maximize per-acre value'. Its farm data and agronomy management platform, SmartFarm, empowers stakeholders to improve efficiency, productivity, predictability, and sustainability of their crop value-chains. SmartFarm enables agri-enterprises to adhere to food safety standards thereby ensuring farm-to-fork traceability. The platform helps growers adopt sustainable farming practices to build long term economic viability and resiliency for local farming communities. CropIn has partnered with several global players in agriculture, including development finance institutions and government entities in 52 countries, to drive their digital and sustainability goals. CropIn's SmartRisk platform improves underwriting and risk assessment, enabling banks, insurance providers and other financial institutions to make informed underwriting decisions, identify new markets and expand product portfolios to service high-volume low-ticket opportunities. By analyzing and interpreting farm-centric data for over 388 crops with nearly 9,500 variants across trillions of data points that grow every day, SmartRisk helps achieve high prediction accuracy at a plot-level. It does this by combining computer vision with deep-learning algorithms, on multispectral imagery derived from aerial scouting (satellites and drones), field scouting data, and hyperlocal weather. The SmartRisk AI has processed more than 160 million hectares of land area, and has the potential to impact 70 million farers globally in the next 3-5 years. Thus far, CropIn has positively impacted 13 million acres and 4 million farmers through the SmartFarm and SmartRisk platforms. Smallholder farmers associated with CropIn's clientele also observed their crop yields increasing by nearly 25% in the first year and subsequently experienced optimised yield improvements in the following years, by integrating the recommended advanced agricultural techniques and quality inputs into their farming practices through CropIn's agri-tech platforms.



"The robust, predictive power of digitalisation offers tremendous potential for the agriculture industry to leapfrog its many challenges in the coming years. The industry is capturing more data than ever, on everything from agronomy, weather and logistics to market price volatility, which has helped reduce acute data gaps throughout the value chain. In order to improve yields, optimise production and improve resilience and sustainability, agri-businesses are increasingly relying on innovative agri-tech solutions like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and the internet of things. We, at CropIn, are excited to advance the 'AI-Culture' for Agriculture," says Krishna Kumar, Founder and CEO of CropIn. Based in Singapore, ABC World Asia invests in companies that demonstrate commitment to generating positive and measurable social or environmental impact, alongside the ability to deliver compelling risk-adjusted returns.

"Sustainable food and agriculture is a core investment theme for ABC World Asia. The agriculture industry is an important pillar of the global economy, in particular driving Asia's growth and feeding the region's rapidly increasing population. The industry now faces challenges more pronounced than before, with the COVID-19 global pandemic highlighting the vulnerability of global food supplies and impacting the livelihoods of many smallholder farmers. CropIn's digital solutions will enable farmers to utilize real-time data for better decision-making and improved farm productivity. This investment underscores our support of such smart and sustainable agri-tech solutions that can build resilience in agriculture," said David Heng, Founder and CEO of ABC World Asia. Ms Sugandhi Matta, Managing Director of ABC World Asia, will also join CropIn as a board member. Existing investors of CropIn include BeeNext and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Strategic Investment Fund (London and Seattle). Over the last year, CropIn has established an advisory board comprising Barrett Mooney (Chairman of Board at AgEagle), Ranveer Chandra (Chief Scientist at Microsoft (News - Alert) ), TVG Krishnamurthy (Member of the Board of Directors at Ola), and Dr Iya Khalil (Global Head of the AI Innovation Center at Novartis). According to Karan Mohla, Partner, Chiratae Ventures India Advisors, "As active investors in the agri-tech space as well as in companies pioneering deep-tech and AI, we are truly excited about the innovative models that CropIn is building out in farm management and predictive analytics. In creating and building out a platform for multiple participants in the agriculture ecosystem, CropIn has established itself as a true global leader. With the leadership of Krishna and co-founder Kunal Prasad, they have built out a tremendous world-class team and advisory board and are on the precipice of achieving massive scale as a global company." Ambit Corporate Finance acted as the financial advisor to CropIn for this funding round. With this new round of investment, CropIn has raised a total funding of US$33.1 million to date. About CropIn CropIn is a leading global AI-driven agtech? organization that provides SaaS (News - Alert) and data solutions to ag-enterprises globally. CropIn enables businesses in the agriculture ecosystem to adopt a data-driven approach through its ground-to-cloud technology solutions. CropIn's unique suite of platforms - SmartFarm and SmartRisk - enable various stakeholders to adopt and drive digital strategy across their crop value-chains and operations. The company empowers the ag-enterprises with data insights that help drive initiatives around Digitization, Predictability, Traceability, Financial Inclusion, Climate Smart Agriculture and Sustainability. Please visit www.cropin.com for more information. About ABC World Asia Headquartered in Singapore, ABC World Asia is a private equity fund dedicated to impact investing. Impact investing encompasses the intention to generate positive, measurable social or environmental impact, alongside a compelling risk-adjusted return. ABC World Asia was established by Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Singapore headquartered investment company, Temasek. The fund's investment strategy aligns with Temasek's ABC Framework for an Active Economy, a Beautiful Society and a Clean Earth, building on the ideals of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. ABC World Asia will focus on themes including - financial and digital inclusion; better health and education; climate and water solutions; sustainable food and agriculture; and smart and liveable cities. For more information, please visit www.abcworld.com.sg View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111005929/en/

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Global icon Priyanka Chopra was recently in mood for a throwback. The actress travelled the past and pulled out a throwback picture from her archives which made for a priceless memory.

Priyanka shared a throwback picture from her teenage days and captioned it as, "Lean, mean and all of 17!!!" She also used the hashtag "#Unfinished," which is the title of her memoir in her post. In the snap, the actress has black hipsters teamed up with a white and golden patterned crop top inside a black over the jacket. A lean PeeCee is seen flaunting her million dollar smile.

Priyanka Chopra's throwback picture left her colleagues from the film industry quite impressed. Her fellow Miss India winners Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza wrote, "I know this girl." While Katrina Kaif and Rajkummar Rao dropped a bunch of heart emoticons, PeeCee's Krrish co-star Hrithik Roshan found the throwback "sweet." "So cute," wrote Preity Zinta.

Last year, in an interview with Tatler magazine, Priyanka had revealed that her late father had banned her from wearing tight clothes as a teenager.

Sharing her father's reaction to her homecoming from US, the actress told the magazine, "I'd left as a 12-year-old flat-chested, curly-haired kid and I came back as a 16-year-old almost-woman. I think my dad was really shaken up by that. He didn't know what to do with me for the first couple of weeks," further revealed that he had even put bars on her windows and banned her from wearing tight clothes after boys started following her from school. "We had a big clash of egos," the actress was quoted as saying. However, later, PeeCee and her father went on to become the best of friends.

With respect to work, Priyanka recently announced the wrap up of her upcoming English romantic film Text For You. The actress is also awaiting the release of her Netflix film The White Tiger alongside Rajkummar Rao.

READ: Priyanka Chopra Hails Kamala Harris In Her Powerful Note; Calls Her 'A Positive Example Of Leadership'" title="ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Hails Kamala Harris In Her Powerful Note; Calls Her 'A Positive Example Of Leadership'" />ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Hails Kamala Harris In Her Powerful Note; Calls Her 'A Positive Example Of Leadership'

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Says Age Difference Is Never A Hurdle Between Her And Nick Jonas

Accountability is divisive. Thats the point. If there is a faction of the Republican Party that sees democracy itself as a threat to its power and influence, then it has to be cut off from the body politic. It needs to be divided from the rest of us, lest it threaten the integrity of the American republic more than it already has. Marginalizing that faction  casting Trump and Trumpism into the ash heap of history  will be divisive, but it is the only choice we have.
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Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) called for an investigation on tech companies that have seemingly collaborated to kick Parler off the internet.

The esteemed Republican on the House Intelligence Committee asked the Department of Justice to look into the matter during FNC's "Sunday Morning Futures"' broadcast.

In his talk, Rep. Nunes cited "violations of antitrust laws, civil rights and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Acts" Breitbart reported.

Nunes said he doesn't know where "the Department of Justice is at right now or the FBI. This is clearly a violation of antitrust, civil rights, the RICO statute."

The Republican clarified that when he wrote that book, it's with the hope that Americans would be warned and that they would vote right so issues like what happened on Parler's would be prevented.

"Unfortunately, it's far worse than what I could even imagine. The effect of this is that there is no longer a free and open social media company or site for any American to get on any longer, because these big companies, Apple, Amazon, Google, they have just destroyed a - what was likely - Parler is likely a billion-dollar company. Poof, it's gone. But it's more than just the financial aspect to that. Republicans have no way to communicate. If - and it doesn't even matter if you're a Republican or conservative," Rep. Nunez said in his initial remarks.

"If you don't want to be regulated by left-wingers that are at Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, where you get shadowbanned, nobody gets to see you - nobody gets to see you, they get to decide what's violent or not violent, it's preposterous," he added in frustration.

"There should be a racketeering investigation on all the people that coordinated this attack on not only a company but on all of those like us, like me, like you, Maria [Bartiromo]. I have 3 million followers on Parler. Tonight, I will no longer be able to communicate with those people. And they're Americans," the California representative said.

In contrast with the mainstream social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, Rep. Nunes commended Parler saying that it's a "very safe platform" because everyone gets certified first and should there be any lawbreakers in the platform, the FBI can easily trace and subpoena the suspects.

The representative also has an account in Parler which he opened eight months ago. Although he knows that majority of the Republicans were also signed up in the platform, Rep. Nunes said that he did not go there for that reason. It is because unlike Facebook or Twitter, he has freedom in Parler to post his full thoughts without its visibility or reach getting manipulated or controlled.

As for Amazon, Google and Apple, the ban was in response to Parler's refusal to moderate posts, as well as its decision not to take action on discussions in its platform about organizing a rally and storming the Capitol. Furthermore, Parler did not take down posts containing photos and videos taken from the riot.

"We're aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.," says a spokesperson from Google.

"Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety," Apple told Fox News.

Amazon said that they will "deny Parler services until it removes posts inciting violence, including at the Presidential inauguration."

This, they say, is to not be "complicit in more bloodshed and violent attacks on democracy."

It's worth noting, however, that no Big Tech company ever banned posts from Antifa, Black Lives Matter and other like leftist groups even when these planned riots and incited violence across America last year, The Gateway Pundit noted.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, second from right, meets with South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun, second from left, in Tehran, Iran January 11, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap



The prospects for the early release of a South Korean oil tanker and its sailors seized by Iran appeared murky Tuesday, as Tehran's emphasis on a judicial process over the vessel's alleged oil pollution has dampened Seoul's hope for a diplomatic solution.



During his visit to Tehran since Sunday, Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Kamal Kharrazi, the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, and his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.



Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized the MT Hankuk Chemi on environmental pollution allegations on Jan. 4. The operator of the ship  with 20 crew members, including five Koreans, on board  denies it polluted the sea.



In talks with Tehran officials, Choi protested the seizure, called for the swift release of the vessel and its crew members, and asked them to provide concrete evidence to explain the marine pollution allegations.



The Iranian officials reiterated that the seizure is a "technical" issue subject to "legal and judicial" regulations, while calling for Seoul to give Tehran access to its money frozen in Korea under U.S. sanctions.



Speculation has persisted that the seizure might be linked to Iran's anger over the frozen funds estimated at US$7 billion. But Tehran has claimed the seizure is a solely technical issue, leaving little room for a diplomatic resolution.





In this Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 file photo released by Tasnim News Agency, a seized South Korean-flagged tanker is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats on the Persian Gulf. AP
The Rev. David L. Semrad, a Methodist minister and community advocate known for his commitment to education and civil rights, died last week at a Houston hospital at 78.

His voice was a clear one, strong, and San Antonio is better for his work, said former Mayor Henry Cisneros, who worked with Semrad in the 1980s and 90s when Semrad was involved with the COPS/Metro Alliance, a local advocacy coalition.

He was a significant force in the evolution of the best San Antonio weve ever had, Cisneros said.

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Born in Enid, Okla., and growing up on a wheat farm, Semrads early passions were shaped by the people and natural world around him. A leader of Oklahoma 4-H, a program dedicated to teaching children and teenagers life skills and civic engagement, his affinity for guiding and motivating young people stayed with him for the rest of his life, said Staci Semrad, 49, one of his two daughters.

Semrad met Judy Rose, his future wife of 56 years, at Oklahoma State University. He earned a masters degree in theology from Southern Methodist University and a doctor of ministry degree from St. Pauls School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo.

He moved his family to San Antonio in 1978 to direct the United Methodist Campus Ministry, now known as the Wesley Foundation of San Antonio. Semrad served as a minister at several college campuses, but primarily at San Antonio College and the University of Texas at San Antonio. He held that job until his retirement in 2008.

He went beyond that rural Oklahoma religious view to become a very progressive theologian, Staci Semrad said. He believed in going beyond oneself as a Christian to help others in the world, to help the poor and the oppressed, to help those that are economically disadvantaged. He was the kind of Christian who prayed with his feet; he walked the talk.

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An avid follower of the news and current events, Semrad knew students on the citys South Side were attending schools without air conditioning while students on the North Side had the latest technology and amenities, and it broke his heart, his daughter recalled.

His awareness of what was going on in the community was his inspiration to effect change, she said.

Semrad became a co-chair at Communities Organized for Public Service and the Metro Alliance, helped establish a womens center at SAC in 1981, was a founding board member of Project Quest and helped found the San Antonio Education Partnership, a public-private initiative aimed at bolstering college access at high schools with high dropout rates by providing scholarships for eligible graduates beginning in 1988.

In its first two years, the partnership awarded nearly $400,000 in scholarships to about 800 students and made an immediate impact on dropout rates. It became a long-term focus of common purpose for COPS/Metro, local chambers of commerce, school districts, colleges and universities.

San Antonio has been changed in very positive ways in recent decades by active citizens and neighborhood leaders who insisted on more fair policies and better distribution of resources to neighborhoods, and David Semrad was one of those people, Cisneros said. He had a clear vision of what was right and he acted upon it.

As a campus minister, Semrad engaged students in difficult conversations about social justice and how to understand and react to current events through the lens of their faith. His popular hot potato lecture series created an opportunity for students, faculty and members of the community to tackle complex topics, and he would sometimes take students on urban plunges, using San Antonios transit system.

Semrad died Wednesday after a battle with lung cancer that began last summer. He is remembered by his family as a gentle yet energetic man who was resourceful and full of love for others.

He was so much fun to hang out with. Even everyday life was a joy to spend with my dad, Staci Stemrad said. You could just feel the energy.

Semrads family is planning a memorial gathering at Colonial Hills United Methodist Church sometime in the late spring. He will be buried in Oklahoma.

andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon
A Cairo appeals court acquitted on Tuesday two well-known TikTok influencers, Haneen Hossam and Mawada Eladhm, who had been previously sentenced to two years in prison and received a hefty fine for violating family values and principles.

The court also acquitted three other defendants sentenced in the same case.

In late July, a Cairo court sentenced the five defendants to two years in prison and fined the two influencers EGP 300,000 (around $19,000).

The defendants were referred to the criminal court in June by the prosecution on charges of violating family values and principles and establishing and running online accounts to commit this crime.

Mawada Eladhm, who is in her early 20s, was arrested on 14 May after she fled her residence at an upscale New Cairo gated community, moving around between Cairo and the North Coast after an arrest warrant was issued against her.

Eladhm, who has 3.1 million followers on TikTok and 1.6 million followers on Instagram, gained fame for posting lip syncing and dance videos.

Haneen Hossam, a university student who has 1.2 million followers on TikTok, was arrested on 21 April on charges of inciting debauchery and human trafficking.

Her arrest came a few days after she posted a video on TikTok encouraging women to publish live videos and talk with strangers, via short video sharing platform Likee, in exchange for money.

The three other defendants were charged with helping one of the women evade arrest, concealing evidence of the crime, and publishing materials to influence public opinion about the case.

One of the three other defendants was also charged with possessing unauthorised and illegal software for the purpose of using it to facilitate committing these crimes.

Over the past months, Egyptian authorities have arrested numerous female TikTok users who are known for controversial content that authorities describe as violating family values and principles.

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[January 12, 2021] Internet of Things Community - (IoT Community) Announces Its IoT Slam 2021 Conferences, Commencing April 9th and June 24th, 2021

The IoT Community (Internet of Things Community), the world's largest community of corporate executives, IoT professionals and practitioners, and foremost IoT thought leadership association, today announced its schedule for the first half of 2021 of exclusive IoT Slam events commencing April 9th, in celebration of World IoT Day 2021, and the IoT Slam Live 2021, commencing June 24th held in partnership with the IEEE (News - Alert) World Forum on the Internet of Things (June 20 - 24 2021), held at the Hilton Hotel, New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. IoT Day Slam 2021: April 9th, 2021, Online The IoT Day Slam 2021 online conference (fourteenth IoT Slam branded event) will be delivered in real-time via virtual broadcast; attendees can tune in live to the stream globally via the internet and interact with speakers and other attendees. All proceedings are recorded and made available on-demand via https://iotpractitioner.com. IoT Slam Live 2021, June 24th, 2021, New Orleans, LA, USA and Online The IoT Slam Live 2021 conference, marks the return of the in-person IoT Slam series of events, commencing June 24th 2021, held in New Orleans, USA and broadcast online. The event is organized in partnership with the IEEE Internet of Things World Forum, June 20 - 24th pursuant to the announcement of its collaboration with IEEE. The partnership is an important step for both organizations, respective members and the industry as a whole. Conference Themes & Topics for H1 2021: Vertical focus: Healthcare, Retail, Automotive

Industrial IoT and Manufacturing

Edge (Connect, Compute, Controls)

Smart Cities, Buildings, and Society

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Communications and Connectivity

Computing and Information Processing

Secrity and Privacy and Trust

Diversity, fairness and inclusion



IoT Day Slam 2021 Call for Papers

To be considered as a speaker for the IoT Day Slam 2021 VIRTUAL conference, submit a proposal by March 1st 2021 at: https://iotslam.com/iot-day-slam-2021-call-for-papers/ IoT Slam Live 2021 Call for Papers To be considered as a speaker for the IoT Slam Live 2021 IN-PERSON conference, submit a proposal by April 15th 2021 at: https://iotslam.com/iot-slam-live-2021-paper-submission/ "We're pleased to announce our next premiere IoT Community events - the fourteenth and fifteenth in the series of IoT Slam conferences," said Dr. Tom Bradicich, Hewlett Packard Fellow, HPE, and Chair of the IoT Community Advisory Board. "As IT and OT converge, intelligent edges and IoT deployments are rapidly affording new business and as-a-Service delivery models. To this end, our IoT Day Slam 2021 virtual event will be replete with insightful approaches to advancing business outcomes. I invite all IoT and edge-to-cloud practitioners to join us and share their impactful solutions, use cases, experiences, and thought leadership. With IoT and edge technology deployments continuing to deliver improved business and societal results, it's the right season to collaborate with the IEEE as co-host of our 2021 IoT Slam Live event. Representing over 100 years of engineering, technology, and science, the IEEE has a heritage of disseminating and influencing the best in technical innovation. This IEEE - IoT Community partnership is a potent combination, which better serves our respective members and advances the IoT and edge-to-cloud industries." Registration: Free Access to IoT Slam Members of the IoT Community can get free access to the IoT Slam events by visiting: https://iotslam.com/iot-slam-conference-registration/ ## About IoT Day Slam 2021 The IoT Day Slam 2021 is the Internet of Things Community's fourteenth international conference, held in celebration of World IoT Day 2021, covering a horizontal industry perspective, across the entire spectrum of IoT. The IoT Slam 2021 takes place April 9th, 2021 virtually in the cloud. Details at: https://iotslam.com About IoT Slam Live 2021 IoT Slam Live 2021 is the Internet of Things Community's annual in-person IoT Slam conference - its fifteenth international IoT Slam branded conference. IoT Slam Live 2021 takes place June 24th, 2021, co-hosted with the IEEE World Forum on the Internet of Things, held at Hilton New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, visit https://iotslam.com IoT Slam delivers the best in class IoT Strategy, Leadership, Advisory and Methodology - (SLAM) - IoT Slam. About IoT Community - (Internet of Things Community) The IoT Community is the world's largest CxO community of senior business leaders and IoT practitioners consisting of 24,000+ members founded in 2015. The function is to focus on adoption and application of IoT in commercial environments, seeking to contribute applying technology or overcoming the variety of barriers, inhibitors, and technical and operational issues. For more information about IoT Community, visit http://www.iotcommunity.net (please note the dot net domain), follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) (@IoTCommunity / @IoTChannel). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005640/en/

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SIU School of Dental Medicines Cornell Thomas, DDS, chief diversity officer, director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and assistant dean for Admissions and Student Services. This added emphasis on equity and diversity issues is both extremely important and timely for the future growth and direction of the SDM. Dr. Thomas leadership will positively affect all members of the SDM community.

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SDM) is increasing its concentration on diversity, equity, inclusion and well-being. SIU SDM Dean Bruce Rotter, DMD, has appointed Cornell Thomas, DDS, as chief diversity officer and director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Thomas will maintain his role as assistant dean for Admissions and Student Services, but will place a more focused and sustained emphasis on diversity and equity issues. His dedication to lower barriers not lower standards has been woven in his exemplary efforts to advance the SDM since his tenure began in 1979.

Dr. Thomas has led numerous diversity efforts on our campus for several years, but due to his many other duties has not had the opportunity to devote the amount of effort we feel this role deserves, Rotter said. This added emphasis on equity and diversity issues is both extremely important and timely for the future growth and direction of the SDM. Dr. Thomas leadership will positively affect all members of the SDM community.

I am honored to serve in this capacity, Thomas said. It is work that I have been doing, but I can now devote more time and energy to focus on this endeavor. I have support from my dean, Dr. Bruce Rotter, who shares in my vision about the work in diversity, equity and inclusion. He has provided the opportunity to move us forward. He has a clear insightfulness to bring change for the betterment of the SDM. With his shared vision, we can make a difference in how we develop and sustain an inclusive environment in which faculty, staff, students, administrators and patients can connect.

As the chief diversity officer, Thomas will facilitate communication for SDM to the essential values of anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion for faculty, staff and students. Thomas will provide support for Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and historically underrepresented people at the SDM.

The DEI Office will provide transparency across and among groups in an effort to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority (URM) faculty, staff and students at the SDM, Thomas explained. The office will empower the campus community to maintain an environment as it relates to honesty, civility and open-mindedness. The office will strive to dismantle systemic racism and oppression. We can build a sense of togetherness and inclusivity in our teaching, research and service to each other and the communities that we serve.

According to Thomas, specific initiatives include:



Increase enrollment of URMs at the SDM and increase the number of faculty and staff of color

Provide diversity and inclusion training to continue a safe and welcoming environment on our campus

Develop and implement a plan to recruit faculty from underrepresented groups

Provide advocacy for SDM students, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups, other cultures and genders, races and LGBTQIA groups.

Provide mentoring for these groups to thrive in the campus environment

In support of Thomas additional roles, Admissions and Records Supervisor Angela Pritchett will take responsibility for the direction of daily operations in the SDM Office of Admissions and Student Services.

The SIU School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. The School of Dental Medicine is a vital oral health care provider for residents of southern and central Illinois, and the St. Louis metropolitan region.
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The new 'super COVID' variant first detected in the UK is continuing to sweep across the U.S. as more cases have been identified.

As of Tuesday morning, 82 infections have been detected in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas.

California currently has the highest number of reported cases with 34 in total - 32 in San Diego County and two in San Bernadino County - and Florida is close behind with 22 cases.

New York has the third highest number of cases with Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) confirming in a call with reporters on Tuesday that eight more cases had been identified in the state, bringing the total up to 12.

The strain, known as B 1.1.7., is feared to be up to 70 percent more transmissible and to spread more easily among children.

What's more, a Minnesota case of the new variant indicates it may have been circulating in the U.S. far earlier than previously believed.

The positive sample comes from a patient that was taken on December 18 and uploaded to the global genomic database GISAID.

With other variants also confirmed in South Africa and Japan, many have criticized U.S. health agencies for failing to adequately detect and track new strains.

Additionally, health experts say the variants provide cause for the Trump administration to ramp up nationwide vaccination efforts, which have been lagging since the rollout started in December.

It comes as new interactive maps show how U.S. hospitals are overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, as the number of people admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with the disease continues to increase.

A total of 82 cases of the new 'super-COVID' variant first detected in the UK have been identified in 10 states, according to a DailyMail.com tally of federal and local data

As of Monday, a whopping 129,748 Americans are currently hospitalized with the novel coronavirus, including tens of thousands in the ICU, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project.

This marks the 41st consecutive day that there are more than 100,000 U.S. citizens in the hospital being treated for the virus.

It comes as the nation recorded 204,652 cases of COVID-19 and 1,731 deaths. As of Tuesday, more than 376,000 Americans have now died and more than 22.6 million have tested positive.

An analysis from DailyMail.coms shows that the U.S. recorded more than 200,000 new cases of the virus every single day for the past week.

The maps, created by The Tracking Project, break down the number of inpatients and ICU capacity at each hospital and shows hospitalizations are at their worst in California - where the number of people receiving inpatient care continues to skyrocket.

Presently, 22,633 residents of the Golden State people are hospitalized with confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19, according to the state's department of health.

Of that number, nearly 22 percent are in the ICU.

One map, created by The COVID Tracking Project, shows the percentage of general hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients across the country.

It reveals that highest percentage of COVID-related hospitalizations is in and around Los Angeles.

A total of 7,910 people are hospitalized in the city, county-level data reveals, taking up more than 45 percent of all general hospital beds.

New interactive maps show American hospitals are overwhelmed by COVID patients, as the number of people admitted to intensive care units with the virus continues to increase. This map from The COVID Tracking Project shows the percentage of hospital beds being occupied by those with the coronavirus

A second map, however, paints a more alarming picture. It shows that COVID patients are disproportionately taking up ICU beds in many hospitals nationwide

In some parts of California, it is not uncommon for almost all ICU beds to be occupied by coronavirus patients, creating a dire situation for other locals who arrived at the hospital in need of urgent treatment for car crashes and heart attacks. Pictured: Healthcare workers use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine on a Covid-19 patient at Providence St Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, California, January 11

In many other parts of the country, that number is significantly lower. In most hospitals in Florida and New York City, for instance, between 15 and 30 percent of beds are occupied by those with COVID-19.

A second map, however, paints a more alarming picture.

It shows that COVID patients are disproportionately taking up ICU beds in many hospitals nationwide.

In New York City, while less than 30 percent of general hospital beds are being taken up by COVID patients, more than 45 percent of ICU beds at most of those same medical facilities are occupied by those with the virus.

The map shows a similar situation taking place in parts of South Texas and in Phoenix, Arizona.

According to The COVID Tracking Project, hospitalizations and deaths in Phoenix are now exceeding the summer surge experienced there, and continue to grow each day.

At Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, residents were seen Monday setting up a field hospital in the parking lot

Three-quarters of the hospital's ICU beds are taken up by COVID-19 patients, and there is only one available ICU bed left in the entire facility

In some parts of California, it is not uncommon for almost all ICU beds to be occupied by coronavirus patients, creating a dire situation for other locals who arrived at the hospital in need of urgent treatment for car crashes and heart attacks.

In Los Angeles, health officials are now urging locals to wear masks inside of their home to stop the spread because hospitals are so overwhelmed.

'Right now, because there is so much spread, we're recommending that people wear their face coverings on while they're inside the home. It will add a layer of protection while we get through this surge,' the city's Public Health Director Dr Barbara Ferrer said Monday

Meanwhile, at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, just north of Los Angeles, officials were seen Monday setting up a field hospital in the parking lot.

Three-quarters of the hospital's ICU beds are taken up by COVID-19 patients, and there is only one available ICU bed left in the entire facility.

On Monday it was reported that just 8.9 million Americans have received their first jab - far short of the 20 million people the federal government hoped to have vaccinated by the end of December 2020

A total of 25 million doses have been distributed and the Trump administration plans to recommend on Tuesday that all available vaccine doses be sent to states

Meanwhile, since the vaccination rollout process began last month, it has continued to lag.

According to CDC data, as of Monday morning, 8.9 million Americans have received their first job.

This figure is far short of the 20 million people the federal government hoped to have vaccinated by the end of December 2020.

It is also less than one-third of the 25 million doses that have been distributed to states by the federal government.

However, the Trump administration is planning to recommend giving a coronavirus vaccine to everyone above age 65 in the country in an attempt to speed up the rollout.

Axios reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to announce the new guidelines at a briefing at noon EST on Tuesday.

Officials are also expected to recommend that shots be administered to American adults of all ages who have at least one pre-existing condition.

The HHS also plans to change another vaccination policy. Currently, 50 percent of the government's supply are not distributed to ensure everyone receives a second dose.

However, vaccine doses will no longer be held and instead, all existing doses will be distributed with second doses to come off of future manufacturing lines.

The slow rollout has prompted some states, such as Michigan, to request purchasing their own vaccines from manufacturers like Pfizer itself in order to cut out the middleman and speed up the process.

Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer made the request in a letter on Monday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, asking to directly buy 100,000 Pfizer doses from the pharmaceutical giant directly.

'This direct purchase will fill a two week lag in supply and ensure that we can continue to ramp up our vaccination efforts across Michigan,' she wrote.

'It is also consistent with Operation Warp Speed's commitment to deliver a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to Americans as quickly as possible.'

If approved, Whitmer says the additional vaccine doses would be distributed and administered per CDC guidelines.

The request comes a hospital systems across the state say they don't have enough supply to get needles into arms.

It also coincides with Whitmer expanding vaccine eligibility to include residents aged 65 and older, police officers and other first responders and teachers.

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Lets call this column, and perhaps the next couple of columns, an old-timers memories of the past offered with the hope that they may help u Read more
In the early 1970s, a young Irish woman arrived home to find three people dressed in black standing in the kitchen. The woman, who was living with her aunt in London at the time, had confided in her aunt that she was pregnant.

Unbeknownst to her, her mother had been alerted and contacted the Catholic Crusade of Rescue who had come to take her back to Ireland.

The young woman was forced into a car against her will, flown from Heathrow to Cork, and sent to Bessborough Mother and Baby Home. She became suicidal and tried to escape, but was sent to another home in Pelletstown.

The womans story is part of a patchwork of anonymous tales of unimaginable cruelty which were given as evidence to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission.

While some witnesses recalled innocuous or even pleasant experiences at the infamous institutions, the recollections of barbaric misogyny, callous apathy to sexual violence and malicious treatment during childbirth makes for grim reading.

Read More

A number of women recalled how labour was used as an opportunity to punish unmarried mothers for their sins. A woman who was adopted from Sean Ross Abbey said her mother had been tied to a bed when she was in labour and that a nun sat on her chest to make her push.

A woman who was sent to Bessborough while pregnant at the age of 17 described being terrified of the midwife based at the home. She was cutting the girls down below and would tell them this is your punishment for what you have done and you are never doing this again, she said.

A woman who was sent to St Finbarrs hospital from Bessborough described being butchered and given no pain relief.

They just split me open to deliver the baby, she said. In Castlepollard, a woman recalled how a doctor had stitched me in cold blood with not even a local anaesthetic.

Another recalled having a symphysiotomy performed on her without her knowledge.

Many women reported being forced to carry out cruel or degrading labour. A woman who was sent to Castlepollard in the early 1960s remembered being forced by nuns to unblock toilets with her bare hands. The same woman saw about 10 dead babies being sent to be buried in shoe boxes.

A woman who was sent to Bessborough in the 1960s when she was 18 said women were made to work every day, regardless of illness. It was just as if the nuns had no hearts at all, she said.

You could hear the girls crying at night. We went to bed frightened and always woke up frightened.

Another mother sent to a home in the 1960s recalled being made to cut the grass with a pair of scissors, and going into labour while she was polishing a floor.

Later that evening, as the pain progressed, I was locked in what I can only describe as a cell, she said. After her baby was born, she was only allowed to see it once a day when a bell would ring and women were told to go breastfeed their children while facing the wall.

The womans baby was adopted at six weeks, without her consent. Another woman reported being injected with something while giving birth at Bessborough at the age of 18. She believes the injection made her baby sick. For two weeks, she begged the nurses to send him to hospital but they resisted. He died at six weeks, after being kept in a dying room. She was not allowed to attend the burial, despite being 100 feet away from it inside the home.

Women often had their own clothes taken away and were given uniforms. A number of witnesses recalled always being hungry, or having to ration food. They were often given fake names, and some reported a policy of silence in some homes. Letters in and out of the institutions were often read and censured. A woman at Sean Ross had written to her aunt complaining about the food. A nun read out the letter in the dining room, and made the woman eat it.

The same woman also recalled being asked to count money that the sisters were keeping in biscuit tins. All notes. Money I had never seen before which looked like dollars, the woman said.

Some women were pressured to have their children adopted, some signed forms without understanding what it meant while others never even considered that they would be allowed to keep their children.

I thought I committed a terrible sin and I had to be punished for it and the punishment was adoption, a mother who was sent to Pelletstown in the late 1960s said.

A number of nuns who worked at the institutions gave evidence of the societal pressure women were under to keep their pregnancies secret. Sister Mary McManus, who worked in Bessborough from 1948-69 and 1970-1998, remembered seeing a girl arrive covered in grass, holding a baby she had given birth to in a field. Sr McManus recalled another woman who arrived at 1pm in labour, asking if she could be home by 6pm. Her mother thought she was out getting groceries, which the woman asked the nuns to buy for her. She gave birth and returned home, and her mother never found out.

A social worker who spent three months at Bessborough in 1984 recalled an underage girl with intellectual disabilities who was dumped there by her family after becoming pregnant as a result of incest.

A number of nuns claimed that women were always free to leave, but this was sometimes in conflict with evidence from women who had been in the homes. One reported that girls tried to run away from Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, but were brought back by gardai. The same was reported in Bessborough, where a woman also reported seeing another mother fall to her death while trying to escape from a window.

Evidence from a number of homes suggested there was a class divide, where middle class women whose families paid for their stay were treated better and with more kindness.

There seemed to be little to no attention paid to clear instances of sexual violence. A woman recalled how she had become pregnant at the end of the 1960s as a result of rape, when she was 20 years old. When the woman tried to tell her attackers parish priest about what happened, the priest sexually assaulted her in his car. Her own priest then sent her to Castlepollard.

Another woman who was sent to Dunboyne after becoming pregnant at the age of 15 had complained that the father of her child, who was considerably older than she, was not prosecuted. Despite the fact there were a number of underage girls in Dunboyne, The Good Shepherd Sisters, who ran the homes, never made any reports to the gardai.

One woman who was raised in a Catholic home in Liverpool described how she became pregnant at the age of 13, after being sexually abused since the age of 11. She was sent to Bessborough after being told she was going on holiday.

After she gave birth, her baby was taken away from her immediately. She was told that it had died, but now doubts if that was true.

Testimony from those adopted from the institutions was equally harrowing. Many suspected being involved in vaccine trials. One man, who was adopted from Tuam, said he had been born twice: once in a prison, once in a home with love and care. He lived there for most of the 1950s, until he was six-and-a-half.

For five years, his mother, who was working nearby, had knocked on the door of the home every day hoping to see him. She had desperately wanted to keep him, but was told she wasnt capable.

I was born in a jail and I spent six-and-a-half years in a jail. I got no love, no care, no education, no nothing. Then my mother spending five-and-a-half years walking up and down, making a fool out of her, he said.
Kuala Lumpur, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :Masks that helped save lives during the coronavirus pandemic are proving a deadly hazard for wildlife, with birds and marine creatures ensnared in the staggering number of discarded facial coverings littering animal habitats.

Single-use surgical masks have been found scattered around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries began mandating their use in public places to slow the pandemic's spread.

Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose.

"Face masks aren't going away any time soon -- but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals who share our planet," Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA told AFP.

Macaques have been spotted chewing the straps off old and tossed-aside masks in the hills outside Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur -- a potential choking hazard for the diminutive monkeys.

And in an incident that captured headlines in Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA in the city of Chelmsford after its legs became tangled in the straps of a disposable mask for up to a week.

The animal welfare charity was alerted after the bird was spotted, motionless but still alive, and they took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.

"It's clear the mask was there for some time and the elastic straps had tightened around his legs as his joints were swollen and sore," said RSPCA inspector Adam Jones.

- Cut off mask straps - The biggest impact may be in the water, with green groups alarmed at the flood of used masks, latex gloves and other protective gear finding their way into already contaminated seas and rivers.

More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6,200 extra tonnes of marine plastic pollution, according to environmental group OceansAsia.

Already there are signs that masks are worsening threats to marine life.

Conservationists in Brazil found one inside the stomach of a penguin after its body washed up on a beach, while a dead pufferfish was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami.

French campaigners Operation Mer Propre found a dead crab ensnared in a mask in a saltwater lagoon near the Mediterranean in September.

Masks and gloves are "particularly problematic" for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from US-based NGO Ocean Conservancy.

"When those plastics break down in the environment, they form smaller and smaller particles," he told AFP.

Those particles then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems, he added.

There has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on, but many are still opting for the lighter single-use varieties.

Campaigners have urged people to bin them properly and snip the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming ensnared.

OceansAsia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 22:44:52|Editor: huaxia

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GABORONE, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's president has implored students to heighten adherence to COVID-19 measures, as the country's 2021 school calendar opens.

"The year 2021 should be no different, we need to keep the basics in place and reinforce from last year: Washing hands with clean water and sanitizing frequently, social distancing and proper wearing of masks," said President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday in message to students.

He said his administration will do the best to ensure the safety of children in school, urging parents and learners to play their part.

Botswana has put in place several initiatives to keep numbers of COVID-19 infections low in schools, such as reducing class sizes, hiring more personnels, and renovating hand washing stations.

"We have been through a very challenging period in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We however, emerged strong and posted good Primary School Leaving Examination results," emphasized Masisi. Enditem
Aroma Arrives

Fast-casual Indian on W. Liberty

by Micheline Maynard

From the January, 2021 issue

Krishna Nakka and Kiran Rampa first met as undergraduates in India studying computer science then went their separate ways, winding up in places like Singapore, Sydney, Silicon Valley, and New York City.



When Nakka met his wife, a graduate from Lawrence Tech in Southfield, he decided he liked Michigan, even though it was far colder than his home country. A food lover who had worked in New York City restaurants while earning a master's degree, he also began to explore opening an Indian restaurant.



When one came up for sale in Farmington Hills in 2017, he called Rampa, then working on the East Coast as a consultant, and invited him to partner in buying it.



"One day, I said, 'let's do it,'" Nakka recalls. "We're starting tomorrow."



They soon decided they wanted to have a place in Ann Arbor, too. In August, their opportunity arose when Satchel's BBQ decided to close its satellite location at Liberty and First St.



The men wrote a ten-year business plan, signed a lease, and opened Aroma Indian Cuisine.



While their original place offers table service and a full menu, they've adapted this one to the "fast-casual" trend, with a streamlined menu and counter service. All the meat is halal, and there are a number of vegan dishes.



For Ann Arbor, the owners also crafted a selection of Indo-Chinese dishes, featuring some of Aroma's fourteen different sauces, such as chili, Manchurian (a dark sauce with garlic and soy), and pepper-style.



Diners can expect to see both Nakka and Rampa in the restaurant, rotating between Ann Arbor and Farmington Hills. Their immediate goal is to learn what locals like to eat (lamb dishes are already proving popular). If something doesn't sell, it will disappear from the menu and be replaced by something they hope Ann Arbor diners will like better.



At opening, public health orders limited Aroma to carryout or delivery. Come summer, the partners plan to turn their small parking lot into an outdoor, lighted patio.



Aroma Indian Cuisine, 211 W. Liberty, (734) 800-4198. Mon., Wed., Thurs., & Sun. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Closed Tues. 'aromaannarbor.com



[Originally published in January, 2021.]








Moscow, Jan 12 : Leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to take joint measures to restore transportation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region recently freed from armed conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued a statement on these measures following their talks in Moscow on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the statement, the three countries will set up a trilateral working group co-chaired by their Deputy Prime Ministers to ensure that all economic and transport connections in Nagorno-Karabakh will be unblocked, part of the fourth ceasefire deal reached on November 9, 2020.

The working group will hold its first meeting before January 30 to make a list of key areas of work, with railway and road links as the priority.

Under the working group, expert sub-groups will be established to determine projects together with the necessary resources and activities for their implementation.

By March 1, the working group will come up with a detailed plan for the restoration and construction of infrastructure necessary for safe transportation in the region.

After the fourth ceasefire agreement was signed, Putin had said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region.

The three other ceasefires -- two brokered by Russia (October 10, 17) and one by the US (October 26) -- collapsed after Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations and attacks.

A new round of armed conflict broke out on September 27 along the contact line of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but mostly governed by the Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state with an Armenian ethnic majority.

Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over the region in 1988-94, eventually declaring a ceasefire.

However, a settlement was never reached.
New Zealand will ask international travelers from most countries to show negative Covid-19 test results before boarding flights to the country as new contagious variants of Covid-19 spread across globally.

"Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it's clear that most global air routes will be of critical concern for the foreseeable future," Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement.

Hipkins said the pre-departure test requirement would soon expand to all countries and territories excluding Australia, Antarctica and some Pacific Island nations.

Travelers would still have to complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine and undergo testing upon arrival in New Zealand.

Border closure and a strict national lockdown during the initial phase of the pandemic has helped New Zealand keep numbers relatively low, with just over 1,800 confirmed cases and 25 deaths since the pandemic began.

The country last reported a local case nearly two months ago.

Critics have said the government has been taking the new Covid-19 variants too lightly and calls have grown for urgently extending pre-departure testing and accelerate the roll out of vaccines.

The government said it had secured enough vaccines to inoculate all of the country's 5 million people, with agreements signed with pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Novavax.

It plans to inoculate border workers only by the end of March and the general public by mid-year.

New Zealand has fallen behind the rest of the world with its vaccine programme and the government needs to explain why, opposition National Party leader Judith Collins said in a statement this week.

"Kiwis are rightly asking why Australia has plans to vaccinate four million people by the end of March while New Zealand wont start vaccinating the general public until at least July."

Australia brought forward its vaccine roll-out two weeks to early March.

"When we start is less important than when we finish it," Hipkins said at a news conference, adding New Zealand's success in containing gives it time to roll out vaccines.
Sanaa, Jan 12 : Thousands of internally displaced Yemeni families are facing harsh living conditions in their displacement camps in Marib province, as the years-long conflict continue to ravage the war-torn country.

Scores of displaced people staged a protest on Sunday to denounce the deterioration of their living conditions and lack of basic needs in their camp that hosts nearly 500 families in Marib, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the protest, the displaced protesters appealed to the country's government and international organizations, especially the World Food Program (WFP), to respond to their demands and provide their families with essential food supplies.

Men, women and children participated in the protest, raising banners calling for an end to their suffering in the camp, and holding slogans reading "We are starved silently. We need water and food".

In March 2020, the Iran-backed Houthi militia staged large military operations and succeeded in capturing key areas in the northern province of al-Jawf, forcing thousands of families to leave their villages and flee to Marib.

Fahed Qatwani, director of the internal displacement unit in al-Jawf, told Xinhua on Monday that nearly 10,553 families were displaced from al-Jawf during the past nine months and are currently distributed in 10 displacement camps in Marib.

Qatwani said that the number of refugees in al-Jawf is estimated at 52,765 and most of them are currently living in Marib.

He stressed all those people are currently at risk of starvation amid a lack of basic living needs such as clean drinking water and food supplies inside their camps.

The local official indicated that there was an urgent need to provide necessary psychological support for the displaced children and provide material assistance to their families including accommodation requirements.

Majid Ayyash, a local Yemeni observer from al-Jawf province, also said the displacement camps in Marib were at risk of collapse and people are starving there.

"The displaced people are now suffering and dying silently due to acute shortages of food, water, and medicines in their camps," said Ayyash.

Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The UN describes the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as the worst in the world.
RESTON, Va., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, announced today that its National Security Solutions (IDEMIA NSS) affiliate has won a strategic award from the United States Postal Service (USPS) and Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to provide U.S. communities with a portfolio of identity services. In alignment with USPS' five-year strategic plan to connect the American public to essential e-government services, the partnership will provide access identity verification services to the public, including biometric capture and in-person proofing capabilities, at Post Office locations. This partnership broadens access to these critical services, bringing them to thousands of sites across America.

This award will enable the Postal Service to further leverage its nationwide retail network and information infrastructure to better serve federal agencies and the American public through broader access to biometric capture and in-person proofing services.

"This announcement signals USPS's commitment to enabling its people, presence and prestige to better meet the needs of the American public in an increasingly digital world," said Andrew Boyd, CEO, IDEMIA NSS. "We are delighted to partner with USPS to help bring their vision forward, and to leverage USPS's broad infrastructure to offer the American people greater access to identity verification and assurance solutions."

About IDEMIA

IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect, and travel), in the physical as well as digital space.

Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated, and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use, and protect one of our greatest assets  our identity  whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security, and IoT sectors.

IDEMIA National Security Solutions is the Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) mitigated IDEMIA affiliate, supporting the national security interests of the United States of America through cutting-edge identity intelligence offerings. For over 60 years, our extensive hardware, software, and services portfolio has driven consistent results enabling America's defense, intelligence, and homeland security posture.

For further information, go to www.idemia.com and www.nationalsecuritysolutions.com / follow @IdemiaGroup and @IdemiaNSS on Twitter.

SOURCE IDEMIA
The presidential election in the US marked by an unusually confrontationist run up to the polls and an equally bitter post-poll phase of transition, made a wrong sort of history when hundreds of supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump converging on the Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. indulged in violence there on January 6, the day a joint session of the Congress was set to finally certify the victorious candidate. The facts that as many as four protesters lost their lives and an officer of the Capitol Police force succumbed to injuries inflicted by the mob, speak of the seriousness of an event that seemed to the world outside as an unprecedented physical attack on the Parliament of the oldest democracy by a politically driven mob of Republican followers pushed to a height of frenzy by their Presidential nominee himself.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was amongst the first world leaders to condemn the assault on democracy notwithstanding the fact that India had in his regime enjoyed a deep convergence with Trump on most issues of economy and global security. The point about Washington lawlessness is that it marked the culmination of a long drawn no-holds-barred campaign of the Trump camp that had started turning militant. The event underscores the risk that public exhortations of a certain kind posed, of letting political protests degenerate into blind violence at the hands of emotionally charged followers.

The reported accounts of the composition and behaviour of the rampaging mob within the premises of the Capitol are quiet revealing. Exasperated over the fact that postal ballots had become a prime cause for his defeat, Trump called for protests in D.C. on January 6 and tweeted "be there, will be wild" with Rudy Giuliani, his prime supporter, raising the allegation of fraudulent ballot and calling for 'trial by combat'. In an hour-long speech on January 6, Trump asked his supporters to walk down to the Capitol and "take back our country". He asked Vice President Mike Pence, who was to chair the joint session, "to come through" and when Pence said he could not block the election result and Trump denounced him on that count, scuffle ensued between the protesters and the Capitol Police.

The marchers who had scaled the walls of the building smashed glass panes, overwhelmed the Police and had a free run of the place. Significantly, the core of the Trump supporters comprised of white nationalists, blue collar workers and those who hated 'the corrupt elite' for bartering away the US interests -as was contended by Donald Trump in his 'America First' campaign.

A large Confederacy flag was displayed suggestive of a certain mood of hostility reminiscent of the revolt of the Southerners some 150 years ago. Many protesters reportedly wore bullet proof vests and helmets indicating that the march had set off a militant environ and a question did arise as to whether the Capitol Police had read the situation at all and whether reinforcements could not have been called earlier for the protection of the Congress. The case warrants an examination from the angle of failure of law and Order. The Deputy National Security Advisor, Matt Pottinger, resigned after the January 6 incident. It may be mentioned that maintenance of internal peace is the prime function of a democratic state.

An analysis of the situation before and after the episode of violence at the Capitol leads to three deductions. First, the electoral campaign of Donald Trump has created an accentuated class division in the US, different from the ideological divide of the right and the left, and led to a new kind of political assertion by the average native White Americans who were convinced Trump had given them priority through the nationalist call of 'America First' that implied curbs on moving jobs away from the country and the slogan of 'Make America Great Again' that meant propping up the defence might of the US and not letting any other country particularly China take advantage of US in trade and commerce. The racial streak in Trump unravelled by his responses to the act of a white policeman choking an African-American George Floyd to death, in full public view after his arrest at Minneapolis, apparently strengthened this constituency for him.

Secondly, the 'Black Lives Matter' movement revived by this incident and the harsh handling of the protests sparked off by it on the specious plea that the agitation was a creation of left extremists and anti-nationals together with the strangely irresponsible approach of Trump to the Covid pandemic evidently led to a silent disapproval of his policy not only by the blacks and many other coloured people but by a large number of sensible Americans too. They found a channel for venting their views in the postal ballots which were unprecedented this time number-wise. Trump might have instinctively sensed it which is why he became so touchy on that part of the electoral exercise. It is the mail-in ballots that materially increased the difference in the vote share of the two candidates and added to the advantage of President-elect Joe Biden.

It is the third reading in all of this which possibly indicates the shape of things to come in American politics, some of it positive but also a lot that should cause concern. Trump stands out from his peers and predecessors for not caring about political finesse and not showing enough understanding of the way a democracy with demographic variations runs. He saw how several protests by his opponents had turned violent in the past but obviously presumed that the marchers to the Capitol would never end up precipitating unprecedented mob violence under the influence of his own militant exhortations. To avoid being put in a corner for accountability for this mob violence by his supporters, Trump hastily condemned it and denounced the law-breakers as being "not Americans". His remark that "he loved the marchers" did not go unnoticed as an attempt to make the best of a bad bargain. If he is still around for the next election, he might keep the pot boiling for that objective, he would have surely learnt his lessons of democratic politics.

Also, Trump apparently went totally by his wishful thinking. He demonised left extremism but the results seem to show that Americans on their own retained an acute distrust of such an ideology and did not pay attention to the left appeals in this election. Trump ridiculed 'face -covering' and 'social distancing', the accepted safety precautions against Covid, and tried to demonstrate that he was an intrepid leader. Like he had focused on Islamic Radicalism as an enemy of America last time, he pitched China as the principal adversary this time around. The legacy of 'Trumpism' that may haunt the domestic scene in the US in the period ahead is the sharp consolidation of the white nationalists behind him with varying shades of extremism in their thinking against the 'outsiders', the corrupt elite and the exploitative set of power holders. Biden as President should be able to promote reconciliation and equality to keep the internal situation turbulence, free for him, it is necessary that he gets time for redefining his foreign policy agenda that the world was watching out for.

India has a keen interest in how Biden Presidency looks upon this country in the context of an extremely close military and defence relationship that had been achieved between US and India during the Trump era as also a convergence of approach between the two countries that was reached on many global issues. It is particularly important that the new President is able to show an understanding of how the Sino-Pak axis posed the biggest threat in the present to India's national security. The proclivity of Democrats of dealing with India-Pakistan relationship in the past by putting the two countries on the same pedestal , may not have been totally cured in spite of the emergence of Pakistan as a harbourer of Islamic radicals and now as the closest ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping irreversibly bonded to the latter by the CPEC, a project built on the territory of Pakistan occupied Kashmir that had been bartered away by Pakistan to the Communist China.

If India has to become an effective partner of QUAD for the security of Indo-Pacific then the Biden administration has to call China and Pakistan for creating trouble for India on the borders. Trump gave no quarters to either Pakistan or China and Biden, hopefully, will also take due notice of the new development of Pakistan along with Turkey and Malaysia leading a group in the Muslim world, in alignment with Islamic radicals of the Taliban and Al Qaeda at the cost of US interests. The Biden administration has to be careful of the duplicitous role of Pakistan in Afghanistan, Pakistan's main aim in that country is to acquire a 'strategic depth' particularly against India with the help of Taliban. The Modi government will not be willing to put up with any policy approach of the new US regime that hurt India's economic and security interests. It can be presumed that the two countries are already engaged in reviewing these matters in interactions between diplomatic and security establishments of the two sides.

(The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
As Congress moves to impeach Donald Trump, the real question is how anyone in either party can stand in opposition.

The blood is on the presidents hands, his guilt established beyond doubt by his own words. In his infamous call to battle just before the mob launched its attack, Trump urged his supporters to fight much harder against bad people and to show strength as they marched on the Capitol.

You have to show strength, and you have to be strong, he said. When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to play by different rules.

He must be convicted, too, for his attempt to overturn a democratic election. The evidence, again, is irrefutable and based on his own words: You dont concede when theres theft involved. Our country has had enough, he told them.

If you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.

For those who will oppose impeachment  such as the famously feckless Jeff Van Drew  the question is this: If inciting violence to overthrow a democratic election is not an impeachable offense, then what is?

Its true that there is not enough time to cut short Trumps term, and Sen. Mitch McConnell says he will make sure of that, and that the Senate would not begin to consider the issue until the day before Trump leaves office.

But the House must make this statement, if only to reaffirm that this is a nation of laws, to warn any future president that might mimic such grotesque behavior, and to give Trump, the worst president in American history, the distinction of being the only one who was impeached twice.

This fumigation must not end with Trump, however. If we are to protect our democracy, there must be consequences for all those who walked the planked with him these last few months, spreading his lies about the election, usually to save their own careers. They may not have incited the mob, but they wounded our democracy and helped set the conditions for this tragedy to unfold.

Van Drew deserves special scorn for peddling his phony outrage over election integrity the last few months, and if he had any decency, he would resign now and do charity work for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, this is what undying support of Trump naturally leads to, you schmuck.  Patrick Murray (@PollsterPatrick) January 6, 2021

The South Jersey congressman signed an amicus brief with 125 other House Republicans to support a Texas lawsuit that sought to subvert the election and overturn Bidens win in December  a bid that was rejected by the Supreme Court.

And nearly a week after our nations government was attacked, Van Drew still amplifies the lie that the election was fraudulent, which is either tone-deaf or addled or just evidence that he will never relinquish his starring role as the presidents favorite toady.

Even after the riot was quelled Wednesday, with one person dead and some lawmakers scrambling for moral cover, Van Drew still rejected democracy by voting to obstruct the Electoral College vote, which is proof that he has trouble reading a room.

And because there should also be consequences for the cynical manipulation of Trumps legions these last few months, the second-term representative needs to resign.

Van Drews continued refusal to acknowledge the results of a free and fair election is dangerous, and when he and the cabal of GOP lawmakers claimed without evidence that the election was stolen, it gave Trump the testosterone boost he needed these last few months to perpetuate his conspiratorial fantasies.

His former political opponent, Dr. Brigid Callahan Harrison, had it right Sunday when she wrote that Van Drews quest to overturn the election continues his unique pattern of subverting the will of the people.

Yet it is more than that. This is a moral issue, an accountability issue, and yes, an integrity issue. Van Drew renounced all of that when he pledged his undying support to Trump. He needs to move on.

A seditious president incites armed rebellion and his approval floor is a 33 percent.

Never tell me about how the Washington elite class is the problem. The voters who send them there are the problem, and always have been. https://t.co/qTZd9qUvyL  Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 11, 2021

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Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 4:18 pm

Recent reports of sick or dead birds at backyard feeders in King, Kitsap, Skagit, Snohomish and Thurston counties is prompting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to recommend that people temporarily discontinue feeding wild birds or take extra steps to maintain their feeders.

The current die-off of finches  such as pine siskins  as well as other songbirds, is attributed to salmonellosis, a common and usually fatal bird disease caused by the salmonella bacteria, according to WDFW Veterinarian Kristin Mansfield.

"When birds flock together in large numbers at feeders, they can transmit the disease through droppings and saliva, Mansfield said in a press release Monday.

The spread of the disease this winter could be exacerbated by what appears to be a food-driven migration of winter-roaming finches  an anomaly where finches and other species that generally winter in the northern forests of Canada move south and are spotted in areas in larger numbers than in normal years.

The first indication of the disease for bird watchers to look for is often a seemingly tame bird on or near a feeder. The birds become very lethargic, fluff out their feathers and are easy to approach. This kind of behavior is generally uncommon to birds, Mansfield said.

"Unfortunately, at this point, there is very little people can do to treat them, Mansfield said. The best course is to leave the birds alone.

Members of the public can help to stop the spread of salmonellosis by discontinuing backyard bird feeding until at least February, to encourage birds to disperse and forage naturally.

"Birds use natural food sources year-round, even while also using backyard bird feeders, so they should be fine without the feeders," Mansfield said.

Those who choose not to discontinue wild bird feeding are encouraged to clean feeders daily by first rinsing the feeder well with warm soapy water, then dunking in a solution of nine-parts water and one-part bleach. Finish by rinsing and drying before refilling. Keep the ground below the feeder clean by raking or shoveling up feces and seed casings.

People are also asked to reduce the number of feeders they offer to a quantity they will be able to maintain with daily cleanings, use feeders that accommodate fewer birds (such as tubes rather than platforms) and spread out feeder locations. Keeping bird baths and fountains clean is also important.

It is possible, although uncommon, for salmonella bacteria to transfer from birds to humans through direct contact with infected birds, droppings or through domestic cats that catch sick birds. When handling birds, bird feeders or bird baths, it is best to wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly afterward.

WDFW is asking members of the public to report dead birds that they observe online, and asks the public to avoid handling them if possible.
Roxburgh rose fruit business is now a shiny signboard of Jiaxi village in south west China's Guizhou province, helping local residents shake off poverty and embrace a bright future.

By the end of 2019, residents in the village located in Panguan town, Panzhou city of Guizhou, had planted over 6,600 mu (about 4.4 square kilometers) of roxburgh roses. Their efforts also drove residents from neighboring villages to grow a total of 31,200 mu of the plants.

The roxhurgh rose industry had benefitted 3,498 households from Jiaxi and seven other villages, created nearly 400 jobs, and helped lift 257 households out of poverty.

In 2019, the per capita income of villagers in Jiaxi rose to 12,044 yuan ($1,860), and all poor households in the village had bid farewell to poverty.

Back in 2014, Jiaxi was still a severely impoverished village in the Wumeng Mountain region. Its incidence of poverty stood at 29.36 percent.

At that time, the village was hold back by poor roads, and its residents, who grew corns and potatoes in the mountains, barely had decent income.

To change the situation, Nie Deyou, a resident of the village who used to work out-of-town, returned home and tried to persuade his fellow villagers to grow roxburgh roses, which he believed is a suitable business for the village to get rid of poverty.

However, nobody in the village bought into his idea. As a result, he sought help from officials with the township government, telling them the crop is resistant to drought and barren land, and helps conserve water and soil - the reason he believes the plant is suitable for the village.

It usually reaches full bearing in three years, and one mu of the plant brings an annual income of nearly 4,000 yuan, he further explained to the officials.

Thanks to his sincerity, the officials were finally persuaded, and sent cadres to Jiaxi village to explain the benefits of growing roxburgh roses.

The income per mu of corns stood at only 400 yuan before deducting labor input, while the minimum output per mu of roxburgh roses, if entrusted to cooperative, could reach the same amount, and plus, the villagers could also gain extra income working other jobs, the cadres told the villagers.

Li Xiaoyu, a fellow villager of Nie, opposed the roxburgh rose proposal at first, saying he saw no economic value in the fruit. However, after being persuaded by the cadres, he transferred 7 mu of land to a cooperative in the village, and the benefit of it further drove him to transfer all his 20 mu of land to the cooperative a year later. The man who used to work in east China's Zhejiang province also returned home and found a job in an industrial park for roxburgh roses in the village

"The land transfer earns me 8,000 yuan each year, and I can also make 6,000 to 7,000 yuan from the job in the industrial park," he said. Seeing a recent bumper harvest, the man called a relative who worked in Zhejiang to come back home and join the prosperous roxburgh rose business.

In 2016, Hongcai Group, a state-owned enterprise in Guizhou, bought shares in the village's cooperative, and then established a complete industrial chain covering planting, processing and sales of roxburgh roses.

Later, Panzhou established a R&D center for roxburgh roses and a research institute for related industries.

The city has developed over 50 roxburgh rose product series, obtained 553 intellectual property rights and 67 product patents, and formulated 15 industrial standards involving the cultivation, planting, production and processing of roxburgh roses.

Last year, Jiaxi village reaped 3,200 tonnes of roxburgh roses, which generated a value of nearly 13 million yuan.

With Jiaxi village as a pioneer, Panzhou city has invested more than 6 billion yuan and formed an integrated industrial chain from the planting, R&D, processing to sales of roxburgh roses.

During China's National Day holiday in 2020, the village's industrial park, which covers orchards and a processing factory, received nearly 10,000 visits, and almost 3 million yuan of products were sold.

The plain plant is now a thriving industry in Jiaxi village. "The fruit has literally led us on a path to wealth," said Long Tao, Party chief of Jiaxi village, expressing his confidence for the future.
Ballet, politicians, and national consciousness: Should art be free from the political agenda?

By Veronika Malinboym

When the prima ballerina of Georgia and the Artistic Director of the Georgian National Ballet, Nina Ananiashvili announced that she would be taking up the offer to head the Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet (while retaining the leadership over the State Ballet of Georgia), it came as a shock to everyone. It did not take long until the criticism started to rise against the renowned dancer, with even an ex-President Saakashvili commenting on the situation that was unwrapping at the time when he was interviewed. However, on top of the expected wave of public disapproval, a historical, and, indeed, rhetorical question has been raised  should art be separated from politics, and does it, truly, have no borders?Prima ballerina or a political figure by proxy?Nina Ananiashvili was born in 1963, in Tbilisi, where she was enrolled in one of the citys ballet schools. She then proceeded to study at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and upon graduation, Ananiashvili joined the Bolshoi Theatre troupe. Shortly after, Ananiashvilis talent became known in almost every part of the world  her Swan Lakes and Sleeping Beauties and dreamy Juliette would leave the audience applauding for a good 30 minutes after the performance had ended.In 1988, Ananiashvili married then-Minister of the Foreign Affairs, Grigol Vashadze, and gave birth to the daughter Elena in 2006. The achievements of this dancer are countless and speak for themselves  one of the first Soviet dancers to perform as a guest soloist with the New York City Ballet, principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, and the principal dancer of the Houston Ballet.Upon her return to Georgia in 2004, Ananiashvili took up a lead over the State Ballet of Georgia and has successfully staged more than 60 full-time ballet productions, saw a renewal of the state funding, partnered with various renowned choreographers who worked with the Georgian ballet troupe and took the SBG to tour across the US on numerous occasions. In the long list of Ananiashvilis regalia, you will find Georgias top cultural award  The Oracle of Art, as well as the Peoples Artist of Georgia award, and the Peoples Artist of Russia award.From first sight, it might seem like a success story of a talented artist  something that we, traditionally, prefer to take out of the context of the political disputes or the countrys national agenda. But art and politics are more intertwined than one might think, especially in the post-Soviet hemisphere.Until recently, the husband and impresario of Ananiashvili, Grigol Vashadze, has enjoyed close political ties with an ex-President and the founder of the United National Movement  Mikhail Saakashvili. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Culture, Monument Protection, and Sport, and later  the chairman of the UNM, Vashadze has long been one of the closest associates of Saakashvili. Moreover, Ananiashvili herself became the godmother to the ex-Presidents son, Nikoloz. One might argue that this alone would be a reason enough to not take up an offer of joining a theatre in Russia if nothing else then to simply avoid jeopardizing the political career of ones spouse. The ongoing situation is even more uncertain, since in December last year Vashadze has announced his decision to leave the chairmanship of the UNM party, and although Mrs. Ananiashvili stated that her decision had nothing to with the prior decision of her husband, such a decision is quite ambiguous at the very least.Political and personal ties aside, there is one more, a much more significant factor that cannot be overlooked in this context. With the occupation of Georgian territories, and in the aftermath of the 2008 war, to which Vashadze himself referred to as a decision that Moscow will never be able to wash away from, one may see Ananiashvilis actions as not particularly patriotic, at the very least. It seems like Ananiashvili herself was anticipating the criticism on the patriotic grounds to break out, as she stated in an interview with the Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty that her decision was concerned with the creative work only. She went on to reassure the audience that she remains to be a big supporter of her country and that she does not think that her actions could be used as a tool by the Russian propaganda to undermine Georgia.Should ones art mirror ones national identity?Many artists would probably agree that whether they like it or not, at some point, or throughout their lives, they maintain a certain degree of influence by the country of their origin. Such influence can be both positive or negative (although the former is much more common than the latter), and ones art can be either inspired by or even mirror the realities of ones Homeland. It is, therefore, easy to link such notion to the artists responsibility, as a public figure, social influencer, or the messenger of the creative art to uphold the principles and the overwhelming moods of the country where they come from  especially if the artist proclaims affection and a deeply rooted patriotism towards this country.On the other hand, one can say that art exists outside of the borders and above politics. In the end, the only people that the artist is truly answering to is their respective audience, and such audience, regardless of who they are and where they are coming from, should be feeling and processing the creative processes that are offered to them in unison. As of right now. Novosibirsk theatre has temporarily suspended the contract with Ananiashvili on the grounds of her premature announcement about heading the theatre to the media, which the theatre has found disrespectful toward the troupe that Ananiashvili was not yet introduced to. As the situation is frozen, one question remains quite hot  does art unite or divide? And either way, does it even matter?
When most New Orleans public school students return to campuses sometime after Jan. 21, they may notice brand-new tools being deployed in the fight against coronavirus: rapid and "gold-standard" COVID-19 tests that will be available onsite at dozens of schools across the city.

The district's large-scale strategy, being rolled out this week after months of planning, is aimed at stopping the virus' spread by getting regular tests for as many of the district's nearly 45,000 students as possible, along with thousands of teachers and staff employed by the district's 76 public schools.

On Monday, NOLA Public Schools officials outlined the multi-faceted approach, which involves three roving "mobile units" that will administer on-site, asymptomatic PCR testing to any staff and any children or families, along with a new influx of rapid antigen tests that will be distributed to about 35 campuses across the city.

Alarmed by the growing number of cases, the district ordered schools back to mostly online-learning only last week until at least Jan. 21.

The new initiatives build on a system already in place for public students and staff via appointments at Children's Hospital and other community health partners, said Dina Hasiotis, the chief school support officer for NOLA Public Schools.

"As we've tried to tackle COVID-19, testing has always been a priority for us," Hasiotis said. "We're thinking about how the school community has access to testing, given how it's crucial for maintaining our own health."

While New Orleans public school families have always had some access to testing, especially if they had symptoms, the new initiatives will make the process easier for those who might have trouble getting to hospitals or other testing sites across town.

One part of the new initiative rolled out Monday through a partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health, Hasiotis said, which is providing one of the three mobile units being sent out to conduct on-site, asymptomatic PCR testing to any children or families on a recurring basis.

"Well have that option for anyone who may want to check up on their health," Hasiotis said.

The district hopes to deploy two other mobile units this week, paid for in part by grant funding. The district got a $675,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and $100,000 from the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

The first unit was parked Monday in front of Einstein Charter School at Sarah Towles Reed in New Orleans East, officials said. The plan is for the vans to park in front of two campuses every school day, and visit each participating campus at least once every two weeks. Families and community members can access the LDH van if its parked, even when school buildings are closed to most.

All schools were allowed to host the vans, and officials at about 45 campuses have so far signed up, Hasiotis said.

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The district has also acquired thousands of rapid antigen tests and additional protective equipment for "on-site, on-demand COVID-19 testing" that will be administered by school nurses to symptomatic students and staff, along with those who have come in close contact with a positive case, officials said.

The district said officials worked with the New Orleans Health Department to build out testing protocols and trained school-based staff in December. So far, Hasiotis said, 35 campuses operated by 20 different charter management organizations have signed up. Some declined because they already had testing through clinics onsite, she said.

The tests will be given to schools starting Wednesday, Hasiotis said, although they won't likely be used until students return to school buildings.

The same day most public schools had reopened following winter break, Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. announced the district would halt in-person learning due to a "concerning" spike in COVID-19 cases and an upward trajectory of test positivity rates in New Orleans.

The district said there were 93 active coronavirus cases among 47 schools as of Monday  marking the most ever recorded by NOLA Public schools in their weekly updates, despite the fact that most students are out of school. Fifty-two staff members reported infections. Officials will reexamine the data on Jan. 21 to determine when students can return to classrooms.

The new testing initiatives also come as the district begins coordinating vaccines for some staff members. School nurses will be able to get vaccines through a partnership with Children's Hospital starting Tuesday, according to Tiffany Delcour, the district's chief operations officer.

Delcour said that as of Monday, about 40 of the roughly 80 school nurses had registered. As of this year, all district schools now have nurses on site at every campus, officials said.

Officials will also be holding a virtual town hall at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, in coordination with Children's Hospital and New Orleans Department of Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno, to give schools information about vaccines.

Teachers and other support staff like custodians and bus drivers should be eligible in the next stage of the state's rollout. Delcour said she estimated that would happen by late February.

"We want to make sure as many people who want access to the vaccine are getting it and that we are coordinating it as much as possible for our folks," Delcour said.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify which Einstein school the LDH van first visited.
Atlanta-based architectural and interior design firm Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio was commissioned to oversee the hotel's design and bring this extraordinary vision to life. The project's interior will reflect an urban foodie and wine lovers' paradise, with the design showcasing swanky finishes and modern style. Upon entering the 178 guest rooms, which includes 22 spacious suites, guests will notice special nods to the city that call attention to the history around them. An array of art and mixed media was specially curated to highlight Atlanta's most-beloved landmarks, including dining destinations like Sweet Auburn Market and Ponce City Market, giving way to the hotel's eclectic and personalized feel. Aside from the local cues, design elements pull inspiration from the hotel's deep-rooted culinary connection with organic tones and textures. Hanging just below the ceiling in the Grand Cru Ballroom, guests will find three-dimensional wooden art installations reminiscent of an entanglement of apple branches, paying homage to Georgia's extensive apple production. Every design element has been carefully planned with thoughtful attention to detail, tying together the culinary threads of Atlanta with the hotel's brand values.

Epicurean Atlanta will offer discerning travelers and locals alike unparalleled amenities for all tastes and appetites. The Epicurean Theatre presents guests the opportunity to watch, learn, experience, and create with award-winning chefs, star mixologists, buzzworthy winemakers and talented artists to bring their inner connoisseur to life. The 1,964-square foot theatre will be equipped with a state-of-the-art kitchen via a partnership with Sub-Zero and Wolf to provide the ultimate playground for culinary discovery. The immersive and exhilarating space will also feature multiple 86" LED TVs with space to accommodate up to 100 attendees. The cutting-edge venue also acts as a customizable event space with an emphasis on versatility, offering teleconferencing and hybrid meeting capabilities. The one-acre Sky Terrace is a one-of-a-kind destination in Atlanta, acting as the epicenter of the vertical development. Located on the ninth floor, this lush outdoor getaway will feature a cafe, a resort-style swimming pool with temperature-controlled cabanas, and an events lawn. This modern space will sweep guests off their feet with its city views and extravagant charm, creating a picturesque venue.

With over two decades of hospitality management expertise, award-winning business strategist Marc Bauer was brought on as General Manager of the hotel. Bauer has led multiple properties across the Southeast in a variety of roles, achieving unprecedented operating revenue growth, orchestrating million-dollar renovations, and increasing team retention rates, all while winning coveted regional and national awards along the way. Under his guidance, six hotels achieved the highly-reputable AAA Four Diamond Award, and he even secured the Forbes Four Star Award during his time at One Ocean Resort & Spa.

"Atlanta's food scene is on fire and Epicurean Atlanta will bring that culinary interest to the next level," says Bauer. "We're looking to build upon what already makes Midtown great and solidify Atlanta as the ultimate dining destination in the region."

Sara DeBerry was named Director of Sales for the property and will oversee over 11,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. Having most recently served as the Southeast Group Sales Leader for W Hotels, she looks forward to building innovative programs for the emerging hotel project.

Media Contact:

Brenda Richards

[email protected]

813-624-9012

SOURCE Epicurean Atlanta
The Conservative governments hostile environment policy for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers went into overdrive in the run up to Britain leaving the European union (EU) on December 31. Millions of pounds of taxpayers money was authorized to enforce deportations of asylum seekers before the end of the Brexit transition period.

According to research based on freedom of information requests conducted by the Independent, 2.3m was spent on forcibly removing 225 people to European countries in July, August and September this yeardouble the amount spent on deportation flights in the previous quarter, when 285 people were removed. Some deportation charter flights carried only a few people onboard.

The data showed, On average, the cost of removing each deporteemany of whom were asylum seekerswas just over 10,100, compared with 3,900 in the second quarter of the year. As a comparison, a commercial flight ticket from the UK to Australia costs just over 900.

Some of the charter flights that have left the UK since July 2020 took off with a fraction of the planes capacity onboard, with flights to Finland and Sweden carrying six and five people respectively, and one to France carrying a single deportee.

Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government is stepping up its policing of the English Channel in alliance with the Macron government in France. Last Saturday, the UKs Border Force intercepted a boat off the Sussex coast with a reported 35 migrants onboard including children. Five people were reportedly injured.

A Border Force vessel brings a group of people thought to be migrants into the port city of Dover, England, from small boats, Saturday Aug. 8, 2020. The British government says it will strengthen border measures as calm summer weather has prompted a record number of people to attempt the risky sea crossing in small vessels, from northern France to England. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

According to the Daily Mail, The Home Office said that UK authorities dealt with six incidents involving 103 people on Saturday, while French authorities prevented three boats with 29 people on board entering UK waters.

The hostile policies have resulted in 29 deaths during 2020 in Home Office accommodation, according to the Guardian , who obtained the figure from a freedom of information request. The identities of most of those who died have not been made public and the circumstances of their deaths are unclear.

On November 9 Mohamed Camera, 27 years old, from the Ivory Coast was found dead in his room in Home Office accommodation in a north London hotel. One of his friends who travelled from Calais with him on a small boat told the Guardian, He was a nice, sociable person. He was smiling when we reached the UK because he believed that now he was going to have another life.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed the death of Camera and officials said they were saddened by it.

An inquest jury found on November 30 that the death of Oscar Okwurime, a Nigerian man, resulting from a subarachnoid haemorrhage was considered unnatural and that neglect contributed to his death.

Another asylum seeker who died last year was 41-year-old Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah Alhabib, who fled Yemen and was found dead in a Manchester hotel room on August 6. Alhabib arrived on British shores on a small boat with 15 other people from Yemen, Syria and Iran. After being picked up by the UK Border Force, Home Office officials detained them at the notorious Yarls Wood immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire for three days before shifting them to Manchester.

Another asylum seeker who travelled with Alhabib said, All of us on these journeys, we have lost our country, lost our family, lost our future. When we got into the boat in Calais we felt the sea was the only place left for us to go.

Clare Moseley, founder of the Care4Calais charity, told the Guardian , Its shameful that more refugees die here in the UK, in Home Office accommodation, than do so in Calais or trying to cross the Channel.

But the way we treat them in this country is cruel. Our government doesnt give them the basics of life like adequate food and clothing. It locks them up in military barracks and keeps them isolated and depressed in hotels. It keeps them under constant threat of deportation, instead of processing their asylum applications promptly.

Graham ONeill, policy manager for the Scottish Refugee Council, told the media there is no Home Office public policy regarding the deaths of refugees and asylum seekers. There is no facility to offer support with funeral costs or repatriation of the body, nor is there any proactive learning mechanism to prevent sudden or unexplained deaths.

The day before the death toll of asylum seekers was published, a high court judge ruled that the Home Office was in breach of its duties to protect the human rights of asylum seekers against homelessness. Judge Knowles found the Home Office was responsible for a wholesale failure to monitor and implement a 4 billion contract awarded to several private companies over a 10-year period, leading to unlawful delays in provision of accommodation.

Freedom of information responses from the Home Office obtained by the Scottish Refugee Council found that between January and March 2020, 83 percent of Home Office properties to accommodate asylum seekers had defects and 40 percent of the defects were so serious they made the properties uninhabitable. The defects were identified by Home Office inspectors.

The judge found that the five claimants in the case, asylum-seekers considered by the Home Office to be highly vulnerable and eligible for housing support, had been rendered homeless for prolonged periods. In one case a severely disabled man was forced to live and sleep on friends settee and at times on the streets near the renal clinic he attended for kidney dialysis because the government failed to move him into suitable housing. The Home Office assessed him as needing level access accommodation and accepted that this should be close to his dialysis clinic. However, it took nine months and three applications to the court before this was provided.

Justice Knowles ruled that in breach of the law the Home Office had failed to monitor the provision of accommodation to disabled migrants and discriminated unlawfully against the man by subjecting him to shoddy treatment because of his disability. Disabled peoples needs were insufficiently identified, information about those needs is insufficiently shared, and those needs are insufficiently addressed within the system that is being used.

In December 19, the High Court ruled that the Home Office is unlawfully preventing asylum seekers from seeking paid employment while they await a decision on their application. Justice Bourne ruled that Home Office policy guidance on asylum seekers permission to work was unlawful because it discriminates against trafficking victims and restricts asylum seekers to certain types of employment.

Current Home Office policy states that asylum seekers may apply for permission to work after they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for more than a year. However, permission may only be granted for employment subject to Britains Shortage Occupation list, which consists predominantly of jobs requiring post graduate qualifications. These jobs comprise approximately 1 percent of British jobs opportunities.

The claimant who brought the challenge is a woman who has been recognised as a victim of domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, who applied for asylum in 2018 after absconding from her trafficker. Having waited over a year for a decision, she applied for permission to work as a cleaner and provided evidence that gainful employment would be conducive towards her psychological recovery and help prevent further exploitation. She was refused permission to work and told to look for a vacancy on the Shortage Occupation list for which she was unqualified.

By the end of March 2020, 32,000 people had been waiting beyond six months for a decision on their initial asylum claim, a 68 percent increase on 2019 and the highest number since records began. Asylum seekers in Britain live in destitution on the 5.66 daily support allowance from the government. Research has revealed that the government could receive just short of 100 million a year, with income tax, National Insurance contributions and reduced support payments, if it lifted the ban on asylum seekers working.
[January 12, 2021] Oaktree Acquisition Corp. Announces Extraordinary General Meeting Teleconference Details

Oaktree Acquisition Corp. ("OAC") (NYSE: OAC), today announced that, due to the public health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and recommendations and orders from federal and New York authorities, OAC is strongly encouraging that shareholders attend the extraordinary general meeting of OAC's shareholders, which will be held on January 19, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., New York City Time (the "General Meeting"), by teleconference rather than in person. The purpose of the General Meeting is to vote on certain proposals relating to the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 30, 2020 (as amended, the "Merger Agreement"), by and among OAC, Rx Merger Sub, Inc. and Hims, Inc. ("Hims") and the transactions contemplated thereby (the "Business Combination"). The General Meeting will be accessible by dialing +1 (833) 495-0910 (toll free-North America) or (209) 940-8047 (International). Shareholders will be able to ask questions to OAC's management via the conference line. General Information All information about the General Meeting, including the definitive proxy statement, is available at https://www.cstproxy.com/oaktreeacquisitioncorp/2021. In connection with the Business Combination, OAC has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (" SEC (News - Alert)") a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement"), and mailed a definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents to its shareholders. This communication is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that OAC has sent or will send to its shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. Investors and security holders of OAC are advised to read the proxy statement/prospectus in connection with the General Meeting to be held to approve the Business Combination (and related matters) because the proxy statement/prospectus contains important information about the Business Combination and the parties to the Business Combination. The proxy statement/prospectus was mailed to shareholders of OAC as of December 4, 2020, the record date established for voting on the Business Combination. Shareholders will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus, without charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by directing a reques to: 333 South Grand Avenue, 28th Floor Los Angeles, California 90071.



Participants in the Solicitation OAC and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from OAC's shareholders with respect to the Business Combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in OAC is contained in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, which was filed with the SEC and is available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Oaktree Acquisition Corp., 333 South Grand Avenue, 28th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90071.

Hims and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of OAC in connection with the Business Combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination is included in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus for the Business Combination. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication may be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or OAC's or Hims' future financial or operating performance. For example, statements about the expected timing of the completion of the Business Combination, the benefits of the Business Combination, the competitive environment, and the expected future performance (including future revenue, pro forma enterprise value, and cash balance) and market opportunities of Hims are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "should", "expect", "intend", "will", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "predict", "potential" or "continue", or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by OAC and its management, and Hims and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against OAC, Hims, the combined company or others following the announcement of the Business Combination; (3) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of OAC or to satisfy other conditions to closing, including the satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following any redemptions; (4) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (5) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards at or following the consummation of the Business Combination; (6) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Hims as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (7) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (8) costs related to the Business Combination; (9) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (10) the possibility that Hims or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (11) the limited operating history of Hims; (12) the Hims business is subject to significant governmental regulation; (13) the Hims business may not successfully expand into other markets, including womens' health and (14) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the Registration Statement. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Neither OAC nor Hims undertakes any duty to update these forward-looking statements. Disclaimer This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Business Combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer or securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005393/en/

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"The history of finance is one in which far too many individuals, businesses and communities  especially women and persons of color  have been denied access to capital, resources and opportunity. The economic fallout of COVID-19 and the social justice movement of 2020 have reinforced the inadequacies of the traditional financial paradigm and made a powerful case for a new, more inclusive investment model," said Mr. Dwin. "We are pleased to have the confidence of our peers at Morgan Stanley, Capricorn Investment Group, and Schusterman Family Investments, in building a model to change the current financial paradigm to a new one, where inclusion finds opportunity, access finds wealth, and transparency finds finance. We look forward to investing within communities that have been traditionally neglected by fiscal and monetary policy, not only to drive short-term recovery but also to achieve real, measurable change for decades to come."

Lafayette Square's mission is to become the premier provider of impact-driven, services-backed capital. The firm is confronting critical societal challenges with targeted investment strategies that drive measurable change and positive social impact in areas of housing, jobs, and financial inclusion:

Housing: Lafayette Square creates and preserves affordable housing and provides impactful services that improve the lives of residents and enhance the properties.

Lafayette Square creates and preserves affordable housing and provides impactful services that improve the lives of residents and enhance the properties. Jobs: Lafayette Square invests in independent small and medium size businesses and entrepreneurs, with a focus on regional and localized job creation, providing targeted services to portfolio companies and employees.

Lafayette Square invests in independent small and medium size businesses and entrepreneurs, with a focus on regional and localized job creation, providing targeted services to portfolio companies and employees. Financial Inclusion: Lafayette Square makes seed and stake investments in diverse investment managers and provides services to help them scale, bolstering long-term participation and inclusion of talented women and people of color in finance.

"Morgan Stanley is proud to partner with Damien and the Lafayette Square team to address critical societal challenges with thoughtful and scalable investment solutions. We are committed to supporting inclusion and diversity in underserved communities, and we have strong conviction in Lafayette Square's innovative approach to enact meaningful change," said Thomas R. Nides, Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Dwin is an industry veteran with 23 years of investment experience and a committed philanthropist. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Vera Institute of Justice, in addition to multiple non-profit boards across New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Prior to founding Lafayette Square, Mr. Dwin served as Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Brightwood Capital Advisors, LLC from 2010 to October 2020. Before that, he was the Head of North American Special Opportunities at Credit Suisse and a trader at Goldman Sachs, where he earned the Michael P. Mortara Award for Innovation. He began his finance career at Salomon Brothers and received a B.S./B.A. from Georgetown University where he later served two terms on the Board of Regents.

Mr. Dwin launches Lafayette Square with a seasoned team of 17 professionals with an average 15 years of experience in financial services. The team includes Chief Risk Officer Phil Daniele, Chief of Staff Doug Ebanks, Head of Investor Relations Caitlin Mixter, Managing Director Ryan Ochs, Managing Director Joe Johnson, Director Casey Woo, and Vice President Mary Ann Raftery. The firm expects to grow to approximately 65 employees by 2022.

Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, who has closely followed the formation of Lafayette Square, said "People make the difference; capital makes change possible; and Lafayette Square connects the two. Their new model combines the best facets of capitalism and humanitarianism to enable real change in communities trapped in cycles of poverty and to promote diversity among future generations of financial leaders."

"We're excited to support Damien in his vision to launch a new type of firm that will act as a model across finance," said Stacy Schusterman, Chair of Schusterman Family Investments and Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. "We have strong conviction in Lafayette's sustainable investment approach that aligns with our philanthropic efforts to strengthen communities and advance social equity in a dignified manner."

"The Lafayette Square model takes a distinct approach in leveraging market forces to solve real problems in our country such as minority participation in finance and advancing racial equality," added, Ion Yadigaroglu, Managing Partner of Capricorn Investment Group, whose approach to impact-driven investment is aligned with Lafayette Square. "We strongly believe that the world's greatest challenges require investment innovation and sustainability, and Damien and his team have found that within the areas of housing, jobs, and financial inclusion."

About Lafayette Square

Lafayette Square Holding Company, LLC ("Lafayette Square" or the "Firm") is an impact-driven, minority-owned investment platform. Founded by Damien Dwin in 2020, the Firm confronts critical societal challenges with capital and services in three core areas: housing, jobs, and financial inclusion. For more information about Lafayette Square, please visit lafayettesquare.com

SOURCE Lafayette Square Holding Company

Related Links

https://www.lafayettesquare.com/


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:39:14|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has named an eight-member special Presidential Task Force for National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 vaccines which will be headed by the principal advisor to the president Lalith Weeratunga, local media reported Tuesday.

The government on Monday said COVID-19 vaccines is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka next month and citizens could receive the jab by mid or end of February.

In a special gazette notification issued by the task force, it said the timely and efficient delivery of such a vaccine to achieve population immunity to COVID-19 is a paramount need facing the country, and a concerted high-level national intervention is required to achieve coordination and collaboration among relevant government agencies and stakeholders at national, district and local levels for effective deployment of vaccines and vaccination.

While the secretary to the Health Ministry is authorized to determine the protocols and sources of procurement, the Presidential Task Force for National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccine has been directed to execute the tasks which include identifying safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines, identifying and prioritizing high-risk population groups and sequencing the delivery for the public.

The task force, which is required to submit reports to President Rajapaksa periodically, will also enforce a vaccination vigilance plan to record and monitor the process of vaccination and report adverse events in real-time. Enditem

The Pembrokeshire Murders

Rating:

Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema: British Comedy

Rating:

One of the many pet hates for a long-ago editor of mine was the phrase 'brutal murder'.

'All murders are brutal,' he'd growl at guilty reporters, in a tone implying that next time, he might have to prove it.

The cliche cropped up in a batch of newspaper cuttings on The Pembrokeshire Murders (ITV), based on the police investigation that trapped serial killer John Cooper. But no crimes ever deserved that word 'brutal' more than Cooper's.

Screenwriter Nick Stevens did not hide their viciousness, nor overlay any of the seedy glamour that disguises some of the violence in the other true-life drama airing now, BBC1's The Serpent.

Luke Evans imbued the policeman in charge of the investigation with a deep humanity and a touch of the poet

One middle-aged couple, Richard and Helen Thomas, were blasted at close range with a shotgun in 1985 before their home was burned down with their bodies inside. Three years later, two other married victims, Peter and Gwenda Dixon, were also shot dead, their corpses dumped on the Pembrokeshire coastal path. Bloodlust, as much as robbery, appeared to be the motive in both cases.

To offset the sheer horror of the murders, Luke Evans imbued the policeman in charge of the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilkins, with a deep humanity and a touch of the poet.

Recently divorced, Wilkins was striving to stay close to his teenage children. We sensed he had spent too little time with his wife and young family and now, too late, he was struggling to make amends.

He was also drinking too much. At home he was never without a glass of wine, and he took a hip flask to work.

But stray details revealed a reflective side, such as the telescope in his apartment that looked out towards the Irish Sea.

Tragic mystery of the week: Detectives bungled their probe into the apparent suicide in India of Jiah Khan, 25, a Mumbai film star brought up in London. Death In Bollywood (BBC2) began by laying bare what police missed. Part two of this disturbing report airs tonight. Advertisement

And when he connected an unsolved rape from decades ago to Cooper, he told his team how it fitted into the inquiry: the murders were the building blocks of the case, the sexual assault was the mortar that bound it together.

You don't get images like that from most TV detectives. Imagine the look of disdain on DCI Vera's face if her Super came out with that one.

So far we haven't seen much of Cooper, played by Keith Allen (father of Lily). The killer is a bullying little man, trying to wheedle his way out of prison where he is serving 16-years for armed robbery.

According to Mark Kermode's laboured and ham-fisted theories, the fact Cooper is a little man in every sense  downtrodden, unlucky, physically weedy but with delusions of grandeur  makes him the archetypal British comic hero.

The waffling movie critic argued repeatedly in his Secrets Of Cinema: British Comedy (BBC4) that all comedy comes down to this, from Charlie Chaplin and Norman Wisdom to the hapless suicide bombers in Chris Morris's terrorism farce, Four Lions.

Oh, and Paddington, too, apparently. He's a 'little man', or so says Mr Movies.

Sitting on an ancient three-piece suite with a generous glass of whisky on the table in front of him, Mark shuffled movie clips like a card sharp, switching them round so quickly that the screen was just a blur.

Mostly, the sound was muted, so he could lecture us about why we should (or shouldn't) find each scene funny.

Here he is on nude scenes in Calendar Girls and The Full Monty: 'So it's interesting that two of the most popular comedies from the past 25 years see very different sets of characters shedding social convention by shedding their clothes.'

Are you laughing yet?
A Victorian man who killed an associate after an argument about Nazi handguns says he was acting in self-defence.

Jarrod Leonard Frank is charged with the murder of Scott Bury at the victim's Bendigo home after an altercation in January 2018.

Frank's lawyer, David Gibson, told a jury in Victoria's Supreme Court on Tuesday that Frank accepted he had inflicted the knife wound that caused Mr Bury's death.

Jarrod Leonard Frank (pictured centre) has been charged with the murder of Scott Bury

'And you can be sure that Jarrod Frank regrets the death of Scott Bury as much as anyone. But that doesn't make it a crime,' he said.

'This is a case of self-defence, a classic case of self-defence, I might say.'

Prosecutor Grant Hayward said the men, who had met just once before, bumped into each other in a shop in the regional city and began talking about the calibre of ammunition used in Luger handguns by German officers in World War II.

The court heard Mr Bury bet Frank $100 he was right because two years prior he had robbed a bank with a 9mm Luger.

The men returned to Mr Bury's home with another man, Anthony Lentjes, to research an answer.

Mr Hayward said Mr Lentjes would give evidence in the trial that after Googling the answer Frank turned to Bury and said 'Hey b****, here you go'.

The men were arguing about the type of ammunition used in Luger handguns by German officers in World War II

Lentjes would say Bury went to a kitchen drawer and pulled out two knives before telling Frank 'you called the wrong bloke 'b****' in the wrong house'.

Mr Hayward said after Mr Bury struck Frank in the chest with one of the knives, causing a small cut. A scuffled continued outside, with Frank admitting to police afterwards they had grappled.

Frank admitted knowing Mr Bury had been injured.

'I felt that there wasn't much blood but I knew he'd been hit. I was thinking about his being in hospital for a week, maybe two, tops,' Mr Hayward said Frank told officers.

The jury heard Frank went home after the fight and after initially returning inside his house Mr Bury went to get help from a neighbour.

He was extensively bleeding and underwent emergency surgery but died in hospital.

Frank told police he didn't know until the next day Bury had died. An autopsy showed he had one fatal stab wound to the abdomen, as well as other stab wounds to his front, back and hands.

'You can't say that there's any mark, apart from that one turned out to be lethal and I can't even say where that went. I must have been the torso,' Frank told police when interviewed.

'I've stood up out of the car to protect myself because he was gunna - he was gunna kill me'.

The trial will continue on Wednesday.
Thank you for reading!

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China announced on Monday that experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) will arrive this week to investigate the origin of the COVID-19.

WHO Experts to Arrive in China

The origin of the infectious and deadly COVID-19 that infected millions of people and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands around the world remains a mystery until today.

The investigation was supposed to take place last year, but unfortunately, it did not happen as China refused to cooperate.

According to FOX News, China announced on Monday that experts from WHO will arrive Thursday this week. The National Health Commission also said that they will meet with Chinese counterparts but it did not give more details.

However, it is not clear if they will be traveling to the central Chinese city, Wuhan, where the virus was first detected in 2019. It can be remembered that negotiations for the visit have long been underway.

In fact, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed disappointment last week over delays.

He said that experts or members of the international scientific team already departed from their home countries as part of an arrangement between the WHO and the Chinese government.

Read also: Early Warnings Ignored: WHO and China Disregard Post-SARS Guidelines

Chinese Government Controls Research About the Virus

In a report from the Associated Press, they found out that Chin's government has strictly controlled all research at home into the origins of the virus. They also said that the state-owned media have played up reports that suggest the virus could have originated elsewhere.

The WHO Director-General released a statement and said that China was open to a visit but that it was still working on "necessary procedures and relevant concrete plans," After this, Australia and other countries have called for an investigation into the origins of the virus.

Hua Chunying, the spokesperson of China and director of the Foreign Ministry Information, said that China's disease experts are currently busy, with multiple small-scale clusters and outbreaks reported in the past couple of weeks. She also said their experts are wholeheartedly in the stressful battle to control the epidemic.

Read also: WHO Warns Global Coronavirus Pandemic is Getting Worse

U.N. Supports WHO's Effort To Investigate the Origin of the Virus

Meanwhile, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres fully supports Dr. Tedros and the WHO's effort to get the team in there.

Dujarric said, "It's very important that as the WHO is in the lead in fighting the pandemic, that it also has a leading role in trying to look back at the roots of this pandemic so we can be better prepared for the next one."

They are also hopeful that China's reported comments that it is working with the World Health Organization and looking for a smooth visit will happen. This investigation will help not only the WHO but everyone understand to understand the origin of the virus.

This could even help researchers and experts to even develop a more effective vaccine that will ultimately end the global pandemic.


Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
North Korean artillery rolls past during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Yonhap



Officials and other guests have been invited to "celebrations" arranged to mark the ongoing party congress, Pyongyang's media reported Tuesday, raising the possibility that Pyongyang might be preparing to hold a military parade.



On Monday, Seoul's military officials said signs were detected that the North carried out a military parade in central Pyongyang Sunday night in time for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, which has been under way since its opening last week.



State media, however, have not reported on such an event yet, spawning speculation that it might have been a rehearsal and a military parade could take place in the days to come. North Korea has usually broadcast live or aired recorded footage of military parades later.





North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile "Pukguksong-4A" is being displayed during a North Korean military parade held in Pyongyang on Oct. 10, 2020 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of foundation of the country's ruling Workers' Party. Yonhap




The infants graveyard at Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Tipperary, which was a mother and baby home operated by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary from 1930 to 1970 (Niall Carson/PA)

Richard Mulligans mother Mary got to hold her newborn son for just over an hour at Sean Ross Abbey near Roscrea before he was taken away from her in 1961.

She was never told what happened to him, and she spent four more years effectively incarcerated in the Tipperary Mother and Baby home.

However, when asked by the nuns to sign over for her baby for adoption  mostly likely to a family in America - she staunchly dug in her heels and refused.

As her son Richard recalled, she would have suffered for her decision and was beaten because of it.

She was virtually in prison for four years there. She never knew where I was, had I left or was I still there. They told her nothing, he said.

Read More

Previously married to a man who left her to go to England, she went on to have a relationship with a married man living locally and got pregnant when she was 35. She had every intention of keeping her baby, who would have been a sibling to her other son Joseph, before the authorities suddenly intervened.

A few days before she was due, a local garda and the priest and the doctor took her forcefully away from her house, down to Sean Ross Abbey, he told RTEs Ray DArcy Show.

She would spend nearly 30 years wondering what had happened to her infant son who was taken away from her. But a determined Richard managed to track her down to her cottage near Clifden, Co Galway in 1990, much to her shock.

He had been adopted when he was nearly three-years-old by John and Mary Mulligan, a loving family who he said saved me and had an idyllic childhood growing up on their farm in east Galway.

It wasnt until the birth of his first son Richard in 1988 that he first decided to try and track down his biological mother.

In 1990, he had an emotional reunion with Mary Flaherty at her cottage in Galway, after finding her through a death notice that she posted when she lost her first son Joseph.

I just remember opening the gate to her house and the door was open in her cottage and I saw the movement inside the house. My heart nearly stopped because this is the first glimpse of your mother and you have all these images in your head of what shes going to look like, he said.

She just stood at the door and was totally stunned. I said to her, my name is Richard and I hope you dont mind me calling. She just went totally numb at that moment.

She didnt say a word. I kept saying, I just want you to know that Im alive and Im OK and I wont ever come back if you dont want me to.

And she stopped me at that point and she said, No I want you to come back.

The pair slowly built up a relationship from that point until her death in 2015  but Richard said that she rarely talked about her time in Sean Ross.

Todays publication of the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes has unsettled him. He said he had always felt slightly apart from other children.

It brought up a lot of things, the cruelty of it all. Its my mother I feel for and the guilt of what she went through for meShe was very damaged by the whole thing, he said.

Richard, who was once a champion long-distance runner, believes he inherited his love of music from her and has released a track entitled I Never Met You inspired by his biological father.

Today has seen a huge outpouring of reaction from survivors of the mother and baby homes, with testimonials detailing unbelievable cruelty, abuse and infant mortality.

However, the woman whose investigative work first helped expose the mass grave with the bodies of nearly 800 babies at the site of the Tuam Mother and Baby home said she was disappointed by the report.

Historian Catherine Corless said she got no further enlightenment after listening to the Taoiseach and the Childrens Minister, after they made a presentation to survivors earlier today.

She hoped that survivors would get some idea of what would follow after the publication of the report.

We have waited three years after the babies were discovered (at Tuam), and then another year. Why on earth is it taking until the end of the year, when the Oireachtas can do it within a few weeks if they wanted?

She described the Government's webinar with survivors today as a "whitewash, full of political jargon".

Ms Corless said survivors felt "deflated" after the session, and that there was "utter confusion" among them.

Read More




By Nadia Owusu

Simon and Schuster. 320 pp. $26

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Nadia Owusu has a complicated background. "Although I identify as Black," she writes in her memoir "Aftershocks," "I am more literally Caucasian than most people who call themselves Caucasian. My mother is ethnically Armenian, and Armenians are from the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia." Owusu's mother was born in Watertown, Mass. Her father belonged to the Ashanti tribe of southern Ghana. Owusu was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and moved back and forth between England, Italy and East Africa. At 18 she came to New York City for college and has lived there ever since.

Given all this, Owusu knows well the complex issues surrounding race and identity. She's lived them to an unusual degree. In her much-anticipated debut memoir, the 39-year-old Whiting Award winner and urban planner explores the personal price of what could be described as cultural homelessness, while also coping with profound personal losses.

When she was 4, Owusu's mother abandoned the family; she was 13 when her beloved father died of cancer. This left her and her sister to be raised with their half brother by their East African stepmother. In some ways, the splintering of Owusu's family parallels the dislocations poet Natasha Tretheway, who is also biracial, documents in her recent memoir, "Memorial Drive" (but without the murder). Both took away a similar lesson. As Owusu puts it, "Grieving, I learned, was a process of story construction. I needed to construct a story so I could reconstruct my world."

In "Aftershocks," Owusu's reconstruction is fractured by design, with a guiding metaphor of seismic shifts; its sections are titled "First Earthquake," "Foreshocks," "Faults," "Aftershocks" and so on; definitions of seismological terms appear between them. Earthquakes have a particularly personal meaning for Owusu: When she was 7, her long-lost mother showed up in Rome to visit her daughters on the same morning that she heard a radio report of a catastrophic earthquake in Armenia. "In me, private and seismic tremors cannot be separated," Owusu writes.

Owusu's history gives her the authority to write about many identities with confidence. She sketches in the national character of Tanzanians, her stepmother's people: they love country music and believe in God. She examines the complex history of Ghanaians, how their complicity in slavery both in the Americas and in their own country resonates through their history. In a particularly engaging part of the book, when she is at boarding school outside London, she regretfully details how she relied on her light skin and her facility with accents to ally her with the most popular English girls and separate herself from Agatha, the only other African.

"Because I was believed to be American, I was expected to behave like the teenagers in the American television shows the girls watched a great deal of when they went home to their parents: My So-Called Life; Beverly Hills 90210," she writes. And while she had her Aunt Harriet take her regularly to the hairdresser, she watched coldly as Agatha's extensions grew out and her braids were found in the shower and the breadbasket. She ties her experience to that of Pecola in "The Bluest Eye," one of several instances when she refers to the work of "the women I had long imagined as a council of mothers: Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, June Jordan, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Cade Bambara."

Moving to New York at 18 was not an easy transition. She had her first panic attack on a bus a couple of months after she arrived; she was in the World Trade Center subway station on 9/11; she followed with horror the treatment of Blacks in New Orleans after Katrina. Her accommodation as an African to the lineaments of African American culture recalls moments in both Wayetu Moore's recent memoir, "The Dragons, the Giant, the Women" and in Chimamanda Adichie's novel, "Americanah." In 2010, Owusu's half brother, Kwame, was picked up by the NYPD. He was released unharmed, but in "the version of the story my mind wrote," she imagines her brother was shot and killed. She recounts the story of the shooting of her brother in great, although completely fictional, detail, which is a bit confusing tucked into a generally factual memoir. Owusu explains that, "[e]very black mother, sister, and wife in America has written some version of that story in her mind." Many have also lived it.

A few months after that incident, a breakup with a long-term boyfriend kicked off a period of suicidal ideation and despair covered in four sections that appear over the length of the book. Each is titled "The Blue Chair" after an upholstered rocker Owusu found in the street, dragged home, and sat in for eight days, occasionally forcing herself to eat. "Madness was coming, and no amount of working twice as hard could stop it now. My seismometer sputtered. It was spent, kaput. I had finally heeded the alarm. Now I was on my own. I would have to find my own way out. I hoped, despite my blackness, despite madness, despite the rules of race in America, I would make it out alive." This memoir represents that bid for survival.

Owusu makes this period of reckoning and high emotional drama the axis around which the rest of the book revolves. Dedicated to "mad black women everywhere," bursting with flashbacks, flash-forwards, research-based asides, and returns to the Blue Chair, "Aftershocks" is all over the place. Which is exactly the identity it claims. Full of narrative risk and untrammeled lyricism, it fulfills the grieving author's directive to herself: to construct a story that reconstructs her world.

- - -

Winik, a professor at the University of Baltimore, is the author of numerous books, including "First Comes Love," "The Big Book of the Dead" and, most recently, "Above Us Only Sky."
People breaching Covid Level 4 restrictions in Wales increasingly likely to face fines, say police

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 12th, 2021

Those breaching Covid Level 4 restrictions are increasingly likely to face fines as police continue to see many flouting the law by ignoring the legislation.

That is the message from North Wales Police after officers dealt with a substantial amount of people for breaching restrictions on non-essential travel over the weekend.

Patrols continued in popular hot spot areas across the region and people who were out visiting and who had travelled by vehicle to places such as Snowdonia, Moel Fammau, Llangollen, Brenig, Wepre Park, Llandudno and Abergwyngregyn were stopped and reported for breaching Covid regulations.

Under the level four restrictions in place in Wales exercise should start and finish from your home and you should exercise alone or with a member of your household or support bubble.





In specific relation to exercise, the regulations say that no long journeys should be undertaken unless absolutely necessary.

Although officers will continue to apply the 4 Es approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging  only then enforcing, the force will instruct officers to issue fines more quickly to anyone committing obvious, wilful and serious breaches.

Many of those were residents of north Wales  however officers also stopped groups from the Cheshire area who intended on climbing up Tryfan in the dark and with inappropriate clothing.

A woman from Staffordshire was also stopped in Prestatyn where she was visiting the beach.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: We all know the law by now and know exactly what is the right thing to do. It is on every single news channel, radio bulletins and in the newspapers. Theres no escaping the fact that people have been told to stay home.

It is not acceptable to pick and choose the law you follow and the laws you dont. This is not a dress rehearsal and people will live and die on the actions we all choose.

The restrictions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus are there to protect us all. Every single one of us  and it is vital that everyone takes personal responsibility by staying home unless they have a valid reason not to be there.

Now is not the time to head up into the mountains or to enjoy scenic drives in the countryside. Exercise should start and finish from home  unless you have specific mobility issues where you can drive a short distance. Nobody should be travelling unless absolutely essential.

As Police Officers our first duty is to preserve life. The critical situation our NHS colleagues are facing and the way the new virus variant moves through communities, means we can no longer spend our time explaining or encouraging people to follow rules where they are wilfully and dangerously breaching.

If people continue to break the rules, putting themselves, their families and their communities at greater risk, our officers are ready to act robustly.

It is up to us all to do the right thing. People should not think of ways of circumventing the law and the police should not be needed to reinforce common sense.

Policing continues regardless of the pandemic with officers responding to hundreds of emergency calls, searching for missing people, responding to calls in relation to violence in the home, dealing with drink and drug drivers and responding to road traffic collisions.

Policing will continue to do our bit, but everyone else needs to do theirs. Unless it is for a valid reason please stay home.

Yesterday Wrexham.com reported that North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones said that a new get tough approach is essential to crack down on Covid rule-breakers who are putting lives at risk.

He made the comments after selfish people flouted the regulations and flocked to beauty spots across the region.

Mr Jones said: Unfortunately, there are far too many selfish people who are flouting the guidelines and they are turbo-charging the spread of this deadly virus.

Their actions are totally irresponsible and life-threatening. If they have no regard for their own health, they should think of their loved ones.

It is now time to forget the mantra of Engage, Encourage and Educate and focus on Enforcement so we can clamp down on the Covid rule breakers and prevent this reckless behaviour.

The stay home and stay safe message is all more important because the new mutant strain of Covid-19 is even more infectious.
The KOI-5 star system consists of three stars, labeled A, B, and C in this diagram. Star A and B orbit each other every 30 years. Star C orbits stars A and B every 400 years. The system hosts one known planet, called KOI-5Ab, which was discovered and characterized using data from NASA's Kepler and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) missions, as well as ground-based telescopes. KOI-5Ab is about half the mass of Saturn and orbits star A roughly every five days. Its orbit is titled 50 degrees relative to the plane of stars A and B. Astronomers suspect that this misaligned orbit was caused by star B, which gravitationally kicked the planet during its development, skewing its orbit and causing it to migrate inward. Credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

Shortly after NASA's Kepler mission began operations back in 2009, it identified what was thought to be a planet about the size of Neptune. Called KOI-5Ab, the planet, which was the second new planet candidate to be found by the mission, was ultimately forgotten as Kepler racked up more and more planet discoveries. By the end of its mission in 2018, Kepler had discovered a whopping 2,394 exoplanets, or planets orbiting stars beyond our sun, and an additional 2,366 exoplanet candidates, including KOI-5Ab.

Now, David Ciardi, chief scientist of NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI), located at Caltech's IPAC, says he has "resurrected KOI-5Ab from the dead," thanks to new observations from NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission.

"KOI-5Ab fell off the table and was forgotten," says Ciardi, who presented the findings at a virtual meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). By 2014, Ciardi and other researchers had used the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, Caltech's Palomar Observatory near San Diego, and Gemini North in Hawaii to show that the star circled by KOI-5Ab is one member of a triple-star system called KOI-5. But they were not sure if the KOI-5 system actually hosted a planet or if they were seeing an erroneous signal from one of the two other stars.

Then, in 2018, TESS came along. Like Kepler, TESS looks for the blinking of starlight that comes when a planet crosses in front of, or transits, a star. TESS observed a portion of Kepler's field of view, including the KOI-5 system. Sure enough, TESS also identified KOI-5Ab as a candidate planet (though TESS calls it TOI-1241b). TESS, like Kepler, found that the planet orbited its star roughly every five days. But at that point, it was still not clear if the planet was real.

"I thought to myself, "I remember this target,'" says Ciardi, after seeing the TESS data. He then went back and reanalyzed all the data, including that from the California Planet Search, led by Caltech professor of astronomy Andrew Howard. The California Planet Search uses ground-based telescopes, including the Keck Observatory, to search for the telltale wobble in a star that occurs when a planet circles around it and exerts a gravitational tug.

"If it weren't for TESS looking at the planet again, I would never have gone back and done all this detective work," says Ciardi.

Jessie Dotson, the Kepler/K2 project scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, says, "This research emphasizes the importance of NASA's full fleet of space telescopes and their synergy with ground-based systems. Discoveries like this one can be a long haul."

Together, the data from the space- and ground-based telescopes helped confirm that KOI-5Ab is a planet. KOI-5Ab is about one half the mass of Saturn and orbits a star (star A) with a relatively close companion (star B). Star A and star B orbit each other every 30 years. A third gravitationally bound star (star C) orbits stars A and B every 400 years.

The combined data set also reveals that the orbital plane of the planet is not aligned with the orbital plane of the second inner star (star B) as might be expected if the stars and planet all formed from the same disk of swirling material. Triple-star systems, which make up about 10 percent of all star systems, are thought to form when three stars are born together out of the same disk of gas and dust.

Astronomers are not sure what caused the misalignment of KOI-5Ab but speculate that the second star gravitationally kicked the planet during its development, skewing its orbit and causing it to migrate inward.

This is not the first evidence for planets in double- and triple-star systems. One striking case involves the triple-star system GW Orionis, in which a planet-forming disk had been torn into distinct misaligned rings, where planets may be forming. Yet despite hundreds of discoveries of multiple-star system planets, the frequency of planet formation in these systems is lower than that of single-star systems. This could be due to an observational bias (single-star planets are easier to detect) or because planet formation is in fact less common in multiple-star systems.

Future instruments, such as the Palomar Radial Velocity Instrument (PARVI) at the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar and the Keck Planet Finder at Keck, will open up new avenues for better answering these questions.

"Stellar companions may partially quench the process of planet formation," says Ciardi. "We still have a lot of questions about how and when planets can form in multiple-star systems and how their properties compare to planets in single-star systems. By studying the KOI-5 system in more detail, perhaps we can gain insight into how the universe makes planets."
[January 12, 2021] MEDIA ADVISORY: Stanford Graduate School of Business to Unveil 2020 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Research Report Findings on January 29

Stanford Graduate School of Business: WHAT: The Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) at Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), in collaboration with the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN), will virtually present the latest research findings on Latino entrepreneurship in the U.S. at the sixth annual State of Latino Entrepreneurship Forum. The 2020 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report examines data from 3,500 White-owned businesses and 3,500+ Latino-owned businesses, in addition to time-series pulse survey data from March, June and September. An esteemed panel of Latino business leaders will discuss their on-the-ground experience maintaining business operations amidst the pandemic, as well as specific obstacles and opportunities that Latino entrepreneurs face today. Among the findings: As the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. small business ecosystem, the number of Latino-owned businesses has grown 34% over the last 10 years compared to just 1% for all other small businesses. Were it not for the growth in the number of Latino-owned firms, the total number of small businesses in the U.S. would have declined between 2007 and 2012.

Latinos are starting businesses faster than the national average across almost all industries, and Latino-owned businesses are growing revenues at a faster rate than White-owned businesses.

Latino-owned businesses are significantly less likely than White-owned businesses to have loan applications approved by national banks, despite reporting comparable metrics on various key lending criteria.

For both Latino and White-owned businesses, those led by women are most negatively impacted by the pandemic. WHEN: Friday, January 29, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. PT



WHERE: Online

Register for this event: https://stanford.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VZkSkf4VRVKF18d-FJO3pA WHO: Welcome: Mark Madrid, CEO, Latino Business Action Network

Jerry I. Porras, The Lane Professor of Organizational Behavior and Change, Emeritus, Stanford GSB, and Faculty Advisor, SLEI

Persis Drell, Provost, Stanford University About SLEI Research: Paul Oyer, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and The Mary and Rankine Van Anda Entrepreneurial Professor and Professor of Economics, Stanford GSB, and Faculty Advisor, SLEI Research Presentation: Marlene Orozco, Lead Research Analyst, SLEI Panel Discussion: David Favela, CEO, Founder of Border X Brewing LLC

Eric Donnelly, CEO, Capital Plus Financial (CDFI)

Mercedes O. Enrique, President, CMS Corporation

Moderator: Rosa Santana, Founder and CEO, Santana Group Fireside Chat: Jonathan Levin, Philip H. Knight Professor and Dean, Stanford GSB

Mary C. Daly, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Closing Remarks: Victor Arias, Jr., Chairman and Cofounder, Latino Business Action Network WHY: As we consider pathways to rebuild the U.S. economy amid COVID-19, Latinos play a prominent role in recovery. As the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. small business ecosystem, the number of Latino-owned businesses has grown 34% over the last 10 years compared to just 1% for all other small businesses. Releasing the report aims to identify and quantify gaps in opportunities available to Latino entrepreneurs for a deeper understanding of their unique business trends and landscape to create a more equitable future. This year's report places a particular emphasis on exploring COVID-19's impact on Latino-owned businesses and the additional barriers they have endured since the start of the pandemic. ATTENDANCE AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES The presentation will be on the record, and individual interview requests can be accommodated. To confirm attendance and schedule interviews, please register as media. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005772/en/

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Microsofts got a refreshed Surface Pro 7 Plus coming soon to enterprise and education customers. It looks exactly like the Surface Pro 7, down to the dimensions, display panel, and placement of the ports, but with some notable changes on the spec sheet.

The display is the same 12.3-inch PixelSense display and you still get the single USB-C port + USB-A port + 3.5mm headphone jack, and Surface Connect port. The battery life is now rated for 15 hours of mixed use (the Surface Pro 7 was rated at 10.5 hours) thanks to a larger 50.4Wh battery (versus the 7 Pros 46.5 Wh one) and the improved efficiency of the new Intel Core processors.

Intels 11th Generation processers power the Surface 7 Pro Plus. The Core i3 (1115G4) model starts at $899 and comes with 8GB RAM + 128GB SSD while the Core i5 (1135G7) model is the only one that comes with an LTE-enabled option. This model runs $1149 and is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X20 LTE modem  so no 5G. Finally, a maxed out Core i7 (1165G7) model with 32GB RAM + 1TB SSD will run $2799.

Wi-Fi models will offer support for a microSDXC card while the LTE model simply replaces the expansion slot in favor of a nanoSIM card slot.

As per The Verge, Microsofts hardware team totally flipped the internals of the Surface Pro 7 in order to make the SSD component removable. At the same time, the TDM (Thermal Design Model) was updated, which allowed for a slightly larger battery to fit in the same amount of space. Microsofts decision to refresh the hardware rather than replace the Pro 7 with a Surface Pro 8 was more for businesses to keep its form factor consistent.

That reminds us. As of right now, Microsoft is only going to offer the Surface 7 Pro Plus to enterprise and education customers. There was no word on whether it would ever be available directly to consumers, but the Windows 10 tablet/PC will arrive on January 15 in the US for eligible customers. It will eventually arrive to customers in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and throughout most of Europe.

Source
MEDFORD, Ore.--- In late December, Governor Kate Brown gave Oregon schools the goal of reopening come mid-February. While many schools are getting ready to welcome students back into classrooms, some are ready to open as early as next week.

Sacred Heart School will be reopening on January 19th for kindergarten through 8th grade.

Sharon Levesque, principal at Sacred Heart said that changes have been made to make sure everyone is safe and that's including parents picking up or dropping off their children. A special route has been designed for parents to follow and it avaible on the school's website.

She also said this reopening comes with a lot of preparation in mind-- with health and safety being the number one priority. It first started at home, by educating families on what signs or symptoms of covid-19 to look for before bringing the student to school.

And like many of the parents, prinicipal Levesque said she can't wait to reopen.

"I am very excited. It's something our parent community has been pushing for for a very long time," Levesque said. "We've had other schools opening in the area and now it's finally our turn."

When students get to school they will go through a screening before they are able to enter the building.

"Once they're in the classroom, they'll wash their hands. Then they sit at their desk and there's a 35 square foot perimeter around them that the desks are separated by," Levesque said.

She said the school is also looking into getting sneeze guards for lunchtime when the students are not wearing their masks.

Tia Mckenzie is apart of the student advisory committee at Sacred Heart and says the students miss going to school.

"I think my son's going to be so much happier and so much full of life," Mckenzie said. "I think a lot of kids have really gotten addicted to screens and technology, and this is an opportunity for them to be away from that again, eight hours a day, interacting with their peers."

Parents with kids in preschool or pre-k who have been coming to in-person learning since September, say they are confident with the precautions the school has in place.

"The school has a small enough population where, um, they are able to maintain the small cohorts, they're able to maintain the distance within the classroom," Maria Lee said.

Another parents, Samara Winchell said her preschooler is also excited to see the older kids back in the building.

"At sacred heart, the upstairs is the middle school students," Winchell said. "And so she's very excited when they come back to see kids actually be able to go up."
The overall impeachment process laid out in the Constitution is relatively simple: President commits "high Crime or Misdemeanor," House votes to impeach, Senate conducts a trial.

Those overall contours are constant. But there's no such thing as a routine impeachment.

The one President Donald Trump faces now, after inciting a riotous mob to attack the Capitol, is unprecedented in all sorts of ways, which means the process will feel entirely new and different from the one we saw in late 2019 around the Ukraine investigation.

Specifically, this House impeachment vote is likely to be done this week, and the Senate trial will occur after Trump leaves office.

Here's another look at the impeachment process as it is spelled out in the Constitution and how it applies to this second impeachment of Trump, in which a US President is accused for the first time of inciting violence against another branch of government.

What does the Constitution say about who can be impeached and for what reasons?

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. (Article 2, Section 4)

What is Trump accused of doing?

There was a lot of debate during Trump's first impeachment and trial about whether the pressure he exerted on the President of Ukraine amounted to "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" or simply a set of policies.

This time, while there's an argument he committed treason, Democrats in the House have alleged Trump "engaged in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by inciting violence against the Government of the United States."

The Article argues that Trump incited his supporters by repeatedly denying the election results in the lead-up to the counting of the electoral votes, that he pressured Georgia's secretary of state to "find" additional votes for him, and in doing so he "gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," "threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government."

Read the entire thing here. It's short.

What does the Constitution say about the House's role?

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. (Article 1, Section 2)

What does that mean for Trump this time?

Getting from Trump's misdeed to impeachment proceedings in the House took 86 days in 2019.

It's going to take just a week in 2021.

The House can essentially impeach at will. While there are precedents in place around instigating the impeachment process and utilizing House committees to investigate whether impeachable offenses occurred, none of that is necessarily required. And Democrats, moving quickly, aren't going to burden themselves by dragging this out.

And why bother with an investigation when this time Trump did it on TV? In that first effort, the details of Trump's pressure on Ukraine leaked out over the course of weeks and built into Democratic support to launch and conduct an investigation and, ultimately, to impeach him.

With Trump's time in office set to expire at noon on January 20, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also gave Trump and Vice President Mike Pence the option of avoiding impeachment if either Trump resigned or Pence mobilized the Cabinet to use the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

When those two offramps were ignored, Democrats in the House moved quickly toward impeachment and the first post-presidential impeachment trial in US history.

Impeaching Trump in the House requires only a simple majority and Democrats hope to gain at least some support from Republicans.

What does the Constitution say about the Senate's role?

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. (Article 1, Section 3)

What does that mean for Trump this time?

It took 48 days to get from Trump's December 19, 2019 impeachment to his February 5, 2020 acquittal. That process was slowed by a break over the holidays. The trial actually began January 16.

This time it could be slowed by the fact that Trump won't be in office any more by the time the trial starts and new President Joe Biden will be asking the Senate to vote on his Cabinet nominees and act on legislation to address the Covid pandemic as well as relief for Americans hurt by the troubled economy.

In 2020, Senate business ground to a complete halt during the trial. This time, incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is hoping to pursue a half-day schedule to conduct the trial part of the day and business the rest of the day.

The charges this time are much simpler to convey and understand, however. It should still take some number of days with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding and senators sitting in judgment. When both of the new Democratic senators from Georgia are seated, it will take 17 Republicans voting with Democrats to reach a two-thirds majority and convict Trump.

What does the Constitution say about is the penalty for Trump if he's convicted?

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law. (Article 2, Section 3)

What does that mean for Trump this time?

The most unconventional aspect of this second impeachment effort is that Trump will be a former President by the time it concludes. There is precedent for former officials facing impeachment both in US history and in England, from whence the Founders imported the idea of impeachment. Read here about what's technically called a "late impeachment" from the scholars Frank Bowman and Brian Kalt.

The swift effort to impeach him certainly puts Trump in the position of wanting to keep Republican senators on his side. In that regard, it would keep him in check during the last week of his presidency.

Beyond the stain of being a President who a majority of Congress feels it's worth impeaching for a second time, conviction could mean he can't run for office again in 2024. Barring him from further office would require a second vote by senators, although it probably would not require two-thirds agreement. It could also cost him his more-than $200,000 per year pension if the Senate wants to take that way.

What else does the Constitution say about Presidents and impeachment?

...he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. (Article 2, Section 2)

What does that mean for Trump this time?

Trump is widely thought to be considering the never-before-attempted self-pardon, to inoculate himself from future legal jeopardy related to his time in office and running for office. What's not clear is whether a late impeachment would have any bearing on his power to pardon himself. As the impeachment scholars Kalt and Bowman point out, the text of the Constitution doesn't mention pardons in terms of impeachment. It certainly seems like a successful impeachment would come up if and when a potential self pardon is challenged in court.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated Chuck Schumer's title. He is incoming Senate Majority Leader.

Concerns have been voiced in South Asia about the fascist mob incited by US President Trump that stormed the Capitol in Washington last week. Comments have also been made expressing hopes for an orderly transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden and the ultimate prevalence of democracy in the US.

This nervousness has nothing to do with any allegiance to democracy. Biden does not represent democracy any more than Trump, and defends US imperialism and the same ruthless class interests.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the "Howdy Modi: Shared Dreams, Bright Futures" event at NRG Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Throughout the region, the ruling classes are moving towards autocratic forms of rule amid the political and economic crisis intensified by the global coronavirus pandemic. They fear that the coup attempt in the US exposes to the working class the collapse of bourgeois democracy, not just at the centre of global capitalism but in their own countries.

The South Asian ruling elites are heavily dependent economically and strategically on US imperialism and the political instability in Washington directly impacts on them all.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a tweet on January 7, declaring: Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests. Significantly, he did not condemn the fascist coup nor even did use the word coup.

Modis statement reflects specific concerns about the implications of events in Washington for Indias relations with the US.

Indian governments over the past two decades have developed ever closer military, economic and political relations with Washington. The Indian bourgeoisie hopes that its strategic alignment with the US will boost its regional and global ambitions against arch rival China.

These relations are being pushed by the US because of Indias central importance in Washingtons strategic and military offensive against Beijing. In a war against China, the US needs to block Indian Ocean sea routes, vital for Chinese imports of energy and raw materials.

Close geo-strategic relations with the US began under the Congress government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which was backed by Indias two Stalinist parties. Under Modi, India has been transformed into a frontline state fully integrated into Washingtons war plans. Trump visited India last February to further cement these ties.

New Delhi has signed basing agreements with the US allowing its forces to use Indias military ports and airports. On October 27, less than ten days before the US presidential election, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited India to sign the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement. This will allow sharing of high-end military technology and classified satellite and other data between the two countries.

India has also emerged as a key member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quada quasi-military alliance involving the US, Japan, Australia and India against China. New Delhis relations with Washington provoked border tensions with China last year, posing the danger of a war between the two nuclear-armed countries and involve the US and other major powers with global catastrophic consequences.

The mainstream media and the ruling elites in the US and India promote themselves as great democraciesAmerica the worlds oldest democracy and India the worlds largest. These claims are false to the core.

Trumps attempted coup detat has revealed the long-developing collapse of American democracy and moves by key sections of the ruling elite for a fascist regime to crush the eruption of revolutionary struggles by the working class. Similarly in India, Modis Hindu-supremacist government is entrenching authoritarian rule.

The Indian media has published several comments on the January 6 events. Many note Trumps role in inciting the attack on the Capitol and describe it as a coup. They conclude, however, that the situation will somehow return to normal.

An Indian Express editorial on January 8, for example, declares that the storming of Capitol Hill is deeply unsettling and a dangerous moment. America, however, it continues, will overcome this moment, as it has its other big crises It still has institutions that can stand up to excesses by the countrys political leadership, even its highest office.

The Economic Times was more explicit. Denouncing the actions of Trumps supporters as deplorable, it states that, yet, on its worst day the US showed its commitment to the republic and democracy. Biden becoming president, the newspaper hoped, would not just to deal with the pandemic and its economic consequences, restore US to its traditional global leadership role, but also to heal the rift that divides America and renew the politics of compromise and consensus.

These are sheer illusions.

As the World Socialist Web Site has consistently explained, Trump is not some evil personality but the representative of the criminal financial oligarchy in the US. Biden and his Democratic party represent the same ruthless ruling class interests.

In Sri Lanka, neither President Gotabhaya Rajapakse nor his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has uttered a word about the attempted fascist coup in Washington.

The cash-strapped Sri Lanka government, which faces an economic crisis worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and dependent on Chinese investments and loans, however, is nervously studying political developments in the US.

In late October, Pompeo visited Colombo where he met with Rajapakse and other political leaders and thuggishly declared that the government should end its relations with Beijing and fully align itself with the US interests.

While the Rajapakses are maintaining an official silence about Trumps attempted coup, the Sri Lankan media has commented.

An opinion piece by Daily Mirror international affairs editor Ameen Izzadeen declared: What happened on January 6 was a coup detat of sorts to subvert democracy Just as the 9/11 terrorists brought down the Twin Towers, Trumps terroristssome of them armedtried to bring down the edifice of democracy so that the demagogue could continue as president for four more years.

The Daily Mirror columnist went on to pompously declare that, By defeating Trump, Biden saved the soul of Americacomments designed to maintain the myth that the Democrats are some sort of progressive alternative.

What is happening in the US, the centre of world capitalism, is the key to understanding the political situation everywhere.

The attempted fascist coup detat in the US is the counter-revolutionary reaction of a capitalist class in deep crisis and fearful of emerging working class struggles that pose the prospect of revolution.

Like the authoritarian turn by its counterparts in India, Sri Lankan President Rajapakse is rallying fascistic forces as he seeks to establish a dictatorship based on the military. The developments pose the urgency of fighting for an international socialist movement of the working class based on the program of world socialist revolution.
MONTREAL, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Caprion-HistoGeneX, a leading global contract research laboratory services provider backed by Arsenal Capital Partners ("Arsenal"), announced today the acquisition of Mosaic Laboratories LLC ("Mosaic"), a California-based company offering histology and immunohistochemistry services to global pharmaceutical clients. The addition of Mosaic further strengthens the North American base for Caprion-HistoGeneX's histopathology assay development and deployment, expands the volume of pathology services and consolidates the company's position as a world-leading service provider of histopathology biomarker analysis for global clinical trials.

Mosaic is a pioneer in using multiplex immunohistochemistry with spectral imaging and is recognized for its outstanding services for the development, validation and implementation of complex immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and FISH assays, positioning itself as one of the most prominent and comprehensive providers in the field. Core Mosaic capabilities include study design, assay development and deployment, data interpretation, and services to support exploratory biomarker analysis at pre-clinical and clinical trial stages, thereby enabling timely decisions for patient selection.

"We are truly excited to join forces with Caprion-HistoGeneX. This partnership provides strong collaboration opportunities that will further support the programs of our clients and allow us to globalize our existing and future assays to support clinical trials," said Chris Kerfoot and Lisa Dauffenbach, Co-founders and Managing Members of Mosaic.

"The combination of Mosaic and Caprion-HistoGeneX strengthens our leadership position as a global provider of precision medicine services offering the full range of immunohistochemistry, immune monitoring, proteomics and genomics biomarkers" said Martin LeBlanc, CEO of Caprion-HistoGeneX. "Mosaic's excellent track record of developing and deploying complex immunohistochemistry assays will improve our ability to meet the rapidly expanding needs of our clients for histopathology services across our global network of laboratories in North America, Europe, and Asia, including China."

"The addition of Mosaic reflects Arsenal's commitment to support the development and international expansion of Caprion-HistoGeneX through continued investment in complementary capabilities, services and geographic coverage, and solidifies the company's leadership position in one of the fastest growing areas of biopharma R&D." said David Spaight, the Executive Chairman of Caprion-HistoGeneX and an Operating Partner of Arsenal.

In conjunction with this transaction and the recently announced acquisition of Clinical Logistics Inc., Caprion-HistoGeneX is also planning to unveil in the coming weeks its new corporate name and brand identity for the combined entities reflecting its vision and positioning as a leading global provider of precision medicine services.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisors to Caprion-HistoGeneX.

Intrepid Investment Bankers LLC acted as financial advisor, and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP acted as legal advisor to Mosaic.

About Caprion-HistoGeneX

Caprion-HistoGeneX is a leading provider of specialized precision medicine laboratory services to the biopharmaceutical industry. Leveraging its integrated analytical platforms in immunology, histopathology, proteomics and genomics, as well as related specimen collection and logistics services, Caprion-HistoGeneX supports the entire drug development cycle, from discovery to late stage clinical trials. The company operates globally with 9 facilities located in Canada, USA, Belgium, Australia, and China.

For more information: www.caprion.com and www.histogenex.com

About Mosaic Laboratories LLC

Mosaic is a leader in providing preclinical and clinical services to the pharmaceutical industry and has pioneered multiplex chromogenic immunohistochemistry using multispectral imaging. Mosaic develops proprietary assays, tissue banks, and software algorithms to support data analysis. Leveraging this longstanding and highly differentiated multiplex IHC expertise, Mosaic has built a reputation as having the highest-quality validated assays, vivid multiplex IHC images, and rapid development and implementation of new assays, backed with an uncompromising service focus on speed, agility and customer service. The company has also developed a broader menu of central lab services, including histology, FISH, and ISH.

For more information: https://www.mosaiclabs.com

About Arsenal Capital Partners

Arsenal is a leading private equity firm that specializes in investments in middle-market healthcare and industrials companies. Since its inception in 2000, Arsenal has raised institutional equity investment funds of $5.3 billion, has completed more than 200 platform and add-on investments, and achieved more than 30 realizations. Arsenal invests in industry sectors in which the firm has significant prior knowledge and experience. The firm works with management teams to build strategically important companies with leading market positions, high growth and high value-add.

For more information: www.arsenalcapital.com .

CONTACT: Caprion-HistoGeneX : Guylaine Galipeau, Global Marketing Director, Caprion-HistoGeneX, ggalipeau@caprion.com ; Arsenal Capital Partners: Prosek Partners, Brian Schaffer / Kristen Duarte, bschaffer@prosek.com / kduarte@prosek.com

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Washington: The US Justice Department has opened criminal investigations of more than 170 individuals on their involvement in the riot at the Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters, and investigators are working toward charging people with assault and seditious conspiracy.

"I think the scope and scale of this investigation and these cases are really unprecedented, not only in FBI history, but probably Department of Justice history," Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said in a press briefing on Wednesday (AEDT)

Trump supporter Richard Barnett made himself quite at home at Nancy Pelosi's desk. Credit:AFP

"The Capitol grounds outside and inside are... a crime scene."

Sherwin said 70 criminal cases have been filed to date. While many of them involve people whose photos went viral on social media, such as Richard Barnett pictured sitting at the desk of a staffer of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said more serious charges are coming and a grand jury has been reviewing the cases.
New Delhi: There is no withdrawal of Chinese troops from the Ladakh frontier and the ground situation remains the same, said Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday, stating that reports of Chinese soldiers' movement from depth areas has no relation to the deployment on the Line of Actual Control.

Dismissing reports that 10,000 Chinese soldiers have been redeployed, General Naravane said too much should not be read into either their presence or their going back, as these locations are between 500 to 1,500 km deep inside Chinese territory.

He also said that the current conflict situation along the LAC in Ladakh remains the same and the Indian Army is keeping a strict vigil and the soldiers are in a state of high alert on the Indian side of the de facto border.

"Today's situation in Ladakh is the same. As far as the (Chinese soldiers') withdrawal is concerned, every summer, they come to the Tibetan Plateau for training and return especially as winter sets in. These are traditional training areas from where they go back. We should not read too much into these, whether they are present or absent or go back from these areas. This is nothing new," Naravane said at his annual press conference here.

"These areas are well off in the depth areas anywhere between 500 to 1,500 kilometres away from the border. All the same, we keep an eye on them, as these are the forces that could be mobilised and reach the borders in 24 hours to 48 hours so there is a necessity to keep a watch in all the deployments in the Tibetan Plateau."

He also made it a point to clarify that there has been no decrease in troop strength along with the eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation areas along the Line of Actual Control, either on the Chinese side or on the Indian side.

"We need not give too much significance on these comings and goings. What is more important is border areas where eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation is there in all the various friction areas. There has been no reduction of troops in these particular areas. That is where we have to be more concerned and alert."

Naravane said in May 2020, the Chinese PLA had the first-mover advantage. But in August 2020, India turned the tables when India had the first-mover advantage on the southern banks of Pangong Tso, where Indian soldiers occupied key heights bang on the Indian perceived LAC.
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AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boozy Bites, a premium edible cocktail company, was honored with three Century Awards for Design Distinction from the PR%F Awards 2020. The company won these design awards for its patent pending push-up cup, 6pk retail package and 20pk direct-to-consumer package.

The company also took home two gold medals for its Rose flavored Bites (earning 94pts) and for its Moscow Mule flavored Bites (earning 92 pts).

"As a new company, we are honored to receive these awards and to stand out from such distinguished competition," said CEO and Founder, Dee Dee Bryant. "We put significant time into research, flavor development and design for all our products and are excited to see that work recognized."

Boozy Bites was founded in 2018, began shipping product in 2019, and grew over 300% in 2020. The company makes high-end edible cocktails that are somewhat similar to gelatin shots. However, Boozy Bites are vegan, wine-based and 15% ABV, making them a premium offering that is perfect for special events, gifting and stylish celebrations.

Boozy Bites come in elegant, petite champagne glasses with a stem that twists and pushes, to be a modern-day push-up cup. This packaging allows the consumer to enjoy the bites in an elegant manner. Sophisticated flavors such as Rose, Moscow Mule and Mojito also provide a refined taste experience.

Boozy Bites are available for purchase online and ship directly to consumers. The bites are shelf stable at ambient temperatures for up to thirty days and will maintain their form in temperatures up to 130F.

This year, the company plans on launching several new flavors. The company just introduced Cupcake Bites, as part of their Galentine's Day program. The company also plans on expanding to traditional retail channels in the second quarter of 2021.

ABOUT BOOZY BITES

Boozy Bites is an Austin, TX based edible alcohol company founded by Dee Dee Bryant. The company currently offers premium edible cocktails, conveniently delivered directly to consumers. To learn more or order Boozy Bites, visit www.boozybites.com. Follow Boozy Bites on Instagram @boozybitesofficial.

PHOTO LINK: PR%F Awards

SOURCE Boozy Bites LLC

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In the shadow of the frontline is a series documenting individual professionals who through their work demonstrate courage and resilience that keep the cogs of society moving through the COVID-19 pandemic.

_____________________________________________

Yesenia Santiago, a United States Postal Service city carrier assistant has endured more than most after not only contracting COVID-19 but also losing her home in December. Regardless, she comes into work in Springfield to deliver mail, literally singing each morning as she arrives.

Nearly 42% of all ballots cast in the general election were by mail, accounting for more than 1.5 million of the record-breaking nearly 3.7 million ballots cast overall as the state pushed to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvins office. Across the U.S. 46% of those eligible voted by absentee or mail-in ballot, according to the Pew Research Center.

Throughout the 2020 election, the Postal Service faced unprecedented challenges, but the commitment of our 644,000 men and women to deliver the nations ballots securely and in a timely manner never wavered even in the face of the pandemic, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said on Dec. 29.

USPS delivered more than 130 million ballots, including both blank ballots delivered from election officials to voters and completed ballots returning from voters to election officials, according to DeJoy. He went on to say that of the identified ballots mailed after Sept. 4, close to all of those were delivered in the first week, 99.89% to be exact.

It was definitely a little crazy, the pressure was on, said Kelly Callahan, Springfield USPS assistant station manager. I dont want to say it was normal because nothing about this year was normal, but everyone treated it like, you know, their goal is to just get everything delivered.

Yesenia Santiago had her apartment damaged in a house fire on Dec. 17 but continued to work as a form of distraction. She looks at her USPS colleagues as family and said they helped her get through it. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Although 2020 has been a challenging year, USPS has experienced a year-on-year decline in mail volume every year since 2006. In 2020, the total number had dropped to 129.2 billion units. This data includes traditional mail, marketing materials, periodicals and the shipping of packages.

Technology is seen as the reason for the decline in traditional mail volumes with email replacing letters. E-commerce however has seen a huge rise with online retailers like Amazon.

In 2019, U.S. online retail sales of physical goods amounted to $343.15 billion and are projected to reach close to $476.5 billion in the next three years. E-commerce in the U.S. is projected to generate $153.6 billion in revenue by 2024, according to Statista.

Although the amount of mail coming through the USPS doors has declined over the last five years, the postal service has faced additional challenges.

In December, more than 14,000 USPS employees were quarantining due to potential COVID-19 exposure, according to the Postal Times. That number represents more than 2% of the whole postal workforce and December is traditionally the busiest time of year with holiday gifts being sent.

Yes, everyone ordered online this year, said Callahan. And thats fantastic, dont get me wrong. It was just different and how we handled it this year.

Yesenia Santiago prepares her mail for delivery at the USPS center in Springfield. The workload for postal workers in 2020 has increased with unpresidented numbers of people relying on post due to the pandemic. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Callahan told MassLive that USPS workers in Springfield sometimes had to work longer hours and change their schedules to accommodate the changes due to the pandemic or elections.

On Dec. 10, Santiago was one of the postal workers busy with the holiday rush. She joined the Springfield USPS station on Sept. 26 after returning from Yonkers, New York where she worked as an actress and became part of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre in 2017.

The same year she became pregnant with her now 3-year-old daughter Damiany Bastar.

I didnt have family in New York, said Santiago. To work and move forward it was easier to come back home where I have my mom who can help me out.

Santiago was born in Springfield but of Puerto Rican descent and has most of her family living around the city and Hampden County. She came back to Western Massachusetts in 2018 and is still very involved in performing arts.

When she first arrived back in Springfield she worked two jobs, the manager of a Pride Store and at the Bradley International Airport, so she could support herself and her daughter.

I had two jobs, [and a] job being a mom, and I was also trying to do my classes for nursing online, said Santiago. So, there was a lot on my mind.

Yesenia Santiago had her apartment damaged in a house fire on Dec. 17 but continued to work as a form of distraction. She looks at her USPS colleagues as family and said they helped her get through it. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Then the pandemic hit in March 2020 and Santiago was one of the first to contract COVID-19 in Massachusetts along with nine of her family. She tested positive in April and was able to make a full recovery along with her family members, but it made Santiago look for better opportunities.

She recalls thinking about her options and what she could do that is going to enable her to progress and allow her to spend time with her daughter.

While working in New York, she took an exam to qualify as a postal worker and passed in 2018. She applied again and joined the Springfield team in September.

In April, stories from USPS employees were emerging over the working conditions across the U.S. that many are facing amid the pandemic.

Business Insider received an email from one employee stating that they are almost begging journalists to investigate safety standards.

A coworker stated that the supervisor coughed in his direction less than a few feet away as a joke after the employee had made a remark about [the coronavirus], said the longtime USPS employee and American Postal Workers Union member via email to Business Insider.

Santiago said this hasnt been an issue in her experience and doesnt spend much time worrying. She makes sure to wipe surfaces and uses the Lysol that the company provides.

Yesenia Santiago had her apartment damaged in a house fire on Dec. 17 but continued to work as a form of distraction. She looks at her USPS colleagues as family and said they helped her get through it. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Since March, thousands of workers across the U.S. have experienced high levels of stress and fatigue as they worry about virus exposure. Especially in Santiagos work, walking from door to door, she is also exposed to the virus that has killed millions.

On Friday, officials reported another 74 deaths related to the virus in Massachusetts. So far through the pandemic, there have been at least 400,823 cases and 12,708 related deaths. There were known preexisting conditions for 6,639 of the people who have died, per the Massachusetts Department of Public Health data.

And the DPH has labeled 219 Massachusetts cities and towns as high risk for spreading the virus.

As long as youre wearing your mask all the time, even if youre outside by yourself, said Santiago. You should still be wearing it because at any moment, if someone approaches you with a question, then you have it there. But its not a concern at all.

Santiago told MassLive that the communities that she delivers to often leave out snacks or thank you messages to show their appreciation for the work she, and other postal workers do.

According to her colleagues, Santiago has a way about her that can light up a room. She comes into work each morning at 6 a.m. singing and brimming with positivity, according to Callahan.

Always be happy, is Santiagos personal motto.

I was working on my route and was almost done with it and I received so many phone calls, said Santiago remembering the events of Dec. 10.

At roughly 2 p.m., almost finished with her working day, Santiago arrived back at her postal truck. She noticed multiple missed calls from family. Seeing that there was also a message, she opened it and her heart sunk.

Yesenia, you need to come to your house because the house is on fire, Santiago recalled of the news.

After calling around family, one of whom is a Springfield firefighter, she discovered it was caused by a neighbors electric bike battery exploding while charging in the kitchen.

All the hard work Ive gone through since Ive been back on my own with my daughter was gone in a flash and a blink of an eye, Santiago said, relaying what was going through her mind when she heard.

Thankfully her daughter was with her mother at the time of the fire.

Yesenia Santiago had her apartment damaged in a house fire on Dec. 17 but continued to work as a form of distraction. She looks at her USPS colleagues as family and said they helped her get through it. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

I know everything else is materialistic, said 32-year-old Santiago. But what hurts is knowing all the hard work that you put into your apartment, to get all the furniture. Youve put just all the sweat, all the work [into it] knowing that its all gone.

Although the loss of her home was a shock, Santiago has the type of character many envy insomuch as she turned her thoughts to the future.

My model and the way I live is always be happy, said Santiago. Because theres always someone who would want to be in your position. Theres always someone who is either worse or would like to be where you are at.

She told MassLive that each day when she wakes up, she is thankful for her family and to be employed.

Specifically with this pandemic going on because theres a lot of people who lost their jobs right now, Santiago added.

She sees not only being employed as a benefit but the work she does as critical to the city. Even when she heard about her apartment, she refused to leave until she had finished her days work.

The next day when she came in, people at the USPS station noticed the difference in Santiagos demeanor.

I have not told a lot of people what Ive gone through, Santiago told MassLive. There was a point, I think the day after, maybe a few days after, I wasnt singing and people were coming up to me and theyre like, wheres the music?.

She said that she didnt want people knowing about her apartment because she didnt want to be the one spreading negativity. While she waits for insurance and building repairs from the fire, she is staying with her family.

Im going through it, said Santiago while she straightened her back. I dont want anybody else to go through it with me.

Yesenia Santiago prepares her USPS vehicle for her route in Springfield. She has a close relationship with the people she delivers to and sees her work as vital. (Douglas Hook / MassLive)

Related Content:
Expert on American politics to discuss expectations of Biden administration

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Timothy Lynch, an internationally recognized expert on American politics and foreign policy from the University of Melbourne in Australia, will discuss global expectations for the incoming Biden administration during a virtual conversation next week hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

The discussion, part of the institutes Understanding Our New World series via Zoom, is at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Lynch is a professor of American politics at the University of Melbourne. He has taught in the United States, Australia, China and Europe. He is the author of several books including last years release, In the Shadow of the Cold War: American Foreign Policy from George Bush Sr. to Donald Trump.

Lynch is a witty and shrewd observer of the United States and knows the country well, said John Shaw, Simon Institute director.

Professor Lynch will offer important insights about how the world is looking at the U.S. as Donald Trumps presidency ends and Joe Bidens administration begins, Shaw said. He will also provide a valuable international perspective on the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week.

Registration is open

Registration for the free Zoom meeting is available in advance. After completing registration, participants will receive an email confirmation with information about joining the meeting, along with the meeting ID and password.

Participants can submit a question to Lynch by email at paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu or by including it in the Questions and Comments section on the registration form.

More information on the Simon Institutes events is available at paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu/event-information/.
Some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have excoriated the election of Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin as Speaker of Parliament.



Those not in favour of Hon. Bagbin becoming the Speaker have argued that he belongs to the opposition NDC and so will sabotage the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Majority in Parliament, the NPP.



Recently, there was a seeming Olympic games in Parliament as Tema West MP, Carlos Ahenkorah grabbed ballot papers and attempted to whisk away with them, and was violently chased by some members of the Minority, notable among them was the Asawase MP, Mubarak Muntaka.



To Carlos Ahenkorah, he attempted to run with the ballot papers to force a run-off to happen because he doesn't trust a Speaker who is a member of an opposition party.



Due to the event that unfolded in Parliament, some critics have asked a critical question; who among the NPP Majority voted for Hon. Bagbin?



In attempting to answer this question, Dr. Benjamin Okyere Ankrah, a lecturer at the Central University in Accra, explained that the election of Hon. Bagbin clearly showed how dishonest politicians are, in that they may pledge allegiance to a person but, in their minds, have ulterior motives.



According to him, in politics, dogs are more honest than humans.



"In politics, dogs are more honest than human beings. Because when you decide to go to the farm with a dog and it says it's tired or unwilling to go, it will return for you to know it has refused to follow you, but in politics, the person will go with you alright but has already changed his/her decision in his or her mind," he told sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's morning show "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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The 226 people who worked in the hotel since December 30 would be contacted and would go into quarantine and get tested. The 250 quarantined guests who have left the hotel since December 30 would be contacted and they would be quarantined and tested. "It is of national concern, not just to Queensland, but everywhere else," Ms Palaszczuk said. "So the first good step is that the number of arrivals have been decreased, but also ... the fact that all of these six people were on the 7th floor." Ms Palaszczuk said she was concerned about the cluster after genomic testing revealed they were all linked, and would speak with her counterparts in other states on Wednesday morning.

These are the UK traveller and his partner, the hotel cleaner and her partner, and the man and his daughter from Lebanon who we told you about yesterday, she said. Loading All six have a connection to the Grand Chancellor hotel. Both groups of these overseas arrivals stayed on the same floor of the hotel at different times but not in neighbouring rooms. "There is no need for the public to be concerned, but we are going to take some immediate actions as a precaution." Only two of the six cases  the cleaner and her partner  have been out in the community, a development that promoted Brisbane's snap three-day lockdown last weekend.

The cleaner who worked at the hotel contracted the highly infectious UK COVID-19 strain last week, and police are combing through four days of CCTV footage to pinpoint the moment of transmission. Dr Young said the cleaner contracted the virus from a returned traveller from the UK, but was not yet sure how. "I think the safest thing to do is to move all of the guests out of that hotel to other hotels immediately," she said. "All of those 129 remaining people in that hotel will move, will get tested and will stay in quarantine for 14 days unless we find out what the link is." Geoff Crooks returned from the United States and had spent 14 days in the Hotel Grand Chancellor.

Mr Crooks' brother died while he was in quarantine and the funeral was set for Thursday. He was due to be released at 12.01am on Wednesday, but said he got a knock on his hotel room door at 11pm on Tuesday night from two police officers. Loading "We [Mr Crooks and his wife] were handed two more forms, which were quarantine directions saying you may be held for another two weeks and your new release date is January 26," he said. "Apparently there is a big investigation going on and the hotel might shut down and all the police and quarantine workers could spend two weeks in quarantine themselves.
Hong Kong: Enhancements to $2 scheme set

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The eligible age for using the $2 transport fare concession will be lowered from 65 to 60 and a new personalised card will be issued with the goal of adopting various enhancement and anti-abuse measures.

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong made the statement today when announcing the completion of the final report on the comprehensive review of the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly & Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme).

Dr Law explained that people aged between 60 and 64 may benefit from the $2 Scheme by using the new Personalised Octopus Cards (P-Cards) that will bear their photo and include other personal particulars.

He said: For this scheme, we are going to design a new card so that it can be easily identifiable.

Apart from having a photo, it will likely include a name printed on it, so that when we have to check whether there's a genuine use of that card by the right person, then we can double-check the identity card together with the personal card.

Upon confirmation of the technical specifications, the Government estimates that the issue of P-Cards to some 600,000 new beneficiaries may be completed within 13 months.

So we will announce the exact time when the new personalised card will be issued. I would expect it will be around the third quarter of this year.

The labour chief noted that the fare concession may be extended to red minibuses and kaitos on the condition of their strict compliance with the Transport Departments monitoring conditions prior to their admission.

For the red minibus, the Transport Department will discuss with the operators and the stakeholders about the details. I mentioned earlier the key parameters - the most important parts - are definitely the price, the route and the need to install the Octopus cards readers.

There are other details and we definitely need the co-operation of those who are willing and want to join the scheme. The Transport Department will discuss this with the operators in the upcoming days.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
[January 12, 2021] Artprice by Artmarket.com: New York posts a 41% drop in auction revenue in 2020, but confidence has returned in January 2021

PARIS, Jan. 12, 2021 /CNW/ -- In 2020, the world's leading Fine Art marketplace was at the epicentre of damage caused by the COVID pandemic, and the city's carefully structured auction agenda was completely upset. After the revenue shortfall resulting from the cancelled May sales, the major auction houses managed to switch over to online sales, but the high-end market struggled to catch up throughout the second part of the year. Monthly Fine Art auction turnover in New York (2019 vs 2020) thierry Ehrmann, President and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department: "The boom in 100% online sales has somewhat undermined the logic of maintaining auction rooms and offices in the centres of expensive cities like New York. Manhattan's power of attraction remains strong and certainly contributes to the success of the prestige sales, as we saw in 2020. But what about the rest of the Art Market? Will it be able to afford city-centre venues?". -98% in May In May 2019, the Big Apple hammered $2.2 billion at Fine Art auctions, thanks notably to eight works selling above the $50 million threshold between 13 and 16 May: Monet ($110 million), Koons ($91 million), Rauschenberg ($88 million), Cezanne ($59 million), Picasso ($55 million), Warhol ($53 million), Bacon ($50 million), Rothko ($50 million). The diversity of these masterpieces, created between the end of the 19th century and the Post-war period, illustrates the attractiveness of New York as a Fine Art marketplace. In May 2020, however, auctions (functioning online only) totaled just $39 million in Manhattan, i.e. just 2% of the total for the previous May. According to Artprice data, this total was generated by 1,400 Fine Art lots which sold for an average price of $28,000. All summer to relaunch It wasn't until the very end of June 2020 that the high-end market finally appeared to unblock. The New York market immediately recorded the only result of the year above $50 million in the West, with Francis Bacon's Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus (1981). Compared with the year-earlier period, the first semester of 2020 New York art sales ended down -54%. This significant shortfall was partially offset when the major houses decided to hold a number of prestige sessions in October, but it was made by moving forward part of the prestigious November sales. Confidence returning Fortunately the outlook is positive: confidence has gradually returned to the art market at the international level. Artprice's AMCI (Art Market Confidence Index) rose throughout November and December. So much so that by the start of 2021, two thirds of Art Market professionals declared a 'strong intention' to acquire new works. There can be no doubt that the Botticelli masterpiece that will be offered by Sotheby's on 28 January 2021 in ew York has captured the attention of major art buyers and enthusiasts all over the planet.



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Don't hesitate to contact our Econometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: econometrics@artprice.com

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Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artmarket: Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: https://www.artprice.com/video Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987. See certified biography in Who's who : https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/10/biographie_oct2019_WhosWho_thierryEhrmann.pdf Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 744,000 artists. Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians. Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code). Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art. Artprice by Artmarket's 2019 Global Art Market Report published in February 2020 :

https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2019 Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department:

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Its almost 65 years since Ronnie Delaney won gold at the Melbourne Olympics. Though Ireland remembers his achievement with pride, he may remember another from those games worthy of celebration.

Agnes Keleti, the worlds oldest Olympic champion, celebrated her 100th birthday in Budapest with gusto last Saturday. She competed in her first Olympics at Helsinki aged 31, before going on to win six medals, four of them gold, in Melbourne four years later.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre and states on a plea by All India Shiromani Singh Sabha, a Sikh organisation, seeking a uniform and non-arbitrary implementation of policy for declaring Guru Gobind Singh's birth anniversary as a public holiday.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioner, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde that the court should list the matter next week to ensure that the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh - the tenth Sikh Guru - is declared a public holiday this month itself, as it will be observed on January 20.

Singh said "it will be heartening something can be done, as the community have worked very hard amid pandemic (providing relief to people)." After a brief hearing, the bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian issued notice on the plea saying that it will look into Singh's request.

The plea, filed through advocate Durga Dutt, sought promotion and development of Sikh religious and cultural ethos. The plea said the important birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh who is a religious icon for the Sikh community, so far has not been declared a public holiday across the country, which has deeply aggrieved the Sikh organisation.

The petitioner contended that the birth anniversary of the tenth Sikh Guru should be allowed to be celebrated as 'Prakash Parv' throughout the country to instil a sense of patriotism, nationalism and brotherhood among the people.

"The petitioner submits that such a recognition by way of declaration of Gazette/public holiday would foster the spirit of unity, integrity and fraternity among the people of India and inspire the general populace to follow the high ideals of patriotism, nationalism and brotherhood among the people," said the plea, citing that Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world with 25.8 million followers.

The petitioner said Guru Gobind Singh stood against injustice and his teachings transcend time and will remain relevant in all times to come. The petitioner also cited the casual response of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, on its representation, saying that at present there is no proposal for declaring 'Prakash' Parv as a gazetted public holiday.

The organisation has made the Centre as well as all state governments and Union Territories as parties to the plea. The plea argued that holidays in countries like New Zealand, UK and USA, are governed by legislation. However, in India there is no Public Holidays Act, except the Weekly Holidays Act, 1942, which provided for weekly holidays. The petitioner contended that in most cases holidays were declared by the executive at the behest of political groups, which is usually to appease a particular section of the society.
Unionists are piling pressure on the Government to publish a report into compensation for victims of IRA attacks linked to Libyan explosives.

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Empey yesterday backed calls by the Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh MP for the Government to release the report carried out by William Shawcross into compensation for UK victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism.

Gaddafi supplied weapons and explosives to the IRA during the Troubles.

His Semtex is thought to have enabled blasts at a Remembrance Day service in Enniskillen in 1987 which killed 12 people and the Warrington bombings in 1992 which left two children dead, as well as other IRA attacks.

A decade on from Gaddafi's death, relatives of those killed continue to campaign for compensation from the current Libyan authorities.

William Shawcross was appointed by the Government to look at compensation for victims. His report was delivered to the Government last year, but has so far not been published.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said ministers are "carefully considering the complex issues" raised.

Read More

But Lord Empey said: "There is no question that the victims of Libyan sponsored terror - mainly delivered by the IRA - have been very shabbily treated by successive governments for literally decades.

"The failure to release the Shawcross report which they have had since May 2020 is simply the latest in a long line of failings."

In 2019, it was reported the UK Government has collected 17m in tax on 12bn of frozen Libyan assets hoarded by Colonel Mummer Gaddafi in the UK.

Lord Empey has tried at Westminster to ensure the release of frozen Libyan assets in London to compensate victims, but to no avail.

The DUP's Ian Paisley and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood recently signed a letter from a group of cross-party MPs demanding immediate publication of the Shawcross report.

The DUP MP said yesterday: "Despite the report having been submitted to Ministers months ago it has not been published and remains secret.

"Victims across the UK who suffered at the hands of weapons and explosives supplied to the IRA by Gaddafi remain without justice and have been denied access to the recommendations made by Mr Shawcross.

"There is clear support from across the House of Commons, including within the Conservative Party for the publication of this report. It is time the Government delivered on their obligation to victims to do so."
A Russian woman and her daughter tested negative for COVID-19 in Vietnam on Tuesday, hot in the heels of their positive retest following their recovery from the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

COVID-19 tests on the woman, 31, and her one-year-old daughter returned negative at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday morning, the Department of Health of southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, where they stay, said the same day.

On November 24, the Russians entered Vietnam by plane from Russia and were sent to quarantine in south-central Khanh Hoa Province as per protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

The two tested positive for the novel coronavirus on November 26 and were later confirmed as Vietnams COVID-19 patients 1,333 and 1,334.

They were treated at the medical center in Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa and made a full recovery on December 25.

As per coronavirus prevention rules, the Russian nationals were quarantined again at a hotel until January 7 despite having tested negative for the novel coronavirus twice.

The womans husband, who is an expert at Vietnam-Russia oil and gas joint venture Vietsovpetro, arrived in Khanh Hoa on January 7, before the three family members boarded flight VN6203 from Khanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City on January 8.

They got on a passenger bus and arrived in Vung Tau, a beach city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, at 10:30 pm the same day.

The three were quarantined at the Vietsovpetro Medical Center in the city.

Their samples were taken for COVID-19 testing at Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on January 9 and 10.

Their test results came back positive on the afternoon of January 10, two days before they retested negative at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City.

Their close contacts have tested negative for the virus.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,520 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday evening, with 1,361 recoveries and 35 virus-related fatalities, according to the Ministry of Health.

It has detected zero local infections since December 2.

The Southeast Asian country is sealing its borders to all international arrivals but it still allows entry to skilled workers, experts, diplomats, and Vietnamese repatriates, who are all subject to mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

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Photo: The Canadian Press Tina Puente wears a portrait of President Donald Trump as she gathers with other supporters in anticipation of his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Harlingen, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate, Trump said.

He made the comments during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Bidens victory. Trump arrived in Texas on Tuesday to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term, as lawmakers in Congress appeared set to impeach him this week for the second time.

The rampage through the halls of Congress sent lawmakers of both parties and Trump's own vice-president into hiding, as crowds called for Mike Pence's lynching for his role overseeing the vote count. The scene also undermined the hallmark of the republic  the peaceful transition of power. At least five people died, including one Capitol Police officer.

In the days leading up to the Jan. 6 certification vote, Trump encouraged his supporters to descend on Washington, D.C., promising a wild rally in support of his baseless claims of election fraud, despite his own administrations findings to the contrary. Speaking for more than an hour to a crowd on the Ellipse, Trump encouraged supporters to fight like hell and suggested that Republican lawmakers would need more courage not to step up and overturn the will of voters to grant him another term in office. He also suggested he would join them in marching on the Capitol.

As Trump wrapped up, thousands of his supporters were already heading to the Capitol, where lawmakers convened to count the electoral votes. As rioters were still in the building and lawmakers sheltered in secure locations, Trump, at the urging of aides who were shocked by the violence, released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: We love you. Youre very special. Go home.

Speaking Tuesday, Trump said the real problem was not his rhetoric, but the rhetoric that Democrats used to describe Black Lives Matter protests and violence in Seattle and Portland this summer,

Everybody to the t thought it was totally appropriate, Trump said of his own comments.

Trump headed to Alamo, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexican border  the site of the 450th mile of the border wall his administration is building.

Alamo is named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texan independence-fighters fended off Mexican forces during a 13-day siege. Most of them died, but the mission became a symbol of resistance for Texans, who eventually defeated the Mexican army.

Trump's visit  no doubt a symbol of the president's defiance  comes as he spends the final days of his presidency isolated, aggrieved and staring down the prospect of a second impeachment.

Aides have been urging the president to spend his remaining days in office highlighting what they see as the chief accomplishments of his presidency: a massive tax cut, his efforts to roll back federal regulations and the transformation of federal courts with the appointment of conservative judges. But Trump has repeatedly resisted their efforts as he has remained ensconced in the White House, behind closed doors, consumed by baseless allegations of voter fraud and conspiracies.

Trump is expected to deliver remarks highlighting his administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration and the progress made on his signature 2016 campaign promise: building a big, beautiful wall across the length of the southern border  an imposing structure made of concrete and reinforced steel. Over time, Trump demanded modifications that have been largely rejected: He wanted it painted black to burn the hands of those who touched it; he wanted it adorned with deadly spikes; he even wanted to surround it with an alligator-filled moat.

In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction  likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. The vast majority of that wall replaces smaller barriers that had already existed, though the new wall is considerably more difficult to bypass.

A few dozen Trump supporters rallied hours before his visit to the Rio Grande Valley near the Harlingen, Texas, airport, where he was scheduled to land. They planned to stage a caravan of vehicles flying flags that support the president and far-right causes like the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Four people interviewed Tuesday morning all said they believed antifa and Black Lives Matter activists staged the Capitol riot, though federal authorities have uniformly identified far-right activists as responsible. Two people said they still believed Trump would be inaugurated for a second term next week, even after Congress certified Bidens victory and courts at every level have dismissed Trumps baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

If he is able to see us, we hope that it would encourage him and lift up his spirits, said Sharon Katie Taylor, a retiree from Iowa. The people voted him in, and that will be proven.

Over the last four years, Trump and his administration have taken extreme  and often unlawful  action to try to curb both illegal and legal immigration. Their efforts were aided in his final year by the coronavirus pandemic, which ground international travel to a halt. But the number of people stopped trying to cross the southern border illegally has been creeping back up in recent months. Figures from December show nearly 74,000 encounters at the southwest border, up 3% from November and up 81% from a year earlier.

Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has warned the next administration that easing Trump administration policies, including a halt to wall construction, would lead to a surge of people seeking to cross the border, creating "an unmitigated crisis in the first few weeks.

Biden has said hed halt construction of the border wall and take executive action where possible to reverse some of Trumps restrictions on legal immigration and asylum seekers. But Biden and his aides have acknowledged the possibility of a new crisis at the border if they act too quickly, and Biden has said it could take six months for his administration to secure funding and put in place the necessary infrastructure to loosen Trump-era restrictions.

After the Capitol violence, groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center urged Trump to call off his visit.

The violence Trump incited last week, and the violence his anti-immigrant policies cause stem from the alarming mainstreaming of white nationalist ideology that our country must reckon with and fight to uproot," said Efren Olivares, deputy legal director of the centres Immigrant Justice Project. The presidents planned trip to the border will only further the harm and beget more violence."
A demonstrator holds flags of Taiwan and the United States in support of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a stop-over after her visit to Latin America in Burlingame, Calif., on Jan. 14, 2017. (Stephen Lam/Reuters)

US Hosts Taiwan in Netherlands in First Visit Since Restrictions Lifted

TAIPEIThe U.S. ambassador in the Netherlands has hosted Taiwans representative to the country at the U.S. embassy, in the first publicly announced visit to a U.S. government office since the secretary of state lifted restrictions on interactions.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the change on Saturday, which scraps curbs on meetings with Taiwan officials, in the waning days of the Republican Trump administration before Democrat Joe Biden assumes the presidency on Jan. 20.

China condemned the move, saying nobody could prevent Chinas reunification. Beijing views the self-governed democratic island as its own territory, and voices its opposition to Taiwan having state-to-state ties.

The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, said on Twitter that Taiwans representative to the country, Chen Hsing-hsing, had met with him at the embassy on Monday.

Extremely pleased and honored to visit @usambnl at @usembthehague, the very first time in my diplomatic career thanks to @SecPompeos statement on January 9-https://t.co/2fLbU6erBN

 https://t.co/gyyIezD0Og  Taiwan_in_NL  (@Taiwan_in_NL) January 11, 2021

Made some history today: Welcomed Taiwan Representative Chen to our Embassy, he wrote, including pictures of the two of them in the embassy building.

Glad that our @StateDept colleagues around the world will now be able to host our friends from this vibrant democracy on our Embassy grounds.

Chen tweeted she was extremely pleased and honoured to visit the embassy, saying it was the very first time in my diplomatic career.

The United States, like most countries, has no embassy in Taiwan, although the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States has acted as a de facto embassy in previous interactions. Officials from both sides have met in non-official venues such as hotels.

Read More US Ambassador to UN Will Visit Taiwan for 3-Day Trip

China has been angered by stepped-up U.S. support for Taiwan under the Trump administration, including arms sales and visits to Taipei by senior U.S. officials.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, is due to arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday for a three-day visit, which has also angered Beijing.

By Ben Blanchard. The Epoch Times contributed to this article.
MANILA, Philippines, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- International debt watcher Fitch Ratings has kept the Philippines' investment grade credit rating of "BBB" with a "stable" outlook, citing the manageable fiscal situation despite the COVID-19 crisis and favorable growth prospects amid a declining number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

"BBB" is one step above the minimum investment grade, while a "stable" outlook indicates absence of factors that could trigger adjustment in the rating within the short term.

By keeping its credit rating, the Philippines continues to stand out in the international financial community amid a wave of negative credit rating actions, which resulted from adverse impacts of the pandemic on the performance and credit profiles of many economies.

In 2020, Fitch implemented 51 credit rating downgrades affecting 33 sovereigns (some sovereigns were downgraded more than once). These include countries that previously had the same rating as the Philippines, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Italywhose ratings were downgraded by a notch to the minimum investment grade of "BBB-".

In a report released on Monday, Fitch noted that the Philippines has "modest government debt levels relative to peers, robust external buffers, and still-strong medium-term growth prospects." Fitch also said it expects economic recovery in the coming quarters for the Philippines, placing its gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection at 6.9 percent for this year and 8.0 percent for next year.

Reacting to Fitch's decision, two of the Philippines' top economic officials welcomed the affirmation of the Philippines' credit rating, which is a recognition of the soundness of the COVID response measures in the country, as well as the Philippines' strong fundamentals going into the pandemic and robust medium-term growth trajectory.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said: "The affirmation of the Philippines' 'BBB' rating with a 'stable' outlook shows that the country has remained credit and investment worthy throughout the global COVID-19 crisis."

He added: "This is because, first, our strong economy on the Duterte watch gave us enough fiscal space to deal with the unprecedented health and economic crises. Second, there is a whole-of-government approach in saving lives, protecting communities and livelihoods, and providing relief to the hardest hit families, workers, and businesses. Third, we continued our commitment to prudent fiscal and debt management event as we start spending big on COVID-19 response measures to revive the economy and restore both business and consumer confidence."

"As soon as the pandemic struck in early 2020, the Duterte administration came up with and shepherded the swift congressional passage of twin legislation (Bayanihan 1 and 2) designed to beef up our healthcare infrastructure, extend the biggest emergency subsidies ever to poor families and dislocated workers, and provide relief to businesses, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)," Dominguez said.

"Moreover, the government is also working with the Congress on the quick passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. This, and the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) bill, which has been passed by Congress, are meant to stimulate economic activity and speed up the country's recovery from the pandemic-driven global growth slump," he added.

He said that pending the implementation of a mass vaccination program, the government has started relaxing mobility restrictions to further open up the economy on a calibrated basis, hence allowing businesses to resume or expand operations and boosting consumer spending.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said: "We appreciate Fitch's understanding of the Philippines' credit and macroeconomic direction amid the global pandemic we are all facing. For our part, the BSP was among the first central banks in the world to respond to the crisis with a policy rate cut as early as February last year. We deemed it important to signal to the market that we were ready to act swiftly and decisively to buoy market confidence, as well as to ensure sufficient liquidity and efficient functioning of the financial system."

"We implemented a long list of response measures, including unprecedented onessuch as counting of loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as part of compliance with the reserve requirementin a manner that was prompt and decisive. Given that the BSP, along with the rest of government, did its homework last year, we can see better days ahead as we look forward to the distribution of anti-COVID vaccines in the country," the central bank chief said.

Based on latest government projections, the Philippine economy will swing from recession in 2020 to growth of 6.5 and 7.5 percent this year and between 8 and 10 percent next year. Growth will be supported by government spending, with an approved National Budget of P4.506 trillion, which is 10 percent higher than last year's and equivalent to 21.8 percent of GDP.

As of end-December 2020, released allotments for Bayanihan I and II, which provide financial support to health system improvements and vulnerable sectors, such as frontliners and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), amounted to P500.7 billion.

The CREATE bill, which will be the country's largest stimulus package for businesses on record, will mandate corporate income tax cuts and the rationalization of the country's fiscal incentives system. It is already up for bicameral deliberations by Congress following separate moves of the Lower House and the Senate to approve their own version of the bill.

The FIST bill, which has been passed by both houses of Congress and is currently being reviewed by the Office of the President before the signing of President Rodrigo Duterte, will help banks unload souring assets. This will help ensure that the banking system will remain healthy despite a potential rise in non-performing loans, which in turn could result from the adverse impact of the crisis on the ability of some borrowers to pay debts on time.

Meantime, measures to contain the spread of the virus and enhance the capacity of the healthcare system have shown positive results. As of January 10, the Department of Health reported that the Philippines' active COVID cases had dropped to 20,038 which is the lowest in six months and a death rate of 1.93 percent (significantly lower than global average). Also, weekly data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that confirmed daily COVID cases and deaths in the Philippines have been on a downward trend since September 2020.

"New daily recorded COVID-19 cases have been declining in recent months, reflecting an effective government response to the crisis and reducing the risk of renewed lockdowns. The authorities have also engaged in multilateral initiatives and with several pharmaceutical companies to secure vaccines, with a rollout anticipated starting in May 2021," Fitch noted.

Fitch likewise recognized that "the Philippines external finances remain a credit strength," citing gross international reserves that are expected to remain equivalent to 9 or 10 months of imports and other external payments this year and next year. This compares with international standards, which suggest that GIR worth at least three months of import cover is sufficient.

The debt watcher also expects the Philippine banking system to remain stable, with sufficient provisioning of banks that allow them to absorb any potential credit losses arising from the crisis.

The affirmation of the Philippines' credit ratings by various debt watchers since last year has been beneficial, especially in relation to its efforts to fund COVID recovery measures. Favorable credit ratings help a sovereign (or any borrowing institution) access financing at lower cost.

For inquiries, please contact:

Michelle V. Remo

Information and Communications Management Unit

Investor Relations Office (IRO)

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

+63-928-501-8423

[email protected]

SOURCE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
Last Wednesday, acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf was a world away, on an international junket that included stops in Qatar, Cyprus and Bahrain. That morning, the same day thousands of Trump supporters descended on Washington, D.C., for a Save America Rally, Wolf popped up on Twitter to share photos of a meet-and-greet with Bahraini officials to discuss, among other things, counterterrorism and infrastructure security.

Two hours later, President Trump told his supporters to march to the Capitol. Five hours later, an aide interrupted a speech Sen. James Lankford was giving on the Senate floor to say that protesters are in the building."

Wolf would later condemn the attacks as tragic and sickening, as almost every Republican official did. Wolf also publicly called on the president to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday.

But now Wolf is gone, the latest member of Trump's Cabinet to step down since the attack.

Unlike Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Wolf didnt mention the chaos at the Capitol when he announced his departure Monday. In a letter obtained by RealClearPolitics, he cited instead recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as acting secretary. (Wolf succeeded Kevin McAleenan, whose status as acting DHS chief was also disputed when he took over for Kirstjen Nielsen in April 2019.)

And this is another distinction: Wolf and the rest of the Trump administration had been quick to condemn violence when it was perpetrated by leftists. In fact, the head of DHS flew to Portland, Ore., this July to rally law enforcement defending a besieged federal courthouse.

If local leaders are not going to step up and have the political will to stop this, he told RCP in an exclusive interview before addressing officers dressed in flak jackets and fatigues, then the president's been clear: The federal government will.

An attack on a federal building was the same as an attack America, he added: We are not going to abandon this seat of justice here in downtown Portland and have violent anarchists overrun it.

What of the hooligans outside the walls of the courthouse that summer night and so many others, the ones hurling fireworks and chucking rocks at cops? Did Wolf consider, RCP asked, their violent protests an act of insurrection? "I think at some point you certainly could, he said. I'm not talking about it in that way at this moment  what I'm focused on is first making sure that we're protecting our officers.

Talk of insurrection is now in vogue. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer indicated late Monday that Democrats would move to impeach the president Wednesday on charges of inciting an insurrection. Before the November elections, though, it was Republicans who were pointing to charred city blocks as an ominous warning sign. It was Trump vs. Biden in the era of mob politics, with both sides moving to distance themselves from the violent constituency no one wanted.

They will make every city look like Democrat-run Portland, Oregon, Trump tweeted. No one will be safe in Bidens America.

The president is now been banned from Twitter, and the dystopian future has come to the nations capital not at the hands of those who burned Kenosha or Minneapolis or Seattle but by those who thought they were storming Congress in service to Trump.

Many on the right now bristle at what they feel is a double standard. They complain that politicians who said that antifa is a myth and pundits who insisted that the crowds burning convenience stores in Minneapolis were mostly peaceful are now vociferously condemning the Trump rabble that stormed and occupied the halls of government. This does not include Ken Cuccinelli. Instead, the acting deputy DHS director sees the political violence as a continuum.

While assessing security at the Capitol the night of the attack, Cuccinelli told RCP he could see through the shattered windows and onto the floor of the House. This is not the way we're supposed to govern ourselves in this country, he said. We've been saying that at DHS for six months, and we condemn violence, no matter who's doing it.

But Cuccinelli believes that bad actors on the right learned from bad actors on the left after watching chaos go unpunished. I remember distinctly Speaker Pelosi, instead of condemning violent protesters, condemning police by calling them storm troopers, he said. The result: When it's effectively encouraged by the powers that be, and allowed to go on all over the country, well, expect it to continue, and expect other people who observe that then to say, Well, hey, if they can do it, we can do it.

While Wolf resigned Monday, Trump declared a state of emergency in Washington, D.C., and ordered federal authorities to supplement local efforts to keep the peace ahead of Bidens inauguration. Much of that work, the president said in a statement, will be done by the Federal Emergency Management Agency  a department of DHS.
[January 12, 2021] The MolinaCares Accord to Improve Minority Access to Dental Care Through New Ohio Scholarship Program

The MolinaCares Accord, with support from Molina Healthcare of Ohio, today announced the launch of its Dental Scholarship Program, aimed at increasing access to dental care services among minorities in underserved communities across Ohio. Access to dental care is a serious issue in low-income and minority communities, with recent research indicating Black adults suffer from untreated dental disease 2 times more frequently when compared with their white counterparts and Hispanic adults are 1 1/2 times more likely than their white counterparts. Unmet dental needs have a profound impact on a person's health and their economic opportunity, as people in low-income communities are 100 times more likely to experience difficulties doing their job because of oral health conditions, and they are 200 times more likely to have oral pain than those at higher incomes. "The MolinaCares Accord is focused on building stronger comunities and addressing racial disparities in health care," said Ami Cole, plan president, Molina Healthcare of Ohio. "The Dental Scholarship Program will increase the number of Black and other minority dentists serving low-income communities across the state, and help expand access to dental care for people in these communities, especially among minorities who typically use these services more when they are provided by minority dentists."



As part of this program, starting in fall 2021, The MolinaCares Accord will fund scholarships at the two top dental schools in the state of Ohio for candidates that support diversity. The scholarships represent a $1.4 million investment over four years and will be awarded to one student admitted and enrolled in each of the four School of Dental Medicine class years at both schools. Recipients will be asked to practice dentistry upon graduation in a dental shortage area of Ohio and to serve indigent patients, including through Medicaid. For more information about The MolinaCares Accord's efforts to help strengthen communities in Ohio, please visit Molina-Cares.com.

About MolinaCares Accord Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc. in 2020, The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc. About Molina Healthcare of Ohio Since 2005, Molina Healthcare of Ohio has been providing government-funded, quality health care to low-income individuals. As of September 30, 2020, the company serves approximately 348,000 members through Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Health Insurance Exchange programs across the state. For more information, visit MolinaHealthcare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112006103/en/

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The surge in DIY activity across Britain showed no sign of slowing down over the festive period, B&Q owner Kingfisher's latest results show.

The group, which also owns Screwfix, saw online sales rise 150 per cent in the 10 weeks to 9 January compared to a year ago, while overall, sales swelled by nearly 17 per cent.

Sales across the UK and Ireland jumped 24 per cent in November, and were up 20.8 per cent in December.

Bosses said they expect sales at Screwfix to hit 2billion this year, just 15 years after the first store opened.

Sales across the UK and Ireland jumped 24 per cent in November, and were up 20.8 per cent in December

Chief executive Thierry Garnier said he now expects pre-tax profits for the year to be at the top end of City forecasts of 742million.

The likes of B&Q and Screwfix have benefited from having 'essential' retail status throughout the pandemic and have been able to cash in as millions spend more time at home and spruce up their properties.

The group's 1,380 stores across the UK, France, Poland, Romania and Spain are all open for in-store purchasing and click & collect, but the new lockdown restrictions in Britain and Ireland have resulted in the shutting of some areas of certain B&Q stores.

Mr Garnier said: 'While the strength of our Q4 trading, to date, is reassuring, uncertainty over Covid-19 and the impact of lockdown restrictions in most of our markets continue to limit our visibility.

'Longer term, we are confident that the strategic and operational actions we are taking are building a strong foundation for sustainable long-term growth.

'We also believe that the renewed focus on homes is supportive for our markets.'

The group's latest profit forecast includes an 85million one-off profit from the pandemic chaos after taking into consideration a 45million spend on making stores Covid-secure and covering other coronavirus-related costs.

The company today reiterated plans to repay money saved from the business rates holiday of 130million, after repaying 23million in November previously claimed under the UK furlough scheme and has

Adam Vettese, an analyst at eToro, said: 'It's clear from Kingfisher's latest trading update that Europe's new-found love of DIY shows no signs of abating.

'Despite the pandemic causing major disruption to retailers with physical store presences, the B&Q owner reported very strong sales in each of its markets over Christmas, with online sales in particular soaring.

'Even though much of Europe is currently in lockdown, the group still projects profits to come in comfortably at the top of analysts' estimates.

'However, the biggest challenge facing Kingfisher is not how it navigates coronavirus, as it is clearly having no problems there. Instead, it is how it maintains interest in DIY once coronavirus and lockdowns are a distant memory.'

Shares in FTSE 100 listed Kingfisher got off on the right foot this morning and are currently up 1.93 per cent or 5.40p to 284.90p. A year ago the company's share price was 214.00p.
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AstraZeneca and Oxford University had filed a formal bid for authorisation for their coronavirus vaccine, the European Medicines Agency said on Tuesday. A decision could come by 29 January, the agency added."EMA has received an application for conditional marketing authorisation for a COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University," the Amsterdam-based regulator said in a statement.

"An opinion on the marketing authorisation could be issued by 29 January... provided that the data submitted on the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine are sufficiently robust and complete," it said.

Britain, Argentina and India had approved the emergency marker use of AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine. The 'virus-vectored' vaccine uses a weakened version of a chimpanzee common coldvirus that encodes instructions for making proteins from the novel coronavirus to generate an immune response and prevent infection. Once in human cells, the vaccine should help stimulate the production of antibodies that recognizee the virus. Researchers claim the vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given a half dose.

Compared to the vaccines by United States drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, Covishield is "logistically feasible for distribution in the country's both urban and rural parts as it can be stored at two to eight degrees celsius." One of the major advantages of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be its cost. It will be priced at $2-$3 per dose. AstraZeneca signed an agreement with Serum Institute of India to produce 1 billion Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for low-and-middle income countries.

'Easy to produce' and 'easy to handle' Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would become vaccine for the world," the developers believed

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Answer: Dove (Image: Facebook)

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In the brand war between Sebamed, a skincare brand from Germany, and the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) major Hindustan Unilever (HUL), the one question on everyone's mind is whether such a strategy is right?

While in an order dated January 11, the Bombay High Court restrained Sebamed commercial from all mediums, brand experts say that the damage for HUL is already done.

"In this case, HUL is looking real bad because the data seems so damaging to them," said Sandeep Goyal, Chairman, Mogae Media, a media consulting firm.

If you are wondering what the Sebamed commercial was all about, the ad compares the pH value of various HUL products in the soap category with Sebamed's soap bar. pH value refers to the acidic level in a product. So, lower pH means the soap is less acidic and better for the skin.

Such type of an ad in advertising terms is called comparative advertising.

"While Sebamed has to discontinue its advertising from now on, the damage is already done and social media conversations will ensure that this battle will continue even if the communication is no longer in play," said Sunit Khot, Chief Strategy Officer, Network Advertising.

But was it the right move by Sebamed?

Brand expert and Founder of Harish Bijoor Consults In, Harish Bijoor said that this is a proven tactic. "When a smaller brand wants to take on the biggest in the space, it exhibits a yen to be bigger than the rest. It attracts eyeballs. It attracts the eyeballs of everyone who consumes the bigger brand, in this case a whole clutch of HUL brands."

Adding to this, Goyal, said, "HUL is the big bully of the FMCG business with enormous market shares. Any competitor trying to take on HUL has to be gutsy and capable of inflicting some quick hits before HUL lumbers into defense. So, the direct ads are brave and hit hard. There is no ambiguity in the claims, and HUL has been put on back foot defensive."

He added that the ad which aired last week during the weekend further paralysed HUL. "The earliest rebuttal was possible only on Monday, giving Sebamed all the space and leeway to make its point."

But can Sebamed's ad impact sales of HUL's soap brand Dove?

"In the case of SebaMed, a relatively niche and premium brand, given the huge price premium it commands, this is not likely to result in much conversion," said Khot.

A 100 gm Sebamed's cleansing bar ranges between Rs 99 to Rs 189 whereas a Dove costs around Rs 48.

However, brand experts pointed out that Sebamed, which is a new player in the soap category has achieved a quick spike of interest and enquiry and that may result in some sales which will make a difference considering the brand has a smaller base in India.

Santosh Patil, Associate Director, Key Accounts, TheSmallBigIdea, a marketing agency said that in recent times, comparative advertising has gained popularity amid advertisers for its ability to create noise and drive narratives.

He added that those who support comparative advertising believe it brings a healthy competition to the table. "However, the detractors feel it hampers the brand's reputation and could result in loss of goodwill for the brand," he added. As for Patil, he thinks that such type of advertising helps consumers to make better buying decisions.

Will this tactic be enough for Sebamed?

Bijoor said that such a tactic has a small lifetime. "Once the grabbing of the eyeballs is achieved, one needs to witness the brand-strategy rollout. That needs to have a longer life. I am waiting for that now from Sebamed. A tactic is never enough to create a strong brand in the marketplace."

Khot agrees. He said, "one feels that Sebamed could have worked on building its own equity given its premium and clinical skincare heritage. A direct comparison brings the brand down to a lower battleground, rather than carving out its own place at the top of the price-value pyramid."

Has this happened before?

Brand experts pointed out many examples when brands took on competition directly through ads.

"Though not rampant, this is hardly the first instance of direct comparative advertising in India. There are examples like Maruti versus Hyundai, Horlicks versus Complan, Tide versus Rin, and many more. The point is that none of these managed to get any long-term advantages beyond a flurry of discussions before the public moved on to the next big thing," said Khot.

In fact, HUL has also done something similar in the past.

In one of its previous ads for its detergent bar Rin, HUL had come up with a commercial where a pack of Tide, a laundry detergent brand by Procter & Gamble (P&G) is in the background and the ad plays a voice-over saying, "Tide se kahin behtar safedi Rin."
ABB Power Products and Systems India | Hitachi ABB Power Grids joint venture commenced operations. (Image: Reuters)

Motilal Oswal's report on Energy Weekly

Oil ended the first week of New Year with a gain of nearly 8% as OPEC leader Saudi Arabia continued with its lower-for-longer supply strategy. Saudi Arabia announced an additional 1Mbpd output cut over Feb and March. OPEC+ agreed most producers would hold output steady in February and March while allowing Russia and Kazakhstan to raise output by a modest 75,000 bpd in February. The oil markets attention has been almost entirely on the potential for reduced global supplies. The decision by the Saudis was a big deal and its an underpinning for prices. Clearly, maintaining the oil price was paramount and they were willing to let others take advantage in order to accomplish that. This was followed by large US crude oil inventory drawdown reported by the EIA earlier in the week, which only provided further support.

Outlook

Crude gains looks questionable as the market can its attention back to fuel demand issues in the coming weeks, and also to how well the U.S. and the rest of the world are coping in their recovery from COVID which can lead to sell off at higher levels.

For all commodities report, click here

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies 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.

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Active-duty military personnel can vote; join a political party or club; or donate to political organizations, as long as they do so as private citizens and not as representatives of the U.S. armed forces.

But they don't have carte blanche to engage in all political activities, and certainly aren't allowed to participate in seditious acts.

As investigators work to determine whether any active-duty troops took part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week -- and the Army investigates one of its own who organized a group to attend the Save America Rally beforehand -- questions have arisen as to what service members can and can't do politically and the consequences they face.

Read Next: Here Is What It Was Like for a Marine Turned Journalist Capturing the US Capitol Assault

The extent of their involvement will likely determine whether they violated a Defense Department directive that spells out the limitations or broke the law under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to military law experts.

DoD Directive 1344.10 breaks down the rules when it comes to political activities -- policies that are oft-repeated by the services during election years to remind personnel of their rights and limitations, according to Rachel VanLandingham, a retired Air Force judge advocate general and law professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

According to the directive, active-duty service members can vote and belong to a political party; give to political organizations and candidates; run for nonpartisan elected office; write letters to the editor in support of candidates or parties; place bumper stickers on their vehicles; and engage in voter registration drives -- as long as they do these activities as private citizens.

They cannot participate in partisan political fundraising activities, rallies or debates; manage campaigns; use their office or authority to influence or interfere with an election; solicit votes for a candidate or issue; serve as an officer in a partisan political club; speak at partisan gatherings; speak to the media as an advocate for or against a partisan political party or candidate; or engage in fundraising activities on federal installations.

Participation includes more than mere attendance as a spectator, according to the directive.

Army Capt. Emily Rainey, 30, is the first active-duty member identified as being under investigation for her participation in the rally.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that the psychological operations officer, with 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, organized a group of 100 members of Moore County Citizens for Freedom -- a self-described nonpartisan network "dedicated to the promotion of conservative values in Moore County through education and activism" to attend the D.C. rally to "stand against election fraud."

Rainey said she attended the Trump rally while on leave, didn't advertise that she was an Army officer and told her bosses ahead of time that she'd be going.

"I was a private citizen and doing everything right and within my rights," Rainey told The Associated Press.

She said she didn't know of anyone who entered the Capitol and that the group members were headed back to their buses hours before an emergency curfew took effect.

But even if Rainey didn't break any laws, her role as organizer of the bus trip could be problematic and she could be held accountable, military law experts said.

"If you're the organizer, you are exercising the leadership role. That does create a problem with the DoD directive," said Eugene Fidell, a former Coast Guard judge advocate general and military law expert who lectures at Yale Law School. "She organized a subgroup. I think that is problematic, right? That's basically a leadership role."

VanLandingham agreed.

"It sounds like she was leading, and that's where the real problem is going to come in," she said. "You can attend a political event, but you're not supposed to be engaged in partisan political activities. I don't see how you can get more partisan, which is what she was doing."

Rainey was charged earlier this month with injury to personal property after she posted a video online of her removing caution tape from a playground closed during COVID-19 restrictions.

According to the Army, she received an "appropriate administrative action" and submitted her resignation in September. It is expected to go into effect in April.

More than 90 people have been arrested for the events at the Capitol, which briefly delayed certification of the Electoral College results and ended with vandalism, injuries and deaths.

Six people died during or after the assault, including a trespasser shot while allegedly trying to break into the suite of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a Capitol Police officer who died of injuries sustained while trying to defend the building and those trapped inside. Three people died of medical emergencies, while another officer died of suspected suicide after the event.

At least 25 people are under investigation on domestic terrorism charges in the incident -- a group that may include active-duty or reserve troops, a defense official told USA Today.

The agitator who died, Ashli Babbit, served in the U.S. Air Force for 14 years. Retired Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Larry Brock was arrested Sunday in Texas and charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct as well as entering a restricted building.

Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard officer, has called for an investigation into whether any military retirees or active members participated in seditious acts, worked to hinder the electoral count or stole property from the Capitol.

In a letter Monday to Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, Duckworth said it would be a "disgraceful insult to the vast majority of service members" if anyone was found to have participated" and she urged him to "hold individuals accountable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice."

"Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security," she wrote.

Brock's arrest has raised discussions on whether he could be tried in military court for a variety of seditious acts, but given that he is a retired member of the Reserve, he likely will be prosecuted in civilian court.

As for any active-duty persons found to have participated, it would be up to the military to determine whether they violated DoD policy, should be tried within the military court system or turned over to civilian courts.

Fidell said he favors charges against any military persons being handled by civilian criminal courts.

"There's an interest in having the country's civilian justice system defend the country, because the victim here is the country, not the military," he said. "This was an offense against the Republic, and I have no reason to believe right now that the normal machinery of federal law won't capture this misconduct."

VanLandingham disagrees. In the case of active-duty personnel, they should be tried under the UCMJ, she said.

"There needs to be a very strong deterrent message sent to their fellow military members that this kind of behavior absolutely will not be tolerated," VanLandingham said. "This is not what we do in the military, and you're going to face the consequences."

Several articles of the UCMJ could apply to any military personnel found to have participated in last week's violence, including Article 88, which prohibits commissioned officers from "using contemptuous words against the president, vice president, Congress, the secretary of defense and service secretaries" and other named officials; Article 133, conduct unbecoming of an officer; and Article 134, which forbids behavior that disrupts or neglects good order and discipline.

There's also Article 94, which states that anyone found guilty of attempted mutiny, mutiny, sedition or failure to report such efforts could be subject to the death penalty, dismissal from the military and/or life in prison.

In Rainey's case, or that of any other active-duty personnel found to be guilty of committing a crime or violating DoD policy, there is a "continuum of possibilities," VanLandingham said.

"She was either a spectator at a political event not in uniform, so not engaged in any misconduct; she crossed the line into impermissible partisan political activities by leading others to protest the certification of Electoral College votes; she violated military law by engaging in the very serious crime of sedition by intending to destroy the ability of Congress to do its job by helping create the riot scene on [Jan. 6]; or a lesser crime of conduct unbecoming an officer, depending on what exactly she did last week," VanLandingham said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: After Capitol Siege, Navy's Top Officer Tells Commanders to Stay Focused on Mission
McALLEN  President Donald Trump returned to Texas Tuesday to make his first public appearance since his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week as he visited the border wall that he made central to his campaign for president in 2016.

Trump touted his immigration crackdown on Tuesday, which he deemed an incredible success story, as he signed a Donald Trump plaque mounted at the bottom of a segment of the wall in the town of Alamo in Hidalgo County.

Its been tremendously successful, far beyond what anyone thought, the president said. Were stopping in large numbers the drugs coming into the country for many, many years and decades. Were stopping a lot of illegal immigration.

We cant let the next administration even think about taking it down, he said. I dont think that will happen. I think when you see what it does and how its so important for our country, nobodys going to be touching it.

It was Trumps 18th visit to Texas since he took office in 2017, and it came as the House was preparing to impeach the president this week. Trump would be the first president impeached twice.

Trumps visit has brought concern from some in the region who fear it comes too close to last Wednesdays violence and could result in trouble in the area. Some have circulated a petition calling for the visit to be canceled while others are warning people in the community to stay clear of the events.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Texas LULAC is urging the Hispanic community of the Rio Grande Valley to stay away from Tuesdays Trump circus at the U.S.-Mexico border and to avoid any confrontation with Trump supporters determined for a repeat of the violence witnessed in Washington, D.C. last week, said Rodolfo Rosales Jr., state director for LULAC.

At the wall, Trump said now is the time for our nation to heal, and its time for peace and calm  even as he called impeachment proceedings, set to get underway this week, a continuation of the greatest and most vicious witch hunt in the history of politics that is causing tremendous anger and division.

Which is very dangerous for the USA, especially at this very tender time, Trump said before saying we believe in the rule of law not in violence or rioting.

In D.C. Texas Democrats slammed Trumps visit to the state as they readied to vote Tuesday evening on a resolution calling for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from power. Pence is not expected to do so and the House is planning to move to impeach Trump on Wednesday.

Like a criminal who returns to the scene of a crime, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of El Paso said. While I wish he would have resigned after inciting a terrorist attack against our country, may his visit to the border be a reminder to the country about the grave human rights abuses that occurred during the most incompetent, xenophobic, and cruel administration in our nations history.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, whose district includes parts of Hidalgo County, said Trump is not visiting to help the people of South Texas, but just to tout his own political agenda.

Do not be fooled: President Trump does not care about the people of South Texas, this country, or the rule of law, Gonzalez said.

The city of Alamo, meanwhile, issued a statement that it had NOT been officially contacted regarding this visit and therefore, have NO DETAILS.

We are currently receiving many phone calls and emails regarding the presidents visit but as you can see we cannot comment any further, the statement said. Regarding any potential protests or support for the president, we ask that all demonstrations are peaceful and respectful towards our law enforcement personnel and our surrounding communities.

Wermund reported from Washington, D.C.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com

ben.wermund@chron.com
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LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Derwent London Plc. (DLN.L) said that it has now collected 83% of its total December Quarter Day rent and 87% of its office rent. Office rent represents about 91% of the Group's total rental income. The collection rates were higher than the June and September 2020 quarters at an equivalent time. The company said it has now received 83% of the total rent, with a further 3% now expected later in the first quarter and another 5% later in 2021. Rent-free periods have been granted on 1% of total rents, in the retail and hospitality sectors. 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.
Angela Merkel has warned Germany will see ten times as many Covid cases by Easter if they 'don't manage to stop this British virus'.

The Chancellor told lawmakers in her conservative party that she expects the latest lockdown to last until April to stop the spread of a more-infectious mutant strain that first emerged in the UK and has since spread to mainland Europe.

President Donald Trump has been branded 'racist' over his use of the terms China Virus and even Kung Flu to describe coronavirus - which is believed to have originated in Wuhan.

It comes as coffins are being piled up in offices and corridors in the Saxon town of Meissen where a crematorium manager says they are cremating 60 bodies a day.

The state of Saxony, where Meissen is located, includes six of the 10 worst-hit counties in Germany.

Angela Merkel has warned Germany will see ten times as many Covid cases by Easter if they 'don't manage to stop this British virus'

But Merkel did not hold back in calling out Britain as she discussed her latest measures in a meeting on Wednesday.

She said: 'If we don't manage to stop this British virus, then we will have 10 times the number of cases by Easter. We need eight to 10 more weeks of tough measures,' Bild quoted Merkel as saying.

Three participants of the meeting told Reuters that Merkel had not explicitly spoken of an extension of the lockdown to April and that she had not warned of a tenfold increase in infection numbers in Germany.

'Merkel said the coming eight to ten weeks would be very hard if the British variant spreads to Germany,' one of the people said, adding the chancellor had referred to a tenfold surge in infection numbers in Ireland due to the new variant.

Responding to her comments, one Tory MP told MailOnline: 'It is not helpful. The reason she can call it that is because we have such a good way of tracking the variants - far better than other countries.

'It doesn't mean it even necessarily started here, it is just we are better at detecting them.

'It is a clumsy way for the German Chancellor to describe it. To call this variant the 'British virus', it is extremely unhelpful.

'I think she would in hindsight want to change her wording.'

President Donald Trump has been questioned over his use of the terms China Virus and even Kung Flu to describe the pandemic

Meanwhile fellow Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'We identified the variant because we have the best genome sequencing labs in the world.

'The EU have just agreed a trade deal with the Chinese and don't want to upset them.

'This is pathetic, given that the Covid virus almost certainly came out of the lab in Wuhan and China won't allow an independent investigation into how the pandemic started.'

Mr Bridgen added: 'I wonder if when they are administering the Oxford vaccine to EU citizens, will they call it the British vaccine?'

Germany was initially praised for having one of the best virus responses in the world, but has seen cases and deaths soar since lockdowns were relaxed.

The soaring numbers forced Merkel to announce a tightening of measures ahead of Christmas, and she today warned that measures may have to get tighter still.

Germany had tightened a national lockdown last week and extended it until the end of January amid fears that the more transmissible variant of the virus first discovered in Britain may put additional strain on struggling hospitals.

On Tuesday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases reported 12,802 new coronavirus cases.

The Covid-19 death toll rose by 891 according to the RKI, bringing the overall total of deaths to 41,577.

Europe's largest economy aims to be able to limit the spread of the virus until enough of its population has been vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

But so far, only 688,782 people have received the vaccine in Germany, less than one per cent of its population.

The premier of the southern state of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, called for a discussion on introducing obligatory vaccinations for nursing home staff as many of those working in homes did not plan to get jabs against COVID-19.

Coffins stored in hallways of crematorium in Meissen, Germany, after surge in Covid deaths

The crematorium would typically have 70 to 100 caskets on site at this time of year but now has 300 bodies waiting to be cremated and more brought in to the crematorium every day

Caskets labelled with the word 'Covid' are stacked with others in the memorial hall in Meissen

It comes as a surge in the number of coronavirus deaths in eastern Germany has seen caskets stacked three high in the Meissen crematorium's memorial hall.

Many of the coffins, which are piled up in empty offices and stored in hallways, are sealed with plastic wrapping, others are labelled 'infection risk,' 'urgent' or simply 'COVID.'

Crematorium manager Joerg Schaldach said: 'The situation is a little bit tense for us at the moment.

Joerg Schaldach, manager of the Meissen crematorium

'It's normal for more people to die in winter than in summer. That's always been the case.'

The crematorium would typically have 70 to 100 caskets on site at this time of year, when the flu season takes its toll on the elderly.

Now he has 300 bodies waiting to be cremated and each day dozens more are delivered to the modernist building on a hill overlooking Meissen, an ancient town better known for its delicate porcelain and impressive Gothic castle.

On Monday, Meissen county once again took the unwanted lead in Germany's COVID-19 tables, with an infection rate three times the national average.

The state of Saxony, where Meissen is located, includes six of the 10 worst-hit counties in Germany.

Schaldach says the crematorium is doing its best to keep up with demand, firing up the twin furnaces every 45 minutes and managing 60 cremations a day.

'The ashes still end up in the right urn,' he said.

Some have linked Saxony's high infection rate to wider anti-government sentiment in a state where over a quarter voted for the far-right Alternative for Germany party at the last national election.

Joerg Schaldach, manager of the crematorium, says it is doing its best to keep up with demand, firing up the twin furnaces every 45 minutes and managing 60 cremations a day

Its lawmakers have objected to the need to wear masks, limits on people gathering and the closure of stores. A few have even denied the existence of a pandemic outright.

Other commentators have noted the state's large number of elderly and its reliance on nursing home workers from the neighbouring Czech Republic, where COVID-19 infections are even higher.

Officials in Meissen, including the head of the county administration, the local doctors association and the lawmaker representing the region in parliament, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, all declined to be interviewed about the situation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for ensuring a good start for fully building a modern socialist country.



Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when addressing the opening of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee attended by provincial and ministerial-level officials.

Xi stressed the need to resolutely implement the guiding principles of the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and urged the officials to accurately understand the new development stage, act on the new development philosophy and accelerate the establishment of the new development paradigm to drive high-quality development during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period.

New Stage



Xi said the new development stage remains in the primary stage of socialism, but it is also a new starting point built on decades of development.

"We have laid a solid material foundation to embark on a new journey and achieve new and higher goals by our unremitting endeavors since the founding of the New China, especially over the four decades since the reform and opening up," he said.

Xi said that the new development stage spans the next 30 years, during which China is expected to complete modernization.

Xi stressed that the primary stage of socialism is not static, but rather dynamic, active, promising and permeated with vigorous vitality.

For China's socialism to advance from the primary stage to a higher one, it is necessary to fully build a modern socialist China and basically realize socialist modernization, he said.

"The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, but time and situation are in our favor," Xi said.

He pointed out that there are unprecedented challenges and opportunities both at present and for some time to come, but in general opportunities outweigh challenges.

Xi stressed the need for the Party to deliver in its work and perseverance in realizing set goals.

New Philosophy



Since the 18th CPC National Congress, many major theories and concepts on economic and social development were put forward, with the new development philosophy being the primary and most important one, which has led China to make historic achievements and transformations in economic development, Xi said.

He ordered Party members to fully and faithfully practice the new development philosophy, whose "roots" and "soul" lie in striving for people's well-being and national rejuvenation.

Xi also stressed a problem-oriented approach in implementing the philosophy, calling for more targeted and pragmatic measures in addressing the issue of unbalanced and inadequate development.

Efforts should be made to strengthen awareness of potential dangers, persist in considering the worst-case scenario and always be ready to cope with even more complex and difficult situations, said Xi.

"We must be brave to fight and be good at it. We must comprehensively strengthen ourselves," he said.

New Paradigm



Xi said it is a major strategic task for China's overall development to establish at a faster pace the new development paradigm featuring dual circulation, in which domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay.

Only by smoothing the domestic circulation can China withstand the rapid changes in the international arena, he noted.

Xi underscored the necessity to keep economic circulation unobstructed, further emphasize independent innovation, strengthen arrangements for scientific innovation and push forward the establishment of mechanisms that facilitate innovation and technological breakthroughs.

Xi also called for setting up an effective system to boost domestic demand, unleashing the potential of domestic demand and encouraging consumer spending, thus making the formation of a super-sized domestic market a sustainable course of history.

New advantages must be created for China to engage in international cooperation and competition, and attention should be paid to using the international circulation to boost the efficiency and quality of domestic circulation, Xi said.

Stressing the Party's overall leadership over China's socialist modernization, Xi urged officials at all levels, especially senior ones, to keep improving their political judgment, understanding and execution for the effective implementation of the Party leadership's decisions and plans.

Monday's event was presided over by Li Keqiang and attended by Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng -- who are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Vice President Wang Qishan also attended.

Presiding over the opening ceremony, Li Keqiang called for an in-depth study of Xi's speech which is of great and profound significance and efforts to fully implement the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and plans for the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
A group of nearby residents sued the village in 2019 over the property as it was still moving through village discussions. They said they were not given notice in 1988 of a meeting to rezone the land from residential to a mix of residential and business. Therefore, they argued, the zoning change was not valid.
T he FBI has warned of armed protests set to be held across the US in the days before Joe Biden is sworn in as president.

Its warning has led to fears of more bloodshed after last week's invasion of the US Capitol.

Armed groups are reportedly planning to gather at all 50 state capitals in the run-up to president-elect Mr Bidens inauguration on January 20.

Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC.

AFP via Getty Images

The FBI issued at least one other bulletin - they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic - before the riots last week.

On December 29, it warned of the potential for armed demonstrators targeting legislatures, the second official said.

Army Gen Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters on Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country.

REUTERS

"We're keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that we're monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested," he said.

The riots followed weeks of online calls for violence in the nation's capital in the waning days of Donald Trump's presidency.

A tweet in which President Trump promised that last Wednesday's event in Washington "will be wild" fuelled a "month-long frenzy of incitements, strategising, and embrace of violence against lawmakers," according to a research group that tracks online extremism activity.

Schwarzenegger lambasts Trump and compares rioters to Nazis

In a report issued on Saturday, the Site Intelligence Group also warned that the Capitol attack has emboldened Trump-supporting extremists.

The talk of armed marches next week is not limited to "radicalized" Trump supporters.

State capital events on January 17 appear to be promoted by supporters of the anti-government, pro-gun "boogaloo" movement.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Canada's Ontario province, the country's most populous and its economic engine, on Tuesday ordered residents to stay home as projections showed the number of COVID-19 cases could soon explode, overwhelming hospitals.

"Our province is in crisis," Ontario Premier Doug Ford told a news conference, at which he declared a month-long state of emergency.

"The (health care) system is on the brink of collapse. It's on the brink of being overwhelmed," he said.

Effective Thursday at 12:01 am, Ontario residents will be required to remain at home except for essential activities such as shopping for groceries or seeing a doctor.

People also may go out to exercise or walk their dog, but outdoor gatherings will be limited to five individualsa rule that authorities say will be strictly enforced.

All businesses will also be required to ensure that employees who can work at home do so. And schools will delay in-person classes for students in hot spots in the Toronto area until early February.

Ford said law enforcement will be empowered to "disperse people, and issue tickets to bad actors."

Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones added: "Let me be clear: if people are found not complying with these orders, they will be subject to fines and prosecution."

Penalties, she said, include up to a year in jail.

"We are taking the current situation very seriously. And we ask that all Ontarians do the same," she said.

The new measures represent a tightening of a provincial lockdown ordered last monthwhich forced most stores to closein a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus amid a second wave that saw a spike in infections.

In a similar crackdown, neighboring Quebec province last week ordered the first pandemic curfew in Canada, which is to last four weeks.

According to public health officials, Ontario could see as many as 40,000 new virus cases a day by the middle of next month, unless there is a significant reduction in contact between residents.

Ontario reported 2,903 new cases and 41 more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday.

Across Canada, the figures rose to more than 673,000 infections and nearly 17,200 deaths.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
The hardest parts of Scripture, in my experience, are not the bits you dont understand. Failing to understand can be good; it can prompt thought, investigation, and discovery. No, the real trouble comes when you know exactly what is going on, and it doesnt look good, true, or beautiful. Think, for instance, of the prophetic oracles of judgment against the nations, which run for page after terrifying page, with (apparently) no hope, no contemporary application, and no end in sight.

The last seven chapters of Jeremiah are a case in point. How can a book containing such glorious promises have such a depressing ending? There are nine oracles of judgment against the nationsEgypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, Elam, and Babylonfollowed by Jerusalems destruction. The judgments are severe and sometimes graphic. Four nations receive a one-verse promise of future mercy (46:26; 48:47; 49:6; 49:39), but these are just four droplets of hope in a seven-chapter desert of disaster. How do we find goodness, joy, and gospel in these passages? As happens so often in the Old Testament, we find an answer in the exodus story.

The final chapters of Jeremiah contain ten divine judgments: nine against foreign nations, and the last upon Judah itself. Ezekiel 2533 runs through an equivalent sequence: nine oracles against nations and their kings, followed by Jerusalems destruction. And a similar pattern occurs in Isaiah 1323. That is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Ten, of course, is a very significant number in the exodus story. We all know the Ten Commandments, and we may recall the wilderness generation forfeiting entry to the Promised Land by disobeying God ten times ...

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A day after first responders across Massachusetts began receiving the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Charlie Baker toured a vaccination hub on Worcester.

Baker said 376 first responders in Worcester received Modernas version of the vaccine on Monday - the first day of distribution at the Providence Street location. At the start of Monday, city officials anticipated about 290 individuals would be administered the vaccine.

Overall, Worcester hopes to provide vaccines to about 2,200 first responders, which include staff in Grafton, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Shrewsbury and West Boylston.

The site in Worcester was one of 119 across the state to begin administering the COVID vaccine to first responders on Monday. During his tour on Tuesday, Baker announced that Gillette Stadium would be opening as a vaccination hub with the capacity to administer more than 5,000 per day.

The vaccines cant get here fast enough, Baker said. The big hope on the horizon is the arrival or more vaccines and the ability to distribute them and make them available to people. But in the meantime everybody still has to do their part.

Baker avoided providing timelines associated with administering the vaccine and advancing to new phases. The governor said its difficult to comment on the future of distribution because his administration only receives notification of new shipments a few days ahead of time.

At this point, were typically hearing when the next dose is coming a couple days before it lands, Baker said. We dont have 20 to 30 days visibility into what the distribution plan looks like. Its very hard for us to make predictions where well be a month from now.

So far, Baker said the state has received 470,100 vaccines. Of that total, 209,722 have been administered.

Health care workers followed by long term care residents and employees were among the first to receive the vaccine in the state. First responders represent the third group that are eligible to receive the two-dose shot.

We could not win this fight against COVID-19 without our first responders and our emergency personnel. Your safety and health are priorities of our administration and we remain committed to allocating all necessary resources to support the continued and courageous efforts of those serving the most vulnerable on the front lines across our commonwealth.

Worcester Police Chief Steve Sargent became the first emergency responder to receive the vaccine on Monday.

Dr. Michael Hirsh, the citys medical director, administered the shot to Sargent. Sitting to Sargents left, Fire Chief Michael Lavoie gave a thumbs-up as Dr. Mattie Castiel, the Commissioner of Human Health Services for Worcester, administered the vaccine into his left arm on Monday.

Its a personal decision obviously, but I would say that thats why were here to show were all for it, Sargent said. The science shows it does work and there are some side effects, but the side effects are pretty minimal. Get out there. Get it done. We want to be a part of the solution.

City officials said about 70% of the Worcester Fire Department has registered to receive the vaccine. The city didnt have data regarding the number of members of the police department have has registered.

Hirsh said overall, about 70% of area first responders have registered. The figures though, were provided Monday morning when only 288 first responders were scheduled to be vaccinated. By the end of the day, volunteers had provided 376 doses.

After receiving the first dose, first responders will receive a car that will also show an appointment for the second dose 28 days later.

Logistics are important, City Manager Edwards Augustus Jr. said. As we get hundreds and hundreds of people go through this and ultimately thousands, they need to come back within a window of time for their second vaccine and that window isnt open-ended.

Augustus hopes operations like those at the senior center will expand once the city grasps a strong understanding of the best practices. Augustus envisions multiple vaccination hubs across the city to facilitate administering the vaccine, not only during this phase, but in later stages when vaccine rollout includes other city employees.

The hope is that once we get this system down, we can expand it, Augustus said. We may look at other sites beyond the senior center once we get people trained and we get a rhythm of how to do this.

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Last week Silicon Valley silenced the president. In unison, the social media giants, with an assist from Amazon and Apple, also eliminated their most popular conservative competitor and announced that their own moderation policies would now extend to other companies. Meanwhile, CNN openly called for Fox News to be banned from cable, while a major talk radio network issued new speech rules to its hosts, extending techs moderation policies to the offline world. Beyond all this, Congress and the European Union called for powerful new regulation of online speech.

As a handful of unelected billionaires declare sovereignty over digital speech, where might the coming months take us?

Twitter once touted itself as the free speech wing of the free speech party and rebuked Congress calls for it to ban terrorists, proclaiming that the ability of users to share freely their views  including views that many people may disagree with or find abhorrent  was its mission. Indeed, most of the early social platforms emphasized unfettered speech above all other considerations. Over the years, this utopian dream has given way to an emphasis on healthy conversation and ever-changing enforcement.

Yet for most of their existence, social media platforms have largely avoided censoring elected officials in the U.S. even as they have deleted the accounts of foreign leaders. That all changed last year as Silicon Valley for the first time began labeling President Trumps tweets as disputed and false. As progressive segments of the public embraced this new censorship, platforms moved from merely fact-checking posts to deleting them entirely and threatening to ban some lawmakers.

The courts have repeatedly ruled that Trumps Twitter account is an official government outlet and thus he is prohibited from blocking users with whom he disagrees. How then is a private company able to establish acceptable speech rules for a government publication or silence it entirely?

Perhaps more troubling is that speech rules no longer just govern social spaces. Uber, Lyft and Airbnb have all banned their services from being used by those whose online and offline political speech was deemed unacceptable. Facebook last year extended its reach to the offline world, banning certain kinds calls for protest while permitting others.

It was a remarkable sight to behold Democratic lawmakers and the press lamenting that Congress does not have the power to silence voices with which it disagrees and instead urging Silicon Valley to exercise the power only it holds: the ability to silence any voice from the digital world. And this plea came from the very lawmakers who had once condemned social platforms as dangerous monopolies.

Moreover, the companies announcements that they were permanently suspending the president referenced not potential illegal activity banned by law but rather the companies decision that permitting him to continue communicating with the nation posed too great a risk to democracy.

The companies themselves had little choice but to remove Trump or face even greater wrath from the new Democratic majority in Congress. Even the ACLU, in its condemnation of Twitters suspension of Trump, acknowledged the political realities of the incoming administration. Activist groups rushed to claim credit for silencing Trump, touting the high-level discussions they had had with Twitter leadership.

While there has been widespread support for Silicon Valleys actions, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of the dangers in silencing a democratically elected head of state. Moreover, while Democrats are narrowly focused on the present, in a world in which lawmakers and activist groups can wield the monopoly power of social media to mute dissenting voices, what is to stop a future Republican Congress from using those very same powers to silence Democrats? Such is the slippery slope we find ourselves on.

And what about alternatives to Silicon Valleys platforms? Social media companies have long argued that they are not monopolies because it is possible for competitors to challenge them.

Twitter clone Parler had emerged as just such a competitor, reaching number one on Apples App Store this week as conservatives flocked to its minimally moderated platform. Yet within days Apple and Google had banned the sale of it from their respective app stores and banishing it from mobile devices. Parlers cloud hosting provider, Amazon Web Services, evicted it, taking the site offline until a conservative cloud provider agreed to host it. Yet even if it can rebuild in some fashion, without a smartphone app and blacklisted by most service providers, Parler will be merely a shadow of its former self.

In taking these steps, Silicon Valley cited Parlers lack of strong content moderation as grounds for elimination. In their letters to Parler, the companies demanded that it adopt acceptable speech policies identical to their own.

Even offline media are not immune. Television channels must contract with cable carriers to transmit them into homes, syndicated radio shows must be hosted by stations, and even independent newspapers must have websites and mobile apps. With local news outlets diminishing, it is important to note that no matter how editorially independent some may be, all are still dependent on cloud providers, app stores, Internet service providers, etc. In the aftermath of Wednesdays events at the Capitol, CNN openly called for cable carriers to drop Fox News, while Cumulus Media issued new acceptable speech rules to its conservative talk radio hosts.

Where does this leave us?

The nations founders chose not to give Congress the power to silence even a madman in the Oval Office, other than to remove him through impeachment. This week taught us that a handful of billionaires in California essentially have that power. Trumps near-total disappearance from the digital world since his ban serves as a stark reminder of this.

The near-unanimous support from the new Democratic majority for this ban means Silicon Valley is now emboldened to eliminate any voice, no matter how powerful. It creates a dangerous normalization of the silencing of dissent.

The willingness of Uber, Lyft and Airbnb to ban some users for political speech shows that as technology companies tentacles reach into other industries, a new era of permanent societal exclusion, much like Chinas social credit program, is emerging.

To some, the newfound emphasis on combating misinformation, with private companies as curators of permissible speech and definers of truth, might seem like a positive development. After all, threats of violence, racism, sexism, doxing, sedition, harmful medical advice and the like are damaging to society. Yet billionaires that can silence presidents, a Congress that can silence dissent and private companies deciding what is best for the nation and what constitutes truth pose an existential threat to democracy. In the end, the very future of our shared society hinges on the ability of Silicon Valley to balance thoughtful moderation with freedom of speech. Perhaps the answer is for the tech companies to become democracies themselves and let society decide what is best.
Russian Special Forces attacked a village in the al-Ghab Plain area in the middle of the night, causing casualties among Jaish al-Nasr reports SY 24.

Russian forces committed a new violation of the ceasefire in northern Syria, which resulted in the killing of 11 National Army fighters.

Military sources said that the Russian Special Forces carried out an infiltration operation after midnight on Monday, on one of the fronts in the al-Ghab Plain area in the western Hama countryside.

The sources confirmed that the Russian forces infiltrated a military point on the axis of the village of al-Haluba in the al-Ghab Plain area, killing eight members of Jaish al-Nasr (Army of Victory), part of the National Liberation Front, which is considered one of the most prominent factions of the Syrian National Army.

According to the sources, the base requested urgent support and factions sent several groups to the site, but the Russian forces had managed to kill all the fighters who were there, all the while ambushing the support forces, which led to the killing of three other members, bringing the death toll to 11.

The factions had violent clashes with the Russian forces for more than an hour in an attempt to force them to withdraw and move towards the points through which they infiltrated. According to the sources, many of the infiltrating forces were killed and wounded.

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.
100 years ago  1921

Palo Alto: The health board met last evening and re-elected all of the old officers.

75 years ago  1946

State police and nearly a score of Civilian Air Patrol cadets who had to give up late last night because of the blinding snowstorm resum-ed their search this morning for the wreckage of an Army airplane which has been sighted from the air on Little Mountain several miles west of Ringtown.

50 years ago  1971

Schuylkill County Taxpayers Association meets at 7:30 tonight at the Duselfink on the Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Highway. Edward Gust-ites, Shenandoah, general secretary of the association, said all interested in good government are welcome to attend.

25 years ago  1996

The great storm of 1996 halted traffic, stopped newspaper deliveries and brought the U.S. Postal Service to its knees. But not even a 2-foot snowfall could stop the stork from arriving. Just ask Pottsville obstetrician Dr. Robert M. Zimmerman, Polly J. Smith of Valley View and Candice J. Taffis of Mahanoy City. As the fierce winter storm picked up steam late Sunday night, the two expectant mothers went into labor. Zimmerman, who is their doctor, got the first call from Smith about 11 p.m. as he relaxed at home in Auburn. He asked her to time contractions for an hour and call back. At midnight, it seemed that the baby was definitely coming. They agreed to meet in Pottsville at Good Samaritan Regional Center.
WASHINGTON - Acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf abruptly resigned Monday, nine days before a presidential inauguration whose jittery security preparations are unfolding amid fears of worsening political violence after last week's mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Wolf, who was overseas in the Middle East last week during the siege, attributed his decision to "recent events" and court rulings that have challenged the legality of his appointment by the Trump administration to run the department.

In a statement to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staffers, Wolf said he was "saddened to take this step," having previously announced plans to remain on the job through the end of the Trump administration.

"Unfortunately, this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary," Wolf's statement read. "These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power."

Chase Jennings, a DHS spokesman, said Wolf will remain at the department in his Senate-confirmed role as undersecretary for strategy, policy and plans.

Peter Gaynor, the administration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will take over as acting DHS secretary, Wolf said.

Gaynor will be the agency's sixth chief under Trump, twice the highest number to serve under any previous administration. Established in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the department was intended to reassure a nervous public by projecting stability and command.

President Donald Trump turned the department's focus toward the Mexico border and changed its primary mission from counterterrorism to immigration enforcement.

Several lawmakers have called for hearings to question why Wolf and DHS failed to anticipate threats posed by Trump's followers to Congress's electoral college certification on Wednesday. The Capitol Police, who are responsible for security at the building, had not requested DHS support before the protests.

Wolf's resignation comes at a time of high anxieties for the federal law enforcement official preparing for violent attempts to disrupt the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Pro-Trump militants have called for armed crowds to gather at all 50 state capitols, according to an FBI memo warning of the threat.

In one of his final moves as acting secretary Monday, Wolf announced that the Secret Service would take over security preparations for the inauguration on Wednesday, six days ahead of schedule.

The U.S. Secret Service, a DHS entity, typically plays the lead security role at presidential inaugurations. This year as many as 15,000 National Guard troops will be mobilized to support the effort and protect the event, and busloads of uniformed soldiers arrived at the Capitol on Monday in an extraordinary show of force.

Although the Secret Service has primary authority to coordinate security planning during an inauguration and the events surrounding it, the homeland security chief plays an important role, especially in emergencies. The secretary has the authority to demand resources in an emergency, and in past inaugurations and major-security events has intervened to keep the many federal agencies working together if disputes or other problems arise.

An inauguration is already an all-hands-on-deck affair in Washington, with officers surveilling train stations, canine teams inspecting the inauguration route for explosives, countersnipers manning rooftops and police officers checking and securing manhole covers to prevent people from sneaking closer to the inaugural activities.

But the siege at the Capitol has put Secret Service planners and their federal partners in feverish reassessment mode to consider all of the ways they can mitigate anything like a repeat.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called Wolf's decision to step down Monday "questionable."

"He has chosen to resign during a time of national crisis and when domestic terrorists may be planning additional attacks on our government," Thompson said in a statement. "Unlike others, he is apparently not leaving the Trump Administration on principle."

"The Trump Administration too often used the Department as a political weapon, left countless senior leadership positions vacant, and let morale suffer," Thompson added. "Our homeland security has diminished as a result."

Trump installed Wolf as acting secretary more than a year ago, after the resignation of Kevin McAleenan, who also served in an acting role. Trump, who repeatedly said he prefers leaving Cabinet members in "acting" roles because it makes it easier for him to remove them, nominated Wolf in August, but his confirmation went nowhere, despite Republicans' control of the Senate.

But the nomination came after a Government Accountability Office report that found Wolf's appointment had violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act because Wolf had not been properly designed in the DHS order of succession after Trump's removal of then-secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in April 2019.

In recent months, opponents of the Trump administration's immigration restrictions have successfully challenged several DHS policy changes in recent months on the grounds that Wolf's lacked the legal authority to implement the policies. In the most recent setback to Trump, a federal judge in California blocked a series of new measures restricting asylum protections, citing previous rulings that Wolf was not legally appointed to lead the department.

Wolf's qualifications to lead the DHS were often questioned by his critics. He was a lobbyist for the travel industry before joining the Trump administration and working as chief of staff for the Transportation Security Administration. When Trump made Nielsen DHS secretary, Wolf served as her chief of staff and became one of her most trusted aides.

Although he had a reputation as a moderate Republican before joining the administration, Wolf became one of Trump's most loyal Cabinet members during the government's forceful response to racial justice protests last summer. In Portland, Ore., where crowds targeted a federal courthouse in nightly protests that repeatedly turned violent, Wolf deployed tactical officers from the U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make arrests, tactics that were widely criticized as heavy-handed.

Wolf remained defiant, even as former DHS secretaries warned that he was turning the department into a partisan tool of the White House.

Wolf did not respond to inquiries Monday. But he told DHS staffers in his statement that the department "has positioned itself for an orderly and smooth transition to President-elect Biden's DHS team."

"Welcome them, educate them, and learn from them," he added. "They are your leaders for the next four years - a time which undoubtedly will be full of challenges and opportunities to show the American public the value of DHS and why it is worth the investment."

Biden has named Alejandro Mayorkas, who served as DHS second-in-command during President Barack Obama's second term, as his pick for the secretary role. The Cuba-born Mayorkas would be the first immigrant, and first Hispanic, to lead the DHS, which has 240,000 workers and a $50 billion annual budget.
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Chicago-based professional staffing firm Mark/Ryan Associates has changed its name to ExecuTeam Staffing, an affiliate of The Reserves Network.

Founded in 2004, Mark/Ryan specializes in accounting, finance and office contract and direct hire staffing throughout Greater Chicago. ExecuTeam has been providing direct hire and temp-to-hire staffing services in various disciplines, including office, accounting and professional employment opportunities throughout the Greater Houston area since 1987.

Mark/Ryan assumes the ExecuTeam name and will continue to operate as an affiliate of its parent company The Reserves Network. The Reserves Network acquired Mark/Ryan in 2018 and ExecuTeam in 2019.

This will be ExecuTeams first additional office outside of Houston. Laura Bowen, ExecuTeam president, who has been with the firm for the past 25 years, will now oversee business operations for both locations.

Were thrilled that the talented staff in Chicago is now a part of ExecuTeam, says Bowen. Its been a great experience working together over this past year as a part of The Reserves Network family. Not only do we have similar recruiting specialties that complement the markets we already serve, but there are some additional specializations that we can now introduce to our clients in Texas, and vice versa in Illinois.

Adds Neil Stallard, CEO of The Reserves Network: From an alignment perspective, this is a natural fit. Both locations offer very specific, enriched staffing service lines. Since joining TRN, ExecuTeam has continued to impress under Lauras leadership, and we are excited to grow this brand through our experienced Chicago team.

About ExecuTeam

For over 30 years, ExecuTeam Staffing has provided total staffing management solutions to the Greater Houston area. An award-winning employment and recruiting agency, ExecuTeam connects clients with high-caliber talent and candidates with top employers, for direct hire, temp-to-hire, temporary and payrolling opportunities.

ExecuTeam's expertise covers an unrivaled range of industries, including accounting & finance, administrative support, human resources, operations, and more. As an affiliate of The Reserves Network, ExecuTeams name and brand are as strong as ever. ExecuTeam continues to provide the same level of care and quality service it is known for but now adding a broader scope of services and the resources of a national industry leader.

About The Reserves Network

Founded in 1984, The Reserves Network is a leading staffing provider of office, industrial, professional and technical talent to middle market customers. The company places nearly 20,000 employees at its more than 40 operating locations in the Midwest, Southeast, Northeast and Southwest, and works with customers nationwide. This includes temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire placements in a wide variety of professional fields and trades. Headquartered in Fairview Park, Ohio, the family and veteran-owned company has received multiple honors for outstanding sales growth, management excellence and customer service. You can visit the company online at http://www.TRNstaffing.com. Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-reserves-network.
MNML Minimizes Risk and Maximizes Efficiency with Centric Software PLM With Centric PLM I can make sure that balls arent dropped and that were staying on-track, on-schedule and on-time.

MNML (pronounced minimal) the streetwear brand, has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution for emerging brands, Centric SMB. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Based in Los Angeles, California, MNML is a direct-to-consumer streetwear brand that was founded in 2016 by apparel industry veterans. MNML offers a variety of wardrobe staples at a fraction of the cost of their designer competition.

Sporting a lean, yet digitally native team, the company needed to put order to their product development to allow them to scale properly due to their rapid growth. They also wanted a way for top leadership to get a snapshot of projects in progress at any time.

Says Josh Fish, COO at Third Estate LLC, We are a really small team for a company this size. Our development process is very collaborative, but weve been operating in a wild west sort of way with respect to organization. We have thousands of products in progress at any one time and needed a way to stay on top of it all.

He continues, We wanted to make product design & development faster and more efficient and that's how we arrived at PLM. We met with a few other companies, but there were some things that Centric had that really stood out to me, including the calendar function and how visual the homepage is.

MNML is implementing Centric SMB, a cloud-based PLM solution tailored for small to medium businesses, with a fully remote deployment.

Technology is essential to MNML since they sell their product exclusively online. Says Fish, From the beginning we saw that the future of retail is online and the direct communication and feedback from the customer allowed us to be faster and more affordable, so thats where we put all of our effort.

As with any business, the pandemic has had an effect. Says Fish, Weve all been working remotely since the beginning of March; I think the pandemic sped up getting PLM because we need transparency now more than ever since were not sitting next to each other all day.

Fish explains, With Centric PLM I can make sure that balls arent dropped and that were staying on-track, on-schedule and on-time. Releasing more on-trend products at a higher volume than were currently doing will itself give us the ROI on the system.

Fish says that Centric will improve onboarding of new vendors, offer transparency into the business and allow them to ditch email and chat messaging by centralizing communication in one place that also houses the most up-to-date product information.

I am proud that MNML has chosen to partner with us, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. We know that the company will benefit from Centric SMB. I look forward to a long-term partnership with them and seeing them expand in the future.

Learn more about Centric SMB

Request a Demo

MNML (http://www.mnml.la)

We believe in keeping things simple: progressive silhouettes and wardrobe staples sold at a fair price. Our team of industry veterans is constantly designing new silhouettes and experimenting with fabrics in our downtown Los Angeles studio to stay on the forefront of fashion. Style is always evolving, so are we. Traditional retailers mark up their products 5-8x. Our business model lets us sell the same quality directly to you for a fraction of the price.

We sell online only, and use no retailers. This way we can avoid the huge markups associated with traditional retail. We used years of industry experience to find the right factories that can create high-quality garments that meet our standards. We produce a limited quantity to avoid markdowns or overstocking, so we can make our prices fair from the beginning.
The European Medicines Agency has authorized BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine vials with 6 doses instead of 5, head of the National Committee for coordination of activities regarding vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, doctor Valeriu Gheorghita, informed on Tuesday.

"An important information I received around noon: the European Medicines Agency authorized the 6-dose version. Basically, during the day I received a notification from BioNTech/Pfizer saying that, starting tomorrow, the stocks will be updated, and instead of 5 doses, as it is now provided per vial, we will speak of 6 doses," doctor Gheorghita told a press conference held at Victoria Palace.

In terms of the related information campaign, he said there were more than one million unique users registered at this point on the national information platform and also more than 2 million visits recorded on the "Pro-vaccination" Facebook page.Valeriu Gheorghita also said that, according to data received from the Romanian Office of the WHO, there has been recorded an increase in the intention to vaccinate to about 50 per cent, compared to what was initially estimated, and about 11 per cent of people currently want to postpone or hesitate when it comes to taking a decision related to vaccination.
Intensive care staff in West Cork may soon have to 'ration' care among those who have the best chance of survival.

As Ireland registers the highest proportion of Covid-19 cases in the world and the health system is put under increasing pressure, Dr Brian Carey, a consultant physician at Bantry General Hospital, has issued a warning to GPs and other medical staff in the Bantry area, saying that the situation is changing rapidly and they may have to make difficult decisions to treat patients in ICU who are the most likely to survive.

The warning came as health officials said up to 2,500 patients could require hospitalisation by the middle of the month, and after it emerged that Ireland had the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the world last week, after 45,700 cases were recorded.

Last night, a further 4,929 cases of the virus were confirmed by health officials, who painted a bleak picture of the presence of the virus in the community.

Dr Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, said data shows that socialising returned to an almost pre-pandemic level in December, contributing to the current spike.

Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team's Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, told a briefing that one in 76 of the entire population has been notified as Covid-positive in the last fortnight.

Almost one-quarter of all of Ireland's hospitalisations since the pandemic began came in the last week, with the health service creaking under pressure as ICU beds are in limited supply.

Prof Nolan said forecasts indicate that 2,200-2,500 patients may need hospitalisation by the middle of the month, with ICU numbers ranging between 200 and 400.

Despite this, Dr Michael Power, HSE clinical lead for intensive care, said private hospitals have not yet been asked to supply ICU staff to public hospitals. However, he clarified, 1,300 ICU-trained staff working in other areas in the HSE have been asked to return to ICU.

In the south of the country, Dr Carey, at Bantry General Hospital, wrote to GPs and other medical staff to warn of the "extreme pressures" in the hospital, which is in the middle of an outbreak on the wards.

"We strongly advise admission avoidance for all patients unless absolutely necessary," Dr Carey told staff in a communique.

In addition, we are rapidly approaching full capacity of ICU beds in the region.

"We may soon reach a point where ICU admissions are rationed and only offered to those with the best chance of survival. The situation is changing rapidly."

This follows a decision by the South/South West Hospital Group, which includes Cork University Hospital, to cancel all elective work.

There was a ray of light, though, as Professor Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said the first doses of the Moderna vaccines should reach Ireland before the end of the week.

She said, in relation to the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, that early evidence is emerging that immunity lasts for six months, possibly 18 months.

Read More Staff shortages may prevent visits to dying loved ones in nursing homes

The Government plan is to have vaccinated 700,000 people by the end of March. This includes those in nursing homes, frontline healthcare workers, and the over-70s, according to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

Our plan is based on vaccines ordered from Pfizer and Moderna as well as our estimated allocation from AstraZeneca, which must be approved by the regulator," he posted online last night.

"We are working on the basis of having 1.4m-plus vaccines by the end of March."

A quick update on our vaccination plan. By the end of March, we aim to have vaccinated 700,000 people, including nursing home residents and staff, as well as frontline healthcare workers and people aged 70+.  Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) January 11, 2021

Ireland should receive a lot more vaccines in April.

MEP Billy Kelleher has criticised the vaccine delivery schedule in Ireland in contrast to our European neighbours, including Germany and France.

Media reports in German magazine Der Spiegel alleged that Germany will receive an additional 30m doses of the Moderna vaccine and that France and Germany will also receive more doses of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.

Mr Kelleher said this "flies in the face of the concept of European solidarity".
An international team of researchers has provided further evidence to confirm the immunogenicity and efficacy of a recombinant adenovirus vaccine currently being tested in phase 3 trials for its ability to protect against infection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)  the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The vaccine comprises a recombinant adenovirus serotype 26 (Ad26) vaccine vector expressing a stabilized form of the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen that the virus uses to bind to and enter host cells.

In a hamster model of moderate disease, an initial dose of the vaccine induced substantial titers of neutralizing antibodies and completely protected the majority of animals from lung infection and pneumonia following challenge with SARS-CoV-2.

A second dose further increased levels of neutralizing antibodies and reduced infectious viral load in the upper respiratory tract.

Furthermore, a low dose of the vaccine that induced sub-optimal, non-protective responses did not exacerbate respiratory disease in animals that already had breakthrough infection. Frank Wegmann from Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V. in The Netherlands and colleagues say this addresses the concert that coronavirus vaccines inducing suboptimal immunity could predispose to vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD).

The team says that overall, these preclinical data confirm the efficacy of the 1-dose vaccine regimen, demonstrate the added benefit of a second dose and show no signs of a risk for VAERD under conditions of suboptimal immunity.

A pre-print version of the paper is available on the bioRxiv* server while the article undergoes peer review.

Previous studies of the vaccine demonstrated efficacy

The researchers previously demonstrated that a single dose of the (Ad26) vaccine expressing stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike (Ad26.COV2.S) was immunogenic in animals and protected non-human primates against challenge with SARS-CoV-2.

They also showed that the vaccine protected Syrian hamsters with infection characterized by severe clinical disease following high-dose intranasal challenge. In this animal model, a challenge was performed using the SARS CoV-2 strain USA-WA1/2020, which expresses a spike sequence that is 100% homologous to the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine antigen.

However, a SARS-CoV-2 variant with a D614G spike substitution has since become the most prevalent strain. Furthermore, new strains with additional spike mutations are also emerging and becoming more widespread.

This mutation [D614G] has been associated with increased viral fitness and enhanced infectivity and has now become the dominant variant in large parts of the world, although likely to be replaced over time by new variants that are constantly emerging, writes Wegmann and the team.

What did the researchers do?

The team investigated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy induced by the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine in a Syrian hamster model of moderate disease following challenge with a SARS-CoV-2 strain containing the currently most prevalent G614 spike variant.

Immunization with either 109 or 1010 particles of Ad26.COV2.S induced substantial neutralizing antibody titers and completely protected more than 80% of animals inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 from developing lung infection and pneumonia, but not upper respiratory tract infection.

Vaccination reduced viral replication in the lungs by 6 log 10 below the level observed among control animals. Many hamsters that received the higher dose showed undetectable viral replication.

A second vaccine dose given 4 weeks later boosted neutralizing antibody titers further, which was associated with decreased infectious viral load in the upper respiratory tract.

Our published data, in combination with our present study, indicate that Ad26.COV2.S-elicited immune responses give adequate protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants with and without the D614G spike substitution, say the researchers.

What about VAERD?

A potential concern surrounding coronavirus vaccines is that they may predispose to disease enhancement following breakthrough infection by inducing only low- or non-neutralizing antibodies together with a skewed T helper 2 (TH2) cellular response.

The researchers say that VAERD has been reported for vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in some animal models. However, no evidence of VAERD in studies of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines has been reported to date.

The Ad26 vaccine vector is currently being used in multiple candidate vaccine programs and has so far uniformly induced neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune responses with a skewed Th1 cellular response in non-clinical and clinical studies.

However, additional animal studies at suboptimal immunity to allow breakthrough infection are considered important to address the potential risk of predisposition for VAERD by Ad26.COV2.S., they write.

Testing for VAERD

The team assessed the potential for predisposition to VAERD by immunizing the hamsters with doses of Ad26.COV2.S doses that induced antibody levels too low to prevent viral replication in the lung.

The lower respiratory tract histopathology scores of animals with breakthrough infection that subsequently had suboptimal immune responses did not show any signs of VAERD, compared with animals in the control group.

These results imply that the theoretical risk that Ad26.COV2.S would predispose for VAERD is minimal, says the team.

The vaccine should continue to be evaluated in ongoing Phase 3 trials

The researchers say the study confirms that the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine is highly immunogenic and can protect hamsters against challenge with a SARS-CoV-2 G614 spike variant virus.

The excellent potency of Ad26.COV2.S and the absence of data that it would predispose for VAERD, supports its continuous evaluation in the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials in a single and a two-dose regimen (NCT04505722 and NCT04614948, respectively), they conclude.

*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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The Tamil makkal are all set to welcome Pongal on a positive and cheerful note. For Kollywood movie buffs the festival is indeed going to be a grand occasion to celebrate as Thalapathy Vijay's Master is releasing on January 13, 2021.

Other than the action-entertainer, Simbu's rural drama Eeswaran will also hit the screens on the occasion of Pongal (January 14). Interestingly, Jayam Ravi's 25th venture Bhoomi will compete with the two big films, but on a different platform. The entertainer will release on Pongal on Disney+ Hotstar.

Interestingly, the release of films like Master will also serve as an opportunity to analyse the inflow of people to the theatres post COVID-19 lockdown. The release of films amid the pandemic will also help several filmmakers and actors to choose between OTT platforms and theatres.

Well, for those who are skeptical about walking out of their houses and watching films in theatres amid the pandemic scare, worry not as a promising array of films are in store for the mini-screen audience for Pongal.

Check out the complete list of movies to watch this Pongal!

Sun TV

January 14

 Pattas: 11:00 am

 Poojai: 3.00 pm

 Soorarai Pottru: 6.30 pm

January 15

 Pettai: 11.00 am

 Vettaikaran: 3.00 pm

 Pulikuthi Pandi: 6.30 pm

January 16

 Thillalangadi: 9.30 am

 Natpe Thunai: 3.00 pm

 Kanchana 3: 6.30 pm

January 17

 96: 9.30 am

 Kodi: 3.00 pm

 Viswasam: 6.30 pm

Vijay TV

January 14

 Adithya Varma: 10.30 am

January 15

 Penguin: 2.30 pm

Zee Tamil

January 14

 Ka Pae Ranasingam: 4.00 pm

January 15

 Biskoth: 4.00 pm

Vijay Super TV

January 14

 Kazhugu: 9.00 am

Also Read: Ka Pae Ranasingam Movie Review: A Deeply Moving Yet Over-Stretched Social Drama!

Also Read: Suriya Hikes Remuneration; To Receive A Massive Paycheck For Vaadivasal?
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
J oe Bidens dog will be given his own virtual inauguration ceremony as he prepares to move into the White House.

Mr Biden and his wife Jill adopted Major - a German Shepherd who will become the first shelter dog in the US Presidential home - in 2018.

The indogauration will take place on Sunday, three days before Mr Biden is sworn in on January 20.

It will be hosted by the Delaware Humane Association (DHA), the animal shelter that Major was adopted from, and pet insurance company Pumpkin Petcare.

We've got big, happy news to round out your week. Delaware Humane Association (DHA) & Pumpkin Petcare invite you & your pup to the world's largest virtual party for dogs in honour of Major Biden's Indoguration, the shelter wrote on Facebook.

Let's celebrate the first-ever shelter pup to become first dog and raise money to help more shelter animals like Major live the American Dream.

The online ceremony will be hosted by Jill Martin from the Today Show but viewers will need to donate at least $10 to join the event, with all proceeds going to the DHA.
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Digital Editor

Credit to KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTERS for sharing this bit of community news that puts neighborhoods over development schemes.

To wit . . .

FIRST ON TKC!!! THE O'HARA DRUG REHAB PLAN STAYS LOSING!!!



There's the quote from a local cleric after we blogged this hot mess FIRST and then, ALSO credit where its due, Fox4 followed up.

And so, here's the word . . .



Sana Lake is withdrawing from the proposed sale, so its off!



From the Diocese:



"Dear Friends in Christ, We have learned that Sana Lake will no longer pursue the purchase and rehab of the former OHara High School.



Following negotiations with City officials, along with unforeseen circumstances associated with the use of the property, Sana Lake determined it was in the organizations best interest to move forward with another site in the area. Community meetings scheduled for January 12 and January 19 have been cancelled.



The diocese will continue to market the OHara property, and in collaboration with the leadership at St. Regis, carefully evaluate formal offers which, like Sana Lake, present a growth opportunity for the area.



You may direct questions to the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph Office of Communications . . .



Sincerely yours in Christ,



Bishop Johnston"

###########

Developing . . .


The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
VIJAYAWADA: Nearly 4.77 lakh doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine called Covishield arrived at the city out of a total allotment of 4.99 lakh doses, on Tuesday. The vaccine is being manufactured at the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune.

Krishna district collector Md. Imtiaz and Child Health and Immunisation joint director U. Sreehari received the consignment from SII. Pune. The doses were shifted to the State Vaccine Storage Facility located at Gannavaram amidst tight security provided by police.

The vaccine will remain stored there at a temperature between 2 degrees and 8 degrees Celsius before being transported to various places in the state.

Collector Imtiaz said the Gannavaram storage facility can preserve up to 35 lakh doses of vaccine. Of the first consignment received, about 3,000 frontline healthcare workers of Krishna district will be administered the vaccine at 30 sites spread over the district on Saturday, January 16.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das held a video conference with district collectors, SPs and municipal commissioners and reviewed arrangements for administering of the 4.77 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine at 332 sites throughout Andhra Pradesh.

State health authorities disclosed that they are also expecting a consignment of about 20,000 doses of Covaxin developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which has scheduled despatch of its first vaccine consignment to several places across the country on Tuesday itself.

State health authorities maintain that the Centre has sanctioned 4.99 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses including 4.77 lakh doses of Covishield and 20,000 of doses of Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat Biotech, to AP. With the first consignment arriving on Tuesday, officials are expecting the remaining vials on Wednesday. Bharat Biotech will be dispatching its first consignment to several places from the Hyderabad airport.

Meanwhile, health authorities are making arrangements to dispatch vaccine from the state storage facility at Gannavaram to regional centres at Kurnool, Kadapa, Guntur and Visakhapatnam. From there they will be sent to district vaccine centres and to 1,659 vaccine centres set up all over the state.

A senior health official said, We are awaiting guidelines from the centre on dispatch of Covid-19 vaccine to various sites in Andhra Pradesh for administration to identified healthcare workers. These guidelines are expected by Tuesday night. Until their dispatch, the 4.77 lakh doses of Covishield will remain at the State Vaccine Storage Facility in Gannavaram, the official added.


Melissa Leong has called out the beauty industry and accused them of 'whitewashing' in a scathing post on Instagram Stories on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old MasterChef judge re-shared a post from a beauty company advertising a jade gua sha beauty tool.

While Melissa blacked out the company's name, she was scathing in her comments about the post, which featured a white model.

Speaking out: Melissa Leong has called out the beauty industry and accused them of 'whitewashing' in a scathing post on Instagram Stories on Tuesday

'Yep. It's just a "skin fitness tool". Let's not talk about the cultural and medical significance of gua sha (in this case) in Chinese or Asian culture or how much we largely ignore appropriation in the beauty industry,' she began.

'Let's keep selling POC down the river by having attractive white women sell us back our culture in cute pink packaging and nice fonts.'

In a second post on Instagram Stories, she included a link to an article which appeared on UK Glamour magazine earlier this month.

Furious: The 38-year-old MasterChef judge re-shared a post from a beauty company advertising a jade gua sha beauty tool and was scathing in her comments

Get woke: In a second post on Instagram Stories, she included a link to an article which appeared on UK Glamour magazine earlier this month and urged her followers to read it

The article was titled, 'How wellness got whitewashed', and Melissa urged her followers to read it 'if you want to know more about why us women of colour feel this way'.

'Even though we're all aware that appropriating cornrows, feathered headdresses and bindis is abjectly wrong, when appropriation veers into the wellness sphere, we just seem to care less,' wrote author Anita Bhagwandas.

She added: 'Don't be that basic wellness b***h - you should care.'

'Yep. It's just a "skin fitness tool". Let's not talk about the cultural and medical significance of gua sha (in this case) in Chinese or Asian culture or how much we largely ignore appropriation in the beauty industry,' she wrote on Instagram

Gua sha is a tool used in traditional Chinese medicine, which has grown in popularity in the western beauty industry in recent years.

It's used to scrape back the skin, with practitioners believing it helps to stimulate blood flow, promoting cell repair, regeneration, recovery and healing.

It involves repeatedly stroking the gua sha tool over moisturised skin while applying firm pressure.

CHICAGO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National plaintiffs' law firm Keller Lenkner LLC celebrates its three-year anniversary this week and marks several significant accomplishments in its relatively short history.

Founded in 2018 by CEO Adam Gerchen, Partner Ashley Keller, and Managing Partner Travis Lenkner, the firm has quickly become one of the leading complex litigation firms for plaintiffs in the United States.

In the last year alone, Keller Lenkner has doubled its team of attorneys, earned prominent MDL leadership roles, and launched high-profile antitrust, privacy, product-liability, employment, and consumer-rights matters. Today, Keller Lenkner serves hundreds of thousands of clients in litigation and arbitration matters and acts as plaintiffs' counsel in high-stakes class and public-enforcement actions.

"Our mission is to achieve exceptional results for our clients, drive innovation in the practice of law, and pursue excellence in everything we do," Lenkner said. "Our success in taking on the biggest opponents and the most complex legal challenges is a credit to our remarkable team and our ambition to do things differently."

Keller Lenkner has assembled one of the leading teams representing plaintiffs in the United States:

From its initial team of three, Keller Lenkner has expanded to 36 lawyers and nearly 60 professional staff members, with more growth on the horizon.

79% of Keller Lenkner's partners and associates hail from national defense-oriented law firms, with 60% having practiced at AmLaw 25 firms and elite trial boutiques.

63% of Keller Lenkner's partners and associates were law clerks at a federal court of appeals or district court.

Three of Keller Lenkner's seven partners were law clerks at the Supreme Court of the United States .

Notwithstanding the challenge of COVID-19, the firm's headcount has grown by 80% since March 2020nearly doubling its Chicago team and more firmly establishing its Washington, D.C. office, led by Partner Warren Postman, with the addition of three associates.

Keller Lenkner first made headlines in defending its clients' rights to individual arbitration. The firm has won numerous precedent-setting victories requiring defendants to comply with their obligation to arbitrate disputes individually. As reported by the New York Times, Keller Lenkner has left defendants "scared to death." The firm has secured more than $200 million in settlements for more than 100,000 individual workers and consumers in these matters.

"Our pioneering arbitration practice shows the innovation and creativity Keller Lenkner brings to the plaintiffs' bar," Postman said. "We believe in our clients' cases, and our team and resources ensure that defendants cannot use forced arbitration clauses to escape responsibility for their misconduct."

Keller Lenkner has also built a formidable product-liability practice, representing thousands of clients in a dozen consolidated actions throughout the country. The firm litigates cases directly, receives referrrals from co-counsel, and acts as co-counsel with other leading plaintiffs' firms. Federal courts have recognized Keller Lenkner's talents through appointments to plaintiffs' leadership positions in three MDLs:

Partner Ashley Keller chairs the Law & Briefing Committee in the Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability MDL.

chairs the Law & Briefing Committee in the Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability MDL. Partner Nicole Berg sits on the Law & Briefing Subcommittee in the 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability MDL.

sits on the Law & Briefing Subcommittee in the Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability MDL. Associate Ashley Barriere leads the Law & Briefing Committee for the Onglyza and Combiglyze XR Products Liability Litigation MDL.

"We have quickly developed a reputation as the go-to firm for law and briefing, and more broadly, as a leader in the plaintiffs' space for product-liability cases," Keller said. "We raise the bar, and that's to the benefit of the entire plaintiff population."

Keller Lenkner continues to expand its complex litigation practice through the pursuit of antitrust and consumer-rights cases. In just the last two months, the firm announced three significant new matters:

The State of Texas retained Keller Lenkner to represent it in its antitrust case against Google for attempting to monopolize online display advertising.

retained Keller Lenkner to represent it in its antitrust case against Google for attempting to monopolize online display advertising. On behalf of Facebook users, Keller Lenkner filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook for violating federal and California antitrust laws and deceiving consumers about data-privacy protections.

antitrust laws and deceiving consumers about data-privacy protections. On behalf of LinkedIn advertisers, Keller Lenkner filed a class action lawsuit against LinkedIn for inflating advertising metrics and misreporting user activity.

In addition to its pathmarking legal representations, Keller Lenkner has broken new ground in its approach to its business and operationsincluding through building a dedicated, in-house client-services team to serve its clients using cutting-edge technology and processes.

"This is only the beginning," Gerchen said. "We will continue to drive innovation, build the best team, and deliver flawless work for our clients."

ABOUT KELLER LENKNER

Keller Lenkner LLC represents plaintiffs in complex litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout the nation. The firm acts for clients in class and mass actions, individual arbitrations, and multi-district litigation matters. Its team includes three former law clerks at the Supreme Court of the United States and former partners and associates from the country's leading law firms. Since its founding in 2018, the firm has secured results for more than 100,000 clients.

SOURCE Keller Lenkner LLC

Related Links

http://www.kellerlenkner.com/




Three sewer special purpose districts in Greenville County have sued the county over its vote to consolidate their services into another larger sewer provider.

In a lawsuit filed in the Greenville County Court of Common Pleas on Monday, the three  Gantt Fire, Sewer and Police District, Parker Sewer and Fire Sub-District, and Taylors Fire and Sewer District  sued the county and members of the councils in 2020 and 2021, saying state law doesnt give the county authority to dissolve sewer districts without the districts' consent or a referendum of district voters.

The lawsuit seeks to undo the councils action, finalized Dec. 15, 2020, to consolidate six special purpose districts and fold their sewer services into Metropolitan Sewer Authority, known as MetroConnects, which would be the lone remaining sewer special purpose district in the county.

The shakeup to the countys sewer collection services was among the final actions the council undertook to close out 2020. It was a hallmark achievement for outgoing County Council Chairman Butch Kirven, who led the consolidation charge with support from business and environmental leaders in the county.

Consolidation passed on an 8-4 vote. Among those opposed was Willis Meadows, who has since been elected council chairman.

Three other sewer districts within the county  Berea, Marietta and Wade Hampton  chose to hand over their sewer services to MetroConnects. In exchange, the county allowed those districts to continue to hold control over their fire departments and other services. The three sewer districts who are holding out risk losing control of their fire departments if they dont agree to transfer sewer services by the end of March, according to the countys consolidation plan.

The case is shaping up as a question of just how much power the state legislature has given to counties over special purpose districts. The lawsuit says the districts, which were created by the state legislature before the establishment of home rule in 1975, cant be dissolved without consent or a voter referendum.

The lawsuit also challenges whether a required public hearing, which was held the week of Thanksgiving partially via livestream, was proper. And it challenges whether the county can change the government of sewer districts from elected boards to an appointed board, which is how MetroConnects is governed.

It seeks to halt the countys plan and a six-month investigatory period the county has established for MetroConnects to learn about the assets and liabilities of the various districts. It also seeks a review of the countys actions with discovery and a trial.

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The countys changes place a greater financial burden on those with disabilities, the elderly, renters and those who live in lower valued houses, according to a statement from commissioners of the three districts that sued. It silenced the voices of the citizenry who now will be charged at will by a faceless, unaccountable sewer system. It is another cog in a system rife with corruption that picks economic winners and losers.

Greenville County Attorney Mark Tollison said state law does allow the county to consolidate special purpose districts.

"State law is very clear that county council has the power to undertake this action," Tollison said.

He said the county would soon file an appropriate response.

Meadows had not yet responded Tuesday afternoon to a request for comment from The Post and Courier.

This marks the second lawsuit filed by sewer districts against the council. A previous lawsuit unsuccessfully sought to stop the council from holding its public hearing in November. In that lawsuit, the county said the districts lacked standing to sue because the council was performing action given to it by legislative authority.

The county referenced home rule, which was passed after the districts were established but says County Council can change the boundaries of a special purpose district or abolish a district entirely, provided it conducts a public hearing first.

A judge allowed the public hearing to take place but that lawsuit is also pending resolution.
A federal appeals court Tuesday handed what could be a lethal setback to a Pennsylvania- based nonprofit groups proposal to open the nations first safe-injection site for illegal drugs users in Philadelphia.

The concept by Safehouse is an admirable one aimed at reducing drug overdose deaths amid the nationwide opioid addiction crisis, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit found.

Yet is also would violate federal drug laws, Judge Stephanos Bibas found in the circuit courts majority opinion.

Though the opioid crisis may call for innovative solutions, local innovations may not break federal law, Bibas wrote. But Congress has made it a crime to open a property to others to use drugs.

The circuit court decision overturns a federal district judges ruling that permitted the Sasfehouse plan to progress. Federal prosecutors appealed that ruling to Bibas court and an array of groups, including the ACLU and state and federal legislators intervened in the case. The prosecutors argued that Safehouses plan would violate a section of the federal Controlled Substances Act which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Safehouse wasnt to establish a site where addicts could come to inject themselves with heroin and other drugs under medical supervision. Staffers would be available to deal with overdoses and offer other free medical aid.

When a drug user visits the consumption room, a Safehouse staffer will give him a clean syringe as well as strips to test drugs for contaminants. Staffers may advise him on sterile injection techniques but will not provide, dispense, or administer any controlled drugs, Bibas wrote. The user must get his drugs before he arrives and bring them to Safehouse; he may not share or trade them on the premises. The drugs he consumes will be his own.

The problem is that, despite the concern over opioid addiction, it remains illegal to provide anyone with the means or location to use illegal drugs, Bibas found. The law, therefore, trumps Safehouses stated aim to save lives by preventing diseases, counteracting drug overdoses, and encouraging drug treatment. It believes that visitors are more likely to accept counseling and medical care, he wrote.

It doesnt matter that Safehouses intent is laudible, the circuit judge found. It is not our job to opine on whether its experiment is wise. The statute forbids opening and maintaining any place for visitors to come use drugs. Its words are not limited to crack houses, he wrote.

Congress has chosen one rational approach to reducing drug use and trafficking: a flat ban. We cannot rewrite the statute. Only Congress can, Bibas added.

Judge Jane R. Roth filed a dissenting minority opinion, contending that Safehouse wouldnt be violating the Controlled Substances Act. Its purpose would be to discourage, not encourage illegal drug use, she argued.

There is no evidence suggesting that Safehouse will admit anyone to its facility hoping that they will use drugs, Roth wrote. To the contrary, it actively tries to persuade users to stop. Unlike drug dealers and rave operators, Safehouses motivating purpose is to put itself out of business.

The government has not met its burden of showing that drug use will be one of Safehouses motivating purposes. Rather, Safehouse is trying to save peoples lives, she concluded.

The majority ruling that Safehouse would violate federal drug laws doesnt end the court battle. The circuit judges sent the dispute back to Eastern District Court for argument on another Safehouse contention that its program would be allowed under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Top nuclear physicist to lead Wits

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi appointed as the Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1 January 2021

The Council of the University of the Witwatersrand today announced the appointment of Professor Zeblon Vilakazi as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University from 1 January 2021. He takes the reins from Professor Adam Habib who leaves Wits at the end of the year to lead the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Professor Vilakazi is the current Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies at Wits. Under his leadership, Wits research output has more than doubled, with the University increasingly producing more research with impact. He is widely published (325 papers) and highly cited with an h-index of 70.

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi is the epitome of a world-class researcher who is globally recognised for his scientific work, and for his contribution towards developing higher education in Africa. He is a truly talented individual who is an inspiring exemplar for all Africans, says Mr Isaac Shongwe, Chairperson of the Wits Council, the highest decision-making body of the University. We are confident that Professor Vilakazi will ably lead Wits to its centenary in 2022 and beyond, steward a new vision for the academy, and reinvigorate the academic project in a higher education context that is rapidly changing.

No stranger to technology and the digital world, Professor Vilakazi chairs South Africas National Quantum Computing Working Committee which seeks to develop a Framework for Quantum Computing and Quantum Technology driven research and innovation in South Africa. He is also instrumental in ensuring that Wits and other African universities have access to quantum computing networks.

It is an honour for me to have been appointed to this prestigious position, says Professor Vilakazi. I am committed to working with my esteemed colleagues, fellow academics and smart, savvy students to create new knowledge, and to develop the high level skills required to move South Africa, and our economy forward. We also need to continue to develop the originators, innovators and critical thinkers who can help us solve the problems of the 21st Century.

Professor Vilakazi is globally recognised for his expert knowledge in physics and nuclear research. He was instrumental in establishing South Africa's first experimental high-energy physics research group at CERN focusing on the development of the High-level Trigger for the CERN-ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). He also served as a visiting scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energy in Saclay, France.

Brief Biography of Professor Zeblon Vilakazi

Professor Zeblon Zenzele Vilakazi joined Wits in January 2014 as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Postgraduate Affairs and was promoted to the position of Vice-Principal in April 2020.

He has served as the Group Executive for Research and Development at the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA) and as the Director of iThemba LABS.

Born in Katlehong, a township located on the East Rand, Professor Vilakazi obtained his PhD from Wits 1998.

He was one of the first students from Africa to conduct PhD research at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. This was followed by a National Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at CERN.

Upon his return to South Africa he lectured at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he was instrumental in establishing South Africas first experimental high-energy physics research group focusing on the development of the High-level Trigger for the CERN-ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider.

Vilakazi has been instrumental in developing key local and global partnerships that have cemented the Universitys position as a leader in innovation. This includes ensuring that Wits and other African universities can access to quantum computing facilities.

Under his leadership, Vilakazi enabled the University to achieve its strategic objective of creating an enabling environment for a research-intensive and postgraduate-oriented university. This includes achieving one of the fastest growth rates in subsidy research outputs and the doubling of research income. He increased the number of postgraduate students to realise the Universitys vision of becoming a research-intensive African university.

His international profile opened opportunities to serve as a visiting scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energy in Saclay, France. Professor Vilakazi served as chairperson of the International Atomic Energy Agencys Standing Advisory Committee on Nuclear Applications from 2009 to 2011.

He also served as a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Working Group for Nuclear Physics.

In 2010, Professor Vilakazi was nominated by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

He is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.

Professor Vilakazi is currently a member of the Programme Advisory Committee for Nuclear Physics at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia.

For more, see the Curriculum Vitae of Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Direct Biologics, LLC, an industry leader in extracellular vesicle technology, announced today that the company has launched AmnioWrap placental-based sheet allografts for clinical use. AmnioWrap is a unique, tri-layer graft intended for applications in acute and chronic wounds. The allograft contains a collagen extracellular matrix and a wide array of regulatory proteins including growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines - known key factors for healing and tissue regeneration.

"Our management team commands extensive commercial, scientific and clinical experience in amniotic allografts, including Adam McQueen who is leading this endeavor," noted Joe Schmidt, Co-Founder and President. "Adding AmnioWrap tri-layer allograft to our portfolio is a natural expansion of our remarkable regenerative therapeutic platform. We are delivering 2021 solutions for patients in need of the newest generation of therapies to augment healing."

McQueen, Division Vice President of Amniotic Products, added, "I'm excited to bring this revolutionary tri-layer allograft to market. Amniotic tissue has proven to be one of the more comprehensive regenerative products and is backed by extensive clinical and scientific research." AmnioWrap is available in a wide variety of sizes to support treatment in multiple surgical applications, such as in plastic surgery reconstruction, orthopaedic and spine, surgical wounds, as well as chronic wounds, burn and ocular injuries or conditions.

Mark Adams, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We're excited to add yet another exceptional technology to our product assortment to meet the needs of clinicians across a broad range of therapeutic disciplines. Placental allografts represent an important and fast-growing segment of the skin and dermal substitute market."

"It's important for clinicians to have multiple biotherapeutic tools at hand in order to treat patients based on their specific clinical need," added Chief Medical Officer, Vik Sengupta, MD. "The AmnioWrap product line offers another option to help heal wounds and aid in limb salvage, reduce potential surgical complications, and improve quality of life for patients."

Direct Biologics is also enrolling patients in EXIT COVID-19, its national multi-center, Phase II, placebo controlled, randomized clinical trial investigating the use of ExoFlo for COVID-19 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

About AmnioWrap

AmnioWrap is a dehydrated, sterilized human amniotic/chorionic membrane allograft intended for homologous use in the repair, replacement, reconstruction, or augmentation of human tissue. It contains key components found in human placental tissues including an intact extracellular matrix (ECM), regulatory growth factors and cytokines. AmnioWrap is easy to handle and apply and has been used topically for surgical applications, wounds, burns, soft tissue injuries, and over tendons and ligaments.

About ExoFlo

ExoFlo is an investigational new drug that has not been approved or licensed by FDA. It is an extracellular vesicle product isolated from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (MSCs). ExoFlo provides natural bioactive signals that have been shown to modulate inflammation and direct cellular communication.

About Direct Biologics

Direct Biologics, LLC, is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a recently expanded R&D facility located at the University of California, and an Operations and Order Fulfillment Center located in St. Louis, Missouri. Direct Biologics is a market-leading innovator and cGMP manufacturer of regenerative medical products, including a robust line of extracellular vesicle-based biological products. The company was created to expand the science of regenerative healing by delivering cutting-edge biologic technologies. Direct Biologics' management team holds extensive collective experience in biologics research, development, and commercialization, making the Company a leader in the evolving, next generation segment of the biotherapeutics industry. Direct Biologics is dedicated to pursuing additional clinical applications of its extracellular vesicle biologic products through the FDA's investigational new drug application process. For more information visit http://www.directbiologics.com.

Phone: 1-800-791-1021

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Direct Biologics
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REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Reichman Jorgensen LLP, an elite majority women-owned trial boutique, has announced that attorneys Kate Falkenstien and Wesley L. White have been promoted to partner effective January 1, 2021.

"Kate and Wes are bona fide leaders inside and outside of the courtroom, and among the top trial lawyers of their generation," said Jennifer Estremera, Reichman Jorgensen's Deputy Managing Partner. "They have demonstrated the highest levels of commitment to the firm and our clients. We couldn't be prouder to welcome them to our partnership ranks."

Wesley L. White, Partner, Reichman Jorgensen LLP Kate Falkenstien, Partner, Reichman Jorgensen LLP

"Our firm has rejected the notion that star attorneys must wait a pre-set amount of time to become partners. We are delighted to promote partners earlier than industry norms to reward extraordinary talent. Kate and Wes are prime examples," said Courtland Reichman, the firm's Managing Partner.

Kate Falkenstien is a partner in Reichman Jorgensen's Silicon Valley office. She represents plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of disputes, including intellectual property, consumer class actions, and commercial litigation. Kate also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on litigation related to prison conditions. Most recently, she served as a member of the Reichman Jorgensen trial team that secured a $236 million patent infringement verdict for Densify against tech giant VMware. Prior to joining Reichman Jorgensen, Kate served as a law clerk to Judge Sri Srinivasan on the D.C. Circuit. She is a graduate of Yale University, where she was President of the Yale Debate Association, and Stanford Law School, where she was a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, an honor awarded to the top student in each small section. She also received eight Gerald Gunther Prizes for Outstanding Performance in Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Economic Analysis of Law, Property, Tax, and Torts.

Wesley White is a partner in Reichman Jorgensen's New York office. As a trial attorney, he represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes patent disputes. Wesley secures favorable results for his clients by leveraging his experience resolving complex and strategic problems at the intersection of law, finance, and technology to identify the issues that will resonate most with juries and judges at trial and present those issues in a relatable manner. His achievements have earned him recognition as a Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in intellectual property litigation. Most recently, he served as a member of the Reichman Jorgensen trial team that secured a $236 million patent infringement verdict for Densify against tech giant VMware. Wesley is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Law Review as the Business & Bluebook Chair. He also earned joint degrees in applied physics and electrical engineering from Morehouse College and Georgia Tech. Before embarking on his legal career, Wesley worked in the financial services industry as an associate with Goldman Sachs in New York and Chicago.

About Reichman Jorgensen

Reichman Jorgensen LLP is an elite national trial firm that handles high-stakes commercial litigation, intellectual property, and white collar disputes. The firm is majority women-owned and rejects the billable hour in favor of fee arrangements that align client interests. Reichman Jorgensen's attorneys are diverse, exceptionally credentialed, and passionate about trial advocacy. From offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, the firm tries cases and argues appeals throughout the country. For more information, visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com .

Contact :

Jennifer Estremera

[email protected]

(650) 623.1407

SOURCE Reichman Jorgensen LLP
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Tracey Jewel was rushed to hospital after suffering a pregnancy scare last week.

But on Tuesday, the 37-year-old Married At First Sight star beamed as she showed off her baby bump while dining at a restaurant in Perth.

Tracey posed in a longline maxi dress while talking about her post-birth goals in a post shared with her 130,000 Instagram followers.

Much better! Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel beamed as she showed off her baby bump while dining at a restaurant in Perth on Tuesday. She appears to be in much better spirits after suffering a pregnancy scare last week

Tracey spoke about a new self-care routine after her child is born, which includes journalling every day.

She also plans to learn about aromatherapy, get a new tattoo, reconnect with old friends and repair her family relationships.

Tracey revealed last week she'd been rushed to hospital with minor bleeding, which left her fearful for her unborn son.

Health scare: Tracey revealed last week she'd been rushed to hospital with minor bleeding, which left her fearful for her unborn son

'Yesterday was not an ordinary day in pregnancy. I had some minor bleeding. As we are away from home, my obstetrician thought best to check it out,' she wrote on Instagram.

'Received all the checks, saw our baby's heartbeat so relieved and pleased that our baby boy is fine, and bleeding has now stopped.'

She went on to say she was 'grateful for all the excellent care and service the Albany hospital maternity ward provided'.

Emergency: 'Yesterday was not an ordinary day in pregnancy. I had some minor bleeding. As we are away from home, my obstetrician thought best to check it out,' she wrote on Instagram

'Was contemplating sharing this on social media but decided to as let's be real about pregnancy journeys and days - the good and bad!' she added.

Tracey revealed in September she was expecting a child with her boyfriend, Nathan Constable.

'We're having a baby! We are so happy to share our beautiful news with everyone,' she wrote on Instagram at the time.

Growing family: Tracey revealed in September she was expecting a child with her boyfriend, Nathan Constable (left)

'I have always believed in second chances and my second baby I've been waiting so long for,' she added.

'My daughter is going to be an amazing big sister and I'm so so grateful to be experiencing pregnancy and motherhood again with my love Nate.'

The entrepreneur, who rose to fame on Channel Nine's Married At First Sight in 2018, is already a mother to 10-year-old daughter Grace.
Credit: SeventyFour/Shutterstock

The lives of millions of parents and children were turned upside down when COVID-19 forced school lockdowns in April 2020. With a new national lockdown announced for England on January 4 2021, many parents and schools have once again been caught unprepared.

This time, however, schools in England are legally obliged to provide remote or online teaching, which may include video lessons and other online or offline resources such as tasks and workbooks. What's more, the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has suggested that parents should report schools to education regulator Ofqual if they believe the remote teaching being offered to their child is of a low standard.

While Williamson's proposal is misguidedparents and schools should be encouraged to work together during such a difficult timethe government has employed the right policy by enacting the legal duty for schools to provide remote teaching. Remote teaching is likely to be particularly important for underprivileged children.

But the burdens currently placed on schoolswhich are expected to provide remote teaching as well as face-to-face instruction for the children of key workersmakes this task extremely difficult.

Learning loss

Research conducted before the pandemic shows that school closures result in learning loss for many students. Preliminary evidence suggests that significant learning loss has taken place during the pandemic, and teachers have already voiced concerns over the disproportionate effects of school closures on students from underprivileged groups.

Schools will be expected to offer pupils a set number of hours of remote education to ensure young people receive high quality learning at home. We've scaled up the delivery of laptops and tablets for those who need them the most so they can carry on their education. pic.twitter.com/nkMYCpKCC6  Department for Education (@educationgovuk) January 7, 2021

These concerns are backed up by the findings of the Understanding Society COVID-19 survey, conducted by the University of Essex during the school shutdown in spring 2020. Using this large-scale survey of the learning of about 4,519 children, we investigated the impact of home learning on pupils during the first lockdown.

The survey results, which are under review by other academics, suggest that remote teaching provided by schools increased home learning for all students. However, pupils from unprivileged families spent considerably less time on home learning than their privileged peers.

We hypothesised that the COVID-19 school interruption would have the most impact on children with less-educated parents, those in single-parent families, those with ethnic minority backgrounds and children from poor backgroundsthose eligible for free school meals.

If their parents are not well educated, they may not be able to assume teaching responsibilities. Single parents are likely to have even more burdens, including limited time, support and resources to foster home learning. Ethnic minority parents may have weak English skills and limited understanding of the learning materials or limited ability to support learning.

In other words, poor and disadvantaged parents will rely more on the teaching provisions made available by their childrens' schools.

On average, our survey found that children spent about three hours a day on home learning during the April lockdown. Each day, children who were eligible for free school meals, pupils from single-parent households and children with parents with GCSE or lower education spent less time on home learning than their more privileged peers. Our research suggests that if these children were provided the same remote teaching, most of these home learning gaps would close.

The survey results indicate that remote teaching substantially increases the time children spend on home learning. We found that school provision of offline guidance and material increases the time children spend on schoolwork at home by around 18 minutes per day.

Home learning time increased by an average of 12 minutes each day when teachers monitored schoolwork, while the provision of online lessons increased the time devoted to home learning by 10 minutes each day.

Burdens on schools

The legal requirement to provide remote teaching shows a commitment to ensuring all students access education. But it comes at a time when schools are under significant pressure. The new government guidance allows students without a laptop or a study space to attend schools. The high number of students able to attend school for this reason is likely to add to the demands on teachers and schools dealing with both remote and in-person teaching.

Ideally, schools should trace and prioritize disadvantaged children and focus on providing learning materials, including setting schoolwork for these pupils if they cannot attend school. Teachers should monitor and check this schoolwork daily and provide feedback. Live online lessons once or twice a day are likely to increase pupils' connection to school and their friends, and be of benefit to their mental wellbeing.

But providing adequate remote teaching requires that schools, teachers and students have up-to-date internet infrastructure, information and communication technologies and the skills to use them.

Preparedness for digital schooling should be a policy priority for the governmentbut is a measure for which the UK currently ranks very low. Children who lack access to a computer and the internet will struggle in particular with remote learning. Schools and the government should reach out to these children with resources.

To reduce learning loss, schools and families should work together to provide the best remote and face-to-face teaching for children.

Explore further How remote learning is making educational inequities worse

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gannex, a wholly owned company of Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKEX: 1672) and fully dedicated to the R&D and commercialization of new drugs in the field of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), today announces the positive phase I clinical results of ASC41 oral tablet, a liver-targeted prodrug. The active metabolite of ASC41 is a selective thyroid hormone receptor beta (THR-) agonist.

This phase I trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled single- and multiple-ascending dose study in 65 subjects with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (> 110 mg/dL), a population characteristic of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). ASC41 has been formulated in commercially ready oral tablets developed in-house using proprietary technology. In the single-ascending dose portion of the study, preliminary data suggest that ASC41 is safe and well tolerated up to a dose of 20 mg. Furthermore, ASC41 tablet formulation showed a dose-proportional pharmacokinetic profile from 1 mg to 20 mg. In the multiple-ascending dose (MAD) portion of the study, preliminary data suggest that after 14 days of once daily oral dosing, subjects demonstrate clinically meaningful and statistically significant reduction in LDL-C and triglycerides compared to placebo, as shown in the table below.

Placebo-adjusted relative change (mean) from baseline after 14 days of once daily

oral dosing of ASC41 tablets

1 mg

(n=12) 2 mg

(n=12) 5 mg

(n=12) Placebo-adjusted LDL-C reduction P-value vs placebo -0.42% p=0.947 -11.94% p=0.052 -19.99% p=0.002 Placebo-adjusted triglyceride reduction P-value vs placebo -39.43% p=0.002 -31.06% p=0.029 -34.49% p=0.015

ASC41 had a benign adverse event profile at all doses following 14-day treatment, with no grade 3 or above adverse events, no serious adverse events or premature discontinuations. Furthermore, ASC41 tablet formulation displayed a dose-proportional pharmacokinetic profile from 1 mg to 5 mg following once daily, 14-day dosing.

"We are pleased with the excellent pharmacokinetic profile using our in-house developed tablet formulation", said Handan He, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Ascletis, "The successful development of the commercially-ready oral formulation at this early stage will accelerate our clinical development."

"We are excited about the LDL-C and triglyceride reductions in this patient population characteristic of NAFLD, at low doses of ASC41," said Melissa Palmer, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Gannex, "These results support advancement of the ASC41 clinical program for the indication of NASH."

About Ascletis

Ascletis is an innovative R&D driven biotech and listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1672.HK). Ascletis is committed to developing and commercializing innovative drugs in the areas of viral hepatitis, NASH and HIV/AIDS for unmet medical needs in China and globally. Led by a management team with deep expertise and a proven track record, Ascletis has developed into a fully integrated platform covering the entire value chain from discovery and development to manufacturing and commercialization.

Ascletis has three marketed products and thirteen R&D pipeline drug candidates or combination therapies (nine of them developed in-house). 1. Viral hepatitis: (i) Hepatitis B: focus on breakthrough therapies for HBV clinical cure with subcutaneously injected PD-L1 antibody - ASC22 and Pegasys as cornerstone drugs. (ii) Hepatitis C: successfully launched all oral regimen of ASCLEVIR and GANOVO combination (RDV/DNV regimen); and ASC18 fixed dose combination (FDC) is an upgraded version of RDV/DNV regimen with bridging study finished. 2. NASH: Gannex, a wholly-owned company of Ascletis, is fully dedicated to the R&D and commercialization of new drugs in the field of NASH. Gannex has three clinical stage drug candidates against three different targets  FASN, THR-beta and FXR, and three pre-clinical stage combination therapies. 3. HIV/AIDS: ASC09F is a FDC treatment of HIV targeting protease. The clinical trial application of ASC09F has been approved. For more information, please visit www.ascletis.com.

SOURCE Ascletis Pharma Inc.
Available/Reserved UK amateur radio callsigns

Ofcom were asked in a Freedom of Information request to provide a list of Available/Reserved amateur radio callsigns for the UK and Crown Dependencies



The database can be useful for people wanting to apply for a specific call sign as it shows calls which are not available for issue.



Those who've passed the RSGB Full exam have the option of applying for callsigns from the old G and M call blocks including G3, G4, G5 and M5. Details of how to apply are at

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/november/g-callsigns-for-those-passing-full-exam.htm



The FoI request submitted on December 4, 2020 asked:



Could you please furnish me with the latest available/registered UK Amateur Callsign database?



Ofcom released a spreadsheet containing 146,469 callsigns with a status of either Allocated or Reserved.



Status categorisation:



 Allocated means that the callsign is currently assigned to a station under an Amateur Radio licence. It is therefore not currently available for assignment to anyone else.



 Reserved means that the callsign has been used within the past two years, although it is no longer, and is in the process of cooling down. It is therefore not currently available for assignment to anyone else, but operators will be able to apply for it again after the two-year period has expired.



Ofcom's reply to FoI

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/210647/uk-amateur-radio-callsigns.pdf



Spreadsheet of Allocated and Reserved callsigns

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/file/0021/210648/annex-list-of-uk-amateur-radio-callsigns.xlsx



You can submit a Freedom of Information request to Ofcom online at

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/new/ofcom
The Standing Committee of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV&AIDS (SCORA) operating under the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Association (FGMSA) has donated items in excess of GHs4,000 (Four thousand Ghana Cedi) to the Motherly Love Orphanage in Kwabenya, Accra.



SCORA in partnership with Women First Digital (WFD) launched a campaign to raise money for the Motherly Love Orphanage. The week-long campaign, dubbed Clicks4Charity, allowed young people to go online on the Women First Digital websites and obtain information on reproductive health and other information that affect them.



Every visit to the site during the campaign week was counted and converted to cash by WFD at a rate of 1 Ghana cedi per visit. Through publicity by SCORA, many young people visited the site raising a total of 2,900 Cedis.



To reach the goal of 4,000, the deputy head of SCORA in the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) contributed 100 Ghana Cedis, whilst the National head for SCORA, also donated 1,000 Ghana Cedis worth of vouchers.



The funds raised were then used to purchase among other items 5 bags of rice,4 large bottles of oil, Toiletries including sanitary pads, and medical supplies such as paracetamol, ORS and multi-vitamins, gloves, face mask as well as refreshments like soft drinks, biscuits and toffees to celebrate the festive season.



The Motherly Love Orphanage houses 52 children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDs. HIV/AIDs and other STIs form part of SCORAs focus areas. This campaign served to provide education on reproductive health, including HIV to student populations as well as to impact on the vulnerable in society. The campaign followed months of engagement with the Women First Digital and other key stakeholders since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.



A 3-member team from SCORA presented the items and interacted with the children who shared with them their dreams and aspirations for the future.



Speaking at the ceremony, Dennis Arnold Tsegah, the National Head of SCORA said: One of the challenges that young people face across Ghana especially during the Covid-19 pandemic is the limited access to health information, especially concerning their reproductive health.



He said SCORA was committed to helping young people to make informed decisions that impact their lives. This he indicated would be achieved by working with them to make their voices heard.



He further said SCORA was also delighted to have the opportunity of supporting the vulnerable. He called on other organizations and corporate bodies to emulate what SCORA had done.



The head of the Institute thanked SCORA and its partners for the donation. They took them on a tour to view their facilities and provided insights into how the orphanage was formed and some of the challenges that they experienced during the pandemic.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/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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Rep. Pramila Jayapal has become the second Democratic congresswoman to test positive for COVID-19 after being forced to shelter in a secure room with maskless Republicans during last Wednesday's siege of the Capitol.

Jayapal, who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District, revealed her diagnosis in a tweet on Monday night, blaming her political adversaries for the infection.

'I just received a positive COVID-19 test result after being locked down in a secured room at the Capitol where several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but recklessly mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one,' the 55-year-old posted.

Jayapal's announcement came just hours after Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, 75, disclosed that she, too, had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal has become the second Democratic congresswoman to test positive for COVID-19 after being forced to shelter in a secure room with maskless Republicans during last Wednesday's siege of the Capitol

Jayapal, who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District, revealed her diagnosis in a tweet on Monday night, blaming her political adversaries for the infection

During Wednesday's attack on Capitol Hill by a mob of unruly Donald Trump supporters, lawmakers were rushed to an undisclosed location and held together for their own safety.

There were reportedly more than 100 people in the room at the same time.

Several Democratic politicians complained thaT Republican colleagues did not wear face masks in the enclosed space, where they huddled together for hours while they waited for security officials to clear the Capitol.

Jayapal says she is convinced more positive test results will follow, claiming that being forced to huddle in the room will turn out to be 'a superspreader event'.

'Only hours after Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemiccreating a superspreader event ON TOP of a domestic terrorist attack,' Japayal fumed on Twitter.

She added: 'Any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy. I'm calling for every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol to be fined and removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms.'

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman announced she tested positive for COVID and blamed being trapped in a hold during last week's attack on the Capitol with Republicans who refused to wear face masks

Jayapal did not say whether she was experiencing any notable symptoms following her COVID-19 diagnosis.

She says she will continue to work as she remains in quarantine as per her doctor's instruction.

'I share the outrage and anger of those across America who have watched Trump fail to combat this raging pandemic and refuse to take care of Americans who are suffering, dying, and devastated. I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office,' she wrote.

On Monday afternoon, Rep. Coleman announced her positive diagnosis.

She stated, however, that she was awaiting the results of a PCR test and said she previously received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID19 vaccine, which has been made available to members of Congress and other government officials.

It takes two doses for full immunity.

Dr. Brian Moynihan, the attending physician in the Capitol, issued a warning on Sunday to all lawmakers that they may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus during their lockdown.

He noted that 'many members of the House community were in protective isolation in the large room - some for several hours' on Wednesday.

He said 'individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection'.

House lawmakers who were whisked to safety when a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol were filmed bickering over masks as they hunkered down in a safe room

Meanwhile, video from inside the room, obtained by Punchbowl News, showed several Republican lawmakers not wearing masks - including Congressman Andy Biggs (Arizona), Michael Cloud (Texas), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma) and Scott Perry (Pennsylvania).

Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, who was walking around handing out masks, repeatedly asked those in the maskless group to take one, but they brushed her aside.

President-elect Joe Biden said he saw the footage and was 'appalled.'

'I was appalled when I saw, as a matter of fact, distinguished congresswoman from Delaware showed the folks in hiding from the mob, going around trying to hand out masks for everybody. Republican colleagues wouldn't take the mask,' he said. 'I think it is irresponsible. So we all have to make sure it is not a political issue. It is an issue of public safety.'
Chandigarh, Jan 12 : The first consignment of 2.04 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield', manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, arrived in Punjab by air on Tuesday, officials said.

The vaccine landed at the Chandigarh airport. It will be dispatched to various districts in specially-fabricated vehicles on Wednesday.

Punjab Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Hussan Lal said that healthcare and frontline workers will be vaccinated initially free of cost.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 57F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

A strong cold spell hit the north and north central provinces from the evening of January 7-11, affecting local lives and production.

A frozen road in Lai Chau province makes vehicles unable to move (Photo: VNA)

On January 10-11, snow fell on Bat Xat district and Sa Pa town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, the first of its kind this year.

From January 9-11 in Yen Bai, frost and thick fog appeared in several communes of Tram Tau and Mu Cang Chai districts, mostly in areas at an altitude of over 1,600m such as Ban Mu, Ban Cong, Xa Ho and Lang Nhi.

In Dien Bien, about 55,000 students of about 130 schools were allowed to be absent from class to avoid coldness.

In Lai Chau on January 11, students were off school due to bitter and severe cold climate.

National Highway 4D in the province was also frozen, causing traffic congestion as vehicles were unable to move on slippery surface.

Deputy head of the Weather Forecast Office from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Nguyen Huu Thanh said another northeast cold spell will strike the north and north central regions from January 17-18. Later, bitter and severe cold spell will last 2-3 days following January 20.

Further information about weather conditions could be found on the websites nchmf.gov.vn, kttv.gov.vn, and www.khituongvietnam.gov.vn, or the mass media./.VNA

Hanois vegetable farmers battle biting cold on the way to market Hanoi is facing a cold January but the low temperatures of below 10 degrees Celsius in the early morning don't stop farmers in the citys rural areas from waking up early to harvest vegetables and bring them to the market for sale.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 icon is almost 300 years old and was stored in the Ukrainian city of Luhansk, which is now occupied by Russian-controlled forces.

A 300-year-old Ukrainian icon, originally from the occupied city of Luhansk, which has earlier been handed as a gift to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is estimated at EUR 12.5 million.

The icon was kept in the Banke Srpske deposit until its bankruptcy, and later was deposited with the Lithuanian-owned UKIO bank. It is not known when and how the icon got into the Bosnian bank, as reported by Balkan Observer for Ukraine on Facebook with reference to the Bosnian BN TV channel.

The Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, presented a Ukrainian icon to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. After that, the Ukrainian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina demanded an explanation from that country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as to how the icon had appeared in the country in the first place.

Subsequently, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that they would return the icon to the side that had presented it so that its history could be traced through Interpol.

According to local media reports, the icon is almost 300 years old and was stored in the Ukrainian city of Luhansk, which is now occupied by Russian-controlled forces.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy intends to appeal to law enforcement agencies with a request to establish a chain of the icon's movement from Ukraine to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The prosecutor's office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has opened a respective criminal case.

Reporting by UNIAN
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: 5YY) ("Riverside" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drill results from the first four of nine holes drilled at the Cuarentas Project (the "Project") have been received and are reported below. The primary focus of this initial drill program targeted the Santa Rosalia area with a total of 9 holes (1,500 m). All drill holes intersected the mineralized structure along the 400 m strike-length. Drilling suggests some displacement has occurred between the high-grade surface sampling of old mining areas and the at depth drill intersections. The results have led Riverside to reinterpret this area and apply these findings to the other three target areas. From the first 9 exploration holes the best intercept was from drill hole LC20-001 which returned of 1.04 g/t Au over 3.44 m starting at 66.6 m down hole. Complementary exploration work carried out during the drill campaign show increasing promise for other target areas and will be reported once data review is completed.

Drill Intersection Highlights:

Hole_ID From To Interval (m) Au g/t Ag g/t % Cu % Pb % Zn LC20-001 66.6 71.36 3.44 1.04 57.8 0.09 0.17 0.27 including 69 70.4 1.4 1.8 82 0.2 0.4 0.58 LC20-002 90.3 91 0.8 0.4 18.8 0.03 0.06 0.07 LC20-003 67.9 68.4 0.5 0.9 3.1 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 LC20-003 110.6 111.9 1.3 0.9 105.9 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 LC20-004 99 100.5 4.55 0.36 1 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 LC20-005 138 139.5 1.5 0.2 2.4 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 LC20-008 88.5 95.5 7 0.15 17.5 0.06 0.17 0.23 LC20-009 139.43 140.02 0.59 0.17 18.7 0.24 0.13 0.1

Riverside's President and CEO, John-Mark Staude, stated: "We are pleased to have drill-tested the Santa Rosalia target, which is only the first of four target areas along a 2.5 km mineralized trend. Results have demonstrated a structural complex environment that Riverside's team is reviewing and using for refining and developing more targets that we look forward to testing in the coming months at Cuarentas."

Post-mineral faulting of the high-grade surface vein (2.1 m @ 21.9 g/t Au) at the former Santa Rosalia mine has been intercepted with the drilling and the revised structural interpretation now shows some offset in mineralization. The drill core assays from this campaign returned anomalous base metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) as well as the minerals gypsum and pyrite which could relate to a nearby porphyry Cu style system. The Laramide age rocks at the property may host a higher temperature, porphyry Cu system laterally or at depth on Riverside's mineral tenure.







Figure 1: Interpretative cross section of Santa Rosalia Mine including drilling results from October and November 2020. Tilting of the down dropped blocks shows an angular offset from the faulted off vein. Channel samples taken by Riverside in 2020 (see press release October 8, 2020).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6101/71790_4e0a90fa54162a1a_002full.jpg

The geologic cross section from the Santa Rosalia drill program shows a post mineral fault not visible on surface that has offset the vein (see Figure 1 above). This displacement between the northern and the southern block can be tested with further drilling as it is believed the vein could be displaced downward on the south side of the Testerazo Fault zone. This type of structural modification by post-mineral Basin and Range tectonics is common in the region and will need to be incorporated into working models as exploration advances. At the Mercedes Mine immediately to the west, significant economic discoveries have been found along reactivated faults and adjacent to stable blocks beneath post-mineral cover and should be considered in future modelling at Cuarentas. At the Cuarentas Project, recent surface work has shown variable and relatively thin post-mineral volcanic cover within the southern block. This leads Riverside to believe that a preserved system exists within the block to the south. Evidence for this was discovered within erosional windows at lower elevations where high-grade gold samples are documented by historical explorers.

The other three targets at Cuarentas include the Sombrero, the Central and the Santa Rosalia targets, which have not been drill tested. These areas show extensive alteration, favorable geology, mineralization and will be part of a second phase of exploration drilling at the Cuarentas Project.

Qualified Person & QA/QC:

The scientific and technical data contained in this news release pertaining to the Los Cuarentas Project was reviewed and approved by Freeman Smith, P.Geo, a non-independent qualified person to Riverside Resources, who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Core samples collected at Cuarentas were taken to the Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Hermosillo, Mexico for sample preparation and fire assay analysis for gold and silver. The rejects remained with Bureau Veritas in Mexico while pulps were transported to Bureau Veritas' laboratory in Vancouver, Canada for 45 element ICP/ES-MS analysis. A QA/QC program was implemented as part of the sampling procedures for the exploration program. For the drilling program standards, blanks and duplicate samples were inserted every 20 samples into the sample stream prior to the sample batches being sent to the laboratory in Mexico.

About Riverside Resources Inc.:

Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The Company has no debt and less than 69M shares outstanding with a strong portfolio of gold-silver and copper assets in North America. Riverside has extensive experience and knowledge operating in Mexico and Canada and leverages its large database to generate a portfolio of prospective mineral properties. In addition to Riverside's own exploration spending, the Company also strives to diversify risk by securing joint-venture and spin-out partnerships to advance multiple assets simultaneously and create more chances for discovery. Riverside has additional properties available for option, with more information available on the Company's website at www.rivres.com.

ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC.

"John-Mark Staude"



Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO

For additional information contact:

John-Mark Staude

President, CEO

Riverside Resources Inc.

info@rivres.com

Phone: (778) 327-6671

Fax: (778) 327-6675

Web: www.rivres.com

Raffi Elmajian

Corporate Communications

Riverside Resources Inc.

relmajian@rivres.com

Phone: (778) 327-6671

TF: (877) RIV-RES1

Web: www.rivres.com

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect"," estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71790
ZURICH, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb today announced that Michael Kessler has been appointed Division President of the company's global cyber risk insurance business. Currently Vice President, Chubb Group and Chief Reinsurance Officer, Mr. Kessler in his new role will oversee all facets of the business including strategy, product and business development, underwriting and service operations, and overall profit and loss performance, which will continue to report into the company's North America and international cyber risk divisions.

Mr. Kessler will report to Paul Krump, Vice Chairman, Chubb Group, Global Underwriting and Claims to ensure global consistency of product design, enterprise risk management and risk tolerance, underwriting tools and loss mitigation services and protocols. The appointment is effective immediately.

"Mike's extensive experience and history with our company, his leadership of our global reinsurance function and his technical skills and actuarial background make him a highly capable executive to lead our global cyber practice," said Mr. Krump. "Chubb's industry-leading risk transfer, loss mitigation and incident response services for the rapidly evolving cyber risk threats faced by businesses of all sizes and individuals are more important than ever. I have every confidence in Mike's ability to lead this critically important global business for Chubb."

William Wise, Senior Vice President of Chubb's North America Professional Liability and Cyber practice, will report jointly to Mr. Kessler and Steven Goldman, Division President, Financial Lines, North America Insurance. Kyle Bryant, Senior Vice President, Cyber Product Manager and Technology Practice Lead for Chubb's international general insurance business, will report jointly to Mr. Kessler and Tim Stapleton, Executive Vice President, Financial Lines, Overseas General Insurance.

Mr. Kessler has nearly 30 years of experience in insurance and actuarial consulting. In 2016 he was named Vice President, Chubb Group, a title he continues to hold, and Chief Reinsurance Officer. Previously, he served as Chief Actuary for the company's international general insurance business, a position he held from 2008. Mr. Kessler joined the company, then named ACE, in 2003 as Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary for Westchester, the company's U.S. commercial property and casualty excess and surplus lines business. For the previous decade, he held senior manager and consulting actuary positions at Ernst & Young LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Mr. Kessler holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Cornell University. He is a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com .

SOURCE Chubb Limited
Figure 1: The structure of developed room-temperature phosphorescence material (SiAz) and illustrative summary of this work. Credit: Osaka University

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are now very popular features of many mainstream products including smartphones and televisions. OLEDs have the advantages of being low cost, light, flexible, and easy to modify, making them ideal display materials. However, current OLEDs that achieve commercially viable quantum efficiencies contain rare metal atoms such as iridium and platinum that increase costs and reduce sustainability. Now, an international team including researchers from Osaka University has reported the best performing heavy-atom-free OLED of its kind.

Although OLEDs that do not contain heavy atomssuch as rare metals and halogensare an obvious choice for reducing the cost and improving the long-term viability of products, the heavy-atom-free emitters that are currently available have limitations.

Materials known as thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters are efficient; however, they typically have broad emission spectra that make them more suitable for use as light sources than as the precise emitters required for display applications. Another type of heavy-atom-free emitter is room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) emitters; however, the OLEDs using them show very low efficiencies of <1%, due to the quenching of long-lived triplet excitons in the device.

The researchers therefore merged the mechanisms of TADF and RTP phenomena to produce a hybrid emitter that combines features of both systems. Their TADF/RTP materialcalled SiAzcontains only carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and silicon atoms, which are easy to obtain naturally abundant elements, making SiAz viable for widespread use.

Figure 2: a) Conventional RTP materials and b) herein developed RTP material. Credit: Osaka University

"The energy level gaps in the excited states of an emitting material determine how the materials can behave upon the excitation and the emission they produce," study corresponding author Youhei Takeda explains. "Combining the two mechanisms meant that we could alter the way an excitonic molecule undergoes transition between the spin- and energetically-different states to produce the overall characteristics that we wanted. Specifically, by tuning energy levels, our material can utilize thermal upconversion system to produce RTP."

The researchers achieved a high degree of control over the energy levels through careful selection of the host material that the emitter molecule was impregnated intowhich allowed thermally activated transition of the energetically-lowest triplet excited state to the higher triplet state of the emitter molecules to irradiate pure RTP in an efficient way. The SiAz material was successfully used in a device that achieved an external quantum efficiency of 4%, which is the best reported to date for a heavy-atom-free OLED based on RTP.

Figure 3: Illustrative summary of the photophysical processes of SiAz in different host matrices. Credit: Osaka University

"We hope that further efforts to understand the structure-property relationships of these hybrid systems will allow us to identify clear design principles going forward," Takeda explains. "Application of the control we have demonstrated is expected to lead to the widespread availability of heavy-atom-free OLED products and high-resolution bio-imaging agents that are sustainable and cost-effective."

Explore further Invisible organic light-emitting diodes reach new world record

More information: Heather F. Higginbotham et al. Heavy-Atom-Free Room-Temperature Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by Excited States Engineering, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2021). Journal information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Heather F. Higginbotham et al. Heavy-Atom-Free Room-Temperature Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by Excited States Engineering,(2021). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c17295

Demands by Democrats in Congress for a Trump impeachment got no resignation or removal of Trump as the answer. Both agreed to stay and work until the end of the most prolific administration and one that has touched base with everyday Americans.

Congress Democrats got snubbed by Vice President Mike Pence, who ignored their demand to out the President. He opted to decide for the better good instead of fostering divisiveness from other sectors.

Pence instead opted to spend the final days of the administration to work with the outgoing President. After the Capitol incident, both are ready to give the outgoing administration a good send-off, according to a senior official said Bloomberg.

Their discussion indicates that Trump intends to steward his administration to its last days. Despite the pressure to resign before January 20, he didn't. The next administration has to measure up to the track record of its predecessor.

After the Capitol got stormed by rioters, alleged to be mostly supporters of the President, this is the first time they have discussed anything. Pence did not pull through during the Joint Session. The fallout from the chaos fuels his critics too.

In the Oval Office, they agreed that his supporters did start the chaos when the Capitol was in turmoil. Despite the attempted smear on "America First" 's personality, their supporters will do work on behalf of America.

The President and vice president had a good talk with plans on what to do in the final week of four years that put America first, said the source. They agreed there would no Trump impeachment, neither will there be a resignation or removal of Trump.

Also read: 25th Amendment of the United States Constitution: Its Impact on the Trump Impeachment

Impeach the President

The House Democrats' probes' battle cry failed to put the Republican President in a bad light, expecting Pence to decide to turn his back and allow a second impeachment. On Monday, the Democrat bid put the President on trial via a resolution that accused the chief executive of inciting insurrection-citing the evidence as to his speech on January 6.

Sources allege that Pence was mad at the President for allowing the chaos to ensue. This disturbance halted the counting of electoral votes, and the lawmakers had to leave abruptly. They later reconvened to declare that Trump did not get re-elected.

Democrats were hoping that Pence will not side with the administration and use the 25th amendment to remove the President. Once invoked, a series of events empower officers to depower the commander in chief. But, the vice president just shut the door on the Democrats. A source said that Pence is in accordance with the DEMS demands.

A senior administration official account report says that no 25th Amendment or resignation will ever come about.

Mark Meadow's of the vice president's office said that the official account of the meeting is verified, with those privies all accounted for.

Details of the official and those privies to the talks in the Oval Office prefer anonymity.

Democrat is sponsoring a resolution to vote over this week; they are forcing Pence to oust Trump. Moves for a Trump impeachment are ignored, and it is still no resignation or removal of Trump.

Related article: Democrats Cannot Impeach Trump Today, Even After His Term; Senate Rules Should be Followed

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
For $2 million, the 19th century Fall River home where Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her parents with an axe could be yours.

The scene of the brutal double axe murder, a historic green-colored house located at 230 2nd St., was put on the market Monday. The home has been a museum since 1998 and a tourist attraction for murder-mystery fanatics for much longer.

Owned by Donald Woods and Lee-ann Wilber, the museum is called the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, the house where Abby and Andrew Borden were axed to death in the late 1800s. Last year, it was named the creepiest place to visit in Massachusetts by Thrillist.

Lizzie Borden took an axe... or did she? Welcome to the ORIGINAL house where Lizzie Borden was accused (and acquitted) of the brutal double axe murders of her father, Andrew, and stepmother, Abby, the listing said. This is an unbelievable opportunity to own and operate one of New Englands top tourist attractions.

On Aug. 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden was arrested over allegations she was responsible for the double-murder of her parents seven days prior. However, the case did not end there.

Following a grand jury indictment, Borden went on trial for the murders in June 1893 and was later acquitted, leading to one of the nations most infamous unsolved mysteries.

Although acquitted of the charges against her, the question of whether Lizzie Borden committed the murders remains to this day, the U.S. Library of Congress said.

After being tried in court and acquitted of all the charges levied against her, Borden returned to her home city of Fall River and tried to begin private life again, according to the communitys historical society.

Despite the jurys not-guilty verdict, though, the specter of suspicion remained ever-present, the Fall River Historical Society said on its website. The double-murder haunted Borden for the rest of her days.

Today, the name Lizzie Borden is known worldwide, and interest in her is enduring as well as universal. The Borden case is viewed as one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of all time, the website says.

Described as an austere, raw-boned structure, the 2nd Street home remains close to how it looked in the 1890s, according to the museum.

The homes decorations have been duplicated. The original hardware and doors remain intact, and the furnishings in the house are in their rightful place, the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfasts website said.

Artifacts from the murder case are displayed while memorabilia from the era line shelves and mantel tops, the museum noted. A visitor is literally transported back to that morning when a perfect storm of events culminated in a double murder.

The site of the 1892 axe murder is not the only Borden-related property up for sale.

The historic Maplecroft mansion, where Borden lived after her acquittal, was also recently put on the market. The home is being sold for $890,000 and can be purchased with the 2nd Street home, according to the listing.

Owners retirement is your gain! Sale includes business, trademarks, intellectual rights, and property, the listing said.

Related Content:
IQALUIT, Nunavut - After two weeks with no new cases of COVID-19, Nunavut says it will lift lockdowns in the last two communities that were still facing strict public health measures.

Nunavut's territorial flag on a flagpole in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

IQALUIT, Nunavut - After two weeks with no new cases of COVID-19, Nunavut says it will lift lockdowns in the last two communities that were still facing strict public health measures.

But Dr. Michael Patterson, chief public health officer, says it will take until the end of January to officially declare over outbreaks in Arviat and Whale Cove.

Arviat, a community of about 2,800 on the western shore of Hudson Bay, was at the centre of Nunavut's outbreak late last year with 222 of the territory's 266 total cases.

Patterson says that starting Tuesday, travel restrictions to and from the two communities will be lifted, although non-essential travel is still not recommended.

He also says government offices, businesses and schools can reopen, and gatherings with no more than 10 people indoors and 50 outdoors will be allowed.

Nunavut reported its first case of COVID-19 on Nov. 6, but numbers grew quickly and the government ordered a two-week territorywide lockdown that was lifted in most communities Dec. 2.

Public vaccination clinics that received the Moderna vaccine are being held in Igloolik, Gjoa Haven, Arviat and Cambridge Bay this week.

The territory started vaccinating its elders last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.
LEAWOOD, Kan., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ValueHealth, LLC announced it has broken ground on the construction of its new total joint hyperspecialty surgery center and Stay Suites Muve Chadds Ford in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.

Operated by ValueHealth company Muve Health, Muve Chadds Ford is a de novo facility developed with Astoria Healthcare Properties and owned by a joint venture between ValueHealth, ChristianaCare, and local orthopaedic physicians. It will serve the township of Chadds Ford, the state of Delaware and the surrounding area.

Muve Chadds Ford will be the fourth Muve-branded facility, joining Muve Lakeway in Texas and Muve Warminster and Muve West Chester in Pennsylvania. Muve facilities follow a unique, proprietary protocol that is deeply rooted in patient engagement and has resulted in industry-leading clinical and patient experience outcomes. With two operating rooms and eight post-surgery recovery Stay Suites, the state-of-the-art Muve Chadds Ford facility will have capacity for over 1,200 total joint cases each year.

Muve Chadds Ford will be part of the Tri-State Value Network that ValueHealth is developing in collaboration with insurers and regional brokers across all specialties and service lines, creating broad geographic adequacy to meet the needs of the payors and self-funded employers.



Orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Steven M. Dellose and Dr. James J. Rubano are the primary physician owners of Muve Chadds Ford and the first board-certified total joint replacement orthopaedic surgeons in Wilmington Delaware. Dr. Dellose and Dr. Rubano are board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and members of the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS).

The proven success of Muve's programs was a key factor in both Dr. Dellose and Dr. Rubano's decisions to take an ownership stake in Muve Chadds Ford. "The collective vision of Dr. Rubano and myself has always been to provide very unique, customized, and dedicated experiences to our patients," said Dr. Dellose. "We want patients' total joint journeys to include the best of everything, including accomplished staff and a high-tech facility implementing a program designed specifically for these outcomes. Muve Chadds Ford will truly be ahead of its time and will allow us to better serve our community."

Empowered by ValueHealth's digital surgical platform, the Muve program creates an unrivaled positive financial impact for its patients and healthcare payors. Muve total joints surgeries are able to be done at an average savings of $15,000 per surgery while also providing superior clinical outcomes. At 1,200 cases per year, this results in a savings of $18 million annually.

"Not only are we able to now offer our patients the Muve program experience, which has proven to be a leader in orthopaedic medicine, but we are also now able to be a part of the transformation of surgical care from fee-for-service to value-based," said Dr. Rubano.

About ValueHealth

ValueHealth has pioneered the ambulatory surgical space since 1997. More recently the company is leading healthcare's transformation to value-based care and consumerism. This transformation is well underway in many markets throughout the country, including the mid-Atlantic region. In collaboration with the region's benefits consultants, employers, and payers the company is building a value network of providers. Founded on the fundamentals of payment reform and consumerism, ValueHealth is a technology-enabled, data-driven healthcare services company with a surgical digital platform that accelerates the transition from fee-for-service to value-based surgical care while successfully positioning its provider partners to flourish in an emerging risk environment. Today, it operates in over 30 states, and its nationally recognized Ambulatory Centers of Excellence (ACE) are leaders in the transition to value-based care. ValueHealth is passionate about putting its proven experience to work for all stakeholders as a trusted partner to help achieve market share dominance. For more information, visit valuehealth.com .

About Muve Health

Muve Health is the nation's premier value-based outpatient total joint replacement provider. Muve's protocol-driven orthopaedic program delivers outstanding clinical outcomes at a predictable cost, in an optimized outpatient environment unparalleled in recovery guidance and patient experience. Muve Health is expanding nationally at record speeds. Muve's current total joint replacement centers are accredited and certified by The Joint Commission. Muve Health, LLC is headquartered in Leawood, KS. Learn more at muvehealth.com .

About ChristianaCare

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country's most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a free-standing emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women's health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute and was rated by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation's Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With the unique CareVio data-powered care coordination service and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care. Learn how ChristianaCare delivers greater quality and value at https://christianacare.org.

Media Contact:

Whitney Courser

Chief Growth Officer

ValueHealth

913-387-0674

[email protected]

SOURCE ValueHealth, LLC
Harsh times persist across the metro and another unhappy new year of violence escalates.



Accordingly, check this quick roundup of local street life, suspect hard times and police adjustments.

Kansas City Tragic Postscript

Teen killed Sunday night was brother of boy murdered in 2016 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A family is grieving the murder of a child for the 2nd time. On Sunday night, 16-year-old Jayson Ugwuh was shot and killed near Paloma Ave. and Topping in Kansas City. According to a KCPD statement, officers found him wounded inside a house after responding to reports of gunshots.

Family Cursed By Violence

Grieving again: Kansas City family loses second son to shooting after 16-year-old killed KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A teen shot and killed Sunday night is the fifth homicide of 2021. Police say the victim, 16-year-old Jayson Ugwuh Jr., is the brother of a child shot and killed in 2016. The Ugwuh family is in mourning after another tragic loss.

JoCo Reclaims Property

Lenexa PD sorting through stolen property worth hundreds of thousands, one man charged SHAWNEE, KS (KCTV) -- Several law enforcement agencies in Kansas and Missouri are working together to return hundreds of thousands of dollars worth in stolen property to rightful owners. Over the weekend, a tip led Lenexa police officers to a property in Shawnee where they found hundreds of stolen items. Officers with the Shawnee Police Department assisted Lenexa police officers with searching the property near 47th St.

Busted Fence Aftermath

Stolen property tied to thefts across Johnson County found at Shawnee home SHAWNEE, Kan. - Police are investigating a massive amount of stolen property found in suburban Kansas City, the result of multiple thefts in Johnson County. "This is unusual just in that it's a large quantity of stolen property, so just the sheer man power that's involved, again, all of yesterday continuing to today," said Danny Chavez, Lenexa Police Department public information officer.

Suspect Road Trip Busted

Suspect in Independence homicide arrested in Arkansas A man wanted in connection with a December homicide in Independence, Missouri, has been arrested in Arkansas, according to officials with Greater Kansas City CrimeStoppers.Brandon A. McDaniel, 26, was wanted in connection with the death of 22-year-old Oriana Raisa N-Chelle Ashhanti Starr.The victim was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds the day after a possible shooting in the 9900 block of East 36th Street South.

KCK Double Trouble Wanted

KCKPD looking for 2 in connection with assault of law enforcement officer KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department is looking for two persons of interest in connection with the aggravated assault of an officer. The KCKPD said they are looking for Terrell Moore and Emma Sue Sumptor, his girlfriend, in connection with an incident that happened on Oct.

Po-Po Hold Off

Bill to ban police chokeholds shows promise in Missouri A proposed ban on police chokeholds is gaining traction in the Republican-led Missouri Legislature despite years of inaction on police accountability following Michael Brown's death in Ferguson.Republican Rep. Shamed Dogan, a leader on criminal justice policy, said he's partnering with a top Senate Republican, Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, and Democrats to outlaw police chokeholds and ban police from having sex with people in police custody.

Developing . . .
Sen. Bill Cassidy tweeted a photo Tuesday of a suspect being sought by the FBI in connection with the murder of a Capitol Hill police officer.



Cassidy said the FBI shared a photo of the suspect wanted in connection with the murder of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.


The visionary leader President Xi Jinping, who is also Secretary-General of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of Military Commission, came into power in 2012; China has been proactive in internationalization development cooperation. His vision of a community of shared fulture for all humankind is deeply reflected in his governance, and his effort to eradicate poverty in China has been acknowledged globally. Introducing high-quality reforms and opening-up measures, the Chinese people's economic prosperity is the result of his wise policies and continuation of reforms and opening up.

Photo taken on Nov. 3, 2020 shows the view of the Lujiazui area of Pudong, east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

The U.S. has dominated the world for several decades since World War II, but events that happened in the last couple of years are evident valid proof of the decline. The U.S. has become the worst hit country by COVID-19, with the highest number of infected patients and the highest death toll. The helplessness of the U.S. during the pandemic has revealed the real potential of the country.

The American economy has suffered a lot; its world-wide military bases and wars have increased to the extent where the U.S. economy may not support any more. The U.S. has been withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, etc., while also partially withdrawing from NATO (Germany).

The recent unrest in the U.S. Capital, Washington, D.C., has further exposed America. The so-called superpower, democracy, liberal & civilized nations have behaved worse than many Asian or African countries. The overall deterioration of the U.S. has dented too heavily that it might take several decades to revive.

With this scenario, the world is looking for alternate global leadership. At the same time, China follows an ideal world where the Great Way rules for the common good, respects the principles of good neighborliness and harmony in relations with all other countries, and advocates mutual beneficial cooperation, rather than confrontations. Deep-rooted in Chinese culture, these are the firm beliefs that inspire China's development. Upholding the idea that all countries are members of a global village with a shared future, China advocates fairer and more justifiable international relations and steadfastly contributes to global development.

Chinese people sanctuary a sense of justice and a feeling of sympathy. In 1950, just one year after the People's Republic's founding, China did its maximum to support other countries in their national independence movements despite its own difficulties. Over the past seven decades, the Chinese nation has forged onward, moving from poverty and backwardness towards strength and richness. The Chinese people hope that other peoples will also lead a good life while theirs is improving and are willing to contribute as much as they can to other developing countries' efforts to satisfy their people's aspiration for a better life.

China is a creation member of the United Nations and a permanent U.N. Security Council member. It supports the universal values of humanity  peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom  and sticks to a development route that is peaceful, open, cooperative, and inclusive. China considers it a duty to dynamically engage in development cooperation as a responsible international community member, and believes it has a task to contribute more to humanity. The country desires to offer more public goods to the international community and link forces with other countries to build a better common future.

Based on its international development cooperation experience, subsequently since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has formed unique approaches in keeping with the new era while keeping its traditions, as elaborated below.

Promoting a global community of shared future is the mission of China's international development cooperation. Humanity shares a shared stake in development, and world stability and prosperity cannot be achieved unless developing countries can progress. By helping other developing countries reduce poverty and improve their people's lives, China works together with them to narrow the North-South gap, eliminate the deficit in development, establish a new model of international relations based on mutual respect, equity, justice, and win-win cooperation, and and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

China possesses the full potential to lead the whole world, and in the days to come, it will be more visible. More and more nations are tilting towards China, with those who cooperate with China benefiting. and those who oppose China may suffer.

The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to People's Daily Online.

Zamir Ahmed Awan is a non-resident fellow with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan. (E-mail: [email protected])
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Aegis Capital Corp., - Aegis Capital Corp. (www.aegiscapcorp.com) a full-service wealth management, financial services and investment banking firm is pleased to announce Darren Wolberg and Russell Mueller have joined the firm as Managing Directors of the Institutional Fixed Income/Structured Assets Department

Mr. Wolberg is a Managing Director at Aegis Capital Corp and head trader on the Institutional Fixed Income Structured Assets trading desk. His responsibilities include market making for Commercial Mortgaged-Backed Securities (CMBS), including agency multifamily pools and bonds, Ginnie Mae Project Loans, SBA's, ABS, CLO/CDO, as well as structured residential securities. Prior to joining Aegis Capital, Mr. Wolberg worked at a number of both Primary and Regional broker/dealers, where his focus was on trading CMBS and agency-insured multifamily loans as well as other esoteric mortgage products. Mr. Wolberg brings with him 35 years of structured-product trading experience including the creation of the Commercial Trading division at Smith Barney during his tenure there in the 1980's.

Mr. Mueller is a Managing Director at Aegis Capital Corp and is a member of the Institutional Fixed Income Structured Assets Sales & Trading desk. Russ has spent the last 30 years structuring, trading & selling Structured Products, including RMBS, CMBS, CLO, ABS and loan trading. His varied roles prior to joining Aegis include starting and building out several successful platforms and trading desks. He was a partner in the first Russian Mortgage conduit, based in Moscow, RU. His firm played a vital role in the first true sale cross border securitizations conducted in Russia.

Robert Eide Aegis' CEO commented: "We are thrilled to welcome both Darren and Russ to Aegis. Their industry experience is a natural fit with our firm and we look forward to leveraging their knowledge and strategic relationships to help build out the fixed income and structured asset department."

Michael Pata Aegis' Head of Business Development commented: "We look forward to leveraging our resources to help Darren and Russ continue to grow their business and support their institutional clients. We are continuingly looking to expand the products and services offered at Aegis and we believe Darren and Russ are the right partners to establish and grow the department."

About Aegis Capital Corporation

Aegis Capital Corporation "Aegis" has been in business for over 35 years catering to the needs of private clients, institutions and corporations. Aegis was founded in 1984 and offers its investment representatives a conflict free service platform and is able to provide a full range of products and services including investment banking, wealth management, insurance, retirement planning, structured products, private equity, alternatives, equity research, fixed income and special purpose vehicles. Aegis is able to provide quality service through its primary clearing relationship with RBC Correspondent Services whose parent company, Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY), is one of the world's leading diversified financial services companies. Member: FINRA / SIPC

Any questions contact:

Michael Pata, Head of Business Development

Telephone: 1-212-813-1010

mpata@aegiscap.com

www.aegiscapcorp.com

SOURCE: Aegis Capital Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623964/Aegis-Capital-Corp-Announces-the-Addition-of-a-New-Institutional-Fixed-Income-Structured-Assets-Department
DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BenefitMall , the leading provider of next-generation broker services, today announced its continued expansion in Ohio with the acquisition of Cleveland-based Savin Sales Associates, a benefits general agency that serves the independent broker community.

"In 2021, we are focused on expanding our operations to serve even more brokers and providing highly innovative technology solutions, so they are able to better assist their clients," said Barb Taylor, regional vice president of the Eastern region for BenefitMall. "We are looking forward to welcoming the Savin team to the BenefitMall family and serving more customers in the Ohio market."

Savin Sales Associates serves the Ohio independent brokerage community by providing access to quality, competitive fully insured group products and unrivaled service and support.

With an existing office in Columbus, this acquisition will open BenefitMall's second office in the state of Ohio. Randy Savin, current president of Savin Sales Associates, will transition to a role as BenefitMall's market director of Cleveland. Sales executives Roger Miller and Shari Zanzano will both remain as Cleveland sales executives.

"We are excited to join the BenefitMall family and have the ability to leverage the company's national presence and diverse carrier partner portfolio," Savin said. "The team has been extremely welcoming, and I am confident this is only the beginning of the impact we can have together in the Ohio market."

The acquisition of Savin Sales Associates closed today, and terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About BenefitMall

Headquartered in Dallas, BenefitMall is the largest general agency partnering with a network of 20,000 Brokers to deliver employee benefits to more than 140,000 small and medium-sized businesses. BenefitMall uniquely leverages innovative technology backed by human expertise to provide the fastest, easiest, and most secure benefits selling experience for carriers, brokers, and their clients.

Owned by Management and The Carlyle Group, BenefitMall also operates HealthCareExchange.com, the leading online community for health care reform and compliance. More information is available at www.benefitmall.com.

SOURCE BenefitMall

Related Links

http://www.benefitmall.com


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Elon Musk has torn into the 'West Coast high tech' who have turned into the 'de facto arbiter of free speech' after Amazon scrubbed Parler from the internet.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had replied to a satirical tweet about Twitter and Facebook banning Donald Trump from their platforms. Twitter also permanently banned Trump loyalists as part of a broader purge of accounts.

Musk said Monday: 'A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech.'

Replying to another user who said 'West Coast high tech has to make the distinction between banning hate speech and banning speech it hates', Musk added: 'This is an important distinction.'

Parler went offline shortly after 3am EST Monday after Amazon booted the platform off its web hosting service, effectively shutting the site down until it can find a new hosting partner or fund its own servers.

It had already vanished from the Apple and Google app stores after they cut ties with the platform in the wake of the deadly mob attack at the US Capitol.

The site later said it would sue Amazon Web Services (AWS) over the decision. Amazon said the lawsuit has 'no merit', arguing it 'is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others'.

CEO John Matze, who launched the app in August 2018, said that he has been receiving death threats since his social media platform was thrust into the spotlight. 'People are threatening my life,' he said. 'I can't go home tonight.

The social media crackdown has revived a debate over whether tech giants should be treated as 'publishers' with the same liability as news providers.

Critics have slammed the move as a purge on free speech and pointed to Amazon 'holding the keys to the internet'.

Elon Musk said Monday that 'a lot of people' are going to be 'super unhappy' with tech giants becoming 'the de facto arbiter of free speech'

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had replied to a satirical tweet about Twitter and Facebook banning Donald Trump from their platforms

The company's chief content officer, Amy Peikoff, further said that social media firms forcing Parler from their platform was Orwellian.

Matze told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that it was 'scary' how comprehensive his blacklisting had been, and how quick.

'You just never think it will happen, right?' Matze told Carlson. 'You know?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday slammed tech titans for 'authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness' during his speech on the broadcaster Voice of America.

'Censorship, wokeness, political correctness, it all points in one direction - authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness. It's similar to what we're seeing at Twitter, and Facebook, and Apple, and on too many university campuses,' Pompeo railed.

'We are all parts of institutions with duties and responsi

Discussing the removal of Parler from AWS, American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Ben Wizner told The New York Times: 'There is a difference between a social media platform like Twitter...deciding who its members are and what its guidelines should be, and a company like Amazon that really hold the keys to the internet.'

Wizner also pointed to a 2017 quote by CloudFlare CEO Matthew Prince when he took down The Daily Stormer who said: 'I woke up in a bad mood and decided someone shouldn't be allowed on the internet No one should have that power.'

DailyMail.com has contacted the ACLU for additional comment.

Regarding Twitter's ban of Trump ACLU senior legislative counsel Kate Ruane said: 'We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now.

'But, it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions.'

Amazon was on Saturday forced to warn its employees to 'be vigilant' following far right threats to blow up its data centers, a leaked memo reveals.

In an email to staff Saturday, Chris Vondehaar, Vice President of Infrastructure at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: 'We all need to [be] vigilant during this time to keep one another and our facilities safe.

'If you see something, say something  no situation or concern is too small or insignificant.'

Twitter and Facebook have removed Donald Trump from their platforms. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is left; Jack Dorsey, Chief Executive Officer, Twitter is right

Amazon has also blocked service updates on their systems in an effort to avoid a cyber attack by those upset at the decision to remove the right leaning social media site used by Donald Trump fans.

Fox New host Jeanine Pirro argued Parler's deplatforming 'is akin to a Kristallnacht'. In 1938, Nazis in Germany and Austria vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses during an attack that became known as Kristallnacht.

She said: 'They gave us a taste of this pre-election when they suppressed the Hunter Biden story. And now that they've won, what we're seeing is a kind of censorship that is akin to a Kristallnacht, where they decide what we can communicate about.'

Pirro later clarified in a tweet: 'Although book burning started earlier, Kristallnacht included the destruction of Jewish stores, homes & synagogues containing rare Jewish books & Torahs. My reference was in context of books.The Holocaust was the greatest hate crime the world ever tolerated. I abhor all violence.'

The journalist tweeted Sunday to accuse the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' the app after Donald Trump was on Friday kicked off of most mainstream social media platforms

Greenwald tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

The president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. said it was a 'purge of conservative ideas and thought leaders.'

Piers Morgan wrote: 'It has been quite sinister to witness the speed in which the tech world has conspired to use the Capitol riot to silence not just Trump but entire right-wing social media platforms like Parler which has been effectively driven offline by Google, Apple and Amazon.'

And journalist Glenn Greenwald on Sunday accused the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' to Parler. He claimed 'far more violence' has been planned on Facebook.

He tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning far-right social media site Parler, a leaked memo reveals (stock image)

John Matze founded Parler in 2018 as a 'free-speech driven' alternative to mainstream platforms. He is pictured with his family. Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning the far-right social media site

Shortly after 3am EST, Parler disappeared from the web with an error message saying 'we can't connect to the server' after Amazon pulled the plug

The app was removed from the Google app store after conservative social media users flocked to the site in the wake of the Capitol attack

Greenwald wrote: 'Tech monopolies -- FB, Google, Apple, Amazon -- have more concentrated wealth & power than any in history. They have used brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics: censoring NY Post, banning Trump, destroying Parler. And liberals are overwhelmingly supportive.

'That these Silicon Valley monopolies are grave menaces to political freedom & economic well-being is *not* a right-wing view.

'Authoritarians never believe they're authoritarians, no matter how much censorship, surveillance, jingoism, & imprisonment they demand. They tell themselves their enemies are so uniquely evil and dangerous - terrorists - that anything done in the name of fighting them is noble.'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman called it 'problematic' that free speech could be obstructed by 'decision of the management of social media platforms'.
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LAS VEGAS - Sheldon Adelson, who rose from a modest start as the son of an immigrant taxi driver to become a billionaire Republican powerbroker with a casino empire and influence on international politics, has died. He was 87.

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2016 file photo, Chief Executive of Las Vegas Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson sits with his wife Miriam waits for the presidential debate between Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Adelson, the billionaire mogul and power broker who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China and became a singular force in domestic and international politics has died after a long illness, his wife said Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

LAS VEGAS - Sheldon Adelson, who rose from a modest start as the son of an immigrant taxi driver to become a billionaire Republican powerbroker with a casino empire and influence on international politics, has died. He was 87.

Adelson died Monday night from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Las Vegas Sands announced Tuesday. The company announced last week that Adelson had stepped away from his role as CEO and chairman to resume treatments for the cancer, which he first announced in 2019.

In business, Adelson transformed a landmark Las Vegas casino that was once a hangout of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack into a towering Italian-inspired complex, trailblazed a trend of turning business conventions into a lucrative industry and left his mark on some of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities.

If you do things differently, success will follow you like a shadow, he said during a 2014 talk to the gambling industry in Las Vegas.

In politics, Adelson was a record-breaking campaign donor who had the ear of domestic and international leaders, including President Donald Trump. His advocacy redefined U.S. relations with Israel during the Trump administration and bolstered ties that U.S. politicians and American Jewish teenagers had to the country.

Adelson, the son of Jewish immigrants, once said at a gambling conference that he hoped his legacy would not be his glitzy casinos or hotels but his impact in Israel, where he had a deep and lifelong attachment.

In his modest office wedged among the casinos of the Las Vegas Strip, Adelson hosted top Republican Party strategists and candidates and helped ensure that uncritical support of Israel became a pillar of the GOP platform. That was never more visible than when the Trump administration relocated the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.

The inflammatory move had been adamantly opposed by Palestinians and was long a priority for Adelson, who sat front and centre at the ceremony in Jerusalem with his wife, Miriam.

FILE - This Feb. 10, 2017 file photo, Chief Executive of Las Vegas Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson shows at a business roundtable with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. Adelson, the billionaire mogul and power broker who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China and became a singular force in domestic and international politics has died after a long illness, his wife said Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

More recently, he reportedly purchased the U.S. ambassadors official residence near Tel Aviv for $67 million in a manoeuvr that appeared aimed at preventing the embassy from relocating back to Tel Aviv after Trump leaves office. Just weeks ago, Adelson provided a private plane for Jonathan Pollard, a former U.S. intelligence analyst who spent 30 years in prison for spying for Israel, to move to Israel after his parole ended.

In the U.S., Adelson helped underwrite congressional trips to Israel, helped build a new headquarters for the lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and later was a top supporter of the Israeli-American Council, whose conferences have attracted top politicians. He also sponsored Birthright trips to Israel for young Jewish adults that were criticized by some participants as intolerant of opposing views.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Adelson will forever be remembered for his work strengthening ties between the U.S. and Israel.

Adelson was a late bloomer in business and in politics. He didnt become a casino owner, or a Republican, until well into middle age. Through the 1990s and after his wealth soared, his engagement in politics intensified.

Adelson has donated over $250 million to GOP candidates and groups since 2015. In 2020, he gave $75 million to a super PAC that attacked Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Im against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections, Adelson told Forbes magazine in 2012. But as long as its doable Im going to do it. Forbes ranked him No. 19 in the U.S., worth an estimated $29.8 billion.

Adelson came around slowly to Trump, but after the brash New Yorker's victory, he spoke often with the new president, who embraced his hardline views on the Middle East. Trump cut funding for Palestinian refugees and withdrew from President Barack Obama's nuclear nonproliferation deal with Iran. He also bucked long-held and bipartisan U.S. policy that viewed Jerusalem as key to any peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Adelson, in turn, aided Trump financially, including $5 million for his inauguration, and supported him through his media holdings. Late in 2015, Adelson secretly purchased the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The papers own reporters revealed he was the new owner, and some longtime staffers left in protest.

In what was widely seen as a mark of the Adelsons influence with Trump, Miriam Adelson was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.

The world has lost a great man, Trump said in a statement released by the White House. Sheldon lived the true American dream. His ingenuity, genius, and creativity earned him immense wealth, but his character and philanthropic generosity his great name, Trump said.

Adelson was married twice. He and his first wife, Sandra, were divorced in 1988. Three years later, he married Miriam Farbstein-Ochshorn, an Israeli-born doctor he met on a blind date and who many believe helped deepen his involvement with Israel. Their honeymoon trip to Venice, Italy, inspired Adelson to raze the historic Sands hotel-casino and replace it with a pair of massive complexes: The Venetian and The Palazzo.

Adelson led efforts to move the NFL Raiders team from Oakland, California, to Las Vegas and was lauded for his decision during the coronavirus pandemic to keep his casino employees paid and insured despite a big slump in business.

Sheldon Adelson adopted his first wifes three children and had two children with his second wife. Among the numerous philanthropic projects the couple supported, the research and treatment of substance abuse became a top priority. Sheldon Adelson's son Mitchell, from his first marriage, died of an overdose in 2005.

Sheldon Garry Adelson was born in 1933, in the Dorchester neighbourhood of Boston. His father was a taxi driver, his mother the manager of a knitting store. A natural entrepreneur, he was selling newspapers by age 12 and running a vending machine business at 16. After dropping out of City College of New York and serving in the Army, he attempted to start dozens of small businesses.

Adelson began to amass his fortune with a technology trade show, starting computer convention COMDEX in 1979 before selling his stake in 1995 for more than $800 million.

When he bought the Sands Hotel in 1989, he built a convention hall to keep his hotel rooms full on weekdays, a move copied by other resort owners. When he expanded his business to Macao, the only place in China where casino gambling is legal, Adelson directed his company to build land where there wasnt any, piling sand up to create the Cotai Peninsula. Soon his Macao revenue outstripped that of his Las Vegas holdings. He later expanded his business to Singapore, where his Marina Bay Sands hotel and its infinity pool became a signature of the skyline.

A long-running feud with fellow casino tycoon Steve Wynn turned to friendship when Wynn joined Adelsons effort to end online gambling. Critics said Adelson was trying to stifle competition. Adelson countered that there was no way to ensure children and teenagers wouldnt gamble and said he was not in favour of it exploiting the worlds most vulnerable people.

The Obama-era Justice Department said that online gambling that doesn't involve sports would violate the 1961 federal Wire Act, but in 2019, the Trump-era department reversed itself.

Wynn, in an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, called the mogul a swashbuckling fearless capitalist" who was not afraid to go all-in and take his position based upon his opinion without looking over his shoulder or second-guessing himself.

____

Associated Press writers Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; Zeke Miller and Alan Fram in Washington; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. Former AP writer Kimberly Pierceall contributed to this report.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 57F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
As Brexit finally becomes a reality and the UK parts way with the EU, new online retail arrangements are set to hit Wexford consumers hard.

Under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK there will be additional costs for Irish consumers when purchasing items online from the UK.

The Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy explained how it will work: 'We are now operating under a new set of rules for online trading and I want to remind Irish consumers to be alert to potential additional costs and changed entitlements when buying from UK online retailers.

'The main concerns for consumers are the possibility of additional costs, by way of VAT and Customs charges that may apply depending on the value and origin of the goods in question.

'Some online retailers are alerting consumers to these charges and some are including these additional charges in their final price. Consumers need to check out each retailer's policies and also whether there may be additional charges from the delivery company in respect of fee collection, for example.'

Listing the terms of the agreement, Minister Troy said Wexford consumers should be aware that: only goods of proven UK origin are tariff free. That goods bought from the UK but not of UK origin which cost more than 150 may be subject to customs duty. Irish VAT will apply on goods bought in the UK that cost more than 22. Where UK VAT has been charged on the purchase of goods, Irish VAT will still apply when the good(s) is imported into Ireland.

If an Irish consumer is charged UK VAT, a refund of such VAT should be sought by the consumer from the supplier.

Minister Troy added, 'We want consumers in Wexford to continue to enjoy the benefit from shopping online with the UK as one of our major trading partners, but I would urge Irish consumers to think ahead when buying from online retailers outside the EU and to visit the Consumer and Competition Protection Commission's website (ccpc.ie) which has lots of clear and useful information on charges and consumer rights.

'It also has helpful links to Revenue's website (revenue.ie) which also provides essential information for Irish consumers who intend to purchase goods online outside the EU single market.'
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Photo: Simon Fraser University / Twitter

A new centre at Simon Fraser University will help cities across Metro Vancouver develop solutions on urban climate change and to reach goals for reducing carbon pollution.

The universitys Renewable Cities program has been named by the federal government to establish a regional Low Carbon Cities Canada Innovation Centre, due to launch in the fall.

The centre is one of five across Canada and a statement from the City of Vancouver says the Metro Vancouver facility will be funded by a $21.7-million endowment from the federal government.

The money will be used to identify, finance and launch ideas ranging from expanding electric transportation fleets to retrofitting buildings.

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says the funding will bolster ongoing innovation as the city reduces carbon emissions from buildings and transportation.

Metro Vancouver board of directors chairman Sav Dhaliwal says the SFU centre will offer a local venue to develop, test and implement innovative solutions that can be rolled out across the region.

"Metro Vancouver looks forward to working with the  centre and SFU toward helping us meet our ambitious climate goals and creating a carbon-neutral region by 2050," Dhaliwal says in the statement.

Federal support for the Metro Vancouver centre is part of a $183-million initiative called Low Carbon Cities Canada.

It is aimed at helping cities and communities reach their potential to cut carbon emissions, while improving public health and the local economy.
WASHINGTON - Two days before an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol left five people dead and the nation in turmoil, local law enforcement agencies briefed the District of Columbia Council on the potential dangers posed to residents as thousands of President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters descended on the city.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, a Democrat, later circulated a memo to lawmakers - first reported by BuzzFeed - making clear that city code allows the U.S. president to seize control of the local police force. The president can also deputize National Guard members and U.S. marshals in the city, or invoke the Insurrection Act to bring armed troops to the city to "suppress a rebellion."

Council members feared a repeat of Dec. 12 - when hordes of demonstrators poured into downtown, clashing violently with counterprotesters and targeting Black Lives Matter signs at churches. They worried Trump would use any new unrest to seize control of local law enforcement - as he threatened to do last summer, amid demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

As it happened, the pro-Trump mob instead turned its focus to the U.S. Capitol, a federal building. But with President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration looming next week, and far-right groups promising to return, the council is again seeking clarity on plans to protect D.C. and its residents, and to ensure that local law enforcement agencies, rather than their federal counterparts, keep control of city streets.

"I've got deep concerns about the coordination and preparation between several law enforcement officials and others who are charged with the keeping people safe through and during the inauguration," said council member Kenyan McDuffie, a Democrat.

He and other lawmakers said they are especially disturbed that Trump egged on the demonstrators at a rally outside the White House before they headed to the Capitol.

"Law enforcement - local and federal - should be coordinating with the understanding President Trump and his far-right conspiracy influence fanatics are a threat to local District of Columbia, the Capitol, National Security and Democracy," McDuffie said.

Fears of unrest downtown last week prompted the council to issue a statement urging residents not to engage with those who were traveling to the city to protest.

"The Dec. 12 demonstrations got out of hand, and we were hearing tenuous tips that [Wednesday] would be worse . . . White supremacists looking for African Americans to beat up, or some of the militia groups going over to Black Lives Matter Plaza and looking for trouble and confrontation," said Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, a Democrat. "And that it would then, in turn, provoke the president to threaten to do what he threatened to do back in June, which was take over the police."

The chairman added: "I can assure you, nobody was thinking about storming the Capitol."

In coming days, more violence is expected. The FBI recently issued a memo to law enforcement agencies that "armed protests" are being planned at state capitols across the country before the inauguration. On far-right online forums, calls to action have included discussions about potential violence and about how to skirt the city's strict weapons laws. In an unprecedented move, Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday asked Americans not to visit the District on Jan. 20, telling them to participate in Biden's inauguration virtually.

Council member Charles Allen, a Democrat, said he and other council members are seeking more specifics on the government's plan to protect federal sites and monuments after last week's collapse. Council member Mary Cheh, a Democrat, said she's received emails and calls from residents asking how they can remain safe if those seeking to cause harm decide to venture into other parts of the city.

"We've been told we have help from the surrounding jurisdictions with their law enforcement. We have our own MPD. We have federal forces, we have the National Guard - it ought to be enough," Cheh said. "I don't know what more we could supplement them with."

To mitigate turmoil in the city, acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf said Monday that emergency measures for the inauguration would take effect Wednesday, six days earlier than planned. Bowser extended indoor dining and museum closures and asked Wolf to prohibit any permits for demonstrations from Monday until Jan. 24. The National Guard said it plans to deploy more than 15,000 members during the inauguration, compared to the 340 members who were initially activated ahead of Wednesday's riot.

Wolf resigned Monday.

"As somebody who lives five blocks away [from the Capitol] and represents the neighbors around it, we are concerned about what planning and preparations are also taking place for outside the fence," said Allen, who initiated last week's briefing with Racine, acting police chief Robert Contee and Chris Rodriguez, acting D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency director.

"The more clarity and planning and preparation we have on the federal side, the more that allows us on the local side to plan appropriately."

The festival is most widely celebrated in Punjab. This is because one of the main crops cultivated in the state is wheat which is harvested in March or April after being sown in October following the rainy season

Lohri is a popular harvest festival celebrated in India to mark the end of the winter solstice. People dress up for the occasion and create a bonfire. The day is observed by singing and dancing around the fire. Also, many special food items are prepared to celebrate the festival.

As Lohri is a harvest festival, it is very important for the farmers fraternity. Also the day is considered to be auspicious as per Hindu and Sikh beliefs.

Date

This year, Lohri will be celebrated in India on 13 January (Wednesday). Like most years, this year too, it has fallen on a day before Makar Sankranti.

As per Drik Panchang, the Lohri Sankranti moment in 2021 is at 8.29 am on 14 January.

How Lohri is marked

On this day, believers offer prayers to Agni Dev and the Sun God for blessing with an abundant yield. The festival is most widely celebrated in Punjab. This is because one of the main crops cultivated in the state is wheat which is harvested in March or April after being sown in October following the rainy season.

As the nights are still cold during this time, large bonfires are erected in fields where the entire community comes together to enjoy the warmth. Community cooking is seen at places where special dishes like makki ki roti and sarson ka saag are prepared on big shared ovens.

There is also the tradition of throwing jaggery, peanuts, puffed rice, and popcorn into the flames. There are several folk songs that are performed as people dance around the fire.

Also, there is a particular Lohri prasad that is offered during the puja. The prasad should contain sesame seeds or sweets made from it. Also, gajak or sweets made of peanuts and jaggery are a must have. Peanuts and popcorn are also widely used on this day.

As the festival represents fertility, the day is considered an auspicious one on which to get married on or to have a child.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A current and former Cleveland State University employee are among five people indicted in what prosecutors say was a scheme that steered more than $250,000 in contracts to one of the employees relatives.

Marlene Gombach approved grant-funded contracts to pay media companies owned by her son, nephew and business associate in exchange for cash bribes from 2013 to 2016, when she worked as a project manager in the universitys Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education, according to the indictment.

On Friday, a grand jury handed up a six-count indictment charging Gombach with felonies, including bribery and having an unlawful interest in contracts. She also faces misdemeanor counts of soliciting an improper payment and unlawfully using her public office as influence.

Sharon Brown, the centers director, is charged with one felony count of conspiracy that accuses her of helping Gormbach authorize the payments.

Gombachs son Brendan Gombach, her nephew Peter Matuszewski, and her business associate Robert Troxell IV each face a felony bribery charge.

All five defendants are scheduled to appear in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Feb. 10 for an arraignment hearing. No attorney information was listed in court records as of Monday afternoon.

A university spokeswoman said in a statement released Monday that Marlene Gombach resigned from the university in September 2016 after an internal investigation flagged her conduct as potentially violating Ohio ethics laws. CSU referred its findings to the Ohio Ethics Commission.

The university placed Brown on unpaid leave on Monday while officials review the matter, spokeswoman Alison Bibb-Carson said.

CSU has a strong culture of compliance, acted on this matter immediately and will continue to hold itself and its employees to the highest standards, Bibb-Carson said in the statement.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalleys office said the Ohio Ethics Commission investigated the case and referred it to his office charges.

Ms. Gombach used school funds to fill family members pockets while also receiving kickbacks herself, OMalley said in a statement emailed through a spokesman. They will now be held accountable for their criminal activity.

The indictment says that Marlene Gombach, whose job included administering grants and endowments funds for web design and content creation services for the Cleveland Schools Book Fund and Lorain Reads programs, according to the indictment. She approved six contracts between 2013 and 2016, awarding more than $225,000 worth of grant and endowment funds to Focal Point Media Solutions, X51 Studio Ltd and RebellionUN Ltd, according to the indictment.

The indictment says that Brendan Gombach owns RebellionUN Ltd, Matuszewski owns Focal Point Media Solutions and Troxell owns X51 Studio Ltd.

The three men paid Marlene Gombach bribes several times between August 2013 and September 2016 to ensure the companies receive the contracts, the indictment says.

The indictment says Brown expanded the universitys use of funds and endowments to pay Brendan Gombachs RebellionUN Ltd., and approved two contracts in 2014 that awarded more the company more than $79,000.

Brown is also accused in the indictment of misleading Lorain school officials about the collapse of the Lorain Reads program.

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A newly-promoted Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), in charge Police Armament, Force Headquarters Abuja, Omololu Bishi, has died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH) Ikeja.

The late officer took ill and was admitted at LASUTH before he died on Monday, while still on admission.

Following the demise of the senior police officer, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, directed that a befitting burial be held in his honour.

According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos police spokesperson, the late AIG was buried on Tuesday with a burial parade held in his honour by the Nigerian Police Force.

AIG Omololu Bishis body was today, Tuesday 12th January, 2021, laid to rest at Ebony Vaults, Ikoyi, Lagos amidst tears and police funfair as the AIG Zone 2, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu led senior officers in Lagos to represent the Inspector-General of Police and organised a befitting burial parade in honour of the late senior officer.

The AIG Zone 2, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu, was accompanied to the burial arena by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, AIG Police Cooperative, AIG Aminu Saleh Pai, CP Hakeem Odumosu, Area Commanders and Commanding Officers, Police Mobile Force in Lagos and senior officers from police formations within Lagos State. The brief burial rite was witnessed by his immediate family members, representatives of the Oba of Lagos, his course mates in Police Academy, friends and well wishers, Mr Adejobi said.

ALSO READ: Family of man chased to death by police demands N5 billion compensation

The late officer, who hailed from Lagos Island, Lagos State, enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in 1988 as cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police. He was survived by his wife and kids.

Mr Bishi was among 13 AIGs appointed by the Police Service Commission (PSC) in December.

While expressing shock on the sudden death of Mr Bishi, Ahmed Iliyasu, the AIG, Zone 2, Lagos, described the late AIG as humble, responsible and dedicated to duty.

Mr Iliyasu, on behalf of the police authority, sympathised with the friends and family of the deceased officer, praying that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 12 : The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a verbal duel between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala over what the latter called "government jobs through the backdoor".

During Zero Hour, Chennithala referred to a letter written by noted film director and Kerala Chalachithra Academy Chair Kamal to Culture Minister AK Balan to provide permanent jobs to a few academy officials working on temporary basis.

Interestingly, Kamal had mentioned that these employees were "hard-core Left sympathisers" and that they be provided permanent jobs in the academy.

"Is being a Left sympathiser a criterion to get a permanent government job? This government is mired in corruption from neck to toe and also given a go-by to all moralities. It is also ensuring backdoor appointments in government departments to party workers and sympathisers. This is not acceptable and the opposition will take legal recourse," the Congress leader said.

Responding strongly to the charge, the Chief Minister said that his LDF government was not like the previous UDF one. He denied that government jobs in Kerala were provided to Left sympathisers or workers.

"Balan has himself responded to the Academy Chairman's letter by saying that no government jobs or postings in Kerala are based on caste, creed, colour, or politics of anyone." Taking a dig at the opposition, Vijayan said that the state's people had slapped the opposition in the face in the recent local body elections.

"The opposition does not have any self-respect as voters gave it a tight slap in the local body polls, which the LDF won by a massive mandate. This victory will be repeated in the ensuing Assembly elections," the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, the opposition also protested against what it called the targeting of its legislators by the government through false cases.

"The government is trying to settle scores with the opposition by foisting false cases on our MLAs. VD Satheeshan and PT Thomas are being unnecessarily targeted and we will fight against this injustice both in and outside the House," Chennithala said.
Ms. Argyilan will be responsible for driving marketing innovation, including the expansion of the Company's customer insights capability, the introduction of a new enterprise-wide loyalty program, as well as the development of new strategic partnerships and services that extend the Company's authority in its core markets.

Mr. Reath will be responsible for the launch of new customer value propositions for each of the Company's core retail banners in 2021. He will oversee marketing strategy, marketing deployment across all channels and marketing operations for Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy BABY, and Harmon Health and Beauty Stores, in addition to launching a portfolio of new owned brands starting Spring 2021.

Cindy Davis said, "Our portfolio of brands is uniquely positioned to serve customers across the magic moments in their lives, and we will deepen our connection by taking a customer-inspired approach to build on our authority in the Home, Baby, Beauty and Wellness markets. Kristi and Jim bring deep expertise building brands, businesses and long-lasting customer relationships across the retail and consumer goods sectors, experience that will help us innovate and inspire our customers to unlock the magic in every room."

Kristi Argyilan joins the Company from Target, where she was President of its media company, ROUNDEL following an earlier role as SVP for Media, Guest Engagement and Measurement. Prior to this, Kristi held a number of strategic roles at MEDIABRANDS, including as President of MAGNA GLOBAL and Chief Transformation Officer at UM. She has also held executive positions at Arnold and Hill Holiday.

Kristi Argyilan said, "This business has a special role in the lives of millions of people across North America and I'm thrilled to join at such a transformational moment. There is enormous opportunity to establish new and innovative connections with customers and create strong and sustainable growth by reimagining loyalty across the enterprise."

Mr. Reath joins Bed Bath & Beyond from Macy's, where he was a senior marketer with responsibility for data-led, integrated omni-channel marketing to build affinity and loyalty for the brand across multiple customer segments. Prior to this, he was Executive Vice President and Head of Retail for global advertising giant, BBDO, with responsibility for Lowe's Home Improvement, ToysRUs, BabiesRUs, and Foot Locker. He has also held executive positions at McKinney, Y&R, and Leo Burnett. Mr. Reath has developed multiple award-winning campaigns, including securing several Cannes Lions throughout his career.

Jim Reath said, "I'm delighted to join this iconic family of brands at such an important moment in its history. Home has never been more important to our lives, and I'm excited to accelerate the omni-always transformation in marketing to unlock the potential of the business and deepen its connection with customers across North America."

Company Strengthens Creative Team with New Multi-Award-Winning Agency Roster

Bed Bath & Beyond also announced the appointment of three multi-award-winning marketing and communication agencies as it continues to strengthen its creative team. The Company has appointed MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER as lead brand agency for Bed Bath & Beyond, and M Booth as agency of record for corporate and consumer PR. The agencies will be responsible for launching the Company's new customer value proposition, as it seeks to help customers Unlock the Magic in Every Room. We Are Social has also been appointed as the lead social media agency for buybuy BABY.

Cindy Davis said, "After a comprehensive review of the best and brightest in the industry, we're delighted to announce the appointment of these world-class, award-winning agencies to join our expanding team. The MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER, M Booth and We Are Social teams showed the passion, insights and creative flair that will inspire our digital-first customers in new ways, create excitement around our value proposition and increase relevance and connection with our brands."

Matt Hofherr, Founder/Chief Strategy Officer of MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER said, "The marketing team at Bed Bath & Beyond is top-notch. Everyone expects and demands the best  and that's exactly what we plan to deliver for them. The home has never played a more important role in consumer's lives. We can't wait to share the exciting things Bed Bath & Beyond is working on with consumers."

Dale Bornstein, CEO of M Booth said, "We're so excited to partner with the team behind such an iconic retailer and help them on their transformation journey. We're inspired by the brand's purpose to make it easy to feel at home, especially at a time when home is more important than ever and are ready to put the full resources of our firm behind reinvigorating the brand for years to come."

Benjamin Arnold, Managing Director of We Are Social said, "We are delighted to join the buybuy BABY family. The brand has big plans for 2021 and we're excited to be part of a team that really values social thinking and shares our belief in telling meaningful stories."

About the Company

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is an omnichannel retailer that makes it easy for our customers to feel at home. The Company sells a wide assortment of merchandise in the Home, Baby, Beauty and Wellness markets. Additionally, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Bed Bath & Beyond.

About MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER

MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER is a creative award-winning, strategically inspired, full-service agency based in San Francisco. Firmly believing that creativity is still any brand's greatest multiplier, we tell our people and our clients the same thing: Get Chased. As a part of London-based VCCP, we form a challenger network for challenger brands. With over 1,000 employees in 8 locations covering the four corners of the world our challenger mindset helps brands get chased. http://mtzhf.com

About M Booth

M Booth runs on two words: Be Inspired. The agency is a culture-first firm that attracts the best people and the best brands to a workplace alive with courage, ideas, respect, and humanity. Known for award-winning integrated marketing programs that engage stakeholders through digital, social, earned media, and experiential channels, M Booth is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Next Fifteen Communications Group.

About We Are Social

We Are Social is a socially-led creative agency with over 850 people and offices in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Sydney. We have a common purpose; to connect people and brands in meaningful ways. We work with many of the world's biggest brands, including adidas, Netflix, Samsung and Google. To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com .

SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
KALAMAZOO, MI  During a virtual listening session held Monday, Jan. 11, citizens shared stories and eyewitness accounts of people being tear gassed and pepper sprayed by police officers this summer in Kalamazoo.

The listening session was held as part of an independent investigation of Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety responses to Black Lives Matter protests in May and June, and to violence that erupted when the Proud Boys visited Kalamazoo on Aug. 15.

Caller Jacob Pinney-Johnson said he was pepper sprayed during an uprising in May and June as people took to the streets in Kalamazoo over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Pinney-Johnson told his story to members of OIR Group, the company hired to investigate KDPS response to the summer events, during the public call on Monday.

Local leaders need to be held accountable for how the situation was handled, Pinney-Johnson said.

This was a crime against humanity that took place, he said, leaving a stain on the city.

He wants accountability for being pepper sprayed. He said he has been harassed by KDPS before. The summer events were proof that the police will not show up for us, he said.

Caller Michael Barker said he watched on Aug. 15 as police responded to a location downtown after the Proud Boys had left the area, and officers started arresting citizens and started clearing out the area when there was absolutely no threat at all.

I was just bulled over by their reaction. It made no sense at all to me, and I think several others, Barker said.

It appeared they were there to protect the Proud Boys, he said. Officers let Proud Boys go and did not question them, stop them or protect the public from them, Barker said.

A virtual listening session was held on Jan. 11, for members of OIR Group to receive feedback from citizens about how Kalamazoo police responded to events in May, June and August.

Noelle Massey said she was also present when the Proud Boys came, and when the group showed up 15 minutes early, it seemed to throw everything off. Any police presence that was there in the morning was gone, Massey said.

They just disappeared, she said. As violence erupted in the citys streets, Massey remembers people asking, Where are the police?

Massey said how eerily familiar the Aug. 15 Kalamazoo event seemed compared to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, echoed by others speaking Monday.

She referenced news of city officials misleading the community about Chief Karianne Thomas, who the city said retired in September but the Kalamazoo Gazette later reveled had been fired.

We have been misled, misinformed, lied to manipulated, told that we didnt see what we saw, and just gaslighted at every opportunity by some of the leaders here in Kalamazoo, Massey said.

Callers also questioned the official narrative that the city has presented about the events of the summer.

Kaitlin Burton said she went to one of the earlier protests in Kalamazoo, held in May and June, and had a harrowing encounter with police officers.

Burton questioned the role preparations of police played and recounted the arrival of police vehicles, out of which came officers dressed in riot gear.

They completely encircled our large group, she said.

Things turned when a line of officers approached the crowd and a Black man was taken down, Burton said.

All hell broke loose; as we are afraid for our lives, she said.

Burton said she ran forward in an effort to protect the man tackled by police, and found herself face-to-face with officers with hands on their weapons. Burton held back emotion giving her account of the posture and response from city officers confronting protesters, and the fear she felt for herself and others.

We chanted, dont shoot, dont shoot, she said.

During the Aug. 15 Proud Boys visit, Burton said, she expected police to take action opposing the right-wing group, but they did not.

But they did manage to arrest a member of the press, who is Black, she said.

Khadijah Brown criticized the city for protecting property over people.

I dont understand why we have to keep pouring our hearts out and saying why they need to be accountable when you can see why they need to be held accountable, Brown said. She criticized how police responded to protests by using tear gas and chasing people.

City leaders to be held accountable, she said, suggesting City Manager Jim Ritsema be fired for lack of accountability.

Another caller, Tamara TC Custard, asked how many more times the city will have the same issues without accountability.

How many more apologies do we have to accept? Custard asked, suggesting firing Ritsema or reducing his pay. We cant accept apologies from people who have failed us since June.

Thomas reputation was more important than the residents, she said.

Our leaders have to start leading by example, Custard said.

Matt Milcarek, a former city commissioner, said the city needs to apologize for the events of the summer. He said he believes members of city administration still think the actions in May and June were justified, and challenged the official narrative presented initially by city officials.

Milcarek said he was shocked to his core by what happened, and also the citys response afterward. The failure of intelligence wasnt with the chief alone, he said, and others at the department also failed to see the threat of the Proud Boys.

Folks in our department dropped the ball, Milcarek said.

Steve Barber said he attended the Aug. 15 event and believes police did a lot of things right.

Another caller speaking Monday asked if the city could outlaw protests altogether.

OIR Group, contracted by the city to investigate the controversial police response to those events, is holding two community input sessions to allow people to share their experiences publicly.

The second session is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25.

Both sessions are being held via Zoom and streamed live to YouTube and Facebook. Community members are invited to join the Zoom webinar to share comments and experiences related to the summer events they wish to be considered as part of the independent review. Participants can find the Zoom webinar and other information at www.kalamazoocity.org/OIRreview.

Community members can also provide comments directly to OIR Group by email to michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com, or by calling 323-412-0334.

Read more:

Commissioners want accountability for city manager who secretly fired police chief

Kalamazoo city manager apologizes for not disclosing that police chief was fired

Kalamazoo City Commission looks to change how police handle protests and assemblies
A corrupt RAC worker who pocketed up to 25,000 selling customers' addresses and phone numbers to a personal injury claims firm has been spared jail.

RAC manager Kim Doyle, 33, leaked the personal data of 4,570 RAC customers to make 'easy money'.

She secretly collated a list of clients from across the UK who had been involved in road traffic accidents before passing on the confidential information.

This was used by the firm of ambulance chasers to plague RAC customers with nuisance calls claiming they could get compensation.

The scam went on for six months until RAC were alerted to the repeated calls from a driver who had once had their vehicle towed by the company following an accident.

RAC investigators scanned their mailboxes to look for the victim's data and found his registration and mobile numbers in Kim Doyle's inbox.

RAC manager Kim Doyle, 33, was spared jail and handed a suspended sentence at Minshull Street Crown Court after court heard she sold personal data from 4,570 RAC customers to a personal injuries claims company

They then found lists of road traffic accident data including partial names of members, mobile phone numbers and registration numbers stored in draft emails.

Doyle later admitted she did it to make 'easy money' with inquiries revealing 13,500 had been transferred into her bank account.

Investigators believe she made 25,000 from the racket.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester Doyle of Worsley, near Salford, faced jail after she admitted conspiracy to unlawfully access and sell data.

But she was given eight months imprisonment suspended for two years after a judge said she was 'hard working member of the community.'

Doyle, who worked as a performance manageress at the RAC, has since lost her job and is now working at a KwikFit garage.

Company director William Shaw, 33, of Urmston, was also given eight months suspended for two years after admitting similar offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

She sold the data to William Shaw, 33, of Urmston. The company director, who bombarded customers with nuisance calls, was also given eight months suspended for two years

He made 15,000 from the racket whilst running Leeds-based accident management firm TMS Stratosphere which traded as LIS Claims.

The court heard the scam began after Doyle came into contact with Shaw when she was putting together a network of motor industry contacts.

Miss Aaminah Khan, prosecuting for the Information Commissioners Office, said: 'In March 2018 the ICO received a complaint from the RAC.

'A man who had been driving a Lloyds pharmacy vehicle received numerous calls asking him whether he wanted to pursue a personal injury complaint. He suspected data had been taken from the RAC.'

When the RAC scanned their mailboxes to look for the victim's data, they found his registration and mobile numbers in Kim Doyle's inbox.

It was hidden in draft emails under disguised subject headers alongside the data from scores of other customers.

When investigators took Doyle's mobile, which allowed access to her work emails from home, they discovered numerous deleted WhatsApp messages between Doyle and Shaw.

Doyle swindled up to 25,000 from the racket and has been ordered to pay back the amount by the court. She faces three months' imprisonment if the money is not paid by April

Miss Khan added: 'WhatsApp conversations were found about the sale of data between 15 October 2017- 15 March 2018 of 734 messages related to 4,570 RAC customers.

'Kim Doyle provided bank account information to William Shaw so money could be paid to her for passing on the data, and 13,500 was found to have been transferred.

'Mr Shaw later said he... believed she was selling legitimate data.'

Doyle admitted she had been accessing data and passing it on to a third party.

In mitigation Doyle's lawyer Ian Whitehurst said: 'It was greedy as she was not in financial difficulties and made what she thought was easy money.

'She does accept how serious her offending was and it was out of character for her.

'She has lost her good name and many friends through her greed and stupidity. She is extremely embarrassed and ashamed.'

Shaw and Doyle were also each ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work and pay 1,000 in costs.

Doyle must also pay back 25,000 and Shaw will have to pay back 15,000 under the terms of a Confiscation Order.

Both face three months' imprisonment if the money is not paid by April.
Climate change linked to decline of migratory Arctic fish. Credit: University of Aberdeen

Climate change is proving a major risk to one of Canada's vital fish species according to new research published in Nature Climate Change.

Arctic Charr are particularly prevalent in the region of Labrador and are an important commercial, recreational and subsistence fish species to the area.

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dalhousie University, University of Guelph and University of Victoria, found migratory populations of the Arctic Charr species at the southern range limit in northeastern Canada were most vulnerable under future climate change scenarios, suggesting declines and potential loss of migratory charr populations in parts of Labrador over the coming decades.

Dr. Kara Layton from the University of Aberdeen's School of Biological Sciences said: "Climate change continues to threaten the persistence of species, especially in the Arctic region, and understanding how species will respond to these pressures is increasingly critical.

"In this work we were interested in understanding climate change responses in Arctic Charr, which represents an economically, culturally, and ecologically vital fish species in Canada, and particularly in Labrador.

"Here we used a combination of genomics and projections of future climate to look at how Arctic Charr populations are adapted to contemporary climate, and to examine which populations are likely to have the capacity to adapt under future climate change.

"To explore past responses of this species to climate variation we also estimated population size of Arctic Charr populations in Labrador from the recent past using genomic data. Our results suggest widespread declines in abundance and weight in Labrador Arctic Charr populations in the 1990's that corresponds to both a well-documented cold temperature anomaly and declines in other species.

"Our results suggest future climate associated impacts in this species over the coming decades that may impact ecosystem stability and food security in Labrador.

"Lessons learned from this research will be of relevance for other species challenged by long term environmental change. Moving forward we are continuing to work to understand the adaptive diversity of Arctic Charr in Labrador. We are using environmental DNA to explore the distribution of Arctic Charr in the region and how this may be changing and looking at extending our analyses to Arctic Charr populations further into the Canadian Arctic and throughout their range."

Explore further Evidence of accelerated climate change seen in Labrador mountain range

More information: K. K. S. Layton et al. Genomic evidence of past and future climate-linked loss in a migratory Arctic fish, Nature Climate Change (2021). Journal information: Nature Climate Change K. K. S. Layton et al. Genomic evidence of past and future climate-linked loss in a migratory Arctic fish,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-00959-7
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Recently, a group of researchers found evidences that Mars contains a Chandler wobble. The researchers came from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and the Royal Observatory of Belgium who published their findings in the Geophysical Research Letters with the title "Detection of the Chandler Wobble of Mars From Orbiting Spacecraft". The data from the study has been obtained from decades of observations using space probes.

Findings of the Mars Chandler Wobble Study

According to Phys Org, the study shows that unexpectedly for any close planetary system body other than the Earth, a chandler wobble has been identified on Mars. The Chandler wobble is characterized as a single component of the movement of the Mars turning hub or spinning axis on the surface of Mars. The movement has a time of 206.9  0.5 days, an abundance of 10 cm on a superficial level, and is an almost round counterclockwise direction as seen from the North Pole. This occurrence observed from the planet Mars is identified using different radio tracking observations from space probes such as Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Global Surveyor.

Read more: NASA Claims It Has New Tool That Can Create Oxygen In Mars! The Space Agency Is Now Testing MOXIE

What is a Chandler Wobble?

The Chandler wobble, also known as the Variety of Latitude is known as a small Deviation within the Earth's Axis of rotation, which was founded by American Space expert Seth Carlo Chandler in 1891.

The occurence sums to an alter of around 9 meters (30 ft) within the point at which the Axis intersects the Earth's surface and features a period of 433 days.This wobble, which is also called a nutation, combines with another wobble with a period of one year, so that the overall polar movement changes with a period of almost 7 years. The Chandler wobble is a case of the kind of movement that can happen for a freely pivoting object that's not a circle; typically called a Free Nutation.

To some degree, the course of the Earth's Rotation axis relative to the stars also changes with diverse periods, and these motions-caused by the Tidal Powers of the Moon and Sun-are moreover called Nutations.

Implication of Mars' Chandler Wobble Discovery

According to the study, the recognition of the Chandler wobble improves our comprehension of energy dissemination in the mantle for time stretches close to the wobble period.

Researchers have long argued that other planets may also have a Chandler Wobble. It is only in these recent findings from data gathered by space probes that a precise measure of an existing chandler wobble in Mars has been detected. It was discovered that Mars indeed has a Chandler wobble, but one that is less obvious than the Earth. The planet moves just four inches from its own axis in a span of 200 days.

In theory, a Chandler wobble should stop after a specific amount of time. However, Earth has been wobbling for a longer amount of time than it should. Scientists cannot find a concrete explanation yet as to why wobble time has been extending from earth. On the other hand, Mars has also been wobbling for a longer time. The takeaway from the study is that it might be easier to understand Mars' Chandler wobble than earth's since it has a much simpler geography, structure, and atmosphere. So far, scientists are not sending a warning in light of these discoveries. However, these may mean there's a brighter path to discovery for Mars.

See related article: Elon Musk Reveals Ambitious Plan of Putting Humans in Mars, Gives 6 Years as Timeline

This article is owned by Techtimes

Written by Nikki Delgado

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ALBANY  The city paid $14,000 in legal fees last month to a reverend who was threatened with arrest for preaching in Townsend Park in 2019.

The Oct. 27 order by Supreme Court Judge David A. Weinstein was the result of a lawsuit over the citys refusal to release body camera and dashboard camera videos to Rev. Cheryl Hawkins and her attorneys. The city issued the payment on Dec. 23.

Lewis B. Oliver, Jr., one of Hawkins attorneys, said the lawsuit and order for attorneys fees was the the only way to make the city obey the law about public access to dash-cam and body-cam videos.

The city claims to the media it wants to be transparent with regard to police misconduct, but in reality that is still not what is happening. Oliver said in a statement. The city is wasting taxpayer dollars in efforts to keep the lid on police misconduct.

The city and the police department did not return requests for comment Tuesday.

Hawkins, of Thelmahouse Street Reach Ministries, was preaching in Townsend Park on July 27, 2019 when officers approached her and ordered her to stop and leave the park - even though she had a special event permit issued by the city.

Police told Hawkins her permit had been revoked, seized her bullhorn and demanded she pack up her religious literature and leave the park, according to her claim.

She later filed a civil rights lawsuit, alleging the city violated her right to free speech and free exercise of religion. As part of the lawsuit, her attorneys filed a freedom of information request for any body camera and dashboard camera footage of the incident. The city denied the request, citing the now-repealed state Civil Rights Law 50-a, claiming the camera footage is exempt because it consists of "personnel records used to evaluate performance toward continued employment or promotion.

Hawkins attorneys sued on June 5, 2020, arguing that the city was required to turn the footage over and that it did not fall under the states civil rights law dealing with personnel issues. The 50-a law was repealed in June 2020 and the city turned over body camera footage it had but said that no dashboard camera footage existed.

The city then argued that because the law had changed, prompting it to turn over the footage, Hawkins attorneys had not substantially prevailed in their FOIL request and werent due any legal fees. Wildstein disagreed, ruling that the city was incorrect in its initial decision to withhold the camera footage and that if the lawsuit had continued, the city would still have had to turn that footage over.

I find that the city had no reasonable basis for denying access to the requested body-worn camera footage or to withhold the fact that the requested police vehicle recordings did not exist. As such, I am required to assess against the respondents attorneys fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred by the petitioner in accordance with section 89(4)(c), he wrote.

Hawkins civil rights lawsuit is still pending.

Although the body camera video of the incident that the city was forced to disclose shows APD Lieutenant Eric Crist ordering Reverend Hawkins to stop preaching and leave the park or he would immediately arrest her, the citys answer denies this ever happened. This is typical of the citys delaying tactics, Oliver said in a statement. Lawyers must keep suing until the city changes its attitude toward FOIL requests about the police. The taxpayers should care about why the city is wasting money by subjecting itself to legal liability for police misconduct.
The US has determined that India's Tax is discriminatory and has an adverse impact on American commerce and is actionable under the trade act.

At the same time, the outgoing has left the onus of taking any action against India under Section 301 of the US Trade Act to the incoming Biden administration.

Publishing the results of the investigation on the Digital Service Tax (DST) in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the US Trade Representatives (USTR) said that it had consultations with the Indian Government on the issue on November 5, 2020.

Responding to the outgoing Trump administration's move, India on Thursday said the two per cent equalisation levy does not discriminate against US companies as it applies equally to all non-resident e-commerce operators irrespective of their country of residence.

In the report, the USTR describes DST as an outlier which burdens US companies by subjecting them to double taxation.

India had adopted the operative form of its Tax or DST on March 27, 2020.

The DST imposes a two per cent tax on revenue generated from a broad range of offered in India, including digital platform services, digital content sales, digital sales of a company's own goods, data-related services, software-as-a-service, and several other categories of digital services.

India's DST only applies to non-resident companies. The tax applies as of April 1, 2020, it said.

The USTR in the federal register said that DST, by its structure and operation, discriminates against US digital companies, including due to the selection of covered services and its applicability only to non-resident companies.

In a statement in New Delhi on January 7, the commerce and industry ministry said there is no retrospective element as the levy was enacted before the 1st day of April, 2020, which is the effective date of the levy.

It also does not have extra-territorial application as it applies only on the revenue generated from India, the ministry said.

The USTR alleged that DST is unreasonable because it is inconsistent with principles of international taxation, including due to its application to revenue rather than income, extraterritorial application, and failure to provide tax certainty.

India's DST burdens or restricts US commerce, the USTR said. It noted that sections 301(b) and 304(a)(1)(B) of the Trade Act provide that if the US Trade Representative determines that an act, policy, or practice of a foreign country is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts commerce, the US Trade Representative shall determine what action, if any, to take under Section 301(b).

These matters will be addressed in subsequent proceedings under Section 301, the USTR said.

In its report published by the USTR on January 6, it alleged that US non-resident providers of digital services are taxed, while Indian providers of the same digital services to the same customers are not.

This is discrimination in its clearest form, it said.

Indeed, one Indian government official confirmed that the very purpose of the DST is to discriminate against nonresident foreign companies, explaining that: [a]ll parts of the digital taxation incident should be on the foreign player, because if the incidence is passed on to the Indian player, then it doesn't really serve the purpose, it said.

The USTR in its investigation report determined that three aspects of the DST are inconsistent with principles of international taxation: First stakeholders have found the text of the DST to be unclear and ambiguous.

"This creates uncertainty for companies regarding key aspects of the DST, including the scope of taxable services and the universe of firms liable to pay the tax. India has published no official guidance to resolve these ambiguities. This amounts to a failure to provide tax certainty, which contravenes a core principle of international taxation," the USTR alleged.

The DST taxes companies with no permanent establishment in India, contravening the international tax principle that companies should not be subject to a country's corporate tax regime absent a territorial connection to that country, it said.

Noting that the DST taxes companies' revenue rather than their income, the USTR said that this is inconsistent with the international tax principle that incomenot revenueis the appropriate basis for corporate taxation.

Alleging that DST creates an additional tax burden for US companies, the USTR estimates that the aggregate tax bill for US companies could exceed USD 30 million per year.

Several aspects of the DST exacerbate this tax burden, including the DST's extraterritorial application, its taxation of revenue rather than income, and its low domestic revenue threshold which allows India to tax US firms that do relatively little business in India, it alleged.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The latest results from Teagasc research on protected urea have raised no concern in relation to residues in milk, the Farming Independent has learned.

While some dairy processor concern emerged last year regarding the potential of residues from protected urea turning up in milk and other dairy products, an ongoing study in the field has, to date, produced promising findings.

Although the projects final results were expected at the end of 2020, the full results are now due to be published in a scientific paper this June.

Under the Governments recently published Ag Climatise action plan, it intends to ban the use of chemical nitrogen urea, replacing it with a urease inhibitor treated urea product  protected urea  by the end of 2023.

The lead researcher on the Department of Agriculture (DAFM) funded research told this publication that the project will run until September 2022.

The researcher said: The starting of analytical method development for the detection of potential residues was initially delayed due to recruitment issues which resulted in the development taking longer than expected.

However, a highly sensitive analytical method for the detection of the urease inhibitor NBPT and the breakdown product NBPT-o has been developed at Teagasc, Ashtown.

During 2020 milk samples were collected from cows grazing pastures fertilised with protected urea as the main source for nitrogen at Teagasc, Johnstown Castle.

The results of the analysis of these milk samples, along with the method description, are currently being collated for integration into a scientific paper to be submitted to a Journal before June 2020.

To date, the project results have not given any concern in relation to protected urea residues in milk, the statement concluded.

Processor views

With pressure mounting on farmers to reduce emissions, this publication contacted Glanbia, Dairygold, Kerry, Aurivo, Lakeland Dairies, Arrabawn and Carbery to inquire about volumes of protected urea supplies for 2021; and practical steps being taken to encourage farmers to switch from synthetic fertiliser to protected urea.

As sales of protected urea continue to disappoint, processors were also asked to outline any concerns they may have regarding potential residues from the product.

Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) responded on behalf of all the processors stating that the dairy sector is committed to working closely with Government departments, state agencies, farm representative bodies, and suppliers as part of a clear path to achieve lower emissions through a whole of Government / whole of sector approach.

DII director Conor Mulvihill said: Working with a range of sector partners through the Dairy Sustainability Ireland initiative, processors are actively looking to implement strategies which would assist and deliver on climate change mitigation.

Part of this commitment is the promotion of the use of protected urea with fertiliser companies. But there are also a range of other initiatives working in tandem with this.

It is understood by the dairy sector from DAFM, that based on the available data the Department has no immediate concerns around the use of protected urea.

The Ag-Climatise document released before Christmas by DAFM states clearly that protected urea is currently available on the market and complies with all relevant standards under the fertiliser regulations.

Within the document DAFM committed to continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure its continued safe and effective use.

Processors will continue to work in line with DAFM advice on this, the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture told this publication that it is the competent authority with responsibility for implementing the regulations that provide for and govern the use of urease inhibitors.

In a statement the Department spokesperson said: There is no requirement for the regulator (DAFM) to provide a safety statement for these products.
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President Donald Trump denied Tuesday that his speech last week to thousands of supporters, encouraging them to march on Congress, had anything to do with violence that broke out shortly after.

"They've analyzed my speech in my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence, and everybody to the tee just thought it was totally appropriate," Trump told reporters before flying out for a trip to Texas.

On January 6 he told a large crowd in Washington that the presidential election was stolen and that they should march on Congress and show "strength." The crowd broke into Congress and forced frightened lawmakers to abandon a ceremony putting the legal stamp on Democrat Joe Biden's election win.

Trump further said that social media giants like Twitter and Facebook have made a "catastrophic mistake" in banning him after his incendiary comments to a crowd before it invaded Congress.

"They are making a catastrophic mistake... They're dividing and divisive and they're showing something that I've been predicting for a long time," Trump told reporters before leaving on a trip to Texas.

[January 12, 2021] Golden Leaf Holdings Provides Update Regarding Non-Brokered Private Placement including Management participation

NOT FOR RELEASE IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE:GLH) (Golden Leaf or the Company), a premier, consumer-driven cannabis company specializing in production, processing, wholesale, distribution and retail, is pleased to announce that it has closed an initial tranche of its non-brokered private placement (the Non-Brokered Offering) of units (Units), previously announced on December 21, 2020, for gross proceeds of approximately C$2,375,000, including $190,500 from insiders. A total of 79,166,773 Units were issued at a purchase price of C$0.03 per Unit, with each Unit comprised of one common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one Common Share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Common Share (a Warrant Share) at an exercise price of $0.06 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months from the closing. The Units will have a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. In connection with this initial tranche, the Company paid finder's fees in the aggregate sum of C$104,225 and issued 3,474,153 compensation warrants (the "Finders' Warrants") to certain eligible finders. Each Finders' Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price equal to C$0.06 per Common Share at any time up to 24 months following closing.



The Company has received indications of further commitments in the Non-Brokered Offering which are expected to close on or before January 25, 2021.

The securities described herein 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 accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. About Golden Leaf Holdings Golden Leaf Holdings is a premier consumer-driven cannabis company specializing in production, processing, wholesale, distribution and retail, with seven dispensaries in Portland, Oregon. The company is committed to developing a dynamic portfolio built around the recognized brands of Chalice Farms, with a focus on health and wellness. Markets served include Oregon, California, Nevada, and Washington. Visit glhmonthly.com for regular updates. Investor Relations: John Varghese

Executive Chairman

Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd.

971-371-2685

ir@goldenleafholdings.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
I cant understand  in the face of all evidence, in the face of the past four years of thousands of documented lies, of a major tax cut that benefited only the rich, of policies that have alienated our allies and befriended our enemies, of failure to pursue clean energy measures that could and should have been providing thousands of new jobs, of the utter failure to recognize and take charge of combating the coronavirus pandemic that has already cost more than 375,000 American lives  how anyone could possibly still support that person.
Following a meeting with a multilateral government committee, the National Nurses Association Anil criticises that even though a bachelor degree will be introduced, the BTS degree remains in place.

The meeting focused on improving recruitment strategies and work opportunities for nurses to fight the general shortages in staff in Luxembourg. Present were Anil representatives, as well as officials from the ministries of health, state, and education.

Though the meeting was considered to be productive at the time, the official report, sent out by the government committee on Friday, has sparked renewed outrage in the sector.

The report lays out the progress of discussions, which started back in November 2020. It announces that on the one hand, a bachelor degree for nurses will be introduced in the Grand Duchy, but on the other, the BTS traineeship will be maintained as well.

Anil president Anne-Marie Hanff thus laments that government officials did not retain the fact that work prospects for a bachelor degree first needed to be worked out. She further notes that having two separate studies for the same profession risks causing more logistical issues than helping in the end.

Both Germany and Belgium have been working towards eliminating the BTS degree for nurses. Finland, which is known for the quality of its nursing staff, only works with bachelor studies. Anil therefore demands that Luxembourg begin with its own transition period.

The association does not yet fear a lack of new recruits in the field, but believes that better work opportunities will be the best possible incentive to fight potential shortages in the future.
The map shows the projected change in terrestrial water storage by the end of the 21st century, compared to the 1975-2005 average, under a mid-range scenario for global warming. A continuum of yellow to orange to dark red reflects increasing severity of loss of stored water; teal to blue to dark blue reflects increasing gains in stored water. Credit: Yadu Pokhrel, et al, Nature Climate Change, 2021, CC BY-ND

The world watched with a sense of dread in 2018 as Cape Town, South Africa, counted down the days until the city would run out of water. The region's surface reservoirs were going dry amid its worst drought on record, and the public countdown was a plea for help.

By drastically cutting their water use, Cape Town residents and farmers were able to push back "Day Zero" until the rain came, but the close call showed just how precarious water security can be. California also faced severe water restrictions during its recent multiyear drought. And Mexico City is now facing water restrictions after a year with little rain.

There are growing concerns that many regions of the world will face water crises like these in the coming decades as rising temperatures exacerbate drought conditions.

Understanding the risks ahead requires looking at the entire landscape of terrestrial water storagenot just the rivers, but also the water stored in soils, groundwater, snowpack, forest canopies, wetlands, lakes and reservoirs.

We study changes in the terrestrial water cycle as engineers and hydrologists. In a new study published Jan. 11, we and a team of colleagues from universities and institutes around the world showed for the first time how climate change will likely affect water availability on land from all water storage sources over the course of this century.

We found that the sum of this terrestrial water storage is on pace to decline across two-thirds of the land on the planet. The worst impacts will be in areas of the Southern Hemisphere where water scarcity is already threatening food security and leading to human migration and conflict. Globally, one in 12 people could face extreme drought related to water storage every year by the end of this century, compared to an average of about one in 33 at the end of the 20th century.

These findings have implications for water availability, not only for human needs, but also for trees, plants and the sustainability of agriculture.

Where the risks are highest

The water that keeps land healthy, crops growing and human needs met comes from a variety of sources. Mountain snow and rainfall feed streams that affect community water supplies. Soil water content directly affects plant growth. Groundwater resources are crucial for both drinking water supplies and crop productivity in irrigated regions.

While studies often focus just on river flow as an indicator of water availability and drought, our study instead provides a holistic picture of the changes in total water available on land. That allows us to capture nuances, such as the ability of forests to draw water from deep groundwater sources during years when the upper soil levels are drier.

Water in the environment. Credit: U.K. Met Office

The declines we found in land water storage are especially alarming in the Amazon River basin, Australia, southern Africa, the Mediterranean region and parts of the United States. In these regions, precipitation is expected to decline sharply with climate change, and rising temperatures will increase evaporation. At the same time, some other regions will become wetter, a process already seen today.

Our findings for the Amazon basin add to the longstanding debate over the fate of the rainforest in a warmer world. Many studies using climate model projections have warned of widespread forest die-off in the future as less rainfall and warmer temperatures lead to higher heat and moisture stress combined with forest fires.

In an earlier study, we found that the deep-rooted rainforests may be more resilient to short-term drought than they appear because they can tap water stored in soils deeper in the ground that aren't considered in typical climate model projections. However, our new findings, using multiple models, indicate that the declines in total water storage, including deep groundwater stores, may lead to more water shortages during dry seasons when trees need stored water the most and exacerbate future droughts. All weaken the resilience of the rainforests.

A new way of looking at drought

Our study also provides a new perspective on future droughts.

There are different kinds of droughts. Meteorological droughts are caused by lack of precipitation. Agricultural droughts are caused by lack of water in soils. Hydrological droughts involve lack of water in rivers and groundwater. We provided a new perspective on droughts by looking at the total water storage.

We found that moderate to severe droughts involving water storage would increase until the middle of the 21st century and then remain stable under future scenarios in which countries cut their emissions, but extreme to exceptional water storage droughts could continue to increase until the end of the century.

That would further threaten water availability in regions where water storage is projected to decline.

Changes driven by global warming

These declines in water storage and increases in future droughts are primarily driven by climate change, not land-water management activities such as irrigation and groundwater pumping. This became clear when we examined simulations of what the future would look like if climate conditions were unchanged from preindustrial times. Without the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, terrestrial water storage would remain generally stable in most regions.

If future increases in groundwater use for irrigation and other needs are also considered, the projected reduction in water storage and increase in drought could be even more severe.

Explore further New climate change study: Number of people suffering extreme droughts will double

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
China-based EV company XPeng signed a strategic cooperation agreement with leading domestic banks at a signing ceremony held in Guangzhou, China, pursuant to which it will secure a credit line of RMB12.8 billion (US$1.98 billion) with an extensive range of credit facilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, five domestic commercial banks including the Agricultural Bank of China, the Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China CITIC Bank and Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, will provide credit facilities to support the companys business operations and expansion of its manufacturing, sales and service capabilities. These facilities will help Xpeng optimize the efficiency of its cash management, cost control and other corporate functions.

The strategic cooperation with leading banks further diversifies Xpengs funding channels. The company is developing rapidly following its successful $900-million pre-IPO fundraising and $1.7-billion IPO in August 2020.

In December 2020, the Company completed its first public follow-on offering, raising approximately $2.5 billion.

In November 2020, the Companys second manufacturing base broke ground in Guangzhou, making it the first Chinese start-up EV maker with two self-owned factories.

XPengs physical sales & service network has expanded into 58 cities with 116 retail sales stores and 50 service centers, as of 30 September 2020. The number of XPeng-branded supercharging stations has expanded to 135, covering 50 cities, as of September 30, 2020.

Free supercharging services are provided to XPeng customers at 670 supercharging stations across 100 Chinese cities, since the free-to-use supercharging program was launched in September 2020.

Xpeng delivered a total of 27,041 vehicles in 2020 with a fast-growing customer base that has reached more than 40,000.

The companys third production modela new Smart EV sedan slated for official launch and customer delivery in 2021will be equipped with lidar technology, representing a breakthrough in the mass production deployment of the autonomous driving technology.

In December 2020, the company delivered the first batch of 100 G3 smart SUVs to customers in Norway, representing a milestone for its international business.

Farmers from Ghazipur district have exported 30 metric tonnes of green chillies and to Bangladesh and Nepal.

As many as 1,500 farmers from Patal Ganga and adjoining areas of Ghazipur district are earning sufficient money through their hard work. In fact, the importers from Nepal and Bangladesh also visited the farmers in Ghazipur to make their payment.

In Ghazipur, farmers are being provided the expertise to export along with higher productivity and growing of crops at international standards.

Regional in-charge of and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Dr C.B. Singh said, "The soil of the Ganges-Doab region is very fertile which helps farmers to produce vegetables without chemical fertilisers that are further exported to different countries. Apart from being hard-working, the farmers are also relying on the policies of the government as a result of which the vegetables from this region are being exported abroad."

The efforts made by the farmer producer organisations and the UP government have ensured that farmers now get double the price for their crops.

Many farmers are now focusing on banana cultivation along with other vegetables. In this area, tomato cultivation of good quality is also being adopted on a large scale.

The government is encouraging the farmers in different types of farming skills along with traditional farming so that they can earn more money.

--IANS

amita/kr

(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 son of a New York judge was charged in last week's riot at the Capitol, accused of stealing a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield and armored vest as he joined the mob that stormed the building to "take back" the country.

Aaron Mostofsky, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged Tuesday with three counts, including theft of government property, knowingly entering a restricted government building and unlawful entry and disorderly conduct, for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Mostofsky is the son of Kings County Supreme Court Judge Shlomo "Steven" Mostofsky, according to a person familiar with the matter. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, theft of government property.

Mostofsky, 34, is the man whose image, sheathed in caveman pelts and carrying a spear or staff, was among those from the melee that went viral. He is one of dozens arrested after a day of violence that left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer. The failed insurrection has led to an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump, fresh questions about Trump's role in the Republican Party after his term ends, and a new national reckoning over the breadth of white supremacist terrorism in the U.S.

A lawyer for Mostofsky couldn't be immediately identified for comment on the charges. Ken Fisher, a spokesman for the judge, and Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the New York State courts, declined to comment.

Mostofsky, who the FBI says was arrested Tuesday morning by federal agents in Brooklyn, was to make an initial appearance in federal court there later in the day. Prosecutors say he was captured on video carrying a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield and vest with ballistic body plates, and that he said in an interview that "we were cheated" out of the election and that "I don't think 75 million people voted for Trump. I think it was close to 85 million."

They say he implicated himself with comments he made on Instagram and Facebook, starting with a message he sent on Wednesday just after 6 a.m. in which he said he was "on this bus going to DC." He later told a friend he was trying to meet outside the building, "look for a guy looking like a caveman."

In what the government says was an apparent reference to the election, he added that "even a caveman knows it was stolen."

After entering the Capitol, Mostofsky sent a message saying "it was like I'm in here now how did I get there" and gave an interview to a New York Post reporter in which he identified himself as "Aaron" and said he was from Brooklyn, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.

Mostofsky recorded himself inside the Capitol in an Instagram account authorities have linked to him. He was also recorded and photographed by press inside the building during the uprising, brandishing a riot shield with the Capitol Police logo and wearing what appears to be an armored vest emblazoned with "Police" as he carried what looks like a spear, according to the complaint.

One social media user wrote to him, "Your famous," to which he replied, "IK unfortunately." When the friend asked, "why unfortunately," he replied, "Cause now people actually know me," the U.S. says.

It was in this conversation that he confirmed he was the person with U.S. Capitol Police property, prosecutors say.
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Tesco and Asda Latest UK Supermarkets to Bar Shoppers Without Masks

Tesco and Asda have joined other major UK supermarkets in hardening their approach to shoppers who refuse to wear a face covering, saying they will be denied entry.

Laws enacted in the spring mandate face-coverings in indoor public areas, with exceptions, but stores have generally taken a light-touch approach, preferring to offer masks for free, but not to challenge.

On Monday, Morrisons became the first supermarket to explicitly state it would prevent entry to people who refuse to wear face-coverings, unless medically exempt. Later Sainsburys announced it was toughening its stance, followed by Tesco and Asda on Tuesday.

Sometimes called the Big Four, these supermarkets make up two-thirds of the sector by market share.

The shift in policy chimes with a tougher approach by police under Englands third lockdown to the enforcement of laws aimed at stemming the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

Shoppers outside a branch of Morrisons in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, on Dec. 21, 2020. (Andrew Hasson/Getty Images)

To protect our customers and colleagues, we wont let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with government guidance, a spokesperson for Tesco, the biggest UK supermarket chain, told The Epoch Times.

We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless theyre a carer or with children. To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.

Asda issued a similar statement shortly after. A spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email, If a customer has forgotten their face covering, we will continue to offer them one free of chargebut should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry.

Sainsburys on Monday said that they would put security guards at store entrances to challenge those who are not wearing a mask or who are shopping in groups.

So far, other chains such as Lidl and Aldi have not explicitly indicated a shift in policy.

With the CCP virus surging to record levels, pressure has grown for closer compliance with rules, with police adopting a more stringent approach.

The shift in approach comes amid reports that the government is considering tougher curbs to try to stem the spread of the virus.

On Friday, daily recorded deaths reached the highest level since any time during the pandemic and hospitalisations of people with COVID-19 have been rising above the spring peak since the New Year.

Englands largest force, the Met Police, said last week in a statement that they have instructed officers to issue fines more quickly than in the past since the public is now more aware of the rules.
With Jason Williams taking his oath of office as Orleans Parish District Attorney on Monday, his former colleagues on the City Council are now seeking applicants to fill his seat for the next year.

His replacement will fill one of the two at-large seats through the council's current term, which ends early next year. Regular city elections will be held in the fall.

"This is an important position, and our city is best served if we look at the widest possible pool of potential candidates in order to find someone who can fairly and effectively represent the interests of all of our people, Councilmember Helena Moreno said in a press release calling for applications.

Those interested in the interim seat can apply online at council.nola.gov/interim. Moreno said the council will accept applications until Jan. 20 at 5 p.m.

The council must appoint their temporary colleague within the next 30 days or Mayor LaToya Cantrell will get to make the decision.

Whether picked by the council or the mayor, the interim member need not be one of the people who formally apply for the job. The positions have often been the source of political wrangling on the council and gone to close allies of elected officials.

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The citys charter requires that an interim council member be a U.S. citizen who has lived in New Orleans for at least two years and is registered to vote in the city. Candidates must also not serve in any other public position, with exceptions made for notaries, teachers and school administrators and members of the military.

Williams, who was elected district attorney in the fall, formally resigned his City Council seat just before being sworn in at his new post, a decision that may have reverberations for determining who will eventually fill his seat.

Had the resignation come just a day earlier, the interim council member would serve only until a special election in the spring. That election would have essentially given a free shot at the seat to district Councilmembers Jay H. Banks, Jared Brossett and Kristin Gisleson Palmer, all of whom have suggested theyre considering running for Williams spot. Instead those council members, all of whom endorsed Williams opponent, will now have to decide whether to gamble on the at-large seat or make comparatively safe re-election bids in the fall elections.

Interim council members are barred from seeking the seat in the fall election, which prevents whoever is appointed from running as an incumbent.
PFAS investigation in Pellston completes second round of samples

Officials discovered polyfluoroalkyls in Pellston residential water sources in late 2019. The airport is believed to be the source of the substances.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 05:19:15|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will serve a second five-year term, if that's what member states want, his spokesman said on Monday.

Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for the secretary-general, said that the 75th UN General Assembly president, Volkan Bozkir, on Friday asked Guterres "about his intentions regarding a second mandate."

"The secretary-general conveyed to him today (Monday) that he is available to serve a second term as secretary-general of the United Nations if that would be the will of the member states," Dujarric said. "The secretary-general also addressed a letter of similar content to the president of the Security Council" for January, Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, the permanent representative of Tunisia.

The spokesman said Guterres also talked about his decision to the five, veto-wielding, permanent members of the Security Council, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the heads of regional and political groups over the weekend, "to make sure everybody had the same information."

Dujarric said Guterres spent time on his Christmas holiday in Portugal speaking to family members regarding running for a second term.

Guterres became the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations on Jan. 1, 2017, succeeding Ban Ki-moon.

Guterres served as High Commissioner of the UN Refugee Agency from June 2005 to December 2015 and prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. Enditem
Desperate NHS hospitals are planning to draft in secretaries to help out on wards as they face a rising tide of Covid patients, internal documents reveal.

There were 32,294 people in hospital with Covid-19 as of last Thursday, January 7, and wards are seeing numbers of sick patients increase across the country.

Doctors and nurses, thousands of whom are off sick or self-isolating themselves, may now be offered help from medical students, care workers and even admin staff, according to an NHS memo seen by The Independent.

'Immediate additional staff' are being deployed, according to the plans, to help with non-medical tasks on wards amid fears the crisis is still getting worse and won't peak until February. They will be used to answer phones, to help feed patients, to handle paperwork and to organise equipment for the medical workers.

The NHS is known to be short of staff, with tens of thousands of nursing jobs vacant before the pandemic started, and sickness rates due to Covid have contributed to press on the health service.

Nightingale Hospitals, which were planned to be used as overflow if normal wards got overwhelmed, may not be able to operate properly because there aren't enough trained people to run them.

Paramedics in London say hospitals are so busy that ambulance crews are getting to fewer patients because they now often have to queue to offload people before they can move onto the next job, sometimes for hours.

It comes as officials on the Isle of Wight have warned that patients may have to be helicoptered across to the mainland as the number needing help surges.

Matt Hancock today denied that there is an NHS oxygen shortage in the following concerns it was being rationed at a hospital in Essex yesterday. The Health Secretary explained some patients may have to move hospitals but that England has sufficient supplies.

And healthcare union NHS Providers has warned that essential staff in the NHS could quit after the pandemic because of 'unsustainable' workloads and exhaustion.

Figures today also revealed that nearly one in 20 patients in the UK are waiting in emergency departments for more than 12 hours to be admitted to hospital.

NHS hospitals in London are seeing the numbers of patients with Covid-19 surge and need 'immediate additional staff', officials warn

Medics are pictured on an intensive care ward at St George's Hospital in London

All of London's acute hospital trusts have been told to 'think very carefully' about whether it is 'appropriate' to perform non-urgent surgeries. Pictured: St George's Hospital in Tooting, London last week

Doctors are already treating more Covid-19 patients than they did during the first wave and NHS bosses fear crisis will drag on into mid-February before numbers start to go down again

Nearly one in 20 A&E patients have to wait 12 hours to be admitted to hospital, data shows Nearly one in 20 patients in the UK are waiting in emergency departments for more than 12 hours to be admitted to hospital, data suggests. Royal College of Emergency Medicine figures show 2,614 patients waited 12 hours to be admitted to a bed at 32 NHS trusts and boards across the country in the week ending January 3. The RCEM said this represented 4.77 per cent of all attendances that week  and was a 21.14 per cent increase from the previous week's 2,158 patient total. The findings are part of the RCEM's 2020-21 Winter Flow Project that is tracking anonymised data from a group of 35 NHS sites across the UK from October 2020 to March 2021. The project was first launched in 2015 'to highlight the difficulties facing an NHS struggling with unprecedented financial difficulties and insufficient resources,' the RCEM said. Its most recent findings come after Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned the NHS is under 'very significant pressure' amid surging admissions of coronavirus patients in England's hospitals. The RCEM said that since the beginning of October last year, 26,806 patients have waited longer than 12 hours to be admitted to a bed at its project's sampled sites across the UK. It also said data showed performance for the 'four-hour standard'  a time target within which emergency departments should aim to admit, transfer or discharge a patient  fell to 71.87 per cent from December 28 to January 3. The RCEM said this figure was the 'worst' performance of the current winter period, and only 'marginally' lower than the 72.03 per cent for the corresponding week a year earlier. Advertisement

The regional director of NHS London, Sir David Sloman, wrote to staff: 'It is clear that NHS trusts across the capital are in need of immediate additional staff and all opportunities for redeployment both from within the NHS and from social care and voluntary sectors must be facilitated at pace,' The Independent reported.

The guidance was circulated to hospitals in the capital on Friday.

NHS England confirmed today it was 'redeploying' people already working in the health service as well as returning retired staff, care workers and volunteers.

They will be used to co-ordinate rotas, act as scribes for doctors, work as meal-time assistants and as medical support staff if they have the proper training.

An NHS spokesperson said: 'As with the first wave of the pandemic, local services are looking at their workforce and asking staff to redeploy to help maintain services and in support of frontline clinicians.

'The situation in London and across the country remains extremely serious which is why everyone should follow the national guidance to reduce the spread of transmission and save lives.'

The number of NHS staff off work because of illness or self-isolation has quadrupled since September, figures show, with almost 10 per cent not working last week.

There were around 46,000 medical workers off at a time because of Covid last week, compared to 12,000 in September before the second wave had taken hold.

Pressure inside hospitals is leading to a slow-down outside, too, as paramedics warn they are having to wait in ambulances before they can offload patients and go out to another job.

Because of this, one said, the crews are getting to fewer jobs than they usually would.

Will Broughton, a trustee of the Royal College of Paramedics, told BBC Breakfast: 'In some cases we've heard of ambulances waiting up to five hours to hand over their patient at hospital.

'On a number of occasions over the Christmas and New Year period I was waiting between two and three hours in some cases to hand over patients.

'The unseen part of that delay is that for all the time that an ambulance is at hospital waiting to hand over, then there is a patient, or a number of patients, in the community that are waiting for ambulances to come and attend them.

'We're attending less patients per day because of the time that we're waiting at hospitals.'

Ambulances are pictured outside City Hospital in Birmingham today, January 12

Chris Hopson, CEO of healthcare union NHS Providers, warned MPs this morning that he expects pressure on hospitals to keep rising into the middle of February

Health Secretary Matt Hancock appeared in the House of Commons today where he denied that England has an oxygen shortage in its hospitals

NHS staff could leave in droves after pandemic because of pressure, union warns Crucial NHS staff could quit the health service in their droves after the Covid pandemic because of 'unsustainable' pressure, MPs have been warned. Chris Hopson, chief executive of healthcare union NHS Providers, warned in a committee meeting this morning that healthcare workers face constant strain at work, with every winter a struggle, and the current crisis could be the final straw for many. The NHS is known to be short of 10s of thousands of nurses, piling pressure onto the ones it does have. As a result there is a 'winter crisis' every year as flu patients overload already stretched hospitals. Mr Hopson said many staff may not return to this way of working after turning themselves inside out during the pandemic. He told Parliament's Health and Social Care Select Committee this morning: 'We cannot keep trying to run the NHS and close that capacity-demand mismatch by effectively asking our staff to work harder and harder and harder. 'It was already pretty unsustainable before we got into Covid, it seems to us this is just really reinforcing it. 'The message we are getting very, very clearly is that people will do everything they need to do in this immediate period, because they don't want to let their colleagues down, they don't want to let patients down. 'All of our chief executives, they are worried that when we get through this immediate phase we will start to see people, like for example those who are near to retirement, those junior doctors or people who have come over here from overseas who wanted to train, they will leave the NHS and we will get core workers leaving in the NHS because effectively this whole concept of trying to close that gap by asking our staff to work harder and harder and harder is creating an impossible, an unsustainable workload for our staff.' Jeremy Dawson, professor of health management at Sheffield University, also told the committee that the NHS relied on its staff going the extra mile. When asked how much the NHS ran on goodwill, he said: 'Well, to a very large extent that has been true, especially recently, but has been true for a long time. 'One of the major challenges for the NHS is obviously how to get the best out of its staff and it has done a very good job of doing that in many ways, in some ways too good a job. 'The problem I see at the moment is that we are relying on the goodwill and going the extra mile-and-a-half of the staff in a way that is simply unsustainable.' When asked what would happen to the NHS if staff worked to contract, Mr Hopson told the committee: 'The NHS simply couldn't cope. 'Discretionary effort is the rocket fuel that powers the NHS. 'If staff did work to contract and worked to rule, as it were, we simply would not be able to provide anything like the quality of care that we need to.' Advertisement

He added: 'There's certainly a risk that people will deteriorate and the people will become more unwell because they're waiting for an ambulance to arrive or waiting for a space to become available in the hospital.'

As pressure mounts on hospitals across England, insiders have warned they expect it to keep getting worse into the middle of February.

Chris Hopson, chief executive at NHS Providers, told the House of Commons's Health and Social Care Committee this morning: 'It now looks like the peak for NHS demand may now be in February.

'Now if that's right that's going to mean there's a higher level and more extended period of pressure on the NHS than we were expecting even just a week ago.

'We are now considering in the NHS a series of emergency contingency arrangements that would maximise the NHS capacity available in the areas under greatest pressure.;

He explained that the new variant of the coronavirus appears to be harder to control and, as a result, it will take longer for infection rates to fall than it did in previous lockdowns.

Hospital admissions won't start to fall until infection rates slow because they are an inevitable consequence that occurs about two or three weeks after a spike in cases.

Mr Hopson added: 'The latest information over the last few days really shows three quite worrying trends.

'The first is it seems now pretty clear the infection rate is not going to go down as quickly as it did in the first phase.

'It's going to go down much more slowly because of the increased transmissibility of the new strain.

'I think the second thing is that infection rates - we've talked a lot over the past few days about London, the South East and the East of England  but what's very clear is that infection rates are now rising very rapidly beyond those areas  in the Midlands, the North West and the South West.

'That's a particular worry because trusts in the Midlands and the North have got significant numbers of patients still in hospital from the second surge. And in the South West, because of its smaller bed base, we know it's less able to absorb pressure than other reasons.

'When you take those things together that means, we were hoping for a sharper peak that came sooner and shorter.'

Also in Parliament today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock moved to reassure people that the NHS does not have an oxygen supply problem.

A warning emerged from Southend Hospital yesterday that medics were lowering the threshold at which patients should get supplementary oxygen.

They said patients should be weaned off the gas  which is used to help Covid-19 patients breathe  when they get to 92 per cent saturation in their blood and kept off it unless that drops below 88 per cent.

But Mr Hancock said in the Commons chamber today that there was no national shortage of oxygen.

'The limitation is not the supply of oxygen itself, it is the ability to get the oxygen... through the physical oxygen supply systems within hospitals, and that essentially becomes a constraint on an individual hospital's ability to take more Covid patients,' he told MPs.

'There is no constraint  that we are anywhere near  on the national availability of oxygen or oxygenated beds.

'It does mean that sometimes we have to move patients to a different part  as local as possible  but occasionally across the country, to make sure they get the treatment that they need.'

Moving patients could become a dramatic reality for people on the Isle of Wight, where hospitals are preparing to send Covid patients to the mainland in Army helicopters, The Guardian reports.

The medical director for the island's NHS trust, Stephen Parker, said he was having to consider 'unthinkable options' including evacuating patients.

There is only one hospital on the island  St Mary's  with a total of 246 beds.

Covid patient numbers have surged over the Christmas and new year period from just five inpatients on December 22 to 40 on January 5, the most recent data.

Facing the prospect of a significant proportion of its beds filling up with Covid patients, the hospital may have to send some people across the Solent to hospitals on the mainland. The closest ones are in Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth.

The hospital trust has already done a trial run with a Chinook military helicopter landing on a playing field beside the hospital.

Mr Parker told The Guardian: 'These are unprecedented times for the NHS and they are unprecedented times for the island.

'I think it really is important to realise that we are one of the smallest hospitals in the country; we are challenged about moving patients and we could be overwhelmed.'
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are forced to work from home and required to collaborate remotely. This may make file sharing difficult to manage effectively and require files to be stored on public servers that risk exposing private company data. NetFay developed Carrying Cloud Box as a solution to these challenges, which earned it a place on the roster of Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA)'s 100 featured Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021.

Carrying Cloud Box is a portable, innovative private cloud device like no other on the market.

Carrying Cloud Box allows mobile users to self-manage their private data, auto backup their mobile data anytime, securely access and group share data anywhere, and use an interface that is user-friendly even for novice users. No monthly fees apply when expanding storage space. Carrying Cloud Box allows portable devices and pluggable storage to meet travel and home office needs, the built-in HDMI interface allows display of multimedia content, and authenticated groups and people are provided as a data center for real-time collaboration.

Designed for everyone - especially non-technical users

"Current private cloud solutions focus on advanced users. These solutions are typically not easy to set up and use for generic users who lack basic IT knowledge. Although public cloud solutions have the advantage of being easy to use, some people are not satisfied with the main pain points such as personal privacy management and the monthly fees required to expand storage space", said NetFay CEO Kuei-Fu Hsu.

He noted also that, in order to improve public-cloud problems such as privacy risks, high costs, difficult setup procedures, and unfriendly user interfaces, Carrying Cloud Box introduced an innovative private cloud architecture that provides a user experience that is similar to public clouds, peer to peer encrypted communication to secure personal privacy, and extended storage space with no monthly fees. Using NetFay's innovative private cloud service, mobile users can easily back up, access, and share private data to authenticated users and groups anytime, anywhere.

Carrying Cloud Box allows the automatic backup of mobile data, the sharing of data to authenticated friends/groups anytime and anywhere, the periodic syncing of pre-set data to another Carrying Cloud Box, and the permission management of people-oriented friends and groups. This solution also features share-out data (from Carrying Cloud Box to mobile social applications) and share-in data (from mobile social applications to Carrying Cloud Box). Furthermore, the built-in player in Carrying Cloud Box allows you to play stored content directly.

A team with strong IoT-related R&D experience

NetFay was established in October 2018 by marketing and R&D teams with many years of IoT experience and specializations in the areas of surveillance, network storage, and multimedia streaming.

NetFay has created a people-oriented private cloud management solution that provides remote collaboration services and focuses on security and privacy.

The Covid-19 pandemic has helped make remote collaboration and home office the new norm. NetFay launched Carrying Cloud Box, a people-oriented group management platform, to easily manage data sharing and collaborative storage tasks. Its innovative architecture also allows this solution to connect with IoT devices such as surveillance cameras and monitors, delivering more autonomous management rights to users.

NetFay's R&D team reflects a solid, long-term experience in the industry's most famous enterprises with a focus on storage and surveillance of products and projects. They draw on combined experience with over 41 international brands and more than 1,200 camera models.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3abwnr

SOURCE NetFay
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Every CES, we can expect laptop makers like Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer and ASUS to announce their latest products with the newest chipsets that Intel and AMD tend to announce at the show. But we can also usually anticipate the odd quirky PC here and there to surprise us. HP and Lenovo are typically the two companies that bring us some of these more fascinating products. At Engadgets virtual stage here at CES 2021, HPs chief technologist Mike Nash and Lenovos chief customer experience officer Dilip Bhatia joined us to discuss how they come up with these ideas. From the leather-clad Elite Folio to the Lavie Mini and ThinkPad X1 Fold, the companies spokespeople tell us how user feedback shapes their products.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NEFT Vodka, the award-winning, ultra-premium vodka widely known for winning Best Vodka at the SF World Spirits Competition and a flavor so smooth you'll want to sip it neat, today disclosed its tremendous success throughout 2020. The announcement comes on the heels of triple-digit growth for the year.

During 2020 and despite the restrictions due to COVID-19, NEFT partnered with several new and existing distributors, successfully entering six new states including Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and South Carolina. These add to its existing presence in California, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Utah. In addition, NEFT is active in at least sixteen international markets including Germany, Austria, Russia, Italy, Australia, Spain, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway and the UK, among several others.

NEFT also significantly strengthened its senior management team through permanent hires and advisory partnerships. Collectively, these new additions to the NEFT team add over 150 years of deep industry experience to the already deep expertise of NEFT's executive staff.

Tom Wilen, Global Strategic Advisor  Mr. Wilen has over forty years' experience in the global spirits market including roles as President of Allied Domecq North America, the largest division of publicly traded Allied Domecq PLC., and as Chief Operating Officer for Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. While at Jim Beam, Mr. Wilen managed $1.3 billion in sales with 2,200 employees in 180 countries. In addition, Wilen initiated a joint venture with Highland Distillers and Remy Cointreau to create the multi-billion-dollar global distribution network, Maxxium, Inc., with 2,000 employees in 60 countries. Among Wilen's many former clients are Aviation Gin, TyKu Sake and Leblon Cachaca. TyKu Sake was recently sold to Diageo for $620 million while Leblon Cachaca was sold for an undisclosed amount. Wilen will be responsible for the ongoing establishment and growth NEFT's global presence and will report to NEFT's President, Dan Kleeberg.

Story continues

Robert Sylvia, Vice President of Sales, Western Division  Mr. Sylvia brings to NEFT over four decades of experience in spirits sales and hospitality, with deep expertise in developing relationships with large chains such as Albertsons, Ralphs and CVS. He comes to NEFT having spent 13 years as the Division Manager for South Orange County at Pacific Wine & Spirits/Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits.

Adam Opalek, Vice President of Business Development  Mr. Opalek has over 20 years' experience in the spirits industry ranging from neighborhood bars and restaurants to distillery startups. He was one of the first employees involved with High West Distillery and was integral in taking the company from a startup to a category leader, culminating with his position of Western States Sales Manager, until High West was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2016. Prior to joining the company in a full-time capacity, Adam was a member NEFT's Board of Directors.

Kieran Walsh, Senior Advisor Sales and Marketing  Mr. Walsh is a Brand and Market Strategist in the beverage industry who was also part of the founding team at High West Distillery, running sales and marketing in the central the U.S region until its sale in 2016. Additional positions include Vice President roles at Laws Whiskey House and PorchJam Distillery. After more than 20 years' in-house experience, Walsh now advises CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs on how to grow their brands, concepts, and investments into nine-figure exits.

Kevin Alfaro, Chief Financial Officer  Mr. Alfaro joins NEFT with nearly 30 years' experience as a CPA, primarily within the wine industry. Throughout his career, Alfaro has managed accounting and finance departments, loan restructurings, land acquisitions, permit violation settlements, negotiations, compliance and acquisitions. Alfaro was also the lead officer on all aspects of the $315 million acquisition of Meiomi.

"2020 was a spectacular year for NEFT, despite the obstacles created by the pandemic," said Dan Kleeberg, President of NEFT Vodka. "Our team's success in signing new distributors and entering new states, achieving exponential growth and attracting true industry talent to the organization during such a challenging period is reflective of the incredible strength of the NEFT brand. As we enter 2021, we believe we will see continued expansion and growth within the U.S and beyond, and will continue to grow our investment in sales, marketing and inventory to meet the escalating demand for what we believe is the best tasting vodka in the world."

NEFT Vodka is currently available in the aforementioned states and countries and is also available online through various outlets including Mission Wine and Spirits, Reserve Bar, Bounty Hunter, Drizly, Hi-Time Wine Cellars, K&L Wine Merchants, Bitters and Bottles and Remedy Liquor. Please see neftvodkaus for online purchasing options or visit shopneftvodka.

ABOUT NEFT VODKA USA INC.

Crafted in the Rhaetian Alps of Austria for its oxygen-rich spring water, NEFT combines 4 different types of non-GMO ancient rye grains, and uses a triple, copper-pot distillation process with carbon-layer filtering to produce a vodka with a refined flavor profile and a natural, slightly sweet finish. Since debuting in the U.S., NEFT has received multiple accolades and awards including: a 98-point rating from The Tasting Panel magazine; winning Double Gold medals at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, becoming one of only three vodkas to win that recognition consecutively over the past two years (2018, 2019); and significantly, in the same Competition, won "Best Vodka" in 2018. For additional information visit www.neftvodkaus.com.

NEFT Contact

Bonnie McBride

bonnie.mcbride@neftvodkaus.com

415.806.0385

(PRNewsfoto/NEFT Vodka U.S.A., Inc.)

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SOURCE NEFT Vodka, USA
Sydneys Australia Day festivities will be significantly muted this year, with a number of longstanding January 26 events cancelled and spectators limited amid ongoing COVID restrictions.

At the programs launch at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, NSW minister for tourism Stuart Ayres said Australia Day in 2021 will be a little bit different, [but] that doesnt mean its less important.

Tourism minister Stuart Ayres announces Sydney's Australia Day program at the Opera House. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Australia Day Council of NSW chairman Andrew Parker said the traditional and iconic Sydney Harbour daytime program - including events such as the Ferrython, the Tug and Yacht Ballet, the Tall Ships Race, and the Harbour Parade - will not be taking place.

Limited tickets for the remaining events will be released to the general public subject to health advice, however crowds will not be permitted entrance to the harbour foreshore after 5pm unless they have a pre-existing booking at a restaurant at Circular Quay.

Spectators are instead urged to tune into the live broadcast on ABC and iView from their own homes.

Read more here
The Indian Army on Monday handed back to China a soldier of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) who had crossed into Indian territory three days ago.

The soldier was returned at the Chushul-Moldo border point in eastern Ladakh, a person familiar with the development said, requesting anonymity. He was captured early on Friday on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the southern bank of Pangong lake, one of the main flashpoints in the current standoff between India and China.

The strategically located lake, approximately 14,000 feet above sea level, ranges from Ladakh to Tibet.

This is the second such incident in three months and comes amid the standoff that began on 5 May 2020, when Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed in the Pangong lake area. Around 50,000 Indian troops have been deployed in a state of combat readiness at various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero temperatures as multiple rounds of talks have failed to result in a breakthrough. The presence of Indian troops mirrors Chinese deployment along the LAC. The PLA soldier had transgressed across the LAC and was taken into custody by Indian troops deployed in this area. Troops from either side have been deployed along the LAC since friction erupted last year because of unprecedented mobilization and forward concentration by Chinese troops," the Army had said on Saturday. China had sought the immediate release of its soldier.

Indian troops had in October captured Corporal Wang Ya Long of the PLA after he crossed the LAC into Ladakhs Demchok area. The corporal was sent back to China from the Chushul-Moldo border point.

Separately, a PTI report said the chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat visited Ladakh on Monday to review Indias military preparedness. Rawat will be briefed by Lieutenant General P.G.K. Menon, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, about the situation along the LAC.

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February 22, 2021 10.00 am

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.
During Hannas tenure, other RDA projects have included shoreline development at Wolf Lake Park in Hammond, the North Harbor redevelopment in East Chicago, and improvements at Whitings Lake Front Park and Garys Marquette Park, as well as completing the expansion of the Gary/Chicago International Airport runway. The RDA also helped with the Chicago Dash bus line from Valparaiso to downtown Chicago.
The model will enhance the robustness of networks to adversarial attacks and will benefit both practitioners and organizations.

If you were an owner of a newly set-up company, you would most likely be focused on building brand awareness to reach out to as many people as possible. But how can you do so with budget constraints?

These days, businesses have turned to a select group of people who are active on social media platforms as a cost efficient way to drive their promotional efforts. Also referred to as 'influencers', they have the ability to influence the opinions or buying decisions of others.

The company would then focus their efforts on influencing the influencers, hoping that, in turn, their product information gets disseminated to the largest possible number of people through these influencers' wide social media networks.

This process, referred to as 'influence maximization' is well studied in social networks and computer science. Most often, one aspires to choose only a small number (let us call this k) of influencers, due to budget considerations.

The important questions to answer would then be; how do companies go about choosing these k influencers? How would they, in turn, model their behaviour? Does each of them influence their contacts independently or are their behaviours somehow linked? What are the computational implications?

Traditionally a popular model in influence maximization has been the independent cascade model wherein the assumption is that all the members in the network influence their contacts independently of others.

However, there could be hidden correlations in their behaviour which are not immediately evident.

In a study led by a team of researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), they computed the best k influencers, assuming the correlations between the way the members in the network behave is most detrimental to the company's interest. Thus the model assumed is of adversarial nature.

The team showed that such a model has computational benefits over an independent cascade model. They also performed a comparison of the set of seed agents chosen by their model versus the set chosen by the independent cascade model.

Their research work also provided a snapshot of their results from a sample network (refer to image).

"Evaluating and enhancing the robustness of networks to adversarial attacks will be important in various domains in the future. This work provides some useful computationally tractable models which can be used by practitioners, agencies and companies in such setups," said principal investigator Professor Karthik Natarajan from SUTD.

###

This work 'Correlation Robust Influence Maximization' was presented at NeurIPS 2020.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday welcomed the news of UK-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca applying for conditional marketing authorization in the European Union

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday welcomed the news of UK-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca applying for conditional marketing authorization in the European Union.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said earlier in the day it had received an application from AstraZeneca. The EMA has already approved Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines.

"Good news! @AstraZeneca has applied to @EMA_News to have its vaccine authorised in the EU. @EMA_News will assess the vaccine's safety & efficacy. Once the vaccine receives a positive scientific opinion, we will work full speed to authorise its use in Europe," von der Leyen said on Twitter.
ANDERSON, Calif.  North Valley High School in Anderson received grant funding from Californias Department of Justice to help fight illegal tobacco.

North Valley High School secured close to $450,000 in grant money.

Lupe Cordova, the principal of the high school says the money will go towards getting a school resource officer and expanding their counseling services. The money will also be used to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco products aimed at teens.

With the grant, Cordova hopes to put a stop to tobacco use in his school communities.

I think there's a lot of things that are going on in our society and there's a lot of social and emotional needs that need to be met, said Cordova.

When those needs aren't met kids kind of turn to other things.

According to the CDC, in 2020 4.47 million teens used tobacco products.
After doing two Vipassana courses in one year, Aneesh Reddy, Co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based software-as-a-service (Saas) customer engagement firm Capillary Technologies was ecstatic. Sitting under the banyan tree at the Centre Guest House at Auroville during his New Year break, he shared the experience of the most ancient form of meditation on his LinkedIn post.

"It truly worked like magic and has been genuinely transformative - many, many years of personal and startup baggage (read mountains of negativity and anxiety) cleared up during the 11-day course. I just felt so much lighter in my head, so much more full of energy and inner peace. I don't know why it worked, but it just worked!," wrote Reddy.

He had decided to give it a try upon the recommendation of his longtime school friend Karthik Tirvarur, Investment Lead of Consumer Internet Investments (Global) at International Finance Corporation. He had enrolled for one earlier too, way back in 2016, but couldn't make it due to time constraints. Finally, he did his first Vipassana course in February 2020 at the Dhamma Nijjanna Centre in Nizamabad district in Andhra Pradesh, India. "They teach Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka where the expectation is to live the life of a monk for 10 days," he says. Once the lockdown opened up, he followed it up with another course in October.

Since then, he has made it a part of his daily routine and has been influencing others to try it. He practices 30 minutes to an hour of Vipassana six days a week. He says it has de-cluttered his mind, improving his ability to think clearly and be present in the moment. "I am probably at my best in terms of inner peace and mental health."

Under Reddy's influence, his confidant and the firm's COO Anant Choubey also did his first Vipassana course in November 2020 and was convinced of its benefits. To promote this meditation technique within their organisation, as an experiment, in December 2020, they announced an 11-day Vipassana leave. So, now, anyone who wants to participate in the Vipassana course can avail an 11-day leave that is over and above the mandated annual vacation leave policy. "We both think it is something worth spreading," he says.

He adds that the only way to get the Captains (all team members are called Captains at Capillary) to experience Vipassana is to increase the duration of regular holidays. "Startups have a fast paced environment and most folks don't get time to sit back and detox. Also, the annual leaves get over in the yearly vacation or meeting family members. Hardly, anyone takes off for themselves."

Though Reddy is clear that these leaves cannot be used for the fancy wellness and yoga retreats where one can do yoga and meditation along with other recreational activities. "There is no extra leave for the luxury yoga retreats," quips Reddy.

So, what is Vipassana? According to Dhamma.org, Vipassana means to see things as they really are. It says, "Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation." The meditation is observation-based that takes an individual through a self-exploratory journey that results in a balanced mind. Icing on the cake is that the Vipassana course is free and is not tied to any religion.

Since the announcement at the end of December 2020, four people have already taken Vipassana leave and Reddy hopes many more will go. "I would love if at least 100 Captains utilise their leaves." But, doesn't this touch with his spiritual self want him to slow down in his entrepreneurial life. He says the experience has only increased his passion for work. "It feels like going back to the early days of Capillary when it was the inner purpose that was the driver and not really material gains."

What is interesting is this isn't the only unusual leave policy Capillary has. The firm also offers one-full month paid leave to employees upon completion of four years in the firm. The condition is they can't use it for their marriage or for chilling at home. They have to use it to travel or learn something new. "That has worked quite well for us," he says. People have gone on sabbaticals, travelled to places alone, one colleague learnt playing a piano. "If people are happier, it results in better outcomes for everyone; the folks, their families and the firm," he says.

Also read: Obesity & Diabetes: How corporates and society can help deal with these silent killers

Also read: COVID-19: Tamil Nadu schools to reopen for class 10th and 12th from Jan 19
China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine was reported to have a general efficacy of less than 60 percent in its late-stage clinical trial in Brazil.

According to Reuters, the news website UOL reported it on Monday, citing two people who saw the results. Sao Paulo's Butantan biomedical center dismissed the report as purely speculative as it prepares to issue a complete set of results on Tuesday.

Director of the Butantan biomedical center, Dimas Covas, said that ongoing analysis had produced a new general efficacy rate in addition to the clinical efficacy announced last week. The Butantan biomedical center is running a late-stage trial of the vaccine in Brazil.

According to a Bloomberg report, Brazilian researchers said on Thursday that the vaccine was shown to be 78 percent effective against mild cases of COVID-19 and 100 percent effective against severe and moderate infection.

Related story: Sinovac Vaccine From China Is 78% Effective in Brazil Trial, but Experts Say Details Remain Sketchy





Covas said the trial saw about 220 participants infected with the virus. Around 160 of these participants were placed in the placebo group, and almost 60 received the vaccine.

However, the disclosure did not provide the vaccine trial's complete picture since it was not shown how researchers calculated the efficacy rate. Officials did not also give a detailed breakdown of the study, which includes information about age groups and side effects of the shot.

They also did not specify when they would publish the full documentation of the trials. The Butantan Institute also declined to explain further, saying it had no information beyond what was released in the press conference earlier.

Sinovac's Data Disclosure

Meanwhile, Beijing-based Sinovac did not immediately respond to inquiries, seeking further information about the ongoing late-stage trials.

Chinese vaccine developers' lack of timely and clear data disclosures have contributed to a lack of trust in their vaccines. An epidemiologist who worked for a long time at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Denise Garrett, said the data released was not clear nor transparent.

"They presented secondary outcomes on preventing mild cases, serious ones, and hospitalizations, but not the efficacy in preventing disease," Garrett said in a CNBC report.

There was also skepticism about the Chinese vaccine in Brazil due to delayed announcement three times. Nearly half of Brazilians said that they would not take a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro also expressed his hesitation regarding the Sinovac vaccine, mentioning doubts of its origin. Bolsonaro was also known to have exchanged tirades with his political rival Joao Doria, the Sao Paulo's governor.

The government of Sao Paulo is currently funding trials and production of the Sinovac vaccine shots. Immunizations have not yet started. Doria repeated that Sao Paulo is set to begin its vaccination program on Jan. 25.

Brazil has the world's second-deadliest COVID-19 outbreak next to the United States. The Latin American country has reported a death toll that passed 200,000 on Thursday.

Brazil is targeting to vaccinate 51 million people or about one-fourth of its total population. The Brazilian government intends to do the vaccination in the first half of 2021.

Other COVID-19 vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, reported having up to 95 percent protection against COVID-19.

Read also: How Long Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Gives Protection Against the Virus?
India has now confirmed bird flu cases in 10 states namely, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand. With the outbreak of bird flu in its provinces, China has imposed a ban on the import of poultry and related products from France and Ireland. A World Health Organization (WHO) expert team is expected to arrive in China on Thursday, January 14th, to trace the origins of the covid-19 outbreak.

India has now confirmed bird flu cases in 10 states namely, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand. In a statement released yesterday by the centre, stress was placed upon increased surveillance around water bodies, live bird markets, zoos, and poultry farms as well as proper disposal of the carcass to prevent the disease spread.

The department of animal husbandry and dairying has further been asked to communicate and coordinate with the health authorities to monitor the disease status and prevent any chances of human transmission. Similarly, states have been asked to maintain an adequate store of PPE kits used for carrying out the operations, all the while spreading awareness regarding avian influenza to prevent misinformation and resultant panic.

Meanwhile, with the outbreak of bird flu in its provinces, China has imposed a ban on the import of poultry and related products from France wherein the outbreak of influenza was recently reported. The ban was effective starting January 5th 2021. Earlier a restriction had also been placed on the import of poultry from Ireland. The Chinese General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in a joint statement, urged the customs and control agencies for animal disease prevention to take strict measures against any such imports.

Also read:US lifts restrictions on contacts with Taiwan, leaves China rattled

Also read:Centre to bear expenses for first-phase vaccination: PM Modi at Covid-19 vaccine rollout meet

The live poultry markets of China have been held responsible time and again for the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Wet markets where live birds, wild animals, amphibians, and reptiles are sold for meat, are also believed to be the source of the covid-19 outbreak. While China has repeatedly denied any connection of covid-19 to their wet markets, the Wuhan wet market, the alleged source of the outbreak, has been sealed since the emergence of covid.

As the various theories emerge as to the source of spread, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert team is expected to arrive in China on Thursday, January 14th, to trace the origins of the covid-19 outbreak. The team will be visiting Wuhan, where the virus was first reported. While China has released a statement that it is going to be fully cooperative with WHO and the international experts to trace the origin, the repeated delays in finalizing the arrangements for investigation have raised criticisms.

The 10-member team will be reportedly quarantined for 14 days on arrival, after which they will begin their probe. This comes amid Beijing being under lockdown due to emerging cases of covid-19. As per the WHO officials, it is unlikely that they will gather definitive conclusions into the origins from the first visit as it still remains uncertain as to how much access they will be granted.

Also read:Bird flu confirmed in 10 states, including Delhi, Maharashtra & Uttarakhand: All eyes on Parliamentary Meet Today
A recent study conducted at the University of Malta Medical School, Malta, has revealed that a drop in the level of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which are airborne pollutant particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, in the atmosphere due to lockdown is associated with the arrival of a newer variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has eventually displaced the original virus after lockdown. The new viral variant (D614G mutant) may be able to use other types of PM, including the one that originated from tobacco smoking, as a viral vector for transmission. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

Background

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues exponentially, a second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been observed in many countries globally. This could be due to the relaxation made by government bodies on control measures during the later phases of the pandemic. In addition to an increase in COVID-19 incidence, a rise in pollution level has also been observed during the post-lockdown phase. In this context, several environmental studies have shown the SARS-CoV-2 uses PM2.5 as a viral vector for transmission and that an increase in atmospheric PM2.5 level is associated with an induction in new COVID-19 cases in many cities in China. Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that PM2.5 may disrupt the pulmonary microbial defense system, which in turn may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 to invade and infect the respiratory system.

Current study design

The current study has been conducted to investigate whether an alteration in atmospheric PM2.5 level can influence the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 as well as its ability to infect host cells.

The scientists have used the Air Quality Index to obtain average PM2.5 levels in selective cities including Beijing, Sheffield, Nottingham, Sydney and Cambridge. In addition, they collected information about daily viral counts of the original and newer SARS-CoV-2 variants from the available literature.

Important observations

The study findings reveal that a concomitant increase in viral counts occurs with the rise in the atmospheric level of PM2.5 in the majority of cities, except Beijing. In these cities, a low baseline PM2.5 level has been observed before the rise in viral counts. This indicates that PM2.5 may serve as a potent viral vector that facilitates the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

A different pattern has been observed in Beijing, wherein a 36% reduction in PM2.5 level has been observed when the viral count is decreased.

In the cities studied, a significant reduction in PM2.5 level has been observed after one week of regional and national lockdown.

Importantly, the arrival of a newer viral variant (D614G) has been found to coincide with declining PM2.5 levels. In Beijing, a highly increased PM2.5 level mainly correlates with the original SARS-CoV-2 but not with the mutant variant. In contrast, a correlation between the viral mutant and PM2.5 level has been observed in Sydney and Cambridge. In Sheffield and Nottingham, both the original and mutant forms of SARS-CoV-2 correlate with the PM2.5 level.

Study significance

The study findings highlight the role of environmental pollution, including PM2.5 level in influencing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, PM2.5 seems to play a role in manipulating viral evolution. The original viral variant was the predominant one when the PM2.5 level was highly elevated. In contrast, the mutant variant gradually displaced the original form and became predominant when the PM2.5 level was decreased.

Several genetic studies sequencing the genome of SARS-CoV-2 have indicated that more than 13,000 mutations have already occurred over a period of less than a year. Such fast-occurring genetic mutations suggest a possibility of environmental adaptation of the virus as a part of natural selection. Therefore, it is possible that a change in atmospheric PM2.5 level serves as a driving force for both viral transmission and evolution.

Based on the study findings, the scientists suggest that the mutant SARS-CoV-2 may be utilizing other sources of PM, such as tobacco smoke-derived PM, as a viral vector to support transmission.

*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.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.

In the waking hours of Jan. 12, 1991, authorities say, Hung Tien Pham entered a club on Tyler Street in Boston with two accomplices and shot six men at close range. The victims were playing cards when they were attacked.

Only one of the six men survived the shooting to be able to identify the assailants responsible for what has come to be known as the Boston Chinatown Massacre.

The crime has haunted the neighborhood and the entire city for 30 years now, according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division.

Two of the shooters, Nam The Tham and Siny Van Tran, were arrested in China seven years after the killing. They were ultimately convicted of murder in Suffolk County, the FBI said.

But Pham, who had ties to an Asian organized crime network in Boston and beyond, remains a fugitive, last seen in Thailand in the mid- to late-1990s, according to the FBI.

Thirty years ago, Hung Tien Pham vanished. Despite the passage of time, we have not given up on finding him, Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross said at a press conference Tuesday on the 30th anniversary of the massacre. Together with the FBI, we are constantly pursuing new investigative strategies with the hope of bringing Pham to justice and providing all the victims families with some much-needed closure. Anyone with information, no matter how minor, is urged to come forward.

The FBI and Boston police are now hoping a $30,000 reward for new information on the case will help shed light on the whereabouts of the sole remaining fugitive accused in the execution-style killings of the five men decades ago, officials said.

As alleged, this cold-blooded killer has been on the run for 30 years, and were hoping this reward will incentivize anyone with information on Phams whereabouts to come forward, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta said during the press conference. We will not rest until Pham has been held accountable.

The FBI has been working closely with the Boston Police Department and prosecutors in Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollinss office to find new leads in the case.

Federal law enforcement initially got involved when the suspects fled Massachusetts to New Jersey and then overseas. Tham and Tran were eventually brought back to Boston to face trial in 2005. Each man was sentenced to multiple life terms, the FBI said.

Authorities continue to pursue Pham so that he too can held accountable for his alleged crimes, the agency noted.

The Boston division of the FBI pointed out the 30-year-old crime represents more than a suspects flight to avoid prosecution. The case is about justice for the victims, who are the fabric of the community, the agency said.

We know this crime has haunted the Chinatown community for decades, and we hope this renewed effort will produce real results that might give the victims families - who have already endured so much heartache - some much-needed closure, Bonavolonta said.

According to the FBI, Pham is now 60 years old. At the time of the killings, though, he was in his 30s, had black hair, brown eyes, weighed roughly 115 to 135 pounds and stood about 5 feet 3 inches tall.

Born in Mong Cai, Quang Ningh Province of North Vietnam, Pham is fluent in Vietnamese, Chinese and English. At the time of the murders, he was a permanent resident of the United States and lived on Clayton Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts, authorities said.

The fugitive held a variety of jobs, working as a cook, waiter, bicycle repairman and floor sander, according to officials.

In the early 90s, he was a known associate of the Ping On crime syndicate and had ties to several major cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto. Pham also has family in the San Francisco Bay area of California as well as in South Korea and North Vietnam, the FBI said.

He was known to like flashy cars, spending money and sipping cognac too, authorities noted.

His aliases include Hung Suk, Hung Pham, Pham Hung, Hung-Tien Pham, Chung Hung Fan, Hung Tien Fan, Ah Hung, Fan Chung-Hung, Tien Pham Hung and Hung T. Pham, according to officials.

By all accounts, he was the linchpin of the execution of the homicides, said FBI Special Agent Tom Zukauskas, who works on a violent crimes task force in the FBIs Boston field office.

After the killings in 1991, Pham is accused of fleeing to Atlantic City, New Jersey to gamble and then to New York City, where he boarded a flight to Hong Kong, according to the FBI.

Investigators have still not assigned a motive to the shootings, the agency noted.

Were not sure if it was a robbery or if it was just bad blood between rival groups, but they did go in there with a plan, and they did go in there shooting, and five of the six people that were there ended up dying, said Daniel Duff, a lieutenant detective with the Boston Police Department, who is investigating the decades-old case.

Duff had been on the police force for just a year when the shootings occurred. He said many residents remember the night of the shooting 30 years ago.

It affected everyone, not only in the city but the surrounding areas, too, Duff said about the massacre. The community, which is very tight-knit, had to deal with their own fear, but also the fact that people might stop coming into their community because of what happened.

Along with offering the $30,000 reward, investigators have also released crime scene images from the case files, a new wanted poster for Pham and an age-progressed photograph of the fugitive. Authorities are hoping to jog the memories of witnesses or anyone who might be able to fill in blanks in the case, the FBI said. No amount of information is too small, the agency noted.

Were hoping that anyone who might recognize him will help us out, Duff said. People might not want to get involved. The reward is a big part of that. Just because someone doesnt know where he is right now doesnt mean that where he was a year or two ago wouldnt be helpful to us. It would give us direction.

Related Content: Mass. court to hear appeal in Boston Chinatown massacre case
PUNE, India, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Medical Device Connectivity Market Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecasts, 2020-2030 provides insights on key developments, business strategies, research & development activities, supply chain analysis, competitive landscape, and market composition analysis.

The Global Medical Device Connectivity Market size was estimated to be US$ 1.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR od 22% through 2030. Rising demand for EMRs to get access to the current patient information is driving the medical device connectivity market. The implementation of such solutions speeds up treatment procedures while improving the outcomes. Remote monitoring is a major trend in the healthcare sector and medical staffs use such technology to monitor patients blood pressure and blood sugar level with high accuracy while reducing human errors. RFID tags are used in the hospitals to get detailed information regarding patient using the bar code. The data collected is displayed as the bracelet with RFID bar code is scanned and doctors can monitor and treat patients using the analysis tool. Rising adoption of digitized healthcare infrastructure across the globe with increased demand and adoption of advanced technology in medical device connectivity is driving the market growth. The leading players operating in the market are focusing on business expansions through strategic partnerships in the form of mergers and acquisitions, which is anticipated to expedite competition in the market.

View This Report With Table of Contents : https://www.insightslice.com/medical-device-connectivity-market

Rising adoption of connected robotic surgery units is anticipated to dominate medical device connectivity consumption in coming years

The global medical device connectivity market is segmented on the basis of component, end-user, and geography. Based on components, the global medical device connectivity market is segmented into wireless hardware, wired hardware, and software. Based on end-user, the global medical device connectivity market is segmented into hospitals, home healthcare, ambulatory care centers, and others. The software of medical device connectivity in component contributed the largest share of 33.5% to the global medical device connectivity market in terms of volume in 2019 and is anticipated to be a dominating segment throughout the forecast period. Growing demand for connected devices for immediate report analysis and instant treatment facilities is fueling the medical device connectivity market. Additionally, the medical and technical companies are working together to obtain the desired product, thereby fueling the growth of the global medical device connectivity market.

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The wireless hardware is anticipated to be the fastest-growing component of medical device connectivity during the forecast period growing at a CAGR of 22.3% during the forecast period in terms of revenue. By end-user, the hospitals of medical device connectivity user-contributed US$ 0.47 Bn to the global medical device connectivity market in 2019 and is anticipated to witness prominent growth during the forecast period. Digitization of healthcare infrastructure will aid doctors to treat patients with more efficiency and accuracy. Which in turn, has bolstered the demand for medical device connectivity across the globe.

Based on geography, the global medical device connectivity market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. North America is sub-segmented into the United States, Canada, and the Rest of North America. Europe is sub-segmented into Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, and Rest of Europe. Asia Pacific is sub-segmented into China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. Middle East & Africa is sub-segmented into Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Rest of Middle East & Africa. South America is sub-segmented into Brazil and Rest of South America.

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North America held the largest share of the global medical device connectivity market in terms of revenue and volume in 2019 followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The U.S. is the major consumer of connected devices with the presence of a large number of market players across the region. Asia Pacific contributed 29.8% share in global medical device connectivity market in 2019 owing to strong demand from the digitization of private hospitals and clinics across Asia. South America contributed a share of 7.6% to the global medical device connectivity market in 2019 in terms of revenue. Rising investment in the healthcare IT sector coupled with the collaboration of government authorities with private players across major countries, primarily Brazil for transforming the medical treatment procedures are anticipated to drive the growth of the South America medical device connectivity market in the coming years.

Major players active in the global medical device connectivity market include Cerner Corporation, Digi International Inc., Philips Healthcare, Cisco Systems Inc., Honeywell HomeMed LLC, Siemens Healthcare, eDevice Inc., GE Healthcare Ltd., Cardiopulmonary Corporation and Qualcomm Inc.

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Farmer filling hermetic storage bag with maize together with ETH research Matthias Huss. Credit: Michael Brander / ETH Zurich

Optimized on-farm grain storage boosts food security in sub-Saharan Africa, as an ETH study in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic shows.

As the end of the lean season approaches, things get tricky for many smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. It's the time of year between harveststhe last one was a long time ago, but the next one is not yet due. Supplies are running low, diminished not only by consumption but also by pests. In western Kenya, where corn is a major crop stored on the farm where it is grown, about a quarter of the entire harvest ends up spoiled in this way. If the lean season drags on, food prices shoot up and famine becomes a real threat.

It's clear that optimized crop storage could help improve food security. In a research project spanning several years, ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and the Kenyan research institute icipe are currently investigating how the application of new technology can help change the situation. As part of the study, in late 2019 several thousand smallholder farmers were given airtight storage sacks designed to prevent fungal infestation of their crops. They also received training by the research team. A control group continued to store their corn in conventional polypropylene sacks. What sets the study apart is the survey method. Since mobile phone use is very high in Kenya, as is the case in many African countries, the researchers use text messaging to survey the farmers about their food situation at frequent, regular intervals.

Greater resilience to shock caused by COVID-19

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity was lower in the farming villages that received the upgraded technology than in the control group. After all, the virus and associated restrictions created an economic shock for sub-Saharan Africa following the government-imposed closure of markets, restrictions on people's mobility and suspension of free meals for schoolchildren.

Data collection via frequent SMS-based survey. Credit: ETH Zurich

In their preliminary study published in the journal Global Food Security, the researchers show that consistent use of hermetically sealed storage sacks would have significantly improved rural populations' resilience to crises. According to an extrapolation of the survey results, of the 1.6 million people living in the Kenyan province studied, some 600,000 people were already facing food insecurity prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. The virus pushed a further 120,000 people into this situation. If farmers throughout the province had used hermetically sealed sacks to store all their yields, the number of people facing food insecurity would have actually dropped by 70,000.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and ETH for Development (ETH4D) are among the agencies supporting the research team. Thomas Bernauer, ETH Professor of Political Science, is involved in the project and explains that research in the fight against hunger has so far focused primarily on production, in other words on increasing crop yields. However, the study in Kenya shows that there is also great potential to make a difference in the post-harvest period. Another finding, he continues, is that there are also low-cost technologies that greatly promote food security, even in extreme conditions such as those that followed the outbreak of the pandemic.

Much more effective than financial aid

Including the cost of training, the airtight storage sacks cost only about 20 US dollars per householdconsiderably less than direct financial aid. This is shown by a comparison with another study from Kenya in which a random selection of smallholder households received a lump sum of 500 US dollars. This financial support reduced the likelihood that they would face food insecurity by about 5 to 10 percentsimilar results to the hermetic bag recipients, but at much higher cost.

Besides epidemiological risks, which in recent times have included Ebola in addition to COVID-19, climate change also threatens food security in sub-Saharan Africa. The ongoing study in Kenya shows that households equipped with better technology endure considerably lower post-harvest losses and are thus more resilient to climate-induced food crises.

So why does it take an ETH project to get Kenyan farmers to start storing their corn in airtight sacks? Bernauer believes that to make even a very small step forward with new technology, there would first have to be an adaption process, possibly through information campaigns or the provision of initial funding. That's not something this research project covers, but the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its World Food Programme have shown a keen interest in the results.

Explore further Fighting food insecurity during a global pandemic

More information: M. Huss et al. Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic, Global Food Security (2020). M. Huss et al. Improved storage mitigates vulnerability to food-supply shocks in smallholder agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100468

A Russian doctor has refuted rumors that COVID-19 originated in China, according to a recent report by Sputnik.

Doctor and TV presenter Alexander Myasnikov wrote recently on his Telegram channel that some China-related rumors are immature and others are ill-intentioned to attract public attention, Sputnik reported Wednesday.

The highly infectious disease likely appeared simultaneously around the world, Myasnikov wrote.

For example, in France, the first COVID-19 patient was infected long before the country's first recorded case, whereas in Russia, many cases of anomalous pneumonia were already registered in the fall of 2019, he wrote.

People have been unconsciously instilled with the claim that the outbreak began in a single country, which is far from the truth, he wrote, adding that the virus should be perceived as a natural phenomenon without demonizing any country.
Signage is seen at an Amazon facility in Bethpage on Long Island, N.Y., on Mar 17, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Amazon Removing QAnon Products From Marketplace Following US Capitol Breach

Amazon said on Monday that it was removing some QAnon products that violate the companys policies from its online marketplace.

A spokesperson told The Epoch Times it will block the sale of several products in the coming days related to the conspiracy movement, which promotes a number of theories about a military operation to expose the deep state and its globalist agendas through cryptic messages. Establishment media and other critics have repeatedly characterized the theories as baseless conspiracies.

The company justified its decision by citing policies prohibiting offensive and controversial materials, and objectionable content in books.

The e-commerce company owned by Jeff Bezos drew scrutiny for continuing to allow QAnon merchandise to be sold on its platforms after competitor eBay said last Friday that such products were no longer permitted on its website.

The companies are facing pressure to drop the products following civil unrest and acts of violence that marred otherwise peaceful protests at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

A group of rioters and some protesters waving American and Trump flags illegally stormed the Capitol building as lawmakers were counting electoral votes in a joint session of Congress. Clashes in the area on the day left five people dead and dozens of police officers injured.

Photographs of the riots show self-described QAnon followers among the group that breached the Capitol building.

Amazon will also take action against sellers who attempt to evade their system and continue to list these products, including removing their selling priveleges, the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

This comes on the same day as Twitter announced that it had removed more than 70,000 accounts promoting QAnon content since Friday.

These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service, the social media platform said.

Meanwhile, Facebook announced on Monday that it is removing all content that contains the phrase Stop the Steal ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

Facebook said that the move is an attempt to remove content that could incite further violence during these next few weeks. Content will be removed under the companys Coordinating Harm policy.

These decisions come as big tech companies ramped up efforts to police content that they claim could lead to potential harm offline. The targeted moderation by these Silicon Valley and other companies have raised concerns over First Amendment rights and the lack of checks and balances on decisions made by unregulated corporate giants.

Discussions over limiting or eliminating liability protections under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act for tech companies that have engaged in censoring or political conduct have been heavily discussed in the past year.

Amazon has also suspended its web hosting service to social media network Parler. Parler, which had attracted a large following of classical liberal and conservative-leaning users, has since filed a lawsuit against Amazon in an effort to reverse the companys decision.
As 2020 proved, anything can happen, in the investment world and beyond.

With the pandemic still sadly going strong, markets could be just as volatile and full of surprises - good and bad - this year too.

Fund ratings agency FundCalibre has identified 12 funds and investment trusts to watch in 2021. They include funds which shot the lights out in 2020, such as Scottish Mortgage, as well as those that suffered like a Latin American and Uk equity fund, or those that announced key manager changes or have milestone third anniversaries pending in the next 12 months.

Fund ratings agency FundCalibre has identified 12 funds to watch in 2021

New year, new manager

Last year, several investment houses announced management changes to some of their funds, including the upcoming retirement of a few well-known veterans this year.

Succession plans have been unveiled, and there will be some lengthy handovers, but at some point this year, investors in a number of funds will no longer hear from the managers they've relied on for so long.

In most cases, their replacements have been working closely with the outgoing manager for years, and so it is likely the management style and approach will remain unchanged.

1. Marlborough Special Situations fund (OCF 1.53%)

FundCalibre's first fund to watch is popular small-cap pick, the 1.4billion Marlborough Special Situations fund, managed by Giles Hargreave for more than two decades.

What is an ongoing charge? The ongoing charge is the investing industry's standard measure of fund running costs. The bigger it is, the costlier the fund is to run. All figures from FE fundinfo as at 12 January 2020.

Its top holdings include British meal kit retailer Gousto and advertising agency S4 Capital.

FundCalibre said: 'Giles Hargreave has run this fund since 1998 and it was the best performing fund in its sector over his tenure, returning 3,760 per cent compared with 641 per cent for its average peer.

'He hands over to Eustace Santa Barbara, who has co-managed the fund since 2014 and Guy Feld, his co-manager on the Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth fund, which has also been handed over to the same duo.'

2. BlackRock European Dynamic (OCF 1.67%)

The 5.3billion fund invests in European (not including the UK) companies such as luxury brand Louis Vuitton and semiconductor company ASML Holding.

FundCalibre said: 'Alister Hibbert handed the management of this fund to Giles Rothbarth at the end of 2020.

Alister Hibbert managed the BlackRock European Dynamic fund from 2008

'Alister had run the fund since March 2008, returning 430 per cent compared to 131 per cent against its [Investment Association European ex UK sector] peers.

'Again, it was the best performing fund in the sector over his tenure. Giles has been co-manager since 2019 and is an impressive manager from a very strong team.'

3. Schroder Asian Alpha Plus (OCF 1.70%)

The 1.7billion Asian Alpha Plus fund is one of Schroder's signature funds and has been managed by Matthew Dobbs since 2007. He is handing over this fund to Richard Sennitt in March 2021.

FundCalibre said: 'Richard, who is currently the manager of Schroder Asian Income, has worked alongside Matthew for many years and will run it in the same way and with the same process.

'Over Matthews tenure so far, the fund is the second best in the sector returning 340 per cent compared with 169 per cent for the average [IA Asia Pacific ex Japan sector] fund.'

Can they do it again?

Another category of funds on FundCalibre's watchlist are those that had a stellar 2020, despite all the market volatility that came with global political instability and, of course, the coronavirus pandemic.

The firm wonders whether these three funds can repeat their success in 2021.

1. Baillie Gifford American (OCF 0.51%)

This 6.8billion fund invests in American companies, including some of the companies that really shone in 2020, such as Amazon, Zoom and Netflix.

It is managed by some of Baillie's most popular managers, including Gary Robinson and Tom Slater, who were more recently joined by Kirsty Gibson and Dave Bujnowski.

FundCalibre said: 'This fund was the best performing open-ended fund in 2020.

'Run by a team of four co-managers who focus on the small number of companies that create exceptional returns, it returned 122 per cent in 2020 versus 16 per cent for the average [IA North America sector] peer.'

2. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (OCF 0.36%)

Another investor favourite from Baillie Gifford, and the largest investment trust in the world, the 18.5billion Scottish Mortgage investment trust is also managed by Tom Slater and veteran manager James Anderson.

The Scottish Mortgage investment trust has been managed by industry veteran James Anderson since 2000

Like BG American, the trust invests heavily in US tech, though it has a global mandate so makes use of diversification from all over the world.

It is one of FundCalibre's 'Elite Rated' trusts and is currently trading on a premium of 6.48 per cent according to FE fundinfo. (Read more here about the significance of premiums and discounts when buying investment trusts.)

The firm said: 'This was the second best performing Elite Rated product.

'The managers look for higher growth prospects around the world, focusing on finding tomorrows winners. The largest holding is currently Tesla, whose share price rose around 600 per cent in 2020.

'The trust returned 110 per cent versus 15 per cent for the average [Association of Investment Companies Global sector] peer.'

3. Fidelity China Special Situations (OCF 1.25%)

Another investment trust that did well in 2020 is the 2billion Fidelity China Special Situations trust.

This is interesting considering it invests predominantly in China and Hong Kong, the former being the origin of the coronavirus that continues to rock the world. It is trading on a discount of 0.60 per cent.

FundCalibre said: 'Run by Dale Nicholls, this trust has a bias towards small and medium-sized companies and offers investors direct exposure to the China growth story.

'It returned 69 per cent in 2020 compared to a sector average return of 28 per cent.'

Third birthday funds

A third anniversary is a real milestone in the investment world, as three years is deemed to be a long enough period to properly assess a fund managers skills.

It is also the minimum tenure required for a fund to be considered for FundCalibre Elite Rating.

These three funds are due to celebrate their third anniversaries this year, and have proven to perform well since launch, despite being in the midst of a global pandemic for a good chunk of that time.

1. Rathbone Global Sustainability (0.90%)

This 54million global fund launched in 2018 and invests in sustainable businesses, a method which has become more popular in recent years as investors become more aware of ethical investing.

Its assets under management have been on the small side since launch, but shot up in 2020, from 15million in February to 54million today, proving the growing demand for these types of funds.

FundCalibre said: 'This fund turns three in July. A high conviction global equity fund that can invest in companies of any size, it is run by David Harrison who focuses on selecting stocks with strong cash generation and will actively avoid businesses involved in unethical or unsustainable practices.'

Holdings include big names such as Visa, Mastercard, Microsoft and Adobe.

2. TM Crux UK Special Situations (OCF 0.83%)

Another young fund, the 42million TM Crux UK Special Situations fund did not do as well in 2020 with its UK mandate - a region that has been unloved for some time.

Assets halved shortly after the UK lockdown in mid-March from 50million to 25million but have slowly crept back up after the past four months.

FundCalibre said: 'This fund is run by Richard Penny and celebrates its third birthday in September.

'It invests in UK companies of all sizes but will typically have more of a focus on medium and smaller companies. There will be some FTSE 100 names and a few carefully chosen AIM-listed companies.'

3. Federated Hermes Global Emerging Markets SMID Equity (0.65%)

The $288million fund is currently co-managed by Gary Greenberg, another of the industry's veteran managers due to step down soon. He will hand over to co-manager Kunjal Gala.

FundCalibre said: 'Launched in September 2018, this fund focuses on small and medium-sized companies across global emerging markets.

'Kunjal will become lead manager in 2022, when Gary retires.'

Top holdings include Delta Electronics, Baozun and Samsonite.

Hoping for better fortune

While some areas like technology did well in 2020, others did not.

For example, trading in physical property funds was suspended and Brazil was one of only two countries - Russia being the second - that managed to underperform the much unloved UK market, dragging the rest of Latin America down with it.

These funds suffered significantly last year despite being generally well-performing products.

1. TIME: Commercial Long Income (OCF 1.35%)

This property authorised investment fund (PAIF) is currently suspended, as were other open-ended property funds in 2020, including Janus Henderson and M&G's headline property products.

The 449million TIME fund is managed by Nigel Ashfield and Roger Skeldon and yields an attractive 3.21 per cent.

FundCalibre said: 'This fund invests in commercial freehold ground rents and commercial freehold property, which benefit from long leases.

'While the fund is still suspended, around 80 per cent of rents have been collected during the pandemic and the managers are optimistic that annual income should continue to be around 3 per cent.

Brazil was one of only two countries that managed to underperform the much unloved UK

2. ASI Latin American Equity (OCF 1.19%)

This 105million fund suffered tremendously last year, down 17.8 per cent over the past 12 months.

This compares to a huge return of 91 per cent over five years which shows it hasn't always been in a bad way. Could this be the year it turns back around?

FundCalibre said: 'After a good 2019, 2020 was dire for the LATAM region. The hope of a strong economic rebound could turn things around in 2021.

'The team behind this fund looks to identify and build large positions in high quality companies that are trading at reasonable valuations.

'Four to five company visits usually take place before an investment is made.'

3. LF Gresham House UK Multi Cap Income (OCF 0.86%)

The 75million Gresham House UK Multi Cap Income fund, has also suffered simply from investing in UK shares and enduring a year where income has been hard to come by.

FundCalibre said: 'This multi-cap fund has a strong process and benefits from manager Ken Wottons unrivalled expertise in the small-cap space.

'The UK Equity Income sector was the worst performing sector of all in 2020, losing almost 11 per cent on average. This fund was down less than 6 per cent.

'With a Brexit deal and vaccine roll-out its hoped the UK market will catch up in 2021.'

Interactive Investor reshuffles 'Super 60' rated list DIY investing platform Interactive Investor has rejigged its Super 60 rated list, with six new additions and two removals in its annual review. The list is made up of a range of different asset classes, styles and approaches to suit different investor needs, including a mixture of low cost, core, income, smaller company and adventurous options. New names include the Capital Gearing trust, Fidelity Multi Asset Income fund, iShares Global Property Securities Equity Index fund, Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield ETF, Diverse Income investment trust and Legg Mason IF ClearBridge Global Infrastructure Income fund. Meanwhile the SPDR S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats ETF has been removed 'due to the higher risks attached to this strategy'. Interactive Investor analysts said: 'The market environment has resulted in higher volatility and larger than expected tracking error. 'This is suitable as a satellite holding and we have replaced with a broader strategy from Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield ETF.' The North American Income investment trust also lost its place following an extended period of unsatisfactory performance. Analysts said: 'We did not find enough evidence of the managers decisions and stock picks adding value to the overall performance over the long term. The US is also not the typical region where investors hunt for income.'




Martha Stewart says she 'waited in line with others' as she received the coronavirus vaccine in New York on Monday.

The 79-year-old lifestyle personality appeared in a clip in which she received a shot in her upper arm from a doctor, which she told her followers she did not receive special priority for amid her wealth and celebrity.

'I was vaccinated today in a designated vaccine pod near the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Downtown,' Stewart said. 'To allay your concerns that I jumped the line know that I am in the approved age group for this batch of vaccines and I waited in line with others.'

The latest: Martha Stewart, 79, says she 'waited in line with others' as she got vaccinated near a NYC medical facility named after her. She appeared in a clip in which she received a shot in her upper arm from a doctor

Stewart expressed her gratitude toward medical personnel, saying she was 'so proud of and grateful to the doctors, nurses and medical staff who are wading through the red tape and confusion of the distribution of these very important vaccines.'

Stewart said she was 'excited to have received [her] dosage and [looks] forward to the booster.'

She added, 'The doctors told me 10,000 applications were received by Mount Sinai right after the state released this batch of vaccines. Heres to the advancement of science and a heartfelt thanks to those working on the vaccines. We are all hoping for an end to this pandemic.'

Stewart has spent the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic at her farm in Bedford, New York, where she films her latest show, Martha Knows Best.

Stewart said, 'To allay your concerns that I jumped the line know that I am in the approved age group for this batch of vaccines and I waited in line with others'

Understanding: Stewart expressed her gratitude toward medical personnel, saying she was 'so proud of and grateful to the doctors, nurses and medical staff

Speaking to the Today show earlier this month, said she's relaxed when she clears out the winter snow building up on her property.

'I love to go out on the snowplow,' she said, 'because I like to just see what's going on at the farm, first of all, and I love snow. I get lost out there, nobody can reach me, I can't hear my phone. It's so nice.'

As of Monday, on a global level, 1,943,024 people have died amid more than 90,839,382 positive diagnoses worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. The death total for COVID-19 in the U.S. was at 375,903 people, with 22,591,369 total positive diagnoses.

The star told her followers she did not receive special priority for amid her wealth and celebrity
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The most innovative players add value to their offerings

Apparel manufacturers must set their goals higher than just surviving the current coronavirus crisis. They must fully embrace and exploit the opportunities the situation presents and use this to establish the foundations for growth in years to come, says Vivek Ramachandran, CEO at Serai.

The winners that emerge from times of turmoil tend to be companies that embrace change rather than being pushed into it; countries and companies that are proactive transform beyond the requirements of the day.

The rise and fall of apparel manufacturing in the United States perfectly captures both sides of this story.

The US apparel industry grew exponentially after the Industrial Revolution, with a net growth of 7.5 million workers from 1880-1920. British ideas brought technology to the United States, but the real impetus for growth came from new, homegrown innovations. Eli Whitney, for example, sped up the separation of seeds from cotton, which enabled production of the latter to increase fifty-fold.

Fast forward to 2019, the US apparel industry employs roughly 585,000 workers, less than 10% of the previous century. The common explanation is the move to low wage countries. But this doesn't take into account the advantages of speed, flexibility, and proximity to the centres of fashion and design that have helped high-wage countries like Italy to defend niche markets for haute couture.

Here are four major changes manufacturers must make to ensure they don't just survive but come out of Covid-19 stronger:

#1: Select partners wisely

The majority of manufacturers trade on open account terms with no protection against buyer default scenarios. This must change.

There's an erosion of trust from cancelled orders and broken contracts caused by the pandemic. According to a report by the Center for Global Workers' Rights and the Worker Rights Consortium, more than half of Bangladesh apparel suppliers had their orders cancelled, with 91.3% of buyers refusing to pay for production costs, resulting in the closure of many factories. There's a need to be selective when it comes to buyers  not all demand is desirable.

It's crucial for manufacturers to understand any risks associated with counterparties, whether they are established incumbents or emerging digital brands, to avoid a repeat of the pain and financial loss many have suffered in 2020. Trade credit insurance and data analytics tools can help suppliers check the backgrounds and financial health of buyers and avoid similar losses in the future.

#2: Re-evaluate your value proposition

The most innovative players add value to their offerings. Becoming more flexible on order size, providing trend analysis and developing design-led solutions are all ways to do so. These extensions outside the current proposition could also grow into new revenue streams. For example, suppliers can look to using 3D or digital samples, which can save them significant time and money. With the shift towards smaller volume orders, manufacturers should also look at adapting their infrastructure and processes to cater to this. Agility and a change in mindset are key.

Manufacturers can find new differentiators by understanding what is important to each brand and adjusting their strategy accordingly. This could be placing more emphasis on sharing real time data or using more sustainable fabrics.

#3: Embrace transparency

Consumers today are more socially and environmentally conscious and any involvement in unethical supply chain processes can lead to boycotts. Suppliers have to embrace transparency, which will ultimately lead to more trust.

Investors are also analysing ESG credentials as determinants of future financial performance, while regulators are introducing import restrictions to address concerns about forced labour.

New technologies, such as blockchain, allow suppliers to connect with their customers' data and link to these buyers' systems so that their supply chain is visible from end-to-end. Being the early adopters of these ethical and sustainable solutions allow manufacturers to differentiate themselves from other suppliers.

#4: Make the digital switch permanent

Covid-19 has accelerated the digitalisation of the global economy. APIs make tech integration simple, while Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms make tech adoption economical.

Manufacturers must look beyond their core activities to use this period of uncertainty to embrace the full suite of digital solutions at their disposal. Some of the solutions available in the market today include technology for 3D modelling and digital sampling, virtual showrooms, product lifecycle management and quality assurance and auditing. AI and data analytics can also benefit manufacturers in many ways  helping to increase productivity in the factories for instance.

Don't wait to be led

In an industry where the standards and practices have typically been set by the brands and retailers, it may seem prudent to wait and see how things evolve. Manufacturers should not fall into that trap  doing so will put them in a reactionary position. Rather, manufacturers must take the lead and set the agenda.

There's opportunity in every crisis. But it means embarking on a new approach to apparel manufacturing  digitisation, transparency, building new partnerships and creating better value.
The district will continue to monitor staff attendance and take steps to hold employees accountable who are not reporting to work in-person without valid reasons, according to a statement provided by spokesman James Gherardi. The vast majority of educators who are needed back in schools have returned to work, and we are making sure the relatively small number of staff who have chosen not to support our returning students are held accountable.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

[January 12, 2021] Cantel Merger Investigation: Halper Sadeh LLP Announces Investigation Into Whether the Sale of Cantel Medical Corp. Is Fair to Shareholders; Investors Are Encouraged to Contact the Firm - CMD

Halper Sadeh LLP, a global investor rights law firm, is investigating whether Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMD) and its board of directors violated the federal securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders in connection with the proposed sale of Cantel to STERIS plc. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Cantel shareholders will receive approximately $16.93 in cash and 0.33787 of a STERIS ordinary share per Cantel common share. On behalf of Cantel shareholders, Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits. Halper Sadeh encourages Cantel shareholders to click here to learn more about their legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com.



Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005729/en/

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Van Thanh, the largest flower village of Da Lat, is quiet these days, with no flower collectors, though Tet will start in one month.

Nguyen Hung Vy

Flower growers in the village are preparing to harvest the biggest crop of the year. However, they are worried as merchants have not contacted them to discuss flower collection.

Nguyen Hung Vy is believed to be the biggest lily grower in Van Thanh who has 1 hectare of growing area. Vy and his family members have been growing lilies for 10 years.

They decided to reduce the growing area this year because of the pandemic and the heavy floods in the central region in late 2020, which all pointed to a lower demand for 2021 Tet.

According to Vy, farmers bear high risks when growing lilies, which requires high investment rate, and VND350-400 million per 1,000 square meters. If flowers dont bloom during Tet days, they will incur heavy losses.

Lily plants have become as tall as half a human body. We still have not found the method to stimulate plants for early or later blooming, he said.

Growing lilies is just like gambling. Unlike other types of flowers, growing lilies requires all the best, from varieties to cultivation techniques, and high investment, he explained.

Vy said he was worried about sales. At the same time last year he received a lot of merchants who came to sign contracts. But now they have not turned up and the flower prices remain unclear.

Merchants have not contacted us, so we still cannot predict how the flower market will be, he said.

Nguyen Van Duc, a farmer in Ward 7, also said he grows 100,000 lily bulbs this year, half of that of the last year because he anticipates lower demand.

According to Duc, the investment rate for Tet flower crop is always 30-40 percent higher than other crops, because farmers have to spend higher on varieties and labor. As the investment capital is as high as billions of dong, Duc is worried about the sale this year.

Meanwhile, other families still maintain the same growing area for this Tet sale season. They think the demand will slightly decrease, while many growers have reduced their growing areas, so there will be a shortage. .

According to Nguyen Duc Hoc, chair of the Ward 5 Farmer Association, there are only 3 hectares of lily growing area for Tet sale in Van Thanh, or 70 percent lower than the last year.

A report from Da Lat City authorities showed that Da Lat has 1,530 hectares of flower cultivation area for 2021 Lunar New Year, including 16 hectares of lily area.

Vu Linh

Preparations underway at Tay Tuu flower village ahead of Tet As the capitals largest flower growing area, Tay Tuu Village has hurriedly begun efforts to care for and collect flowers in order to supply local markets ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet), marking the start of the largest harvest season of the year.
Bhandara fire tragedy in Maharashtra that killed 10 infants on 9 January.

After the tragic death of 10 infants in the fire that broke out at Bhandara district hospital, it has been reported that the hospital was working without a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department.

According to the report by Times Now, the ongoing investigation revealed that the hospital flouted all the fire safety norms and didn't have a NOC since its inception in 1981.

The National Humans Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sent a notice to the Maharashtra government and the state police chief over the death of the newborn babies. It mentioned that it had taken suo motu cognizance of the media reports.

"The fire reportedly broke out at around 1.30 AM and the hospital administration could rescue only seven out of the seventeen children kept in the ward," the NHRC said in a statement.

CM Uddhav Thackeray has ordered a probe into the incident and has also directed officials to check the fire audit status of all the hospitals in the state. He has announced a compensation of Rs 500,000 to the families of the deceased infants.

Related stories

The unfortunate incident took place on January 9 when a fire broke out at a neo-natal care ward of the state-run hospital at Bhandara. The cause of the fire was reported as a suspected electrical short- circuit in the Sick and Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the hospital.
Northern Ireland's grocery market grew by nearly 13% during 2020 with giants like Tesco and Sainsbury's increasing sales significantly, according to a report.

But NI's big Christmas food shop was less of a splash than usual, research company Kantar said.

Sales of turkey were down 1.4%, while we also spent less on indulgent items like cheese, cakes, seasonal biscuits and smoked fish.

However, shoppers forked out more for cheaper treats like ice cream, crisps, chocolate, sweets and nuts, sales of which were all up. And the closure of pubs and restaurants over the festive period put fizz into alcohol sales which were up 36.7% to 100m.

Of the big four grocers, discount supermarket Lidl has reported the strongest sales growth over the last year, at 19.7%.

But symbol retailers like Spar and Centra achieved the strongest growth of all types of grocer at 24%, leaving them with a market share of 8.8%.

Kantar said 2020 had been an "extraordinary" year for the sector, with growth accelerating from 0.4% a year earlier.

Big supermarkets were the only retailers to stay consistently open during 2020 as other non-essential retailers were affected by intermittent lockdowns.

However, coronavirus restrictions meant that our visits to supermarkets were less frequently - though Kantar said that nine out of 10 of us shopped in Tesco at some point.

Over the 12 weeks to Christmas, grocery sales were up nearly 15%.

The report covers a period before the adoption of the NI Protocol on New Year's Eve translated into supply problems at some supermarkets.

While Lidl had claimed the greatest sales surge, it remained behind Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda in number one to three position respectively.

Sales at Tesco, which has around 50 stores in NI, had grown by 11.7%, keeping its hold on the top spot safe with a market share of 35.2%.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury's sales were up 12.8%, leaving it safe at number two with a 17% share. It has 13 stores here.

Asda's sales, meanwile, grew by 8.3%, giving its 17 Northern Ireland stores a market share of 15.9%.

In fourth place, Lidl - with 40 stores of a smaller format than its competitors - has a market share of 6.4%.

Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar, said: "Looking back over the course of an extraordinary year, national restrictions and various lockdowns saw shoppers visit supermarkets 18.5 fewer times while average basket sizes jumped by 17% in 2020.



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"Tesco maintained its position as Northern Ireland's biggest grocer with 35.2% of the market this period. More than nine in 10 Northern Irish households visited the store in 2020 to help it grow sales by 11.7%.

"Sainsbury's saw the second highest growth of the top four retailers, with sales up by 12.8%.

"Its shoppers bucked a wider trend of declining footfall and only made one fewer trip than this time last year, aiding growth for the retailer." And she said Asda's sales increase of 8.3% came as consumers spent 25.6% more each time they shopped there.
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sleep apnea, also known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is a hidden issue in modern society that still awaits an effective cure. Research suggests that 30% of the global population have sleeping disorders. People with the condition face a 6 times higher risk of experiencing a wake-up stroke and an 11-times higher risk of traffic accidents, while bearing higher risks of coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular disease, and other diseases. Above all, people with OSA increase social healthcare costs and burdens. However, 90% of OSA goes undiagnosed or untreated. In fact, the costs of treating OSA could be as much as $10 billion per year.

Traditional tests for OSA diagnosis have multiple disadvantages. Limited medical resources mean that there is typically a significantly long wait time to make an appointment for testing. The test requires the testee to wear multiple sensing devices with detection circuits in a hospital lab. These uncomfortable devices and the unfamiliar sleep environment could negatively affect quality of sleep and lead to inaccurate test results. In-hospital tests require not only space, time, and resources but also professional medical operators. All of these limitations have led to a low testing rate for OSA worldwide.

Building innovative wearable medical monitors with cutting edge technology and exclusive AI algorithms

To resolve the negative effects of OSA, Singular Wings took on the challenge of developing a simple approach to OSA diagnosis. This young startup developed an OSA diagnosis patch that is about the size of a Band-Aid. Instead of going to a hospital lab for a sophisticated "Sleep Multiple Physiological Examination," users are able to perform a self-examination at home using the diagnosis patch. Using the patch takes less time than the full lab testing process and allows the user to maintaining a normal sleeping routine, helping ensure the accuracy of test results. The device continuously monitors multiple vital signs, including heart rate, ECG, temperature, position, and breathing rate and pattern. Using data collected during sleep, the results pin-point abnormal breathing periods during sleep.

Singular Wings' core technology is a high-sensitivity physiological sign sensor, with circuit design and wiring optimized for minimal size and profile. A cloud algorithm platform provides software updates, does regular operation maintenance, and organizes the performance status to maintain monitoring quality. The collected data are sent to authorized mobile devices via Bluetooth connectivity, allowing wearer health conditions to be monitored in a timely manner. The wearable design affixes reliably to skin surfaces and is easily detached for recharge. The device complies with AASM standards and is NCC and FCC certified.

Foreseeing an even better solution in the era of 5G

Established in 2015, Singular Wings specializes in wearable health monitors. Their unique take on product development has received numerous international awards. The company continues to press the envelop of innovation, collaborating with Asia Pacific Telecom's "5G smart medical device" program to implement 5G data on their AI-wearable health monitor device  the BEATINFO heart disease recorder.

Taking part in the Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) program, Singular Wings was selected as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021 and was honored with the Excellency Award for Mitigating COVID-19 at AABI 2020. Singular Wings continues to innovate in the realm of medical monitoring devices, making healthcare management more accessible and understandable for the public at large.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3bvlc5

SOURCE Singular Wings
Constitutional law expert John Eastman testifies during a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 4, 2013. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Chapman University Resists Calls to Fire Law Professor Who Spoke at DC Trump Rally

Chapman University has refused to fire a law professor who spoke at a rally for President Donald Trump near the White House last week, citing the universitys rules for dismissing a faculty member.

The California-based private university is under pressure to fire John Eastman, a conservative legal scholar at Chapmans Fowler School of Law. On Jan. 6, Eastman appeared on stage alongside Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani at the Stop the Steal event, where he claimed fraud not only in last years presidential election, but also in runoff elections for Georgias two Senate seats.

Some 150 faculty members at Chapman are calling on the administrators to fire Eastman, arguing that his conspiratorial claims were responsible for the violence that took place around the U.S. Capitol a few hours following his speech.

Free speech is sacred, and tenured academics like Eastman have the privilege of speaking their mind without fear of repercussion. But Eastman abused that freedom, reads a letter signed by the faculties demanding Eastmans termination. He does not belong on our campus.

In response, Chapman University President Daniele Struppa said in two statements that while he doesnt support Eastmans role in the tragic events at the nations Capitol, he is not going to violate the universitys own rules to fire him.

[Eastman] has now put Chapman in the position of being publicly disparaged for the actions of a single faculty member, and for what many call my failure to punish and fire him, Struppa said in his first statement. I will not subject the university to further humiliation by taking steps that may cause us to violate our own set of policies, and ultimately lead us to further embarrassment.

Struppa explained in his second statement that the university can only fire faculty members under very specific conditions, and he must abide by the universitys rules.

I am not the Emperor of Chapman University, nor I am the Supreme Leader of Chapman University, Struppa wrote. I am the President of the university, and as such, I am bound by laws and processes that are clearly spelled out in our Faculty Manual.

The manual, according to Struppa, states the university has no right to dismiss faculty members unless a jury finds them guilty of a felony, or if they are disbarred. Neither condition applies to Eastman.

When you are asking me to simply fire a faculty member without that, you are asking me to act as if I am indeed above the law. I continue to think this would be a terrible mistake for the institution, and I am troubled that so many are willing to sacrifice our process and our rules, in order to protect our reputation, Struppa continued.

I realize that my position has made me very unpopular with many of you, he said. As much as that saddens me, it will not compel me to violate the rules under which the university operates.

Vice President Mike Pence signalled hell spurn demands to immediately oust Donald Trump over a deadly riot by the presidents supporters as the two met and agreed to work together for the remainder of the term, according to a senior administration official.

The discussion adds to indications that Trump has no plans to resign before Joe Bidens Jan. 20 inauguration.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

It was the first time Trump and Pence have spoken since the presidents supporters stormed the Capitol while Pence was presiding over formal affirmation of his re-election defeat, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The two men, meeting in the Oval Office, agreed that people who broke into the Capitol dont represent Trumps America First" movement and pledged to continue their work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term, the official said. It was a good conversation in which Trump and Pence discussed the week ahead and reflected on the last four years of the administrations work, the official added.

House Democrats are seeking to hold Trump accountable for the riot if Pence fails to act against the president. Lawmakers pushed forward on Monday with their plans to impeach Trump for a second time, introducing a resolution accusing Trump of incitement of an insurrection"

Pence was initially furious at Trump after hundreds of the presidents supporters breached the Capitol last Wednesday, disrupting the count of Electoral College votes and causing the vice president and lawmakers to flee the House and Senate chambers.

The episode raised the prospect that Pence might act to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which allows the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to remove the president from office -- a move encouraged by Democratic members of Congress. But Pence has privately dismissed the idea as not feasible, according to one person familiar with the matter.

The senior administration officials account of their meeting appeared to put the matter to rest, and also rule out a presidential resignation.

The vice presidents office and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadowss team coordinated on the officials account, according to people familiar with the matter.

The official and the people familiar with the matter asked not to be identified because the meeting between Trump and Pence wasnt announced.

House Democrats have introduced a resolution that sets up a vote over impeachment later this week -- unless Pence changes his position and ousts Trump.

Impeachment Moves Forward

The chamber will consider the measure Wednesday, according to a schedule released from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat.

A majority of House lawmakers have signed onto the resolution, led by Democratic Representatives David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Ted Lieu of California, charging Trump with inciting the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

It seeks to both remove Trump from the presidency and prevent him from ever holding office again. Cicilline said the resolution has enough support for passage, including some Republicans.

The four-page measure includes an article accusing Trump of high crimes and misdemeanors for Incitement of Insurrection," and says that he willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged  and foreseeably resulted in  lawless action at the Capitol" as lawmakers were certifying the Electoral College.

The measure also cites Trumps phone call to Georgias secretary of state, urging him to find" enough votes to overturn Bidens win there.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday told colleagues that he opposes Trumps impeachment.

Personally, I continue to believe that an impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get America back on a path towards unity and civility," McCarthy wrote in a letter to rank and file House Republicans.

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An 88-year-old Ocean County man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting his landlord nearly two years ago in a rent dispute, authorities said.

Thomas Hatchett, of Manchester Township, admitted to aggravated manslaughter in the death of Igal Hedad, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

Hedad, 71, was found dead of gunshot wounds on July 1, 2019 in the street in front of Leisure Village West retirement community in Manchester.

Members of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Regional SWAT Team entered the residence, but Hatchett wasnt there.

Police officers later found him at another home he owned in Verona, Essex County, and arrested him, Billhimer said.

According to court documents, Hatchett admitted to detectives that he waited outside Hedads residence in anticipation of shooting him. The dispute was apparently over rent money, according to court documents.

Hatchett, who rejected an earlier plea deal, pleaded guilty Oct. 23, the prosecutor said.

Hatchett committed a brutal and senseless act, Billhimer said in a statement. For all intents and purposes, given this defendants advanced age, the prison term imposed (is) tantamount to a life sentence.

Hatchett will most likely spend the balance of his remaining days exactly where he belongs  behind bars, the prosecutor 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.
Two US Capitol police officers have been suspended over the Trump riot, says a lawmaker.

One of those who action has been taken against is the officer who was caught on video posing for a selfie picture with a rioter as they stormed the Capitol Building.

And the other is an officer who put on a MAGA hat and directed rioters around the building, according to Ohio congressman Tim Ryan, who sits on the committee that funds the Capitol police.

Mr Ryan told reporters that he has been told that there are as now as many as 15 investigations being made into Capitol police officers following the riots, but did not give specific details.

I know that there were two people that were suspended, Ryan said during a press call.

One was the selfie officer and another was an officer that put a MAGA hat on that started directing some people around."

The Democrat added that forces interim chief was taking aggressive action within the department to uncover if officers gave the rioters any help or coordination.

The footage of the officer posing for a selfie, was originally posted to twitter by journalist Timothy Burke.

The clip appeared to show an officer of the United States Capitol Police, wearing a high visibility vest and badge, posing for a photo with man who had stormed the building.

The pair, surrounded by Trump supporters wearing red Trump hats and carrying flags, are seen leaning in for the picture before nodding at each other after it was apparently been taken.

Five people, including Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, were killed in the riot which lead to the resignation of the forces chief.

An officer who was on duty during the violence died by suicide over the weekend, his family announced.
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All nursing homes in County Kildare should be vaccinated by January 24, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has vowed.

Speaking at the weekend, Mr Donnelly said that the first dose will be given to all residents and staff in the next two weeks.

He added that his Department is mobilising 65 vaccination teams and that vaccinations will take place seven days a week.

He added: Speed is of the essence and this is especially true for the most vulnerable people in our society.

Last week Curragh Lawns Nursing Home between Newbridge and Kilcullen was the first in the county to give the vaccine to its residents and staff.

Elsewhere, Kill based nurse Rory Dignam also received a vaccine at Tallaght Hospital.

Rory said he was delighted to be doing my part with my colleagues in the nurse-led roll out of the vaccine at Tallaght Hospital.

The jab will be given to all staff at the hospital in the next ten days.

A peer vaccination team of up to 30 nurses will work to ensure that all personnel are protected.

At Naas Hospital, Staff Nurse Cindy Morga became the first to be vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

ABOVE: Naas Hospital Management with the Peer Vaccination Team

Cindy was vaccinated by her colleague Maeve Fitzgerald, Clinical Nurse Manager Health and Wellbeing.

The hospital said a peer vaccination team of up to seven nurses will vaccinate staff six days a week Monday to ensure all personnel are protected in a planned and timely way.

Meanwhile Nursing Homes Ireland said it welcomed the announcement that the vaccination programme for nursing home residents and staff will be escalated to ensure completion of the first phase for all by January 24.

There are around 30,000 residents in private, HSE and voluntary operated homes represented by the NHI along along with 50,000 staff.

Tadhg Daly, NHI CEO said: The announcement of the escalation is another significant milestone in the fightback against Covid-19. We have stated every day matters in the vaccination rollout.

Vaccination will enable residents, who are the most susceptible to this deadly virus, and the staff providing them with person-centred care to be protected against a virus that has taken so many lives within our nursing homes. Nursing home residents require and deserve prioritisation and the news will be welcomed by both residents and staff, who are anxious to avail of protection from Covid-19.

We are well aware Covid19 has been multiplying in our communities and delivering the vaccination in as timely as manner as possible in order to protect nursing home residents and staff has to be a headline priority for our health services.

Mani Ratnam's 2007 film Guru starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, completes 14 years today (January 12, 2021). While the Bob Biswas actor is currently busy with his upcoming projects, his father, superstar Amitabh Bachchan expressed his love for the film and was all praise for his son's peformance.

A fan reminded the stars of the milestone by sharing a compilation of some memorable moments from the film. Impressed with the fan-made video, Amitabh Bachchan reposted the montage on his Twitter page and wrote, "yes indeed .. a fantastic film and Abhishek was marvellous" followed by heart emoticons.

See Amitabh Bachchan's tweet.

yes indeed .. a fantastic film and Abhishek was marvellous  https://t.co/78Jq4cLhL5  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 12, 2021

Last year, while reflecting back at his journey on completion of two decades in the film industry, Abhishek Bachchan had written, "Guru brought me back together with Mani for the 2nd time, @aishwaryaraibachchan_arb for the 4th and #Mithunda, @balanvidya and @actormaddy for the first time. Guru, was one of the most creatively satisfying films in my career."

Further, the actor had also shared an interesting trivia about the film with a long post on his Instagram page.

Abhishek had written, "On the sets of Guru in October 2006 in Madurai.

Mani had decided to shoot the song Tere Bina ( my all time favourite) much after we had finished principle photography. If you look closely during the song I had long hair, which I had grown for my film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Since this shoot happened in the middle of JBJ's shoot (Shaad, the director of JBJ can never say no to Mani as he used to be Mani's assistant and considers him to be like family, hence adjusted his dates to enable this shoot) I just shaved my beard but obviously couldn't cut my hair. They used to pin up my hair during this shoot to look shorter and match the continuity look of Gurukant Desai. This photo was taken whilst I was seeing the playback of the now famous scene where Guru says the very famous dialogue "      ,      ". Mani, last minute decided to include this scene in the film. So we used to shoot all night for the song, sleep a couple of hours and then shoot this scene in the daytime in the patio of the hotel we were staying at in Madurai. I think it was the Taj. "

He had further added, "A fun fact. Also seen in this photo is one of my best friends Gaurav. Babu, as I fondly call him had come to visit me and Aishwarya during the shoot as he stays in Chennai.

Just as we were about to begin the scene Mani decided he wanted to shoot this scene in OS ( over the shoulder) of the "minister". Since we didn't have an actor on hand, they ( Mani and @dirrajivmenon [also seen in this photo]) literally put a very reluctant Babu into the shot as he was on set watching the shoot and made him into the "minister". I don't think he will ever forgive us for doing that to him and has since never visited any shoot of mine! ."

Mani Ratnam's Guru was inspired by the life of one of India's biggest business tycoons Dhirubhai Ambani. Touted to be one of Abhishek Bachchan's career best performances, the film was a recipient of many awards. Besides Abhishek Bachchan, Guru also starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Vidya Balan and R Madhavan in pivotal roles.

ALSO READ: Coolie Accident: Amitabh Bachchan Recalls How His Father Cried Upon His Return From The Hospital

ALSO READ: Abhishek Bachchan Gushes Over Wife Aishwarya Rai, Says She Is His Favourite Co-Star
As expected, Republicans objected to a resolution calling on Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, meaning that the House would have to call a full vote on the measure

Washington: House Democrats on Monday introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for inciting a mob that attacked the Capitol last week, vowing to press the charge as Republicans blocked a separate move to formally call on Vice-President Mike Pence to strip him of power under the 25th Amendment.

The dual actions came as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her caucus sought to ratchet up pressure on Pence to intervene and push Trump to resign. If they did not, the Democrats promised immediate consequences for Trumps role in an attack that put the lives of the vice president, members of Congress and thousands of staff working on Capitol Hill at risk as officials met to formalise President-elect Joe Bidens victory.

The presidents threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action, Pelosi said Monday.

As expected, Republicans objected to a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, meaning that the House would have to call a full vote on the measure, most likely on Tuesday. Democratic leaders were confident it would pass and pressured Republican lawmakers to vote with them to beseech the vice president, who is said to be opposed to using the powers outlined in the Constitution, to do so.

It was a remarkable threat. If Pence does not intervene within 24 hours after passage and the president does not resign, House leaders said they would move on Wednesday to consider the impeachment resolution on the floor, just a week after the attack. Already more than 210 Democrats have signed onto the leading charge, just shy of a majority of the House. Several Republicans were said to be considering voting to impeach for the first time, although party leaders were opposed.

There may well be a vote on impeachment on Wednesday, Representative Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, the majority leader, told reporters.

He also pushed back against those arguing the House should delay sending the case to the Senate for trial until after Biden has a chance to fill his Cabinet and pass coronavirus relief legislation.

Whether impeachment can pass the United States Senate is not the issue, he said. The issue is we have a president who most of us believe participated in encouraging an insurrection and attack on this building, and on democracy and trying to subvert the counting of the presidential ballot.

The four-page impeachment article charges Trump with inciting violence against the government of the United States when he sowed bogus claims about election fraud and encouraged his supporters at a rally outside the White House to take extraordinary measures to stop the counting of electoral votes underway at the Capitol. A short time later, rioters mobbed the building, ransacking the seat of US government and killing a Capitol Police officer. (Four others also died as a result of injuries or medical emergencies on Capitol grounds.)

Last-minute changes were made late Sunday to include a reference to the 14th Amendment, the post-Civil War era addition to the Constitution that prohibits anyone who engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States from holding future office. Lawmakers also decided to cite specific language from Trumps speech Wednesday, inciting the crowd, quoting him saying: If you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.

Lawmakers involved in the effort  led by Representatives David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Ted Lieu of California  cautioned that the language could still change before any House vote. An overlapping group led by Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota also introduced a set of two articles, which also charged Trump with abuse of power, that could still be incorporated into whatever the House puts forward for a vote.

Nicholas Fandos c.2021 The New York Times Company

Press Release

January 11, 2021 POE TO DOH, FDA: FASTTRACK VACCINE APPROVALS TO DISPEL DOUBTS Sen. Grace Poe asked the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to speed up the processing of emergency use authorization (EUA) applications for COVID-19 vaccines to dispel suspicions that officials are just waiting for grease money to fasttrack approval. "If the virus won't kill us, then red tape and slow government action surely will." At the Senate committee of the whole hearing, FDA director general Eric Domingo said the FDA should complete the processing of Pfizer's EUA application this week while AstraZeneca's application should be processed by next week. The processing of the applications takes 21 days. "The process can be shortened," Poe said. "Para mawala ang mga haka-haka ng ating mga kababayan na siguro naghihintay ng kickback ang DOH kaya hindi agad nabibigyan ng permit. It may be an unfair assessment but would you blame them with the track record the DOH has." While stringent processing is crucial especially if records on the trials of the vaccines are not transparent and regulators in the home country of the pharmaceutical companies are not perceived to be credible, the FDA should speed it up when it comes from companies and countries with a better track record. "These companies have gone through a rigorous process of testing in countries with reputable testing facilities tapos pagdating sa atin ganito. Alam na nga nating national emergency, we cannot even fasttrack something like this," Poe said. "The process seems unreasonably long, to accredit a company that has already been accredited so many times in other countries," she stressed. Poe said it is important for government to be transparent in the procurement of the vaccines and account for every peso that it spends on them to make way for its other expenditure items. "How do we know in the end that we paid the right price for this," Poe said. The finance department said it is looking at spending as much as P140.5 billion on COVID-19 vaccines that government wants to administer on 100 million Filipinos. The private sector has also been buying vaccines on their own and will be donating a portion of the vaccines they buy which should bring down the cost for government. The average cost of the vaccine for 100 million Filipinos would be P1,405 based on the amount the finance department had in mind. "The government has overlooked that the private sector is not only more efficient but also unencumbered by the restrictions under the procurement law. Wala silang limitation on signing contracts for products which are still under development. It's their money, so they assume the financial and associated risk," Poe said. "So it really baffles me why government is busy restricting private companies when we should be working with them to overcome the limitations in our laws and regulations," she added.
Several Officers Suspended Following Capitol Breach, USCP Chief Confirms

Several Capitol Police officers have been suspended following the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building, Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman announced in a statement late Monday.

United States Capitol Polices (USCP) Pittman confirmed that the department has suspended several USCP officers following a review of video and other open source materials.

The department is actively reviewing footage of further officers and officials that appear to be in violation of its regulations and policies, said Pittman, who was appointed as USCP acting police chief after the former head resigned in the aftermath of last weeks breach.

Several USCP officers have already been suspended pending the outcome of their investigations, she wrote. The investigation of the January 6 riot is continuing in collaboration with numerous law enforcement agencies and the USCP, along with its law enforcement partners, are aggressively working to identify and arrest those involved in the destruction of property at the U.S. Capitol Complex.

It is our intention to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

Earlier, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, announced during a virtual press briefing that two Capitol police officers had been suspended after the Capitol breach.

He told reporters that USCP is cracking down on all individuals involved that potentially facilitated, on a big level or small level in any way, in the assault on Capitol grounds that took place during Wednesdays joint session of Congress that saw lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence counting electoral votes.

One of the officers suspended by Capitol Police was caught on camera taking a selfie with a rioter. The second suspended officer was reportedly seen wearing a red Make America Great Again hat and was seen directing people around, he said.

He didnt further elaborate on details of the individuals arrested.

Ryan also stated that he wasnt aware of any evidence of specific lawmakers being targeted other than what could be heard from individuals shouting the name of the vice president and the speaker during the breach.

Between 10 to 15 investigations are currently underway for officer misconduct during the incident, Ryan confirmed.

Theyre trying to crack down on  that because again, we need all hands on deck moving forward. We cant have somebody protecting on the inauguration that was not doing the job during the Jan. 6 event, Ryan said.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has called on the Department of Homeland Security to increase security measures ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20. She has also urged Americans to avoid the city during the inauguration.

The National Guard confirmed Monday that up to 15,000 troops will be authorized to be deployed around the nations capital ahead of inauguration day.

Right now, we have approximately 6,200 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 6 states and the District of Columbia on the ground in the NCR [National Capital Region] supporting civilian authorities, Gen. Daniel Hokanson said in a statement.

Some critics have said President Donald Trump, during a lunchtime Jan. 6 rally near the Capitol, incited violencedespite the president saying that the protesters should protest peacefully and patriotically.

Following the outbreak of violence, Trump took to Twitter to call on protester to go home in peace He denounced the violence as a heinous attack that defiled the seat of American democracy on Jan. 7.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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" " The slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) has the face of an adorable stuffed animal, but a toxic bite, a trait that's unique among primates and rarely found among mammals. Duke Lemur Center

At first glance, it's easy to believe that the slow loris, a tiny primate with wide, saucer-like eyes is nothing more than a Beanie Boo come to life. But don't let that innocent face fool you. These little creatures prefer their own company, and usually bite when they feel threatened  either from humans or from other slow lorises  raising their arms and licking a highly toxic venom secreted from glands at their upper arm which pools in grooves on their canine teeth. The venom can cause necrosis (death of the tissue) or can even be fatal if not properly treated. In other words, to paraphrase William Shakespeare to our own purposes, "Though the slow loris be but little, it is fierce."

The slow loris was described in 1891 as having the "face of a bear, the hands of a monkey, [and] mov[ing] like a sloth" by American zoologist Dean Conant Worcester. The word "loris" came from the Dutch word "loeris" meaning clown, alluding to the creature's distinctive facial markings. They have small ears on their round, furry heads, with rings around their huge forward-facing eyes (which provide stereo vision). Their eyes have something called the tapedum lucidum  a light-reflecting surface behind the retina that helps them see better in the dark.

Their bodies are solid; they have only the stump of a tail under dense fur. Their weight varies by species  from the Bengal slow loris at 74 ounces (2,100 grams) to the Bornean slow loris at just over 9 ounces (265 grams). Their length, combined head and body, ranges from 7 to 15 inches (18 to 38 centimeters) depending on species.

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Slow Lorises Are Nocturnal

Slow lorises are native to Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam (east of the Mekong River), eastern Cambodia, Laos and the Yunnan province in the south of China. They live in the branches of bamboo and hardwood forests, usually sleeping during the day in crevices or hollows. Lorises are nocturnal, and are considered opportunistic hunters. They use their excellent sense of smell to hunt for insects and other small prey, but will also eat fruit and tree gum (high glucose sap). They lick dew off leaves for moisture.

" " An adult pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) nibbling a frozen treat. Duke Lemur Center

We checked in with researchers at the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, to find out more about these intriguing critters, although they no longer house lorises at the center. Anna Lee, education technician at the DLC, gives us insight into the slow loris social organization and behavior.

"When two lorises cross paths, interactions are generally positive (i.e., grooming instead of fighting)," she says in an email. "In the wild, males and females will occasionally remain in the same space while their offspring are young, forming small family groups until the offspring get older and disperse. These groups groom each other and sleep in contact with one another, but they frequently forage alone and there doesn't seem to be a clear dominance structure."

Lee's colleague, Jodi Stirk, an animal care technician who worked with the slow lorises when they were at the DLC, says that they exhibited distinctive personalities. "Some are very shy or standoffish, while others are outgoing, curious and interactive with the staff," she says in an email.

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They Have Strong Family Bonds

Dr. Anna Nekaris, a professor in primate conservation and anthropology at Oxford Brooks University for 20 years, has studied slow loris in the wild. "They can mate in the wild all year round," she says. "They are amazing families and the offspring can stay with the parents in groups of up to six individuals for up to three years," she says.

That isn't always the case for breeding pairs in captivity, according to Stirk.

"Not all breeding pairs are compatible when they are introduced," she says. "Some pairs are aggressive and can injure each other. Dams (females) are housed with their offspring here until they kick out the youngsters. The age at which a dam evicts her offspring is dependent on that specific female. Some females will tolerate their offspring longer than others and some will kick them out as young as five months."

Lee says it's difficult to find and follow lorises in their remote rainforest habitat. Since they are endangered, Duke researchers were interested in following their life history, studying questions like how long females nurse their young and how long they live in human care.

"Learning how to care for and eventually breed them successfully in human care is important for their continued survival," she says. "All breeding was done at the recommendation of a Species Survival Plan which helps avoid overbreeding and maintains healthy genetics for all slow lorises in human care. While we no longer house them ourselves, what we learned during the years we did keep slow lorises continues to help the colony in human care at other facilities today."

" " A slender loris (Lemur tardigradus), a species also from the genus Nycticebus and closely related to the slow loris, eating a grape. Duke Lemur Center

The biggest threats to the survival of slow lorises are two-fold and man-made: the degradation of its habitat and direct human interaction, such as hunting or attempting to domesticate them. Because of these and other threats, all five species of slow loris are listed as either "Vulnerable" or "Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The DLC says primates, including slow lorises, don't make good pets and trying to domesticate them is not fair to them. Lorises are meant to live with lorises, not people.

"Slow lorises rely on undisturbed rainforests to live in, something that is in short supply in our ever-changing world," Lee says. "Some are hunted for bushmeat or use in traditional medicines, while other slow lorises are kept as props for tourists or sold into the international pet trade. With their distinctive giant eyes and slow speed, lorises are frequent viral video stars, driving up the practice of keeping them. As always, social media doesn't tell the full story. Lorises taken from the wild frequently have their teeth removed to prevent dangerous bites and their arm-raising behavior seen in videos of 'tickling' is a defensive posture used against threats, like humans."

Now That's Interesting The Nocturnal Primate Research Group at Oxford Brooks University, United Kingdom, studies all of Asia's slender and slow lorises. Because loris habitat on the Indonesian island of Java has shrunk by as much as 90 percent, the group is building and installing loris bridges, using irrigation tubing to connect spots in the treetops so the loris aren't isolated from their home ranges.
The Army plans to remove a second lieutenant at Fort Stewart, Ga., from the service over his anti-Semitic social media post last year that went viral and resulted in his suspension from leadership roles, a service spokesman said Monday.

Army Lt. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the XVII Airborne Corps, recommended 2nd Lt. Nathan Freihofer for separation after an investigation into his TikTok post on Aug. 28 about Jewish people killed in the Holocaust, said Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for the XVII Airborne Corps. In Freihofers post to some 3 million followers, he said those who were offended by the comment should get the f out, because its a joke.

The Army launched a probe into the post, which was removed from TikTok, and stripped Freihofer of leadership roles within the 3rd Infantry Division, where he is a field artillery officer. In a statement on Sept. 1, Maj. Gen. Tony Aguto, the commander of the 3rd ID, called the junior officers remarks vile.

Kurilla found Freihofers anti-Semitic statement on TikTok inconsistent with the values of Army service and inappropriate for anyone in a position of leadership over American soldiers, Buccino said in a statement issued Monday. As a result, last month, the Corps commander initiated the process of removing Freihofer from the Army.

During the probe, Kurilla spoke with others in Freihofers chain of command, reviewed his military service and his TikTok statement, Buccino said.

Freihofer has two weeks to present Kurilla with a final argument defending himself before he can be removed from uniform, Buccino said. Freihofer did not immediately respond Monday to an email seeking comment.

Freihofer has remained a prolific social media user, posting thousands of photos and videos  often in uniform  to TikTok and Instagram.

Since Freihofers anti-Semitic post went viral, he has amassed some 800,000 more fans on TikTok, a Chinese-owned app for sharing short videos. Freihofers account briefly disappeared from the platform, but he has continue to post almost daily. A video that he shared Sunday shows him briefly in his Army uniform.

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Chris Carlson / Associated Press

The happiest place on earth is taking on a new role while the coronavirus pandemic leaves theme parks shuttered.

Beginning this week, Disneyland will serve as Orange County's first "super" POD  point-of-dispensing  site for the COVID-19 vaccine, which, according to county officials, has the capacity to vaccinate "thousands of residents each day."
VATICAN CITY, JAN 12 - Pope Francis on Tuesday called for "trust-based" care of the sick in a message ahead of the 29th World Day of the Sick on February 11. A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love." Francis said, according to Vatican News. In order to fight hypocrisy and self-idolatry, the pope said, Jesus asks us to "stop and listen, to establish a direct and personal relationship with others, to feel empathy and compassion, and to let their suffering become our own as we seek to serve them." The Catholic Church marks the annual day on 11 February, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Instituted by Pope Saint John Paul II on 13 May 1992, the first World Day of the Sick was marked the following year. The theme of this year's observance is, "You have but one teacher and you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8), which calls for "a trust-based relationship to guide care for the sick". Pope Francis says that the annual day "is an opportunity to devote special attention to the sick and to those who provide them with assistance and care both in healthcare institutions and within families and communities." He expresses his spiritual closeness and the Church's loving concern for those suffering the coronavirus pandemic, especially the poor and the marginalized. Drawing attention to the theme of this year's observance, the Pope warns Christians about the danger of "self-idolatry" when our "faith is reduced to empty words and we are unconcerned with the lives and needs of others." Noting that Jesus criticizes those who "preach but do not practise", the Pope says "none of us is immune to the grave evil of hypocrisy, which prevents us from flourishing as children of the one Father, called to live universal fraternity." Sickness, the Pope notes, makes us realize our own vulnerability and our innate need of others. It raises the question of life's meaning, which we bring before God in faith, in order to seek a new and deeper direction in our lives. In this regard, the Pope holds out the biblical figure of Job as a model. Abandoned by his wife and friends in his misfortune, he says, Job feels forlorn and misunderstood. Yet, he rejects hypocrisy and chooses the path of honesty towards God and others. The Lord hears Job's cries and confirms that his suffering is not a punishment or a state of separation from God, much less a sign of God's indifference. The Pope says that sickness has many faces. They are the sick, as well as all those who are ignored, excluded and are a prey to social injustices that deny their fundamental rights. The current pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in our healthcare systems and exposed inefficiencies in the care of the sick, with the elderly, weak and vulnerable people not always granted access to care, or in an equitable manner. The pandemic has also highlighted the dedication and generosity of healthcare personnel, volunteers, support staff, priests, men and women religious. The Holy Father pays them homage, saying they are "a silent multitude of men and women" who "chose not to look the other way but to share the suffering of patients, whom they saw as neighbours and members of our one human family." "Such closeness," the Pope remarks, "is a precious balm that provides support and consolation to the sick in their suffering." As Christians, he says, we experience that closeness as a sign of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who draws near with compassion to every man and woman wounded by sin. He says that as a community, we too are called to be merciful like the Father and to love in particular our frail, infirm and suffering brothers and sisters, leaving no one behind, especially those most in need. Pope Francis then speaks about the importance of fraternal solidarity towards our neighbours, which takes a variety of forms. "Serving means caring for the vulnerable of our families, our society, our people." We are called to set aside our own wishes and desires, the pursuit of power, and look to the faces of the most vulnerable, touching their flesh, sensing their closeness and helping them. For a therapy to be effective, the Pope points out, "it must be relational, as it enables a holistic approach to the patient." This path of healing grounded in a trusting interpersonal relationship, he emphasizes, can help doctors, nurses, professionals and volunteers in caring for the sick. This relationship between the sick and carers, based on mutual trust and respect, openness and availability, he says, will help to overcome defensive attitudes, respect the dignity of the sick, safeguard the professionalism of healthcare workers and foster a good relationship with the families of patients. Jesus, the Pope concludes, proves this by healing "not by magic but as the result of an encounter, an interpersonal relationship," Vatican News said. (ANSA).
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On this day in 2007, Shawn Hornbeck was finally reunited with his parents after he vanished without trace while riding his bike in Missouri four years earlier.

On October 6, 2002, Shawn, aged 11, was kidnapped by 41-year-old pizza shop boss Michael Devlin.

After years of unimaginable dread, his parents were finally able to welcome their son home after Devlin was caught kidnapping another boy- 13-year-old Ben Ownby.

Ownby had been missing for four days when police entered a small apartment in Kirkwood, Missouri, to find both boys.

A white truck had been seen speeding away after Ownby had been snatched, and when police tracked down Devlin's cluttered one bedroom apartment home, they found Shawn Hornbeck too sitting on the couch.

Police called his parents, who had never given up hope, and gave them the miraculous news that after four years, their son had been found.

Shawn Hornbeck was out riding his bike on October 6, 2002, aged 11, when he was kidnapped by 41-year-old by pizza shop boss Michael Devlin

41-year-old by pizza shop boss Michael Devlin. He is currently serving 71 life sentences after being convicted of kidnapping and child sexual abuse in Cameron, Missouri

Speaking at the time, Craig said: 'It is the phone call I will remember most for the rest of my life.

'This is the best day of our lives. It is hard to even come up with words to express the feeling. It has been like a dream, and we are afraid that we are going to wake up.'

It transpired that Devlin had kept Shawn tied up for a month in his Kirkwood apartment, and even tried to strangle him at one point, but stopped when the boy promised he would never tell anyone.

For the four years that followed, Shawn believed that his family would be harmed if he tried to run. The two lived alternatively as father and son, or family friends.

Devlin eventually allowed Shawn to go out with friends, get a cellphone and go on dates, but he didn't go to school.

Shawn told no one about his situation, and nobody in Kirkwood suspected that he was the missing boy from Richmond - 50 miles away.

He was sexually abused, with Devlin later telling FBI agents that as Shawn got older, he had begun looking for a younger boy to take.

In Beaufort, on January 8, 2007, he kidnapped Ben Ownby from a bus stop, with Shawn in the pick up truck with him. Mitchell Hults of Franklin County saw the truck near the scene of the crime, telling investigators.

Three days later, two Kirkwood police officers answered another unrelated call at Devlin's apartment building, but as they were leaving, spotted the truck outside.

The officers questioned Devlin, but he refused to let them search his apartment.

When investigators confronted Devlin, he finally confessed to Ben's kidnapping - and stunned the detectives when he said he also had Shawn.

With the world transfixed on his story, Shawn spoke to Oprah Winfrey about his experience in 2007.

Speaking to the host, he said that he had used the internet to ask his parents a heartbreaking question.

'It was surprising. They've changed, but I could recognise them in 20 more years, instantly,' he told Winfrey, before adding that while he had access to the internet and a phone, he was unable to contact them.

Devlin was caught kidnapping another boy- 13-year-old Ben Ownby. He had been missing for four days when police entered a small apartment in Kirkwood, Missouri to find two boys

Left picture: Shawn Hornbeck (bottom right) stays close to his mother, Pam Akers (left), and step-father, Craig Akers, during a press conference in 2007. Right picture: William 'Don' Ownby, center, and Doris Ownby, left center

Residents of Beaufort, Missouri, gather at the Voss Market on Friday, January 12, 2007, to celebrate after the news that Ben Ownby was safe, along with Shawn Hornbeck

But he was able to send them a message on a website that had been set up to help find him, using his real name.

In the interview, Oprah asked: 'I had read that you had gone to the Internet site to asked 'how long will you be looking for your son'. What did you feel doing that? Was that a way to connect with them?'

Shawn replied: 'I was hoping it might give some sort of hint.'

His father Craig said he could remember the message, telling the host: 'I remember reading it, I remember thinking to myself either this is someone with that name or this is someone trying to yank my chain.'

'We knew the world knew the answer to that, we had been saying all along we would never stop looking for our son. It was strange.

'You get so many of these messages. On a daily basis you get so many weird, out there message.'

Shawn Hornbeck, center, talks with members of the media in St. Louis, Missouri in 2013. He was being asked questiong about a missing woman who had been found in Cleveland

The two doors, bottom left and right, that access the apartment in the complex in the 400 block of South Holmes where police found two missing boys in the apartment of Michael J. Devlin on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2007

Shawn said the message had been a cry for hope, and at the time, he just wanted his life to get back to normal - to return to school, to work and to spend more time with his family - including his two sisters.

'It's very comforting knowing I'm back with my family, but I've missed out on a lot of stuff,' he said.

Craig sadly passed away in 2019 from bladder cancer aged 57, with Pam saying she was 'so grateful he got to spend more time with Shawn'.

Devlin pleaded guilty to all the counts against him and was sentenced to 72 years behind bars.

He is currently serving 71 life sentences after being convicted of kidnapping and child sexual abuse at Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri.

Farmer unions protesting against the new agriculture-marketing laws Tuesday disapproved of the Supreme Court-appointed committee to break the deadlock over the acts, and said they will not appear before the panel and continue their agitation.

Addressing a press conference at Singhu Border here, Union leaders claimed the members of committee formed by the top court are "pro-government".

The earlier in the day stayed the implementation of the controversial farm laws till further orders and set up a four-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmer unions protesting at Delhi's borders over the legislations.

"The members of the SC-appointed committee are not dependable as they have been writing on how agri laws are pro-farmer. We will continue our agitation," farmer leader Balbeer Singh Rajewal told the press conference.

The farmer leader said that unions never demanded the apex court form a committee to resolve the impasse over the laws, alleging the Central government is behind these developments.

"We are against the committee on principle. It is the government's way to distract attention from the protest," he said.

The framer leaders said the can repeal the farm laws suo motu.

Another farmer leader Darshan Singh said they will not appear before any committee, adding Parliament should discuss and resolve this issue.

"We don't want any external committee," he said.

However, the farmer leaders said they would attend the January 15 meeting with the government.

The four members of the committee are BKU president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Shetkeri Sangathana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, South Asia Director for International Food Policy Research Institute Pramod Kumar Joshi, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) system for their crops.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


By Prossy Kisakye

Presidential and parliamentary campaigns end today ahead of Thursdays general elections.

The process that has lasted 60 days has seen candidates traverse different parts of the country hunting for votes amid tension especially among opposition candidates as security forces were enforcing covid-19 prevention guidelines issued by the ministry of health.

The electoral commission nominated 11 presidential candidates; the incumbent Yoweri Museveni for the NRM, Robert Kyagulanyi, for the National Unity Platform, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation, Eng Patrick Amuriat Oboi for Forum for Democratic Change, and Norbert Mao who is holding the Democratic Party flag.

The others who are all independent candidates are Gen Henry Tumukunde, John Katumba, Fred Mwesigye, Joseph Kabuleta, Willy Mayambala, and Nancy Kalembe the only woman in the race.

Meanwhile, president Museveni is expected to address the nation later this evening.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi judge has dismissed a murder charge against a Black man who spent more than a quarter-century on death row.

Eddie Lee Howard was convicted of capital murder in the 1992 stabbing death of an 84-year-old woman in Lowndes County.

District Attorney Scott Colom says Monday that prosecutors are dropping the murder charge.

He says a dentists bite-mark testimony used to convict Howard has been discredited.

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in August that Howard deserved a new trial.

He was freed from death row in December, and his attorneys say Howard has now been released from prison.
(Newser)  For the first time since Vice President Mike Pence had to be spirited out of the House chamber and guarded in a more secure location, he met with President Trump on Monday evening. "The two had a good conversation" in the Oval Office, a senior administration official said. Trump was angered that Pence didn't try to block congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory the day that rioters stormed the Capitol, the Hill reports, and the president and vice president had maintained silence since. Pence had told Trump last Tuesday, the day before the certification, that he didn't have the legal right to intervene. While the Capitol was under attack, Trump tweeted that Pence lacked courage, per MarketWatch. The official didn't say whether Trump and Pence discussed any of those issues Monday.

story continues below

They did agree that the rioters "do not represent the America first movement backed by 75 million Americans," the official said. The rioters shouted that they were looking for Pence, and his staff has received threats since then, per CNN. The disagreement on certification was the first public one between Pence and his boss during Trump's term, per Fox News. Since Wednesday, House Democrats have called on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and move to remove Trump. The vice president has given no indication that he'll do that. In addition, the administration official said, Trump and Pence spent their time Monday "discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments." (Read more Mike Pence stories.)
A team led by UCI materials science researchers was the first to measure phonons, quantum mechanical vibrations in a lattice, at individual defects in a crystal. The breakthrough opens the door to the engineering of better materials for use in high-technology devices. Credit: Xiaoqing Pan / UCI

Often admired for their flawless appearance to the naked eye, crystals can have defects at the nanometer scale, and these imperfections may affect the thermal and heat transport properties of crystalline materials used in a variety of high-technology devices.

Employing newly developed electron microscopy techniques, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have, for the first time, measured the spectra of phononsquantum mechanical vibrations in a latticeat individual crystalline faults, and they discovered the propagation of phonons near the flaws. The team's findings are the subject of a study published recently in Nature.

"Point defects, dislocations, stacking faults and grain boundaries are often found in crystalline materials, and these defects can have a significant impact on a substance's thermal conductivity and thermoelectric performance," said senior co-author Xiaoqing Pan, UCI's Henry Samueli Endowed Chair in Engineering, as well as a professor of materials science and engineering and physics & astronomy.

He said that there are ample theories to explain the interactions between crystal imperfections and phonons but little experimental validation due to the inability of earlier methods to view the phenomena at high enough space and momentum resolution. Pan and his collaborators approached the problem through the novel development of space- and momentum-resolved vibrational spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope at UCI's Irvine Materials Research Institute.

With this technique, they were able to observe individual defects in cubic silicon carbide, a material with a wide range of applications in electronic devices. Pan and his colleagues were familiar with how imperfections in silicon carbide are manifested as stacking faults, and theoretical work has described the thermoelectric impacts, but now the team has produced direct experimental data to characterize phonon interactions with the individual defects.

"Our method opens up the possibility of studying the local vibrational modes at intrinsic and non-intrinsic defects in materials," said Pan, who is also director of IMRI and UCI's Center for Complex and Active Materials, funded by the National Science Foundation. "We expect it to find important applications in many different areas, ranging from the study of thermal resistance-inducing interfacial phonons to defect structures engineered to optimize a material's thermal properties."

Explore further Decoupling electronic and thermal transport

More information: Xingxu Yan et al. Single-defect phonons imaged by electron microscopy, Nature (2021). Journal information: Nature Xingxu Yan et al. Single-defect phonons imaged by electron microscopy,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03049-y
HEFEI, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- As his conversation in a mountain village museum proceeded, all the familiar laughs that Zimbabwean youth Albert Mhangami saw during his trip flashed into his mind, warmly and inspiringly.

It was "a laugh that was shared by the people of that village, by the hundreds of millions of people that had been pulled out of destitution," as he wrote later.

Also participating in the conversation were South African teacher Shaun Nish, his daughter Rebecca Nish and Malaysian media worker Michael Chick, which was the final part of their five-day trip to Jinzhai County, east China's Anhui Province.

Michael Chick, Shaun Nish, Rebecca Nish, and Albert Mhangami dance with villagers at Dawan Village in Jinzhai County of Luan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Fangqiang)

In the once-impoverished county, the group of foreigners experienced rural life and saw China's poverty-alleviation efforts first-hand.

At the end of 2020, all of China's nearly 100 million impoverished rural residents living below the current poverty line had shaken off poverty. All of the 832 poor counties, including Jinzhai, had been lifted out of poverty.

JOURNEY OF SURPRISES

Back at Tsinghua University where the 27-year-old studies, Mhangami has been a keen researcher of China's fight against poverty.

Immersed in macro-level, theoretical studies, he finally got the chance to have real interactions with the people that he has been researching.

"I was expecting to see a lot of old people and very few young people, less technology and the infrastructure more oriented toward getting business in rather than getting business out," Mhangami said.

However, a series of surprises were in store for the group.

In local villages, Mhangami met many young people working in various professions, including teachers, farmers, grocery store owners, doctors, grassroots civil servants and e-commerce entrepreneurs.

One of the most impressive among them was Zhang Chuanfeng, an internet celebrity whose family used to be identified as an impoverished household.

Zimbabwean postgraduate of Tsinghua University Albert Mhangami and Zhang Chuanfeng sell products via livestream broadcast in Jinzhai County of Luan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Dai Wei)

Thanks to the government subsidization and favorable policies such as free rent accommodation, Zhang set up a store in 2017 that buys local specialties from many impoverished families and then sells them online to consumers across the country.

"He has a massive online presence. I think he had around 50 million views for one of his videos," Mhangami said, after collaborating on two TikTok videos with Zhang to promote local goods like dried sweet potatoes and tea.

Last year, the e-commerce store achieved total revenue of more than 5 million yuan (about 773,000 U.S. dollars), with a profit of about 500,000 yuan.

China's development of internet infrastructure and booming digital economy in this rural area also surprised the rest of the group.

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 28, 2020 shows the Hongling highway in Jinzhai County of Luan City in east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Chen Nuo)

"The amount of infrastructure that is available is what really shocked me. I was expecting smaller roads and a lot less infrastructure than what there is here," Shaun Nish said.

Shaun Nish and Rebecca Nish, who live in Anhui's capital of Hefei, were also delighted with the fact that there was easy access to wireless internet and TV service in the villages.

"But it is not just wifi. It's internet connectivity. That's pretty much how this village is able to market its products," said Chick, who has traveled to many South East Asian countries for TV production.

Aerial photo taken on Dec. 20, 2020 shows the Dawan Village of Jinzhai County of Luan City in east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Chen Nuo)

BASIC NEEDS AND BEYOND

While visiting local residences and tourist sites, Mhangami was greeted with a smile by village community cleaner Zhou Duanqiong.

Zhou told him that her husband died many years ago, and she used to financially support the whole family by running a small shop, but the income was far from enough to live a comfortable life.

But in 2016, things changed for Zhou. A new housing and infrastructure project was launched in her community, which gave her family a roof over their heads.

As Mhangami learned, the government's project involved purchasing the residents' worn-down houses at a high price, building better-quality residences and then selling these new homes back to them at a lower price with additional subsidization.

Besides that, the government also launched a tourism infrastructure project. The influx of tourists resulted in more income and more job openings, including Zhou's community cleaning position.

In a village primary school, Mhangami talked with a class of students, whose topics ranged from the new infrastructure of the entire village to subsidized meals at school.

An injured child with a sling on his arm told Mhangami how his medical bill was largely covered by the government.

"There is the medical infrastructure that the government has put in a decent amount of work on," Mhangami said. "The subsidization and insurance were the guardians of the millions of jobs and assets the government had created for the people."

Michael Chick takes a selfie with children at Dawan Primary School in Jinzhai County of Luan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Cao Li)

Chick's observation in a village clinic corresponded with Mhangami's comments. Chick learned that on average, villagers from impoverished households can have 95 percent of their total medical costs reimbursed. Local residents infected with COVID-19 can also have free treatment.

Another memorable moment for Mhangami in the primary school was when he asked the students about their future aspirations, one of them raised his hand and replied that he wanted to study abroad.

"Poverty is ultimately a conversation about options," Mhangami commented.

"When a child who only five years prior would have seen the provincial capital city as the goal, but now speaks of the international community as a space for his dreams, poverty has truly been alleviated," he added.

In Shaun Nish's point of view, poverty alleviation efforts should not only cover people's basic needs but also their desire for a better life, such as internet services.

"Wifi may not be a need, but it can help you a lot. And that's why I think the Chinese government is very good at doing that because it can help you to fulfill your wants like TV, the internet and online shopping," Shaun Nish said.

INTERACTIONS AND JOINT EFFORTS

During the trip, the group saw how the locals were enthusiastically working together with the government to improve their own lives.

Wang Jian, a young villager who now runs a distribution center for express deliveries, shared his entrepreneurial story with Chick.

Wang's store opened in 2017. He borrowed money from the bank and his relatives and was given a financial grant from the government.

"It is 10,000 yuan seed money as opposed to 300,000 yuan in personal loans. That actually shows you how much he wants to get this business going," Chick said.

South African Shaun Nish and his daughter Rebecca Nish touch tea leaves as they visit a tea factory in Jinzhai County of Luan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Bin)

In his conversation with the owner of a village inn where he stayed, Shaun Nish was told that her family used to be one of the poorest households in the village.

Nevertheless, two years ago, she finally managed to get her own business up and running.

"The government gave her some money, and she put in three times the amount the government did," Shaun Nish said. "And now she is doing quite well."

The government has been constantly helping local communities and reevaluating its own work. If something does not work, then they will change it, he said.

Xinhua journalist Miao Xiaojuan (1st R) interviews four foreigners Michael Chick, Shaun Nish, Rebecca Nish and Albert Mhangami (L to R) who are invited here to visit Dawan Village in Jinzhai County of Luan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Guo Peiran)

Mhangami believed that interactions and joint efforts by the people and the government are crucial to win the battle against poverty.

"If your government has the political will to engage your people, to make getting people out of poverty a priority, it makes a massive difference," he said.

Another important thing "is to be a part of the people. Make sure you are going there, asking them what is happening, sitting down with them and having these conversations. It immediately changes the dynamic," he added.

For him, all the genuine laughs and smiles he witnessed on the journey have said a lot about China's excellent practice in that regard.

It was "a laugh that showed confidence in a government that had prioritized the people in the global battle against poverty," he wrote.
Antibodies are an important weapon in the immune system's defense against infections. They bind to the surface structures of bacteria or viruses and prevent their replication. One strategy in the fight against disease is therefore to produce effective antibodies in large quantities and inject them into the patients. The outgoing US President Donald Trump probably owes his rapid recovery to this method. However, the antibodies used to treat him have a complex structure, do not penetrate very deeply into the tissue and may cause unwanted complications. Moreover, producing antibodies is difficult and time-consuming. They are therefore probably not suitable for widespread use.

Mass production in yeast or bacteria

"We focus on another group of molecules, the nanobodies," explains Dr. Florian Schmidt, who heads an Emmy Noether group on this promising new field of research at the University of Bonn's Institute of Innate Immunity. "Nanobodies are antibody fragments that are so simple that they can be produced by bacteria or yeast, which is less expensive."

However, the immune system produces an almost infinite number of different antibodies, and they all recognize different target structures. Only very few of them are for example capable of defeating the SARS coronavirus-2. Finding these antibodies is like searching for a single grain of sand on Germany's Baltic coast. "We first injected a surface protein of the coronavirus into an alpaca and a llama," Schmidt explains. "Their immune system then produces mainly antibodies directed against this virus. In addition to complex normal antibodies, llamas and alpacas also produce a simpler antibody variant that can serve as the basis for nanobodies."

A few weeks later, the researchers took a blood sample from the animals, from which they extracted the genetic information of produced antibodies. This "library" still contained millions of different construction plans. In a complex process, they extracted those that recognize an important structure on the surface of the coronavirus, the spike protein. "Altogether we obtained dozens of nanobodies, which we then analyzed further," explains Dr. Paul-Albert Konig, head of the Core Facility Nanobodies at the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn and lead author of the study.

Four out of several million

Four molecules actually proved to be effective against the pathogen in cell cultures. "Using X-ray structures and electron microscopy analyses, we were furthermore able to show how they interact with the spike protein of the virus," explains Konig. This work was done in the research groups around Martin Hallberg (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) and Nicholas Wu as well as Ian Wilson (Scripps Research Institute, USA). The spike protein is crucial for the infection: It acts like a velcro fastener with which the pathogen attaches to the attacked cell. Next, the velcro changes its structure: It discards the component that is important for attachment and mediates fusion of the virus envelope with the cell. "Nanobodies also appear to trigger this structural change before the virus encounters its target cell - an unexpected and novel mode of action," says Konig. "The change is likely to be irreversible; the virus is therefore no longer able to bind to host cells and infect them."

The researchers also exploit another major advantage of nanobodies over antibodies: Their simple structure allows straight forward combinations to form molecules that can be several hundred times more effective. "We have fused two nanobodies that target different parts of the spike protein," explains Konig. "This variant was highly effective in cell culture. Furthermore, we were able to show that this drastically reduces the probability of the virus to become resistant to the active agent through escape mutations." The researchers are convinced that the molecules may be developed into a novel and promising therapeutic option.

Dioscure Therapeutics, a spin-off of the University of Bonn, will test the nanobodies in clinical studies. The success of the project is mainly based on the excellent cooperation of the participating research groups at the University with national and international cooperation partners, emphasizes Florian Schmidt, who is also a member of the Immunosensation2 Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn.

###

About the cooperation:

Institutions from Germany, Sweden and the USA were involved in the study. Diffraction data were collected at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) and at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Labs in the USA.

In Germany, the study was financially supported by the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn, the German Research Foundation, the Klaus Tschira Boost Funds, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Baden-Wurttemberg Foundation and the MWK Baden-Wurttemberg. In the USA, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded the project, in Sweden the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

The founders of the company Dioscure were supported by the enaCom Transfer Center at the University of Bonn providing a link between research and industry with its offers. As University of Bonn's IP Service Provider, PROvendis GmbH negotiates the commercialization contract with Dioscure.

Publication: Paul-Albert Konig, Hrishikesh Das, Hejun Liu, Beate M. Kummerer, Florian N. Gohr, Lea-Marie Jenster, Yonas M. Tesfamariam, Lisa D.J. Schiffelers, Miki Uchima, Jennifer D. Wuerth, Karl Gatterdam, Natalia Ruetalo, Maria H. Christensen, Caroline I. Fandrey, Sabine Normann, Steffen Pritzl, Jan M. P. Todtmann, Leo Hanke, Jannik Boos, Meng Yuan, Xueyong Zhu, Jonathan Leo Schmid-Burgk, Hiroki Kato, Michael Schindler, Ian A. Wilson, Matthias Geyer, Kerstin U. Ludwig, B. Martin Hallberg, Nicholas C. Wu and Florian I. Schmidt: Structure-guided multivalent nanobodies block SARS-CoV-2 infection and suppress mutational escape. Science; DOI: 10.1126/science.abe6230
First Uniqlo shop in Vietnam, located in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: TTO)

He made the statement during his reception for Osamu Ikezoe, General Director of Uniqlo, the Japanese group in Vietnam on January 11.



According to Chairman Phong, as Ho Chi Minh City is oriented to be built into a shopping center of Southeast Asia in the coming years, the presence of Uniqlo has helped city people to have more choices in garment products.

Every year, the city regularly organises dialogues with Japanese businesses, as well as regularly works with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) to listen to Japanese businesses difficulties and solve their problems, with the desire to provide them the most favorable environment.

Chairman Phong added that the new investment plans of Uniqlo will be a positive highlight in the Vietnam-Japan relationship, helping the relationship between the two sides continue to develop further. He also expressed his hope that Uniqlo consider cooperating with Vietnamese enterprises producing raw materials.

Thanking the city authority for actively supporting Uniqlo in its operation expansion, Mr. Osamu Ikezoe said that Uniqlo will strive to provide the best garment products in Vietnam because it considers Vietnam a potential market, especially Ho Chi Minh City./.
MIAMI, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney, Victor Recondo, partner of Miami-based law firm Solomon, Cooperman & Recondo represented the seller of two vacant lots located at 228 and 302 West Dilido Drive on the Venetian Islands in Miami Beach, Florida. The sale of the waterfront lots, for $15.2 million, appears to beat the prior record sale in the area of $6.5 million for property located at 412 West Dilido Drive in 2016.

"Selling vacant land is never easy for a seller. Buyers will spend considerable amounts of time performing due diligence to ensure acceptable development conditions. Our firm represented the seller in their initial acquisitions of these properties, so we were well positioned to ensure the transaction proceeded swiftly and without any issues," stated Mr. Recondo.

The lots were sold to well-known California based developer, Zach Valle, who has been on Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing" series. Mr. Valle plans to develop the lots into a single-family home mansion for his family.

"This sale represents the continued resiliency of the ultra-high-end market in Miami Beach, despite capital market restrictions fueled by COVID-19. Miami and Miami Beach remain a preferred destination for developers like this, while Florida, as a whole, continues to attract businesses and individuals seeking to take advantage of Florida's favorable tax benefits."

Victor Recondo focuses his practice on complex commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Recondo regularly advises clients on the acquisition, disposition, and financing of commercial real estate. Solomon, Cooperman, & Recondo also represents top real estate developers and homebuilders, as well as major banks, REITS and other investors. The firm advises clients on over $10 billion in real estate assets and projects.

For more information on Solomon, Cooperman & Recondo, please visit the firm's website www.scr-firm.com or contact Mr. Recondo at [email protected].

SOURCE Solomon, Cooperman & Recondo

Related Links

https://www.sfllp.com


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Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The sighting in Florida this week of a manatee with Trump in block letters on its back has prompted an investigation and a plea for help from a nonprofit conservation group.

The Center for Biological Diversity said it was offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction for the cruel and illegal mutilation of a threatened manatee in the Homosassa River in Citrus County, on Floridas Gulf Coast.

It was not immediately clear what was done to the manatee. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that the manatee did not appear to be seriously injured as it seems the word was written in algae on the animals back. The Center for Biological Diversity initially described the writing as having been carved into the manatees back and said it appeared to have caused serious scarring.

Manatees arent billboards, and people shouldnt be messing with these sensitive and imperiled animals for any reason, Jaclyn Lopez, the centers Florida director, said on Monday.
Indoor soft seating will be installed once COVID-19 protocols permit, but everything will remain grab-and-go except the made-to-order barbecue. Firquain said she hopes to expand the offerings eventually to include fresh produce.

We want to be a cool, casual, fun place to hang out, maybe come watch a game and grab some barbecue, Firquain said. Our purpose is to help people feel authentically good through food and space. We like to say were good food for real people.

Firquains previous company in Kansas City distributed its products through retailers, primarily grocery stores.

We knew there had to be a better way to reduce delivery, labor and other costs, she said. We did that by going direct-to-consumer and expanding the offerings.

Statistics show that by 4 p.m. most people still dont know what theyre going to have for dinner, Firquain said.

We want to be another option besides going to a restaurant, ordering takeout, or going to the grocery store, she said.

Does Firquain feel crazy to be starting a business in a pandemic-ravaged economy thats basically in hibernation?

Nope, I dont feel crazy, she said with a laugh. Bill might disagree.
Belaruss government and telecom regulator are concluding three major programs aimed at developing the telecom sector and digital economy.

Considerable progress has been made, in particular enabling the mobile network operators to trial 5G services and extending the reach of fibre infrastructure.

These programs were initiated in 2015 and 2016 while the country experienced declining economic growth and formed part of wider efforts to develop the economy through promoting the digital economy and developing the ICT sector. Such considerations have also encompassed a growing interest in applications relevant for smart cities.

Following the political turmoil of mid-2020 the local currency has depreciated against the US dollar and the euro, and this has placed greater strain on operator revenue.

Although the sector has been reformed, this has not yet resulted in the privatisation of the incumbent, despite the government being pressed to sell state enterprises in a bid to reduce overall debt. Revenue growth for Beltelecom is expected to come from the FttP sector, where much of the companys capex is directed.

The mobile sector has also experienced some growth, with a rise in mobile penetration attributed to effective competition which has helped drive down consumer prices. Operators have concentrated on developing mobile broadband and data services with a view to capitalising on such services to increase ARPU.

Recent spectrum auctions have facilitated the development of mobile broadband access, particularly in rural areas, while the state-sponsored operator beCloud, charged with developing a wholesale-based LTE network, has enabled commercial LTE services to be extended to about 80% of the population.

beCloud is also charged with developing the network infrastructure to support 5G services. It is undergoing the process using spectrum in three bands.

In early 2015 the government decreed that the 1.5% tax on revenue derived from telcos (which was put in place in 2007) should be channelled to developing universal telecom services, particularly aimed at rural areas. In mid-2016 the cash-strapped government increased the tax on all telecom services from 20% to 25%, while a Google tax was imposed from the beginning of 2018.

BuddeComm notes that the Coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments:

A1 Belarus opens standalone 5G service;

Regulator ends roaming charges with Eastern Partnership Initiative countries;

A1 Belarus launches an NB-IoT service, begins deploying GPON networks;

Belarus sees 2.7 million customers connected to GPON;

LTE use reaches 80% of mobile subscribers;

Report update includes regulator data to September 2020, operator data to Q3 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Get a Full Copy of this Report

Developing Telecoms market report summaries are produced in partnership with BuddeCom, the worlds largest continually updated online telecommunications research service.

The above article is a summary of the following BuddeCom report:

Report title: Belarus - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Edition: December 2020

Lead Analyst: Henry Lancaster

Number of pages: 117

Companies mentioned in this report: Beltelecom, Cosmos TV, Minsk TV and Information Networks (MTIS), Teleradio, Belcel, A1 Belarus (MDC), MTS Belarus, BeST life:)

Single User PDF Licence Price: US$750

For more information or to purchase a copy of the full report please use the following link: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Belarus-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?r=83
BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Waltzing Matilda Aviation LLC ("WMA") today announced the acquisition of majority ownership and management responsibility for Exec Air Montana's aircraft charter and management ("ACM") business at the Helena Regional Airport ("HLN").

The acquisition accompanies the sale of Exec Air Montana's full-service business aviation activities to Leading Edge Jet Center, a provider of business aviation and jet fueling services throughout the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West regions, including fixed base operations ("FBO"), a Part 145 aircraft repair station and Montana Medical Transport, a premier regional provider of air medical transport services.

Notably, Exec Air Montana is the only charter operator at the Helena Regional Airport, operating a fleet of six aircraft.

"This acquisition positions WMA with a great platform for growth," said John Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of WMA. "Our partnership with Leading Edge Jet Center provides an opportunity to expand WMA's presence in both the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West regions, strengthening our resilient value offering for customers. We are proud to bring WMA's charter services, which grew over 80% above 2019 levels in 2020, to a new customer base at the Helena Regional Airport."

About Leading Edge Jet Center

Leading Edge Jet Center delivers world-class business aviation and jet fueling services in the United States with bespoke customer care that focuses on providing a seamless travel experience. Offering a range of amenities from aircraft maintenance and storage, to ground transportation and hotel bookings, our passion for elevating the travel experience fuels a deep commitment to our clients and our communities. As a trusted aviation partner, Leading Edge Jet Center prides itself on delivering safe, comfortable and reliable service in all facets of our operations as we enable our customers and their businesses to soar to new heights. Please visit www.LeadingEdgeJet.com for more information.

About Waltzing Matilda Aviation

WMA is a Boston based FAA Part 135 jet charter operator (Certificate number 6WZA614N). WMA began private (Part 91) operations in June 2008 and has operated thousands of hours of safe and reliable flying with a focus on delivering superior customer service. WMA owns and operates both its own aircraft as well as managed aircraft. WMA brings together a group of aviation professionals, many of whom have been involved in jet charter operations in the Boston area for over 20 years. WMA is passionate about flying and dedicated to providing a high quality of service.

WMA was co-founded by John Thomas. John has been actively involved in the aviation industry for the past 35 years, both as a senior operating executive as Group Executive at Virgin Australia Airlines and as a strategic advisor to the global aviation industry. He advised major airlines around the world as well as OEMs, Business & General Aviation, FBOs, airports, and ANSPs. In addition to actively managing WMA, John sits on the Board of Skyservice, the largest Corporate aviation service provider in Canada, as well as the Board of Icelandair Group, and continues to provide advisory services to the broader aviation industry including as Senior Advisor to Spike Aerospace Inc., ATM Consultants Group, and CAPA Centre for Aviation.

Please visit www.wmaviation.org to learn more.

Contact: John Thomas, CEO

(617) 763 3434

[email protected]

SOURCE Waltzing Matilda Aviation LLC

Related Links

www.waltzingmatildaaviation.org


A janitor at a New York hospital admitted last month that he tried to arrange sex at a Burlington County motel with an undercover detective he thought was a 14-year-old girl, officials said.

John Emilio, 43, of Staten Island, pleaded guilty on Dec. 23 to attempted endangering the welfare of children in exchange for a 3-year state prison term, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office announced Monday.

An investigation revealed that Emilio initiated contact in November 2019 with the undercover detective from the Burlington County Prosecutors Office High-Tech Crimes Unit, sent pictures of his naked genitals and said he was very excited that he would be having sex with a girl so young, and looked forward to taking her virginity, the office said in a statement.

Emilio discussed coming to Burlington County to have sex with the girl, either at an unnamed Route 130 motel or inside of his vehicle, but the trip never happened, authorities said.

He was arrested in February 2020 at his home after the execution of a search warrant, the office said. He was working as a janitor an unidentified Staten Island hospital at the time.

Emilio was scheduled to be sentenced on March 24 in Burlington County Superior Court.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The number of foreign visitors who arrived in the country plummeted by 83.7% last year amid coronavirus restrictions, the Department of Tourism said on Tuesday.

In its year-end report for 2020, the DOT said that largely due to border closure, the Philippines only received some 1.3 million international tourists, down from around 8.2 million arrivals in 2019.

The total amount of receipts generated from inbound tourism, or the expenditure of foreign visitors, consequently plunged by 83.12%  from an estimated 482.16 billion in 2019 to 81.4 billion in 2020.

For 2021, the DOT said it will focus on domestic tourism recovery, after the countrys lockdown measures essentially shut down the industry.

Recalibration of targets and refocusing to domestic tourism in the short term will be carried out, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said. Hopefully, with the improvement of community quarantine levels, efforts will be intensified to help revive tourism activities and restore job and livelihood opportunities."

Puyat stressed, however, that there is still a need to further strengthen entry protocols, especially as threats of new and possibly more contagious coronavirus variants loom. It prompted the government to temporarily ban entry of travelers from a number of countries.

READ: PH adds China, four other countries in expanded travel ban

To date, no new coronavirus variant has been detected in the country based on samples taken in November and December, the Department of Health said. According to Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire, the DOH is currently observing global developments on four reported variants, including one supposedly detected in Nigeria.

Geneva: The World Health Organization's chief scientist warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop COVID-19, herd immunity is highly unlikely this year.

At a media briefing on Monday, Dr Soumya Swaminathan said it was critical countries and their populations maintain strict social distancing and other outbreak control measures for the foreseeable future.

In recent weeks, Britain, the US, France, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and others have begun vaccinating millions of their citizens against the coronavirus.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

"Even as vaccines start protecting the most vulnerable, we're not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021," Swaminathan said. "Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it's not going to protect people across the world."

Scientists typically estimate that a vaccination rate of about 70% is needed for herd immunity, where entire populations are protected against a disease. But some fear that the extremely infectious nature of COVID-19 could require a significantly higher threshold.

Dr Bruce Aylward, an adviser to WHO's director-general, said the UN health agency was hoping coronavirus vaccinations might begin later this month or in February in some of the world's poorer countries, calling on the global community to do more to ensure all countries have access to vaccines.

"We cannot do that on our own," Aylward said, saying WHO needed the cooperation of vaccine manufacturers in particular to start immunising vulnerable populations.

Aylward said WHO was aiming to have "a rollout plan" detailing which developing countries might start receiving vaccines next month.

Still, the majority of the world's COVID-19 vaccine supply has already been bought by rich countries.

The UN-backed initiative known as COVAX, which is aiming to deliver shots to developing countries is short of vaccines, money and logistical help as donor countries scramble to protect their own citizens, particularly in the wake of newly detected COVID-19 variants in Britain and South Africa, which many officials are blaming for increased spread.

WHO, however, said that most of the recent spikes in transmission were due to "the increased mixing of people" rather than the new variants.

WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, said that the spike in cases in numerous countries was detected before the new variants were identified. Van Kerkhove noted that during the summer, COVID-19 cases were down to single digits in most countries across Europe.

"We lost the battle because we changed our mixing patterns over the summer, into the fall and especially around Christmas and the new year," she said, explaining that many people had multiple contacts with family and friends over the holidays.

"That has had a direct impact on the exponential growth that you have seen in many countries," she said, describing the case count increase in some places as "vertical".

Dr Michael Ryan, WHO's emergencies chief, said while there is some evidence variants may be speeding the spread of COVID-19, "there is no evidence that variants are driving any element of severity".

He said the variants shouldn't alter countries strategies for controlling outbreaks.

"It doesn't change what you do, but it gives the virus some new energy," Ryan said.

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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The terrifying attack on the Capitol has done little to upend the preparations President-elect Joe Biden is making for the beginning of his administration in nine days, for the worst of reasons: It is only one of several calamities that will confront the new president and his administration.

His advisers have recommitted to holding his swearing-in and inaugural speech on the steps of the Capitol, in the same place where a Trump-propelled mob pressed through a line of Capitol Police officers to storm the building. Biden said Monday that he was "not afraid" of taking the oath outside.

The administration-to-be's priorities as they prepare to confront twin coronavirus and economic dilemmas as well as the nation's obvious political divisions also have not changed, advisers say. This week, he will more fully unveil a covid-19 relief package in the trillions of dollars aimed at speeding vaccinations, helping the unemployed and reopening schools.

He has shrugged off questions about whether President Donald Trump should be impeached, deferring to members of Congress but saying they and he need to hit the ground running when he is sworn in Jan. 20. On Monday, entertaining the subject more seriously than he had before, he raised the prospect of a bifurcated system in which Congress would take up impeachment and other pressing matters on parallel tracks.

When it comes to the most visible symbol of the change in administrations, Biden's team and other observers have argued that the image of him taking the oath of office in a traditional setting, with Vice President Mike Pence in attendance, carries even more significance because of the insurrection.

"His inaugural will be important for U.S. history, in the reaffirmation of our democratic rituals," Doug Brinkley, an author, historian and professor at Rice University, said. "The whole world is looking at the Congress being ransacked. But if we can pull out a peaceful inaugural and Mike Pence is onstage, it will send a message to the world that we have not been derailed."

In a dozen interviews, aides and allies described a Biden team that is redoubling efforts to prepare for what they already expected would be a mammoth multi-front challenge. But they see it less as taking over at democracy's darkest moment than crafting a brighter dawn.

To them, last week's events crystallized all the warnings Biden had made throughout the campaign about the dangers of Trump. It illustrated in starker ways than he ever could have the need to unify the country, even if it simultaneously made that task all the more difficult.

It also, in the view of Biden's team, confirmed anew the campaign's portrayal of Biden as a no-drama grown-up who would, with his administration's raft of experienced hands, gain ground on the coronavirus pandemic, the economic collapse and the explosions of social discontent that Trump's chaotic, undisciplined team only fumbled. Those matters remain the focus for the early days of the administration.

"My priority, first and foremost, is to get the stimulus bill passed and, secondly, begin to rebuild the economy," Biden said Monday when asked about impeachment.

He added, however, that it was "critically important that there be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition . . . that they be held accountable."

Incoming staffers said the chaos at the Capitol justified the reasons they chose to work for Biden in the first place and why they repeated his lines about fighting for the soul of America, even when their millennial friends rolled their eyes.

Yet even as they are preparing to take on their new jobs, some staffers have come face-to-face with a Washington whose milieu had been dramatically altered by the events of last week.

During a staffwide call with the Biden transition team Friday, incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain acknowledged that many have deep ties to Capitol Hill and, in some cases, are working for members of Congress.

He, along with Yohannes Abraham, the transition's executive director, conveyed that "we all feel incredibly close to the events of this week," according to a Biden aide on the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect the private conversation. "But it's just a reminder of how serious the times are and what the task ahead of us is."

"This campaign has really run its own playbook and in terms of ignoring the noise," the aide noted, "and just doing what they want to do, and they've been pretty successful at that."

In smaller, more personal ways, the last week has been jarring. One longtime Biden aide, while walking the aisles at a grocery store in a Washington neighborhood, came upon a half dozen MAGA-clad Trump supporters picking out ready-made meals just before a citywide curfew took effect Wednesday. There was no confrontation but, from the Biden aide's view, a feeling of coming face-to-face with the very forces that he worked to defeat.

"This," the aide thought, "is why we won."

As the attacks unfolded, Black aides to Biden at all levels sent texts and emails lamenting the clear difference between the light response to a crowd of mostly White rioters versus the militarized response to racial justice protesters over the summer, according to a Biden aide.

"The discussions and messages noted that if we had been doing the same, we would likely be dead," said the aide, who was not authorized to discuss internal conversations. Biden later made the same comparison publicly.

Still, Biden's approach has been disconnected from the angry mood among congressional Democrats, who favor the impeachment of Trump and the resignations of some of their Trump-supporting colleagues. Biden has declined to join either effort.

"We need a Republican Party," he said Friday, lavishing praise on Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.. "We need an opposition that is principled and strong."

Biden has suggested he doesn't see the practical need to introduce articles of impeachment so close to Trump's departure, although he has discussed overall strategy with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer, N.Y.

Biden and his advisers have held firm to his belief that the country's partisan nerves will eventually calm. Those around him say he remains unconcerned that a majority of House Republicans tried to overturn the election results last week even after the attack on the Capitol, which suggested a persistent partisan battle ahead.

"We're not naive, and neither is he, about the fact that bipartisanship and working together to get the business done for the American people will not be done overnight," incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

But, she added, he wasn't dwelling on appealing to those who have sown false doubt in the election results.

"I wouldn't say he's given it another thought," Psaki said. "We're looking ahead to Inauguration Day."

Biden has repeatedly tapped longtime government officials to fill jobs in his administration on the belief that they know the intricate details of how the vast federal bureaucracy works. Almost everyone he has appointed has served in government before, in the Obama administration or earlier.

Those officials have experience with political opposition but not the kinds of violent outbursts and physical threats Trump has brought into the national discourse.

"They take the Biden commitment of healing much more seriously," said Hilary Rosen, the vice chair of SKDK, a Democratic consulting firm with close ties to Biden's orbit. "So many of them are former Hill staffers and feel kinship with the staffs and members up there."

While she noted that Wednesday's events were "very scary," she also said she believes the murderous riot has accelerated the process of loosening Trump's grip on the Republican Party's elite.

"I think they also see an opportunity, particularly in the Senate, that the majority of the GOP are very ready to turn the page past Trump," Rosen said.

Jason Furman, who chaired the White House's Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration and knows many in Biden's senior team, said the incoming administration has been preparing for decades.

"The transition has been preparing for covid and the economy incredibly extensively in the run-up to the election, frankly much more than we did for the Obama campaign in 2008," he said.

"There's a real expanded sense of possibility," he said, pointing to the surprise Democratic victories in two Senate runoffs in Georgia, which will give the party the narrowest-possible majority in the chamber. "Two weeks ago, there was a fear that a lot of the agenda couldn't get done. Now, there's a sort of excitement, but nervousness of the responsibility, that a lot more of the agenda can get done."

Several incoming White House officials said they did not fear for their own safety in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the Capitol. Many of them at this point don't even know if they'll be working at the White House complex or continuing to do their jobs from home.

They also largely attribute the storming of the Capitol to the lack of preparedness by the Capitol Police and point to the enhanced security that Biden and Harris will enjoy, as well as the significant preparations that have gone into planning the inauguration.

The inauguration is deemed a National Special Security Event, which brings in a wide range of federal agencies and law enforcement officials to create a broad security perimeter, with road closures and barriers around the Capitol. Most of the traditional activities surrounding the swearing-in, such as celebratory balls and the inaugural parade, had already been canceled or rendered virtual due to the coronavirus.

Biden and inauguration planners would not discuss security matters publicly but have repeatedly said they were comfortable moving forward with the event and still view it as important that it be public. In statements put out by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, they have noted the need to honor "long-standing inaugural traditions" by providing "the American people with the iconic images of a new president."

"I am not concerned - about my safety, security or the inauguration," Biden said shortly after the Capitol attack. "I am not concerned. The American people are going to stand up and stand up now. Enough is enough is enough."

Staff are more concerned about the logistics of safely relocating to Washington during a pandemic, concerns over contracting covid-19 during a possible commute to work and determining child care, which has constricted during the epidemic.

Three dozen incoming officials are scheduled to get their first dose of the vaccine this week, and Biden received his second dose Monday.

Historians are forced to reach deep into the country's past to find any close parallels to the challenges that Biden now faces.

"We're a traumatized America," Brinkley said. "It's like Harry Truman coming in after FDR died or Gerald Ford after Nixon in Watergate. People are desperate to heal the partisan divide. But I keep thinking about the saying, 'The only way out is through.'"

Franklin Roosevelt had to pull the country out of the Great Depression and fight off the rise of fascism. Richard Nixon faced decisions about Vietnam, and Gerald Ford had to attempt to restore public faith in government after Nixon's resignation.

But few incoming presidents have been as undercut by their predecessor as Biden has been by Trump. In a final slap, Trump has refused to attend Biden's inauguration.

"Even Herbert Hoover hated Franklin Roosevelt and yet rode with him to the inauguration and accepted the fact that there would be a peaceful transition," said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian who has written several books on Roosevelt.

"This does put the country on new ground," he said. "We've never seen anything like this before."
The US Army is poised to remove a lieutenant from the service over his comments making light of the Holocaust on TikTok, where he has amassed a 3.8million following.

Lt Gen Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, the commander of the Army's XVII Airborne Corps, has recommended that Second Lieutenant Nathan Freihofer be ousted from the Army following a five-month investigation into his August 28 TikTok post.

Freihofer, a field artillery officer stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, posted the video that was later removed by TikTok.

Army 2nd Lt Nathan Freihofer is facing the prospect of being booted from the military for making a joke on TikTok making light of the Holocaust in August. 'If you get offended, get the f*** out because it's a joke,' he says in the clip

Freihofer currently serves as a field artillery officer stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia

In the brief clip, Freihofer jokes that of all the Pokemon characters, Jews would be most fond of Ash - a reference to Ash Ketchum, but also to the incineration of men, women and children in Nazi death camps.

Freihofer appears eager to provoke a reaction, telling his followers: If you get offended, get the f*** out because its a joke.

During a five-month investigation into his conduct, Freihofer was stripped of leadership roles within the 3rd Infantry Division

In the wake of the backlash sparked by the officer's comments, Freihofer was stripped of leadership roles within the 3rd Infantry Division, reported Stars and Stripes.

Kurilla found Freihofer's statement to be 'inconsistent with the values of Army service and inappropriate for anyone in a position of leadership over American Soldiers,' said Army Col. Joseph Buccino, a spokesman.

Based on that assessment, which was informed by conversations with the officer's superiors and a review of his military records, the commander last month initiated the process of separation.

Freihofer has two weeks to present a final argument defending himself before he can be removed from uniform, Buccino said.

The lieutenant has emerged as a prolific and popular social media influencer on both TikTok and Instagram, frequently posting videos and photos of himself working out, singing, or sharing inspirational messages with his legion of followers.

His most recent post on Instagram from three days ago shows the officer modeling a sweatshirt by the streetwear brand Rawgear, which he has been promoting.

DailyMail,com on Tuesday reached out to the company seeking comment on its relationship with Freihofer in the wake of the controversy.

The commander of Army's XVII Airborne Corps recommended ousting Freihofer after finding his comment 'inconsistent with the values of Army service'

Freihofer has two weeks to present his final argument defending himself

His video featuring the tasteless Holocaust joke was removed by TikTok for violating the company's policies against hate speech.

Reaction on social media was swift as outraged Twitter users demanded that the Army take action against Freihofer.

Lt. Nathan Freihofer's joke is not only offensive, it dishonors the memory of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against Nazi tyranny, the American Jewish Committee tweeted at the time.


The Central New York Chapter of the National Organization for Women join those calling for the immediate removal of Donald Trump from the presidency. His most recent treasonous act, calling for the assault on the Capitol to stop election certification proceedings, is just the latest in a long list of reckless and unstable acts.

Trump summoned militant thugs, clad in Trump and Confederacy gear, to the Capitol. He told them to overrun the building and grounds and then they vandalized the Capitol Building. When the siege was over he publicly praised the criminals for their efforts.

We have seen this before when he praised White Nationalists who rioted in his name in Charlottesville, and when he repeatedly vilified Black Lives Matter protests across the country. We saw it at each of the events he held during his term where he repeated a set of lies designed to stigmatize certain people. He railed against the election for months and attended election events for Republican candidates across the country, spreading lies intended to wreck our democracy and undermine elections in this country.

Even today he continues to claim the presidential election was fraught with fraud. He spreads rumors and conspiracy theories with no basis in fact.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels Office claimed victories in two separate court rulings Monday related to unresolved election fraud lawsuits.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it wont expedite the hearing of a federal lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump voters against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the city of Detroit and others related to unfounded election fraud claims.

The Supreme Courts decision put another nail in the coffin on the bogus claims of widespread fraud in Michigans election, Nessel said following the decision Monday.

The second ruling involves a motion filed in a state lawsuit by attorneys for William Bailey of Central Lake in Antrim County, who claims Dominion Voting Systems ballot tabulation machines contributed to inaccurate and potentially corrupted election results.

Related: Dominion sues Trump lawyer Sidney Powell for defamation

Judge Kevin Elsenheimer of the 13th Circuit Court in Antrim County on Dec. 6 granted Bailey permission to further analyze the countys 22 tabulation machines. Bailey and his counsel then requested the identities of their selected analysts be withheld from the public. Elsenheimer denied that request, according to the AGs Office.

Antrim Countys failure to properly update its Dominion voting software initially resulted in incorrect reports of unofficial results, but the error was captured and corrected within two days.

Once it was realized the totals generated by the county-level software didnt match the precinct results, Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy, a Republican, said she and her staff manually reentered results from about 30 feet of printout tapes from each of her 16 precincts and 15 townships.

The county later performed a hand recount that identified 12 more votes for Trump, about .07% of the total votes cast.

Trump and his supporters used the Antrim County error to perpetuate broader, dubious claims of a Democratic conspiracy and fraud intended to steal the election from Trump.

The erroneous reporting of unofficial results from Antrim county was a result of accidental error on the part of the Antrim County clerk, Bensons office said. The equipment and software did not malfunction and all ballots were properly tabulated. However, the clerk accidentally did not update the software used to collect voting machine data and report unofficial results.

Trump and his supporters have frequently pointed to Dominion Voting Systems machines, which are used widely in Michigan and across the nation, as a possible source of election fraud, although there is no evidence to support the claims.

Iowa University Professor Douglas W. Jones, whos worked with election software for a quarter century, told MLive most election software is often lacking in sophistication and could be improved to catch human error more efficiently, but he hadnt seen any evidence to support claims of corruption.

Trump began claiming election fraud on a large scale well before initial votes were tabulated, claims that have led to countless failed or dismissed lawsuits across Michigan and the nation.

More on MLive:

Software isnt good at detecting human error

Election recount, legal challenges unlikely to overturn Bidens win in Michigan

Republicans pushed election lies and armed protests, but say their rhetoric didnt spur U.S. Capitol chaos

Michigan Democrats support Trumps removal as House moves to start impeachment

Domestic terrorism represents growing threat to United States
Press Release

12 January 2021

Singapore - CapitaLand's wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott) has added a record of over 14,200 units across 71 properties globally for 2020. Despite COVID-19, this exceeds the number of units secured in 2019, marking a fourth consecutive year of record growth for Ascott. In China, Ascott has also achieved an 80% year-on-year growth in units compared to 2019[1]. The new properties secured will boost Ascott's annual fee income by over S$27 million as they progressively open and stabilise.

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Since October 2020, Ascott added more than 4,900 units across 23 properties. This includes over 3,800 units across 17 properties in China. Ascott will make its first foray into the city of Yangzhou while expanding in other cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan. Among the newly secured properties are two rental housing properties in Shanghai and Hangzhou, marking Ascott's increased presence in China's high growth rental housing sector. As China continues to urbanise, an estimated 252 million tenants will make up a RMB3 trillion rental market by 2025[2]. Outside of China, Ascott has sealed contracts for over 1,000 new units across 6 properties. They are in markets such as Doha, Qatar; Manila, Philippines; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; as well as Binh Duong and Danang in Vietnam where Ascott will introduce its first lyf coliving property and first Citadines Connect business hotel in the country.

Mr Kevin Goh, CapitaLand's Chief Executive Officer for Lodging and Ascott's Chief Executive Officer, said: "COVID-19 has validated the resilience of Ascott's business model as property owners continue to sign new management and franchise contracts with us, allowing us to achieve our fourth consecutive year of record growth in 2020. Through these new contracts, we continue to build our future recurring fee income stream. In 2021, over 80 properties with about 17,000 units are slated to open across the world. This includes over 70 properties with more than 15,000 units in Asia Pacific which is expected to lead the global economic recovery. We will continue to look for opportunities to expand our presence through management contracts, franchises, strategic alliances, and stand ready to seize good investment opportunities."

Mr Goh added: "While we were not spared the short-term operational impact of COVID-19, we believe that the fundamental demand for lodging remains intact and will bounce back quickly once the global pandemic is brought under control. In the meantime, we continue to seek new opportunities amid the crisis. We have capitalised on Ascott's well-designed and spacious serviced apartments to tap on domestic demand while pursuing new businesses. Ascott's new businesses such as the 'Work in Residence' and 'Space-as-a-Service' initiatives have generated more than S$91 million[3] in 2020. With the global roll out of vaccines and testing protocols to facilitate the gradual resumption of international travel, Ascott will emerge stronger and deliver greater value for our partners and guests."

Mr Tan Tze Shang, Ascott's Managing Director for China and Head of Business Development for China, said: "Ascott's business in China continues to lead our global expansion. We have achieved record growth in new units and about half of the properties opened globally are in China. In key cities, our properties such as Ascott Heng Shan Shanghai, Ascott Aden Shenzhen, Ascott IFC Guangzhou, and Raffles City Residence Beijing, have strong average occupancy rate of over 90%[3]. In 2021, we are slated to open three lyf coliving properties in Hangzhou, Shanghai and Xi'an to cater to the fast-expanding demographic of millennial and millennial-minded customers. The first of our three rental housing properties in China is also slated to open in Hangzhou in 3Q 2021. These new lodging options will enable Ascott to expand our customer reach and product offerings to business partners in China."

Mr Tan added: "Ascott's expansion into the rental housing segment taps on the growing demand from young, mobile workers as well as returning students from abroad who are looking to rent quality fully furnished homes in the tier one and tier two cities on a long-term basis in China. We have also infused new technologies into the more traditional rental housing sector by enabling our guests to pay rent and utilities, submit requests and book facilities digitally to increase guest satisfaction and improve operational efficiency."

In 2020, Ascott opened 25 new properties adding over 3,900 units to its global inventory. This includes the opening of 10 properties with more than 1,800 units in China. In the last quarter of 2020, new properties were opened in Australia, China and Thailand. The new properties include Quest Ballarat Station, Quest Preston and Quest Wangaratta in Australia; as well as Citadines Yunlong Lake Xuzhou and Tujia Somerset Yunlong Lake Xuzhou in China.

Leveraging digital capabilities to support Ascott's growth

Amidst the COVID-19 situation, Ascott continued to leverage and upgrade its digital capabilities to support Ascott's growth, enhance its guests' experience and ensure their safety.

Ascott completed the migration of its customer relationship management and property management systems to a cloud enterprise solution. The move enables Ascott to increase operational efficiency and further enhance guest experience across its properties worldwide. The check-in process is shortened, and the creation of an automated workflow management system allows efficient tracking and management of operations such as housekeeping services in real-time. A new data analytics platform was also introduced to provide greater value for Ascott's corporate clients.

Ascott's service robot, Aria will be deployed to selected properties in Singapore in 2021. Aria is one of the contactless technologies that Ascott has introduced to its properties in China. Guests can call upon Aria to perform a suite of tasks such as concierge services, leading guests to the rooms or facilities, delivering clean laundry and packages, and refilling room supplies. Aria is also able to interface independently with the property's vending machine to bring guests their ordered items via a mobile app.

To minimise physical contact and reduce check-in time, Ascott has installed self check-in kiosk with facial recognition technology in selected properties in China and Singapore. In Singapore, Ascott has worked with Singapore Tourism Board to install an E-Visitor Authentication system at Ascott Orchard Singapore where guests can scan their passports at the kiosk and their data will be sent to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to verify the validity of their stay, providing seamless check-in. In addition, Ascott has launched an automated room key card verification system which enables guests in China to simply tap their room key cards on the card reader installed in the property's breakfast lounge and head straight for their breakfast without the need for its staff to verify the guests' breakfast entitlements manually.

Ascott's loyalty programme Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) tapped on numerous digital initiatives to support the company's expansion, increasing ASR members by 45% over 2019. The new Discover ASR mobile app is a one-stop 24/7 digital concierge, providing greater value and flexibility for ASR members to enhance their experience with Ascott. Through the app, ASR members can search for special deals and book their stay at about 200 participating properties in over 25 countries and more than 85 cities. Guests can also access their apartments via the app's digital key feature. Other ASR initiatives supporting Ascott's growth include the purchase of ASR points online, as well as the ASR Elite Status Match and CapitaStar-ASR Points Exchange which allow ASR members to gain more points or upgrade their membership tier.

Notes:

[1] Ascott achieves record high signing of over 5,600 units in China to date despite COVID-19

https://www.capitaland.com/international/en/about-capitaland/newsroom/news-releases/international/2020/oct/ascott-achieves-record-high-signings-of-over-5600-units-in-china-in-2020-despite-covid-19.html



[2] China Rental Housing Association.

[3] As at 31 December 2020.


Sydney University has major concerns about the extra land near the entrance to Western Sydney Airport that the government plans to compulsorily acquire from it for construction of a train line.

The $11 billion train line from St Marys to Bringelly will cut through the properties of both the university and large Sydney developer Roy Medich at the northern end of the airport. Their properties neighbour each other at the "northern gateway" to the international airport.

Major earthworks are under way at the site of Western Sydney Airport. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The Mediches are also pushing for a reversal of a decision not to build a train station on their 343-hectare property, as well as seeking changes to the planned road and rail corridors in the area. They argue in a submission on the rail project the corridors will create "isolated pockets of land that will be difficult to develop".

Land belonging to the Mediches and the university's McGarvie-Smith Farm on Elizabeth Drive are among 61 properties that will be fully or partially acquired for the Sydney Metro Greater West rail line. Eleven will also be leased temporarily along the 23-kilometre rail corridor.
Tuesday, January 12, 2021

BELLEVUE, WA  A 61 percent increase in homicides last year is proof positive Seattles egregious tax on firearms and ammunition sales amounts to a fraud and should immediately be repealed, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

Seattle city leaders rammed through this gun tax over our objections back in 2015, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb recalled. It has never come close to creating the tax revenue that was predicted, and the number of homicides and non-fatal shootings has not gone down. Claims that this tax would help reduce violent crime amounted to nothing more than a snake oil sales pitch.

Published reports place the number of murders in the city last year at 50, up from the 31 posted in 2019. It is also up dramatically from the 32 killings in 2018 and 27 logged in 2017, according to Seattle Police Department data.

The gun tax was an outrage when it was adopted and now it is officially a disastrous failure, Gottlieb observed. The tax literally drove business out of the city and into a neighboring county, resulting in a loss of revenue, and its pretty clear the actual intent was to push gun stores out and make it harder for Seattle residents to purchase firearms and ammunition. Obviously, when you do that, only criminals will be armed and crime will go up.

We call on the Seattle City Council to repeal this extremist tax and admit publicly it has been an unmitigated failure, he continued. When any program fails so miserably while penalizing the wrong people there can be no other responsible course of action than to abolish the program and vow never to repeat the mistake.

Of course, Gottlieb added, we dont expect the city to admit anything, especially that its gun control scheme is wrong and always has been.

Proponents of the gun tax originally forecast annual revenue between $300,000 to $500,000. CCRKBA has kept track and actual revenue has not come close. In 2016, the city collected $103,766, and in 2017 the take declined to $93,220. In 2018, the number fell again, to $75,518 and in 2019, revenue bounced up slightly to $85,352.

Revenue returns have been pitiful, Gottlieb stated, but not nearly as pathetic as the citys incompetence in adopting the tax in the first place. The current situation was more predictable than winter rain in Seattle.
It has been a difficult year for several families and our hope is that this contribution can help bring joy to those who need it most.

Jim Ellis Automotive Group donated $65,000 to The Empty Stocking Fund (ESF) raised through their annual Holiday Giving Campaign. The fundraiser has been a long-standing holiday tradition in which a portion of all new or pre-owned vehicle sales are donated to a deserving organization. The groups Holiday Giving Campaign took place from November 27 to December 31, 2020 with all 19 Jim Ellis family-owned and operated dealerships participating in the cause-based event.

It gives my team and I great honor to lend a helping hand to children and families in the communities we serve, said Jimmy Ellis, president of Jim Ellis Automotive Group. It has been a difficult year for several families and our hope is that this contribution can help bring joy to those who need it most.

Each year, ESF serves tens of thousands of metro Atlanta children in need where nearly 200,000 gift items are distributed. Children from birth through 12 years of age living in the metro Atlanta area and surrounding counties are eligible to receive gifts from the Empty Stocking Fund. The nonprofit organization provides toys and gifts to disadvantaged children during the holiday season and school supplies throughout the year to support positive social and emotional development and academic success.

This is an extraordinary honor and we are so grateful for this gift. This donation will help us serve more than 3,000 children this holiday season and it comes at a time when need is greater than ever, said Manda Hunt, executive director of The Empty Stocking Fund. This is also the single largest donation our organization has ever received in our nearly 100 years of history. This donation will go a very long way during a very difficult time.

The donation was made just prior to the end of the event so as not to keep ESF from missing out on having these donation funds to spend on children for Christmas 2020. This donation will provide 3,000-4,000 children with gift packages this holiday season and marks the largest donation that ESF has received since their inception in 1927.

About Jim Ellis Automotive Group

Jim Ellis Automotive Group has been serving the Atlanta area since 1971, starting with Volkswagen as the flagship brand. The group has expanded to 15 brands and 19 dealerships covering Atlanta, Buford, Kennesaw, Marietta and McDonough. Visit them online at http://www.jimellis.com.

About The Empty Stocking Fund

For nearly 100 years The Empty Stocking Fund (ESF) brought joy to the lives of disadvantaged children by providing toys and gifts during the holiday season. In 2019, ESF expanded its programs to include a school supply distribution to support positive social and emotional development and academic success. http://www.emptystockingfund.org/
France: 7 arrests in probe on beheading of professor Suspects in chat with Anzorov, killer of Samuel Paty

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, JANUARY 12 - Seven youths between the ages of 17 and 21 were detained on Tuesday in several regions of France as part of the investigation on the murder of Samuel Paty, a teacher who was beheaded last October in front of his school in a banlieu of Paris, according to sources close to the investigation.



The names of the suspects emerged ''on different chat groups that included Abdoullakh Anzorov'', the young Russian Chechen who beheaded the professor who had shown to his students a few days before the caricatures of Mohamed. Some of the suspects detained are from Chechnya, according to the sources. (ANSAmed).



(ANSA).




More than 2,100 health care workers also received first doses at health department clinics last week, with the help of volunteers from other county agencies, the health department said. Clinics for those health care workers to receive their second doses are scheduled for Feb. 4 and 5.
Washington, Jan 12 : The US has added Cuba to the list of "State Sponsor of Terrorism", a move to constrain the incoming Joe Biden administration's efforts to improve relations with Havana.

In a statement on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Cuba was designated for "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbour to terrorists", Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement cited that Cuba harboured several US fugitives from justice and supported According to the statement, the designation would result in sanctions that penalise persons and countries engaging in certain trade with Cuba; restricts US foreign assistance; ban defence exports and sales; and impose certain controls on exports of dual-use items.

In addition to Cuba, the State Department currently lists Syria, Iran and North Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.

The action by the outgoing administration of Donald Trump has immediately drawn condemnation from Cuba and US Democrats.

"We condemn the US announced hypocritical and cynical designation of Cuba as a State sponsoring terrorism. The US political opportunism is recognised by those who are honestly concerned about the scourge of terrorism and its victims," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy blasted the move as a "blatantly politicised designation".

"In fact, domestic terrorism in the United States poses a far greater threat to Americans than Cuba does.

"Secretary Pompeo has self-righteously defended Donald Trump's worst foreign policy failures, and on his way out the door he seems intent on making things as difficult as possible for his successor," he said in a statement.

President-elect Joe Biden previously slammed Trump's policies on Cuba, saying he would "try to reverse the failed Trump policies that inflicted harm on Cubans and their families".

In October, Biden had said that the US needed a new Cuba policy, though it remained unclear how quickly Biden would implement his policy on the island.

Cuba had been placed on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1982.

In March 2016, Barack Obama became the first sitting US President to visit Cuba since 1928 following the warming of bilateral relations that began in December 2014, ending a 54-year stretch of hostility.

But tensions between Cuba and the US worsened after Trump took office in 2014.

The Trump administration has increased the trade embargo, first imposed in 1962, which has banned American flights to Cuban cities except Havana; barred cruise ships and yachts from visiting the island; and limited remittances Cuban-Americans send to their families on the island.

Washington has also re-instated Cuba into a list of countries that "do not fully cooperate with the US counter-terrorism efforts".

The decision prohibits the sale or license for the export of defence articles and services to the nations contained in the blacklist.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Key Takeaways:

Machine learning can be an effective tool to set competitive prices.

Artificial intelligence has its limits on how to set the most effective prices due to variables beyond the seller's control.

Over the long term, supracompetitive pricing can result.

CATONSVILLE, MD, January 12, 2021 - Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are perfectly suited to help companies and marketers monitor and set prices based on real-time dynamic pricing. But new research has identified some possible unintended consequences of AI in this area.

Machine learning algorithms don't always account for factors outside of the seller's control, such as competitor prices. Researchers found that if AI algorithms are setting prices over the long term, a monopolistic price effect is possible, essentially creating a collusive pricing environment in the marketplace. This represents a challenge for policymakers as the researchers show that independent AI pricing algorithms can result in supracompetitive market outcomes.

The research study to be published in the January issue of the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, "Algorithmic Collusion: Supracompetitive Prices via Independent Algorithms," is authored by Karsten Hansen and Kanishka Misra of the University of California, San Diego, and Mallesh Pai from Rice University.

The researchers study a setting where competitive online retailers are using machine learning algorithms to set real-time prices. Researchers add to a growing body of literature that has raised concerns that such algorithms might induce collusive pricing behavior. The authors then contributed to this literature and find that independent algorithms, without observing competitive prices, can result in supracompetitive prices.

Machine learning algorithms automate a pricing experimentation to learn the profit maximizing price. The researchers show the market outcome of independent firms using these algorithms depends on the quality of short pricing experiments. "We were able to show that where our price experiments had high information value (low noise), competitors' prices from independent algorithms inadvertently became correlated, and over time, prices became supracompetitive," said Misra. "This means that a consequence of using AI for pricing could be creating an atmosphere of price collusion in a given marketplace, leading to a monopolistic pricing effect."

"The real-world impacts are quite broad," said Hansen. "The machine learning algorithms rely upon the informational value of the underlying pricing experiment data, and not all of the variables that feed market outcomes, such as competitors' prices, may be accessible to those systems. Our results provide guidance for when machine learning algorithms are less reliable for setting prices."

"We believe the identification of this pattern raises fresh practical concerns for managers and policymakers," said Pai. "The challenge for regulators in the future will be to strike a balance. There are existing antitrust concerns about algorithms that set collusive prices when tracking competitors' prices (e.g., through implicit threats of retaliation)." Pai continued, "Here we show that similar effects can occur even when the algorithms explicitly do not account for competitors' prices. They will need to take into account factors beyond the scope of what algorithms can identify and track, while working to ensure that competitive pricing does not always mean the same, monopolistic pricing structures."

###

About INFORMS and Marketing Science
Some parents and guardians are dreading the financial implications the reopening of schools will have on them just after the Christmas and News Year festivities, amid the continuous threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods.



According to them, although the return to school after such festivities was not new, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the situation, especially when businesses were yet to fully recover.



The parents and guardians, many of whom had their children and wards mostly in private educational establishments, said this in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic.



They indicated that unlike the past where they only paid fees after the yuletide, this time round, they were going to buy books, among other things.



Address



In his 21st address to the nation, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the reopening of basic schools on January 18, 2021, with the observation of all the COVID-19 pandemic etiquettes.



Schools were shut down throughout the country from March 16 last year due to the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.



Parents



Nana Adwoa, who works as a secretary, noted that the bill for her three children sent by their school was GH6,100.



She said the first child entering junior high school (JHS) form two was to pay GH2,700 while the other two entering classes five and three would be paying GH1,700 each covering school fees and books aside their feeding and transportation.



Asked what she would do under the situation, she said they would negotiate with the school authorities because, we have been their customers over the years and they know what we all have been through for some 10 months now".



A seamstress, Ms Sarah Asiamah, who also has three children in primary and junior high school, wondered how she was going to handle the purchase of educational materials and the fees of the children.



She said although she was yet to receive the bill from her children's school, she was aware of what was going to happen in terms of fees.



When school was in full session before closure, she paid GHC 1,500 without books, uniforms, feeding and transportation.



"Now I am going to do all of this again just after the Christmas. Because of the COVID-19, I was not able to make money as people were not sewing.



In fact, I am dreading the situation ahead," she said and pleaded with school authorities to understand the plight of their clients with the return to school.



Announcement



A fruits seller at the Kasoa Old Market, Ms Ophelia Owusu, said the announcement by the President for pupils to return to school was too short to raise money.



With four children, she said sending all of them to school at the private facility at once would be difficult, adding that she might start with two and then send the other two later.



A single mother of three, Ms Cecelia Mensah, said under the current situation, private schools should be considerate in their demand for fees since people were now recovering from the devastating effects of COVID-19.



"I have to pay the fees and buy books for my children and it is not going to be easy. I have already called the head of my children's school and told him about my situation but he asked the children to report when the school reopens, hoping that things get better," she said.



Private school



A mechanic, Kwesi Obeng, with four children, said he would not be able to meet the school fees of his children and so "I have taken the decision to send my children to a public school. I have spoken to one of the heads who is my customer and he has agreed to help me".



His oldest daughter, he said was also going to the university and that alone was a problem, saying that he would do whatever possible to ensure all his children had education no matter the situation.



Mr Julius Ansah, a father of two, noted that he did not have much problem because his children were in a public school, adding that "for school, I don't have any problem and so I am not under any pressure".



His worry, was with the safety of the children but "in all, it is good that they are going back to school after sitting at home for more than nine months"



Safety



Mr Martin Ansah, a nurse at the Ridge Hospital, said he was not too concerned about the financial implications of schools reopening but that his problem had to do with the safety of the children, especially those in lower primary and pre-school.



He said the children were not mature enough to observe the COVID-19 protocols.



A mother of four, Mrs Sedi Kumi said in order to ease the financial burden of the reopening of schools on parents, the government should support the private schools in whatever way it could so that they also could reduce their fees for the first semester.



"I believe the government can do something about the situation. For instance, the government can suspend the taxes they pay for a period and other things so they can also do something about their fees," she suggested.





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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New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said that Iran has released 25 Indian fishermen who were detained with their Bahraini boats.

I am happy to inform that 25 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were detained by Iranian Coast Guards since March 2017 with 5 Bahraini boats have been released and repatriated to Bahrain, Swaraj tweeted.

She also thanked the Indian Embassy in Tehran, appreciating their relentless efforts for facilitating the release.

I appreciate the relentless efforts of Indian Embassy in Tehran for securing their release, she said.

I am happy to inform that 25 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were detained by Iranian Coast Guards since March 2017 /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 8, 2017

ALSO READ | Sushma Swaraj and Indian Embassy to help even if you are stuck on the Mars



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

Mr. Goldsmith told one of his children that his family had been protected by a Christian family in Iwje. While a memorial book about Iwje says that the Goldschmidts were aided in their escape by partisans, Mr. Goldsmith later said that he and his father had spent time in the woods alone.

They eventually joined with the Bielski partisans, a celebrated group of Jewish resistance fighters led by the three charismatic Bielski brothers, he said. His father built shelters and bunkers for the partisans, who rescued hundreds of Jews before Soviet forces swept through the region in 1944.

After the war, the Goldschmidts joined tens of thousands of other Holocaust survivors in making their way to Italy, where Western forces had set up displaced persons camps. The pair spent several years living outside Castel Gandolfo, the popes summer residence near Rome, where Mr. Goldsmith learned Italian from the nuns who ran the camp.

Many at the camp hoped to move to Palestine, and to prepare them, representatives of the Jewish Agency for Israel operated a hachsharot, a form of training station, where the refugees learned farming and other skills.

Mr. Goldsmith never said whether he and his father had intended to join the move to Palestine. In 1950 they sailed to New York, where they settled in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.

Barry Goldsmith quickly blossomed into what his first wife, Lois (Kessler) Goldsmith, called a perfectly American Jewish boy. He spent weekends at the beach. He played soccer at Thomas Jefferson High School, which educated generations of Jewish immigrants and their children, including the actor Danny Kaye, the director Paul Mazursky and Lloyd Blankfein, the investment banker and former chairman of Goldman Sachs.
Connecticut residents age 75 and over who are not in long-term care will be able to register for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Thursday and inoculations will begin Jan. 18, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday.

Dont call or show up at your doctors offices, Lamonts chief operating officer warned residents, because the free vaccines will be given in larger clinics that can handle the crush of patients.

Opening the shots up to those over 75 with registration  on a federal website  marks Connecticuts first step toward vaccinating people in the general population, Phase 1B. Its an effort to minimize the chaos other states, notably Florida, have seen as they opened up the vaccinations.

The first groups in Phase 1A, which began in December, include health care workers, residents and staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities and medical first responders.

The rollout came as the state announced 7,364 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Friday, a positive test rate of 6.3 percent. The number of people in Connecticut hospitals with COVID-19 increased by 33 to 1,142, still below the recent peak of 1,269.

Lamont reported 92 more deaths reported Monday, increasing the Connecticut death toll to 6,416.

Registrations for elderly people living independently will be in two steps: A sign-up, followed by a message from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) enabling people to make an actual appointment.

On Thursday, the governors office plans to give out a website those who qualify can visit and a phone number they can call to help them set up an appointment if theyre not able to do it online. But on Monday, the town of Fairfield Health Department jumped out early, posting a link to the federal Vaccine Administration Management System, or VAMS, where residents over 75 could go to register.

Proof of age will be required at the clinic, the department noted in a post on its Facebook page.

Were going to make sure that no vaccines are left on the shelf at the end of the day, Lamont said at his regular Monday briefing from the state Capitol.

While those 75 and over make up about 5 percent of the population, they represent about 60 percent of the fatalities attributed to the coronavirus. Debate continues on which groups should be included in Phase 1B, which will likely include front-line non-medical workers and state prisoners.

Were doing this carefully, just so we can measure the flow-in, Lamont said.Its not a question of how big I expand 1B. Theres only so many vaccines. Please be patient. Were going to get this the best we can.

Connecticut rejected the first-come, first-served vaccination centers, which have created long lines, headaches and disappointment in some states, in a system the governor called unwieldy and time-consuming. His guest of the day, Patrick H. Charmel, president and CEO of Griffin Hospital in Derby, backed him up.

I think it would create a negative scenario, Charmel said of the first-come, first-serve system. A more-disciplined, structured approach, we believe will work.

Charmel said 10,000 people in the six-town Lower Naugatuck Valley have been vaccinated since Dec. 15 in the hospitals program, which will soon expand to a site on Progress Street in Shelton that can vaccinate 1,200 people a day, twice the current total. There will be a program to supply free rides for seniors to get to vaccination locations.

Charmel said the hospital is working with social service agencies, religious organizations and physicians offices to contact the elderly directly to register, especially those with transportation challenges. Church basements are also being considered for vaccination centers.

We are setting up a call center, he said. We know that there may be challenges with access to technology, so were actually going to be calling those individuals weve identified that we need to get to and schedule appointments with them so that we can get them vaccinated as soon as possible.

The Phase 1B roll-out does not include unpaid caregivers for seniors, such as family members who care for elderly relatives. The allocation subcommittee of the Governors Vaccine Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday and will likely discuss caregivers, as well as other groups, Lamonts chief operating officer, Josh Geballe, said.

One thing needs to be clear here: Dont call your doctor, Geballe said. They dont have vaccine in their office, theyre not going to be able to help you get an appointment.

The Fairfield site informed people that people who register can expect an email from CDC within 24 hours, instructing them on how to make an appointment for their vaccination through the federal system.

Health officials believe that the proliferation of mask wearing in the state has cut down on the number of flu infections so far in the season by 95 percent. The number of flu cases at Griffin is down dramatically, which is wonderful only because it creates capacity for the number of individuals presenting with COVID, Charmel said.
Paris: At least 50 countries have committed to protecting 30 per cent of the planet, including land and sea, over the next decade to halt species extinction and address climate change issues.

About 30 leaders, government officials and heads of international organisations participated online in the One Planet Summit designed to find ways to protect the world's biodiversity. Top US officials were notably absent, as were the leaders of Russia, India, Brazil. Australian Prime Minster Scott Morrison is on leave this week. The ABC reported Australia was not on the list of 50 countries to make the pledge.

A grey seal and her pup on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, England. The One Planet Summit aims to protect the world's biodiversity, including marine ecosystems. Credit:PA/AP

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which was launched in 2019 by Costa Rica, France and Britain to set a target of protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet by 2030, has now been joined by 50 countries.

A 2019 UN report on biodiversity showed that human activities are putting nature in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming for over 1 million species of plants and animals.
And so, tonight the nation stands at the precipice of more conflict over the fate of Prez Trump.



Because social media has mostly shadow-banned or booted people with interesting opinions who aren't celebrities . . . We ask our blog community . . .



WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PREZ TRUMP IMPEACHMENT DOUBLE TAKE?!?



Again, it doesn't really make a difference to TKC if the Prez was decided on one of those singing/dancing game shows for washed up celebs BUT it impacts ALL OF US if the fighting amongst Americans worsens.



Accordingly, here are more than a few resources, a local angle and bad news all around . . .

Kansas City Vs. Prez Trump

Kansas City area members of Congress react to impeachment proceedings against President Trump KANSAS CITY. MO (KCTV) -- President Trump could soon be the first president in history to get impeached twice. Of all the lawmakers who represent parts of the KCTV5 viewing area, only the Democrats had anything to say on the matter.

Local Showdown Starts

Mixed reaction across the metro as House Democrats move to impeach President Trump KANSAS CITY, Mo. - With about nine days to go until the end of President Trump's term in office, U.S. House Democrats made another effort to remove him from office. Monday morning they filed an Impeachment Resolution and have asked Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.

New Majority Preview

Lawmakers called back to D.C. to vote on Trump's impeachment, removal under 25th Amendment WASHINGTON - The House will vote Tuesday night to encourage Trump's removal and Wednesday morning on impeachment, House leaders announced.

Republicans Flipping

GOP lawmaker 'strongly considering' impeachment: Trump is 'no longer qualified to hold that office' Michigan GOP Rep. Peter Meijer said Monday evening he is "strongly considering" voting to impeach President Donald Trump following last week's riot at the US Capitol, assessing that the President is "no longer qualified to hold that office."

American Experiment Examined

Why Trump's Second Impeachment Will Be A Political Test For Both Parties In this episode of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew unpacks some of the factors that contributed to a mob of Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol. They also discuss the calculations being made by Democrats and Republicans about how to hold President Trump legally and/or politically accountable for the attack.

Almost Accountability

Trump acknowledged he bears some blame for Capitol riot in conversation with McCarthy: sources President Trump acknowledged that he bears some blame for the Capitol riot last week during a conversation with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, a source familiar told Fox News. Two sources say McCarthy R-Calif., relayed the president's sentiment on a call Monday with the House GOP Conference.

MAGA Second Chances

Militia Expert Warns Trumps Capitol Insurrectionists Could Try Again Growing concerns about violence from some people and groups supporting Donald Trump proved terrifyingly accurate last week as an armed mob bearing Trump banners stormed into the United States Capitol. Its aim was to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the next president of the U.S.

STATE OF EMERGENCY!!!

Trump declares state of emergency in D.C. ahead of inauguration President Donald Trump on Monday declared a state of emergency in Washington, D.C., citing the "emergency conditions" surrounding President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had declared a state of emergency in the city on Wednesday in the aftermath of the takeover of the Capitol by rioters incited by Trump.

You decide . . .
I dont really know if Ive got the energy, Allen Ginsberg admits.

But a moment later he launches in: I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix.

This is the first known recording of Ginsberg reading Howl, the influential poem that arguably is the definitive work of the Beat movement.

That reading occurred in a dormitory common room at Reed College on Valentines Day in 1956. The event was not covered by either of Portlands daily newspapers. The recording of the performance sat forgotten in a box at the colleges Hauser Memorial Library until 2008, when historian John Suiter stumbled upon the tape.

Now, on April 21, the niche record label Ominvore will release the recording, titled: Allen Ginsberg at Reed College  The First Recorded Reading of Howl and Other Poems.

Listen to an excerpt below:

The Reed recording of February 1956 is superb, faithful in pitch and superior in sound quality to any presently known 1950s version, Suiter states in a Reed Magazine article. Allen is miked closely, so his volume is even throughout. His enunciation is clear, his timing perfect; he never stumbles. ... The poet-as-saxman metaphor comes demonstrably true as we hear Ginsberg drawing in great breaths at the anaphoric head of every line. Its a recording to be breathed with as much as listened to.

Suiter is the author of Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen and Jack Kerouac and is working on a biography of Snyder.

Ginsberg, who died in 1997, first read Howl publicly in San Francisco in October 1955, but the performance wasnt recorded. Early the following year Ginsberg hitchhiked to Portland with Snyder, a Reed alumnus.

The year after Ginsbergs reading at Reed, Howl was the subject of an obscenity trial in San Francisco. (Read Howl.)

The release of the Portland recording in April will include a limited-edition Reed Red edition, which will be sold at the colleges bookstore as well as Ominvores website.

Im pleased that this important literary work has a place in Reed Colleges history, Reed President Audrey Bilger told Variety.

Omnivore was co-founded by Cheryl Pawelski, Bilgers wife.

-- Douglas Perry

dperry@oregonian.com

@douglasmperry
The Hazleton Police Department, in coordination with the West Hazleton Police Department, arrested one man and two juveniles during a traffic stop near the intersection of North James and West Spruce streets Monday at 3:18 p.m.

According to police, Dashaun Malik Murray, 24, of Freeland and a 17-year-old male of Nanticoke were wanted on numerous felony and misdemeanor charges, including aggravated assault and robbery from a recent incident.

There was also a warrant for the 17-year-old male stemming from several felony firearms violations in early 2020.

The second juvenile, a 14-year-old male of Scranton, was wanted by Juvenile Probation.

Narcotics detectives observed the two wanted individuals occupying a vehicle traveling through the city. Hazleton patrol units, Hazleton criminal detectives and a West Hazleton patrol unit responded to the area, stopped the vehicle and took the three actors into custody without incident.

Murray, a convicted felon, was found to be in possession of a handgun and charged with possession of a firearm prohibited, firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of a weapon. The 14-year-old male was found to be in possession of a Tec-9 with an obliterated serial number and a large capacity magazine. He was charged with possessing a firearm with manufacturer number altered and possession of a firearm prohibited. The 17-year-old male was found to be in possession of pills, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Pending charges include possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Murray and the 17 year old were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Joseph Halesey and both were denied bail. The 14 year old was transported to Northampton County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Physicians who follow artificial intelligence (AI) advice may be considered less liable for medical malpractice than is commonly thought, according to a new study of potential jury candidates in the U.S. Published in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM). The study provides the first data related to physicians' potential liability for using AI in personalized medicine, which can often deviate from standard care.

"New AI tools can assist physicians in treatment recommendations and diagnostics, including the interpretation of medical images," remarked Kevin Tobia, JD, Ph.D., assistant professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, in Washington D.C. "But if physicians rely on AI tools and things go wrong, how likely is a juror to find them legally liable? Many such cases would never reach a jury, but for one that did, the answer depends on the views and testimony of medical experts and the decision making of lay juries. Our study is the first to focus on that last aspect, studying potential jurors' attitudes about physicians who use AI."

To determine potential jurors' judgments of liability, researchers conducted an online study of a representative sample of 2,000 adults in the U.S. Each participant read one of four scenarios in which an AI system provided a drug dosage treatment recommendation to a physician. The scenarios varied the AI recommendation (standard or nonstandard drug dosage) and the physician's decision (to accept or reject the AI recommendation). In all scenarios, the physician's decision subsequently caused harm to the patient.

Study participants then evaluated the physician's decision by assessing whether the treatment decision was one that could have been made by "most physicians" and "a reasonable physician" in similar circumstances. Higher scores indicated greater agreement and, therefore, lower liability.

Results from the study showed that participants used two different factors to evaluate physicians' utilization of medical AI systems: (1) whether the treatment provided was standard and (2) whether the physician followed the AI recommendation. Participants judged physicians who accepted a standard AI recommendation more favorably than those who rejected it. However, if a physician received a nonstandard AI recommendation, he or she was not judged as safer from liability by rejecting it.

While prior literature suggests that laypersons are very averse to AI, this study found that they are, in fact, not strongly opposed to a physician's acceptance of AI medical recommendations. This finding suggests that the threat of a physician's legal liability for accepting AI recommendations may be smaller than is commonly thought.

In an invited perspective on the JNM article, W. Nicholson Price II and colleagues noted, "Liability is likely to influence the behavior of physicians who decide whether to follow AI advice, the hospitals that implement AI tools for physician use and the developers who create those tools in the first place. Tobia et al.'s study should serve as a useful beachhead for further work to inform the potential for integrating AI into medical practice."

In an associated JNM article, the study authors were interviewed by Irene Buvat, Ph.D., and Ken Herrmann, MD, MBA, both leaders in the nuclear medicine and molecular imaging field. In the interview the authors discussed whether the results of their study might hold true in other countries, if AI could be considered as a type of "medical expert," and the advantages of using AI from a legal perspective, among other topics.

Explore further Article highlights legal issues linked to physician extenders

More information: Kevin Tobia et al, When Does Physician Use of AI Increase Liability?, Journal of Nuclear Medicine (2020). Journal information: Journal of Nuclear Medicine Kevin Tobia et al, When Does Physician Use of AI Increase Liability?,(2020). DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.120.256032

Provided by Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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Lucknow, Jan 12 : The Samajwadi Party launched its youth connect campaign in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

During the campaign called 'Yuva Ghera', party leaders and workers will hold discussions with the youth on issues like education becoming costlier, unemployment, closing factories, retrenchment and job losses.

The Yuva Ghera is a youth connect campaign, which means that Samajwadi Party leaders and workers will engage youth in discussions and dialogue by sitting with them in a ring.

Last week, the party had engaged farmers in a similar Kisan Ghera programme that was held in rural areas. The Yuva Ghera is being held in both rural and urban areas of all districts of the state. The Yuva Ghera is also being held in schools and colleges.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, "According to instructions by party president Akhilesh Yadav, the party's leaders and workers will hold discussions with youths on their issues - education becoming costlier, unemployment, police implicating them in cases, lack of investments, closing of factories, retrenchment, job losses, problems and anomalies in online education and the neglect of students of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes." Chaudhary said that the party will also discuss youth welfare programmes and schemes that the previous Samajwadi Party government implemented, such as free laptops to students.

He said that Swami Vivekananda, a youth icon, was not just a spiritual leader. He used to connect it with social issues as well and in his nationalism there was an element and spirit of sacrifice and service towards deprived sections. He emphasised tolerance and universal acceptance which constitute the essence of democracy.
FLORENCE, JAN 12 - Italian highway police on Tuesday shot out the tyres of a 34-year-old Vicenza-born US citizen after he was caught driving the wrong way on the main A1 north-south motorway near Florence. The police rammed the man's car after he tried to escape by putting his vehicle into reverse after being told to stop. No one was hurt. Police found in the car an axe, a knife, a sickle and camping equipment. Police said they may charge the man with breaking the highway code and resisting arrest. The incident happened at Calenzano. (ANSA).

Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
In diseases characterized by bone loss -such as periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis- there is a lot that scientists still don't understand. What is the role of the immune response in the process? What happens to the regulatory mechanisms that protect bone?

In a paper published recently in Scientific Reports, researchers from the Forsyth Institute and the Universidad de Chile describe a mechanism that unlocks a piece of the puzzle. Looking at periodontal disease in a mouse model, scientists found that a specific type of T cell, known as regulatory T cells, start behaving in unexpected ways. These cells lose their ability to regulate bone loss and instead begin promoting inflammation.

"That is important because, in many therapies analyzed in in-vivo models, researchers usually check if the number of regulatory T cells has increased. But they should check if these cells are indeed functioning," says Dr. Carla Alvarez, a postdoctoral researcher at Forsyth and lead author of the paper.

Regulatory T cells control the body's immune response. In periodontal disease, bone loss occurs because the body's immune system responds disproportionately to the microbial threat, causing inflammation and destroying healthy tissue. Normally, regulatory T cells help suppress that destruction, but they appear to lose their suppressive abilities during periodontal disease.

In scientific terms, this process is analyzed in the field of osteoimmunology, which explores the complex interactions between the immune system and bone metabolism.

"This is an interesting mechanism highlighting how the bone loss is taking place in periodontal disease," says Dr. Alpdogan Kantarci, Senior Member of Staff at Forsyth and co-author of the paper together with Dr. Rolando Vernal, Professor from the School of Dentistry at Universidad de Chile.

In the case of periodontal disease, a potential therapy targeting regulatory T cells could restore the T cells' normal functioning, not just increase their numbers.

"Unfortunately, this is not a linear process--that's the complicated part," Kantarci says.

Periodontal disease is initiated by microbes in the mouth, making it all the more complex.

"The relationship between immune response and bone is not so straightforward," says Alvarez. "There are multiple components. You have to imagine a complex network of signaling and cells that participate."

This cellular and microbial complexity is what makes the disease so difficult to study in humans. However, examining this mechanism in humans is the next step of the research, Alvarez says. The research team is planning a collaborative study to look at healthy and diseased patients, intending to observe similar mechanisms to what was seen in the animal model.

###
By Bob Savic, Advisor to Dezan Shira & Associates

The UK-Vietnam free trade agreement (UKVFTA), which entered into force on 1 January 2021, was covered on Vietnam Briefing under Vietnam, UK Sign Free Trade Deal, Look to Strengthen Ties on December 31, 2020. As per that articles coverage, the UKVFTA is based on the terms of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) and is one of several continuity agreements based on existing European Union (EU) trade agreements with third countries of which the UK was a member prior to its departure from the EU on 31st January 2020.

This article looks to highlight and examine areas of differences between the two agreements relevant to UK business.

The UKVFTA establishes an economic partnership between the UK and Vietnam underpinned by a comprehensive free trade area. In this respect, there are several new provisions on preferential tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, and rules of origin. Various other measures have been introduced to promote financial, e-commerce, and other services, while upholding the EVFTAs reciprocal access in public procurement, maintaining a level playing field in competition and subsidies, continuing with similar levels of protection for intellectual property and retaining an equal focus on sustainable development.

Tariff commitments and TRQ changes

Commitments on tariffs for both the UK and Vietnam have, generally, been transitioned without changes. This has meant that tariff preferences applied by the UK on imported goods from Vietnam remain the same, like those applied by the EU, at the end of the UKs transition period with the EU on December 31, 2020. Vietnam has also committed to applying the same preferences to imported products from the UK, that it applies to products from the EU.

The only exception to tariff commitments being transitioned without modification relates to the size of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). TRQs allow for a certain quantity of a product to enter the market at a zero or reduced tariff rate. Imports above that quantity are subject to a higher tariff rate  usually the Most Favored Nation (MFN) rate. These have been modified to accommodate the UK no longer being an EU state and in accordance with the UK being a smaller importer and exporter with Vietnam than the EU. In order for traded products to continue benefiting from the use of TRQs, these quotas have been set at levels allowing for continuity of the two countries historical trade flows. A further provision was added in relation to a review of TRQs for rice, following three years from the UKVFTAs entry into force.

Where no transitioning of TRQs occurred, then goods imported from Vietnam, covered by TRQs in the EVFTA, would likely have meant UK businesses being faced with higher MFN tariffs making such imports more costly. In light of these adjustments, the overall impact on UK producers resulting from these modified TRQs is expected to be limited.

Rules of origin

During the UKs transition period with the EU, all UK content was considered as originating in the EU, resulting in UK exports being categorized as EU origin. This meant that originating materials from the UK and EU, and those processed there, could be used interchangeably in bilateral trade with existing EU FTA partners, such as Vietnam. This was no longer applicable when existing EU FTAs ended being valid for the UK. At this point, the categorization of UK exports transferred from EU origin to UK origin. Consequently, EU content no longer contributed towards satisfying the origin requirements for preferential treatment of either party.

To enable continuity for business under the UKVFTA, it was agreed that EU materials should be recognized (i.e. cumulated) in the UK and Vietnam exports to one another. Furthermore, EU processing should be recognized (i.e. cumulated) in UK exports to Vietnam. In the absence of this new provision, UK exporters to Vietnam, who depended on using EU content, may have been required to pay higher MFN tariff rates. The impacts would, of course, have varied across industry sectors.

Being a bilateral agreement, the UKVFTA does not provide for either partys direct trade with the EU, including, for example, where UK and Vietnam-based exporters use content, from each other, in exports to the EU. Accordingly, the UK and Vietnam prepared a Joint Declaration to update Protocol 1 of the UKVFTA to reflect a trilateral approach with the EU, in terms of rules of origin, from the inception of the new UK and EU trade agreement on December 31, 2020.

Services

The provisions of the EUs FTAs services chapters with various partner countries, including their depth of commitments, can differ extensively. As a result, the EVFTAs services provisions have been comprehensively modified to deliver continuity in service commitments between the UK and Vietnam. Several changes have been added to the prohibitions of performance requirements of the EVFTA. The amendments provide greater clarity in relation to the operation of UK competition law and UK mergers and takeovers regulation, while not affecting the enforcement of commitments between private parties.

Appendix I of the UKVFTA replicates, alongside a few modifications, the Understanding concerning Bank Equity which was concluded between the EU and Vietnam in connection with the EUVFTA. Moreover, Vietnam agreed to a proposal, by the UKs financial sector, allowing for total equity held by foreign investors, in banking institutions, to reach 49 percent of an enterprises chartered capital in one Vietnamese joint-stock commercial bank. This was a modification of the EU  Vietnam understanding, which permitted this for no less than two Vietnamese joint-stock commercial banks previously.

Government procurement

The UKVFTA has retained the EU-Vietnam commitments on liberalizing public procurement markets and ensuring enforceable market access. The only main change involved the UK providing Vietnam with details for publication of notices, in the UK, which replaced references to the Official Journal of the EU. Notices will also only become applicable when an automatic system for translation and publication of summary notices in English is set up and operational in Vietnam.

Competition, subsidies, and state enterprises

The UKVFTA maintains provisions for ensuring open and fair competition relating to the regulation of industrial subsidies and state-owned enterprises contained in the EVFTA. Further clarification requires that each party should not grant subsidies where these significantly and negatively affect or are likely to so affect bilateral trade. Nonetheless, the UK will have rights to subsidies classified as being permitted or reduced, by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Intellectual Property and Geographical Indicators

The UKVFTA keeps the intellectual property protections provided in the EVFTA. These extend to Irish Whisky/Irish Whiskey/Uisce Beatha Eireannach and Irish Cream. These cross-border Geographical Indicators (GIs) mean these brands can be produced anywhere on the island of Ireland and will continue benefiting from protection under the EVFTA. The UKVFTA also clarifies that the GI for sottish farmed salmon will continue receiving protection under Vietnams domestic laws.

Sustainable development

The EVFTAs chapter on trade and sustainable development has been fully incorporated into the UKVFTA. The EVFTAs sustainability chapter refers to various non-EU international agreements regarding the governance of policy areas such as labor and the environment. Since both the UK and Vietnam are members of these international agreements, their provisions will continue applying within the context of the UKVFTA.

Other matters

The UKVFTA sets out processes by which the UK and Vietnam have agreed to amend any provisions after its entry into force. It also enables the establishment of a joint Trade Committee to amend the agreements annexes and protocols that are subsequently adopted. However, this does not commit the UK to making any changes after the agreement is effective. As regards important areas such as trade remedies and dispute settlement, the UKVFTA replicates the effects of provisions in the EVFTA.

Given this agreements achievements in enabling high quality substantive economic integration and transparency, between the UK and Vietnam, it should not be merely considered an end, in itself, but a component of the UKs strategic focus on expanding engagement in the Asia-Pacific.

Bob Savic is a London based consultant with Dezan Shira & Associates. The firm handles British investment into Vietnam and has offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Please email the practice at vietnam@dezshira.com for assistance or visit us at www.dezshira.com.

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He is one of the most successful recording artists of all time, selling more than 150million records worldwide and amassing a 200million fortune.

But Ed Sheeran was served a hard dose of reality back in 2008 when the-then aspiring teenage performer was snubbed by Arlene Phillips at the auditions for teen series Britannia High.

Years before breaking onto the music scene with his debut album +, a 16-year-old Ed was filmed for a behind-the-scenes documentary as he auditioned for the ITV musical series alongside fellow future stars Pixie Lott and Zizi Strallen.

Far from Perfect! Ed Sheeran was served a hard dose of reality back in 2008 when the-then aspiring teenage performer was snubbed by Arlene Phillips at the auditions for teen series Britannia High

However, while Ed, now 29, impressed with his silken vocals, his wooden moves to Justin Timberlake's Like I Love You, left then-Strictly judge Arlene Phillips fuming and ruling out the future Grammy Award winner entirely.

As Ed, dressed in a dark green jumper and jeans, awkwardly danced, Arlene exclaimed: 'Not even an option.

'Eventually we are going to have to find some people who can dance because they can't all not dance.'

She'd previously said: 'We are looking for triple threats; they've got to be able to sing, dance, and act. They've got to be stars.'

He's not an option: Then Strictly judge Arlene was left unimpressed by the future music superstar and ruled him out

Throwback: Years before breaking onto the music scene, a 16-year-old Ed was filmed for a behind-the-scenes documentary as he auditioned for the ITV musical series

Ed also showcased his iconic vocals as he played a banjo for the judges, with one declaring: 'His voice is what Britannia High is all about.'

The A Team hitmaker's voice got him through to the next round alongside promising musical theatre students, with the star screaming and later declaring: 'I'm very surprised actually because I can't dance.'

However dancing was once again his undoing in the next round, with Arlene saying: 'he is trying' - but 'hasn't a clue'.

Ed said: 'I'm just trying to really get it in my head I think I messed up as I got kicked in the face by accident.'

Wembley awaits: The star was seen impressing the judges with his vocal abilities

I don't care: Ed's wooden moves to Justin Timberlake's Like I Love You, left Arlene fuming and ruling out the future Grammy Award winner entirely

Biggest mistake: Arlene couldn't hide her disdain as she watched the future music icon perform

I can't dance! Ed admitted dancing wasn't his strong point after making it through one round

Ed did have the other judges on his side with one saying they would 'sign him anyway' due to his musical talent.

He was ultimately rejected from the show, saying: 'I don't think anyone can say they didn't want the part and weren't hoping to get the part, everyone wanted it as much as the next person.'

Britannia High aired in 2008 for one series and starred Skins star Mitch Hewer in the title role.

Ed truly did have the last laugh though as the star shot to worldwide fame with the release of his debut album in 2011, which spawned his first hit single, The A Team - and has conquered the US market.

Better things coming: He was ultimately rejected from the show, saying: 'I don't think anyone can say they didn't want the part and weren't hoping to get the part, everyone wanted it as much as the next person'

Part of The A Team: Ed truly did have the last laugh though as the star shot to worldwide fame with the release of his debut album in 2011, which spawned his first hit single, The A Team - and has conquered the US market (pictured 2019)

The star's second album X, released in 2014 was named the second-best-selling album worldwide of 2015.

His Divide World Tour which ran from 2017-2019 is the world's highest grossing tour ever.

He has won four Grammy Awards, five BRIT Awards and six Billboard Music Awards.

In May he was named as the UK's richest musician under the age of 30 on the Sunday Times Rich List with a 200m fortune.

Ed is currently on a musical hiatus and welcomed his first child, daughter Lyra Antarctica, with wife Cherry Seaborn in August.
Ram Singh Patel's day starts at 6 in the morning, when he walks into his farmland tucked next to a railway line. For hours he toils on the farm, where he grows chili peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and papayas. Sometimes his wife, two sons and two daughters join him to lend a helping hand or have lunch with him. (Image: AP)

Farmer leaders welcomed the Supreme Court's order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday, but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action.

The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha.

"We welcome the court's order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the controversial farm laws till further orders on Tuesday and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmers' unions protesting at Delhi's borders over the legislations.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it will pass an order to this effect.

The committee will look into the farmers' grievances against the three laws.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.
It was very satisfying to help a wonderful family transition after decades in the restaurant business into retirement."

After nearly 50 years in business, Luca Trattoria, located at 20 West Oakland Avenue, Oakland, Bergen County, New Jersey has been sold. The decision to sell was not made casually by former owners, Luigi (Luca) Testino and his wife Elizabeth, who created memories for their family and the community at the legendary restaurant.

After purchasing the restaurant in 1976, the couple welcomed generations of families through their doors, and developed life-long friendships with both customers and employees. They watched their four children grow up in the restaurants kitchen where Elizabeth baked her famous ricotta cheesecakes, and Luca prepared his delicious Pasta Fagioli, serving traditional Southern Italian dishes for nearly a half-century to a loyal clientele.

The restaurants social media pages were flooded with kind remarks from customers saying goodbye to their beloved restaurant and wishing the Testinos well after hearing of the sale. It was very satisfying to help a wonderful family transition after decades in the restaurant business into retirement, stated David Alvarez of Bielat Santore & Company, Allenhurst, New Jersey, the salesman responsible for the sale. In a farewell that the Testinos called bittersweet, the couple is looking forward to spending more time with their five grandchildren, as well as helping their youngest son operate the familys second location, Luca Trattoria in Warwick, New York. Our hope is that we will be able to see some of our long-time beloved friends and customers at our sons restaurant in New York.

Like many long-standing restaurant locations, this property will be re-purposed into another use. Following extensive renovations, the restaurant building will be transformed into an urgent care medical clinic called CityMD. City MD is rapidly expanding with locations all over the country.

About Bielat Santore & Company

Bielat Santore & Company is an established commercial real estate firm. The companys expertise lies chiefly within the restaurant and hospitality industry, specializing in the sale of restaurants and other food and beverage real estate businesses. Since 1978, the principals of Bielat Santore & Company, Barry Bielat and Richard Santore, have sold more restaurants and similar type properties in New Jersey than any other real estate company. Furthermore, the firm has secured in excess of $500,000,000 in financing to facilitate these transactions. Visit the companys website, http://www.123bsc.com for the latest in new listings, property searches, available land, market data, financing trends, RSS feeds, press releases and more.
COVID-19 vaccine

Among the first to apply for emergency use authorisation (EUA) as COVID-19 vaccine in India, Pfizer is finally compiling responses to questions from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

A company spokesperson told Business Standard the pharmaceutical major is engaging with the Government of India. This comes after the company failed to present before the Centres Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on vaccines in India on three occasions.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here

The spokesperson said that Pfizer had sought opportunity to participate in SEC consultations but company representatives had been unable to attend meetings due to extremely short notices of a few hours or less and time-zone limitations, given that the participating team is primarily based out of the United States.

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

They added that responses to questions raised by the DCGI are also in the process of being compiled.

Check here for the latest updates on all COVID-19 vaccines

We remain committed to engaging with GoI to make this vaccine available for use by the government in the country. We are committed to working with the government to ensure equitable access to our COVID-19 vaccine, the spokesperson added.

Pfizer reps failed to turn up SEC consultations with vaccine makers on December 9, December 30, and January 1. Post these discussions, Serum Institute of Indias (SII) Covishield and Bharat Biotechs COVAXIN received DCGI approvals on January 3.

A source told the paper that the next date of SEC meeting has not been set yet.
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Angola, IN (46703)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 72F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.

Bengaluru, Jan 12 : Karnataka received 6.5-lakh doses of Covishield vaccine from Serum Institute of India (SII) at Pune for administering it to 16-lakh frontline warriors across the state, said state Health Minister K. Sudhakar on Tuesday.

"We have received 6.48-lakh doses of Covishield vaccine in 54 boxes as first consignment in good condition for giving it to our corona warriors across the state from January 16," said Sudhakar in a statement here.

The state health department has stored the vaccines at its storage facility in the city in the set temperature.

"An additional 1.4-lakh doses of the vaccine will be flown to Belagavi in the state's northwest region on Wednesday for injecting it to our frontline warriors, including healthcare workers, revenue and police employees," said Sudhakar on the occasion.

Asserting that the vaccine was safe for use, the minister said the healthcare warriors will get it from January 16 in the first phase of the drive, as they have been battling the pandemic since mid-March.

"The SII has begun rolling out the vaccine under the central government's flagship 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliance) scheme for the people across the country," reiterated Sudhakar, who is a medical doctor by profession.

The state government has decided to vaccinate the people across the southern state over the next six months with more supplies from Serum and Covaxin from the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech Ltd.

"About 2-lakh healthcare employees have been trained recently for safe handling, transportation and administration of the vaccine to the 16-lakh frontline warriors across the state," said Sudhakar.

The Union government has placed an order with Serum to buy 1.1 crore dosages of Covishield for Rs 231 crore at the cost of Rs 210 per dose after the regulator Drugs Control General of India approved its use in the emergency situation.

The Centre has allotted 7.95-lakh vials of Covishield to the state in the first phase. Each dose has 0.5ml and each vial contains 10 dosage of vaccines.

"The second dose will be given 28 days after the first dosage to develop anti- bodies and build resistance to the virus in the body. The warriors will be under observation for 30 days after they get vaccinated to check if they have any side-effects," added Sudhakar.

Each Covishield bottle has 'not for sale' label to prevent its misuse.

Vaccine will be administered at 235 sites across the state. Cold chains have been set up to store Cavitied and Coaxing vaccines in all the 30 districts. Task forces have been formed to supervise the exercise.

The state will get 13.90-lakh doses of vaccine in the first phase for giving it to all the frontline warriors.

The state health department conducted two dry runs to test the vaccination drive at 281 primary health centers in all the districts on January 8 and in five districts on January 2.

The health department has also set up storage facilities in each district with 2,767 cold chain points across the state.
I believe voting Mr. Trump out of office is a good start but he needs to be banned from running for president in the future.

I have seen how he has lied, put in yes-men, tried to ignore 80 million American votes and claim he won this election. Now he has brought up his army to do a dry run on taking over the of government.

He does have his own personal army. According to Ron Suskind, a New York Times reporter who talks to those in the government who worry over all of this, they believe 20% of his base is loyal enough to fight for him. They are certainly willing to die for him.

There are many recorded super spreader events. Four of the five people who died last Wednesday were his followers. That 20% equals 15 million people. 15 million people who probably all own guns and other weapons. There were Molotov cocktails, a long gun, home-made napalm, two pipe bombs and other guns in D.C. last Wednesday.

There were men holding zip ties seen in the capital. These people have already had a plan to kidnap, have a trial and kill the governor of Michigan. Was this a plan for the Congress?

I do not think we can put anything out of the realm of possibilities. The Third Reich, Hitler's regime, started slow and then build.
NEW DELHI: Indian airlines, including Air India Limited, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and GoAir, will on Tuesday operate as many as nine flights from Pune to different cities carrying 56.5 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

Vaccine doses will be delivered in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Chandigarh, Puri said on microblogging platform Twitter.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

The first two flights for vaccine transport on Tuesday morning were operated by SpiceJet and GoAir, Puri added.

No-frills carrier SpiceJet, which carried the first batch of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, will ferry multiple consignments to different cities including Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Patna and Vijayawada through the day.

"The first consignment of Covishield consisting of 34 boxes and weighing 1,088 kg was carried from Pune to Delhi on SpiceJet flight 8937," SpiceJet's chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said in a statement.

"Today marks the beginning of a long and decisive phase in Indias fight against the pandemic and SpiceJet is proud to assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind."

National carrier Air India will carry 2,76,000 doses weighing about 700 kg from Pune to Ahmedabad on Tuesday, the airline said on Twitter.

Spokespersons of Air India, IndiGo, and GoAir were not immediately available for comments.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) operated New Delhi Airport on Tuesday received the first batch of covid-19 vaccine, the company said in a statement.

"Temperature-controlled facilities, ranging from -20 Degree C to +25 Degree C, at our two Cargo terminals can efficiently and safely handle these temperature sensitive vaccines. Our both terminals can handle around 5.7 million vials in a day," it added.

Mint had last week reported that Indian airlines, which are gearing up to deliver millions of doses of the shots aimed at ending the pandemic, are coordinating logistics with the vaccine producers, quoting a senior civil aviation ministry official, who added that airlines will use their cargo facilities to distribute vaccines.

Meanwhile, India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued guidelines to airlines and other aircraft operators for transportation of Covid-19 vaccines.

As per the guidelines, all scheduled operators authorised to carry dangerous goods can carry vaccines packed in dry ice, while non-scheduled operators, including aircraft engaged in general aviation, are required to seek specific approval before commencing such operations.

While dry ice with temperature varying from -8 Degree C to -70 Degree C is affordable for transportation of vaccines, the DGCA has added that all operators engaged in vaccine transportation would need to establish that maximum quantity of dry ice can be loaded in cargo holds or passenger cabins if passenger aircraft are deployed for vaccine transportation.

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In response to the recent SolarWinds cyberattack , the National Security Council launched a new task force to investigate which federal networks were compromised in the alleged Russian-led cyberattack.Known as the Cyber Unified Coordination Group (UCG), the group is tasked with identifying the scope of the incident and how to mitigate any potential threats resulting from the hack, according to a joint statement by the National Security Council , the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the National Security Agency (NSA).At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence-gathering effort, the statement says. We are taking all necessary steps to understand the full scope of this campaign and respond accordingly.So far, data compiled by UCG estimates that 18,000 public- and private-sector customers of the SolarWinds Orion product have been affected. Of those 18,000 customers, the task force estimates that less than 10 U.S. government agencies fall into this category.To identify which agencies have been compromised, the FBI, in collaboration with UCG, is working to identify victims, collect and analyze evidence, and share their results with those affected by the attack.Once identified, according to CISA, government agencies can utilize its suspicious activity detection tool, called Sparrow.ps1, to detect any unusual and potentially malicious cyberactivity and remediate systems while preserving and collecting evidence.Support for the investigation and implementing other cybersecurity measures is expected to increase in the coming weeks as the Biden-Harris administration takes office.Last week, President-elect Joe Biden announced the appointment of Anne Neuberger as the deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity within the National Security Council, marking the administrations first step in re-elevating cybersecurity as a critical national security priority.In her upcoming role, Neuberger will be responsible for coordinating the federal governments cybersecurity efforts, with a focus on responding to the SolarWinds cyberattack.The Biden-Harris Administration will make cybersecurity a top priority, elevating it as an imperative across the government from day one, a transition spokesperson said in a statement to. We will strengthen our partnerships with the private sector, academia and civil society; renew our commitment to international norms and engagement on cyberissues; and expand our investment in the infrastructure and people we need to effectively defend the nation against malicious cyber activity.
Turkey will begin vaccine jabs for COVID-19 by this weekend, the nation's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

"The COVID-19 vaccine will begin to be administered on Thursday or Friday in line with the determined order," Erdogan said in a press conference following a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex.

"With the number of COVID-19 cases falling below a certain number, we will ease the restrictions gradually, as we did before," Anadolu agency cited him as saying.

The first batch of 3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine ordered from Chinas SinoVac Biotech arrived in Turkey on Dec. 30, followed by tests by Turkish labs.

As of Monday, Turkey registered a total of 22,981 deaths due to coronavirus while over 2.2 million people have recovered from the disease. To date there have been more than 2.33 million confirmed cases in the country.
Bestselling YA author Gayle Forman will make her first foray into middle-grade fiction in October with Frankie & Bug, due from Simon & Schusters Aladdin imprint. Announced here for the first time, the book was acquired by editorial director Kristin Gilson from Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. The novel spotlights the friendship between Bug, a feisty 10-year-old girl from Venice Beach, Calif., who feels abandoned when her older brother decides hed rather hang out with his friends than with her; and Frankie, an 11-year-old trans boy who arrives from Ohio to spend the summer with his gay uncleand who wants only to have the chance to be who he is.

Frankie & Bug had an instantaneous genesis and a lengthy gestation period, Forman explained. In January 2013, on what she called an insanely long flight home to New York from the Philippines, the author re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, which sparked her creative curiosity.

I began thinking, What would a modern-day equivalent of that story be? she said. Thinking about how certain things have changed since that novel was written, while others have not, spawned the idea of looking backwards, to Venice Beach in the 1980s. I started with the idea of a girl feeling neglected by her brotherthat part came from To Kill a Mockingbird. And so did the arrival of a new friend for the summer, Frankie."

The novelist reached into her own past to find a key component of her plot. When they first meet, Bug and Frankie are wary of each other, but bond over their shared preoccupation with learning the identity of an elusive serial killer known as the Midnight Marauderbased on a serial killer who terrorized Southern California, where Forman grew up, in the 1980s. Everyone was obsessed by this killer and was convinced they saw him everywhereincluding me, the author said.

Forman noted that about halfway through Frankie & Bug, the protagonists focus shifts, and things deepen. First Frankie reveals to Bug that he is trans, though not in so many words, because an 11-year-old at that time wouldnt have the words, and later, when Frankies uncle is beaten up, the kids begin investigating why he was assaulted, and who did it. After Forman finished the book, however, she put it aside. Gender identity and trans rights had become a big part of the national conversation, and as a cis-gendered woman, I didn't feel as though it was the right time to publish a book with a trans character, she said.

But later eventslike what Forman perceived as the horrific recent treatment of immigrants to this countryreignited the story, which also has a plot element about Bugs late father coming to the U.S. after hes forced to leave El Salvador. I returned to the book, thinking again about how much has changedand how much hasnt, she explained. Thats when I understood that the novel really should be about allyship and showing up for others in ways they need us to, not in ways we want to.

A Welcoming Home for Frankie and Bug

Forman knew intuitively who it was she wanted to edit Frankie & Bug. She and Gilson had interacted professionally when the latter worked as editorial director of Puffin, which published paperback editions of Formans YA books from Viking. Over the years, they became friends and the author had mentioned her middle-grade novel in progress to Gilson, whose son is trans. After Gilson moved to Aladdin in fall 2019, they began a new conversation.

When Kristin landed at Aladdin, she commented that shed like to find some good novels with nonbinary characters, and I thought, This is where Frankie and Bug belong. Their story is about finding where you fit inand I realized they fit in perfectly with Kristin.

Gilson was eager to acquire Frankie & Bug for multiple reasons. What pulled me into the book was the voice, she said. Gayle does voice so well, and as an author so firmly established in the YA world, she nailed the middle-grade voice, which doesnt always happen when writers shift directions. Theres a lot of Ramona Quimbya character Ive always had a soft spot forin Bug, and the character of Frankie, finding himself and making his way down a new path, really spoke to me.

Additionally, Gilson said she was drawn to Frankie & Bug given what she called the ongoing need for trans representation in books, which I am of course tuned into living with a trans teen who is an avid reader. And this is a book about allyship in generalwhich is so important. The editor is also pleased that her professional relationship with Forman has reached a new level, since this is the first time she has worked with Gayle from the ground up rather than republishing her books. It has been a joy.

For Forman, breaking into middle grade with Frankie & Bug proved a rewarding challenge. In my novels, I get into the skin of every one of my characters, and with Frankie and Bug it was a delight, she said. The sustaining power of friendship is so important in my life, and it keeps showing up in my novels, as does the importance of the family you create.

The author weaves additional hopeful messages into her book. It felt important to show that things that seem intractable can change, she said. In the words of Bugs mother, Life isnt fair. The most you can hope for is that its just. Its incumbent upon us all to strive for that justice.

Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman. Aladdin, $17.99 Oct. 12 ISBN 978-1-5344-8253-1
ALBANY, N.Y. (UPDATED)  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now advising states to expand vaccine eligibility to those 65 and older, as well as people who are immunocompromised.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state will accept the CDC guidance and allow those groups to get vaccinated in the current phase.

"We are going to accept the federal guidance of the 65+ and the immunocompromised. I don't want New Yorkers to think that we are not doing everything we can to make them eligible for the vaccine, because I want to keep people in New York as calm as we can keep people in these anxious times," he said.

NEW: New Yorkers age 65+ are now eligible for the COVID vaccine  effective immediately. Check your eligibility and find vaccination locations near you. I urge patience as unfortunately there are far more eligible NYers than there is vaccine supply from the federal gov.  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 12, 2021

However, Cuomo says adding those 65 and over increases the pool of eligible New Yorkers to 7 million. With just 300,000 doses delivered to the state weekly, this pushes out the timeline to get to the general population, which Cuomo previously said would happen in March or April.

"I urge patience as unfortunately there are far more eligible New Yorkers than there is vaccine supply from the federal government," Cuomo said on Twitter.

The state has not yet reported the number of immunocompromised people in the state that would qualify, and how much that would add to the 7 million. Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, says the state is working with the CDC to define who would fall under the category of immunocompromised.

All of the appointments at local vaccination sites are booked through Jan. 15, as of Tuesday.

To find out more about eligibility and how to make an appointment, click here.
ATLANTA and SINGAPORE, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and SimpliFlying today announced the first COVID-19-certified airlines for the customer-centric APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying. With 33 airlines currently advancing through the review process, APEX today announced with SimpliFlying the first 12 launch airlines serving six continents that have fully completed the audit, review process, and have been certified.

APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association)

As the largest non-profit airline association in the world dedicated entirely to the passenger experience, APEX worked with SimpliFlying to develop standards to increase customer safety as more passengers return to the skies. SimpliFlying has served more than 100 airlines worldwide over a decade. One-hundred percent of their focus was on COVID-19 in 2020, based on the creation of airline pandemic safety plans that were in the works even before the novel coronavirus.

The APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFying 58-point checklist covers 10 airline categories for submission verification, validation, and quarterly review certification process. The audit spans categories that include testing, tracing, on-the-ground procedures, in-flight measures, and even co-branded partnerships that further airline product safety integrity. It is expected that airline certification will increase customer awareness of aligned industry health safety standards, encourage more informed air travel choices, and increase air travel by at least 2% on certified airlines in 2021.

"As more travelers return to the skies, APEX wants customers to know the verified steps being taken by airlines worldwide for their well-being," APEX CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated. "Every step that we take with airlines to set even higher standards for health safety for passengers ultimately helps keep people safer in the air and on the ground. With the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying certification, we provide the external validation and discussion needed further backed by Simplifying's incredible depth of expertise."

Without charge, all airlines worldwide may participate in the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying process at simpliflying.com/health-safety. The detailed airline questionnaire can also be reviewed here. After the completion of the initial audit with proof points, a step-by-step verification process occurs with airlines, followed by standard level notification. Thus far, approximately one-third of all airlines have further enhanced their customer health safety standards after the initial audit review.

"We believe that health and safety should not be a way for airlines to compete with one another. There needs to be a gold standard that all airlines should meet or exceed to ensure passengers can trust the transport mode. This is what the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying delivers, in a quantitative manner," SimpliFlying CEO Shashank Nigam stated. "Airlines and aviation professionals will look back years from now recognizing the lives that they saved by investing so heavily in enhanced passenger well-being."

The certification process for APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying requires that airlines reach the "gold standard" of safety for any rating whatsoever. This means that the airline clearly meets and exceeds all needed health standards for passenger safety and well-being that is listed in the questionnaire. Airlines going into the 100 point range beyond "gold standard" health safety will be awarded 2021 Platinum APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying. Finally, airlines reaching hospital-grade level health safety with at least 200 points above the "gold standard" will be awarded 2021 Diamond APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying.

For the initial launch, APEX and SimpliFlying worked with a broad cross-section of airlines ranging from ultra-low-cost-carriers to global carriers. The 2021 APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying airlines certified for the initial launch of the program include:

Air Canada

Alaska Airlines

Etihad

JetSmart

Qatar Airways

Saudia

Singapore Airlines

Spirit

Sri Lankan

Turkish Airlines

United Airlines

Virgin Atlantic

Each of these airlines has completed the audit in a month-long process and has been provided a rating of Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, to be announced by each airline.

As an important note, all airlines worldwide remain safe to fly based upon governmental review and COVID-19 requirements. APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying provides a scientifically based validation designed to encourage airlines to reach beyond governmental requirements to a higher standard. APEX believes that aviation should set the highest possible standard for safety as customers are ready to travel. Equal customer safety should be taken before departure and upon arrival, following governmental and global guidelines.

For further advancement of best customer health safety, a medical and scientific research working group will meet regularly to review the latest research focused upon advancements with recommendations centered around airline customers. APEX and SimpliFlying will then work with airlines to advance implementation for passengers in quarterly airline audit updates.

###

About the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)

As a global non-profit and one of the world's largest international airline associations, APEX advances passenger experience with the backing of nearly every major airline and valued supplier over the past 42 years. In conjunction with both the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE), APEX serves the full spectrum of the end-to-end travel experience. APEX reinvests all of its resources to serving its members, strengthening the worldwide airline industry, advancing thought-leadership, fostering business opportunities via events, developing global initiatives, setting key airline standards, and highlighting well-deserved recognition across our industry. For more information about APEX, please visit apex.aero, sign up for the APEX Daily Experience e-newsletter, or follow APEX on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About SimpliFlying

SimpliFlying is a global leader in aviation strategy, having worked with over 100 airlines and airports worldwide since 2008. Since the beginning of COVID-19, SimpliFlying has focused on rebuilding trust in travel through biosafety measures, testing, and "trace & track". SimpliFlying led the aviation industry's response to the pandemic through its Rise of Sanitised Travel framework. Headquartered in Singapore, SimpliFlying has staff in Canada, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. To learn more about SimpliFlying visit https://simpliflying.com/

Media Contacts:

APEX: Robin Applebaum ([email protected])

SimpliFlying: Pavel Bogomolov ([email protected])

Related Images

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SOURCE APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association)

No extra quarantine in Phuket for foreigners exiting quarantine in Bangkok

PHUKET: Foreigners exiting a 14-day quarantine in Bangkok after testing negative for COVID-19 are not required to complete another 14-day quarantine after arriving in Phuket, the Phuket health chief has confirmed.

COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourism

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Tuesday 12 January 2021, 03:26PM

The requirements for new arrivals depend on the risk of the areas they are arriving from. Image: PPHO

The requirements for new arrivals depend on the risk of the areas they are arriving from. Image: PPHO

The requirements for new arrivals depend on the risk of the areas they are arriving from. Image: PPHO

The requirements for new arrivals depend on the risk of the areas they are arriving from. Image: PPHO

All people in Phuket are required to wear face masks at all times while in public. Image: PPHO

However, such foreigners must present evidence that they have cleared quarantine in Bangkok and must travel directly to Phuket after being released, Dr Thanit Sermkaew, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), told The Phuket News today (Jan 12).

All foreigners who have already completed a 14-day quarantine in Alternative State Quarantine [ASQ] hotels from red zone areas [highest risk provinces] and wanting to travel to Phuket are not required to complete a 14-day quarantine again after arriving in Phuket, Dr Thanit said.

But they must present a certificate or document to guarantee that they have been successfully cleared quarantine, he added.

The document must mention the final date of the 14-day quarantine, the hotel name and its location. Also the document must be signed by the government official who is assigned to oversee the quarantine at the ASQ hotel, Dr Thanit noted.

The foreigners must travel directly to Phuket after they check out of the hotel. They must not check in or stay overnight at any other places. If they stay overnight someplace else, they may have to do a 14-day quarantine when they arrive in Phuket, he explained.

They can travel like normal people when they travel directly to Phuket. They just have to show the document to the airline staff and officials at the airport, and to any health officers from the Emergency Operations Centre [EOC] who will be following up on their arrival, Dr Thanit said.

Dr Thanit reminded all people wanting to travel to Phuket must first register their travel details through the gophuget.com web portal, operated by the Phuket Provincial Police.

Please remember that all people who enter the Phuket area by land, sea and air can enter as normal but will be subjected to intensive screening, and [we] ask for everyones cooperation to install the Mor Chana application, he added.

The news today that foreigners exiting quarantine in Bangkok are exempt from another mandatory 14-day quarantine in Phuket follows Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew on Saturday (Jan 9) issuing an order for all arrivals in Phuket to observe heightened COVID-19 measures classified according to the risk of the areas the people are arriving from.

The order applies to all domestic travellers.

People arriving from the highest risk areas are required to observe a 14-day quarantine and undergo swab tests for the virus after arriving in Phuket.

If everyone keeps following the protection measures, the 14-day quarantine in Phuket is expected to be relaxed at the end of January, Dr Thanit said.

Remember, the quarantine rules in Phuket are active until Jan 31, he said.


US President Donald Trump famously tweeted that trade wars are good, and easy to win" in 2018 as he began to impose tariffs on about $360 billion of imports from China. Turns out he was wrong on both counts.

Even before the coronavirus infected millions of Americans and sparked the steepest economic downturn since the Great Depression, China was withstanding Trumps tariff salvos, according to the very metrics he used to justify them. Once China got the virus under control, demand for medical equipment and work-from-home gear expanded its trade surplus with the US despite the levies.

While trade tensions between the worlds two biggest economic powers didnt start under Trump, he broadened the fight with the unprecedented tariffs and sanctions on technology companies. The tougher approach, according to the scorecard that follows, didnt go as he hoped. But hes leaving his successor Joe Biden a blueprint of what worked and what didnt.

China is too big and too important to the world economy to think that you can cut it out like a paper doll" said Mary Lovely, an economics professor at Syracuse University. The Trump administration had a wake-up call."

The US trade deficit grew

Trump vowed in his 2016 election year to very quickly start reversing" the U.S. goods trade deficit with China, ignoring mainstream economists who downplay the importance of bilateral deficits. However, the deficit with China increased since then, hitting $287 billion in the 11 months to November last year, according to Chinese data.

View Full Image Surplus Soars (Graphic: Bloomberg)

The deficit did fall year-on-year in 2019, as U.S. companies switched to imports from countries like Vietnam, but it remained higher than the $254 billion gap in 2016. That was partly because Beijings imposition of retaliatory tariffs on about $110 billion in goods reduced its imports of American products, and these only started recovering in the last few months of 2020.

As part of the phase-one trade deal signed a year ago, Beijing made an ambitious vow to import $172 billion worth of U.S. goods in specific categories in 2020, but through the end of November it had bought just 51% of that goal. The slump in energy prices amid the pandemic and the problems with Boeing Co.s planes played a part in that failure.

The persistent deficit demonstrated how reliant companies are on Chinas vast manufacturing capacity, which was highlighted again by the pandemic. China was the only country capable of increasing output on a big enough scale to meet surging demand for goods such as work-from-home computers and medical equipment.

Chinas export machine rolls on

Trump repeatedly said that Chinas accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001 caused its economy to take off like a rocket ship," a result he viewed as unfair. As it turned out, Trumps trade war with China coincided with another expansion in Chinese exports. After shrinking for two straight years in 2015 and 2016, Chinas total shipments grew each year after Trump took office, including in 2019 when exports to the US fell.

View Full Image China Diversifying From the U.S. Market

A group of 10 Southeast Asian nations replaced the US as Chinas second-largest trading partner in 2019. The shift to Asia is likely to continue as Southeast Asian economies are projected to grow faster than developed countries over the next decade. Those trade links will be further cemented by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership pact signed late last year, which will see 15 regional economies gradually drop some tariffs on each others goods.

What Bloomberg Economics Says...

The fact that exports were little affected after four years of trade war speaks to the resilience of Chinas manufacturing capacity. However the trade war has exposed Chinas vulnerability in certain bottleneck sectors such as high tech.

-- Chang Shu, chief Asia economist

US companies stay in China

Trump said that tariffs would encourage U.S. manufacturers to move production back home, and in a 2019 tweet he ordered" them to immediately start looking for an alternative to China." But there is little evidence of any such shift taking place.

US direct investment into China increased slightly from $12.9 billion in 2016 to $13.3 billion in 2019, according to Rhodium Group data.

View Full Image US investment slowed but hasn't collapsed

More than three quarters of 200-plus US manufacturers in and around Shanghai surveyed in September said they didnt intend to move production out of China. U.S. companies regularly cite the rapid growth of Chinas consumer market combined with its strong manufacturing capabilities as reasons for expanding there. No matter how high the Trump administration raised any tariffs, it was going to be very difficult to dissuade US companies from investing," said Ker Gibbs, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Economic losses on both sides

Trump claimed that tariffs had boosted the US economy, while causing Chinas economy to have its worst year in over 50" in 2019. However, direct economic impacts were small relative to the size of the two countries economies as the value of exports between them are tiny relative to gross domestic product.

China grew at or above 6% in both 2018 and 2019, with tariffs costing it about 0.3% of GDP over those years, according to Yang Zhou, an economist at the University of Minnesota. By her estimate, the trade war cost the U.S. 0.08% GDP over the same period. The clearest winner was Vietnam, where the tariffs boosted GDP by nearly 0.2 percentage point as companies relocated.

US consumer foots the bill

Trump repeatedly claimed that China was paying for the tariffs. Economists who crunched the numbers were surprised to find that Chinese exporters generally didnt lower prices to keep their goods competitive after the tariffs were imposed. That meant US duties were mostly paid by its own companies and consumers.

The tariffs led to an income loss for US consumers of about $16.8 billion annually in 2018, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper.

Another own goal: Tariffs on imports from China tended to reduce U.S. exports. That was because globalized supply chains mean manufacturing is shared between countries, and the US raised the costs of its own goods by levying duties on imports of Chinese components.

View Full Image US exports fell in 2019

Companies which together account for 80% of US exports had to pay higher prices for Chinese imports, according to analysis of confidential company data by researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the US Census Bureau and the Federal Reserve, reducing export growth.

The rustbelt stayed rusty

Trump campaigned hard back in 2016 on pledges to revive the Rust Belt by taking on China and bringing the jobs back home. It didnt happen.

Growth in US manufacturing jobs flatlined in 2019, partly due to falling exports. Even regions home to industries such as steel, which received explicit protection from Trumps tariffs saw declines in employment, according to research by New York University Stern School of Business economist Michael Waugh, suggesting that the trade war didnt significantly alter the trajectory of U.S. manufacturing.

That stuff is just naturally going to move offshore. The protection maybe delays it a little bit," Waugh said. Theres no evidence that the tariffs benefited workers."

The pandemics disruption to the world economy in 2020 makes it difficult to estimate the effect of the tariffs on jobs and investment.

China changed at its own pace

The Trump administration claimed that tariffs provided leverage over the Chinese, which would force them to make reforms to benefit U.S. companies. I love properly put-on tariffs, because they bring unfair competitors from foreign countries to do whatever you want them to do," Trump said.

The biggest victory claimed by the administration as part of its trade deal were promises from Beijing to enhance intellectual property protections. But that was probably in Chinas interests anyway.

Mark Cohen, an expert on Chinese law at Fordham University in New York, said that while Beijing has made tremendous legislative changes" to strengthen IP protection in the past two years, its own motivation to enhance innovation may have been a more important factor than U.S. pressure. The agreement didnt push the structural reforms in China that would make its system more systemically compatible with most of the world," he added.

Chinese companies paid a record $7.9 billion in intellectual property payments to the US in 2019, up from $6.6 billion in 2016, and its courts imposed some record-breaking fines on IP infringement involving US companies. But that rate of increase was slower than for its IP payments to the whole world, according to World Bank data, showing the payments to the US were part of a general trend.

View Full Image Rising Royalties

Washington was also not able to extract any significant commitments on reform of Chinas state-owned enterprises, which were also cited as a justification for tariffs.

Trade war to tech wars

Its now up to President-elect Biden to decide whether to keep up the trade war. In a recent interview, he said he wouldnt remove the tariffs immediately and would instead review the phase one deal.

Compared with tariffs, an escalating conflict over technology is of more concern to China. Sanctions and export restrictions imposed by Washington have threatened the viability of leading technology companies such as Huawei Technologies Co. and microchip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. That is an existential threat to Beijings plans for economic growth.

If the US continues to increase its technological blockade, Chinas modernization towards the high-end of the global industrial chain will undoubtedly be affected," two researchers at the official Communist Party school in the province of Jiangsu wrote in an article.

So far, the impact of US actions has been to accelerate Beijings drive for technological self-sufficiency. The issue has rocketed up the Communist Partys agenda, symbolized by a statement last month that increasing strategic scientific and technological strength" is the most important economic task.

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Hong Kong: Constable initially tests positive

Police today reported that a constable posted to the Island Rail Line, Railway District, Patrol Sub-unit has tested preliminary positive for COVID-19.

The 50-year-old male officer felt unwell and consulted a doctor on January 11. He preliminarily tested positive today after undergoing a virus test.

He has no travel history in the past 14 days, wore a face mask while on duty and was last at work on January 7.

Police have deployed staff to clean and disinfect his work premises.

While awaiting further assessment and recommendations from the Department of Health, officers who might have come into close contact with him have been arranged to be quarantined for observation and undergo a COVID-19 test.

The force will maintain close communication with the department.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

A Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff shot a child pornography suspect in the shoulder Tuesday morning after the man pointed a gun at officers during a search of a Metairie home, authorities said.

Deputies were assisting agents with the Louisiana attorney general's office as they searched a home in the 5000 block of Senac Drive where a man was under investigation for possessing digital child pornography. The man's wife came out of the home when deputies knocked on the door, but she said her husband  identified by Sheriff Joe Lopinto as James Millet III, 79  was still inside.

Deputies entered and called for Millet come out, but he wouldn't, Lopinto said. Deputies eventually opened the door to a back bedroom and found Millet standing there with a gun pointed at them, Lopinto added.

A deputy armed with a rifle fired at Millet. Millet was struck in the upper right shoulder and dropped his pistol without firing, Lopinto said.

Lopinto said Millet was taken to University Medical Center to be treated for a wound that was not expected to be life-threatening. Deputies seized Millet's pistol.

The sheriff said he anticipates that Millet will face a charge of aggravated assault on police officers, in addition to any charges from the attorney general's office.

Lopinto said Millet had previously been arrested on an assault charge, in a case dating from the 1970s. Details of that case were not immediately available Tuesday.

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He said the deputies' confrontation with Millet is a reminder of how quickly the search of a home can devolve into violence.

"These crimes have a lot of shame that go with them and can be dangerous," Lopinto said. "The people on the scene control what happens. If he doesn't put a gun in his hand, this thing never does escalate."

A message left at a phone number associated with Millet wasn't immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.

Public records and newspaper clippings show Millet and his wife were previously involved in running a company, based in the San Francisco Bay area, that offered etiquette, manners and dance classes to sixth , seventh and eighth graders.

The woman who has since bought that company, Janine Gerzanics, said the company was primarily led by Millet's wife, who was born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, according to a 2006 newspaper article published in what is now known as the East Bay Times near San Francisco. Millet mainly handled technical aspects such as installing the sound system, Gerzanics recalled.

"He was never alone with children, and I never witnessed any inappropriate behavior," said Gerzanics, whose daughter had previously been a student of the Millets' company.

Gerzanics said Millet's wife sold her the company before she retired a few years ago and moved with her husband to the New Orleans area.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12) - President Rodrigo Duterte's administration had 13.47 billion worth of confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses in 2019, the Commission on Audit said in its annual financial report.

State auditors noted that this is 2.03 billion higher than the 11.4 billion spent in 2018.

COA said intelligence expenses accounted for 6.12 billion, the extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses reached 4.8 billion, while confidential expenses accounted for 2.57 billion.

The report also showed that Congress (3.98 billion), the Department of National Defense (3.09 billion), and the Office of the President (2.41 billion) are the top three highest spenders for confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses in 2019.

The other agencies that spent for confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses as well are the following:

.Department of Interior and Local Government (1.79 billion)

.Other Executive offices (752.7 million)

.Department of Information and Communication Technology (307.3 million)

.Department of Justice (279.08 million)

.The Judiciary (268.5 million)

.Department of Finance (90 million)

.Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (82.6 million)

In his veto message for this year's budget, Duterte refused to disclose to Congress how intelligence funds will be spent.

"I am duty bound to protect national security and maintain public safety, as well as ensure peace and order at all times," Duterte said. "Hence, all activities involving gathering that have a direct impact on national security and public safety shall be reported directly to me."

The president said reports on intelligence funds are confidential or classified information.
Broadcaster Joan Bakewell has launched a legal challenge to the Government's controversial decision to give Britons a single dose of a Covid jab

Broadcaster Joan Bakewell has launched a legal challenge to the Government's controversial decision to give Britons a single dose of a Covid jab without a second one immediately lined up.

Officials in the UK decided last month to use all available doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs, to get a single dose to as many people as possible.

In the process they will leave people waiting up to 12 weeks for their second jab. The gap between jabs was initially meant to be only three weeks.

Pfizer warned last month there was 'no data' to show a single dose of its vaccine provided long-term protection, while the World Health Organisation refused to back the U-turn.

Announcing her legal challenge and a crowdfunding campaign, Dame Joan, 87, said her intention was to establish whether the decision to delay giving the second dose of the Pfizer jab is 'lawful and safe'.

'I myself have been fortunate to have a second jab: but I am doing this on behalf of those waiting to have a second Pfizer Vaccine,' she added.

The presenter expressed her opposition to the decision to delay giving the second dose in an article for the Daily Mail last week.

She said she had initially been left 'in limbo' after being given an initial dose of the Pfizer vaccine but then 'heard nothing' from her GP after the policy U-turn.

Dame Joan posted her crowdfunding campaign on website crowdjustice.com and said she was aiming to raise a minimum of 5,000

Last week it emerged that doctors would defy Government orders to give a second dose of the Pfizer jab to those elderly patients who were promised one when they got their first injections.

Dame Joan said that while she did not disagree with the idea of giving as many people as possible the first dose, so that they have some protection rather than none, she said 'clarity' was 'desperately' needed.

She added: 'My sense of limbo is worsened because some doctors' leaders have now spoken out, saying they believe that delaying the second jab is "grossly unfair" and "undermines the vaccine programme as a whole".

Dame Joan posted her crowdfunding campaign on website crowdjustice.com and said she was aiming to raise a minimum of 5,000.

'My intent is to establish whether the proposed delay to the administration of the second dose of Pfizer Vaccine is lawful and safe,' she wrote.

Officials in the UK decided last week to use all available doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs, to get a single dose to as many people as possible

'I myself have been fortunate to have a second jab: but I am doing this on behalf of those waiting to have a second Pfizer Vaccine.'

She said her lawyers, from legal firm Leigh Day, had sent a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Friday last week asking him to explain the 'basis for the decision' by Tuesday, January 12.

UK's vaccine strategy could raise risk of yet ANOTHER mutant strain Britain's coronavirus vaccination strategy could increase the risk of yet another mutant strain of the virus evolving by giving it more time to mutate. Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, admitted at a Downing Street briefing last week that extending the time between doses could let the virus evolve. The Government last month unveiled its controversial policy which will see people given a single dose of a Covid jab without a second one lined up. Both the vaccines approved so far  one made by Pfizer and the other by Oxford University  rely on two doses to be most effective, with them ideally spaced three weeks apart. But in a scramble to stop the devastating second wave of Covid-19, Britain has abandoned this rule and decided it will extend the gap to 12 weeks so it can give more people a single dose as soon as possible. The benefit will be that millions more people end up being vaccinated in the coming weeks. But it's possible the vaccines won't work as well in the long run. Officials switched to this schedule because they want to vaccinate around 13million people by mid-February so that lockdowns can start to gradually be lifted. And Professor Whitty said it may also raise the risk that an 'escaped mutant' version of the virus evolves to resist immunity produced by the jabs. Advertisement

Dame Joan said the letter 'outlines three potential grounds for a judicial review' - where a judge would review the lawfulness of the decision.

She claimed the first reason to consider a judicial review was that the NHS's letter telling doctors to delay giving the second dose 'instructed health care professionals to act in a manner that appears to be contrary to the instructions for use that had been agreed between the MHRA and Pfizer.'

The second reason claimed it was 'unlawful' to depart from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency's (MHRA) assessment, which approved the Pfizer vaccine for use on the basis the second dose would be given within 21 days.

In the third reason she gave, she said there had been a 'breach of legitimate expectations'.

'It was clear from published documents and publicly made statements that the second dose would be administered 21 days after the first dose,' she said.

'Patients consented to a course of medical treatment on that understanding.

'The instruction contained in the NHS Letter breached these expectations and undermined their informed consent to the first dose.'

The Department of Health and Social Care has defended the decision to delay giving the second dose.

Its permanent secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, said: 'We followed the advice of the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation ) and the chief medical officers that the best public value in public health terms was to get the first dose to the maximum number of vulnerable people as quickly as possible.

'As opposed to the alternative strategy of giving second doses to the same people.

'It is better to have a larger number of people with first dose protection than a much smaller number with double dose protection.'

It comes after the WHO last week said governments should be giving people their second dose within 21 to 28 days of having the first, to make sure the vaccine works long-term.

But it did not attack Britain's decision to delay giving the second dose, admitting the Government had been forced to make a difficult decision because of spiralling infections and deaths in recent weeks.

Dr Alejandro Cravioto, chairman of WHO's vaccination advisory group, said: 'We deliberated and came out with the following recommendation: two doses of this vaccine within 21-28 days.'

Announcing her legal challenge and a crowdfunding campaign, Dame Joan, 87, said her intention was to establish whether the decision to delay giving the second dose of the Pfizer jab is 'lawful and safe'

'My intent is to establish whether the proposed delay to the administration of the second dose of Pfizer Vaccine is lawful and safe,' she wrote. Pictured: A pensioner receiving the jab

His colleague Dr Kate O'Brien said the data being used to justify the 12-week regime being used in the UK was 'imperfect'.

Although the WHO refused to give its approval to the UK's 12-week plan, it also did not criticise it.

It said there was a need for flexibility, particularly in countries with bad outbreaks, and that it was up to governments to make their own decision on the balance of risks.

Dr Joachim Hombach said: 'The [JCVI], the recommending body of the UK, has given more flexibility up to 12 weeks in consideration of the specific circumstances that the country is currently facing.

'We feel that we need to be grounded in evidence in relation to our recommendations but totally acknowledge that countries may see needs to be even more flexible in terms of administration of the second dose.

Cars are pictured queuing at a drive-in vaccination centre in Hyde, East Manchester

'But it is important to note that there is very little empirical data from the trials that underpin this type of recommendation.'

On Monday night, ministers pledged that everyone over 50 would be offered a coronavirus jab by the end of April.

It means 32million Britons - six in ten adults - will need to be vaccinated in 16 weeks.

Two million jabs will be given every week in what called 'the greatest logistical challenge of our time'.

Around 2.6million jabs have been given so far - with two fifths of the over-80s and quarter of elderly care home residents having had the vaccine.

By the end of January another 43 mass centres will open, each able to give out thousands of jabs a day.

Pharmacies, GP-led centres, and hospitals will also be involved.

In a meeting to discuss how doses are spaced out yesterday, WHO experts concluded that, with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, people should get their second dose 21 to 28 days after the first, with an 'outer limit' of six weeks.

This maximum limit is still only half as long as the UK plans to leave it, with hundreds of thousands of people being told they could have to wait three months.
Syracuse, NY -- Men went hunting for Yasire Boatman in October 2018, looking to kill him over a fistfight, authorities said. But his executioner missed, instead killing a 12-year-old boy.

Two weeks later, Boatman, then 19, opened fire at Tommys Bar on Butternut Street, shooting a man in the legs. He was charged with attempted murder.

After pleading guilty to illegal weapon possession in the bar shooting in January 2020, Boatman was released from jail by County Court Judge Matthew Doran pending sentencing.

A month later, Boatman was charged with using a stolen cop gun to threaten a woman at a McKinley Avenue residence. (He was not charged with stealing the gun, but possessing it to use against another.)

Boatman has remained jailed ever since his February 2020 arrest in the stolen gun incident. On Tuesday, his complicated court case ended when Doran sentenced him to prison for 15 years.

Boatman was not charged in connection with the murder of the 12-year-old: he was the intended victim, not a perpetrator, in that case. (The getaway driver and the man who was beat up by Boatman were convicted for their roles; the alleged gunman was acquitted by a separate jury.)

Boatman received 10 years for the shooting at the bar and another 5 years for possessing the stolen cop gun, used to threaten someone.

His lawyer, Patrick Hennessy, sought Tuesday to have his status as a violent felon removed by the state prison system, arguing that his client often felt he had no choice but resort to violence. Hennessy noted that in the bar shooting, Boatman may not have been the initial aggressor.

He needs help. He needs to learn other skills and other ways to move on from the environment in which he was raised, Hennessy said.

For his part, Boatman, now 21, said he was ready to serve his punishment.

Im man enough to take responsibility for what Ive done, he said.

Prosecutor Lauren Phelps noted that she had wanted Boatman to spend 20 years in prison. Boatman took the 15-year deal offered by the judge.

Doran said that he had no direct control over whether the state prison system considers Boatman a violent felon or not. The judge said he took no position on Hennessys request.

The entire court sentencing was conducted virtually due to the pandemic. Doran is allowing defendants the option to be sentenced virtually, or schedule a time to come into court in-person. Boatman said he was ready to face his punishment.
thierry Ehrmann, President and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department: "The boom in 100% online sales has somewhat undermined the logic of maintaining auction rooms and offices in the centres of expensive cities like New York. Manhattan's power of attraction remains strong and certainly contributes to the success of the prestige sales, as we saw in 2020. But what about the rest of the Art Market? Will it be able to afford city-centre venues?".

-98% in May

In May 2019, the Big Apple hammered $2.2 billion at Fine Art auctions, thanks notably to eight works selling above the $50 million threshold between 13 and 16 May: Monet ($110 million), Koons ($91 million), Rauschenberg ($88 million), Cezanne ($59 million), Picasso ($55 million), Warhol ($53 million), Bacon ($50 million), Rothko ($50 million). The diversity of these masterpieces, created between the end of the 19th century and the Post-war period, illustrates the attractiveness of New York as a Fine Art marketplace.

In May 2020, however, auctions (functioning online only) totaled just $39 million in Manhattan, i.e. just 2% of the total for the previous May. According to Artprice data, this total was generated by 1,400 Fine Art lots which sold for an average price of $28,000.

All summer to relaunch

It wasn't until the very end of June 2020 that the high-end market finally appeared to unblock. The New York market immediately recorded the only result of the year above $50 million in the West, with Francis Bacon's Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus (1981).

Compared with the year-earlier period, the first semester of 2020 New York art sales ended down -54%. This significant shortfall was partially offset when the major houses decided to hold a number of prestige sessions in October, but it was made by moving forward part of the prestigious November sales.

Confidence returning

Fortunately the outlook is positive: confidence has gradually returned to the art market at the international level. Artprice's AMCI (Art Market Confidence Index) rose throughout November and December. So much so that by the start of 2021, two thirds of Art Market professionals declared a 'strong intention' to acquire new works.

There can be no doubt that the Botticelli masterpiece that will be offered by Sotheby's on 28 January 2021 in New York has captured the attention of major art buyers and enthusiasts all over the planet.

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Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 744,000 artists.

Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians.

Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code).

Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art.

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Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its Artprice department http://web.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013

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Twitters decision to kick US President Donald Trump permanently off its platform due to the risk of further incitement of violence following earlier similar moves by Facebook and Instagram has set off a free-speech firestorm.

On the facts, Twitter had a strong case. The violence and desecration at the Capitol on January 6 had not been seen since the British burnt down the White House in 1812.

Silenced: US President Donald Trump. Credit:AP

Trump had stirred his supporters into a fury with incendiary remarks beforehand, urging them to stop the steal under way as Congress was ceremonially counting President-elect Joe Bidens win.

Trump urged his supporters to fight much harder, warning them that youll never take back our country with weakness ... you have to show strength, and telling them if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.
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The inaugural committee for President-elect Joe Biden reportedly returned a $500 donation from former California Sen. Barbara Boxer after it was learned she registered as a foreign agent for a Chinese surveillance firm.

Axios reported that the committee rejected Boxer's donation since the Chinese firm  named Hikvision  has been "accused of abetting the countrys mass internment of Uighur Muslims." According to Justice Department documents published Friday, Boxer provides strategic consulting services" to Hikvision's subsidiary in the United States.

Hikivision was banned from doing business with U.S. firms absent a government-issued license in 2019, and was accused by the Trump administration of having ties to the Chinese military.

In a statement to Axios, Boxer stated, "When I am asked to provide strategic advice to help a company operate in a more responsible and humane manner consistent with U.S. law in spirit and letter, it is an opportunity to make things better while helping protect and create American jobs.

During his presidential campaign, Biden said the internment of Uighur Muslims is "among the worst abuses of human rights in the world today."

"The U.S. cannot be silent  we must speak out against this oppression and relentlessly defend human rights around the world," he tweeted in November 2019.

Boxer is the latest California Democrat with reported ties to agents of the Chinese government. In December, Axios published another story revealing that Rep. Eric Swalwell had close ties to a suspected Chinese spy who was sent to gain influence with young, up-and-coming American politicians.

In 2018, it was revealed that Sen. Dianne Feinstein had a suspected Chinese spy on her staff for about 20 years without her knowledge.
Call it a labor of dread. For the sixth time, artist Mitchell Gaudet will mark the new year by commemorating New Orleans murder rate with artwork. From 9 a.m. to 3 on Wednesday (Jan 13), hell display an 8-foot-tall, deceptively beautiful sculpture near the entrance to City Hall that tallies the loss of life.

Known for his glass sculpture, Gaudet annually chooses a symbol to stand for each victim. In 2015 he cast glass in the shape of weeping dolls heads. The next year he produced broken columns, then drops of blood, fallen leaves, and bulls-eye targets.

This year, he selected something a touch more hopeful. The glittering blue birds Gaudet made are meant in an abstraction fashion to imply ascension. Ironically, they became a symbol of this years surging murder rate.

As Gaudet explained, he set out to produce 200 birds in advance, which he was certain would be all he needed even if he broke a few - which he did. He ended up installing 194, one shy of NOLA.com's total of 195 killings. That's a jump of more than 60 percent over the previous years 121.

Gaudets shortfall tells you that 2020 couldnt have been worse, he said. Hed been underestimating what a disastrous year its been and how desperate people are, Gaudet said. People have been put under more stress.

In the midst of his 194 glass birds, Gaudet has placed a manual for funeral services marked with the names of the victims. Visitors to the artwork are welcome to leaf through the book.

Annually producing the grim artwork is a drag, Gaudet said. But hes devoted to the project, because it pushes back against the normalcy of violence. By presenting the eye-catching piece on the Perdido Street sidewalk leading to City Hall, the artwork becomes a plea for public awareness. It also becomes a sometimes-cathartic conversation starter for passersby.

Every time I go out there, theres a couple of profound things people tell me that Im never prepared for, Gaudet said.

Gaudet, a native of New Orleans who recently moved to rural Mississippi, said he plans to continue the annual ritual for at least 10 years.

+6 A disturbing phenomenon: New Orleans' killings, shootings have risen sharply since coronavirus A 9-year-old boy gunned down in front of his family in Treme. A 34-year-old man shot and killed in a dispute over a car title. Three men shot,
The online banishment of President Trump and his supporters has spread from Facebook and Twitter to lesser-known companies that operate the infrastructure of the internet, threatening his ability to raise money, rally supporters and remain a political and cultural force as he prepares to leave office.

A host of web security, hosting and payment companies are stopping services to both Trump and organizations that have tolerated right-wing extremists advocating further violence.

The moves highlight the power that a small number of firms have over the internet, including obscure Bay Area tech companies that provide the plumbing of a modern web presence. Well known to the regions app designers and web engineers, their services let websites load quickly, users verify identities, and payments get processed securely. Without them, its difficult to maintain an online presence that reaches large numbers of people or pays for itself.

The social network Parler of Henderson, Nev., went offline Monday after Amazon Web Services stopped hosting it, as fallout from Wednesdays insurrection at the U.S. Capitol continues.

Parler users called for the murders of Trumps political enemies and further violence if the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden moved forward, according to screenshots.

San Franciscos Twilio, which offers communication tools, including some used by Parler to secure user accounts, also dropped the app as a customer.

Twilio said Parler violated a policy prohibiting the spread of disinformation, encouraging violence, destruction of property and other illegal activity, threatening public safety, and harming Twilios reputation.

We identified posts on Parler that advocated for civil war, spread malicious and fraudulent messages about the election, called on users to assassinate government officials, and advocated for racially-motivated violence. The account is suspended indefinitely, the company added.

San Francisco security company Okta, which helps companies manage user identities, also said it cut Parler off.

While we support organizations across the political spectrum, our (services) will not be used for threats of violence and illegal activity, the company said on Twitter.

While some cheered the tech companies actions  counterprotesters supportive of the bans outnumbered the pro-Trump protesters who had promised to show up at Twitters pandemic-emptied headquarters in San Francisco on Monday  others saw reason for concern at their ability to vanish Trump from the internet.

Lina Khan, a Columbia University professor and prominent tech critic, said the unilateral ability of large companies to stifle communication stemmed from the governments failure to regulate them as the essential infrastructure providers that they are.

Traditionally, the U.S. dealt with infrastructure providers through applying a heightened set of rules and requirements that curbed their power, because we recognized that these services are too important to public life to be run entirely at the discretion of private entities, she said.

Since we havent updated our laws, Google, Facebook and Amazon are wielding unchecked power over key arteries of communication. Whether we agree or disagree with any particular hosting decision is besides the point. The real question is who sets the rules: democratically accountable public officials, or a small set of private executives? she said.

Jim Steyer, founder and chief executive of Common Sense Media, a San Francisco nonprofit that advocates for media literacy, supported the Trump bans but also voiced concerns over concentrated power.

In this case, it is totally justifiable and in the public interest to limit access to anti-democratic, violent forces that are not only using social media to spread lies about the outcome of the presidential election but also to organize a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and our democracy itself, he said. In the case of some of the largest companies, like Facebook, it raises the question of whether the companies are too big and should be broken up.

The moves taken by the companies are significant, but any efforts to constrain hate speech and white supremacy online are limited, said Robyn Caplan, a researcher at Data & Society, a nonprofit focusing on technology.

We did see the same thing after Charlottesville, but it didnt necessarily weaken white supremacy, said Caplan, referring to the 2017 march by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Virginia.

After the murder of Heather Heyer at a counterprotest, Google and website hosting company GoDaddy blocked the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer. It has since returned under a different domain name.

It will continue to be a Whac-A-Mole game, Caplan said.

Parler sued Amazon on Monday for kicking it off its web hosting service, alleging that the Seattle e-commerce company, which rents capacity in its data centers to other businesses, was apparently motivated by political animus. It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

The antitrust claims against Amazon appear to be groundless, said John Newman, a law professor at the University of Miami in Florida who specializes in antitrust laws. Without any evidence that companies actually agreed between them to boot Parler off, there is no conspiracy.

Amazon previously cited Parlers inability to moderate content as a reason to end service and called the lawsuit meritless. Google and Apple had also removed Parlers mobile versions from their app stores in the wake of last weeks riot, citing similar concerns.

The actions against Trump and his allies extended to e-commerce, messaging and even online travel.

After critics discovered Teespring, a San Francisco T-shirt selling service, was offering Camp Auschwitz shirts like those worn by some Capitol rioters, it cut off business with the vendor that sold the offensive garb.

We categorically do not allow or condone any content which promotes racist, anti-Semitic or hate speech messaging, including the Neo-Nazi designs currently circulating online, a company spokesperson said in an email. Anyone uploading this type of content will be swiftly and permanently banned from the service, the spokesperson said.

San Franciscos Stripe, one of the largest online payment processors, will stop processing donations for Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported, complicating the presidents financial future. PayPal and Shopify also cut ties with Trump, and GoFundMe removed fundraisers by Trump supporters.

Salesforce, the San Francisco provider of marketing and sales software, said it had restricted the Republican National Committees use of its products. As the online news site Vice first reported, that includes the fundraising email list that the committee manages with the Trump campaign, which has not sent emails since Wednesday to its millions of supporters.

We are all deeply troubled by the terrible events of January 6. And while we all hope that they are never repeated, sadly there remains a risk of politically incited violence across the country. The Republican National Committee has been a long-standing customer, predating the current administration, and we have taken action to prevent its use of our services in any way that could lead to violence, Salesforce said.

Airbnb, which has forbidden members of hate groups from booking rentals on its service since the violent Charlottesville rally, said it would apply the policy to people seeking lodging near or in the capital in the run-up to the inauguration. It encouraged hosts to call a hotline if they suspected a guest was a member of such a group.

Caplan said the bans showed the power tech companies wield, and said that might require ongoing scrutiny, especially when marginalized groups are affected.

What most advocates in the space would like to see is a lot more consistency from these (companies), a lot more transparency, Caplan said.

Shwanika Narayan and Roland Li are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com, roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika, @rolandlisf
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LONDON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday warned against "false complacency" as the country is seeking to speed up the coronavirus vaccine rollout.

"This is a very perilous moment because everybody can sense that the vaccine is coming in and they can see that the UK is vaccinating large numbers of those that need it most," he said during a visit to a vaccination center in Bristol, located in southwest England, about 193 km west of London.

"My worry is...that this is the moment when that degree of false confidence, false complacency, and that when you look at what has happened in the NHS (National Health Service) that complacency is not merited," he said.

According to the prime minister, 2.4 million coronavirus jabs have been administered across Britain.

Seven new mass vaccination sites in England opened Monday, as the country races against time to bring the pandemic under control.

Earlier Monday, Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty warned that the "most dangerous time" of the coronavirus pandemic in Britain has yet to come before vaccine rollout has an impact.

The next few weeks will be "the worst" of the pandemic for the NHS, he told the BBC, urging the public to minimize all unnecessary contact with others.

Johnson and Whitty made the warnings after Britain surpassed the grim milestones of 3,000,000 COVID-19 cases and 80,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the pandemic began in the country. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Sheldon Adelson, who built the largest casino company in the world and used his wealth to support Republican candidates and groups, has died. He was 87.

Adelson died Monday night from complications related to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Las Vegas Sands Corp. said in a statement Tuesday. Adelson took a leave of absence earlier this month to continue treatment for the disease.

A Boston cabdriver's son, Adelson made his first fortune in trade shows, founding what would become the computer industry's largest event, Comdex, and selling it to Japan's SoftBank Group Corp. for about $800 million in 1995. He plowed the profits into casinos, first in Las Vegas and then in Asia where he helped turn the former Portuguese colony of Macao into the world's biggest gambling market.

Adelson's wealth was derived mostly from his majority stake in Las Vegas Sands, which he founded. The company, with revenue of $13.7 billion in 2019, operates a convention center and casinos in Las Vegas along with gambling resorts in Macao and Singapore. Adelson, who was chairman and chief executive officer, controlled more than half of the company's shares.

His net worth was about $33 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The company confirmed in 2020 that Adelson was considering selling his Las Vegas properties if the price he could get for them was high enough. The coronavirus pandemic caused a steep drop in business at casinos all over the world, but especially in China. Adelson told investors, however, that he was committed to investing billions of dollars overseas.

"We remain steadfast in my beliefs that Macao has the potential to become one of the greatest business and leisure tourism destinations in the world," Adelson said on a conference call in October 2020.

In 1989, Adelson and his partners bought the former Rat Pack hangout, the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, with an eye toward building a convention center to host Comdex. A decade later, he demolished the Sands and opened the $1.5 billion Venetian hotel on the site, inspired by a honeymoon to Italy that Adelson took with his second wife, the former Miriam Ochshorn.

"Sheldon was the love of my life," Miriam Adelson said in a statement Tuesday. "He was my partner in romance, philanthropy, political activism and enterprise. He was my soulmate. To me -- as to his children, grandchildren, and his legions of friends and admirers, employees and colleagues -- he is utterly irreplaceable."

At the time Sheldon Adelson developed the Venetian, most casinos tried to get guests out of their rooms so they would gamble more. Adelson instead designed large suites at the hotel with business-friendly amenities such as fax machines, specifically catering to conventioneers.

"They always derided, they always demonized our convention strategy," he said, according to a 2008 New Yorker profile. "And look who is laughing last."

Entering Macao was Adelson's most successful wager. Following the 1999 handover of the former colony to China, Adelson won the rights to build the Sands Macao, the city's first Las Vegas-style casino. After the 2004 opening, he recouped his construction cost in a matter of months. He wound up with five casinos there.

Later, Adelson used his wealth to become a conservative force in U.S. politics and staunch advocate of Israel.

As a counter to political giving by fellow billionaire George Soros, he funneled almost $30 million to favored candidates in the 2008 U.S. elections and spent $100 million backing Republican hopefuls during the 2012 presidential campaign, including nominee Mitt Romney.

Adelson stayed out of the contentious 2016 Republican primaries but spent $20 million late in the race backing the campaign of Donald Trump. Overall, Adelson and his wife contributed $218 million to Republican candidates and groups in 2020, including more than $90 million to groups backing Trump, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, making them the largest individual political donors in the country.

When the Trump administration announced that it supported relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a proposal vehemently opposed by Palestinians, Adelson offered to personally underwrite the cost of the move.

Once a Democrat, Adelson became a Republican even though he claimed he was liberal on some social issues. In 2012, he wrote a Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled "I Didn't Leave the Democrats. They Left Me." His split came from disagreements over foreign policy such as the level of U.S. support for Israel, the cost of government welfare programs and corporate tax policies.

An opponent of an independent Palestine, he helped finance Israeli and Jewish causes. Adelson started Israel HaYom, a Hebrew language conservative daily that became the country's largest newspaper by circulation. He later bought two other newspapers. He also campaigned heavily against online betting, on moral grounds.

Sheldon Gary Adelson was born on Aug. 4, 1933, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, where he started life in a one-room tenement. His Lithuanian-born father drove a cab, and his mother, who came from Ukraine, managed a knitting shop.

"This could be a rags-to-riches story, but my family was too poor to own rags," he said in a 2000 interview with Businessweek magazine.

He sold newspapers on Boston street corners at age 12, dropped out of school and became a court reporter for the U.S. Army.

In his early days as an entrepreneur, he made a living with candy vending machines and selling toiletry kits to motels.

Adelson's charitable contributions included hundreds of millions for medical research. His philanthropic giving surpassed his political contributions.

Much of his philanthropy involved the Adelson Family Foundation, whose primary purpose "is to strengthen the State of Israel and the Jewish people," according to its website.

In 2015 Adelson purchased his hometown newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, for $140 million, a move made in secret that prompted the exodus of editorial staff worried about conflicts of interest covering one of the city's most prominent business executives.

Adelson and his first wife, Sandra, divorced in 1988, after adopting three children: Mitchell, Gary and Shelley. Mitchell Adelson died in 2005.

Miriam Adelson, a physician specializing in drug rehabilitation, had two sons, Adam and Matan, with Adelson. She also had two daughters from a previous marriage. Sheldon, Miriam and trusts for their children held almost 57% of the company's shares, according to a 2020 filing.

His longtime No. 2, President Rob Goldstein, who's been with the company since 1995, signed a new contract in 2020 that runs until 2024. He took on the role of acting chief executive officer in Adelson's absence. Miriam's son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, is chief financial officer, and is expected to play a leading role at the company in the future.

A funeral will be held in Israel, where Miriam Adelson was born, Las Vegas Sands said.
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Italy has identified a new 'patient zero' who had the coronavirus in November 2019, in the latest piece of evidence that Covid-19 was already circulating in Europe before China alerted the world to the outbreak in Wuhan.

A 25-year-old woman from Milan had a skin biopsy after suffering a rash and a sore throat that November, producing a sample which a new study says shows evidence of the virus.

The findings published in a British medical journal suggest that the disease had already reached northern Italy by the autumn of 2019 - weeks before the previous earliest known case, a four-year-old boy who had the virus in December.

The woman becomes Italy's newest 'patient zero', but researchers believe the disease was in the country before November. Blood samples taken from cancer patients in Milan and later tested for Covid have suggested the disease was present in September.

But China did not inform the WHO of the outbreak in Wuhan until December 31, and Beijing has since been dogged by claims that it covered up the epidemic in its early stages.

Italy did not detect its first case until late January 2020, and weeks later it became the first Western country to be hit with the full force of the pandemic's destruction.

A 25-year-old woman is believed to have had the coronavirus in Italy early as November 2019, in the latest piece of evidence that the disease was already circulating in Europe before China alerted the world to the outbreak in Wuhan (file photo)

This map shows how numerous countries have found evidence of virus transmission well before China alerted the world

China's official timeline vs new evidence Official timeline Dec 8, 2019 - Earliest date that China has acknowledged an infection Dec 31 - China first reported 'pneumonia of unknown cause' to the World Health Organisation Jan 1, 2020 - Wuhan seafood market closed for disinfection Jan 11 - China reported its first death Jan 23 - Wuhan locked down Jan 31 - WHO declared 'outbreak of international concern' as China admitted having thousands of cases Feb 23 - Italy reports cluster of cases in first major outbreak in the West New evidence Sep 2019- Blood samples are taken in a lung cancer screening trial in Italy which later test positive for coronavirus Oct-Dec - Rise in 'flu and pneumonia' cases in northern Italy which could be linked to coronavirus Nov - Sewage samples taken in Florianopolis, Brazil, suggest virus was present Nov 10 - Milanese woman has a skin biopsy, producing a sample which later shows signs of the virus Nov 17 - Leaked documents suggest case detected in China on this date Dec 1 - Chinese researchers report an infection on this date in a peer-reviewed study, but it has not been acknowledged by Beijing Dec 18 - Sewage samples taken in Milan and Turin suggest virus was circulating in the cities Jan 2020 - Sewage samples from Barcelona suggest virus was in the city Advertisement

The woman now thought to be 'patient zero' had sought medical help because of a skin rash and a sore throat.

Health experts say a skin rash is one of the less common symptoms of Covid-19, along with diarrhoea and headaches.

She had a biopsy and her symptoms later cleared up, but skin researchers kept the sample and compared it to those of known Covid-19 patients.

The findings 'lead us to believe that our patient could represent the oldest case in literature of detection of the virus on tissue sample,' researchers wrote in the British Journal of Dermatology.

But 'probably, continuing to search, we would also find it on samples from October 2019,' Rafaele Gianotti, the lead researcher in the latest study, told ANSA.

In June last year, the woman tested positive for antibodies, suggesting she had been infected and recovered some time earlier.

Her biopsy took place on November 10, 2019, Italian media says, a month before the four-year-old boy who was the subject of a previous study gave his swab sample in Milan.

The boy had developed a cough by November 21, and his symptoms later worsened into breathing problems and vomiting which led him to go to hospital.

On December 1, he developed a measles-like rash, and it was assumed at the time that measles were the cause of his illness.

However, a swab sample on December 5 was later confirmed to be positive for SARS-CoV-2, the scientific name for the coronavirus.

Separately, a study by Italy's National Cancer Institute late last year suggested that the virus could even have been spreading as early as September 2019.

Researchers found that dozens of volunteers involved in a trial from September 2019 until March 2020 had developed antibodies against Covid-19 by February.

This included 23 out of 162 patients who had their samples taken in September, although further details about these patients were not given - meaning the woman in the latest study is the first identifiable virus patient in Italy.

Italian researchers said in March that they reported a higher than usual number of cases of severe pneumonia and flu in Lombardy in the last quarter of 2019 in another sign that the virus might have circulated earlier than thought.

Other studies have suggested that the virus was already present in France, Brazil and the United States before the end of 2019.

In May, French scientists said they had found evidence that a man was infected as early as December 27, having thought he had the flu.

The 42-year-old had no known links to China, suggesting that 'the disease was already spreading among the French population', researchers said.

Italy became the first Western country to feel the full force of the pandemic's destruction early in 2020, before suffering a resurgence in infection rates (left) later in the year. Italy was also the first country in Europe to pile up hundreds of daily deaths, a grim reality which has returned in recent months (right)

In Brazil, wastewater samples collected in the city of Florianopolis in November 2019 were also found to contain traces of the virus.

Another study on sewage samples from Barcelona found traces of the disease in January 2020, more than a month before the city's first official case.

It was not until December 31, 2019 that the WHO's China office was informed of a mystery pneumonia which had sickened 44 people in Wuhan.

Later, the WHO was informed that at least one patient in Wuhan - a major transport hub - had been showing symptoms as early as December 8.

On January 5, the WHO was still saying that there was 'no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission' of the virus.

China has always denied allegations of a cover-up, reacting angrily to calls for an international investigation into the origins of the virus, but there have been persistent doubts about the accuracy of the figures it releases.

Numerous reports have detailed how China withheld key details about the virus in its early stages, including from the WHO which has praised China in public.

A young doctor, Li Wenliang, was reprimanded by police after trying to raise the alarm about the disease - and later died of it.

The findings suggest that the virus was spreading in Italy months before Europe's first major outbreak began, forcing a national lockdown previously regarded as unthinkable in the West (pictured, a soldier stands guard in Milan)

The WHO says a team of experts will finally arrive in Wuhan on Thursday to investigate the origins of the pandemic in a politically fraught mission.

The investigation had been set to start last week but a last-minute hold up over entry permissions in China scuppered plans.

Marion Koopmans, part of the WHO team and head of the viroscience department at Rotterdam's Erasmus University Medical Center, said they wanted to 'reconstruct' how the pandemic started.

Experts say solving the mystery of how the virus first jumped from animals to humans is crucial to preventing another pandemic.

Scientists initially believed the virus jumped to humans at a market selling exotic animals in Wuhan.

But experts now think the market may not have been the origin of the disease, but rather the site of a super-spreader event where the outbreak was amplified.

It is widely assumed that the virus originally came from bats, but the intermediate animal host that transmitted it between bats and humans remains unknown.

Beijing has argued that Wuhan is not necessarily the source of the virus, and Chinese officials have pushed theories that it began abroad.

The virus was first confirmed to have spread outside China in January, when a 61-year-old woman was found to be infected with it in Thailand.

Italy confirmed its first cases on January 30, when prime minister Giuseppe Conte said two Chinese tourists had tested positive for the disease.

The Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan, pictured last January, was initially thought to be the source of the outbreak - but experts now believe it may have been the site of a super-spreader event which amplified an epidemic that started elsewhere

In the following weeks, Italy became the first country in Europe to pile up hundreds of infections a day, followed by hundreds of deaths, mostly in the wealthy north.

Mattia Maestri, Italy's first known case of domestic transmission of coronavirus, was diagnosed on February 21, and had not been to China or been in contact with a known case.

In March alone, there were more than 12,000 deaths in Italy, and the country had the world's largest death toll for a time until the United States surpassed it in April.

Italy was the first Western nation to go into a full-scale lockdown, followed within a few weeks by most of Europe and the United States.

The drastic measures brought the infection rate under control by the summer, but Italy has again suffered badly during the second wave.

After infections fell somewhat over the Christmas period, they are now back to their highest level since early December with 122,000 new cases in the last week.

The death rate has also been climbing again, with the average daily toll rising back above 500 on Monday for the first time since the Christmas lull.

In total, the country has seen 2,289,021 confirmed infections and 79,203 deaths, the second-highest fatality county in Europe after the UK.
Were the people of the past tougher than the todays generation?

That is impossible to know for sure, but we can assume that ice fisherman Asa Ladd of Brewerton was one of the toughest of any generation.

The Jan. 6, 1951 front page of the Herald-Journal said so.

Asa Ladd at 78 is plenty tough, the newspaper said. He wont let a little icy Oneida Lake water in his britches keep him from pike  his favorite eatin.

The veteran fisherman was out on the ice the day before with his two adult sons, Ernest and Marvin. They were ice fishing about two miles north of Dunhams Island.

The day was cold, and it was not long before his sons, ages 36 and 53, had had enough. Asa told them to keep their lines in the ice and he would watch them.

With his eyes watching multiple lines, Ladd must have become disoriented and as he backed up cautiously in the slushy ice to inspect one of his own hooks  splash!

He found himself in 21 feet of icy water.

He reached for the ice, but it cracked and broke in his hands.

Ladd thought a moment and remembered he could not swim, the newspaper reported. He spread his arms and lifted one boot over the ice. But that put his head under the water. H-m-m-m-m.

It came to him that he must be near one of his tip-ups, a tool used to suspend live bait beneath the ice and detect fish strikes without the angler having to maintain contact, that he had placed there days before.

Edging his way, Ladd reached the tip-up, grabbed it and rolled out of the water.

He was cold, soaked to the bone and had lost his ax to the depths of Oneida Lake.

But, on the other hand, he had also not reached his catch limit for the day. So, he kept on fishing.

After about ten minutes his shirt froze and he couldnt bend over, the story mentioned. So, he gathered up his catch and dejectedly walked two miles back to his car.

That is right. Asa Ladd, 78, walked two miles in frozen clothes!

About an hour later he was back home. The clothes that hadnt dried were still frozen solid.

The story said that at the insistence of his wife, Ladd changed into dry clothing, ate some pike, and went to bed.

At 6 a.m. the next morning, armed with a new ax, he was back out on the ice.

How did he feel?

Great! Youll never catch cold if your clothes dry on you, he said.

MORE ASA LADD

The above story got us to thinking if this Central New York character, Asa Ladd, had anymore stories which might be worth sharing.

We ran his name through our archives and, sure enough, there was!

A 1963 Post-Standard story, written about Ladd on his 91st birthday, said he was one of Brewertons pioneer settlers.

He was born in Constantia, where his parents had settled so his father could cut lumber.

Almost from the beginning, Ladd had an impressive work ethic.

As a child, he earned one dollar a month at the Brewerton/Caughdenoy rural school he attended for doing odd jobs, like building the daily fire, sweeping out the classroom, fetching buckets of drinking water and keeping the wood box filled.

During the summer, he made money catching frogs, selling his catch for 10 cents a pound. The money was used to buy his first suit of store clothes.

Quite an achievement, the Post-Standard said, for a boy of 10.

He was an expert wrestler, built farmhouses in the area, was a dairy farmer, and helped to lay the plank road that ran from Syracuse to Central Square, cutting the planks himself from the forest.

A newspaper profile from 1949, when Ladd was a spry 77, said he continued to do carpentry work at the home of his five children.

He spent his free time hunting and fishing.

In 1958, he was part of a group that removed approximately 250,000 pounds of carp from Oneida Lake.

He sometimes skated six miles between his ice fishing tip-ups and it seems that his excitement in Oneida Lake in 1951 was nothing new:

I was shot two or three times on hunting trips and Ive fallen through the ice heaven knows how many times, but these tales arent worth telling, he once said.

One story he did retell in 1949 was the time he was shot through the foot while on a duck hunting trip.

He and his companion searched for a wounded duck before he sought medical aid, and then:

On the way in I stopped by fathers place to get warm. I can remember sitting by the fire and pushing the sock lint out of the holes in my foot with a knitting needle, but I wasnt really hurt.

He owed his good health and longevity to abstaining from tobacco and alcohol.

Never touched a bit of tobacco in my life, he said. Thats why I dont get short-winded like these smoking fellers do.

I dont drink either, even when the wind in nippin cold in the duck blind.

Asa Ladd died at the age of 94 on Jan. 11, 1967.

Read more

Getting outdoors: Upstate NY outdoors writer finally ventures out on ice, catches a few small ones

Vintage winter photo: Dad builds 40-foot snow ramp on roof of his Fulton barn

Vintage winter photos: See cars stuck in some of CNYs worst snowstorms

Snowed in? Check out our true-crime podcast

An invention from Upstate NY soon became the preferred method of execution across the United States -- the electric chair. In The Condemned, we trace the history of the chair through the stories of five men who were sentenced to death for their crimes. Explore our series here.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958.

In the aftermath of the US Capitol siege, Canadian officials are considering designating the far-right Proud Boys as a terrorist organisation alongside groups like Boko Haram, Isis and al-Qaida. In an interview with CTV media outlet, Canadas public safety minister Bill Blair said that his office was closely watching and actively gathering intelligence about groups such as the Proud Boys. Blair called the group white supremacists, antisemitic, Islamophobic and misogynist and further added that theyre all hateful and dangerous.

Blair said, Were working very diligently to ensure that where the evidence is available, where we have the intelligence, that well deal appropriately with those organizations.

The ministers office has not said when a determination on the groups status as a terror group will be made, however, Canadian politicians, including the federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, have called on Canada to reassess the domestic terror threat within the country. Last week, Singh had also accused the Proud Boys of helping to execute an act of domestic terrorism when members of the group stormed the US Capitol. In a tweet, he had said that their founder is Canadian and they operate in Canada. He added that it was more urgent than ever that the government works to immediately ban and dismantle all hate organisations operating in the country.

READ: US Capitol Riots: Amazon To Pull QAnon Merchandise From Online Marketplace

READ: Twitter Suspends 70,000 QAnon Accounts After US Capitol Attack To Protect Conversations

Classified as extremist organisation by FBI

The Proud Boys group was founded in 2016 by the Canadian Gavin McInnes. They had first made headlines in Canada after five military reservists, dressed in the groups black and yellow shirts, disputed a protest by the Indigenous community over a controversial statue. Later, the group was banned by social media networks Facebook and Instagram after they violated the platforms hate policies. Proud Boys are also classified as an extremist organisation by the FBI.

The members of the group view US President Donald Trump as a key ally. During the presidential debates last year, when Trump was asked to condemn the group, he instead had told the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by. On January 6, members of the group were also present during the attack on the Capitol. Several social media videos and pictures showed Proud Boys colours, patches, flags and apparel affiliated with the group.

Now, if Canada designates Proud Boys as a terrorist organisation, it could open up a range of criminal sanctions on the group. Its assets could be seized or forfeited by Canadian authorities, although the groups is unlikely to have large, hidden assets. According to The Guardian, one former intelligence analyst also said that the follow-on effects, however, could be more significant.

READ: House Speeding To Impeach Trump For Capitol 'insurrection'

READ: Australia Acting PM Equates Capitol Attack With BLM Protests




Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Switzerland gave the green light Tuesday to the Moderna vaccine against the new coronavirusafter being the first country in continental Europe to start using the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

The Swissmedic regulatory authority said the Moderna vaccine had shown high efficacy and could be administered immediately to those aged 18 and over.

The neighbouring European Union gave its approval to the US firm's vaccine last Wednesday, followed by Britain on Friday.

"Swissmedic has today temporarily authorised the Moderna vaccine," the agency said in a statement.

"This means that a second COVID-19 vaccine has satisfied the strict requirements for safety, efficacy and quality and can be used with immediate effect in Switzerland."

It said the Moderna vaccine was 94 percent effective from two weeks after the second dose.

Some countries are delaying the second injection of vaccines that require two doses in order to maximise the number of people given some degree of protection through a first injection.

But Swissmedic said it recommended sticking to the one-month interval for the Moderna vaccine rather than deferring the second dose and cautioned against mixing between two different vaccine types.

Health Minister Alain Berset tweeted that the first 200,000 Moderna doses would be delivered by the end of Wednesday.

Switzerland on December 23 became the first country in continental Europe to start using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its mass immunisation programme against the coronavirus pandemic.

Variants on the march

The country of 8.6 million people has seen coronavirus infections gradually decrease from a spike in early November.

However, the government remains concerned and is likely to confirm Wednesday that the restrictions it has imposed will be extended until the end of February.

Nearly 485,000 people have tested positive for the virus, while 7,753 people have died.

Patrick Mathys, the health ministry's crisis management chief, told a press conference that Switzerland's infection rates were still troubling despite decreases in deaths and hospitalisations.

He voiced concern about the spread of new, seemingly more contagious variants of the virus first detected in Britain and South Africa.

Some 127 such cases have been found so far in Switzerlandand rather than just being imported cases, the strains are now spreading domestically, he said.

Mathys estimated that five to six percent of positive tests in Switzerland were now linked to these variantsup from 1.4 percent in the first week of January.

Switzerland has secured around 15.8 million eventual COVID-19 vaccine doses, in deals with three manufacturers.

It has signed contracts for around three million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, around 7.5 million from Moderna, and around 5.3 million from AstraZeneca.

With each of the three different vaccines, two doses are required per person.

By January 18, Switzerland should have received enough Pfizer and Moderna doses to vaccinate four percent of the adult population with both shots, the health ministry said.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Travel enthusiasts who have not yet traveled to Amsterdam may well cross off smoking a joint in a Dutch cafe in Amsterdam from their bucket lists with the city doubling down on its intentions to prohibit outsiders from such establishments.

Amsterdam's ecologist mayor Femke Halsema on Friday proposed banning tourists from the Dutch city's famous cannabis "coffee shops".

A large part of the rising number of tourists visiting Amsterdam every year were coming merely to consume the drug and such "cannabis tourists" had become a nuisance, Halsema told NOS public television.

"Amsterdam is an international city and we wish to attract tourists, but we would like them to come for its richness, its beauty, and its cultural institutions," she said.

Cannabis is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but the possession of less than five grammes (0.18 ounces) of the substance was decriminalised in 1976 under a so-called "tolerance" policy.

While production of cannabis remains illegal, the so-called coffee shops are allowed to sell it.

In a letter to the city council, Halsema said she hopes to make Amsterdam less attractive as "a place of soft drugs tourism."

There are 570 of these coffee shops in the country, according to health ministry figures. Amsterdam is home to around 166, or about 30 percent of the total, according to the city's own data.

Coffee shops were closed due to the Covid-19 lockdown, along with other non-essential shops in the Netherlands and they continue to be shut in line with the latest Covid-19 measures. However, the coffee shops have been able to sustain through delivery and takeout services.

According to a report in CNN, the topic of banning outsiders or non-Dutch customers from partaking of the country's famed cofee shops - a major tourist attraction the world over - is not new. While different municipalities of the Netherlands have different rules about the sale and consumption of cannabis.

While Amsterdam has previously strongly defended its laws that permit outsiders to enter coffee shops in the region, others like Maastricht in the south of the country do not permit non-Dutch customers in their coffee shops.

(With inputs from AFP)
He's the jaw-dropping Thor actor who has become known for flaunting his rippling muscles and washboard abs.

And Chris Hemsworth's latest photo certainly sent fans into a frenzy on Tuesday, as he shared a 'candid' snap of his superhero physique during a sun-soaked beach date with his wife Elsa Pataky, 44.

In the shot, the Marvel star, 37, was jokingly branded 'The Hulk' by followers as he enjoyed a swim in a rockpool - where beads of sweat dripped off his impossibly bustling stature as he pretended not to notice Elsa, 44, take the photo.

Bringing the heat! Chris Hemsworth certainly sent fans into a frenzy on Tuesday, as he shared a pulse-racing photo of his superhero physique as he enjoyed a sun-soaked beach date with wife Elsa Pataky

'Just one of those truly rare natural moments caught on film where I was completely unaware there was even a camera on me,' Chris joked in the caption.

Flustered fans were quick to comment on the snap, with one writing: 'My man be looking ripped without flexing!'

'Forget Thor, you look like the Hulk!' another laughed, while a third quipped: 'He's too big to fit in frame!'

'Dang! Awesome people, (awesome muscles) and awesome beautiful clear water,' another enthusiastically wrote.

Bringing the heat! In the shot, the 37-year-old Marvel actor was jokingly branded by followers as 'The Hulk' as he took a dip in a natural pool

Impressed! Fans were quick to comment on the snap, with one quipping 'he's too big to fit in frame!'

Chris, who is soon set to reprise his role in the new movie Thor: Love and Thunder, often shares sweet updates about his life with his beautiful wife Elsa and their three children; India, seven, and six-year-old twin boys Sasha and Tristan.

Earlier this month, the loved-up couple brought in the new year in style, celebrating the end of 2020 with an epic space pirate-themed bash at Chris' brother Liam's new $6.5million mansion in Byron Bay.

The star-studded guest list included Liam's model girlfriend Gabriella Brooks, The Voice host Renee Bargh and DJ Fisher.

Party: Earlier this month, the couple brought in the new year in style, celebrating with an epic space pirate-themed bash at Chris' brother Liam's new $6.5million mansion in Byron Bay

Chris and Elsa recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary, sharing touching tributes to each other online.

'10 years together! Looking forward to the advancements of modern medicine and science and enjoying a couple hundred more!' Chris sweetly wrote.

'Here's to many more years of wonderful times, love you always and forever @chrishemsworth,' his wife added.
Tom Kristensen is a landscaper, artist and just owner-built a house in Hughes. But sometime in 2019, he turned his mind to local politics. Not to stand for election, no way, hes never been a member of any political party, too sceptical.

But his local member had started to use Facebook to spread messages which the ecology graduate knew were not based on any kind of scientific evidence. Kristensen got busy. He decided to note and analyse every single Facebook post on Craig Kellys page, its topic, its style of writing and its image.

Liberal MP Craig Kelly has little about his local community on his Facebook page but plenty about fringe COVID treatments. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen, AP

This isnt for academic research. It is to save the nation from his dangerous conspiratorial and anti-science influence. His job is to represent his community. What he is actually doing is misleading his constituents, misrepresenting science, endangering lives.

As of Monday and since April Fools Day 2019, Kelly, who represents the southern Sydney seat of Hughes, has delivered 2130 posts on Facebook, directed at his local electorate. Of those posts, Kristensen recorded, just 16 were strictly about his local community: five scenic shots of his electorate, three notices for the Rural Fire Service, three calls for social distancing, two for flu vaccines, one weather report and one Anzac Day announcement and one delivery of flags to schools. That last one deleted, possibly because there were children in shot.
MOSCOW: Russia has extended a ban on flights to and from Britain until the end of February 1 due to the new coronavirus variant detected in the UK, Russia's coronavirus taskforce said on Tuesday.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

12 January2021 LSE: PDL

Petra Diamonds Limited

("Petra", "PDL" or the "Company" or, in conjunction with its subsidiaries, the "Group")

Scheme of Arrangement of Petra Diamonds US$ Treasury Plc

Scheme Sanction Hearing Results

Confirmation of sanction of the Scheme of Arrangement

Further to the announcement issued by the Company on 8 January 2021, the Company is pleased to announce that the Scheme in connection with the Notes was sanctioned by the High Court of Justice of England and Wales at the Scheme Sanction Hearing which took place before Bacon J at 10.30 a.m. (London time) on 12 January 2021.

As noted in previous announcements relating to the Restructuring, each of the elements of the Restructuring (of which the Scheme is an integral part) are inter-conditional, meaning that the Scheme will only become effective if the Scheme Conditions are approved and/or implemented or waived in accordance with the terms of the Scheme. Therefore, notwithstanding the sanctioning of the Scheme by the Court, the Restructuring Effective Date will only occur if, in particular, (i) Petra's Shareholders approve the issuance of the New Shares, (ii) the United States Bankruptcy Court grants the U.S. Chapter 15 Order, and (iii) regulatory approval from the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank is obtained.

The Special General Meeting at which Petra's Shareholders will be asked to approve the issuance of the New Shares is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. (GMT) on 13 January 2021.

The hearing before the United States Bankruptcy Court at which the Company will seek the Chapter 15 Recognition is scheduled to take place at 2.00 p.m. (New York time) on 14 January 2021.

Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meaning given to them in the Practice Statement Letter.

~ Ends ~



For further information, please contact:

Petra Diamonds, London Telephone: +44 20 7494 8203

Cathy Malins investorrelations@petradiamonds.com

Des Kilalea

Marianna Bowes

Rothschild & Co

Giles Douglas giles.douglas@rothschildandco.com

Glen Cronin glen.cronin@rothschildandco.com

Mahir Quraishi mahir.quraishi@rothschildandco.com

Lucid Issuer Services Limited Telephone: +44 20 7704 0880

Oliver Slyfield petradiamonds@lucid-is.com

David Shilson



About Petra Diamonds Limited

Petra Diamonds is a leading independent diamond mining group and a consistent supplier of gem quality rough diamonds to the international market. The Company has a diversified portfolio incorporating interests in three underground producing mines in South Africa (Finsch, Cullinan and Koffiefontein) and one open pit mine in Tanzania (Williamson).

Petra's strategy is to focus on value rather than volume production by optimising recoveries from its high-quality asset base in order to maximise their efficiency and profitability. The Group has a significant resource base of ca. 243 million carats, which supports the potential for long-life operations.

Petra conducts all operations according to the highest ethical standards and will only operate in countries which are members of the Kimberley Process. The Company aims to generate tangible value for each of its stakeholders, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of its host countries and supporting long-term sustainable operations to the benefit of its employees, partners and communities.

Petra is quoted with a premium listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker 'PDL' and is a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index. The Company's US$650 million loan notes due in 2022, currently subject to restructuring, are listed on the Global Exchange market of the Irish Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.petradiamonds.com .

Important Notice

This announcement contains statements about Petra that are or may be forward looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement may be forward looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets", "goals", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "may", "anticipates", "estimates", "hopes", "projects" or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, are forward looking statements.

Such forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward looking statements. 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. Petra disclaims any obligation to update any forward looking or other statements contained herein, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

N.M. Rothschild & Sons Limited ("Rothschild & Co"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for Petra and no one else in connection with the contents of this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Petra for providing the protections offered to clients of Rothschild & Co nor for providing advice in relation to the subject matter of this announcement or any other matters referred to in this announcement.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 8:43 am

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, Marc Denny, the chief of police for the city of La Center, announced he is retiring from his position Friday, Jan. 29. Denny is relocating to Iowa where he is set to serve as the chief of police for the city of Burlington, according to a press release from La Center.

Denny has served as the chief of police for the city of La Center since 2013. In a news release, Mayor Greg Thornton and the La Center City Council thanked Denny for his service and wished the chief success in his new role.

The city plans to hire a police professional from Washington state to serve an interim term while a new police chief is found.

Health restrictions surrounding COVID-19 restrict the citys ability to host a large gathering to acknowledge Dennys retirement. However, Thornton anticipates a formal demonstration of appreciation for Denny during an upcoming virtual city council meeting.

[January 11, 2021] Epsilon Appoints Warren Aw as Managing Director, Asia-Pacific to Accelerate APAC Growth

SINGAPORE, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Epsilon, a global connectivity service provider, has appointed Warren Aw as its Managing Director, Asia-Pacific to lead its commercial strategy in the region. Warren joins Epsilon from Colt Technology Services where he was the Country & Corporate Director, heading its regional sales in Singapore and Hong Kong. Warren brings more than 20 years of experience in telecommunications sales in Asia to Epsilon's senior management team, where he will help to develop and execute the company's commercial plans and drive further growth in APAC. He will support Epsilon's Chief Executive Officer, Michel Robert, and other members of the management team in ensuring consistent level of communication and alignment between the business functions in Singapore and the offices in London and Sofia. Warren joins Epsilon as the company ramps up its service offering, including the recently announced multi-cloud solution, to meet growing demands of managed service providers and enterprises across APAC, especially in mainland China. He will work closely with the leaders of Marketing, Finance and HR as well as the Data, Voice and Colocation business units to drive the overall business objectives. "Warren has a track record as a performance-driven leader with strong commercial acumen in delivering transformational growth. His strong experence, expertise and knowledge of the market is just what we need to drive our business forward," said Michel Robert, Chief Executive Officer at Epsilon. "Warren will act as the senior representative of our Singapore office and engage with teams from all functions based in Singapore to support our business plans. We're very pleased to welcome him to the senior leadership team and look forward to working with him to accelerate our next phase of growth across APAC."



Warren will support Epsilon in its mission to simplify how customers connect with on-demand networking across public clouds, internet exchanges, data centres and global destinations. Epsilon delivers Network as a Service (NaaS) through its self-service platform Infiny, enabling businesses to connect to the global cloud infrastructure they need in a simple and powerful way. "With strong growth momentum and new opportunities already being presented to Epsilon, it is now a very exciting time to be joining the company. The APAC market is large and diverse with plenty of fast-growing businesses, and I'm excited to bring my experience to strengthen Epsilon's position and increase customer engagement in this market," said Warren Aw, Managing Director, APAC, at Epsilon. "I will be supporting the sales team in developing and implementing a customer-driven business plan for our carrier, channel and enterprise customers in APAC, while supporting the development of new technical and commercial partners to drive growth across the company. I look forward to working with the senior leadership team at Epsilon to bring our APAC business to new heights."

Warren spent over seven years at Colt. During that period, he led Colt's Singapore and Hong Kong sales teams to drive its global enterprise, capital markets and service provider businesses. He played a significant role in ramping up commercial activities and exceeded revenue objectives during his tenure. Prior to his position at Colt, he held the position of Sales Director at StarHub for over 13 years. About Epsilon Epsilon is a global connectivity provider that is simplifying how businesses connect applications and data in the cloud and around the world through its Network as a Service (NaaS) platform. Infiny by Epsilon enables users to access on-demand connectivity to the world's leading data centres, clouds and internet exchanges. Epsilon's services are powered by a carrier-grade, hyper-scalable global backbone that connects over 260 of the world's leading communications and technology hubs in 41 cities, with extensive presence across the Asia-Pacific including Mainland China. Epsilon is headquartered in Singapore with offices in London and Sofia. www.epsilontel.com SOURCE Epsilon

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:05:06|Editor: huaxia

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People wearing face masks shop at a street market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan. 12, 2021. Malaysia reported 3,309 new COVID-19 infections in the highest daily spike since the outbreak, bringing the national total to 141,533, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

HONG KONG, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia has decided to declare a state of emergency after reporting the highest daily spike of 3,309 new cases on Tuesday, while Japan is set to expand virus emergency to the western prefectures.

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has consented to declare a state of emergency in the country to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

The country's newly reported cases have brought the national total to 141,533, the Health Ministry said. Six of the new cases are imported and 3,303 are local transmissions.

Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac is partnering with Malaysian pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga for the supply of 14 million doses of its inactivated COVID-19 vaccines to Malaysia after the two companies signed an agreement.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to expand a state of emergency declared over the COVID-19 pandemic for the Greater Tokyo area to include Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures as the virus is also continuing to surge in western Japan, sources close to the matter said.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health confirmed 106 daily COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 53,690, including 8,216 active cases. Seven patients died during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 2,308 since February, the ministry said in a statement.

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 10,047 within one day to 846,765, with the death toll adding by 302 to 24,645, the Health Ministry said. According to the ministry, 7,068 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 695,807.

A total of 15 million doses of raw materials of COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech arrived at Indonesia's Soekarno-Hatta Airport, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported 1,524 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 491,258. The death toll climbed to 9,554 after 139 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

Thailand confirmed 287 new COVID-19 cases, according to the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Of the new cases, 278 were local infections and nine others were those recently returning from abroad and testing positive in Thailand, CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin said.

Bangladesh reported 718 new COVID-19 cases and 16 new deaths, making the tally at 524,020 and the death toll at 7,819, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

Vaccinations against COVID-19 will begin in Bangladesh in the first week of February, professor ABM Khurshid Alam, director general for Health Services in Bangladesh under the Ministry of Health, made the announcement at a press briefing Monday.

He said they are expecting to get the first installment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine from Serum Institute of India (SII) by Jan. 25.

South Korea reported 537 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 69,651. The daily caseload stayed below 1,000 for eight straight days, but it hovered above 100 for 65 days since Nov. 8 owing to small cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases.

India's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,479,179 as 12,584 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, said the latest data from the federal health ministry. According to the data, the death toll mounted to 151,327 with 167 more deaths. This is the second consecutive day when the number of deaths is below 200.

The New Zealand government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British computer scientist invented the internet's navigation system known as the World Wide Web using a Cube computer from Steve Jobs former company called NeXT. Berners-Lee now wants to reinvent the system with his new startup company called Inrupt.

One of the messages on the Inrupt website states:

"Enter a web of Shared Benefit Powerful forces are creating an inevitable change to personal data on the web. Powerful forces are creating an inevitable change to personal data on the web. With "Solid," Sir Tim Berners-Lees potent open source technology, Inrupt is channeling these forces toward a new era of creativity, opportunity, and market-shaping competition  for all."

Reuters reports that "Inrupt promises a web where people can use a single sign-on for any service and personal data is stored in 'pods,' or personal online data stores, controlled by the user."

"People are fed up with the lack of controls, the silos," said Berners-Lee, co-founder and chief technology officer of Inrupt, in an interview at the Reuters Next conference.

Reuters further noted that "This new, updated web, Berners-Lee said, will enable the kind of person-to-person sharing and collaboration that has helped make the big social media services so successful while leaving the user in control.

John Bruce, a veteran technology executive who is CEO of Inrupt, said the company had signed up Britains National Health Service, the BBC and the government of Flanders in Belgium as pilot customers, and hoped to announce many more by April.

Inrupts investors include Hearst Ventures, Octopus Ventures and Akamai, an internet content delivery firm.

A key aim for Inrupt is to get software developers to write programs for the platform. Inrupt, like the original web, is at its core mostly a set of protocols for how machines talk to one another, meaning that specific applications bring it to life.

"The use cases are so broad, its like a do-over for the web," Berners-Lee said.
Hyderabad:

A top scientist affirmed on Friday that ISRO is in the process of further improving the capability of its GSLV-Mk III so that it can use this heaviest rocket for human space flight mission once government approval comes.

GSLV-Mk III is really the vehicle that will be the workhorse in the coming years for primarily launching geo-synchronous missions and also very heavy spacecraft in near-earth missions, K Kasturirangan, former chief of ISRO, told.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) earlier this week successfully launched from the Sriharikota spaceport, the first developmental flight of GSLV-MK III, capable of launching four-ton class satellites.

ISRO is in the process of further improving the capability of this vehicle. It could go up to a ten-ton kind of capability, said Kasturirangan.

It was during his tenure as ISRO Chairman the GSLV-Mk III was configured and the programme secured approval by the Space Commission in the early part of the previous decade.

So, this will be a level of vehicle which India will use for most of the requirements of geo-synchronous missions. It can take to up to four tons and, hopefully with improvements in some of the areas, one can go even beyond four tons, he said.

With this we want to build our communication satellites. So, its very tailored for future communication satellites to be launched by India. We will not have to depend on any other foreign launch agency, according to him.

Kasturirangan said ISRO is trying to do a man-rating sort of thing (or human rating), which is a certification of a spacecraft or launch vehicle as worthy of transporting humans.

So as and when there is a need and the country takes a decision on going for human space flight, it would have an autonomous ability to access the space through this vehicle in those missions, he said.

Certainly, its a very elegantly-configured system (GSLV-Mk III). I am sure this will certainly serve us for a long time to come in the context of a variety of missions and also make us much more self-reliant in respect to accessing space, he said.

Also Read: ISRO now needs to focus on human space flight, reusable rocket, says Ex-ISRO chief

On opportunities for ISRO to tap into the market of launching four-ton class satellites from foreign customers, Kasturirangan said: I am sure India will be one of the important contenders for taking some share of the market. India can provide a competitive market for that kind of launches with GSLV Mk III.

But he was quick to add that New Delhi would have competitors from (launch vehicle providers in) France, (some other parts of) Europe, the United States, China and Russia.

There are contenders...many of them are established over the years. At this stage, we have to explore the market and slowly get into it, Kasturirangan said.

Also Read: ISRO's GSAT-19, 11 satellites: Communication revolutions changing face of digital India

He, however, added that foreign customers find working with Indians for launch services a very good experience given their culture and attitude, which are appreciated by many countries.

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A Dillard's clearance center, the lone anchor property remaining at Cortana Mall, is closing in April.

A company affiliated with Amazon.com looks to tear down Cortana Mall and replace it with a 2.9 million-square-foot fulfillment center. Seefried Industrial Properties filed a site plan to be voted on at the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission at its Feb. 22 meeting.

All of Cortana's stores had closed over recent years.

Dillards previously declined to sell its anchor store at Cortana Mall as the deal for the new Amazon fulfillment center took shape.

The clearance center was closed temporarily in March due to the coronavirus pandemic but had reopened in May.

Dillard's declined to comment about the Amazon deal.

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"We will be working with our Cortana Mall associates to place them in other area Dillard's locations," said Julie Johnson Guymon, spokesperson for Dillards.

Dillards still operates at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

Total retail sales at Dillards across the company were down 25% for the 13-week period ending Oct. 31, according to its third-quarter financial results. That's an improvement from a 35% year-over-year decline during second quarter.

Plans filed for potential Amazon distribution center at Cortana Mall A company with ties to Amazon has filed a request to turn Cortana Mall into a 2.9-million-square foot distribution center.
[January 12, 2021] China Patent Office upholds the validity of REC Group's patent against Hanwha Q Cells

TUAS, Singapore, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- REC Group, an international pioneering solar energy company headquartered in Norway, confirms that the China Patent Office has upheld the validity of REC's award-winning split cell and junction box technology patent. This specific technology, developed in-house, is a key feature of REC Group's advanced solar panels, manufactured in REC's advanced production site in Singapore. To protect its intellectual property, REC Group filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Hanwha Q Cells (Qidong) Co., Ltd. (part of Hanwha Q Cells) in February 2020. The China Patent Office's decision, announced on January 4, 2021, follows Hanwha Q Cells' request, made in May 2020, to challenge the validity of REC's patent. REC Group also filed a lawsuit against Hanwha Q Cells asserting a related patent in the U.S. District of Delaware in November 2020. "We are pleased with this decision, confirming the novelty and inventiveness of RC Group's industry leading innovations. We have invested significant time, effort and resources to develop and perfect technology that improves the performance and reliability of our products in the interest of our customers," says Dr. Shankar G. Sridhara, Chief Technology Officer of REC Group. "We remain committed to developing groundbreaking innovations, and believe robust intellectual property protection for breakthroughs such as this one is vital to advancing the renewable energy industry at large and foster energy transitions worldwide. We are confident of our enforcement actions and will continue to vigorously defend our intellectual property rights."



Picture caption: REC Alpha Series, Intersolar Award winner 2020, is REC Group's latest solar panel innovation using the inhouse-developed split cell and junction box technology. For global inquiries please contact:

Agnieszka Schulze

Head of Global PR, REC Group

Tel.: +49 89 54 04 67 225

E-mail: agnieszka.schulze@recgroup.com

REC Solar EMEA GmbH

Leopoldstrae 175

80804 Munich, Germany

Managing Director: Cemil Seber

Court of Registration: Munich HRB 180306

VAT ID-No: DE266243545 About REC Group: REC Group is an international pioneering solar energy company dedicated to empowering consumers with clean, affordable solar power in order to facilitate global energy transitions. Committed to quality and innovation, REC offers photovoltaic modules with leading high quality, backed by an exceptional low warranty claims rate of less than 100ppm. Founded in Norway in 1996, REC employs 2,000 people and has an annual solar panel capacity of 1.8 GW. With over 10 GW installed worldwide, REC is empowering more than 16 million people with clean solar energy. REC Group has its headquarters in Norway, operational headquarters in Singapore, and regional bases in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Find out more at recgroup.com and on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1418970/REC_Alpha_Series.jpg

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Critics say the emergency appeared to be aimed at halting the collapse of Muhyiddin Yassin's govt, amid threats by the largest party in his ruling coalition to withdraw support and force an early general election

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has declared a coronavirus emergency that will suspend Parliament at least until August and halt any bids to seek a general election, but critics charged it was a political move by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to stay in power.

The palace said in a statement Tuesday that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah consented Monday to Muhyiddin's proposal for an emergency until 1 August to curb the virus spread, which has reached a critical level.

In a televised speech, Muhyiddin assured citizens that the emergency was not a military coup and a curfew will not be enforced. He said his civilian government will remain in charge and that Malaysia is still open for business."

The emergency declaration came just a day before millions of people in Malaysia's biggest city, Kuala Lumpur, the administrative capital, Putrajaya, and five high-risk states return to a near-lockdown for two weeks.

Opposition lawmakers, analysts, and critics said the emergency appeared aimed at halting the collapse of Muhyiddin's government amid threats by the United Malays National Organization, the largest party in his ruling coalition, to withdraw support to force an early general election.

If this is the true underlying reason, the declaration of a national emergency is not only an overkill but an abuse of executive power that places the country at great peril," according to a joint statement by activist groups and nongovernmental organizations.

Muhyiddin took power in March after instigating the collapse of the reformist alliance that won 2018 elections and joined with the opposition to form a Malay-centric government. But his government is shaky with a razor-thin majority in Parliament.

A second UMNO lawmaker, Nazri Aziz, announced later Tuesday that he would no longer support Muhyiddin. With more UMNO lawmakers expected to follow suit, he said the emergency was an admission of defeat by Muhyiddin. Many in the UMNO are unhappy that the party is playing second fiddle to Muhyiddin's own Malay party.

Muhyiddin said the national Parliament and all state legislatures will be suspended, and that no election is allowed during the period. He pledged to call a general election once the crisis has eased and it is safe to hold polls.

Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said most people could understand the need for movement curbs but an emergency declaration appeared overblown as it is unclear how that could help slow the virus spread.

It's very clearly a political move from the Muhyiddin side to preempt political challenges from both his rivals in his ruling coalition as well as the opposition," he said.

Malaysia last declared an emergency in 1969 after bloody racial riots that killed hundreds. The king, who can declare a state of emergency that allows the country to be governed through ordinances that cannot be challenged in court, had in October rejected Muhyiddins request to declare an emergency.

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said at the time that existing laws were sufficient to halt the virus spread. But in a palace statement Tuesday, the monarch said he took into account public safety and the country's best interest as the pandemic has spiraled and parts of the country are struggling with floods that have displaced thousands.

The health ministry later Tuesday reported 3,309 new coronavirus cases, a new daily record, pushing the country's tally to 141,533, from just over 15,000 three months ago. The death toll also inched up to 559.

Muhyiddin, in announcing the lockdown Monday, warned that the country's healthcare system was at breaking point." He said daily coronavirus cases, which have consistently breached 2,000 in recent weeks, could jump to 8,000 by the end of May if nothing is done. The health ministry also said it has identified the first case of a highly contagious U.K. variant in the country.

Separately, Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin became the third Cabinet minister in days to test positive for the virus, his office said Tuesday.

Under the renewed curbs that start Wednesday, social gatherings and interstate travel are banned and movement is limited within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius, similar to a national lockdown last March. However, certain sectors in manufacturing, construction, services, trade, and distribution, and plantations will be allowed to operate with strict guidelines.

Muhyiddin assured investors that the period of emergency will provide much needed calm and stability, as well as enable us to focus on economic recovery and regeneration."

Josef Benedict, a researcher with rights group CIVICUS Monitor, said the emergency appeared to be another bid by Muhyiddin to hold on to power, block elections and to remove parliamentary oversight" rather than seriously addressing the pandemic.

A dark day for democracy," he tweeted.
Two US Capitol Police Officers have been suspended for their actions amid the fatal rebellion by pro-Trump protesters on Wednesday.

Two US Capitol Police Officers Suspended

According to Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), a Democratic lawmaker who oversees the law enforcement agency's congressional funding, one officer seen posing for a selfie with a protester after they rampaged the building and another wore a red Trump hat while directing the rioters in the building have since been suspended.

Up to 15 more police officers are also under probing for their behavior during last week's riot in the Capitol. Federal agents will surmise whether current and former law enforcement officers played a role in the siege.

Ryan did not divulge the number of officers under investigation but clarified it was between 10 and 15 and did not disclose what they were being evaluated for except that it was their behavior during the siege.

The federal investigative interest is a focus and a part of the wider investigation into the Capitol Hills mob, according to sources. Authorities stated the probing into insurrectionist association with law enforcement is a priority due to the fact that the skills that officers are trained to use during their duties could be taken advantage of by an extremist mob.

Thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters inundated the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee and hide. The event recorded five fatalities.

According to Ryan, he was not sure whether the individual taken into custody was a Capitol Police officer or a member of the National Guard.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is continuing to probe the siege and has made at least 20 high-profile indictments across the nation, reported AJC.

Also Read: 'Walis Tambo' by Trump Supporter Spotted in US Capitol Riot

According to the congressman, Capitol Police are looking at all people involved that could have potentially facilitated the assault at a large or diminutive level.

Ryan added they prefer not to have an officer working on President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration who was not doing his role on the event on January 6.

"There were two people suspended. One was the selfie officer and another was an officer who had put a MAGA hat on and started directing some people around. It was the interim chief who determined that to be qualifying for immediate suspension," stated Ryan, reported KDRV.

He did not identify the said police officers. He believed that one officer had been taken into custody, but a spokesperson later clarified that he misspoke.

Also, according to the congressman, "We have to reestablish trust with the Capitol Police because of what happened. So many members of Congress and society writ large feel betrayed [and] let down by what happened," reported US News.

House Democrats have also posed questions regarding potential sympathies for the attackers among the officers of Capitol Police.

South Carolina Democrat and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is among those who have questions regarding whether some Capitol Police officers assisted the protesters and were complicit in last week's siege.

Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer, died due to injuries from the event. Federal authorities have concluded his death as a murder.

Related Article: Iraq Issues Arrest Warrant For President Trump Over Drone Strike Killing

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GAIL (India) Ltd, the nation's largest gas distribution firm, will on Friday consider buyback of shares with a view to returning surplus cash to shareholders, the biggest being the Government of India. In a stock exchange filing, the company said its board will meet on January 15 to consider share buyback as also payment of interim dividend for the fiscal year ending March 2021.

It did not give details. The government has asked at least eight state-run companies to consider share buybacks as it scours for ways of raising funds to rein in its fiscal deficit. The firms asked to consider share buybacks include miner Coal India, power utility NTPC, and minerals producer NMDC. A buyback, also known as a share repurchase, is when a company buys its own outstanding shares to reduce the number of shares available in the open market.

Companies buy back shares for a number of reasons, such as to increase the value of remaining shares available by reducing the supply or to return surplus cash to shareholders. The government wants public sector undertakings to either meet their targets for capital expenditure or "reward the shareholder in the form of a dividend" or share buyback.

The government, which holds 52.1 per cent of GAIL, is likely to participate in the GAIL buyback just as it did in the case of NTPC, Engineers India Ltd, RITES and KIOCL. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in her budget for 2020-21 set a target of raising Rs 2.1 lakh crore from privatisations and sale of minority stakes in state-owned companies.

The share buyback, as well as the dividend, is counted as part of this target. According to the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), the government has so far raised Rs 28,298.26 crore from disinvestment proceeds. This includes Rs 14,453.77 crore received as dividend from state-owned firms. The remaining 13,844.49 crore proceeds include Rs 1065.37 crore from selling shares in NTPC share buyback.

The government is likely to miss its disinvestment target by a wide margin and the fiscal deficit is not likely to be anywhere near the target of 3.5 per cent of the GDP in 2020-21 (April 2020 to March 2021). While privatisation of firms such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Air India Ltd has been pushed into next fiscal due to COVID-19-related delays, tax collections have been hit hard as restrictions imposed to curb coronavirus dented incomes all around.

Also read: RBI cancels licence of Vasantdada Nagari Sahakari Bank; 99% depositors to get deposits back

Also read: BHEL bags Rs 450 cr order for steam and power plant from NALCO

Morena: At least ten people died and several others fell sick after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district.

"10 people dead, 5 ill after consuming poisonous liquor, "said Morena Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania.

Amid questions being raised on the availability of toxic liquor in the area, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, "I'm deeply saddened by this incident. SHO has been suspended immediately. Senior officials have reached the site and a team will investigate the matter. Accused won't be spared."

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Manoj Sharma, Inspector General of Chambal range informed "It has not yet been established that the liquor was poisonous. We are investigating the details of the consumed liquor with the assistance of the district administration. The reason of death will be established only after the post-mortem report comes."

On Monday night about ten people died from Manpur and Pahawali villages died after consuming suspected spurious liquor.

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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Eyeris Technologies, Inc., a developer of vision AI for in-cabin sensing, is collaborating with Texas Instruments (TI) on an industry-first in-cabin sensing AI solution using TIs Jacinto TDA4 processors and 2D RGB-IR image sensors. D3 Engineering designs products and integrates technologies from TI and Eyeris using its DesignCore platform to show this advanced in-cabin monitoring solution for autonomous and highly automated vehicles.

The TDA4 SoC processor enables efficient inference of the Eyeris deep neural network (DNN) portfolio from multiple RGB-IR cameras simultaneously. This complete in-cabin monitoring solution, integrated into the D3 Engineering DesignCore platform is designed for rugged, field-deployable and production-intent units.

In addition, RGB-IR image sensors are quickly becoming an industry requirement because of their unique ability to accurately capture the in-cabin space under the widest range of lighting conditions.

Eyeris DNNs are carefully designed for functional safety standards, flexible camera placements, and efficient inference on low-power edge processors. Eyeris in-cabin sensing portfolio of AI algorithms includes driver monitoring system (DMS) and occupant monitoring system (OMS) features that adhere to global NCAP requirements.

As we continue to expand our hardware partnerships, teaming up with a well-established automotive processor company provides our automotive OEM customers with another compelling option for mass production. Collaborating with TI is another step forward where Eyeris continues to raise the bar for a complete in-cabin sensing solution. We are also delighted that D3 Engineering is providing our joint technology on their DesignCore platform. Modar Alaoui, founder and CEO of Eyeris

TIs TDA4 processors include embedded analytics acceleration to enable efficient deep learning performance within a low-power envelope. Additionally, these processors are able to perform safety-critical operations up to an ASIL-D-compliant level while also performing non-safety critical operations on one chip and function at an automotive operating junction temperature of 125 degrees Celsius. The SoC has built-in ISP and vision processing accelerators that help achieve more efficient system performance and reduce development costs.

Leveraging specialized machine learning software, such as Eyeris in-cabin sensing AI algorithm, on our TDA4 processor enables our customers to bring high-performance computing inside the vehicle cabin. Our Jacinto processors enable both machine vision and deep learning capabilities to help customers more easily develop their ADAS solutions. Curt Moore, general manager of Jacinto processors, Texas Instruments

Automakers and tier-1 suppliers such as Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Honda, Hyundai Mobis, Karma Automotive, Panasonic Automotive, Bosch, Veoneer and Mitsubishi Motors have licensed Eyeris in-cabin sensing AI solutions. Eyeris expects its in-cabin sensing AI software portfolio to go into vehicle mass production in late 2022.
As the pandemic closed in on New Jersey restaurants last March, throttling their bottom lines amid statewide shutdowns, Michael Casalinho was forced to pause his dreams of expanding his culinary reach in Jersey City.

Instead, the restaurant owner needed to double down on the eatery at hand, his popular Portuguese bistro Broa, whose future had become unmoored.

Now, 10 months after COVID-19s initial shock led Casalinho to rethink his business, hes still going big in 2021.

Despite winter crushing the states outdoor dining scene and scant indoor dining capacities lingering  as do spiking coronavirus case totals  the Newark native has opened both a Portuguese cafe and a Brazilian restaurant in downtown Jersey City, all within a few blocks of Broas new, larger location.

This all begs the question: With one restaurant struggling and an industry in crisis, why launch two more businesses in the dead of winter?

Casalinho explains: After years of saving, some of his new projects were already paid for. Some didnt require much new capital. Regardless, the 36-year-old owner knows hes risking it all as he doubles down on what made his first location a Grove Street staple.

Truth be told, things have been rough, he said. Ive just been figuring out and made the best of them ... Broa is not doing so well right now with with COVID. Let me just go ahead and focus on (new projects).

Eira, a Portuguese cafe just blocks away from Broa, was originally scheduled to open in March 2020. But the eatery, which serves classic Portuguese pastries like Pastel de Nata and Bolas de Berim, along with produce and canned goods from Portugal, finally had its soft opening in December.

The goal there really is a Portuguese bodega like you would find in Lisbon or Porto, Casalinho said. We call it a mercearia, its a place where you can go have your coffee for breakfast and you can buy milk and fresh fruits or fish, you can have a sandwich. Kind of like a one-stop shop.

Casalinho has been paying rent on the space that was supposed to be Eira for months, mostly using the it as a secondary kitchen for Broa. But as things slowed down at his flagship restaurant, he decided to launch the cafe in effort to potentially make back some lost profits.

It was literally very cheap to get up and going anyway, Casalinho said. It didnt need much, it was already all pretty much finished.

Casalinho also helmed the December opening of Tamborim, a Brazilian restaurant and bar in the heart of Jersey Citys restaurant row specializing in dishes like a Brazilian black bean stew called feijoada and moqueca, a curried seafood stew. Brazilian beverages like Caipirinhas, the countrys national cocktail made with a sugarcane liquor, are on the menu as well. The restaurant is richly decorated with plants and trinkets straight from Brazil.

Casalinho had long hoped to open a Brazilian restaurant, having hosted several pop-ups featuring the cuisine over the past few years. He was approached by the property owners (New American restaurant Atlas Public House) about revamping the space, and he got more and more involved.

Even though Im not Brazilian, Brazil was a Portuguese colony at one point, Casalinho said. I grew up around Brazilians....I just wanted to show them that, you know, Brazil is very rich in culture, you theres a lot of influences from Portugal to Africa.

With those two projects off the ground, Casalinho will now turn his attention to moving Broa to a new space on the same block  a large house that has been registered as a historic site. Casalinho was at odds with the landlord at his original location, who he said stifled any expansion plans and and taking issue with the outdoor dining space he built in front of the restaurant. He hopes to be in the new space by the middle of February.

Casalinho never imagined his big move to restaurateur in one of the states hottest foodie towns would occur during a global pandemic. But hes hoping that the new location and ventures will reinvigorate business.

Opportunities came knocking, I wasnt going to say no, Casalinho said. I still dont know whats going to come out of all this.

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On the fifth anniversary of Iran's capture of the United States sailors traversing the Persian Gulf, Iran's head of the maritime branch of the elite Revolutionary Guard delivered a warning to future aggressors, which serves today as a flashpoint for worsening tensions between Tehran and Washington.

On the fifth anniversary of Iran's capture of the United States sailors traversing the Persian Gulf, Iran's head of the maritime branch of the elite Revolutionary Guard delivered a warning to future aggressors, which serves today as a flashpoint for worsening tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Half a decade ago, the Revolutionary Guard Navy of Iran intercepted two U.S. Navy riverine boats and briefly detained the ten sailors onboard for their stay into the Iranian waters off Farsi Island.

Alireza Tangsiri, the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral, remembered the international incident on Monday and reminded that his forces are fully prepared to defend their country and its borders at sea.

Tangsiri shared during a ceremony at the southern port city of Iran, Bandar Abbas, that if a country intends to invade or threaten their Islamic homeland, as, on January 13, 2016, their answer will be tough and decisive.

The United States and Iran have a long history of naval tensions in the Persian Gulf. The comments came a day after the Head of the Revolutionary Guard Navy of Iran appeared in a televised interview wherein he recalled other displays of dominance by Iran in the region. It includes the shootdown of a spy drone in June of 2019, a move that Tangsiri considered as a turning point in the military history of the country.

The Revolutionary Guard Navy head also demanded that Pentagon pull their forces from the region and blame the U.S. military for causing insecurity in the region. He asked for cooperation among Middle Eastern countries there, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Tangsiri also mentioned that the United States must leave the Persian Gulf region, and they have no option but to withdraw from the area.

He also added that the Americans could not extend their stay for a long time as the Persian Gulf only belongs to his country and other southern countries of the Persian Gulf, which is home to them and other Muslim countries on the southern rim of the Persian Gulf.



Read Also: Trump Orders U.S. Flags Lowered to Honor Police Officers Who Died in the Capitol Riot



The Revolutionary Guard Navy head also recently joined in the unveiling of an underground missile base located on the Persian Gulf's shores.

Tangsiri was also joined by Revolutionary Guard commander Major General Hossein Salami at the undisclosed station where they described the facilities as a number of kilometers long, Nikkei Asia reported.

Salami also mentioned that it is their logic to defend the territorial integrity, the independence of their country, and the Islamic Revolution's achievements.

Major General Hossein Salami has proclaimed that the missile arsenal of his country was the largest and the most advanced in the region, which helped them ensure the defense of the vital interests of the great nation of Iran blue waters of the Persian Gulf and beyond.

When asked by news agency Newsweek regarding their comment about the issue and statements coming from the head of the Revolutionary Guard Navy of Iran, the U.S. Central Command did not answer right away, but the State Department has commented on the previous revelation of the underground missile bases of Iran.

Related Article: Convicted Kidnapper Ascends to Power in Landslide Victory as New Kyrgyzstan President

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Bam Bam Resources Corp. (CSE: BBR) (OTC Pink: NPEZF) (FSE: 4NPB) ("Bam Bam" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the size of the Majuba Hill Project has been increased by almost seventy five percent. The Company has added 168 new, unpatented lode mining claims and over 600 acres of private mineral and surface rights. This new land further centralizes control of the emerging porphyry copper district under the Bam Bam umbrella.





Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6332/71817_3cceaf72642d79ba_002full.jpg

David Greenway, President & CEO, commented: "I am pleased that we have been able to expand the Majuba Hill Project to over 13 square miles (approx. 34 square kilometers). This substantial increase to our land package continues our strategy of turning Majuba Hill into a much larger and established, district size porphyry project. The goal is to continue to step out and find the true depth and size of the deposit."



About Majuba Hill Property

Majuba Hill is a large contiguous land position controlling the emerging Majuba Hill Copper District, located northeast of Reno, Nevada. "Majuba Hill District" 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:

E:info@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/71817
The purge of President Trump and his supporters began on Friday by all major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

As this was happening, Republican lawmakers remained silent.

On Friday, thousands of Trump supporters began being purged from most major social media platforms before Trump himself was memory-holed from the internet.

At the same time, Parler was warned by Apple that its days were numbered, shortly before Google completely banned the app from the Play Store.

We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities at the US Capitol on 6 January, Apple wrote in an email to Parler executives. The app also appears to continue to be used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.

Thegatewaypundit.com reports: These same companies showed absolutely no concern when Black Lives Matter domestic terrorists were plotting their next attacks on their platforms, often with the endorsement of Democrat politicians.

Parler Chief Executive John Matze responded to the threat by posting; Apparently they believe Parler is responsible for ALL user-generated content on Parler. By the same logic, Apple must be responsible for ALL actions taken by their phones. Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for.

By 7 p.m. EST, it was reported that President Trump had officially joined Parler. It is currently unclear if big tech pulled the trigger early, if the site crashed from the rush of new users hoping to hear from the president, or if it was something more sinister.

By 7:46, Parler was banned from the Google Play store.

You will still be able to access Parler from your computer or browser.

Buckle up. They want you silenced.

Read more at: NewsPunch.com and Censorship.news
A Florida principal has sued the school district where she worked after it refused to rehire her because of her 'alcohol addiction.'

Dr. Mary Williams is seeking damages of $30,000, claiming the Seminole County school board discriminated against her 'based on a handicap or disability,' the lawsuit obtained by Daily Mail shows.

Williams, who held the top job at Hagerty High School, was named Seminole's principal of the year in 2018, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

She had worked for the school district for more than 36 years, serving as principal for 13 of them 'until she was notified that her contract would not be renewed' in 2019, the lawsuit reads.

Former Hagerty High School principal Mary Williams has sued the Seminole County school district

The lawsuit claims that Williams 'had good performance evaluations and was never subject to disciplinary action.'

'In December of 2018, Dr. Williams had discussions with School Board administrators about her alcohol dependency problem,' the lawsuit reads.

Williams 'discussed her alcohol addiction openly' with the school district's superintendent and human resources director.

She later attended a substance abuse facility in Umatilla, Florida where she was treated for her 'substance abuse' from February 12-18, 2019.

Williams has filed a lawsuit in a Florida federal court claiming School Board administrators 'discriminated' against her for 'alcohol dependency'

'Dr. Williams opened up to [Human Resources Director Boyd] Karns and trusted him as a friend,' the lawsuit reads. 'She provided Karns with confidential information about her medical condition.'

After completion of the program, Williams returned to work and attended a meeting with other school leaders  but was directed to leave by school officials and was placed on administrative leave the next day, according to the lawsuit.

Williams 'was never tested to see if any drugs or alcohol was present in her blood' but was told that in order to return to work she would have to meet with a psychiatrist chosen by the school board to determine her fitness to return to work.

Williams is seeking $30,000 in damages

The psychiatrist, Dr. Naomi Jones, reportedly said she was unable to determine whether Williams was fit for duty, according to the document.

School officials determined that Williams would need to complete a specific treatment program with Jones  which the lawsuit alleges was contrary to treatment she was already receiving from her own doctors.

Jones' treatment plan 'insisted that Dr. Williams sign a contract stating that she would be given monthly injections of Vivitrol for one year,' according to the document.

Williams' doctors, however, did not believe that the injections would be necessary and 'all opposed the Vivitrol injections for her treatment.'

Vivitrol, also known as naltrexone, is a an injection used to treat dependency on alcohol and opioids.

The principal was later taken off administrative leave and put on medical leave, before being notified just days later on April 8, 2019 that her contract would not be renewed.

'Dr. Williams' emotional distress includes but is not limited to severe depression and anxiety, significant weight loss, upset stomach, misery and hopelessness,' according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also claims that the school district failed to abide by the federal Family Medical Leave Act.

The high school's student newspaper reported on April 29, just a few weeks later, that a new principal had been named.

Robert Frasca was 'selected from a field of candidates aiming to fill the vacancy left by former principal Dr. Mary Williams,' according to the student newspaper.

Williams is represented by Alfred Truesdell of Truesdell law. The lawsuit, first filed in September in Seminole Circuit Court, was moved earlier in January to Florida's Middle District federal court at the school district's request.
Indonesian Navy divers retrieved one of the black boxes of the Sriwijaya Air Boeing Co. jet that plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Saturday afternoon, a key step in discovering what caused the aircraft carrying 62 people to crash.

Black boxes are crucial to understanding what happened as they capture sound in the cockpit and monitor flight data. The aircraft in this instance was a nearly 27-year-old Boeing 737-500, not the much newer 737 Max just emerging from a 20-month grounding. It was banned globally after two crashes, including a Lion Air flight in October 2018 that also plummeted into Indonesias Java Sea.

Related: Sriwijaya Air Crash Puts Indonesias Poor Air Safety Record Under Fresh Scrutiny

Search teams retrieved the flight data recorder on Tuesday and are seeking to get the other box soon, military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said in a press briefing. Their locator beacons were detected soon after the crash, and efforts to collect the flight recorders were hampered by muddy waters and debris from the jet scattered in the sea. The beacons on both boxes were dislodged due to the force of the impact.

Indonesia is one of the worlds fastest-growing aviation markets, but also has one of the worst safety records. The countrys planes were barred by the European Union in 2007 over safety concerns. The ban wasnt fully lifted until 2018.

The black boxes will provide more information on what caused the plane to plunge more than 10,000 feet in a matter of seconds. Both pilots in command of Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 were experienced and the airline has a solid safety record, with no fatal accidents since it was founded in 2003. The 737-500 model itself also has a good safety record.

Representatives from Boeing and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will leave for Jakarta this week to help with the investigation, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. The Indonesian government has granted them a waiver to enter the country during its coronavirus-related travel ban.

Human remains collected from the crash site have been handed over for identification, along with 30 bags containing parts of the plane, search and rescue operation director Rasman MS said at a briefing Tuesday. One victim was identified as 29-year-old Okky Bisma. Seven children and three infants were among the passengers.

Flight 182 was delayed for 56 minutes in Jakarta, according to FlightRadar24, as heavy rain lashed the Indonesian capital. Soekarno-Hatta International Airports official weather report about 10 minutes before the crash said there was light rain with a cloud ceiling starting at 1,800 feet. Weather has been a factor in several crashes in Indonesia.

Preliminary data appear to show the pilots were possibly disoriented, at least partly because of the bad weather, aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman said. Teal Groups Richard Aboulafia said the cause was unlikely to be an aircraft design flaw given the long service of the 737-500.

Sriwijaya Air started out as a carrier with just one Boeing 737-200, flying short routes from Jakarta. It now flies across the Indonesian archipelago as well as internationally to Timor-Leste and Penang in Malaysia. Flight 182 was headed to Pontianak on the island of Borneo.

Indonesias flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia briefly took over Sriwijaya Airs operations and those of its unit NAM Air in 2018 as the airline restructured its debt. Garuda also conducted maintenance then, which is now carried out by engineers from Indonesia and overseas.

Indonesia, with a population of about 270 million people spread over thousands of islands, is the worlds fifth-biggest aviation market in terms of scheduled capacity, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide. The coronavirus pandemic has squeezed the countrys airlines, as it has with others around the world, and domestic seat capacity is still 32% below pre-covid levels, OAG said.

With assistance from Julie Johnsson and Harry Suhartono.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Aviation
Belarus will give a tit-for-tat response to Western sanctions on the countrys companies, President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Nazarov and Industry Minister Pyotr Parkhomchik on Tuesday.

"Some of our companies have been hit by lawless Western sanctions," Lukashenko pointed out, asking Nazarov to address the issue together with Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko and other cabinet members. "We should give a tit-for-tat response," the Belarusian president added.
News Democrats Gear Up to Impeach Trump Over Capitol Riot

US President Donald Trump speaks at the "Save America March" rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. / Anadolu Agency / Getty / Kyodo
The Supreme Court will on Tuesday deliver its judgment on a number of petitions challenging the validity of the three farm laws that were enacted by the central government in September 2020. On Monday, the court hinted at staying the implementation of the new laws in order to facilitate a solution. Heres a timeline of how the protests erupted in June 2020, the chakka jam that brought traffic to a standstill and the governments efforts to break the logjam.

June 5: Three farm bills are promulgated by the Centre as ordinances.

June 14: The Bharatiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan) issues a statement objecting to the ordinances.

June 14 to 30: Farmers express their apprehension, saying the farm reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies. Farmer protests start erupting in a phased manner in Punjab.

September 17: Harsimrat Kaur, the lone minister of the BJP's long-standing ally Shiromani Akali Dal, resigns as Union food processing minister over the controversial bills.

September 27: Amid ongoing protests by farmers and opposition parties, President Ram Nath Kovind gives his assent to the three bills earlier passed by the Indian Parliament. These Farm Acts are: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.

September 24: Farmers in Punjab began a three-day rail roko agitation bills. The Ferozepur Railway division is suspended the operation of special trains due to the stir.The call for rail roko agitation is given by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and later, different farmers outfits also extend their support.

November 3: Farmers leaders announce a nationwide road blockade  chakka jam  on as part of their protest.

November 25: Farmers' unions in Punjab and Haryana give call for Delhi Chalo movement. Farmers are allowed to enter Delhi on November 27 after a confrontation with Delhi Police.

November 28: Thousands of farmers reach the national capital on their tractor-trolleys and other vehicles, responding to the Delhi Chalo call against the laws.

November 29: In his radio address Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that all political parties had been making promises to the farmers but now these promises had been fulfilled, citing an example of the Maharashtrian farmer whose payments for his corn crop was kept pending by traders for four months.

December 9: Farmer leaders rejected the Union governments proposal to amend the three contentious laws and vow to further intensify their agitation until the laws are repealed.

December 13: Stopped by the Haryana Police at the border with Rajasthan, hundreds of farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and several other states, stage a sit-in on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, blocking the carriageway towards Delhi. Led by Narmada Bachao Andolans Medha Patkar and Swaraj India national president Yogendra Yadav, the farmers head to Delhi under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a joint front of farmer unions.

January 11: The Supreme Court Monday pulled up the Centre for its handling of the farmers protest against the new farm laws saying it is extremely disappointed with the way negotiations between them were going and it will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse. Indicating amply that it may go to the extent of staying the implementation of the contentious farm laws, the apex court refused to grant extra time to the Centre to explore the possibility of amicable solution saying it has already granted the government a long rope.

January 12: The Supreme Court will hear a plea on various issues related to the laws and may take a call on setting up of a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India (CJI) to find ways to resolve the impasse. One of the petition seeks immediate removal of farmers from Delhi borders. The petition, filed by law student Rishabh Sharma, states that commuters are facing hardships due to blockades by farmers and emergency and medical services have also been severely impacted. A Bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justice A S Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian will hear the petition.
Burma Another Meeting Between Myanmars NLD, Ethnic Party Collapses Over Venue Dispute

KySDP supporters stage a rally in Loikaw prior to the Nov. 8 election. / KySDP / Facebook

YANGONFor the second time this month, a scheduled meeting between the National League for Democracy (NLD) and representatives of an ethnic political party to discuss plans for a federal union has fallen through due to a disagreement over the venue. This time the aborted meeting had been planned between the ruling party and the Kayah State Democratic Party (KySDP).

Since its landslide victory in Novembers general election, the NLD has been sending a delegation to ethnic states to hold talks on forming a national unity government with ethnic political parties as a step towards establishing a federal union.

So far, however, only the delegations first such meetingwith a state-based ethnic party in Kachin Statehas been held according to plan. Following that, a planned meeting with the Mon Unity Party (MUP) on Jan. 4 in Mon State was aborted, as the ruling party refused to budge on its insistence that the talks be held at its local officea venue rejected as unacceptable by the MUP.

On Tuesday, the exact same issue befell the planned meeting with the KySDP.

The meeting between delegations of the NLD and KySDP was scheduled to be held at the NLDs Kayah State office in Loikaw on Tuesday afternoon. The NLD delegation, which comprises three of the partys senior leadersMagwe Region Chief Minister Dr. Aung Moe Nyo, Karen State Chief Minister Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint, who is also a member of the partys Ethnic Affairs Committee, and Ntung Hka Naw Sam, the chair of the committeearrived in Loikaw on Monday.

KySDP general secretary Khu Theh Reh said on Tuesday the party demanded to meet at a neutral venueruling out either the NLD or the KySDPs officesbut the NLD did not accept the proposal, leading to the meeting being scrapped.

Dr. Aung Moe Nyo called me this [Tuesday] morning and asked to meet at their partys office. I told him [we want] to meet at a third location. But he said the party had made the decision that it would hold talks [with ethnic parties] at its offices. Thus, they couldnt change the venue, Khu Theh Reh said.

He said the KySDP proposed meeting at a neutral location as it believes such an arrangement would be more agreeable for both sides and allow them to talk more freely.

If our proposal [to change the venue] is accepted, we are willing to hold discussions with them about politics, ethnic issues and the formation of a new government, he said.

The KySDP was one of 34 political parties that met with military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services office in Naypyitaw prior to the election. During the meeting, the parties sought assurances from the senior general that they could count on his help if the voting turned unfair. However, the KySDP later released a statement saying the decision to join the meeting with the military chief was made solely by the partys chairman and did not have the support of the party as a whole.

Khu Theh Reh accused the NLD of adopting a superior attitude as the winning party, claiming it wanted ethnic parties to be subordinate to it and that it simply made demands instead of seeking to collaborate.

The NLD won 20 of 34 total parliamentary seats in Kayah State, including both Union and state parliament seats, while the KySDP won eight and the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party won six. However, in the state parliament, the NLD will require the support of the KySDP against the USDP and military-appointed lawmakers, as it failed to win a majority of the state legislatures seats.

Dr. Aung Moe Nyo said the delegation couldnt change the proposed venue as the NLDs Central Executive Committee made the decision to hold talks at the partys state offices before dispatching the team.

We will go Taunggyi [in Shan State] tomorrow. As long as the central committee doesnt direct us to change the venue, we will stick to it, he said.

He added that the delegation traveled to Kayah State as it wanted to listen to the voices and hear the wishes of ethnic parties.

Even in repressive times, we shared an understanding and all the allied ethnic parties met at the NLDs office. We are not saying now to come to Yangon or Naypyitaw to meet us. We came here to listen to their voices. I want to request their understanding respectfully to meet at the [NLDs] office, he said.

Additional reporting by Nan Lwin Hwin Pwint

You may also like these stories:

Myanmars New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1

Myanmars NLD, Mon Unity Party Fail to Meet Due to Venue Dispute

Myanmars NLD to Consider Ethnic Parties Nominations for Govt Members
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Borno State government donated relief materials and cash to 11 families of slain Boko Haram victims on Tuesday.

The insurgents attacked Pemi village in Chibok Local Government area of Borno last Saturday, destroyed several buildings, and abducted a cleric and anothers daughter.

The states deputy governor, Usman Kadafur, who presented the donation when he visited the village to commiserate with the affected families, described the attack as unfortunate and dastardly.

Mr Kadafur, accompanied by Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South), donated one Hilux patrol vehicle to hunters in the village and N1.1 million to each of the 11 affected families.

Mr Ndume noted at the occasion that insurgents had destroyed livelihoods of the people in the state and had displaced millions of people in the northeast.

Today made it the 11th year of insurgency in Borno State. I am very proud of the people of Pemi village for their spirit of oneness in the fight against insurgency, but you cannot defeat Boko Haram while youre not well equipped, he said.

Mr Ndume donated N1million to the community as his contribution to the fight against insurgency.

On his part, Umar Ibrahim, Chair, Chibok Local Government Area, commended the state government for its efforts at assuaging the plight of the people.

Mr Ibrahim lamented that the people were willing to defend themselves, but they did not have arms and ammunition to confront the insurgents.

(NAN)

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The Philippines is about to secure 90 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines within the next two weeks, IATF vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said Tuesday.

This will be on top of the 30 million doses of Covovax from the Serum Institute of India and 25 million doses of Sinovac vaccines, as well as advance purchases of local government units and private firms through tripartite agreements.

All in all, the national government is expected to have secured 145 million vaccine doses by the end of January. This is close to the target of procuring a total of 148 million doses, enough to vaccinate up to 70 million Filipinos this year, according to Galvez.

The government expects that the first to arrive will be 50,000 doses from China's Sinovac in February, but Galvez told CNN Philippines' Front and Center that vaccines from US firm Pfizer could be rolled out earlier. That is, if the COVAX facility would grant the Philippines' appeal for 44 million free doses.

"We are being evaluated," Galvez said.

COVAX, a global initiative led by the World Health Organization along with the vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, aims to ensure equitable access to safe and effective coronavirus vaccines.

Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to the Philippines, said the country has until January 18 to confirm whether or not it agrees with the requirements set for the early rollout of Pfizer's vaccine. He did not elaborate.

Pfizer boasts of a vaccine efficacy rate of 95% and is now being used in many countries. But storage would be a major challenge as Pfizers vaccines need to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

Galvez said arrangements are already being made with cold storage facilities. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be used in highly urbanized areas, while others that do not require ultra-cold storage, including AstraZeneca's, would be deployed to far-flung areas.

Private firms and local officials have struck deals mainly with United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca.

LIST: Local governments secure vaccine doses in advance

All in all, seven vaccines brand are expected to be used in the country  with those from Sinovac, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca seen to be delivered first. Others include US firms Moderna, Novovax, and Johnson and Johnson, and Russias Gamaleya Institute.

Road to vaccination

Galvez said Pfizer has expressed intent to provide a higher volume, while talks with Johnson & Johnsons Janssen are nearing conclusion.

Talks with Moderna are also in the final stages for the procurement of up to 20 million doses, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said.

Gamaleya, meanwhile, has informed the government it could supply 50 to 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, Galvez said.

Maganda po ang ating negotiations. Ang binibilang na po natin ay meron na po kaming 145 (million) na volume na pwede naming masabi na within two weeks' time ay pwede na nating ma-lock in, Galvez said.

[Translation: Our negotiations are doing great. We estimate a volume of 145 million vaccine doses being locked in two weeks' time.]

Galvez said the government initially intended to procure only 70 million doses, but the number doubled as pharmaceutical companies brought down prices.

During the negotiation, medyo maganda po ang naging offer ng ating mga manufacturer kaya naitaas po natin from 70 naitaas po natin ng doble, Galvez said.

[Translation: During the negotiation, manufacturers had good offers, that's why we were able to double the number from the initial 70 million doses.]

To expedite the vaccination process once supplies are available in the country, Galvez urged local government units to identify and list as early as now vaccine recipients and inoculation centers in their respective areas.

He also asked local officials to "have confidence" in the government's choice of vaccines, especially as a number of LGUs have expressed their vaccine brand preferences.

"Sana po kung ano po ang mauna, ang guidance ko lang po ay [Hopefully, whichever vaccines come first, my guidance is that] let's have confidence in our government and vaccine expert panel na we really have to take it immediately," he said.

The country is banking on the vaccination program to further open the economy, which plunged into recession after months of varying levels of community quarantine.

Catch the interview on CNN Philippines Front and Center on Wednesday, January 13, 7 p.m.
Ukraine and Moldova have agreed to create a Presidential Council to address issues of bilateral relations, President Volodymyr Zelensky says.

He announced this after the signing of bilateral documents with President of Moldova Maia Sandu in Kyiv on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The event took place without the participation of the media outlets; it was broadcast live on the Facebook page of the head of the Ukrainian state.

"We decided to create a Presidential Council, within which we will format the strategy and coordinate our actions to address the tasks of the bilateral agenda," Zelensky said.

In addition, the two presidents intend to resume the dialogue at the highest level and make it dynamic and effective.

According to Zelensky, the priorities of the joint "economic impulse" will be energy, infrastructure, transport and transit.

President of Moldova Maia Sandu arrived on her first official visit in Kyiv on January 12, 2021.

ish
A 187ac working dairy farm at Kilmurry near Trim sold under the hammer for 2m

The land market in North Leinster was dominated by the sale of the 1,090ac at Ballinla near Edenderry that sold for 11m in an auction conducted by Raymond Potterton in August.

This sale meant that the acreage sold in the region went from 1,156ac in 2019 to 2,345ac last year, an increase of 103pc. The 25.445m generated by auction sales represented an increase of 93pc on the money spent at land auctions in the region in 2020.

At 10,850/ac, the average price of land was 5pc lower than the previous years. The number of auctions at 21 was down 27pc on the 29 in 2019, and 50pc down on the 42 auctions held in 2018.

However, even if one excludes the Edenderry farm, 2020 wasnt a bad year in the north Leinster region.

Without that huge sale, the region would still have recorded a slight increase in the acreage sold at auction in 2019 and it would also have seen more money generated than the previous year with an increase in the average per acre price.

Substantial farms

The highest price paid at auction in the region was 38,900/ac for a 9ac parcel of ground at Rathbeggan, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, in a sale conducted by Coonans of Maynooth.

Quite a number of substantial farms were sold under the hammer with five holdings exceeding 100ac.

Aside from the Edenderry farm, two properties crossed the 2m mark, these included a 193ac residential holding at Little Grange, Dowth on the Meath Louth border, which made 2.5m under the hammer of Raymond Potterton.

Expand Close Northern buyers paid 2.5m for this 196ac farm at Little Grange, Dowth, Co Meath / Facebook

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Whatsapp Northern buyers paid 2.5m for this 196ac farm at Little Grange, Dowth, Co Meath

The same auctioneer handled the sale of a 187ac residential dairy farm at Kilmurry, Trim which made 2m.

Expand Close A 187ac working dairy farm at Kilmurry near Trim sold under the hammer for 2m / Facebook

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Whatsapp A 187ac working dairy farm at Kilmurry near Trim sold under the hammer for 2m

Farms making over 1m included a 143ac grass farm at Coolnahinch, Moynalty that realised 1.29m under the direction of Raymond Potterton, while Thomas Potterton sold a 78ac farm at Clondoogan, Summerhill for 1.162m.

Other land making strong prices included a 27ac farm at Kilgraigue, Kilcloon in Co Meath that made 23,700/ac under the hammer of Eamonn OFlaherty of Sherry FitzGerald OFlaherty Brady. Coonan auctioneers saw 21,000/ac paid for a 29ac tillage and grass farm at Bogganstown in Co Meath.

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Thomas Potterton described it as a strange year where auctioneers, vendors and purchaser had to adapt to a constantly changing situation during the pandemic.

However, he believes the lockdown accelerated the use of online technology and this will attract a wider range of customers from now on. Despite the restrictions, he says land sales held firm and he had some very good results, with active interest from farmers and non-farmers.

"Huge demand

Gordon Cobbe of GVM Tullamore expects a slow start to 2021, but he also predicts huge demand for land, especially rental land, as the year progresses, I am getting a large number of calls already from farmers looking for land as they try to comply with the new nitrates regulations, he said. They have to increase their holding by 5pc or decrease their stock. I dont see any of them getting rid of cows.

Stephen Barry of Raymond Pottertons was obviously delighted to have handled the headline sale of the year, but was equally excited about other sales, saying that the presence of non-farming investors, and buyers from Northern Ireland, were significant in the market as the year progressed.

We never got going before the Covid lockdown, but once restrictions began to be lifted we had a glut of interest, particularly from non-farming and Northern buyers as Brexit loomed larger, he said,

The business people from the towns and from Dublin are back investing in farmland. These people are being charged to have money in the bank and so they are investing their cash in land. We also had a lot of activity from poultry and pig farmers. The dairy farmers got anxious towards the end of the year and they came back strongly into the market. We had some extraordinary sales and good prices.

Like his colleagues, he expects huge demand for land in 2021.
TOCCOA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) ("Galaxy" or the "Company), a provider of interactive learning technology solutions, is pleased to announce that Boca Raton Christian School has issued the Company a second purchase order for an additional 29 classrooms.

This purchase order involves our full enhanced classroom suite of products, including interactive panels, integrated PCs, mobile stands and interactive learning software. For the additional 29 classrooms this represents approximately 100K in revenue.

Magen McGahee, Galaxy's Chief Financial Officer, commented, "This 'add-on' style of ordering is a direct reflection of our growth plan and strategy. Targeting our existing customers with new product offerings, while simutaneously adding new customers, will allow us to keep the revenue increasing steadily and the cash flowing, as we gear up for larger growth due to increased demand of new products and new clients."

The school's PreK-12 campus is situated on approximately 22 acres in the heart of Boca Raton, on NW 4th Avenue between Glades Road and Palmetto Park Road.

Gary LeCroy, Galaxy's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to continue to provide Boca Raton Christian School with in-classroom technology solutions and products to better equip its teachers and students. This second purchase order is a testimony to our value-added products and services and strong customer service."

About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc.

Galaxy Next Generation (OTCQB:GAXY) is a provider of interactive learning technology solutions that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxy's products include Galaxy's own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxy's distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Company's products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products - comprising nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales.

For additional information, please visit our website at: www.galaxynext.us

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains 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 are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investors Contact:

IR@GalaxyNext.us

p888-859-1274

SOURCE: Galaxy Next Generation, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623930/Galaxy-Next-Generation-Awarded-Additional-Purchase-Order-from-Boca-Raton-Christian-School

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has labelled unemployed Australians 'lounge lizards' who need to 'turn off Neflix' and get a job in the bush.

He went on to say JobSeeker recipients, many of whom lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, were earning 'more than they ever dreamed of' on the taxpayer dollar.

Mr McCormack has made a series of controversial statements while filling in for Scott Morrison, who went on holiday from Monday.

The Nationals leader said the Regional Australia Institute found almost 50,000 jobs up for grabs in country Australia, and the unemployed should go get them.

Australians are seen lining up at a Centrelink office in Melbourne at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

He made the 'lounge lizards' gaffe during an interview on Monday, and doubled down when Today grilled him about it on Tuesday morning.

'I say to those people, who have perhaps done reasonably well off JobSeeker - given the fact they might have been earning more than what they could have ever have dreamt of - it's time to turn Stan and Netflix off and come out to regions,' he replied.

'You can have a better life. You don't actually have to stick in congested traffic in the capital cities. You can get out to regional Australia.'

Today host Allison Langdon asked whether it was 'slightly insulting' to label unemployed residents 'lounge lizards'

She argued not everyone has the ability or freedom to relocate, particularly during a pandemic when they are subject to lockdowns and hotspot declarations.

Mr McCormack replied 'there's not much Covid out here', speaking from Townsville in North Queensland.

'Many communities in regional Australia have hardly had a case of Covid if at all and they are craving for people from the city to come out and experience the bush,' he said.

The acting prime minister said there were a variety of available jobs - beyond working on a farm.

'They're not just jobs picking fruit, they're not just jobs in meatworks. They're jobs in all sorts of good endeavours and certainly good well-paying jobs,' he said.

'It's fun to pick fruit, it's good and well-paying work to work in a meatworks and goodness knows we need them.'

Mr McCormack (pictured on Tuesday) said the Regional Australia Institute has identified almost 50,000 jobs currently up for grabs in regional Australia

Mr McCormack made the 'lounge lizards' comment while holding a press conference in Narrabri, NSW, on Monday, during questions about JobKeeper ending in March.

'Well, many of the people who are running businesses and do have JobKeeper in place also understand that it's time for many of the workers to return,' he said.

'Some of those workers who, you know, have been sitting on the couch and being, you know, dare I say, lounge lizards for too long, now it's time to get back to work.

'It's also time for people who are long-term unemployed to look beyond the hills, to look beyond that sandstone curtain that is the Great Dividing Range and to, you know, take up those job opportunities that are there and get off the couch and get out to regional Australia and take up one of those jobs.'

This argument is common refrain from the Nationals. Last month, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud claimed local unemployed people would rather sit on the couch than take up farm labouring jobs.

'Every Australian gets first crack at these jobs but sadly they don't want to get off the couch and have a crack at it,' he told Sky News.

'There's a large cohort that have been on unemployment benefits for some time that don't want to have a go at these jobs.'

The acting prime minister (pictured) on Monday referred to the storming of the US Capitol by rioting Trump fans that killed five people as merely 'unfortunate'

The government is offering $6,000 cash incentives to Australians willing to work on farms in regional areas, in a last-ditch attempt to save the agriculture industry.

'From November 1, 2020, relocation assistance will be available to people who relocate to harvest and regional areas to take up short-term agricultural work,' a government website reads.

Workers from the Pacific Islands were also flown in to minimise supply chain disruption caused by labour shortages due to Covid-19 international travel restrictions.

Mr McCormack is acting PM until January 18 while Mr Morrison takes one week of annual leave.

Just hours after taking over on Monday, Mr McCormack referred to the storming of the US Capitol by rioting Donald Trump fans that killed five people as merely 'unfortunate'.

Mr McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC and instead likened them to the Black Lives Matter protests in remarks made on Monday.

Asked if Mr Trump helped incite the riot, Mr McCormack said the president's social media comments were 'unfortunate', as was his refusal to accept the outcome of the US election.

But although he was hesitant to call out the shocking incident which was labelled an act of insurrection by some American lawmakers, he was quick to lash out at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for banning President Trump from their platforms.

Michael McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC (pictured) on Thursday and instead likened the mob to Black Lives Matter protesters

The US president was removed from the three social media sites, among many others, after posting messages the technology giants said could encourage violence.

'I don't believe in that sort of censorship,' McCormack told ABC radio on Monday.

'There's been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that haven't received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship.'

The deputy PM compared the the riot at the Capitol Building to Black Lives Matter protests last year and said it should not be up to Big Tech to decide whose voices were heard.

'It is unfortunate that we have seen the events at Capitol Hill, that we've seen in recent days  similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year,' he said.

'These are unfortunate events and of course many people don't remember how you rode the horse - they remember how you dismount the horse. And it is unfortunate that this has occurred.

'But as far as Donald Trump and his presidency is concerned, and the last few days of his administration, well, that's entirely a matter for the United States of America.'

Michael McCormack has urged unemployed 'lounge lizards' using government support payments to turn off Netflix and head to regional areas for work during the coronavirus pandemic (stock image)

Mr McCormack doubled down on his comments on Tuesday morning, but this time used stronger language to condemn the US Capitol invasion.

However, he continued to link last week's insurrection with the Black Lives Matter protests, which were frequently hijacked by looters and rioters, even when it was put to him they were different because BLM was protesting police brutality.

'Any form of violence, any form of protest that ends in death and destruction is abhorred,' he told ABC radio.

'The United States goes through great change but any form of protest, whether it is a protest over racial rights or what we have seen on Capitol Hill in recent days is condemned and abhorred.'

A Japanese startup at CES is claiming to have solved one of the biggest problems in medical technology: Noninvasive continuous glucose monitoring. Quantum Operation Inc, exhibiting at the virtual show, says that its prototype wearable can accurately measure blood sugar from the wrist. Looking like a knock-off Apple Watch, the prototype crams in a small spectrometer which is used to scan the blood to measure for glucose. Quantums pitch adds that the watch is also capable of reading other vital signs, including heart rate and ECG.

The company says that its secret sauce is in its patented spectroscopy materials which are built into the watch and its band. To use it, the wearer simply needs to slide the watch on and activate the monitoring from the menu, and after around 20 seconds, the data is displayed. Quantum says that it expects to sell its hardware to insurers and healthcare providers, as well as building a big data platform to collect and examine the vast trove of information generated by patients wearing the device.

Quantum Operation Inc

Quantum Operation supplied a sampling of its data compared to that made by a commercial monitor, the FreeStyle Libre. And, at this point, there does seem to be a noticeable amount of variation between the wearable and the Libre. That, for now, may be a deal breaker for those who rely upon accurate blood glucose readings to determine their insulin dosage.

Noninvasive glucose monitoring is something of a holy grail for the medical industry, as well as the major wearables brands. After all, one in 10 Americans are diabetic, and that figure is likely to rise as the obesity crisis continues to rage. In order to maintain their health, diabetics today either need to take regular finger-prick blood tests or wear an implanted glucose monitor. In the last five years, companies like Dexcom and Abbott have even found ways to connect these monitors to smartwatches for ease of tracking.

Naturally, the wearables industry has been looking for an easier, and less invasive, way of doing this to try and steal some of that lunch. Unfortunately, no company has been able to successfully demonstrate a working version of this technology, at least not to a commercial standard. In 2017, one company -- PKVitality -- came to CES with a watch that had a series of 0.5mm tall needles on the back of its watch which collected interstitial fluid from your skin. But that hardly counts as noninvasive.

Apple has been reportedly working on a blood sugar monitoring platform since even before Steve Jobs died. Rumors surfaced in 2017 that the company had a dedicated lab looking at ways to monitor blood sugar through a wearable. In 2018, AppleInsider found a patent that the company had filed, related to using absorption spectroscopy to monitor blood glucose levels.

This secret team was apparently bolstered by the former employees of C8 MediSensors, a company which failed to achieve this task at the start of the last decade. It raised $60 million in investment from companies like GE, but failed to create a working product before it closed in early 2013. An MIT Tech Review profile of the company from 2014 said that C8 simply couldnt fix the variability problem -- where readings differ from person to person -- before it ran out of money.

A technique called Raman Spectroscopy has seen some promise both in the above example and in other projects. In 2018, a group of researchers at the University of Missouri and MIT found that a laser, through a fiber optic cable, could be used to monitor for glucose when pressed against the wrist. At the time, researchers said that the system could offer readings comparable to a finger-prick test.

Theres still a long way to go before were able to see this sort of technology in a working product, even longer before its in one we want to buy. But if Quantum can demonstrate that its avoided the pitfalls that some of its rivals have hit, and that its technology is accurate enough, this could be pretty exciting.

Of course, this being an all-virtual CES, its even harder to take the companys fantastic claims at face value. If we were at the show in person, wed be able to test the device out for ourselves and speak to the founders face-to-face. Its worth noting, too, that there isnt -- yet -- any peer-reviewed or otherwise externally-validated science to support this specific technology and its application. We cant make any serious judgment on this technology yet, beyond saying that if Quantum Operation can make good on its claims, then we may be on the cusp of a very exciting time for wearables.


BASEL (dpa-AFX) - Today's Daily Dose brings you news about Lilly's Alzheimer's disease trial data, BeiGene's collaboration agreement with Novartis, Mesoblast's encouraging results from phase III trial of Rexlemestrocel-L in patients with chronic heart failure, and the resignation of Editas' Chief Scientific Officer.



Read on.



1. Arcus to Present at ASCO-GI Symposium



Arcus Biosciences Inc. (RCUS) said that the dose-escalation portion of its phase I/Ib study evaluating the safety and tolerability of AB680 in combination with Zimberelimab and nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (chemotherapy) in front-line metastatic pancreatic cancer has demonstrated encouraging signs of clinical activity.



The updated data from the phase I portion of this trial is slated to be presented at ASCO-GI Symposium on January 15 - with more mature safety and clinical response data to be reported that day.



RCUS closed Monday's trading at $32.07, up 4.02%.



2. BeiGene Teams Up With Novartis To co-develop Tislelizumab



BeiGene Ltd. (BGNE) has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Novartis Pharma AG (NVS) to co-develop its anti-PD-1 antibody Tislelizumab in the United States, Canada, Mexico, member countries of the European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Japan.



The deal entitles BeiGene to receive an upfront cash payment of $650 million from Novartis, up to $1.3 billion upon the achievement of regulatory milestones, $250 million upon the achievement of sales milestones, and royalties on future sales of Tislelizumab in the licensed territory.



As per the agreement, BeiGene will be responsible for funding ongoing clinical trials of Tislelizumab, while Novartis has agreed to fund new registrational, bridging, or post-marketing studies in its territory.



Tislelizumab is conditionally approved in China for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. The drug is under review in China for first-line treatment of patients with advanced squamous NSCLC in combination with chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC in combination with chemotherapy, and for previously treated unresectable HCC.



In addition, 15 potentially registration-enabling clinical trials with Tislelizumab are being conducted in China and globally, including 13 phase III trials and two pivotal phase II trials.



BGNE closed Monday's trading at $278.92, down 0.12%.



3. Editas' Science Chief Resigns



Editas Medicine Inc.'s (EDIT) Chief Scientific Officer, Charles Albright, is relinquishing his post on January 15, 2020, to pursue another opportunity. A search is underway to find a successor to Albright.



In other news, the company announced that it has received FDA clearance to initiate the safety phase of its EDIT-301 clinical trial. EDIT-301 is an experimental, ex vivo gene editing cell medicine in development for the treatment of sickle cell disease.



Preparations are underway to initiate a phase I/II trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of EDIT-301 for the treatment of sickle cell disease, dubbed RUBY.



The company has also provided a detailed timeline for its clinical programs.



The first patient in the adult mid-dose cohort of its Phase 1/2 BRILLIANCE clinical trial of EDIT-101 for the treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis 10 (LCA10) is expected to be dosed this quarter - with initial data to be reported by the end of 2021. A development candidate for the treatment of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa 4 (RP4) is expected to be declared by the end of 2021. An Investigational New Drug (IND) application for EDIT-301 for the treatment of beta-thalassemia is anticipated to be filed by the end of this year.



EDIT closed Monday's trading at $76.94, down 15.06%.



4. Lilly's Alzheimer's Drug proving to be a Trailblazer?



Shares of Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) touched a new high on Monday, following positive results from a phase II trial of Donanemab in Alzheimer's disease.



In the trial, dubbed TRAILBLAZER-ALZ, Donanemab met the primary endpoint of change from baseline to 76 weeks in the Integrated Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (iADRS), slowing decline by 32 percent relative to placebo, which was statistically significant. The iADRS is a clinical composite tool combining the cognitive measure and functional measure - the two commonly used measures in Alzheimer's disease.



Lilly plans to discuss the results with regulators to assess next steps for Donanemab.



A second pivotal Donanemab trial in Alzheimer's, dubbed TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2, is underway. Another trial for those who participated in TRAILBLAZER-ALZ, known as TRAILBLAZER-EXT, is ongoing.



LLY closed Monday's trading at $185.94, up 11.74%.



5. Mesoblast's DREAM-HF Data Catches Eye



Shares of Mesoblast Limited (MESO) jumped over 31% on Monday, on the back of encouraging additional data from the landmark phase III trial of Rexlemestrocel-L in patients with chronic heart failure.



In the trial, dubbed DREAM-HF, there was a 60% reduction in incidence of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE) due to heart attacks or strokes and 68% reduction in the rate of recurrent hospitalizations from non-fatal heart attacks or strokes.



Armed with the encouraging phase III data of reduced mortality and morbidity, Mesoblast intends to meet with the FDA to discuss a potential approval pathway for Rexlemestrocel-L.



MESO closed Monday's trading at $11.40, up 31.64%.



6. Stocks That Gained/Lost the Most



Zomedica Corp. (ZOM) closed Monday's trading at $0.93, up 92.15%.



GeoVax Labs Inc. (GOVX) closed at $5.36, up 62.42%.



Avinger Inc. (AVGR) closed at $1.45, up 61.90%.



Medigus Ltd. (MDGS) closed at $2.20, down 15.38%.



Oncorus Inc. (ONCR) closed at $30.41, down 14.41%.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

ELI LILLY-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has welcomed efforts by a team of Nigerian professors and scientists investigating the effectiveness of, and roles that Ivermectin drug can play in the treatment of the Coronavirus disease.

The team, which is composed of Nigerian scholars at home and abroad, has also submitted their report on the usefulness of the drug to the World Health Organisation which has already appointed a Peer Review expert from the United Kingdom.

Speaking Tuesday while being briefed on the report by a team of scientists led by Femi Babalola, the Principal investigator, and Chris Bode, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, the Vice President expressed excitement that Nigeria and Nigerians are at the cutting edge of scientific research into the COVID-19 treatment.

According to him, we have an opportunity here and I am so fascinated to hear this drug has been used in the treatment of River Blindness in this country.

While commending the efforts of the team, Mr Osinbajo added that with the report, Nigeria is at an advantage both in knowledge and availability of the drug, especially since Ivermectin has been found useful not only in the treatment of COVID-19, but also as a prophylactic medication.

He disclosed that the Federal Government will explore further ways to support the research for the benefit of Nigerians and humanity generally, while also advancing the effective funding of scientific research in the country.

Members of the group named IVERCOVID Research Group are the Principal Investigator, Femi Babalola, an Ophthalmologist and surgeon; the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Chris Bode; the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Council at LUTH, Lanre Adeyemo; a US-based Clinical Pharmacologist, Adesuyi Ajayi; two project virologists: S.A Omilabu and Olumuyiwa Salu; and also the Project Coordinator, Felix Alakaloko.

Both Mr Babalola and the CMD, LUTH commended the Buhari Presidency for encouraging the research and thanked the Vice President for his personal role and support.

The report is titled, A randomised controlled trial for the repurposing of Ivermectin in the management of COVID-19, and highlights are discussed below:

The research, carried out in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) was undertaken following the report of a 5,000-fold reduction in viral load by Australian workers with in-vitro use of Ivermectin on COVID-19 in culture.

The PI has worked extensively with Ivermectin on the Onchocerciasis-River Blindness control programme, through which many Nigerians have used Ivermectin.

FINDINGS

The study revealed that the mechanism of action of Ivermectin, include Inhibiting viral entry into cells nucleus; and Direct suppression of viral RNA load of SARS CoV 2, among others.

Ivermectin is orally absorbed with higher absorption as a solution better than tablets, and The Mean Residence Time (MRT) is 3.4 days. This informs the suggested frequency of dosing, i.e. twice a week.

The researchs Null hypothesis noted that: Safe doses of Ivermectin are not useful in the treatment of patients with virology proven COVD-19 disease, does not lower viral load, and does not shorten time to negativity, neither does it cause improvement in clinical parameters when compared to Lopinavir/Ritonavir/Placebo.

But its Alternative Hypothesis revealed that, Safe doses of Ivermectin are useful in the treatment of patients with virology proven COVID-19 disease, lowering viral load, shortening time to negativity, and causing improvement in clinical parameters when compared with Lopinavir/Ritonavir/Placebo.

RESULTS

In its results so far, the Study noted that the randomisation was effective based on distribution of age, sex and some clinical presentation at baseline such as cough and fever.

The overall results showed that the Days-To-Negative (DTN) reduced by 3.8 days overall. While a few patients are negative by day two, 50 per cent are negative by day 5.

The study indicated that Clinical trials of Ivermectin have been carried out in at least 21 countries worldwide, including Nigeria. It referenced the Meta-analysis of clinical trials of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 infection by Dr. Andrew Hill, Department of Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, UK.

ADVERTISEMENT

Highlighting the practical applications, the Study proposed that Ivermectin should be considered for adoption into the uniform treatment guidelines of COVID- 19 in Nigeria, noting the potential use of ivermectin as prophylaxis Pending the rollout of vaccination programs or alongside it.

However, the Study emphasized that Ivermectin is not meant to replace other COVID-19 measures such as social distancing, face masking and hygiene, or vaccinations, adding that, It is possibly an additional tool which can be deployed to fight the pandemic.

The group stated that it has forwarded a report of its findings to NAFDAC.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity


Ahead of its highly anticipated launch in India, electric vehicle major Tesla has incorporated a company in Bengaluru - Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Ltd - with an paid up capital of Rs 1 lakh and three directors. The registered address of the company, which is likely to be its headquarter, is in the heart of the city, barely a kilometre from the high profile UB City complex.

The firm was incorporated as recently as January 8 and two of the three directors of this company are high-ranking officials in the parent company. Vaibhav Taneja is the Chief Accounting Officer at Tesla and David Feinstein is a global senior director.

ALSO READ: Tesla shares jump 5%, market value crosses $800 billion for first time

Relatively little is known about the third director Venkatrangam Sreeram, who is also on the board of two other firms - Xenon Automotive India, an automotive fleet and dealer management firm, and Clearquote Technologies India, an artificial intelligence firm that specialises in vehicle inspections. Given his association with the two other companies, it is believed Sreeram would likely spearhead the company's unique direct to customer retail model that bypasses the need for brick and mortar showrooms and service centres.

The company is also scouting for land possibly for a manufacturing and R&D set up in the country and is reportedly in talks with multiple states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. On Monday Karnataka's Industries Minister Jagdish Shettar had confirmed that the state was in talks with the EV major and has also suggested a few locations for its factory.

"We have held talks with Tesla. They will have to confirm in what manner they will participate," said Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department.

ALSO READ: Tesla will start operations in India in early 2021: Nitin Gadkari

Rumours of the company's entry into India have been swirling for sometime but a confirmation came in October 2020 when its CEO Elon Musk, while responding to a query by Tesla Club India, said its entry would happen "next year for sure". Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari also recently said that the company would enter India this year.

The development of the company forming a local subsidiary in India was reported by enthusiast Nikhil Chaudhary who manages the independent Tesla Club India account. Chaudhary said he has been keeping a track of the developments on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website when the information showed up on Tuesday afternoon.

In mid-2020, Tesla became the world's most valued automobile firm by market capitalisation as demand for its electric cars and its shares shot through the roof. Its CEO Musk also recently became the richest man on earth overtaking Amazon's Jeff Bezos.

ALSO READ: Tesla 2020 deliveries beat estimates, but fall just short of Musk's target
[January 11, 2021] NEC Releases "WISE VISION Endoscopy" in Europe and Japan

NEC Corporation ( NEC (News - Alert) ; TOKYO: 6701) today announced the development of "WISE VISION Endoscopy," an AI diagnosis-support medical device software for colonoscopies, which is being released in Japan today and is expected to soon be available in Europe. This software connects with existing endoscopy equipment as part of using AI to automatically mark potential lesions from images taken during endoscopic procedures. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111006087/en/ Graphic 1 (Graphic: Business Wire) Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in Japan (*1), and the second most common in Europe (*2). Colorectal cancer originates from precancerous lesions (colorectal neoplastic polyps) and it is possible to suppress the progression to cancer by detecting and removing lesions at the polyp stage during endoscopy procedures. However, polyps need to be found with the eye of an endoscopist, and are often difficult to detect because of their size and shape, causing approximately 24% (*3) to be missed, thereby delaying detection. NEC has been working with the National Cancer Center Japan since 2016 to contribute to resolving this issue. NEC has now developed software that can automatically mark potential lesions based on the use of AI to learn from endoscopic images of more than 10,000 lesions, as well as learning from the observations of expert physicians (*4). This software was developed by aplying NEC's AI technologies, "NEC the WISE," and its face recognition technology, which is highly evaluated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (*5) in the United States.



Software features include the following: 1. Compatibility with the endoscopy systems of three leading companies and usability in any examination room

This software can be connected to endoscopes from three leading endoscope manufacturers (*6). By simply connecting an existing endoscope to a monitor and terminal equipped with the software, users can start using it immediately. Moreover, since it is compatible with various endoscopes and easy to prepare, systems can be transferred within different rooms and used efficiently wherever there is an examination.

(Shown in Graphic 1) 2. High visibility and flexible interface The system marks the lesion candidates with a notification sound and marking. Notification sounds, volume, and marker colors can be customized at any time to the user's preference. The system can be operated intuitively with a high-visibility user interface, allowing users to smoothly proceed with examinations. Going forward, as a company that creates social value, NEC aims to promote a healthy, and sustainable society, where individuals can thrive from the utilization of advanced IT technologies.

(Shown in Graphic 2) (*1) According to statistics from the National Cancer Research Center Japan (Japanese text only)

https://ganjoho.jp/reg_stat/statistics/stat/summary.html (*2) According to United European Gastroenterology

https://ueg.eu/p/78# (*3) Rex DK, Cutler CS, Lemmel GT, et al. Colonoscopic miss rates of adenomas determined by back-to-back colonoscopies. Gastroenterology. 1997;112(1):24-28 (*4) Yamada M, Saito Y, Imaoka H, et al. Development of a real-time endoscopic image diagnosis support system using deep learning technology in colonoscopy. Sci Rep. 2019;9:14465 (*5) NEC Face Recognition Technology Ranks First in NIST Accuracy Testing

https://www.nec.com/en/press/201910/global_20191003_01.html (*6) Connectivity and operations have been confirmed with the following endoscopes

- Olympus EVIS LUCERA ELITE Video System Center CV-290

- FUJIFILM ELUXEO video processor VP-7000

- PENTAX Medical OPTIVISTA EPK-i7010 video processor Product name: WISE VISION Endoscopy *** About NEC Corporation

For more information, visit NEC at www.nec.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111006087/en/

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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.

1,281 new cases Monday, three deaths: At the start of January, hospitals were caring for 1,100 patients, 328 of whom needed intensive care and 178 relied on ventilators to breathe. Those figures have soared since then: Hospitals on Monday were caring for 437 patients who needed intensive care and 260 relying on ventilators to breathe.

Patients with COVID-19 now make up nearly 38 percent of all those hospitalized in San Antonio  more than double the 15-percent threshold that triggers the business occupancy restrictions and bar closures.

Area hospitals were caring for 1,520 patients with COVID-19 on Monday  253 more than the record set this summer, when state leaders shut down bars and mandated masks to stave off the virus.

January 17

Hospitals at the brink: In the past 24 hours, San Antonios hospitals admitted 130 people with COVID-19, pushing the total number of infected patients to 1,439, six patients higher than the previous record that was set a week ago. Officials also reported 1,676 new cases on Sunday, plus 536 backlogged cases from more than two weeks ago.

As of Sunday, 436 patients with COVID-19 are receiving intensive care, up from 424 Saturday, and 244 patients need a ventilator to breathe, a slight increase from 241 Saturday.

January 16

COVID-19 update: Coronavirus cases continue to infect thousands of San Antonians daily, with 2,840 new cases and six new deaths reported by Metro Health on Saturday.

More than a third of hospital patients Saturday tested positive for the coronavirus, making up 1,394 patients  seven more than Friday. The most coronavirus patients hospitals have seen so far was 1,433 patients just a few days before on Jan. 11.

January 15

Severe risk: Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced 2,889 newly diagnosed coronavirus cases and six more deaths of people who tested positive for the virus. San Antonios new seven-day rolling average of cases has exceeded 2,000 for the first time and now stands at 2,041. The citys risk level is classified as severe.

COVID-19 pandemic leads to layoffs: Frost Bank cut 68 jobs this week, its first layoffs in 20 years and said pandemic related recession was to blame. The layoffs were across all of the banks regions and departments, and it is unknown how many of them were in San Antonio.

January 14

COVID-19 numbers: The 1,829 cases added Thursday tipped the countys total since the pandemic began to 140,614. Half of those cases  about 70,000  have been reported within the last two months.

Yet the number of cases confirmed by positive test results represent just a fraction of the number of people currently infected across Bexar County. Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger, San Antonios coronavirus czar, said Thursday that health officials estimate there are nearly 18,000 active infections this week alone.

January 13

Increasing deaths: Officials on Wednesday reported a staggering death toll of 25 residents killed by COVID-19, the second highest number recorded in a single day since the pandemic began. There were 1,378 new cases, down nearly 1,000 from the previous days tally of 2,303.

Cowboys Dancehall faces shutdown: The City of San Antonio has warned Cowboys Dancehall that it will shut the entertainment venue down if it receives another COVID-19 citation. On Monday, the dance hall, located at 3030 N.E. Loop 410, was given two citations for not adhering to safety guidelines set by the city, bringing its total to seven since the city's emergency declaration went into place March 18 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

January 12

COVID-19 numbers: Bexar County added 2,303 new COVID-19 cases  the second-largest daily number of new cases. Eleven more residents have died of the virus, officials reported Tuesday.

As case numbers and hospitalizations climb, University Health System is putting tighter restrictions on who can visit patients at University Hospital, allowing only visitors deemed necessary to the patients care.

January 11

COVID-19 numbers: San Antonios coronavirus hospitalizations continued on a frightening upward trajectory Monday, as officials reported a record number of pandemic patients for the seventh straight day.

Officials reported 1,585 new cases Monday and a rolling seven-day average of 1,769 cases per day. One new COVID death was reported on Monday.

New strain reaches Texas: A new strain of COVID-19 initially discovered in the United Kingdom and thought to be more contagious has been found in Nueces County, officials said Sunday. A Corpus Christi resident, a male between 60 and 70 years old, tested positive for variant B.1.1.7. The man returned from the United Kingdom in late December after traveling for a family emergency. He believes he contracted the virus there, officials said.

January 10

Shattering records: San Antonio officials reported 3,002 new cases Sunday  by far the most in one day.

The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Sunday that 234 vaccine providers across the state, including 28 vaccination hubs including San Antonio, will receive thousands of coronavirus vaccine doses this week, as local officials and providers have pleaded for additional doses to keep up with high demand.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:38:59|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government said Monday that new tariffs on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany will take effect Tuesday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a notice that it will start collecting an additional 15-percent duties on certain parts of large civil aircraft from France and Germany, and 25-percent duties on other products from the two countries.

"The revisions to the listed products are effective for imports, or warehouse withdrawals for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. January 12, 2021," the notice said.

The notice came after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced last month that it would modify tariffs on certain products imported from the European Union (EU) in a long-time dispute over aircraft subsidies.

Last week, the USTR's Office announced that it would impose an additional 15-percent duties on aircraft parts, including fuselages and wing assemblies, and 25-percent duties on wines, of France and Germany.

Washington started to impose additional tariffs on a wide range of European products worth 7.5 billion U.S. dollars in October 2019, following a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on subsidies to the EU aircraft Airbus.

Following a similar WTO decision on subsidies to the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the EU slapped additional tariffs on U.S. products worth 4 billion dollars in November 2020.

However, the USTR's Office claimed that the EU imposed tariffs on "substantially more products than would have been covered" as it used trade data from a period in which trade volumes had been drastically reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then Washington decided to impose new tariffs on certain products from France and Germany.

The U.S.-EU aircraft subsidy dispute has dragged on for 16 years. In 2004, the United States filed a case with the WTO, accusing the EU of providing illegal subsidies to Airbus in various forms.

The EU has since filed a similar case over allegedly illegal U.S. subsidies to Boeing.

The WTO has ruled that both the United States and the EU have provided illegal subsidies for their respective airlines. Both the United States and the EU have been allowed to impose tariffs on a certain amount of goods imported from the other. Enditem
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia declared a state of emergency on Tuesday to try to rein in coronavirus infections and suspended parliament in a move that helps Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin avoid an immediate challenge to his leadership.

The emergency also gives Muhyiddin and his cabinet extraordinary powers, such as introducing laws without the approval of parliament.

It was the first time in more than 50 years that a national emergency has been declared, and only the second time parliament has been suspended since independence from Britain in 1957.

Opposition parties said Muhyiddin was using the declaration to cling to power as he faces calls to step down and hold a general election.

The emergency announcement came a day after Muhyiddin declared a nationwide travel ban and lockdowns in the capital and five states and could last until Aug. 1, or earlier, depending on whether infections have been brought under control.

Daily coronavirus cases hit a new record of 3,309 on Tuesday.

WHAT POWERS WOULD THE PM GAIN?

With parliament suspended, the prime minister and his cabinet gain powers to make laws and approve the expenditure necessary to ensure public security without a parliamentary vote.

The government can introduce temporary laws - called ordinances - that take effect over the course of the emergency. The king, who plays a largely ceremonial role, issues the ordinances on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet.

The constitution is more or less suspended, as a substantial part of it can be overridden by emergency law," said Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood, a legal expert at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

In a televised address after the declaration, Muhyiddin said the king could issue several emergency ordinances to curb the spread of the pandemic, expand the powers of the military to help protect public health and also strengthen the police.

The government could also increase penalties for anyone who violates laws and regulations related to the pandemic, he said.

WHY THE CONCERN OVER EMERGENCY POWERS?

Constitutional provisions on lawmaking during an emergency are broad and leave a lot of room for the government to clamp down on anything from politics to personal and media freedoms, analysts said.

The opposition Pakatan Harapan said the emergency undermines checks and balances and inhibits democracy.

Emergency powers mean granting absolute power to the prime minister to do nearly anything, at a whim," it said in a statement.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MUHYIDDINS POLITICAL SURVIVAL?

Muhyiddin will serve as premier unopposed at least until Aug. 1. Elections then seem to be inevitable.

Muhyiddin became premier in March, since when he has grappled with a razor-thin parliamentary majority that relied heavily on support from the former ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Two UMNO lawmakers withdrew their support in recent days, which means Muhyiddin no longer commands majority support in parliament.

Some UMNO leaders have in recent months also repeatedly called for early elections, unhappy at playing second fiddle in the ruling coalition to Muhyiddins smaller Bersatu party.

Elections are only due in 2023 but Muhyiddin said he was committed to holding polls as soon as it was safe to do so.

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
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally recognized radiation oncologist and researcher Richard Tuli, MD, PhD, has joined the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital, where he will pursue cutting-edge treatments that offer comprehensive and personalized care to patients.

Tuli comes to Tampa from New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, an internationally renowned and National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center where he was director of Developmental Therapeutics. In Tampa, he is the chief of Radiation Oncology and vice chair of the Department of Radiology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. He also is the medical director of Radiation Oncology and director of Oncology Research at Tampa General.

"Dr. Tuli brings a wealth of clinical and research experience to the USF Health Department of Radiology. His expertise and leadership will help USF Health advance clinical care and clinical research to ensure pioneering innovative treatments for our patients," said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Tuli will help Tampa General Hospital continue to deliver innovative world-class care for cancer patients, said TGH President and CEO John Couris.

"We welcome Dr. Tuli as a research and patient care leader at Tampa General," Couris said. "He will be a vital part of our plans to offer the best and newest radiation choices and to grow our services and locations for our patients as part of a comprehensive program for personalized, world-class cancer care."

For Dr. Tuli, the new venture will allow him the opportunity to offer a complete and custom cancer plan for each patient.

"We're not just treating the cancer, we're treating the patient holistically," he said. "It's really about being able to provide a personal connection. This hospital has been an integral part of this community for a long time and we are providing a comprehensive program that includes technology, expertise and multi-disciplinary teams."

Tuli also plans to continue his research efforts, in addition to serving as a research leader, at TGH and USF Health.

"I really hope to contribute to moving the scientific needle so we can discover better treatments for our patients," he said. "I have a deep interest in research and hope to grow the clinical research program and am already connecting with colleagues across the Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital."

Tuli earned his MD and PhD from Thomas Jefferson University while also completing a prestigious National Cancer Institute pre-doctoral fellowship. He went on to serve his residency at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also served as chief resident.

Tuli serves on the editorial board and as radiation oncology editor for the journals Annals of Pancreatic Cancer, Journal of Pancreatology, and Frontiers in Oncology. Before joining Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he was the clinical director of Radiation Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and led the Gastrointestinal Research program. He has received millions research funding dollars, including grants from the National Institutes of Health to study pancreatic and rectal cancers. He has published over 100 academic journal articles and book chapters and serves on national cancer committees for the NCI and others.

In coming to TGH, Tuli joins a cancer care program already recognized as being in the top 10% of hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News also has named TGH as in the top 10% of U.S. hospitals for colon cancer surgeries and one of the top 8 hospitals in Florida. TGH is the leading provider of cancer surgeries in Hillsborough County and the market leader for highly complex cancer surgeries in the 12-county region.

This year, Tampa General has expanded its cancer care program by creating a new alliance with Cancer Center of South Florida at two locations in Palm Beach County. The hospital also has expanded its surgical oncology programs, adding new sub-specialized surgeons and new patient services, such as genetic counseling and a palliative care outpatient program.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1006-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2020-21 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT USF HEALTH

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report's national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu

Media Contact: Lisa Greene Media Contact: Sarah Worth (813) 347-3773 (cell) (813) 928-0861 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Florida Health Sciences Center, Inc. d/b/a Tampa General Hospital

Related Links

http://www.tgh.org


More delays feared for Snowden refugee asylum appeal

Ajith (far right) pictured with other individuals who helped shelter Edward Snowden in Hong Kong in 2013. File photo: RTHK

Richard Pyne reports

A human rights lawyer is calling for an explanation as to why a new panel has been assigned to decide whether to approve his client's asylum application, fearing it may further delay a decision they've been waiting on for more than three years.



Ajith Pushpakumara is one of a group of asylum seekers who helped shelter the American whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.



A former soldier from Sri Lanka, he sought refuge in Hong Kong in 2003. His lawyer, Robert Tibbo, said Ajith fled for his life after being subjected to cruel, inhuman treatment and punishment by his own superiors.. His case has been at the Torture Claims Appeal Board (TCAB) since June 2017.



Tibbo says Ajiths case was heard by a single adjudicator in June 2018, but no decision was handed down in that year, or the year after.



Ajith recently received a letter from the TCAB informing him that his appeal petition had been reassigned to a differently constituted panel of members/adjudicators. The new panel will consider all information in the appeal/petition before directing for further hearing(s).



Tibbo says the prospect of his client facing another long wait for a decision showed a complete failure in the administration of justice. He believes Ajith will be re-screened, which he says goes against the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees.



Somebody who is that traumatised should not have to be screened over and over again. Every time he is screened, he is re-traumatised, Tibbo said.



He says the original adjudicator in the case should hand down his decision.



Ajith has been in Hong Kong far too long, he cannot go back to his home country, hes lost his ties in his home country, he said.



And this is a case where he should be granted protection under Article 33 of the Refugee Convention, and thats what I think should happen at this stage  not starting the whole appeal process all over again with the uncertainty of how many years it will take to hear this case.



The Security Bureau told RTHK that the number of appeals received by the TCAB had increased significantly, from more than 700 cases in 2014, to over 2,000 cases in each of 2015 and 2016, and over 5,000 cases in each of 2017 and 2018.



It said the time needed to handle such cases has been significantly lengthened as a result of this increase. But it said the government has attempted to expedite the handling of appeals by allocating more manpower and resources to the TCAB.



TCAB has shortened its processing time of adjudicating each case (once allocated to TCAB members) from about 59 weeks in 2016 to about 26 weeks on average now, the bureau said.



But the bureau did not respond to the question of why Ajiths appeal had been re-assigned, or whether the original adjudicator was still a member of the TCAB.



Patricia Ho, a principal lecturer at the University of Hong Kongs faculty of law, says an explanation should be given.



It is not unheard of for a decision maker to change, due to an adjudicator resigning or leaving the post, so at the outset I wont immediately be alarmed, Ho said. But I do think its incumbent on the appeal board to provide an explanation to a certain change of the decision makers in a case, especially when it happens at such a late stage.



Ho also said it was not uncommon for asylum seekers to wait for several years for a decision on their claims.



No its not that unusual as far as Ive seen, she said. In my experience, theres been quite a lot of cases that have been waiting for decisions for even three or four years.



Ho said shes aware that the latest Covid restrictions have added pressures to the administration, and thats the reason she's been given for some delays.



The administration has also been attempting to streamline the screening of claims, through the Immigration (Amendment) Bill proposed in late 2020.



However Ho says the overall problem with that proposal is the pretext that the procedures need to be streamlined because asylum seekers are delaying the process.



Theyre painting a picture out there of asylum seekers being uncompliant and the administration is doing everything they can, she said. The problem I have with that is that its quite far from the truth, because a lot of claimants are really trying their best to work with the administration to get a quick decision  because they want to move on with their lives.



So, we need to really see that the delay is not necessarily caused by the claimants but a lot of times it seems to be just pure administrative delays on the part of the government.



The government revealed to Legco in the middle of last year that 179 out of 17,618 non-refoulement claims since 2014 had been substantiated by the Immigration Department  an approval rate of about 1 percent.
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Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

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Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

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European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

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Secrets, lies and thuggery are the hallmark of the Chinese Communist regime. And in the mystery of the devastating Wuhan virus, all three are combined.

The strongest evidence of a crime is a cover-up. And the Chinese authorities have provided that.

They have fought ferociously to prevent an international inquiry into the pandemics origins.

Their repeated obstruction of the World Health Organisations fact-finding missions has provoked even that notoriously supine body to protest.

Even now, WHO investigators are being prevented from accessing the vitally important laboratory in Wuhan that is likely to be at the heart of Americas allegations.

Pictured: Virologists work in the P4 lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in central China

Researchers work in a lab of Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei province, China

Experts have been questioning the Chinese authorities account of events for a year. Now, it appears, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to make a direct accusation.

Was it really pure chance the virus first attacked the human race in the only city in China with a research lab specialising in manipulating the worlds most dangerous viruses?

That would be as odd as a new disease emerging in the surroundings of Britains top-secret biological defence research establishment of Porton Down in Wiltshire.

To this day, scientists who support the theory that the virus is a mutation that emerged from Wuhans wet market have not been able to find a convincing candidate for the animal in which this mutation actually occurred.

The official explanation is the new virus was 96 per cent identical to a bat virus, RaTG13, found in Yunnan province in southern China.

But as Chinese professor Botao Xiao pointed out in a paper in February, no such bats are sold at the citys markets. And the caves where they live are hundreds of miles away.

Pictured: A woman walks past a shop on a street selling deep-fried scales of endangered pangolins, or scaly anteaters, in Hong Kong despite being the subject of an international ban

That paper disappeared from the internet. Mr Xiao  perhaps mindful of the fate that awaits those in China who promote inconvenient truths  disavowed it.

Many scientists privately assumed an engineered virus released via a laboratory accident was at least as likely as the idea of a series of stunningly unfortunate chance mutations.

After all, Shi Zhengli, the Chinese scientist nicknamed Bat Woman was a regular visitor to those caves.

When news of the outbreak broke, she initially feared that a leak from her research institute was to blame.

That thought alone should have prompted a full-scale and searching inquiry. Instead, the Chinese Ministry of Education issued a diktat: Any paper that traces the origin of the virus must be strictly and tightly managed.

But even the Chinese regime cannot hold back the truth forever. Over the past twelve months independent research, official leaks and news reports have strengthened the lab-leak hypothesis.

Investigation: Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said it was vital the WHO team probe the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China (pictured) as the possible origin of the Covid pandemic

In February a Taiwanese professor, Fang Chi-tai, highlighted a curious feature of the viruss genetic code, which would make it more effective in attacking targeted cells.

This was unlikely to be the result of a natural mutation, he suggested. Much scientific research involves modifying viruses to understand how they function.

Many observers have worried for years that the risks of such experiments are not properly thought through.

Lab safety procedures are riddled with potential loopholes and flaws: breakages, animal bites, faulty equipment or simple mis-labelling can all lead to a deadly pathogen reaching its first human victim. If so, such carelessness has now cost tens of millions of lives.

Yet we should be clear. The Chinese authorities are ruthless. But even they would not unleash a global plague.

Only in the fevered imagination of conspiracy theorists is Beijing deliberately waging biological warfare on the West.

Paradoxically, such speculation  promoted by among others President Donald Trumps former adviser Steve Bannon  may have hampered the search for the truth, by making the lab-release theory seem racist and politically toxic.

In February, in Britains politically correct medical journal, the Lancet, scientists published an open letter denouncing conspiracy theories and rumours, urging solidarity with Chinese colleagues.

Yet it was just those colleagues who were bearing the brunt of the regimes frantic attempts to censor the truth about the outbreak.

The Chinese regime prizes self-preservation above all  certainly over the truth, or the health of its own people, let alone the lives of foreigners.
Tupelo Mostly Cloudy 81 Hi: 91 Lo: 67 Feels Like: 83 More Weather Columbus Partly Cloudy 81 Hi: 89 Lo: 68 Feels Like: 85 More Weather Oxford Mostly Cloudy 82 Hi: 88 Lo: 64 Feels Like: 85 More Weather Starkville Partly Cloudy 81 Hi: 89 Lo: 67 Feels Like: 85 More Weather

Dense fog will give way to plenty of sunshine later in the morning, allowing temperatures to heat up quickly through your Thursday. Humidity ramps up a bit more as well, fueling a few isolated showers and storms into the afternoon.
16 million was lost from UK bank accounts in the first half of 2020 due to fraud

They could pose as solicitors or estate agents to trick buyers into sending money

Criminals are trying to intercept funds using fake email communications

Homebuyers have been urged not to fall victim to scams, as they rush to complete on purchases prior to the stamp duty holiday ending on 31 March.

Criminals are looking to benefit from the fact that buyers must transfer large sums of money to secure their new homes, according to the trade association UK Finance.

The stamp duty holiday has helped encourage a mini property boom in the UK. House prices have soared, and mortgage approvals reached the highest level since 2007 according to the latest figures released by the Bank of England.

There was a 300 per cent increase in phishing scams during the first two months of lockdown

'Moving home can be a stressful time, however it's vital to remember to take steps which could keep you safe from scams,' said Katy Worobec, managing director of economic crime at UK Finance.

'This includes letting your bank and other organisations know that you've changed address, making sure your mail is secure, and ensuring the recipient's bank details are correct when paying large amounts of money during the house-buying process, such as your deposit.'

What should UK homebuyers be on the lookout for?

There has been a rise in cases of money laundering and cybercrime attacks during the first half of 2020, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

In particular, there was a 300 per cent increase in phishing scams during the first two months of lockdown.

Meanwhile UK Finance said 16.2 million was lost from UK bank accounts in the first half of 2020 - often after victims were sent fake emails by criminals posing as conveyancing solicitors, builders and other tradespeople.

'Typically, scammers hack into emails between conveyancers and homebuyers and effectively hijack the process,' said Stephen Ward, director of strategy at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.

4 tips for homebuyers from the Conveyancing Association 1) Don't highlight any purchases or sales on social media  it can tip off fraudsters 2) Have the strongest email security in place. Be aware of fraudsters' ability to hack into email accounts 3) Be aware of emails purporting to be from property lawyers that ask you to change your banking details or send money to other accounts  they generally do not change bank accounts 4) Always check the exact account details with the property lawyer, and send a small amount first to make sure you have the bank details right

'Once they have a suitable victim, they will remain dormant until just before completion, when a large sum of money is due.

'At this point they will send a fake, but genuine looking email to the homebuyer appearing to come from their conveyancer with revised bank account details for where to send the deposit.'

This sort of impersonation could also come in the form of a letter or phone call, according to Tony Neate, of the fraud advisory service Get Safe Online.

He warned that the scammer might also pretend to be from your estate agent, surveyor, or mortgage lender.

For example, a criminal might impersonate your building surveyor, charging you an up-front fee for a non-existent survey, or a mortgage lender requesting arrangement fees for a non-existent loan.

What should I do if an email seems suspicious?

In any circumstances, it is worth checking with your solicitor or estate agent in person or over the phone that their payment details are correct before you transfer your deposit or any large sum of money.

It is also important to be on lookout for variations in contact details or instructions from any party involved, whether it be the estate agent, solicitor, surveyor, mortgage lender or even the seller.

'If anything seems irregular  or you just want to be sure  never be afraid or embarrassed to pick up the phone and call the party whom any communication claims to be from, on the number you know to be correct,' said Neate.

'It's better to be safe than sorry.'

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, the advice is to contact your bank and your solicitor immediately.

'Customers should always remember to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to protect themselves from fraud,' said Worobec.

'Stop to take a moment to think, challenge whether it could be fake and if you think you've been a victim of a scam, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud.'

Action Fraud is a police-run service where members of the public and businesses can report fraud.
Teachers, parents and students have responded with massive protests against the plans of the Berlin Senate (state executive) to largely reopen schools amid rising infection figures. But despite this opposition and clear scientific evidence that schools are a major driver of the pandemic, the state government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Left Party is sticking to the herd immunity policy in the interests of big business.

The Senate had initially planned to send back all graduating classes as early as next week and the lower classes a week later. A complete return to face-to-face teaching was then planned from mid-February. I want to return to face-to-face teaching as urgently as possible, Berlins mayor Michael Muller (SPD) told the House of Representatives (state legislature).

Pupil Moritz is on his way to the first day at his new school in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Given the dramatic rise in coronavirus infections in the capital, the Senates decision triggered a storm of indignation that forced it to partially withdraw its plans on Friday evening.

Christoph Podewils, a Berlin family man, started an online petition demanding No face-to-face teaching in Berlin until COVID-19 is under control, which had garnered more than 45,000 signatures by the weekend. The petition demanded that Muller and Education Senator (state minister) Sandra Scheeres (SPD) reverse their irresponsible decision. Previously, educators had also addressed Scheeres in an open letter.

Several Berlin schools also resisted the Senates decision. The head of the Steglitz Fichtenberg grammar school, Andreas Steiner, said in Tagesspiegel, In my opinion, the planned reopening of schools is irresponsible and negligent. Our employers actions in this regard pose a threat to the efforts of society as a whole to contain the pandemic and disproportionately risk the health of teachers, students and the health of affected families.

A headteacher from Treptow-Kopenick told broadcaster rbb that she would definitely not open her school on Monday. Earlier, schools in the Neukolln district had opposed the decision. Richard Gamp, spokesperson for the state school board, demanded that reliable figures on the current incidence of infections be available before schools could be reopened.

The state parents committee reacted with outrage, Domestic contacts are being reduced to one person. But in schools, pupils from up to 16 households are allowed to meet with their teachers in classrooms.

On social media, numerous posts objected to the dangerous reopening of schools. Under hashtags such as #KeepSchoolsandNurseriesClosed, hundreds of posts against the Senates policy appeared in a short time.

After the Senates partial retreat, Ralf Treptow of the Association of Senior School Principals remarked, Once again, the question arises why the senator always has to wait until her back is against the wall to meet fundamental demands from practitioners.

After the protests, individual representatives of the Greens and the Left Party welcomed the postponement of school reopenings. But this cannot hide the fact that they had fully supported the original decision to reopen. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Senate coalition has been one of the champions of the policy of keeping schools and day-care centres open. The result is alarmingly high infection rates and overburdened hospitals.

In the meantime, more than 105,000 people have been infected with the virus in Berlin; 1,560 have died from it. At the end of the week, the new virus mutation was detected in Berlin for the first time, which may be significantly more contagious than the previous strain. According to researchers, there are initial indications that children are even more susceptible to this new variation of the virus than adults, which increases the risk if schools and day-care centres open. In the last three days, the incidence rate in Berlin has risen from 130.6 to 191.7 per 100,000. Berlins Charite hospital recently extended its emergency programme and imposed a ban on visits.

The devastating consequences of reopening schools were most recently made public by the tragic death of Soydan A., a teacher at a community school in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The young educator had almost certainly contracted the disease while at school. But even such events leave the government representatives cold.

Until the very end, Muller and Scheeres defended their irresponsible policy. With her usual arrogance and callousness, Scheeres even told Tagesspiegel that she had received quite a few emails encouraging her to stick with the reopening decision despite the protests. With the originally planned return to face-to-face teaching from Monday, she had done exactly what parents and school administrators wanted.

The SPD politician described the reopening, which would have put the health and lives of thousands of teachers and pupils at risk, as a conscious decision, a well-considered decision. She said that a responsible balance had to be struck between the need to protect health and the right to education. Her Green coalition partner said the same. Every day of lockdown means another day of widening the gap between those who can learn and those who cannot, said Green Party parliamentary group leader Silke Gebel.

The regulations that have now been passed also offer no protection for pupils, teachers and educators. Also, the Senate has left no doubt that it wants to reintroduce compulsory attendance as soon as possible.

Home learning for pupils in grades 1 to 9 will be extended until January 25, Scheeres announced. For the final years, 10-13, at grammar schools and secondary schools, however, attendance in small groups will be possible as early as next week. The respective schools can decide for themselves whether to offer so-called alternating lessons, with learning at home and school or only at home.

Attendance for final-year classes poses a double risk. Not only are the students and teachers exposed to danger at the schools themselves, but they also must travel to schoolmostly by public transport. Graduating classes are those age groups that are currently infected with COVID-19 at a higher-than-average rate.

Inessa criticised the Senates decision, telling WSWS, Any teaching in schools is highly dangerous to health. Inessa is due to take an exam at an upper secondary school in Berlin-Charlottenburg this week, although there have already been several cases of infection at the school and classes have had to be quarantined. Ms. Scheeres policy of reopening schools in the face of the millions of COVID-19 deaths worldwide is so intolerably inhumane that this woman should be locked up. It was incomprehensible to the pupil that online lessons were not being organised in such a way that they are reasonable and function properly.

This is also confirmed by Frank (name changed), a primary school teacher who works in Berlin-Mitte. He complained that he feels abandoned by the Senate. For example, urgently needed materials for online teaching were only now being delivered. Who is supposed to quickly instruct the children in using the [electronic] devices now under these conditions? FFP2 masks had only arrived in the last week, and far too few, Frank added.

Like Inessa, Frank is appalled by the Senates policy, saying, Even though the virus was already going through the school, masks were only mandatory in the corridors. Teachers and students are being pushed into an impossible situation by the Senate. Why doesnt anyone listen to the recommendations of the scientific community? They had long identified schools as the drivers of the pandemic, he said.

In Inessas view, reopening schools was complete madness. She condemned the hypocrisy of the SPD, Greens and the Left Party, who are supposedly concerned about childrens education. If they were committed to good education, they would have provided better facilities at schools years ago, with enough school materials, more teachers and hygienic toilets.

The situation at day-care centres is also significant. These remain in emergency operation. With businesses open, this means that parents are still being forced to bring their children to a day-care centre in order to work, continuing to expose educators, children and their parents to the risk of infections. Twitter user mpo commented, My childs day-care centre in Berlin has 190 children; 160 are now in emergency care. Any more questions why the lockdown isnt working?

To counter the unscrupulous policies of the coalition in the Berlin Senate, students, parents, teachers and educators must take the fight into their own hands. Action committees independent of the establishment parties and trade unions must be built and strikes organised to shut schools and non-essential businesses to put an end to the criminal herd immunity policy. It is crucial to conduct this offensive based on a socialist perspective. As is vividly demonstrated in Berlin, all the Bundestag (parliamentary) parties and governments are committed to policies that put profits above human lives.
The Reserve Bank of Indias loan repayment moratorium, announced at the end of March 2020 and extended to 31 August 2020, was conceptualised and implemented as a COVID-19 crisis-response measure. While the moratorium ended, the crisis has not. Findings from a survey of 1,452 rural microfinance clients in Maharashtra, conducted in JulyAugust 2020, show that a critical majority of borrowers continue to experience significant income deficits, and will not be in a position to service their debts for the foreseeable future.

Stringent restrictions imposed by governments to control the spread of COVID-19 have halted many economic activities, leading to job and revenue losses at an unprecedented scale. India, which implemented a strict lockdown, has been particularly badly affected. The gross domestic product (GDP) fell by a staggering 23.9% in the AprilJune 2020 quarter, compared with same quarter in 2019. Efforts have been made to reopen the economy. However, this is occurring amid sharply rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and the imposition of sudden local lockdowns to bring these under control.

Serious knock-on effects of the prolonged shutdown and continuing coronavirus crisis are unfolding, including for the microfinance sector, which counts over 50 million low-income groups among its clients. Disrupted household and enterprise cash flows have significantly affected borrowers ability to repay loans. The debt repayment moratorium given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for initially three and later six months provided welcome relief to borrowers, allowing them to suspend repayments without risking black marks on their credit scores. This has, however, come at the expense of microfinance institutions (MFIs), many of which have not received similar debt-relief measures from their own lenders.

Cartera and Bumped are breaking down barriers to entering the stock market with an innovative loyalty rewards mechanism. Tweet this

"Consumers are increasingly shifting their loyalties to brands that give back to their customers, and brands are responding by looking for new and creative ways to customize the rewards experience," says Marc Mazzone, General Manager of Cartera. "Partnering with Bumped is a strategic move to diversify our rewards portfolio and expand our industry footprint, so we can offer brands multiple, effective avenues to build meaningful long-term relationships with loyal and invested customers."

Today, 55 percent of Americans say that the primary reason they're not investing is because they "don't have enough money". Together, Cartera and Bumped are breaking down barriers to entering the stock market, while giving consumers an innovative new loyalty rewards mechanism that has immediate value and potential to grow over time.

"We're very excited to be partnering with Cartera to bring our vision for an ownership economy to life," said David Nelsen, Bumped CEO and Founder. "Their team shares our passion for creating an innovative new reward that can do good for both brands and their customers, while providing the operational support we need to expand and scale. We look forward to working with Cartera  and their expansive portfolio of airlines and brands  to bring this new reward mechanism to market and help more people become owners."

Bumped is the first of Cartera's partners to take advantage of its newly launched API solution  a lighter alternative for clients who don't need the robust benefits of a hosted solution and can benefit from simplified integration requirements. By leveraging the API integration, Bumped has been able to quickly launch its fractional share rewards and scale it to be available to Cartera's 960 merchants.

Stock rewards are available now through Bumped's recently launched consumer app, and require little-to-no tech integration for brands that want to participate. To learn more about Bumped's Cartera-powered stock rewards program, visit www.bumped.com or download the Bumped app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

About Rakuten

Rakuten is a leading e-commerce company that enhances the way people shop by offering Cash Back, deals and rewards from more than 3,500 merchants. Founded in 1999, Rakuten has grown to become the go-to shopping destination for consumers, having paid out more than $1.5 billion in Cash Back to its 13 million members. The company also operates ShopStyle, a leading fashion discovery destination, and Cartera Commerce, a top rewards platform for airlines and banks. For more information, visit www.rakuten.com .

Rakuten is a registered trademark of Rakuten, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.  2019 Ebates Inc. dba Rakuten. All rights reserved.

About Bumped

Bumped is a tech company on a mission to create an ownership economy. The Bumped app gives consumers the power to turn their everyday spending into free stock ownership, and their suite of tools helps businesses reward their customers in fractional shares of stock. Bumped believes that we all create the economy together, and we all should have the opportunity to benefit from it.

Disclosures

The Bumped app and website are operated by Bumped, Inc. Brokerage services are provided by Bumped Financial LLC, member FINRA /SIPC . More about Bumped Financial LLC on FINRA's FINRA BrokerCheck website.

Investing in securities involves risk, including possible loss of principal: Not FDIC Insured  No Bank Guarantee  May Lose Value. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Nothing on this site should be construed as an offer to purchase or sell securities.

Any market, economic and / or performance data shown is for hypothetical and illustrative purposes only. Data does not represent actual results. Participation is only for investors who understand and agree to the risks inherent in their Bumped Accounts. Only qualifying purchases made according to the terms and conditions are eligible for stock rewards. Bumped does not charge brokerage fees. Bumped reserves the right to restrict or revoke any and all offers at any time.

Investors receive shares of ETFs as rewards. Investors should consider their investment objectives, risks, carefully before investing. This and other information are found in the fund prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you choose to invest.

Rewards are accrued for investment after qualifying purchases but may be reversed if the qualifying transaction is later reversed. Bumped does not assume the risk of market movements for returned items or disqualified transactions.

Bumped Inc., its subsidiaries, agents, and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for and do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services, and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof.

A few notes on fractional shares: they're typically not transferable between brokerage firms. If you want to transfer your Bumped account, you may have to sell your fractional shares first. Fractional shares can't be put into certificate form or physically mailed, nor do they have voting rights.

Contact:

Lisa Tadje

[email protected]

SOURCE Rakuten Americas

Related Links

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BRIDGEPORT  A recently retired city police officer, awaiting trial for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl, pleaded not guilty Monday to allegedly sexually assaulting another girl more than a dozen years ago.

Ivan Delgado, a 13-year member of the Bridgeport Police Department, had been arrested in November on a warrant charging him with first-degree sexual assault.

His plea hearing had been delayed because of the pandemic.

Delgado pleaded not guilty virtually before Superior Court Judge Kevin Russo and asked for a jury trial.

The judge continued the case to Feb. 25 when a pretrial conference is scheduled for Delgados other pending case.

Delgados lawyer, John R. Gulash, declined comment.

Delgado was on administrative leave without pay after his first arrest in September and then retired from the department.

On Aug. 29, police said they received notice from the state Department of Children and Families that the mother of an 11-year-old girl was reporting her daughter had been allegedly raped by Delgado, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

During a forensic interview, the girl told them Delgado, who is acquainted with the girls family, allegedly touched her inappropriately a number of times earlier and the severity of the assaults had increased recently to rape, the affidavit said.

In September, Delgado pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree sexual assault and three counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was released after posting $250,000 bond.

In the second case, police said a 32-year-old woman complained that she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted by Delgado from 1993 to 2005.

According to the arrest warrant, the woman said she had gone to live with Delgado and his wife when she was 6 because of domestic unrest in her home. Soon thereafter, she said Delgado allegedly began sexually assaulting her in a basement room in his home that he had converted into a gym, the affidavit states.
After almost four hours of play on Day 3 of the PokerStars Blowout Series: $530 NLHE [8-Max, The Big Blowout!], the second Big Blowout title has been captured for the Netherlands as "Gwolde" defeated "Escapemissio" heads-up after agreeing to a deal.

The Dutch player laid claim to $721,692 for their victory in the 12,938-strong entry field which had a prize pool of $6,469,000 which easily surpassed the $5,000,000 that was set for this tournament.

"Gwolde" is no stranger to success on the PokerStars tables as they have won the Sunday Kickoff in the past for example. The Dutch player also came out victorious in Event 20-M: $109 NLHE Deep Stacks Freezeout on January 3 for $35,856 so must be having a great start of 2021 on the PokerStars virtual tables.

They started the day second in the counts and hovered at the top of the counts for most of the night with a few dips in between. In actual fact, of the top ten players at the start of the day, only two of them didn't make the final table with Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro bubbling the last table of the day and "sp3edy14" falling in twelfth place.

Blowout Series: $530 NLHE [8-Max, The Big Blowout!] Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 "Gwolde" Netherlands $721,692* 2 "Escapemissio" United Kingdom $680,231* 3 Mathias "mdf92" Duarte Uruguay $415,895 4 "end2end17" Canada $296,465 5 "DrawindDead" Poland $211,331 6 Andrew "dawhiteninja" Wool United Kingdom $150,644 7 "Kudgel" Germany $107,385 8 Andras "probirs" Nemeth Hungary $76,548 9 "Uivelo88" Finland $54,566

*reflects a heads-up deal

Battle to the Final Table

Sixteen players returned to compete for the original first-place prize of $818,484 but Marc-Andre "FrenchDawg" Ladouceur had an uphill battle ahead of him as the shortest stack. He couldn't make things work as he busted within the first ten minutes of the day to Mathias "mdf92" Duarte. Even though he was ahead when they both flopped a pair, Duarte hit the river for trips to bust the Canadian as the first player of the day. A few minutes later, "Pharmo81" was next to go thanks to "Escapemissio".

It would take almost 45 minutes filled with double-ups before "FivebetGAMER" lost their last chips to "sp3edy14" before "Aalexxs" was taken out by "Gwolde". "sp3edy14" couldn't keep hold of their chips and they lost them all to the Day 2 chip leader, "DrawindDead" with the lower kicker. Shortly after, "taartjekomt" was taken out by Nemeth to get the tournament down to the final table bubble.

In the end, it would be Kelopuro who would be kicked to the curb by Duarte when he called the three-bet shove of the latter with aces. Duarte's ace-deuce suited rivered the flush to get everyone else combined onto one final table.

Duarte's Demise, "Gwolde"'s Gain

Duarte led the final table, followed by "DrawindDead" and "Gwolde" as the only players to have a stack above the 50 million mark. What followed was 30 minutes of the shorter stacks doubling up before "Uivelo88" was eliminated by Duarte who by then held an even bigger chip lead holding almost double of what "DrawindDead" had. Nemeth's stay at the final table was tumultuous, in the end, he fell in eighth place with pocket sixes to the ace-king of "DrawindDead".

Andras Nemeth finished in eighth place for $76,548

Another 30 minutes of double-ups ensured before "Kudgel" busted in seventh place to "Escapemissio". Andrew "dawhiteninja" Wool had doubled up a few times too before falling victim to "Gwolde" for his biggest score ever. "Escapmissio" clashed twice with Duarte to wrestle the chip lead away before bluffing most of it away against "Gwolde". "Escapemissio" shoved a missed straight draw smack dab into "Gwolde"'s nut-flush to hand the latter a huge chip lead.

"DrawindDead" didn't do too well on the final table and ended up finishing in fifth place thanks to Duarte with "end2end17" falling to him too. But the Uruguayan player didn't manage to make it to the heads-up battle as he first lost a chunk to "Escapemissio" before tripling up his short stack and then still losing it all to "Gwolde".

The two players agreed to a deal with "Escapemissio" holding a chip lead of 6 big blinds to continue heads-up play for the $50,000 that was set aside. "Gwolde" quickly took the chip lead and kept the pressure on their opponent without having to show any hole cards. Eventually, "Escapemissio" called the turn-raise of "Gwolde" on the trey-five-jack-six board as they had flopped top pair with jack-eight. But "Gwolde" held six-five for two pair and held when the deuce completed the board for the win and the extra $50,000.

This concludes the PokerNews coverage for this week's Big Blowout but we'll be back for the PokerStars Blowout Series: $1,050 NLHE [8-Max, The Big Blowout!] on Sunday, January 17 at 6:05 p.m. GMT which also features a whopping $5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool so make sure to come back for all the exciting updates right here.
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.




gettyimagesbank
Disadvantaged children are set to get a further 300,000 laptops and tablets so that they can study at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson described how the Government is 'doing everything in our power' to support schools during the lockdown.

Mr Williamson said: 'I know just how difficult the past year has been for parents and teachers, now more so than ever.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson described how the Government is 'doing everything in their power' to support schools during the lockdown

'I want nothing more than for every child to be in the classroom with their friends and teachers, but with that not possible we are doing everything in our power to support schools with high-quality remote education.

'These additional devices, on top of the 100,000 delivered last week, add to the significant support we are making available to help schools deliver high-quality online learning, as we know they have been doing.'

The Department for Education has said it will also publish a remote education framework to support schools and colleges with delivering learning for pupils who are at home during the latest national lockdown.

The Department for Education has said it will also publish a remote education framework to support schools and colleges (file image)

How the Government's vaccine plan breaks down PHASE 1 (FEB 15 TARGET) CARE HOME RESIDENTS - 300,000 CARE HOME WORKERS - 500,000 AGE 80+ - 3,300,000 HEALTHCARE WORKERS - 2,400,000 SOCIAL CARE WORKERS - 1,400,000 AGE 75-79 - 2,300,000 AGE 70-74 - 3,200,000 CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (UNDER 70) - 1,200,000 PHASE 2 (SPRING) 65-69 2,900,000 AT-RISK UNDER 65 7,300,000 60-64 1,800,000 55-59 2,400,000 50-54 2,800,000 PHASE 3 (AUTUMN) REST OF ADULT POPULATION 21,000,000 Advertisement

It comes as desperate shift workers and teachers have come forward to say they would happily come day or night to get the coronavirus vaccine after Boris Johnson insisted there is no 'clamour' for appointments after 8pm.

Mr Johnson is facing growing pressure to launch round-the-clock vaccinations as ministers 'race against time' to get jabs in arms.

Labour has demanded the Government 'sorts out' a 24/7 operation despite No10's claims there is no demand for evening appointments.

Upset workers took to social media to blast the Prime Minister's claim.

One wrote: 'I work shifts. I'm awake when most of the country is asleep. So, happy to have my vaccine anytime.'

Another user, a teacher, said: 'If this would speed things up and I'd not be taking a vaccine from someone more vulnerable I'd happily go anytime of day or night.

'I'm a 60-year-old teacher working in school and scared for myself and my older vulnerable husband. Of course I'd go!'

The aim is for everyone over the age of 50 to be offered a Covid jab by the end of April.

But doubts have been raised about the target with numbers standing at around 2.7million as of yesterday, and there are also calls for frontline workers such as teachers and police officers to be pushed up the priority list.

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick today said her officers should be 'properly recognised' in the prioritisation list for vaccines as she warned her colleagues are 'not immune to the virus'.

The latest ambitious timetable means vaccinating 32million Britons  six in ten adults  within 16 weeks. Two million jabs will have to be given every week in the 'greatest logistical challenge of our time'.
The civic authorities in Amsterdam are planning to enact measures that would curtail "drug tourism" in the Dutch capital. City mayor Femke Halsema wrote a letter to city councillors on the possibility to regulate the sale of cannabis at the "coffee shops", reports said on Tuesday.

The Netherlands allows registered coffee shops - one-third of whom are based in Amsterdam - to legally sell marijuana to their customers. While the move was aimed at enabling Dutch nationals to use soft drugs instead of hard narcotic substances, it has ended up drawing opium lovers from across Europe.

Halsema's initiative to ban foreign nationals from purchasing marijuana at the coffee shops drew support from the police and public prosecutor's office.

In his letter sent to the local councillors, the mayor pointed out that the foreign tourists who turn up only for drugs consumption "cause inconvenience to the residents."

Halsema, before his election in 2018, had promised to reduce overcrowding in the city's red-light district caused due to drug tourism. His proposal, if supported by the majority of local councillors, would need ratification from the Dutch Parliament before coming into effect.

Joachim Helms, the spokesperson for the Association of Cannabis Retailers in Amsterdam, expressed apprehension over the civic authority's plan. He told reporters that the move may not reduce foreign tourists, but only give impetus to illegal narcotic trade.

"Banning the tourists from the coffee shops now will have a major negative side-effect. The people who still want to smoke cannabis will go to buy it on the streets from street dealers," Euronews reported Helms as saying.

A recent study by the Dutch office for Research, Information, and Statistics claimed that Amsterdam may lose 44% of British tourists, 50% of German visitors, and 45% of French tourists if foreign tourists are not allowed to buy cannabis from the coffee shops.

Halsema, while speaking to Dutch television NOS, said the loss of tourists due to regulation of drug sale should not be considered as an issue of concern. Amsterdam should welcome tourists who are interested in the "richness and beauty of cultural institutions", rather than those who are here to "walk around drunk and drugged."
Geneva, Jan 12 : The mission of a World Health Organization (WHO) research en route to China to conduct investigations into the origins of the novel coronavirus, is about scientific answers, a senior official said here.

"Understanding the origins of disease is not about finding somebody to blame, it is about scientific answers," Xinhua news agency quoted Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, as saying at a virtual press conference here on Monday.

Responding to a question on whether the world body might send teams to any other countries, Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on Covid-19 response at the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said that the research studies will go where the initial patients were identified and the WHO is also working with different networks.

On Monday, China said that it supports scientists of all countries in carrying out global scientific research on the origin and route of transmission of the virus, and supports member states in conducting cooperation on the animal origin of the virus under the leadership of the WHO.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press conference in response to a question regarding China's announcement that an international expert team of the WHO will arrive in China on Thursday to conduct joint research with Chinese scientists to trace the origin of the coronavirus.

Monday's developments come a week after the WHO claimed that a team had been denied entry to China.

The world body said that two members of the team were already en route, adding that the problem was a lack of visa clearances, the BBC reported.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said that he was "very disappointed" that China had not yet finalised the permissions for the team's arrivals "given that two members had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel at the last minute".

In response however, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the BBC "there might be some misunderstanding" and "there's no need to read too much into it".

The WHO had been working to send a 10-person team of international experts to China and it was announced in December 2020 that the investigation would begin in January 2021.
The makers of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have applied to the EU for approval.

The European Medicines Agency has confirmed that it has received an application for a conditional marketing authorisation of the jab.

The health body said that thee assessment of the vaccine will proceed under an accelerated timeline. A decision on whether the vaccine can be used will be given on January 29.

The EMA said in a statement: Such a short timeframe for evaluation is only possible because EMA has already reviewed some data on the vaccine during a rolling review.

During this phase, EMA assessed data from laboratory studies (non-clinical data), data on the vaccines quality (on its ingredients and the way it is manufactured) and some evidence on safety and efficacy from a pooled analysis of interim clinical data from four ongoing clinical trials in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa.

The EMA has previously approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is already being administered in Ireland.

The HSE received the first batches of the vaccine on December 26, while supplies of the Moderna vaccine are expected in Ireland this week.

The Government has pre-ordered hundreds of thousands of doses after the European Commission authorised the jab earlier this month.

If the EMA approves the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine "it will recommend granting a conditional marketing authorisation.

"The European Commission will then fast-track its decision-making process with a view to granting a conditional marketing authorisation valid in all EU and EEA Member States within days."

A conditional marketing authorisation is used as the fast-track authorisation procedure to speed up approval of treatments and vaccines during public health emergencies.

Tanaiste Loe Varadkar described it as a very positive development.

He stated: If approved this vaccine will allow significant scaling up of vaccination programme.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly also described it as some good news.

The EMA has confirmed this morning that the AstraZeneca application has been made and says an opinion could be issued by 29 January, which if achieved without issue should see end-Jan timeline for approval.

Ireland is battling a surge in the number of admissions with Covid-19 to hospital but the country has turned a corner in the number of new infections, those modelling disease spread said.

Professor Karina Butler, chairwoman of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said yesterday that the authorisation process for another vaccine made by AstraZeneca had commenced and data had been submitted to European regulators.

They anticipate that they will have a decision by the end of the month, she said.

Then AstraZeneca are primed to have very significant quantities of vaccine available to us at that time. That will allow acceleration for the rollout.

She said everything is being done to maximise the vaccine given and to ensure there is no wastage. That includes extracting an extra dose from a vial.

Last night, 4,929 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland along with eight additional deaths.
I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wifes health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff, Mr. Schneider said in a statement. We can no longer tolerate Members coming to the floor or gathering in the halls of Congress without doing the bare minimum to protect those around them.

After Mr. Schneiders announcement, two of his Democratic colleagues, Debbie Dingell of Michigan and Anthony Brown of Maryland, introduced legislation that would impose $1,000 fines on members of Congress who refused to wear a mask at the Capitol during the pandemic.

It will be days before the full virus-related impact of the riot will be known, but it likely could have been worse. Because of the pandemic, lawmakers were instructed to remain in their offices unless speaking during the debate over the certification of votes. Tourists had been temporarily barred and the number of reporters allowed in each chamber at a time had been substantially curtailed.

But the normal precautions  already haphazardly enforced  collapsed as pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Did six feet of distance matter when lawmakers huddled on the ground as a mob tried to break through the door? Or as they tried to rush through tight corridors and into a cramped elevator to a secure space? Or as they sought to comfort a traumatized colleague?

On both sides of the Capitol, lawmakers, aides, police officers and reporters who had fled to secure locations have been warned that they might have been exposed to the coronavirus while hiding from the mob. Some people who had taken refuge in a room that included senators have been warned of possible exposure, while Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician of Congress, wrote to House lawmakers telling them to obtain a P.C.R. test as a precaution and to continue taking preventive steps against the spread of the virus.
The children's minister is demanding an investigation into how details of the Mother and Baby Homes Report were leaked, as survivors describe the Government's mishandling of the publication as distressing and hurtful.

The report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation will officially be published on Tuesday, and is set to reveal that up to 9,000 children died in the homes from the 1930s onwards, with one child in seven not surviving the institutions.

It will include 1,000 pages of survivor testimony and will run to 3,000 pages. The Commission has worked on the report for five years.

It is also understood that the Government will announce an interdepartmental group to explore a restorative justice programme, as well as legislation to protect the sites of the homes from redevelopment.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin will make a full State apology to the women and children who suffered for decades.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin will make a State apology to the survivors of mother-and-baby homes in the Dail next week, a spokesman for the Government has confirmed. | Read more: https://t.co/wAFamRyYHE pic.twitter.com/zemg22dlN2  RTE News (@rtenews) January 10, 2021

A Government spokesperson confirmed that the Taoiseach will make the apology and that Mr Martin and children's minister Roderic O'Gorman will brief survivors on the contents of the report on Tuesday.

However, survivors were angered that they had not been made aware of the contents of the report before it was published in a Sunday newspaper on Sunday.

Survivors said that seeing details being published in the newspaper before they had been briefed was "hurtful" and "distressing". Others said that the experience had been re-traumatising for them.

Mr O'Gorman said that he was "deeply angered" about how details of the report were made public.

He said: "I am deeply angered to see sensitive details of the Commission report leaked in a newspaper.

It is completely unacceptable that the people affected by the report have found out elements in this way. Im seeking an investigation of how these sensitive details came into the public domain and will be raising it with Government colleagues."

Sources said the minister had waited to brief survivors until early this week for fear that the report's contents would be leaked. He has written to survivors' networks to apologise for the manner in which the details of the report were made public.

However, the Opposition roundly criticised the Government's handling of the situation.

The Social Democrats spokesperson for children Jennifer Whitmore said: "Survivors were given clear assurances about how the release of the report would be handled.

"Minister O'Gorman needs to set out how he will establish how the leak occurred."

Sinn Fein spokesperson Kathleen Funchion described the leak as "appalling and insensitive".
The Irish Prison Service has today confirmed two prisoners have now tested positive for Covid-19 in Portlaoise Prison.

This follows that one inmate in the Progression Unit in Mountjoy Prison has also tested positive for Covid-19.

The prisoners were not recently committed to prison therefore it is accepted they contracted the virus within the prison.

The Irish Prison Service said families of the infected prisoners have been informed.

Read More

Outbreak Control Teams (OCT) have now been established in Portlaoise and Mountjoy to agree and oversee the appropriate actions to be taken to mitigate against further possible spread of the disease within those prisons.

The IPS is working closely with Public Health in the HSE with regard to the management of the current outbreaks including making arrangements for the mass testing of prisoners and staff in both locations.

Arrangements are being made for the mass testing of prisoners and staff in Portlaoise Prison on Sunday and Monday, and in Mountjoy on Wednesday and Thursday next week with a further test to be carried out 7 days later.

To help prevent the spread of infection a more restricted regime has been introduced in both prisons which may impact on access to video visits and phone calls in the short terms for prisoners in precautionary isolation however the IPS says it is working to ensure that we can continue to facilitate family contact as far as possible.


A Kildare third level student has been selected to receive one of Intels Women in Technology scholarships.

Sarah Caffrey, from Naas, who studies quantity surveying and construction economics at Technological University in Dublin is one of nine female students selected, Intel said on January 11.

A Maynooth University student, Saoirse Ward, a Swinford, Mayo native, who studies physics and astrophysics, is among the nine named.

Another MU student, Mariia Skyba, from Limerick, who studies computer science and software engineering, is also on the list.

Intel said the scholarship program aims to encourage a new generation of high-achieving women to take up the challenge of a career in science and technology and to empower them by fostering educational opportunities.



The scholarship program offers a monetary grant, valued at 3,000 per annum, as well as opportunities for work placements at the Intel Leixlip and Shannon campus. Each scholar is also assigned a mentor who is an Intel employee to assist and provide advice on managing their academic career.



Intel said that in recent years it has driven a unique approach to academic partnership through its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) program. We work closely with our partners  Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, Technological University Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University  as well as with other universities and Institutes of Technology across Ireland to share details of this initiative and identify suitable candidates for the scholarship program.



The company said this year scholarships were awarded by numerous business groups across Intel including Movidius, Manufacturing & Product Engineering and Intel Shannon. For the first time, this year a Women in Construction scholarship was specifically included and was awarded by the Fab Construction Enterprise Team. This was also the first year that scholarships have been awarded by the Corporate Services group at Intel Ireland.
3 1 of 3 / Norwalk Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 / Norwalk Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3





NORWALK  Two men were caught trying to ship more than two pounds of marijuana hidden in a karaoke machine on Monday, according to police.

An employee at a South Norwalk packaging store contacted police around 6:30 p.m. Monday to report two men suspected of trying to ship drugs through the mail.
Tiny, but too big for Blofeld's lap

In this first of a two-part series, the existing and next generation models of GWM's Pao and Ora brands, along with Great Wall itself, are examined. The second chapter, to be published later this week, will be all about Wey and Haval.

If we pay too much attention to car market gloom in Europe and the Americas it's easy to miss what's been going on in the biggest market of all for more than six months.

Great Wall Motor has just told us that global deliveries rose in 2020 thanks mainly to the ongoing expansion of the Chinese economy.

December was another strong month for GWM, the worldwide total for Pao, Ora, Great Wall, Wey and Haval reaching 150,109 units, a year-on-year surge of 42%. Of all those vehicles, 105,485 were Havals, the SUV division accounting for 750,228 of the group's 1,111,598 annual total (+5%).

Great Wall's pick-up line had an outstanding year (225,002, +51% including the sole Pao model), and a big December (21,636, +40%), while Ora ended 2020 with 56,261 cars delivered (+45% thanks also to the addition of several models).

Keeping the momentum going will be the main task for this year. GWM also continues to expand certain brands into multiple countries, reducing an existing reliance on the home market. Let's take a look at what's coming next.

Pao

In July last year, GWM told the media that it would introduce a full-sized pick-up (almost 6 m long and 2.1 m wide) in 2021. It isn't known which of the group's brands the model would be for but logic suggests it should be Pao, a premium pick-ups division, although Great Wall is another possibility.

The unnamed vehicle will be powered by a mild hybrid 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6, GWM says. Power and torque are 260 kW (354 PS) and 500 Nm (360 lb ft), the transmission is a nine-speed automatic and there will be pneumatic suspension.

Production is likely to be at GWM's Yongchuan (it can also be spelt Yangchuan) plant in Chongqing province. The pick-up's architecture should be the 'Tank Platform' which the company also announced in July 2020. This ladder-frame chassis is understood to be a newer name for the existing P71 architecture.

For the Pao brand's other model, please see link to PLDB below.

Ora

The Haomao, also known as the Good Cat, is a 4,235 mm long EV and Ora's latest model. Its looks are distinctive thanks to large circular headlights and there is a charging flap in each of the front wings. The car's world premiere took place at the Chengdu motor show in July 2020.

A motor with outputs of 105 kW and 210 Nm powers this five-door hatchback, with buyers offered two choices of battery: 47.8 kWh lithium iron phosphate with a 400 km NEDC range or a 59.1 kWh ternary-lithium pack with a 500 km claimed maximum.

This was also the first model for Great Wall Motor's Taizhou manufacturing base. Production commenced in October with the first cars delivered to customers in China during the following month. There should be a facelift in three years' time and a successor in 2027.

The R2 White Cat was the other Ora model released in 2020. Also a hatchback, the 3,625 mm electric car hit the Chinese market in July. There is a choice of two motors and two CATL ternary-lithium battery packs, these being:

34 kWh battery, 48 hp and 125 Nm motor, maximum NEDC range of 360 km

38 kWh pack, 61 hp and 130 Nm motor, maximum range of 401 km

While it doesn't look quite as radical as the Good Cat, the White Cat (see pic) does have a similar styling theme going on at the front end, with a vast number of tiny circles for an effect not unlike a colander. There will likely be some battery pack upgrades in the coming years, along with a facelift in 2024. The next generation is due in 2027.

GWM is, for the moment at least, keeping Ora as a special brand solely for the Chinese market. The link at the end of this report for PLDB is where data for other Ora cars can be found.

Great Wall

The decision to phase out Great Wall cars and make this marque one for pick-ups has been a roaring success. And even though there is only one passenger vehicle model, this, the Wingle 7, keeps breaking sales records. It is also being gradually introduced to ever more countries. One of the more recent ones was Australia, where the importer launched it as the Great Wall Ute, a successor to the Steed.

This model, introduced to the Chinese market two years ago this month, uses an extended wheelbase version of the older Haval H9's ladder-frame chassis platform. The 7, which replaced the aged Wingle 6, comes in standard and long-wheelbase forms. Dimensions are respectively 5,095 or 5,395 mm, 1,800 (width of both), 1,760 (height) and 3,050 or 3,350 (wheelbases). The sole engine is a 2.0-litre diesel which produces a claimed 110 kW and 315 Nm.

A prototype of a potential Wingle 7 EV was exhibited at the Shanghai motor show in April 2019. Plans for a fuel cell derivative were also announced.

With General Motors agreeing a deal to sell its Rayong plant to GWM in February 2020, the Wingle 7 could be manufactured in Thailand too. The sale deal closed in October 2020 with GWM announcing its intention to commence production in the first quarter of this year. The company did not name a model or models but did say that the retooled plant would be making up to 80,000 pick-ups, SUVs and cars per annum. It is thought the majority or possibly all will be for the Thai, South African and Australian - as well as certain other right-hand drive - markets.

Please see PLDB for details of the Wingle 7's life cycle.

Reports for many other manufacturers' future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.

Future platform intelligence

More detail on past, current and forthcoming models can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of GlobalData's Automotive Intelligence Center.
Victoria Beckham reflected on the amazing memories she shares with her former Spice Girls bandmate Melanie C as she sent her a birthday message.

Melanie C turned 47 on Tuesday.

Beckham marked the occasion by sharing a throwback image of her with her former bandmate.

Alongside the image Beckham, 46, wrote: Happy Birthday to the wonderful Melanie C.

Heres to so many amazing memories together! Kisses xxx.

Melanie C responded to the post, saying: Thank you my love, hopefully well be raising one together soon.

Geri Halliwell, another of Melanie Cs former Spice Girls bandmates, also sent her a birthday message on social media.

She shared the message alongside a number of photos of them together, including pictures which appeared to show them on stage.

Halliwell said: Its your bday! Happy Birthday Melanie C.

A wonderful spice sister. So proud of you.

Wishing you so much joy, love & success.

Expand Close Geri Halliwell (Ian West/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Geri Halliwell (Ian West/PA)

In a video to Instagram, Melanie C thanked her followers for all of your lovely, lovely messages.

To mark the occasion she also launched a competition for five of her fans to win a five-minute video call with her.

Last week Mel B said the Spice Girls are eager to get back on tour once the coronavirus pandemic is brought under control.

The chart-topping girl group  minus Victoria Beckham  played a string of tour dates in the UK and Ireland in 2019.
China will give Myanmar a batch of coronavirus vaccines for free, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Tuesday, as the government's top diplomat wrapped up a two-day visit to Myanmar.

"China will continue to provide anti-epidemic materials according to Myanmar's needs. We shall give a batch of coronavirus for free and will continue discussions on vaccine cooperation," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said that when top diplomat, Wang Yi, met the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, he sought the support of the military for a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor.

The corridor is a network - some of it existing and some planned - of transport and other infrastructure projects passing through areas where ethnic minority factions battle each other and government forces.

Fighting in northeastern Myanmar sometimes sends refugees fleeing over the border into China.

After leaving Myanmar, Wang Yi, China's state councillor and foreign minister, will visit Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines before returning to China on Jan. 16.

Short link:


- Index from TotalAnalysis highlights China's "data credibility issues" as the WHO investigation is frustrated by further delays

- Lockdown of 18 million in Hebei province triggers questions over China's real level of infections and fatalities

- China has recorded no Covid deaths since May 2020

LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the WHO's Investigation into China continues to be hampered by bureaucratic delays, the world's largest country has been ranked a troubling 96th out of 100 nations in the Covid Data Transparency Index (CDTI) published by independent research group TotalAnalysis.

Scoring just 19.5 per cent overall  an effective zero-star rating  China's score raises a host of new questions: why has Hubei province been locked down if infections are running at below 100 per day? How come China has not registered a single Covid death since May 2020 when official figures show that 5,000  the actual number is probably many times that  have caught the virus since then?

The Index ranks countries on a range of Covid indicators, grouped into four key pillars  data transparency, coverage, usage and management. The research team at London-based TotalAnalysis has been monitoring and extracting official Covid data from over 200 countries and their local regions on a daily basis since the outbreak of the pandemic. Full access to the index is available at https://www.totalanalysis.com/Covid19/TAIndex

Only four countries (Belgium, Norway, USA and Chile) have scored above 70 per cent on TA's data transparency index, while at the other end of the scale sit North Korea and Turkmenistan in joint 99th position (just two spots below China) with a zero score  both countries being in "total Covid-denial" with not a single infection reported.

Mike Laflin, Director of Research at TotalAnalysis, said: "As the second largest country by GDP in the world, China's data management is extraordinarily poor and appears to be deliberately opaque.

"There is no centralised data dashboard and even the most basic figures, such as hospitalisations and testing, are missing  making meaningful data analyses and comparisons almost impossible. Had China had a more transparent and effective monitoring system in place the world would have been given a better warning of the impending global pandemic and could have responded much faster, potentially saving millions of lives and billions of dollars."

With no central data repository and therefore a very limited ability to analyse and compare the numbers, TotalAnalysis scored China 17 per cent for data transparency. Poor transparency was further exacerbated by the constant changing of Covid definitions and the suspension of regional reporting of cases in February 2020 when Central government took control of reporting through a text-based document to announce daily cases and deaths. Since then, a number of corrections have been made to vastly underreported numbers with 1,290 'missed' deaths added in April resulting in a sudden 50 per cent increase.

One of the key shortfalls in Chinese data is the lack of testing information, which is vital to understanding the credibility of the number of Covid cases. This, and the lack of hospitalisations data, has resulted in China only scoring 26 per cent for data coverage. Moreover, China's National Health Commission has one of the worst websites in the world for presentation of data (TotalAnalysis reviews in excess of 200 national websites every day) resulting in China scoring a mere 6 per cent in terms of data usability. With no data visualisations, no data analyses and no data feeds, it is almost impossible to understand the true spread of Covid in China.

Richard Londesborough, Co-Founder of TotalAnalysis, said: "Given the origins of the pandemic, China's lack of data credibility is a global, not national, issue. One whole year has passed since the outbreak and we're still waiting for the WHO to investigate the pandemic's origins in China, including a full interrogation of data that currently looks highly suspicious."

Given the fragmented and confusing release of efficacy data for the Sinovac vaccine, as several countries prepare for mass inoculations, China will remain under pressure to radically improve its data management and transparency.

Notes to Editor:

The full report on China and breakdown of Index scores for 100 countries is available at https://totalanalysis.com along with a global report on the Index's findings.

About Total Analysis

Based in London, TotalAnalysis is an independent information resource for data on the Coronavirus pandemic. With over 400,000 data points researched from more than 350 public sources, TotalAnalysis systematically updates and analyses Covid-19 data every day on over 200 nations and 2,200 local regions throughout Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. TotalAnalysis was launched in April 2020 and is entirely independent of any government, institution or pressure group.

SOURCE TotalAnalysis
The rise of the Khalistanis gives room for a separatist mindset like we saw in Kashmir

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: During the hearing on the farm laws, Attorney General of India, K K Venugopal told the Supreme Court that Khalistanis have infiltrated the farmer protests.

He was asked to file an affidavit to this effect to which the AG agreed and also said that an IB report would also be placed on record.

While such reports have come up in the past couple of weeks and such allegations have been made, the fact of the matter is that there is a desperate attempt being made by the Khalistanis to revive the movement.

SC notice to farmer unions on plea to stop R-Day tractor rally

An Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia that while the protests continue on one side, the worry is that in recent times we have seen anti-social elements infiltrating protests. This was pretty much evident in the anti-CAA protests as a result of which it turned extremely violent.

What caught the eye of the security agencies is the kind of demands that were made by some groups during the farmer protests, where they demanded the release of. Officials say that Pakistan's ISI which backs the Khalistanis has been trying to revive the movement with very little success as there is no traction on the ground. Groups such as the Sikhs for Justice which was banned by the Union of India has been trying to make the farmer protests an international issue. There are constant attempts that are made to instigate the mob.

Off late there has been a lot of action by the security agencies in thwarting the repeated attempts being made by groups such as SJF, Khalistan Zindabad Force, Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Tiger Force. This action comes in the wake of concrete intelligence that suggests that the ISI is looking to make the K-2 Movement (Khalistan-Kashmir) a reality.

Will file affidavit and place IB records: AG to SC on banned outfits infiltrating farmer protests

There has been a surge in the number of incidents where drones are dropping off arms in Punjab, meant to be used in Kashmir. Along with the K-2 movement there has been a massive push being made for Referendum 2020 as a result of which the government banned at least 40 websites linked to the pro-Khalistan groups.

Sources say that the crackdown on the pro-Khalistan groups would be similar to the one against the separatists of Kashmir. These persons are trying to create a separatist mentality within the country and divide the people as well as instigate them against the government of India.

SC stay the implementation of the three farm laws, forms a committee to end agitation|Oneindia News

For the past couple of years, several attempts have been made to set up modules in Punjab with an intention reviving terrorism. Of late there has been a surge in the activities of the ISI backed Khalistani activists. Several leaders have come out to say that Pakistan wants to divide the Sikh community.

IB officials say that along with the rise of Khalistan terrorists, one must worry more about the separatism as well. Recently, a former top cop from Punjab, Shashi Kant said that the pro-Khalistan activists are trying to set up base in the United Kingdom, especially in Birmingham city.

A detailed dossier listing out the activities of the pro-Khalistan groups was handed over to Islamabad by India. The dossier, which was handed over during the Kartarpur Corridor talks at the Wagah border speaks about the various activities of the pro-Khalistan groups, including the Sikhs for Justice. The SJF was recently banned in India.

SC stays implementation of three farm laws, forms four member committee

The group operates freely in Pakistan the dossier said, while also attaching an image of a pro-Khalistan leader, Gopal Singh Chawla meeting with terrorist and Lashkar-e-Tayiba chief, Hafiz Saeed.

However, there appears to be a strategy shift at the moment and the pro-Khalistan forces want to make this movement a political one. The first signs were seen when the Sikhs for Justice called on Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan to support their movement. The SJF which would organise the next Referendum 2020 in Pakistan had called on Imran Khan seeking political support for the movement.
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Attorney General Gabriela Scutea on Tuesday submitted to President Klaus Iohannis a request from the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) for the approval of a criminal investigation of Calin Popescu-Tariceanu into bribe taking.

"Today, January 12, 2020, the Attorney General's Office with the Supreme Court has submitted to the President of Romania a report on the criminal investigation of a person who at the time of the misdeeds was holding the office of the Prime Minister over briber taking," the Attorney General's Office reports.

DNA on Monday asked the Attorney General's Office to notify President Klaus Iohannis about initiating a criminal investigation of Calin Popescu Tariceanu into bribe taking when Tariceanu was a prime minister.

According to DNA, the request takes into account that, at this moment, there are aspects supporting the reasonable suspicion that the person whose criminal investigation is requested would have received, indirectly, in 2007 - 2008, from the representatives of an Austrian company benefits worth 800,000 US dollars as payment for consulting services.

"In exchange, he would have exercised his duties so that a series of government decisions would be adopted in favor of the company. The amount of 800,000 US dollars representing a commission from the value of the payments made by the Romanian government to the company would have been used to the benefit of the dignitary in order to cover some expenses of his electoral campaign, allegedly being wired on fictitious contracts concluded with several offshore companies," the investigators claim.

DNA said the case was built in 2018 by comingling three criminal cases, one of which was taken over at the request of Austrian judicial authorities.

"On November 7, 2018, at the request of DNA, the Romanian Senate was asked to approve the criminal investigation of the same person (at that time holding a senator's seat) for bribery, and on June 3, 2019, the Senate rejected the request to start the criminal investigation of said person," the DNA explains.

Subsequently, criminal probes were carried out into facts and other persons, including a businessman sent to court.

"As a result of the administration of additional evidence new findings emerged that outlined the above-mentioned state of affairs with reference to the former dignitary," the DNA said.
The upcoming trial in the civil suit filed on behalf of Alton Sterling's five children will remain in East Baton Rouge Parish  for now.

On Monday, Judge William Morvant of the 19th Judicial District Court rejected a change of venue request filed by lawyers representing the city of Baton Rouge, who argued that the local jury pool had been poisoned by media coverage and recent protests over police brutality.

Morvant said he'd entertain a request to move the trial if, during jury selection, it becomes clear that they're unable to find citizens who haven't already formed an opinion on the case.

"The test isn't going to be: 'Have you heard anything about this'?" Morvant said. "I think if we go anywhere within the four corners of this state that's going to be pretty hard to do."

Parish Attorney Andy Dotson filed the motion shortly after The Advocate reported last year that the city-parish had offered a $2.5 million settlement to Sterling's five children, who lost their father in a 2016 police shooting that ignited protests nationwide.

In Alton Sterling suit, East Baton Rouge offering $2.5M settlement -- half of original proposal Just weeks after the East Baton Rouge Metro Council rejected a $5 million settlement with the family of Alton Sterling, lawyers for the city-p

Dotson argued that the disclosure incorrectly implied an "admission of liability" that could bias a jury against the defendants. He also alleged, without evidence, that the plaintiff's attorneys had leaked the information, and asked Morvant to find them in contempt of court for violating a "gag order" that had been placed on participants in the case.

Chris Stewart, one of several attorneys representing Sterling's children, called Dotson's motion extreme and said it was inappropriate for him to point fingers at them without proof. He said the accusations were "borderline defamation."

Dotson asked that the trial  currently scheduled for March 1  be moved to a parish with a "similar ethnic mix for a jury pool" that's outside of The Advocate's primary area of circulation. He suggested Claiborne, Morehouse, St. James, St. John the Baptist or Tensas parishes.

Michael Adams, another Sterling family attorney, said it didn't make sense to move the case from East Baton Rouge Parish  the most populous parish in the state  to a rural setting, even if the racial make-up were similar.

Morvant interjected, jokingly: "Youre telling me that Convent and Edgard are not the equivalents of East Baton Rogue?"

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Dotson also cited this summer's Black Lives Matter protests as potentially damaging to the case and asked that the trial take place in a parish that didn't experience demonstrations against police misconduct, a request the plaintiff's attorneys called improper.

"I venture to say that practically every city in America had a protest this summer after the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor," Adams noted.

East Baton Rouge lawyers want Sterling wrongful death lawsuit heard in another parish Lawyers for the city of Baton Rouge want a judge to relocate the upcoming trial in the Alton Sterling wrongful death lawsuit to another parish

Sterling, a 37-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by a police officer in the summer of 2016 during an altercation outside the Triple S Food Mart on North Foster Drive. The lawsuit, filed in 2017, alleges that the shooting exemplified long-standing problems of racist attitudes and excessive force among Baton Rouge police officers.

It also argues that the officer who fired the shots, Blane Salamoni, violated Sterling's constitutional rights and that BRPD and the city of Baton Rouge were negligent in their hiring and training practices.

Video footage of the brief encounter shows Salamoni tackling Sterling, struggling to gain control of his arm, yelling that Sterling had a gun, and then firing his own weapon, all in rapid succession. That chain of events is what led state and federal prosecutors to decide against pressing charges against either officer, though BRPD internal investigators concluded Salamoni had used excessive force.

Morvant also rejected Monday a separate request from parish attorneys to clarify whether there will be caps on payouts if a jury decides the city is liable for state tort claims lodged against them. They argued that statutes limit the maximum payout to $1 million, but Morvant said the question was premature and will be addressed if necessary after the trial.

Morvant ended the hearing by imploring the lawyers to "go forward, and talk no more!"

Was Blane Salamoni's force 'reasonable' in Alton Sterling case? A jury must decide Was Blane Salamoni acting in an "objectively reasonable" manner as a Baton Rouge police officer when he shot and killed Alton Sterling outside
GODFREY  Amy Bamper, a member of 100+ Women Who Care from the 618, nominated Beverly Farm for the groups Impact Award and donation at their quarterly meeting in October.

While not selected for an Impact Award and its accompanying major donation, Bampers efforts raised $1,200 for Beverly Farm from the local chapter of 100+ Women Who Care and individual members of the group.
Stanford Law School Professor Deborah Rhode, one of the nations leading scholars on legal ethics, has died at age 68.

Rhode had taught at Stanford since 1979, when she became the third female law professor in the schools history. She was the founder of the schools Center on Ethics and served as president of the Association of American Law Schools, chair of the American Bar Associations Commission on Women in the Profession, and founding president of the International Association of Legal Ethics.

She died at her home Friday. No information about cause of death was immediately available.

Rhode was the author of 30 books, including Lawyers as Leaders, Justice and Gender: Sex Discrimination and the Law, The Trouble with Lawyers, Cheating: Ethics and Law in Everyday Life, and The Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law.

She was the most important voice in legal ethics in many years, with important contributions on the needs of poor people, womens rights and lawyers responsibility to represent needy clients at their own expense, said Richard Zitrin, a UC Hastings law school lecturer and former chair of the State Bar of Californias Ethics Committee.

Deborah was a pioneer and leader in every field she touched  sex discrimination, professional responsibility, pro bono legal practice, women and leadership, and just plain leadership, said Paul Brest, a former dean of Stanford Law School. She aspired to be the very best in every endeavor, including racquetball, where she professed not to care about winning but played with focus and drive.

Born in Evanston, Ill., Rhode was a champion debater in high school, where one of her favorite opponents was Merrick Garland, the future federal appeals court judge, Supreme Court candidate and President-elect Joe Bidens nominee for attorney general. The two became lifelong friends.

Rhode graduated from Yale University with honors in 1974 and then enrolled in Yale Law School, where she later said she realized she didnt have the stomach for everyday legal practice. While working at a legal aid clinic, she and other law students wrote a handbook for uncontested divorces for clients who couldnt afford the $1,000 fee attorneys were charging to fill out the paperwork. They were promptly threatened with a lawsuit by the local bar association, which backed down when a womens group supported the students.

I was angry all the time about injustices suffered by the clinics clients, Rhode told Stanford Magazine. So she headed for an academic career, starting with a study for the Yale Law Journal that concluded couples in uncontested divorces got advice from law students that was just as accurate as the counsel offered by licensed attorneys. The co-author was her Yale classmate and future husband, Ralph Cavanagh.

After law school, Rhode served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall before joining the Stanford law faculty. Like Yale, it was still a mostly all-male atmosphere, she later recalled, describing a 1981 retirement party for the Stanford law school dean at which alumni hired a stripper to perform. The dean was surprised but, later in the evening, well-fortified by bourbon, warmly embraced the invited guest, Rhode wrote.

It was after that incident, she said, that she decided to teach the schools first course on gender and the law.

Another innovation was a class on lawyers as leaders, in politics and society, the subject and title of Rhodes 2013 book. She said law schools do little to train graduates for leadership roles even though 26 of the 45 U.S. presidents, and a substantial percentage of lawmakers, have been lawyers.

Its a shameful irony that the occupation that produces the nations greatest share of leaders does so little to prepare them for that role, Rhode said in a June 2017 article in the Stanford Law Review.

She did not allow her liberal orientation to affect the ethical assessments she provided to her readers and journalists. When a federal court panel considering Californias ban on same-sex marriage included a judge whose wife was an American Civil Liberties Union official and advocate of marriage rights for gays and lesbians, Rhode said the public could legitimately have concerns about the judges neutrality.

The judge, Stephen Reinhardt, denied bias, noting that his wife, Ramona Ripston, was not involved in the case, and wrote the ruling that overturned Proposition 8.

Rhode was honored by President Barack Obama in 2011 as one of the nations Champions of Change for her career-long work to increase access to justice.

She is survived by her husband, Cavanagh, and her sister, Christine Rhode. The Stanford Law School said a memorial service is being planned.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Virdi, LLC today announced an agreement to supply cannabis oil manufacturer Procan Labs with its Vessl closures for cannabis applications on an exclusive basis in California. The new supply arrangement will allow Procan to produce the cannabis infused cocktail Kalvara and other THC and CBD brands.

The Kalvara cannabis cocktail was the first cannabis product to utilize the Vessl technology, and won the 2019 Connoisseur Cup in its first year entered in the prestigious competition. Kalvara outshined the competition with the use of the Vessl closure and its ability to preserve natural ingredients without the use of artificial preservatives. The Vessl closure delivers a precise dose of THC or any functional ingredient to the consumer every single time. In the cannabis industry, edible and drinkable products are notorious for their inability to provide a consistent dosage with each serving. Kalvara has solved this problem by its use of the Vessl closure. The new supply arrangement will allow Procan to use the Vessl closure on Kalvara, Procan proprietary brands, and other brands that it manufactures.

"Virdi could not be more excited about the opportunity to sell Vessl closures to such a great group," said Aaron Harris, Senior Vice President of Operations for Virdi. "We are thankful that Procan Labs recognizes that the patented Vessl closure allows Procan to provide fresh, healthy and innovative beverage products in the cannabis and CBD markets."

Virdi currently sells the Vessl closure for use with THC based beverages to licensed distributers in Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico. The patented Vessl closure blocks damaging ultraviolet light and is pressurized with an inert gas to evacuate oxygen, thereby allowing for the preservation of all-natural ingredients without artificial preservatives. THC beverages tend to lose their efficacy unless refrigerated and/or have artificial preservatives. The Vessl closure allows for THC beverages to be shelf stable at room temperature, and allows for the environmentally friendly use of reusable bottles by simply refilling a bottle with water and twisting on a new Vessl closure.

"We believe our use of the Vessl technology will resonate with health-conscious California consumers who focus on freshness and precision," commented Mark Unterbach, CEO of Procan. "We are excited to produce the award-winning Kalvara and showcase the benefits of the Vessl technology by using the Vessl closure on other THC-infused and CBD beverage brands in California."

About Virdi LLC

Virdi, LLC is a privately-owned company based in Tempe, Arizona and is the exclusive supplier of the patented Vessl closure (www.vesslinc.com) for consumable liquid cannabis beverage applications in the US and Canada. The Vessl closure is a dosing and dispensing device that allows the delivery of fresh ingredients without the need for artificial preservatives. Virdi sells the patented Vessl closures, trademarked packaging materials, proprietary formulas, beverage manufacturing equipment, packaging machines, and clean room infrastructure to distributors that produce and distribute trademarked and private or white label brands for cannabis and other beverage applications.

About Procan Labs

Started in 2017, Procan Labs exists to keep the California cannabis supply chain stabilized and reliable with clean, compliant products required by licensed manufacturers. Our proprietary cold-pressed process insures there are no impurities or harmful residual solvents in our oil, distillate or Terpenes. Today, we are a leader in cannabis extraction and a trusted partner with cultivators and manufacturers throughout California.

Contact : Mark Unterbach

Phone : 925-984-3937

Email : [email protected]

About Vessl, Inc.

Vessl, Inc. (www.vesslinc.com) is a privately-owned company based in Tempe, Arizona, dedicated to eliminating the disposable bottle paradigm and re-defining eCommerce. Vessl owns the worldwide, exclusive rights to the patented Vessl closure and delivery device, which allows the delivery of fresh ingredients without the need for artificial preservatives. Vessl sells its Vessl closure for various proprietary and third-party applications around the world, including its own Tea of a Kind (www.drinkteaofakind.com), as well as Kalvara (www.kalvara.com) and other brands. Tea of a Kind is distributed in 26 states, at major retailers, convenience stores, a wide variety of independent accounts, and online on our website and other eCommerce platforms.

Contact : Daniel Montoya, Chief Operating Office

Phone : (949) 678-7338

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Virdi, LLC
The biggest names in tech have taken aggressive steps against the inflammatory rhetoric of President Donald Trump that culminated last week with a mob of his supporters storming the U.S. Capitol while Congress was attempting to certify the election of Joe Biden as the nation's 46th president.

The moves are meant to guard against further efforts to incite violence and come after months of Trump's relentless and unfounded allegations of voter fraud and his refusal to accept his loss in the 2020 election. The platforms have been met with cries of censorship from Trump's allies and reluctant applause from others who see the efforts as long overdue. Here's how the platforms cracked down on Trump and his allies:

- Twitter: Twitter started slapping a label on Trump's claims that he won the 2020 election in November: "This claim about election fraud is disputed." The platform didn't attempt to limit his 88 million followers from viewing or sharing such postings, as it had in June for Trump's tweets labeling the people demonstrating after the killing of George Floyd as "THUGS."

Fast-forward to Wednesday: The platform locked Trump out of his account for 12 hours following the Capitol assault and said it wouldn't return access until he deleted three tweets that Twitter said violated its content policy. Then, on Friday, following two more incendiary tweets from Trump, Twitter announced a permanent ban on his account. The platform also later suspended @POTUS, the official account for the presidency, and his @TeamTrump campaign account after Trump attempted to try to skirt the ban.

Two Twitter accounts belonging to pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood were also permanently suspended Thursday over tweets that the platform said incited violence. A Twitter representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Saturday tweet by Rudy Giuliani linking to his appearance on the Steve Bannon podcast "War Room" and claiming that YouTube was censoring him was slapped with this label on Twitter: "This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can't be replied to, retweeted or liked due to a risk of violence." Trump's personal attorney had falsely claimed on the podcast that the Capitol rioters were "trained anarchists" attempting to frame Trump.

Twitter permanently banned Bannon, a former White House chief strategist, following the November election after he suggested in a video that Anthony S. Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray should be beheaded. Donald Trump Jr. was subjected to a 12-hour ban and the removal of a tweet in July after he shared a video clip purporting the conspiratorial effects of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine against the novel coronavirus. His account remains active.

Longtime Trump ally Roger Stone was permanently banned in 2017 after mocking prominent journalists and media personalities.

- Facebook and Instagram: Facebook and its photo-sharing service, Instagram, suspended Trump for 24 hours starting Wednesday after he posted a video telling the mob that breached the Capitol to go home while also saying "we love you, you're very special."

The next day, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced that Trump would be banned indefinitely but at least through the presidential transition. The suspension came after Twitter's 12-hour ban but marked the most aggressive action taken against the president by a social platform.

"The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden," Zuckerberg wrote in a post. "We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great."

In July, the platform removed more than 100 pages and accounts on Facebook and Instagram affiliated with Stone for using fake accounts to spread misinformation, the company said at the time.

Facebook and Instagram representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

- YouTube: Google-owned YouTube said in a thread tweeted by YouTube Insider on Thursday that it would issue strikes to any channels posting videos with false claims - including about widespread voter fraud - that violate the platform's policies. The company said it has removed thousands of videos in the past month, including several posted by Trump, that "spread misinformation claiming widespread voter fraud changed the result of the 2020 election." Channels with one strike are temporarily suspended from posting or live-streaming; three strikes within three months will warrant permanent removal.

YouTube said in a statement that Trump's channel hasn't received three strikes, as of Monday.

The platform had removed the Bannon video regarding Fauci and Wray - his first strike. It then suspended Bannon's channel for one week after he published two videos that YouTube said violated its election misinformation policy. "War Room" was dropped after the Giuliani appearance.

In an open letter released Thursday, the Alphabet Workers Union condemned the Capitol riot and said that YouTube and other social platforms have a responsibility to face the "growing fascist movement in the US." The group, which includes full-time and temporary employees at Google and other Alphabet companies in the U.S. and Canada, said it had warned YouTube executives about the danger of not removing content with hate, harassment, discrimination from the platform.

"We warned our executives about this danger, only to be ignored or given token concessions, and the results have been suicides, mass murders, violence around the world, and now an attempted coup at the Capitol of the United States," the letter said. "Once again, YouTube's response yesterday was lackluster, demonstrating a continued policy of selective and insufficient enforcement of its guidelines against the use of the platform to spread hatred and extremism."

- Snapchat: The Snap-owned platform indefinitely suspended Trump's account on Wednesday, citing concern over the possible spread of hate speech and threats of violence, a Snap spokeswoman said. The action comes after a decision in June to stop promoting Trump's Snapchat account on the Discover page of the app.

"This does not mean that we will remove content that people disagree with, or accounts that are insensitive to some people," CEO Evan Spiegel wrote in a June memo. "But there is simply no room for debate in our country about the value of human life and the importance of a constant struggle for freedom, equality, and justice."

- Reddit: In June, Reddit banned r/The_Donald and a slew of other pro-Trump pages that were prone to violent threats and misinformation for violating the platform's policy. Following Wednesday's violence, the platform also banned subreddit r/DonaldTrump, a hub for "Stop the Steal" conspiracy theorists that encouraged users to go to the U.S. Capitol.

"Reddit's site-wide policies [reddithelp.com] prohibit content that promotes hate, or encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence against groups of people or individuals," the platform said in an emailed statement. "In accordance with this, we have been proactively reaching out to moderators to remind them of our policies and to offer support or resources as needed. We have also taken action to ban the community r/donaldtrump given repeated policy violations in recent days regarding the violence at the U.S. Capitol."

- Twitch: Amazon-owned video service Twitch disabled Trump's channel indefinitely on Thursday in response to the Capitol riot. "Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the President's incendiary rhetoric, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence," the company said in an emailed statement.

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Maggie Brown Cassidy is a teacher and writer living in Putney. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer.
This weekend I was the target of a hate crime. The motive of the perpetrator was clear  my car and personal belongings ransacked along with a message of homophobic hate language prominently displayed, Lindsay-Ryan wrote. There was nothing stolen  this wasnt a burglary. It was the intent to terrorize. While this experience was both heartbreaking and terrifying for my family, it is a result of white supremacy colluding with misogyny and homophobia to inflict the most harm possible. While homophobia was utilized in an attempt to silence me, it is not working in isolation, it is part of a greater collaboration to derail my commitment to racial equity.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The Department of Justice has called for the filing of an urgent motion to issue a hold departure order against the nine policemen involved in the shooting incident that left four Army intelligence personnel dead in Jolo, Sulu.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he has directed prosecutors of a Sulu court to file the motion against the nine dismissed cops, who were recently released from police custody.

With a hold departure order underway, the accused will not be allowed to leave the country.

READ: Dismissed cops involved in Jolo shooting incident released from PNP custody

"The DOJ prosecutors filed the criminal information against the 9 police officers last January 4. The court was supposed to issue the warrants of arrest thereafter, but apparently failed to do so because of the current lockdown in Sulu," Guevarra said in a text message.

He added: "In the meantime, I have instructed the prosecutors to file an urgent motion in court for the issuance of a hold-departure order against all the accused."

According to Guevarra, the nine police officers were released from custody despite requests of the DOJ "to hold them awhile until the arrest warrants were issued."

He also expressed hope that the accused would voluntarily turn themselves in.

"Otherwise, law enforcement agencies will look for them and take them into custody," Guevarra explained.

On Monday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said AFP Chief-of-Staff General Gilbert Gapay is "extremely disappointed" with the release of the policemen.

The Sulu provincial police office initially said the cops claimed self-defense, but later in a Senate investigation, the accused officers admitted they were not sure who fired first between them and the intelligence agents.

The National Bureau of Investigation has also filed murder and planting of evidence charges against the cops involved.
President Donald Trump is flying to visit Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday.

His niece, Mary Trump, believes the destination was intended to invoke the symbolism behind the 1836 battle that occurred 240 miles north in San Antonio. The small town near the U.S.-Mexico border was named after the famed mission.

On Monday, Mary Trump was interviewed by CNN's Chris Cuomo about her uncle's trip to Texas. Cuomo, after correcting himself that Trump was traveling to Alamo, not The Alamo, said "the symbol is there."

READ MORE: Five things to know about Trump's visit to Texas today

"Do you think that's why he's going there?" Cuomo asked.

"Undoubtedly," Mary Trump responded. "I'm sure somebody else told him to go there, because you know as well as I do Donald knows absolutely nothing about American history. But I'm sure once he was told what the symbolism was he thought it was a good idea."

The president's niece, a psychologist and longtime critic of her uncle, wrote the 2020 book "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Most Dangerous Man In the World."

"I guess whoever informed him about the Alamo didn't tell him how it ended," Mary Trump said. "He is indeed going there to make a stand of one kind or another."

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez noted Monday that tensions are "running dangerously high" as Trump heads for Texas.

"I urge both sides to keep passions in check because ultimately the Rio Grande Valley has a unique opportunity to demonstrate to the world that peaceful public discourse is more effective than public violence," Cortez wrote.

A White House statement ahead of the trip pointed to the border wall, not the Battle of the Alamo.

"President Trump is expected to travel to Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday to mark the completion of more than 400 miles of border wall  a promise made, promise kept  and his Administrations efforts to reform our broken immigration system," Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said.

Trump is expected to deliver remarks near the wall at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took to U.S. government-funded airwaves on Monday where he described recent actions by tech titans to curb free speech including on platforms like Twitter and Facebook as being 'a kind of censorial instinct that is dangerous.'

Pompeo used the speech on Voice Of America to deliver a full-throated defense of the Trump administration's presentation of its foreign policy and its support for democracy abroad, but he also used his time to attack VOA employees who had sought to block his speech from being broadcast live.

Employees were concerned the speech would come across as propaganda rather than as balanced news coverage, but Pompeo rejected the complaints and compared them to the actions of Twitter and other social media outlets to ban Trump from its platforms.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blasted 'wokeness' during a speech on the broadcaster Voice of America

'I read that some VOA employees didn't want me to speak today,' Pompeo said. 'They didn't want the voice of American diplomacy to be broadcast on. ... the Voice of America. Think about that.'

'It's morally wrong. And it's against your mandate. Censorship, wokeness, political correctness, it all points in one direction - authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness. It's similar to what we're seeing at Twitter, and Facebook, and Apple, and on too many university campuses,' Pompeo railed.

'We are all parts of institutions with duties and responsibilities higher than any of us,' he said. This is not who we are, as Americans. It's not what Voice of America should be. It's time to put woke-ism to sleep.'

The conservative-friendly social network Parler was booted off the internet Monday over ties to last week's siege on the U.S. Capitol

Parler CEO John Matze warned in his final post before Monday's 3am deadline that 'we will likely be down longer than expected' as tech firms distance themselves from the site

Pompeos comments come days after Twitter permanently suspended President Trump's personal account and on the same day as Apple, Google and Amazon banned Parler from their app stores due to a failure to moderate 'egregious content' posted by users related to the violent siege on Congress last week.

Trump was blocked from Twitter and Facebook on Thursday, after he was deemed as being a threat to the nation, inciting unrest. Twitter lost $2 billion in value on Monday after Trump was kicked off the platform.

The president's supporters abandoned the social media giants in protest, and flocked to Parler - increasingly a refuge for extremists and pro-Trump voices.

The company's chief content officer, Amy Peikoff, further said that social media firms forcing Parler from their platform was Orwellian.

'The tech giants want their model to be the standard for the entire internet,' she said. 'And to us, we think that that takes Orwell's 1984 from a dystopian novel and turns it into an instruction manual for everybody to follow.'

During Pompeo's address broadcast live across VOA's English and foreign language services, he stood by the parent agency's embattled director, Michael Pack, who has been accused by lawmakers and others of trying to turn the U.S.-funded international broadcaster into Trump propaganda outlets.

Pompeo also denounced protests by some VOA staffers who complained that live coverage of his speech would violate VOA's mandate to present unbiased news to foreign audiences.

'It's not fake news for you to broadcast that this is the greatest nation the world has ever known,' Pompeo said, without directly mentioning Wednesday's deadly attack on the seat of the U.S. Congress.

Pompeo said that 'wokeness' was happening 'at Twitter, Facebook, Apple and on too many university campuses'. Pictured above, President Trump's suspended account

'I'm not saying ignore our faults. Acknowledge them. But this isn't the Vice of America, focusing on everything that's wrong with our great nation. It certainly isn't the place to give authoritarian regimes in Beijing or Tehran a platform.'

But, he said VOA had forgotten its mission in that it had allowed foreigners with suspect loyalties to represent it, and had become too focused on American deficiencies.

'We allowed security protocols to lapse, and VOA lost its commitment to its founding mission,' Pompeo said. 'Its broadcasts became less about telling the truth about America, and too often about demeaning America.'

Those allegations have been forcefully denied by VOA staffers, lawmakers and others. But, Pompeo said VOA journalists should emulate his example in extolling U.S. virtues.

'Your mission is to promote democracy, freedom and American values in the world,' he said. 'This is what sets VOA apart from the MSNBCs and Fox News alike. You can give voice to the voiceless in dark corners of the world. You're the voice of American striving. You're the voice of American exceptionalism. You're the tip of freedom's spear.'

Some VOA employees, however, were not impressed by the message or plans to deliver it in person in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pompeo' made the address to VOA staff which was broadcast live on the network. Some staff had argued that the speech was 'propaganda' but Pompeo said those wanting to block it had a 'dangerous' instinct toward censorship

In a message sent to Pack and new VOA director Robert Reilly on Friday, a lawyer for a group of VOA employees objected to Pompeo's plan to speak at the agency, saying it 'endangers public health and safety, violates law, rule and regulation and grossly wastes government resources.'

'A broadcast speech by the outgoing secretary of state on topics on which he has been widely covered should be seen for what it is: the use of VOA to disseminate political propaganda in the waning days of the Trump administration,' said the letter, signed by attorney David Seide of the Government Accountability Project.

'As proposed, the planned coverage by language services will be one-sided and lacking the necessary objectivity protected by the firewall. It is political meddling,' he said.

There was no immediate response to the letter of complaint from VOA or from Pack, who runs the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees the network and its sister outlets.

It was Pompeo's first remarks since last weeks riot at Congress but he did not refer directly to the what happened during his speech

Pack, a conservative filmmaker, Trump ally and onetime associate of former Trump political adviser Steve Bannon, has made no secret of his intent to shake up the agency since he became CEO of USAGM after a long confirmation battle in the Senate that finally ended after Trump and his allies launched a series of attacks on VOA and demanded new leadership.

Pompeo's speech also reaffirmed his loyalty to Trump at a time when Democrats are calling for Cabinet members and Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

Less than a week after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to subvert the results of an election that saw President-elect Joe Biden win, Pompeo told staff at the Voice of America that America retains the credibility and standing to defend democratic values abroad. And, he said, they should amplify it.
Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia a decade ago, as street protests against his autocratic rule intensified

Tunisia, where the Arab Spring started, has also been its relative success story -- but celebrations will be muted when it marks on Thursday one decade since protesters ousted its autocratic leader.

The revolutionary optimism of the pro-democracy movement that deposed president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 has given way to hopelessness among the one third of young people without a job.

And while Tunisia -- unlike most of its regional neighbours -- has kept the candle of a fragile democracy burning, widespread popular discontent is now driving many to leave.

Tunisians made up the largest number of irregular migrants, more than 12,000, who arrived in Italy last year on boats crossing the Mediterranean.

The North African country's key tourism sector, already hit hard by a string of jihadist attacks in 2015, has all but collapsed amid the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the resorts that line its coastline mostly deserted.

It was in Tunisia where the revolts started after young street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, cheated and humiliated by local officials, set himself on fire on December 17, 2010.

His desperate protest triggered a wave of popular revolts across North Africa and the Middle East, briefly raising hopes of bringing political freedom to millions.

While those hopes were broadly dashed, and Syria, Libya and Yemen were plunged into brutal wars, small Tunisia steered a more hopeful path following Ben Ali's flight to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011.

The country has since had nine governments in 10 years, but the transfers of power have been peaceful, despite initial turmoil and the deadly Islamist attacks.

The Nobel Peace Prize was in 2015 awarded to Tunisia's so-called Quartet of human rights, legal, labour and business groups "for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy ... in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011".

- Crony capitalism -

A new constitution agreed in 2014 by Islamists and the opposition was hailed as a historic breakthrough.

Graffiti depicts a man metamorphosing into a bird symbolising freedom, in Mohamed Bouazizi Square -- named after the street vendor who sparked the revolution -- in the town of Sidi Bouzid

The country has since held several elections deemed fair by local and foreign observers, most recently bringing to power President Kais Saied, a jurist, in late 2019.

Former bloggers have launched independent media outlets and a revived Tunisian cinema now dares to tackle once taboo subjects, while a dynamic civil society has emerged.

But discontent has been fuelled by the continued economic malaise, widely blamed on a political class paralysed by infighting.

Critics accuse powerful families of maintaining a crony capitalist system where rules and credit lines shield them from open competition.

The economy contracted by nine percent in 2020, the World Bank estimates, and people have taken to the streets once more in marginalised regions to demand jobs and investment.

"We have not moved from a democratic transition to an economic transition," journalist Zied Krichen told AFP.

The public sector has raised salaries and bloated its payroll, with the number of civil servants rising by 50 percent from 2010 to 2017.

But this has failed to meet "the enormous expectations", said Krichen. "The various governments have tried to buy social peace without having a long-term policy of economic development or social integration."

- 'For sake of history' -

The crisis has fuelled nostalgia in some quarters for the stability of the years under Ben Ali.

Many of those injured in the uprising are still awaiting recognition and compensation

Some former protesters meanwhile look back with bitterness on the years since they rallied for "freedom, work (and) national dignity", often at great personal cost.

A preliminary count by Tunisian authorities in 2012 found that 338 people were killed and 2,147 wounded during the popular uprising.

Those figures shrank to 129 killed and 634 injured in an online list published in October 2019 by the Tunisian Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

While many victims and families are still waiting for recognition and compensation, few of those responsible have been held to account. Some now hold senior posts in the police or army.

Former Tunisian protesters who were injured during the revolution demand recognition and compensation in the capital Tunis

Day labourer Moslem Kasdallah, 31, who lost his leg in clashes with police in 2011, demanded that the state officially recognise and help victims like himself.

"Some need operations, prostheses," he said, declaring he is ready to "sacrifice" himself again in the battle for justice, including the publication of an official list of victims.

"We gave our blood to write history, and history must be written today by applying the law and publishing the list," he said.

"We want the authorities to recognise the revolution, for the sake of history."

When you think of states calling in the National Guard, you might imagine rescuing people from floods or providing emergency relief. But this summer, Washington state had to call in 54 National Guard troops to help them investigate cybercriminals who targeted the states COVID-19 relief funds.

Washington wasnt the only state to suffer, either  the problem is widespread and ongoing, affecting almost every state in the nation.

Congress recently approved an 11-week extension of $300 unemployment benefits to all jobless people as well as self-employed workers and gig workers generally ineligible for state unemployment insurance.

The package also funds the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation that pays extra weeks of benefits to individuals whove exhausted their state benefits.

The problem is whats not in the bill, which are funds to help states fix the wildly outdated systems that distribute that relief.

That means some deserving people will get nothing for weeks while states will have no way to stop fraud by cybercriminals, forcing states to continue to spend money and resources to investigate these claims.

Typically, unemployment fraud investigations make up about 10 percent of the U.S. Labor Departments workload. Now it sits at 50 percent. In addition to this stolen money, states are having to spend millions to investigate the crimes.

The U.S. Department of Labor gave the Maryland labor department $2.43 million in September to painstakingly investigate each claim.

The Secret Service says most of this is connected to a Nigerian organized crime ring called Scattered Canary that conducted a coordinated unemployment fraud campaign.

State unemployment officials say that they didnt have systems in place to quickly identify fraud and that the crime ring was collecting money for up to two months before it was detected.

Even now, when they know the extent of the fraud, they have no way to stop it, so they are spinning their wheels as criminals continue to steal money unchecked. The government predicts that $26 billion in COVID relief alone eventually could be stolen.

The only way to stop this theft is to improve the technology used to certify unemployment claims. Both New York and Connecticuts unemployment systems are more than 40 years old.

Its this outdated technology that has caused delays in payments to people who need it the most during the pandemic.

Requirements vary by state, but the way many unemployment claims work online is people are asked to provide personal information such as name, Social Security number, address, etc.

The issue is that large amounts of this personal data are available for purchase on the dark web, making it relatively easy to file a fraudulent claim on behalf of someone else.

To stop this fraud, we need greater safeguards to ensure that the person filing a claim matches the identity of the person on record. Identity verification tools are already being deployed by some state unemployment agencies, such as in Oklahoma, which rolled out its program recently.

States using identity verification require that a person use their phone to upload images of their ID (e.g. a drivers license or passport) and then take a selfie to ensure that the image on the ID matches both the selfie and also matches their photo on file at the DMV.

The verification system can confirm not only that the information matches but also that the selfie is of a live person and not an image, a mask or a deep fake.

The whole process only takes a couple of minutes for the user but can drastically reduce fraudulent claims while accelerating the processing of legitimate claims.

While we are glad to see that Congress has provided COVID-19 relief and economic relief to a country that is hurting during the pandemic, its clear that this is an oversight that will cost us all millions and cause additional hardship to people who are most vulnerable right now.

Congress should act quickly to fix the problem by funding the long overdue upgrade to state systems.

Matthew Thompson is senior vice president of Civil Identity at Idemia, an international technology company, and a member of the executive committee for Identity & Security Business in North America. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

A year after the coronavirus first erupted in Wuhan, China has declared wartime mode and has locked down another city of 11 million to combat a resurgence of infections.

Authorities in Shijiazhuang, a city in north-eastern China, have barred people and vehicles from leaving, in efforts to curb infections after the country reported its biggest one-day increase in five months, with 103 new cases.

The city has been among the hardest hit after a handful of infections cropped up in Beijing in mid-December and spread across at least four surrounding provinces, including Hebei itself, where Shijiazhuang is located.

Since then, China has recorded 727 infections, though hundreds of asymptomatic cases have also been found, details of which are not included in the official daily tally.

Officials are taking no chances, especially in the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year on February 12, a holiday and travel period that experts say was likely to have exacerbated the spread last year.

China has fine-tuned its emergency response measures, having dealt with a series of outbreaks since the first infections emerged in Wuhan last year, rolling out strict curbs even if only a few cases occur.

Once discovered, officials move immediately to seal off residential compounds, urban districts or at times, entire cities. Medical workers conduct mass testing, sometimes going from home to home to swab residents. Detailed contact tracing is triggered to identify and quarantine people exposed to those who test positive.

That is now happening in Shijiazhuang. In recent few days, officials have set up thousands of testing stations, which include buses converted into mobile units inside residential compounds.

A few hundred medical staff have been dispatched from elsewhere to get the entire city tested within days.

Authorities have banned gatherings, stopped passengers entering the main railway station, and closed long-distance bus terminals. Police have set up checkpoints to stop cars using key highways. Travel within Shijiazhuang itself is also restricted. Residents in high-risk districts cannot leave.

One hospital has moved non-Covid patients to other facilities to focus solely on treating coronavirus patients. Three others have been designated as back-ups, to admit patients if necessary.

Housing compounds in the city now have only a single exit and entrance to ensure residents are abiding by quarantine restrictions.

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Chinese officials are trying to inoculate 50 million people before Chinese New Year. In Shijiazhuang, the local centre for disease control and prevention has approved 28 locations in the city to administer vaccines, though only those in priority groups, such as Chinese travelling abroad, are able to receive them.

Part of Chinas success has lain in its ability to unleash Mao-era grid-style policing, relying on neighbourhood party committees to enforce quarantines and get residents to report each other for not wearing face masks.

Those quarantining at home are often subject to severe restrictions to ensure compliance. Alarms placed on peoples doors ping neighbourhood guards if they are opened, even for a second. In other instances, security cameras or sticker seals have been placed at the entrances to homes to enforce quarantine.

Central and local government officials have engaged in a no-tolerance policy, detaining people who do not comply with face mask wearing or social distancing measures.

In far western Xinjiang, an outbreak last summer was met with an outsized response  one that residents criticised and surmised was part of a wider crackdown on the Muslim minority groups in the region.

Accounts surfaced of people being chained to pillars, physically barricaded in their homes or forced to consume leftover herbal medicines from communal vats, causing  rather than curing  health complications.

A door seal is not enough, they need to put a steel bar across the front of residents doors, wrote one user.

But another wrote: If there were accidents, earthquakes or fire, where can we escape to? From the window? Now that even our basic personal safety cannot be guaranteed, why do we care about fighting the virus? ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021)

Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Virgil Morgan, Jr., arguably the greatest trainer in Ohio history, has been elected as the 47th member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame by a vote of the members of the Ohio Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association.

Morgan, 55, was the first conditioner to win 5,000 races and has now won more than 6,700 races and $60 million in earnings. He has career Universal Training Rating of .350 and has won the training title at Eldorado Scioto Downs for an astonishing 26 straight years.

He was introduced to the sport of harness racing through his uncle, Emory Lewis, and his father, Virgil Morgan, Sr. He bought his first horse at the age of 17 and later started working for trainer Randy Owens before striking out on his own in the late 1980s.

He has trained some tremendous performers including Mister Big, Pet Rock, Allamerican Captor, Action Broadway and this years Ohio divisional champions Street Gossip and Action Uncle.

He has won six Jerry Kaltenbach Memorial Trophies. This award is given annually to the trainer who has earned the most dollars competing in Ohio Sires Stakes. He trained 22 Ohio Sire Stakes champions.

Despite his past success, Morgan also has his eye on the future of the sport. His daughter, Kiara, is an aspiring driver and his son, Tre, is an owner. In the spring of 2018, Morgan opened the Winner Circle Training Center, the states premier harness facility.

Morgan will be honoured at the Ohio Harness Horsemens Associations virtual banquet on Saturday, January 16. A more formal ceremony will occur during Scioto Downs 2021 meet.

(Little Brown Jug)

Melbourne radio host Polly 'PJ' Harding recently became engaged to her boyfriend of more than two years, known to listeners as BJ.

And the 30-year-old, who co-hosts the Jase and PJ breakfast show on KIIS 101.1, revealed on Tuesday how the proposal went down.

She said BJ didn't even have the chance to ask 'Will you marry me?' before she cut him off impatiently the moment he pulled the ring from his pocket.

Cute! Melbourne radio host Polly 'PJ' Harding (left) recently became engaged to her boyfriend of more than two years, known to listeners as BJ (right)

Before he popped the question, PJ risked spoiling the moment by firing a 'million questions' at her fiance because he was acting so 'strangely'.

'I was back in New Zealand. I had no idea and I was completely surprised. I did spy a text message on his phone a couple of days beforehand that he had sent to a jewellery store but I thought that was about a Christmas present,' she explained.

'I had also noticed two bottles of Moet hidden and wondered why we had them When he asked me to go for a walk on the beach, I thought that was weird.

'Then I noticed he had something in his pocket and I launched into a million questions: "What's in your pocket?", "What have you got there?" [I was] wrestling him on the beach, jumping about the poor guy.'

Details: The 30-year-old, who co-hosts the Jase and PJ breakfast show on KIIS 101.1, revealed on Tuesday how the proposal went down

Cutting to the chase: She said BJ didn't even have the chance to ask 'Will you marry me?' before she cut him off impatiently the moment he pulled the ring from his pocket

That's when BJ, who had planned the proposal for six months, pulled out the mussel shell, which had 'the most divine ring' inside.

'I said yes straight away,' PJ said. 'BJ didn't even get to ask the sentence, "Will you marry me?"

'It was a really amazing day. We were joined by family afterwards and enjoyed the champagne! BJ had been planning the proposal for over six months, which is very special.'

Details: PJ returned to the airwaves an engaged woman on Monday after flying from New Zealand to Melbourne over the weekend

PJ returned to the airwaves an engaged woman on Monday after flying from New Zealand to Melbourne over the weekend.

The Kiwi media personality had spent the non-ratings period in her home country, and BJ proposed to her on December 22.

The couple have yet to confirm a wedding date.
[January 12, 2021] Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC) Added to NJSBA TEC Cooperative Pricing System

Computer Design & Integration LLC ("CDI" or "the Company") announced today that its cloud and managed services offering has been added to the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Technology for Education and Career (TEC) Cooperative Pricing System. Offered through NJSBA's contract with Carahsoft Technology Corp., New Jersey K-12 institutions will now have access to CDI's cloud and managed services to proactively monitor, maintain and manage their day-to-day IT infrastructure needs -- on-premises or in the cloud. NJSBA's TEC Cooperative Pricing System is a membership service, supported by the New Jersey Department of Education, that enables school districts and member charter schools to secure technology at a significantly reduced cost, to access free and low-cost resources, and to forego administrative red tape associated with individual purchasing. "There's no denying that the demands of managing technology can overwhelm understaffed IT departments," said Chris Clark, Director f Public Sector, CDI. "The educational sector should only have to worry about enabling our youth through a high-quality, personalized curriculum - which now more than ever, is extremely challenging. Together with NJSBA and Carahsoft, CDI Managed Services provides a proven, cost-effective solution that increases operational efficiencies, enables innovation, and provides staff and students with a secure, redundant and powerfully backed infrastructure, allowing IT departments to focus on what really matters -- the students."



"We are pleased to offer CDI's cloud and managed services to our local boards of education as part of the NJSBA TEC Cooperative Pricing System," said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, NJSBA executive director. "With CDI's service, local school boards can ensure that their IT infrastructure is safe, secure and efficient." Carahsoft and CDI have partnered to make CDI's solutions available to school districts and member charter schools under the NJSBA TEC CPS and through Carahsoft's reseller partners.

"We are excited to partner with NJSBA and our resellers to add CDI's innovative cloud and managed services offerings to our portfolio of solutions tailored to meet the needs of educators," said Tim Boltz, Director of Educational Technology at Carahsoft. "As school districts throughout New Jersey and the U.S. work to balance the requirements of remote and in-person learning, CDI will enable these institutions to add resiliency and security to their IT infrastructure to ensure minimal interruptions to classes and maximum educational opportunities for students." CDI's public sector practice builds on more than two decades of consulting experience, deep technology skills, and an award-winning cloud and managed services portfolio, which includes data center design, hybrid cloud infrastructure, DevOps, intelligent operations, digital workflow, digital workspace and security technologies. For more information or to request a quote, contact PublicSector@cdillc.com or the NJSBA team at Carahsoft at (703) 673-3518 or NJSBACyber@carahsoft.com. About Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC): CDI LLC was founded in 1995, with corporate headquarters in New York City, and office locations in Teterboro, N.J., Atlanta, Annapolis, Philadelphia, Boston and Virginia. The firm has been recognized as one of the top technology providers in the world, offering clients and businesses of all sizes the most up-to-date hybrid IT solutions. CDI continually focuses on achieving client satisfaction by developing and implementing digital solutions that enhance day-to-day workflow processes, and combines the required experience, exceptional talent, quality assurance and stability needed to solve today's most complex business challenges. For more information, visit cdillc.com or call 1-877-216-0133. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of the state's local boards of education and includes the majority of New Jersey's charter schools as associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005117/en/

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The Department of Health is repackaging controversial rapid coronavirus tests as NHS self-tests in what critics claim is a 'bizarre' move to get around manufacturer instructions which say they are for professional use.

UK officials announced on Sunday that they will roll out 15-minute lateral flow swab tests to all councils and schools in Britain in a bid to get on top of Covid transmitting between people without symptoms.

But one of the main tests being used only detected 41 per cent of Covid cases in a trial in Liverpool where people swabbed themselves, and the manufacturer insists they are only 'intended for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel'.

MailOnline can now reveal that the kits are being bought and repackaged as a self-test by the Government. Ministers have spent more than 825million buying the lateral flow tests from American firm Innova.

Innova says that a medic should use the test on someone with Covid-19 symptoms within five days of those symptoms starting, but the Department of Health is rolling them out for the public to test themselves when they don't have any symptoms at all.

This is despite Public Health England's own study finding the tests are at least 20 per cent less accurate when people do them themselves, and top scientists urging the Government to stop using them, warning they are unfit for purpose as self-tests.

In order to override the original instructions, the Department of Health has listed itself as the manufacturer  despite the fact it plays no part in making the device  so it could have 'flexible' use of the test with the blessing of the regulator, the MHRA.

Scientists described the move as 'bizarre' and warn that the use of low quality rapid testing will potentially give tens of thousands of people a false sense of security by wrongly telling them they are negative when they actually have coronavirus.

Testing experts including Professor Jon Deeks, from the University of Birmingham, have repeated called for the Government to stop using the Innova test  Professor Deeks said today that officials are suggesting to people the test is better than it is.

Coronavirus self-testing is being rolled out across the UK to try and pick up on people who are spreading the virus without knowing about it because they've got no symptoms (Pictured: A university student swabs his own throat in Hull)

Innova's usage instructions say the company's test is supposed to be used on people with symptoms and is 'intended for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel'

Innova's test is being used at care homes already (pictured: a box of the tests at King Charles Court Care Home in Falmouth) and is part of the mass rapid testing roll-out extended to all councils in England

The Department of Health announced in December that it had got approval for a 'NHS Test & Trace Covid-19 self-test device', for which it is listed as the legal manufacturer.

However, the actual maker of the test is a Chinese company called Biotime which makes it for Innova Medical Group in Pasadena, California, which then sells it on to the British Government, officials confirmed.

By buying the Innova tests and repackaging them in NHS branding, the Department of Health has become the legal manufacturer and can set its own usage instructions.

SCIENTISTS URGE GOVERNMENT TO STOP USING INNOVA TEST Scientists have accused the Government of misleading the public over the accuracy of Innova's rapid test and called for its use to be stopped. Professor Jon Deeks, Dr Angela Raffle and Dr Mike Gill  from the University of Birmingham, the University of Bristol and a former regional director of public health, respectively  said in a letter published at the weekend: 'The Innova lateral flow test is not fit for many of the purposes being proposed by the government. 'In the Liverpool pilot, the test missed infection in 60 per cent of people, and of greatest concern missed it in 30 per cent of those with very high viral loads who are at highest risk of spreading the virus to others. 'An erroneous test result may lead to people taking the wrong actions and putting themselves and others at risk of infection. This may increase and not reduce disease spread, illness and death.' They said the limitations of the test were not being made clear by the Department of Health and that it was being made out to be more accurate than it is, in some places being compared to the significantly more reliable PCR tests. Lateral flow tests do have some benefits, they argued, but the way this was being used risked too many people getting false negative results or not reporting results when they were positive. Professor Deeks told Sky News today: 'Government messaging on this hasn't been explaining this to people and it's a bit difficult. Most of us have never done a diagnostic test in our lives ourselves, and we would expect a positive to mean "yes" and a negative to mean "no". 'But here a positive means "probably" and a negative means "we really can't tell". So it's a difficult message to get out to people, and I don't think it's been done at all well.' He added: 'This weekend the Business Minister was quoted as saying "This will make workplaces completely safe". It's not the right way to tell people about this.' 'I think there's an anxiety that, if we tell people the truth as to how bad this test is, people won't bother getting it. But we have to do the truth - we can't tell people that the test is better than it is.' The researchers urged in their letter: 'Stop further rollout of rapid asymptomatic testing using the Innova LFD, including its use in care homes, schools, communities and self-testing by untrained people at home.' A similar, but not identical comment, is available on the British Medical Journal blog. Advertisement

Experts say this is so they could more easily get approval from the MHRA to use the test  designed to be used by trained lab staff  as a self-test.

'It's very clear to me that we're not using them as directed by the manufacturer,' Dr Al Edwards, a pharmacy researcher at the University of Reading told MailOnline.

'It's quite a normal thing to add steps that aren't recommended by the manufacturer but there is a big difference here  that decision is usually taken by a lab, you don't just ask people randomly to do something.'

Although Innova claims the test is 95 per cent accurate in lab conditions, an evaluation by Oxford University and Public Health England found it only detected 58 per cent of positive cases when people tested themselves in a study, compared to 79 per cent when they were done professionally.

And in a real-world pilot it performed even worse. When members of the public in Liverpool swabbed themselves and trained Army personnel tested the samples, the tests only detected 41 per cent of positive cases that were identified by better lab-based PCR tests.

In a report on that trial, officials admitted they weren't using the test for what it was designed for, writing: 'Some of the use envisaged by community testing may be outside the manufacturers instruction for use'.

The Department of Health is pushing ahead with self-testing despite concerns from scientists that the Innova kit the SARS-Cov-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test  isn't accurate enough.

To do this it has listed itself as the manufacturer of the test by repackaging the kit with NHS branding and called it a 'self-test', making it legally responsible for the way the test is used.

Department of Health sources confirmed to MailOnline that the NHS test is the Innova test and said it had rebranded it 'in order to gain approval from the MHRA for the most flexible use of the device at pace'.

The MHRA gave emergency approval for the self-test on the condition that people will only be allowed to act on a positive result, and a negative should not be used to 'enable' them to relax rules.

But in MHRA emails seen by MailOnline, one official at the regulator admitted: 'The messaging and specific actions due to a result fall within the remit of the legal manufacturer not MHRA.'

In this case the legal manufacturer is the Department of Health, which means Matt Hancock's department now has de facto approval to do whatever it likes with the test.

'For a health department to become the manufacturer is quite a bizarre thing to do,' Professor Jon Deeks told MailOnline.

'I imagine it will have happened before but it doesn't seem normal.'

A sales rep at a testing company in the UK, who did not want to be named, told MailOnline the move was 'very, very unusual' and there should be 'no reason' for it if the test was of a high quality.

He said: 'It couldn't be clearer in the Innova instructions that the test is for people showing symptoms, within the first five days, and it's for trained clinicians.

'It's obviously not designed for self-testing or asymptomatic donors.'

He said that using a test against manufacturer instructions was 'off-label' and could lead to difficulties getting approval or legal complications if something goes wrong.

Innova's tests are being rolled out by the Government as self-tests despite manufacturer instructions saying they should be used by medical staff on people with symptoms

Rapid lateral flow tests are being rolled out to all councils in the country, the Department of Health announced on Sunday

WHAT IS THE RAPID TESTING PROGRAMME? The Department of Health announced on Sunday that asymptomatic rapid coronavirus testing would be rolled out to all councils in England. It had already been available in some local authorities but will now be possible in all areas, although it will be for councils to set up the systems themselves. 107 areas had already started testing, with 131 signed up. The programme was expanded to all 317 local authorities. In addition to regular testing in care homes and the NHS, rapid tests will be offered to secondary school and college staff and pupils, and staff at primary schools. Some councils will offer asymptomatic testing to any residents who want it. The tests, which produce results in just 15 minutes, use a nasal or throat swab to detect coronavirus. Officials have said that only positive results should change someone's behaviour, and anyone who tests positive should get a proper PCR swab test and self-isolate. However, people getting negative results will be allowed to continue to go to work and school and potentially to visit care homes. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'With roughly a third of people who have coronavirus not showing symptoms, targeted asymptomatic testing and subsequent isolation is highly effective in breaking chains of transmission. ' Rapid, regular testing is led by local authorities who design programmes based on their in-depth knowledge of the local populations, so testing can have the greatest impact. 'We are now expanding this offer to every local authority across the country, and asking testing to be targeted on workers who cannot work from home during this national lockdown, while asking employers to work with us to scale up workforce testing.' 'Lateral flow tests have already been hugely successful in finding positive cases quickly  and every positive case found is helping to stop the spread - so I encourage employers and workers to take this offer up. We must all do all we can to stop the spread of COVID, right now.' Advertisement

Repackaging the product could get around this but it was likely just a PR exercise, he said.

'The MHRA seem to be like the whipping boy in this because they've become the go-to regulator,' he added.

'"We're only doing this because the regulator approved it"  that's the DHSC fall-back.

'Somebody within the MHRA would look at the Innova information and the instructions and say "wait a minute, the DHSC [Department of Health and Social Care] are not using it this way", but the DHSC in this case said we're doing it anyway. It's a really blatant steamroller.'

A spokesperson for the MHRA said: 'The MHRA followed a robust assessment procedure when considering the application for exceptional use of the NHS Test and Trace Covid-19 self-test devices. DHSC is the legal manufacturer of this test.

'NHS Test and Trace have demonstrated through lay user studies that members of the public have been able to use the self-test device successfully.

'The self-test device contains all the components needed to conduct a test, including instructions for use which are specific to it being a lay user self-test. A video demonstrating how to use the self-test device is also available.'

On why the Department of Health is pressing ahead with Innovas test instead of buying one designed to be a self-test, experts said it was a matter of convenience.

Public Health England has already approved the test for use, seen how it works in studies and the Government has bought at least 825million worth of them since September.

Theyve bought it, Professor Deeks said. Its all sitting in a warehouse somewhere.'

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'With up to a third of individuals with Covid-19 not displaying symptoms, broadening asymptomatic testing is essential.

'Lateral flow tests used by the UK government go through a rigorous evaluation by the countrys leading scientists which means they are accurate, reliable and successfully identify those with Covid-19 who could pass on the virus without realising.

'In order to roll out the test as quickly and safely as possible, DHSC became the legal manufacturer of the Innova lateral flow full self-test. This allowed for a faster evaluation which ensured the test had robust usability with high specificity and sensitivity.'

Experts are concerned that officials won't make it clear to people that the tests are not accurate enough for a negative result to be treated as a coronavirus all-clear.

If a test can only detect 40 per cent of people who have coronavirus, six out of every 10 infected people who take the test will get an incorrectly negative result.

This could lead to people who get negative results being more lax about social distancing rules and potentially spreading the virus further.

Professor Deeks said: 'The MHRA were very clear that they were emphasising that it's a limited approval, specifically not to be used for enabling, so allowing people to use a negative result to, for example, visit care homes.

Regulator approves another rapid Covid test Britain's regulators today approved another rapid coronavirus test for people with Covid symptoms. Excalibur Health Services's lateral flow test  which gives results in minutes  was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The regulators approved the test for use in asymptomatic people, as well as those without any of the tell-tale signs of the disease. It comes amid growing pressure for No10 to rethink its Operation Moonshot strategy, with top scientists warning one kit currently used as part of asymptomatic testing is not accurate enough. Innova says that a medic should use the test on someone with symptoms within five days of them starting. But before Christmas, the MHRA gave emergency approval for the asymptomatic use of the NHS Test and Trace COVID-19 Self-Test kit  which MailOnline today revealed is the Innova test just repackaged. Critics claim the 'bizarre' move was to get around manufacturer instructions which say they are for professional use. Advertisement

'The Department of Health doesn't say that very clearly. It says it's only being used to find cases. It's a matter of semantics and it's open to misinterpretation.

'Part of the issue is that we're very concerned that the negative test results will lead to people getting a false sense of reassurance and changing their behaviour in a way that increases the spread of the disease.'

Professor Deeks criticised the tests after an earlier study at the university where he works in Birmingham, where students tested themselves with the Innova devices.

The study estimated that the swabs picked up a shockingly low three per cent of true positives in a group of 7,189 people.

Students were given the rapid tests as part of a nationwide drive to help young people get home to their families for the Christmas holidays.

To check how well the tests were working, experts at the university retested some of the students using a PCR machine, which is the proper test used by the Government.

Retesting around one in 10 of the students in the trial (710 out of 7,189), they found that six of them had wrongly been given negative results when they were actually infected.

Multiplying this by 10 to take the whole group size into account suggested as many as 60 cases may have been missed, said Professor Deeks.

So the two genuine positives that were detected represented only three per cent of the estimated 62 positive results that would have been found with a better test.

Scientists in the UK are divided over the Government's decision to roll out rapid testing more widely.

Some say the tests have value because they can detect cases among people who otherwise wouldn't get a swab because they don't have symptoms.

But others are concerned people will be falsely reassured by their negative results.

Dr Angela Raffle, a public health lecturer at the University of Bristol, said: 'Further rollout of lateral flow testing is very worrying.

'Any benefit from finding symptomless cases will be outweighed by the many more infectious cases that are missed by these tests.

Already outbreaks are known to have occurred because people have been falsely reassured by a negative lateral flow result, leading them to attend work whilst having symptoms.

'The test manufacturers only recommend the Innova lateral flow test for use by qualified medical practitioners and in people with symptoms, yet the Department of Health and Social Care is pushing ahead with use in symptomless people, with the test performed by untrained staff or as a self test.'

But Professor Jose Vazquez-Boland, an infectious disease expert at the University of Edinburgh, argued: 'We must be clear that the only way to control the coronavirus and attempt its eradication is to immediately identify asymptomatics, as close as possible to real-time, to rapidly isolate them and progressively reduce the prevalence and spread of the virus across the population.

'Mass regular [coronavirus] screening must be rolled out without further delay, across the whole UK in a coordinated effort, to focus interventions only on asymptomatic transmitters and avoid the ill effects of indiscriminate restriction measures in society and the economy.'

A spokesperson for Innova told MailOnline: 'DHSC is branding the test as they are working towards more flexible use of the test and we are happy to support the UK in all manners to which the test is appropriate for use.

'The instructions for use were originally written around symptomatic patients as that is how the test was firstly deployed.

'Since then, we are constantly evolving and finding the test to have greater than 85 per cent sensitivity in people with infectious viral loads, regardless of symptoms, when used correctly.

'On the self-testing, we at Innova are highly focused on helping people use the test correctly from an operational support perspective.

'The test performs extremely well when used correctly. Thusly, Innova is preparing to launch simple instructional videos to assist in self-testing operations. We are also going to launch a self-guided artificial intelligence application to guide people on proper use while performing the test.'

The company added: 'The Liverpool data is not necessarily the most accurate representation. There is forthcoming information which will place the Liverpool pilot into better context.

'On the symptomatic versus asymptomatic we are highly confident that the Innova test performs extremely well for capturing infectious people, especially when used as antigen tests should be used, in several times per week applications where it catches the infected person as their viral load increased and they become infectious to others.'
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.

San Antonios coronavirus hospitalizations continued on a frightening upward trajectory Monday, as officials reported a record number of pandemic patients for the seventh straight day.

People infected with the virus accounted for 36.6 percent of all hospital patients. in Bexar County. Of the 1,433 people hospitalized,142 had been admitted within the past day; 392 were critically ill and 229 were breathing with the support of a ventilator.

Coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled in the past month and climbed by 174 patients in the past week, as admissions have outpaced discharges. Across Texas, nearly 14,000 COVID patients were hospitalized as of Monday.

On ExpressNews.com: FAQ: When and where Texans can get the COVID vaccine

This surge, which got underway in late November, is placing far more stress on hospitals than the citys last major coronavirus spike, when 1,267 patients were receiving medical care at most.

The breadth of the crisis threatens to overwhelm the local health care system, which is caring for patients with the help of sbout 1,300 state-contracted medical workers. An additional 300 personnel have been requested to assist San Antonios hospitals, officials said.

Modeling indicates that the areas outbreak could plateau toward the end of the month and start to abate sometime in February, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during the daily coronavirus briefing.

The velocity of this virus is extremely dangerous right now, he said.

At the moment, there are few signs that San Antonios outbreak is improving.

Officials reported 1,585 new cases Monday and a rolling seven-day average of 1,769 cases per day, the highest it has ever been. The case rate also jumped dramatically in the past week, from 64.8 to 84.6 cases per 100,000 residents.

On ExpressNews.com: Tracking COVID-19 - coronavirus by the numbers in San Antonio and across the country

New infections have been reported among nearly 18,000 residents since the start of the new year, raising Bexar Countys cumulative case count over the duration of the pandemic to 135,104.

San Antonio has logged a record number of new cases in recent days. On Sunday, more than 3,000 infections were reported  an all-time high  and there were two other days last week where new cases exceeded 2,000.

The positivity rate, which measures the portion of infections being captured through testing, dropped 3.5 percentage points, to 19.7 percent. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff noted that the rate is far lower than other major cities in Texas, including Dallas and Houston.

However, the rate can be lowered by increased testing, and a record number of people  nearly 60,000 residents  were tested last week.

Even though our positivity rate is down, its finding a lot more virus, a lot more infected individuals out there, Nirenberg said. Which is good that were finding them, but there is still a tremendous amount of transmission out there. A one-week decrease in the positivity rate is not something that we can get excited or begin to relax about.

With the virus posing a high risk, San Antonio has begun ramping up its effort to inoculate vulnerable residents against the virus.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

On Monday, the city opened a mass vaccination site at the Alamodome. Vaccines are also being offered by University Health at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall and at two WellMed clinics on the South Side. Wolff said the city has the ability to vaccinate about 4,500 people a day across the four sites.

I know its difficult now. I know its a hassle to try to sign up, Wolff said, acknowledging the 9,000 slots at the Alamodome that filled within minutes on Saturday. But it will get better, and I think were doing much better in offering these opportunities.

More relief is also on the way to businesses through the latest federal stimulus bill. Nirenberg said small businesses can begin applying this week for additional forgivable loans under the the Paycheck Protection Program.

One new COVID death was reported in Bexar County on Monday  that of a woman in her 80s, who was a resident of Ventura Hills assisted living facility. Since March, at least 1,649 residents have succumbed to the virus.

Texas crossed grim milestone over the weekend, recording its 30,000th death from COVID-19, according to a Hearst Newspapers analysis, making it the second state in the country to do so. In the last week, an average of 279 people died each day in Texas from the virus, the highest mark since early August.

During the briefing, Wolffs voice grew thick with emotion as he described the death of a close friend from COVID the previous night. The mans wife was frustrated that she was unable to be with him at the hospital, Wolff said.

You cant say goodbye, because you cant go to the hospital.  So, you die alone, he said. Its just a terrible, terrible way to get by, without your loved ones being able to say goodbye.

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Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from left, inspects the company's foundry facility at its Pyeongtaek plant, Jan. 4. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Baek Byung-yeul



Chances are increasing that Samsung Electronics could secure an outsourcing deal for its foundry to produce 7-nanometer chips for Intel as its own plan to produce its computer processors using more microscopically small transistors has been disrupted.



Thanks to the expectation that Samsung may manufacture Intel's computer chips, the Korean tech giant's stocks have been enjoying the bulk of investors' attention and buying demand because they believe the foundry business, which refers to contract-based chip manufacturing for chip-designing companies, could become one of Samsung's stable growth engines.



Given Samsung, the world's leading memory chip maker, is forecasted to see soaring memory chip demand globally, stock analysts presumed the company's stock price will likely to go up to 150,000 won ($136.30) per ordinary share within the first half of this year. Shares of Samsung Electronics closed at 90,600 won Tuesday.



A high-ranking official in the semiconductor industry here said Tuesday that Intel is likely to outsource some of its 7-nanometer chip production to the Korean tech giant as well as Taiwan's TSMC, the leading company in the foundry industry.



"Intel is likely to outsource its chip production to TSMC and Samsung. Though TSMC is expected to take a larger portion of production of Intel chips, Samsung is also forecasted to receive an order from Intel," the official said.



Intel previously said the production of 7-nanometer chips will begin as early as 2023. In October, Intel CEO Bob Swan said on a conference call that "we have another great lineup of products in 2022, and I'm increasingly confident in the leadership our 2023 products will deliver on either Intel 7-nanometer or external foundry processes, or a combination of both."



Samsung has been trying to develop its foundry business with an aim to generate a new source of profit from the business. The company clarified in 2019 that it would become a leader in the foundry business by 2030, edging out TSMC. Currently, Samsung holds the second-largest market share, but remains a ways behind the Taiwan-based company. In 2020, TSMC had a 54 percent share in the foundry market while Samsung had 17 percent.



Expansion at Austin plant?



However, the two players have been in tight competition in the under-10-nanometer chip production segment as Samsung has increasingly secured chip-production deals from global chip design firms including Intel, Qualcomm and Nvidia.





Samsung Electronics' foundry facility in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
MBABANE  Due to the inundation of patients flocking healthcare centres in the country, the Salvation Army Clinic has resorted to closing temporarily.

The clinic, which is situated at Msunduza in Mbabane, will as of today close for a period of 10 days. This is a decision which was taken by the management of the health institution to allow the nurses to rest.

This was confirmed by the Salvation Army Clinic Administrator, Major Jeqeza Timothy Mabaso, who said this was to allow the nurses ample time to rest as they had not taken their leave days the whole of last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which hit the country around March.

Attention

Due to the influx of patients seeking medical attention at the clinic, the nurses are stressed and fatigued, hence the decision to temporarily close the clinic to allow the nurses some time to rest, he said.

Mabaso went on to say that the clinic would, however, be open today from 7am up until 1pm. This essentially means that the clinic will resume aiding and testing members of the public around January 23, 2021. The clinics administrator further highlighted that during the 10 days, there would be fumigation exercises so as to cleanse and disinfect the clinic of any contaminated surfaces since there were a lot of people flocking in for medical attention.

When asked if there were any nurses who contracted the virus, Mabaso said there were no cases that were reported as of yesterday.

He said it was important for the workers to rest to avoid a burnout and to further avert any mistakes. We are avoiding a situation where a fatigued nurse would prescribe the wrong medication to patients. We want them to rest and come back to serve the people while revitalised and ready to work motivated, he concluded.

Confirmed

The clinic at Msunduza is one of the confirmed clinics which take swabs for testing from COVID-19 suspected cases at a fee of E50.

This was to relieve the Ministry of Healths facilities from large numbers of people who wanted to test for COVID-19 as the clinic only took swabs on their behalf which they then test and give back the results to patients.

Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula said he was not aware of the developments since the clinic was not a government institution.
Alaska Airlines has banned 14 passengers from its flights after they refused to wear masks and harassed flight attendants during a service from Washington, DC.

The carrier said the travellers were non-mask compliant, rowdy, argumentative and harassed our crew members.

Their behaviour was unacceptable, said an airline spokesperson. We apologise to our other guests who were made uncomfortable on the flight.

We will not tolerate any disturbance on board our aircraft or at any of the airports we serve.

Recommended Airbnb to ban Capitol rioters from staying in Washington DC properties

The five-hour flight to Seattle on 7 January came just one day after pro-Trump supporters forced their way into the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

It is unclear whether any of the banned travellers had been in the US capital to attend the violent demonstrations, during which five people were killed.

The passengers will be banned from flying with Alaska until the airlines mandatory mask policy, which stipulates that everyone aged two and over must wear a face covering while on the aircraft and during boarding and deplaning, is lifted.

It followed a unions calls that rioters be banned from commercial flights home after the insurrection.

The mob mentality behaviour that took place on several flights to the DC area yesterday was unacceptable and threatened the safety and security of every single person onboard, said the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA president, Sara Nelson.

Acts against our democracy, our government and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight.

Several pro-Trump demonstrators were removed from a Delta flight out of Washington.

 New York mayor calls for full travel ban on UK to stop covid variant spread

An unnamed Florida resident, who had attended the riots at the Capitol, filmed the aftermath at Reagan Airport on 8 January.

In the video clip, shared with SNN News, a man lowers his mask and says: I said Trump 2020 and they kicked me off the plane.

A Delta spokesperson told The Independent: Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our people and customers.

Actions taken to remove unruly customers on flights are based solely on behaviour that affects the safety and security of our operation including noncompliance with instruction from flight crews.
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday put the onus of making India self-reliant and work for the development of the country on the youth of India.

The youth should join politics to work for the development of the country and to bring about tangible change, Modi said at the valedictory function of 2nd National Youth Parliament Festival, adding that dynasty-based politics is the biggest enemy of democracy.

It is the responsibility of youth to make India atmanirbhar and work for the development of the country. We were all born after independence but we can work for the development of the country. The next 25-26 years is important for the country because India will complete 100 years of independence by 2047," said Modi.

The youth should join politics because it will help bring an end to dynasty-based politics in the country and people are supporting honest public workers, the prime minister said. Honesty and performance are the keys to politics now because people have become more aware, he said.

Politics needs youth. It is the responsibility of the youth to join politics. It is the medium to work for the development of country. Honesty and performance are the virtues for politics and those who have faced corruption allegations are now finding it difficult to win the credibility of the people," the prime minister said.

Dynasty in politics is against the idea of nation first and would only breed corruption, Modi emphasised. There have been significant changes in the politics of the country but it is the duty and responsibility of youth to take the work forward, the prime minister said.

The surname of your family does not guarantee victory in elections. Dynasty is against the idea of nation first and it leads to corruption. Till the time youth of the country does not take part in politics, the poison of dynasty will not go away," Modi said.

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PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Leather Chemicals Market by Chemicals Type (Tanning & Dyeing Chemicals, Beam House Chemicals, and Finishing Chemicals) and End User (Footwear, Furniture, Automotive, Textile & Fashion, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027". As per the report, the global leather chemicals industry was pegged at $7.5 billion in 2019, and is estimated to hit $11.0 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 6.4% from 2020 to 2027.

Rise in use of leather chemicals in end-user industries and benefits of chrome-tanned leather have boosted the growth of the global leather chemicals market. However, harmful impact on the environment of leather chemicals hinders the market growth. On the contrary, advancements in the tanning industry to reduce the production of chromium content in wastewater would open new opportunities for the market players in the coming years.

Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/8057

Covid-19 scenario:

The pandemic severely affected the global GDP, which drastically changed consumer spending patterns.

Governments of various countries have imposed travel restriction to curb the spread of coronavirus, which affected the supply of raw materials for the manufacturing of leather chemicals. Moreover, the lack of labor, disruption of the supply chain, and delayed shipment negatively affected the production of leather.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, export of leather has reduced and the use of leather chemicals for production has decreased.

The tanning and dyeing chemicals segment held the lion's share

By type, the tanning and dyeing chemicals segment dominated the global leather chemicals market in 2019, contributing to more than two-fifths of the market. This is due to its structural difference and ability to enhance the touch of leather and complementing the growth of tanning and dyeing chemicals. However, the beam house chemicals segment is estimated to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.8% from 2020 to 2027, owing to its properties such as high soaking power, improved skin cleaning capability, application of lower amount of sulfides, and others.

Get Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the Leather Chemicals Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/8057?reqfor=covid

The automotive segment to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.9% through 2027

By end user, the automotive segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period, owing to utilization of eco-friendly leather chemicals for finishing of automotive leather. However, the footwear segment held the lion's share in 2019, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global leather chemicals market, due to rise in population and consumer demand for leather footwear.

Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe and North America, dominated the market

By region, the market across Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe and North America, held the largest share in 2019, contributing to nearly half of the market, owing to rising demand for leather footwear and presence of large number of tanneries. However, the global leather chemicals market across Europe is projected to portray the highest CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period, due to various business models set up by key players such as entering into international business alliances and formation of boutique units that help to enhance creativity and quality leather products.

Major Market Players

Lanxess AG

Solvay

Clariant AG

Arkema SA

Evonik Industries AG

Eastman Chemical Company

Stahl Holdings B.V.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation

Elementis PLC

Indofil Industries Limited.

Interested in Procuring This Report? Visit Here: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/leather-chemical-market/purchase-options

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Ohio governor signs telemedicine abortion ban into law

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law requiring that abortion-inducing drugs be taken in the presence of a physician, thus banning the practice of telemedicine abortions.

Also known as Senate Bill 260 and sponsored by State Senator Steve Huffman, DeWine signed the proposed legislation into law on Saturday, along with a host of other bills.

No physician shall personally furnish or otherwise provide an abortion-inducing drug to a pregnant woman unless the physician is physically present at the location where the initial dose of the drug or regimen of drugs is consumed at the time the initial dose is consumed, stated Gonidakis.

Planned Parenthoods use of telemedicine to dispense abortion-inducing drugs cuts their own costs at the expense of basic health and safety standards. Patient safety shouldnt have a price tag. Women deserve better.

In a medical abortion, women are given two drugs: mifepristone (also known as Mifeprex or RU-486), which works by works by blocking the effects of the natural pregnancy hormone progesterone, and misoprostol, which induces contractions and a miscarriage.

Even before the pandemic, pro-choice activists had been pushing for it to be legal for medical professionals to administer such drugs remotely, such as via an internet livestream.

Last July, a federal judge suspended a Food & Drug Administration rule requiring women to see a doctor before abortion-inducing drugs are dispensed to them to have an at-home abortion.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang argued in his decision that the in-person requirement presented a substantial obstacle to women seeking an abortion.

Particularly in light of the limited timeframe during which a medication abortion or any abortion must occur, such infringement on the right to an abortion would constitute irreparable harm, wrote Chuang.

By causing certain patients to decide between forgoing or substantially delaying abortion care, or risking exposure to COVID-19 for themselves, their children, and family members, the In-Person Requirements present a serious burden to many abortion patients.

Pro-life activists and other have argued that taking the drugs remotely is dangerous, since doing so involves an absence of medical professionals nearby to help with any complications.

According to the FDAs website, 24 women have died from using Mifeprex from when it was approved in 2000 until Dec. 31, 2018, as well as several cases of severe systemic infection (also called sepsis), including some that were fatal.

The FDA added that these adverse events cannot with certainty be causally attributed to mifepristone because of concurrent use of other drugs, other medical or surgical treatments, co-existing medical conditions, and information gaps about patient health status and clinical management of the patient.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Pampa Metals Corp. (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA) ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities in Chile.

As indicated in our corporate news release of December 23rd, 2020, SouthernRock Geophysics has re-initiated geophysical surveying at the Company's Arrieros project in northern Chile after a short break for the Christmas and New Year period. Pampa Metals is acquiring Resistivity and 3D Vector Induced Polarization ("VIP"), together with Magneto-Telluric ("MT") and ground magnetic measurements over the 14,000-hectare property, which is characterised by extensive post-mineral gravel cover (a "pampa" in Chile) and is located along the preeminent Eocene-Oligocene porphyry copper belt of northern Chile. Geophysical surveying work at Arrieros is expected to be concluded in early February. Additionally, the Company has deployed an experienced geologist to complete geological prospecting and mapping across the project area, particularly around the outcropping margins of the extensive pampa.

Following work at Arrieros, both the geophysical and geological teams will start exploration activities at the Company's Redondo-Veronica project, a 5,000-hectare property also located along the highly prospective Eocene-Oligocene porphyry copper belt of northern Chile.

Julian Bavin, Pampa Metals' CEO, commented: "Pampa Metals started work at Arrieros immediately after listing in December of last year, and continues now in the new year with comprehensive plans for exploration activities across its project portfolio over the coming months. Commodity prices have improved considerably over the last six months with copper and gold, Pampa Metals' principal commodities focus, amongst the leading commodities in terms of price increases. The demand for copper is driven by industrial activities, construction and the Electric Vehicle ("EV") market, and a forecast supply / demand gap over the next few years highlights the need for new discoveries. Gold prices are driven by a variety of factors, but current general global uncertainties are supporting strong precious metals prices.

Pampa Metals' 58,000 hectares portfolio is large (see Figure 1) and is centred on one of the most productive segments of the Central Andean metallogenic province, which accounts for a significant percentage of the world's copper production as well as significant precious metals production. The Company's management and board believes that systematic exploration, focused on geology and the latest exploration technologies, can yield significant results from the exploration portfolio, and we look forward to pursuing our objective of making a discovery during the course of 2021."

During 2020, the Company has successfully achieved the following objectives:

Identified, negotiated and captured a high-quality portfolio of eight (8) projects (58,000 hectares) in one of the best mining jurisdictions on earth, in Northern Chile.

Built a highly experienced and capable Board and a Management Team that has worked extensively in Chile and South America in general, with a vision to execute and accomplish our mission.

Developed an operating plan that has prioritized targets within the project portfolio with a view to delivering value, effectively and efficiently.

Received the necessary regulatory approvals and concluded a successful listing of the new entity on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"), as well as on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ("FSE").

Completed an equity financing for gross proceeds of $4,024,500.

Immediate implementation of the work program at the Arrieros project, to be followed during Q1 2021 by the Redondo-Veronica projects.

For details of these actions and achievements, please refer to our corporate News Releases of December 14, 22 and 23, 2020.

COVID-19

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has led governments worldwide to enact emergency measures to combat the spread of the virus. Such measures may result in a period of business disruption, and in reduced operations, any of which could have a material adverse impact on the Company's result of operations, financial condition and the market and trading price of the Company's securities.

As of the date of this news release, the duration and immediate and eventual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown. It is not possible to reliably estimate the length and severity of these developments and the impact on the financial results and condition of the Company. The outbreak of COVID-19 has not caused disruptions to the Company's business to date, but it may yet cause disruptions to the Company's business and operational plans.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM). Pampa Metals has interests in an outstanding portfolio of projects prospective for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website here www.pampametals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Julian Bavin | Chief Executive Officer

INVESTOR CONTACT

Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director

investors@pampametals.com

www.pampametals.com

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are 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", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

Figure 1. Pampa Metals Projects - Location in Relation to the Principal Mineral Belts of Northern Chile

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623910/Pampa-Metals-Provides-Exploration-Update-and-Vision-for-2021
The two men held separate talks after Putin hosted a trilateral meeting with Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that focused on the implementation of a Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the war on November 10.

In his opening remarks at the talks, Pashinian again praised Putins role in halting the six-week hostilities that left thousands of soldiers dead.

Of course, your personal contribution to the [Karabakh] peace process has always been noticeable, especially now, after the known events, he said. I am confident that against the backdrop of these events the relations between Armenia and Russia will deepen.

Russia has been and remains our main strategic ally in the security sphere, added the Armenian leader.

Our relations certainly were, are and will remain allied in all respects, Putin said for his part. He noted that despite the coronavirus pandemic and the Karabakh war Russian-Armenian trade grew by almost 4 percent in January-October 2020.

Pashinian announced plans to further deepen the Russian-Armenian relationship in a televised address to the nation aired on New Years Eve. He said his country needs new security guarantees now.

Armenia already has close political, economic and military ties with Russia. It hosts a Russian military base and has long received Russian weapons at knockdown prices and even for free.

Moscow also deployed 2,000 peacekeeping troops to Karabakh as part of the truce agreement brokered by Putin. In addition, it dispatched Russian soldiers and border guards to Armenias Syunik region southwest of Karabakh to help the Armenian military defend it against possible Azerbaijani attacks.
A Nigeria Army General Court Martial on Tuesday sentenced a soldier, Azunna Mmaduabuchi, to death by firing squad for killing an officer.

Mr Maduabuchi had in July 2020 reportedly opened fire on one Lieutenant Babankaka Ngorgi which killed him instantly.

The trial that led to the conviction of the condemned did not reveal if the soldier had any personal grudges with the officer he killed.

Mr Maduabuchi, a private soldier, pleaded guilty but argued that his action was accidental.

But PREMIUM TIMES was informed by inside military sources that the condemned soldier had once gone on AWOL which led to the stoppage of his salary for about six months.

The source said the soldier, who was serving at the 202-battalion in Bama, pleaded with the late Lieutenant Ngorgi, who was his Adjutant, to allow him travel to the state capital to sort out his salary issues, but his requests were repeatedly denied.

It was not certain if it was the issue that pitched the condemned soldier against the deceased officer.

Eight prosecution witnesses told the court-martial headed by Arikpo Ekubi, as president of the court, that they saw the condemned soldier at the scene of the crime still holding the AK47 rifle while the late Adjutant lay in a pool of his blood.

One of the PWs said he saw the private soldier match past him, without complimenting him as his senior as he walked up to the deceased adjutant who was at that time making a call and summarily opened fire on him.

After opening a rapid action fire on him, the soldier turned to face me and then raised his hands to say  I have killed him, the PW said.

The condemned soldier, according to the court-martial, failed to provide a convincing defence in his testimony.

The accused person gave a conflicting narration of what happened, the President of the Court Martial said while ruling on the case.

In his written statement the soldier said his rifle went off while he was passing by the deceased officer. And while asked in court to demonstrate how he was carrying his rifle, he told the court that the rifle went off while he was fetching water to drink.

The court contended that rifles only respond to what it is asked to do.

The court-martial said Mr Mmaduabuchi deliberately killed the officer because he ran straight to the Adjutant after returning from a patrol and opened fire on him at close range.

He held his rifle at rapid-fire and emptied nine rounds of ammunition on the deceased officer, N/16439 who was the Adjutant of 202 battalions, the Court-Martial President said

The act of murder is a heinous crime against humanity; it offends the tenets of military regimentation and professionalism, You betrayed the truth and confidence reposed in you by the Nigerian army to show dignity and respect for human life.

Barring all pleas for leniency by the defence counsel, the court-martial insisted that the act of murder has a mandatory punishment as clearly stipulated in Section 106 of the Armed Forces Act.

ADVERTISEMENT

On this note, the sentence of this court-martial on you, 16NA/75/1343, Trooper Azunna Mmaduabuchi, for the offence of murder is to suffer death as provided in section 106 of the Armed Forces Act. And this sentence is to be carried out by firing squad., the President of the Court-Martial ruled.

The court-martial has also sentenced four soldiers to various years of jail time for manslaughter by torturing a civilian to death for using a battery for a generator at an officers mess without their permission.

Another soldier, Private Mohammed Kuru, was dismissed and sentenced to three years in prison for firing an assault rifle at a civilian wedding which led to the accidental death of an 11-year- old boy, Adamu Musa Kolo.

A Lance Corporal was also demoted by the court-martial for assaulting a civilian.

All the sentences are subject to the confirmation of the military authority.
A Polish butcher raped and murdered a 'drunk and vulnerable' student in an act of sexual violence before putting her body into a river, a court heard today.

Pawel Relowicz, 26, was accused of being 'effectively on patrol, looking for an opportunity to present itself to him' before he came across Libby Squire, 21, in Hull.

She was 'drunk', 'likely hypothermic' and 'in deep distress', on a road - and he drove her away from safety to a remote playing field, Sheffield Crown Court was told.

Relowicz denies raping and murdering the philosophy student, who had allegedly shouted 'don't leave me' at a car being driven on a road earlier that night.

Prosecutors said Relowicz put her 'dead or dying, into the cold waters of the River Hull'. Miss Squire's body was recovered by a lifeboat around seven weeks later after being spotted in the Humber Estuary by the skipper of a fishing boat.

Pawel Relowicz (left), 26, has been charged with the rape and murder of Libby Squire (right), 21

A court artist's sketch of Pawel Relowicz (in blue) appearing at Sheffield Crown Court today

Richard Wright QC, opening the case for the prosecution, said Ms Squire had 'seemingly disappeared' on the freezing cold night of January 31, 2019 after being refused entry to a nightclub.

He said: 'She was drunk, she was likely hypothermic, and she was in deep distress.

Libby Squire, 21, died in Hull two years ago

'She had lost her house keys, she was crying, she had fallen repeatedly to the floor as she tried to walk and she was extremely vulnerable.'

Mr Wright told the jury that some 'good citizens' tried to help Ms Squire, but she became agitated and they left her by the roadside.

He said: 'From there she seemingly vanished. One man knew very well where Libby had gone. That man is the defendant, Pawel Relowicz.

'He lived with his family in a residential street a short distance from Libby's home and he had come across her, drunk and vulnerable as she was, on Beverley Road, in Hull.'

Mr Wright told the court that Relowicz drove Ms Squire to nearby playing fields at Oak Road - a 'remote spot' that he was familiar with and chose 'so that he would not be disturbed'.

He said: 'At Oak Road, having exited his vehicle, we say that Pawel Relowicz raped Libby and that he killed her, causing her death during that act of sexual violence, which culminated in his putting her, dead or dying, into the cold waters of the River Hull that bordered the edge of that playing field.

Prosecuting barrister Richard Wright QC (left) and Relowicz (in blue) at the court today

'It was from there that Libby's body travelled into the Humber and then out to sea to be recovered by the lifeboat on March 20.'

Relowicz, seen in a court artist's sketch at Hull Magistrates' Court in October 2019

Mr Wright told the jury how Ms Squire had drinks with friends and was said to be in 'good spirits', but as they walked to The Welly nightclub, she seemed drunk and she was refused entry.

He said her friends put her into a taxi but, on being dropped near her home she fell and landed face first on the ground and walked 'away from the safety of her front door' and towards Beverley Road.

He told the jury that a group of students heard Ms Squire crying and let her in but she left, saying that she wanted to go home.

The barrister said the philosophy student, who would not take her phone with her on a night out because she had smashed too many screens, had dropped her house keys in the garden of this house.

A number of people saw Ms Squire on Beverley Road and were concerned about her condition, describing her as 'obviously drunk' and 'sobbing', the jury heard.

Miss Squire would not take her phone with her on a night out because she had smashed too many screens, the court heard today

Mr Wright said these included two men who saw Miss Squire lying in the snow and stopped to try to help her but she became verbally aggressive so they drove away.

The court heard that a woman saw Miss Squire sitting on the floor crying and saying that she wanted to go home and a shop manager saw the University of Hull student, shortly after midnight, sitting on the pavement and appearing to shout 'don't leave me' at a car manoeuvring on nearby Haworth Street.

Mr Wright said: 'Libby was not seen again that evening by any member of the public. She did not return to 32 Wellesley Avenue and would never do so again.'

Mr Wright said CCTV footage showed Miss Squire had come into contact with Relowicz on Beverley Road shortly after she was seen by the last witness.

He said: 'We will see how the two of them coincide just after midnight on February 1. We will then follow them from there in the defendant's car to the Oak Road playing fields.

Police cut back undergrowth while investigating the disappearance of Miss Squire in 2019

'We will never see Libby again in the footage after the defendant took her there and no camera ever picked her up after the defendant had taken her there that night.

'We will invite you to conclude that is because he raped and killed her there and put her in the river.'

The jury was told that CCTV clips of Relowicz's silver Vauxhall Astra showed him 'cruising around the student area' of Hull and driving to Oak Road on the evening of January 31.

Mr Wright said: 'These early clips are important because we suggest that they demonstrate what the defendant was about that night.'

Jurors were shown footage of his car driving around the streets at the same time Libby was on her way home from the nightclub.

Mr Wright added: 'At the same time that Relowicz was patrolling those streets that we have just seen, Libby was on her journey home by taxi.'

Mr Wright said Libby had stopped at a house where another group of students lived but left after a short time.

He said she was described by the girls as obviously drunk and upset.

He added: 'She was also extremely vulnerable we suggest.

'You will bear in mind that, as these clips of Libby are playing, you know that the defendant, as we have just seen in his clips, was circling about the area in his car with Libby now inadvertently straying into his path.'

He added: 'We suggest that he was effectively on patrol, looking for an opportunity to present itself to him.'

Police divers search for missing Miss Squire near Beverley Road in Hull in February 2019

Relowicz sat listening to the prosecution opening statement in the glass-fronted dock, flanked by three prison officers.

He was wearing a dark blue suit over a white shirt with a royal blue tie and was sporting a green face mask.

Mr Wright told the court that the defendant, who is is originally from Poland, was living with his wife and two children in Raglan Street, Hull.

He worked as a butcher at Karro Foods, in Malton, North Yorkshire, he said.

Ms Squire's parents - Lisa and Russ - looked down on proceedings from the public gallery above the jury of five men and seven women.

The trial continues.
After two months of investigation, police officials have concluded that a high-ranking officer responsible for combating workplace harassment in the New York Police Department wrote dozens of virulently racist posts about Black, Jewish and Hispanic people under a pseudonym on an online chat board favored by police officers.

The officer, Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel, filed his retirement papers late last week as the departmental inquiry was winding down. But the officials said on Monday that they still planned to bring administrative charges against him as soon as this month for falsely denying that he had written the offensive messages.

The evidence is strong, said one senior police official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. We have no doubt that its him.

Image Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel

The downfall of Inspector Kobel, who oversaw the departments Equal Employment Opportunity Division, began over the summer when an investigator with the City Councils Oversight and Investigations Division stumbled across a series of disturbingly racist posts on the Rant, an infamous chat board.


Social media companies have rushed to distance themselves from the violent mob attack at the Capitol building last week, which Mr. Trump had stoked in social media posts and public comments. After the rampage, Twitter and Facebook locked Mr. Trumps accounts, before ultimately barring him from their services and cutting off the presidents megaphones.

Other social media platforms, such as Snapchat and Reddit, have also moved to limit Mr. Trump and toxic speech that might inspire people to violence in recent days. Facebook and Twitter have since expanded their actions. On Monday, Facebook said it would begin removing any content that referred to Stop the Steal, a rallying cry for Trump supporters who believe the false claim that the election was stolen from Mr. Trump.

Twitter said it would also deepen its crackdown on misleading and false information about the presidential election. Users who persistently violated its civic integrity policy, which forbids users from spreading content that discourages voter participation or misleads about the outcome of an election, would face permanent suspension, Twitter said.

Facebook and Twitters actions have been praised by liberals and others, but have also raised questions about the power of the companies over online discourse.

The QAnon conspiracy theory has long been potent for Mr. Trump. Its believers position Mr. Trump as a hero who is trying to eradicate a global elite of Satan-worshiping pedophiles. One woman who breached the Capitol last week and was shot and killed, Ashli Babbitt, was a QAnon believer.
A 38-year-old Tafton man faces charges he inappropriately touched a teenage girl in Taylor, borough police said.

Joseph Carl Ayers, 137 Meadowbrook Road, told the 15-year-old, I shouldnt be doing this, before touching her genitals late Wednesday night in a borough home, according to a criminal complaint filed by Officer Rob Zuby.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The victim told her mother what had happened. Police responded shortly after she disclosed the abuse.

The victim said during an interview Thursday at the Childrens Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania that she and Ayers were talking on the couch when he began to molest her, according to police. The victim told police that Ayers had used massage oil during the incident, which investigators found inside a coffee table drawer as she described.

Ayers went to the police station early Friday morning for an interview with investigators but declined to speak with them without a lawyer. A court docket for the case did not list an attorney for him.

Ayers was charged with aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and indecent assault. He is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Jan. 19.
A group of Berkeley parents are preparing to stage a sit-in at Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' elementary school to demand that schools reopen "as soon as public health officials deem it safe," according to a news release.

The protest, slated for the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 13, at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley, is framed by advocates for reopening schools as a call against "discrimination in the access of education in California," the release said.

Berkeley public schools have remained closed since March last year, when the coronavirus pandemic first made its way to the state. Plans to reopen for hybrid, in-person learning for fall 2020 were nixed last summer as cases worsened.

A plan to reopen schools on Wednesday also was postponed  with no future date announced. (The date of the sit-in, Berkeley Unified School District Parents spokeswoman Lei Levi said, was chosen because it corresponds with the proposed reopening date.)

But Berkeley teachers continue to remain wary of a wider school reopening, especially as the pandemic once again reaches a breaking point in the Bay Area and the state at large. Intensive care unit capacity in the Bay Area has dropped to just 0.7% as of Monday.

"Its very difficult to focus on returning to in-person instruction when California is setting grim records with each passing day," said Berkeley Federation of Teachers President Matt Meyer during a school board meeting earlier this month. "Headlines and ongoing restrictions on daily life have a huge influence on how our members think about working in close quarters with many students."

Meyer told SFGATE that the union is currently negotiating with the school district on how to reopen "in person with our students when it is safe."

"We are still in discussions with the District on how to equitably serve all our students in two distinct models with the same staffing and resources," he said.

The union has suggested that schools reopen for voluntary in-person instruction as soon as Alameda County reaches the orange tier in the state's reopening plan, which represents moderate spread of COVID-19. Alameda County has been in the purple tier  signifying widespread risk  since November of last year.

They've also called for widespread testing of students, in addition to current plans to test staff.

As of Tuesday, Berkeley has confirmed nearly 2,200 COVID-19 cases  more than a quarter of them were reported in the past 30 days.

Levi, the PTA president and a mom to a first-grader at Rosa Parks Elementary, told SFGATE that the sit-in will be held at Thousand Oaks because of its connection to Harris, the incoming vice president.

"Had she experienced a year of education disruption like this," Levi said, "would she be where she is today? We'll never know. But it's clear we need to stand up for our kids. Our position is not being represented on the negotiating table."

"It's our civic right to peacefully participate in this sit-in as a way to show our support to reopen schools for those who want in-person instruction," Levi added.
Chris Pine and Jonathan Pryce looked dapper as they filmed scenes for their upcoming movie All the Old Knives in London on Monday.

The actors have leading roles in the thriller, which is based on the novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer.

Chris, 40, wrapped up warm for the outdoor scene as he donned a black coat which he wore over a grey turtle neck jumper.

Production: Chris Pine looked dapper as he filmed scenes for his upcoming movie All the Old Knives in London on Monday

The film star also sported a pair of dark trousers and brown shoes while his hair was styled into a quiff for the shoot.

Chris was seen alongside members of the crew who maintained social distancing and sported face masks and visors.

Jonathan, 73, sported a dark grey coat for the shoot along with a matching scarf and brown trousers.

It was announced last month that the spy thriller, also starring Thandie Newton, has landed at Amazon Studios.

Shoot: The actor has a leading role in the upcoming thriller, which is based on the novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer

Co-star: Chris was joined by actor Jonathan Pryce, 74, who also stars in the flick

Chris and Thandie star as CIA operatives and former lovers who meet up for dinner at Carmel-by-the-Sea to reminisce about their time together in Vienna six years previously.

Chris' character Henry is still with the agency but Thandie's character Celia has moved on to marriage and children.

The project was first announced back in May 2017 and finally started filming in December.

Outfit: Chris, 40, wrapped up warm for the outdoor scene as he donned a black coat which he wore over a grey turtle neck jumper

Crew: Chris was seen alongside members of the crew who maintained social distancing and sported face masks and visors

Dapper: The film star also sported a pair of dark trousers and brown shoes while his hair was styled into a quiff for the shoot

Scene: Jonathan sported a dark grey coat for the shoot along with a matching scarf and brown trousers

It comes after Chris was recently said to be in talks to star in a live-action film adaption of Dungeons And Dragons.

If the actor signs on, he will be the first in what is expected to be a star-studded ensemble cast.

He helped launch the Star Trek reboot film series (20092016) for Paramount where he played James T. Kirk.

Studio: It was announced last month that the spy thriller, also starring Thandie Newton, has landed at Amazon Studios

Plot: Chris and Thandie star as CIA operatives and former lovers who meet up for dinner at Carmel-by-the-Sea to reminisce about their time together in Vienna six years previously

Story: Chris' character Henry is still with the agency but Thandie's character Celia has moved on to marriage and children

The California native is also well known to fans for his role as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman (2017) and the upcoming sequel Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

The filmmaking tandem of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley co-wrote the new Dungeons And Dragon screenplay, based on a draft by Michael Gilion, and will also serve as the directors.

They're best known for helming the action comedy film Game Night (2018), starring Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman.

Upcoming: It comes after Chris was recently said to be in talks to star in a live-action film adaption of Dungeons And Dragons

Movie: All the Old Knives was first announced back in May 2017 and finally started filming in December
After the ceasefire, the Azerbaijanis tried to go down to the village 2-3 times, to advance from their positions; the Azerbaijani soldiers are stationed in front of Amaras Monastery, on the mountain of Jivan village. They are trying to occupy new positions until the final border is drawn; it is of strategic importance for them. Father Geghard Hovhannisyan, the abbot of Amaras Monastery of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), told this to Yerkir.am.

Amaras monastery complex is located in Machkalashen village of the Martuni region, which has never been an Azerbaijani territory, says Father Hovhannisyan, and since 25-30% of Martuni is now occupied by Azerbaijan, the latters army has come so close to Amaras Monastery that it has actually become a border line.

In terms of safety, the monastery is quite vulnerable now, and the abbot expresses his concerns in this regard.

Father Hovhannisyan noted that they have already applied to the Russian side in order to ensure overnight accommodation at the monastery, asking them to set up a Russian outpost or a night shift there. At the moment, Armenian soldiers are on duty at Amaras, and a Russian flag has been placed on the monastery.

The doors of Amaras Monastery are open for visitors, but the abbot urges to be careful, asks the pilgrims not to come late at night and not to walk around the area for a long time. Besides, according to Father Hovhannisyan, there is a need to remove bombs and shells from the area.

According to the abbot, after settling the safety issues, the Amaras monastery complex will have several monks who will spend the night there; this decision was made by the order and request of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.
IFI CLAIMS Patent Services recently shared its lists of the world's patent leaders.

U.S. patent grants ticked downward only slightly in 2020 from the prior year, despite the global pandemic, according IFI U.S. Top 50 patent recipients according to the organization which used 2020 United States Patent and Trademark Office data to create the IFI U.S. Top 50.

IFI also compiled the annual IFI Global 250 which looks across the worlds major patent authorities to reveal the top holders of active patent assets.

Patent activity, says IFI, is a valuable financial indicator for researchers, analysts, and investors who seek insight into companies R&D productivity and clues to IP strategy, as well as technology trends and the competitive landscape within various industries. Often, it notes, the true value of a company lies with its intellectual properties, and examining patent assets is a key tool in gauging the intangible assets of publicly traded companies.

According to IFI, total U.S. patent grants declined less than 1% from 2019, going from 354,428 to 352,013. Patent applications, however, rose nearly 5% from 2019 to 2020, continuing an upward trend over the past 4 years.

IBM Tops U.S. Patent List for 28th Consecutive Year

IBM, the consistent leader in U.S. patents, topped the U.S. Top 50 with 9,130 grants, down 1% from 2019. IBM scientists and researchers received 9,130 U.S. patents in 2020, the most of any company, marking 28 consecutive years of IBM patent leadership.

IBM led the industry in the number of AI, cloud, quantum computing and security-related patents granted.

IBM received more than 2,300 AI patents as inventors developed new AI technologies to help businesses scale their use of AI. IBM is focused on delivering innovations in natural language processing, automation and building trust in AI, and continually infusing new capabilities from IBM Research into IBM Watson products.

In another key area, cloud and hybrid cloud technologies, IBM received more than 3,000 patents. According to IBM, one of the crucial decisions CIOs face today is determining which data will be processed on premise and which will be processed in the cloud. IBM inventors developed a technology to intelligently distribute the data processing components between the cloud, the edge and computing devices in between.

Top 10 Leaders

According to IFI, among companies based outside America, Samsung Electronics earned the most U.S. patents, 6,415, placing it at number 2 on the list. Canon Inc., Microsoft, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor, LG Electronics, Apple, Huawei Technologies, and Qualcomm rounded were the other top 10 patent earners during the past year.

All except Taiwan Semiconductor and Qualcomm were in the top 10 last year. Amazon stood just beyond the top 10, rising four spots from 15th place in 2019 to 11th place in 2020, with 2,244 patent grants.

Non-U.S. companies and organizations had the majority share of new U.S. patent grants last year at 53%. The U.S. received the lions share of any single country though with 164,379 overall. That was 47% of all patents granted and more than three times the number earned by Japanese companies (number 2 with 52,429). South Korea held the number 3 slot with 22,400, while Chinese concerns ranked fourth on the list, with 18,792 grants.

Fastest Growing Tech Based on Patent Applications

According to IFI, the fastest growing technology based on patent applicationsa strong indicator of what is aheadis computer systems based on biological models, which saw a 67% increase from 2016-20. This area of computing uses brain biology as an inspiration and includes big tech leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and Intel.

While IBM may lead U.S. calendar-year grants, IFI says that Samsung, headquartered in South Korea, holds by far the most active patent assets in the world with 80,577, 5% more than in 2019 and more than twice that of IBM, which ranks second on the IFI Global 250 with 38,541. Canon, with 36,161, is a close third, and Microsoft and Robert Bosch GmbH round out the top 5.

IFI says its Global 250 ranking is based on currently held active patent assets as of December 31, 2020. It includes patent assets held in all of the major patent jurisdictions including the U.S., Europe, China, Japan and others. It also is based on ultimate ownership where subsidiaries and other owned entities are rolled up under the parent. Using this methodology, IFI explains, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd is not a single entity but a collection of 155 subsidiaries owned by Samsung. Another distinction is that it looks at active patent families where a family is a collection of global patent filings related to a single invention. As a result, a patent for the same invention filed in multiple jurisdictions is only counted once.

Headquartered in New Haven, Conn., with a satellite office in Barcelona, Spain, IFI CLAIMS is a division of Fairview Research.

For more information, visit www.ificlaims.com.

Hours after pro-Trump demonstrators broke into the U.S. Capitol, forcing lawmakers into hiding, North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik and more than 100 other House Republicans kept up the lie of voter fraud that brought the insurrectionists there in the first place.

Stefanik and the others voted against accepting the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden in a handful of swing states.

It is a roll call of dishonor.

They persist in questioning the integrity of the results, despite multiple recounts, 60-plus failed lawsuits and evidence President Donald Trump tried to strong-arm elections officials in Georgia to alter the count in his favor. Biden won the popular vote by 7 million votes and the Electoral College by the same margin Trump did in 2016.

Stefanik carried Trumps water before, defending him during the impeachment inquiry a year ago. Its one thing to spin half-truths about Trump and Ukraine; its quite another to keep pushing the presidents false the election was stolen narrative  even after it leads to rioting, bloodshed and the temporary occupation of the Capitol.

After it was safe to come out from hiding, a few of Stefaniks Republican colleagues thought better of keeping up the charade. They dropped their objections and voted to certify Bidens win. But not Stefanik.

Tens of millions of Americans are concerned that the 2020 election featured unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws. We can and we should peacefully discuss these concerns, she said.

Popular opinion poll results are not enshrined in the Constitution. Jan. 6, 2021, was never the right time, and Congress was not the proper place, to raise those concerns, if indeed these are real concerns. After the election is completed and the states have certified the vote is not the proper time  and especially after those baseless charges fomented an attack on the seat of government. It is notable that for all the whining and lying, there are no proposals for election reform from these Republicans. Likely that is because the Constitution vests that authority largely to state legislatures.

Stefanik denounced the tactics of the Capitol rioters, but her rhetoric is indistinguishable from those who parrot the stop the steal lunacy.

A Harvard graduate should know better. At her alma mater, a petition is gaining steam for the Harvard Kennedy School of Governments Institute of Politics to cut ties with Stefanik over her anti-democratic vote. The editorial board of the Crimson, the student newspaper, called her out, along with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Rep. Brian Mast, for using the prestige Harvard confers in the relentless pursuit of political influence at a glaring cost to morality.

Editorial boards in Watertown, Albany and Glens Falls also criticized Stefanik, as did Gov. Andrew Cuomo. We join them in condemning her refusal to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law to stay in the good graces of the president and his supporters.

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Around 1,500 crows and wild birds have died so far in 41 districts of since the outbreak of There have been confirmed cases of across 18 districts in the state. As many as 334 samples collected from various districts have been sent for testing to the Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal.

Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel has said all efforts are being made to control the spread of in the state. According to the instructions given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during video-conferencing, water sources, bird sites, zoos etc. are being constantly monitored in the state. Samples are being collected immediately and sent to the Bhopal laboratory on receiving information about birds dying.

Bird flu has been confirmed in crows and wild birds across 18 districts in the state -- Indore, Mandsaur, Agar, Neemuch, Dewas, Ujjain, Khandwa, Khargone, Guna, Shivpuri, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Vidisha, Bhopal, Hoshangabad, Ashoknagar, Datia and Barwani.

--IANS

snp/skp/khz/bg

(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 New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

With coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines rolling out in many places around the globe, many are keeping an eye on who gets what and when. Britains royal family had two key members contract the virus and now some are wondering if given their advanced ages, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are planning on getting or have already gotten the vaccine.

Read on to find out the answer to that, plus which royal just announced that they will let the public know once they receive the first dose even though it might be a while.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip | Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images

Where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are living during the lockdown

England recently went into another lockdown as the country tries to slow down the spread of the virus. The city of London has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic so in March the queen moved out of Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle with Philip.

This marked the first time in two years that the monarch and her husband were living under the same roof. Since his retirement, the Duke of Edinburgh had been staying at a royal estate in Norfolk while his wife continued to work at the palace in the city.

The couple will remain at Windsor together for the foreseeable future.

Did they receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Britain began distributing the first doses of the vaccine on Dec. 8, 2020, and on Jan. 9, 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed to the Associated Press that both the queen and the prince received the first doses of the shot. Deadline reported that the pair got the Pfizer/BioNTech version of the vaccine.

The royal family matriarch and patriarch are 94 and 99 years old. And as the BBC noted. those over the age of 80 are part of the high-priority groups who are being given the vaccine first in the U.K.

RELATED: Why Prince Philip Was Only Present for the Birth of 1 of His Children

This royal will announce when he is able to get the first dose

Prince Charles | Tim Rooke  WPA Pool/Getty Images

So now we know the queen and Philip got theirs, but what about other members of their family?

Well according to the Express, Prince Charles plans on getting the vaccine as soon as he is able and when that happens he will announce it to the public. Its believed that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will be getting hers around the same time Charles does.

The future king revealed in March 2020 that he had the virus. At the time Clarence House released a statement which read, The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health.

Charles eldest son, Prince William, also contracted the virus in April. but didnt reveal his diagnosis for several months. The Sun noted that the Duke of Cambridge said the reason for that was because There were important things going on and I didnt want to worry anyone.
Athens, Jan 12 : The 61st round of exploratory talks between Greece and Turkey will take place in Istanbul on January 25, the country's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced in a statement.

Turkey had contacted the Greek side and proposed that the talks take place in Istanbul on January 25 which was in agreement with the latter, Xinhua news agency reported.

Greece had stated that it would accept a Turkish invitation to dialogue "on the basis of international law and concerning the delimitation of the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) and continental shelf", Alexandros Papaioannou, spokesperson of the Greek Foreign Affairs ministry, had said earlier on Monday.

The previous round of exploratory talks between the two sides had taken place in 2016.

Greece and Turkey have long disagreed on overlapping claims on hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, with both sides holding conflicting views of how far their continental shelves extend in waters.

Tensions increased last year after Ankara sent out drill ships to explore for energy on its continental shelf, asserting its rights in the region as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

European Union countries have been trying to mediate between Turkey and Greece over their conflicting demands.

Turkey says that Greece's maritime territory claims in the region, based on small islands near the Turkish coast, are in defiance of the international law.

Greece and Turkey are both Nato members, but have a history of border disputes and competing claims over maritime rights.
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Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2021 Contact: Bob Wheaton, WheatonB@michigan.gov, 517-241-2112 Gov. Whitmer receives recommendations from Food Security Council Efforts to ensure access to food during COVID-19 continue LANSING, Mich.  Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Food Security Council is making several recommendations to ensure Michigan families have access to nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations are a continuation of the swift action the state has already taken to address food insecurity related to COVID-19. The goal is to help residents already struggling to feed their families as well as those facing food insecurity for the first time due to job losses or other challenges related to the pandemic. I formed the Food Security Council to make sure that all Michiganders  no matter their socioeconomic status  can put food on the table for themselves and their families, Gov. Whitmer said. The needs are especially recognizable and critical during a pandemic but must continue to be addressed when the current crisis is over. I applaud members of the council for their hard work, creativity and partnership during a very challenging time for our state and country. The council, which is within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is making recommendations in the three areas of: Addressing food needs faced by Michigan residents. Included are recommendations to require the state to swiftly pursue existing federal food program services and seek flexibility; develop approaches for food distribution such as home delivery; and provide incentives for additional retailers to accept online payment from people who receive food assistance benefits. Collaborating with partners and improving the infrastructure for food and nutrition programs. Included are recommendations to continue partnerships with food banks, State Emergency Operations Center personnel, the Michigan National Guard and other organizations responsible for food and nutrition programs and services; develop a process for communities to create local emergency response plans with their county emergency managers; and develop data-sharing and technology procedures to identify food needs for clients and track the total food distribution across agencies.

Ensuring an adequate food supply in Michigan. While ample food has existed in the supply chain during the pandemic, recommendations include developing a communications strategy to address panic buying; prioritizing food workers along the supply chain for personal protective equipment and workplace safety materials; and creating a statewide program that engages restaurants and their workers to distribute prepared meals to vulnerable populations. At MDHHS our staff has worked tirelessly during this once-in-a-century crisis to meet the food needs of Michigan residents, said MDHHS Director Robert Gordon. There is much work that remains. The Food Security Council recommendations provide a blueprint for building upon the successes that we have achieved. No one should have to worry about having enough food during a pandemic. Gov. Whitmer created the council in August and appointed Dr. Phil Knight of the Food Bank Council of Michigan to be its chair. She required an initial report with short-term findings and recommendations to be completed this month and a final report to be submitted within 18 months. The council consists of the directors of the state departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Labor and Economic Opportunity, and the superintendent of public instruction, or their designees, as well as 16 other appointees. Over one hundred ago the Food Security Council (FSC) accepted Governor Whitmers challenge and opportunity to discern the impact of COVID 19 on food security across Michigan. The reality of need evidenced by the mile-long lines of cars, the relief on the faces of people who had never visited a food distribution before, and the look on a senior citizens face when a box was dropped off at their home, said Dr. Phil Knight. The words, the tears and the liberation people demonstrated when they drove away with enough food for their families affirms our shared belief that people arent just needy but worthy of investment. The response from all levels during the pandemic to address food insecurity offers a clear glimpse into what we need in order to create a food secure Michigan outside of the pandemic. The council is part of the governors ongoing efforts to improve food security in Michigan. Previously, she gained approval of increased monthly food assistance benefits for approximately 350,000 families. In April, Michigan became the first state to gain federal approval for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program. The program, which reached nearly 968,000 students, provided nutritious food to children who were affected by school closings due to COVID-19. In late May, MDHHS started an initiative that allows SNAP clients to buy their food online from participating retailers using their Electronic Benefits Transaction cards  known in Michigan as Bridge Cards. Amazon.com, Walmart.com and www.aldi.us participate in the online purchasing program. MDHHS is working to implement parts of the Coronavirus Relief Act signed in December  including a 15 percent increase in food assistance payments. The department is also rolling out the Restaurant Meal Program. Restaurants can enroll now, and MDHHS will announce at a later date when eligible food assistant recipients can start redeeming their benefits at participating restaurants. More than 1.2 million people in Michigan receive federal SNAP benefits through the states Food Assistance Program. Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. # # #
Telecom firms like Reliance Jio, Bharti and Idea on Tuesday participated in pre-bid conference for spectrum auctions, as the telecom department asked telcos to submit written queries regarding the rules and processes by January 15, according to sources.

During the pre-bid conference, operators raised queries on aspects such as earnest money deposit and roll-out obligations in the bid document, an industry source said.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) sources said telcos, including Jio, and Idea, attended the pre-bid conference on Tuesday. The department has now asked the operators to send their written queries on the issues raised at the pre-bid conference by January 15.

The DoT has already released a notice inviting applications for the in seven bands -- 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300 and 2500MHz bands, and the bidding is scheduled to begin on March 1.

Last month, the Union Cabinet had approved a proposal for the auction of 2,251.25 Megahertz (MHz) of spectrum worth Rs 3.92 lakh crore at the base price.

Telecom operators will need to submit their application by February 5 for participation in the auction.

BNP Paribas, last week, had said that spectrum auction in India has turned into a buyer's market, and may see "minimal competition" with operators going after airwaves that yield the best value for money instead of focusing on renewing all expiring spectrum.

With the countdown now on for spectrum auctions, ICICI Securities had said it expects the final prices across spectrums to be equal to the reserve prices due to significant supply of radiowaves, and likely limited demand for expiring radiowaves.

(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.)

Bob Daemmrich/Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool

In the middle of a pandemic and tense transition of presidential power, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made a promise to keep to-go sales of alcohol in the state during his opening remarks to the house on Tuesday, the first day of the 2021 legislative session.

Abbott signed a waiver March 18 allowing restaurants to offer alcoholic beverages with food purchases, including beer, wine and mixed drinks. In an April tweet, Abbott hinted at making the option, which was started as way to keep businesses afloat during early pandemic-era shutdowns, permanent.
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As 2021 begins, business owners big and small confront a rapidly shifting landscape. An end to the pandemic is in sight as inoculations begin, but the slow pace of vaccinations has delayed the turnaround they were counting on. Hanging on is the chief goal for many, even as others look ahead to what they consider to be an inevitable rebound.
Union Minister Shripad Naik was injured while his wife was killed when the car they were travelling in met with an accident near a village in Ankola Taluk of Karnataka on Monday. The minister's personal secretary Deepak Ramdada also died in the accident.

They were en route Gokarna from Yellapur when the incident took place. According to the police, the minister's wife died on the spot. Three other people are seriously injured.

Also Read | The curious case of the glowing beaches

Naik, who is the Union Minister of state for AYUSH (independent), is out of danger. He has been moved to Goa for treatment.

A case has been registered.

View Full Image The minister's damaged car after it met with the accident

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to ensure proper arrangements for Naik's treatment in the state, reported ANI. The 68-year-old is a BJP MP from north Goa.

The Goa CM was also directed by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to provide the best treatment to Naik and if the need arises, fly him to Delhi as well.

Sawant also visited the hospital where Naik is admitted.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa consoled the death Naik's wife Vijaya.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to express his grief over the accident.

"Deeply saddened to hear the news of Vijaya Naik ji's death in an accident. Praying for the quick recovery of Hon'ble Union Minister Shripad Naik ji, hope God gives him & his family the strength to overcome this loss," tweeted Kejriwal.

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A Jamaican national was charged with smuggling cocaine hidden inside bags of coffee and picture frames after he arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport, authorities said.

Perez Omar Gibbs was ordered held without bail Monday after an initial appearance in Newark federal court, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey. The 37-year-old faces one count of importation of controlled substances.

Gibbs arrived Saturday at Newark airport on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations said in court documents. Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped him to search his luggage.

During the screening, law enforcement discovered that defendant Gibbs possessed approximately 1.0 kilograms of a substance that field tested positive for the presence of cocaine, the agent alleged in a complaint. The cocaine was contained inside approximately two bags of coffee and four picture frames.

During a voluntary interview with investigators, Gibbs admitted he knew the substance was cocaine, according to the complaint.

Authorities did not disclose more details on the investigation.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Customs officials have denied goods are being held up at ports by post-Brexit red tape and blamed companies for failing to fill in paperwork correctly.

Revenue says that 76pc of goods were getting cleared within 30 minutes of ships arriving to Dublin Port on Tuesday morning, and that freight traffic is at record lows for this time of year.

We have processed thousands of declarations, said Tom Talbot, head of operations for customs at Dublin Port. On Sunday, we had 40 trucks parked up in a port that has a normal traffic of 1.1 million freight vehicles through it."

But one industry source says that drivers are being held up for hours or even days in Dublin Port over customs formalities, a situation that is being compounded by Covid-19 restrictions.

Read More

And Logistics UK, which represents UK drivers, retailers and manufacturers, says consignments of different goods that are grouped together in the same container are facing particular problems crossing the Irish Sea.



The head of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Eugene Drennan, says most of the delays are down to cumbersome IT systems and new rules that were not tried and tested in time.



The biggest flaw in it all is that the Irish system does not talk to the English system, Mr Drennan told the Irish Independent. There might be no problem now because there are no goods. But its on the way.



Food exporters need to send documents separately to Revenue, the Department of Agriculture and the HSE in order to clear all health and safety checks. They also need to notify Revenue 24 hours in advance of turning up at the port.



Revenue says around 30pc of goods have faced delays over the last two weeks because importers and exporters  not hauliers  failed to prepare for Brexit.



One driver turned up for health and safety clearance on Saturday with no paperwork, and had to wait 36 hours until a customs agent was available to provide it.



That driver, its not fair on him to be turning up trying to justify to us whats in [his consignment], said Deirdre OBrien, a principal environmental health officer with the HSE.



Sinn Feins foreign affairs spokesperson, John Brady, said there was confusion and pending mayhem at Irish and British ports.



For 30 years, we have enjoyed the free movement of goods, now we have customs officers not quite sure how they should be handled, Mr Brady said.



If the congestion and confusion is not addressed, we will be running into supply chain difficulties very quickly here, in a matter of weeks at most.



Mr Drennan has called for a temporary opt-out from EU rules  even for a couple of weeks  while they are trialled and phased in.



Legally, we cant do that, said Mr Talbot We talk about being guardians of what comes on to the market, from a product safety, from a food safety point of view.

We want the EU to look on us and say there are no issues in Ireland and we have no worries about Ireland.

Read More




Hugely popular telly serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has been winning hearts and entertaining fans for over a decade now. Lead actor Dilip Joshi, who plays Jethalal Gada in the comedy programme, joined social media earlier in July 2020 and now he shares a glimpse of his real-life humour as well as he posts a hilarious meme, which refers to his show.

In a then and now pic, Jethalal is seen being taller than his son while the latter was a kid. Some years on, the tables have turned and now the father has to look up to his son. He captioned this post, "What goes around comes around!" The meme features Dilip with his on-screen son Tapu, earlier played by Bhavya Gandhi and now by Raj Anadkat.

Taarak Mehta Ka Oltah Chashmah is produced by Neela Film Productions Private Limited. Apart from airing fresh episodes during the weekdays, TMKOC's re runs are hugely popular as well.

It is also one of India's longest running television shows. The show went on air on July 28, 2008. The show is based on the column Duniya Ne Undha Chashma written by columnist and journalist/playwright Taarak Mehta for the Gujarati weekly magazine Chitralekha.
National Lottery Community Fund awards 32m to community projects across Wales in 2020

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 12th, 2021

Over 32 million pounds was awarded to community projects across Wales over the last 12 months.

Grants between 300 to 500,000 to help local organisations to recover, adapt and thrive, was distributed to to 966 groups by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Amongst the projects was We Mind the Gap, which received 59,801 to develop a virtual, mentoring programme for vulnerable young people in Wrexham and Flintshire negatively affected by lockdown to support them to find opportunities in life, education and employment.

Ruth Bates, interim director Wales for the National Lottery Community Fund, said the organisation will continue to support communities through these challenging times





She said: Looking forward at the year ahead, we are working with young people across Wales to shape a 10 million grant programme to support young people. Were also developing a grant programme to help communities to take action on climate change on behalf of the Welsh Governments Dormant Accounts Scheme.

The National Lottery plays a critical role in supporting people and communities and I want to thank National Lottery players  every time you buy a National Lottery ticket, youre supporting good causes across Wales.

To find out more about applying for a grant to help your community adapt, recover and thrive visit tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/wales. You can talk to us by calling 029 2168 0214 or by emailing wales@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.
Nick Jonas is reportedly in talks to star in a streaming version of Jersey Boys, according to Deadline.

The event would be produced by Graham King, the Dodgers, Frankie Valli, and Bob Gaudio. Jonas would play Valli in the production, with more details to be released at a later date. The project doesn't yet have a streaming home, but it is anticipated that it will and one soon.

Jersey Boys is the behind-the-music story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard and the radio just couldn't get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect onstage, offstage it was a very different story  a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Oh What a Night," "Walk Like a Man," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," and "Working My Way Back to You."

Jonas has appeared on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Annie Get Your Gun, Beauty and the Beast, and Les Miserables.
HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's tax system modernization project achieved a major milestone in November with the implementation of personal income tax processing in the state's cloud-based solution from Fast Enterprises (FAST), a provider of essential software and services for citizens and government.

The Pennsylvania Tax Hub (PATH) project is a collaborative tax system modernization initiative between the state's Department of Revenue and its prime contractor, FAST. In addition to personal income tax, the revenue department now uses GenTax, FAST's packaged tax and revenue software, to administer pass-through entity processing and property tax/rent rebates in its cloud-based system.

The completion of one of the largest personal income tax modernization projects in the nation was made even more impressive by the project team's ability to maintain the 13-month implementation schedule despite challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Project personnel, primarily consisting of FAST consultants and revenue department business and technical experts, overcame the difficulties of working remotely to finish the production release on time and on budget.

"Projects of the scope and scale of PATH are difficult even when there isn't a global pandemic," said Allison Morgan, the revenue department's PATH project director. "The team's ability to adapt to remote work and continue to make this project rollout a success was second to none."

Transitioning the department's tax and rebate programs to the modernized cloud-based GenTax system involved the conversion of over 12 million accounts and 75 million transactions, execution of more than 10,000 test scenarios, and virtual training for almost 700 users. The Pennsylvania revenue department is one of more than 20 government agencies that use FAST's software through hosted third-party services, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and FAST's private cloud.

"We focus on project delivery with flexible deployment options," said Dennis Manalo, a FAST founding partner. "Our software can operate on a variety of platforms, including commercial cloud, private FAST cloud, on-premise agency hosted, and on-premise FAST hosted," Manalo said. "We've done them all, from the first release of our software as an on-premise solution in 1999, to the first release of our software as a cloud-based solution in 2013."

The Pennsylvania revenue department's latest production release marked its third successful GenTax rollout since the PATH project started in May 2018. The first and second releases, both completed in 2019, included tax programs for fuel, inheritance, realty transfer, and medical marijuana.

About FAST

FAST is a provider of essential software and services for citizens and government. Our solutions help governments to enhance customer services, reduce costs, improve the efficiency of internal operations, and maximize return on investment. FAST professionals work on site with government agencies to implement modernized enterprise systems based on the company's commercial off-the-shelf software products. In production for government agencies around the world, FAST's software is used to manage hundreds of government programs for tax and revenue, driver licensing and compliance, vehicle titling and registration, unemployment insurance tax and benefits, social services, and more.

For information on careers with FAST, visit FAST's website at www.FastEnterprises.com or email [email protected].

For additional information or to schedule a call with a company representative, contact Kayla Luckenbach by phone at (877) 275-3278 or email [email protected].

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SOURCE Fast Enterprises, LLC
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Tata Motors share price jumped over 12 percent in the morning session on January 12 after CLSA maintained buy call on the stock.

The global research firm has retained buy rating with target at Rs 270 per share. JLR Q3 retail volume improved 13 percent QoQ and share of EVs rose to 12 percent. JLR retail sales was broadly in-line with monthly tracker, it said, according to a CNBC-TV18 report.

CLSA believes that JLR recovery should drive strong FCF generation and deleveraging for the company and continues to forecast a sequential volume recovery for JLR. Tata Motors remains our top pick in the sector, it added.

The research firm rorecasts JLR/India CV/India PV Volume to see CAGR of 0 percent/8 percent/28 percent respectively for FY20-23. It feels that JLRs EBIT margin should improve from 0 percent in FY20 to 5.7 percent in FY23 adding that the auto net debt should decline from Rs 48,700 crore in FY20 to Rs 33,300 crore by FY23.

The stock was trading at Rs 248.90, up Rs 28.80, or 13.08 percent. It has touched a 52-week high of Rs 249. It has touched an intraday high of Rs 249 and an intraday low of Rs 224.05.

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on January 11 released its 2020 sales figures, which reflect a considerable hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but the company highlighted signs of recovery as sales in China remained strong.

For the calendar year 2020, Jaguar Land Rover retail sales were 425,974 vehicles, down 23.6 percent on 2019, reflecting the industry impact of COVID-19 particularly in the first half of the year when plants were shut down for more than two months.

However, the company said it has since seen sales increase quarter-on-quarter by over 53 percent in the quarter ended September 30, 2020, followed by the 13.1 percent increase in the most recent quarter.

Retail sales for the quarter ending December 31, 2020 were 128,469 vehicles, 13.1 percent higher than the 113,569 vehicles sold in the preceding quarter, but down 9 percent on the same period last year. The company said China sales were particularly encouraging as they were up 20.2 percent on the prior quarter and 19.1 percent year-on-year.

Vikas Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities suggests holding Tata Motors with target at Rs 240. The stock continued its positive momentum post its breakout from its 34-month average of Rs 175 levels with the positive news flow.

It should face some resistance near Rs 240 levels which is the 200-week average after a sharp up move over the past few days, he added.

: 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.
An English-teaching center in HCMC's District 1 has been closed down since late 2020. Photo courtesy of Phap Luat TPHCM Newspaper.

Nearly 500 foreign language centers in southern metropolis Ho Chi Minh City are either unlicensed or hold expired licenses, the municipal education department said Monday.

Specifically, 253 have not been licensed to operate, while 241 have let their licenses expire, according to the HCMC Department of Education and Training. Many centers teach both foreign languages (mostly English) and computer skills, it was added.

Violating centers must either get a license or renew them before March 1, the department stressed.

Violations were revealed following an order from the municipal People's Council in September last year to screen all centers in the city, where several English-teaching facilities had reportedly collected tuition fees, before abruptly closing down.

Foreign language and computer skill teaching centers must be licensed to operate, providing they have enough teachers, employees, teaching materials and equipment for intended educational purposes, according to a 2018 government decree.

In Vietnam, English is a compulsory subject from 3rd grade onward. Students in public schools are mostly taught using the traditional methods of grammar exercises and vocabulary cramming.

The country was ranked in the low-proficiency category in both 2019 and 2020 editions of the EF English Proficiency Index, released by Swiss Education First (EF), a global language training company.

In Vietnam's latest national high school exams, the average English score was also the lowest among the nine tested subjects.
Dr. Payman Simoni, 50, died on January 8 from coronavirus. He is pictured above with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon has died from COVID-19 complications after a patient who later tested positive for the coronavirus coughed on him while getting a lip injection.

Dr. Payman Simoni, 50, died on January 8 from a brain hemorrhage after he was placed in a medically induced coma when his lungs began to fail.

Katy Amiri-Younesi, a longtime family friend, said the death came as a 'shock' to loved ones of the father of two.

'The shock is that he was so perfectly healthy,' Amiri-Younesi told KCAL.

'He's a doctor, I called him when I had COVID. He was instructing me what to do.'

The father of two had performed the elective procedure on a woman in December, who had her temperature checked and filled out a coronavirus questionnaire, according to TMZ.

The maskless woman, however, was not tested for COVID-19 but called the doctor days later to tell him she had tested positive for the virus.

Friends of Simoni told KCAL that he felt 'perfectly fine' for about week and went into quarantine and began experiencing symptoms.

Payman Simoni, pictured above, died from COVID-19 complications after a patient who later tested positive for the coronavirus coughed on him while getting a lip injection

Friends of Simoni told KCAL that he felt 'perfectly fine' for about week and went into quarantine and began experiencing symptoms. His is pictured kneeling above

The doctor was taken to Cesars-Sinai Medical Center when he began feeling shortness of breath, and quickly deteriorated.

Last May, Beverly Hills City Council members voted 4-1 to roll back its moratorium on elective surgeries amid the pandemic to match the state's regulations which had just been loosened by California governor Gavin Newsom, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The city council argued that residents should be able to receive treatments for medical conditions like a flagging heart valve and tooth aches  though it opened the door for cosmetic surgery.

Councilman Dr. Julian Gold, an anesthesiologist, said at the time that the 'butt and boob thing is the smallest part of the conversation.'

Simoni, a father of two, is pictured above with his wife

Simoni had recently appeared on an episode of The Doctors, as pictured above

Some doctors had chosen to hold off on performing cosmetic surgeries in LA, and it remains unclear why Simoni, pictured above center, had continued his practice amid the pandemic

Some doctors had chosen to hold off on performing cosmetic surgeries, and it remains unclear why Simoni had continued his practice amid the pandemic.

Daily Mail has reached out to Simoni Plastic Surgery for additional comment.

Friends and family said Simoni was 'fun-loving and ambitious,' and had recently become certified as a magician.

In November, Simoni filmed an upcoming episode of 'Gown and Out in Beverly Hills' with Patrik Simpson in which he performed the same procedure, TMZ reported.

Simpson told the outlet that Simoni was also wearing a mask during his surgery  but the two posed for a maskless picture in a post-operation appointment.

The coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles County has hit grim new levels in the first days of the year as California's COVID-19 death toll reached 30,000 on Monday.

Hospitals in Los Angeles are so swamped that patients on gurneys are being treated in gift shops and parking lots.

Officials started urging people to wear masks even at home if they go outside regularly and live with someone elderly or otherwise at high risk.

Anger over the restrictions has led to a recall movement against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom that has nearly gathered the 1.5 million signatures needed to put his career to a vote.

Los Angeles County is an epicenter for the COVID-19 outbreak, accounting for some 40 per cent of California's virus-related deaths and a huge number of new cases

Ferrer said COVID-19 is still killing someone in the county every seven minutes, on average

Some Californians are escaping by heading to neighboring Arizona, where they can eat and drink at bars and restaurants.

The state announced Monday that it will vastly expand its effort with new mass vaccination sites at parking lots for Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego and the CalExpo fairgrounds in Sacramento.

By week's end, the city of Los Angeles planned to convert its huge COVID-19 testing site at Dodger Stadium into a vaccination center to handle 12,000 inoculations daily.

Los Angeles County is an epicenter for the COVID-19 outbreak, accounting for some 40 percent of California's virus-related deaths and a huge number of new cases.

Los Angeles County health officials are asking essential workers (pictured last month) to wear face coverings inside their own homes in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the area where the virus is killing someone every seven minutes

Barbara Ferrer, the Los Angeles County director of public health, said Monday that 'because there is so much spread, we're recommending that people wear their face coverings while they're inside the home'

On Monday, nearly 8,000 people were hospitalized in Los Angeles County, which had fewer than 50 intensive care units available in an area with a population of 10 million people, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, county director of Health Services.

While the county saw a dip in new cases, the director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, said that probably is due to decreased testing after the New Year's holiday. She predicted another increase in cases from people who gathered together unsafely over the holiday.

Ferrer also said COVID-19 is still killing someone in the county every eight minutes, on average.

There is a sliver of hope, with new hospitalizations statewide down from about 3,500 a day earlier this month to about 2,500.

Some forecasts have predicted the hospitalizations will level off by the end of the month.

[January 12, 2021]

Former Head of Listed Derivatives at Goldman Sachs, Nomura and Citi joins Fintech PremiaLab

New senior appointment for the fintech platform dedicated to quantitative investment strategies

LONDON, NEW YORK and HONG KONG, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PremiaLab, has today announced the appointment of Mr. John Macpherson as Senior Advisor as part of its expansion in Europe. Mr. Macpherson served as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs from 2004 until 2013, then Nomura and Citibank as global head of listed derivatives.

Mr. Macpherson was appointed CEO of BMLL Technologies in 2016, resigning from the firm in August 2019.

Mr. Macpherson has over 20 years' investment banking experience in capital markets and derivatives strategies. He will be responsible for further supporting the firm's business development efforts in Europe, specifically leveraging insights from PremaLab unique dataset on quantitative investment strategies.







Adrien Geliot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PremiaLab said: "We are delighted to welcome John to the team. His extensive expertise in derivatives combined with deep understanding of institutional investors will allow us to further scale our commercial presence and deploy our ambitious growth strategy."

Mr. Macpherson will join the advisory board alongside Mr. Daniel Fields, former global head of markets at Societe Generale who joined the firm in July 2019.

Recognized as the reference for data and risk analytics on quantitative strategies, PremiaLab's capital markets infrastructure is used by leading asset managers, insurance companies and pensions funds to accelerate their digitalization to enhance performance and risk controls while reducing costs.

Mr. Macpherson is Deputy Chair of the UK Investment Association Engine platform.

Notes to Editors

About PremiaLab

PremiaLab is an independent platform providing data, analytics and risk solutions on systematic and factor-based strategies in collaboration with leading investment banks and institutional investors globally. Combining intelligent technology with a unique source of information the platform empowers asset allocators to make better investment decisions whilst achieving upmost time and cost efficiency.

With offices in Paris, New York, Hong Kong, London and Stockholm, its international team is dedicated to supporting a global client base with the most up-to-date risk premia dataset, advanced portfolio construction, performance and risk analytics. The firm has established strong partnerships with the top 15 investments banks, global asset managers, pensions funds and insurance companies.

For more information please visit: www.premialab.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1396438/PremiaLab_John_Macpherson.jpg
Attorney General William Tong has directed staff to look into accusations that a Department of Corrections officer posted an offensive meme on his social media account.

Tongs announcement comes days after the Connecticut Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations called for the termination of officer Anthony Marlak, a 12-year employee who has worked at Cheshire and Newtowns Garner correctional institutes, in a letter sent to Department of Correction Commissioner Angel Quiros on Friday.

CAIR-CT claims Marlak posted a meme on a Facebook account, under the pseudonym Anthony David, depicting five men hanging from a rope by their necks with the caption Islamic Wind Chimes and a comment reading: Think I found the best meme on the planet!

Officer Marlaks posting is blatantly bigoted and is actually a violation of the Departments social media policy because it undermines public confidence in the DOCs commitment to racial equality and religious tolerance, said Farhan Memon, chairman of CAIR-CT, in the letter.

Elizabeth Benton, director of communications for the Attorney Generals Office, said CAIR-CTs accusations prompted their office to take closer look at the Department of Corrections handling of the incident.

A day earlier, the Department of Corrections said it would re-examine the case following their decision last year, after a Muslim colleague brought the meme to their attention, that Marlaks post did not warrant further investigation.

Karen Martucci, the departments director of external affairs, said Monday that the Department of Correction would review the case to determine appropriate action.

As a State Agency, the Department of Correction does not condone discrimination against  or hatred directed towards  individuals or groups based on their religion, race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, Martucci said.

Marlak claimed the meme was doctored, according to a Department of Correction report. However, the same report notes that Marlak provided no evidence to back up the claim.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford prepares to speak at Queens Park in Toronto on Tuesday January 12, 2021 to announce a state of emergency and stay at home order for the province of Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Indian Army is ready for a long haul along the Line of Actual Control but hopes for an amicable solution in the nine-month-long standoff with the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Tuesday.

"We are prepared to hold our ground where we are for as long as it takes to achieve our national goals and interest," said General Naravane during an annual presser in New Delhi.

General Naravane said that last year the Army had to walk the talk to meet the challenges and the force did so successfully. "The first and biggest challenge was Covid and the next was the situation at the northern border," he said.

Talking about the situation in Ladakh, he said that Indian Army is on high alert not only in eastern Ladakh but across the northern border with China. He also said that there has been a first-mover advantage so the Indian Army is fully alert.

"We carry out periodic review of our operations plan and strategy to deal with various threats both on the internal and external fronts - one front or two fronts. Based on these reviews we carry out a certain amount of rebalancing. This is a continuous and an ongoing process," he said.

As the eastern Ladakh experience has shown, there was a need for a certain amount of rebalancing towards the northern border.

"Eight rounds of talks took place between military commanders on either side. Each of these rounds were either preceded or forwarded by a diplomatic engagement - WMCC," he said.

Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) is an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the management of India-China border areas.

"The talks are an ongoing process. We will ensure that through the medium of these talks we reach a solution that is acceptable and non-detrimental to our interest," he said.

He stressed that if talks get prolonged, the Indian Army is prepared to hold the ground as long as it takes.

He also said: "We have gone into a winter deployment situation... We (India and China) will reach amicable solutions. However, we are ready to meet any eventuality." He also said there was no cause for concern on the logistical issues and the force's operational preparedness is of a high order. "The morale of the troops is high," General Naravane said.

On the situation of standoff, he said: "The situation at the Line of Actual Control is the same as it was last year. The status quo remains the same. We have received directions from the government to remain in the same position where we are deployed at the friction point." "There is no change in the deployment in the friction area in eastern Ladakh," said the Army Chief, adding that there is no decrease in the number of troops in the friction areas.

He also said that a collusive threat from Pakistan and China exists and they together form a potent threat and the force is fully capable to deal with it.

India and China are engaged in a nine-month-long standoff at the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce announced it will name Cate Dyer, CEO of StemExpress, the "Businesswoman of the Year" at their 126th Annual Business Awards. Since 1895, Metro Chamber has recognized Sacramento's most esteemed players in the business community. The 2021 Annual Dinner and Business Awards will be held virtually for the first time, and Ms. Dyer will receive this extraordinary honor on February 5th, 2021.

Ms. Dyer founded StemExpress in 2010 to accelerate the cure and prevention of significant medical conditions at life-changing speed. StemExpress supports medical research, clinical trials, commercialization of disease specific treatment, cell and gene therapies, precision and regenerative medicine, as well as researchers and clinicians from all around the world who are developing new treatments and cures. StemExpress has a network of healthcare partnerships that includes over 50 hospitals in Europe as well as three (3) US healthcare systems that encompasses 31 hospitals, 35 outpatient facilities and 20 individual practices. StemExpress is currently the nation's leading biospecimen provider of human primary cells, stem cells, human bone marrow, cord blood, peripheral blood, maternal blood, and disease-state products for academic, biotechnological, diagnostic, pharmaceutical and contract research organizations. StemExpress is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has seven (7) independently owned and operated brick-and mortar cellular clinics across the United States to collect blood, cells and tissue from patients and donors. These clinics include state-of-the-art cell manufacturing laboratories for clinical and research purposes, and CLIA certified/high-complexity diagnostics.

Since inception, StemExpress has been committed to transformative, positive impacts on the community. In line with this commitment, StemExpress immediately recognized the unparalleled challenges the COVID-19 virus presented to its communities, healthcare entities, local businesses, and the economy at large. In a matter of weeks, the company built out a seamless, end-to-end COVID-19 testing solution, all while continuing to grow its core cellular business. This end-to-end solution includes on-line patient registration, scheduling, specimen collection, pop-up site management, and laboratory testing using gold-standard PCR testing at high-volume capacity with rapid turn-around times. StemExpress directly and proudly supports frontline workers, inner city communities, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, school districts, correctional facilities, utility companies, major league sports, tribal territories and territorial governments, among others. Through public health partnerships, StemExpress has also provided free testing services to vulnerable members of the community, including the uninsured and other under-represented populations.

The 2021 Annual Business Awards will pay tribute to Cate Dyer's extraordinary effort to support Sacramento's communities, businesses, and the heroes who keep our economy moving.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE StemExpress

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Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said the National Democratic Alliance government had assured the military that it would get all the funds required for defending the country and modernization of forces amid signs of the military standoff between India and China getting prolonged.

The Indian Army was prepared for a long drawn out standoff in Ladakh similar to the one in Sumdorong Chu in Arunachal Pradesh, Naravane said at his annual press conference ahead of Army Day on 15 January. That standoff in Arunachal Pradesh, which had begun in June 1986, ended in August 1995. The ongoing standoff in Ladakh began in May 2020 when India noticed intrusions by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and the amassing of a large number of Chinese forces on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Tensions have not abated despite a minor pullback of troops and many rounds of talks at the military and diplomatic levels and India has deployed almost 50,000 troops on its border mirroring a deployment by China on its side.

We will ensure that we reach a solution that is acceptable and not detrimental to our interests. If talks get prolonged, so be it. We are prepared to hold our ground," Naravane said. Provisions had been made for high altitude clothing, shelter and rations for the personnel posted in Ladakh, he said, adding that any solution will be based on mutual and equal security".

On the challenge posed by China and Pakistan together, Naravane said there was an aspect of collusivity" that cannot be wished away". A two front threat is something we must be prepared to deal with," he said later.

The events of the past year had shown that the way forward for the Indian Army was to transform itself into a technology-enabled force from a manpower-intensive one, Naravane said. The Indian Army was committed to restructuring at the tri-service level, something that the Indian government has been aiming for to make the three services lean and mean, he said.

In response to questions on the budget for the Indian Army, Naravane said in the past year while other ministries had been told to cut down on their spending, there was no such restriction on the ministry of defence. We are hopeful that at the revised expenditure stage we will get more funds," the army chief said.

Naravane, however, said that a move to monetize military land assets has been on hold temporarily because of a fall in real estate prices due to the pandemic.

As far as land monetization is concerned, there has been a lot of progress. We have got permission for equal value infrastructure. We will go ahead with the monetization of land. But because of the covid situation, land prices have also fallen. Hence, we are waiting. As the situation improves, we will move it forward," he said.

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Main challenge is to bring COVID vaccine to everyone in India: Poonawalla

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Jan 12: As the country is on the verge to witness the COVID-19 vaccination drive, Adar Poonawalla, CEO and owner of the Serum Institute of India, has compared this as a historical moment as the vaccine is being dispatched on Tuesday to several states.

Covishield vaccine on its way, standby for vaccination drive | Oneindia News

Poonawalla described it as challenge saying, "Our main challenge is to bring it to everyone in the country. It is our challenge for 2021, let's see how it happens."

Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I had COVID-19 and recovered?

While speaking about vaccine price, he said, "We have given a special price of Rs 200 for the first 100 mn doses only to GoI on their request, that we want to support common man, vulnerable, poor, healthcare workers. After that we will be selling it at Rs 1000 in pvt markets."

"To Govt of India, we will still maintain a very reasonable price but it will be a little bit more than Rs 200 which is our cost price. So we decided not to make any profit, we wanted to support the nation and Govt of India for the first 100 million doses."

Notably, Centre announced the it will bear the expenses of vaccine which will be given to healthcare and frontline workers.

The CEO of SII also said, "A lot of countries have been writing to India and PMO for vaccines to be supplied from Serum Institute to their countries. We are trying to keep everyone happy. We have to take care of our population and nation as well."

"We are trying to supply vaccine to Africa, South America. So we are doing a little bit everywhere. So we will try to keep everyone happy."

Pune-based vaccine major SII on Monday said it has received an order from the government for as many as 11 million vaccine doses of Covishield, ahead of the January 16 mega vaccination drive.

SII had entered into a collaboration with the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca to manufacture the Covishield vaccine.

Coronavirus vaccine: Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to dispatch from Hyderabad airport today evening

The institute has already manufactured close to 50 million dose, according to the report.

The vaccination drive against coronavirus in India will kick off on January 16, 2021. The priority will be given to the healthcare workers and the frontline workers, estimated to be around 3 crores, followed by those above 50 years and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities numbering around 27 crores.
(CNN) -- Sheldon Adelson, the chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands and a major donor to Republican politicians, died late Monday following complications related to his cancer treatment, his company said. He was 87.

Adelson took a leave of absence from Sands last week to resume treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which his aides first disclosed in late February 2019.

He rose from a hardscrabble childhood in Boston to become one of the world's richest men as founder and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp. He was Sands' first employee, which has since grown to 50,000 employees.

"His impact on the industry will be everlasting," the company said. Sands' shares opened slightly higher Tuesday.

Adelson's funeral will be held in Israel, the birthplace of his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson. Plans for a memorial in Las Vegas, where he ran the Venetian and Palazzo casinos, will be held at a later date.

GOP donor

Adelson spent his fortune -- pegged at $35 billion by Forbes -- to become an influential behind-the-scenes-player in Washington, working to shape US policy toward Israel, help guide Republican Party strategy and lobby against threats posed to his business interests.

He donated hundreds of millions of dollars to medical research and Jewish causes. He owned Israel's largest daily newspaper by circulation; donated to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance center in Jerusalem; and helped underwrite Birthright Israel, which pays for educational trips to Israel for young Jewish adults.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Tuesday his "deep sorrow and heartbreak' over Adelson's death.

"Many, many among the Jewish people, in the State of Israel, and in the whole world, share in this heavy mourning," Netanyahu said in a statement. "Sheldon's great efforts to strengthen Israel's position in the United States and to strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora will be remembered for generations."

But he was perhaps best known in the United States as a Republican mega-donor whose millions helped shape the course of presidential and congressional elections in the post-Citizens United era.

Adelson and his wife, Miriam, donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican-aligned super PACs. They plowed more than $215 million into federal super PACs in the last two years, making them largest publicly disclosed donors of the 2020 elections, according to a tally by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Adelson did not always support the front-runner in GOP intraparty fights.

In the 2012 Republican presidential primary, for instance, Adelson invested heavily in a super PAC that helped extend former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's presidential run.

Gingrich eventually lost the nomination to Mitt Romney, but Adelson's spending underscored his loyalty to Gingrich, with whom he shared a hawkish stance on Israel.

Trump patron

In 2016, Adelson emerged as a powerful voice backing then-candidate Donald Trump at a time when many GOP traditional donors were reluctant to support the brash real estate developer.

In May 2016, as Trump clinched the Republican presidential nomination, Adelson penned a Washington Post opinion piece, urging the party's financial benefactors to unite behind Trump after a bruising primary.

Adelson called Trump a "CEO success story."

"You may not like Trump's style or what he says on Twitter, but this country needs strong executive leadership more today than at almost any point in its history," Adelson wrote.

Later that year, the Adelsons donated $20 million to a super PAC supporting Trump's candidacy. Adelson became the largest individual contributor to the President's inaugural committee, donating $5 million.

The Adelsons were rewarded for their generosity.

They attended Trump's inauguration, dined at the White House and had front-row seats in 2018 as US officials opened a US Embassy in Jerusalem -- a long-standing Adelson objective.

In a White House ceremony in 2018, Trump awarded Israeli-born Miriam Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. The White House cited her work to support medical research and Jewish causes.

Rags to riches

Adelson was born August 4, 1933, in Boston. His father, an immigrant from Lithuania, drove a cab, and his mother, whose family came from Wales, ran a small knitting service. He and his siblings slept on the floor of the family's tenement apartment.

Adelson often touted his rags-to-riches story and his determination to claw his way out of poverty.

At age 12, he was selling newspapers on street corners in Boston. By 16, he had invested in candy machines. After a stint in the Army, he continued to run businesses, selling condominiums, working as a mortgage broker, taking a turn as a venture capitalist.

"Despite being the grandson of a Welsh coal miner and the son of a Boston cab driver, I've had the remarkable experience of being part of almost 50 different businesses in my more than 70-year business career," he wrote in the Washington Post piece touting Trump.

His big break came in the late 1970s, when he launched a computer trade show known as Comdex. He sold it in 1995 for nearly $900 million, parlaying that convention business into a casino empire that comprises the properties in Asia, and the upscale Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas. His venture became the world's largest casino company.

His properties ranged from the opulent Venetian casino resort in Las Vegas, where visitors can ride in gondolas, to a string of lucrative casinos in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macao.

In October 2020, the company told multiple outlets that it was in "very early discussions" about a possible sale of its Las Vegas properties. He sold Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania in 2019.

In person, Adelson was instantly recognizable for his thinning patch of bright red hair and the electric scooter he rode everywhere. He suffered from peripheral neuropathy, a condition that made walking difficult.

He generally shied away from media interviews.

His family's 2015 purchase of one of his hometown newspapers, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was cloaked in secrecy, forcing journalists at the paper to do their own digging to determine the identity of their new bosses.

During his cancer battle, Adelson had curtailed his office hours at the company he founded, although the company said in a statement that Adelson continued to perform his duties as its chairman and CEO.

Calling his achievements in the hospitality industry "well-documented," the company said that Adelson's vision "transformed the industry, changed the trajectory of the company he founded, and reimagined tourism" in Las Vegas, Macao and Singapore.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Sheldon Adelson, Republican kingmaker and casino magnate, has died at 87"
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Retired Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez is being accused of some shady moves by his former brother-in-law.

According to a report from the New York Posts Joe Tacopina, Constantine Scurtis alleges that A-Rod partook in racketeering and embezzlement in a real-estate deal. Scurtis sister, Cynthia, was married to Rodriguez from 2002-2008.

Rodriguez is currently engaged to mega star Jennifer Lopez.

Constantine Scurtis lawyer, Colleen Lynn Smeryage, didnt immediately return a call from NJ Advance Media seeking comment.

From the report:

Mr. Rodriguez will face a jury on August 2, 2021, to answer claims that he and his co-conspirators engaged in a pattern of racketeering and embezzlement, Scurtis attorney Katherine Eskovitz said.

The new filing alleges that A-Rod first cheated on his wife and then cheated Mr. Scurtis out of the proceeds from their wildly profitable real-estate venture, according to another member of Scurtis legal team, Nate Holcomb.

Scurtis had originally filed a $50 million lawsuit against Rodriguez last July. A-Rod filed a countersuit denying Scurtis allegations.

Rodriguez played 22 major-league seasons, including 12 with the Yankees. He hit .295 with 696 home runs, the fourth most of all time. Hes also a three-time American League MVP winner and current ESPN and FOX Sports TV analyst.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com.

By Gabriel Byrne

Grove. 198 pp. $26

- - -

The Irish actor Gabriel Byrne has had a rich and varied career. He's made more than 70 films and shared the screen with the likes of Richard Burton and Vanessa Redgrave. He's won a Golden Globe (for his role in HBO's "In Treatment"), been nominated for three Tony Awards and has played unforgettable characters in such movies as "Miller's Crossing," "The Usual Suspects" and "Into the West." Married for a spell to Ellen Barkin, he's made a few appearances in the tabloids, too.

Given all this, you might expect Byrne's memoir "Walking with Ghosts" to recount the triumphs and travails of a successful actor, to deliver the inside scoop on fame and good fortune - to be, in other words, another celebrity biography filled with gossip and saucy stories. You would be disappointed.

"Walking with Ghosts" is much better than that. Sure, Byrne shares a few Hollywood tidbits - lying about knowing how to ride a horse to land a part in John Boorman's "Excalibur," getting scolded by Laurence Olivier for merely asking him for the time ("you should buy yourself a watch"). But Byrne, who turned 70 last year, has written something more introspective and literary: an elegiac memoir that explores the interior life of a Dublin boy who finds himself almost accidentally - and incidentally - famous. It's a story about Ireland and exile and carrying the ghosts of family and home through time.

The book begins on a hill above his neighborhood, a favorite place from childhood, and though the place has changed, the memories remain vivid. We are taken on a cinematic journey of his boyhood dreams and wanderings and love of simple things like the "reeds by a river flamed by an evening sun, or the first stars of evening; the bleat of a lamb in a distant field or the small spitter of rain on a windowpane."

We are introduced to the long-departed neighbors, the farm down the lane, the chemist's shop, the butcher's, the local motion picture house where Byrne took refuge, sometimes watching "ten films a week in a fog of cigarette smoke and disinfectant."

The streets are filled with dramatic personae: the man famous for his outrageous tall tales, an old woman who told him tales from Irish mythology and remembrances of the Black and Tans during the Irish Civil War of the 1920s, and the parish priest who gazes into a mirror, talking to himself, before each Mass. Even the poet Brendan Behan makes a cameo, drunk and full of song on the back seat of the wrong bus. Particularly vivid is young Gabriel's raucous family, his father, a cooper for the Guinness brewery; his mother, sharp and funny and devout, who has charge over Gabriel and his five younger siblings.

Like many Catholic boys of the era, Byrne was enticed into thinking that he had a calling to the priesthood, and at age 11, he travels to a seminary in Birmingham, England. One evening Byrne is called to the private rooms of a favorite priest, who sexually molests him, an event he buries. "I've been picking at it with a pin since," he writes, "afraid to use a jackhammer." (It's a subject he has spoken about publicly in recent years.) For questioning the highest authority and breaking the rules, including smoking in the graveyard, Byrne is kicked out of the seminary. He recalls the sheer exhilaration of the train to the ferry for home, and arriving at a seaside alive with playful children digging in the sand and a "dog mad with sea joy."

That passage is one of many that show the mark of a real writer, a born storyteller with a poet's ear. "Walking with Ghosts" - Byrne's second memoir, following "Pictures in My Head" (1994) - dazzles with unflinching honesty, as it celebrates the exuberance of being alive to the world despite living through pain. His portrait of an artist as a young boy is steeped in nostalgia of the best sort, re-creating the pull of home. In her poem "Nostos," Louise Gluck writes "We see the world once, in childhood/The rest is memory." Somehow Byrne has created that onceness for us.

After his expulsion from the seminary, Byrne drifts for a while, trying to find a path, first as a plumber and then as a petty thief, before stumbling back into the theater that he had enjoyed as a boy. In the second strand of the book, he explores his life as an actor, and here the focus is not on rehashing his many achievements, but rather on the dubious nature of fame and on self-doubt. Byrne wins a battle with alcoholism, ponders the surreal notion of being a sex symbol and considers the costs to his authentic self of a lifetime of wearing the actor's mask. "We all act all the time," he writes. "Life makes us necessary deceivers. Except maybe when we are alone."

In the end, the ghosts return. He carries his sister, lost to mental illness, whose ending will break your heart. He carries an Ireland that is no longer there, for good and ill. And in the final pages of the book, he carries the ghosts of his parents, stuck in time, not fully appreciated until it was too late. His mother, long dead, sitting in the corner of his Broadway dressing room, her "ghost never far from the action." With this tender book - full of warm and often funny stories - Byrne shows us the depth of his true character.

- - -

Donohue wrote "The Stolen Child" and four other novels.
In a setback to advocates who had hoped to open the nations first supervised injection site in Philadelphia, a federal appellate court ruled Tuesday that such a facility would violate a law known as the crack house statute and open its operators to potential prosecution.

In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit lauded the goals behind Safehouse  the nonprofit that, in an attempt to stem the citys tide of opioid-related deaths, has proposed the site to provide medical supervision to people using drugs.

But, Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote for the majority, Safehouses benevolent motive makes no difference.

Congress has made it a crime to open a property to others to use drugs, he added. And that is what Safehouse will do.

He was joined in the decision by Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro.

Circuit Judge Jane Richards Roth dissented, calling the logic behind the ruling absurd and the 30-year-old statute on which it was based  one meant to go after owners and tenants of drug dens  nearly incomprehensible.

Safehouse vowed to appeal.

The courts ruling delivered the latest in a string of recent blows to the nonprofit, which had scored a first-of-its kind victory in 2019 with a ruling from a lower court that gave its backers the green light to move forward.

Since then, Safehouses effort to open in a South Philadelphia medical plaza last year fell apart amid an acrimonious battle with residents and members of City Council.

Then in June, the judge who had given Safehouse that earlier go-ahead stayed his ruling until the Third Circuit could weigh in. He cited the community pushback and other recent upheavals, including the coronavirus pandemic and the racial injustice protests that gripped the city.

Tuesdays Third Circuit ruling reversed the earlier victory, sent it back to the lower court for further proceedings, and effectively killed any plans Safehouse may have had for a second attempt at opening in the immediate future.

The nonprofits vice president, Ronda Goldfein, said Tuesday that she is considering Safehouses legal options, including appeals to the full bench of Third Circuit judges or the U.S. Supreme Court.

We remain confident that federal law is not designed to force us to stand by silently or idly while our brothers and sisters are dying, she said.

U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain  whose office sued on behalf of the Justice Department to block Safehouses opening and who, in a rare move, argued the case himself in court  hailed Tuesdays decision as a victory for the rule of law.

The Third Circuits opinion is a faithful reading of the statutes plain language and is consistent with Congress intent to protect American neighborhoods from the scourge of concentrated drug use, he said in a statement.

In crafting Tuesdays opinion, Bibas stressed he was making no judgment on whether or not a supervised injection site was good public policy in a city where, on average, three people die from drug overdoses a day  a rate that has only increased during the pandemic.

Instead, his analysis hinged almost entirely on the 1986 law passed at the height of the crack epidemic, which the Justice Department had cited in its lawsuit to block Safehouses opening.

The relevant portion of the measure reads: It shall be unlawful to  manage or control any place  for the purposes of unlawfully  using controlled substances.

For Safehouse, that meant the legal debate has focused entirely on what exactly the purpose of its facility is.

McSwain maintained that no matter what Safehouse intended, the facility would unquestionably be operated as a place to use illegal drugs, and therefore on the wrong side of the law.

Safehouse disputed that interpretation, arguing that Congress couldnt possibly have meant to criminalize a potentially lifesaving medical facility in its efforts to crack down on unscrupulous property owners.

Bibas, however, waved away debate over congressional intent, hewing strictly to the laws wording.

Good intentions cannot override the plain text of the statute, he wrote, suggesting, as McSwain has previously, that if Safehouse wanted to open legally it should lobby Congress to change the law.

In her dissent, Roth balked at that literalism and warned that with such a narrowly focused reading, the court risked unintentionally criminalizing other harm-prevention measures like parents who allow a child who uses drugs to live in their home for fear of what could happen to them on the streets.

As with Safehouse, she wrote, the [parents] act despite their knowledge that drug use will occur, not for the purpose that drug use occur.

Despite Tuesdays setback, Safehouse and its allies  who include Mayor Jim Kenney, District Attorney Larry Krasner, and former Gov. Ed Rendell  held out hope that the ruling would not be the last word. They looked to the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden for a potential lifeline.

Biden was one of the Senate cosponsors of the 1986 law but has said he regrets some of that tough-on-drug legislation he championed during the 1980s and 90s and pledged during his campaign to decriminalize marijuana. And his nominee to lead the Department Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, is a supporter of supervised injection sites and, as California attorney general, signed onto an amicus brief supporting Safehouse before the Third Circuit last year.

Bidens Department of Justice could also use prosecutorial discretion and decide not to enforce the crack house statute to shut down Safehouse or other supervised injection sites.

Krasner, in a statement, urged it to do so.

We must  stop relying on the courts to force states to do what is difficult and right, he said. Federal prosecutors have broad discretion not to charge crimes where enforcement is unjust and doing so is bad for society.

Read the opinion:
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.

WASHINGTON : Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I've had the virus? Yes.

Regardless of previous infection, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says people should plan on getting vaccinated when it's their turn.

It's a pretty straightforward question," said Johns Hopkins infectious disease specialist Dr Amesh Adalja. Yes, you need to get vaccinated." After someone recovers, their immune system should keep them from getting sick again right away.

Your immune system is able to identify the virus, and protect itself," said Dr Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease expert at George Mason University.

Scientists still don't know exactly how long this immunity lasts or how strong it is, though recent research suggests the protection could last for several months.

It's impossible to know how long a person might be immune, said Dr Prathit Kulkarni, an infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine. There's no way to calculate that."

Vaccines, by contrast, are designed to bring about a more consistent and optimal immune response. And they should boost whatever preexisting immunity a person might have from an infection, experts say.

Since we're in this pandemic, and don't have a handle on it, the safer approach is to vaccinate," Kulkarni said. You don't lose anything and you stand to benefit."

If you've been infected in the last three months, the CDC says it's OK to delay vaccination if you want to let others go first while supplies are limited.

All things being equal you would want the person with no protection to go first," Adalja said.

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CBSE board exam 2021: Lakhs of students of Class 10 and Class 12 are eagerly waiting for the CBSE board to release the final datesheet for Class 10 and 12 Board exams 2021. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' had last month announced that CBSE Class 10, 12 board exams 2021 will be held from May 4 to June 10 in the written mode. The education minister had also announced that the board has been trying to release the datesheet at the earliest.

Although CBSE is yet to make any official announcement regarding the announcement of the date sheet, it is widely speculated that the board could announce the timetable by mid-January. An official notice on CBSEs website said that the date sheet for classes 10th and 12th will be released soon. Students who will be appearing for the CBSE board exams this year can keep an eye on the official website of the board - cbse.nic.in and the official social media handles of Pokhriyal.

A notice on CBSE's website said that the datesheet for CBSE Class 10, 12 Board Exams 2021 will be declared in the coming days. Students should monitor the official website of CBSE, i.e., cbse.nic.in, for any announcements and should not fall prey to fake news circulating around the datesheet.

Once the CBSE Class 10, 12 Board Exams 2021 date sheet is released, students can follow these steps to check it online

Step 1: Visit the official website of CBSE, i.e., cbse.nic.in.

Step 2: Under the announcement section, click on the link that reads, 'CBSE schedule for 10th and 12th'

Step 3: Click on the class 10th or class 12th link.

Step 4: A new page will appear on the screen with the PDF file.

Step 5: Save and download the date sheet for future reference.

A few weeks ago, the CBSE had reduced the syllabus for Class 10, 12 Board exams by 30 per cent, but on December 31, the education minister made it clear that the further syllabus deduction for the upcoming board exams is going to be tough and he had suggested the students to start preparing for the exams.

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, speaks to reporters at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, on Sept. 12, 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

UN Ambassadors Planned Trip to Taiwan Canceled

A planned trip to Taiwan by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft has been canceled. She would have been the third senior American official travel to the island in less than six months.

Craft was due to visit Taiwan from Wednesday to Friday, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Tuesday that all travel this week had been canceled due to transition efforts for the incoming Joe Biden administration. Pompeos planned trip to Europe was also canceled.

Pompeo last week announced Crafts planned travel to the democratic island, which sparked anger from the Chinese regime. The latter views Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened military force to bring the island under its fold.

U.S.-Taiwan relations have warmed considerably during the Trump administration. Last week, Pompeo removed all internal restrictions that regulated how U.S. officials interfaced with their Taiwan counterparts, a move welcomed by Taipei. Pompeo described the rules as previous administrations attempts to unilaterallyappease the communist regime in Beijing.

The United States doesnt have a formal diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, but maintains unofficial ties with the self-ruled island under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). The TRA authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense, and set up a nonprofit corporation called the American Institute in Taiwan, which is now the de-facto U.S. embassy on the island.

Last year, the United States approved several large arms sales to Taiwan and increased official engagements.

Weve stood by our friends in Taiwan, Pompeo said in a Jan. 7 tweet. Over the past 3 years, the Trump Administration authorized more than $15 billion in arms sales to Taiwan. The Obama Administration? $14 billion dollars in sales over 8 years.

Taiwans de-facto embassy in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Core One Labs Inc. (CSE:COOL)(OTC PINK:CLABF)(Frankfurt:LD62) (WKN: A2P8K3) (the "Company") is pleased to announce its plans to initiate another intellectual property strategy that will utilize its patented transmucosal thinstrip delivery method ("thinstrip delivery method") in combination with its proprietary biosynthetic psilocybin, developed by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Vocan Biotechnologies Inc. ("Vocan").

The Company's existing thinstrip delivery method has been patented for use with THC and CBD (CannaStripsTM) and has the potential for use with all naturally occurring compounds, including psilocybin

Through cutting-edge research by the Company's team at Vocan, a cost effective method for producing biosynthesized psilocybin has been developed. This low cost method of psilocybin production, in combination with the incorporation of psilocybin into the Company's thinstrip technology, will result in an innovative and first-to-market delivery method of psilocybin for medical purposes.

Core One's objective in developing the psilocybin thinstrips is to assist with the delivery of revolutionary psychedelic treatment methods to address mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and addictions.

Methods of accurate dosing and effective delivery of psilocybin have gone relatively under-researched, and current methods utilized by companies using traditional oral delivery methods can cause hallucinations, digestive issues, and inaccurate dosages resulting in undesired side effects. The Company's patented sublingual transmucosal (orally dissolvable) thinstrip technology, for the delivery of psilocybin, will aim to address these issues, and anticipates the provision of many potential advantages and benefits such as the rapid dissolving and onset of action to the bloodstream, as well as concentration control and time released dosing. Thinstrip delivery technology is a natural, non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible composite, which is user friendly. The sublingual polymer thinstrip, with nano particulated active ingredients, skips the digestive system and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the membranes in the mouth, resulting in optimum bioavailability (absorption percentage) of the active ingredients. Direct delivery to the bloodstream means that dosages can be less potent with the same affect.

According to the World Health Organization, almost 350 million people worldwide were affected by depression in 2016. Common antidepressant drugs help maintain the balance of various hormones and chemicals in the brain which assists in the treatment of depression.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported that the percentage of people above the age of 12 years using antidepressants in the U.S. rose 12.7% in 2011-2014. According to MedGadget, the antidepressant drug market was valued at $13.69 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $15.88 billion by 2025. The CDC said that in the U.S., antidepressants were the most commonly prescribed drugs in 2013 and from over 16 million long term users, around 70% are female.

"One of the critical issues surrounding the use of psilocybin is accurate dosing in oral delivery methods. Our breakthrough technology is a game changer in the psychedelic space and has the potential to revolutionize the way patients receive psychedelics as medicine and reduce over concentrations and resulting adverse effects." stated Dr. Robert E.W. Hancock, Executive Chairman of the Company.

About Core One Labs Inc.

Core One Labs Inc. is a research and technology company focused in life sciences and on bringing psychedelic medicines to market through novel delivery systems and psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. The Company has developed a patent pending thin film oral strip (the "technology") which dissolves instantly when placed in the mouth and delivers organic molecules in precise quantities to the bloodstream, maintaining excellent bioavailability. With this technology, the Company intends to further develop its technology to focus on delivering psychedelic molecules with an initial focus on psilocybin. Core One also holds an interest in walk-in medical clinics which maintain a database of over 200,000 patients combined. Through research and development in these clinics, including the integration of its intellectual property related to psychedelic treatments and novel drug therapies, the Company intends to work towards regulatory approval for research that advances psychedelic-derived treatments for mental health disorders.

Core One Labs Inc.

Joel Shacker

Chief Executive Officer

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

info@core1labs.com

1-866-347-5058

Cautionary Disclaimer Statement:

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. In addition, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Although Congress has prohibited the US Justice Department from spending federal funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws, this prohibition must be renewed each year to remain in effect. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. In addition, psilocybin is currently a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) and it is a criminal offence to possess substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) without a prescription. Health Canada has not approved psilocybin as a drug for any indication. Core One Labs Inc. does not have any direct or indirect involvement with illegal selling, production, or distribution of psychedelic substances in jurisdictions in which it operates. While Core One Labs Inc. believes psychedelic substances can be used to treat certain medical conditions, it does not advocate for the legalization of psychedelics substances for recreational use. Core One Labs Inc. does not deal with psychedelic substances, except within laboratory and clinical trial settings conducted within approved regulatory frameworks.

SOURCE: Core One Labs Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623882/Core-One-Labs-Announces-Breakthrough-in-Solving-Psilocybin-Dosing-Problems-by-Introducing-Biosynthetic-Psilocybin-to-its-Patented-Thinstrip-Delivery-Method
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
Commentary US Chaos Shocks the Worldbut Tomorrow Never Dies

Trump supporters outside Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. / Flickr

US President Donald Trump is just days away from his political eclipse, but the damage he has done to America will take time to repair. Will the administration led by incoming President Joe Biden be able to undo the harm his predecessor has caused?

Americas traditional allies, friends, foes and rivals alike all looked on in disbelief as the violent tumult unfolded in Washington last week. The worlds superpower is now in deep trouble, helplessly polarized, gripped by chaos and insurrection. Days after rioters loyal to Trump rampaged through the halls of the Capitol, images of their violent revolt continued to be replayed around the globe, and world leaders continued to respond with bewilderment and alarm.

Some European allies of the US decried the riot as an assault on democracy. Condemning the violence and insisting that the outcome of the election be respected, they called for a smooth transition, maintenance of the rule of law and respect for the democratic process.

Sound familiar? In Myanmar in decades past, many of us grew used to hearing such catchphrases and stock language expressing concern from foreign governments including the US. It is impossible not to see the irony as governments and leaders the world over impart to Washington the same admonitions and calls to uphold democracy that the US has so often directed at others.

It is hardly surprising to see this kind of violence erupt in Trumps Americawhich has been characterized by the breakdown of the countrys political system and the rise of white supremacy.

Many would doubtless prefer to believe that what they are seeing on their screens is happening not in America but somewhere elsein Central Asia, Africa, China, Hong Kong or Southeast Asia, where we are accustomed to seeing scenes of turmoil and images of thugs in faux-military, clownish costumes and violent radicals. The fact that this time the thugs were invading the US Congress came as a profound shock. America is not supposed to handle its problems this way.

In response, think tanks around the globe are warning that it is time for pompous American policymakersso used to pontificating about what other democracies should doto look within.

Inevitably, Americas rivals, China and Russia, are having a field day, taking obvious satisfaction in the turmoil. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, We hope that the American people can enjoy peace, stability and security as soon as possible. Of course, in the past, Beijing was frequently on the receiving end of such diplomatic voicings of concern for the welfare of Chinas people. The Chinese have wasted no time in turning the tables on Washington.

In Moscow, after initially stating that the storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters was an internal US affair, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented that the political set-up in the US was to blame.

She offered the blunt assessment that The electoral system in the United States is archaic; it does not meet modern democratic standards, creating opportunities for numerous violations, and the American media have become an instrument of political struggle. Zakharova went on to conclude, This is largely the reason for the split in society now observed in the United States.

Taking sweet revenge on Americas support for Hong Kong, Beijings propaganda mouthpiece the Global Times chided: Chinese web users still remember the distress and anger they felt when they saw rioters in Hong Kong storming the Legislative Council Complex, scrawling graffiti, smashing and robbing items, and, instead of condemning the violence, US politicians hailed the courage of these mobs.

Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Federation Council, the upper house of Russias parliament, said US democracy was obviously limping on both feet.

America no longer charts the course and therefore has lost all right to set it. And even more to impose on others, he said.

Not to be left out, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called Trump a sick person. In normal times this would be dismissed as typical hyperbole from Tehran. But this time many would agreeeven in Washington. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi herself condemned Trump as deranged.

The veteran Democrat also called for Trumps removal from office. Sadly, the person who is running the Executive Branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States. And were only a number of days until we can be protected from him, Pelosi said. Indeed, many would agree that Trump is the inciter-in-chief.

Worryingly, despite the many indications that such a crisis was on the horizon, some 70 million Americans voted for Trump in November. And there are many Trumps around the world.

In Southeast Asianot least in Myanmarwe have a history of weak democratic systems and brutal and corrupt military and autocratic regimes. But after seeing the tumult on Capitol Hill, some Myanmar pro-democracy activists joked on social media that they will send an army of advisers to America to provide training on community-based reconciliation, peace building, conflict sensitivity and seminars on democracy.

Belatedly, Twitter banned Trump permanentlybut what took them so long? He should have been banned a long time ago. He has been inciting hatred and violence and stoking mobs for years; why is social media only deciding to act now? Nonetheless, it is a relief to learn that Trump can no longer govern America by tweet.

The social media giants, including Facebook and Google, are in fact part of the problem and should be held accountable. Such is their power, they have become de facto global censorship boards, in some cases taking down content or banning people, and in others allowing hate speech that incites violence. And they have made fortunes doing so. Appropriately, in many countries a debate has emerged about whether and how the three social media giants should be more tightly regulated.

It is important that Washington begin to repair its credibility abroad and convince its allies that America is resilient, while reminding bad actors and the many Trumps around the world that the US can overcome this crisis. Why? Since World War II, to both friends and foes, and through triumphs and crises, the United States has stood as the standard of democracy and freedom. It inspires a mixture of love, hate and resentment. America is still the necessary superpower providing a vital counterbalance against other would-be global hegemons.

Under the Biden administration, lets hope the country takes a different pathin unity and humilityand restores its crown as the leader of the free world.

You may also like these stories:

Post-Election Palm Reading as Myanmars Vote Nears

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China Grows More Assertive Ahead of Myanmars Election
Market players are focusing on utilizing materials such as recyclable plastics, wood, and others to develop eco-friendly and reusable beverage crates.

DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Future Market Insights: As per FMI the global beverage crates market will grow at a robust CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period, 2020-2030. The market is primarily driven by growing demand for convenient methods of transporting and storing bottles and cans of drinks. Moreover, surging demand for non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks is fueling demand for beverage crates.

"The beverage crates market will foresee a rise in demand after a temporary period of letup owing to COVID-19 outbreak. Growth trends are likely to stay positive as both high potential and developed markets recover all over the world. For instance, in China reopening of the food service sector will drive the East Asia market. Similarly, steadily increasing demand from the U.S. food sector is likely to assist overall growth of the market." states the FMI analyst.

Request a report sample to gain comprehensive market insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6585

Beverage Crates Market - Important Highlights

East Asia to foresee lucrative growth prospects in contrast to other regions, followed by Europe.

HDPE remains majorly preferred material type due to its high demand from beverage industry.

Nestable and stackable remains key beneficiary among other product type categories.

High demand of alcoholic drinks will generate growth prospects in the market.

Beverage Crates Market - Drivers

Rising focus on sustainability is likely to spur growth in the market.

Steady expansion of the beverage industry is encouraging sales over the assessment period.

High demand for HDPE will further boost the market growth in the foreseeable years.

Beverage Crates Market - Restraints

Poor UV resistance, high mould shrinkage, prone to stress cracking, along with others limits their usage in the global market

Higher cost, heavy weight, and more complex process cycles in production of crates creates challenges for the market.

For information on the Research Approach used in the Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-6585

COVID-19 Impact on Beverage Crates Market

The market got highly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly amid the first half of 2020. Several constraints such as shortage of labors, non-operational manufacturing units, along with others have prompted a drop in the market growth. While the food & beverages sector got battered on the onset of the pandemic, it is gradually recovering and anticipates to grow further. With the world adjusting to the 'new normal,' the market also has begun to recover steadily and will grow exponentially via 2030.

Competitive Landscape

Leading companies operating in the global beverage crates market include Supreme Industries Limited, DS Smith Plc, Schoeller Allibert Services B.V., TranPak, Inc., Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc., Ravensbourn Plastics Ltd, IPL Plastics Inc., Zhejiang Zhengji Plastic Industry Co. Ltd., Craemer UK Ltd, Palcon LLC and Myers Industries, Inc. The global market is extremely competitive. With the aim of sustaining their positions, the market players are emphasizing on enhancing the qualities of their products.

We Offer tailor-made Solutions to fit Your Requirements, Request Customization@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6585

About the Study

The study offers readers a comprehensive assessment of the beverage crates market. Global, regional and national-level analysis of the latest trends influencing the market is covered in this FMI report. The study provides insights on the basis of material type (HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene)), product type (nestable and stackable, collapsible), application (alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, spirits, other alcoholic beverages), non-alcoholic drinks (fruit juices, carbonated drinks/soda, RTD beverages, bottled water, tea & coffee, milk products), , across key regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, China, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa).

Explore FMI's Coverage of the Packaging Industry

Returnable Plastic Crates Market: Get insights on the returnable plastic crates market through FMI's report covering detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis for projection period 2019-2029.

Beverage Packaging Market: FMI's exhaustive study on the global beverage packaging market covers the latest trends, innovations, key players, and popular strategies for the period 2019-2027.

Wooden Crates Market: Obtain detailed analysis on the wooden crates market through FMI's report covering competitive analysis, key regions, and segmental analysis for 2017-2027.

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2021 - Hundreds of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and occupied the building for hours, ransacking offices, forcing an evacuation of lawmakers and interrupting their certification of the November presidential election. One woman in the mob was shot to death by police in a corridor, and one of several police officers injured in clashes with protesters died. Three more died of medical emergencies on the grounds during the tumult. (Image: Reuters)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned of armed protests being planned for Washington and all 50 US state capitals in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden's January 20 inauguration, a federal law enforcement source said on January 11.

Threatened with more violence from outgoing President Donald Trump's supporters following last Wednesday's storming of the US Capitol, the FBI issued warnings for next weekend that run at least until Inauguration Day, the source said.

In other steps to safeguard the US capital, the National Guard was authorized to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington, and tourists were barred from visiting the Washington Monument until January 24.

The chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel Hokanson, told reporters he expected about 10,000 troops in Washington by Saturday to help provide security, logistics and communications.

He said the number could rise to 15,000 if requested by local authorities.

At least one lawmaker asked the Pentagon to do more.

Senator Chris Murphy, who said he was sending a letter to the acting secretary of defense on Monday, said it was unclear if the National Guard would be sufficient to protect the nation's capital and that active-duty troops may be needed also.
TL;DR: A new COVID-19 vaccination mega site opened Monday in South Jersey, but state officials remain frustrated with a lag in supplies. Philadelphia data show that most of those vaccinated against COVID-19 in the city are white. Heres what the city is doing to change that.

 Kelly OShea (@kelloshea, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

 Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines havent been used in Pennsylvania. and New Jersey. Heres why, and whats next.

 A new round of the Paycheck Protection Program is resuming this week. If youre a small business owner and you want to take advantage of this financing, heres what you need to know.

 SEPTAs ridership wont rebound for a long time partially due to fears about COVID-19. We talked to a half-dozen health experts on the real risks of riding public transportation.

 A Democratic congresswoman from the Trenton area has tested positive for the coronavirus after sheltering in a secure location Wednesday amid the insurrection at the Capitol. The Office of the Attending Physician says others may have been exposed during the lockdown.

 Should college students be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Conversations are underway on campuses across the Philadelphia region, as the spring semester looms.

 Whats going on in your county or neighborhood? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about.

Local coronavirus cases

 The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region and cases continue to mount. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here.

A newly opened vaccination mega site in South Jersey, set up in the college center on the campus of Rowan College of South Jersey in Sewell, is staffed to vaccinate about 1,000 people per week, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. But he expressed frustration with the federal governments lag in supplying enough doses, saying the Gloucester County site could serve more than 2,400 people a day if fully supplied. Only health workers, residents of long-term care homes, police, and firefighters are cleared to receive the vaccination so far. The state also added a dashboard to its COVID-19 website where people can track vaccine distribution.

As the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine ramps up across the country, Philadelphia data show that most of those vaccinated in the city are white, a trend reflected statewide. City officials said Wednesday that of the 28,476 people who have been immunized at city health facilities, 43% were white, 12% were Black, 10% were Asian American, and 10% reported their race as other. For the rest, race was unknown. Philadelphia hospitals and health officials say they are working hard to get more residents of color vaccinated, especially because people of color are more likely to contract the virus and suffer serious complications. Heres how.

Helpful resources

You got this: Kickstart your fitness goals

For many, wellness-related goals rank high on New Years resolution lists. But getting started  and more importantly, staying motivated  with a new wellness program is challenging. Especially during a pandemic, when access to fitness facilities is limited. Inquirer fitness columnist Ashley Greenblatt has created a get-fit guide to kick start your fitness goals this year.

 My colleague Grace Dickinson has rounded up Phillys best vegan and vegetarian takeout options.

 From dinosaurs to superheroes, here are the best kids events in Philly this week.

 A Havertown native talks about what its like to work behind the scenes on Netflixs hot new drama Bridgerton.

Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter.

What were paying attention to

Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here.
Deputy Prime Minister and MOFA Minister Pham Binh Minh speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VGP)

On January 11, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held a meeting to summarize the work in 2020, and implement the orientation and tasks for the year 2021, with the attendance of Deputy Prime Minister and MOFA Minister Pham Binh Minh.



In 2020, Vietnam successfully assumed international responsibilities, especially as the 2020 ASEAN President and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2020-2021; maintaining and promoting the momentum of relations with other countries through flexible adjustment of modes of external activities combined online and directly.

International integration, focusing on international economic integration, continued to make new breakthroughs with the ratification or signing of free trade agreements, including EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), thereby creating new impetus for economic recovery. Economic diplomacy activities to support localities and businesses to connect with partners and market expansion have been implemented effectively.

Foreign affairs made an important contribution to the protection of Vietnamese national sovereignty and sovereignty rights in line with international law. Citizen protection continued to be a bright spot, while cultural diplomacy and external information was done well for promoting the image of Vietnam in innovation, successful integration, and effective prevention of COVID-19.

In his remarks at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and MOFA Minister Pham Binh Minh praised the efforts of the ministry for the achievements in 2020.

He suggested the diplomatic sector, in 2021, focus on organizing the effective implementation of the foreign policy set by the 13th National Party Congress resolution; continue to deepen, stabilize and sustain relations with neighboring countries, major countries, important partners, and traditional friends; deploy the direction of the Secretariat on promoting and enhancing multilateral foreign relations until 2030; resolutely and persistently fight to firmly protect the sovereignty of islands and the legitimate interests of the country in the East Sea, in traditional and non-traditional security challenges; continue to effectively implement the work of protecting citizens and working on overseas Vietnamese; and cultural diplomacy and foreign information./.
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The Minister for Children said he shares campaigners' concerns about the potential existence of childrens remains at the former Bessborough mother and baby home in Cork.

Roderic OGorman has also confirmed his intention to make a submission to An Bord Pleanala on the contentious planning application for apartments on privately-owned land which was once part of the Bessborough estate.

He said he wants to assure Bessborough survivors and campaigners that those responsible for assessing the planning application will take full account of the findings of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, which was published today.

Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Children Roderic O Gorman TD.

I hope that my plan to make a submission to the relevant planning authorities provides some degree of reassurance ... that the interim and final reports of the commission will be taken into account and no gap in information will arise, he said.

Survivors were braced today for the release of the commission report into one of the darkest chapters of recent Irish history.

Read More Fergus Finlay: Mother and baby home report only first step towards justice

It is expected to deal in detail with the scale of infant mortality at Bessborough, and raise concerns about burial arrangements.

The commission has already established that more than 900 children died in Bessborough or in hospital after being transferred from there.

However, despite very extensive inquiries and searches, it says it has been able to establish the burial place of only 64 children in various city cemeteries.

Outrage at development plans

Members of the Cork Survivors and Supporters Alliance (CSSA), who believe hundreds of babies were buried on the Bessborough estate, are outraged at developers MWB Twos plans for 246 apartments on a privately owned 3.7-acre parcel of land in the south-eastern corner of what was once the Bessborough estate.

A section of land near Bessborough, Cork showing the folly at the former Mother and Baby home. Picture Dan Linehan

The developers applied just before Christmas to Cork City Council for permission to build 67 apartments in an eight-storey building on the southern portion of the landbank, and separately, because of land zoning issues, to An Bord Pleanala through the fast-track strategic housing development (SHD) process, for 179 residential units in three buildings ranging in height from five to seven stories, on the northern portion of the landbank.

Read More Calls on Taoiseach to block apartment plan for Bessborough site

The SHD site overlaps an area of land identified on historic maps as a childrens burial ground".

The CSSA raised their concerns about the residential plan directly with Mr OGorman in recent weeks.

In correspondence seen by the Irish Examiner, the minister said he is aware of the issue and understands the distress this has caused to "those most centrally connected to this issue".

He said the investigation of burial arrangements of persons who died while resident in mother and baby homes was a key focus of the terms of reference for the Commission.

And he said he shares the concerns of the CSSA in relation to the potential existence of childrens remains on the Bessborough site, and the outstanding questions about the specific location for burials on the site  matters already addressed by the commission in its fifth interim report.

He said on foot of legal advice, he couldnt accede to the CSSAs request for sight of the commissions final report, or the chapter on Bessborough, before the planning deadline, notwithstanding their offer to provide a written undertaking not to release the report to anyone else.

While I accept the bona fides of your intentions, unfortunately, I am advised that I am precluded from providing a copy of the indicated chapter in advance of the general release of the report into the public domain," he said.

As I have said on the record of the Dail, I am mindful of the risks raised by these planning applications, and I am examining the matter

While noting that the consultants report submitted by the developer references the final report of the commission, nevertheless I am planning to make a submission to the planning process as Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, in respect of the SHD application, to ensure that the interim and final reports of the Commission of Investigation are taken into account by the planning authorities when considering planning applications.

Compulsory purchase order

Meanwhile, Cork's city councillors are set to discuss calls for a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on certain lands at Bessborough.

Independent councillor Thomas Moloney said consideration should be given to CPO-ing the land and designating the area that campaigners believe is a "childrens burial ground" part of the Cork city cemeteries section.

City councillors said several complex legal issues would need to be considered before the local authority could embark on such a move but they have agreed to discuss it further.
[January 12, 2021] Engineering Firms Accelerating Growth by Automating Site Inspection Reporting, RMG Achieves Significant Gains

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Flowfinity Wireless Inc. today published a case study demonstrating how Rocky Mountain Group (RMG) achieved significant gains in operational efficiency by automating engineering site inspection workflows using custom applications configured rapidly without code. IT leaders at the Colorado based engineering, architectural and construction materials testing firm chose the Flowfinity no code platform to digitize field data collection and integrate with custom reporting applications using a central SQL server. Through these innovations senior managers are now able to make decisions faster and with greater confidence in the accuracy of their information. "I'm happy to say that my experience getting acquainted with Flowfinity was very positive and relatively easy," says Jeffrey Lubbers, IT Support Technician, Rocky Mountain Group. "It took about 2-3 forms to really see how most of the layout functionality and validation works. A few forms later and the relationship between how states can interact with the views really becomes apparent." Within a short time, RMG created, integrated and automated custom site inspection applications that replaced existing manual processes with an effective digital data management solution that greatly reduced reporting delays and errors. With their previous processes, on site inspectors would fill out paper forms at construction sites and return them to the office at the end of the day. Engineers and office staff would have to sort through all that paperwork o a regular basis. That process took a significant amount of time and effort, especially if there were missing or incomplete reports.



Now RMG has a continuous digital workflow that isn't dependent on having a physical transaction. Managers regularly receive and review reports to keep track of project progress which assist in decision making and reduce the potential for costly errors. The site inspection data captured in Flowfinity is integrated with RMG's internal project management software and is available within 10 minutes of being submitted in the field.

"One of things that I'm most impressed with is the stability of the Flowfinity system. Once setup for our field techs, it is a set it and forget it situation, the darn thing just keeps on running!" says Jeffery Lubbers, Rocky Mountain Group. "It's a unique tool, it's really reliable. Offline data is another major plus." To read the full case study, please visit: https://www.flowfinity.com/customers/engineering-inspection-workflows.aspx About Flowfinity Flowfinity is a no-code development platform used to create, automate and integrate custom business process applications. For over 20 years, Flowfinity has empowered IT and business professionals to build flexible, scalable data collection and workflow management solutions without the costs and commitment of programming. Our intuitive toolset combines a web-based app editor, central SQL database, advanced form functionality, interactive dashboards, configurable software robots, and reliable integration options. For more information, please visit: https://www.flowfinity.com/ Flowfinity Wireless Inc.

Alex Puttonen, Marketing Manager

604-878-0008 ext. 2125

288752@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/engineering-firms-accelerating-growth-by-automating-site-inspection-reporting-rmg-achieves-significant-gains-301206234.html SOURCE Flowfinity Wireless Inc.

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When ministers launched a 1 billion fund last year to replace dangerous cladding, Nathan Prescott thought he had been saved from financial disaster.

But his hope turned to despair when he found out his building would not qualify for support - because vital repairs had already begun.

Mr Prescott is one of 98 leaseholders at Skyline Central 1, a luxury apartment block in Manchester, who are paying up to 27,000 each to cover the costs themselves.

Hundreds of thousands of homeowners in unsafe flats face paying life-changing sums to fix serious safety defects identified in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire (Stock image)

The 44-year-old has already been forced to move out because he can't afford the bills and says homeowners are being 'punished' for getting on with the job at hand.

Hundreds of thousands of homeowners in unsafe flats face paying life-changing sums to fix serious safety defects identified in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017.

Just 202 out of an estimated 11,760 dangerous buildings have been fixed, and experts believe work will take another ten years to complete at the current rate.

Families trapped in unsafe flats are still waiting for funds to be released  but the vast majority are set to miss out altogether because of shortfalls in government support.

Ministers have set aside a total of 1.6billion to fund remediation work but MPs estimate the overall cost will be closer to 15billion.

The current pot excludes thousands of unsafe buildings because only those over a certain height and with particular types of defect are covered. But Skyline leaseholders are thought to be the only group to be denied cash because repairs started too soon.

Trapped by costs of up to 27,000 Flat-owner Anna Ortega Anna Ortega says she is trapped in her flat for the next four years because she cant afford to pay off a loan for vital repairs. The 31-year-old (pictured) bought her apartment at Skyline Central 1 in Manchester for 175,000 in 2015. In 2019, work began to remove cladding similar to that on Grenfell Tower. Leaseholders are liable to pay for repairs and were told by their freeholder that they could pay costs of up to 27,000 each over a five-year period, interest free. But when they accepted, they didnt realise it would later exclude them from a government fund announced in March last year, which bars buildings where work has already begun. It means Skyline leaseholders wont receive a penny, even though their building is covered in the same type of cladding as others that will get funds. To make matters worse, flat owners can sell their properties only if they pay off the rest of their cladding repair loan in one lump sum. Miss Ortega wants to sell up and move in with her boyfriend but says she now cant afford to. The town planner is paying 320 a month for remediation work on top of her normal service charge. Together the bills account for half her income. Its completely draining, she said. When we first found out about the costs, I was anxious about paying them. The funding decision is just another kick in the teeth. It makes no sense.

The most recent government fund was announced last March but excludes buildings where work had already begun. The Mail is calling on ministers to fix the scandal within 18 months and spare leaseholders the crippling financial burdens.

We are demanding that necessary funding is made available as soon as possible, as work cannot begin in earnest until it does. In 2019, leaseholders at Skyline were asked by their freeholder, Adriatic Land, to choose between accepting liability for the remediation costs or potentially losing their homes.

Pursuing the developer was not an option because it had gone bust and there was no funding available at the time that covered the type of cladding on their building.

Safety sums that make no sense Hundreds of thousands of homeowners could miss out on funding to fix safety defects in their flats due to shortfalls in government support. Ministers have set aside 1.6billion to fund repairs but MPs estimate the total cost will be about 15billion. The funding is limited to replacing dangerous cladding on buildings above 60ft (18metres) high. But hundreds of apartment blocks in England and Wales have fire safety defects other than unsafe cladding, while there are some 77,500 buildings between 11 and 18 metres high in England alone. There are two government funds: a 600 million pot for replacement of Grenfell-style aluminium composite material (ACM) and a 1 billion pot to replace non-ACM cladding. Remediation of ACM cladding has largely been funded by the private sector or Government, but the scale of the non-ACM problem is much larger. The average cost of remediation is 1.7 million per building, according to the Greater London Authority, so the pot would cover only about 600 blocks. There have already been 2,820 applications, of which just 294 have been approved. It is operating on a first-come, first-served basis, so 1,700 high-risk buildings cant be prioritised. The deadline for applications has been extended until June 31 but work cannot begin until funds are released.

So leaseholders agreed to pay over a five-year period, interest free, which meant vital repair work could begin. When the 1 billion fund was announced last year that did cover their cladding, residents at first thought they had been spared the cost.

But their hopes were crushed when they realised the criteria barred buildings where work had already been planned or started. They sought a judicial review last August but this was rejected by a High Court judge.

Aviation worker Mr Prescott has been forced to move out because he lost his job during the pandemic and can't afford his monthly 309 cladding bill. He is now living with his partner and renting out his flat, which he bought for 175,000 in 2016.

He said: 'I was so excited when I bought it. It was listed as a luxury build, with a swimming pool, gym and sauna. Now I'd give it all up just to have something safe.

'As far as I'm aware, we are the only people in the country who have been punished in this way. To be denied funding because work had already started is another perfect example of just how unfair this scandal is.'

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is facing mounting pressure to fix the crisis after the Mail's campaign received backing from MPs of all parties, including 16 Tory backbenchers. A spokesman for Homeground, the acting agent for Adriatic Land, says the Government's decision to deny funding to Skyline is 'extremely misconceived and unfair'.

He added: 'Leaseholders should not be penalised as a result of proactive work that was carried out to keep them safe. 'If funding from the Government had been made available earlier, or buildings like Skyline not been unfairly excluded from funding, then none of this would have happened.'

A government spokesman said: 'The purpose of the Building Safety Fund is to speed up the removal and replacement of cladding on buildings where the work has not already started.

'We are considering options to fund future remediation work and we will provide an update in due course.'
Chinese Christians, missionaries falsely blamed for COVID resurgence

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In Chinas Hebei province, local Christians and foreign missionaries are being blamed for a resurgence of COVID-19 infections that resulted in a strict lockdown enacted on Jan. 6.

Asia News reported on a conversation between a local priest and a member of his parish, showing that there has been a post circulating on social media singling Christians out as the source of the new coronavirus epidemic.

The post reads: the village of Xiao Guozhuang, near Gaocheng is a Catholic village; 20 days ago, there was religious activity here, there were several priests from Europe and the United States [], implying that the Christians caused the newest outbreak in Hebei.

Despite the rumor, the local priest of Shijiazhuang, who goes by the pseudonym Shanren Shenfu, told Asia News that the accused villages have no Christians and the church body's religious activities have been banned since Christmas Eve.

Religious activities were suspended mid-December following orders from the Patriotic Association and the Administrative Commission [of the National Catholic Church in China].

The village of Xiao Guozhuang, Liu Jiazuo, Nan Qiaozhai are not Catholic villages, there are only a few Catholic residents, he said. These villages do not have a Catholic place of prayer; they do not organize Catholic religious meetings. To participate in the usual religious activities, all the faithful go to the adjacent village of Bei Qiaozhai, etc

Priest Shanren Shenfu said the blame-shifting reminded him of emperor Nero, who was looking for a scapegoat for his own misdeeds and persecuted Christians as a result.

Confused people, in truth, don't care what the truth is! he wrote.

Fortunately the Church of Shijiazhuang this time reacted in time, immediately issuing a statement to break through the lies and block the negative consequences."

"But I still want to ask the question again: where does this evil wind blow from? the priest asked.

Shijiazhuang is the largest metropolis in northern Chinas Hebei Province with 11 million residents. Last week, authorities barred all residents from leaving the city after it reported 63 coronavirus infections.

There were 103 new COVID-19 cases reported in mainland China Sunday, 82 of which were in Hebei.



China has been heavily criticized for its response to the coronavirus pandemic, from demonstrating a lack of transparency regarding positive infections to imposing overly harsh lockdowns.

Chinese officials have also been accused of trying to cover up the origins of COVID-19 and silencing whistleblowers. In December, Chinese Christian journalist Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison for her coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Additionally, the Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly perpetuated claims the virus was imported into China from overseas.

But amid the latest spike in cases, Chinese authorities are finally allowing an expert team of World Health Organization scientists into the country to investigate the origins of the virus, Reuters reports.

The expert team "will conduct joint research cooperation on the origins of COVID-19 with Chinese scientists," the Chinese health authority said.
Former UTV star Julian Simmons has said he sympathises with a continuity announcer who mistakenly introduced View From Stormont as "Views From Storm Front", but believes it shouldn't have gone out on air.

ITV was left red-faced after the gaffe during the broadcast of the political programme on Monday night hosted by Paul Clark.

Just as the show was about to go on air, an English ITV continuity announcer said: "Now, as the pandemic continues, we have all the latest developments in Views From Storm Front."

Simmons and fellow UTV favourite Gillian Porter left the station in November.

Last April local continuity announcements and branding between programmes were suspended to reduce risk and minimise the number of people in the Belfast office.

ITV said that the changes had worked well and as a result it had decided to make them permanent.

Continuity announcements have been provided centrally ever since.

"I've made many gaffes myself on television, so I know how easy it is," Simmons told the Belfast Telegraph.

"God help the fella because he just didn't know what he was talking about.

"But, really and truly, somebody should have checked that and it shouldn't have gone out on air.

"All down the years my continuity appearances were always live, and if you made a mistake that was it.

"But what went out last night was recorded.

"The ITV way now is to record everything and not to do it live or in-vision, and I believe that people in Northern Ireland really do miss that... it's what they tell me when I'm out shopping."

Expand Close Error: Paul Clark presenting View From Stormont / Facebook

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The blunder prompted many comments on Twitter, including one from Belfast comedian Tim McGarry, who posted: "Bring back Julian!!!"

The BBC's Ireland correspondent Emma Vardy described the mistake as a "Freudian slip" but said it had her in "stitches".

Meanwhile, David Blevins, Ireland correspondent for Sky News, added that 'Storm Front' "might be more apt right now".

At the time of their departures Simmons, best known for his quirky take on the goings-on of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and former UTV Life presenter Porter, said they planned to keep working and were excited to see what the future held for them.

Simmons said he felt "very lucky" to have worked for the broadcaster for more than 30 years, but it made sense to centralise operations.

"In-vision continuity was a real standout element of UTV for decades. I love the part I played in that," he added.

He had been furloughed for months before the decision was made.

"When the news came in that it was all over, I'd already seen the way things were going, so I wasn't surprised by it," he said.

"I'll always say that from the moment ITV took over a few years ago both myself and Gillian were treated like royalty as the continuity announcers.

"They treated us like part of the family. They were very, very good to us. I've no complaints at all."

ITV said: "We'd like to apologise for the continuity error last night before View From Stormont.

"This was human error and we have reviewed procedures to ensure that this won't happen again."
New Delhi: WhatsApp has recently updated its new Terms and Privacy Policy emphasising that users will be required to agree to the same or else they may need delete their account post February 8.

This has led to a lot of discontent among users, leading to fear that now their privacy might be compromised. WhatsApp, has now clarified more on its Privacy Policy, giving an elaborate account on what it means.

"We recently updated our Privacy Policy and we have received many thoughtful questions. With some of the rumors going around, we want to answer some of the common questions we have received. We go to great lengths to build WhatsApp in a way that helps people communicate privately. We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data," WhatsApp in its updated FAQs wrote.

As per the highlights of the FAQs, the following has been summed up:

1. WhatsApp cannot see your private messages or hear your calls and neither can Facebook.

2. WhatsApp does not keep logs of who everyone is messaging or calling.

3. WhatsApp cannot see your shared location and neither can Facebook.

4. WhatsApp does not share your contacts with Facebook.

5. WhatsApp groups remain private.

6. You can set your messages to disappear.

7. You can download your data.

On Monday, concerned at private group chat links being available on Google Search, WhatsApp said that they have asked Google not to index such chats and advised users not to share group chat links on publicly accessible websites. Google had indexed invite links to private WhatsApp group chats, meaning anyone can join various private chat groups with a simple search.
PRESS RELEASE

Gross ethical violations at Peoples Medical College, Bhopal in clinical trial for Bharat Biotechs COVAXIN

January 10, 2021

At a virtual press conference today, organizations of survivors of the Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal called upon the Prime Minister to immediately stop the ongoing clinical trial of COVAXIN in Bhopal.

In a letter to the Prime Minister and the Union Health Minister sent this morning, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information and Action and Children Against Dow Carbide have also sought punishment for all responsible parties who were negligent in ensuring the safety, well-being and the rights of the trial participants and monetary compensation for damages caused during the COVAXIN trial in Bhopal.

Rashida Bee, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh and a recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, said, At least 700 of the 1700 people on who this vaccine, with unknown efficacy, is being tested, are people poisoned by Union Carbide. One gas victim has already died within 10 days of getting the trial shot and many continue to have health complaints of serious nature. No one has been punished for the death of 13 gas victims who died during trials by Pharma companies at the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre some twelve years back. We are writing to the Prime Minister to ensure there is no repeat. On behalf of Bhopal survivors organisations, she demanded that the family of the gas victim who died during the COVAXIN trial be paid Rs. 50 lakhs as is done in the case of deceased "Corona warriors".

Highlighting some of the irregularities of the ongoing trial, Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action said, People whose health is compromised due to Union Carbides poisons are being given the COVAXIN trial shots without their knowledge or consent. No records are kept of the health problems the trials participants have had following the shots and several have been turned away without tending to the adverse effects of the shots. Trial participants who leave or are excluded halfway are denied care and are not followed up.

Describing the demands of the Bhopal survivors organizations, Shehzadi Bee of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha said, In addition to immediate stoppage of the trial and compensation for the gas victim who has died during this trial we demand a thorough and impartial audit, criminal punishment of officials and institutions responsible for this public health disaster and compensation for injuries caused due to trial vaccines.

By ignoring the ongoing criminal irregularities in the COVAXIN trial in Bhopal, the Government is potentially unleashing a public health disaster on the 16th of this month, said Nousheen Khan of the Children Against Dow Carbide.

o o o

[see other relevant news reports:

No consent, no follow-up, claim Bhopal gas tragedy victims in vaccine trial https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/no-consent-no-follow-up-claim-bhopal-gas-tragedy-victims-in-vaccine-trial/articleshow/80200879.cms

Vaccine Trials Being Conducted On Bhopal Gas Tragedy Survivors Without Consent, Alleges Activist https://thelogicalindian.com/trending/bhopal-gas-tragedy-victims-vaccine-25925?infinitescroll=1 ]

A LifeLine Ambulance arrives at the CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (CHA HPMC) in Los Angeles on Jan. 5, 2021. (Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo)

December Deadliest Month on Record for COVID in Orange County

SANTA ANA (CNS)Orange County health officials Jan. 11 reported another 29 COVID-19 virus fatalities, bringing the death toll to 2,120.

The death reports are staggered and sometimes take weeks to be logged, but its clear now that December was the deadliest month for the county since the pandemic began, with 410 fatalities reported so far.

That tops the summer peak when 379 died in July and 367 succumbed to coronavirus in August, according to Orange County Health Care Agency statistics.

Last week, the county reported 140 COVID-19 fatalities. Since Sunday, the county has reported 79 deaths.

The county also reported 3,259 new COVID-19 diagnoses on Monday, raising the cumulative total to 191,861.

The number of patients hospitalized with coronavirus edged up from 2,216 on Sunday to 2,221, matching Saturdays count. The number of intensive care unit patients dipped down from a record 547 on Sunday to 544.

Of Jan.11s 29 reported deaths, seven were skilled nursing facility residents and three resided in assisted living facilities. Since the pandemic began, 699 skilled nursing facility residents and 235 assisted living facility residents have died. There were 26,231 tests reported Monday, raising the cumulative total to 2,283,663, according to the OCHCA.

County officials are working on setting up two super sites, which will be announced this week, where vaccines will be distributed. Orange County chief executive Frank Kim said it is an effort to help hospitals dole out vaccines, as doctors and nurses are too overwhelmed with caring for patients now.

Sheriffs officials reported a steep decline in the number of Orange County Jail inmates infected with coronavirus, putting the number at 279, which includes 25 newly booked prisoners. At the apparent peak of the outbreak late last month, 1,246 were infected.

Sheriffs Sgt. Dennis Breckner said seven inmates are currently hospitalized and the department is awaiting the results of 1,167 tests.

The countys state-adjusted ICU bed availability remains at zero, and the unadjusted figure is 5.9 percent. The state created the adjusted metric to reflect the difference in beds available for COVID-19 patients and non-coronavirus patients.

The Southern California region is at zero ICU availability.

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According to a new research published by Polaris Market Research, the unified communications market is anticipated to reach over USD 186 billion by 2026. In 2017, the IT & telecom 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 workforce productivity, streamline enterprise communication, and provide a collaborative working environment has boosted the adoption of unified communication. The penetration of mobile devices, and increasing trend of BYOD further support the growth of this market. Additionally, the increasing demand of unified communication from small and medium enterprises has supported market growth over the years. Increasing investments by vendors in technological advancements coupled with growing demand for cloud-based unified communication services would accelerate the adoption of unified communication. However, growing concerns regarding data security, and lack of interoperability is expected to hinder market growth. Growing demand from emerging economies is expected to provide numerous growth opportunities in the coming years.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/unified-communications-market/request-for-sample

The use of digital assistants and bots in unified communications 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 on unified communication systems and offering instructions to users.

North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, 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 effective enterprise communication technologies in the developing countries of the region.

The end-users in unified communications market include BFSI, IT & Telecom, healthcare, retail, education, travel and hospitality, and others. In 2017, the IT & Telecom segment accounted for the highest market share owing to increasing need to improve enterprise communication, and improve productivity. The demand for unified communication has increased from startups operating in this sector to improve workforce collaboration, and reduce costs. The increasing adoption of cloud-based unified communication in this sector is expected to support market growth in the coming years.

Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/unified-communications-market

The well-known companies profiled in the report include Cisco Systems Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Avaya Inc., IBM Corporation, Verizon Communications, Inc., Polycom, Inc., BT Group, Alcatel-Lucent, NEC Corporation, Unify GmbH & Co. KG, Plantronics Inc., and ShoreTel Inc. 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.

Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Platform Telephony Unified Messaging Conferencing Others

Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Deployment Model On-Premise Cloud-Based

Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by End-User BFSI IT & Telecom Healthcare Retail Education Travel and Hospitality Others

Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa



Make Inquiry about this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/unified-communications-market/inquire-before-buying

About Polaris Market Research

Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world.

Contact us-

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Adnan Oktar, a Turkish televangelist gestures as he talks during a media conference in Istanbul, Thursday, May 12, 2011. A Turkish court on Monday sentenced the controversial Muslim televangelist and cult leader to life in prison, finding him guilty of forming a criminal gang and sexual abuse of minors, among several other offences. AP-Yonhap



As a Turkish Muslim televangelist who surrounded himself with scantily-clad women he called "kittens" starts a 1,075-year jail term for sex crimes, we look at some of the world's longest prison sentences.



Several countries, including the United States and Spain, allow for consecutive sentences, with prisoners condemned in theory to spend many lifetimes behind bars.





US: 30,000-year sentence



Far-right terrorist Terry Nichols was convicted of helping fellow former soldier Timothy McVeigh carry out the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in which 168 people died -- including 19 children.



Although he tried to pull out of the attack on a federal government building at the last minute, he got 161 life sentences plus 9,300 years without parole.



McVeigh was executed.



Nichols, 65, shares the same Colorado cell block as Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph and Ramzi Yousef, a Pakistani convicted of the 1993 World Trade Center attack on the Twin Towers.



Another Oklahoma jury sentenced Charles Scott Robinson to 30,000 years behind bars in 1994 for raping a small child.





Thailand's world record



The world's longest non-life sentence, according to the "Guinness Book of Records," was imposed on Thai pyramid scheme fraudster Chamoy Thipyaso, who was jailed for 141,078 years in 1989.



However, she was released after only eight years behind bars despite having conned some members of the royal household.





Spain: Europe's longest



Madrid holds the EU record for handing down the longest prison stretches, often to those convicted of Basque or Islamist terror attacks.



Three men were sentenced to a total of 120,000 years in jail for their part in the 2004 Al-Qaeda Madrid train bombings in which 193 people were killed.



ETA members have been also sentenced to thousands of years each including Ines del Rio Prada, who was sentenced to 3,828 years for her part in 24 murders and other terrorist acts.



But she was freed in 2013 after 26 years by the European Court of Human Rights after a fellow ETA member Henri "Unai" Parot challenged his 4,797-year sentence for the Zaragoza Barracks bombings in 1987.



European law now restricts Spain to holding convicted criminals for a maximum of 30 or 40 years depending on when they were sentenced.





Tough Turkey



The sentence handed down to televangelist Adnan Oktar on Monday is the second super-sentence in only a few months in Istanbul.



Uzbek terrorist Abdulkadir Masharipov got 40 life sentences in September, one for each of his victims for a New Year's Day massacre at the Reina nightclub in the city in the first minutes of 2017.



He got an additional 1,368 years for attempting to kill revellers in the attack claimed by the Islamic State.





490 years: Britain's longest



The highest British sentence was handed down to IRA bomber and sniper Bernard McGinn who got 490 years for his part in various attacks including the Docklands and Baltic Exchange bombings in London.



He was arrested by the SAS in Crossmaglen but was released after serving 16 months in 2000 under the Good Friday Agreement, which ended the Northern Ireland Troubles.



Andrew Aston got 26 life sentences in 2002 for attacking elderly and disabled people around Birmingham, but his terms are concurrent.



The six Irishmen wrongly convicted of the 1974 IRA bombings in the same city were given 21 life sentences, but freed 16 years later when their convictions were quashed. (AFP)


Ukrainian imports of agricultural products and food increased by 13% and amounted to USD 6.5 billion in 2020, the press service of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club Association (UCAB) reports.

In 2020, agricultural products remained the basis of Ukraine's foreign trade. The share of agricultural and food products in the total volume of Ukrainian exports amounted to 45%, or USD 22.2 million. At the same time, Ukrainian imports of these products reached USD 6.5 billion, which is 13% more than last year, the report says.

As reported, in 2019, the share of agricultural products and food in the total volume of Ukrainian exports amounted to 44.3%, or USD 22.2 billion.

Compared to 2018, the volume of agricultural exports in 2019 increased by 19%, while the total export of goods from Ukraine grew by 6% over this period.

The volume of imports of agricultural products in Ukraine in 2019 was almost four times less than the volume of its exports and amounted to USD 5.7 billion. The share of imports of agricultural products and food in 2019 amounted to 9.4% of total imports and increased by 13% compared to 2018.

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Many New Jersey residents desperate to get the COVID-19 vaccine made online appointments to get vaccinated at various Hackensack Meridian Health facilities. The only problem is, some of them are not eligible for the vaccine under the states plan to limit who gets the shot for now to healthcare workers, first responders and nursing home staff and residents.

While its not clear exactly what happened, it appears that the website where first responders were invited to schedule appointments is publicly accessible and might have been shared amongst people who didnt qualify as 1A or 1B categories.

Weve had a handful of people who showed up who were not eligible as a front line health care worker or a first responder. We informed those people that they can sign up once we open the vaccine process to the general public, as determined by state and federal guidelines, Hackensack Meridian Health said in a statement Monday.

The website previously didnt specify who was qualified to sign up for an appointment.

We have added additional educational information as well as enhanced ID requirements to ensure that only those eligible for the vaccine receive it, in accordance with New Jersey and federal guidelines, the statement said.

Anyone who signed up will be contacted and told not to come unless the person can prove he or she is a health care worker or first responder, according to the health system.

Stephanie Alvarez, assistant nurse manager at Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Canter in North Bergen, shows her vaccination card on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

Its not easy to schedule vaccinations for the hundreds of thousands of health care workers and first responders in New Jersey. Trying to make sure the people showing up to get the shot are actually eligible could only complicate the process, officials have noted.

To that end, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said at a press briefing Monday that the state is not requiring people to show documentation of their eligibility.

We are trusting the integrity of all of you to do the right thing in this regard and not `jump the line, she said. We know everyone is anxious and were asking for your patience as we await a larger supply of vaccines.

Its not clear whether many facilities are following this policy. A Hackensack Meridian Health spokeswoman said identification is required at its facilities.

Persichilli noted that the documentation could slow down the process and the state would like to keep vaccinations a positive experience.

The state is doing a balancing act, trying to get as many high-risk people vaccinated as quickly as possible to avoid wasting a drop of the vaccine that can go bad over time, while dealing with a limited supply of vaccine that comes weekly the federal government.

More than 214,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in New Jersey as of Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said. That includes 199,293 first dose shots and 14,984 second dose shots.

The doses given out to people represent about 37% of the more than 572,250 doses the state has received from the U.S. government, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The states goal is to get 70% of the population vaccinated in six months. The public can pre-register to receive the vaccine when they qualify on the states website.

Staff writer Karin Price-Mueller contributed to this story.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.

A Republican state representative caught on video opening the doors of the Oregon Capitol to right-wing demonstrators was removed from his legislative committees, billed for the damages caused by the group and called on to resign by the top House lawmaker.

Rep. Mike Nearman, of Independence, endangered everyone inside the building when he allowed violent demonstrators inside, said House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland. Security video obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive shows Nearman opening two doors during a Dec. 21 special legislative session.

His actions have created immense fear among legislators and Capitol staff, Kotek said in a news release issued late Monday. I believe he should resign immediately because he has already breached the public trust and endangered our ability to safely conduct the peoples business.

Nearman told The Oregonian/OregonLive that his lawyers had advised him not to talk to the press, and said he would be putting out a statement on Tuesday.

The news about Nearman being removed from his committee assignments was first reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Several dozen demonstrators, most of whom were not wearing masks, were protesting the states coronavirus restrictions outside the Capitol. They gained access to the building, in part because Nearman opened a door. Other protesters also tried to enter by breaking the window in a door.

Some people attempted to disrupt a legislative session underway, but were intercepted by state troopers and Salem police.

Some rioters were carrying rifles, and others sprayed troopers with a chemical substance reported to be pepper spray. Some protesters also attacked journalists who were reporting on the events. At least five people have been arrested as a result of the riot.

State police have previously confirmed troopers are investigating Nearmans actions that day.

Kotek said she stripped Nearman of his two committee assignments and rescinded his commission appointments. He was supposed to sit on a joint information technology committee and a joint ways and means subcommittee when the legislature convenes for its 2021 session Tuesday. Instead, he now faces Koteks call to resign.

The House speaker also fined Nearman $2,000 for the property damage protesters caused.

In her statement issued Monday, Kotek said she and other representatives planned to file formal conduct complaints with the Legislative Equity Office alleging Nearman created a hostile work environment.

Nearman agreed to several terms regarding his work at the Capitol, including relinquishing his badge to access the building, agreeing not to let any non-authorized person inside and giving 24 hours notice before he enters.

Reporter Hillary Borrud of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this story.

-Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR
At least nine suspected cartel members were killed and a state police officer was shot dead during a series of gun battles Monday.

Authorities said the shootouts in the north-central state of Guanajuato started before dawn near the hamlet of Santa Rosa de Lima, the stronghold of a cartel of the same name.

State police, soldiers and National Guard agents rushed to respond to reports of armed men in the area, and all three forces came under fire from heavily armed assailants in vans, SUVs and pickup trucks, officials said.

A state police officer was hit and later died at a hospital following the first clash between security forces and alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Five assailants were also reported killed.

As reinforcements arrived, they also came under attack and returned fire.

A member of Mexico's security forces applies CPR to a suspected member of a drug cartel killed early Monday in the north-central state of Guanajuato.

The body of a male drug cartel member lies in the middle of a road in the Guanajuato town of Santa Rosa de Lima following a series of gunfights that ended with nine purported drug cartel members and one state police officer dead

Military gear and weapons were confiscated from the scene of a shooting where Mexican security forces found four dead bodies Monday in the north-central state of Guanajuato

Guanajuato governor Diego Sinhue Rodriguez said a National Guard soldier was also shot in the leg. The injury was non-life threatening.

Officials said the combined law enforcement forces found a total of four other bodies, many of them bullet-ridden, in a variety of vehicles in the area around Santa Rosa de Lima, which is an agricultural area with many dirt roads.

They reported seizing 10 assault rifles, 14 grenades and 30 gasoline bombs from various vehicles.

An SUV was among several vehicles that Mexican law enforcement confiscated following an encounter with members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel that left one state police officer and five cartel members dead

Guanajuato state officials said the combined law enforcement forces found a total of four other bodies, many of them bullet-ridden, in a variety of vehicles in the area around Santa Rosa de Lima, which is an agricultural town with many dirt roads

A Guanajuato-based security analyst, David Saucedo, said the shootouts initially erupted when Jalisco New Generation Cartel gunmen, known by its Spanish initials CJNG [Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion], attacked rivals from Santa Rosa de Lima. Both groups of gunmen then apparently fired on responding law enforcement officers.

'For some reason, the CJNG decided to start an offensive in this zone,' Saucedo said.

Authorities said hand-lettered drug gang signs were found in some of the vehicles, though they did not release the messages.

But a photo from the scene showed that one of the signs read 'People of Santa Rosa de Lima, the CJNG has arrived in your town, we arrived to clean up this bunch of extortionists and killers of innocent people.'

Saucedo said the home-grown Santa Rosa Gang has taken to extorting protection payments from local people, but the Jalisco cartel has also staged its offensive with cruelty, forcing some in areas controlled by the rival gang to flee their homes and properties.

A Mexican soldier stands over the body of an alleged cartel member who died Monday in the north-central town of Santa Rosa de Lima

Military ammunition seized from alleged drug cartel members following a series of gun battles before dawn Monday in Guanajuato, Mexico

Thousands have been killed in Guanajuato since Santa Rosa de Lima began a turf war to fight off a takeover by the Jalisco cartel in 2017.

Now the state is at the center of a proxy war between drug cartels, after the Sinaloa cartel entered the conflict backing Santa Rosa de Lima with guns, money and hired killers, said Sophia Huett, the Guanajuato security commissioner.

That same kind of proxy war made the border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, a killing ground in the years around 2010.

Assault rifle ammunition that was used by alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in an attack that left one state cop and five of its members dead

Pictured is one of nine purported drug cartel members killed during a string of gun battles in the north-central Mexican state of Guanajuato on Monday. The state has become the deadliest in Mexico, with 4,190 homicides from January to November 2020

Federal forces guard the site where at least nine alleged cartel members and one state policeman were killed in Guanajuato, Mexico, on Monday

The Santa Rosa Cartel grew up in the farming hamlet of the same name by stealing fuel from government pipelines and refineries and robbing freight from trains. After authorities stepped up security around trains and pipelines over the last two years, the gang turned to extortion and kidnapping.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been Mexico's most violent cartel in recent years, aggressively expanding its reach across the country through bold attacks on rival gangs and government forces.

Its leader, Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera, is wanted by the United State Department of Justice. The DEA is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. Oseguera's two oldest American-born children are in custody of U.S. authorities on drug and money laundering charges,

The conflict has made Guanajuato - home to charming San Miguel Allende, a popular retirement spot for Americans - Mexico's deadliest state, where at least 82 people were killed during the first week of 2021.

Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera (pictured), the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful criminal groups. The DEA is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction

At least 4,190 murders were registered from January to November 2020. The homicide tally for December has not been released yet.

Government showed 3,290 homicides were reported in 2018 and slightly increased the following year to 3,540.

In September, gunmen killed 11 people in a bar in Jaral del Progreso near the border with Michoacan state. More than two dozen people were killed in an unregistered drug rehabilitation center in Irapuato in July.

Late last week, nine people were killed and one wounded when gunmen opened fire at a wake in the city of Celaya, near Santa Rosa de Lima. Officials said gunmen arrived late Thursday and opened fire on a group of people.

The victims were standing outside a home in a low-income neighborhood where a wake was being held for a young man who himself had been gunned down nearby a couple of days before.

Melbourne radio host Polly 'PJ' Harding recently became engaged to her boyfriend of more than two years, known to listeners as BJ.

And the 30-year-old, who co-hosts the Jase and PJ breakfast show on KIIS 101.1, revealed on Tuesday how the proposal went down.

She said BJ didn't even have the chance to ask 'Will you marry me?' before she cut him off impatiently the moment he pulled the ring from his pocket.

Cute! Melbourne radio host Polly 'PJ' Harding (left) recently became engaged to her boyfriend of more than two years, known to listeners as BJ (right)

Before he popped the question, PJ risked spoiling the moment by firing a 'million questions' at her fiance because he was acting so 'strangely'.

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'I was back in New Zealand. I had no idea and I was completely surprised. I did spy a text message on his phone a couple of days beforehand that he had sent to a jewellery store but I thought that was about a Christmas present,' she explained.

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'I had also noticed two bottles of Moet hidden and wondered why we had them When he asked me to go for a walk on the beach, I thought that was weird.

'Then I noticed he had something in his pocket and I launched into a million questions: "What's in your pocket?", "What have you got there?" [I was] wrestling him on the beach, jumping about the poor guy.'

Details: The 30-year-old, who co-hosts the Jase and PJ breakfast show on KIIS 101.1, revealed on Tuesday how the proposal went down

Cutting to the chase: She said BJ didn't even have the chance to ask 'Will you marry me?' before she cut him off impatiently the moment he pulled the ring from his pocket

That's when BJ, who had planned the proposal for six months, pulled out the mussel shell, which had 'the most divine ring' inside.

'I said yes straight away,' PJ said. 'BJ didn't even get to ask the sentence, "Will you marry me?"

'It was a really amazing day. We were joined by family afterwards and enjoyed the champagne! BJ had been planning the proposal for over six months, which is very special.'

Details: PJ returned to the airwaves an engaged woman on Monday after flying from New Zealand to Melbourne over the weekend

PJ returned to the airwaves an engaged woman on Monday after flying from New Zealand to Melbourne over the weekend.

The Kiwi media personality had spent the non-ratings period in her home country, and BJ proposed to her on December 22.

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The couple have yet to confirm a wedding date.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo was recently reported to be the nations worst for the loss of educated people, but local experts say that conclusion was based on false data.

An article by Bloomberg published Dec. 31 named Kalamazoo as the worst city in the U.S. for brain drain, or the population loss of educated people or those working in white-collar jobs. The president of Kalamazoos W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research said the articles findings are based on inaccurate data and simply are not true.

Its all based on a comparison of apples to oranges, President Michael Horrigan said of the Bloomberg article, which has since been updated online.

The article titled, Worst Spot for U.S. Brain Drain Gets Hope as Covid Vaccine Hub, now includes comments from Horrigan but draws the same overall conclusions despite his criticism of data used in the analysis.

According to a graphic in the original published article, the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) lost 21% of its population between 2015 and 2019, and 10.7% of white-collar jobs.

We stand by our reporting, Bloomberg said in a statement to MLive.

There was actually an increase in population over that time in the Kalamazoo area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population in Kalamazoo County grew 2% from 259,676 in 2015 to 265,066 in 2019.

Horrigan said the data is inaccurate because the MSA in 2015 included Van Buren County but, in 2018, the rural county west of Kalamazoo was dropped by the federal group that defines the MSAs. Today, the MSA includes the city of Kalamazoo and city of Portage.

The purported population decrease of more than 20%, referenced in the original version of the Bloomberg article, is accounted for by the loss of Van Buren County residents in that dataset, he said.

The article also highlighted the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer, which is located in Portage  saying the news was a bright spot amid an otherwise dim economic outlook.

The old factory town of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has become a center for Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing, the article reads. That may help the areas economy turn a corner after some tough years.

The Bloomberg article was updated Monday, Jan. 11, and now includes comment from Horrigan explaining the discrepancy in the data because of the change in boundaries of Kalamazoos Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Since the government did not change its identification for the metro region, Bloomberg followed that coding of geography in its analysis for consistency, the revised version of the article states.

Horrigan said Upjohn, a not-for-profit research organization, knew the data was wrong when they first saw the article.

We looked at it, and the numbers just didnt strike us as correct, he said. When you take out an entire county, of course the numbers are going to fall.

If comparing the MSAs population without Van Buren County from 2015 and 2019, the population increases by 1.8%, Horrigan said. When comparing the two years with Van Buren County included, the population increased by 1.6%, he said.

In data compiled by Upjohn, the increase in white-collar jobs between 2015 and 2019 in Kalamazoos MSA, including Van Buren County, is 7.2%. In the same data set, the number of people with advanced degrees rose 0.3% and those with science and engineering degrees increased 3.6%.

The Upjohn president said his organization suggested Bloomberg look at all of their statistics because the MSAs changed for multiple cities. The article analyzed population data for the 20 worst cities for brain drain and 20 best cities for increases in the educated population.

According to the article, six of the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas that, according to the article, lost the most brain power over the past four years are in the industrial Midwest. Rounding out the top five after Kalamazoo were Decatur, Illinois; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Lima, Ohio and Elmira, New York.

The article highlights the work of the Kalamazoo County Land Bank to rejuvenate the city, Horrigan said, but neglected to mention the impact of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College or Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The Kalamazoo Promise is another big draw to the city and attracts families from all over for the offer of free college, he said.

This is not an old factory town, Horrigan said. It has its challenges no matter what, but its a pretty vibrant community.

Also on MLive:

Laid off during Michigans latest shutdown? You may be eligible for $1,650.

Citizens decry violence, police actions in emotional accounts of Kalamazoo summer protests

Full firearms ban at Capitol would come with $1.5 million price tag for new security measures

Kalamazoo Public Library announces new scholarship opportunity for people of color
Lucknow, Jan 12 : The first lot of Covid vaccines reached the Lucknow airport on Tuesday evening from Pune.

According to official sources, the vaccines, which were brought in a special aircraft, were received by UP Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh and Director General, Health, Dr D.S. Negi at the airport.

The vaccines will be kept in 18 store houses amidst tight security.

In an effort to prepare Uttar Pradesh for a seamless immunisation drive, the state government had conducted its third and final mock trial at 15,000 centres across the state on Monday.

The Centre had directed all states across the country to conduct dry runs, following the state-customised road maps to identify and eliminate any bottle-necks or loop-holes in the system.

According to the drive layout, each vaccination centre will have 3 rooms to carry out the immunisation process.

The beneficiaries will enter through the first room, where their ID and other personal details will be authenticated. After clearing this, the recipients will be sent to the second room, where the vaccine will be administered.

The last room has been set up as a waiting area, where all the vaccine recipients will be spending approximately 30 minutes after the immunisation.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
ALBANY  Police are investigating the death of a 23-year-old man from Albany who was shot Monday night on Ontario Street.

At around 11:55 p.m., police said they investigated reports of a shooting near Ontario and Hamilton Street. Police said they found Uizaie Brigman inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
The new 2021 Formula One calendar still has a gap, but Auto, Motor und Sport have reported that this will be filled by Portimao. However, some races are still in the pipeline.

The new 2021 Formula 1 calendar was announced on Tuesday morning with some adjustments. The Australian Grand Prix has been moved to November, the Bahrain Grand Prix is now the first race of the F1 season and Imola returns to the calendar. However, this is not the end of the changes.

Read more F1 cannot continue trend of increasing number of overtakes in 2020

Portimao a certainty

Indeed, there is still an open spot that has yet to be announced (TBC). Portimao seems to be the most likely candidate to fill this spot and Auto, Motor und Sport have reaffirmed this. According to the German source, this race will be announced as the second European race at a later date.

However, there are also some races in the pipeline. According to AMuS, Monaco has until mid-May to determine whether the race can go ahead. Just like in Australia, Monaco has a problem to arrange everything in the time because of the coronavirus and also the races in Baku and Canada are in doubt if they can take place under the current circumstances.

Read more New F1 calendar seems to reveal TBC race: Portimao must also now return
Tamil Nadu is set to open schools across the state for students of class 10 and 12 on January 19, said the state government on Tuesday. Hostels for these students have also been allowed to reopen from January 19.

The state government's statement said, the decision was taken after consultation with all stakeholders including parents. "95% of the schools have submitted reports that most parents have consented to reopening the schools for these students," the statement said.

The government's decision is taken keeping the education welfare of students in mind, said the statement.

"Each class will have only upto 25 students and the schools shall follow the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the state government," the statement added.

Schools in the state have been shut since March 2020 when the lockdown was announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only board exams were conducted for students and all other students were announced automatically promoted to the next class.

The Tamil Nadu government earlier pondered over reopening schools after Deepavali but the idea was shunned as it received widespread criticism from various quarters as the COVID-19 situation was still not under control in the state.

Tamil Nadu, on Monday, reported 682 new cases of COVID-19.

Also read: First consignment of COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in Kolkata today

Also read: PM Modi to address National Youth Parliament Festival today
Billionaire Beny Steinmetz's lawyer went on the offensive in the first day of the Israeli businessmans trial for bribery, demanding evidence that a prosecutor gathered from "secret" trips to Israel be purged from the indictment.

Marc Bonnant blasted Swiss prosecutor Claudio Mascotto for refusing to disclose who he met in Israel in 2017, who covered his costs and why the trips were never disclosed to the court before it was reported in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

"It's not acceptable that we don't know who paid" and "we can only hypothesise," Mr Bonnant told the court in Geneva yesterday morning. "These questions demand an answer."

Mr Steinmetz and two co-defendants are accused of paying the wife of Guinea's deceased former president Lansana Conte $8.5m (6.9m) to secure the concession rights to a vast mountain of iron ore worth billions of dollars in the country's south.

The trio are also accused of forgery for allegedly creating share structures to hide the bribes. The trial is taking place in Geneva as Mr Steinmetz lived there until 2016 and had businesses there.

Mamadie Toure, Mr Conte's wife, reached a non-prosecution agreement in the US, in a related corruption probe in return for providing testimony there.

Without knowing the context of that agreement, the US testimony should not be used in the Geneva case, said Camille Haab, another lawyer for the billionaire. Mr Steinmetz's lawyers have said that they have not had a chance to question Ms Toure since the case began in 2013, and it's vital they do so during the trial.

Ms Toure is scheduled to appear as a witness on Wednesday, but it's not clear if she will attend. A New York lawyer who previously represented her declined to comment and separate attempts to reach Ms Toure were unsuccessful.

The trio of defendants organised bribes to secure the rights to the Simandou mine just weeks before Mr Conte's 2008 death, Swiss prosecutors allege. The concession's previous owner, Rio Tinto Group, lost the rights after failing to develop the site, putting the asset into Mr Steinmetz's hands.

Mr Steinmetz did nothing wrong, Mr Bonnant said. He repeated in his opening remarks yesterday that the indictment has serious flaws.

Though Ms Toure is widely referred to as one of Mr Conte's wives, Mr Bonnant said she was never married to Mr Conte and thus cannot be considered a public official.
Apple's factory CAD images for its next-generation iPad Pro models were leaked! The photos revealed what seems to be design changes for the upcoming iPad Pro 11.

According to MacRumors' latest report, a tech blog website called "MySmartPrice" first leaked the photo series of Apple's new fifth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro.

Speculations claim that Apple will soon reveal two new iPad Pro models. These include the 12.9-inch and 11-inch versions.

On the other hand, the leaked images clearly show that the upcoming products will have minimal changes when it comes to external design.

Apple's upcoming iPad Pro 11

MySmartPrice's explained that rumors state Apple will switch to using MiniLED screens in its new iPad Pro. The two models are expected to arrive in March.

Since these are just speculations, it is better if people wait for more updates when the upcoming flagship tablets get closer to the official launch.

#

   CAD- iPad Pro 11 2021      pic.twitter.com/vF3laNEmOO  Apple Pro (@aaplpro) January 12, 2021

Also Read: OnePlus Nord N10 and Nord N100 with Snapdragon 690 and 5G Comes with Free OnePlus Buds Z

Reports suggested that since the changes are only minimal, it is more likely that Apple will retain the general design of its upcoming iPad Pro versions.

On the other hand, the tech giant manufacturer will still change the internal speaker system. This means that Apple changes their positions and lessen the numbers of speaker holes.

If the online speculations are true, then Apple could release the upcoming product's actual images. iPad Pro 11's name already revealed its size. It is expected to have the dimensions 245.74 x 176.61 x 5.90mm.

The device's new design

Based on the leaked images, the upcoming iPad Pro 11 will look like its predecessors. This is not surprising since most of the Apple iPads today also look the same.

It will still have the same camera design and the slate-like form factor. The new device will also have a dual-camera system partnered with space for an additional sensor.

The image also showed that the new iPad Pro 11 will still have the LED flash, which is located in a square-like module. This setup will be integrated slightly above the main rear panel. However, the cameras' exact specifications and capabilities are still not confirmed.

For more news updates about Apple's upcoming devices and other products, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Xiaomi Mi 11 Launches Globally: Rumored Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite Specs Revealed

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 17:47:59|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's foreign trade turnover reduced to 12.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, down 6.4 percent from the previous year, data released by the National Statistics Office showed Tuesday.

In 2020, Mongolia's exports fell by 0.6 percent to 7.6 billion dollars, while imports dropped by 13.6 percent to 5.3 billion dollars, the office said, noting that the country registered a foreign trade surplus of around 2.3 billion dollars.

The decrease in the foreign trade turnover is largely due to global restrictive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, according to experts of the statistical agency.

The Asian country traded with 146 economies across the world in 2020. Enditem
John Barilaro (pictured), 49, filled in for Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week and reported Covid-19 figures for NSW

The acting NSW Premier has revealed he began taking Covid-19 more seriously when his aunt and uncle died in Italy's outbreak.

John Barilaro, 49, filled in for Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week and reported Covid-19 figures for NSW.

Mr Barilaro's aunt Maria Inzillo was in an induced coma when her husband Damiano Nesci died on December 19. Four days later she also succumbed to the virus.

The father-of-three said these personal circumstances were the reason behind his change of heart about the threat the pandemic posed.

'Their deaths changed me, I realise we're not out of the woods yet, it's made me more cautious,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

'Once it's in your family, you suddenly realise Covid-19 actually kills, it could happen to any of us,'

Both his relatives survived the first Italian outbreak, the first to hit Europe when the virus spread from China, which killed thousands.

Mr Barilaro's aunt Maria Inzillo was in an induced coma when her husband, Damiano Nesci, died four days before her on December 23 (pictured)

But the country was again particularly badly affected as the second wave ripped through Europe in the past few months.

Mr Barilaro's father Domenico, 79, also died a few months earlier in July from diabetes.

Before their deaths, the Nationals leader was a strong advocate of easing restrictions sooner rather than later.

He also called for more patrons allowed at NRL games as well as reopening Sydney's ANZ Stadium to fans to get things back to normal.

He has since changed his stance and respects the advice of NSW Health as he watches the compliance of Australians to ensure the virus doesn't spread.

Mr Barilaro is also taking his own health more seriously, limiting his alcohol intake, eating healthier, and going for a walk every morning and some afternoons.

The Nationals leader was a strong advocate of easing restrictions sooner rather than later (Pictured: Leaving the press conference on January 8)

He also bought a bike to commute around the CBD after losing his license when he was busted speeding twice, including once in a ministerial car.

Mr Barilaro very publicly took four weeks off for his mental health after he threatened to implode the coalition government in the infamous koala saga of September 2020.

'Everybody's had some level of trauma in their life,' he said at the time.

'It's about how you manage it and for a long time I thought I could do it on my own  this year I couldn't.'


BOGOTA, Colombia, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

New Bonds Offering

The Republic of Colombia (" Colombia ") announced today the commencement of a global offering (the " New Bonds Offering ") of (i) additional global bonds to be denominated in U.S. dollars due 2031 (the " 2031 Bonds "), to be fungible with and to form a single series with the outstanding U.S.$ 1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Colombia's global bonds due 2031 that were previously issued on June 4, 2020, and (ii) new global bonds to be denominated in U.S. dollars due 2061 (the " 2061 Bonds " and together with the 2031 Bonds, the " New Bonds "). The New Bonds offered may include 2031 Bonds that may be issued and sold to certain tendering holders in the Tender Offer (as described below). Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC will serve as Joint Book-Running Managers for the New Bonds Offering.

The New Bonds Offering is being made only by means of a preliminary prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the related prospectus for the New Bonds Offering may be obtained by contacting any of the following: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, by calling +1-800-820-1653 (U.S. toll free); Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., by calling +1-800-503-4611 (U.S. toll free); or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, by calling +1-866-846-2874 (U.S. toll free).

Application will be made to have the New Bonds listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and admitted to trading on the Euro MTF Market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Tender Offer

Colombia also announced today that it has commenced an offer to purchase for cash (the " Tender Offer ") its outstanding 4.375% Global Bonds due 2021 (the " 2021 Bonds "), 4.000% Global Bonds due 2024 (the " 2024 Bonds "), 4.500% Global Bonds due 2026 (the " 2026 Bonds "), and 3.875% Global Bonds due 2027 (the " 2027 Bonds "), as each such series is described further in the table below (the 2021 Bonds, 2024 Bonds, 2026 Bonds and 2027 Bonds, collectively, the " Old Bonds ") in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in an aggregate Purchase Price that exceeds an amount determined by Colombia in its sole discretion (the " Maximum Purchase Amount "). The Tender Offer is made on the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, dated January 12, 2021 (the " Offer to Purchase "), including the pricing of the issue of the New Bonds in an amount and on terms and subject to conditions acceptable to Colombia, which is expected to occur today. All capitalized terms used but not defined under the heading "Tender Offer" in this communication have the respective meanings specified in the Offer to Purchase.

The tender period (the " Tender Period ") will commence at or around 8:00 a.m., New York time, on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, and, unless extended or earlier terminated by Colombia in its sole discretion, the Tender Period will expire for Simple Tenders at 12:30 p.m., New York City time, and, for Reinvestment Tenders, at 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

Colombia expects to announce the Maximum Purchase Amount, the aggregate principal amount of Reinvestment Tenders and of Simple Tenders of the Old Bonds that have been accepted and whether any proration has occurred for any series of Old Bonds on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. The settlement of the Tender Offer is scheduled to occur on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 (the " Tender Offer Settlement Date ") but is subject to change without notice.

The Purchase Price to be paid for the Old Bonds that are tendered and accepted pursuant to the Tender Offer will be the fixed price identified for each series of Old Bonds set forth in the table below. Holders of the Old Bonds participating in the Tender Offer will also receive any accrued and unpaid interest on their Old Bonds up to (but excluding) the Tender Offer Settlement Date (" Accrued Interest ").

Old Bonds

Old Bonds Outstanding Principal

Amount as of January 12,

2021 ISIN CUSIP Common Code Fixed Price

(per U.S.

$1,000

Principal

Amount) 4.375% Global Bonds due

2021 U.S. $1,485,568,000 US195325BN40 195325BN4 064828711 $1,019.28 4.000% Global Bonds due

2024 U.S. $2,100,000,000 US195325BQ70 195325BQ7 097464391 $1,081.50 4.500% Global Bonds due

2026 U.S. $1,500,000,000 US195325CX13 195325CX1 129873515 $1,127.50 3.875% Global Bonds due

2027 U.S. $2,400,000,000 US195325DL65 195325DL6 155578378 $1,109.00

During the Tender Period, a holder of Old Bonds may place orders to tender Old Bonds (" Tender Orders ") only through any of the Dealer Managers. If a holder does not have an account with a Dealer Manager and desires to tender its Old Bonds, it may do so through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, other financial institution or other custodian, in each case that has an account with a Dealer Manager. Holders will NOT be able to submit tenders through Euroclear Bank SA/NV, Clearstream Banking, S.A. or the Depository Trust Company (" DTC ") system. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as the billing and delivering bank for the Tender Offer (in such capacity, the " Billing and Delivering Bank "), will consolidate all Tender Orders and accept Old Bonds for purchase pursuant to the terms and conditions in the Offer to Purchase on behalf of Colombia, subject to proration at Colombia's sole discretion and other terms and conditions as described in the Offer to Purchase, on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. Failure to deliver Old Bonds on time may result, in Colombia's sole discretion, in any of the following: (i) the cancellation of a holder's tender and the holder becoming liable for any damages resulting from that failure, and/or (ii) the delivery of a buy-in notice for the purchase of such Old Bonds, executed in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities, and/or (iii) in the case of Reinvestment Tenders, the cancellation of a holder's tender and the holder remaining obligated to purchase its allocation of 2031 Bonds in respect of its related Indication of Interest.

Tender Orders for any series of Old Bonds may be subject to proration at Colombia's sole discretion. To the extent proration occurs for any series of Old Bonds, the Billing and Delivering Bank will accept Old Bonds with appropriate adjustments to avoid the purchase of Old Bonds in principal amounts other than Permitted Tender Amounts. Tender Orders for the 2021 Bonds will be accepted before Tender Orders for any other series of Old Bonds. After the consummation of the Offer and prior to the stated maturity of the 2021 Bonds, Colombia may seek to redeem, in accordance with their terms, some or all of the 2021 Bonds that remain outstanding.

Each holder submitting Tender Orders shall be deemed to represent to Colombia, the Dealer Managers and the Billing and Delivering Bank that such holder held, from the time of its submission of its Tender Order through the Expiration Time, at least the amount of Old Bonds that are being tendered.

All Old Bonds that are tendered pursuant to Tender Orders and are accepted by Colombia will be purchased on behalf of Colombia by the Billing and Delivering Bank directly or, if the tendering holder does not have an account with the Billing and Delivering Bank, through the Dealer Manager with which such holder placed a Tender Order, or through the broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, other financial institution, or other custodian that has an account with a Dealer Manager, with which such holder placed a Tender Order. There is no letter of transmittal for the Tender Offer. Old Bonds held through DTC must be delivered for settlement no later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Tender Offer Settlement Date. If a holder holds Old Bonds through Euroclear or Clearstream, the latest process it can use to deliver its Old Bonds is the overnight process, one day prior to the Settlement Date; holders may not use the optional daylight process. Holders will not have withdrawal rights with respect to any tenders of Old Bonds in the Tender Offer. Old Bonds accepted for purchase will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities.

Colombia may, but is not required to, issue and sell 2031 Bonds to holders who validly tender their Old Bonds pursuant to the Tender Offer and place firm orders for 2031 Bonds during the Tender Period (as well as investors that are not participating in the Tender Offer). If Colombia determines to issue and sell 2031 Bonds to such holders, the scheduled settlement date for the New Bonds is expected to occur on Friday, January 22, 2021.

The Tender Offer is subject to Colombia's right, at its sole discretion and subject to applicable law, to extend, terminate, withdraw, or amend the Tender Offer at any time. Colombia reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept tenders for any reason.

The Offer to Purchase may be downloaded from the Information Agent's website at www.dfking.com/colombia or obtained from the Information Agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc., at 1-877-896-3199 or from any of the Dealer Managers.

The Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer are:

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Attention: Liability Management Group

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10010

Collect: 1-212-538-2147

Toll-Free: 1-800-820-1653 Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

Attention: Liability Management Group

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Collect: 1-212-250-2955

Toll-Free: 1-866-627-0391 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Attention: Latin America Debt Capital Markets

383 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10179

Collect: 1-212-834-7279

Toll-Free: 1-866-846-2874

The Billing and Delivering Bank for this Tender Offer is: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.

Questions regarding the Tender Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the above contact.

* * *

Colombia has filed a registration statement (including the prospectus) and the preliminary prospectus supplement with the SEC for the New Bonds Offering. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents Colombia has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Colombia and such New Bonds Offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/. Alternatively, the Joint Book-Running Managers, the Dealer Managers or the Information Agent, as the case may be, will arrange to send you the prospectus supplement and the prospectus if you request it by calling any one of them at the numbers specified above.

Important Notice

The distribution of materials relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer and the transactions contemplated by the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Each of the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer come into a holder's possession, the holder is required by Colombia to inform itself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or any affiliate of a Dealer Manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate on behalf of Colombia in that jurisdiction. Owners who may lawfully participate in the Tender Offer in accordance with the terms thereof are referred to as "holders."

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor will there be any sale of the New Bonds or the Tender Offer in any state or other 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 other jurisdiction. The offering of the New Bonds and the Tender Offer will be made only by means of the preliminary prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus and in Canada, under applicable exemptions from any prospectus or registration requirements.

The New Bonds may be sold and the Tender Offer is made in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations, and who are not individuals. Any resale of the New Bonds must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws.

The New Bonds and the Old Bonds will not be registered under Chilean Law No. 18,045, as amended, with the Comision para el Mercado Financiero de Chile (Financial Market Commission of Chile or "CMF") and, accordingly, the New Bonds and the Old Bonds cannot and will not be offered or sold to persons in Chile except in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result in a public offering under Chilean law, and in compliance with Norma de Caracter General (Rule) No. 336, dated June 27, 2012, issued by the CMF.

The New Bonds may not be offered, sold or negotiated in Colombia, except in compliance with Part 4 of Decree 2555 of 2010. The Offer to Purchase and the New Bonds Offering do not constitute and may not be used for, or in connection with, a public offering as defined under Colombian law.

The New Bonds are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following:

(a) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or

(b) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2016/97/EC (the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II.

Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Bonds or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the New Bonds or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

The Old Bonds and New Bonds may not be offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (a) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) (the "CWUMPO"), or (b) to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) (the "SFO") and any rules made thereunder, or (c) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the CWUMPO.

No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Old Bonds or New Bonds has been or will be issued, or has been or will be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the Old Bonds or New Bonds which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.

The Old Bonds and the New Bonds, and the Offer to Purchase and the New Bonds Offering prospectus supplement, and any other documents or materials related to such offers have not and will not be registered with the Italian Securities Exchange Commission (Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa or "CONSOB") pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations. The Offer to Purchase and the New Bond Offering are being carried out pursuant to the exemptions provided for, with respect to the Offer to Purchase, in Article 101 bis, paragraph 3 bis of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Consolidated Financial Act") and Article 35 bis, paragraph 4, of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended; and, with respect to the New Bonds Offering, in article 1, paragraph 4, letter c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

Holders or beneficial owners of the Old Bonds that are resident and/or located in Italy can tender the Old Bonds for purchase, and the New Bonds Offerings can be offered, sold and delivered, through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, the Consolidated Financial Act, the CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of 15 February 2018, as amended, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with any other applicable laws and regulations or with any requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority. Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis a vis its clients in connection with the bonds or the relevant offering.

The New Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended, the "Financial Instruments and Exchange Act") and each manager has represented and agreed that it has not offered or sold, and will not offer or sell any New Bonds, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (as defined under Article 6, Paragraph 1, Item 5 of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act of Japan (Act No. 228 of 1949, as amended)), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

Neither the Offer to Purchase, nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offer to Purchase have been approved by or will be submitted for the approval of, the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (Comision Nacional Bancaria y de Valores; the "CNBV") and, the New Bonds have not been and will not be registered with the Mexican National Securities Registry (Registro Nacional de Valores) maintained by the CNBV, and therefore the Old Bonds and New Bonds have not and may not be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. However, investors that qualify as institutional or qualified investors pursuant to the private placement exemption set forth in article 8 of the Mexican Securities Market Law (Ley del Mercado de Valores), may be contacted in connection with, and may participate in the Offer to Purchase, and can be offered with or purchase New Bonds. The participation in the Offer to Purchase or the acquisition of New Bonds will be made under such investor's own responsibility.

The Tender Offer is not intended for any person who is not qualified as an institutional investor, in accordance with provisions set forth in Resolution SMV No. 021-2013-SMV-01 issued by Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores (Superintendency of Capital Markets) of Peru, and as subsequently amended. No legal, financial, tax or any other kind of advice is hereby being provided.

The New Bond Offering prospectus supplement, and the Offer to Purchase have not been and will not be registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offering of securities in Singapore pursuant to the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the "SFA"). The New Bonds will not be offered or sold or cause that such New Bonds to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell such New Bonds or cause such New Bonds to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus supplement or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of such New Bonds, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, and (where applicable) Regulation 3 of the Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018 of Singapore or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the New Bonds are subscribed or purchased in reliance on an exemption under Sections 274 or 275 of the SFA, the New Bonds shall not be sold within the period of six months from the date of the initial acquisition of the bonds, except to any of the following persons:

an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA);

a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA); or

any person pursuant to an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) of the SFA,

unless expressly specified otherwise in Section 276(7) of the SFA or Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018 of Singapore.

Where the New Bonds are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries' rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the New Bonds pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or (in the case of such corporation) where the transfer arises from an offer referred to in 276(3)(i)(B) of the SFA or (in the case of such trust) where the transfer arises from an offer referred to in Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

where the transfer is by operation of law;

as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018 of Singapore .

The prospectus supplement is not intended to constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase or invest in the New Bonds described therein in Switzerland, except as permitted by law. The New Bonds may not be publicly offered, directly or indirectly, in Switzerland within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA") and will not be admitted to any trading venue (exchange or multilateral trading facility) in Switzerland.

Neither the prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the New Bonds constitutes a prospectus as such term is understood pursuant to the FinSA, and neither the prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the New Bonds may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

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Three images of the exoplanet DH Tau b. The left image shows all light, both unpolarized and polarized. The middle image shows only polarized light. The right image additionally shows the direction of the polarized light. In polarized light the planet DH Tau b is visible, which points to a disk of dust and gas around this planet. The disk around the star is also visible. Credit: ESO/VLT/SPHERE/Van Holstein et al.

An international team led by Dutch astronomers has, after years of searching and defying the boundaries of a telescope, for the first time directly captured polarized light from an exoplanet. They can deduct from the light that a disk of dust and gas is orbiting around the exoplanet in which moons are possibly forming. The researchers will soon publish their findings in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The discovery concerns the exoplanet DH Tau b. This is a very young planet of only 2 million years old at 437 light years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. Exoplanet DH Tau b does not resemble our Earth. The planet is at least eleven times more massive than Jupiter, the most massive planet in our solar system. The planet is also located ten times further away from its star than our furthest planet Neptune. The planet is still glowing after its formation. As a result, it emits heat in the form of infrared radiation.

The researchers discovered that the infrared radiation of the planet is polarized. This means that the light waves vibrate in a preferential direction. And that, according to the researchers, is because the infrared radiation of the planet is scattered by a disk of dust and gas that orbits the planet. In such a disk, moons may form.

Furthermore, the disk around the planet appears to have a different orientation from the disk around the star. Such a tilted disk indicates that the planet has likely formed at a large distance from the star. This is contrary to the theory that planets are formed close to their star and then migrate outward.

For the observations, the astronomers used the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile. This instrument can, among other things, block the overwhelming light of the associated star and determine the polarization of the remaining light.

First author and research leader Rob van Holstein (Leiden University, the Netherlands) has been working with the SPHERE instrument since his university study in 2014: "Because we fully understood the instrument, we were able to make it perform better than it was designed for. In the end, we were able to capture the light from twenty exoplanets, one of which had polarized light."

Co-author Frans Snik (Leiden University) has been trying to capture polarized light from planets since 2012: "It's already very special that we can see a planet separated from the star around which it orbits. And now we can also deduce that material is orbiting this planet as well, and that this material does so at a completely different angle than the disk that orbits the star. This gives us unique insights into how such a planet and possible moons are formed."

In the future, the researchers aim to carry out similar research on the Extremely Large Telescope that is under construction. This telescope should make it possible to study the light of rocky, Earth-like planets. From the polarization of the light it will be possible to obtain more information about the atmosphere of such planets and whether there are possible signs of life.

Explore further Dutch astronomers photograph possible toddler planet by chance

More information: R. G. van Holstein et al. A survey of the linear polarization of directly imaged exoplanets and brown dwarf companions with SPHERE-IRDIS. First polarimetric detections revealing disks around DH Tauri B and GSC 6214-210 B, Astronomy & Astrophysics (2021). R. G. van Holstein et al. A survey of the linear polarization of directly imaged exoplanets and brown dwarf companions with SPHERE-IRDIS. First polarimetric detections revealing disks around DH Tauri B and GSC 6214-210 B,(2021). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202039290 Preprint: arxiv.org/abs/2101.04033 Journal information: Astronomy & Astrophysics
The on Tuesday claimed that all four members of the committee, appointed by the to resolve the deadlock over farmers' agitation against three farm laws, were in favour of the legislations, and posed how could the protesters expect justice from them.

The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala sought to know whether any government lawyer disclosed the credentials of the committee members before the court.

He also said that Prime minister Narendra Modi should talk to the farmers on January 15, when the next round of discussion between the agitators and the government is slated.

Bhupinder Singh Mann, President of Bhartiya Kisan Union; Anil Ghanwat, President of Shetkari Sangthana, Maharashtra; Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati have been named in the panel announced by the apex court.

"We do not know who has given these names to the Chief Justice of India. Why was their background and stand not checked. All these four persons are in favour of these laws and are standing with Prime Minister Modi. How can we expect justice from such a committee," he told reporters at a press conference.

Surjewala also alleged that one of the committee members was also a petitioner and asked how can the petitioner be made a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee.

"All these four persons are in favour of the farm laws. There is a need for introspection on this committee. The farmers will not get justice from this committee, as its members are standing in favour of the farm laws and are standing with the PM," he alleged.

"All of them have taken a public stance and have sided with the Modi government and they stand for the implementation of these three black laws," he alleged.

The leader said that for the last 49 days, India's 'annadatas' (food providers) across the country are agitating and lakhs of them are protesting at Delhi's borders.

"They have been crying for their lives and livelihood, but the arrogant Modi government is not listening to their grievances," he claimed.

Surjewala said the took note of the farmers' misery and agony of the farmers and their cry for lives and livelihood, that is being "annihilated by the Modi government which is subservient to a handful of crony capitalist friends".

"The bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde showed the mirror of truth to this government and expressed concern over the way the talks have not fructified, for which the thanks the Supreme Court for hearing the anguish of farmers."



"The Congress has consistently been saying that these farm laws must be repealed as they subvert the constitutional rights of states and are oriented towards dismantling the three pillars of food security -- minimum support price, public distribution system and public procurement -- which have benefited the consumers," he said.

The Supreme Court constituted the committee to resolve the impasse and each citizen of this country was very hopeful after this intervention, he said.

The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed the implementation of controversial new farm laws till further orders and constituted a four-member committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

In its interim order, the top court directed that the committee shall held its first sitting within 10 days from Tuesday.

The bench said this committee is "constituted for the purpose of listening to the grievances of the farmers relating to the farm laws and the views of the government and to make recommendations".

(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.)
(Alliance News) - Cyprus and South Africa-focused Tharisa PLC on Tuesday reported a rise in production for the first quarter of its current financial year for both platinum and chrome, despite pandemic headwinds.

For the three months to the end of December, the output of 6E platinum group metals - platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium and iridium - rose by 14% year-on-year to 39,300 ounces from 34,400 ounces the year before, but down 3.0% from 40,500 ounces the previous quarter.

Chrome concentrate production rose by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter to 372,300 tonnes from 370,800 tonnes, but increased by 8.7% from 342,500 tonnes the year before.

Looking ahead, the Paphos, Cyprus-headquartered miner maintained its annual production guidance of between 155,000 ounces to 165,000 ounces of 6E platinum, and 1.45 to 1.55 million tonnes of chrome concentrate.

"The first quarter provided a solid platform for Tharisa to meet its production guidance for the current financial year with all key metrics delivering strong growth versus the same period in FY2020. The consistent performance has been delivered in a strong spot market for PGMs in particular and stable chrome prices," said Chief Executive Officer Phoevos Pouroulis.

"The significant progress made in optimising our mining operations during the course of 2019, and 2020 has been demonstrated by the consistent performance and availability of our operations over the last several quarters. We continue to invest in our assets and in our market leading research and development, which will contribute to further production growth from our long life Tharisa Mine. The headwinds from the global Covid-19 pandemic continue to challenge the industry worldwide," Pouroulis added.

The Tharisa mine is located in the Western Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex near Rustenburg.

By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
The logos of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are seen in a combination photo.(Reuters)

Florida State Rep. Calls on Gov. DeSantis to Divest From Big Tech Over Censorship

Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) is calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to divest from Big Tech companies after the tech giants suspended President Donald Trumps social media accounts and shut down the Parler platform, citing a breach in their inciting violence policy related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

I write today to ask that you order the immediate divestment of any Florida-held equity and debt of the following companies: Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet (Google), said Fine in his letter to the Florida Cabinet members.

Following President Donald Trumps speech on Jan. 6, during which he asked protesters to peaceful and patriotically make your voices heard, thousands moved to protest around the Capitol building. A part of the protest group became violent and some people breached the Capitol, resulting in the deaths of 5 people.

After the breach, Facebook and Twitter permanently suspended President Trumps accounts, citing a breach in their policy against violence.

Twitter said banning Trump was a preemptive measure, we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.

Meanwhile, Facebooks CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company believes that the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Adding that the block on Trumps account would continue for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.

Fine said that the attack on the Capital was the saddest day of his life, writing, These terrorists defiled a sacred temple of democracy, and in my mind, there is no penalty too severe for them.

Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Fine continued, I say this because those terrorists do not define me. They do not define you. They do not define my colleagues. And they do not define conservatives.

I am deeply disturbed to see the countrys major technology companies use the actions of these few as a pretext to silence tens of millions of good, patriotic Americans, millions of whom live here in Florida, Fine wrote.

The 53 districts representative said regardless of if we agree or disagree with what the president writes, he is the president and if Big Tech can censor him, they can censor anyone. The Florida Rep. criticized the fact that world leaders from Iran and elsewhere are allowed to remain active on Twitter despite outrageous and violent statements.

It is clear that Twitter and Facebook are engaged in one-sided viewpoint discrimination on targeting conservatives. These companies allow actual terrorists around the world to use their platforms to target America, Americans, and our allies, without as much as a peep.

He said its apparent that Amazon, Apple, and Google are trying to eliminate any alternative platforms where conservatives can speak.

Parler, an alternative to Twitter promoted by many conservatives which calls itself unbiased social media, was kicked off the internet last week. Amazon and Google told Parler they must moderate their users and control violent posts.

The Republican said he will also be introducing legislation that would forbid any state or local government from doing business with these companies, including no advertising with Facebook, Twitter, or Google by the Florida government, no use of Amazon services, and no purchase of Apple products.

Floridas Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, in response to Fines proposal, said, We should consider getting this on the next Cabinet agenda. Big-tech coordinated to shut down conservative accounts but still allows [Venezuelan leader] Nicolas Maduro to spread lies.

In an email obtained by the New York Post, Amazon explained the move against Parler, writing, Recently, weve seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms. Its clear that Parler does not have an effective process to comply with the AWS (Amazon web services) terms of service. [W]e cannot provide services to a customer that is unable to effectively identify and remove content that encourages or incites violence against others.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is seen on a screen as he testifies before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law on Online Platforms and Market Power in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 29, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/File Photo/Pool via Reuters)

Prior to that, Google said, Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to peoples safety, the company said in a statement. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues.

In a letter sent to Parlers developers, Apple wrote, Parler has not upheld its commitment to moderate and remove harmful or dangerous content encouraging violence and illegal activity, and is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.

We will try our best to move to a new provider right now as we have many competing for our business, however Amazon, Google, and Apple purposefully did this as a coordinated effort knowing our options would be limited and knowing this would inflict the most damage right as President Trump was banned from the tech companies, Parler CEO John Matze said in a statement Jan. 9.

Fine called the moves by the tech giants censorship. Concluding his letter to the governor by saying, They may get to decide who they do business with. So, do we.

Vogue's Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour has spoken out to defend Vice Present-elect Kamala Harris' controversial cover after the publication was accused of switching out an image chosen by the 56-year-old in favor of a 'disrespectful' photo that 'white-washed' her skin.

In a statement issued to New York Times' podcast Sway, Wintour, 71, insisted that Vogue did not mean to 'diminish the importance' of Harris' 'incredible victory' - while shutting down reports that the magazine had 'formally agreed' to use a specific photo of the VP-elect on the cover.

'Obviously we have heard and understood the reaction to the print cover and I just want to reiterate that it was absolutely not our intention to, in any way, diminish the importance of the Vice President-Elects incredible victory,' she said, before adding: 'There was no formal agreement about what the choice of the cover would be.'

Speaking out: Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour has defended Kamala Harris' controversial cover after it was slammed by social media users as 'lazy' and 'disrespectful'

Controversy: Harris was 'extremely disappointed' with her Vogue cover (pictured) and the resulting backlash, a source told DailyMail.com

Vogue released two covers: a print version, and a digital one (pictured), which is the image Harris, 56, preferred. Wintour denied there was an 'agreement' over which would be used

The furious backlash over Harris' cover comes seven months after Wintour admitted to allowing 'hurtful and intolerant' behavior at the magazine, as well as failing to do enough to champion black staffers and designers.

In October, she faced multiple calls for her resignation from black employees who have worked with Vogue over the years. Following the Harris cover controversy, dozens of social media users echoed these cries, insisting that Wintour should step down.

Over the weekend, two cover options emerged - one for the front of the print issue, and a second that was released as a digital version. According to multiple sources, the image chosen for the print cover was not Harris' preferred option. Instead, the VP-elect's pick was relegated to the digital issue.

A source close to Harris said that she and her team were 'extremely disappointed' with the image chosen by Vogue for the cover, which shows the first female Vice President of color posing in an incredibly casual setting, wearing a shiny black jacket, white T-shirt, and Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers - a style that she occasionally wore while on the campaign trail.

She is pictured posing in front of swathes of green and pink fabric, which are meant to represent the colors of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first historically African American Greek-lettered sorority.

The image was quickly condemned by social media users, who insisted that the low-quality photo fell short of Vogue's usual style standards, with some accusing the publication of 'white-washing' Harris' skin.

However Wintour claimed in her statement that all of the Vogue staffers who worked on the Harris cover agreed that the image chosen was the best representation of 'the moment that we are living in'.

'When the two images arrived at Vogue, all of us felt very, very strongly that the less formal portrait of the Vice President-Elect really reflected the moment that we were living in which we are all in the midst  as we still are  of the most appalling pandemic that is taking lives by the minute,' she said.

Under fire: The controversy over Harris' Vogue cover is the latest in a long line of upsets for Wintour, who has been accused of marginalizing people of color

Details: Journalist Yashar Ali tweeted a photo of the print cover on Sunday and claimed that Harris' team had actually signed off on a different image than the one used

Outrage: Dozens of fans came out to condemn the cover, saying the low-quality photo fell short of Vogue's usual style standards and appeared to have lightened Harris' skin

Prior to the release of the cover, Wintour spoke to Sway host Kara Swisher about the cover in a taped interview, during which she described the image as being 'joyful and optimistic' - ironically stating that she 'could not imagine' anyone could see it in any other way.

'What's amazing about the February cover to me is that it is just so joyful and optimistic,' she said during the podcast interview - which was taped one day before the cover leaked online.

'And I cannot imagine that there's anyone that really is going to find this cover anything but that, and positive, and an image of a woman in control of her life who is going to bring us, with the President-elect, the leadership that we so need.'

Wintour went on to describe the cover image as being 'very, very accessible and approachable and real', saying that it 'really reflected the hallmark of the Biden-Harris campaign'.

However Harris and her team did not agree - with a source suggesting to DailyMail.com that the VP-elect privately agreed with much of the online criticism of the cover shot.

'She is... they are of course extremely disappointed with the photo,' the source said, however they declined to denounce specific aspects of the cover.

The insider added that Harris had thought her preferred image - which shows the VP-elect in a powder blue suit - would be used on the cover, and said she was only made aware that the more 'casual' photo of her wearing Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers had been swapped in when the cover was leaked online.

Many online critics of the shoot were in agreement that the second cover was far more suitable and flattering, raising questions about why it was shifted to the front of the digital issue.

When the print cover first emerged several Twitter users actually questioned whether it was real, saying the quality of the photo and the styling seemed way too low for America's leading fashion magazine.

'Wait that Kamala Vogue cover is real?!' one user questioned. 'I thought it was fake that's how bad it is. Did they just ask her to send them photos her husband took or..?'

When the cover first emerged several Twitter users questioned whether it was real

Some critics slammed Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour for putting Harris in sneakers

Several users pointed out that the lighting washed out Harris' skin

Author Wajahat Ali called the cover 'a mess up' and criticized its coloring

Activist Charlotte Clymer said the cover is 'far, far below the standards of Vogue'

Others critics submitted photos that would have been better to use on the cover

'Vogue has Kamala Harris in some f**king Converse. Someone needs to throw a cinderblock at Anna Wintour,' another wrote.

'Kamala looks beautiful in whatever she wears- and I love that she's brought Chucks back- but this Vogue cover is unworthy of the first woman, POC, Vice President of the United States,' a third added.

Activist Charlotte Clymer tweeted: 'Folks who don't get why the Vogue cover of VP-elect Kamala Harris is bad are missing the point.

'The pic itself isn't terrible as a pic. It's just far, far below the standards of Vogue. They didn't put thought into it. Like homework finished the morning it's due. Disrespectful.'

Others suggested that Harris' skin had been 'lightened' in the image, with author Wajahat Ali writing: 'What a mess up. Anna Wintour must really not have Black friends and colleagues.'

'Kamala Harris is about as light skinned as women of color come and Vogue still f**ked up her lighting. WTF is this washed out mess of a cover?' another user, E. Vaughan, tweeted.

'Vogue knows Kamala Harris loves her sorority, suits, comfortable pants and chuck taylors. So they just jumbled it all together for the cover. Except they couldn't decide whether she is going to a luxe French salon, the Senate floor, or taking a jog.'

Several critics pointed out that this isn't the first time Vogue has faced backlash over its handling of minority cover stars.

'Anyone shocked by the poor quality of Kamala's Vogue cover hasn't paid attention to Anna Wintour's bulls**t w/people of color. It spans decades. Team Kamala should've known better,' a user named Trish wrote.

Some even called for Wintour to be fired.

'Anna Wintour needs to go,' a particularly frustrated critic wrote. 'If the only time her team can properly style a black women is when she's covered in couture then her tenure has ran it course.'

Several critics pointed out that this isn't the first time Vogue has faced backlash over its handling of minority cover stars

Wintour came into the cross-hairs of America's reckoning on race over the summer after she was accused of discriminating against employees because of the color of their skin.

The 71-year-old from London, who has been at the helm of Vogue for more than three decades, responded to the outrage by issuing an extraordinary mea culpa in June.

In a company-wide memo, Wintour admitted to allowing 'hurtful and intolerant' behavior at the magazine and conceded that she had not done enough to champion black staffers and designers.

'I want to start by acknowledging your feelings and expressing my empathy towards what so many of you are going through: sadness, hurt, and anger too,' Wintour began.

'I want to say this especially to the Black members of our team  I can only imagine what these days have been like. But I also know that the hurt, and violence, and injustice we're seeing and talking about have been around for a long time. Recognizing it and doing something about it is overdue.'

However Wintour's letter did little to quell the controversy surrounding her decision to remain in her role - and in October, a group of 18 black journalists who have worked with her over the years accused her of favoring employees who are thin, white, and from elite backgrounds in a piece published by the New York Times.

Eleven of them called for her resignation following offensive incidents involving her use of the word 'pickaninny', and other cultural appropriation controversies, including outrage over a 2017 Vogue shoot that featured Karlie Kloss posing in a geisha outfit, with her face in pale makeup and her hair dyed black.

The photo shoot in Japan drew immediate accusations of 'yellowface', however Wintour reportedly shut down concerns from her staff, insisting that the pictures could not be cut because it would incur an 'enormous expense'.

During her latest interview, Wintour denied that there was a particular problem at Conde Nast, insisting that what was happening there 'was happening also at many other businesses' and claiming that it would therefore be unfair to 'single out' the media company.

'I think what was happening at Conde Nast was happening also at many other businesses, whether they were media or other companies throughout the United States and indeed throughout the world,' she said.

'So I don't think it would be correct to single out Conde Nast as being the sole place where this was happening. And obviously it was a moment of change and social unrest and, I think everybody everywhere throughout the world questioning so many different issues.

'So I think Conde Nast is a company that is extremely committed to diversity and inclusion and to listening to everyone that works within the company.'

In December Wintour was promoted to become the first-ever chief executive of Conde Nast, in addition to her roles as Vogue Editor-in-Chief and Conde Nast artistic director.

Her new title, global chief content officer of Conde Nast and global editorial director of Vogue, gave her control over all of the publications 25 editions across the globe.
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In yet another statement disregarding the farmers and their protest at the Delhi border, BJP MP S Muniswamy alleged that they are 'middlemen who have been paid' to agitate at various sites surrounding the national capital.

Labelling them as 'fake farmers', the BJP MP from Kolar, Karnataka stated that they were relishing on pizza, burger and setting up the gym to spend a leisure time at the border. He further called on the protestors to stop the 'drama'.

"Farmers who are protesting at borders of Delhi have been paid and brought to the agitation sites. They are middlemen and fake farmers. They are eating pizza, burger & KFC products, and have set up gym there. This drama should stop," S Muniswamy told ANI on Tuesday.

READ | SC Raps Centre Over Prolonged Impasse With Farmers, Indicates It May Stay On Farm Laws

Just two days ago, Rajasthan BJP MLA Madan Dilawar called the protestors 'militants, robbers and thieves' who were just enjoying 'chicken biryani'. Making a bizarre statement, he said that the farmers are conspiring to spread bird flu.

"Some so-called farmers are agitating in Delhi. These 'farmers' are not participating in any movement but enjoying chicken biryani and dry fruits for leisure. It is a conspiracy to spread bird flu. There may be terrorists, robbers and thieves among them and they may also be enemies of farmers," the BJP leader said on Sunday.

Accusing the agitating farmers of ruining the country, Dilawar said, if the government does not remove them from the protest sites, "the bird flu can become a big problem."

The remarks came despite Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh's warning that no statement should be made that undermines the struggle of the farmers.

READ | Centre Approaches SC Seeking An Injunction On Farmers' Tractor Rally Scheduled For Jan 26

Protest against farm laws

From what started as a seculded protest in the national capital on November 26 and 27, 2020, thousands of farmers are still protesting at the borders of Delhi against the Centre's agriculture laws.

Apart from the 8 rounds of meetings that have taken place between Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar and the farmers' leaders, Home Minister Amit Shah also met them on one occasion.

During the 9th round of talks with the Centre, the farmers maintained that they will not move from the protest sites till the three agrarian laws are repealed. The Union government refused to concede to this demand. The meeting witnessed some acrimonious scenes with a farmer leader showing a paper with 'We will either die or win' written on it.

READ | Militants, Thieves Enjoying Biryani, Plotting To Spread Bird Flu: BJP MLA On Farmers' Stir

READ | Centre Files Counter-affidavit In SC A Day Ahead Of Order; Details Consultative Process
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WASHINGTON  U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday that the first legislation the U.S. Senate will take up under his leadership will be a COVID-19 relief package, including additional stimulus checks for qualifying Americans, small business aid, vaccine distribution money and assistance to state and local governments.

"Democrats wanted to do much more in the last bill and promised to do more, if given the opportunity, to increase direct payments to a total of $2,000  we will get that done," Schumer, D-N.Y., said. "We will also further support vaccine distribution efforts and help American families, small businesses, schools and state and local governments. As soon as the new Senate is organized and Vice-President (Kamala) Harris has been sworn in, we will immediately set to work to deliver on that goal."

Schumer, the Senate's next majority leader, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Brunswick, and Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, have developed a new framework for distributing state and local aid so all municipal governments will get federal funding, they said. The two senators did not have a price tag for how much money would be allocated to states, nor how much the total package would cost.

Staring down a multi-billion dollar deficit, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has been adamant about the need for more federal aid for states to replace lost revenues and deal with increased expenses related to the pandemic, as have Republican and Democratic county leaders and mayors.

Some Republicans in the Senate strongly opposed more state aid in the last COVID-19 relief package passed in the Senate. But Democrats are increasing their presence in the chamber and later this month, after new senators are sworn in, the Senate will be split 50-50, with Harris providing any tie-breaker vote. New Democratic senators representing California and Georgia could be sworn in as soon as Jan. 19, Gillibrand said.

Schumer called the forthcoming Democratic Senate majority and a Joe Biden presidency a "new opportunity" to revisit the issue of state and local aid. Gillibrand said she is "optimistic" that with Schumer at the helm they would pass it.

He also said he would ask the Biden administration to reimburse 100 percent of state and local government's COVID-19 emergency expenses through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, up from 75 percent reimbursement. That action could be done by Biden without Congress.

The last COVID-19 relief package allocated funding for FEMA to reimburse government's costs, but did not include state aid. The last package, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on Dec. 28, included over $50 billion in various forms of relief flowing to New York.

For struggling Americans, the legislation boosted unemployment benefits with an extra $300 federal payment, delivering over $6.5 billion in new unemployment money to New York. The bill included $600 direct checks to individuals making up to $75,000 a year and an additional $600 per dependent child. Those checks are being distributed by the Internal Revenue Service.

The earlier legislation also sets up a federally funded rental assistance program, including about $1.3 billion in aid for New Yorkers, and allows individuals to get money for COVID-19 funeral assistance.

Hard-hit small businesses can now apply for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans starting this week.

The state also gets another $810 million for vaccine distribution and fighting the virus, with an additional $810 million for New York City's health department.
(@FahadShabbir)

United Nations, United States, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will run for a second five-year term as the organization's chief, his spokesman said Monday.

Guterres informed the president of the General Assembly and Security Council that "he is available to serve a second term as secretary general of the United Nations," which would run from 2022 to 2026, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a daily press briefing.

Diplomatic officials said Guterres, 71, told the UN Security Council's permanent members on Friday that he planned to seek a second term.

A diplomat told AFP that during the meeting with representatives from China, the United States, France, Britain and Russia, Guterres described the many threats the world faces.

He underscored the need to reconcile "humanity and nature" and the importance of improved international cooperation on other challenges such as cybersecurity and terrorism, the diplomat added.

Other diplomats said Guterres' hope to serve a second term has so far not been met with any resistance from the permanent Security Council members.

It is traditional for a UN secretary general to serve the maximum two terms, though before November's US election, diplomats said Guterres was not planning to seek a second term if President Donald Trump were reelected.

The outgoing US leader scorned multilateralism in many instances and assailed UN bodies such as the World Health Organization.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he "warmly welcomed" Guterres' decision to run for a second term and congratulated him on "doing a fantastic job." "It would be a mistake to simply replace him for tokenistic reasons," Johnson said in an apparent reference to the idea of appointing the first female secretary general to replace him.

"He is very thoughtful in his analysis," Johnson added. "But also the way in which he is advocating for new solutions to the new problems we face." Several non-governmental groups have criticized Guterres previously, saying he has been too quiet on human rights issues.

Guterres has said he has pushed various causes with world leaders behind the scenes.

"If Antonio Guterres wants 2nd term as UN chief, he should commit to implementing his Call to Action on Human Rights," Louis Charbonneau, who heads the UN-monitoring wing of Human Rights Watch, said on Twitter.

Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal and the UN's former high commissioner for refugees, will see his first term expire in December.

Over the course of the year, the Security Council and General Assembly will confirm whether or not Guterres will serve a second term.
Established in 1990 by founder and CEO Jill Vitiello, the company provides specialist services to large Pharmaceutical companies focused on enhancing the employee experience. The team at Vitiello works closely with internal communications, human resources, and business leaders to develop communication strategies and create change management and culture-related content to help drive long-term business performance.

Vitiello will become part of The Creative Engagement Group (TCEG) bolstering its fast-growing employee engagement agency Forty1, which is led internationally by Richard Burton. The acquisition strengthens the group's ability to deliver a wide range of integrated employee engagement solutions to clients in North America and globally -- and capitalizes on TCEG's extensive range of creative capabilities in film, digital and experiential.

Russ Lidstone, Group CEO of The Creative Engagement Group said,

"I'm delighted to welcome Vitiello to The Creative Engagement Group. Jill and the team are really talented, great people and their addition gives our Forty1 employee engagement division even greater ability to service our global clients. It also underpins our commitment to creating moments that inspire lasting change and helping our clients to build organisational capability."

Jill Vitiello, Partner & EVP, Vitiello said,

"The Vitiello team is thrilled to join The Creative Engagement Group and to partner with Forty1 to spearhead North American operations. The combination allows us to offer a broader array of modern organizational communication services, which are essential to success in companies that value an excellent employee experience where everyone contributes to a healthy, inclusive workplace culture."

Richard Burton Managing Director, Forty1 said,

"Welcoming Jill and the team to Forty1 is an exciting moment for the group. By combining the exceptional expertise of the Vitiello team with the world class creativity and delivery capabilities within The Creative Engagement Group, we're able to provide a unique mix of services that will enable our clients to better navigate uncertainty and ensure they are ready to adapt to the future of work."

TCEG is a fast-growing agency group and the addition of Vitiello follows the acquisitions in 2020 of digital training specialists Logicearth and capability and mindset development experts Cormis, plus the creation of TCEG's Behavioral Science Unit.

Huntsworth is owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and this acquisition demonstrates the group's commitment to strengthening its capability of helping pharma and biotech more successfully navigate from molecule to medicine and build their organizations for success.

About The Creative Engagement Group:

The Creative Engagement Group (www.tceg.com) is a communications group that creates moments that inspire lasting change. It partners with clients to provide employee engagement, learning & training solutions, scientific engagement and capability building, all underpinned by applied behavioral science. It engages internal and external audiences through the creation and delivery of live & virtual experiences, film, branded content, immersive and interactive content.

The Creative Engagement Group works with an international blue-chip client base across all sectors with a particular strength in healthcare. It employs over 450 people in Europe and the US.

About Huntsworth:

Huntsworth is an international healthcare and communications group owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The Group's principal areas of focus are marketing, medical and immersive communications services to healthcare clients, which are primarily large and mid-size pharmaceutical and biotech companies. It also has Constellation Communications group, which provides a wide range of communications and advisory services including strategic communications, public affairs, investor relations and consumer marketing.

About Vitiello Communications Group:

Vitiello Communications Group is a communications agency focused on The Employee Experience. It partners with Internal Communications, Human Resources, and business leaders to connect employees to the workplace and community in the moments that matter. Experts in change management, employee engagement and inclusive workplace culture, Vitiello delivers high-value solutions and custom content with speed and accuracy.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1418416/thumbnail_Russ_Lidstone_Group_CEO_The_Creative_Engagement_Group.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1248206/The_Creative_Engagement_Group_Logo.jpg

SOURCE The Creative Engagement Group
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WASHINGTON  The militarys Joint Chiefs of Staff sent an unusual message to the entire American armed forces on Tuesday reminding them that their job was to support and defend the Constitution, and declaring that Joseph R. Biden Jr. would soon be their next commander in chief.

As we have done throughout our history, the U.S. military will obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, support civil authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, said the one-page memorandum signed by the eight senior officers who serve as the Joint Chiefs.

As service members, we must embody the values and ideals of the nation, the memo continued. We support and defend the Constitution. Any act to disrupt the constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values and oath; it is against the law.

That the chiefs, led by Gen. Mark A. Milley of the Army, found it necessary to remind their rank and file of their sworn oath to the country was extraordinary. But the memo came as federal law enforcement authorities were pursuing more than 150 suspects, including current or former service members, involved in the mob that stormed the Capitol last week.
Thomas Tracy and Denis Slattery, New York Daily News (TNS)

Albany  New York State Sen. Luis Sepulveda is facing domestic violence charges for allegedly choking his wife during an argument.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) announced Tuesday that Sepulveda was immediately removed as chair of the chambers Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee and being taken off of other committee assignments.

I take these allegations extremely seriously and will be monitoring this situation closely, Stewart-Cousins said in a statement.

Sepulveda, who is running for Bronx Borough President, turned himself in at the 48th Precinct on Tuesday and is awaiting arraignment, police said.

On Jan. 9, the 56-year-old elected official allegedly got into a physical fight with his wife inside their West Farms home around 5:45 a.m., when he put his hands around her neck and choked her, according to sources familiar with the complaint.

Sepulveda also filed a complaint against his wife, claiming that she punched him while he was in the bathroom getting ready for work on the same morning.

His wife, 40, has not been charged with a crime.

Sepulveda took part in a candidate forum with other Bronx borough president prospects the evening that the alleged choking took place.

Its not the first time the Bronx Democrats actions have drawn the attention of law enforcement.

In 2015, Sepulvedas estranged wife sought an order of protection from him following an argument.

Elizabeth Sepulveda, who at the time was separated from her husband, called 911 during the fight and told officers from the 48th Precinct that she wanted an order of protection, records show.

The matter was referred to Family Court and the couple both insisted that the argument never turned violent.

Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez (D- Bronx), who is one of several candidates competing against Sepulveda for Bronx beep, called for the senators resignation.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time allegations of domestic violence have been brought against Senator Sepulveda, she tweeted. We need leadership that empowers women  Im calling for the Senator to submit his resignation.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (R- Lockport) slammed Sepulveda over the allegations and attacked Dems over criminal justice reforms passed in recent years.

As Chair of the Crime Victims, Crime & Correction Committee, Senator Sepulveda has an obligation to protect vulnerable individuals, he said in a statement. Instead, he has advanced harmful policies that have made it more difficult for our law enforcement officials to do their jobs, and made our communities less safe.

As an alleged abuser himself, he has no right leading that committee, and these allegations must be promptly investigated. If these allegations are true, he should resign immediately, he added.

Sepulveda did not return a call for comment.
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses the One Planet Summit via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Monday called on all countries to make joint and swift efforts to push forward the building of a shared future for all life on Earth.

Han issued his call in an address to the One Planet Summit via video link.

Noting that this year China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, and will formulate the post-2020 biodiversity framework to map out a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the next 10 years, Han said that all parties should work together and act quickly to ensure that the conference achieves positive results.

He also called on all parties to strengthen communication, meet each other halfway, and jointly promote the framework negotiation process; study and formulate the post-2020 action targets scientifically to ensure they are rational and enforceable; strengthen enforcement of resource mobilization and guarantees, and effectively enhance the implementation capabilities of developing countries.

He said that China has made remarkable achievements in environmental protection, drawing a red line for ecological protection, setting up a national park system, and implementing major projects for biodiversity protection.

It will continue to improve environmental quality and build a beautiful China in accordance with the requirements of high-quality development, he added.

The One Planet Summit was initiated by the United Nations, the World Bank and France in 2017, with a focus on global climate and environmental governance, with three editions held so far. The theme of this year's summit was biodiversity conservation.
Press Release

January 12, 2021 GRACE POE ON THE OMBUDSMAN'S REVERSAL OF ITS DECISION ON THE MRT MAINTENANCE DEAL: Accountability must be in the center of our institutions. It is thus disheartening to hear the news that the Office of the Ombudsman has abandoned its earlier ruling and decided to let the chief architects of the highly anomalous MRT-3 maintenance contract get off scot-free. This is indeed a slap in the face of the thousands of Filipino commuters who suffered for years due to the failure of public officials to dispense their duty. May nagpabaya kaya nagdusa ang sambayanan. I will let the earlier decision of the Ombudsman speak for itself. In an 88-page consolidated resolution last 2018, it found probable cause to file graft charges against former transportation secretary Jun Abaya and 16 others for conspiring to provide unwarranted advantage and preference to the Busan Universal Rail Inc. or BURI by awarding to it the P4.2-billion MRT-3 maintenance contract. It is unclear at this point how the reversal affects the findings of facts in the earlier resolution - that the suspicious award was made despite BURI's clear "lack of eligibility and qualifications" at a time when the grantee was not even incorporated and for which a respondent official even helped facilitate. We lauded such decision because it is consistent with the findings of the Senate Committee on Public Services that there are indeed "badges of negligence and inactions of the DOTr officials led by Abaya indicating insensitivity, callous indifference and acts disadvantageous to the commuters, to the Filipino public and to the government with regard to the malfunction problem of the MRT." Hindi maaaring walang managot kapag may katiwaliang naganap. By choosing not to hold these people accountable, we might be sending the wrong message here: that graft is not a serious criminal offense, that corruption is excusable, that the people's call for accountability will ultimately fall on deaf ears. We could only hope that this decision will not embolden crooks and hooligans to make a money-making venture out of the government. We should be purging them, not absolving them at the slightest opportunity.
Deutsche Bank and Signature Bank, two of President Donald Trump's favored lenders, are pulling away from the billionaire president in the wake of last week's deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The German lender has decided not to conduct any further business with Trump and his company, said two people with knowledge of the matter, asking not to be identified because the deliberations were confidential. Trump owes the Frankfurt-based lender more than $300 million.

Signature Bank, the New York lender that's long catered to his family, is closing two personal accounts in which Trump held about $5.3 million, a spokesperson for the firm said on Monday. It's also calling for the president to step aside before his term officially ends on Jan. 20.

"We believe the appropriate action would be the resignation of the president of the United States, which is in the best interests of our nation and the American people," the bank said in a separate statement on Monday.

The lenders are following social media outlets and other companies in suspending ties with the president after he encouraged attendees at a rally last week to march on the Capitol, where they stormed the building and interrupted the certification of the electoral college vote. At least five people died in the mayhem and its immediate aftermath.

"Yesterday was a dark day for America and our democracy," Deutsche Bank Americas head Christiana Riley posted on LinkedIn a day after the riot. "We are proud of our Constitution and stand by those who seek to uphold it to ensure that the will of the people is upheld and a peaceful transition of power takes place."

Signature bank has served Trump and others in his orbit, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Michael Cohen. In 2011, the bank appointed Ivanka to its board, but she stepped down a couple of years later. The New York Times reported the cutting of ties earlier on Monday.

"We have never before commented on any political matter and hope to never do so again," Signature said in its statement. The bank will not do business in the future with any members of Congress who voted to disregard the electoral college, the spokesperson said.

Deutsche Bank said last month that Trump's longtime banker resigned. Rosemary Vrablic, who worked in the private banking division, helped manage Trump's relationship with the bank as the German lender lent hundreds of millions of dollars of loans to Trump's company over a number of years. That relationship subjected the lender to pressure from lawmakers and prosecutors for information during Trump's presidency.

The Trump Organization currently still has three loans worth about $300 million outstanding with the bank. They come due in 2023 and 2024.

Deutsche Bank has faced scrutiny over its ties to Trump throughout his presidency. It was so concerned about its exposure after his election, it considered restructuring the loans but ultimately decided not to do new business with him during his presidency, Bloomberg has reported.

Researchers at Tampere University, Finland, have published new results in collaboration with an international research network that help to understand the biological phenomena mediated by cell membrane integrin receptors and contribute to the development of methods for the treatment of cancer.

In the cell membrane, integrins form the connection between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. The regulation of integrin activity is essential for the function of tissues and individual cells.

The studies investigated the structure and function of talin, a cytoskeletal protein, which is important in the regulation of the integrin receptor activity. Talin binds to integrin via its "head" and connects it to the cytoskeleton, thereby acting as a part of the cellular mechano-signalling network, which affects cell adhesion, migration, but also gene expression among other things.

One of the studies now published used X-ray crystallography to reveal the atomic structure of talin "head", giving unprecedented insights how talin binds to integrins.

"The activation of integrins mediated by talin is essential in various cancers, for example, and knowing the detailed structure of talin opens up new possibilities to combat cancer by developing inhibitors that prevent the interaction of talin and integrin," says Professor Vesa Hytonen from Tampere University.

The structure of talin was discovered in a group led by Professor Jinhua Wu (Fox Chase Cancer Center, PA, USA), and a research group at Tampere University led by Professor Vesa Hytonen was responsible for the biophysical characterizations in the study, while the cell-biological consequences were studied at the University of Geneva, Switzerland in a research group headed by Professor Bernhard Wehrle-Haller. The results were published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The significance of the structure of talin for integrin activation gained new perspectives in Sampo Kukkurainen's doctoral dissertation, which used molecular dynamics simulations to study the interaction of the talin - integrin pair.

The multidisciplinary research project related to Kukkurainen's dissertation project was also carried out in close collaboration with the research group of Professor Bernhard Wehrle-Haller (University of Geneva, Switzerland) and involved several research groups from Europe and the United States, including Professor Janne Janis's research group at the University of Eastern Finland and Research Director Markku Varjosalo's and Professor Ilpo Vattulainen's research groups at the University of Helsinki. The results were published in the Journal of Cell Science.

The study provided new detailed information on the mechanism of protein interaction.

"The study showed that the loop of the F1 subunit of talin is essential for the activation of integrins," says Dr. Kukkurainen.

At Tampere University, doctoral researcher Latifeh Azizi is currently investigating how the mutation of talin affects protein function.

An article related to Azizi's study published in Scientific Reports showed how mutations observed in cancer patients affect the structure, interactions, and biological activity of talin in cells. The study was conducted in collaboration with a research group led by Dr. Ben Goult (University of Kent, UK). The mutations selected for the study were screened from sequence databases using structural data and bioinformatics methods.

"It was interesting to find that a single mutation in a large protein can affect cell function so much," says Azizi.

The study showed that talin mutations affect cell motility and cell communication. The research result is a step towards personalised medical treatments in which information from a cancer patient's tumour can be used to select an appropriate treatment.

###

The studies used the scientific computing services provided by the CSC - IT Center for Science and the EU's Prace programme, the research facilities of EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) and the services of Biocenter Finland.

The research group led by Professor Hytonen is funded by the Academy of Finland, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation and the Cancer Foundation Finland, among others. Latifeh Azizi has received financial support from the Anu Kirra Foundation, the University of Tampere Foundation and the Doctoral Programme in Medicine, Life Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at Tampere University.

Surveillance cameras are seen in front of a Huawei logo in Belgrade, Serbia, Aug. 11, 2020. Picture taken August 11, 2020. (Reuters/Marko Djurica)

Chinese Companies Overseas Offices and Expat Organizations Serve as Beijings Outposts: Leaked Documents

The Epoch Times recently obtained government documents revealing that overseas divisions of Chinese state-owned companies and Chinese expat associations serve as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s outposts for pushing its economic and political agenda outside of China.

The documents exposed that the CCP maintains close ties with state-owned businesses and has set up liaison offices with chambers of commerce in various countries to serve as connections to its United Front Work Department. This Party agency is tasked with infiltrating countries through business, cultural, and educational exchanges in order to spread its propaganda, influence local elites, and suppress dissident groups.

The leaked documents come from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Liuzhou city, Guangxi Province. In September 2017, Liu Chuanlin, deputy director of the Liuzhou branch of the CCPs rubber-stamp legislature, led a five-member delegation to Russia and Greece. During the trip, the delegation received a warm reception and service from Chinese state-owned enterprises and local Chinese chambers of commerce, the documents stated.

Liuzhous foreign affairs office thanked the Russian branch of state-owned Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co., and Moscows Overseas Chinese Youth Federation (a United Front organization). The office also sent a thank-you letter to the Greek branch of Huawei Technologies Co. and the Fujian Province Chamber of Commerce in Greece. Both letters were dated September 2017.

Thank-you Letter to the Russian branch of Guangxi Liugong Machinery from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Liuzhou City. (Provided to The Epoch Times)

In the letter addressed to Guangxi Liugong Machinery, the office expressed gratitude for the companys vigorous assistance and thoughtful arrangements in hosting the delegation. The office also praised a manager from the marketing department and a senior regional manager for doing a good job of various reception services throughout the trip.

The letter also praised the companys contribution to the CCPs Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It revealed that Liugong Machinery has developed 65 sales representative organizations in 47 of the 65 countries within the framework of the BRI, Beijings effort to build infrastructure projects throughout the world.

The company has established six branches along the BRI corridors, including Russia, Poland, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Netherlands, the letter stated.

The thank you letter from the Liuzhou Foreign Affairs Office to Huawei Greece stated that the Liuzhou delegation received strong assistance and warm hospitality from an employee at the companys credit insurance system department, and a sales representative from Huaweis representative office in Greece.

In recent years, the company has been scrutinized for security threats posed by its close ties with the Chinese military. Several countries have excluded the company for their 5G wireless communication infrastructure.

Current affairs commentator Li Linyi told The Epoch Times that the thank-you letters demonstrated that the CCPs United Front is coordinating with overseas businesses and associations to advance the Partys economic goals.

Other leaked documents from the Liuzhou government also exposed that the CCP has set up a number of overseas Chinese business liaison offices in foreign countries.

One such document was a speech delivered by city government leaders during a conference on foreign affairs on March 3, 2017. It revealed that in 2016, the city cooperated with eight key overseas Chinese associations and chambers of commerce in seven countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It also signed and established eight overseas Chinese business liaison offices. The purpose of the business associations and liaison offices is to support Liuzhou-based auto manufacturer SAIC-GM-Wuling, Liugong Machinery, and other companies to establish production bases abroad.

Liuzhou governments Speech by Municipal Leaders at the Conference on Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs. (Provided to The Epoch Times)

Another leaked document, an official letter issued by the Guangxi Chamber of Commerce in Thailand to the Liuzhou Foreign Affairs Office on Feb. 7, 2017, revealed that the chamber of commerce promoted Liuzhou businesses and called itself a bridge between Thailand and China. The letter also stated that from Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, 2017, the Guangxi General Chamber of Commerce in Thailand would lead the chairman of Thailand-based Thonburi Education Group to Liuzhou city for exchange activities with higher education institutions, including cooperation in administering schools and other projects.

The leaders of the pro-CCP Chinese expat organizations in foreign countries have been rewarded for their services and contribution to the Chinese regime by being recommended to be VIP guests for the Liuzhou Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference committee meeting. The committee is a high-level political advisory body and a central part of the CCPs United Front Work Department.

The VIP recommendation list included the then-chairman of the Guangxi General Chamber of Commerce in Thailand; then-chairman of the Guangxi Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, and then-Secretary General of the Kwangsi (Guangxi) Association of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Liuzhou Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference committee meeting V.I.P. recommendation form of Li, Chairman of the Guangxi General Chamber of Commerce in Thailand. Provided to The Epoch Times.

In the CCPs recommendation form, then-chairman of the Guangxi General Chamber of Commerce in Thailand pledged his loyalty to the Party.

According to the document, Li said: I have always loved the motherland and firmly supported the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the states guidelines and national policies. I led the folks of the Guangxi Chamber of Commerce in Thailand to actively participate in various activities of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, and the activities organized by the Guangxi governments Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the CCPs Federation of Overseas Chinese, and other departments.

Gu Qinger Contributed to the report.

Feature Article

Advanced tools reveal critical infrastructure connections and help mitigate disasters

DOE/Argonne National Laboratory

A cross-platform Argonne collaboration is optimizing a tool developed after Hurricane Maria to find essential connections between critical infrastructure that will help owners and operators plan for and mitigate a variety of potential hazards.

Major disasters, whether natural or human-caused, most often have a devastating impact on local infrastructure that can result in the interruption of humanitarian efforts and deal an economic blow to communities large and small. No matter where you are in the world, these infrastructures are intimately linked, so that the failure of one can have a cascading effect on others.

Unfortunately, the details of how they're interconnected isn't always fully mapped out, making it hard for communities to determine which to bring online first after a disaster. However, Argonne is developing resources to help make the connections between the electrical grid and other lifeline infrastructure -- natural gas, clean water, healthcare, communications and so on -- and aid in those critical and timely decisions.

"We're looking at various aspects of all of these interconnected infrastructure systems to try and figure out the gaps and the weaknesses that really limit their resilience. And resilience here refers to your ability to plan, anticipate, adjust and remain operational following some type of disruption." -- Josh Bergerson, principal infrastructure analyst

One disaster in particular may have provided the impetus for such a tool.

Shortly after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico in 2017, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory joined the recovery effort to help identify and prioritize those critical infrastructure systems that would benefit most from improvements in security and resilience.

The team developed the Puerto Rico Infrastructure Interdependency Assessment (PRIIA) tool to map connections between interdependent infrastructure -- all of the various systems that basically support society, notes Josh Bergerson, principal infrastructure analyst in Argonne's Decision and Infrastructure Sciences (DIS) division and a member of the PRIIA team.

Bergerson and other members of that team are continuing to advance the PRIIA technology through Argonne's Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, but this time, the focus is on electricity-specific infrastructure and adding optimization and artificial intelligence (AI) components to reduce complexity and time-to-solution.

"The purpose of the research is to take the work that we started with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) using the PRIIA tool and think about ways we could augment and optimize our approach to modeling all the connections between interdependent infrastructure," said Lawrence Paul Lewis, DIS program lead for technology implementation.

Softening the domino effect

Infrastructure systems such as energy, water, communications and transportation are interconnected; dependent on another such that the operation of one system affects the operation of another.

Your house is a microcosm of larger infrastructure systems that are connected in one way or another, and all the things that can go wrong if one of those dependencies -- services from a utility, for instance -- is damaged.

Electricity is typically the first to go, and perhaps the most important. Without it, you lose lights, refrigeration, air conditioning or heating, if it's electric. You might lose water if you're on a well or lose access to Internet and television.

Now imagine what these cascading effects might look like on a local or regional level. Ask the citizens of Puerto Rico, who endured the full brunt of these cascading infrastructure failures for more than a year.

Where earlier work focused on getting utilities and other critical infrastructure back online, the new Argonne collaboration is looking at how things break and developing plans in advance of disruption events.

Disruptions are not caused solely by natural hazards like storms, wildfires or flooding. Other causes include physical attacks, where a person or group intentionally targets infrastructure components through physical force, and cyberattacks, which have become more frequent and can have serious implications for critical infrastructure.

The optimized PRIIA tool will help analyze a system and point out its vulnerabilities, allowing stakeholders to address them and reduce the impact of any future events, whether natural or human-caused.

"We're looking at various aspects of all of these interconnected infrastructure systems to try and figure out the gaps and the weaknesses that really limit their resilience," said Bergerson. ?"And resilience here refers to your ability to plan, anticipate, adjust and remain operational following some type of disruption."

One of the major challenges has been in trying to come up with an accurate schematic of a region's infrastructure dependencies. While much public data exist about individual systems, no one collects information on the actual connections between those systems -- for example, which electric power substation supports a particular water system.

The only way to get that information is to physically go into the field and observe the physical system itself, which has proven an extremely inefficient way of gathering information, Bergerson admits.

"In Puerto Rico, we spent six months and got a couple of hundred dependency connections out of tens of thousands that are there," he recalled.

Because no official or authoritative database for infrastructure dependencies exists, the team began to standardize and organize the infrastructure data they did have -- much of it from Puerto Rico, some from datasets, such as Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data, an aggregation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of all critical infrastructure datasets that are publicly available.

One of the key outcomes of the project is the development of what the team calls a hypergraph, a generic superset of all reasonable connections or layouts of infrastructure assets, accompanied by a high-level characterization of each asset.

"You sort of lay out this generic SimCity-looking plan of asset characteristics and how they connect to each other," said Lewis. ?"Then, as we approach a real-world problem, we feed real-world data through this hypergraph and that's how we can start to populate our model."

"So that's one of the tough things, but also one of the victories that will come out of this."

Building resources to support AI applications

In its effort to more accurately identify the impact of cascading failures, the team began collaborating with colleagues in Argonne's Mathematics and Computer Science division (MCS) to further improve the overall modeling process.

By incorporating complex multistage models and algorithms into the PRIIA tool, they hope to reduce the labor intensiveness of tracking an exponential number of dependencies; reduce uncertainties associated with large-scale infrastructure systems; and address the computational complexities of infrastructure interdependencies through models motivated by game theory. These enhancements will allow the team to apply this new tool far beyond Puerto Rico, for which it was originally developed.

"The team was using a tool that allowed them to simulate what happens if something impacts certain pieces of infrastructure," said Sven Leyffer, senior computational mathematician in MCS. ?"What they couldn't do was address the question, ?'Is that the worst case that could happen to my infrastructure?'"

"To answer that, they would have had to go through an exponential number of combinations devoted to finding out the worst case. We can do it by just solving a single, large-scale optimization problem."

The focus of the MCS work is to identify where a cascade might start in a particular system and which asset or combination of assets would create the worst cascade should they fail. The goal of this analysis, then, is to improve the resilience of those specific dependencies, whether by providing backups, introducing redundancies or increasing security.

The next step for the project includes incorporating an AI application called machine learning (ML) to speed up the process. ML models often require a lot of training data, however, which are not readily available for cascading failures. By applying their expertise in optimization and simulation techniques, Leyffer and his group are helping to find the most impactful cascades directly, information that can then be used to generate training data for ML models in the future.

"An AI application will help us do a better job of simulating how a disruption or degradation of operation to an upstream piece of infrastructure, like a very important transmission substation, would cascade across all the other infrastructure," suggested Lewis.

"That is a very computationally complex question to answer, but it is a key question utility owners or operators must face."

The combined tools and methods are intended to create an approach that teams can apply during planning and hazard mitigation processes, or in response and recovery phases to help prioritize the many actions needed to restore systems as efficiently and properly as possible.

This work was supported through Argonne LDRD funding and the DOE's Office of Electricity. The MCS work is supported by Multifaceted Mathematics for Rare, High-Impact Events in Complex Energy and Environment Systems (MACSER), through the DOE's Advanced Scientific Computing Research program. Earlier work on PRIIA was in support of FEMA and DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://?ener?gy?.gov/?s?c?ience.
LG has announced that its 2021 TV models will be getting Google Stadia and NVIDIA GeForce Now integration. While Stadia is available on Android TV models, LG's webOS will be the first non-Google smart TV platform to offer it. Meanwhile, GeForce Now isn't integrated on any smart TV platform and LG will be the first to have it.

Google Stadia support will be arriving first in the second half of 2021. With this, users will be able to stream their purchased Stadia games without requiring any additional devices other than a controller. The service will be available only in regions where Stadia is currently available and will have the same plans that it currently does.

The GeForce Now support will be coming in later in the year. As with Stadia, users will be able to purchase games on the service and then have it streamed to their television. Additionally, GeForce Now also allows users to play games that they have already purchased on other platforms. This service will also be available only in regions where it's currently available.

Both services will be available as a downloadable app from the LG Content Store on the updated webOS 6 smart TV platform in regions where they are available.

Source 1  Source 2
Former Midland County sheriff candidate Joe Lozano was arrested Saturday after inappropriately touching a package delivery person.

Lozano, 64, was charged with indecent assault, a class A misdemeanor, and indecent exposure, a class B misdemeanor.

Midland police were dispatched at about 2 p.m. Saturday to Lozanos appliance store in reference to an assault. The victim, a package delivery driver, was on her route when she stopped at the appliance store and asked if she could use the businesss restroom, according to the arrest affidavit.

While on her way to the restroom, Lozano began grabbing her on inappropriate areas over her clothing. The woman stated she pushed him away and was able to make it to the restroom but didnt have her phone to call for help, according to the affidavit.

When she exited the restroom, Lozano exposed himself and began to touch himself, according to the affidavit. While exiting the building, Lozano tried to hug her and grab her inappropriately again, according to the affidavit.

Upon exiting she called her supervisor who immediately called MPD, according to the affidavit.

Officers arrived on the scene and questioned Lozano who initially stated no one had stopped by the business at the time of question. Lozano agreed to show officers video footage from inside the building but there was no footage from the timeframe that the assault occurred, according to the affidavit.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has labelled the Black Lives Matter movement a protest over racial riots in a new statement claiming a parallel with the storming of the United States Congress last week.

One day after Amnesty International criticised him for the deeply offensive comparison, Mr McCormack argued that both protests should be condemned for their violence.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack did not concede any difference between the riots and the Black Lives Matter protests. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Any form of violence, any form of protest that ends in death and destruction, is abhorred, Mr McCormack told ABC TV on Tuesday morning. Any form of protest, whether its a protest over racial riots or indeed what weve seen on Capitol Hill in recent days, is condemned and is abhorred.

Asked whether the pro-Donald Trump mob attack on the Capitol was different because it sought to impede a democratic institution, Mr McCormack did not concede any difference between the riots and the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racially motivated violence.
SACRAMENTO  A coronavirus outbreak among gorillas at the San Diego Zoo suggests humans can transmit the disease to some of their closest primate relatives.

At least two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for the virus and multiple others could be infected, zoo officials said Monday. Its the first known case of natural transmission to great apes, the branch of primates most closely related to humans.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said state health officials are researching how it happened and possible implications for people.

Were currently confirming the source of the infection and the strain, Newsom said during a news conference in Sacramento County. There is some question, did it come (from) human to animal? Its being determined.

The gorillas are suspected to have contracted the virus after interacting with an asymptomatic park worker, though the staffer wore protective equipment and followed other safety precautions, according to the zoo.

Even with all those precautions, we have an exposure that we think happened with that team member, Lisa Peterson, executive director at the zoo, said in a video statement.

As weve seen in the public, this virus has been very, very tricky, she said. We know that its evolving, its changing, and the best that we can do for humans and wildlife is just to ensure that... we remain nimble.

Peterson told the Associated Press that eight gorillas that live together at the park are thought to have the virus. Zoo officials did not give the precise number of infected gorillas in their statement.

Charles Chiu, director of viral diagnostics at UCSF, said its unclear if the infected gorillas have spread the virus among themselves or whether a zoo handler gave it to all of them.

He said thats the key question for researchers. If the virus is capable of spreading within more species, Chiu said, it would drastically complicate efforts to eradicate the virus because it could evolve separately in an animal population.

Then you can have an ongoing source of infection, and ongoing source of new variants that in turn can be transmitted back to humans, Chiu said. Its very worrisome.

People can help prevent that from happening by being vaccinated as quickly as possible and taking public-health measures to slow the spread of the virus, including measures to prevent spread to animals.

We have to do everything possible to try to get community-wide herd immunity, Chiu said. Theres a lot of potential for bad outcomes if this pandemic is allowed to continue.

Fecal samples from the San Diego Zoo gorillas were tested last week after two animals began coughing. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories at the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the results Monday.

Aside from some congestion and coughing, the gorillas are doing well, Peterson said in a statement. The troop remains quarantined together and are eating and drinking. We are hopeful for a full recovery.

Since the outset of the pandemic, Peterson said, the zoos staff has been working tirelessly, with the utmost determination to protect each other and the wildlife in our care from this highly contagious virus.

Newsom said the status of the gorillas was of particular concern to his four young children, given our love for animals.

What tends to resonate in my house, I want to make public to you, he said. Its an area thats long been of concern  human-to animal-transmission. But our beloved gorillas, obviously, we are concerned about.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
Widower Thomas Wyness is fighting back after being targeted by scammers

For nine years, widower Thomas Wyness was bombarded with letters telling him he'd won high-value cash prizes, televisions and cars. All he needed to do, the letters told him, was send a small sum of money to an overseas postbox to claim it.

But while the prizes never arrived, his losses quickly added up. Thomas, now 90, estimates he sent around 11,000 to countries including the Czech Republic, Sweden and Hong Kong.

But now he is fighting back. Thomas is one of more than 1,700 scam victims recruited by National Trading Standards (NTS) to dish the dirt on scammers.

Tips from 'Scam Marshals' such as Thomas led to more than 389,000 scam letters being intercepted in the past year  saving victims and authorities more than 22million. Thomas discovered he had been conned by cruel criminals only when officers from his local Trading Standards visited him.

The former navigator with the Merchant Navy says: 'I had been at sea all my life and had no idea about scams. 'I take everyone as being honest; I thought they were genuine people. It made me feel like a real idiot.

'Because I've been on my own, you're quite lonely, and you've got no one to talk to. Receiving those letters, I felt someone was taking notice of me.'

Thomas, who lives in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, now sends dozens of scam letters he receives each month to NTS officers to analyse and hopefully stop. Scam Marshals such as Thomas also share their experiences to help others report and recognise scams.

Recruits are given training to teach them how to spot scams. And they are armed with Freepost envelopes to send any bogus letters they receive to Trading Standards. Scam Marshals usually have to retire after two or three years, as once they stop responding to the scam mail, the fraudsters tend to move on to other targets. But Thomas says the letters are still coming.

Last month he got one from Austria telling him he had won 1million. All he needed to do was send 35 in cash. He says this is the sixth missive he has received from Austria in the past few months.

Some 53 per cent of people aged 65 and over say they have been targeted by fraudsters, but the figure is believed to be much higher with only 5 per cent reporting the con.

Typical mail scams claim you have won an attractive prize, but to claim it you must send an administration fee. Others appear to be from charities requesting donations, or even from clairvoyants asking for a fee to contact a lost loved one.

Some 53% of people aged 65 and over say they have been targeted by fraudsters

NTS is expecting to receive a spike in scam mail this month as criminals typically ramp up their activities over Christmas to take advantage of those who may be spending more money or feeling more isolated.

Mail scams are understood to affect more people in vulnerable situations, including the elderly, those living alone or with longterm health conditions. And during lockdown, with more people isolated from friends and family, experts fear many more may have fallen victim.

Louise Baxter, head of the NTS scam team, says: 'Criminals often groom their victims over a period of time, capitalising on loneliness by providing a form of contact via mail. This includes fake prize draws, lottery and clairvoyant scams, defrauding people into sending money.

'Many of us have felt anxious and lonely during the pandemic, and criminals will not hesitate to prey on our emotions by sending us fake stories of hope.'

Scam letters will perhaps look authentic  sent on good-quality paper with official-looking stamps and addressed to the recipient. But any correspondence you receive that asks for money in exchange for a prize will not be genuine, says Ms Baxter.

Mail scams are understood to affect more people in vulnerable situations, including the elderly, those living alone or with longterm health conditions

The fraudsters tend to be based overseas and it is unclear how they initially get your contact details. You may have signed up for something in the past, or your information held with an organsation could have been breached.

Thomas believes fraudsters got his details after he placed an order with a company in France for French food. It started taking 55 out of his account each week, and then he received a letter saying he'd won a Peugeot, but he had to send money to claim.

Once you've responded to one scam letter, your details are placed on a so-called 'suckers list'. These are then traded with other criminals to target you repeatedly.

Ms Baxter says: 'Letter and mail scams have always been a hidden crime. Those who are targeted are typically older and may live alone. This generation learned to trust the post as a legitimate form of communication and are more likely to respond by letter.

'They are told not to share their news with anyone  otherwise they will not win the prize. They become very secretive and less likely to confide in people because they feel ashamed and embarrassed. It is why we need more people to talk about it, so others know they are not alone.'

Thomas says: 'Being a Scam Marshal makes me feel I am doing something good for other people. It gives me a sense of justice.'

To sign up as a Scam Marshal, visit friendsagainstscams.org.uk/customer
The Chief Minister's Office tweeted: 'Praying that the Mahadik family will get strength to recover from the loss. Heartfelt tributes'

Mumbai: Maharashtra Shiv Sena's deputy leader and Bhartiya Kamgar Sena president Suryakant Mahadik died following a brief illness on Monday, party sources said.

Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray expressed grief over Mahadik's death.

"The news of death of Shiv Sena's deputy leader and Bhartiya Kamgar Sena president Suryakant Mahadik ji is saddening. He fought for the rights of countless workers through the Bhartiya Kamgar Sena.

"Praying that the Mahadik family will get strength to recover from the loss. Heartfelt tributes," Thackeray's office tweeted.
Opinion Article

12 January 2021

Even though European hospitality sector has been hit hard by COVID-19 in 2020, there is a lot of positivity and movement in regard to new hotel openings in the region. According to research from TOPHOTELPROJECTS, it is expected that 277 hotels with 63,680 rooms are planned to open this year across Central and Eastern Europe. Thus, it seems that 2021 will be a busy period for new openings of hotels in the region and with even more to come in the market for the subsequent years. This indicates that investors and developers are optimistic about the rebound of hotels in the next few years.

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The country that leads the openings in the region is Poland with 62 openings and 12,314 keys. In second place comes Russia with 61 planned launches and 11,392 rooms. Croatia takes third place with 34 new hotels and an impressive 11,927 keys. Several large-scale projects have already been lined up across the country. Following this list is Montenegro and then Romania.

Hilton Costabella Beach Resort and Spa, Croatia

Movenpick Koobrzeg, Poland

Central and Eastern Europe's top urban growth centres include Budapest, which will see 14 new hotels opening in the following years to welcome tourists and business travellers alike. Moscow is another city on this list. The Russian capital will get 11 additional hotels, while nine new properties are coming to Prague.

Studies conducted by Savills and Fitch Ratings claim that investors should expect hotels to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2023 because of the impressive performance that the European hospitality sector experienced in 2019, with hotel values in Central Europe raised to 3% across the board on a year-to-year basis. As an example, the city that leads the openings of hotels in 2021 in the region, Budapest has had an impressive CAGR in the past decade of 6.1%. Therefore, it is not surprising why the market believes that there is more growth to come after boarders and restrictions are lifted.

It is worth exploring specific projects that will come to the market in the next few years to understand better their quality and what new aspects they have to offer in the industry. One & Only Portonovi will open their first hotel in Montenegro in March 2020. It will be the brand's first property in Europe. When open, the hotel will offer 140 rooms and villas, private residences, and a marina. It will combine effortless elegance with want-for-nothing service and world-class wellness facilities.

One & Only Portonovi in Montenegro

Another impressive hotel that will come to the market in 2022 is the Bvlgari Hotel Moscow. It will be world's seventh Bvlgari Hotel, and it will preside over one of the city's most prestigious areas, just 300 metres from the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow's affluent historic district.

The hotel will have 65 keys, and it will be infused with modern Italian style throughout its private and public spaces, including the 300-square-metre Bvlgari Suite, lavish restaurant, bar with spacious roof terrace, and state-of-the-art Spa. The hotel is expected to bring an unprecedented standard of luxury to one of the world's great cities.

Lastly, another exceptional hotel that will come to the market in 2023 is the 5-star Hard Rock Hotel Letna Prague. Hard Rock International continues its growth and portfolio of hotels in Europe with one of Prague's newest additions. The hotel will open in 2023, and it will have 523 rooms and suites. It will boast magnificent views overlooking Letna Park and the spectacular Prague Castle from the hotel's sophisticated rooftop Sky Bar. There are also substantial convention facilities including a 20,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose ballroom and - on the top floor, a full-service spa with pool and gym.

Hard Rock Hotel Prague

In brief, another notable project that will come to the Central and Eastern European region in the following years is the 120-room Ritz-Carlton, Montenegro which will be the first property for Marriott International's iconic luxury brand in the country. Also, in Budapest Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel is expected to open its doors in 2021. The hotel is expected to have 185 guest rooms and suites. Accommodation is centred around the cavernous atrium, while the ground-floor New York Cafe is the heart of the social scene. Named 'The Most Beautiful Cafe in the World', with gilded stucco and plush velvet, the venue has played host to Hungary's artists and poets for over a century.

Ritz-Carlton in Montenegro

Budapest Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel

In conclusion, it seems that the next few years will be busy and with many exciting hotel openings in Europe. The scale of the mentioned projects proves the hospitality sector's resilience and the positivity among the market players and investors who have committed large amounts of capital and expect to see positive returns in the next decade. It is also evident that the region will continue being one of the top international tourist destinations. In that region, the hotel sector predicts that business travelling will continue soon since they have made large investments in impressive boardrooms and event spaces.

New Delhi:

A knifeman held the staff of a job centre hostage in northeast Englands Newcastle. Specialist police negotiators have reached the spot to negotiate, said police. Witnesses also reported seeing the man with something strapped to his chest.

There are no reports of any injuries so far and all the hostages have been released but the man concerned is the only person who remains in the building, said Northumbria Police.

The Police has also rubbished social media rumours that some people were stabbed by the knifeman, saying "this is not the case."

The road is closed in both directions and the public is advised to avoid the area. There are reports of a heavy police presence in Byker as the incident is dealt with although at this time it is not clear exactly what has happened.

The Police denied any speculations that it could be a terror attack saying the attacker is known to the Job Centre and the incident is being treated as an isolated incident.

"We want to confirm that at this time there is no information or intelligence to suggest the incident in Byker is terror related," said Police.

Meanwhile, nearby student accommodation has been evacuated and Byker Metro station has been closed.

"Byker Metro station has been closed as we deal with an ongoing situation on Clifford Street. Some roads are also closed. It's an isolated incident," said Northumbria Police. Police were called to Job Centre Plus, Clifford Street in Byker at around 8 am (Friday, June 9) following reports of a man causing a disturbance."

Officers have attended and found the man armed with a knife had entered the premises and it is believed that several members of staff are being held there. Several other staff members have left. Police negotiators are at the scene and the roads around the premises have been closed as a precaution.

#UPDATE Man with knife holding employees hostage at job centre in Newcastle, northeast England, police say, specialist negotiators at scene  AFP news agency (@AFP) June 9, 2017

#BREAKING Knifeman holding hostages at job centre in northeast England: police  AFP news agency (@AFP) June 9, 2017

More details are awaited...

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With the CES 2021 underway, American chipmaker Qualcomm has introduced its next generation of in-display fingerprint sensors. The new Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 is the company's latest ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and it is being said that the fingerprint sensor will be debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, that is scheduled to launch on Thursday, January 14. According to Qualcomm, the new 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 will be 77 percent larger than its predecessor at an 8mm by 8mm measurement, as compared to the 4mm by 9mm dimensions of the predecessor.

The new fingerprint sensor will instantly give users more surface area to place their finger, reducing false inputs, and giving users the option to scan a larger area of their finger for increased security. Qualcomm says that the second-generation 3D Sonic Sensor is able to process fingerprints about 50 percent faster than the previous generation as it collects about 1.7 times more biometric data than its predecessor. In addition to the increased surface area, Qualcomm has also managed to make the new fingerprint sensor capable of reading inputs through more materials, including foldable displays and even water. This means that if true, users will be able to unlock their smartphones using the in-display fingerprint scanner even when the phone is wet.

Now, while there is no official word on if the new Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 being used on the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, it is expected that the Qualcomm sensor will be incorporated in the latest Samsung flagship smartphone. Qualcomm, during its CES 2021 announcement, said that its first generation 3D ultrasonic sensor has been used in the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 10, S20, and Note 20 series. Further, taking hints from the company's statement that the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 will arrive in mobile devices in 'early 2021', it can be assumed that the fingerprint sensor may debut with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series on January 14.
After what was supposed to be a peaceful protest coming from the supporters of President Trump and his administration, wherein the riots were started allegedly by the leftists who infiltrated the Trump supporters, the personal Twitter account of the President was suspended. Alongside the suspension were the suspension of other accounts who were in favor of the President.

One America News Network got an exclusive interview with President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who talks about the massive disrespect the Big Tech company, Twitter, has for free speech--he slams the social media company for suspending the President's account. "It certainly shows no respect for the right of free speech," he claims.

Twitter, undeniably, is a privately owned company with its own sets of rules and guidelines that informs its users on how to properly use it. However, Giuliani believes that there are biases when it comes to the President and his supporters--citing there is a double standard from the tech company when it comes to them.

"They have not even banned the Black Lives Matter movement which causes the killings of police officers," he argues.

Apparently, Twitter marked the President's tweets as capable of "incitement to violence," hence his account was suspended. However, the President's tweet was actually a call for a peaceful protest and he prioritized their wellbeing first--which every person has the right to.

Guiliani is also questioning the way the company works since it allegedly has a "one-sided democracy." He calls them out for covering up for the scandals involving Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. He also mentions how not only does the company prevent people who they disagree with and yet, at the same time suppressing timely and relevant information on the scandals of the people that they agree with--making them operate in fascist manner, in which ironically, are working in a country that is fueled by democracy.

The Congress did not repeal Section 230 because they wanted to enable this bias as what Giuliani alleged. He notes that "Democrats control the house and Twitter was part of the conspiracy that creates censorship of the Biden hard drive which proves, in their own words, that Biden has been a criminal for 30 years."

Key members of those who are fighting for the President have also been banned on different social media platforms. Sidney Powell, who is known for her efforts at revealing the cheating done in the U.S. Presidential election was banned from Twitter as well.

Even former members of a Liberal movement who chose to speak up about why they left the Democrat party were silenced on Facebook. The movement "#WalkAway", which reached over 500,000 engagements, was stopped and the tech company has no explanation whatsoever on why it was marked as violating its terms of use.

Regardless of the ban, Guiliani urged President Trump to continue using his voice for the American people who are fighting for the truth and democracy. Likewise, the supporters of the President should not falter especially during these trying times.

https://unsplash.com/photos/cTz5-T7voqQ

A construction company owner was seriously injured Monday morning after he was pinned down by a large piece of concrete on Cape Cod, police said.

Officers received a 911 call shortly after 11:20 a.m. from a worker at a construction site on Cranberry Lane in South Yarmouth that a 39-year-old man from Brewster had been injured after the piece of concrete fell on him, according to authorities. He was identified as the owner of the company doing the work.

First responders arrived at the scene and found the victim still inside the foundation. He suffered serious injuries to his upper and lower extremities, the Yarmouth Police Department said in a statement.

The man was conscious and talking when rescuers arrived. He was freed from the concrete by other workers at the scene before police and fire department personnel arrived, according to the statement.

Due to the severity of the mans injuries, he was taken to Barnstable Municipal Airport and afterward flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital, officials said.

The name of the victim is being withheld at this time pending notification of family, the department noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 14:28:46|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Jan. 11, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol Building seen through a barrier fence in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"In light of the attack on the Capitol and intelligence suggesting further violence is likely during the Inaugural period, my administration has reevaluated our preparedness posture for the Inauguration, including requesting the extension of D.C. National Guard support through Jan. 24, 2021," Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote in a letter sent to Trump.



WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday approved the emergency declaration for Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, through Jan. 24, covering the date of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

"Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District's response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from Jan. 11 to Jan. 24, 2021," the Office of the White House Press Secretary said in a statement.

The emergency declaration authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate resources with state and local authorities, and came as Washington braced for heightened possibility of violence in the lead-up to and during Biden's inauguration.

Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The declaration was in response to a letter sent to Trump on Sunday by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who already declared a 15-day public emergency for the city shortly after pro-Trump demonstrators stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

"In light of the attack on the Capitol and intelligence suggesting further violence is likely during the Inaugural period, my administration has reevaluated our preparedness posture for the Inauguration, including requesting the extension of D.C. National Guard support through Jan. 24, 2021," Bowser wrote in the letter.

"I have determined that the plans and resources previously assigned to the Inauguration are insufficient to establish a safe and secure environment as a direct result of the insurrectionist actions that occurred on Jan. 6," the mayor said. "Based on recent events and intelligence assessments, we must prepare for large groups of trained and armed extremists to come to Washington, D.C."

On Monday, Bowser was joined by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in urging people to stay away from inaugural events, citing "last week's violent insurrection as well as the ongoing and deadly COVID-19 pandemic."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned about plans of armed protests from Jan. 16 through Jan. 20 at all the 50 state capitols, and from Jan. 17 through Jan. 20 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. 
English teacher Damien Ryan has been banned from teaching for life by a Teaching Regulation Agency panel after he launched a YouTube channel blasting Muslim, gay and transgender people

An English teacher has been banned from the classroom for life after launching a Youtube channel to rant against Muslim, gay and transgender people.

Damien Ryan recorded episodes for his YouTube channel named The Ryan Review, which he broadcast on the video sharing site.

Ryan, 50, blasted Islam as a 'hateful, bigoted fascist ideology' and said all Muslim countries had been stolen from others.

He described transgenderism as 'bullshit' and urged his viewers to speak up against gay marriage.

The teacher taught English in a Catholic secondary school in Rotherham that had a significant number of BAME pupils at the time.

He also taught English to a number of asylum seekers, and had contact with Muslim asylum seekers from a Sheffield mosque.

A meeting of the Teaching Regulation Agency found that concerns were raised by a parent of a child at Saint Pius X Catholic High School in Rotherham, South Yorks, in 2018.

As a result Ryan was visited by the police and he explained his race hate rants had been triggered by the child sex exploitation scandal that had rocked the town.

Despite showing some remorse for what he had done the panel decided that Ryan was unfit to teach again and handed down a lifetime ban.

The teaching regulator panel concluded: 'The conduct clearly had the potential to affect the way in which he fulfilled his teaching role or may have led to pupils being exposed to, or influenced by, the behaviour in a harmful way.

Concerns about the YouTube channel were raised by a parent of a child at Saint Pius X Catholic High School in Rotherham, South Yorks, in 2018

'For example, some pupils could have viewed the content and experienced offence or distress whereas others could have been encouraged to express negative and/or derogatory opinions of Islam, Muslims and others.'

Mr Ryan was prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

He can apply for the prohibition to be dropped in December 2022.

On his videos Ryan ranted: 'If you think Islam is a vile, hateful religion, say it without apology. Against gay marriage? Say so. No qualification.

'Think transgenderism is bullshit. Say so. No, 'I'm not bigoted but....' No apologies. The left never apologises. Speak up. Again, no apologies!'

He went on to say: 'Islam LGBTQ and the left make an Unholy Trinity' adding in other clips: 'Muslims deserve no lands,' 'Muslims deserve no countries' and 'All Muslim countries are stolen from others'.

He admitted making the comments but said they did not bring him into professional dispute.

In their findings the panel said: 'In evidence, Mr Ryan stated that his personal convictions were nourished by a well publicised child sexual exploitation case in Rotherham which had involved a number of men mostly from the Pakistani Muslim community.

'This case had resulted in public criticism of the police for allegedly failing to take action more quickly due to perceived cultural and political sensitivities.

Damien Ryan called his YouTube channel (pictured, stock image) The Ryan Review, which he broadcast on the video sharing site

'Reference was made to a publicly available report into this matter, but this report was not in evidence before the panel.

'This issue was put before the panel as explanatory evidence as to how Mr Ryan had come to form the view that some or all of the doctrines of the Islamic faith themselves posed a risk to public order and safety, and as to how he came to publish or disseminate the videos and retweets in question.'

It went on: 'Mr Ryan has demonstrated behaviour associated with intolerance on the grounds of race/religion or sexual orientation.

'However, Mr Ryan has never been investigated nor prosecuted for any criminal offence.'

And they added: 'Mr Ryan in evidence stated that he regretted his actions deeply and would never engage in such conduct again.'

The report conclusion red: 'The panel also had regard to Mr Ryan's record as a teacher, and noted that he had a good record.

'Similarly, there was no evidence that Mr Ryan's conduct did, in fact, have 19 any adverse impact upon any learners.

'For example, Mr Ryan did not communicate any such views within the educational setting.'
The atrocities did not play out just in Tuam. The 18 homes in Tuesdays report spanned the country and were run by different groups of nuns. The Church ran the homes, but the newly founded Irish state worked hand-in-hand with them making many effectively state institutions in all but name.

The report detailed how 56,000 unmarried mothers and about 57,000 children came through the homes investigated by the commission during a 76-year period. It attempted to differentiate between the earliest years of the home and those that came later.

In the years before 1960 mother and baby homes did not save the lives of illegitimate children; in fact, they appear to have significantly reduced their prospects of survival, the report said, adding that the women and children should not have been in the institutions at all.

But it also said there was no evidence of the sort of gross abuse that occurred in industrial schools, and said women were not forced by the state or church to enter the homes, though they were left with little choice, a point survivors took issue with.

The homes were just one part of a larger system that exploited and suppressed some of the countrys most vulnerable women and girls. Considered fallen women, they were relegated to the fringes, and even when they were not confined to mother and baby homes. they were often pressured into giving up their newborns, often in shadowy adoptions.

Philomena Lee, perhaps one of the best known survivors of the homes  after an award winning book and a film told the story of her search for a son she was forced to give up for adoption  said she had waited decades for this moment.
As the March 2nd Election Day quickly approaches, I want to share my agenda as I hope to move into the first 100 days as the first African American female for Chattanooga City Council District 7. My campaign is all about Building Stronger Communities. This implies that the people in District 7 are resilient, passionate, and already have strong roots that should be nurtured. After canvassing, attending meetings, and hearing the voices of the residents in District 7, my first 100 days will focus on harnessing the power of the collective voices in the community and moving their agenda forward.

Neighborhood Equity: District 7 Council

A question that has been repeatedly asked is, How do you plan to bring the district together? This question is the core of my approach to neighborhood equity. Within my first 100 days I will establish a District 7 Council that will consist of 2-3 representatives from each neighborhood in the district. This council will meet regularly to communicate concerns, be informed on city matters, and to build bridges between neighborhoods. It is imperative to create a space for ALL communities to be heard and to understand the unique issues that each neighborhood is facing. This type of communal effort will have lasting impacts on reconciling community tensions and moving District 7 forward, collectively.

Economic Development: Budget Review

It was made very clear that Chattanoogans want their concerns to be reflected in the budget. During the first 100 days, I plan to be thoroughly engaged in the budgeting process to ensure that resources are allocated to priority areas and that we as city leaders are held accountable for the peoples money.

Infrastructure and Transportation: Paving and Speeding

A concern that is shared across District 7 (and most of the city) is the frustration with hazardous road conditions including potholes, warped pavement, metal sheets that have been in some communities for months, all with no repair plans in sight. In addition, speeding is a concern in many neighborhoods, which makes the streets unsafe for both them and their families. I will work with community leaders and the Chattanooga Department of Transportation to address these concerns and move toward an equitable solution.

Consistent Presence Matters

I will continue to be accountable and transparent to the constituents of District 7, by being in consistent communication about issues and concerns, attending neighborhood meetings, connecting with local business owners, and by sharing opportunities that can enhance their quality of life.

These first 100 day goals will set the tone for my term as the first African American City Councilwoman for District 7. I will be the peoples representative. I will be accountable, dependable, and community conscious. We will Build Stronger Communities together in District 7.

Raquetta Dotley for City Council District 7
An independent postmortem was due to be carried out today on the body of George Nkencho, the 27-year-old man shot dead by gardai outside his west Dublin home on December 30 while allegedly armed with a knife.

While one postmortem has been carried out already to determine the circumstances of his death, the second postmortem is being ordered by the solicitor for the Nkencho family and will be independent of the one which will form part of the States investigation by An Garda Siochana and the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission into the fatal shooting.

It had been unclear if the current Level 5 Covid restrictions would hamper the second postmortem, because it was feared that a pathologist would not be able to travel from England to perform it.

But the independent postmortem will be carried out today by Professor Jack Crane, the former Northern Ireland state pathologist.

Read More

It remained unclear today when George Nkenchos body would be released to his family who are anxious to organise a funeral for him, but the familys solicitor, Phelim ONeill, said it was expected that there would be an update in the coming days.

Georges family would hope that his body would be released to them later this week, he told Independent.ie.

Mr Nkencho was followed by gardai from the Eurospar shop at Hartstown in west Dublin after the alarm was raised by staff following an alleged confrontation in which it is said he was armed with a knife and assaulted a staff member.

George Nkencho walked in the direction of his home at Manorsfield Drive in Clonee, a journey of around 10 minutes, as gardai ordered him to stop and put down the knife.

Armed gardai arrived at the scene and tried to use non-lethal force, including pepper spray and a taser, to disable and disarm him.

This was unsuccessful, and as Mr Nkencho went to enter his home he was fired on a number of times. He was rushed to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Sources close to the family have said Georges sister Gloria had urged gardai to stop before he was shot, and that armed gardai knew there were people in the hallway of the house when they opened fire, with two bullets hitting the window beside the door close to where they were standing.

They say the family will also tell investigators that they saw their brother being pepper-sprayed at close range by gardai, and will ask why he could not have been disarmed by gardai if they could get that close.

The family has said George was suffering from mental illness at the time of his death.

The family will say that if the gardai are issuing statements saying they feared George would harm them, then why did they fire shots in their direction and put them in danger, the sources said.

They will also say that there was a four-second delay between the fourth and fifth shot. They know George was hit more than once, so they will say the fifth shot was not necessary and that George had already been disabled by the time it was fired, they added.

Three of Georges siblings were in the house when he arrived surrounded by gardai. His sister opened the door and urged gardai to stop, saying she could talk to George and that he was ill, but she was told to get back inside and then the firing started. The gardai knew they were behind the door, the source explained.

The investigation into Mr Nkenchos shooting is continuing.

Gardai have said they tried to use non-lethal force first, as per protocol, and had feared for the safety of themselves and others when the armed garda fired his garda-issue weapon.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 4:24 pm

A pandemic is no time to raise taxes.

While Republicans in the state Legislature would respond to such a statement with an affirmative nod, their colleagues across the aisle will face pressure to create new revenue sources as the Legislature looks to counter the impacts of the coronavirus recession.

Look no further than Gov. Jay Inslees budget plan for confirmation of that.

The Democratic executive entering his third term in office has proposed $1.3 billion in new taxes for Washingtonians.

The state does need new, additional revenue to continue to strengthen our states economy, he said last month. This we know.

Inslee dismissed a reduction in the states budget through cuts to staff and services as impractical, a suggestion that rightly angers businesses that have been forced to cut their own staffs and budgets amid government-ordered restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.

The largest new revenue proposal is Inslees tax on capital gains, a plan that has been called out as an income tax by critics of the governor. The new tax on profits from selling stocks and bonds would collect $1.1 billion annually beginning next year. While supporters of the plan note that it will only impact the wealthiest 2 percent of residents, it also in the process  if it makes it through the courts  opens the door for an expansion of an income tax in the future.

Additionally, Inslee is also pursuing a tax on health care policies to pay for public health needs, a carbon cap-and-trade policy and a low-carbon fuel standard, which analysts have said will lead to an increase in fuel costs across the board.

In short, state lawmakers, many of whom have their own tax proposals, should instead focus on the essentials in 2021, and the overarching message should be to do no harm.

Business owners have been through hell this past year, many being ordered to close for months at a time. Many citizens of Washington have endured heart-wrenching hardships, whether it was the loss of employment or the loss of a loved one. Landlords are in many cases having a difficult time paying mortgages as renters likewise feel the financial pinch.

The last thing any of them need is another hit to their bank account.

While there are many reasons to avoid any new taxation this session, among the most convincing is the relative financial health of the state.

Last spring, as the effects of the pandemic on the states coffers were just beginning to come into focus, there were dire predictions of the economic pain ahead. In May, preliminary numbers produced by the Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council predicted a $7 billion loss in revenue through 2023. That broke down to a loss of $3.8 billion in revenue in the 2019-20 budget cycle and an additional $3.27 billion in the 2021-23 budget cycle.

Such a gap would have likely led to even louder calls from the left for additional tax revenue met by equally loud calls from the right for deep cuts to state government.

Fortunately for everyone, that prediction has not come true. The economy of Washington, though rattled and damaged from the changes in spending and restrictions on businesses, proved to be more resilient than predicted.

The November update from the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council  on which local lawmakers Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, and Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, both serve  showed a drastically improved picture, more than $900 million above what had been originally forecasted.

In an interview with The Chronicle last week, Braun, the Senate minority leader, said information that has poured in since November continues to show an ever-improving outlook, though financial challenges brought on by the pandemic remain.

Inslees proposals arent all bad. His plan to reduce what businesses have to pay in unemployment taxes by $790 million this year and $1.1 billion from 2022 to 2023 represents an admirable attempt at providing much-needed aid. Likewise, his calls for providing assistance to renters so they can pay their landlords amid an ongoing moratorium on evictions could yield positive results if done correctly.

But save the tax increases for another session.

A pandemic is no time to expand the governments share of the peoples money.



Kolkata, Jan 12 : With India gearing up for the launch of its nationwide inoculation drive against the coronavirus outbreak on January 16, West Bengal received its first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine Covishield on Tuesday.

Kolkata receive the highest doses of Covishield, which is about 7 lakhs, followed by Chennai while Chandigarh received the least shots of vaccines. The vaccines reached Bagbazar's Central Medical Store by an air-conditioned vehicle directly from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport.

According to state health department officials, about 93 thousand Covishield vaccine foils will be used in the state capital while the rest would be distributed amongst various state-run hospitals in the districts.

The vaccine will reach six districts of north Bengal, Hooghly, Birbhum and North 24-Paragans district in the first phase. The entire process of distributing will be completed by tonight itself, sources said. Doctors and other medical staffs working in Covid hospitals across Bengal will first get the vaccine doses, an official said.

Developed by Oxford University and British drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, over 54 lakh doses of 'Covishield' were despatched via airlines from Pune-based Serum Institute of India on Tuesday. The vaccine was manufactured by the Serum Institute in India.

The vaccines were despatched to 11 states across the country. Besides Kolkata, other cities such as Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Vijaywada, Patna, Lucknow and Bengaluru also received Covishield doses on Tuesday.
Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West, George Andah has advised Ghanaians not to toy with the COVID-19 pandemic.



According to him, the disease is not something to joke with as it has claimed many lives and affected a mammoth population.



George Andah admonished the citizenry to keep abiding by the health protocols regarding the prevention of the pandemic disease.



"Our attitude must change. If we dont change our attitude and the situation gets out of hand, we wont be able to control it . . . COVID-19 is real. COVID-19 is here in Ghana. Lets protect ourselves," he stated.



He further dismissed allegations that the government is massaging the COVID-19 cases.



He stressed that the figures being recorded are real and no person or health authority has tampered with them.



"What will government gain by massaging the figures and not tell the truth? Theres nothing for the government to gain," he told sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.







Ghana has, as at 7th January, 2021, recorded 56,230 cases with 54,631 Recovered/Discharged and 338 unfortunately dead, according to the Ghana Health Service.The nation's active cases currently stand at 1,261.

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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Hope came with the prick of a needle for Margaret Watson.

Hope came with the prick of a needle for Margaret Watson.

The 94-year-old became the first Winnipeg care home resident to receive a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Ouch. Oh my gosh," Watson said, then smiled, seconds after getting her first dose of the vaccine at Oakview Place Monday morning.

Watson said she was surprised when she found out she would be the first Winnipegger, who isnt a health-care worker, to be immunized.

"I couldnt believe it because I hadnt even registered," she said.

"I got quite a surprise."

During the next 28 days, the provincial government plans to inject all personal care home residents in Manitoba with their first dose of the vaccine  if they consent. The plan to roll out the vaccine at all 135 care homes in Manitoba  where 9,384 people live  was announced by Premier Brian Pallister last week.

The first seven facilities to receive vaccines were Oakview Place, Charleswood Care Centre and Tuxedo Villa in Winnipeg; Hillcrest Place in Brandon; Tudor House in Selkirk; St. Pauls Residence in The Pas; and Boyne Lodge in Carman. Those facilities were chosen using an "evidence-based approach to measure the vulnerability of the site," the province said.

Paramedic Jessi Bittner gave Watson her first of two doses on Monday. She said shes glad some of Manitobas most vulnerable citizens  elderly people in communal-living facilities  are a priority for vaccinations.

"Im ready to get this pandemic over with, especially here," Bittner said.

"Its extremely important to have them get it first because of the outbreaks. When one person gets it, its so easy to have it spread so fast."

Manitoba has battled deadly outbreaks at numerous long-term care homes throughout the pandemic. Nearly half of the provinces 741 deaths related to COVID-19 have been connected to outbreaks at personal care homes. To date, Oakview Place  where Watson lives  has had 84 cases and 13 deaths.

Changes at the facility to protect staff and residents have been hard on Watson, who said the past 10 months have been "terrible."

"Weve been in lockup for so long. My phone wasnt working, and TV, I had trouble with the TV. Its been awful. I cant get in touch with my kids because my phone is not connected. Ill be glad when its over," Watson said, adding she misses visiting with her family.

"My daughter usually picks me up and takes me out. I have another granddaughter who has me over to her place sometimes. I just miss seeing people and talking to people."'

Cheryl Taylor, who has received the first dose of the vaccine, is the adult day program co-ordinator at Oakview Place. She said the prospect of returning to normal is exciting for both staff and residents.

"Theyve been in their rooms for months now and I think in a couple weeks, three weeks, when they get the second vaccine, theyll feel more comfortable. Theyll come out of their rooms. Theyll feel safe Its been very overwhelming. Its been long, stressful, emotional," Taylor said.

"Its a big relief. I still have to wear my goggles, my glasses, my mask, but I just feel that Im here for them more. Its safer for me, safer for them."

The Free Press submitted requests for comment with all seven nursing homes that were made a priority for vaccinations. The only facility to respond was Tudor House in Selkirk, which sent a written statement.

"Our residents, families and staff have spent the past 10 months with anxiety and stress worrying about what they have seen and heard about this awful virus in Canadas nursing homes," said CEO John Martyniw.

"Hearing the vaccine is coming has really put smiles on residents, families and staff faces and has done a lot to pick up morale and confidence that we can get through this."

Shortly after receiving her first dose, Watson said she was "dizzy." Then she was asked what getting the vaccine means to her.

"It means Ill be around a little bit longer," she said.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
TRENTO, JAN 12 - Italian police on Tuesday arrested 16 people as they smashed a Nigerian mafia drugs ring in the northern city of Trento. Police also carried out 20 raids in the regions of Trentino, Veneto and Lombardy in the operation, codenamed 'Underground'. Police said the gang controlled the drugs trade in Trento. It was based, however, in the back of a Nigerian ethnic goods store in the Veneto city of Verona, police said - while the drugs were stored in another Veneto city, Vicenza. Pushers allegedly 'commuted' to and from Trento and Verona on the train, police said. Pushers could earn as much as 2,500 euros a day. The drugs traffic and distribution was allegedly managed by a Nigerian woman, Agho Isoken Tina, aka Mamma T, who was allegedly assisted by her son and sister-in-law, police said. The gang allegedly used the proceeds of prostitution, one of the Nigerian mafia's staple occupations, to buy the drugs. Trento Flying Squad Commander Tommaso Niglio said many of the pushers were poor asylum seekers. He said they would often swallow the doses, risking their lives, rather than face arrest. Police seized half a kilogramme of cocaine and heroin in the bust. (ANSA).
Parler's CEO has said that he has been receiving death threats since his social media platform was thrust into the spotlight when rivals shut down accounts owned by Donald Trump and his allies.

John Matze, who launched the app in August 2018 as an alternative to Twitter, said that he was being destroyed by the tech giants.

'People are threatening my life,' he said. 'I can't go home tonight.

'So this is really a lot, you know. This is not just our civil liberties. [Big Tech] can shut down a billion-dollar company, half-a-billion dollar company overnight.'

Apple, Google and Amazon banned Parler from their app stores on Friday due to a failure to moderate 'egregious content' posted by users related to the violent siege last week.

John Matze, CEO of Parler, said on Monday night that he was receiving death threats

Hailed by Donald Trump supporters as a conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter, Parler is seen as a magnet for the far right and was accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of continuing to allow messages inciting violence after Wednesday's attack at the Capitol

Trump was blocked from Twitter and Facebook on Thursday, after he was deemed as being a threat to the nation, inciting unrest. Twitter lost $2 billion in value on Monday after Trump was kicked off the platform.

The president's supporters abandoned the social media giants in protest, and flocked to Parler - increasingly a refuge for extremists and pro-Trump voices.

The company's chief content officer, Amy Peikoff, further said that social media firms forcing Parler from their platform was Orwellian.

Parler CEO John Matze warned in his final post before the 3am deadline that 'we will likely be down longer than expected' as tech firms distance themselves from the site

'The tech giants want their model to be the standard for the entire internet,' she said. 'And to us, we think that that takes Orwell's 1984 from a dystopian novel and turns it into an instruction manual for everybody to follow.'

Matze told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that it was 'scary' how comprehensive his blacklisting had been, and how quick.

'You just never think it will happen, right?' Matze told Carlson. 'You know?

'What is really interesting is that they all did on the same day, those three [Apple, Google and Amazon] without any prior warning. We woke up on Friday thinking business, business as usual.'

Matze told Carlson that when Google dropped Parler, 'we didn't get a notice from Google. We read it online in the news first. That is shocking.'

Carlson said that he was angered by the 'corporate cowards who bowed to pressure to silence you'.

Matze continued: 'I have seen a lot of people say this is scary, but I've seen a lot of people who are participating in the five minutes of hate and egging it on and cheering. It is disgusting.'

He said that his team was working to find a way to keep operating, despite the actions of Amazon, Google and Apple.

'We will be back up eventually because we're not going to give up,' he said.

'We have to build our own infrastructure, just to do it.'

Shortly after 3am EST on Monday, Parler disappeared from the web with an error message saying 'we can't connect to the server' after Amazon pulled the plug

The app was removed from the Google app store after conservative social media users flocked to the site in the wake of the Capitol attack

Amy Peikoff, Parler's chief content officer, described the limits on her company as Orwellian

What are Parler's options now? Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple  whose operating systems power hundreds of millions of smartphones  severely limits Parler's reach, though it had continued to be accessible via web browser. The decision by Amazon Web Services to remove Parler means it now needs to scramble to find another web host in addition to 'rebuilding the site from scratch'. Google and Apple both booted Gab from their app stores in 2017 and it was left internet-homeless for a time the following year due to anti-Semitic posts attributed to the man accused of killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Microsoft also terminated a web-hosting contract. It now hosts through its own servers, so that is an option. Or it can find another server willing to host the site. Max Aliapoulios, a computer science Ph. D candidate told Business Insider: 'It is realistic to expect that Parler will find another provider to host their services like AWS. 'That being said, now the precedent is set and Parler will likely always have an uphill battle with finding a home to host them on the internet.' Advertisement

Peikoff, Parler's chief content officer, echoed Matze's concern.

She told Fox's Sean Hannity that Parler was created to foster 'productive discussions' between 'people of differing viewpoints who actually put them to the test by engaging in discussions with each other.'

Peikoff said Parler was an alternative to the surveillance which came with other social media platforms.

'We wanted to handle this content in a way that respect the privacy of people and that's where we are disagreeing now.'

Parler on Monday morning announced that it was suing Amazon, seeking a temporary restraining order to keep Amazon Web Services (AWS) from blackballing Parler.

The suit claims Amazon Web Services is violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by blocking Parler.

Parler claims that it is being discriminated against because it is in direct competition with social media giant Twitter.

'Last month, Defendant Amazon Web Services, Inc. ('AWS') and the popular social media platform Twitter signed a multi-year deal so that AWS could support the daily delivery of millions of tweets,' the court documents, obtained by Fox, state.

'AWS currently provides that same service to Parler, a conservative microblogging alternative and competitor to Twitter.

'When Twitter announced two evenings ago that it was permanently banning President Trump from its platform, conservative users began to flee Twitter en masse for Parler.

'The exodus was so large that the next day, yesterday, Parler became the number one free app downloaded from Apple's App Store.'

The abandoning of Twitter was reflected in its share price.

Twitter saw its shares drop by six per cent Monday - wiping $2 billion off the company value on the first day of trading after banning Trump from the platform.

Trump's account had 88.7 million followers, which is nearly half of the company's total base of monetizable daily active users.

CNBC's Jim Cramer said the loss of Trump was being felt by the platform, and urged Twitter to find a new attraction 'very, very quickly.'

Jim Cramer, CNBC analyst, said that Twitter was feeling the departure of Donald Trump

Twitter lost $2 billion in value following Monday's trading, as Trump was blocked from the site

'I think that there are a lot of people who literally knew that the president was the most important person, and you had to keep checking him, and then you had to check people who talked about him,' Cramer said.

'And you just had this endless wave, this web that the president created, and then it was like action and reaction, so I think that the surprise factor of going to Twitter, which was of course the president, is gone!'

Cramer said he noticed he checked his Twitter feed less now that Trump has been banned from the platform.

'Twitter's got to come up with a new thesis very, very quickly because I think they always, they never talked about the power of Trump in bringing in people,' he added.

'I am telling you the real Donald Trump was a great sales person for Twitter.'



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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.

A new study, led by University of Utah Health scientists, suggests more than half of doctors, nurses, and emergency responders involved in COVID-19 care could be at risk for one or more mental health problems, including acute traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, problematic alcohol use, and insomnia. The researchers found that the risk of these mental health conditions was comparable to rates observed during natural disasters, such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

"What health care workers are experiencing is akin to domestic combat," says Andrew J. Smith, Ph.D., director of the U of U Health Occupational Trauma Program at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the study's corresponding author. "Although the majority of health care professionals and emergency responders aren't necessarily going to develop PTSD, they are working under severe duress, day after day, with a lot of unknowns. Some will be susceptible to a host of stress-related mental health consequences. By studying both resilient and pathological trajectories, we can build a scaffold for constructing evidence-based interventions for both individuals and public health systems."

The study appears in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. In addition to U of U Health scientists, contributors include researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Central Arkansas VA Health Care System; Salt Lake City VA Healthcare System; and the National Institute for Human Resilience.

The researchers surveyed 571 health care workers, including 473 emergency responders (firefighters, police, EMTs) and 98 hospital staff (doctors, nurses), in the Mountain West between April 1 and May 7, 2020. Overall, 56% of the respondents screened positive for at least one mental health disorder. The prevalence for each specific disorder ranged from 15% to 30% of the respondents, with problematic alcohol use, insomnia, and depression topping the list.

"Frontline providers are exhausted, not only from the impact of the pandemic itself, but also in terms of coping day to day," says Charles C. Benight, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. "They're trying to make sure that their families are safe [and] they're frustrated over not having the pandemic under control. Those things create the sort of burnout, trauma, and stress that lead to the mental health challenges we're seeing among these caregivers."

In particular, the scientists found that health care workers who were exposed to the virus or who were at greater risk of infection because they were immunocompromised had a significantly increased risk of acute traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. The researchers suggest that identifying these individuals and offering them alternative roles could reduce anxiety, fear, and the sense of helplessness associated with becoming infected.

Alcohol abuse was another area of concern. About 36% of health care workers reported risky alcohol usage. In comparison, estimates suggest that less than 21% of physicians and 23% of emergency responders abuse alcohol in typical circumstances. Caregivers who provided direct patient care or who were in supervisory positions were at greatest risk, according to the researchers. They say offering these workers preventative education and alcohol abuse treatment is vital.

Surprisingly, health care workers in this study felt less anxious as they treated more COVID-19 cases.

"As these health care professionals heard about cases elsewhere before COVID-19 was detected in their communities, their anxiety levels likely rose in anticipation of having to confront the disease," Smith says. "But when the disease started trickling in where they were, perhaps it grounded them back to their mission and purpose. They saw the need and they were in there fighting and working hard to make a difference with their knowledge and skills, even at risk to themselves."

Among the study's limitations are its small sample size. It was also conducted early in the pandemic in a region that wasn't as affected by the disease as other areas with higher infection and death rates.

Moving forward, the researchers are in the final stages of a similar but larger study conducted in late 2020 that they hope will build on these findings.

"This pandemic, as horrific as it is, offers us the opportunity to better understand the extraordinary mental stress and strains that health care providers are dealing with right now," Smith says. "With that understanding, perhaps we can develop ways to mitigate these problems and help health care workers and emergency responders better cope with these sorts of challenges in the future."

More information: Hannah M. Wright et al, Pandemic-related mental health risk among front line personnel, Journal of Psychiatric Research (2020). Journal information: Journal of Psychiatric Research Hannah M. Wright et al, Pandemic-related mental health risk among front line personnel,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.045
Dharamsala, Jan 12 : As a goodwill gesture, Tibetan community in Austria and Switzerland have initiated a financial contribution towards the arrangement of a Covid-19 vaccine for needy Tibetans in India, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said on Tuesday.

Joining the efforts of CTA's preparation for arranging Covid-19 vaccine as and when it is ready, the Tibetans in Austria contributed 3,298 euros to the Department of Health of the CTA, an official statement said.

Similarly, Bokong Choekyi from Tibetan community in Horgen in Switzerland donated CHF 1,000 towards facilitating the vaccine.

Compared to enormous responsibilities, the contribution amount is little, said the CTA.

However, the Tibetan community of Austria has taken the initiative to morally support the department in this challenging pandemic situation, said President of the community, Tsering Namgyal.

Representative Chhimey Rigzen of the Tibet Bureau Geneva commended the initiative and kind gestures of contributing towards the COVID-19 vaccination drive for Tibetans in India.

The 85-year-old Dalai Lama, the global face of the Tibetan movement, lives in exile in Dharamsala along with some 140,000 Tibetans, with over 100,000 of them in different parts of India, while over six million Tibetans still live in Tibet.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 84F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Land plots around the currently constructed Long Thanh Airport will continue to increase in value, Photo: Phan Cong

According to Tran Hien Phuong, general director of Sea Holdings JSC, some local real estate centres are using false information regarding land ownership to push up prices of land around the airport. Land brokers have been approaching buyers via social networks and directly consulting land plot owners. Many buyers have been reported to have been caught in this trap, Phuong said. Buyers must be more careful because there are many false reports on projects around Long Thanh Airport.

Phuong also claimed that the lack of official information on planning and zoning of the area was one of the reasons buyers are falling victim to false information. Local authorities must be more active in leading and instructing buyers on land usage by setting up public offices, used to check on targeted projects, she suggested.

Local resident Nguyen Khoa told VIR that buyers must pay much more attention to the land plots which were previously agricultural land.

Many local landlords are dividing their agricultural land into smaller plots to sell them. However, those plots will not be used for housing, only for planting crops, Khoa said.

Phan Cong Chanh, a private real estate consultant, said that even if the land around Long Thanh Airport in increasing in value, it could take many years for purchases to be worthwhile. Therefore, investments in the land here do not amount to much for short-term investors. Meanwhile, brokers must also be more cautious with dossiers of the land plots, Chanh said.

At present, most of the area around Long Thanh Airport is meant for planting crops and dairy farming.

Land funds around Long Thanh Airport are very large but investors need to carefully consider the status of the land and its market potential to avoid risks, Chanh said.

With the decision from the government to set up Long Thanh Airport, the lands attraction in the area has been skyrocketing on a daily basis.

Figures from the Vietnam National Real Estate Association show that a 100-square-metre land plot in the area is advertised for over VND1.5 billion ($65,000), double the price compared to six months ago. Some plots in the southern part of the region, which can used for services development in Bau Can and Tan Hiep district, are even more expensive.

However, the increase of the land prices in Dong Nai was not only caused by the construction of Long Thanh Airport, as many buyers have been rushing to neighbouring provinces amid a limited supply of new projects in Ho Chi Minh City.

Land plots in Long Thanh are now traded anywhere from VND18 to VND40 million ($800-1,700) per sq.m, with land plots located along the National Highway No.51, linking Vung Tau city and Dong Nai, offered from VND50-60 million ($2,200-2,600) per sq.m  prices equivalent to those in some areas of Ho Chi Minh City.
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The death of billionaire casino magnate and donor to Republican causes Sheldon Adelson comes as American businesses reassess their ties to outgoing President Donald Trump following the attack on the US Capitol last week

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :The death of billionaire casino magnate and donor to Republican causes Sheldon Adelson comes as American businesses reassess their ties to outgoing President Donald Trump following the attack on the US Capitol last week.

A supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jewish causes worldwide, Adelson's death was confirmed on Tuesday by Las Vegas Sands, the company with which he built a casino empire sprawling from Las Vegas to the Chinese territory of Macau.

"Our founder and visionary leader, Sheldon G. Adelson, passed away last night at the age of 87 from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma," the company said in a statement.

One of the richest men in the world, Adelson was a prominent supporter of Trump and well-known in the American business community that is now facing a reckoning over its ties to the outgoing president following last week's attack on the US Capitol.

The deadly assault on Congress came after Trump addressed a crowd of his supporters in Washington and urged them to march to the Capitol to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

The violence caused some of the largest companies in the United States to suspend their political donations, or altogether cut ties with the president days before his Democratic successor is to take office.

Adelson made no statement about the events at the Capitol before his death, spokesman Ron Reese told AFP.

But he was undoubtedly a supporter, appearing alongside Trump wearing a distinctive red "Keep America Great" cap. The New York Times reported that he donated $220 million to the president's failed reelection campaign last year, as well as to other Republican politicians.

"Sheldon Adelson's life represents the best of the American dream," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday.

- From America to Israel - Adelson rose to become one of the richest men on the planet thanks to his sprawling chain of casinos, and as of Tuesday, Forbes estimated his net worth at $35 billion.

"He was a wonderful friend to us personally and an incredible champion of the Jewish people, the Jewish state and the alliance between Israel and America," Netanyahu said in a statement.

In the US, Adelson fiercely opposed former Democratic president Barack Obama and made no apologies for putting his wealth to use for causes he cared about.

In 2012, he told Forbes magazine he was "against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections. But as long as it's doable I'm going to do it," according to Forbes.

Former US president George W. Bush, a Republican, called Adelson an "American patriot, a generous benefactor of charitable causes and a strong supporter of Israel." "Sheldon battled his way out of a tough Boston neighborhood to build a successful enterprise that loyally employed tens of thousands -- and entertained millions," Bush said.

- The party changed - Much changed in the Republican party in the eight-year gap between the presidencies of Bush, who left office in 2009, and Trump.

Many American companies view the outgoing president's comments before his supporters marched to the Capitol, disrupting the process of certifying Biden's win in the November 3 election, as going too far.

Hotel giant Marriott, health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield and financial services company American Express said they would stop making donations to Republican lawmakers who tried to halt the certification.

JPMorgan Chase said it was halting donations to candidates from both parties, as was Facebook, microsoft and Google -- meaning Democrats who are set to narrowly control both houses of Congress will not necessarily gain an advantage from the pause.
Sinn Fein MEP Chris MacManus has called on the Irish government to work towards a settlement that ensures Irish fishing rights off Rockall.



MacManuss comments were made in response to the news that an Irish fishing vessel was boarded by Scottish fishing authorities and told they could no longer fish off the uninhabited island.



Speaking from Brussels MacManus said: Rockall has been an historic fishing ground for generations of Irish fishers. The news that an Irish fishing vessel was boarded by Scottish authorities and advised it could no longer have access to those grounds is entirely unacceptable.



The Midlands Northwest MEP called for dialogue on the issue. Iceland, Denmark, Britain and indeed Ireland all claim to have access to fishing rights around Rockall, and I call on the Irish government to work with their Icelandic, Danish and British counterparts to work towards ensuring Rockall as a shared resource for us all and thus protect the rights of Irish vessels to continue fishing in these historic fishing grounds. Our fishing communities must not be subjected to this kind of harassment again.

Also read: RTE's Eye on Nature wildlife photography competition has a top prize of 1,000
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Ankara, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :Turkey and Greece will resume talks over their eastern Mediterranean borders and disputed natural gas rights on January 25, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Monday.

The announcement came hours after Ankara invited Athens for talks aimed at resolving a long-standing row over energy deposits in the eastern Mediterranean.

"The 61st round of exploratory talks will take place in Istanbul on 25 January, 2021," the ministry said in a statement.

The talks have been stalled since 2016.

In December, EU leaders decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions because of Ankara's "unilateral actions and provocations" in disputed waters near Cyprus and Greece.

Tensions rose sharply when Turkey sent a seismic research vessel and an accompanying navy flotilla on a months-long expedition in disputed waters last year.

Turkey and Greece then staged rival military exercises with regional partners and saw two of their gun boats collide in August.

The sides expressed a willingness to restart the talks without ever agreeing a timeframe as they came under increasing NATO and EU pressure.

"We invite Greece to hold the first meeting in January," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier on Monday after meeting Turkish Cypriot foreign minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu in Ankara.

The Greek foreign ministry said it had so far received no official invitation but was willing to engage in talks on continental shelf borders and exclusive economic zones.

Cavusoglu will probably address the dispute and the new mediation efforts when he meets EU ambassadors in Ankara on Tuesday.

He is also due to visit Brussels on January 21.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has softened some of his most strident rhetoric and expressed a desire to improve relations with the EU in the past month.

His office said Erdogan told European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen over the weekend that he wanted to "turn a new page" in Turkey's relations with the 27-nation bloc.
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (AP) - The United Steelworkers and French manufacturer Constellium have reached a deal that will end a strike that began last month in Alabama.

The union said Monday members have ratified a new, five-year contract with the company at its Muscle Shoals plant.

About 400 members of Local 200 will start returning to work on Tuesday.

Months of talks failed to result in an agreement before a contract expired on Nov. 1, and workers walked out on Dec. 15.

A union statement says workers took a stand against seniority rights, and the strike resulted in new protections. The company says it's pleased workers approved the contract.
YEREVAN.  Meetings with the representative of Azerbaijan are not an end in itself, and they cannot take place at the expense of personal and national dignity. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, stated this at Tuesdays press conference, when asked whether he would agree to meet with the Azerbaijani ombudsperson.

In general, expressing readiness for contacts to resolve matters of human rights violations, Tatoyan stressed, however, that in the past there were cases when the Azerbaijani ombudsperson publicly made insulting statements and posited conditions.

"But the thing is that all the statements by the Azerbaijani ombudsperson are part of the Azerbaijani propaganda. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish them from the statements of the [Azerbaijani] Ministry of Defense. Meetings cannot be at the expense of personal and national dignity. Meetings on the terms they present are, of course, impossible. Contacts [with them] take place through international organizations," said the Armenian ombudsman.

At the same time, he stressed that all human rights issues in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) should be discussed with the participation of its ombudsman.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Tuesday in a joint statement that the two countries are interested in becoming members of the Three Seas Initiative of several EU countries to establish a regional dialogue on various issues

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Tuesday in a joint statement that the two countries are interested in becoming members of the Three Seas Initiative of several EU countries to establish a regional dialogue on various issues.

Sandu on Tuesday visited Kiev for the first time as President of the Republic of Moldova to discuss the resumption of cooperation between the two countries. It is the first Moldovan-Ukrainian high-level negotiations in four years.

"We put emphasis upon the willingness to strengthen cooperation with partner countries in South-Eastern Europe and the Black Sea.

In this context, we reaffirm our interest in being part of the Three Seas Initiative," the joint statement, published by the Ukrainian president's office, read.

The Three Seas Initiative includes 12 EU countries with access to the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas. The initiative's stated goal is to strengthen cooperation, primarily for the development of infrastructure in the energy, transport and digital sectors, which will have a positive impact on the growth of the economy, cohesion and security of the EU.
By Will Dunham (Reuters) - American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who built lavish gambling palaces that made him one of the world's richest men and became a potent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is dead at the age of 87. Adelson, who headed the world's largest casino company, Las Vegas Sands, died Monday night from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Las Vegas Sands said in a statement on Tuesday. A combative self-made man raised in a poor Jewish immigrant family in Boston, Adelson ...
WAAY 31 worked to learn more about how the Huntsville Hospital system is caring for the high number of COVID-19 patients.

Last week, UAB announced it's housing some cancer patients in nearby hotels because of a lack of space inside. In Huntsville on Monday, Huntsville Hospital announced it has 200 COVID-19 positive patients and 43 people admitted under investigation.

Huntsville Hospital said it relies on its whole system of hospitals throughout North Alabama to make sure there is room for anyone who needs treatment inside, and hotels are not something they're looking at right now.

The hospital system said it can transfer patients depending on their care needs to other hospitals in the system if necessary. They said they have also limited elective surgeries to help make sure they have room inside for anyone who is sick. The hospital also said it works with long-term care facilities to take some patients who need care but don't need to be in the hospital setting to free up space.

Tracy Doughty, the Senior Vice President of Operations, explained housing people outside the hospital makes treating patients harder on doctors.

"Whether it's telephones or call lights, doctors know exactly where patients are, those types of things. What you run into if you move them off campus, then they're are not having drugs readily available, so our goals are to stay inside the four walls of the hospital," he said.

Doughty said with the number of COVID-19 patients high right now, they believe plans they have in place will allow them to keep everyone inside one of the systems' hospitals, because it's the best way to provide patient care.

UAB Hospital on Friday said it had 207 coronavirus patients and 88 people who were initially hospitalized because of COVID-19, but no longer are contagious. However, they were not well enough to go home.

The hospital said it's working to determine how many patients they have admitted for COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but not well enough to go home.

The hospital said there are a variety of reasons doctors can't discharge people who are no longer infectious but too sick. Doughty said doctors work to determine an appropriate place for those people to be placed in the hospital.

"We have several dedicated COVID areas and some areas are hybrid-areas where there are COVID patients and non-COVID patients, not in the same room, but on the same unit, so it's been a pretty seamless process in our planning phase," he said.

Doughty said once patients are no longer infectious, they are taken off the hospital's count of COVID-19 patients, meaning Monday's 200 COVID-19 patients wouldn't include anyone who was initially hospitalized for the virus but is no longer contagious.

Guwahati, Jan 12 : As the ruling BJP kicks off its Assembly poll campaign in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders would hold a series of election rallies in the northeastern state next week, BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.

BJP National President J.P. Nadda, who left here on Tuesday for Delhi, addressed a public gathering in southern Assam's Silchar on Monday and claimed that the saffron party has been winning all the elections in the country from Jammu & Kashmir to Telangana, and it would return to power in Assam once again with 100-plus seats in the upcoming state Assembly polls.

Sarma, who is the convener of the BJP-led alliance of regional parties -- North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) - said that Prime Minister Modi is likely to visit Assam on January 23 and Home Minister Shah is also likely to address two public rallies at Kokrajhar and Nalbari on January 24. The Prime Minister's detailed programme is yet to be finalised.

Nadda who was on two-day Assam visit held meetings with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Sarma, state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass and other senior leaders in Guwahati on Monday and Tuesday and discussed the strategies for the Assembly polls likely to be held in April-May.

Accompanied by his wife Mallika Nadda, the BJP President on Tuesday visited the famous Kamakhya Devalaya in Guwahati on Tuesday and prayed at the famed 'Shakti Peetha' atop the picturesque Nilachal hills in Assam's main city. The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls along with West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In the last Assembly polls in 2016, the BJP defeated the Congress and formed the government in Assam for the first time winning 60 seats after forging an alliance with the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), who won 14 and 12 seats, respectively. The ruling alliance also has the support of an independent MLA.
Butler, IN (46721)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 51F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The city will likely tighten its stormwater control requirements to curb flooding on residential properties.

Under legislation proposed by the administration, developers building homes and businesses would have to provide infrastructure -- including sewers, culverts and manholes -- that can handle a 100-year storm. Current code requires new developments to handle 50-year storms.

Also, developers would have to reduce the amount of stormwater flowing from their construction sites by an additional 20 percent, said Broadview Heights Engineer Gary Yelenosky. That means developers would have to build stormwater detention and retention basins that will hold more stormwater.

On Jan. 4, City Councils Service and Safety Committee unanimously approved the new standards and sent them to council for consideration.

The more-stringent stormwater management requirements are part of a larger effort by the city to curb flooding. In October, City Council placed a six-month moratorium on new residential developments.

This came after a newly formed citizens group, Citizens Coalition for a Better Broadview Heights, expressed concern about how future home construction might worsen flooding in their neighborhoods.

Under city code, storms are measured according to the amount of rain that falls within a period of time and the probability of such a storm occurring over a certain number of years.

For example, with a 100-year-old storm, there is a 1 percent likelihood that as much as 5.39 inches of rain will fall within 24 consecutive hours, according to a chart provided by the city.

The problem, Councilman Joe Price said during the Jan. 4 council committee meeting, is that 100-year storms are happening more and more frequently.

At the meeting, Yelenosky cautioned that moving from a 50-year storm to a 100-year storm standard will mean that construction will be more expensive for everyone -- including the city when it builds or replaces storm sewers.

Price said the extra cost can be offset by state funding that traditionally has been available for municipal storm sewer construction projects.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sam Alai said the city will address the larger issue of flooding as part of the master plan review process, which had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more from the Sun Star Courier.
Among so many things that are horrific about last weeks deadly attack on the Capitol building was the fact that it was planned for weeks. In the open. With that in mind, we are left wondering about the cybersecurity questions raised in the aftermath.

When Engadget asked a physical cybersecurity penetration tester what hed do if assigned to pentest the Capitol building during the riot, the response wasnt comforting. His excitement was palpable. Oooh, so many cool attacks you could do, he said, and began listing equipment hed bring.

But hold on a second: before getting to the attacks, we need to have some real talk about who would do such a thing. Its a question were all asking about many aspects of this unbelievably painful moment.

If nation-state actor is your go-to answer, youre echoing the focus of nearly everyone else pontificating right now about threat modeling. As in, who would take advantage of unfettered access to hastily abandoned computers and devices left mostly in offices that dont have surveillance cameras?

Everyones talking about a foreign adversary, then either hyping that threat, or dismissing it.

No one is talking about a domestic adversary. And when it comes to cybersecurity issues, Congressional safety, national security, and January 6 thats a problem.

The calls are coming from inside the house

We all saw the images: threatening notes left on computers, the House Speakers computer screen unlocked with email open, MAGA terrorists looting  and taking electronic items yet to be identified. Reports, with probably more to come, of laptops stolen from the offices of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Jeff Merkley. Now there are as-yet unconfirmed reports that several classified laptops were stolen during the mobs assault on the Capitol -- left open and logged onto the classified SIPRNet network.

Initial impressions of the January 6 attack made it seem like the violent mob were costumed, unstable, virulently racist clowns that were just doing it for the gram. Infosec got the quick impression that they were unsophisticated opportunists who were more interested in taking selfies than infiltrating computer networks.

SAUL LOEB via Getty Images

As we now know, this masked an organized, well-equipped, and pre-planned reality. Low-key, armed, ex-military teams with flexicuffs. Militia (Oath Keepers) on radios and in body armor, whose forums overflow with fantasies and plans to execute people. In just one example of preparation, attackers knew where to find (Black, Democrat) House Majority Whip James Clyburns unmarked secondary office  beelining to where he was supposed to be at the time.

Weeks of advanced notice, a loud and unpredictable mob as cover, and a plan to breach and occupy the Capitol building. It makes sense to think of it as an opportunity for a foreign adversary to tag along, blend into the crowd and see what they could get.

Yet one current cybersecurity defense contractor who specializes in offense (attacks) dismissed the Capitol as a valuable (or even practical) nation-state target outright. Speaking with Engadget under the condition of anonymity, they explained that it's not that a whole host of attacks like malware, device cloning, spyware, keyloggers and other invasions weren't possible  for the most part, they were. "The thing you aspire to in cyber espionage," they explained, "is something like SolarWinds. No one knew they were compromised and being attacked. With the Capitol riots, you know everything is going to be considered compromised now

In addition, they said any competent attacker knows a high-profile attack such as January 6 is going to bring post-compromise forensics. That means any 0-day  costly and valuable malware or other attacks  will be burned, as in discovered, lost, rendered useless, and exposed. Plus, an operation within the violence, riots, and chaos risks burning cover as well. Any information they get is also old; much of it is relevant only on day zero as they phrased it. For a nation-state actor, its apparently not considered worth blowing money, cover, and resources for things that arent state secrets.

Its too many risks for a low-value target, they told Engadget.

By calling the Capitol building and its powerful lawmaking, line-of-succession inhabitants a low value target, they explained that its an unclassified network that deals with unclassified information. I asked how this was different from the 2014 breach of the White Houses unclassified network, which pundits largely wrote off but horrified government infosec insiders. That was different because the attackers had persistent access over time and, the most important thing is, no one knew they were compromised. Which explains why ultimately, those attackers were more successful than people initially believed.

This is when wed shrug and write off the cybersecurity risks via the Capitol riots as low  which many have done. That would be a mistake, one made by an assumption in ones risk assessment: namely, that the question of who would do such a thing ended there.

The Capitol, its unclassified-office-only laptops the information is unclassified but still sensitive, the contractor stressed.

Red team Nazis

The kind of information youd get from a presentation laptop, or House Speakers emails, or their aides notes would not be top secret. It could reveal schedules, inauguration plans, personal information, operational details, contact lists, details from presentations, and more. Like info that could be used for phishing, impersonation, and worse.

A domestic attacker let loose in the Capitol building might be less refined and have less resources than a nation-state threat, to be sure. Yet for attackers that want to terrorize and kill individuals or a group of lawmakers, whats on that buildings network and its hardware certainly makes it a high value target.

The Washington Post via Getty Images

Maybe not valuable stuff for Russian spies; they have SolarWinds, after all. But its definitely of value to those hackers whom the contractor we spoke with candidly described as those Nazi red team assholes who go to DEF CON. I immediately knew what they meant. It is uncommon, unwelcome, and seldom discussed, but white supremacist, Trump-army hackers exist (Oath Keepers go to hacker conferences). And as youd expect after last weeks traumatic attack on the Capitol, hacker con attendees are worried.

In good news, DEF CON isnt playing. When reached for comment, Founder of Black Hat & DEF CON Jeff Moss gave Engadget the following statement:

DEF CON  still anti-Nazi. Were still against violence, harassment, intimidation, abuse and unkind treatment of your neighbors. Showing evidence of any of these will still get you thrown out of DEF CON, regardless of the reason. Making members of our community feel unsafe, unwelcome or unable to enjoy the event is, and will always be, enough reason to show you the door. This applies to everyone. Attendees, staff, volunteers, speakers. Everyone. DEF CON is a community project, and our community includes all kinds of people. We take very seriously our responsibility to see that everyone is treated with respect. Everyone willing to abide by that basic principle is welcome. Anyone who isnt should find another event.

Other hacker conferences should do the same  rather, they shouldve done the same long ago. With so much of this, a little bit of prevention would have gone a long way toward everything from saving lives to mitigating terror and destruction.

Its a good feeling to see DEF CON step up -- and the team acknowledged the challenges of dealing with a belligerent population that will game systems to avoid detection and accountability. Unfortunately, thats what it takes, and one of the things that got us in this terrible situation is that unlike DEF CON, not everyone is willing to play Whack-A-Fascist.

In 2018, the HOPE conference (Hackers On Planet Earth) was attended by some whom press described as men with far-right paraphernalia, including Trump hats and Pepe frog patches.

The pro-Trump attendees attacked and serially harassed researcher Matt Blaze, who gave a presentation on securing the vote. One also rushed the stage at the conclusion of Chelsea Mannings interview. This was all in addition to multiple in-person threats and verbal abuse to speakers and attendees over the course of the conference. At the end of HOPE 12, it came out that a HOPE speaker worked in concert with the alt-right attendees, and the conference was condemned for its organizers refusal to remove fascist and white nationalist disruptors from HOPE 2018. When Engadget reached out to HOPE for comment via email, the organization said "We have gotten a ton of support and good ideas from the community, and we're much better prepared to deal with this sort of thing." Adding, "What we can commit to is remaining vigilant, developing our staff, and always being open to ideas from the community... Together with the staff of 2600, we have put up a site called usa.wtf, which can also be considered our response.

A cyberhouse in cyberdisarray

Lets just hope the House of Representatives and Senate  which each have their own Sergeant-at-Arms offices overseeing cybersecurity  can think beyond the concept of foreign adversary and acknowledge domestic, white supremacist terrorist hackers as an extremely serious threat. Downplaying or ignoring domestic cyber-adversaries, vis-a-vis everyones first impressions about the Capitol mob, is likely to be a deadly mistake.

Of course, things dont look cyber-peachy for a Capitol in cyber-disarray. And while the Senate and House each build off of their own shared IT framework, reported Wired, ultimately each of the 435 representatives and 100 senators runs their own office with their own systems.

Speaking with retired Senate sergeant-at-arms Frank Larkin, the outlet learned this also means that there arent necessarily standardized authentication and monitoring schemes in place [and] representatives and senators have varying levels of cybersecurity competence and hygiene. Its no doubt complicated now that Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael C. Stenger, House Sergeant at Arms Paul D. Irving (as well as Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund) have resigned.

Tom Williams via Getty Images

On top of all that, assessment and unification of Congressional cybersecurity appears to have been a stalled work in progress. In March 2019, Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked the Senate Sergeant at Arms for an annual tally of when its computers and smartphones have been breached in order to better inform congressional cybersecurity policy, reported CyberScoop last week. The Senate Sergeant at Arms has yet to provide the information sought in the letter, according to a Wyden spokesperson.

At any rate, one day after the deadly coup attempt House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor sent a notice to House members saying At this time, there have been no indications that the House network was compromised, and that the CAOs Office of Cybersecurity had issued commands to lock computers and laptops, and shut down wired network access during the occupation.

So, uh, theres that at least.

Many reprehensible, dark, and unforgivable acts were committed on January 6. Including one suicide, six people are dead. Gallows were constructed. Attackers sang the Star-Spangled Banner as they beat a Capitol police officer on the ground. NYT photographer Erin Schaff screamed for help as she was assaulted and no one came  imagine hearing that from behind a barricaded door, or while you are being chased by a literal lynch mob.

Its revolting that the attackers felt so safe and righteous in their violence that they documented everything. This detail was a mind-boggling spectacle for the corners of infosec that practice, teach, and pride themselves on social engineering and opsec (operational security, or covering your tracks).

Fortunately for us, monsters who fail at opsec always succeed at masterminding their own tragedies. And it is damn satisfying to watch them getting caught and arrested as a result.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Tennessee is making great progress in rapidly vaccinating those at highest-risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Within four weeks of Tennessee receiving its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, more than 221,000 people in the state have received vaccinations, and the Tennessee Department of Health is distributing COVID-19 vaccinations as rapidly as supplies are received from the federal government. Tennessee is one of the most successful states in the U.S. at quickly administering vaccine, having administered more than 50 percent of the vaccines received by the state.

Tennessee is now providing COVID-19 vaccinations to residents and staff members in long-term care facilities, a priority population for Phase 1a1 of the states COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Residents of long-term care facilities are one of the most vulnerable populations for severe disease and death from COVID-19. In Tennessee, about 68 percent of all COVID-related deaths have occurred in people over the age of 70, and more than 2,000 deaths have occurred among residents of long-term care facilities alone.

Tennessees COVID-19 vaccination plan prioritizes those most at risk of serious illness, and it is critical we protect our medically fragile senior citizens, who are at greater risk than other adults of needing hospitalization or dying if diagnosed with COVID-19, said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP.

Pharmacies, including Walgreens, CVS and some local independent pharmacies are partnering to vaccinate the residents and staff members of long-term care facilities. These efforts began the week of December 28, 2020.

Nursing homes are prioritized first, as their residents require higher levels of medical care, with assisted living facilities and homes for the aged as the next priority. Since December 28, 2020, CVS has vaccinated staff members and residents at 58 Tennessee nursing homes, and Walgreens has vaccinated staff members and residents in at least 125 facilities. Walgreens plans to complete COVID-19 vaccinations at all of their nursing home facilities by January 25.

Tennessee assisted care living facilities and homes for the aged will also begin vaccinating their staff members and residents Jan. 13 through the federal partnership with Walgreens and CVS. While COVID-19 vaccine supplies remain limited, the state is also prioritizing vaccination of Tennesseans aged 75 or older. Additional priority populations will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as quickly as vaccine supplies allow, as outlined in the Tennessee COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

Availability of vaccines varies by county. Tennessee counties may progress through COVID-19 vaccination phases at different times depending on supplies of vaccines. Tennesseans can learn what phase they will be in for receiving vaccine at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/.

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.



Connect with TDH on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @TNDeptofHealth!
This is the moment authorities dismantle a criminal group that supplied guns to drug-traffickers in southern Spain which was led by a Brit and two Germans - one of whom had a 'museum' of Nazi objects.

The raids took place in the province of Malaga located in the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia, according to a report by the Spanish Civil Guard on December 29.

Authorities raided the homes of three men who have been arrested under charges of belonging to a criminal group, trafficking and storing arms, trafficking munitions, trafficking drugs and falsifying documents.

One of the unnamed suspects is reported to be British while the other two are German.

This is the moment authorities dismantle a criminal group that supplied guns to drug-traffickers in southern Spain

The raids took place in the province of Malaga located in the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia, according to a report by the Spanish Civil Guard on December 29

The video shows the moment Civil Guard agents enter the different homes and discover weapons of varying calibres with munitions stored away in different parts of the residences

The video shows the moment Civil Guard agents enter the different homes and discover weapons of varying calibres with munitions stored away in different parts of the residences.

At one point, cops uncover an impressive arsenal of guns and an unsettling display of Nazi memorabilia which included countless medals, helmets, guns and other decorative objects.

The video ends showing a large number of weapons seized in the operation and the moment agents discharge an explosive device under safe conditions.

Authorities raided the homes of three men who have been arrested under charges of belonging to a criminal group, trafficking and storing arms, trafficking munitions, trafficking drugs and falsifying documents

The video ends showing a large number of weapons seized in the operation and the moment agents discharge an explosive device under safe conditions

Police found an arsenal of 160 firearms which included 22 assault rifles and eight automatic weapons accompanied with 9,967 rounds of different calibres, eight silencers, 273 magazines and a grenade with 1.5 kilos ( 3.3 pounds) of military-grade explosive.

According to the police report, the Civil Guard started their operation dubbed 'Nongreta' sometime 'last year' after registering a growing number of violent crimes related to the stealing of drug merchandise and the subsequent score-settling between crime groups in Andalusia.

The two areas that were being affected were the coastal strip of Costa del Sol and the county of Campo de Gibraltar.

Investigators eventually focused their attention on a German man posing as a retiree living in Malaga, however, with help from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Germany, Spanish police were able to confirm he was wanted in Germany.

German police had a warrant for his arrest over an arsenal found in the city of Hannover.

Cops found the group had been operating for three years. They obtained military weapons from countries in Eastern Europe before the German suspect used machinery to tamper them before selling them to drug-trafficking groups.

The suspect was also the owner of a sort of 'museum' containing Nazi paraphernalia which was found in his home and in the warehouse

The British suspect is the person to have brokered the deals with the drug trafficking groups which operated in the southern Spanish beaches.

Police found he went through extreme measures to avoid detection by using fake passports and hiding weapons inside luxury vehicles.

The other German suspect was in charge of storing the weapons. Police found he kept the guns stored in a warehouse he rented where they were kept packaged and ready for their distribution.

The suspect was also the owner of a sort of 'museum' containing Nazi paraphernalia which was found in his home and in the warehouse. He is reported to be a neo-Nazi affiliated with Nazi movements and extreme-right groups.

The suspects were placed under the custody of Information Headquarters from the Spanish Civil Guard, however, their current legal status is unclear.
Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. took to Facebook on Sunday to warn a group of homeless that their camp is getting too messy and needs immediate attention.

The Facebook post says homeless in the camp on Mt. Ida are throwing their garbage and human waste over the mountain.

Panto said Monday activity at the camp has been going on for a month or two. He said hes known about the trash for a couple weeks.

He said he can see at least two tents on the encampment on the South Side Easton peak that overlooks the Forks of the Delaware. He took photos of some white plastic garbage bags strewn across the mountain.

He said he doesnt want to have to evict the group from the city property but the trash is starting to get a little bit more than anticipated.

I think it is horrible that our country, the wealthiest in the world, has such a high number of individuals that are... Posted by Sal Panto on Sunday, January 10, 2021

The Facebook post warns the group to clean up the trash and human waste or we will have no option but to go up and dismantle the site.

Panto said hell discuss the camp with his staff at a meeting Tuesday. He also plans to reach out to Safe Harbor homeless shelter in Easton to see whether the shelter staff can get word up to the encampment. Shelter director Jeff Poch didnt immediately return a message seeking comment.

The mayor said he has not visited the camp. Nor has anyone from the city. But the city did try to accommodate the camp.

We set up port-a-potties. They trashed them. We set up trash cans. They trashed them, Panto said.

The mayor said the city wont take action for at least a week, hopefully enough time for the mess to be cleaned up.

At the very least, he hopes the residents of the camp get word of a warming center set up outside Safe Harbor for homeless on extremely cold nights.

Youre pretty high up there. Its not a place I would camp out in the winter time. The concern is for their health as well, Panto said.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.

KABUL  Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar received Representative and Country Director at World Food Program (WFP) Ms. Mary-Ellen McGroarty, this morning.

The Two sides had a wide-ranging discussion on WFP programs for Afghanistan and further cooperation between the Afghan government and WFP.

WFP's Representative and Country Director briefed the foreign minister on programs and strategies that WFP pursues to address food crises and support food assistance.

Ms. Mary-Ellen McGroarty touched on the importance of ceasefire and peace to address the severe situation in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Atmar expressed his appreciation for the WPF's works in Afghanistan and asked WFP to further coordinate with the Afghan government to address the food deficit in Afghanistan.
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar twice refused to say if he believed President Donald Trump is fit for office during an interview Tuesday.

He also wouldn't divulge whether he's discussed the 25th Amendment with Vice President Mike Pence or the rest of the remaining members of Trump's cabinet.

Azar was pressed by 'Good Morning America' host George Stephanopoulos on whether the president was able to 'discharge the powers and duties of his office.'

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar twice refused to say whether he believed President Donald Trump is fit for office - and wouldn't say if he's discussed the 25th Amendment with Vice President Mike Pence or fellow cabinet members

On Tuesday's 'Good Morning America,' George Stephanopoulos (left) asked Azar (right) whether the president was able to 'discharge the powers and duties of his office,' and Azar never gave a yes or no answer

Azar has typically tried not to say anything that would damage President Donald Trump, pictured at Joint Base Andrews Tuesday, but cabinet members are being pressured by mostly Democratic members of Congress to invoke the 25th Amendment

The HHS secretary first answered by condemning the Capitol attack and on second asking said, 'The rhetoric last week was unacceptable.'

'I'm not going to get into or discuss the 25th Amendment here,' he continued. 'I'm committed - I've wrestled with this - I'm committed to see this through in my role as Health secretary during a pandemic, to ensure that vaccines and thereapeutics get out to the American people and to ensure a smooth handoff to President-elect Biden's team.'

Stephanopoulos than asked if Azar had discussed invoking the 25th Amendment with Pence or the other cabinet heads.

'It would not be appropriate for me to discuss - and I never have - my conversations with colleagues or with the president and vice president,' Azar said.

Democrats and some Republicans have said Trump should be removed from office before inauguration day after inciting Wednesday's Capitol Hill riot.

Already, Secretaries Elaine Chao and Betsy DeVos have quit the administration in protest over Trump's incitement of a riot and then handling of the violence on Capitol Hill Wednesday, an incident that left five dead, including a member of the U.S. Capitol Police.

The acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf resigned Monday over questions of whether his leading of the department was legal.

Last Wednesday the White House had pulled his nomination because no further Senate action on Trump appointees was expected before inauguration day.

Azar's refusal to comment on Trump's fitness is a departure from his usual instinct to say nothing that could come off as critical about the president.

On Tuesday night, the House of Representatives plans to pass a resolution that calls on Pence to gather the cabinet and invoke the 25th Amendment, which strips Trump of power with just eight day to go before Biden's swearing-in.

Just half the cabinet has to vote in favor of invoking the 25th.

If Pence and the cabinet refuse, Democrats are planning an impeachment vote starting Wednesday.

Trump was already impeached once, in December 2019, over a scheme with Ukraine. Republicans in the Senate saved him from being booted from office during the trial in February.

Polling shows a majority of Americans hold Trump accountable for the violent mob ascending on Capitol Hill Wednesday as lawmakers were trying to certify Biden's Electoral College win.

A Quinnipiac survey released Monday found that 53 per cent of voters believe Trump should resign for inciting the violent MAGA mob.

A similar number, 52 per cent, believe he should be removed from office before his term is up.
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A woman has told a court that she might be dead or in a vegetative state if doctors and gardai had not intervened to get her away from a violent and controlling partner.

The woman encouraged victims of domestic violence to seek help from services such as Women's Aid and said they would be heard.

During a 20 month relationship, the 52-year-old man repeatedly attacked the woman, including burning her foot, cutting her with a pizza slicer, headbutting her in the face while she was recovering from nasal surgery and stamping on her arm causing her multiple fractures.

On another occasion he stamped on her head and strangled her, leaving finger marks along her throat. After being charged with these attacks the man threatened to send explicit images of the victim to her family if she did not withdraw the charges.

Last November, a jury convicted the man of coercive control, intimidation, assault and 12 counts of assault causing harm following the first circuit court trial for offences under the 2018 Domestic Violence Act.

The offences occurred at various locations, including the couple's Dublin home, on dates between May 2018 and January 2020.

The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted the man of one charge of assault causing harm and one charge of endangerment, both alleged to have occurred in the same time period. He had pleaded not to all the offences.

Following the convictions, the man pleaded guilty to a separate charge of intending to pervert the course of justice in the period between March and July 2020. This related to several attempts by the man to get the woman to withdraw her statements to gardai.

The man has two previous convictions for drunk driving and intoxication in a public place.

In her victim impact statement, which was read before the court by a detective garda, the woman said the man sucked the life and soul of confidence out of her and wanted her not to have contact with anyone else.

She said she often ran away from the defendant and slept rough out of fear. She said he always persuaded her that it would never happen again and he had such control over her that she always believed him and went back.

The woman said she tried to kill herself a few times as she did not want him to have the satisfaction of him doing it.

She described Women's Aid as an amazing service and said she did not realise there was so much help available for people in her situation. The woman said she would have gone back to the man if not for doctors and gardai removing her.

She said it was the best thing that ever happened to her and otherwise she might be dead or in a vegetative state.

She said she did not know what domestic violence was until I got chipped away piece by piece and there was nothing left but tears.

The woman encouraged people that they always have a place to go and said they will be heard and helped by the services. She urged people not to leave it too late for you and your kids.

A detective sergeant told Kerida Naidoo SC, prosecuting, that on September 22, 2019, he received a phone call from a doctor working in a Dublin hospital who had concerns about the relationship the victim was in and believed there was a real and substantial threat to her life.

The sergeant said the victim gave evidence during the trial of ongoing violence of different degrees. She described that at particular times the violence was particularly intense.

The relationship began around April 2018 when the victim was looking for a place to live and was introduced to the man. She moved into his apartment and they became romantically involved.

As well as physical assaults, she described emotional abuse in the form of him saying demeaning things, using aggressive language and specific incidents of humiliating conduct such as being made to sit naked in a room while he berated her.

The victim gave evidence of him interfering with her relationship with her family and her access to her friends. She said the conduct had a serious effect on her, that she became meek and submissive and that she was walking on eggshells waiting for the next act of violence.

She said that waiting for the next act of violence was almost worse than when the next act of violence happened.

The man was arrested and charged with several counts of assault. He continued to be in contact with the victim after being charged with these offences.

During this period of contact he threatened to send sexually explicit images of the victim to her father and brother if she did not withdraw the charges.

The garda sergeant said that the count of perverting the course of justice arose from the victim swearing an affidavit in which she said she wished to withdraw all charges and not give evidence during a trial.

An investigation was launched and recordings were obtained of 146 phone calls made by the accused man to the victim while he was remanded in custody.

During these phone calls the man made numerous attempts to get her to withdraw her complaints, making threats he would either self-harm or be harmed if he remained in custody and encouraging her to write a letter saying he had never coercively controlled her.

In one call the man can be heard claiming another prisoner shouted that he was dead and then telling the victim there were things she needed to do if she did not want him dead.

In another call he can be heard encouraging her to change her statement and saying they cannot do anything to her if she did change the statement.

Judge Elma Sheahan remanded the man in continuing custody and adjourned the matter for finalisation on January 19, next.
Federal Department of Finance

Bern, 12.01.2021 - On 12 January 2021, Switzerland officially became a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). This move is in line with the country's policy on sustainable finance.

At its meeting on 11 December 2020, the Federal Council presented concrete proposals on how to strengthen Switzerland's role as a global leader in sustainable financial services. In this context, the Federal Council called on Swiss companies from all sectors of the economy to implement these recommendations on a voluntary basis from now on. It also decided that a bill should be drafted to make the recommendations binding. The work will be carried out this year, with the private sector and associations being consulted.

The TCFD was established at the end of 2015 by the Financial Stability Board, of which Switzerland is a member, to develop recommendations on the financial transparency of companies with regard to climate change. Its recommendations provide a common international framework that enables companies and financial sector players to properly assess and quantify their exposure to climate risk, and in turn to implement the necessary strategies in their activities. More broadly, the aim is to make markets more efficient and economies better equipped to deal with climate change.

To date, the TCFD has received the support of some 1,700 signatory organisations worldwide, from both the public sector, including governments, and the private sector. Major Swiss companies are already adopting its recommendations.

Address for enquiries

State Secretariat for International Finance SIF

Tel. +41 58 462 46 16, info@sif.admin.ch

Publisher

Federal Department of Finance

https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html



State Secretariat for International Financial Matters

http://www.sif.admin.ch




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The Covid-19 outbreak in India and the subsequent nationwide lockdown from March 25 altered the landscape of the countrys employment sector. With close to 10.9 million jobs being lost across sectors, 2020 was termed the worst-ever year for the job market in India.

Among the various sectors, aviation, hospitality and travel were the worst hit due to the lockdown. Indians were forced to stay home and these sectors either sent their employees on leave without pay or laid them off.

However, the healthcare (due to Covid-19 related growth) and education (e-learning) sectors saw a positive impact from the lockdown with close to 0.4 million new jobs being created in these segments according to industry estimates.

In total, HR consultants estimate that 1 million jobs were created in 2020, with the July-December period seeing the highest recruitment.

There is no centralised data available on the absolute number of jobs lost or employment created in India. However, various surveys by recruitment platforms and research agencies showed that the Unlock phase from June 2020 led to a partial recovery, though the job market stayed volatile throughout 2020.

What does the data say?

Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed that the unemployment rate rose sharply, to 9.1 per cent, in December 2020. This is the highest unemployment rate since the beginning of Indias recovery from the lockdown in June.

It is also a steep increase from the 6.5 per cent unemployment rate in November. CMIE said that the unemployment rate was seen rising steadily in the weekly estimates during December. This research said that the main reason for rising unemployment in December was the failure of the farm sector to absorb the influx of labour.

Farming is the last resort of many who are rendered jobless. But December is not the month in which it can absorb labour. This is the month when it sheds jobs, CMIE MD & CEO Mahesh Vyas said in the report.

Similarly, an outlook survey by jobs platform Naukri showed that the hospitality and travel sectors, which were already on a year-on-year (YoY) decline in recruitment terms from 2019 onwards, saw steeper dips in April 2020. This was on account of the lockdown and restrictions on movement.

Where the jobs were lost

Among the 10.9 million jobs that were lost, 5 million were in the travel and tourism sector alone.

The worst hit job role was of travel agents and tour guides. It is estimated that 20 million people work in the travel and tourism industry. The job roles involve sales, marketing, planning itineraries, customer service and on-ground tour guide services.

Mumbai-based recruitment consultant Vinita Oberoi told Moneycontrol that travel/tourism sector employees were among the worst hit because there was no safety net in companies, including outplacement facilities or three months pay.

Small travel agencies started to shut down by May and employees were laid off en masse. Being a niche sector, it was also difficult for us for look for alternative options for these workers, she added.

Apart from travel, the restaurant and hotel industry was also badly hit. Covid-19 fears and migration of workers led to eateries shutting down. Hotels were also forced to retrench staff in the wake of almost zero bookings (except quarantine facilities) in April and May 2020.

Close to 3.5 million jobs are estimated to have been lost in these two segments. Hotels reported a 45.3 percent decline in their revenue-per-available room in the January to June period from a year ago, according to JLLs Hotel Momentum India.

The Indian hospitality industrys market size is estimated to be $10 billion and it is said to employ 35 million people.

An allied industry is the automobile/transport sector, which saw several drivers of private transport (buses, taxis) being laid off due to schools being shut and corporate employees working from home.

Close to 1 million such drivers/cleaners were out of jobs due to the extended shift to working from home. In fact, 150,000 school bus staff lost their jobs and havent yet received any financial relief as per the Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) & School Bus Owners Association.

Due to the lockdown, while online grocery shopping and e-learning picked up, offline retail suffered a blow due to malls being shut. This led to about 200,000 retail employees across departmental stores and high-street fashion brands losing their jobs between March and June 2020.

However, once India entered the Unlock phase, the retail sector started hiring again, albeit for temporary/gig roles. The net job loss currently is estimated to be 100,000 for this sector.

Gigs in demand

Gigs are short-term job roles that are offered based on seasonal demand. Industry sources say that close to 75,000 jobs are on offer on a temporary basis, led by sectors such as e-commerce, offline retail, IT/ITeS and the financial services sector.

Companies such as Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, Flipkart and Amazon are among the large players offering gig roles.

While gig jobs are contractually supposed to be short-term, several companies either extend the contract after every 3-6 months or absorb these workers in a permanent position.

Where were jobs created?

On the one hand, several thousand jobs were lost but newer roles started to emerge due to the new-normal of remote working. Digital interactions became more frequent, as a result of which roles in areas such as cyber-security and data privacy, apart from IT backend support, were in demand.

Among sectors, the biggest gainer was the healthcare sector. Health and pharma were in demand due to the pandemic and these companies/institutions ramped up their staff strength.

Sameer Sarkar, CEO of Arise Career Services, which specialises in medical sector recruitment, told Moneycontrol that close to 270,000 jobs were created in the healthcare sector.

Nurses were the most in demand followed by in-house doctors for corporates, ENT specialists, pharmacists and medical directors. At pharma companies, microbiologists and infectious disease experts were the most in demand, added Sarkar.

A report by Naukri said that that medical and healthcare saw an immediate sequential recovery of 90 percent in hiring in May 2020.

Medical/healthcare companies in search of professionals on Naukri.com include Fortis, Apollo Hospitals, Religare, Bayer Group, Mankind Pharma and Wockhardt Hospitals, among others.

E-learning boosts jobs

Since schools and colleges were shut and online classes were being held, edtech companies gained the most during 2020. Industry sources said that close to 130,000 jobs were created in the education sector, led by online companies.

Here, companies such as upGrad saw a big spike in the number of employees amidst the online boom. upGrad was among the first to revoke salary cuts initiated earlier. Its employee strength also grew to 2,000 (in November) from 600 at the beginning of the financial year.

In fact, global edtech funding crossed the 2019 mark in September 2020 itself. Ed-tech startups have raised $4.89 billion across 377 rounds as of September 2020, according to a report by CB Insights, a market intelligence platform.

Here, Indias Byjus was second (Chinas Zuoyebang being first), having raised $1.5 billion from Tiger Global Management, DST Global and Silver Lake Partners, among others.

Is there a recovery in sight?

In 2021, edtech startups, e-commerce platforms, electric mobility and healthcare firms are said to be leading the hiring list.

A December 2020 survey by ManpowerGroup said that nearly 65 percent of employers reported that they may return to pre-Covid hiring levels within the next nine months. The sectors expected to drive the job market in the first quarter of 2021 include finance, insurance and real estate, as well as the mining & construction sector.

For the travel/tourism and hospitality sectors, however, the worst is still not over.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Allies to Gov. Gavin Newsom are working hard to link the ongoing recall efforts to last week's riots at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to save a governor facing public fury over his handling of the pandemic.

Throughout the recall process, Newsom allies have worked to tie the recall to President Donald Trump  a politically toxic figure in California  and during a Tuesday press conference, California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks and other state Democrats went as far to call the recall a "California coup."

Newly elected San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also spoke at the press conference and said the recall is similar to the Capitol riots since it seeks to "overturn a democratic election."

Political reporters inside and outside California were quick to criticize the "coup" language.

"Agree or disagree with the recall effort, this branding seems bound to backfire," tweeted the Los Angeles Times' John Myers. "An attempt to recall an elected official in California is allowed under the state Constitution and the reason for the recall can be 100% political. Simply put: no one is forcibly removed from office."

"The more we collectively choose to use these kinds of words casually, the more they lose their effect," Myers continued. "Newsom faces a political challenge, not an insurrection."

"Evidence schmevidence," wrote the Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner. "California Democratic Party leaders gave no evidence to support their central claim that organizers of recall Newsom campaign are linked to attack on U.S. Capitol. [Hicks] says Proud Boys and anti-vaxxers supported both. That's not evidence."

"Its absolutely insane to frame a recall where the voters go to the polls a coup," wrote New York Magazine and HuffPost contributor Yashar Ali. "That implies that the California elections dont have integrity."

It was not hard to see this line of attack coming. Newsom spokesperson Dan Newman once called recall organizers "pro-Trump, anti-vaccine extremists,"  a label the group strongly rejects.

Last week, the recall campaign condemned both the Capitol rioters as well as California Senate Minority Leader Shannon Grove after she shared a debunked conspiracy theory that antifa members were the ones responsible for the riots.

Recall campaign senior adviser Randy Economy characterized the attempts to link the recall to Trump as a cynical, ineffective ploy.

"Weve had people come to our table, sign our petition, and then say right afterwards, 'Yeah! Now lets go impeach Trump!'" he said last week. "We've got people who are very dissatisfied with Trump signing it, we have lifelong Democrats on our team who are frustrated with Newsom. Newsom has frustrated everyone in this state."

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state are surging despite a strict stay-at-home order adopted in early December. The state is also lagging behind other states in administering vaccines, ranking 42nd out of 50 states in usage on Tuesday. Most schools in California are still not open even though in-person learning has resumed in other large blue states such as New York and Massachusetts.

Recall organizers last week said they've gathered more than 1 million signatures. They need 1.5 million to force a recall election, but will probably need to gather north of 2 million signatures since many will be deemed invalid during the county-level review process.

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer  who launched a gubernatorial exploratory committee and might run in either a recall election or a normal 2022 election  took to Twitter to call Hicks' comments "disgraceful."

"This is desperation," he wrote. "Team Newsom is using a national tragedy to deflect from his own failures. Comparing the capitol attack on our democracy to a recall effort allowed under the state Constitution, signed by 1 mil. people across the political spectrum, is absolutely disgraceful."
S.F. Chronicle Graphics, Nextzen, OpenStreetMap

An individual being held at San Franciscos County Jail No. 3, a facility located in San Bruno, apparently died by suicide, the San Francisco Sheriffs Office said Monday.

The San Bruno Fire Department and emergency personnel responded on Sunday and pronounced the individual dead at 2:10 p.m., Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said in a statement issued Monday afternoon.

 Flash

Libyan authorities recovered four unidentified bodies two days ago from a newly discovered mass grave in the city of Tarhuna, Abdulaziz Ja'fri, spokesman of the General Authority for Research and Identification, told Xinhua.

Tarhuna, located some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli, was once the eastern-based army's main military operation center during the war against the UN-backed government in and around Tripoli.

Since the beginning of the search a few months ago in Tarhuna and southern Tripoli, a total of 158 unidentified bodies were discovered from dozens of mass graves, Ja'fri said, adding that search is underway for more mass graves in the city.

The forces of the UN-backed government have been accusing the rival eastern-based army of mass killings in Tarhuna.
Roxanne Mustafa, one of the founders of the progressive grassroots group Staten Island Women Who March, voted for centrist Democratic Rep. Max Rose in his first run for Congress in 2018 and again when he ran in 2020, each time also volunteering on his campaign. But asked if she would have voted for Rose had he jumped into the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, Mustafa said, no, because she plans to back a candidate with more experience.

After Rose conceded to former Republican Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis in the contentious race for his House seat, more than a week after election night, he started exploring a campaign for mayor in mid-December, following weeks of speculation. But on January 3, Rose abruptly announced he would not run for mayor after all, saying he and his wife planned to adopt another baby and would use the time to spend with their infant son. In announcing his departure, Rose assured New Yorkers he was not going anywhere in the fight to make our city and country live up to their promise.

This left politicos to speculate as to whether Rose may have tested the waters and found them too cool. Certainly, among the activists in and near his district, that may be the case.

Bob Olivari, a longtime Democratic operative on Staten Island, who also voted for Rose in 2018 and 2020, said he would not have voted for the former member of Congress in a Democratic primary for mayor because he thinks Rose is more suited to be a legislator, not govern as an executive in local government.

Mustafa and Olivari said the decorated Army veteran did a good job at representing the conservative-leaning 11th Congressional District as a centrist Democrat. The district combines Staten Island and a portion of southern Brooklyn, which includes a loyal Republican voting base, moderate Democrats and a growing number of progressive Democrats. Those progressive local activists and donors played a crucial role in getting Rose elected in 2018. Mustafa and Olivari said they would be open to supporting and voting for Rose again if he were to run in 2022 for his old seat, depending on who jumps into the Democratic primary race for Congress by then.But they and other Democrats familiar with the areas politics think it would have been difficult for Rose to garner support from Democrats in his district for a citywide race with so many other candidates already running in the Democratic primary for mayor.

I did feel like support on the progressive side was definitely waning across the North Shore of Staten Island and Brooklyn, Mustafa said, pointing to more liberal leaning voters disenchantment with Rose for beingslow to support the impeachmentof President Donald Trump, voting against Nancy Pelosi as House speaker andconstantly bashing fellow DemocratNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Mustafa thinks some left-leaning Democrats may have only voted for Rose in 2020 because they had no other option and would have rather had him represent them over a Republican. I think that theres so many great (mayoral) candidates, Max would have had to rely on his solid base, and it was surprising to see him opt in because that base was waning.

There are nearly a dozen viable Democratic candidates across the partys political spectrum already in the running to succeed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. If youre looking for a moderate candidate, there are a handful to choose from, including Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who is a former police officer, Shaun Donovan, the former U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Ray McGuire, who was until recently vice chair of Citigroup. Other major candidates include New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer; former Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia; Maya Wiley, a former MSNBC legal analyst and counsel to de Blasio; Brooklyn City Council member Carlos Menchaca; former New York City Veterans Services Commissioner Loree Sutton; former social services nonprofit executive director Dianne Morales; former presidential candidate and nonprofit founder, Andrew Yang; and Zach Iscol, the founder and CEO of a digital media company.

I do think that while he would have gotten support in [Southern Brooklyn] if he was to run for mayor, I dont think it would have been enough to really take him over the edge, said Krysten Copeland, a political consultant and former communications director for Rep. Yvette Clarke.  I think he realized that. From what I understand, he also hadnt begun to fundraise for his mayoral run.

An elected official from Brooklyn, who asked to not be identified to speak freely about Rose, said the Democratic primary may have been too crowded for Rose's message to shine through. Its such a crowded race, so I dont know that he would have had a message that would have stood out and maybe part of his decision not to run for mayor was because he wasnt getting support from the other elected officials in his area, the Brooklyn politician said, who would not say whether they would have supported Rose in the Democratic primary.

In recent history, Congress to City Hall was a successful path for former mayors Ed Koch, John Lindsay and Fiorello La Guardia. Even though former Rep. Anthony Weiner ended up conceding in the 2013 Democratic primary for mayor after he earned just 5% of the vote, he was a leading frontrunner in the polls before revelations of a second sexting scandal surfaced and he almost won the nomination in 2005. A little over a week after Rose announced he was exploring a run for mayor, Yang, who came in first in the Democratic primary in recent polls, dominated the headlines when he filed with the New York City Campaign Finance Board to open a mayoral campaign account.

Olivari pointed out that Koch and Lindsay had a larger voting base from their districts in Manhattan and Weiner had a Brooklyn base. But Staten Island politicians often insulate themselves from the rest of New York City and do not look beyond local politics, Olivari said. The electorate on Staten Island doesnt provide a base for someone to run citywide like Anthony Weiner could have, Ed Koch did successfully, John Lindsay did as a Republican before he became a Democrat, he said.

Rose could not be made available to elaborate on his plans post Congress, but his longtime advisor and former district director, Kevin Elkins, insisted any concerns about his ability get the support of Democrats in his former district or securing the matching funds needed to mount a successful Democratic primary bid would not have been a challenge for Rose, who won more than 137,000 votes in his 2020 House race. He raised $10 million in two years. Matching funds would not be a hurdle, Elkins told City & State. Considering he secured more votes than any Democrat in NY-11s history, I don't think an objective person could imply he would not have support in his own district.

In order to qualify for the citys matching funds program, mayoral prospects must raise $250,000 receiving contributions of no more than $2,000 from 1,000 New York City residents. The program aims to get candidates to engage with small local donors and not only focus on courting large donors.

Though Elkins denies fundraising would have been an issue for Rose, some think that although Rose has been a savvy fundraiser in his House races, securing smaller donations at the citywide level may have been a challenge. Hes used to courting big donors, getting good checks and then having a percentage of his money come in from small contributions, I think this time, having to get more than normal grassroots support would have posed an issue for the viability [of a potential campaign], said Randall Franklin, the founder of grassroots political consulting firm Elevation Strategies, who worked on Roses 2018 campaign.

A Brooklyn resident who held local fundraisers for Roses 2018 congressional campaigns said there was fatigue among local donors to donate to Roses potential mayoral run, but noted that might have changed had Rose followed through on running. I wasnt really necessarily ready to blindly go into raising more money for that run, but I think if he had perhaps waited a little bit longer, there could have been some energy that could have congealed, the fundraiser said.

Though it is unclear exactly what Rose will do next professionally, some think he will likely run for his seat again in 2022, and may even announce sooner following Malliotakis vote objecting to certifying the presidential election after an attempted coup on the U.S. Capitol led by a mob of President Donald Trumps supporters. Since the attack on Congress, Rose and Elkins have been highly active on Twitter calling Malliotakis out for her vote. Richard Flanagan, a professor of political science at the College of Staten Island, thinks their social media activity might mean Rose is eyeing an announcement about a rematch soon, just as Malliotakis filed with the Federal Election Commission to explore a potential run against Roseless than a month after he was sworninto his first term in Congress.

Staying out of the mayoral race may have been a political calculation to avoid risking harming his chances in a rematch with Malliotakis if he performed poorly or made gaffes this year, Flanagan said. The House race is easy money on the table, and to jeopardize that with this long-shot mayoral run on its face, doesnt make any sense, its trouble, Flanagan said. He also pointed out that Rose potentially jumping into the House race early may give him an advantage over other Democrats who are considering a run.

Come 2022, Roses former congressional district could look very different thanks to redistricting. With Democrats in control of the redistricting process and New York set to lose congressional seats, the district could gain more Democratic voters when the lines are redrawn.

For now, Mustafa said progressive Democrats in his old congressional district are focused on actively looking to run a more liberal candidate for 2022, but said it was too early to provide any names. Theyre looking for that progressive candidate and theyre doubling down, Mustafa said. I think the waning of support in 2020, it might be trending in that direction for progressives, meaning theyre not going to vote for a centrist again.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed his support to intensive diplomacy with the goal of facilitating a U.S. return to the JCPOA and Iran's return to full JCPOA implementation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Borrell said: "The EU reiterates its strong commitment to and continued support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The JCPOA is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and achievement of multilateral diplomacy, endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council through resolution 2231."

"We deeply regret the worrying steps taken by Iran over the last two years and recall that the EU has repeatedly called on Iran to reverse all actions that are inconsistent with Iran's JCPOA commitments," he claimed without pointing to E3's failure to implement their part of the deal and safeguard Iran's economic interest under the JCPOA.

He expressed his concern over Iran 20% enrichment, saying, "The initiation of uranium enrichment to up to 20% by Iran at the underground Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which was confirmed by the IAEA on 4 January, is a very serious development and a matter of deep concern."

"Iran's action is also inconsistent with the JCPOA's clear provisions on Fordow and has potentially severe proliferation implications," The Mehr News Agency cited him as saying.

"At this critical juncture, Iran's action also risks undermining efforts aimed at building upon the existing diplomatic process. We urge Iran to refrain from further escalation and reverse this course of action without delay. Continued full and timely cooperation with the IAEA remains critical," Borrell added.

He went on to say, "We acknowledge the issues arising from the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the agreement and the re-imposition of its sanctions. The EU has upheld its JCPOA commitments, including regarding sanctions lifting as foreseen in the Agreement."

"Despite the severe challenges to the JCPOA, the EU has continued to work hard to preserve it. We take note of the Ministerial statement of JCPOA Participants of 21 December 2020. We express support for the ongoing diplomatic efforts in the framework of the Joint Commission, with the EU High Representative as its coordinator, to ensure full JCPOA implementation," EU foreign policy chief noted.

Supporting U.S. return to Iran nuclear deal, he said, " In this context, we also express our support to intensive diplomacy with the goal of facilitating a US return to the JCPOA and Iran's return to full JCPOA implementation."

"We welcome President-elect Biden's positive statements on the JCPOA, and look forward to working with the incoming US-Administration," he highlighted.
A police complaint was filed against Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee after he courted controversy by referring to names of Goddess Sita and Lord Rama while criticising the BJP over the Hathras gang-rape incident in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) came down heavily on Banerjee for hurting religious sentiments of the Hindus.

While addressing a rally in West Bengals Howrah district on Saturday, the TMC MP had "cracked a joke" referring to Goddess Sita and Lord Rama while attacking the BJP on the Hathras gang-rape and murder case. A video clip of Banerjee's speech had gone viral on the social media.

A BJP Yuva Morcha activist has lodged a police complaint against Banerjee at Golabari police station in Howrah district on Sunday for hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus. BJP national general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya criticised Banerjee for his comments and said it shows the "agenda and mindset" of the TMC.

"The Trinamool Congress always tries to appease one community. This is an ugly reflection of the TMC's appeasement politics. "They do not care for 70 per cent of the people of the state, they are a government only for the 30 per cent", he said.

VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said the TMC's politics and polices have been unmasked by making "derogatory remarks against Goddess Sita and Lord Rama". "It seems one (Kalyan) Banerjee has augmented the slogan of 'TMC Hatao Bangla Bachao' by dragging the name of Mother Sita as part of their politics," he said.

While reacting to the development, Banerjee said he had shared a joke on the stage which was already viral on the social media. "I did not intend to hurt anyone's sentiments. While attacking BJP on Hathras incident, I mentioned the joke," he said.

"I have heard there has been a police complaint. I will say whatever I have to in the court," he said. The TMC leadership, however, has declined to comment on the incident.

Banerjee, who is Lok Sabha member from Serampore constituency, said Monday he had lodged a complaint with the Kolkata police regarding threat calls he has been receiving over the incident.
The much-awaited Karnataka would take place on Wednesday with the induction of 7-8 ministers, Chief Minister said on Tuesday.

The BJP veteran also indicated one minister might be dropped in the rejig, the third of the 17-month old ministry.

"....new Ministers will take oath at the Raj Bhavan at around 3:30 pm tomorrow, the list of seven or eight ministers who will be inducted will be released in due course," he told reporters here.

Asked will anyone be dropped from the 27-member Ministry as there were only seven vacant berths, he said: "It is being discussed, we will see, we may have to drop someone, will think about it and make a decision... there is no confusion."



The announcement comes two days after Yediyurappa finalised the expansion at a meeting with top BJP leaders, including party chief J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

This would be third expansion of the cabinet since Yediyurappa assumed charge in July, 2019 after the collapse of the Congress-JDS government in the wake of revolt by 17 MLAs of the coalition partners.

A state Information Department release said Governor Vajubhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new members who will be inducted to the Cabinet at 3.50 pm at the Glass House of Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.

Yediyurappa, who had been planning the expansion for several months, had on Monday said Nadda and party General Secretary in-charge of state Arun Singh will be invited for the swearing-in.

However, there was no official word so far on their participation in the function.

There are speculations within the BJP circles and also in a section of the media that a couple of Ministers are likely to be dropped in the exercise.

Excise Minister H Nagesh and Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle, whose names are doing the rounds, have maintained they had not heard from the Chief Minister or the party leadership in this regard.

According to party sources, keeping up the promise, Congress-JD(S) rebels-turned BJP legislators like RR Nagar MLA Munirathna, and MLCs R Shankar and M T B Nagaraj, who helped the saffron party come to power, are most likely to be inducted by Yediyurappa.

Names of senior BJP MLAs including Umesh Katti, S Angara and Murugesh Nirani are also doing rounds in the party circles along with Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali and MLC C P Yogeshwar as possible inductees.

Eight-time MLA from Hukkeri Katti said he had received a call from the Chief Minister asking him to come to the state capital.

"My trip to Bengaluru was already planned as there is a committee meeting tomorrow. Also, the Chief Minister last night asked me to come to Bengaluru, so I'm going. If CM and party leadership bless me, I will take oath and work for the state," he said as he left Belagavi.

Six-time MLA Angara too said he was coming here for a committee meeting and will leave it to God about becoming Minister.

"I have never lobbied for a Minister post and will never do it. If given an opportunity will work honestly," he said.

Yediyurappa was waiting for some time to carry out the after he was asked by Nadda in November to wait for the clearance from the central leadership.

The expansion or reshuffle is likely to be a tough task for the Chief Minister, considering that there are too many aspirants, from the party old guard like G H Thippareddy, M P Renukacharya and the new entrants from Congress and JDS.

(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.)
During a typical year, over a million people visit Yellowstone National Park, where the Old Faithful geyser regularly blasts a jet of boiling water high in the air. Now, an international team of astronomers has discovered a cosmic equivalent, a distant galaxy that erupts roughly every 114 days.

Using data from facilities including NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the scientists have studied 20 repeated outbursts of an event called ASASSN-14ko. These various telescopes and instruments are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. By using them collaboratively, scientists obtained more detailed pictures of the outbursts.

"These are the most predictable and frequent recurring multiwavelength flares we've seen from a galaxy's core, and they give us a unique opportunity to study this extragalactic Old Faithful in detail," said Anna Payne, a NASA Graduate Fellow at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. "We think a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center creates the bursts as it partially consumes an orbiting giant star."

Payne presented the findings on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the virtual 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. A paper on the source and these observations, led by Payne, is undergoing scientific review.

Astronomers classify galaxies with unusually bright and variable centers as active galaxies. These objects can produce much more energy than the combined contribution of all their stars, including higher-than-expected levels of visible, ultraviolet, and X-ray light. Astrophysicists think the extra emission comes from near the galaxy's central supermassive black hole, where a swirling disk of gas and dust accumulates and heats up because of gravitational and frictional forces. The black hole slowly consumes the material, which creates random fluctuations in the disk's emitted light.

But astronomers are interested in finding active galaxies with flares that happen at regular intervals, which might help them identify and study new phenomena and events.

"ASASSN-14ko is currently our best example of periodic variability in an active galaxy, despite decades of other claims, because the timing of its flares is very consistent over the six years of data Anna and her team analyzed," said Jeremy Schnittman, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who studies black holes but was not involved in the research. "This result is a real tour de force of multiwavelength observational astronomy."

ASASSN-14ko was first detected on Nov. 14, 2014, by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), a global network of 20 robotic telescopes headquartered at Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. It occurred in ESO 253-3, an active galaxy over 570 million light-years away in the southern constellation Pictor. At the time, astronomers thought the outburst was most likely a supernova, a one-time event that destroys a star.

Six years later, Payne was examining ASAS-SN data on known active galaxies as part of her thesis work. Looking at the ESO 253-3 light curve, or the graph of its brightness over time, she immediately noticed a series of evenly spaced flares - a total of 17, all separated by about 114 days. Each flare reaches its peak brightness in about five days, then steadily dims.

Payne and her colleagues predicted that the galaxy would flare again on May 17, 2020, so they coordinated joint observations with ground- and space-based facilities, including multiwavelength measurements with Swift. ASASSN-14ko erupted right on schedule. The team has since predicted and observed subsequent flares on Sept. 7 and Dec. 20.

The researchers also used TESS data for a detailed look at a previous flare. TESS observes swaths of the sky called sectors for about a month at a time. During the mission's first two years, the cameras collected a full sector image every 30 minutes. These snapshots allowed the team to create a precise timeline of a flare that began on Nov. 7, 2018, tracking its emergence, rise to peak brightness, and decline in great detail.

"TESS provided a very thorough picture of that particular flare, but because of the way the mission images the sky, it can't observe all of them," said co-author Patrick Vallely, an ASAS-SN team member and National Science Foundation graduate research fellow at OSU. "ASAS-SN collects less detail on individual outbursts, but provides a longer baseline, which was crucial in this case. The two surveys complement one another."

Using measurements from ASAS-SN, TESS, Swift and other observatories, including NASA's NuSTAR and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton, Payne and her team came up with three possible explanations for the repeating flares.

One scenario involved interactions between the disks of two orbiting supermassive black holes at the galaxy's center. Recent measurements, also under scientific review, suggest the galaxy does indeed host two such objects, but they don't orbit closely enough to account for the frequency of the flares.

The second scenario the team considered was a star passing on an inclined orbit through a black hole's disk. In that case, scientists would expect to see asymmetrically shaped flares caused when the star disturbs the disk twice, on either side of the black hole. But the flares from this galaxy all have the same shape.

The third scenario, and the one the team thinks most likely, is a partial tidal disruption event.

A tidal disruption event occurs when an unlucky star strays too close to a black hole. Gravitational forces create intense tides that break the star apart into a stream of gas. The trailing part of the stream escapes the system, while the leading part swings back around the black hole. Astronomers see bright flares from these events when the shed gas strikes the black hole's accretion disk.

In this case, the astronomers suggest that one of the galaxy's supermassive black holes, one with about 78 million times the Sun's mass, partially disrupts an orbiting giant star. The star's orbit isn't circular, and each time it passes closest to the black hole, it bulges outward, shedding mass but not completely breaking apart. Every encounter strips away an amount of gas equal to about three times the mass of Jupiter.

Astronomers don't know how long the flares will persist. The star can't lose mass forever, and while scientists can estimate the amount of mass it loses during each orbit, they don't know how much it had before the disruptions began.

Payne and her team plan to continue observing the event's predicted outbursts, including upcoming dates in April and August 2021. They'll also be able to examine another measurement from TESS, which captured the Dec. 20 flare with its updated 10-minute snapshot rate.

"TESS was primarily designed to find worlds beyond our solar system," said Padi Boyd, the TESS project scientist at Goddard. "But the mission is also teaching us more about stars in our own galaxy, including how they pulse and eclipse each other. In distant galaxies, we've seen stars end their lives in supernova explosions. TESS has even previously observed a complete tidal disruption event. We're always looking forward to the next exciting and surprising discoveries the mission will make."

###

TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Additional partners include Northrop Grumman, based in Falls Church, Virginia; NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley; the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts; MIT's Lincoln Laboratory; and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. More than a dozen universities, research institutes, and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission.

Goddard manages the Swift mission in collaboration with Penn State in University Park, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems in Dulles, Virginia. Other partners include the University of Leicester and Mullard Space Science Laboratory in the United Kingdom, Brera Observatory and the Italian Space Agency in Italy.

ASAS-SN is operated by Las Cumbres Observatory and funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
The head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to sign an order on Tuesday expanding coronavirus testing requirements for nearly all international air travelers, not just from Britain, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. The new rules are to take effect two weeks from the day they are signed by CDC Director Mark Redfield, which would be Jan 26. The CDC has been urgently pressing for an expansion of the requirements with the Trump administration for weeks. One remaining issue is how to address some countries that have limited testing ...
In Japan, an annual Shinto ritual of soul purification this year included prayers for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing guidelines forced a much smaller gathering than in previous years, but as VOAs Arash Arabasadi reports, believers still turned out  and stripped down  for the annual observance. VOA Khmer's Sisovann Pin narrates.
Sports lie at the margins of our culture, different from how it is elsewhere in the world, and from how it used to be. This is one of the reasons why criminality among youth proceeds unchecked. There is no youth labour market, and the school system ruthlessly triages youth.

Myanmar & COVID-19 Donations Pour in as People of Myanmar Dig Deep to Help Cover Cost of Vaccine

Myanmar medical staff in Yangon take nasal swab samples from truck drivers who need to travel for work reasons, at the Zero Mile point of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YangonContributions continue to pour in to help Myanmars government cover the cost of a COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals, tycoons, businesses and religious organizations responded immediately to a government request for help on Jan. 5.

Within two days of the request, the government received 1.3 billion kyats (US$980,000) from 117 donors and $2.5 million from five donors as of last Thursday. And that total is expected to rise when new data on donations is announced by the government.

Myanmar has ordered 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer, which is producing vaccine called COVISHIELD that was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

The vaccines are due to arrive to Myanmar by February and the country must initially pay $75 million, half the amount for the vaccine orders, upon delivery.

Myanmar is also trying to buy COVID-19 vaccines from China, the UK, the US and Russia through diplomatic channels.

The government initially earmarked $251 million of its funds and on Jan. 5 sought help from the public to cover the expense. The response was swift.

The Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, which was established by Myanmars State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, earmarked a donation of 10 million kyats and began accepting public donations. The foundation told The Irrawaddy that it had collected more than 200 million kyats as of Monday.

Our citizens are very united whenever the country faces urgent matters. Many people are now donating after the government raised funds for COVID-19 vaccine. That is gratifying, said U Thant Thaw Kaung, an executive committee member of the foundation.

He said that individual donations ranged between 10,000 kyats and several hundred million kyats for the countrys COVID-19 vaccine fund.

According to the foundation, U Lun Gywe, Myanmar most famous impressionist artist, on Monday donated 50 million kyats to the government via the foundation after putting 20 of his paintings up for auction in a single day.

The foundation on Tuesday transferred 200 million kyats to the account of the government COVID-19 vaccine fund.

The foundation also said that whenever it receives 100 million kyats in donations it will transfer the amount to the government accounts immediately.

On Monday, KBZ Bank, which has already contributed more than $10.5 million to the countrys fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, announced that it has donated another 3 billion kyats to the government for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine.

Haji U Myint Tun, a member of the Assistance Committee of the COVID-19 response under the Islamic Religious Affairs Council Myanmar (IRACM), told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the IRACM is planning to donate 1 billion kyats to the government to buy vaccines.

Currently, the committee has collected more than 533 million kyats from 67 donors and they will transfer those contributions to the accounts of governments COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Haji U Myint Tun, who is also a chairman of the Bayintnaung Automobile Spare Parts Market, said the market is also planning to donate a total of 100 million kyats for the vaccine purchase. Currently, they have already transferred more than 50 million kyats to the governments vaccine fund.

As citizens, we believe that we are responsible to assist our country when it needs help, said Haji U Myint Tun.

He added, While the government is trying [to vaccinate] all citizens without discriminating over religion or skin color, we feel we should assist the government as much as we can. Therefore, we contribute to our government.

Also, the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) announced on Saturday that it has earmarked 150 million kyats for the countrys COVID-19 vaccine fund and is also accepting donations from members.

Last week, tycoon U Chit Khine, chairman of one of Myanmars biggest conglomerates, Eden Group, donated $1.5 million to the government for the vaccine purchase effort.

Another tycoon, U Zaw Zaw, the chairman of the Ayeyarwady Foundation, who has already contributed more than $11 million to the countrys fight against the pandemic, has now donated another 2 billion kyats for vaccines.

Meanwhile, Myanmars military donated 1 billion kyats.

Since Dec. 19, Myanmar has seen a decline in daily COVID-19 cases. Fewer than 1,000 cases are now being reported per day, down from a peak of more than 1,400 daily cases.

As of Monday, Myanmar had reported 131,186 COVID-19 cases including 2,858 deaths and 114,609 recoveries.

In ASEAN, Myanmar is fourth in terms of COVID-19 cases behind Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

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Francesca Paris covers North Adams for The Berkshire Eagle. A California native and Williams College alumna, she has worked at NPR in Washington, D.C. and WBUR in Boston, as a news reporter, producer and editor. Find her on Twitter at @fparises.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will travel to India on Thursday on a three-day visit during which he will attend the Sixth Meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission and discuss the entire gamut of relations, including Covid-19 cooperation and boundary, with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

Gyawali is the senior most political leader from Nepal to visit India after Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli triggered a border row last year by publishing a new political map that showed the three Indian territories - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal.

The Joint Commission Meeting "will discuss the whole gamut of Nepal-India bilateral relations, including trade, transit, energy, boundary, Covid-19 cooperation, infrastructure, connectivity, investment, agriculture, tourism, culture, among others," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement here.

During his visit from January 14 to 16, Foreign Minister Gyawali will also meet with the high-level dignitaries of India, the ministry said.

The Nepali delegation will consist of the Ambassador of Nepal to India, the foreign secretary, health secretary and other senior officials.

After Nepal released the map last year, India reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioning Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.

India said that Nepal's action violated an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks.

The bilateral exchanges that had stalled due to the bitter boundary dispute were reset in the later part of 2020 with a series of high-level visits, as New Delhi emphasised that it sees itself as the Himalayan nation's "foremost friend" and development partner.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's maiden visit to Nepal in November was largely aimed at resetting bilateral ties. Shringla met Prime Minister Oli and other top political brass and emphasised that India and Nepal are on the same page and share the same vision.

Shringlas trip followed earlier ones by Indian Army chief Gen. MM Naravane, and a whirlwind tour by Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Samant Kumar Goel to Kathmandu in a bid to mend ties. Senior BJP leader and the party's head of the foreign affairs department Vijay Chauthaiwale also visited Nepal in early December.
In 1957 a notice in the Tuam Herald read: Children to be Boarded Out. It invited applications from women for girls under seven and boys under five years of age and detailed the maintenance allowance to be paid for their upkeep.

The children were in Tuam Mothers and Baby Home, an institution run by the Bon Secours sisters from 1925 to 1961, and the practice of boarding out stemmed from the workhouse system in the 19th century where poor, orphaned and deserted children were, in effect, fostered out to families who were paid to keep them.

Its unknown exactly how many children were boarded out from Mother and Baby Homes and industrial schools in Ireland as adoption did not become legal until 1952, but historians put it at thousands.

Historian Lindsey Earner-Byrne says the institutions of laundries and Mothers and Baby Homes were a response to social attitudes of the day, with the roots of stigmitisation going back to post-Famine Ireland, with the emergence of a middle-class farmer and the increasing power of the Catholic church.

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She says unmarried mothers and their children were regarded as the most difficult group to deal with as their very existence violated all understandings of family and morality. Their social crime was having a child outside marriage.

Those who had children outside marriage were considered a threat to the integrity of the family. For decades, women who found themselves pregnant outside wedlock had limited options, and most unmarried mothers in the lower socio-economic bracket were institutionalised in former workhouses and ultimately separated from their children.

With assistance for single mothers often only available from religious organisations, many ended up in Mother and Baby Homes, and their children were frequently viewed as free or cheap labour through the boarding-out system.

According to Earner-Byrne the practice at the time had no real oversight, and where children ended up was pot luck.

Various reports found that physical, emotional and sexual abuse was endemic in the Irish institutional childcare system, she says.

There was no Department of Children  boarded-out children were ultimately under the purview of the Department of Local Government and Public health, which for much of the period had one or two child inspectors for the entire country.

If you ended up in somewhere like Tuam, because your mother was an unmarried mother, which was one mechanism, or if your family was poor, or you were caught not going to school, you went through the criminal system.

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Boarding out was common before adoption was legalised in 1952, with hundreds of children taken into homes in Ireland in the hope of a better life and to save their souls.

However, for many this was not the case. Many were seen as servants and abused by those paid to take care of them, while others ended up dead.

While there are no official government records around such de facto adoptions, the 1911 Census recorded over 400 adopted children in Ireland that year.

It also shows that 30pc of those adopted children were in the homes of labourers, including agricultural labourers, while farmers accounted for 14pc of the adopted children that year.

Adoption on many farms was seen as a way to get another pair of working hands.

Many institutions, Earner-Byrne says, did try to place children in rural homes as they considered at the time that an urban environment was more immoral, while there was a view that children were better off in a family than in an industrial school.

They also knew these kids would be used as labour  thats not always a negative experience, but life was hard.

However, society was not just resistant to unmarried mothers raising their children, according to Earner-Byrne, but also unforgiving of the children themselves, condemning many to premature deaths. She says there were cases of suspected murders of foster children.

Quite simply, she says, when the system was unsupervised, children were open to abuse, both physical and sexual.

In 1956 the Tuam Herald reported that an inspector from the Department of Health on the condition of children boarded out in Galway revealed a very undesirable and unpleasant state of things.

The callous treatment meted out to some of these unfortunate children, as instanced by the report, bears comparison with that imposed in the better class prison camps in totalitarian countries during the war, the paper said.

Neglect seems to be quite the common thing in some cases and in others it borders on cruelty. Farm animals, or a certain valuable species of dog, are better treated than humans it would appear, and there is an urgent need to review this whole system of boarding out children who by accident of birth have neither home or family.

Inheritance





When it came to inheritance, Earner-Byrne says the legal system set up after the Free State enshrines the right to private property and that was sacrosanct.

When it comes to foster children, they were seen as potential usurpers because property should go through the blood line, she says.

In rural communities, when your lineage can be dated back hundreds of years and if you put a foster child into that or an unmarried mother, theyre often regarded as real threat to the system.

Bon Secours comment

When asked for comment, the Sisters of Bon Secours Ireland who ran the Tuam Mother and Baby Home  said they were precluded from answering any questions until the final report of the Commission of Investigation is published.

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IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Tuesday said it will acquire GE's stake in Tata Consultancy Services for USD 12,471 (about Rs 9.13 lakh).

In September 2013, announced the creation of an all-women business process services centre in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in partnership with GE.

"Given GE's planned exit from this partnership, the partners have entered into a definitive agreement subject to closing conditions for transfer of GE's stake in the venture to TCS," a regulatory filing said.

On completion of required governance and business changes to effect this transition, will assume full responsibility of the centre, it added.

This will secure the centre's viability in the longer term and allow it to continue to serve as a source of opportunity and skills development for women in the country, the statement said.

Saudi Desert Rose Holding BV (wholly owned subsidiary of International (Benelux) BV) holds 24 per cent share in Saudi Arabia, while the balance 76 per cent is held by Tata Consultancy Services Netherlands BV (a wholly owned subsidiary of TCS).

TCS said the centre has expanded from 20 to almost 1,000 women employees over the past seven years, and won several awards including the King Khalid Awards 2019 for 'Responsible Competitiveness' and the 2018 Future of Workplace Awards for 'Best women development and leadership programme'.

The filing said anti-trust approval in is being sought for the transaction, which is expected to be completed in 3-6 months.

(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 British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office or FCDO has just issued new travel advice for Spain.

Besides the strict measures that are already in place to stem the spread of coronavirus, holidaymakers will also have to make sure they abide by the Spains food laws now that the UK has left Europe.

You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries, says the FCDO. There are some exceptions for certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food that may be required for medical reasons.

The problem is that dangerous pathogens that cause diseases such as foot and mouth and swine fever can reside in meat and milk, or products that contain them. These pathogens may be circulating in countries outside the EU, but could be introduced to the European Union via products that are sent by post or carried in visitors bags.

The Regulations:

Travellers are not allowed to bring in meat, milk or their products, unless they are coming with less than 10 kilograms of these products from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland.

There is an exemption for powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons, if weighing less than 2 kilograms and provided that:

a) such products do not require refrigeration before opening.

b) that they are packaged proprietary brand products for direct sale to the final consumer, and the packaging is unbroken unless in current use.

For fishery products, including fish and certain shellfish such as prawns, lobsters, dead mussels and dead oysters, travellers are allowed to bring in up to 20 kilograms or the weight of one fish if this is higher. However, there is no such weight restriction for travellers coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland.

For other animal products, such as honey, live oysters, live mussels and snails for example, travellers are allowed to bring in up to 2 kilograms.

These rules do not apply to animal products transported between the EU Member States, or for animal products coming from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland.

Measures were put in place in 2001 to prevent illegal products being brought into the EU after the Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic and Customs Officers will be on duty at EU entry points to detect illegal consignments of meat, milk or their products and may use scanners or detectors dogs to screen baggage.

Any illegal products will be seized and destroyed and those responsible will be penalised.
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OTTAWA  Thousands of Manitobans have received kits from the federal government in which they are asked to prick their finger and send in a blood sample to determine whether they have antibodies for the novel coronavirus.

OTTAWA  Thousands of Manitobans have received kits from the federal government in which they are asked to prick their finger and send in a blood sample to determine whether they have antibodies for the novel coronavirus.

So far, the federal study has received less than half of the response it had projected two months ago, when the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force set out to determine how many Canadians have contracted the virus without knowing it.

"It means a bit of a hole in the data," said Catherine Hankins, a McGill University public health professor who co-chairs the task force.

Her group wants to determine how widely COVID-19 has circulated, aside from Canadians who have tested positive for the virus. They hope to compare how long people are immune due to the vaccine versus a natural recovery from the infection.

The study involves sending 48,000 kits to homes across Canada, including 3,634 in Manitoba, in three phases. The kits include instructions, consent forms and prepaid packaging to mail the tests back.

The first phase in November involved 4,000 kits, of which 333 were sent to Manitoba.

Roughly 25 per cent of Canadians who received the kit did both the physical test and online questionnaire. A tad more than one-third of recipients did the online survey, including those who also mailed in their samples.

Statistics Canada had expected a response rate of 45 per cent.

Hankins is optimistic more Canadians will step up in the second round of testing, which has started, "especially now, when I think people will wanna to know, 'Have I had this?" she said Monday.

Statistics Canada has selected specific people to receive the test so it gets a range of respondents that represent the whole country, including young children whose parents are supposed to help administer the test.

Many people may have had the virus without knowing it because there have been widespread outbreaks, including during the spike in cases in the Prairies this fall and winter.

Thats why Hankins encourages Manitobans who receive the kit, to step up.

"Its not just yourself; you are representing other people your age, your sex and your geography," Hankins said. "You can participate by forming that complete picture, by participating in this."

She said Statistics Canada phones recipients three times to see if they have any problems carrying out the test, including taking the responses verbally when people cant access the website questionnaire.

Its unclear if kits were delayed or lost in the mail during the holiday season as Canada Post dealt with a record amount of parcels being shipped due to the pandemic.

The second set of kits, amounting to roughly 1,670 in Manitoba, were sent out a week ago. About the same amount will be mailed at the end of this month.

The completed tests are sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg to be processed. The dried-blood paper samples will be sent to another lab with identification numbers, shielding any personal information from the secondary lab.

With vaccines having just been introduced, the tests will show whether someone has antibodies from being infected, or from a vaccine, from both or neither.

All participants will be told in a confidential letter whether they have COVID-19 antibodies. Those who do will be asked if theyd agree to provide a second sample in six months, to test whether their antibodies have changed.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Bay Area Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and right-wing rookie Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., exchanged some testy remarks on Twitter following last week's siege of the Capitol building.

Swalwell, in response to a tweet by Hawaiian Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, took Boebert to task Monday for tweeting about House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi's whereabouts during the lockdown of the House Chambers  implying that Boebert did so with the intent of alerting the pro-Trump mob that invaded the Capitol.

"[Boebert] was told by the Sergeant of Arms in the chamber to not make any social media posts," he said. "It was said repeatedly. She defied it because she is more closely aligned with the terrorists than the patriots."

Boebert elicited plenty of controversy earlier this year when she posed with a Glock pistol for a Twitter video where she vowed to open carry in D.C. and in the Capitol. It is illegal to do so in both. (An aide told Reuters she has not brought her weapon with her.)

She also has made comments sympathetic to QAnon, the baseless right-wing conspiracy theory whose proponents were present during the siege.

Swalwell's tweet followed another repudiation of Boebert on Twitter, in which he responded to a tweet she posted Sunday calling Democrats "vile hypocrites."

"Like any citizen who has committed a crime, Lauren Boebert has the right to remain silent," he tweeted. "I suggest that she use it."

Boebert, not one to back down from a Twitter callout, replied: "Did you give the same legal advice to Fang Fang?"

Her reference to Fang invoked an Axios report from December that found a Chinese national suspected of being a spy helped fundraise for Swalwell. An intelligence official told the outlet that he was not accused of any wrongdoing and that Fang eventually left the country.

The story made waves across right-wing media, in large part due to Swalwell's role in the House Intelligence Committee, and resulted in Swalwell later telling multiple media outlets that the leak of the story was politically motivated.

Eric Ting contributed to this report.
M Night Shyamalan says the pandemic protocols have only facilitated the way he likes to tell stories like Servant Season 2 on Apple TV+  singular setting, limited cast, and deliberate quietness.

Talking to M Night Shyamalan over a video call is both exciting and uneasy, particularly if you have seen his Apple TV+ show Servant. It revolves around a Philadelphia couple confined to their home where  no points for guessing  supernatural/psychological forces haunt them.

At one point during the interview, Shyamalan mentions how glad he is to enjoy a peak into our homes, thanks to social distancing and mobility restrictions due to coronavirus . "Usually, I'm sitting in a room. And you guys come one by one, and talk to me. But now, I can peep into your homes. Oh is that your bedroom? How cool is that shelf," he says, as if he is on a virtual recce to set his next horror drama in. "That looks like a beautiful room to tell a scary story," I hear him say.

Below are edited excerpts from an interaction with the American filmmaker on season 2 of Servant, how the lockdown changed the way he approached the new instalment, and why he believes the devil (and the spirits, nannies, reborn dolls, et al) is in the details.

Rupert Grint (an actor in Servant) told me when he returned to the set for Season 2 after the lockdown, he had just become a father. And having a baby is not the best headspace to go into a show that thrives on doll horror. How did the pandemic and lockdown change your approach to directing Season 2?

Firstly, it was very fortunate that this company could shoot two shows with safety protocol in place during the pandemic. We shot Servant in the safest way possible. In fact, we were one of the first ones to go back on set, and everyone was asking us how we did it and how we were so successful. But the scale and style of shooting was very much how I like to make movies. We didn't have cars blowing up. With isolated location and small cast, Servant is very much like a play. It was something we could control and contain.

The three to four months before the shoot that I couldn't do anything, it was very rewarding. My time was not competing with anything else. I'm considering imposing this pause on me every year where I just stop and do nothing.

The lockdown felt very calm. I'm sure you'll see that quietness in the coming projects of mine.

You were holed up in a room like the rest of us for most part of the year. How did that change the way you used the motif of space, since it is very crucial to Servant because of the singular setting?

The ramifications of the pandemic ended up coinciding with the style of storytelling I like very much. I like it to be super contained. I don't lean towards special effects.

The awe-inspiring extravagant stuff I like watching is not how I tell stories. The lockdown reminded me of minimalism.

We moved very slowly in the first season of Servant. And it turned out to be the stickiest show for Apple  if you watch the pilot, you end up watching the entire show. We'd thought it'd be the other way round because of the pace. But when you use less elements, each of it is appreciated. When you keep a glass on the table, it means something. When you hear the door closing in the corner, it stands for something. We spend a lot of time on that footstep. What does the floor on the attic sound like? What does the wind coming in from the window mean? These are very important for us. As all the elements went away in our lives this year, and we embraced a minimalistic way of life. That's what I've tried to maintain in Season 2.

How did the idea of Servant come to you?

This was a random idea that came to me several years ago. A producer came to Philadelphia, and asked to have lunch with me. As I discussed my style of storytelling with him, he said he may have the idea of a show for me. He sent us the pilot. It was different than what the show turned out to be. But at the centre was the story of a woman who lost her child and then kept a doll of that child pretending it was still alive. I was so moved by this concept of not being able to mourn. I thought it was super powerful. What if we never leave that house, and they continue pretending? I really wanted to know where that story went.

How does Servant differ from your movies in terms of delivering tension and nuance to the viewers?

Well, the format is obviously long-form. It's character-driven. In movies, the vertical line, the plot, is the most important thing. You can do as much character development you want but you have to keep that vertical line moving. So there's pressure to establish characters as fast as possible, and develop them only till the boat doesn't hit the iceberg and sink. You've to quickly put aliens on earth and keep it going. But in this long format, there's a lot of room for character development. That's why the audience keeps coming back because they feel attached to the characters. And the half-hour (episodic) thriller is a very unusual format. I've been thinking more in terms of how to stage this in a 30-minute sequence. That's changed the way how I think about rhythms, even in my movies.

Some consider Servant as a twisted take on Mary Poppins. How much truth is there to that idea?

Yes, that's how Tony (Basgallop, creator) thought of Servant initially. He pitched it as a very dark version of Mary Poppins. In the initial draft, there was a lot of fantasy. We still maintain that idea: is the nanny good, is she bad? Is it supernatural or psychological? I think when you bring someone to your home as a mother-like to your child, the idea is fraught with all the possibilities that can go wrong. The idea of a nanny's motivations really interested me to tell this story.

How many seasons have you planned for Servant?

Initially, I thought six seasons  not too long, not too short. That was my initial deal with Apple. But when the pandemic hit, I worked out the whole show in my mind. And it came out to be 40 episodes, so four seasons. The story itself told me what it wanted to be. I'm completely involved in the show, from the music to choosing the other directors. To be able to be as involved for six seasons... I didn't know if I could commit to that. So I told Apple that if people are still interested in watching, I'd like to do this show for four seasons.

How has the experience of working with a streaming platform been for you? Has that been a good change?

It's very strange. I don't know if you believe in the theory that when you think of something specific, it manifests for you. I subscribe to that. We put out an energy, and that energy comes back to us in some form. Most of us think of life as something random, something blurry. But if you think of something specific, it can manifest itself. When I was asked what kind of streaming debut I'd like, I'd said I'd love to start someone's platform. I'd love to define a place by their creative integrity, work with a partner that has already defined itself with creative integrity, someone like Apple. If Apple makes a show, I'd love to collaborate. I said this years ago, and here we are! When the idea of the show came, we took it to several places and eventually, Apple came in. I wanted us to grow together. I'd rather a high standard for a small audience, and then we expand together.

Servant Season 2 will stream on Apple TV+ from 15 January.

Our efforts are focused on identifying, investigating and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity, said Brad Ware, spokesman for the FBIs Springfield office. The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property.
Businesses yesterday called for tougher lockdown measures, with some going as far as proposing a long curfew spanning from 6 p.m to 6 a.m.

The curfew now starts at 9 p.m. and goes till 5 a.m. Businesses also called on the Government to free up the importation of Covid-19 vaccines to allow private sector participation and to allow people to travel overseas to get vaccinated.
A Syrian refugee family arrives at Lisbon airport after being accepted for resettlement by Portugal, December 2018.  UNHCR/Jose Antonio de Oliveira Ventura

As a new year begins, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on Portugal and Slovenia to harness their 2021 European Union (EU) Presidencies and negotiations on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and show leadership to better protect refugees in Europe and beyond.

UNHCR's 2021 EU Presidency Recommendations propose predictable and principled measures rooted in solidarity for a workable, rights-based and sustainable EU asylum system. They also stress the importance of revitalized political and financial support for countries and regions where most forcibly displaced people live, and the need to address root causes of forced displacement and irregular migration.

In a fragile global environment, an EU that saves lives, protects refugees in Europe and globally, and finds solutions to end forced displacement and build resilient societies is needed more than ever, said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCRs Representative for EU Affairs. We hope that 2021 will be a new chapter for refugee protection, with the EU showing leadership in Europe and globally.

UNHCR welcomes the direction of the proposed EU Pact, its comprehensive approach, and emphasis on solidarity and addressing root causes of forced displacement. There is also an important commitment to enhance search and rescue and ensure predictable disembarkation, which UNHCR hopes to see swiftly adopted.

As negotiations on the EU Pact continue, we trust that EU Member States will seize the opportunity to lead by example and better protect people seeking asylum in Europe, said Vargas Llosa. The 2021 EU Presidencies have a pivotal role to facilitate discussions that pave the way to a common and workable EU asylum system that protects people fleeing war and persecution.

UNHCR encourages the Presidencies to explore avenues for progress on key issues such as solidarity and border procedures. UNHCR supports fair and fast asylum procedures to quickly determine who needs international protection. Dignified returns for people wishing to go back to their countries of origin or who are found not in need of international protection are equally crucial for a workable and well-managed system. A truly common and effective EU asylum system also requires a predictable solidarity mechanism with states receiving a disproportionate number of asylum claims.

The EU can reinforce its role as global leader in the field of asylum by ensuring refugees rights are always upheld. UNHCR remains however deeply concerned about credible and repeated allegations of push-backs and encourages the Presidencies to prioritize the development of Independent National Monitoring Mechanisms, as proposed in the EU Pact, with a view to ending such practices.

With 85 per cent of the worlds refugees in developing countries, UNHCR is also calling on the EU Presidencies to ensure predictable and flexible financial aid (both development and humanitarian) and overall support to hosting states, including to strengthen their asylum systems. Fewer people might undertake dangerous journeys if EU countries demonstrated greater commitment to solidarity through resettlement, complementary pathways and family reunification. In this regard, UNHCR welcomes the renewed Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion, 2021-27, which followed extensive public consultations with civil society and refugees across Europe.

UNHCR remains ready to support the EU Presidencies and Member States to enhance solidarity with refugees and the countries hosting them inside the EU and globally.

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As remote learning continues during the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Worcester and Charter/Spectrum have reached an agreement in an effort to provide better, low-cost internet for students.

City and Charter officials in December signed an agreement titled Stay Connected K-12 Internet Service Addendum, to provide internet service to families with Worcester Public Schools students during the pandemic.

When schools abruptly went remote last March as cases of the coronavirus first surged, a portion of Worcester students did not have laptops or did not have a way to access the internet. In the months that followed, the public schools worked to secure thousands of hot spots to help kids get online and started negotiating with Spectrum to secure service at a low cost for families with students.

The agreement, obtained by MassLive through a public records request, asks that Spectrum provide high-speed internet access and WiFi to qualified individuals who request the service through the public schools.

With the agreement, the monthly charge is $29.99 for 50Mx5M internet. For the first two billing months, there will be no charge. There will not be an installation charge for self-installation service locations, locations that need technical installation because the residence has never had Spectrum services or to accommodate accessibility considerations, per the contract.

A term of the contract was that the Worcester Public Schools not issue a press release, public announcement or another public statement about the agreement without Spectrums prior written consent.

It is more important than ever during this challenging time to have the necessary online tools to excel in the digital age as we continue to support students and educators in what has become a virtual environment of remote learning, said Camille Joseph, Group Vice President, State Government Affairs for Charter Communications.

I would like to thank City Manager Augustus and Mayor Petty for their cooperation and collaborative efforts in this partnership with the City of Worcester as Charter continues to support students and educators with a reliable and low-cost internet solution, Joseph said. Charter has already connected thousands of students and educators through Stay Connected K-12 agreements throughout its 41-state footprint and is dedicated in our ongoing efforts in helping to bridge the digital divide in local communities for students to be successful.

Remote learning aside, internet access has been an issue in Worcester for years. The Worcester Regional Research Bureau published a report over the summer noting that while about 67% of city households had a broadband internet subscription, 18% had no internet access.

There has been a push from the bureau, some city officials and residents to examine municipal broadband as a solution.

Last week, some Worcester students, retailers and residents were stuck without internet for hours as Spectrum had an outage caused by crews resplicing more than 430 pieces of fibers.

Editors note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Charter.

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The Queen is preparing for her return to work after being vaccinated against Covid-19, a source has claimed.

The Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, were vaccinated at Windsor Castle on Sunday.

Now the monarch is looking ahead and intends to resume royal duties as soon as lockdown is lifted, a 'well-placed source' told Vanity Fair.

The monarch is looking ahead to when she can resume royal duties, a 'well-placed source' told Vanity Fair. Pictured, marking the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior in November

'There's a keenness for Her Majesty to get back to doing what she does best, being visible,' the source said.

'Her belief has always been "You have to be seen to be believed" and that is still very much Her Majesty's view. She has had to reign from a screen for much of last year, we are all hoping this year will be different.'

Analysis carried out be Femail revealed the Queen carried out almost half of her 2020 engagements listed on the Court Circular by telephone or video link.

Among the engagements carried out in person was the knighting of Captain Sir Tom Moore at Windsor Castle in July and a joint outing with Prince William to meet counter-terrorism experts in Salisbury in October.

The Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, were vaccinated at Windsor Castle on Sunday. Pictured, the couple in a photo released to mark Prince Philip's 99th birthday in June

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh spent most of the year at Windsor Castle where they were joined by a key group of aides in what has been dubbed 'HMS Bubble'.

Her Majesty travelled north to Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, briefly over summer and spent time with Prince Philip at Sandringham, Norfolk, before they both returned to Windsor Castle.

Royal experts predict Trooping the Colour in June could be the first time the Royal Family is seen at a joint engagement.

The Duke of Edinburgh also celebrates his 100th birthday that month.
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Nurseries could be forced to close following pressure from unions for ministers to treat them the same as schools.

Boris Johnson said more restrictions were being considered to help combat the surge in Covid cases, adding: Were going to keep the rules under constant review. Where we have to tighten them, we will.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has asked whether nurseries should be open, and a petition demanding the Government close all nurseries and early years settings in light of the new lockdown to protect early years staff reached 90,000 signatures last night.

Keir Starmer said nurseries 'probably should be closed' as tougher restrictions are considered

Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Education Union, said yesterday that he thought nurseries should shut to get cases down.

He also backed Labours calls to expand furlough provision for working parents.

Local authorities have also expressed concerns about keeping early-years settings open, with Brighton Council taking the decision to shut the seven nurseries it runs.

Meanwhile the council in Greenwich, south-east London, which was involved in a dispute with ministers after it attempted to shut its schools early before Christmas, has also challenged the Government over the wisdom of keeping nurseries open.

Leader of the borough, Danny Thorpe, has written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, asking: Much of the local and national concern has been around schools reopening, rightly putting the safety of our teachers in the spotlight once again, but what about the safety of our early years practitioners?
ST. LOUIS  Schnuck Markets, Inc. and The Salvation Army on Tuesday announced Schnucks customers and the company donated $300,000 to The Salvation Armys annual Tree of Lights campaign through Schnucks  Round Up at the Register.

Schnucks customers could round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with 100 percent of donations from the nearly two-week campaign benefited The Salvation Army. Customers donated $267,214 and Schnucks added $32,786 to bring the total to $300,0000.


India has immense goodwill due to our foreign policy says Dr. Jaishankar at India Inc event

Jaishankar to pay 5-day visit to US from May 24; Vaccine procurement on agenda

Terrorists enjoying 5-star hospitality in Pakistan: S Jaishankar at UNSC

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 12: Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday took an indirect jibe at Pakistan slamming countries aiding and abetting terrorism and providing terrorists financial assistance and safe havens.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate, Jaishankar said "some states lack legal and operational frameworks and technical expertise to detect, investigate and prosecute terrorist financing cases. However, there are other states that are guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism and provide financial assistance and safe havens."

"We must summon political will to combat terrorism. There must be no ifs and buts in the fight. Nor should we allow terrorism to be justified and terrorists glorified. All members must fulfill the obligations enshrined in international counter-terrorism instruments," he said.

"We, in India, have seen the crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts not just given State protection but actually enjoying 5-star hospitality," he said, alluding to D-Company and its head Ibrahim, believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

Jaishankar said combating terrorist financing will only be as effective as the weakest jurisdiction. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) should continue to identify and remedy weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks.

He also added that enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes must be done objectively, not for political or religious considerations.

In August last year, Pakistan had for the first time acknowledged the presence of Ibrahim on its soil after the government imposed sweeping sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders which also included the name of the underworld don wanted by India.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Stiffness in our tissues causes tension in our cells. Research from the Buck Institute, the University Health Network (University of Toronto), Stanford University, and the University of Alberta shows that stiffness impacts the innate immune system by upping its metabolism. The findings suggest the cellular tension likely sets off an inflammatory loop that contributes to the development of chronic diseases of aging. Publishing in Cell Reports, Buck Associate Professor Dan Winer, MD, and colleagues present an emerging way of looking at how the immune system functions, possibilities for new immunotherapeutics, and a call for scientists to reconsider the way they do research.

While stiffness is a recognized factor in acute infections (think swollen lymph glands or swelling after a cut), Winer is particularly focused on how stiffness that arises from the environment impacts immune cells. "While viruses and bacteria are key players in triggering an immune response, we think that the forces in the environment around the cells are an extremely important part of the puzzle that influences immunity," he said. "Stiffness in our tissues and the resulting cellular tension changes in most diseases, as well as in aging itself," said Winer. "This work provides support for a new way of thinking about how the immune system functions, suggesting that mechanical force primes and likely controls immunology during acute and chronic disease because it readies the immune system in the face of danger."

Winer and his team, led by Mainak Chakraborty, MSc, Research Assistant at the University Health Network in Toronto and Sue Tsai, a former post-doctoral fellow in the lab, now an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta, cultured dendritic cells (DCs), a component of the innate immune system that orchestrates an immune response, from mouse bone marrow and spleen at different degrees of physiological stiffness. "DCs grown at physiological resting stiffness showed reduced proliferation, activation and cytokine production compared to cells grown under high stiffness which mimicked fibro-inflammatory disease," said Chakraborty. "High stiffness grown DCs showed increased activation and flux in major glucose metabolic pathways," added Tsai. "In models of autoimmune diabetes and tumor immunotherapy, the cellular tension primed the DCs to elicit a response from the adaptive immune system, which kicks in specifically and secondarily following infection or injury." The findings were not limited to mouse DCs, as human DCs also showed enhanced markers of activity under higher tension.

Researchers identified the Hippo-signaling molecule, TAZ, as an important factor impacting DC metabolism and function under tension in the innate immune response. Winer says that finding is significant, given that a lab at the University of California, Los Angeles recently showed that same pathway facilitated the effects of tension in the adaptive immune system. "This seems to be a critical pathway for sensing environmental force in both arms of the immune system," said Winer. "Mechanoimmunology still has been understudied. We hope our work moves this emerging field forward and leads to the development of new force-targeting immunotherapies that would allow the immune system to function normally across the many conditions that alter tissue stiffness."

Big implications for killer diseases and chronic diseases of aging

Winer says there are number of diseases predicted to be influenced by the impact of tissue stiffness on the immune system. "Heart disease, cancer and lower lung disease are among the top causes of death in the U.S.," he said. "Computer algorithms from our study show that all of these conditions are strongly modulated by genes or protein interactions that are induced by tension in the immune system. Those studying these diseases should consider this finding."

Noting that tissue stiffness is a well-known phenomenon associated with aging (for instance, the lungs and their blood vessels can double in stiffness with age), Winer says it's likely that the interaction with the immune system contributes to the low-grade chronic inflammation that fuels many of the diseases of aging. "The tension from the stiffness promotes metabolism and cytokine production in DCs which may potentially contribute to what is now known as inflammaging." Winer says his lab plans on looking at mechanoimmunology in aging mice and in the context of specific diseases.

Winer says the genes that are activated via cellular tension are potential targets for immunotherapeutics, which is another focus in his lab. He says techniques now exist (via an add-on to Magnetic Resonance Imaging or ultrasound) that enable the mapping of tension in specific tissues and organs. Winer says the ability to track the tension could provide a biomarker of aging and make it easier to test new drugs.

A final note to researchers: Be wary of culturing on plastic!

Almost as important as the findings in this study, Winer is urging researchers to consider changing the way they culture immune cells. He says for decades the vast majority of scientists have been using plastic plates to grow their cells, which exerts tension thousands of times higher than what a cell feels in the body. "Many immune cells need to anchor themselves in the dish and the stiffness of the plastic imparts supraphysiological force on the cells" he said. Winer's team grows immune cells on soft silicone gels which have been treated to closely mimic the physiology inside the body. "We think adopting new research culturing techniques in immunology might better mimic the physiology inside the body."

Explore further Insulin gives an extra boost to the immune system

More information: Mechanical Stiffness Controls Dendritic Cell Metabolism and Function, Cell Reports (2021). Journal information: Cell Reports Mechanical Stiffness Controls Dendritic Cell Metabolism and Function,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108609
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wavenology, a multi-awarded startup led by Professor Shau-Gang Mao of the National Taiwan University (NTU), who is an expert in the areas of wireless communication and signal processing created a wearable device to potentially help stop the spread of Covid-19.

"The pandemic requires everyone to think about innovative solutions to ensure safety for all employees at the workplace. That is why iWavenology created a simple device that generates an alarm whenever a person comes too close to another: iDistance. iDistance is a wearable product that helps companies stop the potential spreading of Covid-19. Using UWB technology, it can process up to 50 users simultaneously within 1 second," Mao said.

He said this solution makes it possible to address multiple use cases while minimizing deployment and maintenance costs in many cases and scenarios.

An easy way to manage social distancing

For instance, the UWB signal is very robust and can penetrate thin walls, making iWavenology Safe Distancing Assistant also suitable for various challenging indoor environments.

"Simply put, we provide wearable devices (Tags) to all staff that can wear it around their arm (armband), as a watch or around their neck, etc  iDistance will alarm users whenever they are detected as being too close to each other depending on your settings. (The fatal distance between them is customizable)," he said.

iWavenology uses Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) technology for the most accurate distance measurement technique available in the market. It's a safe distancing assistant that helps companies protect their employees during Covid-19 but also increases safety in the workplace.

The revolutionary UWB technology is 10 times more accurate than the Bluetooth solution to have centimeter accuracy without using personal data or cameras.

Some of its key features include privacy protection allowing users to log without sensitive data, the ability to be used in indoor and outdoor scenarios, use for line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight environment, and low power usage.

Adapting to the new normal with the help of technology

iWavenology was founded by Professor Shau-Gang Mao of National Taiwan University. He is an expert in the areas of wireless communication and signal processing. It is a pioneer in adopting AI-powered technology that combines efficient hardware architecture and signal processors. Working on Wireless communication systems for more than 30 years, he realized the importance of the IoT evolution and developed new ways of tracking and locating.

Its world-class scientists, engineers, and creators have a passion for staying on the forefront of technological innovation. Today, iWavenology is a team of 20 engineers working relentlessly to provide cutting-edge products.

iWavenology is specialized in UWB and IoT. From detecting drones to high-precision indoor locating systems, it aims to make operational performance improvements by eliminating waste related to unneeded activities and motion thanks to a complete end-to-end solution. iWavenology teamwork has been recognized in the Macronix Golden Silicon Awards, the Texas Instruments Innovation Challenge, and the Innovative Electromagnetism Challenge.

Under the guidance of Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), iWaveology has been in various tech shows worldwide such as one held in Paris, France where iWavenology was lauded for its technology that detects un-crewed aerial vehicles, identifies the position of moving objects and track driverless machines. This year, TTA has selected them as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/39sz2w

SOURCE iWavenology
We all knew, growing up, as to where the magnetic needle of the compass goes haywire. We do know that the compass needle points towards the north pole. But if you standing at the north pole, the needle has nowhere to point but to act weird. Well, No. Actually, it stops indicating. It simply starts rotating around its axis.

Robert Peary, a US Navy Engineer, in 1909, was the first ever human in the recorded history to have been able to take his ship on the North Pole.

The year is 2021. Its been 112 years. And there have been many successful and unsuccessful attempts to make it to the north pole. A good majority of people were able to touch the North Pole and some couldnt.

However, today, January 11, 2021, has etched a bright star in eyes of every Indian. Most importantly, the day will be remembered as the day when the Indian women marked trail of success and glory.

January 11th 3 A.M, India Time, an all-women-crew flight of Air India was flown by 5 women for the first time over the longest air route, from San Francisco, the Silicon Valley of the USA to Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India. The route was special and the longest since it was passing through the North Pole. Not only longest, but the route was challenging, too, since the aircraft was required to be manoeuvred through the harshest weather conditions on the planet.

The flight took off from San Francisco at 8:30 pm Pacific Time, reaching Bengaluru at 3 A.M IST, flying close to 17 straight hours, and approx. 16,000 km of aerial distance.

The flight plan was headed by Captain Zoya Aggarwal, accompanied by 3 other pilots Captain Papagari Thanmai, Captain Akanksha Sonaware and Captain Shivani Manhas, along with a lady Executive Flight Engineer. These women, in Captain Zoyas words, are BhArat ki betiyan, which means Daughters of India. "We are India's daughters who were given the opportunity to make this historic flight," the commander of the flight, Captain Zoya Aggarwal, who flew the first leg of the flight. "We were able to create a new chapter in the Indian aviation history, she adds. "The view from the North Pole is superb," said her co-pilot, Captain Thanmei Papagari, who flew the second half, adding that as women, they "had a point to prove that we can do the job."

India's aviation sector invests heavily in training women to become pilots. About 12% of the country's pilots are women, and thats the highest percentage in the world, according to the Centre for Aviation. That's roughly three times the proportion in the US, where just 4% are women.

In 2017, Air India became the first airline to fly around the world with an all-female crew. The Boeing 777 flew from New Delhi to San Francisco over the Pacific Ocean. The crew completed a mandatory rest period before flying over the Atlantic back to New Delhi, completing the round-the-world trip.
An unlicensed driver whose out-of-control vehicle allegedly hit and killed two brothers in a horror crash has broken down in tears after a magistrate ordered he remain in jail.

Jacob Steven Donn sobbed as he was refused bail in Dubbo Local Court on Tuesday, a week after the car he was allegedly driving hit Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, on Warne Street in Wellington, in the NSW central west.

Donn, 25, allegedly fled the scene following the crash, which also saw Shaylene Frail, 34, the mother of the two boys, suffer spinal injuries, and a family friend lose a leg.

Charged with 14 offences including dangerous driving occasioning death, Donn had allegedly been doing skids and burnouts in the moments before the crash.

Police prosecutor Michelle Bartlett said in court that he had been deliberately driving poorly and had 'a clear disregard for the rules'.

'The actions of the accused  were intentional,' she said, The Dubbo News reports.

Donn's defence lawyer Ivy Johnson told the court her client had taken responsibility for his actions and accepted he was the driver.

She said despite the allegations he had fled the scene, he had not skipped town.

But Magistrate Theresa Hamilton refused his bail application, telling the court that it was fair to consider Donn a potential flight risk.

Jacob Steven Donn, 25, broke down in tears as he was refused bail in Dubbo Local Court. He is facing 14 charges over a horror crash at Wellington, in central western NSW, last Tuesday

Brothers Sheldon, six, and Shane Shorey, 7, (pictured, left) were killed instantly when a car allegedly driven by Donn mounted the gutter and hit them with considerable force in Wellington, NSW

Police allege Donn was performing burnouts on Warne Street when he lost control, mounted the gutter and hit the group of five pedestrians

'Although he has a very limited history as an adult, it is a matter of concern that he has been dealt with previously for unlicensed driving,' she told the court.

'In view of his failure to respect the fact that he has no licence and is not allowed to drive, there is also a risk he will commit further serious offences and endanger the safety of the community.

'The facts outline dangerous manoeuvres being undertaken by the defendant prior to the impact. It seems to me in all the circumstances there are risks that he would fail to appear if given bail.'

Donn was supported in court by his great-grandmother Dawn Donn, who had taken him in as a young boy and raised him, and his great-aunt Tracey.

Outside court Mrs Donn told The ABC: 'I love him and I support him. I miss him every minute of every day.'

Mrs Donn last week told Daily Mail Australia her great-grandson had visited her just an hour before the crash.

'I'm devastated, I'm so sorry for those boys and Jacob is too. He loves kids,' she said.

'I've spoken to him on the phone, he's rung me twice. He's upset, he's crying all the time.

'He was here yesterday about 3pm to 4.30pm... it was like normal, and when he came here yesterday we told him get out of the car, you should not be driving, but he didn't listen.

Joseph Shorey (pictured above) visits the scene where his two sons were killed last Tuesday

On what should have been Shane's eight birthday party, his family and friends farewelled the little boy at a local pool in Dubbo on Friday

Family and friends gathered together for an emotional farewell to Shane Shorey who was killed in a horror car crash on Tuesday

Mr Shorey had last seen his sons on Monday when they told him they loved him and would see him in just a few weeks upon their return to Queensland, where they lived

'He's so sad. He is a kind loving boy, he's only got us. I might not ever get to see him in this home ever again if he goes to jail.'

Shayleen Frail and her sons, Shane and Sheldon, had just left the Wellington Leisure Centre when they were allegedly hit by an out-of-control Holden sedan being driven by Donn.

Mrs Frail was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in Sydney, while Shane and Sheldon died at the scene.

Their 10-year-old family friend was also airlifted to Sydney where he underwent surgery to amputate his leg.

Another child, 9, somehow suffered only minor injuries in the crash.

At the scene last Wednesday, just 24 hours after the crash, Joseph Shorey visited and paid an emotional tribute to his two sons.

Mr Shorey had last seen his sons on Monday when they told him they loved him and would see him in just a few weeks upon their return to Queensland, where they lived.

'I only saw them the day before and they gave me big hugs and cuddles and said: "Dad, we love you, we'll see you on the 17th",' Mr Shorey said.

'Now I've lost my two youngest boys.

'Sheldon was a little show off, always being like "look at me, look at me", but he's a little cutey - all the girls loved him.'

Shayleen Frail was trapped up against a fence by the Holden as she walked from the pool with her two sons, a family friend, and another boy. She remains in hospital in a stable condition

Wellington residents lay flowers and toys at the scene in Warne St where Shane and Sheldon were killed

The tragedy has shocked the tight-knit community in country New South Wales where locals flocked to the scene with balloons and teddy bears

Donn had never held a drivers licence but still allegedly got behind the wheel of this Holden sedan on Tuesday afternoon

Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, had been in Wellington to visit their mother after spending Christmas at home in Queensland with their father (The pair are pictured, left, at a Santa photo with their dad and stepmother)

Last Friday, on what would have been Sheldon's eighth birthday, his family gathered at the Dubbo Pool to celebrate in his memory.

Balloons spelling out his name were released into the sky and his father told those in attendance it was the party he had dreamed of.

In heartwarming footage shared to Facebook, Mr Shorey lit the candles on his late son's birthday cake while other children in the group sang Happy Birthday.

A GoFundMe page set up to assist Mr Shorey pay for funerals for his two boys has so far seen more than $23,500 donated.

Devastated dad visits the scene where his two young sons were killed Sheldon and Shane Shorey's father, Joseph Shorey, making a brave visit to the scene, told media gathered he had a very simple message for hoons: 'It's not cool, and it's left two of my sons dead.' Confronting pictures show Mr Shorey with his head in his hands after arriving with friends and family, before falling to his knees and inspecting the tributes from locals. Balloons, teddy bears and flowers adorned the tragic scene, with the local community in tatters over the deaths - which saw neighbours rush to free the trapped family from under a car. After driving through the night from his home in Queensland, Mr Shorey and family members visited the crash site late on Wednesday. They hugged, cried, laughed, prayed and played some of the boys' favourite music. Afterwards he bravely spoke about his two sons, remembering their precious lives that were cut short. The boys' father Joseph Shorey (pictured in blue) made an emotional visit to the scene on Wednesday He also hit out at the allegations Dunn was doing burnouts and donuts in the street in the moments before the crash, telling hoon drivers: 'It's not cool' He also hit out at the allegations Dunn was doing burnouts and donuts in the street in the moments before the crash, telling hoon drivers: 'It's not cool'. 'That is not cool, all you young fellas out there doing that, it's not cool, because there are consequences if you do something stupid and wrong,' Mr Shorey said. 'Don't drive around stupid, drive around smart. You want to do donuts go and join a race club and do them there. Don't do them on the streets. 'Sheldon's only six, he'll be seven next month on the 12th. Shane was only seven, he was turning eight on Friday... two more days.' Family and friends gathered to support the family of two young boys killed in the horror crash Advertisement

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Ukrainian sailors from the crews of Island-class patrol boats have arrived in the United States to undergo a ten-week training course under the guidance of the U.S. instructors in Baltimore, Maryland, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said.

"Ukrainian crews of three Island-class patrol boats arrived in the United States for a ten-week special training course in Baltimore. This is the second batch of boats that the United States plans to transfer to Ukraine as part of its security and defense assistance," the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said in a statement on the official Twitter page.

NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Trobu Constituency, Moses Anim seems to have regretted the hurly-burly in parliament on the eve of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos swearing-in ceremony.



After a sober reflection, the soft-spoken lawmaker described the incident which saw fully armed military personnel in the chamber to calm down the situation as unfortunate and assured, it will never happen again.



The election of a new Speaker of Parliament in the early hours of January 7, 2021, was marred with the kicking of voting booths, ballot boxes and snatching of ballot papers by some members of parliament who were not pleased with the proceedings.



The lawmakers actions which were live on national television and captured by some international media have been commended by many.



Speaking on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie, Mr. Moses Anim admitted that What happened was unfortunate and we cant justify that.



Ghanaians should please forgive us, he humbly pleaded.



Listen to interview







Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com









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U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said Monday they will support a second impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Two other congressmen from Northeast Pennsylvania, Rep. Dan Meuser and Rep. Fred Keller, warned impeachment will only further divide the nation.

Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, who signed on as a co-sponsor of the article of impeachment introduced Monday in the House, said in a statement there is no question Trump incited the attack on the Capitol that attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden.

The presidents unfounded claims of election fraud and incendiary rally resulted in a threat to a core constitutional process and cannot go unanswered, he said.

Since it is clear Trump will not do the right thing and resign, Cartwright said, he urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and have the president removed.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House will move forward with impeachment Wednesday if Pence does not act.

If it becomes necessary, I will support articles of impeachment this week, Cartwright said. This is a constitutional emergency that should be taken very seriously. We need to make clear that presidents cannot use their power or influence to attack our democracy.

Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol on Wednesday as the House and Senate were meeting to certify the election victory of Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The violent siege disrupted the normally routine proceeding for several hours.

Casey, a Democrat from Scranton, called for full accountability for what he described as an insurrection against the federal government. The individuals who stormed the Capitol need to face charges, but there must be consequences for all who have betrayed the nations values, he said.

President Trump should be impeached and removed from office because he betrayed his oath to the Constitution and incited a mob to violence, Casey said in a statement.

Members of Congress who led the effort to overthrow a democratic election also must be held accountable, he said.

If they refuse to resign their office, then Congress should begin to explore censure or expulsion, he said. Failing to hold those responsible for the insurrection accountable would be a profound injustice and give a green light to future authoritarians.

Meuser, who was among the House members who voted against awarding Pennsylvanias electoral votes to Biden, said in a statement Monday he stands by his objection.

As for the attack on the Capitol, the bad actors who participated were intent on creating mayhem and nothing else, Meuser said. He does not believe the presidents words were intended to incite them to act in a hostile way.

But the result speaks for itself, and lawlessness and violence must be condemned, he said.

I hoped that this terrible national setback would lead us to attempt to come together rather than continue the pattern of vindictiveness and scoring political points at the expense of the people as we have experienced over the last two years, Meuser said.

President Trump is leaving office in eight days. An impeachment proceeding will do nothing but divide us further, rather than preparing for President-elect Biden to be sworn in, and spending this time on important matters to our nation like vaccine distribution and economic recovery.

He added that he plans to attend Bidens inauguration.

Keller, R-12, Snyder County, also voted against awarding Biden the states electoral votes.

Impeachment will further inflame tensions in our country and sow even greater divisions among a nation that needs desperately to heal, Keller said. I do not agree with that direction.

A peaceful transition of power will take place Jan. 20, Keller said. After that, Congress needs to focus on helping families and businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and working together to meet the nations challenges.
In his message for the 29th World Day of the Sick, Francis notes that health is a primary common good. The pandemic has shown shortcomings in healthcare systems and the elderly and the most vulnerable are not always guaranteed access to treatment in an equitable manner. Still, the crisis has also highlighted the dedication and generosity of so many.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  In his message for the 29th World Day of the Sick on 11 February, liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes, Pope Francis released a message titled You have but one teacher and you are all brothers (Mt 23:8). A trust-based relationship to guide care for the sick.

People affected by illness start to wonder about the meaning of life to which faith can give an answer that also includes closeness to others, and the shared suffering shown so often by Jesus. Whilst the pandemic has shown the limits and deficiencies of healthcare systems along with political and human selfishness, it has also highlighted the dedication of so many who take care of the sick and showed the need for a relationship of trust between patients and their caregivers.

The Popes message begins with a thought for those who have suffered, and continue to suffer, the effects of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. To all, and especially to the poor and the marginalized, I express my spiritual closeness and assure them of the Churchs loving concern.

The experience of sickness makes us realize our own vulnerability and our innate need of others. It makes us feel all the more clearly that we are creatures dependent on God. When we are ill, fear and even bewilderment can grip our minds and hearts; we find ourselves powerless, since our health does not depend on our abilities or lifes incessant worries (cf. Mt 6:27).

Sickness raises the question of lifes meaning, which we bring before God in faith. In seeking a new and deeper direction in our lives, we may not find an immediate answer. Nor are our relatives and friends always able to help us in this demanding quest.

The current pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in our healthcare systems and exposed inefficiencies in the care of the sick. Elderly, weak and vulnerable people are not always granted access to care, or in an equitable manner.

This is the result of political decisions, resource management and greater or lesser commitment on the part of those holding positions of responsibility. Investing resources in the care and assistance of the sick is a priority linked to the fundamental principle that health is a primary common good.

Yet the pandemic has also highlighted the dedication and generosity of healthcare personnel, volunteers, support staff, priests, men and women religious, all of whom have helped, treated, comforted and served so many of the sick and their families with professionalism, self-giving, responsibility and love of neighbour.

All of them, as members of our one human family have offered their closeness, which provides support and consolation to the sick in their suffering. As Christians, we experience that closeness as a sign of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who draws near with compassion to every man and woman wounded by sin.

Lastly, the message focuses on the importance of the relational aspect between the sick and their caregivers. If a therapy is to be effective, it must have a relational aspect, for this enables a holistic approach to the patient. Emphasizing this aspect can help doctors, nurses, professionals and volunteers to feel responsible for accompanying patients on a path of healing grounded in a trusting interpersonal relationship (cf. New Charter for Health Care Workers [2016], 4).

This creates a covenant between those in need of care and those who provide that care, a covenant based on mutual trust and respect, openness and availability. This will help to overcome defensive attitudes, respect the dignity of the sick, safeguard the professionalism of healthcare workers and foster a good relationship with the families of patients.

Such a relationship with the sick can find an unfailing source of motivation and strength in the charity of Christ, as shown by the witness of those men and women who down the millennia have grown in holiness through service to the infirm.

[T]he commandment of love that Jesus left to his disciples is also kept in our relationship with the sick. A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love. Let us strive to achieve this goal, so that no one will feel alone, excluded or abandoned.
Around 90 per cent of Vietnams diagnostic and medical devices are made up of imports, photo Le Toan

The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) at the Vietnam Business Forum held last December once again called on the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to provide a detailed timeline for amending the circulars guiding the VAT charge on medical device imports, with members shouldering a 10 per cent rate for a long time now.

A representative of EuroCham said, The MoF is drafting the amendments to Circular No.83/2014/TT-BTC and guiding documents. However, Circular No.26/2015/TT-BTC is also a major challenge that requires attention. This issue has long been affecting the importation of medical devices.

Circular 26 dated 2015 provides guidance on VAT, while Circular 83 guides the application of VAT according to Vietnams list of imports.

We recommend the MoF to issue a guiding document on applying VAT on imported medical devices as soon as possible to ensure consistency with decrees No.36/2016/ND-CP and No.169/2018/ND-CP, the representative added. The MoF is requested to provide a detailed timeline for amending circulars 26 and 83 as soon as possible.

The request was not immediately met at the event, meaning the waiting will continue for medical device importers.

The underlying issue is a mismatch between Decree 36 (and its amendments in Decree 169) on medical equipment management and circulars 26 and 83 on VAT. While the decrees stipulate that the categorisation of medical devices is not within the purview of the Ministry of Health (MoH) but by a qualifying organisation certified by the ministry, Vietnamese customs authorities still require companies to provide certification from the ministry for a range of imported medical devices to be eligible for 5 per cent VAT.

Affected medical equipment includes chemicals used for testing and sterilisation, which are not on the list of imports included with circulars 26 and 83.

As a result, many imported products listed as medical equipment under decrees 36 and 169 are left out of reach of the 5 per cent VAT policy and are instead subject to 10 per cent.

This is not the first time EuroCham has raised the issue. It was also brought up at the June dialogue between the prime ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform and the European business community that also saw the launch of the EuroCham Whitebook 2020.

However, despite promises by the MoF that the circulars would be amended to strike out the requirement of import licenses or certification from the MoH for medical equipment and to harmonise the circulars with the decrees, no improvements have been seen since.

In fact, VAT for imported medical equipment has been an unsolved issue for years. According to the MoH, it has sent documents to the MoF on several occasions, urging a solution but no noteworthy moves have been made so far.

Meanwhile, the MoFs customs authorities blamed the impasse on the lack of a clear legal basis for the application of Decree 36 and its guiding documents to apply the lower VAT rate to medical devices and equipment. This leaves them with Circular 26 and the requirement for certification by the MoH to be eligible for the 5 per cent VAT rate.

EuroChams Medical Devices and Diagnostics Sector Committee was established to provide a unifying voice for the international medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics industry in Vietnam, with notable brands including Abbott Diagnostics, B.Braun, Bayer, DKSH, GE Healthcare, Philips, Roche Diagnostics, Zuellig Pharma, and many others.

Vietnams medical devices and diagnostics market reports double-digit annual growth, with 90 per cent made up of imports. It is forecast to become even more bustling as more multinational corporations are expanding to and in the market.
Dear Annie: My youngest daughter, Marta, is beautiful and caring but intellectually challenged. I have always encouraged all my kids to do what makes them happy, and she is no different. A couple of years ago, she met a wonderful man through mutual friends, Brian. After dating for almost a year, they married last fall. We could not ask for anyone more caring and giving. Brian makes Marta his first priority as a spouse, partner and friend in his life.

The reason Im writing: My second-youngest daughter, Elle, who is 27, is getting married this fall and wants to invite Marta but not Brian.

Elle and her fiance would have preferred to skip this whole ordeal altogether and just get married at the courthouse. But they are doing the wedding his parents want (spending money that is supposed to be saved for a down payment on a house, but I digress). Elle has been really stressed out about it from the outset.

They said that they are only inviting people they talk to regularly and that Brian isnt someone they talk to regularly.

Brian and Marta were already saving up money for both of them to go. Additionally, Marta is not capable of getting there herself because of her aforementioned disability. I said all this to Elle, but she still said Brian cant come. I said, Then maybe we wont come, either, because its not fair that youre treating your sister this way. Now Elle is not talking to me or Marta and blocked my number and my messages online.

Am I wrong here? I do understand that they havent wanted the wedding from the beginning. But now that theyre having one, I think it would be wrong to exclude her brother-in-law. Family is family, whether you talk every day or not. -- Wedding Woes

Dear Wedding Woes: Youre not wrong, but you cant force them to do whats right. Though it does strike me as odd to exclude a brother-in-law, this isnt my wedding -- and its not yours, either. If Elle and her fiance dont want to invite Brian, thats their mistake to make.

Were I to squint hard to try to see a halfway decent rationale for their actions, I suppose I might focus on the fact that they didnt want a ceremony or reception to begin with. They may not see this as a big deal or understand how hurtful such a snub can be. As for how they expect Marta to get there when she needs Brians assistance while traveling -- well, I have no idea what theyre thinking. You and Marta might contact airlines to see what assistance is available for travelers with disabilities, if shed still like to go. But it would be perfectly OK for her to stay home, too. That would be the bride and grooms fault and, most of all, their loss.

Dear Annie: In this day and age, when one has to be constantly aware of scams, I find it terribly annoying to receive phone calls from people who do not identify themselves when they call. Often when my wife and I get phone calls from fundraising groups or even from doctors offices and the like, they ask for my wife or me immediately, without first identifying themselves. Whats the deal? -- Whos Calling

Dear Whos Calling: If I had to hazard a guess, Id say the decline of phone etiquette corresponded with the rise of cellphones and, specifically, texting. I completely agree that its impolite not to identify yourself when someone answers your phone call. It seems a lot of people never learned that or else have forgotten. Im printing this as a reminder.

Annie is off this week. This column originally ran in 2018.

View prior Dear Annie columns

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2018 CREATORS.COM
New Delhi: Bringing cheers to nearly 5 lakh state government employees, the Bhupesh Baghel-led Chhattisgarh government has cleared a proposal to approve hike in salary along with arrears. The increased salary will be effective from January 2021, a press release issued by the Chhattisgarh Finance department clarified.

Furthermore, these employees will also get arrears from July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, for which the state exchequer will bear the cost of Rs 300 crore.

Meanwhile, in related news, it has been reported in the media that the central government employees are expected to get four percent increase in dearness allowance which is expected in January 2021. This increase is expected to be in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

It may be recalled that in March 2020, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had approved to release an additional instalment of DA to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.01.2020. There will be an increase of 4 percent over the existing rate of 17 percent of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise, the Ministry of Finance had informed.

The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief was fixed at Rs 12,510.04 crore per annum and Rs 14,595.04 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (for a period of 14 months from January, 2020 to February, 2021). The decision benefits about 48.34 lakh Central Government employees and 65.26 lakh pensioners.

In the end week of December 2020, the Modi government decided to extend "Disability Compensation" for all serving employees, if they get disabled in the line of duty while performing their service and are retained in service in spite of such disablement.

Live TV

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The order will particularly provide a huge relief to young Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel like CRPF, BSF, CISF, etc since disability in performance of duties is generally reported in their case due to constraints of job requirement as well as hostile or difficult work - environment.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has told Republican colleagues that President Trump acknowledged to him privately that he bears 'some responsibility' for the job of supporters who ransacked the Capitol.

McCarthy made the statement as he rallied colleagues, who were split on acknowledging Joe Biden's election victory, in opposition to a Democratic effort to impeach Trump during his last days in office.

McCarthy told colleagues does bear some responsibility, even as he urged them to be united, Punchbowl news reported.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says Trump bears some 'responsibility' for the mob that ransacked the Capitol, but is still working to undercut a Democratic impeachment

McCarthy also wrote colleagues to explain his own opposition to impeachment  which would be the first time a U.S. president has been impeached twice.

'Personally, I continue to believe that an impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get America back on a path towards unity and civility,' he wrote, Bloomberg News reported.

A person on the call said McCarthy himself believed Trump bore some responsibility for what happened  in reference to Trump supporters trashing the Capitol after Trump told them to 'fight' for his effort to overturn election results.

McCarthy himself backed the president's effort even after the invasion of his workplace.

He said zip ties  of the kind that are being investigated for any possible hostage taking motive  'were found on staff desks in my office. Windows were smashed in. Property was stolen.'

'Those images will never leave us  and I thank our men and women in law enforcement who continue to protect us and are working to bring the sick individuals who perpetrated these attacks to justice,' he said.

The outreach follows report he had a Wednesday phone call where he screamed at Trump and urged him to tell his supporters to pull back.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) talk during a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol earlier in the day, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2021

He said he has heard from members pushing four potential avenues to denounce the events  which would have the effect of undercutting the impeachment push.

One would be a censure resolution, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected Monday. Another would set up a bipartisan commission on the attack. He also mentioned proposals on 'reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887'  the law governing Congress counting the Electoral College votes that was nearly overrun  and legislation to 'promote voter confidence in future' elections  a tip of the hat to dozens of Republicans who went along with Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud.

A McCarthy defense of Trump would be a new chapter in their long relationship. He endorsed Trump in 2016, and Trump took to calling him 'my Kevin'  although he was caught on tape joking that year that 'Theres two people I think Putin pays: [former Rep. Dana] Rohrabacher and Trump.'

All 50 states and D.C. sent certified electoral votes to Congress for Wednesday's joint session that was paused for the violence.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders formally accused Donald Trump of incitement to insurrection Monday morning as part of an attempt to shame him out of office at breakneck speed.

Democrats introduced their impeachment resolution, first floated Friday, accusing Trump of 'incitement of insurrection' as the House met and later announced there would be a vote on it on Wednesday starting at 9a.m.

Top Democrats say it has enough support to pass the House - and that they expect Republicans to sign on to it.

And they set up fast-moving floor votes that that will force House Republicans to cast votes this week both on President Trump's fitness for office and on whether to remove him during his final days in power.

On Monday morning, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) sought to call up a resolution that would instruct Pence to convene cabinet members to declare Trump 'incapable of executing the duties of his office' under the terms of the 25th Amendment.

But he failed to get 'unanimous consent' when a House Republican objected. Pelosi says she will respond by bringing the 25th amendment resolution to the floor Tuesday - meaning Republicans will have to vote on the record on whether they believe Trump is fit for office.

That vote will be later on Tuesday with members ordered back to D.C. in a message from Democratic leadership which said the impeachment vote would take place Wednesday.

Given that a majority of the House have already signed on, with at least 218 having backed the motion Monday, Trump will become on Wednesday the first president to be impeached twice, unless he leaves officer before then.

The moves came on a day when:

Melania Trump issued a statement condemning the violence of last week but naming the dead rioters before the dead police then lashing out at 'salacious gossip' about her, an apparent reference to the revelation she continued with a photoshoot while the Capitol was desecrated;

Trump tried to give an impression of business as usual, giving a Medal of Freedom at the White House to Jim Jordan, the 'freedom caucus' Republican House member who was all-in on overturning the election results;

The FBI warned of armed protests being planned in all 50 states between now and Joe Biden taking office;

More MAGA rioters were swept up by police around the country, but questions mounted over the police failures which let them storm the Capitol;

10,000 National Guard were ordered to be in Washington D.C. for Biden's inauguration in a sign of how concerned the FBI and other agencies are about more MAGA rioting;

Biden unveiled more of his plans for his inauguration, including laying a wreath at Arlington with former presidents Bush, Clinton and Obama in a very public demonstration that Trump is an outcast;

The Supreme Court declined to fast-track Trump's one-time attorney Sidney Powell's 'Kraken' compendium of discredited voter fraud claims, while the New York Bar Association started investigating Rudy Giuliani over his 'trial by combat' speech to the MAGA rally before they desecrated the Capitol;

Josh Hawley was told to hand back a $5,000 donation by Hallmark as big business, led by the biggest banks, JP Morgan and Bank of America, turned off the cash spigot to him and the so-called GOP 'treason caucus.'

In Congress, Democrats escalated their rhetorical attack on Trump in their article of impeachment.

The latest text of the impeachment resolution cites the post-Civil War 14th amendment, noting it 'prohibits any person who has 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against' the United States from 'hold[ing] any office . . . under the United States'.

The text can be amended between now and Wednesday, but is close to previous drafts released Friday.

Its formal introduction in the House came in a brief session where Hoyer stood to introduce the demand for Pence to use the 25th Amendment, asking that Republicans assent to it without objection.

IMPEACHMENT: WHAT HAPPENS NOW Tuesday: House votes on telling Pence to use the 25th Amendment in the next 24 hours; majority support certain Wednesday: If Pence has not acted, House will vote on single article of impeachment Tuesday January 19: First date Senate can take up impeachment, according to Mitch McConnell Wednesday January 20, noon: Joe Biden inaugurated Wednesday January 20, 1pm: Earliest possible start to impeachment trial, according to McConnell But Democrats could hold back the Article for as much as 100 days to let Joe Biden have his cabinet picks confirmed. And Chuck Schumer, who becomes Senate leader on January 20, has offered no indication of how he plans to proceed. Advertisement

In swift parliamentary action, West Virginia Republican Rep. Alex Mooney immediately objected to the request to bring up the resolution.

He posted a statement on Twitter explaining his reasons, which were entirely procedural and expressed opposition to bringing it up 'without any debate on the floor,' although he also said it could 'imperil our Republic.'

Mooney was one of 139 House Republicans who voted to overturn the election even after the MAGA riot.

Pelosi's plan is to first try to bring up the resolution formally requesting Vice President Mike Pence invoke the 25th Amendment through the request, then follow up by bringing it before the full House.

The amendment provides either for the cabinet to meet to assess the president, or a special committee to be established by Congress  although Congress has never created such a body.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) began developing 25th amendment legislation months ago, and has examined the issue for years.

The move puts pressure on Pence  who Trump publicly sought to strong-arm at the rally that proceeded the Capitol riots.

Crowd members at the Capitol also screamed out calls to 'hang' Pence. Trump reportedly has not spoken with Pence since the stunning events of last week.

The resolution would not carry the force of law, but it would be the first test for House Republicans, many of whom served with Pence, since a vote hours after the riot split the conference on whether to count votes where Trump has claimed fraud.

A majority of Republicans voted not to count the ballots just hours after many of them had been hiding in undisclosed locations while the mob rampaged the Capitol building.

Democrats believe they will get some House Republicans to sign up to impeachment, such as Adam Kinzinger, who has been outspoken in his attacks on Trump.

Their biggest prize would be Republican number three Liz Cheney, who slammed members of the GOP caucus who voted against certifying the elections.

House move: Democrats brought a 'unanimous consent' measure to the floor calling for Mike Pence to use the 25th Amendment but Republicans objected, meaning Democrats will force a vote on it Tuesday which would be likely to be followed by an impeachment vote Wednesday

Blocked: Steny Hoyer, the House Democratic leader, brought the unanimous consent measure but Republican Alex Mooney registered an objection, forcing a vote on it Tuesday

READ DEMOCRATS' ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT Advertisement

Their two-pronged attack on Republicans and Trump also separates question of Trump's fitness from some practical considerations about impeachment, since the move would take effect immediately.

There is however no doubt Democrats will persist with impeachment even if Trump resigns or is removed - neither of which appear likely to happen as of Monday.

Republicans who have publicly broken with Trump since Wednesday's Capitol riots Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.) Said Trump 'committed impeachable offenses.' Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) Said the president had caused 'this insurrection.' Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) Called on Trump to resign. ' I want him out.' Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) Said Trump 'caused' the riot and called his response 'completely inadequate' Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) Called for Trump to resign and called 25th Amendment the 'next best thing.' Said he would 'vote the right way' on impeachment, without endorsing the tactic. Rep. Peter Meijer (Mich.) Said fellow Republicans told 'lied' and 'deceived' and called what happened an 'act of domestic terrorism' Advertisement

They believe the constitution allows for impeachment to continue after Trump has left office. They also believe they could secure more Republican senators' support for conviction and disqualification for office after Trump leaves office than before.

The backdrop for Monday's move was a House chamber still scarred by the violence of last week. The violent clash that resulted in broken windows and the shooting of a Trump supporter took place just feet away, outside the Speaker's lobby.

The weekend brought fresh video footage of vicious attacks on Capitol Police officers, new clips that revealed just how close the Senate chamber was to being overrun while in session, arrests of more alleged perpetrators across the country, and the tragic suicide of a Capitol Police officer who was there for the siege.

Even if the House votes Wednesday to impeach, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote colleagues a trial would not likely begin until January 19th  missing the opportunity to remove Trump from office, and also complicating the start of President-elect Joe Biden's tenure.

Unlike through impeachment, if Pence and a majority of the cabinet officers were to vote that Trump was unfit for office, Pence would immediately become acting president for a period of days that would run out Trump's term.

The House Rules Committee is expected to meet Monday on setting the terms of debate for the impeachment vote that would likely come Wednesday.

The impeachment vote itself would also split Republicans. More than 200 Democrats have already gotten behind the effort.

Since Wednesday's riots, a few prominent Republicans have called for Trump to resign or be subject to impeachment. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said Sunday that Trump 'committed impeachable offenses.'

Pelosi, having conferenced with fellow Democrats by phone, and whose office was invaded by Trump supporters who damaged her office and stole property, is demanding swift action.

'We will act with urgency, because this president represents an imminent threat to both,' she wrote Sunday. 'The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this president is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.'

The impeachment vote will once again put GOP leaders on record as well. Both Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise voted not to seat electors certified in states that Joe Biden won.

The House votes will test Republican support for Donald Trump following a Capitol riot carried out by his supporters that resulted in five deaths

But McCarthy was reportedly on a call 'screaming' at Trump trying to get him to publicly demand his supporters leave the Capitol at a time when lawmakers and Pence were in physical danger.

Retired Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake told CNN Monday those in party leadership positions in Congress 'who went along with the president's falsehoods ... ought to face consequences in terms of their own reelection and obviously immediately in terms of leadership positions that they might hold.

'So i hope that the party has a reckoning here,' he said.

The effect of the procedural moves, even if they don't result in Trump's removal from office, will be to put House Republicans on record.

It could also flush out any House Republicans who have decided to break with Trump after opposing the first Democratic impeachment effort.

Meanwhile, some pro-Trump House Republicans are already are already telegraphing they would seek to use impeachment against Joe Biden.

'We never think about the consequences. It's going to be like: Game on. Let's impeach [Biden] 12 times in a week,' one Democrat opposed to impeachment told Politico.

The desire for action against Trump escalated over the weekend.

On Sunday night. Nancy Pelosi fought to contain her emotions as she told 60 Minutes how her staff cowered under desks in the dark for two hours, as a frenzied mob of Trump supporters smashed through her office.

'I think there was, universally accepted, that what happened...' she said, pausing to compose herself.

'Was a terrible, terrible violation of what - of the Capitol, of the first branch of government, the legislative branch, by the president of the United States.'

Pelosi's door was smashed down, and rioters stormed her private office.

I SUFFERED TOO: MELANIA BREAKS SILENCE TO CONDEMN RIOT Melania Trump on Monday broke her silence on last week's mob attack on the Capitol, saying she 'absolutely condemns the violence' incited by her husband and calling for 'healing' as the couple prepares to leave office. Five days after the attacked that resulted in five deaths, the first lady published a statement that acknowledged the deaths of her husband's supporters before the deaths of two Capitol Police officers - and lashed out extensively at 'gossip' about her. 'My heart goes out to: Air Force Veteran, Ashli Babbit, Benjamin Philips, Kevin Greeson, Rosanne Boyland, and Capitol Police Officers, Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. I pray for their families comfort and strength during this difficult time,' she wrote. But in her 600-word essay published by the White House, she quickly turned the situation to herself, slamming the 'salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me' - a reference to reports she was conducting a photo shoot in the White House during the MAGA mob scene. 'I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me  from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda. This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain,' she wrote in the message entitled Our Path Forward. The essay is filled with spelling errors - Babbit's name was spelled wrong - it was Babbitt - and grammatical mistakes. It also cast no blame for Wednesday's riot on her husband, who, at a rally earlier that day had encouraged his supporters to march on Capitol Hill. Melania Trump broke her silence on last week's mob attack on the Capitol, saying she 'absolutely condemns the violence' incited by her husband The first lady issued a 600-word statement called Our Path Forward which was published on the White House website early on Monday Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late senator John McCain and a frequent critic of the president, blasted Melania Trump for her statement. 'Five people died in a domestic terror attack on our own republic last week incited by her husband but Melania Trump is the victim in this?! Every morning I think I can't get more disgusted....,' Meghan McCain tweeted. While Melania has largely stayed quiet during Donald Trump's attempts to illegally reverse the election results, she has echoed the president's misleading language of 'counting legal votes' and has not publicly acknowledged Joe Biden's victory. But she wrote in her latest message that 'it has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your first lady', a tacit acknowledgement that her term is nearly over. Biden takes the oath of office on January 20th. It's unclear what's in store for Melania Trump after life in the White House. She has been reportedly looking at schools for son Barron in Florida but has made no indication she plans to keep up her 'Be Best' campaign or her work with the military once her husband leaves office. The first lady has been spending her final days in the White House behind closed doors. She and her husband have rarely been seen since their return from Florida on December 31st, where they were spending the holidays at Mar-a-Lago. Melania's message was published early on Monday morning, three days after the president was permanently banned from Twitter - with Trump not showing his face since promising an orderly transition in a video message on Thursday. And while Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump had appeared at a campaign rally Wednesday morning where the president whipped his supporters into a frenzy shortly before they besieged the Capitol, the first lady stayed out of sight during the day of chaos. Two of her staff quit in protest of the president's handling of the riots: her chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham and social secretary Anna Cristina 'Rickie' Niceta. As a White House source told The Mail on Sunday that during Wednesday's siege of the Capitol, the first lady was in the East Wing of the White House overseeing a photoshoot for a new coffee table book about presidential artifacts. 'The heart of US government was under siege, our very democracy on the line, but Mrs Trump was calmly arranging porcelain figurines for the photographer,' the source said, saying even the most loyal remaining Trump staffers were left 'dumbfounded' by her actions. Aides even asked Melania to intercede on Wednesday, to force her husband to publicly decry the insurgency, but she refused. 'She said nothing. She remained silent and carried on arranging a vase for the shoot. She checked out of this presidency and her marriage a long time ago.' Additionally, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who worked in the East Wing in the early days of the administration and then wrote a memoir of her time there that painted Melania in an unflattering light, wrote in The Daily Beast over the weekend that she is 'ashamed' to have ever worked for the first lady. 'I can't believe how blind I was to the depth of her deception and lack of common decency,' Wolkoff wrote. Without mentioning those claims directly in her statement on Monday, Melania condemned what she said were 'false misleading accusations on me' from 'people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda'. The first lady said she was praying for the families of the four protesters and two Capitol Police officers who died in the hours and days after the attack. She added that 'our nation must heal in a civil manner', after President Trump initially praised the mob as 'very special' but later condemned the violence. 'Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation's Capitol. Violence is never acceptable,' she wrote. Police casualties: Officer Brian Sicknick was murdered, allegedly by being hit with a fire extinguisher. Officer Howard Liebengood took his own life on Saturday morning Dead rioters: Ashli Babbitt was shot by a Capitol Hill officer as she tried to smash her way into the Speaker's Lobby. Rosanne Boyland died in the Rotunda; she is thought to have been trampled to death by the mob Dead rioters: Benjamin Philips organized a bus trip of MAGA fanatics from Bloomsburg, PA, and died, possibly of a stroke, having posted that it was'the first day of the rest of our lives.' Kevin Greeson had a heart attack. In recent days he posted on Parler: 'Let's take this f***ing country back,' posed with two AR-15-style rifles and a handgun and spewed abuse about Nancy Pelosi Advertisement

Nancy Pelosi closed her eyes and took a minute to compose herself, speaking about the riot

Nancy Pelosi, in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, showed Stahl the destruction in her office

Pelosi's employees cowered under this table in the dark for two hours as the mob roamed

Rioters draped in Trump flags are pictured rampaging through Pelosi's office

One man is seen photographing a picture from Pelosi's office, having broken into the room

Trump supporters in their MAGA caps played with Pelosi's office furniture

The mob of Trump supporters chanted Pelosi's name as they rampaged through the building

'The staff went under the table, barricaded the door, turned out the lights, and were silent in the dark,' Pelosi said, showing 60 Minutes interviewer Lesley Stahl the damage.

'Under the table for two and a half hours.'

During this time in hiding, they listened to the invaders banging on that door.

Pelosi's team cowered, praying the mob did not find them.

'You see what they did to the mirror there? The glass was all over the place,' said Pelosi.

'They took a computer and all that stuff.

'And then the desk that they actually were at was right there that they defamed in that way, feet on the desk and all that.'

One of the rioters, Richard Barnett, 60, was pictured putting his feet up on her desk.

The MAGA rioter who put his feet up on Nancy Pelosi 's desk was arrested at home in Arkansas

Barnett, who proudly referred to himself as a white nationalist on social media, was federally charged with unlawful entry. He was taken into custody at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Richard Barnett, 60, has been charged with unlawful entry

Another, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr, allegedly wrote in a text to a friend that he was thinking of 'putting a bullet in [Pelosi's] noggin on Live TV'.

Another text allegedly reads: 'I'm gonna run that c**t Pelosi over while she chews on her gums.'

According to officials, a third text from Meredith, who is a married, father-of-two, says he has 'a sh*t ton of  armor piercing ammo'.

Meredith is one of 13 people who have been charged with federal crimes.

Pelosi told Stahl: 'The evidence is now that it was a well-planned, organized group with leadership and guidance and direction. And the direction was to go get people.

'They were vocally saying, 'Where's the speaker? We know she has staff. They're here someplace. We're going to find them.''

Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr (pictured) allegedly texted friends that he wanted to shoot or run over Nancy Pelosi

While the mayhem was unfurling, Pelosi and other Congressmen had been taken to a safe location.

She was unaware until later what had happened in her office.

'When the protesters were making the assault on the Capitol, before they even got to these doors, the Capitol Police pulled me from the podium,' she said.

'And I was concerned because I said: 'No, I want to be here.'

'And they said: 'Well, no, you have to leave.'

'I said: 'No, I'm not leaving.'

'They said: 'No, you must leave.''

Pelosi said that she was disgusted that some Congressmen still voted to overthrow the election results, when the session resumed.

'After the violence. Shame on them,' she said.

'And shame on two-thirds of the Republican caucus in the House supporting... so these people are enablers of the president's behavior.'

Pelosi wrote to her Democrat colleagues on Sunday night to explain the next steps

On Sunday night Pelosi wrote to her Democrat colleagues to say that, unless Mike Pence invokes the powers of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, they will proceed with impeachment.

Trump could become the only president to be impeached twice.

'In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both,' she said, and added: 'The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.'

She, and other Democrats, further fear the president could pardon those involved in the storming of the Capitol in his final days.

With impeachment planning intensifying, two Republican senators said they want Trump to resign immediately as efforts mounted to prevent Trump from ever again holding elective office in the wake of deadly riots at the Capitol.

House Democrats were expected to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday. The strategy would be to condemn the president's actions swiftly but delay an impeachment trial in the Senate for 100 days. That would allow President-elect Joe Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated on January 20.

Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat and a top Biden ally, laid out the ideas on Sunday as the country came to grips with the siege at the Capitol by Trump loyalists trying to overturn the election results.

'Let's give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,' Clyburn said.

Pressure was mounting for Trump to leave office even before his term ended amid alarming concerns of more unrest ahead of the inauguration.

The mob overran the Capitol Police shortly after Trump urged them to 'fight' on his behalf

Police try to hold back protesters pushing into a doorway at the Capitol on Wednesday

The mostly maskless crowd flooded the halls of the Capitol with little resistance from Capitol Police

Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress

Trump addressed his thousands of his supporters near the White House Wednesday at his 'Save America' rally and declared war on his own party, calling Republicans who opposed him 'weak'

A man in a QAnon hoodie is seen inside the Capitol on Wednesday

Lawmakers and law enforcement are pursuing all available avenues to find and prosecute those involved in the Capitol riot  using picture and video evidence to do so

A protester struggles with a riot police officer outside the Capitol building after the 6pm curfew went into effect

The president is accused of whipping up the mob that stormed the Capitol, sent lawmakers into hiding and left five dead.

Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania on Sunday joined his fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to 'resign and go away as soon as possible.'

'I think the president has disqualified himself from ever, certainly, serving in office again,' Toomey said. 'I don't think he is electable in any way.'

Murkowski, who has long voiced her exasperation with Trump's conduct in office, told the Anchorage Daily News on Friday that Trump simply 'needs to get out.'

A third Republican, Sen. Roy Blunt, of Missouri, did not go that far, but on Sunday he warned Trump to be 'very careful' in his final days in office.

Corporate America began to tie its reaction to the Capitol riots by tying them to campaign contributions.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's CEO and President Kim Keck said it will not contribute to those lawmakers  all Republicans  who supported challenges to Biden's Electoral College win.

The group 'will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy,' Kim said.

Citigroup did not single out lawmakers aligned with Trump's effort to overturn the election, but said it would be pausing all federal political donations for the first three months of the year. Citi's head of global government affairs, Candi Wolff, said in a Friday memo to employees, 'We want you to be assured that we will not support candidates who do not respect the rule of law.'

Lisa Murkowski, senator for Alaska, has said she is considering quitting the Republicans

Murkowski said that Trump should resign, saying he had done enough damage

Trump supporters, egged on by the president himself, stormed the Capitol on Wednesday

House leaders, furious after the insurrection, appear determined to act against Trump despite the short timeline.

Mike Pence 'has not ruled out the 25th Amendment' Mike Pence and Donald Trump have not spoken since Wednesday's uprising, CNN reported, during which pro-Trump rioters charged through the Senate looking for Pence and threatening to 'hang' him. Trump was angered by Pence telling him he was not constitutionally able to overturn the election, and lashed out at his vice president on Wednesday, telling supporters: 'Mike Pence has to come through for us. If he doesn't that will be a sad day for our country.' He later tweeted: 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.' Pence has finally 'gotten a glimpse of POTUS's vindictiveness,' one source told CNN. It is the first time the normally-loyal Pence has publicly broken with the president. CNN said that Pence has not ruled out the 25th Amendment. Invoking the 25th Amendment would require Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to vote to remove Trump from office due to his inability to 'discharge the powers and duties of his office' - an unprecedented step. On Thursday, sources close to the VP said it was 'highly unlikely' Pence would attempt to invoke the 25th Amendment. He has not ruled it out, however. Advertisement

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, has said an impeachment trial could not begin under the current calendar before Inauguration Day.

While many have criticized Trump, Republicans have said that impeachment would be divisive in a time of unity.

Senator Marco Rubio said that instead of coming together, Democrats want to 'talk about ridiculous things like 'Let's impeach a president' with just days left in office.

Still, some Republicans might be supportive.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said he would take a look at any articles that the House sent over. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a frequent Trump critic, said he would 'vote the right way' if the matter were put in front of him.

The Democratic effort to stamp Trump's presidential record  for the second time  with the indelible mark of impeachment had advanced rapidly since the riot.

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said Sunday that his group had 200-plus co-sponsors.

The articles, if passed by the House, could then be transmitted to the Senate for a trial, with senators acting as jurors to acquit or convict Trump.

If convicted, Trump would be removed from office and succeeded by the vice president.

It would be the first time a U.S. president had been impeached twice.

Potentially complicating Pelosi's decision about impeachment was what it meant for Biden and the beginning of his presidency. While reiterating that he had long viewed Trump as unfit for office, Biden on Friday sidestepped a question about impeachment, saying what Congress did 'is for them to decide.'

While some Democrats are pushing for the impeachment route, the House Speaker told 60 Minutes that she prefers invoking the 25th Amendment because it gets Trump out of office immediately.

'There is a possibility that after all of this, there's no punishment, no consequence, and he could run again for president,' Stahl said to Pelosi in a clip released ahead of airing the full interview.

'And that's one of the motivations that people have for advocating for impeachment,' Pelosi explained.

She is, however, concerned that if Trump is not booted from the White House right now, he will use his last 10 days in office to pardon those part of the mob who descended on the Capitol Wednesday  or even himself and other allies.

'I like the 25th Amendment because it gets rid of him  he's out of office,' Pelosi said. 'But there is strong support in the Congress for impeaching the president a second time.'

'What if he pardons himself?' Stahl asked.

'What if pardons these people who are terrorists on the Capitol?' Pelosi shot back.

Congress is moving to prosecute or punish any and all they can find who were involved in the riots at the Capitol  and have already found some who were pictured prominently.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday in an interview with ABC's 'This Week' that half of the members of the House were at risk of dying during the riots.

'Perhaps my colleagues were not fully present for the events on Wednesday, but we came close to half of the House nearly dying on Wednesday,' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday of the pro-Trump mob descending on the Capitol

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Sunday that Democrats will vote on impeachment this week, but said the party might wait until after Joe Biden's first 100 days in office to move the articles to the Senate

WHAT DOES THE 25TH AMENDMENT SAY? CAN TRUMP'S CABINET REALLY TOPPLE HIM? The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution deals with presidential authority in the event of death or removal from office, and was ratified in 1967, in the wake of John F Kennedy's assassination. What does the 25th Amendment say? It is in four sections, all dealing with the president leaving office during his or her elected term. The first section states that the vice president takes over the Oval Office if the president dies or resigns  or is removed  something which the original Constitution did not clearly state. Presidents of course can be removed by impeachment, a feature of the constitution from the start. They can also be removed through the 25th Amendment - of which more below. Section II states that if the vice president dies, or resigns  or is fired  both the House and Senate have to confirm a new vice president. Until 1967, presidents could change vice presidents mid-term on their own if they got the vice president to agree to resign - not something that actually happened, but which was possible in principle. Section III makes clear that a president can temporarily delegate his powers to the vice president, and later reclaim them when he - or she - is capable of serving. This is most often invoked if a president is under the influence of surgical anesthetic for a short period of time. Section IV is the amendment's most controversial part: it describes how the president can be removed from office if he is incapacitated and does not leave on his own. The vice president and 'a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide' must write to both the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, saying that 'the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.' The term principal officers of the executive departments would normally mean the cabinet secretaries. So at least eight of the president's 15 most senior Cabinet members together with the vice president must agree that a president should be removed before any plan can move forward. Notifying the House Speaker and the Senate president pro tempore is the act that immediately elevates the vice president to an 'acting president' role. The deposed president can contest the claim, giving the leaders of the bloodless coup four days to re-assert their claims to the House and Senate. Congress then has two days to convene  unless it is already in session  and another 21 days to vote on whether the president is incapable of serving. A two-thirds majority in both houses is required to make that determination. As soon as there is a vote with a two-thirds majority, the president loses his powers and is removed, and the vice president stops acting and is sworn in as president. But if 21 days of debate and votes ends without a two-thirds majority, the president gets back his powers. What could happen to trigger the 25th Amendment? Vice President Mike Pence and eight of the 15 'principal' Cabinet members would have to agree to notify Congress that President Donald Trump was incapable of running the country. That group is made up of the Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Interior Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, Commerce Secretary, Labor Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretary, Transportation Secretary, Energy Secretary , Education Secretary, Veterans Affairs Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary. Their formal notification would go to the House Speaker and, in the senate, to the 'president pro tempore', the Senate's most senior member. As soon as the letter is sent, Pence would become 'acting president.' Alternatively, Congress could set up its own mechanism to decide if he is fit for office - maybe a commission, or a joint committee. Pence would still have to agree with its conclusion and then write formally to the Speaker and president pro tempore. Or another possibility is that the pool of 'principal officers' is considered to be bigger than the 15 and a majority of that group call Trump incapable. What if Trump does not agree? If Trump claims he is capable of holding office, he would write to the House Speaker and the president pro tempore of the Senate within four days, setting up three weeks of intense debate in both houses of Congress. Trump would be removed from office if both two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate agreed with Pence and his cabal. If either of both chambers fell short of that mark, Trump would retain his powers and likely embark on a wholesale housecleaning, firing Pence and replacing disloyal Cabinet members. Are there any loopholes? The 25th Amendment allows Congress to appoint its own panel to evaluate the president instead of relying on the Cabinet  the men and women who work most closely with Trump  to decide on a course of action. It specifies that some 'other body as Congress may by law provide' could play that role, but Pence would still need to agree with any finding that the president is incapable of discharging his duties. That commission could hypothetically include anyone from presidential historians to psychiatrists, entrusted to assess the president's fitness for office. Another loophole is that it does not spell out that the Cabinet is needed to agree, but says that the 'principal officers' of the departments are needed. That term is undefined in the constitution. In some departments legislation appears to name not just the secretary but deputies and even undersecretaries as 'principal officers', so many more people could be called in to the assessment of Trump's fitness. But Trump's cabinet has a swathe of 'acting' cabinet officer - and it is unclear if they could therefore take part in removing him. Could Trump fire Pence if he rebelled? No. The vice president can resign or be impeached and removed - but he does not serve at the pleasure of the president. Is there any precedent for this? No. Only Section III, the voluntary surrender of presidential powers, has ever been used - and only very briefly. In December 1978, President Jimmy Carter thought about invoking Section III when he was contemplating a surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush both voluntarily relinquished their powers while undergoing procedures under anesthetic. Section IV has also never been invoked, although there have been claims that Ronald Reagan's chief of staff Donald Regan told his successor, Howard Baker, in 1987 that he should be prepared to invoke it because Reagan was inattentive and inept. The PBS documentary 'American Experience' recounts how Baker and his team watched Reagan closely for signs of incapacity during their first meeting and decided he was in perfect command of himself. Advertisement

'If another head of state came in and ordered an attack on the United States Congress, would we say that that should not be prosecuted? Would we say that there should be absolutely no response to that?' the New York congresswoman told ABC host George Stephanopoulos.

'No,' Ocasio-Cortez asserted. 'It is an act of insurrection. It's an act of hostility. And we must have accountability, because, without it, it will happen again.

'Perhaps my colleagues were not fully present for the events on Wednesday, but we came close to half of the House nearly dying on Wednesday,' she said.

Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New York Representative, agreed with AOC's points in an interview with NBC on Sunday, claiming: 'Donald Trump represents a clear and present danger to the health and safety of the American people, as well as our democracy'

The representative, as well as the handful of members of her progressive 'squad', are fully on board with plans to again impeach President Trump.

Clyburn said Sunday that articles have already been drawn and he is expecting a vote in the lower chamber in the coming day.

'I think that will come  probably Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday, but it will happen this week,' the No. 3 House Democrat told 'Fox News Sunday' when asked about the House taking action to impeach Trump. 'The rest of the articles have been drawn up.'

'If we are the people's House, let's do the people's work and vote to impeach this president,' Clyburn continued in his interview with Fox's Chris Wallace. 'And then we'll decide later  or the Senate will decide later  what to do with that impeachment.'

Ocasio-Cortez said 'every minute' Trump is still in office, there is a looming threat.

'I absolutely believe that impeachment should be scheduled for several reasons,' she said on Sunday.

'Our main priority is to ensure the removal of Donald Trump as president of the United States,' AOC added. 'Every minute and every hour that he is in office represents a clear and present danger, not just to the United States Congress, but, frankly, to the country.'

While Democrats pursue impeachment, many lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are calling for Trump to step down on his own volition to prevent Congress from having to intervene.

Lawmakers were forced to evacuate the House and Senate chambers and shelter in offices or other locations on Wednesday after thousands of Donald Trump's supporters breached the Capitol and rioted through the halls

There are also talks of banning Trump from running for president again in the future  as speculation mounts he will pursue another run for the White House in 2024.

'In addition to removal, we're also talking about complete barring of the president  or, rather, of Donald Trump from running for office ever again,' Ocasio-Cortez told ABC.

'And, in addition to that, the potential ability to prevent pardoning himself from those charges that he was impeached for.'

Jeffries also wants immediate action against Trump, expressing concern that the president still has 'access to the nuclear codes.'

'The goal at the present moment is to address the existential threat that Donald Trump presents at this time. Every second, every minute, every hour that Donald Trump remains in office presents a danger to the American people,' the Democrat representative said on Sunday during an interview on 'Meet the Press'.

'You know, Donald Trump may be in the Twitter penalty box, but he still has access to the nuclear codes,' Jeffries said, referencing Trump's indefinite ban from Twitter.

'That's a frightening prospect.'

He added: 'Donald Trump is completely and totally out of control, and even his longtime enablers have now come to that conclusion.'

Clyburn, however, said Sunday that House Democrats are weighing if they should hold off on sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate until after Joe Biden's first 100 days in office.

This way, Democrats would allow the new president to install key members of his team and would have a new 50-50 split Senate to work with.
Businesses yesterday called for tougher lockdown measures, with some going as far as proposing a long curfew spanning from 6 p.m to 6 a.m.

The curfew now starts at 9 p.m. and goes till 5 a.m. Businesses also called on the Government to free up the importation of Covid-19 vaccines to allow private sector participation and to allow people to travel overseas to get vaccinated.
Nurse practitioner Sarah Gonzalez gives a dose of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine to Claudia Zain, 47 of New York, at a mass vaccination site at Brooklyn Army Terminal in New York City, New York, on Jan. 10, 2021. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

US to Require Negative Virus Tests for Arriving International Air Passengers

Nearly all air travelers will need to present a negative coronavirus test to enter the United States under expanded test testing requirements announced on Tuesday.

Under the rules taking effect Jan. 26, nearly all travelers including U.S. citizens must show a negative test within three days of departure or documentation of recovery from COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

Cuomo Expands Vaccine to Age 65 and Over

Gov. Andrew Cuomo expanded the vaccine eligibility requirements in New York to include anyone over the age of 65.

Cuomo said Tuesday the state is following new federal guidance issued by the CDC. On Monday, people aged 75 and up and a much longer list of workers, including transit employees, grocery clerks, teachers, police officers, firefighters, and others became eligible to get the vaccine.

Outbreaks Spread Across North China

Despite enacting stringent lockdown measures, Chinese authorities are struggling to contain CCP virus outbreaks throughout northern China.

Hebei Province is the hardest-hit, with two cities, Shijiazhuang and Xingtai, seeing the biggest surges in new infections.

Trump Administration Directs States to Release All COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

President Donald Trumps administration is asking states to release all COVID-19 vaccine doses, instead of holding some back.

Officials had implemented a strategy of keeping doses in reserve to guard against potential manufacturing issues.

Third Democratic Lawmaker Tests Positive for CCP Virus

A Democratic congressman from Illinois who was forced to go into lockdown during last weeks riot at the U.S. Capitol has tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider issued a statement Tuesday saying he was forced to spend several hours confined with other lawmakers and is criticizing Republican members of Congress who didnt wear a mask during the lockdown.

At least two other Democrats, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, announced positive tests.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider speaks during a press conference in Chicago on Aug. 18, 2020. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Arizona Hospitalizations Hit New High

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported Monday that a record 4,997 people were hospitalized because of the CCP virus. Among them, more than 1,100 were in intensive care units. Those numbers are significantly above what the state now considered a hotspot experienced during its last surge in July.

Health officials say there are nearly 9,000 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and six additional deaths. This now brings Arizonas CCP virus totals to 627,541 cases and 10,147 deaths.

New CCP Virus Strain Found in Indiana

Indiana state health officials say a more contagious variant of the CCP virus that was first identified in the U.K. late last year has been found in the state.

The Indiana State Department of Health said the variant was identified through testing by the state agencys laboratory and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but Mondays announcement included no additional information on its discovery in the state.

State Health Commissioner Kris Box said in a statement the variant does not cause more severe infections, but it is much more easily spread.

Bureau of Prisons Delivers CCP Virus Vaccine

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said in a statement Monday that vaccine doses have now been delivered to 68 facilities across the United States.

As of Jan. 11, there are 5,530 federal inmates and 2,013 BOP staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 nationwide, according to a BOP tracker. To date, there have been 188 federal inmate deaths and 3 BOP staff member deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Disneyland Parking Lot to Turn Into Mass Vaccination Site

The parking lot of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, will soon serve as the first Super Point-of-Dispensing (POD) site for COVID-19 vaccines in Orange County, officials said Monday.

Orange County said that the resort, which has been mainly shuttered since the onset of the CCP virus pandemic in March, will likely become operational later this week.

Its one of five sites to be set up to vaccinate thousands of people daily, county officials said.

Gorillas in San Diego Test Positive for COVID-19

Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the CCP virus in what is believed to be the first cases among such primates in captivity.

Eight gorillas at the park are believed to have the virus and several have been coughing. It appears the infection came from a member of the parks wildlife care team that also tested positive for the virus but has been asymptomatic.

Ontario Preparing New Lockdown Measures

A central Canadian province that borders with the United States is set to invoke new CCP virus lockdown measures as it tries to get control over a surging COVID-19 pandemic.

Ontario is considering further reducing in-person gathering limits, cutting the opening hours for essential stores like groceries and pharmacies, and restricting construction and manufacturing to essential business only.

Merkel Says Lockdown Extension Possible: Report

Chancellor Angela Merkel has told lawmakers in her conservative party that she expects a lockdown in Germany to curb the spread of the CCP virus to last until the start of April, top-selling Bild daily cited participants at the meeting as saying.

Three participants of the meeting told Reuters that Merkel had not explicitly spoken of an extension of the lockdown until April and that she had not warned of a tenfold increase in infection numbers in Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a video conference at The Elysee Palace in Paris, France on Jan. 11, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)

Indonesia to Launch Vaccination Drive

Indonesia starts a mass CCP virus vaccination campaign on Wednesday, with President Joko Widodo to receive the first shot of an ambitious drive launched amid record deaths from one of Asias most stubborn epidemics.

The vaunted immunization campaign aims to inoculate 181.5 million people.

Indonesia on Tuesday reported a daily record 302 CCP virus deaths, taking fatalities to 24,645. Its infections are at their peak, averaging more than 9,000 a day, with 846,765 total cases.

Over 40 Percent of Alaska Inmates Have Contracted Virus

Data from the Alaska Department of Corrections show that more than 40 percent of the people incarcerated in Alaska have been infected with the CCP virus.

Alaska Public Media reported that case counts have exceeded 100 inmates in at least six Alaska prisons. Corrections department facilities Director Jeremy Hough says the states inmate testing program has conducted an average of four tests per person since the pandemic began.

Lorenz Duchamps, Zachary Stieber, Tom Ozimek, Isabel van Brugen, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Working in close quarters, surrounded by maps of the Middle East, a small team based in Israels foreign ministry are focusing their sights on the Arab world.

Their mission: using social media to convince Arabs to embrace the Jewish state.

The team is spearheading an Arabic-language campaign via platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as part of a multi-pronged diplomatic effort to win over popular acceptance in the Middle East.

But overturning decades of hostility is no easy feat, despite Israel in recent months having secured landmark Washington-brokered deals with the governments of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

The magnitude of the task was underscored by a recent online backlash after photographs of Egyptian actor and rapper Mohamed Ramadan partying with Israeli celebrities at a Dubai bar surfaced on social media in November, along with a video showing guests partying as the Jewish song Hava Nagila" played.

The Israeli Arabic-language social media team re-posted the photos from its main Facebook and Twitter accounts, including one of Ramadan hanging an arm around the neck of Israeli pop star Omer Adam with the caption art always brings us together."

Israeli officials acknowledge the challenges of the task in a region where there is widespread support for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation or as refugees across the Middle East.

Yonatan Gonen, who heads the Arabic-language social media unit, said in an interview that they posted the photos of Ramadan with the Israeli celebrities to show normalization between Israelis and Arabs. He acknowledged that the furore was disappointing but said there were also positive responses and that it takes time, people change their minds over generations.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israels prime minister, said increasing numbers of Arabs view Israel as an ally and many publicly show their support on social media. As regional peace expands further, talking to our neighbours in their own language becomes even more important, said Gendelman, adding that Israel plans to expand its outreach in Arabic.

Ramadan didnt respond to requests for comment. He said on social media at the time that he did not ask people taking photographs where they came from. I salute the brotherly Palestinian people, he added.

Dr Alaa Shehabi, a London-based academic researcher with dual Bahraini and British nationality, said public sentiment in Arab countries remains pro-Palestinian. Of Israels social-media campaign, she added: It is not a success if it hasnt changed popular opinion.

DIGITAL DIPLOMACY

Israel wants to gain broader Arab support for the new deals than it has with formal peace treaties it signed with Egypt and Jordan, in 1979 and 1994, respectively. Those treaties are upheld by the countries leaders but are regarded with little enthusiasm by many Egyptians and Jordanians.

An October report by Israels Ministry of Strategic Affairs found that during August and September more than 90% of Arabic social media commentary regarding the normalization deals was negative.

Israel must prepare to commence a protracted campaign online to win hearts and minds in favor of creating stronger ties with Israel, according to a detailed summary of the report shared with Reuters by the ministry. A ministry official said that by January the level of negative commentary had fallen to 75%.

That foreign ministrys ten-member Arabic-language team includes both Jews and Arabs.

With messages such as Salam, Shalom - the Arabic and Hebrew words for peace - the campaign heavily features what Gonen refers to as soft content, such as music, food and sport. The team also posts about Israels adversaries such as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Established in 2011, the Arabic-language unit has significantly ramped up activity since late summer when news of the first accord was made public. The team currently publishes up to 700 or so social media posts a month, about 15% to 20% more than before the deals, Gonen said.

During a recent visit to Dubai, team member Lorena Khateeb posted to Twitter a photo of herself outdoors with the Israeli flag draped over her back. Never imagined that I would raise the Israeli flag in an Arab country," she said in the Nov. 21 post in both Arabic and English. Days later, one Israels official accounts - called @IsraelintheGulf and which she operates - tweeted a similar flag-draped photo of her.

Khateeb told Reuters that responses to her posts are mostly positive but some are negative.

GAUGING SUCCESS

Gonen says the aim is to create engagement, interactions and dialogue with Arab audiences. He said his team reaches 100 million people monthly via its social media accounts, which is double what it was a year ago.

Its main Twitter account, which uses the handle @IsraelArabic and posted the Ramadan photos, has more than 425,000 followers.

Still, the Jewish state still faces widespread opposition to its reconciliation efforts across the region, which is home to more than 400 million Arabic speakers.

Michael Robbins of the Arab Barometer, a non-partisan research network that studies attitudes across the Arab world, said a post-normalisation survey by his group in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan and Lebanon suggested that the efforts of Israel and its regional allies have had little if any effect on the views of ordinary citizens.

He said they lacked data from Gulf countries, which did not permit them to ask questions that name Israel, but that attitudes in the countries they did conduct surveys had changed little from previous years.

Overall, these results suggest that Israels strategy to win hearts and minds is failing. Few Arab citizens regardless of age or geography have positive views toward Israel, Robbins said.
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed the 25th amendment will not be used to remove him from office but warned his successor Joe Biden it could be used against him.

'Free speech is under assault like never before. The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden Administration. As the expression goes, be careful what you wish for,' Trump said.

Vice President Mike Pence's aides have made it clear he is unlikely to pursue the 25th amendment option. Trump has eight days remaining in office.

The president made his remarks while in Texas to visit a newly-completed section of his border wall, the biggest promise of 2016 presidential campaign.

In what is likely the final trip of his presidency, Trump signed a plaque hanging at the completed section in Alamo, Texas, cementing the physical legacy of his time in the White House.

'We can't let the next administration even think of taking it down,' he said of his wall.

In Alamo, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexican border - the president visited the 450th mile of the border wall his administration is building. The total is likely to hit 475 miles by January 20th, the day Biden takes the oath of office. Most of the wall built replaces small barriers that had already existed.

In his remarks, Trump also briefly addressed the riots on Capitol Hill last week. He has not taken public responsibility for his roll in the insurrection. Democrats and some Republicans say he incited the unruly mob with his false rhetoric that the election was stolen from him.

Trump said respect for law enforcement is 'the foundation of the MAGA agenda' - referring to his 'Make America Great Again' slogan. Two Capitol Hill police officers died in the aftermath of the attack.

'Now is the time for our nation to heal. And it's time for peace and for calm, respect for law enforcement and the great people within law enforcement is the foundation of the MAGA agenda. We're a nation of law and a nation of order,' Trump declared in his 20 minute speech.

President Donald Trump claimed the 25th amendment will not be used to remove him from office but he warned it could be used against his successor Joe Biden

President Trump signed a plaque on his border wall during his trip to Alamo, Texas

President Trump visited Alamo, Texas, on the Rio Grande river and the site of the 450th mile of wall his administration has built

President Trump was joined by border officials and Senator Lindsey Graham in his inspection

The border wall was Trump's biggest promise of his 2016 presidential campaign

In what is likely the final trip of his presidency, Trump examined the physical legacy of his time in the White House

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina walks with President Trump during the visit to the U.S.-Mexico border

Three Cabinet officials and several administration officials quit in the aftermath of the riots. Several remaining aides have privately expressed disgust with how long it took Trump to criticize the mob and to call for the nation to heal.

Before President Trump left for his Texas trip, he denied all responsibility for last week's riot, saying his fiery speech to his supporters before they marched on the Capitol was 'totally appropriate.'

WHO'S QUIT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SINCE MAGA MOBBED CAPITOL HILL? Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf Hope Hicks - who said it was not related to riots Melania Trump's Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Intelligence and Security John Costello Special Envoy for Northern Ireland and former OMB Director and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney The National Security Council's Senior Director for Europe and Russia Ryan Tully Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews Entire non-career staff of the Federal Aviation Administration Advertisement

In his first public remarks since Wednesday's MAGA storming of the Capitol, the president slammed Democrats, accusing them of creating 'tremendous danger' with their attempt to remove him from office but said repeatedly he wanted 'no violence.'

The president defended his speech at a rally on ellipse, where he encouraged his thousands of supporters to 'march' on the Capitol.

They did so, leaving five dead and a path of destruction in their wake in the form of busted windows, broken furniture and destroyed office space. Dozens have now been rounded up by police and FBI.

'If you read my speech - and many people have done it and I've seen it both in the papers and in the media, on television, it is been analyzed - and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate,' he said as he boarded Air Force One to head for Alamo, Texas, on the Mexican border, to inspect his wall.

'They've analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody to a tee thought it was totally appropriate,' he continued. He offered no indication of who 'they' are.

Trump also denounced the Democrats' efforts to remove him from office, which has been joined by some Republicans, to remove him from office - and called it a 'danger,' not his supporters' actions.

But, he said he wanted no violence from his supporters. Trump reportedly had initially enjoyed the sight of his supporters on Capitol Hill last week, fighting for him to illegally take a second term in the White House. He changed his tune and called on them to stand down when he warned he could be held legally responsible for their actions.

'We want no violence, never violence. We want absolutely no violence,' he said repeatedly Tuesday before he left for Texas to tout the completion of a section of his border wall.

'And on the impeachment, it's really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. This impeachment is causing tremendous anger,' he said.

He denounced Democratic leaders but made no mention of the Republicans who have called on him to leave office.

'It's really a terrible thing that they're doing for Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to continue on this path. I think it's causing tremendous danger to our country, and it's causing tremendous anger, I want no violence,' he said.

Not resigning: Donald Trump spoke in public for the first time since the MAGA riots, taking no responsibility and ignoring a question about whether he would resign

'I want no violence.' Trump claimed he was not fomenting riots - but then said his impeachment, which the House votes on Wednesday, is 'causing tremendous anger'

Farewell: Trump's trip to Texas is the only scheduled time away from the White House between now and leaving office. He is widely expected to fly to Florida on January 19, the day before Joe Biden is sworn in

Off to Alamo (not that one): Trump boarded Marine One to head for the Mexican border in Texas the town of Alamo, which is named for The Alamo but about 200 miles from the site of the original

Out of the White House: Trump's flight to Air Force One will be one of his last trips from the South Lawn

Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in the Capitol Tuesday ahead of a vote in the House calling on Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove President Trump from office

Later Tuesday, the House will vote on legislation calling on Vice President Mike Pence to start the process to remove Trump via the 25th amendment.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi set an ultimatum Monday that if Trump does not resign or Pence does not invoke the 25th Amendment, the House will move forward with impeaching the president for a second time.

The House will hold a vote Tuesday evening on a non-binding demand that Pence invoke the 25th Amendment.

Pence's advisers say he is opposed to this measure, indicating he will likely not move forward with meeting pressures from congressional Democrats in Trump's final eight days.

Republicans who have publicly broken with Trump since Wednesday's Capitol riots Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.) Said Trump 'committed impeachable offenses.' Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) Said the president had caused 'this insurrection.' Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) Called on Trump to resign. ' I want him out.' Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) Said Trump 'caused' the riot and called his response 'completely inadequate' Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) Called for Trump to resign and called 25th Amendment the 'next best thing.' Said he would 'vote the right way' on impeachment, without endorsing the tactic. Rep. Peter Meijer (Mich.) Said fellow Republicans told 'lied' and 'deceived' and called what happened an 'act of domestic terrorism' Advertisement

The House could vote as early as Wednesday at 9 a.m. on articles of impeachment. Republicans are not doing a 'whip count' - meaning leadership will not be arm twisting their members to support Trump. Instead top GOP officials said lawmakers should vote their conscious.

Pelosi told '60 Minutes' in an interview that aired Sunday that she prefers the 25th Amendment because that forces immediate removal, while impeachment wouldn't be resolved before Trump's term is up.

She fears Trump could use his final days to do more damage  like pardoning the mob who stormed the Capitol.

The Senate is in recess, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said they would not reconvene earlier than January 19 to receive articles from the House.

This means even if the lower chamber did elevate impeachment, action wouldn't be taken on the measure until the day before Joe Biden's inauguration at the earliest.

Trump's refusal to accept responsibility for Wednesday is likely to only anger further Democrats, but it is the Republican House and Senate caucus' reactions which will set his fate.

Some Republicans have already called for him to go but none has so far publicly backed impeachment.

Lindsey Graham, who claimed he was 'done' with the president last week, appeared to have had a dramatic change of heart and was traveling with him on Air Force One.

But others have privately said they need to see Trump take some responsibility, meaning his refusal could drive them into the Democrats' camp on impeachment.

Republicans are emerging from Trump's presidency deeply divided and the impeachment vote could scar the party even more.

Trump's allies, including his son Donald Trump Jr., are threatening to primary any Republican who does not support the president.

Meanwhile, a group of former administration officials and anti-Trump Republicans - calling themselves the the Republican Accountability Project - said they would make a $50 million commitment to support GOP lawmakers who voted for Trump's impeachment, The New York Times reported.

Trump also road-tested a defense for his impeachment in his remarks on Tuesday.

At the end of Trump's remarks, he appeared to reference guidance he has received from attorneys and aides about the content of his Wednesday speech  which form the basis for the impeachment article charging him with 'incitement of insurrection.'

His comment follows reports that White House counsel Pat Cipollone had warned Trump that he faces potential legal exposure for the remarks he made to the crowd that went on to storm the Capitol.

Although Trump did not specifically tell anyone to break a window or trespass, he did tell them to 'fight,' that 'when you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules,' that 'we're going to have to fight much harder,' and that 'if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.'

He also spoke as if Vice President Pence could make a difference in the outcome. 'If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election,' Trump said - meaning overturning the Electoral College results, which Pence said he did not have the power to do.

The final substantive paragraph, which he defended, told his supporters that 'we' would march to the Capitol to 'take back our country.'

'So we are going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue - I love Pennsylvania Avenue - and we are going to the Capitol.,' he said.

'And we are going to try and give  the Democrats are hopeless, they are never voting for anything, not even one vote  but we are going to try to give our Republicans  the weak ones because the strong ones don't need any of our help  going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,' Trump said. 'So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.'

He in fact returned to the White House.

Trump's initial response to the MAGA riot was to release a video message where he told his followers he loved them.

'We love you, you're very special,' he said in the short video posted to his Twitter account, which was still active at the time.

And he reiterated his original message, which had helped incite the mob, that the election had been stolen.

'I know your pain, I know you're hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it. Especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace,' he said.

His message appeared to have no effect on the mob, who was heard yelling for Vice President Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The day after the riots, Trump released a second video message where he acknowledged a 'new administration' was coming into the White House but he didn't congratulate President-elect Joe Biden nor even mention his name. He also denounced the mob.

'Those who violently besieged our Capitol, are the opposite of everything this administration stands for. The core value of our administration is the idea that all citizens have the right to live and safety, peace and freedom. Those who are working in this building are working to ensure an orderly transition of power. Now it is time for America to unites to come together to reject the violence that we have seen, we are one American people, full, under God,' he said.

What Trump told supporters before they ransacked the Capitol in 'totally appropriate' speech

We're going to have to fight much harder 'Republicans are constantly fighting like a boxer with his hands tied behind his back. It's like a boxer. And we want to be so nice. We want to be so respectful of everybody, including bad people. And we're going to have to fight much harder.' We're going to walk down to the Capitol 'We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. 'Get tougher' / You are allowed to go by very different rules 'The Republicans have to get tougher. Youre not going to have a Republican Party if you dont get tougher. They want to play so straight. They want to play so serious. The United States, the Constitution doesnt allow me to send them back to the states. Well, I would say yes, it does, because the Constitution says you have to protect our country, and you have to protect our Constitution, and you cant vote on fraud, and fraud breaks up everything, doesnt it? When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do, and I hope he doesnt listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that hes listening toWhen you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do, and I hope he doesn't listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that he's listening to.' Takes 'more courage not to step up' 'I also want to thank our 13 most courageous members of the U.S. Senate ... I actually think, though, it takes, again, more courage not to step up, and I think a lot of those people are going to find that out. And you better start looking at your leadership, because your leadership has led you down the tubes.' Never concede 'We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn't happen. You don't concede when there's theft involved. Our country has had enough.' On 'fake news' and 'Big tech' 'They rigged an election, they rigged it like they have never rigged an election before.' 'All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by bold and radical left Democrats, which is what they are doing, and stolen by the fake news media. That is what they have done and what they are doing. We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesnt happen. You dont concede when theres theft involved.' 'We will not take it anymore' 'Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about.' And to use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with, we will stop the steal.'

Denied Biden's vote count 'He had 80 million computer votes. Its a disgrace. Theres never been anything like that. You can take Third World countries, just take a look, take Third World countries, their elections are more honest than what we have been going through in this country. Its a disgrace. Its a disgrace. Even when you look at last night, they were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off with boxes, and nobody knows what the hell is going on. Theres never been anything like this. We will not let them silence your voices. Were not going to let it happen.' [Note: Biden got more than 81 million votes; Trump rounded up his own total to 75 million.] Call for military and law enforcement to join 'And I would love to have, if those tens of thousands of people would be allowed, the military, the Secret Service and we want to thank you  and the police and law enforcement  great, youre doing a great job. But I would love it if they could be allowed to come up with us. Is that possible? Can you just let them, please?' Pressure on Mike Pence: Says it takes 'courage' to do nothing 'I hope Mike is going to do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election ... All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to re-certify, and we become president, and you are the happiest people.' 'And I actually, I just spoke to Mike. I said, Mike, that doesnt take courage, what takes courage is to do nothing. That takes courage, and then we are stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot, and we have to live with that for four more years. Were just not going to let that happen.' Won't stand for Biden win 'We want to go back, and we want to get this right, because were going to have somebody in there that should not be in there, and our country will be destroyed. And were not going to stand for that.' 'You're not the people that tore down our nation' 'If this happened to the Democrats, thered be hell all over the country going on. Thered be hell all over the country. But just remember this, youre stronger, youre smarter. Youve got more going than anybody, and they try and demean everybody having to do with us, and youre the real people. Youre the people that built this nation. Youre not the people that tore down our nation.' March peacefully ... we will see whether Republicans stand strong 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today, we will see whether Republicans stand strong for the integrity of our elections. But whether or not they stand strong for our country  our country, our country has been under siege for a long time. Far longer than this four-year period' 'Ashamed ... throughout eternity' 'Today, we see a very important event, though, because right over there, right there, we see the event thats going to take place, and Im going to be watching because history is going to be made. Were going to see whether or not we have great and courageous leaders or whether or not we have leaders that should be ashamed of themselves throughout history, throughout eternity. Theyll be ashamed. And you know what? If they do the wrong thing, we should never, ever forget that they did. Never forget.' Calls Republicans who voted not to count certified votes 'warriors' 'I want to thank the more than 140 members of the House. Those are warriors.15 Theyre over there working like youve never seen before, studying, talking, actually going all the way back studying the roots of the Constitution because they know we have the right to send a bad vote that was illegally gotten.' Biden will be 'illegitimate' 'But think of this: If you dont do that, that means you will have a president of the United States for four years with his wonderful son, you will have a president who lost all of these states, or you will have a president, to put it another way, who was voted on by a bunch of stupid people who lost all of these states. You will have an illegitimate president. That is what you will have, and we cant let that happen.' Call to 'do something' about radical left 'The radical left knows exactly what they were doing. They are ruthless, and its time that somebody did something about it. And Mike Pence, I hope youre going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. (APPLAUSE) And if youre not, Im going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. Im not hearing good stories.' Election was 'stolen' 'Make no mistake, this election was stolen from you, from me, and from the country, and not a single swing state has conducted a comprehensive audit to remove the illegal ballots. This should absolutely occur in every single contested state before the election is certified.' Alleges 'criminal enterprise' 'So, when you hear  when you hear, While there is no evidence to prove any wrongdoing, this is the most fraudulent thing anybodys  this is a criminal enterprise. This is a criminal enterprise.' Fight like hell

'And again, most people would stand there at 9 oclock in the evening and say, I want to thank you very much, and they go off to some other life. But I said something is wrong here, something is really wrong, cant have happened, and we fight. We fight like hell, and if you dont fight like hell youre not going to have a country anymore.' Advertisement

It is not known which group of lawyers are currently advising Trump on his role before and during the riots.

Lawyer Rudy Giuliani spoke before Trump at the rally, telling participants to engage in 'trial by combat.' Lawyer Cleta Mitchell was on the line during Trump's call to ask a Georgia election official to 'find' 11,780 votes, but she resigned from her firm in the aftermath.

Trump broke his public silence after revealing his false belief that 'ANTIFA people' were behind Wednesday's riot in a private call to the most senior Republican in the House - who claimed that the president does accept some blame for the unrest that killed five people.

And he also publicly contradicted Kevin McCarthy, the fiercely loyal House Minority Leader, who told House Republicans on Monday that Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots and has accepted some responsibility, Politico reported, citing four Republican sources on a private call.

That left McCarthy publicly embarrassed, at a time when his caucus is splitting over what to do about Trump and donors are deserting.

Trump's abdication of responsibility came amid mounting fears that the violence is not over.

On Monday evening lawmakers were briefed by law enforcement that there were three active plots, including one involving 4,000 'armed patriots' planning to surround Congress. They had been issued with 'rules of engagement,' Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania told CNN - meaning when they would shoot people.

Trump on Monday declared a state of emergency in D.C. amid ratcheting tensions over violent plots which could rock Capitol Hill ahead of Biden's inauguration.

The declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as Democrats had been demanding.

Last week's chaos resulted in the deaths of four rioters and one Capitol Police officer from his wounds and the suicide of another; dozens of injuries; and extensive damage throughout the ransacked building.
Josephine Perry, the daughter of Australian celebrity chef and restaurateur Neil Perry, tied the knot with her partner Michael Clift on Sunday.

The lovebirds wed in the family's established Rockpool restaurant in the heritage-listed Art Deco City Mutual Building in Sydney CBD.

Josephine was a vision in white on her special day as her father stood proud beside her to give her away.

Congratulations! Celebrity chef Neil Perry's daughter Josephine hosts gorgeous wedding at family's Sydney restaurant Rockpool (pictured together)

Josephine oozed elegance in the A-line tea-length bridal number.

The dress was certainly fit for a princess, and her long sleeves had a quirky puff element - almost reminiscent of chef hats.

Her luscious blonde locks were styled in a neat up-do, with her veil tucked seamlessly around the tight bun.

Vision in white! Josephine was absolutely glowing on her special day in a chic A-line tea-length bridal number. Pictured L to R: Celebrity chef Neil Perry, Michael Clift, Josephine Perry-Clift and Adele Perry

Sealed with a kiss: The lovebirds wed in the family's established Rockpool restaurant in the heritage-listed Art Deco City Mutual Building in Sydney CBD

Coincidence? Josephine's dress was certainly fit for a princess, and her long sleeves had a quirky puff element - almost reminiscent of chef hats

Adding glamour to her classic look, the beautiful bride wore a set of eye-catching pearl drop earring and sparkly silver heels.

Josephine's makeup was flawlessly applied and she clutched a small bouquet, which cemented her stunning bridal look.

Posing for photos on the street with her famous father, Neil looked suave in a black suit with a white rose lapel.

He couldn't contain his pride as he grinned from ear-to-ear next to his daughter.

Josephine previously followed in her father's footsteps with her own restaurant, Missy French in Potts Point, but it was forced to close one year after opening.

Her little girl is married: Her mother Adele covered up in a semi-sheer black gown, and was seen helping her daughter with her veil and bouquet outside

A black and blue dress code? Seemingly a style choice, Josephine's bridesmaids were all wearing black too, sporting matching strapless dresses with identical heels

Her mother Adele covered up in a semi-sheer black gown, and was seen helping her daughter with her veil and bouquet outside.

Seemingly a style choice, Josephine's bridesmaids were all wearing black too, sporting matching strapless dresses with identical heels.

Posing outside atop a grand staircase, Josephine kissed her new husband in a romantic display of their affection.

The couple's bridesmaids and groomsmen stood beside them for a series of photos also, before other family members joined in for separate celebratory photos.

One for the wedding album! Posing outside atop a grand staircase, Josephine kissed her new husband in a romantic display of their affection

Nearest and dearest: Despite current state coronavirus restrictions limiting nuptials to a guest-list of no more than 100, the family appeared to opt for a more intimate ceremony of 50

Despite current state coronavirus restrictions limiting nuptials to a guest-list of no more than 100, the family appeared to opt for a more intimate ceremony of 50.

Interestingly none of the guests were spotted wearing a face mask as they left the venue and flooded the nearby footpaths.

On Instagram it appeared some of the couple's international and interstate friends were forced to watch the ceremony via video link.

Love is in the air: Three Blue Ducks owner Darren Robertson and his wife Magdalena Roze looked loved-up as ever as they held hands outside of the venue

Black to basics: Magdalena, who is a TV weather presenter and journalist, wore a stylish black dress with a leather corset across her midsection

Of those that were able to attend, a number of high-profile media personalities made sure to wish the couple well in person.

Three Blue Ducks owner Darren Robertson and his wife Magdalena Roze looked loved-up as ever as they held hands outside of the venue.

Magdalena, who is a TV weather presenter and journalist, wore a stylish black dress with a leather corset across her midsection.

Va-va-voom: Model Simone Holtznagel looked upbeat at the function, sporting a silk navy gown with a thigh-high slit across her toned legs

Model Simone Holtznagel looked upbeat at the function, sporting a silk navy gown with a thigh-high slit across her toned legs.

She also highlighted her busty frame in the low-cut frock.

The couple later hosted a reception, where Josephine changed into a pink dress.
ELI IMADALI/AMERICAN-STATESMAN, MBR / TNS

A petition is circulating calling for Sen. Ted Cruz to be disbarred for his objections to certifying President-elect Joe Biden's win, which many believe contributed to the violent attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

More than 9,000 lawyers and law students have signed a petition calling for the disbarment of Cruz and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who joined Cruz in objecting to the certification of the election results. Cruz and Hawley continued with their objections even after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing representatives to evacuate and causing 5 deaths, including the death of a Capitol police officer.
Nancy Bush Ellis, a longtime Democrat who helped her Republican brother and nephew get elected president, has died of complications of coronavirus at the age of 94.

We are sad to share that President Bushs beloved sister, Nancy Bush Ellis, has passed away.

Our condolences and prayers are with the Ellis and Bush families as we remember a remarkable woman who brought joy and light to the world, the George and Barbara Bush Foundation posted on social media.

She died on Sunday at an assisted living facility in Concord, Massachusetts, her son Alexander Ellis III told The New York Times.

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She was in hospital on December 30 with a fever and tested positive for coronavirus, he said.

Although she was a Democrat for decades who backed environmental and antipoverty causes, she was first and foremost fiercely loyal to her family.

She was a Democrat for whom family came first, George H.W. Bush biographer Jon Meacham told the Times.

She supported and campaigned not only for her brother George H.W. Bush, and her nephew George W. Bush, but for other family members running for public office, including nephew Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida.

If I wrote 5,000 words, I could not express adequately how I felt, listening to that speech, she wrote in The Boston Globe of watching her brother accept the nomination at the 1988 Republican convention.

One of five children who was born and spent much of her life living in Massachusetts, she is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
[January 11, 2021] OnTime Networks' CM-4012F0-MIL Gigabit Ethernet Switch selected for use in the Canadian Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV)

DALLAS, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OnTime Networks, a global leader for rugged, time synchronized Ethernet solutions for the Aerospace and Defense Industry, announced today the selection of its military rated CM-4012F0-MIL 12 Port Gigabit Ethernet switch by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada for use in the Canadian Army's Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV). OnTime Networks was awarded a multi-year production order for the supply of the CM-4012F0-MIL to General Dynamics. Scott Killian, Sales Director of OnTime Networks, stated "We are excited about our selection by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. This North American production order is a strong example of our continued progress in providing world class Ethernet Switces/Routers and Time Servers for the Ground Vehicle market. It reinforces our commitment to providing the most advanced and reliable networks and time synchronization solutions for high-speed military ground vehicle Vetronics and C5ISR applications."



About CM-4012F0-MIL Series:

The CM-4012F0-MIL is a rugged managed gigabit Ethernet switch specially designed to operate reliably in the harsh climatically and noisy electrical demanding environments of ground combat vehicle (e.g. extreme shock, and vibration, wide temperatures, humidity, dust and water exposure, noisy EMI, dirty power) applications. The newly enhanced Cloudberry CM-4012F0 12-port Layer2+ GbE switch, featuring two (2) 55-pin Shell Size 17 MIL-DTL-38999 III connectors, each holding six (6) GbE ports and one (1) 5-pin Shell Size 11 MIL-DTL-38999 III power connector, providing dual power input capability. This latest powerful addition to the CM-4000 Series, combines the requirement for small size, weight, power consumption, and cost (SWaP-C) optimization (2 lbs. weight / 10 Watt power consumption), with GbE connectivity and the latest MIL-STD 1275E power requirements for military ground vehicle use, as well as further addresses the need for MIL-DTL-38999 connectors. The CM-4012F0 is available in MIL and AER versions addressing the unique requirements of ground vehicle (MIL-STD-1275E) and airborne (MIL-STD-704) applications. The CM-4012 is qualified to temperatures of -55.. +85C(*), 85.000ft altitude and provides 250ms hold-over capability. About OnTime Networks

OnTime Networks is a technology leader for rugged, time synchronized, fully managed, modular Gigabit Ethernet switches, specifically designed to operate reliably in the harsh and climatically demanding environments of the Aerospace and Defense Industry. Recognized for innovation and excellence, OnTime focuses on precise time over Ethernet according to IEEE 1588 (PTP) as core technology. For more information, please visit www.ontimenet.com.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ontime-networks-cm-4012f0-mil-gigabit-ethernet-switch-selected-for-use-in-the-canadian-armoured-combat-support-vehicle-acsv-301205850.html SOURCE OnTime Networks

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SPRINGFIELD  The city provided coronavirus vaccines to approximately 250 police officers, firefighters and other first responders Tuesday at Boland Elementary School.

The vaccine rollout went very smoothly, said Helen R. Caulton-Harris, the citys commissioner of health and human services. Having the vaccine get into the arms of our first-responders is critical to the health and well-being of those who bravely serve our residents in times of crisis.

The free vaccines were initially provided to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, and have now been extended to first responders.

The program began Tuesday and continues daily through Friday. The hours on Tuesday and Thursday are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the hours on Wednesday and Friday are 8 a.m. to noon.

The vaccine program occurs as Springfield recorded its highest one-week total for new COVID-19 since the pandemic began. There were 1,177 new COVID-19 cases Jan. 3-9 among Springfield residents, officials said.

The vaccine clinic is offered by the citys Health and Human Services Department in collaboration with American Medical Response (AMR) and Springfield Public Schools nurses, Caulton-Harris said.

After having their temperature checked, first responders filled out intake forms and registered, Caulton-Harris said. They proceeded to six vaccination stations staffed by AMR personnel. After getting the shot they spent a brief time in an observation area in case any vaccine recipients suffered side effects.

There appeared to be no adverse reactions on site, Caulton-Harris said. I am extremely grateful to our partners. Without the collaboration, this vaccination effort could not have been successful.

The observation and registration areas were staffed by school nurses. School facilities staff provided maintenance at the Boland school on Armory Street.

Local hospital officials are urging the federal and state government to speed up the distribution of the vaccines to combat the spread of the virus.

About 60 sites have been set up around the state to vaccinate an estimated 45,000 people over several weeks, the Associated Press reported.
Istanbul, Jan 12  The UN Development Programmes (UNDP) Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) and Turkeys International Health Services Inc. (USHAS) launched a new report  Lessons Learned and Strategies for Local Manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 Response Based on Literature Review, Experience and Case Study from Turkey: USHAS, at a virtual ceremony today.

The new report is the outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between UNDP and Turkey USHAS back in June 2020. The objective of this partnership has been to work together to strengthen local capacity and build opportunities and transfer knowledge between Turkey and partner countries for developing high-quality PPE production and distribution within the framework of South-South Cooperation.

Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDPs Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, New York stated, Despite phenomenal news of vaccines and the roll out, it is as important to manage high demand for quality Protective Equipment produced under sustainable business practices. UNDPs engagement with private sector on COVID-19 response focuses on collaboration, sustaining and supporting private sector resilience and viability; and, building capacity for resilient, inclusive, low carbon recovery.

H.E. Prof. Dr. Emine Alp Mese, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Turkey stated, Substandard and uncertified PPEs if they find their way into the countries risk the security and health of especially frontline health care workers and citizens, undermine the public health measures in practice and revert the progress against pandemic.

The new report showcases good practices from Turkey including the measures taken to mitigate the challenges of coordinating the production line and bottlenecks in the PPE value chain, including the distribution in domestic and international markets. The report includes information on PPE raw materials, necessary equipment and skills and the cost of production, making it a one stop shop for manufacturers.

Additionally, the report draws upon key sources including but not limited to World Health Organizations most recent publications on COVID-19 and PPE standard requirements, International Finance Corporations tool for determining cost of production and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments PPE value chain analysis, World Trade Organizations overview on the import-export restrictions, Asian Development Banks PPE market analysis among others.

Media queries: Sangita Khadka, Communications Specialist, UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, email: sangita.khadka@undp.org | Tel: +1 212 906 5043
Covishield vaccine's first consignment left Serum Institute of India's (SII) Pune facility in the early hours of Tuesday, January 12, four days before India starts its mass vaccination programme.

Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of SII's gates before 5 am, on their way to Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be transported across the country on a special cargo plane.

A 'puja' was also performed before the vehicles left Serum Institute's facility. The trucks carried 478 boxes of coronavirus vaccines with each box weighing 32 kg.

Also Read: Covishield to cost Rs 200 a vial; Serum Institute receives purchase order from government

The wagons left the company's premises at Manjari to reach the airport which is located 15 km from the facility. From there, the vaccines will be flown to 13 locations across the country by 10 am. These locations include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Karnal, Kolkata, and Vijayawada.

The vaccines will be flown from Pune on eight commercial flights, including two cargo flights, a source told PTI. The first cargo flight will cover Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Bhubaneswar and the second cargo flight will go to Kolkata and Guwahati, he added.

The consignment for Mumbai will leave by road. Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry vaccine stocks from the Serum Institute. Among the first batch, one consignment is scheduled to be shipped by an Air India cargo flight to Ahmedabad.

Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: Covishield transport from Serum Institute may begin on January 11 or 12

On Monday, January 11, Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel tweeted that his state will receive the first consignment of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday at 10.45 am at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad.

The central government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over six crore doses of vaccines from the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the nationwide vaccination drive beginning January 16.

Interacting with state chief ministers on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the enormity of what he called the world's biggest vaccination exercise, saying over 30 crore citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 2.5 crore people vaccinated so far in over 50 countries in around a month.
OYO and its European business of OYO Vacation Homes (OVH) has today announced that Martin HP Soderstrom has joined the companys Board in the region as a Non-executive Director. As a mark of his trust and commitment towards the company, Martin will also be buying shares worth an undisclosed amount in the parent company. Belvilla, along with its sister brands, including DanCenter, Danland, Traum Ferienwohnugen, Stugsommar, TUI Ferienhaus which are a part of the OYO family, offers the best choice of vacation homes to customers all across Europe, especially in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Nordic & Southern European countries. OYOs vacation homes business has gone from niche to mainstream within just one year. It is therefore a large and critical part of the companys global business, and OYO is committed to investing and growing it. In recent months, an additional 3,400 homeowners throughout Europe have joined the company adding more than 5,000 homes to the current portfolio of the company.

The move is a welcome development as OYO, through its brands Belvilla, Dancenter, Traum Ferienwohnungen, Stugsommar, is doubling down on its sustainable growth and presence in the region, given the strong trend of customers choosing vacation homes as an overwhelmingly better alternative than larger star hotels. After the recent conclusion of the acquisition of TUI Ferienhaus business from e-domizil GmbH, the company is now the second-largest globally in the vacation homes space by number of homes.

As a member of the Board, Martin will work closely with the management team of OYO to drive continued and sustainable growth in the company. He will provide guidance on potential M&A opportunities, and would also assist the organization in building deep strategic partnerships with other leading, EU-based companies and lay out its brand positioning strategy as a thought leader in the vacation rental space.

With a strong background in banking, specifically corporate finance advisory and strategic M&As, and deep expertise in the private banking and family office market, Martin Soderstrom is a veteran in building and growing technology-led companies and a notable name in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. He is Chairman of DIG Investment, a private investment office focused on direct investments in the global alternatives market, which he founded in 2011. Its primary area of investments are in tech-related companies in the growth to Pre-IPO phase. Today, DIG Investment has a portfolio in Asia, Europe and the US within consumer brands, shared economies, retail, hospitality.

Martin is also the Chairman & Founder of HMP (private office), HH&P Executive Search (HR/ Recruitment), and HM Philip (Advisory Boutique). He is also the Founding Member of Brilliant Minds (a Symposium held in Stockholm) and DJURSHOLM Country Club (a Family Members Club in Stockholm). He is also on the Board of Ocean Outdoor (Digital out of home), Randviken (real estate), and Grundens (Commercial & Sportfishing apparel). He is also a Senior Advisor at Polar Structure (Infrastructure in the Nordics), and supports and guides a large group of Swedish and International single-family offices. Martin was born in Thailand and is a native of Sweden, where he studied economics and law.

Martins appointment further signals OYOs commitment towards strengthening its corporate governance globally. The company had earlier appointed Troy Alstead, former COO Starbucks, Gerardo Issac (Gerry) Lopez, Operating Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund, Betsy Atkins, CEO & Founder of Baja Corporation and Dr W. Steve Albrecht as the members of OYOs Global Board.

OYO Vacation Homes, today offers fully managed, beautiful private homes in great locations under multiple brands, including Belvilla, DanCenter, Danland, Traum-Ferienwohnungen, and the recently acquired, TUI Ferienhaus. With over 50,000 homeowners, 140,000 homes in 70 countries worldwide and 2.8 million guests annually, OVH is already a leading player in the European holiday home market. OYO Hotels & Homes is anchoring its road to recovery, as OYO evolves from being a resilient brand to a resurgent brand with strong and healthy booking and occupancy trends in Europe, powered by its proprietary technology, world-class revenue management suite, data science capabilities, operational capabilities and end-to-end ownership of customer and homeowner experience. Its brand DanCenter recorded significant growth of 137% in its last-minute bookings while Belvillas last-minute bookings increased by 56% (in July & August). This trend is explained by the preference of travellers towards holiday homes in todays uncertain times, as the same offers private space while maintaining distance from others.

Commenting on the development, Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes, said, For OYO, its customers and homeowners in the EU region, especially in the Nordics, hold immense strategic importance. Given Martins deep understanding of the region and strong business acumen, I am elated to welcome him as an investor and a fellow Board member at OYO Europe. He has a proven track record of investing and growing tech-focused businesses in India and globally with immense knowledge about the Asian and global entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem. We are positive that his deep experience in M&As and working with high-growth companies will add a lot of value to our growth journey in Europe, both organic and inorganic, and support us in our long-term goal of an IPO. Today, OYOs Vacation Home business in Europe is leading OYOs road to recovery, given customers trust and continued preference for small and independent boutique homes and hotels over large five-star properties. I see this trend of small hotels and vacation homes leading a structural change in the industry, and I believe small is the new big. We are already seeing this in action in the form of healthy booking, occupancies and revenue trends.

I must add that my first interaction with Martin happened over a long call where I was in a small hill town in India and he was in Sweden. That day made me realise two things. One, how technology is breaking boundaries, and two, how we both have common aspirations of creating an impact by generating employment opportunities, supporting entrepreneurs and creating better living spaces across Europe, Scandinavia and the world at large. I look forward to working with Martin, he added.

As the world continues to cope and certain economies open up, OYO has started seeing green shoots of progress and recovery. Occupancies and demand have shown an upward trend across all the brands, including Belvilla, DanCenter, Danland, Stugsommar Traum Ferienwohnungen and TUI Ferienhaus. There is a new trend of people working from a holiday home, while advance bookings under these brands continue to grow.
Ive lost track of the last time that my hands and feet didnt go numb on an Ear to the Ground shoot day.

Of course, if I was doing a real days work, Id be moving and keeping the circulation going.

TV is basically a lot of standing around, and Covid has only intensified the exposure as we try to interview everybody outdoors.

But I know I should be grateful that we are in production at all. Its bad enough to see swathes of the economy in paralysis with Covid, but spare a thought for forestry workers that are witnessing a once prospering industry implode because of red-tape.

With an annual output of over 2bn, forestry is close to the beef sector in terms of its economic importance, and all the statistics would suggest that it has a lot more potential for development than the latter.

Life-support

However, the sector is on life-support because the volume of appeals against either planting or clear-felling has completely bunged up the Department of Agriculture.

Some of the outcomes are simply scandalous. How else do you explain why Irelands largest private tree nursery, None So Hardy, dumped a million tree samplings at a time when we are all being urged to plant more trees?

On Ear to the Ground recently, I interviewed Pat Glennon, who runs one of the biggest timber processors in the country.

I was shocked to hear that Glennon Brothers have resorted to chartering a boat to ferry thousands of tonnes of trees from Scotland in order to safeguard the hundreds of employees and contractors that rely on them for a living.

Picture it: a boat scuttling back and forth full-time between Ireland and Scotland ferrying trees despite the fact that we have ample forestry here waiting to be felled.

Landowners in limbo

I spoke to one of thousands of landowners stuck in limbo waiting for permission to harvest their forests. Pat McCarrick struck me as exactly the type of land-owner that Irelands forestry sector needs. Over 30 years ago, he planted up nearly 30 acres of land that was so wet that his family often lost stock that got stuck in its watery hollows.

He is desperate to clear-fell his plantation now because his B&B business has folded due to Covid. And he is also keen to adopt a different approach to the replanting of the land, because he is that bit wiser about the environmental impact of a Sitka monoculture 30 years on.

"Its only now that I realise that I dont hear the curlew around here any more, and if I am replanting I can afford to think a bit more long-term about the eventual outcome for the forestry, he said. Id love to plant a broadleaf mix of native species here and develop walkways in it to turn it into an amenity for visitors.

With his plantation running along the banks of the Moy, a publicly accessible broadleaf forest in place of the existing Sitka has the potential to be a real boon to the locality.

Serial objectors

But thats not on the table at the moment because two objectors have lodged appeals against his felling license. The fact that they reside outside the county just rubs salt in Pats wounds.

While most plantation owners and the Department of Agriculture blame the calculated tactics of these serial objectors, Pat Glennon took a very different view.

He said the fault lies squarely with the Department of Agriculture. The Department stress that they have increased their capacity to deal with objections by hiring at least 20 new people, and point to the fact that they are constrained by the recent changes in the interpretation of EU law.

But Mr Glennon dismisses all of these points as excuses. He is convinced that there has been a total lack of urgency at management level in the Department of Agriculture, despite constant warning from sector representatives like himself.

Whoever is to blame, the result is a shameful reflection on the countrys ability to harness its natural economic potential. When law-abiding landowners like Pat McCarrick find their life-savings tied up in red-tape, despite their best efforts to do their bit for future generations, who can blame farmers for turning their backs on forestry?

And where will we be then? So much for our national forestry targets. More like a national forestry disgrace.
Two of the biggest carriers at Charleston International have joined two of their rivals in cracking down on furry freeloaders.

Under policies that took effect Monday, Delta and United are no longer allowing passengers to bring emotional-support and therapy animals along for the ride without their owners paying for them. Exceptions will be made for prior bookings, which will be honored.

The moves follow similar policies announced earlier last week by Alaska and American, which also serve CHS.

The changes follow a newly finalized U.S. Transportation Department rule that gives airlines the power to rein in the growing number of emotional-support animals taking up space in their cabins in recent years.

It replaces a regulation that some carriers and flight crews said travelers had increasingly abused. That rule allowed passengers to bring an animal on board for free, simply by claiming that it provided them with emotional support.

Atlanta-based Delta, which is the oldest airline at Charleston International and the largest based on passenger volume, has seen a nearly 85 percent increase in animal incidents since 2016, including urination, defecation and biting, said David Garrison, a senior vice president in charge of security.

Our top priority is the health, safety and comfort of Delta customers and our people," he said in a statement last week. "We strongly believe this policy change will enhance the overall travel experience for everyone.

Frontier, which also offers flights from Charleston International, announced Monday that it had joined the others in adopting the new policy.

Most of the airlines that are cracking down will only allow trained service dogs in their cabins without being secured in a crate. And even those four-legged flyers will need a government-approved form attesting to their training, vaccines and disposition.

Pet owners can still transport animals in the cargo hold or in pet carriers that fit under a seat in the cabin for a fee that typically starts at around $125 per flight.

But the days of a free ride for Rover is over.

Closing the gap

The Palmetto State is catching a glimpse of a narrowing gap between its pre-COVID and current tourism numbers.

For the week ended Jan. 2, about 44 percent of South Carolina's hotel rooms were full. While that's not a particularly large share, it's notable in one way: It's the closest the occupancy figure for the state has gotten to the corresponding year-earlier figure since the pandemic began in mid-March, according to a weekly report from the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

In the same week, occupancy in the U.S. was down 17 percent, and for the Southeast region, down 11 percent.

The Charleston and West Ashley area had the highest occupancy rate in the state at 63 percent, which had been common pre-pandemic but not since then.

For most of last year, the Holy City's hospitality numbers have been trailing the statewide average, likely because the loss of travel business from the "fly market" has been felt most acutely in Charleston.

Lidls lot

Lidl is taking ownership  of the land under its future North Charleston store.

The no-fills European discount grocery chain recently acquired the 4.84-acre site on Dorchester Road near Riverbluff Parkway. The German company's Arlington, Va.-based U.S. division paid $3.05 million for the property, according to Dorchester County land records.

The seller is an affiliate of Charlotte-based Collett Real Estate, which is developing a neighboring 83,500-square shopping center to be called Cedar Grove that will include retailers and restaurants spread over four buildings.

The newly carved-out Lidl outparcel will accommodate a 30,000-square-foot store, according to an online marketing brochure. Construction has not yet started on the supermarket and an opening date has not been announced.

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Lidl, which operates in similar fashion to rival grocer Aldi, opened its first Charleston-area store more than three years ago in Goose Creek. It also owns that site, paying an even $3 million for the 6.2-acre St. James Avenue property in 2016.

The North Charleston location would be Lidl's second in the region and, as of last week, its 14th statewide.

The company announced plans in August to invest more than $500 million to open 50 stores employing an average of 40 workers each by the end of 2021. Lidl's U.S. operations are within a nine-state East Coast footprint stretching from New York to South Carolina. One new supermarket was earmarked for the Palmetto State under the latest expansion push.

Labor cost

A big South Carolina manufacturer is facing a six-figure staffing bill.

Giti Tire has been ordered to pay more than half a million dollars to a firm that provided it with temporary workers at its Chester County plant. As part of an arbitration proceeding in federal court, Reliable Management Solutions is due $520,000 from the company for labor invoices dating back to 2018.

David Shelton, director of industry relations for the manufacturer, described the lawsuit as a "good-faith dispute" over billing and alleged damage caused to the Richburg factory, which is south of Charlotte. The judge said it was "apparent" that the reason Giti didn't pay was because it was having "cash flow problems."

Since announcing that it would build its first North American factory in South Carolina in 2014, Singapore-based Giti has received tens of millions of dollars in public taxpayer money in exchange for its promise to invest $560 million and create 1,700 new jobs over 10 years.

The state put up $39.9 million through a state grant to help purchase the land and improve the 1,100-acre factory site. In late 2018, the company became eligible for up to $30 million in future tax incentives from the state for creating a set number of jobs. And in 2020, the company was granted a $7.9 million loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program.

Safe for now South Carolina has avoided the latest round of bloodletting at Bed Bath & Beyond. The household-goods retail chain known for its 20 percent discount coupons announced last summer it would shutter 200 locations, or 21 percent of the total, over two years in an effort to right-size the company and pump more resources into its online business. The store optimization plan" will save an estimated $250 million to $350 million a year. Last month, the retailer identified the first 63 locations that will go dark. None was in the Palmetto State, which also escaped a previous round of closings announced a year ago. A new list of 43 stores that are shutting their doors by the end of February was released last week. Once again, South Carolina gets a pass. The retailers website shows a dozen stores around the state, with six split between the Charleston and Columbia markets. The others are in the Upstate, Aiken, Bluffton, Florence and Myrtle Beach. But none is safe at this point. The New Jersey-based company still has about 80 stores left to shed under the cost-cutting plan.

Pet-friendly

Fido and Fluffy apparently feel right at home in the Lowcountry.

A new study from rent.com placed Charleston as one of the top 10 U.S. cities for pets based on its availability of pet-friendly apartments (93 percent), the number of pet businesses per 10,000 residents (14) and the average veterinarian costs ($50.50).

The math was good enough for the No. 2 ranking.

Greeley, Colo., topped the list. It was followed by Ann Arbor, Mich.; Boulder, Colo.; Tyler, Texas; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Arvada, Colo.; Naperville, Ill.; Vacaville, Calif.; and Davie, Fla.

Viral outreach

At a local health care system, the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has turned into a job opportunity.

By definition, it's temporary. But Tidelands Health, which is based in Georgetown, says it needs additional staff to help as it deals with a wave of COVID-19 that has "stretched our workforce to the limit."

Tidelands wants to recruit workers with previous health care experience in the vaccination effort. But others who know a thing or two about data entry or customer service may also find openings as a clinic registrar.

Gayle Resetar, the health systems chief operating officer, called on the community to pitch in.

"If you are a retired nurse, if youve left the work force or even if youre already working in our community but would like to earn additional income, this is a great opportunity to serve," she said in a statement.

In the interim, Tidelands Health, which operates two hospitals along the South Carolina coast, is leaning on help from the state's National Guard.

And an additional bonus: Those who get the new jobs will also be inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, which for the time being is limited to essential health care workers and the staff and residents of nursing homes.
Advertisement

Absolutely paw-some!

That's one way to describe these images of two rescue dogs enjoying trips to some of Europe's most mesmerising landscapes.

The beautiful photos feature former Romanian street dogs Finn (the brown dog) and Yuri (the black and white dog) and were snapped by their Austrian owner, Anne Geier, in countries such as Italy, Norway and Switzerland.

Anne, a full-time photographer, has been taking her pets on trips across Europe for the past three years and they are often joined by her boyfriend, Robert. In 2019, they bought a Volkswagen T4 campervan, which they use for travelling, and although Anne admits that it can sometimes be hard living out of a van - she says her dogs love it.

The snapper, who is from the small Austrian village of Tauplitz, tells MailOnline Travel: 'I started taking photos of Yuri and Finn during our travels to create loving memories for us, to show people around the world a piece of their beautiful souls combined with breathtaking landscapes and to show how special and unique rescue dogs are.

'When we are travelling, it is the best time for the dogs. They get 24 hours of quality time with their owners and it's everything they need to be happy. You can see and feel how much they enjoy travelling.' Scroll down to see some of the most amazing shots from their epic trips...

Just paw-fect: Rescue dog Finn admires the magical 262ft (80m) high Fontanone di Goriuda waterfall in the Val Raccolana valley in the Julian Alps in north-west Italy, close to the border with Slovenia. His owner, photographer Anne Geier, says the picture 'looks a bit like a painting as it's such a fairytale landscape'

Anne says her dogs loved visiting the Italian Dolomites, pictured, as it is home to 'thousands of marmots'. She explains: 'They are little hunters and they prefer places with many wild animals, where they can search their traces.' Pictured is Yuri looking out to the rugged peaks of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains. The highest peak here stands at 9,839ft (2,999m)

This mesmerising image shows Yuri staring out from the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland, which crosses the Bernese Alps at a potentially dizzying elevation of 7,100ft (2,164m). Anne says that lurking in the background are the Brunberg and Sidelhorn mountains

Here Finn is investigating the rocky perimeter of the Barglistuber, a 144ft (44m) high waterfall in the Glarus region of eastern Switzerland. Anne said: 'When we are travelling, it is the best time of the year for the dogs. They get 24 hours of quality time with their owners'

Another enchanting shot of Finn next to the Barglistuber waterfall. According to My Switzerland, it has been described as 'one of Switzerlands most beautiful waterfalls'

Finn perches on a rock and sits for the camera on a visit to the Dachstein mountains in Styria, southeast Austria. Anne says that in the distance you can see the Gosau Glacier on the Dachstein Massif

An other-worldly shot of Anne and her pets sitting on a paragliders' launchpad above a sea of clouds with the Ausseer Zinken - a 6,082ft (1,854m) mountain on the Dachstein plateau - in Austria ahead of them

A playful Yuri on a jetty on the mesmerising Lake Fuschl, which is in the popular Salzkammergut holiday region of the Austrian state of Salzburg. Anne says: 'Travelling with dogs is quite easy. You just have to take care of what the entry requirements for dogs are for each country'

This epic view shows Yuri on the protected island of Runde off the coast of Norway - best known as a haven for birds. Anne says she is keen to take the dogs to Norway again but to go further north to the spectacular Lofoten Islands

An ethereal image of Finn in woods close to the town of Bad Goisern - a popular holiday destination in central Austria. Anne says her biggest dream would be to take her dogs on a trip to Iceland post-lockdown. But, unfortunately, due to strict entry requirements and quarantine rules for dogs, she does not believe it will be possible

This heartwarming snap shows Finn relaxing on a boat on Austria's Lake Hallstatt. The mayor of the village on its shore that shares the name last year had to beg tourists to stay away after rumours emerged it was the inspiration for the fairytale city of Arendelle in Disney's Frozen movies. It became mobbed by 10,000 visitors a day, some of whom let themselves into homes to use the bathrooms

Finn explores an ice cave in the Rhone Glacier in the southern part of the Swiss Alps. The 328ft (100m) long tunnel is recut in the glacier each year and 'glows in magically fine shades of blue', according to My Switzerland

Anne shot this spectacular image of Yuri 'dancing' at the Nufenen Pass in the Swiss Alps. The pass sits at 8,129ft (2,478m) and is one of the highest mountain roads in Switzerland. Lonely Planet describes it as 'probably the most remote gateway into Switzerlands Italian canton [Ticino]'

This stunning shot shows Finn looking towards the Bondhusbreen glacier in Folgefonna National Park in Norway. Anne says that the dogs much prefer to visit countries in northern Europe as they 'aren't really too happy when in hot temperatures'

Anne and her dogs travel around in her Volkswagen T4 campervan, which she bought in 2019. She says: 'We are totally free and flexible and not bound on any accommodation. The dogs love the van. It's like a home for them.' Pictured is Finn on the edge of Gosau Lake, a small mountain lake in the Gosau Valley of Austria

Finn perches on a rocky outcrop in Gosau Lake in Austria after being carried there by Anne's boyfriend, Robert. She jokes: 'Even though the water was not that deep - my dogs don't like to walk through water'

This jaw-dropping scene shows Yuri and the view from Eidfjord - 'one of the most beautifully sited towns in this part of Norway, dwarfed by sheer mountains and cascading waterfalls', according to Lonely Planet. Anne stresses that in pictures where her dogs look close to the edge of precarious drops, they are always wearing a leash

As well as returning to Norway, Anne is eager to take her dogs to Scotland and some of the Baltic countries once it's safe to do so. Pictured is Finn in Norway at Hardangervidda National Park, which at 1,321 square miles (3,422 square kilometres) is the largest national park in the country

Pictured left is a spectacular shot of Finn next to the stunning Johannes Waterfall in Obertauern, Salzburg. On the right is Yuri in an eerie image taken on a hazy day in woods near the village of Strobl in Salzburg

Anne admits that living out of a camper van when travelling can be tough. She explains: 'It's a very simple way of life and you have to just bring the important things. Of course, sometimes it's also quite hard to have no shower for days or to sleep in a cold car.' Pictured is Finn surveying the scene from a tent in Austria's Obertraun - a village close to Hallstatt

This striking image, featuring Finn, was taken at Lago di Braies - a beautiful mountain lake in the Italian Dolomites that usually attracts 600,000 tourists each year

A mesmerising shot of Seiser Alm, the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe, and the jagged peaks of the Italian Dolomites beyond. And, of course, Finn and Yuri!

Finn exploring the woods near Irdning, a village in the Austrian state of Styria. Owner Anne has worked as a full-time dog photographer for three years
Army chief general Manoj Mukund Naravane said in a press briefing on Tuesday that India was aware of Chinese mobilisation in eastern Ladakh, but could not anticipate their intentions.

Naravane said, We were aware of Chinese mobilization in eastern Ladakh, but we could not anticipate their intentions. This was first mover advantage.

This comes hours after it was reported that China had relocated up to 10,000 troops from its training facilities located around 80-100 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. However, people familiar with the developments said that they had not reduced deployment in frontline areas in the region. Naravane said, "Their training areas which were in depth areas have been vacated. But no decrease in strength in friction point."

ALSO READ: China Thins Down Troops at Training Facilities in Depth Areas of Ladakh, No Impact on Operational Deployment

He informed the media that the government has said, "we will stand firm against the Chinese and talks will continue".

"Friction points are there in the central and eastern sectors of the LAC where China has developed infrastructure. We keep monitoring it and factor it in our strategy," he said.

The army chief said, "We should not read too much into their presence or absence in these training areas. But we keep an eye on them because they can be mobilized by the Chinese in 48 hrs."

Speaking of the challenges faced by the Indian army, he said the biggest ones in 2020 were China and Covid-19. He said together with Pakistan China formed a potent threat that could not be wished away.

He said there was increased cooperation between the two countries in the the military and non-militray sphere. "A two-front threat is something we need to be prepared for," he said.

Naravane said, Pakistan continues to embrace terrorism. We have zero-tolerance for terror. We reserve our right to respond at a time and place of our own choosing and with precision. This is a clear message we have sent across.

The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in an eight-month-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh. India and China have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks after a face-off began on May 5, 2020 following violent clashes between the two armies in the Pangong lake area. However, no concrete breakthrough has been achieved yet.

Nearly 50,000 troops from each side are deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various locations in the mountainous region braving severe cold-wave conditions.


If theres one thing that Fox News could use, its more right-wing opinion programming. Yesterday, Fox announced a scheduling reshuffle that, among other tweaks, will see Martha MacCallums news show replaced in the 7pm Eastern hour by a new opinion program with a rotating cast of hosts; Brian Kilmeade, of Fox & Friends, will go first, while MacCallum will take over the 3pm hour that once belonged to Shep Smith, prior to his dramatic walkout in 2019. Fox critics have long criticized the networks designation of MacCallum as a news host; in October, Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog group, accused her of pushing right-wing talking points nearly every day. Her successors in the evening time slot will be spared the pretense. CNNs Brian Stelter called the schedule change a further shift toward the incendiary programming that Fox viewers overwhelmingly prefer. Matt Gertz, of Media Matters, wrote yesterday that the move constitutes Fox throwing in the towel on its news side.

Fox said in October that it would introduce new formats after the election, and network staffing shake-ups are routine when theres a change of administrationJohn Roberts, for instance, is leaving his role as Foxs chief White House correspondent to take up a daytime co-anchor role. Still, the reshuffle comes against a backdrop of ratings challenges for Fox, especially in the all-important 25-54 age demographic. To its left, Fox has recently trailed CNN (and, late last week, MSNBC) among that group; to its right, Fox began, in the aftermath of the election, to lose viewers to even more rabid rivals including Newsmaxin general terms, Fox has remained far ahead of Newsmax, but the latter network scored a notable breakthrough on December 7, when it beat MacCallums show in the 7pm hour in the 25-54 demo. Stelter reported yesterday that the post-election growth of Newsmax caused consternation at Fox, and that Rupert Murdoch, the networks owner, was directly involved in the new schedule; one source went so far as to tell Stelter that the changes reflect that Newsmax won. (Fox denied to Stelter that the changes stemmed from post-election competition and pointed to its October statement as evidence, though that statement did not go into specifics.)

New from CJR: What covering heavy metal taught me about spotting Nazis

In the aftermath of the election, a narrative took hold, in some quarters, that Trump and Fox were at war, based, in part, on supposed instances of the network standing up to Trumps deranged lies about the result. As I wrote in late November, this was overblownit may have been true on Trumps end, since he demands unbridled fealty of his boosters, but Fox propagandists and their guests, including Trumps conspiracy-spraying election lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, routinely indulged the fantasy. (Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on November 9: Many are trying to steal this election from President Trump.) In the nine days after the election was called for Joe Biden, Media Matters logged hundreds of instances of denialism on Foxs air, with many of them coming on news programming. Last month, after Smartmatic, a voting-tech company smeared as part of the election conspiracy, threatened legal action, several Fox opinion shows aired a bizarre segment effectively fact-checking their own coverage. Last week, Dominion, another voting-tech firm, sued Powell for defamation, and asked Fox and other media companies that gave Powell a platform to retract her claims or preserve documents. None of this would have been possible without other individuals and without other media outlets that have their own responsibility, Thomas Clare, a lawyer for Dominion, told the Washington Post. And were looking at all of them.

Then came the Capitol insurrection, which has served as a belated wake-up call for many people, but not, it would seem, for many people on Fox. Personalities on the network have offered some condemnation of the attackand even some criticism of Trump for stoking itbut viewers have also been subjected to a parade of rationalization and whataboutism. On the day of the insurrection, MacCallum, of news fame, compared it to the recent graffitiing of the Republican senator Josh Hawleys home, and called it (the insurrection, not the graffiti) a huge victory for the mob, which, she said, had just disrupted the system in an enormous way. In the aftermath, Laura Ingraham suggested that the mob may have been infiltrated by left-wing activists (it was not), and Sean Hannity said that the insurrectionists were not truly Trump fans. On Friday, Hannity turned on the real villains of the week: Madonna and Kathy Griffin.

After Democrats said they planned to impeach Trump again, Fox opinionators echoed the risible Republican talking point that such a move would be provocative; after Twitter banned Trump, they pivoted to bash Big Tech. Yesterday morning, Jeanine Pirro compared Amazons decision to boot Parler, an app popular among right-wing extremists, from its web-hosting services to Kristallnachtthe night, in 1938, when Nazis in Germany killed around one hundred Jewish people and arrested tens of thousands more; last night, Tucker Carlson interviewed Hawley, a chief Trump enabler, and asked him, with quivering indignation, about Simon & Schuster scrapping Hawleys book deal. Back on the news side, Bill Hemmer asked Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesperson, whether Trump felt emasculated by social media companies. The stupidity of Gidleys responsethat Trump is the most masculine person, I think, to ever hold the White Houserisked obscuring the stupidity of Hemmers question.

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Michael M. Grynbaum, of the New York Times, wrote over the weekend that Foxs insurrection coverage is revealing of the path forward for the network as Trump prepares to leave officeas a MAGA safe space for grieving Trump fans who feel threatened by the tyrannical leftism of the *checks notes* Biden administration. Grynbaum also noted that Carlson, during his show on Friday, slammed Twitter while only mentioning Trumps name twice. That nugget reminded me of a point Stelter made repeatedly in the fall, when he was promoting his book about Fox: that, as he told Vox, the networks brand has been built on the years when it is against Democrats, and theyre pretty open about this. This is not something they hide from. Its something they acknowledge to advertisers. Its something they sell to cable operators. The Biden era, in this light, could, if anything, be an opportunity for the network: the millstone of Trumps frequently indefensible presidency will be lifted from around its propagandists necks (even if they wore it lightly), with oppositional outrageaimed at the real fascists in the White House, not to mention the media, the academy, Silicon Valley, and so onas the undiluted order of the day.

Its worth briefly stating the obvious here: this is all a choice. For all the talk of ratings pressure and Newsmax winning, Fox remains a behemoth in a way that its right-wing TV rivals are not, endowed with huge financial and moral power. Baseless outrage sells, but it isnt inevitableit dominates Foxs air because Foxs management, from Murdoch down, wants it to. The new programming changes are just another reminder of that. Weve all seen the consequences.

Below, more on right-wing media:



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: How the press can hold Trumps enablersand itselfto account

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Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
[January 12, 2021] Leveling Off: Mortgage Delinquencies Continue to Rise but Pace Moderating in October, CoreLogic Reports

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released its monthly Loan Performance Insights Report for October 2020. On a national level, 6.1% of mortgages were in some stage of delinquency (30 days or more past due, including those in foreclosure). This represents a 2.4-percentage point increase in the overall delinquency rate compared to October 2019, when it was 3.7%. Notably, serious delinquency is over three times that of October 2019, but down from the previous two months. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005309/en/ CoreLogic National Overview of Mortgage Loan Performance, featuring October 2020 Data (Graphic: Business Wire) To gain an accurate view of the mortgage market and loan performance health, CoreLogic examines all stages of delinquency, including the share that transitions from current to 30 days past due. In October 2020, the U.S. delinquency and transition rates, and their year-over-year changes, were as follows: Early-Stage Delinquencies (30 to 59 days past due): 1.4%, down from 1.8% in October 2019.

(30 to 59 days past due): 1.4%, down from 1.8% in October 2019. Adverse Delinquency (60 to 89 days past due): 0.6%, unchanged from 0.6% in October 2019.

(60 to 89 days past due): 0.6%, unchanged from 0.6% in October 2019. Serious Delinquency (90 days or more past due, including loans in foreclosure): 4.1%, up from 1.3% in October 2019, but down slightly from 4.2% in September and 4.3% in August.

(90 days or more past due, including loans in foreclosure): 4.1%, up from 1.3% in October 2019, but down slightly from 4.2% in September and 4.3% in August. Foreclosure Inventory Rate (the share of mortgages in some stage of the foreclosure process): 0.3%, down from 0.4% in October 2019. The foreclosure rate has stayed at 0.3% for seven consecutive months, which was the lowest since at least January 1999.

(the share of mortgages in some stage of the foreclosure process): 0.3%, down from 0.4% in October 2019. The foreclosure rate has stayed at 0.3% for seven consecutive months, which was the lowest since at least January 1999. Transition Rate (the share of mortgages that transitioned from current to 30 days past due): 0.8%, up from 0.7% in October 2019. Job loss and increased closures of small businesses triggered higher delinquency rates during the pandemic. A record amount of home equity, and the CARES Act loan forbearance, have helped to keep borrowers out of foreclosure, leading to a decline in the foreclosure rate despite high delinquency rates.



"After a financially challenging year, the healthy housing market and new stimulus measures are helping borrowers get back on their feet," said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "Given these variables, we should begin to see a reduced flow of homes in delinquency in the coming months." "During early autumn, the improving economy enabled more families to remain current on their home loan," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic. "In September and October, 0.8% of current borrowers transitioned into 30-day delinquency. This is the same as the monthly average for the 12 months prior to the pandemic, and well below the record peak of 3.4% of borrowers transitioning into delinquency that we observed in April 2020."

In October, every state logged an annual increase in overall delinquency rates, with Hawaii (up 4.7 percentage points) and Nevada (up 4.6 percentage points) again topping the list for gains in October. Hawaii began lifting travel restrictions in mid-October, so we may see the growth of tourism reverse some of the economic effects of the pandemic. Similarly, nearly all U.S. metro areas logged an increase in overall delinquency rates in October. Lake Charles, Louisiana - which was severely impacted by Hurricane Laura in August - experienced the largest annual increase for the second consecutive month with 11 percentage points. Other metro areas with significant overall delinquency increases included Odessa, Texas (up 10.3 percentage points); Kahului, Hawaii (up 7.8 percentage points) and Midland, Texas (up 7.5 percentage points). The next CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Report will be released on February 9, 2021, featuring data for November 2020. For ongoing housing trends and data, visit the CoreLogic Insights Blog: www.corelogic.com/insights. Methodology The data in The CoreLogic LPI (News - Alert) report represents foreclosure and delinquency activity reported through October 2020. The data in this report accounts for only first liens against a property and does not include secondary liens. The delinquency, transition and foreclosure rates are measured only against homes that have an outstanding mortgage. Homes without mortgage liens are not subject to foreclosure and are, therefore, excluded from the analysis. CoreLogic has approximately 75% coverage of U.S. foreclosure data. Source (News - Alert) : CoreLogic The data provided is for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be re-sold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient's parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data is illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact Valerie Sheets at newsmedia@corelogic.com. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. This data is compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources. About CoreLogic CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), the leading provider of property insights and solutions, promotes a healthy housing market and thriving communities. Through its enhanced property data solutions, services and technologies, CoreLogic enables real estate professionals, financial institutions, insurance carriers, government agencies and other housing market participants to help millions of people find, buy and protect their homes. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com. CORELOGIC and the CoreLogic logo are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005309/en/

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Hackers posted confidential documents regarding Covid-19 medicines and vaccines on the internet after a data breach late last year at the European Medicines Agency.

Timelines related to evaluating and approving Covid medicines and vaccines havent been affected, the EMA said in a statement on Tuesday. The agency said it remains fully functional" and that law enforcement authorities are taking action on the data breach.

Caught up in the hack were some documents submitted by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE during regulatory review of their vaccine, approved last month.

Pfizer shares fell 2% in New York, with BioNTechs American depositary receipts down 4.3%.

The EMA said it would notify any additional entities and individuals whose documents and personal data may have been subject to unauthorized access.

The agency signed off on a second vaccine, from Moderna Inc., earlier this month. Currently under review is a third vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford. The regulator has said its drugs advisory panel could issue an opinion on that shot by Jan. 29.

Pfizer and BioNTech said last month that some documents they submitted to the EMA were accessed in the hack. The companies said that none of their systems had been breached in connection with the incident.

Since the pandemic began, hackers aligned with governments including Russia and China have been accused of targeting companies and research institutions.

Cybersecurity researchers at International Business Machines Corp. disclosed that unknown hackers were targeting companies and government agencies involved in vaccine distribution. Microsoft Corp. said hackers in Russia and North Korea had targeted seven prominent" companies working on vaccines and treatment research.

(Updates with shares in fourth paragraph, details throughout)

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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A new research project aims to develop a multi-step system to treat water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The method is based on nature's own enzymes and a completely new nanomaterial being developed by researchers at Aarhus University.

Since the 1940s, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in a myriad of products, ranging from raincoats and building materials to furniture, fire extinguishers, solar panels, saucepans, packaging and paints.

However, PFAS have proven to have a number of harmful effects on humans and the environment. And unfortunately, they are very difficult to break down in nature, hence their nickname 'forever chemicals'. As a result, the substances continuously accumulate in humans, animals, and elsewhere in nature.

A new research project at Aarhus University will combat this, and under the name AquaCleaner, the project has received DKK 3 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

"PFAS are some of the worst environmental pollutants, and unfortunately we don't yet have green methods that can completely break the very strong carbon-fluorine bonds that make the substances extremely resistant to natural decay. In this project, we propose using a synergy of enzymes which, together with a new carbon-nano material in a multi-step system, can completely break down PFAS into non-harmful components," says Assistant Professor Zongsu Wei, an expert in water treatment at the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University.

Today, a number of different techniques are used to remedy the problem with PFAS. However, the methods either require a lot of energy or other types of chemicals, or they don't remove PFAS completely, but transfer them to another phase (e.g. water to solid).

None of the existing methods can break down the perpetual chemicals in a green, sustainable way, and that is exactly what Assistant Professor Zongsu Wei is proposing with his project.

Based on the discovery of new metalloenzymes and dehalogenases, the researchers propose a cascade treatment strategy that can break down PFAS. In the final step of the system, the researchers will develop a nano-photo catalyst based on a new material: titanate nanotube-activated carbon.

"This technology uses significantly less energy than modern treatment techniques, and we can use it to realise our goal to completely degrade PFAS. Enzymatic defluorination is still in its early years, but we're hoping for a breakthrough in the area. The process is scalable and therefore has huge perspectives," says Associate Professor Zheng Guo, who is the Co-PI for this project.

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The Pendry Chicago is on target to open on an unspecified date this spring in the 40-story tower at 230 N. Michigan Ave., said spokeswoman Marrissa Mallory. It will be the third name for the property in recent years. The tower previously was home to the Hard Rock Hotel before it was rebranded in 2018 as the St. Jane Hotel, which closed last spring because of the pandemic.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Krasnoyarsk (734.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was sitting in a chair. and it felt like I couldn't keep my balance. | 19 users found this interesting.    

I didn't feel but my 3years old daughter said me "when you were sleeping something at home vibrated".

 ,     / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Krasnoyarsk, (730.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : WakI woke up from a strong wave, the noise seemed to be knocking on the walls, it felt like two waves On the third, it felt like I was already preparing to leave the building. At the time of the push, he was in the doorway, the furniture moved away from the walls by 20 centimeters. | 16 users found this interesting.

Ulan-Ude, Russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : This earthquake woke up us in the morning. Doors opened, it was scary and long | 18 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk (286.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It was very long for this place. the shaking was along a long build-up. furniture rattled in the second part of the thrust. the second shock was very weak, short and hardly noticeable. | 15 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk, Russia (283.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : We experienced a few earthquakes here in Irkutsk, Russia the past couple of months, the strongest of which was a 5.6 with the epicenter about 100 km away from us. This felt like a more powerful earthquake even though the epicenter was further away. Still feeling aftershocks at the time of writing. | 14 users found this interesting. Please stay safe and know you are never alone! May the Lord keep you and everyone safe / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

594.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : I was waken awake by a swinging motion and sat up immediately on my bed. I saw the loose hanging dreamcatcher move sideways but dismissed it as my imagination. Then I heard the jar of water in the toilet tank clank and knew it has to be an earthquake. All these took about 15 seconds since waking up. | 10 users found this interesting.

Darkhan-Uul, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was the 1st time I felt this shaking when I was sleeping in my country, in last 30years. It was too scary. Love the earth. Save the earth | 8 users found this interesting. You are never alone May the Lord bless you and keep your safe / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : It was scary. I thought that i almost die. I was sleeping and suddenly my bed shakes and lights are striking. My mum and dad awakens too. It was first time earthquake experience for me. | 8 users found this interesting.

Kutulik Irkutsk region (283.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : 5:34    .   2   .      | 5 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : my table, chair all stuffs are shaking | 7 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : It was 30 seconds. Woke up feeling like strange viberation getting harder. Actually I can't think about run outside or hide anything about save ourlifes. | 5 users found this interesting.

273.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :        ,      | 4 users found this interesting.

Darkhan, Mongolia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : 5th floor older apartment building - it woke several of us up | 6 users found this interesting. Thank you,be safe! / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Irt (18.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / vibration and rolling : Woooooow what a explosion | 5 users found this interesting. Like a bomb?

Was it a natural gas explosion? / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / vibration and rolling

Ulaanbaatar (591.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : Noise from outside right before the shaking happened /similar to airplane engine/ | 5 users found this interesting.

722.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : We were awakened. | 5 users found this interesting.

Erdenet / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : It was my first time of experience with earthquake. I was sleeping and my bed was shaking i thought like someone was shaking me then i woke up and it became more severe windows and walls are making cracking sound whole apartment was moving now still feeling dizzy and got headache. Also 30minutes later it shaked little bit. | 4 users found this interesting.

285.8 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Start 5:34 morning. Doors Was Opened. Qwaqe 2 min.      .     2 .      | 3 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Awaked! | 5 users found this interesting.

Ulan-Ude city, Russia (498.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was sleep in bed and felt, on 3 floors. It was strong, like in December 2020, near Baikal lake. | 4 users found this interesting.

Erdenet (373.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : I was sleeping and i woke up. The door and chandelier was swinging. I felt the intensive vibration | 4 users found this interesting.

497.1 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : - wake up | 4 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) : building was shaking beds and furniture was also shaking chandeliers very shaking and making noises I woke up by shaking my bed | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Its like Vibrating and many sleepers awakened and I heard something like water, or liquid things making noice. | 3 users found this interesting.

343.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : I think earthquake happened all around our country. Mostly center and north areas. Hovsgol,erdenet,darkhan,ulaanbaatar, bulgan etc. It still early but most people awakened. | 2 users found this interesting.

 (673.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :  9 .      .      2 . | 2 users found this interesting.

Zheleznogorsk Krasnoyarsk Krai (722.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging :          04:30  .    ,  ,          ,  1-2 ,  . | 2 users found this interesting.

, . , .  (286.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling :    ,     ,  . | 2 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It made our family awakened. | 4 users found this interesting.

284.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s :  . | 3 users found this interesting.

Bratsk (569.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Awaked, two waves, second much stronger. | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) : i was sleeping that time but start feeling my bed shaking strongly then just woke up informed to my wife. After that just stand on feet but i could not stand fully, ground still shaking and I was so afraid. My apartment is placed top floor of 12 level building. Until now heart is still shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar (593.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I woke up at 5:32 by this shake and it was really strong. I sleep very deep but i wonder that i u woke up by this earthquake. I thought it was someone pushing side wall very hard and strong. Then i heard about it from news. Its the second time i am feeling earthquake. Few years ago when i was in class i am person who raised my leg and said what was it there something under my foot. How strange it is, isnt it? | One user found this interesting.

591.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I woke up suddenly for some reason, and heard water in my fish tank was making sound like it is boiling. I run to the aquarium and removed some water, because I thought it is going to spill water on floor. It was very weird and I didn't find the reason. Then I went back to my bed, it was 5:33AM, then I fall sleep. Around 7AM, I heard a message notification on my phone and checked it, then my colleague sent a chat asking "Did an earthquake happen?" Then I replied "Was it around 5:30AM?". He said | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar city (592.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Woke up the whole family. We are on 7th floor. Our building was built by the Japanese engineers (Japan town)). Neighbors (Hunnu residence) on 15th floor say their building swayed. | One user found this interesting.

589.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was quite scary. I was sleeping and heard some glass shaking noise then opened my eyes then felt like swinging. | One user found this interesting.

572.3 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s :  5  9       .     | One user found this interesting.

733.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :   10 ,      ,  20-30  | One user found this interesting.

Erdenet city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I dont know. I thought first its maybe ghost,evil shaking my bed lol.Its very weird to believe. | 3 users found this interesting.

9r khoroo, sukhbaatar district, ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Awakened and Frightened | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : it was so scary we didnt expect that | 3 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar (599.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : In a high rise in the city | 3 users found this interesting.

591.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My dog was very alarmed and scared.She kept whining and trying to wake everyone | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, bayanzurkh district (593 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s : Was woken up by strong shake, felt terrible. | 2 users found this interesting.

3rd subdistrict of Bayanzurkh district, Ulaanbaata (592.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Sound of a vagon, rolling on the bed | 2 users found this interesting.

502.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : It was quite strong, my plant kept wiggling for a couple of minutes. | 2 users found this interesting.

728.9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) :     2 . | 2 users found this interesting.

497.6 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging :  , .   | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Top floor of 21 story residential concrete rebar reinforced high rise. Felt like rocking from side to side, not shaking, swayed. Lasted several minutes and few objects on narrow ledge fell over, curtains moved, chandeliers and dishes rattled. Lower floor residents felt less if any | One user found this interesting.

Zakamensk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : I had an early morning-5: 30 am. I live on the 5th floor. All my friends and neighbors and relatives woke up. Furniture swayed very much, paintings fell and there are cracks on the houses on the street. People in a panic, 35 tremors in a day. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, River Garden / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was on my bed and I felt a sudden rocking movement. My room was heard to creak and the paintings on the wall were swinging. Closed doors violently shaking as if someone trying to enter through a locked door. In addition to the quakes around 5:30 am, low rumbling noise can be heard from outside and this noise lasted until 5:43 am before silencing. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : I was sleeping and my bed started to shake, as soon as I felt it I realized that it was earthquake. However it was very short and very weak shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Woke up shortly after the quake started. The shaking was similar to the vibrating of a train cart on the go. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It continues about 2-3 minutes and I felt shaking. Because I just sleeping a few minutes before that shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) : i was sleeping but start feeling my bed shaking strongly just woke up and stand on feet but i could not stand fully and so afraid. By apartment is placed top floor of 12 level building. Until now heart is still shaking and cannot sleep back. | One user found this interesting.

Darkhan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) :             | One user found this interesting.

- / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s :     -,    .   . | One user found this interesting.

590.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Just a bit of shaking. Closets and tables were making lots of rattling noise, and I myself could feel it, but it wasn't enough to send me panicking. As I live on the 4th floor, it might have dampened it.

589.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was quite scary. I was sleeping and heard some glass shaking noise then opened my eyes then felt like swinging.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (592.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake : At around 05:36 AM my body started to swing back and forth lightly while i was sleeping. It felt as if someone was lightly shaking me to wake me up. As i woke up no other abnormal movement, swaying was detected for i was not sure what happened.

 (567 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging :   .      

Irkutsk (291.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Increasing horizontal swinging took place during app.20-30 seconds at 5:32 local time, vibration was felt on the floor only, some small and lightweight objects were displaced. The next significant aftershock took place app during 8-9 minutes and although it was good felt but was not so strong and long as the first atack. During the next 2-3 hours there were several relatively light and quick aftershocks.

ulaanbaatar (1.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : During the time i was totally awake, i live in 11 store appartment, there wasn't any shaking rather swinging, i could feel the building swing 3-5 times side to side

591.3 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Immediately woke me up from sleep. I could also hear the squeaking of furnitures. It didn't last long though. Max 10 seconds.

Ulaanbaatar, Hunnu 2222 / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : I felt like I was sleeping in rocking chair. Also our Christmas tree was all clinking. | 2 users found this interesting. You should put away your christmas tree. Tsagaan sar is coming / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I felt like a uncomfortable me like a vomiting. | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Woke up when shaking started. Fell afraid. Thinking of next step. | 2 users found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Horizontal wavy shakes, non fitted wardrobes and windows rattle , flowers on the windows rocking | 2 users found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar zaisan / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Scared | 2 users found this interesting.

Angarsk / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Long lasting shake. Very weak but long lasting | 2 users found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar (594.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like swinging bed | One user found this interesting.

590.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : 20 sec shaking | One user found this interesting.

Russia, Sankt Petersburg(GMT+3), not felt. / not felt : Wow, M.6.8 (6.6) - Strong Earthquake effects. My appartament, not felt event earthquakes, stay sayf all. Next aftershaking, this geology rulles. | One user found this interesting.

285.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s  .   30   | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Irkutsk (285.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Long as usually | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar city, khan-uul district / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Woke up from the shaking, the chandelier, bookcase next to me and the bed was shaking and making rattling noises, went on for a what felt like few minutes

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : We live on the 9th floor of a 12-story building. The bed on the 9th floor moved. I felt very uncomfortable.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : While I was sleeping I felt a bit dizziness and woke up Heard my furniture shaking It was around 6am Ulaanbaatar time

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was sleeping and I felt like my heart was arithming, so I got up and heard some knocking noises from my bedroom door.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : I was already woken up, although still in bed. I felt the bed moving and heard an unstabilized light bookcase moving.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : While I was sleeping I felt a bit dizziness and woke up Heard my furniture shaking It was around 6am Ulaanbaatar time

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : While I was sleeping I felt a bit dizziness and woke up Heard my furniture shaking It was around 6am Ulaanbaatar time

Mongolia, ulanbator / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s : I think my baby cried.but it was not. And then my bed shakes so strong i thought it was a dream. Our Aquarium water sounds like a ocean. I was shockod. And than i understand it was earthquake

Turt, Mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : There was so much shaking and many building fell apart | One user found this interesting.

irkutsk / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / rattling, vibrating : jsus christ uhlee l gj bodlo. ulaanbaatart bga humus hudlaa aimr hudlsn ntr. orsod bur alsan plz | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia,District 5, government office / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My dog was very alarmed and scared but we kind of slept it off | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : The building was shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : i was so scared. When i was sleeping suddenly bed desk andeverythinf started swinging | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, Zaisan area / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : 13th floor felt really badly still heart shaking | One user found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) : it seems dangerous. it shakes everything especially window. | One user found this interesting.

Muren / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I felt 3 times, first strong, | One user found this interesting.

Krasnoyarsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was awakened by it! | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake : I felt such a terrible feeling for the first time | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Buildings are shaked sideways but not too much | One user found this interesting.

. ,  . / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s :    | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt indoor, bed was shaking about 30-40 seconds | One user found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : weird | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar / not felt / 5-10 s : I woke up because my lights were ringing. | One user found this interesting.

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Meh... | One user found this interesting.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It lasted pretty long, woke me up from a sleep. | One user found this interesting.

Republic of Tuva. Kyzyl. Chingis / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I dont know | One user found this interesting.

ulaanbaatar (593.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (589.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Khatgal village (77.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

275.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

317.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX) : very very shaky

592.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

290 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

287.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) :       .

289.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

275.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

287.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

738.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

591.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Krasnoyarsk (724 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (591.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

589.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

277.7 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

592.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk (291.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

351.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (592.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sleeping then everything started to shake and vibrate.

591.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

284.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

351.7 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : It felf even its located 200 or 300km away from earthquake center.

592.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

krasnoyarsk (732.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

341.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar (609.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

289.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (601.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar (591.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Woken up by shaking.

288.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

591.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

721.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

729.9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

730.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

Ulaanbaatar (596.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Irkutsk (286.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

282.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

276.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

289.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar (593.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

584.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

593.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar (596.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

277.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

283.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

588.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

592.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

ulaanbaatar (593.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kansk (633.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Ulaanbaatar Chingeltei district 3rd horoo (590.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

281.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

554.3 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Krasnoyarsk (734 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar (591.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

. - (276.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

283.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

282.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

275.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

4050.4 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

583.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

e (313.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

730.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

ulaanbaatar (591.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

286.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar (594.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

574.7 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

278.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

281.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

289.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

589.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk (276.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar (590.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

592.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Tomsk (1169 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : 14th floor

Irkutsk (287.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

276.1 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

284.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

727.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

. (478.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar (589.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar (596.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

287.7 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

292.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

599.7 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk (278.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s

Bratsk (571 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

731.3 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

. (286.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

731.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

296.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

668.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

287.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

592.7 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

289.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Krasnoyarsk (731.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Mongolia (352.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar (592.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

286.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

557.1 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

732 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (2.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

734.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

176 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling

727.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

284 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

288.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar (596.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

274.8 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

351.9 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

300.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

289.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating : Bad

275.5 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

287.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Krasnoyarsk (733.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling

730.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Krasnoyarsk (724 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

. (271.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

293.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kuitun (356.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

740.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

735.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar (562.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

572.3 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

285.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

273 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar (592.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

496.3 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

256.8 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

725.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

730.1 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Ulaanbaatar (594.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

273.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk (728 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

732.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

720.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Krasnoyarsk (732.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Irkutsk (285.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar (593 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

282.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

287.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

. ,  (284.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s

Ulan-Ude (497.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

285.6 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s

592.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Ulaanbaatar (592.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

729.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Irkutsk (282.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

589.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

574.8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

594.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

495.4 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

731.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

730.1 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

342.9 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe

Ulaanbaatar (599.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

386.5 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk (290.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

293.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

 (588.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

548.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

733.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

288.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

288.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Erdenet (345.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

 (671.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

284.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

277.1 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

 (556.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

727.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

284.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

280.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

288.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

- (491.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

737.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

727.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s

283.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

498.4 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

343.1 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Krasnoyarsk city (736.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

irkutsk (6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

591 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

283.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

593.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

493 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Angarsk (274.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

275.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

726.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

730.8 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

275.9 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

  (283.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

289.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s

289 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

 , ..  (274.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar (589.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

287.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Irkutsk (286.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

273.4 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

286.2 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

848.3 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

555.5 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

496.6 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

278.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

500.5 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

276.5 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

156.6 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

438.7 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Violent shaking (MMI IX)

273.3 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

280.9 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

287.3 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Darkhan-Uul Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I felt bumps and vibrates

Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russian Federation / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Darkhan / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Darkhan / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar / not felt / 5-10 s : I woke up because my lights were ringing.

dzuunkharAa / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down)

ulaanbaatar / not felt

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / not felt

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : Chandeliers were shaking and clashing each other making sound

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

ulaanbaatar / not felt / rattling, vibrating : some peoples felt moderate shaking some peoples not felt

Ulaanbaatar, Bayangol district / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / single lateral shake

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

IZMIR / not felt

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s

Irkutsk / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It is was terrible, creepy

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Darkhan / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / not felt

irkutsk, russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar, Zaisan / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Murun / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single lateral shake

Krasnoyarsk city / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Most people in household woke up. Slightly felt in ground floor (light sleepers awakened).

 / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Wok up from sleeping

Bratsk / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar city / not felt

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My bed was moving

Khovd / not felt

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Ulaanbaatar / not felt

ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : It was awful

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar Yarmag / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Suddenly woke up from sleep my bed swinging horizontal and wall painting was swinging as well.

Ulaan-Bator / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar, bayangol district / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt like on the boat while i was sleeping on the floor.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolua / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Dundgobi, Mongolia / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Shaking xxxxxx

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / not felt

ulaanbaatar city mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Darkhan / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Darkhan, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

Ulaanbaatar officer / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Felt strong shaking and scared

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Ulaanbaatar. Was sleeping and awakening. Light dizzle. No damage.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV)

khutul selenge mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russian Federation / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

 .    / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / not felt

Ulaanbatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Angarsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar 4th District / not felt : We did not feel anything at all. There is no damage to buildings or anything broken in our apartment

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Felt shaking about 3 min

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling

Erdenet / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Mongolia / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Darkhan-Uul Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : I felt bumps and vibrates

ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar Khan uul district / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : it was surprising and scary i was sleeping 15th floor bed was shaking

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar, Momgolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : Nervous and wondering what's happening. 1st time experienced here in mongolia.

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Khan-Uul district / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Panic

Krasnoyarsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s

Ulaan Baatar city / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar city / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating : Light bulbs were shaking when stood up, bed was shaking before

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Because of light shaking I woke up at 5.35am.

Irkutsk, Russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Darkhan / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) : i was slept. and get up when i felt shaking.

Muren Mongolia / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : First earthquake was continuing 15-25 seconds.

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Our home lighting shook for a minute.

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Waken by a shaking shelf and bed and moving sound

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Ub / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

 / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar city / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down)

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Very

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

   . / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

ulaanbaatar / not felt

Monholia Ulaanbaatar / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Darkhan city / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar, king tower / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Irkutsk, russia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolua / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

 / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Ulaanbaatar mongolia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Muravyeva 2/2 / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Krasnoyarsk / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : 1 minute

 / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Krasnoyarsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Terrifying

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Irkutsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Got awoken.

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling

Mongolia Ulaanabaatr city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : i felt dizzynes

zelenogorsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : shaking for 1 minutes countlesso

Murun / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Irkutsk / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) : 8 storey monolithic building, i was on 8

Ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Angarsk / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Irkutsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

darkhab / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ulaanbaatar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : My bed was moving

Angarsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Ulaanbaatar / Weak shaking (MMI III)

.-, . / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Bratsk / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

ulaanbaatar / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Krasnoyarsk / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

,   / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s
(AMF Autorite des Marches Financiers)

Regulatory News:

Genkyotex (Paris:GKTX) (Brussels:GKTX):

Genkyotex shares ISIN code FR00011790542 Euronext Paris Brussels Date Number of shares

making up the

share capital Number of voting rights December 31, 2020 11,736,174 Theoretical number of voting rights(1): 11,736,174 Number of voting rights exercisable at a shareholders'

meeting(2): 11,726,931

(1) In accordance with Article 223-111 of the AMF's General Regulation, this number of shares is calculated based on all shares carrying the right to vote, including those stripped of voting rights.

(2) Less shares stripped of voting rights.

About Genkyotex

Genkyotex is the leading biopharmaceutical company in NOX therapies, listed on the Euronext Paris and Euronext Brussels markets. Its unique platform enables the identification of orally available small-molecules which selectively inhibit specific NOX enzymes that amplify multiple disease processes such as fibrosis, inflammation, pain processing, cancer development, and neurodegeneration. Genkyotex is developing a pipeline of first-in-class product candidates targeting one or multiple NOX enzymes. The lead product candidate, setanaxib (GKT831), a NOX1 and NOX4 inhibitor has shown evidence of anti-fibrotic activity in a Phase II clinical trial in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, a fibrotic orphan disease). Based on its positive Phase II results, a phase 3 trial with setanaxib in PBC is being planned. Setanaxib is also being evaluated in an investigator-initiated Phase II clinical trial in Type 1 Diabetes and Kidney Disease (DKD). A grant from the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) of $8.9 million was awarded to Professor Victor Thannickal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to fund a multi-year research program evaluating the role of NOX enzymes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic lung disease that results in fibrosis of the lungs. The core component of this program is a Phase 2 trial with setanaxib in patients with IPF scheduled to recruit patients in first semester of 2020. This product candidate may also be active in other fibrotic indications.

Genkyotex also has a versatile platform well-suited to the development of various immunotherapies (Vaxiclase). A partnership covering the use of Vaxiclase as an antigen per se (GTL003) has been established with Serum Institute of India Private Ltd (Serum Institute), the world's largest producer of vaccine doses, for the development by Serum Institute of cellular multivalent combination vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases

For further information, please go towww.genkyotex.com or investors@genkyotex.com

Disclaimer

This press release may contain forward-looking statements by the company with respect to its objectives. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs, estimates and expectations of Genkyotex's management and are subject to risks and uncertainties such as the company's ability to implement its chosen strategy, customer market trends, changes in technologies and in the company's competitive environment, changes in regulations, clinical or industrial risks and all risks linked to the company's growth. These factors as well as other risks and uncertainties may prevent the company from achieving the objectives outlined in the press release and actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, due to various factors. Without being exhaustive, such factors include uncertainties involved in the development of Genkyotex's products, which may not succeed, or in the delivery of Genkyotex's products marketing authorizations by the relevant regulatory authorities and, in general, any factor that could affects Genkyotex's capacity to commercialize the products it develops. No guarantee is given on forward-looking statements which are subject to a number of risks, notably those described in the universal registration document filed with the AMF on April 30, 2020 under number 20-0434, and those linked to changes in economic conditions, the financial markets, or the markets on which Genkyotex is present. Genkyotex products are currently used for clinical trials only and are not otherwise available for distribution or sale

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005890/en/

Contacts:

Genkyotex


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(Alliance News) - Pharmaceutical business Vectura Group PLC on Tuesday said it expects its 2020 revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to be ahead of board expectations.

Vectura said it expects to beat its own forecasts due to receiving US Food & Drug Administration approval in December for a generic version of drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC's VR315 Advair Diskus programme, for which it partnered with London-based generic pharmaceuticals company Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC.

The regulator gave Hikma the all clear to launch 100 microgram, 50 microgram and 250 microgram and 500 microgram doses for the asthma treatment in the US last month. As a result of the approval, Vectura will receive a milestone payment of USD11 million and will earn a mid-teen royalty on net sales of the product.

"The business has also proven resilient in the face of wider challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak. We have continued to execute on our inhalation contract development and manufacturing organisation strategy, signing 18 deals during 2020, with revenue from this new business being recognised in the second half of the year," said Vectura Chief Executive Will Downie.

Looking ahead, Vectura said it expects to see "continued progression against its strategy with CDMO revenue in 2021 expected to more than triple versus 2020," and from 2022 onwards, its product supply volumes are expected to align more closely with underlying forecast growth in-market sales.

Additionally, Vectura said GlaxoSmithKline will pay USD164 million by the end of January to settle a patent litigation concerning its US patent 8303991. Back in November, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied GlaxoSmithKline's motions for judgment as a matter of law, a new trial on infringement and for a new trial on damages in litigation concerning Vectura's US patent. The award of USD89.7 million in damages to Vectura has been upheld, it added.

Shares in Vectura were down 0.2% at 123.60 pence each in London on Tuesday.

By Zoe Wickens; zoewickens@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman has issued Royal Decrees envisaging major changes to the constitution, including the appointment of a crown prince for the first time.

The new rules will respond to the needs of the Sultanate over the coming years and conform with the strategic Vision Oman 2040, said a Oman News Agency report.

The Royal Decree No. 6/2021, which promulgates a new Basic Law of the State, focuses on the following points:

* Setting a specific and stable mechanism for the transfer of power in the Sultanate;

* Sets a mechanism for the appointment of a Crown Prince and outlines his duties, specialisations and prerogatives;

* Reaffirms the principle of rule of the law, the independence of the judiciary and justice as basic pillars of rule in the country;

* Underscores the states role in sponsoring citizens rights and liberties, notably: Equality between men and women, child care, rights of the disabled and youth welfare; Compulsory education until the end of the Basic Education stage; encouraging the setting up of universities, promoting scholarly research and sponsoring the talented and innovators; the right to decent life, human dignity, safe and secure life, the inviolability of private life and that prisons as institutions of reform.

* Protection of the heritage and considering its breach or trading in it a crime punishable by law;

The Basic Law also dedicated a full chapter to the Governance of State Institutions, the follow-up of government performance and the monitoring of the same through a committee that reports directly to His Majesty the Sultan. The committee shall be tasked with following up and assessing the performance of ministers, under-secretaries and officials of similar ranking. The role of the States Financial and Administrative Audit Institution shall be enhanced in this respect.

The law reiterates the importance of establishing a system for local administration. It also underscores the role of the Council of Oman and its contribution to the countrys comprehensive development. Accordingly, the Basic Law of the State dedicated a special chapter to the Council of Oman that included the most important provisions related to this Council and the specialisations entrusted to it, including:

* Endorsing or amending laws to be forwarded by the government, as well as proposals on draft laws, development plans and state budgets. It also sets standards for follow-up of the Majlis AShura.

As for the Council of Oman law, Royal Decree No. 7/2021 has defined its prerogatives, conditions for its membership and all rights and duties of its members and other affairs of the Council, said the report.

Emerging out of 2020, galleries and art institutions are showing new and invigorating work by new and interesting artists. Some shows continue the hard conversations churned up in 2020; others offer well-earned distraction. In general, shows this season feel a little more intense, a little more cerebral than they have in the past. Maybe our attention spans are stretching after a year of social distancing.

Signage in the windows of the downtown Portland NW Film Center building is part of Carrie Mae Weems Resist COVID / Take 6! information campaign.Courtesy of Portland Art Museum

Carrie Mae Weems: Resist COVID / Take 6!

Carrie Mae Weems, who was born and raised in Portland, is internationally recognized for her photo- and text-based work. Early in the pandemic, she launched an art-driven public information campaign in Syracuse, New York, as it became clear that the virus was disproportionately affecting communities of color. The effort pairs her photography with direct language on billboards and public signage that advocate for taking preventative action to slow the spread of the virus. (Take 6 refers to keeping 6 feet apart and to a list of six basic actions outlined by the campaign.) The billboards will be in east Portland and east Multnomah County, and banners are installed downtown on the museums building and on the NW Film Center building.

Through February, various outdoor locations and Portland Art Museum, 1219 S.W. Park Ave., portlandartmuseum.org or 503-226-2811

Texture of Color

Eutectic Gallery partnered with The Color Network, a national organization that supports and advances people of color in the ceramic arts, to present a group show of six international artists working in clay in refreshingly interesting ways. Mexican-Italian artist Renata Cassiano Alvarez constructs pieces that look like invented biology cutaway diagrams, revealing inner shapes and forms. Ling Chun, originally from Hong Kong and in residence in Seattle, brazenly combines disparate materials: glass, clay, synthetic hair, lightbulbs and neon. Magdolene Dykstra, a second-generation Egyptian Canadian, works in unfired clay to create sophisticated sculpture paintings. The elegant work of Gerald Mak, a London-based artist from Hong Kong, involves carving in porcelain. Gabo Martini, born in Guanahuato, Mexico, and living and working in Houston, also carves into pots, hers vividly colored and patterned. Jose Flores Nava moved from Mexico to California as a boy. His hyper-colored sculptures that depict mounds of produce reference the connections between the undocumented community and immigrant labor. The gallery is closed to the public through March, but a video of the exhibition along with additional works by the artists will be available on the gallerys website.

Through Jan. 30, Eutectic Gallery, 1930 N.E. Oregon St., eutecticgallery.com or 503-974-6518

Video still from Christine Howard Sandovals CHANNEL (2017), three-channel HD video with sound, TRT: 7:43.Image courtesy of the artist

Christine Howard Sandoval: Timelines for the Future

Curator Lucy Cotter is interested in artists who work on long-term projects and who are invested in cross-disciplinary research. For her first exhibition as Disjectas 10th Curator in Residence, she presents three projects by Christine Howard Sandoval. Channel (2016-19) and Live Stream (2018) explore water rights and land use through sculpture, video and mixed media drawings. (The adobe drawings are stunning.) A wall is a shadow on the land is an ongoing project started in 2020 that delves into the history of the Spanish missions built on Indigenous land using forced Indigenous labor in South America and up the Pacific Coast. Howard Sandoval is of Obispeno Chumash and Hispanic ancestry and her inquiry into this subject matter offers an immersive reassessment of accepted histories.

Through Feb. 21, Disjecta Contemporary Art Center, 8371 N. Interstate Ave., disjecta.org or 503-286-9449

Volume III (Spider plant) (books, plants, soil, water; archival inkjet print) by Anna Gray + Ryan Wilson Paulsen, Courtesy of Congress Yard Projects.Image credit: Mack McFarland

hard & SOFT

The outdoor exhibition space Congress Yard Project was instituted at the outset of the pandemic to allow visitors to see shows outside. Its latest group show takes advantage of the winter weather to present work meant to melt and degradeor notover the next several months. Artists include Emily Ginsburg, Shelby Baldridge, maximiliano, Bruce Conkle, Jess Perlitz, Sarah Farahat and Elaina Tardif. Viewing is by appointment only and may be scheduled around inclement weather or falling darkness to take full advantage of experiencing the art in various atmospheric or light conditions.

Jan. 24-March 21, Congress Yard Project, congressyardprojects.wordpress.com, congressyardprojects@gmail.com to RSVP

Michelle Ross Bloom (2020), oil and mixed media on panel. Courtesy of the artist and Elizabeth Leach Gallery.Mario Gallucci

Michelle Ross: I Am Your Signal

Michelle Ross commission for The Standard Insurance Company, four site-specific paintings measuring 16 feet tall by 7 feet wide that were completed and installed this past fall, are the largest paintings shes ever created. For her solo show, she maintains some of their scale in a series of angular abstract paintings on panel that combine swift painted gestures with vigorous shots of saturated color. Raw canvas geometric shapes affixed to the panel add visual texture, as does silver paint applied as a base layer, another carryover from The Standard paintings, along with silver and platinum leafing.

Feb. 4-March 27, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, 417 N.W. Ninth Ave., elizabethleach.com or 503-224-0521

"Burn It Down" (2020), Vo Vo's drawing for a woven cotton blanket.Courtesy of Fuller Rosen Gallery

Vo Vo: Things That Have to Do with Fire

Vo Vo, who uses the pronouns they/them, has a background as a trainer and educator around inclusion, restorative justice, de-escalation and trauma informed care. The pandemic pushed the timing of their show out, giving them more timeand materialto create work for their solo show in the gallerys new Northwest Portland space. Expect intensity, which may find expression in textile-based installations, video, weaving, zines and prints, or a combination of all of the above.

Feb. 18-April 1, Fuller Rosen Gallery, 1928 N.W. Lovejoy St., fullerrosen.com

Avantika Bawas Micro Installations (2020), 3D printed and painted scaffolds that are part of her ongoing site-specific Scaffold series.Courtesy of the artist

Avantika Bawa: Constructing Darkness

Avantika Bawas site-specific scaffold installations have presence. Shes installed a sizzling pink version in the Rann, a salt desert in India and a gold metallic version in the grand, dilapidated lobby of the Astor Hotel in Astoria. The orange and white versions of the series were installed in industrial-sized gallery spaces. She hones the scaffolds to the size of playthings in response to this new jewel-box-sized gallery in southeast Portland. Printed on a 3D printer and painted metallic silver, the structures continue Bawas practice of creating minimalist line drawings in space.

Feb. 27-March 27, AGENDA, 4505 S.E. Belmont St., Ste. A, agenda-pdx.com or 503-347-5318

Yamamoto Masaos silver gelatin print, Bonsai #4013 (2018).Courtesy of PDX Contemporary Art

Yamamoto Masao: Bonsai

Bonsai is an artform that seeks to recreate a natural scene in miniature. Traditionally displayed, the trees and their carefully selected containers may appear in front of a hanging scroll on an elevated alcove. In this series of tonal photographs, Japanese photographer Yamamoto Masao removes the bonsai from a formal setting, placing them back outside, recreated nature in nature. His compositions monumentalize the small trees, centering them in a serene lake or a drift of snow, or positioning them to perfectly frame a mountain peak or the moon. The warm, high-contrast silver gelatin prints are quietly dramatic, like scenes from a fairy tale.

March 3-27, PDX Contemporary Art, 925 N.W. Flanders St., pdxcontemporaryart.com or 503-222-0063

- Stephanie Dinkins, Still from Conversations with Bina48 (2018). Bina48 is one of the worlds most advanced social robots.Courtesy of the artist.

Unquiet Objects

This powerhouse exhibition of 10 international, U.S.-based and local artists is like an inverted museum show where the focus is not on looking at objects but on interrogating the legitimacy of their status and cultural significance. Artists Morehshin Allahyari, Noah Angell, Ariella Aisha Azoulay, Stephanie Dinkins, Kristan Kennedy, Aram Lee, Christine Miller, Melvin Moti, Lorraine O Grady and Itziar Okariz are represented by sound-based work, mixed-media installation, sculpture, photography and film that probes and challenges the idea of a collective cultural heritage, as well as looks critically at a future that includes 3D modeling and printing that can recreate lost cultural artifacts and artificial intelligence.

March 12-May 2, Disjecta Contemporary Art Center, 8371 N. Interstate Ave., disjecta.org or 503-286-9449

 By Briana Miller, For The Oregonian/OregonLive

Matt Chandler, Samuel Rodriguez call for repentance in sermons after Capitol storming

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On the first Sunday since a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, influential pastor Samuel Rodriguez called on the Church to repent for making the person who occupies the White House more important than God.

Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and pastor of New Season in Sacramento, California, told his congregation Sunday that America needs to hear a message of repentance.

We must all repent; even the Church needs to repent. The American nation will be healed when the American Church repents, he said.

Do you realize the great things that happen when we repent? he asked. When we repent ... there is perfect restoration of everything that was lost ... The moment Gods people repent, this nation will be healed . To repent is to invite revival.

Rodriguez, who previously advised Trump, stressed we must repent for making the person who occupies the White House more important than the one who occupies our hearts.

We must repent for permitting the donkey and the elephant to divide what the Lamb died for on the cross, he said. We must repent for voting for individuals whose policies run counter to the Word of God and the spirit of the living God. We must repent because our children are watching.

The pastor said he was praying for a season of instead of: Instead of riots, revival ... Instead of destroying property, building altars. Instead of confrontation, conversations . Instead of storming the Capitol, storming the gags of Hell ... Instead of many under fear, one nation under God.

Earlier in the message, Rodriguez said that if John the Baptist were alive today, he wouldve been blocked from social media because his message of repentance is too controversial.

I'm going to preach the saving grace of Christ, he said. I'm here to tell you that before Facebook, the Gospel of Jesus was around. You can't cancel the cross, you cant cancel the upper room. You can't cancel the blood of Jesus. So I'm here to tell you, if you don't see us on social media platforms, let not your heart be troubled. We will continue to preach the Gospel, Jesus like never before.

Rodriguez was not the only evangelical leader to decry Wednesdays riots, which took place when Congress was scheduled to count Electoral College votes and confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Five people died amid the violence.

The Rev. John Hagee of Cornerstone Church on Sunday called those who assaulted Congress a rebellious mob.

The Secret Service had to escort the vice president of the United States to safety out of the Capitol building. Gunshots were fired. Tear gas was deployed in the Capitol Rotunda. People were killed ... This was an assault on law. Attacking the Capitol was not patriotism; it was anarchy, Hagee said.

This is what happens when you mob the police. This is what happens when you fire the police, he added.

This is what happens when you watch a policeman shot and belittle his sacrifice for the public. Wake up, America! America and democracy cannot function without the rule of law. We back the blue.

In Flower Mound, Texas, Village Church Pastor Matt Chandler led his congregation in prayer for the deceit that plagues this culture ... and the deep divisions that even divide your bride.

Chandler, who is also head of the Acts 29 church planting network, urged his congregation to examine their own complicity in the division currently seen across the U.S.

Have you over the last few years misplaced your hope? he asked. If you have, you've participated in the unrest. Have you with your online persona participated in the unrest? Have you with your prayerlessness participated in the unrest? Has a lack of seriousness around real discipleship of really following after Jesus helped you to participate in the unrest?

If we don't know how to take that stuff to [God], then it oozes out of us onto our online platform, into our kind of picking a team rather than going, Im on the Lords side, Chandler emphasized.

And we'll need to repent of that, personally own our stuff. I don't want to be a subject matter expert in everyone else's send. I do want to be pretty dialed into my own. It'll keep me in a place where the Lord can bless me, where I can get a sense of His presence more richly, and ... walk in the power that He's promised me.
An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2021, the latest publication from Dezan Shira & Associates, is out now and available for complimentary download through the Asia Briefing Publication Store.



In this issue:

An Introduction to Vietnam

How to Set Up in Vietnam

Tax and Accounting

HR and Payroll

2020 is a year that businesses are unlikely to forget. It started with the COVID-19 pandemic, restricting travel, disrupting global supply chains, and causing large scale unemployment due to significant losses incurred by global organizations. Vietnam was no different with data showing that the countrys GDP grew by just 1.81 percent in the first half of the year compared with a pre-COVID projection of 6.8 percent in 2020.

In terms of its response to the coronavirus outbreak, Vietnam was among the first few countries to shut its borders and stop international flights. It also invested in aggressive contact tracing, testing for the virus, quarantining of suspected and confirmed cases, and effectively mobilized state agencies. The result was that Vietnam was able to lift its lockdown early, resuming economic activity earlier than most countries. Vietnam is also been one of the few countries that achieved net positive growth during the pandemic with GDP growth of 2.91 percent in 2020.

This is why, despite the impact of COVID-19, the Asian Development Bank still forecasts Vietnam to be one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia while the World Bank observes that Vietnams economy is resilient with GDP bouncing back to 6.8 percent in 2021. In the first half of 2020, Vietnam also rose to become the second biggest supplier to the US after China, emerging as a prominent beneficiary of the ongoing US-China trade hostilities.

Since Vietnam has been able to contain the pandemic better than most countries, it is no surprise that foreign investors remain keen on doing business in the country. In addition to building the countrys export capacity through the private sector, the government has pursued strategies to join several free trade agreements such as the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA).

All these factors make Vietnam an attractive destination for business, and businesses are optimistic for 2021. However, challenges remain such as bureaucracy, language barriers, supply chain constraints, grey areas in regulations, and infrastructure. We hope this business guide will provide investors with an insight into key aspects of undertaking and doing business in Vietnam and help you make an informed decision when beginning your operations in Vietnam.
International investors' trust in Chinese equities has been enhanced after tougher regulations took effect to weed out listed companies indulging in misconduct or with weak fundamentals, experts said.

"We welcome the new set of rules as it has raised costs of misreporting or committing financial fraud and will therefore improve corporate governance in the A-share market," said Lynda Zhou, chief investment officer for equities in China at Fidelity International, a global asset manager.

"This will help more A-share listed firms become qualified to be part of the investment universe of foreign investors," Zhou said.

The risk of forced delisting has increased considerably due to the new rules, serving as an effective deterrent to potential misconduct of listed companies, she said.

The new delisting regulations were released by the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges on Dec 31 and have since taken effect across the whole A-share market. The rules have shortened the delisting process and tightened the delisting criteria for financial indicators, trading, noncompliance and violation.

For instance, after the revisions, listed companies will be forced to delist if they indulge in misreporting for two consecutive years and the total fabricated revenue exceeds 500 million yuan ($77.4 million) and half of the total disclosed revenue for the period.

Companies that are seriously defective in information disclosure or in compliance and fail to rectify the flaws will also be delisted due to the new rules, in a bid to improve the governance and quality of listed companies.

The revised rules will also look to eliminate firms with limited operational abilities from the market by refining the financial-indicator delisting criteria and adding a delisting threshold based on market value.

Companies will be forced to delist if their closing market value falls below 300 million yuan for 20 consecutive trading days. Share prices of the more than 30 A-share companies with closing market value of less than 1 billion yuan as of Dec 31, which are liable to delisting under the new rules, dropped by an average 7.2 percent in the first four trading days of 2021, according to market tracker Wind Info.

"The latest rules are in keeping with China's multiyear market reforms that help buffer investors' confidence in the quality of onshore listed assets," said Han Tan, a market analyst at FXTM, a United Kingdom-based global trading platform.

Chinese equities will benefit further as more of these market reforms take hold, especially as many global investors are looking to ride on China's "stellar" economic recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak, he said.

China has made improving its delisting system one of its key financial reform tasks during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

Related efforts have been stepped up since 2019, with reformed delisting rules trialed on Shanghai's STAR Market and Shenzhen's ChiNext. The new delisting rules effective across the whole market came in after the two bourses solicited public opinion on draft revisions earlier in December.

From 2019 to 2020, 26 listed companies were forced to delist from the two bourses, more than double the number seen in the previous six years, said the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the top securities regulator.

The regulator will work to further strengthen delisting rules while improving the related investor protection mechanism, it said, aiming to crack down on companies that violate rules and minimize investors' losses.
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A close friend was supposed to start her I.V.F. injections at the same time, but she decided to postpone at the last minute because Covid cases were so high in our area. By that point, we were so driven in our pursuit of pregnancy that I was startled to hear her say that, as the thought had never even crossed my mind.

I have no way of knowing for sure if I was exposed to the virus sometime during this last fertility treatment. The surgical center is on a large medical campus that also hosts a Covid-19 testing drive-through in the garage where we parked. We also waited, masks on, for almost an hour outside the building, which we thought was a safer choice than the fertility clinic waiting room, but that actually put us in proximity to a lot of sick people waiting for rides home.

I also had to remove my mask just before the actual egg retrieval, because I was under anesthesia and the doctors needed quick access to my mouth in case I needed a breathing tube.

Five days after the egg retrieval, we found out we were Covid-positive. I called the clinic right away to warn them; the fertility doctor told me a few days later that none of her staffers had gotten sick. And also that none of the eggs they retrieved from me had developed properly. We had no embryos to use.

Of course, as anyone who has done fertility treatments knows, all the dangers and risks we undertook would have been worth it if it had worked. Because it didnt work for us, I felt defeated and foolish.

In sum, we wanted to give Goldie a sibling, but doing so may have been what threatened her mothers life. This thought haunts me and will stay with me forever, even though Ill never know how exactly the virus entered our home.

Our nanny, who also experienced Covid symptoms and tested positive three days before us, could have picked it up at the supermarket. We could have gotten it from her, or while walking around our neighborhood or playing in the park. But the act of choosing, over and over again, to engage in fertility treatments as the pandemic raged on, fills me with doubt and remorse.
Sen. Manchin: Bid to Impeach Trump Ill-Advised, House Knows Votes Arent There

The push to impeach President Donald Trump just days before he leaves office is so ill-advised, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said late Monday.

But Manchin left open the possibility of the Senate convicting Trump on articles of impeachment if, in fact, the president is impeached before Jan. 20.

I think this is so ill-advised for Joe Biden to be coming in, trying to heal the country, trying to be the president of all the people when were going to be so divided and fighting again, the senator said during a virtual appearance on Fox News.

Let the judicial system do its job. And then, were a country [of] rule of law, thats the bedrock of who we are. Let that take its place. Let the investigations go on and evidence come forth and then we will go forth from there, he added.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wont take up articles if the House sends them over, Manchin said. McConnell is majority leader until Sens.-elect Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) are sworn in, flipping the Senate to Democratic control.

Conviction of a president on articles of impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate. No president has ever been convicted in U.S. history.

Theres no rush to do this impeachment now. We can do it later if they think its necessary, Manchin said.

Pressed on whether hed support an effort to convict Trump even after the Republican is no longer in office, Manchin said that could happen.

Democrats already have proven evidence of Trumps wrongdoing and theres probably more we havent seen, added Manchin, who voted last year to convict the president on articles of impeachment.

President Donald Trump at the Stop the Steal rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jenny Jing/The Epoch Times)

The House impeached Trump in early 2020 for his discussion with Ukraines president concerning former Vice President Joe Biden but the Senate acquitted him of one article 5347 and the other 5248. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) was the only Republican to vote for convicting on either article. A few Republicans have suggested support for a fresh impeachment, including Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).

Biden, now the president-elect, appeared to endorse impeachment on Monday, telling reporters that Trump should not be in office. He said he spoke to House leaders about planning a schedule for an impeachment trial that would see the Senate conduct the trial for half a day each day and hear and vote on his Cabinet nominees during the other half.

House Republicans have noted that Bidens vow to unify the country is undermined by efforts to remove Trump, a popular president among the GOP, who won the most votes for a sitting president in the 2020 election.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is leading the charge to impeach Trump again. She and other Democrats have tried pressuring Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet members to depose Trump, but they have so far refused. Because of that, Pelosi told colleagues, Democrats will move forward with impeachment, with plans to vote on an article this week. Pelosi has said members in her caucus want to impeach Trump again, and a number have voiced support publicly for the move.
A former commander of the Belarusian riot police says Berlin security officials warned him in 2012 that they have information about a plan by the Belarusian KGB to kill him.

Uladzimer Baradach spoke to RFE/RL about the alleged plan in an interview published on January 12, commenting on a recently published audio tape from 2012 that apparently spells out plans to murder Baradach and two other opponents of Belarus's authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Germany.

Another critic of Lukashenka residing in Germany, former prison chief Aleh Alkayeu, whose name was also mentioned on the tape, told RFE/RL last week that German police in 2012 offered to provide him with bodyguards, saying they had obtained information about possible Belarusian KGB plans to kill him.

The Brussels-based online newspaper EUObserver on January 4 published details of a recording of what it said was the Belarusian KGB security service's then-chief Vadzim Zaytsau discussing the plans with his subordinates to kill the men.

Baradach said that although he had never met Zaytsau and therefore cannot confirm that it was his voice in the recording, the fact that Berlin police informed him about the KGB's plans to kill him exactly the same year when the tape was recorded proves that the audio is authentic.

"It was not an official business discussion between the KGB chief and his subordinates. It was a discussion between criminals who laid out plans to execute a criminal operation," Baradach told RFE/RL.

On the tape, Zaytsau was apparently briefing members of a special KGB elite counterterrorism unit -- Alfa Group -- about killing three opponents of Lukashenka then living in Germany -- Baradach, Alkayeu, and Vyachaslau Dudkin, a former anti-corruption police chief.

The audio also includes purported dialogue about the killing of Belarusian-born Russian journalist Pavel Sheremet, a critic of Lukashenka.

The attacks on Baradach, Alkayeu, and Dudkin never took place, but the plot discussed would allegedly have involved the use of explosives and poisons, the report said.

Sheremet was subsequently killed in a car-bomb attack in Kyiv in 2016. Ukrainian police said on January 4 that they were investigating the fresh documents and recordings, which if confirmed would increase suspicions that Belaruss KGB was involved in the killing of Sheremet.

Three Ukrainian suspects are on trial in Ukraine in connection with the killing, but the authorities have not established who ordered the murder. The suspects deny wrongdoing.

The fresh revelations come as Lukashenka, in power since 1994, faces months of protests demanding he step down following a disputed presidential election in August 2020.

Nearly 30,000 people have been detained, and hundreds have been tortured in detention and beaten on the streets in the postelection crackdown by the government.

The European Union and the United States refuse to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus's legitimate leader and slapped him and senior officials with sanctions.

Baradach told RFE/RL that Lukashenka will do everything to stay in power.

"Lukashenka will cling to power until the last riot police officer stands by his side, because only staying in power will guarantee him safety now," Baradach said.
Dustin Diamond, who rose to fame as 'Screech' on Saved By The Bell, was hospitalized in Florida over the weekend, a representative for the actor has confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Diamond, 44, entered treatment after complaining his entire body was in pain, and his medical team fear he may have cancer, insiders added to TMZ.

The actor lost his mother to breast cancer and is said to be having a biopsy done in order to deduce what his medical condition is.

Crisis: Dustin Diamond, 44, who rose to fame as 'Screech' on Saved By The Bell, was reportedly hospitalized in Florida over the weekend; pictured 2013

Diamond originated the role of Samuel 'Screech' Powers on Good Morning, Miss Bliss, the 1988 Disney Channel sitcom that became Saved By The Bell.

He continued to play Screech on the initial run of Saved By The Bell on NBC from 1989 until 1993 and kept the character going on multiple revivals.

The California-born actor was part of the 1992 TV movie Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style and the 1993 sequel series Saved By The Bell: The College Years.

Then came the spin-off Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran from 1994 to 2000 and also included Dustin in its cast.

Terrifying: Diamond, 44, entered treatment after complaining his entire body was in pain, and his medical team fear he may have cancer, insiders added to TMZ; pictured in 2006

However last year's Peacock reboot of the franchise did not include Dustin although other old cast-mates like Mario Lopez did return to the show.

Over the past two decades Diamond has had his share of controversies including his 2006 sex tape Screeched: Saved By The Smell which he directed himself.

During a Where Are They Now? special on OWN seven years later he said that he had superimposed his face onto a stuntman's body for the tape.

'You know, I definitely got some money off of it but it wasn't worth what the fallout was. I mean people to this day, they look down on me,' he said.

Throwback: Diamond (bottom, center) is pictured with his co-stars on the original run of Saved By The Bell which aired on ABC from 1989 to 1993

He also said that his 2009 memoir Behind The Bell was a 'disappointment of mine' because of its descriptions of alleged drugs and sex during the making of the show.

Diamond said the book was ghostwritten and claimed: 'I talked to a guy a few times, so the book has some truth in it, and a lot of the stories were just kinda throwaways.'

He stated: 'Like, you know: "Oh, well, kids were smoking pot and, you know, having sex behind the scenes." That came about from another just throwaway statement of: "So was anybody doing drugs or sleeping together on the set?" "Well, what do you think? There was a bunch of kids with hormones at, you know, 15, 16 years old."'

Remember when: He was also part of the 1992 TV movie Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style which he is pictured in with Mark-Paul Gosselaar (left) and Mario Lopez (right)

Diamond asserted: 'That turned into, you know, factual trash-talking about everybody which really was, I have nothing but good thoughts and memories towards everybody. I expected that I was gonna be sent a copy to proofread and okay, or thumbs-up or thumbs-down, and I was sent the copy: "Oh, this is done."'

Then in 2015 he spent three months in jail over his role in a Wisconsin bar fight in which one of the participants allegedly got stabbed.

He was acquitted of felony reckless endangerment of public safety but convicted of two misdemeanors, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon.

Side by side: Diamond and Gosselaar are pictured on the first season of Saved By The Bell in 1989

He apparently remained friendly with his co-star Mario Lopez, who hosted him on Extra in 2016 where he discussed his time in jail.

Diamond's friend Dan Block told The Sun last year that the actor was unaware of the Saved By The Bell revival on Peacock until news of it went public.

'I know he wants to be a part of it,' said Block, insisting that his friend is 'a good guy and deserves a second chance.'
Johnson & Johnsons preliminary data from the South African arm of a phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial will be ready for submission to U.S. regulators by Jan. 21, according to the head of the countrys Medical Research Council.

The timing ties in with the U.S. drug giants statement that interim data from the late-stage trial it is conducting in a number of countries is expected by the end of this month. If the data show the one-dose vaccine to be safe and effective, J&J will approach U.S. regulators for an emergency use authorization in February, and other health regulatory applications around the world will be made in parallel," according to the company.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser to the U.S. Operation Warp Speed program, has said the emergency clearance could be granted by U.S. regulators by early February.

J&J is one of four vaccine developers running late-stage trials in South Africa. Business Day, a Johannesburg-based newspaper, reported the planned timing of the data submission earlier. It was confirmed by Glenda Gray, president of the research council and co-chair of the local study.

J&J has signed an agreement under which Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. will manufacture 300 million doses a year in South Africa if the vaccine is approved.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) - While the presence of the whole family at home urged us to rearrange our kitchen pantries, an essential and household staple remains unchanged. Present in our meal plans from infancy to adulthood, milk is a classic at-home drink popular for its creamy taste accompanied by a long list of nutritional benefits.

There is a new wave of mindfulness consumption and food shopping that has emerged throughout life in lockdown. The altered meal planning and eating dynamics at home have made moms more careful and attentive to their grocery lists. Watchful about health, mothers have adapted a heightened awareness when it comes to choosing what they allow to be served on their dining tables. With more time spent at home, this renewed focus on wellness has found its way in what we eat and drink.

It is no secret that families best build relationships and spend quality time with each other over a warm meal. The increased importance of mealtime has paved way for more creativity and less routine in the kitchen. As moms explore more recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, family moments are made even more special at home with a new shared experience of food. While it is hard to resist a quick and easy bowl of cereal and milk in the morning, it is almost impossible to say no to the smell of a homecooked meal and trying a spoonful of moms new culinary creation.

Apart from being a nutritious beverage, milk is present in both new and traditional family recipesfrom grandmoms well-loved secret ginataan manok to the newly treasured ube cheese pandesal. Rediscovering the joys of cooking and baking has also allowed more room for milk in the kitchen. And with DIY coffee and smoothie trends appearing on social media from left to right, children have also begun to take an interest in whipping up something of their own. On top of adding a boost of nutrition, milk also enhances flavor and dimension as it becomes a deliciously creamy base to many of our favorite dishes and drinks.

With over 150 years of dairy experience, the trusted brand of moms introduces Nestle Fortified Milk, an all-new affordable milk with immunity, growth, cognitive development, and energy-releasing support nutrients. As we continue to build and create meaningful family memories at home, it is important to make the right choices in what we eat and drink together. The new ready-to-drink milk is conveniently available on Shopee and Lazada. Equal parts delicious and nutritious, Nestle Fortified Milk is made to be the daily beverage that every family needs, loves, and deserves.
Image: Ed Stetzer

I was recently in Southern California preaching at Saddleback Church. While I was there, I had the privilege of doing my radio show from KWAVE, the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa-owned radio station in Southern California. You can listen to the show I did there with Calvary Chapel Pastor Brian Brodersen here.

Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa's influence

Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa has a rich and vibrant ministry. When Chuck Smith brought his wife Kay and their young family to the small, struggling congregation in the 1960s, who knew the church would soon be on the headlines around the world. The church became for many the mother church of the Jesus People Movement, as it exploded with growth around 1970.

This was the era of hippies, protests of Vietnam, widespread drug abuse, and the sexual revolution. Hippies flocked to the warm weather of Southern California. In no small part through the burden of Kay Smith, Pastor Chuck began teaching through the Bible verse-by-verse, exhorting his people to love all for the gospel, including the unkempt hippies who seemed to be everywhere. The church began to reach multitudes of hippies, making global news as Pastor Chuck baptized thousands of hippie-freaks who became Jesus Freaks in the Pacific Ocean. From this single church the Calvary Chapel movement spread. Several years later the Vineyard movement came out of the Calvary Chapel movement as well.

Today there are over 1,800 Calvary Chapels and 2,400 Vineyard churches globally. Many of the largest churches in the United States are Calvary Chapels. It was through Calvary Chapel and its Maranatha! music that much of Christian worship was transformed from the 70s to now. In fact, your church probably sings more like a Calvary Chapel than you realize! In this interview with Pastor Brodersen he gives some of the distinctives of Calvary Chapels.

The original Calvary Chapel at Costa Mesa has continued to be an influential leader among churches today. I interviewed Pastor Brodersen, Executive Pastor Jordan Taylor, and Outreach Director Lance Emma here when the church reopened for public services in July.

Calvary Chapel's ministry in the pandemic

Image: Ed Stetzer

One of the things that struck me on this visit was the level of community engagement Calvary Chapel is doing. In this visit, as I looked out the window of the radio station, I could see out the window how people from Calvary Chapel were ministering to their community.

It turns out that they do this every week and do so with rotating partners in ministry. Sometimes people have the perspective that everyone who lives in Southern California is rich but that's not the case. There are many in need there, and this need has only grown during the pandemic. Calvary Chapel has an extensive Helps ministry that is always engaged with the community. Cars lined up as far as you could see for the food ministry/distribution. As you can see in the picture above, these were delicious boxes of food being distributed.

Image: Ed Stetzer

However, they are not doing this alone; there are actually multiple partnerships working together to serve the community. This includes other ministries like Power of One, which is pictured to the left.

Image: Ed Stetzer

Their partnerships also include a fire department who was there on that day for a toy collection effort, also pictured to the left.

I also found it interesting that they partner with secular organizations who are engaged in the area as well. As they did so they always asked permission for the opportunity to engage people in prayer.

Lance Emma, pictured below with his wife Angie, are engaged in an effort in their community related to prayer. You can see a sign that says "need prayer? We're available." Car is upon cars lined up for prayer.

Image: Ed Stetzer

Image: Ed Stetzer

I'm constantly being asked by pastors what are creative ways to engage in the community in this time. Calvary Chapel is an example of a church leading the way. The church follows the protocols of the state, determining to work with officials rather than to spend energy battling them. Their Helps ministry is making a real difference in their community.

The mission continues come politics or pandemics. It may look different in times like ours currently, but we can learn vital ways to serve our communities that will continue once the pandemiclike the hippie movement of the 1970sbecomes a part of history.

Bryan, Garnier & Co, a leading pan-European Investment Bank focusing on growth companies, is delighted to announce that Clifford Siegel has been appointed as Non-Executive Chairman at the firm.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005055/en/

Clifford Siegel, former Jefferies International CEO and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Vice-Chairman joins Bryan, Garnier & Co as Non-Executive Chairman (Photo: Bryan, Garnier & Co)

Based in London, Clifford will take up this new position to help develop Bryan, Garnier & Cos strategy across Europe and the US.

Clifford, 63, has a distinguished career in the investment banking industry. After starting and running the US business of the Cresvale Group, he joined Jefferies in New York in 1990, before moving to London in 1993 to become the CEO of the groups international business.

During Cliffords 18-year tenure, Jefferies International grew from a small team in London to a global business with revenues of over USD 300m and offices in Asia and Europe. After retiring from Jefferies, he later founded and ran the debt capital markets boutique ISM Capital, before selling the business to Stifel Nicolaus Europe in 2016. He retired from his role as Vice-Chairman of Stifel Nicolaus Europe Ltd in the autumn of 2020.

Olivier Garnier, Co-founder & Managing Partner states: We are delighted to welcome Cliff to Bryan, Garnier & Co. He brings both a wealth of experience in all facets of the banking business that will help us expand our business footprint and support our strategic ambitions.

Clifford Siegel comments: I have admired the remarkable success and consistency of Bryan, Garnier & Co for many years. I am delighted to be joining them at a time when, now more than even, there is a need for highly committed investment bankers with outstanding quality standards, deep industry expertise and broad transaction capacities to support growth companies and their shareholders.

In his capacity, Clifford will contribute to strengthening the groups corporate development initiatives. This includes strategic acquisitions and alliances following Bryan, Garnier & Cos recent developments in the Nordics and the US, as well as the expansion of the firms activities in complementary areas such as fixed income and debt advisory.

With more than 60 private and public capital-raising and M&A transactions closed in 2020, Bryan, Garnier & Co benefits from its longstanding leadership in the healthcare, technology and environmental sectors in Europe. Recent transactions include the sale of smartTrade to leading software private equity investor Hg Capital, the take-private of ITSM player Easyvista by Eurazeo, capital for circular economy player asgoodasnew, the sale of Specim to Konica Minolta and the sale of BlueBee to Illumina. Over the years, Bryan, Garnier & Co has distinguished itself by backing some of the most disruptive companies in the domain of alternative proteins (Prolupin), green hydrogen (McPhy Energy), cannabis (Canopy Growth), blockchain and cryptocurrencies (Bitfury Group), and mRNA biotech (Moderna and BioNTech).

About Bryan, Garnier & Co (www.bryangarnier.com)

Bryan, Garnier & Co is a European, full-service growth-focused independent investment banking partnership founded in 1996. The firm provides equity research, sales and trading, private and public capital raising as well as M&A services to growth companies and their investors. It focuses on key growth sectors of the economy including Technology, Healthcare, Consumer and Business Services. Bryan, Garnier & Co is a fully registered broker dealer authorized and regulated by the FCA in the UK, the AMF in Europe and the FINRA in the U.S. Bryan, Garnier & Co is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Paris, Munich, Stockholm, Oslo, Reykjavik as well as New York and Palo Alto.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005055/en/
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled his Europe trip at the last minute on Tuesday after Luxembourg's foreign minister and top European Union officials declined to meet him, European diplomats and other people familiar with the matter said.

The extraordinary snub to Washington came days after the storming of U.S. Capitol by thousands of supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, an unprecedented attack on American democracy that stunned many world leaders and U.S. allies.

Pompeo, a close ally of Trump, had sought to meet Jean Asselborn in Luxembourg, a small but wealthy NATO ally, before meeting EU leaders and the bloc's top diplomat in Brussels, three people close to the planning told Reuters.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled his Europe trip at the last minute on Tuesday after Luxembourg's foreign minister called Trump a 'criminal' and a 'political pyromaniac'

Pompeo had originally planned to go to Luxembourg, but that leg of the trip was scrapped, one diplomatic source said, after officials there showed reluctance to grant him appointments. The Brussels leg was still on until the last minute.

But Pompeo's final visit schedule in Brussels was not going to involve any meetings with the EU or any public events at NATO. A third diplomatic source said allies were 'embarrassed' by Pompeo after the violence in Washington last week.

Luxembourg's foreign ministry confirmed the previously planned stop there was now cancelled, but declined to give further details. The EU declined to comment.

Appalled by the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters seeking to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 U.S. election, Asselborn had called Trump a 'criminal' and a 'political pyromaniac' on RTL Radio the next day.

The U.S. State Department, in a statement, attributed the cancellation to transition work before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20, even if until recently Pompeo had been reluctant to unequivocally recognise Biden's win. The State Department declined further comment on European officials' rejection of meetings with Pompeo.

In Brussels, Pompeo was due to have a private dinner with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday evening at Stoltenberg's private residence, before meeting Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes, whose country is a NATO ally.

The cold shoulder was a contrast with Pompeo's previous visits to Brussels, which is home to NATO and EU headquarters, over the past three years, where he has given key-note speeches on U.S. policy and met the EU's chief executive, even as Europe balked at Trump's foreign policy. (Reporting by Robin Emmott in Brussels and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; editing by Grant McCool)

Trump: What I Said Was Totally Appropriate, Calls for No Violence

President Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed the social media censorship and his Twitter accounts being deleted following the breach at the U.S. Capitol last week.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate, Trump told reporters in response to the Big Tech backlash for his speech on Jan. 6 to protesters. We want no violence  absolutely no violence, he said.

He made the remarks to reporters at the White House ahead of his departure to Alamo, Texasthe first public comments to reporters since he delivered a speech to protesters near the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The president also warned that the House Democratic-led impeachment inquiry is leading to tremendous anger across the United States, adding that it will trigger tremendous danger to our country.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate and if you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level, about the riots in the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was the real problem, Trump remarked. He pointed to speeches and rhetoric by various political leaders across the country as fomenting more discord and incitement across the United States.

The president also argued that companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook will fail due to censorship.

Big Tech is doing a horrible thing to our country.  And I believe its going to be a catastrophic mistake for them, Trump also remarked.

Following Trumps speech, which was condemned by a number of politicianswith some claiming Trump incited violence and calling for his resignation or impeachmentTwitter deleted the presidents account. A large number of pro-Trump accounts were also deleted by Twitter and Facebook.

As users attempted to flee to Parler and other social media websites, Amazon Web Services suspended its service with Parler on Monday morning, triggering a lawsuit from the company hours later.

While in Alamo, Texas, Trumps visit will mark the completion of more than 400 miles of border walla promise made, promise keptand his administrations efforts to reform our broken immigration system, White House spokesman Judd Deere told Reuters.

Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the border site about his immigration efforts.

He is facing demands from Democrats in Congress and some Republicans to resign from office. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is seeking to impeach him and some lawmakers want Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the U.S. Constitutions 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. They have also introduced articles of impeachment and will likely schedule a vote before Jan. 20.

The impeachment effortif it reaches the Senatewill likely fail, according to a number of GOP senators and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Reuters contributed to this report.

Hazleton City Council will decide later this week whether to hire three new police officers and name its acting police chief to a more prominent role with the force.

Council will vote on resolutions to appoint Matthew Svoronos, Dalton Michael Payne and Yenifes Barranco Sanchez to full-time patrol officer positions during a virtual meeting that begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The governing body will also act on a resolution that confirms Brian Schoonmakers appointment as chief of police.

Schoonmaker served as acting chief since Jerry Speziale took an unpaid administrative leave in April 2020.

Schoonmaker spent 15 of his 20 years in law enforcement with Hazletons force and represented the local department with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

The appointment, Cusat said, provides stability for a department that lost officers who either retired or took jobs elsewhere.

He has proven himself to the city and the department and I feel he deserves an opportunity to lead the department, Cusat said of Schoonmaker.

As for Speziale, Cusat said hell be there for the city, if needed.

Speziale has been part of Cusats administrative team since 2015. During his tenure in Hazleton, he also served as public safety director in Paterson, New Jersey.

Speziale has been mostly silent since taking the leave of absence. He appeared in a commercial that Congressman Matt Cartwright released in September about police funding in congressional race in the 8th District and declined at the time to discuss his future with city police.

Meanwhile, the three full-time officers that council will consider appointing will increase the force to 42 full-time officers, Cusat said.

The new officers will start at 70% of base pay, which is set by contract at about $69,300 as of Jan. 1. Pay will increase by 5% with each completed year of service until they reach full base pay after six years.

The candidates were among the top performers on Civil Service testing, the mayor said.

Cusat said the hires are key to getting the city into compliance with COPS grant staffing requirements.

The city will advertise for another round of Civil Service testing immediately after the hires are approved, Cusat said.

The city must have 46 full-time officers on staff to remain eligible for the grant, he said.

As soon as they are confirmed at the meeting, we will start the procedure for a new Civil Service list, Cusat said.

One of the hires will be contingent upon Act 120 certification, Cusat noted. Testing for that certification was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The link and agenda for the upcoming council meeting are available by clicking the council and agenda links at www.hazletoncity.org.

You've heard of Old Faithful, the Yellowstone National Park geyser that erupts every hour or two, a geological phenomenon on a nearly predictable schedule.

Now, an international group of scientists who study space have discovered an astronomical "Old Faithful" - an eruption of light flashing about once every 114 days on a nearly predictable schedule. The researchers believe it is a tidal disruption event, a phenomenon that happens when a star gets so close to a black hole that the black hole "rips" away pieces of the star, causing the flare.

The team made the discovery using data from NASA and from a network of telescopes operated by The Ohio State University.

Their findings, presented today at the Astronomical Society's annual meeting and accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, are the first clear examples of regular flares erupting from a galaxy's core.

"It's really exciting, because we've seen black holes do a lot of things, but we've never seen them do something like this - cause this regular eruption of light - before," said Patrick Vallely, a co-author of the study and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at Ohio State. "It's like an extra-galactic Old Faithful."

The flare is coming from the center of a galaxy in our southern skies, about 570 million light years away. When scientists have witnessed tidal disruption events in the past, they have essentially seen the star destroyed.

But in this case, scientists think the star is circling around a supermassive black hole, getting closer, then zooming away again. As the star approaches the black hole each time, the black hole pulls a little bit of the star away, accreting that part into the black hole. That accretion sends out a flare of light about three times the size of Jupiter each time. That flare - and the fact that it happened regularly - gave scientists their first clue that this was no ordinary space phenomenon.

Scientists have named the regular outbursts of light ASASSN-14ko, after the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (commonly called ASAS-SN), a network of 20 robotic telescopes headquartered at Ohio State. Data from ASAS-SN allowed Anna Payne, lead author of the paper and a NASA Fellow at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, to identify that something strange was happening inside that galaxy.

"Knowing the schedule of this extragalactic Old Faithful allows us to coordinate and study it in more detail," Payne said. Payne and others confirmed the finding, and learned more about it, using data from NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (commonly called TESS).

The ASAS-SN network first detected the flare on Nov. 14, 2014. Astronomers initially suggested the outburst was a supernova, but a supernova is a one-time event. In early 2020, Payne examined all of ASAS-SN's data on the galaxy and noticed a series of 17 flares spaced 114 days apart. Flares with any kind of regularity had never been seen before.

Payne and her colleagues predicted that the galaxy would flare again on May 17, 2020, so they coordinated joint observations with ground- and space-based facilities, including multiwavelength measurements with Swift. ASASSN-14ko happened right on schedule. The team predicted and observed flares on Sept. 7 and Dec. 26, 2020.

The team also used TESS data for a detailed look at a past flare. TESS observes swaths of the sky, called sectors, for about a month at a time. During the mission's first two years, the cameras collected a full sector image every 30 minutes. These snapshots created a precise timeline of a single flare that began on Nov. 8, 2018, from dormancy to rise, peak, and decline.

"TESS provided a very thorough picture of that particular flare, but because of the way the mission images the sky, it can't observe all of them," Vallely said. "ASAS-SN collects less detail on individual outbursts, but provides a longer baseline, which was crucial in this case. The two surveys complement one another."

Scientists say the black hole that is causing the flares is very large - about 20 times the size of the black hole in the center of our Milky Way.

Chris Kochanek, Ohio Eminent Scholar, astronomy professor at Ohio State and co-lead of the ASAS-SN project, said there is evidence that a second supermassive black hole exists in that galaxy.

"The galaxy that hosts this object is something of a 'trainwreck' consisting of two galaxies in the process of merging into one," he said.

And while astronomers observed the eruptions recently, they actually happened about 600 million years ago. Because the galaxy is so far away, the light took that long to reach us.

"There was life on Earth, but it was all very primitive," said Kris Stanek, a co-author on the paper and university distinguished professor of astronomy at Ohio State.

Astronomers classify galaxies with unusually bright and variable centers as active galaxies. These objects produce much more energy than the combined contribution of all their stars, which can include excesses at visible, ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. Astrophysicists think the extra emission comes from near the galaxy's central supermassive black hole, where a swirling disk of gas and dust accumulates and heats up because of gravitational and frictional forces. The black hole slowly consumes the material, which creates low-level, random changes in the disk's emitted light.

Astronomers have been searching for periodic emissions from active galaxies, which might signal theoretically suggested but observationally elusive cosmic phenomena. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in part to astronomers studying the supermassive black hole in the Milky Way.

"In general, we really want to understand the properties of these black holes and how they grow," Stanek said. Because the eruptions from this black hole happen regularly and predictably, Stanek said, "it gives us a truly unique opportunity to better understand the phenomenon of episodic mass accretion on supermassive black holes. The ability to exactly predict the timing of the next episode allows us to take data that we could not otherwise take, and we are taking such data already."

###

ASAS-SN is supported by Las Cumbres Observatory and funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation, the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics at Ohio State, the Chinese Academy of Sciences South American Center for Astronomy and the Villum Fonden in Denmark.

CONTACTS: Patrick Vallely, vallely.7@osu.edu

Chris Kochanek, kochanek.1@osu.edu

Kris Stanek, stanek.32@osu.edu

Written by Laura Arenschield, arenschield.2@osu.edu



Judges at the Court of Appeal have criticised a barrister for cross examining a 12-year-old boy for six days about allegations that he was raped by his father.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said he was "shocked" by the length of time taken for the cross examination while Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said she finds it "really difficult to see how you can possibly justify the length of cross-examination of a 12-year-old boy."

Mr Justice McCarthy added that Colman Cody SC, who conducted the cross examination, had said before he started questioning the boy that he didn't know how long he would take. The judge said Mr Cody should have been able to make a "reasonably accurate estimate" and added: "That is a particularly acute problem where a child is concerned."

Mr Cody is representing the now 70-year-old man, who is from the UK, in his appeal against his 2016 conviction for nine counts of raping his son from the age of six and one count of child cruelty for locking the boy in a box.

His partner, who is also from the UK, was convicted of child cruelty but was acquitted of sexual assault relating to allegations made by the boy that she had sex or simulated sex with him when he was six or seven years old.

Mr Cody responded to the judges' criticisms saying that it was a "particularly difficult case". He said he dealt with the boy in a "respectful and measured way" but that it was a "unique case" where the allegations against his client were "particularly egregious".



Ms Justice Kennedy said the case was not "unique" and that the three judges of the Court had all dealt with similar cases.

The first day of the two-day appeal focused on the decision of the trial judge to allow a garda to give evidence relating to a video showing the accused, his partner and at least one other person engaging in "raucous" sex acts at their home. This was, Mr Cody said, prejudicial to his client and not relevant because the video was recorded some six years before the alleged rapes.

He added: "Whatever one's moral view, it was depicting consensual sexual activity." The decision to allow a garda to give detailed evidence of what was on the tape had, counsel said, painted his client "in a particularly lurid and grotesque light which had the real risk of creating prejudice."

He said it was an attempt to portray to the jury that the accused was "someone who would be likely to commit this sort of offence" and that it had helped to create a "portrait of the appellant which was entirely unflattering to say the least, utterly disparaging and depicted him in a light that might have tended the jury to view him in a particular way."

Ms Pauline Walley SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, pointed out that the tape was consistent with aspects of the victim's accounts of how he was abused. He had, she said, described how his father sometimes video recorded the abuse and that he had, on occasion, used a blue lubricant similar to a lubricant that was used in the video.

She also pointed out that it showed the appellant was lying when he claimed there was never any pornographic material at his home following the birth of the victim. Ms Walley said the evidence showed the recording was made following the birth of the boy and the appellant and others on the video could be seen viewing pornography, and pornographic material was also visible on a table. The evidence of the video was therefore, counsel said, probative and admissible.

Mr Cody further submitted that the allegations made by the boy after he was removed from his parents' home initially only related to physical abuse. He said the allegations "evolved" into sexual abuse and questioned the consistency of those accounts. Ms Justice Kennedy said she could see nothing unusual in allegations coming out in the way they did.

She added: "That is a regular type of situation in cases of this nature where disclosures come out on an incremental basis and increase in severity. That is quite the usual manner." Mr Cody also complained that his client's previous convictions for theft of a jar of mustard and a paddling pool had been put to the jury. Ms Walley responded that the thefts were relevant because there had been an attempt by the defence to paint the accused as being a person "of the utmost probity and honesty" and to portray the boy as dishonest and untrustworthy.

The appeal continues tomorrow (TUE), presided over by President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham.

Evidence at trial:

Following the trial in 2016 Mr Justice Robert Eagar imposed a 15-year sentence on the father and suspended the final year. He will also be subject to a four-year supervision order on his release.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the then 13-year-old boy wrote that when I lived with my mam and dad I wanted to dispose myself of this world, I wanted to commit suicide.

It wasn't until he was taken into foster care that his childhood started, he wrote.

He referred to his father as Adolf Hitler and said he wanted to run him over with a combine harvester.

Words have not even been invented yet for what my dad has done to me, he wrote.

I want to say au revoir to my memories. I would like my dad never to leave prison. I am happy when he is in prison.

In a previous victim impact report relating to his mother, the child said he doesn't believe she did anything wrong.

The boy called his mother a kind woman who he felt sorry for but wished that she had taken him away or placed him in care when the abuse started.

A psychological report stated the child is two years behind in school and has difficulties forming relationships.

He was removed from the family home in 2011 and placed in a foster home where he was sexually abused by another child. This child was never prosecuted because he was below the age of criminal responsibility.

In March 2012 he was moved to another foster home where he was very happy. He began disclosing the sexual abuse by his father to his foster mother who documented it and handed it over to gardai.

The foster mother loved the child to bits the court heard but was forced to give up care of him because he was displaying disturbing behaviour. He was spying on her in the shower, acting inappropriately with other children and was obsessed with faeces.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, were forced to put him in specialised residential care in the UK as no suitable place was available in Ireland.

The psychologist said he was displaying highly sexualised behaviour but this has improved over time.

The father was convicted of anally raping the child on nine occasions but acquitted of raping him with a poker. Other charges relating to allegations that the father forced the boy to have sex with his mother were withdrawn from the jury.

The boy described one occasion where his father was assembling a wooden box. He asked his father what it was for and the father replied it's for you before pushing him in. The boy was in there for three or four hours before his mother released him.
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Anticholinergic Drugs Market Report covers a valuable source of perceptive information for business strategists. Anticholinergic Drugs Industry provides the overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elegant description of the value chain and its distributor analysis.

Anticholinergic Drugs Market Highlights

The Global Anticholinergic Drugs Market is expected to register a CAGR of 4.50% during the forecast period with a market value of USD 7,149.90 million till 2024. Anticholinergics drugs are a broad class of drugs that block acetylcholine-mediated neurotransmission in the smooth muscle, heart, central, and peripheral nervous systems. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, or a chemical messenger released by nerve cells to send signals to other cells.

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The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing investments and funding in the field of life science research has led to the growth of the global anticholinergic drugs market in recent years. Moreover, the aging population is expected to fuel market growth. However, side-effects of anticholinergic drugs and stringent regulations are projected to hamper the growth of the market during the assessment period.

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Market Research Future (MRFR) recognizes following companies as key players in the global anticholinergic drugs market that include Pfizer Inc. (US), Allergan Plc (US), Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan), Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. (US), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (Israel), Sanofi (France), GlaxoSmithKline Plc (UK), Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (Germany) and others.

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The anticholinergic drugs market, based on product type, has been segmented into synthetic compounds, natural, semi-synthetic compounds. The anticholinergic drugs market, based on application, has been segmented into the overactive bladder, Parkinsons disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscle spasms, irritable bowel syndrome. On the basis of route of administration, the market is segmented into oral, parenteral, topical. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into hospitals and pharmacies.

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The Global Anticholinergic Drugs Market, based on region, is divided into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.

The Americas is expected to hold the largest share of the global anticholinergic drugs market. This owes to the rising geriatric population along with the high prevalence of CNS diseases and demand for effective therapies. The Europe market demonstrated substantial growth in the market due to the rising prevalence of bladder overactivity, increasing geriatric population, and rising healthcare expenditure. Germany held a share of 25.8% in the Western Europe anticholinergic drugs market in 2018. Asia-Pacific is estimated to be the fastest growing region in the global market due to the presence of a large number of research organizations and development of new infrastructure to support the healthcare industry. Also, the Middle East and Africa region is expected to show the least growth owing to low per capita income and lack of adequate healthcare spending.

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The Global Anticholinergic Drugs Market is projected to reach USD 7,149.90 Million by 2024 at a CAGR of 4.50% during the review period from 2019 to 2024 .

Americas accounted for the largest share of the global market due to the high prevalence of CNS diseases and demand for effective therapies.

The overactive bladder application segment accounted for the largest market share of 4% in 2018.

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Washington: The US military has not halted a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Department of Defence says, despite a new law prohibiting further reductions without the Pentagon sending Congress an assessment of the risks.

"Currently, no new orders have been issued which impact the progression of the conditions-based drawdown expected to reach 2500 (troops) by January 15, 2021," it said in a statement.

A US special operations forces soldier climbs down from a compound wall in Shewan, a former Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan. Credit:AP

The Pentagon's action will likely anger Republicans and Democrats opposed to further troop withdrawals and renew concerns about the outgoing Trump administration's disdain for Congress, even in its waning days.

"If they are continuing the drawdown, that would be a violation of the law," said a congressional aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Alex Nation isn't shy about sharing her new romance with fans on social media.

This week, the former Bachelor star posted a photo of herself kissing her new tradie boyfriend Carson Jory on Instagram.

The reality chose not to caption the image, allowing the picture to speak for itself instead.

Bliss: This week, former Bachelor star Alex Nation posted a photo of herself kissing her new tradie boyfriend Carson Jory on Instagram

The PDA delighted Alex's fans, with one writing: 'I can feel the magic!'

'Great to see you happy,' gushed another loyal admirer.

Alex, the single mother who won, and then lost, the heart of Richie Strahan on The Bachelor in 2016, publicly debuted her new beau in December.

The 28-year-old revealed on Instagram last month that she was in a relationship with Carson, a tradie who owns a floor and wall tiling business.

Happily ever after! Alex, the single mother who won, and then lost, the heart of Richie Strahan on The Bachelor in 2016, publicly debuted her new beau in December

She shared a gallery of black-and-white photos of the couple on a camping trip, alongside the caption: 'Nice to meet you, Mr Jory.'

Alex did not mention how long they'd been dating, but her friends in the comments section did not seem to be surprised by the announcement.

Fans of The Bachelor will remember Alex as the winner of the fourth season, but her romance with rope-access technician Richie didn't last.

Open secret: Alex did not mention how long they'd been dating, but her friends in the comments section did not seem to be surprised by the announcement

They quietly broke up in 2017, after filming the show the previous year.

Alex later came out as pansexual and revealed she was dating a woman, Maegan Luxa, from her local Melbourne footy team.

They got engaged in December 2017, but split the following April. They remain friends.

Reality star: Fans of The Bachelor will remember Alex as the winner of the fourth season, but her romance with rope-access technician Richie didn't last

Alex kept her dating life under wraps after breaking off her engagement to Maegan.

She did, however, make an appearance on last year's season of Bachelor in Paradise.

While on the Fiji-based dating show, she and Richie candidly discussed the circumstances of their break-up two years earlier.

Roller coaster: They quietly broke up in 2017, after filming the show the previous year. Alex and Richie are pictured during The Bachelor season four finale, which aired in September 2016

Alex implied their relationship ended after she had an abortion and Richie wasn't there to support her because they were living in different states.

She later had a guest role on Drunk History Australia, but has vowed to never appear on a dating show again.

Before her rise to fame, Alex became pregnant as a teenager to her boyfriend Joel Porter, to whom she was later briefly married. Their son, Elijah, is now 10 years old.
Credit: Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona

Most people experience turbulence primarily from the experience of flying in an airplane. However, turbulence is a key feature of nature and is found everywhere, from rivers to galaxies.

Turbulent-like dynamics are difficult to capture in a still image. However, Leonardo da Vinci did everything possible to identify the underlying order of the phenomenon, which he observed in eddy currents forming randomly in water. In fact, he was fascinated by trying to understand and describe the generating principles governing such complicated dynamics. This is so much so that he coined the phrase 'turbolenza," which comes from the Latin word for crowds: 'torba." This same idea was the beginning of centuries of research into turbulence. Through the work of the giants of modern physics and mathematics like Andrey Kolmogorov, Yosihiki Kuramoto and Werner Heisenberg, some of the main organizing principles of turbulence have been established. Heisenberg said: "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe God will have an answer to the first."

The article: "Turbulent-like dynamics in the human brain" published by the main open access journal Cell Reports on Monday 8 December 2020, focuses on characterizing and identifying the turbulence that occurs in the human brain.

This work is the result of international collaboration between the Center for Brain and Cognition (CBC) at Pompeu Fabra University, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford (UK), and the Center for Music in the Brain at Aarhus University (Denmark), conducted by the researchers Gustavo Deco (ICREA-DTIC) and Morten L. Kringelbach, who have discovered turbulent-like dynamics in the human brain by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a sample of over 1,000 participants.

Turbulence as a fundamental organizing principle of physical systems

Gustavo Deco stated: "Previous research has shown that turbulence is the optimal way to make energy cascade through space-time on many scales, which is not just a visually pleasing phenomenon but also a fundamental organizing principle of physical systems."

The new approach suggested by this work proposes the existence of turbulent-like dynamics as the backbone of the communication of large-scale neural networks

Deco continues: "We have also shown that the physics of turbulence has important practical applications ranging, for example, from improved chemical plants to aircraft and windmills. Our results reveal a new way of analyzing and modeling whole-brain dynamics. This new approach suggests the existence of turbulent-like dynamics as the backbone of the communication of large-scale neural networks. This new knowledge could revolutionize our understanding of brain function."

Morten L. Kringelbach, co-author of the research, adds: "Our findings provide a solid, innovative framework for use as novel biomarkers for neuropsychiatric diseases. In the coming years, this theoretical framework could lead to new interventions that might improve the mental health of many people, especially after this turbulent pandemic."

Explore further Researchers compute turbulence with artificial intelligence

More information: Gustavo Deco et al, Turbulent-like Dynamics in the Human Brain, Cell Reports (2020). Journal information: Cell Reports Gustavo Deco et al, Turbulent-like Dynamics in the Human Brain,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108471

Provided by Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona

Silambarasan TR aka STR's upcoming film Eeswaran is making headlines before its release on Pongal i.e. January 14, 2021. Yesterday, the makers of Simbu-starrer surprised everyone by announcing its OTT release on the same day of its theatrical release.

The producers had announced that Eeswaran will be available on an OTT platform for viewers outside India. The official handle of Madhav Media wrote, "Hey people outside India, Catch #Eeswaran on @olyflix_ premium video on demand platform." Well, their tweet created a big storm amongst the theatre owners in Tamil Nadu, as they expressed their disappointment over producers' move.

Theatre owners felt that OTT release of Eeswaran might affect the film's business in India, as piracy sites would get a clear print of the film and upload it on their respective sites. The general secretary of Tamil Nadu Theatres Association, Rohini Panneerselvam sent a message to theatre owners.

The message reads, "We heard an unfortunate news this evening, and after a discussion, we have come to the following decision. They have announced that they will releasing Eeswaran on OTT on the same day of its release. So, I sincerely request everyone to tell them that you do not have an intention to screen their film. This is a fight for our survival. If we agree to this, every film will take this route. They have said it is only in countries outside India, but even then, this will affect (business) in India. So, even if you have entered into an agreement, do not worry. The association will handle this. So, I request you to please tell them we won't cooperate."

After the association's message, the makers immediately postponed Eeswaran's OTT release. They informed fans on Twitter and wrote, "Considering the request from TN theatre association & to ensure that the theater experience is not compromised, we had to take the unfortunate call to hold the release of #Eeswaran on @olyflix_ over PVOD. Hope TN Theatre Association supports us by increasing the no. of screens."

Also Read : Vijay's Master To Simbu's Eeswaran, Kollywood Films We Can't Wait To Watch On Pongal 2021!

Talking about the film, Eeswaran is directed by Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu fame Suseenthiran. The film also stars Nidhhi Agerwal, Bharathiraja, Nandita Swetha, Saravanan and others in pivotal roles.

Also Read : Simbu's Eeswaran In Trouble; Director Suseenthiran Gives Clarification Over Snake Cruelty
Paramedics and ambulances at the Mater Hospital in Dublin

The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus is continuing to rise, with 1,700 people now battling the virus in hospitals across the country.

Health chiefs have been warning about the escalating number of people sick with Covid-19 who require hospital care.

The health system is coming under intense pressure after Irelands rate of Covid-19 skyrocketed in recent weeks, resulting in an influx of patients at hospitals.

The number of patients in ICU is now at 143, and growing rapidly towards the peak number seen in the first wave, when 155 people were in critical care.

Nobody wants more people sick with #COVID19. 1,700 patients now in hospital & 143 in ICU would swap with any of us. The big ask of everyone is to stay at home & help get our hospitals & nursing homes back to safer levels. Our healthcare teams ask just this of us. @HSELive  Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) January 12, 2021

Paul Reid, chief executive of the HSE, repeated his call for people to stay at home.

Mr Reid tweeted: Nobody wants more people sick with Covid-19.

1,700 patients now in hospital and 143 in ICU would swap with any of us.

The big ask of everyone is to stay at home and help get our hospitals and nursing homes back to safer levels.

Our healthcare teams ask just this of us.

Very positive development. If approved this vaccine will allow significant scaling up of vaccination programme https://t.co/gXLUoclWxc  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 12, 2021

Thirteen hospitals say they have no available intensive care beds.

The news comes after figures revealed Ireland has the worlds highest incidence of confirmed new Covid-19 cases per million people.

In the last week, Ireland has had 10,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus per million people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Officials said the number of people in hospital with the virus will peak at 2,200 to 2,500 people over the next two weeks, with an estimated 200 to 400 people in ICU.

If approved this vaccine will allow significant scaling up of vaccination programme Leo Varadkar

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) received a request from AstraZeneca for the approval of its Covid-19 vaccine.

Data had been submitted to European regulators for assessment of the vaccine.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar described it as a very positive development.

He tweeted: If approved this vaccine will allow significant scaling up of vaccination programme.

Meanwhile, supplies of the Moderna vaccine are expected in Ireland this week.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said Ireland had pre-ordered 875,000 shots of the Moderna vaccine.
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Australian US Dollar (AUD/USD) exchange rate faded in a more risk-off backdrop that favours the US currency.

Australia has additional domestic pressures due to the souring in relations with China.

Recent data shows coal exports falling significantly and tensions are escalating again after Australia blocked a Chinese takeover on national security grounds.

Calm has returned to markets in Tuesdays session after a volatile Monday that saw Big Tech companies such as Tesla and Facebook drop heavily and Bitcoin crash over 18% before recovering. Currencies have been less volatile but the US dollar has been steadily rising since last weeks reversal and reached 90.75 at Mondays highs. This is still far from a convincing turnaround but rising rates in the US and risks from the political turmoil have led to a more beneficial environment for the USD. Conversely, the risk off tone could well pressure the AUDUSD which has been the pair most correlated with stock markets such as the S&P500. Since topping last Wednesday it fell nearly 2% into Mondays lows and is now bouncing. However, the Ozzie will have to deal with more than just risk sentiment over the course of 2021. The RBA is trying to weaken the currency through easing measures and there are other potential headwinds coming from the escalating trade tensions between Australia and China.

Trade War 2.0

Australia  China relations have been souring ever since Australia demanded an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. China is Australias largest trading partner and has flexed its muscles over the issue by effectively banning imports of coal and other products. While Australia has managed to export some coal to China, recent figures show a substantial drop and China ramping up imports from other suppliers such as Indonesia. Heres a summary of the December figures from Energyworld:

China's imports from Australia were a mere 447,523 tonnes, the lowest since Refinitiv started compiling vessel-tracking and port data in January 2015, and down massively from the 2020 high of 9.64 million tonnes in June.

Even those modest volumes from Australia might not be available for end users since the Refinitiv data only measures cargoes that have been discharged, meaning its possible the shipments have yet to clear customs.

On the other hand, Chinas imports from Indonesia increased to 12.9m tonnes, three times the figure seen in November. Thankfully, India has taken up some of the slack and increased its imports from Australia to 6.24m tonnes in December, but this hardly makes up for the losses in China.

Souring Further

Any hope that the issue could be resolved swiftly have faded. Indeed, the situation seems to have soured further this week as Australia blocked the Chinese takeover attempt of a local building contractor. FT points out that this sends a clear message to Beijing:

"Australia has blocked a A$300m takeover offer by a Chinese state-owned company for a local building contractor in a move that reflects the intense diplomatic and trade tensions between Beijing and Canberra. The decision to block China State Construction Engineering Company from acquiring Probuild on national security grounds is the first negative assessment made by Canberra since tough new foreign investment (Firb) rules came into force on January 1.

This move is in-line with Washingtons tougher stance on Chinese State-run companies. Indeed, the China State Construction Engineering Company is on the US list of Communist Chinese military companies which bans US investors from owning its shares. The worrying aspect for the Australian economy is that China could retaliate with more trade bans and is already investing less in Australia. As FT point out:

A joint report by University of Sydney Business school and KPMG found Chinese companies invested A$3.4bn ($2.6bn) in 2019, down 58 per cent from A$8.2bn a year earlier.

This will begin to weigh on Australia and the Australian dollar, and the potential for further escalation could be a theme that develops over the course of 2021.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hammer & Nails, a first-of-its-kind men's grooming shop providing straight razor shaves, beard trims and hand and foot care, is pleased to announce updates to its leadership team. The brand's co-owner and recent CEO John Choi is transitioning to Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Aaron Meyers, who has served as the President and COO for more than two years, has become the Chief Executive Officer.

"We are thrilled to announce Aaron's well-earned promotion to CEO," said Choi. "In his role as COO and President, Aaron has spent countless hours perfecting our business model and operations and expanding our footprint both online and with brick & mortar locations. Aaron has more than doubled the size of Hammer & Nails through strategic franchisee partnerships, launched a product line that can be found on Amazon.com, and strongly led the brand through the adversities faced with the recent pandemic. The Board and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Hammer & Nails team to ensure that today marks an exciting move forward for our Company."

As CEO, Meyers will continue to operate with a commitment to excellence in supporting the grooming brand's franchise owners, and will work to capitalize off of the growth momentum seen by Hammer & Nails in recent years. After closing 2020 with an impressive combination Area Developer and multi-unit franchise deal in Naples, Florida, Meyers will be looking to expand the brand throughout the south, specifically Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Prior to joining Hammer & Nails, Meyers' impressive resume showcases more than 25 years of experience in operations and brand development. As the former Vice President of Operations & Innovation at Massage Envy, he led over 1,000 company-owned and franchised locations delivering $1.3 billion of revenue across 49 states. His professional background also includes an additional 20 years at FedEx Office where he led operations in Europe, Canada, and Latin America.

Further adding to the brand's best-in-class leadership, Mia Dinh has joined the corporate team as the Director of Training and Operations. Dinh has spent the last two years as one of the franchise owners of the West Hollywood Hammer & Nails where she also worked as general manager. She will lean on her Hammer & Nails experience and her more than 15 years in the men's grooming industry for her new venture where she is tasked with supporting franchisee operations and leading initial and ongoing training for franchisees and technicians.

"I am excited to continue to lead Hammer & Nails and our many dedicated franchise owners across the country," said Meyers. "I look forward to taking our brand on this explosive growth journey, and know we will soar in 2021 with the leadership team we have in place."

About Hammer & Nails

Hammer & Nails was founded in 2013 with the vision to provide hand and foot care, manicures and pedicures, haircuts and shaves to every type of male. After launching its franchise opportunity in 2015, the brand has awarded licenses for more than 200 shops and is working to have 150 locations open and operating by 2025. To learn more about the franchise opportunity, visit https://hammerandnailsfranchise.com/.

SOURCE Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop For Guys

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WASHINGTON: Rep. Jamie Raskins 25-year-old son, Tommy, killed himself on New Years Eve and was buried the following Tuesday. A day later, a violent mob launched a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that forced Raskin and his colleagues to evacuate.

Now, the Maryland Democrat and former constitutional law professor is leading the effort to remove President Donald Trump from office for inciting the riot.

He authored a resolution being approved Tuesday by the House that calls on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and declare Trump unable to complete his term, which expires next week. Pence likely wont do that, which will likely lead the chamber to quickly move to articles of impeachment, which Raskin also helped draft.

That is the groundwork for fascism, when you add racism, anti-Semitism, conspiracy theory and magical thinking. That is an absolute powder keg in terms of an assault on democracy, Raskin said of the riot in an interview. So we have to be very tough, and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy.

With the collision of his personal tragedy and a national trauma, Raskin is emerging as a unique figure in a polarized Congress. He drew extended applause from his colleagues on the House floor last week just before the insurrection began. And even as many Republicans fought the Democratic effort to remove Trump on Tuesday, Raskin was praised by the GOP for continuing his work during such a challenging moment.

I wanted to tell Mr. Raskin how much we grieve with him for his loss and how much we admire him for continuing to perform his duties under unimaginably difficult circumstances, Oklahoma GOP Rep. Tom Cole said during a House Rules Committee hearing.

In the midst of grief, Raskin is bringing a certain clarity in outlining societal ills that led to the riot.

Many of the rioters storming the Capitol, Raskin said, were used to a world in which white people were a comfortable, commanding majority in this country. They were unsettled by Barack Obama becoming the nations first African-American president, he added, and now have a full blown, independent reality, totally cut apart from the world of facts.

Raskin noted a wooden gallows that was erected on the nearby grounds and suggested that the rioters, some of whom had chanted Hang Mike Pence, intended to kidnap the vice president and other leaders and execute them.

The president didnt want to let go, and the fruit of his obsession with his big lie that he had actually won the election was this nightmarish assault on Congress, Raskin said. The president has become a clear and present danger to the Republic.

For his part, Trump insisted Tuesday that what he said shortly before the mob forced its way into the Capitol was totally appropriate and called his looming impeachment a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics.

I think its causing tremendous danger to our country, the president said. And its causing tremendous anger.

The FBI has now warned of more, potentially armed, protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20. The area around the Capitol has been ringed by climb-proof fencing, National Guard troops have been deployed and the nearby Washington Monument closed.

As concerns about security in Washington grow, the memory of Tommy Raskin is still fresh. He was studying at Harvard Law School, his fathers alma mater. He left behind a suicide note that read My illness won today. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me.

In a moving online tribute last week, Raskin, and his wife, former Obama administration treasury official Sarah Bloom Raskin, wrote of their sons affinity for playing jazz piano, writing and performing one-act plays and teaching our dogs foreign languages. But they also noted that he began to be tortured later in his 20s by a blindingly painful and merciless depression.

Despite very fine doctors and a loving family and friendship network of hundreds who adored him beyond words and whom he adored too, the pain became overwhelming and unyielding and unbearable, they wrote.

Last weeks riot at the Capitol began as lawmakers were certifying Bidens Electoral College victory over Trump. During those proceedings, Raskin stood to argue against Trumps baseless claims of fraud but also to thank all my dear, beloved colleagues for all your love and tenderness, which my family will never forget."

That drew a lengthy standing ovation as Raskin stepped back and placed his hand over his heart. When the congressman finally spoke again, his voice cracked and he managed a soft, Thank you again.

The Capitol was breached a short time later. Waiting out the siege from a secure location, Raskin declared during a real-time TV interview that, This is an attack on the government. It didnt even happen during the Civil War." But mostly his thoughts were on his 23-year-old daughter Tabitha, and son-in-law, who had accompanied him to the Capitol and gotten separated in the mayhem.

When they were eventually reunited, Raskin assured his daughter that the next time she went to the Capitol it would be calmer. Dad, I dont think theres gonna be a next time," she responded, giving her father an opportunity for levity, despite everything.

So, Ive got to rebuild her confidence in take your daughter to work day,'" Raskin said with a small chuckle after that nightmare.

___

Associated Press Writer Noreen Nasir contributed from Chicago.

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
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against a Bengaluru-based doctor identified as Abdur Rahman aka Dr Brave in connection with a probe into the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) module case.

The Central agency has alleged that the doctor got radicalised and travelled to Syria in 2013. Following his return, he had achieved significant progress towards developing a medical application for treatment of terrorists as well as a laser guided anti-tank missile application for controlling the trajectory of the missiles using a pulse receiver and pulse transmitter for enhancing their effectiveness for furthering the cause of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

An NIA Spokesperson in the national capital said it had filed a chargesheet in the Special NIA Court here under several sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the Bengaluru doctor.

Twenty eight-year-old Abdur Rahman, who is a resident of Karnataka's Bengaluru, has been chargesheeted for furthering the ideology and activities of proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/ISKP in connivance with co-accused Jahanzaib Sami and others for committing subversive or anti-national activities in India.

Earlier, in September 2020, the NIA filed a charge sheet against Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh (both residents of Jammu and Kashmir and currently residing in Delhi's Okhla area), Abdullah Basith of Hyderabad, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, both residents of Pune.

Abdullah Basith is already lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail in connection with another IS Abu Dhabi module case of the NIA.

A case was initially registered by Delhi Police Special Cell in March 2020 after the arrest of Wani and his wife from Okhla Vihar in Jamia Nagar area in New Delhi for having links with the ISKP. The NIA took over the probe in March 20, 2020.

Rahman was arrested by the NIA in August 2020 from Bengaluru.

The official said during further investigation it was found that Rahman as an MBBS student at the Bangalore Medical College got radicalised and listened to the online lectures of hard line Islamic preachers, including 'Anwar Awlaki'.

"Subsequently, he came into contact with other radicalised youth and travelled to Syria in December 2013 and participated in various terrorist activities of the ISIS," the official added.

The official pointed out that after his return to India, he continued to remain associated with the ideology of the ISIS.

"Utilising his knowledge of ophthalmic lasers and medical science, he made efforts to develop applications for medical and military requirements of the ISIS. Till recently he was in regular communication with ISIS terrorists located abroad as well as in India, including Jahanzaib Sami on 'Threema', a secure messaging platform," the official said.

In its earlier chargesheet against five people, the NIA had alleged that they were conspiring to utilise the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests to instigate Muslims against the Indian government by coining seditious slogans and inscribing graffiti at public places and highlighting the same on social and international media.

The NIA also alleged that they were provoking some gullible youth to participate in anti-CAA protests actively.

"In case these protests failed to provoke the Muslims, they were planning to carry out arson attacks on government buildings and public property so that riots could happen and they could exploit the sentiments of the Muslims," the NIA official added.

"During the probe it was found that Jahanzaib, Beigh, Basith and Siddick tried to make an improvised IED and were planning to carry out mass killings in crowded places to further the activities of ISIS/ISKP in India," the NIA official had said earlier.
Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Aviation Group, has achieved 87 per cent on-time-performance (OTP) during 2020  ahead of its 85 per cent target and despite a significant increase in flight utilisation.

The award-winning UAE carrier also maintained a Delivered As Promised (DAP) record throughout the year, passing its initial target of 85 per cent, underlining its on-time delivery capability.

Securing these excellent annual results in Etihad Cargos key performance metrics of OTP and DAP  which measure the punctuality of the freighter fleet against the schedule and ability to deliver cargo at an agreed time  demonstrate the reliability of the freighter service, explained Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo, Etihad Aviation Group. This measure is especially important for time-sensitive cargo such as pharmaceuticals and perishables to maintain quality and freshness before being made available to the public.

DAP is based on the IATA industry standard CargoiQ, of which Etihad Cargo is a certified member, and facilitates a standardised measurement of service promise. It measures milestones along the shipment journey and marks the point where the customer is notified of shipments being ready for collection.

In recent months, it has become even more relevant to ensure that Etihad Cargo adheres to these commitments to continue supporting the global demand in the transportation of the Covid-19 vaccines and other pharmaceutical items. In fact, since December Etihad Cargo has handled numerous shipments of the vaccine on behalf of the Hope Consortium into Abu Dhabi and continues to do so, Drew added.

The efforts and dedication of Etihad Cargos well-trained front-line staff and supporting teams has been a key facilitator of the success achieved last year and they continue to play a vital role through their knowledge and expertise.

Etihad Cargos strong 2020 performance was supported with its extensive global road feeder service network, which covers 150 stations across the UAE, GCC, Europe, North America, Japan, India, and Australia.

Etihad Cargos extensive global road feeder service network empowers Etihad Cargo customers with access to markets not yet on the airlink network. The road feeder service performed particularly well within Europe and North Africa in 2020 with 15,119 total truck journeys  an average of 350-plus per week  within the first 10 months of this year, explained Andre Blech, Director Cargo Operations and Delivery, Etihad Aviation Group.

The road feeder service network also supported Etihad Cargos commitment to guarantee full compliance of industry standards and regulations across its network and enhanced product offering.

Etihad Cargos safety and reporting culture spans the entire organisation and is expanded across our supplier network, which has enabled us to become one of the first global carriers to implement an export control framework to ensure compliance with sanction laws, added Blech. Screening of shipments against international sanctions, restricted commodities and dual-use of goods is a key enabler in protecting Etihad Cargos award-winning reputation.

The carrier is also using digital solutions to support automated reporting and real-time information, with partnerships with several smart industry initiatives including One Record, CargoiQ and most recently the IATA e-AWB bearing fruit. In Q3 of 2020, Etihad became the UAEs first airline to implement electronic technical logs (eTech logs). The switch accelerated Etihad Cargos journey to paperless airline operations and helped the carrier achieve an IATA ranking of eighth in the world for e-AWB penetration.

Etihad Cargos digital transformation has also seen it automate solutions at its state-of-the-art Cargo Control Centre, which monitors and steers its global cargo flows round-the-clock. Smart solutions adopted include the automation of customers messaging, pre-alert messages to inform stakeholders at its hub and outstations, service level monitoring of handling providers, identification of service failures or irregularities to allow for immediate response actions, and live tracking of trucking services.

Throughout 2021 Etihad Cargo will continue to review its offerings and consumable items to deliver a best-in-class service with customised products driven by a flexibility to respond to ever more demanding customer requirements, asserted Blech. These enhancements will include more airport to door road feeder service solutions and short-lead time charter operations, increased automation and the implementation of live milestone monitoring of shipments throughout the network. Etihad Cargos tracking solutions will be expanded to give customers more shipment visibility in location and product integrity.

Based on data-driven insights to ensure more informed and swifter decision-making, Etihad Cargos business enhancements will bring improvements to market faster and ensure optimum cost-efficiency for the business and loyal customers. - TradeArabia News Service

American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who built lavish gambling palaces that made him one of the worlds richest men and became a potent supporter of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has died at age 87.

Adelson, who headed the worlds largest casino company, Las Vegas Sands, died on Monday night from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Las Vegas Sands said in a statement on Tuesday.

In Las Vegas, Macao and Singapore, Mr. Adelsons vision for integrated resorts transformed the industry, changed the trajectory of the company he founded, and reimagined tourism in each of those markets, the company said. His impact on the industry will be everlasting.

A combative self-made man raised in a poor Jewish immigrant family in Boston, Adelson established hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, Macau and Singapore.

His wealth made him a formidable figure in US politics as he bankrolled Republicans including businessman-turned-president Trump and fought Democrats. He also was a prominent supporter of Israel.

He was an American patriot, a generous benefactor of charitable causes, and a strong supporter of Israel, former President George W Bush said in a statement.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA), a group representing U.S. domestic blueberry farmers, today provided information to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) during a hearing on the impact of rising imports during the U.S. growing and harvest seasons. American blueberry growers across the country  mostly small, family-run farms  have been devastated by an influx in blueberry imports by 75 percent in the past five years, according to U.S. import data.

"Because of booming domestic demand, we should be enjoying a market in which there is room for both domestic and foreign growers to profit," said Jerome Crosby, Chairman of the ABGA Board of Directors and owner of Pineneedle Farms in Willacoochee, Georgia. "However, foreign government policies targeting the United States market and large corporate import interests have combined to bring massive volumes of blueberries into our market, increasingly during periods that in the past provided growers with the bulk of their revenues and often all of their profits for the year."

"The massive increase in Mexican imports during our harvesting season has crippled the Florida blueberry industry and threatens its very existence," said Brittany Lee, Executive Director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association and owner of Florida Blue Farms. "Over the period 2009 to 2019, we saw imports from Mexico increase by 2,111 percent. We have experienced a significant decline in price per pound for fresh blueberries in Florida, and a huge loss of market share."

Farmers said the U.S. blueberry industry has made extensive marketing efforts over many years to educate purchasers and consumers about blueberries, which has increased demand. "Foreign producers are taking the benefit of those efforts, in some instances by creating industries out of nothing and exploiting cheap labor and poor environmental regulation overseas," said Rex Schultz of Heritage Blueberries in Bangor, Michigan and President of the Michigan Blueberry Advisory Committee. "Producers in foreign countries are totally dependent on our market, and they have every incentive to keep shipping more and more product here. This is not a sustainable situation for the American blueberry farmer."

Imports have also had a devastating effect on blueberry farmers in Western states. "Ten years ago, imports filled an important role by ensuring supply of fresh berries in the few months where there was little to no production in the United States during the winter months. But this is no longer the case," said Jayson Scarborough, a blueberry farmer in Central California. "Imports from Mexico and Peru, in particular, now enter our market throughout our harvesting period in California. Prices for these imported berries are extremely low, which means that when we begin to sell our harvests, the price point has already deteriorated significantly due to the presence of large volumes of imported fruit in the market."

Farmers said that massive amounts of fresh blueberries coming in from Mexico and South America often arrive without a buyer. "Peruvian product can arrive in massive shipments, with hundreds of thousands and even millions of pounds of perishable fresh blueberries on one ocean-going vessel that has been in transit at least two weeks before being unloaded at U.S. ports," said Shelly Hartmann, owner of True Blue Farms in Grand Junction, Michigan. "When these blueberries are released all at once onto the fresh market, they cause prices to crater. This pushes domestic production of blueberries grown for the fresh market into the frozen market."

In addition, several members of Congress also testified before the ITC in support of American blueberry growers, including Reps. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.), Gregory Steube (R-Fla.) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.).

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is conducting a global safeguard investigation into imported fresh, chilled or frozen blueberries under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974. The ITC will determine if the dramatic increase of foreign berries is "a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof" to American blueberry growers.

About American Blueberry Growers Alliance

American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) is a national association representing blueberry growers and farmers in the United States. ABGA provides a unified voice for blueberry growers in states across the country, including California, Florida, Georgia and Michigan, advocating on behalf of their interests and for the long-term viability of the domestic blueberry industry. For more information, visit: americanblueberrygrowers.com.

SOURCE American Blueberry Growers Alliance

Related Links

https://americanblueberrygrowers.com


NEW YORK, June 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a new book examining the 60-year Castro-Communist revolution  Why Cuba Matters: New Threats in Americas Backyard  author Nestor T. Carbonell relates how the Castro regime is helping Russia and China develop cyberwarfare capability in Cuba, and sheds new light on how Castros soldiers and spies support Venezuelas repressive Maduro dictatorship.

In Why Cuba Matters (published by Archway Publishing), Cuban-born Carbonell, a witness to the onset of the Castro-Communist revolution and a longtime Cuban writer, provides perspective on the Castro regime, including how it willfully deceived and subjugated the Cuban people, defied 12 U.S. presidents, and continues to endanger peace and security in the Western hemisphere. The author has relied on declassified government documents and trustworthy unpublished reports and testimonies on significant episodes, such as U.S. attempts to normalize relations with the Castro brothers and their duplicity to obtain concessions without introducing meaningful democratic reforms.

The author also has drawn from a vast array of his own experiences. Among them: civic resistance and detention in Havana; military training for the Bay of Pigs in Guatemala; CIA intelligence sessions in Miami; Organization of American States (OAS) meetings in Washington D.C.; briefing members of Congress on the missile crisis and Castro-Communist subversion; and Cuba strategy discussions with statesmen, corporate leaders and policymakers.

In looking at present-day Cuba, the author describes how, despite the Castro regimes stranglehold on the island, the dissident movement manages to keep the resistance alive. He also ponders prospects for a peaceful democratic opening in the post-Castro era. Finally, he explores how a free Cuba could rise from the rubble of Castro-Communism and surmount four critical challenges: political democratization, economic liberalization, cultural revitalization and moral regeneration.

Visit https://www.amazon.com/N%C3%A9stor-T-Carbonell/dp/1480888842 to purchase a copy.

Why Cuba Matters

By Nestor T. Carbonell

Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 576 pages | ISBN 9781480888845 | $34.99

E-Book | 576 pages | ISBN 9781480885875 | $6.99

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Nestor T. Carbonell was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. He comes from a prominent Cuban family that left its imprint on the islands wars of independence and on the foundation and development of the republic. Forced into exile in June 1960 after denouncing the Communist takeover of Cuba, Carbonell played an important role in the resistance and diplomatic fronts of the pro-democracy struggle. He joined PepsiCo in 1967 as counsel, Latin America, retiring in 2008 as corporate vice president in charge of international government relations and public affairs. Carbonell earned law degrees from the University of Villanueva in Havana and Harvard. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the Board of Overseers of the International Rescue Committee, and has served on academic and cultural boards of Georgetown University, Duke University and Florida International University. He is the author of And the Russians Stayed: the Sovietization of Cuba, and of five other books on Cuba in Spanish under the name of Nestor Carbonell-Cortina.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit www.archwaypublishing.com or call 888-242-5904.

Attachment
YONCALLA, Ore.  The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says that it arrested a man on Friday after he went on a puzzling rampage behind the wheel of a motorhome, ending with a naked confrontation with deputies.

The suspect has been identified as 39-year-old Frank John James, though his city of residence is unknown. While its unclear where the incident began, James allegedly struck multiple vehicles on I-5 while driving a motorhome south from Cottage Grove in Lane County, according to DCSO.

Troopers from Oregon State Police began responding to search for the motorhome, but events unfolded quickly from there. After exiting the freeway near Yoncalla, James allegedly smashed head-on into an ODOT truck before driving away from the scene.

James then drove the motorhome into the Eagle Valley RV Park south of Yoncalla and crashed into a travel trailer  attempting to hit a pedestrian in the process, according to DCSO  then began confronting other drivers and bystanders. This was shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday.

"At one point [James] attempted to open the door to another trailer in the park and stole a cell phone from a bystander with force," DCSO said.

Callers said that James stripped himself naked, and started hitting the windshield of a nearby vehicle.

Minutes later, a deputy arrived at the scene and tried to de-escalate the situation, but James "was acting erratically." Eventually, the deputy hit James with a TASER and was able to take him into custody.

Deputies later found that a woman, described as James' girlfriend, had been a passenger in the RV during the rampage. She reported having asked James to stop and let her out, but he'd refused.

"Deputies discovered James had caused significant damage to the travel trailer, which was occupied at the time of the collision, although the occupants were not injured," DCSO said. "Additional damage occurred to the park's waterline and another vehicle."

James faces a dizzying array of charges between separate DCSO and OSP investigations, including multiple charges for attempted assault, criminal mischief, reckless endangering, and possession of methamphetamine.
Melania Trump's former aide has slammed the first lady's belated statement on the Capitol riot, exclusively telling DailyMail.com Melania 'played the victim' and only spoke out in response to her op-ed condemning her for not speaking out.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who authored the New York Times bestseller Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of my Friendship with the First Lady, penned a scathing piece for The Daily Beast, saying she is 'ashamed' to have ever worked for Melania, adding she couldn't believe 'how blind I was to the depth of her deception and lack of common decency.'

On Monday, five days after the mob's attack, Melania finally put out a statement, saying she 'absolutely condemns the violence', which was incited by her husband President Trump, and called for 'healing' as the couple prepares to leave office.

But Melania quickly pivoted to the 'salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me,' seemingly a reference to Wolkoff's article.

In response Wolkoff told DailyMail.com she was 'at a loss for words' when reading the statement.

She said: 'Melania played the victim role as she blamed others, including me, for attacking her. It's disappointing that she came out in response to my op-ed, instead of at her own volition with the feeling of a sense of responsibility and conviction as she claimed serving as the First Lady was an ''honor of my lifetime''.'

Melania Trump's former aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff slammed the first lady's belated statement on the Capitol siege, exclusively telling DailyMail.com Melania 'played the victim' and only spoke out in response to her op-ed condemning her for not speaking out

On Monday, five days after the mob's attack, Melania finally put out a statement, saying she 'absolutely condemns the violence', which was incited by her husband President Trump, and called for 'healing' as the couple prepares to leave office

A mob of supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday, sending lawmakers scurrying for cover. Five people died, including a police officer

She continued: 'I misjudged Melania's character and lack of moral compass, especially after reading how her ''heart goes out to'' the same violent rioters Donald claimed to ''love,'' before enticing them to walk down to the Capitol with him (which he did not).

'I came to terms with her deceit and deception towards me a long time ago, but I am astounded by her lack of empathy.

'As a mother, I find it astonishing that her attitude has become even more vacuous, detached and disconnected than ever before. I had to ask myself, was she always like this, or does she seem more cognitively isolated and in denial?

'As I said in Melania and Me, I gave her the benefit of the doubt about her moral character and I used to think she was different from her husband, but I was wrong about that. At their core, a Trump is a Trump is a Trump.'

Wolkoff said she understands how people can get duped into believing both Trump and Melania's rhetoric.

'The feeling of power alone is intoxicating, but when mixed with the power of persuasion from the President, it's a poisonous and deadly potion,' she explained.

'I do understand how persuasive the Trumps can be, especially when people are looking for a greater purpose, but they are pitting us against one another with falsehoods.

'The Trumps are not worried about what happens to anyone acting on their behalf, and that now includes one of the Trumps most fervent supporters, VP Pence.'

Wolkoff was an unpaid White House adviser to the first lady until February 2018, when her contract was terminated.

Wolkoff said she understands how people can get duped into believing both Trump and Melania's rhetoric. 'The feeling of power alone is intoxicating, but when mixed with the power of persuasion from the President, it's a poisonous and deadly potion,' she explained

Wolkoff said: 'I do understand how persuasive the Trumps can be, especially when people are looking for a greater purpose, but they are pitting us against one another with falsehoods'

Reports said she was ousted because Trump and Melania were angry over the spending for the January 2017 inauguration celebration but Wolkoff has long insisted that she wasn't fired, yet simply 'thrown under the bus'.

In January, Trump's inaugural committee was sued over allegations it had spent more than $1 million to book a ballroom at the Trump International Hotel for his inauguration celebration as part of a scheme to 'grossly overpay' for party space and enrich the president's own family in the process.

Wolkoff says she repeatedly raised questions about spending but she eventually came to be viewed as the problem.

Melania's 600-word essay published by the White House, was filled with spelling errors - the name of the Air Force veteran who was shot dead was spelled wrong - and grammatical mistakes.

The errors could perhaps be attributed to two of her key staff members quitting in protest of the president's handling of the riots: her chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham and social secretary Anna Cristina 'Rickie' Niceta.

Her statement also cast no blame for Wednesday's riot on her husband, who, at a rally earlier that day had encouraged his supporters to march on Capitol Hill.

As a White House source told The Mail on Sunday that during Wednesday's siege of the Capitol, the first lady was in the East Wing of the White House overseeing a photoshoot for a new coffee table book about presidential artifacts.

In her Daily Beast article, Wolkoff repeated earlier criticisms of the first lady, calling her an 'extension' of her husband who was there to 'soften his image' instead of leaving her own legacy. Wolkoff is seen far right alongside the Trumps in this undated file photo

'The heart of US government was under siege, our very democracy on the line, but Mrs Trump was calmly arranging porcelain figurines for the photographer,' the source said, saying even the most loyal remaining Trump staffers were left 'dumbfounded' by her actions.

Aides even asked Melania to intercede on Wednesday, to force her husband to publicly decry the insurgency, but she refused.

'She said nothing. She remained silent and carried on arranging a vase for the shoot. She checked out of this presidency and her marriage a long time ago.'

Wolkoff authored the NYT bestseller Melania and Me

Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late senator John McCain and a frequent critic of the president, blasted Melania Trump for her statement.

'Five people died in a domestic terror attack on our own republic last week incited by her husband but Melania Trump is the victim in this?! Every morning I think I can't get more disgusted....,' Meghan McCain tweeted.

While Melania has largely stayed quiet during Donald Trump's attempts to illegally reverse the election results, she has echoed the president's misleading language of 'counting legal votes' and has not publicly acknowledged Joe Biden's victory.

But she wrote in her latest message that 'it has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your first lady', a tacit acknowledgement that her term is nearly over.

Biden takes the oath of office on January 20th.

It's unclear what's in store for Melania Trump after life in the White House. She has been reportedly looking at schools for son Barron in Florida but has made no indication she plans to keep up her 'Be Best' campaign or her work with the military once her husband leaves office.

The first lady has been spending her final days in the White House behind closed doors. She and her husband have rarely been seen since their return from Florida on December 31st, where they were spending the holidays at Mar-a-Lago.
GTDRIVES: Dynamic Dialogues, Greenberg Traurigs diversity focused podcast, continues its series on criminal justice reform with the release of a fourth episode, featuring a Courageous Conversation with Karen M. Kennard, a Government Law & Policy Practice shareholder in the firms Austin office.

The podcast is part of Greenberg Traurigs Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Initiative and is hosted by firm shareholder and its Chief Diversity Officer Nikki Lewis Simon. Greenberg Traurigs Courageous Conversations programming is part of the firms Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan. It is designed so that participants share their DE&I and criminal and social justice journeys. Sharing this programming on the firms podcast enables a larger audience to witness these sometimes very emotional discussions.

In this episode, Kennard elaborates on her personal connection to criminal justice reform. She and her family have been involved with the Innocence Project of Texas for more than a decade. Kennards oldest brother, Tim Cole, was wrongfully convicted of rape more than two decades ago and died in prison in 1999, at the age of 39. In 2009, DNA testing proved his innocence, and he was the first person in Texas to receive a posthumous exoneration and posthumous pardon. In addition, the Texas exoneration compensation system and the Texas Innocence Commission are named in his honor.

GTDRIVES is the diversity platform through which Greenberg Traurig drives engagement, full inclusion, and equity. DRIVES is an acronym for Diversity, Retention, Inclusion, Value, Elevation, and Success, which are some of the firms core values. Podcast episodes address key diversity topics in the workplace and in the news.

Listen to previous episodes:



The podcast is available on the firms website and on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.

About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certification, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: DRIVES Twitter: @GT_Drives

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
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Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley held a phone conversation with Russias Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Monday, Joint Staff Spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement.

"Milley spoke with Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov and Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa by telephone today as well as with several counterparts in recent days. Topics of discussion included issues of mutual concern including the current security environment," Butler said.

Earlier, Russias Defense Ministry stated that the conversation was held at the U.S. initiative.

Last time, Gerasimov and Milley talked over the phone in August 2020, after an incident with the U.S. servicemen who attempted to block a Russian military patrol in Syria.
Lisbon, Jan 12 : Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, joining a long list of world leaders to be infected with the disease.

In the statement issued late Monday night, the Portuguese Presidency said that Rebelo de Sousa had "tested negative yesterday, and although today's antigen test is negative, it was now known, at 9.40 p.m., that the PCR test was positive", Xinhua news agency reported.

The 72-year-old, who is asymptomatic, has informed the country's Parliament President, prime minister and minister of health of hs diagnosis, the statement said.

It added that Rebelo de Sousa is working at the Belem Presidential Palace and will be in isolation at the residential area.

He has cancelled his entire agenda for the next few days, the Presidency added.

Following his diagnosis, Rebelo de Sousa joined a list of world leaders who tested positive for the virus, including French President Emmanuel Macron (December 2020), UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (March), Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (June), Bolivia's former interim President Jeanine Anez (June), Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez (July), Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei (September) and US President Donald Trump (October).
Vegetable dealers transport produce at a wholesale market in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, on Monday. The market will guarantee an ample supply of vegetables and fruit despite the recent COVID-19 outbreak, officials said. Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily

Latest:

North China's Hebei province reported 40 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, 39 in Shijiazhuang and one in Langfang, and 26 asymptomatic cases, all in Shijiazhuang.

As of Monday at midnight, Hebei has 305 confirmed cases.

Gu'an county in Langfang started nucleic acid testing for all its residents on Tuesday.

Up to 85.5 percent of cases have been found in rural areas.

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, can be contained within a month, if not sooner, a renowned epidemiologist in Shanghai said on Monday.

Zhang Wenhong, director of the infectious diseases department at Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, said the spread of the novel coronavirus usually obeys the rule of three developing phases: sporadic infections, outbreak in clusters and wide spread in the community.

Zhang said the outbreak in Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, has shown features of the second stage, but the public has no need to panic as China has seen progress in building the capacity to diagnose and isolate potential carriers since last year.

He made the remarks on Monday while participating in an online anti-epidemic forum.

The optimism came as the city races to roll out a second round of nucleic acid testing starting on Tuesday for its more than 10 million residents. The new round is scheduled to be completed within two days, city officials said.

The province reported a total of 281 confirmed cases and 208 asymptomatic carriers as of noon on Monday, with the majority of cases detected in rural areas.

In a previous testing drive, which concluded on Saturday, 354 people tested positive for COVID-19, said Gao Liwei, head of the Shijiazhuang Center for Disease Control and Prevention's microorganism department.

The province recently became a hot spot for COVID-19 after Shijiazhuang and the nearby city of Xingtai began reporting locally transmitted infections over the year's first weekend, triggering a lockdown in Shijiazhuang that started on Thursday.

As part of a concerted effort to ensure people's livelihoods amid the lockdown, a car-hailing service owned by Amap, a navigation platform, teamed up with a local partner to roll out a fleet of cars to help deliver food, medicine and other essential supplies.

The companies said they will also help drive patients with fever to hospitals if necessary, and ferry health workers between their homes and workplaces in Shijiazhuang.

The city also allowed couriers and other delivery personnel to return to work on Sunday.

Eleven other communities and villages have been designated as medium-risk areas, bringing the number of the province's medium-risk areas to 39 as of Monday night. Shijiazhuang's Gaocheng district is the country's only high-risk region.

Nationally, outbreak intervention has been further strengthened, particularly in rural areas.

In Beijing, rural areas in the city's Shunyi district have been placed under lockdown to curb the spread of the virus starting on Monday, said Zhi Xianwei, executive deputy head of the district.

"Everyone in Shunyi's rural areas will be under lockdown until the testing results come out," he said, adding that the second round of mass nucleic acid testing has started in the district.

Beijing has also tightened the management of transportation, requiring passengers to register their health code via a smartphone application when taking a taxi or using car-hailing service.

Operation of taxi companies or car-hailing platforms that fail to meet epidemic control and prevention requirements will be suspended, said Xu Hejian, a spokesman for the Beijing city government, on Monday.

Beijing had previously reported three confirmed COVID-19 cases among drivers who work for a car-hailing company.

In Heilongjiang province, Suihua's Wangkui county also imposed a sweeping lockdown on Monday, prohibiting all residents from making unnecessary trips.

As of 10 am on Monday, the county reported 20 asymptomatic carriers, said Li Yuefeng, secretary-general of the Suihua government. Li said at a news conference on Monday that mass testing covering all the county's residents will be finished within three days.

The Chinese mainland had reported 103 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours that ended at the end of the day on Sunday, according to the National Health Commission, making it the steepest increase in a single day in more than five months.

The last time the commission reported a three-digit rise in 24 hours was in July 2020, with 127 confirmed cases.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
A working group of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on the development of the Nagorno-Karabakh region will have its first meeting before the end of January, a statement of the three countries' leaders said Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2021) A working group of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on the development of the Nagorno-Karabakh region will have its first meeting before the end of January, a statement of the three countries' leaders said Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Moscow earlier in the day. Putin said after the talks that the three leaders had agreed to set up a working group on the development of the region, which recently experienced a military conflict.

The working group will make a list of the issues to work on, with train and car infrastructure as priorities.
West Madsen Gold Project adjoins Canada's newest high-grade gold mine

Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - GoldON Resources Ltd. (TSXV: GLD) ("GoldON" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the fully-funded Phase II exploration drilling program has recommenced at its West Madsen Gold Project right beside the new Pure Gold Red Lake Mine.





Figure 1: Phase II Target Area and Drill Plan for the West Madsen Project

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7436/71756_dd717edce4f64b57_001full.jpg

About the West Madsen Gold Project:

Now covering 5,862 hectares of prime gold exploration real estate in the heart of the Red Lake Camp, the West Madsen Project is comprised of the original Block A and B claim groups, where GoldON has the right to earn a 100% interest through an option agreement with Great Bear Resources (see news release of May 28, 2019); the Flat Lake and Maden-Medicine Stone claim groups that GoldON acquired a 100% interest in from Bounty Gold (see news release of January 7, 2021); and claims GoldON acquired via staking in December (see Red Lake regional map).

The West Madsen Project is contiguous with the Pure Gold Red Lake Mine property, where they poured first gold on December 29 and anticipate being in commercial production by the end of Q1 2021 (see Pure Gold's news release of December 30, 2020). Pure Gold's reserves and resources are hosted in a seven-kilometre-long gold system that follows the major crustal break or contact between the Balmer and Confederation assemblages. This same Balmer-Confederation contact has been exposed in outcrop 1.6 kilometres (km) west of the Pure Gold property boundary and is interpreted to continue for ~8 km across Block A of GoldON's property.

GoldON completed ~2,100 metres of the proposed 7,000 metre Phase II drilling program before Christmas break and assays are pending. The focus of the Phase II drilling program is to test the strike-extension of both the known gold mineralization to the east and follow-up on the gold mineralization discovered during GoldON's Phase I drilling (see news release of July 22, 2020).

The black ellipse in Figure 1 above depicts the area of the interpreted east-west trending Balmer-Confederation contact along with the completed and proposed Phase II drill holes to systematically test the extension of the stratigraphy within the structurally controlled corridor.

Ian Russell, P. Geo., an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

About GoldON Resources Ltd.

GoldON is an exploration company focused on discovery-stage properties located in the prolific gold mining belts of northwestern Ontario, Canada. Our current project portfolio includes four properties in the Red Lake Mining Division (West Madsen, Pipestone Bay, McDonough and Bruce Lake) and a fifth property in the Patricia Mining Division (Slate Falls). GoldON is fully funded to complete the Phase II drilling program in progress at West Madsen.

For additional information: please visit our website at goldonresources.com, you can download our latest investor presentation by clicking here and you can follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GoldONResources.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Signed "Michael Romanik"

Michael Romanik, President

GoldON Resources Ltd.

Direct line: (204) 724-0613

Email: info@goldonresources.com

Suite 108 - 800 Kelly Road, Suite 416

Victoria, BC, V9B 6J9

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71756
The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):

Paramedic Jessi Bittner inoculates Margaret Watson, 94, a resident at Oakview Place Long Term Care Residence, with her COVID-19 vaccine in the Winnipeg care home, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Watson was the first member of the public to receive the vaccine in Winnipeg. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):

6:30 p.m.

British Columbia passed a grim marker in its fight against COVID-19 Monday as the death toll in the province surpassed 1,000, with 22 more deaths recorded over the weekend.

The provinces top doctor says now is not the time to ease up on efforts to curb the spread.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says 1,475 new cases have been detected over the last three days, while outbreaks are ongoing in 50 long-term care homes and 10 acute care units.

The number of active infections in B.C. has dipped to 5,220 and nearly 60,000 people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sunday.

Henry says the province has used almost all of its doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but a new shipment will arrive later this week.

6 p.m.

Alberta is reporting 639 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional deaths.

There are 811 people in hospital, and 130 of those are in intensive care.

The province says that as of yesterday, 46,791 health-care workers and residents in care homes have received vaccinations.

Premier Jason Kenney says paramedics and emergency medical technicians are now on the list of those eligible for shots.

3:55 p.m.

With no new cases of COVID-19 for two weeks, Nunavut says it will lift lockdown measures in Arviat and Whale Cove.

Starting tomorrow, schools, businesses and government offices can open in both communities.

Travel to and from those communities will also be unrestricted, but chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says non-essential travel is still not recommended.

Patterson says it will still take until the end of January for Arviat's outbreak to officially be declared over.

Arviat, a community of about 2,800, had Nunavut's biggest outbreak of COVID-19, with 222 cases.

Arviat has been under a strict lockdown since Nov. 18.

2:45 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 412 new cases of COVID-19.

Health officials say eight more residents have died.

All of them were 30 and older.

There are 197 people in hospital, with 31 people receiving intensive care.

As of today, the province reports more than 8,900 doses of vaccine having been administered.

1:45 p.m.

Nova Scotia is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 today and now has 26 active cases.

Two cases are in the Halifax area and are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, including a student at Dalhousie University in Halifax who lives off campus.

Two cases are in the northern health zone and the remaining case is in the western zone and is also related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada  a student who lives on campus at Acadia University in Wolfville.

1:45 p.m.

New Brunswick is reporting 21 new cases of COVID-19.

Health officials say the province has 204 active infections and that one person is in hospital with the disease.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says the province has reported a total of 800 cases since the pandemic began.

She says more than 1,700 New Brunswickers are in isolation because of contact with positive cases of COVID-19.

1:35 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting 133 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths.

Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says the numbers have dropped in recent days and show that public health restrictions are working.

The province last week decided to extend restrictions on public gatherings and store openings until Jan. 22.

12:30 p.m.

The latest figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada indicate that as of Sunday night, there have been 660,289 reported cases of COVID-19 since the outset of the pandemic, including 16,950 deaths.

There were 84,567 active infections, with a daily average of 7,672 new cases across Canada from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7.

During the same period, an average of 4,336 people with COVID-19 were being treated in hospital, including 811 in intensive care.

The federal agency says COVID-19 is spreading rapidly among all ages groups, but says the infection rate remains highest for people aged 80 and older, who are also at the highest risk from the disease.

12 p.m.

Ontario's cabinet is to consider new measures tonight to fight skyrocketing rates of COVID-19, but a curfew is not one of them.

The discussion over additional restrictions is to take place as the province reported more than 5,000 deaths from the virus.

Premier Doug Ford says residents can expect an announcement on Tuesday regarding new measures.

Senior government sources with knowledge of the measures being considered are confirming that an overnight curfew has not been recommended by public health officials.

11 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,869 new cases of COVID-19 and 51 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including 18 within the previous 24 hours.

Health authorities said today hospitalizations rose by 56, to 1,436, and 211 people were in intensive care, a rise of eight.

The province says 8,400 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, for a total of 92,452.

Quebec has reported 230,690 cases of COVID-19 and 8,737 deaths linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

10:30 a.m.

More than 5,000 Ontarians have died from COVID-19.

The province reported 29 additional deaths this morning attributed to the novel coronavirus, along with 3,338 new infections.

That brings the total number of reported deaths linked to the virus to 5,012.

The province says 1,563 people are hospitalized with the disease, with 387 people in intensive care and 268 on ventilators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.
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SMan, which stands for Stingy Men Association of Nigeria, is trending on Twitter in Nigeria as more and more Nigerian celebrities share mock-ups of membership cards for the group.



A tweet by music producer Don Jazzy of his own card has been retweeted more than 11,000 times.









Registration complete pic.twitter.com/IU4QPBlrms

 ITS DON JAZZY AGAIN (@DONJAZZY) January 11, 2021



Let me see what I can do  pic.twitter.com/lbQzmodnqz

 Uncle Njobvu (@mreazi) January 11, 2021

London based Afrobeats star Mr Eazi also shared his membership card on Twitter:An "official" SMan Twitter account emerged on Monday:Tweeters have been joking about creating an anthem, a headquarters and an oath.It is unclear to us how the trend started in Nigeria. The idea has already been spreading around Africa.Back in December, a supplement to Uganda's Daily Monitor published an article outlining a proposed constitution for the Ugandan arm of the group.In that article, Ian Ortega wrote: "This constitution drafted in the year of the Pandemic will for generations to come define the meaning of austerity."Some parts of his "constitution" hit out at girlfriends asking their boyfriends for money."Any daughter of Eve that asks for money shall be treated as an illegal immigrant and be labelled; not wife material," he wrote.He went on to say that a member must feel no shame whatsoever in rejecting any monetary request presented to him.This includes requests for money for transport or airtime.

Source: BBC









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GREELEY, Colo., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is planning to return to a full schedule of in-person courses for the fall 2021 semester, which begins on Aug. 23, and restoring activities and events that will allow students to enjoy experiential learning, campus life and community engagement opportunities. Throughout the 2020-21 academic year, the university adjusted its course delivery methods based on public health guidelines by offering an increase of hybrid and online-only courses because of impacts from the coronavirus (COVID-19).

"As students and their families consider academic plans for the fall, it is important for them to know UNC is planning to return to a more normal operating schedule, much like we had prior to the start of the pandemic," said UNC President Andy Feinstein. "The traditional college experience provides unparalleled opportunities, and our efforts are focused on the long-term success of our students, and the health and safety of our entire campus community."

UNC is working closely with state officials to monitor developments related to COVID-19 and continues to take preventative measures including increased cleaning of campus buildings, mask wearing and social distancing requirements and more. As the year progresses, the university will share information regarding COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates and reassess campus operations and course delivery options for any necessary adjustments. UNC also will provide vaccine distribution information to the campus community.

"UNC classrooms and lab spaces remain safe spaces for instruction, and I believe, are one of the safest places to be," said President Feinstein. "Our community has done a great job following public health guidelines, and we have no evidence that COVID-19 transmission has occurred in our classrooms."

National data also indicates that university teaching spaces remain safe if health guidelines are followed. The American College Health Association recently published a report citing, "There is little evidence to show secondary transmission is occurring in either student-to-student or student-to-faculty member in instructional settings where everyone is wearing masks and proper physical distancing is maintained."

Prospective students can apply to UNC through the university's Bear App or through the Common App. Financial aid, scholarships and other programs are available for eligible students.

UNC has also initiated its own Free Application Days this spring semester (Feb. 1 and April 1) where anyone, anywhere in the world can apply as an undergraduate to UNC without paying the $50 application fee on those dates.

The summer 2021 semester course modalities are still being planned with a decision expected to be made closer to summer 2021 student registration that begins on April 5.

Keep informed by visiting UNC's Coronavirus Website: unco.edu/coronavirus.

About the University of Northern Colorado

UNC is a public doctoral research university with more than 100 undergraduate and 120 graduate programs that serves over 10,000 students. Along with being the state of Colorado's most affordable research university, UNC's small-class sizes, expert faculty and tradition of research and hands-on learning gives students exceptional opportunities and a personalized education that prepares them for their future careers. Learn more: unco.edu

____________

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.



SOURCE University of Northern Colorado

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Sheldon Adelson, Billionaire Casino Mogul And GOP Mega-Donor, Dies At 87

Published January 12, 2021 by Sol FH

Las Vegas casino magnate and Republican mega-donor, Sheldon Adelson, confirmed dead by his wife Miriam Adelson.

There are few names that are as famous in the casino industry as was Sheldon Adelson. The owner of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., Republican mega-donor, and champion of his charitable foundation, Adelson passed after being treated for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, since 2019.

His passing was confirmed by his wife, Miriam Adelson.

In early 2020, Forbes listed Adelson as the 19th richest American, holding approximately $29.8 billion. His wealth increased by $1 million an hour after he took his Las Vegas Sands Corp. public in 2004. Adelson took a hit in 2008 during the recession and it is said that he lost $1,000 per second at that time.

Adelson had very close ties to American politics, as the outright biggest donor to the Republican party in 2012, 2016, and 2018. He has given over $300 million to various Republican campaigns, including $35 million to President Trump. Adelson and his wife Miriam also gave $5 million for Trump's inauguration, which was by far the largest donation of its kind in U.S. history.

Adelson was in the news regularly, but most recently it was due to President Trump publicly stating that Adelson hadn't given enough to his failed campaign. There were reports that Adelson was upset byTrump's comments, as the President seemed unaware as to the total sum that Adelson had given to Republicans. Albeit, Adelson soon after gave an additional $75 million to support Trump's reelection.

Adelson, the biggest donor of all time to the state of Israel, his wife's homeland, was also a big supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, purchasing a newspaper, which became Israel's largest daily circulation, that supported Netanyahu and bolstered his position as the longtime leader of the country.

There were many that criticized Adelson's giving as politically motivated, but he completely slammed the door on his naysayers, stating that he has always ever tried to correct a system that had gone wrong.

Sheldon Gary Adelson was born in Dorchester, NY, on August 4, 1933. He grew up in a one-room apartment and slept on the floor with his two brothers and sister. He built his empire and often said his story was a "rags-to-riches story, but, we couldn't afford the rags."

When he was 12, he borrowed $200 from one of his uncles and got the right to sell newspapers on a desirable corner in NY. When he turned 16, Adelson moved into the candy machine business followed by a term in the U.S. Army.

His work ethic was incredibly well-known and he did everything from being a mortgage broker to a travel agent. It was in 1979 that he got his break in Las Vegas after founding Comdex, a computer trade show that drew crowds of hundreds of thousands of people, which ultimately became the biggest of its kind in the world.

He bought the Sands hotel and then built the Venetian Las Vegas, one of the most successful casinos on the strip. Millions flocked to his casinos and hotels to experience the luxury and opulence that he was well known for.

Adelson was not only active in the U.S. having established four hotel-casinos in Macau and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

In addition to his wife, Adelson is survived by four children from his two marriages.
President is issuing an emergency declaration for the nations capital amid growing concern among local and federal authorities about violence in the lead-up to and during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

The declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as needed.

The declaration from Trump comes five days after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol as Congress began formally counting the Electoral College votes to certify his defeat to Biden. Five people died.

Trump has spent months complaining that he was cheated out of an election victory by widespread voter fraud, which election officials say does not exist.

Earlier Monday, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan urged people to stay away from inaugural events because of "last weeks violent insurrection as well as the ongoing and deadly COVID-19 pandemic."



Trumps emergency declaration is in effect from Monday through Jan. 24.

(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.)
Covaxin, Bharat Biotech

Bharat Biotech, which has received Emergency Use Authorisation approval from the Drug Controller General of India for its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, dispatched it from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on January 12, in the evening, a senior official of the Airports cargo division told news agency PTI.

"Today we have received the first consignment of vaccines from Serum Institute at Hyderabad airport. We received 970 kgs of consignment (from Serum Institute)."

"Today in the evening the first consignment is going out of Hyderabad.... (it is from ) Bharat Biotech. It is going to 11 destinations," the official told reporters after receiving the first consignment of Covishield vaccines.

Covishield is developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).

Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

In a series of tweets, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said: Air India, SpiceJet, GoAir and IndiGo will operate nine flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

The first consignment of 54,900 vials of Covishield vaccines landed at the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport on early in the day at 1:30 pm via a SpiceJet flight (SG757) carrying the vaccines from the Serum Institute of India facility in Pune, reported PTI.

The first flight carrying Covishield vaccine, has already reached Delhi, Gujarat, Chennai and Kolkata.

Kolkata received the highest doses of Covishield followed by Chennai.

Meanwhile, Ahmadabad received 7,08,000 and 2,76,000 doses of Oxford vaccine via GoAir and Air India flights respectively, reported Times Now.

The consignment for Mumbai will be going by road, according to PTI. Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry the vaccine stocks. The trucks carried 478 boxes of the vaccines and each box weighs 32 kg.

Covaxin is being indigenously developed by Bharat Biotechin collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) bio-containment facility, the firm had earlier said.

The mega-vaccination drive will commence from January 16 where priority will be given to the healthcare workers and the frontline workers.

On January 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting with chief ministers and administrators of all states and union territories to review the status and preparedness for COVID-19 vaccination.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here

San Antonio opened a new overpass last month, called the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge. It stretches 150 feet over a major arterial highway and took over two years to build. Pretty standard fare. Only, this infrastructure isnt intended for automobiles, or even specifically for humans. Its a wildlife crossing, built to offer animals in the area safe passage across the Wurzbach Parkway. The thoroughfare cuts directly through the 330-acre Phil Hardberger Park, a bio-deserve conservancy thats home to a variety of animals. Animals that would regularly wander into the six-lane highway  white-tailed deer, coyotes, raccoons  can now take an alternative route.

Texass new bridge cost $23 million to build, and is currently the largest wildlife crossing in the country. That title will be short-lived; California is opening a 200-foot bridge in 2023, named the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing, which will enable local animals (especially mountain lions) to cross Highway 101 outside Los Angeles. It will cost $87 million. Another hefty price-tag, no doubt, but worth it. According to figures from 2015, nearly 30,000 Americans suffer injuries from vehicle collisions with animals each year, hundreds of whom die. Deer alone account for over $1 billion in damages annually.


London, Jan 12 : British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned against "false complacency" as the country is seeking to speed up the coronavirus vaccine rollout.

"This is a very perilous moment because everybody can sense that the vaccine is coming in and they can see that the UK is vaccinating large numbers of those that need it most," he said on Monday during a visit to a vaccination center in Bristol, located in southwest England, about 193 km west of London, Xinhua news agency reported.

"My worry is...that this is the moment when that degree of false confidence, false complacency, and that when you look at what has happened in the NHS (National Health Service) that complacency is not merited," he said.

According to the prime minister, 2.4 million coronavirus jabs have been administered across Britain.

Seven new mass vaccination sites in England opened Monday, as the country races against time to bring the pandemic under control.

Earlier Monday, Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty warned that the "most dangerous time" of the coronavirus pandemic in Britain has yet to come before vaccine rollout has an impact.

The next few weeks will be "the worst" of the pandemic for the NHS, he told the BBC, urging the public to minimize all unnecessary contact with others.

Johnson and Whitty made the warnings after Britain surpassed the grim milestones of 3,000,000 Covid-19 cases and 80,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are perfectly suited to help companies and marketers monitor and set prices based on real-time dynamic pricing. But new research has identified some possible unintended consequences of AI in this area.

Machine learning algorithms don't always account for factors outside of the seller's control, such as competitor prices. Researchers found that if AI algorithms are setting prices over the long term, a monopolistic price effect is possible, essentially creating a collusive pricing environment in the marketplace. This represents a challenge for policymakers as the researchers show that independent AI pricing algorithms can result in supracompetitive market outcomes.

The research study to be published in the January issue of the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, "Algorithmic Collusion: Supracompetitive Prices via Independent Algorithms," is authored by Karsten Hansen and Kanishka Misra of the University of California, San Diego, and Mallesh Pai from Rice University.

The researchers study a setting where competitive online retailers are using machine learning algorithms to set real-time prices. Researchers add to a growing body of literature that has raised concerns that such algorithms might induce collusive pricing behavior. The authors then contributed to this literature and find that independent algorithms, without observing competitive prices, can result in supracompetitive prices.

Machine learning algorithms automate a pricing experimentation to learn the profit maximizing price. The researchers show the market outcome of independent firms using these algorithms depends on the quality of short pricing experiments. "We were able to show that where our price experiments had high information value (low noise), competitors' prices from independent algorithms inadvertently became correlated, and over time, prices became supracompetitive," said Misra. "This means that a consequence of using AI for pricing could be creating an atmosphere of price collusion in a given marketplace, leading to a monopolistic pricing effect."

"The real-world impacts are quite broad," said Hansen. "The machine learning algorithms rely upon the informational value of the underlying pricing experiment data, and not all of the variables that feed market outcomes, such as competitors' prices, may be accessible to those systems. Our results provide guidance for when machine learning algorithms are less reliable for setting prices."

"We believe the identification of this pattern raises fresh practical concerns for managers and policymakers," said Pai. "The challenge for regulators in the future will be to strike a balance. There are existing antitrust concerns about algorithms that set collusive prices when tracking competitors' prices (e.g., through implicit threats of retaliation)." Pai continued, "Here we show that similar effects can occur even when the algorithms explicitly do not account for competitors' prices. They will need to take into account factors beyond the scope of what algorithms can identify and track, while working to ensure that competitive pricing does not always mean the same, monopolistic pricing structures."

Explore further Online shopping algorithms are colluding to keep prices high

More information: Karsten T. Hansen et al. Frontiers: Algorithmic Collusion: Supra-competitive Prices via Independent Algorithms, Marketing Science (2021). Journal information: Marketing Science Karsten T. Hansen et al. Frontiers: Algorithmic Collusion: Supra-competitive Prices via Independent Algorithms,(2021). DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2020.1276
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to deploy the Michigan National Guard to keep the peace during possible armed demonstrations at the state Capitol on Jan. 17 and Jan. 20.

Schor, in a Wednesday letter to Whitmer, said last weeks violent riot in Washington D.C. shows state capitals should be adequately prepared for acts of violence as President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. Schor asked Whitmer to activate the National Guard on Jan. 17 and inauguration day on Jan. 20 to provide security at the Capitol and protect surrounding businesses.

I remain hopeful that any protests at the Capitol and in Lansings downtown this weekend and through Inauguration Day remain peaceful, Schor said in a statement. However, given recent events in Washington D.C., we must prepare for the worst.

The decision came hours after City Council President Peter Spadafore asked Schor to seek deployment of the National Guard. In a letter to Schor, Spadafore noted reports of an FBI memo shared with local law enforcement that warns groups are planning to storm state Capitols if President Donald Trump is removed from office.

We want to make sure that everybody is safe and theres no violence, Schor said in an interview. I very much believe in the First Amendment; the right to protest, especially being the states capital, we see protests all the time. People are always welcome to raise their voice and express their opinions as long as it stays peaceful.

The Michigan State Police increased its visible security presence at the Capitol this week in response to the riots in Washington D.C. A spokesperson for the Michigan State Police said law enforcement officials are aware of demonstrations organized by online groups for Jan. 17.

Spadafore urged Schor to ask Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to deploy the Michigan National Guard to help ensure that any First Amendment activities remain peaceful and that our residents are safe.

A spokesperson for Whitmer said the governors office is closely monitoring planned demonstrations and will ensure that the necessary security measures are in place.

Spadafore said officials sould be on alert after a pro-Trump mob broke into the U.S. Capitol and clashed with police in Washington D.C. last week. Rioters caused members of Congress to evacuate the Capitol and five people died during the chaos, including a Capitol police officer and a woman who was shot by police.

What has been reported could very well be overblown, and these demonstrations may not reflect what we saw unfold in Washington, DC last week, but I believe it is imperative we take every precaution to ensure the best possible outcome to ensure the safety of our residents and those that peacefully gather, Spadafore said in the letter.

Schor called the Jan. 6 incident an attack on democracy.

The National Guard was deployed in Lansing to respond to Black Lives Matter protests on May 31. A curfew was also put into place after property was vandalized in downtown Lansing.

Activists are advertising the Jan. 17 rallies through social media. Megan Squire, a professor at Elon University who tracks online extremism, said the events are being organized by boogaloo bois and members of far-right militia movements.

So-called boogaloo bois are extremists preparing for a civil war against the government. Proponents of the movement were among men charged with state and federal crimes for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer.

Protesters spread information about armed marches on all state capitols through online platforms like MeWe, a social media website that has become more popular as Trump supporters leave mainstream platforms that are cracking down on violent posts.

Shared on Dec. 17 about protests at state capitols across the country. Like the Jan. 6 protests, an upcoming Jan. 17 armed march has been planned for awhile. pic.twitter.com/VRAHgawhj0  Malachi Barrett (@PolarBarrett) January 12, 2021

A flyer promoting the Jan. 17 protests shared by a user called Michigan Militia on MeWe urges participants to DEMAND FREEDOM. END THE CORRUPTION.

MeWe removed the user this week for violating its terms of service.

The Michigan Capitol Commission also banned the open carry of firearms inside the Capitol Monday in response to violence in Washington D.C. last week.
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Miriam Adelson released the following statement on the death of her husband and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sheldon G. Adelson:

It is with unbearable pain that I announce the death of my husband, Sheldon G. Adelson, of complications from a long illness.

Sheldon was the love of my life. He was my partner in romance, philanthropy, political activism and enterprise. He was my soulmate.

To me - as to his children, grandchildren, and his legions of friends and admirers, employees and colleagues - he is utterly irreplaceable.

Much has been written and said about how Sheldon, the son of poor immigrants, rose to the pinnacle of business success on the strength of grit and genius, inspiration and integrity. His was an all-American story of entrepreneurship. When Sheldon launched a new venture, the world looked on with anticipation.

In our amazing 32-year adventure together, I was fortunate to witness the beauty of Sheldon's private side.

He was an American patriot: a U.S. Army veteran who gave generously to wounded warriors and, wherever he could, looked to the advancement of these great United States. He was the proudest of Jews, who saw in the State of Israel not only the realization of an historical promise to a unique and deserving people, but also a gift from the Almighty to all of humanity.

And Sheldon was kind. He gave readily of his fortune to charitable causes that may literally be countless, as he expected no credit and often preferred anonymity. Although bluff in build and speech - and, in the last two decades, beset by painful sickness - Sheldon was always sensitive to the needs of others.

Visit any of our hotels and you will immediately notice the extraordinarily high ceilings, exquisitely designed by Sheldon at a sacrifice of lucrative space. He wanted all of our guests - no matter their means - to feel like kings, to breathe free in gorgeous tranquility. When the COVID-19 crisis hit and those hotels went dark, he insisted that our tens of thousands of Team Members continue getting their wages and medical insurance.

Each of those people, and millions of other beneficiaries of Sheldon's largesse, are his testimonials.

But he went beyond bettering the lives of individuals: He crafted the course of nations. Some of the historical changes that he helped effect - in the United States, Israel and elsewhere - are publicly known. Others are not. For Sheldon, recognition of his own indispensable role was unimportant. What counted was that good be done. He cared about standing up for what was right, even if that meant standing alone. His ideal day's end was in the company of family and friends, not statesmen or celebrities.

Sheldon and I grew up on coasts: him in Boston, me in Haifa. Together we sailed across oceans, pushed back the Pearl River Delta to help develop Macao's future, recreated the Venice lagoon canals in Las Vegas. To me, Sheldon had power and depth and mystery like the sea. His devotion lifted me up, like waves, through challenges both personal and professional.

And now he is gone. The supporting waters have vanished heavenward. Only a vast, dry seabed remains. The loss is colossal.

Farewell, my darling, my one true love. After gaining and giving so much, you have earned this rest.

--- Dr. Miriam Adelson

SOURCE Dr. Miriam Adelson
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A WOMAN was scammed out of a significant quantity of cash by a bogus tradesman who called to her home.

According to gardai, the man told the homeowner he was doing work in her neighbours attic and he requested access to her attic.

The woman, whose aged in her 60s and who lives in the Mayorstone area, agreed and let him in and up to her attic.

"A few minutes later he came down claiming that there was some wood rot in her attic too and that as he was there he could treat it for a reduced amount. He named his price and the lady paid him in cash," said divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch.

The man then left the house to retrieve his tools but was never seen again.

"The lady thought that she was helping out her neighbour but instead she was scammed for an amount of cash," said Sge Leetch.

The garda advise is to be "to be suspicious" at all times, especially if you are contacted out of the blue in person or on the phone.

"Dont allow anybody into your home unless you know exactly who they are and what they want. When you hear your doorbell your first thought should be - Im not allowing anybody into my home," said Sgt leetch.

Gardai at Mayorstone are investigating the recent incident.
New senior appointment for the fintech platform dedicated to quantitative investment strategies

LONDON, NEW YORK and HONG KONG, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PremiaLab, has today announced the appointment of Mr. John Macpherson as Senior Advisor as part of its expansion in Europe. Mr. Macpherson served as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs from 2004 until 2013, then Nomura and Citibank as global head of listed derivatives.

Mr. Macpherson was appointed CEO of BMLL Technologies in 2016, resigning from the firm in August 2019.

Mr. Macpherson has over 20 years' investment banking experience in capital markets and derivatives strategies. He will be responsible for further supporting the firm's business development efforts in Europe, specifically leveraging insights from PremiaLab unique dataset on quantitative investment strategies.

Adrien Geliot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PremiaLab said: "We are delighted to welcome John to the team. His extensive expertise in derivatives combined with deep understanding of institutional investors will allow us to further scale our commercial presence and deploy our ambitious growth strategy."

Mr. Macpherson will join the advisory board alongside Mr. Daniel Fields, former global head of markets at Societe Generale who joined the firm in July 2019.

Recognized as the reference for data and risk analytics on quantitative strategies, PremiaLab's capital markets infrastructure is used by leading asset managers, insurance companies and pensions funds to accelerate their digitalization to enhance performance and risk controls while reducing costs.

Mr. Macpherson is Deputy Chair of the UK Investment Association Engine platform.

Notes to Editors

About PremiaLab

PremiaLab is an independent platform providing data, analytics and risk solutions on systematic and factor-based strategies in collaboration with leading investment banks and institutional investors globally. Combining intelligent technology with a unique source of information the platform empowers asset allocators to make better investment decisions whilst achieving upmost time and cost efficiency.

With offices in Paris, New York, Hong Kong, London and Stockholm, its international team is dedicated to supporting a global client base with the most up-to-date risk premia dataset, advanced portfolio construction, performance and risk analytics. The firm has established strong partnerships with the top 15 investments banks, global asset managers, pensions funds and insurance companies.

For more information please visit: www.premialab.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1396438/PremiaLab_John_Macpherson.jpg
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A civil rights group, the Joint Action Front (JAF), has accused the anti-graft agency, EFCC, of arresting and illegally parading its member, Segun Oladunni, among nine other suspected internet fraudsters.

The group in a statement on Tuesday, by its executive secretary, Abiodun Aremu, said the EFCC operatives maliciously paraded Mr Oladunni where he lives with other co-tenants and labelled him as a fraudster without carrying thorough investigation.

It described the action as a high level of character assassination and prejudicial assertion against its member.

The group said since the arrest, the EFCC Investigating team are yet to grant the accused bail after finding nothing incriminating against him despite checking his bank accounts and (he) fulfilling all necessary bail conditions yesterday (Monday) morning.

When we interacted with Comrade Segun yesterday afternoon at the said EFCC Office, he said there was nothing the EFCC Investigating Team could press against him as charges, despite checking his bank accounts and (they) gave us a paper of Provisional Bail which he signed on Saturday 9th January and awaiting his lawyer to respond to the conditions for the bail listed. Were the bail conditions to have been fulfilled by yesterday morning, Comrade Segun would have been out of EFFC custody.

But for the same EFCC who have as at (of) Saturday, January concluded on a provisional bail for him, having found no charge to press against him, to have rushed to the media, lumped Comrade Segun along with other arrested co-tenants smacks of a high level of character assassination and prejudicial assertion.

The EFCC had on Monday announced it arrested ten suspected internet fraudsters in the Alagbado area of Lagos State.

According to the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the arrest was carried out following credible intelligence received by the commission about their alleged criminal activities.

The anti-graft agency listed suspects as Jonathan Daniel Adebayo, Lawal Waidi Seun, Adeosun Joseph, Taiwo Gbemileke, Oseni Omotayo, Emmanuel Fakiyesi, Rasheed Ogunlana, Oladunni Segun, Sowunmi Rotimi and Efetobore Wilfred.

The EFCC said the items recovered from the suspects at the point of arrest included cars, mobile phones, laptops, passports, a digital video recorder and a cheque-book.

EFCC

Reacting to the allegations, Mr Uwujaren, told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspect has been offered bail, there are things that are required before bail can be properly fulfilled. If fulfilled, I am sure he must have been released on bail. And the matter is still under investigation, not that the investigation has finished.

The EFCC official also promised to find out if the suspect has been released. He is yet to respond as of press time.

In recent times, many Nigerians have accused the anti-graft agency of arresting Nigerians indiscriminately over alleged internet fraud.

PREMIUM TIMES in January last year, reported how Nigerians on Twitter launched an attack on the EFCC over its arrests of 89 Yahoo-Boys in a night club in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Police shoot car's tyres to prevent driver from escaping.

A 34-year-old motorist drove against traffic on the A1 motorway for 40 km, in the direction of Florence, before being brought to a halt by police in Calenzano.

The man, from Vicenza but with American citizenship, broke through a toll booth in Rioveggio at around 13.00 on 12 January.

He proceeded to drive at high speed against traffic, causing panic among other motorists on the motorway.

After cutting off every available escape route for the motorist, police set up a road block at Calenzano.

However when the driver was ordered to stop, he tried to flee the scene by reversing.

Police responded by ramming the vehicle and shooting the car's tyres.

On searching the car officers found an axe, sickle and knife, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The man is due to appear before a court in Prato tomorrow morning.
The ruler of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Monday issued two decrees for the appointment of a Crown Prince for the first time in the history of the Gulf country.

The two decrees; one for the parliament  known as the Shura Council  and one for a new succession mechanism aimed at creating a more specific and stable transfer of power, according to a royal decree.

The most significant (element) is establishing a specific and stable mechanism for transfer of the governing authority and a mechanism to appoint a crown prince, said a royal decree read on state TV.

Per the Omani constitution, the ruler is chosen from the royal family within three days of the throne vacancy. If the family fails, the seating ruler chooses his successor.

Incumbent Sultan rose to power in January last year after the death of his cousin, Sultan Qaboos, known as the founding father of modern Oman.

Qaboos was not married and had no heir. He appeared to have chosen Haitham as his successor, in a sealed letter he left before his death.
Highlights Facebook seems to be in no mood to lift the ban on US President Donald Trump.

Sandberg has said that the president is not above the policies that Facebook has.

The social media giant had banned Trump indefinitely for encouraging rioters

Facebook seems to be in no mood to lift the ban on US President Donald Trump. Confirming the same, COO Sheryl Sandberg has said that the president is not above the policies that Facebook has. The social media giant had banned Trump indefinitely for encouraging rioters who had marched into the US Capitol building when US Congress was certifying Joe Biden as the next US President.

In the Reuters Next conference, Sandberg said that she was happy that Facebook banned Donald Trump's Facebook account.

"In this moment, the risk to our democracy was too big that we felt we had to take the unprecedented step of what is an indefinite ban, and I'm glad we did,' Sheryl Sandberg said during Reuters conference.

'Are bans indefinite? We've said at least through the transition, but we have no plans to lift it. Even a president is not above the policies we have," she added.

Facebook had initially imposed a 24-hour ban on Donald Trump but following his encouraging videos for the rioters, Mark Zuckerberg decided to extend the ban. Zuckerberg in a long Facebook post explained that it would be a risk to let Trump remain on the social media site.

"The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden.Over the last several years, we have allowed President Trump to use our platform consistent with our own rules, at times removing content or labeling his posts when they violate our policies. We did this because we believe that the public has a right to the broadest possible access to political speech, even controversial speech. But the current context is now fundamentally different, involving use of our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government," Zuckerberg said in a statement.

"We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete," he added.

Not just Facebook, Trump was also banned by Twitter temporarily. However, Trump posted a video soon after the ban was lifted and called the attack on the US Capitol building "heinous". "The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy. My focus now turns to ensure a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power," Trump said.
The recent addition of conservation land on the Mount Holyoke Range was a truly monumental event.

A vast 583 acres of land around this beautiful wonder of our region is now permanently protected from development. The Mount Holyoke Range represents our geologic history and is home to numerous plants and animal species  some of which are rare or endangered. Kristin DeBoer, executive director of Kestrel Land Trust, said: The region is stronger, our water cleaner, and our community more resilient, when we balance the conservation of farms and forests with development.

Expanding on and securing conservation lands is what makes Western Massachusetts unique. It is a promise to future generations there will be wide-open spaces appreciated for years to come. Reports indicate people are moving out of urban areas in favor of more rural, less populated areas. If this trend continues, people may recognize the beauty of western Massachusetts and decide to relocate to the region, lifting our economy.

Adding to the Mount Holyoke Range land, is West Springfields purchase of 67 acres of former farmland off Birnie Avenie. This will expand trails around Bear Hole Reservoir, Ashley Reservoir, and the New England Scenic Trail. The town council voted last month to purchase the property for $850,000 to which $400,000 will come from a state grant. Mass Audobon has reached its $450,000 fundraising goal to maintain and protect Bear Hole. Because of its carbon storage, flood water storage, wildlife corridors, rare species and recreation and community health possibilities, Audobon called Bear Hole one of the single most important land conservation opportunities remaining in Massachusetts.

West Springfield Conservation Agent Mark Noonan said, The Bear Hole Conservation Area is unique in the sense that it is a very large, biodiverse area that receives a lot of recreation interest as well. Having a piece over here to the east, on Birnie, takes some pressure off the existing trailheads on quieter streets, such as Bear Hole Road and the four corners where Morgan Road and Prospect Avenue meet.

Our wide-open spaces have become more appreciated due to lockdowns related to the pandemic. These spaces have become our sanctuaries and have been regarded as an element related to our public health. Preserving and maintaining these areas has never been more important. We must continue to seek out opportunities and support land conservation efforts in all four counties of Western Massachusetts. It is an investment in our health and our future.
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spiceology , the fastest-growing privately held spice company in America, today announced the addition of two senior executives to the team. Maria Emmer-Aanes joins as Vice President of Retail & Grocery, and Steve Mailliard has been promoted to Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain.

"Spiceology had a strong 2020 by expanding its base of chefs and consumers, and with the fresh capital we raised last year, we're now poised to scale our production capabilities and bring our products closer to customers," said Chip Overstreet, Spiceology president and CEO. "Maria brings a wealth of experience and expertise across retail and grocery channels, and Steve brings deep operational know-how to help us build out and scale our production automation and fulfillment."

Maria Emmer-Aanes was formerly the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Numi Organic Tea, where she helped launch new lines and bring products into a variety of brick-and-mortar retail and grocery channels. Prior, Emmer-Aanes was Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Litehouse, Executive Director of Marketing & Communications at Nature's Path Foods, and Director of Sales & Marketing at Great Harvest Bread Co. Early in her career, she served as a Team Lead at Target Stores. Maria has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Minnesota. She serves on the Board of the Chef Ann Foundation, which advocates for healthy food for all children, and the Advisory Board of Transparent Path that helps responsible CPG brands show consumers where and how their products have been sourced.

"Spiceology has done a fantastic job of creating innovative and delicious products that are beloved by consumers and chefs," said Emmer-Aanes. "My role is to help get these products onto store shelves and closer to our customers through partnerships with retailers and grocers across the US and Canada."

Steve Mailliard was a senior manager for six years at global manufacturer Briggs and Stratton, where he guided technology and strategic business investments. Prior, Mailliard managed strategy and application development projects in the public sector, wireless communications, and high-tech industries at Deloitte Consulting. Early in his career, he was a manager at worldwide services and consulting firm, Accenture. Mailliard graduated from Gonzaga University Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Business Administration degree in Operations Research and MIS.

"I joined Spiceology last year as head of program management, and helped the company get key processes in place to assist with scaling the business," said Mailliard. "The next key step is layering in product automation to keep up with demand, and we look forward to being operational with these new systems this spring."

About Spiceology

Chef-owned and operated, Spiceology was named the fastest-growing private spice company in the US by Inc Magazine in both 2019 and 2020. Founded in 2013, the company established itself early with innovative blends like Black & Bleu, Greek Freak and Smoky Honey Habanero, but now offers more than 300 premium spices, herbs, salts, chilis, blends, confections, fruit & vegetable powders and modernist ingredients. Chefs and consumers fall in love with Spiceology because of the beauty and organization of the Periodic Table of Flavor packaging, but they buy because of the innovative blends and the incredible quality that comes from the company's "grind fresh, ship fresh" ethos. Spiceology is sold direct to consumers and chefs across the US & Canada, and has customers reaching from Australia to Dubai. Please check us out at www.spiceology.com , or on Facebook and Instagram .

SOURCE Spiceology
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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The Lagos State Police Command has announced the conviction of 243 people arrested for violating COVID-19 protocols in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the state police commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, led his men to parade 243 violators arrested at various night clubs in the state on Sunday.

The 243 violators were charged before a mobile court for breaching the state order and were fined N20,000 each.

Confirming this to our correspondent, the state police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the violators were tried by a mobile court presided by two magistrates.

234 among those tried have met their bail conditions immediately while the remaining nine were taken to the task force office in Oshodi, where their bail conditions were later met, he said.

Mr Adejobi in a separate statement on Monday said 43 night clubbers were again arrested on Sunday evening for breaching coronavirus protocols at the Eclipse Night Club in Victoria Island.

In continuation of its enforcement of COVID-19 protocols/guidelines in Lagos State, the Lagos State Police Command arrested 43 clubbers, including strippers, at the Eclipse Night Club, Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, on Sunday, January 10, 2021.

The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who has already ordered Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Heads of Department in the command to be on the prowl for violators of the preventive protocols and orders of the government on halting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, reiterates his zero tolerance for violation of the protocols.

The police operatives attached to the Maroko Division of the state, on the orders of the CP, went after the deviant clubbers and got them arrested in the club while clustering and clubbing without any regard for the COVID-19 protocols.

The police also warned club owners not to encourage disregard for the protocols in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that in preparation of the second wave of coronavirus, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, banned public gatherings.

Despite the rise in figures of victims contracting the virus, many residents continue to appear non-challant to the protocols in place to check the pandemic.
Russell Moore: 'If I were a member of Congress, I would vote to impeach' President Trump

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Influential Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore issued a blistering criticism of President Donald Trump and the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week and said that if he were a member of Congress, he would vote to impeach the president.

This is not about politics. This is about our country, about the rule of law and about the sanctity of human life, Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, wrote in a Jan. 11 op-ed posted on his website.

The president invited mobs to Washington  promising a 'wild' time  and told them to march to the Capitol, he continued. Despite the fact that there was not one thing that Vice President [Mike] Pence could have lawfully done, the president called him a coward, and whipped up crowds against him who, many of them, then chanted Hang Mike Pence! while constructing gallows on the Capitol grounds.

"An American flag was thrown down and replaced with a Trump flag, while another insurrectionist paraded a Confederate flag through the Capitol. Police officers were attacked. Congressional leaders hid while the doors buckled from mobs seeking to attack them. People are dead. The Capitol is ransacked. Administration officials are resigning in protest.

To those defending Trumps behavior or changing the subject to a private platform removing an account inciting violence as Orwellian, Moore asked, where, at long last, is your limit?

Moore stressed that the country must turn to our Constitution, to the founding principles of this nation, in order to address this.

The Southern Baptist leader said he understands his stance might cost him his job, but admitted its a risk hes willing to take. In 2017, more than 100 Southern Baptist churches displeased with Moore's posturing during the 2016 presidential election threatened to withhold funding from the denomination.

I dont speak for anyone else, only myself. But you deserve to hear from me what I honestly think. If I were the president, I would resign, he wrote. If I were the vice president, I would assemble the cabinet in accordance with the 25th Amendment. If I were a member of Congress, I would vote to impeach. And if I were a United States senator, I would vote to convict. And I would be willing, if necessary, to lose my seat to do so. As a matter of fact, I am willing, if necessary, to lose this seat.

Again, I might be wrong. But, if so, propose what can be done to make sure that justice is done and that this never happens to our country again.

Moore joins a chorus of pastors, influential church leaders, and Christian artists who have condemned the violence in Washington last week. However, few have weighed in on a possible second impeachment of the president.

In a recent appearance on CBN, the Rev. Franklin Graham forcefully spoke against those who broke into the Capitol building, calling them thugs who broke the law.

However, Graham called the move to impeach the president a "waste of time" and warned it will only heighten political tensions.

"On one hand they talk about unity and bringing the country together but yet you've tried to impeach the president a second time," he said.

"They're just putting fuel on the fire with this impeachment and it's going to make the people on the right even more, I think, frantic and I think this is a big mistake."


Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan will soon move into a new house which is quite close to their current residence in Bandra, Mumbai. Looks like that the new house is ready and the actress invited her girl-squad for a quick PJ night to be spent in her lavish house.







Last night, Kareena Kapoor Khan dropped a picture on her Instagram profile where we see her along with Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora and Mallika Bhat. In the click we see all of them laughing and truly in a candid mood in their kaftans, PJs and having some chill time. The actress has captioned the picture very sweetly and emotionally sharing the fact that shes had several good and Fortune nights at her home. She captioned the picture saying, Its been a FORTUNE of memories... on to the next... to new beginnings iAAA iAAA PS: #Fortune you have been kind #FortuneNights #EndOfAnEra#KaftanSeries.





Now thats too cute and emotional at the same time. Well, before Bebo and Saif welcome their second baby, it looks like the couple decided to move to their new house. And before moving out, Kareena had a quick girls night out with her squad.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan)



Kareena Kapoor Khan will be soon launching a book on her pregnancy and motherhood and serving some great tips about her role as a mother. The actress pregnancy-phase has been a trendsetter in B-town as she always continued to work during those nine months and also post her pregnancy she delivered a blockbuster with Veere Di Wedding. The actress loves to break the norm and make new rules. Begum Bebo is truly one of a kind and eternal diva Bollywood is blessed with.
More than 100 members of the Connecticut National Guard will be deployed to Washington to aid and facilitate the peaceful transition of presidential power, Gov. Ned Lamonts office announced Tuesday.

The deployments were requested by federal National Guard officials.

Personnel sent to D.C. include members of the Connecticut guards Military Police as well as two patrol explosive-detection dog teams.

Besides a Military Police unit and military working dog teams (also considered MPs), the guard is deploying civil support team members for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear surveillance, according to Capt. Dave Pytlik, a public information officer for the Connecticut National Guard.

The state of Connecticut stands ready to help ensure the peaceful transition of power and protect our democracy, Lamont said in a written statement. May God bless our brave men and women in uniform, and the United States of America.

The Connecticut Air National Guard has also alerted C-130H military cargo plane crews, which can ferry troops and supplies throughout the country if needed, the governors office said.

The Air Guards 103rd Airlift Wing operates C-130s out of Bradley Air Force Base in Windsor Locks.

Lamonts office said the deployments and activation of the guard units will not impact the states ongoing efforts to contain and combat the COVID-19 virus.


Farrah Abraham was the vision of elegance in a selection of glamorous gowns as she posed for a stunning shoot on Tuesday.

The Teen Mom star, 29, reflected on her turbulent relationship with her own mother and her passion for women's rights as she was joined by her daughter Sophia, 11, for the shoot with with Harper's Bazaar Vietnam.

Farrah cut a stunning image as she posed in a beautiful white bridal-inspired gown for the magazine shoot, with the star saying she's looking forward to saying goodbye to a 'painful' decade as she approaches her 30th birthday.

Wow! Farrah Abraham was the vision of elegance in a selection of glamorous gowns as she posed for a stunning shoot with Harper's Bazaar Vietnam on Tuesday

One snap showed Farrah posing in a gorgeous wine-coloured gown with a dramatic tulle skirt that perfect accentuated her endless pins.

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Another image showed her clad in a dramatic off-the-shoulder black and blue velvet gown with matching thigh-high boots.

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Farrah also donned a sparking leotard to pose with her excited daughter Sophia, who wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase The Future Is Female.

Fun: The Teen Mom star reflected on her turbulent relationship with her own mother and her passion for women's rights as she was joined by her daughter Sophia, 11, for the shoot

Discussing the shoot she said: 'I'm thrilled to be Harper's Bazaar first cover star of 2021! Such a great way to kick off the year!

'It's an iconic magazine, I had so much fun shooting for them, wearing beautiful clothes and posing with my amazing daughter Sophia.'

During her interview with the publication the star reflected on her relationship with her own mother after they appeared on the reality series Couples Therapy - Family Boot Camp.

She said: 'I just know as an adult that my mom has done her best among her mental challenges and bad experiences in life. That may mean I don't ever expect as much as I used to from my parents and no longer put them on a pedestal, but I instead to choose to love and accept them as they are.

'I've had a decade of trauma therapy and it was all well worth it, as I now have great communication with my parents after a very rocky departure from the TV show Teen Mom, which was focused on pinning me against my mom...

'The Teen Mom TV show was a place where I was really sick, depressed and not mentally strong enough, and the only way to good health is to try to fix your problems, pick yourself up and move beyond it.'

Incredible: One snap showed Farrah posing in a gorgeous wine-coloured gown with a dramatic tulle skirt that perfect accentuated her endless pins

Farrah also reflected on her tireless work for gender equality and women's rights, and said she believes she's passed on her talents for modelling to her daughter, who has already featured at New York Fashion Week.

Out: Read the full interview in the January 2021 issue of Harper's Bazaar Vietnam

Abraham first received attention for her appearances on the MTV reality series 16 And Pregnant, which ran for four seasons between 2009 and 2014.

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The show depicted her pregnancy with her then-unborn daughter Sophia and her relationship with her boyfriend Derek Underwood, who tragically passed away in a car accident two months before the birth of their child.

The Council Bluffs, Iowa native was also invited to take part in the show's spinoff Teen Mom, and was a main cast member until leaving the show in 2017.

She also gained notoriety for her appearance in the 16th season of the British series Celebrity Big Brother, and was the fifth overall housemate voted off the show.

Read the full interview in the January 2021 issue of Harper's Bazaar Vietnam.
Press Release

January 12, 2021 'Suntok sa buwan': Drilon cites stumbling blocks to gov't Covid-19 vaccination plan Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon described the government's Covid-19 vaccination plan as "suntok sa buwan", citing stumbling blocks that could make its target of securing 148 million doses of vaccines and inoculating 70 million Filipinos by the end of 2021 simply difficult to achieve. "Parang suntok sa buwan ang vaccination program lalo na yung sinasabi nila na 148 million doses within the year. The arrival of the vaccines is not even definite. How can they say that they will be able to purchase 148 million doses by the end of 2021 when up to now, we haven't given any Emergency Use Authorization to any vaccine and we have not been able to raise, through loans, all the needed amount for the purchase of the vaccines?" Drilon said. The Food and Drug Administration said it is ready to issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) within the week. "I am not reassured in the slightest by what I heard. To be honest, I am more confused now. The government's Covid-19 vaccination plan fails to provide the public the assurance they need from the government," Drilon said. "The plan is good on paper. The plan is filled with uncertainties and it leaves too much to chance," he added. Drilon said the government's target of securing 148 million doses within the year is simply difficult to achieve given what Sec. Carlito Galvez said that 80% of global supply has already been procured by rich countries. "If only the government was able to make advanced purchases last year, similar to other low-and-middle income countries such as Indonesia and Brazil, maybe we would have a better chance of securing these 148 million doses of vaccines this year," he added. The minority leader added the funding is not even guaranteed at this point as the government has not fully secured the necessary loans to fund the P70 billion in the unprogrammed fund for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. The government has allotted P82.5 billion for the purchase of the vaccines but only P12.5 billion is in the programmed appropriation - P2.5 billion will come from the General Appropriations Act and another P10 billion under the extended Bayanihan 2. Drilon had previously likened the funding for Covid-19 vaccine to an unfunded check as there's no definite source of funds. The Senate chief fiscalizer said that if the government wants to achieve its target of inoculating 70 million Filipinos within the year, it should allow the local government units and the private sector to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for the purchase of the vaccines that they have given an emergency use authorization. "They have a better chance of achieving their targets if they lift the restriction that they set that prevents local chief executives and the private sector from buying vaccines directly from the manufacturers," Drilon emphasized. "It will facilitate a speedy purchase of the much-needed vaccines. I believe there is a consensus among the senators insofar as lifting this restriction is concerned," he added. Drilon also pointed out the high vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos which, he added, poses a serious risk to the success of the inoculation program. A Pulse Asia survey revealed that nearly 50% of Filipinos would not get vaccinated out of safety issues while an OCTA Research finding showed that only 25 percent of Metro Manila residents are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. During the Senate's inquiry into the government's Covid-19 vaccination plan, Drilon called for the government to be "transparent and truthful" about the process to build up public confidence in the coronavirus vaccine. "Transparency is a key driver of public confidence in vaccines. The lack of access to information fuels doubts and confusion among the public," he said. Drilon had earlier warned that the reluctance to participate in Covid-19 immunization program, if not immediately addressed, will spell trouble in the future and can jeopardize efforts to contain the pandemic.
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.


The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

The Fix the FOID Act, passed by the state House in 2019 but still sitting in the Senate, would include several important changes that would make Illinois safer. It would require fingerprinting to get or renew a FOID card  the documentation required in Illinois to possess ammunition or firearms. It would also require background checks on all gun transfers. It would make improvements to the system that shares information about who is qualified to carry a gun. Finally, the bill would make it easier for law enforcement and court officials to enforce current gun safety laws.
People who live in old insecure French villas are mindful that these works are rotten and unsafe, but they could not afford to relocate to another place so that they have no other choice but to stay.

Challenging conservation

The lifespan of many old French architectural buildings and villas that were built and put into use hundreds of years ago has expired but are still renovated for many different purposes, causing the insecurity for its dwellers and their properties.

Besides, there are also many public works which are deteriorating and affecting the city's urban aesthetics because of the lack of the management.

Potential safety risk

Many villas were built over 100 years ago and many of them are not under regular maintenance and reparation.

After the collapse of the old French villa at 107 Tran Hung Dao (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi) in September 2015, killing two people and injuring many others, up to now, this incident is still an obsession of many households living in old French villas in Hanoi.

Ms. Tran Bich Lan, a resident of the old French villa in Hang Co alley in the same district, said that according to regulations, people are not currently allowed to renovate and repair the old villas in the citys list of management or preservation. Although people are mindful that these works are rotten and unsafe, they could not afford to relocate to another place.

We really hope that the Government would have clearer regulations on management, which focus on the use and conservation of old French houses and villas. For damaged and degraded works, if the Government cannot arrange the funding for them, the residents should be allowed to renovate and repair them,"- Ms. Tran Bich Lan shared.

According to some surveys in some areas with the largest number of old French houses and villas in Hanoi, such as Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung districts, in addition to the works that people are living in now, many abandoned structures are in serious deterioration, such as Villa No. 78 Nguyen Du Street (Hai Ba Trung District), which used to be the headquarters of a bank, and villa number 46 Hang Bai Street (Hoan Kiem District) with an area of 1,000m2, which used to be the office of the Literature Publishing House. and had changed hands many times in the period from 1998 to 2003 and it is now abandoned.

Architect Tran Huy Anh from the Hanoi Association of Architects said that since the 1970s, the companies that built the old French houses in Hanoi had written to the Government that the lifespan of those houses was expired and they would not be responsible for any problem.

However, many buildings are still being repaired for various purposes.

Along with the degraded houses in use, many old French villas are public property, but no one takes the responsibility for management and they are abandoned with the high risk of collapse," he said.

Who takes the responsibility?

According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Construction, there are 1,253 old French architectural houses and villas in the city which were built before 1954 are put into the list that needs to be preserved. Most of them are located in the core districts, such as 527 houses in Hoan Kiem district, 428 in Ba Dinh district, 270 in Hai Ba Trung district, and the rest in Dong Da and Tay Ho districts.

Many old French villas in Hanoi have been degraded. Photo: Doan Thanh

Due to the large value and profitability of these villas, many owners have renovated them for different purposes. According to Chief Inspector of the Hanoi Department of Construction Nguyen Viet Dung, since the City People's Committee delegated inspection works to districts and wards, the handling of the construction violations has improved however it still requires more strict inspection and control from the local authorities.

In fact, the construction regulation infringements still happens and becomes more complicated. Therefore, the urban construction management teams need to work more closely with the local authorities to detect and handle promptly and effectively violations, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung said.

Deputy Head of Housing and Real Estate Market Management Division (Hanoi Department of Construction) Vu Duc Thang said most old French houses and villas are built in ideal locations, with a large area on the main streets, convenient for traffic, featuring architectural and economic value and creating a highlight for Hanoi urban architecture for a combination of Western and Asian architecture, creating a unique landscape of the capital.

As there are many units managing, owning and using these properties, it is difficult to clarify the responsibilities and obligations to contribute funds to the maintenance, renovation and repair. Many households still rely on the Government funding and the rent they pay is not enough to repair and maintain them," Mr. Vu Duc Thang said.

In addition, it is necessary to make an inventory of ancient houses with special value and the architectural works built before 1954 which are degraded and on the verge of being collapsed. From there, a plan to move organizations and individuals out of the dangerous area to build, renovate, restore, and maintain the villas will be devised.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Chinh Chairman of Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association "Hanoi needs to review all houses with the French architecture and classify the groups of works according to construction time, value, roles in history and culture and so on. From there a plan to restore and preserve the works could be mapped out." Mr. Le Xuan Vinh A member of the Hanoi Old Quarter Hotel and Tourism Association "Currently, many tour companies in the Old Town are looking for rental of old French houses, but it is very difficult to find, even a dilapidated villa. They are willing to spend a lot of money on the renovation if they can find one."

Hanoitimes
BRISTOL, N.H., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Town of Bristol, a New Hampshire town of 3,300 permanent residents, is deploying the smart infrastructure necessary to bring high-speed broadband services to its previously underserved rural community. The initiative, Bristol Broadband Now, is a long-term effort by the Town's Economic Development Committee to build a fiber to the premise (FTTP) network that will provide symmetrical fiber optic internet to residences throughout Bristol as well as connect businesses, municipal buildings and educational facilities in Bristol and Plymouth, N.H.

Bristol Broadband Now is being made possible in part through two separately funded projects. The first project, supported by a $1.52 million Connecting New Hampshire Emergency Broadband Expansion grant funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is a 24-mile fiber route that passes nearly 400 Bristol residences and connects to the NetworkNH system at Plymouth State University (PSU). The second project will provide the additional fiber backbone and fiber distribution required to connect all Bristol municipal, educational and commercial buildings and is being funded by a Northern Border Regional Commission grant and Town appropriation.

After years of planning and strategizing with project stakeholders, the Town issued its Request for Proposals in August 2020 for the design, engineering and construction of the network with a completion date of December 15, 2020 in accordance with CARES Act funding regulations. Bristol was the only municipality in New Hampshire to receive CARES Act grant monies for telecommunications infrastructure. Following a formal procurement process, the Town selected eX Technology, LLC of Omaha, Neb. to deliver a hybrid network architecture solution using Active Ethernet and Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology.

"We knew it would be a challenge to complete the first project in such a tight timeline, but eX worked collaboratively and proactively with us to get the network constructed on time so we could secure the grant funding," said Bristol's Town Administrator Nicholas Coates.

"Ultimately, it's the citizens of Bristol that are the true winners," said Jay Jorgensen, Chief Operating Officer, eX Technology. "Bristol's unwavering commitment to building this network was very evident during the entire process."

The Town envisions the network to be a community asset that provides for future development and prosperity. "Building a fiber optic network will provide the speed and bandwidth necessary to support telework, remote schooling and multiple simultaneous connections, allowing Bristol to compete on a regional, national and global level," said Coates. "Neighboring towns have been reaching out to us for guidance on developing similar networks for their communities. We are on the cusp of being a national model for rural communities."

Robin Ingalls-Fitzgerald, CEO and President of Medical Management and Reimbursement Specialists, LLC (MRS) agrees. "We're putting everyone on notice that you can be a small town and still be very thriving," said Ingalls-Fitzgerald. Headquartered in Bristol, MRS has plans to bring on additional software development staff once the network is fully operational.

Bristol Economic Committee Chair William Dowey stated that network connections to educational facilities like PSU will help to provide workforce training to COVID-displaced workers and allow educators to introduce area students to new career path opportunities, especially those in technology-related industries.

PSU President Donald Brix also believes the network will positively impact the region's economy. "The installation of this new fiber optic infrastructure in Bristol is an example of the substantial investment in New Hampshire's economic future. Allowing residents in the northern regions of the state to have access to the latest in high-speed internet technology is a boon for our faculty, staff, students and everyone in our community. The Lakes Region has long been an active area for both residential and commercial sectors, and this development signals a continuing interest in building a footprint that allows the state to compete with the most connected locales on a national scale," said Brix.

The Town hopes its network will spur further development of a tech corridor along I-93 in Northern New Hampshire.

Bristol's second project is on schedule for completion mid-April 2021.

About the Town of Bristol

Bristol, New Hampshire, incorporated in 1819, is a beautiful New England town that encompasses the southern portion of Newfound Lake, the fifth largest lake in the State. Bristol is located just 25 miles northwest of Concord, New Hampshire, New Hampshire's capital. Bristol offers all the benefits of small-town living, remaining close to major recreational attractions and business centers. The Town of Bristol has a year-round population of approximately 3,300 and a seasonal summer population of approximately 6,500 inhabitants. Town employees, those involved in local government, and all the many volunteers who give so generously of their time are dedicated to providing the best possible service to our residents, businesses, and visitors.

About eX Technology

eX Technology is a single source solution for those seeking to build, scale or future proof their communications infrastructure. We provide robust smart city, intelligent transportation, critical infrastructure and private network solutions and services with greater efficiency, less cost and a streamlined acquisition process. eX specializes in turnkey network design-build-maintain services, network asset commercialization and assisting its customers with unique project financing options.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA)

+1.866.6953629

[email protected]

SOURCE eX Technology LLC
Appointment

12 January 2021

As the newly appointed Dual Director of Food & Beverage, Ivan Puente will oversee all aspects of the hotel's food and beverage planning and services, including menu development, and the preparation and presentation of food and drinks. Most recently Puente served as Senior Food and Beverage Manager for Terrace Restaurant and The Rooftop at Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey, where, as part of the leadership team, he was responsible for all food and beverage operations for the prestigious neighborhood two level rooftop venue. Puente has a wealth of hospitality experience, including the Sambuca Restaurant and Lawless Spirits and Kitchen in Houston, Texas, under Expert Restaurant Management Group. Puente attended Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Political Science and Pre-Law Studies degree.
Sydneys Australia Day festivities will be significantly muted this year, with a number of longstanding January 26 events cancelled and spectators limited amid ongoing COVID restrictions.

At the programs launch at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, NSW minister for tourism Stuart Ayres said Australia Day in 2021 will be a little bit different, [but] that doesnt mean its less important.

Tourism minister Stuart Ayres announces Sydney's Australia Day program at the Opera House. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Australia Day Council of NSW chairman Andrew Parker said the traditional and iconic Sydney Harbour daytime program - including events such as the Ferrython, the Tug and Yacht Ballet, the Tall Ships Race, and the Harbour Parade - will not be taking place.

Limited tickets for the remaining events will be released to the general public subject to health advice, however crowds will not be permitted entrance to the harbour foreshore after 5pm unless they have a pre-existing booking at a restaurant at Circular Quay.

Spectators are instead urged to tune into the live broadcast on ABC and iView from their own homes.

Read more here
Even as the coronavirus surge continued to severely strain hospitals, signs of hope appeared statewide and in the Bay Area Tuesday.

The regional stay-at-home order for the greater Sacramento area was lifted, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced, as case rates stabilized and intensive care unit projections eased.

Across the state, hospital admissions decreased from 3,500 per day to 2,500 per day for the past two days  the biggest signal that the surge is beginning to flatten, state health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a news conference Tuesday.

State positivity rates  a closely watched indicator defined as the percentage of tests that come back positive  also appear to be on a downward trajectory, he said.

While these are encouraging indications, Were not out of the woods, Ghaly said. We know that theres still a lot of COVID in our communities and people can easily transmit it. We must continue to keep our guard up.

In hard-hit Santa Clara County, county health officer Dr. Sara Cody said Tuesday that hospitalization numbers are beginning to level off but at an extremely high level.

In San Francisco, while infection numbers remain worrisome, the growth rate is not nearly as high as it was after Thanksgiving, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Tuesday.

Though our cases are still higher than ever, the rate of increase isnt as severe as we saw after Thanksgiving, Breed said during a news briefing Tuesday. This is some good news and it means, hopefully, that people are following the health orders. However, we started this holiday at a more precarious point. So even a slower rate of increase is seriously concerning. Our cases and hospitalizations remain dangerously high.

Stay-at-home restrictions in San Francisco will likely remain at least through the end of January, according to Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax. (The state also extended its regional stay-at-home order for the Bay Area on Tuesday.) He said that with access to the vaccine many months away for most residents and hospitalization numbers still rising, the city was not stable enough to reopen more businesses.

San Francisco is averaging 280 new cases per day and has 249 hospitalized patients, according to Colfax. The county saw a 70% increase in cases in the weeks following Thanksgiving. Now, theres a 28% increase post-Christmas, Colfax said.

San Francisco still has enough ICU capacity to treat patients, Colfax said. Nonetheless, We need to turn this around, he said. The current trajectory is not sustainable.

ICU capacity in the Bay Area region  which includes Santa Cruz and Monterey counties as well as the core nine-county area  rose on Tuesday, from less than 1% to a still worrying 4.7%, state officials said Tuesday. The greater Sacramento area also remained tight, at 9.4% availability, but projected improvements allowed the stay-home order to be lifted.

The Northern California regions hospitals slipped below 20% ICU capacity for the first time, with just 17.6% beds available. In Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley region, ICU capacity remained at 0%, meaning they are reliant on ad-hoc surge facilities.

Statewide, 21,747 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of 5.5% in the past 14 days, according to Ghaly.

The last time we had a rate this low was actually the end of October, he said.

Still, he said, I wouldnt declare victory in any way. We have seen many high days since the beginning of the year. We do anticipate that even though this week has been encouraging, we do still expect there to be a bump up in the middle of the month, the end of the month.

In Santa Clara County, Cody said that more than 700 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county at the beginning of the year  a number 3.5 times higher than any other peak during any other time of the pandemic, she said.

Our hospitals are together really performing something of a high-wire act, trying to care for an extraordinary number of patients with COVID who require hospital-level care, she said.

Deaths are still rising, and a significant proportion of the deaths in the county are among people living in long-term care facilities, Cody said.

Three Santa Clara County hospitals have reached morgue capacity, and four others are nearly full, officials said Tuesday. The county has brought in three 65-foot trailers to add morgue space and may possibly activate a mass fatality plan.

I think that we will continue to see deaths increase, Cody said.

Meanwhile, concern continues over the highly contagious coronavirus variant that has spread through the United Kingdom and been found in a growing number of states, including California.

Absolutely we are worried about it  if it takes off, Ghaly said. If it does come more widespread were going to see increased transmission from where we are now. The rates of transmission are going to be significantly more challenging to contain if we see the proliferation of this U.K. variant here. Were very much concerned about it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that effective Jan. 26, the U.S. will require a negative coronavirus test for all air passengers entering the country. In addition to the test required before departure, the CDC said it recommends travelers get tested again three to five days after arrival in the U.S. and to shelter in place for seven days after traveling.

The U.S. already requires negative pre-departure virus tests for passengers coming from the U.K.

Chronicle staff writer Aidin Vaziri contributed to this report.

Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez


[January 12, 2021] Missouri's Second-Largest County Selects Tyler Technologies' Appraisal Software and Services

Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced it has signed an agreement valued at $17.9 million with Jackson County, Missouri, for Tyler's CLT Appraisal Services and iasWorld computer-assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) software. Tyler will be executing a complete reappraisal for the entire county, along with annual property data maintenance over the next two years. "We are pleased that Tyler will bring its expertise in mass appraisal and advanced technology to create efficiencies and streamline processes related to appraisal for our county," said Gail McCann Beatty, assessment director, Jackson County. "It will be a large undertaking over the next cuple of years, and we're confident that Tyler can help us manage each step of the appraisal process to ensure accurate property evaluations for our constituents."



Jackson County's current CAMA software is a legacy solution that has been in place for decades. The county evaluated several options to replace its solution with one that is more user-friendly and comprehensive. It ultimately selected Tyler's iasWorld solution because of its stability and proven track record in large jurisdictions similar to Jackson County. Tyler's iasWorld solution will help the county manage every step of the property appraisal process while also optimizing daily operations, managing and analyzing assessment data, and helping to generate fair, equitable, and defendable property valuations. In addition to implementing Tyler's iasWorld software, Tyler will provide its CLT Appraisal Services to conduct a complete reappraisal for all properties in the county. Bringing more than 80 years of in-depth industry experience to mass appraisal, Tyler's specialists will physically inspect, collect data, and capture images on all types of properties to produce customized mass appraisal reports.

"By combining our mass appraisal services with our advanced CAMA solution, we will be able to assist Jackson County every step of the way in its reappraisal initiative," said Mark Hawkins, president of Tyler's Appraisal & Tax Division. "We are eager to deliver a solution that is comprehensive while also being user-friendly for the county's staff." Jackson County is located in western Missouri and includes the city of Kansas City. It is the second most-populous county in the state, with a population of approximately 705,000. Tyler also provides its Incode financials solution to the county. About Tyler Technologies (News - Alert) , Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 26,000 successful installations across more than 10,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler was named to Forbes' "Best Midsize Employers" list in 2019 and has been recognized three times on Forbes' "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005044/en/

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A Russian woman and her daughter have retested positive for the novel coronavirus in the southern Vietnamese province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau after they were given an all-clear and completed quarantine in south-central Khanh Hoa Province.

The 31-year-old woman and her one-year-old daughter were sampled at the Vietsovpetro Medical Center in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province on January 9, the center said on Monday.

The samples were sent to Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, and the results came back positive for the novel coronavirus on January 10.

The Vietsovpetro Medical Center promptly coordinated with the provincial center for disease control to bring the woman and her daughter to a local quarantine facility, as well as disinfecting all locations where they had been.

The husband and two health workers at the Vietsovpetro Medical Center were quarantined after coming into close contact with the two cases.

Local authorities are also monitoring the health conditions of 21 people who had indirect contact with them.

All of the direct and indirect contacts have been tested for COVID-19.

According to the report of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Center for Disease Control, the Russian woman and her child previously came to Vietnam to be reunited with her husband, who is working for Vietnam-Russia oil and gas joint venture Vietsovpetro in Vung Tau City.

After their flight landed in Khanh Hoa Province on November 24, 2020, they were taken to a hotel for quarantine.

The two tested positive for the novel coronavirus on November 26 and were later confirmed as Vietnams COVID-19 patients 1,333 and 1,334.

They were treated at the medical center in Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa and made a full recovery on December 25.

The foreigners were quarantined at another hotel until January 7 and had tested negative for the novel coronavirus twice.

The husband arrived in Khanh Hoa on January 7, before the three family members boarded flight VN6203 from Khanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City on January 8.

They got on a passenger bus and arrived in Vung Tau at 10:30 pm the same day.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday changed his cover photo on Twitter, which was a joint picture with outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump.

The prime minister replaced the old Twitter banner with the one in which he is being vaccinated against COVID-19.

A joint photo of the two leaders, with Netanyahu sitting next to Trump at a White House meeting, has long been on the prime ministers official Twitter account @netanyahu.

The photo was seen as a sign of friendship and close ties between Israel and the Trump-led U.S. administration.

The removal came after the relations between the two leaders have deteriorated after Mr Netanyahu officially congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on the latters victory in the November presidential election.

The new picture on Mr Netanyahus Twitter profile says Citizens of Israel, we are returning to life.

No comment on the cover photos replacement was given on his account.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has been blocked on all major social platforms following the Jan. 6 unrest in the U.S. Capitol.

A group of Trumps supporters had stormed the building, clashing with police, damaging property, seizing the inauguration stage, and occupying the rotunda.

The violent rally, which killed five people, took place after Mr Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claimed was a stolen election.

(ANI/Sputnik/NAN)
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Bottles of Canola Harvest brand canola oil, manufactured by Canadian agribusiness firm Richardson International, are seen on the shelf of a grocery store in Beijing, China, on March 6, 2019. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

Nearly Half of Canadians Support Decreased Trade With China: Survey

The number of Canadians who support a decreasing trade relationship with China is four times higher than those who want to increase trade, according to a new survey.

The poll (pdf), conducted by Nanos Research and commissioned by CTV News, shows that an overall 45 percent of respondents believe Canada should decrease trade with China in the future, while only 10 percent said the opposite.

Meanwhile, 28 percent of Canadians said trade ties should remain the same, and 17 percent of Canadians were unsure.

What it speaks to is that theres not a lot of appetite, theres reticence, theres risk, Nik Nanos, the founder of Nanos Research, told CTV News on Jan. 11. People are worried about doing more business with China and this is big news because China is the second largest economy in the world.

It doesnt matter whether you are young and old, whether you live East Coast, West Coast, central part of Canada, you have that view that increasing trade with China is just not politically on the table with China right now, he said.

Breaking it down by regions, people in Ontario (46.6 percent) and British Columbia (46.6 percent) are the largest cohorts that support reduced trade with China. Quebec also has a large population (41.4 percent) that support reduced trade, there is also 36.4 percent that want trade to remain at the current level.

Nanos said a more distinct difference is between males (16.6 percent) and females (3.7 percent) who want more trade with China.

Canadas relationship China has been deteriorating since 2018, when Canadian officials arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant. Meng was charged for lying to multiple financial institutions, such as the HSBC, about her companys business in Iran, which led the banks to risk violating U.S. sanctions.

Soon after Mengs arrest, China detained two Canadians citizens in 2018Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavorwhich has been widely interpreted as an act of retaliation.

Ten years ago, China was a market that everyone was looking at  it was a big market, and Canadians want to get in on it, Nanos said. Ten years later, the numbers have turned 180 degrees, where now people think of China, [they] think of risks, economic risks, and security risks.

China suspended imports of Canadian canola-seed in March 2019, and then beef and pork in June. In September 2020, Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced that the attempt to strike a free trade agreement with China has been abolished.

The Nanos polling was conducted via telephone and online random survey of 1,048 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between Dec. 27 and Dec. 30, 2020. The margin of error is 3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
'We're hardwired to tell ghost stories,' says Rakesh Khanna of Blaft Publications, who has co-authored the encyclopedia.

Ghosts, demons and myths are as old as civilisation in India. Belief and superstition drive most of these stories that are also symbolic of how we, as a people, understand mythology and spirituality. Co-founder of Blaft and co-author of the book Ghosts, Monsters and Demons of India, Rakesh Khanna discussed writing a book that was as hard to research as it seemed infinite in scope and its social and spiritual implications.

Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India is described as "an encyclopedia of evil entities and folkloric fiends from across the country, from Ladakh to Kerala, Lakshadweep to Nagaland, Naraka to Tuchenkwaka" and features illustrations by Appupen, Priya Kuriyan and Samita Chatterjee, among others. It also includes poetry by Joseph Furtado and Jyoti Prasad Agarwala. J Furcifer Bhairav ao-authors the book with Khanna.

This book immediately sounds like lots and lots of research. For a country that is poor even in its archiving of history of the living, where and how does one even begin with ghosts? What were your greatest challenges?

I think the greatest challenge was forcing ourselves to stop. We kept finding out about new legends and new cryptids and new ghostly characters that just had to be included.

There are a lot of books from the British period that catalogue ghosts and demons  some by foreigners, like Edgar Thurston's Castes and Tribes of Southern India, and others by Indians, like Benudhar Rajkhowa's Assamese Demonology. We used those lists as a baseline, and then went to more recent anthropological research. We looked at pulp fiction and movies, and then at sites like YouTube and Quora and Facebook where you have all kinds of citizen folklorists posting the stories their grandmothers told them. We also bugged people we met at book events  I must have pestered hundreds of people who bought Blaft books at Comic Con for their favourite ghost story from their native place.

Oral histories account for a large part of the many fiends that, as you say, populate Indian culture. What part has religion played in the survival of these narratives (granted that it is in most cases also the author)? Is it as simple saying, rationale would wipe them out?

Oh, I don't think there's much of a line between religion and oral history or folklore, they're all mixed up together. Just because some of the stories have been codified and written down and printed, and people call them sacred texts or mythology, doesn't make them very qualitatively different from oral legends of local demons and ghosts.

Humans will always tell ghost stories. We're hard-wired. Even if some huge rationalist movement happens and everybody becomes an atheist, we'll still produce monster movies and horror fiction.

Were there ghosts or characters here that you wished you could get more information on and research further, but for a lack of sources? If so which ones?

Oh, lots. The folklore from the Andaman Islands, for one  a lot of that mythology has probably died out, but we included whatever we could find of the demons of Pucikwar and Onge folklore, and it's super amazing. Onge cosmology has 13 planes of existence, with humans living in the middle one, and different sorts of ghostly beings populating each plane. Sometimes some of them visit the human plane and try to eat us.

Another entity I find really interesting is Swkal. That's the Kokborok word, from Tripura. It's a sort of demonic force that possesses people, and once they're possessed they become a Swkaljwk. The Swkaljwk (it's usually a she) casts evil curses on people with her eyes. She usually manages to go undetected, but sometimes her limbs and neck get all disjointed, so they can all rotate 360 degrees, and she starts crawling around like a crazy spider. The Garos of Meghalaya call a similar demon Skal, and the Dimasa call it Sakainjeek. The Garo version can turn herself into a giant demonic firefly with a long tongue, and it has contagious saliva that can turn other people into Skals. There's a common thread through all of these that the Swkal  the force itself, not the possessed humans  is a set of seven sisters. There's a goddess called Swkalmwtai who is sort of a tutelary deity to these Swkal, and who is again sometimes referred to as being sevenfold in nature. She's also associated with the highest mountains of the Himalayas. There's not a lot written about these legends, at least not much that we managed to find in English, and I'd love to read more.

What fraction of this imagination/belief, while you were putting together this book seemed like the work of men? A lot of ghost stories I heard growing up, were a version of the churail (now an insult), for example. Is there a common thread across languages in this context?

Well, there's definitely a degree of misogyny in the witch legends. In the real world, women are more often victims of witch hunts and witch murders  although men are sometimes targeted too. That said, I think it's roughly 50-50 in terms of the gender of the demons, and also (I imagine, though I can't be sure) in the gender of the storytellers that have kept these tales alive.

How do you see these stories translating across cultural and language borders. Is there for example, something more common in the Hindi belt, or something peculiar about the stories of the east?

Well, for example, your standard Hindi-heartland style bhoot is well known over most of the country, but they change a little bit with geography. Like the Telugu Deyyam is more or less like a bhoot, but while a bhoot can stretch its arms really far, the Deyyam tends to do that with its tongue.

A lot of the spirits and demons of the Hindi belt are familiar from Hindu stories  they are the nagas and rakshasas and asuras of the epics and puranas, of Doordarshan and Amar Chitra Katha comics. Our book mentions those, but we don't spend a lot of time on them - their stories are usually the stories of the gods who defeated them, and we didn't want to make a book on Hindu mythology.

As for North East India, we love how almost every state and tribe has a legend of a gigantic monster that demands regular human sacrifice and is eventually defeated by a hero wielding a magic weapon. For the Khasis it's U Thlen, the bloodthirsty dragon; for the Garos it's Wakmanggochi Aragondi, the seven-headed boar demon; for the Lepchas it's Laso Mung Pano, the shapeshifting king of the Mung; in Manipur it's Paubi Lai, the serpent demon of Loktak Lake. Most of these monsters are said to have created the hills and valleys when they were thrashing around in their death throes.

The scope of the book is vast, ranging from Ashwatthama to Monkey Man, the ancient to the modern. What does this incredibly vast timeline of myths, their survival especially say of our social fabric and our understanding of the spiritual?

Like I said, we're hard-wired to tell horror stories. We've probably been doing it since before we were properly human, before we had anything like a proper language. We all remember the thrill of the scary stories that freaked us out when we were young, and those of us who have children usually pass those stories on.

It would be hard to pick one, because a lot of these stories are intriguing. But what was the one lesser-known tale that really spooked you or piqued your interest and why?

Okay, I'll pick one, the Bhoota Vahana Yantra, or "spirit movement machines", which were said to have guarded the relics of the Buddha in Pataliputra. This story dates from around the 11th century or earlier. It first shows up in a book written by a Burmese fellow named Saddhammaghosa, but it's about flying drone assassin ghost-robots built with stolen Roman engineering technology that were installed in a stupa in what's now Bihar. They were eventually defeated by Ashoka the Great. This story completely blew my mind.
UC MRPI award will develop advanced telehealth robots to protect healthcare workers and help isolated people connect with their communities.

Researchers at UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Irvine and San Diego State University have been awarded a $1.2 million UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) grant to develop an advanced class of mobile telemanipulation robots. These easy-to-operate, low-cost robots called UC Iris will be used to grasp objects, open doors and perform other tasks to advance telehealth, allowing healthcare workers to safely conduct remote exams and providing quarantined Californians a safe way to interact outside their homes.

"COVID-19 is exacerbating societal inequities and will continue to affect our existence for years to come," said project lead Laurel Riek, a professor in UC San Diego's Computer Science and Engineering department and director of the university's Healthcare Robotics Lab. "Two groups are at extremely high risk for infection, adverse physical and mental health outcomes and extended isolation: Frontline healthcare workers and people who cannot leave their homes due to high infection risk. This project will develop new telehealth robotic technologies to support both groups."

Entitled Robot-facilitated Health Equity in Post-Pandemic California and Beyond, the team will develop state-of-the-art mobile robots with advanced tactile sensing, manipulation, and haptics technologies (which transmit information through touch). This will allow operators to feel truly immersed in a remote location and give them a sense of presence and touch. Veronica Santos, professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Biomechatronics Lab at UCLA, and Veronica Ahumada-Newhart, human-robot interaction scientist at UC Irvine and director of the Technology and Social Connectedness Lab are co-principal investigators on the team.

For healthcare workers, these new robots will help conduct remote exams. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians have largely relied on static telehealth technologies, such as Zoom and telemedicine carts, to reduce infection risks. However, they must physically deliver these technologies; train patients to use them; and troubleshoot technical issues - all at the patient's bedside - mitigating their benefits. In addition, existing technologies lack touch and independent mobility, key features many clinicians need.

Outside of hospitals, millions are at high risk for infection, including people with cancer, those with suppressed immune systems and older adults. These individuals have been further isolated by the pandemic, putting them at increased risk for depression, suicide, dementia and other conditions.

To address this, the team will advance inexpensive, user-friendly robotic systems that give quarantined people new opportunities to "leave" home and interact with society.

"We will be designing new haptic interfaces, tactile sensing modalities and shared control methods for telemanipulation," said Riek. "For healthcare workers, these robots will enable new ways to safely treat patients. For people who are isolated, they will provide new opportunities to engage with their loved ones and their communities."

The researchers will also study optimal ways to deploy the technology. The team will work closely with healthcare workers across the UC system, including emergency medicine specialists and hospitalists, to integrate UC Iris into critical care settings. They will also explore how these robots can improve quality of life for isolated groups and increase their independence.

"We are specifically focused on Latino communities, as they are the most tragically affected by COVID-19 in California, representing 71% of fatalities among those 18 to 64," said Riek. "We will explore ways the robots can help them engage and feel included in their communities without risking in-person gatherings."

###

The Team

The multidisciplinary research team includes internationally-recognized experts in robotics, haptics, health informatics and psychology.

Dr. Laurel Riek (UC San Diego) will lead the overall project, coordinating research activities across the UC campuses, and leading development of the new mobile telemanipulation robotic system, including creating new shared control methods.

Dr. Veronica Santos (UCLA) brings expertise in artificial tactile sensing/perception, grasp and manipulation with human, prosthetic and robotic hands to lead development of new haptics technologies that support teleoperator embodiment.

Dr. Veronica Ahumada-Newhart (UCI) is an expert in health informatics and developmental psychology and will lead efforts to develop telerobots that support robot-mediated inclusion.

Dr. Tania Morimoto (UC San Diego) contributes expertise in human-in-the-loop interfaces, including low-cost haptics, to accommodate a wide range of age and experience levels. Morimoto will lead efforts to create new haptic display technology.

Dr. Jacquelynne Eccles (UCI), one of the leading developmental scientists of her generation, will support virtual inclusion efforts on the project.

Dr. Kristen Wells (SDSU), brings extensive expertise in clinical psychology and behavioral science, particularly in health equity and health disparities.
A high-flying female executive was victimised by her boss after she accused him of boasting about the size of his friend's manhood at a Christmas party.

Angela Dawson complained that CEO Chris Short had introduced her to a friend with the words 'have you met my friend, he has a massive p***s'.

He and fellow bosses then retaliated against her subsequent claims of sex discrimination, 'closing ranks' and forcing her out of the IT recruitment company where she was a director, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Angela Dawson complained that CEO Chris Short had introduced her to a friend with the words 'have you met my friend, he has a massive p***s'

In emails shown to the panel, they claimed that she couldn't have been offended because she once made a risque cake of comedy character Borat as part of a work Bake Off event.

And they accused her of sending colleagues a Christmas card featuring a photo of her in fancy dress and making a sexually provocative comment.

The tribunal cleared the company of sex discrimination, arguing that Ms Dawson had waited too long to make the claims.

However, it did find the firm - Concept Information Technology - guilty of victimising her and firing her unfairly, meaning she will now be entitled to damages.

A hearing in Birmingham was told that Ms Dawson joined the West Midlands-based company in 2014. By 2017 she had been promoted to a director role.

The tribunal heard that as part of her complaint she said at a Christmas party in December 2015 Mr Short had placed his hand on her bottom

However, the following year she launched a grievance claiming that women at the firm were being discriminated against and badly treated by male managers.

The tribunal heard that as part of her complaint she said at a Christmas party in December 2015 Mr Short had placed his hand on her bottom.

'At this same party, Chris Short introduced a male acquaintance to (Ms Dawson) by stating "have you met my friend, he has a massive p***s",' the panel found.

The tribunal heard that bosses at the firm were dismissive of her claims.

Shortly after her complaint, another director, Carl Short, sent an email to fellow executives pointing out that at a staff Bake Off competition the previous year Ms Dawson had 'submitted a cake that depicted an image of Borat with his p***s hanging out'.

She had been laughing when he saw it, he said, observing 'I think this is evidence that actually Angela wasn't easily offended by such things'.

Ms Dawson went on stress-related sick leave and eventually resigned in June 2019

The same month, Chris Short sent an email with photographs of Ms Dawson in fancy dress taken from her Facebook page, and a sexually provocative comment, the panel heard.

He wrote: 'The image/xmas card below was sent to me and all the staff at Concept in December. Interesting about one week after she was offended and disgusted by my alleged comments at the Xmas party.'

The tribunal disagreed with this claim.

Judge Mark Butler said: 'Although the (company and directors) submit that (Ms Dawson) was not easily offended and engaged in sexualised "banter" herself, this does not negate the fact that an individual can... be offended by a physical and inappropriate contact and wording such as "have you met my friend, he has a massive p***s".'

However, Ms Dawson had left it too late for her claim of sexual discrimination to succeed, the tribunal ruled.

But the panel did rule that in the wake of her complaint, company bosses 'closed ranks' on her, including treating her with hostility, saying she could no longer work from home, demoting her and falsely accusing her of gross misconduct.

Ms Dawson went on stress-related sick leave and eventually resigned in June 2019. The tribunal concluded she had been victimised and unfairly constructively dismissed.

'Ms Dawson raised discriminatory allegations in a series of protected acts, and (managers) decided from the outset that the allegations were false and entered, what can only be described as, defensive mode,' the panel said.

Compensation will be awarded at a later date.
NEW DELHI : IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Tuesday said it will acquire GE's stake in Tata Consultancy Services Saudi Arabia for $12,471 (about 9.13 lakh).

In September 2013, TCS announced the creation of an all-women business process services centre in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in partnership with GE.

"Given GE's planned exit from this partnership, the partners have entered into a definitive agreement subject to closing conditions for transfer of GE's stake in the venture to TCS," a regulatory filing said.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

On completion of required governance and business changes to effect this transition, TCS will assume full responsibility of the centre, it added.

This will secure the centre's viability in the longer term and allow it to continue to serve as a source of opportunity and skills development for women in the country, the statement said.

Saudi Desert Rose Holding BV (wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric International (Benelux) BV) holds 24 per cent share in TCS Saudi Arabia, while the balance 76 per cent is held by Tata Consultancy Services Netherlands BV (a wholly owned subsidiary of TCS).

TCS said the centre has expanded from 20 to almost 1,000 women employees over the past seven years, and won several awards including the King Khalid Awards 2019 for 'Responsible Competitiveness' and the 2018 Future of Workplace Awards for 'Best women development and leadership programme'.

The filing said anti-trust approval in Saudi Arabia is being sought for the transaction, which is expected to be completed in 3-6 months.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Galen College of Nursing is the only school of nursing in Kentucky that has prepared every clinical student and clinical faculty member to help administer COVID-19 vaccinations.

Galen leadership connected with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and facilitated a plan for clinical students and clinical faculty to become fully prepared, trained, and registered to assist with vaccine administration throughout the Commonwealth. This will ultimately help Kentucky move quickly through the phased approach of vaccine distribution.

"We are honored that the Commonwealth of Kentucky would look to our clinical students and clinical faculty to help during this historic time," said Audria Denker, DNP, RN, Galen's Executive Vice President of Nursing. "Galen is proud to support the backbone of healthcare in our communities, educating nurses who are needed now more than ever. To be able to impact the lives of so many more during this health crisis speaks to the foundation of what nursing is all about, and what is at the core of Galen's vision and mission. I have never been more proud to be part of this incredible college."

All clinical students and faculty on both the Louisville and Hazard campuses have completed training and will be registered by mid-January to assist with vaccination efforts around Kentucky.

Galen clinical students and faculty are currently scheduled to assist with vaccinations in Jefferson County, and are actively working with Bullitt County to assist with vaccinations there, as well. As additional counties reach out and notify the CHFS of a staffing need, Galen officials expect more requests for assistance to come in.

About Galen College of Nursing

Founded over 30 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing schools in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education, Galen offers baccalaureate, master's, associate and practical/vocational nursing programs, to over 7,500 students on its campuses in Louisville and Hazard, Ky.; San Antonio, Texas; Tampa Bay and Miami, Fla.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and online. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galencollege.edu.

Contact: Michael Rabkin, Communications Manager

(917) 684-9362 (cell)

[email protected]

SOURCE Galen College of Nursing
Tata Consultancy Services announced that its Intelligent Urban Exchange (IUX) for Workplace Resilience software won the 2021 IoT Breakthrough Award in the category 'Enterprise IoT Management Innovation.'

The IoT Breakthrough Awards showcase the innovators, leaders and visionaries that exemplify the best in IoT technology solutions across the globe. Nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the IoT industry, with the winning products and companies selected based on a variety of criteria, including most innovative and technologically advanced products and services.

IUX for Workplace Resilience helps enterprises make it safer for employees to return to work amid COVID- 19 by combining risk analytics with key business relaunch functions such as workforce safety, regulation compliance, operational resilience, and customer engagement.

It is part of TCS' Secure Borderless Workspaces model, which enabled its workforce of over 453,000 across 46 countries to work remotely in just a few weeks.

The software creates a safer workplace for employees with business-critical responsibilities that require them to be in the office. From concept to deployment, it took just four weeks for TCS to begin running the solution at its first location. Currently, TCS has successfully deployed the solution across nearly all its locations in 19 cities in India, and is doing so at key TCS facilities in the United States and Canada.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conducted a small shuffle of his ministers before holing up later in the day for a cabinet retreat to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament.

The shuffle is due to the departure of Navdeep Bains, who stepped down as innovation minister Tuesday and is not intending to run again in the next election.

In the first virtual swearing-in ceremony in Canadian history, Francois-Philippe Champagne shed his title as foreign minister to take up Bains' former role, while ex-transport minister Marc Garneau moved into Champagne's old job.

Toronto-area MP Omar Alghabra took over the Transport portfolio, which has seen 10 months of turbulence since the pandemic prompted a travel industry collapse and controversy over refunds for flight cancellations.

Jim Carr also returned to cabinet as minister without portfolio and special representative to the Prairies.

The former minister for international trade diversification stepped down after announcing his diagnosis with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in October 2019.

In a video message posted Tuesday morning, Bains said that after six elections, he wants to spend more time with his family.

"They have sacrificed so much over the last 17 years. This last year has been hard on families," says the MP from Mississauga, Ont. "My daughters, who are in Grade 5 and Grade 8, have needed me more in the last year and I've needed them, too. It's time for me to put my family first, and I couldn't be happier about it."

Trudeau has been clear that he wants departments crucial to the country's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to be overseen by ministers who will be around to help sell the government's agenda during the next election campaign.

The shuffle, which played out online in a streamlined ceremony stripped of pomp and ritual overseen by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, follows a smaller round of musical chairs triggered by the resignation of then-finance minister Bill Morneau in August. Chrystia Freeland replaced Morneau while keeping her role as deputy prime minister.

The cabinet retreat  four one-day sessions to take place over the next two weeks  is to focus on what more the government needs to do to manage the pandemic, which continues to rage across the country, including ways to accelerate the rollout of vaccines.

It is also supposed to focus on the eventual economic recovery and the Liberal government's plans to invest billions in the fight against climate change, job creation, affordable housing, skills training and a national child-care program.

The retreat is taking place as the government prepares for the resumption of Parliament on Jan. 25.
By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One U.S. Federal Reserve official says there is now a "clearer focus" about the economy's path forward and a horizon for a fuller recovery. Another says the pandemic's "endgame" is here. A third predicts 2021 will prove "impressive." After a catastrophic spell when economic conditions were so confounded by the coronavirus that the Fed stopped making projections altogether, U.S. central bankers now like what they see. Even as they concede the riots by supporters of President Donald Trump that shut ...
An Alabama man faces charges after he was found to be in possession of stimulus checks that werent his.

Lawrence County Sheriffs Department said it received reports on Jan. 9 of a suspicious man walking on County Road 434 in the East Lawrence community. The man was later identified as Brandon Cottingham, 42.

Cottingham was later arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance; theft of property in the second degree; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of a forged instrument in the second degree; and illegal possession of a credit/debit card.

Deputies said Cottingham was in possession of 3 stimulus checks and/or credit/debit cards belonging to other people.

The IRS began mailing paper stimulus checks and debit cards on Dec. 30. You can find the status of your payment here.
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed insulin nanoparticles that may one day become the basis for oral medicine, and an alternative to insulin injections for diabetic patients.

In a pre-clinical study, the NTU Singapore team fed insulin-containing nanoparticles to rats and found that insulin increased in their blood minutes later.

Insulin therapy is often an important part of treatment for diabetes, a metabolic disease that affects 422 million people globally. In Singapore, the number of diabetics is expected to grow to 1 million - almost a fifth of the population - in 2050.

Delivering insulin orally would be preferable over insulin jabs for patients because it causes less pain than jabs, and could thus lead to improved patient compliance. But oral dosage remains a challenge. As insulin is a protein, it gets broken down in the gastrointestinal tract before it can even reach the bloodstream to regulate blood glucose.

To overcome this challenge, the interdisciplinary team comprising scientists from NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) designed a nanoparticle loaded with insulin at the core, then coated with alternating layers of insulin and chitosan, a natural sugar. Dosing is achieved by controlling the number of layers in the nanoparticle.

Through lab experiments using cell cultures and rat models, the team led by NTU principal research fellow Dr Huang Yingying, Associate Professor Yusuf Ali and former NTU Professor Subbu Venkatraman, demonstrated that this layer-by-layer coated nanoparticle is stable as it passes through the stomach into the small intestine with minimal insulin release, and is able to pass through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream.

Dr Huang Yingying from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at NTU, the study's co-lead author, said: "Efforts to develop oral insulin products have met with little success because these products either come with a safety risk, or require frequent dosage due to the drug's ability to contain only a small amount of insulin. The tests of our NTU-developed insulin nanoparticle in rats show that it can carry a large enough amount of insulin for the desired therapeutic effect and at the same time is small enough to pass through intestinal walls into the bloodstream. This indicates its potential application for oral insulin delivery in humans. We believe that the same concept could also be useful for other protein drugs that normally have to be injected."

Insulin is now administered under the skin with a fine needle multiple times a day, depending on the formulation. Aside from the pain and inconvenience, these jabs also come with a risk of patients being unaware of their low blood sugar level, which could develop into a potentially deadly condition in a diabetic. LKCMedicine is now taking the development of this nanoparticle forward with more pre-clinical work, and we are hopeful that our work could someday replace painful insulin injections with a simple and small pill." Yusuf Ali, Study Co-Author and Associate Professor, Nanyang Technological University Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

The findings were published in the scientific journal Nanoscale in November.

A multi-layered approach to oral insulin delivery

Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone that is critical for the regulation of blood glucose levels, especially after a meal.

In healthy individuals, insulin produced in the pancreas enters the bloodstream and is distributed to key metabolic organs. It instructs the liver, muscles, and fat cells to take up more glucose from the bloodstream and store it for future use.

At the same time, insulin nudges the liver to lower the rate of new glucose production, and altogether, these serve to effectively reduce blood glucose levels.

In contrast, diabetic patients do not produce sufficient insulin to meet the body demands. In serious cases, insulin needs to be given via a needle into the fatty tissue beneath the skin. From there, it goes into the general blood circulation throughout the body before travelling to the liver.

The NTU-developed oral insulin nanoparticle more closely mimics the route by which natural insulin enters the bloodstream from the liver, an important organ for controlling blood glucose levels.

Each of these nanoparticles is about 200nm in size - at least 1,000 times smaller than a pollen grain. Insulin is first loaded into the liposome, a tiny sphere at the core of the nanoparticle. The liposome is then coated with 11 alternating layers of insulin and chitosan of three different molecular weights, an approach that allows more insulin to be loaded.

When the insulin nanoparticle enters an acidic environment of the stomach, its layers start to repel each other, resulting in the slow release of insulin from the outermost layer, and leading inwards.

While it loses some insulin as it travels down the gastrointestinal tract, the nanoparticle has enough coatings that by the time it is transported through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream, the insulin in the remaining layers and at the liposome, core is still intact.

Proof-of-concept study

To investigate the feasibility of the insulin nanoparticle for oral delivery, the NTU team first conducted a series of lab experiments to establish the nanoparticle's stability, its ability to pass through the intestinal wall, and the efficacy of the insulin in the nanoparticles that have been transported through the intestinal wall.

After leaving the nanoparticles in fluid that simulates the stomach environment, the team found that 6 per cent of the insulin from the nanoparticle was released in one hour, and 94 per cent remained encapsulated. It takes about one hour for food to pass through the stomach and into the small intestine, which has a less harsh environment.

When tested on the human cell line Caco-2 - a widely used model for studying the transport of molecules across the intestinal wall - the scientists found that the amount of insulin transported across was three times higher when loaded into the nanoparticle, compared to bare insulin solution.

The scientists also tested the rate at which nanoparticle insulin is absorbed and cleared in the bloodstream of rats. In rats fed orally with insulin nanoparticles, the insulin concentration in the blood peaked at the 30-minute mark and was entirely eliminated in four hours.

Assoc Prof Yusuf Ali said: "Taken together, these lab experiments showed that our layer-by-layer approach limited the exposure of insulin to the gastrointestinal environment, preventing premature degradation of the insulin. We are now studying if this peak comes earlier than the 30-minute mark - an indicator of how closely the insulin from our nanoparticle follows the ebb and flow of naturally-produced insulin in the bloodstream."

The rapid absorption and elimination of insulin released from these multi-layered nanoparticles demonstrate a proof of concept in replicating meal-related metabolic responses in individuals without diabetes, said Dr. Huang, adding that the level of insulin concentration can be further increased by repeating the number of alternating insulin and chitosan layers on the nanoparticle surface.

The NTU team is now in talks with a pharmaceutical company to further improve the nanoparticles' function.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 4:57 pm

As the state Legislature convenes for a mostly virtual 2021 session, Senate Minority Leader John Braun  whose 20th district includes most of Lewis County  shares a common priority of getting financial aid into the hands of businesses. His plan, as the leading Senate Republican, is to push to allow them to reopen with fewer barriers.

The biggest issue is we should have a light touch on all of them, Braun told The Chronicle last week. And thats code for we shouldnt be thinking of new taxes in an environment like this.

While he acknowledged that the states economy bounced back from earlier pandemic-driven blows faster than expected, he also argued that lawmakers interested in any new taxes should wait for the pandemic to blow over, saying this is just not the right year to do that.

In 2021, that likely means fighting against Gov. Jay Inslees proposed capital gains tax, which he says is meant to address the states regressive tax structure by targeting a small percentage of wealthy residents. Also included in the governors proposed budget is a new tax on health care plans to fund public health.

Early in the session, Braun, R-Centralia, said he has his eye on early action spending to help businesses, likely in the form of bolstering the states unemployment insurance fund. A recently-filed bill would also allow businesses to fully reopen in Phase 2 of the states reopening plan. Hed also like to see the Legislature  rather than Inslee  allocate funding authorized by Congress. It's part of a larger goal by the states Republican Party to wrestle more control back from the governor.

In terms of public health and the pandemic response, Braun said he wants to improve how long-term care facilities work to prevent infecting aging Washingtonians. Specifically, he cited the concern of health care workers rotating between different facilities and potentially spreading the virus. Itll be a challenge to prevent that, Braun said, as workers will likely have to be compensated through unemployment for limiting their work. But he contends its an important way to protect a population disproportionately represented in COVID-19 deaths.

He also critiqued vaccine distribution within the state, which has so far been slow, with some criticizing the Department of Healths delay in publishing information on who has and will get inoculated.

Weve had 10 months to plan for this, folks, Braun said, although he didnt note any specific legislative plans to address the issues.

Looking more locally, the third-term senator said his priorities include flood mitigation, housing and childcare.

This March, the Office of Chehalis Basin will present recommendations to the Legislature regarding the proposed Chehalis River dam, which faces significant hurdles from environmental impact statements (EIS) and opposition by the Chehalis Tribe and the Quinault Indian Nation. While Braun  and sitting Lewis County commissioners  want to see the dam get built, he said the project is in a more challenging place than it was a year ago.

The federal (EIS) is frankly, I think, better done, Braun said in comparison to the states EIS, which prompted concerns and opposition from the tribes. Where a year ago we felt like we were on, not by any means a short path, but on a better path at the time with the tribes.

Another local priority is childcare in the region, which has been described as a childcare desert. Its something Braun doesnt think can be solved by the public sector, calling it a state-caused problem spurred by too many regulations.

We just drove (childcare centers) out of business, and weve got to stop doing that, he said. People have been taking care of other peoples kids for thousands of years, and we just made it too complicated.

Characterizing housing as a disaster in our state, Braun said the state government should stay out of that issue as well. He pointed to the Growth Management Act  state laws that require growing jurisdictions to create comprehensive growth plans and consider things like sprawl, affordability, and environmental issues  as a major hindrance to building housing.

The 2021 session began Monday. Like many state Republicans, Braun disagrees with the decision to hold it mostly remotely  a move supporters say will prevent COVID-19 transmission while simultaneously providing more accessibility to residents around the state wishing to participate.

I continue to insist thats a mistake, Braun said. I dont know if people fully appreciate yet how big a deal that is. And if we have to do that  and Im not convinced we have to do it to the level being insisted upon by the majority  then there should be an obligation not to run controversial bills that the public cant weigh in on.
The Bourbon Reflection series consists of three reflection experiences, each narrated by Israel with cameos from the Beam Family's 7 th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe, along with images from Knob Creek's distillery and bourbon-making process. With no less than nine long years of time and dedication put into making its bourbon, Knob Creek knows the value of a hard day's work and recognizes the incredible effort it took so many to get through 2020 and into this new year. This series is a way to encourage those who share the bourbon's work ethic to make time to reward themselves along the way.

"After a hectic year, more than ever, we could all use a moment to take a deep breath and renew," Israel said. "I know what it means to work hard, but also know the importance of balancing that work with moments to reset and recharge. The values that Fred and his team uphold when crafting Knob Creek inspire me, as their standards and hard work reflect the same principles people are navigating as they continue to find balance in their lives."

Watch, listen, and take part as Noe and Israel take you through three reflective video experiences to reflect on the energy and effort you put in every day and prepare for the year ahead. Releasing throughout the month of January, each video focuses on a topic that is not only intrinsic to the values of Knob Creek Bourbon, but also important to its fans:

" The Value of Hard Work ," releasing today, is a five-minute reflection with questions to help guide Knob Creek fans into the mindset of finding the balance between working hard and resting as we enter the new year.

," releasing today, is a five-minute reflection with questions to help guide Knob Creek fans into the mindset of finding the balance between working hard and resting as we enter the new year. The series will continue with "Leaving a Legacy," a six-minute reflection ideal for the new year as it prompts Knob Creek fans to consider the legacy they want to leave behind instead of just working to survive the day.

The series will conclude with the launch of "Reward Yourself," a six-minute reflection using a guided relaxation technique to help Knob Creek fans reflect and reward themselves during a stressful, intense time.

"It isn't always easy to uphold the highest standards of your work," said Noe. "But through the years of crafting Knob Creek Bourbon to bring out the biggest flavor and quality possible, I've learned hard work only matters if we enjoy our lives and reward ourselves along the way. So, I hope our Bourbon Reflection video experiences provide a much-needed reward to all other hard workers right now."

Knob Creek Bourbon is patiently aged and crafted, creating a full-flavored spirit that reflects the flavor, strength, care, and patience that define pre-prohibition whiskey. The return of Knob Creek's 9-year-old age statement, along with the permanent addition of Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon and introduction of the limited-edition Knob Creek 15 Year Old Bourbon last year, bear witness to the time and effort that go into each and every bottle of Knob Creek.

The Bourbon Reflection experiences will be available on Knob Creek's IGTV at https://www.instagram.com/knobcreek/channel/ starting on January 12.

About Knob Creek Bourbon

Part of the original small batch bourbon collection from Kentucky, Knob Creek Bourbon has set the standard for super-premium bourbon for more than 25 years, crafting an extraordinary full-flavored bourbon with a rich taste. Introduced in 1992 by founding distiller Booker Noe, who pioneered the small batch bourbon movement, all Knob Creek expressions are patiently aged in new, maximum charred American Oak barrels, and bottled in unique flask-shaped packaging. No matter the expression, Knob Creek's hard-earned flavor is crafted without shortcuts, and upholds the standard of what great whiskey ought to be. In recent years, Knob Creek has expanded its rye portfolio, introducing Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye Whiskey (115 proof), Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Whiskey, a limited-edition offering (119.6 proof), and Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye (100 proof). In 2020, Knob Creek expanded its bourbon portfolio with the introduction of Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon (100 proof) and a limited-edition Knob Creek 15 Year Old Bourbon (100 proof).

About Beam Suntory

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden's and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher's, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 50-60.% Alc./Vol. 2021 Knob Creek Distillery, Clermont, KY.

SOURCE Beam Suntory Inc.

The FBI has now opened up nearly 160 cases into those involved in last week's siege at the U.S. Capitol.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin and FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono announced Tuesday that federal charges brought so far against dozens of defendants are "only the beginning."

"We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy," Sherwin said during a news conference. Some of the felonies the Justice Department is considering have prison terms of up to 20 years, he added.

Read Next: Army Will Not Screen All National Guardsmen Deploying to DC for Extremist Sympathies

The misdemeanor charges that currently apply to "the zip-tie guys ... 'the Brocks' that were arrested" will likely be elevated over the next few months as part of the extensive investigation, which will probably take years, he said.

Sherwin was referring to Larry Rendall Brock Jr., an Air Force veteran seen brandishing zip-tie handcuffs in the Senate chamber. Brock was arrested Sunday in Texas and charged with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority, along with one count of "violent entry and disorderly conduct," according to the DOJ.

Brock retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2014 as a lieutenant colonel, the service has said. While he faces civilian charges, he is unlikely to be recalled to go through the military justice system, experts say.

But should the charges against Brock be elevated to sedition or certain other serious offenses and he is convicted, he would be subject to the Hiss Act. While the provision applies mostly to lawmakers, it strips pensions or pay from federal and former federal employees convicted of some offenses. As someone who is presumably collecting military pay and benefits, the Hiss Act would apply to Brock under those circumstances, said Gary Solis, who served as a Marine judge advocate general and taught military law at West Point and Georgetown University.

"They've already got that train in motion," Solis said, referring to the DOJ handling the case instead of turning it over to the military.

As Solis and other experts told Military.com on Monday, the Uniform Code of Military Justice applies differently to different retiree groups, and calling Brock -- who left as a reservist -- back under the military's law would be difficult.

"The chances that the military would want to step in, and the chances that the government would allow them to step in, are slim to none," Solis said Tuesday.

Sherwin said the FBI is coordinating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Metro Police to find the individual or individuals who planted suspected explosive devices outside the D.C. headquarters of both the Republican and Democratic National Committees.

When asked whether those responsible for the pipe bombs could be brought up on domestic terror charges, Sherwin demurred, saying he did not like to use "this tyranny of labels."

"We have plenty of federal resources at our disposal, plenty of federal charges to address all of this conduct -- from felony murder related to the possession and use of destructive devices to seditious conspiracy," he said.

At least a handful of veterans have been identified as taking part in the riots. Lawmakers have called on the Pentagon to open investigations into whether any active-duty members might have also been present.

Kristofer Goldsmith, an Army veteran who has studied disinformation and propaganda campaigns targeted at military personnel and veterans, and has lobbied Congress to address misuse of social media platforms by criminals, terrorist groups and foreign entities, said Tuesday that he was not surprised that veterans were involved, given that they are actively recruited by extremist groups.

"The fact that this happened on a Wednesday probably saved a lot of careers," he said. "If it had happened on a weekend where people could have taken leave, I think a lot of active-duty people would have been involved."

Goldsmith said the riot at the Capitol should serve as a wake-up call to the Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs to institute classes on media awareness and provide antivirus software and credit monitoring to members and veterans. He added that social media platforms need to do more to protect users, saying he is glad that the major platforms are finally tamping down on extremists and others who use public forums to commit crime and recruit.

"I wish some of the steps they'd taken happened three years ago when I first started ringing the alarm bells about the fake Vietnam Veterans of America page on Facebook that came out of Bulgaria," he said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Related: Active-Duty Troops Who Participated in the Capitol Siege Could Face These Penalties
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Source: Reuters

Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) has withdrawn the official lockout at the two manufacturing plants in Bidadi, Karnataka. The Bengaluru-based carmaker started the second shift at both the plants from today.

Toyota, however, refused to revoke the suspension pending enquiry of 66 unionized employees it accuses of serious misconducts. Employees returning to work will sign a simple undertaking for good conduct and report to work, said TKM in a statement.

The TKM plants, which have a worker strength of 6,500, have an installed capacity of 310,000 units per year. The KTM Union claimed to have a backing of 3,500 workers.

In view of a recent meeting held between Ashwathnarayan, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka with the TKM management and having observed a gradual improvement in safety situation, we have decided to withdraw the lock-out, without any compromise to discipline and productivity, the TKM statement added.

The two plants were in a partial lockout state since November 23. TKM employed only a fraction of workers total strength to man the entire production process. The lockout which first started in the early part of November was a result of a tool-down strike called by the TKM employee union, which the TKM management had called illegal.

Following orders from the state government, TKM lifted the lockout on November 19 - which was enforced on November 10. But, four days later, lockout resumed after members of the union allegedly prevented workers from resuming duty.

On December 4, TKM began running the plants with limited capacity. The TKM management had earlier reasoned that a minimum of 90 percent of the workforce was required to plant operations smoothly failing which it was forced to go ahead with the lockout.

The strike coincided with the launch of two crucial product launches by Toyota over the last few weeks, both of which were manufactured at the two plants. The updated Innova Crysta and the facelifted Fortuner were launched by Toyota in December and January. The Innova Crysta makes up 36 percent of TKMs monthly sales.

The Yaris and Camry Hybrid are the other models manufactured by Toyota in India. Vellfire, a premium multi-seater, is a fully imported model. These three models and the Fortuner account for about 15 percent of TKMs India sales.

About 49-50 percent of its India volumes comprising Toyota Glanza and Toyota Urban Cruiser is supplied to it by Suzuki Motor Corporation and Maruti Suzuki India from their Gujarat and Haryana-based plants.
Everyone loves good, delicious food, but not just that everyone loves healthy food. Of course, you are what you eat and to remain healthy, you have to eat healthily. But you cant know which food is healthy without finding out the health benefits of the food. Today you will be learning about 10 healthy Nigerian swallows and their health benefits. Before I begin, I will briefly explain what swallows are and why they are called so (for those who dont know). Lets begin gradually.

What is a Nigerian swallow?

The truth is that many Nigerians know what a swallow is, but will find it difficult to define. I tried my best to come up with a definition, so here goes.

Swallow in Nigeria is a term used to describe starchy foods that are made into a paste and swallowed along with Nigerian soups. Swallows are usually made from grains, cereals, starchy roots and vegetables. They are mainly in the form of pastes or dumplings and are gotten from staples such as yam, plantain, cocoyam, millet, sorghum cassava and maize. It is called swallow because of the way it is eaten. You cut a small fraction (or a big fraction if you have a large throat), dip in the soup and SWALLOW! Yum.

Nigerian swallows are really delicious and are made to accompany the soup into your stomach. But just like many Nigerian celebrities, Nigerian swallow has been in a lot of controversy. A lot of people feel that such swallows are not healthy since they obviously contain too many carbohydrates and calories, but is that really true?

ALSO READ: NIGERIAN FOODS TO EAT DURING PREGNANCY

Are Nigerian swallows really healthy?

It is very easy to conclude that Nigeria swallows are unhealthy and that they will only make you put on a lot of weight since they contain carbohydrates. This is not entirely so, and I have two reasons why. First, although these foods are made up of mainly carbohydrates, they go through many process that give then added nutritive benefits. Most of these staple foods undergo fermentation and oiling that make them healthy.

Second, there are not eaten alone, they are eaten with a lot of very healthy Nigerian soups and dishes, which have they own health benefits.

So what should you do? The answer us eat in moderation. There is nothing stopping you enjoying these delicious meals, even if you are trying to lose weight, the key is moderation and discipline.

PLEASE READ:- Top 10 Healthy Nigerian Weight Loss Foods

10 Healthy Nigerian Swallows And Their Benefits

The following are some the healthy Nigerian swallows and their health benefits.

1. Eba

Eba is a very popular Nigerian swallow, it is cheap and can be easily prepared. It is made from cassava tubers, and when prepared with boiled water, it is called eba. I said a lot about the health benefits of garri in one of a recent post. Although is high in calories, it is also very rich in fiber and great food for boosting energy. Eba made with yellow garri is more nutritious than white garri because it is fried with palm oil.

2. Fufu

Fufu is another common Nigerian swallow that us very beneficial. Also known as akpu, or cassava fufu, this Nigerian staple food is high in calories and very low in cholesterol. It is rich in potassium and other minerals. Although fufu is very difficult to prepare, it is worth the effort.

3. Tuwo masara

Tuwo masara is a staple food prepared with corn flour, and mainly eaten in the northern part of Nigeria. This healthy swallow can be eaten with delicious soups such as miyar Taushe (Vegetable soup), Miyar Kuka (baoba soup), and Miyar Kubewa (Okra soup). The health benefits of this appetizing food are that it improves digestive function, reduces stomach acidity and prevents constipation.

4. Amala

Amala is another nutritious Nigerian food made with cassava and/or yam flour. When the yam is peeled, sliced and dried, it changes its colour to brown, and that makes amala look brown.

There are three types of amala, yam flour amala (amala isu), cassava flour amala (amala lafun) and Plantain flour (Amala ogede or elubo ogede). The yam flour amala is much more healthy than the other two because it has fewer calories and more protein.

Amala is high in carbohydrates and has a lot of calories.

PLEASE READ:- Top 10 Nigerian Snacks and Their Health Benefits

5. Pounded yam

Pounded yam is also called Iyan is a Nigerian staple food made with yam. It is prepared by boiling the yam, and pounding it in a mortar until it, softens and stretches like a dough. Pounded yam is highly nutritious and can be consumed with any soup.

It you are looking to put on some weight, pounded yam is the right Nigerian food for you.

6. Wheat meal

Wheat meal is a swallow prepared from wheat flour. It is widely consumed among the Nigerian populace. Wheat flour is very healthy; it contains all the essential vitamin B complex substances and is very high in potassium in phosphorus. How foes eating wheat meal benefit you? For one, it is moderate in calorie content, so you can consume it if you are looking to maintain weight. It is also a good food that enhances digestive function.

7. Plantain fufu

Plantain fufu is made from plantain, and it is a bit similar to plantain amala. It is prepared by pureeing fresh or unripe plantain into a paste or dough form. Then after allowing it to cool, you can eat with any soup.

Plantain fufu is great for the heart since it is rich potassium content. It also has a low glycemic index, which makes it great for diabetic patients. But it is high in calories and should be eaten moderately.

8. Semolina

Semolina is the coarse, purified middling of durum wheat. Durum wheat us the wheat used in making pasta and macaroni. It is another widely consumed swallow in Nigerian and is also very sweet.

Semolina is high in calories and carbohydrates. It constitutes about 47mg of Magnesium, 136 mg of

Phosphorus and 186mg of Potassium per 100g serving. This shows how highly nutritious and beneficial this food is. It can also help you gain weight.

9. Tuwo shinkafa

Another common swallow in northern Nigeria is tuwo shinkafa. Whenever you hear tuwo shinkafa, you should expect to also hear miyan kuka too, they go very well together. Tuwo shinkafa is a staple food prepared from rice flour and made into a thick pudding. It is very rich in nutrients and minerals.

10. Tuwo dawa

Tuwo dawa is prepared from millet, and it is an equally popular food in northern Nigeria. Tuwo dawa has very high B-vitamin content. It is rich in nutrients and very delicious.

So there you have it, the 10 healthy Nigerian swallows and their benefits. Forgive me if I made any mix up when describing the names or preparation methods. Keep eating healthy food, and youll look pretty good!

Thanks for reading. Please comment and share.




By Lee Gyu-lee







Actor Lee Jung-jea will make a guest appearance on the SBS TV series "Delayed Justice," according to the network, Tuesday.







The broadcaster told local news outlets that the actor will briefly appear "as a courtesy for series director Kwak Jung-hwan." He worked with the director on the JTBC series "Chief of Staff," which ran for two seasons in 2019.







In "Delayed Justice," Lee plays lawmaker Jang Tae-jun, his character from "Chief of Staff." SBS said Lee shot the episode Tuesday.







Lee was originally "in final talks" to replace actor Bae Sung-woo as the lead character of "Delayed Justice"  lawyer Park Sam-soo  after Bae was axed from the series in early December after being charged with drunk driving.







Bae was reported to have been caught driving drunk in November with a blood-alcohol level high enough to have his license revoked, police said.







The network announced that Bae had been dismissed from the show soon after the charge made the headlines.







The series, which had aired 12 of its 20-episodes run up to Bae's removal, halted production for about three weeks to edit the actor out from filmed episodes and to find a new lead for further episodes.







The role went to Jung Woo-sung when Lee concluded he could not join due to his schedule. Jung will be taking over from episode 17, which is set to air Friday.


MASON, OH / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Mercy Health - Cincinnati announces the health system will build a new, $156 million 60-bed hospital and medical office complex on a key 30-acre site along the I-71 Innovation Corridor in Mason at Kings Mills, exit 25 on I-71. Mercy Health will break ground on the 156,900 square foot facility in the third quarter of 2021 and anticipates bringing 220 new jobs to Mason in 2024 with eventual growth to 275. Construction is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2023 with Mercy Health beginning patient care shortly thereafter.

"Our leadership team identified an opportunity for serving unmet inpatient needs in Warren County while developing a strong partnership with the City of Mason," said Mercy Health - Cincinnati President Dave Fikse. "This investment aligns with our mission to promote accessible, community health, and well-being."

The new 156,900 square foot hospital, the first new hospital construction in Cincinnati since Mercy Health built West Hospital in 2014, will focus on providing emergency care and general and orthopedic surgery and offers opportunity for future campus expansion. It will include:

Emergency department

One level II cath lab

60 beds

Four operating rooms

Two procedure suites

The facility will also be home to a medical office building located adjacent to the hospital and offering specialist care, including cardiology, pulmonology, general surgery, gynecology, gastroenterology, and vascular services.

"We're very excited to welcome one of the largest health systems in the country and in the region, Mercy Health, to the City of Mason. It's a great complement to our I-71 Innovation corridor. City Council's priority is to foster a culture of wellness for our residents, and this development aligns with that commitment," said City of Mason Mayor Kathy Grossmann.

Mason City Council approved on Monday an economic participation agreement and incentive package that included a $600,000 forgivable loan and waiver of expedited permit fees, as well as a mutual commitment to exploring a collaboration around bio innovation.

"Our strategies have much in common. We are energized by the large emphasis that Bon Secours Mercy Health places on research, innovation, and engagement with early-stage companies. Mason's economic development has an ongoing track record of facilitating and adopting innovation through this model to grow the Mason BioHub. We are looking forward to having Mercy here as a partner," said Michele Blair, director of economic development for the City of Mason.

The project architect is GBBN and Danis is the construction firm.

This new Mason facility will serve the northeast region of Cincinnati and fulfills Mercy Health's Mission of extending the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of communities.

It's the latest Mercy Health development in the area, following the July 2019 opening of Mercy Health - Deerfield Medical Center, an outpatient facility with diagnostics and physician offices. Deerfield Medical Center houses primary care practices and offers cardiology, women's health services, and general surgery practices, in addition to diagnostic services on-site, including lab draws, X-ray, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, and cardio/pulmonary testing.

Mercy Health - Cincinnati will announce two new primary care practices in Mason and Maineville later this month.

Mercy Health will work with key community stakeholders to identify unmet community health needs in Warren County, such as affordable housing, workforce training, and transportation.

Mercy Health - Cincinnati is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry's quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Mercy Health - Cincinnati has been serving Greater Cincinnati for more than 160 years and provides an integrated network of leading physicians, compassionate caregivers, comprehensive services, and exceptional care at more than 180 locations across the region. The Mercy Health - Cincinnati network of care includes five award-winning hospitals, senior living communities, primary care and specialty physician practices, outpatient centers, fitness centers, and a variety of outreach programs. Mercy Health - Cincinnati hospitals have earned national Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals honors more than all other Cincinnati hospitals combined, placing them among the best hospitals in the nation. Truven has also named Mercy Health - Cincinnati as one of the nation's Top 15 health systems six times, which is more than any other health system in Cincinnati. Consistent with its commitment to serve each patient with dignity, Bon Secours Mercy Health provides nearly $2 million per day in community benefit. The mission of Bon Secours Mercy Health is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of its communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying, and underserved. To learn more visit, mercy.com.

About the City of Mason, Ohio - As the largest city in Warren County and part of the Greater Cincinnati region in southwest Ohio, Mason, is nationally recognized for its low cost of living, award-winning schools, and intentional culture of wellness. Mason has a strong small business community and is an established hub for bioscience innovation, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and technology companies. Mason's economic development mission is focused on attracting and supporting the growth of top companies and creating jobs in these sectors while also leveraging partnerships to attract foreign direct investment. For more information about the City of Mason, visit www.whymason.com or www.imaginemason.org.

CONTACT:

Nanette Bentley

Mercy Health

513-827-7338

nbentley@mercy.com

Mimi Rasor

City of Mason

513-910-8385

mimi@gorasor.com

SOURCE: City of Mason

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623974/Mercy-Health--Cincinnati-and-the-City-of-Mason-Announce-the-Construction-of-a-New-Hospital-Campus-to-Serve-Mason-and-Warren-County
Kate Ritchie is celebrating the small things in life.

The former Home and Away star shared a photo to Instagram on Monday of herself getting a hug from her six-year-old daughter, Mae.

The 42-year-old posted the selfie while soaking up the sun in the backyard of her home in Burradoo, in the NSW Southern Highlands.

Cuddles: Former Home and Away star Kate Ritchie shared this photo to Instagram on Monday of herself getting a hug from her six-year-old daughter, Mae

Mae hugged her mother from behind as the Nova radio presenter cradled her head.

Kate, who wore a pair of oversized sunglasses, wrote in the caption: '#nofilter and hate to be that person but just #grateful.'

The brunette's gratitude post comes after unconfirmed reports her marriage to retired rugby league player Stuart Webb is in trouble.

Grateful: The Nova FM radio host's gratitude post comes after unconfirmed reports her marriage to retired rugby league player Stuart Webb is in trouble

New Idea alleged in April that Kate and Stuart had been attending 'counselling' to resolve their marital issues.

'Stuart has been trying to show Kate that he's a changed man and is serious about getting his life in order,' a friend told the magazine.

Kate reportedly moved out of their marital home in Randwick in late 2019 after police took out an interim AVO on her behalf against the retired NRL star, following an incident at the property.

Trouble in paradise? Kate reportedly moved out of their marital home in Randwick in late 2019 after police took out an interim AVO on her behalf against the retired NRL star, following an incident at the property. Pictured together on September 15, 2011, in Sydney

In December 2019, Stuart's five-time drink driving history was revealed in a police fact sheet, as he faced court for blowing 0.083 when he was pulled over by highway patrolmen in the city's east in March of that year.

The couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Launceston, Tasmania, in 2010.

Kate and Stuart welcomed their daughter, Mae, in August, 2014.
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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Lithium Royalty Corp "LRC" is pleased to announce that it has closed on US $70,669,843 of additional capital. As part of this raise, the Company is excited to welcome Riverstone Holdings LLC as a strategic investor in the Company. Riverstone Holdings LLC is a New York-based leading private markets asset management firm dedicated to real assets investing primarily in energy, power and infrastructure. Altius Minerals Corporation (TSX:ALS), a founding strategic investor in LRC, has made an additional investment in the Company. Altius Minerals Corporation is a St. John's-based diversified materials royalty investor, renewable power royalty investor and project generator.

Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd, a Toronto-based absolute return investment manager with over CAD $2.4 billion in assets under management across market neutral, equity long short, long short ESG, income, thematic and specialty private equity strategies, is the founding shareholder and investment manager of Lithium Royalty Corp.

Lithium Royalty Corp, under the leadership of Ernie Ortiz, continues to see attractive investment opportunities and plans to build on its current portfolio of irreplaceable energy transition materials royalties which provide direct exposure to the Electric Vehicle and Renewable Power Storage mega-trends. LRC looks forward to deploying these new funds towards additional battery-grade lithium projects of the highest quality and lowest cost globally and will selectively invest in other high-grade battery material royalties, which, like lithium, are key to current and future battery technology chemistries.

In connection with the closing of this capital raise, we are excited to announce new members to the Board of LRC. The LRC Board will now be comprised of the following members:

Blair Levinsky, Executive Co-Chair - Blair is a Co-Founder, President and CEO of Waratah. Waratah Advisors is an absolute return investment manager with over CAD $2.4 billion assets under management across market neutral, equity long short, long short ESG, income, thematic, and specialty private equity strategies.

Mark Wellings, Executive Co-Chair - Mark has over 30 years of international experience in both the mining industry and mining finance sector. Mark is Co-Executive Chairman of LRC. He previously served as Managing Director of Investment Banking at GMP Securities L.P. for over 18 years, where he co-founded the firms mining practice and was responsible for and advised on some of the Canadian mining industry's largest transactions. Mark is a Professional Engineer and holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Geological Engineering. Mark also serves as a director on the boards of various public companies including Superior Gold Corp., Adventus Mining Corporation and Contact Gold Corp.

Mark Raguz - Mark manages the royalty portfolio at Altius Minerals Corporation (TSX: ALS) where he has led initiatives to originate new development and production stage royalty investment opportunities. Mark has worked closely with LRC's investment committee since LRC's inception in 2018. Prior to his current role, he was Vice President, Investment Banking at several leading full-service boutique investment dealers. He was previously a mining and metals analyst in both buy-side and sell-side research. He has served as a director of various TSX Venture listed companies. Mr. Raguz holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program at the University of Toronto.

Constantine Karayannopoulos - Constantine is President and Chief Executive Officer of NeoPerformance Materials. Mr. Karayannopoulos has worked in senior executive positions at Neo and its predecessor companies for more than 20 years, including as Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Neo Material Technologies ("NEM") from 2005 until NEM was acquired in June 2012 for US $1.3 billion. Mr. Karayannopoulos also serves as Chairman of the Board of Neo Lithium Corp., a position he has held since February 9, 2016.

Robert Tichio - Robert joined Riverstone in 2006, is focused on the firm's expanding efforts in ESG and Sustainability investment platforms and has led many of Riverstone's investments in the exploration and production sector in the Private Equity business. Prior to joining Riverstone, Mr. Tichio was in the Principal Investment Area (PIA) of Goldman Sachs, which manages the firm's private corporate equity investments. Mr. Tichio began his career at J.P. Morgan in the Mergers & Acquisition group, where he concentrated on assignments that included public company combinations, asset sales, takeover defenses, and leveraged buyouts.

Jason Landau - Jason is an Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Waratah Capital Advisors. Jason joined Waratah Capital Advisors in 2010. Jason is the Lead Portfolio Manager on the Waratah Alternative ESG fund and Co-Portfolio Manager on the firm's market-neutral strategies: Waratah One and Waratah One X. Jason also leads the investment team and is a member of the firm's Executive Committee.

Jeannine Li Chong - Jeannine is an Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Waratah Capital Advisors. Jeannine joined Waratah Capital Advisors in 2018 after a successful 22-year career at a Canadian money manager. Jeannine is a Portfolio Manager for the Waratah Income Fund and is on the Summerhill Resorts Ltd. Investment Committee. She is also a member of the firm's Executive Committee.

And Special Advisor to the Board, Matt Juneau - Matt currently serves on the Chemicals Advisory Board of Arsenal Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm focused on chemicals and healthcare, and as Senior Advisor to Lithium Royalty Corporation. Matt retired from Albemarle Corporation in March 2018 after 35 years with the company. He served as EVP, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, from 2015 until his retirement. Prior to his last role with Albemarle, Matt served in numerous business and sales leadership roles, including President, Performance Chemicals, a US $1.2 billion business unit from 2012 to early 2015.

Ernie Ortiz is President and Managing Director of LRC, a position he has held since 2018. Prior to joining LRC in 2018 he was is an investment analyst at a US based equity fund where he specialized in lithium, battery materials and specialty chemicals. He was previously at Credit Suisse where he was the lead associate in the Basic Materials group based in New York. In that role, he led the research and due diligence on lithium, which called for the imbalance between supply and demand the market faced in 2016/2017. Ernie sits on the London Metal Exchange (LME) Lithium Advisory Committee and has been quoted in Reuters and the Wall Street Journal for comments on the lithium market. Ernie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and holds the CFA designation.

About Lithium Royalty Corp

Lithium Royalty Corp is a global investor in high-grade, low-production-cost, ultra-pure battery-grade energy transition materials which give it direct exposure to the Electric Vehicle and Renewable Power Storage mega trends. LRC is dedicated to its role in assisting global decarbonization through its investing activities and integrates ESG criteria into its investment process. LRC is a UNPRI signatory.

For more information, please email Ernie Ortiz at ernie.ortiz@lithiumroyaltycorp.com and or visit www.lithiumroyaltycorp.com.

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SOURCE: Lithium Royalty Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623925/Lithium-Royalty-Corp-Announces-Additional-Capital-Raise-and-Strategic-Investors

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The Yankees and free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu are engaged in a very expensive game of chicken. And it could end up costing New York big bucks, according to ESPNs Jeff Passan:

Whatever the fuel behind the Yankees decision-making, every day that goes by, theyre daring LeMahieu to leave. He could take the Toronto Blue Jays money, which hasnt been very popular even though it spends the same, or go jewelry-chasing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who wont pay him what he wants but have a 24-karat gold, diamond-encrusted sales pitch. And every day, their bluff hasnt been called. The danger for the Yankees comes if, as some expect, Springer signs first -- and its not with Toronto. ... LeMahieus leverage only stands to grow as his peers atop the board (George Springer and J.T. Realmuto) exit the market and leave him the belle of the ball. The Yankees have gone more than two months with him atop their priority list and no priority treatment offered. Soon enough, someone is bound to budge.

Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

On Monday, MLB Network Radio analyst and former MLB GM Jim Duquette said that right now, Toronto would be, in my opinion, a real threat to the Yankees re-signing LeMahieu.

Talks between the Yankees and LeMahieu are not making progress, MLB Networks Jon Heyman reported Monday, opening the door for the Los Angeles Dodgers as well.

As mentioned on @MLBNetwork the Yankees will go 4 years for DJ LeMahieu. Theres still a $ gap, however; it appears theres still a standoff with all the very top free agents. Dodgers, Jays, Mets among others interested but itll still be a surprise if DJ leaves. ... Dodgers are interested in DJ LeMahieu but their first 3B choice remains their own Justin Turner. As with other top free agents, quite a gap remains. Turner reportedly seeks 4 years (via @latimessports ); Dodgers so far prefer 2.

Heymans reporting came one day after Yahoo Sports Tim Brown reported LeMahieu has become dismayed by the slow-play tactics of the Yankees, along with other clubs.

Teams that have engaged with the LeMahieu camp say LeMahieu expects more than Josh Donaldsons four-year, $92 million deal with the Minnesota Twins and at least on par with J.D. Martinezs five years and $110 million with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees, LeMahieus preferred club after two successful seasons in the Bronx, have not met those terms. The 32-year-old LeMahieu has, therefore, asked his representatives to re-engage with teams that have previously shown the most interest, the source said, among them the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, and to reconnect with teams that reached out early in the free agent period, including the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and others.

LeMahieu, who finished third in voting for the American League MVP Award, led the majors with a .364 batting average in 2020. That made him the first person in the modern era to win batting titles in both leagues. LeMahieu led the National League with a .348 batting average for the Colorado Rockies in 2016.

Get Yankees text messages: Cut through the clutter of social media and text during games with beat writers and columnists. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now.

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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
When you think of states calling in the National Guard, you might imagine rescuing people from floods or providing emergency relief. But this summer, Washington state had to call in 54 National Guard troops to help them investigate cybercriminals who targeted the states COVID-19 relief funds.

Washington wasnt the only state to suffer, either  the problem is widespread and ongoing, affecting almost every state in the nation.

Congress recently approved an 11-week extension of $300 unemployment benefits to all jobless people as well as self-employed workers and gig workers generally ineligible for state unemployment insurance.

The package also funds the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation that pays extra weeks of benefits to individuals whove exhausted their state benefits.

The problem is whats not in the bill, which are funds to help states fix the wildly outdated systems that distribute that relief.

That means some deserving people will get nothing for weeks while states will have no way to stop fraud by cybercriminals, forcing states to continue to spend money and resources to investigate these claims.

Typically, unemployment fraud investigations make up about 10 percent of the U.S. Labor Departments workload. Now it sits at 50 percent. In addition to this stolen money, states are having to spend millions to investigate the crimes.

The U.S. Department of Labor gave the Maryland labor department $2.43 million in September to painstakingly investigate each claim.

The Secret Service says most of this is connected to a Nigerian organized crime ring called Scattered Canary that conducted a coordinated unemployment fraud campaign.

State unemployment officials say that they didnt have systems in place to quickly identify fraud and that the crime ring was collecting money for up to two months before it was detected.

Even now, when they know the extent of the fraud, they have no way to stop it, so they are spinning their wheels as criminals continue to steal money unchecked. The government predicts that $26 billion in COVID relief alone eventually could be stolen.

The only way to stop this theft is to improve the technology used to certify unemployment claims. Both New York and Connecticuts unemployment systems are more than 40 years old.

Its this outdated technology that has caused delays in payments to people who need it the most during the pandemic.

Requirements vary by state, but the way many unemployment claims work online is people are asked to provide personal information such as name, Social Security number, address, etc.

The issue is that large amounts of this personal data are available for purchase on the dark web, making it relatively easy to file a fraudulent claim on behalf of someone else.

To stop this fraud, we need greater safeguards to ensure that the person filing a claim matches the identity of the person on record. Identity verification tools are already being deployed by some state unemployment agencies, such as in Oklahoma, which rolled out its program recently.

States using identity verification require that a person use their phone to upload images of their ID (e.g. a drivers license or passport) and then take a selfie to ensure that the image on the ID matches both the selfie and also matches their photo on file at the DMV.

The verification system can confirm not only that the information matches but also that the selfie is of a live person and not an image, a mask or a deep fake.

The whole process only takes a couple of minutes for the user but can drastically reduce fraudulent claims while accelerating the processing of legitimate claims.

While we are glad to see that Congress has provided COVID-19 relief and economic relief to a country that is hurting during the pandemic, its clear that this is an oversight that will cost us all millions and cause additional hardship to people who are most vulnerable right now.

Congress should act quickly to fix the problem by funding the long overdue upgrade to state systems.

Matthew Thompson is senior vice president of Civil Identity at Idemia, an international technology company, and a member of the executive committee for Identity & Security Business in North America. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

US-based firm 3Lines on Tuesday said it has appointed Lalit Jalan as chairman of Indian operations.

Before joining this, Jalan was the Chief Executive Officer of Ltd, 3Lines said in a statement.

For 3Lines to achieve its vision of being a Venture Capital firm with USD 1 billion asset under management in this decade, nothing can be a better time than this for Lalit to lead and build 3Lines India as its Chairman'', said Krishna Kunapuli, Founder of 3Lines Venture Capital.

The four-year-old firm based out of Denver, Colorado, invests in AI-enabled and disruptive software technology-based startup

(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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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged on January 12 that Al-Qaeda has established a new home base in Iran.

With just eight days left in office for U.S. President Donald Trump, Pompeo alleged that Iran has given support to Al-Qaeda and safe haven to its leaders, despite some skepticism within the intelligence community and Congress. He did not provide hard evidence to back up his claims.

The New York Times reported in November 2020 that Al-Qaeda's Abu Muhammad al-Masri, accused of helping to mastermind the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa, was shot dead by Israeli operatives in Iran. Iran denied the report, saying there were no Al-Qaeda militants on its soil.

Pompeo told a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington that he was announcing publicly for the first time that al-Masri died on August 7 last year.

Pompeo said his presence in Iran was no surprise, and added: "Al-Masris presence inside Iran points to the reason that we're here today.... Al-Qaeda has a new home base: it is the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Pompeo has accused Iran of links to Al-Qaeda in the past but has not provided concrete evidence.

Shi'ite Iran and Al-Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim group, have long been sectarian foes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed Pompeo's accusations as "warmongering lies."

Throughout the Trump administration, Iran has been a target, and Pompeo has sought to further ratchet up pressure on Iran in recent weeks with more sanctions.

Advisers to President-elect Joe Biden believe Trump is trying to make it more difficult for the incoming administration to reengage with Iran and seek to rejoin a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers that Washington abandoned in 2018.

Pompeo said he was imposing sanctions on Iran-based Al-Qaeda leaders and three leaders of Al-Qaeda Kurdish battalions.

He also announced a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to the location or identification of Iran-based Al-Qaeda leader Muhammad Abbatay -- also known as Abd al-Rahman al-Maghrebi.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
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In Twitter Permanently Bans Trump, Capping Online Revolt, Kate Conger and Mike Isaac write:

Twitter said on Friday that it had permanently banned President Trump from its service due to the risk of further incitement of violence, effectively cutting him off from his favorite megaphone for reaching the public and capping a series of actions by mainstream sites to limit his online reach.

Twitter said in a blog post that Mr. Trumps personal @realDonaldTrump account, which has more than 88 million followers, would be shut down immediately. The company said two tweets that Mr. Trump had posted on Friday  one calling his supporters patriots and another saying he would not go to the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20  violated its rules against glorifying violence.

The tweets were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Twitter said, referring to the storming of the Capitol by a mob of Trump loyalists.

Within minutes, Mr. Trumps account on Twitter was no longer accessible. His posts were replaced with a label: Account suspended.

Mr. Trump tried to evade the ban late Friday by using the @POTUS Twitter account, which belongs to sitting U.S. presidents, as well as other accounts to lash out at the company. But almost all of his messages were immediately removed by Twitter. The company forbids users to try avoiding a suspension with secondary accounts.

The moves were a forceful repudiation by Twitter of Mr. Trump, who had used the platform to build his base and spread his messages, which were often filled with falsehoods and threats. Mr. Trump regularly tweeted dozens of times a day, sending flurries of messages in the early morning or late evening. In his posts, he gave his live reactions to television news programs, boosted supporters and attacked his perceived enemies.

Twitters permanent suspension of Trumps Twitter account is long overdue, said Shannon McGregor, a senior researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is the key de-platforming for Trump. The inability to tweet cuts off his direct access to the press  and, by extension, the public.

In a statement late Friday, Mr. Trump said Twitter was trying to silence him. He said he was negotiating with other sites and promised a big announcement soon, adding that he was looking at building our own platform.

Twitter is not about FREE SPEECH, Mr. Trump said. They are all about promoting a Radical Left platform where some of the most vicious people in the world are allowed to speak freely.

A day earlier, Facebook had barred Mr. Trump for the rest of his term, and other digital platforms  including Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch and Reddit  also recently limited Mr. Trump on their services.

The actions were a stark illustration of the power of the social media companies and how they could act almost unilaterally when they chose. For years, Twitter, Facebook and other platforms had positioned themselves as defenders of free speech and had said the posts of world leaders like Mr. Trump should be allowed because they were newsworthy. The companies had rejected touching his account, even after they were assailed for allowing misinformation and falsehoods to flow.
For the second consecutive month, Boeing Co. delivered no 787 Dreamliners as inspections for defects continue to delay when the planes can be handed over to customers.

The 787, which by March will be assembled only at the North Charleston plant, has been plagued by a production issue that has caused slight variances where parts of the fuselage are joined.

While Boeing has said the flaws aren't an immediate safety issue, it determined it was necessary to inspect the jets and ask suppliers of the fuselage parts to do the same.

The process is taking longer than expected, finance chief Greg Smith said last month when he cautioned that delays that resulted in a zero-delivery month for the 787 program in November would continue into December.

Despite the delays they have caused, Smith said in a statement Tuesday that the inspections represent a "focus on safety, quality and transparency," and Boeing feels "confident" it is taking the right steps for its customers and the "long-term health of the program."

"As we continue navigating through the pandemic, we're working closely with our global customers and monitoring the slow international traffic recovery to align supply with market demand across our widebody programs," Smith said.

Overall, delays for the 787 program, combined with the continued grounding of the 737 Max for much of the year and complications from the COVID-19 health crisis, drove deliveries for 2020 down about 60 percent from 2019's total. The company handed over 157 planes for the year.

Boeing delivered 39 aircraft to customers in December, the highest monthly total for 2020.

Of those, 27 were the Max model that was cleared by federal regulators to fly in November after being grounded for 20 months following a pair of deadly crashes. American Airlines received the largest number, 10, followed by United with eight.

Another 11 widebodies were given to customers, most of them freighter models.

The Max also accounted for the majority of Boeing's 90 new aircraft orders last month. Irish budget-carrier RyanAir had announced in early December that it would get 75 new 737 Max jets, the largest order since the March 2019 grounding.

Another seven Max jets were sold to unidentified customers. The remaining eight aircraft were 777 freighters ordered by shipping firm DHL Express.

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New orders were offset by 107 cancellations in December, all for Max jets except for two debookings logged for the 787.

The Dreamliner  the only Boeing jet built in South Carolina and soon to be the only Boeing commercial plane to be assembled outside of Washington state  hasn't logged any new orders since March. Last year, customers ordered 29 787s, compared to 113 in 2019 and 136 in 2018.

Deliveries, too, were well below the previous year's total. During all of 2020, 53 of the jets were handed over to customers, roughly a third of the 158 delivered the previous year.

The Dreamliner accounted for about 18 percent of total aircraft deliveries across the company in 2020. In 2019, the 787 made up a substantially larger share of total deliveries, almost 42 percent.

When Boeing consolidates the Dreamliner program in South Carolina in March  several months earlier than the company had initially said it would be making the move  inspections and rework will continue on the completed 787 jets at Boeing's widebody factory in Everett, Wash.

That site has split final assembly work for the 787 program with the South Carolina plant, but Boeing made the call in the fall to consolidate production in one location, citing cost savings and logistical benefits.

Since Everett won't build more 787s after next month, that could free up space to more quickly move through the inspection and rework processes at that site.

Workers in Everett will continue to review and repair the Dreamliners that were assembled at their plant until all of them have been handed over to customers, Boeing has said.

In North Charleston, Boeing workers will be both inspecting completed jets and assembling new aircraft, but they will be doing that at a much slower rate. The jets are going to be rolled out at a pace of five per month, meaning the site will be making two fewer aircraft per month, on average, than it was when the 787 assembly was split with Everett and production for the program was at its peak.

That monthly rate has been adjusted downward several times in the last year as the pandemic drove down demand for new aircraft. Since the 787 is favored for long-haul international travel, the lag in the return of overseas flights continues to affect the program's recovery.

Boeing expects to unwind its large inventory of completed 787s throughout this year. An expected improvement in cash flow for Boeing in 2021 will be "driven mainly by deliveries and inventory burn down associated with the 737 and 787 programs," finance chief Smith said during Boeing's last earnings call in October.

The company will report its full-year earnings and update investors on Jan. 27.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Members of new House of Representatives elected by majority of votes Judge Hanafy Ali El-Gebaly, 71, to be the Speaker of the House during its opening session on Tuesday.

El-Gebaly, the former head of the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC), won the vote over three other candidates, Mohamed Salah Abu Hemela, Ahmed Abdel-Hakim Youssef, and Mohamed Madina.

Also, MPs elected Mohamed Aboul-Enein and Ahmed Saad Eddine as deputies to the speaker.

El-Gebaly had won a seat in the parliamentary elections held late last year as an independent member in the National Unified Coalition led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party, which swept the majority of the parliament lower house.

Hanafy El-Gebaly was born in 1949 in Cairo. He has previously served as the head of the SCC between 2018 and 2019.

During his tenure at the SCC, the court voided all previous court orders regarding a controversial maritime border demarcation deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia that was signed in 2016.

The maritime demarcation deal, which included handing the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, was implemented based on the Supreme Courts ruling.

El-Gebaly also served as the secretary-general for the Union of Arab Constitutional Courts between 2011 and 2018.

He graduated from the faculty of Law at Cairo University in 1975, and earned his Master's and Doctorate degrees in law from Ain Shams University.

El-Gebaly was appointed as a deputy to the prosecutor-general in 1978.

He later joined the State Council, where he was promoted to deputy judge.

Short link:


San Antonios coronavirus hospitalizations continued on a frightening upward trajectory Monday, as officials reported a record number of pandemic patients for the seventh straight day.

People infected with the virus accounted for 36.6 percent of all hospital patients. in Bexar County. Of the 1,433 people hospitalized,142 had been admitted within the past day; 392 were critically ill and 229 were breathing with the support of a ventilator.

Coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled in the past month and climbed by 174 patients in the past week, as admissions have outpaced discharges. Across Texas, nearly 14,000 COVID patients were hospitalized as of Monday.

On ExpressNews.com: FAQ: When and where Texans can get the COVID vaccine

This surge, which got underway in late November, is placing far more stress on hospitals than the citys last major coronavirus spike, when 1,267 patients were receiving medical care at most.

The breadth of the crisis threatens to overwhelm the local health care system, which is caring for patients with the help of sbout 1,300 state-contracted medical workers. An additional 300 personnel have been requested to assist San Antonios hospitals, officials said.

Modeling indicates that the areas outbreak could plateau toward the end of the month and start to abate sometime in February, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during the daily coronavirus briefing.

The velocity of this virus is extremely dangerous right now, he said.

At the moment, there are few signs that San Antonios outbreak is improving.

Officials reported 1,585 new cases Monday and a rolling seven-day average of 1,769 cases per day, the highest it has ever been. The case rate also jumped dramatically in the past week, from 64.8 to 84.6 cases per 100,000 residents.

On ExpressNews.com: Tracking COVID-19 - coronavirus by the numbers in San Antonio and across the country

New infections have been reported among nearly 18,000 residents since the start of the new year, raising Bexar Countys cumulative case count over the duration of the pandemic to 135,104.

San Antonio has logged a record number of new cases in recent days. On Sunday, more than 3,000 infections were reported  an all-time high  and there were two other days last week where new cases exceeded 2,000.

The positivity rate, which measures the portion of infections being captured through testing, dropped 3.5 percentage points, to 19.7 percent. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff noted that the rate is far lower than other major cities in Texas, including Dallas and Houston.

However, the rate can be lowered by increased testing, and a record number of people  nearly 60,000 residents  were tested last week.

Even though our positivity rate is down, its finding a lot more virus, a lot more infected individuals out there, Nirenberg said. Which is good that were finding them, but there is still a tremendous amount of transmission out there. A one-week decrease in the positivity rate is not something that we can get excited or begin to relax about.

With the virus posing a high risk, San Antonio has begun ramping up its effort to inoculate vulnerable residents against the virus.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

On Monday, the city opened a mass vaccination site at the Alamodome. Vaccines are also being offered by University Health at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall and at two WellMed clinics on the South Side. Wolff said the city has the ability to vaccinate about 4,500 people a day across the four sites.

I know its difficult now. I know its a hassle to try to sign up, Wolff said, acknowledging the 9,000 slots at the Alamodome that filled within minutes on Saturday. But it will get better, and I think were doing much better in offering these opportunities.

More relief is also on the way to businesses through the latest federal stimulus bill. Nirenberg said small businesses can begin applying this week for additional forgivable loans under the the Paycheck Protection Program.

One new COVID death was reported in Bexar County on Monday  that of a woman in her 80s, who was a resident of Ventura Hills assisted living facility. Since March, at least 1,649 residents have succumbed to the virus.

Texas crossed grim milestone over the weekend, recording its 30,000th death from COVID-19, according to a Hearst Newspapers analysis, making it the second state in the country to do so. In the last week, an average of 279 people died each day in Texas from the virus, the highest mark since early August.

During the briefing, Wolffs voice grew thick with emotion as he described the death of a close friend from COVID the previous night. The mans wife was frustrated that she was unable to be with him at the hospital, Wolff said.

You cant say goodbye, because you cant go to the hospital.  So, you die alone, he said. Its just a terrible, terrible way to get by, without your loved ones being able to say goodbye.

lcaruba@express-news.net
These are both good plans, board member Lisa Warren said. I do have a preference for (Plan A) because it moves less kids and still meets the goals, we set out at the beginning of this. I think the capacity numbers are such that we can feel comfortable this will work for the foreseeable future.
Tesla is looking to appoint a director to head up local vehicle design operations in China, according to local reports citing industry insiders.

The US EV manufacturer reportedly plans to open a "full-function" design studio in the country, in either Shanghai or Beijing, to develop vehicles closely tailored to the Chinese market.

The automaker's human resources managers, along with several headhunting firms, are said to have been searching for a suitable candidate for the job for the last four months, with the company's global design chief Franz von Holzhausen having already carried out several interviews.

The company is said to be looking for a "bicultural" candidate, with more than 20 years' experience in this field, who is familiar with Chinese tastes and will "bridge the gaps" between China and the US.

Tesla is estimated to have sold around 135,000 to 140,000 vehicles in China last year, accounting for around 10% of the local NEV market.

The company launched local production of the Model 3 at its new Shanghai gigafactory at the end of 2019 and plans to add the Model Y battery-powered SUV to its local line-up this month at a significant discount to the imported model.

The country's top military leaders have taken the unprecedented step of calling out last week's storming of the U.S. Capitol as inconsistent with the U.S. rule of law and a direct assault on the American way of life.

In a one-page memo to all U.S. troops, the eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the entire military force that President-elect Joe Biden will be their next commander in chief. All service members, they added, "must embody the values and ideals of the nation."

Read the entire letter here

"The violent riot in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process," the general and flag officers said. "We mourn the deaths of the two Capitol policemen and others connected to these unprecedented events.

"We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law. The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection."

Read Next: Active-Duty Troops Who Participated in the Capitol Siege Could Face These Penalties

It was signed by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley; Vice Chairman Air Force Gen. John Hyten; Army Chief of Staff James McConville; Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown; Space Force Chief of Operations Gen. John Raymond; and National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson.

The letter is noteworthy for an institution that remains vehemently apolitical, serving commanders in chief and civilian defense secretaries from both parties -- and putting the U.S. Constitution above any loyalties.

Gilday, the Navy's top admiral, released a similar message to sailors Tuesday.

The memo follows news of several military veterans being at the scene last week, when Trump supporters violently pushed their way into the Capitol, leaving several dead, including U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who previously served in the Air National Guard. Another Capitol Police officer died by suicide days later.

Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter who followed conspiracy theories about the election being stolen by the Democrats, was shot and killed by police inside the Capitol.

At least two veterans have also been arrested for their involvement. Retired Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Larry Rendall Brock Jr., seen brandishing zip-tie handcuffs during the siege, was arrested Sunday in Texas and charged with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority. Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, a Navy veteran who also goes by Jake Angeli, was arrested Saturday and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority.

The Joint Chiefs said the U.S. military supports and defends the Constitution -- and the American people trust them to do so.

"Any act to disrupt the Constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values, and oath; it is against the law," the memo states.

The top generals and admirals told service members -- both deployed and at home -- to stay ready, keep their eyes on the horizon, and remain focused on the mission.

"We honor your continued service in defense of every American," the memo ends.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Related: Four-Star AFRICOM Commander Reassures Troops After Siege at US Capitol
[January 12, 2021] Knob Creek Partners with Reflection Expert Jesse Israel to Give Fans a Hard-Earned Moment to Reflect and Renew in the New Year

CLERMONT, Ky., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Knob Creek Bourbon, a leader in the small batch bourbon category for more than 25 years, is teaming up with Jesse Israel, reflection expert and founder of The Big Quiet, to help fans of its bourbon take some well-deserved time to reset, especially after the demands and challenges faced in recent months. Knob Creek is introducing Bourbon Reflection, a IGTV video series encouraging people to sit back, reflect and renew for the year ahead. The Bourbon Reflection series consists of three reflection experiences, each narrated by Israel with cameos from the Beam Family's 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe, along with images from Knob Creek's distillery and bourbon-making process. With no less than nine long years of time and dedication put into making its bourbon, Knob Creek knows the value of a hard day's work and recognizes the incredible effort it took so many to get through 2020 and into this new year. This series is a way to encourage those who share the bourbon's work ethic to make time to reward themselves along the way. "After a hectic year, more than ever, we could all use a moment to take a deep breath and renew," Israel said. "I know what it means to work hard, but also know the importance of balancing that work with moments to reset and recharge. The values that Fred and his team uphold when crafting Knob Creek inspire me, as their standards and hard work reflect the same principles people are navigating as they continue to find balance in their lives." Watch, listen, and take part as Noe and Israel take you through three reflective video experiences to reflect on the energy and effort you put in every day and prepare for the year ahead. Releasing throughout the month of January, each video focuses on a topic that is not only intrinsic to the values of Knob Creek Bourbon, but also important to its fans: " The Value of Hard Work ," releasing today, is a five-minute reflection with questions to help guide Knob Creek fans into the mindset of finding the balance between working hard and resting as we ente the new year.

," releasing today, is a five-minute reflection with questions to help guide Knob Creek fans into the mindset of finding the balance between working hard and resting as we ente the new year. The series will continue with "Leaving a Legacy," a six-minute reflection ideal for the new year as it prompts Knob Creek fans to consider the legacy they want to leave behind instead of just working to survive the day.

The series will conclude with the launch of "Reward Yourself," a six-minute reflection using a guided relaxation technique to help Knob Creek fans reflect and reward themselves during a stressful, intense time.



Knob Creek Bourbon is patiently aged and crafted, creating a full-flavored spirit that reflects the flavor, strength, care, and patience that define pre-prohibition whiskey. The return of Knob Creek's 9-year-old age statement, along with the permanent addition of Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon and introduction of the limited-edition Knob Creek 15 Year Old Bourbon last year, bear witness to the time and effort that go into each and every bottle of Knob Creek.

The Bourbon Reflection experiences will be available on Knob Creek's IGTV at https://www.instagram.com/knobcreek/channel/ starting on January 12. About Knob Creek Bourbon Part of the original small batch bourbon collection from Kentucky, Knob Creek Bourbon has set the standard for super-premium bourbon for more than 25 years, crafting an extraordinary full-flavored bourbon with a rich taste. Introduced in 1992 by founding distiller Booker Noe, who pioneered the small batch bourbon movement, all Knob Creek expressions are patiently aged in new, maximum charred American Oak barrels, and bottled in unique flask-shaped packaging. No matter the expression, Knob Creek's hard-earned flavor is crafted without shortcuts, and upholds the standard of what great whiskey ought to be. In recent years, Knob Creek has expanded its rye portfolio, introducing Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye Whiskey (115 proof), Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Whiskey, a limited-edition offering (119.6 proof), and Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye (100 proof). In 2020, Knob Creek expanded its bourbon portfolio with the introduction of Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon (100 proof) and a limited-edition Knob Creek 15 Year Old Bourbon (100 proof). About Beam Suntory

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden's and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher's, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails. Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com. Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 50-60.% Alc./Vol. 2021 Knob Creek Distillery, Clermont, KY. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/knob-creek-partners-with-reflection-expert-jesse-israel-to-give-fans-a-hard-earned-moment-to-reflect-and-renew-in-the-new-year-301206638.html SOURCE Beam Suntory Inc.

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Workers will soon learn whether they will be able to return to CBD offices next week, as the Victorian government faces pressure to get public sector staff back to their desks faster than planned.

Up to 50 per cent of private sector staff and 25 per cent of public sector employees were due to return to their workplaces this week, but the schedule was delayed by a week as a result of the Black Rock cluster.

Angelique is looking forward to permanently returning to the office full-time. Credit:Joe Armao

Jobs Minister Martin Pakula said on Tuesday an announcement on the updated plans would be made within days.

"A decision will be made in a timely way and I would hope that's within the next 24 to 48 hours," he said.
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Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (OTCQB: GZDIF) (FSE: G6H) ("Grizzly" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Geotech Ltd. has commenced an approximately 400 line-km VTEM (Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic) and magnetic survey over its 100% owned, road accessible Robocop Property in Southeast British Columbia (the "Property"), near the hamlets of Grasmere and Roosville. The helicopter-borne VTEM survey will be flown at 100 metre line-spacing and will provide the first property-wide, high-resolution geophysical image of the Property.

The VTEM dataset will help to better define the geological model of the Property and to target conductive portions of the assemblage, both stratigraphic and vertical structural anomalies, particularly those that might be associated with sulphide minerals. The survey will be the first of many modern exploration techniques that will be used to explore and develop the Robocop Project.

The Property has yielded significant historical cobalt (Co), copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) results and presents an opportunity to discover battery and electrification metals as the world shifts to electric vehicles, sustainable practices and greener alternatives. The property is hosted within a similar geological setting to the Idaho Cobalt-Copper belt where conductivity (EM) and magnetic surveying techniques have been used previously to successfully guide drilling of prospective targets and assist in making new discoveries.

Grizzly anticipates being able to use data from the survey to gather a better understanding of the geology of the Project and to identify targets for further characterization and investigation later in 2021, leading to a planned summer 2021 drilling campaign.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE ROBOCOP PROPERTY

The Robocop Project is comprised of 6,850 acres (2,770 ha) in five mineral claims that are all road accessible, just off Provincial Highway 93 in southeast B.C.





Initial surface trenching in the late 1980's to early 1990's yielded up to 0.06% Co and 1.93% Cu over 6 metres (m) in one trench, and in a separate trench up to 0.146% Co , 1.8% Cu and 5.3 grams per tonne (g/t) Ag over 5 m in sediment-hosted sulphide mineralization within middle Proterozoic Purcell Group rocks (Thomson, 1990).





and over (m) in one trench, and in a separate trench up to , and 5.3 grams per tonne (g/t) Ag over in sediment-hosted sulphide mineralization within middle Proterozoic Purcell Group rocks (Thomson, 1990). A total of 15 drill holes in the area between 1990 and 2008 have yielded several intersections of near surface Co-Cu-Ag mineralization with grades of up to 0.134% Co , 1.19% Cu and 33.8 g/t Ag over 1.23 m core length in hole R-1990-5 and 0.14% Co , 0.9% Cu and 2.7 g/t Ag over 3.1 m core length in hole R-1990-6 (Thomson, 1990), along with an intersection of 0.18% Co , 0.28% Cu, 4.1 g/t Ag over 1 m core length in hole R-2008-02 (Pighin, 2009).





, and 33.8 g/t Ag over core length in hole R-1990-5 and , and 2.7 g/t Ag over core length in hole R-1990-6 (Thomson, 1990), along with an intersection of , 0.28% Cu, 4.1 g/t Ag over core length in hole R-2008-02 (Pighin, 2009). All but one of the historical drillholes tested a single target in an area about 500 m by 350 m. The Property is approximately 10 km in length and 3.5 km in width and contains at least 4 untested anomalous soil +/- rock geochemical targets (see figure below).





Sediment hosted Co-Cu-Ag mineralization is similar in style, age and host rocks to mineralization at Jervois Mining Ltd.'s Idaho Cobalt project and Hecla's Revett Formation hosted mineralization near Troy, Montana.





Figure 1: Robocop property VTEM survey area and geochemical anomalies

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4488/71827_51f9e6501403cacb_002full.jpg

The VTEM survey is being conducted to search for and target conductive portions of the assemblage (often spatially related to sulphides including chalcopyrite), as both stratigraphic and vertical structural targets, with the purpose of providing additional targets for future work and drilling to those currently defined by previous drilling along with historical soil and rock sampling.

Prior work has identified areas within the Robocop property with significant historic Co-Cu-Ag in-soil anomalies, combined with historical drilling during the 1990's (Teck Exploration Ltd.) and early 2000's (Ruby Red Resources) that yielded significantly anomalous near surface Co-Cu-Ag mineralization. The Co-Cu-Ag mineralization is hosted in the Sheppard Formation and is classified as mid-Proterozoic sediment hosted mineralization. Based upon recent work by the USGS (Bookstrom et al., 2016), Robocop Co-Cu-Ag mineralization is similar in style and age of host rocks to mineralization in the Idaho Cobalt Belt (Blackbird District) Co-Cu-Au-Ag district in Idaho. Grizzly believes that significant potential exists to expand the known extent of the Co-Cu-Ag mineralization on the Property and the project warrants further follow up exploration including additional drilling.

The macroeconomic outlook for battery metals such as Cu and Co remains strong with the ongoing shift to electric vehicles. It is estimated that the battery sector accounts for approximately 57% of current Co demand; this is expected to grow over the next five years to 72% and will require an additional 100,000 tonnes of Cobalt to meet demand.[1]

Brian Testo, CEO of Grizzly commented, "We are very excited to continue our 2021 exploration program at our Copper-Cobalt prospective Robocop property following our recently completed drilling campaign at Ket-28. Drilling results from Ket-28 are complete and we look forward to building of the results for a busy 2021."

The technical content of this news release and the Company's technical disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Michael B. Dufresne, M. Sc., P. Geol., P.Geo., who is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.

Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange, with 90 million shares issued, focused on developing its over 156,000 acres of precious and base metals properties in southeastern British Columbia. Grizzly is run by a highly experienced junior resource sector management team, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from early exploration stage through to feasibility stage.

On behalf of the Board,

GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.

Brian Testo, CEO, President

Tel: 780 693 2242

For further information, please visit our website at www.grizzlydiscoveries.com or contact:

Chris Beltgens

Corporate Development

Tel: 604 347 9535

Email: cbeltgens@grizzlydiscoveries.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.

Caution concerning forward-looking information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.

Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law.

[1] Cobalt's Price Rises Highlight Shift to Battery-Driven Pricing Dynamics, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, November 19th, 2021

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71827
Bengaluru, Jan 13 : Bengaluru south sub-division police arrested a person for illegally possessing 24 sets of deer antlers, the police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, the arrested is identified as M. T. Rajshekhar Naik aka Shekhar (28), hailing from Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.

"He was carrying 24 set of deer antlers in a gunny bag and was trying to strike a deal with passersby on a footpath in front of City Institute, Bengaluru. He had come with his wife to meet his in-laws, who reside nearby H.S.R. Layout," the police explained.

The police added that the accused had been hunting as he lives near forest areas adjoining Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. "He is from a tribal area and he hunts deer in this forest range for the last couple of years due to unemployment. He had been illegally hunting these endangered animals, therefore he has been booked under 1972 Wildlife Protection Act," the police said in its statement.

A police officer observed that the major difference between horns and antlers is that horns don't shed and are almost always a permanent part of the animal.

"Antlers are made of bone and have a velvet phase, in which blood is supplied to the antler to help it grow. Before breeding season each year, the velvet dries up and is rubbed off," the officer explained.

According to a wildlife conservation blog, the antlers of a buck are the fastest growing tissue in the world. After shedding old antlers, the new antlers begin to grow almost immediately and can grow more than one inch per day.

A case has been registered and further investigation is on.
[January 12, 2021] BankUnited Names New Executive Vice President and Director of Credit Review

BankUnited announced today the retirement of executive vice president and director of credit review Walter Shields, and simultaneously announced the hiring of Kelly Taub to serve in that role. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005921/en/ Kelly Taub, BankUnited executive vice president and director of credit review. (Photo: Business Wire) Shields has served as EVP and director of credit review since joining BankUnited in 2016. In announcing the retirement, BankUnited Chairman, President and CEO Rajinder P. Singh noted, "As someone who is highly regarded in the industry and an expert in credit risk management, Walter has made invaluable contributions to our bank in a critically important area. We are appreciative of all he has accomplished on behalf of BankUnited, and we wish him the best in his retirement." Taub will join BankUnited as executive vice pesident and director of credit review, effective January 14, and will report directly to Singh. She will be responsible for evaluating and monitoring the bank's credit risk exposure and reporting recommendations to the bank's executive management and board of directors.



"Kelly is a seasoned industry leader with a wealth of experience in credit risk management, both at corporations and regulatory agencies. We look forward to welcoming Kelly to the BankUnited team," said Singh. Having served most recently as senior director for Capital One (News - Alert) , National Association in Charlotte, North Carolina, Taub brings nearly two decades of experience in credit risk management to her new role. Prior to her time at Capital One, she held similar roles at Regions Financial Corporation and Bank of America Corporation. She began her career as a national bank examiner at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, providing regulatory assurance of commercial loan portfolios in community, mid-size and large banks. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.

For information call (877) 779-2265 or visit www.BankUnited.com. About BankUnited, N.A. BankUnited, N.A., a national bank headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida, provides a full range of banking and related services to individual and corporate customers through banking centers in Florida and the New York metropolitan area. BankUnited, N.A. also provides certain commercial lending and deposit products through national platforms. BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE: BKU), with total assets of $35 billion at September 30, 2020, is the bank holding company for BankUnited, N.A. For additional information, call (877) 779-2265 or visit www.BankUnited.com. BankUnited can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/BankUnited.Official and on Twitter (News - Alert) @BankUnited. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005921/en/

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Congress leader would visit on January 14, the Pongal day and witness a bull taming event, 'Jallikattu,' the party's state president K S Alagiri said here on Tuesday.

Gandhi would lend his moral support to farmers protesting against the new farm laws across the country by witnessing the sport at Avaniapuram in Madurai district, he told reporters here.

"The bull is a symbol of farmers and part of their lives," the Congress Committee president said.

His visit is to "honour the farmers and the valorous Tamil culture on the day of harvest festival and he will not engage in election campaign on that day," he said.

Assembly elections are due during April-May in the state.

"The general public should gather in large numbers for the event."



Billing Gandhi's event as 'Rahulin Tamil Vanakkam,' he said it was also intended to dislodge the 'inept' AIADMK regime, 'subservient' to the Centre.

Only Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his party the AIADMK supported the Central government's three farm laws and no other political party favoured it, he claimed.

Gandhi is scheduled to arrive at Madurai by 11 am on Pongal day and would be spending about four hours in the temple town.

Though there are no other scheduled events like interaction with farmers, such programmes might take place if the leader so desired, Alagiri said.

Gandhi also has no plans to visit the alliance party DMK's president M K Stalin or other leaders, he said.

During his visit to western Tamil Nadu, likely towards the month end, Gandhi could meet allies, he said adding his party senior leader had a plan to campaign extensively in Tamil Nadu. Priyanka Gandhi would also be invited to the state in the run up to the polls, he said.

To a question, he mocked at the AIADMK alliance in Tamil Nadu and alleged the partners in the ruling party led combine could not even agree upon the Chief Ministerial candidate.

The BJP, after maintaining for some time that NDA would announce the CM candidate said on Monday that the AIADMK, the 'major' partner would decide it.

The TNCC chief said his party stood behind DMK chief M K Stalin and he is the CM candidate of the alliance.

Harmony prevailed in the DMK camp and it was absent in the AIADMK combine, he claimed ruling out scope for discord between Congress and DMK in seat sharing for the Assembly polls.

(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 campaign group seeking a greater role for women in the Catholic Church has said "a door has been opened" after Pope Francis changed Church law to allow females to contribute more during Mass.

He did, though, continue to affirm that women cannot be priests.

Pope Francis amended the law to formalise what is common practice in many parts of the world: that women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers.

The UK and Ireland representative of Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW), Miriam Duignan, said even a small step in the right direction is a welcome one.

"This change means that women will now officially stand shoulder to shoulder with lay men as ministers of communion and lectors at Mass and girls can be altar servers," she said.

"Until now official installation in these roles has been reserved for men, and any instances where women have been lectors and acolytes and girls serving on the altar, they have done so because it was permitted as an exception, and always at the sole discretion of the local bishop or priest.

"Therefore, while this may not seem like a change of substance in places where women have, for several decades, been permitted to serve in these roles in many parishes, this has not been the case and women and girls have remained essentially banned from the altar at the say-so of a misogynist man."

She added: "It means that bishops and pastors around the world can no longer refuse women the right to these ministries on account of Canon Law.

"Bishops can now be held accountable and not given impunity to discriminate against women even more than the wider Church already does.

"This contributes to a slow chipping away at the wall of anti-women exclusion that still lingers and corrupts the official Church. It signals a growing awareness of what has been the rejection of women's baptism in Christ.

"Women are one step closer to being part of officially mediating the sacred. Slowly but surely, we will keep pushing for full equality and WOW is confident more change must come."

The Pope said he was making the change to increase recognition of the "precious contribution" women make in the Church, while emphasising that all baptised Catholics have a role to play in its mission. But he also noted that doing so further makes a distinction between "ordained" ministries such as the priesthood and diaconate, and ministries open to qualified laity.

The change comes as Francis remains under pressure to allow women to be deacons - ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests, such as presiding at weddings, baptisms and funerals.

Currently, the ministry is reserved for men even though historians say the ministry was performed by women in the early Church. Francis has created a second commission of experts to study whether women could be deacons, after a first one failed to reach a consensus.

Advocates for expanding the role to include women say it would give them greater say in the ministry and governance of the Church and address priest shortages. But opponents say it would be a move towards ordaining women to the priesthood.
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Swimmers in Western Australia are too scared of being mauled by a shark to go more than 10m from the shore.

Australia had its deadliest year for shark attacks in 2020 with eight people dead, compared to no deaths in 2019.

WA has 31 deaths from shark attacks since records began last century, with 18 of them occurring in the past 20 years.

Women are more likely than men to refuse to go further than 10m into the water in order to avoid sharks (Pictured: beachgoers at Perth's Cottesloe Beach)

A poll of 1,071 West Australians by People's Voice Poll and Painted Dog Research found 74 per cent of swimmers would not leave shallow waters.

Women were more concerned, with 88 per cent refusing to go more than 10m out to sea, compared to 65 per cent of men.

Only 38 per cent of respondents said they stayed within 5m of the shoreline at all times.

However, shark expert Hugh Edwards warned staying close to shore isn't safer than venturing out beyond the breakers.

A massive 5.3m great white shark was spotted just metres from Cottesloe Beach (pictured) in December last year

He explained it's difficult to know for sure why sharks attack people.

'We actually really don't know who they're going to go for. We just can't predict it. There's not enough evidence,' he told The West Australian.

'All you can do is when you go swimming make sure you're close to others and remain close to smaller people than yourself because a shark would go for the smaller person.'

Mr Edwards said the recent increase in shark sightings was due to the 'movements of fish'.

Despite eight deaths in WA last year, he said it was more likely for someone to die while driving to the beach than being attacked by a shark.

Aerial footage showed sharks lurking about 150 metres off the Western Australian coast, with one stalking a boat (pictured)

Another WA shark expert warned that he was seeing more sharks than ever in his 35 years on the water.

John Snook, who looks after beaches like Scarborough and Trigg in Perth, said sightings of sharks close to the shoreline are increasingly common.

'It's highly unusual, something I've never seen before in my 30-odd years down here at the beach,' Mr Snook, the City of Stirling beach coordinator, told Nine News.

The Department of Fisheries estimates 1,500 adult great white sharks pass through Western Australian waters each year.

On December 11, 2020, a massive 5.3m great white was spotted just metres from Cottesloe Beach. The shark was caught, tagged and released.

That shark has since been spotted several times further north off Mullaloo Beach, about 22km from Perth.

Since it was tagged, there have been 250 shark sightings or alerts along the state's coast line.

Fifty of the sharks were identified as great whites, 28 as tigers and 26 as bronze whalers, while the others were unknown.
The Calcutta University (CU) will reopen for offline classes for postgraduate students to continue their laboratory works. The Science and Technology faculties of Calcutta University will resume the laboratory work for the PG students in accordance with the COVID-19 protocols and its associated social distancing norms. However, no official circular has been issued in this regard, and the university is awaiting the West Bengal Governments nod permitting face-to-face offline classes.

The decision to reopen the laboratories of CU has been taken in accordance with the University Grants Commissions order on reopening of universities and colleges. As per the UGC guidelines, the Commission had earlier suggested universities and colleges reduce the class size and break them into multiple sections to maintain physical distancing during the classes.

While upholding the decision of reopening the laboratories, a CU Professor of the Ballygunge Science College Campus told The Times of India, Practical classes are essential for many courses, especially in Science and Technology faculties. It will be an injustice to students to go ahead with the teaching-learning process without holding the practical classes. In view of this, we urged the CU authorities to allow conducting practical classes in willing departments by maintaining COVID-19 protocols.

For the upcoming odd-semester exams, the practical exams will be conducted offline maintaining COVID-19 protocols, the professor added.

While another professor added: Prolonged lockdown has seriously affected the laboratory-based research activities.

A formal notification may be issued allowing the students willing to use the lab facilities, the Professor added.

Without practical classes, which are integral to the science and technology programmes, syllabus and learning will remain incomplete. As many students pursue research, the skills acquired through lab works cannot be negotiated, explained another CU professor.

The university had earlier announced the CU odd-semester exam dates. CU will hold the odd-semester exams between March 8 and March 26, 2021.
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Israel has advanced plans to build 800 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, a move that could strain ties with US president-elect Joe Bidens incoming administration.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus office announced the move, saying it would include 100 homes in a settlement where an Israeli woman was killed last month, allegedly by a Palestinian assailant.

The announcement will burnish Mr Netanyahus right-wing credentials in a tough campaign ahead of March elections, but it could anger Biden, who is opposed to settlement expansion and has clashed with Israel over it in the past.

Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, territories the Palestinians want for their future state. Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in settlements scattered across the West Bank.

The Palestinians view settlements as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace, a position that has wide international support.

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The Palestinian Authoritys foreign ministry condemned the latest announcement, accusing Israel of racing against time to build settlements before Donald Trump leaves office.

Mr Trumps administration provided unprecedented support to Israel, including by abandoning a decades-old US policy of opposing settlements.

Mr Biden has pledged a more even-handed approach in which he will restore aid to the Palestinians that was cut off by Mr Trump and work to revive peace negotiations.

The two sides have not held substantive peace talks in more than a decade.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who hopes to unseat Mr Netanyahu in March, called the settlement announcement would spark a battle with the new US administration.

The Biden administration has not yet taken office and the government is already leading us into an unnecessary confrontation, Lapid tweeted.

The biggest threat to Mr Netanyahu in the coming vote comes from the right, where Gideon Saar, a former ally and supporter of settlements, has vowed to end his long rule.

Polls show Mr Netanyahus Likud winning most votes but falling short of a majority coalition in Israels 120-seat parliament.

The announcement said 100 homes would be built in Tel Manashe, a West Bank settlement where Esther Horgan, a 53-year-old mother of six, was killed last month while jogging in a nearby forest.

Israel has detained a Palestinian suspect in the attack.
HADLEY  A 154-bed nursing home here is barred from accepting new patients following six additional COVID-19 deaths and 92 cases among residents and staff, which resulted in a National Guard deployment to provide essential care and stabilize the situation.

The state reported the additional deaths at Elaine Center nursing home last week, based on data collected as of Jan. 5. This weekly COVID-19 report also showed 100% of the nursing homes staff being tested in the seven-day period from Dec. 24 to Dec. 31.

The Department of Public Health stopped Elaine Center from accepting new patients on Dec. 30.

The DPH was given authority to suspend admissions at nursing homes in a Nov. 6 directive from Gov. Charlie Baker.

Through a Department of Public Health (DPH) Public Health Order and corresponding guidance, the Administration will impose temporary admissions freezes at certain nursing homes and rest homes to prevent and contain uncontrolled transmission of COVID-19, Bakers directive says.

The Elaine Center at 20 North Maple St. is one of 325 facilities operated by Genesis HealthCare in 26 states.

A clinical team from the Massachusetts National Guard was deployed to Elaine from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4.

According to Genesis Healthcare, there were eight from the guard on duty caring for patients, because the company did not have enough of their own resources to do the job. Licensed nurses from the States Rapid Response Team were deployed to the Elaine Center from Dec. 29 through Jan. 11.

As part of a large national organization, we have fortunately been able to leverage all possible avenues to ensure we have the staff we need, said Dr. Richard Feifer, Genesis Chief Medical Officer, in a written statement. We are able to pull in resources from other centers and through our own staffing agency. It has been normal practice to offer hero pay for extra service during the pandemic. We also requested the assistance of the National Guard to assist with staffing. Our employees are the true heroes here. With no questions asked, they are coming to work each and every day to care for their patients and residents.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by COVID-19 during this difficult time, especially the families of the 14 residents who passed away, Feifer said.

During the outbreak that began in mid November, 65 residents and 27 staff tested positive for COVID-19, he said.

The company was asked if they were required to disclose the Elaine nursing home problems to investors, via an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

An 8-K is required by the SEC for the disclosure of any material nonpublic information, Feifer said in response, adding: the outbreak at the Elaine Center at Hadley . . .would not trigger the requirement for an 8-K, he said.

Genesis, in an 8-K filing to the federal government last week said that they had appointed Robert H. Fish as CEO of the company, effective Jan. 5, to succeed George V. Hager, Jr., who retired as CEO and resigned as a member of the board.

Feifer said the change in leadership was unrelated to the events in Hadley.

The Hadley Select Board, and the Board of Health have scheduled a special zoom meeting Wednesday, Jan. 13 starting at 5:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON - Hiding from the rioters in a secret location away from the Capitol, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., appealed to Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., phoned Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter.

And Kellyanne Conway, a longtime Trump confidante and former White House senior adviser, called an aide who she knew was standing at the president's side.

But as senators and House members trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday begged for immediate help during the siege, they struggled to get through to the president, who - safely ensconced in the West Wing - was too busy watching fiery TV images of the crisis unfolding around them to act or even bother to hear their cries for help.

"It took him a while to appreciate the gravity of the situation," Graham said in an interview.

"He was hard to reach, and you know why? Because it was live TV," said one close Trump adviser. "If it's TiVo, he just hits pause and takes the calls. If it's live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold."

Even as he did so, Trump did not move to act. And the message from those around him - that he needed to call off the angry mob he had egged on just hours earlier, or lives could be lost - was one to which he was not initially receptive.

"The president saw these people as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen," Graham said in an interview.

Trump ultimately - and begrudgingly - urged his supporters to "go home in peace." But the six hours between when the Capitol was breached shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and when it was finally declared secure around 8 p.m. that evening reveal a president paralyzed - more passive viewer than resolute leader, repeatedly failing to perform even the basic duties of his job.

The man who vowed to be a president of law and order failed to enforce the law or restore order. The man who has always seen himself as the protector of uniformed police sat idly by as Capitol Police officers were outnumbered, outmaneuvered, trampled on - and in one case, killed. And the man who had long craved the power of the presidency abdicated many of the responsibilities of the commander in chief.

The episode in which Trump supporters rose up against their own government, leaving five people dead, will be central to any impeachment proceedings, critical to federal prosecutors considering incitement charges against him or his family, and a dark cornerstone of his presidential legacy.

This portrait of the president as the Capitol was under attack on Jan. 6 is the result of interviews with 15 Trump advisers, members of Congress, GOP officials and other Trump confidants, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid details.

- - -

The day began ominously, with a "Save America March" on the Ellipse devoted to perpetuating Trump's baseless claims that somehow the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Before the president's remarks around noon, several of his family members addressed the crowd with speeches that all shared a central theme: Fight. Eric Trump, one of the president's sons, told the crowd that lawmakers needed to "show some fight" and "stand up," before urging the angry mass to "march on the Capitol today." Donald Trump Jr., another of the president's sons, exhorted all "red-blooded, patriotic Americans" to "fight for Trump."

Backstage, as the president prepared to speak, Laura Branigan's hit "Gloria" was blared to rev up the crowd, and Trump Jr., in a video he recorded for social media, called the rallygoers "awesome patriots that are sick of the bull----." His girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, danced to the song and, clenching her right fist, urged people to "fight."

The president, too, ended his speech with an exhortation, urging the crowd to give Republicans "the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country."

"So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue," he concluded.

Trump, however, did not join the angry crowd surging toward the Capitol. Instead, he returned to the White House, where at 2:24 p.m. he tapped out a furious tweet railing against Vice President Mike Pence, who in a letter earlier in the day had made clear that he planned to fulfill his constitutional duties and certify President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the winners of the 2020 electoral college vote.

"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify," he wrote. "USA demands the truth!"

By then, West Wing staffers monitoring initial videos of the protesters on TV and social media were already worried that the situation was escalating and felt that Trump's tweet attacking Pence was unhelpful.

Press officials had begun discussing a statement from Trump around 2 p.m., when protesters first breached the Capitol, an official familiar with the discussions said. But they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the president and could only take the matter to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, this person said, adding that "the most infuriating part" of the day was how long it took before Trump finally spoke out.

Around the same time, Trump Jr. headed to the airport for a shuttle flight home to New York. As he waited in an airport lounge to board the plane, the president's namesake son saw that the rallygoers they had all urged to fight were doing just that, breaching police barricades and laying siege to the Capitol.

An aide called Trump Jr. and suggested he immediately issue a statement urging the rioters to stop. At 2:17 p.m., Trump Jr. hit send on a tweet as he boarded the plane: "This is wrong and not who we are," he wrote. "Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don't start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and this doesn't help anyone."

But the president himself was busy enjoying the spectacle. Trump watched with interest, buoyed to see that his supporters were fighting so hard on his behalf, one close adviser said.

But if the president didn't appear to understand the magnitude of the crisis, those in his orbit did. Conway immediately called a close personal aide who she knew was with the president, and said she was adding her name to the chorus of people urging Trump to speak to his supporters. He needed to tell them to stand down and leave the Capitol, she told the aide.

Conway also told the aide that she had received calls from the D.C. mayor's office asking for help in getting Trump to call up the National Guard.

Ivanka Trump had gone to the Oval Office as soon as the riot became clear, and Graham reached her on her cellphone and implored her for help. "They were all trying to get him to speak out, to tell everyone to leave," said Graham, referring to the small group of aides with Trump on Wednesday afternoon.

Several Republican members of Congress also called White House aides, begging them to get Trump's attention and have him call for the violence to end. The lawmakers reiterated that they had been loyal Trump supporters and were even willing to vote against the electoral college results - but were now scared for their lives, officials said.

When the mob first breached the Capitol, coming within mere seconds of entering the Senate chamber, Pence - who was overseeing the electoral certification - was hustled away to a secure location, where he remained for the duration of the siege, despite multiple suggestions from his Secret Service detail that he leave the Capitol, said an official familiar with Pence's actions that day.

Instead, the vice president fielded calls from congressional leaders furious that the National Guard had not yet been deployed, this official said. Pence, from his secret location in the Capitol, spoke with legislative and military leaders, working to mobilize the soldiers and offering reassurance.

Even as his supporters at the Capitol chanted for Pence to be hanged, Trump never called the vice president to check on him or his family. Marc Short, Pence's chief of staff, eventually called the White House to let them know that Pence and his team were OK, after receiving no outreach from the president or anyone else in the White House.

Meanwhile, in the West Wing, a small group of aides - including Ivanka Trump, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Meadows - was imploring Trump to speak out against the violence. Meadows's staff had prompted him to go see the president, with one aide telling the chief of staff before he entered the Oval Office, "They are going to kill people."

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., the group finally persuaded Trump to send a tweet: "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement," he wrote. "They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!"

But the Twitter missive was insufficient, and the president had not wanted to include the final instruction to "stay peaceful," according to one person familiar with the discussions.

Less than an hour later, aides persuaded Trump to send a second, slightly more forceful tweet: "I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful," he wrote. "No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order - respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!"

- - -

McCarthy did eventually reach Trump, but later told allies that he found the president distracted. So McCarthy repeatedly appeared on television to describe the mayhem, an adviser said, in an effort to explain just how dire the situation was and to secure the president's attention.

McCarthy also called Kushner, who that afternoon was arriving back from a trip to the Middle East. The Secret Service originally warned Kushner that it was unsafe to venture downtown to the White House. McCarthy pleaded with him to persuade Trump to issue a statement for his supporters to leave the Capitol, saying he'd had no luck during his own conversation with Trump, the adviser said. So Kushner headed to the White House.

At one point, Trump worried that the unruly group was frightening GOP lawmakers from doing his bidding and objecting to the election results, an official said.

National security adviser Robert O'Brien also began calling members of Congress to ask how he could help. He called Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, around 4 p.m., a Lee spokesman said. In an unlikely twist, Lee had heard from the president earlier - when he accidentally dialed the senator in a bid to reach Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to discuss overturning the election.

Others were still having trouble getting through to the White House. Speaking on ABC News shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday, Chris Christie, a GOP former governor of New Jersey, said he'd spent the last 25 minutes trying to reach Trump directly to convey a simple, if urgent, message.

"The president caused this protest to occur; he's the only one who can make it stop," Christie said. "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. And anything short of that is an abdication of his responsibility."

Around this time, the White House was preparing to put out a video address on behalf of the president. They had begun discussing this option earlier but struggled to organize their effort. Biden, meanwhile, stepped forward with remarks that seemed to rise to the occasion: "The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are."

Trump aides did three takes of the video and chose the most palatable option - despite some West Wing consternation that the president had called the violent protesters "very special."

"This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people," Trump said in the video, released shortly after 4 p.m. "We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace."

Amid the chaos, D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had implemented a 6 p.m. curfew for the city, and as darkness fell, Secret Service told West Wing staff that, save for an essential few, everyone had to leave the White House and go home.

At 6:01 p.m., Trump blasted out yet another tweet, which Twitter quickly deleted and which many in his orbit were particularly furious about, fearing he was further inflaming the still-tense situation.

"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long," Trump wrote. "Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"

Thirteen minutes later, at 6:14 p.m., a perimeter was finally established around the Capitol. At about 8 p.m., more than six hours after the initial breach, the Capitol was declared secure.

The following evening, on Thursday, Trump released another video, the closest advisers say he is likely to come to a concession speech.

"Congress has certified the results: A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th," Trump said in the video. "My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation."

His calls for healing and reconciliation were more than a day too late, many aides said. Yet as Trump watched the media coverage of his video, he grew angry.

The president said he wished he hadn't done it, a senior White House official said, because he feared that the calming words made him look weak.


Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

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Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

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Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
(Alliance News) - Savannah Resources PLC on Tuesday said it has struck a deal with Portuguese energy firm Galp Energia SGPS SA to secure an investment and partnership at the Mina do Barroso lithium project.

Savannah shares were 17% higher at 5.27 pence each in London on Tuesday morning.

Galp will part with USD6.4 million to take a 10% stake in Savannah's units which own the project, located roughly 150 kilometres north-east of the Portuguese city of Porto.

The cash will further Savannah's progress towards a definitive feasibility study at the asset.

"Galp will add material value through its participation at the project's board level and the transfer of its significant experience in developing large scale resource projects in Portugal," Savannah said.

"Galp and Savannah are set to evaluate, under exclusive terms, an offtake agreement for up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of lithium concentrate from Mina do Barroso equating to approximately 50% of annual production. The agreement represents a significant step in commercialising Mina do Barroso and will be an important factor in securing financing for the construction of the project," Savannah added.

Galp, listed in Lisbon, has a market cap of roughly EUR7.86 billion.

By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Boris Johnson is considering opening round-the-clock vaccination centres  just days after Downing Street said there was no demand.

The Daily Mail has been told that the Prime Minister has signed off on a pilot for hubs that will open for much longer than is currently the case.

Twenty-four hour, seven-day-a-week centres are under consideration, a senior Government source said, in an attempt to ensure people receive the jab as quickly as possible.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured during a tour of a vaccination centre in Bristol, is considering around the clock appointments, days after denying there was demand

As well as more day-time appointments we are considering a pilot where vaccinations are offered for longer hours, the source said.

Mr Johnsons decision comes just days after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded round-the-clock vaccinations.

At the time, Number 10 suggested there was no clamour for such a service.

Last night NHS England said that while there was not enough vaccine supply to justify a 24-hour service at the moment, it could be effective in future when more vaccine is received.

It was reported last night that the Prime Minister had clashed with NHS chiefs over the pace of the Covid jab rollout.

Officials said there had been tough exchanges over what Mr Johnson considers to be excessive bureaucracy and a lack of data.

Last night Downing Street and NHS England said reports of a rift in the Financial Times were completely untrue.

The newspaper said that one person briefed on the tensions between NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens and Number 10 said they had been simmering since before Christmas.

Mr Johnson was said to be concerned that some non-frontline NHS staff had been vaccinated before some people aged 80 and over, the priority age group.

The FT said the frustrations were behind the decision to invite Brigadier Phil Prosser, commander of military support for the vaccine, to a Number 10 media briefing on the programmes rollout last week.

A source claimed the appearance had been intended to ram the message home to Sir Simon that Mr Johnson was threatening to give the military a bigger role in the programme unless the rollout was accelerated.

But NHS insiders told the paper it was Sir Simon who had proposed Brigadier Prossers attendance. Downing Street and NHS officials insisted the new arrangement, in which the military was embedded with health teams, was now working well and that Mr Johnson was satisfied with progress.

Earlier yesterday, the Health Secretary announced that police could be prioritised alongside teachers and shop workers in the second phase of the Covid vaccine rollout. Matt Hancock said he had told officials to look very carefully at professions that come into contact with the public.

Britains most senior police officer said yesterday that her officers should be properly recognised on the prioritisation list so they can continue to keep others, as well as themselves, safe.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told The Times that she had asked the Government to consider the case for inoculating frontline workers earlier than planned and was delighted to hear that it was being considered.

The latest figures revealed last night that a total of 2,431,648 had received a first dose of the vaccine by the end of Monday.

This was up 145,000 on the previous day but well behind the daily numbers needed to reach 2million a week.

Under the Governments strategy, the 15million most vulnerable people in Britain  over-70s, health workers and care home residents  will receive their jab by February 15. All over-50s and vulnerable people will receive a Covid jab by the end of April and then the second phase will start, which will likely prioritise frontline workers.
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Working mom! Jodie Turner-Smith described her experience filming Tom Clancys Without Remorse in the second trimester of her pregnancy.

Read article

The men think theyre hardcore, but they could never do what they do while also making a baby, the actress, 34, told Elle of the February 2021 movie in her cover story, published on Monday, January 11. They just couldnt. True strength is not found in force and brutality, but in vulnerability. I would love to do more action, and action where Im allowed to be a woman.

Ruth Ossai

The British model welcomed her and her husband Joshua Jacksons baby girl in an April 2020 home birth. She told the outlet that navigating parenthood had been difficult for them, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Read article

The Queen & Slim star explained, Its even more difficult without support, when everything is shut down and you cant really see other people or go anywhere.

The University of Pittsburgh grad called parenthood goddess-level st, gushing, Patriarchal society really is out here, scamming women into thinking that theyre not supremely powerful beings.

Jackson, 42, praised his wife for her new role in a May 2020 Mothers Day tribute, writing via Instagram: Thank you for the depth of grace you have found since our daughter has arrived. The commitment that you make look so effortless but I know is anything but. Thank you for making me a father. For trusting me enough to embark on this journey together. I am humbled more and more every day by that.

The Dawsons Creek alum thanked Turner-Smith for their daughter five months later while celebrating her birthday.

Read article

This last year has been the happiest whirlwind of my life, the Little Fires Everywhere star captioned an October 2020 Instagram post. I cant wait to see what all the years to come bring our way.

The couple wed in December 2019 in California and have felt lucky and privileged to be able to raise their little one together.

Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Both of us had watched our own mothers struggle to raise children without such support, the Last Ship star told British Vogue in August 2020. Both of us were determined to create something for ourselves. He kept saying to me, Theres no part of this that Im going to miss.

Hotel bedsheets with the names of hundreds of dead children draped on the gates of a mass burial site at Tuam, Co Galway (PA)

An extensive report into decades of abuse of women and children at the hands of religious-run mother and baby homes in Ireland is to be published today.

The findings of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation will be laid bare more than five years after it was set up, and following several delays.

Survivors of the mother and baby homes will read about the shocking number of children and babies who died in the institutions.

It is understood that up to 9,000 children died in 18 institutions between 1922 and the closure of the last such home in 1998.

The commission was set up to investigate 14 mother and baby homes and four State-operated county homes.

The long-awaited report will run to 4,000 pages, including 1,000 pages of personal testimonies.

More than 56,000 mothers and 57,000 children went through Irelands mother and baby homes and county homes.

They housed women and young girls who were pregnant outside of marriage.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin is set to make a formal State apology to survivors of the mother and baby homes in the Dail on Wednesday.

The commission was established by the Government in 2015 following claims that the bodies of up to 800 babies and children were disposed of at an unmarked grave at a mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

It came following extensive research carried out by local historian Catherine Corless.

She documented the deaths of 796 babies and children while the Bon Secours home was in operation.

Tuam, like many other homes, took in unmarried pregnant women who were usually brought there by family members.

Expand Close People gather to protest at the site of the former Tuam home, where a mass grave of around 800 babies was uncovered (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp People gather to protest at the site of the former Tuam home, where a mass grave of around 800 babies was uncovered (Niall Carson/PA)

The mothers were then separated from their children, who were housed elsewhere in the home and raised by nuns until they were adopted without the mothers knowledge or consent.

The Tuam home was run by members of the Bon Secours religious order of nuns.

Following Ms Corless work, there were widespread calls for an investigation into the mother and baby homes.

The commission examined many different issues, including how the women and children entered the homes, their living conditions and how they were treated, forced labour, physical and emotional abuse as well as forced adoptions.

The Government has also faced criticism over its mishandling of the report last year.

There was a huge backlash from survivors, campaigners and opposition parties after the Government passed controversial legislation that would allow a database created by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission to be sealed for 30 years.

There was widespread confusion over the legislation and whether survivors would get proper access to their records.

The Cabinet is to approve the commissions final report today, and it will then be made available for survivors to read.
Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications, chairing the press conference on the digitisation of terrestrial broadcasting

Addressing the event on the scheme on the digitisation of terrestrial broadcasting, Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications, said that after nine years of implementation, the targets set out in the scheme had all been fulfilled and even surpassed, contributing to performing the ASEAN commitment on ceasing analogue terrestrial television broadcasting by 2020.

Among ASEAN member countries, Vietnam is the fifth country in the region and the 78th globally to complete the plan.

Started in 2011 when 80 per cent of households in Vietnam had yet to have digital receivers, with other difficulties related to geographic characteristics, the country completed the scheme with appropriate approach.

The scheme was first piloted in the central city of Danang and then in other cities and provinces. After nine years of work, four key targets of the scheme have been fulfilled.

First, completing the digitisation of the transmission of terrestrial television broadcasting nationwide, covering nearly 100 million people in 26 million households.

Second, significantly expanding the coverage of digital terrestrial TV from 40 cities and provinces in 2011 to 63 ones currently.

Third, attracting resources in the coverage of digital terrestrial TV. In 2011, the country only had VTC as a 100 per cent state-owned digital terrestrial TV broadcaster. Since then, the number has quintupled, with the presence of AVG, SDTV, and DTV. Also in this nine-year period, investment in the coverage of digital terrestrial TV rose by VND2 trillion ($86.95 million), 50 per cent of which was made up by private investment.

Fourth, 100 per cent of local TV broadcasters have been restructured and organised in a more professional manner.
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat of New Jersey, suggested on Monday that she was one of them.

Following the events of Wednesday, including sheltering with several colleagues who refused to wear masks, I decided to take a Covid test, she wrote on Twitter. I have tested positive.

Representative Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee also has announced that he has tested positive after being exposed to his roommate, Representative Gus Bilirakis of Florida. Both lawmakers are Republicans.

Mr. Fleischmann told a Chattanooga TV station, WRCB, that he was sent a notification on Wednesday that his roommate had tested positive, but did not receive it right away because he was locked down in a secure location during the riot. He said he did not know how many other lawmakers he had come in contact with that day.

After enduring a spring surge of the coronavirus, Washington kept its case numbers relatively low through the summer and into the fall. On Oct. 1, the district, with about 700,000 residents, was averaging fewer than 40 new cases a day.

The outlook has worsened since then. Case numbers rose steeply for two months and peaked in early December. They ebbed a bit in the days before Christmas, but that progress was undone in the first days of 2021.

Around the city, the streets continue to bustle with traffic, but everything else is eerily quiet. Museums and theaters are shuttered, restaurants closed except to outdoor diners or for takeout, downtown sidewalks all but empty. More than half the citys residents have taken a Covid-19 test. Depending on the time of day, the lines of people waiting for free tests at firehouses and community centers can stretch for blocks, and hours.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

Indian outreach workers help youth maintain tribal identity

Every day, our Indian outreach workers meet with Native American youth across Michigan, trying to help them maintain their tribal self-identity and their culture.

In doing so, we hope to prepare these children for a successful and bright future

Studies have shown that supporting a youths tribal identity results in less risky behaviors, including teen pregnancy, substance abuse and suicide. Indian outreach workers, who assist Native American families in a wide variety of ways, often help solidify tribal identity through role modeling and sharing personal stories with youth and families.

In a recent example, Angelo Franchi, a Kent County Indian outreach worker, facilitated a drumming class for tribal children as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools Native American Program. In January, these children were featured with the Grand Rapids Symphony for the performance of Native Sounds."



Angelo Franchi, shown above (top left) with a recent drumming class.



Franchi, a four-year DHS employee who became an Indian outreach worker in October, also assists tribal families with housing and employment advocacy, teaching them job-seeking and resume skills and making court appearances related to the Indian Child Welfare Act.

A member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Franchi has been active in the Native American community for 20 years as a singer with Owashtinong Chungaming (Grand River Singers), a volunteer for various events, including school presentations, and as stage director for the Theatre of the Three Fires.

Visit www.michigan.gov/americanindians for more about our Native American Affairs office.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  A Muskegon County commissioner who also is chair of the local Republican party is under fire from Democrats for continuing to back President Trump and for calling on Trump supporters to stay the course, hold the line.

A statement from the Muskegon County Democratic Party condemns Zach Lahring, saying all elected Republicans who blindly obeyed Trump are culpable for this explosion of rage and violence. The Democratic Party chair called on Lahring to resign if he continues to support Trump.

Lahring told MLive on Monday, Jan. 11, that he did not support the violence perpetrated at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and that he believes it was conducted by backers of antifa posing as Trump loyalists. Antifa, a shortened form of anti-fascists, is an umbrella term used to describe members of the far-left movement.

The Associated Press has reported that Steven DAntuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs Washington field office, said theres no indication at this time that antifa activists were disguised as Trump supporters in Wednesdays riot.

Lahring could not be reached Tuesday morning for comment on the Democrats statement.

During the last four years, our local elected Republicans have been scared to stand up to Donald Trump, Ryan Bennett, chair of the Muskegon County Democratic Party, said in the prepared statement. They sat silent while he attacked our governor. They cast doubt on the validity of our most recent election. They have weakened a pillar of our democracy.

Their time for reflection is up. If theyre not willing to stand up to their own party chair, then they should resign, Bennett said.

While two busloads of people from the Muskegon area were at the nations Capitol Jan. 6, Lahring told MLive he wasnt among them. Instead, he went to the Lansing Capitol where Trumps speech to protesters that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol was broadcast live. Lahring told MLive he did not believe the president was inciting violence.

Related: Muskegon GOP chair remains strong Trump supporter after Capitol violence

The Democratic Partys statement released Monday says Lahrings repeated posts on Facebook to stay the course, hold the line could be misconstrued as a continued call for violence. Lahring has posted that statement every day since the Capitol riot.

The Democratic statement calls on elected Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland; state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-Newaygo; and state Rep. Greg VanWoerkom, R-Norton Shores, to immediately denounce this potentially violent rhetoric. The statement also calls on county board Chair Bob Scolnik, a Republican, to call Lahring out.

Scolnik said he had received dozens of messages from people telling him to denounce Lahring and Republican freshman county commissioner Malinda Pego. Pego, also an ardent Trump supporter, was in Lansing with Lahring on Jan. 6.

While Scolnik plans to introduce a resolution Tuesday, Jan. 12, condemning the attack on the Capitol, he told MLive he doesnt think its productive to specifically name Lahring.

To what benefit is that? Scolnik said. What do we gain out of that?... It might make people feel better, but it wont change a thing. If people are really mad about their activities, start a recall.

Also on MLive:

COVID-19 survivor says he is happy to be alive after long hospital stay

Police seeking man in U-M hoodie involved in violent riots at U.S. Capitol

233K Michiganders vaccinated as governor requests more doses from feds
South Africa: Home Affairs suspends some services

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has announced the suspension of several services rendered by the Department of Home Affairs under level 3 of the lockdown.

This as the number of death certificates issued by the department has been on the increase.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Motsoaledi revealed that since December the department, has been issuing a high number of death certificates. The figures, he cautioned, are set to spiral further by the end of January.

To remedy the situation, Home Affairs offices have extended their operating hours until 7pm.

We will be extending operating hours to 7pm to accommodate those needing to register deaths and births. This will be available from now until 15 February, he said.

You might remember that at the beginning of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, DHA services were suspended in order to reduce the number of people who visit offices and to limit the risk of infection because social distancing is difficult when theres a large number of people gathering, he said.

Beyond this, the Minister said public service rules called for only 1% of staff report for duty.

Services were incrementally reinstated as lockdown levels were relaxed until October 2020 when almost all services were reinstated as the country moved to lockdown level 1.

Unfortunately, the impact of what we did in October had an effect of taking us back to pre-COVID days where huge crowds gathered at Home Affairs offices but not observing social distancing, said the Minister.

In December, senior managers  including the Minister and his deputy, Njabulo Nzuza - visited all provinces to monitor compliance with lockdown regulations.

During these visits, Motsoaledi said it became clear that while protocols were being observed inside the offices, it was the polar opposite in the queues outside, with the public disregarding even social distancing markings.

We thought this would improve in time but it only got worse, he said.

Between March and December, 266 of the departments 412 offices had to close at some point due to staff testing positive. During this period, 532 staff tested COVID-19 positive, largely in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal offices.

Alarmingly, 116 officials tested positive in the first eight days of 2021, revealed the Minister.

He said this also coincided with the death of seven front office staff.

Indications are that figures would have increased significantly by the end of this month, he said.

He compared the deaths recorded in December 2020 saying that in December 2018, a total 36 826 deaths were registered and this rose to 38 620 in December of 2019 before figures skyrocketed to 55 676 in December 2020.

But on the fourth and fifth of January 2021  just the first working days of this year  Home Affairs [had] already registered 10 582 deaths. If this trend continues, theres going to be a greater demand and it will get worse, said the Minister.

Suspended services

Confronted by the grim reality, the Department has decided to temporarily suspend certain activities and services.

This is very unfortunate but we are forced by circumstances. We were guided by statistics. Of all the people who visit [our] offices, 29 % are people collecting smart IDs, 16% are applying afresh for smart IDs, 11% come to be issued birth, marriage and death certificates [while] 10% come to apply for temporary IDs, he said.

The DHA has suspended the application for smart IDs, with the exception of matriculates applying for IDs.

Applications for passports (except for those permitted to travel in by the Disaster Management Act regulations), marriage registration and solemnisation of marriages are also suspended as is the collection of IDs.

I know this will be difficult but please bear with us as we save lives. Please dont come to collect IDs unless youre specifically invited to do so via SMS. Weve decided to change the modality in which we operate, we are proposing that all births and deaths be registered at health facilities at which they took place, he said.

Closure of borders

Turning his attention to the closure of 20 land borders, the Minister reiterated that these would open in exceptional circumstances. Among the affected are the six busiest border posts, Beitbridge, Lebombo, Maseru Bridge, Oshoek, Ficksburg and Kopfontein.

He called on individuals who do not fall in these categories but believe their cases are worth consideration to write to his office for exemption.

Those who will apply for exemption will have to provide copy of their passport, copy of temporary residence visa, as well as demonstrate exceptional circumstances for the request to enter the republic, the number of days of ones intended stay, and proof of residence when they are in the country.

The documents should be emailed to covid19exceptions@dha.gov.za.

Those who are allowed to enter the country are still subjected to COVID-19 regulations such as producing a medical certificate not older than 72 hours, clearly indicating their negative COVID-19 test.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the closure came after challenges were experienced the posts.

Theres been a lot of problems at land borders with people coming from holidays and wherever theyve been, this has necessitated that we close these and limit services, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
NEW YORK  Rudy Giuliani faced the possibility of disbarment Monday for his inflammatory comments prior to the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The New York State Bar Association announced it will consider revoking his membership and state Sen. Brad Hoylman filed a formal complaint with the Attorney Grievance Committee, initiating a process that could result in Giuliani losing his law license.

I was horrified to watch last weeks insurrection attempt in Washington, D.C, and was especially dismayed to see members of the legal profession from New York State at the heart of it, Hoylman, the chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, said.

Hoylmans complaint cites the former mayor for rampant and egregious violations of the rules of professional conduct related to his participation in a scheme to unlawfully overturn the results of a free and fair election and his complicity in inflaming a violent coup attempt on our seat of federal government, he said.

Meanwhile, the New York State Bar Association said it was opening an inquiry into Giuliani, who is President Donald Trumps personal attorney. The association noted Giulianis now-notorious suggestion, Lets have trial by combat, before the riots that resulted in five deaths.

We must address the root cause of this abhorrent incident, the blame for which lies first and foremost with President Donald Trump. But the president did not act alone, the association said Monday in a statement. Hours before the angry mob stormed the Capitol walls, Trumps personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, addressed a crowd of thousands at the White House, reiterating baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the presidential election and the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs.

No person who advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States, or of any state, territory or possession thereof, or of any political subdivision therein, by force or other illegal means, shall be a member of the association, the organization said.

The association said it has received hundreds of complaints about Giuliani over the past few months for helping Trump cast doubt on the veracity of the 2020 presidential election.

The announcements further highlighted Giulianis stunning downfall. Once the mob-busting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and then the mayor during the 9/11 attacks, Giuliani is now best known for pushing bogus claims for Trump. He even leaked hair dye during a now-notorious press conference pushing an incomprehensible conspiracy theory that the election was stolen for President-elect Joe Biden.

.Giuliani did not respond to a text message.

--

Chelsia Rose Marcius and Stephen Rex Brown of the New York Daily News wrote this story.

(c)2021 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Assyrians and the Turkey-PKK Conflict in Iraq

Over the course of the past year, the Turkish government has intensified its military operations targeting the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions along the Iraqi-Turkish border on the grounds of domestic security. The recent interventions are part of a decades-long campaign which began in the early 1990s when the PKK set up its main command centers in the mountainous regions of today's Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Turkey's conflict with the PKK--recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union--continues throughout the region, including in southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, and northern Iraq. The operations in northern Iraq increased in June 2020, when Turkey launched Operations Claw-Eagle and Claw-Tiger--its most aggressive offensive targeting PKK strongholds in the country since 2015. Operation Claw-Eagle comprises Turkey's aerial campaign,5 while Operation Claw-Tiger encompasses the attacks launched by the military's ground operations in northern Iraq.

The PKK's presence in these areas effectively transfers its decades-long conflict with Turkey to northern Iraq. The PKK continues to endanger civilian populations by operating from or near civilian areas, carrying out attacks on Turkey and Turkish military bases in the KRI.

Read the full report: Caught In The Crossfire: Assyrians and The Turkey-PKK Conflict In Iraq

Turkey has consistently pursued the PKK in northern Iraq with little regard for the negative consequences for civilian populations who inhabit the same areas occupied by the militant group. The airborne attacks often occur in close proximity to areas mainly inhabited by Assyrian, Yazidi, and/or Kurdish civilians, posing significant risks including: endangerment of civilian life, displacement, traumatization, destruction of property and agricultural lands, and threats to livelihoods.

Ultimately, those set to suffer most in the ongoing hostilities are vulnerable peoples like Assyrians and Yazidis--many of whom have been displaced multiple times, with smaller numbers who now live in temporary accommodation as a result of recent strikes. The rapid deterioration of security in Iraq after 2003 brought forward the largest exodus of its Assyrian population, including in the KRI, and Turkey's pursuit of the PKK in Iraq has only exacerbated the situation. Three principal areas inhabited by Assyrians in Duhok Governorate are affected by the Turkey-PKK conflict in Iraq: the Barwar region and Sapna Valley in Amediya District; Zakho District; and Nahla Valley in Akre District.

Though Assyrians do not take part in the hostilities, they experience the direct consequences of this conflict. For decades, Assyrians have been caught in the crossfire of the wider Turkey-PKK conflict, including in neighboring Turkey where Assyrian villages in Mardin Province and Srnak Province were emptied of their indigenous inhabitants as a result of the heightened conflict in the 1980s.8 More recently in Syria, Turkey has targeted the People's Protection Units (YPG), a PKK-affiliated militia, in parts of the Khabour Region--further diminishing any prospects for return for Assyrians displaced by ISIS.9 Fareed Yacoob, an Assyrian parliamentarian serving in the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament, told the Assyrian Policy Institute: "Assyrians always end up paying the biggest price for conflicts they want no part in."10

Indeed, Iraq's Assyrians have been witnesses to and victims of war, ethno-religious persecution, forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. While many have, to some extent, become accustomed to violence, the destructive and highly visible nature of the strikes often cause a re-traumatization of these experiences, leading to increased feelings of insecurity and uncertainty.

Despite mounting pressure against Turkey's operations in the region, the airstrikes continue. Prospects for nonviolent ways forward look bleak. Turkey has consolidated its presence on the ground in the KRI, establishing additional military bases in Duhok and Erbil Governorates.11 The PKK shows no signs of withdrawal from their current positions near Assyrian villages in the KRI. Tensions between the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PKK have risen in recent months over control of strategic territories.12 Inaction from the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has left locals unconvinced of the government's ability to maintain control and resolve the conflict.

The ongoing Turkey-PKK conflict must be seen both within the microcosm of regional geopolitics and within the context of heightening risks for threatened groups like Assyrians. This report focuses exclusively on the situation for the Assyrian people in the context of the Turkey-PKK conflict in northern Iraq. It documents the consistent challenges to their security and livelihoods as a result of this conflict, and conveys recommendations drafted out of concern for Assyrian human rights and longevity in Iraq.
By Kang Seung-woo



Debates are rising over ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) chief Lee Nak-yon's proposal for a profit-sharing scheme aimed at encouraging profitable companies to distribute their earnings to those hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.





Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon attends the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

ARLINGTON, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leader Bank, N.A. is pleased to announce that the Bank will continue to be a proud participant in the next round of the SBA'S Paycheck Protection Program, also known as the PPP. As an MDI institution, Leader Bank will be one of the first institutions to accept PPP applications in Massachusetts.

During 2020, Leader Bank lent over $120 Million in PPP funds to support thousands of local businesses in a time of need. "We are proud to continue being a leader in our participation in the PPP program and we are thrilled to be able to provide assistance to small businesses, in particular minority-owned businesses, in a time of need," said Sushil Tuli, Chairman & CEO of Leader Bank. "Leader Bank has long been focused on helping small business owners, and nearly 90% of our loans made to date under PPP were less than $150,000 to help support workers and businesses in our community."

Those wishing to apply for PPP loans with Leader Bank, which can include a "second draw" for those customer who previously received a PPP loan, will be able to begin submitting their PPP applications at 12:01 am on January 13th at http:///www.leaderbizloans.com. "We have invested in technology and other tools to automate and expedite the PPP loan application process and excited to create many new long-term relationships," said Mr. Tuli.

Leader Bank was also named Massachusetts Lender of the Year in 2020 to Minorities by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

About Leader Bank

With assets of over $2 billion, Leader Bank, N.A. is a nationally chartered bank founded in 2002 with seven full-service branches in Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Burlington, and Cambridge. Leader Bank offers a full range of personal and business banking products including personal and business checking accounts, commercial and residential lending products, home equity lines of credit, deposit products with highly competitive rates and free online banking and bill payment services. Visit Leader Bank's website at www.leaderbank.com or any one of the Bank's convenient branch locations for more information. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #449250.

SOURCE Leader Bank

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A military confrontation between Sudan and Ethiopia along their border is reported to be approaching with growing tensions between the two nations. According to Anadolu Agency News, a Sudanese military source, who preferred being anonymous, said that the Ethiopian forces have carried out various operations in the area, resulting in the dead of innocent people, which in turn has provoked Sudan. He also said that the Sudanese military is prepared and ready to protect its lands.

This comes after Ethiopia accused the Sudanese army of continuing to "encroach" on its borders. With this, Ethiopia indicated that the conflict between Addis Ababa and Khartoum has not been resolved. Recently, the Ethiopian Boundary Commission issued a statement saying that the Ethiopian-Sudanese border has been the subject of disputes between the two countries for more than a century.

Read: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia Say Talks On Disputed Dam Deadlocked

The border demarcation agreement was signed for the first time in the year 1902. However, the two sides did not specify it. Sudans information minister and government spokesman Faisal Mohamed Saleh said the country did not want war with Ethiopia but added that the forces will respond to any kind of aggressive act.

Heightened clashes

Meanwhile, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok met his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmad. The meeting took place in the African nation of Djibouti on the sidelines of a regional summit scheduled for later. The meeting took place just days after a cross-border assault by Ethiopian forces and militias on Sudanese troops killed at least four Sudanese troops and wounded a dozen others in the Abu Tyour area in eastern Sudan's al-Qadarif province.

As per a state-run news agency Suna, Sudan deployed troops in the contested border area of al-Fashqa to reclaim the land controlled by Ethiopian farmers and militias.

Read: Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia Agree To Hold Trilateral Talks To Resolve Nile River Dispute

In another significant development, the United States officially excluded Sudan from the country's list of terror sponsors. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Sudan's designation as "State Sponsor of Terrorism" has been revoked, marking a new beginning of the bilateral relationship between Washington and Khartoum. Sudan was added to the list in 1993 and has been removed after a 45-day Congressional review following US President Donald Trump's announcement that the country would be removed from the list.

Read: Sudan's PM Announces Formation Of National Mechanism After UNAMID Withdrawal

Also Read: Sudan Removed From US Terror Blacklist, Pompeo Hopes To Build 'stronger Relationship'

(Image Credits: AP)
House lawmakers still reeling from last Wednesdays attack on the U.S. Capitol by President Donald Trump loyalists were shaken Monday by a Capitol Police briefing that warned of potential plots to overwhelm authorities and assassinate Democrats and Republicans who stand in the way of keeping Trump in power.

HuffPost reported after midnight that Capitol Police are monitoring three separate demonstrations that could turn violent, including a plot to swarm the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court and potentially murder lawmakers to ensure Republicans seize control of government, according to a private call with House Democrats Monday night.

Multiple lawmakers told HuffPost they were also briefed on a demonstration described as the largest armed protest ever to take place on American soil and a protest honoring Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed as she tried to climb into the Speakers lobby with a pro-Trump mob behind her.

The siege on the Capitol left five dead, including a police officer. More than 50 police officers were injured and authorities arrested more than 80 people.

News of the harrowing plots comes as law enforcement braces for potential violence amid warnings of armed protests at state houses nationwide, and as officials prepare for President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20. The National Guard and several other law enforcement agencies are working to bolster security.

Trump on Monday declared a state of emergency leading up to the inauguration, allowing the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist, and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Americans to avoid traveling to the city.

The Massachusetts State Police said Monday afternoon that authorities are not aware of any specific threat to government venues or public safety in the commonwealth.

Police instructed House Democrats during the private call not to share too much information to prevent aiding organizers, according to HuffPost, which chose not to disclose details on organizers or when and where the demonstrations were planned.

Capitol Police have established a new perimeter including fencing and razor wire around the Capitol. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said last week the 7-foot non-scalable barrier will remain in place for 30 days.

Last Wednesday, after thousands peacefully protested the election results, many Trump loyalists marched on the Capitol and shoved, punched and threw things at police before smashing doors and walls of the building just as lawmakers sought to finalize Bidens victory.

Others in the mob were allowed to proceed in and out of the Capitol by police; Capitol Police say they have suspended several officers in connection with the attack.

Democrats and Republicans alike have accused Trump of inciting an insurrection on his own Capitol. The president fired up his supporters before the attack, consistently calling on them to fight and admonishing Vice President Mike Pence, who had pledged to do his constitutional duty and simply announce the Electoral College vote tally, certifying Bidens win.

Rudy Giuliani, the presidents lawyer, also addressed the throng before they marched, calling for trial by combat. The remarks, paired with Giulianis relentless, and failed, attempts to overturn the election with baseless claims of voter fraud and irregularities, prompted condemnation and investigation by the New York State Bar Association, which could seek to boot the former New York City mayor.

Trump supporters, encouraged by the president to amass in the nations capital last week, organized the attack on a range of online forums and platforms, including Parler, according to BuzzFeed. Several called for Pences and other lawmakers execution. Videos and photos posted throughout the day on social media showed several makeshift nooses, amid reports that members of the mob tried to seek out, and hang, Pence or others.

Organizers now have fewer options to communicate but are improvising on forums and secure messaging services after Goggle and Apple removed Parler from its app store and Amazon denied the platform access to its web hosting service. Each of the tech giants said Parler, an alternative to Twitter that saw an increasing number of conservatives and far-right users in recent weeks, failed to properly moderate and prevent threatening posts.

After permanently suspending Trumps Twitter account over the potential incitement of more violence, Twitter has removed tens of thousands of accounts linked to the far right QAnon conspiracy theory, according to the Associated Press.

Related Content:
Three members of Congress who have tested positive for the coronavirus this week say they believe their infections are linked to their time spent in a secure location with colleagues who did not wear masks during the rampage last week in the U.S. Capitol.

Representative Brad Schneider, Democrat of Illinois, said he received a positive test result Tuesday morning after driving home to Illinois, and that he did not have symptoms. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Pramila Jayapal of Washington announced positive tests on Monday.

The three lawmakers, all Democrats, directly blamed a group of House Republicans who refused to wear masks while sheltering in a secure location during the riot.

Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wifes health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff, Mr. Schneider said.


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK, GSK.L) announced Tuesday an agreement with the U.K.-based AGILE initiative to evaluate VIR-7832 in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial.



The trial is due to begin in the first quarter of 2021.



VIR-7832 is a neutralizing COVID-19 antibody that preclinical data suggests has two distinguishing properties. These are an enhanced ability to clear infected cells and the potential to enhance virus-specific T-cell function, which could help treat and/or prevent COVID-19 infection.



The AGILE trial platform will be the first to test VIR-7832 in humans. According to the companies, the AGILE trial platform uses adaptable protocols and statistical models to enable the evaluation of candidate medicines for COVID-19 treatment.



The initiative is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Southampton and Lancaster University and coordinated by the National Institute for Health Research Southampton Clinical Trials Unit across the UK Clinical Research Facility Network.



Hal Barron, chief scientific officer and president R&D, GSK, said, 'While vaccine development has been very successful, current infection and hospitalization rates show that multiple vaccines and therapeutic options will be needed to combat and ultimately end this pandemic. We are grateful to everyone involved in the AGILE study for supporting this important research and expect initial results from the study to provide important insights into the use of VIR-7832 early in the course of infection with SARS-CoV-2.'



VIR-7832 is set to become the second monoclonal antibody from the Vir-GSK collaboration to be investigated as a potential COVID-19 treatment. The first antibody, VIR-7831, is currently being investigated in two global phase 3 studies; for the early treatment of COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk of hospitalization, and for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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The first flight ferrying coronavirus vaccine from Pune's Serum Institute of India has reached Delhi at 10 am on Tuesday, four days ahead of the nationwide inoculation drive launch. Spicejet flight SG8937 with the consignment departed from Pune at 8 am. SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh said, "Proud to say that SpiceJet carried India's first consignment of COVID vaccines from Pune to Delhi this morning".





Proud to say that @flyspicejet carried Indias first consignment of COVID vaccines from Pune to Delhi this morning. pic.twitter.com/OlloFf58ly  Ajay Singh (@AjaySingh_SG) January 12, 2021

The first consignment to Delhi comprises 34 boxes weighing 1,088kg. The consignment is likely to head to Rajiv Gandhi hospital in Delhi. They won't be stored in airport cargo terminals anywhere in India.

On Tuesday, three trucks carrying the Covishield vaccine reached Pune International Airport from Serum's headquarters. The consignment reported consisted of 478 vaccine boxes, each weighing 32 kg. These vaccines are being transported to 13 locations across the country from where they will be further distributed.

Besides Delhi, the vaccines will be dispatched to 12 other locations across the country in seven more flights by 10 am on Tuesday, the source said.

The locations include Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Karnal, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar.

The cargo will be dispatched in two flights -- the first cargo flight will cover Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Bhubaneswar and the second cargo flight will go to Kolkata and Guwahati.

Consignment for Mumbai will leave by road. Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry the vaccine stocks from Serum Institute.

India's vaccination drive will begin on January 16.

Also read: First consignment of COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in Kolkata today

Also read: First Covishield consignment leaves Serum Institute's Pune facility ahead of Jan 16 rollout
President Moon Jae-in apologized during his New Year's address on Monday for his government's failure to tame soaring real estate prices. "It is truly regrettable that housing-related hardships have immensely disappointed the people," Moon said. It was the first time the president apologized for the government's unrelenting and disastrous regulation of the real estate market. The Moon administration rolled out no fewer than 24 separate real estate regulation packages since 2017 but was unable to cap breakneck surges in apartment prices.

In November 2019, Moon said he was "confident" about taming soaring apartment prices and solving the shortage of homes. At the time apartment prices in the capital had soared by tens of millions of won in the span of just a month, prompting many jittery young couples to borrow heavily to purchase homes (US$1=W1,097). Even until August of last year, Moon was "confident" that he had cracked the problem and their effects were "becoming gradually apparent" and apartment prices "stabilizing."

About a year ago, Moon also said he managed to stabilize apartment rents and joense or Korean-style deposit leases that he described as "insane." But the laws boosting tenants' rights that ruling lawmakers bulldozed through parliament ended up pushing rents to the highest in five years, and many landlords kicked their tenants out and moved in themselves.

Since Moon took office in 2017, apartment prices in Seoul have surged 58 percent to reach record levels. In central Seoul they are the third-highest in the world. This is the direct result of real estate policies that ignored market principles and simply blamed owners of multiple homes. The government's fatal misdiagnosis ended up causing apartment prices to surge across the country as people scrambled to buy homes before prices rose even higher. After four years of policy blunders, Moon now says he is sorry and wants to "focus on boosting supply." Even if he does go to work doing that now, the effects will become apparent in four or five years, by which he is long gone. Saying sorry is not enough.


January 12, 2021 in Utility (E)

[prMac.com] Atlantic Beach, Florida - Tropical Software today is pleased to announce the Universal release of 2Remember, now available from the Tropical website and the Mac App Store. 2Remember 1.3 Universal, for Big Sur and Apple Silicon, is an easy-to-use reminder app, offering a simple but powerful way to incorporate simple task management with reminders into your daily Mac life. 2Remember takes only a tiny space on your screen but has numerous options for reminders, including, flashing icon on dock, flashing tab red, alert and sound. 2Remember hides just offscreen as soon as any app opens, but unhides when the cursor is moved over tab.



"When you see 2Remember you might be tempted to ask, 'Why, with Apple Calendar Events, Reminders and Tasks, and many other To-Do and task programs, why would I want 2Remember?'" explained James Lee, founder of Tropical Software. "To me the answer is simplicity itself and I don't mean that the answer is simple. I mean 2Remember is simple, easy to learn, easy to use, uncluttered, and attractive- everything I want in reminder application."



2Remember, a handy way to keep your key tasks on your desktop yet out of the way. This release of 2Remember for Mac compliments Tropical's productivity suite including award-winning personal note manager TopXNotes for Mac and KitchenTimer.



System Requirements:

* Any Intel or Apple Silicon based Macintosh computer

* mac OS 10.9 or higher



Pricing and Availability:

2Remember 1.3 is only $4.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category.

Tropical Software makes the award-winning TopXNotes, a modern personal note manager with state of the art proprietary encryption technology for the ultimate in securing personal information, handy Kitchen Timer, and now, 2Remember, a handy way to keep your key tasks on your desktop yet out of the way. Located in Atlantic Beach, Florida, Tropical Software is owned and operated by former Apple employee James Lee, and is dedicated to improving the lives of its customers by offering easy to use productivity software for Macs and Apple touch devices including iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Copyright (C) 2021 Tropical Software. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod, iPad and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Representatives of social media firms, including Twitter, are and will always remain safe in India: IT Ministry.

Through its actions, deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India's legal system: IT Ministry.

Twitter attempting to dictate terms to world's largest democracy: IT Ministry.
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Cancun Hotel Association hopes to have tourist service providers vaccinated by Fall

Cancun, Q.R.  The Cancun Hotel Association has made contact with two labs in a bid to purchase vaccines for their tourist service providers. The association has made contact with both AztraSeneca in Mexico and Pfizer in the U.S. in hopes of being able to make the purchase by September.

We made contact with two laboratories, one in the United States and the other here in Mexico, to acquire the vaccines for the private sector. This would mean the personnel who have direct contact with visitors are shielded, they said.

The hotel sector is preparing to purchase half-a-million doses at a cost of just under 800 pesos for each one. They are hoping to be able to have it completed before September.

The production of vaccines is what slows down the process of obtaining them, however, they could be ready for this year, they added.

AstraZeneca seems the most promising about being able to deliver the required vaccines

The association said that AstraZeneca was the most promising laboratory for having the vaccines by September. With the initial purchase of 500,000 doses, 250,000 tourist service providers would be protected, each receiving the necessary two doses of the vaccine.

According to the state Secretary of Tourism, more than 450,000 people work in the tourism industry in the state of Quintana Roo. Last week, the Cancun Hotel Association said they were considering a strategy to help deal with the pandemic. Part of that strategy, was the vaccination of its tourist service providers.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The trilateral working group chaired by the Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Ministers with the purpose of unblocking all economic and transport communications in the region will be chaired from the Armenian side by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, his office said in a news release.

The trilateral task force is being created in pursuance of a statement signed between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan at the January 11 summit.

The working group, which will deal with the implementation of clause 9 of the 2020 November 9 statement between the Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani leaders, will hold its first meeting by January 30, 2021.

The results of the first meeting are expected to elaborate the primary directions of work in pursuance of clause 9 of the agreement, prioritizing railway and road communications, as well as define other agreed directions between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

12 January 2021

Regulatory News:

TechnipFMC plc ("TechnipFMC") (NYSE:FTI) (Paris:FTI) (ISIN:GB00BDSFG982) announces that on 12 January 2021, it filed a Current Report on Form 8-K (the "Form 8-K") under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") disclosing TechnipFMC's entry into certain material agreements relating to TechnipFMC's previously announced separation into two industry-leading, independent, publicly traded companies.

On January 7, 2021, TechnipFMC plc (the "Company") entered into the following agreements related to its planned separation into two industry-leading, independent, publicly traded companies (the "Spin-off"):

a Separation and Distribution Agreement (the "SDA") with Technip Energies B.V. ("Technip Energies");

a Share Purchase Agreement (the "Share Purchase Agreement") with Bpifrance Participations SA ("BPI");

a Relationship Agreement with Technip Energies and BPI (the "Relationship Agreement"); and

a Commitment Letter (the "Commitment Letter") with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., DNB Capital, LLC, Societe Generale, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Bank of America, N.A., BofA Securities, Inc., Standard Chartered Bank and The Northern Trust Company, and certain of their affiliates (collectively, the "Commitment Parties").

The descriptions below of the SDA, Share Purchase Agreement, Relationship Agreement, and Commitment Letter, and the transactions contemplated thereby, do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, the complete terms and conditions of the SDA, Share Purchase Agreement, Relationship Agreement, and Commitment Letter, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4, respectively, to the Form 8-K.

Separation and Distribution Agreement

The SDA sets forth Technip Energies' agreements with the Company regarding the principal actions to be taken in connection with the Spin-off.

Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities. The SDA identifies the assets to be transferred, liabilities to be retained or assumed (as applicable) and contracts to be assigned to each of the Company and Technip Energies, the purpose of which is to ensure that, as at the time of the distribution of Technip Energies shares held by the Company to the Company's shareholders in connection with the Spin-off (the "Distribution"), Technip Energies and Technip Energies' subsidiaries own all of the assets required to operate the Technip Energies business and retain or assume (as applicable) all of the liabilities that relate to its business (whether arising prior to, at or after the date of execution of the SDA), unless otherwise agreed.

The SDA provides for when and how such transfers, assumptions and assignments will occur (to the extent that such transfers, assumptions and assignments have not already occurred prior to the parties' entry into the SDA). The SDA further sets forth the basis on which specified assets or liabilities (or any part thereof), the transfer of which is subject to a third party consent which has not been obtained by the date on which implementation of the separation occurs in the relevant jurisdiction, will continue to be held by the relevant transferor for the account, risk and economic benefit of, and at the cost of, the relevant transferee.

Conditions to Closing. The SDA also provides that several conditions must be satisfied, or waived by the Company, before the Spin-off can occur, including:

the SDA and the transactions contemplated by the SDA shall have been approved by each of the board of directors of the Company (the "TechnipFMC Board") and Technip Energies (the "Technip Energies Board"), and such approvals shall not have been withdrawn;

the European prospectus (the "EU Prospectus") filed in the Netherlands with the Stichting Autoriteit Financiele Markten (the "AFM") registering the Technip Energies shares shall have been approved by the AFM, with no stop order in effect with respect thereto;

the actions and filings necessary or appropriate under applicable securities laws in connection with the Distribution shall have been taken or made, and, where applicable, have become effective or been accepted by the applicable governmental authority;

the registration statement on Form F-1 (the "Form F-1") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission registering the Technip Energies shares shall be effective under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with no stop order in effect with respect thereto and no proceedings for that purpose being pending before or threatened by the Securities and Exchange Commission;

the Technip Energies shares to be distributed to the Company's shareholders in the Distribution shall have been accepted for listing on the Euronext Paris (Compartment A) stock exchange ("Euronext Paris"), subject to official notice of distribution; the Spin-off shall have been completed and (i) the Company, as of the effective time of the Spin-off, shall have no further liability whatsoever under the financing arrangements of Technip Energies (including in connection with any guarantees provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries) and (ii) Technip Energies, as of the effective time of the Spin-off, shall have no liability whatsoever under the financing arrangements of the Company;

the Distribution shall have been validly completed by Technip Energies to the Company;

the Company will have requested the resignation of each person who is an officer or director of the Company or any of its subsidiaries prior to the date of the Distribution (the "Distribution Date") and who will continue solely as an officer or director of Technip Energies or any of its subsidiaries following the Distribution Date;

the Company will have entered into a Distribution Agent Agreement with, or provided instructions regarding the Distribution to, the distribution agent;

the transactions contemplated by the financing arrangements of each of the Company and Technip Energies shall have been consummated prior to or on the Distribution Date;

each of the ancillary agreements contemplated by the SDA shall have been duly executed and delivered by the parties thereto;

all material governmental approvals necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by the SDA shall have been obtained and be in full force and effect;

no order, injunction or decree issued by any court or agency of competent jurisdiction or other legal restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the SDA shall be in effect, and no other event outside the control of the Company shall have occurred or failed to occur that prevents the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the SDA; and

no events or developments shall have occurred or exist that, in the judgment of the TechnipFMC Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, make it inadvisable to effect the transactions contemplated by the SDA, or would result in the transactions contemplated by the SDA not being in the best interest of the Company or its shareholders.

The Distribution. The SDA governs the rights and obligations of the parties with respect to the Spin-off and certain actions that must occur prior to the Distribution. The Company has sole and absolute discretion to determine whether, when and on what basis to proceed with all or part of the Distribution. Intercompany Arrangements. All agreements, arrangements, commitments and understandings, including most intercompany accounts payable or accounts receivable, between Technip Energies, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, will terminate effective as of the completion of the Spin-off, except specified agreements and arrangements that are intended to survive completion of the Spin-off that are either transactional in nature or at arms' length terms.

Representations and Warranties. Technip Energies and the Company each provide customary representations and warranties as to each other's respective capacity to enter into the SDA. Except as expressly set forth in the SDA or any ancillary agreement, neither Technip Energies nor the Company make any representation or warranty as to the assets, business or liabilities transferred or assumed as part of the separation, or as to the legal sufficiency of any assignment, document or instrument delivered to convey title to any asset or thing of value to be transferred in connection with the Spin-off. Except as expressly set forth in the SDA and certain other ancillary agreements, all assets will be transferred on an "as is," "where is" basis.

Indemnification. Technip Energies and the Company each have agreed to indemnify the other and each of the other's directors, officers, agents and employees against certain liabilities, in each case for uncapped amounts, incurred in connection with the Spin-off and Technip Energies' and the Company's respective businesses, including: (i) liabilities of Technip Energies or the Company, as applicable, resulting, directly or indirectly, from liabilities of the other party; (ii) any breach by Technip Energies or the Company, as applicable, of the SDA or the other agreements entered into between Technip Energies and the Company for purposes of effecting the Spin-off and providing a framework for Technip Energies' relationship with the Company after the Spin-off; (iii) any third party claim that the use of licensed intellectual property by Technip Energies or the Company, as applicable, infringes upon the intellectual property rights of such third party; (iv) any guarantee, indemnification or contribution obligation, letter of credit reimbursement obligation, surety, bond or other credit support agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding for the benefit of Technip Energies or the Company, as applicable, by the other party, except for any such liability relating to a liability of such beneficiary; (v) untrue statements or alleged untrue statements of material facts or omissions or alleged omissions to state a material fact required to be stated in the EU Prospectus or the Form F-1 necessary to make the statements in the EU Prospectus or the Form F-1 not misleading with respect to information contained therein; and (vi) any breach by Technip Energies or the Company of that certain Deferred Prosecution Agreement entered into as of June 25, 2019, by and between the Company and the U.S. Department of Justice. Additionally, the Company has agreed to indemnify Technip Energies and Technip Energies' directors, officers, agents and employees against liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any monetary penalty issued by the Parquet National Financier arising from its ongoing investigation as previously disclosed by the Company.

Release of Claims. Technip Energies and the Company each have agreed to release the other and its affiliates, successors and assigns, and all persons that, prior to completion of the Spin-off, have been the other's shareholders, directors, officers, agents or employees, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, from any claims against any of them that arise out of or relate to Technip Energies' and the Company's respective businesses, provided that such release will not be effective with respect to: (i) any liability provided in or resulting from certain existing agreements between Technip Energies and the Company to the extent such liability is specified as not to terminate as of the effective time of the Spin-off; (ii) any liability provided in or resulting from a contract or understanding entered into after the effective time of the Spin-off between Technip Energies and the Company and Technip Energies' and the Company's respective affiliates; (iii) any liability assumed, transferred, assigned or allocated to Technip Energies and Technip Energies' affiliates or the Company and its affiliates in accordance with the SDA or the other agreements entered into between Technip Energies and the Company for purposes of effecting the Spin-off and providing a framework for Technip Energies relationship with the Company after the Spin-off; or (iv) any liability that Technip Energies or the Company have with respect to indemnification or contribution pursuant to the SDA or otherwise for claims brought against Technip Energies or the Company by third parties that are governed by terms of the SDA.

Termination. Prior to the Distribution, the Company has the unilateral right to terminate or to modify the terms of the SDA. Neither Technip Energies nor the Company may rescind the SDA, except by an agreement in writing signed by Technip Energies and the Company, in any circumstances whatsoever following the completion of the Distribution.

Transfer of Technip Energies shares and American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") by the Company. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Company will not, without the written consent of Technip Energies: (i) for a period of 60 days after the date of the Distribution, transfer, donate, sell, assign, pledge, hypothecate, grant a security interest in or otherwise dispose or attempt to dispose ("Transfer") all or any portion of its interests or rights in any Technip Energies shares or ADRs; (ii) prior to a change of control of Technip Energies, Transfer any Technip Energies shares or ADRs to certain competitors of Technip Energies; (iii) prior to a change of control of Technip Energies, knowingly Transfer any Technip Energies shares or ADRs through an accelerated book build (an "ABB"), fully marketed offering or off-market sale to a person who would, upon completion of such Transfer, beneficially own 10% or more of the outstanding Technip Energies shares and ADRs or that would otherwise trigger a mandatory public tender offer under applicable Dutch and French laws; or (iv) prior to a change of control of Technip Energies, sell Technip Energies shares or ADRs on Euronext Paris or any other securities exchange on which such Technip Energies shares or ADRs become listed in excess of 25% of the average daily trading volume of the Technip Energies shares and ADRs for the five business days preceding the date of such sale. Until the Company beneficially owns less than 5% of the outstanding Technip Energies shares and ADRs, Technip Energies will, among other things, reasonably cooperate with the Company to (a) optimize (1) any offering of Technip Energies shares or ADRs by the Company that entails Technip Energies' involvement in the form of a management road show and/or the preparation of a prospectus or similar offering document and (2) any sale of a block of Technip Energies shares and ADRs beneficially owned by the Company and (b) maintain the effectiveness of a universal registration statement and the listing of the Technip Energies shares on Euronext Paris. At least 3 business days prior to the announcement of any ABB relating to the sale of Technip Energies shares or ADRs by the Company, the Company shall deliver written notice to Technip Energies specifying in reasonable detail the number of Technip Energies shares or ADRs the Company intends to offer in such sale and any other material terms and conditions of the proposed ABB. Subject to certain adjustments and applicable law, at any time prior to the announcement of such ABB, Technip Energies may, in its sole discretion, deliver a written notice to the Company, which notice shall be binding upon Technip Energies and the Company, to purchase from the Company up to (i) a fixed euro amount of Technip Energies share or ADRs or (ii) a fixed number of Technip Energies shares or ADRs, in either case at a clearing price in the ABB. At least 15 business days prior to the announcement of a fully marketed offering of Technip Energies shares or ADRs by the Company, the Company shall deliver a written notice to Technip Energies stating the Company's intention to undertake such fully marketed offering. Within 5 business days of the date on which such notice is delivered, Technip Energies may deliver a written notice to the Company requesting that Technip Energies and the Company engage in discussions regarding a potential purchase by Technip Energies of Technip Energies shares or ADRs from the Company. Upon receipt of such notice, the Company shall engage in good faith discussions regarding a potential purchase of Technip Energies shares or ADRs for a period of five business days.

Board Representation. The Company shall have the right to propose to the Technip Energies Board (i) two nominees, so long as it owns at least 18% of the outstanding number of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, in the aggregate, and (ii) one nominee, so long as it owns at least 5%, but less than 18%, of the outstanding number of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, in the aggregate. The Company will lose the right to designate any directors to the Technip Energies Board if its beneficial ownership of Technip Energies shares and ADRs decreases below 5% of the outstanding number of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, in the aggregate.

Voting Agreement. Until the earlier of (i) the time that the Company's beneficial ownership of Technip Energies shares and ADRs decreases below 10% of the outstanding number of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, in the aggregate, and (ii) the occurrence of a change of control of Technip Energies, the Company has agreed to vote, or cause to be voted, all Technip Energies shares and ADRs beneficially owned by the Company (a) as recommended by the Technip Energies Board with respect to each such matter or (b) in the same proportion that the Technip Energies shares and ADRs not beneficially owned by the Company are voted for or against, or abstains with respect to each such matter, in each case at any general or special meeting of the shareholders of Technip Energies at which any of the following matters are submitted to a vote of holders of Technip Energies shares and ADRs: (A) the election of any directors to the Technip Energies Board, (B) the removal of any directors from the Technip Energies Board, (C) compensation of any member of the Technip Energies Board or any executive officer of Technip Energies, (D) remuneration policies, (E) the appointment of any third party auditor of Technip Energies, (F) statutory accounts, (G) annual discharge of the members of the Technip Energies Board, or (H) authorization delegated to the Technip Energies Board with respect to any right of Technip Energies to repurchase Technip Energies shares or ADRs, issue additional Technip Energies shares or ADRs or to exclude any preemptive rights granted in respect of any Technip Energies shares or ADRs. Until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of a change of control of Technip Energies and (ii) the termination of the Relationship Agreement, at any Technip Energies general or special meeting at which the election of any director that has been proposed by BPI pursuant to the Relationship Agreement is submitted to a vote of holders of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, the Company shall vote, or cause to be voted, all Technip Energies shares and ADRs beneficially owned by the Company in favor of the election of each such director.

Standstill. Until the Company beneficially owns less than 5% of the outstanding Technip Energies shares and ADRs, the Company will not, among other things, and subject to certain limited exceptions, without the prior written consent of Technip Energies: (i) effect, offer or seek to effect, propose or participate in any change of control, acquisition of, or merger, amalgamation, recapitalization, reorganization, business combination or other extraordinary transaction involving Technip Energies or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their respective securities or assets; (ii) call, or seek to call a general or special meeting of the shareholders of Technip Energies or initiate any shareholder proposal for action by the shareholders of Technip Energies; (iii) form, join, or in any way participate in a Group (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) for the purpose of voting, acquiring, holding, or disposing of any Technip Energies share or ADRs; (iv) make or in any way participate, directly or indirectly, in any solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations to vote, or seek to advise or influence any person with respect to the voting of, Technip Energies shares and ADRs; (v) nominate candidates for election to the Technip Energies Board or otherwise seek representation on the Technip Energies Board other than as expressly set forth in the SDA; (vi) publicly seek, alone or in concert with others, to control, advise, change or influence the management of Technip Energies or any of its subsidiaries, the Technip Energies Board or the governance or policies of Technip Energies or any of its subsidiaries; (vii) publicly seek to effect any material changes in the capitalization structure of Technip Energies; (viii) publicly propose to or seek to effect any amendment or modification to the constituent documents of Technip Energies; (ix) acquire, offer to acquire or agree to acquire (or seek or propose to acquire), by purchase or otherwise, beneficial ownership of any Technip Energies shares and ADRs, other than with respect to the Technip Energies shares and ADRs beneficially owned by the Company as a result of the Distribution or the Spin-off; (x) publicly propose to amend or waive any provision of Section 5.12 of the SDA; or (xi) enter into any discussion, negotiation, agreement, arrangement or understanding with another person with respect to any of the foregoing.

Mutual non-solicitation undertaking. Subject to certain customary exceptions, each of Technip Energies and the Company have agreed to a two-year mutual non-solicitation undertaking regarding the other party's employees.

Mutual non-competition undertaking. Subject to certain customary exceptions, each of the Company and Technip Energies has agreed to a five-year mutual non-competition undertaking regarding the other party's activities.

Other matters governed by the SDA. Other matters governed by the SDA include, without limitation, insurance arrangements, confidentiality, mutual assistance and information sharing after completion of the Distribution, treatment and replacement of credit support, and transfer of and post-separation access to certain books and records.

Share Purchase Agreement

Purchase Price and BPI Ownership. BPI will purchase from the Company a number of Technip Energies shares (the "Investment") equal to (a) $200,000,000 (the "Purchase Price") divided by (b) (i) the volume-weighted average price per share of Technip Energies shares on Euronext Paris over the thirty (30) consecutive trading days beginning on the first trading day after the Distribution Date (the "VWAP Period"), as such volume-weighted average price per share is reported by Euronext Paris (or, if Euronext Paris is not available for any reason, Bloomberg) or, if not reported by such source, is calculated on the last trading day of the VWAP Period with daily volume-weighted average price per share and daily volumes reported at the close of each trading day by Euronext Paris (or, if Euronext Paris is not available for any reason, Bloomberg), calculated to four decimal places multiplied by (ii) 0.94. BPI's ownership (excluding shares BPI will receive in the Distribution for its current holdings) will be collared between 11.82% (the "Floor") and 17.25% (the "Cap"). If the number of shares owed to BPI exceed the Cap, its ownership will be maintained at the Cap and the Purchase Price will be reduced accordingly. If the number of shares owed to BPI following the VWAP Period is below the Floor, BPI is entitled to terminate the Share Purchase Agreement, and if BPI decides to do so, the Company will refund the Purchase Price.

Conditions to Closing. The Share Purchase Agreement provides that several conditions must be satisfied, or waived by the Company or BPI, as applicable, including:

the transactions contemplated by the SDA, including the Distribution, shall have been consummated in all material respects;

the agreed competition law approvals shall have been obtained prior to May 31, 2021;

each of the following items shall be in a substantially similar form as provided or communicated to BPI: (i) the SDA, (ii) the provisions in the EU Prospectus and Form F-1 describing (A) the assets to be transferred to, and liabilities to be assumed by, Technip Energies in connection with the Spin-off, (B) the Distribution, (C) the Share Purchase Agreement, the Relationship Agreement and the Investment, (D) the post-Distribution Date governance and corporate office and headquarters of Technip Energies, and (E) the financial information related to Technip Energies;

the guidance published by Technip Energies, whether in the EU Prospectus or Form F-1 or otherwise, shall be conforming in all but de minimis respects to the guidance provided to BPI;

the pro forma gross financial indebtedness of Technip Energies (on a consolidated basis) as of the Distribution Date shall not exceed an aggregate amount of $900.0 million, of which no more than $150.0 million shall be commercial paper; and

the corporate office and headquarters of Technip Energies (including the management and main corporate functions) shall be located in France.

Termination. The Share Purchase Agreement may be terminated by written notice of either the Company or BPI if applicable conditions precedent are not satisfied or waived by May 31, 2021. In addition, the Share Purchase Agreement may be terminated by written notice of BPI to the Company if the number of shares owed to BPI following the VWAP Period would fall below the Floor or the Distribution Date has not occurred by March 30, 2021.

Relationship Agreement

Governance Rights. BPI shall have the right to propose to the Technip Energies Board (i) two nominees, so long as it owns at least 18% of the outstanding number of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, in the aggregate, and (ii) one nominee, so long as it owns at least 5%, but less than 18%, of the outstanding number of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, in the aggregate. As from the Distribution Date, BPI is entitled to propose two non-executive members for election at future general meetings occurring prior to the vote on the Company's annual financial statements of the fiscal year following the year in which the Distribution Date occurs, regardless of the percentage of Technip Energies shares and ADRs it owns, subject to certain exceptions if the Investment is not completed.

Preemptive Rights. As long as BPI owns any Technip Energies shares, if the Technip Energies Board decides to issue additional shares, other than an Excluded Issuance, BPI has a preemptive right to purchase its pro rata shares based on its percentage ownership of Technip Energies shares. An "Excluded Issuance" means an issuance (i) as consideration of an acquisition, merger or similar transaction, (ii) pursuant to an income plan or equity incentive plan or (iii) of debt securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, Technip Energies shares.

Access and Information Rights. As long as BPI owns at least 10% of Technip Energies shares, Technip Energies will provide BPI with certain financial information to facilitate BPI's financial reporting and oversight of its investment. Covenants. Pursuant to the Relationship Agreement:

Until the earlier of (i) the date on which BPI no longer maintains beneficial ownership of any outstanding Technip Energies shares and (ii) a change of control of Technip Energies, at any Technip Energies general or special meeting at which the election of any director that has been proposed by the Company pursuant to the SDA is submitted to a vote of holders of Technip Energies shares and ADRs, BPI shall vote, or cause to be voted, all Technip Energies shares beneficially owned by BPI in favor of the election of each such director;

Until the expiration of three years after the Distribution Date, the Technip Energies Board will (i) not adopt a resolution to relocate the Technip Energies corporate office and headquarters and (ii) recommend that its shareholders vote against any proposal to do so.

Lock-Up. BPI agrees, subject to limited exceptions, not to offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, beneficial ownership of any of its Technip Energies shares purchased in connection with the Investment for a period of 180 days after the Distribution Date without receiving the prior written consent of Technip Energies.

Termination. The Relationship Agreement terminates at the earlier of (i) mutual agreement, (ii) the date on which BPI no longer owns any of our shares or (iii) the termination of the Share Purchase Agreement.

Commitment Letter

In the Commitment Letter, certain of the Commitment Parties have committed to provide up to $1.85 billion in secured debt financing, including a $1.0 billion first lien senior secured revolving credit facility and an $850.0 million second lien senior secured bridge loan facility.

The funding and effectiveness of the debt facilities provided for in the Commitment Letter is subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth therein, including consummation of the proposed Spin-off. The proceeds of the debt financing provided for in the Commitment Letter will be used for general corporate purposes (including consummating the transactions contemplated by the SDA and paying transaction costs and expenses in connection therewith), refinancing certain existing debt and working capital.

This release is for informational purposes only, and is not an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any security.

A copy of the Form 8-K can be found on the SEC website (www.sec.gov) and on the TechnipFMC website (investors.technipfmc.com).

A copy of the Form 8-K has also been submitted to the U.K. National Storage Mechanism on the date of this announcement and is, or will shortly be, available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112006102/en/

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Barn destroyed by Wednesday morning fire

Fire destroyed a barn about five miles southeast of Watertown Wednesday, according to a report from Watertown Fire Rescue.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global ultra high purity silicon carbide market size is expected to reach USD 79.0 million by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.8% from 2020 to 2027. The rising penetration of electric vehicles and the growth of the renewable energy sector are projected to provide growth opportunities to market vendors.

Key suggestions from the report:

In terms of both revenue and volume, semiconductor was the largest application segment in 2019. The growth of the segment is attributed to rising requirements of the increasing middle-class population, and thus indirect demand for electronics

By application, LEDs are projected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 15.6% in terms of revenue from 2020 to 2027. Increasing awareness regarding global warming has created a positive impact on the demand for LEDs due to their energy efficiency

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a severe impact on the end-use industries of ultra-high purity silicon carbide (UHPSiC). In terms of volume, demand for UHPSiC is projected to decline by nearly 10% in 2020 from 2019

Asia Pacific was the largest regional market and accounted for a volume share of 48.0% in 2019. High volume production of electronics and LEDs in China , South Korea , and Taiwan is a key growth factor for the regional market

Read 60 page research report with ToC on "Ultra High Purity Silicon Carbide Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Semiconductor, LEDs), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, CSA, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/ultra-high-purity-silicon-carbide-market

Power supplies and photovoltaic inverters are among the significant application areas of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. Moreover, SiC power electronics are adopted in electric vehicle charging products, wind energy infrastructure, and industrial motor drives. Thus, the demand for electric vehicles is expected to boost the growth of ultra-high purity silicon carbide semiconductors. The growing utilization of renewable sources of energy for power generation around the globe is anticipated to drive the market for SiC power semiconductors.

The development of emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G technology, is also anticipated to provide new opportunities for market vendors. Increasing penetration of these technologies, particularly in the U.S., is likely to remain a key factor contributing to the market growth. Companies in the U.S. have invested large sums in these technologies, thereby positively impacting the development of semiconductors required for artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and data centers. For instance, R&D investments in the U.S. semiconductor industry have increased at a CAGR of 6.6% from 1999 to 2019. In the U.S., R&D investments for 2019 amounted to USD 39.8 billion, which was around 17% of its sales, the highest among all the countries.

The increasing demand for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is another key factor projected to fuel market growth over the coming years. Ultra-high purity silicon carbide is used to remove the impurities in LEDs. The LED lighting market is anticipated to register a growth rate of 13.4% from 2020 to 2027 owing to the decline in prices, stringent regulations related to lighting technologies, and efforts taken by various governments in the direction of sustainable development.

Companies in South Korea are involved in the development of silicon carbide technology, which is projected to remain a key driving factor in the long term. For instance, POSCO, one of the leading steel manufacturers in the globe, invested 10 years in the development of SiC single-crystal. In this project, POSCO is working on the development of 150-mm and 100-mm SiC substrate technology, which is close to commercialization. Another manufacturer SK Corporation (SKC) is likely to commercialize 150-mm SiC wafers.

Grand View Research has segmented the global ultra high purity silicon carbide market on the basis of application and region:

Ultra High Purity Silicon Carbide Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Semiconductors



LEDs



Others

Ultra High Purity Silicon Carbide Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



The U.S.





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Germany





U.K.





France



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan



Central & South America



Brazil



Middle East & Africa

List of Key Players of Ultra High Purity Silicon Carbide Market

Washington Mills

CoorsTek Inc.

JJISCO Inc.

Pacific Rundum Co., Ltd.

American Elements

LG Innotek

Find more research reports on Advanced Interior Materials Industry, by Grand View Research:

Electric Vehicle Market  The global electric vehicle market demand was estimated at 2,373.5 thousand units in 2019 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 41.5% 2020 to 2027.

The global electric vehicle market demand was estimated at 2,373.5 thousand units in 2019 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 41.5% 2020 to 2027. Silicon Carbide Market  The global silicon carbide market size was valued at USD 2.52 billion in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of nearly 16.1% from 2020 to 2027.

The global silicon carbide market size was valued at in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of nearly 16.1% from 2020 to 2027. Thin Film Battery Market  The global thin film battery market size was valued at USD 454.1 million in 2019 and is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.5% from 2020 to 2027.

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About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

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Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

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Slated to release on January 13, Vijays much-awaited film Master has been leaked on the internet. Reportedly, the scenes were recorded during a screening for the distributors of the film.

Several scenes from the film are circulating on social media, including the introduction scene from the film. Amidst the chaos, the director of the film Lokesh Kanagaraj and producer XB Film Creators have requested people not to share the leaked clips on the internet.

Lokesh said that it has been a 1.5 year long struggle to bring the film to the audiences. He added that they hope the viewers will enjoy the film in theatres. The filmmaker also said that the film is all yours after a wait of one more day.

Dear all It's been a 1.5 year long struggle to bring Master to u. All we have is hope that you'll enjoy it in theatres. If u come across leaked clips from the movie, please don't share it  Thank u all. Love u all. One more day and #Master is all yours.  Lokesh Kanagaraj (@Dir_Lokesh) January 11, 2021

Apart from Lokesh, others involved with the film are also requesting netizens to not watch and share video clips from the movie scenes. They have also appealed to the fans to report the leaked videos so that they can block such links. Fans can report the links of leaked movie scenes from Master on the email address, report@blockxpiracy.com.

So far, Vijay has not made any statement on the fiasco that has happened just a couple of days before the release of the film.

Read: Vijay's 'Master' Arrives on January 13

It was announced a few days ago that the film will be released in theatres in Tamil Nadu. The state government has allowed 100 percent occupancy in the theatres of the state after Vijay and actor Simbu requested the support of the government in the release of their films. Simbus Eeswaran will release a day after the release of Vijays Master, on January 14.

The decision was met with scepticism by many on social media. A resident doctor also wrote an open letter to the CM, Vijay and Simbu explaining that the situation might worsen because of the new order.

Initially, the film was supposed to be released in 2020, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the release date was moved to 2021.
Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington on June 10, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Iran Giving Al-Qaeda a Second Wind, New Terrorist Base in Iran, Says Pompeo

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that the al-Qaeda terrorist group has a new headquarters in Iran.

Al-Qaeda has a new home base, it is the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pompeo said in a speech at the National Press Club. As a result, bin Ladens wicked creation is poised to gain strength and capabilities.

Pompeo also announced new sanctions on Iran, because of its association with al-Qaeda leaders, and a reward of up to $7 million under the State Department for information that brings al-Qaeda top leader Muhammad Abbatay to justice. He urged United Nations members and all countries to sanction Iran, citing the UN Security Council Resolution 1267.

We ignore this Iran, Al Qaeda Nexus at our own peril. We need to acknowledge it, we must confront it. Indeed, we must defeat it, he said, adding that he was aware that this news might come up as a surprise to many Americans.

Pompeo stated that through American and NATO efforts, al-Qaeda is much smaller in numbers than it was after the September 11, 2001, attacks. He stated further that as the terrorist group was decimated, they needed to look for a safe haven, and that Iran was the perfect choice.

Terrorists belonging to Somalias Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab terror group stand in formation during a show of force in Somalias capital Mogadishu, Somalia, on Oct. 21, 2010. (AFP/Getty Images)

He then gave some background on the relationship between Iran and al-Qaeda.

In the early 90s, al-Qaeda operatives traveled to Iran in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, the heartland of Hezbollah, for explosives training, Pompeo said.

In the period before 911, the Iranian regime told border inspectors not to stamp al-Qaeda members passports when they entered or left Iran on their way to or from Afghanistan. This was to help them avoid suspicion when they returned to their home countries.

He said that in 2011, a New York federal judge ruled that Iran had provided support for the 911 attacks based on the role it played in furthering al-Qaeda operatives plans.

Lets not lie to the American people about Iranian moderation and pretend appeasement will work. Thirty years of cooperation shows that Iran and al-Qaeda is divergent theology is no match for its convergent hatred. Thats the reality. Pompeo said.


Victoria has gone one week without a locally acquired coronavirus case after the New South Wales outbreak jumped the border.

The state reported zero local infections and three in returned travellers in hotel quarantine on Wednesday after 17,908 tests were conducted.

There are currently 35 active cases across Victoria.

The latest data comes after more than 31,000 permits to enter Victoria were approved by the state government since the launch of its new 'traffic light' system on Monday evening.

Victoria has gone one week without a locally acquired coronavirus case after the New South Wales outbreak jumped the border. Pictured: A Victoria Police officer gestures to colleagues at a border checkpoint

But the Morrison government has reignited concerns over state border closures as Australians grapple with inconsistent travel restrictions in different parts of the country.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack is concerned Victoria didn't consult the federal government on its new permit regime, which categorises all areas of Australia as either red, orange or green based on virus risk.

Greater Sydney remains classified as a red area, meaning entry to Victoria is not possible without completing two weeks of hotel quarantine.

But the Northern Territory and the ACT have relaxed rules for some parts of Greater Sydney.

There is no consistent approach one year into the pandemic with the latest outbreaks sparking snap closures of state and territory borders.

Health Minister Greg Hunt is urging governments to use the national hotspot definition to justify interstate travel restrictions.

Police patrol St Kilda Beach in Melbourne during the coronavirus pandemic on January 11

'The risk is not of transmission from one state to another in any material or significant way,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

He said taking the unrealistic step of closing all international borders was the only way to eliminate virus threat.

'No export of wheat, or wool, or iron ore. No import of critical foods or critical medicines. No families being reunited,' Mr Hunt said.

There were six locally acquired coronavirus cases in Australia on Tuesday - five in NSW and one in Queensland - compared to 600,000 globally.

'That's where the point of challenge and risk is. That's why we have very strict, and in many cases, heart-wrenchingly difficult limitations on people coming to Australia,' Mr Hunt said.
WASHINGTON  The FBI warned Monday that armed far-right extremist groups are planning to march on state capitals this weekend, triggering a rush to fortify government buildings amid concerns that the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol last week could spread throughout the country.

The memo is something of a raw intelligence product, compiling information gathered by the bureau and several other government agencies, an official said. Some of it is unverified, and the threat is likely to differ significantly from place to place, though the memo said there were plans in all 50 state capitals, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the bulletin is considered a law enforcement document not authorized for wide public release.

But the data points it highlights for law enforcement are nonetheless troubling  including that there was information suggesting people might storm government offices, or stage an uprising were President Donald Trump to be removed from office, the official said.

 READ MORE: House speeds ahead with push to impeach Trump for Capitol insurrection

The FBI declined to comment on the memo, which was first reported by ABC News. Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property, the agency said in a statement.

Officials in many states had already begun taking steps to increase security and plan for additional violence in response to protests last week. On Monday, Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced that he was activating the National Guard to provide support for the Capitol Police in Madison. The troops are members of the Wisconsin National Guard Reaction Force and are trained to quickly deploy in a crisis.

On Saturday, heavily armed demonstrators surrounded the Kentucky Capitol. The protesters, dressed in camouflage and carrying assault weapons and zip-tie handcuffs, vowed to continue to support Trump while railing against Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

At a news conference Monday, Beshear vowed he would not be intimidated and he called on Americans to reject those who threaten the symbols and buildings that represent the countrys Democratic principles.

These are not the actions of people who believe in this country. These are people who believe they can bully and intimidate other individuals, Beshear, visibly angry, said. To anybody who believes that domestic terror is the way to go, we will be ready for you. We will not back down.

In Wisconsin, state workers on Monday began boarding up ground-level windows of the Capitol in Madison in anticipation of the protesters. In Arizona, officials had erected a double layer chain-link fence around the Capitol complex in Phoenix. In Michigan, a state that has been on edge since the FBI disrupted a plot in October to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a state legislative committee voted Thursday to ban residents from openly carrying guns inside the Capitol in Lansing.

Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee called up 750 National Guard troops to help protect the Capitol, where the legislature kicked off its annual session Monday.

We sincerely hope for peaceful actions but if that does not happen, we will be prepared, Inslee said in a statement Friday.

 READ MORE: Where Pa. and N.J. members of Congress stand on impeaching Trump after the Capitol attack

Inslees action followed last weeks mob assault on the governors mansion, on the same day that a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people including a Capitol police officer. A video of the disturbance in Olympia, Wash., shows a man with an assault rifle and a large knife standing in front of Inslees residence, as other demonstrators stand nearby holding Trump flags.

On the same day in Phoenix, a group of people who were upset about Trumps loss banged on the locked doors of the Capitol building, cracking a window while shouting for Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who has come under fire from conservatives who say he didnt do enough to help Trump win the state. Besides the new fencing, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said the agency is limiting public access to government buildings. State employees have been encouraged to work from home.

Meanwhile in Oregon last week, demonstrators burned an effigy of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. And on Sunday, according to Beshear, someone vandalized the home of Kentuckys public health commissioner by spray-painting COVID is PCR fraud on his mailbox.

This is about individuals, and those bullies trying to create terror by saying we know where you live, Beshear said.

Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher at the Anti Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism, said there remains considerable volatility surrounding who plans to demonstrate at state capitol buildings on Sunday.

Friedfeld said members of the boogaloo boys movement  a loose network of antigovernment groups who believe the country is heading toward a civil war  began advertising the state capital events in November.

In recent days, Friedfeld has seen signs that supporters of the boogaloo boys appear to distancing themselves from the protests, even calling for the outright cancellation of a march that had been scheduled for Sunday in Washington.

But Friedfeld cautions that the events in the states could still become venues for which other extremist groups or random aggrieved Trump supporters latch onto, even though he has yet to see a lot of online chatter that would indicate the protests will be well-attended.

I have not seen people talking about storming the capitols, but that sentiment is still there and it is possible people show up, Friedfeld said. And if the events of Wednesday taught us anything, it is that we cant ignore right-wing events, and we just cant assume it will be nothing and we have to take these things seriously.

 READ MORE: Chad Wolf, director of Dept. of Homeland Security  charged with securing inauguration  abruptly resigns

And irrespective of how many and in what states protests materialize this weekend, Friedfeld said he worries that state capitals will continue to be front lines of the countrys bitter, and increasingly violent, cultural and political battles.

He noted that this weeks events represent an escalation of unruly protests that began in some state capitals more than a year ago when gun owners, upset by proposed new restrictions on the sale of firearms, began aggressively challenging state leaders in Virginia and elsewhere.

In the spring, conservative activists held demonstrations at state capitols to protest government orders and closures related to the coronavirus pandemic, some of which turned violent. The threats to public safety took an even more ominous turn this fall after the FBI uncovered the plot by far-right extremists to kidnap Whitmer, as well as Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.

I think people are paying more attention to what is happening at the state level in a way that they didnt in the past, Friedfeld said. And part of what we see with right-wing extremists is, when President Trump took over, they liked President Trump so they kind of shifted ire away from President Trump and toward state and government officials.

Brian Moran, secretary of public safety in Virginia, said state authorities are bracing for the possibility of large and potentially violent demonstrations both on Sunday  when social media has suggested that the Proud Boys and other groups will show up in Richmond  and Monday, when gun rights advocates are planning a major vehicle caravan through Richmond.

We have to discern whats credible or not, but were taking it all very seriously, Moran said.

Moran said law enforcement officials are gathering intelligence to understand what threats the capital might face in the coming days, with the General Assembly convening its legislative session Wednesday. The House of Delegates will meet online, via video conference, but the state Senate will meet in person in a hall at the Virginia Science Museum.

 READ MORE: Up to 15,000 National Guard members could be deployed in D.C. during inauguration

Moran said monitoring has been hampered by the recent crackdown on extremist agitators by social media companies.

Thats a two-sided coin. It impedes their ability to organize, but also eliminates our eyes on what they are planning, Moran said. It requires them to go underground further.

In Maryland, Greg Shipley, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police, said his agency has also enhanced security at the State House in Annapolis due to posts circulating online about the possibility of armed demonstrations.

We continue to coordinate with local, state and federal authorities regarding any threats related to the General Assembly session, this weekend or the inauguration, Shipley said.

Some Republican lawmakers also have been urging the leaders of their states to take the threat of mass rebellion seriously. Jim Steineke, the Republican majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, drew criticism last week when he compared the siege on the U.S. Capitol to the 2011 protests in Madison, where teachers and union workers occupied the Capitol building.

Learn the lessons from Wisconsin when liberal throngs stormed the State Capitol and took it over. If you do not clear them now, you will lose control for days if not weeks, Steineke wrote on Twitter.

But amid the tightening security, some state lawmakers say they are worried that the threats they now face will persist long after this weekend.

Michigan state Rep. Donna Lasinski, a Democrat, noted how she was approaching her office Thursday morning when she received a text alert that the building was being evacuated because of a bomb threat.

Lasinski recounted how she froze, uncertain whether to go inside where state police were standing or run away.

What I know is it has become untenable for folks, lawmakers, staff, school groups to feel that they can come to our state Capitol, to the peoples house, and feel that they wont be threatened or harassed or intimidated, she said. This cannot be our new normal.

The Washington Posts Erin Cox, Ovetta Wiggins, and Gregory S. Schneider contributed to this article.
The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has concluded exploratory talks with Franco-Austrian biotechnology laboratory Valneva for the possible purchase of up to 60 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine

Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has concluded exploratory talks with Franco-Austrian biotechnology laboratory Valneva for the possible purchase of up to 60 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine.

The EU executive has already signed contracts with six other laboratories and is also in discussions with US firm Novavax to secure 200 million doses.

Once the negotiations with Novavax and Valneva are completed, Europe would have contracts with eight different laboratories for more than 2.5 billion doses.

"By doing so, we can maximise our chances that all citizens will have access to safe and effective vaccines by the end of 2021," said European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

The EU said the planned contract with Valneva would allow a collective purchase by all 27 EU member states of 30 million doses initially, with an option for an additional 30 million.

Valneva's vaccine was developed using a technology based on inactivated viruses, as opposed to the mRNA method used by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

Valneva announced the start of human clinical trials in mid-December, and doses have already been ordered by the UK.

An EU authorisation is expected in the final months of this year.

The EU has already signed contracts with AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi-GSK, Pfizer-BioNTech, CureVac, and Moderna.

So far, only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The European regulator is to review the AstraZeneca vaccine in late January.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Aztec Minerals Corp. (TSXV:AZT)(OTCQB:AZZTF) reviews the geological highlights of the recently completed Phase 1, reverse circulation (RC) drill program conducted at the Tombstone project in Southeastern Arizona from August to November 2020.

The Phase 1, 21-hole, 2,993 meter drill program tested the potential for shallow, broad, bulk tonnage gold-silver mineralization around and below the Contention open pit and underground mine workings. The Contention Mine was historically the largest and highest grade silver mine in the Tombstone silver district (32 million oz past production) in the late 1800's-early 1900's. More recent Contention open pit mining in the early to mid-1980's focused on gold-silver mineralization to approximately 60m depth entirely hosted within the Cretaceous Bisbee group sandstones. Most other mines in the district were much smaller veins and mantos hosted within the lower Bisbee and partially within the underlying Paleozoic limestones.

Three drill centers, North, Central, and South, were drilled along the Contention open pit in spoke patterns to minimize the amount of road building and maximize the potential to intersect mineralization. The main Contention structures that host the mineralization trends north-south and dips vertical to steeply west.

Coherent, widespread gold-silver mineralization associated with narrow, porphyritic felsic dikes was consistently intersected in 18 of 19 drill holes along the main Contention structure and parallel structures over an 800 meter strike length. The mineralized structures cut through outcropping Cretaceous Bisbee sediments to around 200 meters in depth where they cross an unconformity down into the underlying Paleozoic limestones. As such, management believes the Bisbee sediments and Contention mineralization are contained within a circular, down-dropped graben fault bounded basin.

View: Tombstone Longitudinal Section and Tombstone 2020 RC Drill Program Plan Map

Higher-grade intervals include 6.18 grams per tonne (gpt) gold and 77.2 gpt silver, or 7.15 gpt gold equivalent (using an 80:1 silver:gold ratio), over 15.14 metres (m) in hole TR20-09 and 4.18 gpt gold plus 174.2 gpt silver, or 6.36 gpt gold equivalent, over 7.62 m in hole TR20-18.

Thicker mineralized intervals include 140.21 m grading 0.38 gpt gold and 19.3 gpt silver (0.62 gpt gold equivalent) in hole TR20-17 and 82.30 m assaying 0.74 gpt gold and 23.8 gpt silver (1.03 gpt gold equivalent) in hole TR20-20.

The mineralization observed to date is oxidized and epithermal in nature, dominated by quartz-calcite veins, sheeted stockworks, and breccias associated with pervasive hematite, goethite, and jarosite stained clays with variable manganese oxides hosted in Cretaceous sandstones, siltstones, and limestone. The well altered sediments are frequently adjacent to quartz-feldspar porphyry dykes, a clear association.

Several thin limestone beds within the Bisbee sediments contain minor skarn minerals and elevated to strong silver-gold values. Replacement-style alteration and mineralization follows limey beds within the sandstones, adding potential to discover stratabound mineralization adjacent to the high angle structures. The dikes range from 1 to 10 m wide, following a strong N15*E orientation with 70-90* west dip.

The following table is a summary tabulation of all 2020 drill hole results:

Drill Hole From_ m To_ m Interval_m Au gpt Ag gpt AuEq gpt Comments TR20-001 105 Az, -45, TD 199.64m No significant results TR20-002 016 Az, -60 19.81 96.01 *67.06 1.07 42.1 1.60 *Excludes 9.14m of Tunnels TD, 156.97m 19.81 45.72 25.91 0.83 21.7 1.10 45.72 59.44 12.20 3.18 136.4 4.89 83.82 92.96 9.14 0.62 21.0 0.88 102.11 115.82 13.72 0.32 14.5 0.50 TR20-003 095 Az, -60 6.10 103.63 *93.06 0.77 25.2 1.07 *Excludes 4.47m of Tunnels TD 230.12m 16.76 24.38 7.62 0.58 15.0 0.77 25.91 39.62 10.67 0.99 24.3 1.30 42.67 62.48 19.81 0.30 26.8 0.63 67.06 102.11 35.05 1.24 36.1 1.69 TR20-004, -90 18.29 82.30 *54.86 0.54 25.9 0.85 *Excludes 9.14 of Tunnels TD, 124.97m 0.00 6.10 6.10 0.43 3.3 0.47 18.29 38.10 19.81 0.84 24.2 1.15 47.24 82.30 35.05 0.39 26.9 0.72 TR20-005 170 Az, -60 25.91 48.77 21.34 0.52 26.3 0.85 Excludes 1.52m of Tunnel TD, 132.59m 25.91 41.15 15.24 0.62 30.0 1.00 42.67 48.77 6.10 0.26 17.1 0.47 77.72 82.30 4.57 0.42 8.3 0.53 TR20-06 155 Az, -45 10.67 39.62 *13.71 0.78 23.5 1.07 * Excludes 15.24m of Tunnels TD, 152.4m 28.96 33.53 4.57 3.65 48.5 4.26 TR20-07 040 Az, -50 22.86 50.29 19.81 0.41 11.1 0.55 *Excludes 7.62m of Tunnels TD, 152.4m 25.91 30.48 4.57 * * * * Underground Tunnel, no recovery 32.00 35.05 3.05 * * * * Underground Tunnel, no recovery 38.10 44.20 6.10 0.77 13.3 0.94 TR20-08 098 Az, -60 12.19 71.63 57.91 0.59 11.8 0.74 * Excludes 1.52m of Tunnel TD, 152.4m 12.19 24.38 10.67 1.57 22.8 1.85 * Excludes 1.52m of Tunnel 15.24 16.76 1.52 * * * * Underground tunnel, no recovery 62.48 68.58 6.10 1.58 10.8 1.72 TR20-09 098 Az, -85 32.00 65.53 30.48 3.21 45.6 3.78 * Excludes 3.05m of Tunnel TD, 152.4m 32.00 50.29 15.24 6.18 77.2 7.15 * Excludes 3.05m of Tunnel 41.15 44.20 3.05 * * * * Underground Tunnel, no recovery 126.49 132.59 6.10 0.45 8.1 0.55 TR20-010, 0, -90 18.29 47.24 *27.43 0.18 40.4 0.69 *1.52m of tunnel Hole lost at 68.58m with 30.48 38.10 7.62 0.30 85.5 1.37 TR20-011, 330, -70 30.48 83.82 *27.43 0.31 14.3 0.49 *25.91m of stopes, tunnels TD 155.14m TR20-012, 95, -60 No Significant Intercepts Hole lost at 80.77m TR20-013, 260, -60 12.19 60.96 48.77 0.38 50.7 1.01 Hole lost at 60.96m with 15.24 41.15 25.91 0.43 78.4 1.41 TR20-014, 0, -90 16.77 47.25 *28.96 0.17 19.2 0.41 *1.52m of tunnel TD 152.4m with 27.43 30.48 3.05 0.55 51.3 1.19 Proximal twin of 010 TR20-015, 255, -60 16.76 38.10 21.34 0.27 34.7 0.70 TD 152.4m Proximal twin of 013 TR20-016, 308, -60 39.62 67.06 27.43 0.38 11.2 0.52 TD 152.4m with 47.24 50.29 3.05 2.25 41.0 2.76 TR20-17, 285, -60 1.52 141.73 140.21 0.38 19.3 0.62 TD 152.4m with 109.73 131.06 21.34 1.32 59.8 2.07 TR20-18, -90 80.77 115.82 *32.00 1.40 55.20 2.09 Excludes 3.05m of tunnel TD. 152.4 with 94.49 105.16 *7.62 4.18 174.2 6.36 Excludes 3.05m of tunnel TR20-19, 105, -50 0.00 24.38 24.38 0.89 11.5 1.04 TD. 56.39m, hole lost 3.05 9.14 6.09 2.34 10.3 2.20 TR20-20, 105, -50 0.00 15.24 15.24 0.58 11.2 0.72 TD. 152.4 44.20 56.39 12.19 0.47 12.61 0.62 Proximal to 19 65.53 147.83 82.30 0.74 23.8 1.03 with 76.20 99.06 22.86 1.74 56.1 2.45 TR20-21, 265, -60 47.24 51.82 4.57 1.89 143.2 3.68 TD. 152.4m 68.58 77.72 *7.62 0.65 33.3 1.07 Excludes 1.52m of tunnel 88.39 103.63 15.24 0.61 76.9 1.58 149.35 152.40 3.05 0.26 18.3 0.48 Bottomed in Mineralization

AuEq is calculated using an 80:1 silver:gold ratio Au, Ag, and AuEQ are in grams per ton, "gpt" Additional information related to true thicknesses on individual holes can be found in prior NR's dated Sept 29, Oct 21, Nov 30, and Dec 22

Aztec is currently designing a Phase 2 RC drilling program to infill between the Phase 1 drill patterns as well as step out down dip to expand the shallow, broad, bulk tonnage gold-silver mineralization discovered around and below the Contention pit.

Aztec holds an option to acquire a 75% interest in the Tombstone property, which includes most of the original patented mining claims in the district as well as some recently acquired properties. The main target of the current RC drill program was to test for shallow, bulk tonnage, heap leachable, epithermal gold-silver oxide mineralization adjacent and below the previously mined Contention pit. Future drilling is expected to focus on extensions of the shallow oxide mineralization already tested, as well as larger, deeper "Taylor-type" CRD targets along and adjacent to the Contention structures.

Aztec also announces that it has re-engaged Commodity-TV and Rohstoff-TV (C&R-TV) for a subsequent four-month period to assist with Aztec's investor relations activities. Pursuant to an agreement commencing January 1, 2021, Aztec will pay C&R-TV 9,000 euros, plus expenses. C&R-TV is based in Switzerland and will introduce Aztec to its European investor network by recording, translating, broadcasting and disseminating on its digital platforms Aztec news, articles, interviews and webinars.

QA/QC Protocol

Joey Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., VP Exploration & Chief Geologist for Aztec, is the Qualified Person overseeing the Tombstone exploration program. Drill cuttings are collected every 5 feet (1.52m) from all drill holes. The samples were analyzed for gold with a 50-gram sample size using the method FA450 (Fire Assay gold) followed by AQ200 (Aqua Regia ICP). Over limits, when present, are analyzed by AR404 or FA550. All samples were analyzed by Bureau Veritas Minerals laboratories located in Hermosillo, Mexico and Vancouver, Canada. All holes contain certified blanks, standards, and duplicates as part of the quality control program. Mr. Wilkins reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.

"Simon Dyakowski"

Simon Dyakowski, Chief Executive Officer

Aztec Minerals Corp.

About Aztec Minerals

Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of large polymetallic mineral deposits in the Americas. Our core asset is the prospective Cervantes porphyry gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico. The historic, district-scale Tombstone properties host both bulk tonnage epithermal gold-silver as well as CRD silver-lead-zinc mineralization in Cochise County, Arizona. Aztec's shares trade on the TSX-V stock exchange (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF).

For more information, please contact:

Simon Dyakowski, CEO or Bradford Cooke, Chairman

Tel: (604) 619-7469

Fax: (604) 685-9744

Email: simon@aztecminerals.com

Website: www.aztecminerals.com

Neither the 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 release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Aztec Minerals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623888/Aztec-Reviews-Geological-Highlights-of-Phase-1-RC-Drill-Program-from-Tombstone-Project-Arizona

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
In this "Provocative Issue" of the Journal of the American College of Radiology radiologists question the status quo to spark positive dialog and improve patient care and imaging-related outcomes

Philadelphia, January 12, 2021 - A special issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), published by Elsevier, challenges conventional wisdom across the imaging community. This collection of articles, the "Provocative Issue," presents extreme opinions on pressing issues confronting radiologists with the deliberate aim of sparking positive dialog and debate that will lead to innovative solutions to improve patient care and imaging-related outcomes.

The issue is guest-edited by:

Caroline Chung, MD, MSc, Director of Advanced Imaging - Strategic Initiative and Director of Imaging Technology and Innovation, Department of Radiation Oncology and Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA;

Christoph I. Lee, MD, MS, Director, Northwest Screening and Cancer Outcomes Research Enterprise, Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; and

Reed A. Omary, MD, MS, Chairman, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.

"We expect this special issue will provoke strong reactions from our readers, ranging from shock, offense, and even disgust," explain the co-guest editors. "The articles were deliberately selected to challenge the conventional wisdom across the imaging community."

"We live in a divisive time of polarization on social, political, and scientific fronts. Yet, when oppositive or counter-intuitive points of view are brought forward, meaningful discussions can lead to new perspectives and novel solutions," write the co-guest editors. "This special issue will challenge us to consider bold ideas that go against the grain. Our goal is to spark debate so that radiology can continue to evolve within our complex Darwinian healthcare ecosystem, leading to greater benefits for society."

Articles in this special issue encompass the five content pillars of the JACR: health services research and policy; clinical practice management; data science; training and education; and leadership. Some of the provocative questions posed are the following:

Are prospective employer-initiated whole-body cancer screening programs a benefit and incentive for employees?

Matching imaging services to clinical context - can less be more?

Rethinking the approach to artificial intelligence (AI) for medical image analysis - is there a case for precision diagnosis?

Should we rethink patient consent in the era of AI and big data?

Can clinician-scientists survive in the modern era?

Is there a case for vertically integrating emergency radiology into emergency medicine?

Should there be duty hour limits for radiologists?

Are we over-supporting junior faculty and neglecting mid- and late-career faculty planning?

Of particular note are two featured articles that debate the paradox of scarcity and discuss potential solutions. The use of physician extenders, also known as nonphysician practitioners (NPPs), in medicine has increased over time within a multitude of specialties including radiology. Radiologists are expensive to train and then spend too much time on low-complexity tasks and too little on high-complexity tasks, notes Saurabh Jha, MBBS, MS, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, who makes the point for training physician extenders to take on the less complex cases.

"Radiologists should train and supervise physician extenders to read portable chest radiographs, which should eventually be relinquished to them, so that we can focus on tasks exacting more skill and more befitting of our rigorous medical training," argues Dr. Jha. "Perhaps physician extenders reading serial radiographs can free radiologists to advise clinical teams on those serial radiographs."

In a counterpoint article, Daniel A. Ortiz, MD, Summit Radiology Services, PC, Cartersville, GA, USA, and colleagues observe that although labor costs have been reduced and radiologists can focus more on complex imaging studies and interventional procedures, there are unintended consequences of NPPs in practice that could diminish physicians' role as healthcare providers. They therefore encourage radiologists to consider an alternative to NPPs in diagnostic radiology: the incorporation of rapidly evolving AI algorithms into daily practice.

"Narrow AI algorithms can easily be integrated into existing workflow and amalgamated into a platform for use by radiologists," the authors argue. "Many of the gains touted by proponents for the use of NPPs, such as efficiency, will likely be soon realized through AI to the effect of preserving the radiologist's role, supplemented by AI. The ultimate goal for our community should not be relegating work to others but rather to work the complexities of developing a future in which we empower ourselves to remain at the helm of the imaging care to our patients' benefit."

The co-guest editors comment that the ever-increasing workload and the threat of radiologist workforce burnout will force us to consider how to keep up with imaging demands. Physician extenders and AI solutions are only two possibilities for practices to consider.

A final article provides an entertaining voyage into space and how the experience around radiation exposure within medicine can be applied to radiation exposure considerations in suborbital space tourism.

"By exploring the provocative, we hope this special issue will serve as a catalyst to advance the field and expand the confines of radiology," conclude the co-guest editors.

###
While Democrats in the US have said that the US House of Representatives expects to begin considering a second impeachment of Donald Trump on Wednesday, the FBI has warned of protests across all 50 US state capitals.

Trump supporters planned a protest outside the Twitter headquarters, because of the social media platform's ban, but it turned out to be a dampener.

Meanwhile, vice president Mike Pence met Trump, officials said, even as he was urged by Democrats to invoke 25th amendment on Trump.

As the impeachment of Trump looks imminent, heres a look at what is happening in the United States:

 A US official said that Trump and Pence had a good meeting amid calls for Pence to invoke 25th amendment on Trump. AFP reported the official as saying that Trump and Pence have "reiterated that those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America first movement backed by 75 million Americans.

 Meanwhile, ahead of Joe Biden's swearing in, the FBI has warned that all 50 state capitals could see protests stoking further fears of something like last weeks siege at the U.S. Capitol. According to The Associated Press, the FBI said that the protests could start this week and continue till Bidens inauguration.

Also read: Impeachment Proceedings Against Donald Trump on Monday: What You Need to Know

 Calling Trump a threat to democracy, the US House of Representatives continued with their efforts to impeach Trump. The Associated Press quoted the impeachment bill as saying, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, it reads.

 Twitter hasnt just stopped at banning Trump, it said late on Monday that it suspended more than 70,000 accounts since Friday that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content. Reuters quoted Twitter as saying, Given the violent events in Washington, DC, and increased risk of harm, we began permanently suspending thousands of accounts that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content on Friday afternoon.

 And because of banning Trump, social media giants were facing pushbacks. The Washington Post reported that Twitters shares fell by 6% on Monday and Amazon faced a lawsuit from Parler  a social media platform being used by Trump supporters. And as employees at both Facebook and Twitter received death threats, the companies asked them to lower their social media profiles.

 A protest by Trump supporters at the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco turned out to be a dampener with not too many people turning out.

 Even in the face of protests and pushback. Facebook has said it wont lift the ban on Trump.

Reuters quoted an official as saying, Our ban is indefinite. We have said at least through the transition. But we have no plans to lift it.
(Newser)  The Trump administration just made two big foreign policy moves. The one that drew most of the headlines was the designation of Cuba as a sponsor of terrorism. The other, though, is causing plenty of consternation on Capitol Hill and among humanitarian groups. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he would also designate Houthi rebels in Yemen (they call themselves Ansar Allah) as a terrorist group, a move that relief groups say will hamstring their ability to deliver food amid what the UN deems the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, reports the Washington Post. Otherwise, they would face US prosecution. Coverage:

The State Department briefed House and Senate committee staffers on Monday, and Axios reports that it devolved into a shouting match. "People on both sides of the aisle felt very frustrated that this was done in such a haphazard way," says one congressional aide. "I don't mean to be dramatic, but this could kill people." Basic questions about how to protect civilians weren't answered, says the aide.

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"It's clear that the decision is likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions," says UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, per Reuters. The UN says millions of Yemenis are on the brink of famine as a result of the six-year-long war. The agency also worries that the designation will complicate peace talks and prolong the conflict.

The main purpose of the designation is to prevent Iran from delivering arms to the rebels, explains the New York Times. The rebels are trying to overthrow the Saudi-backed government, and the conflict is largely seen as a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo pledged that the US would carve out the necessary exemptions to ensure that aid can be delivered, but critics are skeptical. "It is hard to imagine that in the last days of the Trump administration, a bolt of lightning is going to hit them and they are suddenly going to figure how not to keep these designations from taking an agonizing toll on Yemens civilians," Scott Paul of Oxfam America tells the Times.

At Vox, Alex Ward notes that the White House rushed to inform Congress because it must provide a seven-day window, and the administration has barely that time left in office. "Many see the move as an attempt by Pompeo to hamper Iran by punishing one of its proxies and box in the Biden administration as he heads out the door, but Pompeo seems to truly believe the decision was the right one," he writes. Ward, for his part, thinks the move puts "millions of Yemenis" at risk of starvation.

Read the State Department statement on the move here. "If Ansarallah did not behave like a terrorist organization, we would not designate it as (such)," reads the statement. "It has led a brutal campaign that has killed many people, continues to destabilize the region, and denies Yemenis a peaceful solution to the conflict in their country."

What now? It's possible Congress could block the designation. Or Joe Biden could move to unwind it once he's in office. But both Reuters and Vox note that the latter is easier said than done. As one former diplomat tells the Times, he would risk looking sympathetic to a brutal organization.

(Read more Yemen stories.)
Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has discussed the 'colourblind' casting of the hit Netflix show during Tuesday's episode of This Morning.

The actress, 34, who plays Penelope Featherington in the drama, said the series was a 'reimagined world' where there was a black queen and duke in the 1800s.

Nicola said if Game Of Thrones viewers could 'suspend their belief' for dragons in the fantasy series, they could do the same for the colourblind Bridgerton cast.

'Reimagined world': Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has discussed the 'colourblind' casting of the hit Netflix show during Tuesday morning's episode of This Morning

She told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: 'It was colourblind casting. It's not in a way because it erases race and it erases people's struggles.

'The world we have created is a reimagined world. On Game of Thrones, you can suspend your belief for dragons, for Bridgerton, you can suspend your belief that we have a black queen and a black duke.'

Bridgerton, created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes, casts Rege-Jean Page as the Duke Of Hastings and Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte.

In reality, historians have regarded Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz as the country's first mixed-race royal, however in previous adaptations of her life she has been portrayed by white actresses such as Helen Mirren.

Bridgerton: The actress, 34, who plays Penelope Featherington in the drama, said the series was a 'reimagined world' where there was a black queen (pictured) and duke in the 1800s

Character: The Duke Of Hastings (Simon) is played by Rege-Jean Page

In the reimagined series, Rosheuvel's Queen Charlotte embraces her African roots and paves the way for the rest of society, for example Lady Dunbury is played by black actress Adjoa Andoh.

Rosheuvel previously told Insider: 'It's so empowering for an actress to have that background and that feeling that a person in the 1800s could have been fighting for her people and could have been fighting for representation.'

The publication reported that her acceptance in the royal family leads the way for people of colour to hold titles as dukes, duchesses, earls, lords, and ladies.

High society: In the reimagined series, Rosheuvel's Queen Charlotte embraces her African roots and paves the way for the rest of society, for example Lady Dunbury is played by black actress Adjoa Andoh (pictured)

She told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: 'It was colourblind casting. It's not in a way because it erases race and it erases people's struggles'

However talking to Square Mile, Rege-Jean, 31, the son of a Zimbabwean nurse and an English preacher, insisted the show is not a 'colourblind production'.

He said: 'I don't think it helps when folks say that they don't see colour... Please do. Because if you don't, you don't see me. And you don't see how I walk through the world, or have any understanding of the conversations that we're having about colour, because to you it doesn't exist.'

Rege-Jean added that the show has people of colour in it because people of colour existed in the 19th century.

On-screen: Nicola is cast as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix hit

He said: Once you watch the show, it's the most irrelevant thing in the world. It just slots into place. You go "holy s***, how were we never doing this before?"'

The star compares the concept to 'trying to explain the internet before we had the internet and said 'people won't get it and then they suddenly will.'

Elsewhere during her interview, Nicola discussed the show's racy reputation, and said: 'It's Regency London but like you've not seen before. It's colourful, it's racy, it's diverse. It's probably not one to watch with your granny, that's what I tell people.

'It's a complete fantasy. There's zero bonnets on this series. Historical accuracy wasn't the main concern. It was more, what could a reimagined Regency London look like?'

Nicola also detailed her surprise about being offered the role, and said: 'You hear ShondaLand is doing a Netflix show and you think well that's a big American thing I'll do 50 auditions for and never get.

'Then I got a call 2 weeks later offering me the part, it was absolutely mad.'

Nicola also admitted she was 'hopeful' for a second series following 'outrageous' viewing figures.
Surge in Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga probably from new strains THE SURGE in Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga City may have been caused by new s...
PHILIPSBURG  On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson and her support staff met with the Integrity Chamber Sint Maarten for an introductory meeting. Representing the independent administrative bodies were Integrity Chamber member Rafael Boasman and secretariat director Charna Pompier.

Minister Richardson stated she considers integrity to be one of the most important values that underpin the activities of the Ministry of Justice and its personnel. She recognizes how it can affect public trust not only in the ministry but in the entire government apparatus and as such announced that she intends, in this current year, to pay closer attention to integrity issues and ways on how the integrity standards can be raised throughout the ministry.

As such, the Minister asked for the Integrity Chambers supports in her efforts on this front. The Integrity Chamber has indicated to render support where possible and required within the ministry.

Mr. Boasman, on behalf of the three-member body that includes Rian Vogels (president) and Hans Lodder (member), said it was a positive step for Minister Richardson to reach out to the Integrity Chamber to share her concerns and to discuss bottlenecks faced within the Justice Ministry.

The Integrity Chamber is here to assist where possible. It is important for the effective and efficient running of government for integrity to play a very prominent role. We look forward to and encourage others in government and its entities to reach out to us for information, for assistance, for guidance, said Mr. Boasman.

Minister Richardson was very keen to learn about the Integrity Chamber and its core tasks of rendering advice, giving proposals, investigating suspected misconducts within administrative bodies (i.e., government and its entities, including government-owned companies), and the continuous provision of information to strengthen awareness about the importance of integrity in the community.

One question posed in the meeting by Minister Richardson was if there has been an interest in the Ministry of Justice by the Integrity Chamber. The response was that there is in fact an interest for all of the ministries and government-owned companies, however, in this phase of its activities, the primary focus is on introducing itself to the ministries and learning what is already in place with regards to integrity and how this is being documented. This way the Integrity Chamber knows what issues are in need of immediate attention.

The Integrity Chamber expressed its delight with receiving the invitation for a meeting with Minister Richardson as the Ministry of Justice was also on its list of ministries to visit. This is yet another step Minister Richardson taking to in her pursuit to strengthen the Ministry of Justice, the officers, and its overall services.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 8:45 am

The 2021 Washington state legislative session began Monday, Jan. 11, the first time lawmakers have been back in session since the bulk of the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred in the state. The Reflector reached out to local legislators ahead of the sessions start to see what they would be doing to address the pandemic, as well as other priorities during a budgeting year.

17th Legislative District

Lynda Wilson, State Senate

Committees/leadership positions: Ways and Means (Republican leader); Business, Financial Services, and Trade; Economic and Revenue Forecast Council; Caseload Forecast Council; Joint Committee on Employment Relations; Pension Funding Council; State Actuary Committee; Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs; Joint Legislative Action Committee on the I-5 Bridge; Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee; State Building Code Council.

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

The pandemic has made things a lot more desperate for families and employers, and now that the Legislature can finally engage, we need to move quickly on getting relief to those who have been hurt through no fault of their own. That doesnt mean raising taxes to allow more spending  absolutely not. The budget writers will have billions more in revenue without any tax changes, thanks to the fact that our state economy is down but not out. The strategy change, if you want to call it that, is to prioritize the spending of that revenue in ways that immediately address the harm done by the pandemic and governments response to it.

What COVID-19-related legislation or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

My Senate Bill 5039 is a bipartisan proposal to bring legislative oversight to the governors emergency orders. Im also going to work on changing the law regarding the allocation of unanticipated federal dollars  because the Legislature should have been involved in appropriating the billions in federal CARES Act money received since our 2020 session. I also am taking the lead on shifting money from the state rainy-day fund to backfill the losses to the unemployment insurance trust fund. That fund has been hit very hard by all the unemployment claims related to the pandemic.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

Ive been meeting every week  month after month  with representatives of the restaurant industry in Clark County. They have tried very hard to work with the governors office on reasonable guidelines that would let them reopen safely, with little to show for it. To me that exemplifies the states response. The governor says he understands the harm his restrictions are causing, but he cant possibly feel that harm the way my constituents are. Legislators are closer to the people than the governor is, and if wed been able to meet in a special session, their voices would have been heard long ago. For the employers who have closed permanently, for the people who wont get their jobs back, anything the legislative branch can do now is too late.

On non-COVID-19-related legislative priorities for 2021:

One of my priorities is to strengthen the law about assaults on police officers. I was already intending to pursue that, and after getting through 2020 it seems just as relevant now, if not more so. The same is true for my bill to increase the penalty for theft of a firearm. Im also hoping to get traction for my two good government bills  one to increase transparency by prohibiting the use of title-only bills and one to help everyone (including lawmakers) more easily see the connection between legislation and the administrative rules that have the force of law. Also, last year the Senate again passed my bill to expand the small business bill of rights, but the House again did not. Knowing what our small businesses have been through, its still very important to me that we improve the interaction between Washington employers and the state-government agencies involved in regulating them.

Vicki Kraft, House of Representatives Position 1

Committees/leadership positions: Capital Budget, Community and Economic Development, College and Workforce Development.

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

Im much more focused on reining in the Governors emergency powers, making sure our small businesses can re-open as quickly as possible, and giving people the option of not being vaccinated if they dont want to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

What legislation related to COVID-19 or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

Im sponsoring legislation which will give people the Right to Refuse the COVID-19 vaccine if they do not want to take it  its their body, their choice. Many people have concerns about negative side effects from a vaccine which has been rushed through the development and trial process. Most vaccines typically take three years or more to develop and ensure readiness. The Covid-19 vaccine process has been less than a year.

I am also sponsoring a bill to create the K-12 Education Scholarship program which is a voucher program to give parents the ability to choose what education option is best for their childs learning needs by providing $7,000 for private school or homeschool education. Ive talked with several parents and students during the COVID-19 shutdown of schools. Students have had to struggle trying to learn in a remote, online-only format and parents have been tasked effectively with trying to make sure their child is engaged with this new format and actually learning the material. Weve seen at many levels this is not working well for most students. COVID-19 has shown us we need more education choices for parents to ensure their child can engage in the learning format at all times that works best for them.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

I called for a special session at the end of March 2020. If there wouldve been one, I wouldve reined in and stopped the Governors overreaching emergency powers. I also wouldve called for a safe reopening plan that actually wouldve fully reopened our small business community and state economy. Weve proven that we can do this as grocery stores and home improvement stores have been open since the beginning of Covid-19 and its worked. There are various precautions that when put in place, such as special times for those in vulnerable population categories to shop or online shopping options, work to help keep those in more at-risk categories safe. I also felt it was important to allocate more money at the time the crisis hit for those struggling to keep their businesses going and losing their jobs versus sitting back and waiting for the federal government to bail us out. Washington residents deserved a more timely response and action from their own state government.

On non-COVID-19-related legislative priorities for 2021:

Election process accuracy and accountability is another priority Ill be working on this session. The public should be able to fully trust the integrity of our election system. After some of my own communications with the WA Secretary of States office I believe we have opportunities to improve our process. Given the fact that Governor Inslee has effectively made all the decisions over the last 10 months without any significant input from the entire Legislature, which is not how our government was designed to run and is not a representative form of government, its critical that we can ensure that only the person voted in by the will of the people is the one actually sitting in that office.

18th Legislative District

Ann Rivers, State Senate

Committees/leadership positions: Senate Republican Caucus Chair; Health and Long-term Care; Ways and Means; Rules

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

Public health has long been a priority for me  so much of a priority that in 2017, when I was chairwoman of the Senate healthcare committee, I introduced a bill that would have fully funded what we call foundational public health. That would have been very useful in responding to the pandemic. Sadly, that bill was gutted by the budget writers on the Democrat side of the aisle. Its unfortunate that we were so ill-prepared in 2020 because others did not share this priority a few short years ago. I dont see the pandemic changing my very bipartisan approach to legislating, but I can hope that some in the majority will change how they regard policy proposals suggested by those of us on the minority side. Being in the majority doesnt mean you have a corner on good ideas.

What legislation related to COVID-19 or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

Youll see me filing or backing legislation that would allow our branch of government to engage more fully in responding to emergencies  both in spending unanticipated revenue, like federal CARES act funding, and determining the span of gubernatorial emergency powers. The Legislature has been sidelined by the governor almost since the first days of the pandemic, and the people of our state have suffered the ill effects of that.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

I cant knock the governor for his early response to COVID. We knew so little about the disease and it was important to use an abundance of caution. The concern I have is that the governor made no attempt to balance the protection of lives and livelihoods. He could easily have done that by basing his decisions in science, and while we and the public repeatedly heard the word science from him in press conferences, saying it doesnt make it true. As a result, we have people in financial ruin and the highest rate of suicide that our state has seen. Republicans had relief proposals ready back in the spring, and they never had a chance to be considered because our branch was not allowed to engage. Fortunately, once our session begins Jan. 11 the governor cant continue to obstruct.

Also, no discussion about the states response can overlook the mismanagement at the Employment Security Department. It dealt a devastating blow to the unemployed who didnt receive the help they deserved, and to employers who are now facing higher unemployment-insurance taxes. The massive fraud allowed by ESD also put an unneeded hole in the budget. The governors failure to properly address this scandal, and his refusal to replace an ineffective commissioner whose only track record is in political fundraising, is shameful. At times hes seemed to be in lockstep with Oregons governor, yet she took quick action to remove the head of her state employment department for similar incompetence.

On non-COVID-19-related legislative priorities for 2021:

If it was all up to me, the Legislature should focus only on completing the budget process  meaning the new operating budget, new transportation budget and new capital budget for public construction and so on. By law those have to be in place by July 1 of this year, when the 2021-23 budget cycle begins. We should leave all policy legislation to a time when ALL stakeholders can work together again, in the open, shoulder-to-shoulder way that isnt being allowed because of the ongoing pandemic. A virtual legislative session has the same drawbacks as teaching students remotely  something vital is missing. Its just not right to undermine the peoples access to democracy, and keep them from engaging in the governing process, yet expect them to live with the fallout when new policies are poorly designed because legislation doesnt receive the thorough scrutiny that happens best in person.

Larry Hoff, House of Representatives Position 2

Committees: Labor and Workplace Standards, ranking member; Appropriations; College and Workforce Development

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

The majority of all legislation will have an element that relates to our current pandemic. Legislative strategies must revolve around economic recovery as well as the health concerns associated with COVID.

What legislation related to COVID-19 or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

Our Labor and Workplace Standards Committee is currently working on legislation that will attempt to give some much needed relief to businesses that are anticipating large unemployment insurance increases. It is imperative that a bipartisan solution is drafted to help revitalize our economic engine while working to save the small business community who are the heart and soul of that economic engine.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

Generally, it is critical that we all follow recommended virus eradication procedures so that we can eventually put this dark chapter of our lives behind us. However, I feel that our Governor has damaged our small business community, in some cases, beyond repair. For example, he continually touts the need to follow science and yet the actual science suggests that restaurants are not the virus spreading environment that would justify their order to close indoor dining. Many of our small businesses, including restaurants, have worked diligently to prevent the spread of the virus while protecting their employees and the public in general. They should be applauded, not penalized.

20th Legislative District

John Braun, Senator

Committees/leadership positions: Senate Republican Leader; Ways and Means; Labor and Commerce.

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

Senate Republicans have been more focused on public health for the past 10-11 months. Weve been ready for many months with policy improvements aimed at better protecting the residents and staff at long-term care facilities and other populations that are most at risk from COVID-19. Unfortunately, until now the governor made it impossible to work with our colleagues across the aisle on solutions. Also, were familiar with issues about K-12 education, but the question before us now is literally about getting students back into classrooms. Thats different, and its purely due to the pandemic.

Another example is the need to take early action to refill the trust fund bucket from which unemployment payments are made to people. Its just not right for government to tell people they cant work, which means more unemployment claims, then turn around and tax employers more to make up for those additional claims. Besides, there are far fewer employers now to even pay the unemployment insurance tax. What we can do is shift money from the state rainy day fund to the trust fund, and there might be other avenues to consider. We also should address the idea of rental assistance to get out from under the rental moratorium. These are investments the Legislature can make, and they should be made sooner than later.

What legislation related to COVID-19 or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

We know enough about taking precautions to reopen our economy and reopen our schools safely. Ive just filed Senate Bill 5114 in response to the governors latest Healthy Washington restrictions; it would automatically move those affected to phase 2 of that plan, and it would also give the legislative branch a say in reviewing both the public health data and the other restrictions that exist due to the pandemic. It has bipartisan sponsorship. So does Senate Bill 5037, which I filed to establish clear and simple metrics for determining whether school districts will offer in-person learning, a hybrid, or remote-only model. Students, parents, teachers and staff all deserve better answers to that than theyve gotten from the executive branch.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

Since the end of March the people of our state have had to endure a form of government none of us recognized. Ive concluded that the governor did some political calculating and decided the risks of allowing the legislative branch to engage, through a special session, outweighed the risks of keeping us on the sidelines. The result has been continuous rule by proclamation, declaring some workers and businesses were more essential than others, and poorly written guidance that came from behind closed doors. Our caucus had more than a dozen bills ready to go before summer that would have taken things in a better direction, and helped minimize future job losses. Some opportunities have been lost as the months ticked by but the basic focus on providing relief to families and employers remains our priority going into the session.

On non-COVID-19-related legislative priorities for 2021:

The only thing were required to do this year by law is to adopt a new operating budget, a new transportation budget, and a new capital/construction budget. For all practical purposes, there is no budget deficit in spite of the downward spike in revenue we saw 6-8 months ago, and the latest numbers suggest the operating budget situation will be stable for the next four-plus years. That means the existing revenue or projected revenue is enough to keep things balanced, and allow for some modest new investments. More importantly, there is absolutely no justification for new taxes, although the governor wants to charge ahead with a state income tax, a carbon tax, and a healthcare tax to support a big increase in spending. To me the last thing our families and employers need this year is more financial pressure.

I must point out that the peoples access to democracy is being severely limited this year, and for that reason it would be appropriate to limit our work in 2021 to the new budgets and the things that are directly related to pandemic relief. Its frustrating that people can go to big-box stores but theyre not being allowed into the big-box buildings that make up the peoples house where bills are debated and laws are made. If were going to have to work virtually, as the majority party is requiring, lets focus on the essentials. Those dont include controversial and unnecessary tax proposals. But already I see the Senate budget committee has a public hearing on the capital gains income tax bill scheduled just four days into our session.

Peter Abbarno, House of Representatives Position 1

Committees/leadership positions: Capital Budget, assistant ranking member; Environment and Energy; Civil Rights and Judiciary.

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

This years legislative session will begin virtually. Virtual sessions and meetings may increase viewership; however, concerns remain over the decrease in active participation during floor debate and committee testimony. The new virtual format provides for too many situations where technology, and majority rules, could stifle constructive discussion. This should raise concerns for all citizens and legislators, it certainly does for me. I will continue to fight for more open and transparent government.

In addition, the governor and house majority appear to be limiting their policy issues and focusing their efforts on new taxes, such as income tax on capital gains. I was elected to find solutions and fight for everyone; not limit my legislative efforts. My strategy will be to use my experience in local government; as a small business owner; attorney; and husband and father; to advocate for real solutions for my neighbors, community, and the 20th Legislative District.

What legislation related to COVID-19 or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

COVID-19 magnified many existing needs in our community that require real solutions for working families and small businesses. First, I support reducing tax and regulatory burdens that limit growth and reinvestment at the local level. Second, I support infrastructure investments like water, sewer, and broadband that hold back many communities from reaching their full potential. Lastly, as a former Centralia City Councilmember, I will continue building partnerships at the local level to help create opportunities for success.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

Initially, medical experts did not know much about the virus transmission or mortality rates. Quick and decisive action was needed and well within the intent of RCW 43.06. As time passed, science and data was released about the virus impact, as well as the negative effects of stay home orders. Many of us quickly witnessed family businesses close, children suffer, and increased rates of substance abuse, depression, divorce, domestic violence, and poverty.

As governor, I would have maintained the Bipartisan Business Recovery Legislative Task Force, which was disbanded by Governor Inslee in May after only five meetings; I would have called a special session to proactively, rather than retroactively, address the economic, health, and social needs of our State; and I would have held agencies like the Employment Security Department accountable for failing to protect $600 million ($350 million still unrecovered) from fraudulent claims that were intended for unemployed Washington residents impacted by the shutdowns.

I do not believe a special session would have been too late. The emergency powers under RCW 43.06 were never meant to be a long-term system of governance. Constitutionally, each branch of government has their own authority that is being monopolized by the executive branch. Practically, the ideas and unique perspectives of 147 legislators are being muted by one voice through executive orders. I believe there is interest from both sides of the aisle to restore balance in our government.

On non-COVID-19-related legislative priorities for 2021:

I am sure my appointment as assistant ranking member on the Capital Budget Committee, as well as appointment to the Environment and Energy Committee and Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, will keep me busy working on a lot of legislation. One issue in particular I have been working on for several years that has been magnified during COVID-19 is the need for more early education, early learning, and childcare opportunities.

A recent study conducted by a collaborative task force of child care organizations found that roughly 550,000 kids in Washington do not have access to child care services, and that the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced capacity even further. Of the parents surveyed, 18 percent reported turning down a job over child care issues.

Children enrolled in early learning and childcare programs have increased graduation rates; increased adult income earning capacity; decreased adult dependency on government programs; and reduced crime and incarceration rates. This is an economic issue as much as it is a social and education issue.

Ed Orcutt, House of Representatives Position 2

Committees/leadership positions: Finance, ranking member; Rural Development, Agriculture, and Natural Resources; Transportation.

How has COVID-19 changed your typical approach to legislating for the coming year?

COVID restrictions will make in-person meetings with staff, fellow legislators, and  most importantly  my constituents difficult or impossible. However, I will spend a great deal of time listening to constituents via other means of communications, such as email, phone, and electronic meetings. These, along with my past representation of the district and in-person meetings with constituents will help me provide the best representation possible.

With or without a pandemic, we are obligated to balance budgets and we should do so within existing revenues.

What legislation related to COVID-19 or the response to the pandemic do you plan to either author or support?

Legislation to provide tax relief to employers and homeowners; legislation to ease restrictions on individuals and employers to maximize personal freedoms and an employers ability to operate while protecting against the spread of COVID-19; legislation to assure legislators have more input and authority in making decisions with more limits on what the governor can do without legislative approval.

On the states prior COVID-19 response:

I would have supported efforts to provide equity of opportunity for employers; remove unreasonable, unnecessary, and unworkable restrictions; assure that those affected in each area of our economy were included in developing protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in their sector of the economy; and adjust budgets to address lower revenues resulting from reduced economic activity. I also believe we need more protections to assure legislators have more input and authority in making decisions with more limits on what the governor can do without legislative approval. While some businesses have already closed permanently, we should still enact changes to protect those which are struggling to survive. Doing so will give them a better chance to survive and a faster path to recovery/rehiring of employees once the pandemic ends.

On non-COVID-19-related legislative priorities for 2021:

I will continue to work to: protect taxpayers from higher taxes and will seek tax relief  especially regarding property taxes; protect constitutional rights; assure citizens have the greatest opportunity to thrive in our state as an employer or employee; and provide a safe place for citizens to live, work, and play. These are core principles of representing citizens no matter the circumstances.
Fans Trend #Shrabir As Shraddha Kapoor & Ranbir Kapoor Kick Start Shoot Of Luv Ranjans Next

Shraddha Kapoor recently shook hands with director Luv Ranjan for his upcoming rom-com film which is yet to be titled and will be seen sharing the screen space with Ranbir Kapoor. Shraddha's pairing with Varun Dhawan, Prabhas and Aditya Roy Kapur were much loved by the audience and now it's time to witness Shraddha's chemistry with Bollywoods heartthrob Ranbir.

The duo recently left to Delhi for their shoot and fans couldn't contain their excitement and have flooded the comments section with excitement to see the duo first time on-screen.

Here's what the fans have to say:

'#Shrabir' has been doing rounds and one is keen on hearing more about the duo and the film much more. This fresh duos fresh chemistry will make us fall in love as two supremely talented actors are set to give a blockbuster together. From fan pages to all the Shraddha and Ranbir fans; no one left a chance to showcase their excitement to see the duo together.

Shraddha will once again make us laugh with a dash of romance. The multi-talented actress is widening her horizons and trying every genre, she is all set to bring her A game in this one. Apart from her collaboration with Luv films, the actress will also be seen in Nagin Trilogy which was announced recently. More details of both projects are awaited.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Entheon Biomedical Corp. (CSE: ENBI) (FSE: 1XU1) ("Entheon" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company focused on developing psychedelic medicines to treat addiction, announces that it has entered into a consulting agreement (the "Agreement") with Star Finance GmbH ("Star Finance"), a Swiss-based company, to provide European investor relations services. Star Finance has offices in Steinhausen, Switzerland, and Cologne, Germany.

Star Finance is owned and operated by Michael Adams, who is a communications professional with more than 15 years of experience assisting Canadian public companies with introductions to investors, primarily in Germany and German-speaking Europe. Among other services, Star Finance owns and operates two established investment-focused financial websites and provides information about investment opportunities to its audience through e-mail newsletters, websites and various social media channels in the form of written articles as well as video content.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Star Finance will create and implement an investor relations program for the Company, assist in the organization and dissemination of Company information, and provide market intelligence services to the Company. In consideration of these services, the Company shall pay Star Finance EUR 24,000 for an initial 6-month term.

About Entheon Biomedical Corp.

Entheon is a biotechnology research and development company committed to developing and commercializing a portfolio of safe and effective N,N-dimethyltryptamine based psychedelic therapeutic products ("DMT Products") for the purposes of treating addiction and substance use disorders. Subject to obtaining all requisite regulatory approvals and permits, Entheon intends to generate revenue through the sale of its DMT Products to physicians, clinics and licensed psychiatrists in the United States, certain countries in the European Union and throughout Canada.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Timothy Ko"

Timothy Ko, CEO

For more information, please contact:

Entheon Biomedical Corp.

Joseph Cullen, Investor Relations

Telephone: +1 (778) 919-8615

joe@entheonbiomedical.com

https://entheonbiomedical.com/

For media inquiries, please contact Crystal Quast at:

Bullseye Corporate

Crystal Quast

Telephone: +1 (647) 529-6364

Quast@BullseyeCorporate.com

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Although management of 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 since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to raise further capital and the Company's ability to obtain regulatory and exchange approvals. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71871
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Ten months of self-quarantine to avoid catching coronavirus felt like prison to Barbara, a 92-year-old Albuquerque resident who was elated to hear last Friday that she was old enough to qualify for the new COVID-19 vaccine.

Except she doesnt have a computer, so she cant register online for the vaccine. And her flip-top cellphone doesnt permit text messages, so she cant communicate with the state Department of Health to set up an appointment that way.

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Her efforts to get a vaccine through the new DOH call center have been in vain.

Ive waited for hours, she told the Journal on Monday. I spent two hours one day, and over two another day listening to that recorded message that puts callers seeking vaccines on hold.

I finally hung up when my arm went numb, Barbara said. It seemed hopeless.

State health officials acknowledged Monday that New Mexicans faced long waits and had trouble getting through Friday to the new vaccine call center, and they said theyre determined to fix the problems.

Dr. Tracie Collins, who leads the Department of Health, said the state has steadily added call center agents since last week, and she asked people to be patient as the state makes improvements.

Among the planned upgrades is a more robust callback feature so people can get a call when its their turn to talk to an agent, rather than having to stay on the line.

Were quickly expanding how many people can answer the phone calls, Collins said in an online news conference.

The state should have 21 people staffing the hotline by Wednesday, with the goal of 41 agents by the end of next week, a state spokesman said. On Monday, the call center had received about 1,100 calls by 2:25 p.m.

400,000 registered

New Mexico launched the call center Thursday to help people register for a COVID-19 vaccine. It complements a state website where people can sign up online and be notified when a vaccine is available.

Nearly 400,000 have registered.

This website went up at warp speed, like the vaccine, Collins said. Were still trying to make improvements.

The next priority for the vaccine is adults 75 and older, followed by anyone 16 or older with a pre-existing medical condition that increases their risk of COVID-19 complications.

Collins said a substantial portion of New Mexicos population will fall into those two categories.

But she stressed Monday that the states vaccine providers may administer doses to people outside the priority groups as a way to ensure no vaccines go to waste once theyve been thawed.

Its not perfect, Collins said. We just need to get vaccine in arms, and we dont want to waste doses.

New Mexico ranks No. 12 in the country for COVID-19 vaccines administered per capita, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New Mexico had administered 78,143 vaccines through Monday  a partial figure, officials said, because just 81% of vaccine providers are reporting their figures. About 170,300 doses have been delivered to the state, according to the Department of Health.

Many frustrated

Barbara, for her part, asked that her last name not be used out of fear that people might think she was a pushy old lady trying to jump ahead in line for a vaccine.

Her frustration has been echoed by others who have contacted the Journal in recent days.

Another woman, who described herself in an email as a 70-plus-year-old behavioral health provider with underlying health conditions, told the Journal she received a text back after sending an email to the DOH seeking the vaccine. The text said she could schedule an appointment to be vaccinated.

Within moments, she told the Journal, I attempted to do so, only to receive the message that this event is full. Seriously?

She made multiple calls to the DOH without success, she said.

Collins said the state is doing the best it can with the limited vaccine supply now available. Appointments can fill up quickly, she said.

Barbara is still able to live in her own home, avoiding the plight of some her age who reside in long-term care facilities in New Mexico where COVID-19 has taken a deadly toll.

She realizes getting a vaccine can be a life-or-death matter for some. But on a personal level, she said she wants to be vaccinated so she can visit her first great-grandchild, due in March.

But Im in limbo, Barbara told the Journal on Monday. If I could get a vaccination, I would be a pretty happy grandma.

Morale boost

Top physicians at Albuquerque-area hospitals said that they have administered close to 25,000 doses.

Doctors for the Presbyterian, Lovelace and University of New Mexico health systems said administering the COVID vaccine has gone smoothly. Front-line health care workers and first responders have been getting the vaccine, as have others, such as some administrative employees at community practices.

It was an immediate boost in morale, Dr. Denise Gonzales, the medical director at Presbyterian Healthcare Services, said of health care employees receiving the shot. People finally had light at the end of the tunnel.

The doctors said that the vaccine is being distributed based on guidelines set by the Department of Health and that doses have not been wasted. A few times when someone didnt show up for their shot, the hospitals found someone to take their place.

These are indeed hopeful times for New Mexicans, said Dr. David Pitcher, the executive physician for the UNM Health System.

Encouraging data

New Mexico reported some encouraging data on coronavirus trends Monday. The state recorded about 930 new coronavirus cases as the number of daily infections showed signs of leveling off after a period of sharp growth.

The state has averaged about 1,400 cases a day over the last week  a 30% increase from the average Jan. 1.

The daily average has held roughly steady the past few days.

The share of tests that come back positive fell slightly. The test positivity rate dropped to 12.1% in the most recent seven-day period tracked by the state, about 2 percentage points lower than the average at one point last week.

New Mexico also reported 15 more coronavirus-related deaths Monday, pushing the statewide toll to 2,764.




[January 12, 2021] Adagene Announces Milestone of CAR-T Collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health

- Collaboration with Richard Childs, M.D., yields potential first-ever antibodies targeting human endogenous retrovirus associated with renal cell carcinoma SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and SUZHOU, China, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adagene, Inc., a platform-driven, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with precision antibody engineering, discovery and development capabilities, today announced the successful completion of its component of the collaboration with Richard Childs, M.D., Chief of the Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a result of the collaboration, Adagene discovered antibodies that Dr. Childs laboratory has turned into a CAR-T cell therapy candidate for the potential treatment of renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, according to Frost & Sullivan. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), remnants of ancient germ-line infections with exogenous retroviruses, are estimated to comprise up to 8% of the human genome. A growing number of HERV genes and proteins have been found to be expressed in different cancers, and they might represent new targets for tumor immunotherapy. The novel antibodies that were co-discovered and tested by Adagene and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have enabled us to potentially develop the first CAR-T cell therapy candidate targeting a human endogenous retrovirus expressed in the majority of clear cell kidney tumors, said Dr. Childs. This is an encouraging development that builds on decades of research in our quest to find ways to adapt and enhance immune cells to target and kill even the most aggressive cancers. I look forward to the evaluation and hopefully the development of this novel CAR-T cell and other antibody-based therapies in clinical trials. The NIH will lead and be responsible for the manufacturing and clinical development of the CAR-T cell therapy candidate.



Adagene is honored to have worked with Dr. Childs and his laboratory on this novel family of HERV as a potential target for tumor immunotherapy, said Peter Luo, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Adagene. Using our NEObody technology, we identified novel antibodies against HERV expresed targets in renal cell carcinoma, which to our knowledge has never before been accomplished. We look forward to the advancement of the first-in-class CAR-T cell therapy Dr. Childs laboratory has pioneered based on antibodies discovered at Adagene. In the meantime, Adagene continues to progress its pipeline of programs developed with NEObody and SAFEbody technologies, to address unmet medical needs.



NEObody is part of Adagenes Dynamic Precision Library (DPL) platform, which combines computational biology and synthetic biology to enable the selection of antibody candidates with novel epitopes, robust CMC profiles and desired safety and efficacy attributes for downstream development. About Adagene

Adagene, Inc. is a platform-driven, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based cancer immunotherapies. Adagene combines computational biology and artificial intelligence to design novel antibodies that address unmet patient needs. Its proprietary pipeline is comprised of novel immunotherapy programs. Adagene has forged strategic collaborations with reputable global partners that leverage its technology in multiple approaches at the vanguard of science.

Forward Looking Statements This article contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events, including but not limited to those regarding the therapeutic potential of and potential clinical development and commercialization plans for Adagenes pipeline candidates, its strategic and financial plans and expectations, as well as financial projections. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as may, will, expect, anticipate, aim, estimate, intend, plan, believe, is/are likely to, potential, continue or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to: our goals and strategies; our future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; results of our clinical trials and preclinical studies; the expected collaboration between NIH and us; our expectations regarding our relationships with our business partners and our other stakeholders; competition in our industry; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Managements expectations and, therefore, any forward-looking statements in this presentation could also be affected by risks and uncertainties relating to a number of other factors, many of which are beyond Adagenes control. All information in this article is as of the date hereof, and Adagene disclaims any obligation to update or revise such information unless required by law. Investors Contact

Raymond Tam

Adagene

86-8777-3626

Raymond_tam@adagene.com

business@adagene.com Media Contact

Annie Starr

6 Degrees

973-768-2170

astarr@6degreespr.com



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HAEAN, South Korea  Along the border with North Korea is a town where the sad legacy of war is perhaps best understood by looking at the crops in the field.

Standing on a wind-swept plot on a hillside, Han Gi-taek, 69, peered over the land and recalled the hard labor, cold nights and stray land mines that made it difficult for his family to cultivate the ground beneath his feet. First they did it with their bare hands and shovels, he said. In more recent years, it has been done using tractors, with the piles of rocks that ring the field bearing witness to the familys decades of labor.

Mr. Han arrived in this mountain basin on the eastern border with North Korea in 1956, when military trucks unloaded 160 families as new settlers of the war-torn territory. The families, mostly from Korean War refugee camps, were told by the government in the South that they would be allowed to keep the land if they cultivated it for 10 years.

We were landless peasants who lost everything during the war, Mr. Han said. We came here with a dream of owning our own land.
There are some things I want to do, and there are some things I wont do. But what I will do is respect everyone who comes before this body. I will not ever disparage any of my fellow council members, and I will not use my position as president to remove members from any appointed commission for no other reason than they disagreed with my opinion, Sheeman said, referring to Schockes replacing three Redevelopment Commission members with people Schocke said reliably assured (him) that (they) will not support the use of allocation area funding from the Highland Redevelopment Commission to fund improvements associated with the proposed development on Cline Avenue in August.
DUSSELDORF, Germany and BARCELONA, Spain, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuraxpharm Group (Neuraxpharm), a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the central nervous system (CNS), today announces the launch in Japan of the recently acquired prescription brand Buccolam (oromucosal midazolam) following its approval as the first buccally administered formulation for the treatment of status epilepticus (SE) in the country.

The launch follows the completion of Neuraxpharm's acquisition of Buccolam from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) in September and represents the expansion of Neuraxpharm's footprint outside Europe into Japan, the third largest pharmaceutical market in the world [2]. As part of the transaction, Takeda launches the product and remains the marketing authorization holder of Buccolam in Japan for a transitional phase.

Buccolam is a market leading, value-added buccal midazolam indicated for the emergency treatment of children and adolescents from 3 months to 18 years with epilepsy suffering from prolonged acute convulsive seizures (PACS), the most common neurological emergency in young children. Buccolam is manufactured in Europe and is approved in 33 countries [3], including 27 EU member countries, the United Kingdom and Israel.

In 2016, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) asked Takeda to commence clinical trials of Buccolam for the indication of status epilepticus in response to a demand voiced by patient groups and the Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Buccolam was designated by the MHLW as an Orphan Drug for this condition in February 2020 and obtained the New Drug Application Approval in September last year, being the first buccally administered formulation for the treatment of status epilepticus in Japan able to be administered in homes or other locations outside of medical facilities for children from 6 months of age. Status epilepticus is defined as a single seizure lasting more than five minutes that does not resolve spontaneously, or when seizures occur close together and the person does not recover between seizures.

Dr. Jorg-Thomas Dierks, CEO of Neuraxpharm, commented: "Following our acquisition of the global rights for Buccolam in September, we are delighted to be launching this well established and proven treatment in a substantial new market outside Europe. Our rapid and successful geographical expansion in recent years has demonstrated our ability to leverage marketing expertise and synergies to enter new markets. We look forward to continuing this expansion in order to offer patients and their families new solutions for unmet needs in CNS across the world."

Neuraxpharm, which specializes in pharmaceutical products for the central nervous system (CNS), has annual revenues in excess of 480 million and currently has a direct presence in 13 European countries. Neuraxpharm's pharmaceutical products amount to more than 30 CNS brands and over 115 CNS molecules, covering approximately 85% of the European CNS drug market.

Following the recent launch of Neuraxpharm Ireland through the acquisition of specialty pharmaceutical distribution company, Medinutrix Ltd, Neuraxpharm's growth momentum has continued, with expansion of its direct presence in Europe from two to 13 countries in only four years. Today's announcement extends Neuraxpharm's geographical coverage further, underlining the company's commitment to patients and healthcare professionals and reinforcing its strategy to offer a broad range of CNS products in a growing number of countries.

References

[1], [2] Source: IQVIA

[3] Status: November 2020

About Neuraxpharm  the European CNS specialist

Neuraxpharm is a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders (CNS) with a direct presence in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Hungary, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. Backed by funds advised by Permira, Neuraxpharm has a unique understanding of the CNS market built over 35 years.

With its focus on CNS, Neuraxpharm develops and commercializes value added medicines, standard generics and Consumer Healthcare products, e.g. probiotics and other nutraceuticals, and is continuously striving to offer a wide range of effective, high quality and affordable CNS treatment options in Europe.

Present with its products in more than 50 countries, Neuraxpharm also manufactures pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients in its own manufacturing sites in Spain, Lesvi and Inke.

To learn more about Neuraxpharm, please visit: https://www.neuraxpharm.com

SOURCE Neuraxpharm
This isnt politics. This is state election law. I dont pay any attention to what goes on in the village of Lake Bluff, she said. They can think what they want, I really dont care what they think of me. My reason was because it is wrong. He didnt follow the law. It is as simple as that.
Federal agents and Webb County constable deputies arrested three people in connection with the smuggling attempt of more than 40 immigrants who had crossed the border illegally.

On Jan. 8, Homeland Security Investigations special agents received information about a trailer home in the 3000 block of North Tapeyste Avenue that was being used to harbor immigrants. U.S. Border Patrol agents set up surveillance at about 8 p.m.

Authorities then observed a GMC Yukon, a Ford Flex and a Ford Expedition arrive at the residence. Agents observed several individuals enter one of the vehicles through the back cargo area. Then, the three vehicles departed the area. Agents followed the vehicles in unmarked vehicles.

Webb County Precinct 2 Constables Office deputies assisted with conducting traffic stops.

At about 8:25 p.m., a deputy tried to pull over the Ford Flex when the driver stopped near the intersection of East Saunders Street and North Louisiana Avenue. Agents and deputies caught up to the driver after a brief foot pursuit, according to court documents.

He was identified as Heriberto Francisco Granados, 17. Five people were found inside the Ford Flex. Deputies arrested Granados and charged him with one count of evading arrest and five counts of smuggling of persons. Deputies took over that case because Granados is 17 years old.

At about 8:30 p.m., another deputy attempted to pull over the Yukon for a traffic violation, but the driver refused to stop. A vehicle pursuit ensued and ended when the Yukon crashed with a parked vehicle in the intersection of North Texas Avenue and Reynolds Street.

Deputies then observed several people running from the crash scene. Deputies caught up to six people. Laredo Fire Department crews responded to take three people to a Doctors Hospital South with minor injuries. Authorities identified the driver of the Yukon as Leonardo Rivera-Rosales, 18.

At approximately 8:35 p.m., agents in unmarked vehicles observed the Ford Expedition entering the parking lot of a local motel in the 2500 block of East Saunders Street. Agents approached the Expedition and discovered nine people. The driver was identified as Michael Villarreal, 23. He was found hiding in one of the motel rooms found with the front door open.

At approximately 8:50 p.m., agents returned to the stash house on North Tapeyste to conduct a knock and talk and search for additional immigrants. A man answered the door and multiple people were seen inside, according to court documents. Agents detained 23 immigrants.

Villarreal and Rivera-Rosales allegedly agreed to talk to HSI special agents.

Both individuals agreed to provide statements and stated they made arrangements with other human smugglers to pick up the (immigrants) from the stash house and transport them to another undisclosed location for monetary gain. Both knew it was illegal to transport (immigrants) but agreed to transport them for the money, states the affidavit.
There is a general acceptance hyperbolic headlines will command more attention than mundane truths. But there is nothing either exaggerated or mundane about the announcement that we have the highest daily number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world.

Our seven-day average is 1,394 cases per million  higher than the UK (810) and the USA (653).

This is a dire picture no-one wanted to see. Our hospitals will soon be overwhelmed.

Head of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, Prof Alan Irvine, has warned: The acute hospital system is under the greatest pressure that its ever been in living memory. This is truly a national emergency in our acute hospitals.

HSE chief operations officer Anne OConnor said the numbers in hospital will shortly double from the previous peak of 881, which occurred in April.

Increased socialising over Christmas, and the impact of new, more contagious variants of the virus have produced a fire-storm of infection.

The so-called UK variant accounted for almost half of a recent sample of positive cases.

Any impulse to initiate a massive blame game must, for the moment, be suppressed.

As Alexander Dumas wrote: What is the sense in recriminations about things over which the will of God itself is powerless? God can change the future, He cannot alter even an instant of the past.

The present is our priority: Concentrating all energies on helping doctors and nurses do their job.

As we have been warned from the beginning, the first line of defence is in our homes.

Hospitals are the second front. Were we to do what is being asked of us  but which by now ought to come naturally  we would restrict contacts remorselessly.

This is the most effective way we can support the super-human struggle of the medical community.

We do not have the luxury of explanation as to how things spiralled out of control quite so disastrously or so swiftly.

The national response and the individual one are equally important.

Unless both are in sync, the virus will maintain the whip-hand in our communities.

Health staff are literally giving their all to keep us safe.

Some 3,500 HSE workers are now unavailable for work as a result of the pandemic, along with 1,000 nursing home workers.

We are living through a uniquely dangerous time. We may not be able to manage external events but we have an absolute obligation to manage ourselves.

Its time to collectively accept there is no one better to lean on, rely on, or blame, than ourselves. Doctors must not be put in a position whereby they have to prioritise one patient over another.

No-one deserves to be left gasping for their last breath because we failed to heed the grave warnings we have been given.

Our most urgent task is to help, in any way we can, rid our country of the virus.
Hong Kong: Youth commission meets online

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today chaired the seventh meeting of the Youth Development Commission online.

The commission members noted the new initiatives on youth development in the 2020 Policy Address, including the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme launched earlier to support Hong Kong youth to seize the career development opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

They also agreed to introduce enhancement measures for the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The scheme subsidises non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide entrepreneurial support and incubation services that befit the needs of young people starting businesses in Hong Kong and bay area Mainland cities.

"The GBA development is an important strategy for the further reform and opening up of the country, as well as a key way forward for Hong Kong's economic recovery after the epidemic, Mr Cheung said.

The GBA would provide Hong Kong young people with a new runway for employment and entrepreneurship," he added.

The commission agreed to introduce a new thematic funding scheme under the Youth Development Fund to subsidise eligible NGOs to collaborate with schools to provide systematic, quality and sizeable local outdoor adventure training activities for young people.

Subject to the epidemic's developments, the new scheme is expected to be launched in the first half of this year.

Members also noted the progress of various youth development projects under the commission.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
There is no doubt in my mind that the president of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection. He used his position in the executive (branch) to attack the legislative (branch), Kinzinger said in a statement, before referring to articles in the Constitution. So, in assessing the articles of impeachment brought before the House, I must consider: if these actions  the Article II branch inciting a deadly insurrection against the Article I branch  are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense?
"When we launched 'What's Your Warrior?,' we established a new world for Gen Z to inhabit and explore its Army on their terms  and we know they liked what they saw thanks to a nearly 53% spike in online interest in the first year alone," said Maj. Gen. Alex Fink, Chief of Army Enterprise Marketing. "To continue the momentum, now we're inviting youth deeper into this world through the eyes and experiences of real Soldiers. Who better to introduce America's youth to the wealth of opportunity in the U.S. Army than the Soldiers who live and breathe it every day?"

The Army Soldiers headlining the campaign were hand-selected to represent the breadth and depth of skillsets, interests, and cultural backgrounds that make up the Army community. Out of more than 200 career options currently available in the Army, 12 specific careers were chosen to both raise awareness of surprising Army roles and promote some of the more in-demand fields.

"Our success depends on our ability to attract the best and brightest our country has to offer, so it was particularly important for us to show more than just the diversity of Army careers, but also the diversity of the Army community," said Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy. "Each Soldier is a valuable contributor to the Army's mission because of the unique backgrounds and perspectives they bring to Army service."

The campaign brings 12 Soldiers' diverse Army specialties to life by assigning each one an aspirational identity, known as a "moniker," that speaks to the power of every Army role and makes even the most complex fields immediately more recognizable and relatable. These monikers pay homage to the beloved protagonists of epic media franchises, while creating natural avenues for youth to meaningfully connect with the Army based on personal and professional interests. The 12 featured monikers and Soldiers include:

The Dragon Tamer (1st Lt. Phillip Fluke , Aviation Officer*): It takes a near-mythical level of skill to harness the power of an Army helicopter. Army pilots' determination and specialized training allow them to do the seemingly impossible. The Wavelength (Sgt. Jennifer Smith , Signal Support Systems Specialist): Signal warriors have the technical expertise to capture and send the critical communications we can't see. This allows the seamless connection between units and the entire Army across the globe. The Virus Hunter (Maj. Derese Getnet, Microbiologist): It takes a certain kind of power to confront and neutralize the not-so-little threats to human health. The microbiologists work to not only handle ongoing threats but ones that may occur in the future. The Chameleon (Sgt. 1st Class Jean-Noel Howell , Infantryman*): A sniper gains a tactical advantage by disappearing into the landscape. Their mastery of stealth, reconnaissance, and weaponry makes them the deadliest unseen force on the battlefield. The Thunder Maker (Staff Sgt. Jada Madson , Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Crewmember): Firing rockets and missiles from miles away, they provide tactical support and clear advantage on the battlefield with each resounding rocket impact and flash. The Ground Breaker (Sgt. Frincee Prado, Technical Engineer): An expert in design and construction, the technical engineer imagines structures and works collaboratively with the engineering community to build them into existence. The Code Fighter (Maj. Erika Alvarado , Cyber Operations Officer**): The Army needs those with digital chops to hold the frontlines of the future. Here cyber warriors battle threats that attempt to come across the digital network day in and day out. The Sharpened Steel (Col. Roy Danks , General Surgeon*): As powerful as any weapon in battle, a surgeon's expert skills can be the instrumental difference between life and death. The Replenisher (Sgt. Josthin Josue Servellon Hernandez, Culinary Specialist): Army chefs fuel the force by providing the critical nutrition our Soldiers need to succeed in any mission. The Force Multiplier (Sgt. Maj. Zachary Bowman , Special Forces Senior Sergeant): A "force multiplier" has the ability to scale their power. In this case, it's the Special Forces Soldier's training of indigenous forces to protect and defend themselves. Special Forces Soldiers have various roles they master, enabling them to be the solution in any climate and place. The Nerve Center (Spc. Marian Jones , Intelligence Analyst): When the data pours in, it takes a corps of experts to analyze it and find the advantages, turning information into action. The Upper Hand (Sgt. Javaughn Harrison , Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator**): With a mighty fleet at their fingertips, unmanned aircraft systems operators give their nation the ultimate aerial advantage.

Monikers and the Soldiers behind them are also taking over @GoArmy social media channels as part of "Warrior Weeks," a complimentary content series that offers an exclusive, firsthand look at "a day in the life" of Army Soldiers. The series, told by Soldiers, will appear on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook now through April 2. Collectively, these stories communicate that there are many ways to be a warrior and, through Army service, Soldiers can both contribute to something greater than themselves while improving who they will become.

To help youth find their inner warrior, the Army is pairing the campaign with an improved online Army Career Match tool at www.GoArmy.com that uses an interactive quiz to align personal interests with one of over 200 unique roles within the Army. A mix of traditional and digital advertising, grassroots outreach, and public relations engagement will continue to reach Gen Z recruits and their influencers across their preferred platforms.

For more information on "What's Your Warrior?" and opportunities with the Army, visit www.GoArmy.com.

* In "What's Your Warrior?" still imagery, the Dragon Tamer, Chameleon, and Sharpened Steel monikers are represented by 2nd Lt. Hatem Smadi, Staff Sgt. Devin McClain, and Maj. Muoy Lim, respectively.

** Both Maj. Erika Alvarado and Sgt. Javaughn Solomon Harrison were promoted after the production of the campaign.

About the Army Enterprise Marketing Office (AEMO): AEMO is the U.S. Army's national marketing, marketing research and analysis and accessions analysis organization. AEMO develops innovative and effective ways to: connect with the American public to make the Army more accessible and understood; increase awareness of both the benefits and value of Army service; and motivate the most qualified candidates to choose the Army as their service of first choice.

SOURCE U.S. Army

Related Links

http://www.GoArmy.com


THE relationship between the ruling Zanu PF party and its sister liberation movement  African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa  is on a cliffhanger after the latter revealed yesterday that it had had enough of the Harare regimes antics characterised by threats and blackmail.

You cant always have a neighbour that is always blackmailing you, ANC national chairman Gwede Mantashe (pictured) tweeted following threats by Zanu PF director of information Tafadzwa Mugwadi to expose ANCs alleged sinister agenda which necessitated its two visits to Harare last year.

This relationship with Zimbabwe (Zanu PF) is always filled with threats and blackmail. I dont like that. If Zanu PF wants to spill the beans on our meeting with them, they must. I am eager to hear what they want to spill, he charged.

He was referring to two meetings held in Harare by the two parties last year to resolve Zimbabwes political and economic crises.

South Africas Finance minister Tito Mboweni weighed in, tweeting: I wish the President could just allow me nyana to tackle that turncoat @TafadzwaMugwadi @Sophie_Mokoena @tyengeni1954 @pulemabe.

He added: In fact, ANC chairperson, @GwedeMantashe1 should have said that the relationship isabusive! This must be stopped! It must end!

Last August, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched three envoys to meet Zanu PF in an effort to resolve the countrys political and economic crises amid fears that problems in Harare could destabilise the southern African region.

However, Zanu PF insisted that the country was not in a crisis.

Last week, Mugwadi singled out SABC correspondent Sophie Mukoena accusing her of filing fake stories about President Emmerson Mnangagwas administration. He courted a diplomatic tiff with the ANC leadership when he threatened to leak a bombshell on why the ANC delegation came (to Harare).

This forced Ramaphosa to respond during an interview with the SABC on Saturday, daring Mugwadi to come out in the open with his bombshell and reveal the real reason which he claimed was behind his partys visit to Zimbabwe last year.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday chose to downplay the fallout, saying: There are no alarm bells at all, we continue as we were. There is nothing alarming. We will continue to relate as we have always done. We have cordial relations with our colleagues, there is no problem at all. We dont worry about anything; we have one common destiny which we want to push for economic emancipation.

On Sunday, Khaya Moyo said Zanu PF would take disciplinary action against Mugwadi over his unsavoury remarks.

A communique was issued on the constructive two-day meeting by the two fraternal parties and indeed these meetings will continue in the future. Nothing was amiss and necessary measures will be taken by Zanu PF concerning those involved in this matter, Khaya Moyo said.

The President and first secretary of Zanu PF Cde ED Mnangagwa, the President of the ANC Cde CM Ramaphosa called each other in high esteem and no one should attempt to soil this fraternal relationship. We are one people sharing a common liberation history, culture and destiny.

Zanu PF Twitter moles also joined the debate, some calling for the dismissal of Mugwadi from the party.

Mugwadi was once saved by top officials when the party wanted him sacked for using crude language in an interview with Aljazeera. Newsday
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
Social media firms are entitled to make their own decisions about content moderation but must be accountable, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Tuesday when asked about Donald Trump's suspension from Twitter.

"Social media companies are entitled to make their own moderation decisions," the spokesman said.

"Social media companies must be held accountable for the consistent, transparent, and effective enforcement of their terms and conditions."

Short link:


Samaritans Purse Deploys Field Hospital in LA County

LANCASTER, Calif.Samaritans Purse is deploying a 50-plus bed emergency field hospital to the City of Lancaster in response to what the evangelical organization is calling a dire situation as the result of the surging COVID-19 outbreak in the state.

The nondenominational organization points to the fact that California is among the states with the most confirmed cases per capita and that in Los Angeles County, one person reportedly dies from the disease every eight minutes. Of the more than 8,000 patients hospitalized, about 20 percent are in intensive care units (ICU).

More than 12,000 COVID-19 patients have died so far in Los Angeles County, Samaritans Purse stated in its announcement.

Edward Graham, grandson to evangelist Billy Graham, told The Epoch Times at a press event held at Antelope Valley Hospitals parking lot where the field hospital is being set up, that he would like to see the community overcome the pandemic.

My prayer is that our hospital gets to be part of a miracle and that our team here gets to see this community rise up out of this virus; that you start seeing people have victory over it, Graham said. But also, my prayer is for the community spiritually, that we get to share the hope that we believe in Jesus Christ.

Were not here to prophesize. Were here to administer medicine and health. My father always said that medicine is a magnet for the gospel when we are treating someone thats hurting and struggling. We just want to love our neighbor most of all. Thats what scripture calls us to do.

Samaritans Purse sets up a field hospital in California in January 2021. (Courtesy of Samaritans Purse)

Dr. Elliott Tenpenny, medical director of the emergency field hospital in Lancaster for Samaritans Purse, told The Epoch Times he has been serving in the same capacity internationally after catastrophes such as earthquakes and hurricanes for the past seven years.

We never thought wed be here in the United States, Tenpenny said. Were pulled into it because COVID is so bad in different places. Were happy to serve here, but it presents unique challenges.

Were excited that our doctors and nurses have risen to the challenge. The same ones that are deployed all around the world are here with us today to treat this disease.

He said that any treatment that would be available at the hospital, other than ICU-level care, will be available at the mobile unit.

We are here to provide short term care, Tenpenny said. We are like an extension of the hospital and were here to provide relief.

In 2020, Samaritans Purse deployed three emergency field hospitals to Cremona in Italy, New York City, and the Bahamas in response to the pandemictreating more than 680 patients at respiratory care units.

The mobile facility in Lancaster is the third emergency field hospital that the organization has deployed domestically, in effort to provide critical aid to patients.

Samaritans Purse opened its 30-bed hospital in Lenoir, North Carolina, on Jan 7. The mobile facility came to New York last April.

When we heard Samaritans Purse was willing to help us with the current COVID-19 crisis, I was beyond thankful, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said at a press conference Jan. 11. Samaritans Purse is a Christian organization that helps those in need around the world. They have been instrumental in responding worldwide to this pandemic, and we are fortunate to have their support here in the City of Lancaster. God is so good.

Antelope Valley Hospital chief executive Ed Mirzabegian said he and the hospital staff were grateful for the support provided by Samaritans Purse, as we anticipate another surge of COVID patients in the coming weeks, the help couldnt have been more timely.

We have also been humbled by the support of the community, as volunteers help set up tents and bring in supplies needed for the field hospital. We have faith that together we will overcome this, Mirzabegian said.

Samaritans Purse sets up a field hospital in California in January 2021. (Courtesy of Samaritans Purse)

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritans Purse, stated in a press release: As COVID cases are still on the rise, we are deploying a second Emergency Field Hospital in the U.S.this time to California. We have the opportunity to help relieve some of the pressure from the healthcare system in Lancaster, and were thankful our team can come alongside them.

Please pray for the frontline workers fighting COVID every single day.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  A panel at the House of Representatives will discuss proposed amendments to some economic provisions in the Constitution on Wednesday.

On the eve of the controversial hearing of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, the panel chairman, as well as other lawmakers, assured that the talks will be limited to the Resolution of Both Houses No. 2, filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to open up the economy.

The proposed measure seeks to ease constitutional limits on foreign ownership of lands, educational institutions, public utilities, and mass media firms. Under Velascos proposal, Congress should convene as a constituent assembly and approve amendments to the Constitution by a three-fourths vote of all lawmakers, with the House and Senate voting separately.

Velasco said he has secured the support of lawmakers from various political parties and blocs following a hybrid meeting on Tuesday.

In another event, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III expressed support for efforts to loosen up strict limits on the participation of foreign businesses, except in land ownership.

The issue of land ownership is so emotional, Dominguez said. Let's do something doable, let's open up the economy - retail trade should be opened, things like the construction business should be opened.

These restrictive economic provisions will be the only agenda for Wednesdays deliberations, said AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., head of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments.

A press release from Garbins office said the committee will not tackle nor entertain any political amendment proposal as ordered by Velasco.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said any move to amend political provisions will be dead on arrival.

Revived talks about charter change have been criticized as ill-timed considering that the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus crisis and that theres only one year left in the Duterte administration. Critics say President Rodrigo Dutertes allies could find a way to extend his term, an accusation Malacanang has repeatedly denied. Duterte has said he has no plans of staying in power beyond 2022.

Earlier, Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III disclosed it was Duterte who suggested in a November 2020 meeting with lawmakers that constitutional provisions on the party-list system be changed, amid concerns it is being exploited by supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which the executive has designated as a terrorist organization. While at it, economic provisions could also be amended, Sotto recalled the President as saying.

However, there is no assurance that Congress, once convened as a constituent assembly, would limit discussions to certain provisions, Senator Panfilo Ping Lacson earlier said.

In a constituent assembly, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall convene and decide on constitutional amendments themselves. This is different from a constitutional convention which requires nationwide elections to select delegates who will draft the amendments.

During the 17th Congress, the House of Representatives also approved a resolution seeking a constituent assembly, but the Senate failed to decide on pertinent issues: Whether there is a need to amend the Constitution, and if so, whether it will be done by a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly.

Duterte earlier pushed for a Constitution that would allow for a shift to a federal form of government, but he later conceded that this campaign promise may not be fulfilled due to lack of support from Filipinos. In July last year, Malacanang said pursuing reforms to the Constitution is not a priority of the government amid the rising cases of the coronavirus disease, but it has also clarified it will not intervene in the affairs of Congress.
Police identified the pilot killed Monday when the ultralight aircraft he was flying crashed in a wooded-area of Gloucester County as a 64-year-old Vineland man.

Gerard Asselta was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash about a quarter mile north of Tuckahoe Road and Harding Highway in Franklin Township, according to Lt. Matthew DeCesari.

The single-engine craft took off from a residence on Union Road in Vineland and crashed shortly before 1 p.m., DeCesari said in a statement. It was not immediately clear if the man took off from his home or where he was headed.

Witnesses reported seeing the single-seat ultralight near Downstown Airport, but it was also unclear if the pilot was trying to land before the incident, according to authorities. Asselta was the only person aboard.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash, but referred questions to local authorities. Ultralights are not considered aircraft by the FAA and the agency does not investigate crashes involving the vehicles. Ultralights are not registered with federal regulators.

The term often refers to a single-seat powered or unpowered airborne vehicle. There were no additional details on the type of ultralight in Mondays crash.

Footage from a 6ABC news helicopter showed the crumpled remains of a yellow craft, located a short distance from the roadway.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Donald Trump's four-year term as president ends at noon Jan. 20. That's not soon enough for some in Congress, who have initiated an unprecedented second effort to impeach him, one year after the U.S. Senate acquitted him of House charges in his first impeachment. This time around, forcing Trump to leave office might not be the most important goal.

1. What would be the point, then?

Some Democrats say Trump must be impeached to hold him accountable for his role encouraging his supporters who participated in the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. More tangibly, Trump has made noises about running for the presidency again in 2024, a prospect that alarms many Democrats and complicates the ambitions of other Republicans who envision themselves in the Oval Office. Should he be impeached (again) by the House, and convicted (this time) by the required two-thirds supermajority in the Senate, senators could also vote to disqualify him from serving in future federal office, which would take only a simple majority. (Article 1 of the Constitution says impeachment judgments can include "disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.")

2. Has disqualification ever happened?

The House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times, according to its historian's office, and voted to impeach 20 individuals -- 15 federal judges, one senator, one Cabinet secretary and three presidents (Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998 and Trump in 2019). Of that group, eight judges were convicted and removed from office by the Senate. Three of the judges were also disqualified from holding office again. The last instance was in 2010, involving Thomas Porteous, a federal judge in New Orleans who was accused of taking cash and bribes from lawyers and bail bondsmen with cases before his court, making false statements in declaring personal bankruptcy, and lying to the Senate during his confirmation.

3. What other repercussions would there be for Trump?

If impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate, Trump could lose many of the benefits afforded to former presidents, which, under the Former Presidents Act of 1958, include a lifetime pension, an annual travel budget and funding for an office and staff. Under that law, such perks are withheld from any president removed through the impeachment process (though he would still be entitled to Secret Service protection). Whether a post-presidency conviction, such as Trump potentially faces, constitutes "removal" might be a question for the courts to decide. But experts point out that Congress could try to amend the law to make sure Trump loses his benefits.

4. Is there enough time left to impeach Trump?

There's enough time for the House to pass one or more articles of impeachment -- formal written charges for consideration by the Senate -- but there's little to no chance that the Senate would act by Jan. 20. Since the goal of many Democrats transcends removing Trump as president, however, acting quickly isn't a necessity. In fact, it's possible that House Democrats might delay sending any approved articles of impeachment to the Senate for a couple of months, so as not to interfere with the first 100 days or so of President-elect Joe Biden's administration. No president has ever been convicted of impeachment, much less after leaving office, so the legality of a post-presidency impeachment conviction could be challenged, should it come to that.

5. What exactly is an impeachable offense?

Congress decides that. The U.S. Constitution says the president "shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." As Congress has defined it through the years, the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors" includes exceeding or abusing the powers of the presidency, or misusing the office for improper purpose or gain.
She's among many influencers living it up in the luxuries of Dubai.

And Love Island Georgia Steel didn't seem concerned by fears of a mad dash back to the UK after the United Arab Emirates was removed from the government's travel corridor list on Tuesday.

The reality star, 22, set pulses racing in a sizzling pale blue bikini as she enjoyed a sunbathing session on her hotel terrace which she documented on Instagram Stories.

Nothing to see here! Love Island Georgia Steel didn't seem concerned by news of Dubai being removed from the UK's travel corridor list, as she sizzled in a pale blue bikini on Tuesday

Georgia slipped into the plunging blue bikini top and matching bottoms as she posed in the blazing hot sunshine.

The reality star certainly appeared to be enjoying the hot weather as she topped up her tan, unfazed by news that influencers could face a mad dash back to the UK to avoid having to quarantine when they return home.

It was announced on Monday that travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of COVID -19 cases there - an undoubted shock for the influencer-packed city.

Sexy: The reality star set pulses racing in a sizzling pale blue bikini as she enjoyed a sunbathing session on her hotel terrace

No problems here! Georgia has joined a slew of stars living it up in the city, with many claiming their travel was 'for work' to avoid questions on whether they've breached restrictions

Georgia has joined a slew of Love Island stars living it up in the luxurious city, with many claiming their travel was 'for work' to avoid questions on whether they've breached government restrictions.

While they have partied, pandemic news has been rumbling at home as earlier this week, it was revealed that new rules will require international travellers to come back negative after a PCR test before arriving in England will come into force from Friday.

From 4am on January 15, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane - including UK nationals - will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country.

They will need to present proof of a negative test result - using a PCR test or on some occasions a LAMP or lateral flow test - to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals.

New rules: On Monday it was revealed that travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of COVID -19 cases there

New arrivals who flout the rules will face a minimum 500 fine, while the operator who transported them will also be fined.

Passengers will still have to quarantine for 10 days regardless of their test results, transport minister Robert Courts said in a statement.

British nationals attempting to return home who test positive must not travel and must follow the local guidance in their host country, and contact the nearest consulate if they need support.

It comes as travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases there.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al-Quwain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah have been added to the UK's quarantine list - meaning social media stars at the Middle Eastern holiday hotspot will need to self-isolate for 10 days.

Getaway: Georgia joined a string of reality stars in Dubai as the UK settles into its third national lockdown, with all international travel banned

Transport minister Mr Courts said: 'If a passenger arrives in England without a pre-departure negative test result they will be fined.

'We will amend the International Travel Regulations so that fines, starting at 500, can be levied on non-compliant passengers.'

Travellers will have to take an internationally approved test, and Mr Courts said guidance on what was acceptable would be made available to passengers and carriers.

'We will keep test standards and innovative testing technologies under review,' he said.

The union representing Lake Oswego teachers is pushing back against the districts proposed February return for elementary students, calling those plans callous and dangerous in a fiery statement Monday.

Teachers want to be in the classroom. Teachers miss their kids. But they want to live and not be responsible for killing their families or sickening their students, union President Kelly Fitzsimmons said in a release. We should wait for the vaccine to be available or at least be making decisions to return based on data.

Superintendent Lora De La Cruz last week announced the district would usher kindergartners back into classrooms Feb. 4 with students in upper elementary grades to follow on a staggered schedule through the rest of the month.

Unlike other metro-area districts such as Beaverton and Portland Public Schools, De La Cruz said Lake Oswego district officials would not wait for their educators to be vaccinated before asking them to return to the classroom.

Since September, the district has offered in-person instruction for some of its students, focusing on those in special education programs or who require academic support. De La Cruz told The Oregonian/OregonLive those efforts have gone smoothly, not leading to virus spread, so officials plan on scaling up the processes they currently use to teach about 150 students.

According to an amendment to the contract between the district and union provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Lake Oswego district officials agreed to abide by Oregon Department of Education guidelines to offer in-person instruction.

That means they have to limit students and teacher to interacting with small groups of people, check regularly for symptoms, require everyone to wear masks and give each person 35 square feet of unshared space in the classroom.

Once district officials got the okay from the state, educators would have two weeks to prepare for a return to classrooms, spokesperson Mary Kay Larson said.

For much of the fall, the Department of Education did not allow districts to offer classroom instruction to the general student population unless its county met strict coronavirus infection benchmarks. In counties the size of Clackamas, that was fewer than 50 infections per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 5% for two consecutive weeks if a district wanted to offer in-person instruction to students of every grade level.

For elementary students, those benchmarks were 100 per 100,000 and test positivity of 8% or less. Clackamas County registered infections of more than 300 per 100,000 for all of December and test positivity between 6% and 7%.

On Dec. 23, Gov. Kate Brown made the states reopening guidelines advisory rather than mandatory. But restrictions on class size, requirements for 35 square feet of unshared space and the like remain in place.

Education officials across the state expect the governor to announce new advisory infection benchmarks and perhaps new limits on class size and related safety measures on Jan. 19. The proposed return date for Lake Oswego kindergartners is 16 days later.

If the state sets new expectations, LOSD will heed that new guidance, Larson wrote.

About three in four Lake Oswego teachers are opposed to returning to classrooms until theyre vaccinated or the district abides by the states reopening metrics, according to a union survey of 330 educators.

The union represents 440 teachers, speech language pathologists, psychologists and counselors. Thirteen percent said they would reluctantly return to school buildings if they were asked and 11% said they looked forward to returning.

Teacher after teacher has said they are afraid. They are afraid for their students, their families and themselves, Fitzsimmons, the union president, said. They are especially bewildered why the district is not waiting for vaccines to become available or even basing the decision to return on county health metrics.

--Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook

Eder is The Oregonians education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email ecampuzano@oregonian.com.
A jailed Vietnamese democracy advocate on Monday reached the 49th day of a hunger strike aimed at reducing his 16-year sentence for subversion to five years, in line with revisions to the penal code passed after his 2010 conviction, family members say.

Arrested in May 2009 for writing online articles criticizing Vietnams one-party communist state, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc was convicted in 2010 on charges of plotting to overthrow the government under Article 79 of Vietnams 1999 Penal Code.

He is now calling for the charges against him to be changed to involvement in preparations to commit a crime, an offense calling only for a five-year term of imprisonment under Vietnams revised 2015 Penal Code, and Trans family and lawyers have tried several times to petition authorities for his sentence to be reduced din line with the new law.

Launched toward the end of November, Trans hunger strike has left him in a severely weakened state, Trans brother Tran Huynh Duy Tan told RFA on Monday following a Jan. 9 visit to his brother at the Thanh Chuong detention camp in central Vietnams Nghe An province.

My brothers health was very poor, and he said he had then reached the 47th day of his hunger strike, Tran Huynh Duy Tan said, adding that his brother has vowed to continue his strike until Vietnams Supreme Court replies to his petition.

My brother has lost 9 kg and now weighs only 58 kg [127 lb]. His blood pressure is fortunately normal, but his blood sugar has dropped to as low as 1.8, which is why he fell and hit his head on a bucket, breaking the bucket, sometime during the last few days.

Tran Huynh Duy Tan said that he and his brothers wife, Le Dinh Kim, have pleaded with the older Tran during their prison visits to end his strike, but that Tran has said he will continue until his demands are met.

My family is really concerned about this health, the younger Tran said.

Continuing source of concern

Reports on a Facebook page in Canada this weekend that Tran was being treated on an urgent basis in Nghe Ans Vietnam-Poland Hospital prompted calls from his family and RFA to his detention camp for comment, but the calls did not connect.

A staff member at the hospitals emergency department meanwhile denied knowledge of Trans case, saying that no one with his name was being treated there, and suggesting that a reporter check at another hospital.

Trans health in prison has been a continuing source of concern to his family following a series of hunger strikes, most recently in October, calling for a review of his case.

In July 2019, Tran began a hunger strike over poor conditions in detention, including the removal of electric fans from cells in the soaring summer heat, and an earlier strike in August 2018 left him exhausted and thin after he protested police pressure on him to admit his guilt in the offenses for which he was jailed.

Security tightens for Party Congress

The update on Trans condition came as Vietnamese authorities in Hanoi launched a drill aimed at ensuring security for Vietnams upcoming 13th ruling Communist Party Congress, scheduled to run from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2 and involve around 1,500 delegates from around the country.

The convening of the congress, held every five years to select top leaders and approve economic policies, was cited by activists and rights experts as the reason Vietnams already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply in 2020 with the round-up of independent journalists, publishers, and Facebook commentators.

According to the rights group Defend the Defenders, Hanoi is currently detaining at least 238 prisoners of conscience.

More than 6,000 military personnel, police, and health workers, along with many armored vehicles, took part in the Jan. 10 drill, state media reports said, quoting politburo member and organizing subcommittee head Tran Quoc Vuong as saying that the countrys military would not neglect their duty in guaranteeing the congresss safety and success.

Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huy Le. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A 'traumatised' pet owner whose dog was horrifically injured by a Kmart crate has demanded the company stop selling them.

Lara Robertson woke up to the anguished yelps of her Cavoodle at 11.30pm Monday night in her Lake Macquarie home in New South Wales.

She walked out to find two-year-old Marley with a crate bar impaled through his mouth, and had to spend ten minutes removing the bar as her pup 'screamed'.

Two-year-old Cavoodle Marley (pictured) was 'screaming' after he was impaled by a Kmart crate

Lara Robertson (left) said her dog tried to escape his crate to follow her husband Andy (right)

Murphy (pictured) has been injured by the crate bar, and his owner Lara said he is 'traumatised' by the horrific incident

Lara Robertson said she spent ten minutes trying to remove the crate bar (pictured) from the mouth of her beloved pet dog Murphy

'[Last] night my husband went to work and my cavoodle tried to get out of the cage,' Mrs Robertson said.

'He put his snout through to open the lock, and from the welding point on the cage the bar went straight through his mouth.'

Mrs Robertson had said she had to break the bar apart in order to remove it from her dog's mouth.

She believes he will now suffer from 'increased anxiety' and will never be able to sleep alone again.

'He's the most beautiful dog in the world, intelligent and loyal. I just can't believe this had happened,' said Mrs Robertson.

'[M]y dog and myself will never be the same again.'

Central Coast pet owner Jacqueline said she bought a Kmart pet crate 18 months ago and it started falling apart after six months.

Jacqueline, who purchased the crate for her dog Frankie to stop her from chewing 'everything and anything' at night time, said the crate has 'gone rusty'.

'[They] are quite flimsy but I guess you get what you pay for,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

When she brought another family pet into the home four months ago, she purchased another Kmart crate and clipped them together to make one large one.

The medium-sized Kmart crate (pictured) sells for $32, and has a 4.5 star customer review

Another pet owner has bought two folding Kmart crates for her dachshunds Frankie and Leo (pictured), and said after about six months the first crate she bought started to fall apart

Mrs Robertson wants Kmart to stop selling the medium-sized pet folding crate, which costs $32 online.

The product has a 4.5 star rating on Kmart's website. Kmart also sells a similar extra large metal crate for bigger dogs.

Animal trainer Anniina Raisanen warned that while crate training is a good way to help prevent pets behaving badly, they must be trained slowly to prevent injuries.

Animal trainer Anniina Raisanen (pictured with Sansa) said pups must be trained to use a crate

Ms Raisanen said crates can be unsafe for anxious dogs as they may harm themselves while trying to escape.

'When you do crate training correctly the dog actually learns to be calm, and they learn to love it,' she said.

The dog expert also said pets shouldn't be left in the crate for more than a few hours, unless they are sleeping overnight.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Kmart for comment.


Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler continued Monday to decry protest-related vandalism in his city and elsewhere around the state but conceded police and politicians are currently ill-equipped to effectively crack down on the activity.

Were seeing this larger trend of criminal destruction taking place not just in Portland  its happening in Salem and Eugene, just last week it happened in Tigard  and the tool kit that is available to law enforcement is limited, Wheeler said in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. Its insufficient and its imperfect.

The mayor and other officials remain stymied by the small groups of demonstrators who for months have disguised their identities during protests and smashed out windows at businesses and government buildings, spray painted graffiti, set fires or clashed with police.

Wheelers recently taken a more aggressive stance toward such illegal activity following back-to-back nights of violence and vandalism in Portland, including a riot on New Years Eve that left extensive damage to downtown store fronts.

Describing the suspected perpetrators as violent antifa and anarchists, the mayor on New Years Day asked state lawmakers to create tougher criminal penalties for protest-related property destruction and amend current laws to allow police to conduct greater surveillance at demonstrations.

Wheeler also vowed to convene local, state and federal law enforcement officials to determine how to best respond to the ongoing lawlessness thats come to eclipse demands for racial justice and police reform by those taking to the streets.

However, the mayors rough ideas for changes to state law failed to make it into the state legislative agenda approved by the Portland City Council last week. And Wheelers office acknowledged there would be no quick fixes for police following his meeting with law enforcement officials Friday.

During the interview Monday, Wheeler said that a broad court ruling prohibiting Portland police from recording all action during protests has hampered policing efforts.

The mayor also said the practice of encircling groups of civilians in the area of a protest or vandalism event and questioning or detaining all of them  known as kettling  is precarious even if courts allow it, particularly absent special training for law enforcement officers who would carry it out.

According to Wheeler, state lawmakers  at a minimum  should convene a special committee focused on the protest-related issues hes identified and reiterated his support for adding to law enforcement officers toolkits.

In order to prosecute somebody, you need to be able to identify them and you need to be able to associate them with specific criminal activities, he said.

Wheeler also declined to say whether he was disappointed by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidts decision not to prosecute most protest-related criminal cases referred to his office, including those involving defendants who have been arrested multiple times.

Im trying not to get into a finger-pointing exercise with other jurisdictional leaders, Wheeler said. It was made very clear that we all agree this is a problem.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632

Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Lawton, OK (73501)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Some of the storms may become severe. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 89F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms - possibly severe, especially this evening. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 64F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus S.Aleinik meets the Ambassador of China

On January 12, 2021 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Sergei Aleinik, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Peoples Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus, Xie Xiaoyung.

A special attention was paid to the development of interaction between Belarus and China through multilateral diplomacy within the framework of international intergovernmental organizations.

The parties discussed approaches to participating in scheduled meetings in international organizations as well as joint measures to counter the spread of a new type of coronavirus infection.

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Here are top stories this Tuesday evening:

'Those Rejecting SC's Order To Form Committee Politically Motivated': Says MoS Choudhary

After the SC ordered a stay on the implementation of the three Farm Laws, MoS Agriculture Kailash Choudhary said that while the SC's decision was 'against the wish of the Centre', they would accept it as a final one, hoping that the committee could lead the protesting farmers to a solution. Taking a jibe at those who were rejecting the SC's order, MoS Agriculture stated that those who disagreed with the formation of a committee were 'politically motivated.'

Read full news here

Missing Captain Ankit Gupta's Body Found In Jodhpur Lake After Six Day-search Operation

Mortal remains of Captain Ankit Gupta who went missing upon taking the plunge from the helicopter into the Kaylana Lake have been recovered after a six-day-long search operation. Marcos Commandos had also joined the search operation in 46 feet deep water to find the missing captain. An enquiry has been ordered into the incident claiming the life of the officer.

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Rahul Gandhi Proclaims Continued Protests Till Farm Laws Are Repealed; Opposes SC's Panel

Opposing the Supreme Court's 4-member committee to mediate between Centre and farmers, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, claimed that farmers will not get justice from the committee in which members had opined publically in support of the laws. Gandhi proclaimed that the struggle against the laws will continue till they are repealed by the government. The three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna, and Justice V Ramasubramanian has stayed the three farm laws passed by Parliament for at least 2 months, setting up a 4-member committee to solicit the views of farmers and the Union government.

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Japan's Passport Is World's Most Powerful In 2021, Pakistan In Worst Category: Report

The latest report by the Henley Passport Index recently revealed that Japan has the most powerful password in the world for the year 2021. According to the report, Pakistan and Nepal continue to be the 'worst' passport as they have a visa-free score of 32 and 38 countries respectively. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are also the countries with the worst passport to hold with a score of 29, 28 and 26 respectively.

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Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy Cleared To Play For Thailand Open After Antibody Test: BWF

In a big relief for India, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) on Tuesday cleared Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy for the Thailand Open revealing that while they had tested positive for COVID-19 in the PCR Test, their antibody IgG was also positive, which suggested that they had been infected sometime in the past.

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IMA Chief Dr Jayalal Hails Country's COVID Vaccine Rollout: 'It's A Product Of India'

The IMA is working in tandem with the government of India providing the technical support and expertise in the vaccination drive and has also urged all its 3.5 lakh members in 1800 local branches to voluntarily come together to get vaccinated first to show to the world that "vaccines are safe and efficacious." Over the effectiveness of the vaccines, Jayalal categorically stated that the focus should not be on the efficacy of the vaccine as a majority of the vaccines are only 50% effective.

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Madhya Pradesh Police Shuts Down 'Godse Gyaanshala' Post Criticism From Congress

In a big development on Tuesday, the Madhya Pradesh Police shut down the study centre on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse in Gwalior. The Hindu Mahasabha had unveiled this study centre at its Daulatganj office on January 10 where some workers of the outfit performed Godse's 'aarti'. This facility has compiled the speeches, pictures and literature based on Gandhi's killer besides information on freedom fighters and great personalities. Hindu Mahasabha vice president Jaiveer Bhardwaj confirmed the closure of the 'Godse Gyaanshala'.

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After her meeting with the CM, she shared on Twitter: "Team #Dhaakad meet and greet with honourable chief minister @ChouhanShivraj ji, today we got to know why he is lovingly called Mama ji, most gentle, compassionate and encouraging influence. We are humbled by your graciousness sir." (Image: Instagram)
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The inflammatory move had been adamantly opposed by Palestinians and was long a priority for Adelson, who had even offered to help pay for it, and for the Republican Jewish Coalition, of which he was the primary benefactor. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, were front and centre at the ceremony in Jerusalem. When asked at a gambling conference what he hoped his legacy would be, Adelson said it wasnt his glitzy casinos or hotels, it was his impact in Israel. He donated $US25 million, a record sum for a private citizen, to Israels Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. He established a think tank in Jerusalem. He was closely aligned with the conservative Likud party and funded a widely read free daily newspaper called Israel Hayom, or Israel Today, so supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that some Israelis nicknamed it Bibi-ton. In the US, Adelson helped underwrite congressional trips to Israel, helped build a new headquarters for the lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and later was a top supporter of the Israeli-American Council, whose conferences have attracted top Republicans (Vice-President Mike Pence) and Democrats (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi). He sponsored Birthright trips to Israel for young Jewish adults that were criticised by some participants as intolerant of opposing views. His attachment to Israel was life-long and so deep that he once said he wished his military service had been in an Israeli uniform instead of an American one. Adelson was a late bloomer in business and in politics. He didnt become a casino owner, or a Republican, until well into middle age. Through the 1990s and after, his wealth soared and his engagement in politics intensified. He was a supporter of President George W Bush and backed Republican Rudolph Giuliani for the 2008 presidential race, before turning to the eventual candidate, Senator John McCain, who lost to Barack Obama.

His leverage grew considerably in 2010 after the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision lifted many restrictions on individual campaign contributions. He and his wife spent more than $US90 million on the 2012 election, funding presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and later Mitt Romney, who also lost to Obama. Im against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections, he told Forbes magazine in 2012. But as long as its doable Im going to do it. Adelson came around slowly to Trump, who during the campaign had said he would be neutral in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump even ridiculed his initial liking for Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, tweeting in 2015, Sheldon Adelson is looking to give big dollars to Rubio because he feels he can mould him into his perfect little puppet. I agree! Adelson eventually endorsed Trump, but remained hesitant through much of 2016. He gave more than $US20 million in the final weeks of the campaign after reports that he would contribute $US100 million, and was more generous with congressional races. But after Trumps surprise victory, the new President spoke often with Adelson and embraced his hardline views on the Middle East. He cut funding for Palestinian refugees and withdrew from the Obama administrations nuclear nonproliferation deal with Iran. He moved the US embassy to Jerusalem even though earlier administrations  Democratic and Republican  avoided doing do because it directly challenged the Palestinian view that the ancient city should be part of any peace agreement. Adelson, in turn, aided Trump financially, including $US5 million for his inauguration, and supported him through his media holdings. Late in 2015, Adelson secretly purchased the Las Vegas Review-Journal  the papers own reporters revealed he was the new owner  and soon raised concerns he was imposing his own views. Some long-time staffers left in protest.

In what was widely seen as a mark of the Adelsons influence with Trump, Miriam Adelson was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018. Adelson, who contributed more than $US100 million to the 2018 off-year elections, held extraordinary power among Republicans even though he didnt always agree with them. In a 2012 interview with the Wall Street Journal, he called himself basically a social liberal, pro-choice on abortion and supportive of immigrant rights. He cited taxes and differences over Israel as major reasons for leaving the Democratic party. In Nevada, his influence was such that even the states most prominent Democrat, Senator Harry Reid, hesitated to take him on. In a 2014 interview with MSNBC, the then-Senate majority leader differentiated between Adelson and fellow Republican billionaire donors Charles and David Koch. Reid had sharply criticised the Koch brothers as callous and greedy, while saying that he respected Adelson because he was not in it to make money, a widely challenged opinion. He had previously told MSNBCs Rachel Maddow that he remained friends with Adelson despite their political differences. Sheldon Adelson and I still meet and have conversations. He has a problem, I try to help him, Reid said.

Adelson was married twice. He and his first wife, Sandra, were divorced in 1988. Three years later, he married Miriam Farbstein-Ochshorn, an Israeli-born doctor he met on a blind date and whom many believe helped deepen his involvement with Israel. Their honeymoon trip to Venice inspired Adelson to raze the historic Sands hotel-casino, once a favourite hangout for Frank Sinatra among others, and replace them with a pair of massive complexes: The Venetian and The Palazzo, one of the citys tallest buildings. Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam await the arrival of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Las Vegas last year. Credit:AP Sheldon Adelson adopted his first wifes three children and had two children with his second wife. Among numerous philanthropic projects, he and Miriam Adelson were especially committed to the research and treatment of substance abuse, a personal cause for Sheldon Adelson. His son Mitchell, from his first marriage, died of an overdose in 2005. (Sheldon Adelson would spend millions opposing state efforts to legalise marijuana). Sheldon Garry Adelson was born in 1933, in the Dorchester neighbourhood of Boston. His father was a taxi driver, his mother the manager of a knitting store. A natural entrepreneur, he was selling newspapers by age 12 and running a vending machine business at 16. After dropping out of City College of New York and serving in the Army, he attempted to start dozens of businesses, from toiletries to de-icing windshields. Adelson, who said he disdained email, began to amass his fortune with a technology trade show, starting computer convention COMDEX in 1979 with partners before selling his stake in 1995 for more than $US800 million.

When he bought the Sands Hotel in 1989, he was thinking convention space, not just gambling, would make money. It did. He built a convention hall to keep his hotel rooms full on weekdays and others soon followed the business model. Meanwhile, his effort to replicate the Strip in Macau, the only Chinese province to allow gambling, made his wealth grow exponentially. When faced with water and marsh land, Adelson directed his company to build land where there wasnt any, piling sand up to create the Cotai Peninsula. Soon his Macau revenue outstripped that of his Las Vegas holdings. He later expanded his business to Singapore, where his Marina Bay Sands hotel and its infinity pool were featured in the hit film Crazy Rich Asians, and had been pressing to open a casino in Japan. His Macau business also spawned a long-running wrongful termination lawsuit brought by a former chief of Sands China Ltd who accused Adelson and the company of firing him for exposing a host of misdeeds. Adelson often clashed with attorneys while appearing on a Clark County courtrooms witness stand. The Sands China lawsuit was among dozens involving Adelson, whose cases included his suing a Wall Street Journal reporter for calling him foul-mouthed (the parties settled, the words remained) to being sued by his sons from his first marriage for cheating them out of money (he won). Loading
[January 12, 2021] The Forgotten Ones. Will Long-Haulers Be the Next Public Health Crisis?

Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc. (OTCMKTS: BPSR) (the "Company" or "Organicell"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of regenerative therapies, will host a live online discussion on the topic of COVID-19 long-haulers on Wednesday, January 13th at 7 P.M. EST. As noted by many experts in the field, the phenomenon of COVID-19 patients who suffer long term symptoms and conditions post-recovery who are dubbed "long-haulers," is real and extensive. As previously reported, Organicell is exploring the use of its investigational therapeutic, Zofin, as a potential therapy for COVID-19 long-haulers. Zofin is an acellular biologic therapeutic derived from perinatal sources and is manufactured to retain naturally occurring microRNAs, without the addition or combination of any other substance or diluent. This product contains over 300 growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines as well as other extracellular vesicles/nanoparticles derived from perinatal tissues. In the online discussion, Chief Science Officer of Organicell, Mari Mitrani, M.D. Ph.D., will interview George Shapiro, M.D., F.A.C.C., Chief Medical Officer of Organicell, and Vincent E. Friedewald, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P., Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, in Houston, Texas. Our online event will focus on defining what it means to be a long-hauler, the symptoms they typically face and the large unmet need these patients have in terms of gaps in therapy. "Novel coronavirus symptoms can last weeks or months for some people, and those suffering from these lingering symptoms can have a seriously diminished quality of life with little to no current treatments to help them. Long-haulers are a population of COVID-19 patients that need immediate help to return to normalcy," said Dr. Shapiro. To tune into the event live visit : https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Vqi_TnlOTFS1Lom1NElpnQ



Following the live presentation, replays of the event will be available at www.organicell.com About Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc.:

Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that harnesses the power of nanoparticles to develop innovative biological therapeutics for the treatment of degenerative diseases. The Company's proprietary products are derived from perinatal sources and manufactured to retain the naturally occurring microRNAs, without the addition or combination of any other substance or diluent. Based in South Florida, the company was founded in 2008 by Albert Mitrani, Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Maria Ines Mitrani, Chief Science Officer. To learn more, please visit https://organicell.com/. Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements contained in this press release should be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will," "believes," "expects," "potential" or similar expressions, involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. We remind you that actual results could vary dramatically as a result of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: potential issues related to our financial condition, competition, the ability to retain key personnel, product safety, efficacy and acceptance, the commercial success of any new products or technologies, success of clinical programs, ability to retain key customers, our inability to expand sales and distribution channels, legislation or regulations affecting our operations including product pricing, reimbursement or access, the ability to protect our patents and other intellectual property both domestically and internationally and other known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the SEC (News - Alert) and available on the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these risk factors. Specific information included in this press release may change over time and may or may not be accurate after the date of the release. Organicell has no intention and specifically disclaims any duty to update the information in this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005142/en/

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Morocco and the USA have expressed this Tuesday in Rabat their shared resolve to boost their longstanding military cooperation in the same spirit of friendship, mutual understanding and shared trust biding the two states.

This came during the 11th session of the Morocco-US Defense Consultative Committee (DCC) convened at the headquarters of the National Defense Administration in Rabat.

At the high instructions of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the FAR, the Morocco-US Defense Consultative Committee (DCC) session was co-chaired by Moroccos Minister Delegate for National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudyi, and by Under-Secretary of Defense in charge of Political Affairs, Anthony Tata, who is on a three-day working visit to Morocco at the head of a large military delegation.

At the start of the meeting, Loudyi and Tata expressed their satisfaction with the Morocco-US cooperation in the field of defense, and their shared resolve to further develop this strong, excellent and sustainable cooperation, said the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) in a release.

The two officials stressed in this regard the importance of the decision of the US administration to recognize Moroccos full sovereignty over the entire region of the Moroccan Sahara. This recognition makes the Moroccan autonomy initiative the only realistic, serious and pragmatic solution to the regional conflict over Moroccos southern provinces.

The two sides also underlined that this historic event will certainly have positive impacts on the geostrategy of the region as well as on peace, stability, security and economic integration in the Maghreb, the Sahel and the Middle East, the release stated.

The Moroccan official highlighted in this vein the unwavering commitment and multidimensional strategy, led by Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, in the fight against terrorism, illicit trafficking, and the humanist management of migration crisis.

He also underlined Moroccos role as a key player in regional stability in the Sahel and the Mediterranean, in particular the efforts made by Morocco in the framework of South-South cooperation, for economic development and capacity building of the military forces of several African countries, in particular through training and the exchange of expertise.

During the talks, Loudyi stressed the importance of consolidating military cooperation with the United States through the promotion of joint investment projects in Morocco in the defense industry sector, in order to boost technology transfer and gradually implement the kingdoms autonomy strategy in this area.

The two officials expressed their satisfaction with the positive results of bilateral military cooperation. This regular, dense and diversified cooperation covers in particular the fields of management training, the exchange of expertise and the organization of large-scale joint exercises, including the African Lion exercise, considered among the most important joint exercises in the world.

Also at the instruction of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the FAR, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces Abdelfatah Louarak held talks with the US Defense Secretary to assess bilateral military cooperation.

The two sides highlighted their ambition to develop the centuries-old cooperation relations between the two countries armies in the same spirit of friendship and shared trust.

They agreed that the deepening of these relations should materialize through the consolidation and diversification of technical cooperation to integrate new components to further develop the interoperability of armies and their capacities to effectively face the threats that may arise.

The meeting of the Morocco-US Defense Consultative Committee, which is held every two years alternately in Rabat and Washington, is part of bilateral military cooperation which mainly focuses on training, military equipment and logistics.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said on Monday that he will resign from his position, a senior official said.

Wolf's decision to resign came in wake of the deadly Capitol siege on Wednesday and days before the president's term is set to close.

In a letter, Wolf said he was "saddened to take this step" since he had intentions to serve the DHS until the end of the President Donald Trump's term.

Several other people working in the Trump administration also decided to resign since Wednesday's chaotic event.

Related Story: Rep. Nunes Calls for Racketeering Investigation on Apple, Amazon, Google for Parler Ban

Wolf did not specifically cite the Capitol riots as explanation for leaving. But for Wolf, these events and concerns "divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department" during a transition period.

Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Peter Gaynor will be taking over the position of acting secretary.

Wolf Worked on Trump's Extreme Immigration Rules

In Wolf's term as acting DHS chief, he was known as an enforcers of the president's extreme immigration crackdowns, said a report from NPR.

According to NBC News, Wolf faced several challenges during the year he spent in the DHS office.

He oversaw the construction of Trump's long-promised border wall. However, this has fallen short since it didn't meet the numbers promised by the president.

He was also criticized for how the DHS handled $6 million in intelligence assessments that was awarded to his wife's firm.

Ultimately, due to the strict department rules, the DHS came under legal scrutiny on whether he was acting in lawful power to uphold the strict immigration policies.

Wolf added in his letter that his actions were warranted by the "ongoing and meritless court rulings" that questioned the validity of his position in the DHS.

He has been serving in the acting capacity of the position since November 2019 and earlier vowed to stay in his position until January 20 to ensure a smooth transition of power.

No secretary of the department has been Senate-confirmed since Trump fired Kirstjen Nielsen in April 2019.

Wolf's Nomination Withdrawn After Capitol Riots Statement

Wolf received a nomination from President Trump to lead the department at its full capacity but the White House withdrew nomination last week after he condemned the Wednesday riots and called on Trump to do the same.

The White House claimed that the move was unrelated to the statement.

Wolf asking for such statements from the president was a "rare break," said a report from New York Post.

He noted in the statement that supporters of the president were responsible of the violence that happened during the event which was "tragic and sickening."

Read also: Pelosi Calls for Trump Impeachment in Fear He'll Pardon Capitol Rioters

"This is unacceptable," he said. "These violent actions are unconscionable, and I implore the President and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday."

He was overseas when the DHS was part of the efforts to clear rioters from the U.S. Capitol.

Other Trump cabinet members who resigned in wake of the Capitol protests were Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
A man is charged in Lawrence County for stealing stimulus checks, among other crimes.

The Lawrence County Sheriffs Office says Brandon Cottingham, 42, was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 9 when a deputy responded to a report of a suspicious man walking on County Road 434 in the East Lawrence community.

Investigators arrested and charged Cottingham with possession of a controlled substance, theft of property second degree, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of forged instrument second degree and illegal possession of credit/debit card.

The department says Cottingham was in possession of three stimulus checks and a credit/debit card belonging to other people.

Cambridge, Mass.  Harvard University is cutting ties with U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) after she repeated President Donald Trumps baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

The Associated Press reports Stefanik, who represents New Yorks 21st District, was removed from the Harvard Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee on Tuesday. Douglas Elmendorf, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, said the decision was made after Stefanik, a 2006 Harvard graduate, refused to resign voluntarily in the wake of hundreds of complaints from students and alumni over her continued objections to the Electoral College results even after a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Tens of millions of Americans are concerned that the 2020 election featured unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws. We can and we should peacefully discuss these concerns, Stefanik said as she objected to Biden electors in four states.

Elmendorf said Harvards decision was not based on political ideology.

Rather, in my assessment, Elise has made public assertions about voter fraud in Novembers presidential election that have no basis in evidence, and she has made public statements about court actions related to the election that are incorrect, he said in a statement.

According to the AP, Stefanik was one of roughly a dozen current and former public servants on the committee for the program that aims to get undergraduates interested in public service careers.

The Republican Congresswoman called it a rite of passage and badge of honor to be boycotted, protested and canceled by U.S. colleges and universities.

The decision by Harvards administration to cower and cave to the woke Left will continue to erode diversity of thought, public discourse, and ultimately the student experience, she wrote in a statement. The Ivory Towers march toward a monoculture of like-minded, intolerant liberal views demonstrates the sneering disdain for everyday Americans and will instill a culture of fear for students.

Stefanik has been similarly defiant amid calls to resign after Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called her complicit in the Capitol violence.

I just went through an election in November, she told WCAX. I earned the highest number of votes of any congressional candidate in the history of the North Country. Im going to continue to work my very hardest.

Stefanik, 36, was elected to Congress for a fourth term in November after beating Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb. She previously gained national attention as an ally for Trump, defending him during the impeachment hearings and landing a speaking spot at the Republican National Convention.
He's the radio shock jock who first went public with his girlfriend, Tegan Kynaston, at the beginning of 2020.

And it appears Kyle Sandilands is more loved-up than ever a year into their romance, as on Tuesday the happy couple couldn't stop smiling during a double date with his best pal John Ibrahim and his partner, Sarah Budge.

Tegan, 34, shared a string of photos as the fab four enjoyed an evening out at Icebergs restaurant in Bondi Beach, with the group posing up a storm underneath the Sydney sunshine.

Happy as Larry! Kyle Sandilands, 49, looked more loved-up than ever as he enjoyed a double date with his girlfriend Tegan Kynaston in Bondi Beach on Tuesday

Tegan beamed at the camera for a solo selfie, sporting a very loud multi-coloured shirt and strong make-up to accentuate her striking features.

She then shared a single snap of her radio host beau, who looked smart in a black blazer, matching T-shirt and black jeans.

He completed his look with a pair of trademark oversized sunglasses.

Tegan clearly loved one photo of her and Kyle smiling together, as the smitten stunner swiftly changed her Instagram profile picture to the very same snap.

The group then posed for a photo together, and appeared completely at ease as they enjoyed a meal in the popular Italian eatery.

Fab four! The four of them then posed for a photo together, and appeared completely at ease as they enjoyed a meal in the popular Italian eatery

Cute! Tegan beamed at the camera for a solo selfie, before sharing a snap of her shock jock beau, who looked smart in a black blazer, black T-shirt and matching jeans

Tegan and Kyle's relationship appears to be going from strength to strength, and the duo recently returned from spending Christmas together in the Gold Coast.

Back in September, Tegan reportedly moved into the KIIS FM presenter's multimillion-dollar mansion in Woollahra, Sydney. The home, which Kyle is renting, is just a 10-minute drive from the CBD.

The property is also located a short distance from Kyle's radio co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson's $11million mansion.

Kyle began dating Tegan, who he has known for a decade, following his split from long-term girlfriend Imogen Anthony.

Festive fun: The happy couple recently returned from spending Christmas together in the Gold Coast

He had announced his break-up with Imogen live on air in November in 2019.

He told listeners they hadn't been living together for months and their relationship had simply 'run its course' after eight years.

Tegan is the director of communications for Kyle's company, King Kyle Pty Ltd, and was previously the radio star's personal assistant.

The couple went public with their romance on New Year's Eve, when Tegan shared a picture of herself kissing Kyle on the cheek in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The previous owner of Toros Cafe has opened a new taco spot in Midland. Tako Cabo opened last week at 4401 N. Big Spring St. Owner and chef Miguel Ronquillo said the opportunity to move into the old Midland Meat Co.s Half Acre building -- the Half Acre moved to 1101 Washita -- presented itself, and he wanted to launch a taco restaurant concept.

Ive been a chef in Midland for 25 years, he said. I thought we needed a fun taco place thats different than just regular Mexican food. Thats how I came up with the Tako Cabo concept, its like a Cabo San Lucas experience.
TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has discussed the recent detention of a South Korean tanker in the Persian Gulf at a meeting with South Korea's First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The South Korean delegation led by Choi Jong Kun arrived in Tehran on Sunday. They have already discussed the tanker's detention with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, who said the vessel was detained due to polluting the Iranian territorial waters.

"South Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun called for speeding up the release of the tanker. Zarif stressed that the South Korean vessel was detained due to polluting the waters of the Persian Gulf and that the issue was of strictly technical nature and would be reviewed within the legal framework," the ministry said in a press release.

Zarif also said that the Iranian government was limited in its ability to interfere with the legal proceedings, according to the press release.

Another issue that the diplomats discussed was the freeze of $7 billion worth of Iranian assets in South Korean banks, as stated in the press release. Choi Jong Kun was quoted as promising on behalf of Seoul to make every effort to restore Tehran's access to the funds.

South Korean tanker Hankuk Chemi was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Persian Gulf on January 4. The Iranian government said the detention of tankers with record of water pollution was a regular practice.
House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., walks from a House office building back toward the U.S. Capitol to reconvene a joint session of the House and Senate to confirm the electoral votes cast in November's election, at the Capitol, Jan. 6, after protesters stormed the Capitol.
Driving tests were suspended for much of last year due to the pandemic

Some 49,543 theory test certificates expired during national lockdowns in 2020

At a cost of 23 to sit the test, it means learners have seen 1.1m of passed theory tests go down the drain

The Government has refused to extend theory test certificates despite tests not being able to go ahead

Tens of thousands of learners across the UK have been unable to take their driving tests due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic - and that means some 1.1million in passed theory tests has been lost, according to a study.

Provisional licence holders could be out-of-pocket as much as 2.3million from a combination of expired theory test certificates over the two national lockdowns last year and the cost to retake the 23 exam.

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Another 320,000 of certificates are also set to run out during the current lockdown, it has been estimated.

The learners have lost out because the Government refuses to extend the date at which theory test passes expire, despite driving tests being suspended.

Learners are over a million pounds out of pocket: Over 1.1million worth of theory test certificates expired during lockdowns in 2020, and other 230,000 will run out in the current restrictions

With the country back under lockdown restrictions, driving instructors and other industry insiders have yet again called on the Government to extend the certificates due to the suspension of both practical and theory tests after the Department for Transport refused the suggestion in November.

Data obtained via multiple Freedom of Information requests to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency by car insurance provider Marmalade found that 49,543 theory test certificates expired during the the two national lockdowns in 2020, amounting to a loss of 1,139,489.

Assuming all learners pay to retake the test, a cost of 46 for two theory tests means this set of lockdown learners would have spent almost 2.3million on theory exams.

If just half retake the test, the cost is still eye watering at 1.7million.

May was said to be the biggest month for losses, with 296,102 in theory tests alone all lost due to certificates expiring.

While the second national lockdown in November cost learners 147,591 with 6,417 certificates expiring over the one month lockdown.

With test centres yet again closed and no extension to the expiration dates of certificates announced by the UK government, learners face more delays to getting their hands on a licence.

Over the 149 days of delays in 2020, an average of 332 tests expired each day.

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Using this average figure, over the next six week lockdown - if it ends mid-February - it is estimated that 13,944 tests will expire, equating to an overall loss of 320,712 or 7,636 per day for UK learner drivers.

Over the 149 days of delays in 2020, an average of 332 tests expired each day, says analysis of DVSA records by insurer Marmalade

Commenting on the data and what this means for learner drivers, boss of Marmalade, Crispin Moger said: 'I dont doubt that there will have been many learner drivers that would have planned to take their test during the time periods affected by the multiple UK lockdowns and will now have lost through no fault of their own.

'Learners whose certificates have expired will need to take the test and pass it again before they can take their practical driving test adding yet more time to their wait, adding to the backlog we are already expected to see in 2021.

'For some this is just another roadblock to gaining freedom and will be a hindrance to many where a driving test pass was at the centre of their plans.'

The latest online petition is calling for a 12-month extension to theory test certificates

Petitions have been launched to call on the Government to extend theory test certificates.

Previous appeals asked for a three-month extension, while another that's currently in field - and has over 30,000 signatures - has demanded a 12-month extension.

While an extension would save learners from additional costs of resitting their tests, it would also ease the logjam of people desperate to sit their practical assessments once dates become available and also lessen the mounting pressure on theory test centres once they're allowed to reopen.

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Despite this, parliamentary under-secretary for the Department for Transport, Rachel Maclean, confirmed in November that certificates will not be extended.

She said: 'The two-year validity period of the theory test certificate is set in legislation and the Government has taken the decision not to lay further legislation to extend it.

'The primary reason is that the two-year validity is in place to ensure that a candidates theoretical knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point they drive on their own for the first time.

'Extending the validity would provide less reassurance that this is the case.

'Those whose certificate previously expired and have since passed the theory test will now have a further two years in which to pass the practical test.'

The DVSA has an enormous backlog of learner drivers waiting to sit their practical tests

Responding to the launch of the latest online petition, Ian McIntosh, chief executive of RED Driving School, said the refusal of an extension was a 'huge injustice to learners'.

'We believe all students who passed their theory tests in April 2018 onwards should be allowed to take a practical test when the test centres re-open and the normal two year expiry date should be extended,' he told This is Money.

'The theory test is expensive and difficult to pass, and learners cannot book a practical test without a valid theory test pass certificate, meaning thousands of learners will have to wait even longer to obtain their driving licenses.

Most driving theory test attempts revealed 1. 158 attempts - male, 42, England - PASSED at a cost of 3,634* 2. 117 attempts - female, 34, England - FAILED at a cost of 2,691 3. 94 attempts - male, 32, Wales - FAILED at a cost of 2,162 4. 94 attempts - female, 48, England - PASSED at a cost of 2,162 5. 92 attempts - male, 35, England - PASSED at a cost of 2,116 6. 87 attempts - male, 33, England - PASSED at a cost of 2.001 7. 86 attempts - male, 30, England - FAILED at a cost of 1,978 8. 80 attempts - male, 41, England - PASSED at a cost of 1,840 9. 78 attempts - male, 43, England - FAILED at a cost of 1,794 10. 77 attempts - male, 42, England - FAILED at a cost of 1,771 Source: DVSA data revealed as part of FOI request by Select Car Leasing * cost of attempts based on theory test price of 23

'The resits will put huge pressure on the DVSA when they reopen theory test centres as there will be a huge backlog of existing learners, as well as new learners who turned 17 and are looking to avoid public transport.

'The Governments failure to extend the theory test pass certificates is a needless bureaucratic bottleneck that could hinder the nations Covid bounce back, particularly if learners cannot obtain licenses for work purposes.'

Responding directly to Rachel Maclean's comments, McIntosh added: 'Extending the theory test pass certificates would not pose a threat to road safety as the retained theory knowledge of 'Covid-test passers' will still surpass that of the average UK driver.'

Northern Ireland has announced an extension, while the UK government has said they will not be extending the period, something which will have certainly come as a blow to learners.

Last week, This is Money revealed that some motorists have spent over 3,600 attempting to pass their driving tests, with one man in England failing the theory exam an astonishing 157 times.

As for the practical test, another man in England got his driving licence at the 43rd time of asking at the age of 72, having spent up to 3,225 on practical exams.

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You can see the full list of the drivers who have failed their driving tests on the most occasions in our dedicated report.

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An outcome of the MARCAN project, led by the University of Malta

Groundwater flow and seepage can form large gullies along coastal cliffs in the matter of days, it has been discovered, as per a recently-published paper.

An international team of scientists from Malta, Germany, Romania, New Zealand and USA has used drones and satellite imagery to monitor a stretch of coastline near Ashburton (South Island, New Zealand). They found that gullies up to 30m in length can develop in less than a week.

Field observations and numerical models have shown that groundwater plays a key role in forming these gullies, by either eroding tunnels or triggering landslides.

Gullies are an important coastal hazard. There is an average of one gully every 250m along the Canterbury coastline, and their formation leads to the loss of precious agricultural land.

Similar coastal gullies have been documented in South Taranaki (North Island, New Zealand), as well as other countries such as the USA, Japan and Brazil.

When and where coastal gullies form can be partly predicted. The study has shown that gullies form when more than 40mm of rain fall per day, and that they are preferentially located above buried, old river channels.

###

This study was led by Prof. Aaron Micallef from the Department of Geosciences, and is an outcome of the MARCAN project, which is funded by the European Research Council.
She returned home to Australia after spending the past few weeks holidaying with her Hollywood mega-agent Patrick Whitesell in Malibu.

And on Tuesday, Pia Miller revealed she was due for a 'much needed cleanse' after indulging on her recent getaway.

Uploading a photo of her sitting in an infrared sauna, Pia, 37, showed off her incredibly toned figure, in a green coloured bikini, which accentuated her cleavage.

Nice! Newly engaged Pia Miller, 37, (pictured) flaunted her incredibly toned physique in an infrared sauna in Sydney on Tuesday

'Definitely time to sweat out some silly season toxins,' she said underneath the post.

The Chilean beauty showed off her natural complexion and appeared to be wearing little makeup for the occasion.

Pia and Patrick got engaged just before Christmas, with Patrick presenting her with a huge diamond ring.

The stone is said to be a 10-carat to 12-carat solitaire oval diamond, which is set in a platinum band, and is priced between US$800,000 (AU$1.10million) to US$1.4million (AU$1.9million).

Cleanse: 'Definitely time to sweat out some silly season toxins,' she said underneath the post

The Home and Away actress returned home to Australia alone last month, weeks after getting engaged to Hollywood mega-agent Patrick Whitesell in Malibu.

On Saturday, Pia uploaded a romantic photo of herself and Patrick, 55, cosying up beneath the Eiffel Tower, writing, 'Miss you,' next to the image.

Pia announced her engagement on November 28, showing off her huge diamond ring on Instagram, alongside the simple caption: 'PW'.

Home: Pia returned home to Australia, weeks after spending time with her fiance Patrick Whitesell

Pia was first linked to the Hollywood power agent in August 2019, following her split from her longtime fiance, Tyson Mullane.

In April that year, reported that Pia and Tyson had 'amicably' ended their 18-month engagement, with Tyson moving out of their Sydney home.

Meanwhile, Pia and Patrick made their public debut at a Halloween party in LA in October 2019, amid reports they'd started dating back in May.
After months of stoking anger about alleged election fraud, one of America's largest talk-radio companies has decided on an abrupt change of direction.

Cumulus Media, which employs some of the most popular right-leaning talk-radio hosts in the United States, has told its on-air personalities to stop suggesting that the election was stolen from President Donald Trump - or else face termination.

A Cumulus executive issued the directive on Wednesday, just as Congress met to certify Joe Biden's election victory and an angry mob of Trump supporters marched on the Capitol, overwhelmed police and briefly occupied the building, terrorizing lawmakers and leading to the deaths of five people.

"We need to help induce national calm NOW," Brian Philips, executive vice president of content for Cumulus, wrote in an internal memo, which was first reported by Inside Music Media. Cumulus and its program syndication arm, Westwood One, "will not tolerate any suggestion that the election has not ended. The election has been resolved and there are no alternate acceptable 'paths.' "

The memo adds: "If you transgress this policy, you can expect to separate from the company immediately."

A Cumulus representative did not respond to repeated requests for comment on Sunday.

The new policy is a stunning corporate clampdown on the kind of provocative and even inflammatory talk that has long driven the business model for Cumulus and other talk show broadcasters. And it came as Apple, Google and Amazon cut off essential business services to Parler, the pro-Trump social media network where users have promoted falsehoods about election fraud and praised the mob that assaulted the Capitol. Apple and Google removed the Parler app from the offerings for its smartphones, while Amazon suspended it from its Web-hosting services. (Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Since the election, Cumulus has remained silent while its most popular hosts - which include Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino - have amplified Trump's lies that the vote was "rigged" or in some way fraudulent.

On his program on Tuesday, the day before the march on the Capitol, for example, Levin fulminated about Congress's certification of electoral votes for Biden, describing the normally routine vote as an act of "tyranny."

"You think the framers of the Constitution . . . sat there and said, 'Congress has no choice [to accept the votes], even if there's fraud, even if there's some court order, even if some legislature has violated the Constitution?' " Levin said, his voice rising to a shout.

Atlanta-based Cumulus owns 416 radio stations in 84 regions across the country. Many of its stations broadcast a talk format, a medium that has been dominated by a conservative point of view for decades. In addition to its national personalities, it employs local talk-radio hosts in many of its markets.

Cumulus's biggest stations include WMAL in Washington, KABC in Los Angeles, WLS in Chicago and KGO in San Francisco, all of which air a news-talk format. (Rush Limbaugh, perhaps the biggest star of conservative talk, is syndicated by another company, Premiere Networks, though his program is heard on many Cumulus-owned stations. Limbaugh isn't subject to Cumulus's memo.)

The memo appears to reflect the reality that voters, presidential electors, courts and now Congress have accepted or certified that Biden won the election and is the president-elect. It may also be an attempt to cool down emotions that led to Wednesday's invasion of the Capitol, and to mollify advertisers that are concerned about being associated with programs that could be inciting listeners to violence.

But it also reveals some of the hidden corporate hand behind what is said and discussed on talk-radio programs. Rather than a medium of freethinking individuals expressing passionately held beliefs, the memo reminds that hosts are subject to corporate mandates and control.

"It's naive not to recognize that a corporate imperative goes into all media," said Michael Harrison, the publisher of Talkers magazine, which covers talk radio. "Corporations have always called the tune ultimately. Everyone pays attention to the guys at the top and always has."

Talk-radio hosts, Harrison said, "never expected" their critiques of the election "to get out of hand" in the manner seen Wednesday. Cumulus and other broadcast companies "recognize they're in the hot seat right now because the national eye is on them," he said.

Asked how hosts who have repeatedly promoted Trump's claims of fraud can now credibly flip to acceptance, Harrison said: "I would hope they put their personal feelings aside and come clean with their listeners. I encourage them to pursue the truth and to tell their audience something that Trump may not like."

However, there's some question as to whether stars such as Levin will comply with the recent edict and whether Cumulus will discipline them if they don't.

On his syndicated radio program on Thursday, a day after Cumulus sent its memo and Trump supporters breached the Capitol, Levin didn't seem to be backing off. "It appears nothing has changed in 24 hours," he said on the air. "Not a damn thing. The never-Trumpers, the RINOs, the media - same damn thing."

He went on to add: "I'm not stirring up a damn thing. Everything I say is based on principle and mission. Everything is based on liberty, family, faith, the Constitution. . . . My enemies and my critics can't say the same."
(Natural News) Yes, Democrats are set to impeach President Donald Trump again, and like last time, they are inventing a reason why.

Before, Democrats claimed Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors when he allegedly demanded a quid pro quo from the Ukrainian president  specifically, that he linked U.S. military aid to a pledge from the Ukrainian leader that he would investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.

Trump never did make such a demand. On the other hand, there is video of Joe Biden bragging at an event in 2018 sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations that he did demand a quid pro quo while he was vice president  namely, that then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had to fire the countrys top prosecutor who was investigating a company where Hunter Biden was raking in big bucks or Daddy Joe would not release a $1 billion loan.

Now, Democrats are falsely claiming that President Trump incited some of his supporters to commit an act of insurrection by attacking the Capitol Building last week.

Again, Trump never asked anyone to do that.

In fact, here is what Trump said during a speech to about 100,000 of his closest friends in Washington, D.C. Jan. 6:

We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for integrity of our elections, but whether or not they stand strong for our country, our country. Our country has been under siege for a long time, far longer than this four-year period.

How does peacefully and patriotically get transformed into inciting an insurrection? And beyond that, why is it that Antifa and Black Lives Matter members protest and demonstrate, but only Trump supporters riot and rebel?

I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution by demanding an end to this siege, Biden tweeted as the Capitol was rushed.

I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution by demanding an end to this siege.  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 6, 2021

The was no siege, however. The rioters left far more peaceably than they arrived.

He added: Let me be very clear: the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not represent who we are. What we are seeing is a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent, its disorder. It borders on sedition, and it must end. Now.

Got it? Rioting is illegal, yes, and it should be punished. But only Trumps supporters are seditious when they inundate a government building. When Antifa thugs were literally besieging a federal courthouse in Portland over the summer, Biden said nothing and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the federal agents protecting the courthouse storm troopers, a reference to Nazi Germany.

In fact, she doubled down on it. But hey, white leftists besieging government buildings, to a Democrat, isnt sedition. Its lawful protesting protected by the First Amendment.

Meanwhile, it wasnt just Democrats who purposely mischaracterized the Capitol Building breach; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it a failed insurrection  though no one brought weapons and the only person killed by gunshot was a Trump supporter, Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt.

Biden would also go on to describe the riotous actions as not protest, its insurrection.

These people are professional gaslighters. More than that, they are gargantuan hypocrites. And liars.

While American cities burned and real seditionists on the left established autonomous zones last year, in the name of social and racial justice, they were condoned by Democrats and celebrated, even encouraged.

How dare they now insist that what happened last week was anything more than a similar riotous behavior. And how dare they screw over the Constitution in another attempt to impeach our president.

See more reporting like this at Trump.news.

Sources include:

Newsmax.com

NaturalNews.com

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Almost a week after the fascistic insurrection in Washington DC on January 6, there are ongoing threats of far-right violence throughout the United States, focused on Inauguration Day, January 20.

In an indication of how seriously the threat is being taken within the state, the head of the National Guard Bureau announced on Monday that between 10,000 and 15,000 troops will be deployed in Washington DC by this coming weekend, in advance of the inauguration.

An internal FBI memo released by ABC News yesterday warns that armed protests are being planned in all 50 state capitals, in addition to Washington DC, organized by far-right groups. The FBI received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, DC on 16 January, the memo states. They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS [Trump] via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur.

Another FBI memo, obtained by Yahoo News, identifies specific plans in Michigan, Minnesota and other states on January 17. In Michigan, members of the far-right Boogaloo movement are reported to have been discussing using a gasoline-based device with a tripwire to cause a distraction while other individuals take the capitol. Michigan was the center of a fascistic conspiracy to kidnap and assassinate the governor of the state that was exposed last October.

The working class, young people and all progressive forces must take these threats with the utmost seriousness.

Pittsburgh rally to protest the death of George Floyd. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The working class must respond with a general strike to attempts by ultra-right mobs, instigated by the political criminal Donald Trump and his Republican Party accomplices in the Senate and Congress, to threaten the lives of elected representatives and seize government buildings and other strategic sites, whether in Washington DC or in state capitals throughout the country.

The threat of violence on Inauguration Day comes amidst growing evidence of the high-level support from within the Republican Party and critical sections of the military-police apparatus for the January 6 insurrection. The siege of the US Capitol was facilitated by the effective stand-down of the Capitol Police and delays, at the direction of Trump loyalists in the Pentagon, in the deployment of the National Guard.

Democratic Representative Jason Crow, a member of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, reported a call he held with US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy on Sunday. McCarthy informed Crow that long guns, Molotov cocktails, explosives and zip ties were recovered [after the raid on the Capitol], which suggests a greater disaster was narrowly averted.

Crow added that he raised grave concerns about reports that active duty and reserve military members were involved in the insurrection, and urged that troops deployed for the inauguration are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists.

The claims being made by various pseudo-left tendencies that the seriousness of the events in Washington should not be exaggerated, that it is wrong to refer to a coup, are dangerously complacent. Jacobin magazine, which is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, argues against social media posts and liberal magazines of record [that] immediately characterized the rampage as a coup.

The danger of fascistic violence, Jacobin claims, is minimal because the ruling class supports democracy. It writes: The takeover of the Capitol has laid bare the lack of backing, both among corporate elites and within state institutions, for far-right authoritarianism. Capital, it seems, is still committed to liberal democracy, which has served to safeguard its interests throughout American history.

Such comments combine political stupidity with the utter complacency that characterizes the privileged layers of the upper-middle class for whom Jacobin speaks. The authoritarian actions of Trump, according to Jacobin, are disconnected from the class interests of the ruling oligarchy and the massive social inequality that has eroded the objective basis for democracy. The pressures arising from social polarization have been driven to the point of explosion by the pandemic, in which more than 385,000 people in the United States have died.

Another aspect of the complacent underestimation of the political crisis and the dangers posed by Trumps attempted coup has been the response to the shutting down of Trumps Twitter account over the weekend. To see this action, in the present circumstances, as the main threat to democratic rights expresses a complete underestimation of what is now taking place.

Trump is not merely an individual, let alone the representative of a dissident progressive and left-wing movement. He is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States, with staggering power at his disposalincluding the power to launch a nuclear waras long as he is president. To insist on his unfettered access to Twitter and social mediaso that he can mobilize and incite his fascistic followers throughout the countryas if this were a critical free speech issue is politically irresponsible, if not insane. And if it is impermissible to shut down his Twitter account, it must be doubly impermissible to demand his immediate removal from the White House and arrest! The politically bankrupt cynics of the pseudo-left should be less worried about Trumps rights and more concerned about the defense of the democratic rights of the working class.

It is no doubt true that the Biden administration will be a right-wing government of Wall Street, the intelligence agencies and the military. But the task of fighting a reactionary bourgeois government is the responsibility of the working class, and not that of a right-wing dictator mobilizing fascist forces.

The working class must intervene in the crisis independently, waging a struggle against fascism through its own methods and with its own program.

It is impossible to place trust in any section of the ruling class to defend democratic rights. Trumps opponents within the ruling class are keenly aware that Trumps incitement of fascistic violence risks unleashing a civil war. However, they are far more concerned with suppressing opposition to Trump that threatens to develop into precisely what they fear the most: a movement of the working class against capitalism.

It is for this reason that the Democrats are seeking to quarantine the issue of Trumps role in inciting the fascistic coup from the broader political context. In particular, Biden, as the leader of the Democratic Party, is doing everything he can to defend the institution of the Republican Party, whose leaders provided the plot with its necessary political cover by legitimizing Trumps claims that the election was stolen.

In his only public statements since the coup, Biden said at a press conference on Friday that he was committed to a strong Republican Party. He singled out Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for praise, saying he was so proud of McConnells statements on the afternoon of the coup calling for congressional recognition of Bidens victory.

The Democrats move to pass impeachment charges in the House of Representatives, which could happen as early as Wednesday, is itself part of this effort. The charges are being introduced with all sorts of caveats to ensure the impeachment will have no practical effect. Top Democrats, led by Bidens close ally Representative James Clyburn, are calling for the House to wait several months before sending any impeachment charges to the Senate, meaning they would have no impact on Trumps remaining days in office.

If the House does send the charges immediately to the Senate, McConnell, Trumps henchman, who was praised by Biden, has said that he will not convene a trial until at least January 19, the day before the inauguration.

Moreover, however significant Trumps personal role, it is part of a much broader political conspiracy, involving national and local officials throughout the Republican Party and elements within the military and police apparatus. Biden has specifically rejected calls for even the resignation of senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, let alone their immediate arrest for politically abetting Trumps coup. And there have been no calls for the immediate arrest of Rudolph Giuliani, Trumps sons and Trump's lawyers, or any of those directly involved in incitement.

The fascistic coup of January 6 marks a new stage in the crisis of American democracy, and the lessons must be drawn. It is an expression of a comprehensive breakdown of American capitalist society. It is not possible to fight the threat of fascism without recognizing that this is a social movement that arises on the basis of a deep crisis of the existing economic order. Through the medium of fascism, the ruling elites seek to channel mass social discontent into a reactionary movement directed against the working class.

The political antidote to fascism is the development of a mass political movement of the working class for socialism. Moreover, to the extent that the working class comes forward in this fight, it will be immeasurably strengthened in the fight against the Democratic Party and a Biden administration.

The Socialist Equality Party calls on workers to respond to fascist violence on and around January 20 with preparations for a general strike. A network of rank-and-file committees in the factories and workplaces, and in every neighborhood and city, must be developed to mobilize and unify all sections of the working class.

Workers must reject all efforts to inject into the political situation racial conflict and division, including the claims by Democrats that the fascistic coup is an expression of whiteness, rather than the interests of the financial oligarchy. This narrative only provides political ammunition for the fascists themselves. Throughout the country, workers of all races and ethnicities work shoulder to shoulder. They face a common social and economic crisis and common enemies in the capitalist ruling elite.

Mass popular opposition to the efforts of the ruling class to destroy democratic rights must be connected to the demand for a full, open and public investigation into the January 6 coup. All those involved in organizing the operation and providing it with political cover must be removed from office, arrested and prosecuted.

Even if Bidenguarded by thousands of armed soldiers and policetakes the oath of office on January 20 and makes it into the White House, the crisis will not have passed. American democracy is in its death throes.

There can be no progressive way out of this crisis except through the building of a powerful mass movement of the working class, allied with the working class throughout the world, for socialism.

All those who now recognize the urgency of building this movement should join the Socialist Equality Party.
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whatsApp messaging application has been giving users some privacy concerns after its updates policies on data sharing. WhatsApp users recently received a pop up notification that said the Facebook-owned messenger will be updating its policies again. But this time, as part of it, the service will be sharing user data with other Facebook companies.

The pop-up message details how WhatsApps service handles your data as well as how WhatsApp partners with the larger Facebook platform to allow integrations across multiple apps, including Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Users are now convinced that all their messages are out their with the WhatsApp team. The jokes are doing rounds on social media how the employees at WhatsApp headquarters cheer when your crush replies or when someone sends you a good news. What no one knows, WhatsApp knows, the jokes imply.

Memes about how employees react at WhatsApp headquarters are doing rounds on social media. Take a look:

After 5 years of textingguy: I like youCrush: omg I like you too#WhatsApp headquarters: pic.twitter.com/NHpcfy588t itessawhite (@itessawhite) January 10, 2021

"you're the only one i talk to"Whatsapp headquarters: pic.twitter.com/W5VqlBiW4P Sara (@sara_pirzadaa) January 11, 2021

She: we need to talkWhatsApp headquarters: pic.twitter.com/ojcjMzhFSv Hassan Wakeel (@the__7eventh) January 11, 2021

crush: i like u too whatsapp headquarters: pic.twitter.com/V7FwcXKJ4a gontses whore (@aenjhee) January 11, 2021

"Phupho sotay hoye ring pehna gayi hain" Whatsapp headquarters: pic.twitter.com/FJzbtbQDi0 Abdullah Saeed (@AbdSaeedxD) January 11, 2021

She : mummy papa chale gaye hain ab kar lo video callWhatsApp headquarters: pic.twitter.com/6bO1ybS3AO Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) January 11, 2021

guy in whatsapp headquarters waiting for people to message me: pic.twitter.com/07dpGoYHIi Sir Saith Abdullah (@SaithAbdullah99) January 11, 2021

WhatsApp makes it clear that they are collecting your location information at all times. For starters, the customary pleasantries greet you in the Location Information section of the updated privacy policy. They say that you give access to your precise location when you use any location-based services on the app, such as sharing your location with someone on the app. This is where things get interesting. Even if you do not use our location-related features, we use IP addresses and other information like phone number area codes to estimate your general location (e.g., city and country). We also use your location information for diagnostics and troubleshooting purposes, is the very clear message.
A Montana Senate committee is considering a bill that would provide liability protection for businesses and health care providers against lawsuits related to the pandemic.

The Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee held a hearing Friday on the bill, which Gov. Greg Gianforte has identified as a requirement in order to lift a statewide mask mandate put in place last summer by his Democratic predecessor Steve Bullock.

If the bill is voted into law, Montana would join several other states that have created COVID-19 liability protections since the onset of the pandemic. The bill would protect businesses and health care providers from COVID-19 related lawsuits as long as they follow federal, state and local public health guidance.

Proponents of the bill say it is necessary for businesses to operate during the pandemic without fear of what they say could be crippling lawsuits.

To me, this is akin to the vaccine. It provides a good dose of preventative medicine so that business owners can get back to their job of rebuilding their businesses and hiring new employees, said Brad Griffin, a lobbyist representing numerous business organizations, including the Montana Retail Association and the Montana Restaurant Association.

The Montana Trial Lawyers Association opposes the bill, claiming it seeks to solve a problem that doesnt exist.

This bill is unnecessary. There has not been an explosion of COVID related litigation, said the organizations executive director Al Smith. Our current law already provides protections for businesses and medical providers, which is why there hasnt been an explosion of cases.

Smith said the new bill could protect businesses and care providers even if they act irresponsibly in exposing workers and customers to COVID-19, and that the bills passage does not mean the statewide mask mandate can be safely rescinded.

The bills sponsor, Republican Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, said in response that the Legislature should anticipate problems rather than waiting for them to happen.

I dont think we necessarily have to wait until weve had multiple lawsuits and weve had a couple people go out of business before we decide we want to take appropriate measures to ensure people are protected from unnecessary litigation, Fitzpatrick said.

Leadership in the Republican-controlled Legislature has indicated they see the bill as a priority for reopening the states economy. The committee is set to vote on the bill next week.

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

Topics Lawsuits
In the early hours of January 13, 1991, hundreds of Lithuanians headed to the TV tower in Vilnius, where they would make a stand against Soviet troops deployed to crush the Baltic state's bid to reclaim independence. More than a dozen died, and hundreds were wounded.



The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of communist satellite regimes in Eastern Europe made it clear that Moscow's power was waning, and the Soviet Union would in fact dissolve by the end of 1991. Months before that -- but only after the Vilnius bloodshed in January -- Moscow would recognize the independence of the Baltic nations.



Lithuania has designated January 13 as Freedom Defenders Day, paying tribute to the unarmed civilians who stood down Soviet forces in Vilnius.



"It's our victory day," said Marius Laurinavicius, a senior analyst at the Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis. "Of course, it was a tragic day because 14 people were killed, but we defended our independence."

For the Kremlin, it's no cause for celebration.



Under Boris Yeltsin, who was elected president of Russia in June 1991, Moscow was one of the drivers of the disintegration of the U.S.S.R. into 15 independent countries.



But analysts say his successor, Vladimir Putin, has made defending many of the Soviet state's actions abroad a priority -- particularly when it comes to relations with Central and Eastern European nations in World War II and the decades of Soviet dominance that followed. Critics of the Kremlin charge that Putin is trying to rewrite the past -- and for many Lithuanians, that includes the January events of 1991.



In a tweet on January 11, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote that "counterfeiters of history continue washing off their bloody hands & evading responsibility for the death of our freedom fighters." The January Events



On March 11, 1990, Lithuania's legislative Supreme Council voted in favor of declaring independence. The Soviet Union, under President Mikhail Gorbachev, used economic and political pressure to try to thwart the bid to end nearly a half-century of rule from Moscow, which had annexed the Baltic states in 1940.



When that failed, Soviet troops garrisoned in Vilnius were deployed on January 11, 1991. Crack KGB units had been flown in days earlier. Their task: To take control of key sites in the capital -- an effort that climaxed with the attack on the TV broadcast tower and sole TV station on January 13.



Lithuanians flocked to the site in the early hours, determined to stop the Soviet troops from taking control. Soviet tanks plowed into the unarmed demonstrators, who had been using their bodies to try to protect the building, according to media reports, before soldiers fired on the crowd.

Fourteen civilians were killed by Soviet forces during those fateful days in January 1991, Lithuanian officials would later say, all but one of them during the storming of the state television station and TV tower. More than 700 were wounded.



It was the bloodiest attack on peaceful citizens in the Soviet Union since troops killed demonstrators in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, in 1989. The television and radio stations, which broadcast throughout the republic, went off the air after the assault.



"We address all those who hear us. It is possible that (the army) can break us with force or close our mouths, but no one will make us renounce freedom and independence," an announcer said before the station went silent.



Seeking Justice



Over the years, Lithuania -- which joined NATO and the European Union in 2004, along with fellow Baltic states Latvia and Estonia -- sought to bring those responsible for the bloodshed to justice.

In March 2019, after a three-year trial, a Lithuanian court found 67 former Soviet officers and officials guilty of war crimes over the events of 1991. The highest ranking was former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, who was still alive at the time. All were sentenced to 10 years, all except one in absentia as Russia refused to cooperate with the court. Gorbachev also declined to testify.



A day after the sentences were announced, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the trial and verdicts "extremely unfriendly and essentially provocative," and lashed out over what it described as "the bias and political motivation of this disgraceful judgment."

It accused the court of ignoring witness testimony and of barring Russian diplomats from attending the trial, and asserted that its conduct reflected "the deconstructive course of the current Lithuanian leadership with regard to Russia."



Russia also moved to prosecute the judges involved in the case, an action condemned by the European Parliament in November 2019 as "unacceptable external influence" and "politically motivated."



Distorting The Record?



Much of the tension between Russia and the Baltic states has roots in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the 1939 Nazi-Soviet nonaggression treaty whose secret annex divided Central and Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, paving the way for the Soviet occupation of the Baltics.

In recent years, senior Russian officials have avidly defended the pact, which the Soviet Union condemned in 1989. In a 2020 article in the U.S. journal the National Interest, Putin rejected criticism of the Soviet Union's actions and claimed the occupation of the Baltic states had occurred "with consent," drawing accusations of a blatant attempt to rewrite history.

Lithuanian officials describe the Russian state's treatment of the January 1991 events as part of what the Information Monitoring and Media Division of the country's Foreign Ministry asserted was "a larger Kremlin disinformation and historical revisionism campaign not only against Lithuania, but the Western democracies in general." "We observe constant, intensifying attempts to discredit Lithuania's post-WWII freedom fight, to portray the [Soviet] occupation of Lithuania based on secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact as the lawful accession of the country to the U.S.S.R., and to distort information on Lithuania's place in the EU and NATO," it said in a statement sent to RFE/RL.

Russian propaganda efforts relating to the 1991 crackdown in Lithuania are multipronged, said Peter Stano, lead spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, whose External Action Service (EEAS) monitors Russian disinformation campaigns.



"So, first of all, they are accusing Lithuanians of provocations against the Soviet regime back then; they are insisting that Lithuanians actually killed their own people; they are saying there were no casualties; they say that the actual circumstances of that date remain unknown; that Lithuania is turning into a totalitarian country when dealing with the events from 1991; or they try to portray the restoration of Lithuania's independence as some kind of unilateral withdrawal from the Soviet Union," Stano told RFE/RL in an interview.



"This is the very standard way of operation of the pro-Kremlin disinformation actors. You know, just to create confusion so that no one is sure anymore which facts are to be believed and which facts not," he added.

The Russian state-funded media outlet Sputnik has been singled out by the EEAS for its "disinformation" on the developments 30 years ago in Lithuania.



"The 'version' presented by Sputnik recycles Soviet disinformation. Its purpose: to create the illusion that the events of January 13 are widely disputed, and the truth remains unknown," it said in a January 2020 posting on its EU Vs Disinfo website.



Trapped By The Narrative?



Sergey Radchenko, a Cold War historian at Cardiff University in Wales, argued that Putin could actually make a different case.



Yeltsin, who was chairman of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation at the time and a rival of Gorbachev, condemned the Soviet crackdown in Lithuania. His voice of protest was not alone. Tens of thousands of people flooded Moscow's central Manezh Square on January 13 to voice opposition to what was happening in Vilnius.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Wolf's resignation came less than a week after he pledged to remain in office and just 10 days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden

Washington: President Donald Trumps acting head of the Department of Homeland Security abruptly resigned Monday, leaving the post ahead of schedule as the nation faces a heightened terrorism threat from extremists seeking to reverse the election.

The announcement by acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was perplexing. It came less than a week after he pledged to remain in office and just 10 days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Wolf cited a legal challenge to his leadership as a reason for his resignation, but that had surfaced months ago.

For months we have known Chad Wolf has been serving illegally in his position, so the timing of his resignation from the Department today is questionable," said Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He has chosen to resign during a time of national crisis and when domestic terrorists may be planning additional attacks on our government.

Wolf, who had been serving in an acting capacity since November 2019 and was never confirmed by the Senate, said he was compelled to leave by recent events, including court rulings that found he could not legally hold the position. He did not specify the other events or cite other factors.

These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power, he said in a written message to DHS employees.

The resignation comes a day before Trump is set to visit the US-Mexico border wall, Trump's signature political project, and one overseen by DHS.

Wolf's departure followed the abrupt resignation of other Cabinet officials angered by Trump's role in encouraging the mob to storm the Capitol on 6 January over his false claims of election fraud.

Wolf condemned the violent attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters, calling it tragic and sickening. He also said then he would stay on at DHS until the end of the administration to ensure a smooth transition and to help the department stay focused on the threats facing the nation.

Here is the message I sent to the DHS team today. It has been the honor of a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/NFyIpN7GkZ  Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) January 11, 2021

It was unclear what prompted him to change course with the nation braced for the potential for more violence ahead of the 20 January inauguration. The FBI has warned of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C

The White House had no immediate comment.

Wolf led DHS as it carried out Trump administration priorities on immigration and law enforcement, prompting criticism that he politicized a department that was created to better protect the nation in the wake of the 11 September, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The department was accused during his tenure by a whistleblower of suppressing facts in intelligence reports that Trump might find objectionable, including information about Russian interference in the election and the rising threat posed by white supremacists. Wolf and the department denied the allegations.

The acting secretary defended his tenure in his statement to employees, saying DHS had strengthened border security and successfully launched the cybersecurity agency that helped safeguard the 2020 election.

I leave knowing that the Department has positioned itself for an orderly and smooth transition to President-elect Bidens DHS team, he wrote. Welcome them, educate them, and learn from them. They are your leaders for the next four years  a time which undoubtedly will be full of challenges and opportunities to show the American public the value of DHS and why it is worth the investment."

Peter Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will serve as acting head of the Department of Homeland Security until the Biden administration takes over.

Right now, our nation is facing significant challenges and it is our privilege to support the nationwide efforts to fight the pandemic and protect our homeland, Gaynor said in a message to FEMA employees. He announced that his post would be filled by Bob Fenton, the Region 9 administrator for the agency, on an acting basis.

Biden has nominated Alejandro Mayorkas, a former senior DHS official, to lead an agency that carried out Trump administration priorities on immigration and law enforcement and was criticized for becoming politicized as a result.

Trump-appointed Wolf acting secretary in November 2019, following the resignation of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary who took over following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

Wolf had been a chief of staff to Nielsen and an undersecretary in the agency as well as an official at the Transportation Security Administration, a component of DHS. He has also worked as a lobbyist.

Trump had said he liked the flexibility of having senior officials in an acting status despite criticism that it keeps people from long-term planning that would give an agency more stability.

The president sent Wolf's nomination to the Senate for confirmation after the Government Accountability Office determined that neither Wolf nor his deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, were legally eligible to run DHS because of a violation of the rules of succession in federal agencies.

That finding has put policy changes under their tenure, especially related to immigration, in potential jeopardy because of legal challenges, including one as recently as Friday in which a federal judge blocked sweeping asylum restrictions imposed by the administration.
Will file affidavit and place IB records: AG to SC on banned outfits infiltrating farmer protests

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: In affidavit prior to today's hearing by the Supreme Court on the farm laws, the government had said that vested interests were instigating the farmers.

SC stay the implementation of the three farm laws, forms a committee to end agitation|Oneindia News

"The Acts have received wide acceptance throughout the country and, therefore, some farmers and others objecting to the law had put a condition of its repeal, is neither justifiable nor acceptable," the affidavit filed by the agriculture ministry said.

Prior to the three farm laws being stayed by the Supreme Court, Attorney General, K K Venugopal told the court that Khalistanis had infiltrated the protests. There is an application before us which says that there is a banned organisation which is helping this protest. Can the AG accept it or deny it, the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde said.

Also Read:

SC stays implementation of three farm laws, forms four member committee

SC notice to farmer unions on plea to stop R-Day tractor rally

We will protect the lands of farmers: SC

If there is infiltration by a banned organisation and somebody is making an allegation here before us, you have to confirm it. File an affidavit by tomorrow, the CJI told the AG. The AG said that an affidavit in this regard would be filed and the IB records would also be placed.
Shortly after marauders inspired by President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol trashing everything in sight, including the House Chamber, 147 members of Congress stood knee-deep in the rubble and voted to support his doomed attempt to overthrow the 2020 election.

For the first time in recorded history, rats ran to a sinking ship.

Five of them were our very own South Carolina rats.

How embarrassing.

ALEX SANDERS

Water Street

Charleston

Taxpayers need help

Tuesday marks the beginning of the 124th South Carolina Legislature.

As we know, last years session was derailed by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving so much left on the calendar to be done.

As many are also aware, however, Jan. 15 is the last day to pay real estate property taxes before penalties begin to accrue.

It has been a hard year for individuals and for businesses and, while authorized by state statute, a reassessment year in Charleston County made tax bills even more difficult to swallow.

The financial struggle of South Carolinians is in my face daily. The fear of losing a family home or business is real and scary.

Now, many taxpayers have been without steady income for almost a year, barely managing to keep the lights on and their children fed.

If property owners dont make their tax payment by Friday, they risk a snowball effect: additional penalties, fees, perhaps a tax sale and then interest payments. That is if there is any hope of redeeming their property.

Immediate help is needed, whether that be in the form of a well-considered statutory change or financial assistance.

I respectfully request, as an advocate for taxpayers, that our state legislators take a hard look at their agendas and prioritize this actual financial crisis before it is too late.

MARY E. TINKLER

Charleston County Treasurer

Meeting Street

Charleston

Code red drills

On Jan. 6, lawmakers and staff in the U.S. Capitol chambers in Washington, D.C., were told by police to get down and shelter in place and to remove the gas masks from under the seats and wait.

Some reported they could hear intruders banging on the doors to enter.

Some made phone calls to family and loved ones to report in.

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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I was a classroom teacher during the D.C. sniper shootings in suburban Maryland in October 2002.

That is when we first learned to lock the doors, hide under desks and wait for the all clear.

By 2020, code red drills are standard procedures in schools and some office buildings.

I wonder if those in the Capitol thought about children in this country who practice that drill on a regular basis.

I wonder if they think about the thousands of students who hid under desks and in closets that still carry the memory of active shooters in their buildings.

I wonder if they will remember the fear they felt as they continue to vote against national background checks.

I vividly remember with deep sadness the weeks during the sniper shootings as we hid in silence with children waiting.

The South Carolina Legislature begins its 2021-22 session Tuesday. Among the pre-filed bills, several deal with firearms, some promoting open carry and deleting concealed weapons permit restrictions.

I wonder if our lawmakers will imagine hiding under their desks, waiting.

SHARON KLOMPUS

Windy Bluff Drive

Greenville

Winter surge

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMasters COVID-19 policies encourage behaviors as expressions of political loyalty to President Donald Trump.

McMaster owes his position to President Trumps endorsement. McMaster knows no other course but loyalty.

That now becomes our Achilles heel under his leadership: the inability to imagine.

McMaster cannot imagine a strategy to protect us well and finesse a political response to protect himself from presidential tweets.

2022 is around the corner and Trump may be there. McMaster is not ready to exhibit a smidgen of what could be perceived as a break with Trump.

The governor continues to hedge his personal interest against our lives as the COVID-19 case counts rise.

McMaster offers insufficient

COVID-19 policies.

The Post and Courier editorial staff signals, again, the need to change course before it is too late.

McMaster is willing to sacrifice the people of South Carolina when the rational evidence says that policy changes are urgent.

McMaster plays the political card for his own survival. Not ours.

FRED PALM

S.C. Highway 174

Edisto Island


MASON CITY, Iowa - A new way to travel is coming to the River City in March.

United Express, doing business as SkyWest Airlines, will begin offering daily, non-stop, jet service flights to Chicago O'Hare starting March 1. The jets will have room for 50 passengers, compared to the current 8 passenger setup the planes currently used by Air Choice One.

Airport manager David Sims has heard from travelers about making it more convenient to get to their destination, whether it's the Windy City or across the world.

"One of the number one things that our passengers have been asking for is the ability to connect to a major airline when they get to chicago. by having united airlines coming here as sky west, we'll be giving them that connection."

"Air Choice One has been a great company to work with, but they are a smaller company, and there are some limitations to it. We hate to see Air Choice One go, but we believe that selecting SkyWest and United Express will be a good thing for the community."

Passengers can now buy tickets for flights beginning March 1 and dates after.

With larger aircraft, increased passenger travel is likely. Sims says the current security setup at the airport will stay the same, though renovations may be needed to accomodate expansion.
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Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

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Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

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Joe Biden will be inaugurated on 20 January to become the 46th president of the United States.

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the recent riot on the US Capitol, officials are urging Americans not to attend the ceremony and instead watch the pared-back proceedings online.

Follow Inauguration Day 2021 live: Bidens appear for first time and attend Mass after delaying for Trump

When and where is it?

The 2021 presidential inauguration will take place on Wednesday, January 20, as per the US constitution.

Mr Biden will be expected to take the oath of office at around 12pm ET (5pm GMT) at the US Capitol in Washington DC.

Where can I watch the proceedings?

Programming of inauguration proceedings and other surrounding coverage will be broadcast on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and MSNBC and also streamed live on PIC social media channels: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch.

Read more: How many presidents have boycotted successors inauguration?

Most of the programming for the 59th Presidential Inauguration can also be watched at bideninaugural.org/watch.

Livestreams are also available at Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNOW from Fox, AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in SD/HD), and AT&T DIRECTV (Channel 201).

Can I attend in person?

Following the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters on 6 January, officials are even more eager to reduce in person celebrations and maintain high levels of security at the event.

The mayor of Washington DC has taken the extraordinary step to encourage Americans not to come to the city and to instead participate virtually.

The Washington Monument has been closed to the public amid continued threats from groups involved in last week's US Capitol riot to disturb the proceedings.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee is also urging the public to refrain from any travel and participate in the inaugural activities from home.

What will be happening?

Both Mr Biden and Kamala Harris are expected to take their oaths of office at around noon, which will then be followed by an inaugural address. Specific timings have yet to be released.

A virtual parade showcasing communities across the country will be televised to replace the traditional inaugural parade as Mr Biden arrives at the White House with a military presidential escort.

A lighting ceremony honouring the hundreds of thousands of lives lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic will take place the day before Inauguration Day at 5.30 pm at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Read an hour by hour schedule of Inauguration Day plans here.

What about Donald Trump?

President Donald Trump has confirmed he will not be attending President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration ceremony following months of refusing to admit defeat in the election.

The president finally conceded the election in a video following an attack on the Capitol by his supporters last week saying a new administration will be inaugurated and committing to an orderly transfer of power.

Vice-president Mike Pence is set to attend the inauguration despite the presidents absence, reports have said.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Shyft is an employer of choice with market competitive pay, benefits from day one, and 80 hours of holiday pay. Shyft is committed to the long-term health, wellness, and development of its employees through full medical, vision and dental insurance, 401(k) with a strong company match, and ongoing training opportunities. Employment opportunities are updated daily at www.TheShyftGroup.com/Careers .

"The Shyft Group has a long-standing history in Charlotte as it has served as our home base for more than 40 years," said Daryl Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Shyft Group. "Today, we have plants all over the country in which we build last mile delivery vehicles. We choose to reinvest in Charlotte as a declaration of our commitment to our existing campus, this region, and our highly skilled workforce."

As part of this expansion, Shyft is pursuing State incentives for facility upgrades and workforce training, as they ramp up production and hire accordingly. Shyft credits State Rep. Angela Witwer and Sen. Tom Barrett for partnering to find solutions to keep these new jobs in-state. Additionally, the Company praises the ongoing efforts of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership for its support and multitude of contributions to the growth of its Charlotte campus.

"Our Utilimaster brand continues to see unprecedented growth as the retail landscape shifts online and purchases now more than ever arrive at home," said Chad Heminover, President, Shyft Fleet Vehicles & Services. "We've built a network of flexible manufacturing facilities across the nation that uniquely position us to meet changing customer demands by building virtually any of our vehicles from any of our plants. Our Velocity F2 walk-in van is a great example of this as it has already seen incredible adoption since its introduction just three months ago. We'll tap into our flexible manufacturing footprint as it is designed, and leverage the Charlotte campus and growing workforce to successfully meet this new demand."

Utilimaster introduced the Velocity F2 in October, its latest production-ready, purpose-built delivery vehicle. This sub-10,000 GVWR, Class 2 walk-in van combines nimbleness, comfort, and fuel efficiency with the cargo space, access, and load capacity similar to a traditional delivery van.

Utilimaster, a go-to-market brand of The Shyft Group, builds and upfits walk-in vans, medium and heavy-duty trucks, and cargo vans to service parcel, food and beverage, linen and laundry, and other product and serviced-based delivery markets through its proprietary Work-Driven Design process. This past June, the broader company rebranded to The Shyft Group, to better reflect its next phase of business transformation and focus on high-growth commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets, following the divestiture of its fire truck business.

The Shyft Group

The Shyft Group is the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and upfit for the commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets. Our customers include first-to-last mile delivery companies across vocations, federal, state, and local government entities; the trades; and utility and infrastructure segments. The Shyft Group is organized into two core business units: Shyft Fleet Vehicles & Services and Shyft Specialty Vehicles. Today, its family of brands include Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, DuraMag and Magnum, Strobes-R-Us, Spartan RV Chassis, Builtmore Contract Manufacturing, and corresponding aftermarket provisions. The Shyft Group and its go-to-market brands are well known in their respective industries for quality, durability, and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 2,900 associates across campuses, and operates facilities in Michigan, Indiana, Maine, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, California, Arizona, Texas, and Saltillo, Mexico. The Company reported sales from continuing operations of $757 million in 2019. Learn more about The Shyft Group at www.TheShyftGroup.com.

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Stefan Thomas, a German-born programmer living in San Francisco, has two guesses left to figure out a password that is worth, as of this week, about $220 million.

The password will let him unlock a small hard drive, known as an IronKey, which contains the private keys to a digital wallet that holds 7,002 bitcoins. While the price of Bitcoin dropped sharply on Monday, it is still up more than 50% from just a month ago when it passed its previous all-time high around $20,000.

The problem is that Thomas years ago lost the paper where he wrote down the password for his IronKey, which gives users 10 guesses before it seizes up and encrypts its contents forever. He has since tried eight of his most commonly used password formulations  to no avail.

I would just lay in bed and think about it, Thomas said. Then I would go to the computer with some new strategy, and it wouldnt work, and I would be desperate again.

Bitcoin, which has been on an extraordinary and volatile eight-month run, has made a lot of its holders very rich in a short period of time, even as the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the world economy.

But the cryptocurrencys unusual nature has also meant that there are many people who are locked out of their Bitcoin fortunes as a result of lost or forgotten keys. They have been forced to watch, helpless, as the price has risen and fallen dramatically, unable to cash in on their digital wealth.

Of the existing 18.5 million Bitcoin, around 20%  currently worth around $140 billion  appear to be in lost or otherwise stranded wallets, according to the cryptocurrency data firm Chainalysis. Wallet Recovery Services, a business that helps find lost digital keys, said it has gotten 70 requests a day from people who want help recovering their riches, three times the number of a month ago.

Bitcoin owners who are locked out of their wallets speak of endless days and nights of frustration as they have tried to access their fortunes. Many have owned the coins since Bitcoins early days a decade ago, when no one had confidence that the tokens would be worth anything.

Through the years I would say I have spent hundreds of hours trying to get back into these wallets, said Brad Yasar, an entrepreneur in Los Angeles who has a few desktop computers that contain thousands of bitcoins he created, or mined, during the early days of the technology. While those bitcoins are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars, he lost his passwords many years ago and has put the hard drives containing them in vacuum-sealed bags, out of sight.

I dont want to be reminded every day that what I have now is a fraction of what I could have that I lost, he said.

The dilemma is a stark reminder of Bitcoins unusual technological underpinnings, which set it apart from normal money and gives it some of its most vaunted  and riskiest  qualities. With traditional bank accounts and online wallets, banks like Wells Fargo and other financial companies like PayPal can provide people the passwords to their accounts or reset lost passwords.

But Bitcoin has no company to provide or store passwords. The virtual currencys creator, a shadowy figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto, has said that Bitcoins central idea was to allow anyone in the world to open a digital bank account and hold the money in a way that no government could prevent or regulate.

This is made possible by the structure of Bitcoin, which is governed by a network of computers that agreed to follow software containing all the rules for the cryptocurrency. The software includes a complex algorithm that makes it possible to create an address, and associated private key, which is known only by the person who created the wallet.

The software also allows the Bitcoin network to confirm the accuracy of the password to allow transactions, without seeing or knowing the password itself. In short, the system makes it possible for anyone to create a Bitcoin wallet without having to register with a financial institution or go through any sort of identity check.

That has made Bitcoin popular with criminals, who can use the money without revealing their identity. It has also attracted people in countries like China and Venezuela, where authoritarian governments are known for raiding or shutting down traditional bank accounts.

But the structure of this system did not account for just how bad people can be at remembering and securing their passwords.

Even sophisticated investors have been completely incapable of doing any kind of management of private keys, said Diogo Monica, the co-founder of a startup called Anchorage, which helps companies handle cryptocurrency security. Monica started the company in 2017 after helping a hedge fund regain access to one of its Bitcoin wallets.

Thomas, the programmer, said he was drawn to Bitcoin partly because it was outside the control of a country or company. In 2011, when he was living in Switzerland, he was given the 7,002 bitcoins by an early Bitcoin fanatic as a reward for making an animated video, What is Bitcoin?, which introduced many people to the technology.

That year, he lost the digital keys to the wallet holding the Bitcoin. Since then, as Bitcoins value has soared and fallen and he could not get his hands on the money, Thomas has soured on the idea that people should be their own bank and hold their own money.

This whole idea of being your own bank  let me put it this way: Do you make your own shoes? Thomas said. The reason we have banks is that we dont want to deal with all those things that banks do.

Other Bitcoin believers have also realized the difficulties of being their own bank. Some have outsourced the work of holding Bitcoin to startups and exchanges that secure the private keys to peoples stashes of the virtual currency.

Yet some of these services have had just as much trouble securing their keys. Many of the largest Bitcoin exchanges over the years  including the onetime well-known exchange, Mt. Gox  have lost private keys or had them stolen.

Gabriel Abed, 34, an entrepreneur from Barbados, lost around 800 bitcoins  now worth around $25 million  when a colleague reformatted a laptop that contained the private keys to a Bitcoin wallet in 2011.

Abed said this did not dim his enthusiasm. Before Bitcoin, he said, he and his fellow islanders had not been able to access affordable digital financial products like the credit cards and bank accounts that are easily available to Americans. In Barbados, even getting a PayPal account was almost impossible, he said. The open nature of Bitcoin, he said, gave him full access to the digital financial world for the first time.

The risk of being my own bank comes with the reward of being able to freely access my money and be a citizen of the world  that is worth it, Abed said.

For Abed and Thomas, any losses from mishandling the private keys have partly been assuaged by the enormous gains they have made on the Bitcoin they managed to hold onto. The 800 bitcoins Abed lost in 2011 were only a fraction of the tokens he has since bought and sold, allowing him to recently buy a 100-acre plot of oceanfront land in Barbados for over $25 million.

Thomas said he also managed to hold onto enough bitcoins  and remember the passwords  to give him more riches than he knows what to do with. In 2012, he joined a cryptocurrency startup, Ripple, that aimed to improve on Bitcoin. He was rewarded with Ripples own native currency, known as XRP, which rose in value.

(Ripple has recently run into its legal troubles, in part because the founders had too much control over the creation and distribution of the XRP coins.)

As for his lost password and inaccessible bitcoins, Thomas has put the IronKey in a secure facility  he wont say where  in case cryptographers come up with new ways of cracking complex passwords. Keeping it far away helps him try not to think about it, he said.

I got to a point where I said to myself, Let it be in the past, just for your own mental health, he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The Rapid City dam needs to be completely torn out and replaced.

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The Rapid City dam needs to be completely torn out and replaced.

This, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler said, is why its a two-year project, minimum.

"It was never really engineered in the first place, because no engineer would put their stamp on that kind of a dam," he said. "It was basically doomed to fail."

Schuler spoke to the dams shortcomings in response to community outrage about what some consider a long wait to see the dam reinstated.

Rapid Citys dam across the Little Saskatchewan River breached in June as a result of heavy rainfall, when water cut through the earth embankment to its immediate south.

The reservoir the dam typically maintains, which drained when it breached, is necessary for not only the communitys popular beach, but also the wells that approximately 22 households north of the river rely on.

As reported earlier this month, several properties wells have already gone dry, resulting in people installing tanks to keep water flowing through their pipes.

Area resident Edie Evans, 85, is one of several of these property owners. She had a 330-gallon tank installed in her garage, which she has refilled every two weeks with water she has trucked in.

Another area resident didnt have a garage to keep their tank warm, and has already contended with frozen pipes on a couple of occasions.

"Absolutely, we would like everything built yesterday, but thats probably not the right way to do it," said Schuler. "What we have to do is ensure that what we put back is to todays standards  One thing you do not rush is engineering."

By comparison, Schuler pointed to the provincially-engineered dam at Lake Wahtopanah in Rivers, which was built to withstand a maximum of 10,000 cubic feet per second, but faced 12,000 cf/s last summer.

"It was stressful, but it could withstand that pressure, and the reason is, it was so well engineered," said Schuler. "They took their time and they built something that could withstand something it was never engineered for."

Even so, there was some bank erosion around the Rivers dam that Schuler said will be repaired in such a manner that should not happen again.

By comparison, the Rapid City dam, whose origins are unclear and which consists of a few layers of dam built over the years, including wood timber, concrete and steel structures, suffered a "massive fail."

Another patch on what is already a mess of patchwork is not the way to go, Schuler said, adding that this also applies to the existing fish ladder, which he describes as "nothing more than a glorified pipe."

The replacement dam and corresponding fish ladder will be engineered to modern standards, with everything involved in the project going through an approvals process with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada.

Although the expected timeline is two years, Schuler said "if there are a lot of complaints on the environmental side, that will slow it down."

"The point is that we dont want to keep looking in the rearview mirror. Were going to build a dam that can stand at least what came at us this past June."

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Cordis, Hangzhou, Sci-Tech City opens and joins its sister Cordis hotels in Shanghai, Beijing, Dongqian Lake, Hong Kong and Auckland.

Located in the heart of the high technological and integrated complex, Hangzhou Future Sci -Tech City, Cordis, Hangzhou is a contemporary, approachable luxury hotel which features 186 rooms and suites ranging from 36 to 190-sq-m in size, three restaurants and bar, a 24 hour well-equipped gym and a diverse range of flexible meeting and event spaces suitable for all events.

Strategically located, the hotel is 400 meters away from Liangmulu subway station (Subway Line 5) and also have easy access to Alibabas headquarter, Xixi Tech Zone, Xixi Wetland National Park, Liangzhu Ancient City and West Lake.

Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang is not only renowned for its beautiful scenery, rich history and cultural significance, making it a prime tourist destination, it also plays a key role in economic growth and development in science and education in China , said Stefan Leser, chief executive officer, Langham Hospitality Group.

We are honoured to bring our fifth Cordis hotel in Greater China to this exciting city and we look forward to sharing our heartfelt services the brand is renowned for and taking care of our guests in Hangzhou, added Leser.

We are delighted to partner with Langham Hospitality Group and bring the Cordis brand to Hangzhou. The new Sci-Tech City is the future of Hangzhou and we have consciously seek an energetic and innovative international hotel brand to welcome travellers to this creative and hi-tech city of the future, said Wang Minggang, general manager, Huaxia Sunshine Real Estate East China Branch, Hangzhou Baoli Kanghua Real Estate Company Limited.

Cordis, Hangzhou, Sci-Tech City was designed by international design firm HBA architecture. With the business and leisure traveller in mind, the design of the hotel is inspired by the West Lake where the hotels design is inspired by the beauty of natural landscapes and complemented by elegant, contemporary interiors.

Artworks are also prominently showcased at the hotel. Guests will be welcomed by the artwork Hangzhou Dream in the lobby. Through an artistic lighting device, the artwork depicts a fan opened by a scholar who sings lyrically and recites poetry, praising the scenery of Hangzhous ten scenic spots. Other artworks that are featured in the hotel include Chinese ink painting, blue and white porcelain or works reflecting boating on West Lake and other elements in Hangzhou, are presented throughout the hotel.

186 stylish and contemporary rooms

The 190-sq-m Presidential suite is luxuriously appointed with a spacious living room, an exclusive dining area, a private kitchen and an expansive bedroom. The Presidential Suite is also equipped with an intelligent digital audio system where guests can seamlessly stream videos and movies from their smart phones to the television screen in the suite and amenities like the Nespresso machine and Dyson hair dryers.

There are also other multiple room categories to choose from - Superior Room, Deluxe Room, One-Bedroom Suite, Premier Suite. All rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the spectacular view of the city. Guests can look forward to a blissful nights rest with Cordiss signature Dream Bed.

Inspiring dining experience

Cordis, Hangzhou, Sci-Tech City offers exceptional dining experiences in its two signature restaurants and bar.

The hotels signature Chinese restaurant, Ming Court features authentic Cantonese and local cuisine prepared by the groups award-winning Chinese culinary team. With its sophisticated interiors and seven private dining rooms, the restaurant is the perfect gathering place for friends and families.

Cordis Market is an all-day dining restaurant which offers a customised, cook-to-order interactive buffet experience. The menu includes daily selected dishes that feature healthy and seasonal fresh ingredients. A range of specially selected fine wines from France and Australia are also available to accompany the menu.

The Bar offers a diverse range of curated fine wines, vintage whiskeys and innovative cocktails. The hotels executive chef has also created bar snacks and finger food to complement the drinks menu.

Health and Wellness

The hotel offers a variety of recreational options, including a heated 25 metres by 8 metres indoor swimming pool, as well as a 24-hour gym outfitted with the latest equipment.

The groups signature wellness brand, Chuan Spa will provide a pampering and relaxing haven for guests. There are three luxurious private treatment rooms and one foot massage room offering beauty and wellness treatments inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine which Chuan Spa is renowned for.

Flexible meetings and events

The hotel has six meeting venues, a 600-sq-m pillar-less ballroom and a business centre, which are ideal for intimate weddings, meetings and special events. All event spaces offer advanced audio visual and technical equipment to suit every occasion. The 600-sq-m pillarless grand ballroom is at 6 metres in height and can accommodate up to 300 guests. The ballroom is also equipped with a 3.6m by 6.6m LED screen. It can also be flexibly divided into three individual meeting rooms. The other four meeting rooms feature plenty of natural lighting and an unblocked city view.

Heartfelt Wedding

Professional wedding butlers will work with every couple to ensure they have a memorable heartfelt wedding at the hotel, regardless the concept and size of the event.

Cordis Kids

A specially curated Cordis kids programme is designed for family holidays. Children can look forward to painting classes, junior chef classes amongst other activities and exclusive kids amenities to keep them entertained throughout their stay.

Cordis, Hangzhou, Sci-Tech City is located at 2499, Yuhangtang Road, Cangqian Street, Yuhang District, Hangzhou. - TradeArabia News Service
Earlier, Yermak said the Normandy Four advisors' meeting was likely to take place in January.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak has arrived in Berlin to take part in a meeting of the advisors to the leaders of the Normandy Four states  Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia.

The relevant message has been posted by the President's Office on Telegram.

Deputy head of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Administration Dmitry Kozak has also arrived in the German capital city, as reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Read alsoPresident's Office names priorities in 2021The officials are expected to discuss "the implementation of the results of the 2019 summit in terms of a political settlement."

The consultations have not yet begun, according to the Ukrainian President's Office.

Earlier, Yermak said the Normandy Four advisors' meeting was likely to take place in January.

Background

The Normandy format is a type of meetings in a quadripartite format, involving Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia, where issues of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine are discussed.

The name of the format comes from the meeting of the heads of the four states, which first took place on June 6, 2014, in the town of Benouville, the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Reporting by UNIAN
In UP villagers get cocktail vaccine dose: Covishield first, Covaxin next

ICMR to study effectiveness of Covishield, Covaxin in preventing progression of COVID into severe form

Covid Vaccine Rollout: States across India receive first consignments of 'Covishield'

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 12: Ahead of nationwide mega vaccine rollout from January 16, India's first consignment of Covid vaccine "'Covidshield" was transported from Pune to 13 locations across the country on Tuesday.

The first 100 million doses of the vaccine has been provided to the government at the cost of Rs 200 per dose.

On January 3, Covishield, along with Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, were approved for restricted emergency use by the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI).

Delhi

The first consignment of Covishield vaccines reached Delhi from Pune on Tuesday, four days ahead of the launch of a nationwide drive against the coronavirus

A SpiceJet flight carrying the vaccines landed at the Delhi airport around 10 am. It had left for the national capital around 8 am, three hours after three trucks with the maiden consignment of the vaccines rolled out of the Serum Institute of India (SII) facility, 15 km from the Pune airport.

Corona Vaccine: Bharat Biotech signs pact with Brazil for supply of Covaxin

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said four airlines will operate nine flights to transport 56.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pune to 13 cities across the country.

Uttar Pradesh

The first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines reached Lucknow airport. At the airport, a puja too was also performed before dispatching the container to a vaccine storage facility in the state capital. 1,298 centres have been set up in the state for the safekeeping of vaccines.

Bihar

The first consignment of 54,900 vials of Covishield vaccines landed at the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport. "Made in India 54,900 vials of Coronavirus vaccine Covishield reached Patna. People in Bihar will be vaccinated from January 16 (2021)," Bihar Health minister Mangal Pandey tweeted. Each vial contains 10 doses of the vaccine, the SHS release said.

The first batch of vaccines was taken in refrigerated vans to the State Vaccine Store at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) here.

Gujarat

The Gujarat government received 2.76 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine from the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), which has started dispatching the vaccine to various cities for the January 16 nationwide rollout of the inoculation drive.

These doses were transported to designated places by the police by creating green corridor.

Additionally, 93,500 doses of the vaccine will reach Surat from Pune by road on Wednesday, while 94,5000 doses will reach Vadodara and 77,000 doses will reach Rajkot.

Odisha

Odisha on Tuesday received the first consignment of the COVID-19 vaccine before launch of the vaccination programme across the state from January 16.

A consignment consisting of 34 boxes weighing over 1,200 kg of Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here on a special flight from Pune via New Delhi.

The state has been allotted 4.08 lakh doses of Covishield and 20,000 doses of Covaxin will soon reach in the next phase.

Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has received 9.63 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine from Serum Institute of India (SII) and inoculation will be conducted at 511 centres. Mumbai, the state capital, will have the highest number of 72 centres while Pune district will have 55 centres, an official release said as first consignments of vaccine left SII in Pune earlier in the day.

Karnataka

The first consignment of 6.47 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Bengaluru. 6,47,500 doses of vaccine arrived in Bengaluru and Belagavi in the northern part of the state will receive next consignment tomorrow.

Tamil Nadu

The first batch of Covishield vaccine has reached Chennai on Tuesday. The coronavirus vaccine will distributed further to 10 regional centres and 51 walk-in coolers.

Punjab

Punjab on Tuesday received its first batch of Covishield vaccine containing 20,450 vials.

Each vial carries 10 doses which will be given to already identified key workers in two doses, 28 days apart.

Bengal, NE states

The first consignment of 10 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines -- 6.89 lakh for Bengal and the rest for nearby states arrived in a special cargo flight from Pune's Serum Institute.

The vaccines, kept in around 58 boxes, were ferried from the city airport, where it landed around 1.40 pm, in two insulated vans -- one to state-owned Central Family Welfare Stores at Bagbazar and another to the Government Medical Store Depot in Hastings.

The rest of over three lakh vaccines will be sent off from the central depot to states in the northeastern part of the country, and also to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The vaccines, to be sent to other states, have been stored in a facility in Hastings.

Assam, Meghalaya

The first consignment of 2.40 lakh vials of COVID-19 vaccine for Assam and Meghalaya landed at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport. A freighter ferried 20 large boxes, weighing over 730 kg and containing 2,40,000 vaccine doses.

Each box has 12,000 doses of vaccine. The boxes were handed over to the representatives of the health department of both the state governments within the stipulated nine minutes of arrival.

Kerala

Kerala will receive the first consignment of over 4.33 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday. The first flight carryingthe vaccine is expected to reach Kochi's Nedumbassery airport at 2 pm on Wednesday and by 6 pm, another set will reach the Thiruvananthapuram airport.

Of the 4,33,500 lakh vaccine doses, 1,100 would be sent to Mahe, which is an enclave of Puducherry and lies between Kozhikode and Kannur districts.

Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday said the state will get 3.23 lakh doses of Covishield, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), as part of the first batch of consignment for the upcoming vaccination drive.

The consignment is likely to reach Raipur on Wednesday, but so far no official confirmation has been received from the Centre about the delivery date.

with PTI inputs
The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.

A new study, led by University of Utah Health scientists, suggests more than half of doctors, nurses, and emergency responders involved in COVID-19 care could be at risk for one or more mental health problems, including acute traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, problematic alcohol use, and insomnia. The researchers found that the risk of these mental health conditions was comparable to rates observed during natural disasters, such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

"What health care workers are experiencing is akin to domestic combat," says Andrew J. Smith, Ph.D., director of the U of U Health Occupational Trauma Program at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the study's corresponding author. "Although the majority of health care professionals and emergency responders aren't necessarily going to develop PTSD, they are working under severe duress, day after day, with a lot of unknowns. Some will be susceptible to a host of stress-related mental health consequences. By studying both resilient and pathological trajectories, we can build a scaffold for constructing evidence-based interventions for both individuals and public health systems."

The study appears in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. In addition to U of U Health scientists, contributors include researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Central Arkansas VA Health Care System; Salt Lake City VA Healthcare System; and the National Institute for Human Resilience.

The researchers surveyed 571 health care workers, including 473 emergency responders (firefighters, police, EMTs) and 98 hospital staff (doctors, nurses), in the Mountain West between April 1 and May 7, 2020. Overall, 56% of the respondents screened positive for at least one mental health disorder. The prevalence for each specific disorder ranged from 15% to 30% of the respondents, with problematic alcohol use, insomnia, and depression topping the list.

"Frontline providers are exhausted, not only from the impact of the pandemic itself, but also in terms of coping day to day," says Charles C. Benight, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. "They're trying to make sure that their families are safe [and] they're frustrated over not having the pandemic under control. Those things create the sort of burnout, trauma, and stress that lead to the mental health challenges we're seeing among these caregivers."

In particular, the scientists found that health care workers who were exposed to the virus or who were at greater risk of infection because they were immunocompromised had a significantly increased risk of acute traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. The researchers suggest that identifying these individuals and offering them alternative roles could reduce anxiety, fear, and the sense of helplessness associated with becoming infected.

Alcohol abuse was another area of concern. About 36% of health care workers reported risky alcohol usage. In comparison, estimates suggest that less than 21% of physicians and 23% of emergency responders abuse alcohol in typical circumstances. Caregivers who provided direct patient care or who were in supervisory positions were at greatest risk, according to the researchers. They say offering these workers preventative education and alcohol abuse treatment is vital.

Surprisingly, health care workers in this study felt less anxious as they treated more COVID-19 cases.

"As these health care professionals heard about cases elsewhere before COVID-19 was detected in their communities, their anxiety levels likely rose in anticipation of having to confront the disease," Smith says. "But when the disease started trickling in where they were, perhaps it grounded them back to their mission and purpose. They saw the need and they were in there fighting and working hard to make a difference with their knowledge and skills, even at risk to themselves."

Among the study's limitations are its small sample size. It was also conducted early in the pandemic in a region that wasn't as affected by the disease as other areas with higher infection and death rates.

Moving forward, the researchers are in the final stages of a similar but larger study conducted in late 2020 that they hope will build on these findings.

"This pandemic, as horrific as it is, offers us the opportunity to better understand the extraordinary mental stress and strains that health care providers are dealing with right now," Smith says. "With that understanding, perhaps we can develop ways to mitigate these problems and help health care workers and emergency responders better cope with these sorts of challenges in the future."

###

In addition to Dr. Smith, Hannah M. Wright, Tiffany M. Love, and Scott A. Langenecker of University of Utah Health contributed to this study. The study, "Pandemic-related mental health risk among front line personnel," was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Tunisia will impose a four-day national lockdown from Thursday along with lesser measures lasting until Jan. 24 to combat a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Fouzi Mehdi said on Tuesday.

"The situation is very critical and the vaccination will not come before February," Mehdi said.

Other measures will include rotating staffing in state jobs to reduce people in offices and transport, school closures, longer curfew hours and the removal of all chairs from cafes.

On Monday Tunisia announced a new record high for confirmed cases in a day of 3,074 and said the intensive care units in most public hospitals were full.

Thursday is a national holiday to mark the anniversary of Tunisia's revolution a decade ago when it threw off autocratic rule for democracy.

An earlier lockdown in the spring successfully contained the coronavirus, but caused great financial pain in a country where economic woes have undermined faith in successive democratic governments.

President Kais Saied has called for a partial lockdown in the regions experiencing rapid infection.

Tunisia banned travel among the country's regions and extended a nightly curfew in October, as it tried to contain the pandemic.

The new curfew will be from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m.

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ROXBORO, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Book Extracts (OBX), manufacturer and distributor of the industry's most innovative and highest quality cannabinoid ingredients and finished products, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, one of the country's leading private research institutions, announced today they have entered into an agreement to explore the mechanistic effects of cannabinoids on brain cell functions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Case Western Reserve is being provided access to pure cannabinoid materials from OBX, including CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC, THCV, and CBDV isolates and custom formulations. Specifically, Case Western Reserve scientists will assess the potential of pure cannabinoid isolates and precise ratios of specific cannabinoids in formulations, to understand the impact of cannabinoids on brain cell functions, with a focus on neuroinflammation.

Paul Tesar, PhD, the Dr. Donald and Ruth Weber Goodman Professor of Innovative Therapeutics in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, is the principal investigator for the study. His laboratory has pioneered new regenerative approaches to treat nervous-system disorders including multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, pediatric leukodystrophies, cerebral palsy, and brain cancer. Tesar is also co-founder of Convelo Therapeutics, a company developing medicines to regenerate myelin around nerve cells and restore function to patients with neurological disorders.

"There is a salient need for rigorous research related to the use of cannabinoids," Tesar said. "Together, OBX and Case Western Reserve are advancing that research, and we look forward to evaluating the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid therapies via scientific rigor. OBX's focus on the innovation, quality, safety and consistency of its products makes them an ideal collaborator for our research program."

Case Western Reserve will undertake preclinical investigation of numerous therapeutic compounds selected from OBX's extensive library of proprietary cannabinoid analogs. Using its validated cellular assays and assessment criteria, Case Western Reserve will also explore the therapeutic potential of specific compounds in selected disease models, including an evaluation of the impact of compounds on neuroinflammation.

Powered by their cGMP operations in North Carolina and a team of world class scientists, OBX offers one of the largest portfolios of cannabinoid isolates at purity, including CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC. THCV, all at greater than 99% purity.

In addition to cannabinoid isolates, OBX also offers custom-blend THC-free broad spectrum distillates that can be tailored to meet customer specifications, water soluble powders and liquids, and a portfolio of finished products including edibles, soft gels, tablets, tinctures, and topical products. Their in-house formulation team can also support product development for private label manufacturing.

Having recently completed a round of financing to accelerate key strategic initiatives, OBX is leveraging it's real world efficacy feedback to inform clinical studies, IP development, and research such as the investigation with Case Western Reserve to hone in on therapeutically-targeted cannabinoid solutions.

"OBX is honored to work with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Their position as one of the leading global medical research institutions will assist us in advancing our understanding of the benefits of cannabinoids in treating a wide spectrum of diseases and conditions," said Dave Neundorfer, OBX CEO. "OBX is pioneering the development of cannabinoid therapies through strategic partnerships with leading institutions such as Case Western Reserve. We believe that research is essential to optimize the targeted benefits of cannabinoids, allowing us to develop new and proven products for consumers around the world."

To learn more about the research collaboration between OBX and Case Western Reserve or OBX products and services, contact Nicole Brown, Chief Revenue Officer, at [email protected] .

About Open Book Extracts

Headquartered in Roxboro, N.C., Open Book Extracts is a cGMP-certified manufacturer of premium plant-based cannabinoid products, aiming to be the industry's true north by delivering premium products, exceptional service, and industry-leading transparency. With control of the entire supply chain, a state-of-the-art extraction campus near North Carolina's Research Triangle, proprietary refinement and conversion methods backed by a growing IP portfolio, and a team of PhD chemists and seasoned business leaders, OBX is the trusted partner for global brands seeking to enter the marketplace. OBX Asia, with its headquarters in Hong Kong, provides strategic guidance and on-the-ground support for our Asia customers.

For more information, visit https://www.openbookextracts.com .

Media Contact:

Media relations at 336-592-7317, [email protected]

About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Since 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has been at the forefront of medical education and dedicated to enhancing human health, and has been a leader and innovator in healthcare education and biomedical research. The School's mission is three-fold: providing excellence in medical education through our unique curriculum, advancing discoveries from our laboratories to patients, and improving the health of our community.

The School of Medicine is one of the top-25 medical schools in the country and both the #1 medical school and largest biomedical research institution in Ohio. It consistently ranks in the top tier of medical schools for NIH research funding. It has nearly two dozen program and degree options for prospective students and is 14th in the nation for graduating both successful faculty and African American physicians. In 2019, it will open the doors of a new 485,000 square foot Health Education Campus which will bring together multiple health profession students from across the university under one roof to promote interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

The school is affiliated with 4 top-ranked hospitals--Cleveland Clinic, Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, MetroHealth System, and University Hospitals--and its combined research prowess has supported scientific achievements across a wide range of fields and disciplines.

For more information, visit https://case.edu/medicine/ .

Media contact: [email protected].

SOURCE Open Book Extracts
The administration of Gov. Charlie Baker has estimated that Massachusetts is positioned to receive at least $9 billion under the new federal stimulus law.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 19:39:54|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW -- A fire in a nine-story residential building in the western Russian city of Yekaterinburg killed eight people Tuesday, including one child, according to the regional Investigative Committee.

"The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on the reported death of eight people, including a child, whose bodies were discovered while extinguishing the fire," the committee said in a statement.

A total of 90 people, including nine children, were evacuated amid heavy smoke, said the local department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. (Russia-Fire)

- - - -

JAKARTA -- Divers on Tuesday retrieved a black box of the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plane that plunged into the water off the coast of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Saturday, local TV reported here.

The black box was found on the seafloor between Lancang Island and Laki Island of Jakarta Gulf.

The black box is being transported by a ship to the Jakarta sea port of Tanjung Priok. (Indonesia-Plane crash-Black box)

- - - -

ISLAMABAD -- Four people were killed when their vehicle was hit by an avalanche in Mansehra district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local media reported on Tuesday.

The deceased were on their way to a village in the district when their vehicle was buried under the avalanche on Monday morning, and rescue teams later recovered the bodies in the late hour of the night, the reports said. (Pakistan-Avalanche)

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KINSHASA -- At least six people died when a barge sank on the Congo River, authorities in DR Congo's northeastern province of Tshopo said on Tuesday.

"A barge which was leaving Kisangani for Basoko sank on Friday evening. The toll today is six bodies which have been recovered, 237 survivors and 19 missing," Tshopo's vice governor, Maurice Abibu Sakapela, was quoted as saying.

Sakapela blamed "overloading and the poor state of the vessel" for the accident. (DR Congo-Barge-Sink) Enditem
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DAPHNE, Ala., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Urgent Care for Children (UC4C), a Birmingham-based pediatric urgent care provider, will be expanding its reach once again in opening its eighth Alabama location in Daphne. The newest clinic will sit at 6883 Highway 90, directly across from Fresh Market and Home Depot. This location will be the company's third to open in 2021 as it continues to rapidly expand across the southeast.

"Our team of physicians and staff are thrilled to begin providing quality care with less waiting to the city of Daphne. It has become increasingly clear to us that pediatric patients need access to specialized care, even when their primary care provider is not available, in the after-hours and on weekends," explained UC4C Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allury Arora. Urgent Care for Children creates a continuum of care, supplements the hours of local pediatric offices, and provides an affordable alternative to the emergency room.

"We are extremely excited about joining the Eastern Shore community and the opportunity to provide convenient, quality healthcare to families in the area. The new location across from Jubilee Square Shopping Center offers great access for our patients and their families as we continue our mission to focus on convenience and patient experience while providing award-winning medical care," said Urgent Care for Children Chief Executive Officer, Bannon Thorpe.

UC4C opened its first clinic, located in Birmingham, in 2017, and opened its Trussville location in 2018, which was succeeded by the openings of clinics in Madison, Vestavia Hills, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Montgomery, respectively, in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, the urgent care provider will expand its reach into Tennessee with locations in Hixson and Collierville. The Daphne clinic will open in mid-to-late winter. The company runs the nation's first sensory-inclusive urgent care facilities and Alabama's first physician-founded, highest patient-rated, pediatric urgent care clinics.

About Urgent Care for Children

Urgent Care for Children is a physician-founded pediatric urgent care provider with seven clinics across the state of Alabama. UC4C's licensed, on-site pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners offer acute diagnostic and treatment care for children ages zero to 21 with non-life-threatening needs. For more information, visit www.childrensurgent.com or visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Urgent Care for Children

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www.childrensurgent.com


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Settling on Mars is not easy to achieve and it requires a lot of creativity. That is the purpose of Mars City Design: to build a Mars City with architectural innovation that involves Urban Farming that will ensure food security on the future colony of Mars.

Every year the Mars City platform founded by architect and filmmaker Vera Mulyani hosted the Mars City Design Challenges. It is a program where students worldwide would come together with industry experts to produce "Marchitecture" for future Mars colony.

In 2020, Urban Farming was their goal, where participants need to think of innovations that would allow future Martians to thrive.

Vera Mulyani explained that the primary goal of setting up a colony and designing urban farming on the red planet is to thrive and not just survive, which means that it should have better infrastructure that can help humans sustainability for the long term. Also, she said that thriving means advancing together in terms of innovation on Mars.

Below are the top five that won 2020's Urban Farming contest, which is divided into multiple categories, as reported by Universe Today:

Justin's Food Production System



Under the Mars Agriculture Engineering category, Justin's Mars Farm won together with three other entries. It is a concept by Justin Pourkaveh who is a thermal systems fluid engineer in commercial aerospace.

His concept is a food production system made of interconnected modules that will provide a growing space of arable land to grow food. It also has windows and is designed to regulate humidity, solar input, and thermal conditions. It makes indoor farming a reality on the red planet, a method of urban farming currently in practice here on Earth.

MarSpine



Architectural engineer Mohamed Emad won first place under the Design Category with his MarSpine design. It was inspired by the Voronois structure of the lilypad. When viewed from above would look like the underside of a lilypad, a central spine that splits the structure into two with the ribs extending to the edge.

The MarSpine would be 3D-printed from regolith and combined with prefabricated carbon nanotubes so that the structure would be durable and flexible. It will then be covered with fiberglass fabric to minimize friction from airborne dust and additional UV protection to make sure that the temperature inside the structure would remain stable.

ALSO READ: 110 Humans Sufficient for Mars Colony, French Expert Says: Who's Up for It?

Sprout



Guiseppe Calabrese of Australia and Italy won first place under the Marchitecture Category for his Sprout design. The idea for this structure comes from the idea from the agricultural experiences here on Earth, wherein the natural environment is destroyed and creates more waste.

Sprout serves as the solution to this problem as it offers a system that will transform waste into a sustainable agricultural process and energy.

Barchan City



Under the Design Category, Dubai (UAE) junior architect Khaled AlLabban's Barchan City design won third place. The structure is named after one of Mars' most well-known features which is the Barchan Dunes located in the lowland area of Acidalia Plantilla.

The main focus of the structure is for planting, in which it provides cultivation facilities, as well as residential and workspace areas. It also offers the services required to maintain them. "It is the next step towards a fully-functional, independent, and plant-centric community," AlLabban said.

Mars Colony 1



Mars Colony 1 design won second place under the Mars Agriculture Engineering category. It is designed by Mars City Ambassador Thomas Lagarde and postdoc aerospace engineer and Martian environment specialist Yulia Akisheva.

According to them, Mars Colony 1 is aimed to provide an innovative perspective on crop selection and concept operations that could also be used on Earth. Besides, Mars Colony 1 increases the crew's potential safety with its radiation shelter and ascent module.

READ MORE: Elon Musk on Mars Colonization: "Good Chance You'll Die"

Check out more news and information on Mars on Science Times.
If corporate media want a genuine Afghanistan scandal, they could have piggybacked on the Intercepts excellent and substantiated recent report (12/18/20) on how the CIA has been funding, arming and training death squads inside the country, driving them to schools they had selected so they could massacre children as young as eight. Instead of covering this, however (a search for Intercept+Afghanistan elicits no relevant results in the New York Times, Washington Post, CBS News, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News or ABC News), corporate media have chosen to go back to exactly the same shadowy figures who fed them dubious information on official enemies before, and who are themselves overseeing demonstrable crimes.

First it was Russia (FAIR.org, 7/3/20). And then Iran. But now it is China that has supposedly been placing bounties on the heads of US soldiers in Afghanistanaccording to information received by outlets like the New York Times (12/30/20), Axios (12/30/20) and CNN (12/31/20).

Outlets worldwide ran with the news, many treating it as highly credible:

Trump Was Briefed That China Sought to Pay Non-State Actors to Attack US Forces in Afghanistan ( CNN , 12/31/20)

, 12/31/20) China Accused of Offering Bounties to Afghan Nonstate Actors to Kill US Troops ( Voice of America , 12/31/20)

, 12/31/20) China Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Attack US Soldiers: Reports ( Deutsche Welt , 12/31/20)

, 12/31/20) REVEALED: Trump Was Briefed on Intelligence Claiming China Put Bounties on US Soldiers in Afghanistan ( Daily Mail , 12/31/20)

, 12/31/20) Trump Is Told China Wanted to Pay Terrorists to Attack US Forces in Afghanistan ( News.com.au , 1/1/21)

, 1/1/21) Donald Trump: China Paid to Kill US troops in Afghanistan (London Times , 1/1/21)

, 1/1/21) Trump Administration Says It Has Intelligence That China Offered Bounties for US Troops in Afghanistan, Report Says (Military.com, 1/1/21)

There were, however, some serious flaws with the story. Firstly, all three original reports relied heavily upon hearsay from anonymous spiesor senior administration officials, as CNN and Axios called them. This is problematic, as it is precisely the job of state intelligence agencies to deceive and mislead. In 2019, former CIA Director Mike Pompeo (and Trumps secretary of State) boasted of his organization: We lied. We cheated. We stole. We had entire training courses [on] it. These officials are among the least credible sources, journalistically speaking, that a reporter is ever likely to encounter. That none of them were willing to attach their names to the claims should make reporters doubly skeptical. (Some outlets did hint at the sketchy nature of the allegations in their headlines; Axios called the intelligence Unconfirmed, Business Insider12/31/20said it was Unverified, while the New York Times and Fox News1/1/21went with Uncorroborated.)

Naming sources is strongly encouraged journalistic practice, except in very rare circumstances where a sources life or liberty may be at stake. The Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics instructs that reporters should use every possible avenue to confirm and attribute information before relying on unnamed sources, and that they should always question sources motives before promising anonymity, as too many provide information only when it benefits them. The New York Times agrees; its own guidelines on integrity strongly discourages the practice; There is nothing more toxic to responsible journalism than an anonymous source, wrote the papers public editor (5/30/04).

And yet, it continues to fail to practice what it preaches, particularly in foreign affairs and conflict reporting. A 2011 FAIR study (11/1/11) of the front pages of the New York Times and Washington Post found that nearly one-quarter of the stories (and virtually all of them focusing on Afghanistan or Al Qaeda) included information from anonymous state officials.

Through the years, FAIR has been highly critical of the deference media show to unnamed state officials (FAIR.org, 6/25/14, 3/29/16, 4/26/17), a practice that regularly leads to them printing false information (FAIR.org, 6/30/17, 12/3/18). The Times article (12/30/20) on the Chinese bounty claim concedes that United States intelligence agencies collect enormous amounts of information, much of which turns out to be false or misleadingan admission that begs the question why this news was deemed fit to print in the first place.

Axios, too, hedged its bets, informing readers that, Officials would not describe the source or sources of the intelligence or say when or over what period of time the activity occurred, admitting that they were not able to visually inspect any reports detailing the intelligence, and that all they had been provided was a verbal description from an official on the phonean official who refused to give his name. Of the five Ws of journalism, this is what Axios presented us with:

Who is your source?: We dont know; they refused to give their names, despite the fact that there would be no repercussions for saying bad things about an official enemy.

is your source?: We dont know; they refused to give their names, despite the fact that there would be no repercussions for saying bad things about an official enemy. What is being alleged and what evidence is there?: Vague assertions about Chinese meddling, but we have seen no evidence.

is being alleged and what evidence is there?: Vague assertions about Chinese meddling, but we have seen no evidence. When did this take place?: No time period was given.

did this take place?: No time period was given. Where did it happen?: Somewhere in Afghanistan.

did it happen?: Somewhere in Afghanistan. Why? We dont know. Indeed, Axios noted that it seemed incongruous that China would do such a thing.

The timing of the bombshell was also questionable, coming amid increased American aggressiveness towards Beijing. Throughout 2020, the US has been sending warships to within a few dozen miles of major cities like Shanghai. Last month, it also flew nuclear bombers over Chinese ships close to Chinas Hainan Island.

Are Russia, Iran and China, the three countries that Washington appears determined to push to the edge of war, really providing us with such useful casus belli? The Times in particular seemed to almost be salivating at the idea of conflict with a nuclear power:

If confirmed, and particularly if traced to political leaders in Beijing, such an action by China would constitute a grave provocation that might demand a response by President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. after he takes office in January.

But perhaps the most fantastic thing about this story is that intelligence officials have pulled this same stunt twice in the last six months, first crying wolf over Russia, then Iran, accusing them of doing exactly the same thing: paying off the Taliban to kill Americans. Both previous times, they made a big splash in the media, causing outrage (FAIR.org, 7/3/20), and a reversal of a decision to pull more US troops out of Afghanistan. In the case of Russia, media immediately began walking the story back (NBC News, 7/9/20), something which has also already started with Chinagate, too (Politico, 12/30/20).

It is unclear whether the intelligence on China shows that any bounties were paid, or whether any attacks on American personnel were even attempted, the New York Times acknowledged, another reason why the story should have been discarded from the get-go, rather than repeated across the media. Furthermore, if China is indeed paying Afghans to kill American servicemen, they are clearly not getting much for their money; US armed forces recorded only 11 fatalities throughout 2020, down from hundreds during the Obama-era surge, and the lowest yearly figure since the invasion.

Featured image: Voice of America depiction of US troops in Afghanistan.

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The PSNI purchased more than 200 new vehicles in the last year as the service looks to update and strengthen its fleet.

The 215 vehicles include 120 Seat Leon Estates and 50 Skoda Kodiaqs.

Police would not be drawn on the cost of the vehicles; however, the cost could be approaching 5m.

A spokesperson said "using a framework, police are able to save at least 23% on the cost against vehicle recommended pricing".

Based on market prices, the 215 vehicles - before modifications such as lights and sirens - would cost around 6.2m.

If the 23% saving is applied, the cost is in the region of 4.7m.

The PSNI did not dispute this figure when it was put to them by the Belfast Telegraph.

Temporary Executive Director of Finance & Support Services Mark McNaughten said: "We purchased these 215 vehicles in 2020, in line with our standard Vehicle Replacement Policy. This represents less than 10% of the total police fleet.

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"As part of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's plans to modernise and increase the visibility of our fleet, the opportunity was taken to enhance the livery on these vehicles. The introduction of these new vehicles into the fleet will improve visibility, safety and consistency of appearance, ensuring that the public easily recognise our vehicles."

Of the 215 new vehicles, just 35 of the new fleet are unmarked; however, police would not confirm how many of the new vehicles were armoured for security reasons.

In September 2020 while posting a picture of the new vehicles, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne tweeted: "I want our police service to be visible and community-focused, so I'm delighted that we are now in the process of distributing the first 44 of over 100 new liveried vehicles to respond to our communities' needs."

A breakdown shows 120 of the new vehicles are Seat Leon Estates with a moderately respectable 150bhp.

Several of the new Leons were deployed in the greater Belfast area in the run-up to Christmas.

The vehicle has been a regular feature in Belfast city centre and the Lisburn Road in recent weeks. This isn't the PSNI's first purchase from Seat.

The specialist Auto Crime Team have previously purchased a number of models from the Spanish maker who are owned by German giants Volkswagen.

Previous purchases include the high-powered DSG models of the Seat Leon Cupra and FR.

The current car of choice for the PSNI is the Skoda Superb, with officers preferring the armoured variant of the vehicle compared to the older Vauxhall Insignia.

The armoured Skoda Superb has become a regular feature in Belfast with teams in the north and west of the city adopting the vehicle.

The Skoda Superb in various variants has been deployed across all areas of the PSNI with TSG and Armed Response teams opting for the vehicle.

The Superb 2.0 TSI 272PS 4x4 is currently one of the cars of choice used by Armed Response Officers, alongside the already-owned BMW 5 series and Audi A6 Avant models.

Police have purchased another five models of the high-powered Skoda in 2020.

Some of the high-powered options are already in use across Northern Ireland.

The 36,000 BMW F40 M145 was deployed in November as part of the new Police Interceptor team.

The car has become a regular on the M1 and M2 motorways with the team already boasting major success in tackling crime.

A security source told the Belfast Telegraph that the newly purchased Volvo V90 D5s are expected to be deployed with specific teams, most likely Firearms and the Roads Policing Unit.

"Our specialist squads need the faster cars, sometimes seconds can make all the difference, you can't have a firearms unit heading from Magherafelt to Newry at 60mph in a Penman Land Rover."

Police have also confirmed that previously photographed "blue Land Rovers" are not planned to be introduced to the fleet.

A police spokesperson said: "The Chief Constable has commissioned a review of the existing fleet management strategy across PSNI.

"Vehicle specifications are developed taking account of national standards, input from national working groups and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) user feedback.

"The vehicles being replaced meet the agreed replacement criteria, in that they are in excess of 100,000 miles and/or six years of age."
Beginning Friday, the travel order will no longer have a red tier, as it will be combined with orange states to include all areas with a rolling average over 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents, according to a news release from the public health department. The new orange stage will have the same requirements  10-day quarantine or a negative COVID-19 test  as it did before. That means states will either be in the orange stage and subject to those restrictions or in yellow with no restrictions.
The Friday (Jan. 15) card at Freehold Raceway will once again feature a $12,000 Preferred Handicap Trot. A field of eight will line up, with an east coast trotting veteran serving as the headliner.

Meladys Monet was assigned the outside post for his 12-year-old debut for trainer Hermann Heitmann. Although he's won at tracks all over the east coast, his greatest success has come at Yonkers Raceway. All six of his wins in 2020 came at Yonkers, including two victories in their Open Handicap Trot. In his career, he has won 67 races while earning over $1.7 million. Perhaps his greatest moment came in 2016, when he finished second to Bee A Magician in a $250,000 invitational event on the Yonkers International Trot undercard by three-quarters of a length.

This will be his first start at Freehold since 2012, when he swept his way through the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres series. Eric Abbatiello has the drive on Friday afternoon.

Although trainer Paul Kelley did not send his best trotter, Obrigado, he still looms a threat in Friday's feature with The Veteran. He won twice in upper-level conditioned races at Yonkers in the fall, and finished fourth in the Open Handicap at that track. Last out, he showed speed against tough conditioned trotters at The Meadowlands, and looks for a rebound from post position seven. Current leading driver Daniel Dube will be in the bike.

The Preferred Handicap Trot will go as the ninth race, with a scheduled post time of 3:10 p.m.

The Friday card also features the second leg of the Vinny Fusco Jr. Memorial Pacing Series for New Jersey-owned, sired or foaled fillies and mares. The first division, for horses with a TrackMaster Horse Rating of 68.00 and 71.50, features a full gate of nine, and will go as the fifth race. Southwind Tsunami, who won the first leg last week, will look for a repeat from post position one for trainer Mark Capone and driver Jack Pelling.

The second division, for horses with a TrackMaster rating between 71.50 and 75.00, drew 14 entries and was split into two races. First-leg winners Always Be Lucy and Tall Poppy N drew separate races, and will seek to win for the second time in a row. Always Be Lucy has post position five in race four for trainer Kelly Hastings and driver Luke Hanners. Tall Poppy N will leave from the three-hole in race 11 for trainer Kelvin Harrison.

Post time for the first of 12 races at Freehold on Friday is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

(Freehold Raceway)
The cast of Leave It to Beaver | Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

For a classic comedy series from the 1950s, Leave It to Beaver has had some serious staying power, enduring still in reruns in the U.S.

Its appeal doesnt end in North America, however; Beaver has been shown around the world.

In fact, the shows star Jerry Mathers, who portrayed the title character, said that in one country he was astonished to learn his voice had been dubbed over by a young girl.

The writers of Leave It to Beaver wanted to present the Cleaver family in the best light

Hugh Beaumont, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, and Barbara Billingsley from Leave It to Beaver | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Mathers explained in 2006 to the Archive of American Television that Leave It to Beavers writers displayed an impressive amount of forethought in their script writing for the series. They wrote the show for American audiences, of course, but also for international ones, realizing they wanted to present a good image of the average American family.

[Writers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher] were very aware that Leave It to Beaver was one of the first shows about an American family and, especially, from a childs point of view, to go around the world, he said. Some of the shows that were family shows showed the United States but they didnt have worldwide recognition. And so [the writers] were very, very conscious of presenting the United States in a very good light. Leave It to Beaver has played, and still plays, in 91 different languages in like 127 countries.

Beaver had a feminine voice in this nation

The cast of Leave It to Beaver | Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

RELATED: The Andy Griffith Show: The Barely Civil Relationship Between 2 of the Shows Stars

If it ever bothered Jerry Mathers that his voice as a young boy was dubbed over in other countries by a little girl, it doesnt show. He expressed in his interview that the show plays in Farsi, Swahili, and Japanese.

It was in Japan that he said it was rather bizarre to be voiced by a girl. It worked, he noted, in the earlier shows in which he was much younger. But as he grew and his voice deepened, in Japan-aired episodes at least, he still sounded quite feminine.

In Japan, they have a little girl do my voice, he said. Which is fine for like the first three or four years. But at the end of it, Im not only speaking Japanese but I have a little girls voice.

Mathers told The New York Times in 2007 that in Japan the show is called The Happy Boy and His Family. So Ill be walking through the airport in Japan, and people will come up and say, Hi, happy boy!

Beaver was the real deal, Mathers said

Asked if the Cleavers accurately portrayed a family in that era, Mathers stated, If you watch most of the shows today, theyre done by stand-up comedians and theyre setup, setup, joke.

Leave It to Beaver is not like that. [On Beaver], there are really no big laughs on the show. The comedy comes out of the situation happening to the characters. Its not a documentary of the 50s.


A new pick for state Senate Finance Committee secretary, a top Democratic staff position in state budget negotiations, has raised eyebrows among progressives concerned that the conference has poached David Friedfel, the top state policy analyst of the Citizens Budget Commission, an independent research organization that advocates conservative fiscal policy.

Friedfel will play a lead role in negotiations between the Senate, Assembly and governors Division of Budget, as well as in internal discussions among senators, according to longtime Albany observers. Friedfels appointment comes as progressives push for a spate of tax-the-rich proposals to meet a projected $63-billion four-year deficit, while centrists, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, argue that the wealthy might flee the state if their already-large tax burden increases.

Before joining the CBC in 2016 as director of state studies, Friedfel held a number of positions in government  budget examiner for the state Division of the Budget, staffer for the Assemblys Ways and Means Committee, and budget commissioner of Albany County  that even critics of his appointment say qualify him for the role.



But over the past five years, Friedfel has led the CBCs opposition to several progressive proposals to raise revenue and promote economic equality. Advocates of hiking taxes on the rich say Friedfel is a surprising pick for a conference that has moved left in recent years. State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has publicly supported increasing taxes on the richest New Yorkers.

Earlier this month, a large coalition of progressive advocates and legislators including Make The Road New York and state Sen. James Sanders Jr. unveiled a proposed package of six revenue-raising proposals, including taxes on capital gains, Wall Street financial transactions and large inheritances. The coalition estimates that the collective package would generate over $50 billion in new annual revenue, enough both to cover projected deficits and to expand public services.

These are the same kinds of proposals that Friedfel might have opposed at CBC. "It's ridiculous! I absolutely think it sends the wrong signal that we have someone who publicly had expressed very conservative financial views, Queens Assembly Member Ron Kim told New York Focus and City & State of Friedfels appointment. At this time, when we're about to take on a massive progressive tax policy package, I don't know why they'd empower someone like that. So I'm very alarmed by his employment, and I'm hoping the Senate will reconsider.



Some left-wing activists also fiercely criticized the selection. David Friedfel has a known history of cautioning against vital tax increases to the wealthy, corporations, and the financial industry, said Sumanthy Kumar, co-chair of NYC Democratic Socialists of America. In this current economic environment, appointing a fiscal conservative to this powerful Senate Finance position shows just how out of touch our Senate leaders are with the people of New York state.



But influential business groups welcomed the pick. I think its a terrific staff appointment by the Senate, said Kathryn Wylde, president of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit business advocacy organization, in a phone interview last Friday. I had the opportunity to speak with David this week, on some of the key issues coming up, and he is thoughtful, a strong research and data-oriented person.

Billing itself as a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog, the CBC supports some good-government reforms that progressives favor. Friedfel has denounced what he describes as a lack of transparency in the state Budget Division,calling deferral of Medicaid payments last year one part fiscal gimmick and one part punt, and has advocated freezing business subsidiesuntil oversight and transparency reforms are passed.

But on bread and butter fiscal issues, the CBC is a prominent voice cautioning against increasing taxes on top earners and for cutting some social programs. Its Board of Trustees is stacked with corporate executives from firms like Google, Consolidated Edison and Bank of America, as well as business lobbyists and high-net-worth members of New Yorks power elite.

As CBCs top budget expert, Friedfel has produced a drumbeat of reports on the risk of millionaire tax flight from New York City, and is frequently quoted arguing that the wealthy may choose to leave New York and take all their income with them if subjected to higher taxes.

In the report he co-authored in May on the states budget shortfall, Friedfel recommended only two tax policy changes: to freeze planned middle-class tax cuts and to suspend the states sales tax exemption on clothing costing less than $110. The clothing exemption provides some benefits to low-income households, but a temporary suspension would be widely shared and help the State avoid cutting needed services, Friedfel wrote.

Friedfel long argued that the state has a spending problem and that therefore it should make targeted cuts to expensive programs like Medicaid. He has also said New York could spend less on education if it reworked its byzantine Foundation Aid spending formula and high personnel costs. We also have very powerful unions and we spend a lot on teacher salaries and fringe benefits, he told City & State in 2016.

Jose Gonzales, Director of Data Initiatives at progressive organizing group New York Communities for Change, said he found out about the appointment right away, in a group chat of progressives tracking developments on the upcoming budget negotiations. The general mood was concern, and for some of us  for me  despair, because it seems like another obstacle. Its already so hard to get over this gospel thats been drummed into people about the word taxes, Gonzales said. It seems fairly obvious to me that hes not going to be an ally.

Even among state Senate Democrats there is some dissent. I'm stunned and I know other legislators are totally stunned, one progressive senator from New York City, who asked not to be identified in order to maintain leverage in budget discussions, said about Friedfels appointment. An Assembly member just called and said, you realize how bad this is? And were like, yeah, we do.

But Assembly Member Phil Steck (D-Schenectady)  a longtime sponsor of reinstating the stock transfer tax, which Friedfel opposes  played down the political significance of the Senates pick for top budget negotiator, arguing that Friedfel does not represent an ideological shift but merely a choice with technical expertise. It would surprise me if the New York state Senate, with all the progressive senators that they have, would be hiring this person for the purpose of advancing the right-wing agenda of the Citizens Budget Commission, Steck said.

Mike Murphy, communications director of the Senate Democratic conference, said in a statement, We are a member-driven conference. We have been and always will be progressive driving force in this state. David is a professional with a wide array of experience in the budget process at every level and we welcome him to our team.

Even his critics agreed that Friedfel is an experienced and capable budget wonk. "He has legitimate finance, fiscal and tax experience. He's among a large handful of people qualified to do the work - not a tiny group but not a huge one either," said Michael Kink, a former chief policy advisor to the Senate Democratic conference and the executive director of the labor-backed Strong Economy for All Coalition, an umbrella group favoring tax increases.



But my concern is that hes sold his services and expertise to Wall Street banks and ultra-rich New Yorkers for the last few years, Kink continued. The Citizens Budget Commission was representing 10% of the people against 90% of the people when they said, dont tax the rich, cut the schools.

Bruce Gyory, a Democratic political consultant, argued that progressives worries about the appointment are misplaced. Friedfel will be tasked with implementing policy set by leadership and the conference  not setting it himself, Gyory said. I have never known a Finance secretary who has tried to be an independent actor. Any who tried quickly had their wings clipped or were relieved.

Some progressive advocates said they werent too concerned either. Hell make his recommendations to (Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz) Krueger and Stewart-Cousins, but ultimately its the Senates Democratic conference that makes the decision on the budget  not the staff, said Blair Horner, legislative director of the New York Public Interest Group.

Others agreed that the final responsibility lies with the legislators and their leadership, but argued that top staffers are still influential.Ultimately, he is a functionary, said Cea Weaver, coordinator of the Housing Justice for All coalition. But its also true that the conference relies on advice and support from policy experts. Its certainly a position where he will have a lot of influence on what the Senate thinks will or wont work, when it comes to revenue options.

Staffers are especially influential on lower-profile and technical policy decisions, said Boris Santos, an organizer with NYC-DSA and the former chief of staff for state Sen. Julia Salazar. The policy area of tax, in particular, is riddled with details, many of which ultimately escape political and legislative scrutiny. The person appointed to this role will have a large degree of discretion to make policy decisions of large consequence behind closed doors, Santos said.



Kink said Friedfels appointment may indicate an attempt to bring special interests and fiscal centrists on board with a moderate revenue package, rather than fighting against them for a larger package. Theres just a big difference between what we actually need to help all New Yorkers make it through this and what a few rich people are willing to toss at you, Kink said. That is a wide gulf, and thats still the job of the Legislature to push Cuomo to do whats actually needed, as opposed to whats just marginally doable.

Friedfel did not respond to a request for comment and the CBC could not be reached for comment before publication. A number of state senators from across the ideological spectrum within the party, including many who sit on the Budget Committee, declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries.

For many progressives, the appointment underscored the need to maintain pressure on the Legislature. The Senate has demonstrated itself to be a more progressive body, and certainly more open to democratic debate, Weaver said. So (Friedfels appointment) is not the end of the world by any means  but it means we have to work twice as hard to bring in expert voices who will be able to convincingly say the worlds not going to fall apart if you tax millionaires and billionaires.

New York Focus is an independent investigative news publication covering New York state and city politics. Sign up for their newsletter here.
During times of national crisis, people of faith often turn to their religious leaders for guidance. Rabbis might offer a political opinion, a reference to a relevant religious text or simply words of comfort and an offer to talk.

In the aftermath of the riot last week at the U.S. Capitol, local rabbis and congregations from across the Jewish spectrum responded on social media and in emails to congregants.

To give readers a sense of how the St. Louis Jewish community reacted to the unsettling events on Jan. 6, we have collected excerpts of responses from local Jewish synagogues and organizations.

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Rabbi Garth Silberstein, Bais Abraham Congregation

That spirit of celebrating differences of opinion is a central value of our community. And as part of that ethos, I, like many pulpit rabbis, generally take great care to steer clear of controversial, potentially partisan political issues, lest those who dont share our political positions feel unwelcome in our communities. However, I think that, like many pulpit rabbis, I have let my fear of being overly political keep me from speaking out when the Torah and my own moral compass demanded I do so.

Just as embracing differences of opinion is a Jewish value, it is also a mitzvah to speak up and rebuke people when they engage in wrongdoing. The pluralism of makhlokes lsheim shamayim means that no one person or school of thought has a monopoly on truth. It does not mean that there is no such thing as truth, or that all views are equally tolerable. I think part of why we have arrived at this day is that too often we have allowed our laudable desire to be respectful of differences to prevent us from speaking out and naming dangerous, false and immoral statements and actions for what they are.

(Read the statement in its entirety here.)

Rabbi James Stone Goodman, Central Reform Congregation

Since the day after the first Presidential debate, Susan [Talve] and I have been teaching, talking, and singing Psalms each morning, six days a week.

We were so dispirited the night of the debate that we looked at each other and said: We have to do something.

Weve learned that there is a place in many of the psalms that I call a pivot where something begins to change. Sometimes dramatically, sometimes methodically, but something consequential changes for the better.

I think thats where we are in our country. We have been stuck, we have come to a pivot, and if were conscientious, the change will be dramatic.

(Read the statement in its entirety here.)

Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation

I know that some of you are ready to give up on our promise that the future still holds hope for you and your generation. Please dont.

You are part of a people that rejects hate in any form.

You are part of a faith tradition that always cares for the most vulnerable.

You are part of a congregation that rejects the premises of White Supremacy and White Nationalism and embraces the movements that fight fascism in all its forms and affirm that Black lives must Matter.

We are listening. We love you. We will keep working for your future because we know you and you give us hope, too.

(Read the statement in its entirety here.)

Rabbi Janine Schloss, Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community

At every funeral at which I officiate, I begin by reminding us that words never seem adequate when we need to speak about loss or pain or love. Yet despite the inadequacy of our words, we need to try to speak, to listen, and to remember.

Many of us will remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard that the walls of the Capitol building were breached on Wednesday afternoon. I heard the news as I was preparing to say opening prayers at the funeral of Colonel (ret.) Harvey B. Meyer, father of our dear member Sue Koppel. As I watched him receive full military honors for his lifetime of service, the dichotomy between what was happening before me and what was happening in Washington, D.C., could not have been more stark.

No matter how hard we may argue over our politics, no matter how frustrated we may get, no matter how far we may feel from the other, we must give blessings every day for living in a democratic country. Dare I say that we must remember to love our country, even when we may not always love what it looks like. Because of this deep love, the loss and pain we feel when the country seems to be tearing apart is very real.

(Read the statement and a poem Schloss shared here.)

Congregation Shaare Emeth clergy

In reflecting upon the events of a long and disturbing day, we are almost without words. Never in our lifetimes could we have thought that we would witness an attack on the United States Capitol by domestic terrorists.

At the same time, we are not surprised. After being baited and encouraged by the President of the United States to stand back and stand by; after hearing many elected officials (including Missouris Senator [Josh] Hawley) refusing to accept the results of a fair and impartial election  results which have been verified by both election officials and the courts; after circulating conspiracy theories and lies within their own echo chambers, the perpetrators of todays violent and deadly assault on the seat of our nations democracy did the inevitable.

Their intent was to disrupt a peaceful transition of power, and thankfully, in the end they failed. However, their actions remind us that we have much work to do as individuals, as Reform Jews, and as a nation to overcome fear, to dismantle the white supremacist foundations upon which this country was built and to truly value the lives and rights of all people, regardless of gender, race or religion.

This was a dark day in America, to be sure. But it was also the day upon which Jon Ossoff, a Jewish American, and Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Black pastor, were elected to the United States Senate. Regardless of ones political associations, this was a victory for diversity and for the changing face of America. In his victory speech, Rev. Warnock quoted from Psalm 30: We may lie down weeping at nightfall, but joy comes in the morning.

(Read the entire statement here.)

Congregation Bnai Amoona clergy

Each Shabbat, right before we return our Torah Scrolls to our Holy Ark, we recite a special Tfillah for our country. In this prayer, we entreat the Almighty to shower blessings upon those who exercise just and rightful authority and we fervently pray that the Holy One may continue to safeguard the ideals and free institutions which are the pride and glory of our country.

Without question, America has been a great source of blessing for the Jewish people. We have enjoyed greater freedoms here in the past century than in almost any other era of Jewish history. We remain confident that the United States of America will weather this current crisis and that the foundations of our democracy remain secure. However, we must not take our way of life for granted. Each of us, in our own way, must commit to taking responsibility for safeguarding what it is that we love. We must unequivocally condemn the anarchy and mayhem that we witnessed yesterday in our nations capital and actively promote an immediate resumption of the rule of law.

As always, we are here to be of support to you and your families as we face this most challenging period in the history of our country.

(Read the statement in its entirety here.)
HOUSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CEMEX USA is beginning the new year, renewing its commitment to Zero4Life by holding Safety Week 2021, its annual company-wide initiative designed to get employees laser-focused on the company's first core value, Health & Safety. This year, employees were empowered to show-off their Safety Skills utilizing an Action Based Safety approach developed to improve hazard identification, hazard control, risk identification and assessment.

Safety Week 2021 began at all CEMEX USA plants and facilities on Monday, Jan. 4, with safety activities and messages delivered by local leadership to all employees to refocus them on safety as we begin the new year. Employees spent additional time in the socially-distanced or virtual meetings to address the COVID-19 pandemic, reviewing CEMEX's Behaviors that Save Lives, protocols focused on identifying and reporting symptoms, safeguarding the health of employees and others, personal hygiene and physical distancing to help stop the spread of the virus. Throughout the week, employees also participated in exercises that emphasized hazard identifications, impacts and controls to improve risk identification and assessments.

"At CEMEX, we are constantly looking for opportunities to improve the health and safety of all our employees, and these events give us great forums to hold open dialogues to learn from each other, encourage discussion of new safety ideas and recommit to safety every day," said CEMEX USA President Jaime Muguiro. "Safety is a team effort, and it requires all of us to look out for one another. We all need to spend extra time to identify and assess hazards, so we can return home to our families each day."

During Safety Week, employees at each CEMEX USA operation were tasked with choosing a work activity, then identifying the top three hazards related to it. During the exercise, they analyzed the hazard impacts, performed risk assessments and developed hazard controls to eliminate or minimize potential risks. Employees were also encouraged to utilize the tools already offered in CEMEX's Health & Safety Management Systema program based on 15 different elements that include safety enhancement items such as leadership, audits and inspections, safe operative practices and risk analysis.

"Our employees are empowered to take action when it comes to safety, and at CEMEX, we are working to create a culture where they can quickly access important safety practices and procedures to become safety leaders," said Alan MacVicar, CEMEX USA's Vice President of Health & Safety. "Our employees are encouraged to closely follow these well-established tools and guidelines, in order to create an injury free workplace for themselves and each other."

Since 2016, CEMEX USA has hosted Safety Week annually during the first week of January to promote a renewed commitment to safety for each new year.

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable services. Its U.S. network includes 10 cement plants, more than 50 strategically- located distribution terminals, 50 aggregate quarries and nearly 270 ready-mix concrete plants.

SOURCE CEMEX USA
Related video above: Heres Why Jupiter Never Became a Star

A spacecraft orbiting Jupiter discovered an FM radio signal from Ganymede, one of the gas giant's moons. The discovery marks the first time a signal has been detected from Ganymede.

Patrick Wiggins, a NASA Utah ambassador, cautioned it's probably not aliens, according to KDFW.



Its not E.T., Wiggins said. Its more of a natural function.

The spacecraft, called Juno, was moving across a region of Jupiter were magnetic field lines can connect with the Ganymede moon. That's when Juno picked up the radio source.

Juno was sent out to study how Jupiter formed and evolved over time.

Juno's primary goal is to reveal the story of Jupiter's formation and evolution. Using long-proven technologies on a spinning spacecraft placed in an elliptical polar orbit, Juno will observe Jupiter's gravity and magnetic fields, atmospheric dynamics and composition, and evolution, according to NASA.

It was electrons, not extra terrestrials, responsible for the radio emissions from the moon.



Through a process called cyclotron maser instability, electrons oscillate at a lower rate than they spin which causes them to amplify radio waves rapidly.

Though a significant discovery, the orbiting spacecraft was only able to pick up the radio emissions for just five seconds. Juno hurtled by at a blinding speed of 111,847 mph. That's fast enough to cross the entire United States coast to coast in just under two minutes.


CAIRO: Egypt reopened its airspace to Qatari flights on Tuesday and will allow the resumption of air traffic between the two countries as part of a thaw in relations with the Gulf state, officials said.

The decision follows moves by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to end a boycott in which they severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar in 2017.

The lifting of Egypts aviation ban allowed Qatari flights to cross Egyptian airspace and national carriers from both countries to submit flight operating schedules for approval, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

EgyptAir plans to run a daily flight to and from Doha, the aviation ministry said in a statement, without setting a start date. An additional flight could be added if there was sufficient demand, it said.

Qatar Airways was expected to restart flights between Doha and Egypt on Friday, pending approval, sources at Cairo airport said.

Goods transport between the two countries will also become possible under agreements that are set to be activated, aviation sources said.

Egypt and its Gulf allies imposed the embargo on Qatar over allegations it supports terrorism, allegations Doha denies.

Egypt expressed its support for regional reconciliation at a summit in Saudi Arabia last week but had stopped short of announcing concrete steps to end the boycott.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have all announced the reopening of their airspace to Qatar.

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

Tehran, Jan 12 : Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the "immediate" release of Tehran's frozen assets in South Korean banks, state media reported.

"The biggest obstacle to the development of Iran-South Korea relations under the current circumstances is restrictions on Iran's foreign assets by the South Korean banks," Xinhua news agency quoted Zarif as saying in a meeting with visiting South KoreanFirst Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong Kun on Monday.

"Given the health and economic consequences of novel coronavirus, the main priority is to provide access to Iran's financial resources in South Korea," he said, calling for the necessary measures by Seoul to remove the obstacles "as quickly as possible".

"The illegal action of South Korean banks has negatively affected the Iranians' view of South Korea and has seriously damaged the image of the country among the Iranians," he said.

For his part, Choi said that his government will do its utmost to provide Iran with access to its monetary resources.

Zarif also denied that the recent seizure of a South Korean oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz has anything to do with the freeze of Iran's assets.

"The vessel has been seized for polluting the waters of the Gulf, so it is merely a technical issue that are being pursued within the framework of legal and judicial regulations of the Islamic republic," he stressed.

Zarif's remarks came a day after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also made the same demand during his meeting with Choi, saying that "for about two and a half years, South Korean banks have illegally frozen Iran's foreign exchange assets, citing fear of US sanctions".
[January 12, 2021] New Zealand's Contact Tracing Wearable Device Launched in US, Already in Use by Medium-Sized and Large Businesses and Organizations

SaferMe, the business focused contact tracing provider that was funded and adopted by the New Zealand government, announced today that its new wearable contact tracing solution - including a contact tracing card the size of a credit card - is now available in the US for sale to commercial customers, after successful initial trials with medium-sized and large businesses as well as schools and universities. SaferMe also formally announced that it opened its first US office in Austin earlier this year and began marketing its contact tracing solution to businesses and organizations in the US. Initially contracted to provide its contact tracing solution to New Zealand businesses, the company now has a growing portfolio of US customers, including Parsley Energy, Walter P Moore and Walla Walla University. Strong US demand has caused the company to ramp production for commercial scale adoption here, and SaferMe is taking advantage of the deep talent pool available in the greater Austin region. "Over the past months we've provided our automated contact tracing smart phone apps to hundreds of businesses all around the world, and we are now well positioned to accelerate our role in helping businesses in the US get their employees back to work safely," said SaferMe CEO Clint Van Marrewijk. "Our standard contact tracing app automatically logs when people are in contact via a technology called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This data is used to produce a simple contact tracing table, which allows a business to rapidly protect employees when positive cases of a virus, such as the one that causes Covid 19, occur." Van Marrewjik explained that in many work environments, some employees are not allowed to carry smartphones or do nothave access to them. To address that challenge, SaferMe developed a new contact tracing wearable device to complement the SaferMe apps.



"By working together, the apps and the wearables gather a more complete dataset and make contact tracing even more effective for businesses, schools, universities, and other large, dispersed organizations," Van Marrewijk said. The SaferMe contact tracing card is worn by employees on a lanyard or a clip on the shirt, just as current building access cards are worn. The card is a Bluetooth transmitting device about the size of a credit card and weighing only 18 gms. The cards are purchased by businesses in batches of 250 or more.

"Our goal is to stop the spread of the virus in businesses and schools because that's where contact tracing technology can have the greatest impact," Van Marrewijk said. "The card is completely secure. There is no personally identifiable information on the card and all information on the card is encrypted." As an employee goes about their day, the card records whenever the wearer comes close to another cardholder and saves this information on the card. Once a day, or whenever a business chooses, the cardholder can press a button on the card at a syncing station or next to a phone. This uploads the contact logs to SaferMe's contact tables, and a company's HR leaders can access these tables in the event that a contact trace is required. "Where a wearable contact tracing solution really shines is when employees may not have smartphones, or where the use of a phone may not be appropriate, like on a manufacturing floor, warehouse or clean environment," said Van Marrewijk. "We now have a solution designed specifically for those situations." SaferMe received funding earlier this year from the New Zealand Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE COVID-19 Innovation Fund) to develop business-specific contact tracing for New Zealand companies, and has partnered with the New Zealand Ministry of Health. The New Zealand Government made the phone-based contact tracing apps freely available to New Zealand businesses. During the April peak of the New Zealand outbreak, the SaferMe app was used heavily by New Zealand businesses and since then the company has since begun marketing the solution globally on a limited basis, primarily in the US. About SaferMe SaferMe has emerged as a global leader in contact tracing solutions for business use. Selected by the New Zealand Government to provide business contact tracing via the MBIE Covid-19 response fund, SaferMe is now operating globally. Founded in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2015, the company opened its US office in Austin, Texas, in early 2020, and has been experiencing strong growth - including among Fortune 500 clients and leading educational institutions. This demand is partly driven by being highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) for contact tracing capabilities and winning New Product of the Year in America's OH&S Magazine Safety Awards. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005161/en/

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Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales on Tuesday named veteran prosecutor Daryl Harris as chief of his offices new civil rights division, which will review police use-of-force cases that result in deaths or injuries.

Bexar County commissioners approved funding for the division in October. The new unit will handle cases of officer-involved shootings, custodial deaths and allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement, according to a statement released early Tuesday.

On ExpressNews.com: D.A. in San Antonio vows more careful scrutiny of police use-of-force cases

The division, staffed with two prosecutors, an investigator and an advocate, will report directly to Gonzales.

Over the summer, amid growing awareness of the need for transparency and independence in Bexar County and beyond, I saw the need to create a division dedicated specifically to these offenses, Gonzales said. Daryl is a dedicated public servant. Like me, he has seen the need to make change to how our office handles these cases. He is already conducting reviews and looking for new ways to make our process as fair and independent as possible.

Harris has been with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office since July 2002. Among his prosecutions was the case of a dangerous dog attack in which a pit bull terrier maimed a senior citizen in 2017, and last year, the case of Jamal Harris, no relation, who was convicted of a series of rapes in the Medical Center area.

On ExpressNews.com: Clash over $1 million for family violence services pits Bexar County prosecutor against advocates

Daryl Harris also has served as the deputy chief of the criminal trial division and chief of the intake division. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Kansas State University and St. Marys University School of Law. Harris served as an Army officer until 2001.

He said he has watched the reporting about officer-involved shootings and has evaluated the ongoing national debate about such incidents in recent years.

I have considered these arguments as a black man, a father, a retired soldier, an attorney, a career prosecutor, but most importantly as an American citizen, Harris said in a written statement. The discourse in 2020 has been particularly intense in this country.

All residents have rights that must be protected and respected, he stressed, adding, I think those in uniform agree with that.

All police officers  in every department  are authorized to use force when necessary to serve and protect us. I think the public knows and agrees with that, Harris said. These two points come into conflict when a citizen is injured or killed by a police officer. That conflict defines the space where the Civil Rights Division must live and do our work.

He vowed to comb through each case thoroughly, rigorously and evenhandedly, as the public expects and the law requires.

I understand that this approach will frustrate or upset either side in one case or another. I accept that; but the only promise I make is that we will always seek to do the harder right instead of the easier wrong, Harris said.

Later Tuesday, Gonzales reiterated on a Zoom call with reporters that even if his office concludes a criminal charge against an officer is inappropriate or would be difficult to prove, all such cases will go to a grand jury, and a memo explaining the reasons for any resulting lack of indictment will be posted on the DAs office website.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
 Flash

U.S. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf filed his resignation letter Monday, making him the third cabinet member of the administration of President Donald Trump to leave office following Trump supporters' riot on Capitol Hill.

The Senate has not approved Wolf's nomination since Trump tapped him to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in November 2019, confining him in an acting role heading the department for 14 months.

Wolf said in a letter to the DHS that his resignation "is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary."

"These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power," wrote Wolf, whose resignation is effective just before midnight.

The official said he was "saddened to take this step, as it was my intention to serve the Department until the end of this Administration."

Wolf said in the letter that he will be replaced by the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Pete Gaynor, who will also serve in an acting capacity.

Wolf's resignation came as the fallout of pro-Trump demonstrators' breach of Capitol Hill last week compelled a growing number of administration officials to resign. He was the third cabinet member to step down, following Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Election 2020 Speaker Rejects Myanmar Military, Proxy Partys Call for Special Parliament Session

Military representatives in Myanmar's Union Parliament in March 2020. / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Myanmars parliamentary speaker has rejected as not relevant a call to convene a special session to resolve electoral fraud claims made by the military and its proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

A total of 203 lawmakers, including 160 military appointees, 36 USDP lawmakers, four Arakan National Party members, two independents and one National United Democratic Party member on Monday submitted the proposal calling Speaker T Khun Myat to convene a special session on alleged electoral fraud before the new parliament convenes.

The USDP claimed the November general election, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) won another landslide, was marred by mass fraud. It faced heavy defeats, far worse than in 2015. After its proxy party cried foul over the election, a military probe alleged voter-list irregularities, saying errors could have resulted in millions of fraudulent votes.

Resolving electoral disputes is nothing to do with Parliament, said T Khun Myat in response to the calls for a special session in a statement on Tuesday.

It cited the Constitution and Union Election Commission (UEC) Law which hands full electoral oversight to the UEC.

[Election disputes] are not resolved in Parliament as the Constitution grants the UEC the final decision, T Khun Myat said. He added that alleged malpractices filed with election sub-commissions will be resolved by the UEC and the procedures are still taking place.

The second national legislature dominated by the NLD is due to convene on Feb. 1. According to the 2008 Constitution, the Parliament shall convene a new term within 90 days of a general election.

The NLD won 396 out of the 476 contested seats (83 percent) in the two parliamentary chambers, allowing it to form the next government. The USDP won only 33 seats (around 7 percent). The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy holds 15 seats and 10 other parties (two Rakhine parties, two Kachin parties and one each representing the Taang, Mon, Pa-O, Kayah, Wa and Zomi) won a total of 32 seats.
[January 12, 2021] Altius Provides 2020 Year-End Project Generation Update

Altius Minerals Corporation (ALS:TSX) (ATUSF: OTCQX) ("Altius" or the "Corporation") is pleased to update its Project Generation ("PG") business activities and its public junior equities portfolio. The market value of the junior equities portfolio at December 31, 2020 was $52.2 million, compared to $45.5 million at September 30, 2020 and $54.1 million at December 31, 2019. These amounts do not include net positive cash generation from sales of $6.7 million for the year ($5.2 million in Q4 2020) or the value of warrants or property based milestone share payments yet to be received. An updated list of the public equity holdings has been posted to the Altius website at http://altiusminerals.com/projects/junior-equities. In total, approximately $150 million in third party capital financing was completed by portfolio companies in 2020. These funds will further the advancement of various mineral projects in which Altius has exposure through royalties and/or equity interests. During the year new equity positions were added to the portfolio from the option/sale of several projects, including: the Sail Pond silver project to Sterling Metals Inc. (SAG:TSX-V), the Golden Baie gold project to Canstar Resources Inc. (ROX:TSX-V), and the Wilding Lake gold project to Canterra Minerals Inc. ( CTM (News - Alert) :TSX-V). In each of these transactions, Altius has also retained certain underlying project royalty interests. New Projects Generated Altius continues to assemble new projects for which it is seeking partners in the year ahead. Brief descriptions of these projects are outlined below, while detailed profiles of each project can be accessed at https://altiusminerals.com/projects. The Adeline copper-silver project in Labrador features a large land position in an underexplored Mesoproterozoic supracrustal sequence with well documented sediment-hosted copper-silver occurrences that shares potential geologic affinities with copper deposits of the Zambian Copperbelt. Historical drilling yielded 7.9 m of 1.76% copper and 56.2 g/t silver*. A portfolio of nickel sulphide projects in Labrador, including Florence Lake (historical drill results of 11.32 m of 2.2% nickel, including 1.36m of 8.49% nickel, 0.48% copper, 0.23% cobalt, 1.4 g/t palladium and 0.38 g/t platinum*), the Natashquan Project, and a controlling interest in the 64,800 ha Voyageur nickel project in Michigan near the high-grade Eagle mine. The La Coipita copper-gold project located in San Juan Province, Argentina within the prolific Miocene porphyry-epithermal belt, one of the world's most endowed copper-gold belts hosting deposits such as Los Pelambres; the project has been collaboratively assembled within Abraplata Resources. Previous drill intercepts of 127 m @ 0.42% copper, 0.22 g/t gold and 12.2 g/t silver including 41m @ 1.08% copper, 0.35 g/t gold and 24.2 g/t silver (drill hole 97-Y-3)* from shallow drilling at the Yareta target have been reported by third parties.



*These drill results are historical in nature and have not been independently verified by Altius. Project Generation Portfolio 2020 Highlights Adventus Mining (ADZN:TSXV) ("Adventus"), of which Altius is a major shareholder, continued to advance its Ecuadorian project portfolio, including an ongoing feasibility study of its Curipamba copper-gold project, while also raising $38 million in new capital. Prior to year-end Adventus announced results from infill drilling at its El Domo deposit, including drill hole CURI-344 which intersected 6.14 metres of 14.91 copper, 21.02 g/t gold, 10.39% zinc, 255.3 g/t silver and 0.75% lead (https://www.adventusmining.com/news/122557). In addition to its equity holding in Adventus, Altius holds a 2% NSR royalty covering the Curipamba (including El Domo) project.



Altius is also a major shareholder of Abraplata Resources (ABRA:TSX-V) ("Abra"). In 2020 Abra reported drilling results from its Diablillos silver-gold project in Argentina with highlights that included DDH 20-009 which intersected an 83-metre interval grading 289.4 g/t silver and 1.45 g/t gold and Hole DDH 20-010A which intersected 47 metres grading 96.3 g/t silver and 3.37 g/t Au. Abra also raised $25 million in financing during the year. For further information please see https://www.abraplata.com/news-releases/. Alderon Iron Ore and Champion Iron (CIA:TSX) ("Champion"). During the latter part of the year it was announced that Champion Iron had received court approval for an agreement to acquire the Kami iron ore project out of a receivership process relating to Alderon Iron Ore. Champion operates an adjacent iron ore mine and has indicated its intent to evaluate Kami as a component of its larger growth strategy. Altius holds a 3% Gross Sales Royalty covering the Kami project. Closing of the acquisition is subject to the consent of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Technology of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as other customary closing conditions. For further information please see Altius's November 16, 2020 news release (https://altiusminerals.com/storage/press-releases/2020-11-16-altius-reports-kami-acquisition-final-1605537857.pdf).

Altius increased its equity ownership in Canstar Resources (ROX:TSX-V) ("Canstar") during the year as it optioned its Golden Baie project in exchange for additional shares of the Company. Canstar recently announced results from the property that included channel assays from a trench at the Kendell zone that graded 10.17 g/t gold over 3.0 metres and 6.20 g/t gold over 5.0 metres. The company has identified more than 20 target areas with surface gold mineralization over a 30 km distance. Canstar raised a total of $3.28 million in funding during the year and expects to begin a drilling program in 2021. For further information please see https://www.canstarresources.com/news/2020/. Altius is a major shareholder of Orogen Royalties (OGN:TSV-V) ("Orogen"), created through the merger of Renaissance Gold and Evrim Resources Inc. during the year. Orogen distinguishes itself as an organic project and royalty generator with numerous active joint venture agreements and royalties in the Americas. Orogen owns royalties on the Ermitano gold-silver project in Mexico (2% NSR), currently being advanced to production by First Majestic, and the Silicon gold discovery in Nevada (1% NSR), which is being aggressively explored by AngloGold Ashanti. Further information can be found at https://www.orogenroyalties.com/news. Altius also owns a direct 1.5% NSR royalty related to the Silicon project. In 2020 Wolfden Resources Corp. (WLF:TSX-V) ("Wolfden") continued to advance its Pickett Mountain high-grade polymetallic project in Maine, USA for which it released a positive preliminary economic assessment. Wolfden also announced an agreement to earn a 100% interest in the Big Silver project, also in Maine. Altius is a significant shareholder of Wolfden and holds an underlying 1.35% GSR royalty interest on the Pickett Mountain project. For further information please see https://www.wolfdenresources.com/news/. Sigma Lithium Corporation (TSX-V: SGMA) ("Sigma") achieved several project milestones at its advanced stage Grota do Cirilo lithum project in Brazil and raised substantial capital to fund its development. Altius is a direct shareholder of Sigma and has both direct and indirect (through its interest in Lithium Royalty Corp.) royalty exposure to the Grota do Cirilo project. For further information please see https://altiusminerals.com/storage/press-releases/altius-participates-in-lithium-royalty-corporation-financing-1610370837.pdf. Qualified Person Lawrence Winter, Ph.D., P.Geo., Vice-President of Exploration for Altius, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, is responsible for the scientific and technical data presented herein and has reviewed, prepared and approved this release. About Altius Altius's strategy is to create per share growth through a diversified portfolio of royalty assets that relate to long life, high margin operations. This strategy further provides shareholders with exposures that are well aligned with sustainability-related global growth trends including the electricity generation transition from fossil fuel to renewables, transportation electrification, reduced emissions from steelmaking and increasing agricultural yield requirements. These macro-trends each hold the potential to cause increased demand for many of Altius's commodity exposures including copper, renewable based electricity, several key battery metals (lithium, nickel and cobalt), clean iron ore, and potash. In addition, Altius runs a successful Project Generation business that originates mineral projects for sale to developers in exchange for equity positions and royalties. Altius has 41,477,653 common shares issued and outstanding that are listed on Canada's Toronto Stock Exchange. It is a member of both the S&P/TSX Small Cap and S&P/TSX Global Mining Indices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005550/en/

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

The response of people of Ladakh to the formation of the union territory, as it has manifested one year later, is analysed. After an initial sense of satisfaction to their long-pending demand for UT status, people in Leh have become as restless as the people in Kargil to the changes resulting from their UT status, and there are a lot of anxieties related to lack of representation and concerns related to jobs, land, environment and heritage.

One year after being granted the status of union territory (UT), Ladakh has been passing through a phase of anxiety. The first anniversary of the UT that fell on 31 October 2020, was marked by protests in Kargil district, with leaders calling it Black Day. From day one, Kargil has been protesting the reorganisation of Ladakh as a UT and the severance of its relationship with Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The political class here has been voicing various concerns not only about the implications of the reorganisation on the people of Ladakh, but also about the relationship between Kargil and Leh.

Protests here on the completion of one year, were predictable. But what was not predictable was the response of Leh, which has been demanding UT status for the last four decades now. This district, which had witnessed massive celebrations last year, did not reflect much enthusiasm this year. The mood of this Buddhist majority district was reflected in September 2020, as prominent political and religious leaders of Leh called for the boycott of the scheduled polls for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) of Leh. Demanding constitutional protections for Ladakh, these leaders belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formed the Peoples Movement for Sixth Schedule for Ladakh. It was only on the assurance of the home minister of India that the concerns of Ladakh would be met by the Government of India, that the hill council elections could be held, albeit on a rescheduled date.
The Bombay High Court on Monday extended interim protection to Sonu Sood from coercive action by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) till January 13. According to reports, the BMC filed for a case against the actor for allegedly making illegal structural changes to a residential building in suburban Juhu.

Justice Prithviraj Chavan, while adjourning the petition till January 13, said, "The order passed by the lower court shall continue till then."

On Monday (January 11), BMC's counsel Anik Sakhare sought time to respond to the actor's petition while Sood's advocate Amogh Singh sought interim protection against any coercive action by the BMC. Singh also pointed out that the actor did not carry out any illegal or unauthorised construction in the six-storey Shakti Sagar building.

Meanwhile, BMC's counsel claimed that the residential building was being converted into a hotel without procuring a license. "A hotel with 24 rooms is being run in the six-storey residential building. The BMC has taken demolition action on the property twice...once in 2018 and then in February 2020. But, still the illegal construction is on," Sakhare said.

Sonu Sood Denied Illegal Construction Allegations Last week, Sood had denied on charges, approached High Court and challenged the notice issued against him by the BMC. Back in October 2020, BMC had issued a notice to the actor for construction after which a civil court in December 2020 dismissed the suit against the BMC's action. Sonu Sood reportedly was also granted three weeks time to file an appeal. Sonu Sood Runs A Residential Hotel In Juhu Justice Prithviraj Chavan also asked Sonu Sood's advocate to come clean. "Are you conducting hotel business without license? You should come to the court with clean hands. If not, then you will have to face consequences," he said. To which Singh revealed that Sood is not conducting a hotel business, but is running "a residential hotel in which flats are rented out to people". Sonu Sood Will Be Seen In Kisaan Notably, Sonu Sood garnered a lot of limelight amid the pandemic in 2020 for his philanthropy work in helping migrants reach their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown. Sonu recently announced that he will be returning to screen with a new film titled, Kisaan.

ALSO READ: Sonu Sood Denies BMC's Allegations Of Converting Juhu Residential Building Into Hotel Without Permission

ALSO READ: Sonu Sood Has The Sweetest Birthday Wish For 'Sister' Farah Khan: There Can Never Be Another You

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Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office corrections officer Nathan Carr has been arrested for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with an inmate in the countys custody.

Carr, 31, was arrested Saturday, Jan. 9, morning and charged with improper sexual activity with a person in custody. He was immediately relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave without pay.

Carr is currently in Fort Bend County jail with a bail amount set at $35,000.

The Sheriffs Office declined to reveal the sex of the victim at this time. Carr has been an employee of Sheriffs Office for four and a half years.

Sheriff Eric Fagan said his department became aware of the alleged crime on Thursday, Jan.7, after it was reported by another inmate.

Another inmate reached out to an employee of ours and told him about this inmate being assaulted, said Fagan.

Fagan made his remarks at a news conference Monday afternoon, where he praised the inmate who came forward with the information and said it was unacceptable for people in authority to abuse their power. He was accompanied by Lester Blizzard, an assistant district attorney with the Fort Bend County.

We immediately removed the detention officer Nathan Carr from having any contact with any inmate in the facility, said Fagan. The DAs office was advised about the incident, Carr cooperated and gave a voluntary statement admitting to his inappropriate conduct.

When asked if the relationship between Carr and the inmate had been consensual, Fagan said an inmate cannot legally give consent.

The consent is not an issue in this case, said Blizzard. When a guard  someone in authority  has sexual relations with an inmate, that person has authority to put the other in custody. Because of that relationship, the (Texas) Legislature has ruled that that is inappropriate conduct, it is so inappropriate, says the legislature to us, that it is a state jail felony offense.

Fagan said the matter was currently under investigation and it is not yet known if Carr had been similarly involved with any other inmates.

Fagan said Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office has cameras in the jails as well as policies in place to prevent such incidents.

But you gotta realize were talking about human beings, said Fagan. That individual broke the policy. That individual is to blame, not our cameras or policies.

The Sheriffs Office plans to start biannual training sessions on this subject, Fagan said, and place billboards on facility elevators reminding employees that any sexual contact between staff and inmates was a felony crime.

Biannual training is more training than the state requires, Fagan said. (The billboards) are more for the deputies than the inmates.

juhi.varma@hcnonline.com
Deenova separately announced today two key awards won by our innovative mechatronic service solutions company, the 2020 Top 10 Robotics Solutions by CIO Applications Europe and Deenova winning its entry through its latest Resah public tender win for its D3 ACCED Robot to be operated 24/7 at prestigious AP-HP (l'Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris) in Hendaye and Francois Quesnay Hospital Center for 2 of the company D3 ASTUS solutions.

Christophe Jaffuel, Deenova Chief Commercial Officer, stated: "We finished 2020 and started 2021 with a bang, I am very proud of our team latest unparalleled accomplishments in our industry. These 2 latest company wins highlight Deenova main differentiating characteristics, patient care crafted for better safety and greater therapy compliance, and 24/7 availability, a key component of AP-HP needs".

AP-HP (l'Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris) is a globally recognized university hospital center with a European dimension. Its 39 hospitals welcome more than 10 million patients per year: consultations, emergencies, hospitalizations and finally home care, at all ages of life, providing public health service for all, 24/7.

Francois Quesnay Hospital Center is a 612-bed hospital in the Paris metropolitan area, with a budget of 125 million euros and 175 doctors.

CIO Applications Europe magazine stands out with its unique approach of learning from peers approach offering professionals the most comprehensive collection of technology trends, being the single most successful initiative Pan-Europe.

Deenova is the undisputed leading supplier of combined mechatronics (robotic and automation) solutions for closed loop medications and RFID-based medical devices traceability in the healthcare industry, anytime and anywhere. Deenova's unique, patented, and fully integrated solutions have and will greatly contribute to ease healthcare providers' growing pressures to: simultaneously improve patient safety, reduce therapy errors, minimise waste and controlled substance diversion, contain costs, and diminish the gap between rising patient volume/acuity and scarce medical staff. Deenova guarantees the simplification of all processes related to the management of medications and implantable/disposable medical devices with an expected cost savings range between 15% and 25%. Please visit www.deenova.com for additional information on its market leading solutions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005471/en/

Contacts:

Contacts at Deenova:

Christophe Jaffuel, Elisa Mariotti

e.mariotti@deenova.com, +39 0523 785311
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) At least seven members of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) were killed when their military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in southern Somalia, the Dalsan radio broadcaster reported on Tuesday.

The incident took place near the town of Hoosingo in the Lower Juba region.

According to local residents, the car was severely damaged.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet, the broadcaster added.

The KDF members are operating in the area that covers the southern region of Gedo to the port city of Kismayo in Lower Juba as part of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia.
There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection. He used his position in the Executive to attack the Legislative. So in assessing the articles of impeachment brought before the House, I must consider: if these actions  the Article II branch inciting a deadly insurrection against the Article I branch  are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense?
An Impeach Trump sign is propped up in a cargo bed of a truck Sunday afternoon as hundreds gathered in-person and virtually for the Remove Trump Now Car Rally.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 04:19:02|Editor: huaxia

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Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa (R) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attend a joint press conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on Jan. 11, 2021. Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday called for European COVID-19 recovery funds to be made available to the European Union (EU) member states "as soon as possible." (Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua)

LISBON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday called for European COVID-19 recovery funds to be made available to the European Union (EU) member states "as soon as possible."

"We spent several nights awake in July, the (European) Council lasted five days, and it was a great European success, a great step forward for the EU to guarantee loans and grants to the states in need," Mitsotakis was quoted by the Portuguese Lusa News Agency as saying.

Greece is set to receive 32 billion euros (39 billion U.S. dollars) from the EU Recovery Fund, and the figure for Portugal is similar, he said. "I do not want there to be any delay in the disbursement of these funds," he told reporters.

"It has not been and will not be easy, there are some countries hit by the second, even third wave of the pandemic, and of course this creates economic difficulties, not all countries move at the same speed," Mitsotakis said.

Portugal took over the rotating six-month Presidency of the European Council on Jan. 1, 2021.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that it is one of the Portuguese EU Presidency's top priorities to distribute the first batch of the 750-billion-euro Recovery Fund among the 27 EU member states as quickly as possible. (1 euro = 1.22 U.S. dollars) Enditem
The figure on the left shows the set of almost-optimal models (called the Rashomon set), plotted in terms of the values of the coefficients of the variables. The figure on the right shows the variable importance cloud, where the axes are the importance of the variables. One can see that, when considering the set of good models, when variable X1 is very important, variable X2 is not, and vice versa. Credit: Dong & Rudin.

Two researchers at Duke University have recently devised a useful approach to examine how essential certain variables are for increasing the reliability/accuracy of predictive models. Their paper, published in Nature Machine Intelligence, could ultimately aid the development of more reliable and better performing machine-learning algorithms for a variety of applications.

"Most people pick a predictive machine-learning technique and examine which variables are important or relevant to its predictions afterwards," Jiayun Dong, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told TechXplore. "What if there were two models that had similar performance but used wildly different variables? If that was the case, an analyst could make a mistake and think that one variable is important, when in fact, there is a different, equally good model for which a totally different set of variables is important."

Dong and his colleague Cynthia Rudin introduced a method that researchers can use to examine the importance of variables for a variety of almost-optimal predictive models. This approach, which they refer to as "variable importance clouds," could be used to gain a better understanding of machine-learning models before selecting the most promising to complete a given task.

The term "variable importance clouds" comes from the idea that there are several models (i.e., a whole "cloud" of them) that one can assess in terms of variable importance. These clouds can help researchers to identify variables that are important and those that are not. Typically, the importance of one variable implies that another variable is less important (i.e., does not guide a given model's predictions as much).

"In this context, the cloud is the set of models as seen through the lens of variable importance," Dong said. "But let us discuss how to compute it. For each predictive model that is almost optimal (meaning that it is almost as good as the best one), we calculate how important each variable is to that model. We then represent this model as a point in the variable importance space, where the location of the point represents the importance of its variables. The collection of such points (one for each predictive model) is called the variable importance cloud."

The approach devised by Dong and Rudin refocuses analyses to ensure that they do not examine a single machine learning model, but rather the set of all good predictive models. When enumerating all good predictive models is challenging or impossible, the researchers either use sampling techniques to add samples in the cloud or optimization techniques to delineate the edges of the cloud.

"The shape of the variable importance cloud conveys rich information about the importance of the variables to the prediction task; much richer than approaches considering only a single model," Dong said. "In addition to visualizing the upper and lower bound of the importance of each variable, the variable importance cloud also shows the correlation between the importance of different variables. That is, it reveals whether a variable becomes less important when another variable becomes more important, and vice versa."

Variable importance clouds reveal far more information about the predictive value of different variables than previous model evaluation approaches based on standard analyses. In fact, existing analysis methods would neglect all of the information contained in the cloud, except for a single point corresponding to an individual model of interest.

"The key implication of our findings is that one should be careful not to interpret the importance of one variable to one model as its overall importance," Dong said. "In our paper, this cautionary note is conveyed through an example related to criminal recidivism prediction, where models may or may not make predictions based explicitly on race, depending on how much they value other variables such as age and number of prior crimes (all three are correlated with race due to systemic racism in society)."

Overall, the study carried out by Dong and Rudin shows that researchers developing or using machine-learning techniques should be careful in asserting that a single model is valuable for a given application, as there might be other models that can achieve comparable or better performance, but focusing on more consequential variables. Variable importance clouds could soon be applied to a variety of fields, paving the way to a better understanding and use of predictive machine-learning models.

"We gave only a few examples in recidivism prediction and computer vision, but we hope that others use it to carefully consider uncertainty in variable importance for their own models," Dong said. "In terms of research, we presented one way to visualize the VIC (through projections onto two variables), but there are many interesting scientific questions about how to do sampling to better approximate the VIC for high-dimensional cases, and other questions on how to visualize a high-dimensional VIC."

Explore further Team finds new method to improve predictions

More information: Exploring the cloud of variable importance for the set of all good models. Nature Machine Intelligence(2020). Journal information: Nature Machine Intelligence Exploring the cloud of variable importance for the set of all good models.(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s42256-020-00264-0

 2021 Science X Network
A Vietnamese representative strongly condemned attacks on innocent civilians in West Africa and the Sahel while attending the United Nations Security Councils online conference on January 11.

The diplomat also called on parties to implement the International Humanitarian Law to ensure legitimate benefits of local people, as well as facilitate humanitarian activities in the areas.

Minister Counsellor Nguyen Phuong Tra, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, said Vietnam took note of the complexity of the political situation in West Africa and the Sahel during the past few months, when elections in some countries were marred with tensions and challenges.

She called on all stakeholders in these countries to work toward consensus on areas of disagreement so that the incoming elections of 2021 could take place in an inclusive, transparent, credible and peaceful manner.

The Vietnamese diplomat commended the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the UN Teams, regional organisations and the G5 Sahel Joint Force for their efforts in proactively engaging and working with related parties to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

Vietnam also welcomes the ongoing efforts to promote the participation and representations of women in the political and peace processes in several countries, she said, adding the country look forward to seeing women and youth playing greater roles in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction in the region in 2021.

According to Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UNOWAS Mohamed Ibn Chambas, West Africa and the Sahel witnessed the several elections in regional countries which attracted the attention of the international community.

It also saw complicated developments of the security situation due to an increase in terrorist activities coupled with escalating tensions between communities, particularly in the Central Sahel.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent the regional economy into a critical recession, reversing achievements in economy, poverty reduction and implementation of sustainable development goals.

Some 5 million people had to leave their accommodation in 2020, up 1.4 million as compared to the previous year, he said, stressing food security, transnational crimes and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea are main challenges of the region.

Other UNSC members spoke highly of the roles of the Special Representative, and UNOWAS, while calling the African Union and ECOWAS to continue coordination with the UNOWAS to maintain peace, security and development in the region./.VNA

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 02:27:57|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi lawmaker Gatah al-Rekabi on Tuesday blasted U.S. President Donald Trump's pardoning four Blackwater guards convicted of murdering Iraqi civilians in 2007 as "blatant violation of human rights."

"The U.S. occupation has left tragedies in most areas of the country, and what happened in the Blackwater massacre in Baghdad and the recent pardon by President Donald Trump of the company's perpetrators was a blatant violation of human rights from a country that claims democracy," al-Rekabi, a member of the Iraqi parliamentary security committee, told Baghdad Today News Agency.

On Sept. 6, 2007, four guards of the Blackwater security contractor company, who were hired to protect U.S. personnel in Iraq, carried out the massacre in al-Nisour Square in western Baghdad, killing 14 Iraqi civilians including two children and sparking international outcry.

On Dec. 22, 2020, the White House announced that Trump pardoned the four Blackwater guards, who were serving lengthy prison terms after conviction of the massacre.

A day later, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the U.S. to reconsider Trump's decision, which it said "did not take into account the seriousness of the crime committed, and unfortunately ignores the dignity of the victims as well as the feelings and rights of their families."

Al-Rekabi also blamed the U.S. occupation of Iraq in 2003, which "has spilled a lot of blood among Iraqis and caused massive devastation to the country."

"If there were accurate statistics about the damage caused by the U.S. occupation of Iraq after 2003, the world would be surprised, as we believe that it has reached hundreds of billions of dollars," he said.

"The foolish actions of U.S. soldiers were everywhere, such as opening fire on cars, shops, and civilian buildings, which led to human casualties, some of them are still suffering," al-Rekabi noted.

He said that the Iraqi government has formed a committee to compensate the victims, while underlining the need to form other committees to file lawsuits to demand compensation from the United States. Enditem
Dutch port officials made headlines for seizing a sandwich under Brexit rules

But Dutch shipping terminals are notorious hubs for drug smuggling gangs

Cocaine trade is worth billions with illegal drugs often hidden in fruit shipments

The drug trade has led to gang violence and money-laundering in Amsterdam

Dutch port officials have made headlines for mocking a trucker as they seized his ham sandwiches under Brexit rules but criminals are having the last laugh as they use the country's shipping terminals to smuggle drugs worth billions of pounds every year.

Famously tolerant of cannabis use, the Netherlands is also a seen as a 'gateway for South American cocaine' and an 'ideal environment' for a drugs trade which has left the country in fear of becoming a 'narco-state'.

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While customs officers are busy stopping British packed lunches crossing the border, it is estimated that some 70,000kg of cocaine crosses into the country each year - just 14,000kg of which is stopped, making Holland one of Europe's biggest drug trafficking hubs.

Often hidden in fruit shipments, some of the lucrative stashes of cocaine are worth more than 100million alone and are sometimes smuggled along with firearms.

The criminal trade at Dutch ports has also started to seep into the mainland, with gang violence causing an outcry in Amsterdam where drug kingpins run money-laundering rackets and a 'ring of hustlers and parasites' have 'free rein'.

Busted: In one major drugs raid last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam

Crackdown: A Polish lorry driver arriving from Britain had his ham sandwiches confiscated by Dutch police under the new Brexit rules in footage which made headlines on Monday

In one major drug bust last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam.

Arriving from Ecuador, the illegal drugs were meant to use Holland as a gateway to Europe before making their way to Hungary.

Rotterdam is Europe's largest sea port and handles nearly 15million containers a year, only a small fraction of which are routinely scanned.

Even when containers are inspected, gangs can use accomplices at Dutch and Belgian docks to sneak past authorities.

Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells and a 'torture chamber' used by the criminal underworld.

Believed to be used for kidnappings, 'torture chamber' included what looked like a dentist's chair with straps for the prisoner's arms and legs.

Six people were arrested on suspicion of 'preparing kidnappings and hostage-taking' after the containers were discovered near the Belgian border in a raid linked to the drugs trade.

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Pieter Tops, a professor at the Dutch police academy, said in October that Holland's tolerant penal system and its extensive transport links make it an 'ideal environment for the drugs trade'.

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The professor said that schoolchildren were sometimes offered 500 to transport a package while farmers were approached about letting out their land to drug gangs.

'The main problem is the enormous flow of money and its rippling effect throughout our society,' he told Dutch News.

A 2019 report by the EU's drug agency estimated that around 14,600kg of cocaine are seized in the Netherlands every year - with a separate IMF report giving a 'seizure rate' of around 20 per cent.

Tops said that each kilogram of cocaine is worth around 50,000, meaning the overall trade is worth billions.

As well as the cocaine trade, Holland is also notorious as a centre for manufacturing ecstasy - with police seizing enough materials to make a billion MDMA pills during one raid in 2017.

The EU's drug agency has previously warned that ecstasy is spreading away from its traditional nightclub scene and 'moving into more mainstream social settings'.

Amsterdam was a pioneer of ecstasy-fuelled rave culture in the 1980s, before the drug took off in Britain during the so-called Second Summer of Love in 1988.

Among the first suppliers to bring the drug to Britain was Steve Brown, an Amsterdam 'coffee shop' owner who later turned against the drugs kingpins who dominated the scene, and is now an author who calls himself an 'ex-gangster'.

Earlier this year, Brown told a BBC podcast that he frequently travelled to England in the late 1980s and early 1990s to facilitate the drug trade from Holland.

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'I was in London, I was in Manchester, Liverpool. You go to the airport, they come and collect you, they drive you to a bar or a house, you talk one hour and you fly back,' he recalled.

Asked how many pills he helped to bring into the UK, he replied: 'More than millions'.

'It's over years and years. It's very simple, making big money easy, which gives me and my family the life we want to live,' he said, adding that he backed out of the trade after one of his friends was murdered.

One major Dutch drug lord, Klaas Bruinsma, was shot and killed in 1991 in front of Amsterdam's Hilton Hotel - while his killer, former police officer Martin Hoogland, was himself killed while on parole in 2004.

Bruinsma was believed to be behind a hashish-smuggling ring which operated from 1987 until his death.

Ecstasy was added to the banned 'List I' by the Dutch government in 1988, but it continues to be popular - with eight per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds saying they had used it in a 2019 report.

The drug was the third most-seized in the Netherlands behind cocaine and cannabis, with around 1,250kg of MDMA confiscated by authorities in a year.

Klaas Bruinsma (pictured) was a major Dutch drug lord in the 1980s, when Amsterdam was a pioneer of the ecstasy-fuelled rave scene

Ecstasy was a feature of Amsterdam raves in the 1980s and remained popular even after it was black-listed in 1988 (file photo: a Dutch rave which was first held in the 1990s)

'Torture chamber': Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells used by the criminal underworld

In Amsterdam, a report commissioned by city authorities in 2019 found that hard drugs had led to rising violence and corruption at the hands of 'hustlers, parasites and extortionists'.

The Netherlands has a 'policy of toleration' on soft drugs which means that Amsterdam's 'coffee shops' are not prosecuted for selling marijuana.

But the same laws ban the shops from large-scale growing operations - forcing many to source the cannabis they sell from the black market, funding the drug gangs.

As one former police officer told the Irish Times: 'The cannabis comes to the back door of the coffee shops, where its bought illegally, with no tax.

'Then its sold legally at the front of the shop. Thats no solution to anything. Its simply creating a new problem.'

And reports have now found that toleration of soft drugs is gradually being extended to harder drugs, with up to 17 per cent of the population using cocaine or heroin.

'Amsterdam has given free rein...to a motley crew of drugs criminals, a ring of hustlers and parasites, middle-men and extortionists, of dubious notaries and real estate agent,' the report said.

At the top of the criminal chain are wealthy organised crime bosses who may not be physically located in Amsterdam, the report said.

At the bottom are 'lackeys such as scooter and taxi chauffeurs and even young messenger boys set to follow quite a career path: offering murder as a service.'

The report also found evidence of money-laundering systems and turf wars between drug retailers in Amsterdam.

Across the Netherlands, around six per cent of men aged 15-34 and three per cent of women in the same age group say they use cocaine.

Cannabis produced in Holland is also sold to other countries, while Dutch ports serve as a point of transit for cocaine to be transported elsewhere in Europe.

In 2019, the killing of a lawyer for a protected witness in a drugs case led the head of a Dutch police union to say that 'we definitely have the characteristics of a narco-state'.

'Sure we're not Mexico. We don't have 14,400 murders. But if you look at the infrastructure, the big money earned by organised crime, the parallel economy. Yes, we have a narco-state,' Jan Struijs told BBC News at the time.

The murdered lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in the Amsterdam suburbs by a man dressed in black who fled on foot and was thought to be no older than 20.

Shipping hub: The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and handles nearly 15million containers a year, making it an attractive gateway for drug smugglers

Dutch customs confiscate dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hook of Holland

Wiersum was representing a 'supergrass' witness in a drugs case who had cut a deal with prosecutors to provide evidence against suspected underworld bosses.

Months later, another Dutch lawyer involved in several drug-related cases was shot across the border in Germany, although he was not seriously injured.

Hook of Holland, where the trucker arriving from Britain had his ham sandwiches confiscated last week, was also the departure point for a 35kg cocaine run to Britain which was eventually uncovered when the shipment arrived in Humberside.

Lorry driver Hendrik van der Genugten was later jailed for 10 years after smuggling the drugs out of the Netherlands in 2019.

Police in Hook of Holland were quicker to get rid of the offending sandwiches under the new Brexit rules, leading to claims of 'nit-picking'.

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir... I'm sorry,' said one official as he seized the foil-wrapped sandwiches belonging to the driver.

The driver plaintively asks the Dutch customs officer if he can 'take off the meat and you leave me the bread?'

But the Dutch official replies: 'No, everything will be confiscated.'

'The whole story smacks of one sandwich short of a picnic, literally,' Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline.

'As the Dutch know as well as everyone else in the EU we have the highest food standards in Europe.

'Is this is going to be the way it is then? Are they really going to go through a lorry driver's lunchbox going through customs, for something that is causing any danger?

'We need to talk to the European Union about what is really quite pathetic nit-picking. Otherwise this will not be good for the Dutch ports, hauliers will go somewhere else.'

Mark Francois, Chairman of parliament's European Research Group, said: 'This is pettifogging bureaucracy gone mad.

'The EU have always worried that a dynamic, free-trading UK, outside the EU, would eventually eat their lunch on world markets, so now they are retaliating by trying to steal our truckers' lunches instead! Its pathetic really.'

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The new post-Brexit rules say that bringing foods that contain meat or dairy into the EU, even for personal use, is forbidden.
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Administrator Karachi Laeeq Ahmed on Monday tightened security of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's main building

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2021 ) :Administrator Karachi Laeeq Ahmed on Monday tightened security of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's main building.

According to a spokesperson of KMC Ali Hassan Sajid security guards and city wardens have been deployed at entry and exit points of the building.

As many as 48 close circuit television cameras were installed and monitoring is being made around the clock at central security office.

The spokesperson said that all cameras installed at main gate and administrator corridor are functional while other defunct cameras are also being made functional.

He said that entry of all irrelevant vehicles is banned while every person and vehicle being checked at the gate. Guests coming to the building are allowed only after they present the CNICs.
A 577-acre farm situated along Octoraro Creek in Chester County will become a publicly accessible nature preserve under a $6.6 million land deal by the Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art, in partnership with the Oxford Area Foundation.

Though the deal was announced Monday, it was signed in December for part of the Glenroy Farm in Lower Oxford and West Nottingham Townships. The Oxford Area Foundation, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit, will manage the property and has plans to open it for hiking.

The purchase from the Thouron family, which owned the land for 50 years, was made possible by grants from both nonprofit organizations, but the bulk of it came from a $3.3 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and a $3 million grant from the Chester County Preservation Partnership Program.

The remainder of the Glenroy Farm, about 375 acres that extends into Lancaster County, was not part of the purchase.

The Brandywine Conservancy secured the grants to purchase the land and oversaw negotiations. The Oxford Area Foundation is tasked with transforming the land into a preserve.

Ellen Ferretti, director of the Brandywine Conservancy, called the transaction an outstanding achievement.

The acreage and diversity of resources made this property a high priority of permanent protection in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Ferretti said in a news release. The transition of the Glenroy Farm property from the Thouron family to a public preserve will create a unique, contiguous area of public open space that will provide exceptional recreational and educational opportunities for the community and will have lasting effects on the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay  a national priority for conservation.

The parcel is situated along the east side of Octoraro Creek and is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The land includes meadows, cropland, mature woods, numerous streams, ponds, and trails.

Nancy Ware Sapp, president of the Oxford Area Foundation, said her organization plans to add trails and a parking area with the goal of opening the preserve by late spring or early summer.

Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the DCNR, said the property will help protect the watershed and safeguard wildlife habitat.

It is the familys hope that this land will be valued and enjoyed by the community for generations to come, said Rachel Nicoll, a member of the Thouron family.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is going to welcome her second child soon, is speculated to move into her new paradise along with husband Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur. Their new residence is a building across from their current residence at Fortune Heights in Bandra. As the actress is all prepped to move into her new place, she hinted the same in her latest Instagram post.

Photogallery: Kareena Kapoor Khan's Fun Nightout with BFFs

The actress, last night, hosted a small get-together with her BFFs to relive the memories that they made together at Kareena's Fortune Heights residence. Bebo shared a happy picture with Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora and sister Karisma Kapoor and mentioned in the caption that she is looking at the new beginnings. She also called her place 'FORTUNE of Memories.'

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan)

On the other hand, Malaika, Karisma and Amrita also shared the same picture on their social media along with the same caption.

As per the reports, Bebo's new place has been designed according to Saif and her taste and also keeping in view their children and family on both sides. The apartment will have an extensive library, a gorgeous terrace, a little nursery and spacious rooms. It has been designed by Darshini Shah, who has also designed the current residence of Bebo and Saif at Fortune Heights.

ETimes approached Kareenas father and actor Randhir Kapoor to confirm the news and the actor is quoted as saying, "Yup, they are moving into a new house. It has been done up and it was bought a few years ago. They are moving in but I am not aware of the date as yet."

Meanwhile, Bebo has been quite active on social media and kept sharing glimpses from day-to-day life. Earlier on New Year's Eve, she shared an adorable snap of her little munchkin Tim Tim and Soha Ali Khan's daughter Inaaya and wrote that they are ready for the year 2021. The cuties looked adorable as they posed for the camera.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan)

On the work front, Kareena will be next seen in Advait Chandan's Laal Singh Chaddha, with Aamir Khan. The film is a remake of the 1994 Hollywood film Forrest Gump. She also has Karan Johar's magnum opus Takht in her pipeline.


BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 89 North today launched a new stand-alone website which highlights their engineering and OEM offerings. The site, which can be seen at www.89north.com, is now separate and distinct from parent company Chroma's website, and showcases 89 North's continued expansion into OEM opto-electro-mechanical systems and manufacturing services. It includes many enhanced features that highlight the benefits of 89 North's own products and those of its European partners. These features include:

89 North's New Website www.89north.com 89 North General Manager Julie Martin leads the design team.

enhanced site search and product search filtering

an expanded presentation of the firm's LDI laser diode illumination line up for fluorescence microscopy

an authoritative discussion of the firm's products within various scientific applications and techniques.

The site also features an expanded discussion of the company's focus on OEM services in the design and manufacture of optical engineering systems.

"We've always had core strengths in optical system design and manufacturing, as evidenced by our award-winning illumination systems for the fluorescence microscopy market. However, with the launch of this new website, we're now celebrating an expanded line up of services for OEM design and manufacturing beyond the core laboratory sciences market. This allows us to continue our growth in the bioanalytical device, photonics and imaging, and industrial inspection sectors," said General Manager Julie Martin.

The website goes on to celebrate 89 North's personnel, who collectively possess some of the industry's most impressive opto-electro-mechanical engineering skills. These are derived from the firm's unique historical partnerships with:

the world's most advanced laboratory science labs

Chroma, the world leader in precise optical filters using thin-film coating technology

Europe's most advanced manufacturers of microscopy components.

89 North is continuing to expand its horizons by deploying its skills in new industries as new technologies rapidly transform the ability of organizations to observe, measure, and refine their efforts through optical engineering.

"This new website positions 89 North to capitalize on the advancement of today's fastest growing business sectors, including point-of-care medical testing equipment and industrial robotics -- all of which involve the deployment and analysis of light to conduct their work," said Chroma CTO/COO Janette Bombardier.

Clients and prospects of the firm are encouraged to visit and experience the new site at www.89north.com.

About 89 North:

89 North is an award-winning opto-electro-mechanical design and manufacturing firm located in the Burlington, Vermont area. Originally focused on products for the laboratory sciences market, the firm is now assisting an ever-expanding number of firms deploy optical engineering solutions across their industries.

About Chroma Technology:

Chroma Technology is a leading manufacturer and OEM supplier of highly precise optical filters using thin-film coating technology. The firm provides solutions for industries ranging from the life sciences and agriculture to manufacturing, inspection, security, and aerospace. The firm, which was recently awarded the Outstanding Vermont Business Award, was founded in 1991 as a 100% employee-owned company, and has recently completed a $22 million expansion of its facilities in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Media Contact:

Julie Martin

General Manager

89 North

20 Winter Sport Lane, Suite 135

Williston, VT 05495 USA

1-877-417-8313

www.89north.com

SOURCE 89 North
MBABANE  The assumption that people without comorbidities have zero chances of dying from COVID-19 is very wrong.

This is because between December 21, 2020 and January 10, 2021 there were 155 people who died from COVID-19-related illnesses and 55 of those had no comorbidities. The figure represents 35 per cent of deaths without comorbidities in the last three weeks.

The trend with local COVID-19 cases suggests that the case fatality rate for persons without comorbidities is higher in the country and fatal outcomes are three times more likely in a scale of 10.

It is worth mentioning that the three-week period utilised as a case study to inform the figures constitutes the period where the number of new COVID-19 cases and related deaths surged alarmingly, marking the commencement of the second wave.

In medicine, comorbidity is the presence of one or more additional conditions often co-occurring with a primary condition.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the elderly, a vulnerable population, with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular or lung disease are not only at a higher risk of developing severe illness but are also at an increased risk of death if they become ill.

People with underlying uncontrolled medical conditions such as diabetes; hypertension; lung, liver, and kidney disease; cancer patients on chemotherapy; smokers; transplant recipients; and patients taking steroids chronically are at an increased risk of COVID-19 infection.

Eswatini WHO Health Promotion Officer Dr Kevin Makadzange said the assumption that people with no comorbidities were at no risk of dying from COVID-19 was not true as everybody, of all ages, was at an equal risk of dying from the virus.

Dr Makadzange emphasised that the youth, as the figures proved that they were the ones who had the highest prevalence of the virus, should practise caution at all times and adhere to the COVID-19 stipulated regulations to minimise the spread of the virus.

Risk

It is true that the people at greater risk are those with comorbidities but that is not to say those who do not have them are at no risk at all. We are all at risk. Anyone, with or without comorbidities, can die from COVID-19 and if there are people who still think they are immune from the virus, then they have it all wrong, he said.

In a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States in June 2020, it was reported that patients with underlying conditions were six times more likely to be hospitalised than those without any comorbidities, with the most common underlying conditions being cardiovascular disease (32 per cent), diabetes (30 per cent) and chronic lung disease (18 per cent).

The case fatality rates for those with underlying conditions versus those with no underlying conditions were 19.5 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively. In other words, fatal outcomes were 12 times more likely in patients with comorbidities.

Sibusiso Shongwe, a 28-year-old resident of Mbabane, who is a COVID-19 survivor, having spent about a week at the Mavuso Quarantine Centre over two months ago, attested to the fact that the youth had a wrong perception about the virus.

Shongwe said he had that perception until he contracted the virus and he was at the brink of death while admitted to the Mavuso Quarantine Centre.
Illinois and Chicago officials are trying to figure out how to stop a private company from closing a money-losing urban hospital in a poor, underserved Chicago neighborhood.

Trinity Health, a national Catholic tax-exempt chain, wants to close Mercy Hospital and Medical Center on Chicago's Near South Side by May 31. Last month, in an unusual move, the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board unanimously denied Trinity permission to close the 412-bed facility, which predominantly serves Black and other minority patients on Medicaid.

The board members said they feared the closure would limit access to care for nearly 60,000 South Side residents, forcing them to travel nearly 7 miles to the closest facility with an emergency room, intensive care unit and birthing center. It also would cost the community about 2,000 hospital jobs.

Urban hospitals in low-income areas of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and other cities and suburbs face similar financial squeezes. Inner-city facilities like Mercy struggle to survive on lean payment rates from Medicaid and to compete with financially robust hospitals that mostly serve well-paying, privately insured patients.

So far, no one has come up with a politically and financially viable solution for strengthening safety-net health providers in low-income urban communities. "The sad fact is market location is everything," said Lawton Robert Burns, a professor of health care management at the University of Pennsylvania, who studied the controversial closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia in 2019. "No offense to poor people, but there are economic factors that hospitals can't control."

But it is far from clear that a government board can stop a hospital from going out of business. "It's really difficult in a capitalist country to tell a private company you have to continue to lose money," said Dr. Linda Rae Murray, a member of the health facilities board and former Trinity Health board member who teaches health policy at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Trinity, which operates 92 hospitals in 22 states, seems determined to push forward with its plans to close the hospital. It has deep pockets, with $31.9 billion in total assets. It reported revenue of $18.8 billion last year, and a profit of 2.3% in the most recent quarter. Trinity executives told the health facilities board in December that Mercy loses nearly $39 million a year and that they could not find any buyers for the hospital  Chicago's oldest, chartered in 1852. They also reminded the board that state lawmakers rejected Mercy's 2019 $1 billion proposal to merge with three other South Side hospitals and build a new hospital facility and several new clinics with $520 million in state aid.

Trinity declined to make anyone available for an interview for this article.

Trinity has said it will try again to get approval to shut Mercy at the facilities review board's Jan. 26 meeting. It has offered to replace the hospital with a $13 million clinic offering just diagnostic and urgent care  but no primary care physician services. Critics of that proposal say the clinic, while helpful, would not be an adequate replacement for the hospital because it would not provide access to the full range of needed services.

"We can't have these mega-hospital companies that are getting a property tax exemption for providing charity care closing a safety-net hospital in the middle of a pandemic," said former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat who spearheaded a 2013 deal to save Roseland Hospital, another embattled facility on Chicago's South Side. "I'd tell the Trinity executives, 'You're not doing this to Chicago. We'll work with you to put together a bigger deal.'"

The obvious long-term solution is richer Medicaid funding for safety-net hospitals, effective partnerships between public and private providers and firm commitments by financially strong hospital companies, including academic medical centers, to expand services in low-income communities. For instance, some say state and local officials should prod Trinity to use the resources of its Loyola University Medical Center in west suburban Chicago to bolster Mercy.

Hospitals are required to get a certificate of need for closure from the facilities review board, according to a new state law. But state officials' actions are limited when seeking to enforce a decision to keep a facility open.

The state could levy a fine of up to $10,000 for not complying with the board's decision, plus an additional $10,000 a month while the hospital continues to operate. But that's a trivial amount for a big company like Trinity.

The state also could halt Medicaid and other public payments to Mercy. But that would be counterproductive, hastening the hospital's demise since nearly half of Mercy's inpatient revenue and 35% of its outpatient revenue comes from Medicaid, according to state data.

A final source of leverage is in Trinity's ownership of three other hospitals in the Chicago area: Loyola, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and MacNeal Hospital. The state could threaten Trinity's property-tax exemption as a charitable organization. That's an approach favored by Quinn, who cited a previous legal challenge to the tax-exempt status of the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois.

No matter what the state does, Trinity can find ways to shut down Mercy. It could argue that even as Mercy is meeting the state requirement to continue to treat patients, it must close critical services like the emergency department or the birthing center because it lacks funding or staff to maintain adequate quality of care, said Juan Morado Jr., a Chicago health care lawyer who formerly served as general counsel for the facilities review board. The new law permits closing only one hospital department every six months.

While the state presses to keep the hospital open, Mercy also could suffer from attrition. When there's talk of closing a hospital, physicians, nurses and other staffers may start leaving for other jobs. Whether Trinity seeks to refill positions is critical.

"There are things the owner can do to trickle the hospital down to nothing," said Dr. David Ansell, senior vice president for community health equity at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who opposes shuttering Mercy. "There is a drip, drip, drip of negativity, and at some point people vote with their feet."

The Chicago area has been through a similar battle recently. Pipeline Health, a private-equity investment firm, bought Westlake Hospital in suburban Melrose Park and two other local hospitals from hospital chain Tenet Healthcare in 2019. Pipeline quickly announced it was closing Westlake, a 230-bed hospital  even though it had promised the state it would keep it open for at least two years.

That controversial move prompted the Illinois legislature to give the facilities review board new authority to deny permission for future hospital closures, which the board lacked for Westlake.

Yet, the Westlake saga may point to a better solution for Mercy. In early 2020, the state and federal governments renovated the Westlake facility so it could be used as an overflow site for covid-19 patients. It wasn't needed, but the updates led to strong interest from companies in purchasing and reopening the hospital, particularly for behavioral health inpatient services.

State Rep. Kathleen Willis, a Democrat who co-sponsored the 2019 bill to let the facilities review board say no to hospital closures, said a deal to buy and reopen Westlake likely will be announced within the next few weeks.

Any deal to save Mercy likely will require more money from Trinity, more commitment from other providers to offer a full range of hospital and medical services in the area, and significant increases in state and federal funding.

"Every hospital CEO has to worry about the bottom line of their business," Ansell said. "But big organizations like Trinity need to come up with a better solution than the wholesale shutdown of an anchor institution that will leave communities bereft."
(CNN)  Twenty federal criminal defendants related to last week's deadly pro-Trump riot at the US Capitol have been rounded up across the country since the insurrection, with the allegations showing the danger of the mob.

Some of the defendants are accused of bringing weapons and bombs to Capitol Hill, indicative of the extremism of parts of the crowd. Others were photographed ransacking the building, smiling while posing with congressional items such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern or at her staffer's desk, or publicly bragged about the crowd's violent and destructive joyride.

Weapons and bombs brought to DC

The most unsettling of the allegations so far appear to be those against Lonnie Coffman, an Alabama man charged after authorities found 11 homemade bombs, an assault rifle and a handgun in his truck parked two blocks from the Capitol. The truck had sat there all morning during the pro-Trump rally, and Coffman was arrested as he tried to return to the vehicle after dusk.

In another startling complaint, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. is accused of writing in text messages that he wanted to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and that he had brought hundreds of rounds of ammunition and three guns to Washington, DC, having driven from Colorado, according to court records.

On Sunday night, authorities arrested two more men, Eric Munchel of Tennessee and Larry Rendell Brock of Texas. Both had drawn attention online because of photos showing them wearing body armor inside the Capitol building and carrying plastic ties that could restrain a person.

Munchel, who was arrested Sunday, had been first stopped by law enforcement on January 6 because he was carrying a Taser for self-protection while attending the rally, according to his newly released charging documents.

The FBI followed images of Munchel leaving the hotel without a face mask and carrying a drink just before President Donald Trump began to speak that day to his supporters.

Munchel is charged with entering restricted grounds of the Capitol and violent entry or disorderly conduct. He has not yet appeared in federal court in DC, where he is charged.

Lawmakers describe 'terror' unfolding

As new details emerge, it has become obvious that lawmakers faced more imminent danger than was understood as the attack unfolded on live television.

"What was going through my head was frankly terror," Democratic Rep. Susan Wild said on CNN's New Day last week after having to take shelter on the floor of the House.

"We were trapped ... I had a pen in my pocket that I could use as a weapon and was looking for other weapons as well" as the vicious crowd breached the building, Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, who served as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan, also said in the CNN "New Day" interview.

The top federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, Michael Sherwin, said he expected hundreds of people could be charged in the aftermath of the attack, and investigations may take months to understand it fully.

"I would not be surprised if we find loose affiliations of groups that were organized and had plans in place," Sherwin said Sunday. "We saw in some of these individuals we identified  they look paramilitary almost, right? You've got the uniform, you've got communication, you have all the paraphernalia. Those show indications of affiliation and a command-and-control. So I believe we are going to find those hallmarks."

Viral rioters also charged

One of the federal defendants so far, Jacob Chansley  who wore into the Capitol no shirt, a bearskin headdress, face paint and horns and was captured in many images of the crowd  has already told the FBI he came to Washington "as a part of a group effort, with other 'patriots' from Arizona, at the request of the President that all 'patriots' come to D.C. on January 6, 2021," according to his court documents.

Others charged with taking part in the melee, such as Proud Boys Hawaii founder Nick Ochs and Joshua Pruitt, who is identified in a November video reciting an oath to the Proud Boys, appeared to have allied with fringe groups like the Proud Boys and QAnon that have followed Trump.

Ochs, who was charged with one count of unlawful entry into restricted buildings or grounds, was released from jail Monday ahead of his next court date.

In court in Honolulu on Monday, Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter found that Ochs had no prior convictions and granted a $5,000 bond. Ochs' attorney, Myles Breiner, told CNN that Ochs was set free on a "signature bond," meaning he did not have to put up any money for release.

Ochs was arrested last Thursday at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu as he was returning from Washington. Investigators cited his interview with CNN and a tweeted photo captioned "Hello from the Capital lol" in their charging document.

The magistrate judge ordered Ochs to remain on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where he lives, prior to his next court appearance on January 27 before a magistrate in Washington.

Several others who were not charged with crimes have lost their jobs for attending the rally at which Trump spoke. One man, Derrick Evans, resigned from his recently won seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates after federal prosecutors charged him. He said he took responsibility for his actions  which included allegedly livestreaming his entry into the Capitol building and shouting "We're in! We're in, baby!" A man later approached him and shakes his hand, saying, "Welcome to Congress."

Next steps

Several of the federal defendants are set to appear in court for initial proceedings and detention hearings in the coming days, with more arrests likely to come that may reveal how armed and prepared others in the crowd were.

None of the 20 federal defendants have been formally indicted by a grand jury yet, a process that is likely to provide more details publicly about the seriousness of the breach.

The far-ranging criminal investigation is still at its earliest stages. Sherwin said on Sunday hundreds of people could be charged, while the FBI has released more than 40 images of people inside or around the Capitol it seeks help to identify.

That includes a man suspected of placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic party headquarters buildings near the Capitol. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 to help with finding the person.

CNN's Andy Rose and Caroline Kelly contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Key arrests from the Capitol riot so far"
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"Rachel enhances our ability to serve domestic and international clients on a range of challenging issues, including counseling companies on trade sanctions compliance and related internal- and government-facing investigations," said Katya Jestin and Randy Mehrberg, Jenner & Block's co-managing partners. "Just as important, she shares the firm's values of delivering excellence through collaboration, to building diverse, inclusive teams, and to serving our communities with a commitment to pro bono work."

Drawing on her State Department experience advising policy-makers at all levels on legal issues affecting US relations with countries in the Western Hemisphere, Ms. Alpert supports organizations in the oil and gas, communications, travel, and other industries on legal issues involving export controls and US sanctions laws and regulations under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations. She also advises companies and investors on business human rights and supply chain accountability and on national security reviews of foreign investments in the United States by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

"Rachel's arrival makes an immediate impact on our capabilities in these areas and adds tremendous value for our clients, who now more than ever require the type of specialized legal insight she brings for companies operating in the international marketplace," said David Bitkower, co-chair of the firm's Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice. "Her practice also complements the work of other Jenner & Block lawyers who represent clients in matters involving international human rights and national security."

While at the State Department, Ms. Alpert collaborated with agencies throughout the US government on legal issues related to the Venezuela sanctions program, humanitarian assistance, and recognition. Serving as lead attorney for Cuba matters at the State Department, Ms. Alpert developed specific knowledge of US government sanctions and policy toward Cuba, serving on bilateral delegations and advising on Cuba-related issues from the re-establishment of US diplomatic relations with the country in 2015 through the 2019 end of the suspension of Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996.

While at the State Department, Ms. Alpert also advised on the implementation of approximately $2 billion in US foreign assistance resources to prevent trafficking in persons and end modern slavery, to combat transnational crime, promote democracy, and to provide urgent humanitarian assistance throughout the world. She reviewed and drafted legislative text, and prepared senior leaders for Congressional testimony. Ms. Alpert started her State Department career in the employment law section, representing the State Department in employment litigation and advising department bureaus and principals on employment law issues within the Department and at US embassies around the globe.

"I'm excited to join Jenner & Block to develop this trade controls, national security, and human rights practice and to work in concert with the firm's other lawyers to enhance the firm's offerings to clients," said Ms. Alpert. "I'm also looking forward to joining a firm with values that align so closely to mine, specifically its deep dedication to pro bono work and its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal industry."

Ms. Alpert joins from Latham & Watkins, where she regularly advised companies on trade controls compliance and CFIUS matters following her State Department service.

Prior to her government service, Ms. Alpert received the Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowship allowing her to work in Syria as research scholar. In Syria, she analyzed the legal framework for international private voluntary organizations aiding Iraqi refugees.

Ms. Alpert graduated from Yale University cum laude, where she received a Richard U. Light Fellowship to study Mandarin Chinese at Princeton in Beijing. She also earned her master's degree from Tel Aviv University magna cum laude and received her JD from Harvard Law School, having received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Fellowship.

ABOUT JENNER & BLOCK'S INVESTIGATIONS, COMPLIANCE, AND DEFENSE PRACTICE

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MASON CITY, Iowa  Passing bad checks in Cerro Gordo County results in probation and a fine for a southern Minnesota man.

Jason Alan Roe, 43 of Albert Lea, pleaded guilty to forgery and 5th degree theft. He was accused of writing over $1,000 in bad checks at three separate Mason City businesses between December 21, 2019, and February 1, 2020.

Roe has been ordered to spend five years on supervised probation and pay a $100 fine.
Schools will function as per regular school timings while ensuring physical distance of at least six feet between two students, through a customised seating plan.  DC Image

Hyderabad: Schools will opt for the blended form of learning from February 1 through online and offline platforms, the education department clarified on Tuesday in detailed guidelines for the partial reopening of schools from February 1.

It said the digital classes being conducted through Doordarshan and TSAT and other digital platforms will continue along with physical classes. Students opting to study from home or those choosing to go to school can do so after obtaining the consent from parents or guardians.

All teachers handling Classes 9 to 12 have to attend school daily. Schools will function as per regular school timings while ensuring physical distance of at least six feet between two students, through a customised seating plan.

Wearing masks will be mandatory, students suffering from cold, cough and fever shall not be allowed to attend school. Children will also be provided mid-day meals at school. The headmaster will be required to prepare a medical plan for the school or hostel, and isolation rooms for staff and students in case of Covid-19 symptoms. A separate sanitation, logistic and medical plan will be furnished by the district education officers to the Director of School Education by January 18.

In case of junior colleges, those with fewer than students 300 students and having sufficient accommodation shall be permitted to run in the regular shift, from 9.30 am to 4 pm. Colleges with more than 300 students will be run in two shifts, from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm. There is another option of running the second year in the morning shift and the first year in the evening shift, A decision must be taken by respective principals by January 16.

One bench-one student rule will be applied in junior colleges to ensure social distancing. Not more than 30 students will be allowed in a class. Unlike schools, online or audio visual lectures will continue to be telecaste only till March 31 at revised timings. These instructions will be applicable for private colleges as well. The time table for intermediate first and second year exams will be issued separately.

In case of degree and professional courses, the government has waived the minimum attendance requirement to appear in the examinations for the current semester.

Written consent from parents, wearing of masks by students, staff, visitors, maintaining physical distance on campus, even during lunch hours has been made mandatory in colleges. In case of residential colleges, special care at dining, dormitories, washrooms has been advised.

Principals of colleges will be required to prepare a customised plan for conduct of classes in accordance with the guidelines by January 18, including an academic and logistic plan which will include seating and shift system arrangements. The commissioner of Collegiate and Technical Education will issue a revised academic calendar for 2020-21 in respect of degree and professional courses.
Supreme Court decision prevents Texas hospital from removing toddler Tinslee Lewis' life support

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The U.S. Supreme Court has declined an appeal from a Texas hospital seeking to overturn a lower court decision that prevented it from removing a baby girls life support.

The case of Cook Childrens Medical Center v. Tinslee Lewis, et al. was one of several cases that the Supreme Court declined to hear Monday. The courts refusal to hear the case leaves the lower court ruling temporarily preventing the Fort Worth, Texas-based Cook Childrens Medical Center from withdrawing life support from 23-month old Tinslee Lewis.

Lewis mother has spent more than a year fighting to keep her daughter alive. In November 2019, Cook Childrens Medical Center attempted to invoke the 10-Day Rule against Lewis, who was born prematurely and with a heart defect. The Texas Advance Directives Act, or 10-Day Rule has been described by the pro-life group Live Action as an unethical and institutional power play that allows families just 10 days to find a new hospital for their family members on life support after the hospital they are currently using decides to remove life support.

The 10-Day Rule requires hospitals to give families 10 days notice before ending life-sustaining treatment for patients suffering from a terminal illness or who doctors believe have little or no chance of survival. With approval from a medical or ethics committee, doctors are allowed to end treatment in these cases.

Once a hospital has decided to discontinue treatment, families are given 10 days to find a different hospital that is willing to admit their loved one.

If families are unable to find a hospital and transfer the patient by the 10th day, all treatments are withdrawn unless a judge intervenes with a court order requiring the hospital to continue life-sustaining treatment.

T.L.s life has value, lawyers for Tinslee Lewis and her mother explained in a brief to the Supreme Court. Withdrawal of life-saving treatment would kill T.L., who has normal brain function, interacts with Mother, and experiences joy from living. Mother acknowledges that certain medical procedures, such as IV insertions, can cause T.L. pain, but T.L. is not in agony.

Petitioner states that it made a moral decision that treatment inflicts pain and fear on a sedated child for no benefit, they added. The moral decision that there is no benefit in T.L.s life is not Petitioners to make. That decision belongs to her Mother and her Creator.

Lewis lawyers explained that they had called on the appellate court to issue a temporary injunction, maintaining that such a step was necessary to give state courts the opportunity to assess the constitutionality of Texas Health and Safety Code section 166.046 through a trial on the merits.

According to the brief filed on behalf of Lewis family, that particular provision of Texas law allows hospitals to end patients lives without allowing them notice and opportunity to be heard on the value of their life.

In a reply brief submitted to the Supreme Court, attorneys for Cook Childrens Medical Center argued: This case involves a private hospital providing private medical care to a private patient; there is no state input, participation, or control of any kind.

Additionally, they wrote, the Lewis family's inability to find an alternative hospital to provide her with care indicates the deep moral, ethical, and medical problems with respondents proposed course of painful treatment for a terminally ill child.

Attorneys for Lewis family also dispute the notion that the case does not involve any state action, alleging that defining the lawful means of death and dying is state action. Additionally, they called for the Supreme Court to reject Cook Childrens Medical Centers appeal, claiming that it did not have jurisdiction to hear a case that deals entirely with state law.

According to the pro-life group Texas Right to Life, the case will now return to the lower court for final adjudication on the merits. Texas Right to Life contends that the lower court trial will enable a judge to decide if the rights of baby Tinslee are being violated, whether a hospital should have unilateral authority to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment from a patient against the will of the patient/surrogate, and if patients have any due process rights in these situations and the constitutionality of the 10-Day Rule.

Should the district court rule in favor of Lewis, not only would Cook Childrens Medical Center be permanently prohibited from removing her life support, all hospitals in Texas would no longer have the ability to use the 10-Day Rule to hasten patients deaths.

The 10-Day Rule law was passed by the Texas Legislature in 1999 and signed by then-Gov. George W. Bush as a compromise between the medical community and pro-life and disability rights groups, The Houston Law Review journal notes.

The consensus at the time of passage did not last long because pro-life and disability rights groups grew concerned with how doctors and hospitals implemented the statutes procedures. It became clear that the statute provided doctors with absolute immunity yet provided only very weak procedural protections for patients, the journal adds.

Since then, the journal notes that the Texas Legislature has considered over 25 bills aimed at amending the law, but have enacted only two.
United Nations:

Seas cannot be turned into zones of contention, India has said as it reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation on the high seas and resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means, amid Chinas assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The rapid and sustained economic growth across oceans is proof that the worlds economic engines are purring to a new tune in the 21st century. We must turn this into the harmony of a great choir, where each of us is an equal voice, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said Thursday, addressing the UN Ocean Conference in the General Assembly in United Nations.

The Ocean Conference, which opened at the world bodys headquarters on June 5 and will wrap up on Friday, is the first ever such summit convened by the UN.

The conference focuses on the targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by Governments in 2015. It aims to presents a platform for the world to reverse the precipitous decline of the health of the oceans and seas with concrete solutions.

Addressing the conference on World Oceans Day, Akbar stressed that the 21st century will be shaped by the principles of equality and sovereignty and those who believe in discord have no place in a choir.

The nations of oceans are often called small. We do not believe in small or big: every nation is sovereign. Capacities might vary, but all nations have equal rights, he said.

He emphasised that seas cannot be turned into zones of contention, adding that secure and open sea lanes are critical for peace, stability, prosperity and development.

We cannot allow our seas to turn into zones of contention. An age of shared prosperity demands co-operation? In this context, India reiterates the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight on the high seas, unimpeded lawful commerce, as well as resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Akbar said.

Also Read: South China Sea row: Beijing fumes as US sends navy warship near disputed region

His comments came amid Chinas growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. China claims almost all the South China Sea.

Given that India has over 7,500 km of coast, more than a thousand islands and with more than a third of Indians living along the coast, Akbar said India is acutely aware of the challenges and opportunities that oceans represent - from sustainable fisheries to prevention and control of marine litter and plastic pollution, from affordable renewable energy to eco-tourism and early warning systems for disaster risk reduction and management, building resilience and adaptation to climate change.?

Warning that the negative impact of overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change are becoming increasingly clear, Akbar said the time for action is already long overdue.

Akbar stressed that fishermen deserve to be at the core of any action plan that is arrived at in global summits such as the Ocean Conference.

We must devise actionable means to improve their lives; to minimise the conflicts that arise from competition, and, most of all, end the exploitation that is often their fate. Our rules, regulations and laws must serve the impoverished first, he said.

He cited the ambitious Sagarmala project launched?last November in India that focuses on port modernisation, connectivity and coastal community development involving more than 400 projects over the next two decades.

He informed the global summit that?India continues to expand its development partnership, especially with Small Island Developing States (SIDS). India has committed a sum of 500 million dollars as grant-in-aid and a billion dollars in soft loans for its SIDS partners over the next three years.

India also believes that there cannot be sustainable development without sustainable engagement among blue nations. The framework for such sustainable engagement needs to be reinforced, he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Harris' team was unaware that the cover photo had been switched until images leaked late Saturday, according to a person involved in the negotiations over how Harris would be featured on the cover. Harris' office declined comment and the person spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has landed on the cover of the February issue of Vogue magazine, but her team says there's a problem: the shot of the country's soon-to-be No. 2 leader isn't what both sides had agreed upon. Instead of the powder blue power suit Harris wore for her cover shoot, the first African American woman elected vice president is instead seen in more casual attire and wearing Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers, which she sometimes wore on the campaign trail.

In a statement, Vogue said it went with the more informal image of Harris for the cover because the photo captured her "authentic, approachable nature, which we feel is one of the hallmarks of the Biden-Harris administration."

But the magazine said it released both images as digital magazine covers to "respond to the seriousness of this moment in history, and the role she has to play leading our country forward."

Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, posed in the light blue suit in front of a gold backdrop for the magazine's cover. She also posed, more casually dressed in slacks, a blazer and sneakers in front of a pink and green background, for photos that were planned for inside the magazine, the person said. Pink and green are the colors of Harris' college sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Vogue has released both images online, but the photo of a sneaker-clad Harris is the one that will grace the cover of the fashion bible's print edition. The person with knowledge of the negotiations said Harris' team has expressed to Vogue its disappointment over the magazine's decision.

The cover also generated outrage on social media as posters expressed disappointment in how the magazine decided to present the nation's first female vice president on its cover.

Harris is set to be sworn in as vice president on Jan. 20.
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Author's Note: This article was written early afternoon on Friday, January 8. By Friday evening, Twitter had banned President Trump for life.



Its one thing to debate whether Twitter and Facebook were right to block President Trumps account in the immediate aftermath of the storming of the Capitol on Tuesday. I would argue that the move was unjustified, being yet another example of Big Tech overreach and censorship. On the other hand, in the heat of the moment, and with fear that the president could incite rioters, an argument could be made for a temporary block. But to ban him for life? On what grounds?

Well, according to former First Lady Michelle Obama, because he is infantile and unpatriotic.

As reported in a very cutting article on Red State, Former First Lady Michelle Obama on Thursday called on Big Tech companies to permanently ban President Donald Trump from their social media platforms  principally because hes infantile and unpatriotic.

She posted her comments on social media in the immediate aftermath of the storming of the Capitol on Tuesday, laying the blame for the days events at the feet of President Trump. She also managed to bring race into the discussion as well, alleging that had the protestors and rioters been black, they would have met with much different resistance from the police.

Specifically, she gave these recommendations regarding the president: Now is the time, she wrote, for those who voted for this president to see the reality of what theyve supported  and publicly and forcefully rebuke him and the actions of that mob.

She continued, Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior  and go even further than they have by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nations leaders to fuel insurrection.

What an absolutely outrageous, un-American request (or, perhaps, I should say, demand?). What a dangerous post. It is the Former First Lady who should be challenged for saying such things.

To be clear, as the ugly scene was unfolding on Tuesday, I began my radio show by laying the blame squarely at the feet of President Trump (see here).

I blame him for years of irresponsible rhetoric, for years of inflaming hatred and distrust, and for years of misusing his power as president to attack individuals.

I have consistently raised those concerns during his presidency (as a supporter), and even if he, too, was shocked and appalled at the days events, and even if there were some outside agitators involved as well, he helped to create the larger environment in which this horror unfolded.

In that regard, I dont disagree entirely with Mrs. Obama.

Of course, her overall, race-related narrative of the day is a sham, a fictitious rewriting of recent history, glorifying the overwhelmingly peaceful race protests of 2020 and accusing the police of all kinds of brutal acts during those blissful protests.

As Mike Miller rightly asked on Red State, Where was Michelle Obama, night after night when Ferguson, Missouri, was on fire; night after nights of riots in the aftermath of the justifiable police action against Michael Brown?

Did she condemn that real violence? Half as much as she condemns the indefensible breach of the U.S. Capitol?

He asked, Was she watching the same overwhelmingly peaceful movement we were? The looting? The burning? Torching police cars? Randomly murdering police officers? All in the name of so-called racial justice? Please.

Mrs. Obama actually claimed that, in city after city, day after day, we saw peaceful protestors met with brute force. . . . We saw cracked skulls and mass arrests . . . .

To the contrary, in city after city, we saw police standing down and even fleeing from before the protestors. We saw police stations set on fire. And we saw a fraction of the people arrested who should have been arrested.

But lets not even focus on these discrepancies here, since there has been more than enough hypocrisy on both the right and the left when it comes to reporting the race riots of 2020 and the storming of the Capitol on January 6th.

And certainly, while the breach on the Capitol was hardly as violent as the race riots, it does stand out dramatically from the race riots, seeing that the Vice President and Congress were in the building, and this was, after all, the Capitol. Again, I share Mrs. Obamas outrage and disgust that it happened.

But there is no possible justification for her call to ban Donald Trump from social media for life, not in the slightest. And for a woman of her stature even to suggest such things points to a very dark, very ominous, very dangerous potential future for America.

It could well be argued that Barack and Michelle Obama are the most influential couple on the planet, as reflected in their massive social media presence (just on Twitter, he has almost 128 million followers and she 19 million), their book sales, and their influence behind the scenes.

As noted November 19, 2020, His tome, A Promised Land, released Tuesday, sold an astonishing 887,000 copies in its first 24 hours on shelves. The number tops the 725,000 copies sold of the former first ladys 2018 memoir, Becoming, on Day 1.

I therefore appeal to every person of conscience, both on the left and on the right, to reply to Michelle Obamas suggestion with a firm and absolute No! That is not the kind of America in which any of us will thrive.

Scarily, Facebook and Instagram have already announced that Trump will be banned from their platforms at least through the inauguration.

America, take heed. America, speak up.
Evangelical youth ministry leader Awana to release first-ever Sunday school curriculum

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Awana, one of the worlds leading youth ministry and child evangelism nonprofits, will soon publish its first-ever digital weekend curriculum that will be made available to Sunday school classes nationwide in July 2020.

Awanas new Sunday-focused curriculum, called Brite, comes as the nearly 70-year-old evangelical organization has become known for its weekday evangelism programs held at churches across the United States and its discipleship materials designed for ages 2 through 18.

Awana President and Chief Strategy Officer Matt Markins told The Christian Post that the new curriculum follows two research studies sponsored by Awana that found that between 50 to 60 percent of churches in the U.S. do not have midweek discipleship and evangelism opportunity for families.

That says something huge for an organization like Awana that focuses primarily on midweek, Markins said. Unfortunately, we are confused as being a midweek-only ministry when the reality is we work with 61,000 churches around the world through several different programs and 122 countries.

Although we view ourselves as a child discipleship partner, in the U.S. we are known as a midweek Bible memory ministry, he added. We see our global footprint as being a child discipleship organization. So we know for us to go into the future, we have to have a whole other set of resources to help the church effectively reach kids to the gospel and help them to make disciples.

Awanas aim with the new curriculum is to raise a generation of resilient disciples through engaging content that not only teaches children and teens about the Bible but also provides them with apologetics education to prepare them for times when their faith will be tested in life.

The curriculum seeks to supply kids with the resistant strength so they will not break against the weight of culture.

We have to prepare kids for the year 2050, Markins told CP. For a culture that's probably very likely going to be much more antagonistic and hostile.

In a press release, Awana CEO Valerie Bell stressed that its time to understand that the greatest challenge to the future of faith is not the rise of secularism through technology, family breakdown or even the vitality of the church. Rather, she stressed that the greatest challenge to the future of the church is the need for resilient discipleship of our children.

In a recent study, the evangelical polling firm Barna Group found that 13 just percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 who grew up with a Christian background can be labeled resilient disciples today. Additionally, nearly half of young adults say the church cant answer their questions.

The new curriculum will be broken up into three age demographics: preschool (ages 2-5), elementary (Kindergarten through fifth grade) and students (grades six through 12). It is being developed by a team of experienced childrens ministry leaders who are looking to address the needs and pains of those within the local church.

Some of those needs include having a curriculum that is easy to lead, readily accessible, affordable, customizable to fit each church, and mobile-friendly.

The ministry philosophy that sustains discipleship into the future is discipleship with children that are based on belonging, believing and becoming, Markins said. Belonging is highly-relational where there is the presence of a loving, caring adult engaging in the life of a child. Believing is deeply scriptural ministry rooted in the truth of the Word of God.

Becoming is the experiential ministry designed to move kids from a simulation world to a real-world application of faith-based living, he continued. Most kids, they kind of view Sunday school as a bit of a simulation where they go and learn about David and Goliath, but are not sure what that has to do with their parents who are divorced or their mom who is using meth, and their dad who is living a double life.

Markins stressed that Awanas new curriculum is more than just about teaching kids the Bible.

He said it is centered on preparing local volunteer leaders to play instrumental roles in childrens lives through things like podcasts, weekly training videos and other resources.

It's a different mindset, compared to a lot of what's out there on the market today, Markins said.

Markins stressed that Awana is looking to provide a happy medium to what he called the two common ministry profiles present in childrens ministries: edutainment and heavy Bible teaching, which he said are low on the relational aspect.

What we're doing is really, in a lot of ways, it's kind of shooting in the middle, he explained. Weve got to train adult volunteers to have the conversation on the hearts and minds of the kids who are in their care. That's a huge mindset shift for the Church because we're so focused on teaching our lessons.

Markins said that Awana is not in any way trying to diminish the importance of scripture literacy and knowing Christ. He said the nonprofit wants to elevate the presence of caring, loving adults.

Awana is currently doing a field test of the new curriculum at 60 churches around the U.S.

In the elementary age bracket, the curriculum takes students through the Bible three different times over the course of three years in hopes of giving students as much of the overall story arc as possible.

For older kids in middle and high school, the Awana curriculum will have one year focusing on what it means to be disciples of Christ. That portion of the curriculum is hosted by former Saddleback Church High School Pastor Josh Griffin.

For middle and high school students, another year of the curriculum will focus on encouraging them to be advocates for Christ in a postmodern world.

That is very much a biblical apologetics curriculum for understanding and defending the faith, stated Markins.

A third-year will focus on witnesses to teach students how they can share the Gospel with others.

The challenges are, as the cultural divide has crept in, how do we help not only secular culture but people who call themselves Christian but who are not convictional Christians? Markins asked. How do we help them understand the truth of the Gospel and what Scripture is actually saying who Jesus is? We're going to make sure that what we're doing today is going to produce resilient disciples in a very, very, very different culture.

KABUL  Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar received the Diplomatic Representative of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Mrs. Sheherazade Hirji, this morning.

The Two sides discussed development projects and AKDNs activities in Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister praised AKDN for providing support in various areas ranging from rural development projects to restoration of historical places in Afghanistan.

Minister Atmar assured Ms. Hijri that the government was fully supportive and looked forward to the expansion of AKDN projects in Afghanistan.

Ambassador Hijri briefed Foreign Minister on AKDNs projects and the possibility of addressing the energy deficit in Afghanistan. She assured Minister Atmar of AKDNs continued commitment to the people of Afghanistan.
Political stability, success in the fight against the pandemic and economic dynamism underpin the influx. Talents attracted by the opportunities offered by the tech giants. The arrival of journalists also growing. Beijings anger: the US strengthens diplomatic ties with the Taiwanese authorities.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - Nearly 800,000 foreigners moved to Taiwan for work reasons in 2020. Given the restrictions on international travel due to the pandemic, those recently provided by the National Immigration Administration are exceptional numbers: 24,000 more arrivals than in 2018.

Democratic Taiwan has been the most successful nation in the fight against the coronavirus. With nearly 24 million inhabitants, a density of 650 per sq. km (tenth in the world), not only has Taiwan effectively contained the pandemic, it has also achieved greater economic results than China in 2020.

According to official data and expert calculations, Chinese GDP closed 2020 with a + 2.1%: The Taiwanese figure is between +2.3 and + 2.5%. The Taipei Ministry for Commerce and Industry also revealed that numerous Taiwanese companies long been present in China have brought their activities back to the island: this means investments to the tune of 1,100 billion Taiwanese dollars (32 billion euros), which have generated 100,000 new jobs.

Political stability, healthcare results and economic dynamism have favoured the influx of foreign talents, especially in the technological field, the flagship of the local industry. Over the past three years, the Tsai Ingwen government has facilitated the procedures for granting residence permits. Tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, IBM and Qualcomm, who continue to expand their operations on the island, are also helping.

Of the foreigners who settled in Taiwan last year, 820 are businessmen. At least 124 are journalists who choose the island to cover news on China. Residing in Chinese territory they would risk legal problems, if not prison. The Chinese government imprisoned the most journalists in 2020, according to December data published by Reporters Without Borders, out of 387 reporters detained around the world, 117 are in China.

The Taiwanese authorities explain that the favourable health conditions incentivize the relocation of entire family groups. They especially appreciate the possibility for young people to attend school lessons safely, contrary the case in many parts of the world.

Taipei is increasingly seen as a model for its management of the pandemic. Beijings boycott of its entry into the Assembly of the World Health Organization has caused the reaction of many countries, which are demanding its admission.

China which still sees the island is a "rebellious" province, to be recaptured by force if necessary. In the face of repeated Chinese threats, Donald Trump's US administration had increased its support for the Taiwanese authorities.

Today the US ambassador to the Netherlands met with the Taiwanese charge d'affaires in the European state. On January 9, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lifted all formal restrictions on meetings between US and Taiwanese representatives, a decision that sparked protests in Beijing.
One of the Hubble Space Telescope's most iconic images is the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which unveiled myriad galaxies across the universe, stretching back to within a few hundred million years of the Big Bang. Hubble peered at a single patch of seemingly empty sky for hundreds of hours beginning in September 2003, and astronomers first unveiled this galaxy tapestry in 2004, with more observations in subsequent years.

NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be able to photograph an area of the sky at least 100 times larger than Hubble with the same crisp sharpness. Among the many observations that will be enabled by this wide view on the cosmos, astronomers are considering the possibility and scientific potential of a Roman Space Telescope "ultra-deep field." Such an observation could reveal new insights into subjects ranging from star formation during the universe's youth to the way galaxies cluster together in space.

Roman will enable new science in all areas of astrophysics, from the solar system to the edge of the observable universe. Much of Roman's observing time will be dedicated to surveys over wide swaths of the sky. However, some observing time will also be available for the general astronomical community to request other projects. A Roman ultra deep field could greatly benefit the scientific community, say astronomers.

"As a community science concept, there could be exciting science returns from ultra-deep field observations by Roman. We would like to engage the astronomical community to think about ways in which they could take advantage of Roman's capabilities," said Anton Koekemoer of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Koekemoer presented the Roman ultra-deep field idea at the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, on behalf of a group of astronomers spanning more than 30 institutions.

As an example, a Roman ultra-deep field could be similar to the Hubble Ultra Deep Field - looking in a single direction for a few hundred hours to build up an extremely detailed image of very faint, distant objects. Yet while Hubble snagged thousands of galaxies this way, Roman would collect millions. As a result, it would enable new science and vastly improve our understanding of the universe.

Structure and history of the universe

Perhaps most exciting is the possibility of studying the very early universe, which corresponds to the most distant galaxies. Those galaxies are also the rarest: for example, only a handful are seen in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field.

Thanks to Roman's wide field of view and near-infrared data of similar quality to Hubble's, it could discover many hundreds, or possibly thousands, of these youngest, most distant galaxies, interspersed among the millions of other galaxies. That would let astronomers measure how they group together in space as well as their ages and how their stars have formed.

"Roman would also yield powerful synergies with current and future telescopes on the ground and in space, including NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and others," said Koekemoer.

Moving forward in cosmic time, Roman would pick up additional galaxies that existed about 800 million to 1 billion years after the big bang. At that time, galaxies were just beginning to group together into clusters under the influence of dark matter. While researchers have simulated this process of forming large-scale structures, a Roman ultra-deep field would provide real world examples to test those simulations.

Star formation over cosmic time

The early universe also experienced a firestorm of star formation. Stars were being born at rates hundreds of times faster than what we see today. In particular, astronomers are eager to study "cosmic dawn" and "cosmic noon," which together cover a time 500 million to 3 billion years after the big bang when most star formation was happening, as well as when supermassive black holes were most active.

"Because Roman's field of view is so large, it will be game changing. We would be able to sample not just one environment in a narrow field of view, but instead a variety of environments captured by Roman's wide-eyed view. This will give us a better sense of where and when star formation was happening," explained Sangeeta Malhotra of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Malhotra is a co-investigator on the Roman science investigation teams working on cosmic dawn, and has led programs that do deep spectroscopy with Hubble, to learn about distant, young galaxies.

Astronomers are eager to measure star formation rates in this distant epoch, which could influence a variety of factors such as the amount of heavy elements observed. Rates of star formation might depend on whether or not a galaxy lies within a large cluster. Roman will be capable of taking faint spectra that will show distinct "fingerprints" of these elements, and give accurate distances (called redshifts) of galaxies.

"Population experts might ask, what differences are there between people who live in big cities, versus those in suburbia, or rural areas? Similarly, as astronomers we can ask, do the most active star forming galaxies live in very clustered regions, or just at the edges of clusters, or do they live in isolation?" Malhotra said.

Big data and machine learning

One of the greatest challenges of the Roman mission will be learning how to analyze the abundance of scientific information in the public datasets that it will produce. In a sense, Roman will create new opportunities not only in terms of sky coverage, but also in data mining.

A Roman ultra-deep field would contain information on millions of galaxies - far too many to be studied by researchers one at a time. Machine learning--a form of artificial intelligence--will be needed to process the massive database. While this is a challenge, it also offers an opportunity. "You could explore completely new questions that you couldn't previously address," stated Koekemoer.

"The discovery potential enabled by the huge datasets from the Roman mission could lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe, beyond what we might currently envision," Koekemoer added. "That could be Roman's lasting legacy for the scientific community: not only in answering the science questions we think we can address, but also new questions that we have yet to think of."

###
An international expert team from the World Health Organization will arrive in China on Thursday to conduct joint scientific research with Chinese scientists on the origin of the novel coronavirus, the National Health Commission said on Monday.

No further details were disclosed in the brief statement released on the commission's website.

China has attached high importance to tracing the origins of the novel coronavirus and supports cooperation between China and the WHO on the issue, Zeng Yixin, vice-minister of the commission, said at a news conference on Saturday.

China has had detailed discussion on the visit to Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, by WHO experts and agreement has been reached between the two sides. Preparations have been made for cooperation in scientific research during the visit in China, he said.

China hopes the cooperation can contribute to finding the origin of the novel coronavirus and improve knowledge of the virus, which is very important for the prevention and control of outbreaks of new infectious diseases in the future, he said.
Former Member of Parliament(MP) for Adentan constituency, Yaw Buaben Asamoa says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) faithful, particularly the Majority in Parliament, should not be afraid of the election of Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin as Speaker of Parliament.



Yaw Buaben Asamoa allayed the fears of his party folks stressing Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin has a rich experience in Parliamentary affairs and solid integrity.



He disbelieved that Rt. Hon. Bagbin will, by virtue of his party affiliation, do the bidding of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).



Hon. Alban Bagbin is the Speaker of the 8th Parliament under the Fourth Republic of Ghana.



He was elected by Members of Parliament on Thursday, January 7, 2021, after the dissolution of the 7th Parliament.



Making his submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Yaw Buaben Asamoa told sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh that, ''Hon. Bagbin doesn't misconduct himself. We all know him already to be a man of integrity. Also, he has become the father of Parliament. It was Parliament that elected him, not the NDC. It's true that he is a member of the NDC and has stayed in the NDC for a long time but his service to Ghana is unquestionable and I don't believe he is going to change his character now''.





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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Despite mounting layoffs and a renewed clampdown on business activity to quell the coronavirus, demand for some jobs is rising in an economy that has been remade by the pandemic.

LinkedIn released data Tuesday that shows jobs in tech, workplace diversity and digital marketing are in high demand nationally and in the Bay Area, despite the global health crisis.

Lower-skilled jobs still tend to be done in person, and higher-skilled roles can more often be done remotely, according to Karin Kimbrough, chief economist for the Microsoft-owned professional networking site.

There is an inequality there that we have to acknowledge, she said. Its going to be a long time before remote work permeates all industries.

Personal shoppers, delivery drivers and warehouse fulfillment roles are also in demand, with more than 400,000 openings, according to LinkedIn data.

Federal data shows that about half of those with graduate degrees are working remotely, while less than 1 in 10 of workers with a high school degree can do so.

The Bay Area tech industry continues to see plenty of openings for jobs that can be done remotely. Thats a mixed bag for the region: The hiring signals that Bay Area firms are healthy, but the economic benefits of new hiring may end up being distributed around the country.

Demand for software and other engineering roles rose by 25% from 2019 to 2020 on LinkedIn as the pandemic pushed more daily interactions online, a trend expected to continue into 2021.

Digital marketers with experience in social media and search engine optimization are in demand. Jobs in user experience  designers and analysts who seek to improve apps and websites  also increased by about 20% in the past year, according to LinkedIn data. Many of those jobs can also be done remotely, though the demand originates from local firms.

The current levels of postings in the software and IT space is up to where it was pre-COVID nationally, Kimbrough said, noting the area continued to be a strength in the Bay Area.

With some job seekers looking to leave the Bay Area during the pandemic, local companies are expanding where they search for hires. Companies are more and more open to remote work, which actually opens up their candidate pool, said Randi Weitzman, an executive director at Robert Half Technology who focuses on technology staffing.

Local tech companies are seeking more workplace diversity experts in the wake of the reckoning nationwide over policing and racial injustice.

Postings for workplace diversity experts  from chief diversity officers to more rank-and-file roles  have increased more than 90% since 2019, listings on LinkedIn show.

The chief diversity officer title is one of the fastest growing C-suite roles overall nationally, Kimbrough said.

With in-person shopping falling during the pandemic, jobs for marketing professionals who can supercharge online search results and create buzzy posts on social media are also on the rise.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Hiring for digital marketing professionals jumped 33% between 2019 and 2020, according to Linkedin data. The trend is likely to have staying power as shoppers retain their online habits.

Health care jobs, from nurses to mental health workers and support staff, are also seeing more demand than supply as the COVID-19 crisis stresses health systems.

With U.S. employers cutting 140,000 jobs last month, many in the travel and hospitality sector, Kimbrough said she is not overly optimistic about the job market in the near term.

We think theres going to be a little loss of traction for the next couple of months where we continue to improve but not at a great pace, she said. Leisure and hospitality jobs will hopefully start to come back once vaccine distribution becomes more widespread, she said.

She added: If Im looking for lower skilled work thats not digitally advanced, its much more susceptible to shutdowns during the pandemic.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
Walmart, the country's largest retailer, is halting donations from its political action committee to the campaigns of congressional Republicans who opposed certifying President-elect Joseph Biden's election, joining defense giant Northrop Grumman and other major corporations taking a stand against violent riots many believe were sparked by President Donald Trump in an effort to overturn the November election.

"In light of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol, Walmart's political action committee is indefinitely suspending contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the lawful certification of state electoral college votes," the company said in a statement Tuesday.

On Monday evening Northrop Grumman became the first defense manufacturer to halt all donations from its political action committee, joining a growing corporate backlash against the Capitol violence Wednesday. Several other large government contractors, including Raytheon Technologies and BAE Systems, later followed suit.

In the days since Trump supporters temporarily halted the certification of Biden's election win in attacks that left a police officer and four others dead, many well-known brands have rebuked the president and members of Congress seen as enabling him.

AT&T, Marriott, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and American Express were among many that said they would withhold donations from their political action committees to lawmakers who voted against certifying Biden's win. Others - including Google, Microsoft and BlackRock - said they were halting all political donations from their PACs.

Walmart's PAC last year donated $1.2 million, split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, though its contributions in previous election cycles have typically skewed Republican. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer said in a statement that it assesses and adjusts its political giving strategy at the end of each election cycle, and will continue its review in coming months.

Last year, Northrop Grumman's PAC also contributed roughly equally to Democrats and Republicans.

"We are pausing political action committee giving and evaluating the way forward," said Northrop Grumman Vice President of Communications Tim Paynter. Northrop Grumman did not release a statement explaining its decision.

Northrop Grumman's move to halt donations is significant in an industry generally reluctant to criticize the commander in chief.

Trade associations representing the defense industry issued statements publicly condemning the violence, but did not directly criticize Trump or single out congressional Republicans. Aerospace Industry Association President Eric Fanning condemned the riots along with "those who incite such violence" without naming Trump directly. National Defense Industrial Association President Hawk Carlisle called the riot "despicable" for causing a "breakdown of the rule of law" and "the desecration of the Capitol building."

Some of Northrop's peers at the top of the U.S. defense industry  Lockheed Martin, Boeing General Dynamics  had not halted donations or issued statements as of Tuesday afternoon.

But three other large government contractors later confirmed Tuesday they would halt donations.

Raytheon Technologies, a massive Massachusetts-based defense-tech company that formed through a merger of Raytheon and United Technologies, halted all contributions to "reflect on the current environment and determine appropriate next steps," said Raytheon spokesman Chris Johnson.

Leidos, a Reston, Va.-based company that specializes in government IT and other technology services, paused all political donations because "democracy thrives on passionate debate and different opinions but dies in anarchy and violence," as Chief Executive Roger Krone put it in a statement Tuesday.

And BAE Systems Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a British defense manufacturer, reacted to what spokeswoman Tammy Thorp referred to as "disturbing" events at the capitol.

"In response to the deeply disturbing violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, our U.S. political action committee has suspended all donations while we assess the path forward," Thorp said.

The defense industry, through sophisticated lobbying operations and a manufacturing supply chain spanning all 50 states, has long held significant sway in Congress. It is also a prolific contributor to political campaigns, including those of the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the November election.

An analysis by the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics found four defense firms among the top 20 contributors to the campaigns of Republicans who objected to Biden's win. Northrop Grumman was 10th among them with $687,500 donated to lawmakers who objected to the election.

Political giving from Northrop Grumman's employee-funded PAC reached $4.8 million last year according to the nonprofit - its highest point in at least 30 years. Contributions from the PAC in 2020 were roughly evenly split, slightly favoring Democrats. Between 2014 and 2020 Republicans received more from the company.

Northrop Grumman's PAC has previously contributed to several of the lawmakers who led the effort or voted to overturn the election results. From 2015 to 2020 the PAC gave $5,000 to the campaign of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In the most recent election cycle, it gave $15,000 to the campaign of Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and $10,000 to Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., among others who voted to overturn the election.

The defense industry has in many ways walked in lockstep with Trump since he took office. The industry has benefited significantly from increased military spending under Trump, as well as the president's support for international arms sales. Lockheed Martin became a centerpiece of a White House-sponsored advertising campaign highlighting the administration's job creation credentials.

When Trump blamed "both sides" for violence at a Charlottesville white supremacist rally in 2017, defense firms were among the few companies that supported the president's business councils. Other corporations left the councils in protest, leading to their dissolution.

Northrop Grumman was not a part of the president's business councils even before the Charlottesville rallies. But the company suffered its own fallout from the rally when ProPublica and the television program "Frontline" identified one of its systems engineers as a member of a white supremacist organization. Northrop Grumman fired the engineer after a video surfaced showing him punching a Black man at the Charlottesville riot.
Farmers are sitting ducks for Covid-19 infection because of the level of underlying health issues in the farming community, a rural-based GP has warned.

And concerns are also rising in the farming community about continued Department of Agriculture farm inspections, with farm leaders claiming some inspectors are breaching the Covid health and safety guidelines on masks and social distancing.

Dr Derek Casey, who runs a practice in Waterford, told the Farming Independent he has seen more Covid positives in the last five days than in the previous five months.

He said the surge underlines the importance of an efficient roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, particularly among the farming community.

A lot of my patients here in Cappoquin are farmers. They are of an older generation, most of them have high blood pressure, a lot will have heart trouble and some have diabetes.

A lot of these farmers are walking around taking six or seven different medications. For them not to take a vaccine means they would be sitting ducks for the virus, he said.

Farmers that decide not to take it are only contributing to the downfall of their own lifestyle.

However, Dr Casey added that farmers are really practical people and he expects they will lead the way in terms of vaccine uptake.

Professor Sam McConkey, an infectious diseases specialist at the Royal College of Surgeons, said that while many farmers were vulnerable to Covid-19 due to their age profile, the farming community has some advantages in the battle against the virus.

Farmers work outside, and they are often fairly fit and are used to physical work, he said. Farmers also understand infection. They understand the importance of not mixing sick animals with healthy animals. They understand that need for physical distancing.

Some 77pc of farmers are prepared to take the Covid-19 vaccine when the vaccination programme begins in the wider community, according to a recent Red C poll.

The IFA and ICMSA are both urging their members, particularly elderly farmers, to take the vaccine as soon as it becomes available.


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The Democratic governor in November moved to revoke a 1953 state easement that allowed part of the Canadian companys Line 5 to be placed along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac. Saying Enbridge had repeatedly violated the terms and put the lakes at risk, Whitmer gave the company 180 days  until May 12  to turn off the flow.
BAD AXE  Lowell and Beth McDonald began dating when they were 16 years old, and they were a perfect match: Lowell owned a car, and Beth happened to have a drivers license.

Over the next five years or so, they would marry, start a family and go into the grocery business with Lowells parents, who owned a store in Bad Axe. Lowell would become a fixture in his store and in town, known for his dedication to his customers and employees and his devotion to his community.

Lowell passed away on Jan. 1 at the age of 77 after suffering a heart attack. He is survived by his wife, Beth.

Lowell grew up working in his parents IGA store in Bad Axe, getting his first job there when he was 11. A few years later, he would meet Beth. They married in their early 20s, and when Beth was expecting their first child, they decided to take another plunge and buy out his parents business partner in the grocery store. They got some help from their parents, but Lowell would work to build a relationship with his customers that would endure for almost five decades until the store closed in March of 2020.

Beth went to work at the store with her husband in 1971 when their children  Dave, Rhonda and Carla  got a little bit older. They cherished the opportunity to work together and to serve their customers, who were also their friends and neighbors. That personal touch cant be bought or sold at any price.

People liked that, and thats what we wanted to give them, Beth said. We wanted to be there for them.

Over the years, the McDonalds would add a coffee shop and catering services. No matter what direction the store would take, Lowell was always dedicated to his customers and his employees, as well.

In addition to their three children, Beth and Lowell had nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren in whom they both took great pride, but they counted their employees among their family members, too. Lowells concern for others also extended to the community he served.

Annie Simon was a close friend of Lowells. Their families attend the same church, and McDonalds market would supply food for cookouts at Bay Port State Bank, where Simon is the marketing director. In fact, the Simons and the McDonalds were scheduled to have dinner as they do a couple times a month the day Lowell passed. Simon said Lowell was the most giving man she knew. He was quick to give to local causes, she said, adding he never said the word no when a person or a community group was in need.

You couldnt find a better guy, Simon said. Im on a lot of different committees, and when there was a need, somebody would pop up and say, Lets ask Lowell McDonald.'

Simon said Lowell understood his role as a grocer in a small community like Bad Axe involved more than just selling food and he was very generous, almost to a fault.

He just said, You just have to  thats our job, Simon said.

Huron County Fair Board President Clark Brock said Lowell put his community and his employees ahead of his business and family, often providing products or discounts to event organizers and supporting youth involved in the annual county fairs livestock competition. Brock said every kid who raised animals did so with the goal of selling their livestock the McDonalds. It had nothing to do with the price Lowell would pay. It had everything to do with just how much respect they had for him. He added Lowells presence will be missed at the junior livestock sale.

As far as Im concerned theres no better person, Brock said.

Brian Lasceski, manager of Mortimer Lumber in Bad Axe, said he had gotten to know Lowell well over the past 10 years on the Northgate Shopping Plaza Association board and theres was no business owner more dedicated to his customers. Lowell would always take time to say hello even when he was busy serving shoppers at his market, and he was quick to offer help to those in need.

He was a great man for the community and a great neighbor, Lasceski said

In a post on social media, Mackenzie Price Sundblad, executive director of the Huron County Community Foundation, called Lowell McDonald an incredible gentleman and praised him for his heavy involvement in the community he loved. She said he was instrumental in the formation of the foundation. Lowell was an original incorporator of the foundation, his signature on the initial Article of Incorporation, and he continued to volunteer with the organization in various roles until his passing, she said.

After their store closed last year, Lowell and Beth took jobs as greeters at the new Meijer store in Bad Axe. Beth said Lowell loved going to work every day, where they both would see old friends and customers and have the chance to do something they always loved: connect with the community.

He was in a good place, Beth said.

Though she misses her husband dearly, Beth knows he is in a better place and is at peace.

It was hard, and yet I know he is with God, his doesnt have any more illness and he is happy, Beth said. He was the love of my life. I will live my life to honor him.

In addition to his wife Beth, Lowell is survived by his son Dave (Tina) McDonald of Bad Axe; daughters Rhonda (Allen) Robinson of Hillsborough, N.C.; and Carla (Jon) Cousineau of Tipton; and nine grandchildren, Adrienne (Justin) Kociba, Erica (Kyle) Peruski, Kristen (Rece) Essenmacher, Sydney (Frank) Duda, Kelsey, Halee, and Riley Robinson, Jenna and Nicholas Cousineau; four great-grandchildren, Lyla, Kruz and Nash Kociba, and Leni Peruski; a brother, Wayne (Michelle) McDonald of Marlette; a sister, Joyce McDonald of Bad Axe; a brother-in-law, Philip (Carol) Townley of Grayling; and many nieces and nephews and his coffee buddies.

Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
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Haiti - Economy : A Post Covid Economic Recovery Plan of 345 billion





Monday morning, at the Convention Center of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) took place the official presentation of the Post Covid Economic Recovery Plan 2020-2023 (PRECOP) by President Jovenel Moise in the presence of Prime Minister Jouthe Joseph, members of the Government, economists and important figures of civil society.



In his remarks, the Head of State declared "We made the bet and shared the dream of putting Haiti under construction, of reducing glaring social inequalities, of saying no to the unacceptable. It has always been the ideals of the popular vote that won me access to the Supreme Judiciary.



I congratulate all the actors of civil society, the private sector, the University, the development partners and all the executives who have contributed with enthusiasm and confidence to the success of this initiative. Together we can achieve the impossible !



This Economic Recovery Program is the bridge that will allow us to invest in growth, resilience and opportunities in order to lay the foundations for a new dynamic of sustainable human development.



PREPOC also aims to bring us back to a level capable of generating an improvement in per capita income and anchoring the country on the objective of emerging country as defined in the framework of Haiti's Strategic Development Plan.



The objective of PREPOC is to quickly bring us back to the level of economic activity that preceded the 'peyi lock' movement, to strengthen businesses, and then to propel and maintain growth at a sufficiently high stage [...]"



The Plan proposes an articulated and methodical response to correct the structural constraints and announce a growth dynamic while promoting the living conditions of the population and the strengthening of resilience. This is a strategic plan to revive the economy following the multiple shocks that the country has experienced since 2018 and which have been accentuated with the Covid-19 health crisis.



"Two major objectives are pursued through PREPO C:

- Stabilization of the macroeconomic framework

- The creation of conditions for relaunching economic growth and supporting the well-being of populations through the creation of decent jobs declared Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe.



PREPOC is based on 6 pillars of action https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32734-haiti-flash-overview-of-the-post-covid-economic-recovery-plan.html : Diversification of the economy and acceleration of growth focused on agriculture, industry, tourism and digital technology, the development of basic energy infrastructure services and the strengthening of the rule of law. Support for SMEs and job creation, human capital development and social inclusion, strengthening resilience to natural shocks are other pillars.



The total cost of PREPOC 2020-2023 amounts to 347 billion gourdes over 3 years. This is a way for the Government to address both the impact of the short-term health crisis and the medium and long-term development challenges.



"The PREPOC is intended as a tool for the establishment of a robust economy capable of responding to the challenges of the day and combating inequalities," declared Michel Patrick Boisvert, Minister of the Economy and Finance.



Video of the entire presentation :







See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32734-haiti-flash-overview-of-the-post-covid-economic-recovery-plan.html



SL/ HaitiLibre


















MOSCOW, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Monday that Russia and the United States should extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and adjust their nuclear doctrines.

"During the election campaign, he (Joe Biden) said that the treaty should be extended. However, this, I believe, is only the first step," Gorbachev said in an interview with RIA Novosti news agency.

"It is necessary to agree on further reductions. It is important to negotiate and adjust their nuclear doctrines," he added.

Gorbachev said that Russia and the United States should shift to a no-first-use nuclear policy rather than the current one based on limitations.

In 2010, Washington and Moscow signed the New START, which stipulates limits to the numbers of deployed nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems by both.

The New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty in force between the two nuclear superpowers, will expire on Feb. 5.
David de Gea has delivered a rallying cry to his Manchester United team-mates ahead of the clash against Burnley on Tuesday night that could see them return to the top of the Premier League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men just need a point to dislodge Liverpool from first place and they meet the current Premier League holders at Anfield on Sunday.

And United's No 1 believes this is an opportunity that his side simply have to take.

David de Gea says Manchester United can't afford to slip up against Burnley on Tuesday

United can go top of the Premier League with just a draw against Burnley at Turf Moor

'I have been fighting for the title in a couple of seasons when (former manager) Sir Alex (Ferguson) was here,' De Gea, who won the Premier League in 2013, said. 'Now we are there again and it's taken us a lot of time to get there to be honest, and we cannot miss this chance.

'We have to be very, very focused in every game and try to win all of them. Hopefully if we are good physically and mentally then we can be there and we can fight for sure for the Premier League.

'It's true there is a lot to play yet, but of course it's a chance to be there, to be top of the league.'

United have four players who are bidding to prove their fitness for the clash at Turf Moor on Tuesday. Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof are expected to make the squad, while Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba are also looking to be available again for Solskjaer.

And De Gea expects that United will need to graft to claim three points against Sean Dyche's side, who are 16th in the Premier League table.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will check on Paul Pogba's fitness ahead of the clash on Tuesday night

De Gea says Burnley will pose a tough challenge that will examine United's title credentials

'Its a good challenge for us. We will play against a difficult team in Burnley, away from home, but if we want to win the league then we have to win these type of matches,' De Gea added.

'Im saying the same thing, but all we can do is focus on each match, take it game-by-game and be 100 per cent focused.'

After Burnley, United then head to Anfield to meet Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on Sunday.

United are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League matches, winning eight.
Jaipur: A day after blocking traffic on one carriageway of Jaipur-Delhi National Highway alleging that protesting farmers were creating unemployment and littering garbage in adjoining fields, local villagers returned home on Monday after Haryana police opened a slip lane on the highway.

On Sunday, locals near agitation site in Shajahanpur of Rajasthan's Alwar had pitched tents on one carriageway of the highway against the farmers' agitation.

Farmers

Sumer Singh, a protesting villager said their work and employment have been adversely affected due to the farmers' blockade and demanded its immediate removal.

Farmer leader Rampal Jat, however, asserted that it is the Haryana police and not the agitating farmers who have blocked the highway as farmers wanted to march to Delhi but Haryana police have erected barricades to stop them.

Protesting villagers should put pressure on the Haryana police for removing blockade," he added.

Farmers' protest

Bhiwadi SP Ram Murti Joshi said senior officials of the Rajasthan and Haryana police met on late Sunday evening and discussed the issues with farmers and villagers after which slip lane on the highway in Shahjahanpur was opened by Haryana police.

The road was closed on December 31 after several farmers had forcibly crossed into Haryana border.

"The tension has eased after the opening of the slip lane and now there are no villagers on the highway," he said.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Algiers, 12 January 2021 (SPS)- Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum and South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor discussed Tuesday in Pretoria, the question of Western Sahara and reaffirmed their "full support" to the immediate appointment of a new personal envoy of the UN Secretary General for this occupied territory.



In a joint statement released on the occasion of Mr. Sabri Boukadoum's two-day working visit to South Africa, the two ministers expressed "their full support to the immediate appointment by UN Secretary General (Antonio Guterres) of a personal envoy for Western Sahara," a post vacant since the resignation of former envoy, German Horst Kohler, in May 2019.



The two ministers voiced their "serious concerns over the escalation of military tensions in the occupied territories," the statement said.



Boukadoum and his counterpart Pandor also reaffirmed in this regard "their position in favor of reaching a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will guarantee the self-determination of Western Sahara people, through the holding of a free and fair referendum, in accordance with Security Council resolution 690 (1991) and subsequent resolutions," according to the same source. (SPS)



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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  Malaysia has declared a coronavirus emergency that will suspend Parliament at least until August and halt any bids to seek a general election, but critics charged it was a political move by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to stay in power.

The palace said in a statement Tuesday that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah consented Monday to Muhyiddins proposal for an emergency until Aug. 1 to curb the virus spread, which has reached a critical level.

In a televised speech, Muhyiddin assured citizens that the emergency was not a military coup and a curfew will not be enforced. He said his civilian government will remain in charge and that Malaysia is still open for business.

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The emergency declaration came just a day before millions of people in Malaysias biggest city, Kuala Lumpur, the administrative capita, Putrajaya, and five high-risk states return to a near-lockdown for two weeks.

Opposition lawmakers, analysts and critics said the emergency appeared aimed at halting the collapse of Muhyiddins government amid threats by the United Malays National Organization, the largest party in his ruling coalition, to withdraw support to force an early general election.

If this is the true underlying reason, the declaration of a national emergency is not only an overkill but an abuse of executive power that places the country at great peril, according to a joint statement by activist groups and nongovernmental organizations.

Muhyiddin took power in March after instigating the collapse of the reformist alliance that won 2018 elections and joined with the opposition to form a Malay-centric government. But his government is shaky with a razor-thin majority in Parliament.

A second UMNO lawmaker, Nazri Aziz, announced later Tuesday that he would no longer support Muhyiddin. With more UMNO lawmakers expected to follow suit, he said the emergency was an admission of defeat by Muhyiddin. Many in the UMNO are unhappy that the party is playing second fiddle to Muhyiddins own Malay party.

Muhyiddin said the national Parliament and all state legislatures will be suspended, and that no election is allowed during the period. He pledged to call a general election once the crisis has eased and it is safe to hold polls.

Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said most people could understand the need for movement curbs but an emergency declaration appeared overblown as it is unclear how that could help slow the virus spread.

Its very clearly a political move from the Muhyiddin side to preempt political challenges from both his rivals in his ruling coalition as well as the opposition, he said.

Malaysia last declared an emergency in 1969 after bloody racial riots that killed hundreds. The king, who can declare a state of emergency that allows the country to be governed through ordinances that cannot be challenged in court, had in October rejected Muhyiddins request to declare an emergency.

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said at the time that existing laws were sufficient to halt the virus spread. But in a palace statement Tuesday, the monarch said he took into account public safety and the countrys best interest as the pandemic has spiraled and parts of the country are struggling with floods that have displaced thousands.

The health ministry later Tuesday reported 3,309 new coronavirus cases, a new daily record, pushing the countrys tally to 141,533, from just over 15,000 three months ago. The death toll also inched up to 559.

Muhyiddin, in announcing the lockdown Monday, warned that the countrys healthcare system was at breaking point. He said daily coronavirus cases, which have consistently breached 2,000 in recent weeks, could jump to 8,000 by the end of May if nothing is done. The health ministry also said it has identified the first case of a highly contagious U.K. variant in the country.

Separately, Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin became the third Cabinet minister in days to test positive for the virus, his office said Tuesday.

Under the renewed curbs that start Wednesday, social gatherings and interstate travel are banned and movement is limited within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius, similar to a national lockdown last March. However, certain sectors in manufacturing, construction, services, trade and distribution, and plantations will be allowed to operate with strict guidelines.

Muhyiddin assured investors that the period of emergency will provide much needed calm and stability, as well as enable us to focus on economic recovery and regeneration.

Josef Benedict, a researcher with rights group CIVICUS Monitor, said the emergency appeared to be another bid by Muhyiddin to hold on to power, block elections and to remove parliamentary oversight rather than seriously addressing the pandemic.

A dark day for democracy, he tweeted.
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Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market size is valued at $1098.23M by 2019, and is estimated to reach $1,489.12M by 2025, growing at CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period of 2020-2025. The Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market growth rate is attributed to the increasing emphasis on patient safety during complicated surgeries which can be co-related to the growing prevalence of various lifestyles associated chronic diseases such as neurological and cardiovascular conditions that demands ultimate patient safety during the performance of these complicated surgeries thereby, fostering the market growth. Intraoperative monitoring is becoming a crucial factor in neurosurgery as it offers an early warning concerning motor & sensory functions during surgery thus yielding better results and avoiding post-operative neurophysiological deficits thus reducing risks of debilitating deficits such as muscle weakness, paralysis, hearing loss, and other normal body functions. Safer surgery translates to reduced intervention time and risk. An IONM system uses recordings of potentials (such as EEG, EMG, and evoked potentials) from the nervous system during a surgical procedure. These benefits have made it mandatory in neurosurgeries. From technological advancements in neuromonitoring have helped the surgeons to minimize the risks during surgery, when the central nervous system (CNS) is at risk to increased R&D investments by governmental bodies to overcome limitations of high cost thereby launching advanced products in the field of neuromonitoring is anticipated to propel the Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market during the forecast period 2020-2025.

Report Coverage

The report: Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market Forecast (2020-2025), by Industry ARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market:





By Source Type: Outsource Monitoring and Insource Monitoring.

By Modality: Electroencephalography(EEG), Electromyography(EMG) and Electrophysiology(EP).

By Application: Spinal Surgery, ENT Surgery, Neurosurgery, Vascular Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery and Others.

By End-Use: Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Specialty Clinics and Others.

By Geography: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW.





Key Takeaways

North America dominated the Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market with a share of 4.7% in the year 2019.

The factors such as huge burden of healthcare costs and patients desire to avoid readmission to hospitals, favorable reimbursement scenario are amongst the major factor projected to impel growth of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market.

Ageing population, increase in prevalence of chronic disorders, applications of IONM in different surgeries and risk management through IONM during complex surgeries are the key factors owing to the growth in the segment during forecast period 2020-2025.





Source Type - Segment Analysis

Insource IONM segment held the largest share in the market owing rising number of surgeries and compulsory monitoring of vital stats during every procedure. Also, Hospitals have adopted IONM systems and have trained technologists, who are supervised by neurologists and physiologists during the procedures. Moreover, there are no defined guidelines for the use of these neuromodulation devices but growing demand and usage of the same is anticipated to trigger the segmental growth.

However, Outsource IONM is gaining popularity and is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment in the forecast period 2020-2025; this can be attributed to the fact that outsourcing devices eliminates the need for hospitals to incur capital expenditure for the purchase of the equipments and bear its maintenance cost. Apart from this, now-a-days, hospitals generally do not prefer insourced monitoring as they have to appoint a full-time employee with the required skill set and they cannot offer the training standardization that is required to improve the quality of service. Thus, outsourced monitoring is in demand among hospitals and ASCs. In addition, IONM professionals also prefer to work for an outsourcing provider as they can work simultaneously for more than one hospital by working in an outsourcing IONM provider.

Application Type- Segment Analysis

Based on Application type, spinal surgery segment held the major share of the market in terms of revenue and is set to grow with a CAGR of 6.0%. The reason is set to be attributed to the fact that spinal surgery is widely used to treat spinal pathologies, and is the gold standard for correcting spinal deformities, but despite improvements in surgical techniques, the risk of neurological complications remains. Moreover, IONM is also utilized for other spine surgery indications: tethered cord, injured spinal cord, intramedullary tumors, extra medullary tumors, minimally-invasive surgery, cervical myelopathy, as well in other fields of surgery: cranial, vascular, cardiothoracic, etc. and is helpful in preventing perioperative peripheral nerve injury (PPNI) owing to excess mechanical pressure and torsion of the limbs and neck, which is anticipated to further expand the market over the projection period of 2020-2025. As per a report published by NCBI, it states that during CEA up to 15% of patients experience cerebral hypoperfusion after carotid cross clamping. This hypoperfusion leads to changes in electrophysiological signals in the brain, such as a decrease in fast EEG activities and a decrease in the amplitude or increase in the latencies of SSEP. Thus, IOM can help detect patients who is set to eventually require a selective shunt during the CEA procedure.

By Geography - Segment Analysis

North America is the major region dominating the Intraoperative Neuromonitoring market with revenue of $570.42M in 2019 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period of 2020-2025 to generate revenue of $ 745.23M in 2025. There is a rise in the usage the region has surged cases of chronic ailments, emergence of exceptionally refined medicinal services framework, high selection rate of intraoperative neuromonitoring, and expanded patient awareness in regard to the procedure. Moreover, the region is anticipated to increase its market share in the future, owing to the favorable and constantly improving reimbursement scenario. Significant investment is done on R&D activities in U.S. Many neurological centers in the U.S. strongly recommend the use of IONM thereby, trying to fulfill the manpower gap to meet the demand. Hospitals encourage physicians and doctorate-level IONM providers to get certified from organizations such as the American Board of Nuclear Medicine. The healthcare system is also trying to encourage underemployed neuroscience PhDs to pursue a career in IONM and become full-time professionals.

Moreover, the intraoperative neuromonitoring in Asia Pacific is likely to observe the fastest growth over the forecast period 2020-2025 growing at a CAGR of 6.6% owing to the growing awareness in regards to intraoperative neuromonitoring in patients during complicated surgeries and development in medical tourism sector in the rising nations in the area, for example, India and China.









Drivers  Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market

Growing Requirement of Tele-Neuromonitoring

With leading manufacturers leveraging advanced technology to launch compact and portable IONM devices, which are capable of getting configured with any laptop or desktop in the global market. Tele-neuromonitoring enabled qualified and certified IONM professionals to monitor patients from remote locations effectively are the growing requirement of the era. Through remote-neuromonitoring, the certified technologist or the physician can continuously monitor all the vital data, including action potential amplitude value, blood pressure data, and the degree of muscle relaxation. Remote monitoring also helps doctors reach small communities and rural areas and provide superior healthcare services from remote locations. Several hospitals and clinics also rely on tele-neuromonitoring, where a certified medical professional can provide high-quality monitoring service from any distant location and help save lives in the global market hence, can be considered as an Intraoperative Neuromonitoring key driver of the market during the forecast period 2020-2025.

Challenges  Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market

High capital and Dearth of skilled professionals

The major challenge for the market is the high initial capital investment required for new production plant, R&D cost required adds additional cost for production of various intraoperative neuromonitoring devices and compliance of these products in a vast and heterogeneous market. The poor compliance is attributed to stringent government regulations which are anticipated to hamper growth of the global intraoperative neuromonitoring market as the devices undergo rigorous clinical trials prior to a PMA (premarket approval), which causes a significant rise in the costs incurred by the manufacturers; the main obstacle being the dearth of skilled professionals.





Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Industry Outlook

Product launches, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and geographical expansions are key strategies adopted by players in the Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market. In 2019, Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market share is fragmented by the top ten players present in the market. Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market top 10 companies are Accurate Monitoring LLC, Medtronic PLC, NuVasive Inc., Computational Diagnostics Inc., SpecialtyCare, Natus Medical Incorporated., IntraNerve LLC, AXIS Neuromonitoring, LLC, Synaptic Resources LLC, Bromedicon, Inc., Inomed Medizintechnik GmbH and others.
Married At First Sight couple Lizzie Sobinoff and Seb Guilhaus shocked viewers when they announced their split on Monday.

But it wasn't just fans who were surprised, as the pair's co-stars were also blindsided because they'd seemed so happy at the cast reunion, which was filmed in Sydney last month.

Season five bride Jo McPharlin, a.k.a. Foxy Jojo, said on Instagram that she couldn't believe the lovebirds had called it quits.

Blindsided: Married At First Sight couple Lizzie Sobinoff and Seb Guilhaus shocked viewers when they announced their split on Monday - but it wasn't just fans who were surprised

'Absolutely devastated. They were so loved-up at the reunion show,' she commented below an Instagram post by gossip website The Wash.

'I even said to them, "I look at their relationship as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."'

'Love to the both of them at this horrible time as they are both absolutely genuine, fabulous people inside and out,' she added.

What went wrong? The pair's co-stars, including Jo McPharlin (left), were also blindsided because they'd seemed so happy at the cast reunion, which was filmed in Sydney last month

Supportive words: Steve Burley, who was from Seb and Lizzie's season and watched their romance blossom, also sent his well-wishes to them

Steve kept his message simple, writing: 'Much love and support to both of them'

Steve Burley, who was from Seb and Lizzie's season and watched their romance blossom, also sent his well-wishes to them.

He kept his message simple, writing: 'Much love and support to both of them.'

Nasser Sultan, a groom from Married At First Sight's fifth season, weighed in on the couple's split in a video posted to Instagram on Monday.

Having his say: Nasser Sultan, a groom from Married At First Sight's fifth season, weighed in on the couple's split in a video posted to Instagram on Monday

The former music promoter, 53, admitted he was 'saddened' by Seb and Lizzie's break-up because they'd seemed so tight at the reunion.

'My heart goes out to both of them, honestly. They were the loveliest, loveliest people I have met. I spent some time with Lizzie and Seb at the reunion, and they always had my back,' he said.

'Please, everybody, don't put s**t on them, because they are lovely, lovely people. The rest of the idiots are fake; these guys are real.'

It remains to be seen how Channel Nine will address the couple's split when the two-part reunion airs later this month.

The dream is over: It remains to be seen how Channel Nine will address the couple's split when the two-part reunion airs later this month

On Monday, Lizzie and Seb shared identical posts on their respective Instagram accounts announcing they had split.

They said they'd 'mutually decided to end' their relationship and asked for fans to be kind and respectful as they move forward.

Interestingly, the pair anticipated there would be 'rumours' about the circumstances of their break-up.

Break-up: On Monday, Lizzie and Seb shared identical posts on their respective Instagram accounts announcing they had split

'Naturally we are both aware there will be countless rumours and so on,' they said.

While no rumours have emerged as yet, the unusual wording begs the question as to whether a big story about their split will break in the coming days.

Their statement continued: 'It is still fresh for us both, we just know there has been some curiosity as we have shared parts of our relationship online and we met on national television.

'We are both respectful of each other and are still involved in each others lives. We both have cherished each other and have grown together. We would like to send love and well wishes to all.'
Mr. Sanders said in the interview that he wanted an initial, emergency stimulus package to be big. He thinks it must include an additional $1,400 in direct payments for adults and children, on top of the $600 that Congress just passed, along with money for states and cities to fund coronavirus vaccine distribution, testing and contact tracing. He also wants to create an emergency universal health care program, so that anyone can get medical treatment during the pandemic, whether they currently have insurance or not.

Mr. Sanders said he had been speaking with Mr. Biden about the scale and timing of stimulus legislation. He said that he did not intend to try to force his long-held priorities, such as Medicare for all, into a relief bill. However, he does intend to test the legal bounds of how reconciliation can be used so that Democrats can pass policies that go beyond traditional budget items and address structural problems in American society.

Neither Mr. Sanders nor Mr. Biden has specified the exact size of the next stimulus bill, though the president-elect is expected to outline his economic plan on Thursday. Mr. Sanders said the legislation, which could cost more than $1 trillion, should look to raise revenue in a progressive manner, suggesting he would push to include tax increases on the wealthy and on corporations. Under Senate procedure, the details of any tax increases would come from the Finance Committee and be spearheaded by a liberal Democrat, Ron Wyden of Oregon, who has also vowed to move aggressively on stimulus and raising taxes for corporations and the rich.

You have to start with the proposition that everybody has to pay their fair share. Mr. Wyden said in an interview.

Mr. Bidens aides say they will work closely with Mr. Sanders and the other committee leaders who will write the legislation to fit Mr. Bidens policy dreams into legislative text. But it will require some negotiation and compromise. Mr. Sanderss presidential campaign proposals dwarfed Mr. Bidens in cost and in reach. Mr. Biden pointedly does not support Medicare for all, and in laying out his priorities for the next stimulus, he has not emphasized the temporary health care coverage expansion that Mr. Sanders favors.

In sign of how far their alliance has come, however, Mr. Biden said last week that he nearly tapped Mr. Sanders to be his labor secretary, though he decided against it because it would have risked losing Mr. Sanderss seat  and Senate control  in a special election.
Toyota says it will give back more than $18million it received in JobKeeper payments after the car manufacturer closed out 2020 with record sales.

The company was using the government's wage subsidy during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in April, when revenue plunged by more than 50 per cent.

That was the worst monthly result in the company's history as dealerships were hit with unprecedented lockdown-induced closures.

But as Australia drove down community transmission of coronavirus and extended bans on overseas travel, Toyota capitalised on changing consumer demands.

The three months to December was Toyota's strongest final-year quarter on record, with vehicle sales leaping almost 30 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

Toyota Australia president and chief executive Matthew Callachor (pictured) said it was the 'right thing' to hand back $18million the company received in JobKeeper payments

Toyota's overall 2020 sales came in at 204,801, which was only 975 less than the previous year.

The vehicle maker boosted its overall market share by three percent to 22.3 percent, the highest since 2008.

Toyota Australia president and chief executive, Matthew Callachor, said giving the money back to the government was the 'right thing to do'.

'Our situation now, on the basis of the last quarter and looking forward into next year, has normalised so we've been talking to the ATO and we're actually going to hand that money back,' he told News Corp.

Toyota had been using JobKeeper to help provide job security for its employees as sales declined more than 50 per cent during the height of the coronavirus pandemic (stock image)

Mr Cattachor said research indicated more people were looking to buy a car to spend more time travelling locally as they are unable to jet off overseas.

'Some of our research showed that people were saying "I've still got a job, I've still got an income, I'm going to go and give myself a treat", so to speak,' he said.

'The practical reality is I can't go overseas, but I will travel locally and I'd like to actually get something that I feel really comfortable in.'

He said the company was still working through the details of the handback with the Australian Taxation Office, with head office in Tokyo, Japan giving final approval.
Omans sultan announced fresh changes to the country's constitution on Monday, January 10. One of the important changes includes the introduction of the post of the crown prince; other steps aim to encourage transparency in the government. The development comes as the Oman government faced growing pressures at home.

The amendments bring Oman into closer conformity with other Gulf kingdoms and eliminate the fear of any destabilising succession crisis that can happen in the future. Sultan Haitham has also organised ministries that were once controlled by his predecessor. The sultan also changed Omans basic law to allow for the appointment of a crown prince, which is a common practice in the Gulf states.

Read: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Launches COVID-19 Vaccination In Kingdom

Read: Saudi Arabia Crown Prince On Ending Blockade Of Qatar

Change of Law

The decree introduced by the sultan includes a committee to review the performance of senior government officials. This is also an effort to encourage accountability. Talking about the changes introduced, Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, called it a "revolutionary" move. He added, "It took (Sultan Haitham) a year to absorb everything, and now hes pushing ahead with his own stamp. You dont change the basic law lightly."

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said is the former culture minister of Oman and he came to power after the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died at the age of 79. According to reports, after Qaboos' death, the council's high military council had called the ruling family to convene and choose a new ruler. Three days of official mourning were declared with flags flown at half-mast for 40 days. Qaboos had ruled since taking over in a bloodless coup in 1970 with the help of former colonial power Britain. His cause of death was not announced, however, he had been unwell for years and reportedly spent a week in Belgium undergoing medical treatment in early December. Sultan Qaboos had no children.

Read: Saudi Plans Eco-friendly City With No Cars, No Streets, Zero Carbon Emission

Also Read: Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin 'races' With Two Ostriches, Netizens React; Watch

(Image Credits: AP)




CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cleveland City Council might subpoena leaders of FirstEnergy to testify about so-called dark money that investigators have linked to the utility and that ended up in a campaign against Cleveland Public Power.

During a briefing Monday, some council members called for the unusual step of issuing a subpoena because court filings identify FirstEnergy as Company A that bankrolled the effort to undermine city-owned CPP.

The player that I want to focus on is Company A, Councilman Blaine Griffin said. Company A clearly is trying to influence Cleveland.  We need to, in addition to looking at this dark money, we really need to illuminate Company A.

Council launched an investigation in August to determine whether any parties accused in a statehouse corruption scandal related to legislative bailouts for two nuclear plants and two coal plants also sought to harm CPP.

The effort followed indictments handed down by federal investigators that said FirstEnergy and its affiliates funneled $60 million in bribes to Larry Householder, then speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, and four others in order to pass the $1.3 billion bailouts.

Tax filings and federal court documents indicate that FirstEnergy funneled money through a non-profit to Consumers Against Deceptive Fees, a group that billed itself as an advocate for Cleveland utility customers by questioning rates.

No one from FirstEnergy is charged with any crimes. In a statement released following the indictments, the company acknowledged it received subpoenas in connection with the investigation and that it intended to fully cooperate.

City Council President Kevin Kelley has noted that CPP is a competitor to FirstEnergy in Cleveland and that he wanted to investigate whether the utility had funded lobbying efforts against the city utility.

The investigation is needed, he said, to reveal if there was outside interference -- even if there was nothing illegal about it.

Among the proposals pitched by Consumers for Excessive Fees were restrictions on what the city could charge customers for electric power the utility bought and a block on Clevelands ability to negotiate with commercial customers.

Consumers for Excessive Fees registered with the Ohio Secretary of States office in 2018. It filed paperwork with the state in October to dissolve as an organization.

But Kelley said the investigations need to continue.

I think that its important that we go into this with our eyes wide open, Kelley said. The fact that theyre no longer in business, that theyve dissolved, -- we have to just be ever vigilant.

Councils lawyers are reviewing the scope of the councils subpoena power  something that could compel people to testify in hearings.
Queensland police are poring over four days' worth of CCTV footage as health authorities say they might never know exactly how the cleaner at the centre of the current greater Brisbane lockdown contracted the virus.

An official investigation is underway into the circumstances of the transmission at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane.

Police monitoring entrances to the Hotel Grand Chancellor last week. Credit:Matt Dennien

Authorities are almost certain the woman contracted the virus from a man staying in hotel quarantine, who has since been confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus lineage B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the UK.

The strain is believed to be more contagious than other strains of SARS-CoV-2, and so health authorities around the world have been responding with stronger measures to stop its spread.
Microphone and US Flag View Photo

During the Democratic Weekly Address, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) discussed the riot at the U.S Capitol and stated that there will be a peaceful transfer of power.

Boyle was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

Fellow Citizens, Im speaking to you from the United States Capitol, where this week the whole world watched a shameful assault on our democracy play out right before our eyes.

A violent mob stormed the Capitol in order to stop Congress from upholding its Constitutional responsibility to validate the presidential election. Incited by some and radicalized by others, these domestic terrorists wanted to impose their will over that of We the People.

They failed. At 3:40 in the morning, I stood in the well of the House of Representatives, the Peoples House, as Vice President Pence announced Congress had carried out its Constitutional duty and affirmed the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

What was at stake this week was not choosing the next president, for the people already made that decision in this election. This was about something bigger than Donald Trump, or Joe Biden, or any man or woman. It was about the survival of our democracy.

Two centuries ago, one of our Founding Fathers cautioned against the danger of taking our democracy for granted. John Adams wrote, Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

The greatest threat to democracy is never external. It is from within. We must never take for granted our democracy. It must be defended by every generation. Always.

The scenes from Wednesday were ugly and unforgettable, especially for those of us who lived through it. Yet, I remain optimistic.

Growing up in Philadelphia, where our democracy was born, and raised in an immigrant family, I was often brought to visit the historic sites. Every summer, without fail, we would spend an entire day seeing Independence Hall, Congress Hall, the Liberty Bell.

It was at Independence Hall where our nation was declared free and our Constitution born. At the Constitutional Convention, it was an open question as to whether this young nation, only a few years old, would survive. The Conventions oldest and most accomplished delegate was Benjamin Franklin, one of our greatest Founding Fathers, and my citys greatest citizen.

Physically feeble, he rarely spoke throughout the Convention. In a notable address toward the close of the Convention, he gently urged dissenting delegates to put aside their legitimate criticisms and unite to adopt our Constitution.

On the final day, as the last delegates were signing the document, Franklin pointed toward the sun on the back of the Convention presidents chair. Observing that painters had found it difficult to distinguish between a rising sun from a setting sun, Franklin went on to say: I have often [] in the course of the session [] looked at that sun behind the president without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length, I have the happiness to know it is a rising sun.

In a week such as this, when an armed mob stormed the Capitol, it can be hard to tell whether that sun is rising or setting on our American democracy.

But have no doubt. Be not afraid. For the miracle at Philadelphia lives. Our Constitution held. On the 20th of January, the sun will rise, and at twelve noon, a peaceful transfer of power will take place in America.

Thank you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Investing in the future of the drinks industry

Jamie Walker, one of the co-founders of drinks brand accelerator Sip & Savour, talks about the company's first year in business

Jamie Walker Sip and Savour

How did Sip and Savour start?

Sip and Savour formed from five people. Chris and Lewis Bowen have strength in the off-trade and online... The rest of us come from an on-trade background. I have worked for Bacardi and Diageo to understand the super-premium category. It has become so saturated here in the UK. We pulled ourselves together to say, what we want to do is build a brand, feed it and push it. But we need to build a foundation of trust to ensure that we can deliver.

Our portfolio of premium drinks brands had grown quickly since our launch in early 2020. Sip and Savour now looks after Amaretto Adriatico, Fercullen Irish Whiskey, Gincarte Gin, Sprezza, Oxford Artisan Distillery, and Ron Colon.

Tell us about how the business functions as a 'brand accelerator'.

We look for brands with a story where production channels are strong... We build things on a point of difference and have a bit of fun with it. Now everyone wants to have a point of difference, but sometimes they try to over-educate the consumer.

We would look at each brand, and the quality of the product. We have more of an 'outside-in' approach. The liquid itself has to be phenomenal - of course the packaging is important, but the quality of the liquid is paramount to us, in terms of production values and flavour. Then we look at communities where we want to spread the product. The influence there is super-important. You want to get it in front of the right people who can influence in a sincere way, where the opinion matters because it has been built on trust. Once we have that, we can start creating some wins.

It is about trying to understand the kind of activity the products have - tastings for bartenders and consumers, any bar events they have organised, inspiring the on-trade by telling them about the product. Menu placement and visibility is really important to us; it is not just [about] sitting on the back bar, it is about being used. Bartenders are so important when it comes to brand building because they are the gatekeepers and the conduits.

In my experience each brand is different. We may have one strategy written down on paper, but if a new strategy comes to you that fits with that brand, you should run with it. And we have partners on the ground - understanding how to work in partnership with accounts is so important.

What is the brand-building business like in the UK today?

You walk into a lot of bars which say they are saturated and can't build any more brands. It is the beginning of the journey that I find really exciting, building brands into something that has critical mass and can drive itself forward. I think there are so many great online wholesalers out there, but they don't really have the brand-building capacity. People have to be asking for your product and brands need help building that footprint. We have capability for trade engagement programmes, social media promotion - it was that element that I thought there was a gap in the market for. We saw there were good brands out there that didn't have representation, and there are some out there who have had representation but had their fingers burned. Brand building is an expensive market - you need to make sure you create bang for your buck.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected the business?

We want to support, celebrate and reward the on-trade network in these challenging times. We would normally launch through physical activations and events into on-trade and off-trade channels, but we have had to adapt and change our approach.

As opposed to carrying out launch events at bars and restaurants, we made a plan to partner with the best bartenders and drinks culture experts, established and up-and-coming. Programming for this kicked off in September. These partnerships are key in ensuring we can give bartenders a voice and also support them through added value.

Our trade has been hit very heavily by the situation. Once we turn a corner and there is a solution people will want to be out and celebrating, bars and restaurants will be busy again, but for now it is about making sure that we have a lifeline for them through the tricky times.

What does the future have in store for Sip and Savour?

We want to be the best brand-building distribution company we possibly can. We are looking to add two or three premium drinks brands to further enhance our portfolio. When on-trade and off-trade reopen, we will be driving forward in these channels. Our main focus lies in the UK at the moment. We have a bonded warehouse in Holland; when things are less volatile, we will focus on export.

8 January 2021
 Flash

China and Myanmar have reached consensuses on an array of issues ranging from bilateral relations to the joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.



The consensuses and outcomes were achieved during Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday.

Both sides reached consensus in principle on the action plan to jointly build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the announcement by leaders of the two countries to jointly build such a community.

They agreed to cement anti-epidemic cooperation and improve the "fast tracks" and "green lanes" for personnel and goods movement.

China will donate a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar.

Both countries pledged to dovetail their development strategies and push forward cooperations such as jointly building the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, the New Yangon City and the China-Myanmar Border Economic Cooperation Zone.

Both sides agreed to implement the five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation and upgrade the bilateral trade.

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they agreed to extend the celebratory events marking the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the China-Myanmar Year of Culture and Tourism to 2021.



China welcomed Myanmar's assumption of the role of the country coordinator of China-ASEAN relations, and is ready to work with Myanmar to elevate the China-ASEAN relations, build a China-ASEAN partnership on blue economy, and strive to put into force the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement at the earliest possible date.

As this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), the two countries vowed to play their role as the co-chair of LMC and promote water resources cooperation.

Both countries backed the Global Initiative on Data Security and pushed for the establishment of a China-ASEAN community of cybersecurity.

China supported Myanmar in properly addressing the Rakhine state issue, supported the talks between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the issue, and the early repatriation of displaced people to Myanmar from Bangladesh.

The two sides also signed or announced eight documents or outcomes, including the China-Myanmar five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the feasibility study of a railway linking Mandalay and Kyaukphyu, and the launch of the Myanmar National Center of Disease Control (CDC) and Medical Training Center project, among others.

Wang is on a four-nation tour to Southeast Asia on Jan. 11-16, which will also take him to Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.
BROOKFIELD  The school district notified residents of three more COVID-19 cases across schools, according to a notification from Superintendent John Barile.

Two members from Brookfield High and an individual at Whisconier Middle School tested positive for coronavirus, the message read.

The affected individuals and families have been instructed to remain home and isolate, Barile said.

Anyone who is considered a close contact with these individuals has been contacted by now or will be contacted very soon and provided with instructions on the appropriate steps to take, which includes quarantine for ten days, with close monitoring for days 11-14, he added.

The district has not received any other reports of community members experiencing symptoms resembling COVID-19, the notification said.

According to the districts COVID-19 dashboard, there are 20 positive cases across the district, 17 of which are students. An additional 14 students are quarantining after coming into close contact with others.

This news comes as Barile adjusted the quarantine period to ten days, reflecting guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Brookfield Director of Health Raymond Sullivan.

Barile said those who are COVID-positive need to isolate for ten days and the infected individual needs to be careful returning on day eleven, taking note of arising symptoms. He said transmission is possible but the chances are low. Returning a member back to school four days earlier allows there to be more staff and students so children may remain in school.

Barile said the district will continue working with Brookfields health department to monitor COVID-19 data trends.
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Supreme Court of India (SC)

Senior advocates Dushyant Dave, HS Phoolka and Colin Gonsalves, representing around 400 farmers' bodies, were not present in the Supreme Courts hearing on January 12.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde assembled on January 12 to pronounce a verdict on various issues related to the farm laws and the farmers' ongoing stir at Delhi borders.

During the hearing, the CJI asked senior advocate Harish Salve about Dushyant Dave.

Where has (Dushyant) Dave gone now? Yesterday he said he will get back today with the views of farmers unions. They have not logged in also, asked the CJI.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the SC verdict on farm laws

We don't have Dave, Phoolka and Colin Gonsalves today, though they said they represent nearly 400 protesters. This is really concerning. - advocate Harish Salve

The advocates, who had been present in the SC hearing on January 11, were supposed to consult the farmers on the formation of a committee and come back on the day, said senior Salve before the bench.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday slammed countries aiding and abetting terrorism and providing terrorists financial assistance and safe havens, in an indirect swipe at Pakistan. India asserted that the international community must not allow terrorism to be justified and terrorists glorified as it told the UN Security Council that the crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts is given not just state protection but is enjoying five-star hospitality, a thinly-veiled reference to the D-company head Dawood Ibrahim believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

Jaishankar was speaking at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate, which centred on the topic "International cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1373". This was the first time the foreign minister made an intervention at the UNSC after India assumed membership on January 1.

Jaishankar proposed an eight-point Action Plan for the UN system to credibly address the menace of terrorism and ensure effective action. He asserted that linkages between terrorism and transnational organised crime must be fully recognised and addressed vigorously. He is the senior-most Indian leader to address the UNSC since India joined the powerful 15-member UN body as a non-permanent member this month for a two-year tenure.

"Some states lack legal and operational frameworks and technical expertise to detect, investigate and prosecute terrorist financing cases. However, there are other states that are guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism and provide financial assistance and safe havens," said Jaishankar.

"We must summon political will to combat terrorism. There must be no ifs and buts in the fight. Nor should we allow terrorism to be justified and terrorists glorified. All members must fulfill the obligations enshrined in international counter-terrorism instruments," he said.

Referring to Dawood Ibrahim, in hiding in Pakistan, Jaishankar said: "We have seen crime syndicate responsible for 1993 Mumbai blasts not just given state protection but enjoying five-star hospitality." Last August, Pakistan had for the first time acknowledged the presence of Ibrahim on its soil after the government imposed sweeping sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders which also included the name of the underworld don wanted by India.

Jaishankar said nations must not tolerate "double standards" in this battle. "Terrorists are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones. Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable," he said.

"Enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes must be done objectively, not for political or religious considerations. Proposals in this regard merit due examination before circulation," he added.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has only aggravated the situation further. The relative isolation and extended disruption due to the lockdowns and the associated distress and economic uncertainty has made the world more susceptible to radicalizing narratives and extremist propaganda," said the minister.

"In recent years, terrorist groups and lone wolf attackers have enhanced their capabilities by gaining access to emerging technologies, including drones, virtual currencies and encrypted communications. Social media networks have contributed to radicalization and recruitment of youth," he added.

In a strongly-worded statement, Jaishankar said combating terrorist financing will only be as effective as the weakest jurisdiction. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) should continue to identify and remedy weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks. He also added that enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes must be done objectively, not for political or religious considerations.
Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter'

Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter' as he refused to apologise for comparing last week's raid on the US Capitol with Black Lives Matter protests last year.

The acting prime minister, who is filling in while Scott Morrison takes a week of leave, came under fire on Monday for saying President Donald Trump should not be banned from Twitter and Facebook for inciting violence.

He said Trump supporters' raid on the Capitol as politicians met to affirm Joe Biden's election win was 'unfortunate' and 'similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year'.

Human Rights group Amnesty International said comparing a violent raid on the Capitol that killed five to the mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter movement was 'deeply offensive' and asked Mr McCormack to withdraw the comment.

But the acting Prime Minister refused to apologise and sparked further outrage by saying the controversial phrase 'all lives matter', which is used by far right groups to diminish the struggles faced by black and Indigenous communities.

'I appreciate that there are a lot of people out there who are being a bit bleeding heart about this and who are confecting outrage, but they should know those lives matter too. All lives matter. People shouldn't have to go to a protest and lose their lives,' Mr McCormack told the ABC.

Labor health spokesman Chris Bowen said the comments were 'beyond disgusting'.

'Australians of colour deserve to know that the Government thinks more of them than that, and to have the Acting Prime Minister spout the words, 'all lives matter', to diminish the Black Lives Matter movement, was beyond disgusting,' he said.

A study by the US Crisis Monitor found that more than 93 per cent of 7,750 Black Lives matter protests following the death of black man George Floyd who was knelt on by a policeman were peaceful.

Labor's Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said comparing the movement with a violent raid where windows were smashed and 50 people were injured was a 'failure of leadership'.

Michael McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC (pictured) on Thursday and instead likened the mob to Black Lives Matter protesters

'It beggars belief that the acting Prime Minister is drawing his equivalence,' he said.

'This is a stupendous and outrageous failure of leadership. When leaders all around the world are rightly condemning the violence in Washington, DC we have members of the Australian government trying to legitimise it or draw false comparisons.'

Mr McCormack refused to withdraw his comparison, saying the movement 'involves violence. It involves the destruction of property. It involves deaths of people, and any violence of that form is condemned.'

During his first two days as acting PM, Mr McCormack also called unemployed people 'lounge lizards' and refused to condemn government MPs Craig Kelly and George Christensen for spreading misinformation peddled by Trump supporters.

Mr Kelly has also claimed in a social media post that asking children to wear face masks amounts to 'child abuse'.

But instead of condemning the post, Mr McCormack said in a press briefing: 'Facts are sometimes contentious and what you might think is right, somebody else might think is completely untrue, that is part of living in a democratic country.'

Mr Bowen said: 'Craig Kelly is a menace and at every turn, Scott Morrison and now Michael McCormack have failed to call him out.'

Earlier Mr McCormack said unemployed Australians need to 'turn off Netflix' and get a job in the bush.

He said JobSeeker recipients, many of whom lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, were earning 'more than they ever dreamed of' on the taxpayer dollar.

The Nationals leader said the Regional Australia Institute found almost 50,000 jobs up for grabs in country Australia, and the unemployed should go get them.

He made the 'lounge lizards' gaffe during an interview on Monday, and doubled down when grilled about it on Nine's Today show on Tuesday morning.

'I say to those people, who have perhaps done reasonably well off JobSeeker - given the fact they might have been earning more than what they could have ever have dreamt of - it's time to turn Stan and Netflix off and come out to regions,' he replied.

Australians are seen lining up at a Centrelink office in Melbourne at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

'You can have a better life. You don't actually have to stick in congested traffic in the capital cities. You can get out to regional Australia.'

Today host Allison Langdon asked whether it was 'slightly insulting' to label unemployed residents 'lounge lizards'

She argued not everyone has the ability or freedom to relocate, particularly during a pandemic when they are subject to lockdowns and hotspot declarations.

Mr McCormack replied 'there's not much Covid out here', speaking from Townsville in North Queensland.

'Many communities in regional Australia have hardly had a case of Covid if at all and they are craving for people from the city to come out and experience the bush,' he said.

The acting prime minister said there were a variety of available jobs - beyond working on a farm.

'They're not just jobs picking fruit, they're not just jobs in meatworks. They're jobs in all sorts of good endeavours and certainly good well-paying jobs,' he said.

'It's fun to pick fruit, it's good and well-paying work to work in a meatworks and goodness knows we need them.'
Its not just the soul food that keeps customers coming back to Mrs. Kitchen.

To be sure, customers rave about the fried chicken, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, meatloaf and collard greens that the East Side restaurant serves in generous portions.

But patrons also return because the atmosphere is laid-back and the owners and staff are friendly. The fare and the feel remind some of the comforts of home and hark back to their grandmothers cooking  which is the inspiration for owner Garlan McPherson.

As McPherson prepares to move from the cottage at 2242 E. Commerce St. that houses Mrs. Kitchen to a far bigger space at 5237 Walzem Road in Windcrest, he believes his grandmother is smiling down on him.

You did well, he thinks shes thinking.

McPherson, who grew up on the East and North sides, decided to open the restaurant in 2011 after serving as a probation officer for Bexar County. He wanted to work for himself, he said, and as a child he had watched his grandmother cook.

Some had doubts about whether he would make it in the neighborhood.

I said, No, you can, McPherson said.

On ExpressNews.com: Review: Mrs. Kitchen gets to the heart of soul food on the East Side

Mrs. Kitchen became popular with both San Antonio residents and out-of-towners. Staff started taking ZIP codes to see where customers were coming from; they came from all over the city, McPherson said.

He said he sought to give back to the community, employing friends in the neighborhood and offering large portions that could feed a family at affordable prices.

As more customers packed into the roughly 1,700-square-foot house and griped about finding parking, McPherson said, he started praying and looking for a bigger place to lease several years ago.

The coronavirus pandemic that took hold in San Antonio last spring made the spacing constraints even more difficult. McPherson closed the restaurant and set up a makeshift drive-thru for to-go orders, but business took a hit.

He was primarily searching for a new location on the East Side, he said, but finding a large venue that had ample parking and was readily available was tough. Plans to move into another location down the street didnt pan out.

Then an opportunity to take over a roughly 8,000-square-foot space in Windcrest arrived, with tables, chairs and plenty of room to spread out customers.

We have to take a chance on opportunity when its presented to us, he said. Now, bring the tour buses, bring em all.

McPherson had been specific in his prayers  he wanted a kitchen with a red floor and drainage, for example  and he said God answered.

When I looked down I saw that floor, I said, God is so real, he said. It just (brings) tears to your eyes, how wonderful he is during this time.

Mrs. Kitchen will open in its new digs soon, and McPherson plans to make some additions to the menu. Prices will still be reasonable, he said, though portions may be slightly less plentiful. Rent is higher in Windcrest.

He may open more businesses eventually.

I got plans to come back and do things, McPherson said of the East Side. Now I can come back, and eventually things will get better to where I can open up another business on the East Side.

On ExpressNews.com: Troubled East Side project moving forward

Betty Braden, who lives near Mrs. Kitchens former East Commerce location, said shes sad to see the restaurant go.

The fried chicken, pork chops, collard greens and green beans at Mrs. Kitchen are favorites of her and her husband, Gene. The prices are good, she said, and the servers are friendly.

The couple, real estate developers, often took clients to the restaurant. McPherson looked at space in a former Handy Andy distribution center near to the AT&T Center that they are redeveloping, Braden said.

Their food is wonderful, she said. Its that good home cooking.

The Bradens may make the trip to Windcrest every now and then, she said, but it will be a planned outing instead of a quick trip down the street for lunch.

I dont know of any other restaurant like Mrs. Kitchen in the area, so I think that type of food  therell be a vacancy there, she said.

Tee Tee Bass-Merritt, who has been dining at the restaurant for about four years, plans to clear her schedule for Mrs. Kitchens opening day in Windcrest. (McPherson hasnt settled on an opening date yet.)

She recently took a tour of the new location and is thrilled its bigger and also closer to where she lives in the Converse area.

Once I went to Mrs. Kitchen, I was hooked on the food, Bass-Merritt said. Its just like home.

She first found the restaurant while looking for local soul food and Black-owned businesses.

Aside from the food  everything Ive had is good, she said, though she has a weakness for the smothered pork chops, candied yams, and macaroni and cheese  the service, prices and family ownership stand out.

Its a little bit of everything wrapped up in one, she said.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Leapmotor recently entered into a strategic partnership with Hefei municipal government for an all-round in-depth cooperation on new energy vehicle (NEV) business. The agreement made the company the second Chinese EV startup supported by the capital of Anhui province following NIO.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hangzhou, Leapmotor owns many core technologies developed in-house, which are related to battery, electric motor, electrical control unit, intelligent connectivity as well as autonomous driving.



Leapmotor C11; photo credit: Leapmotor



Leapmotor has to-date rolled out into the market three mass-produced models, namely the S01, the T03 and the C11. Unlike most startups who choose SUV as their first mass-produced model, Leapmotor's first production vehicle, the S01, is positioned as a small-sized all-electric coupe.

The startup announced the presale of the C11, its third production model, would begin on Jan. 1, 2021, coming with three trim levels. Guiding prices range from 159,800 yuan ($24,650) to 199,800 yuan ($30,820) after subsidies.

As the company's first all-electric SUV, the C11 measures 4,750mm long, 1,905mm wide and 1,650mm tall with a wheelbase that spans 2,930mm.

Leapmotor sold 11,391 new vehicles through 2020, including 1,125 S01s and 10,266 T03s. For the month of December 2020, its auto sales leapt 49% month on month to 3,024 units.

According to an internal letter released by Zhu Jiangming, chairman of Leapmotor, the company is ambitious to crack the top three among Chinese EV startups in 2023 and seize 10% of domestic NEV market share in 2025.

The EV manufacturer intends to be listed on the technology-focused Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR market) in the second half of 2021 or early 2022, according to Wu Baojun, co-founder and president of Leapmotor.

The investment in Leapmotor demonstrates Hefei's demands in industrial transition and introduction of supporting new industries. The city eyes an internationally advanced level in core technologies of NEVs, power batteries, electric motors, in-car operating system, and an annual NEV capacity of 1 million units by 2025, according to a document Hefei government issued in last November.
GENEVA - The World Health Organizations chief scientist warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop COVID-19, herd immunity is highly unlikely this year.

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FILE - In this file photo dated Monday, June 22, 2020, a sign requesting people stay two metres apart to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is displayed in front of "Out of Order" a 1989 red phone box sculpture by British artist David Mach, in London. The World Health Organizations chief scientist warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop COVID-19, that there will be no chance of herd immunity this year. At a press briefing on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said it was critical countries and their populations maintain strict social distancing and other outbreak control measures for the foreseeable future. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

GENEVA - The World Health Organizations chief scientist warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop COVID-19, herd immunity is highly unlikely this year.

At a media briefing on Monday, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said it was critical countries and their populations maintain strict social distancing and other outbreak control measures for the foreseeable future. In recent weeks, Britain, the U.S., France, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and others have begun vaccinating millions of their citizens against the coronavirus.

"Even as vaccines start protecting the most vulnerable, were not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021," Swaminathan said. "Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, its not going to protect people across the world."

Scientists typically estimate that a vaccination rate of about 70% is needed for herd immunity, where entire populations are protected against a disease. But some fear that the extremely infectious nature of COVID-19 could require a significantly higher threshold.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, an adviser to WHOs director-general, said the U.N. health agency was hoping coronavirus vaccinations might begin later this month or in February in some of the worlds poorer countries, calling on the global community to do more to ensure all countries have access to vaccines.

"We cannot do that on our own," Aylward said, saying WHO needed the co-operation of vaccine manufacturers in particular to start immunizing vulnerable populations. Aylward said WHO was aiming to have "a rollout plan" detailing which developing countries might start receiving vaccines next month.

Still, the majority of the world's COVID-19 vaccine supply has already been bought by rich countries. The U.N.-backed initiative known as COVAX, which is aiming to deliver shots to developing countries is short of vaccines, money and logistical help as donor countries scramble to protect their own citizens, particularly in the wake of newly detected COVID-19 variants in Britain and South Africa, which many officials are blaming for increased spread.

WHO, however, said that most of the recent spikes in transmission were due to "the increased mixing of people" rather than the new variants.

WHOs technical lead on COVID-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, said that the spike in cases in numerous countries was detected before the new variants were identified. Van Kerkhove noted that during the summer, COVID-19 cases were down to single digits in most countries across Europe.

"We lost the battle because we changed our mixing patterns over the summer, into the fall and especially around Christmas and the new year," she said, explaining that many people had multiple contacts with family and friends over the holidays. "That has had a direct impact on the exponential growth that you have seen in many countries," she said, describing the case count increase in some places as "vertical."

Dr. Michael Ryan, WHOs emergencies chief, said while there is some evidence variants may be speeding the spread of COVID-19, "there is no evidence that variants are driving any element of severity." He said the variants shouldnt alter countries strategies for controlling outbreaks.

"It doesnt change what you do, but it gives the virus some new energy," Ryan said.

AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng reported from Toronto.
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The riot at the U.S. Capitol last week was a terrible tragedy, and it is inconsistent with our core values as Americans and Christians. The escalating polarization and political unrest in our nation are extremely disturbing, and we join Christians everywhere in praying for peace.

At this disruptive moment, this burning question from a former American Bible Society president echoes across the years, bringing us wisdom and perspective from a very different moment of national strife: Where shall we look for the hope of our country?

During the 15 years leading up to the American Civil War (18461861), former U.S. Senator and vice-presidential candidate Theodore Frelinghuysen, affectionately regarded nationally as the Christian Statesman, served as president of American Bible Society.

At that time of deep conflict, Frelinghuysen penned a solemn  even prophetic  warning to a divided nation. He cautioned that departing from the Bibles message of liberty, justice, unity, and love would lead to rampant destruction in Americas public and private life:

Seal up this one Volume (the Bible), and in a half century all these hopes would wither and these prospects perish forever. These sacred temples would crumble or become the receptacles of pollution and crime.

But despite the real challenges facing America in his day, Frelinghuysen did not lose heart. And neither should we.

Embodying the hope, joy and peace promised in Romans 15:13, Frelinghuysen went on to write in this same letter that it was the Bible, and the Bible alone, that could bind together every family in this great brotherhood of America in a spirit of unity, peace, and love. This indeed, was the last great hope for our democracy.

He wrote:

Under the benignant smiles of Him who delights to bless the Word, our government, the last hope of liberty, will rest on foundations against which the winds and waves shall beat in vain.

The Lord hath said, My Word shall not return unto me void. 

Where shall we look for the hope of our country, for the preservation of its union, for the blessing of the God of our fathers, if we may not here?

Other national leaders  like the first Chief Justice John Jay and the President of the Congress of Confederation Elias Boudinot  transitioned from their political careers to lead the Bible Society, seeing the Bible as the book that ensures the staying power of the Constitution and the American Republic.

People of all faith commitments  and none  have recognized the tremendous and overall positive role that the Bible has played in American history. With these biblical roots propelling us forward, this is a moment for all Jesus-followers to fulfill our duty to live out the truths of the Bible  summarized not least in Matthew 22:3540 as loving God and loving our neighbors  letting our light shine so others may see it and be drawn to our Father.

This is a day for the Church to stand up, speak up, and serve with unmatched vigor, courage, and humility. Our vision at American Bible Society is to see churches bringing the healing of Gods Word to their own congregations and communities, and we are ready to help in whatever ways we can.

The United States of America is facing ongoing national challenges that are serving as converging pressure points for its citizens: the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest following the death of George Floyd, and a divisive political election. According to Gallup, Americans mental health is worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades.

Our trauma healing ministry provides free Bible-based resources to be used by small groups to find hope and healing from trauma. While this method has been embraced around the world, we also now recognize how desperately our own American citizens need help in addressing their trauma. Our research shows that the two best antidotes to mental health challenges are church and the Bible. Bible use is linked to how well people cope with their trauma, and Gallups research confirms that regular church attendees were most likely to describe their mental health as excellent. In these times of pain and unrest, the Church can emerge freshly as a spiritual hospital, with the Bible as a balm.

Ahead of our nations transition of power on January 20 and the possibility of further unrest, we urge all people to recommit to the cause of the Church and to the gospel of light in these divisive times. Please join us to:

Lament the political polarization and division, humbly asking God to cleanse our own souls and the soul of our nation (Psalm 51:10).

Pray that the actions of our leaders would lead to peace and tranquility in our land (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Serve with vigor and humility, seeking peace, justice, and healing in our communities as we bear witness to Christ and the eternal hope that can be found in his Word and in his Word alone (John 6:68).

With the Church, and with Theodore Frelinghuysen, we boldly ask:

Where shall we look for the hope of our country, the preservation of its union, and the blessing of God if not in the Bible?


Heartbroken 9-Year-Old Sells Cookies to Fund Fathers Funeral After Tragic Car Accident

In the wake of her fathers death in a fatal car accident, a Kentucky fourth-grader is using their shared love of baking to help raise funds for the funeral. To Kaylei Miller, aged 9, her father was everything.

Kaylei and her mother, Whitney Barton, of Fairdale in Louisville, Kentucky, lost doting dad Jason Barton in a car accident on Jan. 3. Three days later, Kaylei and her family set to work, making enough goodies to hold a bake sale.

Kaylei Miller with her father, Jason (Courtesy of Whitney Barton)

I just wanted to raise money so we could have a funeral for my dad, Kaylei told ABC 7, adding that she was just grateful to everyone who bought treats. I cried yesterday because of all the people who actually cared.

Kaylei baked a plethora of goodies including red velvet cake, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and popcorn. After advertising the Jan. 7 bake sale on social media, word spread quickly, and queues formed outside the Fairdale Dairy Queen to support Kayleis venture.

According to a GoFundMe page started for the grieving family, father of three Jason did not have life insurance. His family was in danger of losing their home.

The pandemic wont stop us from caring about other people, bake sale customer Jack told ABC 7. With his wife, Debbie, Jack donated $1,000 to Kaylei and her mother in exchange for two chocolate chip cookies.

(Illustration  David Tonelson/Shutterstock)

As my wife said, she lost her father when she was in the fourth grade and still remembers what it was like, Jack explained. We knew the kind of pain the young lady was going through, and we wanted to help.

Kayleis aunt, Shalena Barton, praised the community for coming together in a time of need, and her niece for being an entrepreneur, just like her daddy.

Kaylei with her mom, Whitney, and dad, Jason (Courtesy of Whitney Barton)

To date, the familys GoFundMe page has raised over $34,000, well over 10 times its original goal. Whitney posted a heartfelt message to the funds more than 750 donors on Jan. 9:

[N]ever in 1 million years would I ever thought people would care this much over someone who they have not even ever even met  there will not be a day that goes by that I will not forget him because I see his face and big smile in my kids every day.

The mom added: [L]ife gets in the way sometimes and we cant pay everything, but thanks to you and thanks to God were able to get somewhere right now.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com
Pioneer Natural Resources has completed its $4.5 billion acquisition of Parsley Energy, creating a powerhouse in the prolific Permian Basin of West Texas.

Shareholders from both companies approved the merger at a special meeting on Tuesday. Parsley stockholders will receive 0.1252 shares of Pioneer stock for each share of Parsley stock owned. After today, Parsley stock will no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

We are excited to close our transaction with Parsley and begin delivering on the significant synergies provided by this combination, Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield said in a statement. We appreciate the strong support from shareholders and are confident in the tangible and durable value created through this transaction, forming the premier Permian independent energy company.

CONSOLIDATION: Pioneer Natural Resources laying off 100 workers after Parsley acquisition

Consolidation is sweeping the energy sector as the industry pulls out of the oil bust caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Oil and gas companies are joining forces and acquiring assets to better weather such downturns.

Recent mergers and acquisitions deals include Chevrons $13.7 billion acquisition of Houston-based Noble Energy in October, Devon Energys $5.8 billion acquisition of WPX Energy and Southwestern Energys $193 million acquisition of Montage Resources in November.

Dallas-based Pioneer announced plans to take over rival Parsley in October. The combined company, which will have access to 930,000 acres in the Midland and Delaware basins, is expected to lead to annual savings of more than $325 million by 2021. Pioneer plans to cut costs by combining water resources, refinancing debt and streamlining operations.

Pioneer last month said it plans to cut 100 jobs in Midland after its acquisition with Parsley. The layoffs will occur over three months beginning in February at Parsleys headquarters in Midland. Some of the employees will be offered jobs with Pioneer outside of Midland.
Dont be distracted by President Trumps Tuesday visit to Texas.

Dont be fooled into believing a White House spokesman who claimed this hurried trip to Hidalgo County is to mark a promise made, promise kept  and his Administrations efforts to reform our broken immigration system.

Trump didnt keep the promise. After four years, the big, beautiful wall he promised from sea to shining sea includes a grand total of 30 new miles. And news flash: Mexico didnt pay for it.

More importantly, though, Trumps scurry to the Lone Star State is a blatant attempt to distract from the violent insurrection his dishonest and hate-filled rhetoric helped incite. Its a stunt to draw attention away from an impeachment effort on Capitol Hill, the very place a horde of his fanatical supporters stormed last week. Five people died, including a Capitol police officer.

Trump seeks to use our conservative state, which he won in November with 52 percent of the vote, as a backdrop to lend a veil of normalcy to the last days of his failed presidency.

Its the basest kind of political theater  and its not welcome. Dont bring your mess to Texas, President Trump. This state may be red but its nobodys sanctuary city.

Along the border, community organizers are protesting the trip and have created a petition drive urging local officials to refuse to cooperate with Trump and to cancel his dangerous stunt. The Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe also started a Change.org petition seeking to keep Trump off their ancestral land, saying he believes insurrection, treason, sedition are ways of life.

Even Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, certainly no profiles in courage when it comes to challenging Trump, have chosen to stay away. Neither will join Trump at the border; opting instead to be in Austin for the first day of the Legislature. Patrick, who skipped opening day in 2019 when Trump summoned him to the White House, has condemned the pro-Trump rioters, even decrying the myth of Antifa involvement, but minimized the presidents role.

Texas Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, a Democrat whose district includes part of Alamo, however, minced no words about Trumps visit. This is a time for good ol South Texas American pride to beam into our communities and to not allow ourselves to be used like an old rag by a modern day traitor, Gonzalez said.

Trumps visit is a con mans shell game  and we musnt play along. We cant let it overshadow the horrific events of the Jan. 6 insurrection, when pro-Trump rioters staged the first occupation of the U.S. Capitol since it was torched by British troops during the War of 1812.

Hold on to these bone-chilling images: A ravenous mob dragging a police officer out of the building and beating him with crutches and a pole carrying the U.S. flag. Another officer screaming in agony as the red-hatted throngs crushed him in a doorway. Rioters rushing through the hallowed halls of the Capitol shouting Hang Pence and Hang Pelosi. Shattered windows. Broken doors. Feces smeared on walls. A placard honoring the civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis trampled and destroyed.

The pulse of our democracy was nearly stilled by a rabid crowd radicalized by a president so unwilling to admit defeat that he pushed a conspiracy theory about nonexistent election fraud and who, moments before sending his followers toward the Capitol, said youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.

Trumps visit cant erase the horror of what happened in the Capitol Hill coup attempt  or his responsibility for roiling the rage, something hes been doing for years.

Our state is all too familiar with the damage Trump can inflict. We saw it in 2019 when a gunman sharing the presidents anti-immigrant zeal, opened fire in an El Paso Walmart, killing 23 and injuring dozens more. We saw it when migrant children were ripped from their parents arms at the border, with more than 500 still separated more than two years later.

Trump started his campaign with lies to stir up white nationalism and incite hate toward immigrants, tweeted former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro. Hes ending his presidency the same way.

Trumps support among Texas voters is undeniable and there may be many who support his anti-immigrant policies, but that doesnt give him the right to wield our state as cover for his sins.

Texas is a big, diverse state. We have our differences. But the vast majority of us love our country, our democracy and respect the rule of law.

So, Mr. President, before you smile for your photo-op in a town not coincidentally called Alamo, remember this about the sacred piece of our lore that youre re-appropriating for your cynical purposes:

Texas is a land that celebrates bravery in the face of defeat. Its no country for old seditionists.
Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The Eastern Samar Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office reported massive flooding in the provinces five towns due to incessant rains on Monday, affecting over 3,000 families.

Close to 100 villages in the towns of Can-avid, Taft, Sulat, Maslog, Arteche, Dolores, and Jipapad were flooded. Most of these areas are located near river banks and flood prone areas.

The Eastern Samar PDRRMO said most of the evacuated families are from the upstream villages in Dolores (2,500 families), Taft (674), Maslog (141), and Sulat (97). It has yet to receive reports on how many evacuees are from Jipapad town.

The provincial government of Eastern Samar prepared relief assistance and food packs for evacuees.

Can-avid Mayor Gil Norman Germino said that aside from affected residents, more than 1,000 hectares of rice fields in their municipality were submerged.

He also said that the entire village located along the national highway of the Buray-Taft road was affected by the flooding. Authorities had to evacuate some of the affected 235 families to safer facilities like the church, health center, barangay hall, and day care center.

Meanwhile, a 70-year-old male resident in the village of Hindang in Borongan City was buried when a landslide happened at the back of his house on Monday afternoon, according to the report received by the Regional Public Information Office of the Police Regional Office 8.

The victim, identified as Remegio Alea, was digging a canal at the back of their house when the landslide occured and buried half of his body. Witnesses immediately asked assistance from barangay officials to rescue the victim.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office advised his family to vacate their house for safety.

Tacloban-based correspondent Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.



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America's institutional decline could result in the U.S. looking like Mexico, an episode of The Federalist's Radio Hour discussed.

Federalist Political Editor John Daniel Davidson was joined by the publication's Culture Editor Emily Jashinsky as they discussed the possibility of America's institutional decline resulting in a Mexico-like society.

For Davidson, the reality of America's institutional decline isn't something that could lead people to believe that the U.S. can compare to Europe. Instead, Mexico is a closer comparison.

"I've been saying this for a couple of years now," Davidson said.

America's Institutional Decline Like Mexico's Low-Trust Society

During the discussion, Davidson said Mexico had a "low-trust society."

He noted that in Mexico, institutions failed, elites are corrupt and people turned away from institutions of public life. This applies not just for black-market industries but also "a kind of private patronage system that is a workaround to failed institutions," he continued.

Read also: Pelosi Calls for Trump Impeachment in Fear He'll Pardon Capitol Rioters

Davidson believes the biggest indicator that there would be a more untrustworthy future for America's institutions was the "rapid cultural decline of families and young men."

People are lacking a sense of purpose or importance, but violent activity like gangs and political street fights make them feel strong, Davidson said.

He was also saddened that "there are not enough voices" to keep dissuade them from the violence activities they could get involved in.

Market Watch's Arvind Subramanian also said in an opinion article that the coronavirus made America's institutional decline much more obvious.

But he also noted that America's institutional decline was "over-predicted and under-believed."

Before the pandemic, key institutions in the country were already signaling decay, Subramanian said: The Congress's boundaries were constantly challenged and the Supreme court was "politicized," to name a few.

However, many citizens refuse to acknowledged America's institutional decline, the article said.

He noted that many Americans are still convinced that the country's web of institutions can provide resilience for the nation.

But the U.S. has so far been faring badly when it came to coping with the pandemic at more than 22 million cases.

Related Story: California in Dire Need of Medical Workers Due to Worrisome Shortage of Volunteer Health Corps

According to Market Watch, the nation made up about 32% of the world's COVID-19 cases.

New Norms, Beliefs to Rise Amid America's Institutional Decline

While not comparing the current state of the country to any other nation, The Atlantic writer David Brooks noted that some periods of moral convulsion in the U.S. share common features.

When people witness America's institutional decline, it usually came with the following changes, said the publication: disgust in the state of society, plummeting trust in institutions, widespread indignation and intense contempt for established power.

Amid all this, there is an expected emergence of new norms and beliefs that could transform national consciousness.

Brooks also said that was a significant difference in Baby Boomers' sense of security and Millennial and Gen Z's lives which are riddled with threats to finances and family.

As this generation enters young adulthood, there would be a noticeable emergence of new culture.

Subramanian added that it may be alarmist to think that failures in American institutions threatens the nation's democracy, but denying that there is a decline altogether was a "dangerous denialism."

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India's BoxLNG, a clean bioenergy project developer has signed a technology collaboration and investment agreement with Netherlands-based HoSt Holding B.V (HoSt) to set up compressed biogas plants in India .

HoSt is one of the largest suppliers of bioenergy systems globally with more than 200 installations.

Compressed biogas, or CBG, is produced by anaerobic decomposition of agricultural waste, sugarcane press mud and municipal waste. It can be used as a fuel for automobiles.

BoxLNG through its subsidiary ZiPGAS holds 14 Letter of Intents (LOIs) for the supply of approximately 150 tons per day of compressed bio gas (CBG) under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme by the Government of India. HoSt will support ZiPGAS along with its subsidiary Bright Biomethane with the focus on biogas purification.

So far, 515 letters of intent (LoI) have been issued to startups and government as well as private companies to set up CBG plants, including 126 in Uttar Pradesh, 75 in Maharashtra, 59 in Haryana, 35 in Andhra Pradesh, 24 in Punjab, seven in Delhi, 32 in Gujarat, 25 in Karnataka, 24 in Madhya Pradesh, 22 in Chhattisgarh, 16 in Tamil Nadu, 13 in West Bengal and 11 in Bihar. Odisha, Uttarakhand and Telangana will have nine each, Jharkhand will have seven, Rajasthan five, and Goa, J&K and Assam two each.

"We are working towards our first target of achieving 200 CBG plants over the next 10 years, and for this we need strong partners. HoSt brings to the table world class proven technology, investment and support allowing us to scale up in a short span of time," says Sachin Nagdive, CEO of BoxLNG.

BoxLNG will start implementing three projects on ground in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra starting February 2021. Followed by the remaining 11 projects over the course of 2021.

"This is a great bioenergy platform for us to showcase our technology expertise in one of the fastest-growing clean energy fields, and for us to establish a strong foothold in (South) Asia," said Herman Klein Teeselink, CEO of HoSt.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday, without providing hard evidence, that al Qaeda had established a new home base in Iran and the United States had fewer options in dealing with the group now it was "burrowed inside" that country. With just eight days left in office for President Donald Trump, Pompeo alleged that Iran has given safe haven to al Qaeda leaders and support for the group, despite some skepticism within the intelligence community and Congress. The New York Times reported in November that al Qaeda's Abu Muhammad al-Masri, accused of helping ...
During 2020 and despite the restrictions due to COVID-19, NEFT partnered with several new and existing distributors, successfully entering six new states including Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and South Carolina. These add to its existing presence in California, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Utah. In addition, NEFT is active in at least sixteen international markets including Germany, Austria, Russia, Italy, Australia, Spain, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway and the UK, among several others.

NEFT also significantly strengthened its senior management team through permanent hires and advisory partnerships. Collectively, these new additions to the NEFT team add over 150 years of deep industry experience to the already deep expertise of NEFT's executive staff.

Tom Wilen, Global Strategic Advisor  Mr. Wilen has over forty years' experience in the global spirits market including roles as President of Allied Domecq North America, the largest division of publicly traded Allied Domecq PLC., and as Chief Operating Officer for Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. While at Jim Beam, Mr. Wilen managed $1.3 billion in sales with 2,200 employees in 180 countries. In addition, Wilen initiated a joint venture with Highland Distillers and Remy Cointreau to create the multi-billion-dollar global distribution network, Maxxium, Inc., with 2,000 employees in 60 countries. Among Wilen's many former clients are Aviation Gin, TyKu Sake and Leblon Cachaca. TyKu Sake was recently sold to Diageo for $620 million while Leblon Cachaca was sold for an undisclosed amount. Wilen will be responsible for the ongoing establishment and growth NEFT's global presence and will report to NEFT's President, Dan Kleeberg.

Robert Sylvia, Vice President of Sales, Western Division  Mr. Sylvia brings to NEFT over four decades of experience in spirits sales and hospitality, with deep expertise in developing relationships with large chains such as Albertsons, Ralphs and CVS. He comes to NEFT having spent 13 years as the Division Manager for South Orange County at Pacific Wine & Spirits/Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits.

Adam Opalek, Vice President of Business Development  Mr. Opalek has over 20 years' experience in the spirits industry ranging from neighborhood bars and restaurants to distillery startups. He was one of the first employees involved with High West Distillery and was integral in taking the company from a startup to a category leader, culminating with his position of Western States Sales Manager, until High West was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2016. Prior to joining the company in a full-time capacity, Adam was a member NEFT's Board of Directors.

Kieran Walsh, Senior Advisor Sales and Marketing  Mr. Walsh is a Brand and Market Strategist in the beverage industry who was also part of the founding team at High West Distillery, running sales and marketing in the central the U.S region until its sale in 2016. Additional positions include Vice President roles at Laws Whiskey House and PorchJam Distillery. After more than 20 years' in-house experience, Walsh now advises CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs on how to grow their brands, concepts, and investments into nine-figure exits.

Kevin Alfaro, Chief Financial Officer  Mr. Alfaro joins NEFT with nearly 30 years' experience as a CPA, primarily within the wine industry. Throughout his career, Alfaro has managed accounting and finance departments, loan restructurings, land acquisitions, permit violation settlements, negotiations, compliance and acquisitions. Alfaro was also the lead officer on all aspects of the $315 million acquisition of Meiomi.

"2020 was a spectacular year for NEFT, despite the obstacles created by the pandemic," said Dan Kleeberg, President of NEFT Vodka. "Our team's success in signing new distributors and entering new states, achieving exponential growth and attracting true industry talent to the organization during such a challenging period is reflective of the incredible strength of the NEFT brand. As we enter 2021, we believe we will see continued expansion and growth within the U.S and beyond, and will continue to grow our investment in sales, marketing and inventory to meet the escalating demand for what we believe is the best tasting vodka in the world."

NEFT Vodka is currently available in the aforementioned states and countries and is also available online through various outlets including Mission Wine and Spirits, Reserve Bar, Bounty Hunter, Drizly, Hi-Time Wine Cellars, K&L Wine Merchants, Bitters and Bottles and Remedy Liquor. Please see neftvodkaus for online purchasing options or visit shopneftvodka.

ABOUT NEFT VODKA USA INC.

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SOURCE NEFT Vodka, USA

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (NYSE: AGD) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, announced today that it will pay a distribution of US $0.065 per share on January 29, 2021 to all shareholders of record as of January 22, 2021 (ex-dividend date January 21, 2021).

In January 2022, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders, which will state the amount and composition of distributions and provide information with respect to their appropriate tax treatment for the 2021 calendar year.

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution.

In the United States, Aberdeen Standard Investments is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments Australia Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Aberdeen Standard Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact [email protected]

aberdeenagd.com

SOURCE Aberdeen Global Dynamic Dividend Fund
In the 36 hours after last week's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, 112 Republicans reached out to the election office in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to change their party registration. Ethan Demme was one of them.

Ever since they started denying the election result, I kind of knew it was heading this way," said Demme, who is the county's former chairman and has opposed President Donald Trump and is now an independent. "If they kept going, I knew there's no way I can keep going. But if you've been a Republican all your life, it's hard to jump out of a big boat and into a little boat. Officials are seeing similar scenes unfold elsewhere.

In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 192 people have changed their party registration since the Jan. 6 riot. Only 13 switched to the GOP the other 179 changed to Democrat, independent or a third party, according to Bethany Salzarulo, the director of the bureau of elections.

In Linn County, Iowa, home to Cedar Rapids, more than four dozen voters dropped their affiliations in the 48 hours after the Capitol attack. They mostly switched to no party, elections commissioner Joel Miller said, though a small number took the highly unusual step of cancelling their registrations altogether.

The party switching pales in comparison to the more than 74 million people who voted for President Donald Trump in November. And it's unclear whether they're united in their motivations. Some may be rejecting altogether while others may be leaving a they fear will be less loyal to Trump. But they offer an early sign of the volatility ahead for the GOP as the party braces for political fallout of the riots that Trump incited.

I do think there's a palpable shift, from knee-jerk defense of the president to 'wow, that was a bridge too far,' said Kirk Adams, the former Republican speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Adams said he knew several people, including once-solid Trump supporters, who are switching their registrations. He said it may be weeks or months before the full impact of the insurrection is clear.

Minds are being changed," he said. "But you can't go overnight from 'I think the president's right and the election is being stolen' to 'I guess he was wrong about everything.' Party registration doesn't always preview how voters will actually cast their ballots, especially when the next major national elections are nearly two years away.

But party leaders across the country are expressing concern that the riots could have a lasting impact.

The GOP cannot afford any slippage in its ranks after an election that, even with record-breaking Republican turnout, saw them lose control of both the presidency and the US Senate.



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[January 12, 2021] CentralNic Group Acquires SafeBrands, Enhances Brand Services

LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CentralNic Group PLC (AIM: CNIC), the fastest-growing company in the domain name industry, with over 45 million domains using its platforms, is pleased to announce it has acquired leading corporate internet services provider, SafeBrands. An award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, SafeBrands will add its online brand protection and domain name management products and expertise to CentralNic's industry-leading suite of digital services for businesses. SafeBrands' proprietary state-of-the-art internet monitoring tools and enforcement expertise have to date only been available to companies in French-speaking markets. CentralNic will make them available to companies globally, to help them protect their revenue streams in digital channels - as part of CentralNic's global Brand Services, which currently serves clients worldwide through teams based in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a dozen other countries. SafeBrands' strong presence in France, one of the largest internet services markets globally, complements BrandShelter's leading position as a corporate registrar in Germany - positioning CentralNic as the European champion for corporate domain portfolio management and online brand protection, as well as one of the top three global leaders available to serve customers in any country. Ben Crawford/span>, CentralNic Group CEO, commented: "This is an important next step for CentralNic in our strategy to provide comprehensive end-to-end digital domain name and online brand protection services to corporate clients, globally. We are delighted that SafeBrands, its talented team of digital and IP protection experts, cutting-edge software and service portfolio and established business relationships, are becoming part of our Group."



Haydn Simpson, CentralNic's Head of Brand Services, said: "Intellectual Property is the lifeblood of any company, creating value and differentiation, and the successful future of any brand depends on protecting it with maximum efficiency. SafeBrands' brand protection products will help CentralNic further broaden our capabilities in this space, creating an unparalleled suite of solutions for our current and future customers." Charles Tine, CEO and founder of SafeBrands, added: "In the fast-growing domain name market, this represents a fantastic opportunity for SafeBrands to join the CentralNic family with the clear ambition to create a world leader in corporate domain management, online brand protection and DNS security. We share many common values that are reflected in the many synergies between our teams and technical platforms. CentralNic's resources and growth strategy are aligned with our ambitions and point to a very exciting future. After 23 years of organic and independent development, Frederic Guillemaut and myself are convinced to have found the perfect fit for SafeBrands' V2."

About CentralNic Group PLC

CentralNic (AIM: CNIC) is a global company listed on the London stock exchange that drives the growth of the global digital economy by developing and managing software platforms allowing businesses to buy subscriptions to domain names and related services, including protecting their brands online. In addition to providing core infrastructure services for the internet, CentralNic is a leader in protecting internet users through its sophisticated software, dedicated anti-abuse teams, and partnerships with such entities as the Global Cyber Alliance. CentralNic's Brand Services companies offer the range of domain portfolio management and brand protection services to companies around the world, from small businesses to some of the largest companies in the world. For more information, please visit www.centralnicgroup.com Media contact: media@centralnic.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Carlos Sainz's famous father is not worried his son will clash with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari this year.

Sainz jr is moving from McLaren to Ferrari for 2021 to replace Sebastian Vettel, with many predicting it will now be the Spaniard serving as Leclerc's number 2.

Team boss Mattia Binotto has denied there is a number 1-number 2 structure at Maranello, and rally legend Carlos Sainz is also not worried about his son's status.

"We talk every day," the 58-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport as he contests the 2021 Dakar rally.

"Carlos is as proud of me as I am proud of his performances in Formula 1. He has become more popular than me - now I am the father of a new Ferrari driver," Sainz snr smiled.

"When we heard about his contract with Ferrari, we threw a party," he revealed. "We don't do that every day and my son was in seventh heaven. I can see that he is motivated and ready for a new challenge."

As for how his son will fare alongside Leclerc after Vettel's high-profile struggles of last year, Sainz said: "Carlos and Charles are two young, talented, very fast and smart racers.

"They will work together and help the team make progress. I am sure they will have an excellent relationship."

(GMM)

TICKERS: NSR; NSRXF

Source: Streetwise Reports (1/12/21)

Nomad Royalty, founded by three veterans in the royalty and streaming sector, has been quickly adding assets.



Nomad Royalty Company Ltd. (NSR:TSX; NSRXF:OTCQX) only began trading publicly in May, but it has amassed a portfolio of 14 royalty and streaming assets, including one that was announced yesterday. Six of Nomad's assets are already producing.

Vincent Metcalfe, Joseph de la Plante and Elif Levesque, colleagues at Osisko Gold Royalties, joined together to establish Nomad. Metcalfe serves as CEO, de la Plante as CIO and Levesque as CFO.

Royalty and streaming portfolios from Orion Mine Finance and Yamana Gold were vended in, forming the backbone of Nomad's portfolio. Both companies accepted shares as payment for the royalties and streams, and are now the company's top two shareholders.

Nomad has since added four more royalties to its portfolio.

The first is a 1% net smelter return royalty on Troilus Gold's Troilus Gold Project in the Frotet-Evans Greenstone Belt in Quebec. The advanced gold-copper exploration project's current mineral resource estimate totals 4.71 million ounces of gold equivalent in the Indicated category and 1.76 million ounces of Inferred gold equivalent. de la Plante notes that the brownfield deposit "continues to demonstrate significant potential for resource expansion."

Second is the acquisition of privately held Valkyrie Royalty Inc. that brings with it a net smelter return royalty on the Moss Gold Mine in Arizona. Metcalfe noted, "The Moss Mine is generating strong gold and silver cash flows, holds considerable exploration upside on a district scale and is located in a stable jurisdiction. In adding this royalty, Nomad further diversifies its portfolio and again strengthens its global presence by adding Arizona to its list of jurisdictions." Northern Vertex Mining Corp., the operator of the mine, estimates production of 55,000 to 65,000 gold equivalent ounces a year, and is conducting exploration to increase the resource. The royalty varies from 0.5% to 3% on all metals and minerals produced from specific claims on the property.

Coral Gold Resources Ltd. and its sliding-scale 1.00% to 2.25% net smelter return royalty on Nevada Gold Mines' Robertson property in Nevada comprises the third acquisition. Nevada Gold Mines is the joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Corp. and the property is part of the Cortez & Pipeline mining complex. "When we created Nomad, we set the objective to become a catalyst for sector consolidation. [This] announcement marks the first step of our consolidation strategy and follows our desire to become the best global acquisition-driven precious metals royalty company in the sector," said Metcalfe. "This acquisition will further diversify our global portfolio as we keep executing on our aggressive growth plan."

The most recent royalty acquisition, announced on January 11, is for an existing net smelter return royalty on the Blackwater Gold project in British Columbia operated by Artemis Gold. The company noted that the royalty "consists of a 0.21% net smelter return royalty on all metals and minerals produced from mineral tenure 515809 which covers a portion of the Blackwater Gold project and the higher-grade starter pit area." Metcalfe stated that the royalty is on a "large gold deposit with significant potential for resource expansion, and with a clear path to development. The Blackwater Gold project represents one of the few sizeable near-shovel ready projects worldwide." The royalty adds British Columbia to the geographical jurisdictions where Nomad holds royalties and streams.

Other assets currently in production include the Bonikro Mine in Ivory Coast, where Nomad's stream is 6% of production until 650,000 ounces of gold is produced, when it falls to 3.5%; a silver stream on the Mercedes Mine in Mexico that is operated by Premier Gold Mines, and a gold loan with Premier Gold Mines of 1,000 ounces a quarter for the next three years. In addition, Blyvoor in South Africa is expected to ramp up production within the next year, as is Woodlawn in Australia.

"This is exactly the way we wanted to build this business," Metcalfe told Streetwise Reports, "to have a lot of sources of cash flow from various operations and not necessarily have to focus too much on one specific asset. We're not mining operators, we're more portfolio managers. We want to keep diversifying the portfolio, keep adding new sources of cash flow and limit all the different risks that are inherent to the mining sector, like asset concentration or jurisdictional concentration. We want to make sure that we are as diversified as possible from a portfolio point of view."

Metcalfe noted other advantages the company offers. "The experienced management team knows where to focus; it's really just a matter of executing right now the opportunities that are in our pipeline. We are doing it at a very low cost; a low G&A is important, so we keep the team as lean and flexible as possible," he said. "We want to make sure that the cash flow that's coming in is redistributed through new opportunities to keep growing the company, and also through a very strong dividend, which we've already put in place. We're yielding around 1.9% at the moment, which is the highest dividend in the royalty sector."

"That's just the start, because we have a lot of assets that are coming online within the next 12 months as well. So a lot of growth coming back that way," Metcalfe added.

In the third quarter ending September 30, 2020, Nomad reported record revenue of US$7.6 million, with US$5.9 coming from streams and royalties, a 100% increase quarter over quarter.

Eight firms now cover Nomad on the research front. Scotiabank and Velocity Trade Capital have Outperform ratings on Nomad and target prices of CA$2 and CA$2.25, respectively. BMO Capital Markets upgraded its rating to Outperform in December and has a target price of CA$1.70. Cantor Fitzgerald, Cormark Securities, Haywood Securities, Industrial Alliance and Stifel GMP all rate Nomad a Buy and have target prices ranging from CA$2.00 to CA$2.30. Nomad shares are currently trading at around CA$1.06.

In late December 2020, a $25 million secondary share offering was completed in conjunction with Yamana Gold. "This represents a great achievement for the company, as it further increased the public float and will contribute to increasing the liquidity of the shares," Metcalfe said. Several new institutional and retail investors were added to the registry.

Nomad has 564.5 million shares outstanding, 9.9 million options and 22.9 million warrants. Orion Mine Finance holds 70.2%, Yamana Gold 10.0% and management 2.3%. Other large shareholders include Adrian Day Asset Management, FTQ, CI Investments and U.S. Global Investors.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Nomad Royalty Company and Troilus Gold. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.

SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that he supports removing President Trump from office through impeachment or the 25th Amendment, but he said hes not spending much time thinking about the effort.

The state Assembly is, however  it voted Monday to urge Congress to remove Trump if he doesnt quit.

Im all for it, Newsom said during a news conference in Sacramento County, when asked if he supports Trumps impeachment. But thats not my focus right now. My focus, candidly, is on you and your family and your safety as it relates to issues associated with getting us through this very challenging wave in this pandemic. And so thats where my energy flows right now.

Newsom declined to answer the question during a news conference on Friday, saying he was focused on presenting his proposed budget.

The Democratic-controlled House is expected to impeach Trump as early as Wednesday, seeking to remove the president over his role in inciting the violent mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol last week.

Democrats have urged Vice President Mike Pence and Trumps Cabinet to try to remove him under the 25th Amendment, which allows for the vice president to take over for a president unable to perform his duties. Pence has indicated no intention of doing so.

California lawmakers also threw their support behind the push Monday. On its first day back in session, the state Assembly voted 51-6 to pass a resolution calling on Trump to resign or be removed from office.

Although largely backed by Democrats, the resolution was brought to the floor by independent Assembly Member Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley (San Bernardino County), who left the Republican Party in 2019 over frustration that he could not push the party in a more moderate direction. He said accountability and repentance for the Capitol riot were needed for the nation to heal.

The presidents nonstop unsubstantiated and false claims that the election was rigged and fraudulently stolen from him were the sparks that lit the fire that has now engulfed our nation, Mayes said on the Assembly floor. This American carnage lays at the feet of only one person.

All six votes against the resolution were cast by Republicans, and no Republicans voted for it. Assembly Member Devon Mathis, a Republican from Visalia (Tulare County), said the resolutions supporters were focusing on the wrong priorities while the state is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

We have people dying of COVID. We have areas of our state where families still cant put food on their table, he said. But instead the first thing we do on the floor in California is throw a political punch at a lame duck. I think thats lame.

Dustin Gardiner and Alexei Koseff are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com, alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner, @akoseff
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

(Natural News) Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) filings from the Department of Justice (DoJ) show that nearly every mainstream media outlet in the West has been broadcasting favorable coverage of communist China in exchange for private dinners and sponsored trips.

The China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), which is funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has maintained a close relationship with media outlets like CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, which continue to disseminate positive messages about China in exchange for the gifts they receive from the communist Chinese regime.

Other mainstream media outlets on the dole from China include MSNBC, Forbes, the Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, ABC News, the Economist, The Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine, the Los Angeles Times, AFP, The Hill, The Atlantic and BBC.

CUSEF also targets American colleges and universities with offers of funding for policy research, high-level dialogues and exchange programs, so long as these institutions do the bidding of China and cast the communist country in a positive light.

A report from the United States government explains that the goal of CUSEF and other associated people and groups is to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party.

The United Front strategy uses a range of methods to influence overseas Chinese communities, foreign governments, and other actors to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijings preferred policies, it further adds.

Mainstream media really is a communist Chinese propaganda front

After forging an agreement with the American lobbying firm BLJ many moons ago, CUSEF set out to effectively disseminate positive messages to the media, key influencers and opinion leaders, and the general public about China and the CCP.

With BLJs help, CUSEF has been providing journalists and journalism students with familiarization trips to China, which involve plenty of wine and dine experiences that propagate the illusion that communist China is a great place to be run by great people.

In 2009 alone, CUSEF was able to generate 28 media placements as a result of four journalist visits. BLJ was also able to secure the publication of 26 opinion articles and quotes within 103 separate articles on behalf of CUSEF that same year.

These op-ed pieces were published by media outlets like Newsweek, The Nation, The Chicago Tribune, the National Journal, Congressional Quarterly, U.S. News & World Report and the Washington Note.

On average, BLJs efforts directly contribute to or influence three articles per week, The National Pulse reports.

While some institutions of higher learning such as The University of Texas at Austin made the decision to divest from CUSEF due to its CCP ties, the same cannot be said for media outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, both of which continue to participate in private dinners at the home of BLJs CEO.

Other media outlets that, according to a 2012 filing, do the same include Forbes Asia, the Financial Times, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, the Economist, Newsweek, the Nation, ABC News and CNN.

NPR (National Public Radio), which is funded with American taxpayer dollars, has likewise sent its journalists to China to meet with CUSEF officials.

While UT-Austin may have divested from CUSEF, many other colleges and universities across America have not. In fact, many of them continue to churn out pro-China curriculum and communist influence on impressionable students, much like the mainstream media does to everyone else.

According to Foreign Policy magazine, CUSEF is a registered foreign agent bankrolled by a high-ranking Chinese government official with close ties to a sprawling Chinese Communist Party apparatus that handles influence operations abroad.

For more related news about mainstream media corruption, be sure to check out Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NaturalNews.com
11th round of India-China military commander level talks likely to be held on Friday

India stood up Chinas disruptive use of technology and my way or no way attitude: CDS

No lowering of guard by India, even as China withdraws 10,000 troops from depth areas

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Chinese purportedly withdrew 10,000 troops from the depth areas adjacent to the Line of Actual Control, the defect boundary between India and China.

However the military standoff continues, as the Chinese PLA has not pulled back its front-line troops deployed on the friction points, sources tell OneIndia.

Senior officials say that the disengagement process is expected to take longer. This is because of the upcoming 100 year anniversary celebrations of the Chinese Communist Party planned in July. President Xi Jinping would want to showcase a strong position. Moreover the standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, provides President Xi, the perfect opportunity to divert the nation's attention from the poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

April-May would be a crucial phase in the India-China standoff

The aggression would also be used build pressure on smaller countries such as Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal.

The official cited above said that India will continue to hold its ground and there will be absolutely no thinning down of the troops.

Asked about the status of talks with the Chinese side over the border row, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the latest round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) was held on December 18.

The two sides have agreed to hold the next round of senior commanders meeting, and are in constant communication through diplomatic and military channels in this regard, he said at an online media briefing.

"In the meantime, both sides have maintained communication at the ground level to avoid any misunderstandings and misjudgments even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements to restore peace and tranquillity," Srivastava said.

On December 18, at a virtual meeting of the WMCC, both sides agreed to continue work towards ensuring complete disengagement of troops in all friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

Chinese soldier held on Indian side of LAC

The eighth and last round of military talks had taken place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

According to officials, nearly 50,000 Indian Army troops are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero conditions as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have not yielded any concrete outcome to resolve the standoff.

SC asks govt to form COMMITTEE on farm laws, wants crisis SOLVED | Oneindia News

China has also deployed an equal number of troops.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 8:13 [IST]
Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer shares seven words during the Passion 2021 conference that will change the life of others.

The words that Shirer referred to can be found in the Bible from the book of John Chapter 15 verses 4-11 when Jesus told his disciples, "Abide in Me, and I in you," The Christian Post reported.

According to Shirer, those "seven words" that Jesus told the disciples before His crucifixion and death are more than enough to change the lives of people.

With the past year being tumultuous enough, the Bible teacher, who starred in the popular Christian film about prayer, "War Room," reminder her listeners of over 730,000 to abide in Christ to find rest, fulfillment and true peace.

"Without an ongoing, effervescent, fervent nourishment coming up on the inside of you, you will not be able to have the sustained hope and peace and joy and contentment, grace and fulfillment that you are going to require when the atmosphere of drought swirls all around you," she said.

Shirer explained that the "drought swirls" happen when health fails, when friends betray one another, when what people worked hard for falters, when people are no longer noticed nor appreciated for the work they do, when the road gets tough and it's harder to go through it, when the loved ones die, when ministry flounders and when hearts get broken for all that could possibly happen.

Shirer knew firsthand the drought that she has been talking about since her family had lost eight members over the last two years, which included her mother.

This is when the "seven words" of Jesus gives "continued sustenance and nourishment that you need to have a well of joy and hope that overrides during times like these."

The evangelist gave emphasis that a believer's firm choice to remain rooted and steady in God's Word is the only real strength of this life.

Shirer encouraged the young believers who attended the conference to make the decision of deepening their relationship with Jesus.

"You've got to make a decision right now in your life, and I've got to make one in mine, that we're going to continue to deepen our relationship with Jesus, every day, every single week throughout every single season - the good seasons, but also the bad, hard seasons."

With Christianity becoming an enterprise, especially in America, Shirer also asked the crowd if they take the time to talk to Jesus, remain and hang out with Him and let their "life be immersed with His."

The evangelist and author also urged the youth to make their friendship with the Savior the priority of their life, "over and above every ambition" that they may have.

During her message entitled, "Seven Last Words," Shirer shared what Jesus would say for believers to "produce fruit" and weather the many storms that life brings.

"Jesus says that 'if you want to be able to produce fruit, you don't have to strive for it. You don't have to work for it, you don't have to manufacture it. You don't have to lose sleep over it. All you have to do is concentrate on abiding, and I am going to pulse to you, give to you, offer you everything that you need to be able to live a fruitful, productive life that brings me glory.'"
Global cybersecurity company Kaspersky has suggested that economic uncertainty is set to shape the 2021 cybercrime agenda in Africa.

Not just growing economic turbulence but the impact of Covid-19 is expected to contribute to an increase in cybercrime across South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria this year, according to a new security bulletin from the company.

While the increase in these crimes will vary by country, the company says its research suggests that African nations must prepare themselves for the inevitability of increases in malware that already topped 28 million by August last year, according to its research.

The company also expects a rise, along with changes in strategy, in what are known as Advanced Persistent Threats.

The background to these increased threats is that businesses are under pressure to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market as they struggle to survive in difficult times. These issues are amplified further by the effects of Covid-19.

Compounding this, says Kaspersky, is the concern around hackers-for-hire and cyber mercenary groups targeting SMEs and financial institutions. This is something that is not yet rife in Africa, though Kaspersky insists that the region is not immune to this cyber threat.

Cyber-mercenaries are hired to search for sensitive, private information that can be used in disputes to win court rulings or to steal business trade secrets and provide competitive intelligence.

Additionally, Kaspersky believes that the normalisation of remote working will put existing organisational IT systems under more pressure as companies now must contend with an influx in connections into the corporate back end.

The company expects data breaches across Africa to increase in the coming months with many companies racing to tighten their security.
(Natural News) The left is now aggressively trying to extinguish all conservative and independent media outlets, along with all offending social media platforms and user accounts, by intimidating and threatening the cable companies and other providers that service them.

New Jersey state Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, a Democrat, wrote in a text to a Comcast executive that he does not appreciate networks like Newsmax and Fox News still being broadcast on Xfinity following the Capitol false flag attack that occurred on Jan. 6.

According to Moriarty, Fox and Newsmax should be removed from all cable providers because they were allegedly complicit in the attack, which resulted in some overturned furniture and strewn trash inside the halls of the Capitol building. An Air Force veteran by the name of Ashli Babbit was also shot to death by law enforcement, despite being unarmed, during the melee.

Fox and Newsmax, both delivered to my home by your company, are complicit, Moriarty whined to the Comcast executive. What are you going to do??? You feed this garbage, lies and all.

Xfinity, a product of Comcast, currently broadcasts not only Newsmax and Fox but also One America News (OAN), which Moriarty thinks is likewise responsible for the domestic terrorism that occurred when protesters were let inside the Capitol building by law enforcement to take pictures at Nancy Pelosis desk, as well as engage in other non-violent stunts.

After Wednesdays incident of domestic terrorism on Capitol Hill, it is time TV carriers face questions for lending their platforms to dishonest companies that profit off of disinformation and conspiracy theories, reported KITV, clearly buying into the false flag narrative.

After all, it was the very lies that Fox, Newsmax, and OAN spread that helped prime President Trumps supporters into not believing the truth: that he lost an honest and fair election.

Will CNN, MSNBC also be held responsible for inciting George Floyd riots?

If Fox and Newsmax need to be removed from the cable lineup for supposedly inciting the Capitol insurrection, then what is to become of CNN and MSNBC, both of which openly incited riots, looting and destruction following the George Floyd incident?

As you will recall, cities all across America were burned to the ground at the hands of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa domestic terrorists who looted Target stores, set fire to an AutoZone, beat innocent people with bats for being white, blocked traffic and committed many other atrocities in the name of social justice.

Even our nations capital was terrorized by these same far-left groups, and it all hinged upon the left-wing medias false reporting and stirring the pot about police injustice. Does this mean that all participating fake news networks should also be removed from Xfinity?

We would say so, which is why we are encouraging all of our readers to contact their cable companies or other subscription services and demand that every left-wing media outlet from CNN to MSNBC be removed from television for encouraging liberals to riot in response to George Floyd.

Race-motivated incitements of rioting and violence simply cannot be tolerated, and this is what the establishment media does on a daily basis. In fact, they have been doing it ever since President Donald Trump first decided to run for office, encouraging the public to insurrect against him and every agenda item he tried to accomplish throughout his first four years in office.

This makes the mainstream media and its followers domestic terrorists who, based on Moriartys line of reasoning, need to be silenced in the interest of maintaining civil society.

To keep up with the latest news about media censorship, be sure to check out Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

KITV.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday released his latest State of the State address, pre-recorded from an empty theater in Trenton because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are his full remarks:

My fellow New Jerseyans.

I dont need to tell you these are different times. So, this is a different kind of speech.

Instead of delivering this address in a crowded state house, Im standing in an empty theater.

Yet for all the changes, the most important things remain constant. Our values. Our priorities. Our vision. And that we are all New Jerseyans.

The stories we just heard have echoed across our state for the better part of the past year. They are stories that show our grit and reveal our heart. They echo the pain of 2020 and they preview the hope of 2021.

They are tied with a common thread  that we are all in this together.

Most of all, these New Jerseyans reflect the state of our state. Although wounded deeply, we enter 2021 tougher than ever, wiser than before, and ready to move forward together.

We have lived this truth together  that New Jersey was one of the first and hardest-hit states. That our communities of color have been disproportionately impacted. And that we are currently battling a second wave which is just as brutal as the first.

Every single day, as we have for nearly a year, we face this challenge head-on.

Every single day we wrestle with the tough, yet necessary, decisions, and we know there are more to come  the right decisions for the long-term public health and vitality of our families.

We weigh every pro and con to ensure that every decision is not only effective, but equitable.

And in typical jersey style, we are leveling with each other and making sure that no one is left behind. We are facing this pandemic not with a dismissive wave or partisan pandering, but with a full-scale counterattack.

We are making the fight against COVID-19 one that engages every New Jerseyan.

RECAP: Murphy touts record on COVID, weed, jobs in election year State of State speech delivered from empty theater

Three years ago, I took office with a pledge to rebuild New Jersey from the middle out and from the bottom up  to change the way Trenton works not simply for the sake of change but for the sake of people  to put working and middle-class families first.

That mission is now even more urgent.

Over these three years, we have laid a foundation to support a stronger and fairer New Jersey that works for every family.

These were the right things to do before the pandemic, and they turned out to be some of the best decisions to get us through the pandemic 

Raising the minimum wage, passing earned sick leave, and expanding paid family and medical leave ...

Making those at the very top pay their fair share with a millionaires tax, while, at the same time, cutting taxes for working families  with either a larger earned income tax credit or a direct rebate, or both ...

Protecting health care from attacks from Washington and reducing premiums for hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans ...

Expanding pre-K education, making record investments In public education  while also stabilizing property taxes  making community college tuition-free for thousands of New Jerseyans, and expanding job training programs.

These are real accomplishments that helped people across our state.

We made these strides by working with the people of New Jersey and with my partners in the legislature  especially Senate President Steve Sweeney and Speaker of the General Assembly Craig Coughlin, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Together, we will continue moving forward, grounded in our shared everyday reality yet propelled by our optimism about tomorrow.

We all sense the promise that comes from the arrival of approved, safe, and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

Through the tremendous work of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli and her team of medical and scientific experts, and despite many obstacles, we have in place a plan to vaccinate every willing New Jersey adult resident  and hundreds of thousands have already rolled up their sleeves.

Six vaccine mega-sites are opening across the state, and vaccinations will be available in hundreds more places statewide. We have already streamlined the vaccination process to enhance efficiency and ensure that if you choose to receive your first vaccine dose, youll get the proper follow-up shot.

I hope youll take a moment to visit COVID19.nj.gov/ vaccine to learn about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines available to us. And, you can pre-register for your own vaccination.

And, as our statewide vaccination program continues to grow, we will begin to see the light on the horizon get a little brighter.

Be assured, we will get back to being able to gather and celebrate with our families and friends. We will be able to see all our children back in the schools they love. We will see our economy recover and flourish.

Youve heard me say that public health creates economic health. Our commitment to this ideal is unwavering.

The pandemic has slammed small businesses across America, so, our economic focus has been squarely where it should be  on helping our hard-hit small businesses and encouraging new ones to grow.

We have been consistent in our decisions, and have protected businesses  especially restaurants  from the revolving door of openings and closings that have occurred across America.

Through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, nearly 55,000 small businesses  by the way, many of them owned by women, people of color, and veterans  have received a truly lifesaving grant or a loan, and some of our nascent startups have received guarantees for vital new capital.

These proactive steps have allowed businesses to keep employees on the payroll and to pay their bills. Their determination, creativity, and plain old hard work  and that of the people who work with them  has been extraordinary and inspiring.

Our small business community is the backbone not only of our local economies, but of our states economy. These are the shops and restaurants that turn a town into a community.

This is why I am so excited about the prospects for the new business and job-creating recovery plan I signed five days ago  a package which I was proud to work on alongside numerous lawmakers, progressive advocates, private sector leaders, union leaders, tech entrepreneurs, and small business owners.

Long before I became Governor, I called for sweeping and fundamental reforms to our incentives system. The old ways worked for too few and left too many behind.

So we set out to create a new system that is transparent and fair, which focuses not on huge corporations, but on job-creating small businesses and innovative startups.

A system that, most of all, promotes good-paying, future-focused jobs. A system that has sensible caps in spending and an inspector general to safeguard every penny of taxpayer money.

We set out to lift up the New Jersey-based innovative companies of tomorrow through a venture fund encouraging public-private investments. There is no other fund like this in America.

We set out to turn brownfields and other long-neglected areas into new, walkable, and inviting communities.

We set out to ensure workforce and affordable housing options, and to eliminate food deserts.

We set out to create the states first historic preservation tax credit, so our future can be built by repurposing the buildings that made us an economic power in the first place.

And we set out to ensure our incentives come with strong protections for our union workers.

Everything i just mentioned  everything we initially set out to do  is now reflected in our groundbreaking new incentives program.

This is what change looks like. This is what putting people ahead of the powerful looks like. This is what focusing on Main Street looks like. This is what protecting today and planning for tomorrow looks like.

The current economic emergency is something we havent faced since the great depression, 90 years ago, and the old ways of doing business werent going to build us back stronger or more resilient.

New Jersey now has a new model that sets the standard for inclusive and statewide economic growth and job creation  growth powered by women, minority, and veteran-owned small businesses, by innovative entrepreneurs, and by those whose vision for the future preserves our history.

And, as New Jersey starts getting back to work, commuters will find that NJ Transit is safer and more accountable.

We proved the naysayers wrong by beating the deadline for federally mandated train-safety technology  completing eleven years worth of work in less than three.

As a new  Bridge rises along the Northeast Corridor, theyll see our efforts to eliminate one of its most-frustrating choke points. This new commuter-rail bridge will not only improve the commutes for hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans, but it will also stimulate local economies and provide thousands of new union jobs.

Commuters will also see our efforts in the hiring and training of multiple classes of the new rail engineers we need to ensure on-time operations. We inherited a system with depleted ranks and, to date, we have added 94 new engineers with another 82 in training.

And, when President-elect Joe Biden takes office next week, were going to begin working alongside him and his team to see the full Gateway program fulfilled  including the new tunnels under the Hudson River.

We are leaving for the next generation a rail system wholly different than the one we inherited. We are making historic investments in our roads and bridges. We are reimagining our airports and seaports.

Put together, we are embarking on the largest infrastructure investment program in the history of our state. These transformative investments will reap tremendous returns for our economy, create good-paying New Jersey jobs, and attract new and innovative companies to the state that want a world-class infrastructure system.

And to ensure these infrastructure investments live up to their promises, were demanding new levels of transparency and accountability.

This commitment to transparency and honesty must be a standard we set across the whole of government. Just as we cant go back to economic policies that put the wealthy and the well-connected first, we cant lean on the broken politics that puts special interests first.

Last year, I was proud to propose the first comprehensive set of ethics reforms in a decade, with bipartisan support, and I remain committed to them. New Jerseyans need to know  not just believe  that their government has their backs.

With all the turmoil in Washington, lets set New Jersey as an example for moving forward.

This is how our future will be powered  by bold ideas, real oversight, and a commitment to the task ahead.

It will also be powered by clean energy, using our natural resources and talent pool to reach our goal of a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050.

Just this year, we cemented our place as the countrys leader in offshore wind, announcing in South Jersey both the New Jersey wind port and a new manufacturing facility at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal. These key first investments in offshore wind manufacturing will bring up to 2,000 good-paying union jobs to our state, along with hundreds of millions of dollars in new investments, and make us the nations offshore wind-energy leader.

The clean energy economy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. So, were bringing together stakeholders to assess our needs and develop a robust and equitable green jobs workforce development strategy.

Our strategy will ensure that these new jobs are developed and designed equitably  centering labor unions, environmental justice advocates, people of color, and women, so that our green economy is as diverse and dynamic as New Jersey.

And as the first state in the nation to incorporate climate change throughout our k-12 education standards, were laying the groundwork for tomorrows workforce.

Now, just as public health creates economic health, an inclusive and equitable economy must mean healthier families and safer communities.

Perhaps one of the best examples of this principle at work is our effort to make our overall healthcare system more transparent, more accessible, and more affordable.

We ended the drama of unexpected costs by prohibiting surprise medical bills.

We created the Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency to empower consumers.

In the midst of the pandemic, we are making sure people are not saddled with unfair expenses for COVID tests, and that they have access to their provider via telemedicine.

We are putting government to work to keep costs in check.

And because we took the initiative to open our new, state-run health care exchange, right now, hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans are purchasing health care at premiums cheaper than when the affordable care act first came online in 2014.

After years of willful neglect, we are funding womens health care and family-planning services  and, no matter what happens in Washington, we are working to protect a womans full reproductive rights as a matter of state law.

At the same time, we also havent lost sight of the maternal and infant health crisis that threatened the lives of our mothers and babies  especially mothers and babies of color  long before the COVID-19 pandemic.

No mother should ever endure the pain of losing her baby and no child should ever feel the deep loss of growing up without a mother. From day one, this belief has driven the First Lady, our administration, and countless stakeholders, to implement immediate solutions.

We are determined to make New Jersey the safest place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.

And as were fighting the coronavirus pandemic, were keeping our focus on fighting the opioid epidemic.

We are working to improve our healthcare system because we know that a healthier New Jersey is a stronger New Jersey.

And a stronger New Jersey is one that ensures and protects justice for all. A fairer New Jersey recognizes the powerful truth of the words Black Lives Matter. We are attacking and ripping up the root causes of centuries of systemic racism.

Given the national moment, we can  and must  choose to make our state a model for moving forward. There is no more important step than reforming the way our communities and law enforcement work together. That is why we are implementing the first broad-scale reforms to our states use-of-force policy in a generation.

Were making our justice system more transparent and fair not just for our sake, but to make New Jersey a national model for positive transformation in policing and ending racial inequities.

I also remain committed to eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug and property crimes  these reforms are long-overdue. As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. noted, Justice delayed is justice denied. We must get this done.

Together, with the Legislature, we are on the verge of passingan innovative and groundbreaking set of laws to reform our historically unjust approach to marijuana and cannabis.

Two months ago, you voted overwhelmingly to legalize adult-use marijuana, and begin the process of ending the racial imbalance that disproportionately penalizes black and brown people arrested for marijuana offenses. Were setting up a cannabis industry that will promote the growth of new small businesses, many of which will be owned by women, minorities, and veterans.

This hasnt been an easy fight, nor has it happened as quickly as I would have liked, but we are in a better place, a smarter place, and a more just place than ever before.

We will continue to strengthen New Jerseys position as the best place in America to raise a family and, to do this, we are building a future where housing is more affordable and accessible for everyone.

As the pandemic literally hit people where they live, we instituted strong prohibitions against evictions and utility cutoffs to protect our families. We provided rental assistance to nearly 20,000 individuals and families facing immediate challenges. And I once again urge the Legislature to send to my desk legislation to give impacted renters up to 30 months to make up for back rent.

We worked with our mortgage lenders to provide sensible and fair forbearance programs for homeowners struggling under the weight of COVIDs economic uncertainties. And we will continue to provide assistance to those who face eviction or foreclosure, and support for those who cant make rent or mortgage payments due to COVID.

Yet many of our fellow residents were struggling before COVID, and will continue to struggle without our help.

Through the work of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, we are taking much-needed steps to expand opportunities for safe and affordable housing. This means making more down payment assistance available to would-be homebuyers, building more affordable housing units, and battling homelessness.

In a time when rights are being rolled back and progress threatened, were putting the country on notice with the nations strongest laws for environmental justice, for combatting senseless gun violence, for upholding the rights and dignity of our LGBTQ+ community, and for welcoming our immigrant communities into our inclusive and diverse family.

And we are ensuring these broad and diverse voices are heard and honored.

Across the nation, we have seen multiple attempts by some to diminish our democratic institutions, to try to turn baseless conspiracy theories into the basis for court challenges, and to silence the voices and throw-out the votes of many Americans.

We were all shocked to witness a mob, incited and supported by politicians at the highest levels of government, shamefully try to invalidate the votes of 158 million Americans through insurrection.

The way to combat this contagion in our democracy is to further strengthen that democracy. One way to fight back is to do what I was sent here to do  give more power back to the people by expanding democracy. We know that our democracy works best when more people  not fewer  are given access to the ballot box. And through our efforts  and those of local and county officials and election workers  more New Jerseyans cast a ballot in 2020 than in any other year in our states long history.

Now, its time to take the next step, and I am already working with the legislature to enact a true, in-person early voting law, among other measures, to further open up our democracy. Regardless of your party affiliation, your vote is your voice and this country is better off when more of us are heard.

These are all important for our shared future, but perhaps nothing will have the long-term impact as upholding New Jerseys reputation for having the best public schools in America.

We know we have room to do better, and to bring more schools, more students, and more communities, under that banner.

Just as the pandemic has been a stress-test on the fabric of our state, nowhere is this more true than within our schools. It has put an enormous strain on students, on parents, and on educators and school leaders. None of this has been easy. I say that as your Governor and as a parent. And, I also say, thank you for all you are doing.

The digital divide was real long before COVID hit our state. But it became even clearer as the pandemic took hold. In 2021, no child should be denied access to all the educational opportunities of the online world.

An estimated 230,000-plus students  almost entirely from disadvantaged households  lacked either the laptops or internet accessibility, or both, for remote learning. So we got to work closing that digital divide, and, today, 95 percent of those students have the tools they need, and were close to getting the outstanding gap to zero.

I wish I could tell you that no child is falling behind in this disruptive year. But I cant. That is why our focus must turn to ensuring our students have the academic and social-emotional support needed as they rebound from the stresses of the pandemic. We have already begun to direct funding to school districts that need the most help in getting students back on track.

So please know this: We are the number one state for public education precisely because of our strong support for attending to the educational, social, and emotional needs of our entire education community. We wont let our students or our educators down now.

That effort matters today, and it will pay further dividends as we move forward to close the remaining educational gaps among our students, such as by protecting school funding and expanding access to pre-K  one of the smartest investments we can make.

Since we took office, working with senate President Steve Sweeney and Speaker Craig Coughlin, we have added more than $750 million in direct classroom funding  and we protected this investment despite the pandemics fiscal impacts.

This has been good news for our educational communities and our property taxpayers.

As weve noted before, the pandemic further exposed every existing fault line in our society. And, nowhere has that been more clear than in the balancing act between work and family.

As COVID-19 raged, we made child care more affordable for countless families  especially our essential workers who faced the impossible task of serving their community in a time of crisis while caring for their children.

But, in truth, this wasnt a new problem. Working families needed help in covering the costs of child care before the pandemic, and they will continue to need support after. Lets be very clear, even in 2021, these burdens too often fall on women.

When schools and work are both remote, it is women who bear the uneven load of providing child care, continuing to perform in the workplace, and managing immeasurable other demands, both seen and unseen.

I see this tug of war again and again  mothers struggling to be fully present at work and as parents. This is one fundamental reason why we created our states child and dependent-care tax credit three years ago.

We cannot afford to miss out on the contributions of half our population. Harnessing the full economic power of all of our people requires providing real affordable options for child care that work for all families.

We remain committed to easing the burden of working parents, especially moms, and creating an even more robust child-care support system.

With more New Jerseyans facing food insecurity because of the pandemics impacts, we doubled-down on our commitment to the food banks helping families to put food on their tables.

And we continued our commitment to put a college education within reach of all who want it and have made a community-college education tuition-free for students from families with incomes under $65,000.

There are good options for further education and training beyond traditional college; and we continue creating exciting public-private partnerships to train more people for the jobs of the future  with a particular emphasis on good-paying union jobs.

At every point in this difficult year  the grace, ingenuity, and compassion shown by so many have brightened some dark days.

That is the light as we begin this new year  better days are coming.

In 2020, the pandemic touched every corner of our lives and challenged every state.

Some chose to deny COVID. We chose to fight it. We told the hard truths, made the hard choices, and never played partisan politics with peoples lives.

Yet some in New Jersey are suggesting the same old failed policies of decades past. They forget that, after the last economic downturn, the prior administration cut taxes for millionaires, cut vital programs, left middle and working-class residents behind, and, as a result, we had the slowest recovery of any state in the nation.

Our long-standing inequities have never been felt more sharply than during the past ten months.

To blunt them, we must accept the fact that we cant grow and strengthen the middle class by pulling the rug out from under it  and that we cant cut and slash our way to growth and opportunity.

Were proving that the best way to beat COVID is by leaning in to smart investments and forward-looking, principled ideas. There is no excuse for doing less or leaving more behind.

Everything, together, shows the promise of the new, post-COVID day that is just beginning to dawn. Its a day we will enter not fearing whats next, but knowing where were heading.

And that direction is forward.

Twelve days ago, we welcomed a new year. But while the calendar has changed, our mission has not.

When I first asked for the privilege to serve as your Governor, I pledged to do what was right not for my next election, but for the next generation.

And that is how we have governed. We are who we said wed be. We stand with New Jerseys hardworking middle-class families and everyone working to get there.

We havent sugar-coated our problems and we havent followed the old Trenton playbook of kicking them down the road for someone else to deal with.

A year ago, we had no idea of what 2020 would throw at us. As the poet Langston Hughes wrote  and I quote  a dream deferred is a dream denied. And for so many, 2020 was a year of deferred dreams.

But we stuck together, even in the darkest of days, as the New Jersey family we are.

Out of shared pain we forged shared purpose.

Because of all we did together, here in New Jersey, 2021 can be the year where dreams are once again possible, and the wind is at our back.

So, when we emerge from the darkness of the pandemic, together, we will be stronger, fairer, and more resilient than before, and we will be prepared to move forward as one state and one family.

After all, this is New Jersey. No state has our character. Our backbone. Our attitude. Our fight.

Weve always fought because weve always been the underdog. Weve been counted out over and over again. But weve never been bowed, and weve never, ever failed.

May God bless you and your family with a healthy new year.

And may God continue to bless the great State of New Jersey and the United States of America.

13 Governor delivers State of State address

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com.
MBABANE - A man was nabbed while ferrying dagga to church, stating that the illegal herb formed an integral part of their worship proceedings.

The Acting Mbabane Senior Magistrate, Sifiso Vilakati, yesterday learnt in shock that for Rastafarians to worship, there must be dagga in the church.

The revelation was made by Alfred Mkhatshwa when he appeared at the Mbabane Magistrates Court charged with the illegal possession of dagga weighing 7kg while at Eluhlendlweni.

Worth noting is that dagga remains illegal in Eswatini.

Eluhlendlweni is an area situated between Sigangeni and Lundzi in the Hhohho Region. Mkhatshwa appeared along with Zwelisha Mabaso and Zweli Maziya. However, the duo was acquitted and discharged after they pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Their acquittal came after the Crown accepted their plea without leading evidence.

Asked why he possessed the illegal herb, Mkhatshwa openly told the court that he was ferrying the herb to a church situated at Lundzi.

He mentioned that the nature of their worship required that they burnt the herb in the church.

However, he undertook never to take the dagga to church in the manner he did.

The court had difficulties in believing Mkhatshwa. How would you stop ferrying dagga to church while you continue worshipping the same way? asked Magistrate Vilakati out of curiosity. He further asked how the herb would reach the church.

Licence

You must get a licence if you want to possess dagga, the court warned Mkhatshwa, before sentencing him to two years with an option to pay a fine of E2 000. One would ask if dagga is really important for Rastafarian church proceedings. When asked about the significance of dagga, a member of the Rastafarian community shared that the church could not function without the herb under normal circumstances. He stated that dagga was considered a holy herb, which connected members of the church to God. The member of the church stated that the herb was burnt in such a manner that it filled the whole church while worshippers sang or played music. He said at the same time, elders shared Bible verses.

We dont smoke dagga in church but we burn and inhale it while worshipping, said the member. The member added that they did not consider dagga as a drug in the manner they burnt it.

Mkhatshwa was not the only one to be arrested for illegal possession of dagga while at Eluhlendlweni. Others were Khayelihle Mavuso and Wakhile Nhleko.

Mavuso blamed being found in possession of the illegal herb on poverty, stating that he earned a living through selling dagga. He was found in possession of 1.4kg dagga and was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E1 000. Nhleko possessed dagga weighing 10kg and was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E2 000.

Australia's Minister for Veterans' Affairs Michael McCormack reacts as he walks to a meeting of the country's National Party in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 26, 2018. (AAP/via Reuters)

Acting Australian PM Defends US Capitol Riot Comments

Australias Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has been criticised for comparing the riot at the U.S. Capitol that occurred during protests in Washington DC last week, to the violent and destructive riots that occurred over several months in 2020 by Black Lives Matter, which was founded by Marxist organisers.

I know this is very difficult for the United States as it goes through great change but  any form of protest, whether its a protest over racial riots or indeed what weve seen on Capitol Hill in recent days is condemned and abhorred, he told ABC News on Tuesday.

He said he understood why the protests happened, saying Australia had gone through two world wars to defend its democratic right to free speech.

We have protests here in Australia, but we dont want to see the level of violence, the level of willful destruction to property that weve seen elsewhere, he said.

When asked how last weeks riot at the U.S. Capitol was the same as BLMs riots, McCormack said: Well, it involves violence. It involves the destruction of property. It involves the deaths of people. Any violence of that form is condemned.

The criticism of McCormack came after he told ABC radio on Monday that it was not up to social media companies to decide whose voices were heard.

I dont believe in that sort of censorship, the National Party leader said on Monday.

Theres been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that havent received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship, he added.

Amnesty International Indigenous Rights Lead Nolan Hunter told SBS McCormack had ignored the message of BLM.

To call the Black Lives Matter movement race riots proves that the acting Prime Minister ignored the incredibly important message that it shared, he said.

He called on McCormack to withdraw his comments immediately.

McCormack accused Amnesty of feigned indignation when speaking to Sydney radio 2GB later that day.

If Ive affected their precious feelings, well Im sorry that they are so visibly upset by it, but seriously? he said. Im concentrating on rebuilding the economy and the health outcomes of Australians, not worrying about what is a bit of a circus in America.

If Amnesty International cant cop that, well too bad, he added.

Big Tech Censorship

McCormack said he did not believe censorship should be used by social media companies, arguing facts could sometimes be contentious, and everyone should have the right to say what they believed was true.

This comes as he was also criticised for refusing to censure government MPs, including George Christensen, for social media comments.

George Christensen is a free spirit, McCormack told the Nine Network. While George might sometimes push the boundaries of controversy on social media, he also sticks very much up for communities.

Christensen likened the calls to censure him to crushing political dissent and said it was very unhealthy for democracy.

People are big enough and ugly enough to hear views, and even hear lies, he told The Epoch Times, adding that they can work it out for themselves.

Christensen has started an online petition in response to the ban.

We ask that, as a matter of urgency, you (Communications Minister Paul Fletcher) legislate to ensure Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms can no longer ban, censor, suspend, fact-check or shadowban users for posting content which is lawful in Australia, the petition read.

Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten urged senior government ministers to pull rogue backbenchers into line.

Our own leaders need to stamp down on the conspiracy rubbishnot everything on the internet is true, Shorten told Nine.

Twitter announced on Monday announced it would permanently suspend the account of President Donald Trump. This was followed by Apple and Amazon banning and de-platforming Parler, a popular Twitter alternative for conservatives.

Trump said that Twitter coordinated with the Democrats to silence him and the 75 million Americans who voted for him.
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Infra

Singapore-based Cube Highways & Infrastructure on Tuesday signed an agreement with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take over Neelamangala-Devihalli highway in Karnataka for an undisclosed amount. The project was being operated by the now crippled Lanco Infrastructure, Cube Highways said in a statement on Tuesday.

Cube Highways is a portfolio company of Isquared Capital, which is fully-owned by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and mostly invests in Indian roads and highways. The deal further expands Cubes geographic presence in the South apart from diversifying traffic flow.

RPP Infra Projects stock price jumps 4% on bagging order worth Rs 232 crore from Highways Department

It has a portfolio of 27 highways with nearly 8,400 lane-km across the country, including assets under operations and various stages of closing. Following the transaction, Cube Highways has incorporated a new SPV Nelamangala Devihalli Expressway.

It was earlier known as Lanco Devihalli Highways. Following the transaction, Cube Highways has incorporated a new SPV Nelamangala Devihalli Expressway. It was earlier known as Lanco Devihalli Highways. Gautam Bhandari, a director at Cube and a managing partner at Isquared Capital, said the company has had a strong record of deal closures during the pandemic.

The 80-km-long four-lane Nelamangala-Devihalli Expressway links Bengaluru to Mangalore and has had a strong recovery in traffic and daily revenue after the lockdowns were lifted. The road connects several pilgrim centres and important tourist destinations like Coorg and Udupi.

The project has been operational since June 2012 and was awarded as a 25-year concession after competitive bidding in 2008 for strengthening and widening the two-lane highway to a four-lane configuration.
What a day! Or, rather, what media hysteria. In fact, what happened in D.C. was almost entirely safe, normal, peaceful, and constitutional.

(For that small percentage of the D.C. event that deviated from those standards, heres hoping that an honest investigation will uncover the identities of all those who committed criminal acts and lead to their prosecutions. I believe that no true patriot at that event would have death, injury, or defiling the American flag with violence on his or her conscience.)

Its been a long time since I was in the Capitol. I seem to recall, though, that there were places where one paused upon entry to have ones identification checked, the purpose for visiting approved, bags searched, and person scanned with walk-through detectors. All the Trump supporters I know, if asked, would have completed this process before moving into the halls.

Where were those posts, and the guards that usually go with them? Why so few Capitol Police when all through this past two years of SCOTUS confirmation hearings, impeachment hearings, and spontaneous (or not) BLM uprisings, the city has been flooded with and protected by all sorts of federal and city law enforcement officers?

What was the message from Congressional leadership to those gathered Patriots and President Trump-supporters, including those we all know embedded themselves with them? Come on in, well be waiting, well be watching, and then well make a spectacle of running for our lives from you. Was that it  to prove how scary we Trump supporters can be?

For years now (Portland being the epicenter) every single gathering of conservatives of any sort precipitates an alt-gathering of anarchists, anonymous, Antifa and, lately, BLM. Violence over the past couple of years escalated from screaming at police and diners, pushing and shoving, and blocking traffic to dragging old people out of their cars for beatings and pushing to the ground or into the sides of buildings folks trying to go about their business. That escalated to arson, stabbings, shootings, mobbing up on individuals and individual homes, looting businesses, throwing Molotov cocktails, and throwing bottles of frozen urine, cans of string beans, bricks, and concrete blocks at law enforcement. That too escalated to blinding police with lasers, hitting them with hammers, and blocking doors to try to burn people alive in buildings is the worst. Democrats and their media cohorts assured us this was a legitimate protest by an idea.

As for what happened on January 6, what message should the pro-Trump gatherers take away when, in the ripest environment for such violence, there was almost none at all? Could that violence, perhaps, have been scripted all along? Hmmm.

(NB  For those who still dismiss the existence of Antifa as merely being an idea, please note that the 2020 Democrat Party platform begins with these four words America is an idea.)

For most of the morning, the crowd simply grew, milled around, waved flags, listened to speakers, sang, chanted, boosted signs, made connections with like-minded souls from all over the country, and stood in interminable lines at public toilets. Half a million? A million? Somewhere in between? More than that?

In the early afternoon, a few hundred, a statistically insignificant percentage of the whole gathering, went over to the Capitol Building to make a stand and have their say. Thats what most of them did  stood around on the steps and talked, waved their flags, and sang the national anthem.

Some went inside. Well probably never know how many of those inside were embedded Antifa, how many were embedded law enforcement, and how many were Looky-Lous or simply yahoos up to no good, but there were certainly some of each.

Given this mob of rioting protestors, exactly how many statues were destroyed? How many cars set on fire? How many police bashed in the head with concrete blocks? How many members of the mob stabbed and shot counter-protestors? None?

When the Capitol police shooed them away three hours later, they departed. How many gathered later for a night of running amok and destroying property? None, again?

What message should the American public take away when the mainstream media labels the burning, looting murderers in Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, and Kenosha as peaceful protestors and then says the nearly litter-free streets of DC are full of rioters mobbing the Capitol? Ah, thats right, nowadays definitions of words, like genders, are fluid. Snooping through offices and walking off with a podium now constitutes the violent destruction of Western democracy.

What message are the folks who were exercising their First Amendment rights to gather, speak, and seek redress peaceably to take from the President-elect who insults and degrades them, not just before their country but also in front of the entire world? That they are powerless? That the call to unity does not include them?

There is a special message for all you snowflakes in this, all you victims of undetectable micro-aggressions, all you young people who need special places where looking at another is indistinguishable from looking in a mirror. You need to take heed. All you libsiders who are so eager to trade personal freedoms and inalienable rights for dreary sameness, listen up. Pay attention, all you legislators and executives who obviously believe that if you cant win on your own merits then cheating is perfectly acceptable.

President Trump only had to ask quietly for supporters to come and stand with him to oppose election fraud, abrogating the will of the people, the harm being done to our republic, and they came. By the hundreds of thousands, on their own dime, in the winter, they came. They came to DC and to all fifty state capitals. The tens of millions of us who did not travel were with them in will, in spirit, in prayer, and with logistical support.

As of about 2018, the whole United States had around 929,000 sworn law enforcement officers  full- or part-time, federal, state, county, city, and tribal. And it had 2 million military members in all branches, at all levels, abroad and at home, active, reservist, or as part of the national guard. For a year now, the left has campaigned hard to defund the police, vilified federal intervention into the public safety arena, and reimagined law enforcement as practically nonexistent in cities all over this country.

Now imagine if President Trump instead had called for patriots to rise up and to fight at his side against the clear and present danger of a communist/socialist/ fascist/totalitarian take-over of our country -- which is what this years comprehensive violation of the electoral process looks like to many. Go ahead, do the math, well wait.

And while were waiting, well remind you that we are a powerful people with hundreds of thousands among us who do serve and have served their country out of love for that country and her ideals. We are millions upon millions strong. We are proud Americans. Our domestic adversaries, who so blatantly pit themselves against us, would do well to remember that.

But we did not rise up. Barring a few hotheads, almost certainly helped along by Antifa agitators, we came in peace, just as our President asked us to.

Mr. President-elect Biden: For all people, unity is a choice with a purpose. Give us a common cause that aligns with the core American beliefs in liberty (not tyranny), inalienable rights, and equality (not equity of outcome), and youll have your unity. Think about it. Well wait but not forever. 2022 is just around the corner.

Authors credit  Anony Mee is a retired public servant.

IMAGE: Prayer circle at Trump rally. Rumble screengrab.
A Bexar County Jail inmate died Monday from what officials said appears to be from COVID-19 complications.

Gregorio Jesse Munoz, 45, was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m. at University Hospital, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office said.

He had been incarcerated since May 16 on a charge of sexual assault of a child.

On Jan. 2, Munoz notified jail staff that he was experiencing COVID-like symptoms, officials said. He was tested for COVID-19 and quarantined pending results of the test, which came back positive that same day.

Munoz was then relocated to the jails infirmary for medical observation and treatment, officials said.

On Jan. 6, Munoz began experiencing COVID-19 complications and was taken to the hospital.

The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office has not yet ruled on the exact cause of death.

Munozs death would be the third at the jail tied to the coronavirus. On Monday, officials confirmed the deaths of two other inmates have been linked to the virus since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The sheriffs office criminal investigations division, internal affairs and public integrity units are investigating Munozs death.

The Wilson County Sheriffs Office has been notified of the death as an outside agency assigned to investigate, which is required by both the Sandra Bland Act and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Indias biggest online-education startup Byjus has signed a deal to acquire brick & mortar test prep leader Aakash Educational Services Ltd. for $1 billion, according to a person with knowledge of the talks.

The deal for what will be one of the largest edtech acquisitions in the world should close in the next two or three months, said the person, who didnt want to be identified as the information is private. Bangalore-headquartered Byjus is valued at $12 billion and has been on a fund-raising spree as the pandemic has sent demand for its online lessons ...
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who addressed the gathering by video message because of the pandemic, warned that "the only way to totally eliminate nuclear risk is to totally eliminate nuclear weapons".

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that he will be seeking a second five-year term as chief of the world organisation.

President of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, had enquired last Friday about Guterres' intentions regarding a second mandate.

The Secretary-General conveyed to him today that he is available to serve a second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations, if that would be the will of the member states, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Monday.

Dujarric said the Secretary-General also addressed a letter of similar content to the President of the Security Council.

In accordance with Article 97 of the UN Charter, the appointment of the Secretary General is made by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council, which in effect means that any of the five permanent members can veto the nominee. Each Secretary-General has the option of a second term if they can garner enough support from member states.

The term of the next Secretary General will begin on January 1, 2022.

Guterres assumed office on January 1, 2017 after a reformed selection process that included a public informal dialogue session in the General Assembly, involving civil society representatives, where each of the 13 candidates presented vision statements, and took questions.

Dujarric said the UN chief had informed the Security Council, and the heads of regional groups of his decision, and that it was too early to gauge any reaction from member states at this stage, or speculate about any other potential candidates.

The Secretary-General will be in the hands of member states on the process, and the Secretary-General will, of course, fully meet any expectations expressed by the General Assembly on submission of a vision statement, opening himself to question sessions, but he is a candidate. Those who organise the process, the member states will have to talk to you about next steps, he said.

When asked if Guterres' announcement to seek a second term depended on the US election, Dujarric said the Secretary-General wanted to be as transparent as possible.

I don't think any particular election cycle in any particular country impacted his decision, he added.

Dujarric said Guterres spoke to the President of the General Assembly first and then informed the five permanent members of the Council as well as heads of various regional groups, political groups over the weekend to make sure everybody had the same information.

Brenden Varma, spokesperson for President of the General Assembly, confirmed that the presidents of the Assembly and the Security Council, would be discussing the Secretary-General selection process, at a regular meeting on Tuesday.

The next move to formally kickstart the process will be a joint letter from the two presidents sent to member states.

In response to questions, Varma noted that under the new inclusive and transparent selection process begun in 2016, this is the first time that we have actually seen an incumbent put themselves forward for re-election, and more details would be forthcoming later in the week.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said whoever assumes the role of the UN chief, after Guterres' first term ends on December 31 this year, should fully commit to improving the world body's performance on upholding human rights and that it's crucial that the selection process is competitive and transparent.

The human rights organisation said Guterres should not be handed a new term on a silver platter. The process should include multiple candidates who all publicly present concrete plans to improve the UN, including how to reinforce its human rights pillar at a time when some governments are actively working to undermine it.

HRW said in a statement that Guterres' performance on human rights over the past four years has been mixed, largely characterised by an unwillingness to publicly criticise rights-abusing governments by name and a preference for closed-door diplomacy.

It said HRW and other organisations have called on Guterres to publicly urge the Chinese government to release over a million Turkic Muslims arbitrarily detained in so-called education camps and appoint an envoy to monitor rights abuses in China, which he has not done.

The selection of the secretary-general is largely in the hands of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as the council nominates a leading candidate for members of the General Assembly to confirm. UN member states should be clear that they will only consider candidates who make credible commitments to resist the efforts of governments seeking to sweep human rights under the carpet, HRW said.
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Warning: Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the situation in hospitals is likely to worsen. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

As many as one in 76 people in the country has caught Covid-19 in the last two weeks, it emerged last night.

The nation partied and shopped in December like it was pre-pandemic 2019 at a time the highly infectious UK form of the virus was taking hold.

It comes as figures indicate the upward spike in infection is stabilising  but hospitals, many already creaking under pressure, will continue over the next two weeks to see a surge in Covid-19 patients, rising to between 2,000 to 2,500 admissions with 200 to 400 of these seriously ill and in need of intensive care.

The fast-spreading more infectious new form of the virus now makes up around 45pc of all infections  but the staggering rise in the disease since Christmas was also fuelled by people partying and shopping.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan revealed last night that new data showed socialising and shopping were at pre-pandemic levels from early December when many of us behaved almost as if nothing was happening.

However, the strict lockdown measures are now beginning to work, providing a glimmer of hope with cases over the last five days stabilising at around 6,000 a day.

Dr Holohan said: The situation in hospitals and intensive care units around the country continues to worsen day on day.

We know that hospitalisations occur some weeks after a confirmed case is notified and mortality after that again.

The situation in hospitals will get worse before it gets better.

There were eight deaths and 4,929 new cases of the virus reported yesterday.

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For every 1,000 people diagnosed with the virus around 50 will be hospitalised.

There were 1,582 patients in hospital yesterday after another 156 admissions in the previous 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 146 patients were seriously ill in intensive care, 76 of whom were on ventilators.

The hope is that cases of the virus, which peaked around last Tuesday, will begin to fall over the next week  but officials warned last night they will be dropping from a dangerous height.

Prof Philip Nolan, who is tracking the virus, said that one in 54 people aged 20-44 tested positive for Covid-19 in the last two weeks and it was one in 100 for those aged over 65.

He warned that the new more infectious form of Covid-19  which is set to become the dominant virus strain here  will mean it will be tougher to beat.

We are going to have to get better at staying apart until a significant portion of the population is vaccinated.

Last night officials were unable to say how long control measures like physical distancing will be needed.

Dr Holohan endorsed the call of Taoiseach Micheal Martin to wear face masks outside, including if walking or running in the park.

Hospitals will continue to convert more beds into temporary intensive care beds and around 1,300 nurses from other departments will be re-deployed to work at them along with permanent nurses as part of a one to one buddy system.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said hospitals now faced a national emergency.
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Lisa Monet Zarza, owner of Alibi Drinkery in her bar in the Minneapolis metropolitan area, Minn., on Dec. 31, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Minnesota Bar Owner Fights System Over Shutdowns

MINNEAPOLISBar and restaurant owner Lisa Monet Zarza made a decision in November to go all-in. Shes prepared to lose her businesses and go to jail in the fight to keep her bar operating and her staff employed.

Zarza, the co-owner of Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, is currently being threatened with jail time, $3,000-per-day fines, and suspension of her food and liquor licenses as she opens her bar against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzs executive orders.

For nine months, like other bar and restaurant owners, Zarza has had to do flip-flops to keep up with the different executive orders issued by Walz, a Democrat, during the pandemic. In mid-March of last year, Walz declared the state in a peacetime emergency for 30 days and has renewed the status each month since, giving himself broad authority.

Alibi was closed in mid-March, initially for two weeks, although the closures were extended until June 1.

On June 1, the governor allowed outside-only dining, then, on June 10, allowed for 50 percent capacity inside; followed by open inside at 50 percent capacity but closed by 10 p.m. from Nov. 13; a week later, on Nov. 20, they were completely closed again; then on Dec. 18 reopened for outdoor-only dining.

Since Jan. 11, indoor dining at 50 percent capacity until 10 p.m. was declared allowable.

They shut us down with a two-week flatten the curve promise. And it was two and a half months, Zarza told The Epoch Times on Dec. 30, 2020. That first shutdown was hard, but it wasnt as hard as the second oneI think because we kept getting hope.

While the business was closed, they saw casinos open, airport bars and restaurants open, retail stores open, and businesses in neighboring states open.

When the first shutdown began on St. Patricks Day last year, there were 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of 5.6 million, according to Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm.

We need to take these temporary actions to flatten the outbreak curve, so we can avoid stretching our healthcare system too much, Malcolm stated in a March 16 statement.

Nine months later, when the order to close again came down, Zarza had had enough and reopened fully on Dec. 16.

You cant take something that belongs to me and threaten me with jail time, she said. So theyre trying to take my liquor license. Theyre trying to take my food service license. They served me with the temporary restraining order. They served me with a cease and desist.

On Dec. 18, she was served a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction to close down; a court hearing was set for the following week.

The temporary injunction would prevent her from operating the business, Zarzas lawyer, Mike Paddon, said. If she operated that business, shed be in violation of a court order and could be actually arrested. Thats whats scary. For contempt of court.

In deference to the judge, Zarza closed Alibi for the hearing, after which she was told shed have a decision the following day. A week later, she heard backthe judge upheld the temporary injunctionbut she decided to reopen anyway, on New Years Eve, the third anniversary of the restaurant opening.

Youre damned if you do; youre damned if you dont, Paddon said. They keep moving the goalposts.

Paddon is arguing that there is no evidence that bars and restaurants are a significant cause of COVID-19 spread, despite Walzs claims. His second argument is under the Constitutions equal protection clause, its impermissible that other businesses are allowed to be open, but Zarzas isnt. And the third argument is that the government is taking away Zarzas right to operate her business without just compensation.

Zarza said the science has been politicized and not applied equally.

Its like going to school and the teacher telling you the first day one plus one is two, and the next day one plus one is three. And the next day one plus one is four. And the next day, theyre going to say one plus one is what? And youre like, we have no idea what it is because I thought one plus one was two, but its not, she said.

She has been vocal about reopening against the governors orders as she wanted to get as much community support behind her as possible, especially as retail stores had been allowed to open since before Black Friday.

Menards has a sign that says their occupancy is 7,000 people, Zarza said, referring to the mega sporting and outdoors chain. And Im sorry, but our bar holds 100 people. And they all have the right to be here.

The Constitution guarantees your rights. So, if you dont feel safe going into my restaurant, dont come in. If you feel safe coming into my restaurant, come in.

Walz said in May that while the virus wont yet allow for business as usual, he encouraged people to patronize restaurants over the summer.

Our restaurants and bars are an integral part of the social fabric of Minnesota, and it has been heartbreaking to see this pandemic wreak havoc on our hospitality industry, he said in a May 20 statement.

Struggling Staff

Zarza employs 22 people at Alibi, about half of whom are single parents.

Our staff couldnt survive, she said.

Theres five or six staff members here that have two jobs, both those jobs are in the restaurant industry. Those are just five of the single parents that we have that support their family 100 percent. And they lost all sources of income from that shut down.

It was horrible. And when we opened. there were a lot that said they couldnt come back because they were afraid that theyre going to get arrested, theyre afraid theyre going to get fined. Because if you read the executive order, [Walz] was saying hed come after anyone that was working. So weve got probably about half of our staff that came back on the 16th when we opened.

Zarza estimates that she lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue in 2020. The federal Paycheck Protection Program money she was able to access held her over for about a month, but wasnt close to what she needed for such an extended loss of business.

During the shutdowns, Zarza opened Alibi for takeout and delivery, but kept her second restaurant closed. Alibis sales were at 5 percent of the projected sales between the two restaurants and only two staff members were required out of the 40 total.

They asked us to change our business plan, they asked us to change who we were, they took away 38 peoples jobs. It just blows me away, she said. You dont have the right to destroy our staffs lives, our lives. What weve worked for. This is my life.

Over the summer months that they were allowed to open for outside service, Zarza set up tables in the parking lot and business boomed. To initially reopen, she had to use her personal savings for food and alcohol orders, but over time, was able to put aside some money in preparation for the next shutdown. Her customers were generous with their tips, which helped pull the front-of-house staff through. The cash donations she received went to the cooks as Christmas bonuses.

They all got money so that they couldat that point, its not even at the point of buying your kids Christmas presents, it was buying groceries, she said.

Zarzas business model is based around being a community bar, which was apparent as Alibi opened at 11 a.m. on New Years Eve. By 11:30 a.m., the place was bustling, with staff and customers happy to see each other again.

However, that didnt come without a cost. Two days later, Zarza came to work to see graffiti all over her building, including Fascist bar written in large blue letters along her front windows and Nazis along the side wall.

Some of the messages that Ive gotten from peoplehorrible, horrible, horrible messageslike I hope you die, I hope your family dies,' Zarza said. Ive been followed, Ive been threatened, just because I want to open my business.

Every single season, we see something else thats trying to tear apart America, and were supposed to be standing together and fighting together.

Thats what I see this whole pandemic isit was one more way for them to segregate America. And its just so sad.

On Jan. 7, a judge issued Zarza a $3,000-per-day fine if she opened again, and she felt forced to close the doors. That is, until Walzs executive order allowed the reopening of restaurants on Jan. 11, at 50 percent capacity.

Given the fact that Defendant is purposely promoting its violation of the injunction, exposing a multitude of patrons at the establishment, the fine should be in an amount to achieve compliance, the judge wrote.

For now, Alibi is open, but Zarza is bracing for the next battle.

It sounds like youre in Germany, it sounds like youre in Russia, it sounds like youre in a communist country, when you say youre going to go to jail for opening your business, she said.

On Dec. 28, the Star Tribune listed 94 restaurants in the Twin Cities that had permanently shuttered after a year of shutdowns and riots devastated the region. The list was far from comprehensive, but was still about triple the number reported in 2019.

(Natural News) If you thought the corporate medias many embarrassing failures over the past four years covering President Trump might have chastened them or caused them to question their aggressive and inveterate dishonesty, well, think again.

(Article by John Daniel Davidson republished from TheFederalist.com)

All the political press seems to have learned from the Trump era is that incessantly attacking the president, even routinely lying about him and his administration, brings rich rewards  book deals, cable news contracts, speaking gigs, Twitter followers, compliments from George Takei, and in McKay Coppins case, an appearance on The Daily Show.

Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic known for writing about Mitt Romney, admits as much in a recent column thats purportedly about the impending breakup of the anti-Trump Resistance and the media but is really about how his own negative coverage of Trump was widely-read and opened up many wonderful opportunities for him.

But plaudits aside, what are Coppins and his comrades in the corporate press going to do now that Trump is leaving office? This is truly a conundrum, Coppins tells us, because, again, his own coverage of Trump, in case you didnt know, was widely-read.

To find out, Coppins asks some of the most deceitful and self-absorbed media hacks what their plans are for post-Trump coverage. It should not surprise you, dear reader, to learn that they dont plan to cover the Biden administration with the same hysterical mendacity they applied to the Trump administration. They were quite honest about it with Coppins.

For example, CNNs Jim Acosta, made famous  infamous, really  during Trumps term by staging temper tantrums during White House press briefings, told Coppins, I dont think the press should be trying to whip up the Biden presidency and turn it into must-see TV in a contrived way. Presumably, that means he doesnt plan to grandstand during press briefings, violate rules of decorum, spout personal opinions as though theyre questions, interrupt and argue with the president, or belligerently refuse to give the mic back to White House staffers. When he did that in 2018, the White House pulled his press pass, and the media treated Acosta like a martyr.

Acosta told Coppins that Trumps criticism of the press constituted a nonstop national emergency, so his antics and on-camera preening were justified. If being at the White House is not an experience that might merit hazard pay, he said, then perhaps it is going to be approached differently. Only a prima donna like Acosta would characterize working the White House beat as meriting hazard pay simply because he has to endure being called fake news by Trump  and rightly so.

But Acostas not alone in the partisan double standard hell bring to his post-Trump coverage of the White House. CNNs fact check guy, Daniel Dale, told Coppins, It will not be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job to fact-check Biden, because, he explained, Biden doesnt lie as often as Trump. One wonders how Dale knows this without, you know, fact-checking Biden, who actually has a remarkable penchant for lying, most recently lying over and over again about his knowledge of his son Hunter Bidens corrupt overseas business deals.

No matter, because for Dale, fact-checking Trump was never about checking facts but about pushing an anti-Trump narrative. Dale was humiliated back in September after claiming Trump never received a Bay of Pigs award from a veterans group because no such award exists. In a clumsy bit of legerdemain, Dale tried to argue that Trump received an endorsement from the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association but not an award. The Trump campaign immediately corrected Dale by tweeting a photo of Trump accepting the award from the group, a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield.

Here's the award. It's a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield. The media will say anything to dismiss President Trump's Hispanic supporters! https://t.co/x5hPMHkP09 pic.twitter.com/pn5dtGvTr2  Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 13, 2020

But Dale doubled down on his fact check, insisting the shield was not an award, which prompted the Trump campaign to release a letter from the group clarifying that it is in fact an award:

It was with great satisfaction that we read President Donald J. Trumps Twitter mentioning the event in which the Veterans Association-Brigade 2506 presented a recognition award, consisting of the emblem used by our patriots during the battle of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuba, 1961. The award was presented to President Trump for the purpose of recognizing his political and social platform, which is in line with the conservative beliefs of our organization and his objectives of ending totalitarian regimes, drug and human trafficking and human rights abuses in our hemisphere and beyond.

When it comes to Biden, weve already had a preview of how Dale plans to hold the president-elect to account. In August, Dale furiously argued that Biden was not proposing to ban assault rifles, only to be contradicted by Biden himself, who endorsed an assault weapons ban in September.

Coppins also spoke with Yamiche Alcindor of PBS NewsHour, a woke reporter with a long track record of partisan commentary and hostile, often silly questioning. Alcindor has had many embarrassing episodes covering the Trump administration, for which she has, no surprise, been lauded by her peers.

She once accused U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who is black, of racism. She tried  and failed  to fact check Trumps claim that rioters burning down U.S. cities were anarchists, saying the president had no evidence despite mountains of evidence that many of the rioters were in fact anarchists. She even once asked Trump if being a nationalist meant that he supported white nationalism, a question Trump correctly dismissed as racist.

For Alcindor, this posture toward the Trump White House was entirely appropriate, she told Coppins, because, When something is racist, we should just say its racist, and, When someone is lying, we should just say theyre lying.

Perhaps the only journalist Coppins spoke to who answered with a shred of honesty and self-awareness was New York Magazines Olivia Nuzzi, who, like Coppins, has been rewarded for her biased coverage of the Trump campaign with a major book deal, TV appearances, and the approval of her equally biased peers. There is kind of this temptation to satisfy the resistance with worldview-confirming reporting chum, she said, adding that, It didnt really require any special bravery to report honestly and critically on Donald Trump.

No, it sure didnt. For that matter, it didnt require any special bravery to report dishonestly and hyperbolically on Trump, either. But Nuzzi knows what shes talking about. She admitted that constantly slamming Trump makes you popular in D.C. and that it wont be the same covering Biden. On a purely social level, I dont know that reporting critically on Joe Biden will feel as safe for reporters, she told Coppins. Youre not going to get yass queened to death.

Reading through these responses, you can almost feel the sense of disappointment and ennui settling in. For Coppins and his fellow corporate media stars of the Resistance, the years ahead indeed look bleak. They might be widely-read right now  as Coppins is at pains to remind us  but how can they sustain their importance and prestige under Biden? How will they continue to be a big deal? How will they get book deals? And how on earth will Coppins ever get invited back on The Daily Show?

Theres really only one hope for these people: Trump in 2024.

Read more at: TheFederalist.com and Journalism.news.
The death has occurred of Ann Dempsey (nee Maher)

Ballyhagen, Carbury, Kildare / Durrow, Laois



Mother of the late Derrick. Deeply regretted by her loving husband Paul, sadly missed by her sons Ray, Paul and Robert, daughter Bridget, brothers Dan, Bill and Mike, daughters-in-law Caroline, Tina and Caroline, grandchildren Damien, Jack, Molly, Owen, Aidan, Finn, Noah and Callie, great grandchild Arlo, sisters in law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

May Ann Rest in Peace

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak there will be a family funeral on Wednesday in The Holy Trinity Church, Derrinturn, at 1.30pm, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. You can take part in Ann's Funeral Mass on the Church Webcam via the following link: https://www.carburyparish.ie/our-parish/webcam-derrinturn/

Condolences can be left by using the link below. The family would like to thank for your support at this difficult time.

The death has occurred of Dominic Hall (Snr)

Churchview, Suncroft, Kildare



Peacefully at Naas Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Father of the late Philip and Maeve. Sadly missed by his loving wife Kathleen, sons Dominic and Tony, daughter Jackie, grandchildren, great grandchildren, extended family, neighbours and friends.

May Dominic Rest In Peace

Due to current government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence page below. Removal on Wednesday morning to arrive at St Brigid's Church, Suncroft for Requiem Mass at 11 o'clock. Burial afterwards in Holy Cross Cemetery, Suncroft.

The death has occurred of Patricia (Pat) McGLYNN (nee Cardiff)

St. Martin`s Avenue, Naas, Kildare



Formerly of Newhall, Caragh.

Beloved wife of the late Sean. Sadly missed by her loving sons Andrew, Dominic, John and Declan, daughter-in-law Claire, grandchildren Lauren and Sean and their mother Elaine, Adam, Ronan, Ella and Liam, Dominic's partner Marjolein, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, and a wide circle of friends.

"May She Rest In Peace"

Due to current Government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place with Funeral Mass on Thursday morning at 10am in The Church of Our Lady and St. David, Naas. Those who would like to join the private funeral service remotely by webcam can do so by clicking on https://www.naasparish.ie/our-parish/naas-webcam or via the Naas Parish App on the webcam folder.

Cremation, following the Funeral Mass, will take place in Newlands Cross Crematorium with web-streaming from there on the link https://www.mcnmedia.tv/camera/newslands-cross-cemetery-crematorium.

If you wish to leave a message of condolence for the family, you may do so in the Condolence Book below.

Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to The Society of St. Vincent DePaul, Naas.

The death has occurred of Joan O'SHEA (nee Hazlett)

Leixlip, Kildare / Lucan, Dublin



OSHEA (nee Hazlett), Joan (Leixlip, Co. Kildare and formerly of Lucan) January 11th, 2021 (peacefully) at St. Marys Community Care Unit, Maynooth. Beloved wife of the late Eric and much loved mother of Robbie, Anne and Richard.

Sadly missed by her loving sons, daughter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, son-in-law, daughters-in-law, sister Patricia, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

A private funeral will take place due to government advice regarding public gatherings.

Those who would have liked to attend the funeral; but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave your personal message by selecting Condolences below or alternatively leaving a message at www.cunninghamsfunerals.com.

Family flowers only please.

The death has occurred of Mary (Ollie) Scanlon

Anne St., Prosperous, Kildare / Coill Dubh, Kildare



Scanlon, Mary (Ollie), Anne St., Prosperous and late of Coill Dubh, Co. Kildare, January 10th 2021, peacefully at Naas General Hospital. Deeply regretted by her loving daughter Vicky, son in law Duarte, grandchildren Holly and Jake, sisters, brother, brothers in law, sister in law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Rest In Peace

Due to current government guidelines, a private family funeral will take place for Mary. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to the current restrictions, please leave a personal message for the family in the condolence section below. Mary's Funeral Mass can be viewed on Thursday morning at 11am by clicking on the following link : https://www.mcnmedia.tv/camera/christ-the-king-church-cooleragh. Mary's Commital Service can be viewed at 1pm by clicking on the following link : https://mcnmedia.tv/cameras/newslands-cross-cemetery-crematorium.

Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors accept no responsibility for any live webcam interuptions or issues.

Mary's Funeral Cortege will be passing through Coill Dubh Village at approx 10:40am enroute to the church. Those who would like to line the route may do so in a safe and socially distanced manner.
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Indonesian navy personnel handle a box containing the flight data recorder recovered from the crash site of the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 (Dita Alangkara/AP)

Indonesian navy divers searching the ocean floor on Tuesday recovered the flight data recorder from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea with 62 people on board.

The device is expected to help investigators determine what caused the Boeing 737-500 plane to nosedive into the ocean in heavy rain shortly after taking off from Jakarta on Saturday.

The 26-year-old jet had been out of service for almost nine months because of flight cutbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. It resumed commercial flights last month.

TV stations showed divers on an inflatable vessel with a large white container containing the device heading to a Jakarta port.

Military chief Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said the planes other black box, the cockpit voice recorder, was likely to be found soon because its beacon was being emitted in the same area.

Expand Close A box containing the flight data recorder recovered from the crash site of the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 in the Java Sea (Dita Alangkara/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A box containing the flight data recorder recovered from the crash site of the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 in the Java Sea (Dita Alangkara/AP)

The devices were buried in seabed mud under tons of sharp objects in the planes wreckage, navy chief admiral Yudo Margono said. He said at least 160 divers were deployed Tuesday in the search.

More than 3,600 rescue personnel, 13 helicopters, 54 large ships and 20 small boats are searching the area just north of Jakarta where Flight 182 crashed and have found parts of the plane and human remains in the water at a depth of 23 metres (75 feet).

Expand Close Indonesian navy divers continue their search for wreckage of the crashed Sriwijaya Air passenger jet in the Java Sea (Tatan Syuflana) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Indonesian navy divers continue their search for wreckage of the crashed Sriwijaya Air passenger jet in the Java Sea (Tatan Syuflana)

So far, the searchers have sent 74 body bags containing human remains to police identification experts who on Monday said they had identified their first victim, 29-year-old flight attendant Okky Bisma.

His wife, Aldha Refa, who is also a flight attendant for Sriwijaya Air, shared her grief in a series of posts on social media.

My husband is a loving, devout and super kind man, she wrote on Instagram. Heaven is your place, dear  be peaceful there.

Expand Close Indonesian navy divers show parts of aircraft recovered from the Java Sea (Tatan Syuflana/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Indonesian navy divers show parts of aircraft recovered from the Java Sea (Tatan Syuflana/AP)

Family members have been providing samples for DNA tests and police say results are expected in four to eight days.

National Police spokesman Rusdi Hartono said about 53 samples for DNA testing have been collected but more are still needed, especially from parents and children of victims.

Indonesias National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) said the US National Transportation Safety Board will join in investigating the crash.

The NTSC chairman, Soerjanto Tjahjono, ruled out a possible mid-air break-up after seeing the condition of the wreckage found by searchers.

He said the jet was intact until it struck the water, concentrating the debris field, rather than spreading it out over a large area as would be seen with a mid-air event.
President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday that he had selected longtime US State Department official William Burns to head the Central Intelligence Agency. Burns was a 33-year veteran of the US diplomatic corps, rising to Deputy Secretary of State from 2011 to 2014 in the Obama administration. He retired in 2014 to head the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a major foreign policy think tank in Washington.

As a top-level State Department official through the administrations of Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and Obama, Burns is implicated in virtually every crime of US imperialism over the past three decades, including the war in Iraq, the US-NATO attack on Libya, the military coup that drowned the Egyptian Revolution in blood, and the US intervention in Syria.

William Burns (USJapan Council)

Burns specialized in the Middle East and Russia, moving up the ladder from US Ambassador to Jordan (1998-2001) to Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs (2001-2005), where he was responsible for State Department operations in conquered Iraq, ruled as a virtual US colony, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In 2005, George W. Bush named him Ambassador to Russia, one of the top US diplomatic postings. He returned to Washington in 2008 to be undersecretary of state for political affairs, and was maintained in that position when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state under Obama. In 2011, Obama promoted him to deputy secretary of state, the number two position, where he was the day-to-day leader of the State Department, first under Clinton, then John Kerry.

After such a career, as the saying goes, Burns knows where all the bodies are buried. Now he is assigned to head an agency that is probably responsible for more killing, torture and mass suffering than any other on the planet: the CIA.

He will be replacing current CIA Director Gina Haspel, herself a former spy, notorious for running a black site torture prison in Thailand. Largely because of this and her subsequent role in destroying evidence of the criminality she and fellow agents engaged in, Trump elevated Haspel to head the agency in 2018, after he promoted his first CIA director, Mike Pompeo, to secretary of state.

Burnss trajectory is in the opposite direction, but the close connection of the CIA and State Department signaled first by Pompeo and now by Burns demonstrates the overlapping role of both these institutions as agencies of American imperialist violence and political subversion.

On Monday, Biden released a statement and short video announcing the selection of Burns. In his statement Biden assured, the American people that they, will sleep soundly with him as our next CIA director. In his video Biden praised Burns for his, honesty, integrity, and skill, noting that is exactly how hell head the CIA.

The selection of Burns has drawn similar praise from former veterans of the military-intelligence apparatus responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Former CIA director and Iraq Commander General David Petraeus told Politico in a statement that Burns was, a truly inspired choice.

A subsequent successor to Petraeus at the CIA, John Brennan, infamous for his role in drone missile assassinations and illegal spying, called it an enlightened selection. Brennan approvingly noted that Burns had, deep substantive expertise [and] extensive experience working with the Intelligence Community. The CIA will be most fortunate to have him at the helm.

While Burns has never formally worked for the CIA, his decades of work at the State Department required that he coordinate closely with the military-intelligence apparatus in carrying out the predatory aims of US imperialism.

One of his less-publicized activities was helping suppress the revolutionary movement of the working class in Egypt which erupted in 2011, and was drowned in blood after the 2013 military coup. As Deputy Secretary of State, Burns traveled to Egypt before and after the July 3, 2013 military coup by dictator general-General Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, who has remained in power ever since with Washingtons blessing and favor.

Also in 2013, Burns headed a special high-level State Department detail that was sent to Russia to try to convince President Vladimir Putin to turn over National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. He later chastised China for permitting Snowden to escape Hong Kong after his devastating revelations about systematic spying by the NSA against the worlds population, including Americans. The Chinese reluctance to detaini.e., kidnapSnowden on behalf of the US government was not consistent with the spirit... the type of relationshipthe new modelthat we both seek to build.

A preview of what to expect from a Burns-led CIA was given during an interview with National Public Radios Mary Louise Kelly on US Global Leadership held June 19, 2019 at the Truman Center for National Policy in Washington, DC. In the extended conversation, Burns defended the US and NATO-led coup in Libya which ended with the grisly murder of Muammar Gaddafi, followed by an ongoing civil war, the torture and killing of refugees and the return of slave-markets.

It was right to act in Libya in the way that we did, Burns said. While the US government might have got some assumptions wrong, he expressed no regrets, saying that he still thought Obamas decision to act was unavoidable.

One of the few regrets Burns expressed in the interview was the failure to enforce the red line, in regards to the attempted overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In other words, Burns thought that Obama should have ordered a US military strike on Syria: a preview of the type of policy recommendations that he will provide to a President Biden.

There is no doubt that as Deputy Secretary of State, Burns was well aware of the CIA effort known as Operation Timber Sycamore which flooded millions of dollars worth in military weapons to so-called moderate rebels composed of remnants of al-Qaeda as well as al-Nusra in Syria to be used against the Assad government, beginning in 2012.

On August 21, 2013, these forces staged a poison gas attack on Ghouta, which was used as a pretext for the US to begin bombing Syria. However, broad popular opposition to another imperialist war, as well as internal conflicts within the US government and its European allies, led Obama to back off from further military action and eventually negotiate a face-saving peace agreement with Putin.

A Cost of Wars report from last year estimated that the ongoing conflict in Syria has led to the displacement of over 7 million people. This estimate, however, is on the low end, with some arguing it could be as high as 12 million people. Overall, some 380,000 Syrian civilians have reportedly died in the nine-year conflict.

Unsurprisingly, during his interview, Burns expressed his support for the Democratic and CIA-led election interference conspiracy theory against Russia, telling Kelly that Putin saw dysfunction in our system and took advantage  and put the thumb on the scale [against] Hillary Clinton.

Bidens appointment of Burns, far from allowing every American to sleep at night is a warning to the working class that imperialist war, illegal spying, and the persecution of whistleblowers such as Snowden and Assange, who remains imprisoned at Belmarsh in London, will continue under a Democratic administration.
The finance ministry has rejected the demand for further extension of the last date for income tax return (ITR) filing beyond February 15 for the ones where audit is required.

In December 2020, the government extended the ITR filing deadline for individuals till January 10 and till February 15 for companies.

"CBDT passes order u/s 119 of Income-tax Act, 1961 in F No. 370153/39/2020-TPL dt 11th January, 2021, disposing off the representations for extension of due date for filing of Audit Report u/s 44AB, in compliance with the order of hon''ble Gujarat High Court dt 8th January, 2021," the income tax department said in a tweet.

This was in response to the Gujarat High Court order dated January 8, 2021 in the case of The All India Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants versus Union of India directing the finance ministry to look into the issue of the extension of due dates for filing audit reports under Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act.

As per the provisions of the Act, the due date for filing of the audit report under Section 44AB is one month prior to the due date of filing of income tax return, it said.

The due dates for payment of self assessment tax for taxpayers whose amount due does not exceed Rs 1 lakh also coincide with the due dates for filing of ITR, it said.

On December 30, 2020, the government announced the extension of the last dates for filing of returns by individuals to January 10, 2021 from December 31, 2020.

In case of return for tax audit cases, the date was extended to February 15 from the earlier January 31. It was for the third time the tax department extended the dates.
Shackleton partners with NGO Blue Marine Foundation to launch the Antarctic Protector Parka, a world-first expedition-grade parka made from recycled plastic bottles

LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shackleton, in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), has developed the Antarctic Protector Parka, the world's first expedition-grade parka engineered from 100% recycled fabrics. Post-consumer plastic bottles have been recycled and repurposed to create the fully waterproof shell and RDS-certified 95/5 800-fill goose down provides insulation down to -25C.

The Antarctic Protector Parka has been developed for BLUE's field operatives working in Antarctica's coastal zones which combine some of the wettest, windiest and coldest conditions anywhere in the world. "These notorious conditions set the standard for which all our apparel is developed to perform," says Martin Brooks, Co-Founder of Shackleton. "We design and engineer expedition-grade apparel for people living and working in the most extreme environments. For Antarctica's coast, that means seam-sealed waterproofing of minimum 20,000 H/H and insulation to minus 25. We believe the Protector is the first jacket to hit this performance standard using fully recycled fabrics."

The Antarctica Protector Parka is strictly limited to 100 units, Shackleton will donate 100 to BLUE for every jacket sold.

The Protector Parka collaboration is part of a wider partnership between Shackleton and BLUE to campaign for the protection of Antarctica. Antarctica's coast is under serious threat: as global warming melts the ice and the waters become more accessible, pressure is mounting from industrial fishing fleets, mining operations and unregulated tourism, threatening vital feeding grounds and habitats for thousands of species.

"Antarctica is our spiritual home - it's where Sir Ernest Shackleton made his name as a polar explorer over a century ago and where our expedition-grade apparel is tested and used today. I've seen Antarctica's jaw-dropping coastal zones first-hand," says Shackleton co-founder Martin Brooks, "but these crucial environments are under threat in many ways, from over-fishing to mining. The only way to protect and preserve them from further human damage is to grant them the comprehensive MPA (Marine Protected Area) status they so obviously need and deserve."

'"It's even more special to announce this partnership with BLUE on the 99th anniversary of Ernest Shackleton's death on January 5th 1922. If The Boss were alive today, we're sure he'd be doing his utmost to preserve this last great wilderness."

BLUE'S Head of International Projects Rory Moore explains why this is so important.

"The mission is to help protect over four million square kilometres of ocean without this protection, this pristine habitat and the thousands of species that rely on it are at grave risk."

Blue Marine Foundation is the NGO leading the fight to create four million square kilometres of Marine Protected Area (MPA), incorporating the Weddell Sea, East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. Its aim is to protect this critical biodiversity, while mitigating the impacts of climate change and providing areas for crucial scientific research.

Antarctica is home to nearly 10,000 unique and diverse species, including 15 species of whale and five species of penguin. The nutrient-rich waters encourage blooms of plankton and swarms of krill, which form the basis of the entire ocean food chain. Designating the three proposed Antarctic MPAs - the Weddell Sea, East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsular - will protect biodiversity, while mitigating the impacts of climate change and providing reference areas for scientific research.

For more information about the partnership and launch of the Protector Parka please head to Shackleton or contact Nigel.Brown@DirtandGloryMedia.com, +447525328 977

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1418907/Shackleton_Protector_Parka.jpg
A Good Samaritan is a person who without expecting any reward and without any duty of care or special relationship, voluntarily comes forward to extend immediate emergency care to a person injured in accident or road crash or any emergency or medical situation. However, for various reasons road accidents have been on the rise and even though road safety norms have been revised from time to time which encourage people to come to the rescue of the injured.

One of the most cited reasons by passerby and onlookers at an accident site is the continued harassment of Good Samaritans or people by the police and other law enforcement agencies which discourage them to come to the rescue of the injured in such critical times. The good Samaritan law protects such people from harassment on the actions being taken by them to save the life of the road accident victims.

According to a Hindustan Times report which quotes a Law Commission of India finding that close to 50 percent of those killed in road accidents could have been saved if they were provided with medical help in those critical hours. The report also states a World Health Organisation (WHO) most of the victims of all road victims die within the 15 minutes of a road accident/collisions.

There is hope as the recent Supreme Court guidelines come to the aid of Good Samaritans when they come to the rescue of accident victims or in distress. The new enacted in August last year states that a Good Samaritan will not be liable to any civil or criminal action for any injury or death of the victim who was involved in a road accident. It also says that wherein such injury or death resulted from the Good Samaritans negligence in acting or failing to act while providing emergency medical or non-medical assistance.

The law has a long history of it coming into being, but after public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the nations highest court in 2012 seeking protection for Good Samaritans who step forward to rescue the injured persons.

The Good Samaritan law was enforced to encourage people who come forward to help injured victims of road accidents without fear of police harassment, detention at hospitals or lengthy legal formalities. As in the past, many people were hesitant by such archaic legal processes and law enforcement hassles.
PHOENIX, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona's premier personal injury law firm, Hastings & Hastings, understands that tragedy can strike at any time. If you or someone you know has been in an accident caused by a distracted driver, we want you to know that we are here to help! We have a proud record of fighting aggressively for accident victims. Our more than 40 years of serving Arizona, and over 125 years of combined attorney experience means we know how to work with insurance and care providers to put you in the best position for your recovery.

As of January 1, 2021, a new Arizona Texting and Driving law goes into effect banning the use of a cell phone or other stand-alone electronic device while driving unless it is being used in a hands-free mode. Drivers in Arizona can now receive tickets and be fined for using handheld cellphones while driving and operating a vehicle. The law allows for a few exceptions including the use of a device while the vehicle is stopped at a red light or parked, or to place a call to emergency services.

The new cell phone law was proposed following an incident where a law enforcement officer was killed after being struck by a distracted driver who admitted to texting during the moments when the crash occurred. State of Arizona texting and driving statistics show far too many similar incidents and lawmakers have finally put their foot down. While some cities had similar laws in place, the new state-wide law will supersede existing local or city laws.

Drivers caught violating the law may be subject to fines between $75 and $149 for their first infraction, and between $150 and $250 for each thereafter. Further, any driver causing injury or death while also in violation of the law may face a class 1 misdemeanor that carries a six-month jail sentence, have their driver's license suspended for up to a year, and be ordered to pay restitution up to $100,000.

Some additional information on the new AZ cell phone law for 2021 is provided by AZDPS: https://www.azdps.gov/handsfree.

Hastings & Hastings is a personal injury law firm that has been proudly helping accident victims in Arizona for more than 40 years. Our team of attorneys has over 125 years of combined experience in fighting to make sure our clients get the compensation they deserve, and our friendly support staff will help ensure that you can focus on your recovery. When disaster strikes, we know exactly what to do, because It's All We Do. If you or someone you know recently suffered an injury in an accident then we want to help! Our "No Fee Promise" means that we don't get paid until you do, and our "Discount Fee" means you keep more of your settlement. Please call us at 480-706-1100 or visit our website www.hastingsandhastings.com to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an attorney.

For more information or to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced, licensed attorney, please give us a call at 480-706-1100, or visit our website at www.hastingsandhastings.com. It's about time!

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Its an enviable time to be the globes largest streamer, whose ability to release new and premium films is unhampered by the pandemic. While studios like Warner Bros. deal with fallout from abrupt decisions to pivot to streaming amid theater closures, Netflix has long been singularly motivated. If anything, these dozens of titles underscore how well positioned the streamer is for this moment, especially as vaccination plans take longer to roll out than expected.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:47:14|Editor: huaxia

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GENEVA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- As concerns over new COVID-19 variants and high death toll from the pandemic linger in a large part of Europe, many European countries have pinned their hope of getting over the pathogen on vaccines, speeding up vaccination as a way out of the scourge.

CHALLENGES REMAIN

"As we enter 2021, over 230 million people in the European Region are living in countries under full national lockdown, with more countries set to announce lockdown measures in the coming week," World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said last week.

"We were prepared for a challenging start to 2021 and it has been just that," he said.

Virus transmission across Europe has stayed at a very high rate. As of Jan. 6, among all countries and territories in Europe, almost half had a seven-day incidence of over 150 new cases per 100,000 population, and one quarter were seeing a greater-than-ten-percent increase in case incidence over the past two-week period, according to Kluge.

Meanwhile, 22 countries in the WHO European Region have detected a new coronavirus variant called B117, which, by the WHO's assessment, may over time replace other circulating lineages, as seen in Britain and increasingly in Denmark.

Kluge said that while producing no significant changes so far to COVID-19, the new variant does raise alarm that without increased control to slow its spread, there will be an increased impact on the already strained health facilities.

As of 10 a.m. CET (0900 GMT) on Monday, WHO Regional Office for Europe recorded 29,032,605 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 630,282 deaths. The numbers of new confirmed cases and new deaths during the last seven days also stayed as high as over 1.8 million and over 35,800 respectively.

VACCINATION EFFORTS

In an effort to curb the virus, many European countries have stepped up the pace of vaccination.

On behalf of the 27 European Union (EU) member states, the European Commission has negotiated agreements that could secure 760 million doses of two COVID-19 vaccines -- one jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and the other by Moderna -- enough to vaccinate 380 million Europeans, more than 80 percent of the European population.

In Britain where the new variant was discovered, more than 2.2 million people have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to government figures released on Monday.

The British government announced on Monday that tens of millions of people will be immunized by the spring at over 2,700 vaccination sites across the country. An expansion of the vaccination program will make sure that all adults will be offered a vaccine by the autumn.

In France, more than 138,000 people had been vaccinated by Monday, said the country's health minister. The government expects to receive 2.6 million doses by the end of this month.

France has been targeting the most vulnerable people at nursing homes in the first stage of vaccination. Under its three-stage campaign, the government aims to vaccinate 1 million vulnerable people at nursing homes by the end of January.

In Germany, a total of 613,347 people had received COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday, according to the country's disease control agency. Priorities have been given to people aged over 80, people in elderly and care facilities, and frontline health care staff. The government has said that in the coming summer, it will be possible to make all its people vaccinated.

Spain had received 743,925 doses of the BioNtech-Pfizer vaccine by Sunday. However, storm Filomena left heavy snowfalls in many parts of Spain, closing Madrid airport and seeing rail connections cut for around 48 hours, which has interrupted the shipment of the doses.

Sweden had signed a fifth vaccine deal with German pharmaceutical company CureVac, according to the country's national vaccine coordinator Richard Bergstrom. The deal will give Sweden access to a total of 4.5 million doses. Sweden also has agreements with other providers such as Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Janssen Pharmaceutica.

According to the Swedish Medical Products Agency, so far, 175,500 doses of vaccines have been delivered to Sweden, and currently about 40,000 vaccine doses have been vaccinated to its population.

Switzerland is also mounting up its vaccination efforts. Media reported that having received 233,000 doses of the BioNtech-Pfizer vaccine since December, the government has pre-ordered 3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 7.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 5.3 million doses of AstraZeneca.

According to the Swiss Federal Council, all willing residents of elderly homes should be vaccinated by end of January, while all residents aged more than 75 years old should be vaccinated by the end of February, and 70 percent of people aged 65 and more should receive a dose of vaccine by the end of March. Enditem

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IndiaMART InterMESH, the countrys largest online B2B marketplace for small and medium enterprises whose stock has skyrocketed in recent months, is preparing its first fundraising exercise, people with knowledge of the matter told Moneycontrol.

The company is exploring options to raise around Rs 1,000 crore via the qualified institutional placement (QIP) route but is yet to take a final call on the quantum or the instrument to be used. These are early days and a decision is expected after the board meeting next week, said one of the persons cited above.

The Noida-based company, whose stock price has risen nearly four-fold in the last six months, is scheduled to meet on January 18 to consider its quarterly results and fundraising options. From levels of Rs 2,199 on July 13, 2020, the scrip surged to as high as Rs 7,991 at the end of days trade on January 11, 2021. The company made its market debut in June 2019 with an issue price of Rs 973 a share.

ICICI Securities, Edelweiss and Jefferies are the investment banks working with the company on the proposed fundraise. They were involved in the IPO as well, a second person added.

The plan as of now is for IndiaMART InterMESH to raise funds for potential acquisitions or inorganic growth opportunities going ahead in the post-Covid-19 era, said a third individual. Earlier in August 2020, consumer internet company Info Edge launched a QIP to raise Rs 1,875 crore in a bid to scout for opportunistic acquisitions.

All three persons spoke to Moneycontrol on the condition of anonymity. Moneycontrol is awaiting an email response from IndiaMART InterMESH and has sent reminders. This article will be updated as soon as we hear from the firm. ICICI Securities, Edelweiss and Jefferies declined to comment.

In an interview with CNBC-TV18 on November 24, Dinesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, IndiaMART InterMESH had said: In June, July, August and September, a lot of economic revival took place, unlocking took place. There was pent-up demand which resulted in a net addition of around 8,000 paying customers.

The firm counts the likes of private equity fund Westbridge Capital, US hedge fund Steadview Capital and the Kuwait Investment Authority as its investors.

A brokerage report by Motilal Oswal in November 2020 said the company's traffic and business inquiries had risen by 38 percent and 56 percent, respectively, from the pre-COVID levels, which augured well for the firm. The brokerage had said it remains confident in the company's strong fundamental growth in operations driven by a) high growth in digitisation among the SMEs, b) the need for out-of-the-circle buyers, c) a strong network effect, d) >70 percent market share in the underlying industry, e) the ability to increase ARPU on account of low price sensitivity, and f) high operating leverage.

IndiaMART InterMESH posted revenues of Rs 623 crore in FY 19-20 with a profit of Rs 146 crore. According to its website, the firm, founded in 1999, provides a platform to SMEs, large enterprises as well as individuals and connects buyers with suppliers across product categories and geographies in the country. It claims to have a 60 per cent market share of the online B2B classified space in India. It has more than 113 million buyers, 6.2 million-plus buyers and more than 69 million products and services, the site says. As of September 2020, it had 2,917 employees located across 41 offices in the country.
Two knives were seized and are being analysed by police following an alleged stabbing attack which left a Narre Warren mother dead and two of her family members injured, a court has heard.

Melbourne mother Channa Tep, 42, was flown to hospital with upper body injuries, but later died following the November 30 incident last year. Her three-year-old daughter and 70-year-old mother, Tep Sakan, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Mother Channa Tep. Credit:Nine News

A 15-year-old boy faced a children's court on Tuesday charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder over the incident. He cannot be named for legal reasons.

The boy appeared via video link from a youth justice centre and an application was made to take an oral swab as a forensic sample.
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I am very glad that we achieved at least some result after these talks, and its very important. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during the bilateral meeting with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, referring to the results of the trilateral meeting with the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan.

I am certain that the agreements formulated in our joint statement can seriously help change the economy in the region and seriously increase the potential for investmentsHowever, in my opinion, the economic issues will become difficult to solve, if the humanitarian issues arent solved and, of course, as I already said, the humanitarian issue related to the exchange of prisoners of war, missing persons and bodies of deceased is the most sensitive and most painful issue for us Armenians.

I would like to thank you for supporting this position. Of course, your personal contribution to the peace process is very, very tangible, especially now after the well-known events. I am certain that the relations between Armenia and Russia will grow deeper. Russia has been and remains Armenias key strategic allyalso in the security sector. Of course, we need to discuss not only the future of the region, but also the agenda for bilateral relations, and I am glad for this meeting and this opportunity," Pashinyan said.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- For the year of 2020, around 19.605 million locally-produced PVs (referring to cars, MPVs, SUVs and minibuses) were handed over to consumers in China, representing a year-on-year decrease of 6.8%, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

The association said the downturn in PV retail sales was primarily ascribed to the earlier-than-usual Chinese New Year holiday and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Due to these factors, the deliveries were down by 2.08 million units over the previous year in the first quarter. With the PV market gradually recovering, the second-quarter retail sales were only 170,000 units fewer than that of the year-ago period, and the sales in the second-half of the year were 840,000 units more than that of the same period of last year.

For the month of December 2020, China's PV retail sales climbed 6.5% from a year ago to 2.32 million units, boasting consecutive year-on-year increase between July and December.



Compared to the 7.5% drop in 2019's delivery volume, China's PV market performed better in 2020. It is mainly credited to the better-than-expected recovery in macro-economic climate and export performance, and the robust rebound in retail sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), said the CPCA.

The Dec. retail sales of luxury PVs jumped 26% year on year thanks to the strong demands of replacing old cars with luxury vehicles. However, as wholesales growth slowed in the year-end period, luxury PV retail sales edged down 1% compared to November.

Besides, the Dec. retail sales of China self-owned brands and mainstream joint-venture brands rose 4% and 5% over the previous year respectively.

China-made Model 3



Last month, there were 23,804 consumers taking delivery of the China-made Model 3s, a month-over-month growth of 10.2%.

In terms of the full-year PV retail sales, FAW-VW ranked first among Chinese automakers. It is also the only one whose annual deliveries exceeded 2 million units. Moreover, the respective sales of SAIC VW, SAIC-GM, Geely Auto, Dongfeng Nissan and SGMW all surpassed 1 million units last year.

Chinas automakers sold 20.121 million locally-produced PVs through 2020, a year-on-year decline of 6.2%. In December, PV wholesales grew 6.6% from the previous year to 2.356 million units.

Due to the vigorous efforts to reduce inventory and smaller wholesale goal, dealers saw their inventories further decrease in December.

Regarding the annual PV wholesale volume, the top six automakers were FAW-VW, SAIC VW, SAIC-GM, Geely Auto, Dongfeng Nissan and SGMW, the same as the ranking for retail sales.
People with developmental and intellectual disabilities who need help with their daily living and are more vulnerable to serious infections, including COVID-19, are still on the waiting list for vaccinations.

Prioritization of vaccines in group homes depends on every state

USA Today reported Allen Lesser's life, who missed out on the trip to Florida every January for decades. Meanwhile, Elise Kellman had to cut back on her working hours at Walgreens, and her best friend Christine Buda took her art classes online instead of in person. These three people could not go out in Manhattan, where they live together in Schafler House, a group home.

Roseanne Giannotta, the residential coordinator for Schafler and a program for medically fragile people with intellectual disabilities in New York City, said that Lesser, Kellman, and Buda are bored and want to get their life back. They are all survivors of COVID-19 in spring and are among the first people with intellectual disabilities in America to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

In New York, the state prioritizes people with disabilities living in group homes, even if they are not in full-time nursing care. However, the priority level for people living in group homes across the country depends on every state, even if the outbreak showed they are two-to-three times potentially more exposed to and die from the virus than the general population.

Sam Crane, legal director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, which represents people on the autism spectrum, explained that people who live in congregate settings are particularly high risk as they need in-person services and cannot distance themselves from staff. Crane said that these risk factors are particularly significant to people with intellectual disabilities to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination in an email.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) committee recommended people in "long-term care facilities" be included in the first group to be vaccinated. Crane and others urged the CDC to clarify that group homes' caregivers and residents must be prioritized, with people to receive in-person at-home services.

Nearly 2% of the population of more than seven million Americans have intellectual or developmental disabilities, and almost 10% of them live in a supervised residential setting called a group home. People with developmental and intellectual disabilities who are Hispanic, Asian, Black, or Native American could catch COVID-19 than the white population, as per a recent study.

Moreover, New York City had different priorities for COVID-19 vaccination with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Levy claims. But she is unsure when people with disabilities living in the community will be eligible for vaccination outside New York, although they are at risk for infection.

Read also: Wisconsin To Start Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines Weeks Later Than the Other States

People with disabilities will soon be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine

The donation from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso helped people with developmental and intellectual disabilities be administered COVID-19 vaccines. KTSM reported that TTUHSC El Paso and Emergence Health Network (EHN) would distribute the vaccines to several clients who might not have access to the vaccine.

People with disabilities with underlying medical conditions could put them at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Nearly 3,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines arrived at the Texas Tech Physicians, Kenworthy, and Transmountain clinics on December 23. TTUHSC El Paso works with community partners in determining how El Paso can serve the recent round of vaccines at its best.

People with disabilities feel they were forgotten during the pandemic

Research has revealed two-thirds of people with disabilities think they have been forgotten during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Express, a study involving 1,000 adults with mental health conditions or physical disabilities found 45% felt lonely, while 50% felt depressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read also: People who Received Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Must Get Two Full Doses, FDA Reiterates

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A health worker checks the temperature of an elderly patient at the emergency entrance of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, which is battling an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 patients. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

The African Union has secured close to 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the largest such agreement yet for Africa, a continental official said Tuesday.

Nicaise Ndembi, senior science adviser for the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press in an interview that the current AU chair, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, is expected to announce the news on Wednesday.

The 300 million doses are being secured independently of the global COVAX effort aimed at distributing COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income countries, Ndembi said.

"We have reached the final stage of our deals," he said, referring questions about who will be providing the vaccines and at what cost to the upcoming announcement.

The news comes as coronavirus infections spike again in parts of Africa, especially South Africa, where a rapidly spreading variant of the coronavirus now makes up most of the new cases. The continent over the weekend surpassed 3 million confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, with more than 1.2 million in South Africa.

"We plan to have these by the end of the first quarter" of 2021, Ndembi said of the nearly 300 million doses, which will be allocated on the continental platform the AU set up last year to make it easier for Africa's 54 countries to pool their purchasing power and buy pandemic supplies in bulk.

A lone woman waits to be tested for COVID-19 in the parking garage of a shopping mall in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday Jan. 11, 2021. South Africa is struggling to cope with a spike in COVID-19 cases that has already overwhelmed some hospitals, as people returning from widespread holiday travel speed the country's more infectious coronavirus variant. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

"We're expecting 600 million doses from the COVAX facility," he said, but African officials are still waiting on the details, so "we're happy we have alternative solutions."

Ndembi said African officials have approached at least 10 vaccine manufacturers and developers as the continent seeks to vaccinate 60% of its population of 1.3 billion people, or about 780 million people. The Africa CDC has said some 1.5 billion doses are needed for that, assuming two doses per person. It estimates the effort will cost some $10 billion.

Ndembi has said he's very optimistic that can be achieved within two years. The Africa CDC has warned that taking much longer than that risks having the virus become endemic in parts of the African continent.

In an address to South Africans on Monday night, Ramaphosa announced the country had secured 20 million vaccine doses "to be delivered mainly in the first half of the year." He gave no further details but said "we will make further announcements as we conclude our negotiations with vaccine manufacturers."

A patient arrives at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital's outside parking area in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. As the numbers of new confirmed cases rise, South Africa's hospitals are exceeding capacity, according to health officials. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Health workers in protective geart, at a makeshift emergency unit at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, which is battling an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 patients. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Africa has scrambled on multiple fronts to obtain vaccine supplies. Ramaphosa said the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team recently created under the AU "has done tremendous work to secure vaccine doses" through what he called intensive engagement with manufacturers.

"The South African government has also been engaging directly with several vaccine manufacturers for over six months," he said.

"Given the massive global demand for vaccines and the vastly greater purchasing power of wealthier countries, we are exploring all avenues to get as many vaccine doses as soon as possible," Ramaphosa said.

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.

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The most distant quasar known has been discovered. The quasar, observed just 670 million years after the Big Bang, is 1000 times more luminous than the Milky Way. It is powered by the earliest known supermassive black hole, which weighs in at more than 1.6 billion times the mass of the Sun. Seen more than 13 billion years ago, this fully formed distant quasar is also the earliest yet discovered, providing astronomers with insight into the formation of massive galaxies in the early Universe. The result was released today at the January 2021 meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Quasars, which are powered by the feeding frenzies of colossal supermassive black holes, are the most energetic objects in the Universe. They occur when gas in the superheated accretion disk around a supermassive black hole is inexorably drawn inwards, shedding energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. The amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted by quasars is enormous, with the most massive examples easily outshining entire galaxies. Today, an international team of astronomers has announced the discovery of J0313-1806, the most distant quasar known to date.[1]

"The most distant quasars are crucial for understanding how the earliest black holes formed and for understanding cosmic reionization -- the last major phase transition of our Universe," said Xiaohui Fan, study co-author and Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona.[2]

J0313-1806 is seen more than 13 billion years ago. As the most distant quasar known, it is also the earliest, being fully formed only about 670 million years after the Big Bang. The new quasar is more than ten trillion times as luminous as our Sun -- meaning that it pours out one thousand times more energy than the entire Milky Way Galaxy. The source of this quasar's power is a supermassive black hole 1.6 billion times as massive as the Sun -- the earliest black hole currently known to exist in the Universe.[3]

The presence of such a massive black hole so early in the Universe's history challenges theories of black hole formation as astronomers need to explain how it came into existence when it barely had the time to do so. Feige Wang, NASA Hubble fellow at the University of Arizona and lead author of the research paper, explains: "Black holes created by the very first massive stars could not have grown this large in only a few hundred million years."

The observations that led to this discovery were made using a variety of telescopes, including three National Science Foundation NOIRLab facilities -- the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Gemini South, and Gemini North. Data from the Blanco Telescope, taken as part of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which are served to the astronomical community via the Astro Data Lab at NOIRLab's Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), helped to first identify J0313-1806, while Gemini South observations were used to confirm its identity as a quasar. High-quality spectra from two Maunakea observatories in Hawai'i -- Gemini North and W. M. Keck Observatory -- were used to measure the mass of the central supermassive black hole.

"The most distant quasars and earliest black holes are important markers in the history of the Universe," said Program Director Martin Still of the National Science Foundation. "The researchers combined several of NSF's NOIRLab facilities to make this discovery."

As well as weighing the monster black hole, the Gemini North and Keck Observatory observations uncovered an extremely fast outflow emanating from the quasar in the form of a high-velocity wind, which is traveling at 20% of the speed of light. "The energy released by such an extreme high-velocity outflow is large enough to impact the star formation in the entire quasar host galaxy," said Jinyi Yang, Peter A. Strittmatter postdoctoral fellow of Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona. This is the earliest known example of a quasar sculpting the growth of its host galaxy, making J0313-1806 a promising target for future observations.

The galaxy hosting J0313-1806 is undergoing a spurt of star formation, producing new stars 200 times faster than the Milky Way. The combination of this intense star formation, the luminous quasar, and the high-velocity outflow make J0313-1806 and its host galaxy a promising natural laboratory for understanding the growth of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies in the early Universe.

"This would be a great target to investigate the formation of the earliest supermassive black holes," concluded Feige Wang. "We also hope to learn more about the effect of quasar outflows on their host galaxy -- as well as to learn how the most massive galaxies formed in the early Universe."

###

Notes

[1] At a redshift of 7.64.

[2] There are two phase transitions of the Universe.

[3] Distance and time are closely entwined in astronomy, as the light from distant objects takes time to reach observers here on Earth. We see the Sun as it was 8 minutes ago, and our latest observations of the heart of the Milky Way show it as it was over 25,000 years ago. The further astronomers look from Earth, the further back in time they see.

More information

This research was presented in the paper "A Luminous Quasar at Redshift 7.642" at the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. The study has been accepted in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The team was composed of Feige Wang (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Jinyi Yang (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Xiaohui Fan (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Joseph F. Hennawi (University of California, Santa Barbara and Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Aaron J. Barth (University of California, Irvine), Eduardo Banados (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Fuyan Bian (European Southern Observatory), Konstantina Boutsia (European Southern Observatory), Thomas Connor (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Frederick B. Davies (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Roberto Decarl (INAF), Anna-Christina Eilers (MIT-Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research), Emanuele Paolo Farina (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics), Richard Green (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), Linhua Jiang (Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University), Jiang-Tao Li (University of Michigan), Chiara Mazzucchelli (European Southern Observatory), Riccardo Nanni (University of California, Santa Barbara), Jan-Torge Schindler (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Bram Venemans (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Fabian Walter (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Xue-Bing Wu (Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Department of Astronomy, Peking University), Minghao Yue (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona).

NSF's NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory), the US center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the international Gemini Observatory (a facility of NSF, NRC-Canada, ANID-Chile, MCTIC-Brazil, MINCyT-Argentina, and KASI-Republic of Korea), Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), and Vera C. Rubin Observatory. It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. The astronomical community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Du'ag (Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on Maunakea in Hawai'i, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachon in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that these sites have to the Tohono O'odham Nation, to the Native Hawaiian community, and to the local communities in Chile, respectively.

Links

Research paper

Photos of the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope

Photos of Gemini North

Photos of Gemini South

Keck Observatory release

Contacts

Xiaohui Fan

University of Arizona

Cell: +1 520 360 0956

Email: fan@as.arizona.edu

Feige Wang

University of Arizona

Cell: +1 520 360 3967

Email: feigewang@arizona.edu

Amanda Kocz

NSF's NOIRLab

Cell: +1 626 524 5884

Email: amanda.kocz@noirlab.edu
MANISTEE  A Royal Oak man received the Carnegie Medal for rescuing a Frankfort resident from the rushing waters of the Manistee River in 2019.

Benjamin M. Blostein, a 30-year-old commercial roofer, was honored for putting his own life in significant danger and pulling Kim Fairchild from the river on June 6, 2019.

"The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter mortal danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others," reads the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission website. "With this fourth and final announcement of 2020 recipients, a total of 10,202 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Pittsburgh-based Funds inception in 1904. Commission Chair Mark Laskow said each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant. Throughout the 116 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, more than $42 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance."

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission made the announcement in December on its website, where all 17 award recipients and their heroics were announced.

"I am extremely happy that it was finally awarded to him because he, of course, deserved it," said Fairchild. "The object is to honor somebody who acted with total disregard for his own life and that's essentially what he did."

John O'Hagen, was the sheriff for Manistee County at the time, and said he had hoped to also nominate Blostein for a life-saving award from the Michigan Sheriff's Association. However, the year's awards had just been announced at the time.

"I would say (the award) is very well deserved," O'Hagen said of Blostein receiving the medal. "There were examples of extreme heroism that day from multiple people."

O'Hagen did not know who nominated Blostein for the Carnegie Medal. The Carnegie Foundation said that nominators can remain anonymous. However, a representative also said many come from the Carnegie Foundation looking for and finding acts of heroism in the media.

"We get about 75% of our nominations from the public sphere and the media," said Jewels Phraner, a spokesperson for the Carnegie Foundation. "If we find something we think is worthy, that counts as a nomination."

The incident for which Blostein was honored started with a trip where Fairchild was fishing with a friend, Rick Herman. Fairchild accidentally stepped into a deep hole in the Manistee River while fishing and was swept down the river.

Blostein and another man, Steven Padilla, happened to be at the same spot fishing and kayaking. Fairchild called out for help. Blostein got on a small island of sand and tried to grab Fairchild's hand. However, the current was too strong and his waders were filled with water, so he couldn't swim.

Another fisherman who was in the area, Troy Ance, also tried to help, using Fairchild's friend's wading staff to try to pull him out. When that didn't work, Blostein jump in and swam after Fairchild, grabbing him and pulling him out with Ance's help.

Fairchild had swallowed water, and wasn't breathing, so Blostein started doing CPR, which he learned from being in fire academy and lifeguard training. He was able to bring Fairchild around and wait until first responders could get to the area and take over.

Everybody involved agreed that without Blostein's move to swim after Fairchild, things would have turned out much differently.

Attempts to reach Blostein were unsuccessful.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The national government is counting on the help of local government units and private companies to meet its target to vaccinate 70 million Filipinos against COVID-19 this year.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Tuesday said 13 million Filipinos are expected to be vaccinated through the procurement initiatives undertaken by different LGUs and the private sector.

"When you add the 13 million Filipinos that will be covered by various LGU and private sector vaccination efforts, a total of 70 million Filipinos should be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine," he said in a media briefing.

Local governments and private businesses that wish to buy vaccines are required to enter into a tripartite agreement with the national government since vaccines granted emergency use authorization cannot be distributed commercially.

RELATED: Senators reject national gov't 'monopoly' in vaccine deals

LGUs all over the country and the private sector have secured vaccine supplies from pharmaceutical firms, majority of them closing agreements with AstraZeneca to buy doses for their constituents and employees. A good chunk of the private firm's first two batch of supplies will be given to the national government.

Nograles said the Finance Department has secured funds to vaccinate at least 57 million people, excluding minors  13 million short of the government's aim to vaccinate up to 70 million Filipinos. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said for the P75 billion budget for the immunization program, P12.5 billion will be coming from the 2021 budget and Bayanihan 2, while P62.5 billion will be coming from loans from the Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and World Bank.

"We expect the 13 million to be covered by the LGUs, the private sector. And of course, in there are the 'refusants', the guys who don't believe in vaccination. Basically, we are going to be covered," he said in a separate briefing.

The DOF pegged the vaccination to cost up to P1,300 per person, including the cost for other vaccination supplies, information campaign, and post-monitoring efforts.
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Vietnams port sector will flourish this year as trade in goods is expected to thrive on the back of recovery in production, domestic consumption, and export markets, according to industry analysts.

The country enjoyed robust trade last year despite COVID-19, with high export value on the back of orders from the US.

Total foreign trade was estimated at 543.9 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 5.1 percent, with the country posting a trade surplus of 19.1 billion USD, its highest since 2016.

According to the Viet Dragon Securities Corporation, the volume of goods handled at local ports picked up after the second quarter last year, with the pandemic encouraging many multinational corporations (MNCs) to shift production to Vietnam. It said this trend will continue as Vietnam integrates more deeply via free trade agreements (FTAs).

Market researcher Fitch Solutions has forecast that Vietnams trade revenue will grow by an average of 11 percent each year during the 2021-2024 period, sparked by better trade relations through FTAs such as the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The country is developing its logistics infrastructure, which has been described as an important factor amid the post-pandemic reshoring of global supply chains.

Along with various road construction projects, the development of deep-water ports has been paid due regard, such as the Gemalink Port at the Cai Mep - Thi Vai International Port (to be operational in 2021), and the third and fourth wharves at Lach Huyen Port (expected to begin operations in 2025).

The deep-water ports can berth large container vessels and help cut logistics costs as there is no need to send products to a trans-shipment hub. They also help improve the competitive edge of the local logistics sector.

Vietnam will continue to be an attractive destination for MNCs. Occupancy rates at industrial parks has increased remarkably since foreign enterprises began shifting their business to Vietnam.

Analysts anticipate several challenges for the port sector in the short term, however.

The Vietnam Marine Administration said that the total weight of goods handled at Vietnamese ports fell in October and November after rising 14 percent in the first nine months of last year.

SSI Securities Corporation attributed the decline to a shortage of empty containers, which is worsening in Asia as importers in the US and Europe struggle to return empty containers to Asian manufacturing hubs because of social distancing at home.

This issue cannot be addressed overnight, since high demand for empty containers is likely to last until the Lunar New Year in mid-February, SSI experts said.

Meanwhile, VDSC experts believe the countrys import-export activities will be affected when demand from major markets like the US, the EU, and China falls due to the pandemic.

They forecast that Cai Mep - Thi Vai will see a surge of over 20 percent in maritime transport flows owing to direct sea routes with the US and the EU. The volume of cargo settled at Hai Phong Port, meanwhile, is expected to rise 10 percent thanks to a recovery in trade within Asia and robust signs in the US.

Increases in stevedoring prices are said to have less impact at Hai Phong Port. Fierce competition due to oversupply will force ports to cut service prices to maintain relations with ship owners.

The stock prices of port companies have increased significantly due to the sectors bright prospects and improving business.

From the end of the second quarter to January 8, the shares of the Vietnam Container Shipping Corporation, coded VSC, rose over 117 percent, while those of the Gemadept Corporation (GMD), Doan Xa Port JSC (DXP), and the Tan Cang Logistics and Stevedoring JSC (TCL) increased over 82 percent, 68 percent, and 27 percent, respectively./.VNA

Seaport companies less affected amid pandemic Seaport companies still reported positive earnings despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE: FMAN

SALMON, Idaho, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Freeman Gold Corp. (CSE: FMAN) (FSE: 3WU) ("Freeman", "Freeman Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to provide assay results of core from four of 34 diamond drill holes on Freeman Gold's 100% owned Lemhi Gold Project located in Idaho. The objective of the 2020 Phase 1 drill program was designed to confirm historical mineralization and allow the use of over 355 historical drill holes in a maiden National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource estimate. The drill program focused on infill and step-out drilling within the known mineralized body to increase confidence and maximize the potential resource.

All four holes intersected high-grade shallow oxide gold. Selected highlighted results from these first holes are 3.3 g/t Au over 25m, including 5.4 g/t Au over 7m (FG20-001C); 3.4 g/t Au over 51.6m, including 14 g/t Au over 10m (FG20-002C); 3.2 g/t Au over 14.6m (FG20-003C); and 1.8 g/t Au over 92m, including 8.7 g/t Au over 7.7m and 15.1 g/t Au over 4.3m (FG20-006C). Gold mineralization extends to at least 200 meters and is open at depth. Of note, the high-grade zones lie within broader lower grade mineralized envelopes, such as 1.1 g/t over 189.1 metres (FG20-006C; Table 1). Drill holes reported in this press release cover an area of 150 by 50 metres of the Lemhi deposit.

Table 1  Significant Drill Results

Drill Hole

ID Azimuth, Dip (degrees) Total Depth (m) Depth (m) Interval (m) Average Grade (g/t Au) From To FG20-001C 278 -75 247 28.0 53.0 25.0 3.3 including





32.0 41.0 9.0 4.0 and incl.





46.0 53.0 7.0 5.4 FG20-002C 360 -90 242 6.4 58.0 51.6 3.4 incl





47.0 57.0 10.0 14.0 FG20-003C 360 -90 185 40.0 96.0 56.0 1.2 incl





81.4 96.0 14.6 3.2 FG20-006C 267 -75 213 12.9 202.1 189.1 1.1 incl





37.0 129.0 92.0 1.8 incl





81.5 89.2 7.7 8.7 incl





81.5 85.8 4.3 15.1

*Intervals are core-length. True width is estimated between 90-95 percent ("%") of core length.

Will Randall, President and CEO, commented, "These initial results clearly demonstrate the high-grade nature of the Lemhi gold project, including project enhancing thick shallow high-grade oxide gold zones. This is a great start to the drill campaign confirming historically defined mineralization as well as providing a more comprehensive understanding of the gold mineralization and its controls."

Geologically, the Lemhi Gold Project lies within the Idaho-Montana porphyry belt, a northeast-trending alignment of metallic ore deposits and mines related to granitic porphyry intrusions. These extend north-easterly across Idaho and are related to the Trans-Challis fault system, a broad (20-30 km-wide) system of en-echelon northeast-trending structures extending from Boise Basin more than 270 km into Montana. At Lemhi, gold mineralization is hosted in Mesoproterozoic quartzites and phyllites within a series of relatively flat-lying lodes consisting of quartz veins, quartz stockwork and breccias. Mineralized lodes are associated with low angle faults, folding and shear zone(s). The mineralized zones have varying amounts of sulphides (pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, molybdenum, and occasionally arsenopyrite) where free gold is common. Gold mineralization at Lemhi is open at depth and on strike.

All drill core and rock samples are sent to ALS Global Laboratories (Geochemistry Division) in Vancouver, Canada, an independent and fully accredited laboratory (ISO 9001:2008) for analysis for gold by Fire Assay and multi-element Induction Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (select drill holes). Freeman Gold has a regimented Quality Assurance, Quality Control ("QA/QC") program where at least 10% duplicates, blanks and standards are inserted into each sample shipment.

Core photos and drill sections can be found at www.freemangoldcorp.com. Drill holes are not analyzed in order but as shipments were logged in at the laboratory. Results from the remaining 30 drill holes are pending.

The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P. Geo., VP Exploration for the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by the National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About the Company

Freeman Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the development of its 100% owned Lemhi Gold property (the "Lemhi Project"). The Lemhi Project comprises 30 square kilometers of highly prospective land. The mineralization at the Lemhi Project consists of shallow, near surface primarily oxide gold mineralization that has been identified over 355 drill holes and is open at depth and in multiple directions. The Company is completing an initial Phase 1 diamond drill program for a maiden NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate.

On Behalf of the Company

William Randall

President & CEO

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, which may include, but are not limited to statements relating to its future business plans. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are 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 the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law.

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Freeman Gold Corp.

Related Links

https://freemangoldcorp.com/



Midland County recorded 24 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to the state's daily report.

The Midland County Department of Public Health has asked local residents to not call their office, or the 211 hotline, in an attempt to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Over the past week, we've received thousands of calls from community members with questions about getting themselves/family members scheduled," reads a statement on the organization's Facebook page.

Those in priority groups 1A or 1B who would like to be vaccinated are advised to go to the Health Department's website to sign up with a survey. This will allow the department contact those interested when upcoming vaccination clinics are scheduled.

Monday, Jan. 11 daily numbers

 Midland County: Pandemic total is 3,784 cases, 567 probable, 47 deaths and two probable deaths.

 Bay County: 56 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 6,463 cases, 248 probable, 218 deaths.

 Gladwin County: 12 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 1,115 cases, 181 probable, 32 deaths and three probable deaths.

 Isabella County: 32 cases and one death were added; pandemic total stands at 3,303 cases, 364 probable, 56 deaths.

 Saginaw County: 139 cases and three deaths were added; pandemic total stands at 12,585 cases, 593 probable, 426 deaths and nine probable deaths.

The state on Monday added 4,536 new cases, representing new referrals of confirmed cases since Saturday, Jan. 9. Between Sunday and Monday, the average number of new confirmed cases is 2,268 per day. The state also added 47 deaths on Monday. Overall, Michigan is at 523,618 cases and 13,401 deaths.

Testing

The state report shows as of Jan. 8, Midland County has performed 43,546 COVID-19 tests. Gladwin County is listed as having administered 12,403 tests.

Midland Countys seven-day rolling positivity rate on Jan. 7 was listed at 12.8%, and Gladwin County was listed at 9.8%. Our 12-county region is 11.7% and Michigan is at 9.7%.

MidMichigan Health statistics

As of Jan. 7, MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland is listed as having a 79% bed occupancy, with 31 COVID-19 patients, including five in the ICU. MidMichigan Medical Center in Gladwin is listed as having an 11% bed occupancy, with two COVID-19 patients and none in the ICU.

Regarding PPE supplies, the Midland hospital reported 15-30 days for N95 masks; 15-30 days for surgical masks; 30-plus days for surgical gowns; 15-30 days for exam gloves and 30-plus days for eye protection. The Gladwin hospital reported 30-plus days for all the reported supplies.
During last years CES event, Sony unveiled their first ever prototype electric vehicle, called the Vision-S. The company has now announced at its CES 2021 event that the Vision-S has begun testing the vehicle on public roads in Europe.

Sonys goal with the Vision-S was to be able to showcase the many capabilities of their technologies to the automotive industry. While it was a prototype vehicle last year, the company began testing the vehicle on public roads in Austria last month, posting a video about the process on YouTube. Not much information was revealed however, except that they are currently working on optimizing the safety of the vehicle.

At a trade show, Sony revealed that the vehicle features two 200kW engines, and it will be able to accelerate from 0-62mph (100kmph) in about 4.8 seconds. The car will also have Level-2 autonomous driving capabilities, and we expect Sony to improve upon that over the coming years.

Via
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 12) held commenced hearing on clutch of petitions challenging the three central farm laws passed by the Parliament and removal of protesting farmers from Delhi entry points.

During the hearing, the CJI said, "We're concerned about validity of the farm laws and also about protecting life and property of citizens affected by protests. We are trying to solve the problem in accordance with the powers we have. One of the powers we've is to suspend the legislation and make a committee."

"This committee will be for us. All of you people who are expected to solve the issue will go before this committee. It will not pass an order or punish you, it will only submit a report to us," said CJI.

"We are forming a committee so that we have a clearer picture. We don't want to hear arguments that farmers will not go to the committee. We are looking to solve the problem. If you (farmers) want to agitate indefinitely, you can do so," the bench said.

Advocate ML Sharma, who filed a plea challenging the farm laws, tells the court that farmers have said they will not appear before any committee to be constituted by the court. He told the court that farmers protesting at the Delhi borders have complained that while several people came for discussions on the matter, the Prime Minister did not come."

He told the court, "We cannot ask the Prime Minister to go. He is not a party in the case."

(Inputs from ANI)

Live TV
Muranga Senator Irungu Kangata has indicated that he has no regrets about penning the now infamous open letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta on the Building Bridges Initiative.

Speaking for the first time since the letter leaked online on New Years Eve, Kangata said he wrote the letter in good faith because he had to tell the president the truth. He said he is ready to face the music should Jubilee Party decide to take actions

I cannot enter into an arena of fighting with my boss but I only strongly believe it is important as political leaders to say the truth. To report the truth and to be honest and candid in our endeavor when it comes to matters like this one which has the potentiality to embarrass the government.

If the party decided to remove me from the position of whip because of my stand, then I will accept and thank them for giving me the chance to serve, Kangata said on Monday.

The Senate Majority Whip stood by the contents of the letter, maintaining that BBI is unpopular in the Mount Kenya region.

We must support the government and ensure that the good work the President is doing is completed but we must also report the truth. These issues were raised in good faith, there is no malice or disrespect but just to ensure that this government succeeds, Kangata said.

It is appearing that the BBI is a project of one political faction and the impression I got is that our people want the BBI to be an agenda of one united Jubilee family and it should not be weaponized for politics, he added.

We need to accept good ideas irrespective of who they are coming from, there are ideas that have been given by the so-called Tangatanga wing that are very good, Kangata said.
Sue Martin Payne, 84, returned to her heavenly home on January 8, 2021, after a valiant battle. Her devotion and her firm belief in God supported her in her struggle and ultimately gave her peace.

Sue was born to the late Hugh and Lorella Copeland Martin in Daisy, Tennessee, but soon moved to Chattanooga. Upon graduation from Tyner High School, she accepted a position at Olan Mills where she remained until they closed their doors.





Sue was blessed with a loving family composed of six siblings, whom she loved with a quiet devotion. She was kind and soft-spoken, and always had time for those who asked for help. She will be dearly missed by those who loved her but who now celebrate that is now at peace with her creator.

Sue is survived by her devoted and loving husband Ralph; her sisters Linda Tallent, Carole Aversa, Kay Spearman, Joan Akin; many nephews, nieces, and great nephews and nieces. She is preceded in death by her parents and her two brothers, Gene and Hugh (Buddy).

There will be no visitation or service. The family gratefully accepts prayers and memories from those who were touched by Sues loving and generous nature. To honor her life, contributions in her name can be made to Samaritans Purse, an organization dear to her heart.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

Please visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share words of comfort to the family.

Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home East Brainerd Chapel.
Around 30% of goods moving from Great Britain to Dublin are being held back over issues around documentation, officials have said. (PA)

Around 30% of goods moving from Great Britain to Dublin are being held back over issues around documentation, with some requiring further checks, officials have said.

Tom Talbot, head of the Revenues customs operations for Dublin Port, said trade volumes continue to be low in comparison with trade levels in previous years.

Mr Talbot said about 70% of freight movements in the last seven days have received immediate clearance from customs.

He said the rest are being labelled as orange or red, which require further checks on documentation from hauliers.

Thousands of trucks have passed through Dublin Port in the last two weeks under new trade rules following the end of the Brexit transition period.

We have no more than 30 or 40 HGVs parked up over any period of time Tom Talbot, of the Revenues customs operations

Mr Talbot said the difference in experience at ports for those who prepared for Brexit, compared with those who did not, is quite stark.

He said that trucks were unable to exit Dublin Port until they received clearance from either the Revenue, Department of Agriculture or the HSE.

He added that they have not reached capacity, but that volumes have been rising steadily to around 600 movements a day.

We have no more than 30 or 40 HGVs parked up over any period of time, he added.

Once everything is in place, including the correct documentation, it is quite quick to clear those marked orange or red.

In terms of more in-depth examinations, it can be a slightly longer period, but once supporting documentation is in and everything is checked, it is quite a short period.

If the information provided on customs declarations is incomplete or the required documentation for goods is not available, then truck drivers and their goods will be held up at Irish ports.

If the documentation is not there, if it is wrong, inaccurate or incomplete, it wont get through.

We will work with hauliers in question to obtain all outstanding information. However, the goods can only be cleared from the port when the documentation is cleared.

He added that many businesses have underestimated the preparation needed to get clearance to pass through Irish ports and into the EU.

Mr Talbot said some companies were blaming everyone else, and were accusing Government departments of poor performance.

When we investigated the case we found multiple errors on behalf of businesses, he added.

No preparation had been done and we will work with that, but these companies are very much behind.

He denied suggestions that some Irish exporters were using ports in Northern Ireland to gain unfettered access to Great Britain.

He added that the movements of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland were subject to the same rules and regulations.

When he was born, Americans were rationing coffee and bootlegging gasoline. Schoolchildren were salvaging newspaper for the war effort, smearing their hands with ink about Hitler and Hirohito. On the radio, Louis Prima was playing "That Old Black Magic." In Scranton, Pa., the Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas were preparing to read "The Song of Bernadette." And less than a week after baby Joey Biden was brought home from St. Mary's Hospital, in November 1942, a film premiered in which a jaded nightclub owner steps off the sidelines and back into the fight.

"I'm no good at being noble," Humphrey Bogart would say to Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca," "but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."

Joey Biden, stepping back into the fight in January 2021, is now 78 - 78.2, if you want to be actuarial. Technically a late-stage member of the Silent Generation, having been born during World War II, Biden's experiences are those of the baby boomers: reared by the white-middle-class prosperity of the 1940s and '50s, challenged in the '60s by seismic social movements and wars hot and cold, accumulating power and wealth in the '70s and '80s as the country careened from Nixon to Reagan, from "Mary Tyler Moore" to "Dallas."

Biden will be governing with his cohort: Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the top Republican in the Senate, is exactly nine months older than Biden, and Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic speaker of the House, is 23 months older than McConnell. The trio has been in federal office for a combined 114 years; they could've (should've?) retired 15 years ago. But American leadership - and life in general - is an indelicate balance between wisdom and passion, experience and potential, institutions and rebellions. And so Pelosi re-grips the gavel, McConnell prepares to battle another Democratic administration, and for the second time in four years America inaugurates its oldest-ever president - and during a once-in-a-century pandemic that is especially perilous for senior citizens.

Naturally, if perhaps unfairly, our thoughts turn to his health. A nation of nephews, nieces and grandkids asks: Is pop-pop OK?

"Watch me," Biden has responded to doubts about his dewiness, and we have. We've scrutinized every skin blotch, every frog in the throat, every momentary lapse in speech (as if such lapses aren't common at any age). The incoming 46th president has had two aneurysms, deep-vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. He has had surgery on his prostate; his gallbladder was removed in 2003. In 2008 he had mild diverticulosis and a noncancerous tubular adenoma removed. The 46th president's medicine cabinet has recently included Eliquis (an anticoagulant), Crestor (for cholesterol), Nexium (for gastroesophageal reflux) and Dymista (for allergies).

None of this is concerning, according to doctors who assessed Biden's health for the Journal on Active Aging. This is just what it means to be a man of 78.2 in the last quarter of a well-heeled life. The doctors estimate that Biden has a 95.2 percent chance of surviving his four-year term. He "has an exceptional health profile for a man his age," their report said, though "it is our conclusion that chronological age is not a relevant factor" in choosing a president.

Maybe not relevant but apparent from the start.

"Pass the torch," Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., then 38, said to Biden during a primary debate in June 2019.

"I'm still holding on to that torch," Biden replied, flashing a mouthful of vibrant teeth, sounding like a black-and-white movie star surrounded by Technicolor upstarts.

Swalwell dropped out of the race 10 days later. Then, as he secured the nomination in 2020, Biden called himself a "transition candidate."

The transition isn't happening very fast in Congress. In 2019, American millennials overtook the boomers in population, but the Congress sworn in this month has only 31 millennials compared with a combined 335 members of the baby-boom and Silent Generation, according to the Hill. And the U.S. electorate is getting older: The median age among registered voters increased from 44 in 1996 to 50 in 2019, according to Pew Research Center.

Longer tenures and overrepresentation of elders in government result from voters strongly preferring experienced politicians, according to political scientists Raul Magni-Berton and Sophie Panel. Older citizens tend to vote more, and they vote for peers who are attuned to their specific interests.

In democracies around the world, "gerontocracy has a bright future," Magni-Berton and Panel wrote in the journal Sociology Compass last year.

But in the United States, as many members of Generation Z (born after 1996) reached voting age last year, the youth vote between 2016 and 2020 ballooned by about 11 percent. This demographic (particularly voters of color) was crucial to Biden winning Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, according to Tufts University's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

In other words: The youngest voters helped elect the oldest president ever.

During the 2020 primary, Biden was nowhere near the first choice for Evan Weber, 29, co-founder and political director of the youth-led Sunrise Movement. Like most other Democratic voters under 30, he preferred a candidate even older than Biden: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., born three days after "Citizen Kane" was released and three months before the United States entered World War II. But age and experience do not equal stodgy institutionalism, Weber says, if a leader's ideas are fresh, relevant and passionate.

The Biden campaign built a bigger youth-engagement arm than the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016, Weber says, and created a Biden-Sanders "unity task force" to bridge the differences between wings of the Democratic Party.

"It wasn't perfect, but it represented listening and progress in a really substantial way," says Weber, who is also pleased with Biden's climate policy hires. "I think that in itself is a form of wisdom: not just accruing knowledge but listening and being able to take in new perspectives and information."

To adapt, in other words, as time goes by.
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Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 51F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

Minister Coveney addresses UN Security Council on Challenges of Counter-Terrorism

Press release

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D., today spoke at a UN Security Council debate to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).

Addressing the Council for the first time since Ireland took its seat on 1 Jan 2021, the Minister underlined Irelands prioritisation of protecting and promoting human rights during its Security Council term, saying:

Ireland has consistently argued that measures to combat terrorism must comply with international law, including human rights law, humanitarian law and international refugee law. I say that because we know any other response will be ineffective, and indeed counterproductive. Put simply, violations of human rights can contribute to radicalization and the growth of terrorism.

The Minister also outlined Irelands commitment to supporting the victims of terrorism, and to ensuring accountability for perpetrators.



Today, I want to express our deep sympathy and support for all victims of terrorism. I want to emphasise that this includes the victims of sexual and gender-based violence committed by terrorist groups. As a Council member, we will work so that this Council brings a new momentum to support the victims of terrorismand holding perpetrators accountable.

Stressing the grave threat that terrorism continues to pose to international peace and security, the Minister highlighted the requirement to address the causes of terrorism.

The UN is uniquely placed to bring coherent approaches to issues including poverty, inequality and climate change, as well as to work in supporting effective governance including through capacity-building. Those tasks are key to countering terrorism.

The Minister also emphasized the importance of fully engaging women and young people in combating terrorism worldwide:

Today, I want to emphasize that I see the engagement of women and young people as fundamental to combating terrorism. The full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the creation and development of policy is critical to building resilience and to countering terrorism. We will champion work in the Council on Women, Peace and Security.



Ireland and other UN Security Council members approved a Presidential Statement at the meeting.

ENDS

Press Office

12 January 2021



Notes to Editors

The UNSC adopted UNSCR 1373 in 2001 in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Ireland was a member of the Council at the time. The resolution targeted the organization and fundraising of terrorist groups and imposed legislative, policy and reporting requirements on Member States, including on law enforcement, border management, international cooperation, and terrorist financing. A key focus has been combatting Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and more recently Daesh.

UNSCR 1373 also established the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). Tunisia, which is President of the Security Council for January, is also currently chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

The CTC includes all 15 members of the Security Council, monitors the implementation by Member States of UNSCR 1373, and helps them in tackling terrorism. The CTC and its Executive Directorate also facilitates constructive dialogue with UN member states to identify good practices, implementation challenges and/or gaps, and areas where technical assistance may be required.

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TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Womens College Hospital (WCH), an outpatient hospital in Toronto made substantial changes to their facility and fast-tracked the development of a virtual care system. WCH turned to Couch & Associates to implement Salesforces COVID-19 Care Response Solution and build an online COVID-19 self-assessment tool.

The system is fully integrated with EPIC, WCHs electronic health record system. This integration created a wholistic patient management system with the following outcomes:

End-to-end triage

Increased triage capacity

Reduced time to treatment

Fast-tracking of individuals requiring medical attention

WCH established a self-assessment portal where individuals can schedule a test, speak to a physician, lookup the hospitals location and view their test results. Individuals flagged through the online assessment as high-risk and/or symptomatic, and live within the WCH catchment area, are routed to the hospitals registration process to receive a virtual assessment from a physician.

In cases where the physician indicates the individual needs to get tested, they are then fast-tracked to WCHs physical Assessment Centre. All data is stored in EPIC for security and ease of access from the hospitals physicians.

WCH have received widespread praise from the Toronto public for the safety and efficiency of their COVID-19 assessment process. The hospital received a five-star rating on GTA Testing , a website set up for people to review their experience at testing centers across the region.

Drew Wesley, CIO, Women's College Hospital - "In 4 days we built an interactive COVID-19 online self-assessment tool and virtual assessment registration process that is fully integrated with our hospital information system. Patients who are triaged from our virtual assessment to our in-person assessment center are fast tracked through COVID-19 testing in less than 3 minutes and have their test results available online on our patient portal."

The solution has been showcased in Salesforces 360 Blog , highlighting the efforts of Womens College Hospital, Salesforce and Couch & Associates and their use of technology to combat the pandemic.

Couch & Associates design and deliver innovative solutions to the most complex digital challenges for the worlds biggest brands. The Couch & Associates model combines strategic advisory services, marketing technology expertise and software development capabilities to help clients improve performance through unique approaches tailored to their environments.

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Bombay High Court has granted three weeks' time to Sonu Sood to file an appeal and stayed the order for coercive action by the BMC against the actor.

The Bombay High Court on Monday extended till 13 January a civil court order granting interim protection to actor Sonu Sood from coercive action by the BMC against the alleged illegal structural changes made by him in a residential building in suburban Juhu without permission.

Sood last week approached the HC, challenging a notice issued against him by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in October last year and an order passed by a civil court in December dismissing his suit against the BMC's action.

The civil court, while dismissing the suit, had granted three weeks time to Sood to file an appeal and stayed its order, thus granting relief to the actor.

On Monday, BMC's counsel Anik Sakhare sought time to respond to the actor's petition.

Sood's advocate Amogh Singh then sought interim protection and a direction to the civic body to not take any coercive action.

Justice Prithviraj Chavan, while adjourning the petition till January 13, said, "The order passed by the lower court shall continue till then."

Sood's advocate Singh told the HC that the actor has not carried out any illegal or unauthorised construction in the six-storey Shakti Sagar building.

"The petitioner (Sood) has not made any changes in the building that warrant permission from the BMC. Only those changes that are allowed under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act have been done," Singh said.

BMC's counsel Sakhare, however, argued that the petitioner was illegally converting the residential building into a hotel without procuring license.

"A hotel with 24 rooms is being run in the six-storey residential building. The BMC has taken demolition action on the property twice...once in 2018 and then in February 2020.

But, still the illegal construction is on," Sakhare said.

A police complaint has now been filed by the corporation, he added.

Justice Chavan then asked Sood's lawyer if the actor was operating a hotel in the building without license.

"Are you conducting a hotel business without license? You should come to the court with clean hands. If not, then you will have to face consequences," Justice Chavan said.

To this, Singh said Sood is not conducting a hotel business, but is running "a residential hotel in which flats are rented out to people".

Sood's petition has sought the court to quash and set aside the notice issued by the BMC and an interim relief of no coercive action to be initiated against him.
It would not be wrong to describe the global COVID-19 pandemic as a war.

It would not be wrong to describe the global COVID-19 pandemic as a war.

Death, destruction of the social and economic fabric of society, along with the fear and dread that comes with a mortal threat. Those who have been through actual military conflict may beg to differ, but for most of the rest of us, this is war.

It begs an important question: why aren't we using a wartime mindset to guide our response?

There has been an undeniable lack of urgency in many aspects that seems out of step with the scope and nature of the threat posed by COVID-19.

Many provinces, including Manitoba, paused vaccination programs over the Christmas holidays. There isn't a single person working in the health-care system that doesn't deserve a lengthy paid vacation. But given the novel coronavirus did not take any time off, it's hard to see the virtue of suspending the vaccination effort.

CP Paramedic Jessi Bittner inoculates Margaret Watson, 94, a resident at Oakview Place Long Term Care Residence on Monday. Vaccinations should have been done throughout the Christmas holidays. (John Woods / The Canadian Press)

A story in Monday's Free Press by national correspondent Dylan Robertson examined internal planning documents from Health Canada's strategic policy branch, detailing ideas and proposals made to the provinces to support the pandemic response.

Virus-fighting proposals relegated to reject pile Click to Expand Closed offices left thousands of public servants sitting at home unable to do their normal jobs, but bureaucrats had ideas of how workers could lend support in fighting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic. Posted: 3:53 PM Jan. 10, 2021 OTTAWA  A month into the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians were ready to pull out all the stops. Car manufacturers were looking into making ventilators, while thousands of citizens volunteered to help the health system. In Ottawa, federal bureaucrats were spotting problems months before they became political crises, and tried to craft ways for governments to prevent suffering, according to internal documents obtained by the Free Press. Read Full Story

According to the documents, the policy branch identified thousands of idle federal public servants to work as contract tracers, and tens of thousands of volunteers with experience in long-term care and medical backgrounds to support provincial health-care systems.

Although it wasn't clear what happened after these offers were made, it does not appear many were ever acted upon. Manitoba suffered through shortages of testing and contact tracing and, by all reports, only a handful of staff from Statistics Canada were ever redeployed to support its response.

If we had employed a wartime mentality, human and non-human resources would have been rushed to the front lines. All offers of skilled volunteer support would have been taken seriously. A wartime mentality draws a direct line between the time it takes to mount a response and the number of lives that are at risk.

In this pandemic, the pace of response has been in conflict with the magnitude of the response.

A wartime mentality draws a direct line between the time it takes to mount a response and the number of lives that are at risk.

It became evident early on in the first-wave of COVID-19 Manitoba was going to need more doctors, nurses and support staff in hospitals and long-term care homes. Despite that realization, the province's attempts to find more warm, skilled bodies stumbled badly.

Shared Health took the unusual step of surveying nurses to see who could support critical care. As it turned out, it did not know exactly how many had the critical care training. After casting about for volunteers, it quickly became evident Manitoba was desperately short of critical care bench strength and a training program was devised.

Imagine the pandemic was a fire. If we apply our current approach: rather than rushing fire trucks to the scene, we paused instead to survey city employees to see who could drive the truck and operate the pumps.

It became clear this summer that Winnipeg did not have enough sites or staff to conduct COVID-19 tests. Some found out after waiting all day in line that they could not get a test at all. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The pandemic has exposed blind spots in the health-care system that existed long prior. Across the country, the health-care system has been squeezed to control expenditures until it has lost its capacity to deal with a surge in demand for services. Canada failed to stockpile medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, and failed to provide comprehensive pandemic planning.

There have been other mistakes in strategy not explained by a lack of capacity or inattention to planning.

In late July, it became clear Winnipeg did not have enough sites or staff to conduct COVID-19 tests. Citizens were reporting intolerable waits; some found out after waiting all day in line they could not get a test at all.

What was the government's response?

In August, weeks after the long waits manifested, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority issued request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) to find new testing sites. However, after nearly six weeks, a WRHA spokesman confirmed there were "zero responses/expressions of interest."

The fact no one responded to the RFEOI is not really the point. The real concern here is why the WRHA went through this process at all when it was facing a public health emergency.

Demand for more testing capacity began in July, but it took until early October to open new sites. The delay in expanding testing capacity is a major contributing factor to the deadly fall experienced in Manitoba.

We have some experience in this province responding to emergencies, but it seems the instincts we've developed to plan for a flood or a forest fire have been ignored during a pandemic.

We have some experience in this province responding to emergencies, but it seems the instincts we've developed to plan for a flood or a forest fire have been ignored during a pandemic.

Perhaps the people who draft emergency responses were excluded from pandemic planning. Or government bean counters assigned to oversee pandemic planning just wouldn't let anyone do their job properly.

Either way, our response has lacked the urgency needed to control the spread of a deadly virus. For those of us who survive, that is something we will have to live with for a very long time.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
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U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to face criminal charges in connection with the violent siege on the U.S. Capitol last week because of the countrys broad free speech protections, some legal experts said.

Heres an explanation of why lawyers, including ones who think Trump should be impeached for his remarks, say such a case would be an uphill battle for prosecutors.

WHAT DID TRUMP SAY IN HIS SPEECH?

For over two months, Trump has falsely claimed that the Nov. 3 election was marred by widespread fraud and has tried to subvert the electoral process.

On Jan. 6, as lawmakers were certifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory, Republican Trump took to a stage near the White House and exhorted a crowd of supporters repeatedly to fight - using the word more than 20 times - and not take it any longer.

Trump told the crowd they must be strong before instructing the patriots on a march to the Capitol.

After this, were going to walk down and Ill be there with you," Trump said.

At one point in the speech, Trump told the crowd they should peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard."

Trump returned to the White House after the remarks and reportedly watched the attack on television.

He has since disavowed any responsibility for the storming of the Capitol, telling reporters his words have been analyzed and everybody  thought it was totally appropriate."

WHAT CRIMES COULD TRUMP BE CHARGED WITH?

There is a chapter of U.S. law dealing with subversive activities."

One federal law makes it a crime to engage in rebellion or insurrection" against the federal government.

Another statute, known as seditious conspiracy, prohibits conspiracies to overthrow" the U.S. government or seize government property by force.

The District of Columbia has its own criminal code, which says anyone who willfully incites or urges other persons to engage in a riot" shall face a fine or up to 180 days in prison.

WHAT WOULD TRUMPS DEFENSE BE?

Trump would have a strong argument that he engaged in free speech protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, legal experts said.

Trump can argue that his rhetoric was sufficiently ambiguous, and that when he said fight" he did not mean attack the Capitol, they said.

In a seminal 1969 case, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction of an Ohio Ku Klux Klan leader, Clarence Brandenburg, for his brief speech at a rally urging a dozen followers to go to Washington and attack politicians.

The court said prosecutors have to prove speech is directed at inciting imminent lawless action" and it has to be likely to produce that action.

My own tentative view is that it was First Amendment protected speech and therefore it should not be subjected to criminal liability," said Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University, adding that Trumps rhetoric was still grounds for impeachment by Congress, considering his position as an elected official.

Paul Smith, a lawyer who has argued for liberal causes at the U.S. Supreme Court, said the Brandenburg case shows Trumps speech was constitutionally protected.

If he was there with a bullhorn in the outside yard of the Capitol and urging people to charge the windows and break them and take Congress hostage, in that situation he would be responsible for what the crowd did," said Smith.

An FBI office in Virginia warned that extremists planning to travel to Washington were talking of war," according to a report in the Washington Post.

If Trump knew of the report or recklessly ignored it, it would increase the likelihood a prosecutor would charge him, said Alexander Tsesis, a professor with Loyola University School of Law in Chicago

Prosecutors would still need to prove beyond a doubt that Trump intended to incite the crowd to violence and that illegal activity was imminent and likely.

To bring a seditious conspiracy case, prosecutors would need more information about the activities of the president leading up to, during and after the violence to determine whether he had knowledge of a planned attack or provided assistance, said legal experts.

IS PROSECUTION LIKELY?

Based on currently public information, legal experts doubt the incoming Biden administration would pursue a former president. The move could risk distracting the new government and touch off a political storm in a divided United States.

Biden has previously said a prosecution of Trump would be bad for the country, but that he would not interfere with the Justice Departments decision-making.

A top prosecutor in the District of Columbia, Ken Kohl, on Jan. 8 told reporters that he did not expect to see a criminal case against Trump for inciting violence.

Smith said he thought the Biden administration would be wary of bringing a prosecution that pushes the boundaries of constitutional law" right after taking over from Trump. That would be pretty aggressive."

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State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) and Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville) on Monday filed legislation giving school boards more independence regarding whether their schools should be open or closed during a public emergency.

Senate Bill SB103, which would take effect upon being signed into law, also applies to public charter schools in Tennessee.

Mandated directives should only come from elected leaders who are accountable to the people they serve, said Senator Kelsey. Our school boards, administrators, teachers and parents are equipped to make informed decisions on how to keep our schools safe by utilizing guidance from organizations such as local health boards.

The legislation states that local boards of education may consult with the state and local health departments when determining whether to open or close.

This bill seeks to clarify that duly elected local school boards are the ultimate decision makers when it comes to the operation of their schools, said Rep. Vaughan. Other agencies, such as local health departments may be consulted for their perspectives, but ultimately, the schools, students, and staff are the responsibility of the local education authority.

Lawmakers are set to open the 112th General Assembly Tuesday at noon.




CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio Education Association has called on Ohio state Board of Education member Kirsten Hill to clarify her role in organizing a bus from Lorain County to the protests that preceded the U.S. Capitol riot.

The union, which represents more than 120,000 members, wants Hill to denounce the mob that entered the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, interrupting the certification of electoral votes to confirm Joe Biden as the U.S. president-elect.

Hill is responsible for the future of 1.7 million children who attend Ohio schools. Those students are watching now, OEA President Scott DiMauro said Tuesday in a news release. We all deserve answers about exactly what Hills intent was in arranging and attending the January 6 event that in itself was an assault on the democratic principles of our nation, even before turning violent.

A bus to the protests outside the Capitol that day, departing from Lorain County, was advertised on the TEA Party of Lorain County website. Hill is listed as an organizer on the event and was quoted in a Channel 5 news story about the bus.

The protests that day were focused on the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen, and to support the reelection of President Donald Trump.

Hill is an elected member of the state school board and represents the region including Fulton, Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, Erie, Huron and Lorain. Her term expires in 2022.

She did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday about the unions release. The state school board was meeting on Tuesday.

Hill did tell the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram that none of the members of her protest group went into the U.S. Capitol.

She said there was word that there were infiltrators who werent there for what the rest of us were there for, Hill said. She said people can get caught up with crowds, the Chronicle-Telegrams Laina Yost wrote.

Neither the Ohio Revised Code or the Ohio Constitution permit or outline a process by which the board can remove an elected member, Department of Education spokeswoman Mandy Minick wrote in an email.

The Ohio Department of Education and State Board of Education President Laura Kohler will not provide comment regarding members of the State Board of Education and their activities that do not pertain to board work, she wrote. They will, however, condemn in the strongest possible terms, violence or insurrection against our democracy.

The OEA statement does not claim that Hill or any members of her group went inside the U.S. Capitol. Many who went inside are being investigated or charged for their role in the riots.

Law enforcement went to a former Cleveland schools employees house late Friday night after she resigned from her position from the school district the day after the protest and social media users accused her of being inside the Capitol. No arrests were made.

State Rep. Phil Robinson, a Democrat from Solon, sent out a release on Tuesday urging Hill to release more information about the protests. He also said she should apologize for her role in perpetuating election misinformation.

By organizing this event, she is openly endorsing and promoting false information and baseless-conspiracies and must be held accountable, he said.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Friday put a partial stay on the implementation of the provisions in the Income Tax (I-T) Act making Aadhaar number mandatory for allotment of PAN card and filing of income tax returns (ITR).



However, the apex court upheld the validity of Section 139AA of the I-T Act, subject to the outcome of the batch of petitions before its Constitution bench which is examining if the Aadhaar scheme infringes on the Right to Privacy and if there is threat of data leakage.



A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also upheld the legislative competence of Parliament in enacting the law to this effect.



It also clarified that it has not touched upon the issue of Right to Privacy and other aspects that the Aadhaar scheme affects the human dignity which has to be decided by the Constitution bench.



The bench asked the government to take appropriate steps to ensure there was no leakage of data from the Aadhaar scheme.



"The government to take proper and appropriate steps and the scheme in this regard has to be devised at the earliest till confidence among the citizens that the data would not be leaked," the bench said.



The bench made it clear that there was no conflict between the impugned provisions of the Income Tax Act and the Aadhaar Act.



It also said that PAN card without Aadhaar number would not be treated invalid till the Constitution bench decides the larger issue of Right to Privacy.



It said previous transactions won't be affected or nullified with partial stay on the new law till privacy issue linked to Aadhaar is decided.



A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan had on May 4 reserved the verdict on the pleas, challenging section 139AA of the Income Tax (I-T) Act, which was introduced through the latest budget and the Finance Act, 2017.



Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act provides for mandatory quoting of Aadhaar or enrolment ID of Aadhaar application form for filing of income tax returns and making application for allotment of PAN (Permanent Account Number) with effect from July 1 this year.



While opposing the government's move, the petitioners, including CPI leader Binoy Viswam, have contended before the bench that the Centre cannot "belittle" the apex court's 2015 order holding the unique identification number as voluntary.



They argued that government should not have enacted section 139AA in the Act to make Aadhaar mandatory for PAN as the apex court's five-judge bench order was clear that Aadhaar was voluntary and not mandatory.

ALSO READ | Soon, Aadhar card, mobile phone may be all you need for air travel



However, the Centre had contended that Aadhaar was made mandatory for allotment of PAN to weed out fake cards which were used for terror financing and circulation of black money.



Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had told the bench that the programme of PAN had become suspect as it could be faked, while Aadhaar is a "secure and robust" system by which the identity of an individual could not be faked.



Rohatgi had said that with the implementation of Aadhaar, the government had saved over Rs 50,000 crore on various schemes to benefit the poor as well as pension schemes.



The Centre had also told the court that fake PAN cards were being used to "divert funds" to shell companies.



During the hearing, the Supreme Court had observed that it was yet to be "tested" whether Aadhaar violated protection of life and personal liberty granted under Article 21 of the Constitution, which was pending hearing for an authoritative pronouncement by a five-judge Constitution Bench.



With inputs from PTI.

Also Read | Aadhaar mandatory for UGC and AICTE fellowships and scholarships



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At least two gorillas tested positive for the coronavirus at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the facility confirmed on Monday.

Fox News reported that it is believed that the gorillas contracted the virus after coming in contact with an asymptomatic wildlife care team member.

Lisa Peterson, the park's director, told the Associated Press on Monday that eight gorillas living together are believed to have been infected with the coronavirus, and several of them had already been observed coughing.

There are no other known cases that said gorillas tested positive for the virus. Thus, this case was believed to be the first known transmission among great apes and primates in the U.S. and possibly the world.

Read Also: California in Dire Need of Medical Workers Due to Worrisome Shortage of Volunteer Health Corps

The staff members wore masks at all times around the gorillas, and the park has been closed to the public since December 6 due to California's lockdown efforts.

Gorillas Tested Positive for Virus to Remain in Park Habitat

Peterson said when they first noticed the gorillas coughing on Wednesday, they decided to get fecal samples for testing, reported New York Post.

The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System analyzed the samples, which came back positive for the coronavirus, a news release from the zoo stated.

The results confirmed the virus' presence and were then concurred by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Veterinarians will be closely monitoring the animals as they stay in their park habitats in north San Diego.

Peterson said the gorillas seem to be "doing well" apart from experiencing congestion and coughing. No specific treatment for the virus has been provided to them yet, but they are given fluids, food, and vitamins for now.

It's unknown whether the gorillas were male or female and information relating to their age is unavailable. Other animals known to have contracted the coronavirus were minks and tigers.

Coronavirus Threatens Endangered Gorillas

Wildlife experts are concerned about the gorillas that tested positive for the coronavirus as they come from an endangered species that share almost all of its DNA with humans.

Over the last two decades, western lowland gorillas' population has declined 60 percent because of poaching and disease, data from the World Wildlife Fund stated. The gorillas in the San Diego zoo were of this species.

Related Story: South Florida Doctor's Death Two Weeks After Getting Coronavirus Vaccine Under Investigation

Zoo officials have also talked to experts who treat the coronavirus in humans to help them in case the animals start experiencing more severe coronavirus symptoms.

Samples from the other gorillas living with the two who tested positive were also taken for testing. Since separating these tightly-knit and social animal groups could be harmful, the zoo decided not to separate them.

"This is wildlife, and they have their own resiliency and can heal differently than we do," Peterson said.

The park also added other safety measures for its staff. They were required to wear face shields and eye goggles when coming in contact with animals.

However, a more alarming thought for the park officials is the animals' situation in their native habitats, where they may come in contact with humans and human materials. San Diego Zoo Safari Park said it would continue to share its findings with health officials, conservationists, and scientists.
The Lekhim group of pharmaceutical companies has signed an agreement to supply 5 million doses of CoronaVac vaccine against COVID-19 produced by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech in the first half of 2021, the company said in a press release on its website.

"Lekhim Group and Sinovac Biotech, which are partners, have reached an agreement in negotiations that lasted for 10 months on cooperation in the distribution and localization of production in Ukraine of the vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for a period of five years," the press release reads.

According to the report, Lekhim is the official and exclusive supplier of CoronaVac vaccine in Ukraine.

The release recalls that in addition to the sale of the CoronaVac vaccine, cooperation involves the organization of production of finished dosage forms of vaccines (including CoronaVac) from 2022 in Ukraine (Lekhim-Kharkiv), and from 2025 it is planned to organize a full production cycle of the main list of vaccines.

Sinovac Biotech is a Chinese vaccine producing company founded in Beijing in 2001 with a capacity of 300 to 500 million doses of six types of vaccines for humans and animals per year. Sinovac's main products are vaccines against hepatitis A (prequalified by the WHO) and B, influenza, mumps, chickenpox, which are registered and approved for vaccination in 34 countries around the world.

CoronaVac is an inactivated vaccine. It uses a traditional vaccine mechanism in which a non-living virus that cannot replicate in human cells is used to activate the immune system. Phase 3 trials of the Chinese vaccine have already taken place in Brazil and Indonesia. Tests are ongoing in Turkey and Chile.
MUSKEGON, MI  Nearly two months after being admitted to Mercy Health Muskegon with COVID-19, Rick Jones walked out of the hospital on Monday.

You guys did it, he said to a team of healthcare workers applauding his discharge.

The 51-year-old Norton Shores man developed symptoms of COVID-19 in mid-November: a fever, body aches and shortness of breath. After struggling to breathe for several days, Jones went to the hospital thinking he just needed oxygen.

When I got here, I went downhill fast, he said speaking outside of Mercy Health.

Jones was moved to the intensive care unit where doctors intubated him on Nov. 23.

Dr. MaryEllen Rosel, a hospitalist and internal medicine physician who treated Jones, says when a patient reaches the point of needing a ventilator, the chances of coming off it really lessen.

Faced with a grim prognosis, Jones said he was at peace when he said goodbye to his wife of 27 years, Marie Jones.

After about two weeks in the hospital, Jones was removed from the ventilator only to be re-intubated a couple of days later. Patients who come off a ventilator, Rosel said, face a 20% chance of needing to be intubated again.

We do see patients that are hospitalized for a very long period of time, Rosel said. (Jones) is unique in the sense that he kind of had the worst of it.

In mid-November, the COVID-19 pandemic was surging across Michigan. Muskegon County was hit particularly hard and experienced a positivity rate over 20%, overwhelming Mercy Health with COVID-19 patients.

When Jones was admitted, the hospital had implemented strict visitor restrictions.

For four weeks, Marie Jones only saw her husband once  when a nurse called her at 3 a.m. on Dec. 12 and said he was going to be intubated for the second time.

I would sit in the parking lot and just pray, she said.

Her prayers were bolstered by multiple community groups and people the couple hadnt seen since high school.

Related: Monday, Jan. 11, coronavirus data by county: 43 counties now have positivity rate of 10% or higher

Jones made slow progress, being taken off the ventilator on Dec. 23 and emerging from his brain fog on New Years Eve.

I didnt know if I was paralyzed or what was going on, but I decided I didnt die, so its time to fight, he said.

The 51-year-old started to walk again with assistance from Mary Free Beds rehabilitation unit. But Jones recognizes he still has a lot of work to do.

As of Jan. 6, Muskegon County reported 9,500 cases of COVID-19 and 262 deaths from the virus. Rosel said its baffling to physicians why some cases are mild, and others are severe.

Weve had elderly patients come into the hospital for a couple of days. They go home and they do fine, she said. And then we have a patient like Rick, who is a healthy, middle-aged male who has a prolonged and extensive hospitalization.

Related: Next in line for vaccines, Michigan teachers are feeling optimistic

Jones said this experience has altered his perspective on COVID-19. After seeing friends get the virus and recover within a week, he thought it would be similar to the flu.

Thats what I thought would happen to me, Jones said. But I crashed. It got me, and it got me good.

Jones credits the doctors and nurses at Mercy Health for saving his life.

Im just happy to be alive Jones said.

Hes looking forward to going home, seeing his dog, spending time with his three daughters and being healthy enough to exercise again.

Itll take a little more than some COVID to knock me out, Jones said.

More on MLive:

Mother warns of terrifying syndrome linked to COVID-19 that hospitalized 8-year-old son

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Michigan lists 142 new coronavirus outbreaks and 887 ongoing clusters in Jan. 11 outbreak report
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New York added people 65 and older on Tuesday to the list of those eligible to receive a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement during a morning call with the media, and said the expansion is consistent with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued Tuesday.

It seems change is constant with the CDC, and Ill tell you the truth, Im looking forward to the incoming administration to get a hold of this, Cuomo said in reference to President-elect Joe Biden. This federal policy is making it extraordinarily difficult.

The governor said the latest eligibility expansion will further increase the already high demand for a vaccine -- on Staten Island appointments have been scarce so far, but the city is adding sites -- and again called on the federal government to drastically increase its supply.

Despite the increased eligibility, Cuomo said the federal government has not committed to increasing its 300,000-dose-a-week supply to New York.

The CDC said states should also expand vaccine eligibility to people with compromised immune systems, but Cuomos office did not say whether those people would be eligible in New York. Cuomo said the CDC has not offered a precise definition on who falls into that category, and that his office is working with the federal government.

On Monday, the city began vaccinating eligible members of the community in the Phase 1b group  those 75 and older, education workers, first responders, public transit workers, and public safety workers.

Mayor Bill De Blasio has said people who live and work in shelters along with grocery store workers who interact with the public are eligible in the 1b phase.

Just yesterday in New York City, 26,528 doses given, he said Tuesday. Freedom to vaccinate is what allowed us to do this, and were now going to take full, full advantage of that freedom.

De Blasio said during his morning press briefing that the city is asking the state to include delivery workers in those eligible to be vaccinated. Cuomo has threatened massive fines if someone known to not be eligible receives a vaccine.

Cuomos office did not say whether those workers will be included in the expansion.
ANN ARBOR, MI  Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit has announced his office will not charge people for use, possession or small-scale distribution of marijuana and entheogenic plants, including magic mushrooms and other naturally occurring psychedelics.

In addition, the prosecutors office will support the expungement of old criminal convictions arising from marijuana or entheogenic-plant offenses, Savit said.

Many of us know people who have used substances like marijuana or psychedelics without facing criminal consequences, Savit said in a statement. We should no longer continue to perpetuate the cruel roulette wheel that imposes criminal consequences only on an unlucky few.

Equally important is that we allow those with old convictions to get their lives back on track. A criminal conviction can impact a persons ability to get a job, obtain housing, or continue their education.

Savit, who took office Jan. 1, released a pair of new policy directives Tuesday, Jan. 12, citing the racially disproportionate consequences of the war on drugs.

Americas long experiment with cannabis criminalization has failed, the marijuana policy reads. For nearly 100 years, cannabis has been functionally illegal in the United States  tethering countless Americans to the criminal justice system, and imposing severe collateral consequences.

Police shooting of Aura Rosser highlighted in Washtenaw prosecutors new policies

The costs of cannabis criminalization have been borne disproportionately by Black people and indigenous people of color, Savit said.

The 2018 passage of a proposal to legalize marijuana in Michigan went a long way toward preventing harms wrought by marijuana criminalization, but it also resulted in some arbitrariness since people still can face criminal charges for possessing too much marijuana, Savit said.

Under Michigan law, for example, a person can lawfully possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana outside of the home, or 10 ounces in the home. Possession of more than 5 ounces of marijuana outside the home, however, can still lead to criminal penalties, even for a first offense, Savits directive states. In addition, Proposal 1 does not provide for automatic expungement of criminal records for people who were previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes.

Cannabis is as safe as alcohol, and its no more appropriate to charge someone for too much marijuana than it is to charge someone for too many bottles of wine, Savit said.

Savit sworn in as Washtenaw County prosecutor, begins work to reshape justice system

Under this policy, then, the prosecutors office will decline to file criminal charges for the use or possession of marijuana  whatever the amount at issue, the policy states.

Those previously convicted of marijuana offenses should be able to clear their records and no longer bear the stigma, Savit said.

Accordingly, the Washtenaw County Prosecutors Office will not contest any application for expungement where the underlying offense was for use, possession, cultivation or distribution of marijuana, his policy states.

Savits other new policy directive notes the Ann Arbor City Council last year OKd a resolution declaring entheogenic plants the citys lowest law enforcement priority.

Ann Arbor OKs move to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms, plants

Given that they are now functionally decriminalized in the countys largest city, it would be capricious to continue pursuing charges over entheogenic plants in other parts of the county and not in the interest of justice, Savit said.

Entheogenic plants are not generally addictive, do not present a significant risk of a fatal overdose and are not associated with violent behavior, Savit said.

The prosecutors office will not contest any application for expungement where the underlying charge was for the possession, use, cultivation or distribution of entheogenic plants, the policy adds.

Under the policy, criminal charges still can be filed against large-scale enterprises distributing controlled substances in violation of health and safety standards or to children.

The prosecutors office also will continue to file charges for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, Savit said.

MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:

Q&A: How Eli Savit plans to reform criminal justice in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County prosecutor rolls out new policy to end use of cash bail

See which of Ann Arbors 144 miles of sidewalk gaps will get filled first

After completing 2 new developments, Ann Arbor Housing Commission looks to next 11

2 weeks, 200 miles: Missing dog returned to Ann Arbor with the help of farmers
Simon Wallwork wants to look his 11-year-old son in the eye and say hes doing something about climate change so maybe taking over the family farm will be a real option one day for him, or one of his two teenage siblings.

The farmer and his wife Cindy Stevens themselves chose to take over from Ms Stevens father, growing crops and running sheep and cattle at Corrigin, in Western Australias Wheatbelt.

Simon Wallwork and partner Cindy Stevens. Credit:Picture: Supplied

They made an informed choice, having gained degrees in agricultural science, worked in the industry then on the farm for several years before starting succession planning in 2011.

But their job is a different one than their parents generation knew. Corrigin has weather records going back more than a century, and of the five driest seasons on record, three have been in the past decade.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
BOWIE, Md., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toyota Lexus Minority Owners Dealership Association (TLMODA) is once again working with The Salvation Army to address the increasing food shortage across the country by filling the pantries of families in need during the coronavirus pandemic. On Jan. 15, 2021, TLMODA Dealers and The Salvation Army will distribute more than 1,400 food boxes at participating dealerships in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington and Texas.

"Last year, we partnered with The Salvation Army to create a National COVID-19 Day of Service to support families left vulnerable by the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the demand for food has multiplied," says TLMODA Board President Carlos Liriano. "We hope this collective effort by our TLMODA members helps feed families in our communities and provides some reprieve from the economic hardships they face on a daily basis."

During TLMODA's National COVID-19 Day of Service, Toyota dealership staff will distribute grocery boxes of non-perishable items like boxes of cereal and canned goods to help feed a family of four, for a week. Items for the grocery boxes will be packed and assembled by local Salvation Army teams in accordance with safety guidelines from local, state and federal health officials. An art kit will also be included with the box, as part of the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest  feeding the mind and inspiring creativity. Youth ages 4 to 15 are invited to imagine the future of mobility and submit their artwork. Full details at www.toyotadreamcarusa.com.

The Salvation Army is helping identify families in need of food and instructing them to visit one of the participating Toyota dealerships to pick up their grocery box. In order to maintain proper social distance protocols, boxes will be placed in the trunk of each family's vehicle on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies are exhausted. All families must contact their local Salvation Army to qualify for a grocery box.

"The Salvation Army has seen a tsunami of need over the last year. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have provided more than 150 million meals to families in need. This was in large part thanks to the commitment of community members and partners like TLMODA and its member dealerships," said Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, National Commander of The Salvation Army. "We know that 2021 will continue to be challenging for millions of Americans, but with the help of organizations like TLMODA, we'll continue to meet the evolving needs of our neighbors across the country."

TLMODA's inaugural National COVID-19 Day of Service, in partnership with The Salvation Army, was held on May 22, 2020.

TLMODA COVID-19 Day of Service dealership locations include:

Florida

Treasure Coast Toyota of Stuart, Stuart

Georgia

Chatham Parkway Toyota, Savannah

Oklahoma

Toyota of Ardmore, Ardmore

Texas

Brownsville Toyota, Brownsville

Lost Pines Toyota, Bastrop

Toyota of Cedar Park , Cedar Park

Washington

Marysville Toyota, Marysville

More information on the TLMODA 'COVID-19 Day of Service' can be found at TLMODA.org/day-of-service/

TLMODA's goal is to represent the needs of minority dealers within Toyota and Lexus. Any dealership which represents a minority group, based on 51 percent or more ownership, is invited to join as a dealer member. Some of the benefits available to dealer members include networking opportunities, mentoring support, collective representation within Toyota and Lexus, community involvement support, and development opportunities, among others.

Toyota Lexus Minority Owners Dealership Association (TLMODA) is a diverse dealer association focused on the growth and sustainability of Toyota and Lexus minority customers, and ethnic minority dealers. For more information, go to www.tlmoda.org.

Contact: Shaun Wilson

Cadence c/o TLMODA

(313) 530-7860

[email protected]

SOURCE Toyota Lexus Minority Owners Dealership Association
DENVER, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CLMBR , leader in connected fitness technology, announced the expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Paul LaFontaine to the position of chief operations officer and Matt Culig to the position of chief financial officer.

LaFontaine has led companies, divisions and teams at Disney, Ticketmaster, Sulake OY and UK-based Betfair. His software engineering, customer care, and fulfillment teams spanned 14 countries. Most recently, Paul was heavily involved in restructuring and optimizing companies handling the logistics of last mile in-home deliveries. He is a US Army combat veteran and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

"With its innovative, ergonomic design, key investment partners and experienced team, very few companies have such a strong foundation for rapid growth and I'm delighted to join CLMBR with its vision to pioneer the future of fitness," said Paul LaFontaine, CLMBR's new COO. "My first priority is to create a world-class delivery system from the factory floor to the customer's doorstep and a gold standard customer support system for a seamless retail rollout in 2021."

Culig has over 30 years of finance, accounting and operational experience. He has held several senior finance positions with both public and privately held businesses. Most recently, Matt served as the Chief Financial Officer for 3QU Media, a producer of animated family films, where he held a broad range of responsibilities, including global treasury as well as management of banking relationships, tax compliance, financial reporting, investor relations, corporate benefits and risk management. A graduate of the University of San Diego, Matt began his career at KPMG Peat Marwick and is a licensed CPA in Colorado.

"CLMBR is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand in the market as consumers look for new ways to enhance their fitness routines in the home and gyms seek help in engaging their customers with new and exciting equipment," said Matt Culig, CLMBR CFO. "I'm thrilled to join the exceptionally talented and passionate team at CLMBR as we introduce the world to the fitness benefits of our revolutionary vertical climbing machine."

ABOUT CLMBR:

CLMBR is an ergonomic and innovative vertical climbing machine. It's the first vertical climber to feature a large-format touch display with on-demand, instructor-led classes. CLMBR's patent-pending design has a high-quality build, a low level of required maintenance, and is easy to move  making it perfect for commercial or at-home use. The machine is beautiful with an open structural design that leaves the user's views unobstructed, supporting a natural athletic posture. It also offers the latest user interface technology and state-of-the-art companion app that provides on-demand climbing classes and displays key metrics to maximize the user's experience, including vertical feet climbed and workout targets reached. Unlike traditional climbing machines, CLMBR reaches for new heights and is ideal for any modern user. CLMBR is safe for most ages and levels of ability. To pre-order and learn more, please visit www.clmbr.com .

SOURCE CLMBR
She's never shied away from enjoying the great outdoors.

And Alessandra Ambrosio topped off her already golden tan in a barely-there two piece on a beach day in Brazil on Tuesday afternoon.

The 39-year-old supermodel sported a tiny black bikini while working out with friends along the shore in Florianopolis.

Sandy: Alessandra Ambrosio topped off her already golden tan in a barely-there two piece on a beach day in Brazil on Tuesday afternoon

Alessandra's impressive abs were on display in the small swimsuit which featured a bandeau top with straps.

She revealed a pair of matching cheeky bottoms underneath printed running shorts which highlighted her endlessly long legs.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel protected her face from the harsh sun rays with a black Alo Yoga hat.

Catwalk: The 39-year-old supermodel sported a tiny black bikini while working out with friends along the shore in Florianopolis

Model behavior: Alessandra's impressive abs were on display in the small swimsuit which featured a bandeau top with straps

Blessed: She revealed a pair of matching cheeky bottoms underneath printed running shorts which highlighted her endlessly long legs

She kept her accessories simple with a gold bangle on her wrist and a pair of diamond studs in her ears.

Alessandra made time for her own self-care as she worked out on the beach with a personal trainer and a friend.

The small group stretched their muscles before dipping into squats and planks while listening to the ocean.

Beach babe: Ambrosio slipped on a small pair of black and white shorts which featured a tropical palm print

Protected: The former Victoria's Secret Angel protected her face from the harsh sun rays with a black Alo Yoga hat

Shining star: She kept her accessories simple with a gold bangle on her wrist and a pair of diamond studs in her ears

Whatever it takes: The small group stretched their muscles before dipping into squats and planks while listening to the ocean

Fitness enthusiasts: They made time to sweat while enjoying a beach day

After breaking a sweat on the sand, Alessandra cooled off by jumping into the water and playing in the waves.

Alessandra collaborated with her sister, Aline Ambrosio, and best friend, Gisele Coria, to create her lifestyle brand in March 2019.

'We always had this dream. We grew up in Florianopolis, which is an island south of Brazil, and swim was always like our second skin,' Ambrosio told People magazine.

'We were always in a swimsuit going from one beach to another and always wanted to have a bikini shop there one day. That was our dream when we were 18.'
Editor,

While I have always known that Trumps presidency would end in catastrophe, Wednesdays riot demonstrated how far this country has strayed from the ideals of quality family, quality education, critical thinking and adherence to the letter of law. As I have expressed before in this forum, Americas enemies are having a heyday with this while our allies, such as President Macron of France, have had to take to their own airwaves to assure that world democracy is still intact.

I hope Macron is right. These next few days in the Trump presidency remain the most dangerous in human history as a president who is clearly fractured beyond repair holds the keys to nukes (which he almost used against North Korea two years into his term). We refer to this policy as a hot war. Iran, of course, continues to tempt Trump. And all of those who marched on this day that will live in infamy, if we survive this, will come to be known as Putins Soldiers.

This attack on our Capitol, where I spent much time as an intern in Washington, showed us the very best of the worst of Americas morons. Had Black or brown folk, or Latinos been involved, we would have seen bodies piled high in Lafayette Park, another place where I spent some of my happiest lunch hours in D.C., writing my articles for my Washington Post instructor.

However, there is one thing that disgusts me beyond words: the role of Northeastern Pennsylvanians and Hazletonians in this march for anarchy. I copied onto my Facebook page a post from locals who attended. They brag about their attendance and how they stand for their president as this country experiences more daily deaths now from COVID-19 than losses we experienced on 9/11. As reported on CNN, we may reach a million Americans dead of COVID-19 by late spring. But instead of attending to that, Mr. Trump attempted a coup detat. And there were deaths, of course.

Frankly, the Capitol police were unprepared and should have had the automatic weapons to open fire on the protesters who breached the Capitol. Seriously, can the police in this country get anything right?

The extent to which local people participated in this act is staggering and detonates in the faces of the rest of us like a nuke of shame and utter disgrace. If these people have businesses, we need to boycott them forever and we need to out them all to the feds.

I am also aware that buses went out of northeastern Pennsylvania and Luzerne County, carrying not peaceful First Amendment protesters, but domestic terrorists and perpetrators of insurrection, sedition and treason. Bus loads!

They might want to look up the constitutional penalty for attempting to overthrow the government and putting members of Congress, the Senate and the vice president and his family in mortal danger. Did these people ever really read the Constitution? I dont think so.

Maria Jacketti

Hazleton
A heckler told Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that she got 'sexually excited' while watching him cower under a desk during last week's riot at the US Capitol.

The woman interrupted Schumer during his press conference in Manhattan on Tuesday. During the encounter, she is heard calling Schumer, who is Jewish, a 'racist, anti-Semite'.

'You're nothing but a coward. Seeing you hide under your desk, I actually got sexually excited over it. That's how much I loathe you. That's how much I'm glad what they did.'

The woman also accused the New York senator of following the 'socialist' practices of Adolf Hitler.

A heckler (pictured wearing a mask) told Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that she got 'sexually excited' while watching him cower under a desk during last week's riot at the US Capitol

The woman interrupted Schumer during his press conference in Manhattan on Tuesday. During the encounter, she is heard calling Schumer, who is Jewish, a 'racist, anti-Semite'

Schumer said the violence at the Capitol showed the need for the Senate to swiftly confirm Joe Biden's national security team on the first day of his administration

'Remember this, Adolf Hitler was a socialist and that's exactly who you follow,' the woman screamed.

As the woman continued to rant about the Capitol riot, Schumer's security was seen trying to get her to leave.

'As long as theres unrest, theres going to be unrest in these streets, I dont give a sh*t whether you believe me,' she yelled.

'Six feet! Six feet! Stand down! Stand down! Stand down!' she screamed.

The violence at the Capitol erupted on Wednesday following President Donald Trump's Save America rally.

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died from his injuries sustained during the riot after he was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher.

A second member of the Capitol Police, Howard Liebengood, was on duty on Wednesday and died by suicide on Saturday.

Four rioters also died - one woman shot by Capitol Police, and three during medical emergencies. One of those was apparently trampled in the melee.

The US Senate was forced to reconvene late Wednesday night (Schumer pictured after the riot) to confirm the electoral vote count for President-elect Joe Biden

Schumer said the violence at the Capitol showed the need for the Senate to swiftly confirm Joe Biden's national security team on the first day of his administration.

Schumer said in a letter to colleagues that the deadly Capitol riot was 'one of the darkest days in all of American history'.

He said Biden will need 'key national security positions on Day One'.

The Senate often confirms some nominees on Inauguration Day, January 20, but this year the Senate will also likely be convening Trump's impeachment trial.

The House is set to impeach Trump this week on a sole charge of inciting insurrection in the violent riot.

Schumer wants the chamber to swiftly take up those nominees for secretary of defense, secretary of homeland security, secretary of state, attorney general, and others.

The Democrat outlined the party's agenda, vowing to push ahead on Democratic priorities.

Schumer said in a letter to colleagues that the deadly Capitol riot was 'one of the darkest days in all of American history'

Schumer has also called on the FBI to add anyone identified breaching the Capitol during last week's violent riot to the federal no-fly list.

He sent a letter Tuesday to FBI Director Christopher Wray, saying the attack on the Capitol as Congress was voting to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's win was 'domestic terrorism'.

He said those who stormed the Capitol should qualify as 'insurrectionists for the No-Fly List.'

Schumer told Wray that they must also be fully prosecuted to the full extent of federal law.

The federal no-fly list is part of the US government's Terrorist Screening Database and prohibits anyone who 'may pose a threat to civil aviation or national security' from boarding a commercial aircraft.

Generally, in order to be placed on the list, the government must have information that the person presents 'a threat of committing terrorism' to the aircraft or the US homeland or US facilities.

The no-fly list is one of the government's most controversial post-September 11 counterterrorism programs.

Trump has taken no responsibility for his role in fomenting the violent insurrection at the US Capitol last week.

Speaking to reporters before traveling to Texas on Tuesday, Trump says his remarks to supporters last week were 'totally appropriate'.

Minutes before his supporters stormed the Capitol, Trump encouraged them to march on the seat of the nation's government where lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming Biden's victory.

Trump, for months, had also spread baseless claims that the November election was fraudulent, despite his own administration's findings to the contrary.

As rioters were still in the Capitol, Trump released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: 'We love you. You're very special.'

Trump also told reporters that the prospect of impeachment is causing 'tremendous anger' in the nation. But he said he wants 'no violence'.

The president said it's 'a really terrible thing that they're doing.' But he said, 'We want no violence. Never violence'.
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.
Boston police continue to search for the person responsible for the fatal shooting of a man in Hyde Park last month.

On Monday, the Boston Police Department released video of a person of interest in its investigation into the December killing. The footage showed a person in a long coat and hat walking past a white fence on a street.

Detectives are seeking help identifying the individual in the video in connection with the fatal shooting on Sunday, Dec. 13.

This information is requested for investigative purposes only, the department said.

On the evening of the shooting, officers responded to a report of shots fired near 10 Ellis St. shortly after 7:30 p.m., the department said in a statement.

On arrival, officers located a male victim on a nearby street suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, the statement said.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the statement.

The department is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding the shooting and has urged anyone with information related to the investigation to call homicide detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members who wish to help the investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers tip line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

Related Content: Man fatally shot Sunday evening in Hyde Park, Boston police say
Natalia Kaliada, 47, and husband Nicolai Khalezin, 56, fled Belarus a decade ago

Couple have been told by official Belarus newspaper they will be hunted down

Belarus Free Theatre, continues to stage secret shows in countrys capital Minsk

A chilling death threat has been made against two UK-based theatre directors  by the last dictatorship in Europe

Natalia Kaliada, 47, and her husband Nicolai Khalezin, 56, fled Belarus a decade ago when their theatre group enraged strongman president Alexander Lukashenko.

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Despite gaining British citizenship, they have now been told by an official Belarus newspaper they will be hunted down and hanged side by side.

Natalia Kaliada, 47, and her husband Nicolai Khalezin, 56, (pictured in 2015) fled Belarus a decade ago when their theatre group enraged strongman president Alexander Lukashenko

The couple, who live in London, are well aware that Belaruss ally Russia has previously carried out killings in Britain. After being given asylum in the UK, writer Miss Kaliada and former diplomat Mr Khalezin have continued campaigning for democracy in Belarus, a former Soviet republic bordering Poland.

The underground drama group the couple helped create, Belarus Free Theatre, continues to stage secret shows in the countrys capital Minsk. It has put on performances around the world to fight for freedom.

Supporters include Sherlock Holmes actor Jude Law and playwright Tom Stoppard. Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and ex-foreign secretary Lord Hague have also backed the group. However, the couple cannot relax despite now being 1,200 miles from Minsk.

They are now calling for the UK Government to step up sanctions against president Alexander Lukashenko (pictured in 2019) and his regime to include those who help finance Belarus

Over Christmas, Belaruss main government-supporting newspaper carried an article threatening them. The piece in Sovietska Belarus said: We will definitely find you...and we will hang you side by side.

Miss Kaliada told the Mail: Death threats were always part of our life  we were announced as public enemies on TV in Belarus ten years ago  but this is the first time the main columnist of Sovietska Belarus is using such language. Our close friends have been kidnapped and killed  some poisoned. And the question is how connected to Moscow is Belarus?

She insisted: I have a simple response to whats been written in Belarus  if they are making death threats against us, it means we are doing the right thing. We will continue to do so. Miss Kaliada added: Clearly, weve become a target... its getting more tense.

Lukashenko, 66, (pictured last August) who has been in power for 26 years, is reported to have set up a 1million assassination slush fund in 2012 to pay for attacks overseas

We have British citizenship so theyre threatening citizens of other countries  and the UK needs to take responsibility. They are now calling for the UK Government to step up sanctions against Lukashenko and his regime to include those who help finance Belarus.

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Miss Kaliada noted that Russia had defied international laws and conventions to launch attacks on British soil. In 2018 assassins used deadly nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in a failed bid to kill former spy Sergei Skripal, 67. Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died after she handled a discarded perfume bottle containing the poison.

In 2006 former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko died after radioactive polonium-210 it was put in his tea at a London hotel. Miss Kaliada said: People somehow continue to be killed and poisoned here.

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Lukashenko, 66, who has been in power for 26 years, is reported to have set up a 1million assassination slush fund in 2012 to pay for attacks overseas. Miss Kaliada said four opposition members had disappeared since 1999 and she pointed to the staged suicide of Belarus journalist Oleg Bebenin in 2010.

She stressed: Knowing what Lukashenko already did to our friends, we feel like anything could happen. And while Lukashenko has money to pay hired killers he will do so.

Thats why were appealing to the UK Government to not just condemn Lukashenko, but impose sanctions on his regime and those who finance it.

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The campaigner said the Foreign Office told her to speak to police about the death threat. A Foreign Office spokesman said: The UK condemns the intimidation and persecution of Belarusian political opposition figures by Lukashenkos regime.
President Donald Trump is flying to visit Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday.

His niece, Mary Trump, believes the destination was intended to invoke the symbolism behind the 1836 battle that occurred 240 miles north in San Antonio. The small town near the U.S.-Mexico border was named after the famed mission.

On Monday, Mary Trump was interviewed by CNN's Chris Cuomo about her uncle's trip to Texas. Cuomo, after correcting himself that Trump was traveling to Alamo, not The Alamo, said "the symbol is there."

READ MORE: Five things to know about Trump's visit to Texas today

"Do you think that's why he's going there?" Cuomo asked.

"Undoubtedly," Mary Trump responded. "I'm sure somebody else told him to go there, because you know as well as I do Donald knows absolutely nothing about American history. But I'm sure once he was told what the symbolism was he thought it was a good idea."

The president's niece, a psychologist and longtime critic of her uncle, wrote the 2020 book "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Most Dangerous Man In the World."

"I guess whoever informed him about the Alamo didn't tell him how it ended," Mary Trump said. "He is indeed going there to make a stand of one kind or another."

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez noted Monday that tensions are "running dangerously high" as Trump heads for Texas.

"I urge both sides to keep passions in check because ultimately the Rio Grande Valley has a unique opportunity to demonstrate to the world that peaceful public discourse is more effective than public violence," Cortez wrote.

A White House statement ahead of the trip pointed to the border wall, not the Battle of the Alamo.

"President Trump is expected to travel to Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday to mark the completion of more than 400 miles of border wall  a promise made, promise kept  and his Administrations efforts to reform our broken immigration system," Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said.

Trump is expected to deliver remarks near the wall at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
In his highly entertaining 2018 travelogue, Another Fine Mess, English journalist Tim Moore drove an old Ford Model T through the American regions which had voted most heavily in favour of Donald Trump.

A self-confessed typical liberal, Moore was curious about the kind of people who would vote for a man that Moore and his peers viewed with a mixture of contempt and derision. As it happened, the author was surprised to discover that the vast majority of those Trump supporters he encountered were kind, good natured and eager to offer a helping hand. He freely admitted that they flew in the face of his preconceived notions that anyone who had voted for him was a typical American cliche  racist, boorish and violent.

Well, last Wednesday the cliche came to life and stormed the heart of American democracy in the most shocking and disturbing scenes any of us have witnessed since, perhaps, 9/11. What we saw in those scenes of the invasion of the Capitol was the dark underbelly of the wilder fringes of the internet suddenly doing in real life what they had always threatened in the virtual realm  a direct assault on the very institutions which make America the greatest country in the world.

That was bad.

What makes it even worse was the fact that it was all orchestrated by the American president  probably the only time a sitting president has incited an attempted coup against the democracy he was supposed to protect.

Read More

It was shameful. It was heart-breaking. It was soul-destroying. After four years of Trump and, more pertinently, his followers, being dismissed and denounced as a bunch of violent, racist, white-supremacist rednecks by the so-called elites, last week saw them live down to that description. In fact, not only did they live down to the lowest expectations of their political opponents, they went several steps further and proved they and their leader are a genuine threat to a democracy they seem to despise.

The ramifications of the mass assault on the Capitol are still being felt and many American commentators are still struggling to get their heads around what they watched. Theyre not the only ones.

Ive spent much of the past four years trying to defend, explain or simply clarify the reasons why so many people voted for him. I resented the lazy slurs against the kind of Americans who were simply fed up with being either ignored or insulted by the power-brokers in Washington, the print media on the east coast and the Big Tech firms on the west coast.

But nobody of good conscience, or even in their right mind, can possibly try to explain, justify or defend what we saw last week.

I was lucky enough to be stuck in Harare during a period of anti-government instability in the 1990s and I remember the blood being hosed off the streets following a riot. For several hours last Wednesday, America reminded me of Zimbabwe at its most chaotic.

This should not be happening in the largest democracy in the world. Frankly, most of the scenes looked like a cheap anti-Trump dystopian movie directed by Michael Moore. But this was no movie. This was no attempt to portray Trump and his followers as a bunch of a domestic terrorists. This was the reality of what many of his supporters look like.

This was the reality of what happens when the mask slips from a man who seems to have become genuinely insane at the thought of losing the election. This is the reality of what happens when the bonds of liberal democracy, which insist that even opposing sides respect the other point of view, begin to fray. Frankly, I worry that they may have now frayed beyond repair.

I used to laugh at those Irish media chin-strokers who loftily declared that Trump was a wannabe Mussolini. Im not laughing now because the joke was on me. I could probably conjure some defence for my initial support. I could talk about the dangers posed by Antifa and Black Lives Matter, who spent much of last summer taking violent control of cities like Portland and Seattle. But why bother? Now is not the time for whatabouttery. Trump showed his true colours and many of his followers liked what they saw. They revelled in the idea of storming the Capitol. That, in many ways, is one of the most perplexing elements of this sad and sorry affair. After all, Antifa are explicitly anarchist and are open in their hatred for America. Similarly, the more extreme elements of Black Lives Matter are happy to chant death to the USA when the mood takes them.

But these thugs werent Antifa or BLM. These were the very people who loudly professed their devotion to law and order  before they killed a cop with a fire extinguisher. Yet this was a mob which raises many issues. The most obvious is the difference between how they were treated and how any other group of radicals would have been received.

If it had been Antifa or BLM, theres a good chance we would have witnessed a slaughter live on TV.

This would-be tin-pot dictator needs to be removed from political life forever. But even if that does happen, the problem remains  you can remove Trump from the pitch, but what is known as Trumpism will still exist. Not the Trumpism that Tim Moore encountered on his quixotic journey through the American heartland, but a darker, more dangerous strain that seems to quite relish the idea of a second civil war.

Following the disgusting scenes of Wednesday, I appeared on Fox News to give a European perspective. This prompted numerous angry emails from American viewers. One of them even compared the rioters to the men and women of the 1916 Easter Rising and hailed them as patriots.

If thats the new definition of American patriotism, then theyre in even more trouble than we may have thought.

Dark days lie ahead.
Ronald Dela Rosa (right), then chief of the Philippine National Police, confronts some of the 43 foreigners  many of them Chinese nationals  after they were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a Singaporean woman from a Philippine casino resort, during a presentation inside PNP Headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, July 20, 2017.

Philippine authorities said Tuesday they had apprehended eight members of a Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang, including its leader, who are suspected of preying here on citizens of China, including one victim who was slain last month.

The eight were arrested Saturday in a sting operation that ended at a residential village in San Pedro, a town just south of Manila, the national polices Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said. An influx of Chinese coming to the country to work in the Philippine gaming industry has been linked to a spike in crimes in recent years.

In December, the gangsters allegedly kidnapped their fellow Chinese nationals, Lyu Long and Liu Xue Xue, who worked at a Chinese-owned electronics firm, CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Their supervisor initially paid 400,000 RMB (U.S. $62,000) in ransom for Lyu but his captors did not release the victim. The company then informed police about the abduction after receiving information that Lyu Long was killed and dumped in a deep ravine, Coronel said.

Police operatives were immediately dispatched to investigate and confirmed that the decomposing body was Lyu Longs, based on the clothes he was wearing when he was last seen and on the video that was sent by the kidnappers, the CIDG chief said.

In the wake of the killing, police hatched a sting operation when the suspects kept demanding more money for the release of Liu Xue Xue, Coronel said.

A gang member, identified as Qun Den, had agreed to meet the victim's supervisor but was arrested on Saturday. He then led police officers to the gangs safehouse where they held and allegedly had assaulted Lie Xue Xue sexually.

The female victim was rescued and the kidnappers arrested, Coronel said, adding that firearms, ammunition and money  believed to be part of the initial ransom payment  were recovered at the crime scene.

Qun Den is believed to be a leader of the Xiaopen-Nanlu Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang, which has been known to operate locally and target members of the Chinese expatriate community employed in online casinos.

The same group is believed responsible for the abduction  also in December  of Guang Lin, whose relatives paid ransom in hopes of securing his freedom. His captors, however, shot him and left him for dead after dumping him in a creek, the police said.

But Guang Lin survived the gunshot wound to the nape of the neck, and recovered from his injuries to identify the gangsters, authorities said.

In July 2017, Philippine police arrested 43 foreigners  many of them Chinese nationals  who were suspected of kidnapping a Singaporean woman, who was gambling at a local casino, and holding her for ransom. The woman was rescued in a raid by police on the suspects hideout in the Metropolitan Manila area.

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration estimates there are some 150,000 Chinese nationals employed in the gaming industry here.

The government of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has sought closer ties with Beijing, in the past has resisted calls to put a freeze on the influx of Chinese nationals.

Jeoffrey Maitem contributed reporting to this report from Cotabato City, Philippines.
Nicole Kidman is reportedly in talks for a Lucille Ball biopic.

But Debra Messing seems to feel she would be a good fit for the role after playing the icon on Will & Grace. On Monday she shares on her Twitter page that she is up for the job.

When one fan tweeted: 'Choosing to believe that @DebraMessing was unavailable or something :),' she quoted it and wrote: 'Oh no, Im available.'

Plugging away: Debra Messing said on Twitter on Monday that she is available to play Lucille Ball in a new bio movie

The real deal: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, pictured in 1955, became part of TV history as the stars of the pioneering American sitcom I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957

Aaron Sorkin is writing and directing the upcoming biopic Being The Ricardos for Amazon after his streaming success with The Trial Of The Chicago 7 for Netflix.

While Nicole is said to be the pick for Lucy, Javier Bardem is in talks for the role of her husband and co-star Desi Arnaz, Deadline reported Monday.

On the last season of the Will And Grace revival Debra did an impersonation of Lucille Ball in character for I Love Lucy.

She re-created a string of classic moments from the original sitcom, including Lucy's 'Vitameatavegamin' ad and her fumbling attempts to work at a chocolate factory.

Throwback: On the last season of the Will And Grace revival Debra did an impersonation of Lucille Ball in character for I Love Lucy; pictured with co-star Eric McCormack

Uncanny: She recreated a string of classic moments from the original sitcom, including Lucy's 'Vitameatavegamin' ad and her fumbling attempts to work at a chocolate factory

When the news broke that Nicole could be tapped for the role Debra got to work strenuously plugging herself for the part instead.

One fan pointed out that Debra told Variety last year that she had previously been unwilling to play Lucille Ball for a TV project.

'Like 15 years ago people would say: "Hey, do you want to do like a made for TV movie or something?" And I always felt like: "Oh, I would not even touch that. Like she is untouchable,"' Debra shared with Variety at the time.

However by this Monday when a Twitter user brought up the quote Debra said: 'Ummmmmm, I changed my mind,' with a winking emoji.

Side by side: While Nicole Kidman (left) is said to be the pick for Lucy, Javier Bardem (right) is in talks for the role of her husband and co-star Desi Arnaz, Deadline reported Monday

Debra also retweeted several people saying they would prefer her as Lucy, including fellow sitcom star Valerie Bertinelli who wrote: 'Debra Messing was robbed.'

She went onto retweet such messages as: 'No way!!! Debra Messing would be perfect!! I always said that she was the closest thing to Lucy to come around in a long time. I love Nicole Kidman but I cannot see her as Lucy.'

Another Twitter user wrote: 'Nicole Kidman??? Debra Messing is the perfect choice for this role. Love you, don't always agree with you, but you totally hit the mark on this,' and was rewarded with a retweet from Debra.

Desi, who played Lucy's bandleader husband Ricky Ricardo on their program, had a tumultuous marriage to her in real life.

Putting in the elbow grease: When the news broke that Nicole could be tapped for the role Debra got to work strenuously plugging herself for the part instead

She filed for divorce for the first time in 1944, reportedly over his philandering and drinking, but they got back together before splitting up permanently in 1960.

In the meantime they produced two children and the sitcom that etched them into TV legend, running from 1951 to 1957.

They also starred in movies together throughout their marriage, including Forever, Darling and the Vincente Minnelli comedy The Long, Long Trailer.

Despite their divorce, in which she called their marriage 'a nightmare,' Lucy and Desi remained publicly amicable for the rest of his life.

Lucy married Borscht Belt comic Gary Morton in 1961 and stayed with him until her death in 1989, while Desi married one Edith Hirsch in 1963.

Edith and Desi both died of cancer one year apart - she passed on in 1985 and her husband, who loved cigars from his native Cuba, succumbed to lung cancer in 1986.

Aaron Sorkin's new biopic is about a single week spent making an episode of I Love Lucy during which Lucy and Desi's marriage is shaken.

The turbulent week, reportedly running from the table read to the taping in front of a studio audience, is said to include a professional landmine for the couple as well.

You can watch Will & Grace on Stan in Australia.
Goose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. Hot. High 93F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 70F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
KY Launches Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign

By Bill Hughes

FRANKFORT - On Monday, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced a new statewide human trafficking awareness campaign, called Your Eyes Save Lives.The announcement was made on Human Trafficking Awareness Day, observed every year on January 11.Heather Waters, Executive Director of the Trafficking and Abuse Prevention and Prosecution, says the campaign was funded using a $100,000 Department of Justice COPS micro-grant that Kentucky receieved in July.At a press conference, Cameron said, "Human trafficking is widely, widely under-reported because of lack of awareness, misidentification, and stigma. Kentucky is not immune from human trafficking."In the 2020 reporting period, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported 206 trafficking incidents against a minor. Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received 2,829 contacts related to Kentucky. In 2019, Kentucky ranked ninth in the nation with 171 reports of human trafficking involving 215 suspected victims.Cameron shared a 60-second public service announcement at the event, saying they are excited about the potential positive effect on efforts to identify and stop human traffickers.He said, "This campaign will utilize billboards, social media, radio, and print publications across the state to provide information about the signs of trafficking and reporting mechanisms. Already, we've launched billboards in several counties focusing on regions with the highest incidences of human trafficking, like Jefferson County, the Salt River Trail and Cumberland regions."Human trafficking is the forced exploitation of someone for labor or sex and is a serious problem in Kentucky. Human trafficking oppresses adults and children of all races, genders, ages, occupations, and backgrounds. The widespread demographics of victims can make it difficult for them to be spotted and reported.Cameron also commended lawmakers for passing House Bill 2 during the 2020 legislative session. It took effect last summer and aligns state laws with federal laws so it's easier for the criminal justice system to arrest and prosecute traffickers. It also raises awareness of the problem by requiring airports, truck stops, bus stations and train stations to post signs that share the national human trafficking hotline.The new campaign will also create training materials for prosecutors, law enforcement officers, advocates and community leaders to provide information about the reforms in House Bill 2.Cameron said the bill's passage and this new campaign signals that Kentucky is "undertaking a strong and unified approach to combating human trafficking. But, as we've noted in the video and as will continue to be said today, we're in need of every Kentuckian to join us in this fight."The campaign stresses that anyone can help by watching for and reporting suspected human trafficking. That can be done by calling 911 (for emergencies) or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.A person may be subject to sex trafficking if they appear submissive, fearful, or nervous; lack control of identification documents or money; Have an inconsistent or well-rehearsed story about where they live, the relationship with the person they are with, or how they traveled to the current location; dress inappropriately for the weather, their location, or age; are in the presence of an overtly controlling or concerned friend or boyfriend/girlfriend; possess multiple hotel key cards, prepaid credit cards, or cellphones; show signs of physical, mental, or emotional abuse; seem unable to come and go as they please.A person may be subject to labor trafficking if they appear to live at their place of employment; are transported in a group by the employer or someone who is part of the employers organization; experience restricted or monitored movement; don't control their identification documents; earn wages below the states minimum wage; are constantly indebted to the employer; show signs of physical abuse, isolation, and starvation; work long hours in poor conditions.For more information, visit the website YourEyesSaveLives.ky.gov (click link below).On Monday, Cameron's office announced the recent arrest of a Carter County man on sex trafficking charges following an investigation. Fifty-seven-year-old Keith Rose allegedly offered narcotics, alcohol and money to obtain adults and children for sexual acts.

On the Net:
OREGON -- Senator Ron Wyden joined his first virtual town hall of 2021 this morning on Facebook Live, hosted by the Town Hall Project.

While he addressed the riots that took place at the capitol and expressed concern for the safety of Americans, he also addressed the pressing concerns of rural Oregonians.

He says information about vaccine distribution within the state must be equitable.

You just don't recover from this virus until every American and every Oregonian, who wants the vaccine, can get one no matter where they live and vaccinations are moving at a slower pace than anticipated, Wyden said.

Senator Wyden says he has been in touch with the Operation Warp Speed general to ensure Oregonians get the facts about supply, when they will have access to a vaccine, and how many vaccines are on the way.

He will make his next town hall appearance on Facebook Live this Thursday, January 14th, for Lane County.
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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (January 12) paid tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary and asked people to spread his thoughts and ideals.

In a tweet, Modi shared a link to his app (Namo) which lets people share Vivekananda's thoughts.

"Tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary. This Vivekananda Jayanti, there's a creative effort on the NaMo App that lets you share his thoughts and a personalised message. Let us spread Swami Vivekananda's dynamic thoughts and ideals far and wide!" he said.

A towering spiritual philosopher, Swami Vivekananda was born in 1863 in Kolkata and is credited for popularising the Vedantic ideas. Modi has cited Vivekananda as a key influence on him. He had recently installed a statue of him in Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Live TV
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission to decide on the representation made in a petition seeking directions to formulate and notify a model procedure for elections with respect to intra-party elections, as soon as practically possible.

Aggrieved by the feudal and oligarchic nature of functioning of most political parties, petitioner C. Rajashekaran, through the counsel advocates Abhimanyu Tewari and Rakesh Talukdar, moved the court asserting that there is an ineffective democratic processes within the political parties and the lack of adequate regulatory oversight of internal elections by the Election Commission.

"It is submitted that although most political parties provide for elections through the provisions, said elections are often an eyewash for established political families within the said parties to continue to retain power as the top leadership of said parties," the petition read.

The petitioner said that the eyewash is done through various means, including stacking the electoral college with supporters of said family members, unbridled power to top executives within such parties which effectively leads to collapse of democratic norms and practices.

"The lack of internal democracy in political parties, as opposed to private organisations or institutions, has a significant bearing on the nation's governance, as the lack of transparency and internal democracy in political parties are often reflected in similar non-democratic governance models when said political parties come to power".

The petitioner sought for a direction to the EC to frame and notify a Model Election Procedure for political parties, and further direct all political parties registered with it to mandatorily integrate the said model election procedure in their respective Constitutions.

Rajashekaran further prayed for issuance of directions to the EC to appoint external observers to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Elections, and ensure transparent and fair internal elections to political parties.

The City of Winnipeg may be getting ready to rumble.

The City of Winnipeg may be getting ready to rumble.

On Thursday, councils public works committee will consider a plan to test temporary rumble strips at some designated construction zones, where drivers are typically required to slow from a maximum speed of 80 km/h to 60 km/h (actual limits may vary.)

Rumble strips are created by raised material attached to a road, which causes tire noise to warn drivers of a change in conditions. They are commonly used to highlight a changing speed limit or the edge of a roadway.

If approved by public works, the strips could be added through a trial at the starting point of long-term construction project zones in Winnipeg to increase construction workers safety, a new civic report notes.

"Research has shown that temporary rumble strips can result in small decreases in speed and provide tactile and auditory feedback that increases driver alertness. Their use would further alert drivers to pay attention to their driving environment and improve work zone safety," wrote David Patman, Winnipeg manager of transportation planning.

The report calls for public works to test the devices before deciding if they should become a required element of future projects.

The proposal follows a call from Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) to add rumble strips at the beginning of each designated construction zone.

Nason said the current plan doesnt go far enough. He plans to push the city for a greater commitment to routinely use the devices and not just test them.

"We have a habit of piloting things to death that make common sense I dont think we need to pilot this. I think its something that is being done widely (across Canada) and (supports) safe practice in construction zones," said Nason.

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), public works committee chairman, supports the current plan, suggesting testing could help ensure the devices are worth the price.

Patman estimates it would cost about $20,000 to install one strip of portable rumble strips on a four-lane road in a single direction. The strips are typically installed in sets of two or three.

Allard said he also expects the change would be effective.

"Certainly, when you hit a rumble strip it gets your attention immediately Anecdotally, I can say that they work," said Allard.

Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour, said construction zone safety does appear to be an ongoing concern for union members.

"I know anecdotally that our drive safe committee, and others, hear from workers that do talk about people not slowing down when they enter these zones, and I think some of that is (due to) people not being clear when its an active work site Something visceral, like rumble strips, would be a pretty hard thing to not notice," said Rebeck.

In 2014, the province doubled the fines for speeding when the offence takes place in a designated construction zone.

Known as "Brittanys Law," the change followed the October 2010 death of construction worker Brittany Murray, who was hit by a vehicle while on the job.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
On December 16, 1773, some 150 colonists made up as Mohawk Indians threw tea taken from the British East India Company's ships into Boston Harbor to protest the Crown's taxing tea in America. Though this act was cheered by at least 4550% of the colonists at the time, it was most certainly decried as thievery and barbaric by other colonists who supported the Crown and would later be known as Tories. Even at the start of the war, some 30% of colonists were undecided about which side to support.

The English Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party, which was the most egregious and "last straw" of general colonial resistance, with the Intolerable Acts. The British enacted collective punishment against Boston by closing the harbor until it received restitution for the tea. The Massachusetts Government Act abrogated the colony's charter and empowered the military governor, Gen. Thomas Gage, who immediately banned any town meetings without his personal approval. The Administration of Justice Act protected British officials charged with capital offenses by allowing them to be tried in England, and, finally, the Act extended forced quartering of British troops in American homes.

Nonetheless, colonial resistance continued, even forcing British troops to remain in camps because the colonials would not modify or repair any of the structures in which they intended to house troops. The Act also led to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

The January 6, 2021 Capitol incursion has some parallels to 1773's Tea Party. For example, the preceding rally is likely supported by 4050% of Americans, though they certainly do not support the tragic deaths from the incursion a mile and a half away. The rally was a protest over the questionable elections and an opportunity for the right to be heard in a way its members were denied for many years until President Trump was in office  and even then, the media and Big Tech silenced conservative issues and speech.

Keep in mind that, overall, the recent election also demonstrated that many Americans on both sides of the aisle are not okay with the Democrat party's extreme leftward agenda. Some 30% of Democrats have even indicated that they question the election's integrity. An independent audit could satisfy almost everyone, but not a single major Democrat voice called for such an audit, which has only exacerbated the issue. If there was really no foul play, what's the harm in an audit?

Much like the British after the Tea Party, the political left has taken a hard line from the very beginning and continues to do so with its own set of intolerable acts. The difference is that powerful businesses are implementing these acts alongside the government. Amazon, Google, and Apple have taken it upon themselves to de-platform social media applications that allow free speech. Facebook fact-checkers look for any feeble excuse to label a member's free speech as false or misleading. Joe Biden and the left reportedly plan to gut the Second Amendment and threaten to pack the Supreme Court with left-leaning justices to stifle conservative voices once and for all. If these and all the other things the left have in mind are not intolerable, I do not know what is.

There is likely another parallel, too. The original Intolerable Acts spurred the sense of colonial patriotism and helped build the momentum for the 1776 Revolution. Continued hard-line leftist government and business policies will likely do the same. Although I don't advocate another revolution  I've been in a civil war, and we do not want that here  I do advocate that the right should take the momentum from Trump's election and further fuel it with the outrage over the modern Intolerables as the engine to power the political action at the polls necessary to replace elected leftists with moderate and conservative representatives.

As for dealing with the business Tories, here are some radical ideas: cancel your Amazon accounts. Get rid of your iPhone, Android phone, etc. Delete your Facebook account. You'll be surprised by how free you feel. One hundred million conservative and moderate Americans (including moderate Democrats who own guns) who want free speech and fair elections can hit the business Tories where it hurts. Unlike the politicians, we don't necessarily need to put the modern Tories out of business, either. Rather, it is much better to have them behave in a politically neutral manner and continue to provide their services to everyone.

Is the right united enough to make such a stand? Is there a new national leader we can look to? What about acting locally? It is up to you. Now is the time, or "never" could be the outcome.

Image: Boston Tea Party. Public Domain.
These remarks have prompted the House Democrats to draw up articles of impeachment, arguing that the President's words added up to "incitement of insurrection". Asked about the impeachment, Trump said it was a really terrible thing that theyre doing. To continue on this path, I think its causing tremendous danger to our country, and its causing tremendous anger," he said. "I want no violence." The President spoke as he left for Texas to survey the border wall with Mexico. In Alamo, Texas, the site of the 725th kilometre of the border wall his administration is building, Trump brushed off Democratic calls on his cabinet to declare him unfit from office and remove him from power using the 25th Amendment.

Loading The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration, Trump said. As the expression goes, be careful of what you wish for. YouTube has suspended US President Donald Trump from uploading new videos to his official account for at least a week, joining fellow social media giants Twitter and Facebook in shutting Trump out of his account because of concerns his posts will incite violence. YouTube, the streaming video service owned by Google, said it removed new content uploaded to the President's account for violating its policies and "in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence". Impeachment ahead, the House on Tuesday will first try to convince the Vice-President and cabinet to act even more quickly to remove Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.

House lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to approve a resolution calling on Vice-President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the President unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take any such action. The House would next move swiftly to impeach Trump. Trump faces a single charge  incitement of insurrection  in the impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating on Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated on January 20. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The unprecedented events, only the first US president to be twice impeached, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of Bidens inauguration. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public and the inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public. It all added up to stunning final moments for Trumps presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the US Capitol last Wednesday.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies. We have to be very tough and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy, said Representative Jamie Raskin, an author of both pieces of legislation, in an interview. Late on Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support impeachment, calling for Trump's immediate removal. It is clear that every moment Trump remains in office, America is at risk, said a statement from the caucus, led by Representative Raul Ruiz. It said Trump "must be held accountable for his actions. Democrats aren't the only ones who say Trump needs to go.

Loading Republican Liz Cheney encouraged House Republican colleagues late on Monday to vote your conscience, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump's actions but has not said publicly how she will vote. Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to go away as soon as possible. Pence and Trump met late on Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, and had a good conversation pledging to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. Pence has given no indication he would proceed with invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. No member of the cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment process.

As security tightened, Biden said on Monday that he was not afraid of taking the oath of office outside at the Capitol. As for the rioters, Biden said: It is critically important that therell be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage  that they be held accountable. Biden said hed had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The President-elect suggested splitting the Senate's time, perhaps go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package" for more COVID relief. As Congress resumes, an uneasiness swept government. Another lawmaker, Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat, announced on Tuesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege.

Many lawmakers may choose to vote by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has discouraged Republican lawmakers from using the proxy option. But during a call with them he loosened his strict opposition for this week's votes, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private call. Among Trump's closest allies in Congress, McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together. He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach. Democrats say they have the votes for impeachment. The impeachment bill from Representatives David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Loading Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney-General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud. The impeachment legislation also details Trump's pressure on state officials in Georgia to find him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to fight like hell and march to the building. The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalising Bidens victory over Trump in the Electoral College. While some have questioned impeaching the President so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be prevented from holding future public office.

Peter Cochrane, pictured on a trip to the US. As the artist Michael Fitzjames observed, too often in our workplace stories, we make legends of the monsters we have worked with or for, but it was the legion of genuine and ... good people  those like Cochrane  who had made the Herald the happy workplace that it was. Tributes flowed too from the arts community. Jan Batten, for many years the media manager of the Art Gallery of NSW, said Peter had always persisted to ensure that the arts had a voice in the mainstream dialogue. His integrity always shone through. Paul Byrnes, the Heralds long-time film critic, called him simply a prince, adding that he was that rarity  a journo with a kind heart, a country boy, and a lovely bloke to work for or with... Peter was born on August 19, 1955, in the Numalong Private Hospital in Gunnedah, the eldest child and only son of Colin and Shirley Cochrane. Colin raised pigs on a small parcel of land and also worked in haulage and as a skilled mechanic and carpenter  and while Peter failed to inherit those talents, he did inherit the decency and fundamentally honest nature of such a father.

A neighbour in the town subscribed to the Herald and would pass it on. Cochrane's sisters relay stories of him following along behind, head stuck in the paper, as Colin went about his jobs. As a child he attended the tiny Carroll Primary School which ran to only a couple of classes. Later he progressed to Gunnedah High where he got his first taste of practical journalism, editing the school newspaper. Post-schooling, this took him to a job on the Northern Daily Leader but the big city called and Peter moved to Sydney, working in promotions in the music industry. Sydney at first proved something of a culture shock, and he fairly quickly moved back to Tamworth where he married Kaylene, a local girl. Eventually, they decided to give the big smoke a second go and Peter went to work as a sub-editor on The Land newspaper. From there he moved to The Sydney Morning Herald, again as a sub-editor, joining the staff in October 1982. His interest in the arts grew, alongside his confidence in his own skills and his ever infectious wit and humour.

The work was always done with due care and respect but amid great laughter. He would later become arts editor, a post he held for many years from the late eighties. In that time he became a respected fixture on the Sydney arts scene and familiar figure at first nights in the theatre, the concert hall and opera theatres, and around the galleries. He was even-handed in ensuring the widest possible coverage across the arts spectrum, from rock to opera and the myriad points between. He was respectful of his critics opinions and their expertise, but was never afraid to exercise his own judgment. Above all, in the febrile world of arts journalism, where rivalries, perceived slights and other rancours could so easily fester, Cochrane remained calm, friendly and rigorously fair. He was devoted simply to giving the Herald's readers, and the Australian arts community, the best coverage he could. Herald dance critic Jill Sykes recalls Cochrane's exuberant sense of discovery as he made his way into a wide range of artforms that were new to him, and the trust he put in his writers. Virginia Lovett got to know Cochrane when she worked for the Sydney Theatre Company and later Leo Schofields Sydney Festival. She wrote this week that Cochrane's time as arts editor represents a memory of Sydney and newspapers of what seems like another time. She remembered him telling her once that he received around 800 press releases a week and, as a true newspaper man, he made you do your job better, as he expected you to know what would be new or interesting to the reader.

In later years, he moved on to become the Heralds deputy foreign editor and then, a year later, in November 2006, its foreign editor. There, too, he left his mark as a consummate professional and a wonderful colleague. In 2001, Cochrane  who had long parted from his first wife  fell in love with a colleague, Miranda Harman, then working as the Heralds night editor. Workplace romances are often deemed potential disaster zones but this one confounded any prophets of doom, blossoming into an enriching and enduring partnership for them both. Cochrane and Miranda married in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, where her parents were living, on August 31, 2002. On their return to Sydney, they set up their home in Dulwich Hill where their first child, Grace, was born. Three years later a second daughter, Matilda, joined the family. They wanted their daughters to have the sort of childhood they had both enjoyed, growing up in a less crowded environment, with cousins and family around, and they began contemplating a move back to Mirandas birthplace of Hobart. They moved south at the end of 2008.

Miranda already had a job offer from the University of Tasmania and, so for a year, Cochrane had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home father, spending time with his cherished daughters, then aged three and five. It was an opportunity he relished and a role he excelled in, becoming, says Miranda, a very popular figure among the many school mothers. The following year, he began work in the communications office for the university. His colleague there, Jason Purdie, said Cochrane made a great contribution to the universitys profile in the community, describing him as a superbly skilled editor and writer who delivered consistently outstanding, often beautiful, publications with unfailing good grace and humour. He noted  as so many friends and colleagues have done  Peter's kindness and care for others and also  another consistent theme  his convivial personality. As Purdie memorably expressed it, he was the needle in our epicurean compass, eyes lighting up at the prospect of a team dinner or morning tea. Throughout his life, Peter embraced whatever role he found himself in, bringing the same open mind and open heart to his life, his work, his friendships, and above all, to his family. Of the many roles he inhabited with such enthusiasm and commitment, none became him so well as that one.
TRX Suspension Trainers are everywhere these days, and there's a good reason for that; they facilitate some of the best workouts that can be done without the use of weights or machines.

Former Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick created the TRX system so he and his fellow SEALs could keep in shape while stationed abroad, even without the usual gym implements available. Now, the company he founded is tapping into that same spirit to help Americans recover from Coronavirus quarantines -- especially the U.S. military.

"We are putting a laser focus on 'win-at-all-costs' professions, our military and first responders," says Rob Lively, President of TRX Elite and retired Command Sergeant Major who was a leader in the United States Army Special Operations Command. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of service members were stuck at home without their equipment and they could use some help keep them ready and keep their services ready."

To that end, the company is launching TRX Elite, an arm of its commercial business, to focus on getting its suspension trainers in to the hands of individual military members. But it's not just the fallout from the pandemic that's driving TRX to focus on national defense. It's the entire lifecycle of an American veteran, from before they ever put on the uniform.

"Around 71% of young people in America cannot meet the minimum requirements to join the services," Lively says. " The top three reasons are criminality, IQ and obesity. And we want to, we want to invest in those young people so that when they get to basic training, they're not just prepared physically but they can excel."

For starters, TRX wants to help reduce the washout rates of basic trainees, but also help the military provide customized physical training to each member of the Armed Forces throughout their career. The company believes their suspension trainer offers that customization.

"At every phase of this career, you need different things," says Lively. "TRX is location agnostic and the effort can be dialed up or down as needed to be effective on every level... even for veterans who have a host of different mobility issues."

The TRX Suspension Trainer is based on a few simple principles. The first is that it can be used anywhere, from a hook in a home gym to a tree in any park in the country. The resistance comes from the user's own body weight. With a few simple straps, hundreds of exercises are possible.

Randy Hetrick developed the TRX system based on a concept he rigged during a deployment. (Randy Hetrick/Twitter)

It's come a long from the nylon webbing Hetrick first used to jerry-rig a new workout while deployed with his fellow SEALs in 1997. Hetrick integrated the best ideas for improvement from his team. After leaving the Navy, he attended business school at Stanford, where he further developed the TRX system with the help of Stanford's other disciplines.

After graduating, he raised $350,000 in capital to build the product and brand that is ubiquitous in gyms today. Developing programs and products to continue training current service members -- and helping veterans like himself and his employees -- just makes sense.

"I'm a veteran of 28 years," says the former Sgt. Maj. Rob Lively, who will head the company's government-oriented effort. "You know, I've got my fair share of wear and tear that service will bring you. I need different things, a veteran needs different things... joint mobility, movement patterns, pain reduction. You can have these things and be healthy."

The company hasn't yet developed an Elite training set specifically for military and first responders, but is working on developing one that fits the specific needs of the 'win-at-all-costs' professions.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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Largo High School (Florida) teacher Christina Reszetar allegedly sprayed disinfectant on the bodies  and into the faces  of four of her learning-disabled students because they weren't wearing their face masks in the prescribed manner in her classroom. Appearing before a judge, the 51-year-old "educator" was charged with four counts of felony child abuse with great bodily harm. She was booked into the Pinellas County jail.



Photo credit: Pinellas County Sheriff.

According to the Largo Police Department, Reszetar became aggressive because the four students refused to wear their face masks properly.

While in the courtroom, Reszetar told the judge she has been an instructor for 21 years, 18 of them at Largo High School, where she teaches Learning Disabled Math, according to WFLA-TV.

She is sadly indicative of the mindset of leftists and those who wield influence over others, such as teachers, "experts," politicians, corporate leaders, members of the media, and Big Tech oligarchs who control access to information. If the "little people," literally or figuratively speaking, don't quickly acquiesce to the desires of their elite betters, they must be made to do so. Most of us have seen numerous instances of conscientious mask objectors being verbally and even physically assaulted, whether it be in a store or restaurant or even in the great outdoors.

This is part of a growing trend of viewing human beings primarily as a source of infection...if not as an infection themselves, largely detrimental to the Earth. The left fosters, aids, and abets this notion on many levels. Babies in the womb are an infection plaguing a woman's body. Republicans and conservatives are an infection in the Republic, as are white cis-male Christians. All Trump-supporters, too. Pretty much anyone in flyover country. And, really, anyone with whom a leftist disagrees.

This is unbearably sad, and certainly contrary to biblical teaching, which states that God created man in His own image. But what would God know? Maybe He, too, is naught but an "infection."

Many leftists would agree, it seems.

Real infection, however, comes neither from God nor from the mouths of learning-challenged students, but from those who believe they are superior to both. Leftist groupthink in the unbridled quest for power  or approbation  leads to a fatally diseased republic unable to even discern the difference between right and wrong.
On 18 January, OPPO will be launching the Enco X true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation in India. The pair of true wireless earbuds have actually been announced back in October last year in China. Now, the company is finally bringing it to another country. Does that mean Malaysia will be the next country to get it as well?

The OPPO Enco X feature 11mm dynamic drivers and 6mm balanced membrane drivers. They have a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz and support LHDC, AAC, and SBC audio codecs. For active noise cancellation, the Enco X come with different modes including Max Noise Cancellation, Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Noise Cancellation Off. They also use a dual-microphone system to achieve better noise cancellation performance.

For connectivity, the pair of earbuds uses Bluetooth 5.2 with support for binaural low-latency Bluetooth transmission. They come with a 44mAh battery while the charging case carries a 535mAh battery. Oppo claims that a single charge can give up to 4 hours of music playtime in Max Noise Cancellation mode and up to 20 hours with the charging case. Without noise cancellation, the earphones are said to last 5.5 hours and another 25 hours with the case. Lastly, the Enco X support Qi wireless charging and are IP54-rated for dust and water resistance.

When the pair launched in China, they were priced at 999 Yuan (~RM627). Other than that, they also arrived in three colour options including Black, White, and Green. It is worth mentioning that 18 January is the date for the OPPO Reno5 series to arrive in several countries that are Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, India, and Malaysia as well.

Let us know what you think about the OPPO Enco X on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech gadget news.
Barn destroyed by Wednesday morning fire

Fire destroyed a barn about five miles southeast of Watertown Wednesday, according to a report from Watertown Fire Rescue.
The comments came at a meeting of the citys Human Services Committee. Police Chief Demitrous Cook noted that Evanston residents held more than 20 peaceful protests over the summer that did not require outside law enforcement help. But students from one of the greatest universities in the world, they want to come out and create havoc in our town.
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CAIRO -- Egypt officially reopened its airspace to Qatari aircraft on Tuesday, ending over three years' airspace ban on the Gulf state, official news agency MENA reported on Tuesday.

"The move allows EgyptAir, the country's flag carrier, and Qatar Airways to resume air traffic and exchange flight schedules between the Egyptian and Qatari civil authorities for approval," chairman of Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority Ashraf Noweir was quoted by MENA as saying. (Egypt-Qatar-Airspace)

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TOKYO -- Domestic violence cases in Japan marked a record high of over 130,000 in fiscal 2020, as people were more stressed and worried about life amid the COVID-19 pandemic that forced them to spend more time at home, a government survey showed on Tuesday.

The total number of cases amounted to 132,355 from April to November in 2020, four months before the end of the fiscal year on March 31, surpassing the fiscal 2019 level by 13,000. (Japan-Domestic-Violence)

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CAIRO -- Egypt's foreign ministry condemned on Tuesday the Israeli government approval for building 800 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

"It is a new violation of international legitimacy decisions," Ahmed Hafez, spokesperson of the ministry said. (Egypt-FM-Israel Settlements)

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BAGHDAD -- Seven militants of the Islamic State (IS) group were killed on Tuesday in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes on an IS hideout in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said.

The International coalition aircraft conducted two airstrikes at dawn on an IS position in a rugged area named Wadi al-Shay in the southern part of the province, the media office of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement. (Iraq-IS-Airstrikes) Enditem
Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Events take place online unless otherwise noted:

THURSDAY

EMILYs List: Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List and author of Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World, in discussion at the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here.

Cost of racism: Author and advocate Heather McGhee discusses her new book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. Hosted by Holy Names University. 4 p.m. More information is here.

Abortion rights law: Mary Ziegler, law professor at Florida State University, discusses her new book, Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present, with Mother Jones reproductive rights reporter Becca Andrews. Hosted by the Booksmith, Mother Jones and the Bindery. 6 p.m. More information is here.

Biden and nuclear weapons: How the Joe Biden administration may deal with nuclear weapons policies toward North Korea, Russia, Iran and others. With Jackie Cabasso, executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation. Hosted by the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center. 7 p.m. More information is here.

FRIDAY

MLK going forward: A four-day webinar and film festival marking the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, on the theme, Where do we go from here? Hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Full schedule is here.

SUNDAY

Virtual inaugural ball: A salute to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, hosted by the Oakland Symphony. 3 p.m. More information is here.

MONDAY

MLK Day online celebration: Virtual celebration hosted by the Museum of African Diaspora San Francisco. 11:30 a.m. More information is here.

MLK Day in Oakland: Groups organizing under the banner of Reclaim Kings Radical Legacy Day of Action mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a car caravan starting at the Port of Oakland. Noon. More information is here.

TUESDAY

Climate change: The future of climate change action and politics under the Joe Biden administration, with Michael Mann, director, Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, and Leah Stokes, assistant professor of political science at UC Santa Barbara. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here.

Obama book club: Reading and discussion of former President Barack Obamas book A Promised Land, with Brian Bond, LGBT liaison to Obama. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here.

WEDNESDAY

Inauguration watch party: A virtual watch party of President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration. Hosted by Mannys. 8:30 a.m. More information is here.

Socially responsible corporations: Can corporations put social responsibility in front of profits? Panelists include filmmakers Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan, whose works include The New Corporation; Elizabeth Davis, dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration at St. Mary's College; Kevin McGarry, St. Marys College assistant professor of accounting and director of the Elfenworks Center for Responsible Business; and Elizabeth Carney, chair of the Commonwealth Clubs Business and Leadership Forum. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here.

JAN. 21

Biometrics: Journalist Annie Jacobsen talks about her new book, First Platoon, on the governments use of biometric personal recognition technology. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here.

Rep. Eric Swalwell: East Bay Democrat on the siege of the Capitol and impeachment of President Trump. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here.

JAN. 26

Dolores Huerta and Luis Valdez: A conversation with United Farm Workers civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, and playwright, Luis Valdez, on the history, land and people of Santa Clara Valley and greater California. Hosted by the Peninsula Open Space Trust. 7 p.m. More information is here.

JAN. 28

How to Make a Slave: Jerald Walker on his new book about being a Black man in America, How to Make a Slave and Other Essays. Hosted by KPFA-FM. 7 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 3

Jennifer Siebel Newsom: Californias first partner and filmmaker discusses the documentary The Great American Lie with student filmmakers whose work looks at social justice and gender equity issues. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 4

Black womens history: Historians Daina Ramey Berry of the University of Texas and Kali Nicole Gross of Rutgers University discuss their new book, A Black Womens History of the United States. Hosted by KPFA-FM. 7 p.m. More information is here.

To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com
More than 800,000 Azerbaijani internally displaced persons (IDPs) will have a chance to return to their homes. Politicians and opiners have already started to brainstorm and design the future of Karabakh. Daily Sabah reports in its article The future of Karabakh: An Azerbaijani perspective that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has publicly stated that a new era is starting in the region, which will be full of restoration, reconstruction and development.

Indeed, the liberated areas have been greatly destroyed and looted as a result of the decadeslong occupation. Most of the infrastructure is ruined and needs to be rebuilt from scratch. The government of Azerbaijan has started road construction to Shusha, the feasibility study for railway construction and a multibillion investment proposal for the agriculture, construction and tourism sectors in the region. However, demining and the gradual return of Azerbaijani IDPs will be the priority task.

Meanwhile, some analysts and pundits claim that the physical reconstruction of the area, no matter how expensive, will be a much easier task than the peace-building initiatives between the two communities.

Aliyev envisions the future of the region as the peaceful coexistence of both communities within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The region has never been recognized as an independent area by any country nor by any international organization. All nations in the world recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Thus, a proper model and format need to be developed to integrate ethnic Armenians into Azerbaijan's statehood.

Azerbaijan is a multiethnic country. There are close to 70 ethnic and religious minorities in the country, all enjoying constitutional rights and privileges. Interethnic and interreligious harmony and dialogue have been a priority state policy in the country, and the majority of Azerbaijanis regard the ethnic diversity of the country as a national treasure. Armenians are offered to be part of this cultural diversity and live side by side with Azerbaijanis and other ethnic groups.

Armenians and Azerbaijanis have had times of war but also many years of peaceful coexistence. During Soviet times, some 200,000 Armenians lived in Baku and other cities of Azerbaijan and enjoyed high-ranking positions in the government, education and economy.

Similarly, 300,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis lived in Armenia and also felt peaceful and stable for most of the time. In Karabakh, representatives of both ethnic groups learned each others languages, attended weddings and funerals and arranged common celebrations and cultural events.

The future of the region can be optimistic and prosperous if both sides put aside their historical traumas and grievances.

Armenia is surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, and the only way to build sustainable economic development for Armenia is to live in peace with neighbors and refuse traditional territorial claims.

The Azerbaijani government is seemingly eager to invest oil revenues in the development of the region. The nations of the South Caucasus are tired of wars and want to focus on future opportunities.

Khankendi, the capital of Karabakh, is closer to Azerbaijani cities than to the Armenian capital Yerevan. Opening transport routes and corridors can make South Caucasus a transit hub for greater Eurasia.

A regional cooperation framework with the involvement of Turkey, Russia and Iran can guard the region against future wars and instabilities.

Confidence-building initiatives are important at this stage. The exchange of war prisoners is a good start. Humanitarian aid, relief activities, demining and the provision of basic postwar necessities can be also shared activities.

Mutual visits by public figures, students, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and intelligentsia can help to build trust and find common ground for cooperation. Such visits have been rare in the past due to the occupation. Yet, in the coming years, human bridges will be pivotal for building sustainable peace.

It is also important for both communities to discuss openly and directly issues that concern them. This can be done in a civil manner without guns and wars. Security concerns can become a priority in this dialogue.

Other issues might include cultural rights, religious sites, educational opportunities and shared history. Focusing on common cultural elements will narrow the gap between the former adversaries.

In the not-so-distant future, joint educational programs, site visits and NGO projects can be organized and funded by both local and foreign governments. A specific focus can be given to the regions ecology, nature and sustainability.

Educational programs for youth and children, aimed at eradicating ethnic hatred and an extreme form of nationalism, can also be helpful.

An important role in this process belongs to international organizations and foreign countries that have vested interest in this region and can help both with the reconstruction process as well as building permanent peace and trust between Azerbaijanis and Armenians.

Financing projects that are aimed at strengthening peace and mutual understanding will be vital in this context. Financing separatism and extremism will open old wounds and lay the foundation for inevitable future wars.

Aliyev has said that the Karabakh conflict is finished. The region has finally obtained a chance to build a long-awaited durable peace. Much will depend on politicians and their immediate actions in the postwar period.

Building trust and interdependence between both communities will help to prevent future wars and bloodshed. Developing a prosperous local economy will empower both communities and shift their focus from historical animosity toward an optimistic common future.


Astronomers using NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory have studied Swift J1818.0-1607, a new magnetar (a type of neutron star with an extremely powerful magnetic field) discovered by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope on board NASAs Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory on March 12, 2020, and the effect of magnetar-like outbursts on its surrounding.

Swift J1818.0-1607, which is located about 21,000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius, has a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star.

At about 470 years old, the object is both the youngest neutron star and the youngest magnetar ever discovered.

It is also one of the fastest-spinning such objects known, whirling around once every 1.36 seconds  despite containing the mass of two solar masses within a stellar remnant measuring just 25 km across.

Chandras observations of Swift J1818.0-1607 obtained less than a month after the discovery with Swift gave astronomers the first high-resolution view of this object in X-rays.

The data revealed a point source where the magnetar was located, which is surrounded by diffuse X-ray emission, likely caused by X-rays reflecting off dust located in its vicinity.

Radio observations by the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope identified Swift J1818.0-1607 as the fifth radio-loud magnetar.

This implies that it also has properties similar to that of a typical rotation-powered pulsar, a type of neutron star that gives off beams of radiation that are detected as repeating pulses of emission as it rotates and slows down.

Only five magnetars including this one have been recorded to also act like pulsars, constituting less than 0.2% of the known neutron star population.

In new research, Dr. Harsha Blumer of West Virginia University and Dr. Samar Safi-Harb from the University of Manitoba studied how efficiently Swift J1818.0-1607 is converting energy from its decreasing rate of spin into X-rays.

They concluded this efficiency is lower than that typically found for magnetars, and likely within the range found for other rotation-powered pulsars.

The explosion that created a magnetar of this age would be expected to have left behind a detectable debris field.

To search for this supernova remnant, the astronomers looked at X-rays from Chandra, the infrared data from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope, and the radio data from NSFs Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA).

Based on the Spitzer and VLA data they found possible evidence for a remnant, but at a relatively large distance away from the magnetar.

In order to cover this distance the magnetar would need to have traveled at speeds far exceeding those of the fastest known neutron stars, even assuming it is much older than expected, which would allow more travel time.

The sensitivity and resolution offered by Chandra allowed us to study the recently discovered magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607 and resolve compact faint emission surrounding it, the researchers concluded.

Our study points to Swift J1818.0-1607 being a transient source showing properties intermediate between high-B pulsars and magnetars, and to the diffuse emission being dominated by a dust scattering halo.

Future deep Chandra observations of the source in quiescence will confirm the nature of this extended emission and place further constraints on any underlying compact wind nebula powered by the rotational energy loss of the pulsar.

The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

_____

Harsha Blumer & Samar Safi-Harb. 2020. Chandra Observations of the Newly Discovered Magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607. ApJL 904, L19; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/abc6a2
Renovation

12 January 2021

Owned by Manga Hotels, the newly renovated Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport, an IHG hotel, debuts a fresh start.

Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport, owned and operated by Manga Hotels, opens its doors after completing a $20 million renovation. The transformation marks a new beginning for the hotel as staff recommits to delivering warm hospitality, memorable events and delightful dinning. The 528-room hotel is in a prime location for all travellers visiting the Toronto region and flying through the Toronto Pearson Airport. The hotel is close to Highway 401 and 427, making it an ideal venue for conferences, meetings and layover travel when the need resumes.

Manga Hotels has invested in the following renovations to the 12-story property, improving the hotel's offering with a modern design:

Design and structural enhancements to the external facade, a rebuild of the lobby with dramatic grey and gold lighting fixtures, a grab and go marketplace, modern fireplace, and a new business centre - all designed to provide a one-stop solution for busy travellers.

All 528 guest rooms and bathrooms were redesigned for functionality with a chic contemporary palette. The rooms feature warm, welcoming colors of gold, grey and whites. Half of the hotel's room inventory offer king-sized beds with walk-in showers.

The hotel has an executive floor on the upper levels of the hotel for added privacy.

Award-winning Chef Tony Fernandes' vision of The Cannery Kitchen & Social outlet in the hotel includes an updated dining, bar, and social area with seating for 200-guests. The menu will be updated to reflect a fresh and healthy take on Canadian food favourites.

The 1,000 square foot gym features modern workout equipment from Life Fitness brand, including Bluetooth speakers. The hotel's indoor pool was also renovated.

The 4,500-square feet Algonquin Ballroom and meeting spaces now feature state of the art audio-visual equipment such as digital screens, surround sound audio, web camera for virtual calls and theatrical lighting - making it ideal for weddings, conferences and trade shows. The total function meeting space is 12,000-square feet.

The inspiration for The Cannery Kitchen & Social is influenced by Canada's vibrant history and East Coast roots. The menu features local favourites combined with international flavours to represent the best of Canada. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, allowing guests to unwind and enjoy a great meal, and drinks.

IHG understands that cleanliness is top of mind for today's traveler. The company's longstanding commitment to rigorous cleaning procedures includes the IHG Way of Clean program developed with Ecolab and Diversey, both world leaders in hygiene and cleaning technologies. The program, launched in 2015, features deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants as well as new COVID-19 protocols and best practices, developed with experts from the Cleveland Clinic. As a part of the IHG family of brands, Crowne Plaza properties offer guests additional peace of mind with the IHG Clean Promise - guests can be reassured that their room will meet IHG's high standards of cleanliness. If not, the hotel will make it right.

Manga Hotels is a Toronto-based, privately held hospitality and real estate company, Manga Hotels acquires, develops and manages high quality hotels affiliated with a range of prestigious brands, including IHG. Manga Hotels currently operates 18 hotels in the Greater Toronto Area, Halifax, St. John's and Buffalo, NY as well as 12 affiliated restaurants including Starbucks and a Turtle Jack's Muskoka Grill.
Iancu Tucarman, one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors in Romania, was buried after dying from COVID-19 last week. He was 98.

Dozens gathered at Tucarmans funeral in Bucharest on Monday to pay respects and mark a horrific legacy of World War II. The funeral was held in line with anti-virus measures.

Tucarman died on January 8 after battling the coronavirus. Romania has been hit hard in the outbreak, recording more than 16,000 deaths in the country of 19 million people.

Tucarman was 18 years old in June 1941 when German and pro-Nazi Romanian troops rounded up thousands of other Jews in the northwest city of Iasi during the events that became known as the "Iasi Pogrom".

Iasi Jews were crammed into trains and driven around Romania until most of them suffocated inside or died of dehydration. About 13,000 people died.

"A survivor of unimaginable horrors during the Iasi Pogrom, a man with an incredible will to live, Iancu Tucarman could not fight this unforgiving virus," Israeli Ambassador David Saranga said after Tucarman''s death.

Saranga attended the funeral on Monday as did US Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman, who has described Tucarman as a "kind soul".

"The American flag at our embassy has been flying at half mast in honour of Iancu, a true Romanian hero," said Zuckerman, who evoked Tucarman''s love of music. "Through it all, he never lost his passion for life or music."

Upon capture in Iasi, Tucarman was first brought to the police station along with around 5,000 Jews, nearly half of whom were shot or beaten to death on the spot.

The remaining Jews were then packed into freight cars and vans. The "death trains" were sealed and moved back and forth between railway stations when 2,650 people died or lost their sanity, according to the World Holocaust Commemoration Center Yad Vashem.

"Because of the heat, most people remained naked," Iancu once recalled the ordeal. "Inside the car, some would go crazy and jump from side to side like at the circus."

"When there were only 10 or 12 of us left, the entire floor of the train car was covered with dead people," he had said, according to the Claims Conference website. "It was like a mattress they jumped on."

Tucarman later spent months at forced labour camps, including five months at Podu Iloaiei, about 15 kilometres from Iasi, now the second-largest city in Romania.

Tucarman was also known for supporting young musical talents in Romania. He is survived by his partner.
Following revelations regarding Russian plans for the upcoming Syrian presidential elections, questions are being asked as to what position the opposition will take writes North Press.

According to the Syrian opposition, Russia recently made a decision regarding the nomination of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad again for the upcoming presidential elections. Syrian opposition figures expressed their dissatisfaction with the positions of the Syrian political opposition and their inability to make any decision in this regard.

Russia has a track record of attacking countries that refused to recognize the presidential elections in Syria. Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov stated that calls by some countries not to recognize the presidential elections in Syria undermine the performance of official institutions in this country.

Despite the negative factors and restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva continues its activity, Lavrov added.

The fifth round of consultations between the Syrian parties is scheduled to be held from Jan. 25-29, 2021.

The constitutional principles will be discussed during the fifth round, and solutions acceptable to both sides will have to be searched for, according to Lavrov.

Statements have appeared in some international forums about the urgent adoption of a new constitution and the failure to recognize the upcoming presidential elections in Syria, Lavrov added.

Lavrov has previously said that these calls to invalidate election results deny Syrians the right to elect their leadership, and at the same time undermine the stability of the Syrian states institutions.

He pointed out that UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the Constitutional Committees work rules directly imposes the need to advance the political process, which is led and implemented by Syrians themselves, without external interference and without an imposing timeline.

Based on the constitution

Several media sources stated that the Syrian regime is basing the upcoming presidential elections on the 2012 constitution, which is rejected by the Syrian opposition. The 2012 constitution specifies several conditions that must be met by those who wish to run for the presidency of the Syrian Republic.

Among those terms, the President must be Muslim and are forbidden from having dual nationality.

The term of the President of the Republic is seven years, and they can only run for two terms. The sources pointed out that Assad was exempt from this condition, as he was allowed to run for a third term.

Recently, Syrian opposition figure Kamal al-Labwani leaked the existence of a Russian plan approved by the Syrian President, which includes the defection of a section of the Syrian opposition to the regime and their subsequent participation in the elections, with Assad winning.

Syrian opposition compromise

Syrian opposition figure Omar Hashemi said that Russias support, or lack thereof, for Assad in the elections has nothing to do with their attitude towards the opposition, as Russia does not care about the opposition.

The Syrian opposition has given up all the cards it has and can no longer impose any conditions, he added to North Press.

Even if all opposition groups condemned and denounced Assads candidacy, it would be in vain  even in the Constitutional Committee, it would not get a quarter of the seats, according to Hashemi.

Researcher and member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights Abdulaziz Abu Syria said that the Assad regime has begun to prepare for the upcoming presidential elections and Russias role will be external, with all diplomatic efforts being made to try and legitimize these elections and gain international support for them.

This comes in light of the great division and weakness of the Syrian opposition, as it will only issue some media statements and press statements refusing to agree with the elections, Abu Syria added.

He told North Press that everything is tied to regional and international states, so the impact of the Syrian oppositions position will be limited.

Russia clarifying its position

According to a human rights and humanitarian activist (who preferred not to be named), Russias support for the Assad regime is not new, and when they defended the regime, their goal was to achieve gains at the expense of the Syrian people.

The oppositions position is unimportant, as it is flustered and has agendas to implement, and does not care about the Syrian people at all, he added. As humanitarian organizations, this is very disturbing to us, but we know that international accounts differ from time to time, he told North Press.

An opposition military source (who preferred not to be named) stressed that the true opposition does not agree with Assads presence in the future of Syria, except in the basements of the judiciary.

Syrian media activist Ahmed Abu Muhammad said that, Assads nomination means torpedoing all international agreements, and with this, Russia this will drag the country into further economic decline.

The economic deterioration may push the regime-held areas to their breaking point due to the poor living conditions, especially after the three-month deadline granted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to Assad has expired, he added.

After the deadline expires, the organization has the right to make Security Council decisions under Chapter Seven without a vote, which means that Russia cannot use its veto.

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.


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Two men are in the grip of the police in the Northern Region for allegedly trafficking 12 persons between the ages of nine and 20 years from Zabzugu to Kumasi en route to some remote villages in the Western North Region to work on cocoa farms.



The suspects, Kwaku Manu, 45, and Nkabeye Joshua, 24, all natives of Zabzugu were arrested following vigilance on the part of some good Samaritans who saw the victims alighting from a bus together with the suspects at a stopover in Tamale to take dinner before continuing on their journey to Kumasi.



Victims



The victims who were rescued by the police were identified to be Vida Nimaya Tuwik,10; Maklanga Malan,12; Belinda Malan,14 and Happy Damoah, 14; Bekina Ninkple,16 and Abena Yaw, 15, all females.



The rest are Mbaba Nido, 16 and Yajome Koawan, 20, both male.



The youngest of the victims were Comfort Tiba,10 and nine-year-old Victoria Dokunora.



Briefing



The Northern Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent (Supt) of Police, Mr Bernard Baba Ananga who briefed the media on the arrest in Tamale yesterday said, at about 7.30 p.m. last Sunday, January 10, the Regional Police Command acting upon intelligence arrested the suspects Kwaku Manu and Nkabeye Joshua, all natives of Zabzugu for the act of trafficking the 12 victims.



He said the arrest followed the critical observation of the movements of the suspects and their victims by some good Samaritans who saw them at a stopover location in Tamale where they were taking their dinner prior to continuation of their journey to Kumasi.





Supt, Mr Ananga said a police officer who was also monitoring their movement, confronted the suspects over the victims and later called for police reinforcement.



The crime officer said a team of investigators from the regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) proceeded to the location and arrested the two suspects.



Investigation



He said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects recruited the vitims comprising 11 children and an adult at Zabzugu, from where they boarded a passenger bus with registration number AS 2430-15 heading for Kumasi en route to the Western North Region to work on cocoa farms.



He said efforts were underway to trace the relatives of the victims at Zabzugu and for them to also assist with investigations while the two suspects would be arraigned before court.









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Periodontist, Dr. Andres Sanchez, Improves Oral Health in Minneapolis, MN Understanding that most people do not enjoy visiting the doctor or dentist, Dr. Sanchez and the team at PerioWest strive to make each patient feel as comfortable as possible so they will seek the oral health care they need.

Dr. Andres Sanchez of PerioWest raises awareness of the systemic effects of oral health in his community. An industry leading periodontist in the Twin Cities, Dr. Sanchez offers a variety of oral health care treatments, including advanced gum disease care, dental implants, and oral pathology treatment. To help improve the oral health of his Minneapolis, MN community, and consequently, the overall health, Dr. Sanchez is offering oral health treatments for new patients with or without a referral.

The ADA recently released a study that showed that a majority of dentists are seeing a rise in oral health conditions due to pandemic-related stress. These conditions include chipped or cracked teeth and periodontal disease, or gum disease. Other research suggests that gum disease has a systemic impact on the body, and it has been linked with whole-body issues such as heart disease, respiratory disease, Alzheimers disease, and diabetes. With health as a top concern these days, Dr. Sanchez encourages those in Minneapolis, MN to seek necessary oral health care in order to maintain a strong immunity and proper overall health.

PerioWests mission is to treat every patient as if they are the only patient. Understanding that most people do not enjoy visiting the doctor or dentist, Dr. Sanchez and the team at PerioWest strive to make each patient feel as comfortable as possible so they will seek the oral health care they need. To aid in comfort, Dr. Sanchez offers a variety of minimally invasive treatments so patients can rid their mouths of gum disease with little to no pain in just one appointment.

For mild cases of gum disease, Dr. Sanchez offers non-invasive scaling and root planning, in which he can remove gum disease with specialized tools and not need to use scalpels or sutures. Dr. Sanchez is also certified in LANAP laser gum disease treatment, which allows Dr. Sanchez to both eradicate unhealthy gum tissue and regenerate healthy tissue using a precision laser. For more severe cases of gum disease, Dr. Sanchez is trained in periodontal microsurgery, a technique that uses a surgical microscope to remove gum disease. With this treatment, Dr. Sanchez can use significantly smaller instruments during the procedure, resulting in less trauma inflicted on the oral tissues.

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The practice stays up to date with pandemic protocol recommended by the ADA, CDC, and OSHA. Ultimately, Dr. Sanchez provides safe, comfortable oral health care for Minneapolis, MN and the entire Twin Cities area.

Those interested in improving their oral health in Minneapolis, MN with the help of a highly experienced periodontist can connect with Dr. Sanchez for a consultation. To schedule an appointment at PerioWest, located in Eden Prairie, MN, visit http://www.periowestmn.com or call 952-567-7457.

About the Periodontist

PerioWest is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients in Eden Prairie, MN and the Twin Cities areas. Dr. Andres R. Sanchez received his Certificate & Masters Degree in Periodontics from the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is a board-certified periodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. In addition, Dr. Sanchez has been involved as a primary author in more than ten scientific papers published in major periodontal and implant dentistry journals. His associate, Dr. Eleni Voltidi is a prosthodontist who completed her Fellowship in Dental Oncology and Maxillofacial Prosthetics from the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. PerioWest provides state-of-the-art dental implant treatment, LANAP laser therapy, and advanced periodontal care to Eden Prairie, MN and the Twin Cities areas. To learn more about Dr. Sanchez and the services provided at PerioWest, please visit the practice website at http://www.periowestmn.com or call 952-567-7457.
[January 12, 2021] Milsoft Expands Its Relationship with SugarCRM to Deliver on Customer Experience for Utilities

SugarCRM (News - Alert) Inc., the innovator of time-aware CX, today announced that Milsoft Utility Solutions, a utility software solution provider to more than 1,100 utilities, consultants, universities, and research labs, is expanding its relationship with Sugar to leverage a unified CRM and Service platform to better serve customer needs. Based in Abilene, Texas with facilities in Florida and Missouri, Milsoft develops, sells and supports an industry-leading Engineering and Operations (E&O) System for electric utility planning, analysis, operations and management, as well as popular software for Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR), Customer Information and Workforce Management systems for the broader municipal and service markets. The Milsoft E&O System enables electric utilities to achieve optimum economy, efficiency, productivity, reliability, safety and customer service and features a suite of seamlessly integrated software solutions with central operations data and workflow management. "As utilities adapt to ever changing environmental and market conditions, Milsoft also is constantly calibrating its customer experience and capabilities to meet our ustomers' needs" said Adam Turner, CEO of Business Operations, Milsoft. "With our continued growth, Milsoft is committed to maintaining the highest level of customer-centric services for utilities and our long-time partner SugarCRM helps us deliver on that promise."



Milsoft customers have complex planning and strategy needs. Milsoft benefits from Sugar's unified solutions that bring its sales and customer success teams together while enabling everyone to stay aligned on projects and deliverables that contribute to delivering the ultimate customer experience. "Milsoft's relentless pursuit in delivering for their customers is what exceptional customer experiences are all about," said Jason Rushforth, SVP and General Manager, Americas for SugarCRM. "Sugar is thrilled to power the CRM and service solutions that help Milsoft foster relationships with their new and existing customers."

More information on Sugar Sell, Sugar Market and Sugar Serve is available here >>>. About SugarCRM SugarCRM's time-aware sales, marketing and service software helps companies deliver a high-definition (HD-CX) customer experience. For mid-market companies and anyone that wants a CX-driven platform, Sugar gives teams the time-aware customer data they need to achieve a clear view of the customer and reach new levels of business performance, predictability, and increase customer lifetime value. More than 4,500 customers in over 120 countries rely on SugarCRM. Based in Silicon Valley, SugarCRM is backed by Accel-KKR. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005018/en/

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Hyundai's stock recorded its best day in at least two decades after the South Korean automaker was reported to be in early talks with Apple to develop self-driving electric cars.

While nothing has been finalized, several media outlets reported Friday that Hyundai has confirmed that it is talking to Apple. The news was initially reported by Korea Economic Daily TV, though Reuters, Bloomberg and others have since reported that Hyundai says it is in some kind of discussion with Apple about a car tie-up.

CNN Business has been unable to confirm the nature of the discussions. Hyundai said in a statement only that "we are receiving proposals for cooperation from various companies, but no decision has been made yet."

Apple declined to comment.

Shares in the automaker, though, are surging as investors consider the possibility that Hyundai could be a partner on Apple's long-rumored car project. The stock finished up more than 19% in Seoul, its best day in at least 20 years, according to data provider Refinitiv.

Both companies have reason to consider a partnership. Talk of Apple's interest in electric, self-driving cars has existed for years, though it has been heating up recently. A Reuters report last month, citing unnamed sources, said that Apple plans to produce a passenger vehicle by 2024. A Bloomberg report this week, also citing unnamed sources, said that Apple has begun early development work on an electric vehicle, but any resulting product would be at least five years away.

Hyundai, meanwhile, has pledged top dollar to join the race to build such vehicles. The company said last October that it plans to invest 41 trillion won ($37 billion) into "future mobility technology" by 2025  a commitment that puts it on par with major players like Volkswagen.

In December, Hyundai unveiled engineering for a series of new electric cars. Called E-GMP, this basic vehicle structure will provide for over 300 miles of driving range, according to Hyundai, and can be charged to 80% of its full power in 18 minutes. It can be used as the basis of sedans and SUVs, the company has said.

"We believe Apple is in the early stages of talks and looking at a handful of strategic partnerships and collaborations globally with existing auto makers on the [electric vehicle] front, with Hyundai on the radar," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a research note published shortly after reports about the Hyundai discussions first broke.

He added that self-driving cars are probably fairly far off for Apple given safety and regulatory issues. But he said that electric cars are "what could ultimately be a trillion dollar opportunity globally over the next decade."

"It's a smart strategic move for Apple to dive into the deep end of the pool on this new age of [electric] vehicles," Ives said.

 Peter Valdes-Dapena and Yoonjung Seo contributed reporting.
Defence Minister on Tuesday informed that he will go to to inquire about the health of his deputy Shripad Naik, who suffered injuries in an accident.

"I will go to today to inquire about the health of Minister of State for Defense Shri Shripad Naik and his ongoing treatment. May God give strength and strength to his family in this hour of crisis and sorrow," Singh tweeted.

The accident took place near a village in Ankola Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka on Monday. Naik along with his wife and personal assistant were on their way to Gokarna from Yellapur. His wife Vijaya Naik and the personal assistant died in the accident.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that Naik is out of danger and in a stable condition.

"All the health parameters of Union Minister Shri Shripad Bhau Naik are stable and he is undergoing treatment at ICU of Goa Medical College," Sawant tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier spoken to Sawant to ensure proper arrangements for the treatment of Naik.

(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.)
We're proud to acknowledge Net at Work on this accomplishment, a remarkable achievement in this environment Tweet this

As the top consultant and partner for the full suite of Sage ERP, CRM, HCM and extended portfolio of applications, Net at Work's consultants across North America work with clients in identifying their pain points and business objectives, which determine the appropriate solutions they recommend and implement, with the goal of achieving measurable business outcomes. Clients rely on Net at Work to provide the vision, leadership and support of a Virtual CIO, enabling them to focus on their core competencies and unleash the power of their business.

"Year in and year out, Net at Work consistently demonstrates why they are a leader in our industry, providing their clients with smart, creative solutions to meet their toughest challenges  and none in recent memory were tougher than the pandemic," Nancy Teixeira, VP of Partner Strategy and Sales for Sage. "We're proud to acknowledge Net at Work on this accomplishment, a remarkable achievement in this environment and one that speaks volumes of their commitment to their clients' success and their ability to drive successful implementations and ongoing support of our joint customers."

About Net at Work

With experience across virtually every business discipline, the Net at Work team supports over 6,000 organizations in making software, systems and people work together in achieving their core organizational objectives. Their comprehensive range of services and solutions include ERP, CRM, Employer Solutions, eCommerce, Payments, to Cloud and IT Managed Services. From the company's founding in 1996, Net at Work has garnered wide industry recognition as problem-solvers and promise-keepers, which are the foundational principles on which all their client relationships are based, and that their clients say they value the most. For more information, visit www.netatwork.com .

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By Lee Gyu-lee







JTBC's upcoming thriller series "Beyond Evil," starring actors Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo Jin-goo, has unveiled its teaser posters.







The posters, released by the network Tuesday, show close-up shots of each actor with the phrase "Am I the monster or are you?" over Shin's face and "Are we monsters?" on Yeo's face.







Written by Kim Soo-jin, who wrote the thriller series "Mad Dog," the series will revolve around two detectives trying to discover the truth behind an unsolved serial murder case in a small town. It is directed by Shim Na-yeon whose work includes the teen series "At Eighteen."







Shin will play rowdy sergeant Lee Dong-sik who was repositioned at a countryside police precinct in a place called Manyang. While working there, he encounters a murder case from 20 years ago that changed his life.







Yeo will play elite detective Han Joo-won. He gets transferred to the precinct and teams up with Dong-sik to hunt down the truth among the small-town neighbors.







"The synergy of the two skilled actors will show viewers the essence of a psychological thriller series," the network said.







"Beyond Evil" is set to air in February.


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LONDON  The European Medicines Agency said Tuesday that AstraZeneca and Oxford University have submitted an application for their COVID-19 vaccine to be licensed across the European Union.

The EU regulator said it received a request for the vaccine to be greenlighted under an expedited process and that it could be approved by Jan. 29 provided that the data submitted on the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine are sufficiently robust and complete.

The EMA, the drugs agency for the 27-nation EU, has already approved two other coronavirus vaccines, one made by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech and another made by U.S. biotechnology company Moderna. Switzerland approved the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday and plans to immunize about 4% of its population using that and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Britain gave its approval to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine last month and has been using it. India approved it this month.

As part of its strategy to obtain as many different COVID-19 vaccines as possible for Europeans, the EU said it had concluded early talks with French biotech company Valneva to secure up to 60 million doses of vaccine.

Valneva previously signed a deal with Britain to provide tens of millions of doses of its shot, which is developed using similar technology to that used to make flu vaccines. The EU has sealed six vaccine contracts for up to 2 billion doses, many more than are necessary to cover its population of approximately 450 million.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be a key vaccine for many countries because of its low cost, availability and ease of use. It can be kept in refrigerators rather than the ultra-cold storage that the Pfizer vaccine requires. The company has said it will sell it for $2.50 a dose and plans to make up to 3 billion doses by the end of 2021.

Researchers claim the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given a half dose because of a manufacturing error. However, the second group included only 2,741 people  too few to be conclusive.

Questions also remain about how well the vaccine protects older people. Only 12% of study participants were over 55 and they were enrolled later, so there hasnt been enough time to see whether they develop infections at a lower rate than those not given the vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it wont consider approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine until data are available from late state research testing the shot in about 30,000 people.

The World Health Organization is also examining a request from AstraZeneca and Oxford for an emergency use listing for its vaccine.

The U.N. health agency does not license or regulate vaccines itself, but typically evaluates vaccines once they have been approved by an agency such as the U.K. regulator or the European Medicines Agency. WHO experts conduct their own evaluation of whether or not the risks of a vaccine outweigh its benefits and then make a recommendation for the shots to be pre-qualified so they can be bought by donors for developing countries.

___

Lorne Cook in Brussels, and Jamey Keaten in Geneva, contributed to this report.

___

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In a report hotly disputed by Mark Levin, the most prominent figure mentioned, Paul Farhi of the Washington Post reports that Cumulus Media, a major syndicator of talk radio programs by conservative icons including Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, and Dan Bongino, "has decided on an abrupt change of direction," as the paper described it.

Cumulus Media, which employs some of the most popular right-leaning talk-radio hosts in the United States, has told its on-air personalities to stop suggesting that the election was stolen from President Trump  or else face termination.

Cumulus Media is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States and a major provider of nationally syndicated conservative talk show content (including Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, Dan Bongino, and  until earlier this month  Michael Savage). Last Wednesday, according to the WaPo, Cumulus sent a memo to its on-air hosts ordering them to cease any on-air discussions of fraud in the 2020 elections or else face immediate "termination." Inside Music Media, which is behind a paywall, broke this story in an article titled "The Day Talk Radio Died" yesterday morning. It was quickly picked up by major mainstream media including the New York Times and the Washington Post.

The Post story summarized the content of the Inside Music Media article:

After months of stoking anger about alleged election fraud, one of America's largest talk-radio companies has decided on an abrupt change of direction. Cumulus Media, which employs some of the most popular right-leaning talk-radio hosts in the United States, has told its on-air personalities to stop suggesting that the election was stolen from President Trump  or else face termination. ... "We need to help induce national calm NOW," Brian Philips, executive vice president of content for Cumulus, wrote in [the] internal memo. ... Cumulus and its program syndication arm, Westwood One, "will not tolerate any suggestion that the election has not ended. The election has been resolved and there are no alternate acceptable 'paths.' "

Mark Levin, however, disputes the account of the Bezos-owned outlet, which was picked up by many other media outlets.



Photo credit: Facebook icon.

Tim Graham of Newsbusters reports:

Farhi put Mark Levin at the center of his story about "orders," but Levin told NewsBusters "I never received that memo, and my crew never received that memo. This story is done by a reporter who has never spoken to me  ever." He said if he received that memo, "I would make sure the entire nation would hear about it." He added "I would like a correction and an apology from the Post, but I won't hold my breath." Farhi would not comment to NewsBusters on Levin's accusation that there was no attempt at contact. Isn't it fascinating when reporters say "no comment"? (snip) Levin also told NewsBusters the Post was "unprofessional" in another story last Thursday suggesting he somehow played some role in a protester dying of a heart attack at the Capitol: "Greeson appeared to have an account on the right-wing social media site Parler filled with recent obscene and violent posts, fueled by misinformation spread by right-wing radio host Mark Levin, the Proud Boys and others." Levin also complained the "reprobates" at Mediaite used the Post story against him. The site's Ken Meyer energetically slimed Levin and Dan Bongino as inciters of an "insurrectionist mob."

The Post article and other media noted how Mark Levin has been especially outspoken in decrying widely reported fraud in the Nov. 3 elections. His widely syndicated programs this week will indicate if he is honoring the memo's directives.

The mainstream talk radio medium represented the original increasingly influential alternative to liberal left dominance of broadcast and print media. Conservative talk actually dates from the 1950s, but it was turbocharged in 1988, when Rush Limbaugh's three-hour daily show went into national syndication, becoming the most popular program in the history of talk radio.

Much of the credit for the unexpected victory of Donald Trump in 2016 has been given to conservative talk radio and hosts like Limbaugh (who is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks), Levin, Savage, and others who got behind Trump's candidacy in time for the fall 2016 general election campaign.

This report of the muzzling of conservative media comes as social media  including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram  have taken steps in recent days not only to deplatform President Trump, but to censor and suppress an unknown number of conservatives and Trump-supporters. Not to mention the combined efforts of Big Tech and Amazon to completely destroy Parler, the upstart free speech alternative to Twitter.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. He also appears in the media, including recently as a contributor to OANN, BBC World News, and Fox News. Peter's website is http://peter.media. His YouTube channel is here. For updates on his work, follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka.
Egypt has started issuing EGP 1 million in coins per day - EGP 30 million per month - across the country to meet public demand and combat change shortages, the finance ministry announced on Tuesday.

The ministry said in a statement that the new dispersal of coins meets the needs of governmental bodies, the private sector, commercial chains and stores, in addition to making it easier for citizens in regards to their daily buying and selling operations.

Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait gave directives to sustain the provision of coins in order to avoid any kind of change shortages, especially during feast days, holidays, and rush hours.

The Head of Public Treasury Authority (PTA) Hosam Khedr said that new dispersal centre will be established in the PTA building in the Darrasa district in Cairo to provide change and coins for citizens.

Coins are available in categories of EGP 1, 25 and 50 piastres.

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Manitoba's pandemic response is heading in the right direction, but the province would be in a better spot now if thousands of people hadn't participated in holiday gatherings, the chief provincial public health officer said Monday.

Manitoba's pandemic response is heading in the right direction, but the province would be in a better spot now if thousands of people hadn't participated in holiday gatherings, the chief provincial public health officer said Monday.

Dr. Brent Roussin announced 133 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths as the first vaccines went out to personal care homes in the province.

"Today's numbers are encouraging. We definitely want to see this trajectory continue," Roussin said.

But he also reported 538 cases that spread during gatherings on or after Christmas and said he's concerned; at least 2,879 Manitobans have been identified as close contacts of those people. Roussin previously said the province's modelling shows roughly 14 per cent of close contacts end up testing positive.

The holiday gatherings that public health officials know spread the virus ranged from small household get-togethers to a party attended by more than 20 people, he said.

Manitoba's test-positivity rates are down slightly  10 per cent provincewide and about eight per cent in Winnipeg.

Of the new cases announced Monday, 47 were in the Winnipeg health region, 34 in the Northern health region, 28 in Prairie Mountain, 13 in Southern Health and 11 in Interlake-Eastern.

The virus has claimed the lives of 741 Manitobans, most recently a man in his 60s from the Northern health region, a man in his 80s from the Prairie Mountain region linked to the outbreak at McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre and a woman in her 80s from the Winnipeg region linked to an outbreak at Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home.

Hospitalization rates are stabilizing, too, but Roussin warned the health system isn't out of the woods yet. As of Monday morning, there were 162 people in hospital with active COVID-19, as well as 154 hospitalized COVID-19 patients who are no longer infectious, a total of 316 hospitalizations. There were 37 patients in intensive care: 21 people with active COVID-19 as well as 16 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, the province said Monday.

Personal-care home residents began to receive their first doses of COVID-19 vaccines Monday as part of the province's rollout plan. Roussin urged all Manitobans to get vaccinated as soon as they're eligible.
Chandigarh: Punjab Government has constituted a 'Punjab High Powered Investment Committee' (HPIC) to encourage NRIs for investing in the state. The decision to form the committee was taken during a meeting presided over by NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi.

Disclosing this here today, Rana Sodhi said that it was decided after the Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh has suggested to constitute a committee to persuade NRIs for investing in the industrial and other sectors in the state and to facilitate investment process for them.

Rana SodhiNRI Affairs Minister Rana Sodhi said that prominent NRIs residing in different countries were demanding that the state government should set up a state level forum or committee for investment in the state, which could act as a link between the both government and NRIs. He said that this committee would work as a joint committee between the NRI Affairs Department and the Invest Punjab.

Rana Sodhi said that the Additional Chief Secretary, NRI Affairs Kirpa Shankar Saroj would be the Chairman of the Committee, while CEO Invest Punjab Rajat Agarwal will be the Vice Chairman and Special Secretary, NRI Affairs D.P.S. Kharbanda would be the Member Secretary of the HPIC.

Rana Gurmit Singh SodhiThe members of the committee included; Additional CEO Invest Punjab, Joint Director (IT) Invest Punjab Deepinder Singh Dhillon, Honorary Coordinator (UK) Manjit Singh Nijhar, Honorary Coordinator (Australia) Karan Randhawa, Honorary Coordinator (USA) Meena Dhesi Sangera and Harneek Singh (UAE). Similarly, the coordinators of other countries would be the ex-officio members of HPIC.

The Minister said that these honorary coordinators would motivate more and more NRIs/companies from their respective countries to invest in the state of Punjab and to coordinate with the Invest Punjab team and various departments to continuously work for encouraging investment.

GovCon political action committees join others in pausing contributions

In the wake of the Capitol Hill riot many companies have paused activities by their political action committees and some prominent members of the GovCon community are included in that group.

Northrop Grumman reportedly said just a day or so after the riot that it would put its PAC contributions to both parties on hold. A Raytheon Technologies spokesman said they have paused all activity as well to "reflect on the current environment and determine appropriate next steps." Northrop issued us a similar statement. "We are pausing political action committee giving and evaluating the way forward," a spokesman said.

Today (Jan. 12), Leidos Chairman and CEO Roger Krone announced that his companys PAC will temporarily pause all political donations.

Its time to unite as one nation, promoting decency, understanding and a commitment to the common good, Krone said in a statement.

Leidos also was quick out of the gate to condemn the action of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building, forcing senators, congressmen and staffers into hiding until police could regain control of the building.

Krone cited the Capitol Hill riot in his announcement of the PAC pause.

Democracy thrives on passionate debate and different opinions but dies in anarchy and violence, Krone said. The actions of this small minority do not represent the majority of Americans across the political spectrum who strive for the good but who may differ on how that good is accomplished.

The Leidos PAC contributed $634,000 to federal candidates during the 2019-2020 election cycle, according to data at OpenSecrets.org. Democrats received $318,000 in Leidos PAC contributions and Republicans received $316,000. Contributions went to 122 House candidates and 34 Senate candidates.

OpenSecrets' data doesnt breakdown whether the Leidos PAC contributed to either the Biden or Trump campaign.

The Northrop Grumman PAC had $1.967 million in political contributions during the 2019-2020 cycle with Democrats receiving just over $1 million and Republicans receiving $943,500. Contributions from the Northrop PAC also went to 277 House candidates and 46 Senate candidates.

Raytheon Technologies PAC made $1.7 million in contributions with $812,500 going to Democrats and $900,500 going to Republicans. That PAC gave to 225 House candidates and 67 Senate candidates, according to OpenSecrets data.
WASHINGTON - Democratic lawmakers are asking the country's top telecom carriers to share more information about Americans who are falling behind on their Internet bills, setting the stage for Congress to consider billions of dollars in new broadband stimulus aid as part of the next coronavirus relief package.

With the pandemic still forcing families out of their offices and schools - and into online workspaces and classrooms - Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, Jerry McNerney of California and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania said that AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and other carriers need to be more forthcoming about their customers' financial situations and the steps they are taking to ensure people do not lose access to the Web.

The lawmakers' interest stems from scattered local reports over the past few months that their constituents have been disconnected - along with growing fears that Internet providers may seek to raise prices or put new caps on home Web usage. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission worked out a voluntary arrangement with the country's telecom giants to help people stay online amid the pandemic even if they cannot pay their bills on time. But that agreement expired over the summer, and Democrats say it remains unclear how well, if it all, it actually worked in practice since the Trump administration did not collect any data on its implementation.

Congressional lawmakers since then have approved $7 billion in new federal broadband aid, much of which it has set aside as part of an emergency rebate program that will provide discounts to low-income Americans. But the program may not be ready until February at the earliest, leading Democrats to demand answers now from broadband providers so that they can gauge if they need to act quickly to deliver another round of relief.

"We hear reports from the district that people are losing their Internet service, kids are lacking education as a result, businesses are suffering," McNerney said in an interview. "The companies made a pledge. We know it expired, but we don't see [if] that pledge has been honored - we don't know."

"There are people already susceptible to being cut off, or have been cut off, who are hurting," he added.

The Democratic lawmakers' new inquiry could set the stage for significant new Washington work toward expanding high-speed Internet access, perhaps making it more affordable, and closing the country's pernicious technological gap, known as the digital divide. The inequality historically poses its greatest harm to Americans in rural areas and people of color in cities nationwide. More than 8 million households, containing nearly 17 million children, may lack access to modern-day Web connectivity, according to an analysis commissioned by the Alliance for Excellent Education, the National Urban League and other advocacy groups issued in August.

Democrats long have sought to boost federal investments in broadband, but their efforts have grown only more urgent since the pandemic shuttered much of the U.S. economy. With the party soon to control the levers of power in Washington - the House and Senate, as well as the White House - lawmakers soon may have the ability to bring their ambitious digital agenda into fruition. President-elect Joe Biden similarly has called for billions of dollars in new broadband aid, adding to the potential for reform.

For now, Pallone, the leader of the tech-focused House Energy Committee, joined McNerney and Doyle, two of the panel's key members, in firing off a battery of questions to Internet providers this week. They asked nine broadband companies, including Altice, Charter, Cox and T-Mobile, to detail their participation in the government's earlier, voluntary shutoff moratorium, called the "Keep Americans Connected" pledge. They also asked if those companies have raised prices since the pandemic began, changed service to introduce new caps on data or offered special help to Americans in financial distress.

Publicly, roughly 800 companies including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon say they adhered to the FCC's pledge. The agreement called on providers to refrain from shutting off business or residential customers who could not pay, for example, and suspended potential late fees. The pledge took effect mid-March and concluded at the end of June, though some companies say they have preserved the availability of low-income internet access programs to help people in need.

"We have been at the forefront of keeping our customers and communities connected, working to close the homework gap and bridge the digital divide by making broadband more accessible and affordable," AT&T spokesman Michael Balmoris said in a statement, adding they are reviewing lawmakers' letter.

But Democrats say it's been difficult to assess how well these companies have been able to help their customers who are falling behind. In a letter to the carriers Monday, the three lawmakers took special interest in Comcast, citing public reporting that it would start charging the heaviest internet users in the northeast more. Comcast has said most users would not be affected by the new policies, but the move still has sparked widespread criticism, including on Capitol Hill.

"This is an egregious action at a time when households and small businesses across the country need high-speed, reliable broadband more than ever but are struggling to make ends meet," Pallone, McNerney and Doyle wrote in their letters.

Comcast, for its part, said it still offers 60 days of free service to low-income Americans as part of its Internet Essentials program. It also raised its speeds for those customers and negotiated agreements with school districts and other institutions so that they can pay for students' broadband connections. Sena Fitzmaurice, a spokeswoman for Comcast, added that the telecom giant began imposing data caps in other parts of the country prior to the pandemic -- and the policy only recently has been extended to the northeast.

The FCC declined comment.

In collecting the information, Pallone said lawmakers could seek to authorize additional stimulus aid, including a potential "prohibition on disconnection." Democrats included the shutoff ban as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus aid package they adopted in the House last year, though the idea ultimately was abandoned as part of the year-end deal signed by President Donald Trump in late December. McNerney, meanwhile, said Democrats also could specifically seek to boost funding for a federal program that helps schools get students online, known as E-Rate, to help children stuck at home during the pandemic.

Israeli Ambassador concerned by the Anti-Semitic sermon of several Georgian priests

By Veronika Malinboym

His Excellency Ran Gidor, acting ambassador of Israel to Georgia has recently taken to Facebook to express his concerns about the anti-Semitic rhetoric that was spotted in the Christmas sermons of several Georgian priests. He began by saying that in his New Year congratulations to the country, he expressed his sincerest hope that the friendship between Georgia and Israel communities will be strong as ever in 2021, and there will be no place for anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry in the Georgian. Unfortunately, I was wrong  wrote the Ambassador.He went on to say that on January the 4, a Deacon of the Kutaisi Trinity Cathedral, Ilia Karkadze, voiced the anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that were reminiscent of some of the worst blood-libels and anti-Jewish hate propaganda of 1930s Europe. According to the Israeli Ambassador, this was not the only occurrence, as two weeks prior to the incident with the Deacon Ilia Karkadze, Metropolitan of the Kutaisi-Gaenati Diocese and the member of the Holy Synod, Ioane Gamrekeli had delivered his own highly controversial and problematic sermon, parts of which could have been interpreted as anti-Semitic.The Ambassador said that after spending several years in Georgia, he is confident that the majority of people here do not share such alarming views, and, to the contrary, have peacefully coexisted with the Jewish community for more than 2 millennia, and the Jewish community was subjected to a much lesser and a rarer anti-Semitism, than the communities elsewhere in the world.His Excellency Ran Gidor has also reminded that in reciprocity to the kindness of Georgian people, Israel has invested in the Georgian economy by training more than 1,500 Georgian citizens in Israeli medicine, education, agriculture, and high-tech, as well as organized numerous humanitarian projects and assisted in Georgian fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. On top of that, Georgia has been one of the primary destinations for Israeli tourists, as a record, 200 000 of them visited Georgia in 2019 making it the biggest group of any country which is not an immediate neighbour to Georgia.With the upcoming International Day of Commemoration of the Holocaust on January 27th, and as a son of a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor, the Ambassador has called upon the Georgian government and Patriarch Ilia II to publicly condemn the hateful sermons and anti-Semitic speeches. The Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs David Zalkaliani responded on his Tweeter page by saying that not even the slightest expression of anti-Semitism may find its place in the hearts and minds of Georgians.
How Pakistan uses Sri Lankan vessels to smuggle drugs, arms through Indian waters

Who is Muchhad Paanwala arrested by NCB in a drug case

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Mumbai's millionaire paan seller, Muchhad Paanwala in connection with a drug case.

His name had cropped up after the NCB busted a marijuana smuggling racket. The agency had arrested a British national and two women from Bandra in connection with the supply ring case.

The Muchhad Paan shop at Kemps Corner is run by brothers Ram Kumar Tiwari and Jaishankar Tiwari.

Narcotics to transfers aided Bineesh Kodiyeri built his empire

The NCB has arrested only Ram Kumar for drug peddling, while letting off Jaishankar after questioning.

Both the brothers are millionaire paan vendors from South Mumbai. They had been called by the agency for questioning after the marijuana supply racket was busted on Saturday. The NCB said that a scheduled NDPS substance had been found at Muchhad Paanwala's shop.

People queue up in large numbers at the paan shop to buy paan. The brothers have employed several people just to roll paan at the shop. The shop has been running in Mumbai since the 1970s and has become very famous.

The brothers cater to Bollywood stars, businessmen and industrialists residing in the upscale Kemps Corner locality of South Mumbai. Tiwari is said to have to come to Mumbai in 1977 and started helping his father in the business.

SC asks govt to form COMMITTEE on farm laws, wants crisis SOLVED | Oneindia News

The shop is very famous and even tourists visit the shop. The shop receives orders online also. Tiwari drives a Mercedes and the paan from his shop is also catered for major events. The shop also has its own website (http://www.paan.com)


KYODO NEWS - Jan 11, 2021 - 21:12 | Feature, All, Japan, Coronavirus

Ceremonies to mark the Coming-of-Age Day in Japan were held online or outdoors Monday, with some municipalities canceling the event altogether to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus amid a recent countrywide surge.

The customary indoor event was moved outside in the western city of Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, to the Hanazono Rugby Stadium, as new adults congregated in the stands wearing kimono and suits.

Meanwhile, the city of Saitama near Tokyo streamed an online ceremony, which only included some new adults who assumed membership of its organizing committee.

Japan holds nationwide ceremonies on the second Monday of January for those who turned or will turn 20 by the end of the following March in their hometowns. The events often see women wear lavish kimono to mark the national holiday.

Yokohama, which counts around 37,000 new adults, boasts the largest group of youngsters across all municipalities in Japan. The city held official ceremonies multiple times at two separate venues, with staff disinfecting seats after every occasion.

"I wasn't worried about the coronavirus because there were lots of empty seats in the hall," said university student Mahiro Tomita, 20.

Tokyo's Suginami ward was the only district to hold a ceremony across the capital's 23 wards. The event was held four times, limited the number of participants and implemented measures to avoid the "3Cs" -- confined spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings.

"I would like everyone to avoid going out for drinks after the ceremony, and head straight home," said Suginami Mayor Ryo Tanaka.

Some university students from the event expressed mixed emotions concerning the ceremony, with 19-year-old Raizo Maeda revealing surprise at the large crowds.

"My friends who live in rural areas were unable to attend because of the pandemic, so I want to send them today's pictures," he said.

Officials from Shibuya ward in Tokyo, which has deferred a ceremony, were on standby at its venue to notify those unaware of the postponement.

"Usually, we see people dressed in kimono walking in this area during the day. We have no choice because of the pandemic, but it's a little sad," said a man who manages an eatery in Shibuya.

IN PHOTOS: Coming-of-Age Day celebrations around Japan amid pandemic
Miki King will bring The Message of a King to Mt. Joy Churchs 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration.

The virtual program is at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18 via Zoom and free and open to the public.

Pastor Miki A. King is the founder and overseer of T.E.A.M., a ministry formatted to provoke a conglomeration of sonship and servitude, equipping the body of Christ through leadership, training, department building and vision inclusion.

King has been in ministry since 1980 and operating as a pastor for 23 years. In 1998, she was affirmed and set apart to the fivefold ministry by Bishop E.L. Warren of the International Communion of Charismatic Churches and her late husband Apostle Cledell R. King of the International Network of Affiliate Ministries.

King can be heard on radio and several podcasts. She travels throughout the states bringing foundational truths, provocation and inspiration to the body of Christ. She has created several audio series, stage play booklets and manuscripts. She has formatted several workbooks and co-authored several other works. She is currently releasing a statewide tour called: Work Your Life.

King is the overseer of several affiliations: Work Your Life 4 Wives, a womens ministry set to enhance the merge of submission and influence. BC Ladies, a ministry for single women in waiting and The CONFIDENCE, an online curriculum for upcoming entrepreneurs.

King currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri, where she oversees the ministry headquarters of T.E.A.M.

Joining King is a call-to-action speaker Laylhany Davis. Davis is a senior at Alton High school, two-sport athlete and a leader in the community at the tender age of 18. She is a political activist and responsible for leading several protests throughout Madison County. Laylhany is passionate, committed and strong; she desires to major in political science and law with aspirations of making a true difference in her community.

Musical performances of traditional hymns will be provided by Edwardsville natives Jessica Sebree and Paul Herbert Pitts, who will take attendees on a musical journey throughout history.

The annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance and Celebration commemorates Dr. Kings legacy. Mt. Joy has been a part of the Greater Edwardsville community since 1869 and welcomes this unique opportunity to share our rich history and living heritage.

For more information about the program please call 618-656-7219.
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India has recently extended the suspension of insolvency proceedings by another three months until March 25, as corporates are struggling to cope with the pandemic. While the measure is bound to lighten their burden, policymakers will need to plan to prevent the resolution process's snarl-up.

On March 24, 2020, the minimum threshold for default under Section 4 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code was increased to Rs 1 crore to deter the triggering of insolvency proceedings against Indian companies. Moreover, the government introduced an ordinance to impose a blanket ban on initiating Corporate Insolvency Resolution Proceedings (CIRP).

The ordinance inserted Section 10A into the IBC, which prohibits debtors, financial creditors, and operational creditors for six months (extending up to one year) from initiating the CIRP under Sections 7, 9 and 10 for a default arising on or after March 25, 2020. Further, a proviso to Section 10A dictates that no application shall ever be filed to initiate the CIRP for a default occurring during the period. The entire essence of ensuring that the corporate debtor remains a going concern may get sabotaged.

Grey Zones

The ordinance uses the term 'any default, since its introduction, as arising due to the COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown. Further, the proviso to Section 10A provides a perpetual prohibition against initiating the CIRP. This safe harbour allows corporate debtors to take advantage of and evade their liabilities and obligations. Besides, it is silent on the question of continuing debts and their treatment. A debt which arises in the lockdown period continues until after the suspension period. The question remains whether it comes under the purview of this protection or not.

Often hailed as one of the most significant reforms ever, the IBC process has undoubtedly cut down the legal process time. Significantly, in over 80 percent of the cases, a resolution has been achieved before the completion of the process.

With the IBC suspension in place, creditors and debtors are looking for alternate channels for restructuring debts and dealing with stressed assets. Section 230 of the Companies Act 2013 provides a scheme of arrangement between the members and the creditors, but it reverses the trend of creditor-in-control under the IBC.

Further, the section requires the approval of three-quarters in value of creditors before the NCLT approves it; and this process usually takes a minimum of six-eight months. Therefore, certain modifications are needed to Section 230 to match the resolution mechanism's efficacy under the code.

Pre-Packs

It would be timely to consider the pre-pack insolvency resolution: the process is a hybrid of in-court and out-of-court insolvency. An arrangement for restructuring between the company, creditors, and the potential buyer is arrived at before an insolvency professional's appointment.

The concept of pre-packs is yet to percolate into the Indian market formally. However, with the IBC moratorium, they could assume a central role in the resolution process. The key advantages of pre-pack insolvency are that it is less time consuming, cheaper, and eases the burden on the NCLT and the NCLAT.

However, the biggest challenge posed by pre-packs revolves around transparency and accountability. The negotiations between the creditors and investors take place in private as opposed to the open-bidding regime under the CIRP.

Though the Companies Act provisions apply to companies in India with foreign investment, there is no particular recourse for foreign creditors. In such a scenario, foreign investors might rely on the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) claims. Most the BITs have a sunset clause that makes it possible for investors to bring claims under the BITs for a period of 15-20 years.

In particular, a clause on the Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) provided under such investment treaties can offer international investors a mechanism to bring claims against Indian companies. As such, the clause is one of the most invoked in investment treatment arbitrations.

Since the IBC was a legal framework based on which foreign creditors entered the Indian market, a tribunal may find India to have breached the FET protection. However, India can cite economic necessity as an argument, as was held in the LG&E Energy Corporation v Argentine Republic case.

Since the government's effort has been towards increasing the ease of business, it would be prudent to establish mechanisms that enable interested parties to conclude proceedings speedily. India's Competition Act has already introduced a green channel mechanism, whereby approvals can be obtained swiftly for mergers and acquisitions, even for IBC cases.

India now has to broaden the framework for a speedy resolution of stressed assets by creating a dedicated adjudication process and providing a blend of consultation and a negotiated settlement towards this end.


President Donald Trump has refused to take any responsibility for the deadly riots at the Capitol in his first discussion with reporters since a violent mob attacked Congress as it convened to certify the 2020 elections.

So if you read my speech, and many people have done it, and Ive seen it both in the papers and in the media, on television, its been analysed, and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate, the president said in response to questions about his role in the riots.

Mr Trump was referring to the speech he delivered to his supporters just before the violent mob launched the attacks, in which he lied about his electoral defeat, promoted conspiracy theories of rampant voter fraud and urged the audience to march to the Capitol.

He then claimed the real problem was what other politicians said about the violent riots in Portland following the death of George Floyd.

The president spoke to reporters before departing for Texas, where he was scheduled to take a tour of border wall construction.

Trump heads to US-Mexico border as people on the ground rebuke his visit Groups opposing the presidents visit have announced a rally in the Rio Grande Valley as he heads to Alamo, Texas for a tour of the border barrier

Before departing, he also said the growing calls to have him removed from office were absolutely ridiculous and added that the Democrats demands for impeachment were causing tremendous anger.

At least five people who were at the Capitol riots last week have died, including a United States Capitol Police officer, who died as a result of injures he sustained during the riots, according to officials. A federal murder investigation has reportedly since been launched.

Hundreds of lawmakers, including some Republicans, have since joined the calls for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, through which a majority of Cabinet members could vote for the president to be removed from office before Inauguration Day. Otherwise, many of those lawmakers have called for the House of Representatives to launch a second round of impeachment proceedings against Mr Trump.

Civil and immigrant rights groups were meanwhile organising in response to Mr Trumps visit to the US-Mexico border, with a rally and press conference scheduled in the Rio Grande Valley.

Organisers said in a statement they planned the rally away from where the president was visiting in order to prevent a violent clash like the one seen at the Capitol, adding: "At this point in time, we cannot in good conscience encourage community members to approach violent white supremacists who have no sense of what is right, what is moral, or what is the right side of history.
Sean Hannity has slammed Silicon Valley's censorship of conservatives as 'dangerous and chilling.'

The Fox News host last night drew parallels between Big Tech's ban on Donald Trump and the way it suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the general election.

Trump was banned by Twitter and Facebook last week following riots on Capitol Hill which left five people dead. The tech companies claimed that the president had incited violence.

Hannity said that emboldened by their gagging order on the leader of the free world, tech companies were now intent on a total purge of Trump's supporters.

'These are scary times, shadow-banning, erasing all conservative thought, all conservative opinion, these are dangerous and chilling times,' the anchor said.

Sean Hannity last night warned that the salacious contents of Hunter Biden's laptop will 'shock the soul of this nation' and devastate the President-elect's family

The computer, which lacked basic security measures, allegedly contained the personal numbers of senior political figures plus compromising photos that appeared to be of Hunter receiving a sex act and smoking what appeared to be a crack pipe

In the weeks prior to Hunter's appearance, Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's lawyer, allegedly obtained Hunter's old laptop after it was reportedly left at a Delaware repair shop and never collected

WHAT THE HUNTER LAPTOP REVEALED Emails with Ukrainian businessman which suggested Joe may have met him when he was VP Hunter was taking money from the firm at the time and while unproven, the emails suggest the businessman met with Joe or had some contact with him. Ukrainian prosecutors who were going after the businessman then stopped Details of business deal in China which Hunter said would be 'interesting for his family' including 'the big guy' The deal was with China's leading energy company, CEFC China Energy. Over the course of multiple years, Hunter was paid $5m from them for, he says, investing in US energy projects Photos of Hunter smoking a crack pipe and 'sex an drug video' The laptop contained a trove of photos of Hunter, a recovering drug addict, intoxicated or high, asleep with a crack pipe in his mouth or posing embarrassingly in mirrors for selfies while wearing sunglasses. There was also an 11-minute 'sex and drug' video that has never been made public Advertisement

Hannity described how in the weeks leading up to November 3, Twitter, Facebook, and others 'tried to banish, not let you see what turned out to be an accurate report from The New York Post about the salacious materials on Hunter Biden's laptop.'

He said that it was impossible to place a monetary value on the colossal effect the suppression of the story had for the presidential candidate, Hunter's father.

At the time the story was dismissed as 'misinformation' by Democrats and the intelligence community who claimed that it stemmed from Russian election interference.

As well as homemade sex tapes and images which appear to show drug abuse, it is also alleged the laptop contains details of Hunter's business dealings with Ukraine and China.

But the contents of the computer, which is in the possession of the FBI, will blow Big Tech, the Democrats and Joe Biden out of the water, Hannity warned.

'Democrats, the media mob, Big Tech, buckle up,' he said. 'I have numerous, credible sources telling me the contents of this laptop will be devastating to the Bidens and the Democrats. I've been told it is beyond that bad.'

'We will see in the months ahead where all these groups stand on issues like law and order, impeachment,' Hannity said, 'and who knows, maybe even the 25th Amendment.'

Hannity said he was disturbed by the 'overwhelming support' among the media and liberals for the recent social media bans for the president and his supporters.

He pointed to the words of the American Civil Liberties Union, a body which called for the impeachment of Trump, but which has condemned the tech censorship.

In a recent statement ACLU senior legislative counsel Kate Ruane said: 'We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions  especially when political realities make those decisions easier.'

Hannity also decried how Parler - a conservative-leaning alternative to Twitter - was removed from the internet, with Amazon pulling the site off its servers.

The tech giant claimed that it had done so because Parler was not doing enough to clamp down on violent rhetoric among its users.

The concerted action wiped millions off the company's value and, in addition to censorship, it raises grave fears over antitrust violations.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to his supporters at the Save America Rally on the Ellipse on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 near the White House in Washington, D.C

Twitter and Facebook last week both suspended Trump's account, while online payment service Stripe said it would stop handling transactions on Trump's website following the riot in the Capitol.

Twitter also said that it had begun purging QAnon-linked accounts Friday, permanently suspending 'more than 70,000 accounts... with many instances of a single individual operating numerous accounts.

'These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service,' Twitter said in a blog post.

The far-right QAnon conspiracy theory claims Trump is waging a secret war against a global liberal cult of Satan-worshipping pedophiles.

Twitter said its decision to suspend Trump's account and others also factored in that plans for more armed protests have been proliferating on and off the service, including a proposed second attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17.

Parler, which launched in 2018, operates much like Twitter, with profiles to follow and 'parleys' instead of tweets.

In its early days, the platform attracted a crowd of ultraconservative and even extreme-right users. But more recently, it has signed up many more traditional Republican voices.

Trump supporters expressed outrage at the news the platform was being taken down.

Ahead of the shutdown, the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., complained that 'big tech has totally eliminated the notion of free speech in America.'

The platform drew fierce criticism in 2018 when investigators found that the shooter who killed 11 people in an attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue had earlier posted anti-Semitic messages on the site.
Colleen Peters, a resident of StoryPoint Senior Living in Portage, thought she would get her COVID-19 vaccination last week, only to see the vaccination clinic at the complex canceled.

We were told they didnt have enough vaccine, Peters said. I told my son, we live six blocks from the place where they make it and we still cant get it.

The vaccination clinic has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 14, much to joy of Peters and her fellow StoryPoint residents, who are ready to put the pandemic behind them.

Were hopeful it will happen, Peters said. We all see it as a step forward.

Michigans program to vaccinate about 300,000 residents and staff at long-term care facilities launched on Dec. 28, but its been very slow going so far: As of Sunday, Jan. 10, only 28,775 have gotten their first shot.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is hoping that pace picks up considerably this week. And to make sure thats happens, MDHSS has decided the states shipments of the Moderna vaccine this week and next are now going to the Long-term Care Facility Pharmacy Partnership Program.

That will give the program more than, 300,000 vaccine doses, MDHHS spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin said, an indication that the long-term care vaccination is program a top priority.

That diversion of Moderna vaccine is hard for hospitals and public-health agencies who are seeing their allocations reduced as a result, said Marcus Cheatham, health officer for the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, which oversees Clinton, Gratiot and Montcalm counties.

But its the right decision, he said. Almost 40% of the (COVID-19) deaths have been in long-term care. So if you want to reduce our mortality numbers really fast, thats the way to make it happen. We could cut the death rate in half and that would be beautiful thing.

More than 5,000 long-term care residents in Michigan have died of COVID-19 since March, as have 65 staffers at those facilities, state data shows.

The long-term care vaccination program is being carried out through a partnership between the federal government and CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Each facility in the federal program has been paired with CVS or Walgreens. The pharmacies are bringing staff into the nursing homes to set up vaccination clinics for residents and employees, as well as contract workers such as doctors and physical therapists who work with residents.

CVS started Dec. 28 and, as of Jan. 8, had held clinics at 271 of the 990 Michigan facilities it was assigned. A total of 20,181 were immunized at those clinics, according to MDHSS.

Walgreens was assigned 4,333 facilities. A total of 127 clinics have been held so far, in which 8,592 individuals were immunized.

The two pharmacies have scheduled another 426 clinics this week, according to MDHSS.

We are meeting with CVS and Walgreens regularly to assure the program is advancing quickly and we can identify any potential challenges, Sutfin said, adding the agency is looking into avenues to accelerate the vaccination of those facilities, including potentially having other entities participate.

The LTC program includes skilled nursing facilities, assisted-living complexes, personal care homes, residential care, adult family homes, adult foster homes, HUD 202 housing and veterans homes.

We also know there are some facilities that are not enrolled in the (federal) program and are being vaccinated through partnerships directly with the local health departments, Sutfin said

Among those cheering the ramping up of the program is Melissa Samuel, president of the Health Care Association of Michigan Nursing, which represents operators of long-term care facilities.

COVID-19 vaccinations begin in Michigans long-term care facilities

I know how desperate some of our people are to get the vaccine, she said.

Still while many long-term care residents are anxious to be vaccinated, many employees of the facilities are much more hesitant, Samuel acknowledged.

Because the Federal Drug Administration approved the coronavirus vaccines under an emergency use authorization, the vast majority of employers are not mandating the vaccine for staff although they are strongly encouraging it.

Given residents vulnerability to the virus, its not surprising the demand in that group would be considerably higher than among workers, Samuel said. It comes down to health-care organizations really doing that education (on why the vaccine is important) and I know that is happening.

Samuel said she didnt have data yet on the percentage of staff getting the shots, but acknowledged shes hearing about resistance.

Thats a big concern from a public-health perspective. Its especially important for long-term care staff to be immunized since outbreaks in the facilities most commonly occur because the virus is unintentionally introduced by an asymptomatic employee.

I think were going to need to give a bit more time and a bit more education to improve vaccination rates among staff, Samuel said. Although in my mind, whats most important right now is getting the residents vaccinated, so theyre protected.

The Moderna vaccine requires a second dose four weeks after the first. The vaccine has shown to be 95% effective against coronavirus a few weeks after the second shot.

Facilities with high vaccination rates may be able to loosen current structures on visits and socializing in a few months, depending on coronavirus rates in the general community, Samuel said.

There are a lot of factors weve got look at, she said. We want to open the facilities as quickly as possible, but even more importantly, as safely as possible. We dont want to go backwards.

We need to get this virus under control, and gosh, that cant happen soon enough for all of us.

Read more on MLive:

What worked in 2020 and what needs work in 2021 for 12 Michigan schools

2020 was Michigans deadliest year on record, and COVID-19 was the No. 3 killer

For Michiganders newly eligible for vaccine, excitement is high but details are few
Credit: WikiCommons

Americans take great pride in the tradition of free speech. Enshrined in the Constitution, the tradition is quite different than those of Europe and other parts of the world, which not only provide different histories but the possibility for clashes on what is and is not permissible speech. Such disagreements are especially likely when the largest arbiters of speech today, social media platforms, are almost exclusively controlled by American companies following their own legal traditions, a University of Kansas scholar argues in a new publication.

Harrison Rosenthal, doctoral candidate in law and journalism, analyzed two concepts of free speech from ancient Greek traditions and how Europeans adopted one while Americans adopted another. He wrote how those traditions evolved to the point today where American companies are imposing those traditions throughout the world and the conflicts that result for his study, published in the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law.

Rosenthal examined the traditions of parrhesia and isegoria. Parrhesia is the philosophy that individuals have license to say what they please, often through provocative or unpopular discourse, without fear of retribution from the state, he wrote. That tradition from which American practices descend differs from isegoria, or the right to voice one's opinion, more common in European and other traditions. The American tradition is often held up as being for the good of society as a collective, or a state composed of empowered citizens, whereas isegoria was aimed at being for the good of each individual. In ancient Greece, isegoria was granted to male citizens when reaching adulthood and after passing a character and fitness test to speak freely, including criticizing leaders, according to Rosenthal.

"When we talk about First Amendment issues, free speech and protecting speech, I think this is a great way to frame it, by looking at how the world's first great democracy viewed free speech," Rosenthal said. "We don't have that type of character and fitness exam. I argue, because of that, anyone can say what they please. We're not insulating people or licensing them to speak. In some ways that's good. In other ways it's not."

In the study, Rosenthal noted how those traditions have evolved in both European and American societies. In Europe, citizens are now allowed to speak freely, but certain types of speech are not allowed. The most prominent example is Holocaust denial, which is banned and punishable in Germany and France. America's free speech tradition was born from colonialism, in which England sought to limit speech critical of the Crown, which eventually manifested in the attitude of even unpopular speech being allowed without government reprisal, Rosenthal wrote.

"Our free speech permissiveness was born of colonial suppression. Because of that, we've enshrined it in our Constitution and in our jurisprudence," Rosenthal said. "The Supreme Court has regularly extended protections of free speech to a point, that I argue, goes too far."

He points out that one of the Supreme Court's most ardent defenders of free speech protections, Hugo Black, was a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. Naturally, a person with such views would fight for robust protections of all manner of speech, Rosenthal said. Such extensions of protected speech can result in an intolerant minority pushing out a tolerant majority in society, he wrote.

The differing traditions have led to today, where those largely controlling who can speak and how they can do so are social media companies and giant technology corporations. The most prominent of those are not only American, they are concentrated in Silicon Valley, one small section not representative of the rest of the nation and not always knowledgeable of other cultural and legal traditions, Rosenthal said. Because of that, the current era would be a good time to re-examine American free speech traditions. Rosenthal argued they should be examined not necessarily because they merit criticismthey in fact have contributed a great deal to the freedom of the press, religion and democracy around the worldbut to prevent conflict.

There is currently debate raging in the United States about protections for social media companies. Elected officials from across the political spectrum have offered criticism of social media giants and their legal protections. Facebook, as one example, has had conflicts with what content it allows on its platforms in the United States versus other countries, including whether photos of breastfeeding mothers would be allowed, or if the iconic "napalm girl" photo from the Vietnam War should be allowed under the company's child nudity policies. Rosenthal concluded that differing traditions in the United States and other parts of the world have led to a point where powerful American corporations are attempting to export their cultural and legal philosophies around the world, which should call for a re-examination of those traditions and prepare society for disagreements between the traditions.

"If we don't understand the differences in these approaches to free speech and try to export our philosophies to other countries that don't share our sociohistory, there are inevitably going to be clashes," Rosenthal said. "I think we're going to see a perennial struggle. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like are corporate persons that want to maintain their cultural control. But, since they are based in the U.S., they're not always going to understand what is permissible and what is not in other parts of the world."

More information: Harrison Michael Rosenthal. Speech Imperialization? Situating American Parrhesia in an Isegoria World, International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Semiotique juridique (2020). Harrison Michael Rosenthal. Speech Imperialization? Situating American Parrhesia in an Isegoria World,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s11196-020-09801-x
Pongal holds a special place in the hearts of the Tamil Makkal, and as soon as the new year sets in, this is the most anticipated festival that people eagerly wait for. Like always, Zee Tamil is set to mark this auspicious occasion with pomp and style. This year, the channel has in store a wonderful line up of specially curated shows and world television premieres of some fantastic movies which will air on 14th and 15th of January 2021.

Thalaivi Oru Sirappu Paarvai - a half hour special program with the team of Thalaivi, helmed by Director AL Vijay, wherein they talk about their experience & challenges faced during the making of this magnum opus which is expected to hit the big screens this year.

Telecast Date: 14th January 2021, 9.00 AM to 9.30 AM

Zee Tamil is set to present Pattimandram a debate show moderated for the first time in association with Kalaimamani Dindigul I Leoni, a well-known Tamil orator, moderator, actor, television personality, and political activist. The debate is surely going to be crackling, with witty and quirky repartees between the moderator and speakers.

Topic of the debate will be:      :  ?  ?

Translated, this means - The reason for the conflict between the daughter-in-law and the mother-in-law: is it the sharing of power or in sharing of love?

Telecast Date: 14th January 2021, 9.30 AM to 11.30 AM

Moi Virunthu , previously known as Thevai, is a traditional practice originating from Thanjavur, wherein a feast is organised for friends and relatives., with the objective of collecting money for an occasion. This Pongal celebrate with our Zeelebrities - Dharshana, Madhan, Reshama, Jai Akash, Singapore Deepan, Diwakar, Ashwin Karthi, Vishnu Vijay, Indran, Akshaya, Nandha & Asha Gowda who will travel to a village to partake in this practice, by cooking a grand feast for the people.

Telecast Date: 14th January 2021, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Add some spice to your matinee movie experience with the screening of Seeru, a 2020 action film, directed by Rathina Shiva. The movie features Jiiva, Riya Suman, Gayathri Krishnaa and Navdeep in the lead roles, with Varun and Sathish in supportive roles.

Telecast Date: 14th January 2021, from 1:30 PM

There isnt a Tamil movie buff worth his salt, who doesnt absolutely adore Vijay Sethupathi. Capturing the pulse of the audiences, Zee Tamil will be airing the World Television Premiere of 2020s most critically acclaimed film, Ka.Pae.Ranasingam on Pongal day. A movie that is yet to hit the silver screen, Ka.Pae.Ranasingam speaks to the plight of the farmers and the apathy demonstrated by the powers that be, drawing parallels to the present-day headlines. Alongside Vijay Sethupathi, the film features Aishwarya Rajesh, Munishkanth, Vela Ramamoorthy, Rangaraj Pandey, and Bhavani Sre in pivotal roles.

Telecast Date: 14th January 2021, 4 PM

Dhanush in KARNAN

Join the cast of Karnan- superstar Dhanush & director Maari Selvaraj, as they speak about their experience working on this most awaited flick for the very first time.

Telecast Date: 15th Jan 2021, 9.00 am to 9.30 am

Adding variety to the two-day celebrations, Zee Tamil will be airing Oh My Kadavule, a 2020 rom com written and directed by Ashwath Marimuthu in his directorial debut. Starring Ashok Selvan and Ritika Singh in leading roles, Sha Ra and M. S. Bhaskar in supporting roles, the movie is the story of friendship, romance, and second chances. The film also features the inimitable Vijay Sethupathi and Ramesh Thilak in cameo appearances.

Telecast Date: 15th January 2021, 9:30  11:30 AM

Stylish Tamizhachi vs Mass Tamizhan is a first of its kind face-off where well-known actor Priya Raman will be facing off with the renowned director-actor Karu Palaniappan. This show will bring out the best of both the celebrated personalities wherein Priya Raman will be representing other women celebrities and Karu Palaniappan will represent other male celebrities.

Telecast Date: 15th January 2021, 1:oo  3:oo PM

Zee Tamil has been known for its fun and high-energy game shows! This Pongal, adding to the festivities is Naanga Ready, Neenga Readyah? a rollicking game show between two teams led by VJ Anjana Rangan and VJ Vaidhya of the Madras Meter fame. The show will feature fun game tasks that will challenge the fit and plump actors.

Telecast date: 15th January 2021, 3:00  5:00 PM

Adding a nice finale to the two-day gala fare will be the World Television Premier of one of the very few movies that saw a theatrical release in 2020  Biskoth. Written and produced and directed by R. Kannan, Biskoth is a parody film which revolves around three generations, all of whom are played by Santhanam and neither one of them has any connection to the other. The mysteries and each persons journey towards correcting their mistakes of the past forms the crux of the story.

Telecast date: 15th January 2021, 5:00 PM

Suit up and join the fun and celebrations with Zee Tamil this Pongal on 14th and 15th January 2021!
Spiking homicides. Deep distrust between police and civilians. Outrage  and riots  filling the city after a high-profile police killing.

The late 1970s were fraught times in Houston. Many homicides in the citys Latino community went unsolved  casualties to the departments mostly white corps of detectives, few of whom spoke Spanish.

In an effort to build trust, the Houston Police Department plucked a few young Latino officers from patrol cars in 1979 and told them to spend 90 days solving as many murders as they could. The officers  who had no experience solving murders  cracked so many cases that the department formalized the unit, which would work for 30 years before it was finally disbanded.

Now, the squad is the subject of a new 11-episode podcast, Chicano Squad, by the Vox Media Podcast Network. The show debuts Tuesday.

For 30 years, this squad was working in Houston, and had no recognition, said Eva Ruth Moravec, one of the podcasts writers. Moravec, a former Hearst reporter, covered policing for the San Antonio Express-News.

Dark time in Houston policing

The Houston Police Department became enmeshed in scandal after several officers in 1977 killed Jose Campos Torres, a young Latino Vietnam War veteran.

Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct on May 5. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called The Hole next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. They then took Torres to the city jail, which refused to process him due to his injuries. They were ordered to take him to the hospital, but instead the officers brought him back to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and pushed him into the water. Torress body was found two days later.

UNSOLVED: Houston's rate of unsolved murders is soaring. Experts blame changes at HPD.

It was not Houston Polices only scandal at the time. Two other killings by officers had stained the departments reputation, and in 1979 the former chief, Carroll Lynn, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for bribery.

At the same time, the city was weathering a wave of homicides: 1979 saw 664, with 163 Latino victims.

Nobody cared about those homicides, recalled Jaime Escalante, one investigator on the squad who retired last year. They used to call them misdemeanor homicides.

After a bloody weekend that year that ended with 17 killings, homicide Capt. Bobby Adams created the unit, which was led by Detective Sgt. Jim Montero and the late homicide Lt. Chuck Lofland.

The results were immediate and astounding, one former commander told the Chronicle in a 2004 story noting the squads 25th anniversary. The divisions clearance rates soared, and by the end of the year, the Chicano Squad helped solve 40 homicides. The unit is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the nation, though many others followed.

They were outstanding, recalled now-retired police chief Charles A. McClelland, then a rookie with the force. Their language and cultural skills put them in position to be successful. They would work day and night. Whatever hours they felt were necessary to be successful in solving those cases.

BEEFING UP HOMICIDE: After Chronicle investigation into lower clearance rates, HPD homicide division to get more investigators, resources

At the same time, their work showed HPD leadership the benefit of having a more diverse workforce and more officers who spoke Spanish or other languages, McClelland said.

It motivated HPD to go out and recruit minorities with language skills and cultural diversity, he said. And it worked.

The department now has more officers of color than Anglo officers, McClelland said, but thats what started it.

For the creators of the Chicano Squad podcast, the units track record was a chance to tell a type of story frequently overlooked in the past.

Podcast host Cristela Alonzo said the story particularly resonated given her experiences as a first-generation Mexican-American woman from the Rio Grande Valley, where she saw problems with police and rarely saw examples of Latino-focused stories in school.

I loved that I can explain it in a simple way in my own personal experience, she said.

They inspired guys like me

The squads caseload was intense, and investigators frequently battled hostility from white peers, former homicide investigators recalled.

They were thrown everything that had anything that sounded like a Spanish surname, more in resentment of their existence, more than the legitimacy of the case existing, said Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a former HPD officer before leaving the force to enter politics. But these guys worked them all  They just became a trusted resource in the community.

They had another impact, he said.

They inspired guys like me to know one day I could be a homicide investigator as well.

By the mid-1980s, the squad grew to more than a dozen investigators and sergeants, and generally solved more than 70 percent of cases assigned to it, and was nationally recognized in 1997 by the National Latino Peace Officers Association, after posting a clearance rate of 91 percent.

The squads greatest triumphs include the rescue of a kidnapped newborn in 1991 after his mother was locked in the trunk of a car; arrests of two East End men accused of being serial killers, who were both later sentenced to death; and the rescue of a 14-month-old girl kidnapped from Houston in 1987 by a baby sitter.

It weathered its own scandal, as well, after one sergeant, Robert Martinez Gatewood, was investigated and later convicted of participating in a drug conspiracy and sentenced to 24 years in prison.

In 2010, the department disbanded the squad. By that time, the department had evolved from mostly white to one where officers of color outnumbered Anglo officers.

It wasnt as critical, McClelland said. Homicide was more diverse, we had more folks who were bilingual, and over time and attrition, every squad had investigators in it.

Alonzo, the podcasts host, said the squads story remains relevant today, particularly given recent tensions across America between law enforcement and civilians.

This is something that could be told in the news now, she said. This podcast is about evolution of the Houston Police Department, and how it happened because of racial disparity. But this is also the first Latino homicide squad in the U.S. And they are figuring it out, while they were doing it  they were building a house, while designing the blueprints.

st.john.smith@chron.com
PUKALANI, Hawaii, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 might be described as "the year of losses." As a result of the pandemic, people endured the pain of losing loved ones, losing jobs and marriages, and the death of the idea that they are safe from harm. For many, their world is standing still as they try to grapple with what happened and how to live again.

New Book Launches in Time to Help People Cope with 2020s Losses Emily Thiroux Threatt

In her new book, Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief (Mango), grief transformation expert Emily Thiroux Threatt who has taught writing at the university level offers 26 practices to help people move through the grieving process to come out feeling renewed.

The book has a foreword by well-known spirituality educator Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of and spiritual director of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles. Beckwith who was a friend of her late husband Ron writes, "I saw Emily's spiritual growth through her right use of spiritual principles in a very powerful way. When Ron passed, you could simultaneously see her sadness and loss while embracing the spiritual principles that ultimately pulled her through. Through her spiritual practice and self-realization, Emily was able to ultimately alchemize her sadness into a deeper awareness of Love, earning her invaluable revelations, insights, and the wisdom that comes with spiritual transformation that both allows and calls her to minister to and support others who are grieving from the loss of not only a loved one, but loss of any kind."

Indeed, coping with the loss of two husbands and other close relatives led Thiroux Threatt to become a guide for others who need support to find positivity in grieving.

In an interview, Thiroux Threatt can discuss:

Finding joy and gratitude in dark moments

What people can say to others so that they can better understand and help them in their recovery journey

What "mindful grieving" is and the role meditation can play in its practice

Praise for Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

"Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief vibrates with a gentleness and compassion that I didn't realize I needed until I read it. Thank you, Emily."  Laurie Kilmartin, comedian, author of Dead People Suck, and writer for Conan

"Emily Thiroux Threatt not only teaches you how to use love and joy to cope with loss, but also offers many practical tools and useful suggestions to rebuild your shattered world. From journaling to practicing gratitude to setting intentions, you'll find support, understanding, and comfort, whether you're new to grief or have been living with loss for years."  Chelsea Hanson, author of The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: 7 Essential Practices for Healing Grief

About the Author

Emily Thiroux Threatt is an author and lecturer with extensive personal experience in the grieving process. She has created a unique program called "Writing Your Way Through Grief" to help others through the grieving process. She holds a master's degree in English with a concentration in writing and taught writing and composition at the college and university level for over 30 years. Thiroux Threatt conducts workshops, speaking engagements, and retreats on transforming from loss to joy on the mainland of the United States and on Maui, Hawaii. She owns an ambulance company and has owned and operated a live theatre, a school of arts, an art gallery, and a cafe and catering company.

Contact: Emily Thiroux Threatt, (661) 428-3610;

[email protected], lovingandlivingyourwaythroughgrief.com

SOURCE Emily Thiroux Threatt

Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK) (the "Company"), a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and tools for brands, businesses and media companies, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.21 per share of outstanding common stock, payable on March 18, 2021, to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 4, 2021. This represents an increase of approximately 24% over the previous quarterly dividend of $0.17 per share of outstanding common stock.

Commenting on the announcement, Stan Pavlovsky, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our Board's decision to increase the dividend shows our commitment to return value to stockholders, as well as confidence in the future of our business."

ABOUT SHUTTERSTOCK

Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), directly and through its group subsidiaries, is a leading global provider of high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos and music to businesses, marketing agencies and media organizations around the world. Working with its growing community of over one million contributors, Shutterstock adds hundreds of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 350 million images and more than 20 million video clips available.

Headquartered in New York City, Shutterstock has offices around the world and customers in more than 150 countries. The company's brands also include Bigstock, a value-oriented stock media offering; Shutterstock Studios, an end-to-end custom creative shop; Offset, a high-end image collection; PremiumBeat a curated royalty-free music library; and Shutterstock Editorial, a premier source of editorial images and videos for the world's media.

For more information, please visit www.shutterstock.com and follow Shutterstock on Twitter and on Facebook.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's expected payment of a cash dividend on March 18, 2021 and the future of the Company's business. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "will," "would," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including risks related to any changes to or the effects on liabilities, financial condition, future capital expenditures, revenue, expenses, net income or loss, synergies and future prospects; our inability to continue to attract and retain customers and contributors to our online marketplace for creative content; competitive factors; our inability to innovate technologically or develop, market and offer new products and services; costs related to litigation or infringement claims, indemnification claims and the inability to prevent misuse of our content; our inability to increase market awareness of Shutterstock and our products and services; our inability to effectively manage our growth; our inability to grow at historic growth rates or at all; technological interruptions that impair access to our websites; assertions by third parties of infringement of intellectual property rights by Shutterstock, our inability to effectively manage risks associated with operating internationally; our exposure to foreign exchange rate risk; our inability to address risks associated with sales to large corporate customers; government regulation of the internet; increasing regulation related to the handling of personal data; actions by governments to restrict access to our products and services; our inability to effectively expand our operations into new products, services and technologies; our inability to protect the confidential information of customers; increased tax liabilities associated with our worldwide operations, including our exposure to withholding, sales and transaction tax liabilities; the effect of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; public health crises including the COVID-19 pandemic; general economic and political conditions worldwide, including disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19 and any resulting economic recession; our inability to successfully integrate acquisitions and the associated technology and achieve operational efficiencies; and other factors and risks discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in other documents that the Company may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, Shutterstock's actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. In addition, any future declaration of dividends will be subject to the final determination of our Board of Directors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of this date and Shutterstock assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Elle sits on top of your loan origination system in just days Our mission to help banks evolve digitally without losing their high-touch, personal customer relationships is well-served by this program.

Shastic today announced its participation in the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) third annual ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator, in partnership with The Venture Center. The ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program fosters fintech-community bank collaboration.

Today is a big day for Shastic as we proudly join the third ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator, said Joseariel Gomez, CEO at Shastic. We are passionate about supporting community banks in their innovation efforts. Our mission to help banks evolve digitally without losing their high-touch, personal customer relationships is well-served by this program. We are excited to meet with community bankers and to learn more about how we can help their communities through todays unique challenges."

Shastic robotic lending co-pilot application, Elle, sits on top of existing systems and can be implemented within days and without the need for dedicated IT support. Connecting lending agents with customers in seconds, Elle also recaptures up to 15 percent of applications lost through the application process and minimizes manual processing tasks which can increase team productivity by 300 percent.

Shastic was chosen from hundreds of candidates for this years program based on the merit of its offering, along with the talent and dedication of its founders, which all share our vision of blending technology with relationship banking and standout service to deliver the ultimate customer experience, ICBA Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Charles Potts said. Were excited to share this relevant and timely solution with our community bank members and look forward to a long and productive relationship that delivers on the promise of innovation at a time when the customer experience is rapidly changing.

We are proud to partner with ICBA in selecting the cohort to help enhance community bank innovation, which will benefit local communities, Wayne Miller, executive director of The Venture Center said. For fintechs seeking meaningful relationships, the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator provides an abundance of opportunity.

To learn more about the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program visit icba.org/thinktech/accelerator.

About Shastic

Shastic created Elle, the robotic lending co-pilot in 2017. Elle is a robotic process automation (RPA) and text messaging platform for financial institutions designed to automate lending with high-touch personalized engagement. Elle increases the productivity of loan processing by 300% while also recapturing up to 15% of loans that are lost before completion. Shastic currently serves close to 30 financial institutions in the U.S.

To learn more, visit shastic.com.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services.

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute 99 percent of all banks, employ more than 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5 trillion in assets, over $4.4 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.4 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBAs website at http://www.icba.org.

About The Venture Center

The Venture Centers immersive accelerator programs are designed to accelerate the growth of early-to-late stage companies and help validate their solutions for real-world problems. Our methodology provides a unique opportunity to connect with community bank executives, receive seed investment, and learn from a comprehensive curriculum aiding in strategically addressing go-to-market, business, and finance challenges. Learn more at http://www.venturecenter.co. Follow The Venture Center on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@VentureCenter), and Instagram.
Majority of Indian expatriates stranded in the UAE due to airport closures, following alert of a more potent strain of the coronavirus, have reached their countries of residence in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to a media report on Monday. Around 600 Indians residing in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were forced to take shelter in two community groups in the UAE after the airport closures were announced late last year, the Gulf News reported.

The UAE Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) sheltered around 350 Indians in Ajman, while a workers' accommodation in Dubai Investment Park, managed by the Indian Cultural Foundation, housed around 250 Indians , the daily said. Last week, the airports were reopened and most of the Indian expatriates  mostly blue-collar workers  started flying back to their residences in the two Gulf countries.

Due to high fares, the community groups also arranged road transportation to Saudi Arabia for many of the Indians. In all, five buses have transported around 125 passengers to Saudi Arabia's Riyadh this weekend.

So far, 54 people have been taken to Riyadh by bus free of charge and again today 29 more are leaving. The last bus will leave on the night of January 12, Puthur Rahman, president of UAE KMCC National Committee, told the Gulf News.

At the meeting (Photo: gdnn.gov.vn)

The statistic was put forth during an online national meeting of the ministry to review the work in 2020 and carry out the work in 2021.



Over the past 5 years, the entire sector has consistently implemented goals and tasks, creating breakthroughs and making outstanding marks. "In 5 years, the country creates new jobs for more than 8 million workers; more than 635,000 people go to work abroad under contracts, exceeding 27% of the target," MOLISA Minister Dao Ngoc Dung said.

According to the minister, social security has been ensured, national defense and security, foreign affairs have achieved many positive results; Vietnams prestige and position have been raised. Currently, only 3% of the Vietnamese population and 100% of the social protection beneficiaries are eligible for regular benefits; while the elderly and people with disabilities are given care and support according to regulations.

He added that the basic rights of children are ensured. The Human Development Index (HDI) of Vietnam is in the highly developed group, at 110th out of 189 countries. Meanwhile, Vietnams human resource index ranks second in Southeast Asia.

"Vietnam is one of 30 countries applying the multidimensional poverty line, reporting the results of rapid multidimensional poverty reduction, with the rate reducing by 1,35% per year, from 9.88% in 2015 to 2.75% in 2020, reaching the target 10 years ahead of the millennium goal, Minister Dung went on to say.

Along with that, labor mobility in the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector decreased from 45% in 2015 to 32% in 2020.

In implementing the Governments resolutions and decisions, the Government and localities during the COVID-19 pandemic have supported VND31.5 trillion to ensure life and support jobs for people and workers.

Up to now, the labor situation and employment have returned to a normal state, the minister affirmed./.
ALAMO, Texas  President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate, Trump said.

He made the comments during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Bidens victory. Trump arrived in Texas on Tuesday to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term, as lawmakers in Congress appeared set to impeach him this week for the second time.

In Alamo, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexican border  the site of the 450th mile of the border wall his administration is building, Trump brushed off Democratic calls on his Cabinet to declare him unfit from office and remove him from power using the 25th Amendment.

 READ MORE: Trump on verge of 2nd impeachment, this time with some Republicans joining the effort, after Capitol riot

The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration, Trump said. As the expression goes, be careful of what you wish for.

The rampage through the halls of Congress sent lawmakers of both parties and Trumps own vice president into hiding, as crowds called for Mike Pences lynching for his role overseeing the vote count. The scene also undermined the hallmark of the republic  the peaceful transition of power. At least five people died, including one Capitol Police officer.

Its time for peace and for calm, Trump said Tuesday, less than a week after egging on the mob that descended on the Capitol. He added, Respect for law enforcement is the foundation of the MAGA agenda, referencing his campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.

In the days leading up to the Jan. 6 certification vote, Trump encouraged his supporters to descend on Washington, D.C., promising a wild rally in support of his baseless claims of election fraud, despite his own administrations findings to the contrary. Speaking for more than an hour to a crowd on the Ellipse, Trump encouraged supporters to fight like hell and suggested that Republican lawmakers would need more courage not to step up and overturn the will of voters to grant him another term in office. He also suggested he would join them in marching on the Capitol.

As Trump wrapped up, thousands of his supporters were already heading to the Capitol, where lawmakers convened to count the electoral votes. As rioters were still in the building and lawmakers sheltered in secure locations, Trump, at the urging of aides who were shocked by the violence, released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: We love you. Youre very special. Go home.

Speaking Tuesday, Trump said the real problem was not his rhetoric, but the rhetoric that Democrats used to describe Black Lives Matter protests and violence in Seattle and Portland this summer.

 READ MORE: FBI report warned of war at Capitol, contradicting claims that there was no indication of looming violence

Everybody to the t thought it was totally appropriate, Trump said of his own comments.

Trump angrily lashed out at lawmakers push for his second impeachment this week, claiming, Its causing tremendous anger and division and pain far greater than most people will ever understand, which is very dangerous for the USA, especially at this very tender time.

Alamo is named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texan independence-fighters fended off Mexican forces during a 13-day siege. Most of them died, but the mission became a symbol of resistance for Texans, who eventually defeated the Mexican army.

Trumps visit there  no doubt a symbol of the presidents defiance  comes as he spends the final days of his presidency isolated, aggrieved and staring down the prospect of a second impeachment.

While Trump was traveling, Pence assured the nations governors that outgoing administration is working diligently with President-elect Joe Bidens team. He thanked the governors for their leadership on the coronavirus and promised them a seamless transition.

Trump aides have been urging the president to spend his remaining days in office highlighting what they see as the chief accomplishments of his presidency: a massive tax cut, his efforts to roll back federal regulations and the transformation of federal courts with the appointment of conservative judges. But Trump has been consumed by baseless allegations of voter fraud and conspiracies.

In Texas, he delivered remarks highlighting his administrations efforts to curb illegal immigration and the progress made on his signature 2016 campaign promise: building a big, beautiful wall across the length of the southern border  an imposing structure made of concrete and reinforced steel. But over time, Trump demanded modifications that have been largely rejected: He wanted it painted black to burn the hands of those who touched it; he wanted it adorned with deadly spikes; he even wanted to surround it with an alligator-filled moat. While he promised that it would be funded by Mexico, U.S. taxpayers ended up footing the bill.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia police take Det. Jennifer Guggers gun amid investigation of her attendance at the D.C. Trump rally

In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction  likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. The vast majority of that wall replaces smaller barriers that had already existed, though the new wall is considerably more difficult to bypass.

Over the last four years, Trump and his administration have taken extreme  and often unlawful  action to try to curb both illegal and legal immigration. Their efforts were aided in his final year by the coronavirus pandemic, which ground international travel to a halt. But the number of people stopped trying to cross the southern border illegally has been creeping back up in recent months. Figures from December show nearly 74,000 encounters at the southwest border, up 3% from November and up 81% from a year earlier.

A few dozen Trump supporters rallied hours before his visit to the Rio Grande Valley near the Harlingen, Texas, airport, where he was scheduled to land. They planned to stage a caravan of vehicles flying flags that support the president and far-right causes like the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Trump warned that a reversal of his policies by Biden would bring about a tidal wave of illegal immigration. He added, To terminate those policies is knowingly to put America in really serious danger.

Biden has said hed halt construction of the border wall and take executive action where possible to reverse some of Trumps restrictions on legal immigration and asylum seekers. But Biden and his aides have acknowledged the possibility of a new crisis at the border if they act too quickly, and Biden has said it could take six months for his administration to secure funding and put in place the necessary infrastructure to loosen Trump-era restrictions.

 READ MORE: House calls on Mike Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to oust Trump

Beyond touting the wall, Trump rapidly listed his massive changes on the border aimed at discouraging asylum. He cited his Remain in Mexico policy, under which more than 65,000 asylum-seekers have been forced to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court since January 2019, and agreements struck with Central American countries for them to offer asylum to people seeking protection in the United States.

He credited his wall for a drop in illegal border crossings from a 13-year high in 2019, but the Government Accountability Office has found the administration lacks measures to correlate drops in illegal crossings to wall construction.

Trump said, falsely, that he inherited open borders from his predecessor, Barack Obama. He leaves office with about the same number of Border Patrol agents than when he began, despite a pledge to add 5,000, and the monthly number of migrants stopped at the border exceeds totals during much of Obamas tenure.

Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant in Harlingen, Texas; Ben Fox and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington; Alan Suderman in Richmond, Va.; and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this article.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Monday that he is not jumping ahead in the COVID-19 vaccine line.

The 43-year-old mayor said he has been asked if he's been inoculated. He shared some transparency on his social media channels Monday night.

RELATED: 'People are dying': Cowboys Dancehall's weekend concerts raising social distancing questions

"When my age/health group is called, I'll be there with bells on," he said. "My focus right now is ensuring that we get enough doses for our region, especially as we work to vaccinate our vulnerable & priority populations."

Scarce supply of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine appointments has left thousands of San Antonians trying and trying and trying again to get a chance to roll up their sleeves. Over the weekend, 9,000 spots at the mass vaccination center at the Alamodome filled up six minutes after registration opened. States throughout the country are figuring out which communities to prioritize in the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, but the struggle of jammed phone lines and demand are shared throughout.

In Texas, healthcare workers, residents of long-term facilities, people 65 and older, pregnant women and those 16 or older with pre-existing chronic conditions are able to sign up for the vaccine, per the state's phase 1A and 1B guidelines.

Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger, who oversees the Metro Health Department, told the San Antonio Express-News they're pushing the state for more doses.

Were putting in our request for as many as possible, she said, according to the article. We will be asking for at least 30,000, split between the three major providers  University Health, city of San Antonio and WellMed  each getting approximately 10,000 doses.

Nirenberg toured the Alamodome vaccination site with Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Monday, as San Antonio began mass vaccinations. Wolff, who qualified due to his age, allowed local media to be present on Dec. 30 as he got his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at University Health.

Also on Monday, Governor Greg Abbott provided an update for the state's vaccine rollout from Arlington, where one of Texas' 28 vaccination hubs is located. The state expects to receive about 310,000 each week.

The tumultuous rollout coincides with another COVID-19 surge in Texas. The city and county reported 3,002 cases  the highest in a single day since the pandemic began  on Sunday.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
Larsa Pippen says she would 'maybe' be an attorney if she wasn't a celeb, in a Q&A with Instagram Users on Monday.

The 46-year-old, via Instagram Stories, 'If you we're not a full-time mom/famous what other career would you be doing?'

'I've got a political science degree so maybe an attorney,' Larsa, who is linked with Minnesota Timberwolves player Malik Beasley, 24, answered in the Q&A session.

The latest: Larsa Pippen, 46, says she'd possibly be an attorney in a Q&A with Instagram Users on Monday, saying, 'I've got a political science degree so maybe an attorney'

Should she pursue a legal career, Larsa would be following in the footsteps of her former friend Kim Kardashian, who has been prepping for a potential legal career over the past few years.

Kardashian last year said she'd finished a full year of law school after completing 20 hours weekly amid a four-year apprenticeship program in her home state of California.

Kim, who past said that she's focused on taking the bar exam next year, has looked to follow in the family tradition of practicing law, like her late father Robert Kardashian.

The late lawyer made the family name famous in 1994 when he was a member of the legal 'Dream Team' that represented his then-friend O.J. Simpson in his double murder trial.

Passion: Pippen said she might look to practice law with her previous schooling

Larsa was snapped in 2018 with Kim Kardashian, who last year said she'd finished a full year of law school after completing 20 hours weekly amid a four-year apprenticeship program

Kim has been more focused to criminal justice reform after she was key in getting a pair of women released from custody based on their sentences and crimes.

She said last year at a Television Critics Association event that she was 'not doing it for publicity' in regards to her reform efforts, which she worked on directly with President Donald Trump and his special adviser Jared Kushner.

'I really genuinely just stay focused on the cases and the people,' Kardashian said, according to Reuters. 'I really do care.'

Kardashian and Pippen, once close confidantes, appear to be on the outs, which Pippen previously attributed to her blocking of Kanye West on her phone.

She said in November on the Hollywood Raw podcast with Dax Holt that she was 'drained' emotionally with West constantly calling her all hours to 'rant;' and that she believes Kanye turned Kim against him.
CARGOTEC CORPORATION, PRESS RELEASE, 12 JANUARY 2021 AT 9AM (EET)

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, and Nokia, today announced that they will expand their ongoing collaboration to provide new solutions for ports and intermodal terminal operators seeking to automate operations and achieve greater productivity. Nokia and Kalmar will combine their communications and cargo handling technology expertise in new joint go-to-market ventures, integrated solutions development and research collaboration.

Jochen Apel, Vice President Transportation, Logistics and Manufacturing, Nokia Cloud and Network Services, said: "This venture builds on our existing business relationship with Kalmar. Nokia is now bringing a range of digitalisation offerings to the alliance, with particular emphasis on private wireless, to add to Kalmar's cargo handling technology know-how. This joint approach promises significant gains in efficiency and productivity for ports and intermodal terminal operators."

Antti Kaunonen, President, Kalmar Automation Solutions, said: "Port and terminal operators worldwide are eager to leverage the productivity gains on offer with cargo handling automation - and secure, reliable, high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity is an essential part of that equation. By integrating our pioneering Kalmar solutions with the latest Nokia digitalization innovation, we can deliver a new generation of offerings that transform port terminal operations."

In the first of the new collaboration programs, Nokia and Kalmar will incorporate Nokia 4G and 5G private wireless into offering development for use with straddle carriers, automated stacking carriers and rubber-tyred gantry cranes. This will enable ports and terminal operators to increase container handling efficiency and enhance on-site safety levels.

Other near-term technical collaboration will focus on 5G research projects in Finland as well as on ultra-reliable positioning for safe acceleration of automated cargo handling equipment.

As a key component of joint go-to-market and solutions development, Nokia will provide the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) solution. Nokia DAC is an industrial-grade digitalization platform that provides a reliable, secure, and high-performance private wireless network with industrial connectors and edge computing capabilities on a cloud-based monitoring system.

In 2019, Kalmar and Ukkoverkot (now Edzcom), a leading private LTE network provider, announced an agreement with Nokia to build a wireless digitalization infrastructure for port and terminal research and development.

Nokia has more than 220 large enterprise private wireless customers of which more than 30 are 5G. Analyst firmGlobalDatahas named Nokia as market leader in the private wireless marketplace.

Additional resources:

Web page: Kalmar moves towards 5G (https://www.kalmarglobal.com/news--insights/articles/2019/20190110_kalmar-moves-towards-5g/)

Web page: 5G enables mission-critical wireless connectivity for ports and terminals (https://www.kalmarglobal.com/news--insights/articles/2020/20201202_5g/)

Web page:From now to next: Nokia Industrial-grade Private Wireless (https://www.nokia.com/networks/go-allwhere/private-wireless/)

Web page:Nokia Private Wireless for ports (https://www.nokia.com/networks/go-allwhere/private-wireless/ports/)

Web page:Nokia in maritime (https://www.nokia.com/networks/industries/maritime/)

Further information for the press:

Antti Kaunonen, President, Kalmar Automation Solutions, antti.kaunonen@kalmarglobal.com

Maija Eklof, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Kalmar, tel. +358 20 777 4096, maija.eklof@kalmarglobal.com

Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and to heavy industry. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and in energy efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution. Through its extensive product portfolio, global service network and ability to enable a seamless integration of different terminal processes, Kalmar improves the efficiency of every move.www.kalmarglobal.com

Kalmar is part of Cargotec. Cargotec's

About Nokia



We create the critical networks and technologies to bring together the world's 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

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MDC researchers have developed a new approach to CAR T-cell therapy. The team has shown in Nature Communications that the procedure is very effective, especially when it comes to fighting follicular lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common type of blood cancer in adults.

The body's defense system generally does not recognize cancer cells as dangerous. To correct this sometimes fatal error, researchers are investigating a clever new idea, one that involves taking a handful of immune cells from cancer patients and "upgrading" them in the laboratory so that they recognize certain surface proteins in the malignant cells. The researchers then multiply the immune cells and inject them back into the patients' blood - setting them off on a journey through the body to detect and attack all cancer cells in a targeted way.

In fact, the first treatments based on this idea have already been approved: So-called CAR T cells have been used in Europe since 2018, particularly in patients with B-cell lymphomas for whom conventional cancer therapies have not worked.

T cells are like the immune system's police force. The abbreviation CAR stands for "chimeric antigen receptor" - meaning that the cellular police force is equipped with a new, laboratory-designed special antenna that targets a surface protein on the cancer cells. Thanks to this antenna, a small number of T cells can round up a large number of cancer cells and destroy them. Ideally, the CAR T cells patrol the body for weeks, months or even years and thus prevent tumor relapse.

A kind of signpost for B cells

Until now, the antenna on the CAR T cells was primarily directed against the protein CD19, which B cells - a type of immune cells - carry on their surface. Yet this form of therapy is by no means effective in all patients. A team led by Dr. Uta Hoepken, head of the Microenvironmental Regulation in Autoimmunity and Cancer Lab at the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), has now developed a new twist on this therapy that sensitizes the T cells in the laboratory to a different identifying feature: the B-cell homing protein CXCR5.

"CXCR5 was first described at the MDC more than 20 years ago, and I have been studying this protein myself for almost as long," says Hoepken. "I am therefore very pleased that we have now succeeded in using CXCR5 to effectively combat non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, such as follicular and mantle cell lymphoma as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemias, in the laboratory." This protein is a receptor that helps mature B cells move from the bone marrow - where they are produced - to immune system organs such as the lymph nodes and spleen. "Without the receptor, the B cells would not find their way to their target site, the B-cell follicles of these lymphoid organs," Hoepken explains.

A well-suited target

"All mature B cells, including malignant ones, carry this receptor on their surface. So it seemed to us to be well suited to detect B-cell tumors - thereby enabling CAR-T cells directed against CXCR5 to attack the cancer," says Janina Pfeilschifter, a PhD student in Hoepken's team. She and Dr. Mario Bunse from the same research group are the lead authors of the paper, which appeared in the journal Nature Communications. "In our study, we have shown through experiments with human cancer cells and two mouse models that this immunotherapy is most likely safe and very effective," says Pfeilschifter.

The new approach may be particularly well suited for patients with a follicular lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). "Both types of cancer involve not only B cells but also follicular T helper cells, which also carry CXCR5 on their surface," Bunse explains. The special antenna for the identifying feature, the CXCR5-CAR, was generated by Dr. Julia Bluhm during her time as a PhD student in the MDC's Translational Tumorimmunology Lab, which is headed by physician Dr. Armin Rehm. He and Hoepken are the corresponding authors of the study.

First successes in the petri dish

Pfeilschifter and Bunse first showed that various human cells, for example, from blood vessels, the gut and the brain, do not carry the CXCR5 receptor on their surface and are therefore not attacked in the petri dish by T cells equipped with CXCR5-CAR. "This is important to prevent unexpected organ damage from occurring during therapy," Pfeilschifter explains. In contrast, experiments with human tumor cell lines showed that malignant B cells from very different forms of B-non-Hodgkin's lymphoma all display the receptor.

Professor Joerg Westermann, from the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology in the Medical Department of Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin at the Campus Virchow Clinic, also provided the team with tumor cells from patients with CLL or B-non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. "There, too, we were able to detect CXCR5 on all B-lymphoma cells and follicular T helper cells," Pfeilschifter says. When she and Bunse placed the tumor cells in the petri dish together with the CXCR5-targeted CAR T cells, almost all of the malignant B and T helper cells disappeared from the tissue sample after 48 hours.

Mice with leukemia were cured

The researchers also tested the new procedure on two mouse models. "The CAR T cells are infused into the blood of cancer patients," Hoepken says. "So animal research is needed to show that the cells home to the niches where the cancer resides, multiply there and then do their job effectively."

One model consisted of animals with a severely suppressed immune system, which could therefore be treated with human CAR T cells without causing rejection reactions. "We also developed a pure mouse model for CLL specifically for the current study," Bunse reports. "We administered mouse CAR T cells against CXCR5 to these animals by infusion and were able to eliminate mature B cells and T helper cells, including malignant ones, from the B-cell follicles of the lymphoid organs."

The researchers discovered no serious side effects in the mice. "We know from experience with cancer patients that CAR T-cell therapy increases the risk of infection for a few months," Rehm says. But in practice this side effect is almost always easily managed.

A clinical trial is in the works

No laboratory can tackle such a study on its own. It has only come about thanks to a successful collaboration between many colleagues at the MDC and Charite." Dr. Uta Hoepken, Head of the Microenvironmental Regulation in Autoimmunity and Cancer Lab, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Helmholtz Association (MDC)

For her, the study is the first step toward creating a "living drug" - similar to other cellular immunotherapies being developed at MDC. "We are already cooperating with two cancer specialists at Charite and are currently working with them to prepare a phase 1/2 clinical trial," adds Hoepken's colleague Rehm. Both hope that the first patients will begin to benefit from their new CAR-T cell therapy in the near future.

The German Jose Carreras Leukemia Foundation has funded the research with around 240,000 euros over a period of three years. The non-profit organization supports forward-looking research projects and infrastructure projects that investigate the causes of leukemia and improve treatment, as well as social projects.

Three temperature-controlled trucks filled with Covid-19 vaccine vials pulled out of Serum Institutes production plant in Pune at 5 a.m on Tuesday, marking the start of a mega immunization drive in the country. The jabs will be administered beginning January 16.

The trucks that headed to the Pune Airport were specially designed containers equipped with sensors monitoring location, temperature, light exposure and unusual jolting. The first flight to ship out the vaccine to Delhi was a SpiceJet Boeing-737 carrying 22 boxes. Each box weighing 32 kg contained around 12,000 doses of Covishield vaccines and gel packs- a portable plastic bag filled with refrigerant gel. A GoAir flight to Chennai followed shortly.

In all, nine flights transported over 5.6 million doses of the vaccine to 13 cities across the country, prompting civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puris office to compare the effort to Hanuman carrying Sanjeevani from the Himalayas. Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of Delhi International Airport, summed up the exercise. We have synergized, collaborated over multiple months with exporters, importers, logistic companies, freight forwarders, government, police to ensure faster turnaround for vaccines. The air cargo terminals at the airport would work 24x7 to support the vaccine movement. .

As the Spicejet aircraft landed in Delhi after a two-hour flight, the vaccine boxes were transported by cool dollies to warehouses which can maintain a capacity of 5.7 million vials a day.

After the first lot of doses landed in four major zonal centres--Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai--these were trucked to hospitals from where it would be distributed to thousands of nursing homes, hospitals and dispensaries across 718 districts. Vaccines arriving in Delhi and other hubs get the fast-lane treatment meant for priority packages, with an early delivery commitment the following day. Thats part of the logistics worked out for the vaccine transportation.

Kunal Agarwal, co-founder at Kool-Ex Cold Chain, however, said, for us, carrying this vaccine is just a new product in our business which we have been doing for years. Whether Serum or Bharat Biotech, these are our old clients. Our trucks are bulk carriers of vaccines and are meant for long haul transport. Truck fleets that work with pharmaceutical companies typically go through quality audits and certifications.





ALSO READ: Both Serum's Covishield, Bharat Bio's Covaxin vaccines cost same to Centre

On a day with back to back vaccine-related activities, a Kool-Ex truck carried the vials from Delhi Airport to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH), some 36 km away from the airport in the afternoon.

RGSSH, a key Covid facility in Delhi, is doubling up as a vaccine storage centre. We have installed 90 deep freeze refrigerators in the last one month which will help us to maintain temperature between 2 and 8 degree Celsius. The freezers will give a warning beep sound in case temperature rises above 8 degree, said Dr Chhavi Gupta, spokesperson at RGSSH.

Unlike the Pfizer vaccine requiring ultra low temperature, the Serum vaccine can be stored at 2-8 degrees. Even so, dry ice or refrigerant gel packs are a must. Nirbhik Narang, head of cargo division for state-owned Air India, which flew 23 boxes of vaccines to Ahmedabad, explained, we are packing the vaccines in gel packs as that is sufficient to maintain the required temperature for Covishield. When they are exported internationally, we may have to use dry ice, he said.

As the vaccination day nears, planning is being stepped up for a complicated supply chain network comprising factory workers, truck drivers, pilots, bureaucrats, police, pharmacists and health-care workers to converge seamlessly, officials said.

But, there are worries around a patchy internet networka hurdle for the Co-Win platform thats at the core of tracking the vaccine delivery. As a doctor from a public hospital in Ghaziabad pointed out, the dry run had to be halted due to internet glitches.

There could be other issues as well like weather or mechanical problems. The process will become more complex as distribution moves from large urban and suburban areas to more remote locations with smaller populations, as was the case in Agartala, capital of Tripura, on Tuesday. It received only 100 dosages as one of the flights that was supposed to carry the vaccine was cancelled due to poor weather, a state government official said.

But the day one of the vaccine movement was termed successful by bureaucrats. We can say that we have won the first round. Flights out of Pune have seamlessly transported out the vaccines. Priority take-off and landing status was given. Vaccines were loaded last, so that it can be unloaded first at the destination airport. Now off to the second stage, said an official involved in the logistics process.

National Press Club Decries Violence Against Reporters During US Capitol Breach

Leading organizations for members of the press are calling for criminal investigations against individuals who threatened or attacked journalists during protests at the U.S. Capitol.

Presidents of the National Press Club and the National Press Club Journalism Institute said in a statement late Monday that numerous reporters who were inside the Capitol building or covering the events on its grounds last Wednesday were verbally threatened, physically attacked, or had their equipment damaged.

Many of those reporters were covering the joint session of Congress at the time, where lawmakers were counting electoral votes. Those reporters were forced to hide or flee for their safety, the statement said, when rioters and some protesters stormed into the Capitol building. Violent threats were also written on the door of the Capitol building, they added.

Journalists are witnesses and rarely in the history of our country has the work of reporters been more important than on January 6, 2021, in documenting the deadly insurrection that nearly toppled our government, National Press Club President Michael Freedman and National Press Club Journalism Institute President Angela Greiling Keane said in a statement.

They are important chroniclers of democracy. Press freedom is a key tenet of American democracy and democracies worldwide. Journalists ability to do their jobs and operate unimpeded by threats and violence is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Any attempt to interfere with that right should be investigated and wrongdoers prosecuted.

Civil unrest and acts of violence at the U.S. Capitol marred otherwise peaceful protests on Jan. 6. A group of rioters and some protesters waving American and Trump flags illegally stormed the Capitol building as lawmakers were counting electoral votes in a joint session of Congress. Clashes in the area on the day left five people dead and dozens of police officers injured.

Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, announced on Jan. 7 that 55 people had been arrested and charged in Washington and federal courts in connection to violence that interrupted lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence debating whether or not to count electoral votes for Arizona. Since then, dozens more have been charged in state and federal courts.

United States Capitol Polices (USCP) Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman announced late Monday that several Capitol Police officers have been suspended following a review of video and other open source materials of Wednesdays Capitol breach.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, told reporters on Monday that the USCP is cracking down on all individuals involved that potentially facilitated, on a big level or small level in any way, in the assault on Capitol grounds. The USCP investigations are still ongoing.

Corporate media, lawmakers, former officials, and other critics are blaming President Donald Trump for Wednesdays incident, with some calling for his impeachment. Earlier that day, the president addressed a crowd in Washington D.C. where he reiterated his allegations about election irregularities and fraud, and his dissatisfaction with the media and several lawmakers. At 12:16 p.m., he encouraged protesters to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard at the planned protest outside the Capitol.

As thousands of protesters moved their demonstration to the U.S. Capitol, small pockets of violence were reported during clashes with police and media, while the vast majority of protesters remained peaceful. At 2:15 p.m., a small subgroup began rioting, smashing windows in an attempt to enter the Capitol building as other protesters tried to stop them. Shortly after, at 2:38 p.m., Trump started posting on Twitter, urging protesters to Stay peaceful. He continued his urge for peace and respect for law enforcement throughout the afternoon, until he was unable to after Twitter restricted and suspended his account.

Rioters ended up breaching the Capitol building, and other protesters followed inside. Trump has since condemned the heinous attack by intruders on the Capitol, saying the demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy.

To those who engaged in acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay, he said.

The events on Jan. 6 have triggered an effort by big tech companies to ramp up its policing of content that they claim could lead to potential harm offline. Much of their enforcement actions have been directed towards President Donald Trump, his supporters, conservatives, as well as QAnon followers.

Twitter has permanently removed Trumps account from its platform and justified its censorship by saying that the president had violated its Glorification of Violence Policy.

Meanwhile, Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon are among the companies that have taken actions to suspend their services for certain users, citing violations of company policies.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The government will take on the repair and operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport if private firms looking to take over the project are unable to keep up with what the state requires for the 109-billion project.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government is not at fault for years of delay of the NAIA Rehabilitation Project, pinning the blame instead on private proponents who appear unprepared to take on upgrades for the country's biggest but dilapidated gateway.

TIMELINE: The NAIA rehabilitation project

The Cabinet official alluded to the NAIA Consortium  composed of seven of the country's biggest conglomerates  who handled the project for nearly three years only to back out earlier this year. He then refuted claims made by the Megawide-GMR group, saying it has not proven its financial capacity.

In November, Dominguez and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua returned the plan of Megawide-GMR to the Department of Transporation as they found Megawide's 18 billion equity as of end-2019 lacking. According to them, the firms need at least 32.6 billion as show money to support the NAIA plan.

Megawide officials argued during the Senate hearing that there was a difference in interpreting the 30% equity requirement, and that they could meet the required amount with a corresponding investment from its Indian partner, GMR Infrastructure.

Dominguez is not convinced. "The only thing we have seen so far is the press releases that they have capital, but we haven't seen it in actuality. What is the private sector doing  they want to do (it) or they don't want to do it?"

"Make up your mind because if not, NAIA will do it itself," President Rodrigo Duterte's top economic man said during the virtual meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines. "It may not be as good as the plans of the private sector, but their plans cannot be implemented anyway so what's the point of discussing that? Let's do something that we can do. NAIA is prepared to do it," he added.

RELATED: Poe hits double standard between Megawide, Dito on equity and project contracts

Megawide has submitted a formal appeal to bring back its original proponent status for the project after only five months of negotiations with the government. If reinstated, the company will take on the rehabilitation and operations of NAIA terminals 1-3, with the first phase involving the overhaul of terminal 1 with a design inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces.

San Miguel Corporation and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions, Inc. have submitted their own proposals to operate and maintain NAIA. Megawide previously upgraded the Mactan Cebu International Airport and the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG), an insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire specialist UK insurance broker The Bollington Wilson Group. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction will close following regulatory approval. Sale-based Bollington, which was founded in 1973, now has more than 400 employees. Following the deal, the business will become part of Gallagher's UK Retail Division. Paul Moors, Group CEO, will remain with Gallagher as Chairman of Bollington. Michael Rea, CEO of Gallagher's UK Retail Division, said, 'Bollington is hugely respected. This thriving business has strong capability and an impressive portfolio of specialisms that are complementary to our existing business lines, and will provide us with additional scale in the regional commercial broking sector.' 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.
Majority of Protestant churchgoers do not attend alone: LifeWay

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The vast majority of Protestant churchgoers in the United States do not attend alone, but rather go with family or friends, according to a new report by LifeWay Research.

In a report titled Most Protestant Churchgoers Dont Go to Church Alone that was released Tuesday, LifeWay asked Protestant churchgoers who normally travels with them to church.

Eighty-one percent of respondents said they attend church with at least one other person, with options including spouse, children, grandchildren, other family, friend, or someone who lacks transportation.

Respondents were allowed to select multiple options. The most common response was my spouse, with 54 percent of respondents selecting that option.

The next most common was child/children at 31 percent, followed by another family member at 18 percent, and friend or acquaintance at 11 percent.

Those who responded that they travel to church by themselves was 19 percent, with respondents aged 50 or older being more likely than respondents aged 18-34 to say they travel alone (23 percent vs. 13 percent).

LifeWay drew from an online survey conducted Sept. 20-27 of last year, which had a sample of 1,002 American Protestants who attend church at least once a month.

Other findings from the report included men being more likely than women to report attending worship with their spouse (64 percent vs. 46 percent), women being more likely than men to say their children travel with them (36 percent vs. 24 percent), and 3 percent of respondents reporting going to church with someone who lacks transportation.

Many weeks, its hard enough for attendees to get themselves to church, so its not surprising few are stopping to pick up a neighbor, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, in a statement released with the report.

The reality is, if every Christian driving or riding to church this week used the extra vehicle seats around them to bring other people, churches would likely not be able to contain the crowds.

Last August, LifeWay released a report that found a majority of Protestant churchgoers believed they could walk with God without the need of other believers.

Sponsored by the Center for Church Revitalization at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the report found that 65 percent of Protestant churchgoers said they could walk with God without other Christians and 36 percent of respondents agreed strongly.

At the same time, however, the 2019 report also found that 75 percent of respondents felt they needed help from others with their walk of faith.

"The 'needing, yet not needing' responses demonstrate an internal turmoil of individuals desiring community, but not seeing the church as the place to have those needs met," said Kenneth Priest, interim director of the Center, at the time.

"Solo Christianity is an inward desire to seek after spiritual matters without the realization biblical community is what will fulfill the desire they are seeking.
Hundreds of freshers, some accompanied by their parents, yesterday besieged the residential halls of the University of Ghana to go through the residential formalities as the university opened its gates to them.



At the Akuafo Hall, Mensah Sabbah Hall, Legon Hall and the Porter Hall, the situation was not different, as parents engaged in arguments and sometimes confrontation with the officials attending to the students.



Congestion



The huge numbers created congestion and confusion as they virtually threw the COVID-19 protocols, especially social distancing, to the dogs as they jostled and accused one another of either jumping the queue or intentionally being mischievous to create commotion.



The premises of the Standard Chartered Bank, where the students were directed to pay their Junior Common Room (JCR) dues and the refundable deposits, was choked with students and parents, making it difficult for security personnel to control the situation.



The rush to go through the registration procedures ended up creating heavy traffic on the Madina-Okponglo stretch as parents transported their children to the school.



The situation became worse from the Okponglo Junction into the campus as it is the only entrance for those who do not hold the e-card and non-staff of the university.



Rush for accommodation



Explaining the situation, the President of the Legon Hall JCR, Mr Michael Boadi Ampomah, said the congestion was caused by students who did not gain access to accommodation on campus but still came with their parents, hoping to secure one.



He said those who secured accommodation would be attended to, adding that the banks were ready and all who secured the accommodation were required to enter the banks to pay their JCR dues and the refundable deposits against any eventualities.



Mr Ampomah explained that all those who sat in the open spaces and outside were those who did not get the accommodation and had come with the hope of securing it.



They are the people that have actually made this place crowded. Those who are actually going through the registration are few. All those people sitting out there are parents who are seeking accommodation, he explained.



Appeal to freshers



Mr Ampomah explained that those who had accommodation were being attended to first and if there were available rooms, it would be the prerogative of the senior tutors to deal with.



He appealed to the freshers and their parents to calm down, urging that those who did not get accommodation to wait for those who were successful to be attended to then we can see what can be done about that, but do not come here if you actually do not have the accommodation.



One of freshers, who gave her name as Ewurabena, told journalists that she had earlier applied for a place at the Legon Hall, paid the fees, printed out her proof of payment, but then, registering online again, I was told that the room was no longer available.



So, I was told to report today and I have received a message that I have gotten a private hostel and so, am here to be guided because I do not know whether the earlier money paid would be refunded, she said.



Enforcement



When contacted, the Dean of Student Affairs of the university, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, admitted that the management had great difficulties enforcing the health protocols, explaining that it was basically because most parents travelled from all over the country to the campus, coming in at the same time.



He gave the assurance Tuesday, which would be the second day for the registration, management would be able to improve on the situation, explaining that it was because the entry onto the campus was largely unrestricted.



Text messages



Going forward, text messages will have to be sent to parents as a form of education, Prof. Bokpin explained and gave the assurance that subsequently, management would better enforce some of the health protocols.



He reminded all that the university was not exempted from COVID-19 and therefore, appealed to parents, students and staff of the university to adhere to all the health protocols.



Am appealing to all of them to let us do this as an honour to our country and the university as we observe all the health protocols, Prof. Bokpin explained.



Orientation



On registration and orientation, the Dean of Students Affairs was happy that a large number of the freshers had done the academic registration and announced that the orientation would take place Tuesday via online platforms, and that the link would be shared with the freshers.



He added that the date for commencement of lectures for both continuing students and the freshers would be January 18.

Source: graphiconline.com









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A FOURTH man has been charged over the murder of a pub manager who was shot dead at a bar in Dublin four years ago.

Christopher Slater (36) appeared in Dublin District Court accused of killing father-of-five Michael Barr in the Sunset House in the north inner city.

He was remanded in custody to next week.

Mr Slater, with an address at Carnlough Road in Cabra, is charged with murdering Mr Barr at the pub on Summerhill Parade, Dublin 1 on April 25, 2016.

He was standing at the counter when two men wearing masks entered and one of them shot him seven times. At the time, Mr Barr (35), from Co Tyrone, was the seventh victim of the Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Detective Garda David Chapman said in evidence he arrested Mr Slater at the Bridewell Garda Station at 9.20pm last night for the purpose of charging him with the offence of murdering Michael Barr.

The accused made no reply to the charge after caution at 9.48pm and was handed a copy of the charge sheet, Det Gda Chapman said.

No bail application was made on the accused's behalf as bail can only be granted at high court level on a murder charge.

Judge Conal Gibbons remanded Mr Slater in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on December 29, by way of video link.

Defence solicitor Eoghan O'Sullivan asked the judge if he could recommend that the warrant was made out to remand the accused to Mountjoy Prison instead. Judge Gibbons refused, saying this was a matter for the prison authorities and not the court.

The judge granted free legal aid following an application by Mr O'Sullivan, who said Mr Slater was "not in receipt of any money." There was no garda objection.

The accused, dressed in a green body warmer over a dark top and tracksuit bottoms and wearing a face mask, was not required to address the court during the brief hearing.

Three other people have been charged and convicted in connection with the killing of Mr Barr.

Eamon Cumberton (33) of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, was jailed for life in 2018 at the Special Criminal Court after he was convicted of the murder. Cumberton had denied the charge.

Accomplice, David Hunter (42) from Liverpool and with a prior address at at Du Cane Road, White City in London, was later jailed for life for taking part in the murder.

A third man, Martin Aylmer, was jailed for three years for helping an organised crime gang commit the murder.
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The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday clarified that Bharat Biotech is supplying 16.5 lakh doses of its COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' free of cost to the government ahead of the mega vaccination drive in India, which is slated to begin from 16 January.

"BBIL will provide 16.50 lakh doses of Covaxin free of cost to the Central govt as a special gesture," said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

The clarification comes after reports of Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech was reportedly said to be sold at 295 per dose yesterday.

Bharat Biotech is charging the government only for 38.5 lakh doses at 295/dose, the health ministry further said.

"Considering that the total procurement is of 55 lakh doses, the price comes down to 206 per dose," it added.

The health ministry in a press briefing also informed that 100% doses of Covid-19 vaccines are to be received by 14 January. "This means 110 lakh doses from SII and 55 lakh doses from Bharat Biotech," it said.

"The Government of India agreed to procure 110 lakh Covishield vaccine doses from Serum Institute of India (SII) at 200/dose. 55 lakh doses of Covaxin to be procured from Bharat Biotech(BBIL), of which 38.5 lakh doses priced at 295/dose (excluding taxes)," clarified Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

Over 1.1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine are being procured from Serum Institute of India at a cost of 200 per dose, excluding taxes, the ministry said.

India's drugs regulator has approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.

The vaccine programme in the country has started and the airports cargo division is gearing up to meet the demands as the city is the vaccine hub of the world, the official added.

"The inoculation effect takes 14 days to develop after the administration of the two dosages. Hence it is imperative to maintain COVID appropriate behaviour," Bhushan added.

Covaxin is being indigenously developed byBharatBiotechin collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in BharatBiotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) bio-containment facility, the firm had earlier said.

Meanwhile, Serum Institute began to dispatch its locally produced Oxford Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield' across the country in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The first consignment containing vials of the Covishield vaccine was dispatched from the Serum Institute of India in Delhi in the early hours of Tuesday, four days ahead of the launch of the nationwide vaccination drive.

A SpiceJet aircraft carrying the vaccines landed at the Delhi airport around 10 am.

Amid tight security, three trucks carrying the very first consignment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine left for Pune airport to be flown to 13 locations across the country today.

India has recently approved two COVID-19 vaccines -- Oxford's Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in the country, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin -- for restricted emergency use.

















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Play "The Mission of Egg" is staged at ARKO Arts Theater through Sunday as part of the ARKO Selection program. Courtesy of ARKO



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) presents five new plays as part of its ARKO Selection, a program supporting noteworthy new and revived performing arts productions.



ARKO Selection, launched in 2008, aims to discover and nurture new performing arts works. It has supported premieres of 206 shows as of last year. In 2020, 21 shows  play, dance, traditional art, musical and opera  were chosen for ARKO Selection.



The selected shows won a contest held back in 2019 and were developed for about a year before premiering.



"A total of 194 shows applied for the contest and about half of the entries were plays. The five chosen plays will premiere in January after a closed showcase," Hwang Geum-sil of ARKO explained.



"ARKO Selection, which enters its 13th year, began as a support program for new plays and then expanded to other genres, such as dance and musical. We are trying our best to establish the selected works and find new markets by selling copyright and being invited by overseas theaters and festivals."



This year's five plays are "Evolution of Love" by Gimjang Day, "The Mission of Egg" by the Blue Beard Collective, "The Way to Cannes" by Lapupuplay and "A Pain of Forgiveness" by Research Spectacle.



"This year's five selected works look at contemporary society from the border where people meet, clash and harmonize and raise awareness on various issues that are often shunned or ignored," Hwang said.





Play "Evolution of Love" is staged at Daehakro Arts Theater through Sunday as part of the ARKO Selection program. Courtesy of ARKO



Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARKO Selection plays are performed according to the level 2.5 social distancing guidelines, with two empty seats between each occupied seat.



Despite the pandemic, ARKO made efforts to reach audiences in various ways. Hwang said ARKO Selection signed an MOU with CGV in 2019 and introduced a donation system via Naver TV this year.



"This is a new challenge for us to experiment in online distribution of performing arts, encouraging the audience pay for online showings voluntarily. We are grateful for our loyal audience and trying to provide some kind of incentive for them," Hwang said.



"Evolution of Love" is a 12-chapter play exploring multiple aspects of love in documentary style, staged at Daehakro Arts Theater through Sunday. Lee Young-eun, director of "Evolution of Love," said the troupe looks into and researches a theme each year and it is love this time.



"We all give and receive love, but it is difficult to define clearly what love is. So we tried to find the answer by scrutinizing love from various perspectives  philosophy, psychology, brain science, sociology and more," Lee said. "We looked at acts of discrimination, prejudice and violence committed in the name of love and concluded that love needs social evolution."



"The Mission of Egg," a modern take on mythology centering on a female narrative, is staged at ARKO Arts Theater through Sunday. Based in southern city of Gyeongju, the play revolves around a female archeologist and "hyangga," or Korean folk song from the Silla era, trying to find new elements from traditional materials.



Director Ahn Jeong-min said the play aims to shed new light on the patriarchy, defying gender binarism.



"Nulan Nulan (Most Precarious Situations)," staged at ARKO Arts Theater from Jan. 22 to 31, is set at a university facing restructuring.



Playwright Hong Chang-soo said he tried to portray universities in capitalistic competition.



"Their pursuit of truth is gone and they endlessly compete to survive. Professors and students alike lost their original aim and I wanted to look back on the value of basic arts and science and humanities," Hong said.





Play "The Way to Cannes" is staged at Daehakro Arts Theater from Jan. 22 to 31 as part of the ARKO Selection program. Courtesy of ARKO
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, in collaboration with NUI Galway and IT Sligo, is hosting a free online workshop to discover how social robots are being used in dementia care and will explore how they may be used in future care models in Ireland.

The online workshop titled Using Social Robots in Dementia Care - Current Challenges and Future Possibilities will be held via Zoom on January 20 from 9.30am-2.30pm.

The workshop will be of interest to social carers, family or informal carers looking after somebody with dementia, as well as healthcare policy makers and technologists working in this field.

The session also aims to ignite a discussion where participants can share their experiences and views in relation to how we may use social robots in dementia care in the future and what they see as potential benefits and risks of increasing use of such robots.

Members of the public can get their free ticket on the Eventbrite page through registering by January 15.

"The population of Europe is ageing rapidly, thus, the number of people who will be diagnosed with dementia is going to increase over the coming years," organisers say.

"There are 64,000 people with dementia in Ireland and the number of people with the condition will more than double in the next 25 years to over 150,000 by 2045.

"It is now necessary to explore various care models including the potential of using social robots to support people living with dementia. Given the current Covid-19 pandemic, this workshop is more timely and relevant than ever before."

This workshop is funded by Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education. This workshop is part of the Erasmus+ funded Prospero project and one of the key aims of Prospero is to examine and devise new ways of teaching future care professionals about how social robots can be used.

The ASI brought the social robot, Paro, to Ireland for the first time in 2018 to help with the delivery of person-centred care at our Orchard Day Care Centre in Blackrock, Co Dublin. Paro is an advanced interactive therapeutic robot and registered medical device. Paro is proven to reduce stress, increase socialisation, stimulate interaction and improve relaxation and motivation for people with dementia.

Manager of The ASIs Orchard Day Care Centre Mary Hickey said: The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is delighted to be taking part in this exciting workshop alongside NUI Galway and IT Sligo. The introduction of social robotics to The Orchard Daycare centre has helped us to explore the effects of new and innovative technology to support our service delivery. We discovered that Paro and other robotic devices can offer real psychological support and companionship to some of our clients and we really look forward to sharing our experience of social robotics in a daycare setting as well as exploring their possible future uses in these challenging times for service delivery.
Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



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In a significant victory for environmentalists and concerned citizens, the Uttarakhand High Court has issued a stay on the de-notification of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve  the state's only jumbo reserve.

The state Wildlife Board had in November decided to denotify the reserve to ease the way for the expansion of Jolly Grant Airport of Dehradun.

AAI

However, the Uttarakhand HC, which was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dehradun-based activist Reenu Paul on Friday, issued a stay on the de-notification.

Earlier on January 4, another division bench of the court had issued notices to the Centre, the state government and the state wildlife board over the decision to denotify the elephant reserve. They were given four weeks' time to reply.

Previously, around 80 people had written to acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath, pleading to stop the de-notification of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve by the government.

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In the PIL, the petitioner had argued that the asiatic elephant is at its westernmost habitat in Uttarakhand and it would be cruel to destroy it.

Over 2,000 elephants in Uttarakhand

According to the latest estimates, there are around 2,026 wild elephants in Uttarakhand.

As per the elephants census carried out between June 6 and June 8 and the number of elephants rose nearly 10 per cent from 1,839 in 2017.

The Shivalik Elephant reserve was notified in 2002 under 'Project Elephant', which was launched by the government of India in 1992.

BCCL

Shivalik Elephant Reserve comprises forest divisions of Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Nainital and Almora districts and some parts of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Corbett Tiger Reserve.

However, according to the current government, as per the norms of the central government, there is no law or Act yet under which the legal status of an elephant reserve is defined.

The government wanted to alter its status to make it easy for the cutting of some 10,000 trees in the reserve for the expansion of the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.

BCCL

Uttarakhand Forest minister Harak Singh Rawat said that the State Government would be challenging the stay order in the Apex Court.

"We will fight against the stay and respond to the suo motu notice taken by the high court earlier. Elephant reserve is not a legal entity and therefore, there should be no legalities around it," said Rawat.
UPDATE: New information has emerged regarding the death of the Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick that questions the initial cause of his death provided by officials close to the Capitol Police.

One had dreamed of becoming a police officer and was injured in a clash with rioters. One was an Air Force veteran and a fervent supporter of President Trump who was shot by the police. Three others were Trump loyalists  including one who sold kangaroos dressed like the president  who suffered what the authorities called medical emergencies.

These five people from disparate backgrounds and different corners of the country now share one fate: Their lives all ended last week as a mob incited by Mr. Trump stormed the Capitol.

Federal prosecutors have opened investigations into the deaths of two  the officer beaten by pro-Trump rioters, and the California woman shot inside the Capitol. But the authorities have released limited information about the deaths of the others, while families and friends have been grappling with scattered accounts of their final actions that day.
I had a conversation over the weekend with a senior career lawyer (who is a Trump supporter) with a federal agency who passed along some interesting information. He said career federal officials in Washington he spoke with on Thursday and Friday are seriously rattled by last Wednesdays events. Among other things, the fact that apparently some Capitol Police were friendly with the protestors who entered the building have federal bureaucrats wondering whether they can fully trust their own security personnel. Will the feds start trying to screen security personnel by ideology? Oh, thatd be just great. Pretty sure there are a bunch of German names for a fully politicized police force, but I forget what they are right now.

Beyond the security question, this person told me the mob action has been a psychological blow on the DC bureaucracy which didnt think such an open expression of tangible disrespect for the government was possible. In other words, the capitol mob was a blow to their status, and Washingtonians believe the entire protest represents more than just anger at the election outcome: the disrespectful spirit of the day represents a real threat to their power going forward. This is one reason for the paranoia of Democrats at the moment, and they worry that more such protests are not only possible but likely. Part of the reason there is such fury on the left to run Trump out of office right away is that DC is genuinely afraid of him and his followers. Machiavelli might approve. Hence the calls to deploy national guard units in DC in large numbers for Inauguration next week.

Right away a few observations come to mind. First, if you squint the right way, you can see that our leaders dont really take BLM and Antifa protests very seriously, and hence the kid glove treatment they get. The property damage may be significant, but our government likely doesnt think Antifa and BLM amount to a significant political threat. Hence the leniency of the government response at all levels to riot season last year. But if the government at all levels now tries to crack down on pro-Trump protestors, wont they have to also tighten their rules of engagement with Antifa, or will there now be a political litmus test for rules of engagement? There is, this person said, a lot of hand-wringing going on about the fact that of the hundreds of people who invaded the capitol building, only about 50 arrests were made. (There may be more as law enforcement goes about identifying people.) But the point is: from the perspective of the Deep State, the mob largely got away with it.

Second, there is a lot of controversy and conflicting reports on whether a national guard presence had been requested for last Wednesday. Heres a certainty: if Trump had requested deployment of the national guard beforehand to stand by at the capitol, the left would have screamed that this show of force was all part of Trumps plan to stage a military coup to stop the certification of the election.

UPDATE: Sure enough, it seems the government is going to apply stricter justice for the Wednesday protestors:

Prosecutors weigh heavy hammer  felony murder  for rioters in Capitol officers death . . . While most murder investigations focus on the person or persons who caused the fatal injury, former federal prosecutor Tim Heaphy said prosecutors could charge many rioters with felony murder, even if they were nowhere near Sicknick.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
Countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Nigeria, are cooperating with China in procuring or rolling out COVID-19 vaccines produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, according to the South China Morning Post.

Indonesia said it would launch a mass vaccination program with the CoronaVac made by Sinovac on Jan 13, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo first in line to receive the vaccine.

Chito Sta Romana, Manila's envoy to China, said on Monday that Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac would apply this week for emergency use authorization with the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration, the newspaper reports.

The Philippines aims to finalize negotiations with Sinovac Biotech to acquire 25 million doses of its vaccine for delivery by March.

Thailand is expecting to get 200,000 doses of CoronaVac next month, 800,000 in March and another 1 million in April.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is in talks to procure China-made coronavirus vaccines, Geoffrey Onyeama, the West African country's foreign minister, said during Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit on Tuesday.

"We are also engaging with China to help with regards to access to vaccines for our people," Onyeama said while briefing the media on discussions with Wang.
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French fishmongers and seafood factories are suspending orders from Britain

Deliveries that used to land on shelves in just 24 hours are now taking up to three days to arrive due to new 'zero-tolerance' post-Brexit policy on paperwork

Supplies have been turned back due to Latin names of fish species being spelled incorrectly on forms, frustrated importers say

French fishmongers have complained that supply chains which used to put British fish on European tables in just over a day have been shattered by local bureaucrats enforcing post-Brexit red tape.

Importers say French agents have adopted a 'zero-tolerance' approach that has seen deliveries delayed because Latin names of fish species were incorrectly entered on papers and because sanitary certificates were missing stamps.

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Both fishmongers and seafood factories are now suspending orders from Britain as deliveries of salmon and lobster that used to take just 24 hours to end up on French shelves are now being held up for two or three days - meaning they spoil in transit.

'We've never known such delays,' said Arnaud Mille, head of sourcing at Demarne Freres in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and who counts Britain as his top supplier. 'It's been apocalyptic.'

Importers in Boulogne-sur-Mer said that deliveries were sometimes being held up because the Latin names of fish species were incorrectly entered on papers.

Other reasons for delays included sanitary certificates missing the required stamps and French agents adopting a zero-tolerance approach to mistakes in the cumbersome process

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The news comes after 'nit-picking' Dutch border police were filmed laughing at a British truck driver while confiscating his ham sandwiches in line with post-Brexit import rules.

Today it was revealed Dutch customs officers paraded a pile of confiscated items including muesli and Waitrose chicken fillets seized from from Britons crossing the EU border as they warned 'you can't just bring in food from the UK'.

For French fishmongers, the result of the delays in delivering fish is a chaotic breakdown in supply chains from the outer reaches of the British Isles to the northern French port of Boulogne, which used to see Scottish langoustine and scallops in French shops just over a day after they were harvested.

Deliveries were taking at least one or two days longer than previously, if they got through at all.

Those moving seafood from Britain into the bloc face some of the toughest requirements, including mandatory sanitary checks. Pictured: Agents carry out sanitary control checks on salmon exported from Britain on arrival in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer

Fishmongers and seafood factories are now suspending orders from Britain as they battle to salvage their just-in-time supply chains. Pictured: A refrigerated truck from the fish processing plants in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France on January 11

A French worker checks stickers on Scottish salmon boxes in a fish processing plant in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer on January 11

Now in its second week, the disruption meant it was almost impossible for importers to place orders in a truck carrying multiple consignments from different suppliers.

Mille said he had sent an SMS message to French customs officials asking them to go easy while the industry learned to navigate the new bureaucracy, but was yet to receive a response.

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The delays mean seafood is not always hitting European markets as fresh as it once did. In a consignment of English-caught crab that arrived at Mille's warehouse a day late on Saturday, 20 per cent of the crustaceans had perished.

Brexit had undone decades of cooperation to finesse the supply chain, some importers in Boulogne, Europe's biggest fish processing centre, said.

'We've lost 30 years,' said Mille.

Importer Arnaud Mille said he had sent an SMS message to French customs officials asking them to go easy while the industry learned to navigate the new bureaucracy, but was yet to receive a response

The delays mean seafood is not always hitting European markets as fresh as it once did. In a consignment of English-caught crab that arrived at Arnaud Mille's Demarne Freres warehouse a day late on Saturday, 20 per cent of the crustaceans had perished. Pictured: Mr Mille holding a dead crab due to the slow delivery time

Britain's divorce from the EU heralded the return of a customs border and additional paperwork and costs. Those moving seafood from Britain into the bloc face some of the toughest requirements, including mandatory sanitary checks.

Stephane Pruvost, chief executive of fish processor JP Maree, said he had suspended all imports from Britain. For now he was trying to fill the gap in his salmon and monkfish orders from markets such as Norway and Denmark.

'When you have fewer sellers, there's less choice on price, and sometimes quality,' he said. 'For now we've no other choice.'

Scottish truck driver Robert Marshall spent a day sat in his cab at Boulogne's sanitary control checkpoint, a few hundred metres from the hangar-like complex where he was to drop off his salmon cargo, waiting for a snag with his customs documents to be fixed.

'My wheels are not turning so I'm not making money,' the ex-soldier said. 'I'll be looking at this over the next couple of months to see if it's viable.'

Scottish truck driver Robert Marshall spent a day sat in his cab at Boulogne's sanitary control checkpoint, a few hundred metres from the hangar-like complex where he was to drop off his salmon cargo, waiting for a snag with his customs documents to be fixed

The sanitary checks involved opening iced crates to check the merchandise was fresh and conserved at the correct temperature.

Sanitary control agents were conducting tests on 15 per cent of consignments of wild-caught fish and 30 per cent of farmed fish and molluscs, said Charles-Henri Goeury, head of Boulogne's SIVEP checkpoint.

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The checks involved opening iced crates to check the merchandise was fresh and conserved at the correct temperature.

He denied trucks had been held up for hours because of the checks, pointing instead to customs paperwork. His team had been flexible with minor administrative oversights but would soon get stricter, he said.

The need for Boulogne wholesalers to obtain the license, signature and boat registration of each skipper made it impossible to send a mixed load of mullet from France, turbot from Belgium and sea urchins from Spain to a buyer in Britain. Customs charges added hundreds of euros to costs.

In charge of exports at L'Argonaute, Pierre Haem said he had spent more time chasing papers than selling fish since Jan. 1, and had resorted to shipping only squid.

'Sending fish to London used to be as simple as selling it down the end of the road,' Haem said. 'Now it's like sending fish to planet Mars.'

Now they're taking our muesli! Gloating Dutch customs staff reveal MORE food seized from Britons entering the country after Brexit  but it includes Spanish oranges and American orange juice

By Nick Craven, Tim Stickings, Chris Jewers and William Cole for MailOnline

Dutch port officials have paraded a stash of food including muesli seized from Britons crossing the EU border after confiscating a 'small mountain' of items since the new Brexit rules came into force on January 1.

Customs officers showed off a pile of confiscated items including Waitrose chicken fillets, American Tropicana orange juice, Spanish marmalade oranges and even Dorset Cereals muesli as they warned 'you can't just bring in food from the UK'.

It came after 'nit-picking' border police took ham sandwiches off a truck driver and told him 'Welcome to Brexit', sparking anger among Brexiteer MPs.

Officials at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal said the offending items had been destroyed under rules requiring a health certificate for bringing food into the EU.

The same rules are also in force in Calais and other EU ports, although there have been no reports of French or Belgian officials confiscating sandwiches so far.

Dutch TV reporter Floris Prenger said he and his crew saw a 'small mountain' of food confiscated from arriving travellers as they filmed at the giant ferry port near Rotterdam where sailings from Harwich in Essex arrive several times daily.

'Maybe this is something that people overlooked in Brexit,' he said, 'but the customs guys wanted to get the message out that food is not allowed to be taken into the EU from outside in any form.'

Dutch port officials showed off a pile of confiscated items at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal including Waitrose chicken fillets, Tropicana orange juice, marmalade oranges and even Dorset Cereals muesli. The caption says: 'Are you bringing food from the UK?'

A Dutch customs official picks up a bag of oranges from the boot of a car that arrived on the ferry in Hook of Holland during the first week of the new Brexit rules

The seized items included Tropicana fruit juice, boxes of oranges and Waitrose chicken fillets

One Briton voiced fears that the confiscations at Hook of Holland meant that 'all food in UK caravans and motorhomes is now illegal'.

Dutch authorities insisted this was not the case, pointing to government advice which says that health certificates can be obtained if necessary and that some foods such as sweets and chocolate are not subject to checks.

But there was criticism from Britons over the strict application of the rules, with one saying that 'I thought the Dutch at least would have taken an adult attitude to this'.

There were even complaints from some Dutch readers. One, Rinus Middelaar replied: 'Don't you realise what a crazy situation is being created by politics? Idiocy to the top. We're talking about food waste.'

But Harry Kocheim, believed to be a Dutch customs officer, replied: 'You don't understand one thing. We as customs officials took the oath. We MUST follow the lawThe UK wanted their Brexit if necessary, so go complain to Boris Johnson and not to the Dutch customs.'

It came as Brexiteers criticised Dutch border police for mocking a Polish truck driver who had his sandwiches confiscated after arriving from Britain at the same port.

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir,' one of the officers says in the video of the incident, as the driver pleads: 'Can you take the meat and leave me the bread?'

The EU does not allow for meat, meat products, milk or dairy products to be brought in from countries outside the union for 'personal consumption'.

With Britain having left the EU on January 1, the rules now apply to people crossing the Channel.

But the border officer's strict stance on the newly-imposed rules has been slammed as 'pathetic nit-picking' by a leading Brexiteer.

'The whole story smacks of one sandwich short of a picnic, literally,' Andrew Bridgen MP told MailOnline.

'As the Dutch know as well as everyone else in the EU we have the highest food standards in Europe.

Pictured: A still from footage showing Dutch police officers confiscating food from a British lorry driver. Holding up the man's ham sandwiches wrapped in foul, they are seen telling him that the sandwiches will have to be confiscated because they have ham in them

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir,' one of the officers is heard saying in the video of the incident, as the driver asks: 'Can you take the meat and leave me the bread?'

Mr Bridgen, a prominent Eurosceptic, spent 22 years in the food industry before entering Parliament in 2010.

'Is this is going to be the way it is then? Are they really going to go through a lorry driver's lunchbox going through customs, for something that is causing any danger?

'We need to talk to the European Union about what is really quite pathetic nit-picking. Otherwise this will not be good for the Dutch ports, hauliers will go somewhere else.'

Mark Francois, chairman of the Tory backbench European Research Group, said: 'This is pettifogging bureaucracy gone mad.

'The EU have always worried that a dynamic, free-trading UK, outside the EU, would eventually eat their lunch on world markets, so now they are retaliating by trying to steal our truckers' lunches instead! It's pathetic really.'

Dutch customs confiscate dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hook of Holland

Mark Francois, Chairman of parliament's European Research Group, said: 'This is petitfogging bureaucracy gone mad'

Dutch officers can be heard in the footage explaining the new post-Brexit rules for drivers crossing into the EU, which forbids bringing in certain foods that originated in the UK.

'Since Brexit you are [no longer allowed] certain foods to Europe,' one border official at the Hook of Holland sea port explained to the Netherlands' NPO television.

The footage shows officers rooting through people's vehicles and holding up any food they find within, saying that it will need to be confiscated.

When the driver - coming off the ferry from Britain - asks the officials whether he could keep the bread of his ham sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil, the official is heard saying: 'No, everything will be confiscated  welcome to the Brexit, sir. I'm sorry.'

Guidance from the UK government produced for drivers travelling to EU countries states: 'From 1 January 2021 you will not be able to bring POAO (products of an animal origin) such as those containing meat or dairy (e.g. a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU.'

Pictured: The driver's ham sandwiches, wrapped in foil. Under new rules imposed on Britain following its exit from the EU, meat and dairy for personal consumption cannot be brought into the EU from the UK

When the driver asking the officials whether he could just keep the bread of his ham sandwiches which had been wrapped in tinfoil the official said: 'No, everything will be confiscated  welcome to the Brexit, sir. I'm sorry'

More serious food supply problems have emerged since the UK fully left the EU on January 1 with gaps appearing on supermarket fruit and veg shelves amid warnings that supplies are being squeezed by Brexit red tape at ports.

Lettuce, cauliflower packs, oranges, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are among the fresh produce to be listed as 'out of stock' on Tesco's website.

Several of the UK's leading food companies have pointed to the complexities behind the 'rules of origin' arrangements now enshrined in the Brexit trade deal.

These mean that only goods made up of produce originating in the UK qualify as tariff-free, with Steve Rowe - CEO of Marks & Spencer - saying last week 'Tariff free does not feel like tariff free when you read the fine print.'

Meanwhile, food industry experts and the Cabinet minister with responsibility for Brexit, Michael Gove, have warned that problems at the ports are likely to escalate from today

Lettuce, cauliflower packs, oranges, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are listed as out of stock in some areas on Tescos website. Pictured: Sainsbury's runs low on fruit and veg in Haverhill, Suffolk

Taking food from the UK to EU: What are the rules post-Brexit? Since January 1, 2021 - when Britain officially left the EU - rules governing what food can be taken into the EU from the UK have tightened. The EU does not allow for meat, meat products, milk and dairy products for personal consumption to be brought in from countries outside the union. This now includes the UK after Brexit, meaning anyone crossing the Channel will be subject to food confiscations if they do not follow these rules. There is an exemption for powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons, if weighing less than 2 kilograms, and if they meet other criteria. Plants and plant-based products are also now subject to stricter measures. The rules stem from the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease endemic within the EU. 'It is known that dangerous pathogens that cause animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and classical swine fever can reside in meat, milk or their products,' EU guidance reads. 'Therefore, pathogens could be introduced into the EU if personal goods containing meat, milk or their products are sent by post or carried in the baggage of travellers arriving from countries outside the EU, where such pathogens may be circulating.'

A spokesperson for the British Meat processors Association said: 'At the end of the day the rules are the rules (on animal origin) now that we are a third country to the EU.'

But they added that the Dutch had little to worry about on the standards of British produce, saying: 'our status on pigs, sheep and cattle is at a very high standard.'

Meanwhile, food industry experts and the Cabinet minister with responsibility for Brexit, Michael Gove, have warned that problems at the ports are likely to escalate from today.

The number of trucks going through Dover and the Channel Tunnel is expected to rise to to normal levels after a New Year lull as the French step up enforcement of post-Brexit paperwork.

Freight expert John Shirley said: 'The chaos has begun. Organising even the simplest load to Europe has become an almost impossible task due to the mountain of red tape brought in on January 1.'

The Road Haulage Association said there are already logjams and this situation will escalate when border controls with France are stepped up from today.

The group estimates that of the 2,000 outbound lorries a day through Dover and the Channel Tunnel last week, one in five were turned back.

It said problems will surge as these numbers increase to the normal 6,000 a day.

Its managing director for policy, Rod McKenzie, said: 'Drivers are being turned back for a variety of reasons, including not having a valid Covid test. At the same time, they are being told the paperwork has not been done satisfactorily.

'The French have had a relatively light touch on enforcement so far, but they won't from Monday.'

Mr Gove admitted: 'In the weeks ahead, we expect there will be significant additional disruption.'

Emergency financial aid could be needed to secure struggling food exporters facing challenged sending produce to the EU.

James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, told The Independent that exporters are finding the 'door to the EU now shut' to the EU, warning that British seafood firms were at risk of collapse.

Holland, the drug smugglers' paradise (but don't bring your ham sandwiches!) As Dutch cops focus on truckers' snacks, gangs are turning the country into a narco-state with illicit operations worth billions

Dutch port officials have made headlines for mocking a trucker as they seized his ham sandwiches under Brexit rules but criminals are having the last laugh as they use the country's shipping terminals to smuggle drugs worth billions of pounds every year.

Famously tolerant of cannabis use, the Netherlands is also a seen as a 'gateway for South American cocaine' and an 'ideal environment' for a drugs trade which has left the country in fear of becoming a 'narco-state'.

While more than 14,000kg of cocaine is seized by Dutch authorities every year, it is believed that around 56,000kg goes undetected, making Holland one of the major drug-trafficking hubs in Europe.

Often hidden in fruit shipments, some of the lucrative stashes of cocaine are worth more than 100million alone and are sometimes smuggled along with firearms.

The criminal trade at Dutch ports has also started to seep into the mainland, with gang violence causing an outcry in Amsterdam where drug kingpins run money-laundering rackets and a 'ring of hustlers and parasites' have 'free rein'.

Busted: In one major drugs raid last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam

In one major drug bust last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam.

Arriving from Ecuador, the illegal drugs were meant to use Holland as a gateway to Europe before making their way to Hungary.

Rotterdam is Europe's largest sea port and handles nearly 15million containers a year, only a small fraction of which are routinely scanned.

Even when containers are inspected, gangs can use accomplices at Dutch and Belgian docks to sneak past authorities.

Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells and a 'torture chamber' used by the criminal underworld.

Believed to be used for kidnappings, 'torture chamber' included what looked like a dentist's chair with straps for the prisoner's arms and legs.

Six people were arrested on suspicion of 'preparing kidnappings and hostage-taking' after the containers were discovered near the Belgian border in a raid linked to the drugs trade.

Pieter Tops, a professor at the Dutch police academy, said in October that Holland's tolerant penal system and its extensive transport links make it an 'ideal environment for the drugs trade'.

The professor said that schoolchildren were sometimes offered 500 to transport a package while farmers were approached about letting out their land to drug gangs.

'The main problem is the enormous flow of money and its rippling effect throughout our society,' he told Dutch News.

A 2019 report by the EU's drug agency estimated that around 14,600kg of cocaine are seized in the Netherlands every year - with a separate IMF report giving a 'seizure rate' of around 20 per cent.

Tops said that each kilogram of cocaine is worth around 50,000, meaning the overall trade is worth billions.

'Torture chamber': Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells used by the criminal underworld

Shipping hub: The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and handles nearly 15million containers a year, making it an attractive gateway for drug smugglers

In Amsterdam, a report commissioned by city authorities in 2019 found that hard drugs had led to rising violence and corruption at the hands of 'hustlers, parasites and extortionists'.

The Netherlands has a 'policy of toleration' on soft drugs which means that Amsterdam's 'coffee shops' are not prosecuted for selling marijuana.

'Separating soft and hard drugs shields the users of soft drugs from the criminal circuit that is involved in the hard drugs trade,' the government says.

But the report found that the same 'toleration' was gradually being extended to harder drugs, with up to 17 per cent of the population using cocaine or heroin.

'Amsterdam has given free rein...to a motley crew of drugs criminals, a ring of hustlers and parasites, middle-men and extortionists, of dubious notaries and real estate agent,' the report said.

At the top of the criminal chain are wealthy organised crime bosses who may not be physically located in Amsterdam, the report said.

At the bottom are 'lackeys such as scooter and taxi chauffeurs and even young messenger boys set to follow quite a career path: offering murder as a service.'

The report also found evidence of money-laundering systems and turf wars between drug retailers in Amsterdam.

Across the Netherlands, around six per cent of men aged 15-34 and three per cent of women in the same age group say they use cocaine.

Cannabis produced in Holland is also sold to other countries, while Dutch ports serve as a point of transit for cocaine to be transported elsewhere in Europe.

In 2019, the killing of a lawyer for a protected witness in a drugs case led the head of a Dutch police union to say that 'we definitely have the characteristics of a narco-state'.

'Sure we're not Mexico. We don't have 14,400 murders. But if you look at the infrastructure, the big money earned by organised crime, the parallel economy. Yes, we have a narco-state,' Jan Struijs told BBC News at the time.

The murdered lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in the Amsterdam suburbs by a man dressed in black who fled on foot and was thought to be no older than 20.

Dutch customs confiscate dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hook of Holland

Wiersum was representing a 'supergrass' witness in a drugs case who had cut a deal with prosecutors to provide evidence against suspected underworld bosses.

Months later, another Dutch lawyer involved in several drug-related cases was shot across the border in Germany, although he was not seriously injured.

Hook of Holland, where the trucker arriving from Britain had his ham sandwiches confiscated last week, was also the departure point for a 35kg cocaine run to Britain which was eventually uncovered when the shipment arrived in Humberside.

Lorry driver Hendrik van der Genugten was later jailed for 10 years after smuggling the drugs out of the Netherlands in 2019.

Police in Hook of Holland were quicker to get rid of the offending sandwiches under the new Brexit rules, leading to claims of 'nit-picking'.

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir... I'm sorry,' said one official as he seized the foil-wrapped sandwiches belonging to the driver.

The driver plaintively asks the Dutch customs officer if he can 'take off the meat and you leave me the bread?'

But the Dutch official replies: 'No, everything will be confiscated.'

'The whole story smacks of one sandwich short of a picnic, literally,' Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline.

'As the Dutch know as well as everyone else in the EU we have the highest food standards in Europe.

'Is this is going to be the way it is then? Are they really going to go through a lorry driver's lunchbox going through customs, for something that is causing any danger?

'We need to talk to the European Union about what is really quite pathetic nit-picking. Otherwise this will not be good for the Dutch ports, hauliers will go somewhere else.'

Mark Francois, Chairman of parliament's European Research Group, said: 'This is pettifogging bureaucracy gone mad.

'The EU have always worried that a dynamic, free-trading UK, outside the EU, would eventually eat their lunch on world markets, so now they are retaliating by trying to steal our truckers' lunches instead! It's pathetic really.'

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The new post-Brexit rules say that bringing foods that contain meat or dairy into the EU, even for personal use, is forbidden.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 06:45:34|Editor: huaxia

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

In addition to Cuba, the State Department currently lists Syria, Iran, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.



WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States added Cuba to the list of "State Sponsor of Terrorism" on Monday, a move to constrain the incoming Joe Biden administration's efforts to improve relations with Havana.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Cuba was designated for "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists."

The statement cited that Cuba harbored several U.S. fugitives from justice and supported Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro government that "created a permissive environment for international terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela."

According to the statement, the designation would result in sanctions that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with Cuba, restricts U.S. foreign assistance, bans defense exports and sales, and imposes certain controls on exports of dual-use items.

A car runs on a street in Havana, Cuba, Oct. 5, 2020. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)

In addition to Cuba, the State Department currently lists Syria, Iran, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.

The action by the outgoing administration of Donald Trump has immediately drawn condemnation from Cuba and Democrats at home.

"We condemn the U.S. announced hypocritical and cynical designation of #Cuba as a State sponsoring terrorism. The U.S. political opportunism is recognized by those who are honestly concerned about the scourge of terrorism and its victims," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy in a statement blasted the move as a "blatantly politicized designation."

"In fact, domestic terrorism in the United States poses a far greater threat to Americans than Cuba does. Secretary Pompeo has self-righteously defended Donald Trump's worst foreign policy failures, and on his way out the door he seems intent on making things as difficult as possible for his successor," he said.

People eat at a restaurant amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Havana, Cuba, Nov. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhu Wanjun)

President-elect Joe Biden previously slammed Trump's policies on Cuba, saying he would "try to reverse the failed Trump policies that inflicted harm on Cubans and their families."

In October, Biden said that the United States needed a new Cuba policy, though it remained unclear how quickly Biden would implement his policy on the island.

Cuba had been put on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1982. In May 2015, then Barack Obama administration officially removed Cuba from the list, clearing a major obstacle to reestablishing diplomatic ties between the former Cold War rivals.

Bilateral ties have significantly deteriorated since Trump took office in 2017. The Trump administration rolled back the detente by stepping up economic sanctions against Cuba and sought to prevent Havana's support to the Maduro government, which Washington is openly seeking to oust from power. 
In one experiment, people who spoke more than one language or dialect demonstrated greater executive control abilities - which include inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility - than monolinguals. Credit: Jessica Lewis/Unsplash

Bilingual people can effortlessly switch between languages during everyday interactions. But beyond its usefulness in communication, being bilingual could affect how the brain works and enhance certain abilities. Studies into this could inform techniques for learning languages and other skills.

More than half of people in Europe speak more than one language while the same is true worldwide.

Switching between languages can be thought of as a form of mental exercise where attention is focussed on the relevant language while intrusions from the second language are suppressed. "There is a lot of research that shows that when bilinguals speak in one of their languages, the other language is still active," said Dr. Kyriakos Antoniou, a psycholinguist at the University of Cyprus.

The ability to speak more than one language is therefore thought to influence skills and processes used by our brain to acquire knowledge and make sense of our surroundings, known as cognition. This includes mental capacities such as attention, reasoning, judgment and problem solving.

It could also enhance metacognitionthe awareness, monitoring and assessment of one's own knowledge and mental processes, which comes into play when expressing an opinion or making a decision, for example. "Every time a person makes a decision, he or she evaluates how good the decision is and the likelihood of making an error," said Dr. Leona Polyanskaya, a research fellow at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language in San Sebastian, Spain.

A person with good metacognitive abilities will be confident in their response when they are correct, for example, and less sure of themselves when they give a wrong answer. Conversely, someone with poor metacognitive skills may be equally confident in their response when they are correct and when they are wrong. "Monitoring (abilities) and cognitive performance do not have to be correlated," said Dr. Polyanskaya.

Executive control

A growing number of researchers are now investigating the relationship between bilingualism and different aspects of cognition. Dr. Antoniou and his colleagues are particularly interested in executive control, which includes three cognitive skills that are needed when you have to concentrate or pay attention to something.

Inhibition, the ability to supress irrelevant information, is one of them, while working memory, which involves both storing and manipulating information at the same time, plays a role too. Cognitive flexibility is also involved, the ability to smoothly switch from one task to another. "What has been suggested is that the (brain's) executive control system is needed for bilinguals in order to manage two linguistic systems," said Dr. Antoniou.

The team looked at whether speaking more than one language had a positive influence on executive control compared to being monolingual as part of the NeuroBid project. So far, previous research findings have been mixed.

They also wanted to see whether there was a similar effect with people who speak two different dialects. "By examining the effect of bidialectalism, you also examine whether speaking two very closely-related languages plays a role because dialects are as close as it gets," said Dr. Antoniou.

The researchers conducted experiments which compared executive control skills in bidialectals who spoke Cypriot Greek and modern Greek, multilinguals who spoke the same two dialects and one additional language and monolinguals who spoke modern Greek. Participants completed game-like tasks on a computer that tapped into all three mental skills that make up executive control, such as a classic cognitive test that uses reaction times to symbols to assess inhibition.

In experiments, bilingual and monolingual people were tested on pattern recognition in fractal images and asked how certain they were of their response. Credit: Image from: Ordin, M., Polyanskaya, L. and A. G. Samuel. 2020. An evolutionary account of intermodality differences in statistical learning. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.. 10.1111/nyas.14502.

Edge

Dr. Antoniou and his team found that multilinguals performed better than monolinguals when they combined each participant's results from all the different tests. Bidialectals also achieved better results compared to monolinguals, suggesting that language similarity isn't a confounding factor. However, speakers of more than one language or dialect only had an edge in overall executive control. "The advantage was not evident in measures that tapped into specific components of the executive control system," said Dr. Antoniou.

Different theories have emerged from previous research to explain why multilinguals may have better executive control. Some work suggests they have an advantage for certain cognitive skills such as inhibition, where they have perfected blocking out information that isn't important thanks to their experience with several linguistic systems. Another theory is that speaking more than one language has an overarching effect on executive control, influencing the coordination of different components, for example, but it doesn't affect the specific skills that are part of it. "We take our findings as providing support to the latter theory," said Dr. Antoniou.

The team's results could also change misconceptions about people who speak two dialects. Standard forms of a language have traditionally been taught at school, where the inclusion of regional dialects is usually discouraged and stigmatised. Students are therefore assessed in their non-dominant dialect which can affect their performance. "In various countries (around the world), bidialectal children might be found to underperform in school, and the blame is often put on their intelligence or on their cognitive skills," said Dr. Antoniou. "I think (our work) has implications in terms of refuting negative stereotypes that are associated with bidialectals."

Metacognition

Bilingualism could also influence metacognition, but few studies have been conducted so far. The process of acquiring two languages at once has been found to hone mental abilities that help a person remember patterns and structures in a language and across languages. It may therefore also affect metacognitive abilities when it comes to being aware of what has been learned and how well a task has been mastered.

To test this hypothesis, Dr. Polyanskaya and her colleagues investigated how bilingualism influences metacognition in both linguistic and non-linguistic tasks for the first time as part of the MetaBil project.

They also looked at whether metacognitive abilities varied across tasks involving visuals and sounds. "We're interested in how bilingualism affects metacognition across perception modalities," said Dr. Polyanskaya.

The team conducted experiments with bilinguals, who spoke Basque and Spanish, and monolinguals who spoke Spanish. For the linguistic tasks, participants had to learn an artificial language either by listening to words or reading them on a computer screen. Non-linguistic tasks involved fractal images or sequences of sounds where they had to learn to recognise underlying patterns. They were also asked to gauge how certain they were of their responses. In other experiments, electroencephalogram (EEG) tests were conducted to track brain activity while participants completed similar tasks.

Dr. Polyanskaya and her colleagues found that bilinguals were better at gauging their performance in linguistic tasks compared to monolinguals. EEG evidence also suggests that their metacognitive abilities were enhanced in tasks unrelated to language. However, enhanced metacognition wasn't apparent when the team looked at the performance of bilinguals in non-linguistic behavioural tests, says Dr. Polyanskaya.

The team isn't sure why that might be the case. But the MetaBil project is just a first step and there are several factors they would like to investigate further. For example, there is a wide variety of linguistic abilities among bilinguals, where some are equally proficient in both languages, while others can't read or write in one of them or use one language at home and another at work. "We do not know which of these factors are important for metacognition," said Dr. Polyanskaya. "There are many open questions."

In follow-up work, she will be looking at a component of metacognition called metacontrol which is the ability to evaluate one's own skills and knowledge for future decision-making.

Dr. Polyanskaya will be examining whether efficient metacontrol in language tasks is related to bilingualism, for example. If so, techniques could be developed to boost metacognition so that people could better learn new languages or possibly other skills as well. "It opens the door for using the results in education," said Dr. Polyanskaya. "I'm interested in the practical implementation of metacognitive enhancement."

Explore further How does being bilingual affect your brain? It depends on how you use language
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Franklin Graham was right when he recently posted on his Facebook page that the division in our country is as great as any time since the Civil War. The angry mob that overtook the Capitol building while the Electoral College votes were being certified demonstrates this fact.

The malice between brothers in this country is indicative of the kind of spirit that could destroy this nation.

How should Christians seek the good of their country in this current environment of unrest? The question is reflective of a sermon preached on November 1, 1860, only a few months before the Civil War would begin. The address was delivered by Robert L. Dabney at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and was extensively circulated throughout the North and the South. It has been argued that if its call for moderation and justice had been heeded, it might have prevented the entire catastrophe.

Dabney took his text from Psalm 122:9, which reads: Because of the house of our Lord thy God I will seek thy good. He argued that much was at stake if the nation failed, and a robust Christianity works for peace. Dabney admonished:

A long farewell to that dream we had indulged  a dream not unworthy surely to have been inspired by the Prince of Peace  that here a nation was to grow up on this soil, which God had kept till the fullness of time was come, wrapped in the mysteries of pathless seas, and untainted by the steps of civilized despots or organized crime; a nation composed of the strong, the free, the bold, the oppressed of every people, and, like the Corinthian brass, more precious than any that composed it; which should come, by the righteous arts of peace, to a greatness such as at last to shame and frighten war away from the family of kingdoms; which should work out the great experiment of equal laws and free conscience, for the first time, for the imitation of the world; and from whose bosom a free church, unstained by the guilt of persecution and unburdened by the leaden protection of the state, should send forth her light and salvation to the ends of the earth to bring the millennial morning.

Then Dabney laid out the practical steps Christians should take.

First, Christians should everywhere begin to pray for their countryThe guilty churches of all our land should humble themselves before a holy God for their Christian backslidings and our national sins

Along with this go humble confessions of our sins, individual and social. Here let me distinctly warn you, that I am not about to point your attention to sins of fellow citizensfrom whose faults some may suppose the present fear arises. Whether they have committed faults, or how great, it is not my present concern to say. Our business today is with our own sins. It will do our hearts no good to confess to God the sins of our fellow-men; He already knows them, and estimates them more fairly than perhaps our prejudice will permit us to do. It is for our sins alone that we are responsible to God. It is our own sins alone that we have the means of reforming, by the help of his grace. Let each man, then, consider and forsake his personal transgressions; for as your persons help to swell the aggregate of this great people, so your individual sins have gone to form that black cloud of guilt which threatens to hide from us the favorable light of our heavenly Fathers face.

Second, we would say, with all the earnestness and emphasis which the most solemn feeling can inspire, let each individual Christian in our land, whether he sits in the halls of the legislature or rules as a magistrate, or guides public opinion through the press, or merely fills the station of the private citizen, consider his own personal concern in this matter. We would affectionately individualize each man, and say to him, My brother, thou art the man. Consider what God would have you to do?

Every Christian, whether lawmaker or law executor or voter, should carry his Christian conscience, enlightened by Gods word, into his political duty in another manner than we have been accustomed to do. We must ask less what party caucuses and leaders dictate, and more what duty dictates, for the day is at hand when we shall be brought to an awful judgment for the thoughtless manner in which we exercise our civic function.

Nay, verily, we would fain yield all reasonable party fidelitywe are partisans in the commonwealth of King Jesus, and our allegiance to him transcend all others.

Last: Every Christian must study the things which make for peace. All must resolve that they will demand of others nothing more than their necessary rights, and that in the tone of moderation and forbearance. Yea, that they will generously forego all except what duty forbids them to forego, rather than have strife with brethren. We must all be magnanimous enough to forebear the language of threatening and reproach, language which evinces no courage, to acknowledge the excesses of ourselves and our friends, and to make reparation for it, whether such reparation be offered on the other side or not. Instead of complaining in vindictive and bitter spirit of the extravagances of misguided men on the opposite side, each man should inquire whether there are not sinful extravagances on his own side; and when it is necessary to remonstrate [to say or plead in protest or opposition], do it in the tone of wounded love, rather than insane threatening. In one word, let each party resolve to grant all that is right, and ask nothing else, and lo, there will be a great calm.

Though earnestly delivered and profoundly true, these words had little effect at the time, for nearly every man who either heard them or read them, only a few months later was in arms for war.

Let us not charm ourselves into disbelief that the unspeakable which happened then cannot happen today. The church may not always be able to broker peace. Nevertheless, let us demonstrate, as Dabney also said, a love so Christ-like, so beautiful, so strong, that strife should be paralyzed by it into reverential admiration.
Mikael Hambardzumian was appointed as acting head of the NSS on October 8 eleven days after Azerbaijan launched offensive military operations in and around Karabakh. Pashinian replaced him by another senior NSS officer, Armen Abazian, one month later.

In an interview with the Fifth Channel TV station aired late on Monday, Hambardzumian claimed that he himself decided to leave Armenias most powerful security service because of Pashinians handling of the war. He singled out the prime ministers failure to accept a more favorable ceasefire agreement which was negotiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 20.

In November 17 televised remarks, Putin said that the Armenian side would have suffered fewer territorial losses and, in particular, retained control of the strategic Karabakh town of Shushi (Shusha) had Pashinian agreed to that deal accepted by Azerbaijan. He said he was taken aback by Pashinians stance.

Pashinian explained afterwards that he rejected the proposed truce because it called for the return of Azerbaijani refugees to Shushi. He claimed that that too would have restored Azerbaijani control of the town overlooking the Karabakh capital Stepanakert.

I was informed about [Putins] proposals not by the prime minister but by my colleagues, said Hambardzumian. I obviously wondered why we are not taking that step and what keeps us from doing that. After all, it was the only real opportunity to stop the war and suffer fewer human and territorial losses.

According to Hambardzumian, during an October 19 meeting of Armenias Security Council the chief of the Armenian armys General Staff, General Onik Gasparian, warned Pashinian that the Armenian side is heading for defeat and that the war must be stopped as soon as possible. He said then Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan echoed that warning.

Nevertheless, such a decision was not made [by Pashinian] after that, added the former NSS chief.

During the six-week war Azerbaijan recaptured four of the seven districts around Karabakh which had been occupied by Karabakh Armenian forces in the early 1990s. Baku agreed to stop its military operations on November 10 in return for an Armenian pledge to withdraw from the three other districts.

The Armenian opposition has blamed Pashinian for the defeat and demanded his resignation. Opposition leaders have portrayed Putins revelation as further proof of the prime ministers mishandling of the war that killed at least 3,300 Armenian soldiers.

Hambardzumian added his voice to the opposition demands shortly after his sacking. He was also among two dozen retired NSS officers who issued in December a joint statement calling for Pashinians resignation. The prime minister has repeatedly refused to quit.
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus put police abuse into a choke hold this week and are squeezing hard.

There was nothing gradual, incremental or temperate about their reforms.

They want justice now. And who can blame them?

Black and brown people have borne the brunt of police abuses for centuries.

Ive been a journalist for more than 30 years in multiple states and covered police departments in big cities and small towns. I even produced a podcast examining wrongful convictions in various jurisdictions across the nation.

And based on that experience  and more university studies than you can shake a night stick at  Black people are treated far more harshly by law enforcement than their white counterparts.

Racial epithets were common in squad rooms and detective bureaus I covered whether in Illinois, Iowa, Texas or Nevada. More significantly, on the street I saw officers treat Black people more harshly.

Dont kid yourself racism is part of law enforcement culture. Is every cop a bigot? Nope. But every honest, fair cop sees it in some of their peers.

Key points of the legislation would:

 Eliminate the use of the choke hold by all law enforcement officers.

 Expand the use of body cameras to police departments throughout the state.

 Make police officers civilly liable when a defendants rights are violated.

 Eliminate cash bail for all crimes.

 Allow municipalities to refuse to negotiate over the firing of officers or other disciplinary issues as part of labor contracts.

Perhaps the most far reaching proposed reforms are in the area of accountability.

Labor contracts make it difficult to fire bad cops. Ive seen it play out time and again where an abusive officer is fired only to be reinstated after going through labor arbitration appeals.

And the public is stuck with a bad cop back on the streets.

Police officers arent bus drivers. They decide whether someone lives or dies and they need to be held to a higher standard, said State Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago.

Who can argue with that?

In a state such as Illinois with a long history of strong government-worker unions, this is a radical but needed reform because it holds individual officers accountable for bad conduct.

A more curious accountability measure is the ending of qualified immunity for police officers. In almost all cases, police officers are not personally liable even when they violate a persons civil rights, explained Jay Schweikert, an expert on qualified immunity at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute.

Last year, Colorado became the first state to eliminate this lawsuit protection for police officers. If the Black Caucus bill becomes law, Illinois will be the second state.

There are a lot of ways this can play out. If a police officer is found liable, the municipality that the officer works for can indemnify the officer and it ends up paying the judgement, he said.

But he added since this is a new area of law there are other options.

One option is that the officer pays something like 5 percent or $20,000 of the judgement, whichever is less. This holds the officer financially accountable. Another option is for individual officers to purchase insurance much the way doctors do and the worse their records are the higher their individual premiums are.

Perhaps the best option is for police labor unions to provide high-deductible liability insurance to their members. That way, there is a personal cost to the officer if there is a judgment and there is an incentive for the union to police its own ranks for those who shouldnt be in the profession.

What we dont want is for taxpayers to be on the hook for misconduct judgements or for there to be bad cops on the streets.

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter. Contact him at ScottReeder1965@gmail.com.
Imagine a project led by history teachers at San Franciscos Abraham Lincoln High directing students to study their schools namesake, including the good and bad in our 16th presidents legacy. Each student could write an opinion piece about whether Lincolns name should remain emblazoned on their school.

Imagine a debate in which students who wrote the most compelling arguments squared off in front of their classmates, teachers and parents. Maybe the student council could host a school-wide vote on whether to keep or scrap the Lincoln name and choose representatives to speak before the Board of Education to make their case.

Imagine the learning  about history, about the presidency, about how to judge the merits of someone who lived in a different time, about public speaking, about persuasion. About Americas history of racism and the leaders who practiced it.

But no. For some reason, the San Francisco Board of Education is scheduled to decide which names to strip from schools this month, but hasnt given the schools themselves a say in whether to keep or scrap their names. The school board will have its first reading of a resolution from president Mark Sanchez on Tuesday to review and sanction the list of 44 school names proposed by a volunteer panel to be tossed and will likely decide on the names to be removed on Jan. 19.

The school communities that lose their names can propose alternatives to the panel by April, and the panel will consider those before forwarding its list of new names to the school board for a vote.

Many families  and Mayor London Breed  have slammed the school board for engaging in this process at all during a pandemic with schools shuttered. But it could have served as a spark in the otherwise dull days of distance learning if kids got to research their schools namesake and help decide its fate. Frankly, they probably could have done a better job than the adults.

Theres no question some San Francisco school names should be relegated to the scrap heap of history  heres looking at you, Father Junipero Serra. But the way the panel has landed on 44 names including Lincoln, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and abolitionist poet James Lowell would surely not pass muster with a high school history teacher. Its been short on research, arbitrary and factually inaccurate at times.

It demonstrates that politics is sadly more important than education in this city. And that making adults feel good is more important than teaching kids.

Its somewhat indicative of the school district where they have these top-down processes that dont engage with the classroom teachers or the students or the families, said Michael McCarthy, whose son, a junior at Lincoln High, was too busy with yet another day of Zoom school to talk for this column.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

The school board unanimously passed a resolution in 2018 to create a panel to examine the historical figures our schools are named for and recommend which ones to keep or ditch. Thats certainly an important effort, especially now as the country undergoes a long overdue racial reckoning. And its been great to see schools in recent years get new names  because the schools wanted them  like Fairmount Elementary becoming Dolores Huerta Elementary.

Sanchez didnt respond to requests for comment. Neither did Jeremiah Jeffries, the chair of the volunteer panel. Former school board members Stevon Cook and Matt Haney, who co-authored the 2018 resolution with Sanchez, declined to comment. Haney, now a supervisor, typically comments on everything.

Perhaps the fact that I couldnt find anybody behind this effort who wanted to talk about it publicly is a sign the effort isnt working.

Families for San Francisco, an advocacy group, watched recordings of the panels Zoom meetings from the past year and published a report outlining major concerns. The original resolution called for engaging San Francisco in a sustained discussion about renaming schools, but that hasnt happened.

Instead, the panel took the decision-making entirely upon itself. The panel opted to put Lowell on the removal list because his views toward Black people wavered, but Families for San Francisco found a biography of the abolitionist poet that stated he unequivocally advocated for Black people to have the right to vote. Why not let Lowell students research the truth for themselves?

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

And the problems go on. The panel voted to scrap James Lick for funding the awful Pioneer Monument, but he was dead by the time it was funded. The panel didnt know which Roosevelt  Teddy or Franklin Delano  it was talking about when it came to Roosevelt Middle School. Turns out it was Teddy, and he was nixed.

The panel didnt seek the guidance of historians, instead doing its own research in a cursory fashion using mostly Wikipedia entries and Google search results including 10 Things You May Not Know About Paul Revere, according to the report. (Revere? A goner.)

It also opted to remove a name if that person had one problematic incident in their life rather than taking in the full picture.

Except for Malcolm X. The group had a full, interesting discussion about his misogyny, including working as a pimp in his youth, but opted not to recommend removing his name from the Hunters Point elementary school because they said it was fairer to judge him for the entirety of his life.

But the panels forgiving views of Malcolm X, it seems, didnt apply to anybody else  including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein got the boot from the panel largely because she briefly replaced a ripped-down Confederate flag from a display at City Hall before permanently removing it.

Mayor George Moscone, on the other hand, did nothing about the same Confederate flag during his tenure preceding Feinsteins, but Moscone Elementary is not in jeopardy of losing its name. Why not? Who knows?

A group of families from Feinstein last week wrote a lengthy letter to the panel, the superintendent, school board members and others explaining why they want to keep their name. They pointed out she was a trailblazer for womens rights, authored 500 pieces of legislation and wrote the only assault weapons ban ever passed in the United States.

One letter signer was Bryan McDonald, who has a kindergartner and second-grader at the school. He said the school was confused to get a notice it had to change its name  especially since the school board just approved the Feinstein name 15 years ago. Previously, it was called Parkside. (Sanchez, a longtime school board member, even has his name on the schools dedication plaque.)

They dont care what people think, McDonald said of the panel. Its, were going to make this decision for you because we dont think you can make a wise decision on your own.

His 7-year-old son, Travis, shared his views on the matter.

I like it the way it is, he said.

I asked Travis if he knew Feinstein was the citys first female mayor.

No! I didnt know that! he exclaimed. But I do know theres a woman vice president now! And shell probably be elected president.

Kamala Harris Elementary does have a nice ring to it. Maybe that can replace one of the scrapped names. And in the meantime, kids like Travis should be taught about who their school is named after and have a say in deciding whether to keep it.

Isnt that what school is all about?

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf
On 10 October 2010, the world was introduced to Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger in the first episode of The Only Way Is Essex.

And despite over a decade passing since the iconic inaugural episode, the couple's first ever on-screen exchange seems to have resonated with Love Island star Montana Brown, 25, as she took to Instagram on Monday to lipsync the scene.

The scene in question saw Lauren, now 34, sitting in a salon calling her then-partner of a decade, Mark, now 33, who was out driving with James 'Arg' Argent, to ask if he was going to attend her birthday party - leading to devastation for Lauren.

Shocker: Montana Brown flawlessly lip synced Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger's first ever TOWIE exchange in an Instagram post on Monday, 11 years after the couple hit screens

Mark and Lauren were arguably TOWIE's original golden couple, with the early seasons of the structured reality show charting their turbulent on/off relationship peppered with his flings with Sam Faiers and Lucy Mecklenburgh.

Montana joined a pal in mocking one of their first ever on-screen exchanges, which saw Lauren - played by Montana's friend - saying: 'You know about my birthday at Sugar Hut, yeah? Are you coming?'

Posing as Mark, Montana responded: 'I don't totally know yet as I've got a lot of stuff on, but I'll let you nearer the time'. Clearly fuming, Lauren went on: 'Well it'll be a bit ridiculous if you don't, don't you think it would be a bit embarrassing?'

The cruel Lothario then left Lauren hurt as he said: 'Why would it be ridiculous? We're not together at the moment', as Lauren sniped back: 'Don't bother coming then, if I know you're not coming then I won't expect it, will I?'

That was then... On 10 October 2010, the world was introduced to Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger in the first episode of The Only Way Is Essex (pictured in 2010)

Oh dear... Montana joined a pal in mocking one of their first ever on-screen exchanges, which saw Lauren - played by Montana's friend - saying: 'You know about my birthday as Sugar Hut yeah? Are you coming?'

Perfect! Montana's pal perfected Lauren's Essex motions

Later in the episode, during the aforementioned birthday festivities, Mark was seen talking to Sam at the bar while Lauren partied with her pals and once she had spotted the chat, Lauren went on to brand the duo a 'pair of c**ts'.

Prior to the phone call scene, Lauren was seen getting a spray tan in Amy Childs' in-house beauty salon while sporting just her underwear leading to the beautician spying Lauren's inking on her bikini line - displaying her childhood love's name.

While Amy marvelled at the inking, Lauren revealed Mark had encouraged her to get the tattoo although in the next episode the hunk was seen watching the show back and proclaimed she 'looked about 20 stone' - much to her devastation.

Oh dear... Later in the episode, during the aforementioned birthday festivities, Mark was seen talking to Sam at the bar while Lauren partied with her pals and once she had spotted the chat, Lauren went on to brand the duo a 'pair of c**ts'

Heartache: Prior to the phone call scene, Lauren was seen getting a spray tan in Amy Childs' in-house beauty salon while sporting just her underwear leading to the beautician spying Lauren's inking on her bikini line - displaying her childhood flame's name

Making his Mark: In the next series, Lauren was seen to have the tattoo removed in a bold statement

In the next series, Lauren was seen to have the tattoo removed in a bold statement however just hours after departing the laser salon, Mark interrupted her drinks with her sister Nicola to pop the question in a pub car park - to which she said yes.

Ultimately things ended in tears, with their engagement being called off for good in 2012, following a host of devastating twists and turns - with Sam professing her love for Mark after the engagement and an eventual infidelity with Lucy in Marbella.

The childhood sweethearts' split was extremely acrimonious and has led to much mud-slinging, since Mark found love again with Michelle Keegan.

Shocker: Mark and Lauren were arguably TOWIE's original golden couple, yet their relationship was peppered with his flings with Sam Faiers (second right) and Lucy Mecklenburgh (second left)

Oh dear... The childhood sweethearts' split was extremely acrimonious and has led to much mud-slinging

In 2014, after Lauren spoke in the press about their defunct relationship, Mark shared an aggressive tweet, in which he urged Lauren to 'be a proper woman'.

He wrote: 'Its been well over 2 years and it still continues. I find it so disrespectful to myself but more importantly, my fiance. Be a proper woman'.

Mark and Michelle then married in an idyllic ceremony in 2015 at Hengrave Hall.

Way back when: Mark pictured on the first episode of TOWIE

In June 2015, Lauren and Mark were locked in yet another bitter war of words over Lauren's alleged 'obsession' with name-dropping Mark and discussing his wedding.

Lauren vented her frustrations in a lengthy rant, claiming she wasn't milking her romance with Mark for publicity.

She wrote: 'Im not living off Mark for money. I have been offered numerous interviews to talk about him, particularly of late  all of which I have turned down... I only ever speak about him to defend myself against stories which arent from me.'

Shocking: Back in 2014, after Lauren spoke again about her relationship leading to an aggressive tweet from Mark, in which he urged Lauren to 'be a proper woman'

Way back when: In June 2015, Lauren and Mark were locked in yet another bitter war of words over Lauren's alleged 'obsession' with name-dropping Mark and discussing his wedding

In 2019, Lauren then branded Mark and Michelle's marriage 'weird' and claimed they don't speak to each other.

Speaking to Heat Magazine, Lauren revealed she ran into her former flame and his wife in the gym, after which she made the statement about their marriage.

She said: 'I saw them both in the gym. They dont talk its really weird. I was like F**king hell, we werent like that. Its like they dont know each other. I cant go into that though. Im just so glad that aint me.
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[January 12, 2021] Council of Autism Service Providers Announces the Hiring of Judith Ursitti

The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) today announced the appointment of Judith Ursitti, CPA, as its new Vice President of Community Affairs. "I am ecstatic to have Judith Ursitti join CASP," said CASP CEO Lorri Unumb. "Judith and I have a long, successful working relationship, and I am 100 percent confident that her talent, know-how, and passion are going to drive CASP to the next level in representing and serving autism provider organizations." Ursitti arrives to CASP after 12 years at Autism Speaks, where she most recently served as director of state government affairs. "Ensuring that people diagnosed with autism have access to evidence-based services, no matter where they live, is a core mission of mine. This mission has manifested itself for me professionally over the past decade in my dedication to passage and implementation of meaningful autism insurance reform legislation across the country," said Ursitti. "Working to continually strengthen nd disseminate best practices for providers who serve people with autism is the logical and critical next step towards this goal. I am thrilled to join CASP in leading this effort."



In her new role, Ursitti will work on building sustained relationships within the greater CASP community and on collaborating with providers and other stakeholders to establish and disseminate best practices and standards for autism provider organizations. Ursitti earned a bachelor of business administration from Georgia College and State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant and worked for many years as a tax accountant before changing careers and applying her talent and energy toward advocating for those with autism. About the Council of Autism Service Providers

The Council of Autism Service Providers is a non-profit association of for-profit and not-for-profit agencies serving individuals with autism and other developmental disorders. CASP supports its members by cultivating, sharing, and advocating for provider best practices in autism services. CASP member agencies care for more than 50,000 children and adults with autism across the United States. More information is available at www.caspproviders.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005856/en/

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In the days leading up to the Jan. 6 certification vote, Trump encouraged his supporters to descend on Washington, D.C., promising a wild rally in support of his baseless claims of election fraud, despite his own administrations findings to the contrary. Speaking for more than an hour to a crowd on the Ellipse, Trump encouraged supporters to fight like hell and suggested that Republican lawmakers would need more courage not to step up and overturn the will of voters to grant him another term in office. He also suggested he would join them in marching on the Capitol.

Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 84F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
[January 12, 2021] Around the World in 100 minutes

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HIS USA's "Original Virtual World Tour" presents a tour that live broadcasts from Japan, Kenya, Turkey, India, and Hawaii. While many online tours have started popping up during the time of coronavirus, the tours remain a single destination. HIS has a network of 201 branches in 65 countries throughout the world. This allows HIS to uniquely be able to connect to viewers from all over the world through local branches. The tours are broadcasted live in real-time and are designed to open up the way for two-way communication, which creates a different experience from the passive viewing observed in most tours available currently. The tour is designed to raise interest in and motivation for real travel when the world opens back. Around the World in 100min



Since each country is in their own respective time zones, the start time of the tour was carefully chosen so that the best of each country can be showcased. By connecting the live broadcasts from each country, it allows viewers to travel around the world. Local HIS guides will welcome you into their country and showcase various sites to convey the charm of the area. Though many have temporarily given up traveling for different reasons, this virtual experience allows people to once again enjoy the sights of the world and "travel" globally. In addition, although the emergence of LCC flights have allowed more low cost alternatives to flying for those still choosing to travel, flying by air still is sure to rack up prices. Traveling the traditional route is both costly in terms of price and time. This online tour will allow people to see some of the best sights efficiently and economically.

Scheduled Sights: Honolulu , Hawaii(5:30PM Local Time - Walk on Waikiki Beach during sunset)

, Hawaii(5:30PM Local Time - Walk on Waikiki Beach during sunset) Varanasi, India(9:30AM Local Time - Appreciating the scenery around Ganges river, view a Hindu Sanctuary, walk through an old town)

Nairobi , Kenya(7:00AM Local Time - Safari in Nairobi National Park)

, Kenya(7:00AM Local Time - Safari in Nairobi National Park) Istanbul , Turkey(7:30AM Local Time - Walk around Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia)

, Turkey(7:30AM Local Time - Walk around Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia) Tokyo , Japan(2:00PM Local Time - Walk Nakamise Street at Asakusa)

Starts: January 15th (Fri) 7:30PM PST / 35 USD

More dates to come >>View Our Other Online Tours

We have many more online exclusive Japan tours so that you can explore the country through the safety and comfort of your own home. Check out this link below: https://his-international-tours.eventbrite.com Online tours are a risk-free way to travel Contact Us

HIS USA mkt-usa@his-world.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/around-the-world-in-100-minutes-301206856.html SOURCE H.I.S. INTERNATIONAL TOURS (NY), INC

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tech2 News Staff

Samsung has announced that it will host the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event today at 10 am EST or 8.00 pm IST. The livestream of the event will be available on Samsung Newsroom India, Samsung.com. A Flipkart teaser of the event has also surfaced online with a "Notify Me" option. It is expected that the company might launch the much-awaited Galaxy S21 series that might include Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra. The company has also revealed a short video that reveals that the upcoming smartphone will come with a rectangular camera module that houses a triple camera setup.

Samsung recently released some teasers for the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event. The teaser do not explicitly reveal anything but it could possibly be teasing a purple colour variant, or it could be a hint toward the smartphone's display.

Galaxy S21 series expected specifications

According to a German publication WinFuture.de, the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be powered by a 4,000 mAh battery. On the other hand, the Galaxy S21+ will pack a 4,800 mAh battery. The report further states that the flagship will feature the Snapdragon 888 SoC in the States, while an Exynos 2100 chipset will feature in the Samsung devices in Europe. Running on operating system Android 11 with One UI 3.1, both the smartphones will have dual-SIM (Nano) support.



The base model will come with a 6.2-inch Full HD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED screen. Supported by Always-On Display (AOD) with Gorilla glass protection, the model will offer a 120 Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits brightness and 421 ppi pixel density. The plus model will be 6.7 inches along with a Full HD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED AOD. While the brightness and refresh rate numbers are the same, it offers 394 ppi pixel density.

The report states that the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ will come with 8 GB RAM and have two storage options: 128 GB and 256 GB. In the camera section, both the phones are set to offer a 12 MP primary along with a 12 MP ultrawide camera, aside from the primary 64 MP telephoto lens at the back. These lenses come with auto-focus technology, three times hybrid optical zoom, and Phase-Detection Autofocus (PDAF). A 10 MP camera will be there at the front for clicking selfies.

Along with 5G connectivity, the S21 series will have a USB-C port and Bluetooth 5.0 support. While the base phone will be available in Gray, White, Pink, and Purple variants, the plus model will have three colour variants in the form of Silver, Black, and Purple.

Galaxy S21 series expected pricing

A report by 91Mobiles revealed that the Galaxy S21 128 GB storage variant might be priced at 849 (approx Rs 76,000). The 128 GB and 512 GB storage variants of Galaxy S21+ are likely to be priced at 1,049 (approx Rs 94,000) and 1,099 (approx Rs 98,000) respectively.

The 128 GB storage variant of Galaxy S21 Ultra might cost you 1,399 (approx Rs 1,25,000).

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Novartis has entered into an agreement with Swiss firm SGS to divest assets from the Novartis International Service Laboratory on the Ringaskiddy campus.

Under the terms of the deal, the 100 Novartis staff currently working at the Laboratories will transfer to SGS.

Novartis Ireland currently employs over 1,400 people across three locations in Cork and Dublin but announced plans in 2019 to cut 320 jobs at part of its Ringaskiddy facility in Cork over a two year period.

A spokesperson for the company said the job losses announced in 2019 are not impacted by the announcement.

Read More Former Tipperary hurler launches Irish whiskey

Todays announcement is a strategic decision as a result of the ongoing evaluation of the Novartis manufacturing network to ensure that the organisation is fit for future purpose, meets patients needs and strengthens Novartis competitiveness, they said.

Novartis said it has collaborated with SGS as an external supplier for a number of years and looked forward to a closer relationship, hosting SGS on the Novartis Ringaskiddy campus."

Commenting on the announcement, Maeve Byrne, Managing Director at Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited, said, We are very proud of our colleagues in International Service Laboratory, who have a strong reputation of quality expertise over the last 22 years.

We are excited to secure the continued development of ISL as an analytical center of excellence as well as to support the sustainability of jobs and expertise.

Ms Byrne went on to say Novartis is happy to host SGS on the Ringaskiddy campus and to continue the collaboration.

SGS provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services and currently employs 300 people in Ireland and more than 89,000 employees in over 2,600 offices and laboratories worldwide.

Novartis and SGS expect the transaction to be formally closed in the first quarter of 2021 subject to approval from the relevant regulatory authorities.
A man from Michigan made headlines for his remarkable acts of honesty and integrity.

Howard Kirby of Ovid, Mich. reportedly bought an old couch for $70 from a Habitat for Humanity Restore in Owosso. It did not take long for the family to notice the peculiar firmness of the cushion. Soon, the family agreed to cut the couch open. To their surprise, they found lots of money amounting to $43,170.

Kirby asked for counsel from an attorney and was told that it's his legal right to keep the money. Since 2020 had not been kind to Kirby, his son, and his daughter-in-law, the money could have well been considered a heaven-sent. But honesty and conscientiousness are in Kirby's DNA.

"The Holy Spirit just came over me and said, 'No, that's really not yours,'" he told MLive.com.

"Being a born-again Christian, Christ in me is the one that actually gave the money back," Kirby said at the time. "Remember the bracelets, WWJD? Well, that's what Jesus would do."

Even though he had pressing needs at that time, Kirby decided to give the money back. He went back to the store, arranged a meeting with the family who donated the couch, then returned the money in full. The family was also shocked at the discovery. They soon found out that it's all their dead grandfather's doing.

The family invited Kirby for dinner, profusely thanked him, and would want to reward him, as well.

"I have had so much peace, so much joy because I did do it, that $43,000 never could buy that much joy or peace or happiness," Kirby added in his interview with MLive.

The media immediately picked Kirby's story and soon, more people learned of his impressive deed.

In response to this humble man's selfless act, people gave donations for the labor and materials of Kirby's floors and roof.

Also, a man from Canada had a GoFundMe account for Kirby and it raised $15,000. Supportive messages also poured in for Kirby, mostly voicing how they're inspired by what he's done and to carry on.

Overwhelmed but delighted, Kirby said that these initiatives on his behalf has restored his faith on mankind.

"The world, there's so many good people out there, whatever they believe in. There's a lot of bad people, and the evil in the world shows up and we remember the evil a lot more than [when] anything that's good happens, but I'm happy that [what] I done did encouraged so many people," Kirby said.

"It makes me feel good because I was able to put out there, how I believe in Christ, and that's what Jesus would do," he continued.

When asked how his year had been during a pandemic, Kirby said it's a "great year."

Despite losing a kidney from a surgery, the man has more reasons to rejoice; the birth of his 11th grandchild and the newly bought house of his son and daughters-in-law.

"I've been blessed," Kirby told MLive.com in a follow up interview. "There's been a lot of things that happened that I wish never did, but then, that's a part of life. I don't get discouraged, and when I do, I look back at what happened at that time. I never expected any of this to happen... It's been a difficult and a wonderful year."




Research scientists have warned that the insect kingdom may soon go extinct as they "die by a thousand cuts" annually. Insecticides, herbicides, invasive species, climate change, changes in land use, and agriculture have been blamed for this severe cut down on insects worldwide.

The bug specialists claim the Earth is presently losing 1 percent to 2 percent of the insect population every year. This was revealed in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, written by up to 56 scientists from around the world by David Wagner, an entomologist from the University of Connecticut and the lead author in the special package of 12 studies.

ALSO READ - Insects: Endangered Species International

World's Top Specialists Still Perplexed, Unsure of What to Do

The world's top bug scientists see this worrying problem which many now be referred to as the 'insect apocalypse' - as relatively perplexing. They do not have the entire pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and that is why they are presently finding it rather difficult to fully grasp the complexity and enormity of the situation.

As it stands, the world is yet to notice this flagrant decline in the insect universe and is not doing anything to stop it.

According to David Wagner, scientists are still trying to figure out the exact rate at which the Earth is losing its precious little friends and they still need to know if insects' loss is far more significant than with other species roaming the planet.

"There is some reason to worry a lot more," Wagner adds, "because they are the target of attack" with herbicides, light pollution, and insecticides. Insect Decline Comparable to Climate Change, Says National Medal of Science Winner

May Berenbaum, an entomologist from the University of Illinois, a co-author and National Medal of Science winner, said, "Insect decline can be comparable to climate change thirty years ago because the methods to assess the extent or the rate of loss was difficult."

And to make this matter even worse, most people hate bugs, despite the simple fact that they pollinate the world's foods. And they are super essential to the food chain and even assist in getting rid of waste, Berenbaum said.

According to Wagner, insects are the fabric that the tree of life and Mother Nature herself are built. Two popular ones - i.e., Monarch butterflies and honeybees - are perfect illustrations of insect declines and problems, the entomologist said.

Honeybees have undergone a severe and dramatic decline because of insecticides, parasites, disease, lack of food, and herbicides.

How Climate Change Contributes to Insect Annihilation

The drier weather in the United States is currently driven by climate change. And this means there will be far less milkweed for butterflies to consume, Wagner said. The significant changes in American agriculture also help eliminate flowers and weeds the diurnal insects need for nectar.

The number of honeybees has plummeted to dangerously low levels, less than 30,000 monarchs over the past 2 years. These Western monarchs' incredible migration is a fragile but unique piece of North America's natural history. According to the director of invertebrate care and conservation at San Diego Zoo Global, Paige Howorth, it is presently on the brink of collapse.

According to another entomologist from the University of Delaware, Doug Tallamy, individuals can do a lot more to reverse the insect kingdom's decline, except for climate change. Tallamy was not part of the studies that exposed this drastic trend.

"This may be a global problem, but it requires a grassroots solution," Tallamy also added.

RELATED ARTICLE - Are Honey Bees Endangered? Here's the Truth of The Matter

For more news, updates about insect extinction and similar topics, don't forget to follow Nature World News!

Post-riot accounts from last Wednesday reveal that not only did President Trump egg on supporters who wreaked havoc in the Capitol  but he was glued to the television as the events unfolded, incapable of responding to desperate pleas to use influence to stop it and enjoying seeing it unfold.

There were two major areas where the president fell dramatically short of what was being asked of him: using his personal popularity with his followers to urge them to vacate the Capitol immediately; and using the vast powers of his office to try to speed a federal response.

But when key current and former aides and family members tried to reach him, he was 'busy enjoying the spectacle,' according to a Washington Post account.

President Donald Trump called his pre-riot remarks 'totally appropriate'

President Donald Trump was glued to the television at the White House as his supporters ransacked the Capitol

As the historic mob invasion of the U.S. seat of legislative government unfolded, a variety of people with influence over Trump sought to get to him to urge action.

The routes they took were typical of the loosely organized web of influence within the Trump White House.

Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham  who only after the riot firmly declared Joe Biden the winner of the election  reached out to the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump.

'It took him a while to appreciate the gravity of the situation,' Graham told the Post. 'The president saw these people as his allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen,' Graham said of the rioters who took the Capitol.

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who Trump believes is so much under his wing that he has publicly called him 'My Kevin,' was pleading for action.

Trump had told supporters to 'fight' and encouraged them to march to the Capitol

Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Protesters attempt to enter the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation's capital during a joint session Congress to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. One Capitol Police officer died in the action

Police officers in riot gear line up as protesters gather on the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. It took hours to regain control of the building

Senator Lindsey Graham reached out to Ivanka Trump during the chaos

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) pleaded with Trump during the riot

Chief of staff Mark Meadows urged Trump to speak out after an aide told him 'They are going to kill people' in reference to the rioters

McCarthy phoned Trump directly to try to plead for assistance  but also called the president's son in law, Jared Kushner, who was returning form a trip to the Middle East.

Former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, who doesn't even work for Trump anymore, tried to get through to him to urge action. She phoned an aide she knew was in close proximity to Trump.

The office of the Mayor of Washington, desperate to get more National Guard forces amid logistical and jurisdictional hurdles, also reached out to Conway.

Chief of staff Mark Meadows urged Trump to speak out after an aide told him: 'They are going to kill people,' in reference to the rioters.

A primary area of the pleas related to something Trump was capable of doing on his own without engaging with the bureaucracy: issuing simple Twitter or video pleas for protesters to get out of the Capitol.

The appeals he finally made either lacked a direct call to fall back, or sprinkled in approving language even as the riot that would become deadly unfolded.

At 2:30 pm, about half an hour after the Capitol breach, Trump told his supporters to 'Please support our Capitol Police' and to 'Stay peaceful!'

His next message was more explicit, writing 'No violence!'  but claimed 'WE are the Party of Law & Order.'

After he finally put out a video at about 4 pm, Trump finally told his backers to 'go home.' But he also called them 'very special,' called the election 'fraudulent,' and said: 'You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace.'

Trump himself had egged on his supporters with demands that they 'fight,' calling the election fraudulent, and putting pressure on Vice President Mike Pence, whose only role was ceremonial and involved opening and reading from envelopes containing electoral votes.

Trump was glued to the television as the storming of the Capitol was broadcast.

Prior reporting has revealed that the Washington D.C. government had requested a National Guard presence, but Guard were assigned to traffic and other assistance and weren't issued ammo or riot gear.

The now resigned chief of Capitol Police says he wanted more Guard support in advance of Wednesday but had been told by superiors to ask for it informally. The governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, says there were delays getting approval to send Guard forces from the Pentagon.

But it wasn't mere distraction that kept Trump from springing into action. It's not atht he was too busy because he was so consumed, which he was,' the New York Times reported.

'He was pleased because it was people fighting on his behalf. He was pleased because he liked the scene. And he was pleased because it was delaying the certification of the Electoral College vote,' the New York Times reported. 'He knew what was happening... He just didn't want to do anything.'

Although McCarthy told colleagues on a call Monday Trump had accepted 'some responsibility' for the riot, on Tuesday the president was back to his defiant posture familiar from impeachment and the Russia probe. He said a second impeachment Democrats are lining up is a 'continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics.'
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Indonesian navy divers today found one of the two black box recorders from a passenger jet which plunged into the Java Sea three days ago with 62 people on board.

The Boeing 737's flight data recorder was found on Tuesday with authorities saying it will take two to five days to extract the information on it as they try to explain how the aircraft fell 10,000ft in less than a minute after takeoff from Jakarta Airport on Saturday.

Divers are still looking for the cockpit voice recorder, the other of the two black boxes, with military chief Hadi Tjahjanto saying that he was confident it would be found soon.

It came as Indonesia's transport ministry revealed that the Sriwijaya Air jet had passed an airworthiness inspection last month, having been grounded between March and December because of the pandemic.

Found: Indonesian navy divers pose with the flight data recorder - one of the two so-called black boxes - recovered from the crash site where a Boeing 737 plunged into the Java Sea on Saturday with 62 people on board

Search and rescue: Emergency workers sit on a rubber boat during the recovery operation for the Sriwijaya Air flight which crashed on Saturday shortly after takeoff from Jakarta

Debris: Members of the Indonesian Red Cross spray disinfectant over items recovered from the crash site on Tuesday

Under lock and key: The black box was put in this chest for safekeeping with authorities saying it will take two to five days to extract information from it - as divers continue to search for the cockpit voice recorder

The Boeing 737-500 passed its inspection on December 14, flew five days later with no passengers and then resumed commercial flights on December 22, the transport ministry said.

Initial findings by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) showed a jet engine was running when it hit the water, based on damage seen on parts retrieved from the sea.

'The damage on the fan blade showed that the engine was still working on impact,' KNKT chief Soerjanto Tjahjono said - ruling out a mid-air break-up as the explanation for Saturday's disaster.

'This is consistent with the hypothesis that the plane's system was still working at an altitude of 250ft,' he said, noting the plane was transmitting data at that altitude.

The flight data recorder was found after a navy ship picked up pings being emitted by the black boxes, at least one of which was buried in seabed mud under tons of sharp objects in the wreckage.

Actually coloured bright orange, the boxes are built to survive at vast depths and in extreme heat, and are fitted with a beacon which can emit a signal for one month.

Navy chief admiral Yudo Margono said at least 160 divers were searching for the devices on Tuesday, while more than 3,600 rescue personnel, 13 helicopters, 54 large ships and 20 small boats also search the area.

Rescuers have found parts of the plane and human remains at a depth of around 75ft after the plane crashed within four minutes of takeoff from Jakarta.

So far, the searchers have sent 74 body bags containing human remains to police identification experts who on Monday said they had identified 29-year-old flight attendant Okky Bisma as one of the victims.

His wife, Aldha Refa, who is also a flight attendant for Sriwijaya Air, shared her grief in a series of posts on social media.

'My husband is a loving, devout and super kind man,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Heaven is your place, dear ... be peaceful there.'

The Indonesian navy vessel KRI Semarang looms over rescue boats piloted by navy divers and other rescue workers today

A rescue worker wearing a mask holds a piece of wreckage after the Boeing 737 came down in less than a minute on Saturday

Navy divers stand on a rubber boat during the search and rescue operation, as it emerged that the plane had passed an airworthiness inspection only weeks before the catastrophe

Indonesian rescue workers move a plastic container carrying one of the black boxes off their rubber boat in waters off Jakarta

Family members have been providing samples for DNA tests and police say results are expected in four to eight days.

A child's Marvel backpack was among the items found by the search team as they sifted through the wreckage from the plane which had plunged 10,000ft in a minute before the crash.

National Police spokesman Rusdi Hartono said about 53 samples for DNA testing have been collected but more are still needed, especially from parents and children of victims.

All 62 passengers and crew aboard the flight were Indonesian, including seven children and three babies.

The plane's captain, Afwan, a 54-year-old father of three, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was a former air force pilot with decades of flying under his belt.

His nephew Ferza Mahardhika told BBC Indonesia that the pilot had left home quickly on the day of the flight, complaining that 'his shirt hadn't been ironed, when usually he is really neat'.

Afwan also apologised to his children for having to leave home to board the doomed flight.

Ferza Mahardhika said: 'He was a very good man. He often gave advice, wise advice. He was a prominent figure in his neighbourhood and was well-known for his kindness.'

Indonesian divers scouring the Java Sea for the wreckage of the plane which crashed on Saturday have found a huge amount of debris and passenger belongings

A child's Marvel backpack was among the distressing items found by the search team as they sifted through the wreckage

Underwater footage of their rescue mission shows the divers examining the huge amount of debris from the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500

Shrapnel from the Sriwijaya Air plane was lifted from the crash site around the Thousand Islands as investigators say the jet was likely intact when it smashed into the water

Health workers spray disinfectant over body bags containing human remains recovered from the crash site of Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 at the port in Jakarta on January 10

The plane - a Boeing B737-500 - is understood to have fallen 10,000 feet in less than 60 seconds just four minutes after it took off

Another passenger, Ratih Windania, posted a selfie with her three children laughing as the family boarded the plane from the Indonesian capital. She said: 'Bye bye family. We're heading home for now.'

Her brother Irfansyah Riyanto said the family were originally planning to take a different flight but they changed at the last minute. 'Pray for us,' he wrote on Instagram.

His sister and her two children had been at the end of a three-week holiday and were taking the 460 mile trip home to Pontianak on the island of West Kalimantan.

'I was the one who drove them to the airport, helped with the check-ins and the luggage ... I feel like I still can't believe this and it happened too fast,' Irfansyah said.

Rapin Akbar, who gave a blood sample to the hospital to help police identify any bodies retrieved, had five relatives on board including an older sister, a nephew and his wife and their seven-month-old baby.

'(My nephew) had planned to go back to Pontianak on Sunday but changed his mind and decided to fly on Saturday instead,' the shocked Akbar told AFP.

'He called me to say the flight was delayed and sent me a picture of their baby. It was (their) first.'

At the police hospital, the brother of co-pilot Diego Mamahit said he had been asked for a blood sample.

'I believe my younger brother survived, these are just for the police procedure,' Chris Mamahit said. 'Diego is a good man, we still believe Diego survived.'

On his LinkedIn profile, Mahamit had written 'I really love to fly.'

Underwater divers were searching for the plane's black boxes which will help explain why the jet plunged so quickly

An investigator with Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) said the jet possibly broke apart when it hit waters based on debris found so far

Investigators have so far been unable to say why the 26-year-old plane crashed just four minutes after takeoff from Jakarta

The plane's captain, Afwan, a 54-year-old father of three, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was a former air force pilot with decades of flying under his belt

Ratih Windania posted a selfie with her three children laughing as they boarded a plane in Indonesia on Saturday in a heartbreaking final message

The family's final message was sent just before they boarded the plane from the Indonesian capital after a three-week holiday





They were originally planning to take a different flight but they changed at the last minute

Irfansyah said his relatives (pictured at the airport) had originally been due to take an earlier flight operated by Sriwijaya's unit NAM Air and he was unclear why that was changed

Also on board was Dinda Amelia, who had gone to Jakarta on holiday for her 15th birthday, seaman Angga Fernanda Afrion who became a father for the first time last week, and newly-married couple Ihsan Adhlan Hakim and Putri Wahyuni.

Agus Minarni and Muhammad Nur Kholifatul Amin travelled to Jakarta to attend the funeral of Amin's father and visit their son at boarding school.

A family of five is also missing from the flight, with Rizki Wahyudi, 26, his wife Indah Halimah Putri, also 26, their 7-month-old son, and Wahyudi's mother and cousin all on board the flight.

They were due to fly home on January 5 but were made to take a Covid test which delayed their flight until Saturday.

Minarni's brother Yudiansyah Yunus said he will now take care of the couple's orphaned teenage children.

Father and businessman Yohanes Suherdi is also feared dead after he took a work trip to Jakarta and was due to fly back to his family.

His wife Susilawati Bungahilaria told CNN she spoke with him shortly before take off.

'His last message to me was not to forget to take our son to see a doctor because he had a fever,' she said.

Indonesian Navy sailors are seen on the KRI Semarang as it is docking and preparing to continue rescue process for Sriwijaya Air flight SJ 182

A health worker sprays disinfectant at a large part of a plane recovered from the waters off Java Island where Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 crashed on Saturday, at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia

Rescuers have discovered body parts and pieces of clothing during a desperate search for Sriwijaya Air Flight 182

Indonesian rescue members check a body bag as a huge team continues their search to find wreckage and passengers

Officials are seen inspecting one of the engines recovered from the crash of Sriwijaya Air flight SJ18

A fisherman named Solihin told the BBC that he had been at sea when he witnessed the plane crash into the water near to his ship.

'The plane fell like lightning into the sea and exploded in the water. It was pretty close to us, the shards of a kind of plywood almost hit my ship.

'We thought it was a bomb or a tsunami since after that we saw the big splash from the water.

'It was raining heavily and the weather was so bad... We were very shocked and directly saw the plane debris and the fuel around our boat.'

Locals on a nearby island said they heard two explosions before discovering metal pieces, cables and fragments of a pair of jeans floating in the sea.

President Joko Widodo offered sympathy to all of the victims on Sunday.

'We are making our best efforts to find and rescue the victims and we all pray that they can be found,' he said.

The missing plane is an older model than the Boeing 737 MAX jet involved in two earlier fatal crashes - including the Indonesian Lion Air crash in 2018 which killed 189.

That accident - and another in Ethiopia - saw Boeing hit with $2.5 billion in fines over claims it defrauded regulators overseeing the 737 MAX model, which was grounded worldwide following the accidents.

Sriwijaya Air, which flies to destinations in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, has said little about the plane, which was previously flown by US-based Continental Airlines and United Airlines.

The Indonesian carrier has not recorded a fatal crash since it started operations in 2003.

Rescuers are seen bringing up one of the engines. At 2.40pm - just four minutes after takeoff - the Boeing B737-500 plunged nearly 10,000ft in less than 60 seconds

Navy divers are seen retrieving wreckage from the aircraft. Police asked families to provide information to help identify any bodies retrieved such as dental records and DNA samples

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi on Sunday said authorities launched a widespread search for the Boeing 737-500 after narrowing down 'the possible location of the crash site'

The Boeing B737-500 plunged nearly 3,300 metres in less than 60 seconds to an altitude of just 75 metres. Pictured: debris discovered in the ocean

Navy divers pull out a part of an airplane out of the water during the search operation for the Sriwijaya Air passenger jet

A medical officer sprays disinfectant onto the washed up debris as rescuers desperately search for survivors

The National Search and Rescue Agency of Indonesia (BASARNAS) conduct a search and rescue operation

A plane flies over Indonesian search and rescue teams scattered in several points as they look for debris

Police asked families to provide information to help identify any bodies retrieved such as dental records and DNA samples

These pieces were found by the SAR team between Lancang Island and Laki Island, National Search and Rescue Agency Bagus Puruhito said
India has kicked off one of the world's biggest inoculation programs that will be a crucial test of how quickly developing countries, with limited health and transportation infrastructure, can protect their populations against covid-19.

Refrigerated trucks and private planes, accompanied by police officers, fanned out Tuesday from the western city of Pune to around 60 different locations across India as hundreds of thousands of medical workers are on standby to start vaccinations this weekend.

With a protracted back-and-forth over a supply deal resolved, doses that had been sitting in storage at Serum Institute of India Ltd. started going out to government depots and then beyond to hospital and health centers in cities and the hinterland.

The administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces the daunting task of rolling out shots at an accelerated pace in a country of more than 1.3 billion people which has long struggled with limited health infrastructure and patchy cold-chain storage facilities. The country has so far reported nearly 10.5 million infections as of Tuesday and 151,000 deaths.

Serum, the company enlisted to manufacture a billion doses of AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine has started shipments after it received orders from the Indian government for 11 million shots priced at around $2.86 (200 rupees) plus taxes a dose, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary at India's federal health ministry told reporters at a briefing in New Delhi Tuesday.

The Pune-based company -- the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume -- began distribution Tuesday using its own refrigerated trucks for initial batches to load it on to private airlines. The delivery of the first batch of vaccines will be completed by Thursday, Bhushan said.

The government has designated four main distribution points -- Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata -- and there are 37 state vaccine storage areas in the country but few details have been made available about where and to whom the first shots will be administered on Saturday.

Plans drawn up by India's health ministry outline broad steps to inoculate 300 million people in the first stage through August.In a first round 30 million health care and front line workers -- such as police and defense force staff -- will be vaccinated, with the federal government picking up the tab, Modi said on Monday.

In the second round, about 270 million people of above 50 years of age and those at particular risk to Covid will receive shots.

There is no information on when and at what price Serum can start selling it shots privately.

New Delhi will purchase 5.5 million shots of Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine being produced by Bharat Biotech International Ltd, Bhushan said, adding that some 3.85 million doses will be purchased at around 295 rupees per dose while the rest will be provided at no cost by the company.

To transport the vaccines, Serum is using the Mumbai-based Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd., which is moving shots from it's manufacturing facility in Pune to the government depots equipped to handle and store vaccines, Kunal Agarwal, a director at the company, told Bloomberg.

Kool-ex, which has been transporting vaccines for a decade, deployed 400 GPS-enabled refrigerated trucks to move the shots and can add another 500 at a short notice, Agarwal said, adding that it was dispatching six to ten trucks to Serum on Tuesday. There's a "lot of security" stationed for the trucks, he said, adding that empty trucks are being accompanied by police.

The company is informed of destination points only after the trucks have been loaded, sealed and have undergone temperature checks. Kool-ex has so far not signed new contracts with vaccine manufacturers for the distribution of Covid-19 shots and its existing long-term contracts will cover this without any changes in the pricing, Agarwal said.

It expects to start dispatching vaccines from Bharat Biotech around March or April followed by a candidate from Zydus Cadilla, another company producing an indigenous shot.

Airlines will then move the vaccines widely across the country. SpiceJet Ltd. said on Tuesday that it carried India's first consignment of 34 boxes of Serum's vaccine from Pune to Delhi. The private airline will be carrying multiple consignments to different Indian cities, including Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Patna and Vijayawada through the day, the carrier's Chairman Ajay Singh said in a statement.

More than 61,000 program managers, 200,000 vaccinators and 370,000 other vaccination team members have been trained at states to carry out the exercise, according to the government.

Mumbai, India's financial hub which has been particularly hit by the coronavirus, will be among the first to start giving shots at around eight government hospitals. Surrounding Maharashtra state plans to vaccinate 50,000 health workers on Saturday and cover 800,000 others over the next two months with around 1.8 million doses, according to local media.

While the government is optimistic about its inoculation drive it will be held back by production constraints and the fact the program will heavily rely on state governments whose capacities and expertise vary widely, Akhil Bery, Scott Rosenstein and Peter Mumford, analysts at Eurasia Group, said in a note on Jan. 11.

A successful vaccination drive is important for Modi "who is under pressure from ongoing farmer protests," the note added.
A woman accused of murdering a retired grandfather in his Sydney unit allegedly used his Opal card to catch a bus on the day his body was found.

Narelle Fiona Smith, 46, was arrested by officers at a unit block in Sydney's east and charged over the death of 77-year-old Peter McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy was found dead in his Elphinstone Road, South Coogee home on December 20 with severe head and facial injuries.

Police will allege she killed Mr McCarthy some time between 1pm on December 17, her 46th birthday, and 11.20am on December 20.

She has been charged with taking his Opal card and using it to travel by bus between South Coogee and Surry Hills on the afternoon of December 20.

Narelle Fiona Smith, 46, was arrested by officers at a unit block in Sydney's east and charged over the death of 77-year-old Peter McCarthy

Peter McCarthy, 77, was found dead in his apartment in South Coogee by his ex-wife on December 20 with severe head and facial injuries

Homicide detectives returned to the street on Monday afternoon and arrested Smith in a unit next to Mr McCarthy's home.

Smith did not appear in person or by video-link when her case was mentioned at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday.

Mr McCarthy suffered fatal head injuries sometime between his last confirmed sighting on December 16 and a welfare check on December 20.

The middle-aged woman was charged with murder on Monday as well as the fraud offence of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The case will come before the court again on March 9, with a police brief set to be served that day.

The woman is not one of the two people depicted in CCTV images released by police in December as they appealed for assistance.

Smith's lawyer told the court she did not apply for bail, which was formally denied by the magistrate.

Media were there at the time of the arrest, with Smith telling a Nine News reporter: 'Peter was my friend. I was there on my birthday.'

She claimed she had nothing to do with Mr McCarthy's death.

'No, not at all. I wouldn't do that, he's my friend,' she said.

Mr McCarthy's last confirmed sighting was at The York Club in the Sydney CBD on December 16, with his ex-wife discovering his body four days later.

She has been charged with taking his Opal card and using it to travel by bus between South Coogee and Surry Hills on the afternoon of December 20

Mr McCarthy was last seen at the Club York in Sydney's CBD (pictured) on December 16

Police would not say when they believe he was fatally assaulted.

Mr McCarthy's family remain in contact with detectives and were informed of the woman's arrest.

'I think it's mixed emotions for them,' Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said.

'They've just gone through Christmas without a father and a grandfather.

'They're still getting over the grief of losing Peter.'

Mr McCarthy's neighbour Michelle Turneley said: 'Peter was a nice old guy, and he was very frail'.

Smith was refused bail and will appear before Waverley Local Court on Tuesday

Det Supt Doherty said 'there's very significant forensic and physical evidence to make this a strong and compelling case'.

'Mr McCarthy suffered severe head and facial injuries but I won't go into circumstances of what was used,' he said.

In December, Det Supt Doherty said the post-mortem examination and crime scene suggested Mr McCarthy was the victim of a 'violent and brutal' assault and robbery.

His satchel and phone had also been stolen from his home.

Smith has been charged with murder and a fraud offence.

She was refused bail ahead of an appearance at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday.
(Newser)  If your puppy salivates every time he sees you eating an ice cream cone, Ben & Jerry's now has a remedy. Per CNN, the Unilever-owned company on Monday debuted Doggie Desserts, nondairy frozen treats for our four-legged friends that were inspired by the pets of Ben & Jerry's employees themselves. The delectable-sounding snack is made with ingredients you'd find in human ice creamincluding sugar, wheat flour, and coconut oilbut the dairy portion has been swapped out for a sunflower-butter base. For now, there are two flavors available: Pontch's Mix, made with peanut butter and pretzel swirls, and Rosie's Batch, infused with pumpkin flavor and tiny cookies.

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Both flavors were named after employee pets, which en masse were also the impetus behind the dog-friendly company's brand extension. Before the pandemic, CNBC notes dozens of dogs a day were spotted at Ben & Jerry's Vermont headquarters, hanging out with their owners in their offices and at their desks. A marketing specialist for the company says these same pets served as the Doggie Desserts' focus group. Although Ben & Jerry's had already started developing the treats before COVID, the pandemic has led to many more potential customers, as pet fostering and adoption spiked while people have been stuck more at home. "Whether you're rewarding good pups or cooling off a yardful of party animals, we think they're just about the finest, K9-est frozen treats you can fetch for your 4-legged friends," the company says of its new lineup. (Read more Ben and Jerry's stories.)
Connecticut residents age 75 and over who are not in long-term care will be able to register for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Thursday and inoculations will begin Jan. 18, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday.

Dont call or show up at your doctors offices, Lamonts chief operating officer warned residents, because the free vaccines will be given in larger clinics that can handle the crush of patients.

Opening the shots up to those over 75 with registration  on a federal website  marks Connecticuts first step toward vaccinating people in the general population, Phase 1B. Its an effort to minimize the chaos other states, notably Florida, have seen as they opened up the vaccinations.

The first groups in Phase 1A, which began in December, include health care workers, residents and staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities and medical first responders.

The rollout came as the state announced 7,364 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Friday, a positive test rate of 6.3 percent. The number of people in Connecticut hospitals with COVID-19 increased by 33 to 1,142, still below the recent peak of 1,269.

Lamont reported 92 more deaths reported Monday, increasing the Connecticut death toll to 6,416.

Registrations for elderly people living independently will be in two steps: A sign-up, followed by a message from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) enabling people to make an actual appointment.

On Thursday, the governors office plans to give out a website those who qualify can visit and a phone number they can call to help them set up an appointment if theyre not able to do it online. But on Monday, the town of Fairfield Health Department jumped out early, posting a link to the federal Vaccine Administration Management System, or VAMS, where residents over 75 could go to register.

Proof of age will be required at the clinic, the department noted in a post on its Facebook page.

Were going to make sure that no vaccines are left on the shelf at the end of the day, Lamont said at his regular Monday briefing from the state Capitol.

While those 75 and over make up about 5 percent of the population, they represent about 60 percent of the fatalities attributed to the coronavirus. Debate continues on which groups should be included in Phase 1B, which will likely include front-line non-medical workers and state prisoners.

Were doing this carefully, just so we can measure the flow-in, Lamont said.Its not a question of how big I expand 1B. Theres only so many vaccines. Please be patient. Were going to get this the best we can.

Connecticut rejected the first-come, first-served vaccination centers, which have created long lines, headaches and disappointment in some states, in a system the governor called unwieldy and time-consuming. His guest of the day, Patrick H. Charmel, president and CEO of Griffin Hospital in Derby, backed him up.

I think it would create a negative scenario, Charmel said of the first-come, first-serve system. A more-disciplined, structured approach, we believe will work.

Charmel said 10,000 people in the six-town Lower Naugatuck Valley have been vaccinated since Dec. 15 in the hospitals program, which will soon expand to a site on Progress Street in Shelton that can vaccinate 1,200 people a day, twice the current total. There will be a program to supply free rides for seniors to get to vaccination locations.

Charmel said the hospital is working with social service agencies, religious organizations and physicians offices to contact the elderly directly to register, especially those with transportation challenges. Church basements are also being considered for vaccination centers.

We are setting up a call center, he said. We know that there may be challenges with access to technology, so were actually going to be calling those individuals weve identified that we need to get to and schedule appointments with them so that we can get them vaccinated as soon as possible.

The Phase 1B roll-out does not include unpaid caregivers for seniors, such as family members who care for elderly relatives. The allocation subcommittee of the Governors Vaccine Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday and will likely discuss caregivers, as well as other groups, Lamonts chief operating officer, Josh Geballe, said.

One thing needs to be clear here: Dont call your doctor, Geballe said. They dont have vaccine in their office, theyre not going to be able to help you get an appointment.

The Fairfield site informed people that people who register can expect an email from CDC within 24 hours, instructing them on how to make an appointment for their vaccination through the federal system.

Health officials believe that the proliferation of mask wearing in the state has cut down on the number of flu infections so far in the season by 95 percent. The number of flu cases at Griffin is down dramatically, which is wonderful only because it creates capacity for the number of individuals presenting with COVID, Charmel said.
Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley is set to lead an examination of the 292,000 to be paid who the new Department of Health Secretary-General which he says in 'poor taste' when student nurses are getting 100 a week.

The Dail Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is set to meet this week to consider whether it will examine the appointment and a significant salary increase of the new Secretary-General of the Department of Health Robert Watt.

It was recently revealed that the new Secretary-General will be paid a salary of 292,000, a salary which is 81,000 higher than the top pay scale.

As Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Dep Stanley has called for further examination of a number of questions about the appointment process and the substantial increase in salary for the role.

The recent appointment of the new Secretary General of the Department of Health is of significant public interest considering the importance of the role and the unprecedented salary attached.

I believe that it is a matter of interest for the PAC and I will be asking members to consider it for our work programme.

At a time when hundreds of workers are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and student nurses are being given a paltry 100 per week, this huge increase in salary for a Departmental Secretary General is in poor taste.

We need to understand where this salary fits in with the public pay scale guidelines and whether it satisfies the Public Service Pay Commission.

We need to know more about the appointment process - were individuals headhunted and encouraged to apply, how long was the role publicly advertised and how many individuals were interviewed?

Did the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health play a role in the decision and did they sanction this pay increase?

The PAC has an important role to play in teasing out the answers to these questions and it is my intention to obtain the agreement of the members this week to pursue the matter further, he said.

It emerged last weekend that Robert Watt, the head of the Department of Public Expenditure, is to become the new secretary-general of the Department of Health.

Mr Watt came to prominence in 2019 when he questioned the cost of the National Children's Hospital. Speaking at a PAC meeting at the time he claimed the public was "being sold a pup" with the 1.7 billion price tag.
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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI  A Dexter-area home was destroyed Monday night when a fire broke out in the residence and quickly spread.

Fire crews were called to the home in the 9000 block of Hermitage Way near Strawberry Lake Road in northern Webster Township at 8:33 p.m. Jan. 11, according to the Dexter Area Fire Department.

Crews arrived to find heavy flames coming from the home and called in additional support and tanker trucks as there was no fire hydrants in the area, officials said.

Firefighters were on scene for several hours putting the fire out, which was made more difficult by the icy conditions on the long, unpaved private road leading to the home.

The home was deemed a loss as fire crews cleared the scene shortly after 4 a.m., officials said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though it is believed to started as a fire in the chimney that quickly spread and grew out of control, officials said.

No injuries were reported, and one resident was displaced.

The Hamburg Township Fire Department, Scio Township Fire Department, Green Oak Fire Department Northfield Township Fire Department and Putnam Township Fire Department assisted at the scene.

More from The Ann Arbor News:

Washtenaw prosecutor wont charge people for marijuana, shrooms, other psychedelics

Murder suspect arrested at 16 seeks bond after 3 years in jail awaiting trial

Charles Reinhart, founder of Ann Arbor real estate company, dies at 96

Appointment

12 January 2021

Dixon will oversee all facets of the hotel's day-to-day operations, the overarching food and beverage programs, as well as banquets and catering.

Dixon brings more than a decade of director-level management experience to his new position as director of operations. Since receiving his bachelor's degree from the Western Michigan University, Dixon has held executive positions at major hotel brands such as Hilton and Kimpton as well as restaurants, including the award-winning Ruth's Chris Steak House, Portland, where he served as general manager for four years. During that time, the restaurant was voted #1 among the brand with the lowest average turnover and grossed $8 million annually. Most recently, Dixon served as director of food and beverage for the Hilton and Duniway Hotels in Portland, Oregon where he improved profitability by 18% in Q1 of 2020. In his new role, Dixon will be responsible for managing operations of rooms, as well as overseeing daily food and beverage operations, dining and beverage outlets, and the hotel's banquet team.
The WHO had expected the investigation to start last week, but Beijing suddenly announced a last-minute hold-up over entry permission

Geneva: The World Health Organisation insisted Monday that the international investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic's origins, set to start this week in China, was not looking for "somebody to blame".

WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said the delayed mission, finally given the green light by Beijing, was about science, not politics.

Ten international experts will visit China from Thursday to probe the origins of the new coronavirus , more than a year after the pandemic began and amid accusations that Beijing has tried to thwart the investigation.

"Understanding the origins of disease is not about finding somebody to blame," Ryan told a press conference in Geneva. "It is about finding the scientific answers about the very important interface between the animal kingdom and the human kingdom. "It is an absolute requirement that we understand that interface. "We are looking for the answers here, not culprits and not people to blame."

Experts say solving the mystery of how the virus first jumped from animals to humans is crucial to preventing another pandemic. The mission will visit Wuhan in China, where the first cluster of cases was detected in December 2019.

The WHO had expected the investigation to start last week but, to the UN health agency's surprise and disappointment with two members already on their way, Beijing suddenly announced a last-minute hold-up over entry permission.

Tedros plea for 'space'

Following the disruptions and intense scrutiny, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pleaded Monday for the mission to be given the space to do its work.

"We are pleased that an international team of scientists -- distinguished experts from 10 institutions and countries -- are commencing their travel to China to engage in and review scientific research with their Chinese counterparts on the origins of the COVID-19 virus," he said.

"Studies will begin in Wuhan, China to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases. Scientific evidence will drive hypotheses, which will then be the basis for further, longer-term studies.

"This is important not just for COVID-19 but for the future of global health security and to manage emerging disease threats with pandemic potential. "Let's give this team of scientists the space to work with their Chinese counterparts effectively and let's wish them all well." The novel coronavirus has killed nearly two million people since the outbreak first emerged in Wuhan.

"That milestone is a grim and shocking one as we do approach it," Ryan said. At least 1.9 million people have died while more than 90 million cases have been registered, according to an AFP tally from official sources.

These figures are based on daily tolls provided by health authorities in each country and exclude later re-evaluations by statistical organisations. Thousands of mutations in the virus have taken place as it has passed from person to person around the world.

New variants recently detected in Britain and South Africa are seemingly more contagious, though no evidence has emerged that they have increased the severity of any ensuing disease. "Over the weekend, WHO was notified by Japan about a new variant of the virus," Tedros said.

"The more the COVID-19 virus spreads, the higher the chance of new changes to the virus. Most notably, transmissibility of some variants of the virus appears to be increasing," he explained.
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U.S. President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus has been the most divisive, at least in the United States. In fact, according to reports, his response, or the lack of it for some, might have been one of the significant reasons for his defeat in the November Presidential elections, which saw President-elect Joe Biden win the Presidency. In January, Trump had said that the US administration has the pandemic "totally under control" and that "it's going to be just fine". From that statement about a year ago to now, as US reels through increasing virus cases and is the worst-affected country in the world, things have changed rapidly. Trump's critics blame the pandemic's effects solely on him, while his supporters insist that he did all that he could. (Image: Reuters)

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives would vote on the impeachment of outgoing President Donald Trump on Wednesday on charges of inciting his supporters to carry out a violent attack on the Capitol Hill last week.

Co-authored by Congressmen Jamie Raskin, David Cicilline and Ted Lieu, the article of impeachment -- co-sponsored by 211 House members -- was tabled on Monday.

During a conference call with his party colleagues on Monday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the impeachment vote will be held on Wednesday.

The article of impeachment charges Trump with a count of "incitement of insurrection" for his actions on January 6, when he delivered a speech inciting his supporters to lay siege to the Capitol, an action that temporarily halted the counting of Electoral College votes and resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including an officer of the US Capitol Police.

The Democrats have enough votes to impeach the president in the House, which requires a simple majority. But the Senate, where the Republicans have a razor-thin 51-50 majority -- requires votes of two-third of the members to remove the president out of the office.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the vote on impeachment in the upper chambers of the US Congress can not happen before the Inauguration Day on January 20.

Later on Monday, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also introduced two articles of impeachment against Trump. The first article cites Trump's abuse of power for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. The second article addresses the incitement of violence for orchestrating an attempted coup against our country.

I just introduced my impeachment resolution. The full House will now vote on a measure calling on Vice President (Mike) Pence and the cabinet to remove President Donald Trump under the 25th amendment. If Pence does not act, the House will move to impeach this week, Omar said.

Republican Senator Steve Daines rejected calls for impeachment. Now is the time to stand united, move forward together and have a peaceful transition of power. Pushing partisan driven articles of impeachment through Congress days before the inauguration will further divide our country, he said.

Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz said impeachment is unnecessary, divisive, and it's only being done because Democrats want to keep the focus on Trump so they can hold together their fragile coalition.

This week, the House will vote to impeach Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection against the seat of our democracy, said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

Liberty and the rule of law, though always fragile, are bedrock tenets of our democratic republic. No President nay, no American ought to be able to incite violence against our democracy without repercussion. The American people demand accountability to prevent such horrific events from ever happening again, she said.
Let's put relations with EU back on right track, Erdogan 'Cooperation necessary in Med, we must not be excluded'

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, 12 GEN - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech to EU ambassadors in Ankara that "we are available to elaborate a positive agenda with the EU and to put our relations back on the right track". "We must make the eastern Mediterranean a sea of cooperation for common interests rather than an area of competition", the president also said.



"We have not abandoned the ambition for a full adhesion to the EU. It is our joint responsibility to make 2021 a successful year for Turkey-EU relations", continued Erdogan, claiming that Turkey would like to fill the void left by Brexit.



Expressing the wish that "explorative talks" between Turkey and Greece that will resume on January 25 in Istanbul after nearly five years will contribute to the resolution of energy disputes, Ankara's leader stressed the opposition to ''maximalist'' visions that aim to "close Turkey within its beaches".



Regarding Cyprus, Erdogan then criticized Brussels for not having "any contact recently" with Turkish Cypriots. "How can the EU have a role as facilitator in this way? We have to stop talking about Cyprus through models that failed and discuss about realistic alternatives", added the Turkish president, referring to the hypothesis of a solution with "two people and two States" proposed by Ankara. (ANSAmed).




Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Eric Lis factory making glass lampshades for companies including Home Depot Inc. is being stretched to its limits with sales doubling their pre-pandemic level.But like many Chinese manufacturers, he doesnt plan to expand operations -- a reticence that could slow the pace of Chinas economic growth this year and prolong a shortage of goods being felt around the world as demand picks up.Surging prices of raw materials means margins are compressed, explains Li, owner of Huizhou Baizhan Glass Co. Ltd., in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, which makes about $30 million in annual revenue. With the global economic recovery still uneven, the future is very unclear, so there is not much push to expand capacity, he adds.The combination of higher input prices, uncertainty about export prospects and a weak recovery in domestic consumer demand meant Chinese manufacturing investment from January to April was 0.4% below the same period in 2019, according to official statistics (comparing to 2019 strips out the distortion of last years pandemic data).Due to the vast size of Chinas manufacturing sector, that poses a risk both to the nations growth -- which is currently predicted to reach 8.5% in 2021, according to a Bloomberg tally of economists estimates -- and to a global economy thats grappling with supply shortages and rising prices.Falling ProfitsWeaker-than-expected investment could have a sizable impact on GDP growth this year, said Citigroup Inc.s China economist, Li-gang Liu. Lower investment may dent imports of capital goods and equipment from developed economies like Japan and Germany, which in turn could drag their economic recovery and rebound as well, he added.AnHui HERO Electronic Sci & Tec Co. Ltd. is one of those companies feeling the squeeze. Based in the eastern province of Anhui, the company manufactures capacitors used to make electronic circuits, with sales mainly in the domestic market. Jing Yuan, the founder, says orders are up as much as 30% year-on-year, but profits are down 50% due to increasing materials costs that are not easily passed onto clients.The company is under huge cash pressure as it needs to pay half a month in advance of delivery in order to secure copper and other metals, which they previously paid for months after receiving, he said. The commodity issue has to be addressed by the government, he added.What Bloomberg Economics Says...Chinese industry is absorbing significant cost pressures from rising commodity prices -- damping the inflationary impact for the rest of the world. Will it last? Our analysis of gross margins suggests it could for a while longer: downstream industries -- where the cost crunch is most severe -- still have a small cushion.David Qu, China economistFor the full report, click here.Input shortages mean some manufacturers arent able to make use of their existing facilities, so expansion would be of little use. Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio Inc. suspended production at one of its factories last month, due to a shortage of microchips.Modern Casting Ltd., which makes iron and steel products in Guangdong, issued a note to clients this month saying it would not be able to meet its current orders due to high raw material costs. A member of staff who answered the phone at the companys office confirmed the note, but declined to give further details.Growth TransitionOn top of the higher input costs, Chinese companies face a bumpy transition toward domestic consumer spending to sustain its post-pandemic recovery.Exports, Chinas strong-suit last year, may begin to slow as vaccine roll-outs cause consumers in wealthy countries to shift spending back to services. Meanwhile, the growth rate of Chinese consumer spending has yet to fully recover.Investment sentiment among Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises is below levels seen even in 2018-9 when uncertainties from the U.S.-China trade war were a brake on expansion plans, according to a regular survey of more than 500 Chinese companies by Standard Chartered Plc.Demand is still mainly underpinned by exports, so domestic companies are aware that this is not sustainable, said Standard Chartereds China economist, Lan Shen.While some export-oriented sectors have been pushed to their limits, large amounts of slack remain for manufacturers targeting Chinese consumers due to subdued domestic demand.Retail sales growth was 4.3% in April on a two-year average basis, which strips out base effects from the pandemic, less than half pre-pandemic growth rates. Overall capacity use at Chinas manufacturers fell to 77.6% in the first quarter from 78.4% in the previous three months, with the automotive sector hit hardest by overcapacity following three years of declining sales volumes.Even for electric vehicles whose sales are surging, most companies have already built their capacity and will now focus on incremental upgrades. The majority of the investment has been done, said Jochen Siebert of JSC Automotive Consulting.China ordered state-owned companies to expand last year, with their investment growth of 5.3% in 2020 from the prior year easily outstripping the 1% increase in private investment. But for a sustainable pick-up in investment, the market, not the state, needs to feel confident.Carsten Holz, an expert on Chinese investment statistics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, estimates that privately-owned companies have accounted for 87% of manufacturing investment in 2015, the most recent year of available data. They are more sensitive to input costs.There is a pandemic plus insecurity about future trade given a new U.S. administration, neither of which is conducive to investment that relies on long-term growth prospects, Holz said.Mixed PoliciesTransport bottlenecks are also a challenge for export-oriented manufacturers. Gordon Gao, who exports gardening products from China, said that he has had to reject 80% of orders this year due to port delays. In one case, an order placed before mid-February could only be shipped three months later when a client finally secured a container.Beijing has tried to improve conditions for private companies by ordering a crackdown on speculation to curb commodity prices and easing access to bank loans.Yet the government continues to gradually withdraw fiscal and monetary stimulus measures introduced amid the pandemic last year. It set a relatively unambitious target of above 6% growth for this year, and the Communist Partys Politburo signaled last month it would prioritize reforms to control house prices and debt growth.The policy stance has definitely shifted away from supporting growth and back toward de-risking the financial sector, said Adam Wolfe, an economist at London-based Absolute Strategy Research. The risks for economic growth seem tilted to the downside, especially for capital-intensive, construction-linked sectors.For manufacturers such as Li, a longer period of domestic growth and control over input prices will be needed before capacity expansion is on the cards. While his company of 200 workers took on new permanent staff before the pandemic, for now hed rather pass the risks of investment on to others.I wouldnt do that now, I would rather hire some temporary workers and outsource the rest, he said.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 Irish Steam Preservation Society is appealing to the public to ensure that the Stradbally Woodland Railway and the National Steam Rally will be here long after Covid-19 has left.

Last March, the Society decided to close the Railway for the year due to Covid and shortly after, was forced to cancel the annual National Steam Rally.

The Society says its steam locomotive Roisin has been locked up in a shed all year but they are counting down the days until she can pull trains for the public again. In a different shed in England, another engine of is waiting to come home to Stradbally in steam for the first time in years. The Mann engine is a steam tractor belonging to the Society and a return to steam on home turf is imminent.

In order to make sure that Roisin can leave the shed and that the Mann engine can come home, the society is appealing to the public for donations to make up for our losses in income during 2020.

Its members say the funds raised will ensure that the Railway can open to the public again (subject to any public health guidelines which may be in place in the future) and to cover the transportation costs of bringing the Mann engine back home again.

Gordon Condell is the Society's CEO and Stradbally Woodland Railway General Manager.

The Irish Steam Preservation Society is one of Irelands oldest voluntary groups dedicated to preserving the steam engine - a huge page of our social and agricultural heritage. Due to Covid-19, weve been backed into a corner and were appealing to the generosity of the general public to help us fight our way out of it. The National Steam Rally and Stradbally Woodland Railway have hosted thousands of visitors down the years and we want to guarantee we will be able to continue to do so for many years to come in the future through our online SOS Support Our Steam appeal, he said.

Nigel Glynn is the Steam Rally Committee Chairman.

The town of Stradbally has hosted the National Steam Rally for over half a century and is a major heritage event for enthusiasts from across the world and a traditional family-friendly attraction for the general public. In the spring of 2020 the rally committee decided to cancel the 2020 event which had been scheduled for its traditional time of the August bank holiday weekend. With the publics help, we hope to come back stronger and better than ever as soon as it is safe for us to host another rally, he said.

Peter ODwyer is the Irish Steam Preservation Society Public Relations Officer.

Like much of the world, the Irish Steam Preservation Society has been left in an uncomfortable limbo since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. With our rally cancelled and the Railway forced to close, we have been left without any form of income for over 12 months. The goal of the Support Our Steam appeal is to make sure the Society is in a position to open the railway and organise a new rally as soon as it is safe to, as well as bringing home our flagship Mann steam tractor home from England after restoration, he said.

The Society says it has created innumerable happy memories and special occasions for untold thousands of people throughout its 55-year history, all done through the passion and dedication of a small group of volunteers. They hope you can please help to make sure they can continue to do this long after Covid-19 is gone and for many years into a much brighter future.

If youd like to help keep Irish steam heritage alive in the years to come, please consider donating to via our iDonate page linked below.

iDonate.ie/irishsteam

The railway has been in operation since 1969 and the National Steam Rally is the biggest event of its type in Ireland, having first taken place on St Stephen's Day, 1965. For further information on the SOS appeal and the Society and Railway, in general, go to the following:

Facebook: facebook.com/ IrishSteamPreservationSociety

Facebook: facebook.com/ stradballywoodlandrailway

Twitter: @StradballyRail



ATLANTA - JANUARY 12, 2021 - Overall cancer death rates in the United States dropped continuously from 1991 through 2018 for a total decrease of 31%, including a 2.4% decline from 2017 to 2018. The news comes from the American Cancer Society's annual Cancer Statistics, 2021 article, appearing in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and its consumer version, Cancer Facts & Figures 2021. This year marks the American Cancer Society's 70th anniversary of reporting this data to inform the nation's fight against cancer.

The report estimates that in the U.S. in 2021, almost 1.9 million (1,898,160) new cancer cases will be diagnosed and 608,570 Americans will die from cancer. These projections are based on currently available incidence and mortality data through 2017 and 2018, respectively, and thus do not account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnoses or deaths.

"The impact of COVID-19 on cancer diagnoses and outcomes at the population level will be unknown for several years because of the time necessary for data collection, compilation, quality control, and dissemination," said Rebecca Siegel, MPH, lead author of the report. "We anticipate that disruptions in access to cancer care in 2020 will lead to downstream increases in advanced stage diagnoses that may impede progress in reducing cancer mortality rates in the years to come."

Progress in reducing mortality has slowed for other leading causes of death in the U.S., but accelerated for cancer, which is the second-leading cause. An estimated 3.2 million cancer deaths have been averted from 1991 through 2018 due to reductions in smoking, earlier detection, and improvements in treatment, which are reflected in long-term declines in mortality for the four leading cancers: lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for more deaths than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined. Sluggish progress against these latter cancers in recent years contrasts with accelerating reductions in the death rate for lung cancer, from 2.4% annually during 2009 to 2013 to 5% annually during 2014 to 2018. As a result, lung cancer accounted for almost half (46%) of the overall decline in cancer mortality in the past 5 years and spurred a record single-year drop (2.4% from 2017 to 2018) for the second year in a row.

Recent rapid reductions in lung cancer mortality reflect better treatment for the most common subtype - non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Two-year relative survival for NSCLC has increased from 34% for patients diagnosed during 2009 through 2010 to 42% for those diagnosed during 2015 through 2016, including absolute gains of 5% to 6% for every stage of diagnosis. Two-year survival for small cell lung cancer remained at 14% to 15% during this time period.

Cervical cancer is almost 100% preventable through screening and, in recent years, the HPV vaccine, but continues to cause thousands of deaths in the U.S. annually. Approximately 11 women per day died from cervical cancer in 2018, half of whom were in their 50s or younger. It is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women in their 20s and 30s. Although the HPV vaccine holds promise to nearly eliminate cervical cancer with complete population coverage, U.S. vaccination rates remain far below those in other high-income countries: 57% of U.S. adolescent females are up-to-date vs >80% in Australia and >90% in the U.K. Per ACS guidelines HPV vaccinations are recommended in children starting between the ages of 9 to 12, and cervical cancer testing (screening) in young women should begin at age 25.

Other highlights from Cancer Statistics 2021/Cancer Facts & Figures 2021 include:

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Hispanic, Asian American, and Alaska Native persons.

The 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined diagnosed during 2010 through 2016 was 68% in White patients versus 63% in Black patients.

For all stages combined, survival is the highest for prostate cancer (98%), melanoma of the skin (93%), and female breast cancer (90%), and lowest for cancers of the pancreas (10%), liver (20%), esophagus (20%), and lung (21%).

Survival rates are lower for Black patients than for White patients for every cancer type except pancreas.

Prostate, lung and bronchus, and colorectal cancers account for 46% of all incident cases in men, with prostate cancer alone accounting for 26% of diagnoses.

For women, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers account for 50% of all new diagnoses, with breast cancer alone accounting for 30% of female cancers.

In contrast to declining trends for lung and colorectal cancers, female breast cancer incidence rates increased by about 0.5% per year from 2008 to 2017, which is attributed at least in part to continued declines in the fertility rate and increased body weight.

Colorectal cancer overtook leukemia in 2018 as the second leading cause of cancer death in men aged 20 to 39 years, reflecting increasing trends in colorectal cancer in this age group, coinciding with declining rates for leukemia.

The Black-White disparity in overall cancer mortality among men and women combined has declined from a peak of 33% in 1993 (279 vs 211 per 100,000, respectively) to 13% in 2018 (174 vs 154).

Geographic disparities are widest for the most preventable cancers, such as lung and cervical cancers, for which incidence and mortality rates vary up to 5- and 3-fold, respectively, across states.

"While recent advances in treatment for lung cancer and several other cancers are reason to celebrate, it is concerning to see the persistent racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities for highly preventable cancers," said William G. Cance, M.D., chief medical and scientific officer, American Cancer Society. "There is a continued need for increased investment in equitable cancer control interventions and clinical research to create more advanced treatment options to help accelerate progress in the fight against cancer."

###

Article: Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs H, Jemal A. Cancer Statistics, 2021. CA: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 2021. doi: 10.3322/caac.21654.

URL upon embargo:

http://acsjournals. onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ 10. 3322/ caac. 21654

Note: Estimates should not be compared year-to year. They are based on computer models of cancer trends and population and may vary considerably. Cancer trends should be based on age-adjusted cancer incidence and death rates (expressed as the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 people).
Kolkata, Jan 12 : West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has no right to observe the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary.

Trinamool Congress took out a rally from Kolkata's Golpark to Hazra where Banerjee said: "The BJP has no right to take out any rally remembering Swamiji. They have no right to talk about the great icon. When former US president Donald Trump had wrongly spelt Swami Vivekananda's name our Prime Minister Narendra Modi never protested against that." The Trinamool MP said that his party would never stoop to that level that they will have to do politics over Swamiji's birth anniversary.

"We cannot stoop to that level. May the ideology of Swamiji lead us in the years to come," he added.

He said that Mamata Banerjee will never buckle down under the the Centre's pressure as Bengal does not believe in divisive politics. "The political party who is trying to break the nation with the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and has vandalised academician Vidyasagar's statue in the past, the people of Bengal will never forgive them," Banerjee said.

-IANS sbn/ash
An Iranian flag is pictured near in a missile during a military drill in Iran, on Oct. 19, 2020. (West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

UN Atomic Agency Urges to Restore Nuclear Deal With Iran

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Monday that an abandoned multinational nuclear deal with Iran needs urgent restoration, as Tehran continues to enrich uranium to a dangerously high level.

It is clear that we dont have many months ahead of us. We have weeks, Grossi said in an interview with Reuters, a week after the IAEA announced in a statement that Iran has resumed a program to enrich uranium up to 20 percent at one of its underground nuclear facility. Uranium enriched to up to 20 percent can be used to fuel nuclear reactors, and makes Iran a step closer to obtaining the 90 percent needed for a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has also vowed to expel IAEA inspectors from the country unless the U.S.-led international sanction against the regime is lifted before Feb. 21, citing a law passed in November that obliges the government to halt inspections of its nuclear sites.

I must take it seriously because its the law, Grossi told Reuters, adding that he believed the Tehran intends to enforce it.

The IAEAs call for a nuclear deal comes as Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards intercepted and captured a South Korean-flagged oil tanker, and detained its 20-member crew, alleging that the vessel has been polluting the Gulf waters. Tehran also denied that the seizure has anything to do with the fact that South Korea, in accordance with sanctions reimposed by the United States in 2018 after withdrawing from the Obama-era nuclear agreement, refuses to release $7 billion from Irans oil exports in two Korean banks.

A picture shows the South Korean-flagged tanker being escorted by Irans Revolutionary Guards navy after being seized in the Gulf. (Tasnim News/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran, whose economy is falling deeper into recession due to sanctions on its oil sales, has been putting hope in a leadership change in the United States. Shortly after major media outlets projected Former Vice President Joe Biden as the winner of the White House race, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Biden to explicitly condemn President Donald Trumps Iran policy, as well as compensate for wrong policies pursued over the past four years.

A reelected Trump administration, according to State Secretary Mike Pompeo, would continue the maximum pressure campaign on Tehran until it reaches a comprehensive agreement with the United States to rein in its proliferation threats and stops spreading chaos, violence, and bloodshed.

Biden, by contrast, has expressed a willingness to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal if elected president. In September 2020, He wrote in an essay for CNN that if Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.
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The Voice of America, the government-funded international news organization, is the "voice of American exceptionalism," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the troubled agency Monday.

"It is not fake news for you to broadcast that this is the greatest nation in the history of the world and the greatest nation that civilization has ever known," he said.

Pompeo's address to a small group of employees in the agency's auditorium, limited because of coronavirus restrictions, was also broadcast around the world on Voice of America's 47 foreign language channels and video streams, and on its website and social media.

After the planned speech was announced, a group of staffers wrote in an anonymous whistleblower complaint that the gathering posed a health risk, and that orders to broadcast the speech amounted to dictating "propaganda."

The speech and the controversy surrounding it provided the latest skirmish between current and former employees of Voice for America (VOA) and Michael Pack, appointed by President Donald Trump in June to head the VOA parent agency.

Since then, Pack has fired longtime managers, installed loyalists, and asserted the right to dictate news coverage that employees assert should be left up to journalists, as indicated in the agency's founding documents.

"I don't think you'll find anywhere in the [VOA] charter" that the service is "intended to promote American exceptionalism," said Amanda Bennett, who resigned as VOA director, along with her deputy, within days of Pack's appointment.

"It was intended to demonstrate the American value of a free press . . . to model one of our best freedoms, see what happens, and how good it is when you have it," Bennett said.

One senior VOA correspondent still on the job called Pompeo's speech "an awful embarrassment," noting that the "fact that no journalist, let alone VOA journalists, were allowed to ask questions is inexcusable." The correspondent spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid.

After his speech, Pompeo was interviewed onstage by VOA Director Robert Reilly, whose qualifications for the job have been questioned by staffers and lawmakers.

In a letter last week to President-elect Joe Biden, five former presidents of VOA components Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty called for Pack to be quickly replaced by the new administration, saying his "personnel and policy actions have sought to impose ideological coloration on programming and . . . political controls that risk destroying the credibility and effectiveness of all U.S. international broadcasting."

Patsy Widskuswara, the agency's senior White House correspondent, shouted questions at the secretary as he hustled out the door, asking, "Mr. Secretary what are you doing to repair the U.S. reputation around the world? Mr. Secretary, do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?"

In an appearance a week after the presidential election, days after Biden had been declared the winner, Pompeo said he was expecting a "smooth transition to a second Trump administration."

In his Monday remarks, Pompeo said he was not proposing to ignore America's faults. "But this isn't the Vice of America, focusing on everything that's wrong with our great nation. . . . It certainly isn't the place to give authoritarian regimes in Beijing or Tehran a platform."

"I read that some VOA employees didn't want me to speak today," he said. "They didn't want the voice of American diplomacy to be broadcast on . . . the Voice of America."

"This kind of censorial instinct is dangerous. It's morally wrong. And it's against your mandate. Censorship, wokeness, political correctness, it all points in one direction - authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness," Pompeo said, comparing it to Twitter and Facebook, which have barred Trump since his incitement last week of a mob invasion of the U.S. Capitol.

"It's time that we simply put woke-ism to sleep," he said.

The Israeli government advanced on Monday construction of new settlements in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light to the building plans for 800 new homes, Reuters reported. The settlements are located throughout the West Bank, including in Itamar near Nablus and Beit El north of Jerusalem. Netanyahu said the settlements would receive final approval from the Defense Ministry next week, according to The Times of Israel.

Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers live throughout the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority and much of the international community regard the settlements as illegal. Israel disputes this, however, and the United States also no longer considers the settlements illegal.

The news comes at an important time in both Israeli and American politics. Advancing the construction could help Netanyahu shore up support among Jewish nationalist voters ahead of Israels March 23 election.

The construction could also complicate President-elect Joe Bidens policy after he takes office on Jan. 20. Former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, was critical of Israeli settlement construction. Biden has selected several Obama-era officials to serve in his Cabinet. During the election, Biden criticized Netanyahu for not being committed to peace, further indicating he will conduct a similar foreign policy to that of his former boss.

The Trump administration changed US policy on the settlements when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared them not per se inconsistent with international law in 2019. Last November, Pompeo became the first US secretary of state to visit an Israeli settlement when he went to Psagot. Also in November, Pompeos State Department reversed US policy on the labeling of goods made in Israeli West Bank settlements, declaring that they must be labeled Made in Israel before being sent to the United States.

This is not the first time Israel has approved new construction late in US President Donald Trumps tenure. Days after Bidens victory in the November election, the Israel Lands Authority invited companies to bid on construction in the disputed east Jerusalem neighborhood Givat Hamatos.
JACKSON, MI  The Jackson County Health Department has recorded 335 new coronavirus cases since Jan. 3, bringing the number of cases in the county since March to 8,093.

The city of Jackson registered the most reported cases within the county with 60 during the last week, according to county data, with Summit and Blackman townships reporting 56 and 33 cases, respectively.

As of Monday, Jan. 11, an additional 20 people died of COVID-19 in the last seven days, which marks 182 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Of the 8,093 cases of the coronavirus among Jackson County residents, 6,325 people have recovered, according to the health department. The health department defines a recovery means as a person who is alive 30 days after the start of the virus.

Currently, there are 1,768 active cases in Jackson County, according to the countys data.

People between ages 50-59 have the highest rate of positive cases, at 16.9%, while people between ages 20-29 make up 16.7% of positive cases, the health department reported.

The next group with the highest positivity rate is people between 40-49, with a 14.5%. People between 60 and 69 account for the next highest positivity rate at 13.4%

In Jackson County, women make up 54.3% of the coronavirus cases, while men make up 45.1% of cases.

Henry Ford Allegiance Health and the Jackson County Health Department announced Monday they are working together to coordinate community vaccination efforts.

Related: Henry Ford Allegiance Health partners with Jackson County to expand community vaccination effort

COVID-19 vaccinations are available by appointment to individuals age 65 and older, as well as frontline and essential workers with frequent or ongoing exposure as a part of their work, including first responders, police officers, jail and prison staff, pre-K12 teachers, and workers in childcare centers and protective services.

Jackson County is still not yet ready to move on to this next phase of vaccinations due to its supply of vaccine, and vaccination of the first group of healthcare workers is still underway, health department officials said.

Related: Supply holding back Jackson County COVID-19 vaccination efforts, health department says

It is our goal to ensure that everyone knows when they are eligible to receive a vaccine, the health department said in a statement last week. At this time, we do not have the specifics of timing or quantities of vaccine that will be received therefore do not want to schedule appointments we cannot keep.

Both Henry Ford and Jackson County health systems are preparing to meet the expanded demand throughout the Jackson community, officials said. The health system and health department are currently reaching out to additional eligible workers through their employers, officials said.

Beginning Monday, Henry Ford Allegiance Health began immunizing employees of Jackson County school districts and critical infrastructure workers from Consumers Energy, officials said, adding that other essential frontline workers will be immunized by the Jackson County Health Department.

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Whos eligible for COVID-19 vaccine and what else to know about program expansion

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$300 payments begin, but most Michigan unemployed workers are still getting $0

233K Michiganders vaccinated as governor requests more doses from feds

Schools optimistic but urge patience for teachers getting COVID-19 vaccine in Jackson, Washtenaw counties

Security increased at Michigan Capitol as FBI warns of possible armed protests

Detroit auto show leaves downtown for Pontiac in new event called Motor Bella
Imola will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021. The talks between the Italian circuit and new Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali were initiated at an early stage.

Talking to Todt first

"We have to enjoy this now, but also want to be on the calendar in the coming years," Andrea Corsini, councillor of the Emilia Romagna region, told La Gazzetta dello Sport. Corsini said that the promoters had entered into early talks with Jean Todt about a possible race in 2021. Corsini was often present at the online meetings.

However, Todt was not the right man to guarantee Imola a place on the calendar. "He told us he could do little because it would have to go through the FOM. He did say that we and Portimao had the best papers," continued Corsini.

Clarity on Imola position soon

In the meantime, the first contact with Domenicali was made in December. "He couldn't do much for us yet, because at that time he was not yet CEO of F1. Several meetings with the FOM followed, during which clarity was given about our position quite quickly."

Corsini revealed that Imola was actually supposed to get the spot originally held by Vietnam, but it now seems that will go to Portimao.

Read more Formula 1 denies secret vaccination plan before start of season
(CNN)  The United Kingdom is entering its most challenging weeks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a top official said Monday, as hospitals face being overrun and morgues fill up.

"We're now at the worst point of this epidemic for the UK. In the future we will have the vaccine, but the numbers at the moment are higher than they were in the previous peak  by some distance," England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty told the BBC, adding that he expects the next few weeks to be the "most dangerous time."

The country, which has already suffered more deaths as a result of the disease than any European nation and recently became the fifth nation on earth to reach the grim milestone of three million cases, is on the verge of seeing its hospitals overwhelmed.

Whitty told the BBC on Monday that there were currently more than 30,000 patients in hospital, compared to 18,000 during the first peak of the virus in the UK in April.

"We're now at a situation where in the UK as a whole, around one in 50 people is infected, and in London it's around 1 in 30," Whitty said. "There is a very high chance that if you meet someone unnecessarily, they will have COVID."

His warning comes with the country barely a week into its third national lockdown. But fears are growing that Britons are increasingly giving up on complying with the rules, as case numbers continue to surge despite the extreme measures.

Whitty stressed that minimizing contact with others will stop the situation from getting worse.

"Every single unnecessary contact any of us have is a potential link in a chain of transmission that will lead eventually to a vulnerable person," he told the BBC. "So, the absolute key is for all of us to think do we really need to have this contact?"

Whitty's intervention comes as the number of daily deaths in the UK remain very high, a point grimly illustrated by the fact that in one county in southern England, bodies are being stored at a temporary facility as morgues there are at capacity.

The temporary facility in Surrey, south of London, can hold an extra 800 bodies, on top of the 600 that can be held in morgues.

A spokesperson for the Surrey Local Resilience Forum told the UK's PA news agency: "To put some perspective on this, during the first wave, they had 700 bodies go through that (temporary) facility ... The first wave lasted approximately 12 weeks from mid-March to mid-May ... Since December 21, after just two and a half weeks, they have had 300 bodies go through it."

The UK has been ahead of the curve on approving COVID-19 vaccinations and on Monday the government is expected to outline how it will hit its target of vaccinating 13 million people by February 15.

A large part of the program will be handled by vaccination centers around the country  the first of which opens on Monday  and an army of volunteers who have been trained to administer the vaccine.

And even the good news that two million people have been vaccinated has been soured by reported shortages of the vaccine in some hospitals. It is unclear why the shortages are happening; the government has faced criticism for how it plans to prioritize handing out the doses it does have.

If Whitty's worst fears become reality, then the National Health Service will be under enormous strain as it attempts to cope with unprecedented hospital admissions, deal with dead bodies, vaccinate the most vulnerable citizens while also carrying out the normal procedures.

The government will be hoping that Whitty's stark warnings force citizens into complying with the measures to stop the spread of the virus.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "UK entering 'worst point' of pandemic, top health official warns, as cases rise and bodies pile up."
The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request submitted by Liviu Dragnea by which the former Social Democratic Party (PSD) national leader petitioned for a review of a three-and-a-half-year in prison sentence handed to him in the case of fictitious employment at a public child assistance and protection agency in Teleorman.

"By a majority, the court is hereby rejecting as inadmissible the request for review formulated by reviewer Dragnea Nicolae Liviu against criminal sentence 377/June 21, 2018 of the Supreme Court - Criminal Section handed in case 2628/1/2016. Challengeable by appeal 10 days of minutes copy being made available," reads the court's decision.

Liviu Dragnea filed the request in November 2020 after the Supreme Court had previously rejected other extraordinary remedies against the conviction - appeal in cassation, annulment and a habeas corpus appeal.He was not present in the courtroom on Tuesday, but was heard by judges virtually.In May 2019, Dragnea was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for fomenting abuse of office in the case of fake jobs at a public child assistance and protection agency in Teleorman for two women working for PSD.He made several attempts to get out of jail by availing of remedies, all rejected by the court.
Trung Nguyen Legend is now selling instant and roasted coffee products are now officially available on Amazon

The development of technology in the new era is bringing transformative changes in every aspect of life. The shifts in shopping behaviour as well as customer journey have become the driving force for businesses to actively adopt new approaches, aiming to meet market demand. Among the most prominent trends in recent years is online shopping and producers move to place their products on e-commerce websites.

In Vietnams open economy, cross-border e-commerce is being utilised by many businesses to engage customers around the globe. However, only with thorough preparation can a business achieve success and Trung Nguyen Legend  a coffee corporation with more than 20 years of experience  is one such business.

After more than half a year of research, Trung Nguyen Legend has officially launched the Trung Nguyen Legend Brand Store on Amazon, marking an important step in the companys journey to export coffee through cross-border e-commerce. Sharing about this strategic move, the representative of Trung Nguyen Legend stated: Although the results are very encouraging, there is still a long way ahead, but we are confident. In the future, Trung Nguyen believes that e-commerce channels will flourish even more than today.

In addition, the representative also shared: Regardless of scale, when a business wants to sell online, thereby expanding its target audience globally, it is essential that there is a clear, long-term development direction which is integrated with the blooming of digital transformation.

Currently, Trung Nguyen Legend is distributing two main product lines on Amazon: instant coffee and roasted coffee. While instant coffee is more convenient for customers with famous product lines such as Classic, Passiona, Legend, and Special Edition; the roasted coffee is specially formulated for coffee shops with 5 distinct flavour options. The variety and quality of products, with support from cross-border e-commerce, have empowered Trung Nguyen Legend to reach out to global coffee lovers and make its marks in international markets.

I have never said delicious after drinking coffee. I usually say very good or very nice for coffee or espresso drinks. However, this instant coffee from Vietnam deserves a very different expression. I have never tried Vietnamese coffee, even though I have been going out to have Vietnamese pho for years now, but I always wondered what it would taste like. Now I know what Vietnamese Coffee is like, and I highly recommend it!- commented a Trung Nguyen Legend customer on Amazon.

E-commerce is Trung Nguyen's weapon of choice to bring Vietnamese coffee culture to the world

Amazon  the pathway for Trung Nguyen Legend to go global

Selling on Amazon allows Trung Nguyen Legend to access a new promising and sustainable export channel. Amazon  the leading cross-border e-commerce site  is renowned for its innovative solutions and technology, aspiring businesses to thrive in the long term. Over the course of 2019 and 2020, Amazon has invested more than $30 billion in logistics, tools, services, programmes, and people to foster the growth of its selling partners. In addition, in 2020, Amazon launched 135 different tools and services to help third-party sellers to grow their businesses.

With the purpose of assisting Amazon online stores to support local sellers regardless of their geographical locations  Amazon Global Selling (AGS) has established multiple support teams in many Asian regions, including Vietnam, to directly educate, train, and support local businesses to sell through Amazon online stores worldwide and build an international brand. With the support from Amazon, Vietnamese businesses such as Trung Nguyen Legend can directly access more than 300 million active customers worldwide, 150 million of whom are Prime members, as well as millions of institutional buyers from the US, Europe, and Japan.

Amazon has been supporting Trung Nguyen Legend to overcome various challenges in launching the products on a cross-border e-commerce website. The experienced AGS local support team has provided support and training to ease many online business barriers Trung Nguyen faced, such as creating an online store, listing, product marketing, as well as handling of logistics to achieve efficient delivery service. As a result, the operation of the Trung Nguyen Legend store on Amazon has been a smooth and effortless experience, allowing the company to focus more on developing and expanding its online sales channel.

With the effective support from Amazon, Trung Nguyen can safely focus on the product experience

The step for Vietnamese businesses to prove their position in the international arena

The development of Trung Nguyen Legend products toward global customers through Amazon online stores not only creates momentum for the company itself, but is also a positive signal for Vietnamese agricultural enterprises in their journey overseas.

Rooted in a country that thrives on agriculture with a series of famous products worldwide such as coffee, rice, and tea, Vietnamese businesses have a great advantage when selling these kinds of products globally. At the same time, expanding business scale is indispensable for Vietnamese products to be known and preferred by international customers while at the same time developing a new potential market for all domestic products, especially agricultural products.

Exporting products via cross-border e-commerce websites is a highly efficient way for a domestic business to reach a broader customer base outside of Vietnam. E-commerce websites like Amazon help consumers spend less effort on logistics and customer service, allowing them to focus on the quality and experience of each product, therefore, just by creating good products, with the support from Amazon, Vietnamese enterprises will have a chance to compete fairly with major brands in the world.

As an e-commerce website, Amazon brings opportunities for small businesses in a country like Vietnam that does not have many global brands yet, to develop their brands and product values on a global scale, stated the representative from Trung Nguyen Legend.

As part of their journey in connecting, engaging and providing Vietnamese sellers with sufficient information and expanding their business network, AGS also shared the launch of Amazon Seller Central in Vietnamese and a new dedicated AGS support team in Hanoi at the recent Seller Conference on December 8-9. The Seller Central is a localised dashboard that not only opens up an easier access and better experience but also helps improve their operation efficiency significantly, while the new dedicated support team in Hanoi, siding with the AGS Ho Chi Minh team, will provide more education and guidance workshops for sellers, covering broader regions of Vietnam.
Jammu:

A Delhi-Jammu Air India flight 821 suffered tyre burst at Jammu airport after landing on Friday. All the passengers in the flight were safe. The flight was scheduled to fly to Srinagar from Jammu airport.



Air India said in a statement that all the 134 passengers on board the Delhi-Jammu flight were safe and that all necessary procedures were followed and passengers were evacuated safely.



Air India flight AI821 Delhi-Jammu which took off from Delhi today at 1100hrs experienced Tyre burst while landing at Jammu airport at 1215hrs. All 134 passengers on board are safe. All necessary procedures were followed and passengers were evacuated and taken care of, Air India said in a statement.

Delhi-Jammu Air India flight 821 suffered tyre burst at Jammu airport after landing, all passengers safe pic.twitter.com/2Bz2ynYrQs  ANI (@ANI_news) June 9, 2017

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Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions, announced today a professional services agreement with FIS to scale its enterprise payments and banking capabilities. This agreement aligns with Tech Mahindras strategy to expand its BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) footprint globally. In support of this strategy, Tech Mahindra will also build a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Chennai, India.

Tech Mahindra will also acquire Payments Technology Services Limited a subsidiary of FIS. Based in Asia, Payments Technology Services Limited is focused on serving the banking and payment needs of Asian financial services firms.

Vivek Agarwal, Head Corporate Development & Global Head for Financial Services and Healthcare, Tech Mahindra, said, BFSI is one of the fastest growing industry segment for Tech Mahindra and we now have a strong presence across key regions including North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. This move is in line with our TechMNxt charter and is aimed at strengthening our global payments capabilities, and offer clients end-to-end payments transformation services and expand this expertise to core banking and digital.

Lakshmanan Chidambaram, President, America Strategic Verticals, Tech Mahindra, said, We are delighted to partner with FIS and look forward to work together across key product areas. This agreement adds to our capabilities in BFSI, enabling us to develop and deliver next generation solutions to customers helping them to run better, change faster and grow greater.

Bruce Lowthers, President Banking and Merchant Solutions, FIS, said, FIS is constantly focused on advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests. Were pleased this new relationship with Tech Mahindra supports that focus.

This underlines Tech Mahindras focus on digital growth, under the TechMNxt charter, which focuses on leveraging next generation technologies and solutions to enable digital transformation, and develop cutting-edge technology solutions and services to address real world problems that can meet the evolving and dynamic needs of customers.
Instant messaging apps Signal and Telegram have racked up almost 4 million downloads in India since WhatsApp changed its terms and conditionsstill a fraction of their Facebook-owned rivals numbers but indicating a growing awareness of privacy and profiling issues.

According to data from Sensor Tower, Signal is the big winner so far with 2.3 million new downloads between 6 and 10 January. Telegram had 1.5 million new downloads in the same period.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Signal was downloaded only 24,000 times between 1 and 5 January, which makes the growth over the subsequent five days a jaw-dropping 9,483%. Telegrams was a more steady 15% growth from 1.3 million downloads.

WhatsApps downloads fell 35% in the same period, from 2 million to 1.3 million.

Lifetime downloads (since 2014) in India stood at 3.9 million for Signal and 151.5 million for Telegram, while WhatsApp has a whopping 1.4 billion downloads from India in the same period.

The figures came to light as Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma criticized WhatsApp on Twitter on Monday. They say, market has power. We are the largest market. Here in India WhatsApp / Facebook are abusing their monopoly & taking away millions of users privacy for granted. We should move on to @signalapp NOW. It is up to us to become victim or reject such moves," Sharma said. The worlds largest instant messaging app updated its terms of service on 6 January, informing users that information from interactions with businesses will be shared with Facebook and companies it owns, and the businesses themselves.

Both Telegram and Signal took the opportunity to promote their platforms and criticize Facebook for profiling users for ad targeting. Facebook is probably more comfortable selling ads than buying them, but theyll do what they have to do in order to be the top result when some people search for Signal in the App Store...There will never be ads in Signal, because your data belongs in your hands not ours," Signal said.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov also promised that the messaging app will never collect users private data or profile them for ad targeting. Durov said if Telegram ever chose to advertise, it will do so through one-to-many channels, which do not require user profiling.

WhatsApp said on Tuesday that it cannot read or see private messages or listen to users calls, doesnt keep logs of whom users are messaging, and it doesnt share users contacts or location with Facebook.

The switch is led by a tiny section of WhatsApp usersthe privacy-conscious online userbut is amplified by the many WhatsApp groups these users are part of," said tech policy analyst, Prasanto K. Roy.

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Ex-Rosneft top manager acquitted of all charges  Russias business ombudsman

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

17:25 12/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  Criminal prosecution of a former vice-president of Rosneft oil company Anatoly Loktionov, who had stood charged with grand embezzlement, was terminated, Russian business ombudsman Boris Titov informs on Tuesday.

The criminal case against Loktionov was closed by an investigator due to the absence of the event of a crime as to two counts of grand embezzlement.

The story, which started more than ten years ago, came to a relatively good end; however, those responsible for Loktionovs plight are to be punished yet, Titov said.

In 2010, the first case was opened against Loktionov over attempted fraud upon the application by his ex-partners.

Loktionov was a vice-president of Rosneft from 1998 to 2004, later he entered the business market. In 2015, he became a defendant in embezzlement case. According to investigation, he was involved in stealing over 100 million rubles ($1.5 million) allocated for real estate construction in the Krasnodar Region. In 2016, the two cases were consolidated. The businessman called the case against him contract. He noted that investigators, who had launched it, were convicted in 2016

Loktionov left Russia in 2011. In 2014, he was put on the federal wanted list and in 2016 on the international one. Since then, the businessman has tried to prove his innocence, but investigators have ignored his attempts, according to him.

In 2018, wanted Loktionov asked business ombudsman Titov to include him in his list of entrepreneurs willing to come back to Russia under the guarantees of impartial investigation and non-placement in detention. In November, he returned to Russia.

Loktionov was a vice-president of Rosneft from 1998 to 2004, later he entered the business market.
Manitobans are becoming increasingly prickly about the governments COVID-19 vaccination program and are tired of waiting for their first shot at immunity, a new poll shows.

Manitobans are becoming increasingly prickly about the governments COVID-19 vaccination program and are tired of waiting for their first shot at immunity, a new poll shows.

Dissatisfaction is high, as just over a third of the provinces received doses have been administered. A poll conducted this month by the Angus Reid Institute found 51 per cent of respondents believe the government is doing a "bad job" with its distribution efforts.

Across Canada, dissatisfaction over vaccine distribution trends at nearly 40 per cent.

"Overall, the Pallister government has been under fire over its handling of the pandemic; Brian Pallister has been on the hot seat," Angus Reid Institute president Shachi Kurl said Monday. "And that has extended into or bled into beliefs about what they perceive to be the performance of the rollout so far."

Nationally, more than half of Canadians think their respective premier is doing well with the pandemic response, but only 35 per cent of Manitobans said the same of Premier Brian Pallister.

"Sometimes thats fair and sometimes thats not fair  relative to the actual job theyre doing," said Kurl.

She noted Manitobans perceptions of the rollout are in line with the governments actual rollout effort.

Here, only 37 per cent of received vaccine doses had been distributed as of Sunday  behind all but the Atlantic provinces  and only 32 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the governments work. Only Ontario, where nearly 60 per cent of doses have been distributed, saw lower satisfaction numbers.

Early federal predictions anticipated every Canadian who wanted a vaccine would get one within just nine months. About 10 per cent of Manitobans are confident they will get a shot within the next few months, about twice the national average of people expecting a speedy vaccine.

However, more than a third of Manitobans dont expect to be vaccinated for 10 months or more, and nearly one in five predict it will take more than a year to get the needle. Across Canada, less than one in 10 feel that way.

A majority of Manitobans (58 per cent) said they would choose to get vaccinated as soon as it became available, on par with the national average of (60 per cent). Vaccine enthusiasm trended higher among those aged 55 and older.

A willingness to receive the vaccine once it becomes available has increased by 16 per cent since early December.

Kurl noted perceptions on the importance of the vaccine and its ability to help people get closer to pre-pandemic normals have changed over time.

"Seeing is believing," she said. "Two months ago the idea of vaccination was that it was an idea, it was in the abstract. Now, its something that is very real and very tangible."

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers
When she called to see about whether we would be able to help one or two residents, we said we could take them all, Henning told me. In a year we are told to isolate from this group of the population we were just so happy they were open and willing for us to come and help.
As the 124th South Carolina General Assembly prepares to convene on Tuesday, a group of concerned residents have dropped off letters to the Legislature petitioning the removal of the contentious Meriwether Monument. The city of North Augusta has also sought guidance from the General Assembly on the monument.

The monument honors only the one white man killed in the Hamburg Massacre using language often referred to as racist and offensive. Seven Black men were also killed during the massacre, but their names are not included on the monument or anywhere in Calhoun Park where the monument stands.

Ken Makin, Aiken County resident and host of Makin a Difference podcast, posted on Facebook that he and others had dropped off 170 letters to the South Carolina General Assembly regarding the monument.

The letter was sent from Makin as well as three other native North Augustans: Richard Bush, Chris Hawkins and Jackson Webb.

+3 Racially divisive symbol: What is the Meriwether Monument in North Augusta? A century-old monument with a racially divisive inscription in downtown North Augusta will be the end point of a Black Lives Matter march planned for June 20.

I am reaching out for your assistance in resolving a matter of white supremacy in North Augusta, South Carolina ... I am reaching out to each member of the General Assembly with the expectation that you all will not only denounce, but demand the immediate removal of this abhorrent and ahistorical obelisk," the letter reads.

It mentions the wording on the monument, which refers to the supremacy of the highest ideal of Anglo-Saxon civilization.

The letter also cites an opinion on the monument from the South Carolina Attorney Generals office, which called the monument an abhorrent testament to Jim Crow, and advised the city to go to the General Assembly for relief from the offensive nature of this Monument.

This Office supports and would applaud the General Assemblys repeal of theses statutes erecting the Meriwether Monument, the attorney general's opinion states.

+8 Confederate, Civil War monuments dot Aiken County A handful of markers, memorials, monuments and more glorifying or commemorating the Confeder

"In a perfect world, Id like to see the legislature vote to take the monument down," Makin said. "With that said, I understand that a vote from the legislature would be to take away the monuments protections via the Heritage Act."

He mentioned the attorney general's opinion.

"Charleston's and Orangeburg's elected officials have already taken the lead to remove some of these vile statues. The opinion from the state attorney general's office is clear in its intent and where the authority lies to act on the monument."

Makin said the issue is about decisiveness.

Weve dealt with this issue more than three years. The AGs opinion has provided a unique opportunity for the legislature to act quickly on this issue. There is bipartisan support for its removal and during this time of political angst, this legislature can make a clear stand against messages of white supremacy, Makin said.

The letter also asserts that the city of North Augustas mayor and city council lacks the leadership and courage to rebuke, let alone remove this hateful statue.

For the better part of three years, the mayor and city council have hidden behind the states Heritage Act in a way that makes it seem as if they wish to protect this supremacist message, the letter reads.

The city has sought information from the General Assembly regarding ownership of the monument.

City Attorney Kelly Zier told City Council on Monday that correspondence went to the speaker of the House and president of the Senate 45 days ago at least.

Actually we didnt anticipate there would be any kind of response until after the legislature got back in session this year, Zier said.

+2 'Racist symbol': Attorney General's office releases opinion on Meriwether monument In order to get the Meriwether Monument removed, it will have to be taken up with the Genera

We are hoping to receive a response, but at this point, weve got nothing back relative to the letters that we sent asking just that question, whether or not the legislature claimed any ownership of it.

Jay Lucas of Darlington is the speaker of the House and Harvey Peeler of Gaffney is the president of the Senate.

State Rep. Bill Hixon, who represents the North Augusta area, said he has a meeting on Tuesday with Lucas and said he will mention the letter to him. Hixon also mentioned that the Attorney Generals office last year requested the state Supreme Court make a determination on whether the Heritage Act, which protects certain monuments and buildings, violates the South Carolina Constitution.
An Indian-American from Chicago has pleaded guilty to the charges of laundering money from a telemarketing scheme that defrauded elderly victims, the Department of Justice has said.

Hirenkumar P Chaudhari, 27, faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 1.

Chaudhari admitted in a plea agreement that he used a phony Indian passport, false name, and false address to open multiple bank accounts in the US to receive money from victims of the telemarketing scheme, the Department of Justice said on Monday.

The scheme involved phone calls from people falsely claiming to be associated with, among other agencies, the Social Security Administration and US Department of Justice, stating that a victim's identity had been stolen and that it was necessary to transfer money to various bank accounts, including the accounts opened by Chaudhari.

One of the victims was an elderly woman from Massachusetts who transferred a total of more than USD 900,000 from her bank and retirement accounts to accounts controlled by Chaudhari or

On April 19, 2018 -- one day after Chaudhari opened an account and received a USD 7,000 transfer from the Massachusetts victim -- Chaudhari entered a bank branch in Chicago and withdrew USD 6,500, the plea agreement states.

Chaudhari admitted in the plea agreement that he engaged in this financial transaction knowing that the money represented proceeds of unlawful activity.

(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.)
Ultimately, Isbell concluded that storytelling and reading work best in tandem to help children develop language and story comprehension, just as you want your child eating a balanced meal. Remember the basics of storytelling If you're making up a story, remember every story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Every story should have a conflict and a resolution. Need help? Consider the folk tale. On Circle Round, the children's storytelling podcast from WBUR public radio in Boston, US, host Rebecca Sheir draws from folklore as source material for entertaining, audio-only stories for kids. I've drawn from my admittedly limited knowledge of Homer's Odyssey (which was originally passed down orally) and the Bible (David and Goliath works pretty well). This saves you the mental effort of coming up with an original story every night. Several experts recommended stories from Aesop's Fables, which has been delighting children for millennia and includes "The Tortoise and the Hare." Why? Because for kids, the protagonists "aren't really animals, they're people," Isbell said. They visualise the characters and identify with them, and the nuanced morals  slow and steady wins the race, for example  are things any kid can understand.

If you're really stumped, consider your own story. "We all have stories  a clever way you got out of a tricky situation, a surprise that made you laugh," said Sheir. In particular, stories from your childhood have a special resonance because, as Sheir puts it, "kids have a hard time believing you ever were a child." Take the story in an unexpected direction Diane Ferlatte has participated in storytelling festivals on five continents and in much of the United States, and her 2006 album of Brer Rabbit stories earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. She is, in short, a storyteller's storyteller. Her advice? Use pitch, pacing and pausing to keep your child on the edge of their seat (or pillow). "Pauses are very important," she said. "It lets that curiosity and suspense in." You can use strategic pauses to let your child ponder what happens next, and then take the story in an unexpected direction. Or just to make sure they're paying attention. Sheir seconds Ferlatte's advice. "When you're making up a story, the voice is so important," she said. "You can vary your rhythm, pitch, intonation, your pacing. You can speeditup! You can slow  down  your  words. You can move your voice up! if someone is climbing a mountain, or move your voice down if they're climbing down. You don't have to be a musical person  we all have these musical instruments we've used for all of our lives."

One word of warning: Sometimes, kids don't want you to go full Jim Carrey. Or, as my daughter said the other night, "Please don't use funny voices." Her loss. My wicked witch voice is both terrifying and hilarious. Loading Use your whole body One advantage of telling, rather than reading, a story is that you don't have to look at and hold a physical book, which frees your face and hands to gesture and make eye contact. It's the difference between some guy reading a joke book and Chris Rock or Ali Wong doing standup. As Ferlatte puts it, "If books could give us sound and movement and voices and facial expression, that'd be wonderful. But they can't." Use your hands to show whether something is huge or tiny, tap on nearby objects to imitate knocking on a door or whoosh your hands when something happens quickly. This physicality involves your children in the story. As Isbell puts it, when we're telling a story to another person, "We're dancing. We're moving together."

Encourage audience participation "One of the things with a story told is you can change it around," Isbell said. If your daughter wants the protagonist to be a mermaid instead of a snail, you can change that. A voyage through the high seas can become a journey to Mars. "You can change the sequence, you can change the characters, you can change the phrases. This nurtures that fluency of ideas that we want our children to develop." As with singing a song, you can encourage call and response, or use rhymes to keep the child actively engaged. Ferlatte recommends leaving out the end of a sentence and letting your child fill in the blank. "When you're telling stories, you want them to be involved in the telling," Isbell said. "We want them to be co-creators of the story, so they're not just listening, they're actively participating." This also helps if you're hard up for material. "If you're winging it, and running out of ideas, you can use audience participation to give yourself a break," Sheir said. "You can even steal your kids' ideas."

Add a soundtrack This last tip is helpful for if and when you're telling stories beyond bedtime  on a long car ride, for example, or to liven up bath time. The idea is to use props or live musical accompaniment, just as professionals do at festivals or on recordings. Loading "Your child is becoming your John Williams," Sheir said, referring to the iconic composer of movie themes. Find an actual instrument or just two sticks "and as you tell the story, your child scores it. Or you can let your child take the lead  if they speed up, you speed up the action. If they slow down, you slow down, too." You can also employ techniques like exquisite corpse, in which everyone takes a turn advancing the story. Or use Rory's Story Cubes, in which you roll dice to determine where a story goes next. In a time when physical bookstores and libraries remain off-limits for some of us, storytelling is a way to introduce new tales into our daily life. It's also a way to bond with your child, to tap into her natural imagination while, perhaps, reawakening yours. In our home, I'm aware that Mum is the preferred parent for, well, almost everything  but storytelling remains exclusively my domain.
A creditor has sought the bankruptcy of well-known businessman and horse racing figure Conor Clarkson.

The application came before the High Court yesterday, just over a year after Mr Clarkson abandoned a bid to have more than 70m in debts written off after it was discovered he had forged a document.

The property developer, with an address in Stepaside, Co Dublin, was a prominent figure in racing circles and owned Kicking King, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2005 and generated over 900,000 in prize money.

His bankruptcy is now being sought by creditor Tom Flood over an unpaid debt of 150,000.

The petition was listed before the High Court yesterday. However, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys was told that following talks between the parties, the matter could be adjourned to next month.

Stephen Brady BL, for the creditor, said Mr Clarkson was to take certain steps so as to bring about the compromise of the petition.

The barrister said that if Mr Clarkson failed to take these steps, it had been agreed certain default consent orders could be made next month.

The steps Mr Clarkson has agreed to take were not outlined in court.

His counsel Keith Farry BL consented to the adjournment.

During the Celtic Tiger era, Mr Clarkson was involved in the selling and letting of property in Ireland and abroad and had a stake in a charter airline.

With the support of Irish Nationwide Building Society, his company Ardenhill Property invested in property in the north of England.

But after the financial crash of 2008, Irish Nationwide appointed receivers to four of his property development companies and personal assets in a bid to recover debts of around 40m.

The debts ended up in Nama and were later sold to Promontoria (Arrow) Ltd, an Irish affiliate of vulture fund Cerberus.

The fund is his largest creditor and was owed 64m as of December 2019.

Mr Clarkson acknowledged he was facing the possibility of bankruptcy after he had to withdraw an application for a personal insolvency arrangement that month.

He had faced questions in court about his personal expenditure from lawyers for Promontoria, in particular queries about more than 4,000 labelled NCL Reservations on a bank statement.

It was suggested to him this may have been money spent with the cruise company Norwegian Cruise Line.

Mr Clarkson denied this, saying it related to purchases from an English company, First National Computers Limited. He produced an invoice in support of this claim.

But Mr Justice Denis McDonald found the document had been created by Mr Clarkson and was a forgery.

Mr Clarkson later said he had been under a huge amount of pressure and made a mistake.
LA JOLLA, CALIF. - Jan 12, 2021 - Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2 and signals that it's time to mount an antiviral response. The study, published today in Cell Reports, provides insights into the molecular basis of severe disease and may enable new strategies for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

"Our research has shown that MDA-5 is the immune cop that's tasked to keep an eye out for SARS-CoV-2 and call for back-up," says Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., director of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys and senior author of the study. "MDA-5 recognizes replicating viruses in lung cells and activates interferon, the body's own frontline defender against viral invasion. Without a proper interferon response, viral infections can lead to deadly, out-of-control inflammatory reactions."

The new study surveyed 16 viral RNA binding proteins in human lung epithelial cells and identified MDA-5 as the predominant sensor responsible for activating interferon. MDA-5 detects double-stranded viral RNA--a form that the SARS-CoV-2 virus takes when it replicates to spread the infection. Prior to this research, it was known that activating interferon is key to a coordinated immune response to the virus, but the sentinel switch that controls the process was unknown.

"Understanding the biology of a virus and how it is detected is paramount to controlling infection and disease spread," says Chanda. "SARS-CoV-2 appears to disable the innate immune arm of our surveillance system, which, in the case of SARS-CoV-2 is controlled by MDA-5, and prevents the activation of interferon. It's the interferon response that drives the subsequent activation of many genes that exert antiviral activities--and data suggests that we need this activity to control early stages of viral infection and avoid the worst outcomes of COVID-19.

"Whether our bodies can defeat the virus's offensive tactics and activate interferon greatly influences the severity of disease. Past studies have shown that interferon responses are higher in patients with mild-to-moderate cases compared to reduced levels in critically ill patients," adds Chanda.

According to the World Health Organization, as of January 2021 there have been nearly 87 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including nearly 1.9 million deaths. Although remdesivir and two antibody treatments have received emergency use authorization by the FDA, cases continue to rise. Newly approved vaccines are rapidly being deployed worldwide to end the crisis, however a handful of people are experiencing severe allergic reactions to the shots.

"There is still a tremendous need to develop effective therapies for COVID-19 and to prepare for future outbreaks," says Chanda. "It's possible that patients who become critically ill are deficient in the interferon signaling pathway. This research opens new avenues toward therapies that enhance the MDA-5 signaling to boost interferon levels early in infection to prevent severe disease.

"It also creates opportunities to develop COVID-19 vaccines that include an adjuvant(s) to enhance MDA-5 signaling. These would be formulations that use less 'vaccine' to minimize toxicity and side effects," adds Chanda.

###

The first author of the study is Xin Yin, Ph.D., of Sanford Burnham Prebys and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Additional study authors include Paul D. De Jesus, Kristina Herbert, Laura Martin-Sancho, Yuan Pu, Laura Riva, Chih-Cheng Yang and Sunny Yoh of Sanford Burnham Prebys; Jun Kanamune, Shimpei Gotoh and Yuki Yamamoto of Kyoto University; Kouji Sakai of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Tokyo); Judd F. Hultquist of Northwestern University; and Lisa Miorin and Adolfo Garcia-Sastre of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The study's DOI is 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108628.

This work was supported by the following grants to the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute: DoD: W81XWH-20-1-0270; DHIPC: U19 AI118610; Fluomics/NOSI: U19 AI135972; R01 AI127302-01A1, as well as generous philanthropic donations from Dinah Ruch and Susan & James Blair. This work was additionally supported by the following grants to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine: a CTSA supplement to NCATS: UL1 TR002389; a CTSA supplement to NUCATS with the generous support of the Dixon family: UL1 TR001422; and a Cancer Center supplement: P30 CA060553. This work was also partly supported by CRIP (Center for Research for Influenza Pathogenesis), an NIAID-supported Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS, contract # HHSN272201400008C), by NIAID grant U19AI142733, by NCI grant U54CA260560, by supplements to NIAID grant U19AI135972 and DoD grant W81XWH-20-1-0270, by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (HR0011-19-2-0020), and by the generous support of the JPB Foundation, the Open Philanthropy Project (research grants 2020-215611 and 2020-218415) and anonymous donors to Adolfo Garcia-Satre. Development and implementation of iPSC technology for production of airway epithelial cells was supported by the Incubation Program from the Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation, Kyoto University.

About Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

Sanford Burnham Prebys is a preeminent, independent biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding human biology and disease and advancing scientific discoveries to profoundly impact human health. For more than 40 years, our research has produced breakthroughs in cancer, neuroscience, immunology and children's diseases, and is anchored by our NCI-designated Cancer Center and advanced drug discovery capabilities. For more information, visit us at SBPdiscovery.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/SBPdiscovery and on Twitter @SBPdiscovery.
The driver of the company vehicle reported to officers responding to the scene that he had fallen asleep at the wheel, resulting in hitting Ms. Sanchez. The force of the collision propelled Ms. Sanchez's vehicle into the side of a passing city bus. It was this secondary collision that caused the crush injury to her leg. Ms. Sanchez's lower leg was amputated in an emergency surgery that night in order to restore proper blood flow to the remainder of her leg, and because the damage to the bones her lower leg was irreparable.

Based on the investigation, the driver of the company vehicle was deemed fully responsible for Ms. Sanchez's injuries. Ms. Sanchez is represented by managing attorney Anthony Campagnolo of Hastings and Hastings, PC of Arizona. Mr. Campagnolo is a compassionate and aggressive advocate for his clients, working tirelessly to ensure that accident victims get all of the compensation they deserve for their injuries.

After extensive case preparation and development, Hastings and Hastings, PC was able to secure a $1,750,000* settlement for Ms. Sanchez against the company vehicle without the need for lengthy and costly litigation. Because Hastings & Hastings always discounts their legal fees, but never their service, Ms. Sanchez was able to keep more of the settlement funds she was entitled to, allowing her to provide more to her family.

Hastings and Hastings, PC represents people injured in all types of accidents including car accidents, dog bites, motorcycle accidents, commercial vehicle accidents and other incidents caused by the negligence of others.

Hastings & Hastings is Arizona's premier personal injury law firm. We understand that tragedy can strike at any time, and have been proudly helping accident victims in Arizona for more than 40 years. We have a proud record of fighting aggressively for accident victims, including Ms. Sanchez. Our team of attorneys has over 125 years of combined experience in fighting to make sure our clients get all the compensation they deserve, and our friendly support staff will help ensure that you can focus on your recovery. When disaster strikes, we know exactly what to do, because It's All We Do. If you or someone you know recently suffered an injury in an accident then we want to help! Our "No Fee Promise" means that we don't get paid until you do, and our "Discount Fee" means you keep more of your settlement.

For more information or to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced, licensed attorney, please give us a call at 480-706-1100, or visit our website at www.hastingsandhastings.com. It's about time!

*Because every case is unique, Hastings & Hastings P.C. makes no guarantee that future clients may obtain the same or similar results.

SOURCE Hastings & Hastings

Related Links

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Moderna's coronavirus vaccine will provide immunity from the disease for at least one year, the biotech company said Monday per Reuters.

Why it matters: Moderna's vaccine is one of two now authorized for emergency use in the U.S., as coronavirus cases surge past 22.5 million nationally and 90.8 million globally.

The big picture: Moderna expects to deliver around 600 million to 1 billion doses in 2021.

The U.S. has purchased a total of 200 million doses from Moderna.

The company has signed agreements with several other countries including Japan, Canada and Israel, boosting hope as the number of global cases nears 91 million.

The United Kingdom and the EU's European Medicines Agency approved the vaccine this week.

Yes, but: The World Health Organization cautioned on Monday that herd immunity is unlikely this year despite the vaccine rollout in countries around the world.

Editor's note: The headline has been clarified to reflect at least one year of immunization.

FREDERICK, MD / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Green Health Docs, a company that helps those looking to obtain a medical marijuana card, has opened up a brand-new clinic location in northern West Virginia. State rules say that Morgantown, WV Medical Marijuana Card Doctors, must approve every patient in order for them to have access to medical marijuana, once actual dispensaries are open. In addition to the opening of the Morgantown, WV clinic, Green Health Docs already operates state-wide via telemedicine and has in-person clinic locations in Huntington, Charleston, and Martinsburg so patients can either choose telehealth or in-person visits to see the West Virginia medical marijuana doctor.

Dr. Anand Dugar, MD, the founder of Green Health Docs, explained how the process is expected to work in West Virginia. He said, "We appreciate that dispensaries are not open yet, but even so this is the time for prospective patients to be seen and certified by an officially recognized medical marijuana doctor so that when medical cannabis becomes available it will be possible for them to obtain it with a minimum of delay."

Green Health Docs currently operates clinics in fifteen states, and the company has assisted thousands of patients in obtaining cannabis certifications. In addition, Green Health Docs also offers online evaluations, where possible for many patients. Obviously, in order to have an online doctor visit, a patient must have access to the Internet and a webcam. There is a standard fee, which varies from state to state, for the initial medical evaluation, but this is refundable should a patient not be approved. Because of the COVID pandemic, WV patients can get approved for a West Virginia medical marijuana card via telemedicine.

The new West Virginia clinic will be located in Morgantown and patients can schedule an appointment now online at greenhealthdocs.com or by calling/texting 877-242-0362. Located at 125 Granville Square, Morgantown, WV 26501 prospective patients can schedule an in-person visit with a West Virginia cannabis doctor, or if they prefer, they can be seen via telemedicine from the comfort of their own home.

Once issued, the medical marijuana card will be valid for a period of one year. The cards are not available for every type of ailment, however. There is a specific list of diagnoses that the law will allow to be treated via medical marijuana. These include chronic pain, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, ALS, cancer, epileptic seizures, among many others. A full list is available and can be found on the Green Health Docs website.

Dr. Dugar is a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician. He has been in practice for the last 10 years and has seen first-hand, the damage the opioid epidemic created. In 2015, as a result of this firsthand knowledge, he began research into medical cannabis and soon noticed the significant benefits that countless patients in other states were experiencing.

He also pointed out that it is important to bear in mind that even after an applicant is certified, he or she will still have to purchase the actual medicinal marijuana itself. Dr. Dugar says, "Being medically certified for use does mean that they will not be subject to the expected marijuana-related taxes and fees, such as those imposed in other states where recreational use is already legal."

In February 2017, Dr. Dugar opened the first Green Health Docs clinic in Frederick, MD and since then Green Health Docs has expanded to multiple locations all across Maryland, Missouri, and 13 other states. Dr. Dugar and the team at Green Health Docs are very serious about providing access to medical cannabis, for those people who will benefit from its use.

The team invites the public to visit the company Facebook page, where more information is available. There are also a number of testimonials from patients who have used Green Health Docs.

One reviewer wrote: "I'm honestly amazed at how fast and easy the process was. I was able to speak with the doctor from home, and he answered all of my questions and completely put my mind at ease. So grateful to Dr. Dugar and everybody at Green Health Docs."

Those interested in finding out more about the new medical marijuana card clinic in Morgantown, West Virginia, and how to apply for medical marijuana card certification should visit the Green Health Docs website.

For more information about Green Health Docs, contact the company here:

Green Health Docs

Dr. Anand Dugar

215-287-3607

drdugar@greenhealthdocs.com

930 N East St

Suites 5/6

Frederick, MD 21701

SOURCE: Green Health Docs

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623998/Medical-Marijuana-Card-Certification-Provider-and-Clinic-Opens-in-Morgantown-WV
Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk!

You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details.
Landsec, owner of the Piccadilly Circus lights, has revealed a slump in sales (Yui Mok/PA)

One of the UKs biggest commercial landlords has seen a slump in rent collections in the final three months of 2020 as tenants  particularly retailers  struggled to make payments.

Land Securities, also known as Landsec, said rent collection due on December 25 was just 65%  compared with 94% at the same point a year earlier.

Bosses had been due 112 million in rents.

Some 11 million had already been deferred, reduced or cancelled by agreements or due to administrations and company voluntary arrangements (CVA).

Expand Close Landsec has been regenerating Londons Victoria, where office rents have held up. (Landsec / PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Landsec has been regenerating Londons Victoria, where office rents have held up. (Landsec / PA)

But a further 35 million went missing, including 14 million which is pending documentation of agreed concessions.

Office tenants were the best payers, with 87% making the rent deadline.

But the rest of Landsecs central London estate, mainly made up of retail and leisure businesses, slumped to just 29%.

Only 36% of rents due by regional retail tenants was paid as lockdowns and tier restrictions in the run-up to Christmas led to closures.

Commercial landlords have been particularly concerned about the state of high streets, with London hit harder than other areas of the country.

The capital has remained a ghost town since Novembers lockdown  with just a handful of busier days between the end of the lockdown and introduction of tiering, which saw non-essential retailers close their doors again.

In the nine months to December 24, Landsec said the total gross amount due had been 553 million.

Insolvencies and CVA agreements saw that fall 15 million, it fell a further 21 million with agreed discounts and 8 million in deferred payments.

The company has an 11.8 billion portfolio spanning 24 million square feet, including the Piccadilly Lights in the West End and the regeneration of Londons Victoria.

It also owns the Westgate Oxford and Trinity Leeds retail centres.

The news from Landsec comes a day after rival British Land revealed it managed to collect less than half of the rent it is due from the shops and other retail outlets that rent its space, as two-thirds of them were forced to close in January.

British Land said it had collected 46% of December rents by Thursday last week, seven days after they were due.
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(Newser)  The mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are endangered, as are the rangers tasked with protecting them. At least six rangers were killed in an ambush Sunday, less than nine months after a dozen rangers and five civilians were massacred, the New York Times reports. Officials say the rangers killed in Sunday's attack were all between 25 and 30 years old. The attackers are believed to be members of one of the dozens of armed groups operating in the area, where militias are competing for power and resources, reports CNN. The rangers were armed, but officials say they were taken by surprise and had "no opportunity to defend themselves.

story continues below

The park, Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve, covers more than 3,000 square miles and is home to more than half the world's population of mountain gorillas. As one of the slain rangers, 30-year-old father of four Burhani Abdou Surumwe, was buried Monday, rangers raised their guns in salute and park director Emmanuel de Merode vowed that the work of the Congo Institute for Nature ConservationICCNwould continue, reports Reuters. We are facing a situation that is extremely difficult, but which in no way erodes the conviction of all ICCN staff to continue our efforts," said de Merode, who was injured in a 2014 attack. (In 2018, the park was temporarily closed after a dozen rangers were killed in 10 months.)
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The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a 'Maharatna' company, has called for applications in prescribed format from eligible and interested individuals for filling Fifty (50) vacancies to the post of Proficiency Trainees (PT) - Intern Paramedics in various fields through direct recruitment to be posted at the IISCO Steel Plant Durgapur in West Bengal, India on a fulltime basis. The application process towards the same started on January 10, 2021 and closes on January 18, 2021.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Proficiency Trainees - Intern Paramedics Organisation Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) - IISCO Steel Plant Educational Qualification Class 10/Matriculation + Certificate Course; 10+2 Science with B.Sc/Diploma in relevant discipline; Degree/Diploma in Pharmacy/Critical Care Technology; GNM/B.Sc in Nursing Experience Freshers can apply Job Responsibilities null Skills Required Desirable Job Location Paschim Bardhaman Salary Scale A monthly stipend of Rs. 8,000 + applicable allowances of Rs. 7,020 per month Industry Steel Application Start Date January 10, 2021 Application End Date January 18, 2021

SAIL Recruitment 2021: Age Criteria And Fees

Candidates interested in applying for SAIL Proficiency Trainee Jobs 2021 through SAIL Recruitment 2021 meet the age criteria as per the SAIL norms, with relaxation (upper age limit) OBC and SC/ST categories as specified in SAIL Recruitment Notification 2021.

For details regarding application fee for SAIL Proficiency Trainee Jobs 2021 through SAIL Recruitment 2021, refer to the official SAIL Recruitment Notification 2021 given at the end of the article.

Also Read: Indian Army Recruitment 2021 For 194 Junior Commissioned Officers JCO (Religious Teacher), Apply Before Feb 9

SAIL Recruitment 2021: Education And Eligibility

Desirous candidates applying for SAIL Proficiency Trainee Jobs 2021 through SAIL Recruitment 2021 must have passed Class 10/Matriculation + Certificate Course; 10+2 Science with B.Sc/Diploma in relevant discipline; Degree/Diploma in Pharmacy/Critical Care Technology; GNM/B.Sc in Nursing from a recognised Board/Institute/University as detailed in the SAIL Recruitment Notification 2021.

SAIL Recruitment 2021: Selection And Pay Scale

The selection of candidates for SAIL Proficiency Trainee Jobs 2021 through SAIL Recruitment 2021 will be done through an Online Interview through a Walk-in-Interview at Burnpur, Dist. Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal which will be communicated to the candidates through an e-mail in due course as mentioned in the SAIL Recruitment 2021 Notification.

Shortlisted candidates for SAIL Proficiency Trainee Jobs 2021 through SAIL Recruitment 2021 will be paid a monthly stipend of Rs. 8,000 along with + applicable allowances of Rs. 7,020 per month as specified in the SAIL Recruitment 2021 Notification.

Also Read: UPSC Specialist Grade Recruitment 2021 For 56 Asst. Professor And Asst. Director Jobs, Apply Before January 28

SAIL Recruitment 2021: How To Apply

Candidates applying for SAIL Proficiency Trainee Jobs 2021 through SAIL Recruitment 2021 must send the application form, and send the same along with copies of relevant supporting documents listed in the SAIL Recruitment 2021 Notification to the "GM (Hosp. Admn & Coordn.), Burnpur Hospital, SAIL-IISCO Steel Plant, P.O.- Burnpur, PIN-713325, Dist.- Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal" on or before January 18, 2021.

Download SAIL Recruitment 2021 Notification PDF for Proficiency Trainees
Vice President of Infrastructure at AWS Chris Vondehaar emailed staff Saturday

'We all need to [be] vigilant to keep one another and our facilities safe,' he said

Amazon has also blocked service updates in an effort to avoid a cyber attack

Parler was on Monday forced to move its domain name to a right-wing web-hosting firm; it also announced it would sue Amazon for antitrust violations

In a statement to DailyMail.com Amazon said the lawsuit has 'no merit'

Parler went offline shortly after 3am EST Monday after Amazon booted the platform off its web hosting service, effectively shutting the site down

Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' following far right threats to blow up its data centers after the tech giant banned Parler, a leaked memo reveals.

In an email to staff Saturday, Chris Vondehaar, Vice President of Infrastructure at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: 'We all need to [be] vigilant during this time to keep one another and our facilities safe.

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'If you see something, say something  no situation or concern is too small or insignificant.'

Amazon has also blocked service updates on their systems in an effort to avoid a cyber attack by those upset at the decision to remove the right leaning social media site used by Donald Trump fans. Twitter enforced a permanent ban on the president Friday following Wednesday's deadly riot at the Capitol.

Parler was on Monday forced to move its domain name to a right-wing web-hosting firm and said it will sue Amazon for antitrust violations after the site was scrubbed from the web overnight.

In a statement to DailyMail.com Amazon said the lawsuit has 'no merit', arguing it 'is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others'.

Parler went offline shortly after 3am EST Monday after Amazon booted the platform off its web hosting service, effectively shutting the site down until it can find a new hosting partner or fund its own servers.

Vondehaar sent the email titled 'Be safe. Be vigilant' on Saturday, Business Insider first revealed. It said the company 'continues to closely monitor civil unrest in the United States'. He added: 'Please remember that in the coming weeks your work remains vital to our customers.'

The exact location of Amazon's data centers are not known due to security concerns. DailyMail.com has contacted Amazon for comment.

Scroll down for the full suit against AWS

Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning far-right social media site Parler, a leaked memo reveals (stock image)

John Matze founded Parler in 2018 as a 'free-speech driven' alternative to mainstream platforms. He is pictured with his family. Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning the far-right social media site

Shortly after 3am EST Monday, Parler disappeared from the web with an error message saying 'we can't connect to the server' after Amazon pulled the plug

Hailed by Trump supporters as a conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter, Parler is seen as a magnet for the far right and was accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of continuing to allow messages inciting violence after Wednesday's riot in DC.

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Parler had already vanished from the Apple and Google app stores after they cut ties with the platform in the wake of the deadly mob attack at the US Capitol before Amazon booted it off its web hosting service.

It was reported Monday by domainnamewire.com that the site has since moved its domain name from DreamHost to right leaning Epik.

Web services company Epik hosted Trump friendly Gab.com when it was dropped by GoDaddy in 2018 and had helped 8chan get back online. CEO Robert Monster previously said: 'De-platforming a haven of free speech is not about left or right.'

It also emerged Monday that all of Parler's deleted posts have been archived. The hacker who has gathered them together, @donk_enby, told Gizmodo they provide 'very incriminating' evidence.

But Parler CEO John Matze said he was doing more than Facebook and Twitter to try and remove violent content from his app. In a statement self declared libertarian Matze said: 'Evaluated objectively, our system worked as well or better than the methods used by our competitors, while adhering to our principles.'

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Hailed by Donald Trump supporters as a conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter, Parler is seen as a magnet for the far right and was accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of continuing to allow messages inciting violence after Wednesday's attack at the Capitol

What are Parler's options now? Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple  whose operating systems power hundreds of millions of smartphones  severely limits Parler's reach, though it had continued to be accessible via web browser. The decision by Amazon Web Services to remove Parler means it now needs to scramble to find another web host in addition to 'rebuilding the site from scratch'. Google and Apple both booted Gab from their app stores in 2017 and it was left internet-homeless for a time the following year due to anti-Semitic posts attributed to the man accused of killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Microsoft also terminated a web-hosting contract. It now hosts through its own servers, so that is an option. Or it can find another server willing to host the site. Max Aliapoulios, a computer science Ph. D candidate told Business Insider: 'It is realistic to expect that Parler will find another provider to host their services like AWS. 'That being said, now the precedent is set and Parler will likely always have an uphill battle with finding a home to host them on the internet.' On Monday it was reported that the site has since moved its domain name from DreamHost to right leaning web hosting company Epik.

Parler announced it will sue Amazon Monday and asked a federal judge to order the tech giant to reinstate the platform.

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The 18-page suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle against Amazon Web Services (AWS). It claims: 'AWS's decision to effectively terminate Parler's account is apparently motivated by political animus. It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.'

It notes: 'Friday night one of the top trending tweets on Twitter was 'Hang Mike Pence.' But AWS has no plans nor has it made any threats to suspend Twitter's account.'

AWS said in statement: 'AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we respect Parler's right to determine for itself what content it will allow,' a spokeswoman said.

'However, it is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others, and that Parler is unable or unwilling to promptly identify and remove this content, which is a violation of our terms of service.

'We made our concerns known to Parler over a number of weeks and during that time we saw a significant increase in this type of dangerous content, not a decrease, which led to our suspension of their services Sunday evening.'

Parler are thought to have targeted AWS, rather than Apple and Google, as 'both the apps and the website are written to work with AWS's technology'. 'Without AWS, Parler is finished as it has no way to get online', the suit adds.

Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple severely limits Parler's reach to millions of smartphones. Losing Amazon Web Services means Parler needs to find another web host to be accessed on a browser.

Matze argued 'up until Friday afternoon it seemed Apple, Amazon and Google agreed' the app had been effective in their efforts to remove 'objectionable content', adding: 'You can expect the war on competition and free speech to continue, but don't count us out.'

Matze had initially said that Parler might be unavailable for 'up to a week as we rebuild from scratch', but now says it might be offline for longer.

Critics have continued to slammed the big tech giants for purging free speech in the wake of Donald Trump's Twitter ban.

Fox New host Jeanine Pirro argued Parler's deplatforming 'is akin to a Kristallnacht'. In 1938, Nazis in Germany and Austria vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses during an attack that became known as Kristallnacht.

She said: 'They gave us a taste of this pre-election when they suppressed the Hunter Biden story. And now that they've won, what we're seeing is a kind of censorship that is akin to a Kristallnacht, where they decide what we can communicate about.'

Pirro later clarified in a tweet: 'Although book burning started earlier, Kristallnacht included the destruction of Jewish stores, homes & synagogues containing rare Jewish books & Torahs. My reference was in context of books.The Holocaust was the greatest hate crime the world ever tolerated. I abhor all violence.'

The app was removed from the Google app store after conservative social media users flocked to the site in the wake of the Capitol attack

In his final post before the 3am deadline, Matze said that 'most people with enough servers to host us have shut their doors to us'

The president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. said it was a 'purge of conservative ideas and thought leaders.'

Piers Morgan wrote: 'It has been quite sinister to witness the speed in which the tech world has conspired to use the Capitol riot to silence not just Trump but entire right-wing social media platforms like Parler which has been effectively driven offline by Google, Apple and Amazon.'

American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Ben Wizner told The New York Times: 'There is a difference between a social media platform like Twitter...deciding who its members are and what its guidelines should be, and a company like Amazon that really hold the keys to the internet.'

Parler CEO John Matze warned in his final post before the 3am deadline that 'we will likely be down longer than expected' as tech firms distance themselves from the site

Wizner also pointed to a 2017 quote by CloudFlare CEO Matthew Prince when he took down The Daily Stormer who said: 'I woke up in a bad mood and decided someone shouldn't be allowed on the internet No one should have that power.'

And journalist Glenn Greenwald on Sunday accused the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' to Parler. He claimed 'far more violence' has been planned on Facebook.

He tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

Greenwald wrote: 'Tech monopolies -- FB, Google, Apple, Amazon -- have more concentrated wealth & power than any in history. They have used brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics: censoring NY Post, banning Trump, destroying Parler. And liberals are overwhelmingly supportive.

'That these Silicon Valley monopolies are grave menaces to political freedom & economic well-being is *not* a right-wing view.

'Authoritarians never believe they're authoritarians, no matter how much censorship, surveillance, jingoism, & imprisonment they demand. They tell themselves their enemies are so uniquely evil and dangerous - terrorists - that anything done in the name of fighting them is noble.'

Parler is bankrolled by prominent conservative donor Rebekah Mercer Parler, which styles itself as a 'free speech-driven' space, is bankrolled by hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer's daughter Rebekah, the Wall Street Journal reported in November. Rebekah has described her as a co-founder of the site with CEO John Matze. 'John and I started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech, as our founders intended, and also to create a social media environment that would protect data privacy,' she wrote in a post on the site this fall. 'The ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords demands that someone lead the fight against data mining, and for the protection of free speech online,' she added. Hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer is pictured with his daughter Rebekah in 2017 Matze replied to the post: 'Bekah is a great friend, an American patriot, and most importantly committed to the Parler vision of neutrality and data privacy. We are grateful for her support since 2018, and her early faith in the founders has enabled us to reach these heights. #transparency.' After WSJ reported Rebekah's links to Parler she issued a statement saying that her multi-millionaire father Robert was not an investor in the site - while sources close to the clan claimed that the investment was a family affair. Rebekah referred to herself as a co-founder of Parler in a post on the site in November

Twitter saw its shares drop by as much as 12 per cent Monday. The tech giant lost $5 billion on the first day of trading after it permanently suspended Trump. Trump friendly platform Gab.com tweeted Monday: 'Twitter lost $4 Billion today. LOL.'

Parler, which Apple claims was used by some of the rioters to help plan the insurrection, was the most-downloaded app in the Apple store on Friday before both Apple and Google cut off its access to their app stores.

Following Parler's removal Don Jr. retweeted a post which read: 'The internet was a hell of a lot safer before @Twitter, @Apple, @Google, and @Facebook started protecting us from it'. Don Jr. added: 'This times 1000.'

Republican congressman Devin Nunes, who had an account on Parler, raged at what he said was 'political censorship' after Apple and Google removed the app.

'Spread the word so your fellow Americans know about this,' he urged his three million followers on the site.

Right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro warned on Twitter that 'the tech bros are making a horrible and dangerous moment significantly more horrible and dangerous'.

'There are no consistent standards being applied. There is reactionary deplatforming in the name of one side,' he claimed.

'Everyone on the right is correctly concerned that these same companies are five minutes away from simply removing the ability of conservatives to host content anywhere.'

The social media crackdown has revived a debate over whether tech giants should be treated as 'publishers' with the same liability as news providers.

The fallout of Twitter's permanent ban on Trump continued over the weekend, as his eldest son lashed out at the social media site and loyalists fled to alternatives such as Gab and Parler.

'The world is laughing at America & Mao, Lenin, & Stalin are smiling. Big tech is able to censor the President? Free speech is dead & controlled by leftist overlords,' Don Trump Jr said in a tweet on Saturday, urging followers to join his mailing list, 'In case I'm next.'

On Friday, Twitter also permanently banned two Trump loyalists  former national security adviser Michael Flynn and attorney Sidney Powell  as part of a broader purge of accounts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Its CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly made the extraordinary call to permanently suspend Trump's account while he was vacationing in French Polynesia.

After Twitter red-flagged some of Trump's posts last year, the president demanded that the website be stripped of a 'liability shield' known as Section 230.

Fox News personality Dan Bongino, a supporter of Parler, raged that 'the greatest threats to liberty are the destructive tech tyrants who have acted as publishers in their ongoing wars on conservatives and free speech'.

'This will be my final post on this anti-American platform,' he wrote on Twitter on Friday.

But concern over Big Tech's power is not confined to the American right - with Angela Merkel's spokesman calling it 'problematic' that free speech could be obstructed by 'decision of the management of social media platforms'.

Lionel Barber, the former editor of London's Financial Times, said on Sunday that 'now we can agree that platforms are publishers and that there are some limits to free speech, we need a serious debate about social media's influence in a modern democracy'.

And UK government minister Matt Hancock said the Trump ban 'raises a very important question, which is it means that the social media platforms are taking editorial decisions'.

Many Democrats also want to rein in the power of Big Tech, with dozens of attorneys general launching a lawsuit last month in a bid to break up Facebook.

Launched in 2018, Parler operates much like Twitter with profiles people can follow and 'parleys' instead of tweets.

'Our mission is to create a social platform in the spirit of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,' it boasts. 'We prefer that removing community members or member-provided content be kept to the absolute minimum.'

The site claims more than 12million users in total, although analytics firm Sensor Tower puts the number at10 million worldwide, with eight million in the US.

Founded by computer engineer Matze and Republican donor Rebekah Mercer, it attracts a mixture of far-right users and more traditional Republican voices - and is already used by the president's children Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka.

Fox News star host Sean Hannity has 7.6million followers on Parler, while his colleague Tucker Carlson has 4.4million.

There are also elected officials, including Nunes and South Dakota's Republican governor Kristi Noem.

The president's daughter Ivanka Trump was among those who had set up a Parler account as conservatives dissatisfied with Twitter flocked to the site

Sean Hannity, the Fox News host favored by Donald Trump, also had an account on the page

Trump supporters flocked to the app after the president was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other sites in the wake of the violence at the Capitol.

But despite speculation that Trump himself would join Parler, he had no known account by the time the site was shut down today.

Late on Friday, Google announced it was banning Parler from its app store because of posts inciting violence and a casual approach to moderating content.

Apple followed suit a day later after alleging that Parler was being used to 'plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities'.

Apple had given Parler 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, claiming that participants had used the service to co-ordinate Wednesday's siege.

Public safety issues will need to be resolved before access to Parler is restored, Apple said.

The moves by Apple and Google drastically limited Parler's reach but did not completely block the app, because people who already had it could keep using it while new users could access it on a web browser.

But Amazon's decision to strip Parler of access to its Amazon Web Services hosting platform directly threatens the site's online presence.

The journalist tweeted Sunday to accuse the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' the app after Donald Trump was on Friday kicked off of most mainstream social media platforms

Greenwald tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

Amazon said it had informed Parler of 98 examples of posts 'that clearly encourage and incite violence' and said the platform 'poses a very real risk to public safety.'

'We've seen a steady increase in this violent content on your website, all of which violates our terms of service,' said an Amazon letter first reported by Buzzfeed.

Given the riot at the Capitol this week, the letter continued, there was a 'serious risk that this type of content will further incite violence.'

Parler was given 24 hours to find an alternative host but, Matze said, 'Where are you gonna find 300-to-500 servers in a 24-hour window... It's an impossible feat.'

'What they are doing is unprecedented, unfounded and absolutely disgusting. Shameful,' Matze said of the tech giants.

'Our mission is free speech, democracy and us the people having the power. The elite don't want us to be free, they want hate, division and power.'

Tech giants have moved to shut down what they say is dangerous online content after a Trump-incited mob overran the seat of American democracy (pictured)

As the crackdown gathers speed, conservative sites might have to follow the example of another site popular on the far right, Gab.

That platform drew fierce criticism in 2018 when investigators found that the shooter who killed 11 people in an attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue had earlier posted anti-Semitic messages on the site.

Gab, already at loggerheads with Apple and Google, subsequently installed its own servers so as not to be dependent on outside providers.

Meanwhile, the DLive video streaming service, used by several protesters during the invasion of the Capitol, has closed seven of its channels and pulled more than 100 videos off the site.

How Parler CEO John Matze married 'Russian he met during her US road trip' before founding 'free-speech' platform that is now bankrolled by conservative donor Rebekah Mercer and used by MAGA fans

By Lauren Fruen for DailyMail.com

John Matze founded Parler in 2018 as a 'free-speech driven' alternative to mainstream platforms.

The self described libertarian soon began courting right-leaning users as prominent supporters of Donald Trump moved there.

And Parler had been the leading candidate for the president to continuing voicing his opinion, at least until Google and Apple removed it from their app stores and Amazon decided to boot it off its web hosting service Sunday.

Not much it known about Matze's personal life but he is reported to have married Russian Alina Mukhutdinova after the pair are said to have met in Las Vegas.

She was said to have been on a two week road trip around the United States, TED Talk host Dave Troy reported in November.

Alina's Instagram pictures show the couple have at least one child. In one picture she hold rifles and wears a t-shirt which reads: 'Trust me, I'm a Russian spy.'

The couple appear to live a luxury lifestyle with numerous vacation pictures taken with their young child.

Not much it known about Matze's personal life but he is reported to have married Russian Alina Mukhutdinova, pictured, after the pair are said to have met in Las Vegas

Alina's Instagram pictures show the couple have at least one child

After graduating in 2014 Matze, who studied math, German and business at the University of Denver,teamed up with fellow alumni Jared Thomson, now chief technical officer, to create Parler.

Matze told Forbes in July last year: 'I don't have too many friends, but the ones I do have, we just talk amongst ourselves about ideascrazy ones, easy ones, whatever.'

He told the magazine he 'does not watch TV' but instead 'gets everything off Parler'.

Alina shared this image of her husband appearing on Fox News to her Instagram account

One of Alina's Instagram picture shows her promoting her husband's app Parler

Matze's app is now bankrolled by hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer's daughter Rebekah, the Wall Street Journal reported in November.

The two-year-old magnet for the far right claims more than 12 million users, though mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower puts the number at 10 million worldwide, with 8 million in the U.S.

Rebekah has described herself as a co-founder of the site with Matze. She is also thought to have studied at the University of Denver.

'John and I started Parler to provide a neutral platform for free speech, as our founders intended, and also to create a social media environment that would protect data privacy,' she wrote in a post on the site this fall.

'The ever increasing tyranny and hubris of our tech overlords demands that someone lead the fight against data mining, and for the protection of free speech online,' she added.

Matze replied to the post: 'Bekah is a great friend, an American patriot, and most importantly committed to the Parler vision of neutrality and data privacy. We are grateful for her support since 2018, and her early faith in the founders has enabled us to reach these heights. #transparency.'

After WSJ reported Rebekah's links to Parler she issued a statement saying that her multi-millionaire father Robert was not an investor in the site - while sources close to the clan claimed that the investment was a family affair.

Those who have joined Parler include commentator Candace Owens, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who handcuffed herself to the door of Twitter's New York office in November 2018 to protest a ban on her by the site.

Trump's sons Eric and Don Jr. are also already active on the site.

Not much it known about Matze's personal life but he is reported to have married Russian Alina Mukhutdinova after the pair are said to have met in Las Vegas

She was said to have been on a two week road trip around the United States, TED Talk host Dave Troy reported in November

The couple appear to live a luxury lifestyle with numerous vacation pictures

Parler hit headwinds, though, on Friday as Google yanked its smartphone app from its app store for allowing postings that seek 'to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.'

Apple followed suit on Saturday evening after giving Parler 24 hours to address complaints it was being used to 'plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.' Public safety issues will need to be resolved before it is restored, Apple said.

Amazon struck another blow Saturday, informing Parler it would need to look for a new web-hosting service effective midnight Sunday.

It reminded Parler in a letter, first reported by Buzzfeed, that it had informed it in the past few weeks of 98 examples of posts 'that clearly encourage and incite violence' and said the platform 'poses a very real risk to public safety.'

Matze decried the punishments as 'a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace. We were too successful too fast,' he said in a Saturday night post, saying it was possible Parler would be unavailable for up to a week 'as we rebuild from scratch.'

'Every vendor, from text message services, to e-mail providers, to our lawyers all ditched us too on the same day,' Matze said Sunday on Fox New Channel's 'Sunday Morning Futures.'

He said while the company is trying to get back online as quickly as possible, it's 'having a lot of trouble, because every vendor we talk to says they won't work with us, because, if Apple doesn't approve and Google doesn't approve, they won't.'

Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple  whose operating systems power hundreds of millions of smartphones  severely limits Parler's reach, though it will continue to be accessible via web browser.

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Losing Amazon Web Services will mean Parler needs to scramble to find another web host, in addition to the re-engineering.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Amazon vendors doubled prices last year on 136 products considered essential for consumers, health providers and small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund report released Thursday analyzed prices of 750 "essential supplies" such as toilet paper, pulse oximeters and hand sanitizers sold over the online retail site from Dec. 1, 2019 through Dec. 1, 2020.

Sellers of 409 products raised prices more than 20% over the past year. Another 136 items doubled in price, according to the report.

U.S. PIRG officials acknowledge price increases can be inevitable when demand spikes but said states should enact or enforce price-gouging laws and the online retailer should take aggressive steps to protect consumers.

"Amazon has done a lot to combat price gouging on their site," said Grace Brombach, a U.S. PIRG Education Fund consumer watchdog associate who wrote the report. "We just believe that it is such a massive online marketplace, that they need to be doing more."

An Amazon spokesperson said sellers set their own prices but the online site has a longstanding policy against price gouging and monitors listings 24/7 for violations. In 2020, the Amazon blocked or removed 39 million offers and suspended more than 13,000 accounts for attempted price gouging, a spokesperson said.

"We work hard to provide customers with low prices, vast selection, and fast delivery," the company spokesperson said.

In March, a group of 33 attorneys general demanded online retailers such as Amazon, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook and Walmart crack down on price gouging for critical supplies such as hand sanitizer and disinfectants.

The U.S. PIRG report focused exclusively on Amazon because it's the largest online retailer and has vowed to combat price gouging, Brombach said. Using data from the price-tracking tool Keepa, the report compared prices on 50 listings in 15 categories "that people would consider essentials during the pandemic," she said.

Consumers have been frustrated by periodic shortages of household staples such as toilet paper, paper towels, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, and the report shows pricing varied widely in those categories.

One seller this year charged $109.99 for a 36-roll package of toilet papera price hike of $79.04 from a year ago. About one in three sellers increased toilet paper prices more than 20%.

Patio heaters, snapped up by restaurants for outside dining and families to safely distance outside, had the 10 largest price hikes by percentage. But another sought-after item, surgical gloves, had comparatively modest price increases with only 16% of vendors raising prices 20% or more.

"Our biggest suggestion to consumers is to shop around and make sure that they are getting the best deal possible," Brombach said.

Brombach said an increasing number of consumers are registering pricing complaints with state attorneys general. The report highlighted price gouging laws in California, Colorado and Massachusetts. In all, 37 states have laws to combat price gouging during state or national emergencies, according to the report.

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom in March declared a state of emergency, it forbid monthly price increases of more than 10% on food, consumer goods and medical supplies. Exceptions include increased costs for labor or material.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced charges against an Alameda County grocery store owner for hiking prices on food items as much as 200%, and a Los Angeles pharmacist for N95 mask prices.

A trade association, the Online Merchants Guild, sued to block Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's efforts to investigate and prosecute suspected price gouging by online vendors. The trade association argued a state can't enforce a price-gouging laws against an online retailer that operates and sets prices in multiple states.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting Kentucky's price-gouging enforcement against the online vendors. A bipartisan group of more than 30 attorneys general backed Kentucky's efforts and appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Explore further Amazon raised prices on essentials amid pandemic, watchdog says

2021 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Members of the Peruvian army accompanied medical personnel to assist in identifying possible carriers of COVID in a low-income neighbourhood of Lima on Tuesday.

The tactical operation named Tayta, which in Quechua language means Father is a house-by-house search in the Villa Maria del Triunfo neighbourhood in the Andean capital.

The concept originated in the middle of last year (2020) in the midst of the worst of the pandemic in order to identify infected people and facilitate isolation to prevent hospitals from becoming overcrowded.

After the recent spike in COVID 19 cases, the government is implementing more of these operations, to contain a possible second wave of infected.

Hospitals are full, and many no longer have beds to care for those sick with the new coronavirus.

Doctors in biosafety suits visited more than 200 homes in the area and tested patients on the street, to avoid getting infected, while the military provided security in the work area.

The Peruvian Ministry of Health reported this Monday that the accumulated number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the country rose to 1,037,350 and total deaths surpassed the 38,300 mark.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The Duke of Cambridge has 'condemned' the 'horrendous' attack that killed at least six park rangers on Sunday in an ambush on Africa's oldest national park - adding they should be 'honoured not attacked.'

The rangers were killed as they guarded endangered species in Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park, a sanctuary for endangered mountain gorillas that is also home to dozens of armed groups.

Prince William, 39, who is president of United for Wildlife, has since spoken of the dangers the rangers are often faced with.

'The horrendous attack on staff at the Virunga National Park is abhorrent and I condemn the actions of those responsible in the strongest terms,' he said on Monday night, according to The Telegraph.

The Duke of Cambridge, 39, has condemned the 'horrendous' attack that killed at least six park rangers on Sunday in an ambush on Africa's oldest national park. Pictured, on September 9

Civilians bury the body of Congolese ranger Burhani Abdou Surumwe who was killed in an ambush in Virunga National Park, a sanctuary for endangered mountain gorillas, in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo January 11, 2021

'Rangers who work tirelessly to protect both the national park and the neighbouring communities should be honoured not attacked. They should never find themselves in a position where their lives are on the line.'

The identities of the Rangers who lost their lives are: Kamate Mundunaenda Alexis, 25; Burhani Abdou Surumwe, 30; Nzabonimpa Ntamakiriro Prince, 27; Maneno Kataghalirwa Reagan, 27; Kibanji Bashekere Eric, 28; Paluku Budoyi Innocent, 28.

One other ranger was seriously wounded in the assault and has been evacuated to hospital in Goma - and his injuries are no longer considered life-threatening.

A line of Congolese park rangers raised their guns in salute on Monday as the coffin bearing their colleague Burhani Abdou Surumwe, a 30-year-old father of four, was buried in the black volcanic soil of a Muslim cemetery outside Goma.

The rangers, heavily armed and welltrained, are frequently attacked. In April, a dozen of their number from the Congo Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) were killed by suspected Hutu militiamen.

Park director Emmanuel de Merode, who was himself shot and injured in 2014, said his team were unbowed, despite the dangers.

The identities of the Rangers who lost their lives are: Kamate Mundunaenda Alexis, 25; Burhani Abdou Surumwe, 30; Nzabonimpa Ntamakiriro Prince, 27; Maneno Kataghalirwa Reagan, 27; Kibanji Bashekere Eric, 28; Paluku Budoyi Innocent, 28

Virunga National Park Rangers and Park director Emmanuel Demerode salutes as they attend the burial of Burhani Abdou Surumwe (pictured)

Virunga National Park Rangers watch as civilians bury the body of Congolese ranger Burhani Abdou Surumwe who was killed in an ambush in Virunga National Park (pictured)

'We are facing a situation that is extremely difficult, but which in no way erodes the conviction of all ICCN staff to continue our efforts.'

Abdou Surumwe's older brother Maliki, his eyes wet with tears, said he had been 'a good advisor, a hard worker, someone who loved to live with people'.

The United Nations says more than a hundred armed groups operate in eastern Congo, many of them remnants of groups that fought in civil wars around the turn of the century that resulted in millions of deaths from conflict, hunger and disease.

Virunga sits on the forest-covered volcanoes of central Africa and is home to over half the global population of mountain gorillas.

It is Africa's oldest national park and largest tropical rainforest reserve, covering 7,800 sq km (3,000 sq miles).
Like every other company, NFI Group had a rough ride in 2020, but unlike many other industries, the road ahead should be much smoother for the local bus manufacturer.

Like every other company, NFI Group had a rough ride in 2020, but unlike many other industries, the road ahead should be much smoother for the local bus manufacturer.

Thats because there is growing evidence that zero-emission bus (ZEB) technology will lead the transportation sector and there is renewed commitment by governments in its key markets to make funds available to replace diesel buses with ZEBs despite the dramatic fall in transit bus ridership in North America during various levels of regional lockdowns.

At NFI Groups virtual investor day presentation on Monday, Canadian, U.S. and U.K. industry officials all had the same message  ZEBs will be the bus of the future.

Paul Soubry, CEO of NFI Group, as well as a number of company officials, detailed the manner in which the company is, and will continue to be, a leader in the world of ZEBs. (Over a 12-year lifespan one ZEB eliminates the equivalent of CO2 emissions from 336 cars over that same time frame.)

Soubry said it is more of an evolution than a revolution to ZEB, pointing out the company sold its first electric trolley buses 50 years ago.

"The reality is our business is transitioning to zero emission," he said.

The company also released guidance for 2021 and beyond that suggests a rapid return to growth. The market was obviously pleased with the projections bidding up NFI stock more than 15 per cent on Monday to close at $29.20, triple the low of $9.12 earlier last year.

The company is in the middle of wide-ranging program to integrate its portfolio of acquisitions that will produce about $65 million in annual savings. (It permanently eliminated more than 500 positions earlier this year across its operations.)

It has agreements from creditors to manage debt covenants and expects to generate from US$220 million to US$240 million in operating profit next year and projections are that ZEB revenue will account for 20 to 25 per cent of 2021 revenue, which will be back to 2019 levels.

Both Josipa Petrunic, the CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), and Paul Skoutelas, CEO of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), were optimistic about increased levels of financial support from Canadian and U.S. governments for ZEBs and the infrastructure needed to run them.

Paul Soubry, CEO of NFI Group.

In the Canadian governments climate plan document that was released in December, called A Healthy Environment and Healthy Economy, it stated the governments commitment "to help procure 5,000 zero-emission public transit buses and school buses, including by leveraging the Canada Infrastructure Bank. To support this goal, the Canada Infrastructure Banks Growth Plan has earmarked $1.5 billion to expand and accelerate the adoption of zero emission buses."

Petrunic said, "There are good signals from public policy leaders. Now the technology development and hard work is ahead of us."

In the U.S., Skoutelas pointed out that the chairman of Joe Bidens transition team is the CEO of L.A. Metro and the expectation is that the new administration will be very sympathetic towards transit authorities acquisition of ZEBs and the infrastructure needed.

"We are very enthusiastic about the outlook," he said. "President-elect Biden has embraced and does embrace public transport. We are looking for an administration that will have public transport investment as a centrepiece of its infrastructure plan."

New Flyer has been the heavy-duty transit bus market leader for some time, with about 41 per cent of the U.S. and Canadian market. Its U.K. division  it acquired Alexander Dennis Ltd. , the leading double deck bus manufacturer in 2019  has more than 70 per cent of the double decker market in the U.K.

After 10 years in development, NFIs battery-electric buses also have a commanding market share.

Soubry took umbrage at the suggestion that his company is not up to the industry disruption that electrification will cause.

"We have been innovating and disrupting for decades," he said.

And while ZEBs can cost twice as much as standard diesel propulsion buses, battery costs have come down 80 per cent since New Flyer built its first battery electric bus. A few years ago the company set up a distinct division that builds charging infrastructure and with charging standards now in place, it is now the fastest growing part of NFIs business.

In 2020, NFI delivered close to 200 ZEBs, still a small percentage of the close to 6,000-plus buses the company shipped.

But eight per cent of its backlog orders are for ZEBs and 31 per cent of the total public bid universe is for ZEBs.

NFI has now sold ZEBs to 15 of the 25 largest transit authorities in North America, most of whom have set zero emission target dates in the next couple of decades.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Fitch keeps country's 'BBB' rating with 'stable' outlook

MANILA, Philippines, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- International debt watcher Fitch Ratings has kept the Philippines' investment grade credit rating of "BBB" with a "stable" outlook, citing the manageable fiscal situation despite the COVID-19 crisis and favorable growth prospects amid a declining number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Logo (PRNewsfoto/Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BS)

"BBB" is one step above the minimum investment grade, while a "stable" outlook indicates absence of factors that could trigger adjustment in the rating within the short term.

By keeping its credit rating, the Philippines continues to stand out in the international financial community amid a wave of negative credit rating actions, which resulted from adverse impacts of the pandemic on the performance and credit profiles of many economies.

In 2020, Fitch implemented 51 credit rating downgrades affecting 33 sovereigns (some sovereigns were downgraded more than once). These include countries that previously had the same rating as the Philippines, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Italywhose ratings were downgraded by a notch to the minimum investment grade of "BBB-".

In a report released on Monday, Fitch noted that the Philippines has "modest government debt levels relative to peers, robust external buffers, and still-strong medium-term growth prospects." Fitch also said it expects economic recovery in the coming quarters for the Philippines, placing its gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection at 6.9 percent for this year and 8.0 percent for next year.

Reacting to Fitch's decision, two of the Philippines' top economic officials welcomed the affirmation of the Philippines' credit rating, which is a recognition of the soundness of the COVID response measures in the country, as well as the Philippines' strong fundamentals going into the pandemic and robust medium-term growth trajectory.

Story continues

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said: "The affirmation of the Philippines' 'BBB' rating with a 'stable' outlook shows that the country has remained credit and investment worthy throughout the global COVID-19 crisis."

He added: "This is because, first, our strong economy on the Duterte watch gave us enough fiscal space to deal with the unprecedented health and economic crises. Second, there is a whole-of-government approach in saving lives, protecting communities and livelihoods, and providing relief to the hardest hit families, workers, and businesses. Third, we continued our commitment to prudent fiscal and debt management event as we start spending big on COVID-19 response measures to revive the economy and restore both business and consumer confidence."

"As soon as the pandemic struck in early 2020, the Duterte administration came up with and shepherded the swift congressional passage of twin legislation (Bayanihan 1 and 2) designed to beef up our healthcare infrastructure, extend the biggest emergency subsidies ever to poor families and dislocated workers, and provide relief to businesses, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)," Dominguez said.

"Moreover, the government is also working with the Congress on the quick passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. This, and the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) bill, which has been passed by Congress, are meant to stimulate economic activity and speed up the country's recovery from the pandemic-driven global growth slump," he added.

He said that pending the implementation of a mass vaccination program, the government has started relaxing mobility restrictions to further open up the economy on a calibrated basis, hence allowing businesses to resume or expand operations and boosting consumer spending.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said: "We appreciate Fitch's understanding of the Philippines' credit and macroeconomic direction amid the global pandemic we are all facing. For our part, the BSP was among the first central banks in the world to respond to the crisis with a policy rate cut as early as February last year. We deemed it important to signal to the market that we were ready to act swiftly and decisively to buoy market confidence, as well as to ensure sufficient liquidity and efficient functioning of the financial system."

"We implemented a long list of response measures, including unprecedented onessuch as counting of loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as part of compliance with the reserve requirementin a manner that was prompt and decisive. Given that the BSP, along with the rest of government, did its homework last year, we can see better days ahead as we look forward to the distribution of anti-COVID vaccines in the country," the central bank chief said.

Based on latest government projections, the Philippine economy will swing from recession in 2020 to growth of 6.5 and 7.5 percent this year and between 8 and 10 percent next year. Growth will be supported by government spending, with an approved National Budget of P4.506 trillion, which is 10 percent higher than last year's and equivalent to 21.8 percent of GDP.

As of end-December 2020, released allotments for Bayanihan I and II, which provide financial support to health system improvements and vulnerable sectors, such as frontliners and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), amounted to P500.7 billion.

The CREATE bill, which will be the country's largest stimulus package for businesses on record, will mandate corporate income tax cuts and the rationalization of the country's fiscal incentives system. It is already up for bicameral deliberations by Congress following separate moves of the Lower House and the Senate to approve their own version of the bill.

The FIST bill, which has been passed by both houses of Congress and is currently being reviewed by the Office of the President before the signing of President Rodrigo Duterte, will help banks unload souring assets. This will help ensure that the banking system will remain healthy despite a potential rise in non-performing loans, which in turn could result from the adverse impact of the crisis on the ability of some borrowers to pay debts on time.

Meantime, measures to contain the spread of the virus and enhance the capacity of the healthcare system have shown positive results. As of January 10, the Department of Health reported that the Philippines' active COVID cases had dropped to 20,038 which is the lowest in six months and a death rate of 1.93 percent (significantly lower than global average). Also, weekly data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that confirmed daily COVID cases and deaths in the Philippines have been on a downward trend since September 2020.

"New daily recorded COVID-19 cases have been declining in recent months, reflecting an effective government response to the crisis and reducing the risk of renewed lockdowns. The authorities have also engaged in multilateral initiatives and with several pharmaceutical companies to secure vaccines, with a rollout anticipated starting in May 2021," Fitch noted.

Fitch likewise recognized that "the Philippines external finances remain a credit strength," citing gross international reserves that are expected to remain equivalent to 9 or 10 months of imports and other external payments this year and next year. This compares with international standards, which suggest that GIR worth at least three months of import cover is sufficient.

The debt watcher also expects the Philippine banking system to remain stable, with sufficient provisioning of banks that allow them to absorb any potential credit losses arising from the crisis.

The affirmation of the Philippines' credit ratings by various debt watchers since last year has been beneficial, especially in relation to its efforts to fund COVID recovery measures. Favorable credit ratings help a sovereign (or any borrowing institution) access financing at lower cost.

For inquiries, please contact:

Michelle V. Remo

Information and Communications Management Unit

Investor Relations Office (IRO)

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

+63-928-501-8423

RemoMV@bsp.gov.ph

SOURCE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

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A wintering spoon-billed sandpiper forages in the shoal area of Jinjiang, southeast China's Fujian Province, Jan. 8, 2021. The spoon-billed sandpiper is a critically endangered species that breeds in the world's few permafrost areas and winters in the coastal wetlands of Asia. (Xinhua/Mei Yongcun)
Judge Theodore D. Chuang, of the Federal District Court in Maryland, had blocked the requirement in light of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that a needless trip to a medical facility during a health crisis very likely imposed an undue burden on the constitutional right to abortion.

The case concerned a restriction on medication abortions, which are permitted in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. About 60 percent of abortions performed in those weeks use two drugs rather than surgery.

The first drug, mifepristone, blocks the effects of progesterone, a hormone without which the lining of the uterus begins to break down. A second drug, misoprostol, taken 24 to 48 hours later, induces contractions of the uterus that expel its contents.

The contested measure requires women to appear in person to pick up the mifepristone and to sign a form, even when they had already consulted with their doctors remotely. The women can then take the drug when and where they choose. There is no requirement that women pick up misoprostol in person, and it is available at retail and mail-order pharmacies.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups, all represented by the A.C.L.U., sued to suspend the requirement that women make a trip to obtain the first drug in light of the pandemic. There was no good reason, the groups said, to require a visit when the drug could be delivered or mailed.

Judge Chuang blocked the measure in July, saying that requiring pregnant women, many of them poor, to travel to obtain the drug imposed needless risk and delay, particularly given that the pandemic had forced many clinics to reduce their hours.

He imposed a nationwide injunction, reasoning that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has more than 60,000 members practicing in all 50 states and that its membership includes some 90 percent of the nations obstetricians and gynecologists.
Reliance Retail is set to rope in local kirana stores as franchise partners to fulfill orders placed on its e-commerce platform, JioMart. Reliance Retail will exit from the direct sale of packaged food, grocery and FMCG products. The kirana stores will sell these products to consumers in their respective neighbourhoods.

According to a report by Economic Times, in the case of products ordered on JioMart and not in stock with the kiranas  which typically sell the 300-400 most popular items  Reliance Retail will supply them and the margins will be shared equally. However, Reliance will continue with the sale of perishables such as fruits and vegetables from its stores or fulfilment centres, the business daily mentioned.

Further, Reliance Retail has decided to shelve its B2B cash-and-carry store format, Reliance Market, which will be turned into fulfilment centres for B2B delivery of products to kiranas. The neighbourhood stores will place their orders online and get deliveries at their outlets.

JioMart has signed in nearly 56,000 kiranas from 30 cities to pilot this system of direct sale to consumers from kiranas in the June quarter.
UPDATE: How a Honda ended up in an overturned trucks trailer on Route 33

A crash involving an overturned tractor-trailer and Honda CR-V closed all lanes of Route 33 North at Interstate 78 on Tuesday afternoon, Pennsylvania State Police said.

There are injuries, Trooper Nathan Branosky said as state police were on scene at the crash in Lower Saucon Township near the Bethlehem Township border.

It was reported about 1:10 p.m. where the ramps from I-78 West and East merge into Route 33 North.

The crash also resulted in a spill, Branosky confirmed, described in emergency radio broadcasts as about 20 gallons of diesel fuel and spill.

The Honda could be seen on a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation traffic camera on all four wheels but inside the trailer of the rig overturned on its driver side.

It was not immediately clear if the trailer fell onto the SUV or the SUV crashed into the overturned trailer, Branosky said.

Route 33 North and the ramps from I-78 were back open as of 6:45 p.m., PennDOT reported.

CLEARED: Crash on I-78 westbound at Exit 71 - PA 33 North/To US 22.  511PA Allentown (@511PAAllentown) January 12, 2021

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.

The rioters, who stormed the Capitol Hill building on January 6, may have unknowingly shared their GPS coordinates while posting videos on social networking platform Parler, which is mostly used by far-right supporters. An ethical hacker from Austria recently took to Twitter to share "unprocessed raw files" as uploaded to Parler with all metadata, showing information such as megapixels, average bitrate, GPS latitude and longitude of suspected insurrectionists who may have been involved in the January 6 Capitol Hill unrest.

I am now crawling URLs of all videos uploaded to Parler. Sequentially from latest to oldest. VIDXXX.txt files coming up, 50k chunks, there will be 1.1M URLs total: https://t.co/YUl8CtoeEA



This may include things from deleted/private posts.  crash override (@donk_enby) January 10, 2021

The crawl is now complete. 1098552 video URLs  crash override (@donk_enby) January 10, 2021

These are the original, unprocessed, raw files as uploaded to Parler with all associated metadata.  crash override (@donk_enby) January 10, 2021

Read: Parler Sues Amazon After Latter Suspended Its Services For Inciting US Capitol Violence

The data could be used in identifying the rioters who may have been involved in breaching of security at the US Congress building. According to The Independent, the hacker was previously involved in helping academic researchers move and store Parler data to another source so it can be further analysed for research purposes.

Read: Amazon To Remove Parler From Its Web Hosting Service Over Violence Encouraging Posts

Parler faces backlash

Parler has faced a lot of backlash since January 6 riot as it is believed the platform was widely used by rioters to coordinate during the unrest, who also shared real-time pictures and videos from the site of the insurrection. Amazon suspended Parler from its web hosting service, accusing the platform of not taking any measure to prevent the spread of content that helped incite the violence. Apple and Google have also removed Parler from their respective app stores.

Read: Parler Suspended From Google Play Store Over Its Role In The US Capitol Siege

A riotous mob laid siege on the US Congress building last Wednesday while a joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory was underway. The mob, carrying flags in support of Donald Trump, infiltrated the building moments after the president addressed a crowd outside Capitol Hill. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died during the storming of the building, which has since sparked calls for Trump's resignation.

Read: After Google, Apple Removes Parler From App Store

(Image Credit: AP)


Posted Tuesday, January 12, 2021 6:16 am

OLYMPIA  Washington's 2021 Legislature kicked off Monday inside a state Capitol that felt eerily unpopulated and nearly silent.

There were no families of new lawmakers celebrating oaths of office. Gone were the usual throngs of chattering lobbyists. The pledge of allegiance and opening prayer were piped in on video screens.

With COVID-19 and security concerns front of mind, demonstrators and the public at large were kept physically distanced from their elected representatives by a wall of chain-link fence backed by hundreds of National Guard soldiers and state troopers.

"My No. 1 impression is, where are the people?" said state Sen. T'wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, standing outside the Senate chambers. Nobles was sworn in last week for her first legislative session, and is the only Black senator.

As CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, Nobles has seen previous sessions. But for her first time as a lawmaker, she said, "It is very different being so quiet."

In the coming weeks, lawmakers are expected to focus on COVID-19 relief, including a package of aid for employers, workers and renters struggling due to the pandemic and Gov. Jay Inslee's emergency restrictions on in-person business activities.

In the longer term, the session is also expected to grapple with the lagging vaccine rollout, look to bolster public health funding and debate a capital-gains tax and clean-fuels bill. They'll also consider an independent office to investigate killings by police, as well as broader issues of racial equity.

Monday's order of business was more mundane, as lawmakers adopted rules governing the 105-day legislative session, setting up a framework of remote voting and video testimony for the coming months.

Outside the security fence, small clusters of protesters were soaked by morning rain as they shouted through bullhorns, objecting to being shut out.

Inside the marble Capitol dome, Republican lawmakers also dissented, and proposed series of amendments to open the Legislature to in-person testimony and access.

They were overruled on party-line votes by Democrats, who hold majorities in the state House and Senate.

State Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, called the precautions "overkill" and pointed to the fencing keeping demonstrators away.

"Governor Inslee, tear down this wall," Padden said, echoing President Ronald Reagan's famous denouncement of the Berlin Wall.

In the House, Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, talked about his experience contracting the virus. He was in the hospital for eight days, four of them in the intensive care unit. But, he said, he's hearing from people in his district concerned about the remote session.

"I get it, I get COVID, I know what it is, I know how hard it is," Dent said. He said he was wearing a mask and staying socially distant. "I got it anyway and so I don't know that we can hide from it... I think we need to think about how we can manage this session do the people's work."

Democrats countered that they have worked to make the session as transparent as possible  even televising the meetings of the powerful Rules Committee for the first time. But they said they were following advice from public health experts on physical distancing.

"I wish we were not in the middle of a global pandemic, but we are," said state Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood.

"This mask is really uncomfortable," Liias added, pointing to the KN95 masks distributed to lawmakers. "We hope that we reach a point where we can return to normal operations as quickly as possible."

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, vowed an "extremely transparent session," pointing to video linkups allowing people around the state to testify on bills.

"My constituents, instead of having to drive 10 hours over a snowy mountain pass to testify for a minute or two, can safely do that from the safety of their kitchen tables," he said.

The state Senate was gaveled to order at 11:13 a.m. by Senate president pro tempore Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines. The House followed at noon, led by Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma.

In both the House and Senate legislators sat in their chambers and the galleries above, and voted in shifts to ensure they remained socially distant.

In the Senate, those not seated on the floor streamed in one by one to vote "aye" or "no" at a microphone in the back of the chamber and then walked in a line to exit near the front of the chamber.

Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, repeatedly bleated like a sheep as he walked past a desk where reporters sat, making fun of the procession.

The first day's in-person voting will largely be replaced by remote tallies aided by secure computer linkups in future weeks, a process some Republicans said could lead to confusion.

Prompted by threats that some demonstrators might seek to occupy the Capitol  as well as the shocking assault on Congress last week  Inslee called up as many as 750 National Guard members ahead of the session.

For the first day of the Legislature, at least, that show of force stood in contrast to the relatively small number of demonstrators on hand.

Nobles said she had worried about safety going in to her first day of the session. But the security measures put her at ease. "It looks like a good job is being done," she said. "I absolutely feel safe with my colleagues."

Seattle Times staff reporter David Gutman contributed to this report.

___

(c)2021 The Seattle Times

Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 8:40 am

A fire that burned a six-unit apartment building in Woodland Thursday, Jan. 7, has displaced six residents and left one pet dead, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) reported.

At around 5:15 p.m. CCFE dispatched units to the 1300 block of Goerig Street where they found one of the apartment units fully engulfed in flames, according to the departments report. Upon arrival, a strong breeze was pushing the fire into an adjacent unit and into the buildings attic space.

Due to the amount of fire and potential for more units to become engulfed in flame, units on the scene called for additional resources.

The initial crew kept the fire in check until the additional units arrived, after which the fire was extinguished, CCFR reported. Firefighters checked the apartment for occupants and applied a trench cut in the roof to keep fire from spreading further in the attic.

CCFR noted that the building was older and did not contain an automatic sprinkler system.

Two of the apartment units were completely destroyed, with another three damaged by smoke and heat. The fire displaced six residents, and the American Red Cross was called to assist those residents, CCFR reported.

No firefighters or residents were injured in the fire, CCFR noted, though a pet could not be resuscitated and died.

A total of 33 personnel responded to the fire, CCFR reported. The department was assisted by Cowlitz County Fire District 1, Clark County Fire District 6, Clark County Fire District 3, and the Vancouver Fire Department.

The Clark County Fire Marshals Office is investigating the fire. Crews remained on scene until about 10 p.m. to complete extinguishment and assist in the investigation.


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It's no secret that robocalls, spam and call spoofing have all but destroyed Americans' trust in telephone calls -- to the point that many individuals have essentially stopped answering the phone. A widely cited Consumer Reports survey conducted in December 2018 suggests that 70 percent of U.S. adults will not respond if they do not recognize the number or if the caller's number is anonymous.

This refusal to answer is certainly understandable from the consumer's point of view (and we're all consumers, after all), but it is costly for organizations that need to conduct business over the phone and have difficulty connecting with their customers.

It also represents a significant potential threat to public health and safety, as illustrated by health department's contact tracers' current challenges in getting individuals exposed to COVID-19 to pick up the phone. According to a Reuters investigation in August, more than three dozen public health departments were hindered largely due to some residents' failure to answer their phones.

Authentication to Tackle Unwanted Calls

In March 2020, in response to growing consumer complaints and newly passed legislation to combat malicious robocalling and illegal spoofing, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that service providers implement call authentication based on the STIR/SHAKEN framework, which authenticates caller identity via digital certificates, by June 2021.

Many carriers have already implemented the standards and are working with analytics partners to refine their algorithms to determine which calls are suspicious and deserve to be marked as spam or blocked entirely. These algorithms use STIR/SHAKEN attestation ratings (which are based on the originating service provider's relationship to the telephone number) along with many other variables such as complaints and calling patterns.

The goal is, of course, to stop abusive and unwanted calls without hindering organizations' ability to call consumers for valid reasons. But aggressive algorithms also introduce the risk that legitimate business calls may be mistakenly filtered out. In fact, many companies have seen their answer rates drop even further as their outbound calls are blocked or marked as spam.

So, what can businesses do to make sure their calls get through -- and then encourage their customers to answer?

Following are seven steps that organizations can take to combat erroneous call blocking and increase answer rates. These measures will help businesses optimize contact operations, increase call performance, and protect and promote their brands by restoring trust in calls.

STEP 1. CENTRALIZATION: Validate Identity Across the Calling Environment

The first step to reestablishing trust in the phone channel is to make sure your company's numbers and contact information have been validated across the calling environment. Organizations often have several phone numbers sourced from different service providers. All these details need to be kept up to date across service providers and phone carriers so every number from your business is validated and doesn't wrongly show up on phone screens as spam or, worse, get blocked.

Start by validating each number across service providers and phone carriers so your organization is seen as the legitimate call originator for all your numbers.

STEP 2. CONTACT: Connect with confidence

Some calls fail to connect because the number on file is incorrect or the call is placed at a time when the customer is unlikely to answer. One way to effectively address these issues and improve right-party contact rates is to incorporate predictive phone behavior intelligence into your CRM system.

This means making sure customer contact information is up to date, including which number is most likely to be answered (prioritizing the customer's preference for landline or mobile calls, for example) and what days and times to call to increase the likelihood of a response. These types of solutions have been shown to increase right-party contact rates for outbound calls by an average of 33 percent.

STEP 3. CONSISTENCY: Enable an accurate call display

When calling customers, most enterprises use many telephone numbers beyond the few main published contact numbers. However, these additional numbers -- especially internal extensions and corporate mobile numbers -- often display inconsistent, inaccurate, or even blank caller ID names due to variations across internal systems and processes. But, as noted above, customers are much less likely to answer if they aren't sure who is calling.

Managing the way your company's brand is displayed on outbound calls is critical to creating confidence in who is calling. Make sure the correct information is displayed, and measure call performance to see if certain caller names are more effective -- and, if so, make adjustments to increase answer rates.

STEP 4. CONNECTION: Ensure that your outbound calls get through

Anti-robocall and anti-spoofing regulations, designed to protect consumers from unwanted and fraudulent telephone calls, have led service providers to implement measures that can mistakenly block legitimate business calls or flag them as spam. Many organizations do not even realize that their calls are being blocked or flagged until they receive negative feedback from their customers.

To make sure calls from your telephone numbers are being accurately assessed as legitimate business calls by service providers and caller ID apps, you should register all your numbers across the caller ID ecosystem of carriers and app providers. You will also need to understand your baseline call patterns (How are telephone numbers assigned to campaigns? Which carriers terminate your calls? Are call answer rates similar across carriers?) to identify any telephone numbers that are being wrongly blocked or flagged.

There is no central location to check which calls are being blocked, but you can perform regular test calls and monitor any changes to your registered telephone numbers' reputation across carriers, which will allow you to respond promptly if calls are being incorrectly blocked or marked as spam. You will need to report any suspected inaccurate spam labels or mistaken blocking to the individual voice service (mobile, landline or VoIP) or app provider.

STEP 5. CERTAINTY: Protect your brand from abuse by spoofers

Fraudsters often use spoofed calls to impersonate legitimate businesses and swindle consumers or trick them into handing over personal information. If your business telephone numbers are being used by spoofers, the fraudulent calls can damage your brand reputation and destroy customer loyalty and trust. Depending on the applicable consumer protection legislation, spoofing may also expose you to fines or penalties for purportedly making unwanted calls.

To protect your brand's reputation and your customers -- and reduce your liability risk -- you should monitor the use of your brand across the caller ID ecosystem. Designate inbound, outbound, or bidirectional telephone numbers, and register inbound-only numbers as do-not-originate (DNO) numbers across the ecosystem, to prevent fraudsters from using these numbers. Also monitor the assigned caller names for third-party numbers, so you can identify attempts to spoof your organization's caller name.

STEP 6. CERTIFICATION: Authenticate the caller identity

Congress and the FCC have now mandated that voice service providers deploy STIR/SHAKEN call authentication by June 2021. By applying this digital certificate technology, carriers can notify recipients that a call has been verified using a symbol, a verification keyword, or another visual alert. If the call cannot be verified, the carrier may block the call and/or mark it as potential spam.

However, enterprise networks can introduce complications. When an enterprise acquires phone numbers from one carrier but originates calls on a different carrier's network, the attestation level -- essentially a confidence score indicating how reliably a carrier can identify the caller and source of the call -- can take different values. The concern is that anything other than the highest level of attestation may not be accepted as trustworthy by consumers, or even downstream carriers.

To take control of how your calls will be signed and with what attestation level, make sure your call operations staff understand the impacts and limitations of the STIR/SHAKEN standards, verify your STIR/SHAKEN attestation levels, and integrate STIR/SHAKEN standards into your network and mobile applications. This will allow you to sign outbound calls, verify inbound calls and secure end-to-end calls.

STEP 7. CONTEXT: Enhance the mobile call display

Beyond providing an accurate calling name and number, most landline caller ID displays offer limited opportunity to add context. Mobile displays, however, are an entirely different matter. Smartphone users have become accustomed to a steadily improving digital customer experience -- one that far outpaces the typical current call experience. Enterprises can enhance this experience by providing richer content on the mobile phone display, giving customers more reason to answer.

Beyond visually displaying the call authentication or verification result to increase customer confidence that the caller is legitimate, businesses can provide a customized brand display using logos, images and digital business cards to deliver expanded name information and the caller's title, department and location, for example.

You can also add a targeted message -- about the purpose of the call, for instance, or a URL to visit for more information -- for a personalized brand experience. This enhanced context can be included in the call history to make sure customers see the information even for calls they don't answer.

The Impact of Restoring Trust

While digital communications are extremely popular among both businesses and customers (research suggests that customers often prefer to initiate contact via a web portal or email), everyone needs to speak with a real person sometimes.

The phone channel is frequently used at a more critical point in a relationship, such as when a complex issue escalates or in a high-priority interaction. Businesses regularly use voice calls for urgent or sensitive communications.

For enterprises, protecting and improving the customer experience, with the goal of boosting both customer retention and growth, is a key motivation for putting an end to robocalls and call spoofing.

Enabling organizations to reliably engage in high-value communications by phone -- whether the dialing organization is a business nurturing an important client relationship, a health department tracing the contacts of a COVID patient, or a bank notifying a customer of attempted account fraud -- will lead to both customer and operational business benefits.

Even more importantly, restoring trust in the phone is the first step in reenergizing a vital communication channel that, especially in today's world, offers the next best option to being there.

James Garvert is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Caller Identity Business at Neustar. James is based in Sterling, Virginia, where he is responsible for the management and business direction of the Neustar CallerID, Listings Management, and Global Number Routing products.


PayPal blocks Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo

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Digital payments processor PayPal Holdings Inc. has blocked the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo after it was used to raise funds for people to attend a rally in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday that erupted in a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The company also confirmed with Reuters that it had closed the account of Ali Alexander, director of the "Stop the Steal" movement, who urged people to go to Washington for the "Save America Rally" on Jan. 6 that was hosted by Women for America First.

GiveSendGo's founder and CFO, Jacob Wells, told The Christian Post in a statement that was also shared with Reuters, that they were the ones who initiated the decision to stop doing business with PayPal.

"PayPal contacted us about a concern regarding certain campaigns that they wanted to censor. They requested those campaign to be shut down. We told them on a phone call, we disagreed with their stance but we would take those campaigns down. After discussing it with our team we decided to stop using PayPal. We broke up first," Wells said.

He further noted that contrary to what was reported by Reuters, GiveSendGo did not raise funds for anyone involved in the rally.

"GiveSendGo is a platform. We do not fundraise or promote campaigns on GiveSendGo. We allow people of all different nationalities, religions, political ideologies etc to use GiveSendGo to fundraise themselves, from their own supporters, for the things they are passionate about. We do not allow campaigns that seek to fundraise for things that break the law," he explained.

Wells said his platform is currently using " alternative payment solutions" and would continue to allow "all people" to raise funds through it as long as they are not breaking the law.

"We will continue to provide our platform to all people that are fundraising within the boundaries of the law without siding with political ideologies. We are not backing down," he said.

"I want to stress what our Mission is GiveSendGo exists to share the hope of Jesus with everyone that uses our platform. From the Giver to the Goer(campaign owner). We do not give money to, support/endorse, condone every campaign on our platform. This is no different than the idea that twitter agrees with every tweet you post," Wells said. "Jesus was called a 'Friend of Sinners'. He hung out with/engaged with/was called names for being willing to associate with all sorts of people. If this is what we are being accused of, then guilty as charged."

The PayPal decision comes after technology giants Apple, Google, and Amazon banned social networking app Parler, alleging it allowed violent comments before pro-Trump protesters and others breached the U.S. Capitol in a bid to prevent the confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's victory by Congress which was affirmed early last Thursday.

Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to peoples safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues, Apple said in a statement.

The clampdown followed social media companies Facebook and Twitter moving to indefinitely shut down the presidents accounts following the riot at the Capitol.

We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete, Zuckerberg said in a statement Thursday morning.

Yet, even as he faces a second impeachment for his actions in his one and only term in office Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he felt his speech at the rally was totally appropriate.

People thought what I said was totally appropriate, he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, en route to Alamo, Texas.

He argued that racial justice protests during the summer were the real problem.

If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem, he said, according to The New York Times.

A campaign on GiveSendGo, which boasts that it is the #1 Free Christian Fundraising site, that was launched last week raised more than $100,000 for the legal defense of Henry Enrique Tarrio, the Afro-Cuban international chairman of the far-right Proud Boys group who was arrested for the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Washington, D.C., church, just two days before the attack on the Capitol.

Police shot and killed an unarmed woman as she attempted to climb through a smashed door pane into the House chamber during the riot while three others died from health emergencies. A U.S. Capitol police officer also died Thursday after he suffered injuries while responding to the breach. Another Capitol police officer who responded to the riot died by suicide on Saturday.

Their comments have raised questions about the degree to which Republicans may have coordinated with protest organizers. In a since-deleted tweet, Representative Pete Sessions, Republican of Texas, wrote that he had a great meeting today with the folks from Stop The Steal, one of the leading groups that organized last weeks rally.

And in a separate video, Ali Alexander, a far-right activist and conspiracy theorist who emerged as a leader of Stop the Steal, claimed that he, along with Mr. Brooks, Mr. Gosar and Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, had set the Jan. 6 event in motion.

We four schemed up of putting maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting, Mr. Alexander said in a since-deleted video, so that who we couldnt rally, we could change the hearts and the minds of Republicans who were in that body, hearing our loud roar from outside.

A spokesman for Mr. Biggs denied in a statement on Monday that the lawmaker had had any role in organizing the rally, and said he had focused his efforts on working within the confines of the law and established precedent to restore integrity to our elections.

Congressman Biggs is not aware of hearing of or meeting Mr. Alexander at any point  let alone working with him to organize some part of a planned protest on Jan. 6, said the spokesman, Daniel Stefanski. He did not have any contact with protesters or rioters, nor did he ever encourage or foster the rally or protests on Jan. 6.

But Mr. Gosar appeared to be on friendly terms with Mr. Alexander, frequently tagging him in Twitter posts. At a rally late last month outside the Arizona State Capitol at which Mr. Gosar spoke, Mr. Alexander called the congressman the spirit animal of this movement.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-11 22:53:31|Editor: huaxia

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Photo shows a view by the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese central government spokesperson on Monday condemned a Hong Kong-related joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State, British Foreign Secretary and foreign ministers of countries including Australia and Canada, calling the statement a serious infringement on China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty.

The statement blatantly slandered the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and interfered in the Hong Kong police's law enforcement targeting suspected violations of the law by Benny Tai and others, said the spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

The statement also exposed the attempts to support anti-China elements who seek to destabilize Hong Kong using elections to endanger China's national security, the spokesperson said.

The remarks by a small number of politicians in these countries are nothing but lies and deliberate smearing, the spokesperson said.

Local residents clear roadblocks on a street in Sai Wan Ho of Hong Kong, south China, Nov. 15, 2019. (Xinhua)

People including Tai have ignored laws in the HKSAR and electoral organs' regulations, seeking to paralyze the HKSAR government and coerce the central and HKSAR governments. Their arrest by the Hong Kong police is necessary, lawful and reasonable, and has won broad support from the Hong Kong society, said the spokesperson.

While describing the attempts in Hong Kong to subvert state power as the pursuit of democracy, those politicians in the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada called the storming of the U.S. Capitol a violent act trampling on democracy and undermining rule of law. "Such double standards are absurd," the spokesperson said.

Rioters launch an attack on the police in south China's Hong Kong, Aug. 31, 2019. (Xinhua)

Since the unrest over the proposed amendment bill took place in Hong Kong in June 2019, a small number of politicians in the United States and some other countries have been constantly meddling in Hong Kong affairs.

Facts have proved that Benny Tai and their ilk are Hong Kong-based political agents of foreign and external forces, the spokesperson said.

As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong must hold elections in line with the "one country, two systems" principle and the HKSAR Basic Law, the spokesperson said.

China's central government has the determination, strong will and sufficient capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong under the institutional framework of "one country, two systems," said the spokesperson.

Any attempt to instigate a "color revolution" in China is doomed to fail and all instigators will pay a heavy price, the spokesperson added. 

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The apostolic journey is a source of "great support" for all minorities after the suffering of Daesh. But Francis is also coming for Sunnis and Shiites, who hope in a visit to Najaf and a meeting with al-Sistani. An event that also marks a new season for the country. The Chaldean patriarchy presents the official logo and slogan.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) -Pope Francis upcoming visit to Iraq is an "important event for all minorities", because he sends a "strong signal of great support" after the suffering " under Daesh [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State, IS]", says Saad Salloum, journalist and associate professor at the chair of political science at the prestigious al-Mustansiriyya university in Baghdad, one of the oldest in the world, in an exclusive interview with AsiaNews.

Co-founder of the Iraqi Council for Interfaith Dialogue and President of the Masarat Foundation, specializing in the protection of diversity, he holds numerous positions in organizations, associations and cultural institutions engaged in dialogue between different faiths. In 2018 he won the Stefanus Prize for religious freedom.

Author of several books and essays on diversity, one of which is dedicated to the "Christians in Iraq" for which he received an award from the Chaldean patriarchate, the scholar emphasizes "the visit to the historic city of Ur" above all for its "symbolic" value. It is the place where "the prophet Abraham was born", a figure "capable of uniting because he is the father of the prophets of all religions in Iraq".

Meanwhile, yesterday the Chaldean patriarchate unveiled the motto and official logo of the apostolic journey to Iraq, scheduled from March 5 to 8. The expression "You are all Brothers" is taken from a passage from the Gospel of Matthew (23.8) and the words, in Arabic, recall the title of the last encyclical, "Fratelli tutti". The logo, on a white background, bears the image of Pope Francis as he greets people, flanked by a stylized map of the nation, in which its two main waterways emerge: the Tigris and the Euphrates, enriched by a palm tree, a white dove (above the Iraqi and Vatican flags) and an olive branch, symbols of peace.

Salloum insists precisely on the issues of peace and brotherhood, in this interview with AsiaNews:

Professor, Pope Francis' visit to Iraq is a historic event for Christians. Does the same apply to other minorities?

Of course! This is an important event for all minorities, because it sends a strong signal of great support after the suffering we went through under Daesh. In particular, for the Yazidis, the Turkmen, the Shabak, the Christians themselves. [The jihadists] have also attacked Shia and Sunni Muslims, so the Pope's message goes to the entire Iraqi community. The visit to the historic city of Ur, in the south, where the prophet Abraham was born is of particular value and very symbolic. A simple but unique event, also capable of uniting because he is the father of the prophets of all religions in Iraq.

In the past, the pontiff has made numerous gestures with a view to dialogue with other faiths, especially Sunni Islam. Will this be the occasion for a change in relations with the Shiites?

I think that the prospect of a stop in Najaf would be very important, because it is the ' Shiite Vatican', a point of reference for millions of faithful from all over the Middle East and the Islamic world who look to [the great Ayatollah Ali] al-Sistani and Najaf as a model and example. I see several similarities between al-Sistani and the Pope in promoting peace, in the elevated dimension of spirituality. Many Iraqis, from different communities, respect al-Sistani and his speeches, which value diversity and support freedom of speech. Seeing Pope Francis walking those streets and crossing his humble abode, I think it would be a very strong message.

Could it be the beginning of a new era for the country?

I truly believe it is! This journey is really the sign of a new season, after Isis, a new society that has defeated Daesh and now has to face new challenges: economic, social, stability. I am thinking of a new era, especially after the popular protests [of October 2019] which we have witnessed and which have caused hundreds of victims, especially young people. A new social movement, a drive that perhaps represented what Iraqi reality demanded. A patriarchal spirit, where people can recognize themselves in an identity that is national. The change of government is one of the effects of these protests, I really think that the pope's visit could be a further sign of recognition for this new spirit, for this new era.

Are extremism, fundamentalism, violent and radical ideologies like that of ISIS still a current and real threat?

We can say that Isis was defeated in terms of the war, but its defeat within the hearts and minds of the people is another so important. The Pope can help spread love and coexistence between different realities, work to counter hate speech. He can enclose all the souls of the country under his ideal umbrella of peace, healing the wounds on the occasion of the visit to the Christian and Yazidi cities, in the Nineveh plain and in Sinjar. Not all of the people have returned to these areas; a stage of him can give new impetus to coexistence in the places that are the epicenter of their origin, after the terrible moments lived under Daesh.

What role can Christians and other minorities play for the future of Iraq?

Through dialogue and mutual relations between Christians and Muslims, as well as the Yazidis, the Sabeans can enhance the differences, bring out all those different aspects that characterize Iraq and which can also represent one of its strengths. Here we have a greater diversity than all the other nations of the Middle East, a sort of soft power that derives precisely from this diversity among the many minorities, developing our common patrimony on a religious and non-religious level.
Outspoken Australian soap star Nicola Charles has received an onslaught of hate on Twitter for praising Donald Trump as the 'best president in modern US history.'

The 51-year-old actress, who rose to fame playing seductress Sarah Beaumont on Neighbours in 1995, sparked controversy on Saturday when she publicly Tweeted about America's tumultuous political climate.

'We have watched on from Australia & cannot believe this happened in America,' she Tweeted directly to Trump - whose account has since been permanently banned.

Outspoken Australian soap star Nicola Charles, 51, (pictured) has received an onslaught of hate on Twitter for praising Donald Trump as the 'best president in modern US history'

'Big tech should have been dealt with 1st day in office. Appalling control and bias,' she wrote.

'You were the best President in modern history & thank you for being the voice of the people. My 2 American kids love you,' she added.

Despite receiving widespread backlash backlash for her beliefs, Nicola doubled down by accusing her critics of having 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' - a pejorative term describing a condition where the mere mention of Trump's name induces hysteria.

'You were the best President in modern history': Nicola sparked controversy on Saturday when she publicly Tweeted about America's tumultuous political climate.Nicola Tweeted this directly to Trump - whose account has since been permanently banned

'I have been called a racist over 1400 times': Nicola doubled down 12 hours later by accusing her critics of having 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'

'If you don't believe Trump Derangement Syndrome is real, please know that I have been called a racist over 1400 times in 12 hrs for wishing the President farewell. Someone needs to steady America & fast,' Nicola Tweeted.

Not long after, Nicola revealed the number of times she'd been called racist on Twitter had since increased to 2074.

Fellow Trump supporter Sam Newman has since praised Nicola for being 'brave' enough to share her political views.

On the rise: Not long after, Nicola revealed the number of times she'd been called racist on Twitter had since increased to 2074

'At last. Someone with some guts': Fellow Trump supporter Sam Newman (pictured) has since praised Nicola for being 'brave' enough to share her political views

Praise: The former Footy Show host lauded Nicola for being 'smart, articulate and good looking'

'At last. Someone with some guts,' the former Footy Show host Tweeted.

'Nicola Charles aka Sarah Beaumont of 'Neighbours', says Trump  the best President ever. Smart, articulate AND good looking. She's got it all,' he cooed.

Nicola is set to discuss her political views in an upcoming episode of Sam's controversial You Cannot Be Serious podcast.

From soap opera to soap box: Nicola is set to discuss her political views in an upcoming episode of Sam's controversial You Cannot Be Serious podcast
President Donald Trump is headed to Alamo, not to be confused with the famed fortress in San Antonio, on Tuesday.

The news of the outgoing president's trip to the Rio Grande Valley town to mark the completion of 400 miles of border wall caused some confusion online recently.

Those who are under the assumption that he is coming to the site of a pivotal, 13-day siege of the Alamo in 1836 tried to draw some symbolism in the trip. Twitter was quick to clear up the confusion and separate Trump's destination from the San Antonio landmark it is named after.

Others joked of the possibility of another Four Seasons Total Landscaping-esque mishap. In November, Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, hosted a press conference at a rather random landscaping business in Philadelphia. Speculation stirred that perhaps the Trump administration meant to book the Four Seasons hotel, but had flubbed and got the wrong address.

"He is going to show up at an Alamo rental-a-car place at the San Antonio airport isn't he," one person quipped.

See below for Twitter's quick geography lesson.
Hong Kong: 3 mobile testing stations set

The Government today announced that three new mobile specimen collection stations will be set up at Metro Harbour View in Tai Kok Tsui, Kit Yat House of Yat Tung (2) Estate in Tung Chung and King Tao House of King Lam Estate in Tseung Kwan O to provide free COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services.

With the prolonged local COVID-19 epidemic situation, there have been widespread virus cases across all districts. Some patients have been asymptomatic, indicating the existence of many silent transmission chains in the community.

The Government has exercised the power under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation to cover several buildings under compulsory testing notices and require residents, workers and visitors to undergo testing.

It has arranged for testing service providers to set up mobile specimen collection stations in various districts to provide free and convenient testing services for people covered under the compulsory testing notices.

Apart from the mobile stations, those subject to compulsory testing may also choose to receive free testing at community testing centres in all districts. The centres operate from 8am to 1.30pm and from 2.30pm to 8pm daily and provide booking and on-site registration services.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 87F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. S winds shifting to NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

[January 12, 2021] NII Holdings Provides Update On Dissolution Proceedings And Settlement With AT&T

RESTON, Va., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 12, 2021, NII Holdings, Inc. ("NII") announced that it has reached agreement with AT&T Mobility Holdings B.V., New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., AT&T Holdings Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V., and AT&T Comunicaciones Digitales, S. de R.L. de C.V. (collectively, "AT&T") related to the amount of security needed to secure AT&T's contingent contractual claims in NII's dissolution proceedings (the "Settlement"). As previously disclosed, on October 8, 2020, NII filed a Verified Petition for Dissolution (the "Petition") in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the "Delaware Court"). The Petition was filed pursuant to the dissolution and claims process outlined in Section 280 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. A copy of the Petition, without its attached exhibits, is available on NII's website at www.nii.com. At the time of the filing of the Petition, AT&T had rejected NII's offer of security. Also, on October 14, 2020, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Bankruptcy Court") issued a decision (the "Decision") that granted NII's motion for summary judgment related to an ongoing dispute between NII and AT&T. The dispute related to the timing of release requirements for funds deposited in escrow (the "Mexico Escrow") to satisfy potential indemnification claims to AT&T after NII, together with its wholly owned subsidiary NIU Holdings LLC ("NIU"), completed the sale of its operations in Mexico to AT&T. On March 25, 2019, NIU filed a claim in the Bankruptcy Court to recoup $68.3 million (subsequently revised to $65.8 million) from the Mexico Escrow in a lawsuit captioned NIU Holdings LLC v. AT&T Mobility Holdings, B.V.; New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc.; Nextel International (Uruguay) LLC; and Comunicaciones Nextel de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Case No. 15-10155, Adv. Pro. No. 19-01099 (SCC). The Decision granted NIU's motion for summary judgment and stated that NIU is entitled to the immediate disbursement of $65,800,288 held in the Mexico Escrow, plus prejudgment interest at nine percent per annum commencing on the respective dates when certain tax audits were indisputably final. The Bankruptcy Court directed the parties to submit an order consistent with its Decision, and AT&T tok an appeal from the Decision.



The Settlement resolves the amount of security to be reserved for AT&T pursuant to the dissolution proceedings in the Delaware Court, as well as the open matter regarding the release of the funds from the Mexico Escrow before the Bankruptcy Court. The Settlement provides AT&T with $75.0 million of security for its claims in the dissolution proceedings to be held in an escrow account (the "New Escrow Account"). The New Escrow Account will be funded by $70.0 million from the Mexico Escrow and $5.0 million that AT&T will pay to NII in full settlement of the interest awarded by the Decision (the "Settlement Payment"). Funds will be released from the New Escrow Account and the amount of security reserved in the dissolution proceedings will be reduced as seven Mexican tax audits are resolved. In addition, the first $3.0 million released from the New Escrow Account will be held by NII as additional security that may be available to AT&T in the event that the New Escrow Account is exhausted. The balance of the Mexico Escrow, approximately $17.1 million, will be immediately released to NII. As of November 30, 2020, NII had $287.0 million of total assets, including $75.0 million to be held in the New Escrow Account pursuant to the Settlement and $30.0 million currently held in an escrow account related to the sale of NII's Brazilian assets to America Movil, S.A.B. de C.V. ("AMX"). NII has determined that an aggregate of $125.7 million is sufficient to provide security for all of its known and unknown claims. This amount is comprised of the $75.0 million related to AT&T, $30.0 million related to AMX, $2.4 million related to other known claims, $3.0 million related to potential claims that have not been made known to NII or that have not yet arisen, and $15.3 million of wind down costs and expenses, which includes a $5.0 million reserve for potential additional tax, accounting, and legal costs and potential additional personnel costs that could be incurred in connection with the dissolution, if more effort is required than currently expected.

As a result of the Settlement, NII will file a motion in the Delaware Court requesting approval of an initial distribution of $161.0 million (approximately $1.54 per share). Any distributions to NII's stockholders are subject to the direction of NII's Board of Directors and approval by the Delaware Court, and will not be made until after the Delaware Court enters an order permitting the distribution. There can be no assurance regarding the timing and provisions of the Delaware Court's order and the Delaware Court may require NII to withhold an aggregate amount of security in excess of the amount that NII currently believes is reasonably likely to satisfy NII's potential claims and liabilities. In addition, NII cannot predict the impact, if any, of the Covid-19 pandemic on the timing of proceedings in the Delaware Court, and it is possible that delays could result. There also can be no assurance as to the timing or amount of any additional distributions that NII may make as part of the dissolution process. Based on currently available information, NII currently estimates that the total amount of distributions will be from $2.14 to $2.65 per share. The low end of the range includes a reserve of $5.0 million for additional tax, accounting and legal costs, as well as potential personnel costs that may need to be incurred in connection with the dissolution process, and a reserve of $3.0 million for currently unknown claims that may arise during the dissolution process. The high end of the range has increased from NII's previous guidance as a result of the Settlement Payment. The ultimate amount distributable to stockholders will depend on factors outside of NII's control, including, among other things, the amount of cash recovered from escrow amounts related to the sale of NII's operations in Mexico and Brazil, and could vary from NII's current estimates. About NII Holdings, Inc. Visit NII Holdings' website at www.nii.com . NII Holdings, Inc.

1405 S Fern Street, #93001

Arlington, VA 22202

(703) 390-5100

www.nii.com Investor Relations:

Tim Mulieri

timothy.mulieri@nii.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nii-holdings-provides-update-on-dissolution-proceedings-and-settlement-with-att-301206978.html SOURCE NII Holdings, Inc.

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[January 12, 2021] CES 2021 BiiLabs introduces blockchain-based payments, for supporting digital currencies with a tiny fee

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BiiLabs, a Taiwan-based startup, is using blockchain technologies to develop BlaPay, a novel solution for merchants to lower transaction fees, aggregate all payment services and ensure financial authorities to monitor without leaking trade secrets. Although one of the major bottlenecks for blockchain is to comply with the regulations, BlaPay can easily meet the requirements by introducing centralized account management. With globally-accessible blockchain networks, BlaPay is becoming a potential option for enterprises. "Everyday more than 1 billion credit card transactions occur all over the world and the existing issues include delayed payment for merchants, multiple but incompatible payment gateways and high transaction costs," said Lman Chu, BiiLabs CEO. "We learn from our clients and previous projects to adopt a two-layer design to our payment solution and strike a balance between user privacy and regulating." BlaPay indicates "Be a Lean and Accessible Payment" and is particularly designed for the future digital currency era. Our payment system offers merchants: Payment Aggregation: Support ApplePay, GooglePay Credit Card, QRCode Instant Settlement: Speed up receiving efficiency Global DLT Infrastructure: Lower operating costs and enable public auditability Loyalty Point Exchange: Realize network effects with incentives Tiny Transaction Fees: Remove Middlemen from the Payment Chain Digital Currency Ready Solution: Support digital currencies such as crypto and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) BiiLabs is offering the blockchain-based payment system for merchants to shorten the processing period and enhance the turnover rate for scalability because of our instant settlementservices. Besides, BlaPay helps our clients aggregate all payment options with reasonable charges. On the other hand, we also support digital currency payment and give incentives to the customers with loyalty point programs to complete the ecosystem.



BlaPay for Mobility combines crowdfunding and token ecosystem Currently, BiiLabs is working with a charging pile provider to launch an innovative mobility solution using BlaPay. Our client aims to build one million charging stations for electric bikes in three years so BiiLabs provides a two-layer infrastructure. The first layer is investing tokens which enable crowdfunding for one single charging station, while the second layer is utility tokens for users to pay a charging fee. Also, the investing tokens can be transformed into utility tokens with attractive discounts.

In this case, BiiLabs successfully combines crowdfunding and the token economy and helps our client retake their users from other third-party payment companies because they've built up their own payment services. Soon our clients will have a deeper engagement with their users by data analysis and precision marketing. BiiLabs believes, "We start from but never limit to the mobility field. BiiLabs will participate in mobility, energy and even smart cities with the BlaPay solution in the near future!" First step to Japan market using blockchain technology In fact, this hope is not only a dream. Since October, BiiLabs has collaborated with NashTech to facilitate the adoption of blockchain in Japan. NashTech has a huge client base and more than 2 thousand engineers in Vietnam to serve Japanese customers. This partnership will definitely bring big value to the customers. "We are greatly honored to have NashTech to provide IT services in Japan," said Lman. "NashTech will promote BiiLabs products to the Japanese corporations adequately. We are expecting that this partnership can help accelerate the digital transformation in Japan, with the introduction of blockchain," Lman continued. BiiLabs is dedicated to developing blockchain technology, communicating and cooperating with partners to discover essential needs. We will keep assisting the market on dividends and achieving digital transformation to create new digital value for the future of the Internet of Things. About BiiLabs BiiLabs aims to provide an overall solution to the digital transformation such as trust, security, and efficiency for our clients. Our vision is to empower everyone to access and thrive in the digital economy through bridging the gap between digital spaces and the human world. In particular, we focus on the payment, audit, and storage issues in mobility and retail fields. CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/388wrr View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ces-2021-biilabs-introduces-blockchain-based-payments-for-supporting-digital-currencies-with-a-tiny-fee-301206238.html SOURCE BiiLabs

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Market Outlook

The escalated usage of lidocaine as a local anesthetic and cardiac depressant is increasing the market share considerably. As per a report present by Market Research Future, the market is anticipated to capture a CAGR of 8.40 % while earning revenues worth USD 1,476.09 million by the end of the forecast period. With the amplified usage of lidocaine for treating insect bites, minor cuts, and sunburn, among others, the market is expected to develop considerably in the coming years.

The escalation in the aging patient population is one of the major contributing factors for the development of the lidocaine market. Moreover, the mounting application of lidocaine in dentistry is rising due to the surge in dental procedures, along with an increased incidence of dental caries. Furthermore, an increased detection rate of periodontal diseases is driving the progress of the lidocaine market globally. Also, the need to ensure pain relief in cases related to laser surgery and soft tissue augmentation is anticipated to encourage the advancement of the lidocaine market in the forthcoming period. The incidence of factors such as rising disposable income in emerging countries and the upsurge in awareness of preventive healthcare among the population is expected to improve the market growth in the forthcoming forecast period.

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Competition Analysis

The competitors adding to the development of the lidocaine market are Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC (US), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited (India), Teligent (US), Septodont Holding (France), AstraZeneca (US), Cambrex Corporation (Sweden), Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (US), Centura Pharmaceuticals (US), and Proficient Rx LP (US).

Industry News

May 2019 MilanaPharm, a specialty pharmaceutical company concentrating on the expansion of advanced, non-opioid pharmaceutical solutions for pain and wound management, recently announced that it got a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The invention offers a remarkably superior delivery of the lidocaine over a protracted period of time, which is not documented previously. The patent is founded on MilanaPharms original drug delivery platform, TRI-726. This exclusive technology is planned to offer sustained release of an active agent, topically, to a specific area.

Dec 2018 Strides Pharma Global Pte. Limited, has received consent for its Lidocaine Ointment USP 5% from the United States Food & Drug Administration (US FDA). The Lidocaine Ointment is a basic version of Xylocaine Ointment of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

Market Segmentation

The segmentation of the lidocaine market has been carried out on the basis of formulation, application, region, and distribution channel. On the basis of formulation, the market for lidocaine is segmented into creams, injections, ointments, aerosol liquids, gels, and others. Based on the application, the lidocaine market has been segmented into cosmetics, cardiac arrhythmia, dentistry, epilepsy, and others. Based on the distribution channel, the lidocaine market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and others. The regions included in the lidocaine market are the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa.

Browse the market data and information spread across 177 pages with 97 data tables and 18 figures of the report Immunoassay Market  Forecast to 2023 in-depth alongside table of content (TOC) at: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/lidocaine-market-1308

Increasing Demand For Pain Management Products Is Expected To Motivate The Lidocaine Market

The regional assessment of the lidocaine market is based on regions such as the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa. As per the analysis, the Americas region is likely to control the lidocaine market owing to the growing number of surgeries, rising R&D activities, and mounting demand for lidocaine formulations. The European region presented a considerable amount of growth in the market due to the increasing number of surgical procedures in the region, elevated adoption of lidocaine injections as local anesthetics through the surgeries and a vast patient population. The UK is responsible for a market share of 25.8% in the European lidocaine market in 2017. The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest rising region in the market due to the growing number of cosmetic procedures, dental procedures, and plastic surgeries. On the other hand, the Middle East and African region have the smallest share of the Lidocaine Market owing to the low disposable income levels.

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About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), & Consulting Services.
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian navy divers scoured the floor of the Java Sea on Monday as they hunted for the black boxes of a Sriwijaya Air jet that nosedived into the water over the weekend with 62 people aboard.

The Boeing 737-500 jet disappeared minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesias capital, during heavy rain on Saturday, and the search so far has yielded plane parts and human remains but no sign of survivors.

Authorities have said signals from the boxes containing the cockpit voice and flight data recorders were detected between Lancang and Laki islands in the Thousand Island chain just north of Jakarta. Officials said they have marked a location where the sounds were being emitted from the black boxes, which detached from the tail of the aircraft when it plummeted into the sea.

The cockpit voice recorder holds conversations between pilots, and the data recorder tracks electronic information such as airspeed, altitude and vertical acceleration. When found, they will be transported to port and handed to the National Transportation Safety Committee overseeing the crash investigation.

More than a dozen helicopters, 53 navy ships and 20 boats, and 2,600 rescue personnel have been searching since Sunday and have found parts of the plane in the water at a depth of 23 meters (75 feet), leading rescuers to continue searching the area.

National Search and Rescue Agency chief Bagus Puruhito said divers using high-tech ping locator equipment were looking for an identified target beneath 20 meters (65 feet) of seabed mud.

Television footage showed landing gear, wheels and a jet engine among the parts found, while other rescuers brought several body bags containing human remains to a police hospital in eastern Jakarta for the identification process.

Searchers have sent 17 body bags containing human remains to police identification experts who on Monday said theyd identified their first victim, a 29-year-old man, Okky Bisma, a flight attendant.

The transport committees chairman, Soerjanto Tjahjono, said the black boxes could provide valuable information to investigators. Once the device is found and taken to the investigators facility, it will take three to five days to dry and clean the device and to download its data, Tjahjono said.

Tjahjono ruled out a possible midair breakup after seeing the condition of the wreckage found by searchers.

He said the jet was intact when it plunged and it broke into pieces upon the impact with the water. The debris was concentrated in one area, while a midair explosion would have caused debris to be spread over a large area, he said.

It was broke apart naturally upon impact with water  there is no indication of unnatural destruction or explosion so far, Tjahjono told The Associated Press. However, this still has to be confirmed by reading the black boxes.

The committees investigator, Nurcahyo Utomo, said they have collected recordings and transcripts of the conversation between the pilot and air traffic controllers as part of their investigation into the cause of the crash.

Utomo said his team is still examining radar data on the planes movements and interviewed the air traffic officers who were in charge of controlling the crashed flight. More interviews of witnesses, including with the airlines technicians, fishermen and experts, will be done in the near future.

Investigators are investigating all parts of the plane found by searchers from the seafloor such as the ground proximity warning system, a device that could warn the pilot if the plane is too close to the ground, a radio altimeter and several other parts mostly from the lower side of the aircrafts tail, Utomo said.

He said that Singapores Transport Safety Investigation Bureau will help his committee in searching for the black boxes and the United States National Transportation Safety Board will join in investigating the crash.

The committee is expected to publish a preliminary investigation report of the crash within a month and a final report around a year later.

Indonesian navy Chief Adm. Yudo Margono said tons of sharp objects of aircraft debris hampered divers trying to reach the black boxes in the sea.

The current condition and waves are favorable .. but the black boxes were buried under tons of sharp objects of the wreckage, Margono told reporters Monday afternoon, adding that removing those obstacles had slowed efforts to reach the device.

Indonesia, the worlds largest archipelago nation, with more than 260 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents on land, sea and air because of overcrowding on ferries, aging infrastructure and poorly enforced safety standards.

In October 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet operated by Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. The plane involved in Saturdays disaster did not have the automated flight-control system that played a role in the Lion Air crash and another crash of a 737 MAX 8 jet in Ethiopia five months later, leading to the grounding of the MAX 8 for 20 months.

The Lion Air crash was Indonesias worst airline disaster since 1997, when 234 people were killed on a Garuda airlines flight near Medan on Sumatra island. In December 2014, an AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore plunged into the sea, killing 162 people.

Sriwijaya Air has had only minor incidents in the past, though a farmer was killed in 2008 when a plane went off the runway while landing due to a hydraulic issue.

The United States banned Indonesian carriers from operating in the country in 2007, but reversed the decision in 2016, citing improvements in compliance with international aviation standards. The European Union has previously had similar bans, lifting them in June 2018.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Despite having to contend with an unusual holiday season, YWCA Brandon still managed to raise a grand total of $17,170 for their fifth annual Keeping Spirits Bright campaign.

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Despite having to contend with an unusual holiday season, YWCA Brandon still managed to raise a grand total of $17,170 for their fifth annual Keeping Spirits Bright campaign.

According to a Monday morning news release, this amount surpasses the $15,000 fundraising goal that the organization set up for itself in late 2020, where they hoped to generate enough money to properly finance various homelessness and domestic violence programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The funds raised through the Keeping Spirits Bright campaign will support the individuals, including youth, who are staying at the Westman Womens Shelter and Meredith Place while under code red restrictions," YWCA Brandon executive director Heather Symbalisty said in Mondays release.

"These unprecedented times have introduced new challenges and expenses and the funds raised over the month of December will help individuals who need it."

Because of COVID, the 2020 Keeping Spirits Bright campaign was a little different compared to past years, with YWCA staff adding a "virtual run" element to help Westman residents remain active under lockdown.

Organizers also added a competitive aspect into the mix, where regional schools were offered a cash prize for whatever institution could complete the most cumulative kilometres between Dec. 1 and Dec. 18.

Ultimately, the staff and students of Erickson Elementary claimed first place in this contest by traversing 1,696 kilometres and raising $1,410 altogether. Because of this, the school will be receiving $782 on Thursday.

"It is important for the YWCA Brandon to reach the youth of our communities," Symbalisty said. "We want young people to know what we do and how they can help. Developing young philanthropists is something the YWCA Brandon advocates for."

On Monday, YWCA Brandon also went out of its way to recognize the individuals who completed the most kilometres throughout the 2020 Keeping Spirits Bright campaign.

This group includes: Patti Couchuyt (winner of the 10-kilometre run), Leanne Swayze (winner of the five-kilometre run), Mark Dabbs (winner of the two-kilometre run) and Marnie Wallis (winner of traversing the most kilometres overall).

YWCA Brandon also thanked the various corporate sponsors and groups that contributed to this years festivities, since they received contributions from A&L Cycle, TD Bank, Fusion Credit Union, The Green Spot and Brandon University.

Mondays news release ended by saying that YWCA Brandon staff are already looking forward to organizing the sixth annual Keeping Spirits Bright campaign, based on the success they experience in 2020.

 The Brandon Sun
A magazine editor visiting from Salt Lake City was walking along a Humboldt Bay jetty with her son.

A school principal was on vacation, taking family photos by the sea in Mendocino Big River Headlands State Park.

A father and his two young children were spending a Sunday at Blind Beach in Sonoma Coast State Park.

A man in his 30s was hiking with friends along the coast in the Marin Headlands.

A man and woman were searching for mussels on the rocks at Pescadero State Park.

Then came the waves.

Each of these people was swept from dry ground into the frigid, turbulent sea. Each faced the shock of the cold, the pounding of incoming, indifferent waves.

Three were pulled from the sea during difficult rescue attempts and pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Four are still missing and presumed dead. One  the still unnamed man who was searching for mussels  is in the hospital.

All of these incidents occurred along Californias coastline over the last five weeks. Three took place over the weekend. It feels like the right time to ask: Is this normal?

Yes and no.

The way this winter season is going, there has been a lot of strong storm activity across the North Pacific thats responsible for these wave trains coming in, said Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Theres nothing unusual about the timing.

The surf off Northern California tends to become more dangerous starting in November and lasting through February and sometimes into March, Canepa says. (And thats on top of the day-to-day dangers of the sea, which are ever-present, he adds.)

But then Canepa brings up a recent storm that was unusual: a bomb cyclone that slammed Alaskas Aleutian Islands over New Years with waves over 50 feet high and winds up to 109 mph. It was one of the strongest storms to ever impact North Pacific, according to the NWS Ocean Prediction Center, and its rip-roaring jet stream is likely to have delivered weather disturbances to the Pacific Northwest and California over the following week.

Kent Porter/Associated Press

Its difficult for meteorologists to say whether the waves that claimed lives along the California coast in early January were a direct result of the storm. But generally, it takes waves around three days to travel from the Gulf of Alaska to California, says NWS meteorologist Duane Dykema. The incidents at Mendocino Big River Headlands State Park and Sonoma Coast State Park took place on Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, respectively.

In all of the incidents, larger than usual surf had been generated by a storm somewhere in the ocean, and waves were larger than a normal day at the beach. Multiple storms may have combined swells to create larger waves known as set and sneaker waves. Set waves are larger and more powerful than the waves in between, and can be timed (and often are by surfers) because they are somewhat predictable.

California State Parks safety tips  Never turn your back on the ocean. Always keep an eye on the ocean at all times.  Avoid dangerous locations such as exposed rocks and jetties, and steep beaches.  Stay farther back from the surf zone. As mentioned earlier, larger sets can appear suddenly without warning.  If you fall into the water, stay calm and try to call for help. In large surf, try to move away from the impact zone (where waves are breaking). This may require crawling on hands and knees or swimming into deeper water. Remove heavy clothes/shoes that may weigh you down and prevent you from swimming. Clothing is not designed to be wet and will not provide any warmth. If you become stuck in a rip current and are being pulled away from shore, swim parallel to shore to escape it. See More Collapse

Sneaker waves are less predictable and larger than the set waves. They can catch people off guard in areas they perceive to be safe, knocking even the most experienced ocean swimmers off their feet and into the water. They can surge more than 150 feet up the beach. They can lift logs out of the sand.

In an emailed response to an SFGATE inquiry about the recent incidents, a California State Parks official stated that while the coast of Northern California is notorious for having large swells during the wintertime, the number of fatalities varies from year to year.

Variables can include weather, swell size, time of year, beach dynamics and size of tides, the email stated, and on average the agency sees about four to six deaths on the ocean along Northern California per year. If you count the people still missing, the California coast has seen more than the average number of yearly deaths over the past five weeks.

Our hearts go out to the family of the victims of the recent incidents, the agencys email stated. State Parks lifeguards continue to make heroic rescues in huge surf and educate our visitors to keep them safe, preventing potential emergencies.

A High Surf Advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday for the coast from Sonoma County south to Monterey County. King tides will continue through midday Tuesday, resulting in minor coastal flooding. Dangerously large waves of up to 30 feet are likely to been seen at favored breakpoints, and there's a high risk of strong rip currents and sneaker waves.

"Beachgoers, surfers, and mariners should be prepared for dangerous waves in the surf zone and increased rip current activity," the NWS stated in a press release. "Stay off rocks and coastal jetties and keep children close and pets on leashes."
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NSW's Deputy Premier John Barilaro says sections of the Kosciuszko National Park should be free of feral horses and overall numbers should be cut to as low as 600, a dramatic shift from his previous positions.

We must reduce the number of brumbies, whether its down to 600, 1000, or 3000," Mr Barilaro told the Herald, adding that there are parts of the park that should have zero horses".

Feral horses at Long Plain near Kiandra, from last November. The latest count suggests numbers in the park may have fallen although researchers say they remain unsustainably high for the delicate alpine ecosystems of the Kosciuszko National Park. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Barilaro made the comments ahead of the release of the government's latest count of horses in the park. "Weve seen a lot of brumbies lost to drought and bushfires," he said.

The latest spring survey, obtained by the Herald, show the numbers of the animals totalled more than 14,000 compared with 19,000 a year earlier. Environment Minister Matt Kean attributed the drop to effects of bushfire and drought, movement of animals out of the park, and a smaller survey region.
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) says an orderly transfer of power is the best way for the country to heal and move past last weeks events in Washington, D.C.

Wicker issued the statement as many lawmakers push for the removal or impeachment of President Donald Trump whose term ends at noon on Jan. 20.



U.S. Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) | Source: guest.house.gov U.S. Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) | Source: guest.house.gov

Related - House preps impeachment; GOP blocks ouster-by-Cabinet call

In accordance with our Constitution, the orderly transfer of power will occur at noon on January 20. The best way for our country to heal and move past the events of last week would be for this process to continue, Wicker stated.

In a similar statement, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), said he opposes the actions of House Democrats to unseat the president and calls for national leaders to instead focus on uniting the country.

Full statement from Rep. Guest:

Last week was one of the more difficult weeks for our nation in recent history. The pictures that appeared across the nation on television and computer screens will never rest easily in the minds of Americans. Now, it's vitally important that we turn our attention toward healing our nation following the events that took place at the Capitol, and I encourage all Americans to focus on the common values we share as citizens of this great country and to put aside our perceived differences.

In this spirit, I believe the resolution urging Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Trump and the articles of impeachment that are being discussed in the House of Representatives would be counterproductive and divide our country even further. As we begin preparing for a transfer of power from one administration to another in less than 10 days, I believe it is vitally important to allow our nation to heal, and I believe these actions that are being pushed on the House floor would prevent our nation from beginning the healing process.

At this decisive moment in our history, we must focus on uniting our country and avoid stoking the fiery tensions currently consuming our nation.

Open this link to learn more about the 25th Amendment.

Many blame the president for inciting the riot on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol where rioters broke into the federal building and destroyed property in response to the election of President-elect Joe Biden.

Congress met on Jan. 6 to certify Biden's win. However, 147 lawmakers objected to the certification. A total of 377 lawmakers did not object.

Guest objected, alongside Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Reps. Trent Kelly and Steven Palazzo, all Republicans from Mississippi.

Wicker and Rep. Bennie Thomspon (D-Miss.) did not object.

Open this link to view a list of lawmakers who objected.
Covid: Greek PM asks for European vaccination certificate With the objective of restoring cross-border travel

(ANSAmed) - ROME, 12 GEN - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has asked for the creation at a European level of a vaccination certificate to promote cross-border travel that has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, the Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday.



Greece, where tourism makes up one fifth of GDP, aims to relaunch travel before the summer season and has already created its own standardized certificate to show that an individual is vaccinated. In a letter to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Mitsotakis has proposed to extend the scheme to the entire EU. The certificate could be used to board all means of transportation.



''Even if we will not make vaccination mandatory or a prerequisite of a trip, people who have been vaccinated should be free to travel. It is urgent to reach a common agreement on how a vaccination certificate should be structured so it is accepted by all member States'', wrote Mitsotakis.



Greece resisted relatively well to the first wave of the pandemic, but an increase in cases in October was difficult for the healthcare system, weakened by a decennial financial crisis, driving authorities to order a second lockdown in November. So far, the country has registered 145,179 cases and 5,302 deaths.



(ANSAmed).




Rahul in Tamizh Vanakkam or Rahuls Tamil welcome is what the Congress leaders visit to Tamil Nadu on 14 January or Pongal day is being called . It is no coincidence that he has chosen the particular day and occasion to reach out to farmers as well.

Rahul will begin his tour to the poll-bound state with a visit to Madurai where he will watch the traditional and revered game of Jalikattu. While animal rights activists are against the festival that sees several bulls suffering injuries, the court has given it a go ahead amid severe protests by people of the state.

Bulls are also integral to farming and Rahuls visit coincides with his attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre over the three farm sectors bills.

The Congress leader, who has also been criticised for going on leave in the midst of the farm protests, an issue he feels strongly about, is showing his support to the cause of farmers by attending a Jallikattu event.

Beyond this, Madurai is a temple town and Rahul has chosen an auspicious day to make his temple run.

Tamil Nadu holds a special place for the Gandhis as this is the state where former PM Rajiv Gandhi had breathed his last and Sriperumbudur holds an emotive bond for the family.

As of now, there are no political meetings lined up but his challenge remains to keep the deeply divided Congress together in the state. Only recently, interim president Sonia Gandhi appointed several secretaries and general secretaries to the party in the state.

This invited a caustic comment from Karti Chidambaram who said the many office bearers would not mean the Congress which had a weak organisation could win the elections. The Congress has been in an alliance with the DMK in the state and this time, most of its MPs came from the south.

Being an MP from another southern state, Rahuls temple and farmer outreach from south bears political significance. Rahul has been attacking the PM for being anti-farmer and pro-rich.

BJP president JP Nadda is also expected to be in Tamil Nadu on Pongal day and the BJP makes no bones about the fact that it wants to unfurl the saffron flag in this state which has seen a political vacuum since Jayalalithaas death. The DMK hopes to take advantage of this vacuum and some in the party feel the Congress would be a liability for the alliance. However, with Rahuls timing of the visit, the grand old party hopes to take the bull by its horns.
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The board of Kesoram Industries will consider fund raising on Thursday, 14 January 2021.

A meeting of fund raising committee followed by a meeting of board of directors of the company is scheduled on Thursday, 14 January 2021, to seek de novo approval for raising funds including through the issue of optionally convertible debentures since the previous special resolution for this purpose passed on 28 December 2020 could not be implemented within the timeline of 15 days.

Kesoram Industries' reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 6.25 crore in Q2 FY21 as compared to a net loss of Rs 133.58 crore in Q2 FY20. Net sales during the quarter declined 20% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 649.50 crore.

Shares of Kesoram Industries rose 0.73% to Rs 61.95.

Kesoram Industries is engaged in cement and automobile tire business. The firm markets its automobile tires under the brand name Birla Tyres and it markets cement under Birla Shakti brand.

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This is a fundamental fact of life: no one like to be sold. We dont need to be sold on buying food, water or heat. We must have it to live.
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The New Jersey Legislature on Monday passed a resolution rebuking President Donald Trump and the rioters who attacked the Capitol on Wednesday, while calling for the presidents removal from office.

The roughly hour-long debate on the symbolic resolution in the Senate at the Statehouse in many ways mirrored the national debate over calls for Trump to be impeached or removed from office via the 25th Amendment for his role in inciting a violent mob.

Two Republican senators, Sen. Declan OScanlon, R-Monmouth, and Sen. Chris Brown, R-Atlantic, voted in favor of the resolution, which passed the Senate 24-4 with a number of senators not voting, and 47-8 in the Assembly with 20 abstentions.

Its time for good people to stand up and say what is right and what is wrong, said Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex. They intended an overthrow of our government. To stop the proceedings. It wasnt just a protest. Lets not sanitize what happened.

The attack was incited by Trumps behavior in the days leading up Jan. 6, Vitale said.

To defend the president, to defend his actions, to defend what happened that day and what led up to that day, is indefensible, he said.

In the state Senate, Republican lawmakers called for unity to move the country forward and took exception to language in the resolution saying Trump has consistently violated his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the duties of the office of president of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

That language goes too far, argued Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cumberland.

This resolution is not simply condemning the loathsome criminal acts, he said. It is magnifying the polarizing rhetoric that threatens the very fabric of our republic. ... Rather than causing more divide, we should be bridge builders.

In the Assembly, Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Union, said that language in the resolution would force members of his caucus to abstain and suggested Democrats work with Republicans on a more limited, bipartisan resolution that condemns Wednesdays violence and the presidents actions.

But Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, said Monday calls for unity without accountability always ring hollow.

And, in fact, unity is impossible without accountability, he continued.

The very fabric of our country was literally torn apart. Doors ripped apart, he said. People killed and maimed. People beat with the United States flag in our nations Capitol. When you sit back and you look at the magnitude of that, when you look at the resolution before us, you may quibble with words, you may quibble a little bit about the tone and tenor of that resolution, and reasonable people can disagree on that, but what we cannot and what we should not disagree upon in this house or any house is that all of us were attacked.

Sen. Michael Doherty, R-Warren, criticized the Democratic-controlled Senate for pushing a resolution condemning the riots at the Capitol but not protests against police brutality over the summer or protesters who confronted U.S. Sen. Rand Paul at the Republican National Convention.

Doherty, the first Republican lawmaker in New Jersey to endorse Trump, said there were legitimate reasons for people to show up on Jan. 6. They felt that we didnt have an honest election in 2020.

The senator ran through a litany of election fraud allegations, which have been disproven by election officials and rejected by courts across the country, and defended the president. Trump instantaneously condemned Wednesdays violence, Doherty said, and said he wouldnt be surprised if some of the people tearing down the Capitol werent Trump supporters.

Ive been to a lot of Trump events. I was a delegate for him, Doherty said. I met patriotic people. I met Christians, family people, small business owners, people who love the American flag. I never saw any violent people. I never saw a person there with a hammer and sickle tattoo on their hand.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, called out what she called the proverbial whataboutism and conspiracy theories about this election being repeated in the halls of the New Jersey state Senate.

To find people standing up and talking about, well what about this and the president didnt really do this. Stand up. Condemn the action. This was an insurrection. It was a wound to our Democracy. And if we cant do that, we are failing the people of New Jersey.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com.
Jim Mone, STF / Associated Press

Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge said it will defy Michigans order to shut down oil pipelines running under the Straits of Mackinac, which state officials say are vulnerable to an oil spill.

Enbridge on Tuesday said Michigan lacks the authority to terminate or revoke a nearly 70-year-old pipeline easement that allows for the companys Line 5 dual pipelines to transport heating fuel between the U.S. and Canada. The company said it plans to operate the pipelines until a replacement pipeline comes into service.
India has approved two Covid-19 vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- for restricted emergency use in the country against the virus. Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine Covishield has been manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine producer. Meanwhile, Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech together with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The government signed purchase pacts on Monday with SII for 1.1 crore doses and for 55 lakh doses from Bharat Biotech. Over the next six to eight months, authorities estimate about 30 crore high-risk people will be inoculated. With the vaccination drive set to begin on January 16, here is everything you need to know about the two vaccines.

ALSO READ | No Option to Choose from Two Vaccines, Doses to be 28 Days Apart: Govt Details Rollout Plan

DRIVE AND PHASES OF VACCINATION

India will launch its vaccination drive from January 16, with priority to be given to nearly 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers. According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines, the shots will be offered first to an estimated 1 crore healthcare workers and around 2 crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated co-morbidities based on evolving pandemic situation.

Deputy CM of Gujarat Nitin Patel breaks a coconut after a consignment containing COVISHIELD arrived at the Ahmedabad airport. (Image: Reuters)

REGISTRATION

In December last year, the central government had announced the launch of the Co-WIN app to aid agencies with the distribution of vaccines to citizens. Notably, the app is also designed to enable citizens to self-register for the vaccination process.

The app comes with five modules, namely - Administrator module, Registration module, Vaccination module, Beneficiary Acknowledgement module, and Report module - to ensure smooth tracking and registration for COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The mobile app is also an upgraded version of the eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) and it will be available to download for free via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, though its availability details remain unclear. The app may also launch on Jio phones that run on KaiOS.

ALSO READ | Govt to Buy 4.5 Crore Doses of Covishield Vaccine at Rs 200 Besides Purchase Order of 1.1 Crore Jabs

DOSE

The two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered 28 days apart, and the vaccine is expected to offer protection 14 days after the second dose is given. Effectiveness of the vaccine to be administered will be seen after 14 days of getting the dose and that a gap of 28 days has to be maintained between the two doses.

PRICE

Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield has been priced at Rs 200 per shot and with GST of Rs 10, it would cost Rs 210. "We've given a special price of Rs 200 for the first 100 million doses only to the government of India on their request," Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute's chief executive, said.

Each dose of Covaxin will cost Rs 309.5, inclusive of taxes. Without the taxes it will cost Rs 295. The government, however, confirmed that of the 55 lakh Covaxin doses, 16.5 lakh will be free of cost. This effectively brings down the price of each dose to Rs 206, officials said.

Other Vaccines in Pipeline

Four more COVID-19 vaccines are in the pipeline and their manufacturers may approach the drug controller for emergency use authorisation, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said Zydus Cadila, Sputnik V, Biological E and Gennova are other vaccines also in the pipeline which are in advanced clinical trials in India.

Bhushan said Pfizer-BioNTech is available at Rs 1,431 per dose, Moderna at Rs 2,348 to Rs 2,715 per dose, Sinopharm less that Rs 5,650 per dose, Sinovac Biotech at Rs 1,027 per dose, Novavax at Rs 1,114 per dose, Gamaleya Centre at less than Rs 734 per dose and Johnson and Johnson at Rs 734 per dose.
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Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quershi on Tuesday said Pakistan would continue its reconciliatory efforts for peace in Afghanistan with a strong belief that there was "no military solution to the conflict"

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quershi on Tuesday said Pakistan would continue its reconciliatory efforts for peace in Afghanistan with a strong belief that there was "no military solution to the conflict".

"A comprehensive political dialogue acceptable to the Afghan leadership is the only sustainable solution," he said in a meeting with leader of Afghan Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Karim Khalili, here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit of Karim Khalili along with his delegation is part of Pakistan's ongoing policy to reach out to political leadership in Afghanistan to forge common understanding on the peace process.

The Foreign Minister stressed that no other country desired peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.

He termed as 'welcoming' the progress made so far in the inter-Afghan talks and also lauded the launch of second round of inter-Afghan talks in Doha.

He said the Afghan leadership had a rare opportunity to seize chance of peace in the region.

Qureshi said unfortunately, India was playing the role of spoiler in Afghanistan and mentioned that Pakistan had presented an irrefutable evidence before the world in this regard.

He said to facilitate the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan had introduced a new visa policy and was taking practical steps to promote bilateral trade.

He emphasized a speedy and dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan.

The Foreign Minister said Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process was being acknowledged by the international community.

"We believe that peace and stability in the region is linked to lasting peace in Afghanistan", he added.

Karim Khalili thanked Foreign Minister Qureshi for the warm welcome and appreciated Pakistan's reconciliatory role in the Afghan peace process.

He also expressed gratitude to the leadership and people of Pakistan for hosting the Afghan refugees for decades.

Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq and senior Foreign Ministry officials were present.
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Hamilton Insurance Group Ltd. announced two senior appointments in its Lloyds operations, Hamilton Managing Agency Ltd.  Trevor Ormes as deputy active underwriter of Syndicate 4000 and head of Professional Lines, and Florence Mognetti as head of Political Risk.

Ormes and Mognetti will report to Miles Osorio, active underwriter of Lloyds Syndicate 4000. Both will be based in London, with Ormes due to join the company later in the year and Mognetti to start on Jan. 18, in accordance with notice periods.

Ormes brings 35 years industry experience to his new role. He comes to Hamilton following 20 years with Chubb in London, most recently as head of Financial Lines, having initially joined then ACE as a PI underwriter. Prior to joining Chubb, he spent two years as a PI underwriter at Lloyds Syndicate SVB. Before this, Ormes spent 10 years at Aon in London in the Professional Services Group broking major professional service accounts.

With 24 years political risk experience, Mognetti comes to Hamilton following six years with Acappella Syndicate 2014 where she was divisional head of Political Risk. Before this, she was head of UK Market, Transactional Cover Unit, with Euler Hermes, responsible for leading, managing and underwriting a political risk and credit portfolio with a worldwide remit.

Previously, Mognetti spent 14 years at Coface, where she initially trained in Paris, before going on to be Political Risk Director, London and Paris, establishing a political risk and credit portfolio from inception.

Source: Hamilton Insurance Group

Topics Excess Surplus Lloyd's Chubb
Fresh food supply lines into Northern Ireland are back to 95% of usual flow following days of post-Brexit disruption, the Deputy First Minister has said.

Michelle ONeill, First Minister Arlene Foster and other executive ministers had a lengthy discussion on Tuesday about problems and issues that have emerged since the Northern Ireland Protocol came into operation.

Depleted shelves have been seen in several supermarkets in the early days of the new year as trade from Great Britain has been affected as traders adjust to new requirements on moving produce across the Irish Sea.

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Export health certificates are required for animal-based food products moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland as a result of the region remaining in the single market for goods.

With Northern Ireland also applying EU customs rules at its ports, customs declarations are needed on products being shipped into Northern Ireland from Britain.

Stormonts leaders currently take part in daily meetings with UK Government ministers and officials to examine issues around the implementation of Brexit.

After Tuesdays meeting of the Stormont executive, Ms ONeill told a press conference in Dungannon: Were obviously dealing with and what were witnessing I think is largely a trading adjustment shock.

And its very clear that businesses in Britain werent prepared for the outworking on the other side of the end of the transition period and I think thats led to a lot of the difficulties.

So there are things that need to be identified, there is this daily meeting every day to try to iron out some of the things and to get resolution, because thats what we need to have is resolution for those businesses that are impacted on it.

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Ms ONeill said one local steel manufacturer had told her they were facing an additional 50,000 of costs a week as a result of new arrangements.

So thats a huge implication that needs to be resolved and well work to find a resolution to these things, she said.

And just in terms of the flow of fresh produce, were told that thats now probably back to about 95% of normal trade so at least thats something, so people arent worrying about food being on the shelves.

Mrs Foster said: We are consistently saying that Government needs to take action in relation to these difficulties.

And we will again reiterate that tomorrow from a party point of view when Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP MP) will lay an urgent oral (question) in the House of Commons tomorrow.

So action needs to be taken to deal with these ongoing difficulties. We know what the difficulties are, they have been identified very clearly. So lets get dealing with them and then lets get on with the business of running Northern Ireland.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

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Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

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Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

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"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

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Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
While we currently have no idea when he'll actually make his big screen debut, two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali will soon be playing Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This news may come as a bit of a surprise to those who are fans of the Marvel Netflix shows, as Ali notably played Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in the first season of Luke Cage, but we'll all just have to put that in the back of our minds while watching him hunting vampires.

And that covers all of the upcoming Marvel movies lined up for the future. Now let's take a look back at the previous phases of the MCU...

The Narcotics Control Bureau on Tuesday arrested Ramkumar Tiwari, one of the owners of the famous 'Muchhad Paanwala' shop in Mumbai, in connection with a drugs case, an NCB official said. The paan shop, located at Kemps Corner in south Mumbai, has been famous as it is frequented by some celebrities.

Tiwari was apprehended by a team of the NCB after questioning, the official said. His name cropped up during investigation into a drugs case in which three persons, including a British national, were arrested with 200 kg of drugs from Khar and Bandra areas here on Saturday, when he said.

The drugs included ganja, imported strains like 'OG Kush' (a strain of cannabis indica), and curated marijuana, some of which had been sourced from the US, the official said. Tiwari was summoned by the NCB for questioning on Monday and his statement was recorded, he said.

Following the questioning, he was placed under arrest on Tuesday, the official said, adding that further probe into the case is on. The NCB on Saturday arrested three persons, including a British national, for allegedly supplying imported strains of ganja in the metropolis, an official earlier said.

One of those arrested is a suspect in the drugs case being probed after the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year, he added.
The Korea Energy Agency (KEA) will likely launch two 2 GW tenders in April and October. These will include the procurement of large-scale solar PV parks for the first time.South Korea may allocate around 4 GW of solar capacity this year across two PV tenders, which will be likely launched in April and October, respectively. "We can expect the capacity in the first half of the year to be around 2 GW, and 2 GW or slightly more in the second half of the year," Yeji Kim, researcher of Seoul-based Solutions For Our Climate, told pv magazine. "According to our inquiry to the Korea Energy Agency (KEA), ...

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.
USCIRF chair: Biden admin. will be 'just as strong' on religious freedom as Trump was

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As President-elect Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, the chair of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom believes the incoming administration will continue the religious freedom successes of the Trump administration.

Gayle Manchin, the wife of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and who has served with the congressionally mandated commission tasked with advising the executive branch and Congress about global religious freedom matters since 2018, told The Christian Post that she has spoken with the Biden administrations transition team about the issue of religious freedom.

The Biden administration will be just as strong, vowed Manchin, a former first lady of West Virginia. I certainly congratulate the [Trump administration]. Trump put a spotlight on [religious freedom]. I believe the Biden administration will continue that.

The work of USCIRF on religious freedom is important to the world because its the only government organization of its kind, she noted. Other countries dont oversee international religious freedom in the same way the U.S. does.

Were the only ones that take an interest in how Pakistan or Azerbaijan or Egypt are treating their citizens, she said.

One of Trumps religious freedom innovations was to appoint a permanent special adviser for international religious freedom to his office, said Manchin. This decision has allowed religious freedom concerns to receive attention when the president makes important decisions on foreign policy.

I would hope that is something that will continue in the new administration, she said. I think the Biden administration will be very open to working with USCIRF and all of the groups involved with religious freedom.

Both Republicans and Democrats serve on USCIRF and work together to advance the cause of religious freedom. The rest of Congress should take an example from USCIRFs healthy bipartisanship, said Manchin.

The secret to its success is personal relationships, she explained. Members of the commission spend time together, talk about their families and build friendships.

We met each other as individuals, not as youre a Republican and Im a Democrat and Im not going to like you,' she said. We realized very quickly that we all shared one same passion and that was to help individuals around the world to practice their religious faith in safety and peace. Its a shame that Congress cant follow our lead.

Manchin said the commissions greatest successes in 2020 include seeing Sudan improve its religious freedom laws enough to leave the State Departments list of "Countries of Particular Concern" for religious freedom. Countries with bad religious freedom records, including Uzbekistan, Bahrain and Indonesia have often sent representatives to speak with USCIRF about how they can do better.

Under [Sudans] new government regime, they have certainly started turning around the laws of that country to give women more freedom, to give religious minorities more freedom, she said.

In 2020, COVID-19 brought new challenges for USCIRF, the chairwoman said.

Commission members couldnt travel to other countries to interview locals on religious freedom because of COVID-19 restrictions. Also, some governments seem to be using the pandemic as a justification to restrict religious freedom.

You have to be careful. It requires oversight to see that a country is not using the pandemic as an excuse to punish minority religions," she explained. "It will be interesting as we get oversight to make sure that restrictions that have been placed on religion will be lifted [when the pandemic ends]."

Manchin said she was also concerned about the human rights situation in Nigeria, China, Pakistan, India and Egypt. In those countries, it has become harder for people to worship freely. Events in China indicate the government there is leading a genocide against Uighur Muslims, she argued.

USCIRF recommended the State Department to label India as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom, but the department refused.

We realize on the bigger picture that the State Department has to balance many entities and it looks at every country in the world. We reach out and look for those that are most egregious, but we dont have to consider domestic issues and economic issues. We focus on the religious aspect, said Manchin. When the State Department is weighing and balancing and making their decisions, we understand the diplomacy that is involved in these situations. We obviously continue to push them on countries that we believe have met all the criteria.

Another problem for USCIRF in 2020 has been a rise in anti-Semitism around the world, Manchin said. It remains unclear exactly why this rise has taken place.

You cant even pinpoint a country. Its very troubling. Its not something you want to see happening in our world, she said. The whole thing about the Holocaust was a hoax, how does that resurface again?

The actions of Americans for religious freedom can make a difference on the other side of the world, she said. When cases of religious persecution get publicity in the U.S., countries often change for the better because they dont want a bad reputation. When Congress leaders support people imprisoned for religious freedom, world leaders pay attention.

I do think that more and more the message is getting out about human rights and that they are not being honored and respected in these countries, said Manchin. When I think about the freedoms that I enjoy every day of my life and that there are individuals around the world who are in danger for trying to practice their faith, its important on each of us to play a part to make that situation better. We all have an action we can take.
Columbia, MO (65201)

Today

Strong thunderstorms likely, some with very heavy rain during the afternoon hours. Damaging winds and large hail with some storms. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- KangoGift, the leading employee engagement and recognition solutions provider, released today an analysis of its proprietary data which demonstrated a substantial increase in recognition and rewards within organizations for accomplishments and achievements.

The analysis showed an increase in recognition year-over-year of:

175% overall recognition of employee accomplishments and achievements

122% by senior and executive management to members of their organization

70% by direct line managers to their teams.

The analysis also determined that Dutch organizations lead the way with employee recognition with an increase of 90 percent year-over-year with South Korea second at 28%.

"This analysis shows that the days of cookie-cutter rewards programs with employee recognitions being rare are over and it would seem that COVID-19 is the reason," said Todd Horton, Founder and CEO of KangoGift. "Employee recognition and rewards cratered in March and April along with the rest of the economy. Its sharp rebound is evidence that leaders realize the unprecedented strain on their employees as a result of COVID-19 and are acting appropriately to ensure their teams well being and provide a smooth continuance into 2021."

The analysis was conducted using data from KangoGift's proprietary, global database. All information is current as of December 1.

About KangoGift:

KangoGift is a leading human resources technology company exclusively focused on employee engagement and recognition. Since its founding in 2009, KangoGift's customer base has expanded from its initial base in the eastern United States to clients in the US, Europe and Asia. KangoGift is based in the metropolitan Boston area.

Contact:

Todd Horton

617-861-8335

[email protected]

SOURCE KangoGift

Related Links

https://www.kangogift.com


A team from the UN's World Health Organization would arrive this week to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, a year to the day since the first COVID-19 death was announced in Wuhan, Chinese authorities said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China had approved the visit and called it an opportunity to "exchange views with Chinese scientists and medical experts on scientific cooperation on the tracing of the origin of the novel coronavirus."

The experts will arrive on January 14, but the WHO had hoped they would be in the country days before. A lack of authorization from Beijing had delayed their early arrival in what the government called a "misunderstanding."

The 10-person team of experts has been tasked with searching for the source of early infections. This has been a sensitive topic in China, amid allegations that Beijing covered up the origins of the virus and delayed its initial response to the outbreak.

Details on the experts' itinerary or whether they will travel to the Chinese region of Wuhan, the early epicenter of the pandemic, have not been released.

Upon arrival, the WHO team will have to spend two weeks in quarantine before being able to work on the ground, DW reported.
President Donald Trump has paid tribute to Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson who died on Monday night aged 87 afer a long illness.

The billionaire mogul and power broker, who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China and became a singular force in domestic and international politics, was being treated for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

At one point the third richest man in the world, Adelson first announced that he was being treated for the cancer back in 2019.

His funeral will be held in Israel with a memorial service held in Las Vegas at a later date.

Trump, whose campaign Adelson donated millions to, led the tributes on Tuesday saying that the mogul 'lived the true American dream'.

'His ingenuity, genius, and creativity earned him immense wealth, but his character and philanthropic generosity his great name,' Trump said in a statement.

Las Vegas Sands chairman and major Donald Trump donor Sheldon Adelson, pictured, above died on Monday aged 87 afer a long illness, the company announced

Adelson and his wife Miriam, 75, set new records for political donations in the 2020 cycle, giving a total of $218 million to President Trump's campaign and various Republican causes

His wife Miriam, pictured with him above, called Adelson the 'love of my life'

'Sheldon was also a staunch supporter of our great ally the State of Israel. He tirelessly advocated for the relocation of the United States embassy to Jerusalem, the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and its neighbors,' the president added.

'Sheldon was true to his family, his country, and all those that knew him. The world has lost a great man. He will be missed.'

Former president George W. Bush also called Adelson 'an American patriot'.

'Sheldon battled his way out of a tough Boston neighborhood to build a successful enterprise that loyally employed tens of thousands and entertained millons,' said former President Bush.

'He was an American patriot, a generous benefactor of charitable causes, and a strong supporter of Israel.'

A son of Jewish immigrants, Adelson was raised with two siblings in a Boston tenement, who over the second half of his life became one of the world's richest men.

His father was descended from Jewish Ukrainian and Lithuanian ancestors while his mother had immigrated from England. Among his ancestors had been a Welsh coal miner, Adelson claimed.

Sheldon Adelson (left) listens to Israeli President Shimon Peres in August 2007

Adelson pictured in 2008 with members of his family. He is survived by three sons, Gary, Adam and Matan Adelson; three daughters, Shelley Adelson, Sivan Dumont and Yasmin Lukatz

Don King (pictured right) speaks with Sheldon Adelson before the first 2016 presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on September 26, 2016

Sheldon Adelson, Miriam Ochsorn and Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2014

President George W. Bush led the tributes to Adelson on Tuesday

Donald Trump Jr. also called Adelson an 'American Patriot', pictured above

He was the majority shareholder of the Las Vegas Sands, and one of the world's biggest casino moguls.

The company owns the Venetian and Palazzo hotel and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, along with properties in Singapore and Macao.

The chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation brought singing gondoliers to the Las Vegas Strip and foresaw correctly that Asia would be an even bigger market.

Multi-billionaire Sheldon Adelson at The Palazzo Las Vegas in 2008

He also owned the largest circulating newspaper in the Nevada, the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Though Adelson is not the listed publisher of the Review-Journal, the rival Las Vegas Sun recently accused him of having 'operational control' of the paper in a court dispute over a joint-operating agreement.

In 2018, Forbes ranked him No. 15 in the U.S., worth an estimated $35.5 billion.

'If you do things differently, success will follow you like a shadow,' he said during a 2014 talk to the gambling industry in Las Vegas.

Adelson was married twice. He and his first wife, Sandra Shapiro, were divorced in 1988.

Three years later, he married Miriam Farbstein-Ochshorn, an Israeli-born doctor he met on a blind date and whom many believe helped deepen his involvement with Israel.

Their honeymoon trip to Venice inspired Adelson to raze the historic Sands hotel-casino, once a favorite hangout for Frank Sinatra among others, and replace them with a pair of massive complexes: The Venetian and The Palazzo, one of the citys tallest buildings.

Sheldon Adelson adopted his first wife's three children - Gary, Mitchell and Shelly - and had two children, Adam and Matan, with his second wife.

He also had two stepchildren, Yasmin Lukatz and Sivan Dumont; and 11 grandchildren.

Among numerous philanthropic projects, he and Miriam Adelson were especially committed to the research and treatment of substance abuse, a personal cause for Adelson.

His son Mitchell, from his first marriage, died of an overdose in 2005 and Adelson would spend millions opposing Nevada efforts to legalize marijuana.

Sheldon Adelson with his sons from his second marriage, Adam and Matan, in 2009

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sheldon Adelson and his wife Dr. Miriam Adelson talk at a pre-show reception on the opening night of 'Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular' in 2006

Sheldon Adelson, wife Miriam Adelson, former Speaker of the House John Boehner, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista at Trump's 2016 inauguration

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (right) reads a book along side Dr Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson along side Dr Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson during a ceremony in 2006

Former New York City Mayor (pictured center) kisses the hand of businessman Sheldon Adelson's wife Miriam Ochsorn before the debate between Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in September 2016

'Much has been written and said about how Sheldon, the son of poor immigrants, rose to the pinnacle of business success on the strength of grit and genius, inspiration and integrity,' his wife Miriam wrote in a statement Tuesday.

'His was an all-American story of entrepreneurship. When Sheldon launched a new venture, the world looked on with anticipation.'

'Sheldon was the love of my life. He was my partner in romance, philanthropy, political activism and enterprise. He was my soulmate,' she added.

'To me - as to his children, grandchildren, and his legions of friends and admirers, employees and colleagues - he is utterly irreplaceable.'

Blunt yet secretive, Adelson resembled an old-fashioned political boss and stood apart from most American Jews, who for decades have supported Democrats by wide margins.

He was considered the nation's most influential GOP donor over the final years of his life, at times setting records for individual contributions during a given election cycle.

He recently gave $75 million to a super PAC that attacked President-elect Joe Biden in the lead-up to last November's election.

Adelson is a Republican megadonor who recently gave $75 million to a super PAC that attacked President-elect Joe Biden in the lead-up to last November's election

'Much has been written and said about how Sheldon, the son of poor immigrants, rose to the pinnacle of business success on the strength of grit and genius, inspiration and integrity,' his wife Miriam, pictured with him above, wrote in a statement Tuesday

The chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation brought singing gondoliers to the Las Vegas Strip. Adelson is pictured above in July 1999

Adelson and his wife Miriam, 75, set new records for political donations in the 2020 cycle, giving a total of $218 million to President Donald Trump's campaign and various Republican causes.

In what was widely seen as a mark of the Adelsons' influence with Trump, Miriam Adelson was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.

For the 2018 midterm elections, Adelson donated about $113 million to the Republican Party through various conservative political action committees.

In 2012, Politico called him 'the dominant pioneer of the super PAC era'.

Adelson regularly hosted the party's top strategists and most ambitious candidates at his modest office, wedged among the casinos on the Strip.

Throughout, he helped ensure that uncritical support of Israel became a pillar of the GOP platform, never more visibly demonstrated than when the Trump administration relocated the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.

The inflammatory move had been adamantly opposed by Palestinians and was long a priority for Adelson, who had even offered to help pay for it, and for the Republican Jewish Coalition, of which he was the primary benefactor. Adelson and Miriam were front and center at the ceremony in Jerusalem.

Adelson also recently made news for offering his private jet to Jonathan Pollard, who spent 30 years in U.S. prison for spying for Israel.

Pollard used Adelson's lavish private Boeing 737 to return to Israel last month, after finishing his sentence for selling classified U.S. secrets to the nation in the 1980s.

Adelson and his wife Miram, 75, (together in 2019) set new records for political donations in the 2020 cycle, giving a total of $218 million to Republican causes

Adelson and wife Miriam pictured with Vice President Mike Pence

Adelson pictured center with Sophia Loren at the opening of the Venetian in May 1999

With Adelson's death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses a key U.S. backer who for the last four years had the ear of the American president and worked tirelessly to push Israels priorities at the White House and in Congress.

He also bids farewell to an important backroom player in Israeli politics who funded an influential free daily newspaper that served as an unofficial mouthpiece for Netanyahu.

'Sheldon's great actions to strengthen Israels position in the U.S. and to strengthen ties between Israel and the diaspora will be remembered for generations,' Netanyahu said in a statement, adding he had received news of Adelson's death with 'deep sorrow and heartbreak.'

'We will forever remember Sheldon and his great contribution to Israel and the Jewish people.'

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was also among those paying tribute to Adelson on Tuesday.

'Our nation lost a remarkable American with the passing of my friend Sheldon Adelson,' McConnell said in a statement.

'Sheldon built an incredible life and career. He climbed from sleeping on tenement floors during the Great Depression as a young boy to literally towering over Las Vegas and beyond.'

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy called Adelson 'one of the greatest, most generous businessmen in history'.

'Sheldon Adelson had a deep love of country, love of community, and love of Israel,' McCarthy added.

'His life made him a fearless advocate for freedom and entrepreneurship and a source of counsel and support to a generation of conservatives, including me.'

'Sheldon was a true American patriot and a giant among men,' Trump Jr. wrote in a tweet.

'He treated his employees like family. His philanthropic generosity changed countless lives. The US-Israel relationship is stronger today because of him. My heart goes out to the Adelson family.'

Sheldon Garry Adelson was born in 1933, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. His father was a taxi driver, his mother the manager of a knitting store.

A natural entrepreneur, he was selling newspapers by age 12 and running a vending machine business at 16.

After dropping out of City College of New York and serving in the Army, he attempted to start dozens of businesses, from toiletries to de-icing windshields.

Adelson, who said he disdained email, began to amass his fortune with a technology trade show, starting computer convention COMDEX in 1979 with partners before selling his stake in 1995 for more than $800 million.

When he bought the Sands Hotel in 1989, he was thinking convention space, not just gambling, would make money. It did. He built a convention hall to keep his hotel rooms full on weekdays and others soon followed the business model.

Meanwhile, his effort to replicate the Strip in Macau, the only Chinese province to allow gambling, made his wealth grow exponentially.

When faced with water and marsh land, Adelson directed his company to build land where there wasn't any, piling sand up to create the Cotai Peninsula. Soon his Macau revenue outstripped that of his Las Vegas holdings.

He later expanded his business to Singapore, where his Marina Bay Sands hotel and its infinity pool were featured in the hit film 'Crazy Rich Asians', and had been pressing to open a casino in Japan.

His Macau business also spawned a long-running wrongful termination lawsuit brought by a former chief of Sands China Ltd. who accused Adelson and the company of firing him for exposing a host of misdeeds. Adelson often clashed with attorneys while appearing on a Clark County courtrooms witness stand.

The Sands China lawsuit was among dozens involving Adelson, whose cases included his suing a Wall Street Journal reporter for calling him 'foul-mouthed' (the parties settled, the words remained) to being sued by his sons from his first marriage for cheating them out of money (he won).

A long-running feud with fellow casino tycoon Steve Wynn turned to friendship when Wynn joined Adelson's effort to end online gambling. Critics said Adelson was trying to stifle competition.

Adelson countered that there was no way to ensure children and teenagers wouldnt gamble and said he was 'not in favor of it exploiting the worlds most vulnerable people.'

Sheldon Adelson stands before some of the Italian artwork that was recreated to adorn the Venetian Resort hotel-casino in Las Vegas in March 1999

Adelson speaking about the construction of The Venetian in January 1999

Adelson's company owns the Venetian and Palazzo hotel and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, along with properties in Singapore and Macao (above)

When asked at a gambling conference what he hoped his legacy would be, Adelson said it wasn't his glitzy casinos or hotels, it was his impact in Israel.

He donated $25 million, a record sum for a private citizen, to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. He established a think tank in Jerusalem.

He was closely aligned with the conservative Likud party and funded a widely-read free daily newspaper called 'Israel Hayom,' or 'Israel Today,' so supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that some Israelis nicknamed it 'Bibi-ton.'

In the U.S., Adelson helped underwrite congressional trips to Israel, helped build a new headquarters for the lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and later was a top supporter of the Israeli-American Council, whose conferences have attracted top Republicans (Vice President Mike Pence) and Democrats (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi).

He sponsored 'Birthright' trips to Israel for young Jewish adults that were criticized by some participants as intolerant of opposing views.

His attachment to Israel was life-long and so deep that he once said he wished his military service had been in an Israeli uniform instead of an American one.

Acting CEO of Las Vegas Sands' Rob Goldstein is expected to retain his new position on a permanent basis following the death of the company's chairman Sheldon Adelson.

Goldstein, 64, was named to the position on Friday as it was announced that Adelson was taking a medical leave of absence for treatment.

Rob Goldstein, pictured above left with Sheldon Adelson, took over as Acting CEO of Las Vegas Sands last Friday after it was announced Adelson was receiving cancer treatment. Adelson passed away on Monday night aged 87 after his lengthy battle with cancer

Last year saw Las Vegas Sands make massive losses due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns

Over the past six months, the company has slowly started to grow back after taking a massive hit during the coronavirus pandemic as it focused on the gambling market in Asia

Shares in Las Vegas Sands took a fall after the announcement of Adelson's death

Yet analysts believe the company is poised for further success under gambling veteran Goldstein.

'Adelson built a strong and loyal culture with the appointment and ascension of Rob Goldstein, Wilfred Wong, Patrick Dumont amongst others,' Macquarie Research analyst Chad Beynon said of Goldstein's takeover

'We believe the executive structure has long been in place and is well positioned for transition.

'The new leadership of the company could open the door for future M&A given Adelson's preference of developing assets, not acquiring.'

'While it's sad to see his passing the company is in good hands with Rob Goldstein,' added Charles Norton, a portfolio manager at Dallas-based Penn Davis McFarland, who owns approximately 200,000 shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp.

The gambling industry has been one of the hardest hit during the global pandemic, with Adelson already having made the decision to look into the sale of Sands' two flagship hotel-casinos in Las Vegas.

It was revealed in October 2020 that Sands, the world's largest casino company, was looking for potential buyers for the Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Palazzo, as well as Sands Expo Convention Center, which are all based along the city's famous Strip

As of June 30, Sands had $13.82 billion total outstanding debt, excluding finance leases, and reported a third-quarter loss of $565 million.

Then Sands President and COO Goldstein had said at the time: 'I've never felt more gloomy than I do today about what's happening in Las Vegas. We're in a world of hurt here in terms of Las Vegas.'

Adelson was the majority shareholder in the company currently valued at $37.5billion and the sale of the company's casinos is Vegas would have marked his departure from the U.S. gambling market and left the mogul focused on Asia.

It is not immediately clear who will take over Adelson's shares in the company.

According to Seeking Alpha, the controlling equity of Las Vegas Sands will evolve into the family foundation.
Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- The National Assembly Standing Committee convened the 52nd session on Monday, chaired by Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, to prepare for the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level Peoples Councils for the 2021-26 tenure.

-- Vietnamese Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong has sent a message of congratulations to newly-elected General Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea Kim Jong Un.

Society

-- A 31-year-old Russian woman and her one-year-old daughter have re-tested positive for the coronavirus after they were given the all-clear and completed quarantine in Khanh Hoa Province on January 7.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security on Monday initiated legal proceedings against a 28-year-old flight attendant, who is COVID-19 patient No. 1,342, for spreading contagious disease to others.

-- Officers in the central city of Da Nang confirmed on Monday they had arrested and initiated legal proceedings against two men for transporting four Chinese border jumpers in late December.

-- Tens of thousands of students in multiple northern and north-central provinces were allowed to stay home on Monday as temperature dropped to below 10 degrees Celsius due to the effect of a strong cold spell.

-- A middle school student was killed and another hospitalized after burning coal to keep themselves warm while sleeping at a house in the north-central province of Quang Binh.

-- The Hai Van Tunnel 2, the longest road tunnel in Southeast Asia linking north-central Thua Thien-Hue Province and central Da Nang City, was open to traffic on Monday.

-- Chinese authorities on Monday handed over 20 Vietnamese border jumpers to border guard officers in the northern province of Ha Giang.

Business

-- The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has racked up a loss of VND1.32 trillion (US$56.8 million) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding in the central region, said VNR chairman Vu Anh Minh.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian and the Canadian dollars appreciated against their major counterparts in the European session on Tuesday, amid firmer oil prices following a retreat in the U.S. dollar and on hopes of a U.S. fiscal stimulus package from the Democratic-led U.S. government.



President-elect Joe Biden promised to roll out 'trillions' of additional COVID-19 stimulus measures to support the economic recovery from the pandemic.



Details of the proposed plan will be unveiled this week.



Investors expect that Saudi Arabia's pledge to cut production last week will offset a slowdown in the demand due to the virus restrictions.



The American Petroleum Institute will release its crude inventory data later in the day, with analysts expecting a fall for a fifth consecutive week.



The aussie spiked up to 0.7737 against the greenback and 80.59 against the yen, after falling to 0.7687 and 80.14, respectively in early deals. The aussie is seen finding resistance around 0.81 against the greenback and 82.00 against the yen.



The aussie reversed from its early lows of 1.5793 against the euro and 0.9826 against the loonie and was trading at 1.5733 and 0.9858, respectively. If the aussie continues its rise, 1.54 and 1.00 are possibly seen as its next resistance levels against the euro and the loonie, respectively.



The Australian currency rallied to 1.0764 against the kiwi, its strongest level since October 2020. The aussie is likely to find resistance around the 1.09 level.



The loonie was up at 1.2736 versus the greenback and 81.79 versus the yen, compared to its prior lows of 1.2791 and 81.46, respectively. The next possible resistance for the loonie is seen around 1.25 versus the greenback and 84 versus the yen.



The loonie climbed to near a 4-week high of 1.5494 against the euro, from a low of 1.5537 seen at 7:45 pm ET. On the upside, 1.52 is likely seen as its next resistance level.



Looking ahead, Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard is due to speak at an online Fed symposium on artificial intelligence at 8:35 am ET.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, says the federal government is set to build a gems market in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Mr Adegbite made this known on Tuesday in Ibadan when he received two hectares of land documents donated for that purpose by the Oyo State Government.

The land is located at Ojoo, along Ibadan  Oyo road, in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

This is an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari; part of the post COVID-19 palliatives that is being done by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

Its aim is to develop the activities in the sector within the six zones in the country.

For the Southwest zone, we chose to promote gemstone trading, which is already going on in Ibadan  as an informal market in Ojoo area of the state, the minister said.

He explained that the whole idea was to formalise the market, asserting that gemstone business has become an international business.

He added that the market would enhance gemstone trading and be beneficial to the Federal, state and local governments.

Also, it will spur activities for people, enhance market, at the same time improve the local economy and also generate revenue for government, both at the state and Federal, he added.

The minister acknowledged the support of the state government to make things move, through the donation of the land for the project.

We have the land now and can begin to do what is necessary: we need to do the architecture, planning and the construction of the market.

Then, move the informal market at Ojoo to this place after its completion, he said.

He said that funding for the project was already available, assuring the people that his ministry would try its best to complete the project for inauguration before the end of this year.

In their separate remarks; the state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources  Mr Seun Ashamu and the Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Solid Mineral Development Agency  Mr Abiodun Oni, unanimously noted that the project would complement the diversification plans of the Gov. Seyi Makinde-led administration.

The duo also said that the establishment of the gemstone market would surely boost the internally generated revenue of the state.

(NAN)
MOSCOW -- The Moscow City Court on January 12 slightly reduced prison terms handed to two men convicted in the high-profile case of the so-called New Greatness movement.

The court reduced the seven-year prison term of Ruslan Kostylenkov by three months, and the 6 1/2-year prison term of Pyotr Karamzin by two months.

The six-year prison term of Ruslan Kostylenkov, as well as suspended prison terms for Anna Pavlikova, Maksim Roshchin, Maria Dubovik, and Dmitry Poletayev were upheld at the hearing.

The men and women reiterated their not-guilty pleas saying that the case against them was groundless as there were no victims and no damages inflicted either to individuals or to the state.

They were arrested in 2018 and charged with creating an extremist group with the intention of overthrowing Russian President Vladimir Putin's government.

Critics say the case against them was fabricated by Russias security services.

The rights group Memorial describes the seven as political prisoners.

Pavlikova was 17 at the time of her arrest. Her being held under house arrest for several months sparked protests in Moscow and other cities.

The defendants say they had turned their online chat group into a political movement called New Greatness at the suggestion of one group member.

Later, it was revealed that the man who proposed the idea, wrote the movement's charter, and rented premises for gatherings was a special agent of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

In late-October, another member of the group, Pavel Rebrovsky, was sentenced to six years in prison after a Moscow court found him guilty of creating an extremist organization.

In April 2019, Rebrovsky made a deal with investigators to testify against other suspects in the high-profile case, and was sentenced to 29 months in prison for being a member of the group.

However, several months later, after Rebrovsky recanted his testimony, saying it had been made under duress, prosecutors demanded that his verdict and sentence be annulled, which the Moscow City Court did in October 2019.

One more member of the group, Rustam Rustamov received a suspended 18-month prison sentence in 2019 after he made a deal with investigators.

Another group member, Sergei Gavrilov, fled to Ukraine in October 2019, where he asked for political asylum.
The list of COVID-19 symptoms has grown since the coronavirus pandemic began nearly a year ago.

Yahoo Life reports that the long list of symptoms now includes a disturbingly wide range of complications that can accompany the virus.

The report noted that a loss of smell and taste is one of the most common symptoms among COVID-19 patients - especially those with mild cases.

The time-frame for the return of these senses, ranges from a couple of weeks, to months, and in the worst case scenarios some COVID-19 patients lose their senses of smell and taste permanently, Yahoo Life explained.

Loss of sense of smell and taste are common COVID-19 symptoms.

Yahoo Life cited a Jan. 5 study from the Journal of Internal Medicine, which found that of patients with mild cases of COVID-19, 86% experienced a loss of their sense of taste and smell. And, while a significant number of these patients senses do come back in time, thats not always the case.

Yahoo Life also cited The Wall Street Journal, which reported that doctors say in some cases peoples senses might never return.

From Harvard Healths site, Yahoo Life cited cognitive and neurological expert Leo Newhouse, LICSW, who wrote: Some of us might never regain our sense of smell or taste at all.

Most COVID-19 patients senses of smell and taste return after six months.

The Yahoo Life report cited an April 6 study published by the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, which found that long after other symptoms had dissipated, the majority of patients loss of taste and smell lingered. The study noted that a quarter of participants ability to taste and smell returned within two weeks of their other symptoms disappearing.

The Journal of Internal Medicine, study concluded that after 60 days, 15.3% of patients still had not recovered their senses, and at the 6-month mark, 4.7% of peoples senses hadnt yet returned.

If senses do come back, they may not come back the same.

The report again cited neurological expert Leo Newhouse who wrote: The good news is that olfactory neurons are capable of regeneration. But added, The bad news is that not everyone will return to his or her pre-COVID level of functioning.

If your senses are still gone, you shouldnt lose all hope.

According to Yahoo Life, experts say theres a significant chance that senses will recover within the first year of loss. The report cited Assistant professor Jessica Grayson, MD, who told the University of Alabama at Birmingham that patients with post-viral smell loss have roughly a 60 to 80 percent chance of regaining some of their smell function at one year.

Loss of smell and taste can lead to adverse emotions.

Yahoo Life cited a 2016 study published in Chemical Senses which found that patients with olfactory dysfunction have symptoms of depression that worsen with severity of smell loss.

The report cited The Wall Street Journal, which was told by Chemosensory scientist Pamela Dalton, PhD, that when our sense of smell and taste disappear, weve scooped out a whole piece of our consciousness that we didnt even realize we were using every day.

READ MORE:
Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, who was seriously injured after his car hit a tree in Ankola in Karnataka on Monday night, is now stable and under observation, said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

"His condition was a bit critical, but he is very much stable now. There is no risk to his life. He is under stable and under observation. He will have to undergo two minor operations. He has suffered two fractures," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday and asked him to ensure the best medical treatment for Naik. Naik's wife and an aide, who were travelling with him, succumbed to their injuries.

After he was administered first-aid at a local hospital in Ankola, Naik was rushed to the Goa Medical College, the state' apex health facility late on Monday night.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too spoke to Sawant and offered any assistance required, including air-lifting the minister, who is an MP from North Goa.

Singh tweeted, "I am shocked and extremely saddened by the news of Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik being injured in a road accident. I spoke to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The state government is ensuring best treatment for Shripadji. I pray for the speedy recovery of Shripadji."

According to Sawant, the Union Defence Minister had also offered the services of an air ambulance for shifting him to the national capital for treatment.

"The Defence Minister has assured that he will send across an air ambulance if required. The PM has just sought a follow up from me. According to doctors who are treating him, there is no need to airlift him," Sawant also said.

After talking to the PM and the Union Defence Minister, the Goa CM had directed the doctors of the medical college to ensure best treatment for the minister.

Naik was travelling by car along with his wife and an aide in the north Kannada district as part of a private visit when his car overturned near Yallapura.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Beginning Monday indoor service is resuming at 50% capacity for bars and restaurants.

The turn of the dial puts restaurants and bars about where they were before Gov. Walz imposed a pause in response to soaring COVID-19 cases in November.

Staff at Chester's Kitchen & Bar in Rochester say it felt like Christmas morning when waking up as employees are finally able to get back to serving dine-in customers.

The loosening of restrictions is just like the last time with socially distanced tables, hand sanitation stations and mask requirements.

General manager Henry Clarin says lunch on Monday was fairly normal in comparison to curbside pick-up orders but he said dinner was already packed full of reservations and added staff are ready for those customers.

He said, "There's so much energy in the air, you know, just the staff being able to reach out to us in the last 24 hours asking, 'When can I get started? What do I need to do?' The energy to open these restaurants back up is just fantastic right now."

Clarin also says this is an opportunity to support local businesses, maybe even spend a bit of your stimulus check, to businesses afloat.

"I think the importance is to keep your local businesses alive, not just the restaurant business but everybody that supplies us up and down the chain has been effected by this," he added. "It's just the importance of understanding what a local business can do for our local residents and we're waiting for you guys to come on board and come down and dine with us."

Restaurants are only allowed to serve customers until 10PM.
Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed state District Judge Lori I. Valenzuela to fill a vacant seat on the Fourth Court of Appeals.

The San Antonio-based panel hears both civil and criminal cases appealed from lower courts in 32 counties. Its the middle level in the appeals process, with the highest being the Supreme Court of Texas for civil cases and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Valenzuela, a Republican of San Antonio, has been presiding judge of the 437th District Court since 2009. She holds a bachelors degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and received her law degree from St. Marys University School of Law. She is adjunct professor at the University of Texas in San Antonio.

Valenzuela and state District Judge Jefferson Moore also preside over the Felony Veterans Treatment Court. She serves on several judicial boards, including the Bexar County Juvenile Board, and was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas as chair of the Court Reporter Advisory Committee.

Before she became a judge, Valenzuela was an attorney in private practice and a prosecutor with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office.

It is unclear when she will be sworn in to the Fourth Court bench, or who will be appointed to the 437th.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
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YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The number of daily COVID-19 cases in Armenia has declined both before and after the New Year and Christmas holidays, Deputy director general of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention Gayane Sahakyan told a press conference in Armenpress, adding that the reproduction number of the virus as of the past 14 days is 0.84, whereas in the previous period it was 1.43.

We should not forget that various contacts took place during the New Year holidays, it is expected that the number of new cases will grow. If we take into account the fact that the classes have also started, we will have a certain rise in the number of new cases, Gayane Sahakyan said.

As of January 12, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Armenia is 162,643, the death rate is 1.8%. Currently, 8,300 patients are under treatment. Mrs. Sahakyan said there is no problem with the tests.

As for the re-infection, the specialist said even the World Health Organization doesnt have a concrete definition on re-infection, as, she noted, the virus is new and is not well studied.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Appointment

12 January 2021

First Hospitality, a hotel management, acquisition, development, and consulting company, announces the appointment of Natalie Stone to vice president of business development. Stone brings over 24 years of hotel, restaurant, real estate, fund management, and development experience to her new role.

In her role, Stone is responsible for developing new management contracts nationwide working in collaboration with Jordan Bernstein, who oversees different regions in the same role as vice president of business development at First Hospitality. Stone and Bernstein are tasked with expanding the company's portfolio of third-party managed hotels.

Before her work with First Hospitality, Stone held the position of vice president of development at Red Lion Hotels Corporation where she was responsible for the growth of the company's upscale and lifestyle brands. Stone also owned a private consulting firm, Grand Hospitality Consultants, where she focused on creating value for hotel assets. She helped hotel clients increase their revenues by 21% and their satisfaction scores by 34%.

Stone holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from California State University. She is an active member of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Women's Professional Network, Hotel Industry Professionals, and the Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
America is set to present dramatic new evidence that the virus leaked from a Wuhan lab  in the final act of the Trump administration.

Senior officials in Washington say that outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to make a bombshell intervention.

They say he will reveal evidence that SARS-CoV-2 did not leap naturally from bats, pangolins or other species to humans.

Instead he will claim it was cultured by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology  where Chinese and foreign experts have warned of poor bio-security for years.

British Foreign Office and security sources confirmed they were expecting the claims from Washington but dismissed them in advance, saying all the credible scientific evidence does not point to a leak from the laboratory.

Researchers work in a lab of Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei province, China

Pictured: Virologists work in the P4 lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in central China

They said this view was backed up intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic, adding: The established view of the US intelligence community suggests the pandemic was natural in origin.

Yesterday Boris Johnson backed the theory the virus first infected humans at the Wuhan wet market, where pangolins were among the live species on offer.

But Mr Pompeo is also set to cite close links between the Institute and the Peoples Liberation Army.

He will point out its highest security section has always had a dual use military and civilian purpose.

He is also expected to accuse the World Health Organisation of assisting in a Chinese cover-up by refusing to probe the labs possible role.

Its ten-person team tasked with investigating the pandemics origins will arrive in Wuhan tomorrow  but there is no mention of the lab in its official terms of reference.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said it was vital the WHO team probe the institute as the possible origin of the pandemic.

He said: We dont know whether this virus was natural or artificially created, and if it came from the lab, whether this was an accident or deliberate. It would be immoral and foolish to allow any sort of cover-up.

Investigation: Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said it was vital the WHO team probe the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China (pictured) as the possible origin of the Covid pandemic

If it emerges the virus did come from the lab, China will become the pariah of the world.

China expert Sam Armstrong of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank said: The global public has a right to know exactly what was going on prior to the emergence of this deadly pandemic. The question cannot be shirked.

Dr Alina Chan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, who has been investigating the start of the pandemic, pointed out Beijing had already dismissed the theory that wildlife at the wet market was the source.

She said: It is critically important we do locate the origin if something like this is not to happen again.

'We have to take the necessary steps to do a proper investigation and, based on the available information, I dont think the WHO is up to the task.

David Relman, professor of microbiology at Stanford in California, has voiced fears that the Institute was genetically engineering natural viruses in ways that made them more transmissible.

Boris Johnson in a Protect The Pangolin t-shirt in 2018, while jogging with then Australian counterpart foreign minister Julie Bishop

He wrote in an academic article in November: If SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab to cause the pandemic, it will become critical to understand the chain of events and prevent this from happening again.

In 2018, US officials visited the Wuhan lab and warned of a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators.

Chinese reports reveal that in 2019, local Communist leaders warned of lax management and bio-security.

New safety guidelines were issued as late as January last year  when the pandemic was already starting to rage.

The labs highest security P4 section was built with French help in a deal signed off by Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. But after it opened in 2015, the French contingent due to work there were pushed out by Chinas military.

A WHO spokesman said of its investigation: We will follow the science.

All the evidence points to cover-up...(but the truth can't be hidden for ever)

Commentary by Edward Lucas

Secrets, lies and thuggery are the hallmark of the Chinese Communist regime. And in the mystery of the devastating Wuhan virus, all three are combined.

The strongest evidence of a crime is a cover-up. And the Chinese authorities have provided that.

They have fought ferociously to prevent an international inquiry into the pandemics origins.

Their repeated obstruction of the World Health Organisations fact-finding missions has provoked even that notoriously supine body to protest.

Even now, WHO investigators are being prevented from accessing the vitally important laboratory in Wuhan that is likely to be at the heart of Americas allegations.

Experts have been questioning the Chinese authorities account of events for a year. Now, it appears, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to make a direct accusation.

Was it really pure chance the virus first attacked the human race in the only city in China with a research lab specialising in manipulating the worlds most dangerous viruses?

That would be as odd as a new disease emerging in the surroundings of Britains top-secret biological defence research establishment of Porton Down in Wiltshire.

To this day, scientists who support the theory that the virus is a mutation that emerged from Wuhans wet market have not been able to find a convincing candidate for the animal in which this mutation actually occurred.

The official explanation is the new virus was 96 percent identical to a bat virus, RaTG13, found in Yunnan province in southern China.

But as Chinese professor Botao Xiao pointed out in a paper in February, no such bats are sold at the citys markets. And the caves where they live are hundreds of miles away.

That paper disappeared from the internet. Mr Xiao  perhaps mindful of the fate that awaits those in China who promote inconvenient truths  disavowed it.

Many scientists privately assumed an engineered virus released via a laboratory accident was at least as likely as the idea of a series of stunningly unfortunate chance mutations.

Virologist Shi Zhengli inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province

After all, Shi Zhengli, the Chinese scientist nicknamed Bat Woman was a regular visitor to those caves. When news of the outbreak broke, she initially feared that a leak from her research institute was to blame.

That thought alone should have prompted a full-scale and searching inquiry. Instead, the Chinese Ministry of Education issued a diktat: Any paper that traces the origin of the virus must be strictly and tightly managed.

But even the Chinese regime cannot hold back the truth forever. Over the past twelve months independent research, official leaks and news reports have strengthened the lab-leak hypothesis.

In February a Taiwanese professor, Fang Chi-tai, highlighted a curious feature of the viruss genetic code, which would make it more effective in attacking targeted cells. This was unlikely to be the result of a natural mutation, he suggested.

Much scientific research involves modifying viruses to understand how they function. Many observers have worried for years that the risks of such experiments are not properly thought through.

Lab safety procedures are riddled with potential loopholes and flaws: breakages, animal bites, faulty equipment or simple mis-labelling can all lead to a deadly pathogen reaching its first human victim. If so, such carelessness has now cost tens of millions of lives.

Yet we should be clear. The Chinese authorities are ruthless. But even they would not unleash a global plague.

Only in the fevered imagination of conspiracy theorists is Beijing deliberately waging biological warfare on the West.

Pictured: A woman walks past a shop on a street selling deep-fried scales of endangered pangolins, or scaly anteaters, in Hong Kong despite being the subject of an international ban

Pictured: The Wuhan Institute of Virology

Paradoxically, such speculation  promoted by among others President Donald Trumps former adviser Steve Bannon  may have hampered the search for the truth, by making the lab-release theory seem racist and politically toxic.

In February, in Britains politically correct medical journal, the Lancet, scientists published an open letter denouncing conspiracy theories and rumours, urging solidarity with Chinese colleagues.

Yet it was just those colleagues who were bearing the brunt of the regimes frantic attempts to censor the truth about the outbreak.

The Chinese regime prizes self-preservation above all  certainly over the truth, or the health of its own people, let alone the lives of foreigners.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed in a phone call Tuesday with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlic Radman means of advancing bilateral relations, as well as a number of issues and files of common interest.



In the phone call initiated by Radman, the two ministers praised Egypt-Croatia relations, asserting the importance of continuing work on bolstering them in all fields of joint cooperation, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.



They also agreed on continuing bilateral coordination in international forums in a way that serves the interests of Cairo and Zagreb.



During the phone call, Shoukry said Egypt attaches importance to fostering its economic and trade relations with Croatia, noting that he invited the Croatian side to boost investments in Egypt in light of the economic reforms taken by the government.

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Sneak Peek Studio Event Art has been such a gift to me in challenging times, helping me process what Im going through and also helping me focus on the light, beauty and color found around me  the silver-lining.

Light has long been an object of fascination for award-winning local artist Anette Power, informing both how and what she paints. There is, after all, light that can be seen and painted, and then theres the joy and lightness of feeling that can only be conveyed in an artists choice of subject matter. In Silver Linings: Journey of Light, her upcoming solo exhibition of 35 oil paintings at the Santa Paula Art Museum, Power hopes that her art will inspire viewers to consider the bright spots in their own lives. Silver Linings will be on view from February 6, 2021 to May 30, 2021. There will be a free, virtual sneak peek of the exhibition streamed live from the artists studio on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. The public is invited to register for the online event at http://www.santapaulaartmuseum.org/events. (In the event that the Museum remains closed to the public due to COVID restrictions, the entire exhibit will be available to enjoy online at http://www.santapaulaartmuseum.org beginning February 6, 2021.)

In my life and in my art, light is synonymous with joy and an antidote to difficulties and darkness, says Power. Im always looking for the silver lining. The artist has long been admired for her ability to portray the beauty in everyday objects and moments: old cars and boats, children at play, charming homes and storefronts. For this exhibit it felt particularly meaningful to Power to shine a light on family, everyday life, and ordinary activities  things that now seem extraordinary due to the pandemic. Art has been such a gift to me in challenging times, helping me to process what Im going through, Anette adds.

One experimental approach that the artist has used in her most recent works was to start out with a mess of color. Instead of laying down just one paint color on her canvas to start, she would begin with a random assortment of colors. Creating an image out of this chaos of colors seemed like a tangible way to make sense of the unknown. Many of the pieces in the upcoming exhibit also showcase back-lit subjects. For Anette, placing a light source behind the subject was the closest thing to painting a silver lining.

Born on an island off the Swedish coast, Anette Power spent more than a decade working in animation as a background painter for studios like Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network and Universal. She is an artist member of the California Art Club and has been an active board member of the Westlake Village Art Guild for eight years. She maintains a working studio in Newbury Park, California. Power is well-known for her popular painting demonstrations and is a respected juror for art competitions. Her work has been shown in numerous galleries and museum exhibits and has garnered several Best of Show awards. Her paintings are collected widely throughout the U.S. and in Sweden. To learn more about Anette, please visit http://www.anettepower.com.

The Santa Paula Art Museum occupies two historic buildings located at 117 N 10th Street and 123 N 10th Street in downtown Santa Paula. The Museum features rotating exhibitions of vintage and contemporary art, art classes for children and adults, monthly Free Family Days, creative community events, a well-curated gift shop, and more. In support of public health directives, the Museum is currently closed until further notice. Please visit the Museums website at http://www.santapaulaartmuseum.org for the most up to date information including when the Museum will reopen to the public. To contact the Museum, please call (805) 525-5554, or email info@santapaulaartmuseum.org.


Quarterly Activities Report 31 December 2020

Perth, Jan 12, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to provide the December 2020 Quarterly Activities Report. Horizon is a gold production, development and exploration company with a key focus in the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie regions of Western Australia.HIGHLIGHTS- Trial mining completed and results of two toll milling campaigns released from the Boorara gold mine, 10km east of Kalgoorlie - Boulder in the Western Australian Goldfields- Total open pit material movement of 513,000 BCM with total ore mined (high and low grade) of 267,000t at a mine claimed grade of 1.23g/t Au for 10,560 ounces mined- Second toll milling campaign produced 1,845 ounces from the processing of 46,700t at a reconciled feed grade of 1.30g/t Au and gold recovery of 95.1%- Third toll milling campaign produced 2,491 ounces from the processing of 50,270t at a reconciled feed grade of 1.62g/t Au and gold recovery of 95.0%- Gold sales for the Quarter of 3,374 ounces raising $8.47 million in revenue at an average sale price of $2,512 per ounce generating $4.36 million in net cash flow- Excellent drilling results received from Binduli and Rose Hill as part of the 70,000m reserve conversion, resource growth and new discovery drilling program- Updated Mineral Resource estimate for the Rose Hill gold project demonstrating high grade open cut and underground potential- Acquisition of the Kalpini gold project completed for $2.75 million in cash- Agreement reached for the acquisition of 50% of the high grade Penny's Find underground gold project for $1.5 million in cash- Positive Pre-Feasibility Study released for the Richmond-Julia Creek vanadium JV- Finance and technical team strengthened ahead of a significant growth phase- Cash on hand at Quarter end of $15.9 million and listed investments totalling $5.4 millionA key focus for the Company is on exploration upside within our tenement package of 890 km2 with up to four drill rigs currently operating as part of the largest ever 70,000m exploration program. Horizon holds numerous non-core assets including royalties, listed investments and a joint venture in place covering the 1.8Bt Richmond-Julia Creek Vanadium Project in North Queensland.Primary activities during the Quarter included trial mining and toll milling at Boorara, continuation of a 70,000m reserve conversion, resource growth and new discovery drilling program, resource modelling and mine optimisation studies as part of the consolidated Feasibility Study, release of the Richmond vanadium PFS, review of further regional consolidation, joint venture and divestment opportunities and strengthening of the team ahead of significant growth phase.To view the quarterly report, please visit:About Horizon Minerals Limited

Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed.

Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline.

Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage.

Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

By Fan Jishe

US President Donald Trump has altered the almost four-decade-old framework for Sino-US relationship, thanks to his "America first" and anti-China policies, and turned it from one of engagement and cooperation to one of strategic competition. As a result, bilateral ties have been in a free fall over the past couple of years.

Nobody knows when and how the free fall will stop, and which direction Sino-US ties will take, which has left many observers wondering whether the deteriorating bilateral relationship will lead to a military conflict between China and the United States over the Taiwan question or the South China Sea issue.

But with Joe Biden taking over as US president just over a week, the two countries may pause and rethink their policies, and adopt some damage-control measures, and thus turn a new page in bilateral relations.

It is highly likely that domestic issues will top the incoming Biden administration's political agenda, but that does not necessarily mean one or both sides cannot take some measures in the short term to stabilize bilateral relations. Such measures can be categorized into to-do and not-to-do lists.

First, the two sides should not take any actions that could intensify the war of words. The war of words that started with the Sino-US trade disputes in 2018 has spread to almost every bilateral dispute toward the fag end of Trump's presidency. And not surprisingly, instead of resolving the disputes, the war of words has poisoned the atmosphere for bilateral relations. So stopping the war of words could and should be the top priority of the two sides after Trump leaves the White House.

Second, the two countries should not take any more actions that could further jeopardize educational exchanges. The US National Security Strategy Report 2017 said Washington "will consider restrictions on foreign STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) students from designated countries" and, according to some media reports, top White House aide Stephen Miller once tried to persuade Trump to cancel all student visas for Chinese nationals.

Over the past almost four years, the US administration has taken restrictive and punitive measures not only against Chinese scholars and students but also Chinese high-tech companies. But since educational exchanges are an important part of people-to-people exchanges, which promote mutual understanding and make bilateral ties more resilient, it is neither fair nor justifiable for the US to target students.

And third, the two sides should not take any further actions against media outlets and journalists. The Trump administration has especially targeted Chinese media outlets and journalists, with China being forced to respond in kind. But such actions and reactions are not conducive to facilitating mutual understanding. Instead, they could worsen bilateral relations.

On the other hand, the two countries need to take certain measures to prevent bilateral ties from deteriorating further. To start with, they should reopen the official communication channels. The Trump administration has closed almost all bilateral communication channels, arguing that such dialogues are not result-oriented. The fact is that although dialogues themselves cannot resolve disputes immediately, they could improve mutual understanding and address each other's concerns, ultimately leading to possible solutions.

Besides, this is the time for the two sides to jointly assess the possibility of working together to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. China and the US had a good record of cooperation in the fight against epidemics since the early 2000s, but Trump reduced the number of personnel in the Beijing offices of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute of Health, and closed the National Science Foundation's office entirely, bringing Sino-US cooperation on combating diseases to a halt. But since China has always been willing to work with the US, Biden should revive the cooperation to boost the global fight against the pandemic.

This is also the right time to jointly assess the possibility of the two countries coordinating and cooperating to meet other global challenges, such as nuclear proliferation and climate change. Biden has said that after he assumes office the US will return to the Paris Agreementand the Iran nuclear deal provided Teheran abides all the conditions of the deal. Beijing and Washington can certainly work together on these issues of common interests.

Moreover, the Trump administration's confrontational policy toward China has caused chaos which neither side has benefited from. So it is time the US changed its tack and returned to diplomacy and dialogue to meet the common and global challenges. The items on the to-do and not-to-do lists are not politically sensitive, yet they are important steps that should be taken to stabilize bilateral relations.

The author is a senior fellow at the Institute for International Strategic Studies, Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The IHG Owners Association, which represents the interests of IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) franchise hotel owners worldwide, announced today that John Muehlbauer has been appointed to the role of chief executive officer.

John Muehlbauer

Muehlbauer will continue to uphold the Association's mission of maximizing owners' investments in their IHG-branded hotels. Additionally, he will serve as the primary liaison between the Association and IHG corporate. Muehlbauer succeeds Don Berg, who has been the Association's CEO since 2015. Berg announced his intention to retire at the end of 2019 and participated in the CEO successor search. Berg will remain with the Association as a consultant for the next six months to ensure a smooth, uninterrupted transition.

Muehlbauer is a Georgia native who brings 25 years of hospitality and service industry experience to his new role. He served in various positions at IHG for 13 years, including roles in distribution, sales and marketing, loyalty and corporate planning. Among his many accomplishments, Muehlbauer was heavily involved in the rebranding of IHG's Priority Club Rewards to IHG Rewards Club. Prior to joining IHG, Muehlbauer earned his MBA from Georgia State University and a business degree from Georgia Tech. He then spent 12 years at Delta Air Lines, where he held roles in corporate planning, IT sourcing, consumer marketing and product management, among others.

"I'm honored to have been chosen for this position," said Muehlbauer. "This is an unprecedented time for our industry. We know owners are really hurting, and we have to find ways to help them survive and get to the other side. Don has done tremendous work over the past five years, and I plan to continue building on all that he has accomplished for members. I look forward to working with the entire team at the Association to further owners' interests and help them focus on survival and recovery in 2021 and beyond."

Kerry Ranson, chief development officer at HP Hotels and 2015 Association Global Board of Directors chair, served on the Association's CEO hiring committee. "We took a thoughtful, measured approach in our search for the next CEO," said Ranson. "We were clear on the attributes that were necessary for success in the role and specifically sought out candidates with those qualities. John's extensive experience with not just the hotel industry, but IHG as well, makes him a fantastic fit for the Association." Ranson added, "John's history with our organization in his past roles at IHG lend him an understanding of its processes andmore importantlyshowed him first-hand how seriously the Association takes its role as the voice of IHG-branded hotel owners all over the world."

Muehlbauer and his management team will be collaborating extensively with the Association Board on all initiatives. Chair Wayne West III and the other 2020 Board members will continue to serve the Association in their current positions through 2021, ensuring consistency and strength at a time when owners continue to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IHG Owners Association, originally established by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson in 1955, was the first association of its kind in the hotel industry. The global organization currently represents the interests of more than 4,700 owners and operators of nearly 3,700 IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) properties in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean (AMER); Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEAA); and Greater China. The Association is a voice for its members and plays an integral role in communicating with IHG leadership on issues related to franchised hotel operations. The IHG family of brands includes Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites and Candlewood Suites. For additional information, visit https://www.owners.org/.

Media Contact:

Susie O'Connell

Director, Marketing & Communications

IHG Owners Association

404-405-9136

[email protected]

SOURCE IHG Owners Association

Related Links

http://www.owners.org


The press release was updated on 18th January 2021 to provide some clarification on the numbers.

Drinking water in several cities and regions in China contains high levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), according to a study published in Environmental Sciences Europe. The findings, from a team of researchers at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, suggest that elimination of these chemicals from drinking water in affected cities and regions in China is urgently needed and that PFAS released from industries and other sources need better control and reduction.

PFASs are a group of chemicals used to make coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, and grease, such as clothing, adhesives, food packaging, and heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces. They are highly durable and the widespread presence of PFASs in the environment and related exposures and adverse health effects such as impaired lipid metabolism, thyroid hormone levels and the immune system which have been shown in animals, have received increased attention in recent years. However, PFASs are not routinely monitored in drinking water in many parts of the world, including China.

To better understand the current status of PFAS contamination and the potential for human exposure, the researchers reviewed evidence from 30 available research studies on PFASs in Chinese drinking water, including 526 drinking water samples across 66 cities in China with a total of approximately 452 million inhabitants.

Dr Jun Huang, the corresponding author said: "Although several PFASs especially perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), have been gradually phased out in North America and Europe since 2002, some Asian countries, especially China, still produce these chemicals. As a result, there is a potential risk of ground- and surface water contamination associated with PFAS being released into the environment. This raises concerns regarding the presence of PFASs in drinking water, direct exposure to humans and potential toxic effects."

The authors found that populations in East China and the Southwest regions were at relatively higher risk from PFAS exposure, compared to other regions. Some cities in the Yangtze River basin such as Zigong, Jiujiang and Lianyungang exceeded health-based guidelines issued by EU and US agencies.

Zigong (502.9 ng/L), Lianyungang (332.6 ng/L), Changshu (122.4 ng/L), Chengdu (119.4 ng/L), Wuxi (93.6 ng/L) and Hangzhou (74.1 ng/L) were the cities with the highest total concentrations of 18 PFASs in drinking water.

Dr Huang said: "The total concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in several cities are well in excess of the non-enforceable 70 ng/L health advisory published by the the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2016. Individual US States have set maximum contaminant levels that are even more stringent than the federal guidelines, such as Vermont, which set a maximum contaminant level of 20 ng/L for five PFASs (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFHpA, and PFNA, individually or combined) in 2019."

The authors also found that the drinking water in more than 40% of the studied cities exceeded the notification levels of 5.1 ng/L for PFOA and 6.5 ng/L for PFOS issued by the US state of California in 2019. Exposure to these PFOA and PFOS has been associated with adverse health outcomes including increased incidence of testicular and kidney cancer, reduced fertility and fecundity, immune suppression and thyroid disorders in animal studies.

The authors suggest that the high levels of PFASs in some cities and regions investigated in China are mainly due to intensive industrial activities, specifically fluoropolymer (PTFE) production and high population density in those regions.

The authors also investigated the potential daily exposure to PFASs via drinking water for the Chinese population, using the average and maximum concentrations of PFOA and PFOS previously recognized as posing a health concern.

The authors found that compared with a standard proposed in 2018 by the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of a tolerable intake of 3 ng/kg per single day, PFOA intake for the Chinese population exceeds 3 ng/kg per single day in Zigong, Jiujiang, Lianyungang, Foshan, Suzhou, Wuxi, Haining, Changshu, Shijiazhuang, Zibo and Shanghai. These levels are also in excess of the new tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 ng/kg for the sum of PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA, which was established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2020. The authors also found that the risk of PFAS intake is higher for infants, due to their relatively higher water consumption.

Dr Huang said: "While there are currently no guidelines for PFASs in drinking water in China, in 2019, a Chinese health advisory first suggested values of 85 ng/L for PFOA and 47 ng/L for PFOS in China. Our results indicate that PFASs in drinking water in some Chinese cities have exceeded these levels, and most of the cities have exceeded stringent international guideline levels. Therefore, further monitoring as well as control and treatment measures are urgently needed."

The authors caution that more research is needed to understand the possible health effects associated with long-term exposure in cities and regions with high levels of PFAS, especially in areas with PFASs-related manufacturing plants. Moreover, better monitoring of PFASs in drinking water is needed in remote areas, to provide a full overview of PFAS contamination in Chinese drinking water.

###

Media Contact

Anne Korn

Senior Communications Manager

Springer Nature

T: +44 (0) 2031 9227 44

E: anne.korn@springernature.com

Notes to editor:

1. Research article:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution

Liu et al. Environmental Sciences Europe 2021

DOI: 10.1186/s12302-020-00425-3

For an embargoed copy of the research article please contact Anne Korn at Springer Nature.

After the embargo lifts, the article will be available here: https:/ / enveurope. springeropen. com/ articles/ 10. 1186/ s12302-020-00425-3

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article.

2. ESEU is an international journal, focusing primarily on Europe, with a broad scope covering all aspects of environmental sciences, including the main topic regulation. ESEU will discuss the entanglement between environmental sciences and regulation because, in recent years, there have been misunderstandings and even disagreement between stakeholders in these two areas. ESEU will help to improve the comprehension of issues between environmental sciences and regulation. ESEU will be an outlet from the German-speaking (DACH) countries to Europe and an inlet from Europe to the DACH countries regarding environmental sciences and regulation. Moreover, ESEU will facilitate the exchange of ideas and interaction between Europe and the DACH countries regarding environmental regulatory issues. Although Europe is at the center of ESEU, the journal will not exclude the rest of the world, because regulatory issues pertaining to environmental sciences can be fully seen only from a global perspective.
Becca Balint writes from Brattleboro on history, politics and culture. She currently serves as Senate President Pro Tem in the Vermont Legislature. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer.


From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

When the coronavirus health crisis closed the businesses of a restaurant owner in Chicago, he decided to get involved in something else -- saving animals!

Eduard Seitan is co-owner and operator of nine restaurants and food supply businesses in Chicago. But he also is a volunteer airplane pilot for Pilots-n-Paws, an animal rescue organization. On its website, Pilots-n-Paws says its efforts have led to the rescue of over 150,000 animals.

Seitan himself has flown over 25 missions and has transported about 60 animals to safety. His fiancee Debbie often flies with him on the rescue missions.

The stuff that I see that humans do to their dogs drives me absolutely crazy. Like, Debbie showed me a video yesterday of a dog that was so  so badly injured  that I could not stop crying.

All the animals, Seitan explains, are being rescued from kill shelters. These shelters destroy pets that do not find new owners after a period of time. The animals also are rescued from unhealthy conditions. Most of the dogs, he said, have suffered great abuse.

The Pilots-n-Paws website is a meeting place for animal rescue volunteers, volunteer pilots, and plane owners. Seitan heard about the organization in 2018 and quickly joined as a volunteer.

A few days later, on New Years Eve, he flew his first mission. A dog named Phoebe was heading to a kill shelter. Seitans part of the mission was to fly the dog to Missouri and then another pilot was to fly her to her new home in Idaho.

The mission was a success. Phoebe was saved. The dogs new owner, a blind woman, recently sent Seitan a picture of Phoebe and her together. The womans husband wrote that Phoebe has brought great happiness to his wifes life.

After that first mission, Seitan was hooked. He wanted to save more dogs and other pets.

Besides Phoebe, do you have any other missions that stick out in your memory?

Oh, most of them, my God. I can recite almost every single one...

He talks lovingly of Bella, a dog that wandered into the U.S. diplomatic offices in Bosnia-Herzegovina and would not leave. Diplomats there flew the dog to Chicago and then Seitan flew Bella to her new home in Wisconsin.

Another of Seitans missions was to save a dog named Hero. Hero was severely abused. He was used as a target while humans shot fireworks at him.

Hero was used for target practice for fireworks, so he had... Oh my gosh. Yeah, he was just as target practice and he had burns everywhere - burns on his forehead, hind legs, belly, everywhere.

Seitan said he has long been a dog lover. Flying airplanes came later. However, flying was a childhood dream that almost did not happen. When he was young, a neighbor in Romania told Seitan that he would never be a pilot. So, he forgot his dream of flying.

He did not realize his dream until 2007. That year, a customer threatened to never eat at his restaurant again if Seitan did not come flying with him. Not wanting to lose a long-time customer, Seitan agreed. Soon after, he bought his own plane for about $34,000 and has not stopped flying.

Chicagos restaurants hit hard by COVID-19

Born in Bucharest, Romania, Seitan grew up in the mountains surrounding that city. During our interview, he shared a detail from his childhood in Romania.

Let me just say to you and to your audience that I grew up in Romania listening to Voice of America on shortwave radio. (Get out!) Oh, absolutely. My dad had a big radio and that was a nightly thing that we did. We sat around the table [at] dinner time and we listened to Voice of America. For us, that was a lifeline. That was the only way to get outside news. So, yeah, I thank Voice of America for that.

In 1992, Seitan moved to the United States and began working in the restaurant business.

He was good at it. Seitan and his business partner employed more than 1,000 people in their 11 restaurants and food shops. But when the COVID-19 health crisis hit, they had to close two businesses permanently. Most of the others remain closed for winter. They also had to cut their number of employees to about 100.

Many Chicago restaurants have not survived, even well-known ones. Seitans restaurant, Blackbird, is one of them.

Every day you see news about another victim of the pandemic, another beloved restaurant, closing down. When we closed Blackbird, there was an outcry because Blackbird is  was the oldest, fine dining, Michelin-starred restaurant in the city.

When talking about his food service businesses, Seitan is looking toward the future. He hopes spring will bring better times for Chicagos restaurant culture.

He also believes in luck and knocks on wood to get a little of it.

And now we have about nine shops or so. Some of them are dormant for this winter. Let me knock on wood, hopefully we'll -- I just knocked on wood -- hopefully, we'll re-open all of them in the spring!

But for now, Seitan is putting his time, money, and energy into helping these animals. He says it is his way of helping.

We all give back in our own ways. Everyone does something. And this is my way.

It has also helped him get through this period of uncertainty.

And thats the Health & Lifestyle report.

Im Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor.

Quiz - Pandemic Closes Restaurants, Owner Flies to Save Dogs Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

mission  n. a specific task with which a person or a group is charged

fiancee  n. a woman engaged to be married

pet  n. a tame animal kept as a companion rather than for work

crazy  adj. unable to think in a clear or sensible way

hooked  v. fascinated by or devoted to something

sticks out  v. to be prominent or conspicuous : to be obvious and clear

recite  v. to repeat from memory or read aloud publicly

customer  n. one that purchases a commodity or service

knocks on wood  interjection said to ward off bad luck

dormant  v. not doing anything at this time : not active but able to become active
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan have been working on their new house for quite some time. The actors have bought new space for quite some time now, which is a building across from their current residence Fortune Heights in Bandra (Mumbai). During the lockdown, we had seen Saif making sure that the new house was being made perfectly and was constantly seen hopping between the houses. Now last night Kareena Kapoor Khan confirms moving out of their new house with an Instagram post.







In the picture last night, Kareena hosted a girls-night for her squad Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora and Mallika Bhatt. In the caption, she hinted that this is their last night at Fortune Heights and she was fortunate to have many good memories at that space. Today Times of India speaks to Randhir Kapoor and the actress father reveals more details about the couples new house. The senior actor said, Yup, they are moving into a new house. It has been done up and it was bought a few years ago. They are moving in but I am not aware of the date as yet.



The new house has been designed by Darshini Shah who has also designed Saifeenas Fortune Heights and office spaces for Dinesh Vijan and Imtiaz Ali. The new house has a balcony, a nursery, spacious rooms and of course a spacious library where Saif Ali Khan loves to spend his time. Now that Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are all set to welcome their second baby anytime in the coming weeks, the couple wants to move into the new house to bring in their bundle of joy in a new house.
Supplier News

12 January 2021

Founded in 2017, the disruptive Cloud Data Hub that exposes event streams and transactional APIs from hotel systems at scale topped all other hospitality "marketplace and integration" providers on its way to securing a perfect score of 100 on HotelTechReport.

MIAMI - Hapi, the industry's leading platform for fast and cost-effective connectivity between technology systems, has won the 2021 HotelTechAward for top Hospitality Marketplace and Integrator.

The award, based on reviews from a community of verified hotel technology users across more than 120 countries, comes after a year of incredible growth for Hapi, in which the company partnered with dozens of leading hotel companies and nearly 100 technology suppliers.

"We are incredibly humbled by the support of our hotel and technology partners," says Luis Segredo, founder and CEO of Data Travel, the company behind Hapi. "This award represents countless hours of hard work and determination by our team in an effort to revolutionize the technology integrations process. Building a modern hotel tech stack has been a top challenge for hoteliers for decades, and we're proud to have built an efficient tool to make integrations easier, quicker and more cost effective."

For hoteliers, Hapi accelerates innovation by providing fast and cost-effective connectivity between systems, allowing hotel companies to integrate to new technology quickly and transfer data across platforms seamlessly and securely. Hapi allows technology suppliers to scale faster by building one connection to Hapi and gaining access to an entire network of suppliers ready to share data and information in real time.

In addition, Hapi's Salesforce Connector allows hotel groups to better connect with their guests, providing a solution to store, analyze and serve up guest profiles, preferences and stay information that provides marketers with a true 360-degree view of their guests.

"Hapi is the solution for all our technical problems. They make integration seamless and easy. No more worries about data from multiple sources," wrote one Corporate Director of Information Technology on the HotelTechReport website. "The Hapi solution simplifies integrations and lowers upfront and ongoing costs, addressing a major pain point of the hospitality technology ecosystem."

Sharing a passion for helping connect hoteliers with the right technology providers for their unique businesses, Hapi has been a long-time supporter of HotelTechReport. Each month, more than 100,000 hotel industry professionals use HotelTechReport.com to make informed purchasing decisions. The HotelTechAwards determine the best hotel software products across every category based primarily on customer feedback, but also key data points integration compatibility, organizational health, partner network strength, and customer support quality.

"Winning a HotelTechAward is the highest achievement in the industry because it's based on real data. Hoteliers trust this award when making purchase decisions because scoring is transparent and participation is ubiquitous amongst the most reputable vendors in the industry," says Jordan Hollander, CEO of HotelTechReport.

The HotelTechAwards were created as a democratized way to help hoteliers quickly determine best-of-breed vendors based on data they can trust. Judging is based on time-tested ranking factors, publicly available data and crowdsourced insights from verified hoteliers who have hands-on experience with each product.

For more information on Hapi or to schedule a demo, visit www.hapicloud.io.

ABOUT HOTEL TECH REPORT

Hotel Tech Report is the world's largest online community for technology insights and digital transformation strategies in the massive hotel industry. Our mission is to arm hotel owners and managers with the tools they need to leverage modern digital technologies and solve real-world business problems. Everything that we do is built upon a foundation of trust and transparency provided by authentic verified peer and expert reviews. Each month we help nearly 100,000 hoteliers learn about technology solutions and strategies that make their properties more efficient and solve their most pressing business problems.
Tesco and Asda become latest supermarkets to ban shoppers without face masks

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 12th, 2021

Supermarket chains Tesco and Asda are following Morrisons and Sainsburys by banning customers who refuse to wear a face covering without a medical exemption.

Yesterday Morrisons said customers who refuse to wear a mask without a medical exemption will be told to leave stores.

Morrisons, which has a store in Wrexham, said it had introduced and consistently maintained thorough and robust safety measures in all our stores since the start of the pandemic.

But it said: From today (Monday) we are further strengthening our policy on masks.





Morrisons Chief executive David Potts said: Those who are offered a face covering and decline to wear one wont be allowed to shop at Morrisons unless they are medically exempt.

Sainsburys also said it would challenge those not wearing a mask or who were shopping in groups.

Tesco, which has stores in the town and Cefn Mawr, said: To protect our customers and colleagues, we wont let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with Government guidance.

We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless theyre a carer or with children.

To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.

Our colleagues are working hard in difficult circumstances to make sure everyone can get what they need and wed ask everyone to please be kind, patient and respectful as we all work to keep each other safe.

An Asda spokesman said if customers had forgotten their face coverings, it would continue to offer them one free of charge.

But should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry,

First minister Mark Drakeford said last week the Welsh Government will work with major retailers to make sure that people are safe when we go out shopping.

It comes amid growing calls supermarkets and stores that have remained open to tighten measures to help protect staff and shoppers.

Speaking at Fridays Welsh Government briefing First Minister Mark Drakeford said that he had been receiving more inquiries about safety in supermarkets than any other issue in recent weeks.

He said: Those inquiries are expressing anxiety on behalf of the public, that the visible protections that they could see back in March, April and May of last year dont appear to be there this time, despite the fact that in many ways with a more aggressive strain of the virus, those protections are needed even more.

What we are talking to the supermarkets about is a more visible set of measures. You will know that back then, if you went to a supermarket, there was always somebody at the front door. That person was carefully controlling the numbers of people going into the supermarket to make sure that we were no more than a certain number of people in the store at any one time.

Sanitising arrangements were very visible at the front door, you were directed to where you would clean a trolley and make sure that it was safe to be used when you were in the store.

There were one way markings very prominently displayed, there would be our tannoy announcements regularly reminding people of the way in which they needed to conduct themselves in order to keep safe.

When you came to pay for goods at the checkout there was somebody there directing people to the checkout to make sure people werent queuing next to each other over prolonged periods. There were markings on the floor so people kept at a two meter distance.

Some of that is no longer as apparent to people as it was in the early days of a pandemic.

I want to make sure that those visible signs of the protections that are being offered to the public and the shop workers are in place again.

Weve worked very closely with supermarkets, theyve done a remarkably good job on our behalf.

We need to make sure that those things that give people confidence that everything is being done to keep them safe is being done in this lockdown, as they were back in March and April.
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Mark Skapof, Partner, RCCB

Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC (RCCB), a law firm offering a distinctive combination of practical business acumen, legal experience and entrepreneurial passion, is honored to announce that Partner Marc Skapof will serve as the 2021 Turnaround Management Association (TMA) NYC Chapter President. His term began on January 1, 2021, after he served as President-elect in 2020.

Marc is a partner in the Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group at RCCB. He focuses his practice on corporate bankruptcy, in- and out-of-court restructurings, debtor representations, creditors' rights, fiduciary representations, debt financing, distressed debt, lending, DIP and exit financing, bankruptcy litigation, distressed M&A, corporate governance, and bankruptcy-remote transactions. He is admitted to practice in New York, Illinois, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York and the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

"I am eager to begin my term as President of TMA NYC," said Marc. "While the pandemic and economic disruption have created so many challenges, it has been a privilege to contribute to the work done in 2020 by our NYC chapter. As President, I envision TMA NYC continuing as a valued source of knowledge for our industry.

Marc's TMA involvement includes leadership roles at the chapter level as the 2020 President-elect, Vice President of Programming from 2017-2020, and Director since 2016. Marc has participated in numerous CLE programs discussing cutting edge issues in bankruptcy law and distressed investing. He has been named a top Bankruptcy lawyer by New York Super Lawyers every year since 2014.

"Marc's innovative thinking and leadership style is a successful combination," said RCCB Executive Partner Neil Cooper, "He has made significant contributions to TMA, and we're looking forward to supporting him in his new role as President."

About Turnaround Management Association

TMA is a diverse group of professionals in the turnaround, restructuring, and corporate health space. TMA allows industry members to build their personal brand and develop their professional network. Members include turnaround specialists, attorneys, accountants, advisors, liquidators, consultants, academics, government employees, and members of the judiciary. Learn more at turnaround.org.

About Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC

RCCB combines sophisticated, cost-effective legal counseling with the type of sound practical judgment that comes from hands-on business experience. We encourage entrepreneurial approaches and creative thinking to empower ambition. We are attorneys who think and act like entrepreneurs and business people while maintaining the utmost in integrity and responsiveness. RCCB understands and delivers the advice that companies, business executives and investors, as well as individuals and their families, need to realize their hopes and goals. From offices in the Greater Philadelphia area and New York, RCCB serves clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Additional information about Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld is available at http://www.rccblaw.com.
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[January 11, 2021] Ovidiu Toma, CEO CryptoDATA: a good strategy, a strong team and the right actions can save a company during pandemic

Bucharest, Romania, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ovidiu Toma, Chief Executive of CryptoDATA, speaks exclusively about how the unexpected challenges of 2020 influenced his company, in the field of technology and secure digitization The year 2020 meant for so many a difficult milestone that got them closing the doors on their businesses or for others meant expansion and growth of shares. How would you describe your company and how COVID-19 pandemic influenced your company objectives?



Ovidiu Toma - CryptoDATA Tech is a company founded in 2013 that started its activity in Bucharest, Romania by developing the biggest encrypted information processing data-center in Europe. Since then, the company expanded its activity and presently offers technology development and production solutions within a wide range of fields as security and classified information, cryptographic modules and methods and advanced programming. The year 2020 was a wake-up call for all of us because nobody expected the challenges that surfaced due to the pandemic context and we had to make last-minute decisions in order to adapt to the overnight increase of use of digital technologies due to the social distancing norms and nationwide lockdowns.



To cope with remote working we also had to expand our team, bring new employees that never met each other, which it is also a big challenge because their work was very important for the company, but we took it as an opportunity to show to our partners and customers that we have the ability to adapt to an atypical market, particularly challenging at all levels. At the beginning of the year, I had the opportunity to be speaker at the Forbes CEE Forum 2020 where I presented the importance of confidential information and communication security while working remotely. Also, we proudly presented our innovative products: IMPulse K1 smartphone, BASM laptop  worlds first privacy-oriented devices, CryptoDATA Operating System and the security applications that we developed using Blockchain technology, which we want to continue o build upon.



In addition to all kinds of meetings and planning, in July, CryptoDATA launched in Stalpu, Buzau county, an R&D microsatellite. What did you hope to achieve with this launch? Ovidiu Toma - In July we have launched in the stratosphere the first set of equipment to validate the concept of encrypted global communication, Voice Over Blockchain Protocol. Specifically, a weather balloon raised a micro-satellite that reached an altitude of 126,000 ft. The strong point of our technology is the communication protocol developed by CryptoDATA, which ensures high end security.

The website is a business card for anyone who visits it and is surprised by the innovative products and ongoing projects. Ovidiu Toma - We develop and innovate. Voice Over Blockchain Protocol (VOBP), CryptodataOS, hardware encryption key, encrypted storage and encrypted apps are some of our products when it comes to cyber security. The security of data transfer, information, and secure communication channels have been our targets for the last three years. We are currently addressing the entire market, in order to expand our customer base and especially because the need for security of information is on high demand nowadays. What are CryptoDATAs plans for 2021? Ovidiu Toma - In spite of the fact that 2021 is different in so many ways from previous years, i am confident that our field of activity will significantly expand as all providers will need to focus on enhancing and integrating security, compliance and privacy into their offerings. For our innovative mobile devices, we are have been analyzing the possibility to develop our Secured Operating System on Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, and for laptops and computers we will continue the implementation with INTEL chipsets. Considering 2021 will be a "trial year, we are working tirelessly to achieve the highest milestones, researching and developing our technology to be fitted in the automotive industry and autonomous flight applications. Finally, a word to customers and partners? Ovidiu Toma - The COVID-19 pandemic came at unexpected times without knocking doors. It is our duty to identify ways to protect and expand our businesses. As a representative of CryptoDATA, i make sure and assure you as well, that the company will pursue innovation through its technologies, products and services. Our promise, and especially mine, is that we will invest all the neccessary resources in order to create an ecosystem that will provide privacy, decentralization, security and innovation globally. Media Contact Company Name: Cryptodata Tech

Contact Person: Emma M

Email: office@cryptodata.ro

City: Bucharest

State: Bucuresti

Country: Romania

Website: www.cryptodata.ro

This news has been published for the above source. Cryptodata Tech [ID=16381] Disclaimer: The information does not constitute advice or an offer to buy. Any purchase made from this story is made at your own risk. Consult an expert advisor/health professional before any such purchase. Any purchase made from this link is subject to the final terms and conditions of the website's selling. The content publisher and its distribution partners do not take any responsibility directly or indirectly. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the company this news is about.



Attachment CryptoDATA



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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
New Delhi: The finance ministry has rejected the demand for further extension of the last date for filing returns where audit is required beyond February 15.

Last month, the government had extended the income tax return (ITR) filing deadline for individuals till January 10, and for companies till February 15.

Income Tax return

"CBDT passes order u/s 119 of Income-tax Act, 1961 in F No. 370153/39/2020-TPL dt 11th January, 2021, disposing off the representations for extension of due date for filing of Audit Report u/s 44AB, in compliance with the order of hon'ble Gujarat High Court dt 8th January, 2021," the income tax department said in a tweet on Monday.

This was in response to the Gujarat High Court order dated January 8, 2021 in the case of The All India Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants versus Union of India directing the finance ministry to look into the issue of extension of due dates for filing of audit reports under Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act.

Income Tax Department

As per the provisions of the Act, the due date for filing of the audit report under Section 44AB is one month prior to the due date of filing of income tax return, it said.

On December 30, 2020, the government had announced extension of the last dates for filing of returns by individuals to January 10, 2021 from December 31, 2020.
A conceptual drawing of how a roundabout could be used at the junction of Routes 7 and 43 in Williamstown.

MassDOT Looks for Williamstown's Reaction to Idea of Roundabout at Five Corners

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Massachusetts Department of Transportation wants to know whether residents like the idea of a roundabout to address safety concerns at the junction of Routes 7 and 43 in South Williamstown.

The so-called Five Corners intersection features limited visibility for drivers entering the intersection from Route 43 either from the east (Green River Road) or the west (Hancock Road).

Currently, traffic on the east/west Route 43 is controlled by stop signs and a flashing red light. Motorists on the north/south U.S. Route 7 are controlled by a flashing yellow light and a widely ignored drop of speed limit at the approach to the intersection.

"I drive that intersection every day myself," said MassDOT District Project Development Engineer Mark Moore, who is based in the Lenox office. "I'm well aware of that [speed] issue. I cautioned our planners about that issue. But I don't think we have enough information at this time to fully assess that.

"There is, in theory, a speed reduction through the intersection but that, as everyone knows, unless the Williamstown Police Department happens to be sitting there, the control is almost non-existent."

Roundabouts  also known as rotaries or traffic circles  are known to reduce crash severity and reduce the likelihood of a crash. One was constructed in Adams at the difficult intersection of Route 8 and Friend Street several years ago.

"The number of fatal and serious injury crashes is likely to decrease by approximately 87 percent," according to data on a website created by Mass DOT to explain the proposal.

That website is being used by the state agency as a "virtual meeting," where residents can register, get information about the proposal and, through Feb. 3, comment on the idea.

Mass DOT's intention is to get the temperature of the community about the idea of a roundabout before making the financial investment in serious engineering, Moore said.

"It all depends on how the comments come out on the first presentation," he said. "If we have a resounding opposition, I suspect the project will just end at that point and we'll go back to the drawing board for other potential mitigation and come back to the public with a different plan.

"If it's split, I think we'll go into some further development of the plans and go back to the public in the future with development plans. We always have a design public hearing, too. Any project would have a design public hearing."

Other mitigations that could be used include increased signage and elimination of the "slip lanes" used by turning traffic at the intersection.

One thing likely off the table: adding the town's second stop light.

"The intersection doesn't warrant a stop light," Moore said. "The traffic volume is not significant enough. Although there have been very serious accidents there, they don't happen with enough frequency to warrant a traffic light for a safety measure.

"What we need to do is fix the sight line problem. [A roundabout] would be one way of mitigating the sight distance coming off Route 43.  I don't know if there are other solutions. The sight distance is difficult to mitigate given the amount of earth in agricultural land that is blocking the sight lines."

Routes 7 and 43 are under the jurisdiction of MassDOT. The town has no role in deciding how the issues ultimately are resolved, Town Planner Andrew Groff said on Monday.

Transportation officials hope that the comments recorded by the virtual meeting will give it a sense of whether the concept of a roundabout has support in the community.

"This is all new," Moore said of the virtual meeting. "I think COVID protocols have drastically changed our business model. We don't have a great deal of information on the virtual meeting format to know how it's going to work.

"Out east, there have been successful projects that have run on this model. I think this is probably the first time we've done it in our district."
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Government forms committee for vaccine rollout

THAILAND: The National Communicable Diseases Committee (NCDC) yesterday (Jan 11) formed a sub-committee and tasked it with overseeing the rollout of the governments free COVID-19 vaccinations.

CoronavirusCOVID-19drugshealth

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 12 January 2021, 08:50AM

A nurse at Thammasat Universitys field hospital walks out of a ward where the first COVID-19 patient was admitted after the facility started operations yesterday (Jan 11). The field hospital has begun receiving COVID-19 patients from various hospitals in Pathum Thani. Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill.

Dr Opas Kankawinpong, chief of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said the sub-committee would be chaired by Dr Sophon Mekthon, an adviser to the public health minister and chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.

It will have responsibility for several key decisions, including managing the vaccinations, prioritising the order in which different groups receive their jabs and monitoring the progress of the programme.

The NCDC has also approved switching the method of conducting COVID tests from a throat swab to saliva examination  this is cheaper to administer and has been shown to be more than 90% accurate, said Dr Opas.

The Department of Disease Control (DDC), meanwhile, yesterday gave its blessing to privately owned hospitals who want to provide COVID-19 vaccinations outside the governments free for all Thais programme.

The situation with the pandemic is changing fast, Dr Opas said.

We are going to see more pharmaceutical companies requesting Thai Food and Drug Administration approval and that means private hospitals will be able to provide COVID-19 vaccines.

Last month, the Public Health Ministry ordered a private hospital to remove an advertisement offering to sell Modernas vaccine for B10,000 per patient.

The ministry said it could not allow the advertisement because the vaccine in question had yet to be approved by the FDA. Dr Opas said yesterday the DDC could still only approve private sales of the Moderna vaccine once it has been approved by the FDA.

He said pharmaceutical companies had already started rolling out their vaccines and the price would become more and more competitive as supply outpaces demand.

In Thailand, the only pending COVID-19 vaccination is the one offered for free by the state  it is due to be launched next month and run until the end of this year.

Two competing vaccines have been confirmed for use in the state programme: about 60 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca formula and two million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinovac.

The government has prioritised frontline medical staff, volunteers and high-risk groups to get the first two million jabs next month.

Reta Jean Peoples Richardson, 84, died January 7, 2021, in Lexington, SC.

She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Katherine and husband Michael Martin of Lexington; a grandson, Hayes Moseley Martin; a sister, Kay Peoples Wrigley and a nephew, Stephen Scott Wrigley.

Born January 17, 1936, in Yadkin County, NC, she was the first daughter of the late Harvey Jones Peoples and Georgia Thomas Peoples Steelman. She attended Forbush Elementary and graduated from Yadkinville High School in 1954. She earned a BA in English with a minor in secondary education from Wake Forest University where she was active in the Womans Government Association, the College Theater and newspaper and was tapped into Tassels, the Honorary Leadership Society for Women. She was named to Whos Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

Reta went on to teach junior high school in Hampton, VA, later pursuing graduate studies in speech, broadcasting and instructional technology at Penn State University, where she received her Masters in Arts in 1969. While at Penn State, she worked on the dean of womens staff and then became a teaching assistant in the speech department.

Her interest in using instructional television and technology lead her to a fulfilling career that took her to the NC State Department of Public Instruction, Mississippi ETV, the Southern (now National) Educational Communications Association, TV Ontario and finally, until her retirement in 1999, with SC ETV. She was a member of Lexington United Methodist Church.

She placed great importance on giving her time, treasure and talents to worthwhile causes, experiencing the World and its patchwork of people, and spending time in Gods creation. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford commissioned her in 2008, as a member of the Greenwood County Election Commission. She volunteered as a mentor at Leath Correctional Facility, a maximum-security womens prison in Greenwood, and hiked across Kenya in support of fundraising efforts to educate girls in that country. She had an adventurous spirit traveling for both work and leisure to most of the 48 contiguous states, Indonesia, Africa, China, England, Scotland, Mexico and Canada.

Memorial services will be conducted 4:00 Sunday, January 17, 2021, at the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Valerie Mireb officiating. Private inurnment will be in the Forbush Baptist Church Cemetery in Yadkinville, where she was an active member during her childhood and where many of her relatives are buried.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorials be made to the Epworth Childrens Home, 2900 Millwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29205, or to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011.

Reta request that friends and family remember her as they engage in acts of love and charity to further the cause of peace, care for Mother Earth, and love of all Gods creation- doing whatever the Spirit leads them to do.

For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.

Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting Ms. Richardsons family with arrangements.
The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday reversed the Court of Appeals and ruled that a law passed in 2013 that requires workers compensation disability ratings to be based on a specific set of guidelines is not unconstitutional.

The high court said the law that requires ratings to based on the 6th edition of the American Medical Associations Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment could be interpreted to establish merely a guideline, not a strict mandate. As such, it cannot deprive injured workers of the rights guaranteed to them by the Kansas state constitution, as the Court of Appeals had decided.

The 2013 amendments merely reflect an update to the most recent set of guidelines  which serve as a starting point for any medical opinion, the court said in an opinion written by Justice Caleb Stegall.

Although the high court restored use of the AMA guides in rating disabilities, the attorney who represented claimant Howard Johnson III in the case said the ruling is a victory, in a sense, because it states that the guidelines are not binding.

If they follow the decision the way I think it should be followed, it shouldnt be a problem, said Mark E. Kolich, a sole practitioner in Lenexa, Kansas.

Claimants attorneys around the country have challenged the use of the 6th edition of the AMA guides, arguing that they unfairly reduce permanent disability benefits by understating the degree of functional impairment. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down a state statute that required use of the guidelines in impairment ratings, finding it an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority to the AMA. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, however, rejected a similar challenge in 2018.

Johnson, a delivery driver, launched a legal challenge to guidelines after he injured his cervical spine in 2015 while attempting to open a trailer door that was frozen shut. Johnson returned to work at U.S. Food Service after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. A physician rated his disability at 6% using the 6th edition of the AMA guidelines  resulting in a permanent disability award of $14,804.70.

Johnsons physician testified that his disability would have been rated at 25% under the 4th edition of the guidelines, which had been the standard in Kansas up until the law was changed in 2013. That would have netted an award of $61,713.70.

An administrative law judge refused to hear Johnsons argument that the law that required use of the 6th edition violated his rights under section 18 of the Kansas constitution, which requires a legal remedy for all persons who are injured. The Court of Appeals, however, ruled in 2018 that the law requiring use of the AMA 6th edition was unconstitutional because it did not provide an adequate substitute remedy for an inured workers right to file a lawsuit against his employer.

In Kansas as in most other states, workers are barred from prevailing in tort actions against their employers because workers compensation is their exclusive remedy.

The Supreme Court, however, wrote in its opinion that the Court of Appeals had interpreted Section 44-510(3)(2)(B) to require the use of the 6th edition of the AMA guidelines. The Court of Appeals said in its decision that as a result, the statute removes all physician discretion when determining impairment ratings despite language elsewhere in workers compensation statutes that requires ratings be based on competent medical evidence.

The Supreme Court said the statute could also be interpreted to require the use of the 6th edition as a guideline while leaving the requirement that ratings be based on competent medical evidence intact.

The latter interpretation gains sense and support when considering the Legislatures choice of the words based on in the statute, the court said. Using the phrase based on typically signifies a guideline rather than a mandate.

The Supreme Court did not address the question as to whether Johnsons 6% rating was adequate. Kolich, however, said he intends to file a pleading asking the court to remand the case to the administrative law judge who first heard the case to determine if the rating adequately compensated his client for his permanent disability.

Kolich said Johnson continues to work for U.S. Food Service, but its a physically demanding job.

It would be tough if he were in top physical condition, but with what that fusion surgery did, hes sore all the time, Kolich said.
LANE COUNTY, Ore. -- As the talk of coronavirus dominates our daily conversation, some people are asking: what happened to the flu?

Dr. Brenda Ormesher is an Infectious Disease Physician with PeaceHealth Medical Group. She along with several other doctors KEZI 9 News spoke to said they have seen very low flu activity within the community.

The measures that we've put in place for COVID prevention have done a lot to help prevent the flu in Lane County, Ormesher said.

But thats not all.

We did have higher rates of vaccination this year compared to prior years, so that's excellent because more people have become engaged, Ormesher said. They've taken measures to help prevent the spread of influenza, and that community engagement has made such a big difference.

Dr. Patrick Luedtke with Lane County Public Health agrees.

We are of course attributing that really to human behavior, Luedtke said. People are wearing masks -- not 100% but they can still do better. Many of them are wearing masks. Secondly, people are avoiding these congregate settings where we typically pass it.

He said labs have shown a nearly 75% reduction in flu cases so far this year, but he said anything could happen.

We could still very well see a big peak in influenza in February, March or April, Luedtke said. "So people still have time to get protected, and we really want them to.

Luedtke said that in a typical year there is so much influenza that it is not a reportable disease. That would only change if officials noticed a novel strain.

In the 2019-2020 season, the CDC estimated 22,000 deaths from the flu. Across the country, many states have reported none so far.

Health officials have warned about the dangerous reality of coinfection -- thats an individual becoming infected with both COVID-19 and the flu. Ormesher said theyve only seen one case of that in a nursing home.

The flu shot is definitely important, even with low cases, Ormesher said. If we start seeing that spread in our community, in addition with COVID, that would be detrimental to the health care facility and it would be detrimental to the patients.

In Oregon, between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2 this season, there were 0.1% of positive flu tests. Last season, that number was at 26.6% in the same time span.

Police on Sunday arrested an Arkansas man on suspicion of killing his wife during a drug-fueled attack at an Alief-area home, according to police and court records.

Brian Marshall, 36, was charged Monday with murder in the shooting death of his wife, Takela Marshall, 34, around 2 p.m. in the 6800 block of Songbrook Drive. He hid in a bedroom closet and shot her when she opened the door, prosecutors said.

The victims mother grabbed Marshall and kept him there with both hands because he was trying to get away, according to police. The mothers boyfriend called police while trying to help Marshalls wife, who was shot at least once in the face, court records state. He wrested the gun away from Marshall and stashed it in the garage.

Police found Takela Marshall mortally wounded, court records state. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Police arrested Marshall and he admitted to smoking Kush  a strain of cannabis  and taking Xanax.

The wifes sister was also home at the time of the shooting and told officers that earlier Marshall had gone outside in the nude and tried crawling onto a couch where she had been sleeping, prosecutors said in a probable cause hearing.

Court records show Marshall is from Pine Bluff, Ark., and has several convictions  charges including kidnapping, battery, and robbery  in Jefferson County cases. He arrived in Houston over the weekend, prosecutors said in bail paperwork. A public defender said that he had been working a construction job in Texas.

Prosecutors opposed a personal bond  noting that he is out on bail for an Arkansas-based charge  and expressed worry that he was a flight risk.

He arrived here just a day ago and has been staying at a hotel because his Houston-area family told him he is not welcome to stay with them, prosecutors wrote, also requesting that Marshall be held on a bond of $250,000. The hearing officer, Jim Callan, agreed to that amount, citing convincing evidence that he is a flight risk and community threat.

Police arrested Marshall before in Houston in 2019 when he was wanted for an out-of-state parole violation.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
The Latest on President Donald Trump and impeachment (all times local):

1:05 p.m.

Sen. Roy Blunt says he doesnt see a need for congressional Republicans to hold President Donald Trump accountable for his role in promoting last weeks Capitol riot but warned him to be very careful in his last 10 days in office.

The Missouri Republican called Trumps decisions and actions leading up to last Wednesdays riot clearly reckless. But he says the U.S. should be thinking more about the first day of the next presidency of President-elect Joe Biden than on removing Trump from office.

Blunt says he doesnt think Trump will act recklessly again. He told CBS Face the Nation: My personal view is that the president touched the hot stove on Wednesday and is unlikely to touch it again.

Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

___

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE IMPEACHMENT PUSH IN CONGRESS:

Democrats in Congress are laying plans to impeach President Donald Trump and ensure that an unhinged commander in chief  in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi s words  can do no further damage in his remaining days in office. They are trying to send a message to the nation, and the world, that mob violence at the Capitol this past week that was inspired by the White House will not stand.

Read more:

 Squelched by Twitter, Trump seeks new online megaphone

 Pope prays for dead in Capitol rioting, appeals for calm

 In wake of Capitol riot, Americans struggle for answers

 No surprise: Trump left many clues he wouldnt go quietly

___

HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:

11:55 a.m.

Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says President Donald Trump is out of control and should be immediately removed from office as a clear and present danger to the health and safety of the American people.

Jeffries, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, says that as a coequal branch of government, its Congress job to keep Trump in check  whether by impeachment, demanding his resignation or pushing Trumps Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment declaring him unfit to serve.

The New York Democrat says while Trumps Twitter account may now be permanently suspended, the president still has access to the nations nuclear codes and other weapons of power.

Jeffries pointed to a constitutional responsibility to act. He told NBCs Meet the Press: Donald Trump is completely and totally out of control, and even his long-time enablers have now come to that conclusion.

___

10:10 a.m.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn says the House could vote this week to impeach President Donald Trump but delay sending the legislation to the Senate until after many of incoming President Joe Bidens Cabinet secretaries are confirmed for their posts.

The South Carolina Democrat says it may be Tuesday or Wednesday before action is taken, but I think it will be taken this week.

Clyburn says hes concerned that a Senate trial could distract from the process of confirming Bidens nominees.

Mitch McConnell, the Senates Republican leader, has said an impeachment trial could begin as early as Jan. 20  Inauguration Day.

Clyburn says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will decide when to appoint impeachment managers and send the articles to the Senate. He says an option would be to give Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running, and maybe well send the articles sometime after that.

Clyburn appeared on CNN's State of the Union and Fox News Sunday.

___

9:40 a.m.

A second Republican senator has called for President Donald Trump to step down in the wake of the Capitol rioting this past week.

This time its Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Hes calling on Trump to resign for what Toomey says would be the good of the country after the Capitol riot that was carried out by supporters of the president.

Toomey says resignation is the best path forward, the best way to get this person in the rear view mirror for us. But Toomey says hes not optimistic that Trump will step down before his term ends on Jan. 20.

Toomey also says that Trumps role in encouraging the riot is an impeachable offense.

Toomey is the second GOP senator to call for Trump to step down, joining Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Trump supporters who were angry over his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Five people were killed.

Toomey was interviewed Sunday on CNNs State of the Union and NBCs Meet the Press.

___

12:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is facing growing Democratic momentum to impeach him a second time.

And a top Republican, Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, says he thinks Trumps role in encouraging a deadly riot at the Capitol is an impeachable offense.

But Toomey is stopping short of saying he'd vote to remove Trump from office.

A Democratic congressman, David Cicciline of Rhode Island, says an impeachment proposal already has 185 co-sponsors. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is telling Democratic colleagues to be prepared to return to Washington this coming week.

Pelosi says Trump should be held accountable but she hasnt committed to an impeachment vote.
Dr. Ajeet Kaushik, assistant professor of chemistry at Florida Polytechnic University, has four research papers added to the World Health Organizations database of global literature on COVID-19. No one can propose a good single solution to handle this, so different people with different expertise have to do different jobs. Im targeting the brain while other people are targeting lungs, the gut, the kidneys, and the behavioral health aspect.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has selected leading-edge research on fighting COVID-19 by Dr. Ajeet Kaushik, assistant professor of chemistry at Florida Polytechnic University, to be featured in its database of global literature on coronavirus disease.

Kaushik has published several scientific papers in 2020 and 2021 that explore the use of nanomedicine, biosensors, and artificial intelligence to diagnose and combat COVID-19. He joined scientists around the world in shifting his attention toward addressing the current pandemic.

If a country is facing a problem, as part of the University I have to do my best to solve this problem, Kaushik said. When the Ebola virus and the Zika virus came about, my advisor told me that we are working for humanity. We are working for society, so we have to do our best to solve a problem that is very important.

Kaushiks ongoing research explores advanced electrochemical sensing systems and nanomedicine for personalized health wellness. His most recent paper focuses on manipulative magnetic nanomedicine and the future of COVID-19 therapy, and was published in the journal Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery.

The research states that manipulative nanomedicine  delivering drugs to a highly specific part of the body  can provide a safer, more precise, and more effective way to treat patients grappling with multiple diseases and symptoms as a result of COVID-19.

This infection is different  we are not dealing only with respiratory problems. We are dealing with heart failure, kidney problems, anxiety, depression, vision problems, and more, all because of coronavirus, Kaushik said. No one can propose a good single solution to handle this, so different people with different expertise have to do different jobs. Im targeting the brain while other people are targeting lungs, the gut, the kidneys, and the behavioral health aspect.

Kaushik also was among the authors of a paper published in ACS Applied Bio Materials titled Electrochemical SARS-CoV-2 Sensing at Point-of-Care and Artificial Intelligence for Intelligent COVID-19 Management, a paper in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease titled COVID-19: Review of a 21st Century Pandemic from Etiology to Neuro-psychiatric Implications, and a paper in Biosensors and Bioelectronics titled Functionalized terahertz plasmonic metasensors: Femtomolar-level detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. All three are featured in the WHO database as well.

He is hopeful his contributions to the COVID-19 fight will have a strong impact.

Maybe these papers can help someone who is working in a company and can now think about developing smart sensors for point-of-care testing and sending a drug to the brain using nanotechnology, Kaushik said. No one can handle this problem on their own, so we need a group of people working together to handle one single problem connected to the coronavirus.

Kaushiks efforts related to exploring nano-biotechnology for health wellness earned him the Early Career Award 2020 from the International Journal of Nanomedicine.


Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa has said that there is a need to teach lessons to those who raise slogans in favour of Pakistan. The tongues of those who raise pro-Pakistan slogans should be ripped off, he said.

He was speaking at the Jan Sevak convention organised by BJP at Bantwal on Monday. Anti-nationals have won elections in two gram panchayats in Dakshina Kannada district. We have anti-nationals who raise 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans in our country. The Congress does not condemn such pro-Pakistan slogans being raised in the country, he alleged.

Eshwarappa said, If you utter 'Pakistan Zindabad' again, we will have to rip off your tongue. We will not take the law into our hands. We will teach lessons to such people through those who implement law and order, he added.

Coming down heavily on those who speak against Hindutva, the minister said that there is no place for those who insult Hindutva.

Stating that 90% of the people want ban on cow slaughter, he said Opposition leader Siddaramaiah claims that he consumes beef. Let him eat beef and die, we are not bothered.

On the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Eshwarappa said, Congress leaders used to ridicule BJP that we remember Ram Mandir only during elections. Now we are building Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. Now Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar can start a campaign that BJP and Hindus demolished Babri Masjid and seek vote with the promise of building Babri Masjid there. Our next aim is to build Sri Krishna Mandir in Mathura.

The minister said that plans have been chalked out to supply piped water to households in villages.

District in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that the government is mulling over issuing caste and income certificates at gram panchayat itself. Based on the model of Kerala, even marriage registration will also be done at the panchayat level.

Kota appealed to Eshwarappa to take measures to hike the honorarium of gram panchayat members from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. A sum of Rs 100 crore would be required for the same, he added.

Under the 15th State Finance Commission grant, the gram panchayats have been getting Rs one crore.

The BJP-backed workers should also focus on strengthening the party at grassroots level while serving as elected representatives. He said victory of 75% of candidates with the support of BJP in the GP elections is an indication that the party will win at least 150 seats in the next Assembly election in the state.

BJP General Secretary N Ravikumar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a visionary who has been giving prompt reply to his opponents through his pro-people administration.

Rajya Sabha member and State BJP Raitha Morcha President Eranna Kadadi said, Congress which had promised to amend farm laws in its manifesto is now misusing the farmers to protest against the farm laws. The Central government is following Beej Se Bazar Tak (helping farmers in getting seeds as well as accessing market) approach for the benefit of the farmers.
Illegal entrants, as well as expatriates who overstayed their visas, are on the rise in Ho Chi Minh City, with the majority of them hailing from China or African countries.

The information was stated by local police officers at meeting on maintaining public safety within Ho Chi Minh Citys tourism sector, which was held on Thursday last week.

According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Tu, head of the Bureau of Foreign Relations under Ho Chi Minh Citys Public Security Department, the problem of foreign tourists and immigrants breaking the law after gaining temporary residence status in the city is increasing.

While the city only levied a penalty on 58 foreign individuals in 2016, it witnessed a whopping 315 Taiwanese, 133 people of African nationalities, 93 Koreans, as well as 140 people of other nationalities in 2019.

Gambling, sport betting, stock exchange fraud, online gaming scams, police impersonation for fraud, and drug trafficking are among the most common offenses perpetrated by these criminals.

Most notably, a great number of Chinese nationals were found overstaying their visas recently. These people illegally crossed the northern border [of Vietnam] before reaching the city, Tu denoted.

According to Pham Ngoc Tien, leader of the citys immigration department, despite the 2020 tally of foreign entrants to the city shrinking by 90 percent due to border closure, the year saw more expatriates breaking the law than the previous, with the majority being Chinese nationals who failed to renew their visas or illegally entered the city for the sake of work, travel, and taking refuge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the conference, Major General Le Hong Nam, director of Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Public Security, said the cooperation between the citys law enforcement and the tourism sector has achieved many milestones over the past five years, with consensus reached on regular information exchange to detect criminals disguised as tourists in the locale.

The linkage also instructed tourism facilities to protect internal information and state secrets against schemes to undermine social order and national security.

Since 2016, police of the southern metropolis have undertaken 262 thorough probes at hotels and detected 226 instances of misconduct, namely failure to report guests temporary residence to local authorities and failure to uncover narcotics usage and prostitution on the premises.

The department has solved 484 cases of appropriation of property with 297 individuals involved, 61 other cases still undergoing investigation.

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Alosra supermarket has launched Mahali, a local entrepreneurship support programme, as the latest addition to the supermarkets Think Local initiative that was introduced in 2011 to support local producers, businesses, and the community.

Alosra is now taking its support of all things local a step further by joining forces with Bahraini entrepreneurs who are looking for support and a helping hand.

Mahali, which means local or my place in Arabic, aims to nurture small businesses and support them towards getting their products to the public on shelves in Alosra.

Mahali will help selected participants develop their entrepreneurial leadership skills, provide access to funding up to a total of BD5,000 and offer a hands-on approach towards building and growing venture. Furthermore, they will be granted access to free shelf space at Alosra supermarket, the supermarket said.

Alosra is calling out to all Bahraini entrepreneurs that are 18 years old and above and who own a legally registered business to apply to the Mahali programme and take their start-up products to the next level. Those interested in applying can find more information about benefits and criteria in the application form , which can be accessed through QR scanning at Alosra outlets, social media channels, alosraonline.com and the Alosra mobile application. The deadline for application is February 1.

Alosra is proud to introduce this latest programme in line with its longstanding commitment to support all things local, said Jaffar Al Asfoor, Alosras General Manager. As a Bahraini owned supermarket, we are continuously committed to extending our support to local producers, entrepreneurs and the community, he said. We look forward to receiving the applications for Mahali and further highlighting Bahraini products in the market.

We are proud to create an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to receive this support and provide them with guidance and mentorship where needed, added May Al Mousawi, Corporate Communications and CSR Manager for Alosras parent company, the BMMI Group. Bahrainis who have a great consumer product can now see it on our shelves. We are looking forward to working with these entrepreneurs and supporting them on their journey. - TradeArabia News Service

Britain's shift into a nation of accidental savers will continue during the third national lockdown, experts predict, as people who can continue to salt away money they aren't spending.

But a steep rise in unemployment thanks to the coronavirus pandemic - and the ebbing away of the novelty factor of money saved on commuting and holidays - could mean the amount saved does not reach the record levels seen last year.

Close to 17.5billion a month was saved into current and savings accounts each month between March and June 2020, while households collectively added another 17.6billion last November.

Households were prevented from spending hundreds of pounds a month thanks to lockdown measures while others battened down the hatches due to concerns about losing their job, leaving the Bank of England to forecast Britons would save a record 15 per cent of their disposable income in 2020.

Households saved record amounts of money during Britain's two coronavirus lockdowns. Will it be the same story again this time around?

'People working from home will have less expenses and I doubt anyone is mad enough to be booking a holiday yet', personal finance expert Andrew Hagger said.

And once lockdown restrictions are eased, it is possible that Britain's saving habit proves to be a short-lived one.

During the height of the lockdown between April and June, households saved 54.6billion in three months and stashed away 29.1 per cent of their disposable income, with this savings ratio more than double the previous record.

'I'd be surprised if the savings ratios for the last three months of 2020 and first three months of 2021 did not remain in the high teens', Simon French, chief economist at investment bank Panmure Gordon said.

More money to save? Don't leave yourself short-changed Savings rates are at record lows, with the average easy-access account paying just 0.13 per cent, according to Moneyfacts. Nonetheless, those with excess savings should make their money work harder and banks work for their money, by finding the best rates. Here are the best deals, according to our best buy tables: - Easy-access: Investec Bank  0.55% - Easy-access Isa: Charter Savings Bank  0.56% - One-year fixed-rate bond: Ahli United Bank  1% - One-year fixed-rate Isa: Charter Savings Bank  0.61% - Notice account: Charter Savings Bank 120-day notice  0.63%

Other analysts echoed his view. Alistair McQueen, head of savings and retirement at Aviva, said: 'Assuming the third lockdown ends in March, I expect we will see a continuation of the recent spike in savings and fall in debt.

'Lockdown is removing many spending outlets, thereby driving enforced saving and reduced spending. Many higher-net-worth individuals have not experienced drops in income as they have been better placed to work at home.'

Households have saved record sums of money and paid off record amounts of debt

Research from Aldermore Bank estimated that working from home was saving the average person 110 a week.

'And the more disadvantaged have been sheltered from the strongest economic winds of coronavirus by furlough', Mr McQueen added. 'At the height of the first lockdown, the millions on furlough were experiencing a 20 per cent drop in income, but spending dropped by 30 per cent, so even this cohort were net savers.'

With non-essential shops once again closed and Britons told to stay at home, it means there are fewer places for households to spend money.

The Office for National Statistics found last June that 22 per cent of household spending, 182 a week, in 2019 went on activities prohibited by the first coronavirus lockdown last March.

Poll Has the pandemic changed how much you've been able to save each month? Yes No Has the pandemic changed how much you've been able to save each month? Yes 281 votes

No 98 votes Now share your opinion





Households often cut back after Christmas expenditure, with Andrew Hagger, the founder of personal finance site Moneycomms, saying that: 'The rate of saving may slow a little with people perhaps splashing out a bit more on Christmas this time round.'

Last January, some 602million was saved into easy-access accounts and another 2.5billion stashed away in non-interest paying accounts like current accounts, according to the Bank of England. But savings balances overall fell.

Skipton Building Society's head of savings, Maitham Mohsin, said: 'At this time of year we generally see household deposit balances fall in January. However, we are in unprecedented times and it's not inconceivable that we could buck that trend and start the year with strong savings growth.

'You have to go back to 2003 to see household balances growing in January. February and March are generally strong saving months so adding to that the current national lockdown, you'd expect to see the continuation of the strong savings trend from 2020.'

While experts expected these numbers to be higher this year in the face of the third lockdown, there was debate over whether they would reach the same levels they did last year.

'The rate of saving may slow a little with people perhaps splashing out a bit more on Christmas this time round', Andrew said.

Meanwhile households previously furloughed may have since lost their jobs. Some 819,000 people fell off of company payrolls between February and October 2020 and the unemployment rate reached 4.9 per cent, following a record three months of redundancies. It is forecast by the Bank of England to peak at 7.75 per cent this year.

Redundancies hit a record high of 370,000 between August and October. It means those who saved furlough cash during the first lockdown may have to dip into those savings to make ends meet

How Britons have shunned their credit cards during the coronavirus pandemic Month Amount owed on credit cards Monthly change Monthly percentage change Annual percentage change January 72.1bn 0.2bn 0.2% 4.3% February 71.9bn 0.0bn 0.0% 3.5% March 69.3bn -2.4bn -3.3% -0.3% April 64.1bn -5.0bn -7.2% -7.8% May 62.3bn -1.8bn -2.5% -10.5% June 61.9bn -0.2bn -0.3% -11.3% July 62.1bn 0.5bn 0.8% -10.7% August 62.2bn 0.2bn 0.4% -10.6% September 61.3bn -0.6bn -1.0% -11.7% October 60.7bn -0.4bn -0.7% -13.0% November 59.4bn -0.9bn -1.5% -14.5% Source: Bank of England (seasonally adjusted data)

As a result, those who had previously saved up money due to the fear of redundancy may now be living off of those savings, although the driving factor in Britain's record savings drive has long been wealthier households with more disposable income, suggesting the figures may still be comparable.

There are indications that people are planning future treats for when they hope lockdown ends, but levels of spending on items such as holidays in months to come remains considerably down on where it would normally be.

Simon French said there was evidence of 'down payments on post-vaccine holidays', while last year Britain borrowed more than it paid off on its credit cards in July and August, when the country was encouraged to go out and spend.

Andrew Hagger previously told This is Money he expected to see consumer debt levels pick up again 'once people have their freedoms back and have confidence to go and spend'.

Meanwhile 87.5billion was stashed away between January and November, the latest figures available from the Bank of England, in accounts allowing savers instant access to their money.

'As a longer-term pension provider', Alistair McQueen added, 'we have seen no systemic fall in saving rates through the pandemic, but equally we have seen no systemic spike.

'If there had been a deep-rooted change in behaviour, so far, we'd perhaps expect some of this additional saving being channelled towards longer term savings, such as pensions or Isas', he said.
The insurrectionist mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol at the presidents behest last week was overwhelmingly made up of longtime Trump supporters, including Republican Party officials, GOP political donors, far-right militants white supremacists, and adherents of the QAnon myth that the government is secretly controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophile cannibals. Records show that some were heavily armed and included convicted criminals, such as a Florida man recently released from prison for attempted murder.

The Associated Press reviewed social media posts, voter registrations, court files and other public records for more than 120 people either facing criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 unrest or who, going maskless amid the pandemic, were later identified through photographs and videos taken during the melee.

The evidence gives lie to claims by right-wing pundits and Republican officials such as Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., that the violence was perpetrated by left-wing antifa thugs rather than supporters of the president.

If the reports are true, Gaetz said on the House floor just hours after the attack, some of the people who breached the Capitol today were not Trump supporters. They were masquerading as Trump supporters and, in fact, were members of the violent terrorist group antifa.

Steven DAntuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs Washington field office, told reporters that investigators had seen no indication antifa activists were disguised as Trump supporters in Wednesdays riot.

The AP found that many of the rioters had taken to social media after the November election to retweet and parrot false claims by Trump that the vote had been stolen in a vast international conspiracy. Several had openly threatened violence against Democrats and Republicans they considered insufficiently loyal to the president. During the riot, some livestreamed and posted photos of themselves at the Capitol. Afterwards, many bragged about what they had done.

So far, at least 90 people have been arrested on charges ranging from misdemeanor curfew violations to felonies related to assaults on police officers, possessing illegal weapons and making death threats against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Among them was Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 70, an Alabama grandfather who drove to Washington to attend Trumps Save America Rally in a red GMC Sierra pickup packed with an M4 assault rifle, multiple loaded magazines, three handguns and 11 Mason jars filled with homemade napalm, according to court filings. He was arrested carrying a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun and a .22-caliber derringer pistol in his pockets.

His grandson, Brandon Coffman, told the AP on Friday his grandfather was a Republican who had expressed admiration for Trump at holiday gatherings. He said he had no idea why Coffman would show up in the nations capital armed for civil war.

Also facing federal charges is Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr., a Georgia man who in the wake of the election had protested outside the home of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, whom Trump had publicly blamed for his loss in the state. Meredith drove to Washington last week for the Save America rally but arrived late because of a problem with the lights on his trailer, according to court filings that include expletive-laden texts.

Headed to DC with a (s-) ton of 5.56 armor-piercing ammo, he texted friends and relatives on Jan. 6, adding a purple devil emoji, according to court filings. The following day, he texted to the group: Thinking about heading over to Pelosi (Cs) speech and putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV. He once again added a purple devil emoji, and wrote he might hit her with his truck instead. Im gonna run that (C-) Pelosi over while she chews on her gums.  Dead (B) Walking. I predict that within 12 days, many in our country will die.

A participant in the text exchange provided screenshots to the FBI, who tracked Meredith to a Holiday Inn a short walk from the Capitol. They found a compact Tavor X95 assault rifle, a 9mm Glock 19 handgun and about 100 rounds of ammunition, according to court filings. The agents also seized a stash of THC edibles and a vial of injectable testosterone.

Meredith is charged with transmitting a threat, as well as felony counts for possession of firearms and ammunition.

Michael Thomas Curzio was arrested in relation to the riots less than two years after he was released from a Florida prison in 2019. He had served eight years for attempted murder.

Federal law enforcement officials vowed Friday to bring additional charges against those who carried out the attack on the Capitol, launching a nationwide manhunt for dozens of suspects identified from photographic evidence

The FBI has opened a murder probe into the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, according to law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly.

The Trump supporters who died in the riot were Kevin D. Greeson, 55, of Athens, Alabama; Benjamin Philips, 50, of Ringtown, Pennsylvania; Ashli Babbitt, 35, of San Diego; and Rosanne Boyland, 34, of Kennesaw, Georgia.

Boylands sister told the AP on Friday she was an adherent of the QAnon conspiracy theory that holds Trump is Americas savior. Her Facebook page featured photos and videos praising Trump and promoting fantasies, including one theory that a shadowy group was using the coronavirus to steal elections. Boylands final post on Twitter  a retweet of a post by White House social media director Dan Scavino  was a picture of thousands of people surrounding the Washington Monument on Wednesday.

The APs review found that QAnon beliefs were common among those who heeded Trumps call to come to Washington.

Doug Jensen, 41, was arrested by the FBI on Friday in Des Moines, Iowa, after returning home from the riot. An AP photographer captured images of him confronting Capitol Police officers outside of the Senate chamber on Wednesday.

Jensen was wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with a large Q and the phrase Trust The Plan, a reference to QAnon.

Jensens older brother, William Routh, told the AP on Saturday that Jensen believed that the person posting as Q was either Trump or someone very close to the president.

I feel like he had a lot of influence from the internet that confused or obscured his views on certain things, said Routh, of Clarksville, Arkansas, who described himself as a Republican Trump supporter. When I talked to him, he thought that maybe this was Trump telling him what to do.

___

Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland, Flaccus from Portland, Oregon, and Mustian from New York. Associated Press writers Jake Bleiberg in Dallas; Michael R. Sisak in New York; Michael Balsamo in Washington; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Associated Press investigative reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck

___

Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org



In UP villagers get cocktail vaccine dose: Covishield first, Covaxin next

ICMR to study effectiveness of Covishield, Covaxin in preventing progression of COVID into severe form

Corona Vaccine: Bharat Biotech signs pact with Brazil for supply of Covaxin

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 12: Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos for the supply of its COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' to Brazil.

Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology, the company said in a statement.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has affected humanity at large. As a company determined to protect global public health, it has always been important for us to develop vaccines for a global cause," Bharat Biotech Chairman and MD Krishna Ella said.

Covaxin is an innovation and a perfect example of novel product development from India, he added.

"Covaxin has generated excellent safety data with robust immune responses to multiple viral proteins that persist. We are happy to note that vaccines innovated in India are able to address the public health needs of Brazil," Ella said.

Covid vaccine effectiveness to begin after 14 days, gap of 28 days between 2 dose: Govt

On the development, Precisa Medicamentos pharmaceutical Director Emanuela Medrades said: "We identified highly technological, scientific and sanitary control levels. There were also excellent outcomes in clinical trials, which will be published soon. Bharat Biotech has exceeded our expectations, demonstrating quality and safety at the level of the largest vaccine suppliers in the world."

Covaxin is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 bio-containment facility, the statement said.

The government on Tuesday said it is procuring 55 lakh doses of Covaxin, which are expected to be received by January 14.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 22:52 [IST]
NUR-SULTAN -- Darigha Nazarbaeva, the eldest daughter of Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, is one of the 76 lawmakers from the party led by her father who acceded to the newly elected parliament.

Nur Otan, the party led by Nazarbaev, on January 12 published the list of its members, including the 57-year-old Nazarbaeva, elected to the 107-member lower chamber, the Mazhilis, after January 10 elections, which were called uncompetitive by international observers.

In May last year, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, Nazarbaev's hand-picked successor, removed Darigha Nazarbaeva from the post of speaker of the parliament's upper chamber, the Senate, as well as from her seat in parliament.

Nazarbaeva's dismissal from the post that put her second in line to the head of state has been seen by many in the oil-rich Central Asian nation as a result of an ongoing struggle between financial and political groups.

Nazarbaev, 80, is widely seen as the country's top decision-maker despite leaving the presidency in March 2019 after ruling the oil-rich Central Asian nation for nearly three decades. In addition to leading the Nur Otan Party, he holds a lifetime post as chairman of the powerful Security Council and enjoys almost limitless powers as elbasy -- leader of the nation.

Earlier in the day, Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission said that the Aq Zhol (Bright Path) party won 12 seats, and the Peoples Party (formerly the Communist Peoples Party) secured 10 seats in the Mazhilis.

On January 11, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, an advisory body controlled by Nazarbaev, elected nine members of the Mazhilis, a duty defined by election legislation.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which had observers in the resource-rich country, said in a statement on January 11 that an uncompetitive campaign and systemic de-facto limitations on constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms left voters without genuine choice."

Observers have deemed past elections in Kazakhstan neither free nor fair, and fraught with electoral fraud, repression of opposition candidates, and restrictions on a free press.

Kazakhstan's All-National Social Democratic Party (OSDP), which describes itself as an opposition party, boycotted the January 10 vote saying nothing had changed this time around despite Nazarbaev's pivot to a less conspicuous public role after he stepped down.

After detaining several activists in the run-up to the vote, police kept up the pressure on election day, detaining dozens in major cities across the country.
Family members of VIIth Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan have urged the government of India to resolve the Nizam Jewellery Trust income and wealth tax issue pending for last 26 years Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, Jan 12 : Family members of VIIth Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan have urged the government of India to resolve the Nizam Jewellery Trust income and wealth tax issue pending for last 26 years.

Nizam's grandson Najaf Ali Khan told IANS on Tuesday that he has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to resolve the issue as most of the beneficiaries of the trust are senior citizens facing health and financial problems. Many of the beneficiaries have expired, he said.

Khan, who is the president of Nizam Family Welfare Association, said despite their cooperation with the income tax department by submitting requisite information sought from time to time, the issue remained unrseolved.

He urged the minister to direct the officers concerned to look for one-time settlement of the issue.

He recalled that in 1950s Mir Osman Ali Khan created various trusts for the benefit of his family members. One such trust was the Nizam Jewellery Trust which was being administered by its trustees who were empowered to sell the jewellery. Trustees included Prince Muffakham Jah and a government-nominated trustee from the finance ministry at the level of joint secretary.

After a prolonged litigation with the intervention of the Supreme Court, the central government agreed to purchase Nizam's jewellery for Rs 206 crore in January 1995. The corpus was distributed among about 114 Nizam family beneficiaries. Of them 39 beneficiaries have expired so far and most of the remaining are senior citizens facing serious health and financial issues.

When the trustees were about to hand over the jewellery to the representative of the Government of India, the Income Tax Department raised a total demand of Rs.30.50 crore towards arrears of income tax and wealth tax. The amount was paid from 206 crore which included Rs.15.45 crore arrears of income tax and wealth tax. A major portion of this amount later got resulted in refunds.

According to Khan, these refunds were wrongly adjusted with the instruction of trustees who never proposed one-time settlement with the income tax department.

The other amount of Rs.14.05 crore was kept in lien with the department for future tax liabilities in the State Bank of Hyderabad, which is now State Bank of India.

He alleged that the trustees mishandled and dragged the issue. When things came to the knowledge of the beneficiaries of the Trust in 2010, the senior most trustee Prince Mufakkham Jah resigned as a trustee to cover up his mistakes and kept this issue hanging fire and did not take the responsibility of resolving the pending tax issue for which the family members have been facing a very hard time.

According to records, the Trust beneficiaries are liable to receive a refund along with lien amount of about Rs. 14 crore but the Income Tax Department states that the beneficiaries have Rs 8.54 crore tax dues.

"We have requested the finance minister for a one time solution and settlement as we are regular tax payers. We hope that she will look into the issue and give necessary direction to the officers concerned," he said.
"Michael is a role-model leader who has consistently over the years applied the principles of the Baldrige Framework to his leadership approach," said Al Faber, President and CEO of the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc. "He has served the Baldrige Community as a Baldrige Examiner and ambassador for the Baldrige Framework."

The Baldrige Foundation created the Harry S. Hertz leadership award in 2013. It was named after Harry Hertz, the first winner, because he personified the Baldrige Core Values and Leadership Behaviors: visionary leadership, customer-focused excellence, valuing people, organizational learning and agility, managing for innovation, management by fact, societal responsibility, ethics and transparency, delivering value and results, and a systems perspective.

Harry Hertz is not a household name, but in C-Suites throughout the country, and at the executive level of manufacturers, school systems and healthcare systems, Harry Hertz is legendary. Until retiring in June of 2013, Dr. Hertz was the Director of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and is the person largely credited for keeping the Criteria for Performance Excellence relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Including the award's namesake, Dr. Ugwueke is only the ninth individual to receive this prestigious award. "On behalf of the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare board of directors and our 13,000 employees, I am truly honored to receive this recognition. Dr. Hertz is a giant in the field of performance excellence and it is humbling to receive an award that bears his name," said Ugwueke. "At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, we consider performance excellence to be a top priority as we strive to consistently provide safe, high quality care to those we are privileged to serve."

The Baldrige Foundation considers nominees from across the nation for this prestigious award. The nominees' leadership and achievements are carefully considered, including how they lead their organizations and inspire their teams to achieve high performance, and their accomplishments in becoming counselors for excellence throughout the Baldrige community.

Traditionally, the Baldrige Foundation's Leadership Awards are presented during the Foundation Awards Program held as part of the annual Quest for Excellence conference. Because the conference was postponed last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 conference being virtual, the foundation will be conducting a virtual awards presentation event on April 14, 2021.

About The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc.

The Baldrige Foundation is the private-sector partner of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) in the National Institute of Standards and Technology within the Department of Commerce. Its mission is to ensure the long-term financial viability of BPEP and to support organizational performance excellence.

About Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) has been caring for patients and families regardless of ability to pay for more than 100 years. Guided by roots in the United Methodist Church and founded in 1918 to help meet the growing need for quality healthcare in the greater Memphis area, MLH has grown from one hospital into a comprehensive healthcare system with 13,000 Associates supporting six hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities, hospice residence and physician practices serving communities across the Mid-South. From transplants and advanced heart procedures to expert neurology services and compassionate cancer care, MLH offers clinical expertise with a focus on improving every life we touch.

SOURCE Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Pakistan has its own system of indefinite detention and house arrest, where terrorists are kept far from the prying eyes of courts and the media

Nineteen years have passed since Daniel Pearl, a gregarious Wall Street Journal reporter, was beheaded on videotape in Pakistan. Thats enough time for his then unborn baby to grow up and be admitted to college; enough time for Angelina Jolie to play his widow in a movie; enough time for that movie  and the era of the war on terror that it depicted  to fade from public memory.

But I cant forget. Daniel Pearl and I were both trying to interview the same reclusive spiritual leader in Pakistan when he was kidnapped and killed. Dont worry, a spokesman for the spiritual leader assured me. If anyone gets an interview, it will be you. But Pearl, a more seasoned journalist who served as The Journals South Asia bureau chief at the time, found someone who promised to arrange the coveted interview. He jumped into a taxi and disappeared.

Weeks later, Pearls beheading shocked the world. That was the moment I realised that this thing we do called journalism contained dangers I hadnt contemplated before. It was a fitting lesson for the era of the 11 September terrorist attacks, which opened the countrys eyes to how easily it could become a victim. And so it was upsetting to read recently that a Pakistani court ordered the release of Omar Sheikh, the British-born militant who orchestrated the kidnapping of Pearl. Sheikh had been sentenced to death in 2002, but the execution never happened. Last year, a Pakistani court downgraded his conviction to a simple abduction  punishable by seven years in prison, which he had already served.

The court rulings open old wounds and illuminate a central question at the heart of the war on terror that remains unresolved: Are there some crimes so terrible that we must never let the perpetrators walk free, even if a judge orders it? The United States opened the prison for suspected terrorists on Guantanamo Bay on the premise that the worst of the worst were too dangerous to release, regardless of the outcome of a trial. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 11 September attacks  who confessed to beheading Pearl  has yet to go on trial, more than 14 years after his arrival at Guantanamo Bay. Americans seem to have made a problematic peace with the contradictions of believing in the rule of law and indefinite detention at the same time.

The war on terrors legacy is arguably even more of a problem in Pakistan, where intelligence agents have supported religious militants who attacked targets in India and Afghanistan, only to arrest them when the global outcry over their misdeeds grew too great. Pakistan has its own system of indefinite detention and house arrest, where terrorists are kept far from the prying eyes of courts and the media.

I didnt know much about any of this when I boarded a plane for Islamabad in the adrenaline-filled days after the 11 September attacks. I was a 27-year-old metro reporter for The Boston Globe who believed that I could solve any mystery if I just tried hard enough. Id been at the paper for less than two years.

US officials proclaimed that the war on terror had to be fought in the streets of Pakistan and Afghanistan and Iraq so that it wouldnt reach New York and Washington. If you see something, say something, we were told. Tips poured in about innocent people. The American military ran headlong into enormous military undertakings in Afghanistan and Iraq. American journalists scoured the countryside of Pakistan and Afghanistan, searching for answers. But reporting on the war on terror was not like reporting on other wars. This conflict had no boundaries, no fixed rules, no uniforms, no end. It was difficult to know who the enemies were.

I joined the flood of American journalists who camped out at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. A colleague introduced me to Rana Mubashir, a Pakistani journalist who seemed to know every spy and police officer in town. I hired him to help me navigate the country and trusted him with my life. He had a friend in Waziristan, a semiautonomous tribal area considered off limits even for the Pakistani military at the time. That friend  the son of a tribal chief  told us that Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, had been spotted in the area. So naturally, we travelled there and took a look around. We didnt find bin Laden, but I learned a great deal about how unpopular Americans were in Pakistan. People referred to Operation Enduring Freedom  the US bombing campaign in neighbouring Afghanistan  as Operation Endure Our Freedom.

We also travelled to Lahore, a gorgeous old city on the border with India, where intelligence agents kept a watchful eye on militants who did Pakistans dirty work abroad. The terrorists who hijacked an Indian plane and landed it in Afghanistan had ended up there. Mubashir made some calls. Before long, we were drinking tea with an alleged hijacker and his handler at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. (To free the hostages of that hijacked plane, India released a jihadist who had been imprisoned for kidnapping tourists: Omar Sheikh.)

I was still in Pakistan when a Black British man on an airplane tried to light a bomb that was hidden in his shoe, setting off another wave of panic. Mubashir got a tip that the would-be shoe bomber had been a follower of a reclusive spiritual leader in Lahore named Sheik Gilani. We poked around some religious institutions that were said to be affiliated with him and left a letter requesting an interview at his compound. I interviewed a Pakistani intelligence source who claimed that Gilani was being investigated for possible ties to the shoe bomber. I also found a person who lived near Gilanis compound who claimed to recognise the shoe bomber in a picture. But associates of the spiritual leader vigorously denied any association, claiming it as a plot to discredit him. I wrote the story and included the denial. After it ran, I kept trying to follow it up with an interview. I heard that a Wall Street Journal reporter was also working on a story. I had never met Daniel Pearl, but I worried that he would scoop me.

Eventually, my assignment ended. I flew home. It all seemed like a great adventure  until Daniel Pearl disappeared.

From my living room in the Boston area, I read news reports from Pakistan with growing alarm: The spiritual leader had been detained briefly and questioned about Pearls whereabouts. He denied any involvement in Pearls disappearance and accused me and Pearl of being spies.

It got worse. Pearls kidnappers sent ransom notes demanding that Pakistani prisoners in Guantanamo Bay be returned to Pakistan for trial: If the Americans keep our countrymen in better conditions we will better the conditions of Mr. Pearl.

After they learned that Pearl was Jewish, they asserted falsely that he was a spy for Mossad, Israels intelligence agency, and would be executed.

The police swiftly located Omar Sheikh, who surrendered to a man hed known for years: Ijaz Shah a powerful figure in military intelligence who now serves as Pakistans minister for narcotics control. The military interrogated Sheikh for more than a week before turning him over to the police. Then came the shocking video of Pearls beheading, which sparked a global outcry. In 2002, a civilian counterterrorism court sentenced Sheikh to death. Ever since, he has filed appeals. He claims to have played only a minor role in the plot.

Little is known about how Sheikh handed Pearl off to those who actually beheaded him. But his claims to have played an insignificant role are laughable. Omar Sheikh was of course deeply involved, Hassan Abbas, a former police officer in Pakistan who is now a professor at the National Defence University, told me. But the police in Karachi had also identified another man in military custody who was considered just as guilty but had never been handed over for trial. For that reason, among others, the legal case against Omar Sheikh is viewed as flawed.

Asra Nomani, a longtime friend and colleague of Pearl who had been hosting him in Karachi the day he disappeared, spent years investigating his murder as part of The Pearl Project at Georgetown University. She told me there is little doubt that Omar Sheikh is responsible for the murder.

Without Omar Sheikh, Danny never would have been kidnapped and killed, Nomani told me.

Pearl would have been suspicious of the other men involved in the plot who walked and talked like jihadis, she said. But Sheikh, who had studied at the London School of Economics, had gained his trust. Sheikh and Pearl had even swapped messages about their wives, who were both pregnant at the time.

Thats why Nomani and Pearls parents and older sister are fighting to keep Sheikh in prison. I hope they succeed. But when it comes to militants in Pakistan, nothing is what it seems. Even if he is let go, Sheikh will almost certainly not walk free. Hell disappear into that netherworld of secret military detention, safe houses and house arrests that has swallowed up so many religious militants in Pakistan. Courts are no more prepared to bring terrorists to justice today than they were in 2001. The rise in extrajudicial killings of terrorists  with drones and special forces soldiers  serves as naked admission that courts around the world cant handle these cases without shining light on things that spies would rather keep hidden.

Nineteen years after that trip to Pakistan, Ive become more cautious. I know now that there are some mysteries I can never solve. There are days when I wonder whether Daniel Pearl would still be alive if I hadnt written that story. Or would Omar Sheikh have simply found another ruse to lure him in? I feel bad that the spiritual leader got caught up in the case. He appears to have had nothing to do with the shoe bomber, after all. I think back to all the things that were done that cannot be undone, in the name of a war that has sullied us all.

Farah Stockman c.2021 The New York Times Company
Think yourselves lucky Im here today. I could have been up before North London magistrates, charged with resisting arrest, if not attempted murder.

At the weekend, having been confined to barracks since September recovering from a gammy leg, I took my physios advice and attempted a walk in the local park.

My first faltering steps on clambering out of the car made Douglas Bader look like Usain Bolt. Gradually, though, I found my feet, so to speak. Bursting through the pain barrier, I finally hit the wall after about 200 yards and collapsed on to a convenient wooden bench.

Unlike the last lockdown, the benches hadnt yet been cordoned off with hideous CSI-style black and yellow crime scene tape. Pictured: Three police officers wearing face masks question a man sitting on a bench in St James's Park, London

Unlike the last lockdown, the benches hadnt yet been cordoned off with hideous CSI-style black and yellow crime scene tape.

Fortunately, there werent any coppers around, otherwise I could have had my collar felt. Sitting on a park bench  and chatting to a friend, Heaven forfend  is now Verboten, by order of the Government.

There have already been several reports of people on benches being moved on by police, including a hardy Scotsman wearing a kilt in Londons Hyde Park. Sitting down doesnt count as exercise within the meaning of the Act, even if youre just taking a breather. Refusal to budge leaves you liable to arrest.

The cops are also demanding to know your name and address, where you think youre going and how long youve been out. You are only supposed to leave your home for exercise once a day and there are ominous predictions that the limit could soon be reduced to just once a week.

Sitting on a park bench  and chatting to a friend, Heaven forfend  is now Verboten, by order of the Government. Benches are taped off in Ely, Cambridgeshire

The most notorious incident so far came on Bournemouth sea front where a woman sitting on a bench was arrested and handcuffed. Her crime was allegedly leaving her house for a second time that day.

Police say the confrontation was stage-managed and she wanted to get nicked. The woman is apparently well-known in the area as a paranoid anti-lockdown activist who thinks the coronavirus is no worse than the sniffles.

So what? She might be horribly misguided, but if the Old Bill went round arresting every madwoman in Britain the jails would soon be more overcrowded than the Black Hole of Calcutta.

Couldnt they just have given her a pat on the head and left her alone? What harm was she doing? All this heavy-handed arrest succeeded in achieving was proving that just because youre paranoid, it doesnt mean theyre not out to get you.

The most notorious incident so far came on Bournemouth sea front where a woman sitting on a bench was arrested and handcuffed

She may be utterly wrong in thinking corona is no more dangerous than the sniffles, but shes in good company. When Jeremy Clarkson tested positive for Covid over Christmas he told readers of the Sunday Times that he feared he was going to die in a plastic tent. Now he says it was like having a small cold.

Maybe Jezza has discovered a new mutation  Man Covid.

(Incidentally, I see doctors have identified a Brazilian strain. That could be good news for hirsute ladies unable to visit the beauty salon for the next few months.)

Sorry, where was I?

Oh, yes. The most outrageous abuse of police power this lockdown has come, inevitably, from our old friends at Derbyshire Police, last seen sending up drones to spy on dog walkers in the Peak District. They havent yet got round to fixing machine guns on their drones, as I suggested on Friday, but they did manage to nick two attractive young women out for a walk by a reservoir.

My problem is that because politicians and the science have cried wolf so often, I dont trust anything they say any more

The women had driven five miles in separate cars to meet up. Although they maintain they kept a safe social distance, they were surrounded by police, questioned and fined 200 each.

Officers claimed the two cups of tea they were carrying constituted a picnic and were therefore in breach of lockdown regulations.

Theres another one I dont know whether to file under Mind How You Go or You Couldnt Make It Up. The women have certainly been milking their five minutes of fame, apparently recreating their ordeal for a local freelance photographer, who sold the pictures to the newspapers.

Their fines have since been rescinded, but that doesnt excuse Derbyshire Plod, who have demonstrated yet again that if you give anyone any authority, especially if it comes with a hi-viz jacket, they will always, always abuse it.

The cops could use their common sense, but theyre not entirely to blame. They are only interpreting the knee-jerk, incoherent, inconsistent, backside-covering panic measures spewing out of central government.

For the record, I dont dispute that this is a serious health crisis, with bursting-at-the-seams hospitals and a rising death toll. Nor do I go along with the conspiracy theorists, who claim crazily that coronavirus is a hoax.

My problem is that because politicians and the science have cried wolf so often, I dont trust anything they say any more.

They have only one policy, which has failed time and again to prevent the spread of the virus. Thats to bamboozle us with dubious statistics and scare us to death.

And then, when Plan A goes belly up, they seek to blame us for not obeying their confusing rules to the letter. There is no Plan B. Never has been.

The cadaverous Chris Whitty, one of the Two Ronnies of Doom, was at it again yesterday, issuing another blood-curdling prediction of tens of thousands more deaths. He may be right. Who knows? Ever since March, Whitty has been warning that WERE ALL GOING TO DIE!

Its the monomania that appals me  the notion that Covid is the only disease which matters. Theres no sense of proportion, or even humanity when it comes to those suffering from other life-threatening conditions.

Where are the graphs showing how many people have died because they have been denied scheduled treatment for everything from cancer to heart disease?

American opponents of nationalised medicine who say it will lead to NHS-style death panels are routinely accused of scaremongering. But how else should we describe any committee that decides to ration life-saving operations, effectively choosing who should live and who should die, if not a death panel.

Somehow, under a nominally Conservative Government, weve ended up in a situation where the people are expected to protect the State, not vice versa.

Yet even to raise these questions is to invite slanderous accusations of Covid denial, bordering on treason. Instead, we are supposed to bow down in supplication before Our Amazing NHS.

No one disputes the outstanding work being done by frazzled doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and ancillary staff. But does anyone seriously believe the bloated NHS bureaucracy has played a blinder?

That famous sombrero refuses to stay squashed. It keeps springing back into shape, no matter how many lockdowns we are forced to endure.

Ministers are now pinning their hopes on the various vaccines to supply their Get Out Of Jail Free card. They have always had their focus on avoiding blame come the inevitable public inquiry.

Far easier to send in the heavy mob and blame us  the irresponsible general public  for spreading the disease.

Even sitting innocently on a park bench is now considered the equivalent of setting off a dirty bomb in a crowded theatre.

Put your mask on, chummy  youre bleedin nicked.

We now live in a country where you can be fined 200, handcuffed and arrested for sitting on a park bench or walking round a reservoir. This is madness.

Whoever came up with the latest lockdown rules must be two cups of tea short of a picnic.

Frankly, if a copper had asked me for my details and ordered me to move on at the weekend, Id have been sorely tempted to tell him to go forth and multiply.

I speak as someone who, like most of you, has done my best to obey the rules up until now in the hope that better days are coming.

Since September Ive had little option but to Stay Home, Save Lives etc. But now my gammy leg is on the mend, I plan to make the most of my local park, lockdown or no lockdown.

So if Im not here on Friday, youll know Ive been nicked.
Disneyland, the eponymous theme park that has entertained and enthralled tourists and Disney enthusiasts since 1955, has become one of the very first corporate organisations that have taken the decision to turn their property into a COVID-19 Vaccination site. This decision will essentially make Disneyland Orange County's first COVID-19 Vaccination site.

Also Read: 'Disneyland Experience At Home': Dad Creates DIY Rollercoaster For Kids, Netizens In Awe

What did the county sheriffs have to say:

As per a report in Deadline, the theme park is expected to open their doors as a vaccination centre later this week, as per the county officials, who announced the same on Monday. In addition to that, the officials at LA County Dodger Station, which had been serving as a mass COVID-19 Testing Centre for quite some time now, will be relieved of its duties as a testing centre and will be subsequently turned into a large-scale vaccination location. It is said that this decision will help the vaccine providers vaccinate thousands of residents on a daily basis. A report on Fox LA claimed that the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim will also be turned into a COVID-19 Vaccine distribution centre for the residents and its employees.

Also Read: Disneyland Will Be Laying Off More Employees As The COVID-19 Shutdown Persists

On the subject of the vaccination rollout, a report in Variety states that vaccinations are currently available to residents and people who are employed in the Orange County and meet the criteria listed for all tiers of phase 1a of Californias vaccine rollout. The phase in question entails the rollout of the vaccine to frontline workers who are directly in contact with COVID-19 patients. It is unclear as to which vaccine, specifically, will be distributed at the centre.

Also Read: Businesses Near Disneyland Feel Financial Pressure

A short while ago, the first residents of the United States of America, namely the US President-elect Joe Biden and the Vice President-Elect, Kamala Harris got their respective COVID-19 vaccine shots. The two posted videos of them taking the COVID-19 vaccine dose on their respective social media handles. Those posts can be found below as well as on their respective social media handles.

The Posts:

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines throughout the world is currently in its infancy. Recently, it was reported that multiple states in India itself has received the "Covishield" vaccine. Indonesia, on the other hand, as reported earlier, received a total of 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine made by China.

Also Read: California Family Builds Disneyland-inspired Roller Coaster In Backyard; Netizens Amazed

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 remaining 85 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and 34 Ponden Home stores have been permanently closed

The joint administrators to clothing retailer The Edinburgh Woollen Mill and sister brand Duvetco Limited (Ponden Home) have completed the sale of the businesses to Purepay Retail Limited  securing some 1,453 jobs and the future of 246 stores.

Established in 1947, Edinburgh Woollen Mill is a Carlisle-based knitwear and homeware retailer. Tony Wright and Alastair Massey, partners at specialist business advisory firm FRP, were appointed as joint administrators to the chain and Ponden Home in November.

Purepay is a subsidiary of secured creditor and parent company Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) Group and is backed by an international investor consortium. It has acquired all the remaining stock, as well as the head office site and distribution centre in Carlisle.

Purepay will operate 246 stores under licence from across both brands. The corresponding 1,347 store staff will transfer to the acquirer, alongside all 72 head office and 34 distribution staff.

The remaining 85 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and 34 Ponden Home stores have been permanently closed. The roles from these stores, including 358 Edinburgh Woollen Mill staff and 127 Ponden Home staff, have been made redundant.

Tony Wright, joint administrator and partner at FRP, said: "We have extensively marketed these businesses for sale and this transaction provides the best chance to save stores and jobs, but also meet our own statutory obligations to creditors.

"However, with such little visibility on future trading conditions in UK retail, we regret that not all of Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home could be rescued. This has resulted in a significant number of redundancies at a particularly challenging time of year and period of economic uncertainty. We have a team working hard to support all those affected as we help make applications for redundancy payments."

FRP said Jaeger Retail Limited and Peacocks Stores Limited remain in administration.

However, UK retailer Marks & Spencer today (12 January) confirmed it has bought the Jaeger fashion brand out of administration for an undisclosed sum, with the transaction due to complete later this month.

Police have struck another blow to drug trafficking in Malaga province.

National Police officers have dismantled two large marijuana plantations in Velez-Malaga after regular power cuts in the area led an investigation to them.

Two men aged 41 and 51, both of Spanish nationality, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking and electricity fraud crimes.

The police operation began when officers became aware of constant power outages on calle Tapia de la Cruz. Investigations verified that there were two properties in the street with a double connection to the electricity network. In addition, there was a loud noise from machinery and an odour that gave away the illegal activity that was taking place inside.

As a result of the searches carried out in the two properties, the offices found 495 marijuana plants already in bloom and another 200 plants, collected and dried, ready for packaging and distribution.

Police also discovered ozone filters in the existing air extraction ducts in the plantations that were being used to try to avoid the strong smell of crops being discharged to the outside.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 22:11:46|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Extreme wintry weather known as "dzud" has killed more than 500 Bactrian camels in the central Mongolian province of Uvurkhangai so far this winter, local media reported on Tuesday.

Dzud is a Mongolian term to describe the frigid winter that comes after a dry summer and causes a great number of livestock to die of starvation or cold.

"The camel is said to be the most tolerant livestock of dzud and drought. However, even camels are dying in our soum this winter," an elder herder in Bogd soum (administrative subdivision) of Uvurkhangai said at a meeting between herders and local authorities.

Dozens of small livestock animals have been dying due to the severe winter in the soum almost every day, according to local herders.

Uvurkhangai is one of six Mongolian provinces which had a bad summer in 2020.

As of the end of 2019, the number of Mongolia's livestock animals surpassed 70 million and 0.7 percent of them were Bactrian camels, or two-humped camels.

Thousands of herders lose their animals almost every year due to dzud. In 2016, more than 1 million animals died from the extreme weather conditions. Enditem
Larry Brock, a retired Air Force Lt. Col. from North Texas, has been arrested after being reported by multiple people to the FBI for his participation in this month's attack on the Capitol. One of the informants who helped investigators was his Brock's ex-wife of 18 years.

CAPITOL RIOT: A Texas woman took a private jet to D.C. to 'storm the Capitol'

ABC 13 reports that an affidavit sent to the D.C. District Court states that Brock's ex claims to have seen her former husband in photos from the U.S. Capitol.

"I just know that when I saw this was happening, I was afraid he would be there," she said according to court documents. "I think you already know he was there. It is such a good picture of him, and I recognize his patch."

Brock was seen wearing a combat helmet, bandana, body armor and a tactical vest that included a Texas flag, and was holding multiple pairs of zip-tie handcuffs. He was photographed in the Senate chamber and with a group that breached Speaker Nancy Pelosis office suite, though it is unclear if he entered the suite.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

NPR's Greg Myre reports that Brock was also named by John Scott-Railton from Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, who has been gathering clues and crowdsourcing information to identify rioters at the Capitol. Scott-Railton focused on those who seemed prepared to take hostages.

"I kept finding footage of men wearing body armor, communicating with each other and moving with purpose," Scott-Railton told NPR. "It made me think there were people in there who had specific ideas of what they wanted to accomplish and had come prepared to execute on them."

Scott-Railton worked with New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow to identify Brock. Brock gave an interview to the New Yorker in which he admitted he was the man in the photos and repeated Trump's baseless claims of election fraud.

The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important, because of how much I love this country, to actually be there, he told Farrow.

Brock claimed he found the zip-tie handcuffs on the floor and did not intend to use them.

I wish I had not picked those up, he told Farrow. My thought process there was I would pick them up and give them to an officer when I see one... I didnt do that because I had put them in my coat, and I honestly forgot about them.

Brock was arrested in Texas on Jan. 10 and faces charges of knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
For decades, many of Africa's oil- and gas-producing states followed a predictable pattern. They treated their oil and gas primarily as raw materials that could be sold abroad for a quick profit, rather than as a means of supporting efforts to make more lasting changes in the economy of the nation as a whole.

Local content for local jobs

Training across sectors

But does it really go far enough?

A more expansive view of oil and gas

Global impact and market stability

This pattern has had unfortunate consequences. It discouraged investment in local capacity, and it fostered arrangements under which most residents of the producing states did not see how the large amounts of money earned from oil and gas exports were improving their lives.In other words, it allowed most hydrocarbon revenues to flow back to the home offices of international oil companies (IOCs) or to go to national oil companies (NOCs) that transferred funds to local governments  and, in many cases, to individual government officials, along with their friends and family members.Africans already know that focusing on oil exports doesnt yield the best results. They already know that it ignores the need for long-term investment and fosters corruption.But corruption isnt the only issue. Africans also know that the old pattern of focusing on commodity exports doesnt do enough to put their economies on track for long-term growth and keep them there.At least, maybe they dont create large numbers of jobs. Or maybe they dont create the kind of jobs that last long enough or have enough impact to lead to real change.And why should it be that way? Africas oil and gas resources have the potential to accomplish so much good for the continents people  and that includes creating training and job opportunities across multiple sectors, which is one of the keys to sustainable economic growth. This can be accomplished by strategically harnessing oil and gas to monetise value chains and diversify economies. And to do that, we need to create an environment that enables new businesses to launch and thrive.So its time to broaden our view of Africas oil and gas resources. Instead of treating them only as a revenue source, we must approach them as a path towards a very important goal: empowering Africans to improve their own lives.In Angola, they have sought to thwart old oil habits of the past by embarking on a fundamental reform of how the sector works. This entailed taking away regulatory powers for the sector from the national oil company Sonangol and giving those to the newly created National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG). The restructuring of the sector, that resulted in the creation of the ANPG and the reorientation of Sonangol, is arguably one of the greatest achievements of Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, Angolas minister of mineral resources and petroleum who was brought in to reform the sector.This enabled Sonangol to embark on its own restructuring, at the core of which is the sale of non-core assets and a withdrawal of what Sonangol is expected to do; be a competent partner to foreign operators, and cost efficiently run its own operations. These changes, though very recent, have already stated bearing fruits. The newly created agency, under the chairmanship of a recognised industry expert Paulino Jeronimo, has moved swiftly, to usher in the implementation of new local content guidelines. They have also refocused their efforts on making new acreage in Angola attractive for investment, in an effort to stop the expected decline in output, mid to long-term.In more general terms, though, theyve also introduced policy initiatives that aim to create jobs. In Angola, the government recently rolled out a new legal regime for local content requirements after two years of concertation with the various stakeholders.President Joao Lourenco, who introduced the new rules last month, has made the job-creation angle clear. He has described Presidential Decree 271/20 as a way to promote Angolan commercial entities participation in the development of the oil and gas sector. He has said he hopes the new measure will encourage IOCs to obtain goods and services (including raw materials) from local providers and to replace foreign experts with local workers.The decree also stresses the Angolan governments desire to strengthen national entrepreneurship. It states that foreign technical assistance and management contracts must include provisions for the establishment of detailed training and professional development programs and the transfer of expertise and technology.This all sounds like a good idea  and a plan for concrete action as well. Presidential Decree 271/20 doesnt just talk about increasing local content; it also replaces all the previous local content measures approved between 2003 and 2009. It offers a more detailed description of the factors that qualify an entity as an Angolan company and outlines the procedures that will allow the government to keep an up-to-date list of the parties that are pre-qualified to bid for contracts with IOCs.In some ways, it does. And by that, I mean that Im glad to see that the decree talks about the need to make sure that Angolan workers have access to detailed, effective, and sophisticated training programs and about the need to include provisions for such training in foreign management and technical assistance contracts.In other ways, though, Id like Lourenco and his government to go further. Id like them to think about exactly what kind of training might serve Angolans best. For example, what if they decided to prioritize training in information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) skills? Might they find that workers who learn how to operate the control systems used to maximise the efficiency of, say, gas pipelines also turn out to have the skills needed to operate similar equipment in manufacturing plants? And might such workers turn out to have something even more useful, such as the skills needed to set up and promote a new tech hub that could serve as another new source of jobs?I also think theres room for Angola to take a more expansive view of oil and gas. That is, I think the government ought to look further down the value chain so that its new policies dont emphasise conventional upstream, midstream, and downstream operations (and the ways that Angolan companies can support them) while overlooking other opportunities. Oil and gas arent just raw materials to be exported. They can also serve as feedstock for the production of petrochemicals, fertilizers, and other value-added goods. They can be used to power energy-intensive industrial facilities such as manufacturing complexes. They can also fuel power plants that increase domestic electricity supplies to such an extent that life gets better for residential and business customers alike.In turn, all of these new enterprises will have to hire people. They will need construction workers to build their physical plants, skilled and unskilled workers to keep their facilities running, IT and OT experts to operate and maintain the digital systems that help maximize efficiency, contractors to provide services such as food and transportation, and so on. In short, they will create jobs  and in so doing, they will show that oil and gas amount to something more than exportable raw materials.Furthermore, if Angola can pull this feat off  if it can use its new policies to lay a foundation for job creation that both includes and transcends oil and gas  it will be in a position to show other countries in Africa how to do the same thing. It will be able to set an example capable of inspiring Africans who want to see the old patterns of hydrocarbon development broken.Finally, it is important to acknowledge the role that Angola and its current minister of mineral resources, petroleum and gas, Diamantino Pedro Azevedo is playing as president of the conference of ministers of Opec. Without market stability and a realistic price environment for crude globally, all potential benefits from the industry in Angola will be short-lived. Opec Pluss 5 January 2021 agreement to allow some of its members to cautiously increase production in February and March in a coordinated manner, is also due to Diamantinos tact and experience. It is even more encouraging for the global oil markets, that Saudi Arabia is backing the current OPEC Plus deal with additional cuts of its own. This is good for Angolas oil sector and Angolan jobs.
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IoT Day Slam 2021 commences April 9th, held in celebration of World IoT Day 2021, Online

IoT Slam Live 2021 commences June 24th, held in New Orleans, LA, USA, in partnership with IEEE World Forum on the Internet of Things

Brightest minds invited to present real-world customer successes and best practice use-cases to Enterprise CxOs and leading IoT authorities in New Orleans, and virtually via the cloud

The IoT Community (Internet of Things Community), the world's largest community of corporate executives, IoT professionals and practitioners, and foremost IoT thought leadership association, today announced its schedule for the first half of 2021 of exclusive IoT Slam events commencing April 9th, in celebration of World IoT Day 2021, and the IoT Slam Live 2021, commencing June 24th held in partnership with the IEEE World Forum on the Internet of Things (June 20 24 2021), held at the Hilton Hotel, New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

IoT Day Slam 2021: April 9th, 2021, Online

The IoT Day Slam 2021 online conference (fourteenth IoT Slam branded event) will be delivered in real-time via virtual broadcast; attendees can tune in live to the stream globally via the internet and interact with speakers and other attendees. All proceedings are recorded and made available on-demand via https://iotpractitioner.com.

IoT Slam Live 2021, June 24th, 2021, New Orleans, LA, USA and Online

The IoT Slam Live 2021 conference, marks the return of the in-person IoT Slam series of events, commencing June 24th 2021, held in New Orleans, USA and broadcast online. The event is organized in partnership with the IEEE Internet of Things World Forum, June 20 24th pursuant to the announcement of its collaboration with IEEE. The partnership is an important step for both organizations, respective members and the industry as a whole.

Conference Themes Topics for H1 2021:

Vertical focus: Healthcare, Retail, Automotive

Industrial IoT and Manufacturing

Edge (Connect, Compute, Controls)

Smart Cities, Buildings, and Society

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Communications and Connectivity

Computing and Information Processing

Security and Privacy and Trust

Diversity, fairness and inclusion

David Hill, Executive Director of the Internet of Things Community (IoT Community) said, "We are excited to announce our 2021 plans for the IoT Slam conference series. Our annual IoT Day Slam 2021 virtual event, April 9th in celebration of World IoT Day and the IoT Slam Live in New Orleans events, will provide a proven platform to share the best IoT thought leadership that enables IoT industry leaders to engage, demonstrating how their use of IoT, and tools such as 5G, AI and the Edge, are transforming business, culture and society. I invite all intelligent edge and IoT practitioners to join us and present their impactful solutions, use cases, experiences, and thought leadership at these marquee events."

IoT Day Slam 2021 Call for Papers

To be considered as a speaker for the IoT Day Slam 2021 VIRTUAL conference, submit a proposal by March 1st 2021 at: https://iotslam.com/iot-day-slam-2021-call-for-papers/

IoT Slam Live 2021 Call for Papers

To be considered as a speaker for the IoT Slam Live 2021 IN-PERSON conference, submit a proposal by April 15th 2021 at: https://iotslam.com/iot-slam-live-2021-paper-submission/

"We're pleased to announce our next premiere IoT Community events the fourteenth and fifteenth in the series of IoT Slam conferences," said Dr. Tom Bradicich, Hewlett Packard Fellow, HPE, and Chair of the IoT Community Advisory Board. "As IT and OT converge, intelligent edges and IoT deployments are rapidly affording new business and as-a-Service delivery models. To this end, our IoT Day Slam 2021 virtual event will be replete with insightful approaches to advancing business outcomes. I invite all IoT and edge-to-cloud practitioners to join us and share their impactful solutions, use cases, experiences, and thought leadership. With IoT and edge technology deployments continuing to deliver improved business and societal results, it's the right season to collaborate with the IEEE as co-host of our 2021 IoT Slam Live event. Representing over 100 years of engineering, technology, and science, the IEEE has a heritage of disseminating and influencing the best in technical innovation. This IEEE IoT Community partnership is a potent combination, which better serves our respective members and advances the IoT and edge-to-cloud industries."

Registration: Free Access to IoT Slam

Members of the IoT Community can get free access to the IoT Slam events by visiting:

https://iotslam.com/iot-slam-conference-registration/

About IoT Day Slam 2021

The IoT Day Slam 2021 is the Internet of Things Community's fourteenth international conference, held in celebration of World IoT Day 2021, covering a horizontal industry perspective, across the entire spectrum of IoT. The IoT Slam 2021 takes place April 9th, 2021 virtually in the cloud. Details at: https://iotslam.com

About IoT Slam Live 2021

IoT Slam Live 2021 is the Internet of Things Community's annual in-person IoT Slam conference its fifteenth international IoT Slam branded conference. IoT Slam Live 2021 takes place June 24th, 2021, co-hosted with the IEEE World Forum on the Internet of Things, held at Hilton New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, visit https://iotslam.com

IoT Slam delivers the best in class IoT Strategy, Leadership, Advisory and Methodology (SLAM) IoT Slam.

About IoT Community (Internet of Things Community)

The IoT Community is the world's largest CxO community of senior business leaders and IoT practitioners consisting of 24,000+ members founded in 2015. The function is to focus on adoption and application of IoT in commercial environments, seeking to contribute applying technology or overcoming the variety of barriers, inhibitors, and technical and operational issues. For more information about IoT Community, visit http://www.iotcommunity.net (please note the dot net domain), follow us on Twitter (@IoTCommunity @IoTChannel).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005640/en/

Contacts:

David Hill

Executive Director

IoT Community

david.hill@iotcommunity.net
Washington  Rep. Tom Reed, an Upstate New York Republican, says President Donald Trump must be held accountable for inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol last week but he doesnt think impeachment is the answer.

Reed, R-Corning, plans to introduce a resolution today censuring Trump for his actions, and said he would support banning Trump from serving in federal office in the future.

I have supported the president on many issues, but I have no interest in stopping justice from being served, Reed wrote in an op-ed published in The New York Times.

Reed said it would be a mistake to move forward with a plan by House Democrats to quickly impeach Trump. A House vote could be held as soon as Wednesday, a week before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

If our leaders make the wrong decision in how to hold (Trump) accountable, it could damage the integrity of our system of justice, further fan the flames of division, and disillusion millions of Americans  all while failing to accomplish anything, Reed said.

Reed, whose district includes Ithaca and Tompkins County, said hes not convinced that Trump should be charged with incitement of insurrection in the House article of impeachment.

He wrote that while the presidents words were unwise, intemperate and wrong, they may not qualify as incitement.

More than 210 House Democrats have signed on to support an impeachment resolution.

Before voting on the resolution Wednesday, House Democrats plan to vote tonight on a measure that formally calls for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and strip Trump of his duties.

So far, only one House Republican  Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois  has signaled he will vote for impeachment.

Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, was undecided on the impeachment issue as of Tuesday morning and was still reviewing the resolution, a spokesman said.

Rep. Chris Jacobs, a Buffalo Republican, said he wont support the impeachment resolution. He said it would have catastrophic effects on the civil fabric of our nation.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 4:52 pm

Local city, county and public health officials are frustrated that the states new Healthy Washington phased reopening plan lumps Lewis County into a broader region with Thurston, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties.

For many, the fear is that its a step toward Gov. Jay Inslees plan to replace local health departments  which report to county governments  with regionalized districts that report to the state.

I think that thats an easy conclusion to draw from this, that theyre working to develop these districts, Public Health Director J.P. Anderson said last week.

The proposal for regional health districts was included in Inslees proposed budget last month, and while Anderson said it could mean a much-needed infusion of state funding, he also fears it could backfire by undermining local relationships and trust that countywide public health districts can generate. Other county leaders contended that local schools would not have been able to reopen so quickly had it not been for a local public health department and regular collaboration with the community.

Several county officials oppose the idea, and former county commissioner Edna Fund reported Friday that our legislators are working really hard to not have that hit the light of day.

Last week, Healthy Washington was clearly unpopular at a meeting between local mayors, public health officials and county commissioners. The restrictions that businesses were operating under since November were effectively extended, since each region will begin in the restrictive Phase 1.

Its kind of a kick in the teeth, Morton Mayor Dan Mortensen said, noting that a few Morton businesses have already been lost. Everyone was looking forward to getting businesses operating.

Part of Inslees rationale for creating eight broad regions was that the virus doesnt respect county lines. Regions were based on the emergency medical services regions currently used to evaluate health care services.

Reopening regionally will mean different things for different counties. As Anderson pointed out, some counties performing above-average may be held back by neighboring counties that still dont have a handle on the virus. On the other hand, counties performing poorly may be propelled into more lenient restrictions before they would otherwise be allowed to. Its unclear where Lewis County will fall on the spectrum. While Pacific and Thurston counties seem to have infections under control more so than Lewis County, Grays Harbor Countys numbers continue to soar.

Being in education for almost 30 years, this regional approach almost sounds like group punishment, County Commissioner Gary Stamper said. If Johnny talks in class were going to make the whole class sit in for recess. So thats very frustrating.

Chehalis Mayor Dennis Dawes echoed the sentiment.

It really troubles me that theyre trying to put us in a regional, and once again try to take away that local control, he said. I think thats going to be a hazardous road to go down.

With our fortunes tied together, Anderson said the plan raises a public health concern.

By making these decisions broader, you lose the ability to make smaller, more targeted decisions, he said. And if its data-driven, why not make them smaller, data-driven decisions? Thats my thought. You have the capacity to make those decisions just based on the county. Whats the benefit of going by region?

On Friday, the state Department of Health released a Roadmap to Recovery Report, confirming that no region would progress into Phase 2 on Monday, Jan 11. It also gave credence to Andersons prediction that it will take several weeks before the west region  Lewis Countys region  will advance to Phase 2. Currently, the region is only meeting one of four metrics, with two metrics  hospitalization rates and test positivity  increasing or high.

Astana:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed SCO summit in Kazakhstan's Astana, where he pitched for coordinated efforts to counter the menace of terrorism. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also addressed the Summit, congratulating India on joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

PM Modi and Sharif had on Thursday night exchanged pleasantries at a cultural gala in Astana, amid frosty bilateralties, deadlocked talks and escalation of hostilities along theLoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier on Friday, PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the SCO summit and discussed ways to improve bilateral ties hit by growing differences over a host of issues including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Indias NSG membership bid.

Here are the live updates:

#2:10 PM: Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif addresses SCO Summit

-We must leave a legacy of peace for future generations; not toxic harvest of conflict and animosity; let's create shared spaces for all



-I congratulate India on joining The Shanghai Cooperation Organization:



#2:00 PM: PM Modi addresses SCO summit in Kazakhstan's Astana

-Impossible to reach a solution till all make concerted efforts, on radicalisation, terrorist recruitment/training/financing issues



-Will have to make coordinated efforts to counter the menace of terrorism

-After 12 years of observership, will get membership of SCO. Want to thank all members for their support



It was the first meeting between the two leaders after India boycotted the high-profile Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing last month in which 29 world leaders took part.



India abstained from the summit to highlight its concerns over the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and passes through Gilgit and Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).



Prime Minister Modi and Xi are here in the Kazakh capital to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).



We spoke about India-China relations and how to further improve ties, Modi tweeted after his meeting with Xi, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China.



China is vocal about its stand to block Indias admission into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It had also stalled Indias move to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.



After Astana, Modi and Xi are also expected to cross paths at the G20 summit to be held next month in Hamburg, Germany followed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) summit to be held in Xiamen, China in September.



Modi also met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO.



Taking forward #IndiaUzbekistan coopn. PM @narendramodi meets President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan on the sidelines of SCO Summit, Baglay tweeted.

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AFL legend Leigh Matthews has copped backlash after defending embattled acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who sparked outrage for his remarks on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter' while refusing to apologise for comparing the raid on the US Capitol with last year's BLM protests.

The acting prime minister, who is filling in while Scott Morrison takes a week of leave, said President Donald Trump should not be banned from Twitter and Facebook for inciting violence.

He said Trump supporters' raid on the Capitol as politicians met to affirm Joe Biden's election win was 'unfortunate' and 'similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year'.

The remarks were widely condemned for making light of black struggles, but Matthews, a former Hawthorn star and four-time premiership winner, rushed to his defence.

Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter' as he refused to apologise for comparing last week's raid on the US Capitol with Black Lives Matter protests last year

Matthews called the criticism of the deputy prime minister 'bewildering' on Twitter

The 68-year-old called the criticism of the deputy PM 'bewildering'.

'Sometimes you just scratch your head with what you hear, being outraged about a simple uttering that all lives matter is bewildering as is the view that violent riots are ok if you support the underlying cause, beats me,' he tweeted.

Matthews' post divided opinion online, with many Twitter users taking the opportunity to explain the BLM movement to the Aussie sporting legend.

Sports journalist Richard Hinds explained 'all lives matter' is used as 'a disingenuous response to Black Lives Matter used by white supremacists trying to undermine that cause'.

Greg Jericho from The Guardian said Matthews' comments showed 'a level of ignorance'.

Human Rights group Amnesty International said comparing a violent raid on the Capitol that killed five to the mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter movement was 'deeply offensive' and asked Mr McCormack to withdraw the comment.

Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter'

But the acting Prime Minister refused to apologise and sparked further outrage by saying the controversial phrase 'all lives matter', which is used by far right groups to diminish the struggles faced by black and Indigenous communities.

'I appreciate that there are a lot of people out there who are being a bit bleeding heart about this and who are confecting outrage, but they should know those lives matter too. All lives matter. People shouldn't have to go to a protest and lose their lives,' Mr McCormack told the ABC.

Labor health spokesman Chris Bowen said the comments were 'beyond disgusting'.

'Australians of colour deserve to know that the Government thinks more of them than that, and to have the Acting Prime Minister spout the words, 'all lives matter', to diminish the Black Lives Matter movement, was beyond disgusting,' he said.

A study by the US Crisis Monitor found that more than 93 per cent of 7,750 Black Lives matter protests following the death of black man George Floyd who was knelt on by a policeman were peaceful.

Labor's Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said comparing the movement with a violent raid where windows were smashed and 50 people were injured was a 'failure of leadership'.

Michael McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC (pictured) on Thursday and instead likened the mob to Black Lives Matter protesters

'It beggars belief that the acting Prime Minister is drawing his equivalence,' he said.

'This is a stupendous and outrageous failure of leadership. When leaders all around the world are rightly condemning the violence in Washington, DC we have members of the Australian government trying to legitimise it or draw false comparisons.'

Mr McCormack refused to withdraw his comparison, saying the movement 'involves violence. It involves the destruction of property. It involves deaths of people, and any violence of that form is condemned.'

During his first two days as acting PM, Mr McCormack also called unemployed people 'lounge lizards' and refused to condemn government MPs Craig Kelly and George Christensen for spreading misinformation peddled by Trump supporters.

Mr Kelly has also claimed in a social media post that asking children to wear face masks amounts to 'child abuse'.

But instead of condemning the post, Mr McCormack said in a press briefing: 'Facts are sometimes contentious and what you might think is right, somebody else might think is completely untrue, that is part of living in a democratic country.'

Mr Bowen said: 'Craig Kelly is a menace and at every turn, Scott Morrison and now Michael McCormack have failed to call him out.'

Earlier Mr McCormack said unemployed Australians need to 'turn off Netflix' and get a job in the bush.

He said JobSeeker recipients, many of whom lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, were earning 'more than they ever dreamed of' on the taxpayer dollar.

The Nationals leader said the Regional Australia Institute found almost 50,000 jobs up for grabs in country Australia, and the unemployed should go get them.

He made the 'lounge lizards' gaffe during an interview on Monday, and doubled down when grilled about it on Nine's Today show on Tuesday morning.

'I say to those people, who have perhaps done reasonably well off JobSeeker - given the fact they might have been earning more than what they could have ever have dreamt of - it's time to turn Stan and Netflix off and come out to regions,' he replied.

Australians are seen lining up at a Centrelink office in Melbourne at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

'You can have a better life. You don't actually have to stick in congested traffic in the capital cities. You can get out to regional Australia.'

Today host Allison Langdon asked whether it was 'slightly insulting' to label unemployed residents 'lounge lizards'

She argued not everyone has the ability or freedom to relocate, particularly during a pandemic when they are subject to lockdowns and hotspot declarations.

Mr McCormack replied 'there's not much Covid out here', speaking from Townsville in North Queensland.

'Many communities in regional Australia have hardly had a case of Covid if at all and they are craving for people from the city to come out and experience the bush,' he said.

The acting prime minister said there were a variety of available jobs - beyond working on a farm.

'They're not just jobs picking fruit, they're not just jobs in meatworks. They're jobs in all sorts of good endeavours and certainly good well-paying jobs,' he said.

'It's fun to pick fruit, it's good and well-paying work to work in a meatworks and goodness knows we need them.'
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / DLT Resolution, Inc. (OTC PINK:DLTI), an information technology, cyber security, telecommunications and Union Services company, is pleased to announce its wholly owned subsidiary, Union Strategies ("USI") has landed The Canadian Allied Professional Union (CAPU).

Union Strategies is working very closely with The Canadian Allied Professional Union to publicly raise awareness on who this local is, what they strive for, and who they represent. Union Strategies Inc. covers all the local's media, making it easier for the Local to market themselves to different working sectors within the country. USI is engaged to develop an awareness campaign to get all eyes on CAPU.

About Canadian Allied Professional Union (CAPU)

CAPU is a union dedicated to advocating for fair wages, safe workplaces, and better working conditions. This local represents office professionals, healthcare workers, and manufacturing employees. Day by day, it continues to take the Union world by storm with its determination to achieve better, safer, and more secure working conditions. CAPU President, Frank Bartone, is dedicated to ensuring all workers are employed in excellent working environments.

Additionally, CAPU works closely with office professionals, healthcare workers, manufacturing employees and also stretches as far as security services, building services, homecare, and much more. There is truly almost no sector that this Union does not cover.

Office Professionals - We advocate for office professionals as we truly comprehend the significant work administrative professionals provide in order to keep large organizations functioning.

Healthcare Professionals - Now more than ever, we truly fight for our healthcare workers, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers work night and day to ensure we are safe, and get through these trying times as seamlessly as possible. This is why we recognize the value of their work, and truly make them a priority.

Manufacturing Professionals - The manufacturing industry is constantly changing, from technology advancement to everything in between. We transition through these changes by working closely with our members towards achieving better job security, as well as safer working conditions.

Building Services - We always ensure that builders are given fair, and safe working environments. Like manufacturing professionals, we work closely with this group to ensure working conditions remain as safe as possible.

Security Services - CAPU works closely alongside security workers to once again, provide healthy working environments for all security workers - especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAPU (Canadian Allied Professional Union) is a constant growing trade union with many years of experience in assisting professionals from a diverse range of industries to achieve better working conditions. Frank Bartone, President of CAPU, is member driven - and believes this local's strength resides in being able to achieve improvements through collective action and unity. "We don't just work for our members, we work with our members" - Frank Bartone, CAPU. To learn more about CAPU, please visit their website.

About Union Strategies Inc. (USI)

USI has been providing a suite of products and services to Unions for over 10 years. The company designs, builds, and executes programs resulting in greater success for unions. Programs are designed to engage the membership, decrease expenses, and save time for a more productive business. The Company's suite includes Telecommunications, Event Management, Professional Writing, Social Media Management, Web Design, Graphic Services, and Promotional Offerings. The company is a one-stop-shop for all things union. The company has more than 130 clients that are considered "mid-market" in terms of overall size of the particular local with 550,000 members. USI operates nationally in Canada and looks to expand into the USA in 2021. Learn more at: UnionStrategiesinc.com.

About DLT Resolution Inc.

DLT Resolution Inc. currently operates in three high-tech industry segments: Blockchain Applications & Cyber Security; Telecommunications; and Data Services which includes Image Capture, Data Collection, Data Phone Center Services, and Payment Processing. Its clients represent some of the top businesses from a variety of sectors. DLT Resolution helps organizations that have invoices, ledgers, statements, applications, surveys, employee and customer rewards programs and a wide range of other non-core functions benefit from data management. DLT Resolution also operates a Health Information Exchange providing the ability to request and retrieve medical information & records while meeting all of today's Security & Compliance demands for HIPAA, PIPEDA and PHIPA. Through RecordsBank, the Company offers an easy to use online gateway to its centralized system for patients, lawyers and insurers to retrieve and access medical records. Learn more at: DLTResolution.com.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

The use of the word "company" or "Company" refers to DLT Resolution Incorporated and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In accordance with the safe harbor provisions of this Act, statements contained herein that look forward in time that include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's actual results. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. DLT Resolution may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, in its annual report to stockholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by the company, including, but not limited to, plans and objectives of management for future operations or products, the market acceptance or future success of our products, and our future financial performance. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (available at http://www.sec.gov). DLT Resolution undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Nothing within this communication is meant to be a solicitation to buy or sell our securities. Investing in over the counter (OTC) securities often carries a high degree of risk. Please contact your financial advisor before investing in our securities.

CONTACT:

+1 (702) 796-6363

www.dltresolution.com

SOURCE: DLT Resolution Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623881/Union-Strategies-Lands-The-Canadian-Allied-Professional-Union-CAPU
PORTAGE, MI -- Students in Portage will be back to the classroom this month, district leaders said.

Portage Public Schools elementary students returned to in-person learning on Jan. 4, and secondary students will soon follow suit on Monday, Jan. 25, according to the Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan approved by the Board of Education Monday, Jan. 11.

On Friday, Jan. 8, Whitmer encouraged all schools across the state to return to in-person learning by March.

Michael Pascoe, assistant superintendent of instruction, said 31.5% of secondary students opted to return to in-person learning at the beginning of the second semester in January. About 67% of students are opting to remain in PPS Virtual, Pascoe said.

The district plans to offer students back-to-school tours and will develop videos to illustrate safety protocols such as social distancing, mask wearing and cleaning, said Mike Huber, director of curriculum and professional development.

The district is also preparing for how best to handle meals and transitions such as arrival and departure and hallways in between classes, Huber said.

Board member Rusty Rathburn said students may be disappointed that so many of their peers opted to remain in virtual mode. Students who return to school will also be asked to adhere to strict safety protocols, he said.

I could see some kids wanting to change their mind, Rathburn said. I think the restrictions, which are for good measure, but I think the kids idea of what this is going to be like probably isnt going to be as fun as they anticipate.

Pascoe said district leaders hope that the number of students returning to the classroom will increase over time.

Were hoping that were doing as much proactive thinking as possible, but were mindful that we dont have all the answers because some of the answers wont come until we physically have the kids transitioning and going through our typical secondary day, Pascoe said.

Also on MLive:

Call for in-person school, vaccine for teachers top priorities for Michigan schools now

Next in line for vaccines, Michigan teachers are feeling optimistic

What worked in 2020 and what needs work in 2021 for 12 Michigan schools
The Egyptian government said on Tuesday that there is no change in the exam system for higher education students, confirming that the system will still rely on written tests to be performed in person rather than the submission of research papers as was circulated on social media and some websites lately.

In a statement, the cabinets media center denied rumors of plans to merge the first and second semesters after confirming with the the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research that no new decisions or proposals were made regarding the current exams system for universities and academic institutions.

Exams for the first semester for all stages of university education nationwide will be held after 20 February, which marks the end of the mid-year vacation.

After the postponement of the exams till after the vacation due to coronavirus concerns, the education process has continued since 2 January through e-learning platforms available at all governmental and private universities and higher institutes.

The mid-year vacation is scheduled to start on Saturday 16 January.

All oral and practical exams for all stages of university education and postgraduate studies in all public and private universities as well as higher institutes have been postponed until after the end of the mid-year vacation.

All activities, conferences, and festivals held in educational entities have been halted until the end of the vacation, according to the ministrys statement.

On 31 December, Egypt announced the cancelation of mandatory attendance in classrooms and the postponment of first semester exams in schools and universities till after the mid-year vacation in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the second wave of the coronavirus.

Ten days earlier, the Ministry of Education made the attendance of students in classrooms optional.

Short link:


The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.

Officials of the Xin Cai Border Post in the northern province Ha Giang on Monday accepted 20 Vietnamese nationals who were handed over by Chinese police.

According to the local border guards, the handover procedure took place around 1:00 pm on Monday.

Major Mua Mi Cay, a political instructor at the Xin Cai Border Post, said the repatriated group consists of farmers doing seasonal jobs in Yunnan Province, China.

One of the workers in the group hails from the southern province of Kien Giang, while the rest are from Ha Giang Province.

In another case, the Xin Cai Border Post detected four Vietnamese nationals illegally crossing the border to enter the country.

The four were promptly transferred to a centralized quarantine zone in accordance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

As of 6:00 pm on Monday, a total of 343 cases of Vietnamese citizens attempting to illegally cross the border back into the country had been detected, with 275 entering from China, 66 from Cambodia, and two from Laos, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Border Guard High Command reported.

Security along the Vietnamese border has been tightened over the past days to prevent illegal entries and reduce risks of COVID-19 transmission from border jumpers.

On December 26, the Ministry of Health confirmed four coronavirus cases among a group of six Vietnamese people who sneaked into Vietnam two days earlier through the Vietnam-Cambodia border to avoid mandatory quarantine applied to anyone arriving from outside the country.

The Southeast Asian country has documented 1,515 COVID-19 cases, with 1,361 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

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Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) and the FinTech Association of Israel -FinTech Aviv (FTA) have signed an agreement to cooperate and collaborate on matters of mutual interest relating to the development of the fintech industry in the region.



The agreement follows the signing of the Abraham Accords Peace agreement between Bahrain and Israel in September 2020.



Bahrain FinTech Bay and FinTech Aviv will aim to strengthen and further develop the fintech ecosystem in the region. Both parties will collaborate on joint projects, community events and facilitate communication and introduction between fintechs and venture capital interested in expanding in both countries.



BFB has strategically partnered with over 20 global scaleups looking to expand regionally via its unique venture acceleration platform. FinTechs also benefit through other various services BFB offers that include innovation labs, acceleration programs, curated activities, educational opportunities, and collaborative platforms. Bahrain FinTech Bay has over 50 partners across governmental bodies, financial institutions, corporates, consultancy firms, universities, associations, venture capital, and fintech start-ups to bring the full spectrum of market participants together.



FinTech-Aviv was established in 2014 and serves the needs of the Israeli FinTech ecosystem, that counts more than 6,000 start-ups and 300 research and development centers. FinTech-Aviv consists of more than 30,000 community members and serves the needs of Israels ecosystem players, which include growth stage FinTech companies, early-stage startups, global banks, insurance firms, VCs and multinational companies.



Khalid Dannish, CEO (BFB) said: Bahrain has taken tremendous strides towards embracing, adopting and promoting innovative technology and we are pleased to launch this partnership to further enable Bahrains fintech ecosystem and open up opportunities for our respective fintechs and partners through our collaboration with FinTech Aviv.



This exciting step towards cross border cooperation with the Israeli FinTech community will pave the way for future partnerships and collectively strengthen our ecosystems.



Nir Netzer, the Chairman of FinTech-Aviv added: In this unprecedented time of new economic and political order in the Middle East, were honoured to extend our relationship and partners network toBahrain and to initiate this unique collaboration in order to facilitate the export of Israeli technologies to new markets.



The FinTech-Aviv community and its 30,000+ Israeli and worldwide members, proudly hold the torch of this exciting initiative and are humbled to be leading Israeli FinTech companies towards the exploration of new horizons with our new business partners.  TradeArabia News Service
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The Staten Island Museum, Livingston, is hosting a new virtual lecture and presentation series that focuses on some of the most interesting stories and objects from the museums collection.

The series, called Lunch and Learn, brings 30-minute presentations about specific objects ranging from painting to peat moss and everything in between  showcasing the breadth of the museums collection, which covers art, natural science and history.

All programs will be held virtually via live Zoom sessions, and registration is required. A $5 donation is suggested, and the sessions are free for Museum members. Tickets are available now at www.StatenIslandMuseum.org/events.

We are excited to offer Lunch and Learn, a new virtual program series where youll hear directly from staff curators to introduce you to fascinating collections objects. Its a great way to take a break and add some art and culture to your weekday, said Janice Monger, Staten Island Museum president and CEO.

Heres a look at the schedule of the virtual series.

Artist Raphael Soyer: Thursday, Jan. 21  12 to 12:30 p.m.

Two portraits by Raphael Soyer hang in the Staten Island Museum: A Girl with Flowers (1940) and Self-portrait in my 60s (1969). Join the Museum for a brief look at Soyers life, philosophy on art, and the story of how these two artworks found a home on Staten Island. Presented by Audrey Malachowsky, Collections Manager.

You can register here.

Drusilla Poole and Local Suffragists in Their Own Words: Thursday, Feb. 18  12 to 12:30 p.m.

Join the Curator of Women of the Nation Arise! for a look at the arguments suffragists made in favor of womens participation in government.

Learn about local suffragists such as Drusilla Poole, whose organization the Womens Civic and Political Union formed in 1919 to teach Black women on Staten Island about politics and encourage them to vote. Presented by Garbriella Leone, archives manager and curator of Women of the Nation Arise! Staten Islanders in the Fight for Womens Right to Vote (now on view).

You can register here.

Elizabeth Britton and Her Mosses: Thursday, March 18  12 to 12:30 p.m.

During a time when women in science were rare, Elizabeth Knight Britton was an expert in bryology, the study of mosses. Learn about her influence on science on Staten Island and New York City and what makes a moss, a moss! Presented by Colleen Evans, director of Natural Sciences.

You can register here.

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Local Leaders Hope Proposed California Budget Will Help Businesses, Schools

Orange County leaders say theyre optimistic the recently-released draft budget will benefit local businesses and public schools.

We think that this budget that the governor presented has a number of good things in there that are steps in the right direction of giving the mainstream mom-and-pop [shops] more hope and support that they desperately need, John Kabateck, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 11.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a proposed $227.2 billion budget for fiscal year 20212022 on Jan. 8, a new record for the state, with significant funds earmarked to aid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The budget features funding for economic relief, public schools, health measures, and moreincluding a $14 billion economic recovery allocation to provide relief for working families and small businesses, facilitate the safe reopening of schools, and invest in zero-emission vehicles.

The budget economic recovery fund includes $3.5 billion earmarked for immediate relief for individuals and small businesses affected by the pandemic, and the budget also includes another $575 million in small business grants.

Kabateck acknowledged the budget has a number of good items, but said additional resources should be given to small businesses.

Wed like to see significantly more dollars go out to Main Street and the people who are desperately needing them to keep the lights on, he said.

According to Kabateck, if economic conditions do not improve for small business owners in the next few months, 25 percent of small businesses will be forced to close their doors.

The budget right now has a significant surplus, he said. Thats welcome news. But lets make sure its appropriated to those who need itour number one job creators, small businesses.

Kabateck said that the $575 million granted to small businesses was very welcome because it didnt force them to take on more debt. But the small business advocate questioned the yearly budgets $1.5 billion infrastructure investment, which includes incentives for zero-emission vehicles meant to spur economic activity while supporting the states zero-emission targets.

I think its admirable to have electric cars and to have goals for renewable [energy], electric vehicles, and greener, healthier economies, but what we need right now is not electric vehicles.  We need to support the electricity that mom-and-pops rely on, he said.

The budget also includes a $2.4 billion Golden State stimulus which will give a payment of $600 to low-income workers.

Public schools are set to receive close to $90 billion, with $85.8 billion thanks to Proposition 98, which requires a minimum percentage of the states annual budget to be spent on K-12 education.

The economic recovery package also includes $2 billion in Proposition 98 funding to enable the safe reopening of schools in February and the return to in-person instruction. The budget report notes that parents who have been taking care of children will be able to return to the workforce as a result of in-person instruction, removing a heavy burden on those who have been out of work.

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on younger students, Newsoms proposal offers $400 million in one-time funding to help support mental health services in schools.

State Senator Pat Bates, a Republican who represents Orange Countys Laguna Niguel, voiced approval for most of the budget but stressed fiscal responsibility.

The final budget that the governor signs this year must fund essential services without making new spending promises we cannot keep, Bates said in a statement.

I welcome the governors budget efforts to strengthen public health, speed up vaccine distribution, and reopen our schools, which cannot come soon enough for millions of kids who are falling further behind in their educational and social development, she said.

It is also encouraging to see the governor make small businesses and their workers a priority after forcing many of them to shut down.

But Bates also noted that fixing the problems in Californias Employment Development Department, which she said has had many failures, needs to be a top priority.

Unemployed Californians have had to go through weeks of hell to receive their benefits even as prisoners and con artists were able to quickly obtain billions of dollars, she said.

Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares of the Orange County Department of Education called the spending plan a positive first step in a Jan. 11 statement sent to The Epoch Times.

We are pleased to see that education continues to be a top priority in the governors budget. At the same time, we recognize that this favorable revenue picture will not last forever, with deficits already projected for 202223, Mijares said.

It is therefore imperative that we remain circumspect and not overcommit resources while making prudent investments both in the students who need to be brought up to grade level as well as those who need more opportunities to participate in the most challenging courses, including high-level career technical education.

Californias current fiscal year ends on June 30. The proposed budget must be approved by July 1 by the California Legislature to become active.
EV

It's probably both and, if Sony could profit off it in any other way, it would likely take that too. However, the company still doesn't explicitly say it has any plans to go beyond the prototype stage, though it doesn't explicitly say otherwise either. It's one of those situations where it could go either way, and no one would be surprised.To quote Sony, the goal of the VISION-S is to "contribute to the evolution of mobility," which is as ambiguous of a statement as you'll hear all year. It basically leaves all doors open for Sony, which is probably a smart strategy at this stage.What stage would that be, you ask? Well, the "working prototype" was unveiled one year ago, and the company has been working on it ever since. The first of the two videos below shows a few sequences from the's development process, with one focusing on the care shown to small details such as the closing of the door. Could Sony already be taking swings at Tesla and its proverbially bad panel alignment? One can only hope because it would suggest the electronics company is taking the project more seriously than it would have us believe.The video reveals a lot more information about the prototype, showing the car is in an advanced stage of development. Not only are the basics working - apparently, it's got a dual-motor setup with 272 hp, a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h), and a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint of 4.8 seconds, which is more than decent - but it also has gesture recognition, various driving aid features that could lead toward self-driving, a dashboard made out of screens, cameras for wing mirrors, and a sound system to die for.Looking at the clip, you'll also see the VISION-S is far from having a finished interior. The shot only shows the dashboard, but despite the abundance of displays we mentioned earlier, we can also see the exposed metal in the A-pillars and the missing steering wheel hub, not to mention the approximately one metric ton of wires hanging from above. It's clear Sony is prioritizing the EV's exterior design over its interior, and that's probably a smart choice.After making its debut in the US, heading back to Austria where most of the work was done, then going over to Japan for some more development, the VISION-S is now returning to Graz to commence its testing on European public roads.The VISION-S looks to have largely the same dimensions as a Tesla Model 3 or, sticking closer to home, a Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT. It has a nice, if somewhat generic exterior design, and the fact the company didn't do something bolder considering it's not constrained by any brand identity or anything is a bit surprising and, at the same time, disappointing.Still, if that's an indicator of Sony's very serious intentions of sending the EV into production at some point, we won't complain anymore. Besides, the public's reaction seems to be overwhelmingly positive. Add Sony's reputation worldwide, and if the Japanese giant can keep the cost at a reasonable level and make a profit, it wouldn't be just madness not to sell it, but also a very big shame.Entering the automotive industry is not the kind of decision a company takes lightly, not even one the size of Sony Corporation . For the moment, the news of the VISION-S' continued development should be enough to make us feel content and hopeful the EV landscape might one day expand with a great entry from Sony.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 11, 2021 / Dimension Five Technologies Inc. (CSE:DFT) (the "Company") announces departure of interim Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") and interim Corporate Secretary, Daniel Hejcman, effective January 11, 2021. The Company is grateful to Mr. Hejcman for his leadership and services during our CFO transition and wishes him all the best.

The Company is pleased to appoint Donnacha Rahill as the Companies new CFO and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Rahill recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Flow Capital Corp. (FW) and during this time he took a leadership role in two business combination transactions. Mr. Rahill has over 20 years of experience in various CFO and senior finance roles in Ireland, Canada and Singapore and these roles were primarily in startup businesses. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and was admitted to membership in November 1987.

ABOUT Dimension Five Technologies Inc.

Dimension Five Technologies Inc., based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, had been developing a new investing platform that helps connect early stage companies with investors. The Company is seeking to change its main business activities as set out in a press release dated July 14, 2020. Additional information on Dimension Five is available on the company's website at http://www.dimensionfive.ca.

For further information, please contact:

Chris Parr, CEO

Chris@dimensionfive.ca

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

SOURCE: Dimension Five Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623892/Dimension-Five-Announces-Departure-of-Officer-and-Appointment-of-Officer
Tens of thousands of students in many northern and north-central Vietnamese provinces were allowed to stay home on Monday as temperatures dropped below 10 degrees Celsius due to the effects of a strong cold spell.

In the north-central province of Nghe An, the provincial Department of Education and Training issued a document requesting students of kindergarten and elementary schools to let students stay home if the temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius, and seven degrees Celsius for middle and high schools.

In addition, schools have to inform the students and their parents of the school break as soon as possible.

Accordingly, all kindergarten students in the provinces Ky Son District were asked to stay home to protect their health as temperatures ranged between 4-7 degrees Celsius, with frost forming in many places on Monday afternoon, according to Phan Van Thiet, head of the districts bureau of education and training.

Besides, 41 elementary and middle schools along Vietnam-Lao borders and in mountainous areas, where many students of Mong ethnic people are living, were also closed.

As a majority of those schools provide semi-boarding services with the students living far away and having opted to stay at their campuses over the past few days, local authorities directed them to strengthen measures to combat the cold for students, including using firewood, Thiet said.

In northern Son La Province, 401 out of 527 kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools and 16 out of 44 high schools urged students to stay home on Monday, according to the provincial education and training department.

Schools at all levels in the three districts of Yen Chau, Thuan Chau, and Van Ho were shuttered.

In northern Dien Bien Province, nearly 55,000 students of 130 schools were given leave to avoid the cold on Monday morning.

Likewise, 98,175 students from 256 schools in Nghia Lo Town, Yen Binh, Van Chan, Luc Yen, Tram Tau, and Mu Cang Chai Districts in northern Yen Bai Province, stayed home.

Meanwhile, their peers in Yen Bai City and Tran Yen District still went to school.

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CORAL GABLES, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all bartenders! Tequila Cazadores is expanding National Margarita Day throughout the entire month of February and declaring it #MargaritaMonth. We made it to 2021 after conquering the toilet paper battles of 2020 and mastering the art of dressing for work Zooms from the waist up so let's celebrate with an entire month of indulging in this iconic cocktail. Because, let's face it: we deserve it!

Flex your creative cocktail-making muscles and show us what you got! Tequila Cazadores will be selecting 28 bartenders who submit a unique Margarita recipe that pays homage to the classic Margarita. All recipes must use one of the five Tequila Cazadores expressions. The catch: it has to be easy to recreate at home with ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store. Each of the 28 winners will be awarded $1,000.

To submit, fill out THIS form. You must be over the age of 21 to enter, live in the United States and not own currently own any bars or restaurants nor be engaged in a partnership with hospitality or spirits brands. Recipes submitted grant Tequila Cazadores the right to use the cocktail, cocktail recipe and cocktail likeness across digital and social platforms. If selected, Tequila Cazadores will be creatively capturing the cocktail for social and digital promotion across its owned platforms.

Deadline to submit is Friday, January 15th 9AM EST.

About Tequila CAZADORES

Tequila CAZADORES is one of the most popular premium tequilas in Mexico and the United States. Tequila CAZADORES is made with 100% blue agave grown, harvested, and distilled in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, recognized as the premier agave growing region in the world, resulting in a smoother, more flavorful taste. The Tequila CAZADORES brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International www.CAZADORES.com

Media Contact:

RockOrange for Tequila CAZADORES

Telephone: (786) 693-0325

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Tequila CAZADORES

Related Links

https://www.cazadores.com


Armie Hammer's estranged wife is 'shocked and sickened' by the actor's alleged messages that discuss rape fantasies, BDSM and cannibalism and 'believes' the women stepping forward, a close friend exclusively told DailyMail.com.

On Sunday night, Hammer began to trend on Twitter after a series of graphic Instagram DMs that he allegedly penned to a woman were leaked publicly by an anonymous, now-private account, House of Effie.

The actor is yet to speak publicly on the matter, and multiple requests for comment sent to his representatives have so far gone unanswered.

The alleged messages date back to 2016 and some are as recent as February 2020, a time period where Hammer, 34, was still married to his wife Elizabeth Chambers, 38.

The two announced their 10-year marriage was over in July, as a source close to Chambers admitted she was aware of his infidelities.

But Hammer's alleged extreme kinks are a 'complete shock' to the mother-of-two, with the friend adding: 'Armie appears to be a monster.'

They said: 'A lot of these women have reached out to Elizabeth and although she didn't want to admit it to herself at first, she knows now they are speaking the truth.

'Armie had a whole other side to him that she wasnt aware of. Whether it was always there and he kept it hidden, or something happened that changed him completely, she doesn't know.'

Armie Hammer's estranged wife is 'shocked and sickened' by the actor's alleged messages that discuss rape fantasies, BDSM and cannibalism and 'believes' the women stepping forward, a close friend exclusively told DailyMail.com

Though the messages are unverified, the user attempted to prove their authenticity by sharing private photos alleged to be from Hammer. One includes a photo that seems to be sent from Hammer's official Instagram account where he grabs his neck, presumably to imitate choking himself (pictured)

The graphic Instagram DMs that Hammer allegedly penned to a woman included talk of rape fantasies, BDSM and cannibalism. They were leaked publicly by an anonymous account, House of Effie, on Instagram over the weekend

The insider claims that one of the women who contacted Chambers about her experience with Hammer was left so traumatized that she entered an 'intense rehab and therapy program because of his emotional and maybe physical abuse.'

They added: 'He preyed upon her when she was coming out of a relationship. He made her feel very uncomfortable, the things he wanted to do made her very scared.'

The graphic Instagram DMs that Hammer allegedly penned to a woman included talk of rape fantasies, BDSM and cannibalism. In one message, the actor allegedly writes to the woman: 'I am 100% a cannibal. I want to eat you.'

Though the messages are unverified, House of Effie attempted to prove their authenticity by sharing private photos alleged to be from Hammer.

One includes an undated photo that seems to be sent from Hammer's official Instagram account where he grabs his neck, presumably to imitate choking himself.

Another photo is of a male's hand splayed out across a script on a wooden table, and purports to have been sent from Hammer's Instagram account in an undated message. Visible on the man's ring finger is a small tattoo.

Notably, Hammer has a similar looking tattoo on his finger, having previously had Chambers' initials inked on his ring finger shortly after they married in October 2010.

They also supplied voice messages, where a man purported to be Hammer describes his sexual fantasies and speaks about the messages in question.

The graphic Instagram DMs that Hammer allegedly penned to a woman included talk of rape fantasies, BDSM and cannibalism. In one message, the actor allegedly writes to the woman: 'I am 100% a cannibal. I want to eat you'

The woman has also shared a photo she claims to have received from Hammer during her purported exchange with him, showing a tattoo on his ring finger

Hammer has a similar looking tattoo on his finger, as seen in the above images from 2020 (left) and 2018 (right), which is said to be of the initials of his now ex-wife

House of Effie explained she initially shared a video that referenced her alleged affair with Hammer, prompting other women to come forward and their stories to go viral.

The user wrote: 'Women approached me with their affair stories as we talked overwhelmed with grief for days and nights without sleeping or eating, with some ending up in the ER.

'We collectively decided we have to speak out after how we were treated and seeing how the women in 2020 were being treated by him. We cannot allow more women to endure what we are going through in the future.'

The accuser claims the women that Hammer allegedly was having affairs with recently 'united' and were able to 'piece together a five year timeline' of his alleged activity.

They concluded that 'when [Hammer] has a fight with his wife, he'd reach out to his kitten, and when they had a fight, the next day he would just reach out to his other kitten with the same message. Naturally all fights revolving around [Hammer's] bad treatment of women.'

It's unclear how many women are behind the allegations.

During this time period, Hammer was still married to Chambers. They are parents to two children, daughter Harper, six, and son Ford, three.

In a number of the alleged messages, Hammer appears to reference Chambers.

A screenshot from a conversation purported to be from December 2019 shown above

The authenticity of the screenshots have also not yet been verified, however the woman behind the House of Effie account has shared new alleged correspondences with Hammer (left) on Tuesday, in which he appeared to refer to her as his 'slave'

In a second alleged exchange of undated messages shared by House of Effie, Hammer allegedly writes: 'I feel like the same way you are on one side of the slave spectrum, I Am on the other side of the master spectrum and I can't ever imagine another slave.'

In an exchange via Facebook in April of 2017, Chambers is brought up again. A woman asks 'did you fix that problem?'

And when Hammer quizzes: 'What problem?', she replies: 'The f**k-your-wife-so-she-lets-s**t-go problem.'

Hammer answers back: 'Hahahaha. Not yet. But I bought a b**er pill for tomorrow night just to make sure I seal the deal. They've bumped her from first class and we didn't even sit next to each other.'

Another message from Instagram dated Christmas Day 2019, the accuser claims she told Hammer's wife about their alleged affair.

Hammer allegedly writes: 'As long as you f**king promise never to do anything like that again.'

One of Hammer's exes, writer Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, has spoken out saying she believes the shocking messages 'are real', and later wrote: 'It takes an army to hide a predator' in reference to the allegations.

Henriquez tweeted on Monday: 'If you are still questioning whether or not those Armie Hammer DMs are real (and they are) maybe you should start questioning why we live in a culture willing to give abusers the benefit of the doubt instead of victims.'

Hammer (left) is pictured on a date with Henriquez on August 31, 2020 in Los Angeles

Another woman Hammer was recently said to be dating, model Paige Lorenze, tweeted Sunday: 'anyone got a good therapist?' as the messages were first leaked

Henriquez responded to the post the following day, telling Lorenze (pictured): 'Yeah girl, I'll send you the number', accompanied with a wink-face emoji

Armie Hammer dropped hints about his reported sexual fetishes in several interviews before he was accused of sexual depravity and alleged to be a 'cannibal'

Armie Hammer says French erotica writer and philosopher Marquis de Sade is his dream dinner guest Armie Hammer dropped hints about his reported sexual fetishes in several interviews before he was accused of sexual depravity and alleged to be a 'cannibal'. In a November 2020 Netflix interview for the film Rebecca, starring Lily James, Hammer was asked (in Spanish) 'What historical person would you like to have dinner with?' To which Armie responded, 'Marquis de Sade.' French philosopher and erotic writer Marquis de Sade Marquis de Sade was a French philosopher and writer known for his erotic work in the 1700s. De Sade's work depicted sexual fantasies and empathized violence, suffering and sodomy. The words 'sadism' and 'sadist' are derived from de Sade's work where he portrayed acts of sexual cruelty. Advertisement

Henriquez, who was pictured on a date with Hammer on August 31, later took to Instagram to add: 'It takes an army to hide a predator. Behind every abuser is a team of people working hard to cover up the trail.'

The writer reportedly blocked Hammer on social media shortly after their August meeting. It's unclear how long they dated.

Henriquez previously posted a meme to Twitter that showed a picture of her with Hammer, bearing the caption 'How it started', alongside a screen shot showing Hammer's blocked account, with the words 'How it's going'. The post was uploaded on October 30.

Another woman Hammer was recently said to be dating, model Paige Lorenze, tweeted Sunday: 'anyone got a good therapist?' as the messages were first leaked.

Henriquez responded to the post the following day, telling Lorenze: 'Yeah girl, I'll send you the number', accompanied with a wink-face emoji.

A request for comment sent to Lorenze's publicist has not yet been returned.

House of Effie also shared a clip from an Interview posted by Netflix in November 2020, where he declares that his dream dinner guest would be Marquis de Sade, a French philosopher and author, whose works helped coin the term 'sadist' to describe sexual cruelty.

He was known for his libertine sexuality and his works depicted sexual fantasies, which included a heavy focus on violence, suffering and anal sex.

Hammer, best known for his acclaimed role in 2017's Call Me By Your Name, has appeared in recent years in films including On the Basis of Sex, Sorry to Bother You and the upcoming Death on the Nile.

DailyMail.com has reached out to 20th Century Fox, who are behind Death on the Nile, and ViacombCBS, who are developing The Offer in which Hammer is set to star, for comment on the allegations but has not yet received a response.

In an interview with Playboy magazine in 2013, he lifted the lid on his 'wild' sexual habits with women in previous relationships.

Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers were still married at the time the alleged messages from Hammer were apparently sent to the woman

He told the outlet: 'Well, if youre married to a feminist as I am, then its. I dont know how much we can put here without my parents being embarrassed, but I used to like to be a dominant lover.

'I liked the grabbing of the neck and the hair and all that. But then you get married and your sexual appetites change. And I mean that for the better - its not like Im suffering in any way. But you cant really pull your wifes hair. It gets to a point where you say, I respect you too much to do these things that I kind of want to do.'

Hammer later blamed what he called 'over-sharing' about his past sexual exploits on alcohol.

'Let's just say hindsight is 20/20. Don't drink during an interview,' he told E! News.

However, in an interview with Elle later the same year, he claimed a former girlfriend once tried to stab him in bed.

'One chick tried to stab me when we were having sex,' Hammer said. 'I should so not be telling this story. She was like, "True love leaves scars. You don't have any." And then she tried to stab me with a butcher knife,' he added. 'Of course I promptly broke up with her...seven months later.'
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the cover of Vogues February issue. The magazine said it released both images of the Indian American as digital magazine covers to respond to the seriousness of this moment in history, and the role she has to play leading our country forward. (IANS photo)

Barn destroyed by Wednesday morning fire

Fire destroyed a barn about five miles southeast of Watertown Wednesday, according to a report from Watertown Fire Rescue.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 04:40:08|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday kidnapped 20 civilians from a village in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, state news agency SANA reported.

The civilians were randomly taken from their homes in the Sajr village in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, and sent to an unknown location, the report said.

The SDF fighters fired in the air to "terrorize" the people of the village, it said.

On Jan. 4, the SDF captured 19 civilians from three villages in the countryside of Deir al-Zour to unknown locations, according to SANA.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the SDF on Sunday carried out a campaign against corrupt employees in the areas under its control in the northeastern province of Hasakah.

The UK-based watchdog group said 15 people were rounded up and their properties confiscated by the SDF as part of the anti-corruption campaign.

The U.S.-backed SDF controls large areas in Hasakah and the countryside of Deir al-Zour province. Enditem
Harrisburg, PA  Today, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the Delaware & Hudson Rail-Trail (D & H Rail-Trail) has been named Pennsylvanias 2021 Trail of the Year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when Pennsylvania visitors and residents are heading outside for healthy and safe recreation opportunities, the D & H Rail-Trail has been a gem of Northeast Pennsylvania. It provides users near and far the opportunity to enjoy some of the most beautiful parts of the commonwealth, learn about the region history and engage in healthy activities, Dunn said. This trail also illustrates the benefits of trail connectivity and provides an example of what can be accomplished with strong community engagement. It very much deserves this recognition.

Pennsylvania continues its tradition of being a leader in trail development by providing its citizens and visitors with more than 12,000 miles of trails. In an effort to close the gaps in this network and bring trails to close everyone, DCNR has established a goal to have a trail within 10 minutes of all Pennsylvanians.

Each year, the DCNRs Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee designates a Trail of the Year to help build enthusiasm and support for both large and small trails, and raise public awareness about the value of Pennsylvanias trail network.

The 38-mile long D & H Rail-Trail extends through Lackawanna, Susquehanna and Wayne counties and traces the former corridor of the Delaware & Hudson Railway, which primarily carried anthracite coal out of the Lackawanna Valley during the second half of the 19th century. The trail welcomes motorized and non-motorized users, including walkers, bikers, equestrians as well as snowmobilers.

The trail is situated in the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Heritage Region, the Endless Mountains Heritage Region and the Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape.

This past year has shown us the importance of having trails close to home with a tremendous increase in trail users who have discovered the D & H. said Lynn Conrad, executive director of the Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania. This award helps to not only recognize the Rail-Trail Councils past accomplishments but will encourage us to continue to improve and maintain the D & H Rail-Trail.

The D & H Rail-Trail has enjoyed immense community support and efforts to help make its existence possible. Trail visitors are given the opportunity to appreciate the scenic beauty of the trail and surrounding area as well as learn more about its historical significance to the region.

The Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which manages the D & H Rail-Trail, was organized in 1991. It quickly began to recruit members, organize and complete trail cleanups and seek funding to help purchase the old railroad corridor for use as a rail trail. The Rail-Trail Council continues to develop the trail and will celebrate 30 years as an organization in April 2021.

The Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee is charged with implementing the recommendations of the Pennsylvania Trails Strategic Plan to develop a statewide land and water trail network to facilitate recreation, transportation, and healthy lifestyles for all. The 20-member DCNR-appointed committee represents both motorized and non-motorized trail users and advises the commonwealth on use of state and federal trail funding.

In 2020, DCNR named Ghost Town Trail in Cambria and Indiana Counties as Pennsylvanias Trail of the Year.

Visit the D & H Rail-Trail website for more information.
A Falkville man arrested on charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol now faces a 17-count indictment from a federal grand jury.

Lonnie Coffman was arrested after Molotov Cocktails were found in the cooler of a truck, according to Washington, DC Metropolitan Police. (Read more about Coffman HERE and HERE)

The indictment released Tuesday from the Department of Justice says Coffman faces:

Six charges of possession of an unregistered firearm;

Three charges of carrying a pistol without a license;

Two charges of carrying a rifle or shotgun;

One charge of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding devices and;

Five charges of unlawful possession of ammunition.

The indictment says Coffman had materials for 11 Molotov Cocktails; a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun; a .22 caliber North American Arms revolver; a 9mm Hi-Point handgun; a Windham Weaponry rifle; a Hatfield Gun Company SAS shotgun; 9mm, .22 caliber and 5.56 x 45mm rounds; and shotgun shells.

Last week, Metropolitan Police said Coffman was coming back to his car, when officers approached the car he was sitting in and asked him what his name was and told officers his name was Lonnie.

After being stopped by police in his car, Coffman had asked officers whether they had located the bombs, according to an affidavit filed by a Capitol Police Officer.

Coffman was arrested and later denied that he was referring to any bombs that he had knowledge of, the affidavit said. It is believed by investigators that Coffman is not the suspect who is behind the alleged pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC, the complaint says.
Oil hit an 11-month high just below $57 a barrel on Tuesday, bolstered by Saudi Arabia's plans to limit supply, offsetting worries that rising coronavirus cases globally would curtail fuel demand. Brent crude was up 90 cents, or 1.6%, at $56.56 a barrel by 1118 EST (1618 GMT) after touching its highest since last February at $56.75. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 82 cents, or 1.6%, to $53.07. Saudi Arabia plans to cut output by an extra 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in February and March to keep inventories in check. The Saudi cut is part of an OPEC-led deal in ...
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) All International travelers coming into the United States will have negative tests for coronavirus, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The US government is expected to require all international airline travelers to show proof of a negative test before boarding flights to the United States, the report said citing people familiar with the matter.

The newspaper also revealed that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to issue this order today, and it will go into effect on January 26.

With over 22 million COVID-19 cases and some 376,000 deaths, the US remains the world's most affected country.
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Shehu Sani is Civic Rights Campaigner and politician who has contributed significantly to scholarship as regards the need for Africans to mainstream the practice of good governance and constitutionalism.

Like many African thinkers, he, Shehu Sani recognises the dearth of the virtues consultation and dialogues by the crop of persons who are opportunistically positioned as contemporary political office holders in almost all of African nations and especially Nigeria that is witnessing a rapid regression of the democratic and constitutional values of the public good as the hallmark of governance.

In one of his books with a catchy tittle as follows: Civilian Dictators of Africa, Shehu Sani noted in the preface thus:

A leader should strive to be worthy of the mantle of leadership, in whatever way possible. Several African leaders have demonstrated failure in this regard, leading to many, if not most, of problems that plague the African continent. In recent times, many of these so-called leaders have even gone a step further in drastically deviating from all known leadership ethos, emerging as dictators in the process.

Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna central at the eight session of the National Assembly stated that: "Dictators are natural political leaders who wield active executive power and use such power in an absolute or near-absolute manner, with little or no effective check and balance. Some of the attributes of dictators include a fondness for creating cults of personality about themselves, inflamed by natural talents in demagoguery. They favour a divide and rule system of leadership, and they sustain and consolidate their powers through means of fear, intimidation and arrest. They tend to be corrupt, kleptocratic and desirous of spewing a dynasty, regardless of the type of state that they preside over. They also exhibit an inglorious tendency to want to protect their own kind- their fellow dictator.

He then argues that: In much the same manner as the past leadership of its constituent polities, Africa today is still characterized by dictatorship.(civilian or military), who have behaved despotically, by governed poorly, initiated or exacerbated existing civil conflicts, murdered or eliminated opponents, decelerated per capita economic growth and have engendered and promoted corruption. And while there seems to be no end to the emergence of new dictators in Africa, there exist no strong institutional mechanism to prevent the emergence and the consolidation of dictatorship in governance in Africa.

Another of Nigerias gifted lawyers and constitutional scholars in the person of Dr. Tunji Abayomi has done what can be considered as Magnus Opus in the area of understanding the essence of constitutionalism even as this book is titled aptly as constitutional powers and duties of the President.

In the foreword contributed by one of the foremost lawyers to have come from Nigeria by Name Chief F.R.A. Williams, CFR, CON, SAN, the erudite scholar reminded us thus:

In modern times, all constitutions of any country organized on the basis of Democracy and the Rule of Law derive their legitimacy from the people. This is because it is recognized that sovereignty belongs to the people. Hence it is the people, and only they, who can legitimately lay down the rules and principles upon which they are prepared to be governed."

"Under our current Constitution, the president hold a key position. The executive powers of the nation are vested in him. It is his duty to ensure that for that smooth operation of our constitutional system, the Legislature does not encroach on his powers or usurp his functions as the Head of State and Chief Executive of the Federal Government. The National Assembly has the onerous burden of enacting laws for the peace, order and good government of the entire nation in so far as it is empowered to do so under the Constitution. There have been occasions in recent times when the nation has witnessed confrontation and controversy between the Presidency and the National Assembly arising from attempts by one branch of government to encroach on the field of the other. There is no doubt that there are border line or grey areas where the powers to powers or functions of the Legislature and the Executive are such that confrontations between the two organs of government are prone to lead to friction and tension," so wrote Chief FRA Williams of blessed memories.

The heavy emphasis being laid on the will of the people goes to the root of this reflection which is a commentary on what the minister of telecommunications and digital economy under the current dispensation has set out to do which from all indications, does not embrace the interests of Nigerians in both the conception and implementation of the public policy just as it is happening at a time that scientifically, bringing out large numbers of people to gather in designated places at a time could expose them to contracting the Coronavirus disease which is ravaging not just Nigeria but globally.

And so it was that as Nigerians were still imagining if the reported second wave of COVID-19 ravaging United Kingdom, France, United States of America and many other places will arrive Nigeria, then out the Blues, Nigerians were told to pour out in their millions to assemble at the offices of the National Identity Cards Commission to obtain what they called NATIONAL IDENTITY NUMBER OR NIN in short or they will lose their phone lines. The government then gave over 100 million telephone subscribers just a Month to obtain this so called NIN.

Specifically, the Federal Government of Nigeria had announced the extension of the period of the registration of SIMs with National Identification Number (NIN), as well as the cancellation of USSD and Verification Fees.

This announcement was made in a press statement issued and signed by Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Director-General, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), after the meeting held by the National Task Force on National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM Registration.

In the media statement, the government sounded like it was doing us a favour when it said glibly that it is important to note that the information conveyed in the press statement include resolutions made at the meeting chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, with major stakeholders in the sector including Chairman-NCC, EVC-NCC, DG-NITDA, DG-NIMC, ECTS/ECSM-NCC, Chairman ALTON, CEOs of MTN, Airtel, Ntel, Glo, Smile, and 9Moble in attendance.

It continues that at the meeting, after reviewing the recent developments at hand and the mounting issues, which unravelled today owing to logistics and infrastructural hiccups experienced at the NIMC offices today,

The National Task Force made a resolution that three (3) weeks extension should be granted for subscribers with NIN, from 30th December 2020 to 19th January 2021.

The National Task Force also granted six (6) weeks extension to subscribers without NIN, starting from 30th December 2020 to 9th February 2021.

What you should know

Based on the endorsement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Task Force disclosed that:

NIMC has provided strategies to enable citizens to attend the registration in full compliance with Covid-19 protocols  particularly the use of facemasks which remains mandatory and maintenance of social distancing.

The President appreciates Nigerians for their patience and commitment to update their identities; while he thanked all stakeholders for their compliance with the directives.

Mr. President also commended the efforts of the Task Force and urged all stakeholders to take advantage of the extension to link their SIM card with their NIN.

USSD and verification charges remain suspended during these extensions.

Why this matters

This development, however, is a welcome improvement as it will provide adequate time for Nigerians to plan on when to register and enrol for the NIN, so erroneously chorused the propaganda statement put out in the media to defend the indefensible ill intentioned public policy to compel millions of Nigerians to take risks of catching COVID-19 just so that they obtain NIN at a time the World over, nation's are taking responsible steps to protect their citizens. This DIRECTIVE by the Telecommunications and digital economy minister has turned the nation's political leadership into NINcompoops in the eyes of the World because it is only someone without rationality and responsibility that will play the role of the devil's advocate by compelling millions of their citizens to practically go and die.

Although the politicians in Nigeria at the ministry of telecommunications and digital economy feel that the extension of deadline will help to reduce pressure on NIMC officials as well as other operators at the NIN enrolment centres, and make way for a seamless NIN registration and enrolment exercise. However, it is insensitive for government officials to refuse to listen to the voice of reason by calling off this exercise that is as good as becoming the SUPER SPREADER OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA.

To demonstrate the lack of cohesion and coherence in the planning and implementation of public policies, whereas the minister of telecommunications has insisted on going ahead with this bad policy of the organised national stampede for NIN, the scientists have warned against this and indeed the Ministry of Health asked that it be suspended.

The ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment may be suspended considering the large crowds seeking registration in centres across Nigeria and the risk of COVID-19, the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has said.

He made this remark on Channels TV Sunrise Daily show where he appeared as a guest on Monday.

Mr Mamora, who is also a member of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said it is displeasing to see crowds gather at the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) offices.

Nobody feels good. I dont feel good looking at the picture where people are gathered in multitudes. Its like super spreader events which we dont like. Im also aware that the relevant ministry which is the communications and digital economy is looking at this.

My understanding is that the whole process may be suspended so as to reorder the whole process in terms of management of the crowd because it was never intended that it would become a rowdy process like that. So, people may have to wait and be called at intervals to go through the process, he said.

He advised the NIMC to re-order the enrolment process, which he said will help avoid large crowds across the nation.

He said the government has a duty to ensure Nigerians are protected at all times.

We have a duty as government to ensure that people are protected; we also have a duty to ensure people comply within the limit of what is good for the society at large, he said.

Anxious Nigerians have continued to gather at NIMC offices across the nation to register for their NINs.

Obviously, this outlandish directive by the telecommunications minister which offends even common sense has made the Nigerian authority to look like NINcompoops around the world.

This is because as we had submitted at the beginning of this piece, the people matter a lot in the formulation, implementation and even the timing of the imposition of certain public decisions.

Besides, the Nigerian constitution recognizes the sacredness of life as provided for in section 33 (1).

Why then is the NCC and the supervising minister proceeding with this toxic policy of forcing millions of anxious Nigerians to expose their lives to the risks of catching Covid -19 or is the Federal government made up of NINcompoops who intentionally want to turn government offices to avenues of the super spreading of Covid-19?

Why is the same government that is arresting people for violations of the COVID-19 protocols asking Nigerians to troop out in greater numbers to congregate and struggle for NIN? Why arrest clubbers but the police has not arrested officials of the National communication Commission or the minister of Telecommunications and digital economy who is the person misdirecting Nigerians in their millions to go catch Covid-19?

Imagine the other day, the Lagos State Police Command arrested 43 clubbers including strippers.

They were nabbed at Eclipse Night Club, Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island.

Police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi made this known in a statement on Monday

Police operatives attached to the Maroko Division made the arrest.

Commissioner of Police Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered that the suspects be moved to Taskforce office in Oshodi for prosecution.

Odumosu reiterated that club owners should no longer be spared as they encourage total disregard for COVID-19 protocols.

The Police boss had ordered Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to go after violators.

Who will arrest the minister of telecommunications and digital economy?

This shows a failure of the leadership charisma of listening to the voice of the people. James G Hunt, Kimberly B Boal, George E Dodge in

The Leadership Quarterly 10 (3), 423-448, 1999 stated as follows: "A single factor, seven-level, repeated measures, unbalanced experiment was conducted with 191 college undergraduates to test Boal and Bryson's (1988) assertions that: (1) there are at least two forms of charismatic leadership under crisis conditionsvisionary and crisis-responsive; and (2) once the crisis condition has abated, the effects of crisis-responsive leadership deteriorate comparatively faster than other forms of charismatic leadership.

The experiment consisted of four crisis condition leadership treatments (crisis-responsive, visionary under crisis, exchange under crisis, and low expressiveness under crisis) and three no-crisis condition leadership treatments (visionary no crisis, exchange no crisis, and low expressiveness no crisis) at time one followed by low expressiveness no crisis at time two. Two graduate student leaders who memorized carefully prepared scripts delivered the leadership treatments. Analysis consisted of 28 a priori comparisons of cell means and repeated measures ANOVA to determine significant main effects as well as interactions. We found support for our hypothesis that there are two forms of charisma (visionary and crisis-responsive) and that, in the absence of crisis, the effects of crisis responsive charisma decay faster than do the effects of visionary charisma.

Some men see things as they are and ask why? I dream things that never were and ask, why not? Robert F. Kennedy as quoted in Ted's eulogy for Robert (Kennedy, 1968, p. 58)

There are no great men. There are only great challenges which ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet. W. F. Bull Halsey in Lay and Gilroy (1959).

The quotes above capture the essence of much of the current literature concerning charismatic leadership. Is charisma primarily based on the vision of an extraordinary leader or does it evolve from rising to face extraordinary circumstances, such as a crisis? Strong adherents of Weber (e.g., Beyer 1999, Trice and Beyer 1986, pp. 118119) argue that he considers the following five interacting elements as crucial in producing charisma:1.

An extraordinarily gifted person;2.A social crisis or situation of desperation;3.A set of ideas providing a radical solution to the crisis;4.A set of followers who are attracted to the exceptional person and who come to believe that he or she is directly linked to transcendent powers; and5.The validation of that person's extraordinary gifts and transcendence by repeated successes.

Trice and Beyer (1986) viewed charisma as a sociological phenomenon that emerged from the interaction of all of these elements, and argued that all of them must be present to some degree for charisma to occur.

Nigeria needs to be rescued from politics of NINcompoops.

Suspend this NIN insanity now!

*EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO is head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs @www. huriwanigeria.com , [email protected] , www.thenigerianinsidernews.com .
Dinh Xuan Hien (unmasked) hears the police of Da Nang announce his detainment for smuggling Chinese into Vietnam, January 11, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Van Ho.

Two men in central Da Nang City are being probed for attempting to smuggle illegal Chinese entries through Vietnam.

Dinh Xuan Hien, 30, and Dinh Cong Quan, 31, are under investigation for "brokering illegal entry to Vietnam," Da Nang police said Monday. Their detainment was announced after both had completed mandatory 14-day Covid-19 quarantine, officials added.

If prosecuted, the culprits could be jailed for up to 15 years.

In December last year, four Chinese admitted to having been smuggled by a person named Lao Cui from China to Vietnam, en route to Cambodia.

On Dec. 26, the four traveled to Hanoi where a car containing Hiep and Quan collected them. The group was passing through Da Nang's Lien Chieu District on Dec. 27 when stopped by traffic police.

A subsequent check revealed the Chinese had no eligible visa to enter Vietnam. Hien confessed he had been hired to transport the migrants to HCMC for VND20 million ($866). All occupants were later taken into quarantine.

Vietnamese border guards detained around 31,460 people trying to illegally enter the country last year as the government stepped up efforts to combat Covid-19.

Around 25,000 were entering from China and the rest from Laos and Cambodia, defense officials said at a meeting last Friday.
The hundreds of restaurants, diners, bars and other dining-out businesses in Central New York, are, in general, in competition with each other for customers.

But Covid-19 and the states uneven application of operating restrictions may be adding a new wrinkle to that dynamic.

A group of restaurants outside the orange zone that bans indoor dining in Syracuse and some of its suburbs in sponsoring an event later this month to help out those in the zone.

The Chillin in Cuse Together chili cook off will be held Jan. 30 at Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey. Proceeds will benefit orange zone restaurants. (See details below.)

Its one of the most visible efforts that restaurants lucky enough to be able to open their dining rooms are doing for their less fortunate colleagues.

I feel a bit of guilt, you know, said Heritage Hills Dan Palladino, whose brewery and kitchen-taproom are outside of any restricted zone (but still has limits on capacity and other requirements). I feel bad  I love these places in (the restricted orange) zone. They are hurting, really hurting.

The idea for the chili-cookoff grew out of a text group of about 40 restaurant owners who have been sharing their worries, support, anxieties and ideas since the pandemic began. The group is coordinated by Bud Loura, who runs a restaurant consulting firm called Restaurant QB.

Its created a real bond, said Dan Seeley, whose The Cider Mill restaurant in Taunton in in the yellow zone, which allows indoor dining, but limits customers to four to a table. Were in different situations right now, but we talk and share things. We all want to see the restaurant business recover from all this.

David Hoyne appreciates the effort. His Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub & Restaurant in Armory Square is well inside the orange zone and is doing takeout (and serving some hardy patrons outside on the sidewalk), but cant let diners inside.

Its great to see the way some of our fellow restaurants have come together, he said. Its a sort of Lets stick together in this. I can say we in the orange are certainly are thankful for it.

Its not just restaurants. Dan Mathews, whose family runs Local 315 Brewing Co. in Warners, used a Facebook group called the Snowbelt Brewers Collaborative to offer his support for the breweries that are in the orange zone (Local 315 is in the yellow).

Hes willing to offer help, either by sharing supplies or perhaps brewing whats known as a collaboration beer and sharing the proceeds with the eight or so brewers in the orange zone.

Id like to do anything I can, said Mathews, who is also a lawyer whose office in downtown Syracuse is around the corner from Anything But Beer, a brewery tap room that is closing temporarily until the zone restrictions are lifted. Im just looking to see what they need.

In another gesture, bartender Stephanie Bolles at the Rise N Shine diner on Westcott Street (in the orange zone), came up with a plan to send a crate of specially marked oranges to Cuomo to call attention to the plight of those in the orange zone. Each will bear the logo, decal or name of a shut-down restaurant.

In recent weeks, restaurants in the orange zone have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of response from the governors office, even as they challenge the logic or fairness of the zones. They argue the zones make no sense since people can just patronize nearby restaurants that are open, often just minutes away.

Many restaurants, especially in the orange zone, have decided to close, either permanently or until the restrictions are lifted.

Its terrible, Palladino said. Im siting here and I can have people inside, groups of ten, and 15 minutes away they cant even have anyone. Weve got to do something.

Chillin in Cuse Together

When: Seatings are on the hour, every hour, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30.

Where: Heritage Hill Brewhouse, 3149 Sweet Road, Pompey.

How it works: Each hour, there will be seating for nine tables in the brewerys heated barn, holding up to six people per table. Seatings last 50 minutes, and guests can sample chili made by the participating restaurants and beers supplied by Heritage Hill. (There may be additional seating if needed in an adjacent heated pavilion.) Tables are $150. All proceeds benefit restaurants in the Onondaga County orange zone.

Participating restaurants (tentative list): Brasserie Bar and Bistro, Santangelos, Shiftys, Heritage Hill, Papa Gallo, Chelseas, The Cider Mill, Kasai Ramen, Three Lives Bar.

Other activities: Sleigh rides, sledding hill, outdoor fire pits, live music, hot cocoa and desserts available in the cafe. The brewhouse open for more food and drinks.

MORE ON CNY DINING AND THE ORANGE ZONE

More Syracuse restaurants close while orange zone restrictions are in effect

Orange you listening, Gov. Cuomo? Restaurants send juicy message about Covid shutdown

New York aid for restaurants during Covid-19: List of programs, how to apply

Syracuse restaurants closed in an orange zone beg Cuomo to let them reopen (video)

Don Cazentre write for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2021 ) :Sedition and conspiracy are expected to be among the charges facing some of the participants in last week's attack on the US Capitol, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

US Attorney Michael Sherwin for the District of Columbia said he expected "hundreds" of criminal cases to be filed in connection with Wednesday's storming of the Capitol by rioting supporters of President Donald Trump.

Steven D'Antuono, acting director of the Washington field office of the FBI, said the bureau has "opened over 160 case files" so far.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," D'Antuono told a press conference.

"We've already charged over 70 cases," Sherwin said. "That number, I suspect, is going to grow into the hundreds."While the initial arrests have involved such minor charges as trespassing and theft, Sherwin said "we're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy" which carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
It is suggested by South32 that the payments would ensure that its project would be a positive contributor to the metropolitan water supply. This suggests the water to be used by the proposed coal mining operation can be replaced by cash. What a relief that the next drought can be remedied by pouring cash into Warragamba Dam. Greg Maidment, Bronte Deputy PMs defence of Trump avoids the truth Deputy PM Michael McCormack was a newspaper editor before he became a politician (MPs pile pressure on tech giants, January 12). Nevertheless, he has now compared the illegal actions of seditious rioters who stormed the Capitol to the legitimate BLM protests against institutional racism around the world. Will someone please help bring him back to planet Earth? Paul Parramore, Sawtell Could someone explain to Michael McCormack that the views and actions of the increasingly unpredictable man who holds the nuclear codes are different to the views and actions of powerless Joe Blow, which is more than likely why media companies have suspended Donald Trumps accounts and allowed Joe to continue to exercise his freedom of speech. Max Fischer, Wollongong It will be interesting to see how supportive our Deputy Prime Minister is when Abu Bakar Bashir starts tweeting like a mad thing  or does Michael McCormack think unfettered free speech is only for those he approves of? Brad Powe, Gladesville

The conservative side of politics  the Deputy PM, the Treasurer and fringe dwellers like Craig Kelly  are apparently committed to free speech, but less so to truth and principles. Alarmed by de-Twittering Trump yet barely condemning incitement to riot; drawing false equivalence between BLM protests and the US Capitol invasion; defending the right to spread falsehoods on COVID treatment. These politicians seem all too comfortable with lies and incitement to hate and violence.

Michael Berg, Randwick Michael McCormack and Josh Frydenberg stand forever condemned for rank political opportunism and breathtaking cynicism in objecting to this ruling and pretending Trump is being deprived of his freedom of speech. George Baumann, Balmain The problem is not the unbridled social media, nor the dimwits that are suckled by it, but what such a large sector of the electorate is to believe in now. Trump will fade into insignificance but where does the sizeable proportion of the electorate (the silent majority, the forgotten people) turn to now? Reformists have a role in society, but reforms need to be embraced by the conservative majority to be truly effective. Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga There didnt seem to be the same support among the Coalition for freedom of expression when Yassmin Abdel-Magied posted about Anzac Day in 2017. Brenton McGeachie,

Queanbeyan West Rewrite constitution from scratch

The Republic debate seems, once again, to be sparking back into life (Letters, January 12). I would like to see two referendums. The first on the question of whether we want a republic; the second, if the first were successful, on the way in which the leader would be chosen. Before a second referendum, some thought also needs to be given to the powers such a position would hold.

One of the problems in the US is that, when the presidency was created, the regal powers of George III were simply transferred. The flaw in this is most evident in the pardoning prerogative abused by President Trump but there are others. Transferring the royal powers, exercised by the governor-general in the name of the sovereign, to a president, might create dilemmas for the future. Wayne Duncombe, Glebe Your correspondent fails to understand that the turmoil of 1975 was caused by the British monarch when her representative, the governor-general, dismissed a democratically elected Australian government. It is, moreover, setting up a straw man to suggest that an Australian president would also have the constitutional power to dismiss a government. Roll on the republic. Trevor Taylor, Port Macquarie While changing the head of state is hugely symbolic, there are a lot more changes required to the constitution to make it fit for purpose. The constitution needs to recognise that for most Australians, the Federation is dead. Currently, we have a model of government that allows the duplication and diversion of resources. The Commonwealth has a department of education, but runs no schools or universities; it has a department of health that runs no hospitals; through the use of the foreign affairs powers it regulates such things as the natural environment and power generation without a direct constitutional power to do so. Letter writers to the Herald are right, the constitution does need to be rewritten, but from a clean sheet of paper rather than tinkering around the edges. Stuart Miller, Ashfield Why pussyfoot around with what to call an Australian head of state? Lets call the said person the king or queen of Australia, as voted by a joint session of our houses of Parliament. It would help to get rid of the tired old notion that royalty depends on the womb from which you emerge. Jim Stanger, Berry I imagine if there were a major pandemic leaving Prince Andrew as our next monarch, there would be a rush to find a new model. Laurence Pearson, Castlecrag

The biggest threat to an Australian republic happens when the government works out how to get one of its superannuated politicians elected as president. Greg Thompson, Bega Questions about the selection and role of a president in a country with a parliamentary form of government are too important to leave to people offering simple answers. A serious study of the Irish and German constitutions may offer a more useful studying point for a debate. Norm Neill, Darlinghurst Following elections governments are won or lost on the ability of parties to guarantee a majority in the House of Representatives. Why do we need a head of state at all? John Bailey, Canterbury High-vis transport My thanks to the Herald, its been a dreary few weeks without at least one photo of our Glad resplendent in high-vis and hard hat work gear (Empty roads help the trains run on time, January 12). I liked seeing Andrew Constance brandishing some sort of something or other, too. Hmm, no final cost as yet for this project, which will leave commuters beyond Bankstown high and dry. Oh well. Barbara McKellar, Dulwich Hill

Net-zero action Terra Carta is a green initiative launched by Prince Charles (Prince unveils green charter, January 12). It aims to give natural systems a voice in the way they are managed, in the way that the Magna Carta gave British citizens a voice in the way they were governed 800 years ago. The aim is to have businesses sign the charter, committing to environmental sustainability in the way they run their businesses. But what if signatories fail to live up to their undertakings? The Magna Carta has been enforced by the British Parliament, backed up by the various arms of state ever since, but who is going to enforce the Terra Carta? Only when national governments require and enforce commitments by businesses will this work. It is hard to imagine any Australian government ever doing this. The Australian government cannot even commit to CO2 emissions targets. Geoff Black, Caves Beach Freedom of truth Jenna Price writes a refreshing viewpoint on freedom of speech (Has Kelly gone too far? Too right, January 12), which is righteously demanded too often by those who have no interest in the truth. Its past time that more weight was given to the right to be free from the propagation of lies, especially through the largely unfiltered echo chambers of social media. Charmain Brinks, Newcastle Where can the rest of Australia send donations to support the We Are Hughes grassroots movement? Sue Dyer, Downer (ACT)

No power but ... On the other hand, are your correspondents biblical quotes (Letters, January 11 and 12) trumped by The powers that be are ordained by God (Romans 13:1). Ronald Ogier, Ashfield Not sexy Viewers will not be far behind (Carrie on without me: Cattrall shuns Sex and the City reboot). Mustafa Erem, Terrigal Soporific stories

My nomination for most boring book is Wolf Hall. I am familiar with this period of history but it was the most boring book ever. Over drinks one night friends confessed they felt the same, so it passes the pub test. Sue Durman, Pyrmont Has anyone ever finished Thomas Hobbes Leviathan? James Hocking, Cronulla In the Leaving Certificate, I was forced to study The History of Mr Polly and I am still suffering 70 years later. Frank Gategood, Killarney Heights The books I was forced to study in my first year at high school were musty, yellowed copies of Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, King Richards Land by L.A.G. Strong and Gaspar Ruiz by Joseph Conrad. Not a particularly riveting introduction to English literature for a 12-year-old girl.

Ruth Magoffin, Cheltenham Im surprised no one has mentioned Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in archaic English. I might have enjoyed it if Id been given had a translation. Sandy Mackenzie, Bundanoon
sensitising them on the need to direct their police officials so that any mischievous elements trying to spread rumours or false information on Coronavirus can be dealt with firmly. Representational image/AFP

New Delhi: Ahead of the January 16 roll-out of the Covid-10 vaccination, the Union home ministry is co-ordinating closely with all state police forces to ensure that adequate preventive measures are taken to check the spread of rumours and any propaganda that may hamper the programme.

Home ministry officials claimed that this was a preventive exercise to ensure that the vaccination programme remains absolutely smooth.

Certain instances have come to the notice of both the home ministry and the state police wherein some elements have been spreading wrong information regarding the vaccination. Since this is going to be one of the biggest healthcare schemes, the government cannot take any chances and all efforts are being made to ensure that the roll-out remains totally foolproof, a senior ministry official said.

Home ministry officials have been in touch with their counterparts in different states and Union Territories, sensitising them on the need to direct their police officials so that any mischievous elements trying to spread rumours or false information on Coronavirus can be dealt with firmly.

Ministry officials claimed that most states had already asked district and local level police officers to deal firmly with any kind of misinformation regarding the vaccine.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 05:07:31|Editor: huaxia

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on Jan. 11, 2021. Turkey will start COVID-19 vaccination for its citizens as of Thursday or Friday, Erdogan said on Monday. (Xinhua)

ANKARA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will start COVID-19 vaccination for its citizens as of Thursday or Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

The Chinese vaccine will be implemented for Turkish citizens in order of priority, he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Turkey reported on Monday 10,220 new COVID-19 cases, including 1,003 symptomatic patients, as the total number of positive cases in the country reached 2,336,476, its health ministry announced.

The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 174 to 22,981, while the total recoveries climbed to 2,208,451, after 10,301 more cases recovered in the last 24 hours.

The rate of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients stands at 4.5 percent and the number of seriously ill patients is 2,783 in the country, said the ministry.

A total of 180,303 tests were conducted over the past day, with the overall number of tests in Turkey reaching 26,376,784.

Turkey reported its first COVID-19 case on March 11, 2020.

Turkey and China have supported each other in the fight against COVID-19. Chinese doctors and medical experts held video conferences with Turkish counterparts to share China's experience in treating coronavirus patients, protecting medical workers, and controlling the spread of the virus.

The first batch of 3 million doses of China's SinoVac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Ankara on Dec. 30, 2020. Enditem
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will reopen this week with $284 billion available for some business owners who have already received a loan, as well as those who have yet to benefit from the program during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

This round of the PPP continues to prioritize millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $284 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses through March 31, 2021, and by allowing certain existing PPP borrowers to apply for a second PPP Loan, according to the SBA.

The Paycheck Protection Program has successfully provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to Americas small businesses, supporting more than 51 million jobs, said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. This updated guidance enhances the PPPs targeted relief to small businesses most impacted by COVID-19. We are committed to implementing this round of PPP quickly to continue supporting American small businesses and their workers.

Established as part of the CARES Act, the initial PPP loans were designed to provide an incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA said it will forgive loans if all employee retention criteria are met, and the funds are used for eligible expenses.

The SBA, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, relaunched the program this week for those business owners still struggling during the pandemic as part of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act.

The historically successful Paycheck Protection Program served as an economic lifeline to millions of small businesses and their employees when they needed it most, said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. Todays guidance builds on the success of the program and adapts to the changing needs of small business owners by providing targeted relief and a simpler forgiveness process to ensure their path to recovery.

WHEN CAN BUSINESS OWNERS APPLY

To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday, Jan. 11, and Second Draw PPP Loans on Wednesday. The PPP will open to all participating lenders shortly thereafter, said the SBA.

In general, a First Draw PPP loan is for eligible borrowers who did not receive a PPP loan before the initial program closed in August 2020.

A Second Draw PPP loan is for certain eligible borrowers who previously received a PPP loan, generally have 300 employees or less (note this is a decrease in the maximum number than first draw loans which are 500 or fewer), and have suffered a 25% reduction in gross receipts, according to the SBA.

WHAT EXPENSES DO PPP LOANS COVER?

PPP loans will cover additional expenses, including operations expenditures, certain property damage costs, supplier costs and worker protection expenditures, such as additions of drive through areas, ventilation, sneeze guards, etc., according to the SBA.

Newly eligible for both programs include housing cooperatives, 501(c)(6), which are typically Chambers of Commerce and similar organizations.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A SECOND LOAN?

Business owners are generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan if the borrower:

Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses;

Has no more than 300 employees, and

Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.

KEY PROGRAM UPDATES

Key PPP updates include:

PPP borrowers can set their PPP loans covered period to be any length between eight and 24 weeks to best meet their business needs;

PPP loans will cover additional expenses, including operations expenditures, property damage costs, supplier costs, and worker protection expenditures;

The programs eligibility is expanded to include 501(c)(6)s, housing cooperatives, destination marketing organizations, among other types of organizations;

The PPP provides greater flexibility for seasonal employees;

Certain existing PPP borrowers can request to modify their First Draw PPP Loan amount; and

Certain existing PPP borrowers are now eligible to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER

Manchester United will be looking to avoid equalling a 53-year-old record when they square off against Burnley in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Manchester United will move top of the Premier League table on Tuesday evening if they avoid defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have recorded 26 points from their last 10 matches in the top flight, a run which has eased any lingering pressure on the Norwegian.

However, United head into their fixture versus the Clarets looking to avoid equalling a record which was last set 53 years ago.

The Red Devils have not suffered back-to-back defeats to Burnley since 1968, a statistic which will change if they lose out to their fellow North-West side on Tuesday.

United are squaring off against Burnley for the first time since they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford almost a year ago.

Sean Dyche's team welcome United to their home ground having lost just twice - away at Manchester City and Leeds United - in their last 10 matches.
Mohit Goel, the entrepreneur known for planning the launch of the infamous 'Freedom 251' phones, was arrested by the UP Police on Sunday evening near Meghdootam Parke in Sector 51, Noida. Goel has been accused of defrauding several dry fruit traders for a total amount of around Rs 200 crore, according to the UP Police. Goel was arrested along with five others on Sunday.

In 2017, Goel had attempted to sell 'Freedom 251' smartphones for Rs 251, dubbing it the cheapest smartphone on the market. However, the sale of the smartphones didn't go through and Goel was arrested in 2017 for committing fraud. He was even apprehended in an extortion case in 2018.

Goel has been running a company called Dubai Dry fruits and Spices Hub out of Corenthum, a premier office complex in Sector 62, Noida. The police said that they received at least 40 written complaints of fraud against the company from traders in Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and several other states. According to the Times of India, Goel ran the company with the help of at least four others. The company employed three foreigners, who worked as receptionists.

Additional Commissioner of Police Love Kumar has stated that Goel and his colleagues used to defraud traders by winning their trust. They did so by placing orders and making payments on time, they even gave partial advance payments. "Later, they would stop making payments, and the cheques issued by them would bounce. The accused would then get fake cases lodged against the traders under CrPC 156 (3) by approaching court," he told the daily. Kumar added that Goel and his colleagues posed dummies as managing directors and other high-level posts.

Kumar further explained that Goel used to purchase dry fruits at slightly higher prices from these traders and then used to sell them at much higher prices in the open market. He then made partial payments to the traders who he had bought the stock from. They used to pay 40 per cent of the amount through net banking. Rest of the amount they paid in cheques but all the cheques bounced when traders tried to cash them.

Police have stated that Goel, Sumit Yadav, Praveen Singh Nirwan and Rajiv Kumar alias Mursafil Lashkar were managing the company while Om Prakash Jangid, who was arrested along with Goel, was the proprietor of the firm.

The police had registered an FIR against the company on December 24, 2020, when Rohit Mohan, a trader based in Sector 65, had lodged a complaint against the firm.

Also read: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma blessed with baby girl

Also read: Elon Musk's girlfriend Grimes tests COVID-19 positive; says 'enjoying the Dayquil fever dream'
[January 12, 2021]

KO Law Firm Promotes Data-Privacy Attorney Chris Achatz to Partner

DENVER, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Koenig, Oelsner, Taylor, Schoenfeld & Gaddis PC (KO Law Firm) has announced the promotion of Chris Achatz to partner, effective January 1, 2021. Chris' practice focuses on structuring and negotiating complex technology and data-related transactions, including data privacy and security matters.

Chris provides legal solutions to all types of businesses, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. He has worked on a wide variety of commercial agreements, and his data privacy and security practice involves advising clients on industry-specific regulations and standards that govern the responsible collection, use, and processing of their customers' personal information.

"As a data privacy expert and a former software engineer, Chris' deep understanding of the evolving data privacy complexities associated with cybersecurity, technology and software industries is key to serving companies in this highly-specialized space," said Brad Schoenfeld, partner at KO. "Chris takes a practical approach to helping clients navigate complex issues, structuring and negotiating technology anddata-related transactions, including data privacy and security matters, GDPR compliance and data privacy regulations."







As former in-house counsel for a leading data and analytics company, Chris understands the importance of providing fast, practical, value-added counsel that aligns with clients' business objectives. Chris is also Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Prior to joining KO, Chris practiced in the data group of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. He received his undergraduate degrees from the University of Colorado, and his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School. Chris is a frequent speaker at local and national industry, bar association, and university events on all types of technology and data-related topics.

About KO

Koenig, Oelsner, Taylor, Schoenfeld, & Gaddis PC (KO Law Firm) is an innovative corporate and commercial law firm with a team of experienced lawyers and a practical, efficient, business-focused approach. Founded in 2003 on the philosophy that a different approach delivers better value, our business-first legal and industry expertise helps established brands and emerging companies achieve meaningful business outcomes. KO is headquartered in Denver and Boulder, Colo., and specializes in serving many industries, including software and SaaS, retail and manufacturing, professional services, energy, food, beverage and consumer goods, ecommerce and internet, healthcare, life science and ancillary cannabis. For more information, visit kofirm.com.

CONTACT: Carey Madsen, 303-507-1889, carey@fletchergroupllc.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ko-law-firm-promotes-data-privacy-attorney-chris-achatz-to-partner-301206356.html

SOURCE KO Law Firm

COLUMBUS, OhioGov. Mike DeWine on Monday vetoed legislation seeking to override his administrations state health order banning most county fair activities because of the coronavirus crisis.

The governor signed three other bills, including one designed to toughen penalties for demonstrators who trespass or commit other crimes while protesting at energy pipelines or other critical infrastructure.

DeWine, a Greene County Republican, wrote in his veto message of Senate Bill 375 that the health order issued last July that bans most county fair activities was a difficult but necessary decision.

A blanket rescission of the current order does not achieve the goal of working together to properly plan the upcoming fair season while ensuring the public health and protection of the people of Ohio, Therefore, it is reasonable and necessary for the current order to remain in effect while these collaborative efforts occur.

Legislative Republicans who backed SB375 argued that a majority of county fairs have lost revenue as a result of DeWines order, and that fair officials should be allowed to make their own decisions about what fair activities can be safely held.

But DeWine noted that the state has provided $4.7 million in financial relief for local fairs last year. He also pointed out that the Ohio Department of Agriculture has waived the $50,000 local match requirement for a grant program that allows for fairground improvements.

The governor said he intends to collaborate with local and state health professionals about the 2021 fair season, which is set to begin in June.

DeWine signed a different bill, House Bill 665, which modernizes Ohios county fair laws.

The governor also signed Senate Bill 33, which increases penalties for trespassing and other crimes at oil refineries, power stations, natural gas pipelines, and other projects in the state.

More than a dozen states have passed similar bills since 2018, as environmental and climate demonstrations have centered on energy facilities. The bill is modeled on language drawn up by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.

The bill makes it a third-degree felony to commit criminal mischief, criminal trespass, aggravated trespass, making false alarms, or telecommunications harassment if the crime involved a critical infrastructure facility.

It creates the new offense of improper organizational involvement with a critical infrastructure facility, which bans groups from coordinating or compensating people to commit the crimes listed above. Violators will face a $100,000 fine.

SB33 also allows owners of critical infrastructure facilities to file civil lawsuits against people who damaged their facility, even if those people have not been criminally charged. Organizations who directed or compensated people to take such action could be held liable as well.

State Sen. Frank Hoagland, a Southeast Ohio Republican who sponsored the bill, cited examples of people tampering with valves and control systems at pipeline facilities, which can create dangerous situations along transport lines or at energy generating facilities.

Critics, however, argue the measure deters free speech and helps silence civil protests.

DeWine also signed Senate Bill 140, which will allow people to carry concealed switchblades, razors and other knives and cutting instruments, so long as theyre not used as weapons. It also repeals Ohios ban on manufacture and sale of switchblade, spring blade and gravity knives.

Each of the three bills signed by DeWine takes effect in 90 days.
Holy Dormition Monastery in Sugarloaf Twp. will soon close its doors as a lack of vocations and financial struggles forced the decision after nearly eight decades of service to the community.

The Rev. Jerome Wolbert, guardian of the house, said a final prayer service to give thanks will be held Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. in the chapel and if COVID-19 restrictions permit, a reception will follow.

Its a tough decision, he said, noting that it was also fairly sudden.

The friary learned that no one was interested in serving when assignments were being made this past fall. A building campaign had been underway to fix up the property, he said.

Why invest in fixing up the buildings if we dont have anyone interested in servicing here? Wolbert said. We need friars to be here.

Donations from the community have helped to support the monastery, which was also dependent on Wolberts salary as a pastor at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church in Hazleton.

Keeping the operation going is difficult, especially when retreat ministry has been shut down due to the pandemic, he said.

A rise in the number of funerals since October also drove home the fact that theyd need more than the handful of men they have to fully be able to serve the community without more vocations, Wolbert said.

The average age for a friar now is 76, he said, and there arent many younger men available or many familiar with the Byzantine Rite.

The Sybertsville friary, which opened its doors in 1940s, isnt the only house that is closing. Another in Indiana will also close, Wolbert said.

In addition to the fundraising campaign to fix the buildings, the monastery also was working to sell much of its 70-acre grounds to ease the financial burden and moved burial sites on the property.

The buyer, who was not disclosed, planned to use the grounds for farming, Wolbert said. They wanted to sell the grounds to someone who would be a good fit with the monastery, he said.

Friars will continue to live on the property after the closing service, as all of the holy or religious items must be removed, Wolbert said. Numerous churches and missions throughout the country will benefit from the items removed, he said.

Its a good thing that will come out of this, he said of the relocation of religious items, such as the altar. It takes a little of the sting out of it.

The monastery will also be selling furniture and household items, and anyone interested can contact him, he said.

One of the monasterys neighbors, Dr. Saura Rohrbach, said its a heartbreaking loss for the community, but the closure is out of their hands.

Her chiropractic office is located adjacent to the monastery grounds, which she said she has heard best described as Gods providence.

Many of my patients like to visit the chapel or walk the grounds before or after they leave my practice, she said. Its sad that they will no longer be able to continue these special routines.

Rohrbach described the friars as the best neighbors that anyone could imagine, and she believes the proposed new owner holds the friary and the brothers close to their heart and will be a good neighbor.

None of us want to see the brothers leave, she said.

Wolbert hopes to keep the chapel open for a time, as countless people appreciate praying there, some stopping for a few minutes while running errands, he said in a Christmas letter.

Your prayers bless our chapel and help to make it a holy place, a place where all can encounter God, he wrote.

The friars will continue to pray for the intentions of the community, and perpetual memorials and Liturgy intentions will be honored at friaries around the world, wrote Wolbert, who wanted to start an online ministry as well.

On behalf of everyone at the friary, I thank you for your generous support over the years, he said.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 17:15:19|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- An international expert team of the World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to fly from Singapore to China's Wuhan on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.

The team for the origin-tracing of the novel coronavirus will conduct joint research with Chinese scientists, Zhao told a regular press briefing. Enditem


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It will take about two years to do the work, which includes restoring disturbed land.



By SARAH RANKIN

Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va.  The developers of the now-canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline have laid out plans for how they want to go about unwinding the work that was done for the multistate natural gas project and restoring disturbed land.

In a filing with federal regulators made public last week, the pipeline company proposed an approximately two-year timeline for efforts across West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, where progress on the project ranged from uninitiated to essentially complete.





. . .
Limerick Minister Patrick ODonovan TD, has today issued an appeal to people in Limerick to listen to the advice of the public health officials and to help our health service locally from being overwhelmed.

The Minister was responding to recent data from this week which shows that Ireland now has the highest rate of COVID infection per million of population over fourteen days in the World.

The rate of increase in infection and the ballooning of numbers of those who have tested positive for the virus is truly frightening and it is fair to say that ever corner of the country, urban and rural is now seeing high rates of infection. Here in Limerick we have some of the highest figures in Ireland and we know that this is piling on the pressure on an already very stretched University Hospital Limerick Group.

We also know given that there is a lag in many cases from the time a person becomes infected to the time that a person becomes very sick can be a number of days, so it is likely based on the figures for the last fortnight that the numbers who will need to go to hospital here in the Mid-West could increase.

While there have been some reductions nationally in the last few days, the overall picture for Ireland is multiples of what it was before Christmas. We have gone from a situation where we were one of the best in Europe, to being one of the infected countries in the world per head of population. This has happened incredibly quickly, and it shows us all here in Limerick just how quickly this virus is spreading from person to person in the community.

Patrick ODonovan said he is very much aware of the pressures and strains that people are under trying to battle COVID. My constituency office is one of the busiest in the Country, and while we are working remotely we are still providing a full service, and I know based on the calls and emails that we are receiving that many people are struggling. Parents of special needs children, isolated elderly people, operators of small businesses, people who have been lost their jobs, and locals of many other different backgrounds have all been in touch with queries and their individual stories are very difficult.

However the most difficult calls from are people who have lost loved ones, and are asking questions like whether people can travel to funerals to say goodbye. This really is a harrowing time for many, and I know on a daily basis from contacts that I have across Co. Limerick, that this terrible virus continues to claim the lives of people that are loved across our communities.

Patrick ODonovan said that he does continue to have hope against the backdrop of so much pain, given the approval by the European Medicines Agency of more vaccines, and the roll-out of the programme. I know that people are anxious to get the injection. I have people calling and emailing me on a daily basis, either on their own behalf or on behalf of a loved one. But we must stay the course and allow the programme to deliver its schedule, and while we wait we must try to follow the advice, of staying apart, washing our hands and wearing a mask.

So again, my appeal to people is to stay safe. To mind ourselves and those we love and care for. This is a dark time for Ireland, but the assurance of a vaccine during the course of 2021 must keep us all going for another few months. These months may well be the toughest in modern Irish History, but we can see the finish line up ahead for all of us, and that is why we must keep going. Stay safe and lets mind each other.
A new study suggests that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine is effective against new forms of the coronavirus discovered in Britain and South Africa.

Researchers say they collected blood from 20 people who received the vaccine, developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Antibodies from those individuals were found to work against the coronavirus in laboratory experiments.

Mutated versions, or variants, of the coronavirus first appeared in Britain and South Africa. The two variants have caused concern among world health experts because they appear to spread more easily than the first version. The mutated variant found in Britain has also appeared in the United States and other countries.

The study looked at a change in the so-called spike protein that permits the virus to infect human cells. Both new coronavirus variants share the change.

Pfizer and scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch carried out the new research. Information about the study was recently published online. But outside experts have not yet examined the findings.

The research is limited because it did not examine the full set of mutations in either form of the new variants. However, University of Pennsylvania virus expert Dr. Frederic Bushman told The Associated Press it is likely the new vaccines will work just as well on the virus variants.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first to receive approval for emergency use in the United States. Pfizer has said early trials suggested the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective. The vaccine developed by American drug-maker Moderna and one developed by Oxford University and Britains AstraZeneca have also been approved for use in some Western countries.

Bushman, who was not part of the Pfizer study, said the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are also being tested against the new variants. He said he expects similar results in those studies. This is because all the vaccines are designed to cause the body to produce antibodies against several parts of the spike protein that covers the virus.

A mutation will change one little place, but its not going to disrupt binding to all of them, Bushman said.

Philip Dormitzer is the chief scientific officer for Pfizer. He called findings of the new study reassuring. He said the research shows the mutation does not seem to be a problem for the vaccine.

Dormitzer said the company has tested 16 different virus mutations. So far, none have shown resistance to the vaccine.

Some scientists have expressed greater concern about the new variant found in South Africa.

Simon Clarke is a professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading in Britain. He told the Reuters news agency that the South Africa variant has a number of additional mutations. They include more complex changes to the spike protein.

Such mutations could someday create a need to make changes to the COVID-19 vaccines, just like flu shots must be changed most years.

However, health experts note that both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of virus genetic code that is simple to change. Scientists have suggested such changes could be made in as little as six weeks.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

mutate  v. to develop new physical characteristics because of a permanent change in genes.

disrupt  v. prevent something - for example a system, process of event - from continuing as usual or expected.

bind  v. to attach to something

reassure  v. comfort someone in an attempt to stop them from worrying

flu  n. a common infectious illness that causes fever and headache

code  n. the makeup of the structure of something
US federal judge has granted a stay on the execution of Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on the federal death row in nearly seven decades citing the need to determine Montgomery's mental state. The decision came a few hours before she was due to be executed. Lisa Montgomery had committed a gruesome crime of strangling a pregnant woman with a rope before performing a cesarean with a kitchen knife and fleeing with the baby.

Judge James Patrick Hanlon, of the District Court for the Southern District of Indiana reportedly said in the order granting the stay, "Ms. Montgomery's motion to stay execution is GRANTED to allow the Court to conduct a hearing to determine Ms. Montgomery's competence to be executed." Date has not been set for the competency hearing. On January 12, Montgomery was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Now, the prosecutors have filed a notice appealing the judges ruling just hours before the execution on Tuesday (local time).

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Montgomerys family pleaded Trump

As per CNN report, Montgomerys friends and family along with other supporters have pleaded the outgoing US President Donald Trump to go through the clemency petition and make an executive decision and commute her sentence to lie without the possibility of parole. She was sentenced to death in 2008 by Missouri jury for the murder of a pregnant woman in 2004 and kidnapping the baby. The baby reportedly survived.

Montgomerys attorney, Kelley Henry reportedly welcomed the decision and said that the court was right to stop Lisa Montgomery's execution. Henry further added, As the court found, Mrs. Montgomery 'made a strong showing' of her current incompetence to be executed. Mrs. Montgomery has brain damage and severe mental illness that was exacerbated by the lifetime of sexual torture she suffered at the hands of caretakers.

Montgomerys attorney said she was suffering from severe mental illness at the time of the murder. The noted that the Eighth Amendment stops the execution of people such as her, who fail to understand the basis for their executions due to brain damage or mental illness. Henry reportedly said, Mrs. Montgomery is mentally deteriorating and we are seeking an opportunity to prove her incompetence.

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Image: AP


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Drinking water in several cities and regions in China contains high levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), according to a study published in Environmental Sciences Europe. The findings, from a team of researchers at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, suggest that elimination of these chemicals from drinking water in affected cities and regions in China is urgently needed and that PFAS released from industries and other sources need better control and reduction.

PFASs are a group of chemicals used to make coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, and grease, such as clothing, adhesives, food packaging, and heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces. They are highly durable and the widespread presence of PFASs in the environment and related exposures and adverse health effects such as impaired lipid metabolism, thyroid hormone levels and the immune system which have been shown in animals, have received increased attention in recent years. However, PFASs are not routinely monitored in drinking water in many parts of the world, including China.

To better understand the current status of PFAS contamination and the potential for human exposure, the researchers reviewed evidence from 30 available research studies on PFASs in Chinese drinking water, including 526 drinking water samples across 66 cities in China with a total of approximately 452 million inhabitants.

Dr. Jun Huang, the corresponding author said: "Although several PFASs especially perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), have been gradually phased out in North America and Europe since 2002, some Asian countries, especially China, still produce these chemicals. As a result, there is a potential risk of ground- and surface water contamination associated with PFAS being released into the environment. This raises concerns regarding the presence of PFASs in drinking water, direct exposure to humans and potential toxic effects."

The authors found that populations in East China and the Southwest regions were at relatively higher risk from PFAS exposure, compared to other regions. Some cities in the Yangtze River basin such as Zigong, Jiujiang and Lianyungang exceeded health-based guidelines issued by EU and US agencies.

Zigong (502.9 ng/L), Lianyungang (332.6 ng/L), Changshu (122.4 ng/L), Chengdu (119.4 ng/L), Wuxi (93.6 ng/L) and Hangzhou (74.1 ng/L) were the cities with the highest PFAS concentrations in drinking water.

Dr. Huang said: "The total concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in these cities are well in excess of the non-enforceable 70 ng/L health advisory published by the the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2016. Individual US States have set maximum contaminant levels that are even more stringent than the federal guidelines, such as Vermont, which set a maximum contaminant level of 20 ng/L for five PFASs (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFHpA, and PFNA, individually or combined) in 2019."

The authors also found that the drinking water in more than 40% of the studied cities exceeded the notification levels of 5.1 ng/L for PFOA and 6.5 ng/L for PFOS issued by the US state of California in 2019. Exposure to these PFOA and PFOS has been associated with adverse health outcomes including increased incidence of testicular and kidney cancer, reduced fertility and fecundity, immune suppression and thyroid disorders in animal studies.

The authors suggest that the high levels of PFASs in some cities and regions investigated in China are mainly due to intensive industrial activities, specifically fluoropolymer (PTFE) production and high population density in those regions.

The authors also investigated the potential daily exposure to PFASs via drinking water for the Chinese population, using the average and maximum concentrations of PFOA and PFOS previously recognized as posing a health concern.

The authors found that compared with a standard proposed in 2018 by the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of a tolerable intake of 3 ng/kg per single day, PFOA intake for the Chinese population exceeds 3 ng/kg per single day in Zigong, Jiujiang, Lianyungang, Foshan, Suzhou, Wuxi, Haining, Changshu, Shijiazhuang, Zibo and Shanghai. These levels are also in excess of the new tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 ng/kg for the sum of PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA, which was established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2020. The authors also found that the risk of PFAS intake is higher for infants, due to their relatively higher water consumption.

Dr. Huang said: "While there are currently no guidelines for PFASs in drinking water in China, in 2019, a Chinese health advisory first suggested values of 85 ng/L for PFOA and 47 ng/L for PFOS in China. Our results indicate that PFASs in drinking water in some Chinese cities have exceeded these levels, and most of the cities have exceeded stringent international guideline levels. Therefore, further monitoring as well as control and treatment measures are urgently needed."

The authors caution that more research is needed to understand the possible health effects associated with long-term exposure in cities and regions with high levels of PFAS, especially in areas with PFASs-related manufacturing plants. Moreover, better monitoring of PFASs in drinking water is needed in remote areas, to provide a full overview of PFAS contamination in Chinese drinking water.

Explore further New PFASs discovered in Cape Fear River, though levels are declining

More information: Liquan Liu et al, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution, Environmental Sciences Europe (2021). Liquan Liu et al, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s12302-020-00425-3
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 20:27:56|Editor: huaxia

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XINJIANG, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A food seller in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region delivered naan bread to a group of police officers on duty in the city of Kuqa, to show his appreciation for their work.

A video recording the move has gone viral after it was posted on social media.

61-year-old Rishit Hemit is an inheritor of Kuqa naan-making, a local intangible cultural heritage.

After his gesture was captured by a CCTV camera, he said he just wanted to express his gratitude.

"365 days a year, the police force works day and night to ensure safety. They are giving their best. I wish them successful careers and happy lives," said Hemit.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The non-profit True Source Honey Certification program (www.TrueSourceHoney.com) enhanced its standards starting Jan. 1, 2021 to require two honey authenticity tests.

The updated standards note that True Source Certified Honey whether imported to North America or purchased directly from North American beekeepers is tested for authenticity by an accredited laboratory at some point in the supply chain using either EA/LC-IRMS and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) profiling or EA/LC-IRMS and High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) analysis. This is in addition to the long-established pollen analysis requirements for shipments of honey from countries identified as high-risk.

"The True Source Certified standards previously required its packers to maintain a system to analyze honey authenticity, but had not specified exact testing methodologies," said Gordon Marks, executive director of True Source Honey. "The new standards specify authenticity testing which utilizes longstanding approved methods along with cutting-edge technologies to detect sugar/syrups."

"True Source Honey launched the True Source Honey program ten years ago in response to illegal shipments of honey from China. The honey claimed to be from other countries to avoid U.S. tariffs on Chinese origin honey," said Marks. "While most honey comes from high-quality, legal sources, adulterated honey and illegally sourced honey remains a global issue that undercuts fair market prices and damages honey's reputation for quality and safety."

The True Source Honey Certification Program is a voluntary industry program.

Consumers should look for the True Source Certified logo on honey packages. Further information, including a search function to check honey products, can be found at www.TrueSourceHoney.com

NSF International, a global public health and safety organization and independent certification body for the food industry , conducts the auditing and certification for the True Source Honey program worldwide.

True Source Honey LLC is a voluntary effort by honey packers, importers, exporters and beekeepers to support transparency and authenticity in honey sourcing. Visit www.TrueSourceHoney.com and follow on Facebook.

NSF International is an independent, global organization that facilitates the development of standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide.

SOURCE True Source Honey

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Kady McDermott took to Instagram on Tuesday to share some bikini snaps from her recent trip to the Maldives.

The former Love Island star, 25, looked incredible in two pictures which showed her wearing a red gingham two-tone string bikini.

In one close-up snap, she ran her fingers through her curly hair as she showed off her golden glow in the sunshine.

'Grabbing 2021 with everything I've got': Kady McDermott poseed in a gingham two-tone string bikini in a throwback Maldives shot posted to Instagram on Tuesday

In the second, Kady could be seen walking out of the crystal clear waters and up some steps as she said: 'Grabbing 2021 with everything Ive got.'

A host of Love Islanders including Joanna Chimonides, Eve Gale, Laura Anderson and Samira Mighty took to the comments section to praise her looks.

Kady is now believed to be back at home in the UK following trips to the Maldives with boyfriend Myles Barnett and Dubai.

Showing off her tan: In one close-up snap, she ran her fingers through her curly hair as she showed off her golden glow in the sunshine

The reality star has received criticism in the comments section for travelling.

One follower slammed her for being abroad while the majority of the UK were forbidden to travel and stuck in Tier 3 and Tier 4 before the third lockdown was announced.

He remarked: 'Breaking the rules again - don't see this as a business trip!'

Kady bit back: 'Oh so because you dont see it as a business trip it means it isnt? Oh ok lol.

'But if you mush know as you keep sending me DMS too I am here with @trendingtravel.co.uk and had a valid letter for travel from the CEO. Not everyones work is based in an office, David!' [sic]

And her latest post drew further criticism with some perhaps not realising they weren't taken during lockdown.

Referring to the picture in which Kady's arm is stretched out, one suggested the caption should be: 'No don't take a pic I should be on lockdown with everyone else.'

And another wrote: 'Well the rest of us are working.'
Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: Leaders of the protesting farmers said that they had not sought any relief from the Supreme Court, instead, their appeals are from the government

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The Bench had on Monday indicated amply that it may go to the extent of staying the implementation of the contentious farm laws and refused to grant extra time to the Centre to explore the possibility of amicable solution saying it has already granted the government a long rope.

The Supreme Court will pronounce orders on Tuesday on various issues related to the new farm laws and the farmers' ongoing protest at Delhi borders and may take a call on setting up of a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India (CJI) to find ways to resolve the impasse.

BJP MP from Karnataka's Kolar S Muniswamy alleged that farmers who are protesting at Delhi borders have been paid and brought to agitation sites. "They are middlemen and fake farmers. They are eating pizza, burger and KFC products, and have set up gym there. This drama should stop," he told ANI.

Bhartiya Kisan Union spokesperson Dharmendra Malik isaid the agitating farmers would also burn copies of farm legislation on that day. Malik said the BKU executive committee, in a meeting at Ghazipur-UP gate border, also decided to observe 18 January as Mahila Kisan Divas (Women Farmers' Day) during which the womenfolk of villages would lead the ongoing protest against the government.

A section of farmers protesting against the three central farm laws has threatened to 'gherao' Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan on 23 January.

On 10 January, locals near agitation site in Shajahanpur of Rajasthan's Alwar had pitched tents on one carriageway of the highway against the farmers' agitation. Sumer Singh, a protesting villager said their work and employment have been adversely affected due to the farmers' blockade and demanded its immediate removal.

A day after blocking traffic on one carriageway of Jaipur-Delhi National Highway alleging that protesting farmers were creating unemployment and littering garbage in adjoining fields, local villagers returned home yesterday after Haryana police opened a slip lane on the highway.

The other border routes, such as the Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Faridabad stretches, can be used for travelling between the two states.

The entry and exit points between Delhi and Haryana, passing through Singhu, Tikri, Auchandi, Piau Manyari, Saboli and Mangesh, have continued to remain closed. The traffic police have advised commuters to take alternate route via Lampur Safiabad, Palla and Singhu toll tax borders.Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road. It has been suggested to avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road and NH-44.

For those coming to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Chilla and Ghazipur is closed. The traffic police advised them to take routes passing through Anand Vihar, DND, Loni DND and Apsara borders which have remained mostly unaffected.

The exercise is seen as an attempt to keep the flock of MLAs in the alliance together amid increasing pressure over them with the farmers' agitation dominating the political landscape in Haryana for the past one-and-a-half month.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in New Delhi Tuesday. But before that, Dushyant will hold a meeting with JJP MLAs at his farmhouse in Delhi. All JJP legislators have been asked to come to the capital on Tuesday.

Top leaders of the BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana, including Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, are set to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the political scenario in the state.

The party has said it will stage protests outside governor houses across the country on 15 January to extend support to the ongoing farmers' agitation. The party is observing the day as 'Kisan Adhikar Diwas'.

A meeting will also be held over the new laws before the start of Parliament session later this month, they said.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has spoken to leaders of Opposition parties to plan out a joint strategy in the budget session of Parliament regarding the Centre's new farm laws, sources said on Monday.

The Supreme Court will shortly pronounce its verdict on pleas pertaining to issues relating to the three contentious farm laws and farmers' protests. A Bench, led by CJI SA Bobde and also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, presided over the hearings.

Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said ahead of the Supreme Court's order on pleas pertaining to farm laws and farmers' protests that a core committee meeting will be held after the verdict to decide the future course of action.

Advocate ML Sharma said he had submitted names like ex-CJI Khehar, Justice Singhvi and Justice Aggarwal for the committee.

Bobde further said the committee will not punish anyone or pass any orders, but take a clearer picture of the ground situation and take opinions of organisations.

CJI SA Bobde said the Court has the power to suspend the agricultural laws, but "the suspension of legislation must not be for an empty purpose". He said that the court-appointed committee will submit a report to the Bench and every person interested in solving the issue should cooperate with the committee.

"We can't suspend the laws indefinitely. The suspension will have to run parallel to a process for resolution," he further noted.

The Bench observed that no power can stop it from setting up a committee to evaluate the pros and cons of the farm laws. Bobde went on to say that after the committee gives finding which provisions to be deleted, it will deal with the farm laws.

The apex court will appoint a committee and it will be a part of the judicial proceedings, CJI SA Bobde said.

CJI said yesterday Dave sought posting of the matter to today so that he can come back with instruction from farmers. Today, he and other counsel have not even logged in to the virtual hearing.

The four counsel - Dushyant Dave, Prashant Bhushan, Colin Gonsalves and HS Phoolka - did not appear for the hearing today, prompting the SC Bench to observe that it is not fair for the farmers to appear before them only when it suits them.

The Supreme Court said it will suspend the implementation of the three farm reform laws until further orders. It also said that a committee, which shall comprise of experts of agriculture and agri economics. The committee will play a significant role in resolving the impasse between the farmers and Centre

Members of the committee appointed by the Bench led by CJI SA Bobde to look into the ground situation behind the farmers' protest and solve the impasse between farmers and the Centre include:

The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha.

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action.

Farmer leaders welcomed the Supreme Court's order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday, but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.

The four names of members include Bhupinder Singh Mann, President of Bhartiya Kisan Union; Anil Ghanwat, President of Shetkeri Sangthana, Maharashtra; Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

The bench said those who "genuinely want resolution, will go to the committee" on farm laws. "This is not politics. There is a difference between politics and judiciary and you will have to cooperate", it said to farmer unions.

"We are concerned about protecting the lives and property of citizens of India and we want to solve the problem," said the bench.

Before pronouncing the order, the bench commenced the hearing and asked the farmers' unions to cooperate and go before the committee to be appointed by it to resolve the dispute.

The observation of the bench asking protesting farmers' unions to cooperate assumes significance in view of reports that they would not go to any apex court-appointed panel for resolution of the dispute and wanted the laws to be repealed.

During the hearing, the top court sought the cooperation of the protesting farmers and made it clear that no power can prevent it from setting up a committee to resolve the impasse over the controversial farm laws.

Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Rakesh Tikait took to Twitter to express hi displeasure about the Supreme Court-appointed expert panel. He claimed that all four members have publically supported the contentious laws, or open market for farm produces in the past. He claimed that the agrarians were unhappy with this intervention, indicating that that the protesting farmers mistrusts the panel to be fair to them in looking for a solution to the current stalemate.

"It is clear that the Court is being misguided by various forces even in its constitution of a committee. These are people who are known for their support to the 3 Acts and have actively advocated for the same," the SKM told the TV channel.

Speaking to News18, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has refused to go to the Supreme Court-appointed expert panel for dispute resolution following concerns that all members have in the past expressed their support towards the three contentious laws. The union told the TV channel that the apex court has been misguided by various forces in choosing the commitee.

However, in a more recent article for The Indian Express, titled To help farmers, right approach is through Farmer Producer Organisations, not APMC mandis, he advised the government to be prepared to given a written guarantee that the existing system of APMC markets and MSP will continue and be strengthened

Gulati has been one of the most prominent supporters of the new farm laws among agricultural experts. In May 2020, when the laws were still in the consideration process, he compared them to 1991 liberalisation of the Indian economy in an article for The Indian Express. He wrote that the proposed "changes can go a long way in building efficient value chains and ensuring better returns for farmers. The consumers will also be ensured better products without burdening their pockets."

Gulati is an agricultural economist who was awarded with the Padma Shri in the year 2015. He is an Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at the India Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

NCP president Sharad Pawar welcomed the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to stay the implementation of three farm laws and set up of a four-member panel to resolve the impasse between the government and farmer unions over the legislations. Farmers have been protesting at various border points of Delhi for more than a month now, demanding a repeal of the three laws.

On 14 December, 2020, a group of farmers' organisations, under the banner of the AIKCC, had handed over a memorandum demanding that the three laws be implemented, but with some amendments. According to an article in The Hindu, the amendments proposed by the organisations were aimed to ensure that judicial recourse is ensured, and that there is a level-playing field created between private and state-run markets

Bhupinder Singh Mann is a former Rajya Sabha MP, and is presently National President of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and Chairman of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee.

The farmers appeared unfazed with the day's development and discarded the idea of cooperating with the panel, stating that all members have been vocal advocates of the bills in some form. Farmer leader Balbeer Singh Rajewal said, "We will not appear before any committee; our agitation is against three farm laws. We never even demanded from SC to form such a committee. The government is behind all these tactics."

Leaders of the protesting farmers held a press conference Tuesday, hours after the Supreme Court stayed the three contentious laws and appointed a four-member committee to resolve the dispute.

The bench, however, acknowledged allegations that Khalistani protesters are also capitalising on the farmers' movement which has recieved massive support from farmers in Punjab.

The Supreme Court bench, in its order, said, "Laudably, the farmers have so far carried on the agitation peacefully and without any untoward incident. But it was pointed out in the course of hearing that a few persons who are not farmers have also joined, with a view to show solidarity with the farmers".

"We had issued a press note last night stating that we won't accept any committee formed by Supreme Court for mediation. We were confident that Centre will get a committee formed through Supreme Court to take the burden off their shoulders," Krantikari Kisan Union chief, Darshan Pal said in a press congference. The combined front of various farm unions, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, has declared that it will not appear before any committee, even though the Supreme Court has mandated that the first sitting of the panel should take place within 10 days,

Leaders of the protesting farmers said that they had not sought any relief from the Supreme Court, instead, their appeals are from the government. Maintaining that they will not appear before the committee constituted by the apex court today, they said that this panel was not what they had asked for. The court also has the power to suo motu repeal the laws, they should have done that, they said.

Surjewala also alleged that one of the committee members was also a petitioner and asked how can the petitioner be made a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee.

"We do not know who has given these names to the Chief Justice of India. Why was their background and stand not checked. All these four persons are in favour of these laws and are standing with Prime Minister Modi. How can we expect justice from such a committee," he told reporters at a press conference.

The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala sought to know whether any government lawyer disclosed the credentials of the committee members before the court.

The Congress on Tuesday claimed that all four members of the committee, appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the deadlock over farmers' agitation against three farm laws, were in favour of the legislations, and posed how could the protesters expect justice from them.

Chautala and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar are scheduled to meet Shah in the national capital, and they will be accompanied by BJP state president OP Dhankar.

The Centre should repeal the three farm laws or it will cost the ruling BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana "heavily", a section of JJP MLAs said on Tuesday, hours before their party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah here.

Farmers would any day prefer to talk to Narendra Tomar than to such a blatantly partisan "expert" committee. Wonder how the Supreme Court could be taken for a ride into appointing such a sarkari committee. https://t.co/5uHMKeF9l7

On 14 December, 2020, a group of farmers' organisations, under the banner of the AIKCC, had handed over a memorandum demanding that the three laws be implemented, but with some amendments. According to an article in The Hindu, the amendments proposed by the organisations were aimed to ensure that judicial recourse is ensured, and that there is a level-playing field created between private and state-run markets

Bhupinder Singh Mann is a former Rajya Sabha MP, and is presently National President of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and Chairman of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee.

The farmers appeared unfazed with the day's development and discarded the idea of cooperating with the panel, stating that all members have been vocal advocates of the bills in some form. Farmer leader Balbeer Singh Rajewal said, "We will not appear before any committee; our agitation is against three farm laws. We never even demanded from SC to form such a committee. The government is behind all these tactics."

Leaders of the protesting farmers held a press conference Tuesday, hours after the Supreme Court stayed the three contentious laws and appointed a four-member committee to resolve the dispute.

The Attorney General said, We have said that Khalistanis' have infiltrated the farmers' protest. We can file an affidavit by tomorrow, along with the report of the intelligence bureau.

These kinds of protests can be "dangerous" he said, adding that groups like "Sikhs for Justice" are involved in these agitations. The bench told Venugopal that somebody has made an allegation here on record that there are some banned organisations which are helping the protest. "Will you confirm this or deny?" the bench asked the AG.

During the hearing, senior advocate P S Narasimha, appearing for intervenor 'Indian Kisan Union' supporting the new farm laws, alleged that some banned organizations have been fuelling the protests of farmers.

A bench of Chief Justice Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, which was hearing a clutch of petitions against the farm laws and the ongoing farmers protest at borders of Delhi, asked Venugopal to file the affidavit by Wednesday.

The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre to file an affidavit on its claim that some banned organisations including Khalistanis' have infiltrated the ongoing farmers protest against the new farm laws. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said that Khalistanis' have infiltrated the protest and he will file an affidavit along with the necessary inputs of the intelligence bureau (IB).

The bench, however, acknowledged allegations that Khalistani protesters are also capitalising on the farmers' movement which has recieved massive support from farmers in Punjab.

The Supreme Court bench, in its order, said, "Laudably, the farmers have so far carried on the agitation peacefully and without any untoward incident. But it was pointed out in the course of hearing that a few persons who are not farmers have also joined, with a view to show solidarity with the farmers".

"We had issued a press note last night stating that we won't accept any committee formed by Supreme Court for mediation. We were confident that Centre will get a committee formed through Supreme Court to take the burden off their shoulders," Krantikari Kisan Union chief, Darshan Pal said in a press congference. The combined front of various farm unions, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, has declared that it will not appear before any committee, even though the Supreme Court has mandated that the first sitting of the panel should take place within 10 days,

Can anyone expect the protesting farmers demanding repeal of Agri Laws to talk to such a committee? Why should they? Farmers are left with no other option than to boycott this committee? pic.twitter.com/Orclm3IJYx

Leaders of the protesting farmers said that they had not sought any relief from the Supreme Court, instead, their appeals are from the government. Maintaining that they will not appear before the committee constituted by the apex court today, they said that this panel was not what they had asked for. The court also has the power to suo motu repeal the laws, they should have done that, they said.

Surjewala also alleged that one of the committee members was also a petitioner and asked how can the petitioner be made a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee.

"We do not know who has given these names to the Chief Justice of India. Why was their background and stand not checked. All these four persons are in favour of these laws and are standing with Prime Minister Modi. How can we expect justice from such a committee," he told reporters at a press conference.

The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala sought to know whether any government lawyer disclosed the credentials of the committee members before the court.

The Congress on Tuesday claimed that all four members of the committee, appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the deadlock over farmers' agitation against three farm laws, were in favour of the legislations, and posed how could the protesters expect justice from them.

Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates: Leaders of the protesting farmers said that they had not sought any relief from the Supreme Court, instead, their appeals are from the government. Maintaining that they will not appear before the committee constituted by the apex court today, they said that this panel was not what they had asked for. The court also has the power to suo motu repeal the laws, they should have done that, they said.

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to file an affidavit on its claim that some banned organisations, including 'Khalistanis', have infiltrated the ongoing farmers' protest against the three farm laws

Leaders of the protesting farmers held a press conference Tuesday, hours after the Supreme Court stayed the three contentious laws and appointed a four-member committee to resolve the dispute.

Quoting articles revealing past positions of all members of the panel on these laws, Yogendra Yadav said that the farmers will rather hold a discussion with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar than such a 'partisan' committee.

The Centre should repeal the three farm laws or it will cost the ruling BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana 'heavily', a section of JJP MLAs warned on Tuesday, hours before their party chief Dushyant Chautala is due to meet Amit Shah

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has refused to go to the Supreme Court-appointed expert panel for dispute resolution following concerns that all members of the committee have in the past supported the three laws

Farmer leaders welcomed the Supreme Court's order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday, but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.

While Attorney General KK Venugopal said there is 'huge support' for the laws in Kerala, Karnataka, etc, DMK's P Wilson said that is untrue and Vijaywada is burning with protests against the legislations.

CJI SA Bobde said the proposed committee will evaluate the pros and cons of the farm laws and its findings will be a part of the judicial process.

CJI SA Bobde said the Court has the power to suspend the agricultural laws, but "the suspension of legislation must not be for an empty purpose". He said that the court-appointed committee will submit a report to the Bench and every person interested in solving the issue should cooperate with the committee.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has spoken to leaders of Opposition parties to plan out a joint strategy in the budget session of Parliament regarding the Centre's new farm laws.

The Haryana deputy chief minister will hold a meeting with JJP MLAs at his farmhouse in Delhi. All JJP legislators have been asked to come to the National Capital on Tuesday.

A joint front of 40 agitating farmer unions welcomed the suggestion of the Supreme Court for a stay on the agricultural laws but said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee that may be appointed by it.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, rapping the Centre over its handling of the ongoing farmers protest at the borders of Delhi, said it is 'extremely disappointed ' with the way negotiations are unfolding.

The apex court asked the government if it would suspend the implementation of the laws or whether the court should step in for the same. The court further stated that it will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are camping at three border points of Delhi Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for more than a month now, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) system for their crops.

The eighth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions on 7 January appeared headed nowhere as the Centre ruled out repealing the contentious laws, while the farmers' leaders said they are ready to fight till death and their 'ghar waapsi' will happen only after 'law waapsi'.

The apex court had earlier issued notice and sought the Centre's response on a batch of pleas against the three contentious farm laws the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

As per reports, farmers groups said they will not participate in the proceedings of a committee that the Supreme Court might appoint.

"We met our lawyers this evening at length and after deliberation on pros and cons of the suggestions of the committee, we informed them that we are unanimously not agreeable to go before any committee," the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said, as per CNBC-TV18.

Talking to news agency PTI, farmer leaders had earlier said they welcomed the top court's observations, but added that a stay on the implementation of the laws was not a solution as it would only be for a fixed amount of time. The leaders said that their agitation will continue till the laws are scrapped.

Meanwhile, INLD legislator Abhay Singh Chautala, writing to the Haryana Assembly Speaker, said if the Centre does not withdraw the three contentious farm laws by 26 January, then he would resign as an MLA from the House.

Extremely disappointed with negotiation process, says SC

While hearing a batch of petitions challenging the new farm laws as well as the ones raising issues related to the ongoing agitation at Delhi borders, a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, justices V Ramasubramanian and AS Bopanna, expressed disappointment at the way the government is handling the protest.

"We are extremely disappointed with the negotiation process. We don't want to make any stray observations on your negotiations but we are extremely disappointed with the process," PTI quotes the court as saying.

"We don't know what consultative process you followed before the laws. Many states are up in rebellion," LiveLaw quoted the bench as saying.

When Attorney General KK Venugopal submitted that amendments had started during the previous regime, CJI Bobde said," Mr Attorney, please understand it will not help you that some other government started it," reported Bar and Bench.

The apex court said it is not talking about the repeal of these farm laws at the moment. "This is a very delicate situation," the bench said, adding, "There is not a single petition before us which says that these farm laws are beneficial."

"We are not experts on economy; you tell us whether government is going to put on hold farm laws or we will do this," the bench said.

Venugopal argued that a law cannot be stayed unless the court finds it violates fundamental rights or constitutional schemes. "Our intention is to see whether we can find an amicable solution to all this. That is why we had asked you (Centre) whether you are willing to keep these laws on hold for sometime. But you wanted to buy time," the bench observed.

The apex court, which said the matter is getting worse and people are committing suicides, reiterated the need for having a committee comprising representatives from the government and farmer organisations from over the country and said it will stop the implementation of these laws if the panel advises doing so. It said that the protesting farmer can tell their objections to the committee.

The court asked the parties to suggest two or three names of former CJIs including former CJI RM Lodha who can head the court-appointed panel.

The bench said it did not know whether the protesting farmers were observing social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic but was concerned about them getting food and water. The bench also expressed apprehension that there might be some incident which may breach the peace.

"Old people and women are on the ground. Why are old people in the farmers' protests? We don't want to comment on the merit of the agitation," the bench said.

It said after the implementation of these laws are stayed, the protesters can carry on with the agitation as the court doesn't want "anyone to say that we stifled the protest." We are not going to protect any lawbreakers. We want to prevent the loss of property and lives, it said.

When the attorney-general told the court that next meeting between the government and farmers is scheduled for 15 January and the court should not pass any order today, the bench said, "We do not think the Centre is handling the issue correctly. We have to take some action today. We don't think you are being effective. If laws are put on hold then negotiations will have a chance to work out. "

The court refused to grant extra time to the Centre to explore the possibility of amicable solution to the issue, saying it has already granted the government a long rope. "We have given you long rope, Mr Attorney-General, please don't lecture us on patience," the bench said.

"Whether you have faith or not, we are the Supreme Court of India, we will do our job," the bench told the protesting farmer unions.

The court, which indicated during the hearing that it may pass orders in parts, later said that the order will be pronounced on Tuesday.

'Will continue agitation even if implementation stayed'

Farmers leaders said they would continue their agitation even if the government or the Supreme Court stays the implementation, reported PTI. The farmer leaders, who said they were "sharing their personal opinion", were also of the view that a stay is "not a solution" as it is only for a fixed period of time.

The farmers want the laws to be repealed completely. The protest will continue even if the government or the Supreme Court stays their implementation," Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union president Gurnam Singh Chaduni told the news agency.

Bhog Singh Mansa, president of Indian Farmers Union (Mansa), said "A stay is not a solution. We are here to get these laws scrapped completely... the government has in a way already agreed to scrap the laws when it said it is willing to incorporate as many amendments as farmers want."

"We appeal to the Supreme Court to terminate these laws as these are not valid constitutionally," Mansa said, adding the protest will continue till the "the laws are not repealed or the BJP government completes its tenure".

Punjab Kisan Union president Ruldu Singh Mansa echoed similar sentiments, saying the agitation began with the demand for scrapping the farm laws and "it will end only when we win this fight".

Darshan Pal, president of Krantikari Kisan Union, said the farmer leaders are consulting their lawyers and a formal response will be given after the court gave its verdict.

Centre files affidavit
Only eight days remain in his presidency, and only six days have passed since a planned attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

At the same time, President Donald Trump faces impeachment for his role in a violent insurrection aimed to stop a lawful election count, and members of his administration are jumping ship to salvage their reputations.

All while a pandemic ravages the nation, and insurrectionists plan more uprisings in Washington and the nations state capitols.

Yet, in these waning days of a dangerous presidency, he seeks not to stop the violence but deflect attention from it by reaching back into his playbook.

As a farewell tour, one as bizarre as his golden escalator ride at the start of his candidacy, Trump has chosen South Texas as a stop to dedicate a portion of new border fencing.

The fencing is in a town of no more than 20,000 called Alamo in Hidalgo County, where COVID-19 cases have quadrupled.

The trip sounds surreal.

Trump has chosen such a place with such a name in an attempt to change the dangerous narratives swirling around him.

A publicity stunt wont turn cameras away from last Wednesdays events, when the Capitol was overtaken and ransacked, leaving five dead.

As more suspects are identified and arrested, the story of a failed attack seeking to upend a valid election are more likely to grow rather than dissipate.

Scant details were available about Trumps visit, and some officials learned theres a 40 percent chance the president wont travel.

But Hidalgo County spokesman Carlos Sanchez said Monday the extraordinary measures undertaken for any presidential visit were in place.

Law enforcement will be out in force, he said.

A Hidalgo Republican Party official said a 10:30 a.m. Trump train will gather at the old McAllen Civic Center and parade through the citys old business district.

A small Trump caravan occurred Sunday without incident, Sanchez said.

Aron L. Pena, a South Texas business consultant who has worked for Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush, says he has never seen such visible support for a Republican president in the Rio Grande Valley.

It never hurts, he said, of any visit by a world leader to a place racked by poverty and poor infrastructure. Its always a good thing.

He also praised the border wall, which Trump views as one of his greatest achievements.

Evidence of that is scant, too.

About 452 miles of border barrier has been replaced and updated, but only about 12 miles of it are new. It cost $15 billion. Mexico did not pay for it. Congress provided $4.5 billion and the rest was reassigned by Trump from Pentagon budgets.

Trump supporters like Pena celebrate the border wall for lowering illegal immigration and creating jobs. Theyve supported the Trump administrations support of increased border enforcement, leading to more jobs on the border.

Pena drew a direct line from border enforcement agencies to new Republican gains in the Valley.

New, younger Republican voters at the college level helped keep Texas in the Republican column. He noted the creation of a teen GOP group in the Valley, too.

Theyre the children of Border Patrol agents, he said.

Theyre the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers whose instinct is to defend those who risk their lives daily.

Pena denounced the violence at the U.S. Capitol but said the actions by the few shouldnt represent thousands of peaceful protesters.

He said the violence could have been averted had Congress allowed more time to investigate election fraud before certifying President-elect Joe Bidens win.

Theres blame on both parties, he said. Well come to see that Trump was ahead of his time.

Pena speaks with unwavering conviction, never allowing for the central idea of Trumps presidency. That it was built on lies.

Trumps lies about rigged election results incited last weeks rioting and the feared events planned against incoming President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The town of Alamo has been known as the Refuge of the Valley, because its the home of the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

But it will give Trump little refuge.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, whose district includes the town of Alamo, defined the trip perfectly: an attempt to distract us on the taxpayers dime.

eayala@express-news.net

Congressional Democrats rush toward impeachment has put Joe Biden in a difficult position before hes even taken the oath of office. Does he follow the desires of his fellow Democratic Party leaders to punish Donald Trump for stirring up an angry mob that ran amok at the U.S. Capitol? Or does Biden heed his own oft-repeated campaign promise to weigh the desires of those Americans who voted against him as well as the historic numbers who voted for him?

The nation is struggling to pick up the pieces and come to terms with last weeks insurrection at the Capitol building by Trump-supporting extremists. At least five people, including one police officer, died. Hundreds more were threatened and terrorized. Another Capitol Police officer on duty that day died by suicide over the weekend, his family announced Monday.

Democrats are putting the blame squarely on President Trumps shoulders  but not only Democrats. White House and administration staffers have resigned in droves, including three members of Trumps Cabinet. Many prominent Republicans -- including several onetime supporters -- have denounced Trump for instigating the Capitol attack. But the rank-and-file are not yet convinced. A new Frank Luntz poll released Monday found that only 25% of Trump voters agree he is mostly responsible for the assault on the Capitol, while 62% said he was only somewhat or only a little to blame.

So, the question for the incoming president is pretty basic: In such a hyper-partisan political environment, is compromise even possible?

After the cataclysmic events of Jan. 6, lawmakers and pundits have frequently invoked the words of Ben Franklin -- that the Founding Fathers rejected a monarchy in favor of a republic, if you can keep it -- along with President Lincolns prophetic declaration that a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Two months after winning the presidency, Bidens post-election words intended to lower the temperature in Washington and across the country already seem dated as he declines to clearly state whether he backs his partys pursuit of the 25th Amendment or a second impeachment.

Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end here and now, Biden said Nov. 7 in his first speech after he was declared the victor. This is the time to heal.

But Biden didnt count on a horrific attack on the Capitol, nor on Trumps steadfast refusal to acknowledge his defeat, which are testing that commitment to unity as he is being pressed by other party leaders bent on revenge. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are rejecting calls from a bipartisan group of House members to stop the drive to impeach Trump on his way out the door. They want to put all Republicans on record as to whether they will protect Trump from being removed from office even though he will be out anyway in eight days.

With roughly a week left before Biden is inaugurated, House Democrats are set to impeach Trump for a second time this week. The only question is whether they will send the impeachment articles over to the Senate right away or wait for Biden to complete his first 100 days and have most, if not all, of his Cabinet confirmed.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn has suggested Democrats wait for that period to allow Biden to assemble his administration and begin work on his agenda, while House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has said he wants to send the articles to the Senate immediately.

Doing nothing is not an option, a veteran Democratic operative told RealClearPolitics. Pelosi has admitted that her interest in impeachment is to prevent Trump from running again in 2024  so the impeachment push has become a way for Democrats to permanently cancel Trump and any chance for a political resurgence.

Plenty of voices, so far going unheeded, are pressing for a less polarizing beginning to Bidens presidency. Members of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus, along with a several centrist senators, are pushing for a congressional censure of Trump instead, arguing that a last-ditch impeachment effort will backfire on Biden and Democrats by inciting more violence while turning Trump into a martyr. Rep. Tom Reed, a New York Republican, has circulated a letter imploring Biden to reject what hes calling snap impeachment, which would go to a vote without the deliberations of a traditional hearing.

Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley has argued that such a step would only inflame political divisions in our country, and he urged that Trumps future should be left to history and the voters to decide -- not canceled by congressional fiat. Turley, who also argued against the first impeachment, denounced Trumps Jan. 6 speech to his supporters as reckless and wrong even before they stormed the capitol. He also praised Vice President Mike Pence for defying Trump in rejecting his claim that electoral votes could be sent back to the states.

Yet, none of this is license for Congress to rampage through the Constitution with the same abandon as last weeks rioters did in the Capitol, Turley wrote Monday.

Nonetheless, Pelosi is moving forward with a demand that Pence invoke the 25th Amendment to declare Trump unfit and remove him from office. Such a move would require Pence to convene the Cabinet, a majority of whose members would then need to declare Trump unable to perform as president. With the three Cabinet members already gone, it seems a futile ultimatum, especially after Pence and Trump met Monday and agreed to work together for the final week of the presidency.

Pences rejection of this Democratic demand means House Democrats will move forward with a vote on a single article of impeachment as soon as Wednesday.

As his presidency is set to begin, Biden seems torn by these developments. He could try to change the tone in Washington by leaning on his partys leaders to forgo another divisive impeachment fight against Trump. But so far he hasnt. On Monday, he signaled a willingness to entertain a bifurcated first 100 days, sharing progress on his initiatives with a Senate impeachment trial.

Can we go half day on dealing with impeachment and half day getting my people nominated and confirmed? he pondered Monday when pressed on the matter after receiving his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. I havent gotten an answer from the parliamentarian yet, he said.

Others quickly filled in the leadership vacuum to remind Biden that the Senate operated in the same dual-track way during the early 2020 unsuccessful impeachment trial.

Laurence Tribe, a fiery anti-Trump Harvard law professor, said the Senate, if halfway responsible, will hold a short impeachment trial as soon as possible. Tribe authored a book on the case for impeaching Trump along with Joshua Matz, who served as the counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during Trumps impeachment proceedings in late 2019.

An impeachment trial neednt get in the way of a forward-looking agenda for the Senate, Tribe tweeted Monday night. Its increasingly looking like thats the way forward: bifurcated days, half impeachment trial, half other business.

So much for unity and turning the page on Donald J. Trump.
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An Austin man is living up to the city's well-known slogan, "Keep Austin Weird," after he rode a paddle board shirtless on Lady Bird Lake during Sunday's snow.

Blogger 365thingsaustin posted a video of the man on its Instagram and Twitter, where many left hilarious comments and remarks.
State and local governments are grappling with the initial rollout of the COVID-19 vaccinations without much guidance from the federal government and, predictably, the results are mixed at best.Reports of confusion about where to get the vaccination and who is going first among those eligible are plaguing the efforts, as is the pace of vaccinations becoming available. Local jurisdictions are, for the most part, dependent on state coordination and guidance in developing their strategies.Reports from Michigans initial rollout suggest confusion from some seniors who are eligible for the vaccine but confused by a lack of information on whether there is a vaccine available and how to schedule appointments.Similar issues are coming from Georgia and Alabama, and reports of seniors on walkers and in wheelchairs lined up for blocks outside in the cold waiting to be vaccinated are causing concern and frustration. There has to be a better way, one resident said. In California, the rollout has been too slow, according the states governor A big concern going forward is reaching vulnerable populations, such as the homeless and unemployed or those of different cultures who may not trust government.Im a little concerned, said Anthony Beverina, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Socially Determined , a social risk analytics company committed to addressing social determinants of health. The issues I see are that at each state level and at each local level you have myriad logistical challenges.Those include finding and notifying vulnerable populations and getting the vaccine to them. You are talking about multiple populations that are living in elderly care facilities, people with underlying health problems, he said. These people are so spread out all over the place, you have to identify who they are and figure out where they are.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has given very broad guidelines on reaching those populations, leaving it to the states to figure it out. I worry about there being 50 different ways of figuring it out and 50 different concepts of how to do this, Beverina said.The federal government also hasnt provided much in the way of resources for the states, and the rate of the vaccines coming to the states has been slow.You know youre going to get a fixed number of doses and you have to figure out not only who should get it, which is a matter of policy, and the how youre going to get it into place, Beverina said.

In Wyandotte County, Kan., Bob Bennett , the COVID-19 vaccine operations director, has just begun the rollout. He was initially given about 800 doses of the vaccine and then received about 900 more doses for local health-care organizations to administer to the organizations staff. So far, the county has vaccinated about 1,700 people and is expecting another round of doses to arrive next week.The county is using an empty K-Mart building to store and administer the vaccines. The huge building (about 110,000 square feet) allows plenty of space for social distancing, and up to 10 lines for people to wait and be vaccinated and still adhere to social distancing. Bennett said he can vaccinate up to about 1,800 people per day.He said the process so far has gone very well.Were rocking through our priority-one health-care workforce so far, Bennett said. Were getting another vaccine drop next week and I anticipate well get going with some of our older population folks, 75 and older, who are not part of long-term care facilities, and who are not supported by Walgreens and CVS.The county has been working to reach out to its citizens through social media, town halls with community groups and, Bennett said, a special focus on groups that have historically been bypassed, such as the unemployed or homeless. Obviously it is a continuous process of communications, Bennett said. It is a requirement for us to use every tool at our disposal.The unemployed or homeless dont have a bulletin board at work or a union to inform them when and where to get vaccinated, and it takes work for the county to reach those people. Thats where those social safety nets come into play, Bennett said. Entities like churches and shelters and engaging those leaders allows us to get that population.There are a multitude of cultures in Wyandotte County, with some seven different languages being spoken in various communities. Some of those cultures have a distrust of government, but Bennett said the health-care apparatus already knows these populations, and there has been a level of trust built up over the years.Government in general right now has less of a batting average of acceptability than it used to for a lot of folks, but health departments, by and large, because we provide services that people need, give people flu shots and take care of them when theyre sick, there is a greater level of trust in that community, Bennett said.He said most of the long-term care facilities have existing contracts with either Walgreens or CVS and will get their vaccinations through those entities. Those that dont will be taken care of through the county. In fact, the county today is auditing one of those facilities to get information on how many vaccinations will need to be given.Were verifying with those facilities in our community that they are in fact getting the vaccine with their existing vaccine support structure, Bennett said.Bennett talks with state officials three times per week, and part of the discussion involves the state taking questions. If they dont know the answers to the questions, they find out within 48 hours, he said.I think from their perspective, they are just trying to get the vaccine out and hope that we do our part, Bennett said. Im pleased to be a part of the team that has done its part aggressively. But I have a lot of friends in other places where thats not the case.

Emergency Management is a subset of Government Technology, which is a sister site to Governing. Both are divisions of e.Republic.
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A stalled proposal for a program aimed at helping San Antonio bars and restaurants keep their lights on and pay their employees amid the coronavirus pandemic may be gaining steam.

Given the scale of need faced by the food and beverage industry  seriously hurt by occupancy restrictions and diminished dine-in crowds  District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino believes these businesses and workers alike need the targeted relief.

Weve got to find a way to keep people afloat, to help them survive, Trevino said.

But Trevinos proposal has been in limbo since he first rolled it out in October, despite the backing of four other City Council members to at least weigh the proposal. For the idea to move forward, Mayor Ron Nirenberg has to schedule it for a hearing before the councils governance committee  the agenda-setting panel chaired by the mayor.

Trevino has asked Nirenberg to put it on the agenda, the councilman said, but to no avail.

All I can say is that it just seems to be waiting around, Trevino said. I dont know what the reason is that it hasnt come up.

In an attempt to force the mayors hand on the issue and prove his idea is financially viable, Trevino has identified, with the help of city staff, at least $750,000 he said could potentially pay for the program.

The lack of urgency to pursue more local aid has frustrated bar and restaurant owners  whose receipts have been wiped out since the pandemic began as the virus scared off diners and bar-goers.

Often, the owners feel their businesses are scapegoated as potential public health hazards even after many of them spent a substantial amount on measures designed to prevent the virus spread in their establishments  and despite admissions from local leaders that the vast majority of local businesses have been compliant with health rules.

Bars and restaurants havent gone entirely without local aid.

Since June, the city has doled out more than 200 grants totaling $8.7 million to dining and drinking establishments as part of a broader $28 million small business grant program. Bexar County has given out at least $5 million in grants to bars and restaurants with plans to hand out another $1.4 million.

But to food and beverage owners, that amounts to pennies given the level of devastation.

Its been 10 months now and the city and county have done virtually nothing to help, San Antonio restaurateur Chad Carey said.

Receipts from food and drink sales at Careys businesses  including the pizza joint Barbaro, wine bar Little Death and Asian fusion restaurant Hot Joy  are down 20 to 40 percent, he said, making it impossible to function like that without laying people off, without bleeding cash, having your landlords have to forego money.

At least more federal aid is on the way. San Antonio businesses including restaurants and bars will benefit from $284 billion Congress pumped into a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides businesses with forgivable loans for paying employees and utility bills.

There are worries the federal money could come too late. Businesses can begin applying for the new round of PPP loans this week. But given delays in federal distribution of the previous round of loans, Carey has little hope that his businesses will receive assistance through PPP before March  which means he will have to cut hours for employees, some of whom could see their paychecks shrink by nearly half, he said.

The way that its going, it just feels like were out here on our own a little bit, Carey said.

Trevino doesnt want to wait on more stimulus from Congress and he says the city hasnt used enough of its own money to help those hurt by the pandemic.

Without more local assistance  and soon  restaurateurs and bar owners say the city risks a larger wave of restaurant and bar closures, weakening San Antonios cultural identity and depriving the city of a quality to lure tourists, new residents and businesses.

When were luring talent from outside of our city, what do we promote? said Jeret Pena, who owns the recently-opened bar Hello Paradise. We promote food and beverage. Why? Because the younger talent want good food and beverage. They want a cool place to go to. They want something thats hip and cool. Thats how you lure people.

On ExpressNews.com: Further coronavirus relief for San Antonio more likely after Democrats win Georgia Senate runoffs

In an initial statement, Nirenberg hinted he feels a separate program geared toward bars and restaurants may be unnecessary.

The city of San Antonio has been doing the work outlined in (Trevinos) proposal since last spring, Nirenberg said.

Any food and beverage establishment that applied for help under that program and met the qualifications got that help, Nirenberg said.

Trevino and others have argued that many bars and restaurants couldnt qualify because the grant program was too restrictive.

For one, businesses with more than 20 employees didnt qualify  though many local restaurants have more people than that on their payroll, said Dawn Ann Larios, executive director of the Texas Restaurant Associations western region which includes San Antonio. Establishments that received grants also had to be open before August 2019  excluding any new restaurants that have since opened.

They couldnt apply for it, Larios said.

Separately, Nirenberg noted, the citys emergency housing assistance program has put $74 million in the hands of 16,000 needy households trying to cover living costs including rent and utilities  and still has about $7 million left in the till.

The city is expected to receive more dollars for housing assistance out of the $900 billion stimulus package President Donald Trump signed into law two weeks ago  though its unclear how much.

The mayor also pointed to the citys workforce development program  and the fact that those who enroll in job training because theyre out of work can get paid while they gain skills for higher-paying jobs.

Carey called that sentiment tone-deaf.

Im not against that program, but the joke Ive been telling my friends is thats like trying to work on somebodys breaststroke when theyre drowning in the middle of the ocean, Carey said.

Council members and city staff also put $4.5 million toward helping the food and beverage industry in November and December, said Bruce Davidson, the mayors spokesman.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio City Council takes first step in implementing $154 million workforce development program

In a follow-up statement, staff said the mayor hasnt taken Trevinos idea off the table and noted the governance committee has only met twice since Trevino first submitted it Oct. 15.

But other, newer resolutions have been processed. Nearly two weeks after Trevino put forth his proposal, District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran proposed a resolution honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That item made it onto the committees Nov. 4 agenda. Eight days later, City Council passed the resolution.

To help get his proposal moving, Trevino worked with Assistant City Manager Lori Houston and City Attorney Andy Segovia to pinpoint dollars the city could use to pay for relief for bars and restaurants.

That $750,000 pot they found would come with some strings attached. Those dollars come from a trio of tax increment reinvestment zones in the citys urban core  mechanisms that take increases in property tax revenue from land within the zone and put them into public improvements in the area such as drainage and streets.

Those improvements arent being made right now because of the pandemic, so the city might as well put the money to use, Trevino said. But that money could only be used to help businesses within the boundaries of those zones.

Another idea, Trevino said, is to move around some $17 million in city-issued debt that would have paid for a portion of the stalled Alamo Plaza renovation  including the controversial moving of the Cenotaph  toward other capital improvements, potentially freeing up dollars to be spent on assistance for bars and restaurants.

It shows that there are pots of money that we could be looking at to fund these kinds of support, Trevino said.

Throughout the pandemic, Nirenberg and Trevino have disagreed on how best to help the city deal with the virus economic fallout.

Trevino voted against putting the mayors plan to use $154 million in sales tax dollars for job training and college degrees for those put out of work by the pandemic on the November ballot.

The District 1 councilman has criticized the citys approach to recovery as too focused on long-term efforts such as workforce development and not enough on immediate assistance in the form of small business grants and housing assistance.

Nirenberg, in turn, has seen the pandemic as an opportunity to try to put a dent in the citys endemic poverty and economic segregation by training people for higher-paying jobs in fields like cybersecurity and health care. Those in the mayors circle point to the size of the citys rental assistance fund as proof the city is providing short-term relief.
What began as a dispute over a restaurant customer's attempt to take a selfie escalated to a violent confrontation that left one man dead and another in hospital, a judge heard Monday.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Police investigate at the Ramallah Cafe, at 325 Pembina Hwy., in April 2019. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

What began as a dispute over a restaurant customer's attempt to take a selfie escalated to a violent confrontation that left one man dead and another in hospital, a judge heard Monday.

A three-week trial has begun for Mahfuthmm Assi, charged with second-degree murder in the April 2019 stabbing death of 20-year-old Yazan Al Horani outside the Ramallah Cafe restaurant and hookah lounge, and attempted murder in the stabbing of a second man, Moussa Almoussa.

Assi, a former server at the Pembina Highway restaurant, offered pleas to the reduced counts of manslaughter and aggravated assault, which were not accepted by the Crown.

"So, the trial will proceed," prosecutor Sue Baragar told Queens Bench Justice Anne Turner.

Al Horani and his family emigrated from Syria in 2017 after years spent in a refugee camp in Jordan, a family friend told the Free Press following his death. Al Horani was taking adult-education courses, had started a new job at Blady Middle Eastern grocery store and was recently engaged to be married.

The trial proceeded slowly Monday with three Arabic interpreters taking turns translating for Assi.

Almoussa, Al Horani and several friends arrived at the restaurant shortly before 11 p.m. to celebrate Almoussas 20th birthday, Baragar told Turner in an opening address.

"Shortly after arriving, Mr. Almoussa decided he wanted to take a selfie of himself and his friends at the party," Baragar said.

Unsatisfied with a picture he took on the floor, Almoussa stood on a table for another picture, angering Assi, who "took offence to Mr. Almoussa standing on the furniture."

The two men argued and were on their way to speak to a manager when the dispute escalated to an exchange of threats and insults, and Assi allegedly head-butting Almoussa, Baragar said.

Almoussa grabbed a knife from a table before friends separated the two men and convinced Almoussa to drop it.

The restaurant manager told Almoussa, Al Horani and their friends to leave, which they did, and told Assi he was done for the night, Baragar said.

Assi left through the kitchen, grabbing a knife along the way when he was stopped by a cook who tried to calm him down, Baragar said. Assi "pushed past the cook," walked out the back door and started his car before walking to the street where Al Horani, Almoussa and their friends were still lingering.

Assi "immediately went for Almoussa," when Al Horani stepped in his path, Baragar said. Assi stabbed Al Horani two times, then stabbed Almoussa three times, leaving both men crumpled on the ground.

Assi went back to his car and drove away. He was arrested a day later east of Kenora by Ontario Provincial Police.

Al Horani died at the scene, while Almoussa was taken to hospital and recovered.

Almoussa is expected to testify Tuesday.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
A 44-year-old New Jersey man died early Sunday after his car struck a tree in Absecon, authorities said.

Glen Mclean, of Pleasantville, was driving north on South Shore Road around 2:30 a.m. when his vehicle veered off the road, went into the air and hit a tree, Absecon police said in a statement. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

While the investigation is ongoing police say speed likely contributed to the crash. There were no passengers in the car.

Anyone with information is asked to call Absecon police at 609-641-0667.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Shallang (Meghalaya):

Two Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants were killed and seven injured in an encounter with police in West Khasi Hills on Friday, a senior police officer said.



Superintendent of Police G D Kharwanlang said based on a tip-off about the presence of Nit, Khasi Hills commander of the GNLA, a search operation was launched near the village of Jugisil by a special police team late last night.

ALSO READ: 38 militants eliminated, 22 infiltration bids foiled along LoC this year, says Army



During the search operation at about 4 am, the GNLA militants fired at the police team. The policemen fired in retaliation and self defense which lead to the death of two GNLA militants while another seven cadres are said to be injured in the firing, the SP said adding no police personnel was injured in the encounter.



The police seized one Chinese rifle and one SBML gun from the encounter site. The police believe that Nit, as well as senior cadre Newak, have been injured during the encounter though they managed to flee owing to the terrain and darkness.



Police sources further said that a massive search operation has been launched in search of the injured cadres around the area.

ALSO READ: J-K: Six militants killed as Army foils 5th infiltration bid in Uri sector

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Sun & Vegs owner Alnut has new majority shareholder

Italian investment group DeA Capital Alternative Funds has bought a 60% stake in Spain-based baby food and plant-based dairy specialist Alimentacion y Nutricion Familiar.

It has acquired the stake in Alimentacion y Nutricion Familiar, also known as Alnut, from the company's current owner, European food producer Foodiverse, for an undisclosed sum. Foodiverse retains a 40% stake in the business.

The deal was done through the Taste of Italy 2 private-equity fund, which DeA Capital manages.

Joaquin Felix, manager of Alnut, said: "The collaboration between Foodiverse and DeA Capital Alternative Funds will enable the business to continue to evolve with continual investment, strengthening the pillars of food safety, quality and development of the teams, whilst adhering to our commitment to the environment and innovation."

Leopoldo Reano, managing director of DeA Capital, said: "We are very excited to be able to contribute towards Alnut's expansion, continuing on the path laid out by Foodiverse. We strongly believe that the combination of our sectoral approach together with the capacities of a company like Alnut and its management team and a partner with the experience and reputation of Foodiverse, form very solid foundations on which to build a successful project."

Foodiverse CEO Rafael Boix said: "This alliance responds to three main objectives: stability, growth and expansion. These are goals that we have been working towards for years and we want to take a step further to give them a major boost. And in DeA Capital Alternative Funds we have found the right partner to do this with."

This is the Taste of Italy 2 fund's first investment in Spain.

Founded in 2010, Alnut has more than 100 employees and achieved a turnover of EUR25.7m (US$31.2m) in 2019. It specialises in baby food through the Byba brand and foods targeted at the wider family via the Sun & Vegs brand.

The company's plant-based products include yogurt alternatives It's Coconut and It's Oat. It sells its products in 16 countries on four continents.

Foodiverse specialises in fresh produce and has nine processing plants in Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
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Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Monday he would suspend his campaign for a 19th term in the leadership post amid fading support from fellow Democrats, largely because of a federal bribery investigation thats implicated him.

Madigan, the longest-serving leader of a legislative body in U.S. history, has thus far been unable to get a majority of votes from his caucus to remain speaker, but the statement he issued began: This is not a withdrawal.

By suspending his campaign and not withdrawing, Madigan magnanimously steps aside to allow a successor to step up. But if no one else can collect enough support, he remains in the wings and could become the unlikely compromise choice.

His statement urged House Democrats to work to find someone, other than me, to get 60 votes for speaker.

As I have said many times in the past, I have always put the best interest of the House Democratic Caucus and our members first, Madigan said.

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, a Republican from Western Springs, accused Madigan of spinning misdirection and uncertainty on the eve of a new General Assembly. Madigans move, Durkin said, is typical of his style and appears to be another ploy or a head fake.

For the sake of the institution, his caucus must demand that he be direct and honest about his intentions: In or out, Durkin said.

Last summer, Madigan was identified in a Justice Department investigation as the beneficiary of a yearslong bribery venture involving ComEd. It thus far has yielded a $200 million fine on the utility giant, a ComEd executives guilty plea and indictments of four others, including Madigans closest confidante. Madigan has not been charged with a crime and has denied wrongdoing.

Since the investigation was revealed, 19 House Democrats have said they would not support the speakers retention. In a first private caucus vote Sunday, Madigan fell markedly short of the 60 votes he needed, but still far outdistanced rivals.

The other candidates for speaker, Rep. Ann Williams of Chicago and Stephanie Kifowit of the Chicago suburb of Oswego, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

Madigan, a 78-year-old Chicago Democrat, this week marks the 50th anniversary of his first inauguration to the House. He was elected speaker in 1983 and has won subsequent two-year terms since, with the exception of 1995, when Republican seized control of the chamber, but relinquished it again to Madigan in 1997.

Madigan became longest-serving speaker of any state or federal legislative body on Aug. 5, 2017. He topped South Carolina Speaker Solomon Blatts record of 11,893 days.

For much of the past three decades, he has had an iron grip on Democrats by taking over as state party chairman a quarter-century ago. His longevity as speaker correlates closely with that dual role.

Maybe hes been there too long, but the truth of the matter is Illinois would not be as Democratic as it is now without Madigan, said Aaron Jaffe, a retired Cook County judge who entered the House with Madigan in 1971 and served 16 years. His genius is in getting people elected.

But Madigans popularity has faded since 2017, when he was criticized for his management in a series of #MeToo revelations of sexual harassment and bullying by lawmakers and his chief of staff of 25 years.
The Northern Ireland Executive will meet today to discuss the mounting pressures on hospitals.

It follows what has been called the worst 48 hours since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Northern Ireland's six health trusts have warned that by the third week of January, hospitals could be dealing with double the number of Covid patients.

On Monday, First Minister Arlene Foster said there were few options left to curb the current crisis, apart from a possible new curfew.

Mrs Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said while Northern Ireland was past the peak of new cases, the lag between people becoming infected and needing hospital treatment meant inpatient numbers were yet to hit their peak.

Pat Cullen, the director of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland, says healthcare workers in the North are frightened about what will come in the next few weeks.

Hospitals there are preparing for a third surge in facilities of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Monday, a further 16 Covid-related deaths were announced by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. A total of 759 new cases of the virus were also reported.

A total of 91,954 people in Northern Ireland had received at least one coronavirus jab by Monday evening.

New lockdown restrictions came into force in Northern Ireland on Friday, forbidding people from leaving home for non-essential reasons.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said it was estimated that on average about 'one in 60' people currently have Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

He said the rising number of cases is a 'payback' for the relaxation of restrictions in December.
Sales for UK soft drinks maker Nichols fell by almost one-fifth last year as the coronavirus pandemic impacted the out-of-home channel.

Nichols said out-of-home sales collapsed by 84% in the final quarter of the year

In a trading update today, the Vimto owner said group sales were down 19% to GBP118.7m (US$161m) in the 12 months to the end of December. According to the company, declines were driven by the closure in the UK of bars, restaurants and cafes because of coronavirus.

In Q4, Nichols out-of-home sales fell by 84% compared to the year-prior. The company did not give full-year figures for out-of-home sales.

Despite the declines, Nichols said it remains confident in long-term performance. The company will release its official FY results on 3 March.

Soft drinks companies have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In response, the industry has switched to larger formats to target home consumption and ramped up direct-to-consumer initiatives.

What's coming up in soft drinks in 2021? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - click here for a just-drinks comment
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Screenshots of a San Antonio's man's Facebook and business pages are circulating online after a popular TikTok account tied him to being at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

The Facebook account owned by Matthew Mazzocco appears to be deleted or deactivated from the site. A LinkedIn account also appears to be scrubbed. Screenshots of the Facebook page list the man as a San Antonio native and resident working in mortgage loans.

RELATED: East Texas newspaper issues response for identifying Capitol rioters as 'antifa'

A selfie posted on the account shows the federal building in the background.

"The capitol (sic) is ours," the caption reads.

The TikTok posted by @beccaboostanaccount has generated nearly 30,000 reactions.

Twitter also identified Mazzocco in another video recorded inside the Capitol and shared on TikTok. A man wearing the same outfit in Mazzocco's selfie instructing others not to break or vandalize anything as the group makes a plan to head to the senate floor.

"Don't break or vandalize anything," the man is seen saying in the video. "We're probably all going to get in trouble for what we're doing at some point in time."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is accepting help from the public to identify individuals involved with the riots. The FBI and its San Antonio division were tagged in the posts about Mazzocco. The San Antonio office could not be reached or comment.

CMG Financial, the company listed as Mazzocco's employer on his now-deleted Facebook, addressed the controversy in a reply to comment left on a post.

"This person is no longer employed by CMG Financial," the comment says. "Our HR team has requested that he remove CMG Financial from his profiles as he does not work here."

In an emailed statement to MySA.com, CMG's corporate office said Mazzocco has not been employed by the company since early last year. The group pointed to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System's Consumer Access page for the former employee's job history. The site allows the public to search information on individuals licensed and registered through NMLS.

Mazzocco's record shows Synergy One Lending, Inc. as his current employer. He is listed as a loan officer on his self-reported job history. The San Antonio office could not be reached for comment. Mazzocco's profile is no longer on the company's website and the NMLS record shows he represents no one.

Mazzocco could also not be reached for comment.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
UPDATE: The Grand Rapids City Commission approved the tax exemptions.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids elected leaders have given initial approval on tax exemptions for six proposed affordable and low-income housing developments in the city.

If all six projects are completed as planned, they would bring 299 apartment units to the city, of which 78 units are anticipated to be permanent supportive housing serving people with disabilities or chronically homeless.

The tax exemptions, called payment in lieu of taxes, were given initial approval Tuesday morning, Jan. 12, by city commissioners at their Fiscal Committee meeting. Final approval of the exemptions is expected to happen at the commissions 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday via a sweeping consent agenda vote.

The exemptions are conditional on the projects being approved for low-income housing tax credits through the state and securing the financing needed to move forward on development, Connie Bohatch, the citys managing director of community services, told commissioners Tuesday.

While it looks like a whole lot today, it may take some time for those to actually be successful and actually come to fruition, Bohatch said.

Tentative completion dates for all six apartment projects were not given.

Bohatch told commissioners that six additional affordable housing developments seeking tax exemptions will likely come before them at their next meeting.

The proposed projects, if completed, would help provide much needed housing stock in the city. A Grand Rapids-commissioned housing study released in summer 2020 found the city needs an additional 5,340 rental units and 3,548 for-sale units by 2025 to meet demand and ensure low-income residents arent displaced.

Developers approved for the citys payment in lieu of taxes program pay a percentage of all rents collected each year to the city instead of paying property taxes.

Developers can choose either to pay 4% of annual rents collected to the city or 1% to the city and another 2% to the citys affordable housing fund, which is used for investments in affordable housing incentives and initiatives. All developers given initial approval Tuesday chose the second option.

The only housing developments eligible for the tax exemption are ones that are financed with federal or state housing aid; that serve low-income families, the elderly or those with disabilities; and that are owned by a qualifying nonprofit or association.

Here are the six projects given initial approval Tuesday for the tax exemptions. All information on the projects was provided by city staff.

Bradley Commons

The developer, Woda Cooper Companies, plans to build a 54-unit, four-story building at 3555 Lake Eastbrook Boulevard SE, the site of a former furniture store near the Shops at CenterPoint.

Of the 54 units, 19 are anticipated to be permanent supportive housing serving people who are chronically homeless and another nine, one-bedroom units will serve very low- and low-income adults with disabilities.

The remaining units will be available to households with income at or below 80% of the area median income, which in Kent County is an income of up to $44,960 for one person and up to $51,360 for two people, according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

One bedroom units are priced between $594 and $1,029 a month; two bedrooms between $715 and $1,255; and three bedrooms at $1,459.

The estimated project cost is $13,797,502, and about $10,490,951 is being sought in low-income housing tax credits from the state.

Annually, the developments payment in lieu of taxes will generate about $4,799 to the city and another $9,597 to the citys housing fund. Without the exemption, the development would generate about $87,798 in property taxes annually.

Breton Grove

The developer, Woda Cooper Companies, plans to build a 52-unit, four-story building at 2400 43rd St. SE.

Of the 52 units, 19 are anticipated to be permanent supportive housing serving people who are experiencing homelessness or have a disability.

The remaining units will be available to households with income at or below 80% of the area median income.

One bedroom units are priced between $590 and $925 a month; two bedrooms between $709 and $1,084; and three bedrooms between $823 and $1,425.

The estimated project cost is $14,933,398, and about $11,961,304 is being sought in low-income housing tax credits from the state.

Annually, the developments payment in lieu of taxes will generate about $4,478 to the city and another $8,956 to the citys housing fund. Without the exemption, the development would generate about $79,079 in property taxes annually.

Stockbridge Landing

The developer, Woda Cooper Companies, plans to build two, four-story buildings at 585 and 601 Stocking Ave. NW with a total of 58 units. The development will see the demolition of the Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuary building.

Of the 58 units, 21 are anticipated to be permanent supportive housing serving people who are chronically homeless and another nine, one-bedroom units will serve very low- and low-income adults with disabilities.

The remaining units will be available to households with income at or below 80% of the area median income.

One bedroom units are priced between $600 and $980 a month; two bedrooms between $719 and $1,209; and three bedrooms between $818 and $1,403.

The estimated project cost is $16,493,841, and about $13,048,695 is being sought in low-income housing tax credits from the state.

Annually, the developments payment in lieu of taxes will generate about $5,279 to the city and another $10,559 to the citys housing fund. Without the exemption, the development would generate about $93,310 in property taxes annually.

Read more: Developer proposes $16.7M mixed-income housing development in Grand Rapids

Boston Square Together I

The developer, a joint venture between Brinshore Development and Amplify GR, plans to build a three- and four-story structure at 1480 Kalamazoo Ave. SE with 45 units and 8,350 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

The project is part of a larger initiative to redevelop a portion of the Boston Square neighborhood.

Of the 45 units, 36 will be available to households at or below 60% of the area median income, which is up to $33,720 for one person and up to $38,520 for two people, according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The remaining nine units will be market rate.

For the affordable units: one bedroom units are priced between $421 and $841 a month; two bedrooms between $506 and $1,011; and three bedrooms between $585 and $1,170.

Market rate units are priced at $1,000 for a one bedroom, $1,150 for two and $1,325 for three.

The estimated project cost is $15,909,773, and about $11,023,898 is being sought in low-income housing tax credits from the state.

Annually, the developments payment in lieu of taxes will generate about $9,046 to the city and another $4,721 to the citys housing fund. Without the exemption, the development would generate about $22,215 in property taxes annually.

Leonard Apartments

The developer, Genesis Nonprofit Housing Corporation, plans to repurpose a former funeral home and its parking lot to create a 38-unit apartment building.

Of the 38 units, 19 are anticipated to be permanent supportive housing serving people with special needs who have income at or below 30% of the area median income, which is up to $16,860 for one person and $19,260 for two.

The remaining 19 units will be available to those earning between 40% and 60% of the area median income, which is between $22,480 and $33,720 for one person and between $25,680 and $38,520 for two.

One bedroom units are priced between $595 and $825 a month and two bedrooms between $890 and $1,000.

The estimated project cost is $12,700,053, and about $10,530,229 is being sought in low-income housing tax credits from the state.

Annually, the developments payment in lieu of taxes will generate about $2,966 to the city and another $5,933 to the citys housing fund. Without the exemption, the development would generate about $35,172 in property taxes annually.

Read more: Affordable housing development planned for Grand Rapids Northwest Side

Union Suites

The developer, Union Suites and Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids, plan to build a three-story, courtyard-style apartment building with 52 units.

All units will be available to people at or below 80% of the area median income.

One bedroom units are priced between $444 and $1,179 a month; two bedrooms between $537 and $1,379; and three bedrooms at $1,242.

The estimated project cost is $13,167,928, and about $9,786,521 is being sought in low-income housing tax credits from the state.

Annually, the developments payment in lieu of taxes will generate about $4,281 to the city and another $8,563 to the citys housing fund. Without the exemption, the development would generate about $72,390 in property taxes annually.

Read more:

Former Gov. Rick Snyder to be charged with crime in Flint water crisis, AP reports

Lansing mayor wants National Guard at Michigan Capitol for possible armed protests

Jenison Superintendent Tom TenBrink is retiring after 34 years with the school district
Woman nabbed for noodle shop snatch and run to pay drug debt

PHUKET: Police in Wichit arrested a woman yesterday (Jan 11) who was wanted for stealing cash from a noodle vendor six months ago.

crimedrugspolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 12 January 2021, 12:21PM

After six months, police finally tracked down Darika and arrested her at the Jomthong Thani housing estate off Kwang Rd in Wichit. Photo: Wichit Police

Lt Col Thammasan Bunsong of the Wichit Police confirmed that Darika Saemin was arrested at the Jomthong Thani housing estate off Kwang Rd in Moo 3, Wichit, at about 12:30pm yesterday.

Darika was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by Phuket Provincial Court on July 13, 2020, he explained.

Noodle shop owner Sunee Wongnara reported to police on June 29 last year that while she was busy doing something inside her shop, a woman came into the shop, snatched the cash from her from her money box on the counter and ran away.

Ms Sunee ran out to catch the theif, but the woman sped off on a motorbike.

The thief made off with about B3,000, Ms Sunee reported.

Lt Col Thammasan explained that police had finally tracked down Darika to the housing estate, where she was found with the white-blue, Phuket-registered Honda Click motorbike that she had used to flee.

Darika confessed to stealing the money, saying that she needed the money to pay her debt to a drug dealer, Lt Col Thammasan said.

Lt Col Thammasan confirmed that Darika was taken to Wichit Police Station and charged with theft.
If sarcasm is, as popularly claimed, the lowest form of wit  and thats debatable if youve ever sat through an entire episode of Bridget & Eamon  then the panel show is the cheapest kind of television comedy there is, excepting stand-up.

By the standards of TV production budgets, making panel shows is a relatively low-cost business. All you need is a studio, a few desks and chairs, maybe some clips, a live audience (at least in pre-Covid times), a host and a bunch of comedians.

Unless its a show dependent on topicality, like Have I Got News For You, you can cut costs further by shooting more than one episode in a day.

Its far more expensive to produce a sitcom, what with all those rehearsals, set-ups and retakes. A sketch show is an even bigger, costlier, more complicated undertaking, requiring multiple changes of sets, costumes and wigs, sometimes for a segment that might last two minutes.

This is largely the reason why sketch shows as we knew them back in the days of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Not the Nine OClock News, French & Saunders and The Fast Show have all but vanished from screens.

Cost, as much as fashion, is also the reason why so many sitcoms are now shot on location using lightweight handheld cameras  although the old-style studio-based sitcom with a live audience has made a comeback in recent years with the likes of Mrs Browns Boys.

The Americans created the TV panel show, but the format is extinct over there. British television, on the other hand, never ceases beating us over the head with panel shows.

As well as HIGNFY, theres Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats, QI, Would I Lie to You?, The Last Leg, Taskmaster, A League of Their Own, Big Fat Quiz of the Year and countless more, nearly all of which feature inordinate quantities of Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett, either separately or together.

When broadcasters can squeeze this much mileage out of the same basic formula, is it any wonder theyre so fond of stuffing the schedules with panel shows?

As in so many other areas, RTE has slavishly taken its panel show cues over the years from other broadcasters. Dont Feed the Gondolas was essentially the national broadcasters answer to HIGNFY.

The Panel, which was a launchpad to bigger, better things for its host Dara O Briain (whod previously been a regular on Gondolas), was adapted from an Australian show of the same title.

The Panel ran for eight years. Long before the end, though, it had degenerated into a tedious pissing contest between comedians loudly and desperately trying to prove they were the funniest person in the room.

There are few things more trying than a comedian trying too hard, and its one of the main problems with RTE2s new Thursday night panel show Clear History, hosted by Kevin McGahern, whos forever doomed to look far too pleased with himself, even if deep down his soul might be silently screaming in agony.

The team captains are Joanne McNally and serial panellist Colin Murphy, who deserves a series of his own called 8 out of 10 Irish Panel Shows Ive Been On. The wobbly concept is they and the guests  last week, radio host Laura OMahony and rock n roll immunologist Luke ONeill  share embarrassments from their pasts theyd like to erase.

Murphy tells a rambling story about being mistaken for a racist in a coffee shop. McNally recalls getting pissed at an office party and passing out. OMahony bangs on about singing at a wedding. ONeill waffles about a sailing mishap. Its woefully unfunny.

The segment where they get to erase an embarrassment from Irish history feels like a lift from Room 101, while having members of the public relate their own embarrassments on video is reminiscent of Graham Nortons red chair segment.

Covid means theres no studio audience, but McNally fills any silences by laughing manically at everything the others say. Youll have no trouble erasing Clear History from your memory.

CLEAR HISTORY IS ON RTE2 AT 9.35PM ON THURSDAYS
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A 43-year-old Willowbrook man pleaded guilty Monday to trying to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he met online and believed was a 14-year-old girl.

John Emilio, a Woolley Avenue resident, plead guilty to attempted endangering the welfare of children (impairing or debauching the morals of a child, third degree), according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.

Under an agreement with the prosecutors office, Emilios guilty plea was made in exchange for a three-year term in New Jersey state prison, said a release from Coffinas office.

The plea was entered in New Jersey Superior Court on Dec. 23, 2020, and sentencing has been scheduled for March 24 in Mount Holly.

During an investigation by the Burlington County Prosecutors Office High-Tech Crimes Unit into the exploitation of children in cyberspace, Emilio became a suspect in November of 2019, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported.

That probe revealed Emilio initiated contact and sent photos of his genitals to an individual he believed was a 14-year-old girl, authorities said. In reality, Emilio was communicating with a detective from the Burlington County unit.

The Burlington County Prosecutors Office indicated in its release that Emilio was very excited that he would be having sex with a girl so young, and looked forward to taking her virginity.

Emilio discussed coming to Burlington County to have sex with the girl, either at a motel or inside his vehicle, but the trip never materialized, according to authorities. He was taken into custody in February of last year at his home.

He was previously employed as a janitor at a hospital in the borough, said the Burlington County Prosecutors Office.

The investigation was conducted in a cooperative effort alongside the NYPD Computer Crimes Squad, with additional assistance provided by United States Homeland Security Investigations  Cherry Hill Office, the Cinnaminson Township Police Department and the Richmond County District Attorneys Office.
Nvidia held its big GeForce RTX: Game On event as part of CES 2021 on Tuesday, and as expected, the company revealed a flood of fresh features and hardware for gamers. Not only did Nvidia unveil mobile GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs for laptops, but it also announced a new GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card for the desktop, an expansion of its Reflex Latency Analyzer displays, and plans to support the performance-boosting PCIe Resizable BAR feature that AMD introduced with the Radeon RX 6000-series as AMD Smart Access Memory.

Oh, and Call of Duty: Warzone and the next Five Nights at Freddys game are getting Nvidias spectacular DLSS 2.0 technology, with Freddys wrapping in real-time ray tracing as well.

Phew.

GeForce RTX 30-series for laptops

Lets start with the mobile GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs, which will likely be found inside many of the gaming laptops announced at CES alongside AMD and Intels newly unveiled notebook processors. Nvidia revealed three mobile chips based on the companys next-gen Ampere GPU architecture: The GeForce RTX 3080, 3070, and 3060, mirroring whats available in desktops.

Nvidia

The 6GB GeForce RTX 3060 may be the most modest offering, but Nvidias Jeff Fisher says its still faster than any gaming laptop currently available, besting the previous RTX 2080 Super flagship. Nvidia says the mobile chip is 30 percent faster than Sonys new PlayStation 5 console, capable of hitting 90 frames per second during 1080p gaming.

Modern graphics cards are outpacing 1080p resolution, however. Nvidia says its been working closely with panel and laptop makers to make 1440p screens more readily available. The two graphics cards already announced in late 2020 were designed to scratch that itch. The 8GB GeForce RTX 3070 is to up 50 percent faster than the RTX 2070 mobile chip it replaces, achieving 90 fps at 1440p. The flagship RTX 3080 hits a claimed 100 fps at 1440p, bolstered by a beefy 16GB of onboard memory.

Nvidia

Interestingly, the CUDA cores counts for these mobile models dont mirror the desktop versions, breaking the standard thats been set over the previous few generations. The laptop RTX 3080 wields 6,144 CUDA cores versus nearly 9,000 in the desktop model; the RTX 3070 mobile chip packs 768 fewer cores than its desktop cousin; and believe it or not, the mobile RTX 3060 actually has more CUDA cores than the just-announced laptop version, with 3,840 versus 3,584.

That means the notebook version of the RTX 3080 only offers a few hundred more cores than the desktop 3070, which provides insight into the type of performance levels to expect. Ampere uses big dies cranked to the max on the desktop, but that full-fledged performance seemingly cant translate wholly over to the world of notebooks, where energy efficiency is paramount.

Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 now manages the GPU VRAM power levels as well.

Nvidia says the third-gen implemention of its Max-Q technology in these new GPUs offer twice the efficiency of past iterations. Note that some of those claims are tied into the DLSS feature thats available only in select games, making the comparison not as straightforward as it seems. The other Max-Q improvements look very compelling, however, with a second-gen Dynamic Boost that intelligently shifts power between the GPU memory as well as the core CPU and GPU, and an upgraded version of Whisper Mode that uses AI algorithms to tune your components to hit an acoustic level determined by the user. The third-gen Max-Q offering also enables Resizable BAR support, which well detail more later.

Look for laptops built using Nvidias new generation of GeForce mobile GPUs to launch on January 26, with every major OEM chipping into the more than 70 total models coming. Nvidia says GeForce RTX 3060 laptops will start at $999, RTX 3070 laptops will start at $1,299, and RTX 3080 laptops will kick off at $1,999.

GeForce RTX 3060

Nvidia

Nvidia also teased a new toy for diehard desktop gamers. After flooding the high end with the GeForce RTX 3090, 3080, 3070, and 3060 Ti, the GeForce RTX 3060 finally brings Ampere down to a more affordable price point with a $329 MSRP when it launches in late Februaryat least theoretically.

In reality, we expect the RTX 3060 to sell out immediately and likely be priced much higher on the street, like weve seen with every other next-gen graphics card released so far. Rival AMD declined to reveal more mainstream-priced Radeon offerings during its CES keynote, saying only that mainstream Radeon GPUs will launch in the first half. Meanwhile, Nvidia is set up to sell as many RTX 3060s as it can pump out in the near future. Fingers crossed there will be abundant supply.

Nvidia

Nvidia revealed scant technical details about the GeForce RTX 3060, but the company claims the card offers twice as much traditional rasterization performance as the beloved GeForce GTX 1060, and 10X the ray tracing performance. (The GTX 1060 doesnt include dedicated real-time ray tracing cores like RTX-class GeForce cards do). Interestingly, the GeForce RTX 3060 includes an ample 12GB of GDDR6 memory, more than the limited 8GB available in the more powerful RTX 3060 Ti and 3070. It uses a smaller 192-bit bus however. Looks like AMDs offer of vastly more VRAM in the Radeon RX 6000-series had an effect on Team Green.

Nvidia

The GeForce RTX 3060 product page offers more details, however, comparing the card against the $400 RTX 3060 Ti. It will include 3,584 CUDA cores clocked at a 1.78GHz boost speed. The spec sheet doesnt detail physical information like size or the connector loadout, but this will be a 170-watt card that should be paired with a 550W power supply. By contrast, the RTX 3060 Ti is a 200W card that needs a 600W PSU.

Of course, as an RTX 30-series card, the GeForce RTX 3060 supports all of Nvidias most advanced features, like real-time ray tracing, DLSS, Nvidia Reflex, NVENC encoding, Shadowplay, Nvidia Broadcast, and more.

Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer

Nvidia

Nvidias recently introduced Reflex Latency Analyzer G-Sync displays debuted in blazing-fast 360Hz 1080p panels alone, with an eye on esports pros. Nvidia announced five new models at CES, and they include new 1440p and ultrawide offerings. Its a really cool premium feature, and Im glad to see it spreading its wings.

Resizeable BAR

Nvidias last announcement offers a performance upgrade for all PC gamers on modern hardware. Nvidia said its new GeForce RTX 30-series laptop GPUs will support the PCIe Resizable BAR feature that AMD introduced first as Smart Access Memory. The desktop GeForce RTX 3060 and all future products will support it out of the gate as well, while existing RTX 30-series GPUs can grab it via an incoming VBIOS update.

Resizable BAR lets your computers processor access the full memory capacity of your graphics cards, rather than limiting it to the usual 256MB chunks. As we saw when we tested Smart Access Memory with AMDs Radeon RX 6900 XT, the performance gains from Resizable BAR vary greatly from game to game, from GPU to GPU, and even depending on the resolution youre playing at. Sometimes theres no uplift: In many scenarios, you may get roughly four or five percent more frames. In certain edge cases (like Assassins Creed Valhalla) you may see a double-digit performance improvement.

Nvidia Resizable BAR lets the CPU tap fully into the GPUs memory, offering performance gains in some scenarios.

You need a compatible CPU to activate Resizable BAR. Intel said its new Tiger Lake H35 processors will support the feature, and presumably AMDs new Ryzen 5000 Mobile chips will as well, since the companys desktop Ryzen 5000 series introduced the technology. AMD hasnt confirmed that, but Nvidia says the laptop GPUs work with AMD laptops as well as Intels.

On the desktop, youll need a relatively new processor and motherboard to activate Resizable BAR even if your graphics card supports it. AMD rolled out Smart Access Memory with its new Ryzen 5000 desktop processors and X570 motherboards. Hopefully the technology will make its way to Intels new 11th-gen Core Rocket Lake CPUs launching later this quarter, especially considering its included in Tiger Lake. Weve already seen some motherboard makers enable the feature on select Z490 boards, so hopefully it will come unlocked on Rocket Lakes Z590 offerings.

Resizable BAR doesnt offer a substantial performance boost in most cases, but its fantastic to see it rapidly becoming a universal feature. Every frame counts.

ALBANY  There are winter events on which every New Yorker can rely. We know as surely as we breathe that snow will cover the Adirondacks, for example, or that the Jets will miss the playoffs.

We can likewise be sure the U.S. Census Bureau will release data showing yet another drop in New Yorks population. The December release of depressing statistics has become an annual ritual in the era of Andrew Cuomo, an unhappy rite showing the deterioration of significant chunks of the state.

And so it was this year.

New Yorks population fell by 126,355 people between July 1, 2019 and July 1, 2020, according to a preliminary census estimate released last month. No state lost more residents overall. No state lost a greater percentage of residents. If they gave out ribbons for decline, New York would win First Prize.

The drops of recent years mean New York is likely to record a population decline for the decade that just ended, the first since the 1970s. It's an outflow the governor prefers to blame on factors beyond anyones control, including the cold and snow.

"Somebody wants to move to Florida because they want to move to Florida. God bless them," Cuomo said after a grim census report two years ago. "They want to fish. They want warm weather."

There is truth to that, of course. Tampa looks appealing from the gray of an upstate January, even for those of us who find joy in snowfall. Some retirees will always seek to escape to weather that doesn't make their joints ache or their front steps treacherous. God bless them, indeed.

But that isn't the whole of the story. New York always had challenging winters and nevertheless grew to be one the nations most populous and most influential states. Excelsior! (It is now, as you may know, the fourth biggest state by population.)

Meanwhile, a quick check of the recent census release shows other chilly places  including Maine, New Hampshire, Indiana, both Dakotas, Wisconsin and Minnesota  managed population increases. The Capital Region is generally growing, too, despite being as cold and gray as other areas of New York.

Clearly, weather alone is not driving the outflow. In fact, you don't have to be a policy wonk to realize that crushing taxes combined with a dearth of economic opportunity in swaths of the state are significantly responsible for New York's population drops.

State lawmakers must know thats the case, as loathe as some are to admit it. You would think the population drops would prompt a look in the mirror and urgent promises to fix the problem.

Instead, year after year after year, the decline is met by a deafening silence or a shrug of the shoulders from the states political leaders. Population drops are like the Lord Voldemort of New York politics, the problem which must not be named.

Unsurprisingly, then, the latest census data wasn't mentioned in Cuomos State of the State on Monday.

Well, perhaps thats understandable at a time when the coronavirus and its resulting fiscal problems have pushed most other issues aside. We are hurt, we are frustrated, we are in mourning, we are anxious, Cuomo said in a speech that emphasized the long, tough road ahead.

But when an estimated 1.4 million residents have departed for other places within a decade, when the influx from elsewhere can't keep up with the departures, the state of this state was troubled well before COVID-19.

Yes, there are tides and currents beyond the control of politicians and policy. The Rust Belt is rusty beyond New Yorks borders, battered by the same global deindustrialization trends that have deadened much of upstate. The migration to the Sunbelt, meanwhile, is decades long.

Still, when New York is declining more rapidly than any other state, including Rust Belt neighbors such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, there's no getting around that something here is uniquely wrong.

The numbers represent failure. They are nothing less than an indictment of state government.

For every New Yorker who happily moves to enjoy fishing in the sunshine, there are unhappy grandparents who feel the tax burden leaves them little choice but to go. There are sons and daughters leaving withering hometowns in the search for economic opportunity. There are families pulling away from deep roots to plant themselves elsewhere.

That the outflow is gradual, a slow withering, makes it no less tragic.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
In a nutshell: During Nvidia's "Game On" press event on Tuesday, the company announced its Ampere architecture is coming to a laptop near you. The company says its GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs will power more than 70 laptop models in 2021 starting at around $1,000.

Nvidia claims its new GeForce RTX 30 series laptop cards are up to 100 percent more energy-efficient and powerful enough to handle ray tracing on demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077. The laptops are just as practical for content creators who may use any of the hundreds of hardware-accelerated apps in their work.

"After taking the desktop market by storm, our NVIDIA Ampere architecture is now powering the world's fastest laptops," said Kaustubh Sanghani, vice president and general manager of GeForce OEM at NVIDIA. "Nowhere does power efficiency matter more than in gaming laptops, a market that's grown 7x in the past seven years. These new thin and light systems are based on our Max-Q technologies, where every aspect  CPU, GPU, software, PCB design, power delivery, thermals  is optimized for power and performance."

At the lower end, Nvidia offers the GeForce RTX 3060, which it claims can deliver 90fps at 1080p on the most recent games set to "ultra." RTX 3060 models will start at $999 and have better performance than GeForce RTX 2080 Super laptops, which go for around $2,500.

It's mid-range GeForce RTX 3070 can push 1440p to 90fps at ultra settings. Nvidia says these units are 50-percent faster than those sporting an RTX 2070. These laptops will start at $1,299.

Its new flagship GPU, the GeForce RTX 3080, comes with up to 16GB G6 RAM. Nvidia claims these beasts will be in the "world's fastest laptops for gamers and creators." The high-end models should have no problem pushing over 100fps on ultra settings at 1440p should start at around $1,999.

The first of the Nvidia-powered laptops start rolling out on January 26, equipped with RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 GPUs. GeForce RTX 3060 models will come later this year. Partner OEMs include Acer, Alienware, ASUS, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Razer.
Two days after Manitoba Public Insurance signed a deal with brokers to give them a cut of online sales  estimated to increase commissions by $23 million over five years  the province demanded a two-year pay freeze for MPI employees.

Two days after Manitoba Public Insurance signed a deal with brokers to give them a cut of online sales  estimated to increase commissions by $23 million over five years  the province demanded a two-year pay freeze for MPI employees.

"All Manitobans are meeting unprecedented disruption and hardship" during the COVID-19 pandemic, Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton wrote in a Nov. 26, 2020, letter to MPI leadership.

The message to Crown corporation chairman Michael Sullivan and interim president and chief executive officer, Satvir Jatana, said amidst the COVID-19 environment and with a "very large deficit" expected, the government's collective bargaining mandate is an immediate zero per cent compensation increase for the next two years.

The order not to negotiate a wage increase for MPI workers followed the Nov. 24 signing of a deal with the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba. The five-year agreement gives brokers a percentage of online Autopac renewal fees "whether they do anything to earn it or not," the union representing MPI workers says in a Jan. 5 letter to Wharton.

Manitoba insurance brokers will receive a commission from all online Autopac renewals when modernized service delivery becomes available in 2023. (Bud Robertson / The Brandon Sun files)

"This lucrative deal will increase commissions for brokers by $23 million over five years," Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union, wrote last week.

"All these people have done really good work on behalf of Manitobans," Gawronsky said Monday in an interview. Now they're not being allowed to negotiate a cost-of-living increase from a Crown corporation so financially healthy it has issued rebate cheques to customers, she said.

"That's my question to Minister Wharton and my question to the premier: you're not willing to let MPI negotiate a collective agreement but you quietly signed off on $23 million of Manitoba's MPI money to brokers?" Gawronsky said.

"Where's the fairness? Where's the transparency?"

The 16-page contract was not publicized by either MPI or the brokers association. It was signed after the government appointed a conciliator to get the two sides together on the future of online product sales.

MPI had produced internal financial models that showed the Crown auto insurance corporation could save millions of dollars in broker fees if its products were available for purchase online.

Brokers said they were not opposed to the greater use of online insurance purchases, but insisted such transactions must go through them  even if the customer doesn't ask to consult a broker or uses the public insurer's website.

RUTH BONNEVILLE In a letter to MPI leadership dated Nov. 26, 2020, Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton says the provincial government's collective bargaining mandate is a zero per cent compensation increase for the next two years. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Under the deal signed Nov. 24, Manitoba insurance brokers will receive a commission from all online Autopac renewals when modernized service delivery becomes available in 2023.

In her Jan. 5 letter, Gawronsky cites a 2019 email from then-CEO Ben Graham to the MPI board stating: "Your government directed the corporation to hand over 100 per cent of online transactions to brokers," and MPI and brokers agree "demonstrating mutual respect" and "good faith co-operation" was critical to reaching an agreement.

"It is disappointing that the employees at MPI have not been granted the same respect and good faith in their negotiations, as your government continues to illegally force wage freezes on them without free and fair collective bargaining," Gawronsky wrote to Wharton.

On Monday, when asked to respond, Wharton's office issued a statement, saying part of governments role is to set broad public-sector mandates.

Autopac rebate cheques on way Click to Expand MPI says 315,000 of 675,000 rebate cheques have been printed and mailed to motorists who will receive a rebate on vehicle insurance because of fewer claims and less traffic in 2020 due to COVID-19. The cheques issued so far are worth a total of $23.6 million. MPI announced in November a second rebate cheque would be issued because there were about 20 per cent fewer collision claims from mid-March to the end of October compared with same time period a year earlier. MPI is forecasting the trend to continue into spring 2021. Each rebate is expected to be about $100 per policyholder, or about six per cent paid for an annual basic Autopac premium.

"We have done this in an open and transparent way, recognizing the unprecedented challenges caused by COVID-19," the email says. "Many Manitobans have experienced outright job losses. and we continue to offer a broad range of assistance and stabilization programs for them, while making massive investments in public health, safety and protection.

"We appreciate the efforts of all Manitobans, including public-sector unions and employees, as we lead an all-hands-on-deck approach to fighting the pandemic while avoiding layoffs and keeping taxes low."

There was no response to questions about the timing of the letter demanding a wage freeze.

"You see the government's priorities reflected here," NDP Opposition Leader Wab Kinew said Monday.

"We all know this government has been freezing wages like the MPI employees' since they got in," Kinew said in an interview. "Now, all of a sudden they've been doing it because of the pandemic."

In June, 2020, the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench ruled the Tory wage-freeze legislation (Public Services Sustainability Act) violated the constitutional rights of unionized public-sector workers by eliminating their right to collective bargaining.

The province has appealed, but no court date has been set.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
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Puerto Rico authorities with help of the FBI are hunting for a motorist who killed three police officers and stole a car as he attempted to flee from cops.

Municipal police officers Eliezer Hernandez and Luis Salaman, 30, were shot dead and state cop Luis Marrero, 42, was run over Monday near the island's capital. A fourth police officer was injured in the violent confrontation.

The suspect was identified by local media outlets at Carlos Cotto, 33, who was still at large as of Tuesday.

The surviving cop reportedly drove himself to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

Luis Marrero is one of the three police officers in Puerto Rico who were killed by a carjacker identified by local media as Carlos Cotto on Monday. Marrero, 42, leaves behind three daughters

Eliezer Hernandez was shot dead while responding to a traffic accident in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, on Monday

Luis Salaman, one of the three cops who were killed by a carjacker Monday in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. The FBI has joined local authorities in the search for the suspect, Carlos Cotto

Carlos Cotto allegedly opened fired on cops responding to a traffic incident he was involved in Monday in Puerto Rico, and shot dead two agents and killed a third cop he ran over before fleeing

The incident occurred at approximately 3:50pm in the popular tourist district of Isla Verde on one of the U.S. territory's busiest highways near the island's main international airport, Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, causing a severe traffic jam.

According to news outlet Primer Hora, Hernandez and Salaman had responded to a traffic accident on route PR-3 involving Cotto's Hyundai Tuscon.

Cotto subsequently fired at the cops, killing Hernandez, and attempted to flee in another cop's motorcycle but fell to the ground when he was hit by the driver of a vehicle who was seeking refuge from the gunfire.

Still image from a resident in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, captures the frantic moment law enforcement agents rushed to aid the police officers who were shot at by a carjacker on Monday

Still image from a video recorded by motorist shows injured cops lying on the highway pavement in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, after they were attacked by a carjacker, identified by local media as Carlos Cotto, who remains at large

Federal agents and local authorities storm the Luis Llores Torrens housing projects in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in search of Carlo Cotto, who allegedly killed three cops after he fled the scene of a traffic accident and carjacked a woman

Cotto then forced a woman out of her white Hyundai Accent and led the cops on a chase, running over Marrero, a father of three daughters. He also shot Salaman near the Embassy Suites hotel in Isla Verde before he escaped. Salaman was rushed to a local hospital and declared dead.

Video leaked on social media Monday night showed the moment federal agents and police searching an apartment in the Luis Llores Torrens housing projects in the city of Santurce, where the car was found abandoned, and recovered a cache of drugs and weapons.

Local media outlets reported authorities discovered the body of a dead man, who resembled Cotto, near a landfill in Hato Rey late Monday. The body had a piece of a cardboard box placed over it with message scribbled in Spanish that read: 'I am responsible for the murder of the guards. I'm here.'

Cache of weapons and bullet proof vests seized from an apartment at the Luis Llores Torres housing projects in Santurce on Monday night

Police commissioner Antonio Lopez said Tuesday forensic workers were still working to identify the victim's identity.

It was the first time in recent history that so many Puerto Rico police officers were slain in one incident.

'I've never had a scene like this,' Capt. Jose Gonzalez told AP.

Drugs confiscated by federal agents and local authorities at an apartment in Santurce, Puerto Rico, on Monday night as the hunt intensified for Carlos Cotto, identified by local media outlets as the carjacker who killed three cops and injured a fourth

Ricardo Perez, 52, was the lone officer killed in 2020 when he was shot dead by assassins aboard a motorcycle May 1 while he was on his way to work.

FBI spokeswoman Limary Cruz told AP that the agency was collaborating with local police but had no plans at present to take jurisdiction of the case.

Governor Pedro Pierluisi, who was sworn in earlier this month, said he visited the wounded officer at the hospital and lamented the deaths of the other three.

'This loss of life has to stop now,' he wrote in a Facebook post. 'There will be an investigation to identify the guilty, and they will be tried to the fullest extent of the law.'
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As more and more people use online tools to help run their businesses, farmers have been told to be wise to the threats of cybercrime.

Cybercrime is becoming one of the most common forms of criminal threat that farmers face.

In 2019 more than 60% of agricultural businesses reported one or more digital attacks, this compares to 46% of all businesses.

As the Covid-19 pandemic forces the country into an even more digital world, that threat is only becoming greater.

Phishing

Threats from cybercriminals come in a whole range of forms, the most common of these is phishing.

Phishing uses emails and text messages which appear to be reputable, purporting to be from organisations such as banks or the RPA, to try to harvest peoples bank details.

Dr Kreseda Smith, a Rural Criminologist at Harper Adams University, said that BPS payments make farmers particularly popular targets.

"Returns from the RPA are key targets for cybercriminals. With small businesses, payments in and out of banks are always a major opportunity.

"They know that in and around December farmers will have these significant sums going into their bank accounts," she said.

"The average age of farmers in the UK is 59. From that I think it is fair to suggest that not all farmers are particularly tech savvy, although I think that it is improving.

"Unfortunately, I think that does make it a little bit easier for some farmers to fall into the trap."

As well as phishing some of the larger farm businesses could be prone to ransomware, which uses software to hack and block a users system, and then blackmail them for what can be very substantial amounts of money.

Government research shows that in the last three years cases of phishing and ransomware have increased by over 10%.

In 2019 a Scottish farmer fell victim to a phone scam that saw him lose over 10,000.

The scammer manipulated the caller ID displayed on the receiving phone to make it look like the call was genuinely coming from his bank.

The caller asked the victim for confirmation of his financial details to confirm that a large payment being made to HMRC was genuine.

The scammer went on to use the information collected during the call to move a five figure sum out of the farmers account.

Technology

As more and more technology is used by farming businesses across the UK, the greater the threat it becomes.

Sam Durham, NFUs Chief Land Management Advisor, and an expert in rural crime, said: "Farmers are getting more technological and using more data to manage their business.

"It is a whole range of data that is being harvested, sometimes it is environmental data getting into the hands of environmental groups, but it can be apps and automation being hacked into, such as some of the technology becoming more regularly used on laying farms.

"What our discussions with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have shown us is that as a country we are becoming more web-based, and with Covid that has increased even more, so farmers need to have a really good think about how their data is accessed."

What to do

Back in December the NFU teamed up with the NCSC to produce an online guidance booklet to help farmers prepare for the threats from cybercrime.

The document offers producers advice on protecting their systems from malware, keeping devices up to date, where to go for help, backing up data, and how to deal with scam text messages, emails, and phone calls.

Mr Durham said the document makes clear the methods which some of these people use: "Ultimately, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is, and you need to be really careful about giving your details away."

This was echoed by Dr Kreseda Smith: "Farmers need to be really careful with their passwords, and there is advice on this in the NFU guidance booklet.

"Remember that banks will not phone you and ask for your details. If you have any doubts make sure that you phone them back to make sure they are who they claim to be."

She also notes that farmers do need to consider the threats from viruses but says that these can be easily protected against by using anti-viral software and a secure backup system.

Machinery buyers

One area where farming businesses have been told to be particularly wary is when buying agricultural machinery.

There were warnings in October last year when an Orkney farmer was scammed whilst buying machinery online using eBay.

Once a price had been agreed, the victim was sent a fake PayPal link by the criminal, which meant the sale amount was transferred to the scammers personal bank account.

Cybercriminals have also been targeting farmers with a scam that involves creating fake websites which use legitimate business details based on real farms.

These websites are then used to advertise non-existent farm machinery, luring victims to part with their money for nothing in return.

Given the recent government restrictions buyers have been increasingly looking online to purchase expensive farm equipment.

The NFU encourages farmers to use a secure payment method with an extra layer of password protection, and check for the browser padlock when shopping online.

If the website uses a https web address and carries a security padlock in the browser, it means that any data entered is encrypted, making it harder for others to intercept.

6 tips to stay cyber secure

 Keep old software up to date

 Back up your data

 Use anti-viral software and a firewall

 Always use strong passwords

 Remember that the RPA or your bank will never ask for personal information in a text or email

 Scam emails and texts will often try to persuade you to click on a link
(CNN)  Two Capitol Police officers have been suspended and another individual has been arrested for their alleged roles in the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, said Rep. Tim Ryan.

"There were two people suspended. One was the selfie officer and another was an officer who had put a MAGA hat on and started directing some people around," said Ryan, an Ohio Democrat who is chair of the House subcommittee handling the investigation into the response to the insurrection. "It was the interim chief who determined that to be qualifying for immediate suspension."

Ryan had fewer details about the individual who was arrested, and was not sure if the person was a police officer or a member of the National Guard. He told reporters he would have more details later.

He added that there are approximately 10 to 15 Capitol Police officers under investigation for their behavior during the riot but did not have more specifics.

This story was first published on CNN.com '2 Capitol Police officers suspended and another individual arrested for their alleged roles in riot'
An original portrait photograph of the Queen taken for use on a commemorative stamp to mark her Royal visit to Australia in 1963 is up for sale 58 years later.

The black and white image of Queen Elizabeth II, now 94, was shot that year by the late court photographer Anthony Buckley.

Her Majesty, then aged 37, is wearing a patterned dress and a prominent necklace in the side profile shot.

It is now going under the hammer on Thursday (January 14) with auctioneers William George, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, with an estimate of 600.

An original portrait photograph of the Queen taken for use on a commemorative stamp to mark her Royal visit to Australia in 1963 is up for sale 58 years later

Buckley was commissioned by the Postmaster General of Australia as they were producing a stamp to mark her Royal visit to the country that year.

He took a range of photos of the monarch at different angles to get the best chance of one being approved.

The final stamp showed her in this position but with the addition of her tiara.

Buckley had a studio on Grosvenor Street in London in the 1960s which held the Royal Warrant.

Earlier in his career he worked with Dorothy Wilding, who took the original photo of the Queen which was used for postage stamps from 1952 to 1967.

Buckley took a range of photos of the monarch at different angles to get the best chance of one being approved. The final stamp (pictured) showed her in this position but with the addition of her tiara

The 7in by 9.5in photo was in the archive of the Royal printers Harrison & Sons which ceased trading in 1997. It has since passed into the hands of a private collector.

A William George spokesperson said: 'This photograph was in the archives of Harrisons the printers.

'It is quite common for a renowned portrait photographer to take a number of photographs of their subject so that the recipient can then select the one that best suits their purposes.

Buckley was commissioned by the Postmaster General of Australia as they were producing a stamp to mark the Queen and Prince Philip's Royal visit to the country (pictured in Wellington during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1963)

'The actual stamp is similar to this photograph yet has a tiara added to Queen Elizabeth's head profile.

'Australia is a country with a special place in the affection of the Queen and she has visited Australia on numerous occasions from 1954 onwards.

'Such photographs are most desirable as its a rare opportunity to acquire for a private collector material from a famous portrait photographer when much of the available material has been saved for Britain and the Commonwealth in the National (Portrait) Gallery.'

The Queen and Prince Philip, 99, are currently isolating at Windsor Castle.
Pat Utomi, a professor of political economy, says some politicians in the north are afraid of restructuring because they are uncertain about...

Pat Utomi, a professor of political economy, says some politicians in the north are afraid of restructuring because they are uncertain about where it will lead them.

Speaking at a virtual media parley ahead of the Never Again conference to mark 51 years after the civil war, Utomi said the north largely relies on the federal government for their share of revenue, which has made them really unproductive.

There is a real crisis in the north that the south does not understand. They are painters of people who hate each other very much; that is the truth of the matter. That is why they are scared of restructuring because they dont know where it will lead them, and outside of Nigeria, they are formless; there is no north, he said.

Utomi, however, urged northerners to dismiss such fears, saying restructuring will help them become productive and move away from the poverty status.

The professor also announced the second edition of the Never Again conference, which he said will feature Matthew Kukah, bishop of Sokoto Catholic diocese, as the keynote addresser, while former President Olusegun Obasanjo will be the special guest of honour.

He added that the conference will be chaired by Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere leader, and Kalu Idika Kalu, a former finance minister.

It is recalled that Nigeria fought a bitter and internecine 30-month civil war that left in its wake a sharply divided nation with mutual suspicion, hatred and resentment across racial and regional lines. An estimated one million victims were killed immediately before and during the war, he said

The conference will x-ray the issues that led to the civil war and the need for patriots to work together to achieve national cohesion, especially in light of several centrifugal tendencies within the polity.
Massachusetts residents will soon have a new reason to visit Gillette Stadium: to get vaccinated.

Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday that the Foxborough stadium will serve as the first large-scale facility in the state.

The first doses will be given on Thursday to the vaccination staff, and the facility will open to first responders receiving the vaccine on Monday.

The facility is scheduled to start offering 300 vaccines per day, ramping up to provide 5,000 daily followed by potentially much bigger numbers, Baker said Tuesday.

The site will be operated by CIC Health in partnership with Brigham and Womens.

Vaccination hubs for first responders opened Monday, with 119 open so far.

First responders were ranked as the third priority group within Phase 1 of the states vaccine distribution plan. Frontline medical workers were first, followed by residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

Gillette will first be open to first responders and eventually serve as a vaccination site to the general public.

Baker thanked the Kraft family for allowing health officials to use the stadium.

State health officials reported 4,239 new cases of the virus on Monday and 54 more deaths. The total number of active cases statewide stands at 92,405. The seven-day average of positive COVID tests is now 7.26%.

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The military's top leaders issued a written reminder to all service members Tuesday that the deadly insurrection at the Capitol last week was an anti-democratic, criminal act, and that the right to free speech gives no-one the right to commit violence.

A memo signed by all members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also reminded military members that Joe Biden was duly elected as the next president and will be sworn in to office on January 20.

The memo was unusual in that the military leadership, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, felt compelled to remind service members that it is wrong to disrupt the constitutional process.

'The violent riot... was as direct assault on the US Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process,' said a memorandum signed by all eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by the chairman, General Mark Milley.

It comes as law enforcement agencies attempt to determine the full extent of criminal activity at the Capitol and to discover the extent of participation by current or past military members.

Among the known retired veterans who stormed the Capitol was Ashli Babbitt, a retired Air Force veteran, who was shot dead by an officer as she tried to climb through a broken window to breach the chamber.

Babbitt was one of five people who died during the riots, including U.S. Capitol officer Brian Sicknick.

Retired Lt. Col Larry Rendall Brock Jr., 53, was slapped with federal charges after he was pictured carrying plastic handcuffs and wearing full military gear in the Senate chamber during the riot.

The Army is also investigating Captain Emily Rainey for leading a group of at least 100 people from North Carolina to the rally. She defended her actions saying she acted 'within military regulations' and no one within her group broke the law.

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley wrote in the memo to all troops that: 'The violent riot... was as direct assault on the US Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process'

The memo was signed by all members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an act the military leaders labeled criminal

Among the known retired veterans who stormed the Capitol was Ashli Babbitt (left), a retired Air Force veteran, who was shot dead by an offier as she tried to climb through a broken window to breach the chamber. Commanders at Fort Bragg are revieving Captain Emily Rainey's (right) involvement in last week's events in the nation's capital, but she said she acted within military regulations and that no one in her group broke the law

'The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection,' they said.

The letter said members of the armed services are bound to defend the constitution.

'Any act to disrupt the constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values and oath; it is against the law.'

It has already been established that some military veterans participated in the riots at the Capitol, but the extent of any active-duty involvement has not been established.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Larry Rendall Brock Jr., 53, (at the riots) was among the violent mob of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol last week in a riot

Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, on Monday wrote to the Defense Department requesting that its criminal investigative organizations cooperate with the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police in investigating whether current and retired members of the armed forces were part of a 'seditious conspiracy' against the government.

The Joint Chiefs memo did not allude directly to the question of military involvement.

'We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law,' the memo said. 'The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection.

Ashli Babbitt - an Air Force veteran - was shot dead after attempting to climb through a shattered window of a barricaded door

At least 82 people have been arrested and more than 55 have been charged over the insurrection, with dozens more being sought after. Hundreds of people are expected to be charged

'As service members, we must embody the values and ideals of the nation. We support and defend the Constitution. Any act to disrupt the Constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values and oath; it is against the law.'

Ahead of next week's inauguration and President Donald Trump's departure from office, the National Guard is gearing up to provide support to law enforcement agencies. There is no plan to use active-duty forces in security operations.

The Pentagon is deploying as many as 15,000 National Guard troops to protect Biden's inauguration on January 20, amid fears of new violence.

Pentagon officials were asked Monday about the possibility of pro-Trump activists in the Guard and among regular troops.

'We don't tolerate extremists in our ranks,' said spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.

Underscoring the point, the Joint Chiefs said that, 'in accordance with the Constitution,' Biden would be inaugurated on January 20th 'and will become our 46th commander in chief.'

It's not clear how many current and retired veterans took part in the riot at Capitol, and the full extent of the involvement of military members is under investigation.

Reitred Lieutenant Colonol Larry Rendall Brock Jr. 53, was arrested after his ex-wife saw an image of him in the Capitol building holding plastic handcuffs and wearing full military gear and called the FBI's Naitonal Threat Operations Center.

'When I saw this was happening I was afraid he would be there,' she told the authorities. 'I think you already know he was there.'

Brock was arrested and slapped with federal charges.

He is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

The pro-Trump supporters traveled to Washington D.C. for a 'Stop the Steal' rally

Also under investigation is Captain Emily Rainey, 30, who is assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, according to Major Daniel Lessard, a spokesman for 1st Special Forces Command.

Known as PSYOPS, the group uses information and misinformation to shape the emotions, decision-making and actions of American adversaries.

Commanders at Fort Bragg are reviewing Captain Emily Rainey's involvement in last week's events in the nation's capital, but she said she acted within military regulations and that no one in her group broke the law.

'I was a private citizen and doing everything right and within my rights,' Rainey said on Sunday.

Rainey said she led 100 members of Moore County Citizens for Freedom, which describes itself online as a nonpartisan network promoting conservative values, to Washington to 'stand against election fraud' and support Trump.

She said the group attended the rally but she didn't know of anyone who entered the Capitol and that they were headed back to their buses hours before an emergency curfew took effect.

Rainey has not been charged and her involvement in the rally is still under investigation by military officials.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said his office would prosecute hundreds of people over their 'egregious' conduct at the Capitol.

He said that while the original misdemeanor charges against many of the suspects seem light, he will increase charges as he gathers more evidence and some could put people away for up to 20 years if convicted.

'As we sit here now, we've opened more than 170 subject files meaning these individuals have been identified as potential persons who committed crimes. Of those cases that have been opened, we've charged over 70 cases.

'That number is going to grow into the hundreds. We're looking at everything from trespass to theft of mail to assault on local officers, theft of potential national security information, felony murder and even civil rights excessive force.

'The gamut of conduct is mind-blowing. The FBI is working with the US attorney's office. We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy. Their marching orders are to build seditious and conspiracy cases. Those have prison terms of up to 20 years,' Sherwin said.

Tough security measures are being put in place across Washington DC ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, including bringing in at least 15,000 National Guard troops, erecting new anti-climb fences around the Capitol and White House and the closure of national monuments

There are talks that another 4,000 'patriots' are planning to return to the Capitol ahead of Inauguration Day.

Tough security measures are being put in place across Washington DC ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, including bringing in at least 15,000 National Guard troops, erecting new anti-climb fences around the Capitol and White House and the closure of national monuments.

The increased security measures are now being implemented earlier than scheduled in the wake of last week's deadly attack on the US Capitol by violent Trump-supporting rioters.
TORONTO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. (TSX: PMN) (OTCQB: ARFXF), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics targeting toxic oligomers implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, announced today an outline of its strategic priorities and action plan for 2021.



The priorities for 2021 fall into four key areas:

Near term focus on rare neurodegenerative diseases, especially ALS

Use of proprietary platform to support portfolio expansion

PMN310 antibody lead program for Alzheimer's disease

COVID-19, further progress on serological assays

Rare disease. ProMIS has made significant progress in the rare disease field in 2020 and we plan to focus most of our R & D efforts in the near term on further advancing our programs selectively targeting toxic misfolded proteins

Proprietary computational platform. The ProMIS platform allows for the rapid and selective targeting of the pathogenic protein species implicated in the development of misfolded protein diseases. There are a number of additional disease targets to which we may apply our unique and highly cost-effective platform, expanding our portfolio, potentially beyond neurodegenerative disease. The ProMIS proprietary platform is also undergoing further enhancements with the recently added support from the outstanding computational team headed by Dr. David Wishart at the University of Alberta.

Alzheimer's disease and PMN310. In Q3 2020, The positive FDA Medical Review relating to Biogen's regulatory submission of aducanumab for Alzheimer's disease (AD) was followed by a negative Advisory Committee recommendation on November 6, 2020. Discussions with institutional investors and bankers prior to the Advisory Committee vote suggested that a positive vote would have facilitated capital availability for the costly IND enabling work on PMN310, a prospect now delayed by the negative vote. We continue to expect that both Biogen's aducanumab and Eisai's BAN2401 will eventually be approved, and we shall closely monitor developments over the coming weeks and months that might affect capital availability for programs in the amyloid area. For example, Eli Lilly recently announced positive phase 2 results on cognitive decline in early AD with donanemab, a monoclonal antibody designed for amyloid plaque removal via targeting of a pyroglutamate form of amyloid-beta. Inhibition of pyroglutamate amyloid-beta peptides has also been implicated in the blocking of toxic amyloid oligomer formation1, further supporting the importance of selectively targeting the toxic species, as is the case with PMN310. We remain committed to moving PMN310 forward as soon as the funding window re-opens.

COVID-19 antibody assays. ProMIS will continue to work on further development of its assays to detect and characterize the antibody response to COVID-19. Our basic serology test using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) can very accurately detect the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19, denoting exposure and development of a response against the virus. In addition, we are now working on the challenging task of evaluating correlates of protective immunity, in order to better characterize the immune status of the subject. We are making encouraging progress, with two assays that appear to offer useful information about antibody immunity and will offer further updates when potential important milestones are met, such as regulatory authorization/approval, partnering agreements or revenue.

About ProMIS Neurosciences

ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. is a development stage biotechnology company whose unique core technology is the ability to rationally predict the site and shape (conformation) of novel targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of proteins. In neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, ALS and Parkinson's disease, the DSEs are misfolded regions on toxic forms of otherwise normal proteins. In the infectious disease setting, these DSEs represent peptide antigens that can be used as an essential component to create accurate and sensitive serological assays to detect the presence of antibodies that arise in response to a specific infection, such as COVID-19. ProMIS proprietary peptide antigens can also be used to create potential therapeutic antibodies, as well as serve as the basis for development of vaccines. ProMIS is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ProMIS is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PMN, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol ARFXF.

Visit us at www.promisneurosciences.comor follow us on Twitterand LinkedIn.

Reference:

1Glutaminyl cyclase inhibition attenuates pyroglutamate Ab and Alzheimer's disease-like pathology, Schilling et al., Nature Medicine, 2008.

For Investor Relations please contact:

Alpine Equity Advisors

Nicholas Rigopulos, President

nick@alpineequityadv.com

Tel. 617 901-0785

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release contains certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Beshear: Relief for Small Businesses Needed Now

By Governor Andy Beshear

FRANKFORT -COVID-19 has hit us hard. It has taken the lives of far too many and it has upended our economy, damaging Kentucky's small businesses and hurting our workers.I've seen that hurt and that sacrifice, but I've seen our small businesses doing it willingly, knowing that it's protecting the health and the lives of their customers, their employees and their community.That's why we have a duty to help them.I have submitted a bill (HB 191) to the state legislature that, if passed, would immediately provide $220 million of aid to small businesses and $20 million to nonprofits.It is the most significant aid package from Kentucky in generations, and it needs to pass as quickly as possible.The money is there. Thanks to the hard work of my administration, we have a better budget forecast than initially anticipated. The Rainy Day Fund is at its highest level ever; we have added $100 million to protect it; and we have more than $600 million in one-time money available to invest in our future. The budget also does not rely on tax increases or new revenue measures, and there are no spending cuts.We should not let these dollars sit when our small businesses are suffering and need help now.In fact, a recent poll by Politico and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health showed that almost all Americans agree, with 95% of Democrats and 92% of Republicans saying relief for small businesses should come from government.Instead of spending the first part of the legislative session trying to fight between branches  trying to pull power from the courts or the executive branch  we should help our businesses and our people.In addition to small business relief, I am authorizing $48 million in CARES Act funding for approximately 24,000 workers who have waited too long to receive unemployment benefits and another 60,000 who missed out on the federal government's Lost Wages Assistance Program because they made too little.I am also allocating $47.5 million to correct a legacy of underfunding the unemployment insurance (UI) system after my administration inherited a UI operation running on an IT system that has been in operation since the 1970s and is functionally obsolete.In the years leading up to the pandemic, lawmakers and the previous administration closed in-person offices, cut 95 employees and slashed the UI budget by $16 million. This, coupled with a once-in-a-lifetime, 1,300% year-over-year increase in claims meant many Kentuckians have had to wait too long for their payments during a difficult time. I am providing funding to restore employees to help with unemployment claims at the 12 career centers throughout the commonwealth.This plan is part of my Better Kentucky Budget proposal I unveiled last week.In addition to relief, we are prioritizing our people by investing in their education, health care and retirements. My proposal includes raises for educators and state employees; $100 million to build or repair our schools; support for our law enforcement and retired military; increased funding for K-12 and higher education; and full funding for our retirement systems and Medicaid while providing money for additional social workers.To make sure we lead in the post COVID economy, I am proposing bold investment in our future including $50 million to expand broadband to make sure that everyone who needs it has it.To further support education, we are going to provide assistance to more than 6,300 Kentuckians to attend college or earn a certificate through the Better Kentucky Promise scholarship program.This is the bold agenda we need now.State leaders have no excuse for not seizing this moment.We can have a fiscally responsible budget at the same time we help Kentucky families break free of this global crisis.It will take courage. It will take vision.It also will take Kentuckians everywhere raising their voices, calling and emailing their elected officials telling them we need to pass relief and invest in our people and our future.Now is the time for all Kentuckians to demand we take our rightful place as leaders in the post-COVID world and pass the Better Kentucky Budget.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Two world-class startup enablers are rolling out a series of dynamic programmes in Abu Dhabi to accelerate opportunities for early-stage companies in 2021 and beyond. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is partnering individually with Microsoft and Plug and Play on a range of initiatives to provide founders and entrepreneurs with tools and resources to successfully scale their businesses and realise ideas that drive positive impact.

Abu Dhabi has built an enabling, talent-rich business environment to help innovative startups succeed in the emirate, ranking 12th globally in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Subnational Report 2020. To continue advancing Abu Dhabi's innovation ecosystem, ADIO will, through its partnerships with Microsoft and Plug and Play, provide strategic funding for key projects that support early-stage, growth-driven companies.

H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, said: "Abu Dhabi has fostered an environment where startups can access the means and opportunities to help them bring bold ideas to life. We are committed to deepening our support for investors and innovators in 2021 and have partnered with leading startup enablers and accelerators from around the world to provide the community with greater access to financing, networks and mentorship. As the global economy looks to the future, Abu Dhabi's ecosystem is well-positioned as the region's foremost investment destination for big thinkers to realise their ambitions."

ADIO has partnered with Microsoft to launch a series of initiatives under the "Microsoft for Startups" Programme, which provides technology, Azure cloud services, business support tools and programmes to develop skillsets, aimed at accelerating growth opportunities for startups. Under the agreement, Microsoft will manage several programmes over a five-year period to support the regional technology startup ecosystem.

The first two programmes are "Microsoft Growth X Accelerator", a virtual accelerator programme with a focus on recruiting local and regional startups, and "Highway to 100 Unicorns", an engagement initiative that runs startup-focused activities through regional ecosystem partners to recruit high-potential startups for the Accelerator as well as future programmes in the pipeline by Microsoft and ADIO. Further initiatives focused on entrepreneurship for Emiratis and UAE residents, as well as university students, are in the works and will be launched in the coming months.

Sayed Hashish, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said: "Startups play a vital role in driving the next wave of innovation and accelerating economic growth. Abu Dhabi has become a promising launchpad for startups to bring their ideas to life and scale globally. Our strategic partnership with ADIO speaks to Microsoft's commitment as a global technology partner to enable budding entrepreneurs to develop, scale, and build transformational businesses with innovative technology, empowering them to achieve more."

Plug and Play, an innovation platform that brings together top startups and the world's largest corporations and government entities, currently runs accelerator programmes in the Middle East from the emirate's international financial centre, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Since 2017, the partnership between Plug and Play and ADGM has been a leading force in driving innovation in the region by uniting startups with expertise from international startups and major corporations.

ADIO is building on this success to take the platform to the next level by partnering with Plug and Play to support two of its existing accelerator programmes, focusing on FinTech and HealthTech, as well as launching an additional accelerator programme for a third sector that will be operational within the first half of 2021. As part of the agreement, ADIO will provide funding for the accelerators and will work closely with Plug and Play to establish Abu Dhabi as an innovation hub across key sectors in the region.

Saeed Amidi, CEO and Founder of Plug and Play, said: ""Plug and Play is proud to partner with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to continue supporting exceptional tech startups and talent to grow across the UAE and GCC. Over the past 3 years and going forward, our focus will be to continue creating real business opportunities for innovative local, regional and international startups that can have a lasting impact on critical sectors through corporate and government collaborations. Through ADIO's support and our growing network of partnerships with the most future-forward major private and public sector entities, we are confident to attain our GCC vision of a unified, seamless and sustainable marketplace for the best B2B startup solutions to start and scale."

In addition to the partnerships with Microsoft and Plug and Play, ADIO is working alongside partners including ADGM, Hub71, ADQ and Mubadala to continue growing the emirate's innovation ecosystem. ADIO's role includes connecting investors and companies to relevant opportunities across Abu Dhabi's ecosystem, bringing together the right partnerships to help them grow and expand in the emirate and setting them up for long-term, sustainable success in the region.

About the Abu Dhabi Investment Office

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is the government entity responsible for attracting and facilitating investment in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. ADIO enables opportunities for innovative investors and businesses of all sizes, facilitating connections across Abu Dhabi's innovation ecosystem to help them establish and grow in the emirate. With a comprehensive range of tailored services and incentives, ADIO helps businesses achieve long-term, sustainable success in the market and across the region.

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 30 locations globally, giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 30,000 startups and 400 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in our community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, and PayPal. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/

Media Contacts:

Abu Dhabi Investment Office

Bonny Lawrie

Communications Advisor

+971503513880

[email protected]

Weber Shandwick MENAT

Talal Natafji

+971509010077

[email protected]

Davelle Sim

+971503912232

[email protected]

SOURCE Plug and Play

Related Links

https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/


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Space X chief has not yet responded to the offer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Elon Musk to visit the city of Zhytomyr, the home city of a globally acclaimed rocket engineer and spacecraft designer Serhiy Korolyov, whom the Space X founder is known to admire.

On Korolev's birthday, Zelensky posted the relevant invitation via Twitter, as a response to Musk's tweet dated July 11, 2020, where the star entrepreneur said he spoke with Korolyov's family.

"Today is the birthday of the great Ukrainian scientist, rocket engineer and spacecraft designer  Serhiy Korolyov. Indeed, he was one of the best," Zelensky tweeted, adding: "I want to invite his longtime admirer, Elon Musk, to Ukraine to see the Sergei Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics."

Today is the birthday of the great Ukrainian scientist, rocket engineer and spacecraft designer  Serhiy Korolyov. Indeed, he was one of the very best.

Id like to invite his longtime fan @elonmusk to #Ukraine, to see The Serhiy Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics. https://t.co/NyfBw6abdY    (@ZelenskyyUa) January 12, 2021

The Space X chief has not yet responded to the offer.

Serhiy Korolyov was a Ukraine-born scientist who had eventually worked his way to become the Soviet Union's leading rocket engineer and spacecraft designer.

He is considered the founder of practical cosmonautics.

Ukraine assisting Musk in delivering a satellite to a NASA facility

In December 2020, a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan aircraft has delivered a satellite for Elon Musk's SpaceX from Toulouse, France, to NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility in the United States.

Weighing 55 tonnes, the SpaceX satellite was transported on an An-124 in a container specially designed by Airbus.

Reporting by UNIAN
Federal Office of Public Health

Bern, 12.01.2021 - On 12 January 2021 Swissmedic, the Swiss agency for the authorisation and supervision of therapeutic products, approved the second COVID-19 vaccination for the Swiss market. The vaccine from Moderna, of which the federal government has ordered around 7.5 million doses, is suitable for adults from age 18. In the next few days an initial delivery of 200,000 doses will be made to the Armed Forces Pharmacy, which will distribute the vaccine to the cantons. Together with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine approved by Swissmedic on 19 December 2020, around half a million doses of vaccine are available in Switzerland in January. The first priority will be to vaccinate especially vulnerable people.

The COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna is the second to be approved by Swissmedic. On the basis of the safety, efficacy and quality data the vaccine is suitable without age restrictions for all adults aged 18 and over. The federal government has ordered 7.5 million doses from Moderna.

Like the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine approved by Swissmedic on 19 December 2020, Moderna has opted for a novel technology: mRNA is a type of messenger molecule that carries the instructions for building proteins. These give the cells of the body the necessary information on how they are to produce a virus protein. As soon as the protein is produced in the body, the immune system recognises it as a foreign body and thus produces measurable antibodies against the virus. The immune response prepares the body to fight the virus.

Two doses at an interval of around four weeks are necessary for optimum protection. With 95% and 94% efficacy respectively, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines provide similar protection.

The Moderna vaccine will be delivered to Switzerland in stages; the first delivery in January 2021 will comprise around 200,000 doses. Together with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, around half a million doses of vaccine will be available in Switzerland in January. Further deliveries will follow at regular intervals. This means that the availability of vaccine in Switzerland will increase in the next few months. By summer everyone who wishes to go for vaccination should be able to do so.

Vaccination for high-risk groups and other priority target groups

On 4 January the process of vaccinating high-risk (vulnerable) groups in accordance with the vaccination strategy and vaccination recommendations began all over Switzerland. Most cantons have set up vaccination centres for this purpose, deploying mobile teams to take care of retirement and care homes.

Under the national vaccination strategy, priority is given to vulnerable people (those at particularly high risk), in other words elderly people and people with underlying conditions.

Second priority for vaccination will be given to healthcare personnel, and third priority to people who live with vulnerable people. Fourth priority will then be people in communal facilities such as homes for the handicapped where there is an elevated risk of infection and outbreak, as well as the staff of such facilities.

All other adults can then be vaccinated once sufficient doses of vaccine are available. Children and pregnant women are not yet assigned to target groups under the vaccination strategy, as study data for these groups is not yet available. There is no compulsory vaccination requirement. The COVID-19 vaccination is free of charge for the population.

15 million doses of vaccine

Given that the development and availability of Covid-19 vaccines is subject to a great deal of uncertainty, from the outset the federal government has pursued a targeted and diversified strategy.

So far the federal government has procured a total of more than 15 million doses of vaccine from three vaccine manufacturers: Moderna (a total of around 7.5 million doses), Pfizer/BioNTech (around 3 million doses), and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (around 5.3 million doses). The vaccine from AstraZeneca is still undergoing the approval process at Swissmedic. The federal government is in discussion with other vaccine manufacturers. Parallel to this, Switzerland is taking part in the international COVAX Initiative to give economically weaker countries access to vaccines. The COVAX Initiative is also a means of gaining access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of the Swiss population.

Address for enquiries

Swiss Federal Office of Public Health,

COVID-19 vaccination infoline: +41 58 377 88 92, 6am to 11pm

Publisher

Federal Office of Public Health

http://www.bag.admin.ch




Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.

[January 12, 2021] Aspen Dental Management Partners With 3Shape to Accelerate the Digital Transformation at Aspen Dental Practices Nationwide

Aspen Dental Management, Inc. today announced an agreement with 3Shape that will bring transformative technology to patients and practitioners across the country, accelerating the digital transformation across nearly 900 Aspen Dental locations nationwide. The deal includes a full suite of 3Shape hardware, software, and service solutions: the award-winning TRIOS 4 intraoral scanner; 3Shape Dental System software, the industry-leading CAD-CAM restorative solution; and a suite of apps that will enhance the patient experience. The distribution and implementation of the full 3Shape TRIOS suite to Aspen Dental practices will be managed by Henry Schein Dental, the dental division of Henry Schein, Inc. "Leaning into new and emerging tools and technology is a critical part of not only delivering comprehensive, quality care to patients, but creating an end-to-end digital workflow within the dental practice for the dentists we support," said Dr. Arwinder Judge, Chief Clinical Officer, Aspen Dental Management. Inc. "We're thrilled to work with 3Shape and Henry Schein, true industry leaders who share our commitment to bringing innovative technology to dentists, which enables them to deliver the highest quality of care to patients." 3Shape's TRIOS intraoral scanner has received the Cellerant Best of Class Award for intraoral scanners an unprecedented eight years in a row. Together with 3Shape's suite of software solutions, the TRIOS intraoral scanner will provide Aspen Dental practices and in-house laboratories with seamless and predictable digital workflows, for everything from crowns and dentures to implants. Aspen Dental practices and labs will also benefit from the growing 3Shape ecosystem of integrated treatment solutions, parners, and manufacturing solutions.



"ADMI went through a very extensive evaluation process before selecting 3Shape as its long-term partner. Their confidence confirms that our focus on delivering scalable solutions and services to DSO's and dental professionals is right on target. The partnership helps cement our position as a leading global provider of digital dentistry solutions. We now look forward to working closely with Aspen Dental doctors and labs to deliver exceptional patient care," said Jakob Just-Bomholt, 3Shape CEO. About Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI)

As one the largest healthcare business support organizations in the U.S., ADMI continues to build and strengthen the infrastructure, expertise, and core competencies that successful healthcare practices need to accelerate their growth and fuel their success, while also giving providers the freedom to do what they do best: Care for their patients. Through organic growth and a series of strategic acquisitions, ADMI now supports more than 1,000 health and wellness offices across 45 states and in three distinct categories: Dental care, urgent care, and medical aesthetics. In dentistry, ADMI supports Aspen Dental, the largest and fastest-growing branded network of dental practices in the U.S. with more than 870 locations in 42 states, as well as ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, leaders in fixed, full arch dental restorations for patients with missing or failing dentition, with 65 locations in 27 states. Collectively, the two are the largest provider of fixed and removable prosthetics in the U.S. In the urgent care category, WellNow Urgent Care now stands at more than 85 locations in four states, putting it among the top 10 urgent care providers nationwide, while more recently, the ADMI family has expanded to include the medical aesthetic category with the acquisition of the largest single med spa clinic in the U.S. in late 2020. About 3Shape 3Shape is changing dentistry together with dental professionals across the world by developing innovations that provide superior dental care for patients. Our portfolio of 3D scanners and CAD/CAM software solutions includes the multiple award-winning 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanner and market-leading scanning and design software solutions for both dental practices and labs. Two graduate students founded 3Shape in Denmark's capital in the year 2000. Today, 3Shape has over 1,600 employees serving customers in over 100 countries from an ever-growing number of 3Shape offices around the world. 3Shape's products and innovations continue to challenge traditional methods, enabling dental professionals to treat more patients more effectively. www.3shape.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005760/en/

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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/11/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Tyler Cameron and model Camila Kendra have fueled dating rumors with a recent hangout session in both New York City.Tyler, 27, and his rumored girlfriend, Camila, a 24-year-old influencer, were just spotted in New York City together after an apparent road trip from Florida.E! News obtained photos on Tuesday, January 5, of Tyler and Camila unloading a car filled with clothes, duffle bags and other household items in New York City.The pair were both dressed casually while wearing face masks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with Tyler in a black hoodie and joggers and Camila bundled up in a black jacket and matching scarf and beanie. Tyler Cameron is in New York City visiting [his best friend and The Bachelor star] Matt James and staying at their NYC place they have together," a source told E! News. "He invited Camila Kendra to come stay."Tyler and Camila reportedly didn't stay at Matt's place for long but an eyewitness noticed they were "very giddy, laughing and holding hands during that time."The couple are reportedly dating but have yet to make their relationship official."Tyler and Camila both live in Florida so they have kept in touch and made plans to see each other these last couple of months," an insider told E! News. "They are both into each other but it's a stretch to say she's his girlfriend."Before touching down in New York, Tyler and Camila reportedly spent some time in Florida together after the holidays."Tyler likes Camila's personality and thinks she's a really fun girl to hangout with," another insider shared with E! News.In early December 2020, Tyler admitted to Whitney Port on her With Whit podcast that he sends flirty direct messages to women through Instagram and that's how he's met some beautiful women who have come and gone from his life in the last year."I shoot my shot," Tyler shared, Us Weekly reported."A lot of shots don't get made, but my dad always told me, 'You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take,' so I'm gonna shoot. Some of them don't hit, some do, and it is what it is."Tyler found fame when he competed for Hannah Brown 's heart on 's fifteenth season in 2019.Hannah selected Jed Wyatt as the winner of her heart over Tyler on 15 finale, but the former Alabama beauty pageant queen broke up with Jed five weeks after they got engaged because he had lied about having a girlfriend back home in Nashville during filming.On 's live reunion special in late July 2019, Hannah asked Tyler out on a date, which resulted in the pair spending one night together in Los Angeles.However, nothing ever came of it because Tyler appeared to set his sights on supermodel Gigi Hadid , whom he dated for two months, and moved to New York City to pursue modeling.Hannah and Tyler then reunited in Florida and quarantined with each other for three weeks in March 2020 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, along with Matt James and more of Tyler's friends and family.Hannah later said in a YouTube video that she and Tyler were "feeling each other out" at the time but never hooked up , and Tyler explained he was in "a bad place" and didn't want to do something because he was "vulnerable" after his mother Andrea Cameron tragically passed away earlier that year."I just wanted to work on it being a friendship. If we stepped away from each other and wanted more, we could always go and get more," Tyler said, adding that they had "mixed feelings" and "mixed emotions" about the past.Hannah said she felt out of place and was tired of trying to figure things out when Tyler wasn't ready to communicate about the future of their relationship. In fact, there were days when the pair barely talked to each other.Hannah returned home to her family in Alabama on April 1, 2020 and expressed at the time how she and Tyler were just friends. However, they continued talking and gradually worked through some hard feelings they had towards each other.In late September, Hannah and Tyler were spotted having lunch together in Los Angeles."That's where we're at. I guess it's just trying to be cool being friends... We're going to still hang out," Hannah said."I think everything we've been through and all the stuff we've done, we care about each other and we're there for each other. I'm super stoked about where we're at right now," Tyler said.Hannah confirmed "there's no pressure" and they're doing things on their own terms.Tyler admitted to Us in early October, "We've struggled, you know, with our relationship and trying to figure out what it is.""But we're in a great place right now with each other and it's great to be able to hang out, you know -- grab dinner, hang out -- and it's fun. Hannah's an amazing person and it's good to be in a better place than we've been."After dating Gigi, Tyler apparently had flings with Kylie Jenner 's best friend Anastasia Karanikolaou and swimsuit model Jilissa Ann Zoltko.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group

Partway through last year, Sonys Vision-S electric vehicle went from a mere prototype to something the company said it wanted to bring closer to reality. In July, Sony announced it planned to start testing the vehicle on public roads by the end of 2020. True to its word, it did just that. While it didnt provide a substantive update on the EV at its CES 2021 keynote, Sony says it started testing the EV in Europe in December and shared a clip of the car driving on picturesque Austrian roads  the companys recently announced Airpeak drone also makes an appearance in the video.

When Sony first unveiled the S-Vision at CES 2020, it said it created to showcase its technology to companies in the automotive industry. The prototype we saw at the trade show featured two 200kW engines and had the ability to accelerate to 62 MPH in 4.8 seconds. At the time, Sony said the car also had Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, but that it planned to make it more autonomous in the future.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he appreciates the support of Moldovan President Maia Sandu for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He wrote this on his Twitter account.

Welcome to Kyiv @sandumaiamd. This is the beginning of new relations between  & . We are united by common values & positions on the European agenda. We appreciate that the  President supports  sovereignty & territorial integrity, and is not afraid to call Crimea Ukrainian pic.twitter.com/m3vIJlVEFw    (@ZelenskyyUa) January 12, 2021

"Welcome to Kyiv, Maia Sandu. This is the beginning of new relations between Ukraine and Moldova. We are united by common values & positions on the European agenda. We appreciate that the Moldovan President supports Ukraine's sovereignty & territorial integrity, and is not afraid to call Crimea Ukrainian," Zelensky said.

Sandu is in Kyiv on January 12. This is her first official visit to Ukraine since being elected President of Moldova.
The UK Supreme Court will on Friday hand down a judgment in a test case pitting the countrys markets regulator against insurers over how business interruption policies were dealt with during the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Tuesday.

The result of the appeal, which will be announced via video link, is eagerly awaited as it is expected to impact 700 types of policies, 60 insurers, 370,000 policyholders and billions of pounds in claims.

(Reporting by Carolyn Cohn, editing by Kirstin Ridley)

Topics Business Interruption
Supermarkets have told the UK Government urgent intervention is needed to prevent more disruption to Northern Irelands food supplies.

Chief executives of Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Iceland, Co-Op and Marks & Spencer have written to UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove.

Depleted shelves have been seen in several supermarkets in the early days of the new year as trade from Great Britain has been affected while firms adjust to new requirements on moving produce across the Irish Sea.

Export health certificates are required for animal-based food products moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland as a result of the region remaining in the EUs single market for goods.

With Northern Ireland also applying EU customs rules at its ports, customs declarations are needed on products being shipped in from the rest of the UK.

A UK Government spokesperson said: A new dedicated team in Government has already been set up and will be working with supermarkets, the food industry and the Northern Ireland Executive to develop ways to streamline the movement of goods in accordance with the protocol.

Northern Ireland is following some of the EUs rules to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

It is part of the protocol which the UK agreed with Europe.

The UK Government added: The grace period for supermarkets and their suppliers is working well, goods continue to flow effectively between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and we are working intensively with industry as new requirements come in.

Hauliers are spending tens of thousands of pounds bringing empty lorries back to Northern Ireland after outbound deliveries, an industry spokesman has said.

A Sainsburys spokesperson said, A small number of our products are temporarily unavailable for our customers in Northern Ireland while border arrangements are confirmed.

We were prepared for this and so our customers will find a wide range of alternative products in our stores in the meantime and we are working hard to get back to our full, usual range soon.
New chief justice of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal vows to safeguard rule of law

HONG KONG, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, the new chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), was sworn in on Monday, vowing continued efforts to safeguard the rule of law.

Hong Kong's Judiciary must remain independent and impartial and continue to safeguard the rule of law and its judges must be upright and prepared to uphold rights, Cheung said when addressing the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year 2021, adding the Judiciary must be professional and efficient and move with the times.

While the freedom of speech must be fully respected, there must not be any attempt to exert improper pressure on the judges in the discharge of their judicial functions, Cheung said.

There are built-in features in the judicial system that ensure the Judiciary and judges are accountable to the public for their works, he said.

Cheung said the Judicial Oath is a requirement under the Basic Law. "Society has every right to insist that our judges must be faithful to the Judicial Oath. On behalf of my colleagues in the Judiciary, I would like to assure the public that we expect nothing less of ourselves."

In his speech, Cheung also said the Judiciary will tackle backlogs and bottlenecks more strategically and effectively, continue to strengthen exchanges with the judiciaries and judges in other common law jurisdictions as well as the counterparts on the mainland, and work to digitize legal procedures and support systems.

Cheung, succeeding Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, took the judicial oath at Government House on Monday, administered by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

The new chief justice swore to uphold the HKSAR Basic Law, bear allegiance to the HKSAR, serve the HKSAR conscientiously, dutifully, in full accordance with the law, honestly and with integrity, safeguard the law and administer justice without fear or favor, self-interest or deceit.

Lam congratulated Cheung and pledged continued support for the Judiciary.

"I am confident that, under Chief Justice Cheung's leadership, the Judiciary will continue to be a bulwark of the 'one country, two systems' policy and our judges will continue to safeguard the law and administer justice without fear or favor," she said.

Cheung joined Hong Kong's judiciary system in 2001 and was appointed as the permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal in October 2018.

Also delivering a speech at the ceremony, Teresa Cheng, secretary for justice of the HKSAR government, said doxxing activities towards judges and other persons involved in the administration of justice were on the rise and must be curtailed.

The public should correctly understand the national security law in Hong Kong and the Basic Law, Cheng said.

National security falls within the purview of the central authorities and it is entirely misconceived to say that the principle of "one country, two systems" has been undermined due to the national security legislation, Cheng said.

The HKSAR government will continue to promote the proper understanding and recognition of the rule of law, the Constitution and the Basic Law at various levels of society, through a multi-faceted approach, Cheng said.
The woman wasn't aware she was dealing with the fraudster when the transaction took place. Photo: Depositphoto

A Dublin-based woman was scammed out of almost 180,000 as part of an invoice redirect fraud when she attempted to buy a house.

However speedy investigations by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) meant they managed to recover all the money the organised crime gang had stolen in the scam.

This happened just before the Christmas period when the woman was buying a property and she received an email from her solicitor which was actually from a gang who had compromised her solicitors email system, a senior source explained.

The woman did not realise that she was dealing directly with the fraudster when the transaction took place.

However gardai were quickly alerted to the situation and all the money was retrieved, the source added.

In another recent case, fraud squad detectives worked with a European police force to retrieve 150,000 that had been scammed from a man who was attempting to make an international purchase.

Invoice redirection fraud happens when a person or a business fall prey to requests, purporting to emanate from trusted suppliers or service providers, into believing that a beneficiarys bank account details have been changed.

As a result, funds that are due to be paid out are transferred to a fraudulent account.

In order to carry out a fraud successfully the gang often uses information about companies that they have obtained through hacking or from the firms websites or social media accounts.

Sources said there has been an increase in this type of crime across Europe since the coronavirus pandemic started.

Gardai have warned the public of the continuing existence of invoice-redirect fraud and to treat any request to change bank account details with extreme caution as those making the request may not be who they claim to be.

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There have been no arrests made yet as part of last months major fraud attempts but officers are understood to be following a definite line of enquiry. Last August, a Dublin-based business lost over 2.1m after being scammed into transferring money to a fraudster's account.

However, after the matter was reported quickly, gardai contacted police in Hong Kong. The money was secured and returned.

However in many cases the money is never recovered.

Gardai say great care and attention should be given each time a person is asked to change bank account details.

They say it is imperative that a phone call is made to a representative of the company confirming that the bank account has in fact changed before any funds are transferred.

One of the biggest investigations by the fraud squad in recent months is codenamed Operation Skein.

Detectives working on the operation are looking into a 6m invoice redirection fraud which led to a number of arrests of foreign nationals in Ireland last year under anti-gangland legislation.

In that case the money was stolen from companies based in Spain, Belgium and the US.

The organised crime gang enlisted a number of people based in Ireland to store some of the stolen money in their accounts.
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British firms will face heavy fines if they are lined to Chinese human rights abuse, Dominic Rabb said today as he blasted Beijing's 'harrowing' treatment of its Uighur minority.

Companies will have to meet requirements showing their supply chains are free from forced labour in the Xinjiang province, the Foreign Secretary told the Commons this afternoon.

The Beijing government has been accused of widespread abuse in the area, home to the Muslim Uighurs, including allegations of forced sterilisation, slave labour and mass internment.

Members of the Uighur minority group have reportedly been made to pick cotton in Xinjiang province, leading to concerns British consumers could inadvertently be buying tainted goods.

It came the day after Boris Johnson launched a blistering attack on China, blaming its 'demented' traditional medical practices for the coronavirus pandemic.

In a speech to world leaders yesterday he attacked people who 'grind up the scales of a pangolin' in a bid to become more 'potent'.

Mr Raab said companies will be given robust guidance on how to carry out due diligence checks to make sure they are not sourcing products tainted by the human rights violations in the province.

He told MPs the picture of human rights abuses in Xinjiang was 'harrowing' and the UK had a 'moral duty to respond'.

Mr Raab told MPs: 'Internment camps, arbitrary detention, political re-education, forced labour, torture and forced sterilisation - all on an industrial scale.

'It is truly horrific. Barbarism we had hoped lost to another era, being practiced today as we speak in one of the leading members of the international community.'

China's ambassador to the UN responded by warning Britain not to interfere in its affairs. Zhang Jun slammed what he termed a baseless 'political attack'.

Companies will have to meet requirements showing their supply chains are free from forced labour in the Xinjiang province, the Foreign Secretary told the Commons this afternoon.

The Beijing government has been accused of widespread abuse in the area, home to the Muslim Uighurs, including allegations of forced sterilisation, slave labour and mass internment

Members of the Uighur minority group have reportedly been made to pick cotton in Xinjiang province, leading to concerns British consumers could inadvertently be buying tainted goods

Under the Modern Slavery Act, firms with a turnover of more than 36 million must publish statements setting out what action they have taken to ensure there is no slavery in their supply chains.

That will now be backed up by the threat of heavy fines for companies which fail to comply, with details to be set out later.

Lucrative Government contracts will only go to firms which adhere to their obligations in ensuring their supply chains are free from Xinjiang links.

Watchtowers on a high-security facility in Xinjiang that is believed to be a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained

Video purporting to show blindfolded and shackled detainees from China's minority Uighur Muslim community that was posted on social media

There will also be a review of export controls to prevent UK firms supplying products to the Xinjiang camps.

Mr Raab said: 'Here in the UK we must take action to make sure that UK businesses are not part of the supply chains that lead to the gates of the internment camps in Xinjiang.

'And to make sure that the products of the human rights violations that take place in those camps don't end up on the shelves of supermarkets that we shop in here at home, week in and week out.'

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy questioned why no sanctions have been applied to officials responsible for 'appalling' human-rights abuses in Xinjiang.

She told Mr Raab in the Commons: 'The strength of his words are once again not matched by the strength of his actions, and I'm sorry to say that that will be noticed loud and clear in Beijing.'

Ms Nandy said she had been left 'slightly lost for words' by Mr Raab's statement given she believed not much of the content was new - something the Foreign Secretary rejected.
Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett will resign from her post prior to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony next week, according to an announcement.

The Air Force will host a retirement ceremony for Barrett, its fourth female secretary, Thursday at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., the service said in an AF.mil post Tuesday.

The Senate confirmed Barrett to be the 25th Air Force secretary in October 2019, following the departure of Heather Wilson.

Read Next: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Is Unlikely to Face Court-Martial in Capitol Riot, Experts Say

President Donald Trump announced via Twitter in May 2019 that Barrett was his pick after Wilson had vacated the job weeks earlier to take a university position in Texas. Barrett had previously been nominated for the job in 2003 but was never confirmed, according to a report from Defense News.

Barrett is the first service secretary to announce her departure. Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, is also expected to step down.

Defense News reported in December that the Biden administration is weighing keeping Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in his position for at least another year. However, it is unclear whether that is still on the table in the wake of a delayed National Guard response to insurrectionists storming the Capitol last week; the Army secretary plays a major role in authorizing Guardsmen in the District of Columbia since it has no governor.

Officials said Barrett would remain in her position until the inauguration.

Service secretaries have typically resigned or offered to leave when a new administration comes in, but there have been exceptions.

Michael Donley, the 22nd Air Force secretary, was nominated by President George W. Bush in June 2008 and confirmed months later. President Barack Obama reappointed him to the position in 2009.

Robert O. Work, the deputy secretary of defense under the Obama administration, attended his retirement ceremony even as he agreed to stay on in an acting capacity under the Trump administration, according to Defense News' Aaron Mehta.

The service noted that Thursday's ceremony will also honor Roper, Air Force Undersecretary Shon J. Manasco, Comptroller John P. Roth, General Counsel Thomas E. Ayres, and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy John W. Henderson.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to clarify that Barrett will continue serving until the inauguration despite holding her formal retirement earlier.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.

Related: SecAF Nominee's Top Priority: Creating a 'Warfighting Ethos' Within Space Force

Businesses yesterday called for tougher lockdown measures, with some going as far as proposing a long curfew spanning from 6 p.m to 6 a.m.

The curfew now starts at 9 p.m. and goes till 5 a.m. Businesses also called on the Government to free up the importation of Covid-19 vaccines to allow private sector participation and to allow people to travel overseas to get vaccinated.
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Alan Wilson says he had no idea a group that he helps lead sent out robocalls urging patriots to stop the steal in Washington last week.

And some South Carolina residents have responded with a collective, and entirely predictable, You lie.

The Republican Attorneys General Association has been criticized for stirring up and encouraging some of the people who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, an act of insurrection that carried a death toll.

Now Wilson, who sits on RAGAs executive board and has hosted forums for the policy group that directly organized the calls, is  also predictably  trying to distance himself from all that.

I was completely unaware and had absolutely no involvement in the Republican AG groups participation in the rally, Wilson said on Twitter. I disagree with the staffs decision to be involved and strongly condemn the violence that followed.

That statement is what prompted several folks, also on Twitter, to tell Wilson You lie!  which is what his stepfather infamously screamed at President Obama during a joint session of Congress more than a decade ago.

Their skepticism is understandable. Because Wilson  the states top law enforcement officer  has occasionally used his office for seemingly partisan causes. A decade ago, Wilson claimed there was massive voter fraud in South Carolina, dead people voting, conveniently at a time the Legislature was cracking down on voting laws.

A year-long SLED investigation found no evidence of such fraud.

Attorneys general around the country routinely team up on legal quests, sometimes even on a bipartisan basis. Nothing wrong with that. Wilson and other AGs protested the decision to open up the Atlantic for offshore drilling, a popular position in coastal areas.

But sometimes these AGs take actions that are nakedly political.

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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In the past few months, Wilson was part of an effort to toss out Pennsylvanias election results, then signed onto a Texas AGs amicus brief, which raised the specter of massive nationwide voter fraud conveniently limited to states that President-elect Joe Biden won.

You have to imagine Wilson would have cried politics if, say, Californias attorney general officially challenged the results of South Carolinas election.

The Texas-led amicus brief was seen as a blatant attempt to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overthrow the results of the November presidential election (as was last week's riot). Wilson even went to the White House to visit the president the next day.

Alas, the solidly conservative court, with three members appointed by President Trump, summarily laughed the Republican AGs out of the courtroom. Youd think experts on law, as attorneys generals should be, would have recognized the glaring shortcomings in their filing.

Unless it was just politics.

Now that those politics have culminated in violence, Wilson has changed his tune. On Monday, the AGs office told The Post and Couriers Avery Wilks that Wilson believes Biden lawfully won the election.

While there were allegations of election fraud, as far as the Attorney General knows there has been no evidence presented in court to substantiate those allegations, spokesman Robert Kittle said. Attorney General Wilson strongly supports everyones First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, but strongly condemns the violence at the U.S. Capitol and thinks those who broke the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.

That obviously is the correct position to take, but now folks are asking what caused Wilson to suddenly change his mind. The Twitter mob says either hes been investigating allegations of voter fraud in other states on our dime, or hes just saying what is politically expected now.

Forgive his critics if they challenge his claims of ignorance. After all, Wilson not only sits on the RAGA executive committee and has been actively involved in its efforts, but until Monday the organization was run by a friend, former staffer and hatchet man.

Who stepped down after the robocalls story went public. And a few years ago left the S.C. Attorney Generals office after partisan hijinks tied to an investigation into Statehouse corruption.

None of that looks good.

The problem here, and there are many, is that perhaps law enforcement officials should stick to prosecutions and avoid overt politics.

Because like elections, partisan stunts have consequences.
Phillip Schofield has praised Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes after he spoke about his sexuality on one of their editions of This Morning.

The TV star appeared on a programme they were hosting last year, soon after he had revealed on Instagram that he had "been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay".

"I said to Holly 'It has to be on This Morning - I owe it to our viewers because you know it is all a family, they have to be the first to hear'," he told the Life, Interrupted podcast.

"Eamonn and Ruth were brought into the conversation much later but they were as obviously as gracious as you would expect them to be that I needed to nick 10 minutes of their show.

"And so that was it, that was decided," he said.

Schofield added: "The date was decided because we didn't want it to be too close to the NTAs (National Television Awards).

"We didn't want to look like it was a publicity thing.

"And then I can remember saying 'This is ridiculous ... this is the biggest thing I'm ever going to do in my life. How is this a publicity stunt? For what?'"

Difficult

He said of Willoughby: "There's no way it would have been anyone else.

"There's not a single person on this planet that I would have done that with other than Holly, it was only going to be her.

"And she was unbelievable. When you're sitting opposite a mate who is doing this - It's a fine line.

"She had to ask the right questions she had. She couldn't give me an easy ride, it had to be tough questions.

"But at the same time making sure that I was OK because she knew that I wasn't. It was tough.

"That was a very difficult gig for her."

He said of This Morning: "The innuendos are shocking really, but we never get into trouble, which is lovely.

"I think both Holly and I know where the line is - we've almost had two feet over the line but not quite."

Holmes and Langsford recently left the Friday show in a shake-up, with Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond taking their place.

The married couple will continue to host the daytime show "during key holidays".

The Life, Interrupted podcast is presented by TV star Simon Thomas "and tackles how crisis and desperation can, over time, lead to hope and inspiration".
In the wake of parent and community outcry, Charleston County school officials are working this week to make changes to the district's COVID-19 notification protocol.

District officials are also partnering with the Medical University of South Carolina to finalize plans for providing coronavirus vaccines for all eligible staff when available, Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait announced Monday.

Postlewait and other district staff will meet with school principals Tuesday morning to discuss the feasibility of updating the process currently used to alert parents of COVID-19 cases in their child's classroom.

Under CCSDs existing policy, parents are only contacted if their child is deemed to be a "close contact" of a coronavirus-positive individual. As defined by the state health agency, this includes anyone who has been within 6 feet of a positive case for 15 minutes or longer.

That means Charleston parents often don't find out about positive cases in their child's classrooms from the district. Instead, families have turned to word-of-mouth communication and social media to share information about the virus.

"We are working now to try and determine how and under what circumstances we can notify parents when there are positive cases in a classroom, even one positive case," Postlewait said.

Still, she said, modifying the protocol won't be easy.

"It will be very difficult to do this at the middle and high school level since they change classes every period," Postlewait said.

As a result, the district is focusing its efforts at the elementary school level.

Postlewait's announcement at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting came after an online petition garnered more than 700 signatures over the weekend.

North Charleston parent Toni Reale said she helped create the petition after five students in her sons classroom at Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori tested positive for COVID-19. At least one Hursey parent whose child shared a classroom with a COVID-19 positive student received no notification from the district and later tested positive for the virus.

Reale and other parents emailed school board members in advance of the meeting asking them to modify the policy so that every time a student or teacher tests positive for the virus, parents are informed.

"Its very clear that the current definition of close contact falls dangerously short of reality," Reale said.

A district spokesman previously cited student privacy concerns as one of the reasons schools were not tasked with notifying parents of so-called "classroom contacts."

According to federal coronavirus guidelines, districts may disclose this information as long as it does not allow for any individual student to be identified, Postlewait said.

But several other school districts, including those in Berkeley and Greenville counties, have opted to inform all students who shared a classroom space with a COVID-19 positive person in addition to the established close contacts.

"I did talk to districts across the state and when I tell them that we don't do classroom notification, they look at me like I have two heads," said board member Cindy Bohn Coats.

Coats pressed the superintendent to nail down specifics regarding when and how the new notification protocol will be implemented.

But Postlewait said additional details aren't available yet.

"Until we talk to principals, it's difficult to know exactly what will work," she said.

Postlewait added that she "upset teachers terribly" when the district unexpectedly announced last week that parents could temporarily keep their students home following the winter holiday as a COVID-19 precautionary measure.

"We're going to make a professional courtesy of getting their input, and then we will absolutely create a written statement about what we're going to do," Postlewait said.

Jeff Borowy, the district's chief operating officer, informed board members that CCSD has partnered with MUSC to iron out the logistics for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to teachers and other school staff once it becomes available.

Teachers who come into direct contact with students are eligible under Phase 1B of the state's vaccine rollout plan. The district plans to distribute vaccines that are "free of charge and voluntary" for eligible staff, Borowy said.

Right now, the district is considering distributing vaccines at four possible sites: Stall, Burke, Wando and West Ashley high schools.

The district already had a framework for a mass vaccination plan in place, Borowy said, which has helped speed up the process.

"CCSD will be ready whenever a vaccine is available," Postlewait said.

The district has reported 792 cases associated with CCSD schools since September, according to its COVID-19 dashboard. Of those, more than 180 were reported last week, and 159 were reported over winter break.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correctly reflect the number of cases reported to the district's dashboard last week.
In the Philippines, to give just one example, hundreds of inauthentic accounts on Facebook, linked to the murderous regime of President Rodrigo Duterte, have for years been used to spread disinformation and threats of violence. Loading Facebook began to act against this during the 2019 mid-term elections, but as eminent journalist Maria Ressa has put it, the misinformation, like a drug injected into a vein, was already coursing through the political system. Facebooks action was too little, too late. Now it is happening again  but this time in the US  hence gaining world attention. It is abundantly clear that the digital platforms must drop the pretence that they are not a kind of publisher/broadcaster, and therefore partly responsible for what is carried on their platforms.

If they cannot self-regulate, then they must be regulated, and co-operate with that effort. Every new media technology has disrupted power and created issues of how we regulate speech. The printing press was part of the religious reformation. The Pope was not a fan when the Bible was translated and published for anyone to read. Loading For most of the time since, freedom of the press has belonged to those who have a printing press  or a broadcasting licence. The key innovation of our own times is that for the first time in human history, anyone with an internet connection can publish to the world within minutes of deciding to do so.

This has already changed just about everything in politics and society. It is at least the historical equivalent of the printing press. There is lots to celebrate, including the ability of people previously excluded from public life to make themselves heard. But so far, we have not come up with a way of thinking through the issues and implications. The digital platforms have rejected the idea that they more than technology companies. Credit:Getty Images The digital platforms have rejected the idea that they more than technology companies, and should therefore take on some of the responsibilities that go with freedom to publish.

This denial of responsibility is no longer tenable. Through the algorithms that govern our feeds, social media companies curate information and decide what we see. They amplify some players and mute others. But how they do so is neither consistent nor transparent. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video What should be done? In Australia, commercial broadcasters are subject to a system of co-regulation, in which codes of conduct are written in consultation with government. Once implemented, the Australian Communications and Media Authority monitors compliance.

In theory a broadcasting licence can be removed for serious breaches. This has never been done, but conditions have been placed on licences, for example after Alan Jones helped foment the 2005 Cronulla riots. The effectiveness of this system can be debated, but it has broad consent as a reasonable balance between regulation and media freedom. Had a commercial broadcaster in Australia persisted in carrying the threats of violence that appear on social media, it would certainly have been grounds for removal of licence. Something like this system of co-regulation might be the way forward. The suffragettes did not have Twitter when they campaigned to get the vote for women in Britain.

In the meantime, have we forgotten that it is possible to have political speech, and organise political protest, without social media? Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress did not have the worldwide web when they organised an international movement that saw the overturning of apartheid in South Africa. The suffragettes did not have Twitter when they campaigned to get the vote for women in Britain, and Martin Luther King did not collect Facebook likes for the US civil rights movement. If we want to applaud the Hong Kong demonstrators when they plan protests against the Chinese Communist Party, but condemn the demonstrators on Capitol Hill, we have to be able to articulate what the difference is. If we say it is wrong for the CCP to censor WeChat, but right for Twitter to censor Trump, we must be able to say why. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally near the White House before the Capitol riots. Credit:Bloomberg I think we should put up with a good deal, including grave offence, before we restrict freedom of speech, but draw the line at incitement of violence. Lies and misinformation should be labelled as such.

Those making these decisions should be publicly accountable and implementing rules arrived at through a public process. Even the prohibition of violent speech leaves us with difficult calls. The suffragettes used violence. So, once he became convinced there was no hope of negotiation, did Nelson Mandela and the ANC. History judges those movements kindly. Would Twitter have blocked them? Loading Such difficult questions are exactly why social media companies must step up and become part of the regulatory discussion, and why governments have to get to grips with it too.
BRUSSELS, JAN 12 - The European Commission is confident that Italy will do its best on the Recovery Plan to take advantage of the EU's Recovery Fund, an EC spokesperson said Tuesday. The spokesperson, Erica Mamer, declined to comment on Italy's looming government crisis over the Plan. "We do not comment on political situations within member States," she said. "We are working with the Italian authorities and we have full confidence that Italy will do its best to present and launch the national plan for Recovery, to benefit from the funds of Next Generation EU when they are available". Rome is set to get the single biggest tranche, 209 billion euros, of the 750 billion euro Recovery Fund, as long as its Plan is approved. The cash will come in grants and low-interest loans. Ex-premier Matteo Renzi is set to pull the two ministers of his centrist Italia Viva (IV) party from the government, sparking a crisis, over the the Plan and other issues. (ANSA).
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Trump Approves Emergency Declaration in Washington

President Donald Trump on Monday approved the District of Columbias emergency declaration after a request by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the Districts response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021, a White House statement on Jan. 11 reads.

Bowser had earlier requested the emergency declaration in a letter to Trump, which reads, in part, In light of the attack on the Capitol and intelligence suggesting further violence is likely during the Inaugural period, my administration has re-evaluated our preparedness posture for the Inauguration, including requesting the extension of DC National Guard support through January 24, 2021.

I have determined that the plans and resources previously assigned to the Inauguration are insufficient to establish a safe and secure environment as a direct result of the insurrectionist actions that occurred on January 6. Based on recent events and intelligence assessments, we must prepare for large groups of trained and armed extremists to come to Washington, DC, the letter said.

The Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol building by unknown groups interrupted lawmakers who were gathered to count and certify the electoral votes for the now-President-elect Joe Biden. It is unclear who instigated the breach of the building.

Separately, the pandemonium that broke out throughout that day on Capitol grounds left at least five people deadthree due to medical reasons. One woman died after being shot inside the Capitol building and a U.S. Capitol police officer was confirmed dead by the department on Jan. 7 due to injuries sustained while on duty responding to riots.

On Monday, Bowser urged Americans not to travel to Washington for the presidential inauguration and instead take part in the Jan. 20 event virtually.

In addition, Bowser sent a letter over the weekend to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, requesting his department extend the national security event period to Jan. 24 from Jan. 11. She asked for the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate with the Pentagon, Department of Justice, Congress, and the Supreme Court to establish a plan to protect all federal property during that time.

Bowser also asked Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to direct the FBI to give an intelligence and threat briefing on a daily basis from Jan. 11 to Jan. 25 to law enforcement officials in Washington, and that Interior Secretary David Bernhardt cancel all public gathering permits and deny all applications for permits during the time period.

Pete Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has named Thomas Fargione as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area, according to the White House.

A Capitol Police officer stands with members of the National Guard behind a crowd control fence surrounding Capitol Hill a day after a group broke into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 7, 2021. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Up to 15,000 National Guard troops will be authorized to be deployed in the city ahead of Jan. 20, to meet current and future inauguration support requirements, Gen. Daniel Hokanson said in a statement on Monday. To date, our troops have been requested to support security, logistics, liaison, and communication missions.

Right now, we have approximately 6,200 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 6 states and the District of Columbia on the ground in the NCR [National Capital Region] supporting civilian authorities, he said. He added that he has received requests from the Secret Service, Capitol Police, and Park Police for guardsmen to be deployed in the city.

Wolf, whose resignation is effective by the end of Monday, said in a statement on Monday that the DHS will begin National Special Security Event operations for the Jan. 20 inauguration effective on Jan. 13 instead of Jan. 19. The change in date is due to events of the past week and the evolving security landscape leading up to the inauguration, referring to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, when groups illegally entered the building and interrupted the joint session of Congress that was being held to count and certify electoral votes.

Biden told reporters on Monday that he is not afraid to take the oath of office outside. It is critically important that therell be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage, that they be held accountable, he also said.

Separately, the U.S. National Park Service said on Monday that the Washington Monument is closed and the closure will continue through Jan. 24. It said that the closures are in response to credible threats to visitors and park resources.

Groups involved in the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt the 59th presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021. This includes the set up and execution of inaugural events, which occur in several park areas, the Park Service said in its statement.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  Within a span of about 24 hours, three House Democrats have announced they tested positive for COVID-19, prompting concern that last weeks insurrection at the Capitol has also turned into a super-spreader event threatening the health of lawmakers and their staffs.

Those who have tested positive were among the dozens of lawmakers whisked to a secure location when pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Some members of Congress huddled for hours in the large room, while others were there for a shorter period.

While its not certain where and when lawmakers caught the illness, the Capitols attending physician notified all House lawmakers of possible virus exposure and urged them to be tested. Dr. Brian Moynihan said that members who were in protective isolation last Wednesday may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.

The three Democratic lawmakers directed their anger toward some House Republicans who were also in the secure room and declined opportunities to wear a mask, despite their role in blocking the spread of COVID-19. Video surfaced of multiple Republican lawmakers refusing to wear a face mask even when they were offered one.

Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wifes health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff, Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., said on Tuesday.

Schneiders comments came a few hours after similar remarks from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.

Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them, Jayapal said. Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a mask in a crowded room.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey said Monday that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

All three lawmakers are isolating. Schneider said he was not feeling symptoms, while Watson Coleman said she was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms. Jayapal did not elaborate on how she was feeling but noted that she began to quarantine several days ago out of concern about conditions in the secured room.

In the video below, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, was shown approaching the group of colleagues last Wednesday and offering blue surgical masks. The video, shot from inside a safe room where the lawmakers gathered during the chaos, was published on Twitter by Punchbowl News, according to a story on cnn.com.

Those legislators shown huddled together included Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Oklahoma Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, Texas Rep. Michael Cloud and California Rep. Doug LaMalfa. All refused the masks.

The story noted that Mullin can be heard saying, Im not trying to get political here.

Within hours of their announcements, Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Anthony Brown, D-Md., introduced legislation that would impose a $1,000 fine on any member of Congress refusing to wear a mask on Capitol grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is not brave to refuse to wear a mask, it is selfish, stupid, and shameful behavior that puts lives at risk, Dingell said.

Jayapal also called on the House Sergeant at Arms to remove any lawmaker from the House floor who declines to wear a mask.

This is not a joke, she said. Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy.

--

Kevin Freking of The Associated Press wrote this story.
BAY CITY, MI - Newly elected Bay County state Rep. Timothy Beson is raising concerns about the ongoing indoor dining ban stemming from Michigans latest health order related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, licensed establishments are prohibited from allowing in-person dining and gatherings, as defined by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Gatherings and Face Mask Order.

The Republican 96th House representative, who won the seat representing Bay City and southern Bay County during the Nov. 2020 election, spoke from his perspective as owner of Besons market.

As a store owner myself, I can say with complete confidence it doesnt make any sense that in-person dining is banned while other businesses can still be in full operation, said Beson. The same CDC guidelines we follow at my market, for example, are the ones restaurant and bar owners could also follow. So why cant they open in-person dining? Again, it truly doesnt make any sense.

The ban in place by the states health order is slated to last until Friday, Jan. 15. MLive previously reported that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to announce a modified order in the next couple days but it currently unknown if the changes will open the doors for indoor dining yet.

Beson stated that Gov. Whitmer and her administration owe Michigan residents who earn their livelihoods from the food and beverage industry an explanation for the ban and its impacts.

So many establishments that were thriving before the pandemic are now barely hanging on, said Beson. Thousands upon thousands of people are being left in the dark, basically being told their livelihoods are not essential at all, leaving them to wonder how theyre going to pay their bills and feed their families. Its just ridiculous  and remember, this is through no fault of their own, either.

Beson said that hes heard from numerous employees that have been laid off, some of who having gone 20 weeks without receiving unemployment funding.

MLive previously reported that a Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association survey of 175 restaurant owners showed that 48% are considering closing down until the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Ray VanMullekom, owner of Latitude 43 restaurant in Bay City, said his ability to serve customers has been cut in half by the states restrictions, according to a news release by Beson.

Dave Dittenber, CEO of Downtown Restaurant Investments, criticized the ban, the release states.

I dont understand why we cant open at limited occupancy like 48 other states, Dittenber said. The data and science do not support these harsh actions by our governor. This is going to cause irreparable damage to the industry.

Gov. Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel recently issued statements commending bar and restaurant owners for ongoing compliance with the emergency health orders.

Our bar and restaurant owners have made incredible sacrifices over the past 10 months to keep their communities safe and slow the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank those who have enacted strict safety protocols and worked around the clock to save lives, said Whitmer.

Nessels office has been working with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) as the order is being enforced. Any licensed establishment that is in violation of the MDHHS emergency order can risk suspension or revocation of its license.

Of the approximately 8,500 on-premises liquor licensees in the state, the MLCC has suspended the liquor licenses of a total of 32 establishments for violations due to the COVID-19 pandemic since last September, according to the MLCC.

The licensees multiple violations of the current MDHHS order include allowing non-residential, in-person gatherings; providing in-person dining; failure to require face coverings for staff and patrons; and failure to prohibit patrons from congregating.

More from MLive

48% of Michigan restaurants are considering closing until pandemic ends, survey finds

Dine-in restaurant ban is a nail in the coffin of Michigan businesses, industry leaders say

Michigan restaurant owners pray for government aid as dining closure drags on

More illegally-open bars, restaurants get liquor licenses suspended

Thanks to COVID-19, Michigan had more work safety complaints in 2020 than last 4 years combined

Restaurant group agrees to dismiss lawsuit challenging Michigans dine-in ban
Despite California government issuing strict rules that have been in place for months, Hollywood actor Bruce Willis has been pictured shopping inside a Los Angeles pharmacy store without wearing a face mask.

It has been reported that the 65-year-old Die Hard star even refused to cover up when entering the RiteAid store in LA on Monday, even though he was seen to be wearing a scarf around his neck that could have been pulled up.

A representative for the actor to did immediately respond DailyMail.com's request for comment, though pictures of the actor clearly show him flouting the strict government guidelines as he walked around the retail outlet.

A report by PageSix claims that fellow shoppers became upset when the Hollywood star was seen without a facial covering, and ended up exiting the shop without making his purchase.

Caught out: Bruce Willis 'asked to leave store for REFUSING to wear face mask' as he is pictured completely ignoring strict coronavirus guidelines in LA on Monday

Masks are required in indoor spaces in California while people can choose to not wear them outside as long as they are at least six feet apart from others.

The sighting comes after the California death toll has now topped 30,000, with Los Angeles becoming the epicenter of the worst-hit places by the coronavirus.

Ten people are testing positive every minute, and residents have even been advised to wear masks inside their homes, let alone when they are out shopping and mixing with other people.

Meanwhile, Willis has made no secret of the fact that he has been quarantining in large groups, and recently shared a rare photo alongside his wife Emma, 42, and their two daughters Evelyn, aged six, and Mabel, eight, from over Christmas.

Swift exit: Bruce, 65, is seen covering his face with his hand as he left the pharmacy

Rules: The actor, 65, opted for a casual look as he went on a shopping trip, with California guidelines being that people should wear a mask when outside their home

The family wore red and black plaid pajamas as they stood outside their impressive mansion.

In her caption, Emma said that she put her camera on a ladder, set a timer and crossed her fingers.

She added 'that's 2020 for you' as she said a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to her followers.

Change of tune: Back in October, Bruce, his wife Emma, and their two girls took to Instagram to promote mask wearing

'From our party of four to yours,' added Emma. Bruce shared the image as well with the same caption and tagged his ex wife Demi Moore as well as the three daughters he had with her.

'We miss you guys,' added Emma. The modern family is very close and often spend time together in Idaho.

Bruce and Demi were wed from 1987 until 2000. Demi shared her own Christmas images with her kids as well as several friends as they spent time in Iaho.

His tribe: It comes after Bruce shared a rare photo alongside his wife Emma, 42, an their two daughters Evelyn, aged six, and Mabel, eight, over Christmas

Group fun: Bruce also revealed that he had been quarantining with ex-wife Demi Moore last year along with their three adult children and friends

Cozy: Demi also shared this snap herself with Bruce and their crew last year

Bruce's daughter Rumer recently urged people to 'wear a damn mask' after being exposed to coronavirus.

The movie star has ranted on social media after being in contact with someone who didn't tell her they had experienced symptoms, and wasn't wearing a face covering, leaving her 'exposed' to the virus.

Taking to her Instagram Story, she wrote: 'It's not up for discussion anymore! I don't really care what you want to do for yourself but for others WEAR A DAMN MASK!

'I was exposed to covid today because someone didn't feel the need to speak up about symptoms or wear a mask and I'm gonna be honest I'm pretty freaked out and angry. It's not that difficult to be a decent human being and protect yourself and others. (sic)'
A Jordanian court has sentenced a man to death for stabbing tourists and police in 2019.

The State Security Court found the man guilty of terrorism on Tuesday and gave him the death sentence, the state-run Jordan News Agency, also known as Petra, reported.

The conviction stems from the November 2019 stabbing attack in the city of Jerash north of the capital, Amman. A lone assailant stabbed several people at a Roman ruins archaeological site there. Three Mexican tourists and one Swiss woman were injured, as were a tour guide, a driver and three police, according to Petra. Nobody died in the incident.

The court also sentenced one man to life imprisonment and another to seven years for their roles in the incident. Petra described them as accomplices. All men are from Jerash and were inspired by material they read from the Islamic State (IS), according to the agency.

The Associated Press identified the man convicted to death as Mustafa Abu Tuameh.

In 2016, IS shot dead 10 people in the city of Karak. Also that year, a Jordanian security guard shot and killed three US soldiers at the King Faisal Air Base.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Screen capture from YouTube



Scientists at the World Health Organization warned that mass vaccinations would not bring about herd immunity to the coronavirus this year, even as one leading producer boosted its production forecast.



Infections numbers are surging around the world, especially in Europe where nations have been forced to ramp up virus restrictions even as vaccines are rolled out.



The WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan warned Monday that it would take time to produce and give enough shots to halt the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 90 million people worldwide with deaths approaching two million.



"We are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021," she said, stressing the need to maintain physical distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing.



Experts are also concerned about the rapid spread of new variants of the virus, such as the one first detected in Britain which is feared to be significantly more transmissible.



England opened seven mass vaccination sites Monday to fight a surge fuelled by that variant, which is threatening to overwhelm hospitals.



But England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty told the BBC: "The next few weeks are going to be the worst weeks of this pandemic in terms of numbers into the NHS (National Health Service)."



Elsewhere in Europe, Portugal was facing a new lockdown because of a spike in cases and deaths, as the President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa tested positive for the virus.





In this file photo dated Monday, June 22, 2020, a sign requesting people stay two metres apart to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is displayed in front of "Out of Order" a 1989 red phone box sculpture by British artist David Mach, in London. AP



The 72-year-old was asymptomatic and isolating in the presidential palace in Lisbon, his office said.



Slovakia was preparing to start a new round of mass testing, Prime Minister Igor Matovic said late Monday, following a first nationwide screening in November.



"From next weekend at the latest, we will run a mass test every week until we get the situation under control. There is no other way," said Matovic, who tested positive himself in December after an EU summit.



'Endemic disease' warning



German company BioNTech, which partnered with Pfizer to produce the first vaccine approved in the West, said it could produce millions more doses than originally expected this year, boosting the production forecast from 1.3 to two billion.



The announcement was a boost to countries struggling to deliver the shots, but the company also warned that Covid-19 would "likely become an endemic disease", with vaccines needed to fight new variants and a "naturally waning immune response".



Officials in Russia said they would trial a one-dose version of country's Sputnik V vaccine as part of efforts to provide a stopgap solution for badly hit countries.



India, with the world's second-highest number of infections, is set to begin giving shots to its 1.3 billion people from Saturday in a colossal and complex undertaking.



US President-elect Joe Biden, who has pledged to devote all available resources to fight the pandemic, received his second vaccine dose on Monday.





Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, during the announcement of his decision to run again for Portugal's Head of State in the elections of 24 January 2021, in Lisbon, Portugal, 07 December 2020 (reissued 12 January 2021). EPA-Yonhap
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav



Thackeray on Tuesday instructed officials to expedite work on the Bandra-Versova and Versova-Virar sea link projects to ease vehicular movement in Mumbai.

According to an official statement, Thackeray gave the instruction during a meeting he chaired here to review these projects, being executed by state-run Maharashtra Road Development Corporation.

The 9.6-km Bandra-Versova sea link aims to address traffic jam issues and save fuel and time of motorists, the statement said.

The chief minister suggested during the meeting to connect the coastal road to the Western Express Highway from suburban Versova, it said.

The authorities have targeted to complete the project work by 2025, the statement said.

The Versova-Virar sea link, of 42.75-km length, will be completed in two phases - from Versova to Vasai and Vasai to Virar - it said.

The statement said precaution is being taken to ensure the project does not affect the movements of fishermen.

A detailed project report of Versova-Virar sea link has been prepared, the statement said.

Thackeray said the two sea link projects will help boost the economy in the areas concerned and increase employment opportunities there.

(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.)
Most distant quasar discovered sheds light on how black holes grow

A team of astronomers led by the University of Arizona has observed a luminous quasar 13.03 billion light-years from Earth - the most distant quasar discovered to date. Dating back to 670 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was only 5% its current age, the quasar hosts a supermassive black hole equivalent to the combined mass of 1.6 billion suns.

In addition to being the most distant - and by extension, earliest - quasar known, the object is the first of its kind to show evidence of an outflowing wind of super-heated gas escaping from the surroundings of the black hole at a fifth of the speed of light. In addition to revealing a strong quasar-driven wind, the new observations also show intense star formation activity in the host galaxy where the quasar, formally designated J0313-1806, is located.

The researchers will present their findings, which have been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters, during a press conference and a scientific talk at the 237th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, which will be held virtually Jan. 11-15.

The previous record-holder among quasars in the infant universe was discovered three years ago. The UArizona team also contributed to that discovery. Quasars are thought to result from supermassive black holes gobbling up surrounding matter, such as gas or even entire stars, resulting in a maelstrom of superheated matter known as an accretion disk that swirls around the black hole. Because of the enormous energies involved, quasars are among the brightest sources in the cosmos, often outshining their host galaxies.

Although J0313-1806 is only 20 million light-years farther away than the previous record holder, the new quasar contains a supermassive black hole twice as heavy. This marks a significant advancement for cosmology, as it provides the strongest constraint yet on the formation of black holes in the early universe.

"This is the earliest evidence of how a supermassive black hole is affecting its host galaxy around it," said the paper's lead author Feige Wang, a Hubble Fellow at UArizona's Steward Observatory. "From observations of less distant galaxies, we know that this has to happen, but we have never seen it happening so early in the universe."

Quasars that already amassed millions, if not billions, of solar masses in their black holes at a time when the universe was very young pose a challenge to scientists trying to explain how they came into existence when they barely had the time to do so. A commonly accepted explanation of black hole formation involves a star exploding up as a supernova at the end of its life and collapsing into a black hole. When such black holes merge over time, they can - theoretically - grow into supermassive black holes. However, much like it would require many lifetimes to build a retirement fund by chipping in a dollar each year, quasars in the early universe are a little bit like toddler millionaires; they must have acquired their mass by other means.

The newly discovered quasar provides a new benchmark by ruling out two current models of how supermassive black holes form in such short timescales. In the first model, massive stars that consist largely of hydrogen and lack most other elements that make up later stars, including metals, form the first generation of stars in a young galaxy and provide the food for the nascent black hole. The second model involves dense star clusters, which collapse into a massive black hole right from the outset.

Quasar J0313-1806, however, boasts a black hole too massive to be explained by the aforementioned scenarios, according to the team that discovered it. The team calculated that if the black hole at its center formed as early as 100 million years after the Big Bang and grew as fast as possible, it still would have had to have at least 10,000 solar masses to begin with.

"This tells you that no matter what you do, the seed of this black hole must have formed by a different mechanism," said co-author Xiaohui Fan, Regents Professor and associate head of the UArizona Department of Astronomy. "In this case, one that involves vast quantities of primordial, cold hydrogen gas directly collapsing into a seed black hole."

Because this mechanism doesn't require full-fledged stars as raw material, it is the only one that would allow the supermassive black hole of quasar J0313-1806 to grow to 1.6 billion solar masses at such an early time in the universe. This is what makes the new record quasar so valuable, Fan explained.

"Once you go to lower redshifts, all the models could explain the existence of those less distant and less massive quasars," he said. "In order for the black hole to have grown to the size we see with J0313-1806, it would have to have started out with a seed black hole of at least 10,000 solar masses, and that would only be possible in the direct collapse scenario."

The newly discovered quasar appears to offer a rare glimpse into the life of a galaxy at the dawn of the universe when many of the galaxy-shaping processes that have since slowed or ceased in galaxies that have been around for much longer were still in full swing.

According to current models of galaxy evolution, supermassive black holes growing at their centers could be the main reason why galaxies ultimately stop making new stars. Acting like a blowtorch of cosmic proportions, quasars blast their surroundings fiercely, effectively sweeping their host galaxy clean of much of the cold gas that serves as the raw material from which stars form.

"We think those supermassive black holes were the reason why many of the big galaxies stopped forming stars at some point," Fan said. "We observe this 'quenching' at lower redshifts, but until now, we didn't know how early this process began in the history of the universe. This quasar is the earliest evidence that quenching may have been happening at very early times."

By measuring the quasar's luminosity, Wang's team calculated that the supermassive black hole at its center is ingesting the mass equivalent of 25 suns each year, on average, which is thought to be the main reason for its high-velocity hot plasma wind blowing into the galaxy around it at relativistic speed. For comparison, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way has become mostly dormant.

And while the Milky Way forms stars at the leisurely pace of about one solar mass each year, J0313-1806 churns out 200 solar masses in the same time period.

"This is a relatively high star formation rate, similar to that observed in other quasars of similar age, and it tells us the host galaxy is growing very fast," Wang said.

"These quasars presumably are still in the process of building their supermassive black holes" Fan added. "Over time, the quasar's outflow heats and pushes all the gas out of the galaxy, and then the black hole has nothing left to eat anymore and will stop growing. This is evidence about how these earliest massive galaxies and their quasars grow."

The researchers expect to find a few more quasars from the same time period, including potential new record breakers, said Jinyi Yang, the second author of the report, who is a Peter A. Strittmatter Fellow at the Steward Observatory. Yang and Fan were observing at the 6.5-meter Magellan Baade telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile the night J0313-1806 was discovered.

"Our quasar survey covers a very wide field, allowing us to scan almost half of the sky," Yang said. "We have selected more candidates on which we will follow up with more detailed observations."

The researchers hope to uncover more about the quasar's secrets with future observations, especially with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, currently slated for launch in 2021.

"With ground-based telescopes, we can only see a point source," Wang said. "Future observations could make it possible to resolve the quasar in more detail, show the structure of its outflow and how far the wind extends into its galaxy, and that would give us a much better idea of its evolutionary stage."

###

In addition to the 6.5-meter Magellan Baade telescope, the following instruments were involved in this study: The Gemini North Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory, both on Maunakea, Hawaii; and the Gemini South Telescope, the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, all located in Chile's Atacama Desert. Data from the Blanco Telescope's contributed to the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which are served to the astronomical community via the Astro Data Lab at NOIRLab's Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), helped to first identify J0313-1806, and Gemini South observations were used to confirm its identity as a quasar.

The research team also includes astronomer Richard Green and doctoral student Minghao Yue, both at Steward Observatory. The research was funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation, the European Research Council and the National Science Foundation of China.

The Magellan Telescopes are managed by a collaboration of US universities including the University of Arizona.

NSF's NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory), the US center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the international Gemini Observatory (a facility of NSF, NRC-Canada, ANID-Chile, MCTIC-Brazil, MINCyT-Argentina, and KASI-Republic of Korea), Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), and Vera C. Rubin Observatory. It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.

The astronomical community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Du'ag (Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on Maunakea in Hawaii, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachon in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that these sites have to the Tohono O'odham Nation, to the Native Hawaiian community, and to the local communities in Chile, respectively.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Fully formed just 670 million years after the Big Bang and powered by the earliest known supermassive black hole, the quasar provides insight into the formation of massive galaxies in the early universe

A team of astronomers led by the University of Arizona has observed a luminous quasar 13.03 billion light-years from Earth - the most distant quasar discovered to date. Dating back to 670 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was only 5% its current age, the quasar hosts a supermassive black hole equivalent to the combined mass of 1.6 billion suns.

In addition to being the most distant - and by extension, earliest - quasar known, the object is the first of its kind to show evidence of an outflowing wind of super-heated gas escaping from the surroundings of the black hole at a fifth of the speed of light. In addition to revealing a strong quasar-driven wind, the new observations also show intense star formation activity in the host galaxy where the quasar, formally designated J0313-1806, is located.

The researchers will present their findings, which have been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters, during a press conference and a scientific talk at the 237th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, which will be held virtually Jan. 11-15.

The previous record-holder among quasars in the infant universe was discovered three years ago. The UArizona team also contributed to that discovery. Quasars are thought to result from supermassive black holes gobbling up surrounding matter, such as gas or even entire stars, resulting in a maelstrom of superheated matter known as an accretion disk that swirls around the black hole. Because of the enormous energies involved, quasars are among the brightest sources in the cosmos, often outshining their host galaxies.

Although J0313-1806 is only 20 million light-years farther away than the previous record holder, the new quasar contains a supermassive black hole twice as heavy. This marks a significant advancement for cosmology, as it provides the strongest constraint yet on the formation of black holes in the early universe.

"This is the earliest evidence of how a supermassive black hole is affecting its host galaxy around it," said the paper's lead author Feige Wang, a Hubble Fellow at UArizona's Steward Observatory. "From observations of less distant galaxies, we know that this has to happen, but we have never seen it happening so early in the universe."

Quasars that already amassed millions, if not billions, of solar masses in their black holes at a time when the universe was very young pose a challenge to scientists trying to explain how they came into existence when they barely had the time to do so. A commonly accepted explanation of black hole formation involves a star exploding up as a supernova at the end of its life and collapsing into a black hole. When such black holes merge over time, they can - theoretically - grow into supermassive black holes. However, much like it would require many lifetimes to build a retirement fund by chipping in a dollar each year, quasars in the early universe are a little bit like toddler millionaires; they must have acquired their mass by other means.

The newly discovered quasar provides a new benchmark by ruling out two current models of how supermassive black holes form in such short timescales. In the first model, massive stars that consist largely of hydrogen and lack most other elements that make up later stars, including metals, form the first generation of stars in a young galaxy and provide the food for the nascent black hole. The second model involves dense star clusters, which collapse into a massive black hole right from the outset.

Quasar J0313-1806, however, boasts a black hole too massive to be explained by the aforementioned scenarios, according to the team that discovered it. The team calculated that if the black hole at its center formed as early as 100 million years after the Big Bang and grew as fast as possible, it still would have had to have at least 10,000 solar masses to begin with.

"This tells you that no matter what you do, the seed of this black hole must have formed by a different mechanism," said co-author Xiaohui Fan, Regents Professor and associate head of the UArizona Department of Astronomy. "In this case, one that involves vast quantities of primordial, cold hydrogen gas directly collapsing into a seed black hole."

Because this mechanism doesn't require full-fledged stars as raw material, it is the only one that would allow the supermassive black hole of quasar J0313-1806 to grow to 1.6 billion solar masses at such an early time in the universe. This is what makes the new record quasar so valuable, Fan explained.

"Once you go to lower redshifts, all the models could explain the existence of those less distant and less massive quasars," he said. "In order for the black hole to have grown to the size we see with J0313-1806, it would have to have started out with a seed black hole of at least 10,000 solar masses, and that would only be possible in the direct collapse scenario."

The newly discovered quasar appears to offer a rare glimpse into the life of a galaxy at the dawn of the universe when many of the galaxy-shaping processes that have since slowed or ceased in galaxies that have been around for much longer were still in full swing.

According to current models of galaxy evolution, supermassive black holes growing at their centers could be the main reason why galaxies ultimately stop making new stars. Acting like a blowtorch of cosmic proportions, quasars blast their surroundings fiercely, effectively sweeping their host galaxy clean of much of the cold gas that serves as the raw material from which stars form.

"We think those supermassive black holes were the reason why many of the big galaxies stopped forming stars at some point," Fan said. "We observe this 'quenching' at lower redshifts, but until now, we didn't know how early this process began in the history of the universe. This quasar is the earliest evidence that quenching may have been happening at very early times."

By measuring the quasar's luminosity, Wang's team calculated that the supermassive black hole at its center is ingesting the mass equivalent of 25 suns each year, on average, which is thought to be the main reason for its high-velocity hot plasma wind blowing into the galaxy around it at relativistic speed. For comparison, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way has become mostly dormant.

And while the Milky Way forms stars at the leisurely pace of about one solar mass each year, J0313-1806 churns out 200 solar masses in the same time period.

"This is a relatively high star formation rate, similar to that observed in other quasars of similar age, and it tells us the host galaxy is growing very fast," Wang said.

"These quasars presumably are still in the process of building their supermassive black holes" Fan added. "Over time, the quasar's outflow heats and pushes all the gas out of the galaxy, and then the black hole has nothing left to eat anymore and will stop growing. This is evidence about how these earliest massive galaxies and their quasars grow."

The researchers expect to find a few more quasars from the same time period, including potential new record breakers, said Jinyi Yang, the second author of the report, who is a Peter A. Strittmatter Fellow at the Steward Observatory. Yang and Fan were observing at the 6.5-meter Magellan Baade telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile the night J0313-1806 was discovered.

"Our quasar survey covers a very wide field, allowing us to scan almost half of the sky," Yang said. "We have selected more candidates on which we will follow up with more detailed observations."

The researchers hope to uncover more about the quasar's secrets with future observations, especially with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, currently slated for launch in 2021.

"With ground-based telescopes, we can only see a point source," Wang said. "Future observations could make it possible to resolve the quasar in more detail, show the structure of its outflow and how far the wind extends into its galaxy, and that would give us a much better idea of its evolutionary stage."

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In addition to the 6.5-meter Magellan Baade telescope, the following instruments were involved in this study: The Gemini North Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory, both on Maunakea, Hawaii; and the Gemini South Telescope, the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, all located in Chile's Atacama Desert. Data from the Blanco Telescope's contributed to the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which are served to the astronomical community via the Astro Data Lab at NOIRLab's Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), helped to first identify J0313-1806, and Gemini South observations were used to confirm its identity as a quasar.

The research team also includes astronomer Richard Green and doctoral student Minghao Yue, both at Steward Observatory. The research was funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation, the European Research Council and the National Science Foundation of China.

The Magellan Telescopes are managed by a collaboration of US universities including the University of Arizona.

NSF's NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory), the US center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the international Gemini Observatory (a facility of NSF, NRC-Canada, ANID-Chile, MCTIC-Brazil, MINCyT-Argentina, and KASI-Republic of Korea), Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), and Vera C. Rubin Observatory. It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.

The astronomical community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Du'ag (Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on Maunakea in Hawaii, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachon in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that these sites have to the Tohono O'odham Nation, to the Native Hawaiian community, and to the local communities in Chile, respectively.
As midnight approached in Sa Pa, many kids were out on the streets, hawking goods to tourists in freezing conditions.

"Please buy for me, please, please!" begged a little girl, barely five, carrying a sibling on her back. Her hands were held out in desperation as cold wind battered her tiny frame. Her face was red and cracked, her body shielded by a flimsy jacket with an extra layer of plastic film.

A three-year-old girl next to her was running around and tugging at the sleeves of passersby, beseeching them to buy some of their satchels and dolls for VND10,000 (43 US cents).

As hundreds of tourists walked the streets of the northern highlands town dressed in thick coats and wool scarves, well insulated as the mercury dropped to minus one degree Celsius last Saturday, scantily clad small children were hawking their wares.

Just 20 meters from where the little children moved out, a group of women was gathered around a fire for warmth as they knit clothes. When there were no prospective customers around, the little girls ran to the warmth of the fire.

But when tourists ask the women about the girls conditions, they only shook their heads in response.

"Its so cold outside that even adults cant bear it. Its pitiful to see the girls like this, I want to help them, even if it is little," said 38-year-old Nguyen Binh Ca from Hanoi as he took out his wallet.

Immediately afterwards, three or four kids swarmed around and begged him to buy from them as well.

Even as Ca put his wallet away, an announcement blared from a speaker on a vehicle patrolling the Sa Pa Ward. Tran Dinh Tho, head of an inspection team, was driving through the area, blasting messages from loudspeakers, asking tourists not to buy goods from local kids to prevent them from being exploited.

"Not buying goods from them will help protect the childrens rights," the announcement said.

Little children begging/hawking on the streets of Sa Pa in Lao Cai Province has been a common sight for a long time, as it has been in other tourist hotspots across the country.

And, as in other localities, Lao Cai authorities have also begun asking tourists to stop buying goods from the little children, saying parents were taking advantage of tourists compassion to force their children to hawk things even in harsh weather conditions.

Poverty-stricken families

Vuong Trinh Quoc, Chairman of Sa Pa, said that at peak times, there could be as many as 500 children out on the streets, pestering tourists. Authorities have tried numerous ways to stop it, including using loudspeakers mounted on cars or vans, asking people to desist from buying anything from local kids and also trying to persuade parents not to make their children sell things, but nothing has worked. Many kids are still on the streets.

"Weve listened to the people. Some either dont have jobs or are paid too little, so theyve simply stopped working in the fields. Others feel that selling things on the street can bring in more money, so they make their children do it," he said, adding a lot of the poor people asking kids to work on the streets live in downtown communes like Hoang Lien, Muong Hoa, Ta Van and Ta Phin.

Authorities have tried helping some residents become vendors and others to pursue jobs in the tourism and services industry. They have also given out agriculture loans.

But, "to put a complete stop to children selling things on the streets, their parents must have stable jobs," said Quoc, adding that local authorities were trying to boost community tourism and artisanship so more people can join the workforce.

Sa Pa, a major tourist destination in Vietnam, receives around three million visitors every year. About 65,000 people visited the town during the latest New Year holiday.
After builders accused cement manufacturers of indulging in cartelisation to jack up prices, cement manufacturers have hit out at builders saying they were misleading the government and that the government should look into their margins. The development comes a day after Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the was trying to raise prices through cartelisation and there was an urgent need for a regulator.

Industry players from the South have created a new body South India Cement Manufacturers Association (SICMA), which will be headed by N Srinivasan, vice chairman and managing director, India Cements.

The office bearers, including Ravinder Reddy, director, Bharthi Cements and vice president of SICMA and Krishna Srivastava, director, Penna Cements and Secretary of SICMA, alleged that what ails the and in-turn India's growth is the poor growth of the housing sector. They said that this was due to the artificially high price of flats/houses. There is a clear cartel working among builders under the banner of CREDAI and BAI, who are holding on to prices despite having a margin of more than 100 per cent, said the

In a representation to the prime minister, they said no concrete action has been taken by the administration to rein them and their profiteering approach.

Srinivasan said that in Chennai cement prices range from Rs 300-420 per bag (50 kgs). The cost of land constitutes a large chunk of the flat price and the guideline rate for land in high-end areas in Chennai is Rs 10,000 per sq.ft. Given an FSI of 2/2.4, the cost of land in a flat would be around Rs 4,200 a sq.ft. Add to it, the construction cost of around Rs 2,000-2500 per sq.ft, the total cost of a completed flat works out to a maximum of Rs 6,700 per sq.ft. However, the selling price in these areas ranges from Rs 15,000-20,000 a sq.ft.

"It is pertinent to note that there is a huge unsold inventory. Builder lobby is not allowing the prices to fall," said Srinivasan, adding that builders get discounts, but they show inflated bills to claim false input credit and to avoid income tax.

Reddy added, in Hyderabad, the guideline value in high-end areas is such that cost of land in a flat can at best be Rs 1,500 a sq.ft. After adding construction cost, the total cost of flat should not exceed Rs 4,000 a sq.ft. However, builders sell their flats in these zones at rates of Rs 8,000-10,000 a sq.ft. The association also alleged that selling prices have doubled in the last five years.

They noted, across 9 major markets, the unsold inventory of flats is around 7,500,000. "Only if builders had cut the price and sold the inventory, would there have been a total revival of realty demand. Middle class and lower middle class are dying to get a roof on their head provided it is affordable," said the association, adding that while taking advantage of the prime minister's affordable housing scheme, builders are denying benefit to the public at large. On the other hand, despite 28 per cent GST and increase in raw material prices, cement makers are selling cement at Rs 230 for infrastructure projects, like roads and for government-sponsored affordable housing projects, said Srinivasan.

The cement makers alleged that whenever questioned, builders raise the bogey of rising input cost, specially cement, while they fail to explain that only half a bag is needed to construct one sq.ft. Cement accounts for just about 1.5-2 per cent of the selling price. Even if the price of cement was to go up by Rs 100 a bag, it will have an impact of just Rs 50 a sq.ft on the construction cost.

Reddy noted that while margin was around 15-16 per cent, builders' lowest margin was around 35-50 percent.

The sssociation has urged the government to take measures to break the builders' lobby and wants the gGovernment to ask builders to reduce the price by atleast 50 per cent. They also want action to be taken if the entire payment is not made through cheque.

Out of the country's around 500 million tonnes capacity, the southern India accounts for around 180-200 million tonnes. Nearly 30 per cent of limestone reserves are in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

Srinivasan said capacity utilisation in the South is around 50 per cent and demand is not back to pre-covid levels, while in the North and East the demand is more than pre-covid levels. In the South, however, month on month demand is improving.
Pressure leads to Christian college president turnover, school heads say

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In the last three years, 38 Christian college presidents have left their jobs, according to statistics from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Before now, college presidents in the CCCU have often stayed at universities longer than their counterparts, said Gordon College President D. Michael Lindsay. But as the pressures and complexity of university operations have increased, the number of years Christian presidents serve has decreased.

Lindsay said he plans to end his 10-year job as president because he felt God was calling him to another task. Although future prospects for the Massachusetts college look excellent, he will leave his position this year. During his presidency, he has seen the field of higher education change.

Time horizons for expectations in the presidency have really shortened. Higher education used to be a sleepy field where change came very slowly and gradually. But for most of us, you now have to be nimble and responsible to a marketplace that changes year by year, he told The Christian Post.

In past generations, college presidents navigated less market pressure, smaller technological change and fewer layers of government bureaucracy, he noted. Today, these factors all complicate a presidents work significantly.

The job [of president] is exponentially harder than it has ever been before, he said.

Today, once a president joins a college, he starts a relatively brief honeymoon period where people like him, Lindsay said. Eventually, the president makes controversial decisions that anger some people. People stop wanting to work with the president. Eventually, he becomes a scapegoat.

In a faster-moving world, controversial decisions come up more often, Lindsay pointed out.

Over time you carry everyones accumulated grievances against the institution, he lamented.

To start afresh, a president must create a new vision for the university, take a sabbatical or change his life significantly, he explained. In effect, he either becomes a "new" president or gets replaced by a new president. For modern universities, the system runs best with rapid change.

So many of our secular colleagues continue to hold onto these roles, clutching them within their grip as if the more they hold their identities, the more secure they will be, said Lindsay. Christ followers are at a bit of an advantage when it comes to transitions.

Although it might be difficult, rapid change also leads to more innovation and job experience. Bill Peterson, a parter in executive job search firm Carter Baldwin, said that the term lengths of Christian college presidents he works with have been decreasing slowly.

I havent noticed that theres a large influx [of new people]. I do notice that the tenure is decreasing, he told CP. Were beginning to see Baby Boomers retire. Its just time. I think theres a natural opportunity for new leadership.

A change in leadership often helps refresh institutions, as new executives bring in new ideas, Peterson said. The most important traits for Christian college presidents today are strong moral character and an ability to create a compelling story for their institution.

Im pretty positive about [faster turnover rates], said Lindsay. Its going to increase the variety and opportunities for more people to rise to leadership in Christian colleges. It will also deepen the bench that we have across the Christian educational mosaic.

Many of the CCCU presidents who have stepped down in the past three years have already served long terms, said Asbury University President Kevin Brown to The Christian Post. They stepped down from their jobs because they felt ready to, not because of any more complex reason.

Brown became the new president of Asbury in 2019. Hes part of the next generation of leaders who will help form Christian students into maturity.

I think if you just hear the [CCCU] statistic, it sounds ominous, he said. [The older presidents are] women and men who have served for longer periods of time. I think they have arrived at a point where its time to step down and let someone with a fresh set of eyes step in.

The previous president of Asbury, Sandra Gray, did a great job of preparing the college for new leadership, Brown said.

Brown and Lindsay both agreed that the rapid onslaught of controversial decisions for presidents has influenced increased turnover rate in schools. Brown said that it has become more common for leaders to become unwitting interim presidents whose terms last shorter than they would have first imagined.

A president would enter with the prospect of being in 15 or 20 years, but because of the controversial decisions people had to make immediately, they expended all political and social capital, he said. The future of the presidency could be 10 or 15 years. We may see the timeline adjust so it may not be as long as in years past.

Christian college presidents starting leadership now face a turning point in education, said Brown. People have stopped thinking of university education as a way to become a citizen and started to think of it as a primarily economic decision that needs to deliver returns.

After the financial crisis, there was a shift in how parents and prospective students thought about education. Traditionally, the purpose of a university was to produce good citizens. Theres kind of a careerist assumption that has taken over, why marketplace, he said. These are enormous existential questions that I think would not have been immediately considered in a presidents first year.

But in a rapidly changing educational environment, the questions wont wait.

Christian colleges also face higher pressure to justify their value to society at large, said Brown. As American society has rejected Christian values, the cultural and political forces that once supported Christian schools have weakened. Now faith-based schools must make a case for their own relevance to a different culture than the one they started in.

When you look at the time ahead, I am increasingly convinced that the longevity of schools like Asbury will be tied to the perceived social value that we give to society  not our right to be at the table, but why we are fruit bearers, were light bearers, we provide salt and light to the world, Brown contended.

One way Christian colleges impact society is through their students, he stressed. Students from Christian schools have high graduation rates, high rates of volunteering, low debt rates and work at lower-paying jobs that help other people more often than their secular counterparts. The next generation of Christian college presidents must explain to the public how Christian universities impact the world in beneficial ways, he said.

In some pockets of society, Christian education is a euphemism for inferior education. We have to make a case that its just the opposite. We are very much in the business of rigorous relevant education, said Brown.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 23:39:53|Editor: huaxia

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A vendor introduces his fruits to a customer at the Al-Mubarakiya market in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jan. 13, 2021. The Kuwaiti Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) implemented from Jan. 1 a decision banning the renewal of work and residency permits for expatriates who reach the age of 60 and hold certificates below high school. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwaiti Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) implemented from Jan. 1 a decision banning the renewal of work and residency permits for expatriates who reach the age of 60 and hold certificates below high school.

Issued on Aug. 15, 2020, the decision was a part of the Kuwaiti government's efforts to redress the demographic imbalance of Kuwait.

According to official statistics of PAM, the decision includes expatriates who work in professional sectors such as construction, car repair and restaurants. They will leave after the expiry of their residency by the end of 2021.

Commenting on this, Aziz Al-Qenaei, a journalist, told Xinhua that this decision is to address the demographic crisis in Kuwait, after the number of expatriates increased compared to citizens.

The government needs now to create an appropriate atmosphere for citizens to accept practicing manual work, he pointed out.

"The lifestyle of Kuwaitis does not meet with the work that some expatriates do, such as simple manual work. Therefore, the government should begin to involve citizens more and encourage them if they want the replacement plan to succeed," he added.

Kuwait appreciates what foreign workers have offered to the country, Al- Qenaei noted, stressing that the time has come to employ Kuwaitis who are waiting in long lines to find a job after they graduate.

The decision was welcomed by Kuwaiti citizens.

Mubarak Al-Enzi, a 45-year-old Kuwaiti citizen, confirmed to Xinhua the need for Kuwait to renew its strategy and open job opportunities in the private and public sectors for Kuwaiti youth.

For her part, Khawla Al-Shammari, a 28-year-old employee at the Ministry of Education, explained the necessity of empowering citizens to work in such positions.

"We hope that the government will be able to quickly start to apply the decision. Kuwaiti youth have proven their ability to work in several fields and we must motivate them to work in various jobs," she said.

On the other hand, the Kuwait Federation of Restaurants, Cafes, and Catering considered that this decision restricts the private sector in organizing its work.

"Craft professions don't require certificates. It requires experience that received with age. The decision has negative repercussions on many economic activities," Muhammad Al-Saqr, president of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said.

The new law which came into effect on Jan. 1, 2021 prohibits foreigners over the age of sixty from renewing their residency if they do not have university degrees.

Zahid Yaqoub, a 65-year-old Iranian, is preparing to return permanently on February to his hometown of Isfahan after 40 years that he spent selling vegetables and fruits at the famous Al-Mubarakiya market in the center of the capital of Kuwait.

Zahid, who married and has four children in Kuwait, told Xinhua while arranging oranges on his table to sell, that he came to Kuwait when he was 25 years old, and lived most of his life in this country.

Like Zahid, thousands of foreign workers without university degrees are planning to leave Kuwait in the coming months, where they represent 70 percent of Kuwait's population.

Lynn, a Filipino woman who works in a salon, has been living in Kuwait for 15 years. She has now less than a month to return to her country where her residency visa is to expire at the beginning of February.

Lynn has celebrated her 62nd birthday last November. She told Xinhua that she was exhausted after many years of work, during which she was forced to stay in Kuwait, due to her family's need for financial support, after her late husband left her with three children.

For years, there has been ongoing discussion regarding the demographic imbalance in Kuwait. Meanwhile, the coronavirus revealed another risk of this issue, when the disease spread among foreign workers, due to their lifestyle of living in crowded apartments.

This made the government announce its intention to remedy this imbalance and reduce the percentage of foreign workers to 30 percent of the country's population.

Hajjaj Bukhadour, a Kuwaiti economist who had worked as a consultant in several companies, said that addressing the imbalance of demographics needs to amend laws that contain loopholes that allow the accumulation of workers in the country.

The government allows companies to bring large numbers of workers, sometimes exceeding the need to work on one project, he stressed.

Last April, Kuwait launched a "Travel safe" initiative to encourage residency violators to leave the country without paying fines nor travel expenses.

According to the Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Interior, more than 26,225 violators have left Kuwait. Enditem
Today

Partly cloudy skies during the morning giving way to a few showers late. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy early with thunderstorms becoming likely during the afternoon. High near 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the opening of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee attended by provincial and ministerial-level officials, Jan 11, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] 'Dual-circulation' development paradigm key to 14th Five-Year Plan, president says President Xi Jinping spoke on Monday of the importance of implementing the new development philosophy and advancing the new development paradigm of "dual circulation" in the country's new development phase to ensure a good start for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark when addressing the opening of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, attended by provincial and ministerial-level officials. Xi called for ensuring a good start for fully building a modern socialist country, adding that the next three decades will be a new development phase during which the Chinese people achieve a tremendous transformation from standing up and growing rich to becoming strong under the Party's leadership. To deal with unprecedented opportunities and challenges faced by China during the new phase, Xi urged the whole Party to remain modest and prudent and make all-out efforts to realize set goals with perseverance. "The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, but time and situation are in our favor," Xi said. He stressed the importance of following the people-centered philosophy in order to completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy. The development philosophy on building a modern socialist country is only correct when it insists that development should be for the people, rely on the people and be shared by the people, Xi added. Xi urged efforts to narrow interregional, urban-rural and income gaps in development so the people have a strong sense of fulfillment, happiness and security and thus achieve shared prosperity for everyone. As China already stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, the new development philosophy should be implemented in a more accurate way with targeted and pragmatic measures to earnestly address development imbalances and inadequacies and realize high-quality development. Given the evolution of the principal contradiction facing Chinese society as well as the change in the world power structure, Xi also underscored the importance of becoming more aware of potential dangers, keeping in mind worst-case scenarios and getting prepared to deal with a more complicated and difficult situation. He emphasized the need to dare to struggle with proper strategies and methods. Calling a smooth economic circulation crucial for fostering the new development paradigm in which the domestic market is the mainstay and the domestic and foreign markets complement each other, Xi called for efforts to deepen supply-side structural reform, promote independent innovation, expand domestic demand and further open up to the outside world. Xi also stressed strengthening overall Party leadership to achieve socialist modernization and urged continuous efforts to advance the modernization of the system and capacity for governance.


Syracuse, N.Y.  Struggling Onondaga County tenants have been unable to access millions of dollars in pandemic rent relief from the federal government due, in part, to the states eviction moratorium thats meant to help those same tenants.

The federal government directed nearly $4 million from the CARES Act to Syracuse and Onondaga County to aid tenants who arent able to pay their rent because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Only $72,000 of that has made its way to those tenants since the program began in September, officials said last week.

Thats because the money comes with tight federal restrictions that make it nearly impossible to get to people, according to Sarah Merrick, commissioner of social services for the county.

We have the vast majority to spend, but were tied because of the regulations we have to follow, Merrick said during a meeting of a city Common Council committee regarding the money.

In order to be eligible for most of the funding, a tenant must produce an eviction notice, Merrick said. Thats a rule established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which doles out the money.

New York, however, has put a moratorium on evictions that will remain in effect until at least the end of February. If theyre not being evicted, tenants are ineligible for much of the aid, under the HUD rules.

The primary holdup for moving forward ... has been the lack of eviction notices, Merrick said. The moratorium ... has really made it impossible to use the [CARES] funds.

That restriction comes on top of other barriers, like income requirements. Renters are also only eligible for the money if their rent is considered affordable going forward. For people still out of work, or people buried in debt from nearly a year of unpaid back rent since the pandemic began, that often isnt the case.

It can also only be used to cover a finite period of back rent, ranging from three to six months.

Michael Collins, the citys commissioner of neighborhoods and business development, told councilors those HUD restrictions have made it hard to spend the money Syracuse received.

Every frustration we have with getting the money out the door goes back to the HUD regulations, Collins said.

Collins said hes spoken with officials at HUD, but the agency isnt willing to adjust its rules on eviction notices on a state-by-state basis.

When weve talked about it, HUD has said, hey, thats a state rule. Thats on you guys, Collins said.

In all, 2,871 Onondaga County households had inquired about federal rental assistance money as of the end of the year, Merrick said. Theres enough money to help about 2,000 households. As of the end of December, just 36 homes had gotten aid, according to data shared with councilors.

The money has to be spent by September 2022 or else its returned to the federal government.

I hope it doesnt take that long, Merrick said.

The money comes from three separate pots: Community Development Block Grants for city residents, Emergency Solution Grants (ESG) for tenants in the city and ESG for tenants outside the city.

Syracuse Common Councilors met last week with city and county housing officials to see what can be done to get the money to the people who need it.

Councilor Latoya Allen, chair of the citys neighborhood preservation committee, said itll take federal action to fix the problem. At a council meeting Monday, she called on Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to convince HUD to relax its rules.

Councilor Joe Driscoll said that plea for help should extend to U.S. Rep. John Katko.

Allen said shes been extremely frustrated that the money isnt being used to help people whose situations get worse each day.

Its almost like Christmas Day, Allen said. Youve got all these presents under the tree, but then you tell your kids they cant open them.
Fiscal Court Approves Funding for Sprocket

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MCCRACKEN COUNTY - During Monday's Fiscal Court meeting, McCracken County commissioners voted to provide a matching grant to Sprocket.Commissioner Eddie Jones made a motion to provide Sprocket with a $100,000 matching grant. The funds will help to build out approximately 8,000 square feet of office space at the Coke Plant on Broadway. The space will be used to create new job opportunities in Paducah through a partnership with Codefi.During the meeting, Jones said the space could "somewhat be described as a business incubator on steroids.""It will be perfect for remote workers who already live in Paducah, or who are looking for a place to move to and work as a remote worker in this area." Jones continued, "It's an excellent space for new startups that need advanced technology, and it also provides for that future business that needs to feel confident that there is a labor force with technical training at the ready."The funding was approved unanimously.The City of Paducah approved a 20-year forgivable loan of up to $900,000 for the project on December 15, and the McCracken County Public Library has also donated to the project.You can see the full meeting below.
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[January 12, 2021] World's first graduate-level AI university welcomes inaugural cohort of students from 29 countries

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 12, 2021 /CNW/ -- The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world's first graduate-level, research-based artificial intelligence university, has officially welcomed its first student cohort at an event with students from across the world beginning their studies in Abu Dhabi this week. H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees, delivered a welcome speech emphasizing the critical importance of AI, especially during the pandemic, as well as in transforming industries to achieve greater outcomes. He was joined by Professor Dr. Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI, as well as the student body, faculty, and staff from the University. The event welcomed 78 students who have joined the University from 29 countries, including the UAE, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United States, and others. MBZUAI's first students were selected from thousands of applications received by the University from nearly 100 countries. The first cohort includes 13 PhD stdents and 65 MSc students, who have enrolled in MBZUAI's Machine Learning and Computer Vision programs.



H.E. Dr. Al Jaber said: "The first MBZUAI cohort represents a milestone in delivering on our promise to establish a centre for AI development and research, at a critical time as the world looks to technology to help power the post-COVID-19 recovery. With global expertise and a truly international student body hailing from 29 countries, the University will empower the UAE to become a leader in the field of AI, in alignment with the wise vision of the country's leadership." In addition to delivering world-class education, MBZUAI will focus its research and development on four pillars: Services and Quality of Life, to improve services offered by the public and private sectors; Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies, to enhance efficiencies and improve productivity; Future Game Changers, to nurture the growth of new and emerging high value sectors, and Sustainability of Vital Resources and Environment, using AI to optimize the consumption of water and energy to protect the environment.

MBZUAI President, Professor Dr. Eric Xing, set out his vision for the University, noting: "AI is one of the most transformational technologies of the modern age, providing tremendous opportunities for humankind. The vision for MBZUAI is to nurture a new generation of leaders in science, engineering, policy and business with the necessary understanding to unlock the potential of AI through their academic research and industrial applications. We will deliver excellence in the field of AI education, research and development, through a world-class curriculum and collaborative projects with industry leaders. I welcome our first students, and look forward to working alongside them as we explore the future of AI." As the first academic year commences, MBZUAI is already accepting applications for the Fall 2021 start in Computer Vision and Machine Learning MSc and PhD programs. Full admissions requirements and application details can be found on the University's website, www.mbzuai.ac.ae. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1419010/MBZUAI_Welcomes_First_Students.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1227419/MBZUAI_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-first-graduate-level-ai-university-welcomes-inaugural-cohort-of-students-from-29-countries-301206704.html SOURCE Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)

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Opinion Article

12 January 2021

Under the motto "It is time to collaborate, form bonds, share knowledge and solve problems", the second edition of the 24 Hour Sustainable Hospitality Hackathon took place at the end of December 2020. The idea behind this hackathon is the virtual working environment of students and experts who care about the same issues (i.e. driving more sustainability, more quickly in a post-COVID-19 world).

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70 hospitality students from two universities (IUBH International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef-Bonn (DE) and Hotel Management School Maastricht (NL)) along with a dozen faculty members and industry experts were once again called upon to prepare and shape the future of sustainable hospitality following a first round in June 2020 (see The 24 Hour Sustainable Hospitality Hackathon Vol. I: Highlight Report).

Closing on a tough year for our industry where the interconnectivity between climate change, biodiversity collapse, and pandemics became clearer, students looked forward to actions that can promote resiliency and tackle the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) respectively.

The 17 SDGs formed the hackathon framework. 17 student groups brainstormed actionable ideas and activities. Those activities were classified in three categories: Easy Wins (CAT1); Adapt Your Plan (CAT2) and Game Changers (CAT3) and classified into Short- (within 12 months), Medium- (12-60 months), and Long-term (until 2030).

Download the Highlight Report to access the summary of all 51 key activities (in CAT1, CAT2 and CAT3) proposed to hotels across the 17 SDGs.

A special thank you to the experts:

Future Sustainable Hospitality Hackathons are planned with further cooperation across multiple universities. Interested in participating or contributing? Contact [email protected]

The 24hr Sustainable Hospitality Hackathon organizing and moderating team:
A woman has been accused of making her dog lick peanut butter from her crotch, after police allegedly found photos on her phone.

Bethany Joan Elizabeth Kemmis, 24, was charged with beach of duty of care by inappropriate handling and faced Cairns Magistrates Court on January 11.

Social media pictures show the young woman posing with an adorable Weimaraner puppy.

Bethany Kemmis (pictured) is accused of letting her dog lick peanut butter from her genitals

The woman has been banned from owning or purchasing an animal without approval from the RSPCA while court proceedings are underway.

Ms Kemmis is also on bail for separate charges regarding stealing offences, and has not entered a plea for the charges, the Courier Mail reported.

The maximum penalty for the offence is 12 months jail, and the case has been adjourned to February 15.

The case follows Queensland's first review of animal cruelty laws in 19 years, which aims to scrutinise all animal welfare-related legislation in the state.
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Nine thousand children died in Ireland's brutal homes for unmarried mothers and babies run by the Catholic Church in the 20th century, a damning report has revealed.

In total, 15 percent of the 57,000 children at the 18 institutions investigated by the Mother and Baby Home Commission died between 1922 and 1998.

The report published yesterday said the homes 'provided refuge' for the mothers when they had nowhere else to turn and found that blame 'rests mainly with the fathers of their children and their own immediate families.'

But the women faced appalling emotional torment at the hands of the nuns - forced to work scrubbing floors while being called 'fallen,' 'sinner', 'dirt' and 'spawn of Satan.'

The Commission said that the high death rates among infants were 'probably the most disquieting feature of these institutions.'

In 1945 and 1946, the death rate among infants at the homes 'was almost twice that of the national average for 'illegitimate' children.'

The inquiry was launched six years ago after evidence of an unmarked mass graveyard at Tuam, County Galway, was uncovered by amateur local historian Catherine Corless.

Survivor Carmel Larkin from Tuam who was born at the notorious Mother and Baby Home in County Galway stands beside flowers laid to the victims yesterday. Ms Larkin said: 'Well it's our holocaust isn't it? They had the holocaust in Germany but the mother and baby homes were our holocaust'

A group of children at the Tuam home in 1924, the site of a mass grave of up to 800 children at the former Mother and Baby home in Tuam, County Galway

These photographs are the first glimpse of life inside Ireland's largest mother and baby home St. Patrick's on the Navan Road in Dublin. The first ever memorial day for children who died in the home will be held on August 13

One Irish woman released a photo of herself as a baby in a desperate bid to trace her birth mother. 'I am full of tears and the revelations about the TuamHome have caused me even greater despair,' said the 60-year-old

At another notorious home, Bessborough in County Cork, 75 percent of the children born or admitted in a single year, 1943, died. The girls of Bessborough are pictured above.

Classic Hits Radio DJ Niall Boylan who was born in St Patrick's Mother and Baby home on the Navan Road in Dublin

She said that she had been haunted by childhood memories of skinny children from the home.

Then-Prime Minister Enda Kenny described the burial site as a 'chamber of horrors'.

From 1921 to 1961 (when it closed), 978 children died at Tuam, 80 percent aged under 12 months, 67 percent between one and six months

Three quarters of those children died in the 1930s and 40s, with the most deadly years recorded as 1943 and 1947.

The report singled out the home for its 'appalling physical conditions.'

It comes after a report in 2017 revealed that a mass grave containing the remains of babies and young children was discovered at a former Catholic home for unmarried mothers and their children in Ireland.

Mass graves are found in disused sewers at a former Catholic home for unmarried mothers in Ireland A mass grave containing the remains of babies and young children has been discovered at a former Catholic home for unmarried mothers and their children in Ireland, an official report revealed in 2017. The remains were found in a disused sewer during excavations at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway. The ages of the dead ranged from 35 foetal weeks to three years old and were mostly buried in the 1950s. The inquiry was launched after local historian Catherine Corless said there was evidence of an unmarked graveyard at the home, where records showed almost 800 children died between 1925 and 1961. However, there was a burial record for just one child. In the mid-1970s, local boys playing in the field had reported seeing a pile of bones in a hidden underground chamber. The announcement dispelled a popular argument that bones seen at the site might predate the orphanage's opening, when the building was a workhouse for the adult poor. Some even claimed that they were from people who died in the mid-19th century Great Famine. Advertisement

The remains were found in a disused sewer during excavations at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam.

The ages of the dead ranged from 35 foetal weeks to three years old and were mostly buried in the 1950s.

In 2014, it emerged that the bodies of nearly 800 babies were believed to have been interred in a concrete tank beside a former home for unmarried mothers.

More than one in 10 children admitted to Ireland's mother and baby homes died, the report said.

The major causes of death were respiratory infections and gastroenteritis, an independent commission which investigated the 'appalling' toll said.

It added: 'The absence of professional staff, combined with what must be acknowledged as a general indifference to the fate of the children who were born in mother and baby homes, contributed to the appalling levels of infant mortality.'

The institutions were established for unmarried women and their mothers at a time when society looked down on them.

The proportion of women admitted to such homes in Ireland was probably the highest in the world in the 20th century.

They were run by religious institutions and overseen by the Government.

Women were admitted after they had babies while unwed.

The Commission of Investigation Into Mother and Baby Homes' report said: 'The high rate of infant mortality (first year of life) in Irish mother and baby homes is probably the most disquieting feature of these institutions.

'It is particularly disquieting that the high mortality rate was known to the authorities both local and national and was even described in public reports.

'About 9,000 children died in the institutions under investigation - approximately 15% of all the children who were in the institutions.'

In one year, 1943, 75% of the children who were born or who were admitted to the Bessborough home in Cork died.

The commission said that before 1960, the homes did not save the lives of 'illegitimate' children (as they were legally termed then), that children were more likely to die in the institutions than outside them.

Reviewers said Ireland was a cold harsh environment for many, probably the majority, of residents during the earlier half of the period under consideration.

The report said: 'It was especially cold and harsh for women. All women suffered serious discrimination.

'Women who gave birth outside marriage were subject to particularly harsh treatment.'

Taoiseach Micheal Martin acknowledged it was a time of societal and church pressure on unmarried mothers dating back decades.

Some pregnancies were the result of rape; some women had mental health problems, some had an intellectual disability, the Government-ordered review said.

Overcrowding probably contributed to excess mortality, the investigation found.

Women were admitted to mother and baby homes and county homes because they failed to secure the support of their family and the father of their child, the report noted.

The commission said they had no other option but to enter the institutions.

'Their lives were blighted by pregnancy outside marriage, and the responses of the father of their child, their immediate families and the wider community,' it added.

There were about 56,000 unmarried mothers and about 57,000 children in the mother and baby homes and local authority owned county homes investigated.

In 1921, some women ate their meals 'squatting on the floor' with most heating by open fire.

The food 'was often adulterated or unfit for consumption'.

In the early decades most women who were admitted were domestic servants or farm workers or they were carrying out unpaid domestic work in their family home.

In later years, however, many of the women were clerical workers, civil servants, professional women and schoolgirls or third-level students.

The commission said: 'Many were destitute. Women who feared the consequences of their pregnancy becoming known to their family and neighbours entered mother and baby homes to protect their privacy.

'Some travelled to Britain, for the same reason.'

The commission made recommendations covering compensation to survivors, memorialisation and creating a central repository of the records of institutions and adoption societies so that information can be obtained from one place.

A report from an independent commission of investigation said: 'In the years before 1960, mother and baby homes did not save the lives of 'illegitimate' children; in fact, they appear to have significantly reduced their prospects of survival.'

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government-ordered report, which covers events dating back decades, describes 'a dark, difficult and shameful chapter of very recent Irish history'.

The proportion of women admitted to such homes in Ireland was probably the highest in the world in the 20th century, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes said, and many of the unmarried women were denigrated.

Its review said: 'The high rate of infant mortality raised serious questions about mother and baby homes: the large size, unqualified staff and inadequate staffing, poor management, and the limitations on the local and national authorities' willingness and capacity to implement reforms.'

It added that infant mortality fell sharply in the late 1940s.

A mother and daughter pay their respects yesterday at a memorial for the mothers and daughters of Tuam, Co. Galway, where a mass grave of 796 babies was uncovered six years ago

A woman and her daughter pay their respects at the Tuam graveyard yesterday, where the bodies of 796 babies were uncovered at the site of a former Catholic home for unmarried mothers and their children

The notorious Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Tipperary, which was mother and baby home operated by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary from 1930 to 1970

Head of the Irish Catholic Church apologises to survivors of brutal homes for mothers and babies where 9,000 children died during decades of horror through the 20th Century The head of the Catholic church in Ireland has apologised to the survivors of the mother and baby homes. Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said the church was clearly part of a culture in which people were frequently stigmatised, judged and rejected. File image of the Archbishop above He added: 'For that, and for the long-lasting hurt and emotional distress that has resulted, I unreservedly apologise to the survivors and to all those who are personally impacted by the realities it uncovers.' Ireland's senior cleric said the church should acknowledge sustaining what the commission of investigation report described as a harsh, cold and uncaring atmosphere. He said: 'The commission's report helps to further open to the light what was for many years a hidden part of our shared history and it exposes the culture of isolation, secrecy and social ostracising which faced 'unmarried mothers' and their children in this country.' He said witnesses had given courageous testimony. 'We must identify, accept and respond to the broader issues which the report raises about our past, present and future. 'Above all we must continue to find ways of reaching out to those whose personal testimonies are central to this report. 'They have shown determination in bringing to light this dark chapter in the life of church and society. 'We owe it to them to take time to study and reflect on the findings and recommendations of the report, and commit to doing what we can to help and support them.' He said the rights of all survivors to access personal information about themselves should be fully respected and again urged the State to ensure that any remaining obstacles to information and tracing should be overcome. 'The commission believes that there may be people with further information about burial places who have not come forward. I appeal to anyone who can help to do so,' he said. 'All burial grounds should be identified and appropriately marked so that the deceased and their families will be recognised and never be forgotten.' He said this report will stir many emotions as it further uncovers disturbing and painful truths about the past. 'I commend those who have fought to have this story told and I thank those who have already been supporting survivors through various organisations and providing a platform for their voices to be heard,' he said. Advertisement

'This may have removed the motivation for major reforms, which would have involved fraught negotiations with religious congregations and members of the Catholic hierarchy,' it said.

It added: 'There is no evidence of public concern being expressed about conditions in mother and baby homes or about the appalling mortality among the children born in these homes, even though many of the facts were in the public domain.'

The homes were largely run by religious institutions and overseen by the Government.

The Taoiseach said: 'It holds up a mirror to aspects of our past, which are painful and difficult, and from the present-day perspective, often hard to comprehend,' adding: 'We treated women badly, we treated children especially badly.

'We had a completely warped attitude to sexuality and intimacy. Young mothers and their sons and daughters paid a terrible price for that dysfunction.'

Carmel Larkin, who was born at Tuam in 1949, remains furious at how her mother was treated.

Ms Larkin was fostered aged five and never saw her mother again. She doesn't even have a photograph of her or know where she is buried.

Ms Larkin told Sky News: 'Well it's our holocaust isn't it? They had the holocaust in Germany but the mother and baby homes were our holocaust.'

'I was horrified,' she said of the investigation into Tuam.

'Horrified that any human being could treat babies and mothers like that. The mothers walked in here and they were sinners.

'To give birth to a baby is the most precious gift any woman can have.'

At another notorious home, Bessborough in County Cork, 75 percent of the children born or admitted in a single year, 1943, died.

The highest mortality rate of all the homes was at Sean Ross (1931 to 1969), in County Tipperary, where 1,090 infants out of 6,079 died - 79 percent of those fatalities were between 1932 and 1947.

The high death rate at Sean Ross was partly attributed to infectious diseases, including diphtheria and typhoid.

Overall the report said that the infant mortality at the homes was down to respiratory infections and gastroenteritis, despite the public attention on malnutrition.

Women were rejected by their families and forced out of their homes after falling pregnant because of the shame it brought in the devout Catholic society.

One witness described to the Commission how her mother had 'called her a prostitute and a whore.

'Three of her uncles were priests and her parents were worried about how her pregnancy would affect them.

'Both sets of parents were also very concerned about how an 'unmarried pregnancy' would affect the careers of the witness's brothers.'

Witnesses told the Commission that labour provided sisters at the homes with a chance to 'punish' the unmarried mothers.

A woman who was adopted from Sean Ross said that her mother was tied to the bed while giving birth and that 'a nun sat on her chest' to help her push.

A woman who went to Bessborough aged 17 told the inquiry that she was terrified of one of the midwife's.

'She was cutting the girls down below and would tell them this is your punishment for what you have done and you are never doing this again,' the witness said.

Another woman at the home said that when she was sent to the local hospital to give birth she was 'butchered' and given no anaesthetic.

'They just split me open to deliver the baby,' she said.

Another former Bessborough woman said that the mothers were forced to work even if they were sick.

'It was just as if the nuns had no hearts at all,' she said. 'You could hear the girls crying at night. We went to bed frightened and always woke up frightened.'

According to a report in the BBC, one Bessborough woman named Bridget was forced to stand in the corner for hours while heavily pregnant. She gave birth to her son three weeks prematurely.

Bridget said: 'I still see him. His eyes were looking around. Very inquisitive, beautiful, perfect baby, blonde, blue eyes and he sort of had hair as if it was combed beautifully.'

She knew she would not be able to keep the baby, who she wanted to call William but the nuns insisted Gerard was a more appropriate Catholic name.

The baby fell sick after a couple of days and Bridget was told he had been moved to the 'dying room'. She never got to see him again as the baby was sent to hospital over two weeks after initially falling ill, where he later died.

These photographs are the first glimpse of life inside Ireland's largest mother and baby home St. Patrick's on the Navan Road in Dublin

Maggie Heaton nee O'Connor aged 21. Her daughter Mary died at Tuam

A woman holds a poster at a funeral procession in remembrance of the bodies of the infants discovered in a septic tank, in 2014, at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, in Dublin, Ireland October 6, 2018

The new report found no evidence of sexual abuse against the women, and little evidence of physical abuse, but said that the emotional torment perpetrated against the mothers was rampant.

In some instances the women were forced to work without pay and they lived in accommodation which was incredibly harsh even by the standards of the mid-half of the last century, with poor sanitation and little comfort.

Infants stayed at the homes for varying periods of time, before they were adopted or 'boarded out' - sent to local families to work on farms or in small businesses, often for little or no pay.

The inquiry said many of the women had received no sex education, with ignorance and fear ruling over their minds after they fell pregnant.

The report found that even into the 1960s 'girls and women were continuing to become pregnant without realising how and why.'

These photographs are the first glimpse of life inside Ireland's largest mother and baby home St. Patrick's on the Navan Road in Dublin

Historian Catherine Corless watches Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking during a Government webinar meeting for survivors and supporters of Church-run mother and baby homes where he outlines the first look at the report by the Commission of Investigation into the institutions before it is formally published, in Tuam, Ireland, January 12, 2021

Baby shoes hang yesterday from a wall at the Tuam graveyard, where the bodies of 796 babies were uncovered at the site of a former Catholic home for unmarried mothers and their children

The 3,000-plus page report makes for difficult reading, Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.

'This was an enormous societal failure and an enormous societal shame that we have a stolen generation of children who did not get the upbringing they should have,' he told national broadcaster RTE on Monday ahead of the publication.

The country's children's minister Roderic O'Gorman said that the report makes clear there was a 'stifling, oppressive and brutally misogynistic culture' for decades.

Government records show that the mortality rate for children at the homes where tens of thousands of women, including rape victims, were sent to give birth, was often more than five times that of those born to married parents.

'My heart is breaking for every survivor,' said Anna Corrigan, whose two brothers John and William Dolan are recorded as having died at the home for unmarried mothers in Tuam.

'We expect, as we have always expected, truth, justice, accountability resulting in prosecutions should they arise and restitution for survivors,' she said yesterday.

The Church ran many of Ireland's social services in the 20th century. While run by nuns, the homes received state funding and, as adoption agencies, were also regulated by the state.

The homes were the subject of the 2013 Oscar-nominated film Philomena, which charted the failed efforts of Philomena Lee to find the son she was forced to give up as an unwed teenager.

At least one mother was given wrong information about where her child was buried, Ireland's commission of investigation has said.

A number of the unmarried mothers never spoke about this to other family members, the commission added.

It said: 'Despite the fact that thousands of babies died, the commission is aware of only a few mothers, who were not in the institution when the child died, who subsequently sought information on the burial locations of their children.

'At least one was given incorrect information - this was unforgivable.'
TOKYO & TASHKENT, Jan 12, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and JSCB "Uzbek Industrial and Construction bank" are pleased to announce the start of JCB merchant acquiring operations across the Republic of Uzbekistan.The introduction of a visa-free regime in 2018 with Japan, as well as the cooperation of Uzpromstroybank with JCB International Co., Ltd. (Japan) will expand the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, increase cashless money circulation and improve the quality of customer service.In 2019, JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" launched a project to modernize card processing, the goals of which were the issuance of international cards with an electronic PIN code, multicurrency accounts and a credit limit on the card, and provision of service using international contactless card systems including JCB and the expansion of the acquiring network. As for today, the project has been implemented and testing and customization of new card products are underway.In January 2021, a new processing "WAY4" has been launched in a productive environment, where all JCB cardholders will be able to withdraw cash from ATMs of Uzpromstroybank and pay for purchases in the network of the Bank's partners.Takashi Suetsugu, the General Director of JCB International (Eurasia) LLC commented: "We are pleased to announce that JSCB "Uzpromstroybank", one of the largest and most reliable banks in the region with a high business reputation, has started to accept JCB Cards across the Republic of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is a popular tourist destination with an ancient history, rich cuisine, hospitable people. Uzbekistan attracts not only Russian tourists, but also tourists from Japan and other Asian countries and regions, where there are traditionally many JCB cardholders. The introduction of a visa-free regime in 2018, as well as our cooperation with JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" will definitely contribute to an increase in the flow of tourists, as well as creation of even more comfortable conditions for paying for purchases and withdrawing cash for JCB cardholders when traveling to the Republic."Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSCB Uzpromstroybank Tavakkalov Ulugbek commented that the bank's ATM and terminal network serving Humo will simultaneously serve the cards of JCB international payment system. Now there are 150 of such ATMs and 16,000 of such terminals.About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 35 million merchants in the world. JCB Cards are now issued in over 20 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/About JSCB "Uzpromstroybank"JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" is the largest bank in the Republic of Uzbekistan, whose history is inextricably linked with the development of the economy, actively contributes to the implementation of structural reforms and liberalization of the economy, consistently implements a set of programs for the development of basic industries and modern infrastructure. Adhering to the strategy of intensive growth, Uzpromstroybank is implementing a set of measures aimed at increasing its authorized capital, issuing shares and actively placing them on the stock market to attract free funds from the population, business entities and potential investors. More information is available at https://sqb.uz/ContactsJCBKumiko Kida, Ayaka NakajimaCorporate CommunicationsTel: +81-3-5778-8353Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jpJSCB "Uzbek Industrial and Construction bank"Bekhzod BozorovInformation serviceTel: +998 78 1204500 (1311)Email: press_service@uzpsb.uzSource: JCBCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - At the request of IIROC, BELGRAVIA HARTFORD CAPITAL INC. (CSE: BLGV) ("Belgravia Hartford", "Belgravia" or the "Company") wishes to confirm that the Company's management and board is unaware of any material change in the Company's operations that would account for the recent increase in market activity.

Belgravia Hartford is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: BLGV). For more information, please visit Belgravia Hartford's website at www.belgraviahartford.com.

This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

About Belgravia

Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. is a publicly traded investment holding company which invests in public and private companies in legal jurisdictions and under the rule of law. Belgravia and its investments are high risk business ventures and expose shareholders to financial risks.

For more information, please visit www.belgraviahartford.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding planned investment activities & related returns, the timing for completion of research and development activities, the potential value of royalties, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, changes in market trends, the completion, results and timing of research undertaken by the Company, risks associated with resource assets, the impact of general economic conditions, commodity prices, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory, environmental, and governmental approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing. 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 statements.

For More Information, Please Contact:

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Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc.

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Representative image

Labour experts and union heads are of the opinion that the government's proposal to formalise work from home (WFH) for the services sector could dilute the workers' bargaining and unionising capacity.

"With the formalization of the work from home for the services sector, the bargaining potential of the workers and the unions will definitely take a hit. The employees will no longer be able to engage in healthy exchange of experience and empathise thus it will become very difficult for the workers to unionise and rightfully demand their rights," said C. Das, State Convener, All India IT & ITES Employees Union.

Citing a sampling data on the IT employees in the country, Das said: "As many as 83 out of 100 IT workers in the country are not aware of their rights. This figure will dip further if the proposal to work from home is implemented."

"The workers will no longer be able to engage in a healthy competition and the overall clarity of the entire system will go down. This could also hamper the work-life balance of the employees as the employees are no longer working out of office, and hence it will give the companies an opportunity to pile the workers with work in the time which otherwise would have been utilised in travel," he added.

"Presently, 25 percent of the workers in the IT space are contractual workers, this number could go higher up as a result of this proposal, he concluded.

The labour ministry on January 1 published its draft standing orders on WFH for the service sectors, under the new Industrial Relations Code.

Under the model standing orders drafted for the services sector, decision on working hours for employees in the IT space has, however, been left up to employers.

Subject to conditions of appointment or agreement between employer and workers, employer may allow a worker to work from home for such period or periods as may be determined by employer, the draft code states.

"With workers fragmented all over the country, the unionising ability of the workers will be impacted deeply. The formalisation of the work from home proposal will disable the bargaining capacity of the workers," remarked K R Shyam Sundar, Professor - HRM, XLRI, Xavier School of Management.

"While this is a great opportunity for the corporates and employers to reduce their expenses, this move will affect the overall work-life balance and lead to exploitation by the management," noted Professor Sundar.

"It is immature on the part of the government to formalise the work from home which happened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government should instead frame a committee to give this proposal more time and involve all the stakeholders, members from the ILO into the law making process" he said.

"Everything will not contribute to the ease of doing business even if the business wants it," remarked Sundar.

Differing in opinion, Anshul Prakash, Partner, Employment Labour and Benefits, Khaitan & Co, explains, "At the outset, work from home as a concept has been recognised particularly in the draft standing orders for the service sector. The provision is essentially enabling in nature, meaning it suggests that employers in the service sector may allow their workers to work from home for a period of time determined by them."

"Coming to the implications, this express recognition of the new normal does not usher in a paradigm shift in the compliance regime or in the manner in which collective bargaining would play out. In fact, we had not anticipated the same either, considering that the substantive portions of the codes including IR Code themselves do not create any exemption/relaxation in this regard.

"Moreover, with concepts such as trade union recognition and robust grievance redressal committee with adequate worker representation envisaged under the Industrial Relations Code 2020, it is unlikely that remote working would impact unionism and collective bargaining from a legal standpoint."

Prashant Singh, Vice President and Business Head- Compliance and Payroll Outsourcing, TeamLease Services, said: "Though the workers may not be physically available at one place, the power of social media, online connectivity may still act as a strong medium for bargaining and negotiating."

Vinod AJ, General Secretary, All India Forum For IT/ITES Employees (AIFITE), said: "In my opinion the formalisation of the work from home proposal as given in the standing order will not have any significant impact on the unionising capacity of the workers. Regardless of working from whether the office or home, the government and the companies do not seek the union's participation on behalf of employees in important decisions."

"The government, in the Standing Orders should instead stipulate for the participation by union representatives into employee councils and board meetings where the fate of the workers are actually decided," he urged.

It is the first time that the labour ministry has brought out standing orders for the services sector under the Industrial Relations Code. Before, the new labour codes were approved by Parliament in September 2020, there was one standing order across sectors.
Rio Tinto's new chief executive Jakob Stausholm will move swiftly to strengthen the resources giant's relationship with the Mongolian government in an attempt to defuse a deepening dispute over the $8.7 billion Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine expansion.

In a fresh setback for Rio's problem-plagued project, the Mongolian government this week warned the Anglo-Australian miner it was dissatisfied with the progress of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine expansion and was now considering revoking its 2015 mine development and financing plan unless economic returns were improved.

The plan to enlarge the Oyu Tolgoi mine has been beset by a series of delays and cost blowouts since construction began in 2019. Credit:Bloomberg

Mr Stausholm, formerly Rio's chief financial officer, was elevated to the CEO role at the mining giant in December. His predecessor in the role, Jean-Sebastien Jacques, was ousted last year following investor outrage over the destruction of ancient caves in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The new Rio CEO has made it clear that forging closer relationships with governments and greater trust with stakeholders in the countries it operates will be one of his top priorities across its global mining operations.
Members of a progressive group on Monday staged a protest in the city of York calling on U.S. Rep. Scott Perry to step down.

About a dozen members of Indivisible York gathered with posters at Continental Square demanding that the York County Republican resign following his vote last week objecting to the certification of the Electoral College vote.

We want him to resign or be expelled from the House, said Marta Peck, a member of Indivisible York. Hes a man who does not tell the truth then foments doubt and fuels people who are seditionists. In doing that he is guilty of sedition.

Perry last Wednesday joined a cadre of House Republicans just hours after a deadly insurrection in the U.S. Capitol objecting to the certification of electoral votes that transferred power to President-elect Joe Biden.

Perry a, fifth-term Republican who just won re-election in November, has backed the baseless claims by President Trump of a rigged election, which ignited the terrorist attack at the Capitol.

Weve always had concerns about Perry but in particular after early December when he announced he would object to the electoral votes from Pennsylvania. He made that real clear, Peck said. Hes tried to couch it saying Im a patriotic citizen. Hes a retired military man. A member of Congress sworn to defend the constitution from enemies domestic and foreign.

Late Monday afternoon, Perry issued a one-word statement in response to his calls for resignation: No.

Perry is one of eight Republican members of Pennsylvanias Congressional delegation who sought to decertify the electoral college vote, even after Wednesdays deadly attack of the Capitol. The other Pennsylvania Republican members included U.S. Reps. Fred Keller, Dan Meuser, Glenn Thompson, Mike Kelly, John Joyce, Guy Reschenthaler, and Lloyd Smucker. Several spoke on the House floor, assailed the integrity of the election and asked for Pennsylvanias electoral votes to be excluded.

The objection failed.

One House Republican from Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County, did not support the objection to counting Pennsylvanias electoral votes.

Immediately after the election, Rep. Scott Perry rallied to "Stop the Steal" at the state Capitol. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

In an op-ed piece in The York Daily Record on Sunday, Perry reiterated his belief that constitutional violations had occurred in Pennsylvanias electoral process, and that they warranted further investigation. But Perry condemned the violent attack on the Capitol, which resulted in five deaths, including that of a U.S. Capitol Police officer.

...(L)est anyone mistake the actions of those who choose to incite violence as a means to redress their grievances, the actions at our Capitol were unacceptable and criminal, and those who are proven to have perpetrated these crimes should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Perry wrote.

Perry was elected to the House in 2012 and represents the 10th congressional district. He is a member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus.

Its time for Trump and Scott Perry to go, now, said Ryan Supler, one of the protesters. Resign, 25th amendment and convict. Its time to go. You are trying to invalidate my vote and its not going to happen. Joe Biden won.

Perry is a retired Pennsylvania Army National Guard Brigadier General.

The 10th congressional district includes York and Dauphin counties and parts of Cumberland County.

Numerous federal, state and local election officials have defended the integrity of the election and said there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Trump and his supporters filed dozens of unsuccessful court challenges around the country, including some in Pennsylvania.
AMD officially launched its Ryzen 5000 Mobile processors at CES 2021 on Tuesday, hoping to continue what its accomplished on the desktop: bring its powerful Zen 3 architecture to bear and oust Intels Core i9 as the best gaming CPU. The unexpected bonus AMD adds is a renewed focus on battery life, potentially solving a noted weakness in Ryzen-powered laptops.

AMD chief executive Lisa Su ushered in the new lineup of mobile chips as part of her keynote address at CES 2021, now held virtually rather than in Las Vegas. Su didnt announce any new GPUs, but did say that the AMD RDNA 2 GPU architecture found within the RX6800 and similar chips will arrive in mobile GPUs in the first half of 2021, along with mainstream desktop graphics cards. She showed off a reference notebook running Dirt 5 at 1440p resolution and Ultra High settings at more than 50fps.

Processors, though, took center stage. AMD launched thirteen new chips in the AMD Ryzen 5000 Mobile series of processors, adding updated 5900HS and 5980HS flagship processors as well as the 5900HX, which AMD brags will be the worlds best processor for gamers. These high-end 7nm processors will top out at 8 cores and 16 threads, with turbo clock speeds maxing out at 4.8 GHz and many of them doubling cache sizes to between 19MB to 20MB for even more overall performance. While most of these new Ryzen processors are designed for 15, 35, and 45 watts, these new HX chips afford laptop makers the option for more than 45-watt designs.

If theres a kicker, well, its that the rumors were (mostly) true: AMD mixed in some processors that use the older Zen 2 architecture inside the Ryzen 5000 series, without specifically distinguishing one from the other. Youll want to pay close attention to which Ryzen laptop you buy beginning in February, when the new Ryzen Mobile 5000 family goes on sale. AMD didnt publish the graphics capabilities of the new chips, either.

Now, [many] good things have been written about the Ryzen 4000 seriesvarious experts have called them game-changing, or rewriting the rules, and we really appreciate that, said Robert Hallock, director of technical marketing for AMD. But the 5000 series is even better. Its really a remarkable product.

Ryzen 5000 Mobile: AMDs Zen 3 for mobile

AMDs new processors include five processors within its U-series for thin-and-light notebooks, as well as eight more H-series chips for gaming notebooks. Both AMD and Intel have prioritized gaming at CES, as much to encourage sales of higher-end chips as well as to tap the groundswell of gaming thats grown during the pandemic.

Here are AMDs Ryzen 5000 series mobile processors. All of the new processors are manufactured on AMDs 7nm manufacturing line, and all include simultaneous multithreading, too.

AMD AMDs Ryzen Mobile 5000 family. AMD said after publication that the cache size of the Ryzen 5700U should be 12MB, and the Ryzen 5 5500U should have an 11MB cache.

Recall that AMDs Ryzen 4000 Mobile series introduced the Ryzen 4900HS, AMDs power processor for slim systems. AMDs Ryzen 5000 Mobile processor lineup is deeper than its predecessor, and the three Ryzen 4000 HS chips have given way to four Ryzen 5000 HS chips, too.

AMD

But while AMD claims that the HS lineup is then ultimate in portable gaming performance, theres now something even better: the HX series. Can you actually go better than ultimate?

Apparently you can. The new Ryzen 9 5900HX, and by extension the HX family as a whole, are the worlds best mobile processors for gamers, according to AMD. While an HS-series chip like the Ryzen 9 5980HS is a 35W chip, the 5900HX and 5980HX are rated for 45 watts and abovehow high, were not sure. AMD says HX-series processors are unlocked, too, so enthusiasts can tinker with their clock speeds.

Power: As important as performance, or more so

It may seem odd to focus on power rather than performance, but the gains AMD has made with its new chip may be more significant than just pushing its clock speeds and cache higher. With the Ryzen 5000 Mobile family, AMD has transitioned what it calls Collaborative Power Performance Control, a technique that migrates CPU clock and power control to the CPUs own firmware, to the mobile space. Originally, the CPPC feature was part of AMDs Zen 2 desktop chips, offering minor performance improvements for the Ryzen 3000 series. But, since frequency affects power consumption, CPPC should have a more significant effect in a Ryzen laptops power usage.

Consider: Though the comparison is more than a year old, and pitted AMDs older Ryzen 7 3780U versus the Intel Core i7-1065G7, this head-to-head comparison between otherwise identical Microsoft Surface Laptop 3s was especially compelling. Intels Core topped AMDs Ryzen by roughly 10 percent in performance benchmarks, but absolutely whupped Ryzen by over 40 percent in battery life.

Since then, AMD has recouped those performance deficiencies, and then some. But director of technical marketing Robert Hallock said that CPPC would add two hours to a Ryzen Mobile 5000 notebooks battery life, for a total of 17.5 hours of general usage and 21 hours of video playback. (Thats based upon a Ryzen 7 5800U notebook with a 53 watt-hour battery, playing a 1080p video and using the MobileMark 2018 benchmark. The screen brightness was not disclosed.)

Its easy to add additional performance to an SOC. Its much harder to deliver great battery life alongside that. But thats what weve managed to do with Zen 3, with seven-nanometer, and with the Ryzen 5000 series, Hallock said.

Ryzen 5000 Mobile: Impressive performance

For many, though, performance is king. And AMD certainly made the argument that the Ryzen 5000 Mobile can certainly compete with, if not blow away entirely, the best that Intel has to offer. (You can compare AMDs own results with Intels own numbers in the mobile 11th-gen Tiger Lake presentation Intel released at CES Monday.)

First, gen-over-gen scaling. Pay close attention to the single-threaded scores posted by the Ryzen Mobile 5300U, 5500U, and 5700U scores, as well talk about those more in the next section.

AMD

AMD also provided multithreaded scores, too. Here, processors like the 4800U and 5800U contain the same number of cores and threads; the difference is the frequency gap: the Ryzen 7 4800 offers 1.8GHz base clock and 4.2GHz turbo speeds, while the Ryzen 7 5800U provides a 1.9GHz base clock and 4.4GHz turbo speeds.

AMD

Kick it up a notch with the Ryzen 9 5980HS and the gains are still impressive.

AMD

AMD also touted the ability of the Ryzen 5000 Mobile to compete against its own 4800U as well as the Core i7-1165G7. Here, the metric is PCMarks productivity apps, though theres sharp gains in Excel and PCMark 10, two of the more intensive apps within the Microsoft office suite.

AMD

In gaming, though, AMD had an opportunity to finish Intel offand really didnt. The 3DMark Fire Strike Physics scores are certainly impressive, but AMD didnt actually provide any benchmark scores for games in metrics provided to reporters.

AMD Gaming benchmarks, though without games.

Yes, some Ryzen 5000 Mobile processors are Zen 2

Early rumors pegged some of the new Ryzen 5000 Mobile processors as using older Zen 2 cores as opposed to the latest Zen 3. AMDs Lucienne chips were reportedly designed around AMDs older Zen 2 architecture, and Cezanne around the more powerful Zen 3 architecture. AMDs Ryzen 5000 Mobile series included both, those rumors said, without distinguishing one from another. Those leaks were, in fact, mostly accurate.

AMD Yes. some of the Ryzen Mobile 5000 chips use the older Zen 2 architecture. Does that matter?

Three of the new Ryzen 5000 mobile processorsthe Ryzen 7 5000U, the Ryzen 5 5500U, and the Ryzen 3 5300Uuse the Zen 2 microarchitecture, according to AMD. Unfortunately, theres no marks or acronyms to distinguish them from the other processors within the family. As the benchmarks above showed, however, even the Zen 2 members of the Ryzen Mobile 5000 series are slightly faster than their Ryzen Mobile 4000 predecessors. If youre interested in avoiding any potential confusion, however, the answer is simple: simply buy one of the new Ryzen 5000 H-series processors.

Whats important for AMD is the number of processors it sells. In this, the company may have already notched a success, building upon its designs wins in the previous two generations. AMD said that 150 separate mobile PCs will be built upon the Ryzen Mobile 5000 family, versus 100 in the prior generation. In the end, those numbers indicate that AMD has established itself as a leading-edge processor supplier in the eyes of its PC customers.

Clarification: We've updated the caption listing all of the new Ryzen 5000 Mobile processors to note a change in the published cache sizes that AMD included after publication.
Jaipur, Jan 13 : 40 speakers from eight countries including the USA, Germany, India, the UK, Canada etc. during the two-day 'Health Next 2021 - Global Health and Innovation Conference' organised by IIHMR University discussed about new solutions and strategies as Covid-19 has taken a toll on various sectors and areas.

The conference was organised with an aim of providing a platform to healthcare start-ups students, alumni or people at large who have a business idea in healthcare, health tech space and want to get it nurtured at the IIHMR University's Innovation and Incubation Centre.

The experts from various countries unanimously said that the pandemic outbreak has definitely has created an urgency to mitigate the risks that have accompanied the pandemic.

The two-day conference, which concluded on Tuesday, witnessed panellists from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bayer, Germany, Pharmeasy, Apollo Hospitals, MedCords, Dawaa Dost, NISHTHA/ Jhpiego, Medicover Hospitals, AstraZeneca, Biopharmaceutical R&D, Gaithersburg, MD, USA , Docquity, India, Viveo Health, Ai Highway Inc, myresqr.life, TiE Global, Amity Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Startup Oasis, Healthcare at Home India Pvt. Ltd., E4Impact Foundation, Ecoware, BOD, iKure, StanPlus/ Red Ambulances and DAYA India.

Dr. PR Sodani, President (Officiating), Dean IIHMR University, "We think the challenges in the healthcare sector have changed and mitigating these challenges and risks have become a matter of urgency post-Covid. As we progress, we see the industry's magnificent efforts to innovate and keep the industry well before time. The Health Next 2021- Global Health and Innovation Conference is a great platform for not just for budding entrepreneurs but the healthcare fraternity on the whole." Dr. Gaurav Thukral, EVP & COO, Healthcare at Home India Pvt. Ltd. said, "Affordability, Availability and Accessibility are three A's that have always been a challenge in the healthcare sector. Despite the Ayushman Bharat scheme, there is hardly any percentage of healthcare that is State Funded." "We see that the penetration of insurance is way lesser till date where the penetration is not more than 20 per cent when it comes to private insurance or even the state insurance. However, the National Digital Health Mission and Universal Health Coverage have played a major role in focusing on the need of insurance to reduce the out of pocket expenses of patients. The other aspect is the standardization of delivery of care where the major problem focused is the supply," he added.

Dr Sodani also presented a conference report while concluding the conference.
New Delhi: Calling for "no ifs and buts" in the fight against terrorism, India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday (January 12) gave an 8-point agenda at the United Nations security council for the "UN system to credibly address the menace of terrorism and ensure effective action"

Speaking at a video conference meet on International cooperation in combating terrorism marking 20 years since the adoption of Resolution 1373 (2001), EAM said "It is time that all nations walk the talk and commit their actions to the goal of zero tolerance for terrorism."

EAM mentioned that "we must not countenance double standards in this battle. Terrorists are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones. Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda. And those who cover up for them are just as culpable."

UNSC Resolution 1373 was adopted on 28th September 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York. It calls on UN member states to implement measures to prevent and counter-terror at home and around the world.

During his address, both Pakistan and China got an earful. In a veiled reference EAM slams Pakistan at UNSC. Says, "there are also other States that are clearly guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism, and willfully provide financial assistance and safe havens...the international community must collectively call out the latter and hold them accountable."

UN's 1267 committee lists one of the largest numbers of Pakistanis as international terrorists. These include Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi, many of whom responsible for terror attacks in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

India's EAM pointed out in the 8 point plan of action that, "linkages between terrorism and transnational organized the crime must be fully recognized and addressed vigorously", explaining that, "We, in India, have seen the crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts not just given State protection but enjoying 5-star hospitality."

This is the first time India's EAM spoke at UNSC after India took over its membership on January 1, 2021, for a 2-year period.

On China, without mentioning its name, EAM said, "The practice of placing blocks and holds on listing requests without any rhyme or reason must end. This only erodes our collective credibility." Remember, Beijing had thwarted bids to list Masood Azhar as an international terrorist for 10 years.

In the plan of action, he listed "enlisting and delisting individuals and entities" under the UN sanctions regimes "must be done objectively, not for political or religious considerations", calling the "proposals in this regard merit due to examination before circulation.". This is significant even as Pakistan has been trying to use loopholes in the sanctions regime to get "basic expense" for listed international terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi.

Live TV

The focus was also on "Preventing terrorists from accessing financial resources" with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) continuing to "identify and remedy weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks."

Tunisian chaired the meet, given it is heading the UN body for the current month. Other key speakers at the meet were Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, Michele Coninsx. Last week India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla addressed a meet at the body highlighting New Delhi's commitment to the African continent.

The development comes at a time even as India chairs the Taliban sanctions committee and the counter-terrorism committee for the year 2022. With India chairing the 2 committees, the spotlight is expected to increase on Islamabad's lackluster record on acting on cross-border terror.

CLEVELAND, Ohio  Democratic bigwigs have thrown their support behind Summit County Councilwoman Liz Walters to become the next chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, with those in charge of powerful blocs of voters saying she has secured enough votes to win Thursdays election.

That includes an endorsement from Sen. Sherrod Brown  the most high-profile Democrat in the state  and significant backing from labor unions in the race to succeed now-resigned Chair David Pepper.

Liz Walters has spent her life serving our state and fighting for the Dignity of Work, Brown said in a statement. She understands the challenges facing our state and has laid out a comprehensive vision that will allow our party to compete in every community in Ohio, field strong candidates up and down the ballot and show working families in Ohio that Democrats are on their side. Lizs depth of experience, as well as her commitment to justice and her ability to deliver results, make her the best person to serve as the next Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party.

Walters has emerged from a group of six candidates, now down to five after former state Sen. Lou Gentiles withdrawal, and also secured backing from OAPSE and AFSCME voters on the executive committee, per union head Joe Rugola.

Rugola said he was confident that Walters had enough votes to win the Thursday election.

This will be a major change for the Democratic Party to have a woman as chair, Rugola said. It will also change other dynamics inside the party. We need to be, I believe, hypersensitive to the concerns of our African American and other minority leaders in the party about how the leadership of the party gets shaped and what we do with the high-level staffing jobs at ODP after a new chair is elected.

Browns and Rugolas backing is a colossal boost to Walters, the former executive director of the party. The two Democrats have not always been simpatico on who they support for chair, such as their public disagreements during the race in 2014 when Pepper emerged victorious.

The Ohio Young Black Democrats also announced their support for Walters, though criticized the chair election process and called for a Black vice-chair or executive director to serve alongside Walters as well as for 20% of the executive committee and 20% of paid staff to be representative of the Black community.

While we support Ms. Walters candidacy, we felt the need to speak out against the closed-door conversations in this process that have excluded Ohios Black Democratic leaders, the group wrote in a letter to the executive committee. Black people are the backbone of the Democratic Party and represent the most consistent Democratic voting block in Ohio to date. Conversations and backdoor deals represent an antiquated and exclusionary process that only serves to alienate Black people who have given everything to the Democratic Party and have worked tirelessly to be included in major decisions regarding the partys direction and its leadership. These processes represent a larger issue within the national Democratic Party.

Walters had emerged as the likely front-runner following Gentiles exit, with Columbus-based political strategist Antoinette Wilson also carrying significant support.

Wilson said in an interview she was still campaigning and had no intention of withdrawing before Thursdays vote.

I have significant support within the executive committee, she said. We have a vote on Thursday and Im going forward.

Walters did not respond to a request for comment.

Democrats were originally scheduled to pick the person to succeed Pepper, who ran the party from 2015 through 2020, in December, but pushed the vote off several weeks until Jan. 14 to allow for more vetting from members.

Vice Chair Rhine McLin, who is not a candidate in the race, is currently serving as the chair.



America Talks: Join us and #ListenFirst in a virtual conversation with another American
Edu-tech major Byju's has signed a deal with test preparation company Aakash Educational Services Ltd for $1 billion, according to reports.

The deal, termed as one of the largest edu-tech acquisition in the world, will likely be closed in the next two or three months, as per Bloomberg reports.

Byju's is valued at $12 billion and has raised significant capital amid growing demand for online learning amid the covid-19 pandemic. The Bengaluru-based startup is backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Tiger Global Management and Bond Capital, co-founded by Silicon Valley investor Mary Meeker.

Last year, Byju's had raised about $200 million (about Rs 1,483 crore) in fresh funding from investors, including BlackRock and T Rowe Price. The announcement came months after Byju's had raised about $500 million (about Rs 3,672 crore).

Regulatory filings by Byju's to the Corporate Affairs Ministry in August had shown that the company has raised about Rs 909 crore in funding from billionaire Yuri Milner-led DST Global giving the entity 1.2 per cent shareholding in the edu-tech company.

The Byju's app has over 70 million registered students and 4.5 million annual paid subscriptions. The company has doubled its revenue to Rs 2,800 crore in FY19-20 from Rs 1,430 crore in the previous fiscal.

(With inputs from PTI)
Health & Beauty



Mexico Begins Mass Coronavirus Vaccination Campaign



President AndrAs Manuel LApez Obrador said the federal government's plan is to have all health workers vaccinated by the end of this month and the country's elderly population protected by the end of March. Mexico City - With the arrival of a new batch of more than 400,000 Pfizer vaccines, Mexico will begin mass vaccination against the coronavirus today, as was announced last Saturday by President AndrAs Manuel LApez Obrador (AMLO).



"We are going to start a massive vaccination campaign next Tuesday, because next Tuesday more than 400,000 doses of Pfizer will arrive and we already have contracts with other pharmaceutical companies for other vaccines," the president said on Saturday during a tour of Colima, where he inaugurated the headquarters of the National Guard in TecomAn.



LApez Obrador said that the federal government's plan is that by the end of March, "all the elderly in the country will be vaccinated."



He added that to achieve this objective, work is being done on the formation and deployment of 10,000 vaccination brigades with the purpose of vaccinating 15 million older (60+ years of age) adults.



AMLO explained that each of these brigades will be made up of 12 public servants from different institutions: four social promoters of the Welfare Programs, two professionals from the Health sector, four elements of the Armed Forces (Sedena, Navy, National Guard) and two volunteers.



The president has previously mentioned on numerous occasions that his objective is to have all medical and health personnel who directly care for people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the so-called "Covid Hospitals" throughout the country vaccinated by the end of this month.



As such, the first 1,000 brigades that will start working today will be deployed to begin vaccinating 750,000 medical workers in the 1,015 Covid Hospitals throughout the country that they are currently serving.



The next stage of vaccination will be focused on protecting the elderly - starting with those who are over the age of 60.



The goal, according to the president, is to eventually have 10,000 brigades working throughout the country until everyone is vaccinated. Each of these brigades will be tasked with administering 300 vaccinations per week. If they achieve that goal, 3 million shots will be given every week, meaning that 12 million people could receive at least one dose of a vaccine in the space of a month.



"If we achieve this - and we are going to achieve it - mortality, death from COVID in the country will be reduced by 80%, that's what the specialists and doctors have told us, 80% we will be able to reduce the mortality or deaths of those who become ill and lose their lives due to COVID," said the president.



Mexico expects to receive additional shipments of the vaccine produced by the Pfizer laboratory, each with 438,800 doses, on January 18 and 25.



"The brigade is going to take care that there are no abuses... we are all going to take care of that; there is going to be surveillance in everything, even the places where the vaccine will be stored, said the president during yesterday morning's press conference.



Sources: LopezObrador.org.mx a ExpansiAn Politica a El Universal - With the arrival of a new batch of more than 400,000 Pfizer vaccines, Mexico will begin mass vaccination against the coronavirus today, as was announced last Saturday by President AndrAs Manuel LApez Obrador (AMLO)."We are going to start a massive vaccination campaign next Tuesday, because next Tuesday more than 400,000 doses of Pfizer will arrive and we already have contracts with other pharmaceutical companies for other vaccines," the president said on Saturday during a tour of Colima, where he inaugurated the headquarters of the National Guard in TecomAn.LApez Obrador said that the federal government's plan is that by the end of March, "all the elderly in the country will be vaccinated."He added that to achieve this objective, work is being done on the formation and deployment of 10,000 vaccination brigades with the purpose of vaccinating 15 million older (60+ years of age) adults.AMLO explained that each of these brigades will be made up of 12 public servants from different institutions: four social promoters of the Welfare Programs, two professionals from the Health sector, four elements of the Armed Forces (Sedena, Navy, National Guard) and two volunteers.The president has previously mentioned on numerous occasions that his objective is to have all medical and health personnel who directly care for people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the so-called "Covid Hospitals" throughout the country vaccinated by the end of this month.As such, the first 1,000 brigades that will start working today will be deployed to begin vaccinating 750,000 medical workers in the 1,015 Covid Hospitals throughout the country that they are currently serving.The next stage of vaccination will be focused on protecting the elderly - starting with those who are over the age of 60.The goal, according to the president, is to eventually have 10,000 brigades working throughout the country until everyone is vaccinated. Each of these brigades will be tasked with administering 300 vaccinations per week. If they achieve that goal, 3 million shots will be given every week, meaning that 12 million people could receive at least one dose of a vaccine in the space of a month."If we achieve this - and we are going to achieve it - mortality, death from COVID in the country will be reduced by 80%, that's what the specialists and doctors have told us, 80% we will be able to reduce the mortality or deaths of those who become ill and lose their lives due to COVID," said the president.Mexico expects to receive additional shipments of the vaccine produced by the Pfizer laboratory, each with 438,800 doses, on January 18 and 25."The brigade is going to take care that there are no abuses... we are all going to take care of that; there is going to be surveillance in everything, even the places where the vaccine will be stored, said the president during yesterday morning's press conference.



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WASHINGTON  Even as a small child, I knew I was seeing something tremendous.

I didnt know that the light in the dome meant that Congress was in session. I didnt know that the statue with the feathered headdress on top was not a Native American but a goddess of freedom.

I only knew that we were driving down Pennsylvania Avenue at night to pick up my father from work at a gleaming shrine. His job was to guard it.

We thought of that as the family business: keeping the Capitol safe.

We all worked there during summer breaks. My two oldest brothers, Michael and Martin, were pages in the 1950s. Peggy and Kevin worked in the mailroom. Later, I was an intern to a congressman from Syracuse.

Every time I walked the marble halls, a star-struck 17-year-old, I thought to myself: This is where my father walked when he protected the Capitol.

We brimmed with reverence, even through moments of irreverence. Michael had to pull a brass spittoon off the foot of an inebriated senator, and Martin had to lie to wives of senators about where their husbands were. My brothers page duties included fetching water for Prescott Bush, delivering mail to Richard Nixon, checking if JFK wanted the top of his red-and-white convertible put up when rain threatened, and seating Jackie Kennedy in the visitors gallery.

My sister has a room dedicated to pictures of us, beaming on the same Capitol steps desecrated a few days ago, as well as paintings and replicas of the Capitol.

For the last 13 of his 40 years on the D.C. police force, my dad was a plainclothes detective in charge of Senate security. He oversaw eight other detectives. The Capitol Police was a separate, smaller agency then, more like security guards.

Captain Mike, as he was known, loved that job, and Hill denizens loved him, and his brogue. He had a small office on the east side of the building right inside the door, near where the mob swarmed Wednesday. He had a bad memory for names, so men were always called Big Shot.

My mom told me about the terrifying hours on March 1, 1954, when Puerto Rican nationalists invaded Congress and fired round after round down from the spectators gallery above the House floor. Five congressmen were wounded. My father raced over from the Senate and wrested a .38-caliber pistol from one of the shooters. My mother stood frozen in our house, waiting for news.

My dad marked the mans gun by carving his initials with a penknife on the handle. At the trial, when the defense lawyer superciliously grilled Mike Joseph Dowd about how he could be sure that the gun in evidence was the same one used in the crime, Dad told him to look on the bottom of the handle. There was the MJD.

He respected politicians based on their humanity, not their ideology.

Donald Trumps inhumanity, his sick torrent of lies and incitement, came to its inevitable, shameful end Wednesday, when a mob smeared blood, excrement, hate and death all over the Capitol.

At least Trump put my conservative siblings and me on the same page for once. We agreed  seeing the mob crash in; seeing lawmakers fearing for their lives, crouching and hiding and making calls to plead for the cavalry to come from any of the myriad federal and local police forces here, as Confederate flags waved  that this was a heartbreaking disgrace. It would have enraged my father.

Not only was a Capitol policeman killed after being hit by a fire extinguisher, the entire security apparatus meant to protect our democracy failed. Was the pathetic response to the anarchy engineered by Trump? It would not be the first time he sabotaged the government he was running. He was not even moved to protect his own lickspittle, the vice president, who was in the chamber when it was attacked.

In New York, Donald Trump was a corrupt Joker who took cudgels to the historic friezes on Bonwit Teller. In Washington, he became something evil. He took cudgels to history itself, to our institutions, decency and democracy.

He draped his autocratic behavior in the American flag. Surrounded by Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, FDR, MLK and monuments to our war dead, this coward whipped up a horde of conspiracists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and gullible acolytes to try to steal an election for him. He said he would march to the Capitol with them, but he didnt, of course. He watched his insurrection on TV, like the bum that he is.

Donald Trump is ruined, along with his repellent family. Even Twitter had finally had enough, suspending its leading arsonist after allowing him to fan the flames for years. The House might well impeach him, and he deserves it, though the Senate might not have the time or inclination to toss him out.

Josh Hawleys political future evaporated in a cloud of tear gas, and Ted Cruz reinforced why everyone hates him.

Only two days after the Trump mob followed orders to engage in seditious trial by combat, as the execrable Rudy Giuliani put it, the White House put out a statement: As President Trump said yesterday, this is a time for healing and unity as one Nation.

We will heal, once the rough beast in the White House slouches off. Something wicked this way goes.

MAUREEN DOWD is a columnist for The New York Times.
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BOSTON and TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BitSight, the Standard in Security Ratings, and Kovrr, a leader in data-driven cyber risk modeling, today announced a partnership to deliver the industry's most comprehensive data-driven cyber risk financial quantification solution for the insurance market. The BitSight-Kovrr Financial Quantification for Insurance Cyber Risk gives cyber insurers the tools required to make decisions more accurately and confidently about key areas of the cyber insurance business including underwriting, modeling, and portfolio management.

To begin the partnership, BitSight and Kovrr released a joint financial analysis of the impact of the unprecedented 2020 SolarWinds attack to the insurance industry, estimating the insured losses to be $90,000,000. This analysis was made possible by BitSight and Kovrr's ability to identify unique breach elements as cost components, including the size, location, and industry of the organizations impacted by SolarWinds.

Together, BitSight and Kovrr are delivering a comprehensive end-to-end solution that allows cyber insurers globally to underwrite companies of any size, from any geography and industry; model individual risk and portfolio exposure; and engage insureds with detailed visibility into their security posture. The BitSight-Kovrr Financial Quantification of Cyber Risk combines BitSight's industry-leading data and analytics on company-specific cybersecurity performance and fourth-party aggregate risk, with Kovrr's advanced cyber risk multi-model technology to deliver the cyber insurance market's most comprehensive, data-driven end-to-end solution for underwriting and portfolio management. Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty (AGCS) is one of the first insurance carriers that has selected BitSight and Kovrr to advance their own cyber insurance underwriting and portfolio risk management capabilities.

Cyber insurance claims are on the rise, driven by an increase in cyber-attacks from ransomware, phishing, third-party breaches and more. According to AON , U.S. cyber insurers saw a 10% loss ratio increase due to ransomware in 2019. Cyber insurers are forced to pay out more in claims than they had anticipated, leading to worsening loss ratios and ultimately, diminishing profitability. The BitSight-Kovrr Financial Quantification of Cyber Risk solves for the lack of historic and real-time security performance data on individual organizations, which has previously challenged cyber insurers to make informed underwriting decisions and negatively impacted risk modeling approaches.

"The cyber insurance market requires data that is specific, relevant, accurate, current, and transparent," said Dave Fachetti, chief strategy officer at BitSight. "BitSight offers the most comprehensive externally observable data on organization security performance in the industry. The combination of BitSight's data and analytics and Kovrr's comprehensive, automated, and scalable modeling technology will be crucial to address the industry need for a more accurate and consistent approach to making key underwriting and portfolio management decisions related to cyber risk."

Yakir Golan, CEO of Kovrr, stated, "Understanding and modeling the impact of major cyber incidents on an insurer's portfolio is key for enabling further growth of the cyber insurance industry. The BitSight-Kovrr solution allows cyber insurers to fully operationalize initiatives from single risk underwriting to portfolio risk accumulation management. We're excited to join forces with BitSight in support of the global insurance community."

For information about the BitSight-Kovrr Financial Quantification for Insurance Cyber Risk solution please visit https://www.bitsight.com/security-ratings-cyber-insurance .

About BitSight

BitSight transforms how organizations manage cyber risk. The BitSight Security Ratings Platform applies sophisticated algorithms, producing daily security ratings that range from 250 to 900, to help organizations manage their own security performance; mitigate third party risk; underwrite cyber insurance policies; conduct financial diligence; and assess aggregate risk. With over 2,100 global customers and the largest ecosystem of users and information, BitSight is the Standard in Security Ratings. For more information, please visit www.bitsight.com , read our blog or follow @BitSight on Twitter.

About Kovrr

Kovrr's cyber risk modeling platform delivers global (re)insurers transparent, data driven insights into their affirmative and non-affirmative cyber risk exposures. The Kovrr platform is designed to help underwriters, exposure managers and catastrophe modelers understand, financially quantify and manage cyber risk by utilizing AI-powered risk models. For more information, please visit www.kovrr.com or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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As we embark upon 2021, we have an opportunity to put the challenges of the past year behind us and embrace a new normal that includes providing enterprises and their employees with the ability to connect to business applications from anywhere in a safe and secure manner.

With Silver Peak now part of Aruba, our ability to help our enterprises to successfully transform their WAN and security architectures and advance digital transformation has never been greater. With so many exciting advancements in WAN edge technologies, including the acceleration of IoT adoption, advancements in automation and AI along with new transport technologies emerging, were continuing to accelerate the transformation of the network edge.

With that as a backdrop, I have a number of predictions for the coming year that I believe will enable enterprises to fully realize the transformational promise of the cloud while propelling them toward our vision for a self-driving wide area network. Join David Hughes, Silver Peak founder and head of the WAN business at Aruba, in this webinar as he shares his top eight predictions and learn how the SD-WAN edge will adapt and evolve to the changing 2021 landscape. Register for the Webinar here.

Enterprises navigate new path to SASE

If enterprises are to realize the full promise of the cloud and digital transformation, while supporting a new work-from-anywhere normal, they must transform both their WAN and security architectures  not just one or the other. As the noise surrounding SASE subsides, the strategic imperative in 2021 will be to navigate a path from legacy data center-centric, perimeter security architectures toward a cloud-centric SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) architecture. This will require an intelligent SD-WAN edge that unifies embedded security capabilities at the edge with automated orchestration and steering for leading cloud-delivered security services. Enterprises will value a neutral, non-captive edge as they simultaneously support their legacy security architecture, navigate toward SASE for an improved user experience, and to address security challenges associated with new IoT initiatives.

Enterprises tackle IoT security challenges

Digital transformation is driving a proliferation of IoT devices, which, in turn, is creating new security challenges. A zero-trust framework that limits device connectivity to just what is required will become essential to contain threats and prevent lateral movement following a breach. While end-point agents can be used to provide zero trust access for users and applications, agents cannot be installed on most connected devices such as printers, cash registers, cameras and sensors. The new WAN edge will have to implement granular segmentation based on device identification, enforce distinct security policies for each class of IoT endpoints and provide sufficient embedded security capabilities to support east-west inter-segment use cases.

The new Edge will evolve to bring together the principles of SD-WAN, SD-Branch and SASE

The edge is the pivot point for WAN and security transformation and is at the center of three architectural shifts. First, SD-WAN provides cloud-first connectivity and steering in accordance with business policy or intent. Second, SASE provides a better and more direct way to connect users to business applications. Finally, SD-Branch will become increasingly important to simplify the branch as IoT adoption accelerates. SD-Branch will enable enterprises to implement consistent role-based policies that tie together identity, device and application, extending control from the wired and wireless edge, to the WAN edge appliance and across the wide-area-network. The coupling of SD-WAN, SD-Branch and SASE will significantly enhance security posture and yield operational efficiencies.

Edge strategies will be reevaluated in light of a new normal

When COVID-19 struck, enterprises needed to quickly adapt and typically reacted by implementing the most expedient remote work options available. Generally, this involved a combination of VDI, remote VPN access and simple-to-deploy cloud managed devices like remote access points. Its now commonly recognized that the global pandemic has forever changed the way we work and conduct business. In 2021, enterprises will step back and review what they learned in the past year and evolve their remote work strategies, applying a longer-term perspective of the workplace. This will include eliminating trade-offs between security and user-experience and providing more a consistent experience as users work from home, the road or the office.

LEO joins 5G in the race to become the preferred wireless WAN technology

Wireless WAN access technologies have the advantage of being ubiquitous and quick to deploy. However, the traditional option of 4G/LTE has been expensive and offered lower bandwidth in comparison to wired technologies. This has limited deployments to use cases where existing services are unavailable and time-to-deploy is critical, including construction sites and pop-up shops, and for backup where LTE connectivity is utilized as a last resort. As 5G is rolled out more broadly, improved performance and cost-competitiveness may see 5G adopted for primary connectivity. To support work-from-home, enterprises will extend their SD-WAN fabrics to the home, bonding 5G and consumer broadband services to deliver the highest quality of experience for latency-sensitive voice and video applications and significantly improving network and application availability and resiliency. We are also witnessing early trials of low earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband service, and we expect that later in 2021 a new race will emerge between 5G and LEO broadband, with the later promising blanket coverage to all parts of the globe. This will be a boon for businesses that require connectivity in remote locations, adding LEO broadband to the list of SD-WAN connectivity options.

IoT will drive the requirement for dynamic segmentation

Network segmentation is critical to containing security breaches. To date, most enterprises have segmented traffic using VLANs and virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) technology. This enables them to separate guest Wi-Fi traffic from business application traffic from cash register transactions and IoT device traffic. With digital transformation driving a surge of IoT device deployment, and the potential for lateral movement from one class of compromised device to others, a new requirement for finer-grained segmentation by IoT device type is emerging. This will increase the number of segments required in a typical branch from single digits to fifty or more, multiplying the number VLANs, subnets and VRFs, in turn increasing complexity and administration overhead exponentially. In 2021, we will see a significant uptick in adoption of dynamic segmentation architectures that create virtual segments based on end-user role, device type and end-point security posture, allowing tens or even hundreds of segments to be created, as needs arise, without requiring VLAN or subnet allocation. This trend will start from the edge, in the branch and campus. This granular segmentation will be extended across the WAN by advanced SD-WAN and SD-Branch implementations, realizing the true potential of fully orchestrated, edge-to-edge dynamic segmentation.

Advances in automation and AI propel enterprises toward a self-driving wide area network

A growing number of enterprises are benefitting from advances in automation and the use of AI at the WAN edge to further streamline application management. Advanced SD-WAN edge platforms are business-driven, reflecting a top-down approach to aligning network resources to the changing needs of the business. Advances in areas like threat analysis and automated diagnostics are making the network more secure and resilient to disruptions in underlying network conditions and an ever-expanding threat landscape. Network engineers are becoming more confident in letting the network drive itself, acknowledging the benefits of being able to focus more attention on moving their businesses forward and less on day-to-day administration.

The software-defined enterprise will emerge

Much as weve witnessed with SD-WAN where automation and AI have created a much better way of implementing WANs, the same software-defined principles are being applied in other areas like the data center and campus LAN. In 2021, these software-defined silos will begin to come together into a broader software-defined enterprise architecture. We have seen early steps with SD-Branch, which unifies SD-LAN, SD-WAN and branch security together under one orchestration framework. With the help of VXLAN, metadata dynamic security segmentation can be extended from the LAN across the WAN and into the data center or cloud. With end-to-end automation, AI and role-based policy control driven consistently across remote sites, campus, data center and cloud, enterprises will benefit from driving substantial gains in business efficiency and agility.

Silver Peak

Silver Peak, now part of Aruba, has been named a leader for a third consecutive year in Gartners 2020 Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure. Get the full report.

Smoking a joint in one of Amsterdams famous Dutch coffee shops may become a thing of the past for visitors as the city considers bringing in tough new restrictions.

Long favoured as a destination for "cannabis tourists", Amsterdams city burghers now say they don't want them any more as they are becoming a nuisance.

In a letter to the city council, Amsterdam's ecologist mayor Femke Halsema said she hopes to make Amsterdam less attractive as "a place of soft drugs tourism."

"Amsterdam is an international city and we wish to attract tourists, but we would like them to come for its richness, its beauty, and its cultural institutions," she said.

While Amsterdam has previously strongly defended its laws that permit outsiders to enter coffee shops in the region, others like Maastricht in the south of the country do not permit non-Dutch customers in their coffee shops.

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Last February, the mayor sought to win political backing for her clean-up of overcrowded red-light areas by revealing that a third of foreign tourists would be less likely to visit the city again if they were barred from buying cannabis in the coffee shops.

Halsema attached the survey results to a letter to councillors announcing her intention to examine how they may reduce the attraction of drug use to tourists.

Before the Covid-19 epidemic intervened, Amsterdam was struggling to cope with the huge numbers visiting the city centre to the point that its attractions are no longer being promoted.

Home to 1.1 million people, the city attracts more than 17 million visitors a year. The municipality is particularly keen to dissuade foreign visitors from taking advantage of gedoogbeleid, policy of tolerance, towards cannabis.

Cannabis is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but the possession of less than five grammes (0.18 ounces) of the substance was decriminalised in 1976 under a so-called "tolerance" policy.

While production of cannabis remains illegal, the so-called coffee shops are allowed to sell it.

There are 570 of these coffee shops in the country, according to health ministry figures. Amsterdam is home to around 166, or about 30 percent of the total, according to the city's own data.

Coffee shops were closed due to the lockdown, along with other non-essential shops in the Netherlands and they continue to be shut in line with the latest Covid-19 measures.

However, the coffee shops have been able to sustain through delivery and takeout services.
Four Irish banks have been developing a secret plan for a payments app to take on digital upstarts, including Revolut, that could threaten their future.

The venture brings together AIB, Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB, and KBC Bank Ireland and was only revealed as the lenders sought approval from the watchdog, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 11:19:14|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States government's decision to designate Ansar Allah, more commonly known as the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, as terrorists, is likely to have serious repercussions, a UN spokesperson said on Monday.

"It's clear that the decision is likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the regular press briefing.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States will designate Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization, a move aid groups have warned could hamstring attempts to deal with what many consider to be the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Pompeo cited the Dec. 30 attack on Aden Airport, which killed at least 26 people and injured more than 50 others.

The U.S. chief diplomat will present his plan to the U.S. Congress on Jan. 19 and, if the United States follows through on his threat, imports of food, and other essential items, could be negatively impacted, at a time when more Yemenis are starving, Dujarric warned.

Pompeo's statement on Sunday acknowledged concerns that the designations would have an "impact on the humanitarian situation in Yemen," adding that the United States would put in place measures to reduce their impact.

Dujarric called for the United States to ensure that licenses and exemptions are granted, so that humanitarian assistance continues to reach the people who need it, and the private sector can continue to function in order to stave off complete economic collapse and large-scale famine.

The huge humanitarian operation in the country, the largest in the world, cannot replace the private sector or compensate for major drops in commercial imports, he added.

The political process in Yemen also risks being destabilized as a result of the terrorist designation, Dujarric said, and the positions of the opposing sides in the conflict that has riven the country since 2015, could become even more polarized.

According to figures released by the United Nations in December, more than 230,000 Yemenis have died in the war, mostly because of a lack of food, health services and infrastructure.

Dujarric pledged that the world body will continue to work with all parties to "resume and continue an inclusive political process to reach a comprehensive negotiated settlement to end the conflict." Enditem
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Millions of Americans have seen video of her dying.

An array of videos shot from different angles shows Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from the San Diego area, in a group of rioters smashing windows into the Speaker's Lobby, a chamber in the U.S. Capitol. Inside were lawmakers and staffers, feet away from an angry crowd attempting to break its way in.

Once a window shatters, Babbitt leaps up and tries to hurtle herself through. A Capitol police officer inside the Speaker's Lobby shoots her at close range and she falls back, fatally wounded.

The shocking death, the first of five at the Capitol that day, was immediately weaponized by far-right propagandists. But less than a week removed from her death, Babbitt has become a confused pawn in their disinformation war.

There are two primary narratives, one that formed mere minutes after she was shot and another that emerged about half a day later.

Before authorities even confirmed she was dead, notorious radio host Alex Jones was talking about her death on-air. He repeatedly referred to the shooting as an execution, and posted graphic, uncensored video of the shooting all over his website to elicit outrage. (Its worth noting here that Jones repeatedly claimed in broadcasts leading up to the riot that he was in communication with the White House about organizing the event and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on logistics.) Frequent InfoWars guest Tom Papperts National File news site also picked up that angle. Ashli Babbit, Peaceful Protester Executed by DC Police, one headline reads. Others skipped pretence and went straight to calling her a martyr.

This fits neatly into existing white nationalist narratives. Few events have rallied the modern movement like the killing of Vicki Weaver by an FBI sniper at Ruby Ridge in 1992. Her death still resonates powerfully as a propaganda tool for those seeking to show the government is willing to kill its own civilians, and Babbitts death, also at the hands of the state, has parallels that are easy and convenient to echo.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The second narrative about Babbitts death relies less on familiar far-right tropes and is imbued instead with the unhinged chaos of the internet.

In this version of events, Babbitt is either a spy or, even stranger, not dead at all. Although her social media activity and interviews with family and co-workers paint a clear picture of her radicalization through online conspiracy theories, that very ecosystem has now disowned her. A post by the QAnon Patriots account on Parler sums up the most common conspiracy theory circulating: Ashli Babbit was a False Flag Operation. She is alive, the post reads. Only a small amount of her immediate family would know, the rest have to believe shes dead to keep up the illusion.

The post had over 500 upvotes, and others on the topic received similarly positive engagement from Parler users.

Parler/Screenshot

Last week, lawyer Lin Wood, the failed architect of multiple rejected suits attempting to overturn the election, posted a link on Parler to a video that claims to break down all the reasons why Babbitts death was faked. It is the usual conspiracy drivel, consisting of slowed footage and half-baked theories presented as absolute fact.

So you got fooled, suckered, played. Dont feel bad Sheeple, the DeepState has been doing this for years, the video description reads.

Thanks to Wood, that video now has nearly half a million views and has been circulated widely on social media by people eager to dismiss Babbitts death as a false flag.

We have never seen conspiracy theory proliferate in real-time at this order of magnitude. Instead of coalescing months or years after the event, its happening extemporaneously on social media. Propagandists who once dictated narratives are treading water. The waves of groupthink are carrying them toward the dominant storylines pushed on Twitter and Facebook, and more extreme hubs like Gab and Parler.

As a result, propagandists like Jones are now trying to thread the needle of glorifying the actions of the mob while also deflecting blame onto provocateurs. Part of their audience wants encouragement to continue, even violently, to overturn an election result they simply do not want to accept. And another part wants to be reassured their side would never kill police officers or break the law. The two sides are fundamentally at odds with each other.

This struggle is seen in microcosm on Jones' InfoWars. Five days after his homepage was splashed with articles about Babbitts death, she is now nowhere to be found there. She gets only a small mention in a special report that Jones issued Sunday, in which he claims without evidence that high level sources at the Pentagon told him the violence was sparked by antifa. There is no credible proof people affiliated with the militant anti-fascist movement were the source of Wednesdays violent riot; there is, however, a significant online and real-life paper trail that shows the people arrested are overwhelmingly longtime Trump supporters.

Jones claims, again with no evidence, that an agent provocateur riled up the crowd at the Speaker's Lobby doors in order to make conservatives look bad; Babbitt, swept up in the moment, was killed as she jumped through the shattered glass.

Jones special report presents the Capitol attack as a win for his audience. Because Trump supporters were so law-abiding, this thing basically failed, he says. Babbitt, once the center of his patriots-are-being-persecuted narrative, is now just collateral damage. He banked on using her as a martyr in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but as online conspiracies about antifa and false flags rose to the top, Jones had to pivot away from using Babbitt as the central piece of his narrative.

There are real-world implications for online conspiracy theories like these. People are experiencing life through these altered lenses, and we are seeing people deny their own reality as it unfolds before their eyes.

There is no more startling example than that of another person killed in Wednesday's riot. Rosanne Boyland, who drove from Georgia to attend the D.C. event, was crushed under a mass of surging Trump supporters outside the Capitol building. She later died. Justin Winchell, a friend who witnessed her death, told CBS46 the next day that he thought antifa instigators started the riot that killed her.

She was killed by an incited event and it was not incited by Trump supporters, he told the TV station.

There is no proof of his claims.
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When Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, it will be in no small part because of Black voters. Specifically, older Black voters in South Carolina, who rescued his floundering primary campaign in February. More specifically, older Black voters in South Carolina who take seriously the beliefs and opinions of Rep. James Clyburn, the 80-year-old Democratic House majority whip and kingmaker in a state where 60 percent of Democratic primary voters are Black, whose endorsement of Biden effectively changed the course of history.

"Joe Biden is one of the few White people that I have had a very close relationship with who understands" the lived experiences of Black people, he said in an interview several weeks before the inauguration.

Biden's debt to Black voters, and his relationships with Black leaders and political movements like Black Lives Matter, stand to be a major theme in his presidency as he enters the White House less than a year after the George Floyd protests.

Clyburn is hopeful. Black voters can pick up on whether White politicians are comfortable around them, and Biden passes that test, according to Clyburn. And that ease among Black voters convinced the congressman that Biden could win in a showdown with President Donald Trump.

But Biden's attempts at this kind of ease haven't always gone well. There was the time he "bragged" about diversity in Delaware by saying you can't go into a "7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent." One of his worst gaffes happened in May, during the primaries, on "The Breakfast Club," a radio program popular with Black audiences. As the interview wrapped, radio personality Charlemagne tha God asked Biden to make another appearance on the show so he could press him further on his record.

"You got more questions, but I'll tell you," Biden said, "if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't Black."

Biden was criticized from the left and right for the comments. "I was much too cavalier," the candidate said later. "I know that the comments have come off like I was taking the African American vote for granted."

"Sometimes you can get too comfortable," Clyburn said and chuckled. (Charlemagne, born Lenard Larry McKelvey, grew up in the same South Carolina town as the senator's late wife, Emily. "Charlemagne and I laughed about that," he said of Biden's cringey remark.)

Some Black voters who haven't known Biden for decades are less eager to give him the benefit of the doubt. Many young Black voters backed the more-progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., over Biden in the primary. Johnetta Elzie, an organizer involved with the Black Lives Matter movement, voted for Biden in the general, but mostly out of concern for what four more years of Trump would mean for racial justice. She plans to judge the Biden administration on its ability to contain the pandemic. When it comes to criminal-justice reform under Biden, she's not optimistic.

Elzie, who grew up in the St. Louis area, remembers the excitement that she felt when then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., made his run for the White House in 2008. She became an activist in August 2014 after a police officer killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

Seven years of protesting and dealing with elected officials have left her a bit weary and leery of politicians, Republican and Democrat. "I got tear-gassed 14 times under Obama on American soil by police that my taxes paid for," she said.

Elzie now works with Campaign Zero, a nonprofit calling for police reform. Her expectations for cooperation from Biden on that front aren't high, even when it comes to the prospect of a Biden administration pursuing consent decrees with local police departments to reform their practices - something the incoming administration has said it plans to do. (Under Obama, the Justice Department investigated a number of city police departments, including Ferguson's, entering into consent decrees in the hope of reducing misconduct and racial bias, but that work was all but abandoned by the Trump administration.)

Biden, who helped write "tough on crime" legislation in the mid-1990s, will have to be responsive to Black voters on issues like police brutality and criminal justice. During a December conference call with civil rights leaders, Biden blamed the "defund the police" slogan, popular among activists and some left-wing Democrats in Congress, for the party's 2020 losses in the House. "That's how they beat the living hell out of us across the country - saying that we're talking about defunding the police," he told civil rights leaders.

Although she believes funds should be reallocated away from policing and toward education, Elzie said she understands why the "defund" phrase can be off-putting, particularly to older Black voters who sometimes complain about their communities being underpoliced. Clyburn, who got his start as a civil rights activist in the 1960s, has rebuked Black Lives Matter activists for using the slogan. It's something he said he talked about with fellow activist-turned-congressman John Lewis, D-Ga. Before Lewis died last year, Clyburn expressed concerns about the direction of the Black Lives Matter movement. "We sat in the back of the House one day, and he said, 'Jim, they're gonna do the same thing to Black Lives Matter - this 'defund the police' - that those guys did to us back in the 1960s with 'burn, baby, burn,' " Clyburn said, referring to a slogan shouted by participants in the Watts riots of 1965 in Los Angeles.

When he endorsed the president-elect last year, Clyburn felt that Biden could defeat Trump. Now, in the aftermath of the 2020 election, some have said Black voters saved the country.

This ignores the fact that Black voters are rational political actors voting in their best interests just like everyone else. They weren't doing Democrats or Biden any favors. They want to see the pandemic disproportionately ravaging their communities brought under control. They want safe neighborhoods and the respect of law enforcement. They want access to good jobs and schools.

And they want Biden to deliver.

French fishmongers have complained that supply chains which used to put British fish on European tables in just over a day have been shattered by local bureaucrats enforcing post-Brexit red tape.

Importers say French agents have adopted a 'zero-tolerance' approach that has seen deliveries delayed because Latin names of fish species were incorrectly entered on papers and because sanitary certificates were missing stamps.

Both fishmongers and seafood factories are now suspending orders from Britain as deliveries of salmon and lobster that used to take just 24 hours to end up on French shelves are now being held up for two or three days - meaning they spoil in transit.

'We've never known such delays,' said Arnaud Mille, head of sourcing at Demarne Freres in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and who counts Britain as his top supplier. 'It's been apocalyptic.'

Importers in Boulogne-sur-Mer said that deliveries were sometimes being held up because the Latin names of fish species were incorrectly entered on papers.

Other reasons for delays included sanitary certificates missing the required stamps and French agents adopting a zero-tolerance approach to mistakes in the cumbersome process

The news comes after 'nit-picking' Dutch border police were filmed laughing at a British truck driver while confiscating his ham sandwiches in line with post-Brexit import rules.

Today it was revealed Dutch customs officers paraded a pile of confiscated items including muesli and Waitrose chicken fillets seized from from Britons crossing the EU border as they warned 'you can't just bring in food from the UK'.

For French fishmongers, the result of the delays in delivering fish is a chaotic breakdown in supply chains from the outer reaches of the British Isles to the northern French port of Boulogne, which used to see Scottish langoustine and scallops in French shops just over a day after they were harvested.

Deliveries were taking at least one or two days longer than previously, if they got through at all.

Those moving seafood from Britain into the bloc face some of the toughest requirements, including mandatory sanitary checks. Pictured: Agents carry out sanitary control checks on salmon exported from Britain on arrival in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer

Fishmongers and seafood factories are now suspending orders from Britain as they battle to salvage their just-in-time supply chains. Pictured: A refrigerated truck from the fish processing plants in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France on January 11

A French worker checks stickers on Scottish salmon boxes in a fish processing plant in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer on January 11

Now in its second week, the disruption meant it was almost impossible for importers to place orders in a truck carrying multiple consignments from different suppliers.

Mille said he had sent an SMS message to French customs officials asking them to go easy while the industry learned to navigate the new bureaucracy, but was yet to receive a response.

The delays mean seafood is not always hitting European markets as fresh as it once did. In a consignment of English-caught crab that arrived at Mille's warehouse a day late on Saturday, 20 per cent of the crustaceans had perished.

Brexit had undone decades of cooperation to finesse the supply chain, some importers in Boulogne, Europe's biggest fish processing centre, said.

'We've lost 30 years,' said Mille.

Importer Arnaud Mille said he had sent an SMS message to French customs officials asking them to go easy while the industry learned to navigate the new bureaucracy, but was yet to receive a response

The delays mean seafood is not always hitting European markets as fresh as it once did. In a consignment of English-caught crab that arrived at Arnaud Mille's Demarne Freres warehouse a day late on Saturday, 20 per cent of the crustaceans had perished. Pictured: Mr Mille holding a dead crab due to the slow delivery time

Britain's divorce from the EU heralded the return of a customs border and additional paperwork and costs. Those moving seafood from Britain into the bloc face some of the toughest requirements, including mandatory sanitary checks.

Stephane Pruvost, chief executive of fish processor JP Maree, said he had suspended all imports from Britain. For now he was trying to fill the gap in his salmon and monkfish orders from markets such as Norway and Denmark.

'When you have fewer sellers, there's less choice on price, and sometimes quality,' he said. 'For now we've no other choice.'

Scottish truck driver Robert Marshall spent a day sat in his cab at Boulogne's sanitary control checkpoint, a few hundred metres from the hangar-like complex where he was to drop off his salmon cargo, waiting for a snag with his customs documents to be fixed.

'My wheels are not turning so I'm not making money,' the ex-soldier said. 'I'll be looking at this over the next couple of months to see if it's viable.'

Scottish truck driver Robert Marshall spent a day sat in his cab at Boulogne's sanitary control checkpoint, a few hundred metres from the hangar-like complex where he was to drop off his salmon cargo, waiting for a snag with his customs documents to be fixed

The sanitary checks involved opening iced crates to check the merchandise was fresh and conserved at the correct temperature.

Sanitary control agents were conducting tests on 15 per cent of consignments of wild-caught fish and 30 per cent of farmed fish and molluscs, said Charles-Henri Goeury, head of Boulogne's SIVEP checkpoint.

The checks involved opening iced crates to check the merchandise was fresh and conserved at the correct temperature.

He denied trucks had been held up for hours because of the checks, pointing instead to customs paperwork. His team had been flexible with minor administrative oversights but would soon get stricter, he said.

The need for Boulogne wholesalers to obtain the license, signature and boat registration of each skipper made it impossible to send a mixed load of mullet from France, turbot from Belgium and sea urchins from Spain to a buyer in Britain. Customs charges added hundreds of euros to costs.

In charge of exports at L'Argonaute, Pierre Haem said he had spent more time chasing papers than selling fish since Jan. 1, and had resorted to shipping only squid.

'Sending fish to London used to be as simple as selling it down the end of the road,' Haem said. 'Now it's like sending fish to planet Mars.'

Now they're taking our muesli! Gloating Dutch customs staff reveal MORE food seized from Britons entering the country after Brexit  but it includes Spanish oranges and American orange juice

By Nick Craven, Tim Stickings, Chris Jewers and William Cole for MailOnline

Dutch port officials have paraded a stash of food including muesli seized from Britons crossing the EU border after confiscating a 'small mountain' of items since the new Brexit rules came into force on January 1.

Customs officers showed off a pile of confiscated items including Waitrose chicken fillets, American Tropicana orange juice, Spanish marmalade oranges and even Dorset Cereals muesli as they warned 'you can't just bring in food from the UK'.

It came after 'nit-picking' border police took ham sandwiches off a truck driver and told him 'Welcome to Brexit', sparking anger among Brexiteer MPs.

Officials at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal said the offending items had been destroyed under rules requiring a health certificate for bringing food into the EU.

The same rules are also in force in Calais and other EU ports, although there have been no reports of French or Belgian officials confiscating sandwiches so far.

Dutch TV reporter Floris Prenger said he and his crew saw a 'small mountain' of food confiscated from arriving travellers as they filmed at the giant ferry port near Rotterdam where sailings from Harwich in Essex arrive several times daily.

'Maybe this is something that people overlooked in Brexit,' he said, 'but the customs guys wanted to get the message out that food is not allowed to be taken into the EU from outside in any form.'

Dutch port officials showed off a pile of confiscated items at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal including Waitrose chicken fillets, Tropicana orange juice, marmalade oranges and even Dorset Cereals muesli. The caption says: 'Are you bringing food from the UK?'

A Dutch customs official picks up a bag of oranges from the boot of a car that arrived on the ferry in Hook of Holland during the first week of the new Brexit rules

The seized items included Tropicana fruit juice, boxes of oranges and Waitrose chicken fillets

One Briton voiced fears that the confiscations at Hook of Holland meant that 'all food in UK caravans and motorhomes is now illegal'.

Dutch authorities insisted this was not the case, pointing to government advice which says that health certificates can be obtained if necessary and that some foods such as sweets and chocolate are not subject to checks.

But there was criticism from Britons over the strict application of the rules, with one saying that 'I thought the Dutch at least would have taken an adult attitude to this'.

There were even complaints from some Dutch readers. One, Rinus Middelaar replied: 'Don't you realise what a crazy situation is being created by politics? Idiocy to the top. We're talking about food waste.'

But Harry Kocheim, believed to be a Dutch customs officer, replied: 'You don't understand one thing. We as customs officials took the oath. We MUST follow the lawThe UK wanted their Brexit if necessary, so go complain to Boris Johnson and not to the Dutch customs.'

It came as Brexiteers criticised Dutch border police for mocking a Polish truck driver who had his sandwiches confiscated after arriving from Britain at the same port.

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir,' one of the officers says in the video of the incident, as the driver pleads: 'Can you take the meat and leave me the bread?'

The EU does not allow for meat, meat products, milk or dairy products to be brought in from countries outside the union for 'personal consumption'.

With Britain having left the EU on January 1, the rules now apply to people crossing the Channel.

But the border officer's strict stance on the newly-imposed rules has been slammed as 'pathetic nit-picking' by a leading Brexiteer.

'The whole story smacks of one sandwich short of a picnic, literally,' Andrew Bridgen MP told MailOnline.

'As the Dutch know as well as everyone else in the EU we have the highest food standards in Europe.

Pictured: A still from footage showing Dutch police officers confiscating food from a British lorry driver. Holding up the man's ham sandwiches wrapped in foul, they are seen telling him that the sandwiches will have to be confiscated because they have ham in them

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir,' one of the officers is heard saying in the video of the incident, as the driver asks: 'Can you take the meat and leave me the bread?'

Mr Bridgen, a prominent Eurosceptic, spent 22 years in the food industry before entering Parliament in 2010.

'Is this is going to be the way it is then? Are they really going to go through a lorry driver's lunchbox going through customs, for something that is causing any danger?

'We need to talk to the European Union about what is really quite pathetic nit-picking. Otherwise this will not be good for the Dutch ports, hauliers will go somewhere else.'

Mark Francois, chairman of the Tory backbench European Research Group, said: 'This is pettifogging bureaucracy gone mad.

'The EU have always worried that a dynamic, free-trading UK, outside the EU, would eventually eat their lunch on world markets, so now they are retaliating by trying to steal our truckers' lunches instead! It's pathetic really.'

Dutch customs officers can be seen confiscating dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hoek van Holland, the Netherlands

Mark Francois, Chairman of parliament's European Research Group, said: 'This is petitfogging bureaucracy gone mad'

Dutch officers can be heard in the footage explaining the new post-Brexit rules for drivers crossing into the EU, which forbids bringing in certain foods that originated in the UK.

'Since Brexit you are [no longer allowed] certain foods to Europe,' one border official at the Hook of Holland sea port explained to the Netherlands' NPO television.

The footage shows officers rooting through people's vehicles and holding up any food they find within, saying that it will need to be confiscated.

When the driver - coming off the ferry from Britain - asks the officials whether he could keep the bread of his ham sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil, the official is heard saying: 'No, everything will be confiscated  welcome to the Brexit, sir. I'm sorry.'

Guidance from the UK government produced for drivers travelling to EU countries states: 'From 1 January 2021 you will not be able to bring POAO (products of an animal origin) such as those containing meat or dairy (e.g. a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU.'

Pictured: The driver's ham sandwiches, wrapped in foil. Under new rules imposed on Britain following its exit from the EU, meat and dairy for personal consumption cannot be brought into the EU from the UK

When the driver asking the officials whether he could just keep the bread of his ham sandwiches which had been wrapped in tinfoil the official said: 'No, everything will be confiscated  welcome to the Brexit, sir. I'm sorry'

More serious food supply problems have emerged since the UK fully left the EU on January 1 with gaps appearing on supermarket fruit and veg shelves amid warnings that supplies are being squeezed by Brexit red tape at ports.

Lettuce, cauliflower packs, oranges, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are among the fresh produce to be listed as 'out of stock' on Tesco's website.

Several of the UK's leading food companies have pointed to the complexities behind the 'rules of origin' arrangements now enshrined in the Brexit trade deal.

These mean that only goods made up of produce originating in the UK qualify as tariff-free, with Steve Rowe - CEO of Marks & Spencer - saying last week 'Tariff free does not feel like tariff free when you read the fine print.'

Meanwhile, food industry experts and the Cabinet minister with responsibility for Brexit, Michael Gove, have warned that problems at the ports are likely to escalate from today

Lettuce, cauliflower packs, oranges, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are listed as 'out of stock' in some areas on Tesco's website. Pictured: Sainsbury's runs low on fruit and veg in Haverhill, Suffolk

Taking food from the UK to EU: What are the rules post-Brexit? Since January 1, 2021 - when Britain officially left the EU - rules governing what food can be taken into the EU from the UK have tightened. The EU does not allow for meat, meat products, milk and dairy products for personal consumption to be brought in from countries outside the union. This now includes the UK after Brexit, meaning anyone crossing the Channel will be subject to food confiscations if they do not follow these rules. There is an exemption for powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons, if weighing less than 2 kilograms, and if they meet other criteria. Plants and plant-based products are also now subject to stricter measures. The rules stem from the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease endemic within the EU. 'It is known that dangerous pathogens that cause animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and classical swine fever can reside in meat, milk or their products,' EU guidance reads. 'Therefore, pathogens could be introduced into the EU if personal goods containing meat, milk or their products are sent by post or carried in the baggage of travellers arriving from countries outside the EU, where such pathogens may be circulating.' Advertisement

A spokesperson for the British Meat processors Association said: 'At the end of the day the rules are the rules (on animal origin) now that we are a third country to the EU.'

But they added that the Dutch had little to worry about on the standards of British produce, saying: 'our status on pigs, sheep and cattle is at a very high standard.'

Meanwhile, food industry experts and the Cabinet minister with responsibility for Brexit, Michael Gove, have warned that problems at the ports are likely to escalate from today.

The number of trucks going through Dover and the Channel Tunnel is expected to rise to to normal levels after a New Year lull as the French step up enforcement of post-Brexit paperwork.

Freight expert John Shirley said: 'The chaos has begun. Organising even the simplest load to Europe has become an almost impossible task due to the mountain of red tape brought in on January 1.'

The Road Haulage Association said there are already logjams and this situation will escalate when border controls with France are stepped up from today.

The group estimates that of the 2,000 outbound lorries a day through Dover and the Channel Tunnel last week, one in five were turned back.

It said problems will surge as these numbers increase to the normal 6,000 a day.

Its managing director for policy, Rod McKenzie, said: 'Drivers are being turned back for a variety of reasons, including not having a valid Covid test. At the same time, they are being told the paperwork has not been done satisfactorily.

'The French have had a relatively light touch on enforcement so far, but they won't from Monday.'

Mr Gove admitted: 'In the weeks ahead, we expect there will be significant additional disruption.'

Emergency financial aid could be needed to secure struggling food exporters facing challenged sending produce to the EU.

James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, told The Independent that exporters are finding the 'door to the EU now shut' to the EU, warning that British seafood firms were at risk of collapse.

Holland, the drug smugglers' paradise (but don't bring your ham sandwiches!) As Dutch cops focus on truckers' snacks, gangs are turning the country into a narco-state with illicit operations worth billions

Dutch port officials have made headlines for mocking a trucker as they seized his ham sandwiches under Brexit rules but criminals are having the last laugh as they use the country's shipping terminals to smuggle drugs worth billions of pounds every year.

Famously tolerant of cannabis use, the Netherlands is also a seen as a 'gateway for South American cocaine' and an 'ideal environment' for a drugs trade which has left the country in fear of becoming a 'narco-state'.

While more than 14,000kg of cocaine is seized by Dutch authorities every year, it is believed that around 56,000kg goes undetected, making Holland one of the major drug-trafficking hubs in Europe.

Often hidden in fruit shipments, some of the lucrative stashes of cocaine are worth more than 100million alone and are sometimes smuggled along with firearms.

The criminal trade at Dutch ports has also started to seep into the mainland, with gang violence causing an outcry in Amsterdam where drug kingpins run money-laundering rackets and a 'ring of hustlers and parasites' have 'free rein'.

Busted: In one major drugs raid last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam

In one major drug bust last year, more than two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of 136million were found in a banana shipment in Rotterdam.

Arriving from Ecuador, the illegal drugs were meant to use Holland as a gateway to Europe before making their way to Hungary.

Rotterdam is Europe's largest sea port and handles nearly 15million containers a year, only a small fraction of which are routinely scanned.

Even when containers are inspected, gangs can use accomplices at Dutch and Belgian docks to sneak past authorities.

Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells and a 'torture chamber' used by the criminal underworld.

Believed to be used for kidnappings, 'torture chamber' included what looked like a dentist's chair with straps for the prisoner's arms and legs.

Six people were arrested on suspicion of 'preparing kidnappings and hostage-taking' after the containers were discovered near the Belgian border in a raid linked to the drugs trade.

Pieter Tops, a professor at the Dutch police academy, said in October that Holland's tolerant penal system and its extensive transport links make it an 'ideal environment for the drugs trade'.

The professor said that schoolchildren were sometimes offered 500 to transport a package while farmers were approached about letting out their land to drug gangs.

'The main problem is the enormous flow of money and its rippling effect throughout our society,' he told Dutch News.

A 2019 report by the EU's drug agency estimated that around 14,600kg of cocaine are seized in the Netherlands every year - with a separate IMF report giving a 'seizure rate' of around 20 per cent.

Tops said that each kilogram of cocaine is worth around 50,000, meaning the overall trade is worth billions.

'Torture chamber': Last year, police discovered that seven shipping containers had even been adapted into prison cells used by the criminal underworld

Shipping hub: The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and handles nearly 15million containers a year, making it an attractive gateway for drug smugglers

In Amsterdam, a report commissioned by city authorities in 2019 found that hard drugs had led to rising violence and corruption at the hands of 'hustlers, parasites and extortionists'.

The Netherlands has a 'policy of toleration' on soft drugs which means that Amsterdam's 'coffee shops' are not prosecuted for selling marijuana.

'Separating soft and hard drugs shields the users of soft drugs from the criminal circuit that is involved in the hard drugs trade,' the government says.

But the report found that the same 'toleration' was gradually being extended to harder drugs, with up to 17 per cent of the population using cocaine or heroin.

'Amsterdam has given free rein...to a motley crew of drugs criminals, a ring of hustlers and parasites, middle-men and extortionists, of dubious notaries and real estate agent,' the report said.

At the top of the criminal chain are wealthy organised crime bosses who may not be physically located in Amsterdam, the report said.

At the bottom are 'lackeys such as scooter and taxi chauffeurs and even young messenger boys set to follow quite a career path: offering murder as a service.'

The report also found evidence of money-laundering systems and turf wars between drug retailers in Amsterdam.

Across the Netherlands, around six per cent of men aged 15-34 and three per cent of women in the same age group say they use cocaine.

Cannabis produced in Holland is also sold to other countries, while Dutch ports serve as a point of transit for cocaine to be transported elsewhere in Europe.

In 2019, the killing of a lawyer for a protected witness in a drugs case led the head of a Dutch police union to say that 'we definitely have the characteristics of a narco-state'.

'Sure we're not Mexico. We don't have 14,400 murders. But if you look at the infrastructure, the big money earned by organised crime, the parallel economy. Yes, we have a narco-state,' Jan Struijs told BBC News at the time.

The murdered lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in the Amsterdam suburbs by a man dressed in black who fled on foot and was thought to be no older than 20.

Dutch customs confiscate dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hook of Holland

Wiersum was representing a 'supergrass' witness in a drugs case who had cut a deal with prosecutors to provide evidence against suspected underworld bosses.

Months later, another Dutch lawyer involved in several drug-related cases was shot across the border in Germany, although he was not seriously injured.

Hook of Holland, where the trucker arriving from Britain had his ham sandwiches confiscated last week, was also the departure point for a 35kg cocaine run to Britain which was eventually uncovered when the shipment arrived in Humberside.

Lorry driver Hendrik van der Genugten was later jailed for 10 years after smuggling the drugs out of the Netherlands in 2019.

Police in Hook of Holland were quicker to get rid of the offending sandwiches under the new Brexit rules, leading to claims of 'nit-picking'.

'Welcome to the Brexit, sir... I'm sorry,' said one official as he seized the foil-wrapped sandwiches belonging to the driver.

The driver plaintively asks the Dutch customs officer if he can 'take off the meat and you leave me the bread?'

But the Dutch official replies: 'No, everything will be confiscated.'

'The whole story smacks of one sandwich short of a picnic, literally,' Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline.

'As the Dutch know as well as everyone else in the EU we have the highest food standards in Europe.

'Is this is going to be the way it is then? Are they really going to go through a lorry driver's lunchbox going through customs, for something that is causing any danger?

'We need to talk to the European Union about what is really quite pathetic nit-picking. Otherwise this will not be good for the Dutch ports, hauliers will go somewhere else.'

Mark Francois, Chairman of parliament's European Research Group, said: 'This is pettifogging bureaucracy gone mad.

'The EU have always worried that a dynamic, free-trading UK, outside the EU, would eventually eat their lunch on world markets, so now they are retaliating by trying to steal our truckers' lunches instead! It's pathetic really.'

The new post-Brexit rules say that bringing foods that contain meat or dairy into the EU, even for personal use, is forbidden.
By Kim Bo-eun





KT is said to be tapping the market to sell off its affiliate specializing in submarine optical cables, but there appears to be little interest in the company.



KT Submarine, established in 1995, constructs and maintains optical submarine cables. It also installs offshore drilling facilities.



KT is seriously considering unloading its controlling stake in the affiliate. Previously, KT had attempted to sell the affiliate to Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2012.



Sources familiar with the issue said Tuesday that KT resumed efforts recently to sell the unit as a way to restructure its group of affiliates to strengthen the group's core strengths through the sale of unprofitable business units. Last year, KT CEO Ku Hyeon-mo stated that preparations were being made for structural changes, and that results would be seen in 2021.



KT currently has 44 affiliates in the sectors of broadcasting, online services, finance, security, real estate development, advertising and submarine cables employing 64,000 workers.



Ku, who was appointed last year, has been seeking to make the group lighter and more focused on core businesses as KT seeks to become a digital platform company.



The plan is to sell less relevant units and raise capital to invest in new growth engines such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.



KT under the leadership of Ku's predecessor Hwang Chang-gyu underwent major restructuring as 17 units unrelated with the group's main telecom business were disposed. Ku at the time oversaw the restructuring as head of strategy.



KT is seeking to place greater weight on its B2B clients, a shift from its former focus on the B2C market for mobile, internet and IPTV services, which have reached saturation. This was reflected in the group's reorganization for 2021 conducted last month.



"Given there have been talks of restructuring, the group could be seeking to sell off units with little weight in its portfolio," an industry source said. KT owns 36.9 percent of KT Submarine.



KT Submarine faces favorable conditions as the government seeks to increase wind and solar power generation under its Green New Deal initiative. The government unveiled plans last year to construct an offshore wind farm off the coast of Ulsan. This is set to provide opportunities for the company given submarine cables are needed to connect offshore power generators. KT Submarine's main business centers on communication cables, but it is seeking to expand to power cables.


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global bed head panel market size is anticipated to reach USD 3.1 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.1% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing volume of chronic care patients and rising investments in healthcare infrastructural development are driving the market.

Key suggestions from the report:

Based on specialty, the ICU segment dominated the overall market with a revenue share of 39.9% in 2019. The increasing rate of ICU admission due to high prevalence of chronic diseases, fatal injuries, and aging population is expected to support segment growth

On the basis of end use, the hospitals segment dominated the overall market with a revenue share of 43.5% in 2019 owing to increasing number of hospitals and rising government funding for hospitals. For instance, the government of Australia provides 41.0% of the public hospital funding and 24.0% of the private hospital funding

Europe dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 37.9% in 2019 due to high incidence rate of chronic disorders and extensive public funding in the healthcare system

Read 120 page research report with ToC on "Bed Head Panel Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Specialty (ICU, Surgical), By End-use (Hospitals, Clinics), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at:https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bed-head-panel-market

Increase in the number of patients needing medical care is expected to propel market growth. For instance, escalating geriatric population, surging prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases has resulted in significant increase in hospital admissions for critical care. This, in turn, has led to uplifting demand for bed head panels installation in healthcare settings.

Emergence of highly sophisticated hospitals such as super-specialty and multi-specialty hospitals will increase the demand for the installation of bed head panels. For instance, according to American Hospital Association statistics in 2020, there were 6,146 acute care and critical access hospitals in the U.S.

Furthermore, growing funding on healthcare infrastructure in developing economies is anticipated to support market growth. For instance, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) launched the initiative- "Healthcare Infrastructure in Developing Countries and Emerging Markets" aim to improve the healthcare services for large segments of the population.

Grand View Research has segmented the global bed head panel market on the basis of specialty, end-use, and region:

Bed Head Panel Specialty Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

ICU



Surgical



Others

Bed Head Panel End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Hospitals



Clinics



Others

Bed Head Panel Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



Germany





U.K.





France





Italy





Spain



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan





Australia





South Korea



Latin America



Mexico





Brazil





Argentina





Colombia



Middle East & Africa

&

South Africa





Saudi Arabia





UAE

List of Key Players of Bed Head Panel Market

Precision UK Ltd

Hill-Rom Services, Inc.

Novair Medical

Amcaremed Medical

Amico Group of Companies

DrAger

BIOLUME

BeaconMedaes

Silbermann

INMED

Find more research reports onMedical Devices Industry, by Grand View Research:

Nurse Call Systems Market - The global nurse call systems market size was valued to be around USD 1.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of around 11.0% during the forecast period.

The global nurse call systems market size was valued to be around in 2019 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of around 11.0% during the forecast period. Ambulatory Surgery Center Market - The global ambulatory surgery center market size was valued at USD 75.2 billion in 2018 and is estimated to register a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period.

The global ambulatory surgery center market size was valued at in 2018 and is estimated to register a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period. Hybrid Imaging Market - The global hybrid imaging market size was valued at USD 6.9 billion in 2018 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

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Grand View Research, Inc.

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A 36-year-old man, Moses Peter, has been remanded in prison by the Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Ore, Ondo State for allegedly raping his 17-year-old daughter.

Mr Peter was also accused of impregnating the teenage daughter.

The police prosecutor, Jimoh Amuda, told the court on Tuesday that Mr Peter committed the offence between November 2020 and January 2021 at Asewele Korede camp via Ore in the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The action is contrary to Sections 31 and 32 of the Childs Right Acts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2003.

A charge sheet as seen by PREMIUM TIMES read: That you Peter Moses, between November 2020 and January 2021 at Asewele Korede camp via Ore in the Ore Magisterial District did unlawfully have sexual intercourse with one Peter Patience, aged 17, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 31 sub-section (1) and punishable under section 31 sub-section (2) of Part 3 of Childs Right Acts of Federal Republic of Nigeria 2003.

That you Peter Moses, during the same period, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did sexually abuse your daughter by having sexual intercourse with her and gave her four months old pregnancy (sic), thereby committed an offence contrary to section 32 sub-section (2) and punishable under section 32 sub-section (2) of Part 3 of Child Rights Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2003.

When asked to take a plea, Mr Peter pleaded guilty to the two charges levelled against him.

He also appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy on him.

Following his plea, the prosecutor, Mr Amuda asked the court for an adjournment, saying the adjournment would allow him to seek legal advice from the Ministry of Justice.

In his ruling, the Magistrate, F. O. Omofolarin, ordered Mr Peter be remanded in the correctional centre in Akure pending the outcome of the Director of Public Prosecutions legal advice.

He adjourned the case to February 21, 2021 for mention.
Greater investment in rail research could be used to help level up the economy in the north of England, argues a report by economics and policy analysts Perspective Economics.

The study - Rail Innovation Eco-System - says there is a "compelling case" for further investment in rail innovation in the region that could drive "...economic recovery, and longer-term industrial advancement and economic growth".

Commissioned by University of Huddersfield and the University of Leeds, it describes a "collective appetite among academia and industry to drive research" with hundreds of companies in the north of England already actively involved in rail industry research, development and innovation - and universities with advanced rail test facilities and expertise and a strong record of collaboration with the rail industry on research.

The call to use rail innovation as a means of economic development comes as the Government makes substantial investments in rail infrastructure through HS2 and upgrades to the East Coast main line, linking London to Yorkshire and Scotland, and the Transpennine route between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. That investment could amount to 200 billion over two decades.

Perspective Economics says the two universities could be the catalysts for future research with additional support from Government, the research councils, industry and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.

Professor Stephen Ingleton, Engineering Director at Unipart Rail, said: "This report demonstrates the huge potential for rail innovation within the region and emphasises the benefit of universities and industry working in partnership. As a company, we have strong research links with the higher education sector, and we are well placed to build on this to deliver benefits both within the region and to the whole industry."

Perspective Economics identified more than 2,500 companies in the north of England that were operating across the breadth of the rail industry supply-chain. In 2018, these companies generated more than 42bn in known UK-wide revenues and employed more than 150,000 people.

Around one-fifth were actively involved in research across the rail industry, including in the design and production of railway rolling stock, track systems, remote monitoring and maintenance, digital workflow and safety management, electrification and signalling.

Industry research was matched by "broad and deep" academic expertise at the universities of Huddersfield and Leeds.

Between them, the two universities have been involved in more than 400 rail research projects, generating around 100 million in research income, of which half came from partnerships directly with the rail industry.

The University of Huddersfield has developed an advanced rail research centre, the Institute of Railway Research. It is a world-leading centre in rail engineering and risk - and research has helped to improve the understanding of the way railway vehicles interact with the track.

The University of Leeds is developing an Institute for High-Speed Rail and Systems Integration (IHSRSI), which will be one of the most advanced experimental test and development facilities in the world. Building work was started but then paused with the arrival of COVID-19 in the UK - and the timing of the construction of the IHSRSI research and testing facilities will be influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Both universities can draw on wider research knowledge from disciplines including materials, robotics, data analysis, artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and advanced manufacturing.

The analysis by Perspective Economics says the "...universities offer a broader set of highly complementary research, development and innovation facilities and expertise that makes them well placed to deliver large scale, complex multi-disciplinary research and innovation projects".

The report recommends that the universities of Huddersfield and Leeds work together as "a catalyst for rail research and innovation" - by extending industrially relevant collaborative research and identifying opportunities to secure regional and national funding for rail projects.

The two universities have signed a joint statement where they pledge to collectively support regional economic development through rail research.

Professor Andrew Ball, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise at Huddersfield, said: "These are very exciting opportunities presented in this report and the significant potential for rail innovation that can be driven by our two universities working collaboratively with industry and our public sector partners to deliver transformative growth in the region."

Professor Nick Plant, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Leeds, said: "By leveraging combined industrial, research and innovation strengths for national and regional benefit, there is a unique opportunity for the industry to be a catalyst for economic recovery and one that can make a significant contribution to making the UK's levelling-up agenda a reality."

The rail industry supply chain has been identified by Leeds City Council and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership as a sector that could strengthen the economy in the Leeds City Region and lead to the creation of new high-quality jobs.

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Together with the Law on Enterprises, the new Law on Investment took effect on January 1, with the latter aiming at creating a favourable legal framework to support and promote investment activities and economic development,

while also making sure that previous overlaps and inconsistencies are reduced.

Amended investment law eases pathway to carrying out big business in Vietnam.

The new Law on Investment 2020 officially came into effect at the beginning of this month, as Vietnam is currently part of 14 bi- and multilateral free trade agreements, each with their own commitments to open markets. However, the new law, in addition to the important task of simplifying administrative procedures on investment and business to minimise costs for investors, must also meet requirements of state management, especially when it comes to foreign investment.

Considering these requirements, lawyer Le Dinh Vinh, director of Vietthink Co., Ltd. said, The new investment rules must solve the legal unification issues, as the previous overlaps of laws have been a rather painful story, with many projects at the same time being subject to the laws on investment, enterprises, land, environment, housing, planning, and so forth.

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) previously commented on the issue and proposed to amend more than 10 overlapping articles in between these laws.

For instance, Article 9 of the new Law on Investment now stipulates five market access conditions for foreign investors. These conditions include the ratio of foreign investors ownership in charter capital in enterprises and economic organisations, the allowed form of investment, the scope and geographical area, the investors required capacity in several industries, and participating partners.

The new law also revises the nature of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) to be considered as domestic ones when investing in other businesses. The permissible threshold for foreign investors (in FIEs that qualify as domestic ones) has slightly decreased to less than 50 per cent compared to the previous law, in which this threshold was placed at 51 per cent.

Innovative changes

The Law on Investment 2020 has made an important step forward as 12 conditional business lines have been reviewed and abolished, 19 occupations amended, and six more sectors added, including essential industries like the clean water business.

However, according to lawyer Vinh, this also poses challenges for the Vietnamese state management agencies as the country has joined many new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), each with a series of commitments to open markets on different levels.

For the first time in Vietnam, the Law on Investment 2020 is establishing the principle of equality in market access between domestic and foreign investors, except for those industries where legal restrictions are in place.

This stems from Vietnams aspiration of international integration which requires us to implement the commitments in FTAs, Vinh said.

Nguyen Van Phi, marketer at Taiwanese MiTac Vietnam Co., Ltd., told VIR that the new law pays more attention to equality between enterprises, besides simplifying procedures for FIEs. The positive changes in the new law will help FIEs access better markets, said Phi, as he expressed his hopes that the new Law on Investment will offer more incentives for foreign investors and enable a smoother business environment, particularly during the pandemic.

Execution matters

Vietnam has made great efforts to improve the legal framework for doing business. The government has also issued a draft decree guiding the implementation of the law as well as more details on how foreign investors can be treated as domestic ones.

Nguyen Thanh Hai, lawyer at Baker McKenzie Vietnam, commented that though the new law is more transparent, its implementation could still be challenging.

In November, US investors and businesses wrote a nearly 60-page document on the draft decree. It addresses major issues attracting the attention of foreign investors, such as investment protection and the conditions for overseas enterprises to apply simplified procedures  both of which present huge problems, Hai noted.

He referred to the conditions for investment registration procedures, in which the conditions will be far easier if the enterprise has a maximum ownership rate of 50 instead of 51 per cent previously. Though the 1-per-cent change is small, it is very important for foreign firms. However, it remains to be seen whether businesses that currently own 50.9 per cent have to reduce their ownership rate to less than 50 per cent to enjoy the same conditions as a domestic enterprise or must follow procedures like a foreign one.

In another example, the investment registration procedures for rooftop solar systems attract the interest of many foreign investors, including US ones, particularly since the prime minister signed Decision No.13/2020/QD-TTg to encourage solar power development in Vietnam, which allows private investors in projects under 1MW. This policy applies to both domestic and foreign businesses. However, the process of issuing investment certificates for foreign enterprises takes three months, much longer than for domestic ones.

In many cases, when foreign companies register a business that is related to generating and selling electricity, they must still wait for departments and agencies to consult with relevant ministries, such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Although the law is very transparent, collecting comments from other agencies and ministries take too long and is thus lessening opportunities for foreign investors, Hai argued.

Following the changes of the Vietnamese legal system, especially with regards to economic laws, attorney Tran Huu Huynh, chairman of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre, has seen comments saying that the current laws are not very transparent, uniform, or reasonable.

Huynh, who has criticised many laws and is also one of the members of the drafting committee of the Law on Enterprises 1999, as well as the Law on Investment 2005, found that the business segment especially suffers from inconsistencies and a lack of transparency. Vietnam uses a law implementation index as a criterion for international integration. But according to the VCCI, the implementation of laws is always weaker than the legislative part.

However, Huynh thought that this situation is increasingly being improved in the direction towards faster improvement, larger scale, and more pronounced efficiency.

I think there are three basic factors that make me believe that law enforcement is getting better, he said. First is Vietnams innovation policy that aims at increasing competitiveness. Second, our nations approach to integration, with the investment and business environment being reformed following the demands of the people and enterprises. And lastly, the legislative part which will be accelerated and improved with the ever-increasing maturation of experts, business community, and associations.

Vu Khanh Din - Head of Legal, Tasco Group The laws on enterprises and securities broaden the concept of company insiders, including family member, persons in charge of corporate governance, and secretaries; cross-ownership in groups; as well as empower small shareholders and increase transparency and disclosure of information about the company. These changes will show the gradual approach to corporate governance principles in accordance with best practices in the world. As a result, public and listed companies will have to increase transparency and always ensure compliance with the regulations, which will create favourable conditions for domestic and foreign investors. Also, rights of small shareholders are increased. The enterprise law allows a shareholder or a group of shareholders holding 5 per cent at any time to require certain information and initiate lawsuits against the company or its affiliates if damage is caused. This will lift the responsibilities of board members and other corporate insiders. Doan Vu Hoai Nam - Associate, ASL Law Although foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam has increased in recent years, it still focuses mainly on processing and manufacturing industries, which do not require highly-skilled labourers. With the goal of attracting qualified FDI sources, the revised Law on Investment has focused on issuing preferential policies for high-tech enterprises, startups, and research and development centres, enabling a better production of new materials, energy, and IT products. Overseas investors who have the desire to open a company in Vietnam mainly tend to establish limited liability companies. The amended Law on Enterprises stipulates that one- or multi-member limited companies whose member is an organisation shall not require the establishment of a board of inspection. This will help the company reduce cumbersome administration procedures and ease doing business in general in this country. VIR

Tran Nguyen

Summary of new points of amended Law on Investment 2020 After more than six years in effect, the Law on Investment has been officially amended with a number of new articles to improve the countrys appeal to higher-quality foreign investment flows.
Exactly one month after he formally announced his campaign, former state Republican Party Chairman Doug Steinhardt  an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump  abruptly dropped out of this years race for New Jersey governor on Monday night.

Steinhardt, a 52-year-old Warren County attorney, said in a statement he was exiting the battle for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, citing unforeseen professional obligations.

The shocking decision makes former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli the leading candidate in the June Republican primary.

Last month, I was thrilled to announce our campaign for Governor, and the positive response from grassroots activists and donors has been overwhelming, Steinhardt said in his statement. While our strong standing in this race make this decision even more heart-breaking, unfortunately, unforeseen professional obligations have made it untenable for me to continue in this race as a candidate for Governor.

Steinhardt, who stepped down as head of the state GOP to run for governor, did not specify what those obligations are. He is a law partner with former Gov. Jim Florio, a Democrat, at the firm Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor.

The announcement comes five days after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent protest, leading members of both political parties to sharply criticize the Republican president. On Wednesday, the U.S. House will consider impeaching Trump a second time.

Asked whether the siege had any effect on Steinhardts decision to drop out, Harrison Neely, a spokesman for the campaign, told NJ Advance Media it did not.

No, Neely said.

Nobody knows Jersey politics like NJ.com. Add your email now and dont miss a story.



Steinhardt also thanked his supporters, saying your message was heard loud and clear, and you do have a voice.

Together we will rise above, and we will ultimately Take Back New Jersey, he added.

Ciattarelli, who lost the 2017 Republican gubernatorial primary to then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, is now the clear frontrunner for the GOPs nod this year.

Two other contenders have entered the partys primary: businessman Joseph Rudy Rullo and Hirsh Singh. Former Franklin Mayor Brian Levine has announced an exploratory committee. And theres a chance another candidate could jump in.

But time is running out to meet filing deadlines to seek all-important county lines. And Ciattarelli has already secured key endorsements in several counties.

No matter who wins the primary, Republicans likely face an uphill road in unseating Murphy. The governor is vying for a second term in a state that has become increasingly Democratic in recent years and is carrying approval ratings that have risen significantly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even though polls have shown Trump is wildly unpopular in New Jersey, both Steinhardt and Ciattarelli have praised the president in recent months  likely to shore up support from the states Republican base heading into the primary.

Steinhardt openly touted his support of Trump, calling himself a true conservative, while knocking Ciattarelli for criticizing the president in the past and refusing to vote for him in 2016.

In the wake of last weeks attack on the Capitol, Steinhardt avoided blaming Trump, saying the actions of violent criminals do not speak for Republicans and supporters of President Trump and the conservative grassroots movement that Im proud to represent here in New Jersey, supports democracy and the rule of law.

Ciattarelli said both major political parties are responsible for hyper partisan rhetoric that inflamed the attack, saying no one is innocent here.

We need a bipartisan, zero-tolerance policy on this behavior  both in word and action, he said in a statement.

After Steinhardt dropped out Monday, Murphys campaign linked Ciattarelli to both Trump and former Gov. Chris Christie.

Just last week, Jack Ciattarelli responded to the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol by channeling Trumps infamous both sides defense of white supremacists in Charlottesville, completely failing to place the blame on Trump, his enablers, and his followers, Mollie Binotto, Murphys campaign manager, said in a statement. Ciattarelli refuses to stand up to Trump just like he declined to ever say no to Chris Christie when he was in the Assembly.

Chris Russell, a spokesman for Ciattarelli, responded by saying Phil Murphy will do anything to make sure this race is about anything but Phil Murphy,

He knows Jack Ciattarelli is the best candidate to hold him accountable, and today is a bad day for Phil Murphy, Russell added.

The New Jersey Globe was the first to report Steinhardts departure Monday.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.
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Cressida Dick today insisted officers would come to the aid of supermarket staff if shoppers became 'aggressive' after being told to wear a mask after police warned they did not have enough manpower to enforce the rules.

Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and M&S have now reintroduced bouncers at the door in all stores to ensure customers are wearing face coverings and socially distancing.

Meanwhile, John Lewis today announced it would scrap click and collect for new orders from tomorrow, although it will still run at Waitrose for food orders.

West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Brian Booth this morning warned that there were not enough officers to 'stand in every store' and it was up to the supermarkets themselves to enforce the rules.

But speaking later, Dame Cressida said her officers would be prepared to assist supermarket staff if customers became 'obstructive and aggressive' when they were told they must wear a face covering. She also said it was 'preposterous' people couldn't know rules as vowed to continue wider crackdown.

Bouncers were in place at the start of the first lockdown in March to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face coverings, but began to vanish as the threat posed by Covid-19 waned during the summer, leading to an increasingly 'lax' attitude from shoppers who were increasingly seen maskless.

But as alarm bells were sounded by Downing Street and scientists warned that shops were contributing to the rise in cases, the Big Four supermarkets today returned to the previous, stricter arrangement.

Mr Booth said officers would only intervene if 'other offences were committed', such as when the customer refusing to wear a mask became violent or abusive.

'If there is an ongoing crime, an assault or danger to someone that must be the priority but we just don't have the resources to stand at every supermarket,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

It came as Boris Johnson gathered his Cabinet after warning he could further strengthen the restrictions if people continued flouting the law - as ministers defended his controversial decision to go cycling in the Olympic Park, seven miles from Downing Street.

Meanwhile, today's mask crackdown ran into problems from day one today as some shoppers continued refusing to follow the rules, despite the vast majority complying with them.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted today: 'Don't get caught out when you're at the supermarket  remember always to take a face mask with you when you're leaving your home. Wear it on the way to the shop and in the queue as well. We need to be doing everything we can to slow the spread of the virus.'

A maskless shopper seen today in a Morrisons in Peckham, south-east London. The woman, who only gave her first name of Gladys, said: 'I had a mask with me but simply forgot'

Customers not wearing masks at an Asda in Swindon. There are various exemptions from having to wear a face mask - it is unclear if any of these apply to the customer seen on the left

A Morrisons customer posted on social media to complain about being allowed into a store in Colwyn Bay for failing to wear a mask (left). Pictured on the right is a customer leaving a store in London

Shoppers at a Tesco Extra in south-east London this morning. Rules state that masks must be worn over the nose and mouth

A security guard on duty today at the entrance to a Morrisons in Leeds, where most customers were following the face mask guidance

A security guard speaks to customers entering a Sainsbury's store in Swindon today on day one of the new mask crackdown

Sainsbury's CEO Simon Roberts sent this email to all customers this morning to inform them about the new enforcement measures

As Britain entered its 295th day of lockdown:

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warned furlough is masking unemployment and the true rate could be 6.5 per cent not 4.9 per cent;

The government is facing more pressure to make the vaccination programme 24-hours and start giving more frontline workers jabs;

Seven vaccination hubs have come into use, including London's ExCeL and Birmingham's Millennium Point;

Derbyshire Police has cancelled 200 fines for two women penalised for driving five miles to go for a walk;

Police officers have launched a crackdown on Go players using the popular app outdoors;

Nearly a quarter of care home residents have received their first shot of Covid vaccine, with nearly 2.7million doses now administered across the UK;

Labour is leading calls for PM to tear up red tape and allow jabs 24/7 amid demands for police, teachers and shift workers to get inoculated after No10 insisted there is no 'clamour' for appointments after 8pm;

Hospitals started rationing oxygen as it emerged that one in four coronavirus patients is under 55;

Scientists urged No10 to increase social distancing to three metres as Matt Hancock blasted people for flouting lockdown rules;

Another 529 virus deaths were recorded yesterday, up from 407 a week earlier, with 46,169 new cases;

Boris Johnson was given a March 8 target by Tory lockdown sceptics to start easing coronavirus curbs;

PM launched a blistering attack on China, blaming its 'demented' traditional medical practices for the pandemic.

'I don't see what the fuss is': Morrisons shopper says she doesn't want to wear a mask because it is 'uncomfortable' Shoppers arriving at Morrisons in Peckham, South London were greeted by a security guard standing at the front door instructing them to put on their masks. The security guard warned shoppers that they would not be allowed in if they failed to comply. One woman who came without her mask was warned that if she did not put it on, she would not be allowed to continue with her shop. One woman in a Morrisons in Peckham said she found masks 'uncomfortable' The woman, who only gave her first name of Gladys said: I had a mask with me but simply forgot. Ive come into the supermarket lots of times before and not put it on, but I think its a good thing that they are enforcing this. But after putting on her mask, Gladys then lowered it below her mouth as she continued with her shop. She said: I find them too uncomfortable. I dont see what the fuss is, Ive got a mask on, its just not covering my nose and mouth at the moment. As Gladys shopped in the store, she was not challenged about how she was wearing her mask. Advertisement

Shoppers arriving at Morrisons in Peckham, south London were greeted by a security guard instructing them to put on their masks or they would not be allowed in.

One woman who came without her mask was warned that if she did not put it on, she would not be allowed to continue with her shop.

The woman, who only gave her first name of Gladys said: 'I had a mask with me but simply forgot. I've come into the supermarket lots of times before and not put it on, but I think it's a good thing that they are enforcing this.'

But after putting on her mask, Gladys then lowered it below her mouth as she continued with her shop. She said: 'I find them too uncomfortable. I don't see what the fuss is, I've got a mask on, it's just not covering my nose and mouth at the moment.'

As Gladys shopped in the store, she was not challenged about how she was wearing her mask.

Shoppers were pictured without face masks today at a series of supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons and Tesco in London, Leeds and Swindon.

Supermarkets may be the most common place where people in England are exposed to the coronavirus, official data suggests.

When asked about the crackdown, a shopper at a Morrisons in Peckham, south-east London said: 'It's about time.

'A lot of people are going to supermarkets and simply ignoring the rules.

'I don't know why it's taken Morrisons this long to start enforcing this rule.

'We're living in very difficult times and we've all got to pull together to beat this virus.'

A second, who refused to give her name, did not have a mask covering her nose. She said: 'What's the problem I've got a mask on haven't I?

'I find it difficult to breathe when I've got a mask on and sometimes get a rash.

'I think it's good to enforce the rule but they've got to understand that for some people, masks are very uncomfortable.'

The store's security guard, who did not want to give his name, said: 'We've been given strict instructions about masks. If you've not got one on, you're not getting in. It's as simple as that.'

The security guard added that until today, they had not been challenging customers who were without masks.

He added: 'It wasn't our responsibility to enforce it and we were told to call the police, which we never did.

'This is going to create more problems for us because my concern is that some people will not want to wear a mask and will fight with us over it. So far, we've not had many problems.'

Despite several instances of rule-breaking, most shoppers at supermarkets visited by MailOnline today were wearing masks.

What supermarket regulations are now in place and when did they change? Sainsbury's Facemasks are mandatory in store, unless the shopper is medically exempt from wearing them. Guards at the entrance enforce the rules. There are also plastic safety screens, hand sanitiser and signs urging customers to socially distance. The store also has specially-timed slots for elderly or vulnerable people to buy their goods. Today the store told MailOnline insisted that guards had been present throughout the pandemic but more had been sent to stores that 'needed extra help'. Morrisons Morrisons have told guards to refuse entry to shoppers who have no medical reason for not wearing a facemask. Some stores have had guards throughout the pandemic but these were rolled out to all locations as of today. They also have a specialist next-day delivery service for those who cannot get to a shop in person. The shop also has an NHS priority time the key workers can go in to buy food. Tesco Tesco today joined Sainsbury's and Morrisons in banning customers without masks and bringing in security guards to enforce the rules. Today the store told MailOnline security guards had attended stores throughout the pandemic but more had now been recruited. It also has priority hours for key workers as well as limits on some items for delivery. Marks & Spencer M&S has hand sanitising as well as one-way systems in place and a facemask rule. Larger shops have restricted the purchase of non-essential goods. There is also a booking process to let people reserve a slot instore to go shopping. MailOnline has contacted M&S, and all the stores listed below, for their current arrangements as well as if and when they changed. Asda Asda, like others, has a rule for facemasks unless there is a medical exemption announced by the customer. They also have an app that lets shoppers wait in a digital queue in their cars for a slot to go instore. Asda also say they have put a protective film on basket and trolley grips that kills bacteria. Waitrose Waitrose says facemasks must be worn in its stores unless a person is exempted from not wearing one. Marshals are at the entrances to its stores to check people are wearing mask and are shopping alone. Floor-markers help customers to follow social distancing while people are asked to keep two metres in queues. Advertisement

During the first shutdown, supermarkets installed bouncers at store entrances to challenge rule-breakers and created in-store one-way systems to help people socially distance.

MailOnline has asked all major supermarkets if they plan to follow Sainsbury's and Morrisons in reintroducing bouncers.

Britain's policing minister Kit Malthouse this morning said police would intervene in serious breaches of Covid rules in shops, but measures imposed and enforced by owners would be effective in most cases.

Brian Booth, chair of West Yorkshire Police Federation, said officers would only intervene if 'other offences were committed', such as when the customer refusing to wear a mask became violent or abusive.

'If there is an ongoing crime, an assault or danger to someone that must be the priority but we just don't have the resources to stand at every supermarket,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr Booth also criticised the current regulations as 'woolly', saying they left too many 'loose ends' which 'cheesed-off' officers had to interpret for themselves.

He suggested that the much-publicised fining of two walkers in Derbyshire was correct according to the guidance.

'An officer issued a ticket in the spirit it was written,' told the Today programme. Normally in law, when you have a new law it is disputed and goes to the court where it is argued and becomes case law.

'But we don't have time for that, so what we need is a sound basis in law and we need it now, rather than leaving loose ends.'

It came as Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said it was 'preposterous' that people would not know the Covid rules, and vowed to continue fining lawbreakers.

Writing in the Times today, Dame Cressida said: 'It is preposterous to me that anyone could be unaware of our duty to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus.

'We have been clear that those who breach Covid-19 legislation are increasingly likely to face fines.

'We will still be engaging, explaining and encouraging but those who break the rules or refuse to comply where they should without good reason will find officers moving much more quickly to enforcement action.'

Ms Dick said today that police will move 'swiftly' to fine people who blatantly ignore coronavirus lockdown rules and said officers in London had issued more than 300 fixed penalty notices in the space of 24 hours for 'flagrant' violations of the regulations.

Dame Cressida said her officers would be prepared to assist supermarket staff if customers became 'obstructive and aggressive' when they were told they must wear a face covering.

And in a veiled criticism of the PM's Olympic Park bike ride Dame Cressida Dick said: 'For me, a reasonable interpretation of that is that if you can go for your exercise from your front door and come back to your front door', adding: 'The public are looking to all of us as role models'.

Ministers have warned that tougher lockdown rules could be introduced to stem a rise in cases.

Britons can go on 70 mile bike rides but only sit on park benches 'for a short pause', should think carefully about meeting a friend for a coffee while walking and must never go to the supermarket without a mask, they said today.

Mr Malthouse also accused the public of 'searching for the loopholes in the law' by flouting the third national lockdown - comparing it to pubs serving scotch eggs to stay open last year - and insisted that it is the police's job to scrutinise where people are going and who they are meeting outdoors.

Amid widespread confusion about whether people are allowed to sit on park benches during their daily exercise, No10 sources also told MailOnline a 'short pause' during the course of exercise would be 'reasonable'. However, they stressed it would be unlawful to go out 'just to sit in public'.

A woman is challenged for not wearing a mask at a Morrisons branch in south-east London. Bouncers are now on the doors of every Morrisons and Sainsbury's store

Pierre Martin, 62, had a face mask and a visor to stay safe on a visit to Sainsbury's in New Cross, south-east London, this morning

Several customers had masks on that were not properly positioned over there nose and mouth, as the anti-Covid rules require

Supermarkets have been urged to ensure all customers are following the rules and wearing their face coverings correctly

How supermarkets could be the most common place for people to be exposed to Covid Supermarkets may be the most common place where people in England are exposed to the coronavirus, official data suggests. NHS Test and Trace workers ask Covid-positive patients about where they went in the days before they developed symptoms. Around 150,000 'events' were recorded in the most recent week of data, which ended on January 3  before the third lockdown kicked in. Roughly a third of the activities listed were 'shopping'  which was the highest proportion of all of the locations considered, which include hospitals, schools and care homes. But this is because supermarkets are one of the only shops allowed to stay open in England's third national lockdown. Stores have put in place Covid secure measures including regular cleaning, hand sanitisers at the entrance and only allowing a set number of shoppers inside. Experts at PHE today insisted their data did not suggest supermarkets were at the centre of coronavirus transmission in the UK, saying it does not prove where someone was infected with the disease. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, previously said 'it is unsurprising' that supermarkets feature strongly when people are asked where they have visited  because most businesses have had to shut their doors. Advertisement

Mr Malthouse insisted Boris Johnson's decision to go cycling in the Olympic Park seven miles from Downing Street was 'within the rules' and legal, saying the PM's Sunday ride in east London was fine because 'local is open to interpretation' and that a 50 to 70 mile bike ride starting and ending at home would also be fine in most cases.

He said: 'I understand that this is a sort of scotch egg moment where people are searching for the loopholes and the problems in the law. Unfortunately we can't legislate for every single dynamic of human existence. If you can get there under your own steam and you are not interacting with somebody ... then that seems perfectly reasonable to me'.

No 10 is yet to confirm if Mr Johnson cycled to the Olympic Park himself or was conveyed to east London by car as some Tory MPs complained that too much power is being handed to police.

Dame Cressida has also asked the Government to enshrine the definition of 'local' in law to make it easier to police as it emerged that officers in Devon and Cornwall are even using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to make sure only essential journeys are being made during lockdown - and hunt down people travelling to second homes.

Hampshire Police are also using drones to watch people visiting the waterfront at Southsea to ensure they are social distancing and not meeting in groups.

Shopworkers have revealed that they are receiving abuse from customers for encouraging them to wear masks.

A Tesco worker from Gloucestershire, said she was 'horrified' by responses she had received after challenging customers, adding: 'I find, and so do my colleagues, that it's not as strict as the first lockdown.'

A staff member at an Asda store in north-west Merseyside said: 'I used to ask people on the front door for proof of exemption and the abuse I got was mostly from the younger generation.

'My manager told me we have to offer them a mask but can't enforce it so I feel it's a waste of time.'

The shopworkers' union Usdaw said it had been 'inundated' with complaints from its members of abuse during the pandemic, and demanded supermarkets and food retailers revert to 'stringent' restrictions.

This Morrisons store in Swindon did not appear to have any security at the entrance to enforce the face mask rules this morning

The vast majority of people seen at supermarkets across the UK today - including a Morrisons in London, pictured - were following the rules

Supermarkets may be the most common place where people in England are exposed to the coronavirus, official data suggests

MPs blast government for STILL not revealing what type of Covid test they will accept from British tourists under new rules Britons abroad face a race to get home before rules requiring international travellers to test negative for coronavirus prior to arriving in England come into force - and the UK Government has not yet released full guidance on which tests they will accept. From 4am this Friday, those arriving by boat, train or plane - including UK nationals - will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure. But there is still confusion over which tests will be accepted, with the latest UK Government guidance issued yesterday referring to how lateral flow tests might be allowed 'in some cases' - and saying further advice will be issued to passengers. One MP complained today that it was 'taking an extremely long time to pin down something that a lot of other countries have been doing for many months now'. Lateral flow tests are cheaper and give results in 30 minutes, while the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests take up to three days to identify positive cases. Britons will need to present proof of a negative test result to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals. Conservative MP Henry Smith, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on aviation, said he welcomed the test requirement for every passenger coming into the UK, pointing out that he had suggested it in the Commons as long ago as last January. Advertisement

High street chains including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose insisted that Covid safety remains their 'highest priority' and said that customers were given regular reminders to follow the rules.

But shocking examples of the regulations being broken were seemingly evident in the big-brand shops as Boris Johnson warned of 'complacency' and urged people to comply with the restrictions.

It comes amid threats to impose outdoor mask mandates, with London's Borough Market becoming the first place in the UK to legally enforce the wearing of masks while the Welsh health minister hinted that restrictions could get even tougher as he advised people to wear masks inbetween shops in public.

The PM said : 'We need to enforce the rules in supermarkets. When people are getting takeaway drinks, in cafes, then they need to avoid spreading the disease there, avoid mingling too much.'

In a statement, Morrisons said it had 'introduced and consistently maintained thorough and robust safety measures in all our stores' since last year.

But it added: 'From today we are further strengthening our policy on masks' - revealing that security guards at the UK's fourth-biggest supermarket chain will be enforcing the new rules.

Enforcement of face masks is the responsibility of the police, not retailers. Wearing face masks in supermarkets and shops is compulsory across the UK.

In England, the police can issue a 200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a 60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.

Morrisons' chief executive David Potts announced: 'Those who are offered a face covering and decline to wear one won't be allowed to shop at Morrisons unless they are medically exempt.

'Our store colleagues are working hard to feed you and your family, please be kind.'

Sainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts said: 'On behalf of all my colleagues, I am asking our customers to help us keep everyone safe.

'The vast majority of customers are shopping safely, but I have also seen some customers trying to shop without a mask and shopping in larger family groups.

'Please help us to keep all our colleagues and customers safe by always wearing a mask and by shopping alone. Everyone's care and consideration matters now more than ever.'

A security guard patrols an Asda in Swindon this morning, where the vast majority of shoppers were following the rules to wear masks

A masked shopper walks past a sign urging everyone to follow the rules over face coverings outside a Sainsbury's in south-east London

Friends Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore, pictured, both 27, who were each fined 200 by police for driving 10mins for a walk in a local reservoir say they've had their fines cancelled following backlash

Nearly 2.7million vaccine doses have been administered across the UK, according to government figures from last night

Shocking coronavirus simulation shows how infected shopper can cough cloud of deadly droplets across TWO supermarket aisles Scientists have put together a shocking video that shows how deadly coronavirus droplets can spread across two supermarket aisles and infect shoppers, with the bug hanging in the air for 'several minutes. Experts from Aalto University in Finland have put together an animation so shoppers can be aware of the dangers of spreading the killer disease. 'Someone infected by the coronavirus, can cough and walk away, but then leave behind extremely small aerosol particles carrying the coronavirus. These particles could then end up in the respiratory tract of others in the vicinity,' says Aalto University Assistant Professor Ville Vuorinen. The alarming video follows disturbing news that joggers could be passing the infection to one another, even if they are six feet apart. Scientists in Finaldn say Covid-19 germs from a cough can spread across two shopping aisles Advertisement

Health Secretary Matt Hancock praised Morrisons for imposing a blanket mask rule, telling a Downing Street press conference: 'It isn't just about the Government and the rules we set, or the police and the work that they do - it's about how everybody behaves.

'I applaud the action Morrisons has taken today, the supermarket, they have said that they will not let people in without a mask unless they clearly have a medical reason. That's the right approach and I want to see all parts of society playing their part in this.'

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi yesterday voiced his concerns that members of the public were not complying with measures put in place by supermarkets, amid suggestions the restrictions may need to be toughened.

'I am worried about supermarkets and people actually wearing masks and following the one-way system and making sure when it's at capacity they wait outside the supermarket,' he said.

It comes amid reports that shopworkers are receiving abuse from customers who are not wearing masks, with Lincoln-based supermarket staffer Skye Henson, 23, saying people took the first lockdown 'a lot more seriously' and claiming 'we're lucky if people are wearing masks' now.

She told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: 'A good 30 per cenr of the people that come into our shop don't wear masks and just outright don't think it's an issue. They don't consider us to be in any kind of danger, so for me I do think a lot of it is the public putting us at risk.'

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: 'Retail staff are working with the public every day and not only suffer increased abuse, but are deeply worried about catching Covid-19.

'Where safety measures are agreed, retailers need to make sure that they are being followed consistently, in every store.

'We are also very concerned by reports that too many customers are not following necessary safety measures like social distancing, wearing a face covering and only shopping for essential items.

'It is going to take some time to roll out the vaccine and we cannot afford to be complacent in the meantime, particularly with a new strain sweeping the nation.

'I am worried about supermarkets and people actually wearing masks and following the one-way system and making sure when it's at capacity they wait outside the supermarket.'

Retail industry body the British Retail Consortium said that workers have faced an increase in incidents of violence and abuse when trying to encourage shoppers to put them on.

Britain's policing minister Kit Malthouse said police would intervene in serious breaches of Covid rules in shops. Pictured are Tesco customers following the rules at a store in London this morning

Customers wearing face coverings on the vegetable aisle at a Tesco Extra store in south-east London early this morning

Tesco has signs outside many of its stores insisting shoppers must wear a face covering, although they can ask staff for one if they have lost theirs

PM blames Chinese for coronavirus pandemic telling world leaders it was triggered by 'demented' people who 'grind up the scales of a pangolin' in a bid to become more 'potent' Boris Johnson launched a blistering attack on China, blaming its 'demented' traditional medical practices for the coronavirus pandemic. In a speech to world leaders yesterday he attacked people who 'grind up the scales of a pangolin' in a bid to become more 'potent'. He made the remarks, which risk a furious diplomatic row - in a speech to the One Planet Summit, hosted by France's President Macron. Pangolins are heavily-trafficked scaly anteater-like creatures, which have been blamed for transmitting the virus from bats to humans. The first documented cases of the Covid-19 were in the Chinese city of Wuhan, with a wet market trading in exotic animals being seen as the probable source. In comments that are likely to risk fury from Beijing, Mr Johnson said: 'Obviously it's right to focus on climate change, obviously it's right to cut CO2 emissions, but we won't achieve a real balance with our planet unless we protect nature as well. 'One final thought, don't forget that the coronavirus pandemic was the product of an imbalance in man's relationship with the natural world. 'Like the original plague which struck the Greeks I seem to remember in book one of the Iliad, it is a zoonotic disease. 'It originates from bats or pangolins, from the demented belief that if you grind up the scales of a pangolin you will somehow become more potent or whatever it is people believe, it originates from this collision between mankind and the natural world and we've got to stop it.' Advertisement

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Supermarkets continue to follow all safety guidance and customers should be reassured that supermarkets are Covid-secure and safe to visit during lockdown and beyond.

'Customers should play their part too by following in-store signage and being considerate to staff and fellow shoppers.'

One woman told MailOnline how Marks and Spencer told her they could not challenge people who do not adhere to the mask mandate.

Fiona Call said she was shopping at a Food Hall at Rushden Lakes in Northamptonshire when she saw a woman 'blatantly marching around the store with her mask under her chin'.

'I mentioned this to a manager in the store.

'His reply was that they aren't allowed to challenge people who aren't adhering to the rules,' she said.

'She was obviously putting many people at risk by her behaviour and no one was able to do anything about it.'

Marks and Spencer insisted it was enforcing lockdown rules, with a 'friendly host at the entrance' who counts customers and manages queues.

Tesco said it was still enforcing social distancing practices in store but was not looking yet at reintroducing measures such as one-way aisles.

'The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority and we already have extensive social distancing measures in our stores to ensure everyone can shop safely with us,' the store said on Twitter.

'We are asking all our customers to wear a face covering when visiting our stores and have prominent signs in place to inform customers of the rules.

'However, there may be some customers who are unable to wear a face covering for medical or safety reasons and we have asked our colleagues to respect that and to not challenge them directly.'

Waitrose said face masks must be worn in its stores unless a person is exempted from not wearing one.

It said marshals flank the entrances to its stores to check people are complying with the mask mandate and checking that people are shopping alone.

The supermarket chain has also laid out floor markers which instruct customers to following social distancing rules, while signs and tannoys tell people to keep two metres apart while queueing on the premises.

Data from Public Health England last week found 11 outbreaks of the disease had come from food outlets.

But England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said supermarket staff would not be initially prioritised for vaccinations unless they also fell into the highest vulnerability categories.

Everyone in England is being urged to stay at home and 'act like you've got it' as part of a major advertising campaign. including posters (pictured) encouraging the public to control the spread of the virus and protect the NHS and save lives

Scientists urge No10 to increase social distancing to THREE METRES as Matt Hancock blasts people for flouting lockdown after Britain endures deadliest week so far with average of 931 deaths a DAY

By Simon Walters for the Daily Mail and Jemma Carr for MailOnline

oris Johnson is under pressure to increase the social distancing gap to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Leading members of the Sage scientific advisory panel want the measure raised from 'one metre plus' to 'two metres plus'.

In practice this would change the limit to three metres  nearly 10ft. The drastic proposal came as a furious Matt Hancock denounced individuals who flout social distancing rules.

Brush with the law! Moment police raid London barber's shop and catch staff cutting two men's lockdown ban This is the moment police catch barber shop staff cutting two men's hair amid the lockdown before hitting the owner with a 1,000 fine for their 'blatant disregard of coronavirus regulations'. Body-cam footage released by City of London Police shows officers raid The Grooming Lounge Barbers, in Barbican, and catch two customers receiving a haircut from staff despite the current restrictions on January 9. The scenes come just weeks after England was plunged into a third national lockdown amid the spread of a mutant version of the coronavirus. Staff inside The Grooming Lounge Barbers, in Barbican, central London, are caught cutting two men's hair on January 9 During the clip, which was shared by the force on social media, the police enter the barber shop and confront members of staff. The shop's windows had been covered with old newspapers in an apparent attempt to stop people from seeing they were open. In a statement the force said: 'City of London Police officers attended a barbershop in the City that was operating despite current restrictions. 'The owner was issued with a 1,000 fine. This is a blatant disregard of coronavirus regulations & won't be tolerated. The message is clear: #StayAtHome. 'Most people are doing their part and obeying the rules to protect the NHS and save lives, but we will continue to deal with those who flout the rules putting everyone at risk.' Advertisement

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference the Health Secretary said that he would 'not rule out further action if needed.'

He was backed by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, who sits on Sage and said it was time to 'double down' on Covid curbs  including outdoor contact.

Asked if a three-metre rule would be imposed in England, a Downing Street spokesman said last night: 'There are no current plans to change social distancing rules. However, everything is kept under review.'

The Daily Mail has been told that several members of Sage say the lockdown needs to be even tougher than the first one in March last year.

The idea of a Chinese-style ban on residents leaving their homes was raised at one meeting.

Ministers are furious that some people have been using their right to daily exercise simply as an excuse to meet friends for a coffee in the park.

One source said: 'If it means limiting people to a single one-hour walk on their own once a week that is what we must do. We cannot let a few selfish idiots put the whole country in danger.'

It is feared that the failure to observe the restrictions is fuelling the number of deaths and risks hospitals becoming overwhelmed.

Increasing the social distancing rule to three metres is seen as one way of stopping the spread of the new variant of the virus, which can be passed on more easily.

Opponents of the move say it would have little impact, cause more confusion and be a logistical nightmare.

Two-metre signs have been painted on pavements across the nation, with similar notices found in tens of thousands of shops, factories, offices and public places.

Changing them all would add to the soaring cost of fighting the pandemic.

Supporters claim the benefit in saving lives and protecting the NHS means the move is worth it. They argue it is a response to the new variant which is thought to be up to be 70 per cent more transmissible.

If it goes ahead it would be the Government's third policy on social distancing.

The distance was set at two metres in March after experts said coronavirus was up to ten times more transmissible at one metre than at two.

But it was reduced to 'one metre plus' in July after the first lockdown  mainly to make it easier for restaurants and cafes to reopen.

A 'two metre plus' rule would in practice mean staying three metres apart  nearly 10ft  unless steps were taken to limit the danger of transmission, such as screens.

Social distancing gaps vary around the world.

The distance was set at two metres in March after experts said coronavirus was up to ten times more transmissible at one metre than at two. Now experts want the public to maintain the distance on public transport, in supermarket lines and while out and about

UAE races to vaccinate half its ten million population by April following a 100% rise in Covid infections since British reality stars began posting images of their sun-drenched holidays By Jack Newman for MailOnline The United Arab Emirates is racing to vaccinate half of its citizens by April as it battles a dramatic surge in Covid cases since the turn of the year. The Arab nation, comprising the holiday hotspot of Dubai where British influencers have been flocking in recent weeks to take advantage of lax lockdown rules, has seen daily cases double from 1,000 a day to 2,000 a day in just two weeks. The rise in cases has prompted the UK to end its travel corridor with the country which had been open since November, sparking a rush to get home for Britons still in the Middle Eastern country. Tourists will now have to quarantine for 10 days upon their return to Britain and will need to present a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure. The UAE has set an ambitious target of vaccinating half of its 10million citizens by the end of March and has already given shots to more than 12 per cent, second only to Israel in doses administered per capita. Advertisement

In China, Hong Kong and Singapore, which were successful in controlling the pandemic, the gap was one metre.

However, they imposed other, far stricter, rules including curfews. Spain and Canada followed the two-metre rule.

The three other home nations have different versions of the two-metre rule.

In Scotland people are advised to keep two metres apart and in Wales they are told to stay two metres apart unless it is not practical, with young children exempt.

The gap in Northern Ireland came down to one metre but is two again.

Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia said: 'Risk declines the further you are away from someone.

'So three metres will reduce risk somewhat compared to two metres  but it is difficult to say how much and whether that would make a big difference. I suspect the main issue is people not sticking to the two-metre rule.'

Mr Hancock warned against trying to 'push the boundaries' on exercise, adding: 'If too many people break this rule we are going to have a look at it. Don't say you are exercising if really you are just socialising.'

He said the two-metre rule had to be obeyed, not seen 'as a limit to be challenged'.

Shortly after Mr Hancock's Downing Street press briefing on Monday, the PM released a short video filmed during his visit to the Ashton Gate vaccination centre in Bristol.

In it, he urged Britons to 'follow the guidance, stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives' as Covid continues to spread rapidly in several parts of the country.

Britons shouldn't 'lose focus on the pandemic' as coronavirus is 'still causing huge, huge problems for our NHS', Mr Johnson added.

Mr Hancock also used the briefing to defend the PM after he was spotted cycling in the Olympic Park seven miles from Downing Street in apparent breach of government advice.

The Health Secretary said it is allowed to cycle that distance from where you live to take exercise, despite also insisting that people must 'stay local'.

But he also warned that rules on two people from different households being able to exercise outdoors together could be torn up if people keep abusing them.

'If too many people keep breaking this rule we are going to have to look at it but I don't want to do that,' Mr Hancock told a No10 briefing yesterday evening.

What are the government's rules on taking exercise? You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You can exercise in a public outdoor place: by yourself

with the people you live with

with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one)

in a childcare bubble where providing childcare

or, when on your own, with one person from another household This includes but is not limited to running, cycling, walking, and swimming. Personal training can continue one-on-one unless everyone is within the same household or support bubble. Public outdoor places include: parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests

public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)

the grounds of a heritage site

playgrounds Advertisement

The PM was seen wearing a hat and a face mask on his bike at the venue seven miles away from Downing Street yesterday afternoon.

A source told the Evening Standard that Mr Johnson was exercising, accompanied by his security detail.

Extraordinarily the premier is said to have 'noted how busy' the park was and remarked on it at a meeting later.

Official Government guidance says exercise should be limited to once a day and 'you should not travel outside your local area'.

Two women were fined 200 each by Derbyshire Police for driving five miles from their home for a walk, while in Whitby officers have slammed people for going sledging.

A witness said: 'He was leisurely cycling with another guy with a beanie hat and chatting while around four security guys, possibly more, cycled behind them.

'When I realised the person looked like Boris I cycled past them to hear his voice and be sure it's him. It was definitely Boris.

'Considering the current situation with Covid I was shocked to see him cycling around looking so care free,' added the woman, who asked not to be named.

Also considering he's advising everyone to stay at home and not leave their area, shouldn't he stay in Westminster and not travel to other boroughs?'

The PM's spokesman was unable to give any information yesterday on why Mr Johnson had gone to Stratford and why it was within the rules.

It is also not clear whether Mr Johnson was driven to the park with his bike, or cycled the whole way there and back.

Lib Dem MP Tim Farron said: 'Government guidance on travelling to exercise is as clear as mud.

'People are travelling hundreds of miles to the Lake District while others are afraid to drive 5 minutes to the local park.

'I've written to the Prime Minister, asking him to set out clear guidance once and for all.'

Covid is killing fewer healthy and under-60s in England now than it did during the first wave of the pandemic in spring, data shows Coronavirus is killing fewer healthy and younger people in England now than it did during the first wave of the pandemic in spring, analysis shows. The risk of the virus to people without pre-existing health conditions and those under the age of 60 has always been small, with the disease preying on the elderly and patients with weakened immune systems. But NHS England figures reveal that threat has become even smaller over time, with experts claiming it is a sign that doctors have become better at treating the virus. People with no comorbidities made up 5 per cent of 25,080 total Covid deaths in the first wave, defined as from the beginning of the pandemic in March to May 19, according to analysis by The Times. Whereas healthy Brits with no known health woes accounted for only 3 per cent of the 12,125 Covid deaths in the third wave, between December 2 and January 6. Advertisement

In a video shared to the PM's official Twitter account yesterday evening - which features footage of Mr Johnson's visit to Bristol on Monday- the PM heaped praise on the Government's vaccine programme.

But he warned Britons that it should not lead to complacency, as the new Covid variant is still spreading rapidly.

Mr Johnson said: 'Hi folks. I am here at this amazing Bristol mass-vaccination centre in a football stadium and it's one of the 50 that we are going to be rolling out by the end of the month to help all the 1,000-plus GP surgeries, the 233 hospital sites, plus the 200 pharmacies.

'And that's, of course, just a start that we're using to dispense the vaccine.

'As I speak to you this morning I think we've done about 2.4 million jabs, 2 million people in the country already who have been vaccinated, and we will be massively ramping that up in the course of the next few weeks as we get up to, we hope, 15 million by the middle of February.

'And that's a very ambitious programme, we're confident we can do it.

'But, as we get the jabs into people, it's incredibly important that we don't lose focus on the pandemic that is still, alas, surging in so many parts of the country, still filling our hospitals with Covid patients, still causing huge, huge problems for our NHS.

'So everybody has got to follow the guidance. Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.'

Along with his video, the PM tweeted: 'As we get jabs into arms, we must not lose sight of the state of the pandemic - which is putting huge pressure on our NHS.

'So, please follow the rules and stay home to protect the NHS, and save lives.'

Obey the rules or they'll get tougher: PM's warning as Whitty says we're at the worst point of the pandemic

By Jason Groves, Political Editor for the Daily Mail

Lockdown restrictions will be tightened again if the public flout the current rules, Boris Johnson warned yesterday.

The Prime Minister said 'complacency' among the public could plunge the country into a deeper crisis at what was already a 'very perilous moment'.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night reinforced his message, saying so-called support bubbles were the only lockdown exemption guaranteed to stay.

Boris Johnson was spotted at the Olympic Park seven miles away from Downing Street yesterday afternoon. Pictured, the PM cycling in Beeston last summer

The warnings came amid mounting Government concern that the third lockdown may fail to bring the latest spike in coronavirus infections under control.

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said Britain was 'now at the worst point of this epidemic' and urged people to stop seeing friends and family, even in the limited circumstances still allowed, saying every 'unnecessary' contact risked spreading the virus.

Boris Johnson pedals into a storm over lockdown bike ride after he is spotted cycling SEVEN MILES from Downing Street in the Olympic Park Boris Johnson has been accused of undermining his own lockdown rules after it was revealed that he went cycling seven miles from Downing Street for exercise. The Prime Minister was spotted on his bike at the Olympic Park in east London on Sunday afternoon with his security detail. Wearing a Transport for London hat and a face mask, he rode around the site in Stratford, east London, at around 2pm. A few hours after his ride, Mr Johnson held a meeting with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the current lockdown. Last night, Hammersmith Labour MP Andy Slaughter said: 'Once again it is 'Do as I say, not as I do' from the Prime Minister. 'London has some of the highest infection rates in the country. Boris Johnson should be leading by example.' A source told the Evening Standard that the PM was exercising, adding: 'But he did note how busy the park was and he commented on it at the meeting last night. 'He was concerned about if people were following the rules and was concerned after his ride around the park.' Downing Street declined to comment on the journey, and would not clarify whether the PM cycled to the park or was driven there in a vehicle for his bike ride. Advertisement

He added: 'The key thing to understand is that when you meet people from another household under any circumstances  and they're very often your friends, your family  but those are the kind of situations where the virus is passed on.'

He added: 'It doesn't care who you are, it doesn't care whether they're your friends. If you meet someone from another household, the virus has an opportunity to be transmitted.'

Ministers are considering a number of further restrictions, including closing the exemption that allows two people from different households to exercise together outdoors.

Government sources yesterday said Mr Johnson was 'reluctant' to scrap the exemption, which provides one of the few remaining lifelines for the lonely.

But there are fears it is muddying the 'stay at home' message, with the Prime Minister's official spokesman yesterday struggling to clarify whether two friends can take drinks with them on a walk.

Mr Hancock said the exemption was under review as it was being abused. 'We have been seeing large groups... and you should be two metres apart from the other person. If there are too many people breaking this rule then we are going to have to look at it.

'But, I don't want to do that because for many people, being able to go for a walk with a friend... is their only social contact.'

Pre-school nurseries and places of worship could also face restrictions if cases continue to rise  but Mr Hancock said support bubbles were sacrosanct.

The arrangement allows those living alone or with babies to link up with one other household for support.

The Prime Minister and his fiancee Carrie Symonds are among those who have taken advantage of the system, forming a support bubble with Miss Symonds's mother following the birth of their son Wilfred in April.

Ministers hope the blunt messaging on the NHS crisis and tougher rule enforcement will persuade people to comply with the letter and spirit of the lockdown.

But Labour yesterday called for the rules to be tightened, including the closure of nurseries.

Mr Hancock last night suggested a major relaxation of the rules was unlikely until all over-60s have been vaccinated  which the new plan suggests won't be until at least April.

He said it was only at this point that ministers could be absolutely sure that hospital admissions from the virus would start to fall.

But the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, who oppose lockdown, last night said it should be lifted as soon as the 13million most vulnerable are vaccinated  which the Prime Minister pledged to achieve by February 15.
The launch of Cake by VPBank, the first digital bank to appear on the Be ride-hailing app

Cake provides a variety of products and services similar to a traditional bank, which include opening accounts, transferring-receiving money, paying bills, saving deposits, and issuing debit cards, among others. One of the most notable features on Cake is the e.KYC system which helps customers settle contracts digitally with just their digital signatures. An account can be opened quickly in just about two minutes without having to visit a teller.

Cake also offers a free lifetime service and free card issuance to account holder's home. All of the products and services provided by Cake are licensed by the State Bank of Vietnam through VPBank.

BeFinancial, as part of Be Group, will participate in the operation of Cake thanks to a long-term strategic agreement between VPBank and Be Group. This is included within the framework of the fintech ecosystem improvement plan signed by Be Group and VPBank in May 2019, aiming to optimise the user experience of individual customers and drivers.

Under this agreement, beFinancial will carry out tasks in the fintech industry such as providing software, products, services, developing and operating new technologies like e.KYC and e.Contract/e.Signature as well as a slew of other features within Cake. BeFinancial's main field of activity is the research, development, and provision of solutions related to fintech. BeFinancial will also help Cake expand when it comes to customer and business development in a purely digital environment.

With this launch, for the first time ever in the Vietnamese market, a digital bank will appear directly on the interface of a ride-hailing app. Thanks to this, 10 million Be customers and drivers will potentially receive all the benefits brought by Cake in terms of finance and payment. At the same time, customers will have a quick, convenient, secured, and profitable transaction channel right in the palm of their hands.

Nguyen Hoang Phuong, CEO of Be Group stated that, Be Group understands that e-banking will not simply stop as a new payment method but it will also encompass a new technology that can be integrated into our every day lives through essential devices. This enables us to offer a suitable financial solution for the betterment of people's lives. Cake was completed by beFinancial's team of developers. This is our next important step to upgrade Be's ecosystem, which is on its way to become a leading open digital platform in Vietnam. The goal of Cake is to bring outstanding benefits in fintech to customers and drivers. In the long run, we want Cake to become a trusted financial service for the Vietnamese people.

Nguyen Duc Vinh, CEO of VPBank shared, Expanding the partner ecosystem has always been a focus for VPBank in recent years. We consider Be Group is a perfect partner for VPBank' s future development of digital platforms in terms of technology, operations, and targeted customers. The cooperation with Be Group in the recent digital banking's launch is expected to bring users a preeminent financial product, in line with the development trend shaping the new era.

Cake is expected to give Be, an original "Made in Vietnam" application, a competitive edge compared to other foreign competitors.
More effort also is needed to speed up vaccination efforts, Skinner said.

"We just need to all roll up our sleeves to make sure that we've got the systems in line, whether it requires funding or not, to do that," she said.

Newsom's proposal to quickly approve money for school reopenings will also likely require some bargaining.

State officials are constitutionally bound to send the money to schools under the state's education finance laws, which require a certain portion of state revenue go to education. But Newsom wants lawmakers to approve the $2 billion as soon as possible in an effort to get kids back in classrooms.

Under his plan, the money would be reserved for schools that reopen beginning in February to use for COVID-19 testing, ventilation and personal protective equipment like masks. To receive the funds, districts have to outline how they plan to consistently test students and staff, and describe their vaccination and sanitation protocols.

School district leaders are still lobbying for more assistance, however, and want to debate which pot of money should be used. They argue against using constitutionally-mandated education funding instead of public health dollars to finance the effort.
Almost half of all non-food purchases in December were made over the internet.

The figures point to a permanent change in shopping habits that will see thousands more store closures and reshape the nations town centres and high streets.

The proportion of non-food items, including Christmas gifts, bought online last month was 47.8 per cent, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and accountants KPMG.

New data has shown that more than 40 per cent of non-food items were bought online as the UK went through multiple lockdowns in 2020. Pictured: A deserted Carnaby Street, London

This was no one-off as the equivalent figure for the whole of 2020  a year in lockdown  was an astonishing 46.1 per cent.

Chief executive of the BRC, Helen Dickinson, said: Covid has led to 2020 being the worst year on record for retail sales growth.

'With shops still closed for the foreseeable future, costing stores billions in lost sales, many retailers are struggling to survive.

'To avoid the unnecessary loss of shops and jobs the Government should announce an extension to business rates relief for the worst-affected businesses as soon as possible.

In a separate study, Springboard, which records foot traffic in high streets, found the figures were down by more than 70 per cent last week compared to a year ago.

Experts say the pandemic made 2020 the worst year on record for retail sales growth and have called on Government to extend the business rates relied for the worst-affected businesses

The collapse of Debenhams and the Arcadia group, which owns the likes of Topshop, are a harbinger of further closures that will leave a black hole at the heart of many town centres.

The Government has responded by suggesting radical changes to planning rules that will allow redundant shops and office blocks to be converted to housing.

UK Head of Retail at KPMG, Paul Martin, said: Further restrictions and the closure of many non-essential shops resulted in a dismal December performance for retailers on the high street and conditions will continue to be challenging as we enter another national lockdown.

Research by Barclaycard showed internet spending in December was up by 52.2 per cent on the same month last year.

It found an 88 per cent rise in the amount spent on food and drink online.

Spending online at specialist retailers, such as toy shops, jewellers and gift shops, was up by 61.9 per cent, while spending with internet fashion stores leapt 34 per cent.

(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Beirut, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2021 ) :An Israeli army patrol seized a Lebanese shepherd on Tuesday in the border area between the two countries, Lebanese state media reported.

The shepherd was "kidnapped" at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) in the Kfarchouba area in southern Lebanon and taken into Israeli territory, the National news Agency said.

The Israeli army told AFP that during routine activity in the disputed Mount Dov area, its troops "apprehended a suspicious shepherd who intentionally crossed the Blue Line from Lebanon into Israeli territory".

The Blue Line is the United Nations-drawn frontier established in 2000 after Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon and is patrolled by a UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL.

"The suspect was transferred to security forces for further questioning," the army added.

UNIFIL will launch an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, "including the exact location where the man was arrested," said force spokesman Andrea Tenenti.

Mission chief Major General Stefano Del Col has contacted the various parties to obtain the shepherd's release, he added.

The Lebanese army said it did not yet have any information on the matter.

The incident comes as Israeli military aircraft have regularly crossed into Lebanese airspace in recent days, sometimes flying at low altitude.

Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war and the border area is the site of sporadic incidents.
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Aftermath of an evening dispute and subsequent shootout . . . Sadly, neither bike lanes nor hope for the upcoming streetcar extension has kept locals safe from the ongoing transition despite the best efforts of real estate speculators.

Read more . . .
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(Natural News) The devastating effects of the deadly 1986 nuclear blast in Ukraine can still be seen in crops growing far from the explosion site, according to a recent study published in the journal Environment International. A team led by University of Exeter researchers found that crops grown miles from the Chernobyl nuclear site contain radionuclides above safe consumption levels.

Radionuclides are higher-mass elements that release excess energy. High-level exposure to these radioactive elements can cause long-term health risks such as an increased cancer risk. Due to their alarming finding, the researchers recommend that the Ukrainian government reinstate the routine monitoring of goods grown in the area, a safety measure that was ceased several years ago.

High levels of cancer-causing radionuclide found in food crops

The Ivankiv district of Ukraine has recorded some of the highest radionuclide concentrations detected outside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone  a 30-mile radius around the nuclear plant that remains unoccupied to this day. Located about 30 miles south of the power plant, Ivankiv has emerged as an important agricultural district. However, the soil in the area has low exchangeable calcium values that can increase the amount of radionuclides that can be absorbed by plants.

Despite that, information on the transfer of radionuclides to crops in the region remained limited before the study. To that end, the researchers analyzed 116 samples of wheat, rye, oats and barley collected between 2011 and 2019 from Ivankiv.

After measuring the levels of radionuclides, the researchers found that 48 percent of the grain samples contained dangerous levels of strontium 90 and cesium 137  common byproducts in nuclear power plants. Strontium 90 accounted for most of these contaminated grains, with around 45 percent containing the radionuclide at above safety consumption limits. This is alarming because strontium 90 behaves like calcium in the body; it gets incorporated into bones and teeth, where it can remain for years and cause bone cancer.

The team also detected dangerous levels of strontium 90 in wood samples collected from 2015 to last year. They suspect that the lingering radionuclide in the wood may be responsible for the continued contamination of crops almost 35 years after the disaster. They noted that locals use wood ash to fertilize their crops. When they analyzed this ash for radionuclides, they found strontium 90 levels that were 25 times higher than the safety limit. (Related: Chernobyl lives on: Drone expedition reveals unexpected hotspots of concentrated nuclear material, warn researchers.)

Our findings point to ongoing contamination and human exposure, compounded by lack of official routine monitoring, said stud co-author David Santillo, an environmental forensic scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter.

Radiation watch programs key to minimize exposure

The Ukrainian government used to have a radioactive goods monitoring program but suspended it in 2013. The researchers noted it is possible to grow crops in the region that are safe for consumption if this process of repeated contamination is ceased. Therefore, they are urging the state to revive its monitoring program and establish a system for the proper disposal of radioactive ash.

Contamination of grain and wood grown in the Ivankiv district remains of major concern and deserves further urgent investigation, said co-author Valery Kashparov, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.

In an earlier study, Kashparov, Santillo and some of their co-authors found that cows as far as 140 miles from the Chernobyl nuclear plant still produce milk with unsafe levels of radionuclides . Radioactivity readings in milk are more than 12 times the Ukrainian governments official limit for children and up to five times the limit for adults.

The researchers noted that families from the sampled areas still contaminated milk due to poverty and warned that radionuclide levels will remain high at least until 2040 without large-scale intervention.

Learn more about the harmful effects of radiation exposure at Radiation.news.

Sources include:

LiveScience.com

ScienceDirect.com

Exeter.ac.UK

EPA.gov

NYTimes.com

CENTERBROOK  Spectrum Art Gallery and Artisans Store of Centerbrook presents its newest exhibit, The Human + Animal Bond opening fom 12:30-6 p.m. Jan. 22 and 12:30-5 p.m. Jan. 23. The show runs through March 7 at the gallery, 61 Main St., Centerbrook.

We all bond with animals - both wild and domesticated. We awake to birds singing. We tell our pets our secrets near the fireplace. We even cover our eyes and ears to avoid witnessing the obvious fact of life that animals can be both prey and preyed upon. And during these months of quarantine, this powerful human-animal bond kept many of us grounded and hopeful. Presented through a variety of mediums, the exhibit explores formidable aspects of human and animal interactions.

Several artists newly presenting at Spectrum Gallery include painter Anna Pikos, whose work flows between abstraction and surrealism creating dense and precise patterns. Artist Cheryl Bartley, known for her colorful folk art paintings in both oil and acrylic, depicts stories of happy scenes of simpler times. Painter Deborah Leonards work showcases her love of nature, with varied brushstrokes and a capturing of light and mood. Kathleen Emery is a fine art oil painter, whose work includes landscapes inspired by New England and her travels to Italy, as well as nature and portraiture. Joanna Chapin, also new to Spectrum, is a watercolorist who presents a work capturing a gentle human-animal scene. And Patricia Parente, an award-winning artist, who has worked in many mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylic, cut paper, collage and graphic design, presents a close relationship between a cat and his owner.

Returning favorites to Spectrum include Maria Johnson who explores everyday life using emotionally expressive brushwork in her paintings. Ted Genard presents a lush oil on canvas for this exhibit; he works in a variety of mediums in addition to oil, using graphite and charcoal, photography and gold leaf. Teri Glassman returns with a new oil work; she explores multiple mediums and is often found working en plein air. B. Rossitto, an award-winning painter, returns to Spectrum with an oil that demonstrates a powerful human + animal Bond. Catherine Satsuk presents a tender oil on canvas that captures the spirit of a child and animal connection. Patti Maher presents a new watercolor piece; she uses pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, and at times a combination of all. Also at the gallery are painters Pat Damiani and Julianna Cameron with oil on canvas works, as well as painter and calligrapher Ned Farrell, with a new mixed media piece using gold flakes.

A variety of original photography and limited-edition prints are presented including those by Sezgi Hermans, a photographer and painter, born and raised in Turkey and based in Philadelphia; she has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the East Coast. Larry Bilansky who specializes in nontraditional portraiture and live action photography such as the performance of theatre, sports, and dance. Other photographers offering exciting new work include Dianne Roberts, Elin Dolle, Faith Bilansky and Elaine Sych.

The Human + Animal Bond includes many fine artisans such as Kat Huddleston, a fused glass and dichroic jewelry artisan from Chicago and new to Spectrum Gallery. An award-winning artist, Huddleston is inspired by natures primal elements which she explores through her materials when bringing her glass creations to life. Maryann Flick, a gallery favorite, offers new, vibrantly-colored stained-glass panels and boxes, both functional and decorative. Also returning to Spectrum are wood carvers Andy Teran and Glen Heller as well as ceramicist Rosemary McClain, who shows a bold new sculpture that captures the bold spirit of a human-animal bond. Additional artisans presenting original pieces include glass artisans Edith Deeg and Lynn Webber, botanical artist Anna Sidorow, with new pressed flower works, Joanne Brown, who creates decorative mirrors and objects, fabric artisans Holly Bollier, Debra Bento, as well as Anna Mastropolo, who offers a selection of childrens winter hats. Many exciting jewelry designers are in the Artisans Store and include Pauline Clifford, jewelry designers and glass artisans Jean Gresham and Melinda Shea, and Kristie Foss who designs stunning unique jewelry pieces with polymer clay.

Spectrum Gallery recently enhanced and relaunched its online shopping site, Spectrum Anytime, at spectrumanytime.com, and additionally, gift cards are available in the store as well as online. For more information call 860-767-0742 and visit spectrumartgallery.org. To follow on social media visit facebook.com/spectrumartgallery, instagram.com/spectrum_art_gallery, and twitter.com/spectrum_ct
Syracuse, N.Y.  Online forums on police reform to be held in Onondaga County this week will be focused on parts of the city of Syracuse and its northern suburbs.

The forums are part of a statewide reform effort authorized by executive order last year by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Police departments across New York state are required to develop reform and reinvention plans by April 1.

A coalition of law enforcement officials, police departments and elected officials in Onondaga County joined together to organize forums in order to meet the public comment portion of the law here.

Forums will be held this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday beginning at 5 p.m. Heres more information on each meeting and how to join:

Tuesday, Jan. 12  Focused on the south and west neighborhoods of the city of Syracuse. Forum will be hosted by Rev. H. Bernard Alex of Victory Temple Fellowship Church Click here for Zoom link

Wednesday, Jan. 13  Focused on the Northside neighborhoods of the city of Syracuse. Forum will be hosted by Rev. H. Bernard Alex of Victory Temple Fellowship Church Click here for Zoom link

Thursday, Jan. 14  Focused on the northern parts of Onondaga County including Cicero, Clay, Lysander, Salina, Van Buren, Baldwinsville, Liverpool and North Syracuse. Forum will be hosted by Nodesia Hernandez, director of community outreach for New York State Sen. Rachel Mays Office Click here for Zoom link



Organizers encourage members of the public to fill out a public comment card online to submit questions and comments, according to county officials.

Two more forums are scheduled next week.

The first of six community meetings in Onondaga County was held last Thursday. It focused on the Southwest parts of the county including Camillus, Elbridge, Fabius, Geddes, LaFayette, Marcellus, Onondaga, Otisco, Skaneateles, Spafford and Tully.

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and District Attorney William Fitzpatrick kicked off the meeting Thursday. City, county and state officials participated. About 40 people attended.

Fitzpatrick said the reason for the public comment and dialogue was the death of George Floyd, as well as subsequent protests and calls for change. Officials emphasized the goal was to create a baseline for changes that local governments and police departments can develop and customize to their own needs. Each department in the state will be required to submit an individual plan or risks losing state funding.

Onondaga County created a website, which outlines participating police agencies and committees set up to address the required reforms. Organizers said the website would also include Zoom links for meetings and updates going forward.

Reporter Julie McMahon can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992

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Brooke Bayer ran through her mental list of must-haves as she searched this fall for an apartment to share with her boyfriend. They both needed office space. Their building had to welcome Hazel, her miniature schnauzer. And their new place had to be serious about pandemic safety protocols.

Policies at Southstar Lofts in Center City, where she lived until last month, had made her feel as safe as she could feel while COVID-19 cases skyrocketed and she called a multifamily building home. The apartment has increased cleaning in shared spaces, asked residents not to ride elevators with people from different households, and removed chairs from the lobby to discourage lingering, among other policies. Signs remind everyone that masks are mandatory, and people should keep their distance.

Theres been a culture they created where people know to follow the rules, and people in the building are incredibly respectful, said Bayer, a 32-year-old senior manager for customer experience design at Comcast. It feels like a safe culture, and theyve taken the right precautions to keep everyone safe.

But shes visited friends in other apartment buildings where employees werent wearing masks, she didnt see any signs about COVID-19, and groups of maskless people were free to gather in shared spaces. Restaurants, stores, gyms, and other businesses have enforceable occupancy limits and other safety mandates, but Philadelphia has no specific guidelines for multifamily buildings. Theyre not businesses like gyms or restaurants that health officials could shut down for pandemic protocol violations. Depending on the apartment or condo manager, pandemic policies vary from strict to laissez-faire.

Its shocking. Im surprised they have so much leeway to kind of improvise on how theyre handling this, said Bayer, who now lives at the Park Towne Place apartments off Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which she said met her safety standards.

Multifamily buildings reflect the difficulties local and state governments face around pandemic policies. For the most part, property managers have to rely on residents to choose to follow protocols. Landlords who operate in more than one jurisdiction may have to juggle different rules. In the absence of strong guidance from property managers, residents decide for themselves whats safe, and some take more precautions than others in spaces residents are forced to share.

Across the region, landlords have installed hand sanitizer stations in lobbies, limited occupancy in shared spaces, and canceled community events. They clean surfaces more often. Some ask residents to limit guests. They have adjusted the availability of amenities such as gyms according to local and state restrictions.

Rental industry groups have shared best practices with members. Marlynn Orlando, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Apartment Association, said landlords responsibilities under the law regarding COVID-19 protocols remain to be seen. Property managers will learn more if and when any lawsuits start to come up, she said.

In November, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed legislation that would have shielded the multifamily housing industry and many other businesses from liability in civil lawsuits related to COVID-19.

 READ MORE: Temple student thought her COVID-19 was mild. Then came heart failure: It was horrible.

Orlando said property owners and managers can help protect themselves as well as their residents by following state and local guidelines and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I think anybody that does a good-faith effort to do that will be ultimately protected in the courts, she said.

But what property managers consider good faith efforts varies. Some are limiting capacity in elevators, while others dont. Some are asking residents to take the stairs if they can. Some are marking their floors to keep people apart.

Others consider additional cleanings to be enough. Some have safety policies on paper but dont consider enforcement of mask wearing or social distancing in common areas to be their responsibility. Some kept their gyms open while the city and state ordered them closed.

Many property managers are encouraging virtual and self-guided tours, closing offices to walk-ins, and allowing employees to work from home if possible. Many are limiting the amount of time workers spend in units, giving them gloves and masks, and using plastic barriers at front desks.

The one thing we want to convey is that we have been on the front lines of this crisis since the beginning, said David Brogan, executive director of the New Jersey Apartment Association. Our employees are essential workers.

In addition to cleaning more and separating staff into alternating shifts, the Society Hill Towers had employees and contractors go through COVID-19 safety training through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said Brett Scioli, the condo communitys general manager.

The condo has restricted outside contractors. Residents are no longer allowed to rent out the lounge. Mask requirements at the pool and fitness center have deterred some residents. Attorneys, insurance carriers, and the condos board all weigh in on safety measures.

Weve absorbed a lot of material relating to the pandemic and transmission and whats required of us to keep the building clean and the residents and employees safe, Scioli said.

 READ MORE: Montgomery County opens Philadelphia areas first mass COVID-19 vaccination site for health-care workers

In November, Society Hill Towers told residents they faced a $100 fine if they violated the mask mandate after receiving a warning. The few people who werent wearing masks got on board, Scioli said. Visitors and contractors without masks cant enter the buildings.

In talking with managers at other buildings, Scioli said hes found that how strict a propertys protocols are can depend on the demographics of the building. Some with mostly younger residents are more lax, he said.

Jessica Scully, president of the Scully Co., which manages nine apartment buildings in Philadelphia, said the company has always chosen the err on the side of caution approach to the pandemic. The company screens employees for COVID-19 symptoms and has closed some common areas. Early in the pandemic, the company had hand sanitizer made and gave it to residents. It has put up tons and tons and tons of signs.

Weve had to be responsive to the numbers and the surges and whats happening in the local markets where we operate, she said.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia could expand vaccinations as soon as February, but the number of incoming doses is not enough, official warns

The St. James in Washington Square, which the Scully Co. manages, set up a table near the front desk where residents can pick up food deliveries. It restricts access to the lobby from the outside. Since it had to cancel its annual holiday party with open bar and live music, employees delivered a bottle of prosecco and a box of cookies to each apartment.

 HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you.

Protecting residents has to be the priority, said Brogan of the New Jersey Apartment Association. Most of the discussion about the pandemic and housing pits tenants against landlords, but the pandemic is hurting both in different ways, he said.

The enemy, he said, is the virus.
WASHINGTON - The FBI warned Monday that armed far-right extremist groups are planning to march on state capitals this weekend, triggering a rush to fortify government buildings amid concerns that the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol last week could spread throughout the country.

The memo is something of a raw intelligence product, compiling information gathered by the bureau and several other government agencies, an official said. Some of it is unverified, and the threat is likely to differ significantly from place to place, though the memo said there were plans in all 50 state capitals, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the bulletin is considered a law enforcement document not authorized for wide public release.

But the data points it highlights for law enforcement are nonetheless troubling - including that there was information suggesting people might storm government offices, or stage an uprising were President Donald Trump to be removed from office, the official said.

The FBI declined to comment on the memo, which was first reported by ABC News. "Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property," the agency said in a statement.

Officials in many states had already begun taking steps to increase security and plan for additional violence in response to protests last week. On Monday, Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced that he was activating the National Guard to provide support for the Capitol Police in Madison. The troops are members of the Wisconsin National Guard Reaction Force and are trained to quickly deploy in a crisis.

On Saturday, heavily armed demonstrators surrounded the Kentucky Capitol. The protesters, dressed in camouflage and carrying assault weapons and zip-tie handcuffs, vowed to continue to support Trump while railing against Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

At a news conference Monday, Beshear vowed he would not be "intimidated" and he called on Americans to reject those who threaten the symbols and buildings that represent the country's Democratic principles.

"These are not the actions of people who believe in this country. These are people who believe they can bully and intimidate other individuals," Beshear, visibly angry, said. "To anybody who believes that domestic terror is the way to go, we will be ready for you. We will not back down."

In Wisconsin, state workers on Monday began boarding up ground-level windows of the Capitol in Madison in anticipation of the protesters. In Arizona, officials had erected a double layer chain-link fence around the Capitol complex in Phoenix. In Michigan, a state that has been on edge since the FBI disrupted a plot in October to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a state legislative committee voted Thursday to ban residents from openly carrying guns inside the Capitol in Lansing.

Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee called up 750 National Guard troops to help protect the Capitol, where the legislature kicked off its annual session Monday.

"We sincerely hope for peaceful actions but if that does not happen, we will be prepared," Inslee said in a statement Friday.

Inslee's action followed last week's mob assault on the governor's mansion, on the same day that a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people including a Capitol police officer. A video of the disturbance in Olympia, Wash., shows a man with an assault rifle and a large knife standing in front of Inslee's residence, as other demonstrators stand nearby holding Trump flags.

On the same day in Phoenix, a group of people who were upset about Trump's loss banged on the locked doors of the Capitol building, cracking a window while shouting for Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who has come under fire from conservatives who say he didn't do enough to help Trump win the state. Besides the new fencing, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said the agency is limiting public access to government buildings. State employees have been encouraged to work from home.

Meanwhile in Oregon last week, demonstrators burned an effigy of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. And on Sunday, according to Beshear, someone vandalized the home of Kentucky's public health commissioner by spray-painting "covid is PCR fraud" on his mailbox.

"This is about individuals, and those bullies trying to create terror by saying we know where you live," Beshear said.

Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher at the Anti Defamation League's Center on Extremism, said there remains considerable volatility surrounding who plans to demonstrate at state capitol buildings on Sunday.

Friedfeld said members of the "boogaloo boys" movement - a loose network of anti-government groups who believe the country is heading toward a civil war - began advertising the state capital events in November.

In recent days, Friedfeld has seen signs that supporters of the boogaloo boys appear to distancing themselves from the protests, even calling for the outright cancellation of a march that had been scheduled for Sunday in Washington.

But Friedfeld cautions that the events in the states could still become venues for which other extremist groups or random aggrieved Trump supporters latch onto, even though he has yet to see a lot of online chatter that would indicate the protests will be well-attended.

"I have not seen people talking about storming the capitols, but that sentiment is still there and it is possible people show up," Friedfeld said. "And if the events of Wednesday taught us anything, it is that we can't ignore right-wing events, and we just can't assume it will be nothing and we have to take these things seriously."

And irrespective of how many and in what states protests materialize this weekend, Friedfeld said he worries that state capitals will continue to be front lines of the country's bitter, and increasingly violent, cultural and political battles.

He noted that this week's events represent an escalation of unruly protests that began in some state capitals more than a year ago when gun owners, upset by proposed new restrictions on the sale of firearms, began aggressively challenging state leaders in Virginia and elsewhere.

In the spring, conservative activists held demonstrations at state capitols to protest government orders and closures related to the coronavirus pandemic, some of which turned violent. The threats to public safety took an even more ominous turn this fall after the FBI uncovered the plot by far-right extremists to kidnap Whitmer, as well as Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.

"I think people are paying more attention to what is happening at the state level in a way that they didn't in the past," Friedfeld said. "And part of what we see with right-wing extremists is, when President Trump took over, they liked President Trump so they kind of shifted ire away from President Trump and toward state and government officials."

Brian Moran, secretary of public safety in Virginia, said state authorities are bracing for the possibility of large and potentially violent demonstrations both on Sunday - when social media has suggested that the Proud Boys and other groups will show up in Richmond - and Monday, when gun rights advocates are planning a major vehicle caravan through Richmond.

"We have to discern what's credible or not, but we're taking it all very seriously," Moran said.

Moran said law enforcement officials are gathering intelligence to understand what threats the capital might face in the coming days, with the General Assembly convening its legislative session Wednesday. The House of Delegates will meet online, via video conference, but the state Senate will meet in person in a hall at the Virginia Science Museum.

Moran said monitoring has been hampered by the recent crackdown on extremist agitators by social media companies.

"That's a two-sided coin. It impedes their ability to organize, but also eliminates our eyes on what they are planning," Moran said. "It requires them to go underground further."

In Maryland, Greg Shipley, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police, said his agency has also enhanced security at the State House in Annapolis due to posts circulating online about the possibility of armed demonstrations.

"We continue to coordinate with local, state and federal authorities regarding any threats related to the General Assembly session, this weekend or the inauguration," Shipley said.

Some Republican lawmakers also have been urging the leaders of their states to take the threat of mass rebellion seriously. Jim Steineke, the Republican majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, drew criticism last week when he compared the siege on the U.S. Capitol to the 2011 protests in Madison, where teachers and union workers occupied the Capitol building.

"Learn the lessons from Wisconsin when liberal throngs stormed the State Capitol and took it over. If you do not clear them now, you will lose control for days if not weeks," Steineke wrote on Twitter.

But amid the tightening security, some state lawmakers say they are worried that the threats they now face will persist long after this weekend.

Michigan state Rep. Donna Lasinski, a Democrat, noted how she was approaching her office Thursday morning when she received a text alert that the building was being evacuated because of a bomb threat.

Lasinski recounted how she froze, uncertain whether to go inside where state police were standing or run away.

"What I know is it has become untenable for folks, lawmakers, staff, school groups to feel that they can come to our state Capitol, to the people's house, and feel that they won't be threatened or harassed or intimidated," she said. "This cannot be our new normal."

- - -

The Washington Post's Erin Cox, Ovetta Wiggins and Gregory S. Schneider contributed to this report.
The Victoria harbor next to commercial and residential buildings in Hong Kong on Sept. 20, 2020. (May James/AFP via Getty Images)

Amid Political Uncertainty, Companies in Hong Kong Have Gloomy Business Outlook for 2021: Survey

40 percent of companies in Hong Kong are pessimistic about the outlook of the citys business environment for 2021, according to a business survey released on Jan. 11.

The survey was carried out by the American Chamber (AmCham) of Commerce in Hong Kong, which obtained responses from 15 percent of its members, or 181 participants, between Dec. 11 last year and Jan. 4 this year. Among those polled, 51 percent said their companies are headquartered in the United States, followed by 37 percent with headquarters in Hong Kong.

Those that expressed pessimism said that they believed the citys business environment would continue to be unstable or get worse in the next 12 months. Among their top concerns for 2021 were troubled U.S.-China relations, Hong Kongs fractious political situation, and a resurgence of infection cases caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

Close to half of respondents are worried about the tightening grip on free speech/media, which will eventually result in a brain drain out of Hong Kong and a non-transparent legal system, according to the survey.

Hong Kong began reporting a surge in COVID-19 cases in November last year. For the past week from Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, the city recorded a total of 266 new cases, pushing the total recorded infection cases in the city to 9,284 as of Jan. 11. A total of 159 have died from COVID-19.

In addition, 37 percent viewed the citys business environment in 2021 as unchanged compared to that of 2020. Only 23 percent said the future would be either good or very good.

AmCham President Tara Joseph stated: Not a single business in Hong Kong was immune to challenges faced in 2020; COVID-19, violent protests in the streets, the promulgation of a new National Security Law or increased U.S.-China political and trade friction.

As for 2021, Joseph said: [T]here is a growing splinter of views over Hong Kongs future. This makes for messier reading but suggests a trend of an evolving city.

When asked about 2020, 61 percent of the respondents said the citys business environment was unstable or has worsened. Some respondents said the national security law has destabilized HKs legal framework.

Last summer, the Chinese regime imposed the national security law on Hong Kong, which penalizes vaguely-defined crimes such as subversion and collusion with foreign forces with a maximum of life imprisonment.

Prominent pro-democracy activists have since been charged for violating the new law, including Jimmy Lai, founder of the local newspaper Apple Daily. He is now being held in detention as he awaits trial for his fraud and collusion with foreign forces charges.

A third of those surveyed stated that they saw Hong Kong as a less competitive city compared to other international cities. Some respondents cited factors such as deteriorating legal, judicial, and banking systems, and high real estate costs.

The most cited factor (35.3 percent) that made Hong Kong insufficiently competitive was cost of living. Following in second place was the citys political system (23.3 percent) and third the cost of doing business (19.3 percent).

When asked if they considered Hong Kong a key innovation center in Asia, 53 percent said no, and 18 percent said yes.

One unnamed respondent explained: With the deteriorating legal, juridical, and banking systems, not a good option to invest in innovation projects in Hong Kong.

Taiwan and Singapore are where our innovation is centered in East Asia, another unnamed respondent said.

Overall, 50 percent of all respondents said they were cautiously optimistic about the performance of their companies in 2021, while 27 percent said they were either pessimistic or very pessimistic.

Were very optimistic for the company globally and in Asia Pacific outside of Hong Kong. Within Hong Kong, were very pessimistic, one unnamed respondent stated.
The decision of the Washington administration to impose duties on additional types of products imported from the European Union comes into force on Tuesday, TASS reported.

As a result, parts necessary for aircraft construction, manufactured in France and Germany, will be subject to a 15% duty from January 12.

As Reuters explains, the United States has previously introduced a 15% duty on aircraft imported from the EU. However, these measures were not applicable to the aircraft of the European Airbus corporation, assembled at a plant in the US state of Alabama. The introduction of tariffs for parts would effectively deprive Airbus of the ability to sell its products in the United States without paying additional duties. As a result, according to Reuters, these aircraft are likely to be non-competitive in the US market.

In addition to duties on spare parts related to the aviation industry, additional duties of 25% are imposed on some wines, cognacs, and a number of other types of alcoholic beverages from France and Germany.

The actions of the US authorities represent a new step in a longstanding dispute between the US and the EU over subsidies to aircraft manufacturers. This is a lawsuit involving the American company Boeing and Airbus.

The trade conflict between Washington and Brussels over Boeing and Airbus has been going on since 2004. Both sides accuse each other of violating World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and providing their aircraft builders with unauthorized government subsidies.
Singh briefly met Naik at the Goa Medical College campus to enquire after his health and to condole the death of the Union MoS's wife Vijaya, before leaving for the national capital.

Panaji: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met his Defence Ministry colleague MoS Shripad Naik, who has been admitted to a Goa hospital following a road accident in Karnataka late on Monday.

"His condition is stable according to doctors. They have said there is no danger. If proper treatment can be provided here, then he will be treated here itself. If need be, he will be shifted to Delhi. Everything will depend on doctors here," Singh told reporters at the hospital campus after he met the team of doctors treating Naik.

Singh also said that doctors at the Goa hospital were in touch with their counterparts at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national capital.

Singh is also scheduled to visit Naik's private residence at San Pedro near Panaji.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that Naik's condition is "stable" and he's responding well to treatment after two orthopaedic operations in the early hours of Tuesday.

"I have met Bhau (Naik). His condition is stable now. The two orthopaedic surgeries conducted on him were successful," Sawant told reporters shortly after meeting Naik at the hospital's coronary care unit.

"The operations started around 2.30 a.m. and lasted till around 7 a.m. He is now under sedation. He is responding well to treatment," Sawant said.

Sawant said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive here later in the day to ask after the health of Naik, who was injured in a road mishap in Karnataka late on Monday.

"We will take a call on whether we need expert opinion. Rajnath Singh will also meet with doctors later today to review Naik's health," Sawant said.

Naik's wife Vijaya and his Personal Secretary Deepak Ghume had succumbed to their injuries, while his driver and a Personal Security Officer are currently admitted at the Goa Medical College near Panaji.

The Chief Minister said that hours after Naik was rushed from the accident site in Yellapur in Karnataka to the Goa Medical College on Monday night, two surgeries were conducted.

Apart from loss of blood and dropping blood pressure, Naik had a broken upper limb and a fractured thigh bone.

Late on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Sawant and directed him to ensure the best treatment for Naik, a fifth-term MP from North Goa and a former state BJP President.
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli welcomed their baby daughter on January 11 afternoon. Happy on the baby's arrival, Virat shared a note with fans announcing her birth. He wrote on social media, "We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes."

Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time. Love, Virat, the statement read. Anushka and Virat, both 32, recently celebrated their third wedding anniversary.

After the birth of baby daughter, Priyanka Chopra extended wishes to the lovely couple on social media. She wrote, "So happy for you guys Anushka and Virat. Big hug and much love especially to your lil princess."

On the work front, Priyanka has completed the filming of Text For You in London. It took three months to finish the movie shoot in the UK amid coronavirus scare. It is a remake of the 2016 German film SMS fur Dich. Text For You also stars Sam Heughan and Celine Dion.

On the other hand, Priyanka also reportedly shot for Matrix 4 in Germany. The fourth installment of the popular franchise has been directed by Lana Wachowski. The film also stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie Ann-Moss, Jada Pinketh Smith, Yahya Abdul Mateen, and Neil Patrick Harris among others.

She is a Victoria's Secret star who is known for her jaw-dropping frame.

And Sara Sampaio set pulses racing as she posed in a skimpy string bikini top for a sultry photoshoot during her tropical break on Monday.

The supermodel, 29, showcased her cleavage and slender midriff in a black bikini top as she posed on a secluded beach.

Toned: Sara Sampaio set pulses racing as she posed in a skimpy string bikini top for a sultry photoshoot during her tropical break on Monday

The beauty also revealed her honed legs in a pair of high-waisted denim hotpants, paired with a crisp white shirt.

The Vogue coverstar wore her brunette tresses in a bun and appeared to go make-up free for the day.

The star looked happy and relaxed as she soaked up the sun during a rare break from her hectic schedule.

Sampaio began her career modeling in local competitions in Portugal before making her major debut in the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and followed up by walking in the same show the year afterwards.

Beach beauty: The supermodel, 29, showcased her cleavage and slender midriff in a black bikini top as she posed on a secluded beach

Racy: The star let her bikini do the talking as she basked in the sunshine on a beach

In 2015, she was named as one of Victoria's Secret's Angels, and walked with her counterparts at the 2016 show in Paris.

In the years following that appearance, the Porto native has been featured in campaigns and has walked in shows for brands such as Moschino, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and Dolce & Gabbana, among others.

The model was featured on the May 2017 cover of Maxim, which was also her first time in the publication.

That same year, Sampaio was seen in both the Brazilian and Turkish versions of Vogue; she was pictured in the Mexican and Thai iterations of the magazine the year after that.

Big names: The Portuguese model has walked for brands such as Tory Burch, Miu Miu, and Balmain; seen here in 2019

The supermodel has also made a few strides onto screen, and has been seen in music videos for Kanye West, Selena Gomez, and Nick Jonas, among others.

In 2017, she was seen in a second season episode of the HBO drama series Billions entitled Optimal Play.

Sampaio is also set to feature in the upcoming Portuguese film Sombra, where she is set to play a journalist named Marta.

The film is currently set to premiere in 2021.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
The transmission linear chart. The virus was introduced to the UK well over a thousand times in early 2020. This study shows it is possible to trace individual virus transmission lineages accurately through time and space. Credit: University of Oxford

A team of scientists, led by researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh, has analysed the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK and produced the most fine-scaled and comprehensive genomic analysis of transmission of any epidemic to date.

Their analysis draws on >50k virus genome sequences26k of which were gathered through the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortiumoffering a never-before-seen level of insight into the origins and behaviour of transmission chains since the start of the pandemic.

The full analysis, published in Science, reveals that the virus was introduced to the UK well over a thousand times in early 2020 and that the rate and source of introduction changed very quickly. During this time the highest number of transmission chains were introduced from Spain (33%), France (29%), and then Italy (12%)  with China accounting for only 0.4% of imports. The study shows how the UK national lockdown affected individual transmission chains.

Corresponding and co-lead author, Professor Oliver Pybus, from Oxford's Department of Zoology and the Oxford Martin School, said, "This study shows that it's possible to trace individual virus transmission lineages accurately through time and space. Undertaking analyses on a weekly basis means that genomic tracking can become a key component of public health surveillance."

The results offer a crucial context to what is happening now in the UK's second wave, and the team has contributed to the identification of the new variant (termed B.1.1.7) growing rapidly in the UK. The scientists say that detailed comparison of the new variant's behaviour with that of first wave lineages will be crucial to understanding why B.1.1.7 is now spreading so quickly.

Before the March 2020 lockdown, high travel volumes and few restrictions on international arrivals led to the establishment and co-circulation of >1000 identifiable UK transmission lineages, jointly contributing to accelerated epidemic growth that quickly exceeded national contact tracing capacity.

Professor Pybus says, "By reconstructing where and when COVID-19 was introduced to the UK we can see that earlier travel and quarantine interventions could have helped to reduce the acceleration and intensity of the UK's first wave of cases."

The team expects similar trends occurred in other countries with comparably large epidemics and high international travel volumes.

Whilst the UK national lockdown coincided with limited importation and reduced regional lineage diversity, its impact on lineage extinction was size-dependent, meaning that the largest and most widespread lineages persisted into the summer.

The over-dispersed nature of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is likely to have favoured greater survival of larger, more widespread lineages and faster local elimination of lineages in low prevalence regions, highlighting the importance of rapid or pre-emptive interventions in reducing transmission.

The degree to which the surviving lineages contributed to the UK's ongoing epidemic in the autumn and winter 2020, including the effect of specific mutations on lineage growth rates, is currently under investigation.

The transmission structure and dynamics measured for the first time in this study provide a new context in which future public health actions at regional, national, and international scales should be planned and evaluated.

Co-lead author, Dr. Louis du Plessis, from Oxford's Department of Zoology, said, "Our work offers unparalleled views into what's happening in an individual epidemic. The UK shares large volumes of virus genetic data publicly on a weekly basis and if you don't have this level of surveillance you won't know the real situation of virus evolution and transmission."

Co-lead author, Verity Hill, Ph.D. researcher, based at Edinburgh University, said, "This kind of continuous, nationally coordinated genomic sequencing not only allows the high-resolution analysis we present, but also helps other countries to place their genomic data into context and assists the global pandemic response."

The ability to ramp up genomic surveillance at a large scale was made possible by the decision to fund the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium in April and builds on decades of blue-skies basic research into virus evolution, led by Oxford and Edinburgh universities, which developed the theory leading to scientists having these tools and theory at their disposal.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Louis du Plessis et al. Establishment and lineage dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in the UK, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Louis du Plessis et al. Establishment and lineage dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in the UK,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abf2946
Do you need help focusing on your fitness goals? After a turbulent 2020 and a bumpy beginning to 2021, its more important than ever to foster positive energy through healthy habits. If youre feeling powerless, discouraged, or totally tapped out, its essential to shine a spotlight on the one thing you do have control over: yourself.

While exercising wont solve the issues of the world, it will release some of the stress they may be causing for you. With just 30 minutes of movement each day, you can improve your circulation, spirits, and self-esteem as you shift attention away from your worries to fortifying your mind and body instead. Think of this toning time as a much needed reset for your entire system.

Last week we set the foundation for a four-week workout challenge, with the goal of building motivation and program adherence. For week two, you can expect a slightly more challenging set of exercises. By slowly and steadily increasing the intensity each week, youre more likely to avoid burnout, experience measured progress, and most importantly, stay safe throughout the process.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

High-intensity training is the major theme for these three days. Exercises are designed to target vital fitness factors such as building balance, endurance, and coordination, as well as improving bone and muscle density. To make the most of these workouts, perform exercises at a brisk pace with brief rest breaks in between (one or two minutes) to ensure your pulse is pumping and muscles are working hard. Since these are shorter workouts, you should be exerting energy from start to finish. But of course, remember to always listen to your body and take a longer break when necessary.

Glute bridge

Beginner: From a supine position, bend your knees and firmly plant your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Extend your arms out to your sides, palms down. Press through your heels and hands to lift your hips until they form a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold for two counts before slowly lowering your hips back down to the floor. Repeat 10 times.

Intermediate-advanced: Position yourself near a sturdy platform like a chair. Place your heels on the edge of the chair with arms out to your sides. Push through your heels to elevate your hips until they are in line with your shoulders and knees. Hold for two counts then slowly lower your hips but keep resistance on the muscles by stopping within an inch of the floor and then pushing right back up again. Continue for 10 counts.

Push-up

Beginner: Begin on all fours with your hands aligned below shoulders. Push your knees back a bit until your body forms a straight line to your head. Slowly lower your body toward the floor, leaving a space between your chest and the ground. Push through your palms to return to the starting position. Repeat five to eight times.

Intermediate-advanced: From a plank position on your toes, lower your body down toward the floor. On the upward phase, powerfully push off your hands and clap them together, then land softly on your hands. Repeat 10 times. You can also try this explosive push-up from your knees.

Step up

Beginner: Using a chair (or the first step on your staircase for an easier challenge) plant your right foot on its surface. Do not let your heel hang. Press through your right heel to stand then lower back down to the starting stance. Repeat eight times on each side.

Intermediate-advanced: Plant your right foot on a sturdy chair. Push through your right heel to stand. When balanced, move very slowly (countdown Mississippi-style from 5) as you lower your left leg back down toward the floor. To do this, hinge back at your hips so your torso is slightly slanted forward, and front knee doesnt extend past your toes. Your right leg should be working to balance your body weight as you bring your floating left leg down. Repeat eight times on each side.

Lunge

Beginner: Stand near a wall for support. Take a step back with your right leg and lower down into a lunge. Your front and back knee should form 90-degree angles, or as close as you can comfortably go within your range of motion. Your front knee should not extend beyond your toes. Now step your right leg back to standing. Repeat four times on each side.

Intermediate-advanced: Take a step back with your right foot to lower into a lunge. Remain in this stance as you pulse your legs by standing then dropping back down. Pulse two times then push off your left heel to swing your right leg forward. Pulse two times. Continue this back-and-forth sequence 10 times on each side (two pulses to the front, two to the back is one repetition).

Tuesday, Thursday

For these two days youll mix up your training style by concentrating on cardio. Aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking. To enhance your endurance, try carving out 10 minutes of easy running within this 30-minute session.

Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. As you start to see the benefits of your workouts, like feeling stronger and healthier, exercise will transform from being a mundane task to one that is part of your daily lifestyle.

Ashley Blake Greenblatt is a certified personal trainer and wellness coach in South Jersey. To learn more about her virtual training program, go to ashleyblakefitness.com.

DAKAR, Senegal - Before she vanished in France eight days ago, the young woman had become an academic legend in Senegal.

Her name - Diary Sow - is practically synonymous with achievement in this West African nation, which crunches grades every year and names a top student. Sow won that honor in 2018 and 2019.

She landed a spot at a prestigious preparatory school in Paris and, her peers say, continued to ace classes. She published a novel last year at age 19.

"To Diary," the Senegalese president wrote to her in an August note, "a rising star who is the pride of the people."

Then her school, the Lycee Louis-le-Grand, alerted the Senegalese Embassy on Jan. 4 that Sow had stopped showing up.

Nobody has heard from the student who was known to never miss a lecture - neither friends nor family.

Paris police have shared no leads as they scour the city. The prosecutor's office called the disappearance "worrying."

"This has devastated everyone," said a former teacher, Mame Coumba Diouf Sagna, who proofread early drafts of Sow's book. "She has so many dreams to realize. She has so much hope to give."

Senegalese President Macky Sall sent investigators to help, while Sow's classmates embarked on their own search. By Tuesday, a team of eight had called 12 hospitals each.

"We're doing everything we can," said Moussa Gueye, a 21-year-old engineering student from a suburb of Dakar, the Senegalese capital. "We're out here printing and distributing fliers."

Sow is reserved yet kind, he said - not boastful, though she has the right to be.

"She gets the best grades in everything," he said.

Hundreds of Senegalese expatriates in Paris and other French cities took to the streets this week, passing out pamphlets featuring Sow's face and a number to call. Video shows them chanting, "Ensemble allons chercher Diary Sow." Together let's find Diary Sow.

"She is famous for being brilliant," said Souleymane Gueye, vice president of the Federation of Senegalese Students and Trainees of France. "She stands out. Those academic awards usually go to boys."

In Senegal, speculation blazes across social media: Was she taken? Did she run away?

"What if Diary Sow doesn't want to be found?" someone tweeted. "Idk I've been thinking about it all night, the pressure of being a good student is hard for anyone."

In September, the month she turned 20, Sow visited Dakar to promote her novel, "Under the Face of an Angel."

It's about a complicated girl, she told a bookstore audience. The character is guarded and keeps to herself. Her love interest sees only "roses," she said - not the thorns.

"The names are fictitious," she said, "but I use words to express myself to the world."

Abdoulaye Diallo, the director of Harmattan Senegal, a publishing house in Dakar, teared up as he recalled the day Sow's uncle urged him to read her manuscript.

"It took us a year to publish it - with two blind proof-readings," he said. "With the quality of the text, one couldn't imagine that the author was a woman of her age. It must be recognized that this is a higher mind."

Sow wanted to explore people's inner worlds, she said in an August television appearance. The expectations and pressures - "the secret emotions," she said.

She wants to pursue an engineering career.

"I am a scientist," she said, "but that doesn't mean I should be limited to science."

Her fervor for learning was clear early on.

"She is in front of books all the time," her mother told news crews after Sow won her first big scholastic prize. "She doesn't want to waste a second of her life."

Sow grew up in the fishing city of Mbour, about 60 coastal miles south from the hustle of Dakar.

She came from humble means, said Sagna, her former teacher. There were no fancy tutors.

"Just pure determination," Sagna said. "When I called for recess, the other students would go outside and play, but Diary would just get something to eat - some pasta or rice - and sit inside with a book."

By age 13, the star pupil was always scribbling in a notebook. At 15, she began to write the story that would turn into her first novel. Sagna corrected grammar and smoothed some phrasing, she said, but the raw talent was obvious.

Together, they polished hundreds of pages over four years. "She became like my daughter," Sagna said.

They last talked in August, a few months after Sow's father had died. The teacher had expected grief.

"She was just so positive," Sagna said. "She rarely complains. No one had any idea of what was to come."

Now Sagna weeps and prays for the young woman's return.

"She is the inspiration of so many," she said. "She's the example. I don't want my students to think, is it worth striving so hard if something like this can happen?"

- - -

The Washington Post's Borso Tall contributed to this report.
[January 12, 2021] GE Appliances Releases First-Ever Corporate Citizenship Report

GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, today released its first-ever Corporate Citizenship Impact Report, highlighting the company's long-standing, purpose-driven commitment to making a difference in the world through its people, products, and the places where it operates. The 2020 report titled, "We Come Together to Make Good Things, for Life," outlines the company's goals and demonstrates its progress in five key pillars that reflect the company's top priorities and serve as the foundation for GEA's citizenship work: Community Engagement; Inclusion & Diversity; Operations Sustainability; Product Sustainability; and Compliance & Ethics. In 2020, GEA remained focused on three guiding principles: protecting the health and safety of employees, delivering for customers, and helping build stronger communities. Throughout the report, GEA shares the story of how it responded to the impacts of COVID-19, leaned in to address and be part of the social justice conversation, innovated ways to manufacture products with less environmental impact, and developed new products that help owners maximize energy efficiency while minimizing the use of natural resources. "We're on a journey as a company to be and be recognized as the leading appliance company in the U.S. Caring about the communities where we live and work, the people who make us who we are, and the planet we're all a part of have always been at the heart of our business and are helping us get there," said Kevin Nolan, president and CEO of GE Appliances. "This report is a new way to capture that work and outline how we'll continue progressing in the future. If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we're all connected. Together, we can bring about real solutions that create powerful change. At GE Appliances, we're committed to helping drive that change." The 2020 GEA Corporate Citizenship Impact Report is available online here. Highlights of the report include: Community Engagement: GEA's volunteer efforts and investments with community partners are connecting people with the resources they need to be successful, shaping the future workforce, and helping strengthen equity, health, and education in local communities. $2 million in grants and product donations were provided to more than 100 nonprofit agencies.

$1.8 million was raised through GEA's annual Employee Giving Campain supporting nonprofits.

Nearly $1 million worth of appliances were donated to first responders and healthcare workers across the U.S. working to keep people safe during the fight against COVID-19.

More than 300,000 units of PPE were provided to healthcare facilities, nonprofits and government agencies.

15,000 volunteer hours from employees helped community partners complete 75 projects.



Inclusion & Diversity : From new employees hired to partner suppliers, GEA is building a more inclusive and diverse company that is reflective of the communities where it does business. 100 percent of the GEA Executive Leadership Team completed unconscious bias training.

42 percent of management hires are female, and 45 percent of management hires are people of color. As a whole, GEA is committed to reaching a companywide goal of 40 percent female representation and 40 percent people of color representation by the end of 2025.

Partnering for progress: GEA supported local schools and community organizations through a variety of initiatives to help break down barriers, increase equitable educational access to opportunities, and connect people with the resources they need to be successful.

Nearly 3,000 GEA employees took part in a company-led virtual All-In Rally, an event created to help educate on social and racial injustices and learn best practices centered on Inclusion & Diversity.

Expanded Paid (News - Alert) Parental Leave to up to 12 weeks for new parents, a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion for people of all genders. Operations Sustainability: From sourcing to manufacturing and distribution, GEA is focused on the health and safety of its employees and reducing its environmental footprint throughout a state-of-the-art supply chain.

Achieved 80 percent landfill diversion from Appliance Park, with 90 percent achieved at GEA's LaFayette, Ga., plant. GEA is committed to achieving 80 percent landfill diversion across all U.S. manufacturing sites by 2025.

Achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification in Appliance Park.

Recycled 102 million pounds of material including metal, cardboard, wood, and plastic.

Created a 13-acre sustainable greenspace at Appliance Park to reduce the heat footprint and provide a complex native ecosystem.

Implemented companywide health and safety initiatives to create safer workplace protocols supporting and protecting employees during COVID-19. Product Sustainability: GEA is designing environmentally conscious products that use less energy and water - innovating with consumers and the planet in mind. More than 80 percent of product packaging materials used are recyclable.

Reduced more than 700,000 tons of CO2-equivalent annually by transitioning from R-410a refrigerant to R32.

GEA refrigerators built today are 30 percent more energy efficient than those produced in 2010. Compliance & Ethics: GEA is promoting a culture of compliance and ethics across the entire business and committed to being recognized by customers, owners, and other stakeholders as one of the most ethical companies that manages all business relationships with integrity. Developed and expanded a risk-based training approach to sustain and improve GEA's compliance culture through initiatives including Compliance Week, Privacy Week, and other live compliance learning activities.

Identified plan to investigate and manage confidential concerns in under 45 days.

Audited suppliers to ensure compliance with GEA policies. The baseline reporting period for most of the company targets outlined in the report is fiscal year 2019, with additional business highlights from 2020. About GE Appliances GE Appliances strives to make the world a better place and is committed to leading in the communities where its 14,000 employees live and work. A purpose-rooted and passion-driven organization, GE Appliances believes there is always a better way. Its corporate headquarters is in Louisville, Ky., and it sells products under the Monogram, Cafe, GE Profile, GE Appliances, Haier, and Hotpoint brands. Its appliances, which are in half of all U.S. homes., include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems, water heaters, wine & beverage and small appliances. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and geappliancesco.com for more news and updates from GE Appliances. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005184/en/

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Ireland was a cold and harsh environment for the majority of women and children who stayed in mother and baby homes, a Commission of Investigation has found. The shocking report to be published today finds women residing in these institutions suffered serious discrimination. The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation found women who gave birth outside of marriage were subjected to particularly harsh treatment. It finds 56,000 women were sent to these institutions after 1922, all the way up to 1998 when the last home was finally closed. Taoiseach Micheal Martin is expected to issue a State apology to the victims and a redress scheme is also being discussed. The report will be published this afternoon but survivors and their families will have online access this morning. The report sets out in stark detail the plight of mothers and children who passed through homes. Cabinet will discuss the 3,000-page report this morning before it is formally published at around 3pm. Details of the report, which were published in the Sunday Independent, showed 9,000 children died in 18 different mother and baby homes after the foundation of the State. In total, 57,000 children were born in these institutions and one in seven died, a rate that was far above the infant mortality rate at the time. The commission was unable to establish how many children died or where they were buried in the case of some mother and baby homes due to a lack of records. The report contains first-hand accounts of nuns taunting women in childbirth, saying they enjoyed themselves nine months previously. Counselling is being offered to survivors to coincide with the publication of the report due to the harrowing nature of its findings. The report is expected to provide ground-breaking new information on the experience of women and children who lived in homes like Tuam, Bessborough in Cork, St Patricks Pelletstown on the Navan Road in Dublin, and many others.

Read More

The five-year investigation was sparked by the discovery of a mass grave at a home in Tuam Galway which was revealed through the work of historian Catherine Corless.

Yesterday, Ms Corless suggested delaying the publication of the report so survivors could discuss its contents with the Government.

Separately, Labour Party leader Alan Kelly called on the Taoiseach to postpone his State apology to allow people affected by the report read it first.

We have seen many State apologies centre around injustices to women of Ireland in the last decade, many of these were after the victims were given the time and space needed to digest reports and recommendations made on behalf of the State.

The report into the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes should be no different, the Labour leader added.

Meanwhile, former Tanaiste Joan Burton, who was marked to be sent to the USA as a baby before being adopted in Ireland, called for the report to be sent straight to An Garda Siochana. Given the scale of deaths being mentioned of children in mother and baby homes there may be a need to refer these deaths to the gardai for further examination, she told the Irish Independent.

I would have to ask: Are there full details of the 9,000 deaths and death certificates for them? And were they issued to the next of kin, particularly birth mothers and their families  or was there a failure to register deaths and to make arrangements for a proper burial?

Ms Burton added that the Taoiseachs apology must be accompanied by a summary of the events and context, to give people an opportunity to understand exactly what the Taoiseach is apologising for.
ROME, JAN 12 - The first batch of Moderna COVID vaccine doses arrived in Italy on Tuesday. An initial batch of 47,000 doses of the vaccine made by the US company reached the Higher Health Institute (ISS) in Rome. The doses are now set to be distributed across Italy's regions. Moderna said its vaccine should be able to protect against catching the virus for at least a year. Italy is expected to give the Moderna jab to the over-80s first. Hundreds of thousands of care home residents and staff have already been given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first to arrive in Italy. The AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to follow the Moderna vaccine. (ANSA).
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Fire has swept through some wooden structures serving as makeshift shelters at the Dagombaline slum community in Kumasi in the Ashanti region. The cause of the fire is immediately not known, however, personnel from the fire service have managed to contain the fire from spreading to other wooden structure.



At least 20 wooden structures have been burnt down leaving occupants of the structures in the slum homeless. The majority of the wooden structures affected could have been saved if fire personnel at the scene had easy access to the area of the fire.



The slum is predominantly occupied by head potters and scrap dealers some of whom were seen trying to salvage properties.This is not the first time one of the biggest slums in the Ashanti region has been gutted by fire.



In March 2020, more than 500 slum dwellers in the same area were rendered homeless after fire swept through their wooden structures.



Ashanti Regional Coordinator of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Kwabena Nsenkyire and his team are at the scene to take records of the victim and see how best they can assist them.







Source: kasapafmonline.com









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TURIN, JAN 12 - Italian police are investigating an online antisemitic raid on a Zoom presentation of a book by a leading Italian Jewish journalist on Sunday. The cyber-raiders aimed racist and anti-semitic slogans at the journalist, Lia Tagliacozzo, and the organisers of the event, police said. The phrases included "Jews we're going to burn you all in the ovens", and "the Nazis are back". They were accompanied by images of swastikas and Adolf Hitler. Tagliacozzo was presenting her book 'The Desert Generation', at an event co-organised by Turin's Jewish studies centre. The incident was reported on social media by Tagliacozzo's daughter Sara De Benedictis. Turin prosecutors said they were taking the case very seriously. (ANSA).
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies this evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
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Guwahati, Jan 13 : The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday put an interim stay on the notification of Assam Assembly Secretary withdrawing recognition to Congress leader Debabrata Saikia as the Leader of the Opposition, court officials said.

Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua, hearing a petition filed by Saikia, issued notice returnable within two weeks to the Assembly Speaker, Chief Secretary, Secretary and Principal Secretary of the Assembly.

Saikia had filed the writ petition challenging the notification issued by the Assembly Secretary on January 1, removing his recognition as Leader of Opposition.

Assembly officials had said that after the resignation of two Congress MLAs (who joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party) recently, the strength of the Congress in the 126-member house has come down to 20, one less than the required number. Besides the exit of these two, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Pranab Gogoi, both sitting Congress legislators, had died last year.

Further, Asom Gana Parishad member Pabindra Deka resigned and BJP MLA Rajen Borhtakur died, bringing the effective strength of the house to 119 (not counting the Speaker).

The Assembly officials said that the present strength of the Congress legislature party is not equal to the quorum fixed to constitute a sitting of the House, that is one-sixth of the total number of members of the House as required under the law.

Saikia contended through his lawyer Satyen Sarma that he fulfilled the provisions of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Assam Legislative Assembly and the Salary and Allowance of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Act, 1978 and is thus legally entitled to remain the Leader of the Opposition.

The Congress earlier labelled Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami a "BJP agent" for withdrawing the recognition of Saikia as the Leader of the Opposition.

State Congress media cell Chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma said the Speaker took the decision with a "clear political motive" ahead of the Assembly elections.

Assam polls are likely to be held in April-May along with West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Mexico plans to buy millions of doses of Russia's controversial Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine if it is approved by Mexican health regulators, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday.

Mexico, which has the world's fourth highest official COVID-19 death toll, has the possibility to acquire 24 million doses of the vaccine, enough for 12 million people, he told reporters.

Russia said on Monday that 1.5 million people around the world had received Sputnik V, which has faced criticism because it was registered before large-scale clinical trials.

Mexican deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell acknowledged there were "concerns" about its safety and efficacy as the results of phase 3 trials have yet to be published.

Lopez-Gatell, the country's coronavirus czar, travelled to Argentina last week to learn about its experience with the Russian vaccine.

He said Mexican regulators were expected to make a decision soon on whether to approve Sputnik V.

The Latin American nation began a mass immunization program on December 24 using the coronavirus vaccine developed by US drugs giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

It has also authorized the shot developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

Mexico's official COVID-19 death toll stands at more than 134,000, with more than 1.54 million cases registered.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
In this photo from Jan. 6, 2020, seventh- and eighth-grade students with the Mount Anthony Union Middle School Leadership Team work on creating posters for their anti-vaping campaign. The posters were being made in preparation for a forum co-hosted by MAUMS and the Alliance for Community Transformations, Benningtons substance use prevention coalition.
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Ogoszenie na stanowisku:

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wygaso z dniem 2021-01-28



Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Luxoft

Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to:

oferta zamieszczona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z serwisu praca.egospodarka.pl

firma zakonczya proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc CV

rekruter zmodyfikowa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW

dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych

zy adres url ogoszenia

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Inne ogoszenia, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan:

Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch police of Bengaluru has nabbed Aditya Alva, brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, in the Sandalwood drug case.

Confirming the arrest to the media, Bengaluru Joint Police commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil said that Aditya Alva, who was absconding for over four months, was arrested on Monday night from Chennai.

"We were involved in a continuous operation to arrest him. We received a tip-off that he was in Chennai after which a team arrested him," he explained.

Aditya, who is the son of late Janata Party leader Jeevaraj Alva, is accused number six in the Sandalwood drug case and had been absconding for four months.

According to CCB sources, Aditya was arrested from a resort located between Chennai and Mahabalipuram.

CCB sources said that the investigators were tracking mobile phone locations of persons close to Aditya and that they had compiled a list of people whom he was in contact with regularly.

CCB sleuths have brought Aditya to Bengaluru and he is currently being questioned at the CCB`s office in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. Police sources said that he would be produced before the special court in NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases later in the day.

Aditya has been accused of hosting parties at his farmhouse in Hebbal in Bengaluru, and police suspect that banned and narcotic drugs were supplied and consumed during the parties.

While Aditya is accused of providing space for the parties at his resort House of Life in Hebbal, the CCB claimed that Viren Khanna was involved in organising and driving high-profile persons to these parties.

The CCB had earlier in September conducted a search operation at his resort - House of Life - and his residence and seized several documents.

On October 15, 2020, in search of Aditya, the CCB had raided the house of his sister Priyanka Alva, who is the wife of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, in Mumbai. Subsequently, the police summoned her to appear before them in Bengaluru in connection with this case. But Priyanka failed to acknowledge the summons and did not appear before the CCB.

CCB has also interrogated Ricky Rai, son of former underworld don and social activist Muthappa Rai, a day after his house was raided in Hebbal in northern Bengaluru.

The police believed that Ricky had given asylum to Aditya and so they called him over the whereabouts of the accused. The police also suspect Ricky Rai as he is in contact with some of the accused in the Sandalwood drug case.

Aditya was among the 17 people who are booked in the case in which actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani have been arrested.

Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court denied Aditya Alva`s plea to quash the FIR registered against him at the Cottonpet Police Station in connection with the drug case.

The apex court also denied Alva`s plea to procure anticipatory bail. Aditya`s legal counsel Nishanth Patil had earlier filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Karnataka High Court, which was also denied.

The Kannada film industry has been under the scanner of the police for drug-related offenses after the police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) nabbed an international drug trafficking racket in multi-city raids in August 2020.

The CCB police had issued a lookout notice for Aditya and two other accused who were on the run since September 21. Aditya, instead of seeking bail from the court, had approached the high court seeking the cancellation of the FIR lodged against him.

The CCB has now successfully nabbed Alva and Kannada film producer Shivaprakash Chippi in a gap of just two days while they are yet to nab Sheik Faazil - another prime accused in this case who is also said to be on the run. He is suspected to be a hawala operator who was funneling funds to a well-oiled drug supply chain for high-profile events.

So far, the CCB has been able to gather electronic evidence against most of these accused. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate is also probing a money laundering case against the accused persons in the Sandalwood drug case.

The ED sources said that the actors had assets worth more than they could have procured based on their income. The ED told the NDPS court in Bengaluru that it suspects the accused funneled money procured by the distribution of drugs.
The Vietnamese Embassy in the Switzerland, as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Bern (ACB), has hosted the fifth meeting of the committee in 2020

to review the working term of Vietnam as the chair of the committee and hand over the role to the Philippine Embassy.

Participants at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

The meeting brought together ambassadors and representatives from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar in Bern and Geneva.

Participants at the meeting discussed a report summarising Vietnams activities in the last six months of 2020 when Vietnam played the role as the chair of the committee.

They lauded the efforts, dynamism and creativity of Vietnam in holding many in-person and online meetings and activities, as well as the countrys successes in keeping effective coordinating relations with the Swiss Foreign Ministry and Parliaments External Relations Committee as well as pharmaceuticals firm Novartis.

They expressed their hope that Vietnam will continue coordinate with the Philippines in realising initiatives and activities of the ACB in the future when the COVID-19 pandemic is totally controlled.

Regarding Vietnams recommendations relating to the ACBs major activities amid the developments of the pandemic, they agreed on the need to work closely together in implementing the joint plan of the committee in the following terms, while concentrating on activities to enhance the image of the ASEAN in Switzerland.

The activities should focus on economic and medical cooperation between the association and local authorised agencies, as well as enhancing the use of digital technology, thus increasing online meetings between the ACB and local partners to raise awareness and promote win-win partnerships as well as mutual understanding between Switzerland and the ASEAN.

Within the meetings framework, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Linh Lan officially handed over the Chairmanship of the ACB to Philippine Ambassador Denis Lepatan./.VNA
Tributes have been paid to an elderly homeless man known as Old Man Belfield whose body was found at the UCD campus in Belfield yesterday.

UCD Dublin issued a statement on Twitter this evening paying tribute to Michael Byrne, known affectionately by students and staff as Old Man Belfield.

A fiercely private person, we thank those of you who quietly looked out for Michael. We will miss him around the campus. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.

Michael Byrne, affectionately known as aOld Man Belfielda by students and staff, sadly passed away on Monday 11 January 2021.



A fiercely private person, we thank those of you who quietly looked out for Michael.



We will miss him around the campus.



Ar dheis DA go raibh a anam. pic.twitter.com/3Dnbdjyssf  University College Dublin (@ucddublin) January 11, 2021

The universitys student newspaper the College Tribune also tweeted:

It is with great regret that the College Tribune reports the death of Michael Byrne, a homeless man who has become a fixture of UCDs Belfield campus affectionately known by the students of as Old Man Belfield and as the Dreamer in his local area.

It is with great regret that the College Tribune reports the death of Michael Byrne, a homeless man who has become a fixture of UCDas Belfield campus affectionately known by the students of as aOld Man Belfielda and as the aDreamera in his local area.https://t.co/mqgi8tWirV  College Tribune (@CollegeTribune) January 11, 2021






Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 84F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
The Supreme Court refused to hear the post-election fraud cases filed by President Donald Trump's legal team including those cases filed by the GOP and Trump Lawyer Sidney Powell, a report says.

As per Forbes on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the motion of the Trump Team to fast track all the cases they have filed in court prior to the certification of electoral votes for former Vice President Joseph Biden into the presidency by Congress last week.

Forbes said this action is "effectively killing the post-election litigation by ensuring it won't be heard before Biden takes office and likely renders the cases moot."

In addition, Forbes identified four key facts that renders the Trump Team on check mate at this time until Biden is inaugurated as President of the United States.

The Supreme Court, Forbes highlighted, "denied motions to expedite the post-election cases, which include three Trump-led lawsuits challenging the election results in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin"; "denied Powell's lawsuits challenging Michigan and Georgia's election results, conservative attorney Lin Wood's challenge of Georgia's results and Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward's lawsuit challenging that state's votes"; and denied "motions to expedite the cases."

In addition, the Supreme Court "rejected a motion to expedite a Pennsylvania case brought by GOP lawmakers after previously denying a motion for injunctive relief in the case, which stopped the case from being decided before the Electoral College met."

According to Forbes, the Supreme Court intends to hear the cases but "on a slower timeline after Inauguration Day, which would be too late for the court to potentially grant the plaintiffs' requests for the court to overturn the election results."

The Forbes revealed that there are 63 post-election cases filed by Trump and the GOP that were "either lost in court or withdrew, according to a tally kept by Democratic Party attorney Marc Elias, and they only netted one minor win."

Forbes stressed that people should watch out for the fact that "the court has still not yet issued a decision on whether they'll take up full consideration of a case concerning Pennsylvania's mail-in deadline allowing ballots to arrive after Election Day," which "could affect how future elections are run" even though it may not actually overturn the results of the election. Forbes stated that the Pennsylvania results only differed by 10,000 ballots should the court actually consider the case.

Meanwhile, the Gateway Pundit reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation also would not wish to look into the cases of USPS trailers full of ballots sent to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that were reported by its truck drivers until after Biden's inauguration.

"This is how democracy dies," the Gateway Pundit announced, "It is clear the US has become a lawless state overnight."

The Gateway Pundit explained that its statement was due to the "incredible amount of historic fraud in this year's presidential election" and cited the "myriad of anomalies and outright fraudulent votes as Deroy Murdock reported."

Murdock, an investigative journalist who is contributing editor at National Review Online, presented a "comprehensive inventory" of known election fraud issues. These voter fraud issues show that President Trump won his re-election bid.

Similarly, the Gateway Pundit identified four reasons the actions of the two government institutions were unacceptable on top of the Murdock report.

These were: "the impossible dropped votes for Joe Biden in the early morning," "the collusion of several swing states to shut down counting on election night after Trump pulled ahead in ALL of the battleground states," "the liberal counting centers locking out GOP observers for up to two days," and the "The flipping of ballots from Trump to Biden on live TV."

The media outfit also expressed its disappointment that on top of these rejections, "Democrats are cracking down on speech and assembly rights."

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Massachusetts first responders are set to receive an update on vaccination efforts for police, fire and emergency medical services across the state.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito will join local leaders in Worcester Tuesday to share the announcement.

He is scheduled to hold a press conference on the topic Tuesday at noon. It will be held at the Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St., and livestreamed below.

The senior center is one of dozens of spaces across the state that opened as hubs to provide the vaccine to first responders.

These men and women put their lives on the line regularly, back before we had COVID-19, and for the last 10 months, they kept on working the front lines, protecting and caring for residents across Massachusetts, Baker said at a Jan. 4 press conference.

First responders were ranked as the third priority group within Phase 1 of the states vaccine distribution plan. Frontline medical workers were first, followed by residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

Rich MacKinnon Jr., president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM), told MassLive in late December that about 60% to 70% of firefighters in the state plan to get vaccinated.

Worcester hopes to vaccinate about 2,200 first responders over the next two weeks.

Its really the first day of us playing offense on this disease, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said Monday. The last nine or 10 months, weve been playing defense - wearing masks, social distancing, the shutdowns - to try to slow the spread of it, but this is the first real effort here, in terms of our first responders, to try to get people armed with the antibodies that the vaccine is going to provide.

State health officials reported 4,239 new cases of the virus on Monday and 54 more deaths. The total number of active cases statewide stands at 92,405. The seven-day average of positive COVID tests is now 7.26%.

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The darknet transactions were carried with more than 4,650 bitcoin and 12,800 monerotwo common cryptocurrencieschanging hands

A German-led police sting has taken down the "world's largest" darknet marketplace, whose Australian alleged operator used it to facilitate the sale of drugs, stolen credit card data and malware, prosecutors said Tuesday.

At the time of its closure, DarkMarket had nearly 500,000 users and more than 2,400 vendors worldwide, as the coronavirus pandemic leads much of the street trade in narcotics to go online.

Police in the northern city of Oldenburg "were able to arrest the alleged operator of the suspected world's largest illegal marketplace on the darknet, the DarkMarket, at the weekend," prosecutors said in a statement.

"Investigators were able to shut down the marketplace and turn off the server on Monday," they added, calling it the culmination of a months-long international law enforcement operation.

A total of at least 320,000 transactions were carried out via the marketplace, with more than 4,650 bitcoin and 12,800 monerotwo of the most common cryptocurrencieschanging hands, prosecutors said.

At current exchange rates, that represented turnover valued at 140 million euros ($170 million).

The marketplace offered for sale "all kinds of drugs" as well as "counterfeit money, stolen and fake credit card data, anonymous SIM cards, malware and much more".

A 34-year-old Australian national believed to be the DarkMarket operator was arrested near the German-Danish border, just as more than 20 servers it used in Moldova and Ukraine were seized.

"Investigators expect to use the data saved there to launch new probes against the moderators, sellers and buyers of the marketplace," prosecutors said.

The prime suspect was brought before a judge but declined to speak. He was placed in pre-trial detention.

The American FBI, DEA narcotics law enforcement division and IRS tax authority took part in the probe along with police from Australia, Britain, Denmark, Switzerland, Ukraine and Moldova.

Europol, Europe's police agency, played a "coordinating role".

Pandemic promotes darknet sales

The German prosecutors said DarkMarket came to light in the course of major investigation against the web-hosting service Cyberbunker, located in a former NATO bunker in southwestern Germany.

Three Dutchmen, three Germans and a Bulgarian are believed to have provided the infrastructure for illegal online activities before they were arrested in September 2019. They have been on trial since last October in the German city of Trier.

The secret "darknet" includes websites that can be accessed only with specific software or authorisations, ensuring anonymity for users.

They have faced increased pressure from international law enforcement in recent months.

The EU narcotics agency sounded the alarm in September that the pandemic was failing to disrupt drug smugglers and dealers, as users and sellers were using the web for their supply.

While street dealing had been affected by restrictions during the height of the pandemic, it said consumers and dealers had been turning to online "darknet" markets, social media and home delivery.

Also in September, a global police sting netted 179 vendors involved in selling opioids, methamphetamine and other illegal goods on the internet underground, in what Europol officials said at the time put an end to the "golden age" of dark web markets.

Some 121 suspects were arrested in the US, followed by 42 in Germany, eight in the Netherlands, four in Britain, three in Austria, and one in Sweden.

That so-called Operation DisrupTor followed a law agency shutdown in May 2019 of the Wall Street Market, the second largest dark web exchange, which had more than 1.1 million users and 5,400 vendors.

Explore further German police shut down major 'darknet' illegal trading site

 2021 AFP
[January 12, 2021] Capco Appoints Dee McDougal as U.S. Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Capco, the global management and technology consultancy, has appointed Dee McDougal as its new U.S. Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005190/en/ Dee McDougal (Photo: Business Wire) Dee's appointment follows Capco's public commitment to effect a tangible step-change around diversity, equity and inclusion to accelerate its Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) agenda and ensure a zero-tolerance attitude toward discriminatory behavior. Michael Pugliese, Managing Partner of Capco's U.S. business, said: "Dee is a corporate changemaker and community champion. As a D&I executive, non-profit board member, speaker, and consultant on inclusion, she is passionate about creating workplaces where everyone can be the best version of themselves. She will partner with our HR team, as well as leaders from our business and our affinity groups, to drivean integrated DE&I agenda and help us move the needle on awareness, education, diversity recruitment, mentoring, career progression, and best practices across the U.S."



Dee will be based out of Capco's office in Charlotte, NC, reporting to Mary Keller, U.S. Head of Human Resources. She joins Capco from Pacific Western Bank (PWB), where she served as Senior Vice President of D&I. In that role she led PWB's corporate diversity and inclusion strategy, and developed education and engagement programs for internal and external stakeholders. Dee serves on various external professional committees and advisory groups, including the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group and Professional Development Council of the American Bankers Association, the Executive Committee for the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council. She is also a member of the N.C. Rural Center Small Business Policy Task Force.

She also serves on the board of directors for Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange (News - Alert) Counties and Empower Dance Foundation. She was named one of Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2018 and was named a BizWomen Headliner and Rising Star by American City Business Journals. About Capco Capco is a global management and technology consultancy dedicated to the financial services industry. Our professionals combine innovative thinking with unrivalled industry knowledge to offer our clients consulting expertise, complex technology and package integration, transformation delivery and managed services to move their organizations forward. Through our collaborative and efficient approach, we help our clients successfully innovate, increase revenue, manage risk and regulatory change, reduce costs, and enhance controls. We specialize in banking, capital markets, wealth and asset management and insurance. We serve our clients from offices in leading financial centers across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit our web site at www.capco.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) , Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn Instagram, and Xing. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005190/en/

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I dont recall reading anything like Paul Roderick Gregorys Hill column  The Kremlin, FSB, and the Berlin patients underpants  and related news stories. The Coen Brothers could turn it to good use in a film like Burn After Reading. Gregory tells how Vladimir Putins would-be assassination victim Aleksei Navalny extracted an account of the operation from the failed FSB assassin Konstantin Kudryavtsev himself. In a four-hour December 17 press conference, Putin referred to Navalny only as the Berlin patient. Gregorys account draws on this reference to Kudryavtsev:

[T]he Berlin patient waked purported assassination-team member Konstantin Kudryavtsev (Konstantin) with a 7 a.m. telephone call using a fake FSB caller-ID. Navalny, playing a harried assistant, informed Konstantin ominously that the director of the National Security Council that manages the FSB, Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev, was demanding a report on why the operation failed. Navalnys subtle message to Konstantin: Heads are going to roll Here is your chance to protect yourself; stop worrying that the call is not on a secure line. By cajoling, pleading, and calling for understanding, Navalny kept his would-be assassin on the line for 49 minutes as Konstantin loosened up on what went wrong with the operation: Navalnys plane landed too soon; just a little longer (chut dolshe) and he would have been dead. The paramedics were not clued in. They injected him with a life-saving antidote. The Novichek dose was correctly calculated, but there are many nuances in such an operation. Konstantins most telling revelation: The squad laced the poison into the seams of Navalnys blue underpants. As the squads chemical weapons specialist, Konstantins job was to remove any traces of poison from Navalnys underwear confiscated at the Omsk hospital. Navalny made a videotape of his conversation with Konstantin. It shows his supporters listening tensely and exchanging virtual thumbs-up as they realized that Navalny had recorded a confession from his own intended assassin.

Gregorys column concludes:

Sergey Guriev, a seasoned observer of the Russian scene, maintains that the Navalny poisoning should remove any last doubts about the Kremlins routine use of political murder as an instrument of state policy. Navalny was scheduled to follow Boris Nemtsov, Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Litvinenko, and many others to their early graves. Prior to Navalny, Putin and his Kremlin allies could always blame sinister false flag operations, lone mavericks, or ethnic gangs for these murders. With an exposed assassination squad, aided by military weapons labs and transportation coordinated by transport police, it would strain credulity to argue that the Navalny poisoning was not an operation of the Kremlin itself. No problem for Putin as long as his base of elderlies and his billionaire oligarchs stick with him. So far, two thirds of his supporters seem to accept his bizarre narrative that the Navalny poisoning never occurred or, if it did, was carried out by the CIA.

Gregorys column has the applicable links and resulting Russian derision of Putin  e.g., They say that every morning before Putin puts on fresh underpants, he gives them to his guards to wear first  none of which is to be missed. Beyond the derision, however, one serious postscript to the story comes in Putins Former Filmmaker Arrested for Underwear Protest Outside the FSB Headquarters. The story reports that the filmmaker was heard speaking before police stopped him: Its so that theyre clean. I think that everything should be cleanclean conscience, clean underwearthis is my civic position.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Two more Connecticut men have been arrested following an investigation into illegal gambling operations at bodegas in the state.

Vicente S. Encarnacion, 56, of Danbury, was arrested Dec. 31, and charged with illegal gambling, illegal possession of gambling records and illegally maintaining gambling premises.

Tomas R. Garcia-Castillo, 37, of Waterbury, was arrested Jan. 6, and charged with illegal professional gambling, illegal possession of gambling devices and illegally maintaining gambling premises.

Their arrests stem from a long-term investigation by Connecticut State Polices Organized Crime Task Force that encompassed multiple bodegas throughout Connecticut operating under the organized direction of several individuals in Connecticut whose primary goal was to make illegal profits from wagers/bets, according to police.

Two Danbury bodega owners  Nilo Antonio Espinal and Cesar Jose Vasquez  were arrested on similar charges in November, following raids on Torres Grocery on Wildman Street and Pollas Supermarket on Main Street.

Encarnacions arrest came following a raid at Deli and Market in Danbury last February, according to the warrant for his arrest.

When state and Danbury police executed a search warrant at the Main Street convenience store, Encarnacion identified himself as the owner and said he purchased the business in 2019 from two men  one of whom continued to work as a store employee for several months.

Encarnacion told police the employee used a laptop and printer in the store to illegally sell Dominican Lottery wagers, and he allowed him to do so in exchange for half the profit he made.

According to the warrant for Encarnacions arrest, the employee made an average monthly profit of $400 to $500 by illegally selling Dominican Lottery wagers.

Encarnacion told police the employee stopped working at Deli and Market in January 2020 and never returned for the laptop used for illegal gambling.

State police said a number of items of evidence related to the illegal gambling operation were found in the store  including the laptop and printer Encarnacion mentioned, as well as numerous gambling receipts and approximately $8,501 in cash.

Following his arrest, Encarnacion was released after posting a $10,000 non-surety bond, according to state police. He is scheduled to be arraigned at state Superior Court in Danbury on Feb. 4.

Details on Garcia-Castillos arrests were not available Monday. State police said he posted a $100,000 court-set bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at state Superior Court in Waterbury on Feb. 10.
New Delhi [India], January 12 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Community group-buying is revolutionizing the grocery e-commerce space in China. Disruptive brands like Furong Xingsheng (Valued at USD 3 Bn as per Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-29/tencent-primavera-said-to-fund-grocery-app-at-3-billion-value Link /Funding: USD 740M) and Nice Tuan (Valued at ~USD 1Bn as per articles, https://findingstartups.launchvic.org/companies/nice_tuan Link /Funding: USD 450M funding) are garnering major traction by cracking the long-standing conundrum around e-commerce for fresh produce and have raised multi-millions in funding from marquee investors like Tencent, Alibaba, and more. Closer home, Otipy, India's largest social commerce platform for fresh produce, is implementing this very model to transform fresh grocery delivery in the country. Otipy is in talks with investors to raise USD 10M.

The fresh grocery category in India stands at USD 200 billion, of which less than 1per cent accounted for online grocery so far. Finally, in March 2020, Otipy emerged with the most innovative and enabling business model where the unit economics work at scale and the produce is sourced and delivered fresh, every single day. Otipy connects consumers with farmers through resellers (women and small neighborhood stores) who sell fruits and vegetables to their communities through WhatsApp groups.

Varun Khurana, Founder, Otipy said, "No one in India has been able to crack the model for fresh produce. We have a history and deep understanding of fresh that we have leveraged to build a social commerce model that creates earning opportunities for women and stores, helps farmers, and provides fresher, more nutritious produce to consumers at a lesser price. In the last 8-9 months, we have built a robust platform in the fresh produce category supporting 2500+ women and stores as resellers and are witnessing a phenomenal response from customers in Delhi NCR. We now plan to further expand this market in other cities as well."

These community leaders/resellers earn a commission of up to 10 per cent for all group sales - the highest across all social commerce brands in India. While on average resellers make INR 2,500 - 3,000, the platform's top 20 per cent resellers make more than Rs 15,000 per month which, again, is higher than any other reseller network. With 2500+ women and stores as resellers across Delhi-NCR, Otipy is already catering to 5000+ daily orders from 1 lac+ consumers. And these numbers are growing at a rapid pace. To empower more resellers and further build its business across India, Otipy is in active discussions to raise a usd 10M+ fundraise in 2021. Otipy also plans to extend its platform to other categories and has already launched specific dairy, grocery products on the platform.

Since community leaders are responsible for creating their own customer groups, Otipy's customer acquisition cost is very low (1/10th of category cost) while conversion rates are much higher than other business models. Similarly, last-mile deliveries have become more cost-efficient than ever before with community leaders being conveniently located close to the end consumers. Moreover, at 30-35 per cent, Otipy's gross margins are highest across all models, benefitting every stakeholder in its supply chain including the consumer, community leader, and the produce platform itself.

India's investments in the agritech sector are likely to exceed usd 500 million in the next two years. Otipy, too, has seen a rather continuous interest from investors. It has already raised usd 2M in 2020 from Inflection Point (IP) Ventures and the Smile Group. So, is the platform set to become the next Furong Xingsheng or Nice Tuan in India? With Otipy's growth trajectory mirroring that of China's most inspirational brands, the answer would be a resounding yes.

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.)
[January 12, 2021] Axcient Named a Winner of the 2020 INTERNET TELEPHONY Friend of the Channel Award

DENVER, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axcient, a leader in business availability software for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), today announced that TMC has named Axcient as a winner of the 2020 INTERNET TELEPHONY Friend of the Channel Award, presented by INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine.

We are pleased to kick off 2021 with an award honoring us for our commitment to the IT channel partner community, said David Bennett, Chief Executive Officer at Axcient. We are committed to innovating for our partners so that they have choice through Direct-to-Cloud, world-class security with AirGap, cloud virtualization, and industry-leading RPO and RTO. We simplify our technology with Axcient x360one platform enabling MSPs to cure data loss for their clients. As cybersecurity and natural disasters continue to arise, we will always be there to help our partners stay ahead of the risks so they can Protect Everything for their clients. On behalf of TMC and the editors of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine, we are honored to recognize Axcient as a winner of the INTERNET TELEPHONY Friend of the Channel Award for its distinguished program, said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. We look forward to seeing continued excellence from Axcient in the future. Winners of the 2020 INTERNET TELEPHONY Friend of the Channel Award are published in INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine online. To learn more about Axcient, please visit www.axcient.com. About Axcient

/strong>Axcient is an award-winning leader in business availability software for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Axcient x360 empowers MSPs to Protect Everything by combining SaaS Backup, BCDR, and secure File Sync & Share into one platform and experience. Trusted by MSPs worldwide, Axcient protects business data and continuity from events such as security breaches, human error, and natural disasters. For more information, visit www.axcient.com.



About TMC

Through education, industry news, live events and social influence, global buyers rely on TMC's content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. As a result, leading technology vendors turn to TMC for unparalleled branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities. Our in-person and online events deliver unmatched visibility and sales prospects for all participants. Through our custom lead generation programs, we provide clients with an ongoing stream of leads that turn into sales opportunities and build databases. Additionally, we bolster brand reputations with the millions of impressions from display advertising on our news sites and newsletters. Making TMC a 360-degree marketing solution, we offer comprehensive event and road show management services and custom content creation with expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, @tmcnet. Media Contact

Amanda Lee

ARL Strategic Communications for Axcient

(727) 272-0781

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Support: Dr Michael McBride insists that the rescheduling of second jab right thing

The Chief Medical Officer has welcomed the backing of the UK and Ireland's medical colleges after they said delaying the second dose of Covid vaccinations for medical staff is the right thing to do.

Earlier this month Tom Black GP said many doctors were horrified over plans to stall by 12 weeks the second dose of the Pfizer jab to front line staff.

After criticism of the UK-wide policy, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC), the coordinating body for the UK and Ireland's 24 Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties, issued a statement backing delayed second doses yesterday.

Welcoming the intervention, Dr Michael McBride said: "The UK-wide decision to reschedule second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is in line with the authorisation and approval of the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and expert advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)."

He said it would protect "the greatest number of at risk people in the shortest possible time and will have the greatest impact on reducing mortality, severe disease and hospitalisations, and in protecting the health service".

Read More

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has defended the rollout of the vaccination programme after questions were raised over thousands of empty appointment slots.

It was reported that on Sunday almost 600 slots went unused in the Belfast Trust, while appointments remained available in five out of six vaccination centres this week.

The Department of Health described the concerns over empty slots as a "misunderstanding" and that any vacant appointments were rapidly filled.

The latest figures show that 91,954 vaccine doses have been distributed here.

This includes 68,664 people who have had a first dose (healthcare staff and care home residents and staff).

Some 13,949 people have now received a second dose, while a further 9,341 have also been vaccinated by GPs.

Seven regional vaccination centres are providing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to health and social care staff and to local care homes via mobile teams.

Domiciliary care workers in the independent sector can now also attend the vaccination centres to receive the jab.

And a phased programme will see dental, pharmacy and optometry teams given access to the booking system shortly.

The department said vaccination appointment slots were only released at short notice to manage the inclusion of different staff and vaccine supply, and can be filled quickly.

The department added that "flexibility is essential" for slots to avoid wasting any of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which comes in large batches.

Alongside this, GPs will be administering the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine to their patients.

Some GPs have already received their first supplies, with those who are over the age of 80 first in line.

Siobhan McDermott (58), from Londonderry, questioned why her elderly parents, who are aged 92 and 87, would not be able to make use of any unused vaccination slots.

"I'm sure a lot of people would love to have control over their own health, I would certainly love to have control over my parents' health," she said.

Tristen Kelso, Northern Ireland director of the British Dental Association, said many dental practitioners were still waiting on their first dose of the vaccine despite working in close contact with patients, and that any concerns over empty appointment slots felt "like a kick in the teeth".
(Newser)  Searchers have found clothing, body parts, parts of the fuselage, and now, one of two black boxes aboard the Boeing 737 that crashed into the Java Sea on Saturday. The flight data recorder has been recovered, while officials continue to search for the cockpit voice recorder, reports the BBC. The black boxes are likely to provide clues about what caused Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 to crash into the Java Sea near Lancang Island shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. Bound for Pontianak on the island of Borneo, the plane took off at 2:36pm local time, climbing almost 11,000 feet before falling to 250 feet at 2:40pm. The plane crashed just 300 feet from a "shocked" fisherman's boat, reports the New York Times. "It exploded when it hit the water. I saw debris floating. It was airplane debris," the man says.

story continues below

Soerjanto Tjahjono, director of Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee, backs up that account. The discovery of a damaged fan blade within the plane's turbine disc "indicates that the machine was still functioning when it crashed," he says, per the BBC. "This [is] also in line with the belief that the plane's system was still functioning." The 26-year-old plane had been out of commission for much of the coronavirus pandemic. It passed an airworthiness inspection on Dec. 14, made a test flight without passengers on Dec. 19, then resumed commercial flights on Dec. 22, per the BBC. The plane was at half capacity when it crashed, killing 50 passengers and 12 crew members, all Indonesians. CNN names several victims, including a couple in their 20s and their 7-month-old son. (Read more plane crash stories.)
As the House prepares to impeach Donald Trump for an unprecedented second time, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is calling on the president to leave office on his own.

For the good of the country, President Trump should step aside, Menendez said on Tuesday.

Menendezs comments followed last Wednesdays storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters after the president at a rally told them to demand that Congress do the right thing and if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.

Five people died during the violent protest, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, a South River native. Lawmakers were whisked off the floor to a secure location as rioters broke into the House chamber.

There must be accountability for those who incite an armed, violent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol that leaves five people dead and endangers the lives of members of Congress, their staffs and the vice president, Menendez said.

Such action cannot go unpunished and we must make clear that there will be consequences for anyone actively working to subvert our democracy in the future,' he said.

The House on Tuesday took up a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence use the procedures under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and take power away from the president.

A resolution on impeachment is scheduled for a vote on Wednesday.

Here is a copy of H.Res. 24 the resolution we will pass in the House to impeach donald trump for insurrection against the government. pic.twitter.com/1Pd23VxH9k  Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) January 12, 2021

Trump on Tuesday said those who read his speech said there was nothing wrong with it.

Theyve analyzed my speech and words and my final paragraph, my final sentence, and everybody, to the T, thought it was totally appropriate, Trump told reporters at the White House.

Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist., and Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist., also have pushed resolutions designed to take action against House Republicans who either incited the protesters or voted to overturn the election results based on allegations of fraud that have been rejected by dozens of judges and election officials in all 50 states.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
WATER supplies in the Greater Dublin Area are under strain following a spate of burst pipes caused by the recent freezing temperatures.

Irish Water has appealed to householders and business owners in the region to check for leaks on their properties and is urging people to conserve water as much as possible.

The utility was responding to 50 burst water mains around the country as of 5pm today, following on from dozens of similar incidents since the start of this week.

Investigations into leaks suspected to be caused by burst mains were also taking place at dozens of other locations.

Thousands of homes and premises have been experiencing outages, although supply strain is so far only a concern in the Greater Dublin Area.

Demand for water was already at an all-time high for the winter in the region before Christmas, but pressure on the supply has increased further in recent days in what has become a familiar fall-out from periods of sub-zero temperatures.

Freezing water expands and strains the pipes until they rupture. The problem is most severe in older, weakened pipes but modern pipes can also burst, particularly where they are laid in shallow ground where they are vulnerable to temperature drops.

The closure of business premises because of Covid-19 restrictions has also left many buildings unheated for prolonged periods which is adding to the problem.

Tom Cuddy, Irish Waters head of operations, said all known leaks were being addressed but he asked the public for their help in identifying trouble spots.

We are appealing to homes, businesses and those responsible for unoccupied buildings to check for leaks, whilst adhering to current public health regulations and advice, and to turn off water where its not needed.

We ask that they check outside pipes in particular that can become frozen and burst during periods of cold weather and to report leaks they see on the public network to us.

Mr Cuddy said he was conscious of the public health advice on hand-washing and hygiene and in no way wanted to deter people from following it.

He said, however, basic good practice such as turning off taps while brushing teeth, taking showers instead of baths and only turning on washing machines and dishwashers when full all helped reduce demand.
New York : The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned that it has received intelligence that "armed protests" were being planned at all 50 United States state capitols and in Washington DC in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, leading to fears of more deadly violence by extremists supporting outgoing President Donald Trump.

Posts on pro-Trump and far-right online networks have called for protest action on a number of dates, including armed demonstrations in cities across the country on January 17 and a march in Washington DC on inauguration day itself.

"Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from January 16 through at least January 20, and at the US Capitol from January 17 through January 20," according to the internal FBI bulletin obtained by CNN and other media outlets.

Biden is slated to be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, along with Indian-origin Kamala Harris as the Vice President.

On Monday, Biden told reporters he was not afraid to take the oath of office outside of the US Capitol.

Both he and Harris are still expected to be sworn in outside the building, only two weeks after it was the site of a deadly raid by radical supporters of Trump opposing the election result.

Only after the Congressional certification of the November 3 presidential elections last week, the outgoing Republican President Trump has reluctantly accepted the election results and promised a smooth transition of power.

But he still believes the presidential elections had massive voters' fraud, an allegation which remains unsubstantiated and have been thrown out of courts dozens of times.

However, Trump's repeated assertion of massive voters' fraud has incited his base.

This resulted in thousands of his supporters storming the Capitol Hill, the historic building, that houses the US Congress on January 6.

Five people, including a woman and a police official died and several dozens injured in the incident that is now considered as a dark letter day in the history of American democracy.

The Democratic Party, which has majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and would occupy the White House after January 20, on Monday moved second impeachment proceedings against Trump, blaming him for the unprecedented violence.

The FBI and the American security and intelligence agencies, who were taken aback by the last week inglorious moment at the Capitol Hill, a major breach of security that put the lives of hundreds of American lawmakers at risk, are now leaving nothing to chance.

"On 8 January, the FBI received information on an identified group calling for others to join them in 'storming' state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings in the event POTUS is removed as President prior to Inauguration Day.

"This identified group is also planning to 'storm' government offices including in the District of Columbia and in every state, regardless of whether the states certified electoral votes for Biden or Trump, on 20 January," said the FBI bulletin, according to CNN.

The FBI is also tracking reports of "various threats to harm President-Elect Biden ahead of the presidential inauguration," the bulletin. "Additional reports indicate threats against VP-Elect Harris and Speaker Pelosi," the bulletin said.

Interestingly, Trump himself has issued an emergency declaration for the national capital in Washington DC till January 24.

In a statement on Monday, the White House said the President's action authorises the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population.

Washington DC, meanwhile, is being converted into a garrison city to prevent any kind of untoward incident ahead of the inauguration. The Pentagon has approved to deploy more than 15,000 additional National Guard troops in the national capitol.

Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters during a conference call that as of Monday 6,000 national guard troops have already been deployed in the city.

Troops in riot gear and shield have already occupied strategic locations in Washington DC. A close look is being kept at all the hotels and incoming traffic.

The Site Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist threats online, said in a report that a day of armed far-right protests is scheduled for January 17 and has been in the works for weeks, with Trump supporters and anti-government activists promoting marches in Washington and at state capitols around the nation, The Wall Street Journal said.

Fliers promoting the event are circulating online, including one encouraging people to come armed at your personal discretion, it said.

Other pro-Trump groups are planning Million Militia March on January 20, the daily said.

According to The New York Times, State Capitols are bracing up for violence on and around January 20. State legislatures already becoming targets for protesters, the daily said.

Dozens of state capitals will be on alert in the coming days, following calls among a mix of antigovernment organizations for actions in all 50 states on January 17. Some of them come from far-right organisations that harbour a broad anti-government agenda and have already been protesting state COVID-19 lockdowns since last spring, The New York Times reported.
F.B.I. officials in Virginia wrote a stark warning the day before a mob attacked the Capitol last week, raising alarms about the threat of violence, according to a law enforcement official.

The report was produced Jan. 5 by the F.B.I.s Norfolk office in southern Virginia and sent to the bureaus Washington field office, where it was passed on to other law enforcement agencies, the official said. It was not clear which agencies received it.

The report mentioned people sharing a map of tunnels at the Capitol complex and possible meet-up points in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina before traveling to Washington, according to The Washington Post, which first reported on the F.B.I. document.

Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally or a protest, the document said, according to The Post. Go there ready for war. We get our president or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.
Australia's state border closures are crippling the tourism sector during the peak season and are causing more economic damage than people's fear of catching coronavirus, travel operators say.

In the two weeks over Christmas and New Year, tourism revenue was down $3billion compared with last year, according to study for the Transport and Tourism Forum released last week.

The huge blow to businesses came after most states declared New South Wales a hotspot and banned travel from Greater Sydney due to an outbreak on the city's Northern Beaches.

Now every state and territory is following a different approach on borders, with New South Wales open to everyone and Western Australian premier Mark McGowan, who faces an election in March, banning residents from jurisdictions with a single Covid-19 case.

In the two weeks over Christmas and New Year tourism revenue was down $3billion compared with last year. Pictured: Brisbane during its three-day lockdown over the weekend

The tourism sector is crying out for more measured border policies as concerns about disruption impact bookings more than any fear of coronavirus.

A survey by the Australian Airports Association found that 52 per cent of respondents were discouraged from booking travel due to border uncertainty, but only 45 per cent said they were put off by health risks.

Chief Executive James Goodwin said: 'It is clear that Australian travellers need clarity from state and territory governments to give them the confidence to make travel plans. A better coordinated, unified and consistent approach to controlling domestic borders is needed.'

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said the ever-changing borders rules were crippling the tourism industry.

'The entire nation is in a state of uncertainty, and certainly from a consumer point of view in relation to tourism it's not a great back-drop for anyone to make a booking,' he told told Daily Mail Australia

'There will be very few people willing to put their money into a booking anywhere, I suspect.'

The tourism sector is crying out for more measured border policies. Pictured: Passengers arriving at Perth Airport

Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said states being too eager to close their borders could destroy hundreds of small businesses.

'We can't recover without international tourism but we can't survive unless we get these domestic borders sorted out,' she told Sky News.

On Monday Mr McGowan vowed to keep WA closed to Queensland for at least another 10 days after a Brisbane cleaner caught the UK mutant strain of Covid-19.

He also criticised NSW's suppression approach and called for a total elimination strategy, saying: 'The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.'

Ms Berejiklian said elimination was not possible because Australians have to be allowed to return from overseas where the disease is rampant.

I don't believe keeping your borders closed and inflicting pain and suffering on thousands of people is the way to go Gladys Berejiklian

'Anyone who thinks we're going to eliminate or eradicate this disease, unfortunately doesn't appreciate what the pandemic means,' she said.

She also criticised Mr McGowan for shutting his state's borders to any jurisdiction that suffers just one Covid-19 case.

'I don't believe keeping your borders closed and inflicting pain and suffering on thousands of people is the way to go,' she said.

'In New South Wales, we want our citizens to live as freely as possible, to maintain their livelihoods as much as possible. But in a Covid-safe way. And that's always been our objective.'

Ms Berejiklian said she was disappointed that Mr McGowan didn't seem to appreciate that New South Wales has accepted about half of all arrivals from overseas since March.

'I think that no doubt each state premier has their views of the world. We don't all agree on everything, which is fine. But I think respect goes a long way,' she said.

'And I think just appreciating what New South Wales has done on behalf of Australia in terms in returning 100,000 travellers is a big deal. That's why overnight, we had 11 cases in quarantine,' she said.

In Tuesday's press briefing, Ms Berejiklian hit back at Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan (pictured)

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan also said an elimination strategy was 'impracticable' because Australia's cases stem from hotel quarantine.

'If we wanted to adopt an elimination strategy that would mean we'd have to shut off the whole of Australia,' he told Sky News on Tuesday morning.

'The only practical way to pursue what Mark McGowan wants is to completely close our borders. I could not fathom that at all.'

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro hit back even harder on Tuesday morning, telling Mr McGowan to 'stop lecturing'.

'For Mark McGowan, it's easy. He puts up the borders in Western Australia, cuts off the rest of the nation,' he told 2GB radio.

'We've had Covid deaths in this nation but we're going to have more deaths from mental health from people locked away in isolation, people not being able to reunite with family and [that's what] Mark McGowan stands for.

'I'm happy to say that this morning and have a go straight back at him. Stop lecturing, look after your own backyard.'

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is filling in while Scott Morrison is on a week of leave, also said Mr McGowan has an easier job than other premiers.

'Western Australia and NSW are very different states. Look at the NSW border, for instance, there are 57 bridges and openings across to Victoria. The Tweed River area with Queensland is just a massive economic area.

'Western Australia doesn't have anything like that, so it's easier for Western Australia to shut its borders and keep them shut tight.'
Almost 18,000 Americans experience traumatic spinal cord injuries every year. Many of these people are unable to use their hands and arms and can't do everyday tasks such as eating, grooming or drinking water without help.

Using physical therapy combined with a noninvasive method of stimulating nerve cells in the spinal cord, University of Washington researchers helped six Seattle area participants regain some hand and arm mobility. That increased mobility lasted at least three to six months after treatment had ended. The research team published these findings Jan. 5 in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.

"We use our hands for everything -- eating, brushing our teeth, buttoning a shirt. Spinal cord injury patients rate regaining hand function as the absolute first priority for treatment. It is five to six times more important than anything else that they ask for help on," said lead author Dr. Fatma Inanici, a UW senior postdoctoral researcher in electrical and computer engineering who completed this research as a doctoral student of rehabilitation medicine in the UW School of Medicine.

"At the beginning of our study," Inanici said, "I didn't expect such an immediate response starting from the very first stimulation session. As a rehabilitation physician, my experience was that there was always a limit to how much people would recover. But now it looks like that's changing. It's so rewarding to see these results."

After a spinal cord injury, many patients do physical therapy to help them attempt to regain mobility. Recently, a series of studies have shown that implanting a stimulator to deliver electric current to a damaged spinal cord could help paralyzed patients walk again.

The UW team, composed of researchers from the Center for Neurotechnology, combined stimulation with standard physical therapy exercises, but the stimulation doesn't require surgery. Instead, it involves small patches that stick to a participant's skin like a Band-Aid. These patches are placed around the injured area on the back of the neck where they deliver electrical pulses.

The researchers recruited six people with chronic spinal cord injuries. All participants had been injured for at least a year and a half. Some participants couldn't wiggle their fingers or thumbs while others had some mobility at the beginning of the study.

To explore the viability of using the skin-surface stimulation method, the researchers designed a five-month training program. For the first month, the researchers monitored participants' baseline limb movements each week. Then for the second month, the team put participants through intensive physical therapy training, three times a week for two hours at a time. For the third month, participants continued physical therapy training but with stimulation added.

"We turned on the device, but they continued doing the exact same exercises they did the previous month, progressing to slightly more difficult versions if they improved," Inanici said.

For the last two months of the study, participants were divided into two categories: Participants with less severe injuries received another month of training alone and then a month of training plus stimulation. Patients with more severe injuries received the opposite -- training and stimulation first, followed by only training second.

While some participants regained some hand function during training alone, all six saw improvements when stimulation was combined with training.

"Both people who had no hand movement at the beginning of the study started moving their hands again during stimulation, and were able to produce a measurable force between their fingers and thumb," said senior author Chet Moritz, a UW associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, rehabilitation medicine and physiology and biophysics. "That's a dramatic change, to go from being completely paralyzed below the wrists down to moving your hands at will."

In addition, some participants noticed other improvements, including a more normal heart rate and better regulation of body temperature and bladder function.

The team followed up with participants for up to six months after training and found that these improvements remained, despite no more stimulation.

"We think these stimulators bring the nerves that make your muscles contract very close to being active. They don't actually cause the muscle to move, but they get it ready to move. It's primed, like the sprinter at the start of a race," said Moritz, who is also the co-director of the Center for Neurotechnology. "Then when someone with a spinal cord injury wants to move, the few connections that might have been spared around the injury are enough to cause those muscles to contract."

The research is moving toward helping people in the clinic. The results of this study have already informed the design of an international multi-site clinical trial that will be co-led by Moritz. One of the lead sites will be at the UW.

"We're seeing a common theme across universities -- stimulating the spinal cord electrically is making people better," Moritz said. "But it does take motivation. The stimulator helps you do the exercises, and the exercises help you get stronger, but the improvements are incremental. Over time, however, they add up into something that's really astounding."

###

Lorie Brighton, a research scientist at the UW; Soshi Samejima, a UW doctoral student in rehabilitation medicine; and Dr. Christoph Hofstetter, an associate professor of neurological surgery in the UW School of Medicine, are co-authors on this paper. This research was funded by the Center for Neurotechnology, the Washington State Spinal Cord Injury Consortium and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

For more information, contact Inanici at finanici@uw.edu and Moritz at ctmoritz@uw.edu.

Grant number: EEC-1028725
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Tax & Accounting today announced that Product Lead Adam Schrom has been named to CPA Practice Advisor's "20 Under 40." Those recognized by the publication are "leading the way in developing the constantly evolving technology and firm processes that allow practitioners to be more productive, efficient and profitable, as they build practices that will endure and thrive."

Adam joined the company in 2018 as a member of the software product management organization. He now leads a team of subject matter experts that work with both product managers and clients to design, develop and deliver tax software products. Prior to his role with Bloomberg Tax & Accounting, Adam was a tax manager with PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) in its Washington, D.C. office.

Bloomberg Tax & Accounting Product Lead Adam Schrom was named to CPA Practice Advisor's prestigious "20 Under 40." Tweet this

"Adam plays an essential role in our product innovation and product development efforts," said Evan Croen, Vice President of Software, Bloomberg Tax & Accounting. "He is a key senior leader within the software organization whose expertise is greatly valued by our clients and a major contributor to our overall strategy."

About Bloomberg Tax & Accounting

Bloomberg Tax & Accounting provides comprehensive global research, news and technology services enabling tax and accounting professionals to get the timely, accurate, and in-depth information they need to plan and comply with confidence. Our flagship Bloomberg Tax platform combines the proven expertise and perspectives of leading practitioners in our renowned Tax Management Portfolios with integrated news from the industry-leading Daily Tax Report, authoritative analysis and insights, primary sources, and time-saving practice tools. Bloomberg Tax technology solutions help practitioners simplify complex processes to better mitigate risk and maximize profitability. For more information, visit pro.bloombergtax.com/

SOURCE Bloomberg Tax & Accounting
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would visit Tamil Nadu on January 14, the Pongal day and witness a bull taming event, 'Jallikattu,' the party's state president K S Alagiri said here on Tuesday.

By witnessing the event at Avaniapuram in Madurai district, the senior Congress leader would lend his moral support to farmers protesting against the new farm laws across the country, he told reporters.

"The bull is a symbol of farmers," he said. Only Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his party the AIADMK supported the Central government's three farm laws and no other political party favoured it, he said.
The government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

Passengers from any destination excluding Australia, Antarctica and some Pacific Island nations will be required to undergo day one testing upon arrival in New Zealand.

This expands on measures already in place for passengers from the UK and US.

"Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, its clear that most global air routes will be of critical concern for the foreseeable future, and we must respond strongly to the evolving situation," says Hipkins.

"New Zealand is currently in a very fortunate position with no community cases - let alone of new variant types - but we take nothing for granted.

"Thats why we continue to take action, with very specific steps to further strengthen our response at the air border

He says it will be progressively introduced at Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities over three days, starting from Monday January 18. Routine Day 3 and Day 12 tests will continue.

Hipkins has also signed further amendments to our Air Border Order which include:

From 11.59pm on Friday January 15, travellers arriving on all flights from the UK and US must have had a negative test result for COVID-19 in the 72 hours before their departure/

The Director-General of Health is now formally authorised to and will soon expand the pre-departure test requirement to all countries and territories excluding Australia, Antarctica and some Pacific Island nations.

"New Zealand already has some of the most stringent border protection measures in the world. Todays amendments further strengthen that position in line with the Governments overall elimination strategy," Hipkins says.

Information and support for overseas arrivals

Children under two will be exempt from pre-departure testing

Passengers transiting through the UK and US for not more than 96 hours before departing for New Zealand will be exempt for now from pre-departure testing

RT-PCR tests, LAMP and viral antigen tests will all be accepted for pre-departure testing

All tests must be processed at a laboratory

A hard copy or electronic copy of the test result from an accredited laboratory will be acceptable documentation of a negative test

From January 29, arriving in New Zealand without evidence of a negative approved test or medical certificate would incur an infringement offence fee or a fine not exceeding $1,000.
HAIKOU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- A legislative advisory committee has been established in Haikou, the capital of south China's Hainan Province, to improve legislation pertinent to the province's construction of a free trade port.

The Standing Committee of Hainan Provincial People's Congress set up the committee. It aims to provide intellectual support for the port's legal system and improve the legislation's efficiency.

Li Jun, deputy secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the rule of law would help build a better business environment and bring core competitiveness for the Hainan free trade port.

"Bringing together legal experts, scholars, and practitioners from home and abroad, the committee will be a think tank for improving the legal system of Hainan's free trade port," said Li.

On June 1, 2020, China released a master plan for the Hainan free trade port, aiming to build Hainan Island into a globally influential, high-level free trade port by the middle of the century.
The Trump campaign's national press secretary Hogan Gidley praised President Donald Trump for his manliness during a Fox News Channel interview Monday.

'The most masculine person I think to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States,' Gidley told Fox's Bill Hemmer.

Hemmer had asked Gidley if Trump was feeling 'emasculated' because his Twitter and other social media accounts had been suspended.

'The most masculine person I think to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States,' President Donald Trump's campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley said Monday on Fox News Channel

Gidley (right) was asked by Fox's Bill Hemmer if Trump was feeling 'emasculated' because his Twitter and other social media accounts had been suspended. Gidley answered that he 'wouldn't say emasculated' and then complimented the president's manliness

President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Georgia one week ago, is 'the most masculine person,' according to his campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley, who made the remark when asked if losing access to his Twitter account left Trump feeling 'emasculated'

'Look, I wouldn't say emasculated,' Gidley began.

After touting Trump's masculinity, Gidley attacked Twitter and Facebook's decision to ban the president, after he inspired a mob to march on Capitol Hill with remarks he made at a rally Wednesday.

His supporters broke into the Capitol Building in a violent incident that killed five, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer.

'What he does see is a systematic attack against, not just him, but against 75 million Americans who disagree with the socialist, communist vision that Democrats have for this country,' Gidley continued. 'That is completely unfair.'

Gidley was referring to the 74.2 million Americans who voted for Trump in November.

'And by the way, if Twitter and Facebook are private businesses and you can't do anything about it, then I think every pizza shop owner, every gym owner, every restaurant should open up right now and say if you're going to allow Facebook and Twitter to act the way they're acting, then we're going to open up as well,' Gidley continued.

Gidley suggested that small businesses should flaunt COVID-19 restrictions amid rising numbers of coronavirus cases due to the holidays.

'The American people I think are sick and tried of government overreach and you're going to see the ramifications of that I would imagine coming up soon,' Gidley said.

But Facebook, Twitter and the other social media companies that banished Trump are private entities, so are not obligated to give him a platform under the 1st Amendment.

And in fact, Trump's push to have section 230 of the Communications Decency Act scrapped would have likely caused more censorship from social media companies, because that section gives those platform legal protection from what individual users post.

Gidley was also asked by Hemmer how Trump planned to communicate with the public in his post-presidency.

'That remains to be seen. As I said, you can absolutely censor us. You can't silence us. And well see how the president reacts, and we'll see what Twitter and Facebook decide to do with his accounts,' Gidley answered.

'There are obviously a lot of options out there. Whether he ends up creating his own entity, well wait and see, but the president of the United States most assuredly is going to be able to communicate with his followers and the American people one way or the other,' Gidley added.
The government should provide additional funds as well as incentives in the upcoming Budget to promote indigenous farm research, oilseeds production, food processing and organic farming for the overall growth of the agriculture sector, according to industry experts.

The direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme should be utilised more to support farmers instead of giving subsidies, they added. The direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme should be utilised more to support farmers instead of giving subsidies, they added.

"Food processing industry has played an important role in better price realisation for the farmer and reducing the cost of intermediaries. The budget must provide special incentives to food processing through incentives such as interest subvention, lower taxes, access to technology and so on, DCM Shriram Chairman and Senior MD Ajay Shriram said.

Referring to the successful PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 is paid annually directly into farmers bank accounts, he said the DBT mechanism should be fine-tuned and gradually should be utilized to support farmers in lieu of other subsidies.

"Let the farmer decide how to judicially use the money. With the benefit of DBT, farmers can then buy better seed, use new-age fertilizers, optimize water usage and so on, Shriram said.

Stating that many Indian startups have invested in the agri-technology space, he advocated for a policy that encourages growth of these companies and adoption of latest techniques.

He said there has not been any significant breakthrough in recent years from indigenous agricultural research and development (R&D) and this could be partly on account of resource crunch.

"Two areas that need immediate attention are firstly linking agricultural research with industry requirements and secondly avoiding ideological resistance to new-age technologies such GM crops, Shriram said.

Consulting firm Deloitte India suggested that more funds should be allocated for research and development as well as for increasing the domestic production of oilseeds to reduce imports of cooking oils.

Stating that livestock farming is one of the key pillars for augmenting farmers income, the consulting firm said one of the big impediments for development of this sector is the prevalence of various diseases that affect mortality, productivity, and overall production.

"Supply of vaccines is not adequate to address the increasing demand. Funding for developing vaccines and creating necessary infrastructure would be required in this budget, Deloitte said.

Chirag Arora, Founder, Organisch Overseas, said the government must encourage farmers to adopt organic farming.

"The need of the hour is to encourage the private sector into the space by offering tax incentives to startups venturing into this domain. It also needs to augment investment on creation of cold-chains and increase storage capabilities, Arora said.

Last month, in a virtual pre-budget consultation with the finance ministry, Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) had said that the government should incentivise balanced use of fertilisers by increasing urea price and lowering rates of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) nutrients in the upcoming Budget.

BKS Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar had also sought reduction in taxes on diesel and transport subsidy on fruits and vegetables, but demanded tax on unhealthy foods.

He had pitched for tripling investment for micro-irrigation and solar pumps for individual farmers as well as funding for distribution of soil moisture measuring sensors.

"Prioritize investment in human resources over infrastructure. There are about 50 percent vacancies in agriculture research institutions across India. Target 2 percent expenditure on agri R&D of agriculture GDP over the next few years, BKS had said.
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House Democrats are expected to vote today on a measure calling for President Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment. They also plan to vote Wednesday to impeach the president.

An FBI memo is warning law enforcement across the U.S. of possible armed protests at all fifty state Capitols beginning this Saturday. And the Pentagon has authorized up to fifteen thousand National Guardsmen to support local law enforcement before and during the presidential inauguration on January 20.

Despite all the turmoil that America is experiencing, I am an American patriot.

A patriot but not a nationalist

Webster defines a patriot as a person who loves his or her country and is ready to boldly support and defend it. My father fought for America in World War II and his father in World War I. I am unspeakably grateful for their sacrifices and those of millions of others who served and died so that I can live in freedom.

Every time I travel overseas, when I return I thank God for the privilege of living in America. I love our country and want Gods best for her.

However, while I am a Christian patriot, I am not a Christian nationalist.

As we noted yesterday, many are blaming evangelicals for the Capitol riots and calling on us to repudiate Christian nationalism. There are many ways to understand this term, but a common definition is that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and must continue to be one.

This subject is far more complex than we have space to discuss fully, but I will note that nations are geopolitical entities with borders, populations, and governments. By contrast, a Christian is a person who has trusted in Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. A nation cannot do this.

As a result, neither America nor any other nation can logically be a Christian nation. It is true that many Americans are Christians. We should pray and work for more Americans to become Christians. But from its founding to today, our nation cannot by biblical definition be a Christian nation.

The only reference to religion in the Constitution is in Article VI: No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, of course, with its famous affirmation that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. But these words were written by a man who denied the deity of Jesus and dismissed biblical miracles as myth.

Washington and Adams on faith and morality

While neither America nor any other nation can be Christian by biblical definition, it is true that America was founded within the context of the Judeo-Christian worldview.

President George Washington declared in his 1796 Farewell Address: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. President John Adams wrote in 1798, We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion and added, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

It should not be our goal as Christians to make America a Christian nation again since no nation can be Christian by definition. But it should be our goal to lead as many people as possible to make Jesus their Lord, knowing that the morality that results from following Christ is vital to our democracy and the common good.

Three ways to help people follow Jesus

What steps will help more Americans trust Christ?

One: Trust Jesus not just for our salvation but also, as I noted yesterday, for personal sanctification that draws others to our Lord.

Two: Trust Jesus to change human hearts, something no political leader or party can do.

No president or party can convict of sin or save souls. While Christians most definitely should participate in public service and the political process, we should do so as a means to the end of serving and glorifying Jesus, all the while praying and working to share our faith as persuasively and graciously as we can (1 Peter 3:1516).

Three: Love Jesus enough to love everyone he loves and thus do the hard work of influencing our culture one person at a time.

For instance, I believe passionately that abortion on demand should be illegal in America and pray for the day when it is overturned by the Supreme Court. But on that day, abortion would still be legal in twenty-eight states. While we should work to end legalized abortion, we should also love and care for pregnant women in our community who might choose to end their babies lives today.

'I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision'

Jesus gave Paul this commission to the nations: To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:18). Now our Lord has extended this commission to us.

The apostle could testify in response, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision (v. 19).

When this day is over, will you be able to say the same?

Originally published at the Denison Forum

Mumbai's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a set of guidelines on Monday in light of samples of two crows from Mumbai testing positive for bird flu. The BMC has asked citizens to be vigilant and report any bird deaths by contacting its helpline at 1916.

The complaints will be handled by the respective ward offices. The BMC has also set up a rapid response team, including two veterinarians.

Samples of the two crows were sent to a Bhopal-based lab which confirmed bird flu as the cause of death.

"The workers and helpers from the regional office and under assistant engineer will dispose of the dead birds as per the laid down guidelines," the guidelines said.

As per the directives under 'Avian influenza action plan to control and prevent revised guidelines 2021', the dead birds have to be disposed of by burying them in a pit, the BMC said.

"Also it's necessary to use an adequate amount of limestone to bury them and ensure that other animals do not dig it again," it further added.

Mumbai's Byculla zoo has stepped up sanitation and hygiene measures while all birds are being kept under increased vigil.Besides asking the concerned department to carry out awareness campaigns about bird flu, the civic body also asked the assistant commissioner (market) to create a plan about cleanliness of chicken and mutton shops.

Maharashtra confirmed bird flu cases on Monday with its Parbhani district reporting 900 deaths of hens due to the bird flu influenza.

Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand became the latest on Monday to confirm the spread of the dreaded avian flu.

Earlier seven states - Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh - reported deaths of wild, migratory and poultry birds from the bird flu virus. The Centre has confirmed the outbreak of avian flu in 10 states of the country.

Also read: 'Covishield, Covaxin both part of vaccination drive; 5,000 vaccine points,' says Dr Vinod Paul

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Four airlines to fly 56.5 lakh doses from Pune
Democrats will give President Donald Trump one last chance on Tuesday to leave office days before his term expires or face an unprecedented second impeachment over his supporters' deadly Jan. 6 assault on the US Capitol.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives plans to vote as soon as Wednesday on formal charges of misconduct, known as articles of impeachment, unless Trump resigns or Vice President Mike Pence moves to oust him under a provision in the US Constitution.

The House is due to vote on Tuesday on a resolution calling on Pence, a Republican, to invoke within a day the 25th Amendment, a never-before used law that allows a majority of the Cabinet to strip the president of power if he or she is unable to discharge the office's duties.

Pence advisers say he is opposed to the idea.

The violence at the Capitol caused a serious rift between Trump and Pence, and the two men did not speak for days, although they did meet at the White House on Monday. A senior administration official said they discussed the riot.

"The two had a good conversation, discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments," the official added.

If Trump has not stepped down and Pence has not taken action by Wednesday, Democratic leaders said they will bring his impeachment to the House floor, one week after the riot that forced lawmakers into hiding for hours and left behind five dead, including a police officer.

REPUBLICAN CENSURE

Meanwhile, US Representative Tom Reed, a moderate Republican, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that he and House colleagues would introduce a censure resolution against Trump on Tuesday as an alternative to a "rushed, divisive" impeachment.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top congressional Democrat, told Democratic members on a conference call on Monday that a censure "would be an abdication of our responsibility," according to a source familiar with the call.

Democratic lawmakers introduced one article of impeachment on Monday, accusing Trump of inciting a violent insurrection with a fiery speech exhorting thousands of followers to march to the famous domed building where Congress was working to certify President-elect Joe Biden's Nov. 3 election victory.

"The president's threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action," said Pelosi.

With only eight days left in Trump's term, chances the Democratic drive will result in his removal appear remote.

Impeachment triggers a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is in recess and not scheduled to return to Washington until Jan. 19, the day before Biden is to be sworn in.

A Senate conviction requires a two-thirds vote, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to break with a president who has maintained an iron grip over his party for four years.

Democrats will take control of the Senate once the two winners of last week's runoff elections in Georgia are seated later this month, creating a 50-50 split and giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.

An impeachment trial could proceed even after Trump leaves office. Some Democrats have expressed concern that a trial could hamper Biden's agenda, slowing down confirmation of his appointees and distracting from legislative priorities such as a new coronavirus relief package.

Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, told Fox News on Monday he viewed the impeachment drive as "ill-advised" given how unlikely conviction appears to be.

If an impeachment trial is held, Biden said on Monday he hoped the Senate would be able to conduct normal business at the same time, perhaps by splitting its hours in half.

Trump, who initially praised his supporters even after the violence unfolded, delivered an uncharacteristically subdued video statement on Thursday denouncing the attack and vowing a smooth transition of power.

He did not, however, concede defeat in the election.

TRUMP SILENCED

Trump has not been seen in public since the day of the Capitol siege, although he plans to travel to Texas on Tuesday to visit a section of the US-Mexico border wall.

Trump's favorite means of communication was cut off last week when Twitter suspended his account permanently, saying it was concerned he could use it to incite further mayhem.

The president's actions have driven a wedge among Republicans, with a handful of lawmakers either calling for him to step down immediately or saying they will consider supporting impeachment.

Impeachment appears likely to pass: the lawmakers who drafted the formal charge say at least 214 of the chamber's 222 Democrats already support it.

The Democratic-led House impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring the Ukrainian president to investigate Biden, but the Republican-controlled Senate acquitted him in February 2020.

Only two other US presidents have been impeached, and none twice.

After last week's chaos, authorities are hardening security ahead of Biden's inauguration, which has already been dramatically scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As many as 15,000 National Guard troops have been authorized to deploy to Washington, where tourists have been barred from visiting the Washington Monument because of threats of more violence from some Trump supporters.

A federal law enforcement official told Reuters the FBI has warned that armed protests are planned for Washington and all 50 state capitals before Jan. 20.

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Vials of coronavirus vaccine and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo, on Oct. 31, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

UK Nurse Tests Positive for CCP Virus After Second Dose of Pfizer Vaccine Canceled

A UK nurse tested positive for the CCP virus after his second dose of a two-dose vaccine was delayed.

Staff Registered Nurse David Longden wrote in a Facebook post over the weekend that he had received his first dose of the vaccine on Dec. 8.

But his second dose, which was due on Jan. 5, was canceled by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board in Wales.

Then, four weeks and two days after the initial vaccine, Longden wrote, he tested positive for the (Chinese Communist Party) CCP virus on Jan 8.

Updated Guidance

Longden said his second dose of what media reports said was the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was delayed by the health board following UK government advice on the spacing of the two-shot immunization.

The updated advice (pdf) re-published on Monday says that though the second dose of the jab must be given a minimum of 21 days after the initial inoculation, the second dose should be routinely scheduled for at least four but up to 12 weeks after the first.

The spacing advice was updated in the absence of evidence that delaying the second dose significantly increases the risk of catching the virus and as part of a government move to vaccinate more people across the country with at least their first dose.

More People to Benefit

According to the guidance, This will allow more people to benefit from the protection provided from the first dose during the roll out phase and will have a greater impact in reducing mortality, severe disease, and hospitalization.

It states that Evidence from Phase 3 trials indicate high levels of protection against serious disease and death from around 2 weeks after the first dose.

Longer-term protection, it says, will then come after the second dose of the vaccine.

Nevertheless, Longden wrote that the longer gap the government is now recommending between vaccine doses is too long for healthcare workers.

I feel strongly that all healthcare professionals should have the second dose in line with the manufacturers guidelines, i.e., after three weeks, he wrote.

Clearly the 90 percent immunity the Government states you get after one dose of the vaccination hasnt worked for me! he added.

He called on the government to rethink their stance on the 12-week delayed second dose.

One-Shot Vaccine

Longdens call comes just days after the news that within weeks the UK could start to roll out 30 million doses of a new one-shot vaccine, speeding up the countrys inoculation program because it only requires one dose to be effective.

Though it is still in large-scale multi-country phase three trials, according to its developer, U.S. company Janssen, which is part of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, it could be submitted for emergency-use approval as early as next month.

The UK government has pre-ordered 30 million doses of the Janssen one-shot vaccine candidate as part of the 350 million doses of various vaccines it has reserved.
The popular portable charger company shares the same vision for the future of mobility and power sharing, with plans to expand reach alongside TransWorld in North America

PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / TransWorld Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK:TRWO) (to be renamed Charge Enterprises), a global business with capabilities and talent focused on connectivity in communications, last-mile delivery, and micro-mobility infrastructure, today announced an investment and exclusive rights to North America with Naki Power, the largest power-sharing system in Europe.

Naki Power operates in five countries with 1,500 active power stations where consumers can rent portable chargers. The company is changing the way people charge their electronic devices, offering powerbank rentals in bars, restaurants, airports, public transport hubs, etc., that offer freedom and convenience for people in cities, just like other sharing economy services such as electric bike and scooter rental. Naki Power has solidified itself in the European market as a viable means to charge the many different electronics used in today's world, including cell phones, wearables, or other products such as portable speakers. Users are not required to supply their own charging cable and, with multiple outputs, the portable chargers are compatible with almost every electronic device available today. TransWorld has secured a deal with Naki Power to bring more power-sharing options to its customers by launching stations in North America, with plans to install stations in North America with service beginning in the third quarter 2021. By June of 2021, Naki Power targets 2,500-3,000 units installed worldwide. After solidifying their presence in North America, Naki Power and TransWorld plan to continue to expand the service to other countries outside of Europe.

"This new partnership is important for us. Naki Power has such a great foothold in Europe, and it matches our last-mile solutions and charging strategy," said Andrew Fox, founder and CEO of TransWorld Holdings. "We have invested with Naki Power because we trust its forward-thinking, the execution of the product, and more importantly the quality of the product and the team behind it."

"The team at TransWorld understands our values in shared power, and our work together will make it possible to expand Naki Power's services into the United States," said Zaccaria Aghemio, founder and CEO of Naki Power. "Together, we'll continue to build safe, reliable infrastructure for today's mobile age."

Naki Power initially launched in Belgium, and it has seen significant growth in the European market. A recognized brand in the world of power sharing and batteries, this co-branding will help both brands raise their visibility in markets around the world.

About TransWorld Holdings Inc.

TransWorld (to be renamed Charge Enterprises, Inc.) is a global business with capabilities and talent focused on connectivity in communications, last mile delivery and micro-mobility infrastructure. The company is about connecting people, business and goods and services, and its mission is to drive growth and returns, building value for all stakeholders through each of its three core services: telephony communication, last mile delivery, and infrastructure for micro mobility. The Communication Division is being designed to become a significant UCaaS and CPaaS company with a comprehensive stack of offerings; the infrastructure division is capturing explosive growth in last mile micro-mobility by offering patented, unique and problem-solving infrastructure solutions to metropolises throughout the world; and the Transport Division lends the stability of additional cash flow from the ever-growing instant delivery economy. Learn more about us at https://www.charge.enterprises/.

About Naki Power

Naki Power is changing the way people charge their electronic devices.

With Naki, you can charge your phone and other devices, anywhere, anytime, on-the-go, without having to leave your device behind or worry about cables. Our powerbank rental offers freedom and convenience for people in cities, like other sharing economy services such as electric bike and scooter rental. Naki Power stations can be found in cities across Europe, in bars, restaurants, hairdressers, airports, public transport hubs, shopping centres, fitness centres and hotels. We aim to create a world where people are freed from phone battery constraints, can easily charge their electronic devices on-the-go and no longer worry about being cut off from their phones and essential apps.

Safe Harbor Statement

Information in this news release may contain statements about future expectations, plans, prospects or performance of TransWorld Holdings Inc. that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor Provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words or phrases "can be," "expects," "may affect," "believed," "estimate," "project," and similar words and phrases are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. TransWorld Holdings Inc. cautions you that any forward-looking information provided by or on behalf of TransWorld Holdings Inc. is not a guarantee of future performance. None of the information in this press release constitutes or is intended as an offer to sell securities or investment advice of any kind. TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, some of which are beyond TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s control. In addition to those discussed in TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s press releases, public filings, and statements by TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s management, including, but not limited to, TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s estimate of the sufficiency of its existing capital resources, TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s ability to raise additional capital to fund future operations, TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s ability to repay its existing indebtedness, the uncertainties involved in estimating market opportunities and, in identifying contracts which match TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s capability to be awarded contracts. All such forward-looking statements are current only as of the date on which such statements were made. TransWorld Holdings Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact:

LHA Investor Relations

Carolyn Capaccio, CFA

ccapaccio@lhai.com

212.838.3777

SOURCE: TransWorld Holdings Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623820/Charge-Enterprises-and-Naki-Power-Europes-Largest-Power-Sharing-System-to-Bring-Power-Sharing-to-North-America
BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua)  General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (CPCCC) Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message to Kim Jong Un, congratulating him on election as the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Xi said he is glad to hear that the 8th WPK Congress has elected Kim as the WPK general secretary, and would like to extend warm congratulations to Kim and the WPK Central Committee on behalf of the CPCCC and in his own name.

The 8th WPK Congress, which has made a series of arrangements for the development of the socialist cause of the DPRK, is of great significance, Xi said.

He added that Kim's re-election as the top leader of the WPK fully reflects the trust, support and expectation held by all WPK members and the DPRK people for him.

Xi said he is confident that under the strong leadership of the WPK Central Committee headed by Kim, the WPK and the DPRK people will take the congress as an opportunity to strive to fulfill economic and social development goals and push for new and greater achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK.

China and the DPRK are friendly socialist neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, Xi said, stressing that it is an unswerving policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to preserve, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

Noting that the world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation, Xi said he stands ready to work with Kim to strengthen strategic guidance for the relations between the two parties and between the two countries.

Xi also called for concerted efforts to carry out the series of important consensuses the two sides have reached, continuously write new chapters of China-DPRK friendly cooperation, and advance the socialist cause of both countries.

In addition, he suggested that the two sides stay committed to the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, so as to deliver more benefits to both countries and their people.

Xi wished Kim every success in his work and in leading the party and people of the DPRK to new and greater achievements.

(Source: Xinhua)
Swami Vivekananda, born as Narendranath Dutta, was one of Indias most iconic and influential spiritual personalities. India celebrates National Youth Day to honour Swami Vivekananda. It was on this day in 1863 that the youth icon was born. The day is also known as Yuva Diwas and is observed at schools and colleges with functions, speeches and so on.

Representing India at the Parliament of the World's Religions on September 11, 1893 at the Art Institute of Chicago, Swami Vivekananda, began his speech by addressing the audience as Sisters and brothers of America!

The audience present at the venue was pleasantly shocked as well as impressed.

His words echoed compassion and universal brotherhood. He played a pivotal role in spreading Indian ethos and taking indigenous philosophy abroad.

On his birth anniversary, heres taking a look at some of Swami Vivekanandas quotes:

Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached.

You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.

You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads, and dare to carry that out in your life.

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.

In a day, when you don't come across any problems - you can be sure that you are travelling in the wrong path.

Each work has to pass through these stagesridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Those who think ahead of their time are sure to be misunderstood.

Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.

All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. You can do anything and everything, without even the guidance of any one. Stand up and express the divinity within you.

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
A worker at an electronics shop in Kuala Lumpur watches a live broadcast of Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin addressing the nation, Jan. 12, 2021.

Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET on 2021-01-12

Malaysias king declared a national emergency on Tuesday  the first in more than 50 years  citing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases as justification, but critics lambasted the move as an attempt by an unelected prime minister to retain power amid weakening parliamentary support for his government.

In a televised speech shortly after the royal proclamation, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin assured the nation that it was not a coup, but said parliament and state assemblies would be suspended, and polls would not be held during the state of emergency, authorized through Aug 1.

Al-Sultan Abdullah is of the view that the spread of COVID-19 in the country is at a very critical level and there is a need for a Declaration of Emergency, the National Palace announced in a statement, adding that hospitals were near capacity with or full of patients stricken by the virus.

The emergency could end sooner if the daily number of new coronavirus cases can be stemmed, the palace added.

The civilian government will continue to function. It is not a military coup. [A] curfew will not be imposed, and I guarantee that the administration will not be affected, Muhyiddin said in remarks broadcast live on television.

Parliament and state assemblies will be suspended. Elections will not be held, he added.

An admission of defeat

Opposition parties and civil rights groups criticized the PM for asking the king to declare an emergency.

They said it appeared to be a ploy to prevent a government collapse and snap polls soon after two lawmakers withdrew their support for a coalition led by Muhyiddin, leaving his government on even shakier ground.

[C]ould it be that the true reason for this emergency is to suspend parliamentary democracy and disable the scrutiny of Parliament on the government, or more likely, given the ongoing schism within the Perikatan Nasional with UMNO threatening to pull out of the coalition, an attempt to halt the collapse of the Muhyiddin government, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), a grassroots group, said in a statement.

Perikatan Nasional (PN) is the coalition that Muhyiddin and his Bersatu party created to form the government last year after the Pakatan Harapan government, which was elected in 2018, collapsed due to a power struggle.

The United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which lost that years general election, dominates the ruling bloc. UMNO has been pushing for snap polls because its relations with Muhyiddins Bersatu party have been frosty for months. Its leaders feel the party has not reaped the rewards of holding the most parliamentary seats in the alliance.

In the past four days, a pair of UMNO lawmakers, including Nazri Aziz, have pulled their support for the government.

Nazri said that with his withdrawal, the government was left with the support of less than half of lawmakers  109 of 220.

Muhyiddin asking for a state of emergency is an admission of defeat ... an admission hes lost his majority, the UMNO lawmaker said.

Lim Guan Eng, leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), questioned the need for the emergency proclamation and suspension of parliament  measures that are stipulated under Section 150 of the constitution.

Will the performance of the PN government improve with an Emergency Proclamation? This is unlikely with the suspension of parliament, when there are no longer any restraints against abuse of power, the upholding accountability and transparency without parliamentary oversight or any checks and balances provided by the opposition, Lim said.

Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah (right) receives documents from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at the opening of the 14th parliamentary session in Kuala Lumpur, May 18, 2020. [Photo courtesy of Malaysia Information Department]

Not my intention not to hold elections

Muhyiddin said he had requested the emergency proclamation due to the spread of the coronavirus, and not to prevent elections. The king had denied a similar request from Muhyiddin in October.

It is not my intention not to hold elections. My concern is COVID-19. I give a commitment that elections will be held as soon as an independent committee declares that the pandemic is over, Muhyiddin said.

The last national emergency declared in Malaysia was in May 1969, after race riots broke out.

The country has recorded more than 2,000 new cases daily since Jan. 5, and three cabinet ministers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week.

On Monday, Muhyiddin had announced strict movement restrictions nationwide for two weeks, including a complete lockdown in five states and the national capital region, because the surge in coronavirus cases had caused the healthcare system to reach a breaking point.

According to political analyst Tunku Mohar Mokhtar, the emergency declaration has put democracy in Malaysia on hold.

There will be no elections, general, or by-elections, during the emergency. This practically puts a stop on demands from some politicians from UMNO who want general elections to be held soon, but it is understandably dangerous during the current spread of the pandemic, Mohar told BenarNews.

In essence, the emergency has also suspended democracy.

Bridget Welsh, a political scientist with Nottingham University based in Malaysia, said the move would have lasting implications.

The [emergency] declaration has yet to be accompanied by policies that change the COVID approach the current government has adopted over the last few months that has got the country to the health crisis it is now facing, she told BenarNews

No matter what happens with COVID, the decision will reshape the countrys political landscape, undercut democratic institutions, exacerbate polarization and erode trust.

Nani Yusof in Washington contributed to this report.
MHLANGATANE  If we dont protect ourselves, no one will.

This is a stance by residents of an area known as Ndvwabangeni around Mhlangatane. They have resolved to enforce the recommended health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as sanitising as well as wearing of the masks in public places.

Ndvwabangeni is an area near the borderline of South Africa (SA) and is situated under Mhlangatane Inkhundla.

A task force, which also includes community police members, has been established to move from one shop to another, as well as monitor public places to ensure that individuals not wearing masks are turned back. Shop attendants who were found not wearing face masks were also ordered to do so or close their shops.

Recommended

The task force also monitors areas such as dip tanks to ensure that people who drive cattle there, follow the recommended prevention measures of curbing the spread of the virus.

Victor Mahlalela, who oversees the task team, said the measures were being enforced because some residents seemed to have relaxed. He said some residents were of the view that the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax. He said such individuals deliberately refused to wear face masks because they did not believe that COVID-19 was real. We cannot afford to take a chance and allow people to roam around freely without masks, said Mahlalela.

He said there were about seven community police members working with the residents to enforce the COVID-19 regulations. He said it was not always possible for police officers from Buhleni or Tshaneni to reach the area and monitor social distancing or wearing of masks.

Compliance

Mahlalela said many people were turned back at dip tanks if found not in compliance with the COVID-19 guidelines. He recalled an incident where a man was ordered to leave his cattle behind and go fetch a mask.

He said they were also monitoring gatherings in the area to ensure that people complied.

He revealed that the task force was strict with shop owners and ensured that they did not allow people without masks to enter or buy goods. If we do not find a sign stating that no mask, no entry we demand that they display it, said Mahlalela.

Mandlenkosi Gumedze, who is the Indvuna of the area, said they were also concerned about people who did not follow the recommended regulations. He said he would also monitor to ensure that this was followed. Meanwhile, around Ndlalambi under Timphisini Inkhundla, there were also concerns that residents were also not wearing masks in public places. They also expressed concern that even in some shops, people shopped freely without a care that they were not wearing them.

A resident, Jennifer Du Pont, who is also the former Member of Parliament (MP) of the area, expressed her concern about this.

She said people did not take the pandemic seriously and that they roamed around in public places without masks. She said this was also the case in some shops where attendants served them without wearing masks.
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Hamish Macdonald and Susie Youssef will host the Australian of the Year Awards 2021 Live at Canberras National Arboretum, with the Prime Minister presenting the four category awards as they are announced.

The event will include performances by Christine Anu.

The Australian of the Year Awards celebrates the achievements and contributions of outstanding Australians throughout the last year. There are 32 people in contention for four prestigious award categories:

 Australian of the Year

 Senior Australian of the Year

 Young Australian of the Year

 Australias Local Hero

Production credits: ABC Executive Producer: Janet Gaeta. ABC Producer: Marie Davies.

7:30pm Monday, January 25 on ABC / ABC News.

Related
First, it cemented the electoral demise of Donald Trump, whose termination from the presidency was merely delayed for a few hours by the chaos. Second, it put forward a public perception of Trumps most ardent supporters as a collection of conspiracy-addled violent loons. Third, it humiliated and discredited Trump, who meekly conceded defeat the following day.

There was no real coup attempt, despite incessant politician and media histrionics to that effect. Just a pitiful outburst that was quickly dispersed.

It was clear within about ten minutes of the intrusion that the most severe consequences would stem not from the incident itself, but the deliberately-stoked over-reaction.

The bipartisan political and media class, whether cynically or sincerely, is broadcasting their steadfast conviction that this was something like a MAGA Terrorist Insurrection - which is literally how its being described on CNN. Under such allegedly extreme circumstances, of course extreme remedial action is going to be demanded.

Few entities capitulate to upswells of political hysteria more reliably than the tech companies.

Knowing that there will soon be a Democratic presidential administration and Congress to appease, they launched this week what is the most drastic corporate censorship offensive in modern history. Not only was Trump banished from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter  the latter being his primary communications platform (for better or worse)  multiple high-profile Trump allies were likewise purged. Steve Bannon was nuked from YouTube. Trump and his supporters are being neutralized online not because he currently poses any kind of bonafide threat to the Republic, but because his enemies are desperate for revenge.

And they have been gifted with a perfect crisis that will justify their getting it.

The expulsion of Trump from Twitter was celebrated rapturously by journalists whose conception of the job has markedly shifted away from anything to do with the preservation of protected speech. Instead, they are far more interested in asserting their political and cultural dominance, punishing those perceived to be undesirables, and functioning almost like a collective Human Resources social pressure department. Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Twitter  collectively more powerful than most nation states  have become willing partners in this endeavor.

In 2016 the US intelligentsia blamed the rise of Trump on the excessive openness of the internet, and since then have meticulously moved to constrict it. This ongoing cross-platform purge is the most dramatic step yet in that plan.

Trump was never going to usher in anything like fascism, no matter what he tweeted or no matter what government building some mob bowled themselves into on his behalf.

However, the specter of fascism allegedly embodied by Trump has given his enemies the moral license to bend the rest of society to their corporate liberal authoritarian will.

And they havent even taken full state power yet  that comes in 10 days.

* * *

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We understand the privilege it is to be welcomed by the Japanese market, and aim to match it with first-rate support.

In SSG's continued efforts to transform the APAC B2B demand generation landscape, the strategic move into Tokyo allows the company to support one of the region's most critical markets.



Whife said, "Our approach in APAC, which we've honed over the last four years, is perfectly designed for a place like Japan, where a robust local business presence is absolutely imperative."

Emphasizing SSG's philosophy on servicing business regions from within, Whife continued: "We've been advocates of a localized business model since we first moved into Asia in 2016. Our focus, in Japan especially, is on providing truly dedicated customer service to our clients, and that hinges on building a fully-staffed regional office, from sales and operations roles to creative and data analyst roles filled by local Japanese talent.

"We understand the privilege it is to be welcomed by the Japanese market, and aim to honor that privilege by providing first-rate in-language support backed by innovative marketing solutions and enriched local data."

SSG has been successfully running in-language B2B campaigns in Japan for two years, supported by their extensive 1st-party Japanese data. "Our data, which has been translated and structured specifically for the region, is without a doubt the best suited to Japanese B2B lead gen efforts," said Whife.

The announcement comes as enthusiasm from the local market builds at the prospect of a truly viable local demand vendor.

SOURCE Selling Simplified Group, Inc
Rents in Australia's biggest city dived by double-digit figures in 2020 as the border was closed to foreign tourists and international students.

Australia is now a tale of two countries, with Sydney and Melbourne house and apartment rents diving as living costs for tenants went up almost everywhere else, especially in Darwin and Perth.

Sydney unit rents last year plunged by 10.3 per cent to a median weekly asking price of $444.40, SQM Research data showed.

For around that price, it is now possible to rent right near the city in an upmarket suburb with a one-bedroom 19th century terrace at Paddington going for $450 a week.

Sydney unit rents last year plunged by 10.3 per cent to a median weekly asking price of $444.40, SQM Research data showed. Pictured is a one-bedroom terrace at Paddington being leased for $450 a week

A two-bedroom unit in a 1950s brick block in that part of Sydney's eastern suburbs is being leased for $500 a week.

The city by the harbour is no longer Australia's most expensive place to lease an apartment, with Canberra now holding that title with typical rent of $473.40 - following an annual increase of 2.1 per cent.

Sydney has also lost its title as the priciest place to rent a house, with weekly leasing costs for a home with a backyard diving by 7.6 per cent in the year to January 4, 2021.

The asking price of $632.90 a week is behind Canberra's $656.70, where rents last year climbed by 3.6 per cent.

Darwin, in Australia's remote tropical Top End, is now Australia's third most expensive capital city for house rents, following a mammoth 27.3 per cent increase that saw leases surge to $603.40.

For that price, a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house can be leased at Ludmilla across the road from a busy McDonald's on Bagot Road near the airport.

Darwin, in Australia's remote tropical Top End, is now Australia's third most expensive capital city for house rents, following a mammoth 27.3 per cent increase that saw leases surge to $603.40.

Perth also saw rents soar with unit leases increasing by 12 per cent to $493.20 as house rents in the city climbed 9.3 per cent to $368.70.

Like Darwin, Perth also has a rental vacancy rate of just 0.9 per cent.

The story was very different in Melbourne with apartment rents diving by 8.7 per cent to $376.90.

Melbourne's rental vacancy rate of 4.7 per cent is even higher than Sydney's 3.6 per cent.

Hobart was the only mixed market, after several strong years, with house rents edging up 0.5 per cent to $470.30 as weekly unit leases fell 5.1 per cent to $388.50.

SQM Research managing director Louis Christopher said Australia's border closure in March to foreigners had created two kinds of Australia for renters and property owners alike.

Perth also saw rents soar with unit leases increasing by 12 per cent to $493.20 as house rents in the city climbed 9.3 per cent to $368.70. Pictured is a house in upmarket Mosman Park being leased for $550 a week

'It's clear Sydney and Melbourne apartment investors were the losers of 2020 with rents and prices falling,' he said.

'However, if you owned an investment property in Darwin or Perth, or indeed regional Australia, you have one of the best years ever.'

Mr Christopher expected inner-city rents in Sydney and Melbourne to increase in 2021, but not to pre-pandemic levels.

'I don't think it's going to be a complete reversal,' he said.

'Demand for inner-city property will remain affected by the closure of the international border as well as ongoing caution on future city lockdowns.

'This will mean 2021 will remain largely a tenant's market in the inner cities but will also very much remain a landlord's market for regional Australia.'
In a phone interview on Monday, he said the contentious cushions were meant to reduce workplace fatigue and prevent aches and pains caused by long hours at the office. Data collected from employees through sensors on the cushions, he said, were used to monitor their health and improve the product technology, not to evaluate their work performance. The data could nudge a worker not to slouch through a table of measurements displayed on an employees laptop and a smartphone app.

Mr. Zhang said that of his companys 20 or so employees, the seven who used the cushions had all signed consent forms to participate in the study designed by a masters student at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. A copy of a blank consent form reviewed by The Times showed that names and identifiable information were to be separated from the data to ensure confidentiality. It noted that some people can access all your data at the research location to ensure that the study was being conducted in a good and reliable manner.

It was unclear whether all employees had known that in addition to the researchers the unidentified human resources manager would also have access to their information.

Chinese tech companies are known for their punishing work hours, described as 996  in which employees toil from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week  or its close sibling, 11116  from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. six days a week. But young employees have been resisting the low pay and limited mobility by taking long lunch breaks and making frequent toilet visits in a philosophy called touching fish, an idiom for seizing the moment.

Mr. Zhang said it was the responsibility of human resources to keep an eye on the health of the staff, saying, We now have a tool that can help HR maintain the health of workers.

Matthijs Hoekstra, who designed the Health Boost study, said that he had used the cushion technology to research office vitality and health with the consent of participants.

We collaborate at the technology level, and to improve the technology, we also collaborate in collecting example data voluntarily for scientific experiments in laboratories, Mr. Hoekstra wrote in an email on Monday.
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If the California Republican Party has a future statewide, it will likely be in office-holders like Reps. Mike Garcia and Young Kim  relatively young people of color who were elected in battleground districts by playing up their moderate positions rather than tying themselves to President Trump.

But they and a handful of other Republicans in similar districts face a precarious vote as the House barrels toward impeaching Trump for a second time: Support impeachment and write-off Trump backers, who are now all but synonymous with the Republican Party, or vote against it and risk alienating moderate voters they will need to win re-election in 2022.

Nearly two in three California voters supported Joe Biden, and the president-elect won Kims Orange County district and Garcias district, which straddles Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

In the days since last weeks attack on the U.S. Capitol, California Republicans have shown signs that theyre splitting on how to navigate a Trump-less future.

After police cleared the pro-Trump militants who took over the Capitol on Wednesday, Garcia and Kim differed on whether to certify the Electoral College results that gave Biden the presidency. Garcia opposed certifying the results  a position that backed Trumps lies that the election was stolen from him. Kim supported the results, in line with five dozen court rulings that found the election results to be valid.

Garcia, R-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), explained his vote by saying that while I am a federalist, I believe there is enough evidence of compromised processes and breakdowns in election integrity by certain state legislatures that do in fact warrant a closer examination.

Kim, R-Fullerton, supported certification because Congress does not determine which electors states send, and we must respect the authority of the states.

Their dilemma is emblematic of the California Republican Partys struggle to return to relevance statewide. No GOP candidate has been elected to statewide office since 2006. In the past two U.S. Senate elections, no Republican so much as survived the primary.

The party is reduced to a few regional strongholds in rural areas and Orange and San Diego counties  it is all but nonexistent in the Bay Area and metro Los Angeles. But in those regional strongholds, the need for Republicans to stick to Trump is still strong. One of the new Republican House members, Rep. Jay Obernolte of Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino County), barely had to worry about Democratic opposition in November  he defeated his challenger by nearly 15 points.

Fred Whitaker, chair of the GOP in Orange County, is confident that Kim and GOP Rep. Michelle Steel of Seal Beach, another Asian American who flipped a Democratic seat in the county in November, will both vote against impeachment. Kim and Garcia did not respond to requests for comment Monday, nor did Steel, who missed the Electoral College votes after testing positive for the coronavirus and may also miss the impeachment debate.

Whitaker likewise expects Garcia and every other Republican in the California delegation to vote against impeachment.

There are a lot of supporters of the president in these districts, he said.

I dont think its a tough vote, Whitaker said. Impeachment requires a high crime or misdemeanor. I dont believe anyone who is serious about unifying the country believes that anything that Donald Trump said on Jan. 6 actually incited violence.

There is potential cover for California Republicans  some Republicans nationally have broken with Trump since the Capitol attack, including former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells wife.

In her resignation letter to the departments employees, Chao said that our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the president stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed.

But Whitaker said it was superfluous to try to remove the president when he was already leaving office.

If you put an impeachment vote out there with just a few days before the end of his presidency, it looks like youre kicking him out of office when you dont need to, Whitaker said. And if you do, youll have a tremendous contingency of people who will feel that they are being canceled as well.

Whitaker said any punishment for Trump should be left up to voters. If they dont want him to run for president in 2024, they can show their displeasure by voting against him then, Whitaker said.

Impeaching him now could turn him into a martyr, he said.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday shows that support remains for Trump among Republicans nationally, despite last weeks attack. While 52% of respondents overall thought Trump should be removed from office, 87% of Republicans said he should not be.

Republicans wont want to take a vote that could alienate nearly 90% of their base.

There are a lot of voters who are saying, This thing (Trumps term) is almost over. Lets let it slide, said Tim Malloy, a polling analyst with Quinnipiac.

But GOP House members from California representing battleground areas with large numbers of Latino voters will have to take their opinions into consideration as well, said Anais Lopez, an analyst with the Latino Decisions polling firm.

A Latino Decisions poll taken shortly before Election Day last year found that 16% of Latino Republican voters in California felt that Trump did not care about them. An additional 7% said that Trump was hostile toward them.

Latinos also hold the key to Republicans future statewide, given that they make up nearly 40% of the state.

These Republican (House members) should be careful when they vote on impeachment, especially in a district that was really close, Lopez said. They would risk losing some votes. Latinos are very protective of democracy.

California Republicans will likely follow the lead of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who reportedly is floating the idea of censuring Trump instead of impeaching him.

McCarthy said Monday, An impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get America back on a path toward unity and civility.

Tellingly, McCarthys statement did not express support for Trump.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Mrs McAleese, who served as Irish President from 1997 until 2011, has been critical of the Catholic Church over the role played by women and its views on LGBT issues.

Former Irish President Mary McAleese has said a change made to canon law by Pope Francis to allow women to be more involved in Mass is the polar opposite of earth shattering".

While making the change Pope Francis continued to affirm that women cannot be priests.

Mrs McAleese, herself a devout catholic, said all the new laws will do is right a wrong and that the position of the church hasnt changed in any real way.

Pope Francis amended the law to formalise and institutionalise what is common practice in many parts of the world: that women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar as Eucharistic ministers.

Previously, such roles were officially reserved to men even though exceptions were made.

Pope Francis said he was making the change to increase recognition of the precious contribution women make in the Church, while emphasising that all baptised Catholics have a role to play in the Churchs mission.

But he also noted that doing so further makes a distinction between ordained ministries such as the priesthood and diaconate, and ministries open to qualified laity.

The change comes as the Pope remains under pressure to allow women to be deacons  ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests, such as presiding at weddings, baptisms and funerals.

Mrs McAleese, who served as Irish President from 1997 until 2011, has been critical of the Catholic Church in the past, particularly over the role played by women and its views on LGBT issues.

The change to canon law made by Pope Francis is the polar opposite of earth shattering, she said.

It is minimal but welcome all the same for it is at last an acknowledgement that it was wrong of Pope Paul VI to ban women from the stable lay roles of lector and acolyte which remarkably he did after the Second Vatican Council.

She said the law as it stood had always been untenable.

These two roles were opened only to laymen simply and solely because of embedded misogyny at the heart of the Holy See which continues today, said Mrs McAleese.

The law as it stood until Pope Francis change was always untenable, unjust and ludicrous given that in many parishes women have been informally reading the scriptures and acting as altar servers despite the laws.

Mrs McAleese previously hit out at the Catholic Church, calling it an empire of misogyny, comments made ahead of a conference in Rome about womens roles in the Church when she also raised the ban on women becoming priests.

Pope Francis has said that the issue of womens ordination isnt up for discussion, that women are permanently excluded from priesthood, she has previously stated.

I believe that women should be ordained, I believe the theology on which that is based is pure codology. Im not even going to be bothered arguing it. Sooner or later itll fall apart, fall asunder under its own dead weight.

McAleese said she wished to pose a much more profound question instead.

If you are going to exclude women in perpetuity from priesthood and if all decision-making, discernment and policy-making in the Church is going to continue to be filtered through the male priesthood, tell me how in justice and charity, but most importantly in equality, are you going to include the voices of women in the formation of the Catholic faith? she said at the time.

The former President of Ireland was barred by the Vatican from taking part in an International Womens Day conference which was due to take place in Rome in March 2018.

That event was organised by the Voices of Faith group, which is seeking to empower and advocate for Catholic women to have a seat at the table of decision making in the Catholic Church.

Belfast-born McAleese, now Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin and a Professor of Children, Law and Religion at Glasgow University, has been a long time supporter of LGBT rights. Her son Justin McAleese, who is gay, was a high-profile campaigner during the 2015 same-sex marriage referendum.

She has often spoken publicly about frustrations with the Church over its stringent views on LGBT people.
With 47,380 new vehicles registered in Romania in 2020, car manufacturer Dacia saw its market share increase 2.4 percent from the previous year to 32.4 percent, shows data released by the company on Tuesday.

The total number of registrations includes 5,024 Dacia vehicles delivered for the Romanian Police fleet.

For the tenth straight year in 2020 Romania's top three best-selling cars were Logan, Duster and Sandero, each of them recording also a share increase in its respective market segment.

Thus, the Logan remained the most popular model on the domestic market with 18,627 units sold, and the Stepway version rolled out just a year ago accounted for almost a quarter of all Logan registrations.

Duster SUV registrations went up from 11,736 units in 2019 to 12,161 units in 2020, strengthening its position as unchallenged leader in Romania's C-SUV segment.

Similarly, the Sandero supermini saw its share in the B-segment increase by over 1 percent due to the 9,420 registered units, with the Stepway version accounting for more than 90 percent of the Sandero model sales.

"The results of both Logan and Sandero (with the Stepway version) are all the more so remarkable as they are both at the end of their careers, as a new generation of models rolled in at the end of 2020, featuring major advances in design, equipment and perceived quality. The new Logan and Sandero models were recently awarded the title 'Car of the Year 2021 in Romania'," the carmaker's release states.

Dacia brand total sales (in Romania and international markets) last year amounted to 520,765 units, of which 385,674 vehicles sold in Europe (EU and EFTA countries).
Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer on Epiphany at the Vatican on January 6

Pope Francis inched towards giving women more rights in the Catholic Church yesterday , declaring that they should be allowed to act as altar servers and readers at liturgies.

The Pope issued a decree which changes canon law, allowing women to have a greater role during Mass.

The papal decree, known as a motu proprio, ratifies what has been going on in many Catholic countries for years. But it is still a long way from any consideration of allowing women to become Catholic priests  a development to which the Pope has consistently indicated he is opposed.

He reiterated that point in the decree, saying that the Church does not have the faculty in any way to confer priestly ordination on women.

Instead, the change in Church law enshrines the right of women to serve as lectors, or readers of the Gospel, and act as acolytes, or altar servers. In the past, those roles were reserved for men.

Women make a precious contribution to the life and mission of the Church, Pope Francis wrote.

Read More

The decree recognises what is already a fait accompli, said Robert Mickens, a Vatican expert and the editor of La Croix International, a Catholic news website. It brings up to date what has been happening since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

It could lead eventually, however, to the Catholic Church allowing women to become deacons, a contentious issue for some conservatives.

Deacons are ordained ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests. They preside at weddings, christenings and funerals, but they cannot celebrate Mass.

Last year, the Pope created a commission of experts to examine whether women should be allowed to become deacons.

Francis is opening up the conversation. I dont think he is in favour of women priests, but I can foresee women becoming deacons, said Mr Mickens.

A church that excludes half its membership seems to me to be doomed to becoming a cult. Its like a person trying to walk with one leg in a cast. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, 55, has tested positive for COVID-19 five days after taking shelter with maskless Republicans during siege of the Capitol

She is the second Democratic lawmaker to test positive to the virus after huddling in the secure room during the attack last Wednesday

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, 75, announced earlier on Monday that she had tested positive for the coronavirus and was suffering mild symptoms

Both Jayapal and Coleman blame their infections on being trapped with Republicans who refused to wear face masks

Jayapal says she believes it will turn out to be a 'superspreader event' and more lawmakers who huddled in the room will test positive

She now wants every House member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol 'fined and removed from the floor'

Rep. Pramila Jayapal has become the second Democratic congresswoman to test positive for COVID-19 after being forced to shelter in a secure room with maskless Republicans during last Wednesday's siege of the Capitol.

Jayapal, who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District, revealed her diagnosis in a tweet on Monday night, blaming her political adversaries for the infection.

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'I just received a positive COVID-19 test result after being locked down in a secured room at the Capitol where several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but recklessly mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one,' the 55-year-old posted.

Jayapal's announcement came just hours after Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, 75, disclosed that she, too, had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Jayapal, who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District, revealed her diagnosis in a tweet on Monday night, blaming her political adversaries for the infection

During Wednesday's attack on Capitol Hill by a mob of unruly Donald Trump supporters, lawmakers were rushed to an undisclosed location and held together for their own safety.

There were reportedly more than 100 people in the room at the same time.

Several Democratic politicians complained thaT Republican colleagues did not wear face masks in the enclosed space, where they huddled together for hours while they waited for security officials to clear the Capitol.

Jayapal says she is convinced more positive test results will follow, claiming that being forced to huddle in the room will turn out to be 'a superspreader event'.

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'Only hours after Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemiccreating a superspreader event ON TOP of a domestic terrorist attack,' Japayal fumed on Twitter.

She added: 'Any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy. I'm calling for every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol to be fined and removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms.'

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman announced she tested positive for COVID and blamed being trapped in a hold during last week's attack on the Capitol with Republicans who refused to wear face masks

Jayapal did not say whether she was experiencing any notable symptoms following her COVID-19 diagnosis.

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She says she will continue to work as she remains in quarantine as per her doctor's instruction.

'I share the outrage and anger of those across America who have watched Trump fail to combat this raging pandemic and refuse to take care of Americans who are suffering, dying, and devastated. I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office,' she wrote.

On Monday afternoon, Rep. Coleman announced her positive diagnosis.

She stated, however, that she was awaiting the results of a PCR test and said she previously received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID19 vaccine, which has been made available to members of Congress and other government officials.

It takes two doses for full immunity.

Dr. Brian Moynihan, the attending physician in the Capitol, issued a warning on Sunday to all lawmakers that they may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus during their lockdown.

He noted that 'many members of the House community were in protective isolation in the large room - some for several hours' on Wednesday.

He said 'individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection'.

House lawmakers who were whisked to safety when a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol were filmed bickering over masks as they hunkered down in a safe room

Meanwhile, video from inside the room, obtained by Punchbowl News, showed several Republican lawmakers not wearing masks - including Congressman Andy Biggs (Arizona), Michael Cloud (Texas), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma) and Scott Perry (Pennsylvania).

Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, who was walking around handing out masks, repeatedly asked those in the maskless group to take one, but they brushed her aside.

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President-elect Joe Biden said he saw the footage and was 'appalled.'

'I was appalled when I saw, as a matter of fact, distinguished congresswoman from Delaware showed the folks in hiding from the mob, going around trying to hand out masks for everybody. Republican colleagues wouldn't take the mask,' he said. 'I think it is irresponsible. So we all have to make sure it is not a political issue. It is an issue of public safety.'
U.S. Capitol Police early last year asked the FBI for assistance in tracking down Capriotti. When agents interviewed him in February 2020 in the Chicago area, Capriotti acknowledged that he was the one who made the calls but explained he was just f------ with them and that he didnt mean any ill will, the complaint alleged.

Photo: The Canadian Press

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres officially declared Monday he is seeking a second five-year term at the helm of the United Nations.

Guterres, whose current term ends next Dec. 31, said in a letter to General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir that It would be my honour to continue to serve the organization in pursuing its purposes and fulfilling its noble objectives.

The former Portuguese prime minister and U.N. refugee chief was elected by the 193-member assembly to succeed Ban Ki-moon after a hotly contested and transparent race in October 2016 that initially included 13 candidates -- seven women and six men. Guterres took office on Jan. 1, 2017.

I am available to serve a second term as secretary-general of the United Nations, if that will be the will of member states, Guterres said in a letter to Bozkir obtained by the Associated Press.

Several diplomats have said Guterres was waiting for the results of the U.S. presidential election and would not have sought a second term if Donald Trump won. But another diplomat familiar with his thinking said Guterres, after more than 40 years of public service, would have felt he couldnt desert the U.N. if Trump had defeated President-elect Joe Biden who takes office on Jan. 20.

Trump pulled the United States out of the World Health Organization, the U.N.-backed 2015 Paris climate agreement and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and stopped funding the U.N. population fund and the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Biden has said the U.S. will quickly rejoin the WHO and the climate agreement.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres was responding to a letter from Bozkir on Friday asking his intentions regarding a second mandate.

The secretary-general spent time over the holidays speaking to his family, Dujarric said, and I dont think any particular elections cycle in any particular country impacted his decision.

Dujarric said Guterres called Bozkir Friday and then informed the five permanent members of the Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. Chinas U.N. ambassador, Zhang Jun, hosted a lunch for the P5 ambassadors, as they are called, with the secretary-general on Friday, diplomats said.

The General Assembly elects the secretary-general on the recommendation of the 15-member Security Council where the five permanent members have veto power, so their support is crucial.

Guterres, 71, got his first key vote of support late Monday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warmly welcomed the secretary-generals decision to run for a second term and congratulated him on a successful first term, his office said following a virtual meeting between the two leaders.

Guterres also spoke to leaders of the U.N.s regional groups on Friday and sent a letter to the Security Council on Monday, the U.N. spokesman said.

As for next steps, a General Assembly resolution adopted in September 2015 asks the presidents of the assembly and Security Council to start the process of soliciting candidates for the position of secretary-general through a joint letter addressed to all member states.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Member of Parliament S Muniswamy on Monday alleged that farmers who are protesting at the borders of have been paid and brought to the agitation sites.

BJP's Member of Parliament from Kolar said: "They are middlemen and fake farmers. They are eating pizza, burger,s and KFC products, and have set up a gym there. This drama should stop."

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the capital since November 26, 2020, against the 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.

The minister also reacted over the violence at Wistron Pvt Ltd, in Kolar district, which took place on December 12.

Muniswamy said, "They (Wistron) didn't make proper payments to labourers so it happened. Communists also joined them via WhatsApp and Facebook."

He further said, "I think it's linked to China, it's working with Communists to ensure other companies don't come to India.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
There have been very few offshore pipeline projects, if any, that had such a plethora of pipelaying vessel and supporting tugs appearing and disappearing, involved directly in pipelaying or acting merely as smoke and mirrors. Ever since Allseas stopped its pipelaying works in December 2019, the Akademik Cherskiy vessel was the prime candidate to carry on where the Swiss company has stalled  for this she circumnavigated half the planet, moving from Nakhodka in Russias Far East around the Cape of Good Hope to the Baltic Sea. Akademik Cherskiy, however, was inactive throughout pipelaying operations in Germanys EEZ. Moreover, Cherskiy sits idle quite a distance from Germany, off Russias Kaliningrad region, accompanied by a couple of anchor-handling tugs, Artemis Offshore and Errie.

Confounding the Gazprom-owned pipelines opponents even further, the ownership structure of the Fortuna vessel has become even more untraceable as she was sold resold again in mid-December, this time to a completely unknown company called KVT-RUS. Crudely put, all the pertinent vessels that are active in pipelaying operations on Nord Stream-2 or merely have been linked to its construction have been sold away from Gazprom amidst the looming threat of US sanctions. Speaking of supply vessels, there are at least half a dozen others scattered across the Baltic Sea. In and around Kaliningrad at least 3 vessels have been biding their time  the vessels Ostap Sheremeta, Yasniy and Vengeri were all linked to Nord Stream-2 at some point. Another anchor handling tug vessel, Ivan Sidorenko, has been moving somewhere in the Baltic Sea with its transponders switched off in mid-December, only to resurface in Mukran and then in Kaliningrad by the end of the same month.

Russian media reports state that Fortuna would start pipe-laying in Danish territorial waters from January 15, 2021, providing no specific date for the completion of works. There remain some 120km to be laid in Danish territorial waters, however, laying the pipelines in the middle of winter has always been the least preferable scenario for Gazprom given the difficult weather conditions that could slow down Fortunas assumed 1.5 km per day nominal speed. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to expect the completion of pipelaying works before April-May 2021. Generally speaking, Gazprom has two years left to conclude the construction of Nord Stream 2 before its transit agreement with Ukraines Naftogaz runs out and confronts the two companies (and two nations) once again in another round of a Russo-Ukrainian gas standoff.

An immutable aspect of Nord Stream-2 is the United States ever-tightening sanctions regime. Despite President Trumps veto of the National Defense Authorization Act of which the Nord Stream-relevant sanctions formed part, the US Congress overrode his decision, thus activating a new round of targeted sanctions from December 29 onwards. From now on, any entity, be it Russian or European, that helps build Nord Stream 2, provides retrofitting and upgrading services to vessels participating in the project, or provides insurance and/or underwriting might be subject to sanctions. Though the new sanctions package provides for a 30-day wind-down period, most European companies providing a technical assessment of Nord Stream-2 will cease any sort of cooperation with the pipe-laying vessels and Gazprom as the coordinator of its construction.

The European Union has so far refrained from robust political steps vis-a-vis the US Administration against what it perceives to be meddling in its internal affairs, however, the cohesion of the European block seems to have solidified over the course of 2020 and will fortify even more with Britains departure. Lack of progress on the Ukrainian dossier and Alexei Navalnys poisoning notwithstanding, virtually the entirety of Germanys financial leaders continue to support the project, stating that canceling Nord Stream-2 would not only hurt European customers and consumers but would also damage the financial standing of the top oil and gas majors involved in the project. Against such a geopolitical landscape, the US should find an elegant way to avoid acknowledging the failure of its multi-step sanctions-tightening.
[January 12, 2021] Kevin Logterman Joins JM Search

JM Search, a premier retained executive search firm, would like to welcome Kevin Logterman as Partner to the firm's Financial Officer Practice. Kevin joins current Financial Officer Practice Partners Drew Pressman, Brian Dwyer, and David Robinson. Kevin brings over 20 years of executive search experience, serving Private Equity and family-owned companies. He joins us from Slayton Search Partners, a Chicago-based search firm, where he co-led the Industrial Practice. Kevin's main focus has been recruiting CEO and CFO executives for middle market industrial companies with specific industry experience in Automotive, Chemicals, Distribution, Plastics, Capital Equipment and Industrial Services. Mr. Logterman commented, "I am excited to join a firm I have known of and competed against for many years. I look forward to continuing to build the terrific reputation of JM Search and help to build the Financial Officers Practice." "We are thrilled to have Kevin join our firm. Kevin's prior experience placing CFOs and working with Private Equity companies will continue to solidify our long-standing commitment to helping our clients remain at the forefront of ensuring their companies have excellent financial leadership in place," said John Marshall (News - Alert) , JM Search's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. Kevin and his wife reside in Wisconsin. In their free time, they enjoy travelin and spending quality time with their family. Kevin earned a BS degree from The University of Wisconsin-Platteville.



JM Search's CFO/Financial Officers Center of Excellence (https://jmsearch.com/cfo-financial-officers-practice/) sources world class finance and accounting talent for major public and private equity-backed companies seeking (value-add) high-profile roles including CFO, CAO, VP Finance, VP Treasurer, along with Controller and FP&A roles reporting into the C-suite. JM Search provides an accountable partner-led approach, along with a rigorous search process and knowledge of the marketplace that delivers our clients best-in-class results. Our ability to navigate the highly competitive financial leadership landscape has allowed us to become a preferred retained executive search partner for companies seeking proven financial officers. JM Search (www.jmsearch.com) is a premier retained executive search firm and trusted advisor to CEOs, investors and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. JM Search clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors. With national reach and local market depth, the firm's partner-led approach enables JM Search to deliver exceptional leaders who enhance organizational performance and drive shareholder value.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005209/en/

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Utes will be installed with hidden cameras in the rear tray as part of the latest sneaky tactic to bust motorists not sticking to the road rules.

Australia's biggest selling vehicles will be transformed into unmarked speed camera vehicles by the New South Wales Government as part of its renewed crackdown on speeding.

The tactic, which has already proved successful in other states, follows the government's controversial recent decision to remove signs warning of mobile speed cameras within the next 12 months.

Motorists got a first glimpse of one of the new cameras hidden in the back of a Ford Ranger on the NSW Speed Camera Locations Facebook page on Tuesday, which has since gone viral.

The NSW government will soon roll out its latest unmarked mobile speed camera vehicles, which include utes. Pictured is one of the new vehicles

'A majority of the new unmarked mobile speed camera vehicles will be large four-door utes with the camera system hidden in the tray covered by a canopy,' the post read.

'They will be all sorts of colours and makes. The system has already started and will have up to 150 units by mid this year.'

The post sparked a divided response online.

'Honestly, it just gives everyone an even better reason to hate k***s in dual cab utes with canopies more than they already do,' one man commented.

Many saw the move as another revenue-raiser for the government.

'This is the biggest cash grab ever. With the signage, drivers see that and slow down. Now there is no visual trigger as a reminder to check their speed so they will just keep speeding and a few days later get a fine in the mail,' one driver commented.

The NSW government will also remove speed camera warning signs from mobile sites in the next 12 months

Others pointed out other states are already using similar tactics, including Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the offices of NSW roads minister Andrew Constance and finance minister Damien Tudehope for more details.

It's unknown how many of the existing 45 speed camera cars across NSW will have their reflective markings removed.

The roads minister hinted at the sneaky new tactics in a NSW government release dated January 2 in relation to the 2020 road toll.

'We aim to halt this trend in 2021 by expanding the mobile speed camera program and removing markings from some of the vehicles so people know they can be caught anywhere, anytime,' Mr Constance said.

There will be more unmarked vehicles and less visible mobile speed cameras (pictured) on NSW roads throughout 2021 in an effort to slow down drivers and save more lives

The decision comes after unmarked mobile phone detection cameras decreased the number of drivers caught using their phones behind the wheel.

NSW Transport figures revealed one in every 82 drivers were spotted using their phones while driving before the cameras were installed, which has since dropped to one in every 454.

The NSW government insisted the statewide crackdown was about saving lives, not revenue collection.

NSW recorded its lowest ever road toll in 2020 with 297 lives lost.

Six lives have already been lost on the state's roads in the first 11 days of 2021.
1. Yes. The public must have assurances that ethical standards are met by everyone.

2. Yes. As long as an independent board hears the grievances, its a worthwhile idea.

3. No. The concept is too broad. It should be limited to the citys elected officials.

4. No. There are plenty of stipulations in place already. An ordinance is a waste of time.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without seeing how it would be structured and applied.

Vote

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FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- eTrueNorth is now empowering retail pharmacies to offer COVID-19 vaccines increasing access for all Americans. The company is utilizing its proven technology platform that has successfully enabled COVID-19 testing at more than 1,450 sites across the country.

Whether vaccine delivery programs are available curbside, through pharmacy drive-throughs, or at the in-store pharmacy counter, eTrueNorth wants to do its part to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine. eTrueNorth can work with pharmacies of all sizes regarding vaccine administration using a website specific for the retail pharmacy banner. eTrueNorth is providing the needed technology to pharmacies that allows Americans to:

Answer vaccine eligibility questions and collect data which is required for immunization reporting (and can change with individual state requirements)

Schedule an appointment

Complete consents

Create vouchers for vaccine to be administered at the pharmacy

While onsite for the first vaccine dose, immediately schedule the second dose appointment for the appropriate timeframe

Receive second vaccine appointment reminders via email

Mandatory for the retail pharmacy, the eTrueNorth Vaccine Voucher Solution allows for the collection and secure transfer of required information to the CDC Immunization Data Clearinghouse (DCH).

"Our goal was to overcome obstacles that are preventing a faster rollout of vaccines," said Michael McEntee, eTrueNorth's Chief Science Officer. "We have eliminated two of the most significant issues that pharmacies face today when offering COVID-19 vaccines. We have a proven technology platform that can gather the required data and securely send that data to the CDC DCH. In addition, while onsite for the first vaccine dose, our platform allows the individual to be immediately scheduled for the second vaccine appointment."

While pharmacies are accustomed to gathering and sending vaccine data to state registries, the federal government is requiring new data points such as race and ethnicity to be collected and securely transmitted to the CDC.

JoLynn Coleman, eTrueNorth's Vice President of Pharmacy Solutions, commented that the eTrueNorth Vaccine Voucher Solution provides a comprehensive solution to retail pharmacies. "Pharmacies very much want to be actively participating in the nationwide effort to immunize Americans against COVID-19. We can help pharmacies be effective and efficient in administering the vaccines," Coleman said. "This technology solves for many of the challenges pharmacies face."

Critical to the success of COVID-19 vaccine programs is the ability to encourage individuals to get the second dose vaccine at the appropriate time.

"We listened and learned quickly that many retail pharmacies need access to an online resource that can provide the critical infrastructure needed for scheduling, consent and the crucial reminder to individuals to schedule their second vaccine," McEntee said. "The eTrueNorth platform can seamlessly perform eligibility confirmation, scheduling, voucher creation and consent components, as well as schedule and remind the individual of the second vaccine dose. Plus, we have infrastructure in place to communicate data with the CDC. We hope our technology enables many more pharmacies to actively participate in the COVID-19 immunization effort of Americans."

eTrueNorth is in the forefront of public health initiatives. In early April, eTrueNorth began its participation in the drive-through COVID-19 testing site program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. With some 700 sites across the country, eTrueNorth has responded by enabling more than 1.7 million COVID-19 tests over the last six months alone. In the future, eTrueNorth will continue to support COVID-19 tests, antibody tests and coordination of vaccine delivery. eTrueNorth is working to implement its infrastructure for other public health concerns, such as HIV and Hep C testing, as well as for maintenance of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Proven strategies and clinical expertise prepare the company to address public health concerns, known and unknown.

Media Contacts:

Tom Wiser

eTrueNorth Communications

317-517-2216

[email protected]

SOURCE eTrueNorth
(Natural News) The number of people suffering serious adverse events following vaccination for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is 50 times higher than the number for seasonal flu shots, new reports indicate.

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is seeing a surge in new cases of COVID-19 vaccine injury that is massively outpacing similar cases for influenza vaccines and other jabs.

Through Dec. 22, with fewer than one million doses of China virus vaccines distributed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) VAERS platform received 307 reports of emergency room visits, as well as 17 life threatening events.

There have also been a number of deaths reported, which is deeply concerning when considering the fact that Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines have only been available to the public for less than a month.

In 2019-2020, about 175 million flu vaccine doses were given, tweeted former New York Times reporter and Tell Your Children author Alex Berenson.

1220 ER visits and 73 life threatening events were reported. The data is on the CDC VAERS Website.

Despite offering a few caveats for why there is this massive disparity, Berenson was basically forced to conclude that something is seriously wrong with COVID-19 vaccines that is causing a much higher share of patients to fall seriously ill or die after getting jabbed.

 the first Covid vaccine doses have mostly been given to healthy people in settings where problems can be quickly treated, Berenson notes, further indicting the jabs for affecting healthy people in a profoundly negative way.

These problems are occurring BEFORE the rollout to older, less healthy people  and before the 2nd dose, which is known to be far more dangerous.

Put bluntly, only stupid people are getting vaccinated for coronavirus

In the end, all of this simply confirms what Berenson admits was recognizable in the clinical trials  even though we know that clinical trials tend to understate real-world problems rather than overstate them.

 because any smart drug company will try to bias the trials in its favor, Berenson says.

All of that to say, getting vaccinated for the WuFlu is an exceptionally dangerous endeavor, especially since Big Pharma holds no liability for injury or death. Vaccine-injured people are completely on their own, in other words.

Considering the risk of getting sick, let alone dying, from the Chinese virus itself is next to nil, it makes no sense whatsoever to get vaccinated for it  especially when the risk of being harmed from the vaccine is higher than the risk of developing symptoms from natural infection.

The medical deep state will continue to push it on the masses, of course, even try to make it mandatory, but stand your ground and just say no, for the protection of you and your family.

And kudos to Berenson for being brave enough to tell the truth about these shots when so many others refuse to do so. Anthony Fauci and everyone else peddling them are guilty of crimes against humanity, and their day will come  hopefully sooner rather than later.

Its an experimental vaccine, i.e. not fully tested even according to the manufacturers schedule, and therefore must fall under the umbrella of human rights violations if its forced upon people, wrote one Zero Hedge commenter.

It also violates the Nuremberg Code of informed consent, another responded. These vax companies and Bill Gates know just how deadly they are  and vax companies are immune from prosecution for death or injury from the vax. Gates needs to be hanged from a lamppost and left swinging like a pinata while we have a shot at him with bats.

More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The farmers' unions said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the three Central farm laws as an interim measure, which is a welcome step, but it is not a solution.

The statement has been issued by Darshan Pal on behalf of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of the farmers' unions spearheading the protest against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament in September last year.

In a major decision, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of all the three farm laws and also formed a committee comprising mostly agriculturists to hear the grievances of the farmers' unions against the farm laws.

"The farmers' unions did not ask for this solution, given the fact that the implementation of the farm laws can be reinstated anytime. The government must repeal the laws and it must understand that the farmers and the people of India are opposed to the laws," the statement said.

The farmers said that they are yet to see the orders and the initial reactions are based only on the reporting of the proceedings in the court.

"We noted that the court has ordered the suspension of the implementation of the farm laws temporarily. Suspending the implementation of the laws as an interim measure is welcome, but it is not a solution, given the fact that the implementation can be reinstated at anytime. The government must repeal the laws," the statement said.

The top court has formed a committee in its own wisdom and the farmers' unions have nothing much to say on this. The unions reiterate the fact that they will not participate in any such committee, and one of their apprehensions about such a process got validated in the very constitution of the committee, it said.

"It is clear that the court is being misguided by various forces even in the constitution of the committee. These are people who are known for their support to the three farm laws and have actively advocated for the same. It is not out of place to remind that the farmers' unions have rejected a committee proposal from the government too. Their dialogue is basically with an elected government about its policy directions and concomitant laws," the farmers said.

The statement added that the farmers have explained in detail to the government of India that the three farm laws will lead to corporate control over agricultural production, processing and markets. They will also lead to high cost of inputs, higher debts, lower crop prices, increase in losses, decrease in government procurement, end PDS, raise food costs, increase farmer suicides, hunger deaths, eviction from land due to debts etc. The government has hidden these hard facts from the people and courts, it said.

The peaceful Kisan Parade announced by the farmers' organisations on Republic Day will be held in Delhi and other parts of the country, but the government is trying to misguide the court on this too, it said.

The farmers' movements on their key demands will continue as per the earlier announcement on January 13, 18 and 23.

The farmers are also preparing to celebrate Lohri on Wednesday on all the borders of Delhi, where they are holding dharnas.


She recently revealed that shes ready to have a second child with her fiance even though she is still pregnant with their first.

And Lala Kent was clearly in pre-maternal bliss on Monday, when she shared a VERY revealing selfie to her Instagram stories to mark the beginning of her third trimester.

The Vanderpump Rules star, 31, angled the camera down to show her completely naked torso, with one hand barely covering her nipples.

Lala Kent was clearly in pre-maternal bliss on Monday: She shared a VERY revealing selfie to her Instagram stories to mark the beginning of her third trimester

Her burgeoning belly took up the entire lower right part of the frame.

Lalas unmistakable lips could be seen in the upper left corner, with a pouty smile.

The caption written over the image read, 'We have officially entered our 3rd trimester. Holy S**T'

Expectant mother: The Vanderpump Rules star, 31, is expecting her first child, a baby girl, in April with The Irishman producer Randall Emmett; seen recently on Instagram

The blonde beauty is expecting her first child, a baby girl, in April with The Irishman producer Randall Emmett.

The pair began dating in 2016, before going public with their relationship two years later.

They got engaged in September 2018, when Emmett got on one knee in front of Lala on the beach.

Proud parents-to-be: The pair began dating in 2016, before going public with their relationship two years later; seen here in April 2019

They were planning to wed in April of last year, but that of course was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking recently to TooFab, Kent briefly discussed the couple's delayed wedding plans.

Though sad about having to find another date, she revealed they already had a full-proof backup plan.

Too cute: They got engaged in September 2018, when Emmett got on one knee in front of Lala on the beach; seen stealing a kiss at the end of last month

'We're just gonna make babies instead,' the model and actress said happily.

Though Randall already has two daughters with ex-wife Ambyr Childers, London and Rylee, this is the pair's first child together.

Already treating them like her own, Lala spoke about how many more children she would want to have.

That ring though: Though Randall already has two daughters with ex-wife Ambyr Childers, this is the pair's first child together

'One more after this,' she said. 'Yeah, I think we'll be good after that.'

She also shared that she has been having intense pregnancy cravings for sushi, which she added was 'frustrating because I can't have it.'

Lala has already made an Instagram page for the pair's future daughter, which plays on the name of her beauty line Give Them Lala Beauty.

She announced, 'Give Them Lala Baby' on Wednesday evening, as it is clear she cannot wait to be a mother.
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Citizens of Hebei province in China were told to report any religious activity within the province' jurisdiction and that they will also receive monetary reward. The clamp down, their authorities say, is part of the prevention against the ongoing pandemic.

The South China Morning Post also reported on Beijing authorities closing all 155 religious venues after a number of coronavirus patients were allegedly discovered to have attended religious gatherings.

Linking the recent outbreak to religious events in a locality, however, was a mere assumption. Catholic citizens of Hebei had always attended mass in officially sanctioned churches since the gradual re-opening of churches last year and the province had no reported COVID-19 cases until the recent outbreak.

One woman, age 66, who tested positive and claimed to have participated in a religious activity prior to her diagnosis had actually attended other events like a wedding banquet.

The Shijiazhuang Patriotic Catholic Association and the official Catholic diocese in Gaocheng also denied reports saying the church was linked to the spread of the virus in the area.

"As of [Thursday], there is only one Catholic from Shijiazhuang who has been confirmed with COVID-19," the association said.

Nonetheless, imposed suspensions of any religious gathering is still in effect until further notice.

How the New Directive Affects Believers

According to a document shared by Father Francis Liu of the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness, the United Front Department of Xingtai City and the local Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau collaborated to enforce the directive given by their government leaders banning all religious venues and religious activities. A tip-off system with the said reward was put in place starting Jan. 9.

Religious venues, the notice said, include homes, Buddhist halls, and other similar spots where people can gather for religious purposes. Citizens are encouraged to report any possible violation of the directive and upon confirmation, the tipster will receive 500 RMB (about $77).

But this is not the first time authorities in Xingtai city have mobilized citizens to help them put a stop on what they labeled as 'illegal religious activities,' International Christian Concern (ICC) said.

In July 2019, the United Front Work Department and the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in Xingtai have also asked people to report religious activities that do not line up to the aspirations and regulations of the Chinese Communist Party. Home churches were classified as among the not sanctioned, thus, were subject to suppression by the authorities.

Believers feared that the systematic crackdown of churches will culminate into another cultural revolution.

Refuting accusations

Recently, some rumors blaming Christians for the spread of COVID-19 in Hebei province arose. These rumors, which were spread online, suggested that Christians and missionaries were the "carriers" of the recent virus outbreak.

A local priest who goes by the name Shanren Shenfu refuted these allegations in a blog post. The priest, responding to a parishioner who asked if the rumors are true, provided several explanations as to why they are false.

Shenfu explained that gatherings were already prohibited before Christmas, indicating that people, particularly missionaries, will not be there. The priest added that there were Christmas Eve celebrations, but these masses were celebrated by "the priest alone in his parish."

The priest said that this sort of blame shifting event is reminiscent of emperor Nero during his rule in Rome. On a whim, he ordered the torching of a city then passed the buck on to Christians.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income,NYSE: O), The Monthly Dividend Company, today announced that a public offering of 10,500,000 shares of the company's common stock has been priced at a public offering price of $57.05 per share and is expected to close January 14, 2021. Net proceeds from the offering, after underwriting discounts and commissions, but before deducting other offering expenses, will be approximately $582.3 million. The company also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,575,000 additional shares of common stock. The joint book-running managers for the offering are BofA Securities, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo Securities and Citigroup.

The company intends to use net proceeds from the offering, along with available cash and additional borrowings as necessary, to fund property acquisitions. As of January 8, 2021, the company had entered into agreements or letters of intent to acquire additional U.S. and U.K. properties with an aggregate estimated purchase price of approximately $676.8 million. Moreover, from January 1 through January 8, 2021, the company has acquired properties with an aggregate purchase price of approximately $130.7 million, which, when combined with the properties under agreement or letter of intent as of January 8, 2021, equals an aggregate estimated purchase price of approximately $807.5 million.

Any remaining net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes and working capital, which may include additional acquisitions, developments or expansions and/or repayment of borrowings under the company's $3.0 billion revolving credit facility and/or the company's $1.0 billion commercial paper program. Acquisitions are subject to uncertainties and there can be no assurance that these planned property acquisitions will be completed at the prices or on the timetable or other terms currently contemplated, or at all, or that the company will enter into binding agreements to acquire properties as to which the company has entered into letters of intent.

A prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus related to the public offering of these securities will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, when available, may be obtained from BofA Securities, Attn: Prospectus Department, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001 or email: [email protected]; or Morgan Stanley, Attn: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014; or Wells Fargo Securities, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 500 West 33rd Street, New York, New York, 10001, at (800) 326-5897 or email: [email protected]; or Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, at (800) 831-9146 or email: [email protected].

These securities are offered pursuant to a Registration Statement that has become effective under the Securities Act. These securities are only offered by means of the prospectus supplement related to the offering and the related prospectus. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer or sale of these securities, in any state or other jurisdiction where, or to any person to whom, the offer, solicitation, or sale of these securities would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding planned acquisitions, are "forward-looking" statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, which may cause the company's actual future results to differ materially from expected results. These risks include, among others, general economic conditions, domestic and foreign real estate conditions, tenant financial health, the availability of capital to finance planned growth, volatility and uncertainty in the credit markets and broader financial markets, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, property acquisitions and the timing of these acquisitions, charges for property impairments, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to limit its impact, the effects of pandemics or global outbreaks of contagious diseases or fear of such outbreaks, the company's tenants' ability to adequately manage its properties and fulfill their respective lease obligations to the company, and the outcome of any legal proceedings to which the company is a party, as described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as reflections of the company's current operating plans and estimates. Actual operating results and property acquisitions may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in this press release. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date these statements were made.

SOURCE Realty Income Corporation

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The outgoing president described his scheduled impeachment in the House of Representatives on Wednesday a 'continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics'

Washington: Donald Trump emerged from isolation at the White House on Tuesday to brand the likely second impeachment of his presidency "absolutely ridiculous" and warn that it has triggered "tremendous anger."

Speaking as he boarded Marine One at the White House for a trip to Texas, Trump called his scheduled impeachment in the House of Representatives on Wednesday a "continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics."

With only eight days left in his one-term administration, Trump finds himself alone, shunned by former supporters, barred by social media, and now facing a second impeachment over his instigation of a riot against Congress on 6 January.

His trip to Alamo, Texas, where he will tout claims of success in building a US-Mexican border wall, is his first live public appearance since he rallied thousands of followers on the National Mall to march on Congress.

Although this is not the same Alamo as the famous fortress in another part of Texas, the trip marks something of a last stand for the Republican.

Ever since the 3 November election, the real estate tycoon has been obsessively pushing a lie that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, was the real winner and last week, in a speech he described Tuesday as "totally appropriate," he called on the huge crowd to "show strength."

Amped up on Trump's rhetoric, the mob burst into Congress, fighting with police, trashing offices and forcing frightened lawmakers to suspend briefly a ceremony legally formalising Biden's victory.

The crisis galvanised many of Trump's former boosters in the corporate and sporting world to turn their backs.

In Congress, where the Republican party has been in thrall to the populist leader for four years, even ultra-loyal senior figures like Senator Lindsey Graham have finally told Trump that he must accept his election defeat.

Trump, however, remains in denial.

He has yet to congratulate Biden or urge his supporters to stand behind the incoming president after he is inaugurated on 20 January: a gesture of political unity considered all but routine after US elections.

And according to Axios, Trump and the top Republican in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, had a stormy phone conversation Tuesday in which Trump claimed that left wing Antifa activists, not his supporters, attacked Congress.

"It's not Antifa," McCarthy reportedly responded. "I know. I was there."

When Trump continued to push his conspiracy theory that he was the true election winner, McCarthy reportedly interrupted, telling him: "Stop it. It's over. The election is over."

Impeachment 2.0

The House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a longshot bid to get Vice-President Mike Pence and the cabinet to invoke the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which would declare Trump unfit to perform his duties and install Pence as acting president.

This is unlikely to happen.

Although Pence is reportedly furious about Trump's behaviour last week, the two met at the White House on Monday for the first time since the Congress attack and had "a good conversation," according to a senior administration official.

That signaled that whatever Pence and the dwindling number of White House officials feel, they are committed to keeping the presidency limping along until 20 January.

Still, with a string of cabinet officials quitting the government, most recently the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf on Monday, it's also clear that Trump's grip on power is tenuous.

In an interview Tuesday on ABC News, Health Secretary Alex Azar did not dismiss outright the option of removing Trump, saying: "I'm not going to get into or discuss the 25th Amendment here."

Democrats will follow up the 25th Amendment vote with impeachment proceedings in the House on Wednesday. The single charge of "incitement of insurrection" is all but sure to get majority support.

The Republican-controlled Senate, however, is in recess until January 19 and its leadership says there is no way to rush through an impeachment trial before Biden takes over the following day.

This means that Trump, who was acquitted in the Senate last year after his first impeachment, would not be forced out of office early.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer has reportedly floated the idea of using a rare parliamentary maneuver to force the chamber back into session under emergency circumstances, giving time for the start of an impeachment trial.

But not even all Democrats are gunning for a trial, worried that this would overshadow Biden's first days in office.

The new president will already face the challenges of an out-of-control COVID-19 pandemic, the stumbling vaccination program, a shaky economy, and now the aftermath of violent political opposition from parts of Trump's huge voter base.

sms/ft

 Agence France-Presse
Dr. Heidi Fernandez, Dean, Trident University International's University College It is my objective to deliver a quality education so students have access to the tools they need to work towards their academic goals. - Dr. Heidi Fernandez, Dean, Trident's University College.

Trident University International (Trident) is proud to announce that Dr. Heidi Fernandez has been named Dean of University College. She previously held this role on an interim basis.

Dr. Fernandez joined Trident in 2013, with her previous positions including Math Department Chair, Math Faculty Lead, and Associate Dean of University College. She has served on multiple Doctoral Studies Project committees for students in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program.

Additionally, Dr. Fernandez also has K-12 teaching experience and is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT).

Since I earned my masters degree online, I am aware of the many challenges that can be faced by Tridents student community when returning to school, states Dr. Fernandez. It is my objective to deliver a quality education so students have access to the tools they need to work towards their academic goals.

Dr. Fernandez is a published author who has presented at multiple conferences, including the Online Teaching Conference in San Diego and the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, while her research has appeared in the journal Educational Technology & Society.

Her research interests include online teaching and learning, math, and online curriculum and course development.

Dr. Fernandez earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in Educational Technology from University of Florida, Gainesville. She holds a Master of Science in Math Education from Walden University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Education from University of Florida, Gainesville.

About Trident University International

Founded in 1998, Trident University International is a member of the American InterContinental University System, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). Trident uses the EdActive learning approach, which employs case-based learning in an online setting to teach real-world relevant critical thinking skills designed to enhance the lives and education of students. Trident offers quality associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs and certificates, led by a qualified faculty team, over 80% of whom have doctoral degrees. Trident has nearly 27,000 alumni, of which more than 22,000 have a military affiliation and has received acknowledgements from Washington Monthly, Military Times, and Military Advanced Education & Transition for their dedication to student success. Visit http://www.trident.edu or call at (855) 290-0290 to learn more about Trident's wide range of educational options.
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SpiceJet said it transported 3.5 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday from Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad to 11 cities across the country.

The movement of COVID-19 vaccines began on Tuesday morning. The shots will be used in the vaccination drive beginning Saturday.

"On January 13, 2021, SpiceJet shipped 111 boxes of Covid-19 vaccine, weighing 3.5 tonnes from Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad to 11 cities including Bagdogra, Dehradun, Srinagar, Jammu, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Jabalpur, Ranchi, Rajkot, Delhi and Bengaluru," the airline said in a statement.

The carrier said its freighter flight SG7555 operating from Hyderabad to Bengaluru took-off at 8.50 AM on Wednesday with a consignment of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin weighing 90 kg. It landed in Bengaluru at 10.23 am.

"From Mumbai, SpiceJet carried 74 boxes of Serum Institute of India's (SII's) Covishield vaccine to various cities including two to Bagdogra, 10 to Dehradun, seven to Srinagar, six to Jammu, six to Kanpur, nine to Gorakhpur, 13 to Jabalpur, 14 to Ranchi & seven to Rajkot," it noted.

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 blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

From Pune, SpiceJet carried 34 boxes of Covishield to Delhi on Wednesday.

"This follows the successful shipment of 4 million doses of Covishield by SpiceJet on January 12," it noted.

The government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over six crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines from SII and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive scheduled to start from January 16. The cost is Rs 1,300 crore.

Covishield is developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca and manufactured by the SII.

Bharat Biotech has developed the indigenous vaccine Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- North Island Credit Union invites college-bound students in San Diego County to apply for its 2021 College Scholarship Program. Through the program, the credit union provides $20,000 in scholarships annually to recognize Southern California students who are motivated in their academic studies and active in their schools and communities.

"We realize that managing the costs of higher education can be difficult for many families. Now more than ever, during these challenging times, we want to extend a hand to help support our local students and their families," said North Island Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell. "We encourage local students to apply for one of our scholarships to make it a little easier to fund their college dreams."

San Diego County college-bound high school seniors and community college students transferring to a four-year university who maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 are eligible to participate. Selection criteria include academic performance, school or community involvement, a letter of recommendation, and an essay submission.

Interested students can find more information and apply online at northisland.ccu.com/scholarship2021. Online applications will be accepted through March 26, 2021. Recipients will be announced on April 16, 2021.

The credit union's Annual College Scholarship program was created in 2005 to recognize outstanding students within local communities. Each year, the credit union awards 20 scholarships of $1,000 each to students in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. Since the creation of the program, the credit union has awarded more than $335,000 in scholarships.

About North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union

California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of $3 billion, California Credit Union has 25 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Please visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @northislandcu.

SOURCE North Island Credit Union

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https://northisland.ccu.com/


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Zhong Benhe (C) discusses with her team member and students at the lab of Sichuan University in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 8, 2021. Zhong Benhe is an outstanding professor of Sichuan University and a doctoral supervisor of the School of Chemical Engineering. She has been engaged in theoretical research and engineering practice in the field of phosphorus chemical engineering for more than 60 years and has made important contributions to the development of phosphorus chemical industry in China. At the age of 83, Professor Zhong still works on the frontline of scientific research and teaching, in a hope to lead and support scientific innovation and industrial development in China's phosphorus chemical industry at a higher level. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)
Fish in the Tunisian sea are special, said Mr. Chaddad, who grew up in Jerusalem and recently returned to Tunis, pointing out that the hot temperatures and shallow depths make for a special flavor. The seafood here is kissed by the sun. While you might not be able to get your hands on bona fide Tunisian sea bass, the flavors  the way the spiciness of the harissa plays with the perfumes of the rose petals  are evocative enough of the citys cuisine.

Make sure the egg is runny

For a snack, Mr. Chaddad recommends brik a loeuf, a deep-fried cousin to the dumpling, filled with some combination of tuna, potatoes, onions, capers, harissa (because of course), and, the star, a runny egg yolk that will drip all over your plate at the very first bite. His recipe, also included in Jerusalem, was featured in a write-up from the travel website Roads and Kingdoms, alongside an iteration from a Tunisian grandmother. Sarah Souli, a journalist whose associations with Tunisias capital are closely linked to visits with her grandmother, told me that she wouldnt dare try it on her own, even if she encourages others who want a taste of Tunis to do so.

I dont cook brik at home because I think longing is an important part of loving, Ms. Souli said. Ill wait till I can go back to Tunis and Memeti, my grandmother, makes me one.

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LAS CRUCES  Among the revelations of a lengthy investigative report probing the citys convention and visitors bureau and released by New Mexico State Auditor Brian Colon in December, was that the historic Rio Grande Theatre downtown lost money while the city manager claimed it was profitable.

Early in 2019, then-city manager Stuart Ed told Mayor Ken Miyagishima and the city council that the theater generated $130,000 in gross receipts in 2018, after an investment of $125,000 in city funds, according to investigators from the McHard Firm.

Accounting records told a different story.

While Ed said the theater had delivered nearly $5,000 in profit to the city general fund, city expenses omitted from Eds presentation, including salaries and benefits for employees running the theater, meant the Rio Grande actually lost more than $111,000 that year.

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The total loss for the theater from 2017 to 2019 was $353,082, investigators said.

Since 2017, the convention and visitors bureau, Visit Las Cruces, has been responsible for managing the theater. Because the bureau derived nearly all of its budget from lodgers taxes, the financial investigation identified another problem: Funds used for general events, such as the Las Cruces Country Music Festival, events at the downtown Plaza de Las Cruces and the theater, may have violated the law.

In authorizing the occupancy tax for revenue on lodging with municipalities, the (state) Legislature decided that the proceeds could only be used primarily for advertising, publicizing and promoting tourist-related attractions, facilities and events.  Paying for general event costs is not included among the authorized uses for occupancy taxes.

Although the nonprofit Friends of Visit Las Cruces was involved with events at the theater, investigators determined that it was largely a shell company with no funds of its own: Every dime that went through the organization was city money, the report said.

Ed resigned from the city in 2019 and San Filippo was fired later that year in the midst of a sweeping investigation into the misuse of city funds under his supervision.

Among its recommendations, the McHard report suggested that Visit Las Cruces had become a de-facto cultural affairs department and should get out of the event planning business.

Financial auditors wrote, the City should evaluate the Rio Grande Theatre as a continued City-owned and City-operated venture, and consider the options of selecting a third-party contractor to operate the Theatre, having a truly independent nonprofit run the Theatre, or selling the Theatre.
Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 12.01.2021:

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have signed a statement on new steps to develop infrastructure projects in Karabakh.

The leaders met in Moscow on Monday and hold a meeting together followed by a joint statement on the development of the situation in the region.

Calling the meeting 'extremely important and useful', Putin noted that the sided came to an agreement for concrete steps to develop economic ties and infrastructure projects.

A working group will be created in this regard headed by the vice-premiers of the three governments - Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia.

Meanwhile, Pashinyan noted that the sides failed to resolve the issue of prisoners of war. According to him, the conflict in Karabakh has not yet been settled, and 'there are still many issues that must be resolved.'

Following the talks, Aliyev, in turn, noted that  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is in the past, and 'we must think about the future.'

He also noted that Armenia will have railway communication with Russia through the territory of Azerbaijan.

After more than 30 years, Azerbaijan will have transport communication with the Azerbaijani Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of Armenia, and the Republic of Armenia will have a railway exit to Russia and Iran through the territory of Azerbaijan, Aliyev said.

Residents of Artsakhs (Nagorno-Karabakh) Stepanakert heard gunshots in the city - the evening while Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders were meeting in Moscow.

Citizens called Armenian News-NEWS.am on the phone and reported that Azerbaijanis are firing gunshots in the air.

According to them, after the ceasefire established on November 9, this isnt the first case when sounds of gunshots are heard, especially from Shushi.

Armenian News-NEWS.am failed to receive an official commentary on the incident, while the spokespersons of the Artsakh defense army didnt answer phone calls.

Bodies of 10 soldiers and one civilian have been found in Hadrut, Sghnakh, and Jabrayil, Karabakh emergency situations service reported.

The bodies of a total of 1,222 servicemen and civilians have been found at and removed from the sites of fighting thanks to search efforts.

Aross-stone in the Arakel village of Hadrut region was desecrated, the Re:public of Artsakh Telegram channel reported.

Azerbaijan has always delayed the return of captives the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, told a briefing.

According to him, this is done with the obvious purpose of causing as much mental suffering as possible and creating tension in the Armenian society.

He reminded that the permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the UN recently issued a letter in which the issue of 62 Armenianswho were taken captives after the ceasefire statement of November 9was discussed.

Italia has sentenced PACE ex-member to four years in prison for accepting a bribe from Azerbaijan.

A Milan court has found former PACE member Luca Volonte guilty of blockingin exchange for receiving 0.5 million eurosthe adoption of a report on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

The criminal investigation into the death of Georgi Kutoyan, chief of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, has been suspended as it is not known who should be included in the case as a defendant.

On January 17 last year, NSS ex-director Georgi Kutoyan was found dead in a Yerevan apartment, and with a gunshot wound. A criminal case was initiated in connection with the incident, and under the Criminal Code Article on causing to commit suicide.

According to the information published earlier by the Investigative Committee, a month before this incident, Kutoyan had fired 35 irregular shots from his pistol in the aforesaid apartment.

And the chair of the Investigative Committee, Hayk Gevorgyan, had told reporters that Kutoyan's suicide was due to personal motives.
The Alameda County District Attorneys Office will not file charges against Anthony Pirone, the former BART police officer who has been criticized for actions that led to the fatal police shooting of Oscar Grant on New Years Day 2009.

The announcement Monday by District Attorney Nancy OMalley comes more than three months after OMalley reopened the investigation into the shooting. The officer who shot and killed Grant, Johannes Mehserle, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2010 and served a jail sentence.

Grants family has long advocated for charges against Pirone, saying he instigated the series of events that resulted in Mehserle shooting Grant in the back as they struggled on the platform of Oaklands Fruitvale Station. Mehserle later testified that he thought he was shocking Grant with his Taser  not shooting him with his service pistol. Grant was unarmed. Prione was later fired by BART for his role in the shooting.

While calling Pirones actions offensive and unacceptable, OMalleys office said in a statement that there was not enough evidence to charge him with murder.

Following an exhaustive investigation and legal analysis, the District Attorney, while condemning Anthony Pirones conduct in the strongest of terms, has concluded that he cannot be charged with murder or any other criminal offense, OMalleys office said in a statement.

In a 10-minute video released Monday, OMalley explained her reasoning, saying she met with Grants family to explain her decision.

But Grants uncle, Cephus Uncle Bobby Johnson, said OMalley didnt make it clear that she wasnt filing charges.

We came out of the meeting not knowing a decision had been made, Johnson told The Chronicle on Monday. To come out here and say that some decision was made that wasnt made in the meeting was really disturbing.

Grants death was among the first videotaped killings of Black men at the hands of police that was widely viewed on social media, resulting in protests and demands for justice.

On Jan. 1, 2009, Grant was traveling with friends on a BART train from San Francisco, where they had celebrated New Years Eve. Just before 2 a.m., a fight broke out on the train. Pirone arrived to the Fruitvale Station platform within minutes. Grant and his friends got off the train, prosecutors said, but Pirone suspected they were involved in the fight because of similar descriptions. When Grant and one of his friends temporarily reboarded the train, prosecutors said Pirone aggressively removed them.

Court testimony and video showed that Pirone kneed and pushed Grant violently to the concrete platform. At one point, apparently angry at being called a profane name, Pirone leaned in close to Grant and shouted racial epithets at him.

Pirone joined the U.S. Army after he was fired. Efforts to reach him Monday were unsuccessful. His attorney Bill Rapoport died in 2018.

In October, following the urging of Grants family, OMalley assigned a team of lawyers to look into Grants death. At the time, legal experts, including attorney John Burris, who has represented several of Grants friends and family in federal civil lawsuits, said any potential new charges would be a long shot.

The statute of limitations on any charge  except murder  had expired by the time OMalleys office reopened the investigation. Burris long advocated for Pirone to be prosecuted for excessive force for taking Grants friend Michael Greer to the ground with a leg sweep and getting physical with Grant multiple times.

What happened to Oscar Grant should never have happened, the DAs office wrote in a 15-page report.The evidence showed then as it shows now that the person who killed Oscar Grant was Johannes Mehserle and Mehserle alone.

Michael Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: michael.williams@sfchronicle.com
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The New York Times

Among the many measures my local Y is using to prevent the spread of Covid-19, instant temperatures are taken with a forehead scanner before people can enter the building. Curious to know how hot I was one cold, rainy day, I asked the attendant what it registered: 96.2. The last time my temperature was checked in a medical setting it was 97.5. Whatever happened to 98.6, the degrees Fahrenheit that I and most doctors have long considered normal body temperature?

As if reading my mind, Dr. Philippa Gordon, a Brooklyn pediatrician, sent me an article, Peoples Bodies Now Run Cooler Than Normal  Even in the Bolivian Amazon, by two anthropologists, Michael Gurven and Thomas Kraft, at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

As they wrote in The Conversation, There is no single universal normal body temperature for everyone at all times. Rather, body temperature varies, not only from one person to another, but also over the course of the day  lower in the morning, higher in the evening; rising during and after exercise; varying at different times in the menstrual cycle, and at different ages  lower for old-timers like me.

Furthermore, researchers who took hundreds of thousands of temperature readings from people in Palo Alto, California, found that 97.5 was the new normal, down about a degree from what German physician Dr. Carl Wunderlich established in 1867 in a study of 25,000 people. (Wunderlichs research did find that normal body temperature ranged from 97.2 to 99.5.)

In reviewing data from 1862 through 2017, Dr. Julie Parsonnet, a professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, and co-authors found a steady decline in average body temperature of about 0.05 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. She has observed that at least 75% of normal temperatures are now below 98.6.

If my body temperature registered 98.6, would that mean I have a fever? Possibly, said Sharon S. Evans, a professor of oncology and immunology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, even though 100.4 is generally considered the lower end of the fever spectrum.

In a review written with two colleagues, Elizabeth A. Repasky and Daniel T. Fisher, Evans showed that under most circumstances, fever is beneficial, reducing the severity of illness and shortening its length. (She emphasized, however, that patients should follow their doctors advice about taking medications to reduce fever.)

Fever acts to mobilize multiple arms on the immune system, a function that is remarkably well conserved across many, many species  both warmblooded and coldblooded, she explained in an interview. Fever affects every aspect of the immune system to make it work better.

For starters, Evans said, fever activates innate immunity  the mobilization of white blood cells: neutrophils that patrol the body for pathogens and macrophages that gobble them up. Macrophages, in turn, send out an alarm that help is needed, prompting adaptive immunity  T cells and B cells  into action. These cells initiate a specific response to the invader: the production of antibodies days later.

Treating fever can prolong or worsen illness, Dr. Paul Offit, vaccinologist at the University of Pennsylvania, stated in Hippocrates Was Right: Treating Fever Is a Bad Idea, a fascinating YouTube presentation by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Fever enhances survival, Offit reported. That accounts for its persistence throughout animal evolution, even though it exacts a significant metabolic cost. Immunity, both innate and adaptive, works better at higher temperatures, he said.

Thus, when you take medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol and its generic forms) or ibuprofen to suppress a fever, you actually work against the inherent protective benefits nature bestowed. Yes, a fever reducer would probably make you feel better, relieving symptoms like headache, muscle aches and fatigue. But, Offit emphasized: Youre not supposed to feel better. Youre supposed to stay under the covers, keep warm and ride out the infection, not go out and spread it to others.

We have fevers for a reason, he said. Fever helps to reduce viral shedding and shorten the length of illnesses like the flu.

Grandmas proverbial common cold remedy of hot chicken soup probably helps because the steam raises the temperature of nasal passages, repressing reproduction of the virus, he suggested.

Evans and colleagues wrote, The fact that fever has been retained throughout vertebrate evolution strongly argues that febrile temperatures confer a survival advantage. This is true for invertebrates like insects as well. And when coldblooded animals like lizards or bees get sick, they try to raise their body temperature by increasing physical activity or seeking a warmer environment, Evans said.

So why are we so hellbent on suppressing fevers? Fear is one reason, said Gordon, the Brooklyn pediatrician, who said frantic parents often called in the middle of the night when a childs fever spiked. She suggested that doctors warn parents ahead of time to expect a nighttime rise in a childs fever and explain that high fevers from an infection are not damaging.

The body has a built-in thermostat  the hypothalamus  that keeps temperatures from getting high enough to cause damage, she said, and febrile seizures (brief convulsions, shaking and perhaps loss of consciousness that affect some young children) result from how fast temperatures rise, not how high they get. In a genetically susceptible child, a seizure can occur when the temperature rises quickly even at low temperatures, say, from 99 to 100.8.

Febrile seizures are creepy and terrifying for parents to watch, but they dont cause any damage, Gordon said. She added, however, that fever is worrisome in very young babies who have immature immune systems and havent yet been vaccinated against serious diseases.

Even knowing the infection-fighting benefits of fever, Gordon said she would still recommend medication to lower a fever if a child, especially a non-verbal child, was very miserable and perhaps unable to sleep or eat.

Adults are generally advised to seek medical help if their fever rises above 103 degrees.

An important caveat about high fevers: Unlike fevers resulting from an infection, there is no natural shut-off for environmentally induced fevers, such as might occur if a child is shut in a hot car or an overdressed athlete overexercises on a hot day, which can result in fatal heat stroke.

Consumers should also consider how a temperature is taken before interpreting the results. An ear temperature is usually slightly higher than an oral temperature, which in turn is higher than an armpit temperature or a forehead scan.

To ensure a reliable reading, the temperature of newborns should be taken with a rectal thermometer, Gordon said. But for older children with a fever, the exact number of degrees doesnt really matter unless theyve not been immunized, she said.

Jane E. Brody. c. 2021 The New York Times Company
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
WASHINGTON - The U.S. House rushed ahead Tuesday toward impeaching President Donald Trump for the deadly Capitol attack, taking time only to try to persuade his vice-president to push him out first. Trump showed no remorse, blaming impeachment itself for the tremendous anger in America.

President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign rally in support of U.S. Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue in Dalton, Ga., Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

WASHINGTON - The U.S. House rushed ahead Tuesday toward impeaching President Donald Trump for the deadly Capitol attack, taking time only to try to persuade his vice-president to push him out first. Trump showed no remorse, blaming impeachment itself for the tremendous anger in America.

Already scheduled to leave office next week, Trump is on the verge of becoming the only president in history to be twice impeached. His incendiary rhetoric at a rally ahead of the Capitol uprising is now in the impeachment charge against him  to be taken up Wednesday  even as the falsehoods he spread about election fraud are still being championed by some Republicans.

The House on Tuesday night approved a resolution urging Vice-President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove Trump with a Cabinet vote, although Pence had already said he would not do so. The resolution, passed 223-205 almost entirely along party lines, urged him to "declare what is obvious to a horrified Nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office.

Hours before the vote Pence had said no. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said it would not be in the best interest of the nation and it was time to unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden."

Meanwhile, five Republican lawmakers, including third-ranking House GOP leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming, announced they would vote to impeach Trump on Wednesday, cleaving the Republican leadership, and the party itself.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The President is traveling to Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack, said Cheney in a statement. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.

As lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol for the first time since the bloody siege, they were bracing for more violence ahead of Democrat Biden's inauguration, Jan. 20.

All of us have to do some soul searching, said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, an author of both pieces of legislation, imploring other Republicans to join.

Members of the National Guard stand inside anti-scaling fencing that surrounds the Capitol complex, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alan Fram)

Trump, meanwhile, warned the lawmakers off impeachment and suggested it was the drive to oust him that was dividing the country.

"To continue on this path, I think its causing tremendous danger to our country, and its causing tremendous anger," Trump said.

In his first remarks to reporters since last weeks violence, the outgoing president offered no condolences for those dead or injured, only saying, I want no violence.

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., talks to reporters just outside the House chamber after a resolution calling for the removal of President Donald Trump from office was blocked by Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is calling for congressional action to rein in President Donald Trump after inciting last week's deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

With Pence's agreement to invoke the 25th Amendment ruled out, the House will move swiftly to impeachment on Wednesday.

Trump faces a single charge  incitement of insurrection  in the impeachment resolution after the most serious and deadly domestic incursion at the Capitol in the nations history.

Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, argued that Trump must go because, as she said in Spanish, he's loco - crazy.

President Donald Trump tours a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Alamo, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican Reps. John Katko of New York, a former federal prosecutor; Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, an Air Force veteran; Fred Upton of Michigan and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state announced they, too, would vote to impeach. Kinzinger was the lone Republican voting in favour of the resolution calling on Pence to act.

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said the cancel culture was just trying to cancel the president. He said the Democrats had been trying to reverse the 2016 election ever since Trump took office and were finishing his term the same way.

Though a handful of House Republicans will join the impeachment vote  and leaders are allowing them to vote as they wish  it's far from clear there would then be the two-thirds vote needed to convict from the narrowly divided Senate. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania did join Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to go away as soon as possible.

FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. A deepening divide among Republicans over President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election runs prominently through Wyoming, the state that delivered Trump's widest prevailing margin by far. Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. Vocal opponents of any such move include Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, leader of GOP messaging in the House as its third-ranking Republican (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Unprecedented events, with just over a week remaining in Trump's term, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests by Trump loyalists ahead of Bidens inauguration, and Capitol Police urged lawmakers to be on alert. The inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.

With new security, lawmakers were required to pass through metal detectors Tuesday night to enter the House chamber, not far from where Capitol police, guns drawn, had barricaded the door against the rioters. Some Republican lawmakers complained about it.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three other people died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.

Metal detectors are set up for lawmakers and staff before entering the House chamber, a new security measure put into place after a mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. The House is trying to push the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are set to pass a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to oust Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Biden has said it's important to ensure that the "folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable.

Fending off concerns that an impeachment trial would bog down Biden's first days in office, the president-elect is encouraging senators to divide their time between taking taking up his priorities of confirming his nominees and approving COVID relief while also conducting the trial.

As Congress resumed, an uneasiness swept the halls. More lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege. Many lawmakers were voting by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel.

One of Trump's closest allies in Congress, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was among those echoing the president, saying impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.

The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

Like the resolution to invoke the 25th Amendment, the impeachment legislation also details Trump's pressure on state officials in Georgia to find him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to fight like hell and march to the building.

The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Bidens victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, there is precedent. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.

Trump was impeached by the House in 2019 over dealings with Ukraine and acquitted in 2020 by the Senate.

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Jill Colvin, Ellen Knickmeyer and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.
Fight for Trump! the crowd bellowed.

Mr. Trump said that hed just spoken to the vice president, who was due to oversee the ceremonial counting of electoral votes. I said: Mike, that doesnt take courage. What takes courage is to do nothing  that takes courage. And then were stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot, and we have to live with that for four more years. Were just not going to let that happen.

Were going to walk down, and Ill be there with you, were going to walk down, were going to walk down, Mr. Trump said, to the Capitol, and were going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and -women, and were probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them. He continued: Because youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated.

We fight. We fight like hell, the president said. If you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.

With that, the crowd struck off and some of the presidents loyalists stormed the Capitol.

The charges against Mr. Trump are clear: inciting an insurrection. The House could give him fair consideration without the lengthy hearings it required to impeach him in December 2019 after he strong-armed the Ukrainian president. The evidence now is not secondhand accounts of meetings and phone calls. The offenses occurred in public for weeks and then live on national television.

Significant support from Republicans would be necessary to achieve the two-thirds majority in the Senate required for a conviction. But the deadly attack on Congress finally seems to have shaken some of them from their reflexive backing of the president who incited it. Senators were driven out of their own chamber, and into hiding, while they were in the middle of performing their constitutional duty of counting the electoral votes.

Mr. Trump may not have called directly for this behavior, but there is no question that he encouraged it and then refused for hours to condemn it, even as the whole world watched in horror. When he finally asked for rioters to stop and go home, he continued to claim the election had been stolen.
Deep in the woods, stone walls and foundations tell stories long forgotten. But Kathleen Butler is setting out to rediscover them.

Butler, who lives in Bristol in Bucks County, is the author of Abandoned Ruins of Eastern Pennsylvania: Remnants Lost in Time, where she showcases photographs of long-lost homes, farms and other buildings that she has found in Pennsylvania. This book highlights spots as far north as Scranton and all the way south through Delaware County.

This isnt her only book, she also published Abandoned Ruins on Public Lands in New Jersey: Forgotten and Unknown Pasts this year, and has two more books on abandoned spots in New Jersey set to be published in 2021. All her books are available for purchase on Amazon.com. More Pennsylvania-centric books are in progress too. Butler just finished a research trip to western Pennsylvania where she gathered even more material.

Author Kathleen Butler with her book "Abandoned Ruins in Eastern Pennsylvania." Photo provided by the author.

She finds her ruins using a variety of techniques. She is a member of several hiking forums, where people share odd things they find when they hop off the beaten path. She also uses old aerial photographs from historicaerials.com to see if there were once buildings at any of the state parks she plans to explore.

Once she has a ruin, she begins her research to find out what they were originally. Then begins the hard part -- actually finding the structures. Shes turned it into a family activity with her husband and children, and its something they all enjoy.

It gets us outside and hiking through areas, she said. Its pandemic friendly and its a good family bonding thing.

And theres nothing that can beat the feeling when you finally find the ruin youve been looking for.

Its a feeling of accomplishment that I cant explain, Butler said.

Butler took a few minutes out of her day to share with us three of her favorite ruins in eastern Pennsylvania -- all of which can be found in her book.

Fieldstone Farm Preserve ruins in Cresco. These ruins appear in Kathleen Butler's book, "Abandoned Ruins in Eastern Pennsylvania." Photo by Kathleen Butler.

Fieldstone Farm Preserve Ruins: Youll find these ruins in Cresco, by Mount Pocono. The ruins are of a farm house that was built by Carl Tielenius, a New York businessman who wanted to build a house for his daughter. Its estimated to be around 100 years old. While youre there, check out the nearby Devils Hole ruins, which used to be a speakeasy, according to Butler. You can still see the speakeasys old pulley system.

Ruins near the Mocanaqua Loop Trail in Shickshinny. These ruins appear in Kathleen Butler's book, "Abandoned Ruins in Eastern Pennsylvania." Photo by Kathleen Butler.

Mocanaqua Loop Trail: This trail in Pinchot State Forest in Shickshinny is filled with various ruins, all of which are related either to the railroad or coal mining industries, according to Butler. Theres one large ruin in particular that Butler believes was used as an office for coal miners. Youll see the most ruins if you stick to the brown trail.

Prison farm ruins in northeast Philadelphia. These ruins appear in Kathleen Butler's book, "Abandoned Ruins in Eastern Pennsylvania." Photo by Kathleen Butler.

Prison Farm: Youll find the foundations of this old farm structure on the Poquessing Creek Trail in northeast Philadelphia. It used to be a bank barn, but eventually became a farm for prisoners to work on. Butler had to go to the Northeast Philadelphia Historical Society to track down exactly what the ruins where, since its hard to imagine that the foundations youre standing on once held greenhouses.

You can learn more about abandoned places in Pennsylvania in Butlers book, or at Butlers website exploringnjandpa.com.

Want more stories about abandoned places in Pennsylvania? Check out:

9 abandoned places in Pa. that you can legally visit

Abandoned & overgrown in Pa.: 16 strange spots from theme parks to trolley graveyards

Pictures of abandoned places: Pa. photographer finds the joy in rusty, falling apart things
There are two kinds of wines that are always in season in these parts: roses because of our climate and cabernets because of our unapologetic taste-bud predilections. The late Bear Dalton, Specs longtime wine buyer, spoke frequently about how Houston has a regional palate, and he was right. We do. Above all, this is cab country because its beef country, too. Nothing pairs better than a perfectly cooked steak.

Today, Im saluting the best cabs that I and several of my fellow Chronicle tasters have sampled in recent weeks. Not surprisingly, many of Napa Valleys heavyweights made the cut. After all, theres no better terroir on the planet to grow Bordeauxs signature Left Bank varietal, Bordeauxs Left Bank included.

Youll note that most of the famous AVAs are represented: Rutherford, Oakville and St. Helena on the valley floor, plus Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, the Stags Leap District and Atlas Peak on the surrounding slopes. But Alexander Valley to the west in Sonoma County is represented, too, although one of its wines, the 2014 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus, is an outlier.

Though this red blend is only 62 percent cabernet, the wines intensely bright fruit flavor and velvety tannins make AVVs flagship a brother from a different mother to the others and, supporting Daltons contention, helps explain how it could be chosen, by mostly local judges, as the Grand Champion Best of Show four times in the 18-year history of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeos International Wine Competition.

At just over $50, the Cyrus is quite the bargain, too, and is now in retail distribution in Houston.

Note that our unofficial class champion, price be hanged, is the 2016 Shafer Hillside Select Stags Leap District, earning a quality score of 9.8 points. (Three prominent critics gave it 100-point scores.) Alas, its not a wine for anybody on a budget. A bottle sells for $310.

2014 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus: 19.4 (9.4 for quality, 10 for value). Decanter awarded a 97, calling the rodeo champion red blend a stunning wine. Alcohol: 14.3 percent. $48.37 at Specs

2016 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley: 19.3 (9.3 for quality, 10 for value). Describing the wine as silky and harmonious, James Suckling scored it a 93. Alcohol: 15.1 percent. $29.87 at Specs

2017 Turnbull Oakville: 19.3 (9.3 for quality, 10 for value). The wine, which has a little cab franc and a tiny bit of malbec in the blend, earned scores of at least 90 from six national critics. The Wine Enthusiast (93) says it offers outstanding value for the quality. I agree. Alcohol: 14.2 percent. $44.99 at Specs

2018 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley: 19.2 (9.2 for quality, 10 for value). The Wine Spectator awarded a 91, praising it for being ripe and fresh. Alcohol: 14.5 percent. $32.97 at Specs

2017 Charles Krug Napa Valley: 19 (9 for quality, 10 for value). Merlot and petitverdot make up 10 percent of the blend. Wine.coms Wilfred Wong says it sails smoothly with bright red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Alcohol: 14.1 percent. $28.97 at Specs

2018 Decoy Limited Napa Valley: 19 (9 for quality, 10 for value). A step up from Duckhorns high-value entry-level Decoy line, the fruit is sourced from a variety of Napa AVAs and is on point as an excellent example of a well-made Napa Valley cab, Wong insists. Alcohol: 14.5 percent. $27.99 at Total Wine

2017 Stags Leap Napa Valley: 18.6 (9.1 for quality, 9.5 for value). The Wine Enthusiast, which awarded a 92, liked it for being thick in tannin and bright in red fruit. Alcohol: 14.3 percent. $39.99 at Total Wine

2016 Jordan Alexander Valley: 18.5 (9 for quality, 9.5 for value). Wong, who awarded a 93, praised it for exemplifying beauty, elegance and balance. The 2016 represents Jordans 40th-anniversary vintage. Alcohol: 13.8 percent. $52.59 at Specs

2014 J. Moss Rutherford: 18.3 (9.3 for quality, 9 for value). Owner/winemaker James Moss, whose wine passion began while he was working for a distributor in Dallas, used only cabernet grapes from a variety of Rutherford microclimates. Alcohol: 14.4 percent. $74.99 at Specs

2017 Amici Napa Valley: 18.2 (9.2 for quality, 9 for value). Suckling, scoring it a 93, called the wine a fantastic red for the vintage. Alcohol 14.5 percent. $59.99 at Kroger in the Heights

2016 Shafer Hillside Select Stags Leap District: 17.8 (9.8 for quality, 8 for value). The Wine Advocate, Vinous and Jeb Dunnuck all awarded 100 points with Dunnuck describing this all-cabernet masterpiece as pure perfection. Vinous: In a word, magnificent! Alcohol: 15.5 percent. $309.97 at Total Wine

2017 Spottswoode Estate St. Helena: 17.6 (9.6 for quality, 8 for value). Five critics scored it between 95 and 97. Describing it as very refined, Suckling (96) liked the pretty tension of fruit and tannins. Cabernet and petit verdot are in the blend. Alcohol: 13.7 percent. $228.94 at Specs

sportywineguy@outlook.com
The worlds largest vaccination drive is set to begin with India rolling out the first consignment of 5.65 million coronavirus vaccine dosages to 12 cities on Tuesday in boxes labelled "may all be free from disease."

India will formally commence its inoculation programme from 16 January.

India has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, also known as Covishield, to be distributed to various cities, including national capital Delhi, from vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of Indias (SII) facilities.

Calling it a momentous mission, Indias aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said nine commercial flights from Pune with Covishield were flown to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

India gave approval to Oxfords Covishield and indigenous Covaxin vaccine for emergency use on 1 January. The country plans to inoculate 300 million people by early August, beginning with an estimated 10 million health workers.

Officials of SII, the biggest vaccine manufacturer in the world, dispatched 478 boxes of vaccine dosages in three temperature controlled trucks to the Pune airport after performing ceremonial prayers.

Meanwhile, the government has placed an additional order of 40.5 million dosages of AstraZeneca from SII, at a price of Rs 200 per jab, in addition to the earlier order of 10 million doses.

Indigenous Covaxin by local firm Bharat Biotech that courted controversy for its approval without third phase data would help inoculate 30 million healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the drive.

The government also placed the order of 5.5 million doses of Covaxin to Bharat Biotech on Monday.

As India is set to start its large-scale inoculation drive, the country has been approached by Bangladesh, Myanmar and Mongolia for Covid-19 vaccines.

A senior government official reported that prime minister Narendra Modi has asked authorities to support foreign countries under the aegis of the external affairs ministry in consultation with the pharmaceutical ministry, reported Hindustan Times.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have each ordered a supply of 30 million vials, while Nepal has asked to procure 12 million dosages from SII, according to reports.
uschools/iStockBy MARYALICE PARKS, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) -- In search of historical guidance and legal tools to respond to the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol last week, members of Congress and legal scholars alike are re-examining a little known section of a Reconstruction-era constitutional amendment.



Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, in theory, gives Congress the authority to bar public officials, who specifically took an oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, from holding office if they "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the Constitution and therefore broke their oath. But the provision has rarely been used or tested, and so scholars are unsure about how exactly Congress could exercise authority under this provision and to what end today.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., formally asked her colleagues on Sunday for their views on this part of the Constitution.



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos that Congress was exploring many possible legal and political avenues to respond to the attack and hold the president, if not other elected officials, accountable.



"This is not either the 25th Amendment or impeachment or, you know, investigating our other avenues through the 14th Amendment," she said on ABC's This Week Sunday. "I do not believe that this is a question of deciding or debating between which of these avenues we should pursue. I believe we should take an all-of-the-above approach."



Then Monday, Democrats' explicitly referenced it too in their newly drafted article of impeachment against President Donald Trump.



Following the end of the Civil War, Congress faced questions about who should be able to retain power and hold public office as the country stitched itself back together.



"They fight a war over slavery and lose it -- 700,000 to 800,000 people dead," Civil War historian and Columbia University professor Stephanie McCurry said of the Southern states. "They lose in April of 1865, but by December of 1865 they are sending back to Congress -- people like Alexander Stephens, the former vice president of the Confederacy. It's unbelievable they thought they could do that. They are completely unrepentant and they are used to exercising power."



Dismayed at the time, members of Congress refused to seat men like Stephens and the debate spurred the drafting of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified three years later in 1868.



"It doesn't say anything about Confederates, it's about anybody who commits this kind of thing. My view is it would apply to President Trump and bar him for holding any office either right now or in the future," Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian Eric Foner told ABC News on Monday.



Foner emphasized the part of Section 3 that refers to those political and military leaders who previously took an oath of office. He argued the provision was not intended to bar average Confederate soldiers from public office, but specially those who had previously sworn to protect the U.S. Constitution.



"It was a punishment for having rebelled but, in a sense, a rebellion after having taken an oath. It was perjury they were punishing them for," he said. "(Trump) took an oath to support the Constitution and now he has given aid to insurrection and that is the kind of thing the people who wrote the 14th Amendment were trying to avoid. Even though it has only been used a handful of times in American history, it's there."



According to Foner, for a few years the law was enforced in the South and there were examples of people who had to leave their public offices at the direction of the U.S. Congress and local officials, because they had previously been Confederates. But in 1872, Congress passed a larger amnesty law, and Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was essentially shelved.



Trump urged his supporters to "show strength" Wednesday morning before many in the mob marched to Capitol Hill and breached the halls of Congress. Most of the conversations around the 14th Amendment since last week have been about whether Congress could use its authority, under this provision, to remove President Trump specifically or forbid him from seeking office again.



Some have wondered whether the same part of the Constitution could be applied in this case to also punish sitting members of Congress for their potential role in inciting violence by way of perpetuating misinformation around the election.



Freshman Rep. Cori Bush made her legislative debut introducing a resolution over the weekend that aims to expel some of her colleagues who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. Her legislation, co-sponsored by 47 Democratic House members, names Rep. Mo Brooks, Sen. Josh Hawley and Sen. Ted Cruz, specifically, and accuses them having "taken unprecedented steps to defy the will of the American people."



"Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution posits that no individual can serve in the House of Representatives who has engaged in disloyalty or sedition against the United States. There is no place in the People's House for these heinous actions. I firmly believe that these members are in breach of their sworn Oath of Office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. They must be held accountable," Bush said in a statement.



The House of Representatives and the Senate each respectively have their own rules for reprimanding and expelling members, and it is unclear whether Congress could circumvent those rules by passing a law pursuant to parts of the 14th Amendment instead.



Michael Klarman, constitutional law scholar at Harvard Law School, though told ABC News in email that he believes that applying Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to disqualify from office a member who questioned the legitimacy of the election, based on the events from last week was "a real stretch."



He added that "insurrection" and "rebellion" are "legal terms with established meaning. ... I just don't think Wednesday's event would qualify."



"While (Sens.) Hawley and Cruz are despicable, and I have signed the petition calling for their disbarment, it seems a huge stretch to me to describe what they did (Wednesday) as 'insurrection or rebellion,'" Klarman wrote.



University of Texas constitutional law expert Stephen Vladeck, seemed to agree during an interview with ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.



"The idea is this provision itself ought to, ipso facto, disqualify the president from continuing to hold office," Vladeck said. "I don't think anyone ever thought this would be used to actually oust a sitting president who has been serving for the better part of his entire term."



Following the Civil War, Americans had a clearer example of what counted as insurrection than many do today. Most likely, for Congress to remove someone from office on these grounds or bar them from future office, members would need to first investigate the violent events of last week and make a formal determination or declaration as to whether the mob's actions were premeditated, organized or if they constituted a coordinated attack against the federal government.



"I think it would require Congress to pass a law ... saying that what happened on Jan. 6th, before it and around it, was insurrection under the constitution and thus (Trump) is disqualified. They would have to make some findings about why this qualifies as insurrection. What does insurrection mean in 2021?" ABC News legal analyst and Cardozo Law professor Kate Shaw said on Monday.



"Even if as a scholar you say, 'this doesn't match my conception of an insurrection,' that in no ways means Congress is precluded from reaching a different conclusion ... they are entitled to make their own determination," Shaw continued, saying the courts would then likely weigh in.



Shaw added too that Rep. Jaime Raskin, one of the authors of the new article of impeachment, is also a former constitutional law professor.

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MANZINI  A family claims that their relative, who was a patient at the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital, was allegedly sodomised while under medication.

The patient, *Mike (35), who suffers from epilepsy was admitted to the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital on December 28, 2020. The hospital is located at Two Sticks in Manzini, which is about four kilometres from the city centre.

According to *Nqobile, upon admission, her brother was injected with a sedative. She said when they left Mike at the medical facility, he was already drowsy. Nqobile said they came to check on his wellbeing on December 30, 2020.

During their visit, she said they noticed that he had difficulty walking as he was limping. This, she said, took them aback and they enquired from him what had happened.

Injected

She said Mike informed them that after being injected with the sedative, he was not isolated but was admitted to a ward with other patients. Nqobile said her brother narrated to them that he was informed that the isolation wards were full.

He told us that after they injected him, they gave him a blanket and he slept with other patients, Nqobile alleged.

However, when he woke up, Nqobile claimed, her brother informed them that he started to feel discomfort and challenges when walking. She supposed that whoever sodomised him had ample time to undress Mike and proceeded with the sodomy and dressed him up again.

Mike, Nqobile purported, had been scared to report what befell him to the nurses stationed at the ward as it was embarrassing to him.

She claimed that after being informed of what allegedly befell her brother, the family reported the allegations to the hospitals medical staff and Mike was offered treatment to heal him from the alleged sexual violation.

The challenge is that he was in and out of sleep and cannot say, as a matter of fact, which patient or patients sexually violated him, she claimed.

Nqobile claimed that since they reported the matter to the hospitals personnel, they had not received any feedback on action taken to date. She said they were now worried as they feared that this could befall him again.

The sedative, she said, was part of the medication Mike regularly took to control his ailment and due to the alleged sodomy; Nqobile said they were concerned it could become a regular occurrence. Furthermore, she said, the lack of information and care from the medical facility was worrying them.

Meanwhile, according to a source within the health facility, there were usually two nurses stationed in a ward per shift.

Breaks

However, due to the spat between the administration and the medical personnel, the nurses alternated during lunch breaks and this could have happened while one nurse was available.

The source said the challenge was that orderlies had since ceased offering assistance to nurses in the wards as they claimed that it was not in their job description, which they were paid for.

The source purported that this started happening in the early weeks of November when the Ministry of Health issued a memorandum informing personnel that they were no longer entitled to refreshments provided by the hospitals kitchen.

The source said following that, a number of challenges had engulfed the hospital. Regarding the issue of sodomy among patients, the source said, it was a common occurrence as some patients were unruly such that they requested the nurses to inject patients with sedatives.

Some of the patients make us suspicious of having ulterior motives as they at times shout that the patient should be offered an injection that would make them sleep, the source said.

He said there was an injection that when administered made a patient sleep the whole night. The source said this injection was known as diazepam. The medication is available on prescription only.

Sleep

Meanwhile, the medical practitioner at the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital, said when injected with diazepam, it was possible to sleep a longer period when the body was not used to the drug. During this period, he said, anything could be done to that person who was sleeping. The source explained that in most instances, patients were scared to report sexual violation as they felt embarrassed and or were not aware of what happened while they were sedated.

Also, because there are minimal nurses, more often, the patients are scared to report being sexually violated as the medical personnel are the ones who inject them and or hold them when they are violent.

The source said it was hard to establish when a patient was raped or sodomised if the matter was not reported. He said in most instances, they learnt of their ordeals when a sexually transmitted infection (STI) surfaced.

Upon discovery that a patient had been raped or sodomised, the source said, nurses in the ward write an incident report, conduct an HIV test and then enrol that particular survivor in pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP). This is a way for people who do not have HIV, but who are at very high risk of getting it to prevent the virus infection by taking a pill every day.

The pill, according to the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contains two medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine) that are used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV. The source said once the patient was enrolled in PrEP, they were also offered antibiotics to suppress any STIs.

Reported

Meanwhile, the Director of Health Services, Dr Vusi Magagula, said this incident was not reported to his office. However, he said the medical personnel at the hospital should have made sure that the patient was taken care of.

There is a supervision team in the wards and such should be monitored, he said.

When asked if this was not part of the grievance that had been advanced by nurses at the hospital, Dr Magagula said this could be a challenge.

He said when such an incident happened; it was reported to the ministry. Dr Magagula promised to follow up on the matter and when he was called at 5pm, he said: Ive contacted the matron and I understand she is consulting management and shall come back to me.

When contacted at 7:16pm, his phone rang unanswered. Worth noting is that the incident, according to the family, was allegedly reported on December 30, 2020 to the hospital staff.

Recently, this publication reported that in a quest to get for food, a patient fled from the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital, only to be hit by a car and died on the spot. The patient was one of 42 hungry patients who had been subjected to longer spells without being served a meal at the psychiatric hospital.

*Not real names to conceal affected patients identities.






For the seventh consecutive year, Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Global Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group will host two events in conjunction with the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, taking place virtually Jan. 11-14.

On Jan. 11, Greenberg Traurig Shareholders Fiona Adams, co-chair of the Global Corporate Practice and managing shareholder of the London office, and Wayne H. Elowe, co-chair of the Global Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group and the Atlanta offices Corporate Practice, will moderate the panel Biotech and Pharma Trends: Deals, Financings and Vaccines. The webinar will feature industry leaders discussing the latest trends in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, including deals, financings, and vaccines. Webinar panelists will include:



Alan Crane, Entrepreneur Partner, Polaris Partners

Shaun Grady, Vice-President Business Development Operations, AstraZeneca

Adam Koppel, M.D., Ph.D., Managing Director, Bain Capital

Richard Yu, Head of Business Development and Licensing, Huadong Medicine

On Jan. 12, David J. Dykeman, co-managing Shareholder of the Boston office and co-chair of the Global Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group, and Shareholder Ginger Pigott, vice chair of the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Health Care Litigation Practice, will moderate the panel Trends in Medical Devices, Digital Health, and AI. The webinar will include industry leaders discussing the latest trends in medical devices, digital health, and artificial intelligence. Webinar panelists will include:

Casper de Clercq, General Partner, Norwest Venture Partners

Marie OMalley, Senior Director Supplier Outreach, Medtronic

Jeremy Sohn, Global Head, Digital Development and BD & Licensing, Novartis

Angela Wang, Senior Vice President, Neusoft

About Greenberg Traurigs Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group: Greenberg Traurigs Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group advises clients ranging from start-ups to large multinational public companies to leading research institutions. The groups attorneys work closely with clients, providing innovative legal counsel to help them achieve their objectives  from discovery through commercialization and product marketing.

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
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 8:17 am

The citizens of the city of Kalama and the state of Washington would be foolish to allow Communist China to build the proposed methanol plant in Kalama.

These are the same Chinese Communists who have about a million of their own citizens locked up in camps. The same Communists who lock up journalists. The same Communists who are doing their best to steal our business, university, medical research, military and government data. The same Communists who are subverting what freedom is left in Hong Kong. The same Communists who control their media with an iron fist. The same Communists who manipulate their currency for nefarious trade. It won't be long until they work locally to undermine our local media and independence. To the citizens and leaders of Kalama and Washington State, don't be foolish. Keep the Chinese Communist funded methanol plant out!
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin was granted restricted emegency use approval in 'clinical trial mode' on January 2.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech announced on January 12 that it has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos to supply its coronavirus vaccine Covaxin to Brazil.

The vaccine maker said a team from Precisa Medicamentos had visited its facility last week to discuss potential export possibilities of Covaxin. They had met Dr Krishna Ella on January 7 and 8 and were joined by Ambassador of Brazil to India Andre Aranha Correa do Lago, who expressed his keen interest on behalf of the Government of Brazil to procure Covaxin.

Bharat Biotech said the vaccine supply will be prioritsed for the public market. It said: It is understood between both parties that supplies of Covaxin will be prioritised for the public market, through a direct procurement by the Government of Brazil. Supplies to the private market would be based upon receipt of market authorisation from ANVISA, the Brazilian regulatory authority.

Commenting on the deal, Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Dr Krishna Ella said: Our goal for all vaccines developed at Bharat Biotech is to provide global access to populations that need it the most. We are happy to note that vaccines innovated in India are able to address the public health needs of Brazil. 

Notably, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is among the two vaccines that have got emergency use authorisation in India; the other is Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, which is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

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

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AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vyopta, a leading provider of Collaboration Intelligence, today announced the addition of real-time monitoring and broadened analytics support for Cisco Webex Meetings. The new functionality enables customers to proactively detect and resolve issues to ensure a great user experience within the broader UC estate.

With remote work as the norm continuing, it is mission-critical for UC and IT teams to have full visibility of their collaboration environments from the headsets and peripheral devices to in-room systems. Vyopta gives organizations that insight into their entire Cisco collaboration deployment including endpoints, call control, bridges, and edge gateways to the Internet and PSTN, so that they can proactively avert disruptions and troubleshoot issues with calls and meetings.

"We're focused on delivering Webex experiences that are 10X better than in-person interactions  and simplifying performance management is core to this. We're pleased to work with Vyopta to deliver enterprise customers with unified visibility to manage performance across Cisco on-prem and cloud collaboration technologies using Webex Control Hub data and real-time analytics," said Abhay Kulkarni, VP and GM of Webex Meetings at Cisco.

Vyopta's Collaboration Performance Management (CPM) for Webex allows UC and IT teams to:

Proactively monitor critical live meeting/call metrics, whether users are joining from Webex clients on desktop, mobile device, or room systems.

Receive granular alerts on critical call and meeting issues before users report them.

Reduce time to resolution and enable the Help Desk teams to troubleshoot and resolve meeting issues without escalating to UC experts within the organization.

Maintain a single view across multiple Webex domains per customer to proactively manage large deployments.

"We're excited to continue building upon our work with Cisco to help enterprises around the world scale critical business outcomes," said Alfredo Ramirez, CEO at Vyopta. "We look forward to helping joint customers optimize their use of Webex for collaboration and continue to manage the staggering increase in remote work."

Related Links:

About Vyopta Incorporated

Vyopta , the Collaboration Intelligence company, is a global leader in comprehensive monitoring and analytics for Collaboration Performance Management and Workspace Insights. By integrating insights from multi-vendor Unified Communications & Collaboration vendors and IOT devices, Vyopta helps organizations deliver the best UC user experience and optimize their UC and real estate investments. Vyopta helps hundreds of organizations worldwide spanning 20+ industries monitor 6 million endpoints and over 20 billion meeting minutes a year.

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This is the comical moment a hidden camera catches two deer frolicking around in a muddy puddle.

Footage captured by ecological consultant Dr Jochen Langbein, 61, in Exmoor National Park last month shows the two playful red deer stags jumping into the murky puddle and covering themselves in the brown sludge.

During the clip, the first stag, who has single spike antlers and is around 18 months old, leaps into the murky waters and rolls around in the mud.

Dr Jochen Langbein, 61, captures the red deer stag enjoying the muddy puddle in Exmoor National Park

A second stag, who is believed to be around two-and-a-half-years-old, enters the murky water

Later, the second stag, who is believed to be around two-and-a-half years old, enters the water and submerges its body into the muddle puddle.

Red deer: The largest wild animals on British soil Red deer are the UK's largest wild land mammals and are common in Scotland, particularly the Highlands and the islands, the Lake District, Exmoor in Devon and Hampshire's New Forest. Stags can grow to roughly the size of a cow and sport dark russet-brown fur with a pale rump patch and a pale tail. They are known for their branched antlers, which can measure up to one metre in breadth. During breeding season,stags will fight over females, known as hinds, and may injure other deer with their antlers. The males are known to use mud wallows during the peak of mating season and will often roll in them to adorn themselves with the pungent odour. Red deer, which have an average life span of 16-18 years, mainly eat grasses, sedges, rushes and dwarf shrubs. A giant red stag, named the Exmoor Emperor, was shot dead in 2010. The beast weighed more than 21 stone and stood nearly 9ft tall. Source: The Wildlife Trust Advertisement

Dr Langbein explained: 'Red deer stags in particular are known to use mud wallows especially during the peak of mating season or ''rut'' in late September, when they will often roll in the mud to adorn themselves with the pungent rut odour.

'In addition, female red deer as well as yearling males are equally fond of wallowing and covering themselves in mud both during the rutting time, but also well into the winter when mature stags use them less frequently or have left the area.

'It is suggested by some that deer wallow partly to get rid of ticks and other external parasites.

'Among our different deer species, red deer are known to use mud wallows much more extensively than do fallow and roe deer, but the behaviour has received only quite limited scientific study.

'On viewing the footage I was delighted to see I had captured such high-spirited behaviour of the young stags right close up to the camera.

'The footage illustrates perfectly the excitement and joy the deer appear to get from wallowing in the mud - the best things in life remain free!'

The videos were shot at an undisclosed location on Exmoor on December 4 and December 8 last year.

Red deer are often seen with dark russet-brown fur and a pale tail and are common in the Scotland Highlands, the Lake District, Exmoor and Hampshire's New Forest.

Male red deer, called stags, are known for their branched antlers, which can measure up to one metre in breadth.

During breeding season, male red deer will fight over females, known as hinds, and may even injure other deer with their antlers.

The species, which have an average life span of 16-18 years, mainly eat grasses, sedges, rushes and dwarf shrubs.

The red deer stag splashes around in the mud and enjoys the cool waters in the woodland area

The stag submerges its body beneath the muddy puddle in Exmoor National Park
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Persian New Year 2021

Parsi New Year 2021 will be celebrated on August 17th in India. After the legendary King of Persia, Jamshed, who began the Parsi Calendar and Navroz, meaning 'new day', it is also known as 'Jamshedi Navroz.' Navroz is celebrated globally in March, but the Shahenshahi calendar is followed in India, which does not account for leap years, so Navroz arrives 200 days later, in August. After the Persian King, Jamshed, Navroz is also known as Jamshed-i-Navroz. The king is credited with having developed the calendar of Persia, or the calendar of Shahenshahi. Legend tells the storey of Jamshed saving the planet from an apocalypse that came in the form of a winter destined to destroy everything. Using a throne studded with precious jewels, the king rose up to the heavens on the shoulders of demons, shining brighter than the sun, and a new day, called Navroz, was born.

History of the Persian New Year The Persians observe the faith of one of the oldest known monotheistic sects, Zoroastrianism. It was created roughly 3,500 years ago in ancient Iran by the Prophet Zarathustra. For over 1000 years, it was one of the most prominent religions of the ancient world and was Persia's official religion (now Iran) from 650 BCE until the rise of Islam in the 7th century. Many Zoroastrians fled to locations such as Gujarat in India and Pakistan when the Islamic armies invaded Persia. There are currently an estimated 2.6 million Zoroastrians worldwide, with the largest single group in India being the Persians ('Parsi' being Gujarati for Persian). Zoroastrians celebrated the Persian New Year in Iran and other parts of the Middle East using the Fasli/Bastnai calendar, which set the Spring Equinox on the first day of the year, usually March 21. To this day, despite not being Zoroastrians, this remains a popular festival, known as Nowruz, celebrated by many populations and cultures in the region. The Persian, however, uses the Shahenshahi calendar that does not account for leap years to celebrate the new year, indicating that this holiday has now shifted by 200 days from its original vernal equinox day.

Persian New Year or Nowruz Customs & Celebrations It is usual for Persian households to clean their homes from top to bottom before the Persian New Year arrives. Usually this is done the day before Nowruz. Many Persians even take the time to purchase new clothes for the New Year on this day. On Nowruz Eve, buying flowers, especially hyacinths and tulips, is also very popular. Many households would decorate their homes with prosperous icons in celebration of the New Year. This may include fish, birds, butterflies, and star symbols. Gul-i-Surkh is a festival celebrated in Nowruz in Afghanistan. In Iran, a traditional table setting known as Haft Seen on Nowruz is sometimes practised. Around the table, just before the beginning of the New Year, family members meet and wait for the vernal equinox. If it happens, presents are exchanged. Haft Seen also contains stuff like wheat or lentil sprouts in a bowl, Samanu (sweet wheat pudding), Senjed (dried Persian olives), apples, sumac berries, garlic, and vinegar on the table. Coins and eggs, a mirror, candles, a bowl of water with a goldfish in it, Divan of Hafez (a poetry book), the Quran or Avesta and water with rose essence in it are symbolic objects that may or may not be on the table. In Afghanistan, they use the Haft Mewa table configuration instead of using the Haft Seen table setting. There are always seven dishes on the table in this setting, with a large silver tray, candles, and dyed eggs. It also includes a fruit salad made from seven fruits and nuts that have been dried. Raisins, dried apricots, Persian olives, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachio, and almonds are the fruits. In addition, the residents of Afghanistan also participate in the Nowruz Gul-i-Surkh Festival. Ajil, baklava, Noql, chicken farcha, fried cod, reshteh polo, sabzi chalaw, nan berenji and shekerbura are other foods that can be served in Nowruz.

How is Parsi New Year celebrated? The Persian New Year or Nowruz [or norooz, pronounced NO-ROOZ] in Persian means "New-day". The annual festivities mark the beginning of spring and the start of a new year. Nowruz starts precisely at the vernal equinox, on the Islamic solar calendar's 1st day of Farvardin, typically on 20 or 21 March. This year, in other nations, the Persian New Year 2021 or Nowruz falls worldwide on Saturday, March 20, 2021, though it is celebrated on August 17 in India. It is a time of great joy and family festivities that are celebrated in many countries by people of all religions and traces its roots back to the ancient Mesopotamian civilization and the Persian Empire over the ages. A major part of the planning is house cleaning as minstrels, Haji Firuz, sing in the streets to announce the forthcoming festivities. Bonfires are lit to hop over on the Wednesday before Nowruz, and kids collect coins and sweets as they visit neighbours. In much the same way as Nowruz, the Persian New Year is celebrated, with an emphasis on celebrating the rebirth that a new year brings, such as house cleaning, wearing new clothing, giving gifts and making charitable gifts. Families gather at Haft-seen or Haft-sin, tables set with special traditional Nowruz foods and recipes and all begin with the sound of the letter "S"  Seeb - apple; Sabze - green grass or Sabzeh - wheat or lentil sprouts; Serke - vinegar; Samanoo - a paste made out of wheat; Senjed - a berry native to the region; Sekke - a coin; and Seer - garlic. Zarathushtra's birthday is the sixth day of the festivities and special events are held to mark the occasion. The 13th day wraps up the new year as families usually spend the day outside the doors in parks. where girls can be seen wrapping grass in knots to wish for a good husband! Nowruz is the beginning of the year for the people of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, and some of the former Soviet Union's Asian republics. It is also celebrated by people originating from Persian and Iranian ancestors as the new year. Nowruz is celebrated as the new year festival by the Kurds in Georgia, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Many cultures have settled in these countries.
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A Broadview Heights developer plans to build 12 luxury villas, attached in groups of four, at the northeast corner of Broadview Road and Town Centre Drive.

Carollo Properties LLC has dubbed the development Villa di Lusso, Italian for luxury villas. The firm hopes to start construction in spring 2021, possibly in April, according to its application to the citys Building Department.

The homes, each containing four floors, will measure either 3,050 or 3,770 square feet and will stand on a 1.1-acre, long, bowling-alley lot that now contains a vacant one-family ranch house.

(The) homes will be brick, stone (and) high-quality material, with luxury features and architectural views that will complement the other facilities around them, Joe Carollo of Carollo Properties said on the application.

Carollo told cleveland.com Tuesday (Jan. 12) that the townhomes are expected to sell in the $500,000 to $600,000 range. Each will include a rooftop patio.

The Planning Commission approved the luxury homes in November and City Council followed suit last month.

Also, the citys Board of Zoning Appeals approved variances that will allow Carollo to build 12 homes. Code would have limited the number to seven, based on the size of the lot, according to Planning Commission minutes.

Carollos proposal was introduced to the Planning Commission Oct. 14. According to meeting minutes, Joe Mandato, Broadview Heights chief building official, said the luxury homes would be located within one of the citys two special planning districts, which are centered around Broadview and Royalton roads.

The special planning districts are multiple-use zones that permit, among other uses, restaurants, bars, schools, museums, offices, auto-repair shops, retail stores, churches and low-, medium- and high-density housing.

Driveways into the townhomes will run off Town Centre Drive. A stormwater detention basin is planned for the Broadview-Town Centre corner, with the homes just east of the basin.

Commission members were concerned about how the detention basin would look at the corner. Carollo agreed to create a park-like setting there with a walkway, benches and plants.

Read more from the Sun Star Courier.
WASHINGTON  Facing an unprecedented second impeachment, President Donald Trump on Tuesday emerged from the White House for the first time since provoking a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol six days ago and blamed the push to remove him from office for causing tremendous anger in the country.

With the Democratic-led House of Representatives planning to impeach Trump as early as Wednesday, he condemned the effort, saying, Its really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. Its ridiculous. Its absolutely ridiculous.

Even before the presidents remarks defending his speech to the crowd and dismissing Congress bid to hold him accountable, at least some Republicans were expected to support the effort. His statements will likely anger others. Lawmakers have prepared a single article of impeachment, accusing the president of inciting an insurrection.

Trump has remained out of public view since last weeks violence that resulted in five deaths, releasing only a few prerecorded videos. But after being banned from Twitter, he appeared eager to defend himself, speaking to reporters while leaving the White House and then again minutes later before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Alamo, Texas, along the border with Mexico.

He insisted that we want no violence even as Washington braces for more unrest before President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration Jan. 20. The president has been feeding his supporters a constant stream of misinformation about voter fraud, and law enforcement officials have warned that there could be more clashes. The FBI warned Monday of armed pro-Trump protests planned for all 50 state capitols in coming days.

Trump also argued there was nothing wrong with his speech at a rally outside the White House on Wednesday, when he urged his supporters to march on the Capitol, where the House and the Senate were ceremonially counting the electoral votes to formalize Bidens victory.

Theyve analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody just thought it was totally appropriate, he said.

The president ended his speech last week to the pro-Trump crowd by urging it to march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the area near the White House to the Capitol. Were going to try and give our Republicans  the weak ones, because the strong ones dont need any of our help  were going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country, he said then.

Meanwhile, House members debated a resolution designed to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendments provision for removing an unfit president. The measure is expected to pass Tuesday evening but is not binding, and Pence has signaled he will not move against Trump.

The discussion exposed the persistent divisions in Congress over Trumps action, despite the blame he has received for encouraging last weeks attack.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, portrayed efforts to remove Trump as politically motivated. Continuing calls to impeach the president or remove him with the 25th Amendment  one week before he is set to leave ... is, I dont think, very healthy, Jordan said.

Jordan was lambasted by Democrats for continuing to cling to the false claims of widespread election fraud that inspired the violent mob.

I am stunned that after all that has happened, we cant get a definitive answer, said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., chair of the rules committee, after pressing Jordan to acknowledge Bidens victory.

Reacting to Trumps defense of his remarks to supporters shortly before the raid, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told reporters on Capitol Hill: I know he always thinks his words are perfect. They were perfectly horrific.

The full House is expected to return later Tuesday to approve the resolution urging Pence to act. That will set in motion a 24-hour deadline set by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for the vice president to act. On Wednesday, the House is expected to vote on its second impeachment of Trump, with some Republicans likely to join this time.

___

Chris Megerian and Tracy Wilkinson of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story.

2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays.

If youre having problems registering for a coronavirus vaccine appointment, you are not alone.

There have been horror stories in places including Florida, Texas and New York of overwhelmed government hotlines or bungled online scheduling systems for vaccinations. Some health officials resorted to Eventbrite, a website typically used for organizing low-stakes events like bar crawls, to schedule residents shots.

Its enraging that after the scientific marvel of inventing Covid-19 vaccines, now there are bureaucratic and technical bottlenecks that have slowed the vaccine rollout. (Feel free to scream out loud with me.) But dont be angry about botched government technology or direct your fury only at your local officials. Be mad about the broad systemic failure.

As we have seen with other frailties of government programs during the pandemic, botched technology is often a symptom of misguided policy choices, chronic underfunding of public health and the generally dysfunctional and decentralized coronavirus response in the United States.
WASHINGTON - Up to 15,000 National Guard members could be deployed in Washington during the presidential inauguration, senior defense officials said Monday, part of a rapidly expanding response following a deadly insurrection at the Capitol last week.

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in a call with reporters that about 6,000 guardsmen from six states already are in the nation's capital, and that the military response will expand to about 10,000 by the weekend.

Hokanson said the numbers will be determined by the requirements that federal agencies have for support. The National Guard will bring their weapons to Washington and carry them based on discussions with the FBI, police and other agencies.

"Obviously, we're very concerned that we want our individuals to have the right to self-defense," the general said. "And so, that will be an ongoing conversation, and if the senior leadership determines that that's the right posture to be in, then that is something that we will do."

The shift comes after the Defense Department carved out a narrow role ahead of a protest of President Donald Trump's election loss on Wednesday. Trump directed thousands of people to the Capitol afterward, some of whom began storming the building and attacking Capitol Police officers, including one who later died.

Just 340 D.C. National Guard members had been activated ahead of the riot, and none were posted outside the Capitol. Instead, they were assigned to traffic duty in other parts of the city, because the Capitol Police and the Pentagon had not worked out a plan in the event of a crisis at the home of Congress.
Bahrain's Housing Ministry has announced the distribution of 5,000 residential units within Al Qalia neighbourhood in East Hidd region of the kingdom to the beneficiaries in an implementation of the order of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, reported BNA.

The Al Qalia project is distinguished by the design of its units that simulate the Bahraini architectural style and the coastal environment of the Hidd area.

The ministry was keen when preparing designs and detailed plans for the project to be inspired by the details of the main city of Hidd in order to preserve the general character and social fabric which characterises the people of the region, stated the report citing the project director Engineer Mohammed Rashdan.

The procedures for handing over the housing units to citizens were carried out according to a timetable, in coordination between the departments of housing services and projects, he added.

Rashdan said the ministry had made the issue of housing quality a top priority as it receives direct attention from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the government led by HRH Prince Salman.

"The Al Qalia neighborhood project received a good response owing to its design, mainly for the interior yards and coastal walkways were provided alongside parks and children's play areas," he added.
North Korea staged a military parade in the middle of a freezing cold night during a weeklong Workers Party congress.

"North Korea staged a military parade at dead of night on Sunday in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang," the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said in a press release on Monday.

"South Korean and U.S. military authorities are analyzing the data, but it is possible that the activity was a rehearsal," it added.


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Jordan: man sentenced to death for stabbing eight people Three Mexicans, one Swiss tourist among wounded

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 12 - A court in Jordan has sentenced to death by hanging a Jordanian for stabbing eight people in 2019, including three Mexican tourists and a Swiss.



The attack occurred in November two years ago in Jerash, a famous archaeological site in northern Jordan. Moustafa Abourouis, 24, is a Jordanian of Palestinian origin residing in the refugee camp of Souf in Jerash (50 km north of Amman), where about 20,000 people live.



Along with the four tourists, he wounded four Jordanians including a tour guide. Security services arrested him immediately after the attack and on January 26 last year he was formally accused of ''terrorism''.(ANSAmed). (ANSA).




Academician and activist Anand Teltumbde, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, on Tuesday moved a fresh bail plea before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here, his lawyer said. As per his lawyer, Teltumbde has sought bailon merits of the case.

The matter has been kept for hearing on January 27 by the NIA court, the lawyer added. The court had in July refused to grant "default" bail to Teltumbde (70), who is in jail for nearly nine months now.

He had sought bail under section 167 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on July 13 after the NIA failed to file a charge-sheet against him within 90 days as mandated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The CrPC section provides for bail on default if a charge-sheet is not filed within 90 days from the date of first remand.

Teltumbde was arrested by the NIA on April 14, 2020, after he surrendered on the Supreme Court's direction. Teltumbde and several other activists have been booked under stringent provisions of the UAPA for allegedly having links with Maoists and conspiring to overthrow the government.

They were initially booked by the Pune police after violence erupted near Koregaon-Bhima, on outskirts of Pune city, a day after an Elgar Parishad conclave was organised. Inflammatory speeches and provocative statements made at the Elgar Parishad meet held in Pune on December 31, 2017, triggered the violence at Koregaon-Bhima the next day, the police had alleged.

According to the police, the event was "backed" by Maoists. The NIA later took over the probe into the case.
MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OMNICOMMANDER , a financial technology firm specializing in website design, social media management, branding, and outsourced marketing for credit unions, is excited to launch the new online presence for Bellco Federal Credit Union.

Bellco Federal Credit Union has recently undergone rebranding. Their new site will showcase enhanced features such as appointment scheduling, live chat, and digital forms. It has a new content tone that is focussed toward the millennial and gen z based audience but still appealing to all ages. It was important to the credit union to convey their brand through the site and hone in on their message of Creating Your Own Journey. Bellco FCU has signed on as an outsourced marketing and SEO client, and will be OMNICOMMANDER's first clients to utilize their newest email marketing strategy aimed at generating member leads.

OMNICOMMANDER President, Kim Isham, said, "The Bellco team has been a true pleasure to work with. I am beyond thrilled to have been involved with such a creative site build and a credit union so focused on their digital presence as a whole. We know that their gorgeous site is just the beginning of what is sure to be a long-term relationship with Bellco!"

Bellco FCU CEO Thomas Gosling said, "The choice to work with OMNICOMMANDER was the best decision we could have made. I have never worked with a team so willing to go above and beyond to make our vision come to life. For credit unions in search of the total package, look no further. From the entire Bellco family, thank you!"

About OMNICOMMANDER

OMNICOMMANDER is a veteran-owned and operated credit union website design and social media marketing firm. With a focus on member experience, the company ensures every touchpoint has identical user interface. OMNICOMMANDER creates incredibly designed sites with built-in mobile responsiveness, SSL encryption, and observance of ADA guidelines on accessibility. Additionally, OMNICOMMANDER provides marketing services including targeted marketing, branding, and social media.

For more information, visit OMNICOMMANDER on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .

About Bellco Federal Credit Union

Bellco FCU was originally chartered in 1938 and is a community-based, not-for-profit federal credit union where trusted and experienced professionals offer solutions with the compassion of a true neighbor. Bellco FCU has been delivering relevant and easy-to-use financial products and services designed to help the people and businesses of their community.

Melanie Tucciarone, (800) 807-3109, [email protected]

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David Wetz, professor of electrical engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington, has received a $424,618 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) grant from the Office of Naval Research to purchase equipment for studying materials at high voltages.

The equipment will be used in support of a grant he received in August from the Naval Surface War Center-Dahlgren Division (NSWC-DD) to study the high-voltage dielectric insulation properties of epoxy and additively manufactured materials. Dielectric materials can transmit electric force without conduction.

Wetz is working with the Navy team to investigate how these solid materials can be dielectrically altered to improve their insulation properties in compact high-voltage systems. There is a desire to replace traditional oil dielectrics with solid materials that are easier to work with and that have potential for reducing overall system size and weight.

Wetz will purchase two pieces of equipment:

A Hi-Pot tester that will apply high-voltage DC potential, up to 100 kilovolts, to novel epoxy and additively manufactured materials to test their ability to work as insulators in high-voltage systems.

A high-voltage pulsed power supply that will apply short, high pulsed voltages to the same samples.

The goal is to study the differences between how the materials act as insulators when voltage is held constant (DC) and when the voltage is applied in short durations. The Navy is working to one day put high-voltage DC into use in ships at sea.

"There is a lack of knowledge as to how epoxy and additively manufactured materials can be dielectrically modified to better work as high-voltage insulators," Wetz said. "If we can identify new ways to improve their dielectric properties in a controlled manner, we may be able to reduce the size and weight of the high-voltage systems they are insulating, making them more easily installable on mobile platforms."

UTA has previously executed educational partnership agreements with NSWC-DD, including one signed in March 2019, as well as one with NSWC-Philadelphia (NSWC-PD) that was signed in September 2018. These agreements allow NSWC-DD and NSWC-PD to make their scientific, engineering, and technology assets and subject matter experts available to University faculty to enhance both their research activities and the educational experience of UTA students.

In turn, NSWC-DD and NSWC-PD, can involve UTA faculty and students in U.S. Navy research projects underway at the Philadelphia Division.

"Dr. Wetz and his team continue to make outstanding contributions in the study of high-voltage energy storage and pulsed power systems that can help the Navy operate its ships more efficiently and reliably," said Diana Huffaker, chair of the Electrical Engineering Department. "We are excited that this new DURIP grant will strengthen our abilities in this area."

###

Wetz, who joined UTA in 2010, runs the UTA Pulsed Power and Energy Lab, which addresses issues concerning pulsed power systems as well as safety, thermal and lifetime challenges in batteries that operate at higher-than-normal power rates to provide higher output, yet are in increasingly smaller packages. He has previously worked with NSWC-DD to study prime and intermediate energy storage devices used in compact high-voltage power systems.

- Written by Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering
[January 12, 2021] CES 2021 Lockists' ride-sharing platform enables scooter owners to earn money 24/7

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockists Co., Ltd. is a ride-sharing platform for anyone with a scooter. Its product, a smart scooter lock, is an IoT device that keeps and provides the right scooter key for use any time of the day. "Lockists allows every registered scooter to be shared automatically," said Charlie Lin, Founder of Lockists. Lin predicts that recent EV scooter sharing trends in Taiwan will benefit Lockists Co., Ltd., as more and more people accept the idea of riding a scooter without buying one. Lockists Balancer is the name of the Lockists scooter sharing platform operation team. Making idle scooters earn money The Lockist scooter sharing platform is the company's first-star service. Lockists smart lock is controlled by the Lockists app, allowing members to share idle time information with others when their scooters are not in use. Customized scooter keys can be "kept", "identified", and "stored" in the smart lock. Keys may be "Passed" without invasive modification 24/7. Scooter owners put the customized scooter key in the smart lock to lock on the back wheel, and can flexibly set both the "sharing price" and "retrieving time" for their scooter, thereby greatly activating the huge idle resources of scooters worldwide. Before the designated retrieving time, scooters are guided by the system's "dynamic return range, and a professional logistics team is dispatched to return the scooter to its original uploaded location.



Lin said they are recruiting 1,400 scooters for sharing in Taiwan for the pilot round to allow members to become familiar with the service. Locklist said that each member will be allowed to book up to 100 units during the initial pilot run. Lockists has already enlisted partners in strategic locations on Zhongshan Road in New Taipei City's Yonghe District, on Yanwan Road in Taitung City, on Zhongshan Road in Pingtung County's Chaozhou Township, in Kaohsiung City, and on Xinzhan Road in Taitung City.

Lin said their smart lock was designed by an experienced lecturer at Tainan University of the Arts and that the core technology NB-IOT SIM card is being provided by FarEast Telecom. In terms of service software, Lin noted that his company's team has consulted with a number of software engineers from National Tsing Hua University, the Information Technology Council, and Tamkang University. They have also consulted with CPAs and legal advisers for accounting and taxation, membership terms, privacy regulations, and other financial and legal aspects of the business. About Lockists Co., Ltd. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Lockists Co., Ltd. is a market leader in developing innovative scooter sharing services. It is poised to change the peer-to-peer scooter sharing landscape. Lockists Co., Ltd. empowers and inspires people to share their scooters in an exceptionally convenient and safe way. "We think that Taiwan's original startups can be like Google, AirBnB, Uber, and other international brands. We too can create products and services that will shape world lifestyle, even if we start with just one founder's scooter," Lin said. Lockists Founder and CEO Charlie Lin graduated from Fu Jen Catholic University with a degree in Business Administration. CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3aurv2 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ces-2021-lockists-ride-sharing-platform-enables-scooter-owners-to-earn-money-247-301206528.html SOURCE Lockists Co., Ltd.

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Here come the Toronto Blue Jays.

As the New York Yankees drag their feet in re-signing second baseman DJ LeMahieu, the Blue Jays are positioning themselves to steal the 32-year-old free agent. Per MLB Network Radio analyst and former MLB GM Jim Duquette:

I would say that right now, Toronto would be, in my opinion, a real threat. Like, they know that they have to spend a little bit more comparatively to everyone else to get a player like that. If Toronto comes in and says five (years) and $110 million, heres the J.D.Martinez, (Yoenis) Cespedes deal, is he going to Toronto? Like, this is the issue Toronto has. If Im going to go to that number, are you going to sign with us? Or are you going to use it against me to bump up the number so that he still ends up a Yankee?

Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

Talks between the Yankees and LeMahieu are not making progress, MLB Networks Jon Heyman reported Monday, opening the door for the Los Angeles Dodgers as well.

As mentioned on @MLBNetwork the Yankees will go 4 years for DJ LeMahieu. Theres still a $ gap, however; it appears theres still a standoff with all the very top free agents. Dodgers, Jays, Mets among others interested but itll still be a surprise if DJ leaves. ... Dodgers are interested in DJ LeMahieu but their first 3B choice remains their own Justin Turner. As with other top free agents, quite a gap remains. Turner reportedly seeks 4 years (via @latimessports ); Dodgers so far prefer 2.

Heymans reporting came one day after Yahoo Sports Tim Brown reported LeMahieu has become dismayed by the slow-play tactics of the Yankees, along with other clubs.

Teams that have engaged with the LeMahieu camp say LeMahieu expects more than Josh Donaldsons four-year, $92 million deal with the Minnesota Twins and at least on par with J.D. Martinezs five years and $110 million with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees, LeMahieus preferred club after two successful seasons in the Bronx, have not met those terms. The 32-year-old LeMahieu has, therefore, asked his representatives to re-engage with teams that have previously shown the most interest, the source said, among them the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, and to reconnect with teams that reached out early in the free agent period, including the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and others.

LeMahieu, who finished third in voting for the American League MVP Award, led the majors with a .364 batting average in 2020. That made him the first person in the modern era to win batting titles in both leagues. LeMahieu led the National League with a .348 batting average for the Colorado Rockies in 2016.

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She has more than 1.3 million devoted followers on Instagram.

And on Monday, former Home And Away star Tammin Sursok hoped one of her many fans could provide some helpful medical advice for a mysterious rash that had broken out all over her body.

In a video filmed from her home in Austin, Texas, Tammin pleaded for their help.

Scroll down for video

Is everything OK? Actress Tammin Sursok (pictured) asks her followers for medical advice after spotting a mysterious rash developing all over her body on Monday in Austin, Texas

The 37-year-old began the clip by asking: 'I have bites or hives all over my body. What are these? I need you to tell me what they are.'

Tammin preceded to film large welts and red rashes covering her arms, legs and lower stomach.

'What is this?! I should probably ask my doctor,' the Aquamarine star admitted.

'What is this?! I should probably ask my doctor': Tammin noted that she should ask a medical professional for a diagnosis of the rash on her arms, legs and stomach, but wanted her followers to 'DM her' with suggestions

'We've been here for 2.5 months': Tammin said some fans had already claimed the condition were bed bugs, but she responded with skepticism

'Please DM me, what is going on?' she added.

Tammin said some fans had already claimed the condition were bed bugs, but she responded with skepticism.

'We have been in Austin for 2.5 months now, so that would be strange and I can't see any... next?' she disregarded the suggestion.

Remember this? In 2010, Tammin landed a recurring role in the American hit teen drama mystery thriller television series Pretty Little Liars as Jenna Marshall (left)

The Australian actress left Home and Away in 2004 with Hollywood in her sight.

In 2010, she landed a recurring role in the American hit teen drama mystery thriller television series Pretty Little Liars as Jenna Marshall.

Tammin married film producer Sean McEwen in 2011, and the couple share two daughters: seven-year-old Phoenix, and one-year-old Lennon.
Credit: Emma Simpson on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/mNGaaLeWEp0

A study of students at seven public universities across the United States has identified risk factors that may place students at higher risk for negative psychological impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors associated with greater risk of negative impacts include the amount of time students spend on screens each day, their gender, age and other characteristics.

Research has shown many college students faced significant mental health challenges going into the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts say the pandemic has added new stressors. The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, could help experts tailor services to better support students. The observational study was drawn from a survey of more than 2,100 undergraduate and graduate students in the spring of 2020, when the students at all the universities included in the study had shifted to studying remotely.

"The pandemic is problematic for everyone, and we know that it's especially problematic for students who are eager to experience the unique social atmosphere that college life has to offer," said study co-author Lincoln Larson, associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at North Carolina State University. "COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into all of that. Our study found the pandemic is clearly taking a significant psychological toll on students."

In the survey, researchers asked students about the extent to which they felt negative emotions like fear, guilt, irritability, stress and worry when they thought about COVID-19. Researchers also asked open-ended question about how their feelings have changed since the start of the pandemic.

Students most commonly said in the open-ended responses that they felt unmotivated, anxious, stressed and isolated. More than 21 percent of students said they experienced feelings related to lack of motivation: some thought it was difficult to concentrate and others felt unproductive or that they were procrastinating. More than 17 percent said they felt anxious.

When the researchers analyzed students' responses to questions about the extent to which they felt specific emotions, they found 45 percent of students across the seven universities experienced a high risk of psychological impacts. Forty percent of students had a moderate psychological impact risk, and just 14 percent of students were in the low risk category.

The researchers used the data to identify characteristics linked to greater psychological impact from the pandemic. Female students, younger students aged 18 to 24 years, students who had more than eight hours per day of screen time and students who knew someone who contracted COVID-19 were more likely to experience negative psychological impacts from the pandemic, researchers found when they analyzed all of the factors that contributed to mental health risk.

"Our study documents that nearly half of college students were at a severe handicap in terms of their quality of life, education and social relationships because of their mental health during the early stages of the pandemic," said the study's lead author Matthew Browning, an assistant professor at Clemson University. "It also identifies the risk factors that can help colleges and universities target interventions or messaging to encourage these students to come and get help."

The researchers saw that in some cases, students' race or ethnicity and socio-economic status were linked to risk for high psychological impact when those factors were studied independently of others. Specifically, students who identified as Asian were at greater risk, as well as students with fair or poor health.

Spending two or more hours of daily time outdoors was linked to lower mental health impacts before adjusting for other risk factors. Researchers said those potential risk factors need further study.

Overall, they believe the findings could help universities tailor services for students.

"Campus leaders can devise creative interventions to facilitate social interactions and help students adopt more growth-oriented mindsets that turn this unique challenge into an opportunity," Larson said. "While some screen time may be necessary in this era of social distancing, there are still ways for students to connect, get outdoors and be active."

Across the nation, mental health experts have been working to address a growing prevalence of mental health issues among college and university students. A survey of college presidents in the fall of 2020 from the American Council on Education, in partnership with TIAA Institute, found the top two most pressing issues for presidents of four-year institutions were mental health of students and mental health of faculty and staff. On top of existing mental health challenges, the pandemic created new stressors, including increased isolation, said Monica Osburn, executive director of the North Carolina State University Counseling Center.

"Mental health was a significant challenge before COVID, and it absolutely exacerbated what students are feeling," Osburn said. "If you think about it from a developmental perspective, there are many developmental milestones that this group is experiencing loss around."

The NC State Counseling Center is offering virtual counseling appointments for students. For students who don't need counseling but are seeking support, NC State Prevention Services staff are also offering "drop-in" spaces for students to connect to talk about nature, racial and ethnic trauma, expression and the arts. There are also groups for students affected by loss of a loved one, and for coping with COVID-19. NC State Wellness and Recreation also offers online fitness classes and mind-body sessions for students.

"Any good data is helpful data because it gives us areas to target to be able to support students to make change," Osburn said of the study findings. "We want students to know it's OK to ask for help. We want them to reach out to get support. We want them to know: You don't have to go at it alone."

Explore further Social isolation causing psychological distress among university students

More information: Matthew H. E. M. Browning et al. Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the United States, PLOS ONE (2021). Journal information: PLoS ONE Matthew H. E. M. Browning et al. Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the United States,(2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245327
SNP ministers were today accused of trying to block a deeper investigation into whether Nicola Sturgeon misled parliament as her closest ally refused to widen the probe into the Alex Salmond affair.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has refused to request a ministerial code of conduct probe be widened after Miss Sturgeons former mentor, Mr Salmond, accused the First Minister of repeatedly misleading parliament.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: The SNP are blatantly trying to block this investigation.

Labours Jackie Baillie said: The political culture in the SNP government is a nauseating cocktail of arrogance, secrecy and incompetence.

Mr Swinney has refused to widen a probe into whether Nicola Sturgeon breached the ministerial code over the Alex Salmond affair.

The Deputy First Minister has refused to bow to pressure for a wider look at what Miss Sturgeon knew about the allegations against her former mentor.

The First Minister is already being investigated over possible breaches of the code of conduct by failing to disclose meetings with Mr Salmond. The meetings included discussions that Mr Salmond was facing complaints of sexual harassment made against him.

If the claims are proved to be true then it is likely Miss Sturgeon's political career could be over - but her SNP deputy is not willing to widen the probe into the Salmond scandal

In an explosive intervention, the former First Minister (pictured in March) accused his successor of making 'ridiculous' and 'wholly false' claims about their meetings to discuss the handling of complaints against him

Mr Salmond has claimed the Scottish parliament was repeatedly misled on a number of occasions by Miss Sturgeon about a meeting he held with her in April 2018. Members of the committee holding an inquiry into the handling of the harassment complaints against Mr Salmond have asked for the probe into Miss Sturgeon to include new revelations.

Covid curbs to delay key appearances of FM and her predecessor Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeons appearances in front of a Holyrood inquiry will be delayed by Covid curbs. Parliament business is being scaled back from this week due to the restrictions, which will see committee meetings held in a virtual format. Mr Salmond had been due to give evidence to the committee examining the Governments handling of harassment complaints next week, and Miss Sturgeon the following Tuesday. But it is understood these will be postponed to allow them to appear in person. A parliament spokesman said the committee would consider its work programme next week and can consider the format and timetabling of future witnesses at that point. Advertisement

But the Scottish Daily Mail can reveal Mr Swinney has rejected the bid and will not contact James Hamilton, QC, to ask that he extend the remit.

Scottish Government officials maintain Mr Hamiltons inquiry can look at any potential breach of the ministerial code  but last night MSPs reacted with outrage.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: This stinks to high heaven. If I had nothing to hide and was being falsely accused of lying to parliament, Id be jumping at the chance for the official exoneration that a live ministerial code investigation could offer.

He is one of four MSPs who have written to Mr Swinney calling for the inquiry remit to be widened to include whether parliament was misled by Miss Sturgeon.

They also wrote to Mr Hamilton for clarification on whether he has the power to expand his remit without being asked. It came after a document written by Mr Salmond was published in which he accused Miss Sturgeon of repeatedly misleading Holyrood.

In the submission to Mr Hamiltons inquiry, Mr Salmond said some of the information she had so far shared with MSPs had been false and manifestly untrue.

This relates to a meeting between Miss Sturgeon and Mr Salmond at the First Ministers home in April 2018, when allegations against the ex-SNP leader were discussed.

Miss Sturgeon initially told Holyrood she first heard of the harassment complaints at this meeting on April 2. But it later emerged she had an informal meeting with Mr Salmonds ex-aide, Geoff Aberdein, in her Holyrood office days earlier. She told the Holyrood inquiry it did cover the suggestion that the matter might relate to allegations of a sexual nature, but claimed she forgot about the encounter.

The letters from Mr Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie and Tories Murdo Fraser and Margaret Mitchell say Mr Hamiltons inquiry must examine whether the SNP leader knowingly misled parliament.

If found to have done so, Miss Sturgeon will have breached the ministerial code and would be expected to resign. Miss Baillie said: The unwillingness of the SNP Government to have legitimate scrutiny is truly a dark development for Scottish democracy.

Mr Fraser said: The SNP are blatantly trying to block this investigation because they know it exposes the First Minister.

Ruth Davidson has said Ms Sturgeon has questions to answer over her conduct and the decision to contest Mr Salmond's judicial review

Allegations, discussions, denials and a 'forgotten' key meeting November 2017: Allegations regarding Alex Salmond's behaviour are raised with the SNP by Sky News. Nicola Sturgeon said she spoke to him about this  and he 'denied it'. No further action was taken. March 29, 2018: Miss Sturgeon meets Geoff Aberdein in her Scottish parliament office where she has admitted they discussed the possibility of a meeting with Mr Salmond. Miss Sturgeon  after initially forgetting about this meeting  says there was 'the suggestion that the matter might relate to allegations of a sexual nature'. April 2, 2018: Miss Sturgeon and Mr Salmond meet at the First Minister's home. According to Miss Sturgeon, this is the first time she heard of the complaints made against him. Despite this, she has insisted that the matters discussed were party business. April 23, 2018: Miss Sturgeon and Mr Salmond hold a 'substantive' phone discussion. During this call, Miss Sturgeon claims that Mr Salmond asked whether she would speak to Leslie Evans about 'mediation' with the complainants. A special adviser was in the room at the time. June 6, 2018: Miss Sturgeon writes to Mrs Evans to inform her that she has held discussions with Mr Salmond. June 7, 2018: Miss Sturgeon again meets Mr Salmond, this time in Aberdeen ahead of the SNP party conference. July 14, 2018: Miss Sturgeon meets Mr Salmond at her home near Glasgow. July 18, 2018: Miss Sturgeon and Mr Salmond speak again on the phone. Miss Sturgeon said that 'by this time' she was 'anxious  as party leader and from the perspective of preparing my party for any potential public issue  to know whether his handling of the matter meant it was likely to become public in the near future.' This is the last time Miss Sturgeon and Mr Salmond speak. During this time they also exchange a number of WhatsApp messages in which they discuss the affair  including Mr Salmond's decision to seek a judicial review over the government's probe into the two complaints. He goes on to win this and is awarded 500,000 in legal fees. Advertisement

Miss Sturgeon insisted she did not mislead parliament and hit back at the claims from her predecessor. She said: These are matters that are under investigation both by a parliamentary committee on inquiry and also by an independent adviser on matters relating to the ministerial code. I will set out my recollection of events and my account of events to both of those inquiries and people will draw their own conclusions.

She added: I do not consider I misled parliament but, of course, that is for others to judge.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: The Deputy First Minister already confirmed to parliament in November, in response to a parliamentary question, that the James Hamilton inquiry could look at any aspect of a potential breach of the ministerial code. We will not prejudge that process.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

NORWALK  Norwalk Public Schools reported 86 cases of coronavirus during the districts first week of classes following winter break.

According to Norwalk Public Schools COVID-19 dashboard, there were 86 new positive cases between Jan. 4 and Jan. 10. There were also 281 people in quarantine during that time across 19 schools.
Plans for high-rise buildings above a new train station at Crows Nest on Sydney's lower north shore have been given the green light, despite community opposition to the scale of development.

The concept plan for the Crows Nest over-station development has been reduced from earlier versions and conditions imposed, but this has not been enough to allay residents' concerns.

If the state government can woo the private sector, the development will comprise three buildings of up to 21, 17 and nine storeys respectively.

An artist's impression of the three buildings planned above the Crows Nest station. Credit:NSW government

It compares with earlier plans for two towers of up to 27 storeys, a 17-storey hotel and conference centre and an eight-storey commercial building.
Twitter's share dropped 12 percent on Monday following the social media giant's permanent suspension of President Donald Trump and a series of other conservatives.

Twitter Shares Drop After Trump Suspension

Shares were diminished after the market opened on Monday, reaching a drop of $45.17. Twitter shares closed at $51.48 on January 8.

Twitter shares slid 7.4% in pre-market trade on Monday. Facebook's shares also slipped by 1.5%.

According to Twitter in a statement, "after close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them, we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," reported CNBC.

Monday was the first trading day since the company declared on Friday it was permanently barring President Trump from its service.

The slip on Monday pushed Twitter's stock below $48 each share. At one point during early morning trading, Twitter dropped as low as $45.15 per share prior to rebounding a bit.

The social media giant banned Trump's account on Friday, citing the susceptibility of further incitement of violence following the fatal rebellion at the Capitol Hills on Wednesday.

In a detailed explanation posted on Twitter's blog on Friday, the social network stated recent tweets of the president amounted to the glorification of violence when read in the context of the US Capitol siege and plans making rounds online for future armed protests around President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Social media and tech companies' shares slid Monday due to the fallout from the rampage on the US Capitol by pro-Trump protesters.

The incumbent president's Twitter account @realDonaldTrump garnered about 89 million followers.

Regarding its decision, Twitter also cited Trump's posts on the siege at Capitol Hills last week.

Also Read: Police Officer Who Responded to US Capitol Mob Siege Dies of Alleged Suicide

The move was reportedly a watershed moment for technology platforms that have undergone conflicting pressures to defend free speech on one hand and to restrain hate speech and misinformation on the other hand.

Twitter wrote in a statement that the context, instead of merely the content of some of the president's most recent tweets suggested "they were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021," reported Yahoo.

Five billion dollars were wiped off the micro-blogging site's value.

The social media platform also permanently suspended two Trump loyalists, attorney Sidney Powell, and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

At 1011 GMT, Twitter's US-listed shares slid 6.8 percent at $47.94 in thin pre-market trading.

It was the first time the micro-blogging site banned a head of state, igniting a worldwide controversy over the effect of US tech giants on free speech and democracy more broadly.

Twitter echoed critics who made efforts to connect Trump's rhetoric with the contravention of the US Capitol.

Trump responded by alleging Twitter of coordinating "with the Democrats and the Radical Left in removing my account from their platform, to silence me-and YOU, the 75,000,000 great patriots who voted for me," reported The Epoch Times.

Twitter also stated two of Trump's tweets on Friday contravened its policy against the glorification of violence and pointed to plans for future armed protests.

Related Article: Trump Says He Will Not Attend Biden's Inauguration on January 20

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The Ebonyi Government said it will deploy two nurses to each public schools ahead of January 18 resumption to stem the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Francis Elechi, Chair of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abakaliki.

This is in continuation of engaging the services of the nurses in public schools, as was done during the first wave of the pandemic.

Mr Elechi said the nurses would continue to assist the teachers, who were trained on preventive measures against the coronavirus disease and to identify any student with the symptoms.

On the readiness of teachers to help in containing the virus in schools, the chairperson said that teachers are fully in support of the state governments plans to ensure safe environment ahead of resumption.

We commend the move by the state government to provide protective facilities for primary and secondary schools in the 13 local government areas ahead of resumption on Jan. 18.

The school resumption date in the state is in line with the federal government directive, he said.

He noted that the state government had concluded plan to deploy two nurses to each school as it did during the first wave of the pandemic.

Hand washing facilities and sanitisers were distributed during the first wave and it is going to continue as school resume on Jan. 18.

The teachers are ready to return to class.

We urge the parents to assist us and get facemasks for their kids.

We do not want a situation that will endanger the lives of school children.

The state government also want safe environment while the children are learning, Mr Elechi told NAN.

He assured that all teachers would work hard to ensure that children obey COVID-19 protocols.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu,said the January 18 resumption date was no sacrosanct.

Mr Adamu said his ministry was reviewing the date against the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

The national leadership of ASUU has also advised the FG to reconsider its stance on the said date.

(NAN)

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Ukraine was represented by the chief of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, while Russia  by deputy presidential administration head Dmitry Kozak.

The latest round of talks of political advisors to the Normandy Four leaders has completed in Berlin.

The Ukrainian side focused on security issues, including on strengthening this component of the agreements, according to the press service of the President's Office.

"During consultations, which lasted more than six hours, the advisers to the Normandy Four leaders discussed the status of implementation of the agreements reached by the leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia during the Paris summit in December 2019," the statement said.

In particular, the parties touched upon all the issues on the agenda  from security to humanitarian ones. It is noted that the discussion was not an easy one, albeit constructive.

As a result, all parties noted the importance of observing the ceasefire in Donbas.

Ukraine at the meeting of political advisers was represented by Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak.

It was also attended by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in the Trilateral Contact Group on the Settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict in Donbas, Heidi Grau.

"Yermak thanked the German side for organizing the meeting, and also expressed gratitude to partners from Germany and France for supporting Ukraine on the way to establishing peace in Donbas," the statement said.

A break in negotiations was announced until Friday, January 22.

As per RIA Novosti, Russia's delegate, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak, said "there is nothing to boast about."

Read alsoSweden takes over OSCE Chair: End of Donbas war among priorities"We exchanged views on all aspects of settlement," Kozak stated.

"The meeting of the political advisors of the Normandy Four leaders was useful; no final decisions have been found yet, but we agreed to meet in two weeks," he added.

Background

The Normandy Format talks involve the representatives of four countries, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France, who met non-formally during the 2014 D-Day celebration in Normandy, and who aim to settle the war in Donbas. It has been also known as the Normandy contact group, according to Wikipedia.

The previous meeting of advisors was held on September 11, 2020.

Reporting by UNIAN
The key indices were hovering near the day's high in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:21 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, jumped 221.24 points or 0.45% to 49,490.56. The Nifty 50 index added 82.20 points or 0.57% to 14,566.95.

The broader market outperformed the benchmarks. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.67%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.35%.

Buyers outpaced sellers. On the BSE, 1618 shares rose and 1377 shares fell. A total of 181 shares were unchanged.

Economy:

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, in his foreword for the financial stability report released on Monday, said: "Stretched valuations of financial assets pose risks to financial stability. Banks and financial intermediaries need to be cognizant of these risks and spillovers in an interconnected financial system."

The financial stability report has also warned that banks' bad loans may double by September 2021. The RBI sees gross bad loans account for 13.5% of total loans by September even in a base case scenario.

The RBI expects banks' capital ratios will erode to 14% in September from 15.6% in September 2020, the report showed. This may worsen to 12.5% in a very severe stress scenario, under which nine banks may fall short of meeting the minimum capital requirement of 9%.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty FMCG index shed 0.45% to 34,525.65. The index rose 1.91% in the past two sessions.

Varun Beverages (down 2.73%), Hindustan Unilever (down 2.06%), Jubilant Foodworks (down 1.94%), Colgate-Palmolive India (down 1.76%), Nestle India (down 1.73%), Marico (down 1.14%) and Dabur India (down 1%) edged lower.

Emami (up 4.50%), ITC (up 1.83%), United Breweries (up 1.70%), United Spirits (up 1.30%) and Britannia Industries (up 0.73%) bucked the trend.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Steel Strips Wheels (SSWL) rose 2.92% to Rs 666.95 after the company's net profit soared 4.57 times to Rs 28.75 crore in Q3 FY21 from Rs 6.29 crore in Q3 FY20. Revenue from operations during the quarter increased by 52.66% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 524.54 crore in Q3 FY21.

Mahindra Lifespace Developers rose 0.83% to Rs 390 after the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with State Bank of India. As part of the agreement, which includes various co-promotional activities and outreach initiatives, customers and employees of SBI and Mahindra Lifespaces will be able to avail the benefits of faster home loan processing and approvals, and special discounts and schemes.

RITES rose 1.54% to Rs 273.15 after the company secured a work order of Rs 67.79 crore from National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL). The order is for establishment and maintenance of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) along 487 km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor. The contract is for a period of six years.

Numbers To Track:

In the foreign exchange market, the partially convertible rupee rose to 73.3475 compared with its previous closing of 73.40225.

The yield on 10-year benchmark federal paper rose to 5.927% as compared to its previous close of 5.924%.

MCX Gold futures for 5 February 2021 settlement added 0.12% to Rs 49,400.

The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, shed 0.05% to 90.42.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for March 2021 settlement added 28 cents to $55.94 a barrel. The contract shed 0.60% or 33 cents to settle at $55.66 in the previous trading session.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gayane Sahakian, the deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also announced that Armenia will receive its first coronavirus vaccine doses before the second half of February.

We are planning to acquire vaccines for 10 percent of the population to carry out at first vaccinations of only high risk groups, Sahakian told a news conference.

We are now holding negotiations on concrete time frames for their imports. We are confident that we will have the first imports by the end of January or the first half of February, she said.

Sahakian said the talks center on possible supplies of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V or three other certified vaccines that have been developed by the Western pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. It is still not clear which of them will be chosen by the Armenian government, added the official.

Sahakian announced in early December that the government has commissioned 600,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines from COVAX Facility, a global partnership backed by the World Health Organization. She said Armenian medical and social workers, seniors and people suffering from chronic diseases will be the first to get vaccine shots free of charge.

The official did not clarify on Tuesday whether the governments supply contract with COVAX, worth $6 million, remains in force. Nor did she say if the health authorities could vaccinate a larger proportion of the population later this year.

Armenia has been hit hard by the pandemic, with more than 162,000 coronavirus cases and at least 2,941 deaths caused by them reported by the authorities so far. The real number of cases is believed to be much higher.

The daily number of new infections has fallen significantly since the beginning of November. The Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday morning that 355 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, sharply down from more than 2,000 cases a day routinely recorded in late October and early November.

Sahakian acknowledged that the countrys coronavirus numbers will likely rise again after the New Years and Christmas holidays and the reopening of schools. But she did not predict a serious resurgence of cases.
[January 12, 2021] Toshiba Wins BLI Winter 2021 Pick Awards From Keypoint Intelligence

Global market intelligence company Keypoint Intelligence acknowledges Toshiba America Business Solutions' commitment to innovation by presenting the multifunction printer (MFP) provider two Buyers Lab 2021 Winter Pick Awards. Toshiba's (News - Alert) latest color, letter-size (A4) e-STUDIO330AC and e-STUDIO400AC MFPs won the awards by blending ease of use, dynamic features and exceptional value. The respected market research company specifically selected Toshiba's e-STUDIO330AC as the Outstanding A4 Color MFP for Mid-Size to Large Workgroups and e-STUDIO400AC as the Outstanding A4 Color MFP for Large Workgroups. Keypoint Intelligence (Winter and Summer for office hardware) Pick Awards are reserved for products having undergone rigorous testing within a year's time and deemed to be "Best in Class" by the company's experienced analysts and technicians. "Toshiba is an exceptional choice for mid-size and large workgroups seeking a color MFP," said Kaitlin Shaw, Keypoint Intelligence's Associate Director of A4 Hardware. "For a significantly lower than average cost per page compared to in-class models, businesses get high-performing, user-friendly devices with excellent feature sets. And Toshiba's Elevate platform enables integration with an array of solutions that can help reduce costs and boost productivity even further. The value propositions that these Toshiba MFPs offer to mid- and high-volume environments is truly remarkable." Toshiba's Award-Winning Features & Benefits Impressive ease of use: Toshiba's recently-introduced A4 MFPs, like the company's ledger-size (A3) models, tout large (10.1-inch) and intuitive touchscreens as well as the company's Elevate  user interface, which permit effortless, walk-up programming. The print systems' integrated duplex single pass feeders (DSPF) further enhance user efficiency by copying and scanning (to file or email) single-sided originals at up to 120 double-sided impressions-per-minute. The Toshiba MFPs' 150,000 maximum page duty cycle and up to 18,400-page toner yield also equip organizations with significant flexibility to complete virtually any print project.

High-quality output, powerful productivity and reliability: The e-STUDIO330AC and e-STUDIO400AC produce 35 and 42 exceptionally high-quality pages-per-minute respectively at an under seven-second first-copy-out-time. Toshiba's newest A4 systems also set the industry standard for perfect reliability with zero misfeeds during Keypoint Intelligence's testing.

Premium Features: Toshiba's unique Elevate UI platform creates substantial time-savings and efficiency by automating routine workflows for individual employees as well as entire departments. The company's UI easily integrates with Toshiba and third-party solutions to further increase business productivity. Toshiba's e-BRIDGE  CloudConnect cloud platform performs continuous remote monitoring, diagnostics and firmware updates to the company's e-STUDIO devices. The company's MFPs additionally protect client data with self-encrypting hard drives featuring Toshiba's proprietary wipe technology.

Exceptional value propositions: Toshiba's e-STUDIO330AC/400AC series deliver a much lower-than-average cost per page and a less expensive total cost of ownership in contrast to comparable in-class systems.





Toshiba's Industry-Recognized Technology

Since 2010 Toshiba has won eight Pick Awards, including these two in Winter 2021. Over the past decade, Toshiba has also won a couple of the global market intelligence company's Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency Awards (Winter and Summer 2014) as well as a pair of PaceSetter Awards in the Logistics category (2018-2019 and 2020-2021). Click-to-Tweet: Keypoint Intelligence Presents Toshiba With Buyers Lab 2021 Winter Pick Awards About Keypoint Intelligence For 60 years, clients in the digital imaging industry have relied on Keypoint Intelligence for independent hands-on testing, lab data, and extensive market research to drive their product and sales success. Keypoint Intelligence has been recognized as the industry's most trusted resource for unbiased information, analysis, and awards due to decades of analyst experience. Customers have harnessed this mission-critical knowledge for strategic decision-making, daily sales enablement, and operational excellence to improve business goals and increase bottom lines. With a central focus on clients, Keypoint Intelligence continues to evolve as the industry changes by expanding offerings and updating methods, while intimately understanding and serving manufacturers', channels', and their customers' transformation in the digital printing and imaging sector. About Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS) delivers multifunction printers, managed document services, point-of-sale and label printers as well as digital signage for businesses of all sizes across the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The company's award-winning e-STUDIO multifunction printers combine quality performance with the security businesses require. For additional information, please visit business.toshiba.com. Follow TABS on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005027/en/

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Journalist Golunov to be questioned in drug planting case on January 18

 Moskva city news agency, Alexander Avilov

12:53 12/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Tuesday postponed questioning of journalist Ivan Golunov, an injured party in the case against former police officers, who have allegedly planted drugs on him, until January 18, RAPSI reported from the courtroom.

The hearing was adjourned because a defense lawyer for one of the defendants failed to appear in court.

In late October, the court extended restrictive measures of the accused men until April 2021.

Defendants are Maxim Umetbayev, Akbar Sergaliyev, Roman Feofanov, Denis Konovalov, who had confessed and given testimony against the others, and a former drug control police department chief for Moscow's Western Administrative District Igor Lyakhovets, who had allegedly headed the arrest of Golunov.

In late February, Alexey Kovrizhkin, the lawyer for Lyakhovets, told RAPSI that another defendant Konovalov had testified against his client, saying it was him who had ordered to plant drugs on Golunovs bag and apartment. Investigators believe Lyakhovets, who does not admit guilt, is the organizer of the crime.

The defendants are charged with abuse of power, evidence tampering and illegal drug trafficking. Only Konovalov pleaded guilty. He was later released from detention and put under house arrest.

Investigators believe that they planted drugs on Golunov. Thus, they falsified the results of operative search activity that later became inculpatory evidence against Golunov in a drug dealing case; however, the drugs had been earlier illegally bought and kept by the police officers, according the Investigative Committee.

In late December 2019, investigators opened the case over arrest of Golunov. The journalist was recognized as an injured party. All five defendants in the case were dismissed from police.

Golunov was arrested in Moscow on June 6, 2019. On June 8, the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow placed him under house arrest for 2 months. According to the Interior Ministrys official statement, police seized nearly 4 grams of methylmethedrone from Golunov. The journalist pleaded not guilty, insisted that the drugs were planted on him during the arrest and claimed that his prosecution is related to his journalistic investigations. According to his defense, an examination showed no drugs in his biomaterial.

On June 11, 2019, charges against Golunov were dropped because of a lack of evidence that he participated in the crime, and the journalist was released. On June 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed two generals of police on the back of the arrest of Golunov.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) Paris has denounced violent killings of civilians in a village in southwestern Cameroon, allegedly carried out by state security forces, and demanded that authorities shed light on the circumstances of the tragedy, the French Embassy in Cameroon said.

The incident drew condemnation from NGOs present in the country after photos and videos of corpses of civilians went viral on the internet. The attack was reportedly conducted by military personnel.

"France condemns the attack that took place in Mautu in the South West Region of Cameroon and killed 8 civilians on Sunday 10th of January 2021 in unclear circumstances. France condemns the indiscriminate use of violence against civilians and demands the facts of this unjustifiable crime to be clarified," the embassy said in a statement late on Monday.

Cameroon's Defense Ministry has so far denied allegations of State Security and Defense troops being responsible for the killings, saying troops were carrying out a military operation against terrorist groups in the area.

The country's South-West region has been involved in the so-called Anglophone Crisis, which started as a low-scale insurgency and grew into a civil war since 2017, when separatists from Cameroon's English-speaking regions, including those in the southwest, declared independence from the country's French-speaking areas.
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In the foreword to the 1946 edition of his novel, Brave New World, Aldous Huxley anticipated the continued emergence, perhaps in novel forms, of statist totalitarianism:

There is, of course, no reason why the new totalitarianisms should resemble the old. Government by clubs and firing squads, by artificial famine, mass imprisonment and mass deportation, is not merely inhumane (nobody cares much about that nowadays), it is demonstrably inefficient and in an age of advanced technology, inefficiency is the sin against the Holy Ghost. A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude. To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda, news-paper editors and schoolteachers. But their methods are still crude and unscientific.

Because, in 1946, the world had yet to witness the horrors of Red China, North Korea, Cuba, and Cambodia, Huxley guessed wrong that artificial famines, mass imprisonment, and political executions would go out of fashion. Totalitarianism is impossible without brute violence. And, from our brave new world of 2021, where Big Techs promiscuous deployment of tools like Machine Learning Fairness and shadow banning prevent users exposure to wrongthink, his estimation of propaganda methods as crude and unscientific is badly out of date.

But how chilling is Huxleys prescience about propaganda ministers, news editors, and schoolteachers training generations of serfs to willingly obey political bosses and their army of managers?

Just like the truism that generals always fight the last war, Huxleys point that theres no reason why the new totalitarianisms should resemble the old calls for both vigilance and imagination on our part; our next totalitarian enemy isnt limited to patterns of twentieth-century Nazism or Soviet-style Communism.

For instance, the suffocating blanket of censorship and suppression of free speech, which seems to defy any constitutional remedy because its not directly traceable to government action, remains a problem without an obvious solution. Regardless, its an open secret that the corporate executives in media, Big Tech, and Hollywood managing this suppression are acting on behalf of a single political party -- a party that, due in large part to that interference and suppression now have near total control of the federal government. Townhall's Matt Vespa quotes even a liberal reporter, Michael Tracey, warning that the absolute authoritarian lunacy of Twitters decision to ban President Trump isnt about safety, its about purposely inflating a threat in order to assert political and cultural dominance. Warns Tracey, The new corporate authoritarian liberal-left monoculture is going to be absolutely ruthless -- and in 12 days it is merging with the state. [My italics].

Glenn Greenwald, another committed progressive, also complains that political censorship has 'contaminated virtually every mainstream centre-left political organization, academic institution and newsroom.' In October, Greenwald, co-founder of The Intercept news site, resigned after they refused to publish his article about Joe Biden and Hunters shocking influence-peddling, unless Greenwald first removed critical points against the Democratic candidate.

In reality, standing alone with election fraud notwithstanding, last Octobers lockstep decision by an entire news industry to suppress the starkly headline-worthy scandals around Hunter Bidens laptop, along with all other negative stories about Joe Biden, accounts directly for 17% of Biden voters who would have abandoned him had they known the facts about one or more of these news stories. Because those lost votes would have changed the outcome in all six of the swing states won by Joe Biden, re-electing Trump, burying those stories was first-degree election interference.

Huxley foresaw this, too:

The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing. Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. By simply not mentioning certain subjects, by lowering what Mr. Churchill calls an "iron curtain" between the masses and such facts or arguments as the local political bosses regard as undesirable, totalitarian propagandists have influenced opinion much more effectively than they could have done by the most eloquent denunciations, the most compelling of logical rebuttals.

In 2020 alone, news outlets systematically misinformed, or kept uninformed, scores of millions of voters whose only news sources are either mainstream media or the occasional de-contextualized sound bite. Corporate news, in addition to disappearing the Hunter Biden story:

Misreported that opportunistic politicians imposing destructive, arbitrary lockdowns to stop the spread of the Wuhan virus were only following the science, while disregarding all scientific studies showing how lockdowns were ineffective, detrimental, and even deadly;

Misreported for months that Black Lives Matter/Antifas nightly demonstrations were mostly peaceful, while refusing to report on hundreds of BLM and Antifa-organized protests involving widespread arson, looting, and violence against police and innocent civilians;

Perpetuated the dangerous myth that black men are casually shot down by white police every day, while ignoring that statistics  flatly debunk the false narratives about racist white cops and the hunt for unarmed black men;

Parroted the Democrat talking point that Trumps allegations of election fraud were made without any evidence, while obstinately refusing to investigate well-documented evidence of pervasive election irregularities in battleground states.

But Fake News is only as powerful as its consumers are gullible. Knowing that, PJMedias Stephen Kruiser was able to predict in advance that a Biden win would be the complete triumph of decades of public education indoctrination, which is no longer education, anyway, but more of a leftist catechism class. Journalist William Haupt III reports that 12 years of Common Core has resulted in 51 percent of our youth preferring socialism to democracy. Its also why [t]wo thirds of the millennials believe America is a racist and sexist country and 40 percent agree America is the most unequal society in the world. In fact, in 2011 Chuck Roger traced this decline to the sixties, when teachers colleges began churning out [s]ocial justice-indoctrinated teachers [who] instill resentment in non-dominant (minority) children and guilt in dominant (white) children. Judging by the abundance of guilt-ridden white Americans, the tactic is working its magic well. At present a reported 3,500 classrooms across fifty states are incorporating the New York Times specious 1619 Project, which teaches that every accomplishment in Americas history came out of slavery. The purpose of this all this falsified history? Not education, but more generations of Americans unable to discern fact from fiction.

Now that progressives have complete control of Washington, theyll escalate their lies -- of commission, and especially of omission -- to gain a tighter and more permanent grip. Still, Truth remains their real enemy. It explains social medias current blitz of de-platforming conservatives, trying to drop an "iron curtain," just as Huxley predicted, to separate the people from undesirable facts.

Likewise, fidelity to truth is our best defense; that, and continuing to refuse their lies. Thats one positive action Solzhenitsyn was able to offer his comrades who felt powerless against the repressive Soviet system, the most perceptible of its aspects being lies: Personal non-participation in lies. Though lies conceal everything, though lies embrace everything, but not with any help from me.

T.R. Clancy looks at the world from Dearborn, Michigan. You can email him at trclancy@yahoo.com.
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12 January 2021

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Tesla registers with the Registrar of Companies.

Tesla, the worlds most valuable carmaker, has launched an Indian subsidiary as it prepares to create a much-awaited manufacturing plant and R&D unit in India.

The unit named Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Ltd was incorporated in Bengaluru on January 8, and Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram, and David Jon Feinstein have been named as directors, according to disclosures with the corporate affairs ministry.

A government official requesting anonymity told CNBC-TV18 that Tesla may not set up a manufacturing plant in India initially. Teslas China factory may work as primary sourcing point initially. Tesla may start assembling vehicles in India after visible demand.

It is a private unlisted company with an authorized capital of Rs 15,00,000 and a paid-up capital of Rs 1,00,000.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Tesla is in talks with five state governments to commence operations in India. The governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have had talks with the company who are also considering local partnerships.

Tesla to enter India in 2021, how will it impact Indian automakers?

The Karnataka government has already proposed a list of locations, Tumkur being one, to Tesla for setting up its manufacturing facility. Earlier in 2020, Tesla's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk hinted at the company entering India in 2021. "Next year for sure," Musk said on Twitter replying to a post with a photograph of a T-shirt with the message: "India wants Tesla".
Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill are due to host their first joint Executive Press conference in over a month on Thursday.

The First and Deputy First Ministers last appeared together to answer media questions after an Executive meeting on December 10. It has not been decided whether Thursday's event will happen at Stormont or whether they will host it remotely.

It will be the first opportunity for journalists to question them together since the new Covid-19 restrictions were introduced.

Stormont sources cited a mixture of reasons for the failure of the pair to host the once regular joint Executive Press conference in Parliament Buildings.

They said that Executive meetings had been held remotely and had often run late, but they admitted that there was "not a lot of enthusiasm" among some for holding the event.

Mrs Foster and Ms O'Neill did host a virtual joint Press conference on December 17 after a North South Ministerial Council Meeting with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar. The First Minister laid the blame for falling public compliance with Covid restrictions at Sinn Fein's door while the Deputy First Minister claimed she had never deviated from public health advice.

Mrs Foster and Ms O'Neill appeared at the Assembly's Covid ad hoc committee where they were quizzed by MLAs for over an hour last week.

Commenting on the month-long absence of post-Executive Press conferences, TUV leader Jim Allister said: "While I don't think many in the community will miss the pontifications of Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill, the failure to hold these events is yet another example of the dysfunctionality of the Executive.

"But I don't think the Deputy First Minister has any credibility whatsoever to be lecturing others on Covid-19 given the Bobby Storey funeral breaches.

"One year on from the restoration of devolution, Stormont's only real claim to fame is failure."

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said: "The operation of the Executive remains an issue and we have seen dysfunctionality continue in recent weeks and months.

"It is unclear whether there has been an acceptance by some parties that the culture had to change - regrettably, in far too many instances, it hasn't.

"Some parties are still to learn the lessons as to why things collapsed previously. If we were measuring progress on a balanced score card there would be far too many reds, with only a few up arrows - we should be doing much better."
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Alex Iwobi scored his first league goal in 15 months on Tuesday as Everton secured an invaluable 2-1 away win over Wolverhampton in their Premier League clash at Molineux.

The Nigerian international was on target in the sixth minute off an assist from Lucas Digne as he coolly finished Dignes pass into the bottom corner to give Carlo Ancelottis side an early lead at the Molineux.

Digne has now made 16 assists in the Premier League for Everton since the start of the 2018-19 season. The only defenders with more are Liverpool pair Andy Robertson (28) and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

However, Ruben Neves was on hand to restore parity for the hosts in the 14th minute, but the Toffees snatched the maximum points on offer through Michael Keanes 76th-minute goal to win the away tie 2-1.

Before finally scoring in Tuesday nights clash, the last time Iwobi scored in the Premier League was in September 2019 and interestingly it was also against Wolves but that time, Everton were playing at Goodison Park.

With the three points secured against Wolves, Everton are presently occupying the fourth position on the EPL standings with 32 points from 17 games and they are just four points adrift of new table toppers, Manchester United.

Having seen the likes of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Victor Anichebe and even Joseph Yobo excel with the Toffees, Iwobi would be hoping for a legacy of his own going forward.
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The U.S. House is scheduled to take up and likely vote on the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, bringing Congress one step closer to making history and impeaching a president for the second time during his tenure.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland on Monday announced the schedule for the next two days and how the lower chamber will proceed with its attempts in trying to remove Trump, who is set to leave office in nine days. Democrats argue Trump should be held accountable for encouraging his supporters to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote, which later devolved into violents riots and a breach of the U.S. Capitol last week.

The House will first take up and vote Tuesday evening on Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland's legislation calling on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment for Trump's immediate removal. GOP Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia objected to passing it through unanimous consent on Monday morning, but the bill is expected to pass Tuesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California is then giving Pence 24 hours to respond, U.S. News reported.

Hoyer's office confirmed the House will convene at 9 a.m. Wednesday to consider the articles of impeachment. One article of impeachment, authored by Raskin, Rep. Ted Lieu of California and Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, was introduced at Monday's pro-forma session and seeks to charge the outgoing president with the "incitement of insurrection."

A two-thirds majority, or 67 senators, is needed to convict a president, which has never happened in U.S. history. It would be a tough threshold to reach in what is poised to soon become a 50-50 Senate, meaning 17 Republicans would need to vote in favor if Democrats were unified. So far, GOP Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a Trump critic, has said he'll consider any articles of impeachment the House sends over.

Trump was first impeached in December 2019 over accusations that he pressured Ukraine's president to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, but he was ultimately acquitted by the Senate in early 2020.

A bizarre chain of events  including a murder and a kidnapping  led to the arrest of a 31-year-old man in Calhoun County.

It all began late Monday morning when a woman ran into a convenience store reporting that she had been kidnapped.

Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said 911 received the call about 10:30 a.m. from the store at U.S. Highway 431 and Alabama highway 204. She ran into the store and told the clerk shed been kidnapped, and he had a gun,' Wade said.

The woman, who has not been identified, told lawmen her boyfriend had been killed in Gadsden and the armed suspect had then abducted her, leaving Gadsden with the womans vehicle.

The suspect then pulled into the Calhoun County convenience store, which is in the Wellington community, to put gas in the vehicle. Thats when the kidnapping victim jumped out of her vehicle and ran into the store for help. The suspect then fled eastbound toward Jacksonville.

A short time later, Wade said, Jacksonville police received a report of a Jeep stolen from Edwards Grocery and a lookout bulletin was issued. About 30 to 40 minutes later, Calhoun County deputies spotted the stolen Jeep, and a chase was initiated. The kidnapping victims vehicle was found abandoned at the grocery store.

The multi-agency chase ended at U.S. 431 and Alabama highway 21 when, Wade said, the suspect turned in front of another vehicle and crashed. The suspect then jumped out and tried to carjack a motorist. Thankfully the door was locked and the carjacking attempted failed, Wade said. Lawmen then took the suspect into custody.

Authorities notified Gadsden police. According to the Gadsden Times, the homicide happened at the Empowerment Center on East Broad Street. The center helps clients transition from prison, homelessness or other type situations, The Times reported.

Police went to the center where they found a man dead. The homicide victims name has not been released nor have any details surrounding the homicide.

The suspect  Terry Leon Moore - was booked into the Etowah County Jail shortly after 2:30 p.m. on a murder charge. He is being held without bond.

I cant tell you any of the why yet,' Wade said. I really hate that person lost his life, but Im glad she was able to get away.

It sounds like he was a very volatile, very dangerous person,' the sheriff said of Moore, and were glad he is off the streets.

As the ruling BJP kicks off its Assembly poll campaign in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders would hold a series of election rallies in the northeastern state next week, BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.

BJP National President J.P. Nadda, who left here on Tuesday for Delhi, addressed a public gathering in southern Assam's Silchar on Monday and claimed that the saffron party has been winning all the elections in the country from Jammu & Kashmir to Telangana, and it would return to power in Assam once again with 100-plus seats in the upcoming state Assembly polls.

Sarma, who is the convener of the BJP-led alliance of regional parties -- North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) - said that Prime Minister Modi is likely to visit Assam on January 23 and Home Minister Shah is also likely to address two public rallies at Kokrajhar and Nalbari on January 24. The Prime Minister's detailed programme is yet to be finalised.

Nadda who was on two-day Assam visit held meetings with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Sarma, state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass and other senior leaders in Guwahati on Monday and Tuesday and discussed the strategies for the Assembly polls likely to be held in April-May.

Accompanied by his wife Mallika Nadda, the BJP President on Tuesday visited the famous Kamakhya Devalaya in Guwahati on Tuesday and prayed at the famed 'Shakti Peetha' atop the picturesque Nilachal hills in Assam's main city. The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls along with West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In the last Assembly polls in 2016, the BJP defeated the Congress and formed the government in Assam for the first time winning 60 seats after forging an alliance with the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), who won 14 and 12 seats, respectively. The ruling alliance also has the support of an independent MLA.

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Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

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European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

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Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

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Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

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Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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World oil prices falling

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William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

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Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

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Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

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Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

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Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

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Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
When Adrian Garcia was Harris County sheriff, he wanted to rethink what kind of energy the jail used. Could the building have solar panels? Backup batteries? County leaders then didnt embrace the idea, he said.

Now a county commissioner, Garcia is pushing the county toward directly buying renewable energy such as wind and solar, a potentially significant shift in the so-called energy capital of the world.

For me, the first-term Democrat said, it just makes sense.

His fellow commissioners unanimously agreed to reconsider how they will purchase power starting in 2023. What direction theyll take is up for debate. A county working group is looking at options, and commissioners have decided to seek a consultants help.

Traditionally, the county has bought energy through the Public Power Pool, an entity made up of around 100 political entities that negotiates together for lower electricity costs. The pool draws from the states overall power grid, which they estimate is about 20 percent powered by renewable sources.

Commissioner Jack Cagle, one of two Republicans on the majority-Democrat court, said he expects the county to continue buying energy from the pool, which is also now offering an all-renewable option. He said looking at other ways to buy energy is always good, but he sees advantages to the groups reduced, long-term, fixed rates.

Cagle also believes a mix of energy sources is best. And, with employees of the oil and gas industry among his taxpaying constituents, he said a desire for renewable energy should not be the countys sole driver: The question is, what is the cost?

Renewable power, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency, is energy drawn from sources that restore themselves quickly and dont diminish. It can be purchased in various ways, with the electricity not necessarily used in Houston homes but added to the grid. The grid is also supplied by plants using natural gas and coal.

Environmental advocates have called for the county to shift toward buying only renewable energy in its power contract, arguing in a letter a year ago that it would make communities healthier and safer. They called for the county also to install solar panels and battery storage at its buildings.

To see Harris County make such changes would send a powerful message that the region is heading in a different, exciting direction, said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.

Shift to renewables

The city of Houston has claimed to use 100 percent renewable energy since July, powering places such as airports and the zoo. Some of the citys energy comes through whats known as a power purchase agreement, a common way to support new power sources by agreeing to buy what they produce long-term.

The citys agreement is with a West Texas solar plant. Developing a similar deal locally could be part of the countys plan, Metzger suggested.

An agreement with Reliant, an NRG Energy company, meets the rest of the citys power needs in two ways: One is with renewable energy that NRG buys. A solar facility is being built in a to-be-announced location that will help NRG meet the citys demand.

The other is whats known as renewable energy certificates, or RECs, another method for investing in renewable energy that doesnt necessarily mean new resources are developed. RECs may also lack the transparency of where the power is produced. The county has bought these in the past, staking the claim that it, too, was 100 percent green, but now wants to take things further.

Though county leaders dont know yet exactly how they will change their power contract, they want to be trendsetters, said Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat. Ellis expects the commissioners court will come up with a strategy for buying renewables, especially with interest growing at the federal level.

Still, Ellis considers the opportunity part of what needs to be a larger approach. He has proposed the county look into drawing up a climate action plan, as the city of Houston has done, rather than pursue initiatives one by one.

I think we have a responsibility in the energy capital of the world to be proactive, he said. Those problems with climate change dont just vanish; they dont disappear on their own.

Their purchasing power matters: Big buyers such as local governments, school districts and retail store chains helped the renewable energy industry grow, said Pat Wood III, CEO of Hunt Energy Network and former chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Its a vote of confidence for a new industry in Texas thats homegrown, Wood said. To me, Im a fan. Its just as Texan as oil and gas.

Seeking the right mix

The city of Houston is the largest green power user of any local government, according to the most recent Environmental Protection Agency data. Harris County, if it bought only green energy, would rank seventh.

The county spends some $17 million a year to power everything from offices to the jail to park lights.

Harris County helped create the Public Power Pool, and Garcia sits on its board. But Garcia felt working with it no longer seemed like the obvious best way. Renewable energy had become less expensive. The effects of climate change, spurred by the fossil fuel industry, are becoming ever more apparent.

The group proposed a last-minute green option, which some county staff found lacked information. But it could be considered by Harris County and others in the future.

Petrochemical companies have facilities in Garcias precinct, but he believes the time has come for the county to transition to different types of power.

I welcome all energy, he told his fellow commissioners in December. But obviously we do have a view to the future and the future does include sustainable and renewable energy, and so we obviously should be looking at it, should be understanding it, and should be working to embrace it.

emily.foxhall@chron.com
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WASHINGTON  With the House set to impeach, President Donald Trump is blaming Democratic congressional foes for tremendous anger in the country and last weeks deadly attack on the Capitol by his supporters after he urged them on their way.

The embattled president, in his first remarks to reporters since last weeks attack, took no responsibility Tuesday for the deadly mob invasion of the building but also said he wanted no violence.

Trump defended his fiery rally remarks to a protest crowd last week as totally appropriate, and he showed no remorse for the following attack, the most serious and deadly domestic incursion at the Capitol in the nations history.

On impeachment, Trump said its a really terrible thing that theyre doing.

To continue on this path, I think its causing tremendous danger to our country, and its causing tremendous anger, he said. I want no violence.

The president spoke as he left for Texas to survey the border wall with Mexico. He took no questions.

Impeachment ahead, the House on Tuesday will first try to convince the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.

House lawmakers are reconvening at the Capitol for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to approve a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take any such action. The House would next move swiftly to impeach Trump.

Trump faces a single charge  incitement of insurrection  in the impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated, Jan. 20.

The unprecedented events, only the first U.S. president to be twice impeached, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of Bidens inauguration. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public and the inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.

It all added up to stunning final moments for Trumps presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.

We have to be very tough and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., an author of both pieces of legislation, in an interview.

Late Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support impeachment, calling for Trumps immediate removal.

It is clear that every moment Trump remains in office, America is at risk, said a statement from the caucus, led by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Ca. It said Trump must be held accountable for his actions.

Democrats arent the only ones who say Trump needs to go.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to vote your conscience, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trumps actions but has not said publicly how she will vote.

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to go away as soon as possible.

Pence and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, and had a good conversation pledging to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

Pence has given no indication he would proceed with invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment process.

As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was not afraid of taking the oath of office outside at the Capitol.

As for the rioters, Biden said, It is critically important that therell be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable.

Biden said hes had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senates time, perhaps go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package for more COVID relief.

As Congress resumes, an uneasiness swept government. Another lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., announced Tuesday she had tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege.

Many lawmakers may choose to vote by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has discouraged GOP lawmakers from using the proxy option. But during a call with them he loosened his strict opposition for this weeks votes, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private call.

Among Trumps closest allies in Congress, McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.

He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.

Democrats say they have the votes for impeachment. The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trumps own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

The impeachment legislation also details Trumps pressure on state officials in Georgia to find him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to fight like hell and march to the building.

The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Bidens victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be prevented from holding future public office.

There is precedent for pursuing impeachment after an official leaves office. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
ISTANBUL - ''We see our future in Europe and we want to build it together'', Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a meeting on Tuesday with EU ambassadors in Ankara. The gathering was also organized ahead of his expected visit to Brussels on January 21.

''We are connected to the EU through the process of adhesion talks. We are determined to implement reforms. The EU must support us'', continued Cavusoglu, expressing the wish that ''2021 will be a year of solidarity''. Over the past few days, Turkey has accelerated its diplomatic offensive towards Brussels, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the opening of a ''new page'' in relations with Europe.

The resumption, after nearly five years, of ''explorative talks'' with Greece was announced on Monday night. The talks are scheduled to take place on January 25 in Istanbul to discuss disputes on the eastern Mediterranean and other bilateral issues.
(TNS)  The online banishment of President Trump and his supporters has spread from Facebook and Twitter to lesser-known companies that operate the infrastructure of the internet, threatening his ability to raise money, rally supporters and remain a political and cultural force as he prepares to leave office.A host of web security, hosting and payment companies are stopping services to both Trump and organizations that have tolerated right-wing extremists advocating further violence.The moves highlight the power that a small number of firms have over the internet, including obscure Bay Area tech companies that provide the plumbing of a modern web presence. Well known to the region's app designers and web engineers, their services let websites load quickly, users verify identities, and payments get processed securely. Without them, it's difficult to maintain an online presence that reaches large numbers of people or pays for itself.The social network Parler of Henderson, Nev., went offline Monday after Amazon Web Services stopped hosting it, as fallout from Wednesday's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol continues.Parler users called for the murders of Trump's political enemies and further violence if the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden moved forward, according to screenshots.San Francisco's Twilio, which offers communication tools, including some used by Parler to secure user accounts, also dropped the app as a customer.Twilio said Parler violated a policy "prohibiting the spread of disinformation, encouraging violence, destruction of property and other illegal activity, threatening public safety, and harming Twilio's reputation.""We identified posts on Parler that advocated for civil war, spread malicious and fraudulent messages about the election, called on users to assassinate government officials, and advocated for racially-motivated violence. The account is suspended indefinitely," the company added.San Francisco security company Okta, which helps companies manage user identities, also said it cut Parler off."While we support organizations across the political spectrum, our (services) will not be used for threats of violence and illegal activity," the company said on Twitter.While some cheered the tech companies' actions  counterprotesters supportive of the bans outnumbered the pro-Trump protesters who had promised to show up at Twitter's pandemic-emptied headquarters in San Francisco on Monday  others saw reason for concern at their ability to vanish Trump from the internet.Lina Khan, a Columbia University professor and prominent tech critic, said the unilateral ability of large companies to stifle communication stemmed from the government's failure to regulate them as the essential infrastructure providers that they are."Traditionally, the U.S. dealt with infrastructure providers through applying a heightened set of rules and requirements that curbed their power, because we recognized that these services are too important to public life to be run entirely at the discretion of private entities," she said."Since we haven't updated our laws, Google, Facebook and Amazon are wielding unchecked power over key arteries of communication. Whether we agree or disagree with any particular hosting decision is besides the point. The real question is who sets the rules: democratically accountable public officials, or a small set of private executives?" she said.Jim Steyer, founder and chief executive of Common Sense Media, a San Francisco nonprofit that advocates for media literacy, supported the Trump bans but also voiced concerns over concentrated power."In this case, it is totally justifiable and in the public interest to limit access to anti-democratic, violent forces that are not only using social media to spread lies about the outcome of the presidential election but also to organize a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and our democracy itself," he said. "In the case of some of the largest companies, like Facebook, it raises the question of whether the companies are too big and should be broken up."The moves taken by the companies are significant, but any efforts to constrain hate speech and white supremacy online are limited, said Robyn Caplan, a researcher at Data & Society, a nonprofit focusing on technology."We did see the same thing after Charlottesville, but it didn't necessarily weaken white supremacy," said Caplan, referring to the 2017 march by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Virginia.After the murder of Heather Heyer at a counterprotest, Google and website hosting company GoDaddy blocked the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer. It has since returned under a different domain name."It will continue to be a Whac-a-Mole game," Caplan said.Parler sued Amazon on Monday for kicking it off its web hosting service, alleging that the Seattle e-commerce company, which rents capacity in its data centers to other businesses, was "apparently motivated by political animus. It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.""The antitrust claims against Amazon appear to be groundless," said John Newman, a law professor at the University of Miami in Florida who specializes in antitrust laws. "Without any evidence that companies actually agreed between them to boot Parler off, there is no conspiracy."Amazon previously cited Parler's lack of content moderation as a reason to end service. Google and Apple had also removed Parler's mobile versions from their app stores in the wake of last week's riot, citing similar concerns.The actions against Trump and his allies extended to e-commerce and messaging.After critics discovered Teespring, a San Francisco T-shirt selling service, was offering "Camp Auschwitz" shirts like those worn by some Capitol rioters, it cut off business with the vendor that sold the offensive garb."We categorically do not allow or condone any content which promotes racist, anti-Semitic or hate speech messaging, including the Neo-Nazi designs currently circulating online," a company spokesperson said in an email. "Anyone uploading this type of content will be swiftly and permanently banned" from the service, the spokesperson said.San Francisco's Stripe, one of the largest online payment processors, will stop processing donations for Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported, complicating the president's financial future. PayPal and Shopify also cut ties with Trump, and GoFundMe removed fundraisers by Trump supporters.Salesforce, the San Francisco provider of marketing and sales software, said it had restricted the Republican National Committee's use of its products. As the online news site Vice first reported, that includes the fundraising email list that the committee manages with the Trump campaign, which has not sent emails since Wednesday to its millions of supporters."We are all deeply troubled by the terrible events of January 6. And while we all hope that they are never repeated, sadly there remains a risk of politically incited violence across the country. The Republican National Committee has been a long-standing customer, predating the current administration, and we have taken action to prevent its use of our services in any way that could lead to violence," Salesforce said.Caplan said the bans showed the power tech companies wield, and said that might require ongoing scrutiny, especially when marginalized groups are affected."What most advocates in the space would like to see is a lot more consistency from these (companies), a lot more transparency," Caplan said.
A Limerick publican who exceeded the speed limit to overtake three trucks in a row has been fined and put off the road for four months.

At Portlaoise District Court, Barry Conway (44), 95 Log na gCapall, South Circular Road, Co. Limerick, was charged with speeding, at the M7 Great Heath, on December 17, 2019.

States evidence outlined that the accused was driving at 170km/h in a 120km zone.

Defence, Ms Josephine Fitzpatrick said there had been three trucks in a row and he accelerated to overtake. Ms Fitzpatrick said he had been attending a medical appointment on the day.

Defence went on to say that it was very unfortunate that the accused had not paid the ticket for speeding when he had the chance. She said he was a publican in Limerick who is currently on the Covid-19 payment and any driving disqualification will have an effect on his ability to earn an income. Ms Fitzpatrick also acknowledged that he was lucky not to be facing a charge of dangerous driving.

The accused was convicted and fined 100 and disqualified from driving for four months, with recognisance fixed in the event of an appeal.
Amaravati, Jan 12 : Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, currently on a visit to Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday expressed hope that the coronavirus vaccine will reach all people in the country for a healthy life for everybody.

"We will win over coronavirus, this is a happy development. This vaccine, Covaxin, should reach all the people in the country. And everybody should be hale and healthy," said Dattatreya, at a time when the vaccine has just begun to be shipped to various places in the country.

He met his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, at the Raj Bhavan.

Harichandan presented a memento to Dattatreya who reciprocated with a Himachali cap, which he gave to others as well. Both the governors discussed the various development programmes being implemented by their respective states.

AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also met the Himachal Pradesh Governor.
Workers begin to clean up the debris and damage caused by protesters, in the Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 7, 2021. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Darkness in America

Commentary

Jan. 6, 2021, may have been a dark day for America, but it was merely symptomatic of something far worse. That day, a mob entered the Capitol Building, vandalized federal property, and terrified government workers and officials. Four people died. Many were injured. Condemnation was immediate and unanimous. No one defended the mob.

That was the easy partor at least it should have been. Mobs should be easy to condemn. All mobs. The commonalities among mobs far outweigh any differences. Whether the mob identifies with the left or the right, cites religious or economic motivation, or asserts specific or general grievances, it will quickly converge on a scapegoat. Societies willing to tolerate even a modicum of mob violence will eventually abandon the scapegoat to appease the mob, then collapse beneath the weight of a movement that cant be appeased.

In America today, all mobs that identify with the left and some that identify with the right are already antisemitic; many are vocally anti-American. The same is true for the organizations whose demonstrations inevitably turn into riots. If youre part of a mob, if youre part of a mostly peaceful demonstration giving cover to a mob, if youre an apologist excusing a sympathetic mob, if you see some mobs as your mobs and others as their mobs, youre a threat to society.

In a healthy society, such blanket condemnations of mob violence should be trivial. Yet far too many Americansincluding much of our political and media leadership and most of the leftdifferentiate among mobs. Theyve now spent days spreading the pernicious lie that last weeks events at the Capitol Building represented something new. Nonsense.

Intermittent mob violence has been part of American life since the summer of 2013. President Barack Obama set the tone when he expressed far greater sympathy than condemnation for the mobs assembled after Trayvon Martins death. Since then, weve seen convulsions, conflagrations, and occupations in Ferguson, Baltimore, Charlotte, Atlanta, Charlottesville, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Kenosha, and elsewhere.

Violent mobs around the country have targeted police, vandalized businesses, attacked citizens, and destroyed lives. Mobs have charged the Supreme Court and the White House. Mobs have descended upon members of Congress in the lobbies, hallways, and elevators of their office buildings. Mobs have laid siege to federal buildings and courthouses, toppled statues and monuments, and burned Bibles. Mobs torched Washingtons historic St. Johns Episcopal Church. It was hardly alone. Churches and synagogues have been prime mob targets precisely because theyre churches and synagogues.

Progressive political and media leaders did worse than downplay most of these mobs. They vilified President Donald Trump when he issued blanket condemnations equating violent mobs they like with those they dont.

The self-important, self-righteous political and media personnel pretending that last weeks mob broke new ground are symptomatic of a fatal cultural disease. Americas leadership class is unwilling to treat mobs as mobs. If they detect a grievance they consider sympathetic, they offer appeasement rather than condemnation. That approach is beyond repulsive. Its a sign of a nation on the brink of suicide.

Worse, the singling out of last weeks mob has already justified unprecedented actions:

Democrats who spent the summer shrugging off mob violence have launched attempts to remove Trump and interfere with the military chain of command. Tech and social media giants have made rapid, bold, systematic moves against Trump and his supporterssteps theyve steadfastly refused to take against recognized terrorist organizations. Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei now has greater access to American social media than does Trump.

Many of the facts surrounding the events at the Capitol are still unknown. The responses, however, bear all the hallmarks of a false-flag operation used to justify repression, the seizure of power, and the criminalization of politics. Theyre antithetical to the deep introspection needed for our nation to halt its rapid downward spiral.

That were spiraling downward is undeniable. Over the past nine months, the American republic has collapsed into emergency rule by executive fiat while violent mobs have run wild through our cities extorting protection money. Last month, over 40 states asked the Supreme Court to adjudicate a burning question that splits the country: Which of our leading political factions is undermining the electoral legitimacy central to the American republic, and which is trying to defend it?

The nine Justices charged as the ultimate arbiters of peaceful conflict resolution said, in effect, take your fight elsewhere. Its hard to think of a more dangerous abdication. When nonviolent resolution mechanisms are unavailable, conflict becomes violent. When elections and courts lack integrity, mobs and warlords take their place.

Welcome to 2021. Jan. 6 may have been a dark day, but America is about to get far, far darker. The dark winter Joe Biden promised is upon us.

Bruce Abramson, Ph.D. J.D., is a principal at B2 Strategic, senior fellow and director at ACEK Fund and the author of American Restoration: Winning Americas Second Civil War.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the current supreme leader of Irans name. It is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Epoch Times regrets the error.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China-Africa friendship remains rock-solid and stable, no matter what the international situation they face and what difficulties, obstacles, or disruptions they encounter, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang made the remarks during an interview with the People's Daily as he concluded on Saturday his New Year visits to five African nations, namely Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Tanzania and Seychelles.

The fact that Chinese foreign ministers chose Africa for their first overseas visit every year since 1991 shows that China attaches great importance to Africa, Wang said, adding that such a concrete action embodies their traditional friendship and China's firm support for Africa's development and revitalization.

During his trip to Africa, Wang held meetings respectively with leaders and foreign ministers from the five African countries, during which the two sides have agreed to further upheld the spirit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and carried out in-depth exchange over the follow-ups to the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19.

The two sides, Wang said, should join hands to safeguard their legitimate right to development and national rejuvenation, cherish their commitment to fairness and justice, advocate true multilateralism and oppose any external interference.

In fighting the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, Wang noted that China will continue to deliver urgently needed anti-virus supplies to African friends, send medical teams to countries in need, establish a cooperation mechanism of counterpart hospitals, promote the sharing of anti-virus experience, accelerate the construction of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters building, and work with G20 members on the debt suspension in Africa.

China will fulfill its firm commitment that its vaccines will be provided as global public good, and stands ready to cooperate with African countries on COVID-19 vaccines and make them more accessible and affordable in Africa, Wang said.

Some leaders of African countries, including Seychelles president, have said they will be among the first to take a vaccine from China.

In boosting Africa's industrialization and home-grown production capacity, Wang said China is willing to make joint efforts with Africa to strengthen strategic alignment and build consensus on cooperation in line with the expectations of African countries, and push forward the joint building of the Belt and Road between China and Africa.

Wang noted that during his trip, the DRC and Botswana signed respectively a memorandum of understanding with China on jointly building the Belt and Road, becoming successively the 45th and the 46th African partner countries to participate in Belt and Road cooperation.

Meanwhile, the international community has a shared responsibility to support Africa's development, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to actively promote tripartite or multi-party cooperation with Africa, so as to jointly play a constructive role in promoting peace and development in Africa.
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Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday said that the Indian government has not given permission to the vaccine manufacturing company to sell its Covid-19 vaccine in the private market.

"In the private market, for those who want to purchase the vaccine, the price would be 1,000. But we have not received permission for this...," Poonawalla said, according to an ANI interview.

Poonawalla's comments came after the world's largest vaccine manufacturing company began to dispatch its locally produced Oxford Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield' across the country in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Poonwalla termed it a historic moment and said the main challenge is to make the vaccine available to everyone in the country.

"We have given a special price of 200 for the first 100 million doses only to the Government of India on their request because we want to support common man, vulnerable, poor and healthcare workers. After that, we will be selling it at 1,000 in private markets," he said to ANI.

"We make 70-80 million doses every month. Planning is underway to see how many will be given to India and foreign countries. Health Ministry has made logistics plans. We also have a partnership with private players for trucks, vans and cold storage," he informed.

However, for the price of the vaccine in India, Poonwalla added, "To Indian government, we'll still maintain a very reasonable price but it will be a little bit more than 200 which is our cost price. So we decided not to make any profit, we wanted to support the nation and the government for the first 100 million doses."

He also added that a lot of countries have been writing to India and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for vaccines to be supplied from Serum Institute to their countries.

"We are trying to keep everyone happy. We have to take care of our population and nation as well. We are trying to supply vaccine to Africa, South America. So we are doing a little bit everywhere. So we will try to keep everyone happy," he said.

The first consignment containing vials of the Covishield vaccine was dispatched from the Serum Institute of India here in the early hours of Tuesday, four days ahead of the launch of the nationwide vaccination drive.

A SpiceJet aircraft carrying the vaccines landed at the Delhi airport around 10 am.

Amid tight security, three trucks carrying the very first consignment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine left for Pune airport to be flown to 13 locations across the country today.

India has recently approved two COVID-19 vaccines -- Oxford's Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in the country, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin -- for restricted emergency use.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to people above 50 years of age, followed by those below 50 years of age with associated comorbidities, based on the evolving pandemic situation.

With inputs from ANI









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This weeks Farming Independent will be a tough read for some.

The publication of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, due out today, should cause much soul-searching across society around the treatment of mothers and their children down through the decades.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of children were boarded out from Mother and Baby Homes around the country to farms. Some were treated as members of the foster family, but others were not so lucky.

Over the past few months, we met with several men who were boarded out to family farms in Galway. Their powerful stories detail how they were treated by society and the State and are still being discriminated against today.

Those lucky enough to have been boarded out to loving families were often left the family farm, but if they were not legally adopted by their foster family for whatever reason, they were hit with tax bills on inheritance.

For many, the implications of being born into a Mother and Baby Home was only the start of a life-long battle.

Some talk of the stigma they felt throughout their lives, the disparaging attitudes and remarks and hardships of working on farms, treated as cheap labour and in many cases worse.

Read More

Others were unable to talk to us, too traumatised to recount their experiences.

There is plenty of evidence of the hardships meted out to some of these children.

Newspaper reports of the time cite Department of Health inspector concerns over the treatment of some children; neglect seemed to be common, often bordering on cruelty.

Reminder

The stories we tell today serve as a reminder that it wasnt just the State or the Church that forced unmarried mothers into homes or stigmatised their children. It was society.

It was the wider society that chose to ignore, and worse discriminate against, these children.

People such as PJ Haverty, Walter Francis, Peter Mulryan and Gerry Devaney have battled being stigmatised from birth and suffered discrimination from society and the State.

Now, as elderly citizens, they deserve their stories to be told  as well as the respect and rights afforded to us all.
Shes outstanding, shes the best, she does the most, with the less, said, left, Pastor David Barrett of Waukegan and of DLB Ministries of Winthrop Harbor, talking about Sue Gandhi. On right is volunteer Shara Fata of Deerfield, who picks up food and delivers food to people in East Rogers Park. Today, she is driving a patron from Highwood who is in need of groceries. Images from a food pantry distribution at Sue Gandhis Vernon Hills townhome on Jan. 5, 2020. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Cantel Medical Corp. ("CMD" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMD) in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by STERIS plc ("STERIS") (NYSE: STE). Under the terms of the merger agreement, STERIS will acquire CMD in a mixed cash-and-stock transaction, pursuant to which CMD shareholders will receive $16.93 in cash and 0.33787 of a STERIS ordinary share for each CMD share that they own, representing implied per-share merger consideration of approximately $84.66 based upon STERIS' January 11, 2021 closing price of $200.46.

If you own CMD shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:

https://www.weisslawllp.com/CMD/

Or please contact:

Joshua Rubin, Esq.

WeissLaw LLP

1500 Broadway, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10036

(212) 682-3025

(888) 593-4771

[email protected]

WeissLaw LLP is investigating whether CMD's board acted in the best interest of CMD's public shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, whether the merger consideration adequately compensates CMD's shareholders, and whether all information regarding the process undertaken by the board and the valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed to CMD's public shareholders. Notably, at least one analyst has set a price target for the company of $100.00, approximately $15.00 above the implied per-share merger consideration.

WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected]

SOURCE WeissLaw LLP

Related Links

http://weisslawllp.com


Neil Byers, the president of Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co. (10426 S. Western Ave.) in Beverly, doesnt think the situation will improve quickly. In particular, he worries about the complexity of vaccinating so many people. While I am optimistic the vaccines will chip away at this devastating virus, I am less confident in our governments ability to distribute them effectively, writes Byers in an email. They have fumbled time and time again, including the rollout in December. My hope is that we can tread water until May and then begin rebuilding. I believe that our city, industry and my company will shine once again, hopefully sooner than later.
(Natural News) A leftist group from the United Kingdom claims that technology giant Amazon is not excluding enough Christian organizations from its platforms. British organization openDemocracy attacked the Jeff Bezos-owned firm for allowing Christian nonprofits to use its AmazonSmile charity donation program. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), American Center for Law and Justice and Human Life International are some Christian organizations using the Amazon platform to collect donations.

According to a Dec. 22 report by openDemocracy, dozens of US-based anti-LGBT groups are fundraising on Amazons online donations platform  despite the companys policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation. While acknowledging Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos support for the LGBT community, human rights activists said the company should kick out Christian organizations from its platform at the soonest.

LGBT advocacy group ILGA-Europe Executive Director Evelyne Paradis said: Companies, if they really walk the talk, shouldnt be giving their platform to organizations that working to limit the rights of other people. [Amazon] shouldnt be giving space to any organization  actively fueling hatred and/or working against the rights of other people.

According to the AmazonSmile Participation Agreement, organizations promoting intolerance, discrimination or discriminatory practices based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age are not allowed on the platform. However, the more than 40 groups openDemocracy accuses have stood against homosexuality and same-sex marriage  which are in line with mainstream Christian beliefs.

In addition, the leftist organization pointed out that two organizations on AmazonSmile were tagged as hate groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) branded Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Family Research Council (FRC) as hate groups for their Christian advocacies. AmazonSmile eventually removed the FRC and ADF from the platform following the SPLC designation. (Related: Revealed: Amazon partners with far-left hate group Southern Poverty Law Center.)

openDemocracy is pressuring Amazon to de-platform Christian groups for following the Bibles teachings

openDemocracy presented Amazon with a dossier on the anti-LGBT activities of the groups it flagged on the companys U.S. platform. It then asked if the technology giant would look into any possible breach of the Participation Agreement.

An Amazon spokesperson reiterated the firms policy: Organizations that engage in, support, encourage, or promote intolerance, hate, terrorism, violence, money laundering, or other illegal activities are not eligible. If at any point an organisation violates this agreement, its eligibility will be revoked. They added that Amazon has relied on the SPLC and the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control to determine if an organization violates the agreement. (Related: Jeff Bezos applauds Islam non-profits on Amazons smile donation program, but BANS Christian groups wow.)

However, Tyler ONeil of PJ Media said the SPLCs designation of ADF and FRC as anti-LGBT hate groups is entirely based on falsehoods. He added that the SPLC has leveraged its history bankrupting white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan to brand its opponents as hate groups and to raise millions through fear-mongering.

Many organizations named by the SPLC as hate groups have found themselves being demonized solely for having a different opinion, ONeil remarked. Conservative and Christian organizations have been branded as promoting hate over their defense of biblical sexuality. Thus, he commented that leftist groups such as openDemocracy have weaponized the terms intolerance and discrimination to mean attacks against beliefs they dislike.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Basing itself on sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law,  close the sexual act to the gift of life,  [and] do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.

Majority of Christians adhere to this statement, condemning homosexual activity and defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

In response to openDemocracys request for comment, a BGEA spokesperson said the group is grateful to participate in the AmazonSmile program. They reiterated that BGEA does not engage in unlawful discrimination and  [does] not promote intolerance. The spokesperson added: We hope AmazonSmile will continue to respect the rights and dignity of all people, and wont discriminate against faith-based groups based solely on their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Intolerance.news has more about the lefts threats to de-platform Christian organizations on platforms such as AmazonSmile.

Sources include:

PJMedia.com

OpenDemocracy.net

Org.Amazon.com

Vatican.va
Turkey Stalls Kidnapping Investigation of Elderly Assyrian Couple

Hurmuz Diril and his wife Simoni. International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Turkish authorities have stalled the investigation into the disappearance of elderly Assyrian-Chaldean Christians Hurmuz and Simuni Diril. They were kidnapped from the Turkish village of Mehr, located near the Iraqi border, one-year prior on January 11, 2020. The abductors are believed to have been affiliated with the PKK, a Kurdish militant group designated by the US State Department as a terrorist organization.

The absence of the Diril couple was discovered by their son. The Turkish authorities unsuccessfully conducted a search and rescue operation, but winter weather conditions were challenging. However, the search never resumed as the weather cleared. Two months later on March 20, 2020, the dismembered body of Simuni was discovered in a nearby river. The whereabouts of Hurmuz remain unknown.

According to a family representative, the authorities never opened a new search into the whereabouts of Hurmuz. Paperwork regarding the autopsy investigation of Simuni's death remains incomplete with large pieces of information missing. The procedural system associated with the autopsy process has not moved forward. As a result, the family is left with no answers to the reason for the couples' kidnapping and subsequent loss of life. The family representative is thus asking the following:

The opening of an investigation into any procedural failures involving the autopsy report and an investigation into possible negligence of the authorities.

A release of all documents to the family relevant to Simuni's death. Completion of the forensic report and the report of the evidence gathered in the criminal investigation.

A serious investigation about the fate of Hurmuz.

That the authorities show a commitment to finding the guilty parties.

The couple was abducted from the village of Mehr, a historically Assyrian Christian village that has been repeatedly caught in the crosshairs of various conflicts. The village was previously evacuated in 1989 and 1994 because of the conflict between the PKK and Turkish army. Ten years ago, the Diril couple had returned to the village despite the dangers in an attempt to rebuild. Their son, Father Remzi (Adday) Diril, is an Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic priest based in Istanbul, known internationally for his pastoral care of 7,000 Iraqi Christian refugees displaced in Turkey.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 12 : The Customs officials probing the sensational gold smuggling case are likely to question Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan after the Budget session concludes on January 22, sources said on Tuesday.

Three accused in the case had deposed before the customs about the alleged involvement of Sreeramakrishnan.

Official sources told IANS that they had contemplated to quiz the Speaker during the session here, but higher authorities wanted him to be grilled at the Kerala Customs headquarters in Kochi.

Gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh and PS Sarith had claimed the Speaker's involvement in the smuggling of dollars.

The gold smuggling case came to light on July 5 after 30 kg of the precious metal was seized by the Customs from a package sent as diplomatic consignment and addressed to the UAE Consulate in the state capital.

Minister for Higher Education KT Jaleel was also quizzed by the Customs while CM's former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar was arrested in the gold smuggling case.

Earlier, the Speaker's Assistant Private Secretary K Ayyappan was also grilled by the Customs for over nine hours.
FILE - In this May 14, 2018 file photo, Sheldon Adelson attends the opening ceremony of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2020, that U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson will forever be remembered for his work strengthening ties between the U.S. and Israel. Adelson's death at 87 was announced earlier Tuesday. With Adelson's death, Netanyahu loses a staunch supporter who for the last four years had the ear of the American president and helped drive U.S. policy toward Israel. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

Paducah Man Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A Paducah man has pleaded guilty to numerous charges related to child pornography.According to the McCracken County Court Clerk, 21-year-old Zachary Roach was in court on Monday, where he entered a guilty plea to four counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor, six counts of prohibited use of electronic communication systems to procure a minor, four counts of distribution of obscene material, use of a minor under 16 in a sexual performance, and promoting a minor under 16 in a sexual performance.Roach is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1.In August, Roach was named as a suspect by detectives in Ohio who said he had been trading illicit photos and videos with 14-year-old victims in Ohio and Mississippi. He was arrested on August 18.

The Trump administration has re-designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism", reversing an Obama-era decision days ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that the US government had been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to "oppress its people at home, and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere".

"The State Department has designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism for repeatedly providing support for acts of terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists," Pompeo said.

"With this action, we will once again hold Cuba's government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for terrorism and subversion of US justice," he said.

The previous Obama Administration had previously removed from this designation, which subjects to sanctions that penalise persons and countries engaging in certain trade with it, restricts US foreign assistance, bans defence exports and sales, and imposes certain controls on exports of dual-use items.

Cuba returns to the list following its "broken commitment" to stop supporting terrorism as a condition of its removal by the previous administration in 2015. On May 13, 2020, the State Department notified Congress that it had certified Cuba under Section 40A(a) of the Arms Export Control Act as "not cooperating fully" with US counterterrorism efforts in 2019.

"The Cuban intelligence and security apparatus has infiltrated Venezuela's security and military forces, assisting Nicholas Maduro to maintain his stranglehold over his people while allowing terrorist organizations to operate.

"The Cuban government's support for FARC dissidents and the ELN continues beyond Cuba's borders as well, and the regime's support of Maduro has created a permissive environment for terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela," Pompeo said.

According to Pompeo, members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), a US-designated foreign terrorist organisation, travelled to Havana to conduct peace talks with the Colombian government in 2017.

Citing peace negotiation protocols, Cuba has refused Colombia's requests to extradite 10 ELN leaders living in Havana after the group claimed responsibility for the January 2019 bombing of a Bogota police academy that killed 22 people and injured more than 87 others, Pompeo said.

Cuba also harbours several US fugitives from justice wanted on or convicted of charges of political violence, many of whom have resided in Cuba for decades, he alleged.

For example, the Cuban regime has refused to return Joanne Chesimard, on the FBI's 'most wanted terrorists' list for executing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973; Ishmael LaBeet, convicted of killing eight people in the US Virgin Islands in 1972; Charles Lee Hill, charged with killing New Mexico state policeman Robert Rosenbloom in 1971; and others.

Pompeo said the US would continue to support the Cuban people in their desire for a democratic government and respect for human rights, including freedom of religion, expression, and association.

(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.)
ELI IMADALI/AMERICAN-STATESMAN, MBR / TNS

A petition is circulating calling for Sen. Ted Cruz to be disbarred for his objections to certifying President-elect Joe Biden's win, which many believe contributed to the violent attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

More than 9,000 lawyers and law students have signed a petition calling for the disbarment of Cruz and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who joined Cruz in objecting to the certification of the election results. Cruz and Hawley continued with their objections even after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing representatives to evacuate and causing 5 deaths, including the death of a Capitol police officer.
H Code Demonstrates Strength In Hispanic Digital Media With Banner Year Despite Global Pandemic

2020 was a year like no other. For the marketing and advertising industry, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything, changing consumer behavior and mindset and causing advertisers to reevaluate campaigns and future business. Marketers across the globe had to pivot strategy and processes to adapt to this new reality. In spite of these challenges, H Code successfully accelerated key priorities and projects across its business and demonstrated strength in multicultural and digital marketing at a time when digital communication was needed most and became the most effective channel to reach consumers with. As the largest Hispanic digital media company in the U.S., the company stood firm in its commitment to its partners and the multicultural communities it serves leading it to achieve its best revenue year in company history and deliver its strongest year to date by tripling its client direct partners year-over-year, adding 59 new partners, expanding the H Code Intelligence Center, developing its political division, and reaching 26MM U.S. Hispanics weekly in 2020 according to Google (News - Alert) DV360.

2020 Highlights

Powered by its proprietary data and research platform, H Code has demonstrated great success in tapping into Hispanic consumers with unique scale and with the authenticity that resonates most with this audience. Because of this, H Code was able to successfully deliver on its commitment of reaching multicultural audiences and exceeded expectations at a time when much remained unknown. In 2020, H Code:







Throughout 2020, H Code took all steps possible to ensure that campaigns, causes, political action groups, publishers, etc. could continue to rely on its unrivaled customer service to deliver trustworthy and accurate digital messages to multicultural communities. H Code remains resilient in its mission to help engage, persuade, and mobilize audiences as well as its partners with educational and informative communication about the coronavirus, the 2020 election, and other important issues despite the many questions still unanswered. In the year to come, digital communication and leadership will continue to be critical. H Code's team of 60+ professionals stand ready for business operations, and the company is continuously optimizing on behalf of brands and publishers to ensure quality is always a top priority and that H Code and its partners continue to get through this uncertain time together.

Growing in a Period of Crisis

H Code is determined to continue being an advocate for multicultural communities and work with leading organizations to better serve them online. In an effort to empower organizations and political entities to target and reach these communities effectively, 2020 saw the continued development and growth of H Code's political division.

The company welcomed Junelle Cavero Harnal as its VP of Political, leveraging her extensive political experience to engage Hispanic voters, who were vital during the 2020 election cycle. In 2020, H Code also welcomed team members across its offices and appointed Jennifer White as Chief Operating Officer and Matt Weisbecker as Chief Revenue Officer in preparation for its next phase of growth as reaching multicultural audiences better and effectively online becomes more important to organizations across the United States.

Moving into 2021 with Purpose

Through strategic partnerships and its innovative media solutions and services, H Code aims to continue its upward momentum in 2021 and move forward as a leader and advocate for multicultural marketing. With its extensive digital reach and growing network of over 400 English- and Spanish-language publisher partners, H Code is uniquely positioned to serve multicultural consumers and communities with unmatched authenticity.

H Code envisions a future for media and advertising where everyone is authentically represented. Because of this, H Code is diligently studying the cultural nuances that exist among Black consumers and looking to develop impactful creative, custom content, and integrated digital offerings that will authentically represent and serve the Black community in the United States, moving into 2021 with thought and purpose.

About H Code

Founded in 2015, H Code is the largest Hispanic digital media company in the U.S. Ranked #1 in Hispanic digital reach, H Code influences at scale through digital and integrated campaigns, strategically bringing together targetable data, exclusive inventory, impactful creative, branded content, and more. Backed by its proprietary intelligence platform that derives insights from the largest Hispanic digital panel and influencer network, H Code delivers impactful, data-driven strategies to effectively reach and influence Hispanic audiences with unmatched authenticity. To learn more, visit www.hcodemedia.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005898/en/
Jodie Turner-Smith discussed the challenges of raising a newborn baby during the COVID-19 pandemic as she appeared on the January digital cover of ELLE magazine.

The Queen & Slim star, 34, who welcomed daughter Janie with husband Joshua Jackson, 42, in April, admitted she had found parenting difficult due to the lack of support available amid the worldwide health crisis.

She said: 'Navigating parenthood at any time is difficult and its even more difficult without support, when everything is shut down and you cant really see other people or go anywhere.'

Cover girl: Jodie Turner-Smith discussed the challenges of raising a newborn baby during the COVID-19 pandemic as she appeared on the January digital cover of ELLE magazine

Jodie did acknowledge the struggles of those who are having to homeschool their children, adding: 'Im not having to sit on Zoom with her and suddenly become her educator as well as her caretaker.'

Turner-Smith has been 'converted to the outdoor lifestyle' thanks to her husband of 17 months - Little Fires Everywhere actor Joshua- who grew up in Vancouver.

Turner-Smith gushed that Joshua was her 'biggest supporter and brain trust,' and the couple were first seen canoodling at Usher's 40th birthday bash back in October 2018.

The Jett actress was in her second trimester while shooting her role as Karen Greer in Stefano Sollima's war flick Without Remorse, which streams later this year on Amazon Prime Video.

Candid: The Queen & Slim star, 34, who welcomed daughter Janie with husband Joshua Jackson, 42, in April, admitted she had found parenting difficult due to the lack of support available amid the worldwide health crisis (pictured May 10)

'The men think they're hardcore, but they could never do what they do while also making a baby. They just couldn't,' Jodie said of castmates Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.

'True strength is not found in force and brutality, but in vulnerability. I would love to do more action, and action where I'm allowed to be a woman.'

Turner-Smith added: 'Patriarchal society really is out here, scamming women into thinking that they're not supremely powerful beings because, damn, it's some goddess-level s***.'

Smitten: Turner-Smith gushed that Joshua (pictured February 2) was her 'biggest supporter and brain trust,' and the couple were first seen canoodling at Usher's 40th birthday bash back in October 2018

Glamp-friendly: Stylist Ola Ebiti dressed the star in floral patterned pieces from the upcoming The North Face x Gucci collaboration

In bloom: Jodie fronts Gucci's fragrance Bloom and she's been a brand ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house since 2019

Jodie also spoke about her upcoming role as Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn in a new Channel 5 drama - a role that its producers say seeks to 'challenge conventions' and shine a 'feminist light' on her story.

But when it emerged that she had landed the role of the ill-fated Tudor queen, who was beheaded in 1536, some social media users were outraged about the casting due to her Jamaican descent.

'There's an opportunity to tell a really human story and for it to feel that much more accessible because a Black woman is playing her,' Jodie defended.

Director Lynsey Miller has insisted Turner-Smith was 'the best actress for the role' of Henry VIII's second wife, who was beheaded for not producing a male heir in 1536.

Canadian life: Turner-Smith has been 'converted to the outdoor lifestyle' thanks to her husband of 17 months - Little Fires Everywhere actor Joshua Jackson - who grew up in Vancouver (pictured in 2019)

'I am happy to stand by it,' the Scottish filmmaker said recently.

'I'm very proud of what we have created together, so let them talk. There are going to be a lot of people who dont like it, but I feel like there has to be space for that and there are going to be a lot of people who love it. I'm one of them.'

Stylist Ola Ebiti dressed the star in floral patterned pieces from the upcoming The North Face x Gucci, glamp-friendly collaboration.

Jodie fronts Gucci's fragrance Bloom and she's been a brand ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house since 2019.

Streaming later this year on Amazon Prime Video! The Jett actress was in her second trimester while shooting her role as Karen Greer in Stefano Sollima's war flick Without Remorse (pictured in 2019)

Jodie said of castmates Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell: 'The men think they're hardcore, but they could never do what they do while also making a baby. They just couldn't'

Director Lynsey Miller has insisted Turner-Smith was 'the best actress for the role' of Henry VIII's second wife, who was beheaded for not producing a male heir in 1536.

'I am happy to stand by it,' the Scottish filmmaker said recently.

'I'm very proud of what we have created together, so let them talk. There are going to be a lot of people who dont like it, but I feel like there has to be space for that and there are going to be a lot of people who love it. I'm one of them.'

Controversy: On December 19, Turner-Smith wrapped a six-week shoot for Channel 5's untitled Anne Boleyn drama, and some were outraged about the casting due to her Jamaican descent

The former banker defended: 'There's an opportunity to tell a really human story and for it to feel that much more accessible because a Black woman is playing her' (pictured December 13)

First Minister Arlene Foster has hit out at "selfish" business owners and employers who have forced staff to come into work even if it is not necessary.

The DUP leader, speaking in Dungannon on Tuesday afternoon, said: "It is unfortunate that I have become aware that some business owners are requiring their staff to attend the workplace when people could work from home or indeed businesses which should not be open at all.

"That is quite a selfish spirit and it is not going to help us beat the virus and keep people safe.

"And for those who say but someone else is doing it, as my mother used to say, if they put their hand in the fire, there is no need for you to follow it."

Mrs Foster said that over the last few weeks the R rate for new cases has dropped from 1.8 to 1.1 in Northern Ireland.

She added: "That has been achieved by so many taking personal responsibility and doing the right thing."

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill praised health care workers who have been dealing with "immense pressure" in recent days.

She said: "We are indebted to you for the work that you have been doing in supporting those people in the health service."

It comes as a further 22 people in Northern Ireland have died after testing positive for Covid-19. It brings the death toll to 1,498.

Of the 22 fatalities, 18 happened within the current reporting period, from 10am on Monday to 10am on Tuesday, while the remaining four deaths occurred previously.

A further 1,205 people have tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

The are 751 Covid patients in hospitals across Northern Ireland, with 55 in intensive care and 38 requiring ventilation.

Hospitals are at 99% occupancy.

A total of 149 care homes are dealing with outbreaks of the virus.

Read More

Here's how Tuesday unfolded:
Europes drugs regulator will review the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University this month under an accelerated timeline, the watchdog said on Tuesday.

The 27-member European Union is trying to speed up vaccinations after a slow start and as supply shortages oblige authorities to consider measures, such as extending the time between first and second shots.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Tuesday it had received an application from the British drugmaker and could issue an opinion on a conditional marketing authorisation by Jan. 29 at a meeting of its human medicines committee (CHMP). (https://bit.ly/2XuWmm3)

If endorsed by the EMA and formally approved by the European Commission, the vaccine would become the third against the new coronavirus available on the continent, after Pfizer-BioNTechs and Modernas.

Pressure for a decision has increased following the discovery of more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus.

AstraZeneca has said its vaccine should be effective against the variant prevalent in Britain, although trials have yet to confirm that.

While cheaper and easier to distribute than rivals, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine has been troubled by doubts over its most effective dosage.

Britain in December became the first to approve the vaccine and other countries, including Argentina, El Salvador and India, have since given approval.

The EMA said on Tuesday that during its rolling review of the vaccine, which it began in October, it had assessed data from ongoing trials in Brazil, Britain and South Africa.

It is also studying additional information AstraZeneca provided at the CHMPs request.

EU conditional marketing authorisation allows a treatment to be sold for a year before all necessary data on its efficacy and side-effects are available.

The EU last year agreed to buy up to 400 million doses of the AstaZeneca shot and hopes to receive a first delivery two weeks after authorisation.

They are thinking of two deliveries a month, but this is all in the making. They need to discuss this with member states, EU top vaccine negotiator Sandra Gallina told an EU Parliament hearing.

SOURCE: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - It was her third full day of being a member of Congress and Nikema Williams, the first Black woman to represent Georgia, taking over the seat held by Rep. John Lewis, had slept maybe two hours the night before. She'd celebrated Raphael Warnock's win in the Georgia runoff elections that would determine control of the Senate, and was still waiting to see whether the massive voter mobilization effort she'd helped organize would bring a runoff win for Jon Ossoff as well.

Williams was nervous. Wednesday would be her first moment in the spotlight as a sworn-in congresswoman: Republicans were planning to challenge the certification of Joe Biden's win in Georgia, and as one of Georgia's electors, Williams would be responsible for standing up for the outcome. She knew that the resistance to accepting Democratic victories in Georgia - especially those driven by Black voter turnout - was part of a long racist history of voter suppression in the South, and she planned to say so in her speech.

A pro-Trump rally was gathering outside her new office. Her husband insisted on driving her to work, even though she could easily walk from her barely furnished new apartment. Given her skin color and her politics, Williams, 42, worried she might be a target.

- - -

That afternoon, with things looking good for Ossoff in Georgia, another freshman, Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., was going to bring champagne, and Williams and her staff were looking for cups. Then a text alert came in saying their building was on lockdown. Williams turned on the TV and saw people running through the Capitol Rotunda, flying the Confederate flag. "How that feels as a Black woman from the South, I don't think I can ever really explain it to anyone," she says.

Being in a new job is exciting and unsettling, no matter the workplace. There's a slew of people whose names you have to remember; in the case of House members, there are 60 freshmen and 435 members total, each with their own staffs - many of whom may not know the building or the office politics any better than their bosses do. It might take weeks before you know how to find the supply closet. Maybe you'll go hungry one day because you don't know where to get lunch and can't work the vending machine. Chances are, you fell asleep a little during orientation and missed something important.

"I'm still figuring out the ladies' room, for God's sake," says Rep. Marie Newman, D-Ill., who was in her office when the siege happened. Newman and Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, who voted to certify Biden's win, say they're constantly getting lost in the Capitol's maze of underground tunnels.

Normally this kind of first-week disorientation is no big deal - except that when avoiding a violent mob, it might help if you've been in the building longer than three days and know it a little better than the people hunting you down. And such a disturbing attack might forge a bond among freshman members of Congress - except that many Democrats believe some of their new Republican colleagues were partly responsible for inciting it.

And now, they all have to go back to the office with one another.

Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.,who days before had been sworn in as the first openly gay Black member of Congress, was on the House floor with about 200 other members when the Capitol Police rushed into the chamber and began locking doors.

He'd been elected by his fellow Democratic freshmen to be their representative in discussions with the party's leadership. That meant he was right in the center of the action as police instructed everyone to pull out the "escape hoods" under their chairs to protect them from tear gas and be prepared to hit the ground if there were gunshots.

As they hunkered down in a secure location, Jones found himself next to Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas. "I remember Colin Allred saying to me, 'Oh, is this your first coup?"

Jones relays this anecdote with a laugh, but the situation was perilous - for several reasons. There was the mob, obviously. And then there were his Republican colleagues who had refused to wear masks. He spent three hours locked in a room with more 100 GOP representatives, many barefaced. "So at some point I became more fearful of getting covid from my Republican colleagues than I was of experiencing bodily harm by the terrorists." (Three Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Brad Schneider of Illinois, have since tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which can cause the illness covid-19.)

Jones also immediately started telling everyone who cared to listen that they needed to impeach President Donald Trump.

Fellow freshman Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who had served as Trump's chief medical adviser and is known for his glowing 2018 review of the president's health and "incredibly good genes," was trapped in that room, too.

Jackson was at the back of the chamber along with three other freshmen Republicans from Texas - Troy Nehls, Pat Fallon and Tony Gonzales - thinking he'd be spending the day learning about the legislative process. He'd been excited just to participate in the "routine stuff" of voting and debate that he's sure is boring to senior House members. He's so new, he says, that he'll often strike up conversations with colleagues without realizing they're Democrats. And he spends a lot of time asking the floor staff to explain to him how "yes" and "no" votes work, "because sometimes you think the answer would be a 'yes,' but the 'yes' answer is a 'no' vote," he says. "It gets confusing."

Because there aren't TVs on the House floor and information from the outside was minimal, Jackson says no one in there knew the makeup of the mob or whether rioters were armed. They had two or three plainclothes police and one uniformed officer in there with them, weapons drawn, guarding the back door that stood between the chamber and the mob. There was no clear exit, no way out, Jackson says. They could hear the boom of tear gas being dropped and then loud bangs on the door. Then the door began buckling and swaying.

"It was obvious that it was more than one person out there and they were throwing themselves or something into the door trying to bust the door open," says Jackson.

He and his fellow Texas freshmen, all of whom had military or law-enforcement backgrounds, "started dragging the biggest, heaviest furniture we could find" to barricade the door. Someone told members to take off their congressional pins so they would be less identifiable. Fallon yelled out for everyone to take off their ties so the mob couldn't use them to choke them. The Texans started breaking off legs of furniture to use as makeshift weapons.

"Scared isn't the right word, but you could feel things escalate," says Gonzales, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It was like the barbarians at the gate." Suddenly, there were loud pops that Gonzales says sounded just like a small firearm going off and glass started flying out of the windows. Police officers yelled "shots fired!" And at that point decided they had to evacuate everyone through the Speaker's Lobby, which wasn't secured.

When they reached a secure location, Jackson called his wife and all three of his children. He wanted to tell them he was OK - and to make sure he talked to them one last time, he says, "just in case that wasn't the end of it, in case there were people who came into where we had been relocated and shot me or whatever."

The riot did nothing to move Jackson off his political position that Trump had been cheated. Once the invaders had been expelled, the Texas freshman went back to the chamber and voted against certifying the electoral college results for Arizona and Pennsylvania. Of the four Texas Republican freshmen who were trapped in that chamber and stood their ground with the police, only one, Gonzales, voted to certify Joe Biden's win.

Jackson condemned the "domestic terrorists" who'd stormed the Capitol, but he doesn't blame Trump or his party for spreading falsehoods about the election being rigged. "My thinking was that those two things were unrelated," he says, adding that he believes - "honestly" - that the way elections in certain states were conducted was unconstitutional.

"I think that President Trump has done a good job during his term," he says. "I was proud to be a part of the Trump administration."

The riot, and how individuals reacted to it, set a tone for the new Congress at a time when everyone is already on edge. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a freshman Republican from Colorado who has spoken approvingly of the QAnon conspiracy theory, angered her Democratic colleagues by posting during the raid that "The Speaker has been removed from the chambers." Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, highlighted Boebert's lack of discretion, writing: "We were specifically instructed by those protecting us not to tell anyone, including our family, where exactly we were, for reasons that remain obvious."

Meanwhile, the tension over mask-wearing has gotten more intense as Democratic lawmakers have revealed their coronavirus test results.

"I want people to understand that it's difficult to think people want to work with you in good faith and in a bipartisan way when most of the members of that party in Congress have put your life in great peril," says Jones.

Freshman Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a single mother who worked for Trump's 2016 campaign, announced nearly a week before the Wednesday riot that she was bucking her party and voting to certify the election. Someone on Facebook threatened to shoot her. On Tuesday night before the vote, as Trump supporters rolled into town, she says she was "accosted in public on H Street, all of it politically driven." The imminent Trump rally disturbed her so much that she booked her two kids, 11 and 14, along with her mother and sister, on the first plane back home Monday morning after her Jan. 3 swearing-in.

During the riot Wednesday, Mace got caught in an unfamiliar building and then the tunnels while trying to reach her office building, which was evacuated and resettled twice because of bomb threats, and spent the rest of the day locked in a room with the shades drawn, praying that no one with a gun found her and her staff. That night, after voting for certification, she slept in her office, fearing that Trump supporters might recognize her at the hotel where she was staying.

"Rhetoric has real consequences," she says. "People's lives were put at risk and put in danger and people died." Nevertheless, Mace opposes impeaching the president again - another point of tension that has obscured any sense of solidarity in the House after the attack. As for protecting herself, she had already applied for a concealed-carry license in Washington. (Members who are licensed to carry concealed firearms in the District of Columbia may do so on the Capitol grounds, though not in the House or Senate chambers.) She'd been excited for her children to see a presidential inauguration - "I don't care whether it's Republican or Democrat" - but no longer feels safe having them in the city.

The freshmen took different lessons from what the whole thing meant and how it would guide them as they found their feet in Congress. Jackson and Mace, though split on certifying Biden, agreed that a new, urgent legislative priority should be working in a bipartisan way to create federal election standards so, Mace says, "millions of people don't believe there was election fraud."

For Black freshmen Democrats, who saw the Capitol stormed with the Confederate flag and Nazi paraphernalia, with some members of the Capitol Police under investigation for possibly being sympathetic to the rioters, there seems to have been a breach of trust - and a need for accountability.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who rose to prominence as a Black Lives Matter activist, started drafting her first act of legislation while barricaded in her office with her chief of staff: It's a resolution to set up an ethics board to sanction, and possibly expel members of Congress who are found to have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion." "We could not finish out that day without making sure that that happened," she says.

Meanwhile, her Democratic colleague Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a Black former middle school principal from the Bronx, says he is drafting legislation calling for a commission to examine the presence of white supremacists in the Capitol Police Department. He's moved up his plans to call for reparations for African Americans. And he plans to demand better protection for the essential workers at the Capitol, such as custodians, who he was horrified to learn didn't have safe places to hide or a secure way to get home, like members did. "They were left on their own," he says, "and who knows if one of these crazy people would have seen someone Black or Brown walking down the street and just shoot him in the head? I mean, these things happen all the time."

Still, Bowman says he wasn't too fazed by the riots; he was far from the action. In his previous job, "Keeping hundreds of kids safe every single day was my No. 1 job description," he said in an interview several days after the riot. "When one kid goes missing and you have to look for them for hours outside of the school, that was more terrifying to me than what I had to deal with the other day."

Williams, the new representative from Georgia, who is also the newly elected president of the Democratic caucus's freshman class, never did get to drink champagne with her staff. Instead, they endured a chaotic day made even more stressful by the fact that they were all scarcely familiar with routine procedures, let alone emergency ones. When they were told to go to their safe location, Williams realized they hadn't been told where their safe location was. She found out from a senior member that information was being disseminated through walkie-talkies. "We're like, 'What walkie-talkies?' " she says. "I didn't even know that there were walkie-talkies that we were supposed to have until one of my staffers came from a senior member's office and asked if we had them."

At about 4 a.m. (her second consecutive almost-all-nighter), she arrived home, where her 5-year-old son was sleeping and her husband was waiting up. She sat down and cried.

"I just kept thinking about how much at risk my life was in that moment and how I came here to serve my people, and how as a Black woman in this country, there's really is no safe space for me," she says. "Even as a member of Congress in a building that I thought would be one of the safest buildings in the world, I still was not safe." She added, "now I don't know who I can trust."

The next day, her fourth in the new job, she went back to the office and began looking into hiring her own security guards.
[January 12, 2021] Miracle Mile Advisors Names Matt Granski as New President

Miracle Mile Advisors has announced the promotion of Matt Granski to President, marking him the youngest president in the company's history, and one of the youngest leaders across the financial services industry. Granski, 27, will helm the burgeoning RIA, an LA-based firm with $2 billion in AUM, as the company seeks to build out its deep bench of next-gen advisor talent and continue its strategic acquisitive growth, widening its national reach. Granski joined the company in 2014 as an analyst intern and quickly ascended through the ranks, holding several supervisory and management positions. While most recently serving as Director of Strategy, Granski was responsible for strategic restructuring of departments, putting a renewed focus on the firm's technology platforms, overseeing critical acquisitions and developing a refined vision for the company moving forward. "Matt has an unwavering commitment to the firm and our clients, along with a natural ablity to lead vastly different departments during his tenure thus far," said Duncan Rolph, Managing Director and Owner of Miracle Mile Advisors. "His keen understanding of strategic planning will play a key part in expanding our brand nationally."



Granski's promotion comes on the heels of Miracle Mile Advisors' recently announced partnership with Merchant Investment Management, which secured collaborative capital to fuel the RIA's growth initiatives as the next stage of the company's evolution. "We are in a prime position for explosive growth, and I'm excited to hit the ground running," Granski explained. "Since joining the firm, I have watched Miracle Mile Advisors grow from a team of six people managing $300 million in AUM to a team of 30 managing $2 billion in AUM. I'm dedicated to expanding our team, client base and reach across the U.S., all while maintaining the ever-evolving mindset necessary to drive our innovative, unparalleled services forward."

Originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, Matt graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. In his free time, he can be found mentoring children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles. About Miracle Mile Advisors Miracle Mile Advisors is a registered investment advisor committed to providing dynamic financial planning and custom investment management to high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners and institutions. Miracle Mile's advisors integrate clients' ambitions with best-in-class guidance, advice and technology, and have been recognized across leading industry awards such as Barron's, Financial Times (News - Alert) , Forbes, and Financial Advisor Magazine. To learn more, visit: www.miraclemileadvisors.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005155/en/

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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE American: FAX) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, today announced that it will pay on January 29, 2021, a distribution of US $0.0275 per share to all shareholders of record as of January 22, 2021 (ex-dividend date January 21, 2021).

Aberdeen Asset Management Inc. At Aberdeen, asset management is our business. We only manage assets for clients, allowing us to focus solely on their needs and deliver independent, objective investment advice. We know global markets from the local level upwards, drawing on more than 1,900 staff, across 32 offices in 23 countries. Investment teams are based in the markets or regions where they invest, delivering local perspective in a global investment environment. (PRNewsFoto/Aberdeen Asset Management Inc.)

Your Fund's distribution policy is to provide investors with a stable monthly distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the Rules adopted thereunder. The table has been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The table includes estimated amounts and percentages for the distribution to be paid on January 29, 2021 as well as the estimated cumulative distributions declared fiscal year to date (11/01/2020 -12/31/2020), from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated composition of the distributions may vary from month to month because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.



Estimated Amounts of Current Monthly Distribution per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Current Monthly Distribution per share (%) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share (%) Net Investment

Income $0.0124 45% $0.0371 45% Net Realized Short-

Term Capital Gains* - - - - Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains - - - - Return of Capital $0.0151 55% $0.0454 55% Total (per common share) $0.0275 100% $0.0825 100%





Story continues

*includes currency gains

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2021 will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ended 12/31/20201 6.64% Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV2 6.71% Fiscal Year to Date (11/01/2020 to 12/31/2020) Cumulative Total Return on NAV1 7.09% Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV2 1.12%





1 Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan, with the exception of the most recent distribution which is using an estimated reinvestment price. 2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of December 31, 2020.

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2010, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the terms of the distribution policy. The final determination of the source of all distributions will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Fund's Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, Aberdeen Standard Investments is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments Australia Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Aberdeen Standard Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact Investor.Relations@aberdeenstandard.com

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SOURCE Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc.
Coronavirus restrictions in Greater Sydney will stay in place for at least another week, Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday as the state recorded five new local cases.

Masks were made mandatory and home gatherings were limited to five visitors after an outbreak on the Northern Beaches of Sydney was identified on December 16 and another cluster emerged in western Sydney on December 29.

Asked if any rules would be relaxed this week, the premier said: 'Unlikely given where we're at, because we're still mopping up.

'We're still seeing community transmission. Even though in most instances, the household contacts or people are already in isolation, but we have had a couple of examples where they're still unlinked, and that's always a concern.'

New South Wales has recorded five new local cases of coronavirus as Gladys Berejiklian warns the disease is 'bubbling away in the community'

She added: 'I doubt there will be an easing of restrictions. But if the health advice changes on that, we will, of course, do that.'

Of the five new local cases on Tuesday, one case is linked to western Sydney's Berala cluster and is a close contact of a previously reported case.

Two cases, from the Northern Beaches, are household contacts of each other and the source of their infections is under investigation.

A man in his 40s who went to Mount Druitt Hospital's Emergency Department on Saturday and his close household contact have also tested positive, with the source of their infections under investigation.

The hospital was closed for cleaning on Monday morning and has now re-opened.

Eleven cases were also recorded in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

There were only 14,738 tests reported to 8pm on Monday night, compared with the previous day's total of 18,570, prompting calls for residents to get tested in greater numbers.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard asked multicultural families in Sydney to stick to the rules on family gatherings, which are capped at five visitors to homes.

'I call on community leaders in western Sydney to make sure that the various multicultural communities, our wonderful multicultural communities that make up this fabulous nation, get the message to their communities to stick to the limits at the moment, listen to the public health advice,' he said.

What are the coronavirus rules in Greater Sydney? Visitors: Up to 5 visitors from any number of households may visit another on any day. Gatherings: No more than 30 people can gather outside in a public place which includes public parks, reserves, beaches, public gardens and spaces. Masks: Compulsory in public indoors Venues: A maximum of 300 people, subject to the 1 person per 4 square metres rule applies for each separate area of a hospitality venue. Nightclubs: Closed Singing: No more than five performers should sing indoors, with 1.5m between performers and 5m between performers and the audience. Gyms: Indoor gyms are subject to the one person per 4 square metres rule. A maximum of 30 people per class applies to gym and recreation classes such as yoga, tai chi and pilates. Sport: For community sporting activities that involve more than 100 participants, the organiser must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan. The maximum number of participants at a community sporting activity must not exceed 3000 participants, or one person per 2 square metres (whichever is less). Source: NSW government Advertisement

'I know it's great to have large families around but it's proved challenging in the last few weeks,' he added.

Ms Berejiklian hit back at Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan after he called for greater restrictions in NSW by saying: 'The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.'

The premier said elimination was not possible because Australians have to be allowed to return from overseas where the disease is rampant.

'Anyone who thinks we're going to eliminate or eradicate this disease, unfortunately doesn't appreciate what the pandemic means,' she said.

Digital signs encourage customers to wear face masks at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney

She also criticised Mr McGowan for shutting his state's borders to any jurisdiction that suffers just one Covid-19 case.

'I don't believe keeping your borders closed and inflicting pain and suffering on thousands of people is the way to go,' she said.

'In New South Wales, we want our citizens to live as freely as possible, to maintain their livelihoods as much as possible. But in a Covid-safe way. And that's always been our objective.'

Ms Berejiklian said she was disappointed that Mr McGowan didn't seem to appreciate that NSW has accepted about half of all arrivals from overseas since March.

'I think that no doubt each state premier has their views of the world. We don't all agree on everything, which is fine. But I think respect goes a long way,' she said.

'And I think just appreciating what New South Wales has done on behalf of Australia in terms in returning 100,000 travellers is a big deal. That's why overnight, we had 11 cases in quarantine,' she said.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro hit back even harder on Tuesday morning, telling Mr McGowan to 'stop lecturing'.

'For Mark McGowan, it's easy. He puts up the borders in Western Australia, cuts off the rest of the nation,' he told 2GB radio.

In Tuesday's press briefing, Ms Berejiklian hit back at Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan (pictured)

'We've had Covid deaths in this nation but we're going to have more deaths from mental health from people locked away in isolation, people not being able to reunite with family and [that's what] Mark McGowan stands for.

'I'm happy to say that this morning and have a go straight back at him. Stop lecturing, look after your own backyard.'

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is filling in while Scott Morrison is on a week of leave, also said Mr McGowan has an easier job than other premiers.

'Western Australia and NSW are very different states. Look at the NSW border, for instance, there are 57 bridges and openings across to Victoria. The Tweed River area with Queensland is just a massive economic area.

'Western Australia doesn't have anything like that, so it's easier for Western Australia to shut its borders and keep them shut tight.'

One neighbor asked whether the work will be done by a qualified contractor, if Tamayos parking area could be limited to accommodate a reasonable number of vehicles and no large trucks and questioned who would maintain the plan. The neighbor said he was also concerned that Tamayo brought in and buried fill that looked like road grindings.
De Secondigne Argentina

Baubeau de Secondigne was born in Bahia Blanca, Argentina to an Argentine mother and a father of French origin who was an aviator in the Navy. A member of an art-loving family, her sensitivity pushed her from a very young age to draw and she followed in the footsteps of her ancestor, Procesa Sarmiento, an early Argentinean woman painter. When she was 16 years old, Marcela joined the Manuel Belgrano School of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires and graduated four years later. Her surname became her pseudonym. Her passion for drawing, and the pleasure she derives from it, guide her work as a painter. The artist vacillates freely between abstraction and figuration. Her ultimate goal is summed up in one word: colour. Like her idol, Matisse (French artist of the nineteenth - twentieth century), she seeks to make colour a full-fledged object, the paintings centre of attention. She begins her creation with a preparatory draft in pencil or charcoal, then adds splashes of colour here and there with big brushes or spatulas, before putting the canvas on the floor and letting go by projecting the colour on the canvas, whether in acrylic, oil, pigment or ink. She then constantly corrects, clears and improves the work. Her originality is based in the plurality of her creative process. One day inspired by the state of the society that concerns her, she paints, for example, the fate of prostitutes. The next day, she will choose to paint imaginary landscapes, circus scenes or animals, often horses, which the artist honours with her masterful drawing, accurately transcribing their movements. Nonetheless, her paintings have a common point: they often place the child as a symbol of what their parents (humanity) should do, namely, be respectful, attentive or know how to remain quiet. All of her works are a testimony to the delicate balance of life in which symbols or the recycled materials she uses awaken our civic and environmental awareness. In perpetual motion, Baubeau de Secondignes canvases are like the world, ""a dance in which the man and the elements will never stop spinning.""

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani urged President Donald Trump to declassify "everything" because he "owes it to Americans" during an interview held with The War Room's Steve Bannon last Friday, reports say.

According to the Gateway Pundit, Giuliani called on Trump to declassify everything before he leaves office after former Vice President Joseph Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

The Gateway Pundit said Giuliani was actually wondering why the president hasn't done so after he had already "made similar comments in December" on declassifying.

On the other hand, One America News Network announced that Giuliani has actually advised Trump to "declassify more documents" during the podcast with Bannon.

The OANN report said that "Giuliani alluded to the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and the Russia probe while discussing the possible declassification effort" and that "the former mayor refuted claims that declassifying documents would pose a threat to national security."

"So far there have been a lot of declassifications. Again I say, fascist tactics," OANN quoted Giuliani in saying.

OANN also cited that Trump actually started last year in declassifying the Russia investigation documents.

In line with the declassification, OANN presented that there might be difficulty doing this in public considering the President's social media accounts were suspended through a tweet made by Newsmax' John Cardillo.

"Funny how Trump was universally deplatformed just as he was being pushed to declassify everything, isn't it?" Cardillo raised.

Funny how Trump was universally deplatformed just as he was being pushed to declassify everything, isnt it?  John Cardillo (@johncardillo) January 9, 2021

Previously, the Hill reported that Giuliani wished Trump would declassify in a tweet posted on Dec. 30, 2018 containing a clip of the former mayor's interview with Rising with a link leading to their article on the matter.

"Rudy Giuliani: I would 'love' to see Trump declassify Russia docs," The Hill said.

Giuliani, in the said interview expressed his limitations as a private lawyer in so far as the declassification of government documents are concerned by Trump.

"As his private lawyer, that is not something I can properly advise on because that's really something about classification," Giuliani began, "Declassifying is a governmental act, not a private act and he has very good counsel."

"But my own opinion is I'd love to see them. Of course they have to be revealed properly but just reading around them and knowing what I do know, I don't know exactly what the classified material is," he added.

"But the question is--but there's no question we overclassify in this country. We classify you know somebody ordering Chinese food," he explained, "I mean, it's amazing. When you look at classifications as I used to do in the Justice Department, that C is--confidential is put next to everything and that could be rationaled up as classified."

Giuliani has also experienced "screening" of his social media accounts by Big Tech YouTube and Twitter--the former has censored his Common Sense podcast and particularly removed his video regarding "What Really Happened On January 6?" while the latter has marked posts on the same content with, "This claim of election fraud is disputed and this Tweet can't be replied to, Retweeted or liked due to a risk of violence."
(Natural News) Spain has said it would list down the names of people who refuse to be vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). In a Dec. 28 interview with broadcaster La Sexta, Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa said the list of individuals who refused vaccination would be shared with other European partners, but clarified that it would not be made public or shared with employers.

What will be done is a registry  [to] be shared with our European partners  of those people who have been offered [the COVID-19 vaccine] and have simply rejected it, Illa said. The health minister also noted that the list is not a document which will be made public and the data in it will be treated with the utmost respect for data protection.

Illa mentioned that the list was aimed at ensuring that there were no errors in the system and that any person gets the opportunity to be immunized against COVID-19.

The way to defeat the virus is to vaccinate all of us, or the more the better, he added. Spanish citizens receive the COVID-19 vaccine on a voluntary basis.

Spanish authorities later clarified to Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the register of people who rejected the COVID-19 vaccine was only meant to collect clinical data. Only those who showed up for immunization and then rejected it would be registered in the list, the Spanish authorities added. (Related: Vaccine industry pushing state laws to TRACK your vaccine status with pharma surveillance tactics  urgent action needed.)

The health ministers announcement came amid mass COVID-19 vaccinations in the country. Ninety-six-year-old Guadalajara nursing home resident Araceli Hidalgo was the first person in the country to receive the coronavirus jab Dec. 27. A 48-year-old worker at the nursing home where Hidalgo lived was the second person to be inoculated.

Up to 20 million Spaniards are expected to receive the coronavirus jabs by June 2021, less than half of the countrys 47 million total population.

Other European countries appear to be following Spains example

According to a poll by the Belgian state-funded Centre for Sociological Research, the number of respondents hesitant to take a COVID-19 vaccine dropped to 28 percent in December 2020 from 47 percent the previous month. The same poll also found that 40.5 percent of respondents were willing to have the vaccine. Meanwhile, 16.2 percent of respondents would avail of the vaccine if it is shown to be reliable.

Spain offers the COVID-19 vaccines for free as of writing, with the Spanish health service contacting those eligible to receive the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency.

Spains neighbors in the European Union have also put forward similar ideas of tracking their citizens for vaccination.

France is seeking to establish a registry of vaccinated citizens, alongside their health conditions. But this campaign is off to a slow start as officials look to build trust in the system. Polls in the country reflect utmost skepticism towards vaccination, with less than half of the French populations intending to get vaccinated. (Related: Americans to be issued vaccination record cards after receiving the coronavirus jab.)

On Twitter President Emmanuel Macron stated that vaccination will not be mandatory in France.

Ive said it before and Im repeating it: The vaccine wont be compulsory, he said. The cost of the vaccine is completely covered. There are no charges. Lets be proud of our health system.

Austria will roll out an electronic vaccination certificate where both patients and authorities can store vaccination records in the first quarter of 2021, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober told journalists in the capital Vienna. He added that the country plans to bolster its COVID-19 vaccination efforts with an information campaign.

Anschober remarked: We wont convince fierce anti-vaxxers, but I do see many who are undecided.

Based on data from Johns Hopkins University, Spain currently has a 1.8 million COVID-19 caseload with 150,376 recoveries and 50,442 deaths. France has 2.6 million COVID-19 cases with 197,726 recoveries and 64,204 deaths. Meanwhile, Austria registered 355,352 COVID-19 cases with 328,974 recoveries and 6,059 deaths.

Visit Pandemic.news to learn more about vaccination efforts by other countries against the Wuhan coronavirus.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

FoxNews.com

DW.com

Euronews.com

Bloomberg.com
[January 11, 2021] KADDRA, Singapore's leading mobile commerce technology is now integrated with Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) to provide SMEs with a full digital solution

SINGAPORE, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaddra Pte Ltd ("Kaddra" or "Company") today announced that it has finalised its first phase of integration with leading web eCommerce solution, Shopify (NYSE: SHOP), in a strategic move to offer the most comprehensive ecommerce ecosystem for SMEs on both mobile app commerce and web based digital stores. "We have developed the most advanced mobile solution to date, offering native app commerce technology on a subscription model which fits perfectly with the SaaS model of web solutions like Shopify. ECommerce companies have been instrumental in the last 10 months to transform SMEs digitally and we are now looking at 2021, offering a synchronised mobile and web storefront, to help businesses reach the largest number of customers," explained Quentin Chiarugi, Executive Chairman and CEO of Kaddra Pte td.



Kaddra is a Singapore-based technology company providing mobile app commerce and marketing solutions, connecting businesses with their customers through a white label end-to-end platform. Harnessing the power of smartphone technology, Kaddra improves sales processes, marketing reach and customer service at unprecedented levels. This unique subscription base model for native mobile technology is already helping SMEs in more than a dozen industries building the next generation of businesses. "Our integration will make the sales process seamless and user-friendly. Businesses will be able to use either their Shopify back office or Kaddra back office to run both mobile and web stores simultaneously. Traditional web-based eCommerce has advantages in attracting new customers whereas native mobile app commerce is perfect to keep them close and engaged. Combining the two, will give SMEs the most powerful omni-channel eCommerce ecosystem to date," added Will Beattie, COO & CTO of Kaddra Pte Ltd.

With more than 5 out of 10 people shopping via their phone, mobile app commerce has now overtaken desktop eCommerce. Kaddra and Shopify's integration is an incredible tool for any business to cover both digital sales channels, while increasing sales, widening marketing reach, and improving customer satisfaction and engagement. Shopify Inc., a Canadian web eCommerce company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, offers businesses with a suite of services within its eCommerce web based stores. It is reported to represent 20% of the global eCommerce market with over 2 million clients. With its user-friendly accessibility, Shopify is an ideal partner for Kaddra to integrate with, and give both Shopify and Kaddra clients the opportunity to sell their products on both mobile and desktop seamlessly. If you wish to learn more about Kaddra and its Shopify integration, email us at info@kaddra.com, chat with us on "Kaddra World" app (AppStore or Google Play Store) or visit our website: www.Kaddra.com SOURCE Kaddra Pte Ltd

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Mike Pompeo strengthens relations with Taiwan by lifting decades-old restrictions

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has removed long-standing restrictions on diplomatic and military contacts with Taiwan to appease China.

The United States government took these actions unilaterally, in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing, Pompeo said Saturday, less than two weeks before the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, in a statement. Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions.

High-ranking U.S. civilian officials and military officers can now travel to the self-governed island, which China considers part of its territory.

Executive branch agencies have been asked to treat the contact guidelines regarding relations with Taiwan previously issued by the Department of State as null and void.

The United States does not have official relations with Taiwan, but President Donald Trump has helped Taiwan with arms sales and political support as the island seeks to deal with constant pressure from Beijing.

The U.S. maintains its unofficial ties with the island as per the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which authorizes Washington to provide Taiwan with military equipment for its self-defense, and set up a nonprofit corporation, with the American Institute in Taiwan acting as the de-facto U.S. embassy there.

The United States government maintains relationships with unofficial partners around the world, and Taiwan is no exception, Pompeo said in the statement. Our two democracies share common values of individual freedom, the rule of law, and a respect for human dignity. Todays statement recognizes that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy.

Decades of discrimination, removed, Hsiao Bi-khim, who serves as Taiwans representative in the United States, tweeted after Pompeos announcement. A huge day in our bilateral relationship. I will cherish every opportunity.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, appointed by President Trump in 2019, is scheduled to visit Taiwans capital city of Taipei from Wednesday to Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Pompeo announced Crafts trip on Thursday, saying it is to show what a free China could achieve.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded to Crafts planned visit.

[A] handful of anti-China politicians within the Trump administration, to be clear, such as Pompeo, have been staging a show of madness as their days at the reins are numbered, stopping at nothing to deliberately sabotage China-U.S. relations for selfish political interests, the spokesperson was quoted as saying at a daily briefing Friday. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests. If the U.S. insists on going its own way, it will definitely pay a heavy price for its erroneous actions.
MASON CITY, Iowa - It's the first day back on the job for lawmakers in the Hawkeye state, as the Iowa legislature gets back into session.

There was the usual swearing in of new members of the House and Senate like in years past. Still the issues of the pandemic are looming large over the first day.

About 200 people showed up in the capitol rotunda to protest the state's mask mandate. The demonstration was peaceful.

Democratic Representative Todd Prichard said it was easy to see the stepped-up presence of Iowa State Patrol at the capitol, in light of the events in our nation's capitol last week.

While some Republican lawmakers chose not to wear a mask during the proceedings, Prichard says other representatives were trying to be careful.

"We're having a good day. There's a lot of social distancing going on and people for the most part are being fairly cautious with the pandemic," said Rep. Prichard.

KIMT News 3 also spoke with state Senator Waylon Brown. He says mask use was left to being a personal choice, but he decided to mask up himself and social distance when it was possible.
Polls say more than half of Ukrainians are ready to be vaccinated against coronavirus at the government expense.

All Ukrainian nationals wishing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will have access to the vaccine and be able to receive their jabs at the expense of the state.

That's according to Maksym Stepanov, the country's Minister of Health, who spoke on the air of Channel 24.

The minister specified that certain stages of vaccination will be laid down for various groups of the population.

"We intend to complete vaccinations by early next year  in the first quarter of 2022," he explained.

At the same time, Stepanov added that it depends on the number of vaccine doses that will be supplied to Ukraine.

"Believe me, no one will hesitate. Polls show 50-55% of Ukrainians are ready to be vaccinated," the minister said.

Read alsoUkraine may get m-RNA vaccine against COVID-19 soon  health ministryAccording to the minister, there is no vaccination plan for the period after March 2022. The official urged the press and citizens to learn about the updates on the issue precisely from the Ministry of Health, which is the official information source.

COVID-19 vaccines administered, per country

China 9,000,000

USA 8,017, 552

United Kingdom 2,000,000

Israel 1,817, 000

United Arab Emirates 1,086, 568

Russia 800,000

Italy 627, 946

Germany 532, 878

Canada 314, 492

Spain 277, 976

Speaking about the commercial market, the health chief explained that as soon as there is an opportunity to officially import the vaccine into the territory of Ukraine, the ministry will facilitate the process.

"The Ministry of Health does not interfere in the market. [It acts] Exclusively as a regulator of vaccines' access to the Ukrainian market: so that they are registered and safe for use," he added.

Read alsoUkraine may get m-RNA vaccine against COVID-19 soon  health ministryVaccines for Ukraine: Background

In March, the first batch with 8 million doses of the vaccine is expected to be shipped to Ukraine under the COVAX Facility. These doses are enough to vaccinate 4 million people as two jabs per person are required. Medics, senior citizens, and seriously ill patients will get vaccinated first.

On December 24, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that his ministry was working out a plan to increase the vaccine quota as part of the COVAX global initiative from 8 million to 16 million doses.

On December 22, Ukraine's Health Ministry approved a plan for vaccination of the population against COVID-19. The goal of this plan is to vaccinate at least 50% of the population of Ukraine (20 million people) in 2021-2022.

Read alsoIsrael denies rumors of vaccine smuggling into UkraineOn December 30, the Ukrainian Health Ministry signed a contract for the supply of China's Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine. The purchase provides for 1,913,316 doses at UAH 504 (US$18) per dose. China plans to obtain permission to use the vaccine inside the country and abroad in January next year, and the vaccine will also be submitted for retraining to the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2021.

The contract for supplies to the territory of Ukraine has been signed with Lekhim JSC, which, according to official confirmations from Sinovac Biotech, is the only authorized representative of the vaccine manufacturer in Ukraine.

Under the terms of the contract, the first batch of 700,000 doses will be delivered to Ukraine within 30 days after official registration in China, or by one of the competent authorities of the United States, Great Britain, the Swiss Confederation, Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, India, Mexico, Brazil, or under a centralized procedure by the competent authority of the European Union.

On January 6, some 13 countries of the European Union called on the European Commission to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, including Ukraine.

Reporting by UNIAN
Everybody can be discriminated against, and thats something that we cannot tolerate, said Cook, according to a video recording of the meeting. Its a very difficult time in America. Its time for all of us to stand up as brothers and sisters.
Serum Institute of India's COVID19 vaccine ' Covishield ' will be shipped to different locations in the country from Pune airport, four days before the vaccination drive starts across the country.

Union Civil Aviation Min Hardeep S Puri said, "Today, Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo Airlines will operate nine flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh. The first consignment has already left for Delhi in the early morning.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

The flights include two cargo flights, the source said. The first cargo flight will cover Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Bhubaneswar and the second cargo flight will go to Kolkata and Guwahati.

The consignment for Mumbai will leave by road. Trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry the vaccine stocks from Serum Institute.

Pune airport tweeted: "Ready get set go! Stand by India! The vaccine to kill the disease is being loaded into the aircraft for distribution all over the country now."

Ready get set go!

Stand by India!

The vaccine to kill the disease is being loaded onto the aircrafts for distribution all over the country now.@AAI_Official @aairedwr pic.twitter.com/5lY9i4Tjdk  PuneAirport (@aaipunairport) January 12, 2021

The maiden consignment of the vaccines in three trucks was rolled out of the Serum Institute of India facility around 5 in the morning. It was later loaded in the SpiceJet flight that left for Delhi at 8 am.

Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, Ajay Singh said: SpiceJet has carried Indias first consignment of Covid vaccine today. The first consignment of 'Covishield' consisting of 34 boxes and weighing 1088 kg was carried from Pune to Delhi.

Later, he took to Twitter to say, Proud to say that Spicejet carried Indias first consignment of COVID vaccines from Pune to Delhi this morning.

Proud to say that @flyspicejet carried Indias first consignment of COVID vaccines from Pune to Delhi this morning. pic.twitter.com/OlloFf58ly  Ajay Singh (@AjaySingh_SG) January 12, 2021

Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute gates shortly before 5 am and left for Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be flown across India.

The trucks carried 478 boxes of the vaccines, each box weighing 32 kg, a source involved in the vaccine transport arrangements told PTI. A 'puja' was performed before the vehicles left the facility.

The Central government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over six crore doses of vaccines from Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the nationwide vaccination drive beginning January 16.

Interacting with state chief ministers on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the enormity of what he called as the world's biggest vaccination exercise, saying over 30 crore citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 2.5 crore people vaccinated so far in over 50 countries in around a month.

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The lenders are following social media outlets and other companies in suspending ties with the president after he encouraged attendees at a rally last week to march on the Capitol, where they stormed the building and interrupted the certification of the Electoral College vote. At least five people died in the mayhem and its immediate aftermath.
Once gaveling in and taking care of necessary duties, lawmakers will quickly work through seven bills to fix some errors before adjourning until February, when the bulk of the legislation will be introduced.
TORONTO - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is criticizing new provincial lockdown rules in Ontario, saying they are unfair to small businesses.

TORONTO - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is criticizing new provincial lockdown rules in Ontario, saying they are unfair to small businesses.

For the 28 days beginning Thursday, Ontario's non-essential retail stores can only open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Tuesday that grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and gas stations can keep their regular hours.

The new rules come after the province's lastest models suggested that without new restrictions, daily COVID-19 deaths could double between now and the end of February, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford warning the health care system is "on the brink of collapse."

CFIB president Dan Kelly said he worries the new policies limiting opening hours risk further crowding at essential retailers like Walmart stores or Amazon warehouses instead. (Walmart Canada said it will comply with government restrictions and continue using a custom app to count capacity, as well as doing temperature checks for associates and other wellness measures.)

"We think that allowing small firms to serve one or three customers at a time would actually take the pressure off of the big box stores," said Kelly.

Kelly said the policies announced by Ford's government are confusing for non-essential retailers, which are being told they can stay open with limited hours even as their customers are told that non-essential trips are banned altogether.

"I don't understand why a small bookstore can't hand the book  outdoors  to a customer after eight. But you can line up at Costco and buy it," Kelly said.

"If you send a product to a third-party delivery (service), like through the mail or through a courier, the ... restriction won't exist. But if you, as a business owner, happen to deliver it on your way home to your customer nearby, that's prohibited. And we're struggling to figure out on what planet that helps stop the spread of COVID."

Kelly says his group, which represents 42,000 Ontario businesses, isn't calling for stores to be wide open, but would like to see restrictions closer to those enacted by British Columbia.

"Ford has toasted his relationship with small business owners," said Kelly. "No province in Canada has locked down small retailers while allowing box stores to remain open. Not a single one. All of them have medical offices of health advisors at the provincial and municipal level."

Yet other business groups had praise for Ontario's new policies.

Two construction industry groups said the new restrictions on its industry, which are similar to those seen last April, are necessary.

"While the new restrictions will slow the delivery of new housing for some projects, case levels have gotten to the point that all sectors and residents must be part of the solution," said a joint statement the Building Industry and Land Development Association and the Ontario Home Builders Association.

"The government of Ontario continues to show confidence in the construction industry to operate in a safe environment ... We will continue to work with members to remind them of the immense responsibility that comes with Essential Workplace designation under the Emergency Orders.

The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters group applauded a policy it said would improve workplace safety by allowing more access to COVID-19 testing.

"The manufacturing sector has worked aggressively to introduce protocols and provide a safe work environment," said Dennis Darby, the manufacturing group's chief executive, in a statement.

"The announcement today by Premier Ford that the sector could continue to operate through the pandemic while maintaining these standards is welcomed by manufacturers across the province."

Still, the rest of the supply chain may start to feel the effects of struggles for small retailers, as independent shops aren't ordering stock for fear there will be no customers, said Albert Stortchak, chair of the Broadview Danforth BIA in Toronto.

With inventory from Christmas still languishing on shelves and no end in sight, Stortchak said it can be tough for local shops to watch big box retailers "eat their dinner."

"We are willing to step up and be responsible and do our part," said Stortchak.

"We're not against big box (stores) ... it's just the inconsistency between big business and small business."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2021.
NITI Aayog member Dr Vinod Paul said that there will be 5,000 vaccine points in the initial stages and that the number will be scaled up. He added that both the coronavirus vaccine candidates -- Covishield by Serum Institute and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech -- will be part of the initial drive and which will be used where will become clear soon.

"Both vaccines will be part of the rollout. Which one will be used where? This will also become clear soon," said Dr Paul. Speaking to India Today, Dr Paul said that it is an important day. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his vision with the Chief Ministers. A priority group of 30 crore people, including 1 crore healthcare workers and 2 crore frontline workers will be vaccinated in the next few months.

He said that there are currently 5,000 vaccination points in the country. "The number will be doubled up in a matter of weeks. Allow us to develop the system in an effective way and then scale it up dramatically," said the NITI Aayog member.

Speaking about the cost of the vaccine, Dr Paul said that the cost for 1 crore healthcare workers and 2 crore other frontline workers will be borne by the government. "Beyond this, the government will make a decision. We don't have to presume one way or the other. We will ramp up supplies in a matter of weeks. There will be a much larger vaccination drive. But we must make an assured beginning. You have to begin with a certain, finite programme," he said.

Dr Paul added that the vaccine is not compulsory but healthcare workers have been advised to take the shot. "They have been exposed to Covid-19 infection cases and their families are worried. The overarching sentiment in the medical community is to take the vaccine. The Indian Medical Association today called upon its members to take either of the two vaccines," he said.

The nationwide vaccination drive will begin from January 16 after the festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Magh Bihu. The announcement was made by the Union Health Ministry after a high-level meeting with PM Modi on Saturday. "On 16th January, India takes a landmark step forward in fighting COVID-19. Starting that day, India's nation-wide vaccination drive begins. Priority will be given to our brave doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers including Safai Karamcharis," said PM Modi.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccination: SpiceJet ferries first consignment of Serum's Covishield to Delhi

Also read: First Covishield consignment leaves Serum Institute's Pune facility ahead of Jan 16 rollout
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has rejected a takeover bid for one of Australia's largest builders from a Chinese government controlled company over concerns it could give foreign intelligence services access to information about the nation's critical infrastructure.

China State Construction Engineering Corp launched the bid last year for a major stake in Probuild, the Australian subsidiary of a South African-owned company, in a deal understood to be worth more than $200 million.

The planned acquisition of major builder Probuild by state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corp has fallen over. Credit:Josh Robenstone

The deal required the approval of both the Treasurer and the Foreign Investment Review Board.

South African company Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) confirmed late on Monday the proposed sale of its 88 per cent stake in Australian-based Probuild would not proceed on national security grounds.

The FBI has intelligence that Donald Trump supporters are planning armed protests in 50 state capitals around the time of Joe Bidens inauguration, according to reports.

The agency received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington DC on January 16, according to a briefing obtained by ABC News.

Warning of a potential uprising if the president was removed from office prematurely, the FBI said groups were calling for the storming of state, local, and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings if Congress attempts to enact the 25th Amendment prior to inauguration day.

Far-right social media users have discussed January 20 for months, but the storming of the US Capitol energised online chatter, said the Anti-Defamation League, an organisation that tracks hate groups.

Muriel Bowser, Washington DCs mayor, has said she is extremely concerned about security at the inauguration and has called for much tighter security following the storming of the House of Congress last week.

Read More

We believe strongly that the 59th Presidential Inauguration will require a very different approach than previous inaugurations given the chaos, injury, and death experienced at the US Capitol during the insurrection, Ms Bowser wrote in a letter to Chad Wolf, acting secretary at the department of homeland security.

Ms Bowser said the city was submitting a request for a pre-disaster declaration to allow for federal assistance and asked Mr Wolf to cancel public gathering permits until January 24.

It also emerged that members of the House armed services committee (HASC) have made an unusual request that the armys criminal investigation command review the 15,000 national guard troops set to be deployed for the inauguration. This is to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists.

Police departments across the country are looking into whether any of their officers were involved in last Wednesdays riot. Departments in California, Washington state, New York and Texas are among those that have announced investigations into their officers based on tips.

In Seattle, at least two officers had been placed on administrative leave.

The army is also currently investigating Emily Rainey, a psychological operations officer at Fort Bragg who led a group of 100 people from the North Carolina-based Moore County Citizens for Freedom, a non-partisan network promoting conservative values, to the rally in Washington.

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Rescuers carry the bodies of victims of the plane crash at Tanjung Priok in Jakarta (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Jakarta  Indonesian relevant agencies have identified the first victim of the Sriwijaya Air plane crash on January 9 in which all 62 people on board were killed.

National Police spokesman Rusdi Hartono said that the victim was named Oki Bisma, a 29-year-old flight attendant, who was identified through his fingerprints. The identification was conducted by matching DNA samples from the victims families.

As of January 11, police have received 17 bags of human remains from the crash site and 53 DNA samples provided by the relatives.

Indonesian has carried out search and rescue activities since January 9, with assistance of forces and vehicles offshore Seribu islands, where the plane vanished.

In addition to plane wreckage, clothes, personal luggage and human remains, rescuers detected signal of the planes black box about 23 metres below the waters surface.

Search teams have narrowed down the location of the "black box" flight recorders and the remote-controlled vehicle would help scan the sea bed, Indonesian navy chief of staff Yudo Margono said.

He added that the box is under so much debris and relevant forces are working to ensure safety for pers.
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WASHINGTON  The U.S. House rushed ahead Tuesday toward impeaching President Donald Trump for the deadly Capitol attack, taking time only to try to persuade his vice president to push him out first. Trump showed no remorse, blaming impeachment itself for the tremendous anger in America.

Already scheduled to leave office next week, Trump is on the verge of becoming the only president in history to be twice impeached. His incendiary rhetoric at a rally ahead of the Capitol uprising is now in the impeachment charge against him, even as the falsehoods he spread about election fraud are still being championed by some Republicans.

The House on Tuesday night approved a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove Trump with a Cabinet vote and declare what is obvious to a horrified Nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office. The resolution passed, It was approved 223-205.

Democrats proceeded even though Pence said he would not do what the resolution asked. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said it would not be in the best interest of the nation and it was time to unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, four Republican lawmakers, including third-ranking House GOP leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming, announced they would vote to impeach Trump on Wednesday, cleaving the Republican leadership, and the party itself.

The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack, said Cheney in a statement. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.

As lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol for the first time since the bloody siege, they were bracing for more violence ahead of Democrat Bidens inauguration, Jan. 20.

All of us have to do some soul searching, said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, imploring other Republicans to join.

Trump, meanwhile, warned the lawmakers off impeachment and suggested it was the drive to oust him that was dividing the country.

To continue on this path, I think its causing tremendous danger to our country, and its causing tremendous anger, Trump said.

 READ MORE: FBI report warned of war at Capitol, contradicting claims that there was no indication of looming violence

In his first remarks to reporters since last weeks violence, the outgoing president offered no condolences for those dead or injured, only saying, I want no violence.

With Pences agreement to invoke the 25th Amendment ruled out, the House will move swiftly to impeachment on Wednesday.

Trump faces a single charge  incitement of insurrection  in the impeachment resolution after the most serious and deadly domestic incursion at the Capitol in the nations history.

Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, argued that Trump must go because, as she said in Spanish, hes loco - crazy.

 READ MORE: Trump takes no responsibility for riot, visits Texas

Republican Reps. John Katko of New York, a former federal prosecutor, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, an Air Force veteran, and Fred Upton of Michigan announced they, too, would vote to impeach.

But Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said the cancel culture was just trying to cancel the president. He said the Democrats had been trying to reverse the 2016 election ever since Trump took office and were finishing his term the same way.

Though a handful of House Republicans will join the impeachment vote  and leaders are allowing them to vote as they wish  its far from clear there would then be the two-thirds vote needed to convict from the narrowly divided Senate. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania did join Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to go away as soon as possible.

Unprecedented events, with just over a week remaining in Trumps term, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests by Trump loyalists ahead of Bidens inauguration, and Capitol Police urged lawmakers to be on alert. The inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.

With new security, lawmakers were required to pass through metal detectors Tuesday night to enter the House chamber, not far from where Capitol police, guns drawn, had barricaded the door against the rioters. Some Republican lawmakers complained about it.

 READ MORE: Corporations recoil from eight Pa. GOP vote objectors, suspending their money

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three other people died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.

Biden has said its important to ensure that the folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable.

Fending off concerns that an impeachment trial would bog down Bidens first days in office, the president-elect is encouraging senators to divide their time between taking taking up his priorities of confirming his nominees and approving COVID relief while also conducting the trial.

As Congress resumed, an uneasiness swept the halls. More lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege. Many lawmakers were voting by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel.

One of Trumps closest allies in Congress, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was among those echoing the president, saying impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.

The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trumps own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

 READ MORE: Supreme Court denies fast-track hearings for remaining GOP challenges to Pa. election results

Like the resolution to invoke the 25th Amendment, the impeachment legislation also details Trumps pressure on state officials in Georgia to find him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to fight like hell and march to the building.

The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Bidens victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, there is precedent. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.

Trump was impeached by the House in 2019 over dealings with Ukraine and acquitted in 2020 by the Senate.

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Jill Colvin, Ellen Knickmeyer and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.
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While a number of Republicans are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump for inflaming a mob that went on to attack the Capitol  leaving a police officer and four others dead  state GOP leader Steve Pearce is standing by him.

And Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., is defending her objection to the electoral vote in several states, an objection that in some ways echoed what the rioters were demanding as they stormed the U.S. Capitol building.

Herrell said in an interview Monday that her objection on the House floor last week wasnt intended to overturn the results, just to call attention to voting practices in several states, not including New Mexico.

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She said that she is preparing to work with President-elect Joe Bidens administration and that its time to unify the country.

House Democrats on Monday took a two-pronged approach to try to remove Trump from office before his term ends next week. They attempted a resolution to call on the vice president to use the Cabinet to remove the president using the 25th Amendment. And they introduced articles of impeachment against Trump for inciting violence against the Government of the United States.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., said Trump is unfit to hold office and should be removed.

President Trump and his enablers incited a mob of domestic terrorists who attacked our country. To move forward as a Nation, we must hold the president accountable for fueling this assault on our sacred democratic institutions, she said in a statement. I hope my House Republican colleagues put country above party (Tuesday) and join us to pass a resolution calling on the Vice President to remove Donald Trump from office.

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., couldnt be reached for comment.

The impeachment charge relates to Wednesdays riot when pro-Trump extremists, whom the president had encouraged in a speech and on social media, stormed the U.S. Capitol building while a joint session was being held to certify the Electoral College victory for Biden. Herrell was one of dozens of Republican lawmakers who objected to the votes during that session.

Those objections have been widely criticized by Democrats, as well as some Republican lawmakers.

Herrell said her objection to the Electoral College vote  Biden won 306-232  was an attempt to raise concerns about the voting process in several states, including Pennsylvania.

In that state, the governor and Supreme Court changed some election rules to assist voters during the pandemic without the Legislatures approval.

In New Mexico, the elections followed state statute, followed the Constitution, so New Mexico was never a state that was going to have an objection raised, Herrell said. Other states had constitutional questions.

The Trump campaign did challenge New Mexicos election results in a lawsuit against Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. The lawsuit said she overstepped her authority by authorizing the use of ballot drop boxes amid the coronavirus pandemic. But the campaign withdrew its suit Monday.

Herrell said its time to unify the country and not to try to impeach Trump.

I wish there werent articles of impeachment being considered right now, Herrell said. I feel the way we bring the nation together is to put unity first.  I just feel like this is going to fan the flames a little bit and is obviously not something Im in support of.

Pearce remains a Trump supporter

While the Republican party is split on what to do about Trump during his administrations final days, Pearce remains a strong supporter.

God bless President Donald J. Trump. He will be our President FOREVER and no one can take that away from us, Pearces Twitter feed proclaimed.

Mike Curtis, a spokesman for the Republican Party of New Mexico, said the Saturday tweet, which was taken down on Monday, wasnt authorized by party officials or Pearce, who was out of town and didnt send the tweet. But Curtis said Pearce still strongly supports the outgoing president.

Steve Pearce feels strongly about Trump and he supports President Trump, but that tweet gave the wrong impression, Curtis said.

For weeks, Pearce has been using his radio show, Inside New Mexico, to push back against Bidens victory. He has spoken at length about unproven claims that Democrats purchased unused ballots and, for days, submitted them in states where the vote was close after the November election, and that voting machines were deleting Trump votes or switching them to votes for Biden.

Some in GOP support Herrell

While some Republicans were critical of their peers like Herrell who objected to the election results  there was no evidence of voter fraud or that the changes in election rules in some states affected the outcome  Herrell was supported by New Mexico Republican leaders.

What Rep. Herrell did  was within the rules and within her authority. She didnt break the rules, said state Rep. James Townsend, R-Artesia, the House minority leader. It might not have aligned with some beliefs, but that doesnt mean that it was wrong.

Herrell said that shes heard from many of her constituents in southern New Mexico who expressed their support for her objection.

But Herrell said she hopes Republicans are done objecting to Bidens victory.

We will have a new president in office on the 20th, she said. Its time to get ready to work with a Biden administration.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Amid the ongoing debate around the safety and efficacy aspects of Covid vaccines, the president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has advised the public to not worry too much about it.

Speaking to IANS, Dr. J.A. Jayalal, president, IMA said, "We should not be too worried about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines since enough evidence is available to prove its credibility.

"The vaccines are never 100 per cent protective and efficacious at any time. It helps us to some extent in getting ahead of the disease but eventually, herd immunity will set in to control the viral spread. So let's not worry too much about the safety and efficacy part," he said.

"What we know from the trials is that the vaccines approved for inoculation in India are found safe and elicit an immune response. The technology of harnessing vaccines from inactivated viruses is a proven science. Our least expected efficacy criteria is 50 per cent while at the same time, other drugs we have been using for years are even below this benchmark of efficacy. We use influenza and vaccines against Tuberculosis but still people contract it," Jayalal explained.

"Even natural infection cannot determine the level of antibodies it would create in the body. Some may develop less antibodies, some may exhibit high titers of it while a few may never develop at all. Good thing is that the vaccines are producing antibodies and it's enough at this stage," he added.

Jayalal also said that the vaccine would work against the current and mutant strains of the coronavirus. Such claim was earlier made by Bharat Biotech for its Covid vaccine, Covaxin, which is approved for restricted emergency use in a clinical trial mode'. However, the firm is yet to present the data confirming its claim.

The apex association of modern medicine practitioners in the country has come out publicly endorsing the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines. In a statement issued on Monday, it said that the association stands with the scientists to endorse the safety and efficacy of both Covaxin and Covishield for public awareness and to counter myths on vaccine percolating in social media.

The IMA has also appealed to its its 3.5 lakh members in 1,800 local branches to actively take part in the mission of Covid vaccination programme rolled out by the Government of India. "Come out to get vaccinated first to show to the world that these vaccines are safe and efficacious," it had said.

Despite the efficacy of both the vaccines still unknown, the IMA has endorsed the vaccines. When asked about it, Jayalal said the association had a detailed discussion on such aspects with the government agencies. "After analyzing all the scientific data, we have decided to come out firmly in support of the vaccines," he added.

India's drug regulator has approved two Covid vaccine candidates -- Covishield by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech -- for the massive inoculation drive against the Covid-19.

The immunization drive will start from January 16. The vaccines have already reached many of the primary hubs to be distributed further before the roll-out.

Till now, a total 1,51,327 people have succumbed to the deadly disease while it has infected 1,04,79,179 people in the country.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Announcement pursuant to Section 50 para. 1 no. 2 German Securities Trading Act (WpHG)

Announcement on the Adjustment to Conversion Price of the Bonds



Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt, 12 January 2021 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the 'Company', D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) published an announcement on Hongkong Stock Exchange on the adjustment to conversion price of the bonds (Stock code 5024, ISIN XS1716796641). Reference is made to the listing document of Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. dated 16 November 2020, in relation to the HK$8,000,000,000 Zero Coupon Guaranteed Exchangeable Bonds due on 21 November 2022 (now referred to as HK$8,000,000,000 Zero Coupon Guaranteed Convertible Bonds due 2022 convertible into the ordinary H-shares of the Company, the 'Bonds').

Pursuant to Condition 6(a)(iii)(B) and Condition 6(d)(ix) of the terms and conditions of the Bonds, the Company hereby announces that the conversion price per share in effect on the initial adjustment date (being 12 January 2021) shall be adjusted from approximately HK$19.5961 to approximately HK$18.8369 (the 'Adjustment'). The conversion ratio (calculated by way of illustration based on each HK$1,000,000 principal amount of Bonds) is 53,087.3586.

Apart from the Adjustment, all other terms and conditions of the Bonds will remain unchanged. As at the date of this announcement, HK$7,993,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds remains outstanding.

As at the date of this announcement, the total number of the issued shares of the Company is 6,308,552,654 A-shares, 271,013,973 D-shares and 2,448,279,814 H-shares. Following the Adjustment and assuming full conversion of the Bonds, the Bonds will be convertible into 424,327,258 H-shares, representing approximately 4.70% of the issued share capital of the Company as at the date of this announcement and approximately 4.49% of the issued share capital of the Company as enlarged by the issuance of such shares (assuming that there is no other change to the issued share capital of the Company).

About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.:

Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized mass production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as smaller household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience.

IR contact:

Yao Sun (Sophie) - Haier Smart Home Germany

T: +49 6172 9454 143

F: +49 6172 9454 42143

M: +49 160 9469 3601

Email: y.sun@haier.de
The man who vowed to be a president of law and order failed to enforce the law or restore order. The man who has always seen himself as the protector of uniformed police sat idly by as Capitol Police officers were outnumbered, out-maneuvered, trampled on  and in one case, killed. And the man who had long craved the power of the presidency abdicated many of the responsibilities of the commander in chief. The episode in which Trump supporters rose up against their own government, leaving five people dead, will be central to any impeachment proceedings, critical to federal prosecutors considering incitement charges against him or his family, and a dark cornerstone of his presidential legacy. This portrait of the President as the Capitol was under attack on January 6 is the result of interviews with 15 Trump advisers, members of Congress, GOP officials and other Trump confidantes, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid details. The day began ominously, with a "Save America March" on the Ellipse devoted to perpetuating Trump's baseless claims that somehow the 2020 election was stolen from him. Before the President's remarks around noon, several of his family members addressed the crowd with speeches that all shared a central theme: Fight. Eric Trump, one of the President's sons, told the crowd that lawmakers needed to "show some fight" and "stand up," before urging the angry mass to "march on the Capitol today." Donald Trump jnr, another of the President's sons, exhorted all "red-blooded, patriotic Americans" to "fight for Trump."

Backstage, as the President prepared to speak, Laura Branigan's hit Gloria was blared to rev up the crowd, and Trump jnr, in a video he recorded for social media, called the rally-goers "awesome patriots that are sick of the bull----." His girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, danced to the song and, clenching her right fist, urged people to "fight." The President, too, ended his speech with an exhortation, urging the crowd to give Republicans "the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country." "So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue," he concluded. Trump, however, did not join the angry crowd surging toward the Capitol. Instead, he returned to the White House, where at 2.24pm he tapped out a furious tweet railing against Vice-President Mike Pence, who in a letter earlier in the day had made clear that he planned to fulfill his constitutional duties and certify President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the winners of the 2020 Electoral College vote.

"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify," he wrote. "USA demands the truth!" By then, West Wing staffers monitoring initial videos of the protesters on TV and social media were already worried that the situation was escalating and felt that Trump's tweet attacking Pence was unhelpful. Members of Congress being evacuated from the House Chamber after Trump supporters breached the Capitol. Credit:Bloomberg Press officials had begun discussing a statement from Trump around 2pm, when protesters first breached the Capitol, an official familiar with the discussions said. But they were not authorised to speak on behalf of the President and could only take the matter to chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, this person said, adding that "the most infuriating part" of the day was how long it took before Trump finally spoke out. Around the same time, Trump jnr headed to the airport for a shuttle flight home to New York. As he waited in an airport lounge to board the plane, the President's namesake son saw that the rally-goers they had all urged to fight were doing just that, breaching police barricades and laying siege to the Capitol.

An aide called Trump jnr and suggested he immediately issue a statement urging the rioters to stop. At 2.17pm, Trump jnr hit send on a tweet as he boarded the plane: "This is wrong and not who we are," he wrote. "Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don't start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and this doesn't help anyone." But the President himself was busy enjoying the spectacle. Trump watched with interest, buoyed to see that his supporters were fighting so hard on his behalf, one close adviser said. But if Trump didn't appear to understand the magnitude of the crisis, those in his orbit did. Conway immediately called a close personal aide who she knew was with the President, and said she was adding her name to the chorus of people urging Trump to speak to his supporters. He needed to tell them to stand down and leave the Capitol, she told the aide. Conway also told the aide that she had received calls from the DC mayor's office asking for help in getting Trump to call up the National Guard. Ivanka Trump had gone to the Oval Office as soon as the riot became clear, and Graham reached her on her cellphone and implored her for help. "They were all trying to get him to speak out, to tell everyone to leave," said Graham, referring to the small group of aides with Trump on Wednesday afternoon.

Several Republican members of Congress also called White House aides, begging them to get Trump's attention and have him call for the violence to end. The lawmakers reiterated that they had been loyal Trump supporters and were even willing to vote against the electoral college results  but were now scared for their lives, officials said. When the mob first breached the Capitol, coming within mere seconds of entering the Senate chamber, Pence  who was overseeing the electoral certification  was hustled away to a secure location, where he remained for the duration of the siege, despite multiple suggestions from his Secret Service detail that he leave the Capitol, said an official familiar with Pence's actions that day. Instead, the Vice-President fielded calls from congressional leaders furious that the National Guard had not yet been deployed, this official said. Pence, from his secret location in the Capitol, spoke with legislative and military leaders, working to mobilise the soldiers and offering reassurance. Members of the US Capitol Police trying to block demonstrators from reaching the House Floor. Credit:Bloomberg Even as his supporters at the Capitol chanted for Pence to be hanged, Trump never called the Vice-President to check on him or his family. Marc Short, Pence's chief-of-staff, eventually called the White House to let them know that Pence and his team were OK, after receiving no outreach from the President or anyone else in the White House.

Meanwhile, in the West Wing, a small group of aides  including Ivanka Trump, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Meadows  was imploring Trump to speak out against the violence. Meadows's staff had prompted him to go see the President, with one aide telling the chief of staff before he entered the Oval Office, "They are going to kill people." Shortly after 2.30pm, the group finally persuaded Trump to send a tweet: "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement," he wrote. "They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!" But the Twitter missive was insufficient, and Trump had not wanted to include the final instruction to "stay peaceful," according to one person familiar with the discussions. Less than an hour later, aides persuaded Trump to send a second, slightly more forceful tweet: "I am asking for everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful," he wrote. "No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order  respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!" US President Donald Trump speaks at the "Save America March" rally before the Capitol was stormed by his supporters. Credit:Getty Images

McCarthy did eventually reach Trump, but later told allies that he found the President distracted. So McCarthy repeatedly appeared on television to describe the mayhem, an adviser said, in an effort to explain just how dire the situation was and to secure the President's attention. McCarthy also called Kushner, who that afternoon was arriving back from a trip to the Middle East. The Secret Service originally warned Kushner that it was unsafe to venture downtown to the White House. McCarthy pleaded with him to persuade Trump to issue a statement for his supporters to leave the Capitol, saying he'd had no luck during his own conversation with Trump, the adviser said. So Kushner headed to the White House. At one point, Trump worried that the unruly group was frightening GOP lawmakers from doing his bidding and objecting to the election results, an official said. National security adviser Robert O'Brien also began calling members of Congress to ask how he could help. He called Senator Mike Lee, around 4pm, a Lee spokesman said. In an unlikely twist, Lee had heard from the President earlier  when he accidentally dialed the senator in a bid to reach Senator Tommy Tuberville, to discuss overturning the election. Others were still having trouble getting through to the White House. Speaking on ABC News shortly before 4pm Wednesday, Chris Christie, a GOP former governor of New Jersey, said he'd spent the last 25 minutes trying to reach Trump directly to convey a simple, if urgent, message.

"The President caused this protest to occur; he's the only one who can make it stop," Christie said. "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. And anything short of that is an abdication of his responsibility." Around this time, the White House was preparing to put out a video address on behalf of the President. They had begun discussing this option earlier but struggled to organise their effort. Biden, meanwhile, stepped forward with remarks that seemed to rise to the occasion: "The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are." Trump aides did three takes of the video and chose the most palatable option, despite some West Wing consternation that the President had called the violent protesters "very special." "This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people," Trump said in the video, released shortly after 4pm "We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

Amid the chaos, DC Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had implemented a 6pm curfew for the city, and as darkness fell, Secret Service told West Wing staff that, save for an essential few, everyone had to leave the White House and go home. At 6.01pm, Trump blasted out yet another tweet, which Twitter quickly deleted and which many in his orbit were particularly furious about, fearing he was further inflaming the still-tense situation. "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long," Trump wrote. "Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!" Thirteen minutes later, at 6.14pm, a perimeter was finally established around the Capitol. At about 8pm, more than six hours after the initial breach, the Capitol was declared secure. The following evening, on Thursday, Trump released another video, the closest advisers say he is likely to come to a concession speech.
New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir BJP legislator Ramesh Arora has sought ban on momos in the state. According to him, it contains cancer-causing element.

Arora said that momos contains Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), which causes cancer. He had also convened a seminar last week warning people about eating one of the most popular street foods in India.



Arora further said that the salt used in momos, Ajinomoto is very dangerous for health. Momos is a killer and Ajinomoto is dangerous for health, he said. He has been speaking against the street food for the past five months.



However, the Food and Drug Association (FDA) in the US has clearly stated that MSG is not as unhealthy as it is projected.

ALSO READ: Scientists devised new computer game may help children choose healthy food over chocolates

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
This artists illustration shows NASAs New Horizons spacecraft in the outer solar system. In the background lies the Sun and a glowing band representing zodiacal light, caused by sunlight reflecting off of dust. By traveling beyond the inner solar system and its accompanying light pollution, New Horizons was able to answer the question: How dark is space? At lower right are background stars of the Milky Way. Credit: Joe Olmsted (STScI)

How dark is the sky, and what does that tell us about the number of galaxies in the visible universe? Astronomers can estimate the total number of galaxies by counting everything visible in a Hubble deep field and then multiplying them by the total area of the sky. But other galaxies are too faint and distant to directly detect. Yet while we can't count them, their light suffuses space with a feeble glow.

To measure that glow, astronomical satellites have to escape the inner solar system and its light pollution, caused by sunlight reflecting off dust. A team of scientists has used observations by NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt to determine the brightness of this cosmic optical background. Their result sets an upper limit to the abundance of faint, unresolved galaxies, showing that they only number in the hundreds of billions, not 2 trillion galaxies as previously believed.

How dark does space get? If you get away from city lights and look up, the sky between the stars appears very dark indeed. Above the Earth's atmosphere outer space dims even further, fading to an inky pitch-black. And yet even there, space isn't absolutely black. The universe has a suffused feeble glimmer from innumerable distant stars and galaxies.

New measurements of that weak background glow show that the unseen galaxies are less plentiful than some theoretical studies suggested, numbering only in the hundreds of billions rather than the previously reported two trillion galaxies.

"It's an important number to knowhow many galaxies are there?" said Marc Postman of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, a lead author on the study. "We simply don't see the light from two trillion galaxies."

The earlier estimate was extrapolated from very deep sky observations by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. It relied on mathematical models to estimate how many galaxies were too small and faint for Hubble to see. That team concluded that 90% of the galaxies in the universe were beyond Hubble's ability to detect in visible light. The new findings, which relied on measurements from NASA's distant New Horizons mission, suggest a much more modest number.

"Take all the galaxies Hubble can see, double that number, and that's what we seebut nothing more," said Tod Lauer of NSF's NOIRLab, a lead author on the study.

These results will be presented on Wednesday, Jan. 13th at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, which is open to registered participants.

The cosmic optical background that the team sought to measure is the visible-light equivalent of the more well-known cosmic microwave backgroundthe weak afterglow of the big bang itself, before stars ever existed.

This photo shows a phenomenon known as zodiacal light. At lower left, a glowing patch extends to the upper right in the direction of Jupiter, the bright object left of center. Zodiacal light is caused by sunlight reflecting off tiny dust particles in the inner solar systemthe disintegrated remains of comets and asteroids. Attempts to measure how dark space is using telescopes like Hubble have been thwarted by this ambient glow. As a result, astronomers relied on NASAs distant New Horizons spacecraft to observe the sky free from zodiacal light. The faint background they measured is the equivalent of seeing a neighbors refrigerator light from a mile away. This very wide, multi-frame panorama was taken in October 2014 at Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeast Arizona. The zodiacal light is at left, with the northern Milky Way to the right. The Orion constellation is at top right. Jupiter is the brighter object left of center, while a similarly bright object to the right (below Orion) is Sirius. M44 (the Praesepe Cluster) is just above Jupiter. On the horizon, a yellow glow marks the location of the nearby town of Chinle, Arizona. Credit: Z. Levay

"While the cosmic microwave background tells us about the first 450,000 years after the big bang, the cosmic optical background tells us something about the sum total of all the stars that have ever formed since then," explained Postman. "It puts a constraint on the total number of galaxies that have been created, and where they might be in time."

As powerful as Hubble is, the team couldn't use it to make these observations. Although located in space, Hubble orbits Earth and still suffers from light pollution. The inner solar system is filled with tiny dust particles from disintegrated asteroids and comets. Sunlight reflects off those particles, creating a glow called the zodiacal light that can be observed even by skywatchers on the ground.

To escape the zodiacal light, the team had to use an observatory that has escaped the inner solar system. Fortunately the New Horizons spacecraft, which has delivered the closest ever images of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth, is far enough to make these measurements. At its distance (more than 4 billion miles away when these observations were taken), New Horizons experiences an ambient sky 10 times darker than the darkest sky accessible to Hubble.

"These kinds of measurements are exceedingly difficult. A lot of people have tried to do this for a long time," said Lauer. "New Horizons provided us with a vantage point to measure the cosmic optical background better than anyone has been able to do it."

The team analyzed existing images from the New Horizons archives. To tease out the feeble background glow, they had to correct for a number of other factors. For example, they subtracted the light from the galaxies expected to exist that are too faint to be identifiable. The most challenging correction was removing light from Milky Way stars that was reflected off interstellar dust and into the camera.

The remaining signal, though extremely faint, was still measurable. Postman compared it to living in a remote area far from city lights, lying in your bedroom at night with the curtains open. If a neighbor a mile down the road opened their refrigerator looking for a midnight snack, and the light from their refrigerator reflected off the bedroom walls, it would be as bright as the background New Horizons detected.

So, what could be the source of this leftover glow? It's possible that an abundance of dwarf galaxies in the relatively nearby universe lie just beyond detectability. Or the diffuse halos of stars that surround galaxies might be brighter than expected. There might be a population of rogue, intergalactic stars spread throughout the cosmos. Perhaps most intriguing, there may be many more faint, distant galaxies than theories suggest. This would mean that the smooth distribution of galaxy sizes measured to date rises steeply just beyond the faintest systems we can seejust as there are many more pebbles on a beach than rocks.

NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope may be able to help solve the mystery. If faint, individual galaxies are the cause, then Webb ultra-deep field observations should be able to detect them.

This study is accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.

Explore further Image: Hubble glimpses faint galaxy

More information: New Horizons Observations of the Cosmic Optical Background, arXiv:2011.03052 [astro-ph.GA] Journal information: Astrophysical Journal New Horizons Observations of the Cosmic Optical Background, arXiv:2011.03052 [astro-ph.GA] arxiv.org/abs/2011.03052
After years of monetizing hate speech, Twitter, Facebook and some other social media platforms have realized that allowing the platforms use to foment insurrection might not be the best business model.

It took the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by deranged acolytes of President Donald Trump for the big platforms to take away Trumps favorite megaphones. Both said they did so to prevent the president of the United States from inspiring further violence.

There is no doubt that Trump deserved to be barred from the platforms. Its not a question of free speech; its Trumps abuse of it. People who whine about the presidents free speech being diminished apparently are unaware of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famous conclusion in 1919 that the most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic.

Yet the episode also demonstrates the vast power over public discourse in the digital age of just a few huge companies. For years, Twitter and Facebook resisted calls to police posted content, hiding behind the First Amendment while allowing their operations to drive political discourse into the gutter of extremism, conspiracy, fear-mongering, disinformation and hate.

The have been able to do so because the law is well behind the curve.

Section 230 of the Federal Communications Act precludes liability for posted content. That is directly contrary to the rules for other media, which are liable for everything they publish or air.

Its long past due for social media giants to be as accountable as other forms of media. The regulatory, legal and legislative reviews now underway in Washington should result in far higher levels of accountability, which result in higher levels of political discourse.
Credit: Shutterstock / RaiPhoto

A cross-platform Argonne collaboration is optimizing a tool developed after Hurricane Maria to find essential connections between critical infrastructure that will help owners and operators plan for and mitigate a variety of potential hazards.

Major disasters, whether natural or human-caused, most often have a devastating impact on local infrastructure that can result in the interruption of humanitarian efforts and deal an economic blow to communities large and small. No matter where you are in the world, these infrastructures are intimately linked, so that the failure of one can have a cascading effect on others.

Unfortunately, the details of how they're interconnected isn't always fully mapped out, making it hard for communities to determine which to bring online first after a disaster. However, Argonne is developing resources to help make the connections between the electrical grid and other lifeline infrastructurenatural gas, clean water, healthcare, communications and so onand aid in those critical and timely decisions.

One disaster in particular may have provided the impetus for such a tool.

Shortly after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico in 2017, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory joined the recovery effort to help identify and prioritize those critical infrastructure systems that would benefit most from improvements in security and resilience.

The team developed the Puerto Rico Infrastructure Interdependency Assessment (PRIIA) tool to map connections between interdependent infrastructureall of the various systems that basically support society, notes Josh Bergerson, principal infrastructure analyst in Argonne's Decision and Infrastructure Sciences (DIS) division and a member of the PRIIA team.

Bergerson and other members of that team are continuing to advance the PRIIA technology through Argonne's Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, but this time, the focus is on electricity-specific infrastructure and adding optimization and artificial intelligence (AI) components to reduce complexity and time-to-solution.

"The purpose of the research is to take the work that we started with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) using the PRIIA tool and think about ways we could augment and optimize our approach to modeling all the connections between interdependent infrastructure," said Lawrence Paul Lewis, DIS program lead for technology implementation.

Softening the domino effect

Infrastructure systems such as energy, water, communications and transportation are interconnected; dependent on another such that the operation of one system affects the operation of another.

Your house is a microcosm of larger infrastructure systems that are connected in one way or another, and all the things that can go wrong if one of those dependenciesservices from a utility, for instanceis damaged.

Electricity is typically the first to go, and perhaps the most important. Without it, you lose lights, refrigeration, air conditioning or heating, if it's electric. You might lose water if you're on a well or lose access to Internet and television.

Now imagine what these cascading effects might look like on a local or regional level. Ask the citizens of Puerto Rico, who endured the full brunt of these cascading infrastructure failures for more than a year.

Where earlier work focused on getting utilities and other critical infrastructure back online, the new Argonne collaboration is looking at how things break and developing plans in advance of disruption events.

Disruptions are not caused solely by natural hazards like storms, wildfires or flooding. Other causes include physical attacks, where a person or group intentionally targets infrastructure components through physical force, and cyberattacks, which have become more frequent and can have serious implications for critical infrastructure.

The optimized PRIIA tool will help analyze a system and point out its vulnerabilities, allowing stakeholders to address them and reduce the impact of any future events, whether natural or human-caused.

"We're looking at various aspects of all of these interconnected infrastructure systems to try and figure out the gaps and the weaknesses that really limit their resilience," said Bergerson. "And resilience here refers to your ability to plan, anticipate, adjust and remain operational following some type of disruption."

One of the major challenges has been in trying to come up with an accurate schematic of a region's infrastructure dependencies. While much public data exist about individual systems, no one collects information on the actual connections between those systemsfor example, which electric power substation supports a particular water system.

The only way to get that information is to physically go into the field and observe the physical system itself, which has proven an extremely inefficient way of gathering information, Bergerson admits.

"In Puerto Rico, we spent six months and got a couple of hundred dependency connections out of tens of thousands that are there," he recalled.

Because no official or authoritative database for infrastructure dependencies exists, the team began to standardize and organize the infrastructure data they did havemuch of it from Puerto Rico, some from datasets, such as Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data, an aggregation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of all critical infrastructure datasets that are publicly available.

One of the key outcomes of the project is the development of what the team calls a hypergraph, a generic superset of all reasonable connections or layouts of infrastructure assets, accompanied by a high-level characterization of each asset.

"You sort of lay out this generic SimCity-looking plan of asset characteristics and how they connect to each other," said Lewis. "Then, as we approach a real-world problem, we feed real-world data through this hypergraph and that's how we can start to populate our model."

"So that's one of the tough things, but also one of the victories that will come out of this."

Building resources to support AI applications

In its effort to more accurately identify the impact of cascading failures, the team began collaborating with colleagues in Argonne's Mathematics and Computer Science division (MCS) to further improve the overall modeling process.

By incorporating complex multistage models and algorithms into the PRIIA tool, they hope to reduce the labor intensiveness of tracking an exponential number of dependencies; reduce uncertainties associated with large-scale infrastructure systems; and address the computational complexities of infrastructure interdependencies through models motivated by game theory. These enhancements will allow the team to apply this new tool far beyond Puerto Rico, for which it was originally developed.

"The team was using a tool that allowed them to simulate what happens if something impacts certain pieces of infrastructure," said Sven Leyffer, senior computational mathematician in MCS. "What they couldn't do was address the question, "Is that the worst case that could happen to my infrastructure?'"

"To answer that, they would have had to go through an exponential number of combinations devoted to finding out the worst case. We can do it by just solving a single, large-scale optimization problem."

The focus of the MCS work is to identify where a cascade might start in a particular system and which asset or combination of assets would create the worst cascade should they fail. The goal of this analysis, then, is to improve the resilience of those specific dependencies, whether by providing backups, introducing redundancies or increasing security.

The next step for the project includes incorporating an AI application called machine learning (ML) to speed up the process. ML models often require a lot of training data, however, which are not readily available for cascading failures. By applying their expertise in optimization and simulation techniques, Leyffer and his group are helping to find the most impactful cascades directly, information that can then be used to generate training data for ML models in the future.

"An AI application will help us do a better job of simulating how a disruption or degradation of operation to an upstream piece of infrastructure, like a very important transmission substation, would cascade across all the other infrastructure," suggested Lewis.

"That is a very computationally complex question to answer, but it is a key question utility owners or operators must face."

The combined tools and methods are intended to create an approach that teams can apply during planning and hazard mitigation processes, or in response and recovery phases to help prioritize the many actions needed to restore systems as efficiently and properly as possible.

Explore further Team expands power grid planning to improve system resilience
The Australian Medical Association has called on the government to invest in long-term internet advertising to counter medical misinformation peddled online, including COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

In a statement on Tuesday, AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said people are increasingly turning to social media to learn about healthy choices, but the internet has the potential to "significantly magnify health misinformation campaigns".

The AMA has called on the government to address health misinformation on the internet. Credit:Bloomberg

"People can easily absorb misinformation delivered directly to them through advertising, celebrity influencers, and people in positions of power," Dr Khorshid said.

"We have seen this with the anti-vaccination movement, and the countless conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic that circulate constantly on the internet.
San Antonios great flood of 1921 forced the city to recognize the dangers of flash flooding.

As bad as it was, with downtown under 10 feet of water and people and houses washed downstream, experts have said the Sept. 9-10, 1921, disaster could have been worse. While at least 51 deaths, with 14 people missing, were reported locally, the heaviest rain fell in Williamson County, where 159 bodies were recovered.

If the city had received about 30 inches in 15 hours, as reported in Taylor, northeast of Austin, the destruction at San Antonio would have been so great as to make that actually suffered there seem insignificant, the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a 1923 report on the flood.

The 7.38 inches officially recorded in San Antonio, combined with amounts twice as heavy from higher ground to the north, sent a massive surge of water down the San Antonio River. Most of the deaths occurred along San Pedro and Alazan creeks.

Floodwaters from the three streams  the highest since 1845 and 20 inches above the record mark set that year  brought death and widespread property damage, the San Antonio Express reported.

The San Antonio Light described a wall of water from 10 to 30 feet high that carried houses from their foundations, swept motor cars away, destroyed concrete bridges, tore down trees and poles and ripped up paving in the streets like  pebbles.

Although San Antonio had been hit with floods in 1913 and 1865, the record had long been considered a July 5, 1819, deluge documented nearly 17 years before the Battle of the Alamo, while the city was under Spanish rule.

In his 1923 report for the Department of the Interior, author C.E. Ellsworth recounted the frightful flood of the 19th century, described in dust-laden archives of the old San Fernando Cathedral and stories handed down to us from generation to generation. During the 1819 flood, waters of the river and San Pedro Creek washed away several buildings and claimed the lives of six white grown persons and ten Indian children.

The cause of the flood is given as a 'culebra de agua in the Olmos Creek; a 'serpent or snake of water, which means in plain English a cloudburst, Ellsworth wrote.

What came during the next century  Mexican and Texas independence, U.S. statehood, the Civil War and development of the railroads  did little for flood control as the local population grew from about 2,000 in 1820 to 160,000 in 1920.

South Texas had been in a drought for two months when remnants of a hurricane generated heavy local rain by 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, 1921. In his 2006 book, Riverwalk: The Epic Story of San Antonios River, Lewis F. Fisher wrote that people went to bed thinking all was well.

But rainfall over the Olmos Creek watershed had been twice as heavy as that over the city. The creek swelled beyond its banks by 9 p.m., sending water into the river, which began rising 1 foot every five minutes in Brackenridge Park.

Witnesses would recall horrific images of families being washed away, crying for help, as emergency workers with limited equipment could not reach them. Dozens of houses were swept away by midnight.

It was the greatest disaster in the history of the city, knocking out phone, telegraph and railroad service and damaging hospitals, the city hall, fire and police headquarters and other prominent structures. People trapped in cars drowned in the swift-moving water.

Historian Char Miller, in his 2005 book, On the Border: An Environmental History of San Antonio, wrote that the small creeks on the heavily Hispanic West Side blasted out of their banks, crashed through the shacks and shanties, killing scores.

In response to the flooding from Olmos Creek, the Olmos Dam was built at a cost of $1.5 million north of downtown. In another book in 2004, Deep in the Heart of San Antonio: Land and Life in South Texas, Miller argued that the citys decision to ignore the West Side flooding revealed a disturbing and remarkably skewed distribution of public benefits in one of Americas poorest big cities.

This management of San Antonios floodwaters, as with so much else, was channeled along sharply etched ethnic divisions and class lines, wrote Miller, who has called the flood the single most important event in the citys history.

A proposal to pave the river downtown and remove trees along its banks was quickly quelled by popular opposition, clearing the way for later development of architect Robert Hugmans vision for the River Walk, starting in 1939.

Many of the historic structures damaged by the flood did not survive. The circa-1850 Dashiell House in La Villita was saved, but the original St. Marys Church and Carnegie Library, were demolished and replaced with new structures.

More flood-control projects would come, including gates to regulate flows in the River Walk, and a 1.14-mile tunnel to divert water below San Pedro Creek, completed in 1991. A 3.1-mile, $111.4 million, federally subsidized tunnel under the river, completed in 1997, was credited with saving downtown from a 1998 flood that has since become known as the citys record flood.

But stories of the 1921 disaster have long been recalled, and retold by family members, as the last remaining survivors have died in recent years.

They included a former switchboard operator who took a rowboat to work; a Joskes store employee who recalled seeing dead livestock floating in the river; and members of the Groos banking family, who carried money and papers from a flooded vault downtown to their house in the King William area, to oven-dry them.

Vincent L. Gittinger, who was 91 when he died in 2005, lost a 2-year-old brother in the flood, but survived by climbing a tree until he was rescued hours later by relatives with a horse and rope. He was 8 at the time.

The story my dad told was that many things passed by the tree, and one was a woman who had drowned, a son, Michael E. Lawrence, told the Express-News for an obituary. It made a real impression on him because her hair was flowing.

shuddleston@express-news.net

@shuddlestonSA
Just when it seemed like President Trump's most loyal supporters couldn't possibly spiral further out of control after a group of insurgents organized a deadly siege on our nation's capital last week, the far-right has found a new, cruel way of furthering their cause -- mutilating vulnerable marine life with the name of their dear leader. Earlier this week, a poor manatee was spotted swimming in Florida's Homosassa River, near the state's Gulf Coast, with the word "TRUMP" carved into its skin, The New York Times reported. Because nothing says 'Make America Great Again' like physically abusing beloved, slow-moving sea mammals?

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Since the defaced manatee was spotted on Sunday, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have launched an investigation into the matter, with The Center for Biological Diversity offering a $5,000 reward for conviction-resulting information on "the cruel and illegal mutilation" of the creature. "It's heartbreaking that this manatee was subjected to this vile, criminal act," the group's Florida director, Jaclyn Lopez, told the publication on Monday. "It's clear that whoever harmed this defenseless, gentle giant is capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately."

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Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted that the animal appeared to not be seriously harmed, clarifying that the "word was written in algae on the animal's back," officials are still abhorred by the crime and are looking for kelp as they solve this case. "This abhorrent action goes beyond the bounds of what is considered cruel and inhumane," senior Florida representative for the Defenders of Wildlife, Elizabeth Fleming, explained. "I'm disgusted that someone would harm a defenseless creature to send what I can only assume is a political message. We will do everything in our power to help find, arrest and successfully prosecute this coward."
New Delhi: There will be a gap of 28 days between two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and its effectiveness will begin 14 days after the second dose, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said vaccine effectiveness will be seen only after 14 days.

"So we urge people to keep following COVID appropriate behaviour," he said. Bhushan said there will be a gap of 28 days between two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and that people won't be given a choice on which vaccine to take.

"In many countries, more than one vaccine is being used. There is no such option available to any of the beneficiaries in these countries," said Bhushan when asked if the states and the beneficiaries will have a choice between Covaxin and Covishield

India will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

India had recently granted emergency use authorisation to two vaccines, Oxford's Covishield being manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. Both vaccines, the statement from the Health Ministry said, have established safety and immunogenicity.

Dr V K Paul member, NITI Aayog member, said these two vaccines have been tested in thousands of people, they are the safest and there is no risk of any significance.

"We should have no doubt that the two vaccines approved are the safest of the vaccines. Both the vaccines have been tested on thousands of people and side-effects are negligible. There is no risk of any significance," he said.

Bhushan said that as said earlier, there will be a sequential rollout of COVID-19 vaccination.

"Healthcare workers (approximately one crore) will be on the top priority, followed by frontline workers (approximately 2 crore) and prioritized age groups (approximately 27 crore). The cost of healthcare workers and frontline workers will be borne by the central government," Bhushan said.

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Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points.

After the Supreme Court appointed a four-member committee to resolve the deadlock on agricultural reform laws, farmer bodies refused to join the panel as the members and accused the committee for being pro-government.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde on January 12 stayed the implementation of the agricultural reform laws till further orders and observed that the legislations were passed without consultation.

While farmer leaders welcomed the top court's decision to put the laws on hold, they, however, refused to appear before the committee.

"Farmer unions reiterate the fact that they will not participate in any such committee process - further, one of their apprehensions about such a process got validated in the very constitution of the committee. It is clear that the Court is being misguided by various forces even in its constitution of a committee.

"These are people who are known for their support to the three Acts and have actively advocated for the same. It is not out of place to remind that the farmer unions have rejected a Committee proposal from the government too. Their dialogue is basically with an elected government about its policy directions and concomitant laws," Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting unions, said in a press release.

The union leaders also said they will march into Delhi with a peaceful tractor parade on the Republic Day.

"The peaceful Kisan Parade announced by farmers organisations on Republic Day will be held at Delhi and all over the country in large numbers. Farmers will observe Republic day. The government is trying to misguide the Court on this too," read the press note.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points  Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur  for over a month against the three agri laws demanding a repeal and a legal guarantee for minimum support price for their crops.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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[January 12, 2021] Harbour Group's SpotSee Holdings Acquires TMC Hallcrest and LCR Hallcrest

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SpotSee Holdings ("SpotSee"), a Harbour Group company, has acquired TMC Hallcrest and LCR Hallcrest ("Hallcrest"), Jeff Fox, Harbour Group's chairman and chief executive, announced today. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Hallcrest develops and manufactures color-changing temperature indication products. The companies offer a broad portfolio of irreversible and reversible temperature labels used to indicate temperature excursions across a wide range of industrial, transportation, medical device, sterilization, food, and printing applications. Additionally, the companies manufacture forehead thermometers for monitoring patients during surgical procedures, among other applications. TMC Hallcrest is headquartered in Flintshire, United Kingdom, and LCR Hallcrest is headquartered in Glenview, Ill., United States. Mr. Fox commented, "The addition of Hallcrest broadens SpotSee's offering of temperature indicators and makes SpotSee the market leader across shock, tilt and temperature indication and monitoring. The combination of the businesses offers significant opportunities to bring new products and capabilities to the broader customer base. With Harbour Group's operations and acquisitions expertise, we look forward to continuing to expand both organically as well as through acquisition." Russell Booth, Managing Director of TMCHallcrest, stated, "We are very excited to join forces with SpotSee to expand the distribution of our irreversible indicator product portfolio worldwide and to unite our new-product development initiatives."



Rocky Sapienza, VP of Operations of LCR Hallcrest added, "We look forward to the next phase for our business as we combine with SpotSee. We see our complementary customer bases and products coming together to reinforce our position as a market leader in the temperature indication market." Tony Fonk, CEO and President of SpotSee, stated, "We are thrilled by the combination of Hallcrest and SpotSee to create a world leader in the growing temperature indication and monitoring market. Hallcrest has a strong reputation in temperature indication serving the medical, industrial and consumer markets. We believe Harbour Group's strategic, operational, and acquisition expertise gathered over many years will continue to be a valuable resource to help our business grow. We look forward to providing an enhanced and innovative global product offering by combining these three great companies."

About SpotSee Holdings

SpotSee Holdings develops and manufactures shock, vibration, temperature, and other environmental condition monitoring solutions for in-transit, in-plant, and in-storage applications. The company offers a broad portfolio of branded products including indicator devices, RFID, Bluetooth, satellite, and cellular connected devices that provide real-time tracking, monitoring, and reporting capabilities. The company is headquartered in Dallas. About Harbour Group

Harbour Group is a privately owned, operations focused company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Harbour Group's companies are engaged in manufacturing and distribution across diverse industries including control solutions, remote monitoring solutions, fence and gate hardware systems, interior wallcoverings and fabrics, LED lighting, flow control, scientific products and lab ware, thermal management solutions, boiler systems, professional diagnostic and repair tools, stainless fittings and auxiliary plastic processing equipment. Since its founding in 1976, Harbour Group has acquired 213 companies in 47 different industries. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harbour-groups-spotsee-holdings-acquires-tmc-hallcrest-and-lcr-hallcrest-301206662.html SOURCE Harbour Group

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The presumption of constitutionality implies that courts should not interfere with the will of the legislature unless there are compelling reasons to do so

The Supreme Court, by saying on Monday that it may suspend the implementation of the Centre's new farm laws, has opened a debate on whether such an intervention by the judiciary is warranted.

The top court has not yet pronounced an order in the matter, and only made oral observations in the hearing on Monday. However, several past judgments by the higher judiciary have affirmed the precedent that courts should be very cautious while passing interim orders to stay laws passed by the Legislature.

This is because a key principle in Indian jurisprudence is the 'presumption of constitutionality.' In essence, it means that the Legislature, which represents the will of the people, is presumed to have passed any law in accordance with constitutional provisions unless there are compelling reasons to believe otherwise.

The Supreme Court, in the case of ML Kamra versus New India Assurance, had said on 17 January, 1992, "If the provisions of a law or the rule is construed in such a way as would make it consistent with the Constitution and another interpretation would render the provision or the rule unconstitutional, the Court would lean in favour of the former construction."

Last year, the top court had cited this principle while refusing to stay the Citizenship Amendment Act, the passage of which had also sparked widespread protests across the nation.

Thus, the presumption of constitutionality implies that courts should not interfere with the will of the legislature unless there are compelling reasons to do so.

This brings to a second issue at hand  whether such a judicial intervention can be made by means of an interim order. Passing an interim order would mean that the Supreme Court would stay the implementation of the new farm laws on the basis of the prima facie information in front of it. The top court has not yet considered all aspects related to the petitions filed before it, and therefore, it cannot pass a final judgment on the matter.

On this point too, there are several judicial precedents at hand. The Supreme Court had said in ruling on the validity of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Regulation Act, 2003, "In matters involving the constitutionality of any legislation enacted by the legislature and rules, courts should be extremely loath to pass an interim order...At the time of final adjudication, the court can strike down the statute if found ultra vires of the Constitution. However, operation of the statute cannot be stultified by granting an interim order except when the court is convinced that the law is ex-facie (on the face of it) unconstitutional."

The court also considered the issue of granting a stay in the case of State of Mizoram versus M/S Pooja Fortune Private Limited. As noted by LiveLaw, it noted that a court, while granting stay, must consider three aspects  (i) balance of convenience (ii) irreparable harm or injury or (iii) prima facie case.

There have, however, been cases in which the Supreme Court effectively stayed the implementation of a law. As noted by The Indian Express, in September last year, it had referred to a larger bench a batch of petitions challenging a Bombay High Court ruling that upheld the Maharashtra law granting reservation to Marathas in jobs and educational institutions.
The on Tuesday rolled out a one-time registration portal for job aspirants.

With the launch of the portal, the candidates will be required to apply and submit fees on the portal only once, said Chief Minister here.

The state government's move would not only bring about more transparency but also speed up the recruitment process, he said in an official release here.

The portal is for registration for Group C and D category posts and non-gazetted teaching posts in different government departments.

The Chief Minister also announced a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to be conducted by Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) for filling up different posts of Group C and D, the release said.

The registration on the portal which commenced Tuesday would continue up to March 31.

He said the students who are appearing for Class 10 and 12 examination this year could also provisionally apply on the portal.

Each candidate registering on the portal would be issued a unique ID number on the basis of which he or she could apply as per their educational qualification and experience.

He said a separate Common Eligibility Test (CET) would be conducted for the Group C and Group D posts that would be valid for a period of three years, as per the release.

HSSC Chairman Bharat Bhushan Bharti said the portal would not only provide an opportunity to the job aspirants to apply and pay fees only once but also give them respite from making frequent rounds to the Commission office for document verification.

Khattar said the state government has so far provided 80,000 jobs in different departments on merit basis.

Apart from this, the government has also scrapped the interview process for Group C and D posts. He said the present state government has also implemented a transparent recruitment process in the police department and has recruited 8,000-10,000 police personnel in the last six years.

(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.)
Union Minister, Shripad Naiks condition stable

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 12: The condition of Union Minister, Shripad Naik, who was injured in a road accident is stable. Naik's wife, Vijaya Naik and his aide were killed in the accident.

"All the health parameters of Union Minister Shri Shripad Bhau Naik are stable and he is undergoing treatment at ICU of Goa Medical College," Sawant tweeted. "He is out of danger and his health condition is stable. Two minor surgeries would be performed on him tonight. As of now, there is no requirement to shift him to Delhi for treatment," Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.

The Union Minister of State for AYUSH''s car, skidded and veered off the road and rammed into a roadside tree. The vehicle was badly mangled in the impact and while the Minister and others were injured, Naik''s wife and assistant Deepak died.

Karnataka: Union minister Shripad Naik injured in road accident; wife, aide dead

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant arrived at the GMCH before the ambulance reached the government-run hospital where medical specialists were ready to treat Naik, who is also the junior defence minister.

After holding preliminary discussions with doctors, including Dean of GMCH Dr Shivanand Bandekar, Sawant took the physicians in his car to the ambulance, which was on the way to the hospital, for providing immediate attention to Naik. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to ensure proper medical treatment for the minister, sources said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Sawant about speedy medical treatment of Naik. In Panaji, Goa BJP President Sadanand Tanavade, General Secretary Satish Dhond and other party office-bearers gathered at the GMCH to enquire about Naik''s condition.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressed shock over the accident and condoled the demise of Naik''s wife. "Shocked to know that the car which Union Minister Shripad Naik ji was travelling met with an accident in Uttara Kannada and the death of his wife. My heartfelt condolences on the tragic death of Smt Naik and prayers for the speedy recovery of Shri Naik and those injured," Yediyurappa tweeted. Inputs from Panaji said Naik was returning to Goa from Dharmasthala in Karnataka. Police in the southern state said Naik''s car was headed towards Gokarna (a coastal Karnataka town, on the highway towards Goa) from Yallapur (Uttara Kananda district).

SC asks govt to form COMMITTEE on farm laws, wants crisis SOLVED | Oneindia News

(With agency inputs)
All bets are off. Normally by the 64th day of recent editions of the Vendee Globe, the solo non-stop race round the world has been distilled down to a choice of two or at the outside three potential winners.

But as the group of six chasing solo racers are now compressed to within 300 miles of leader Yannick Bestaven, and the skipper of Maitre Coq IV has seen his lead of 435 miles melt like snow in the Brazilian sun, to be just 38 miles ahead of Charlie Dalin (Apivia) this afternoon, it is clear any one of the top six or seven boats could hope to break the Les Sables d'Olonne finish line first later this month, probably around the 28th or 29th. Indeed by tomorrow Tuesday there seems every chance that the leader for 17 days might have been passed.



The semi permanent cold front which extends from the Brazilian coast, somewhere between Itajai and Rio, out to sea South east by eastwards for some 1500 miles, largely set the hierarchy on the descent of the Atlantic back in the third week of November - remember Thomas Ruyant and Charlie Dalin trading gybes downwind less than ten miles apart.



Now on the climb back to the E'ly tradewinds the same weather feature blocks the fleet. And while Bestaven has lost most by being west, closest to land, the gain is increasingly in the east as the lead group climbs towards the tradewinds. And so not only have Dalin and Thomas Ruyant come back at Bestaven hard, but so too in the east are Damien Seguin, Louis Burton and Boris Herrmann all back in contention.



"I think for Yannick, who sees us coming back to him when he was way ahead, it must be tough. For us it is very gratifying. I wasted a lot of time with some minor issues, but I'll be able to pick back up. The whole Vendee Globe has been like this, the race is far from over," contends Thomas Ruyant, the LinkedOut skipper on the morning call to Race HQ in Les Sables d'Olonne. Ruyant has just climbed his mast for the fifth time, this time to repair his wind indicator after racing three days blind with no precise wind data. And now the skipper from Dunkirk in the north of France is back on the attack.



So too is fifth placed Louis Burton highly motivated by the competition, "I look at the positions of others, to find out how to get closer to them. I have never known this excitement and pleasure racing so close. I count the miles that separate me from Thomas Ruyant and Damien Seguin and examine their courses. It's exceptional." says the skipper from Saint Malo from Bureau Vallee 2.



And Boris Herrmann, in sixth position, remarked on the French show today: "How fantastic for the race to be this close during the climb back up the Atlantic, it really is all to play for, for all of us, even Yannick, you know he's not miles and miles ahead as I can see from my screen, so the regatta is very much still alive, and each to our own to play the match. In the past, we've seen climbs up the Atlantic which have been less exciting, perhaps one or two boats clearly ahead, but here we have a real host of different boats which could make the podium places, 4, 5 or 6 boats, with no doubt surprises still to come."



Bestaven always has 10hrs 15minutes in his pocket - the redress granted for his role in the rescue of Kevin Escoffier and so Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco) has six hours.



And more and more as the prospect of a close, compact regrouping happening there is the issue of who has what, and what potential the skippers and their boats really have. And so the mind games start on the daily media calls. No one wants to admit to their weaknesses, except for Apivia and LinkedOut who have their problems with their port foils. But there is sail damage, hook damage, and other issues which now become even more closely guarded secrets. The stock answer? "I am at 100% and so is my boat."



Out of the grey and into the technicolour real world



Celebratory Arcachon brewed beer in hand, Arnaud Boissieres crossed his fourth consecutive Vendee Globe Cape Horn at 1135hrs UTC at the start of the French live show today. The adopted son of the town of Sables d'Olonne looked exhausted but elated after a harsh Pacific Ocean.



Another 1hr and 30 minutes later it was the heavily bearded, exuberant Swiss skipper Alan Roura at 1301hrs UTC and then there was the release from the Pacific for Jeremie Beyou at 1534hrs UTC. The skipper of Charal has the honour of being the fastest in the fleet between Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, at 30 days 14hrs 27 minutes some 45 minutes quicker than Armel Tripon (L'Occitaine en Provence). Britain's Pip Hare should bring Medallia round for her first Cape Horn tonight.



Ranking

17:00 UTC

1. Yannick Bestaven [Maitre CoQ IV] -> 4756.61 nm from the finish

2. Charlie Dalin [ Apivia ] -> 12.41 nm from the leader

3. Damien Seguin [ Groupe Apicil ] -> 71.99 nm from the leader

4. Thomas Ruyant [ LinkedOut ] -> 79.03 nm from the leader

5. Louis Burton [ Bureau Vallee 2 ] -> 114.78 nm from the leader

Sensex closes in on 50,000 milestone, Nifty ends at 14,484; IT stocks gain Stocks on Monday cheered the scheduled roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines in the country by the end of this week and the strong start to the quarterly earnings season. The benchmark Sensex crossed the 49,000 mark for the first time, and is now within striking distance of the 50,000 milestone.

The Sensex rose 487 points, or 1 per cent, to end the session at 49,269, while the Nifty closed at 14,484, a gain of 137 points, or 0.9 per cent. IT stocks were the top gainers and contributed the most towards the Sensex's ...
Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The Eastern Samar Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office reported massive flooding in the provinces five towns due to incessant rains on Monday, affecting over 3,000 families.

Close to 100 villages in the towns of Can-avid, Taft, Sulat, Maslog, Arteche, Dolores, and Jipapad were flooded. Most of these areas are located near river banks and flood prone areas.

The Eastern Samar PDRRMO said most of the evacuated families are from the upstream villages in Dolores (2,500 families), Taft (674), Maslog (141), and Sulat (97). It has yet to receive reports on how many evacuees are from Jipapad town.

The provincial government of Eastern Samar prepared relief assistance and food packs for evacuees.

Can-avid Mayor Gil Norman Germino said that aside from affected residents, more than 1,000 hectares of rice fields in their municipality were submerged.

He also said that the entire village located along the national highway of the Buray-Taft road was affected by the flooding. Authorities had to evacuate some of the affected 235 families to safer facilities like the church, health center, barangay hall, and day care center.

Meanwhile, a 70-year-old male resident in the village of Hindang in Borongan City was buried when a landslide happened at the back of his house on Monday afternoon, according to the report received by the Regional Public Information Office of the Police Regional Office 8.

The victim, identified as Remegio Alea, was digging a canal at the back of their house when the landslide occured and buried half of his body. Witnesses immediately asked assistance from barangay officials to rescue the victim.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office advised his family to vacate their house for safety.

Tacloban-based correspondent Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British computer scientist who was knighted for inventing the internet navigation system known as the World Wide Web, wants to re-make cyberspace once again.

With a new startup called Inrupt, Berners-Lee aims to fix some of the problems that have handicapped the so-called open web in an age of huge, closed platforms such as Facebook.

Building on ideas developed by an open-source software project called Solid, Inrupt promises a web where people can use a single sign-on for any service and personal data is stored in 'pods,' or personal online data stores, controlled by the user.

The pods would be free to the public, which Berners-Lee hopes would spark a flow of more low-cost or free personal data services.

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Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British computer scientist who was knighted for inventing the internet navigation system known as the World Wide Web, wants to re-make cyberspace once again

'People are fed up with the lack of controls, the silos,' said Berners-Lee, co-founder and chief technology officer of Inrupt, in an interview at the Reuters Next conference.

John Bruce, a veteran technology executive who is CEO of Inrupt, said the company had signed up Britain's National Health Service, the BBC and the government of Flanders in Belgium as pilot customers, and hoped to announce many more by April.

Inrupt's investors include Hearst Ventures, Octopus Ventures and Akamai, an internet content delivery firm. Bruce declined to say how much has been raised.

The National Health Service (NHS) is working with Inrupt on a pilot project, which would give caregivers a better view of the patient's health and needs, reports The New York Times.

Building on ideas developed by an open-source software project called Solid, Inrupt promises a web where people can use a single sign-on for any service and personal data is stored in 'pods,' or personal online data stores, controlled by the user

Each patient, all of which have dementia, has been given a Solid pod that includes a completed 'All About Me' form.

This highlights a range of information regarding the patient, such as daily tasks needed for getting out of bed, tying their shoes or using the restroom.

The program is set to include data from an Apple Watch or Fitbit.

The medical goal, said Scott Watson, technical director on the pilot project, is improved health and better care that are less stressful for the patient.

'And it's a fundamental change in how we share information in health care systems,' he said.

Bruce said the NHS pilot was addressing the long-standing problem of incompatible medical records.

With Inrupt, he said, the NHS could give everyone 'a holistic presentation of your medical history,' with various doctors and other service providers able to update that record even as it remains in the users control.

A key aim for Inrupt is to get software developers to write programs for the platform. Inrupt, like the original web, is at its core mostly a set of protocols for how machines talk to one another, meaning that specific applications bring it to life.

'The use cases are so broad, it's like a do-over for the web,' Berners-Lee said.
Lord Bath - Britain's most colourful aristocrat - has bequeathed most of his 23million estate to his wife of 50-plus years - snubbing his lifetime of 74 lovers he cheekily called his 'wifelets'. The 87-year-old, who owned Longleat Safari Park and died with coronavirus in March last year, was nicknamed 'The Loins of Longleat' and the UK's most 'lustful lord' having lived as a polygamist with scores of girlfriends. But his army of mistresses, some of whom are believed to have lived in cottages on his Wiltshire estate, have not benefited from his will, despite, in his heyday, exclaiming that 'a woman on either side of him in bed' every night was a basic requirement. Lord Bath had 14.4million left from his 23million fortune after taxes and any debts were paid, giving 1million to his wife Anna, 77. The Longleat estate, including its art and other items have been placed in trust for her and their children. The Seventh Marquess died in Royal United Hospital, Bath, on March 28, 2020, after being struck by Covid-19. He had been an infamous ageing hippy inside his Elizabethan home and its sprawling 900 landscaped acres. Pictured: Lord Bath with his wife Anna Gael (left), and 'wifelets' Trudie Juggernauth-Sharma (top centre), Cristina Carneiro De Mendonca (bottom centre) and Amanda Boyle (right).
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Democrats will give President Donald Trump one last chance on Tuesday to leave office days before his term expires or face an unprecedented second impeachment over his supporters' deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol

The Democratic-led House of Representatives plans to vote as soon as Wednesday on formal charges of misconduct, known as articles of impeachment, unless Trump resigns or Vice President Mike Pence moves to oust him under a provision in the U.S. Constitution.

The House will vote later on Tuesday on a resolution calling on Pence, a Republican, to invoke the 25th Amendment, a never-before used law that allows a majority of the Cabinet to strip the president of power if he or she is unable to discharge the office's duties.

Pence advisers say he is opposed to the idea.

The violence at the Capitol last week caused a serious rift between Trump and Pence, and the two men did not speak for days, although they did meet at the White House on Monday. A senior administration official said they discussed the riot.

"The two had a good conversation, discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments," the official added.

If Trump has not stepped down and Pence has not taken action by Wednesday, Democratic leaders plan to bring his impeachment to the House floor, one week after the riot that forced lawmakers into hiding for hours and left behind five dead, including a police officer.

Two Democratic lawmakers, U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Bonnie Watson Coleman, said they tested positive for COVID-19 days after being locked down for hours with other colleagues, including Republicans who did not wear a face mask, to avoid the mob.

Republican Censure

Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Tom Reed, a moderate Republican, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that he and House colleagues would introduce a censure resolution against Trump on Tuesday as an alternative to a "rushed, divisive" impeachment.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top congressional Democrat, told Democratic members on a conference call on Monday that a censure "would be an abdication of our responsibility," according to a source familiar with the call.

Democratic lawmakers introduced one article of impeachment on Monday, accusing Trump of inciting a violent insurrection with a fiery speech exhorting thousands of followers to march to the famous domed building where Congress was working to certify President-elect Joe Biden's Nov. 3 election victory.

"The president's threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action," Pelosi said.

With only eight days left in Trump's term, chances the Democratic drive will result in his removal appear remote.

Impeachment would trigger a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is in recess and not scheduled to return to Washington until Jan. 19, the day before Biden is to be sworn in.

A Senate conviction requires a two-thirds majority of those present, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to break with a president who has maintained an iron grip over his party for four years.

Democrats will take control of the Senate once the two winners of last week's runoff elections in Georgia are seated later this month, creating a 50-50 split and giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote once she is sworn in.

An impeachment trial could proceed even after Trump leaves office. Some Democrats have expressed concern that a trial could hamper Biden's agenda, slowing down confirmation of his appointees and distracting from legislative priorities such as a new coronavirus relief package.

Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, told Fox News on Monday he viewed the impeachment drive as "ill-advised" given how unlikely conviction appears to be.

If an impeachment trial is held, Biden said on Monday he hoped the Senate would be able to conduct normal business at the same time, perhaps by splitting its hours in half.

Trump Silenced

Trump has not been seen in public since the day of the Capitol siege, although he plans to travel to Texas on Tuesday to visit a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Trump's favorite means of communication was cut off last week when Twitter suspended his account permanently, saying it was concerned he could use it to incite further mayhem.

The president's actions have driven a wedge among Republicans, with a handful of lawmakers either calling for him to step down immediately or saying they will consider supporting impeachment.

Impeachment appears likely to pass: the lawmakers who drafted the formal charge say at least 214 of the 222 Democrats in the Democratic-led House already support it.

The House impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate Biden, but the Republican-controlled Senate acquitted him in February 2020.

Only two other U.S. presidents have been impeached.

After last week's chaos, authorities are hardening security ahead of Biden's inauguration, which has already been dramatically scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As many as 15,000 National Guard troops have been authorized to deploy to Washington, where tourists have been barred from visiting the Washington Monument because of threats of more violence from some Trump supporters.

A federal law enforcement official told Reuters the FBI has warned that armed protests are planned for Washington and all 50 state capitals before Jan. 20.

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Red Kubes is the creator of the Otomi Container Platform "The Otomi Container Platform is a turn-key, out of the box platform solution that makes Kubernetes adoption a predictable, cost-effective and safe process. - Erwin van der Veen, Capital Mills

Red Kubes, provider of a turn-key, out of the box Kubernetes-based container platform solution, today announced the open-sourcing of the Otomi Container Platform community edition as well as $1.45M USD seed funding from venture capital firm Capital Mills. The Otomi Container Platform community edition is a container platform curated with industry proven open-source applications and policies for better governance and security, providing developers a mono repo with repeatable code that is easy to adapt, extend and configure.

While the industrys move toward the containerization of applications is happening fast, the technologies to support this shift are still in their infancy. Kubernetes is the clear leader for doing this work but remains, at this phase, far too complex for the IT masses to use. DevOps professionals and IT departments all over the world are struggling with homegrown solutions or high-priced consultants who build custom platforms that are both incredibly expensive and hard to manage.

We see companies spending a lot of time on Kubernetes and struggling with reinventing the wheel all by themselves, said Sander Rodenhuis, Founder and CEO of Red Kubes. We're laying down the tracks to guide users through the Kubernetes wild-west with a production-grade integrated solution to guarantee predictability, fast time to market and secure operations.

Built with a developer-first philosophy, the Otomi Container Platform was created with the 12-factor app methodology to design a Kubernetes-based container management platform that embraces existing open-source projects while being open and flexible for inevitable change over time. Otomi is extensible and can be easily installed on top of Kubernetes clusters in AWS, Azure, GCP, or even on-premises. Included features and benefits of Otomi:



OSX like interface: Sign-in to the Otomi console and get role based access to all integrated and pre-configured apps

Single-Sign-On: Simply connect your own Identity Provider or use integrated KeyCloak

Multi-tenant onboarding: Provide teams with own namespace and Otomi console

Central Policy management: Enforce pre-configured OPA policies across multiple teams and clusters

Multi-cloud and multi-cluster: Keep all clusters in sync with a single configuration repository

Automatic deployment: Deploy and publicly expose containerized workloads in minutes

Networking/service configuration: Automatic DNS, cert provisioning and ingress configuration

Avoids technical debt: Otomi is a framework of open source applications with integrated lifecycle management

For many companies, the adoption of Kubernetes is a type of catch-22. Although it provides tremendous benefits, it is also a complex technology that, when accounting for setup, maintenance and engineering hours, can cost companies a lot of time and money. said Erwin van der Veen, Partner at Capital Mills. The Otomi Container Platform is a turn-key, out of the box platform solution that makes Kubernetes adoption a predictable, cost-effective and safe process.

"Dutch municipalities need a new, modern, joint information provision for the exchange of data. Common Ground was created for that need. One of the Common Ground principles is open source to take back control of our data. Kubernetes is the basis for the cloud agnostic infrastructure, said Lazo Bozarov, Dutch Municipality of Utrecht. Otomi gives us a jump start in using Kubernetes. We don't need to manage any complex configurations and we can quickly adopt Kubernetes best practices. Now we can completely focus on software to fulfill the Common Ground promise."

The Otomi Container Platform community edition is available today. New releases are scheduled periodically with a transparent roadmap of planned features and functionality. To get started, visit https://otomi.io. Red Kubes also offers a paid Enterprise Edition with advanced self-service and delegation features. Request a demo here.

About Red Kubes

Founded in September of 2019 by entrepreneur Sander Rodenhuis and Kubernetes expert Maurice Faber, Red Kubes is the creator of the Otomi Container Platform, which integrates best of breed suite integrated open source tools combined with automation and self-service to turn any Kubernetes cluster in any cloud into a real container platform. Red Kubes is based in Utrecht, The Netherlands with seed investment from the leading Dutch venture capital firm Capital Mills. For more information, visit https://redkubes.com/.
BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Built In today announced that True Fit was honored in its 2021 Best Places To Work Awards. Specifically, True Fit earned a place on Best Places to Work, Best Midsize Companies to Work For and Companies with the Best Benefits in Boston. The annual awards include companies of all sizes, from startups to the enterprise, nationally and in the eight largest tech markets and nationally.

"We're so proud to be recognized as one of Built In's Best Places to Work in Boston, and with the best benefits! Our culture is built by our employees, and throughout all aspects, support our mantra of 'True to You,'" says Maura Haley, Chief People Officer at True Fit. "We're dedicated to our employees' growth, health and individual needs and look forward to evolving with those needs in the future."

Built In determines winners for Best Places to Work based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation, benefits and cultural programs. To reflect the attributes candidates are searching for on Built In today, this year's program weighted criteria more heavily, like remote opportunities and programs for diversity, equity and inclusion.

"These companies raise the bar for cultural excellence and the ability to adapt to meet changing needs of employees," says Sheridan Orr, Chief Marketing Officer, Built In. "The 2021 winners show a commitment not just to creating meaningful cultures but to delivering talent needs as they change in a dynamic landscape. We're thrilled to extend our congratulations to the winners."

Tech professionals rely on Built In's Best Places to Work lists to discover employers that align with their preferences, passions and values. Since its inception three years ago, the award has expanded in reach, from online views of tens of thousands to just under 1 million views today.

ABOUT BUILT IN

Built In, a revolution in tech recruitment, serves more than 1,800 innovative companies of all sizes, from startups to the enterprise, delivering content and digital recruitment solutions that work. The platform amplifies companies' brands as national, local or remote employers of choice, as well as leaders in DEI. Monthly, 2.5 million tech professionals rely on Built In to stay up on trends, grow in their roles and discover companies with missions they want to join. The platform publishes stories about companies' tech, culture and people. This activates sought-after professionals to apply to customers' open roles. https://www.builtin.com

ABOUT BUILT IN'S BEST PLACES TO WORK

Built In's esteemed Best Places to Work awards, now in its third year, honor companies across numerous categories: 100 Best Places to Work, 50 Best Small Places to Work, 100 Best Midsize Places to Work, 50 Companies with the Best Benefits and 50 Best Paying Companies. Two new national categories reflect what candidates are searching for, including 100 Best Large Companies to Work For and 50 Best Remote-First Places to Work.

BEST PLACES TO WORK: METHODOLOGY

Built In ranks companies algorithmically based on compensation information, benefits and culture programs. This year, based on data showing tech professionals' needs, the Best Places to Work algorithm added weight to companies' commitment to DEI and remote culture. Rank is determined by combining a company's score in each of these categories.

About True Fit

True Fit is a data-driven personalization platform that enhances the customer experience by decoding personal style, fit, and size for every consumer, every shoe, and every piece of clothing. By connecting manufacturing design data from thousands of leading apparel and footwear brands, anonymized consumer order data from hundreds of top retailers, personal preference data from millions of registered True Fit users, and hundreds of millions anonymous shoppers, True Fit maps the detailed style, fit, size and other technical attributes from clothes and shoes to the style preferences and buying behaviors of millions of individual shoppers.

True Fit has raised $100M from top-tier venture capitalists to organize the world's footwear & apparel data into the Fashion Genome, and to unlock digital growth in the otherwise constrained $2 trillion footwear and apparel industry. The True Experience Platform is strategically leveraged by 250 global retail sites, representing 17,000 brands and over 180M registered users. The Fashion Genome, powered by the True Experience Platform, allows retailers and brands to provide consumers with unparalleled personalization via software-as-a-service, APIs, and data-as-a-service, including consumer preference data, personal style rankings, fit ratings, size recommendations, fit details, and merchandising analytics. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and @TrueFit on Twitter.

SOURCE True Fit
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Airlines, including Air India and SpiceJet, will begin flying vaccines out from Pune on January 12, to different parts of the country.

Sources confirmed that the SpiceJet flight took off from the Pune airport at 8 am, to Delhi, with India's first consignment of the vaccines.

Air India will fly a consignment to Ahmedabad, at 9.40 am. "The Air India flight will carry a load of 700 kg," a senior executive from the industry told Moneycontrol.

Sources added that GoAir, the Wadia family owned low-cost airline, is also moving consignments from Pune. A company spokesperson later told Moneycontrol that the airline transported 6 lakh doses of the vaccine on two separate flights. These were flown to Chennai.

"While our efforts are to alleviate the complexities of the vaccine movement given the scale of the consignments and logistics, we are taking every possible step to support the institutions to reach the vaccine in all possible corners of the country," said Kaushik Khona, CEO, in a statement.

Pune is home to the Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing the Covishield vaccine. The Indian government has contracted the company to supply 11 million doses of the vaccine.

The first consignment of Covishield consisting of 34 boxes and weighing 1088 kg was carried from Pune to Delhi on SpiceJet flight 8937," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

He added that the airline will carry vaccine consignments to different Indian cities including Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Patna and Vijayawada through the day, on January 12.

The Indian government will launch the vaccination drive from January 16, and the transportation of the vaccines have begun in advance to ensure a steady supply chain. In the first phase, 3 crore healthcare and frontline professionals will be vaccinated.

Much of the vaccines from Serum's Pune facility will also be moved to the Mumbai airport, which has a larger capacity. The Mumbai airport will be handling over half of the Covishield vaccines coming out of Serum Institute of India's (SII's) Pune facility.

The Pune airport is controlled and owned by the Indian Air Force, and is undergoing runway resurfacing. It is closed from 8 pm to 8 am, limiting its ability to transport vaccines.

Apart from the Mumbai airport, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad will also have a critical role, as the southern metro is home to Bharat Biotech, which is making Covaxin. Also, Dr Reddy's Lab, which won the contract to test and manufacture Russia's Sputnik vaccine, is also based in Hyderabad.

Covishield and Covaxin have got the nod from the government for emergency use.
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Representatives of social media firms, including Twitter, are and will always remain safe in India: IT Ministry.

Through its actions, deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India's legal system: IT Ministry.

Twitter attempting to dictate terms to world's largest democracy: IT Ministry.
A former trainer convicted of drugging horses at Penn National Race Course has failed to convince a federal appeals court that she shouldnt have been found guilty and sent to prison.

Instead, the panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit rejected Murray Rojas arguments over two words in her case and her claim that the drugs she had veterinarians give her horses were therapeutic rather than performance enhancing.

The circuit court decision penned by Judge Michael A. Chagares comes 3  years after a jury in U.S. Middle District Court convicted Rojas, 54, of Grantville, on charges of causing animal drugs to be misbranded and conspiracy. Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo imposed Rojas 27-month prison sentence in May 2019.

Investigators said Rojas personally administered and had veterinarians administer drugs to her horses within 24 hours of races in violation of state horse racing rules. They also accused her of conspiring to conceal the illegal doping committed before 58 races between 2002 and 2014.

Rojas in her appeal claimed her convictions should be overturned in part because of what she claimed was a conflict between the words dispense and administer.

Rojas argued that prosecutors should not have been allowed to argue that she had dispensed the drugs in violation of the misbranding statute when the evidence showed that she administered them. She claimed dispense means to provide drugs to someone else to give to a patient, but administer means to apply the medication to the patient in person.

Dispense, not administer is the term used in the federal statute under which she was convicted, so her convictions are invalid, Rojas argued.

Chagaras nixed that argument by concluding the terms dispense and administer are interchangeable. We are unconvinced that Congress intended the term dispense to exclude situations in which a veterinarian personally administers a drug, he wrote. The fact remains that Rojas was convicted of ensuring her horses illegally received pre-race drugs, the judge found.

Nor did he accept Rojas argument that the drugs that were given to her horses were not intended to boost their race performance.

It doesnt matter whether those medications were performance-enhancing or therapeutic because it is illegal to give any drugs to a racehorse within 24 hours of a race, Chagares concluded. He stressed the jurys finding that Rojas had deliberately committed fraud.

The circuit court decision uphold no only Rojas convictions and prison term but also Rambos imposition of 2 years of subsequent probation and $6,400 in fines and assessments.

Rojas was among 10 officials, trainers and veterinarians prosecuted after a federal and state investigation of race manipulation allegations at Penn National.
Representative image

The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) landslide victory in the general elections in 2014 was dubbed as a black swan event. Defying political pundits and their prophecies, over the last six years, the BJP has gone from strength to strength, winning several assembly elections  and an even bigger mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Since 2014, the BJP has been keen to retain its strongholds and expand in the rest of India. Beyond the Hindi heartland, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo has expanded the BJPs footprint to Assam, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, and Manipur. This has prompted commentators to describe the BJP as invincible. It is true that the BJP has a formidable election machinery, but is it flawless? Is the BJP really invincible?

The answer lies in analysing the BJPs performance while defending its state governments in polls since 2014. Decoding Indias assembly polls over the last seven decades, Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala in their book The Verdict, categorised Indias assembly elections from 1952 into three phases: the pro-incumbency era (1952-77), the anti-incumbency era (1977-2002) and the 50-50 era (2002 onwards).

The third and the current phase has seen no discernible bias towards either anti-incumbency or pro-incumbency. The voters from about the turn of the century, according to Roy-Sopariwala, began distinguishing between the governments that delivered on promises, and those that did not.

In 71 assembly elections since 2002, 51 percent governments have been voted out. From 2014 to 2020, in nine assembly polls in big/medium-sized states (states which have between six and 25 Lok Sabha seats) where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was fighting to retain power, it retained power in only three: Nitish Kumar-led NDA in Bihar in 2020, the Vijay Rupani government in Gujarat in 2017 and the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the 2019 polls (its a different matter that Shiv Sena broke ties with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party).

Thus, during the 50-50 phase, when almost half the governments were voted back, only 33 percent BJP governments managed to hold on to power. However, the devil is in the details.

In the Gujarat assembly polls, despite then party president Shahs ambitious target of 150 seats, the party could barely manage to stay in power as its tally went down from 115 to 99. In Maharashtra, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance managed to win 161 seats in the 288 member Vidhan Sabha. But the BJPs victory was not because of its ability to beat anti-incumbency. It won by using the time-tested method of winning polls in a first-past-the-post system dividing an already fragmented opposition.

An analysis done by The Quint revealed that the BJP would have won just 85 seats (instead of 105) if Prakash Ambedkars Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) had not gone solo and contested with the Congress-NCP alliance. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would have fallen short of the majority mark by nine seats  winning just 136 seats.

This leaves us with Bihar  the sole exception. But the BJP only joined the government in 2017 after Kumar walked out of the Mahagathbandhan, and it was Kumars JD(U) and not the BJP that was battling anti-incumbency.

Seventy percent of BJPs victories since 2014 have been when the BJP was challenging an incumbent government. Only four out of its 13 victories in the last six years have come when it was fighting to retain power. The BJP lost Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. It lost majority in Goa (2017) and Haryana (2020), but was able to retain power by getting on board regional parties.

Thus, the BJPs election machinery is not flawless. It surely has an Achilles heel. The party looks invincible when it is the challenger to the throne, but seems vulnerable while defending governments in the states.

Thats why the Assam polls  where the Sarbananda Sonowal government will be contesting to retain power  will be significant. Despite all the limelight being on West Bengal, the Assam polls will be the real test for the BJP and it will set the tone for 2022 when the party will be defending its governments in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Goa, Manipur, and Gujarat.

The Assam polls will also determine the political fortunes of BJPs go-to man in the Northeast, Himanta Sarma and the NEDA alliance stitched by him which currently holds power in all eight states of the region.

With all eyes glued to West Bengal, Assam will be an equally important test for the BJP.
He has been dead for a month.

On Dec. 12 Iranians woke up to bleak news: Their government had executed Ruhollah Zam, a 42-year-old journalist. The sentencing judge described Mr. Zam as a spy, as someone who incited violence and had sown corruption on earth, a vague charge which is often used to describe attempts to overthrow the Iranian government.

Mr. Zam, who had been imprisoned in Iran after the disputed presidential election in 2009, fled to France in 2011, where he was granted political asylum. From Paris, he started Amad News, a popular anti-government website, which also operated on the encrypted messaging app Telegram and other social media platforms. His father, Muhammad Ali Zam, a cleric, was once a high-ranking regime official and the family was well-connected in Iranian power circles. Mr. Zam used his connections to garner critical information and published revelatory accounts of insider corruption.

Iran was roiled by protests against unemployment and the high cost of living in December 2017 and January 2018. Mr. Zams Amad News helped coordinate disparate protests across the country. A manual for making Molotov cocktails was published on Amad Newss Telegram channel, but Telegram shut it down after Tehran argued that it was inciting violence.

In October 2019, an anonymous contact promised Mr. Zam a meeting in Najaf, Iraq, with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the supreme Shiite spiritual leader, whose religious authority surpasses that of Irans supreme leader. The Grand Ayatollah has lent his support to electoral democracy in Iraq and opposed rule by clerics. Mr. Zam, who was planning to establish a television channel, was hoping to discuss financing for his project. Instead, he was arrested on his arrival in Iraq by government officials and was handed over to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps operatives who transferred him to Iran.
The Australian Medical Association has called on the government to invest in long-term internet advertising to counter medical misinformation peddled online, including COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

In a statement on Tuesday, AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said people are increasingly turning to social media to learn about healthy choices, but the internet has the potential to "significantly magnify health misinformation campaigns".

The AMA has called on the government to address health misinformation on the internet. Credit:Bloomberg

"People can easily absorb misinformation delivered directly to them through advertising, celebrity influencers, and people in positions of power," Dr Khorshid said.

"We have seen this with the anti-vaccination movement, and the countless conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic that circulate constantly on the internet.
Chandigarh:

Protests were held at few places in Haryana by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Friday against the death of five farmers in police firing in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur.

BKU activists protested in Hisar, Sirsa and Kurukshetra districts and demanded arrest of those responsible for the deaths of the farmers and adequate compensation for the injured.

The outfit's senior leader Gurnam Singh said it was unfortunate that the BJP had ignored its election promise of implementing the Swaminathan Commission report.

He said the BKU has raised four demands failing which they will intensify their protests in the coming days.

Read more: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan appeals farmers to end protests

"First, we want President's rule to be imposed in Madhya Pradesh. Those responsible for firing on farmers be tried for murder, Swaminathan Commission report should be be implemented without any delay and crop loans of farmers across the country be waived", Singh said.

He said that various farmers' organisations will be meeting in Delhi soon, in which leaders from many states will participate.

Meanwhile, members of the youth Congress also protested in Panipat against over the Mandsaur incident.

Some other farmer outfits held demonstrations at various places in Haryana to protest the death of the farmers in Madhya Pradesh.

On Thursday, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said the farmer unrest in Mandsaur "should not be seen in isolation" as there is anger among cultivators because the BJP retracted on its poll promise to implement the Swaminathan Commission report.

Read more: Push for digital payment one of main reasons behind farmers' protest

The National Commission on Farmers, headed by eminent agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, in its final report had said, "The Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production."

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BALTIMORE, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- United Urology Group (UUG) is pleased to announce that the Arizona Institute of Urology (AIU) and the Urological Associates of Southern Arizona (UASA) have become its newest affiliates.

AIU and UASA are leading urology practices in the greater Tucson area, serving patients in 10 medical offices and two radiation therapy centers. UUG is a management services organization that supports its member urology group practices, which include Arizona Urology Specialists, Chesapeake Urology Associates, Colorado Urology Associates and Tennessee Urology Associates. As the nation's premier urology group practice, UUG has a mission focused on ensuring a superior experience for all patients and preserving the independent urology group practice model across the nation.

"We are extremely pleased about our new relationship with AIU and UASA, and look forward to working with them to support the exemplary urologic care that they provide to their patients," said Dr. Robert Maha, Chief Executive Officer of UUG. "With their dedicated physicians and staff and a culture focused on serving patients and the community, this relationship will be synergistic with our successful expansion in Arizona and beyond."

Dr. Michael Levin, Arizona Institute of Urology, and Dr. Mitzi Barmatz, Urological Associates of Southern Arizona, on behalf of their physician colleagues, expressed their excitement about the partnership with UUG and the many opportunities the relationship affords their practices. UUG's expertise, depth of operational capabilities, and financial resources will enable both practices to expand their range of clinical services for patients and extend their reach in the Tucson area.

The providers for AIU and UASA will continue to care for patients in their existing offices.

AIU Urologists - Kenneth Belkoff, DO; Michael Levin, MD; Jenne Myers, MD; Jay Page, MD; Kalpesh Patel, MD; Michael Patton, MD; Radiation Oncologist Shelli Hanks, MD; Advanced Practice Providers - Robert Hoy, MPAS, PA-C; Adriana Lucia, PA-C; John Sullivan, PA-C.

UASA Urologists - Mitzi Barmatz, MD; Curtis Dunshee, MD; Awet Gherezghiher, MD; Susan Kalota, MD; David Killion, MD; James Macdonald, MD; Jules Manger, MD; Karen Wheeler, MD; Andrew Wright, MD; Advanced Practice Providers - Jenna Bumgardner, PA-C; Danielle Lara, PA-C; Monica Mettille, PA-C; Rebecca Meunier, CNP; Samantha Meakin, PA-C.

About United Urology Group

United Urology Group (UUG) is the nation's leading urology management services organization whose member groups of urology practices include: Arizona Urology Specialists with offices in the greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area; Chesapeake Urology, with offices located throughout Maryland and Delaware; Tennessee Urology, based in the greater Knoxville area and Eastern Tennessee; and Colorado Urology, located in the greater Denver and Front Range areas. UUG members' collective staff number more than 1,500 employees, including 220+ physicians and advanced practice providers. UUG's vision is to be the nation's leading urologic group practice through our commitment to accessible, high quality, cost effective care, patient satisfaction and community involvement. This will assure sustainable growth and security for our physicians and employees.

For more information, visit the UUG website at www.unitedurology.com.

Contact:

Patricia Schnably, SVP Marketing & Communications, United Urology Group

25 Crossroads Drive, Suite 306, Owings Mills, MD 21117

443-738-8107  [email protected]

SOURCE United Urology Group

Related Links

https://www.unitedurology.com



SNELLVILLE, Ga., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Renee Sattiewhite, President & CEO of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) announced today a Memorandum of Collaboration with, BetterInvesting, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit, investment education organization, whose mission is to educate individual investors and investment clubs to become successful lifelong investors. In a joint statement drafted with BetterInvesting CEO, Ken Zendel, the two leaders outlined, "We stand unified against racism, discrimination, and injustice. Together we believe we can make a larger impact and difference in the world than apart. We strive to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion. This partnership will promote the empowerment of communities of color nationwide with the objective of helping to build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, as well as plan and use investment products and strategies effectively, and thus closing the racial wealth gap."

"BetterInvesting has been empowering everyday Americans of all races since 1951," Zendel added. Yet, we recognize there is more to be done, especially in the African-American and Hispanic communities. Recently, the Associated Press (AP) reported, "Stocks Are Soaring, and Most Black People are Missing Out", and BetterInvesting is committed to being part of the solution. Far too many are missing out on the basic building blocks of wealth creation because of lack of knowledge, exposure and opportunity, especially regarding investment education. Therefore, we are proud to join the AACUC in their Commitment to Change  Credit Unions Unite Against Racism Initiative. We look forward to this collaboration to work towards building wealth in minority communities, using our time-tested methodology as part of our unbiased, in-depth investment education."

Toward this end, AACUC is now offering a special promotional opportunity for its members to join BetterInvesting at a discounted rate through March 15, 2021. This will enable AACUC members to join as Individual Plus members, receiving all of the benefits of Individual Plus membership (as shown at https://www.betterinvesting.org/store/membership/individual-investors/individual-investor-plus) at a discount of $25 off the regular one year membership fee.

ABOUT AACUC: Founded in 1999, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization, AACUC has grown and is ever changing to meet the needs of the dynamic credit union community which it serves. It has become an all-encompassing organization for individuals (professional and volunteers) in Credit Unions, Insurance, Regulators, Consultants and other entities in the credit union industry. Affiliation with AACUC offers a unique opportunity to influence and shape the credit union movement and its governmental affairs. AACUC promotes personal and professional growth of its members as well as collectively articulating concerns and advocating resources to improve economic development of surrounding communities that are often under-served by majority financial institutions. In 2020, AACUC launched the Commitment to Change: Credit Unions United Against Racism initiative.

ABOUT BETTERINVESTING: BetterInvesting, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit, investment education organization, has been empowering everyday Americans since 1951. BetterInvesting, also known as the National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC), has helped more than 5 million people from all walks of life learn how to improve their financial future. The association was borne of the conviction that anyone can become a successful lifelong stock investor by following sound, practical investing principles. BetterInvesting provides unbiased, in-depth investing education and powerful online stock analysis tools to create successful lifelong investors. BetterInvesting staff, along with a dedicated community of volunteers across America, teach the organization's principles and time-tested methodology to individuals and investment clubs.

African-American Credit Union Coalition

P.O. Box 392136  Snellville, GA 30039

770.761.2769 ph

866.782.2282 toll-free

770.727.2146 fax

www.aacuc.org

CONTACT: Laila Lauson

Media Director - [email protected]

SOURCE NAIC-BetterInvesting
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BiiLabs, a Taiwan-based startup, is using blockchain technologies to develop BlaPay, a novel solution for merchants to lower transaction fees, aggregate all payment services and ensure financial authorities to monitor without leaking trade secrets. Although one of the major bottlenecks for blockchain is to comply with the regulations, BlaPay can easily meet the requirements by introducing centralized account management. With globally-accessible blockchain networks, BlaPay is becoming a potential option for enterprises.

"Everyday more than 1 billion credit card transactions occur all over the world and the existing issues include delayed payment for merchants, multiple but incompatible payment gateways and high transaction costs," said Lman Chu, BiiLabs CEO. "We learn from our clients and previous projects to adopt a two-layer design to our payment solution and strike a balance between user privacy and regulating."

BlaPay indicates "Be a Lean and Accessible Payment" and is particularly designed for the future digital currency era. Our payment system offers merchants:

Payment Aggregation: Support ApplePay, GooglePay Credit Card, QRCode Instant Settlement: Speed up receiving efficiency Global DLT Infrastructure: Lower operating costs and enable public auditability Loyalty Point Exchange: Realize network effects with incentives Tiny Transaction Fees: Remove Middlemen from the Payment Chain Digital Currency Ready Solution: Support digital currencies such as crypto and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)

BiiLabs is offering the blockchain-based payment system for merchants to shorten the processing period and enhance the turnover rate for scalability because of our instant settlement services. Besides, BlaPay helps our clients aggregate all payment options with reasonable charges. On the other hand, we also support digital currency payment and give incentives to the customers with loyalty point programs to complete the ecosystem.

BlaPay for Mobility combines crowdfunding and token ecosystem

Currently, BiiLabs is working with a charging pile provider to launch an innovative mobility solution using BlaPay. Our client aims to build one million charging stations for electric bikes in three years so BiiLabs provides a two-layer infrastructure. The first layer is investing tokens which enable crowdfunding for one single charging station, while the second layer is utility tokens for users to pay a charging fee. Also, the investing tokens can be transformed into utility tokens with attractive discounts.

In this case, BiiLabs successfully combines crowdfunding and the token economy and helps our client retake their users from other third-party payment companies because they've built up their own payment services. Soon our clients will have a deeper engagement with their users by data analysis and precision marketing.

BiiLabs believes, "We start from but never limit to the mobility field. BiiLabs will participate in mobility, energy and even smart cities with the BlaPay solution in the near future!"

First step to Japan market using blockchain technology

In fact, this hope is not only a dream. Since October, BiiLabs has collaborated with NashTech to facilitate the adoption of blockchain in Japan. NashTech has a huge client base and more than 2 thousand engineers in Vietnam to serve Japanese customers. This partnership will definitely bring big value to the customers.

"We are greatly honored to have NashTech to provide IT services in Japan," said Lman. "NashTech will promote BiiLabs products to the Japanese corporations adequately. We are expecting that this partnership can help accelerate the digital transformation in Japan, with the introduction of blockchain," Lman continued.

BiiLabs is dedicated to developing blockchain technology, communicating and cooperating with partners to discover essential needs. We will keep assisting the market on dividends and achieving digital transformation to create new digital value for the future of the Internet of Things.

About BiiLabs

BiiLabs aims to provide an overall solution to the digital transformation such as trust, security, and efficiency for our clients. Our vision is to empower everyone to access and thrive in the digital economy through bridging the gap between digital spaces and the human world. In particular, we focus on the payment, audit, and storage issues in mobility and retail fields.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/388wrr

SOURCE BiiLabs
LANSING, MI  Enbridge Inc. says it will continue operating its Line 5 oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac despite a pending deadline to close the controversial oil line this spring following an easement revocation several months ago by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

In a 7-page letter to Whitmer on Tuesday, Jan. 12, Enbridge claimed the state lacks authority to revoke the 67-year-old easement based on historical compliance issues rather than an existing violation that would justify termination, and indicated it will not cease operating the pipeline without a court order.

Enbridge says it intends to operate Line 5 under the straits until a replacement is built within a tunnel that the company is presently seeking permits from the state of Michigan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build.

The company says the states justification for easement termination ignores scientific evidence and is based on inaccurate and outdated information. The company has previously asserted that Whitmers order violates the U.S. Constitution.

Our review shows that the state lacks the authority to terminate or revoke the 1953 easement, wrote Enbridge Vice President Vern Yu. We intend to operate the dual lines until the replacement pipeline under the straits (within the tunnel) is placed into service.

Whitmers office referred comment Tuesday to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the state agency which holds the easement. In a statement, the DNR said it stands behind the revocation decision and that Line 5s continued presence violates the public trust and poses a grave threat to Michigans environment and economy.

The DNR called Enbridges letter an attempt to power wash the companys long history of violating the terms of the 1953 easement and their current non-compliance.

Enbridge cannot unilaterally decide when laws and binding agreements apply and when they do not, wrote DNR director Dan Eichinger. We look forward to making our case in court, not via letters and press releases.

Enbridge and Michigan are fighting in court over the future of Line 5, which moves oil and petroleum products between Wisconsin and Ontario by way of Michigans Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The 645-mile pipeline crosses under Lake Michigan next to the Mackinac Bridge.

Enbridge is seeking an injunction to block Whitmers shutdown order and wants a wants a concurrent lawsuit filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel asking a state circuit court judge to uphold the governors order be moved to federal court.

Both actions are pending before U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff in Grand Rapids.

On Nov. 13, Whitmer gave Enbridge until May to decommission Line 5 after announcing the easement revocation following a yearlong DNR compliance review. The move was heralded by opponents who have longed to see the line shuttered, but criticized by officials in Canada and Ohio, where Line 5 petroleum products support oil refining infrastructure.

Enbridge says the aging pipeline is safe, but opponents have been arguing for years that the risk posed by an oil spill where Lakes Michigan and Huron connect is too great.

Critics of the Line 5 shutdown order say it would create problems with the supply of propane for residential heating in the Upper Peninsula. In December, attorney general Dana Nessel quibbled with that, saying I dont think we will see the catastrophic consequences Enbridge is predicting because there are so many different ways we can get fuel to residents homes.

Since 2018, Enbridge has pursued a construction project to build a tunnel for a replacement pipeline under the straits following a deal with former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

In early December, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) extended its review of Enbridge tunnel project permit applications following the discovery of possible prehistoric tribal cultural artifacts under the straits near the tunnel route.

On Tuesday, Line 5 opponents criticized Enbridges defiant stance.

Enbridge knows it has a weak case because it relies on trying to take away Michigans ability to protect its own waters, said Mike Shriberg, regional director at the National Wildlife Federation and former member of a state pipeline advisory board. Enbridges threat to defy the governor and the law only reinforces that they cannot be trusted with the Great Lakes.

Margrethe Kearney, a staff attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, said the state of Michigan has an obligation to revoke the pipeline easement.

It is a troubling state of affairs when a Canadian oil company unilaterally decides that the governor of a state does not have the authority to manage its own easements over public lands or regulate the siting of oil pipelines, Kearney said.

In its letter to Whitmer, Enbridge criticized the state for relying on past exceedances of a limit on unsupported spans above the lakebed as justification for easement termination, arguing the document requires an existing specified breach of terms.

The company also argues that Michigan didnt cite existing examples of protective coating loss on the pipeline and suggested the state misinterpreted other technical data.

Enbridge says the state has refused to discuss certain technical issues and that the federal pipeline regulatory agency PHMSA has found Line 5 to be fit for operation.

The letter comes as Pete Buttigieg is poised to become the new director of the U.S. Department of Transportation, which houses PHMSA, under the incoming administration of President-Elect Joe Biden if confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Buttigieg called for the closure of Line 5 as a Democratic presidential primary candidate but has not made any public statements about the pipeline in recent months.

Related Stories:

Battle is not over. Fight to stop oil line has waged for years

Line 5 tunnel law upheld by Michigan Court of Appeals

Line 5 opponents urge shut down ahead of tunnel hearing

State calls for Enbridge to prove it can cover spill costs

Enbridge Line 5 ordered shut down by Michigan Gov. Whitmer
CALEDONIA, Wis., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following oped is from Dr. Deborah Kerr, Former Superintendent of the Brown Deer School District and immediate past President of the American Association for School Administrators (AASA), who is running for Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Who could have imagined a year ago that a pandemic would force schools to close across the country and so drastically affect our economy? "There's no place like home" became a constant in our lives, as in-person interactions were abruptly suspended last March. Within a week, parents became teachers. Teachers became students learning technology tools to engage with their students in new cyber classrooms. And community leaders became social workers, assisting families in need of food and resources for life's necessities.

When we look back on 2020, I believe we will celebrate a reawakening of support for education, including the Herculean educators, support teams, and school and community leaders who bravely served our kids and communities. The new year presents an opportunity for us to begin recovering from this pandemic, with the first step to return our children to in-person learning.

I propose a statewide plan to return our students and staff to school safely, a plan that is based on evidence-based medical and accelerated learning approaches.

We are at a crisis point in our public schools. Statewide data reveals declining enrollment across Wisconsin; 4K & 5K students are not showing up in virtual school programs. Teachers are burning out, and there is a teacher shortage, not to mention parent fatigue, a stressed workforce, and an impacted economy.

It is time for a statewide recovery plan to return our students to school. It is time to address the learning loss and inequities that have been exacerbated by this pandemic, such as robust broadband access, tech devices, and food insecurity.

My plan includes the development of a stakeholder communication plan with school-based health and safety precautions. We will ensure personnel safety through ongoing collaboration and communication between administrators, building leaders, staff members, students, parents, and health services and health departments. Staff will have adequate PPE along with safety training and clear expectations for student and staff safety protocols. Other key components are:

Start with elementary students going back to in-person instruction, then a gradual release to/from hybrid models for middle and high school students, and then full in-person teaching and learning in all schools. Provide parents and caregivers with choices on how to serve their children best moving forward - whether in-person or virtual approach. Support teachers with quality professional development that addresses their mental health and well-being and best practices to address student learning loss. Implement a transition plan for social and emotional learning activities to welcome students back to school, especially those who did not have closure last year, and quickly reestablish relationships traumatized by school closures. Use evidence-based acceleration practices to identify learning loss for all students, prioritize grade-level content, and target interventions to ensure growth in specified essential standards. Support collaborative planning to develop modified school calendars that may require learning opportunities through the summer, evenings, and weekends. Create innovative school partnerships with community non-profits, universities, and businesses that support the accelerated learning required for all students - high-intensity tutoring, before/after school programs, weekend programs, summer learning academies, evening classes, and online modules, etc. Work collaboratively with policymakers to support state and federal funding resources to accelerate learning, support training for educators, and recover safely from the pandemic. Let us learn from others across the country and the world who have safe and successful models in place with a plan to prioritize in-person instruction.

Finally, my plan would allow each district to customize its recovery approach to meet the needs of students, staff, and the school community. No two plans will be the same because no two students, schools, districts, or communities are the same.

As the author, C.S. Lewis, writes, "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." So let's do just that. Together we must promise to reinvest in our students, families, and educators to create a reimagined education system that serves all no matter what sector. This is our call to action - our Wisconsin promise to all students and families. Our Wisconsin prosperity and future depend on it.

Contact: Susie Falk, [email protected]

SOURCE Kerr for Wisconsin Kids Committee

ALAMO, Texas - President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.

Tina Puente wears a portrait of President Donald Trump as she gathers with other supporters in anticipation of his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Harlingen, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

ALAMO, Texas - President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate, Trump said.

He made the comments during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Bidens victory. Trump arrived in Texas on Tuesday to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term, as lawmakers in Congress appeared set to impeach him this week for the second time.

In Alamo, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexican border  the site of the 450th mile of the border wall his administration is building, Trump brushed off Democratic calls on his Cabinet to declare him unfit from office and remove him from power using the 25th Amendment.

The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration, Trump said. As the expression goes, be careful of what you wish for.

The rampage through the halls of Congress sent lawmakers of both parties and Trump's own vice-president into hiding, as crowds called for Mike Pence's lynching for his role overseeing the vote count. The scene also undermined the hallmark of the republic  the peaceful transition of power. At least five people died, including one Capitol Police officer.

Its time for peace and for calm, Trump said Tuesday, less than a week after egging on the mob that descended on the Capitol. He added, Respect for law enforcement is the foundation of the MAGA agenda," referencing his campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.

President Donald Trump tours a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall under construction Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Alamo, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In the days leading up to the Jan. 6 certification vote, Trump encouraged his supporters to descend on Washington, D.C., promising a wild rally in support of his baseless claims of election fraud, despite his own administrations findings to the contrary. Speaking for more than an hour to a crowd on the Ellipse, Trump encouraged supporters to fight like hell and suggested that Republican lawmakers would need more courage not to step up and overturn the will of voters to grant him another term in office. He also suggested he would join them in marching on the Capitol.

As Trump wrapped up, thousands of his supporters were already heading to the Capitol, where lawmakers convened to count the electoral votes. As rioters were still in the building and lawmakers sheltered in secure locations, Trump, at the urging of aides who were shocked by the violence, released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: We love you. Youre very special. Go home.

Speaking Tuesday, Trump said the real problem was not his rhetoric, but the rhetoric that Democrats used to describe Black Lives Matter protests and violence in Seattle and Portland this summer.

Everybody to the t thought it was totally appropriate, Trump said of his own comments.

Trump angrily lashed out at lawmakers' push for his second impeachment this week, claiming, Its causing tremendous anger and division and pain far greater than most people will ever understand, which is very dangerous for the USA, especially at this very tender time."

Alamo is named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texan independence-fighters fended off Mexican forces during a 13-day siege. Most of them died, but the mission became a symbol of resistance for Texans, who eventually defeated the Mexican army.

Trump's visit there  no doubt a symbol of the president's defiance  comes as he spends the final days of his presidency isolated, aggrieved and staring down the prospect of a second impeachment.

While Trump was travelling, Pence assured the nations governors that outgoing administration is working diligently with President-elect Joe Bidens team. He thanked the governors for their leadership on the coronavirus and promised them a seamless transition.

Trump aides have been urging the president to spend his remaining days in office highlighting what they see as the chief accomplishments of his presidency: a massive tax cut, his efforts to roll back federal regulations and the transformation of federal courts with the appointment of conservative judges. But Trump has been consumed by baseless allegations of voter fraud and conspiracies.

In Texas, he delivered remarks highlighting his administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration and the progress made on his signature 2016 campaign promise: building a big, beautiful wall across the length of the southern border  an imposing structure made of concrete and reinforced steel. But over time, Trump demanded modifications that have been largely rejected: He wanted it painted black to burn the hands of those who touched it; he wanted it adorned with deadly spikes; he even wanted to surround it with an alligator-filled moat. While he promised that it would be funded by Mexico, U.S. taxpayers ended up footing the bill.

In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction  likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. The vast majority of that wall replaces smaller barriers that had already existed, though the new wall is considerably more difficult to bypass.

Over the last four years, Trump and his administration have taken extreme  and often unlawful  action to try to curb both illegal and legal immigration. Their efforts were aided in his final year by the coronavirus pandemic, which ground international travel to a halt. But the number of people stopped trying to cross the southern border illegally has been creeping back up in recent months. Figures from December show nearly 74,000 encounters at the southwest border, up 3% from November and up 81% from a year earlier.

A few dozen Trump supporters rallied hours before his visit to the Rio Grande Valley near the Harlingen, Texas, airport, where he was scheduled to land. They planned to stage a caravan of vehicles flying flags that support the president and far-right causes like the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Trump warned that a reversal of his policies by Biden would bring about a tidal wave of illegal immigration. He added, To terminate those policies is knowingly to put America in really serious danger.

Biden has said hed halt construction of the border wall and take executive action where possible to reverse some of Trumps restrictions on legal immigration and asylum seekers. But Biden and his aides have acknowledged the possibility of a new crisis at the border if they act too quickly, and Biden has said it could take six months for his administration to secure funding and put in place the necessary infrastructure to loosen Trump-era restrictions.

Beyond touting the wall, Trump rapidly listed his massive changes on the border aimed at discouraging asylum. He cited his Remain in Mexico policy, under which more than 65,000 asylum-seekers have been forced to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court since January 2019, and agreements struck with Central American countries for them to offer asylum to people seeking protection in the United States.

He credited his wall for a drop in illegal border crossings from a 13-year high in 2019, but the Government Accountability Office has found the administration lacks measures to correlate drops in illegal crossings to wall construction.

Trump said, falsely, that he inherited open borders from his predecessor, Barack Obama. He leaves office with about the same number of Border Patrol agents than when he began, despite a pledge to add 5,000, and the monthly number of migrants stopped at the border exceeds totals during much of Obamas tenure.

___ Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant in Harlingen, Texas; Ben Fox and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington; Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia; and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
[January 11, 2021] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS BSX, QS, SPLK, SWI INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits: Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX)

Class Period: 4/24/2019 - 11/16/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: February 2, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-boston-scientific-corporation-securities-litigation-4 Splunk Inc. (SPLK)

Class Period: 10/21/2020 - 12/2/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: February 2, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-splunk-inc-securities-litigation



SolarWinds Corporation (SWI)

Class Period: 2/24/2020 - 12/15/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 5, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-swi/ QuantumScape Corporation (QS)

Class Period: 11/27/2020 - 12/31/2020

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 8, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-quantumscape-corporation-securities-litigation

If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above. If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com



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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

A New Mexico man convicted of rape in 2007 remains in prison, despite a judges order last month to release him immediately.

A Corrections Department spokesman said the department is looking into the legality of the judges order.

Johnny Malone, 37, is currently being held at the Otero County Prison Facility. In April 2007, he pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual penetration and one count of kidnapping and was sentenced to six years in prison, followed by two years of parole and five years of supervised probation.

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But in 2012, Malone violated his probation and, as a result, his sentence was changed to require five to 20 years of parole. Kenneth Stalter, Malones attorney, said Malone was given in-house parole, meaning hes serving it in custody.

On Dec. 17, Judge Douglas Driggers of the 3rd Judicial District Court in Las Cruces ordered Malones immediate release after determining that his sentence was illegally modified in 2012.

With this corrected parole period, Mr. Malone has fully completed his sentence in this matter and shall be immediately released from the custody of the New Mexico Corrections Department, Driggers wrote.

Despite the judges order, Stalter says Malone is still in prison. He sent a letter to Corrections Department Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero and Otero County Prison Facility Warden Rick Martinez on Friday, asking for Malones immediate release.

There are no other cases under which Mr. Malone may be held. Yet he remains in custody at the Otero County Prison Facility, Stalter wrote. The continued detention of Mr. Malone violates the Courts order and the United States and New Mexico constitutions.

Corrections Department spokesman Eric Harrison said in a statement the agency is aware of the judges order and has been in communication regarding the legality of the order with the prosecutor and the defense attorneys.

Stalter said he does not know when Malone might be released.

They know hes supposed to be released, but theres some sort of administrative issue where theyre just physically not letting him out, and nobody is letting us know why, Stalter said.

In April 2003, Malone was convicted on one count of criminal sexual penetration of a child and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in a separate case, court records show.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Elected with almost 80% of the votes, he is considered an unjustly accused political prisoner. On his release from prison, he became prime minister and then acted as president. Some call him "the Kyrgyz Trump". A referendum has decreed that Kyrgyzstan becomes a presidential republic. Parliamentary elections also in Kazakhstan, with an obvious victory for the Nur Otan party, the former president - but perennial leader - Nursultan Nazarbaev.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Sadyr Zaparov, 52, won the January 10 presidential elections. For the electoral committee, he got almost 80% of the votes. In second place was Adakhan Madumarov with almost 7%, and Babyrzhan Tolbaev with 2.3%.

Voter turnout was set at just under 40%, the lowest in the entire post-Soviet period. However, as no quorum is set for the presidential elections, the election was declared valid, despite protests from opponents who denounce fraud. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already congratulated Zaparov.

The newly elected president is the sixth since the countrys independence (1991). After declaring victory, he held a press conference stating that he wanted to "make all emigrants go home" and lift the country out of economic crisis within the next three years.

Along with the election of the president, a referendum on the form of government was also held, a particularly delicate vote considering the unrest of 2020, which continued for months. The presidential type government obtained 81.29%; the parliamentary form 10.85%.

Neutral observers denounce various irregularities: the transport of masses of voters to the polling stations; pressure on voters; violations of the secrecy of the ballot box. Many fear that because of this, there will be unrest in the coming days. According to the correspondents of the Nastojashee Vremja channel, the most serious problems occurred due to the malfunction of the automatic ballot boxes, which interrupted the voting operations in many polling stations: due to the cold, the ballot boxes would have stopped, forcing to put away the tabs on chairs or on the floor.

Until recently, the new president was still in prison, with a sentence of 11 and a half years for hostage-taking. But his supporters released him and took him out of the prison camp. Quite unexpectedly, being a political exponent of the old regime, he has put himself at the head of the protests of the past months. Five days after his liberation, he became prime minister. Since last October he has been acting as president, forcing President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to resign. Zaparov also promised to bring back the former presidents Askar Akaev and Kurmanbek Bakiev, who fled years earlier (Akaev in 2005, Bakiev in 2010), on the condition that the people offer them forgiveness for the sins of the past. Finally, he declared that he wanted to organize a "Putin-style" constitutional referendum by 2021.

Zaparov's popularity was built during his first three years of detention, which many judged unfair. During his imprisonment he barely survived a suicide attempt; while he was a recluse he lost both parents and son. In the opinion of many, his detention was an attempt to block his proposal to nationalize the country's main gold mining site, Kumtor. From prison he often addressed the population with video messages, criticizing the country's government, strengthening his image as a persecuted politician and riding on street protests. Some observers call him the "Kyrgyz Trump".

On January 10, the parliamentary and regional elections were held in Kazakhstan, the first after the resignation of the "eternal president" Nursultan Nazarbaev, later replaced by his daughter Qasim-Jomart Tokaev. According to the first published ballots, the party of President Nur Otan would have obtained over 70% of the votes. In second place with 9% the Peoples Party of Kazakhstan (former Communist Party), which also supports President Tokaev. Here too irregularities and fraud are reported, and there have been attempts to organize protests, which were immediately blocked by the police.
Travellers to England Need Negative COVID-19 Test From Friday

From Friday, all international travellers to England will need to test negative for the CCP virus before they board trains, boats, or planes, the government has announced.

The requirement, which also applies to UK passport holders, was announced last Friday, but the government only indicated it would start sometime this week to allow Brits abroad time to adjust their plans.

On Monday, the Department for Transport gave that start date: Jan. 15, from 4 a.m.

The government says the new requirements will help stem the influx of new strains of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

On top of the new measures, arrivals from countries outside of the air corridor list will still have to quarantine for 10 days.

People will be subject to an immediate 500 ($680) fine if they fail to present a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to departure.

Passengers will have to present proof of the test to carriers and declare it on a form.

Transport operators will also be fined if they are found to have transported passengers who have not followed the rules.

The UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrival into England to ensure that passengers are fully compliant, the Department for Transport said in a statement.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in the statement, Taken together with the existing mandatory self-isolation period for passengers returning from high-risk countries, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defencehelping us control the virus as we roll out the vaccine at pace over the coming weeks.

Englands new rules will not affect travellers from other parts of the UK (which can set their own travel restrictions) or from Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, or Guernsey.

A passenger wearing a Union Flag face mask waits to board one of the few flights departing at Gatwick Airport in London on Nov. 27, 2020. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Children under the age of 11 are exempt.

The government said that the very restricted number of other exemptions includes flight crews and employees manning boats and trains.

The UK has been criticised for being both slow to shut down international travel in the first wave last spring, and for then dragging its feet in setting up testing systems that had allowed air travel to continue more smoothly in other nations.

The chief executive of Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, said that while the new testing requirement was needed now, it should be only a short-term, emergency measure.

Once the roll-out of the vaccine accelerates, the focus must be on returning travel to normal as quickly as possible in order to support the UKs economic recovery, he said in a statement.

Ultimately, cheaper and quicker testing is required to ensure travel can be accessible while testing is required but then needs to be unwound once vaccinations and the overall threat of Covid recedes.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal tested positive for coronavirus Monday night, her office said, after she was in lockdown during Wednesdays siege of the Capitol with Republican lawmakers who cruelly and selfishly refused to wear masks.

Jayapals office said she was locked in a secure room, as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, for multiple hours and several Republican colleagues not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one.

Jayapal, a Democrat from Seattle, began quarantining immediately after the attack, her office said, fearing that she may have been exposed. In an interview with The Cut, published last week, she said she was quarantining because she was convinced the room shed been in, where there were over 100 people and many Republicans not wearing masks, was a superspreader event.

Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them, Jayapal said Monday night. Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic  creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack.

Jayapal, in a prepared statement, did not say if she was feeling ill or experiencing symptoms. She said she would continue to work to the best of my ability while in quarantine.

I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office, she said.

Jayapal was the second Democratic member of Congress to test positive since the siege on the Capitol. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., announced a positive test earlier Monday.

Hours after Jayapals remarks, Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., said he had tested positive for COVID-19. Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wifes health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff, Schneider said.

In a video posted shortly after the attack, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., can be seen trying to give masks to her colleagues while theyre locked down together during the siege. At least six Republican representatives can be seen in the video, posted by Punchbowl News, refusing the masks.

I am also calling for serious fines to be immediately levied on every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol, Jayapal said. Additionally, any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms. This is not a joke. Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy.

Jayapals sister, Susheela Jayapal, is a Multnomah County commissioner.

--David Gutman/The Seattle Times/Tribune News Service
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The NYPD is asking for tips via social media to solve the gunpoint robbery of a man delivering food a week ago in West Brighton.

Police released images of a white BMW SUV and a man sought for questioning in connection to the reported robbery on Jan. 5 on DeGroot Place and Dongan Street at about 3:50 p.m.

The deliveryman told police that when he arrived at DeGroot Place, he was accosted by two men. One of the suspects allegedly brandished a gun as they stole about $400 from the victim, according to the wanted flyer.

The suspects then fled in a white BMW, according to the flyer.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Staten Island Robbery Squad at 718-876-8415 or the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS) or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782 (PISTA). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
Town of Madison, N.Y.  An Upstate New York man was airlifted to a Syracuse hospital after he lost control of a snowmobile while racing it this weekend, Madison County sheriffs deputies said.

Deputies were called to JPK MotorSports Complex, formerly known as EXCELL Motorsport track, on US Route 20, in the town of Madison on Saturday for a report of an injured snowmobiler.

When they arrived, deputies found the snowmobile operator, Matthew Muscarella, 24, of Slingerlands in Albany County, being treated by paramedics.

During their investigation, deputies learned Muscarella was participating in a Snow Drags event happening Saturday at JPK MotorSports Complex.

An event coordinator told deputies that Muscarella lost control of the snowmobile he was operating and his leg became caught in the machines track, according to a sheriffs spokesperson. Muscarella was then thrown from the snowmobile, which overturned and landed on top of him.

Madison Ambulance paramedics treated Muscarella at the scene. Mercy Flight then airlifted him to Upstate University Hospital, where he underwent surgery for injuries sustained in the crash. He was in stable condition Monday, according to the sheriffs office.

Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook
[January 12, 2021] Going High-Tech to Address Challenges and Deliver Streamlined Insurance Experience

Farmers Edge, a global leader in digital agriculture, and ProAg, America's expert in agricultural risk management, today announced a strategic alliance to support ProAg agents and farmers during these challenging times. The two companies will work together to digitize insurance claims and reporting to help minimize operational risk for agents and increase information accuracy related to private crop insurance for growers. The alliance is an instrumental move in reducing common friction points across an industry responsible for providing a stable, sustainable food supply to feed the world's growing population. With more efficient data transfer mechanisms, growers can better focus on other obstacles threatening crop production. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005359/en/ The FarmCommand platform centralizes data from on-farm hardware to automate insurance reporting and claims, minimizing administrative expenses. (Photo: Business Wire) Currently, there are over 380 million insured acres under federal programs alone. Assessing and managing the risk associated with policies can be complicated, time-consuming, and costly. Insurers require tools to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure quality customer experiences.



With a grower's consent, ProAg and its licensed agent partners can access data from on-farm hardware to automate insurance reporting and claims, minimizing administrative expenses and human resources. This unique digital alliance enables agents to use the data growers are already collecting for required crop insurance reporting after planting and harvest. Simultaneously, it expands opportunities for growers to benefit from the improvement of private crop protection products that may not have been previously available. "Generalities are a luxury that insurers cannot afford," says Wade Barnes, Farmers Edge CEO and co-founder. "More than ever, being able to predict risk down to an individual case is critical to cutting costs and paving the way for greater growth. Farmers Edge provides access to accurate data consistently, when and where it is needed, to help all stakeholders protect investments and interests. By working with ProAg, we can better equip insurance agents to provide growers with the coverage and insights they need to guard their operations and stabilize farm income. It's another win in expanding the digital agricultural ecosystem to support a changing industry landscape."

"Agricultural risk management continues to evolve, and ProAg is at the forefront of these changes by providing new strategies and solutions to our agents and growers," says Kendall Jones, CEO at ProAg. "Farmers Edge gives us the tools we need now to work effectively, but also paves the way to a new insurance experience-one with faster processing times, fewer reporting errors, and deeper partnerships between growers and agents. Their platform creates a central source of trust; from advanced analytics and data collection to detailed field intelligence and data management, it provides a complete picture of current and forecasted conditions and outcomes. This new level of connectivity helps our agents better facilitate operations, stand out from the competition, and uphold the high-standard of customer service for which we're known." About Farmers Edge Farmers Edge is a global leader in digital agriculture delivering cutting-edge solutions powered by a unique combination of field-centric data, artificial intelligence, and complete integration. Since 2005, Farmers Edge has transformed the industry with disruptive technologies and strategic partnerships designed to enhance connectivity across the entire agricultural ecosystem. With the most comprehensive data management platform on the market-FarmCommand-Farmers Edge is revolutionizing the way farmers, agricultural professionals, and agri-businesses interact with data. Moving at the speed of digital with an elite team focused on innovation, machine learning, and IoT, Farmers Edge is creating new opportunities for all stakeholders, shaping the future of agriculture worldwide. To learn more about Farmers Edge, visit FarmersEdge.ca or FarmersEdgeUSA.com. About ProAg ProAg is a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies and has a financial strength rating of "A++ (Superior)" from A.M. Best. The company is a financially strong and well-capitalized crop insurer with nearly 100 years of experience protecting the American farmer. ProAg writes multi-peril crop, crop hail, named peril crop, and livestock insurance. The company is headquartered in Amarillo, Texas, with six offices spread across the United States. ProAg employs approximately 400 people supporting crop insurance operations in 49 states. ProAg is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To learn more about ProAg, visit ProAg.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005359/en/

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Sonic Boom Heard Across East England as RAF Jet Scrambled

A Royal Air Force jet was scrambled to intercept an aircraft that wasnt responding to traffic control on Tuesday, breaking the sound barrier and shocking people across the East of England with a sonic boom.

According to the RAF, the Typhoon jet established communications on reaching the civilian aircraft and escorted it to a nearby airport.

RAF Typhoon aircraft were scrambled on a Quick Reaction Alert operation today after a civilian aircraft lost comms in UK Airspace, a brief statement from the RAF on Jan. 12 said. Our jets went supersonic to reach the aircraft quickly. The aircraft was intercepted and comms re-established.

Stansted Airport confirmed in a statement that the aircraft landed safely at around 1:40 p.m. at the airport.

Many people reported hearing the sonic boom on social media, with some posting recordings of the moment the jets sound wash passed over them.

Sonic boom just now over Cambridge! wrote John E. Walsh on Twitter. Blew my window off its casement stay and scared the bloomin life out of me and the several pigeons outside!

Its not known why the aircraft broke communications with traffic control, which can occur through human error, such as being on the wrong frequency or equipment failure.

The aircraft was a private plane that had flown from Germany, Essex Police told The Epoch Times. Those on board the aircraft were spoken to and all was found to be in order and the aircraft was allowed to proceed on its journey, Essex Police said in a statement.

A sonic boom is caused by objects travelling over the speed of soundwhich is around 767 miles per hour at sea leveland can sound like a thunderclap.

Unlike a thunderclap, however, a sonic boom is not a single explosion in time. Instead, its a continuous shock wave that fans out behind any object travelling faster than the speed of sound.

This is the reason that sonic booms are heard across such a large area: as long as the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, the shockwave will follow in a cone that passes over the ground below as a line of sound energy.

Sonic booms created by aircraft can cause damage to some structures, and at low altitude can cause slight tremors, even shaking buildings and shattering glass.

An RAF spokesman told the BBC that the Typhoon took off from RAF Coningsby and safely escorted the civilian aircraft to Stansted Airport.
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The government on Tuesday announced its new policy for 2020-25 with special focus on attracting new investments in the state's "high priority centres" by offering lucrative incentives to entrepreneurs.

Unveiling the policy here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said projects, such as hotels and resorts, which would come up in these high priority centres will qualify for subsidies on investment and other incentives.

Some of these high priority centres are Kutch, Devbhumi-Dwarka, Narmada, Gir-Somnath, Porbandar, Junagadh and Dang districts.

Some specific talukas of other districts, such as Dhari in Amreli and Dabhoi in Vadodara, are also included in the list of high priority tourism centres.

"Instead of focussing on the entire state, our aim is to develop tourism infrastructure in these high priority areas. Under the new policy, incentives will be given where it was needed the most," Rupani said.

"Some of the new avenues which we are targeting are beach tourism, caravans and rural experience-based tourism," he said.

Under the policy, the government will give subsidy of 20 per cent on capital investment for setting up a hotel in the designated high priority centres.

While the minimum investment required is Rs 1 crore, there is no cap on maximum investment, which excludes the cost of land, as per the policy document.

For setting up theme parks or amusement parks in these priority centres, the subsidy will be 15 per cent for an investment in the range of Rs 50 crore to Rs 500 crore.

To attract large investments in this avenue, the state government will provide land on lease, in addition to the 15 per cent subsidy, for projects of more than Rs 500 crore proposed investment, according to the policy.

Other tourism projects which would be eligible for 15 per cent subsidy on investment are - convention centres with a seating capacity of over 2,500 people, NABH-accredited wellness centres, tourism hospitality and training centres, tents, cottages and container accommodation.

To encourage caravan rental services, the state government has announced to give 15 per cent subsidy on investment up to Rs 10 lakh, for starting such projects in high priority centres.

To encourage new investment in the adventure tourism sectors, entrepreneurs will be offered 15 per cent subsidy, with the limit of Rs 15 lakh, for buying various adventure sport equipment, said the policy document.

Under the new policy, foreign tourists will be offered a 5 per cent discount if they stay at a state government registered hotel.

Rupani said to guide foreign tourists arriving in Gujarat, the state tourism department will set up a dedicated tourism desk at the Ahmedabad international airport.

To promote rural tourism, fair organisers will get an assistance of Rs 5 lakh per year to organise "all inclusive annual fairs and festivals showcasing indigenous culture, dance, handlooms and handicrafts", the policy document said.
More foreigners have entered HCM City to cheat residents, said Colonel Pham Ngoc Tien, head of the citys Immigration Department under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Police.

Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa speaks at the meeting. Photo: SGGP

The colonel made the statement at a meeting organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the city Police Division to review five-year task in ensuring public security in the city for tourism quality improvement.

According to Colonel Tien, though the year 2020 has seen a decline of foreign visitors because of the coronavirus pandemic, 200 foreigners have violated the law. These foreigners are mostly from China, and those are from African countries, Bangladesh, and Pakistan

These criminals reside without permission in the city to seek a job.

Noticeably, in 2019, police officers in HCM City handled 315 Chinese criminals, 133 people hailing from African nations; 93 from South Korea and 140 others with different nationals.

These criminals are involved in the illegal bets, online stock floor, games in internet or internet and phone scams to swindle money.

However, police officers have bumped into difficulties as many of criminals have not had personal papers; some intentionally hid their papers to stay Vietnam while others have no money to return to their country,

Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said that in five years, the tourism sector have achieved greatly but travelers feel unsecure with existing social disorders. In the next time, the tourism sector will apply IT in promoting and attracting holidaymakers to the city; additionally, the Department will work closely with police officers to monitor those who disguise as tourists with the aim to enter Vietnam and commit crimes. SGGP

Thi Hong

Seven Nigerians arrested for online scam Police from the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have arrested 11 suspects, including seven Nigerians for cheating and illegally appropriating property, worth over VND120 billion (US$5.1 million), from Vietnamese citizens online.
ROYAL OAK, MI  A 55-year-old man is dead after crashing his snowmobile into several trees, causing an end-over-end flip that ejected him from the vehicle.

Richard David Dufty, of Cassville, succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 8 at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Duftys death represents the fourth fatal snowmobile crash in Michigan this winter, according to a news release from the Department of Natural Resources.

On Jan. 2, Dufty was riding with a group of six, authorities said. They were westbound on Snowmobile Trail UP 472 (Bobby Gay Truck Trail) in the Hiawatha National Forest.

The crash investigation revealed that Dufty passed the other riders while traveling at high speed. The sled gradually slid off the righthand side of the trail while traversing a slight corner, said DNR Conservation Officer Mike Olesen who responded to the crash. The snowmobile struck several trees alongside the trail before flipping end-over-end, ejecting Dufty.

Toxicology reports indicate alcohol was a factor in the crash, authorities said.

Olesen and Sgt. Calvin Smith were dispatched to the crash at 3:35 p.m.; the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office and Michigan State Police also responded. Dufty and EMS personnel were transported from the trail in Smiths patrol vehicle; an ambulance was waiting at the trailhead.

Dufty was taken to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital because forecasted poor weather conditions prevented air transport to Petoskey. On Jan. 3, he was transferred to Beaumont. Dufty died on Jan. 8.

Four people have died from snowmobile crashes in Michigan this winter. Three of the four crashes occurred in the Upper Peninsula. Last winter, the DNR logged 14 snowmobiling fatalities, 10 of which were in the U.P.

Snowmobilers should ride safely, including traveling at safe speeds, avoiding alcohol and keeping to the right side of the trail, authorities said.

For more information on snowmobile safety, visit Michigan.gov/RideRight. For information about snowmobiling in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Snowmobiling.

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Where to rent snowmobiles, find trails in Michigan

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Members of An Garda Siochana can now prosecute breaches of Travel Restrictions under Covid-19 Regulations by means of Fixed Charge Notice.

A Regulation in the Health Act states that an applicable person shall not leave his or her place of residence without reasonable excuse. This is a Penal Regulation and is enforceable.

An Garda Siochana has been consistent in our graduated policing response to supporting Public Health Regulations and guidelines in line with our tradition of policing by consent. This has seen Garda members engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce.



Where breaches of the travel regulations are detected and a person does not comply with a direction of An Garda Siochana, a prosecution now can be commenced by means of a 100 Fixed Charge Notice. Where more appropriate, An Garda Siochana may seek a direction from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.



Speaking on Monday, Deputy Commissioner John Twomey, Policing and Security said, "An Garda Siochana continues to see significant compliance by the public with Public Health Regulations, however we also continue to see some activity which is in contravention of these regulations introduced to stop the current spread of Covid-19 and protect our communities. I appeal to every person without a reasonable excuse for travel - Stay at Home, this is your duty as a citizen and will save lives and support our front line services, nurses, doctors, hospital staff and my Garda colleagues at this time.

The COVID-19 Pandemic remains a public health crisis and An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to all citizens to comply with Public Health Guidelines and Regulations, in particular essential journeys, in order to continue to save lives.

More details on the fixed charge notice system can be found on the Garda website.

As highlighted by An Garda Siochana some court outcomes of previous Garda enforcement activity are highlighted below:

 Co. Cavan, Male found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse, 150 fine

 Co. Kildare, Male found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse, 250 fine following appeal

 Co. Sligo, 2 Males found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse, Both 300 fine

 Co Dublin, Male in breach of Covid Regulations directed to return home, observed still in breach of regulations at same location 2 hours later, 350 fine

 Co. Tipperary, Male found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse, 400 fine

 Co. Dublin, Male found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse, 30 days imprisonment

 Co. Leitrim, Male found in Breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse, 2 months Imprisonment
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
 Flash

China on Monday expressed firm opposition to and deploration about recent U.S. moves and remarks concerning Taiwan, saying any attempt of undermining China's core interests will meet "resolute counterattacks" from the Chinese side and will not succeed.

According to media reports, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced a decision to lift restrictions on interactions with Taiwan.

"China firmly opposes and deplores such practices," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing when asked to make comments.

Reiterating that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, Zhao said the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China.

This is a fact recognized by the international community and part of the basic norms of international relations, he said.

"The U.S. government has made solemn commitments to the Chinese side on the Taiwan question," Zhao said, citing the relevant provision of the 1978 joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to the joint communique, the United States recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, and the people of the United States maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan, Zhao said.

"The United States should abide by its own words instead of distorting or contravening its own commitments," he added.

The so-called Taiwan Relations Act seriously violates the one-China principle and provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, Zhao said, adding China has been resolutely opposed to it from the very beginning.

"The Chinese people are unswervingly resolved in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will never allow anyone or any force to impede China's reunification process, and meddle in China's internal affairs under the pretext of the Taiwan question," said the spokesperson.

Calling the Taiwan question "the most important and sensitive core issue" in China-U.S. relations, Zhao said the one-China principle serves as the political foundation underpinning bilateral ties and the premise for the two sides to establish and develop diplomatic ties.

He urged the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and stop any remarks or attempts of elevating ties with Taiwan and strengthening military contact with the island.

"We urge Pompeo and like-minded politicians to clearly see the historical trend, stop maneuvering on Taiwan-related issues and retrogressive actions, and refrain from going further down the wrong and dangerous path," Zhao said. "Otherwise, they will certainly be punished severely by history."
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Bernard Tomic has advanced to the second round of qualifying for the Australian Open in Doha, where players taking part have described delays in COVID-19 testing.

Tomic beat Jozef Kovalik 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 and will play his second-round match against fellow Australian Tristan Schoolkate on Tuesday night (AEDT).

Tennis Australia has confirmed that two players have tested positive for COVID-19 at the men's qualifying tournament so far, including American Denis Kudla, who was informed of his positive test result mid-way through his match.

Kudla beat Morocco's Elliot Benchetrit 6-4, 6-3, is now out of the tournament as he has to self-isolate following the positive test.
The 6 January will remain a day to remember in the roughly 250-year history of the United States. It may be considered the day when the wall of the American sense of superiority, as far as the best democratic exercises are concerned, fell.

Protesters, pushed by a president who rejected the results of elections and called them fraudulent, rushed to occupy the US Capitol in Washington, yelling and breaking windows in a shocking and stereotypically third-world scene. Far-right supporters of outgoing US president Donald Trump broke all established norms, at least when it comes to one long-held view of the American people, climbing over the walls of the Capitol and taking photographs of themselves seated in the chair of the speaker of the US House of Representatives, among other shocking scenes that world watched live on television.

No one will be able to forget the image of one member of the mob carrying a lectern home as he strolled through the rotunda area of the House. At some moments, and unless one was quite sure that one was tuned into a US TV channel, such scenes might have been mistaken for those coming out of a banana republic. As one Kenyan newspaper put it in a sarcastic headline, Who is the banana republic now?

For decades, the US government, people and media have done their best to brainwash the minds of millions of people across the globe that US democracy is the best ever and that the US is the sole protector of human rights and the staunch defender of civil liberties and freedoms. While the US is a country of law and order, the US form of democracy is not the holy scripture that successive US administrations have advocated it as being. It is a system that appeals to people living in the US, through which they have succeeded in building a nation and a true superpower, but it remains an American experience that cannot be simply copied elsewhere.

Like a dictator clinging to power, Trump has plainly told his fellow Americans that the elections were rigged and that the US would be governed by an illegitimate president should his victorious opponent Joe Biden be inaugurated as president, triggering ridiculous conspiracy theories in which even extraterrestrial beings may have interfered in favour of his rival.

Shockingly, Trump wanted the US army to interfere in his favour, replacing his defence secretary with another to that end. Though he vowed that there would be an orderly transition of power to his successor, Trump has abstained from admitting defeat in public. While it is true that more than 74 million Americans voted for Trump, in any democratic exercise, as the US has taught the world many times, a single vote can make the difference, and such a vote should be honoured. This is true for all, except for the defeated US president.

Even so, the US media has often not honoured this single vote theory as far as the situation on non-American soil is concerned. On the contrary, it has put countries in the line of fire when its fair-haired boy has not been picked in a given election process, using the same language of fraudulence and rigged elections used by Trump.

This is how US media outlets have portrayed such incidents elsewhere on the globe, except in countries allied with the US. The US government and media have usually preached the necessity of respecting the right of protesters to express their views no matter how this right may be exercised, brushing aside any counter-arguments. They have also rejected any need to listen to the other side of the story, whether from the governments concerned or the peoples themselves, dubbing the first as dictatorial and the second as sycophants.

With last weeks incidents taking place on American soil, the word insurrection has been employed, when this could easily have been replaced with revolution should other nations have been involved.

This is not a call for rehabilitating autocracy, but it is a call to heed the fact that Egyptians are culturally different from their opposite numbers in India, for example, and that the American way of doing business is not necessarily a standard. Even in the darkest moments in Egypt, prior or even after the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak in the 25 January Revolution, no one stormed into the Egyptian parliament, and no one tried to create a state of chaos matching the scenes of protesters putting the US Capitol under siege to prevent the ratification of the US presidential elections.

Many Egyptians may, however, recall a similar incident when, under the rule of former Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi, his supporters placed Egypts Supreme Constitutional Court under siege to prevent the justices from ruling on a challenge revoking the elections to the now renamed Senate, the upper chamber of the Egyptian parliament.

It is time the US media in particular and the Western media in general revisited their stereotyped and partial covering of affairs in the Middle East and Africa. Their biased news covering has given audiences a false image of how things are done in African or Middle Eastern nations. It is high time that American journalists and correspondents considered the other side of the story and fact-checked the news before they publish it.

Fact-checking is no fantasy  it is a must, particularly when assessing the damage partial news covering may inflict on peoples and nations. In their book Elements of Journalism, US journalists Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel argue that the first obligation of journalism is to the truth and that the journalistic truth begins with a professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. However, most US correspondents have usually not done this while covering news of Africa and the Middle East, except when it comes to Israel. Most, if not all, of their stories have not been committed to the principle of verification, and they have therefore wrongly affected the way their audiences perceive a given nation, its people or the political situation unfolding in it.

Reporting the truth is not synonymous with trumpeting it. Rather, it is a process that begins with the professional collecting of data, their verification, and then the inclusion of as many different views as possible. Instead of using the refrain that we tried to reach so and so for comment, but there was no response, there is a need to do all that can be done to give space to opposing views, since otherwise a reporter is opinionated and guides his or her audience in the wrong direction.

The tough language used by the US media and officials about the storming of the US Capitol last week is a reminder that fair rules of impartial news covering ought to be heeded when reporting on incidents happening on US territory or elsewhere.

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 14 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Coalition Whiskey Our goal with Coalition Whiskey is to coax even more flavor out of our 100% Rye Whiskey.

A fascinating intersection of traditional hand-crafted American Whiskey and world-renowned French wines is on the horizon with the release of Coalition Whiskey  the first 100% Rye Whiskey finished in hand-selected Bordeaux wine barrels. Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey comes in three separate expressions: Finished in Margaux Barriques (barrels), Pauillac Barriques, and Sauternes Barriques. For those wanting to taste where it all started, Coalition uniquely also offers the original base 100% Rye Whiskey at barrel proof. All expressions will be available in the US in January.

Coalition Whiskey is a new brand started by three whiskey fans who form the actual Coalition: Leonid Yangarber, former CEO of Russian Standard Vodka USA; Steve Thompson, owner of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; and Ludwig Vanneron, a 20+ year veteran wine maker and global wine consultant. Together, they envisioned a new frontier for the industry using their collective skills to reimagine and elevate super premium whiskey.

The 100% Rye Whiskey in Coalition Whiskey heralds from Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, KY. It is created utilizing time-honored, true handcrafting techniques, including zero automation and an all-copper pot still dating back to pre-Prohibition. Attention to detail is paramount at each step in creating the blend of five-year-old Rye Whiskies, including selecting the rye grain from just one mile away from the distillery.

A 100% Rye Whiskey is a true rarity in the industry, said Thompson. While most rye whiskies use malted barley or added corn, Coalition Whiskey is made completely from rye. Its a more expensive way to go, but there was truly no other way to create that truly deep, rich and spicy flavor we knew would be the ideal match for our velvety Bordeaux wine barrel finishing.

Vanneron manages the time-consuming process of carefully hand-selecting each wine barrel used for Coalition Whiskey. With his deep relationships with local Bordeaux wine chateaus and cooperages, he knows exactly where to go looking for only the finest barrels. Extensive visual and, more importantly, smell inspections are required to unearth just the right Margaux and Pauillac red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot) and Sauternes white sweet/dessert wine (Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc) barrels.

It took the inspection of nearly 150 barrels just to find the perfect 25 we are using to finish our Rye Whiskey, said Vanneron. You have to first start with the best, most voluptuous wines from the finest chateaus in all of France to get the best possible barrels for Coalition Whiskey. Following up to nine months of finishing, each barrel from the separate Bordeaux wine appellations enhances the whiskey in a different, intriguing way.

Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Margaux Barriques (90.8 proof) features delicate and gentle flavors of red fruit and floral aromas. Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Pauillac Barriques (92.6 proof) delivers rich flavors of black fruit and spice, with an exceptionally long tail. Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Sauternes Barriques (94.2 proof) captures rounded, velvety flavors of dried fruit and honey with an engaging sweet spice.

Our goal with Coalition Whiskey is to coax even more flavor out of our 100% Rye Whiskey, said Yangarber. A keen understanding of the science behind Rye Whiskey served as the foundation for this grand experiment. From there, we could use our deep wine knowledge to pick just the perfect Bordeaux wine barrels to gently enhance the handcrafted whiskey. This is a deep, rich Rye Whiskey like you have never before tasted.

The original, base Rye Whiskey is also offered to whiskey aficionados at full barrel strength (108.8 proof), allowing for side-by-side sampling to clearly identify how each Bordeaux barrel enhances the base spirit.

Coalition Whiskey comes packaged in an Art Deco-inspired ridged glass bottle echoing the cut crystal decanters made famous during the 1920s  Rye Whiskeys heyday. It is crowned with a glass domed closure and accentuated with 18k gold accents, providing a hint to the precious liquid contained within.

Each Coalition Whiskey barrel finished expression retails at $90 MSRP. The barrel-proof whiskey retails at $130 MSRP. Coalition Whiskey can be found at fine whiskey stores in New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois and Colorado, as well as online at https://www.coalitionwhiskey.com. The company plans to explore additional barrel finishes in the near future.

Follow Coalition Whiskey on Instagram and Facebook.

EDITORS NOTE: Hi-resolution images of Coalition Whiskey can be found HERE.

About Coalition Whiskey

Coalition Whiskey was created when three whiskey fans had a radical thought: what if we found the absolute best wine barrels from world-renowned chateaus in Bordeaux  arguably the most famous wine region on the planet  and used them to draw even more flavor out of their favorite brown spirit. The result is Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Margaux Barriques, Pauillac Barriques and Sauternes Barriques. The Coalition is Leonid Yangarber, former CEO of Russian Standard Vodka USA; Steve Thompson, owner of Kentucky Artisan Distillers; and Ludwig Vanneron, a 20+ year veteran wine maker and global wine consultant. Together, they envisioned a new frontier for the industry using their collective skills to reimagine and elevate whiskey.

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PUNE, India, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global demand for Remote Patient Monitoring Market, in term of revenue, was worth of USD 1,649.80 Million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 2936.38 Million in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 12.22% from 2019 to 2025. The global remote patient monitoring is expected to grow at significant growth rate due to number of driving factors.

The study provides a crucial view of remote patient monitoring market by segmenting the market based on product, application, type, and end user. Based upon product remote patient monitoring market is segmented into Vital Sign Monitors (Blood Pressure Monitors, Pulse Oximeters, Heart Rate Monitor (ECG), Temperature Monitor, Respiratory Rate Monitor and Brain Monitoring (EEG)) Special Monitors (Anesthesia Monitors, Blood Glucose Monitors, Cardiac Rhythm Monitor, Respiratory Monitor, Fetal Heart Monitors, Prothrombin Monitors, Multi Parameter Monitors (MPM) and Others). Based upon application remote patient monitoring market is segmented into Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, Sleep Disorder, Weight management and Fitness Monitoring, Bronchitis, Infections, Virus, Dehydration, Hypertension and Others. Based upon type segment market is segmented into devices and systems. Based upon end user remote patient monitoring market is segmented into Hospital Based Patients, Ambulatory Patients and Home Healthcare. The regions covered in global remote patient monitoring market are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. On the basis of country level, global market is sub divided into U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, Brazil, Mexico, GCC, Africa, etc.

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Increasing incidence of chronic diseases and technological advancement in healthcare is increasing the demand for remote patient monitoring market. In recent years increasing changes in lifestyle creating the number of difficulties in healthy living and it occurs the number of chronic disorders, globally. In the past few years globally, diabetes, cardiovascular, and cancer incidence are rapidly increasing, and related healthcare expenses are also increased. For example, according to world health organization cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of death globally, and it takes an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. The heart diseases and stroke costing health care system approximately USD199 billion per year in the United States. By using remote patient monitoring people can reduce the healthcare cost by its different application like, reducing official physician visits, patients getting consultation without having to visit a medical practitioner, and others due to this the demand for remote patient monitoring is growing in the market. For example, According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the health care industry could save $700 billion in the next 15 to 20 years with the use of remote patient monitoring technology in conjunction with electronic health records (EHR). Increasing geriatric population is another major factor which propelling the demand of remote patient monitoring market. In the past few years, the geriatric population is facing the number of disease problems and due to this value-based care approach demand is also increased. However, an expensive remote monitor and requires huge resources in terms of software and hardware may hamper the global remote patient monitoring market growth. Despite that, increasing technological advancement and awareness about remote patient monitoring in low and middle-income countries may generate new opportunities for the further growth of the market.

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In the scope of Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market, we have considered both system and devices i.e. the patient monitoring systems used by hospitals, clinics, primary and community health centers, private practitioners and wearable and non-wearables devices for patient such as blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, heart rate monitor, temperature monitors etc.

Remote Patient Monitoring Statistics

The product segment of remote patient monitoring market is dominated by special monitor drive with largest market share of 76.81 % in 2019.

The application segment of remote patient monitoring market is dominated by diabetes segment by capturing the largest market of 23.36% in year 2019.

The end user segment of remote patient monitoring market is dominated by Hospital Based Patients with largest share of 46.61 % in year 2018.

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North America region is the leading region owing to the increasing chronic disease driving the North American market. For example, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for 840,768 deaths in 2016. Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. Due to these growing healthcare expenses of chronic disease the U.S healthcare industry is moving towards a value-based care approach, using technological applications efficiently to reduce healthcare expenses. Additionally, increasing the investment of industries in the healthcare sector is also boosting the remote patient monitoring market.

The Asia Pacific is an emerging region in the remote patient monitoring market in the forecast period. Due to the increasing geriatric population and the number of cancer cases in its developing nations are responsible to boost the remote patient monitoring market. For example, in 2016, approximately 12.4 percent of the population in the region was 60 years. Additionally, increasing acceptance of remote patient monitoring in hospitals is also responsible for growth in the market.

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Remote Patient Monitoring Market Trends:

Healthcare industry is rapidly developing in technology and services. A recent development in this area is remote monitoring of patients which has many advantages in a fast-aging world population with increasing health complications. With relatively simple applications to monitor patients inside hospital rooms, the technology has developed to the extent that, the patient can prefer normal daily activities at home while still being monitored with the use of modern communication and sensor technologies. Following are trends taking place in the patient monitoring field and the key market drivers design engineers need to consider. Clearly, there is overlap among them since IoT spans two important areas like the developments of smart, connected products and devices.

A Real-Time Health Monitoring System for Remote Cardiac Patients Using Smartphone and Wearable Sensors

The Applications of Remote Patient Monitoring System using a Java-enabled 3G Mobile Phone

The Increasing Role of IoT for Remote Monitoring and Healthcare Applications

TE Connectivity's Solution for Blood Oxygen Level Detection As many of these trends point out, demand is increasing for solutions for home healthcare with remote and self-monitoring technology.

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Remote Patient Monitoring Market Segmentation,

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By Type

Systems

Devices

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By Product

Special Monitors

Anesthesia Monitors



Blood Glucose Monitors



Cardiac Rhythm Monitor



Respiratory Monitor



Fetal Heart Monitors



Prothrombin Monitors



Multi Parameter Monitors (MPM)



Others

Vital Sign Monitors

Blood Pressure Monitors



Pulse Oximeters



Heart Rate Monitor (ECG)



Temperature Monitor



Respiratory Rate Monitor



Brain Monitoring (EEG)

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: ByApplication

Diabetes

Cardiovascular Diseases

Cancer

Bronchitis

Sleep Disorder

Weight management and Fitness Monitoring

Infections

Virus

Dehydration

Hypertension

Others

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By End-User

Hospital Based Patients

Ambulatory Patients

Home Healthcare

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: Regional Analysis

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

U.K.



France



Germany



Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China



Japan



India



Rest of Asia pacific

Latin America

Brazil



Mexic



Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa

and GCC



Africa



Rest of MEA

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: remote patient monitoring companies Analysis

Philips Healthcare

Medtronic

Roche

Boston Scientific

LifeScan

Biotronik

Hill Rom Inc.

Bosch

Honeywell

Intel

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A deputy town council clerk who was branded a 'gold digger' after she formed a personal relationship with an older, married councillor and was later sacked has won a claim for unfair dismissal.

Relations between the four staff at Barnard Castle Town Council in County Durham cooled after it emerged employee Jane Woodward had gone on holiday with then councillor Roger Peat - whose wife Rosemary was in a care home with Alzheimer's disease.

Mrs Peat died in October 2020, Mr Peat, who is in his 60s, stepped down from the council in May 2019 and Ms Woodward, who is in her 40s, was dismissed later that year.

After he dismissal, she took the small local authority, which had just 12 councillors, to an employment tribunal.

In a lengthy written judgment, which followed a six-day hearing via video link, employment judge Seamus Sweeney found in her favour.

A settlement hearing is due to take place at a later date.

Relations between the four staff at Barnard Castle Town Council in Durham cooled after it emerged Jane Woodward (pictured left) had gone on holiday with then councillor Roger Peat (pictured right)

The tribunal heard that the then-mayor, councillor Sandra Moorhouse, had come to see Ms Woodward as 'something of a femme fatale'.

In his ruling, Judge Sweeney said: 'It was this sense of moral outrage that was to be the claimant's ultimate undoing.

'The claimant said in ... her statement: ''my private and personal relationship with councillor Peat is the crux of this whole case''. We agree.'

In evidence, Ms Moorhouse said 'people were making comments such as, ''Oh, I see the gold digger's got a sugar daddy'''.

The judge noted: 'While that was a comment councillor Moorhouse said was made to her, we infer that this was, in fact, a view of the claimant also shared by her.'

The tribunal heard that then mayor, councillor Sandra Moorhouse, had come to see Ms Woodward as 'something of a femme fatale'

Recalling a meeting at the council offices about the ongoing relationship, Ms Moorhouse told the tribunal she heard Ms Woodward's high heels crossing a room.

The judge said the reference to high heels was meant in a derogatory way.

The tribunal found ill-feeling arose in 2018 when Mr Peat and Ms Woodward went on holiday with her children, while his sick wife was living in a care home.

Ms Woodward was known to her employers to suffer from anxiety and depression and was the subject of gossip, the tribunal heard.

Anonymous letters, strongly disapproving of her relationship with Mr Peat, were sent to the council and investigated by the police.

The tribunal judge found: 'It was a situation that called for sensitive and frank conversation all round. Regrettably, that did not happen.

'Instead, gossip and rumour spread and people formed unsubstantiated, subjective and ultimately extremely damaging and unfair assessments of the claimant's character.

'Seeing things like the claimant going on holiday with Councillor Peat while his wife was confined, and learning of gifts purchased for her by Councillor Peat, the view that the claimant was manipulating him took hold.'

Ms Woodward was suspended from her role in February 2019. She asked not to be suspended, saying working helped her to combat her depression and anxiety.

She was eventually dismissed in August 2019 and her appeal against the decision was rejected the following month.

Barnard Castle Town Council dismissed her on the basis there had been an irretrievable breakdown in working relationships.

Barnard Castle became well known after ex-Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings visited the town during lockdown

The tribunal found she had been unfairly dismissed and agreed with her disability discrimination claim, on the grounds the council had failed to make 'reasonable adjustment' for her depression and anxiety by not lifting her suspension.

But it did acknowledge colleagues found the situation difficult.

Judge Sweeney said: 'We must make clear that we recognise that the claimant's co-workers and local councillors genuinely found the claimant's relationship with Mr Peat as unsettling and awkward given his personal circumstances.

'The claimant, we find, was impervious to her colleagues' feelings of sensitivity with regards the relationship.

'She did not see that others might be uneasy about her developing a relationship with Mr Peat.'

A financial settlement hearing will be held later.

Speaking to Barnard Castle's local newspaper, The Teesdale Mercury, after the verdict, Ms Woodward said: 'The longer the suspension went on the worse my anxiety became, as my job was my main coping mechanism.

'The hearing was an extremely stressful and emotionally draining experience. It brought back everything that I had gone through.

'I was confident in my answers to the questions as I knew unequivocally that I had been treated unfairly and that the council had acted unreasonably.'

Ms Woodward has been volunteering at a community hub since her dismissal. Mr Pete, who was a key organiser in the Christmas lights and bonfire displays in the town, stepped down from the council in 2019.

According to reports by the Teesdale Mercury at the time, he resigned, citing a 'loss of faith in the governance' of Barnard Castle Town Council.

When asked whether he and Ms Woodward were in a relationship, Mr Peat replied: 'We're friends' and declined to go into further detail.

Barnard Castle became well known after ex-Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings visited the town during lockdown.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday launched Pakistan's first instant payment system - Raast - to enable end-to-end digital payments among individuals, businesses and government entities instantaneously

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2021 ):Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday launched Pakistan's first instant payment system - Raast - to enable end-to-end digital payments among individuals, businesses and government entities instantaneously.

The prime minister, while addressing the gathering, termed the launch a major step forward by the State Bank of Pakistan towards Digital Pakistan, and said it would help include the low income groups and make them part of the mainstream economy.

He was optimist that it would go a long way in fighting poverty, particularly in the rural areas.

Raast is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan's Digital Pakistan vision to include poor segments of the society in formal economy. The faster payment system will be used not only to settle small-value retail payments in real time but also provide cheap and universal access to all players in the financial industry, including banks and fin-techs.

Imran Khan said the instant payment system would not only document the economy, but also generate more taxes to help build the country. He regretted that only two million people in a country of 220 million paid taxes, which was not enough to build hospitals and schools, and provide other basic facilities of life for the common man. Only 3,000 of the tax payers paid 70% of the tax, he added.

The prime minister said foreign remittances had been constantly on the rise for past five months, and had helped stabilize the Rupee. After a gap of 17 years, the country's current account had gone into surplus, and lowered pressure on the Rupee and played a key role in strengthening the national economy. Any pressure on dollar raised the cost of commodities - like edible oil, ghee, pulses etc imported for the common man, he added.

Imran Khan said with increase in revenue collection, the government would create extra space for spending on the human development - education, health and clean drinking water.

He said Pakistan was among the top countries with the highest growth rates in the region, but today it was left behind. He hoped a move towards the Digital Pakistan would help put the country back on track.

The people in Pakistan were used to cash economy, however, now it was time to move forward, he added.

The prime minister said the programme would help give a boost to the Ehsaas Programme; particularly its mobile wallet and extend its reach to the women in the rural areas. His government was working for the empowerment of rural womenfolk and had been included in various economic activities.

He extended gratitude to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands specially for inclusion of women in financial inclusion, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their support in the launch of the programme, also for Polio eradication, and the World Bank for its role in the launch.

Queen Maxima appreciated Pakistan on the launch of the instant payment system, effective strategy to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Ehsaas Programme for women empowerment.

According to the data available with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), digital payments only account for 0.2% of Pakistan's 100 billion transactions today, whereas the share of digital transactions in the peer countries range from 1.5% to 7%.

SBP Governor Reza Baqir said the government employees and pensioners would be able to get payment of salaries and pensions in seconds. It would cut down on the delays in that regard.

Baqir said it would also allow help curb corrupt practices and provide simple, secure and transparent transactions. He said under the prime minister's directions, the Roshan Pakistan system had met with success. The banks were also extending support to the people, who desired to take loans for building homes.

Pakistan has had low electronic transactions due to low banking penetration, lack of trust and awareness of digital payment methods, limited interoperability, difficult accessibility and high cost of transactions. However, Raast, the new Instant Payment System will facilitate retail payment settlements with much great efficiency.

Key features of Pakistan's first instant payment system: Instantaneous payments: Near real-time digital payments across individuals, merchants, businesses, and government entities.

Low-to-no transaction costs for end users: Raast is designed to operate at a cost recovery model to make digital payments affordable to end users of all socio-economic backgrounds.

Full sector-wide interoperability: Raast will allow all financial institutions to seamlessly connect to each other via a single link to the central infrastructure, making digital payments accessible across any channel to customers of any financial institution.

Customer-centric innovative products/services: Raast will be built on cutting-edge technological standards, allowing financial institutions to develop innovative and user-friendly digital payment products and services like payment through phone number or email.

Reliability and enhanced security: Raast will introduce more secure payment types, ensure that each transaction is authorized by the payer, and offer enhanced data protection and fraud detection services.
The actor who played Saved by the Bells most famous nerd is reportedly in the hospital. TMZ reports Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on the late 80s and early 90s sitcom, went to a hospital in Florida over the weekend with pain all over his body. UPDATE: Diamond has stage 4 cancer

TMZ says a representative of Diamond told the publication that doctors have been running a number of tests on the former child actor and have yet to determine whats wrong with him.

Diamond, who also reprised his role as Screech in Saved by the Bell: The College Years and The New Class, was not cast in Peacocks current reboot of the show.

He hasnt done much acting since his Saved by the Bell days, but had been active in stand-up comedy in recent years performing at comedy clubs across the country. We caught up with Diamond a few years ago at a comedy gig in Novi.

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers have found a simple way to eliminate almost all sequencing errors produced by a widely used portable DNA sequencer, potentially enabling scientists working outside the lab to study and track microorganisms like the SARS-CoV-2 virus more efficiently.

Using special molecular tags, the team was able to reduce the five-to-15 percent error rate of Oxford Nanopore Technologies' MinION device to less than 0.005 percenteven when sequencing many long stretches of DNA at a time.

"The MinION has revolutionized the field of genomics by freeing DNA sequencing from the confines of large laboratories," says Ryan Ziels, an assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia and the co-lead author of the study, which was published this week in Nature Methods. "But until now, researchers haven't been able to rely on the device in many settings because of its fairly high out-of-the-box error rate."

Genome sequences can reveal a great deal about an organism, including its identity, its ancestry and its strengths and vulnerabilities. Scientists use this information to better understand the microbes living in a particular environment, as well as to develop diagnostic tools and treatments. But without accurate portable DNA sequencers, crucial genetic details could be missed when research is conducted out in the field or in smaller laboratories.

So Ziels and his collaborators at Aalborg University created a unique barcoding system that can make long-read DNA sequencing platforms like the MinION over 1000 times more accurate. After tagging the target molecules with these barcodes, researchers proceed as they usually wouldamplifying, or making multiple copies of, the tagged molecules using the standard PCR technique and sequencing the resulting DNA.

The researchers can then use the barcodes to easily identify and group relevant DNA fragments in the sequencing data, ultimately producing near-perfect sequences from fragments that are up to 10 times longer than conventional technologies can process. Longer stretches of DNA allow the detection of even slight genetic variations and the assembly of genomes in high resolution.

"A beautiful thing about this method is that it is applicable to any gene of interest that can be amplified," says Ziels, whose team has made the code and protocol for processing the sequencing data available through open-source repositories. "This means that it can be very useful in any field where the combination of high-accuracy and long-range genomic information is valuable, such as cancer research, plant research, human genetics and microbiome science."

Ziels is currently collaborating with Metro Vancouver to develop an expanded version of the method that permits the near-real-time detection of microorganisms in water and wastewater. With an accurate picture of the microorganisms present in their water systems, says Ziels, communities may be able to improve their public health strategies and treatment technologiesand better control the spread of harmful microorganisms like SARS-CoV-2.

Explore further New DNA scanning method could lead to quicker diagnosis of cancer and rare disease

More information: Sren M. Karst et al, High-accuracy long-read amplicon sequences using unique molecular identifiers with Nanopore or PacBio sequencing, Nature Methods (2021). Journal information: Nature Methods Sren M. Karst et al, High-accuracy long-read amplicon sequences using unique molecular identifiers with Nanopore or PacBio sequencing,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-01041-y
Jess Redden and her fiance Rob Kearney are extremely glad to be free after a two-week quarantine in a hotel room in Australia.

The couple, who got engaged in December 2019, recently moved to Perth due to Rob signing with the Australian rugby union side Western Force.

In Australia, anyone arriving into the country or travelling from certain Australian states have to quarantine for 14-days in a hotel chosen by the government, which they also have to pay for.

The couple could not even open the window in their hotel room while quarantining, Jess revealed.

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We were assigned a hotel in the airport so only found out once we landed. I cannot wait to breathe fresh air again in 13 days' time, Ms Redden said.

Jess, a 27-year-old fitness model and student pharmacist, documented the couples struggle to stay active in a hotel room in Brisbane as they completed their 14-day quarantine.

The couple finished their 14 days of isolation yesterday and Redden was absolutely thrilled to be free.

Expand Close Jess Redden's Instagram stories of their first day under hotel quarantine / Facebook

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2 weeks with no air and I cannot convey the gratitude I have for the sun on my skin this morning.

"Whatever you do today I hope it brings you even a glimmer of the abundance of joy I feel today. Lots of love, Ms Redden said on Instagram.

Jess said that arriving into Brisbane airport from Ireland was the oddest experience and she felt they were treated as if they had the plague.

"It was the oddest experience I felt like we had the plague or something!! she wrote on her stories.

"We were all transported by bus and escorted by officers (who are lovely!) they bring you to your room and guard your floor each day and night.

"Its all very well organised over here.

As for food, she explained that three meals are left outside the guests' doors daily, however, they are able to order takeaway food to their room.

As two fitness fanatics, Jess shared a video of herself running 5k in the hotel room while 34-year-old Rob used their bed as a barbell to do chest presses.

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She captioned it: Determined to stay fit and healthy in both body and mind over these 14 days.

The pharmacy student, who has currently put her studies on hold to join her fiance down under, posted a photo from City Beach yesterday in Perth captioned And Breathe.

The couple now have a month to acclimatise until Western Force kick off their Super rugby season on February 19.

(Natural News) Starting today, all air travelers going to Canada must present a negative PCR or LAMP COVID-19 test to their airline before being allowed to board their flight.

(Article by Anthony Murdoch republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

On December 31, Canadas Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced the new entry requirements for air travelers entering Canada, which take effect January 7.

Our government remains committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians. These new measures will provide another layer of protection for Canadians as we continue to assess public health risks and work to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Canada, said Garneau of the new measures.

Transport Canada originally said that should one not be able to obtain a molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test in the country he is leaving from, an airline is allowed to let a person board, but upon arrival into Canada, he must report to a government-approved COVID-19 quarantine camp and stay there for 14 days.

Persons who are travelling from a country where PCR testing is unavailable will be required to report to a designated Public Health Agency of Canada quarantine facility for the duration of their mandatory 14-day quarantine. Delays in obtaining test results does not apply, said Transport Canada.

However, a Transport Canada media relations person told LifeSiteNews that they have now provided new clarifications on this aspect in a news release and backgrounder.

Transport Canada now says that should one not be able to obtain a PCR or Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) COVID-19 test in the country they are leaving from within 72 hours of departure, this will mean an automatic denial of boarding by the airline operating the flight to Canada.

All travellers coming to Canada must present proof of a negative laboratory test result for COVID-19 to the airline prior to boarding a flight to Canada. The test must be performed using one of two types of COVID-19 tests  either a molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)  and must be conducted within 72 hours of the travellers scheduled departure to Canada, reads the clarified guidelines.

Failure to do so will mean an automatic denial of boarding by the airline operating the flight to Canada.

According to the government press release from Transport Canada, the new requirements apply to passengers who are five years of age and over, who must produce a negative PCR or LAMP test within 72 hours of departure, unless the testing is unavailable in that country.

Transport Canada says violating any instructions provided when entering Canada is an offence under the Quarantine Act and could lead to up to six months in prison and/or $750,000 in fines.

The government says the new measures are being put in place through an Emergency Order on Mandatory Isolation under the Quarantine Act.

For those who test negative, they still must complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine, and upon arrival must provide to border agents with an adequate plan for isolation to avoid infecting others, which must be electronically submitted.

The sudden change of entry requirements into Canada appeared to catch airlines off guard and has been blasted by the worlds top airline trade association, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The IATA criticized the Canadian stated the new testing requirements are the worst of both worlds as passengers still need to quarantine upon arrival.

It is both callous and impractical to impose this new requirement on travelers at such short notice. Moreover, it is completely unrealistic to mandate that airlines check passengers compliance with the new rule, as it cannot be the airlines role to determine if a passenger tried their utmost to get tested or not, said the IATA in their press release.

Canada already has one the worlds most draconian Covid-19 border-control regimes, including travel bans and quarantines. Even though COVID-19 testing is an internationally accepted risk-mitigation strategy, there are no plans to adjust the current 14-day quarantine rule nor eliminate the temperature checks airlines are required to perform on passengers wishing to travel to Canada.

The IATA went onto say that no explanation has been provided why only PCR tests are permitted, especially given they are not readily available in many countries.

While the industry for months has been calling for systematic testing to reopen borders without quarantine measures, these pleas have fallen on deaf ears, especially in Canada, said the IATA.

The organization added that the way forward is through a well-planned and coordinated introduction of testing inbound travelers, as a replacement for quarantine measures.

National Airlines Council of Canada CEO and President Mike McNaney said the sudden change in entry requirements was done without prior industry consultation.

Over the course of the pandemic, the Canadian aviation industry has been calling on the government for months to introduce a coordinated and systematic testing regime, in conjunction with industry, in order to avoid a rushed and disjointed rollout of testing requirements, said McNaney in a press release.

Todays announcement occurred without prior coordination with industry, and with many major operational and communication details still to be determined.

In the fall of 2020, the Government of Canada (GoC) solicited feedback and information from industry service providers to build Federal Quarantine/Isolation sites which could be used for other requirements besides coronavirus-imposed quarantines.

According to the government, the current sites were to be used to address the requirements for international travelers not having a suitable place to isolate.

This news prompted Randy Hillier, Independent Ontario MPP for Lanark, Frontenac & Kingston, to question why such sites were needed to be built.

Public Health Canada is currently managing sites nationwide that are designated as quarantine sites (DQS) for the COVID-19 fourteen-day quarantine, which can lodge up to 1600 travellers.

These sites are in Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Winnipeg, Regina, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Fredericton, St. Johns (Newfoundland), and Whitehorse.

Toronto Constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati was asked by LifeSiteNews about the GoCs RFI for Federal Quarantine/Isolation sites.

Galati told LifeSiteNews that straight out of the gate he predicted in one Twitter paragraph what was to come because of COVID-19.

Galati referred LifeSiteNews to a March 17, 2020 tweet he wrote shortly after the Ontario provincial government enacted COVID-19 emergency orders.

Covid19 frenzy. A waltz in the global totalitarian tip-toe to new world order. Parliament closures, Court shutdowns, soldiers out. Banking/Corporate bailouts. Facts/science do not add up. Death toll, elderly and immunocompromised victims, marginally no diff than any other flus, wrote Galati on March 17 on his Twitter page.

In recent days, several high-profile politicians have been caught red-handed after they traveled abroad over the Christmas break.

Finance minister Ontario MPP Rod Phillips recently resigned after it was discovered he traveled out of Canada for a vacation to St. Barts.

Phillipss resignation is not the only one regarding high-profile government officials in senior roles who were caught jetting off to warmer climates for Christmas vacations.

A growing list of offending politicians and senior staff members has made headlines in recent days.

Although it is technically not illegal to leave Canada to travel, the perception of an elected official doing so while telling people to stay home is seen as a double standard and hypocrisy by many Canadians.

Contact information

Minister of Transport  Marc Garneau

Parliament Hill Office

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0A6

Telephone: 613-996-7267

Fax: 613-995-8632

Email: [email protected]

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com and Pandemic.news.
(Natural News) The British Medical Association and The National Health Services (NHS) have instructed general practitioners to postpone routine checkups and administer covid-19 vaccines instead. Healthcare systems around the world have been radically transformed in 2020, as family and friends are barred from their loved ones and conditioned to believe that getting vaccinated is the only way people can make human contact again. Healthcare systems have been reorganized to reflect this belief system and the end game of coercive vaccination is here.

In the pandemonium, private healthcare has become a top-down dictatorship, as experimental injections take precedence over all other forms of healthcare. Fair and equal access to the taxpayer-funded National Health Services was disrupted in 2020, as hospitals shut down, rationed surgeries and limited access to other forms of health care. Now, the only priority for the NHS is to inoculate two million people every week, starting with healthcare workers and the most elderly.

Doctors forced to mass vaccinate people and ignore other healthcare concerns

Seniors have struggled to receive consistent care throughout 2020 and countless procedures have been postponed. Now seniors are being lumped together as a herd and told they are the first priority for experimental inoculation. This degrading form of healthcare is neglecting a multitude of health problems that seniors face, while treating them as if they do not have informed consent with the new vaccines.

The charity Cancer Research UK reports that millions of screenings were skipped in 2020, putting peoples lives at risk to health issues they didnt know they had. The Royal College of Surgeons warned that cancer operations will be postponed through most of 2021, putting cancer patients at greater risk. Oncologists estimate that the backlog of surgeries will not be cleared until the summer of 2021. In the pandemonium, hospitals have been told to cancel non-essential services. Who is to determine what health problems are essential and nonessential, as people seek medical help? How many excess deaths in 2020 were caused by delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis?

Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is the number one reason for medical malpractice claims in outpatient settings. This problem, already pervasive throughout the medical system before 2020, was made worse after hospitals shut down and restricted who could receive care. In some instances, NHS doctors were instructed NOT TO attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) orders on home patients during the initial lock downs. This inhumane enforcement admittedly caused avoidable deaths. As hospitals are locked down, many patients miss treatment opportunities, or a misdiagnosis may lead to unnecessary treatment that causes harmful side effects. Medical malpractice will continue to rise as vaccination is prioritized over important medical care.

Other health problems that have been neglected include widespread loneliness, social isolation and mental health issues which have soared in young people and led to drug and alcohol abuse and suicides. Additionally, women are discouraged from seeking medical help during the lock downs. This led to the doubling of still births during the height of the lock downs. These problems and so much more will be repeated as doctors are instructed to de-prioritize all other healthcare so they can push out vaccines for the drug companies.

For more on this mass vaccination experiment, read Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

MDLinx.com

Breitbart.com
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Australia is a signatory, provides for all persons to have freedom of opinion, expression and the right to seek information.

Such freedoms, however, are not absolute. They carry duties and responsibilities on the part of the individual, responsibilities that are essential to ensure the rights of others are not trampled, to ensure public safety and national security.

In turn, the High Court has said that the freedom of speech afforded by the nations Constitution is limited to "what is necessary for the effective operation of that system of representative and responsible government" outlined in the Constitution.

As such, our freedom of communication does not miraculously liberate speech or expression. It does not protect people who utter defamatory statements, for example, and in recent years specific laws have been introduced outlawing hate speech, racial vilification and more. Any limits to free speech should be carefully considered. We can, and should, debate where to draw the line and ask the broad question about how much control social media companies should have over public discourse. Nevertheless, limits do exist.

Nor is our freedom of communication an explicit right, unlike in the United States where it is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Even then, the US has limitations on freedom of speech. In 1969, after the Ku Klux Klan urged supporters to march on states Congresses, the US Supreme Court avowed freedom of speech could be curtailed "where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action".
Businesses yesterday called for tougher lockdown measures, with some going as far as proposing a long curfew spanning from 6 p.m to 6 a.m.

The curfew now starts at 9 p.m. and goes till 5 a.m. Businesses also called on the Government to free up the importation of Covid-19 vaccines to allow private sector participation and to allow people to travel overseas to get vaccinated.
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[January 12, 2021] L3Harris Technologies Demonstrates Antenna Technology for US Space Force Satellite Communications

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has successfully completed a technology demonstration, under a Defense Innovation Unit prototype contract, for the U.S. Space Force satellite communication system to improve communications with the agency's growing number of satellites. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005106/en/ L3Harris developed a Multi-Band Multi-Mission (MBMM) phased array ground antenna system and integrated it with the Space Force's Satellite Communication Network system in order to demonstrate multiple simultaneous satellite contacts. (Graphic: Business Wire) L3Harris developed a Multi-Band Multi-Mission (MBMM) phased array ground antenna system and integrated it with the Space Force's Satellite Communication Network system in order to demonstrate multiple simultaneous satellite contacts. Traditional parabolic or radio antennas can contact only one satellite at a time. The MBMM system's all-digital architecture established 16 simultaneous contacts during the demonstration. The system can scale up to support hundreds of concurrent satelliteconnections from a single phased array antenna system, reducing the physical footprint needed for ground antennas and lowering the infrastructure cost per satellite contact.



"L3Harris developed an all-digital phased array antenna technology to meet the enormous ground system capacity demands created by the increasing number of satellite missions," said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. "This successful demonstration from L3Harris readies our nation with a capable and affordable advanced satellite communications approach today for the further proliferation of satellites in the near future." The L3Harris demonstration successfully confirmed live contacts with Space Force satellites across multiple orbital regimes at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.

"The MBMM demonstrations were a complete success that showcased the advancements in phased array technology and relevance for satellite command and control with live DOD systems. It has reinvigorated interest in the MBMM program as a key part of the overall space architecture," said Col. Wallace "Rhett" Turnbull III, Director, Cross Mission Ground and Communications Enterprise, Space and Missile Systems Center. "Capabilities like those recently demonstrated may play an important role in meeting the growing demand for satellite control capacity by providing more affordable and resilient access to Space Force satellite systems." L3Harris performed the successful demonstration with support from Kratos (News - Alert) Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. and Mercury Systems. About L3Harris Technologies L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers' mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $18 billion in annual revenue and 48,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries. L3Harris.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are 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. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about system capabilities are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. L3Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005106/en/

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VIRGINIA  Authorities have identified two women who died Sunday in a shooting at a Virginia residence.

Kathleen G. Wzientek, 68, and Brenda G. Crum, 64, died at the scene, according to the Cass County Sheriffs Department. Deputies were called to 140 S. East St. about 1 p.m. Sunday for a report of a shooting.

A man was found injured. His identity was not being released Monday afternoon.

Robert D. Harris, 71, of Virginia was arrested by Illinois Conservation Police in rural Morgan County late Sunday. He is being held in the Morgan County jail awaiting formal charges by the Cass County States Attorneys Office.

The shooting remains under investigation by Illinois State Police and Cass County Sheriffs Department with assistance from Illinois Conservation Police, Beardstown Police and Virginia Police.

 Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AXA XL's US marine team announced the addition of Brett Musser as the Central US Zonal Marine Product Leader. Based in Chicago, Mr. Musser will also serve as Marine Liabilities Product Manager, focused on developing tailored insurance solutions for specialized marine businesses.

Commenting on the appointment, AXA XL's Global Chief Underwriting Officer for Marine, Ann Marie Elder said, "The Central region of the US, including Chicago and the Great Lakes region, is a very active region for the marine industry. To help us serve our existing clients and take advantage of growth opportunities in the region, we're excited to see Brett join our team. Brett's Hull and Liabilities experience and his relationships with independent agents will be critical as we look to develop and deliver insurance solutions tailored to meet the marine industry's unique and challenging risks."

Mr. Musser joins AXA XL from CNA where he was an Ocean Marine Zone/Product Director and successfully built out a national Marina & Boat Dealer program. He brings more than 15 years of marine underwriting experience to AXA XL's US marine team.

"Meeting the insurance needs of many specialized classes of marine business requires industry experience and technical underwriting skill," added Stephen Clark, Head of Hull & Liabilities in North America. "Brett brings a solid track record in building profitable books of marine business."

AXA XL's Global Marine business provides insurance for clients with special coverage needs for their marine exposures, including Inland Marine, Ocean Cargo, Blue and Brown Water Hull, P&I, as well as Excess and Primary Marine Liabilities. Risks are written on both a primary and an excess of loss basis.

Follow AXA XL on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

ABOUT AXA XL

AXA XL, the property & casualty and specialty risk division of AXA, provides insurance and risk management products and services for mid-sized companies through to large multinationals, and reinsurance solutions to insurance companies globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com

ABOUT AXA XL INSURANCE

AXA XL Insurance offers property, casualty, professional, financial lines and specialty insurance solutions to mid-sized companies through to large multinationals globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com

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Australia will not achieve herd immunity by relying on the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, experts have warned, leaving the country at risk of rolling coronavirus epidemics that will prevent us from returning to normal life.

The government has ordered 53.8 million doses of the vaccine developed with Oxford University, with jabs set to be administered from March.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly declared there will be enough jabs to 'vaccinate the entire population of Australia twice'.

But doctors are concerned the nation is 'short-changing itself' by leaning too heavily on the AstraZeneca option in its coronavirus response.

Trials show the vaccine has a much lower efficacy than the Pfizer and Moderna jabs already in use in countries including the United Kingdom and United States.

Dr Andrew Miller, the head of Australian Medical Association in Western Australia, urged the government to hit pause on nation's vaccine rollout plan and re-assess its plans, as it will be too late to correct course once jabs start to be administered.

Medical experts are concerned Australia is relying too heavily on the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as it has a lower efficacy than the Pfizer and Moderna jabs. Pictured, a general view of analytical chemists at AstraZeneca's headquarters in Sydney

Dr Andrew Miller (pictured), the head of Australian Medical Association in Western Australia, said Australia was unlikely to get herd immunity by simply relying on the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

'With the AstraZeneca vaccine, on current data, if we rely on that vaccine we're not going to get to herd immunity,' Dr Miller told The Australian.

'Current expectation is we're going to be able to get back to normal life, but if we don't get herd immunity there's no guarantee that we won't have rolling epidemics.'

Dr Miller said it was important to get the vaccine strategy right because once an individual is inoculated with one vaccine, they may not be able to have another.

AstraZeneca's vaccine has a 62 per cent efficacy rate, compared to Moderna's 94 per cent and Pfizer's 95 per cent.

The United Kingdom, United States, France and Israel are among the countries already administering Pfizer and Moderna jabs.

None of the vaccines have yet been proven to stop transmission of coronavirus but instead were designed to prevent the most serious symptoms.

Experts say herd immunity would more likely be achieved in Australia with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has flagged the possibility that it may be a legal requirement for certain types of people to get the Covid-19 jab

Michelle Ananda-Rajah, an infectious diseases physician and professor at Monash University, said Australia was 'short-changing itself' with the AstraZeneca push.

'Here we have the opportunity to do that because we have two highly efficacious vaccines at our disposal, Pfizer and the Moderna, and we have a population that more or less is willing to be vaccinated,' she said.

She noted herd immunity was the prize and Australia 'should be going for broke'.

Appearing on Today on Wednesday morning, Professor Ananda-Rajah said the AstraZeneca - and all vaccines - are safe but Australia needs the most effective jabs.

'We have a window of opportunity to get this right and make sure we rollout the most effective vaccines for Australians,' she said.

'Otherwise we're potentially living with rolling epidemics and ongoing outbreaks and restrictions and that is not the expectation of the community.'

'The community expect that this vaccination program is going to deliver them some semblance of normality.'

The head of the biosecurity program at the University of NSW's Kirby Institute, Raina MacIntyre, said the virus would still be circulating in the community even if everyone is vaccinated because of the lower efficacy rate.

The Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology has also called on the government to pause the rollout of AstraZeneca.

'The AstraZeneca vaccine is not one I would be deploying widely, because of that lower efficacy,' Immunology society president Professor Stephen Turner told Sydney Morning Herald.

'You cannot rely on it to establish herd immunity.

'Given we have fantastic vaccines against this, I think it would be wise to not rely on the AstraZeneca vaccine for controlling the virus in Australia.'

Professor Turner said AstraZeneca could be used as a tool to 'blunt the effect of Covid' until the other vaccines can be used.

Alex Morton, 27, receives her Covid-19 vaccine along with other health and social care workers in Newcastle, England last week

EFFICACY RATES AstraZeneca 62 per cent Moderna 94 per cent Pfizer 95 per cent Advertisement

On Tuesday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said they are listening to Australian medical experts.

'They are the ones choosing the vaccines. They have chosen on the basis an mRNA vaccine has never ever been done before for anything,' he said.

'There is a very strong history of different types of conventional vaccine being rolled out with high effectiveness. It's important to note that the results also show up to 90 per cent effectiveness more generally, with final results to come. And up to 100 per cent in relation to severe illness.'

Professor Kelly called for patience on Wednesday morning, telling Sunrise he is waiting for the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) evaluation.

'I will say this: people should be wary about making statements especially in relation to incomplete data,' Professor Kelly said.

'Most importantly, we are waiting for the TGA, the independent regulator, to make their full assessment of the data, not just one paper on December 8.'

The 62 per cent efficacy rate are interim results from the phase three trials, he said.

'There will be more results from more data that the TGA will look at,' Professor Kelly said.

'One thing is clear from those interim results is that this vaccine is very effective against severe disease.

'Just exactly the same as the Pfizer and Moderna data.'

Professor Kelly said the downside of the Pfizer vaccine is that it needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees.

'They are both effective vaccines and again we will be waiting for the TGA to make their full assessment on quality, safety and efficacy and that's when we will use them,' he said.

'The choice of the vaccines was based on the best medical advice that we had last year. We had to take a chance, in a sense, about several vaccines. We picked a [diverse] portfolio.

'There's enough to vaccinate the entire population of Australia twice.'

The vaccine will be rolled out in five stages. Quarantine and border workers, frontline health workers and aged care staff and residents will be first

WHO WILL BE VACCINATED FIRST? The vaccines will be rolled out in five stages. Quarantine and border workers, frontline health workers and aged care staff and residents will be first. Next will be anyone over 70 years old, other healthcare workers, people with medical conditions, emergency service workers, some high-risk workers like meat processing workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are over 55. After that, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 to 54 will get the jab, as well as Aussies over 50 and other high-risk workers. Advertisement

Medical experts are also reportedly fuming the Pfizer vaccine has not been granted emergency approval by the government like in other countries.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration is not due to approve the vaccine until later this month.

The government is then expecting begin administering the vaccine in mid-February.

The American company ships the vaccine two weeks after approval and then another week will be spent testing the batch when it arrives in Australia.

The vials will then be sent to hospitals around the nation.

Hotel quarantine workers, healthcare workers and aged care staff and residents will be vaccinated first.

Elderly people, indigenous Australians over 55, people with clinical conditions and high-risk workers will be next.

Despite repeatedly insisting that a Covid-19 vaccine will be voluntary, Prime Minister Scott Morrison flagged the possibility that it may be a legal requirement for certain types of people to get the jab.

Initially, between 30 and 50 hospitals will be used as hubs to distribute the Pfizer vaccine.

A healthcare worker holds a vial of the AstraZeneca coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine at the Pentland Medical Practice in Currie, Scotland last week

WHICH VACCINES HAS AUSTRALIA SECURED? Pfizer: Due to arrive early 2021, but is already being rolled out in countries such as the UK. Australia secured a deal for 10 million doses, if it proves safe and effective and is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Each person would need two doses, meaning Australia's initial order would only cover five million Australians. Novavax: Australia has ordered 51 million doses but it is still in the trial phase. University of Oxford/AstraZeneca: There have been 53.8 million million doses secured for Australia, which are expected to be administered from March. University of Queensland: Australia had ordered 51 million doses. However, the deal has been scrapped after trial participants returned false positive results for HIV. Advertisement

Then general practice clinics, existing Commonwealth GP respiratory clinics and a number of other state run vaccination clinics will be used.

Each person will receive two jabs of the same vaccine about a month apart.

Mr Morrison is targeting 80,000 vaccinations a week in February and wants this number to rapidly increase to issue four million jabs by the end of March.

The Pfizer jab is much more difficult to distribute because it must be stored at -70C so the AstraZeneca jab will be the one distributed to remote populations.

The prime minister said he and Mr Hunt will get the vaccine on TV early to improve public confidence.

'It's important for public confidence for leaders around the country and I'll make myself available to do that. I've had no discussion with the premiers but I'm sure they would as well,' he said.

The government expects regulators to approve the AstraZeneca vaccine and roll it out in March.

Imported doses will initially be used before Australia begins producing its own vials at the CSL factory in Melbourne.

The government expects every Australian who wants a jab to get one by October.

But Mr Morrison said Covid safe practices will continue throughout 2021 even with the vaccine.

'Vaccination is not a silver bullet Covid safe practices do not end, they continue,' Mr Morrison said this month.

'Covid safe practices will be a 2021 lived experience. It will still be a fight over the course of 2021 but this will add a very significant further defence and offence I should in combatting the virus around the world.'

Mr Morrison said the Theraputic Goods Administration was working overtime to approve the vaccines but was not cutting any corners.
Sydney University has major concerns about the extra land near the entrance to Western Sydney Airport that the government plans to compulsorily acquire from it for construction of a train line.

The $11 billion train line from St Marys to Bringelly will cut through the properties of both the university and large Sydney developer Roy Medich at the northern end of the airport. Their properties neighbour each other at the "northern gateway" to the international airport.

Major earthworks are under way at the site of Western Sydney Airport. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The Mediches are also pushing for a reversal of a decision not to build a train station on their 343-hectare property, as well as seeking changes to the planned road and rail corridors in the area. They argue in a submission on the rail project the corridors will create "isolated pockets of land that will be difficult to develop".

Land belonging to the Mediches and the university's McGarvie-Smith Farm on Elizabeth Drive are among 61 properties that will be fully or partially acquired for the Sydney Metro Greater West rail line. Eleven will also be leased temporarily along the 23-kilometre rail corridor.
See related stories ROME, JAN 12 - Agriculture Minister Teresa Bellanova said Tuesday that Premier Giuseppe Conte was to blame if the government is on the brink of crisis not her Italian Viva (IV) party. "IV are certainly not the ones holding the country hostage," Bellanova told La7 television. "Keeping on with threats does not help anyone. "We never said 'Conte or nothing'. Conte is the one holding his majority (in parliament) hostage. "It is necessary to acknowledge that a phase is over and it is necessary to see if it is possible to open a new path of rewriting the (government) programme". (ANSA).
Two Canadian premiers, Manitobas Brian Pallister and Albertas Jason Kenney, are having a tough time in this pandemic season. Both provincial leaders have received poor marks from their people in public opinion surveys.

Two Canadian premiers, Manitobas Brian Pallister and Albertas Jason Kenney, are having a tough time in this pandemic season. Both provincial leaders have received poor marks from their people in public opinion surveys.

Other premiers have fared much better. Blaine Higgs in New Brunswick won re-election Sept. 14 on the strength of his pandemic management. British Columbias John Horgan and Saskatchewans Scott Moe, encouraged by the New Brunswick result, won re-election in late October before the virus experience turned alarming.

Quebecs Francois Legault, whose anti-COVID-19 measures have achieved less than any other Canadian province, seems to be riding high in local popularity. Ontarios Doug Ford, whose pandemic control measures have not worked well, has been losing favour lately.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney aroused public anger after Christmas when it emerged that some of his colleagues had defied public-health warnings to stay home. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files)

Mr. Pallister believed in early December that his people thought ill of him because he was doing an excellent job, taking the tough but unpopular decisions that kept the public safe. In fact, he allowed COVID-19 to spread rapidly in October and early November. Severe restrictions imposed in November curtailed spread of the virus.

Both Mr. Pallister and Mr. Kenney aroused public anger after Christmas when it emerged that their close colleagues had defied public-health warnings to stay home. Both premiers immediately forgave their colleagues.

Mr. Pallister urged compassion toward David McLaughlin, Clerk of the Executive Council, because Mr. McLaughlin had taken care to avoid infection when he spent two weeks with his family in Ottawa. He declined to find fault with James Teitsma for a nine-day road trip across the West because the Radisson MLA is a loving father.

Mr. Kenney likewise at first forgave his chief of staff, his municipal affairs minister and five government backbenchers for their Christmas vacations in Hawaii, Mexico and other warm places. His well of forgiveness ran dry, however, when he glanced out the palace window, figuratively speaking, and saw the flaming torches of the enraged mob climbing the hill with pitchforks.

The gallivanting Alberta public officials have all been officially punished since then, but the political damage to Mr. Kenney has already been done. Nathan Cooper, government MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills and Speaker of the Alberta Legislature, told his electors in a weekend circular the scandal should be a great embarrassment to the premier and his government.

Premier Brian Pallister said Manitobans should feel compassion for David McLaughlin (above), whose family doesn't live in the province with him. (Colin Corneau / Brandon Sun files)

Mr. Cooper wrote: "The hypocrisy of this scandal has clearly undermined this governments moral authority, and while these senior officials have now been sanctioned, the government now faces an uphill battle in rebuilding the public trust that has been lost.

A similar uphill battle faces Manitobas ruling Conservatives. Mr. Pallister and his inner circle may take comfort in telling themselves they are suffering condemnation on account of their superior virtue and their courage in making tough choices. The people, however, are not such fools as Mr. Pallister imagines.

Forgiveness and compassion are excellent qualities, but clarity of thought is also important. A premier needs to maintain his governments moral authority, as Mr. Cooper told the people of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. You dont maintain moral authority by defending office-holders who openly scorn public-health warnings and by keeping them in office.

The health and the wealth of Manitobans will be sorely tried in the coming months before vaccines bring widespread protection from COVID-19. Mr. Pallister, who likes to play "stern dad," might be well advised to take a cue from his Alberta counterparts travails and do a little less "kind uncle" with the colleagues who undermine public trust in the government.

People who lived in the vast mountains of Wuwei, northwestern China's Gansu province, never imagined that someday they could move into a new world. Their lives have totally changed - from the houses they live in, to the food they eat, the jobs they do, and the money they earn.

In the past, residents had to drink unfiltered water from the well; but now they use water from the taps. Before, there were muddy and rugged roads in the mountains; but now there are wide and clean roads, and the traffic is convenient.

Good living like a decent house and stable income was once beyond Wang Peijie's imaginations, but it has been turned into reality.

Wang used to live in an isolated village deep in the mountains, where the land was rigid and the roads were rough. Good harvests were rare, and the family's income was unsatisfying and their lives difficult.

The harvest of potatoes was all decided by the weather. Wang's family had a piece of land covering over 20 mu (1.33 hectares). They could barely get by with the money they earned, though they worked hard enough to farm the land. The house they lived in for several decades had several cracks, but they just covered them with a layer of thin mud to save repair costs.

Thanks to China's poverty reduction policies, Wang's family moved in early 2019 to Kangning New Village in Gulang county of Wuwei, a village built by the government to relocate people from nearby inhospitable areas. Wang paid 10,000 yuan for a flat of over 100 square meters. The new village has everything in it, such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets, and common areas. Life here is convenient. "We have never seen and even thought of these before," said Wang when he first moved into the village.

From 2001 to 2019, 181,500 people have been relocated from the mountains in Wuwei and started their new lives.

Moving out of the mountains was just the first step to ending poverty. Residents are creating better lives with their own hands. Follow-up support from the government has also provided benefits to those residents.



New accommodation means new jobs. Local government helped Wang to build a greenhouse and a livestock shelter. The facilities are run by leading companies, and Wang can earn dividends of 3,000 yuan every year.

The government also arranged a job of forestry protector for Wang shortly after he moved into the new house. Wang's son drives the ambulance for a nearby hospital. The whole family can earn a salary of 30,000 yuan in total. The government also provides subsidies of 20,000 yuan for Wang's family each year, according to deputy head of township Feng Kun.

The government has spent much in developing industries, Feng said. More than 2,500 greenhouses have already been built in the relocated areas. Various jobs are available for villagers like positions in special factories for poverty reduction and public services.

Sitting inside his warm house, Wang made plans for the future. "Once our livestock shelter is finished, I would like to raise some sheep because the price of mutton is good and the income must be great."

Many other residents have similar plans. In Fumin New Village, another relocation place, a couple busied themselves in a winter shelter for sheep. "We have raised 200 sheep and managed three greenhouses," said Zhang Baixiu. Every day at 7 a.m., she and her husband rush to the shed and feed the sheep, then go to the greenhouses to take care of the vegetables. At lunchtime, they rush back home to eat and bring water to the sheep. "Now the policies are favorable, and our lives are full of hope," said Zhong Huakui, Zhang's husband.

Breeding and planting are leading industries in Fumin New Village, and other jobs are also provided. Therefore, residents here can rest assured and make a good living.

An agricultural company has constructed a demonstration base here and planted tomatoes, cucumbers, muskmelons, and color peppers. Through technological training, poverty-stricken farmers have constructed 220 greenhouses and are sure to have satisfying income.

In Wuwei, the secret to a happy life is simple: comfortable houses and fulfilling work.
Wayne Lineker has revealed he's been hospitalised after undergoing surgery on his shoulder following a drunken injury.

The entrepreneur, 58, took to Instagram from his hospital bed as he began his lengthy recovery back in London, after leaving doctors baffled with the extent of the 'traumatic' injury to his shoulder following a night out in Ibiza.

Wayne joked that it may be time to 'slow down' as he struggled to remember how he sustained the injury but vowed to be back to his feet in no time after six weeks of rehabilitation.

Ouch! Wayne Lineker has revealed he's been hospitalised after undergoing surgery on his shoulder following a drunken injury

Wayne shared a snap of his bandaged shoulder from his hospital bed after the major surgery, alongside the X-Ray of his shoulder.

The Celebs Go Dating star said he'd be spending at least six weeks recovering, meaning it would be a while before he could get back in the gym.

He wrote: 'So I had an operation today ffs lol I have had a full shoulder replacement... Thanks to one of the leading shoulder specialists in the UK, Dr Wallace, I will be up and running in no time.

'This is the 2nd operation I have had, the first was to replace my bicep sockets that came away and attempt to stitch up the long tear in my rotator cuff. 6 weeks rehab now before I can hit the gym again...

Ouch! The entrepreneur began his lengthy recovery, after leaving doctors baffled with the 'traumatic' injury to his shoulder following a night out in Ibiza (pictured there)

Getting there! Wayne joked that it may be time to 'slow down' as he struggled to remember how he sustained the injury

Revealing he'd been suffering with the effects of his injury for the past 18 months before finally having surgery, Wayne added: 'After my original first consultation Dr Wallace asked me how on earth did I do this huge trauma to my shoulder.

'I said, 'I have no idea. I woke up hungover in Ibiza one day after a big day and night at Ocean and Hi for glitterbox  (August 2019) and couldn't lift my arm up''

'He went on ''but Wayne I'm sorry, but surely you remember what happened? Did you have a car accident or fall off a cliff or get run over by bus?'' I said ''Sorry I just don't recall I have absolutely no idea.''

'His reply was just one word 'REMARKABLE.'' Note to self, maybe it's time to slow down a little now, more importantly lesson to self. Stop being a f*****g idiot!! slide to see what my shoulder now looks like #onlyme #sillyboy #remarkable.'

Determined: The Celebs Go Dating vowed he'd be back on his feet in no time as he began six weeks of rehabilitation

Luckily Wayne didn't seem to have much time left in his hospital bed, as he shared a snap of himself on Stories with the caption: 'Pick me up from the hospital on Thursday please.'

Wayne, who owns several bars in Ibiza, received a slew of comments from stars who were no stranger to his star-studded haunts.

They included his Celebs Go Dating co-star Curtis Pritchard, who wrote: '@waynelineker @tomzanettitz double stroked up with a new shoulder now. All I can say is your a legend !!! Hope your feeling alright sending all my love.'

Love Island's Marcel Somerville added: 'Speedy recovery bro.'

Taxi! Luckily Wayne didn't seem to have much time left in his hospital bed, as he shared a snap of himself on Stories with the caption: 'Pick me up from the hospital on Thursday please'

Katie Salmon added: 'Get better soon my lovely sending you healing and love.'

Wayne is set to star on the upcoming series of Celebs Go Dating, alongside Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry, Strictly Come Dancing runner up Karim Zeroual, and former Coronation Street star Kimberly Hart-Simpson.

Father-of-four Wayne has been married once and has had several girlfriends, but is thought to have been single since his split from ex-fiancee Danielle Sandhu, 28.

The business mogul has three sons, Duane, Sean, Freddie, and a daughter named Tia from his first marriage.

In 2016, he announced that he became a grandfather for the first time to his son's daughter, Myla, four.

In September Wayne also sparked attention from his baffled fans when he revealed his oddly specific requirements for a girlfriend, including which included, giving up her career, being able to cook and loving R&B music.
Jessie Cave has discussed her baby son Abraham's COVID-19 battle and her relief that she took him to hospital as soon as he became unwell.

The actress' youngest child, three months, was discharged from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital last week, two days after the thespian, 33, confirmed his diagnosis.

Appearing on Tuesday's Lorraine, she said: 'Were fine, were doing well, were much better' before discussing the onset of the deadly virus on her baby.

She said: 'Its the most contagious thing. I was completely symptomless so its bizarre. He was completely fine, almost two weeks later, he suddenly turned. With newborns, you have to be so hyper aware of every single symptom.

Update: Jessie Cave has discussed her baby son Abraham's COVID-19 battle and her relief that she took him to hospital as soon as he became unwell

Jessie was gravely concerned by the change in Abraham's behaviour and rushed him to hospital.

She continued: 'Within a day, he wasnt feeding as much, his cry was different, it was like a different baby. I just went into A&E.

'Everyone has to be so aware of a quick change because it could have been very different if I hadnt gone in.

'Everyone is so scared right now, understandably. For children, its not as overwhelming for adults. You have to be so quick to go in and dont be scared of going in. Dont wait basically, go.'

Tough times: The actress' youngest child, three months, was discharged from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital last week, two days after the thespian, 33, confirmed his diagnosis

'Nothing has gone to plan which I guess everyone can relate to this year but it was scary stuff. He was in the neo-natal unit after a quick labour.

'Its just been, hes 11 weeks now, and I just couldnt believe it when we found out. Its been such a strange period of time for everyone but very scary.'

'The other thing is with this stage of newborn their immune system is so weak, and so anything can have a really bad consequences. Thats why they treated it so seriously.

'Even my breastfeeding was affected by this. Because of the stress, my milk dried up a bit and I had to give him formula. Our lives have completely changed. Just two nights can affect your life.'

Giving an update on Abraham's recovery at home, she said: 'Hes OK, hes doing much better now. Its bizarre how it didnt affect me but its completely affected him. Its a lottery really.'

The mum-of-three is now quarantining apart from partner Alfie Brown and their two other children amid Abraham's recovery.

Recovery: Appearing on Tuesday's Lorraine, she said: 'Were fine, were doing well, were much better' before discussing the onset of the deadly virus on her baby'

The star said Abraham's diagnosis had given her a wake-up call and made her respect just how 'dangerous' COVID-19 is.

She said: 'My brother is an A&E doctor and my dad runs a vaccination hub and listening to them, its amazing how worse it is this time.

'I think weve all got relaxed in a way because were so used to lockdown. Its a new chapter for me.

Hospital: She said: 'Everyone has to be so aware of a quick change because it could have been very different if I hadnt gone in'

'I have so much respect for how dangerous it is, not that I didnt before, but when it happens to you, it becomes so real and scary. People said to me, I didnt think babies can get it, it absolutely can affect anyone.'

Jessie shared a sweet snap of her son Abraham to Instagram on Sunday evening as he recovers from coronavirus.

In the cute image, the three-month-old flashed a wide smile as he sported his mother's huge red sunglasses while relaxing on a changing mat.

The actress' youngest child was discharged from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital earlier this week, two days after the thespian, 33, confirmed her baby's diagnosis.

Recovery: Jessie shared a sweet snap of Abraham to Instagram on Sunday evening as he recovers from coronavirus

Little Abraham looked adorable in a white and grey bodysuit as he gazed at his doting parent.

In another photo, the artist's daughter Margot, four, sweetly planted a kiss on her younger sibling's cheek.

Cartoonist Jessie has Abraham, Margot and son Donnie, six with comedian partner Alfie Brown.

Adorable: In the cute image, the baby flashed a smile as he sported his mother's huge red sunglasses while relaxing on a changing mat

Doting sister: In another photo, the artist's daughter Margot, four, sweetly planted a kiss on her younger sibling's cheek

On Thursday, the London native revealed Abraham had been sent home as she shared a series of images from his stay in hospital, including her diary of his sleep and his bandaged arm.

Jessie shared her thankful note alongside the images, writing: 'Baby is home now. Thank you for all the well wishes and messages of support. Be safe everybody amazing care from everybody at Chelsea & Westminster'.

The film star previously confirmed her baby was 'okay and doing well' having been stricken with the 'powerful and contagious' strain of the virus.

Jessie was doting on Abraham in the snap as she shared the news with her 162,000 Instagram followers that he was now at home.

Home again: On Thursday, the London native expressed her gratitude towards the NHS for their help after her little one was released from hospital

In the images she posted, she showed the bed she had been given next to his hospital cot, his sterilised bottles, her various creams and a video of Abraham.

On Tuesday morning, the actress shared a snap of her baby in a hospital cot in an isolated room, with an iPad playing Boris Johnson's national address announcing lockdown in the forefront in her initial announcement.

In her caption, Jessie - who has Abraham, son Donnie, five, and daughter Margot, three, with comedian Alfie Brown - confirmed her baby is 'okay and doing well' having been stricken with the 'super powerful and contagious' strain of the virus.

London-based Jessie welcomed Abraham in October and the newborn spent the first days of his life in the neo-natal unit following her 'terrifying and humbling' pregnancy, before being discharged in November.

Having left the hospital in November, Jessie was back with her youngest after he contracted the new strain of the virus.

Her strong boy: The media personality shared a series of images from his stay in hospital

Temporary lodging: The film star also posted a picture of the bed she was given in the hospital next to her son

Notes: Jessie kept a feeding diary for her son

A caption alongside the shot read: 'I watched the news about lockdown from an isolated room in hospital. Poor baby is covid positive.

'He's okay and doing well but they are being vigilant and cautious, thankfully...

'This strain is super powerful and contagious so I do hope that people take extra care in the coming weeks.

'Really didn't want this to be the start of my families new year. Really didn't want to be back in a hospital so soon after his traumatic birth...

'Once again I'm in awe of nurses and doctors. It makes me even more proud of my brother, a&e doctor and my father, king GP...

Tough times: The doodlist previously confirmed her baby was 'okay and doing well' having been stricken with the 'powerful and contagious' strain of the virus

'Please wish baby a speedy recovery': She asked for well wishes from her followers as she confirmed he tested positive for the virus

'Please wish baby a speedy recovery. He's 9llbs 7 now so he's a stronger and bigger boy than he was when we were last in a hospital room (and the needle went into his hand with louder more powerful screams) Love and best wishes to everyone'.

She later took to Instagram stories to share more snaps from inside the hospital, including stethoscope hanging over the bed, a breakfast of Cornflakes and juice and a sweet image of Abraham.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Jessie for comment.

It is not yet clear whether any other members of her family have been infected.

In her caption, Jessie praised her father David Lloyd, who is a GP, and her brother Robbie Lloyd - an A&E doctor. She grew up in London and attended Hammersmith's Latymer Upper School. The family still live in the capital.

In November, research found that newborn babies are very unlikely to become severely ill with Covid-19, with researchers also concluding that the chances of a baby catching the virus from their infected mother is very slim.

Babies and COVID-19 Although rare, children under one are at higher risk of severe illness with COVID-19 than older children. This is due to their immature immune systems and smaller airways, which make them more likely to develop issues with respiratory virus infections. Newborns can become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 during childbirth or by exposure to sick caregivers after delivery. Research shows that only about 2% to 5% of infants born to women with COVID-19 near time of delivery test positive for the virus in the days after birth Infants who have COVID-19 or who can't be tested due to a lack of availability and have no symptoms might be discharged from the hospital, depending on the circumstances. It's recommended that the baby's caregivers wear face masks and wash their hands to protect themselves. Frequent follow-up with the baby's health care provider is needed  by phone, virtual visits or in-office visits  for 14 days. Infants who test negative for COVID-19 can be sent home from the hospital. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

Just 66 babies out of 118,000 born in the UK between March and April, at the peak of the first wave, caught the illness in their first month of life  the equivalent of one in 1,785 births or 0.06 per cent.

Imperial College London researchers revealed the extremely low risk Covid-19 posed to infants after sifting through births between March and April registered by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU).

Of the babies that got the disease 28 were classed as severely ill and suffered a high temperature, breathing problems, or bouts of coughing or vomiting.

Whirlwind: Jessie famously became pregnant with her first child after a one-night stand with her on-off partner in 2014 (pictured with their kids Donnie, six, and Margot, four)

Between six and 30 per cent of newborns need to be admitted to intensive care for specialist treatment with other respiratory illnesses, studies have showed.

In October, when announcing Abraham's arrival, Jessie posted a picture of herself breastfeeding and revealed he's 'in the neo natal unit but he's a strong boy'.

Earlier this year, stand-up star Alfie revealed he and Jessie rekindled their relationship after splitting up when Margot was only 10 weeks old.

Together again: Earlier this year, stand-up star Alfie revealed he and Jessie rekindled their relationship after splitting up when Margot was only 10 weeks old

On maintaining a healthy work-life balance, the actress told Bustle in 2018: 'I learned pretty early on you can't do much work with children around.

'When they were babies maybe, but now they don't sleep so I'm basically on my feet the entire day. My mum is brilliant; she helps me most days.

'And, actually, up until a few weeks ago I was living with her and my sister. My partner Alfie and I split up when Margot was only 10 weeks old.'

The cartoonist, who juggles her stand-up and acting career with her successful 'doodle' company, famously became pregnant with her first child after a one-night stand with her on-off partner in 2014.


INDUSTRY INSIGHT

The evolving threat of ransomware: Beware of cyber extortion in 2021

2020 was characterized by change, and unfortunately cybersecurity threats have been a part of that as organizations everywhere face a constantly shifting set of risks. Take ransomware, where threat actors have widened their focus from merely encrypting data before demanding a ransom to far more sophisticated extortion campaigns.

By exfiltrating data during an attack and making a copy offsite, threat actors can leak sensitive data into the public domain or unleash smear campaigns to demand payment. In early 2020, Travelex, then the worlds largest currency dealer, found itself the subject of a very public cyber extortion campaign. Attackers took advantage of a vulnerability in its systems to extract data and then demanded $6 million for its release. When Travelex declined to pay, 5GB of data was released online, including financial and personally identifiable information.

As the company battled the technology and operational impact of the attack, its normal business functions were disrupted for a month, and eventually, Travelex reportedly paid $2.3 million to its attackers. The incident was later described as a contributing factor to major financial challenges that forced the business to restructure in August with the loss of 1,300 jobs.

And herein lies a crucial point that should continue to influence the cybersecurity strategy of every organization reliant on highly connected digital systems and infrastructure. Ransomware in its current form presents an existential threat that can throw healthy and effective agencies into turmoil without warning.

This type of extortion is not the only tactical shift at play. Whereas the activation of ransomware was once primarily an exercise in distribution to the widest possible audience, bad actors are now targeting their attacks against those whose data is considered more valuable, or for whom the reputational damage will be most severe and who are therefore more likely to pay the ransom --hospitals, for example.

This plays to the extortion model, and criminals will study potential victims individually and in great detail to understand the potential for mounting a successful attack and what they stand to gain. Ransomware is big business, and as such, criminal organizations are applying business principles to their target markets. The potential for ROI now plays a role in who gets attacked and when.

New threats require an intelligent response

For a security operations perspective, a big part of the challenge lies in detecting and investigating potential ransomware attacks using indicators of compromise, such as suspicious and/or blacklisted IP addresses, known phishing URLs and malicious file signatures. However, with new ransomware strains and techniques appearing all the time, security teams face a constantly moving target. The problem is, once an organization becomes a victim of ransomware, its security operation center (SOC) is unable to rely on IOCs alone to accurately identify the scope of the attack as it progresses throughout the network.

Instead, security teams need tools to identify key techniques used by ransomware attackers that will reveal a holistic picture of an attack. Remediation increasingly depends on an ability to quickly see if a user has been compromised by identifying never before seen files or executables or by unusual activity compared to normal behavior. By automatically assembling events mapped to MITRE tactics such as lateral movement, inhibiting system recovery, command and control, privilege escalation, credential switches and more, ransomware can be identified and blocked before any data is encrypted or exfiltrated.

The growing sophistication of ransomware attacks also means security teams must turn to automation to more effectively respond to and contain risk. While separate security tools such as intrusion detection systems, firewalls and endpoint security are helpful in preventing initial infection, once these defenses are penetrated, security teams are often left urgently managing different products while in the teeth of an attack. As a result, precious time is lost while the ransomware makes its way further down the attack chain.

For those in the firing line, orchestrating actions across a number of security products holds the key to moving rapidly from detection and investigation to response. Automating important actions such as isolating a host, blocking an IP address or other indicators to limit impact plays a huge role in reducing mean time to recovery in these critical scenarios where time is of the essence.

And unfortunately, thats not all. The rapid pace of change in the IT landscape means there are often gaps in visibility between IT and SOC teams. For instance, security misconfigurations or vulnerabilities existing in IT environments leave organizations vulnerable to ransomware attacks.

In response, analytics -- one of the major growing trends across the IT industry as a whole -- is now enabling security teams to use active discovery in their IT environment, increasing visibility into IT assets that are not behaving as expected or have not been patched, exposing them to a potential attack. With this increased visibility, security leaders can bridge the gap across internal teams to ensure they remediate misconfigurations or vulnerabilities that ransomware exploits.

By employing more advanced detection, investigation and mitigation technologies and processes, agencies can present a much stronger defense against the enormous risk presented by cyber criminals intent on using ransomware as a route to extortion. In doing so, they can radically reduce their chances of becoming a victim of cyber extortion in 2021 and beyond.
For HLRBO, this is a big step, said Schubert. Its our first venture outside the United States, and we look forward to learning more about what works and what doesnt.

After experiencing great success providing a quick and convenient place for hunters to find hunting leases in the United States, HLRBO is taking its services North and expanding to Canada.

CEO of HLRBO Heath Schubert says, We have received numerous inquiries from landowners who wanted to list their property in Canada, and we have always had it on our list of things we would like to do when the time was right.

Currently, with the COVID-19 global pandemic, travel into Canada from the United States is banned, but as the world starts to reopen in 2021, HLRBO anticipates great demand to fish and hunt in Canada. In fact, demand for hunting and fishing licenses is spiking nationwide, including in Canada-bordering North Dakota.

For HLRBO, this is a big step, said Schubert. Its our first venture outside the United States, and we look forward to learning more about what works and what doesnt.

Canadian hunters looking for hunting leases and Canadian landowners looking to lease out their property can do so by accessing HLRBO.com.

HLRBO lists hunting leases by private landowners, corporate landowners, game farms, and hunting clubs. Best of all, HLRBO is entirely free.

HLRBO is the premier online hunting lease network. HLRBOS mission is to be the first stop for hunters searching for a place to hunt. To fulfill that mission HLRBO provides listing options for private land owners, hunting businesses, hunting guides, and public land. HLRBO provides the flexibility for land owners and businesses to set their pricing and availability based on a traditional year lease, a monthly rental, weekly rental, daily rental, and even by hunting season. This makes it easier than ever for hunters to find the hunting opportunity they are searching for while giving land owners and businesses the flexibility they desire.
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Modern Requirements and Solutions for Privileged Access Management (PAM) Webinar

Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT and data management research and consulting firm, today announced it will host a research webinar titled Modern Requirements and Solutions for Privileged Access Management (PAM) featuring Steve Brasen, research director of endpoint and identity management at EMA.

One out of every five business employees have been granted privileged access to company systems and applications. Unfortunately, individuals do not always follow security policies governing the use and protection of privileged accounts. Modern requirements for distributing IT services across clouds, on-premises servers, and endpoint devices are making it increasingly difficult for organizations to establish control over privileged access use and management practices.

During this webinar, Brasen will reveal key findings from EMAs recently published primary research on Advancing PAM to Address Modern Business Requirements. Topics of discussions will include:



Current and emerging business requirements for and usage of privileged access

The most critical threats and challenges to securing privileged accounts

How to manage local administrator account on endpoint device, such as PCs and laptops

The risks of employing shared and/or standing privileged accounts and how to minimize or eliminate them

Solutions for reducing PAM administration efforts and related costs

How to identify the PAM practices and processes that are most effective at preventing privileged access breaches and policy violations

The webinar is Wednesday, January 20 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern. Registration is available at:

https://info.enterprisemanagement.com/modern-requirements-and-solutions-for-privileged-access-management-webinar-pr

About EMA

Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading industry analyst firm that specializes in providing deep insight across the full spectrum of IT and data management technologies. EMA analysts leverage a unique combination of practical experience, insight into industry best practices, and in-depth knowledge of current and planned vendor solutions to help their clients achieve their goals. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services for enterprise line of business users, IT professionals and IT vendors at https://www.enterprisemanagement.com.
File Photo: The logos of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are seen in a combination photo from Reuters files. (Reuters)

Australian Senator to Call for Commission Into Big Tech Censorship

Australian Senator Alex Antic will call for a Senate Select Committee into Big Techs influence and censorship of political ideas when Parliament resumes in February.

Antic told The Epoch Times on Tuesday he would be moving to establish the committee because he is concerned that Big Tech can so easily censor one side of the debate.

Our democratic process is founded on our ability to share ideas freely and to be exposed to challenging and opposing viewpoints. It is crucial to the integrity of that process that Big Tech companies do not censor one side of the debate, the LNP senator said.

Antic believes the influence held by Big Tech companies, like Amazon, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, has grown enormously over the past decade and he cited the banning of President Donald Trump and the de-platforming of Parler, an alternative to Twitter, as a worrying precedent.

Big Tech companies such as Twitter are now effectively the arbiters of who is entitled to freedom of speech. This is enormously dangerous, he said.

In permanently removing the Twitter account of the sitting President, and Amazon pulling the pin on Parlers server, Big Tech is not just attempting to cancel a few voices, they are showing that they can cancel all of us if they dont agree with our views.

Antics comments come as Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg have both said they were uncomfortable with Twitters ban on Trump.

Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat and Pinterest have banned Trump from their social media sites over concerns he may incite civil unrest before President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20.

Frydenberg said on Monday that those decisions were taken by commercial companies, but personally I felt uncomfortable with what they did.

Frydenberg quoted Voltaire: I may not agree with what you say, but I defend the right to say it and said that freedom of speech is fundamental to our democratic society.

McCormack said on Monday that the ban on Trumps social media accounts was a form of censorship.

Theres been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that havent received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship, McCormack said. Im not one who believes in that sort of censorship.

The Morrison government is known for taking a hard-line on Big Tech. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for more regulation of the firms surrounding their dissemination of hate or terrorist-related material on the internet.

Frydenberg has also introduced legislation into Parliament to force Facebook, Google, and others to pay for the content on their websites.
She loves to end her working day with a fashion parade.

And Ashley Roberts was looking sensational on Tuesday morning as she left her Heart Radio Breakfast Show in another chic ensemble.

The Pussycat Doll wowed in a retro colour palette as she sauntered home from the Global Studios in central London.

Gorgeous: Ashley Roberts was looking sensational on Tuesday morning as she left her Heart Radio Breakfast Show in another chic ensemble

The blonde beauty showed off her figure in a striped orange, pink and brown maxi dress.

She layered the knitted number from Kate Spade over a simple white t-shirt and added brown leather boots.

The finishing touch was a brown satin jacket with a statement collar while she accessorised to the max with layered necklaces, shades and a cream leather tote bag.

Retro vibes: The Pussycat Doll wowed in a retro colour palette as she sauntered home from the Global Studios in central London

Ashley's outing comes after her PCD bandmate Kimberly Wyatt claimed she was told she is 'too professional' to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

The Pussycat Dolls star, 38, is a trained dancer but bosses turned her down after her bandmate Ashley Roberts' appearance on the show in 2018 led to accusations of a 'fix' as she also had years of dance experience.

Speaking to The Sun, Kimberly said: 'From any chats that I've had, Strictly feel that I'm too professional to be a contestant.'

Chic: The finishing touch was a brown satin jacket with a statement collar while she accessorised to the max with layered necklaces, shades and a cream leather tote bag

She went on: 'I'd love to learn ballroom, my dancing experience holds me back as a contestant.'

Ashley was a clear front-runner during her series and made it to the final with Pasha Kovalev where she was beaten by Stacey Dooley and her partner Kevin Clifton.

Kimberly began dancing in her teens and appeared as a dancer in Nick Lachey's music video for Shut Up.

Show: Ashley's outing comes after her Pussy Cat Dolls co-star Kimberly Wyatt (pictured in 2019) said she was told she is 'too professional' to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing
Logan, WV (25601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or the "Company") has received notification from Quadro Resources Ltd. that it is withdrawing from the Seagull option agreement signed February 18, 2020, citing the need to focus on their gold projects in Newfoundland.

Michael Stares, President and CEO of the Company, stated, "This provides an excellent opportunity for the Company to find a quality partner who is committed to advancing this highly prospective Project. The Property has not seen any serious exploration work since 2005 and given the strong performance outlook for platinum, palladium and rhodium, we believe this Project deserves further exploration."

The primary target in the Project area is the Seagull Lake Intrusion ("SLI"), described as a 10 km diameter, circular intrusive composed of ultramafic rocks with a high olivine content and derived from a deep mantle source. Layering and multiple phases of intrusion have been recognized, creating a favourable setting for Noril'sk Type sulphide accumulation. The SLI is located in the Nipigon Plate, which is interpreted to represent the failed third arm of a Proterozoic-aged, mid-continent rift system, the bulk of which lies beneath Lake Superior to the south. This rifting event is interpreted to be associated with significant Cu-Ni-PGE mineralization such as the Duluth Gabbro Complex deposits (Dunka Road, Minnamax, Local Boy, etc.) in Minnesota, USA, the Eagle Nickel Mine (Lundin Mining) in Michigan, USA, and the Great Lakes Nickel deposit in Ontario. Known platinum group element-copper-nickel zones in the intrusion support the interpretation that Proterozoic ultramafic intrusions in this area of the Nipigon Plate have undergone magmatic processes that are capable of producing large PGE-Cu-Ni sulphide deposits (see Company news release dated March 12, 2019).

Three styles of PGE mineralization have been identified in the SLI: (1) near surface, PGE-rich detrital "black sands"; (2) magnetite associated, PGE-rich layers or "reef-type"; and, (3) sulphide associated, basal Cu-Ni-PGE mineralization, interpreted as "Noril'sk-type". Although the detrital and reef-type mineralization was the first style known in the SLI, the discovery of Noril'sk-type Cu-Ni-PGE sulphide mineralization became the focus for subsequent exploration programs, which reported from diamond drilling 3.6 g/t Pt+Pd, 0.34% Cu and 0.21% Ni over 2.1 metres and 1.04 g/t Pt+Pd, 0.14% Cu and 0.16% Ni over 16.0 metres (from Pettigrew, 2002). The possibility for the discovery of other styles of sulphide mineralization remains, including Contact-type deposits (e.g., Lac des Iles Mine and River Valley Deposit, Ontario) and structurally hosted high-grade concentrations along regional fault systems. It is important to note that the SLI contains anomalous concentrations of additional platinum group elements rhodium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium. The current spot price of rhodium is approximately US$12,700 per troy ounce.

Historical Diamond Drilling

The most recent diamond drilling and re-sampling of historical drill holes was completed by Platinum Group Metals ("PTM") between 2001 and 2005. This work reported encouraging concentrations of PGE from drill core intercepts with the highest concentrations of PGE reported in 2005 (see PTM news release dated 01/04/2005). PTM reported that their exploration drilling had demonstrated lateral continuity of the mineralized zones within the SLI Seagull Intrusion and that they were typically characterized by near 1:1 platinum to palladium ratios, significant Cu and Ni grades and strongly elevated concentrations in the other "rarer PGEs" (Rh, Ir, Os, Ru). PTM also noted that historical PGE-Cu-Ni intercepts from the SLI compare favourably to the famous Merensky Reef in South Africa's Bushveld Complex with known mineralized horizons at the SLI being considerably shallower than those currently being mined and explored in South Africa.

PTM reported on "total PGE" analyses from drill core which in addition to platinum and palladium included the "rarer PGEs" rhodium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium (Table 1). PTM noted that the concentrations of the "rarer PGEs" were unusually high compared to their global database of PGE mines, deposits and occurrences (see PTM news release dated 22/04/2005).

Table 1. Historical drill core assay results with total PGE (Platinum Group Metals Inc., 22/04/2005).

Drill Hole Horizon From To *Int Au Pt Pd Ir Os Rh Ru 6PGE+Au (m) (m) (m) (ppb) (ppb) (ppb) (ppb) (ppb) (ppb) (ppb) (g/t) WM05-20 Lower

Dunite 329.12 333.40 4.28 47 826 895 120 151 54 41 2.13 incl. 331.68 333.40 1.72 88 1526 1640 221 289 99 71 3.93 incl. 331.68 332.12 0.44 220 3690 3990 674 891 294 204 9.96 WM00-01 Lower

Dunite 577.30 581.54 4.24 60 669 781 79 114 37 27 1.77 incl. 578.16 580.00 1.84 78 852 993 125 188 54 40 2.33 WM00-05 Peridotite 734.45 736.00 1.55 134 1731 2069 39 54 30 10 4.07 incl. 735.43 736.00 0.57 251 3250 3920 58 83 50 13 7.63 WM00-06 Peridotite 390.23 391.29 1.06 2 505 623 18 22 13 15 1.20 WM00-01 Upper

Dunite 533.14 536.41 3.27 30 223 260 26 29 13 10 0.59



*it is not known if these drill hole intervals represent true widths and are therefore being treated as core length intersections.

Drill hole WM05-20, which contains the shallowest intercept to date of the Lower Dunite Reef, between 329.12 and 333.40 metres vertical depth, returned 6PGE (Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru) plus Au concentrations ("6PGE+Au") of 2.13 g/t over 4.28 m, including 3.93 g/t 6PGE+Au over 1.72 m, and 9.96 g/t 6PGE+Au over 0.44 metres. PTM also reported a high-grade intercept from the Peridotite Zone (drill hole WM00-05) that returned 7.63 g/t 6PGE+Au, within a broader intercept of 1.55 metres grading 4.07 g/t 6PGE+Au.

Re-sampling of quartered drill core from the Lower Dunite Reef Zone (drill hole WM00-01) returned 1.84 m of 2.30 g/t 6PGE+Au within a broader zone, between 577.3 and 581.54 m vertical depth, of 4.24 m grading 1.76 g/t 6PGE+Au. PTM's re-sampling also confirmed the presence of the Upper Dunite Reef Zone in hole WM00-01 over a 3.27 m interval between 533.14 and 536.41 m, grading 0.57 g/t 6PGE+Au. Re-logging and re-sampling of drill hole WM00-06, collared approximately 600 m east of hole WM00-05, also intersected the Peridotite Zone and returned 1.20 g/t 6PGE+Au over 1.06 m between 390.23 and 391.29 metres. Hole WM00-06 is 1,150 m (1.15 km) southwest of the previously reported high-grade Peridotite Zone intercept of 6.21 g/t 6PGE+Au over 0.65 metres in drill hole WM04-17. Both the Upper and Lower Dunite Reefs were also identified in hole WM05-22 which returned lower concentrations of PGE.

A Qualified Person has not independently verified the historical data and the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release.

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the NI 43-101.

About White Metal Resources Corp (TSXV: WHM):

White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.whitemetalres.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp.

"Michael Stares"

Michael Stares

President & CEO, Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Michael Stares

684 Squier Street

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8

Phone: (807) 358-2420 Fax: (807) 475-7200

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71844
New Haven Police / Contributed Photo

NEW HAVEN  Police have charged a 19-year-old with shooting an East Haven man last January in what authorities described as an ongoing feud.

Matthew Santos was recently taken into custody in Atlanta.

Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1

The Egyptian Medical Syndicate reported on Saturday the death of the health ministers secretary in Qalyubia due to COVID-19, raising the coronavirus-related deaths among medical staff to 290.

Mourning the death of Hamdy El-Tabbakh, Health Minister Hala Zayed said Egypt has lost a loyal leader who served the country with sincerity and dedication and contributed to saving millions of lives amid the pandemic, a statement by the ministry read.

Zayed also referred to El-Tabbakhs efforts within the framework of the presidential health initiative to detect and treat Hepatitis C patients.

We offer our condolences on the death of Dr. Hamdi El-Tabakh, who was infected with COVID-19 while working with all seriousness and dedication to save the lives of patients until his death, the statement cited Zayed as saying.

He will remain a symbol of the patriotic person who was dedicated to his work and who lived as a noble knight in the face of the epidemic until he died, Zayed added.

On Saturday, the medical syndicate reported three other deaths among medical staff due to coronavirus.

The deceased included Osama Abdullah, a surgeon at Menoufia governorate; Mohsen Agwa, former head of Gamal Abdel-Nasser hospital in Alexandria; and Osama Rabea, a pediatrician in Sharqia.

This comes while Egypt is experiencing a second wave of the pandemic, amid efforts to start vaccinating priority groups.

A report by the World Health Organizations (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean region last week said Egypt is among the countries with the highest reported number of coronavirus-related deaths in the region.

Egypts Presidential Adviser for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din said on Friday that Egypt officially contracted with the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) to secure for Egypt 20 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

Egypt already received the first 50,000-dose batch of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinas Sinopharm on 10 December.

Short link:


My older son was in second grade doing a bird report on the northern cardinal when it hit me: the absurdity of America's security obsession.

We'd stepped through the front door of our neighborhood library on Capitol Hill when I heard the rip of the Velcro fasteners on his little-boy sneakers.

"What are you doing?" I asked, incredulous that he was taking his shoes off to go into the library.

He soberly pointed to the book-scanning device at the door that looked like the metal detectors at airports and museums.

"For security, Mom," he responded, equally incredulous that I could be so blase about such matters.

Thus has been America's scanned and secured age, two decades in which forests of steel bollards sprouted around every possible target and we removed our shoes, belts and dignity in a frenzy as we tried to protect our nation from outside terrorists.

We got an especially heavy dose of that security theater here in D.C., as the entire city went into a rolling lockdown after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

As a reporter who then covered federal lands and buildings in Washington, I listened for hours to some of the nation's top architects and security experts debate this new era of American architecture - an architecture of fear, one that stifled sweeping plazas, open designs, historic preservation and the rhythm of city life.

Bollards - the basic kind of short, sturdy posts, each of which can cost thousands of dollars - are "the steel crabgrass" of Washington, architect and urbanism professor Witold Rybczynski told me in 2006, when he was a U.S. Commission of Fine Arts member debating the proliferation of security measures.

"We used to mock an earlier generation that peppered the U.S. capital with Civil War generals on horseback; now I wonder what future generations will make of our architectural legacy of crash-resistant walls and blast-proof glass," Rybczynski wrote in a Foreign Policy essay on how bonkers D.C. had gone for security architecture.

And the fear wasn't limited to the capital city.

Taxpayers from Thousand Oaks, Calif., to Memphis to New York City paid the bill for millions of dollars in bollards, scanners and cameras to protect people from terrorism.

D.C.'s U.S. Capitol complex planted a perimeter of 5.5 miles in bollards that could stop a truck from barreling into a building, most costing at least $7,000 each.

And yet, last week, it wasn't ISIS, Boko Haram or Hezbollah. It wasn't an organized militia or well-trained suicide bombers driving a truck who got into the Capitol building and left five dead.

It was a mob of Trump supporters who knocked down at least four security barriers, broke windows and beat police officers, an insurrection that left five people dead (a Capitol Police officer died of injuries he suffered during the riot).

The threat came from within.

While our leaders have occupied themselves with building barricades, while we took off our shoes and let airport security take ghostly nudies of us with high-tech cameras, we never thought terrorists could be radicalized in our own neighborhoods and even in our homes.

And the power structure in Washington didn't see them coming because it refused to believe the enemy could look like White America.

Their radicalization was right before our eyes, on social media and television, on bar stools and at our Thanksgiving tables, masquerading as politics and salty humor in memes, stickers and T-shirts. Or presidential messaging, such as President Donald Trump's "stand back and stand by" message to the white supremacist-tied alt-right Proud Boys group.

Our governments, from city councils to federal branches, built structures that they thought could prevent attacks - and they may have.

But putting all that energy into security that may thwart obvious threats ignores the ones that are in our blind spots.

We watched all those security measures in our seat of government trampled by fellow Americans - police officers, firefighters, business owners, veterans and even at least one elected leader.

The bollards and the metal detectors at every door didn't stop them.

But acknowledging that we can be our own, most lethal enemies - that domestic terrorists kill more Americans than foreign terrorists - is crucial.

FBI Director Christopher Wray explained this just over a year ago in testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee.

"Trends may shift, but the underlying drivers for domestic violent extremism - such as perceptions of government or law enforcement overreach, sociopolitical conditions, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and reactions to legislative actions - remain constant," Wray said.

The people who easily bypassed the bollards and fences to terrorize the Capitol said they were there as patriots motivated by policy or politics or partisanship.

Baloney. They are terrorists. And unmasking them, treating them like terrorists, refusing to accept their threats or excuse their violence is more powerful than any bollard will ever be against their threat.

Exchange services for new banknotes to be used as li xi or lucky money during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday are booming ahead one month before the holiday.

Small banknotes of VN1,000, VN2,000, VN5,000, VN10,000, and VN20,000 denomination are widely used for giving li xi on the first days of the lunar yearthat represents fortune, wealth, and prosperity.

Exchange services for new banknotes to be used as li xi or lucky money during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday are booming ahead one month before the holiday.

People usually prepare new, small face banknotes and put them in a red envelope to give lucky money, which is a tradition associated with Tet.

Small banknotes of VN500 ($0.02), VN1,000, VN2,000, VN 5,000, VN10,000, and VN20,000 denominations are widely used for giving li xi on the first days of the lunar year, which represent fortune and prosperity.

The exchange services for new banknotes are flooding the Internet, with a common exchange rate at 2 per cent for each banknote denomination.

New one-dollar and two-dollar bills are also being hunted for use as lucky money, with one-dollar bills being exchanged for VN30,000 ($1.3).

Apart from local currency bills, unique banknotes featuring imprinted buffalo, the lunar years zodiac animal, are on sale for lucky money collections, including banknotes from Zimbabwe, Nepal, Laos, and South Sudan.

The Japanese five yen coin, which is considered a lucky charm in Japan, are sold at VN40,000 ($1.7).

The State Bank of Viet Nam late last month announced that new banknotes with denominations lower than VN5,000 would not be issued for Tet.

This is the eight consecutive year that the bank has not printed new small notes to meet demand of new note exchange during Tet.

Lucky money transfer via e-wallets has emerged as a popular choice among young people. VNS
President Donald Trump waves as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Jan. 12, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump: Time for Peace and Calm, 25th Amendment Is Zero-Risk

President Donald Trump said that the pressure campaign for Trumps cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment will fail, while adding that after last weeks protests and violence at the U.S. Capitol, now is the time for our nation to heal.

Its time for peace and calm, Trump added, saying that respect for law enforcement is part of the MAGA agenda.

Over the past week, critics have claimed Trump incited violence during his speech to supporters near the Capitol, despite him asking his supporters to protest peacefully.

Its prompted calls by Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Consitution, and, at the same time, House Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment over his speech. Big Tech companies including Twitter, Facebook, and Google have suspended Trumps accounts.

Free speech is under assault like never before. The 25th Amendment is of zero-risk to me but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration, the president remarked to reporters in Texasthe first time he has addressed the push for his cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would need the support of Vice President Mike Pence and at least half of his cabinet.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington on Jan. 12, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

As the expression goes, be careful what you wish for, Trump said, perhaps referring to the idea that Democrats might invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President-elect Joe Biden to bring in Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris. Some conservatives have argued that it was the Democrats plan all along to use the amendment to install Harris, a Senator from California, as president since Bidenat age 78could be the oldest person to ever become president.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told 60 Minutes that she supports Pence invoking the amendment.

Well I like the 25th Amendment because it gets rid of him. Hes out of office. But theres strong support in the Congress for impeaching the president a second time, the California Democrat said.

The House could vote on impeachment this week after articles were introduced, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said his chamber wont take it up until Jan. 19, which is one day before Inauguration Day.

Earlier in the day, before he left for Texas, the president addressed being censored from social media platforms.

People thought that what I said was totally appropriate and if you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level, about the riots in the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was the real problem, Trump said about his Jan. 6 address, adding that tech companies that delete accounts or content that they deemed politically sensitive will fail.
John Barilaro has slammed Mark McGowan over his call for harsher Covid-19 restrictions in New South Wales and warned there will be more deaths by suicide than coronavirus.

In a furious spray on morning radio, the New South Wales deputy premier told the Western Australia leader to 'stop lecturing' his government on how to deal with the pandemic.

Over the past few weeks, Mr McGowan has called for Sydney to go into lockdown to eliminate the spread of Covid-19 - but the NSW government is taking a balanced approach that factors in the economy and the mental well-being of citizens.

Western Australia's border closures have kept families apart. Pictured: A family at Brisbane Airport

Australian cruise ship passengers arrive at the Duxton Hotel in Perth to do quarantine in March

On Monday, Mr McGowan - who faces an election in March - again called for a total elimination strategy, saying: 'The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.'

Western Australia has taken the harshest approach to coronavirus of all Australia's jurisdictions, only opening its borders to New South Wales for two weeks in December before slamming them shut again due to an outbreak on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

The move left families who had not seen each other for more than a year stranded apart over Christmas and New Year and caused further pain for crippled tourism and travel businesses.

Mr Barilaro, who took a four-week mental health break in October, accused Mr McGowan of fuelling a mental health crisis and defended his government's approach.

John Barilaro (pictured last week) took a four-week mental health break in October

'For Mark McGowan, it's easy. He puts up the borders in Western Australia, cuts off the rest of the nation,' the deputy premier told 2GB radio in an escalation of the ongoing feud between the states.

'We've had Covid deaths in this nation but we're going to have more deaths from mental health from people locked away in isolation, people not being able to reunite with family and [that's what] Mark McGowan stands for.

'I'm happy to say that this morning and have a go straight back at him. Stop lecturing, look after your own backyard,' he added.

A study by the University of Sydney in July predicted that suicide deaths would increase by up to 22 per cent over the next five years due to the effects of the pandemic.

Lifeline's helpline has received 3,000 more calls this year than last, an increase of about 20 per cent.

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) said eliminating coronavirus was not possible because Australians have to be allowed to return

In 2019, a total of 3,318 people took their own lives in Australia, with government figures for 2020 not yet available. A total of 909 Australians have died with coronavirus.

In a press briefing on Tuesday Premier Gladys Berejiklian said eliminating coronavirus was not possible because Australians have to be allowed to return from overseas where the disease is rampant.

'Anyone who thinks we're going to eliminate or eradicate this disease, unfortunately doesn't appreciate what the pandemic means,' she said.

She also criticised Mr McGowan for shutting his state's borders to any jurisdiction that suffers just one Covid-19 case.

I don't believe keeping your borders closed and inflicting pain and suffering on thousands of people is the way to go Gladys Berejiklian

'I don't believe keeping your borders closed and inflicting pain and suffering on thousands of people is the way to go,' she said.

'In New South Wales, we want our citizens to live as freely as possible, to maintain their livelihoods as much as possible. But in a Covid-safe way. And that's always been our objective.'

Ms Berejiklian said she was disappointed that Mr McGowan didn't seem to appreciate that New South Wales has accepted about half of all arrivals from overseas since March.

'I think that no doubt each state premier has their views of the world. We don't all agree on everything, which is fine. But I think respect goes a long way,' she said.

'And I think just appreciating what New South Wales has done on behalf of Australia in terms in returning 100,000 travellers is a big deal. That's why overnight, we had 11 cases in quarantine,' she said.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan also said an elimination strategy was 'impracticable' because Australia's cases stem from hotel quarantine.

'If we wanted to adopt an elimination strategy that would mean we'd have to shut off the whole of Australia,' he told Sky News on Tuesday morning.

'The only practical way to pursue what Mark McGowan wants is to completely close our borders. I could not fathom that at all.'

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is filling in while Scott Morrison is on a week of leave, also said Mr McGowan has an easier job than other premiers.

'Western Australia and NSW are very different states. Look at the NSW border, for instance, there are 57 bridges and openings across to Victoria. The Tweed River area with Queensland is just a massive economic area.

'Western Australia doesn't have anything like that, so it's easier for Western Australia to shut its borders and keep them shut tight.'

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14
The decision has been taken as the centre is witnessing very low turnout of COVID-19 patients. Around 60 patients were admitted here with a staff of almost 600 including paramedics.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which runs this centre may soon also reduce the number of staff as various Paramilitary forces had sent staff to handle the COVID-19 situation in Delhi.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

The centre has admitted several patients, coming from different countries like Dubai, Netherland, Japan, Malaysia and Canada. "There have been a consistently lesser number of patients in Sardar Patel COVID centre situated in Chhatarpur. In fact, there are close to 60 patients and around 600 staff taking care of these patients. Recently, it was decided that people coming from foreign countries will be sent to this centre," a senior ITBP official told ANI.The official clarified that no patient from the United Kingdom, the country which reported new COVID-19 strain, has been admitted to the centre.According to the official, the centre currently has 8 people from Saudi Arabia, 4 from Dubai, 3 from Canada, 1 each from USA, Japan, Malaysia, Netherland and Mayanmar."Earlier, COVID patients who were from Delhi were getting treatment. The Delhi government was sending patients and direct admissions were also done. But, since last few weeks number of patients reduced to 50-60," the ITBP official said.Officials also informed that they are planning to reduce staff from the centre as the number of patients has reduced to around 60. "We are planning to reduce staff also from the COVID centre as various staff was called in from different places when COVID was on peak in the national capital. Not only from the ITBP but doctors and staff from other Paramilitary forces were also called in to serve in the COVID centre. Now, the number of staff is more than patients," they added.

India added 12,584 new cases to its COVID-19 tally in the last 24 hours taking the total cases to 1,04,79,179, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.With 18,385 more discharges, the cumulative recoveries reached 1,01,11,294. As many as 167 deaths were also reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,51,327.

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VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the "Company") - (TSX: ITH) (NYSE American: THM) today announced that the Board of Directors has approved a 2021 budget of US$5.6 million and endorsed the associated 2021 work program to advance the Livengood Gold Project.

The key element in the 2021 work program is the completion of the Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS) on the Livengood Gold Project that is planned for release in October 2021. The comprehensive study was begun in July of 2020 and will further de-risk and identify the optimal project configuration. The Company has engaged BBA, Inc. as its lead consultant and has retained Whittle Consulting, Resource Modeling, Inc., Resource Development Associates, Easton Process Consulting, and NewFields Companies, LLC to provide specialized technical support.

On October 16, 2020, the Company announced completion of a US $10.3 million financing through an At-The-Market ("ATM") offering with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (the "Offering"). The Offering ensured that the Company has not only enough funds to complete the PFS, but it also provided an excellent runway to advance the Livengood Gold Project beyond the PFS in a disciplined manner. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had working capital of US$13.1 million.

"The gold market's continued strength gives us strong motivation to advance our work to establish the best foundation to support future development" said Karl Hanneman, CEO. "The 11.5 million ounce gold resource at the Livengood Gold Project is in a premier jurisdiction and the large resource size gives our project high leverage to the gold price."

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. has a 100% interest in its Livengood Gold Project located along the paved Elliott Highway, 70 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska.

On behalf of

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.

(signed) Karl L. Hanneman

Chief Executive Officer

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including statements with respect to the potential development of any mine at Livengood, the timing and contents of a new Pre-Feasibility Study, production levels and the price of gold are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the price of gold, the potential inability of the Company to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and certain securities commissions in Canada and other information released by the Company and filed with the appropriate regulatory agencies. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and its United States public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sec.gov. Readers are urged to review these materials, including the latest technical report filed with respect to the Livengood Gold Project.

This news release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.

SOURCE International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.
One of the world's largest technology-trade fairs has kicked off. The "Consumer Electronics Show" normally attracts over 100,000 visitors who crowd into a venue in Las Vegas.

This year, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the event to go fully online.

The media got a glimpse of CES on Monday. Participating companies showed off their products and services. Organizers say over 1,800 are taking part, less than half compared to last year.

Panasonic is showcasing a new technology called "emotion and physical condition sensing."

It takes images of people's faces and analyzes their features and subtle changes in expressions. The data reveals their physical condition, feelings and personalities, which are indicated in colors and shapes.

Agarie Mayu, who is involved in the technology's development, said it helps people make smooth communications. She added it also gives them a chance to see themselves in a new light.

Japanese telecom giant NTT is screening a video explaining the concept behind its next-generation communication infrastructure.

Officials say the high-speed network will harness optical technologies to dramatically change autonomous driving and farming.
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In the south (Golan Heights) Israeli aircraft continue to drop thousands of leaflets on Syrian villages near the border warning residents to stay away from Iranian or Hezbollah bases near the border. The civilians know where these bases are and some will do business with those in the bases. These leaflets made it clear that Israeli airstrikes on these Iranian bases and camps would be a regular occurrence. Some leaflets also call on individual Syrian unit commanders in the area to stop cooperating with the Hezbollah and Iranian Quds Force men in their area and order them to leave and not endanger local civilians.

Despite, or because of, the increased Iranian presence in southern Syria a lawless chaos exists in the Damascus suburbs and gets worse south of the city along the Israeli border area. This is where Iran is making an intense effort to gain the support of Sunni Arab civilians. The hostility and violence are a side effect of the poverty, high unemployment and hostility towards the Assad government and their Iranian sponsors. In this respect the local gangsters see their crimes as patriotic resistance to their brutal and hated Shia overlords.

The Iranians are spending a lot of money to buy, or just seize, and rehabilitate abandoned property for the locals. Iran seeks to encourage new businesses to start or defunct ones to revive. Iran will supply loans and access to supplies. The Assad government cant do any of this and cant openly criticize the Iranians either for seeking to buy the loyalty of Syrians along the border.

Israel is seeking to support this resistance but is silent about details, other than the constant airstrikes against Iranian targets and seeking to maintain their informant network along the border. The informants make it possible to hit Iranian targets with smart bombs, missiles or artillery even if the Iranians have gone to great lengths to conceal the locations. This includes storing missiles, rockets and other weapons in residences and commercial buildings. In an effort to evade the precision, attacks the Iranians are storing weapons shipments in civilian warehouses closer to the Iraq border, where the Israeli intel is less effective. Israeli airstrikes have reached the point where just about any concentration of Iranian forces or stored weapons Israel can locate is attacked. This is an endurance contest in which Israel has an edge. Iran has money problems and maintaining a military presence in Syria is not a necessity. For Israel its essential to keep the Iranians out of Syria, at least as long as Iran openly calls for the destruction of Israel. The Iranian war effort in Syria has another problem in that more and more Iranians openly oppose the expense and risk of operations in Syria. No such domestic opposition in Israel. This is why Israel keeps carrying out the airstrikes in Syria and doing so more often and accurately because a lot of Syrians are willing to provide target information.

Idlib Rebels Rally

The remaining rebels in Idlib province have managed to overcome some of their internal disputes in order to maintain more effective resistance to the advancing Syrian troops. The leader of this opposition are Syrian al Qaeda members, some with a decade of combat experience. At the beginning of the 2011 civil war al Nusra, formed an al Qaeda affiliate formed and now under different names, remains the largest Islamic terrorist organization in Syria. Al Nusra evolved into a larger coalition (Tahir al Sham) which has been leading the rebel effort to hold onto some of Idlib province while trying to keep the rebels from fighting each other. Over the last year new leaders and new realities have reduced the number of mutually hostile factions. The factional fighting became a major problem in 2017 and during 2020 the factions came to realize that without one rebel leader, or at least some form of ceasefire between factions, the Syrians, Russians and Turks could negotiate with or crush the factions separately. Currently the one large dissident group is Hurras al Din (Guardians of Rligion) with about ten percent of the rebel manpower in the northwest. Hurras and al Sham leave each other alone, to help with that Hurras has moved a lot of its operations out of Idlib into Raqqa, Hama and Homs provinces. This includes attacking Turks and Kurds. This brings Hurras into proximity of ISIL activity but these two groups also appear to be leaving each other alone. Unofficial truces between rival Islamic terror groups are common, but nearly always temporary. Once one of these factions gains a degree of dominance anywhere, they will attack rival Islamic terror groups nearby.

What originally triggered the splits was disagreements over negotiating with Turkey to prevent the rebels and their families in Idlib from being massacred by the Assad government forces. Such deals were being offered and some rebel factions were always willing to talk. Because of those divisions there has been fighting between the talk to Turkey and no talks factions since early 2017. Idlib province has long been one area that remains under the control of rebels. Since most of those rebels belong to Islamic terrorist groups, they have a hard time determining who is in charge. There is a lot of dissention among Islamic terrorist rebels because of their defeats between 2015 and 2017. Many rebel groups lost more than half their strength by 2017 because of combat losses, desertions and a lack of new recruits.

In early 2017 the Ahrar al Sham faction tried to convince the Turks and the Americans that their battle was with the Syrian government, not other rebels. That led to years of feuding and fighting with the larger Tahir al Sham faction. That faction is a coalition of Islamic terror groups which underwent two name changes since 2016 when al Nusra renamed itself Jabhat Fatah al Sham and no longer connected with al Qaeda or ISIL. In mid-2016 there was another name change to Tahir al Sham, which insisted it was now simply a Syrian rebel group that, like most Syrian rebel organizations, was full of devout Moslems who really wanted to become recognized by the United States as cooperative and not to be bombed. But the Americans still considered al Nusra an ally of ISIL or, at the very least, still friendly with al Qaeda. Some al Qaeda leaders admitted publicly that the al Nusra split was temporary. Until early 2016 al Nusra was allied with ISIL but that alliance was always temporary because ISIL wanted to eventually absorb al Nusra. The two groups put that battle off to deal with the Assad government first. Even before mid-2016 al Nusra tried to distance itself from ISIL and began openly fighting ISIL in places like Aleppo. In late 2016 more than half the Sunni Islamic terrorist rebels belonged to groups hostile to ISIL and most of these are controlled or allied with the al Qaeda affiliated al Nusra/al Sham Fatah rebels. By 2017 ISIL was much weaker and the al Qaeda affiliated component split and looked for a way out of a civil war the rebels had apparently lost.

Kurds Against The World

The Islamic terrorist rebels in Idlib are not the only organized resistance to the Syrian government. There are some even more powerful secular rebels remaining in the northeast. These are the Syrian Kurds belonging to the SDF (Kurdish led Syrian Defense Forces rebels). The SDF also contains some Arabs and dominates the northeastern Hasaka province that borders Iraq as well as Tukey. SDF has American support, which helps keep the Russians and Syrians out. The Kurds are trying to negotiate a peace deal with the Assads. Both SDF and Assads see Turkey as a common enemy while the Assads and Turkey regard the SDF as a potential troublemaker. The Kurds feel they can negotiate a deal with the Assads, but the Turks are less willing to consider anything less than submission or elimination.

To this end the Turks are seeking to resettle Syrian Sunni refugees and even disarmed rebels in Syrian border areas the Turks control. This resettlement effort is meant to dilute the Kurdish population along the Turkish border. Ultimately the Turks want to control both sides of their Syrian border all the way from the Mediterranean coast to Iraq, and to a depth of 20-30 kilometers from the Turkish border. The Kurds have so far blocked several Turkish offensives. Many SDF Kurds back the formation of a Kurdish state incorporating portions of eastern Turkey, northeast Syria, northern Iraq and northwest Iran. All four of those nations oppose this Kurdish state and the Turks are the most violent and aggressive about it.

The Syrian Kurds and the SDF has American support, which helps keep the Russians and Syrians out. The Americans are less willing to take on Turkey, which is still, technically, a NATO ally.

The Mercenary Muddle

Turkey is having corruption problems with some of its Syrian mercenaries. The immediate problem is that many of the mercs, especially those in Libya, are not receiving their monthly pay on time or in full. Thats because in many cases the Turks pay the leader of a group of mercs and that leader is supposed pass on the money. The problem is that some of these leaders are corrupt and keep the payroll for a few months so they can use the cash for currency speculation or to finance various business schemes, some of them illegal. Sometimes the borrowed payroll cash was lost in those speculative ventures and the Turks are left to deal with a messy problem. Another scam is that merc leaders deducted handling fees from their subordinates pay. Some of these fees were quite high and seen as theft, not pay for any service. The leaders were paid more per month that the average merc and the corrupt leaders were seen as, well, corrupt. The Turks are having a hard time dealing with this problem.

In the last year the demand for Syrian Arab mercenaries has been enormous and the Turks soon ran out of reliable sources. In response the Turks approached less-secular or reliable Syrian militias and hired them, usually as a group. The militia leaders insisted that the Turks deal with the leader most of the time and have minimal contact with the militiamen. These militia leaders do not trust the Turks and the Turks had to accept that if they wanted to make their recruiting goals. The Turks have hired over 30,000 Syrian Arabs as mercenaries so far, most of them for operations in Syria as well as Libya and, in late 2020, Azerbaijan. The mercs demanded short-term contracts, especially for work outside of Syria. That meant the Turks needed a lot more mercs on the payroll than the number actually at the front lines. There is a constant stream of mercs being processed into Turkish service, a process that verified the combat skills of each merc and provided additional training if needed.

To make themerc shortage worse, the Russians began hiring them as well, most for service in Syria but at least 2,000 for use in Libya. The Russians had an edge in recruiting the best and most reliable Syrian Arabs because the Turks were detested as an old nemesis once more invading Arab territory. The Russians were seen as true allies because the Russians did not want to control any territory, just rent a few bases and sell military equipment to Arabs. The Russians had been doing this in Syria for over half a century. In contrast the Turks had occupied and ruled most Arab territory for centuries, and were often quite brutal about it. That imperial rule ended only a century ago and is still remembered. The Russian offer the same pay as the Turks, but not the incentive of a residency permit in Turkey. The Iranians are also hiring again, but they, like the Turks, are seen as foreign invaders and dont get the most reliable recruits.

January 11, 2021: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) unidentified UAVs fired eight missiles at Iranian forces near the Syrian side of the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. Night attacks by unidentified jets and UAVs in this area are believed to be the work of the Americans. These attacks, which no one takes credit for, have been more frequent in the last few months.

January 10, 2021: In the east (Homs and Raqqa provinces) ISIL gunmen and Syrian security (army and militia) forces clashed numerous times over the last ten days. This turned into a major operation to clear ISIL from the Sukhnah desert in eastern Homs and the adjacent Rasafah desert in Raqqa province as well as the larger Baida desert to the south. The fighting produced several hundred casualties and over a hundred dead, most of them Islamic terrorists. These clashes began with a growing number of ISIL attack along the east-west main highways running through these desert areas. ISIL was also active with raids and assassinations. Russia and Syria had been planning major operation against ISIL and this is what the last few days of fighting consisted of. The final stages of this operation was particularly effective at finding and destroying ISIL camps and safe houses. That was due to Russian air support which included nearly 200 air strikes and equally numerous surveillance missions by UAVs and manned aircraft. If an ISIL group was detected it had fewer places to hide because of the scope of this operation. ISIL raids continue to threaten traffic on the main road that goes to the Euphrates River Valley and Homs province. This is all in the desert areas of eastern Syria. In addition to the Sukhnah and adjacent Rasafah deserts, there is the larger Badia Desert to the south, which extends into nearby Jordan. Baida covers 500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) and represents about half of Syria and 85 percent of Jordan and smaller portions of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The Baida desert was long been the scene of ISIL activity and fighting against the Islamic terrorists. All these desert areas are thinly populated by Sunni Arabs who are inclined to tolerate or support ISIL as long as ISIL attacks were directed at military targets and not local civilians. The main job of the security forces is to keep the main road open. This vital route passes through Homs province from the Euphrates to more populated (and pro-government) areas to the west. ISIL has grown weaker in their desert refuge because of constant clashes with Syrian troops and airstrikes by Russian and Syrian aircraft.

January 9, 2021: In the northwest (Latakia province) Russian aircraft carried out airstrikes on Islamic terrorist operation in the northern portion of the province near the border with Idlib province. The Syrian Army is trying to clear the area of Islamic terrorists if only because these rebels often try to attack the main Russian airbase in Latakia province.

January 7, 2021: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) an unidentified UAV fired at least one missile at a truck transporting at least ten members of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia. The vehicle was crossing the border on a road near the Al Bukamal border crossing with Iraq. Four men in the truck were killed and several wounded.

January 6, 2021: In the south (and Damascus and Suwayda province) several Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian camps and Syrian air defense systems. These airstrikes come after several senior IRGC commanders flew in from Iran to inspect IRGC operations in southern Syria. This included verifying the quality of housing and business structures local IRGC officers wanted to buy and rehabilitate for local Sunni civilians Iran was trying to make peace with. This was proving difficult because there was still a lot of anti-Assad and anti-Iran civilians in the area and that had resulted in nearly 900 attacks on Syrian and Iranian forces since mid-2019. That left over 500 people dead, most of them soldiers and government officials. This over fifty assassinations. Some of the dead were Sunni Arabs because the peace effort had persuaded over a hundred rebels to join the new Iran-sponsored government.

January 3, 2021: Russia announced that it had negotiated the reopening of the M4 highway for commercial traffic after being closed for a month while Turkish forces cleared some Islamic terrorist rebels who were periodically attacking traffic. T he M4 is the main east-west highway from Aleppo to the Assad stronghold Latakia province and its Mediterranean ports. The Turks have also been fighting the Kurdish led SDF coalition.

January 2, 2021: In the south there was another Israeli airstrike on an Iranian arms warehouse, which also killed three Iranian mercenaries.

December 25, 2020: Russia is trying to make the best of a bad situation in Syria by encouraging peace talks between Israel and the Assad government of Syria. This is referred to as the Russian Plan B, a desperate but plausible ploy to avoid the unwelcome presence of Iran and Turkey in Syria and take advantage of the Israelis eagerness to make peace, even with the Assads, if that got Iran out of Syria. That is something Israel and Syrians (and everyone else) can agree on. The war in Syria should be over by now but it isnt because the foreign factions, especially the Iranians and the Turks, have unresolved issues. Iran is obsessed with destroying Israel and is not having much success at all. Turkey wants to eliminate Kurdish separatists (both Turkish and Syrian) from Syria and that is proving very difficult. The Americans want to keep ISIL down and support their Kurdish allies while Russia wants to prop up the Assad government in order to preserve the airbase and port facilities treaties, they have obtained from the Assads.

December 24, 2020: In northwestern Syria (Hama province) an Iranian missile assembly was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Several structures were destroyed and at least six Iranian mercenaries were killed. This took place near the main Syrian research center for advanced weapons.

December 23, 2020: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) thirteen members of an Iran-backed Syrian militia deserted and fled to Kurdish (SDF) territory with the assistance of smugglers. The deserters are not fans of Iran and only joined the militia because it paid better and Iran said it would protect them and their families from retaliation by Syria for not being available for conscription into the Syrian military. Iranian promises turned out to be false and the work more dangerous than implied. Russia and Syria backed militias have been ordered to confront Iran-backed militias and threaten to open fire if the Iranian mercenaries dont back down. As a resulting Iran is having a harder time finding recruits in eastern Syria and more problems keeping them on the payroll.

December 22, 2020: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) an airstrike against an Iranian base killed or wounded over a dozen Afghan mercenaries.

December 15, 2020: In the east, across the border in Iraq (Kurdish run Dohuk province) a Kurdish border post on the Syrian border was attacked by over fifty Syrian YPG Kurdish militiamen. The Syrian Kurds were repulsed and came back the next day and tried again at another part of the border and failed there also

December 14, 2020: In the east, across the border in Iraq (Kurdish run Dohuk province) a Kurdish checkpoint on the Syrian border was attacked by Syrian YPG Kurdish militiamen who killed one Iraqi Kurd fighter and then retreated back into Syria.

December 12, 2020: Israel confirmed what journalists and intel agencies in other countries have been reporting about Iranian forces in Syria. Israel revealed that it had carried out over 500 attacks on Iranian forces and bases in Syria during 2020. Most attacks were from the air but artillery (cannon and missiles) was also used as well as a few ground operations. As a result, Iran has reduced the number of locations where it bases troops or stores equipment. There are fewer Iranian troops, most of them foreign mercenaries. The mercs are expensive and Iran is obliged to pay for medical care or death benefits as part of the compensation offered its mercenaries. Over a thousand mercenaries and at least a hundred Iranians have been killed or wounded by these attacks. Iran has not yet found a way to retaliate but so far has remained in Syria and moved most remaining forces to bases in northern and eastern Syria. These are also attacked but it costs the Israelis more to do so. Israel also revealed that it had also been conducting Cyber War attacks against Iran, both in Syria and in Iran itself. The Iranians have responded with its own Cyber War attacks, but these have done little damage until recently when Israel suffered major damage because someone hacked most of the firms that keep the Israeli economy going all the time and the military in wartime.

December 10, 2020: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) Russian troops and their local 5th Corps Syrian militia set up a headquarters on the Syrian side near the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. This is part of an agreement with Iran to reduce the Iranian presence here and give Israel reason to halt its air attacks. The 5th Corps Syrian mercenaries began replacing Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian and Afghan mercenaries working for Iran.

December 1, 2020: In Syria (Damascus) an Israeli air strike killed eight Iranian mercenaries guarding an Iranian arms storage site south of the city.
An aerial view of construction of the new Wahconah Regional High School in Dalton. New tax bills received by residents reflect the impact of the first $1.3 million in borrowing costs.

She is a Victoria's Secret star who is known for her jaw-dropping frame.

And Sara Sampaio set pulses racing as she posed in a skimpy string bikini top for a sultry photoshoot during her tropical break on Monday.

The supermodel, 29, showcased her cleavage and slender midriff in a black bikini top as she posed on a secluded beach.

Toned: Sara Sampaio set pulses racing as she posed in a skimpy string bikini top for a sultry photoshoot during her tropical break on Monday

The beauty also revealed her honed legs in a pair of high-waisted denim hotpants, paired with a crisp white shirt.

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The Vogue coverstar wore her brunette tresses in a bun and appeared to go make-up free for the day.

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The star looked happy and relaxed as she soaked up the sun during a rare break from her hectic schedule.

Sampaio began her career modeling in local competitions in Portugal before making her major debut in the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and followed up by walking in the same show the year afterwards.

Beach beauty: The supermodel, 29, showcased her cleavage and slender midriff in a black bikini top as she posed on a secluded beach

Racy: The star let her bikini do the talking as she basked in the sunshine on a beach

In 2015, she was named as one of Victoria's Secret's Angels, and walked with her counterparts at the 2016 show in Paris.

In the years following that appearance, the Porto native has been featured in campaigns and has walked in shows for brands such as Moschino, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and Dolce & Gabbana, among others.

The model was featured on the May 2017 cover of Maxim, which was also her first time in the publication.

That same year, Sampaio was seen in both the Brazilian and Turkish versions of Vogue; she was pictured in the Mexican and Thai iterations of the magazine the year after that.

Big names: The Portuguese model has walked for brands such as Tory Burch, Miu Miu, and Balmain; seen here in 2019

The supermodel has also made a few strides onto screen, and has been seen in music videos for Kanye West, Selena Gomez, and Nick Jonas, among others.

In 2017, she was seen in a second season episode of the HBO drama series Billions entitled Optimal Play.

Sampaio is also set to feature in the upcoming Portuguese film Sombra, where she is set to play a journalist named Marta.

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The film is currently set to premiere in 2021.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chatmeter , the leader in local search marketing and reputation management, was named a winner of the 2021 BIG Innovation Awards presented by Business Intelligence Group. The BIG Innovation Awards celebrates organizations and individuals whose innovations change the way the world is experienced. Chatmeter was carefully selected by a panel of leaders and experts.

Chatmeter empowers multi-location brands and agencies across the globe to create seamless customer experiences both online and in-store. Chatmeter's innovative local SEO and reputation management software gives businesses the tools needed to expand their online presence and connect with consumers everywhere.

"Managing the ever changing landscape of platforms that provide social, search, location and review based services can be overwhelming for businesses with even a single location, and impractical for those who span hundreds or thousands. Chatmeter's core platform is constantly evolving to provide a single management platform that provides pertinent, real time data about the reputation, health and wellbeing of an organization's products and services through advanced integrations, data analytics, sentiment analysis and intuitive reporting and altering." said Dan Cunningham, Chief Technology Officer of Chatmeter.

Chatmeter's product launches in 2020 include:

LocationHQ Mobile App - Chatmeter's mobile app gives access to our product's reputation management and local SEO tools on the go. With sporadic changes to COVID-19 safety regulations, the mobile app has played a large role in helping businesses make accurate location updates anytime and anywhere.

- Chatmeter's mobile app gives access to our product's reputation management and local SEO tools on the go. With sporadic changes to COVID-19 safety regulations, the mobile app has played a large role in helping businesses make accurate location updates anytime and anywhere. Bulk Listings Editor - Chatmeter's bulk listings editor gives multi-location businesses the ability to make edits and updates to local listings in bulk. Our Bulk Listings Editor tool was developed to help users quickly and efficiently make location updates during these uncertain times.

- Chatmeter's bulk listings editor gives multi-location businesses the ability to make edits and updates to local listings in bulk. Our Bulk Listings Editor tool was developed to help users quickly and efficiently make location updates during these uncertain times. Social Suite - In 2020, Chatmeter added Instagram, LinkedIn and Google Posts functionality to our existing social media management tool. Social media usage among consumers has skyrocketed since the start of COVID-19. The addition of these two social platforms has streamlined our users' social media strategy and ability to communicate with consumers where they're spending more time online.

"Mid-market and enterprise businesses are starting to realize the importance of end-to-end customer experience across channels and media. A 360 degree view across publicly posted information (social media, reviews) as well as data collected through surveys, is critical to help businesses understand how customers perceive their products and services. With innovative products like Analytics Studio, Pulse and Social Suite, Chatmeter provides actionable insights to help businesses deliver the optimal experiences at every single location."  said Sridhar Nagarajan , Vice President of Product at Chatmeter.

"More than ever, the global society relies on innovation to help progress humanity and make our lives more productive, healthy and comfortable," said Maria Jimenez, chief operating officer of the Business Intelligence Group. "We are thrilled to be honoring Chatmeter as they are one of the organizations leading this charge and helping humanity progress."

Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

About Chatmeter

Consumers have high expectations for brands to deliver accurate information with convenience. Chatmeter ( www.chatmeter.com ) gives multi-location brands the tools to manage the online to offline customer journey by focusing on improving online reputation, business listings and local SEO rankings.

Established in 2009, Chatmeter now analyzes billions of customer reviews, social media mentions and sentiments from hundreds of sources to help businesses keep a pulse on all of their locations. Fortune 5000 companies rely on Chatmeter's expertise in multi-location brand management to make confident business decisions that provide a competitive advantage at every location. From search rankings to business listings, store pages and more, Chatmeter is the trusted solution for driving traffic and revenue to local businesses in over 40 industries including retail, healthcare, financial services, real estate, food services, and automotive.

Chatmeter is the recipient of top accolades including the Inc. 5000, Entrepreneur 360 and Street Fight Local Visionary Awards, as well as local San Diego recognition as a Top Workplace by the Union-Tribune. Chatmeter has continuously gained recognition from G2 Crowd, including most recently a Leader award for Enterprise and Small Business brands for Winter 2021.

About Business Intelligence Group

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs , these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

SOURCE Chatmeter Inc

Related Links

https://www.chatmeter.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilco Streambank, a leading advisory firm specializing in the sale of intellectual property assets, is marketing the Impeachment.com premium domain name. It is available for sale or lease.

"There is no better time to own the Impeachment.com domain name," remarked Hilco Streambank senior vice president Richelle Kalnit. She added, "the buyer of this domain has the opportunity to be a thought leader and player in a conversation that is at the center of the United States' most talked-about and timely news topic."

Parties interested in acquiring or leasing Impeachment.com should CLICK HERE or contact Hilco Streambank directly using the contact information provided below.

Jack Hazan Executive Vice President [email protected] 212.610.5663 Richelle Kalnit Senior Vice President [email protected] 917.328.7030 Joseph Habert Analyst [email protected] 917.553.9975

About Hilco Streambank: Hilco Streambank is a market leading advisory firm specializing in intellectual property disposition and valuation. Having completed numerous transactions including sales in publicly reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, private transactions, and online sales through IPv4.Global, Hilco Streambank has established itself as the premier intermediary in the consumer brand, internet and telecom communities. Hilco Streambank is part of Northbrook, Illinois based Hilco Global, the world's leading authority on maximizing the value of business assets by delivering valuation, monetization and advisory solutions to an international marketplace. Hilco Global operates more than twenty specialized business units offering services that include asset valuation and appraisal, retail and industrial inventory acquisition and disposition, real estate and strategic capital equity investments.

For media and press:

Gary C. Epstein

EVP Chief Marketing Officer

Hilco Global

[email protected]

847.418.2712

SOURCE Hilco Streambank
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to discuss the coronavirus vaccine rollout. But host George Stephanopoulos first had to ask him about the big issues roiling Washington: President Donald Trump's alleged incitement of an attempted insurrection against the American government and the attempts to remove him from office that have followed.

Azar was asked twice whether he felt Trump was able to discharge the duties of the presidency - the threshold for Cabinet members invoking the 25th Amendment to remove a president. Azar offered a general denunciation of the rhetoric that led to the scenes (without attaching it to Trump) and declined to talk about the 25th Amendment, citing a blanket policy against disclosing internal discussions.

Most telling, though, was what he also declined to say: that Trump is indeed capable of discharging the duties of his office. The question was posed twice, and one of Trump's own Cabinet secretaries wouldn't say that he was.

Trump has made allies such as Azar squirm plenty of times. Most times, they'll decline to directly criticize the president. But just as important is how often they'll decline to actually defend him. Saying a president can discharge the duties of his office is a very low bar, but Azar wasn't even willing to say Trump clears it.

The noncommittal answer is a case-in-point for how gingerly Trump's allies are confronting the situation since Wednesday's siege. While they downplayed the severity of Trump's actions both when it came to obstructing the Russia investigation and the Ukraine scandal that led to his impeachment, they've spent precious little time assuring that the president's conduct in this case wasn't awful.

Rather than saying impeachment isn't warranted and engaging on the substance of it, they've instead pivoted to saying it would prevent the country from unifying (despite having failed to offer similar cautions about Trump trying to overturn an American election in the first place). While denouncing the rhetoric that preceded the siege, they've generally spoken about it in broad terms, declining to litigate how much blame Trump's rhetoric, specifically, deserves or whether he's actually guilty of incitement.

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Tex., was among the earliest proponents of the it's-time-to-unify-instead argument, tweeting that those calling for impeachment "are themselves engaging in intemperate and inflammatory language and calling for action that is equally irresponsible and could well incite further violence."

Brady was castigated by the left for the tweet. But it includes a pretty notable implication: Trump himself was also engaging in such irresponsible rhetoric that might have incited violence. Brady, though, didn't dwell upon that point.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reportedly told GOP colleagues Monday in a phone call that Trump bears some blame for what happened last week, but he has not said that publicly. And before the call, he sent a missive laying out several options - a censure resolution, a bipartisan commission, changes to election laws, and legislation to "promote voter confidence" in elections - without addressing Trump's actions specifically.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has echoed the idea that there was irresponsible rhetoric but that impeachment and other punishments would be counterproductive. He said President-elect Joe "Biden has a historic opportunity to unify America behind the sentiment that our political divisions have gone too far."

In a four-minute video posted to his Twitter account, Rubio stressed the need for accountability and figuring out how this happened.

"Now, how do we explain this? How could this happen here in America?" Rubio said. He blamed media bias, alleged social media censorship, and how state officials administered elections for fomenting a disbelief in the electoral process. He cited unnamed politicians who he said had lied to those disbelievers about potential remedies such as having Vice President Mike Pence insert himself in the process. But he did nothing to address Trump's role - either in defense of it or to rebuke it.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who led the impeachment of President Bill Clinton when he was in the House, has also said impeachment would be counterproductive while declining to defend Trump. When asked last week about other methods for potentially removing Trump, he said of the 25th Amendment: "I do not believe that's appropriate at this point," but added later: "Now, if something else happens, all options would be on the table."

The implication, as with Brady's tweet, is that Trump did do something wrong in the first place and just that it shouldn't be repeated. Whether that's impeachable, there would seem to be a discussion worth having about just how wrong it was. Rubio says we need to get to the bottom of how this happened and has gently alluded to the kind of misinformation Trump has shared, but he instead focuses more specific blame on other entities such as the media.

With some notable exceptions, Republicans have steadfastly declined to litigate Trump's role in any significant measure - either to criticize it or, as notably, to support it. And the thing is, impeachment is a divisive process. But that division must always be measured against the alleged bad deed involved and the need for accountability.

Rather than address that balancing act, though, Republicans are pretending one side of the scale isn't worth weighing.
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[January 12, 2021] Tauriga Sciences Inc. Renews its Status as an Affiliate Vendor to the National Association of College Stores

The Company Believes that the Collegiate Retail Market Represents a Potentially Lucrative Opportunity During Calendar Year 2021 and Beyond

NEW YORK, NY, Jan. 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 functional supplement chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant) as well as two ongoing Biotechnologies initiatives, today announced that its status as an Affiliate Vendor (Vendor) has been renewed by the National Association of College Stores (NACS). As a Vendor to the NACS, the Company is part of the most comprehensive group of campus retailers working to provide the best services and selections to College students across the United States. Over the past year, the Company has received multiple Purchase Orders from College Campus Stores and has continued to experience strong levels of interest from industry buyers. The National Association of College Stores is the professional trade association of the $10 Billion campus store industry. The NACS represent nearly 4,000 campuses in the U.S. and Canada, and approximately 1,000 companies that supply goods and services to campus stores. Through groundbreaking educational events, productive Tradeshows, and award-winning publications, the NACS is the gateway to securing new customers and growing your business in the $10 Billion campus market. The annual NACS Tradeshow attracts more than 22,000 industry stakeholders from around the world. Buyers and sellers come together to conduct business, learn from one another and network. The expo is segmented into six categories: Fuel Equipment & Services, Food Equipment & Foodservice Programs, Candy/Snacks, Facility Development & Store Operations, Merchandise and Technology. The Company intends to operate a Virtual Exhibitor Booth at the upcoming NACS Campus Market Expo Tradeshow (NACS Tradeshow)  February 22nd-26th, 2021. Recall that last year, February 10th-11th, 2020, the Company operated a main floor Exhibitor Booth (# 518) at the 2020 NACS Tradeshow  which took place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Please see below, the following Credential(s) has been designated to Tauriga Sciences Inc. by the NACS: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. NACS Affiliate Vendor ID # 113921 AOUT 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 Tauri-Gum Flavor: Pear Bellini). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com Complementary to the Companys retail business, are its two ongoing biotechnology initiatives. The first one relates to the development of a Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed to help patients that are subjected to ongoing chemotherapy treatment). On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it filed a provisional U.S. patent application covering its pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. The second one relates to a collaboration agreement with Aegea Biotechnologies Inc. for the co-development of a rapid, multiplexed, Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test with superior sensitivity and selectivity.

On October 6, 2020, the Company announced that it has been approved to operate as a U.S. Government Vendor (CAGE CODE # 8QXV4) On October 7, 2020 the Company disclosed a Strategic Alliance with Think BIG, LLC, Social Impact Startup Founded by CJ Wallace, Son of Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace. The Company is headquartered in New York City and operates a regional office in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, the Company operates a full time E-Commerce fulfillment center located in LaGrangeville, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 4 Nancy Court, Suite 4 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Instagram: @taurigum Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com Attachment 1_12 pr



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In this photo illustration, a customer scans a QR code to pay for drinks using bit coins in Sydney, Australia on Sept. 19, 2013. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images; effects added by Epoch Times)

Sydney Man Charged Over Fast-Food Outburst

A man has been charged after allegedly becoming aggressive at a McDonalds in northwestern Sydney when staff asked him to sign in using a QR code.

NSW Police will allege in court the man refused to use the COVID-safe check-in at the fast food outlet in Kellyville Ridge on the evening of Jan. 9.

He allegedly became aggressive and verbally abused staff, before pushing a cash register and printer off the counter and leaving the restaurant.

The 25-year-old St Marys man was arrested at Riverstone Police Station about 4.15 p.m. on Monday.

He was charged with destroying or damaging property, using offensive language in a public place and not complying with a COVID-19 health order.

He was granted conditional bail to appear before Blacktown Local Court on Feb. 1.

Sydney
A Georgia man arrested at the violent Capitol Hill siege in Washington DC last week has died, police confirmed Monday.

Christopher Stanton Georgia, 53, shot himself dead at his home in Alpharetta on Saturday. He was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and died by suicide, The Fulton County Medical Examiner said.

Documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Georgia's wife called 911 on Saturday morning, telling authorities there was 'blood everywhere'. His body was found in the basement of the home they share.

Family members on the scene were described by police as 'extremely distressed' in a police report.

Officers also removed two semi-automatic SKS rifles from Georgias home, the department said.

According to documents from the Superior Court of DC, Georgia had been charged with attempting to enter certain property, that is, the United States Capitol Grounds, against the will of the United States Capitol Police.

Christopher Stanton Georgia, 53, was found dead at his home, pictured, in Alpharetta

Christopher Stanton Georgia, 53, had been charged with attempting to enter certain property, that is, the United States Capitol Grounds, against the will of the United States Capitol Police'

At around 7:15pm last Wednesday, on the night of the riots, Georgia was reportedly among a group outside in violation of the Districts 6pm curfew that had been put in place earlier that day to stem the chaos wreaked by the pro-Trump mob.

When officers gave the group several warnings to disperse, Georgia and his group reportedly refused, according to the documents. They were then placed under arrest as a result.

Unlawful entry is a misdemeanor charge that carries a maximum penalty of up to 180 days in jail and fines of up to $1,000.

The circumstances surrounding Georgias death remain unclear.

The Alpharetta Police Department has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request seeking further comment.

The attack on the US Capitol Wednesday happened as members of Congress met to certify Joe Bidens Electoral College victory.

So far, at least 82 people have been arrested and more than 55 have been charged over the insurrection. Hundreds more are being hunted by the authorities but are yet to be found, including 25 people who are being investigated on terrorism charges.

Others from Georgia arrested so far following the riots are Cleveland Meredith, Grant McHoyt Moore, of Buford, and Eric Munchel, of Dunwoody who is known on social media as zip tie guy.

So far, at least 82 people have been arrested and more than 55 have been charged over the insurrection, with dozens more being sought after

Rioter Ashli Babbit was shot dead after attempting to climb through a shattered window of a barricaded door

Others from Georgia arrested so far following the riots are Cleveland Meredith (left) and Eric Munchel (right), of Dunwoody who is known on social media as zip tie guy.

Five people also died. One protester, Ashli Babbitt, was shot dead as she attempted to climb through a shattered window of a barricaded door near to the chamber. Three protesters died from medical emergencies and one officer, Brian Sicknick, died 'from injuries sustained' while responding to the attack.

One USCPD officer, Brian Sicknick, died 'from injuries sustained' while responding to the attack

Sicknick, 42, was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during a struggle, two law enforcement officials said.

A second member of the Capitol Police, Howard Liebengood, was on duty on Wednesday and died by suicide on Saturday.

Two US Capitol Police officer spoke out yesterday about being subjected to vile racial abuse from members of the MAGA mob as they worked to protect the legislature.

One officer, a veteran of the department, said he was called the N-word upwards of 15 times, while another described being beaten by insurgents, some of whom were wielding Blue Lives Matter flags.

Both of the officers said they encountered out law enforcement officials in the mob, who had flown from all over the country to join in with the rioting.

[One guy] pulled out his badge and he said, Were doing this for you. Another guy had his badge. So I was like, Well, you gotta be kidding, one of the officers said.

Police department across the country  including in Texas, Washington State, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and California  have opened investigations into whether any of their own officers took part in the Capitol siege. So far, several officers and at least one police chief are facing potential termination or suspension.
A tourist trying to get back to Britain from the Maldives is stranded having already spent 14 days in isolation after getting infected with coronavirus on a diving safari.

Kathrin Schuler, a software engineer for Google in London, is among the Britons abroad facing a race to get home before rules requiring international travellers to test negative for coronavirus prior to arriving in England come into force.

From 4am this Friday, those arriving by boat, train or plane - including UK nationals - will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure. But the UK Government has not yet confirmed which Covid-19 tests they will accept.

Latest official guidance issued yesterday referred to how lateral flow tests might be allowed 'in some cases' - and said further advice will be issued to passengers.

Lateral flow tests are cheaper and give results in 30 minutes, while the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests take up to three days to identify positive cases.

Meanwhile tourists returning from Dubai today have slammed the decision to force them to self-isolate for ten days after the UAE was removed from the air corridor.

Ms Schuler had travelled to the Maldives before tier four restrictions began in the UK. But due to a positive Covid-19 case on a diving safari, the group all got infected with Covid-19 and had to spend a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a government facility.

Resorts in the Maldives arrange for guests to have a PCR test for a fee, but this costs up to $150 - and people are advised to book it at least four days before departure, although this would then be out of date by the time they arrive back in the UK.

Visitors can also have a lateral flow test called an Ag Card which can deliver results within 15 minutes, but it is not clear if this would be accepted by UK authorities.

Kathrin Schuler, of London, pictured with partner Roger Kuhn, is stranded in the Maldives having already spent 14 days in isolation after getting infected with Covid-19 on a diving safari

Ms Schuler, who is originally from Switzerland but now lives in Canary Wharf, told MailOnline: 'After completing our 14 days, in line with Maldivian restrictions, we will be allowed to leave and go home.

'However, it is very unlikely that we will test negative in a new PCR test since Covid-19 cases can test positive for a long time despite no longer being infectious.

How to get a Covid test in five of the most popular destinations with UK tourists SPAIN Spain has banned British tourists from flying there but those already in the country can fly back home. If they test positive they will have to quarantine at their hotel or holiday accommodation for 14 days. The country has embarked on a large increase in its PRC and antigen testing, which now stand at 180,000 a week. A (Transcription-Mediated Amplification (TMA) test takes two hours to show results and costs about 60  compared to 100 for a PCR. FRANCE France banned British tourists on December 20 following the emergency of the new strain of coronavirus. French citizens and truck drivers can enter but only with a negative PCR test from the last 72 hours. People in France can search through a map at sante.gouv.fr site to find a test centre near them, including whether they offer PCR or antigen tests. The tests cost 54 but are reimbursed for those on the French health system. ITALY Entry into Italy is only allowed for residents or those with 'absolute necessity', declared in writing. The country offers PCR tests (called 'un tampone' in Italian, or a 'swab') and antigen tests (called 'tampone rapido' in Italian, or a 'fast swab'). Italy is thought to have encouraged Britain to adopt the rapid tests after becoming the first country to hugely invest in them last year. Those looking to get an urgent PCR test can call the 1500 number for help and the tests are free because they are considered emergency procedures. USA British nationals cannot enter the US if they have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil or China within the previous 14 days The test of choice in the US is a PCR, which can be turned around in 12 hours - although there are concerns that these are not accurate enough. There are calls for more rapid antigen tests, which can be turned around in 15 minutes and cost $5 each, compared to PCRs which are about $100 each. IRELAND Anyone arriving in Ireland from Great Britain must have a negative PCR test taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival. In Ireland, normal tests are carried out at drive-in centres and take 15 minutes, while private tests are also available. One firm offers a PCR test costing 129 with results in up to two working days, while a LAMP test costs up to 199 for a five-hour turnaround. In Northern Ireland, there is a walk-in testing facility at Belfast International Airport providing 99 PCR tests - with results available the following day. MALDIVES Resorts in the Maldives can arrange for guests to have a PCR test for a fee, but this costs up to $150. People are advised to book it at least four days before departure, although this would then be out of date by the time they arrive back in the UK. Visitors can also have a antigen test called a BinaxNOW Ag Card which can deliver results within 15 minutes. Advertisement

'There is no guidance published yet if our quarantine release paper will be enough to get us home - it is, for example to get back into Dubai, after testing positive so currently, it looks like we will be stuck indefinitely, or until all of us test negative.

'We are weighing our options. The statutory instrument has not been published yet so we are hoping there will be something in the fine print to allow people who have tested positive and have completed their mandatory quarantine back into the country without a negative PCR test.

'If that is not the case we are, for better or for worse stuck here until we test negative, which can be months in the worst case. We have reached out to the Department for Transport in the UK but have not heard back as of yet.'

She said one option she was considering was flying to another European country that does not currently require a negative test or lets people in with quarantine letters  and stay there until she tests negative.

Ms Schuler added: 'This could be an option, considering it might be cheaper than the Maldives and have better infrastructure.

'However, none of us have packed any warm clothes, plus we would then be subject to that country's regulations/border closures/quarantine measures/etc.'

Personal trainers Max Price and Kiera Afton said they discovered they would face 10-day self-isolation after friends in the UK texted them shortly before leaving Dubai.

Arriving at Heathrow Terminal 5 on a British Airways flight the couple said they would be inconvenienced by having to stay home or risk being fined.

Kiera said:' We do most of our work online, but it means we can't go out and it just makes things difficult.

'We have been following all the news and we expected the PCR test rule to come in sometime. We knew about the self-isolation and when we laned the crew mentioned it to all the flight.'

Her partner Max added:' This does make things difficult for us, but we just have to get on with it.'

The couple, from Doncaster, south Yorkshire, had considered taking part in the test to release scheme but were too tired after an eight-hour flight to queue up for a swab test on the ground floor of Terminal 5.

Under the scheme travellers who test negative after five days can end the self-isolation.

'We went to Dubai as the gyms are still open and means we could train. I do competitions and it meant I could continue with my training.' said Kiera.

Two police officers who were also on the afternoon flight from Dubai said they faced losing 10 days pay due to the imposed self-isolation rule.

The WPC, who asked not to be named, said when they left for their six-day break in the UAE they had been cleared by their bosses as the country was on the safe list drawn up by the Government.

Now it has been taken off the air corridor list they will have to self-isolate and face having to take unpaid leave.

'It is pretty rough and is going to impact us,' said the policewoman.

'We will do the test to release scheme, but even that means taking 5 days off. I am hoping our bosses will be sympathetic.'

Other passengers said they had paid 100 for a PCR test before leaving Dubai and were disappointed to learn it did not exclude them from having to self-isolate for 10 days.

'I did the test for my own assurance,' said a woman who gave her name as Jennifer.

'Dubai was very safe and everyone complied with wearing masks. I felt very safe over there but not so much here. There were no checks. No one asked to see my locator form and I thought there would at least be someone taking temperatures. '

Not all the travellers on the BA flight planned to self-isolate.

One Spanish man insisted he was exempt from the ruling as he had not been in Dubai for more than a week.

He insisted that the rules imposed by the Government did not apply and he had no intention of self-isolating.

'I am exempt. I do not have to do any self-isolation, ' he said.

The visitor was met by a taxi driver and refused to reveal his destination or name as he left the Terminal.

An afternoon flight operated by Emirates to Terminal Two was cancelled due to lack of booked passengers.

One MP complained today that it was 'taking an extremely long time to pin down something that a lot of other countries have been doing for many months now'.

Passengers are pictured in an area of London Heathrow Airport's Terminal Two today

Britons will need to present proof of a negative test result to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals.

Conservative MP Henry Smith, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on aviation, said he welcomed the test requirement for every passenger coming into the UK, pointing out that he had suggested it in the Commons as long ago as last January.

But the MP, whose constituency includes Gatwick Airport, told MailOnline: 'It has been a long time in the gestation and it is not completely clear as to how it all works.

'It does seem to be taking an extremely long time to pin down something that a lot of other countries have been doing for many months now.

'This shouldn't take as long as it has. All of this is complex, but it is relatively straightforward in terms of asking people to take certain types of test. I don't see what the delay is in terms of being clear about that is.'

How rapid lateral flow tests are different to lab-based PCR swabs Lateral flow tests are an alternative to the gold standard PCR test - known scientifically as polymerase chain reaction testing - which is more expensive and more labour-intensive but more accurate. PCR tests also use a swab but this is then processed using high-tech laboratory equipment to analyse the genetic sequence of the sample to see if any of it matches the genes of coronavirus. This is a much more long-winded and expensive process, involving multiple types of trained staff, and the analysis process can take hours, with the whole process from swab to someone receiving their result taking days. It is significantly more accurate, however. In ideal conditions the tests are almost 100 per cent accurate at spotting the virus, although this may be more like 70 per cent in the real world. Advertisement

The latest guidance released by the Department for Transport yesterday stated: 'We will establish the standards that tests must meet in regulations.

'This will include that the test must be of a diagnostic-standard test such as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and could in some cases include LAMP and lateral flow tests within set limits.

'We will provide clear guidance and advice to passengers regarding testing standards and capacity.'

New arrivals who flout the rules will face a minimum 500 fine, while the operator who transported them will also be fined.

Passengers will still have to quarantine for 10 days regardless of their test results, transport minister Robert Courts said in a statement.

British nationals attempting to return home who test positive must not travel and must follow the local guidance in their host country, and contact the nearest consulate if they need support.

'If a passenger arrives in England without a pre-departure negative test result they will be fined,' Mr Courts said.

'We will amend the International Travel Regulations so that fines, starting at 500, can be levied on non-compliant passengers.'

Travellers must take an internationally approved test, and Mr Courts said guidance on what was acceptable would be made available to passengers and carriers.

'We will keep test standards and innovative testing technologies under review,' he said.

The new rules apply to almost every country in the world, including those on England's travel corridor list, and further compliance checks are due to be conducted by Border Force staff.

Passengers travelling to England from other UK countries, as well as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, will not be covered by the new regulations.

Children under 11 travelling from any country are also exempt from pre-departure testing.

The DfT said there would also be a limited number of exemptions for people like hauliers, air, international rail and maritime crew to allow the free flow of freight.

Travellers from three overseas territories - St Helena, Ascension Island and the Falklands - will be exempt due to lack of testing infrastructure.

Passengers from Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Barbados will be exempt until 4am on January 21, again due to lack of testing infrastructure in those countries.

The international arrivals board at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal Two this morning

Mr Courts said: 'Measures are likely to be in place until the end of the current lockdown, although a review will take place before the end of that period.'

He added: 'With the addition of pre-departure testing requirements, our already robust system to protect against imported cases of coronavirus is further strengthened and will provide the greatest overall protection against the risk of transmission during travel to England and after arrival.'

Other countries in the UK are expected to announce their own plans for pre-arrival testing in the coming days.

Jon Deeks, professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham and lead of the Cochrane Review of Covid-19 diagnostic tests, told Sky News the messaging about the lateral flow tests has 'not been done well'.

Which countries are exceptions to the negative test rule? Travellers from three overseas territories - St Helena, Ascension Island and the Falklands - will be exempt due to lack of testing infrastructure. Passengers from Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Barbados will be exempt until 4am on January 21, again due to lack of testing infrastructure in those countries. Advertisement

He said: 'Just before Christmas schools were given a template letter, which had the wording in it, and it went to parents saying 'This test is as good at detecting cases as the PCR'.

'Now, frankly, that is completely incorrect, and that is the sort of wrong messaging which we have to make sure the Government doesn't continue to put forward.

'This weekend the Business Minister was quoted as saying 'This will make workplaces completely safe'. It's not the right way to tell people about this.'

He added: 'I think there's an anxiety that if we tell people the truth as to how bad this test is people won't bother getting it.

'But we have to do the truth - we can't tell people that the test is better than it is.'

In Britain, the country's most senior police officer has warned coronavirus rule-breakers they are 'increasingly likely' to face fines as forces move 'more quickly' to enforce lockdown restrictions.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said it was 'preposterous' that anyone could be unaware of the need to follow the stringent measures designed to curb Covid-19 cases.

Writing in The Times, she said: 'It is preposterous to me that anyone could be unaware of our duty to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus.

Passengers arrive at London Heathrow Airport this morning on international flights into the UK

'We have been clear that those who breach Covid-19 legislation are increasingly likely to face fines.'

Biostatistics expert criticises messaging on lateral flow tests Jon Deeks, professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham and lead of the Cochrane Review of Covid-19 diagnostic tests, told Sky News the messaging about the lateral flow tests has 'not been done well'. He said: 'Just before Christmas schools were given a template letter, which had the wording in it, and it went to parents saying 'This test is as good at detecting cases as the PCR'. 'Now, frankly, that is completely incorrect, and that is the sort of wrong messaging which we have to make sure the Government doesn't continue to put forward. 'This weekend the Business Minister was quoted as saying 'This will make workplaces completely safe'. It's not the right way to tell people about this.' He added: 'I think there's an anxiety that if we tell people the truth as to how bad this test is people won't bother getting it. But we have to do the truth - we can't tell people that the test is better than it is.' Advertisement

However, her comments came as law enforcement sources told the Guardian that police officers would not enforce mask-wearing in supermarkets - despite a Government crackdown on compliance.

Supermarket chain Morrisons said yesterday that customers who refuse to wear a mask without a medical exemption will be told to leave stores, while Sainsbury's also said its security staff would 'challenge' shoppers who were not wearing masks or entering stores in groups.

Meanwhile, ministers are reported to be mulling over introducing tougher measures in England, with the wearing of face masks outdoors and banning exercise with people not in their household bubble said to be under consideration.

Tory former health minister Steve Brine led calls for an end to non-essential takeaway sales, including coffee, telling BBC Two's Newsnight: 'There are so many things that we are doing, which are allowed in the rules... but I just don't think they are wise right now.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned on Monday that the NHS is under 'very significant pressure' and told the public to reduce all social contact that is 'not absolutely strictly necessary' in a bid to cut cases.

His warning came as NHS England data showed there were 32,070 Covid-19 patients in English hospitals as of 8am on Monday. The figure is up 20 per cent compared to last week, and up 81 per cent since Christmas Day.

A further 529 people died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus as of Monday, bringing the UK total to 81,960 - though separate figures show there have now been 97,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.

** Are you a British tourist abroad, trying to work out what test you need? Please email: tips@dailymail.com **
Published on 2021/01/11 | Source

Actor Bae Sung-woo was summarily indicted on charges of drunk driving.

According to legal circles on the 11th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office summarily indicted Bae Sung-woo on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act on the 6th. The court's decision has not yet been made. This is because Bae Sung-woo was caught driving after drinking alcohol with an acquaintance in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul last November. At that time, his blood alcohol content was more than 0.08%, the level of revocation of his license. Bae Sung-woo dropped out of the drama "Delayed Justice" when it was belatedly known that he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
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Following the two U.S. Senate runoff races in Georgia on Jan. 5, the chamber is split 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans, but with Democrats in control (and with an effective majority) since incoming Vice President Kamala Harris, as Senate president, can break tie votes. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats also have a five-seat majority.

SHRM Online has gathered the following articles that look at how U.S. health care policy may be altered with Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the White House and Democrats controlling Congress.

Rolling Back Trump-Era Regulations

Congress has authority under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reverse recent Trump administration regulations and guidance by a simple majority vote in both chambers. The CRA allows an incoming Congress to review federal agency rules issued during the last 60 legislative-session days.

Which Trump-era rules might be invalidated under the CRA? Targets for Congress could include a rule to allow grandfathered group plans to impose higher cost-sharing requirements, a rule requiring health insurers and self-insured plans to disclose price and cost-sharing information, and a rule to pass along drug company rebates to patients at the point of sale, among others.

This target list could expand if the Trump administration finalizes additional rules before the end of its term on Jan. 20. Examples of recently proposed, but not yet finalized, rules include a regulatory "sunset" requirement, the 2022 notice of benefit and payment parameters, and a rule that would allow employee reimbursement for fees for direct primary care and health care sharing ministries.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the IRS also could decide not to go forward with these regulations if they are not finalized.



(Health Affairs Blog and SHRM Online)



Higher ACA Subsidies

Congress is most likely to strengthen and expand the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and make health coverage less expensive for those who buy their own plans. One priority is raising the income ceiling for those who receive subsidies, which would expand the number of people who qualify for help. Another is rewriting formulas to peg the size of the subsidy to a more generous health insurance plan, a way to increase the amount of assistance.



With a Democratic-controlled Senate, Democrats could reconsider legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, which was passed by the House in 2020 but never considered in the Senate. That bill would have extended ACA subsidies to additional income brackets, made premium tax credits more generous, funded outreach and navigators, funded state-based reinsurance or subsidy programs, funded state efforts to set up their own marketplaces, and incentivized Medicaid expansion, among other provisions.



(BenefitsPRO and Health Affairs Blog)



[SHRM Resource: What You Need to Know About ... the Affordable Care Act]

HHS Nominee Likely to Be Confirmed

New Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will schedule votes on Biden's nominees, and most will now be confirmed. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a staunch defender of the Affordable Care Act and a supporter of Medicare for All, is nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

On the congressional front, Sen. Ron Wyden is poised to run the powerful Senate Finance Committee, where he has been central in the push for sweeping drug-pricing legislation.

(Mercer and Politico)



Lowering the Medicare Eligible Age to 60

A Democratic Congress is more likely to consider Biden's proposal to allow Americans age 60 to 64 to enroll in Medicare. Last April, Biden wrote, "Under this concept, Americans would have access, if they choose, to Medicare when they turn 60, instead of when they turn 65.  This would make Medicare available to a set of Americans who work hard and retire before they turn 65, or who would prefer to leave their employer plans, the public option, or other plans they access through the Affordable Care Act before they retire."

Researchers have found that "the strong link between health insurance and employment in the United States may cause workers to delay retirement until they become eligible for Medicare at age 65," suggesting that earlier access to Medicare could prompt more employees to retire sooner.

(InsuranceNewsNet.com and SHRM Online)



Public Option Roadblocks

According to Biden's campaign website, "Whether you're covered through your employer, buying your insurance on your own, or going without coverage altogether, the Biden plan will give you the choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare."

However, even if there was unanimous support among Democratic senators, the public option isn't a policy that fits neatly into the rigid rules that allow a simple Senate majority to pass legislation under the budget reconciliation process. Congressional procedure experts say public option legislation would need to include nonbudgetary policies, such as defining a package of benefits, that would require a more conventional legislative process that could be subject to a Senate filibuster.

And unanimity among 50 Democratic senators may be a big political challenge in any case. When Congress last debated the public option in 2010, it split the Democratic caucus and couldn't garner enough support to pass.

(The New York Times and SHRM Online)


As of November, 11 states and Washington, D.C. , have legalized cannabis for adults, while 34 have legalized it specifically for medical purposes. In either case, local governments in those states must sort out licensing, planning, zoning and taxation themselves, to accommodate businesses entering a young and burgeoning industry. Its easier said than done, with new laws varying from one jurisdiction to the next and so many public offices unable to convene in person.To help local governments manage the process of writing their own policies and checking them against state and federal regulations, the cloud software company OpenGov has entered into a strategic partnership with Fyllo , which makes compliance software for highly regulated industries.According to a news release today, the partnership will support the creation of a software tool for cannabis licensing, regulatory and compliance tracking, combining OpenGovs expertise in cloud software for citizen services with Fyllos software for making sure local laws comport with all other regulations. The news release explained the partnership as an answer to sheer demand: Since March, Fyllo has detected about 120 cannabis-related announcements across 45 local U.S. jurisdictions, along with a 55 percent increase in local government meetings about marijuana regulation.Our partnership will make it easier for governments to keep pace with category growth and accelerate economic development in their communities, said Fyllo CEO Chad Bronstein in the statement.OpenGov President David Reeves said in a statement that some of the companys customers are facing shrinking budgets in the wake of COVID-19 and weighing cannabis as a revenue source, but they dont know where to begin.Fyllo is the market leader in regulatory compliance and will be able to give governments a broad view of the legislative landscape and intelligence about ongoing trends, he said. OpenGov will continue to ensure that services such as applying for a license or completing a facility inspection are efficient, safe and seamless for government staffers and community residents.With its first foray into cannabis licensing and permitting, OpenGov will find itself in a competitive market with other digital-service companies such as Accela NIC and CityBase, a subsidiary of GTY Technology Holdings . OpenGovs focus in recent years has been its ERP cloud software, having acquired four companies in the past five years to improve its products, although it also launched some tools last year for public communications, digital services and remote work during COVID-19.

Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi will come out with a book next month which evaluates India's demographics from a religious perspective and seeks to bust the myth that is against family planning.

"The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India" is a detailed analysis of the 'Muslim rate of growth' in the light of population data and and international reports, says publishers HarperCollins India.

It discusses how these myths have been often used to stoke majoritarian fears of a demographic skew. The author uses facts to demolish these and demonstrates how a planned population is in the interest of all communities.

The book, which will hit the bookshelves on February 15, delves into the Quran and the Hadith to show how might have been one of the first religions in the world to actually advocate smaller families, which is why several Islamic nations today have population policies in place.

"Indians have been fed for decades the propaganda that Muslims produce too many children in order to overtake the Hindus, that this is how Muslims plan to capture political power," Quraishi argues.

"Derogatory slogans aimed at Muslims 'hum paanch, hamare pachchees' or 'hum chaar, hamare chalees' - have been voiced repeatedly at the top political level to strengthen this narrative. On the other hand, many Muslims also tend to believe that is against family planning," he says.

"This book seeks to demolish these two myths, and many other misconceptions. It is essentially a multi-dimensional look at demographic, religious, administrative, policy and communication dimensions of an issue of foremost concern - population," Quraishi, who joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1971 and rose to become the 17th CEC, says.

According to Swati Chopra, executive editor at HarperCollins India, the book examines the crucial and urgent question of the politicisation of demography in India.

"Are only certain communities responsible for the population explosion in the country? Or is it a 'myth' perpetuated for political gain? How can all communities, and ultimately the nation, benefit from population planning and how can it be effectively implemented?



"Quraishi examines these questions and bases his arguments on impeccable research, making the book a must-read for every Indian who is interested in the politics of our times," she says.

Quraishi, who was CEC from July 30, 2010 to June 10, 2012, introduced a number of electoral reforms, such as the creation of a voter education division, expenditure monitoring division, the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, and launched the Voters Day.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If the House has enough votes, Trump will become the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. He was impeached in 2019 for seeking assistance from Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. While Katko criticized some of the president's conduct, he did not support impeachment.

There could be other actions taken against Trump for his role in inciting the insurrection. The House will consider a resolution on Wednesday asking Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Because Pence has signaled he will not invoke the 25th, Katko said he will not support the resolution.

But his vote for impeachment is significant. Katko endorsed Trump for reelection last year after not supporting his first bid in 2016. Over the years, he has been critical of some of Trump's actions and comments.

After the election, Katko was one of the first Republicans who said Biden was the president-elect. He repeatedly said there was no evidence to back up Trump's claim of election fraud in states he lost.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 06:38:37|Editor: huaxia

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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Tuesday announced a 62 million U.S. dollars new plan to provide immediate financial relief for small businesses struggling as a result of COVID-19.

The plan will provide a combination of grants and very low to zero-interest loans, which will complement and expand existing local, state, and federal initiatives, the announcement said.

Locally, San Francisco has already provided more than 24 million U.S. dollars in grants and loans, and recently waived an additional 5 million dollars in fees for the hardest hit small businesses.

This new small business relief plan will triple the overall support provided by the city. This comes as the federal government has directed new funding in the expansion of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the state of California has launched its own Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, according to the announcement.

"These have been long, hard months on so many of us, but in particular our small business owners and workers have really struggled," said Breed. "We have lost too many of our small businesses already during this pandemic, and this relief plan will help many businesses get through these next challenging months as the vaccine is distributed and we can begin our recovery."

She argued that the city needs small businesses to provide jobs and to make the neighborhoods vibrant again sooner for residents and visitors. Enditem
When William J. Burns is sworn in as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, it will put a seasoned, career diplomat in charge of the nations largest agency devoted to understanding the nature and urgency of all present and emerging threats to Americas interests.

It will also, in a much more parochial sense, mark the next link in a chain of high-level service to country thats become, over the decades, something of a vocation for the Burns family, which has called the Carlisle area home off and mostly-on since the early 1970s.

Burns father, retired Major General William F. Burns, a highly-decorated Army officer and Vietnam combat veteran, served as one of the nations top nuclear arms negotiators in the 1980s, when his son was just starting as a career foreign service officer.

In 1988, the elder Burns was nominated by then-President Ronald Reagan to lead the State Departments Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

A generation later, it is his oldest son who received the presidential call.

William J. Burns, 64, was named Monday by President-elect Joseph R. Biden as his designee to lead the CIA, a post that will require U.S. Senate confirmation.

For the younger Burns it will be the capstone of a career that has already seen him serve tours as deputy Secretary of State in the Obama Administration  during which he played a key role in back-channel talks eventually resulting in the 2015 nuclear weapons deal with Iran  as well as stints as U.S. Ambassador to both Jordan and Russia.

In his 33 years as a career diplomat, Bill dealt firsthand with many of the thorniest global challenges we face, from great power competition to nuclear proliferation. He approached those complex issues with honesty, integrity and skill, Biden said in a video announcing his selection.

WIlliam J. Burns spent his teenage years in the Carlisle area starting in 1971, when his father was selected to be a student at the U.S. Army War College. The family stayed through 1976, as the senior Burns stayed on as a member of the War College staff.

The son attended and graduated from Trinity High School, where his Class of 1973 classmates voted him most studious. Burns then enrolled at La Salle University in Philadelphia, where he earned a degree in political science, and a Marshall Scholarship to take graduate studies at Oxford.

His career as a professional diplomat began after that.

While it is not unusual for multiple generations of a family to spend their careers in public service  especially in the military  what is rare is to find two generations from a family that is no more involved in electoral politics than the average voter getting a direct appointment from a president.

The elder Burns, in an interview in his South Middleton Township home Monday - he and his wife, Peggy, returned to the area as full-time residents in 1989 - allowed that theres a certain amount of right-time, right-place in that.

For example, the father said, he might never have gotten involved in nuclear arms talks had he not been asked to develop a course on negotiations for military leaders at the War College by a deputy commandant, Gen. Edward C. Shy Meyer, who would later go on to become a Chief of Staff of the Army.

It was from that perch, Burns noted, that Meyer called him and asked him to lead negotiations on what would become the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987, which marked the first time the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals, eliminate an entire category of nuclear weapons, and allow on-site inspections for verification.

Thats how those things happen. Meyer called on me because he remembered the course we developed six years earlier here, Maj. Gen. Burns, now 88, said. Those kinds of things just fall into place or dont fall into place.

For the son, of course, William J. Burns was firmly in Bidens orbit from the Obama administration, when Burns was a senior leader in the U.S. Department of State.

William J. Burns, a graduate of Trinity High School and former U.S. ambassador to Jordan and Russia, is President-elect Joe Biden's choice to run the Central Intelligence Agency.Associated Press

Biden said in the announcement video that he wanted the pick to send a signal to the U.S. intelligence community that his administrations focus will be on professionalism and integrity, and that he has no interest in using the CIA as a partisan whipping boy. President Donald J. Trump expressed skepticism about intelligence and frequently disparaged the assessments of U.S. spy agencies, especially about Russias interference in the 2016 election.

Biden also said that he hopes Burns nomination also signals to allies around the world that the United States will value cooperation in dealing with new and emerging threats.

William J. Burns has never been an American intelligence officer, but hes worked with them throughout his career abroad.

Good intelligence is the first line of defense for America - the indispensable basis for sound policy decisions, Burns said in the same announcement video. I developed enormous respect for my colleagues in the CIA. I served with them in hard places around the world. I saw firsthand the courage and professionalism that they displayed and the sacrifices that their families made.

Michael Morell, a career intelligence officer and former acting director of the CIA whose name was floated to hold the top position under Biden, praised the pick, an indication that Burns likely will be embraced by the spy agencys rank and file.

Ive known Bill Burns for decades. ... His command of the issues, his deep respect for intelligence, and his care for people will ensure it, Morell tweeted.

At the CIA, Burns will take over an agency that faces not only ongoing concerns about the spread of weapons of mass destruction and terrorist group activities, but now needs to help raise the United States game in thwarting cyber-attacks, like the recently discovered Russian-led intrusions into dozens of federal agencies and corporations last year.

Thats something that has to be dealt with. Its going to be a very difficult task, particularly when you have to keep all the other balls bouncing at the same time, Maj. Gen. Burns said.

The younger Burns retired from the State Department in 2014 to run the Washington D.C.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In his 2019 book The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal, Burns called for a revamp of American diplomacy, while recalling his days in the field, including helping to spearhead the early stages of the Obama Administrations outreach to Iran in 2013.

Burns has received three Presidential Distinguished Service Awards and the highest civilian honors from the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community.

He has made us (he and wife Peggy) proud for the last forty years while hes been out in public life, Maj. Gen. Burns said Monday, when reflecting on his sons nomination. He is very mild-mannered. Self-effacing. But hard as nails when he has to be... Im sure he can accomplish the task. I have no reservations about that whatsoever.

The CIA post is not expected to be a Cabinet-level post under Biden, according to The Associated Presss reporting on the appointment.

The CIA stopped being a Cabinet-level position during the George W. Bush administration. Thats because in 2005, after 9/11, the Office of the National Intelligence Director was created to oversee and improve cooperation among all the agencies within the U.S. intelligence community. The director of national intelligence, not the CIA director, was in the Cabinet.

Biden had previously selected Avril Haines, a former deputy national security adviser in the Obama Administration and deputy director of the CIA from 2013 to 2015, to serve as his director of national intelligence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his deputy Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in the backdrop of the ongoing protests by farmers against the new agri laws.

The meeting came within hours after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the three controversial farm laws till further orders and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

Later, Khattar said, "Haryana is epicentre of farmers' agitation so we discussed law and order and security in the state. Chautala told reporters, "Our government will last its full five-year term. There is no threat to Haryana government."

Chautala further said now that the Supreme Court has set up a committee, hope things will be resolved soon.

Khattar and Chautala along with the state presidents of the BJP, JJP and state cabinet ministers met the home minister here at North Block. Before meeting Shah, Chautala met MLAs of his party Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) here at a farm house, in which a section of them said it would cost the ruling alliance heavily if the laws are not repealed.

Khattar also said that the farmers protesting at Delhi's borders should end their agitation now following the formation of a committee by the Supreme Court. "The ball is now in the court of the SC and I feel whatever is its decision, it will be acceptable to all," he said, welcoming the SC order.

The Supreme Court stayed till further orders the implementation the three central agri-marketing laws over which farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been protesting for weeks. The court also announced the formation of a four-member committee to resolve the deadlock over the new laws between the Centre and farmers' unions.

On the farmer unions' refusal to call off their protest after the SC order, Khattar said there was no reason now for them to continue with it. He said the farmers should lift their dharna' at Delhi's border and head back to the places they had come from.

Khattar has been targeted by farmer unions for supporting the new laws enacted at the Centre in September. On Sunday, protesters in Karnal vandalised the venue of the kisan mahapanchayat the chief minister had planned to address in support of the laws.

Also, a section of the MLAs from the Jannayak Janta Party, which is the BJP's partner in Haryana's ruling coalition, have opposed the central laws. The four members of the SC-appointed committee are Bhartiya Kisan Union's Bhupinder Singh Mann, Shetkeri Sangthana's Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute's Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

Farmers protesting outside Delhi are demanding the repeal of the laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

Khattar had to cancel a public meeting in Karnal on Sunday after the site was ransacked by the protesting farmers. A section of MLAs belonging to JJP, headed by Chautala, is believed to have been facing pressure from the agitating farmers.

Shoppers in Northern Ireland are facing supermarket shortages with hundreds of products missing from the shelves because of new post-Brexit trade arrangements.

Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Tesco have all faced supply issues after the new customs paperwork came in following the transition period ending on January 1.

Fresh fruit, vegetables and chilled meat are among the products most affected as many food suppliers face delays on getting goods into Northern Ireland.

It comes as Seamus Leheny, boss of industry body Logistics NI, told how hauliers are spending tens of thousands of pounds bringing empty lorries to Northern Ireland.

He said exports of goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain are doing well, but less is coming back across the Irish Sea as suppliers face new customs demands.

Depleted shelves in a Sainsbury's store at the Forestside shopping centre in Belfast yesterday

There is a varied picture at shops in Northern Ireland, with empty shelves evident in some parts of some supermarkets in Belfast - while others appear well stocked.

The extra red tape is part of the Northern Ireland protocol, which was agreed by the UK and European Union two years ago to avoid a hard border with Ireland.

It means Northern Ireland continues to have EU internal market and customs rules to ensure trade over the land border with the Republic can continue without issues.

Glyn Roberts, chief of industry group Retail NI, sad that a 'huge amount of Brexit bureaucracy' had caused major supply chain problems.

He told the Financial Times: 'I think at the end of the day it will collapse into place but these next few months are going to be critical.

'Ultimately this is not the wonderful land of milk and honey promised by the people who campaigned for Brexit but we've got to make the best out of a bad situation.'

This Sainsbury's store in Belfast, pictured yesterday, is among those facing supply chain issues

M&S has taken 5 per cent of its range off shelves in Northern Ireland temporarily and the retailer has said it is now looking at sourcing more products locally.

Sainsbury is now stocking some Spar-branded food sourced locally for continuity of supply and said 'a small number' of products were temporarily unavailable.

Seamus Leheny, of Logistics NI, said hauliers are spending tens of thousands of pounds bringing empty lorries to Northern Ireland

Tesco admitted it has seen a 'short delay' on some products but is 'working with suppliers to get these back on the shelves as quickly as possible'.

Aodhan Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, told the FT that 'all retailers' were under pressure to some extent after the new system came in.

Emily Waterworth, investment manager at Brewin Dolphin's office in Northern Ireland, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'My personal experience is very limited. There has been definitely in my local shop been a bit of a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

'The amount of red tape and bureaucracy that has come in, not surprisingly, but unfortunately not well enough trialled in advance for supermarkets to be able to have everything set up seamlessly come January 1 has inevitably led to some things falling by the wayside.

'I think it's important though  the director of the retail consortium here did keep it in perspective. It's a few hundred items that haven't been available  a large supermarket having maybe 40,000 items.

Depleted shelves at the Marks and Spencer store in Donegall Place in Belfast, seen yesterday

'So yes there have been some, to me, inevitable problems - but hopefully it's not something that we should be worrying about overly in the near future here.'

Speaking about the problems with empty lorries, First Minister Arlene Foster described it as 'entirely unacceptable that these issues continue to persist'.

Aodhan Connolly, of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said 'all retailers' were under pressure after the new system came in

'They have to be dealt with urgently, my colleagues at Westminster will be raising some of those issues this week and I'll continue to have those conversations with Michael Gove.

'We're asking for solutions to what are real meaningful problems affecting our haulage industry, affecting our car dealers, affecting people receiving parcels or rather not receiving parcels. All of those issues have to be dealt with.'

Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs has urged other parties to back a recall motion for the Assembly to sit this week to discuss the matter, calling for urgent modifications to help businesses and consumers.

More than 100 haulage firms operate across the Irish Sea, ranging from large operators to smaller family run businesses.

Mr Leheny said one told him they had spent 24,000 bringing empty lorries from Great Britain due to less produce being transported to Northern Ireland.

'Exports are doing well. NI produce is hitting the shelves of supermarkets across GB,' he said.

This Marks and Spencer store in Belfast, pictured yesterday, has suffered from stock issues

'However that's creating a problem because hundreds of lorries are leaving NI every day for England, but because the suppliers in GB have these formalities to comply with to send their goods to Northern Ireland, a lot of them have either suspended or are delaying loads.

'So then they are having to ship loads back to Northern Ireland empty at their own expense, that's a terrible hit for any haulier, it's burning money, because there are driver wages, fuel and ferry costs.

'One haulier last week told me they spent 24,000 shipping empty trailers back to Northern Ireland, trailers that would normally be coming back laden. A hauliers business model is based on having a full load going out and full load coming back.'

Retailers are faced with more paperwork and checks following the end of the Brexit transition period.

'The work of a haulier is to have the right data in the right format at the right time, and a lot of the time, that isn't happening so it means loads can't leave GB and are delayed,' he said.

'The suppliers to Northern Ireland really need to get on top of this quickly. Some hauliers are managing better than others, a lot of that comes down to either their own preparation or the commodities and who the shippers are. Some commodities are more complicated to move than others.'

Empty freezer shelves at the Abbeycentre Tesco in Newtownabbey, north of Belfast, last Friday

Mr Leheny said work is ongoing to reduce the burden but said ultimately grace periods need to be extended and longer term solutions found.

He has called for action from the special joint committee of UK and EU officials which oversee the Northern Ireland Protocol.

'We need to see that committee take some pragmatic solutions, some could be short term, but it would alleviate pressures for industry and give us the breathing space to look at more long term solutions, but we need time to develop those,' he said.

'What is unique about Northern Ireland is that our high street is comprised of the same retailers as across the rest of the UK and that is why the nature of our supply chain is very unique, entering the single market. We're the only part of the EU single market which is part o the UK high street and that has to be recognised.'

A UK Government spokesman said goods are flowing effectively and in normal volumes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

He added: 'For that to continue it is vital that all traders and businesses in their supply chains engage fully with the new processes for moving goods into NI, as the majority are doing.

'While most businesses are well-prepared, we know that awareness of the new procedures needs to improve among suppliers in Great Britain, and we are stepping up our communication and engagement with them to ensure they have all the information they need.

'We also recognise some of the specific challenges faced by the haulage sector and we are working intensively with industry to resolve these.'
EAST ALTON  Firefighters turned a Kia Rio into a convertible Tuesday morning in an effort to extricate the driver.

At about 7:50 a.m. Tuesday, the driver of the vehicle smashed into a guardrail on Illinois 143 east of the former power plant in East Altons jurisdiction. No other people were in the vehicle, and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Authorities at the accident scene said the driver, whose name had not been released Tuesday, suffered facial lacerations and chest pains in the crash. East Alton firefighters were unable to free the driver from the vehicle, prompting a nearly hour-long extrication effort using hydraulic rescue tools to cut through the cars support posts and remove its roof.

During the extrication, East Alton Fire Chief Tim Quigley was inside the vehicle with the driver, covered with a sheet to keep glass and debris from falling on them. Once freed from the vehicle, the driver was transported to a local hospital by Alton Memorial Ambulance paramedics.

East Alton and Wood River police officers provided traffic control during the rescue. and no other people were in the vehicle at the time. The driver was transported to a local hospital by Alton Memorial Ambulance paramedics.
Xi Jinping

Time and momentum are on China's side as the world faces an unprecedented turbulent time, President Xi Jinping has said, outlining his vision for the ruling Communist Party for the next 30 years to achieve "great rejuvenation of Chinese nation".

Xi Jinping, 67, who has become China's most powerful leader after Mao Zedong since he came to power in 2012 was addressing the leading cadre of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday. Founded in 1921 by Mao, the CPC took over power in 1949.

In his morale-boosting speech, Xi said he believes "time and momentum are on Chinas side", despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, deteriorating relations with the West and a slowing economy.

The coronavirus pandemic, which first broke out in central China's Wuhan city one year ago, has so far killed over 1,944,750 people worldwide and crushed the global economy.

"The world is in a turbulent time that is unprecedented in the past century, Xi was quoted as saying by Hong-Kong based South China Morning Post.

"But time and momentum are on our side. This is where we show our conviction and resilience, as well as our determination and confidence, he said.

Xi spoke of the importance of implementing the new development philosophy and advancing the new development paradigm of "dual circulation" in the country's new development phase to ensure a good start for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

Xi has consolidated his leadership as the head of the party, the military and the presidency and bestowed the core leader status of the CPC, a position only enjoyed by Mao. Thanks to a constitutional amendment doing away with the two-term provision for the president in 2018, Xi now has the privilege to continue in power for life.

Given the evolution of the principal contradiction facing Chinese society as well as the change in the world power structure, Xi also underscored the importance of becoming more aware of potential dangers, keeping in mind worst-case scenarios and getting prepared to deal with a more complicated and difficult situation, the state-run China Daily reported.

He called for ensuring a good start for fully building a modern socialist country, adding that the next three decades will be a new development phase during which the Chinese people achieve a tremendous transformation from standing up and growing rich to becoming strong under the CPC's leadership.

Xi's remarks drew mixed reactions from analysts. While western analysts likened it to that of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's declaration that the conditions are right to make the most of a world that was in flux, Chinese observers said the address reflected Xi's confidence in Chinas political system and development.

Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, said Xis remarks showed he intended to make the most of a world that was in flux and undergoing changes that could fundamentally reshape the global order.

Xi is now cautiously very optimistic. He sees the general environment and development as positive for China to assert a new historical role and sees challenges but feels confident that China under him will be able to make the most of it, Tsang was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.

It is a  to paraphrase Napoleon  declaration that the conditions are right for the previously slumbering lion to roar and he will see to it that it does, he said.

Though Xi has not specified the exact policies China will implement, what he has declared is that the conditions are ripe, and if China will rally around the leadership and follow the leader it will get there. The world should take notice, Tsang said.

Zhuang Deshui, deputy director of the Research Centre for Government Integrity Building at Peking University, said Xis speech showed his confidence in Chinas political system and development.

From his remarks, we can see that Beijing is very confident about Chinas major policies and all kinds of responsive measures and Beijing is determined to walk its own path, unaffected by the outside world as it undergoes changes not seen in a century, he said.

Peng Peng, vice-president of Guangdong System Reform Research Society think-tank, said the speech indicated new momentum at a time when China had largely contained the pandemic, and as the US was in chaos amid a power transition.

In the future, China will seek to consolidate partnerships with Russia and Southeast Asian countries, try to mend its strained ties with the US, and it will stick to its own principles in dealing with the Hong Kong and Taiwan issues, Peng said.

Xi has been outlining sweeping changes to come in Chinas governance after the Plenum, a key leadership meeting of the CPC in October last year which has approved the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.

In November last year, he said China is set to change its development model from 2021, relying more on domestic consumption than export-reliant growth and begin a new phase to become a modern socialist country.

Also, coinciding with Xi's assertion of a fully modern socialist society, the CPC in recent months focussed more on reviving studies in Marxism, theory and practice, besides strengthening regulations against top business houses like Alibaba and its billionaire founder Jack Ma.
Addressing a press conference, General Manoj Mukund Naravane also said that there was no decrease in the strength of troops by India and China in eastern Ladakh

Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said Pakistan and China formed a potent threatand that the forces are prepared for any eventuality, according to several media reports.

Naravane, addressing his annual press conference in New Delhi, said that China and Pakistan pose a threat of collusion [sic] and that high alert is being maintained on India's northern and eastern borders.

China and COVID-19 are the biggest challenges for the Indian Army in 2020, News18 quoted Naravane as saying. He further said there was increased cooperation between the two countries in military and non-military spheres. "A two-front threat is something we need to be prepared for," he said, as per the report.

Focussing on China, the Indian Army chief said he was hopeful that New Delhi and Beijing would be able to reach an agreement to resolve the eastern Ladakh stand-off, but alsoasserted that Indian troops would maintain a high state of combat readiness.

As per The Hindu, Naravane termed the mobilisation of forces along the eastern border by the Peoples Liberation Army as an annual affair. We were fully aware of their deployment. But they had a first-mover advantage, he said. India had the same advantage in August (last year) when we surprised the Chinese despite eyeball to eyeball confrontation, he added, as per report..

He also said the operational preparedness of the Indian Armed Forces has been of a "very high level" and they will continue to hold onto their ground. "We are prepared to hold our ground as long it takes to achieve our national goals and objectives," he said.

Talking about increasing security challenges at the Line of Actual Control, the Chief of Army Staff said a need was felt about "rebalancing" of troops along the northern borders, adding "that is what we have put in place now."

The Chief of Army staff said he was hopeful that India and China will be able to reach an agreement for disengagement and de-escalation based on an approach of mutual and equal security.

"I am confident of finding a solution to the issue on the basis of mutual and equal security," he said.

Naravane said there was no reduction in the deployment of troops by both India and China in eastern Ladakh. The Chief of Army Staff said Indian troops are maintaining a high level of alertness all along the Line of Actual Control and not just Ladakh.

Nearly 50,000 troops of the Indian Army are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero temperatures as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have not yielded concrete outcome to resolve the stand-off.

China has also deployed an equal number of troops, according to officials.

Last month, India and China held another round of diplomatic talks under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.

The eighth and last round of military talks between the two sides had taken place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management, and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

With input from PTI
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021, an IoT technology leader, today announced that the reliable connectivity provided by the AerisFusionIoTNetwork, a next generation utility that manufactures, distributes and finances decentralised solar powered systems in the developing world, deliver clean energy to over one million African citizens.



Bboxx's core products are a range of solar home systems that enable both individuals and small businesses to power appliances-from lights and mobile phones to refrigerators and computers. Bboxx installs the Aeris global subscriber identity module (SIM) at the point of manufacture, reducing both supply chain costs and deployment time. By utilising Aeris' single global access point name (APN), the Bboxx solar system can also be deployed anywhere in the world, even in the most remote locations, on a simple plug-and-play basis, without any requirement to configure local network settings.

Since partnering with Aeris in 2017, Bboxx has utilised Aeris' multi-carrier connectivity, ensuring that Bboxx is able to deploy its devices faster than if it relied on one single carrier, whilst having the support from Aeris to scale to new markets. The continued expansion of Bboxx in Africa is also assisted by Aeris' global SIM, which is deployed at the point of manufacture, enabling Bboxx to reduce its supply chain costs and solution deployment time.

The collaboration between Aeris and Bboxx means that Bboxx devices have reliable IoT connectivity no matter where in the world they are deployed, allowing products to be remotely monitored and expediting deployment timeframes. Companies like Bboxx operate in the most remote locations, with products purpose-built for off-grid rural environments, require a reliable mobile network that provides consistent connectivity worldwide to enable effortless remote monitoring of energy systems. To overcome these many life-critical, energy-delivery issues, there is significant need for reliable GSM and CDMA connectivity to deliver functional, energy saving solutions.

Christopher Baker-Brian, co-founder and managing director at Bboxx, said "Aeris' high-quality service and IoT expertise have assisted Bboxx to deliver clean energy solutions to communities and households in eleven countries in Africa with minimal deployment time. By partnering with companies like Aeris, we are making reliable and clean energy more accessible as we continue our mission to unlock potential and transform lives."

Paul Tarsey, IoT Solutions Consultant, Aeris, comments: "Aeris' ability to offer high-quality IoT connectivity at the most optimised total cost of ownership ensures that Bboxx's solar systems are operational and reliable no matter where they are deployed. We look forward to continuing to help assist Bboxx to expand their capabilities and deliver clean energy to people throughout the world."

About Aeris

Aerisis a global technology partner with a proven history of helping companies unlock the value of IoT. For more than a decade, they have powered critical projects for some of the most demanding customers of IoT services. Aeris strives to fundamentally improve businesses by dramatically reducing costs, accelerating time-to-market and enabling new revenue streams. Built from the ground up for IoT and road-tested at scale, Aeris' offering is based on the broadest technology stack in the industry, spanning connectivity up to vertical solutions. As veterans of the industry, Aeris is keenly aware that implementing an IoT solution can be complex, and they pride themselves on making it simpler.

About Bboxx

Bboxx is a next generation utility, transforming lives and unlocking potential through access to energy. Bboxx manufactures, distributes and finances decentralised solar powered systems in developing countries. It is scaling through forging strategic partnerships and its innovative technology Bboxx Pulse, a comprehensive management platform using IoT technology. Through affordable, reliable, and clean utility provision, Bboxx is bringing people into the digital economy, creating new markets, and enabling economic development in off-grid communities and those living without a reliable grid connection. The company is positively impacting the lives of more than one million people with its products and services in over 35 markets, directly contributing to 11 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

So far, Bboxx has deployed more than 350,000 solar home systems. Bboxx has over 800 staff across nine offices including in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, and Togo, with its head office in the UK and its manufacturing operations in China. In 2019, Bboxx was the winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Energy category - testament to the way the company is making a meaningful difference to people's lives around the world. You can find further information about Bboxx on its website: https://www.bboxx.com/

Media Contacts

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A Lancashire farming family are left reeling after a loose dog attacked and killed a heavily pregnant Highland cow.

The four-year-old heifer, named Lexi, was due to give birth to her first calf on 28 January.

But an out-of-control dog mauled her to death on Saturday 9 January, leaving the Seed family 'devastated'.

The livestock worrying incident happened on farmland in Quaker Bridge, near Brierfield.

According to the farm's Facebook page BCS Highland Cattle, the dog 'ripped half of Lexi's tongue out and half of her face'.

The dog, believed to be a Rottweiler, was shot subsequently shot dead on-site.

"We as a family are devastated," the Seeds said via their Facebook page.

"The dog that killed Lexi has been destroyed on site, please can we send out to all dog owners - make sure you know where your animals are at all times."

The previous owner of Lexi, Charlotte Lewis, has created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the Seeds.

"I am currently trying to help set up this page with hopes of raising enough money to give Lexi the send of she deserves, so [I] am looking at raising around 650 for cremation costs.

"Lexi wasn't just a cow, she was a part of a loving family unit who put their pride and joy into giving these animals there forever homes.

"As you can imagine the grief in which this family is going through," she said.

The online donation page has so far raised over 100 out of a target of 650.

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Beauce Gold Fields (Champs D'Or en Beauce) (TSXV: BGF), ("BGF"), is pleased to announce that it has acquired through map staking, a portfolio of prospective placer to hard rock gold anomalies throughout southern Quebec. The Beauce, the Megantic and Quebec's Eastern Townships are considered to be the most suitable regions for the discovery of gold deposits near or under former gold placers.

Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO of Beauce Gold Fields said, "Just as major gold companies have found new value in storied placer gold districts of BC's Cariboo and the Kondike in Yukon, we see untapped potential in Quebec's placer gold properties." Mr. Levasseur added: "For example, the Megantic property holds a similar geological model to the company's flagship Saint-Simon-les-Mines Beauce Gold property whereby a major geological fault line follows along strike historical placer gold deposits."

Megantic Property Highlights





Megantic Property Map

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6198/71866_3b1f4d4574d1a808_001full.jpg

The Megantic property is limited to the southwest by the American border of New Hampshire and to the northeast by Lac Megantic. The property extends for at least 30 km along the axis of the Bella Fault. It is divided into four areas: the Ditton, the Mining Brook, the Chesham and Bergeron rivers.

The Megantic property is located at the foot of the granite intrusion of Mont Megantic. It partly occupies the Compton Formation composed of graphitic and pelitic metasedimentary rocks of Siluro-Devonian age. These sedimentary rocks are in discordant contact in the center of the terrain with the volcanic facies (basalts, andesites and dacites) of the Siluro-Devonian Formation of the Frontenac Formation. The Bella fault, which is the major structural element of the Megantic property, is in contact between the Compton and Frontenac Formations. Observations at Mount Saddle suggest several intrusive phases that would be favourable to the establishment of gold mineralization.

Types of gold mineralizations in rocks:

1) In quartzo-feldspathic porphyry dykes intersecting the sediments of the Compton Formation north of the Megantic Property. The following grades were obtained on samples taken at random: Au = 498.16 g / t Au = 12.0 g / t Au = 24.0 g / t (M B 86-05).

2) Associated with lens base metal mineralization known in the Frontenac Formation at the former Clinton mine. These mineralization's would be in lenticular form. The sulphides would be of syngeneic origin and would have been remobilized during the Appalachian orogeny in preferential zones. From 1974 to 1975 approximately 114.478 tonnes at 2.6% Cu, 2.5% Zn, 0.47% Pb, 31.44 g / t Ag and 0.41 g / t Au would have been extracted.

3) The presence of gold-bearing quartz veins intersecting the more competent gabbroic sills. This type is known in the township of Bellechasse (Timmins-Zone 88 Gold Deposit)

Mineralizations associated with the bella fault:

GM 39251: An intersection anomalous in gold over an apparent thickness of 2.5m was found in a C-1 diamond drill hole. It is located near the village of Chartierville and directly connected to the Bella fault. The anomalous zone is found in a grauwacke bed, with medium grains and containing 15 to 20% of pyrite in coarse cubes and a band of black argillite injected by quartz / carbonate veins.

GM 42843: In the diamond drill hole S-2 visible gold was observed at 240m deep. The borehole was sited a few km east of the Mining Brook. The gold is associated in a quartz vein intersecting a sheared zone located in the volcanic of the Frontenac Formation. More diamond drilling is then recommended to test these highly sheared and favorable zones. These could harbor gold-bearing quartz veins, which are believed to be the source of the gold currently found at the Mining Brook.

GM 51398: There were 5 vertical churn drill holes in the overburden including one hole n  7 which returned interesting gold values between 11 and 21m deep. This drilling would have identified an old channel near the Bella fault.

Mining brook area:

What attracted Beauce Gold Fields attention to this region are the past occurrences and mining of alluvial gold in some streams and small rivers, including the Mining Brook located some five km north of Chartierville. It has been reported in the past Goodwin (1933) that over 25,000 ounces of gold was mined from just a small stretch of Mining Brook.

Chesham river area:

GM 48717: Surface gravel in the Chesham River area is reported to contain flake gold. The deeper gravels contain quite a few nuggets which sometimes reach several grams. Gold grains were recently found in a gravel pit on the Megantic property. The gold reveals very accentuated roughness indicating that it has traveled little. It is assumed that the source of the alluvial gold would be in the volcanic rocks of the Frontenac Formation.

Bergeron river area:

GM 45387: A large quantity of "delicate" fine gold was noted in old excavations along the Bergeron river, thus suggesting a not far distant primary source. The bedrock of the Bergeron river is made up of the components of the Frontenac Formation, that is to say slate schists, bands of basic metavolcanites and gabbro-dioritic sills. These gabbro intrusions may contain veins of quartz mineralized in gold comparable to Timmins-Bellechasse Deposit.

GM 53498: Work carried out by Noranda Mines and Exploration between 1993-1995 established copper, zinc and silver soil anomalies which appear to be continuous over significant distances. One of these anomalies is over 1.8 km in length. It was recommended at the time to make trenches targeting sediment-volcanic contact (Bella fault).

Megantic Samples Collected for Analysis

84 Soil samples (Bergeron River Area)

9 Gravel & Till samples

4 Heavy Mineral samples

Other Placer Gold Properties Staked and Sampled in Southern Quebec:

Beace Region: Riviere Pozer, Saint-Martin, Saint-Prosper, La Guadeloupe, Saint-Victor, Saint-Martin, East Broughton, Saint-Elzear de Beauce, Lac Etchemin (22 gravel & till samples)



Thedford Mine Region: Broughton Station, Sainte-Clodide, Saint-Jean Brebeuf, Saint-Jacques de Leeds, Lac Coulombe, Saint-Ferdinand, Lac Saint-Francois, Saint-Methode de Frontenac (18 gravel & till samples, 8 rock samples)



Eastern Townships: Weedon, Saint-Mathias, Bury, Notre Dame de Ham, Stratford, Lac Aylmer Sud (11 gravel & till samples)

Megantic Region: Saint-Theophile, Jackman, Audet (4 gravel & till samples)

Chertsey (Lanaudiere): Riviere Ouareau Placer (7 gravel & till samples)

These samples were sent to the laboratories of Explolab (Val D'Or, Quebec) and to the laboratories of Actlabs (Ancaster, Ontario) for gold and other mineral anaysis.

Jean Bernard, B,Sc. Geo., is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information presented in this release.

Reference to the historical placer gold deposit does not comply with the CIM reporting standards National Instrument 43-101 for mineral resources or reserves and should not be relied upon. While the Company considers historical estimates to be relevant to investors as it may indicate the presence of mineralization, the Company is not treating these historical estimates as a current mineral resource.

Options distribution correction

The Corporation announced on January 6, 2021 that is has granted 1,480,000 stock options to Members of Board, Officers and to a consultant of the Corporation. The Company corrects that the January 6 press release should have stated that the stock options are exercisable for a period ending January 6, 2026, at an exercise price of $0.12 per share and not for a period ending January 6, 2025.

About Beauce Gold Fields

Beauce Gold Fields is a gold exploration company focused on placer to hard rock exploration in the Beauce region of Southern Quebec. The Company's flagship property is the St-Simon-les-Mines Gold project site of Canada's first gold rush that pre-dates the Yukon Klondike. The Beauce region hosted some of the largest historical placer gold mines in Eastern North America that were active from 1860s to the 1960s It produced the largest gold nuggets in Canadian mining history (50oz to 71oz)

Comprising 152 contiguous claims and 7 real estate lots, the project area contains a six kilometer long placer channel consisting of an unconsolidated gold-bearing auriferous units of a lower saprolite and an upper brown diamictite. The Company has calculated a Gold Exploration Target for the entire historical placer channel ranges between 61,000 ounces (2,200,000 m3 @ 0.87g Au/m3) and 366,000 ounces* (2,200,000 m3 @ 5.22 g Au/m3).

*Source: Beauce July 4th 2018[43-101 Report.

The Company has identified a major Fault Line that coincides with an interpreted fault structure across the property. Evidence suggests the erosion of the Fault Line as a probable source of the historical placer gold channel.

Beauce Gold Fields website www.beaucegold.com

Disclaimers:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding mineral exploration. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact

Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO Tel: (514) 262-9239

Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman and COO Tel (514) 907-1011

www.beaucegold.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71866
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 57F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
New Delhi: The Republic Day falls on January 26 every year, and the day is celebrated to mark India's adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950, after gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

Although India officially gained independence from the British on August 15, 1947, the country remained a constitutional monarchy under King George VI, who was represented by Lord Mountbatten as the Governor-General of India. Jawaharlal Nehru was appointed as the first Prime Minister of independent India by Lord Mountbatten.

India needed to draft and implement its own Constitution to become a republic. It took almost three years for the Constituent Assembly to prepare the Constitution, which was finally adopted on January 26, 1950. The question arises why this date was chosen, the answer lies in the fact that the Indian National Congress party had voted for total independence (Purna Swaraj) from British rule on January 26, 1930.

On this day, the Republic Day Parade is organised in Delhi at 9.30 am, following the flag hoisting at 9 am. The national function runs for around three hours, as a full dress rehearsal is also held a few days before the actual event.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Republic Day Parade is being celebrated this year but the number of spectators will be restricted. The government has decided to restrict the path and the parade this year will end at the National Stadium, instead of the Red Fort. Among other restrictions include the reduced size of paramilitary and armed forces marching contingents and fewer cultural programmes on the occasion.

The highlight of the Republic Day Parade includes colorful floats from each of India's states, besides the Army, Navy, and Air Force parade. Prior to the parade, the Prime Minister of India places a floral wreath at the National War Memorial near India Gate, in memory of those soldiers who lost their lives in battle.

Live TV

The Republic Day Parade takes place along Rajpath and the route covers a distance of more than five kilometers from Raisina Hill near Rashtrapati Bhavan and follows the Rajpath past India Gate and on to the Red Fort.

The function commences with the arrival of the President of India, escorted by a pose of bodyguards on horses. The President raises the national flag as the National Anthem is played, and a 21-gun salute is given. The strength of Indian armed forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) display their strength. The parade also includes the display of weapons and combat vehicles and a dramatic airshow as the grand finale.

Several Central government departments along with many states participate in the parade to highlight their culture like historical events, festivals, architectural heritage, social or economic projects, the environment, and their visions for the future.

Those who attend the Republic Day Parade are not allowed to carry their mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices. If you have made preparations to attend this year's parade, you are advised not to carry these things. If you managed to get reserved tickets, you will get a place near the stage and car parking.

The Republic Day Parade is followed by a Beating the Retreat ceremony that includes performances by bands of the three wings of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic" or the "Company") (TSXV:GRAT)(FRANKFURT:CB82)(WKN:A143MR)(OTCQB:CBULF) wishes to announce that it has upgraded its pre purchase agreement with technology company, TODAQ Star Program Phase 1 Corp.("TODAQ"), a subsidiary of TODAQ Holdings Inc., pursuant to the terms of a new agreement dated January 7, 2020 between the Company and TODAQ (the "Supply Agreement") to provide battery grade graphite SG16 for the EV Battery Market. TODAQ is proposed to receive an aggregate of graphite valued at US$25,000,000 from Gratomic's Aukam Graphite Project in Namibia over a 36-month period in exchange for a non-cash digital asset created by TODAQ as a medium for exchange and store of value known as a TODA note ("TDN"). The Supply Agreement fulfillment has been negotiated at an exchange rate of USD$0.30 per TDN note.

The Supply Agreement contemplates that Gratomic will deliver, to TODAQ, 5,000 tonnes of SG16 product valued at USD$25 million under the terms of the agreement, over a 36-month period. TODAQ will put in an initial order of 1,800 tonnes, valued at USD $9 million, in exchange for 30,000,000 TDN, over the first 90-day period of the contract. The original agreement with TODAQ announced in the Press Release dated October 17, 2019, and referred to in the Press Release dated May 25, 2020, provided that the first 1800 tonnes of product would be purchased on the basis of an exchange rate of USD$0.10 per TDN with the balance being purchased at the market rate for TDN.

The Supply Agreement now fixes the value of the TDN notes at USD$0.30 for the purchase of the entire 5000 tonnes providing a fixed value and certainty for the Company. The first delivery date has not yet been established and will depend upon when the Company completes the construction of its processing plant at the Aukam Project in Namibia (see Press Release dated December 31, 2020 for an update on the status of the processing facility). When the Company is ready to deliver the SG16 product to TODAQ, it will inform TODAQ. TODAQ will then submit a purchase order for an initial 600 tonnes of product valued at $3 million and TODAQ will issue 10 million TDN to the Company. The Company will have 90 days thereafter to deliver the product to an on-site warehouse at the Aukam Property under the control of TODAQ which will constitute good delivery for the product. The Company intends to hold onto any TDN received for a minimum six months after which it will start liquidating the TDN into cash. See "Risk Factors" below.

As part of the Supply Agreement, both TODAQ and Gratomic will also be establishing a jointly owned entity, Q Corp, to hold an initial reserve of 60 million TDN to be used to build a treasury of commodities including graphite. As well, Q Corp will be provided with digital supply chain, custody, wallet and trading solutions by TODAQ USA, the digital solution provider of TODAQ, so Gratomic customers and graphite owners can own verifiably authentic and clean graphite which can be traded peer-to-peer and brought to exchange markets. Q Corp offers the option to Gratomic to trade excess production coming from its Aukam Processing facility to Q Corp.

SG16 is a battery grade graphite that can be used for anode material in the majority of Li-ion batteries focusing mainly on the EV sector.

The graphite is to be purchased by TODAQ to sit in reserve as a backstop to underpin the value of deployed TDN. The TDN will allow for cryptographic ownership and tracking of commodities as they are processed and traded.

The Supply Agreement provides that if Gratomic is unable to deliver graphite in accordance with the orders from TODAQ, TODAQ has the right to refuse to take any subsequent attempt to fulfil the order, terminate the agreement immediately, obtain substitute product from another supplier and recover from the Company any costs and expenses incurred in obtaining such substitute product or suing for damages under the contract.

The Supply Agreement provides that the graphite to be delivered will comprise the SG16 product pre-specifications. For more information, please follow this link to view the Company's current Corporate Presentation, preliminary product information is listed on page 48.

"The recent development of digital currency markets demonstrates the importance of Gratomic being ahead of the competition with this pre-purchase agreement. We will be the first company to commercialize graphite with this innovative technology." commented Armando Farhate, COO and Head of Graphite Marketing and sales.

"The adjustment to our existing TODAQ agreement comes as a welcome change as the Company continues to adjust its primary focus towards the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. TODAQ offers a very unique and innovative platform, through which Gratomic can bring shareholder value through bridging the Company's asset into a non-Fiat medium" stated Arno Brand, President & CEO of Gratomic Inc.

Gratomic wishes to emphasize that no Preliminary Economic Analysis ("PEA"), Preliminary Feasibility Study or Feasibility Study has been completed to support any level of production. In fact no mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property.

The Company engaged Dr. Ian Flint, Ph.D., P. Eng. (BC), a Qualified Person as that term is defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") to complete a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on the Aukam Processing plant based upon a resource estimate to be prepared by another Qualified Person. The study, its recommendations, and their subsequent implementation, will provide conclusions and recommendation at a PEA level of comfort relating to the scale up of the existing processing plant to a commercial scale processing facility that will provide the desired concentrate grades and production rates. A preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized.

The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant, nor the Company's ability to fulfil its obligations to deliver the 1800 tonnes of graphite as required by the purchaser orders.

Gratomic wishes to emphasize that the supply of graphite pursuant to any off-take or supply agreement referred to in this Press Release is conditional on Gratomic being able to bring the Aukam project into a production phase, and for any graphite being produced to meet certain technical and mineralization requirements. See "Risk Factors" below.

Risk Factors

No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant.

The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.

Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.

Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability.

TDN is designed to function as a stablecoin, not a security; have a significant portion of the use as a loyalty reward; act as an asset for goods and services purchases; and have its use be contained within the Adot network ecosystem. The TDN program governance plans to be put under a non-profit foundation during 2021. As a fully decentralized asset, business and individual owners can exercise full control and possession of their TDN. Due to its intrinsic qualities as a TODA containerized, smart, immutably self-tracking asset, TDN is also designed to support secure and efficient fulfillment of regulatory needs. The current market for TDN consists of TODAQ and its current customers, partnering companies as well as their customers and partners. These parties are using TDN among each other as a payment means in return for goods and services. TODAQ intends to expand this market in the future and also expects to expand this market to include over-the-counter digital asset trading platforms, crypto exchanges, commodity exchanges and custodial trust services although TODAQ makes no representation that it will be able to expand the market for the trading of TDN.

Historically, such innovative technical digital assets have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure and there is no certainty that these kinds of assets will have any value. There is no guarantee that TDN will perform as anticipated and neither TODAQ nor the TDN program make any claim or forecast regarding the future value of TDN and do not offer any future expectation of profit.

About Gratomic Inc.

Established in 2014, Gratomic is focused on the proposed production of low-cost mine to market carbon-neutral, eco-friendly, high purity vein graphite to be provided to the EV and Energy Storage supply chains. Gratomic is anticipating full operational capabilities in 2021.

Gratomic is in the process of solidifying its plans for micronization and spheronization of its clean Aukam graphite. This significant milestone is a small, additional step in the Company's proposed eco-friendly processing cycle and is intended to allow it to meet ideal North American battery grade standards for use in Li-ion battery anodes.

The Company plans to deliver mine-to-market traceability and guaranteed quality control. This will be accomplished by providing documented tracking on all graphite generated at its flagship Aukam Graphite Project. The tracking will begin at Aukam and will be verified at every stage during transport.

Two off-take purchase agreements are currently held for lump-vein graphite sourced from Gratomic's Aukam Graphite Project in Namibia, Africa. Fulfillment of the contracts is anticipated to begin in Q1 of 2021. The agreements exist with TODAQ and Phu Sumika.

TODAQ is an innovative deeptech company that can containerize assets, transactions & markets, and will partner with Gratomic on its mine-to-market commodity tracking and trading. Containerized assets are verifiably unique, keep an immutable record of who has owned them, have embedded smart logic, can be transferred P2P, and are interoperable with any system. Asset owners enjoy stronger ownership control, value retention when trading, and ability to prove authenticity in seconds.

Phu Sumika is a large global graphite supplier to battery and lubrication companies.

Gratomic Inc. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GRAT, on the OTCQB under the symbol CBULF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol CB82.

For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact:

Arno Brand at abrand@gratomic.ca or 416 561-4095

Subscribe to the link below to be added to our mailing list and receive news and updates directly to your inbox

https://gratomic.ca/contact/

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).

SOURCE: Gratomic Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623960/Gratomic-Upgrades-Pre-Purchase-Agreement-with-Crypto-Currency-Company-to-Battery-Grade-Graphite-for-the-EV-Market

President of Russia Vladimir Putin is certain that both Armenia and Azerbaijan will benefit from the implementation of the agreements on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that were reached in Moscow, RIA Novosti reported.

Putin held talks with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow today.

First of all, I would like to thank my counterparts, the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia, for the fact that they agreed to come to Moscow to meet and discuss the issues related to implementation of the peace agreement signed on November 9, 2020. We came to the conclusion that the conditions of the agreement are mainly being maintained and that no serious incident has been recorded.

I am certain that the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples will benefit from the implementation of the agreement and that the region will unquestionably benefit from this in general, and this also implies the interests of the Russian Federation, Putin said during a briefing following the talks.
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Chennai, Jan 12 : DMK President M.K.Stalin on Tuesday welcomed the apex court's decision to stay the three farm laws.

In a tweet, Stalin said: "I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court to stay the farm laws in the cases filed by various parties including DMK." "This is a victory for farmers protesting across India," Stalin said.

He urged the central government to commit to repealing the three farm laws in the next Parliament Session.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Health officials offered few details Monday about the provinces efforts to staff its COVID-19 vaccine clinics as the government looks to immunize just four per cent of the population by the end of February.

Health officials offered few details Monday about the provinces efforts to staff its COVID-19 vaccine clinics as the government looks to immunize just four per cent of the population by the end of February.

Manitoba chief medical officer Dr. Brent Roussin couldnt say how many more people need to be hired to get the massive program, which is scheduled to include three "super site" vaccine clinics by February, up to speed.

According to the provincial government, at least 7,700 doses need to be given to people this week in Winnipeg at the RBC Convention Centre to meet its targets, and a new immunization clinic will open at the Keystone Centre in Brandon next Monday.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba's chief medical officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, couldnt say how many more people need to be hired to get the province's vaccination program up to speed.

A third "super-site" clinic is planned to open in Thompson in February.

Meanwhile, numerous job postings for people to administer injections, clinic managers and leaders, support staff and schedulers remain open. So far, the province has remained tight-lipped about how many people are required to carry out the campaign and how many have been hired.

"I know that there is a number of our health-care workers who are stepping up for that and were quite grateful," Roussin told a media briefing Monday.

"Theres a process in place right now to try to get those positions filled. As far as specific numbers I dont have that," he said, adding Dr. Joss Reimer, a member of Manitobas COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Task Force, would be available to answer questions Tuesday.

Reimer couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

I know that there is a number of our health-care workers who are stepping up for that and were quite grateful.  Dr. Brent Roussin on open positions at province's immunization clinic

Roussin said he did not know whether a candidate had been selected for the job of "provincial director of COVID-19 immunization," advertised last week.

A spokesperson for the government confirmed later Monday afternoon that the province is still trying to fill the role.

"It is important to be clear that while this is happening, the work that will become the responsibility of the provincial director is still being done," the spokesperson said in a statement to the Free Press.

"In the early phases of the immunization campaign, existing staff took on this role and others on an interim basis."

To date, the province says it has received 22,230 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 7,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine (5,300 of which are earmarked for First Nations priorities and the balance for residents of long-term care homes).

As of Monday afternoon, the province reported 10,353 doses had been administered. The balance will be used this week at appointments for first- and second-dose immunizations in Winnipeg.

Id encourage all Manitobans, when your eligibility comes up, to get that vaccine as soon as youre eligible.  Dr. Brent Roussin

"Right now the limitation, here and in every jurisdiction, is the quantity of vaccine," Roussin said. "As we get more and more quantity, well be able to provide that and open up the eligibility criteria more."

Roussin was unable to provide specifics on vaccine uptake among eligible health-care workers but said anyone who meets the criteria for the vaccine should book an appointment.

Current eligibility criteria Health-care workers whose work involves direct contact with patients and who meet at least one of the following criteria:  Work in critical-care units (intensive-care units only, no age restrictions).  Work in long-term care facilities, born on or before Dec. 31, 1975.  Work in acute-care facilities, born on or before Dec. 31, 1975. click to read more Health-care workers whose work involves direct contact with patients and who meet at least one of the following criteria:  Work in critical-care units (intensive-care units only, no age restrictions).  Work in long-term care facilities, born on or before Dec. 31, 1975.  Work in acute-care facilities, born on or before Dec. 31, 1975.  Assigned to a COVID-19 immunization clinic or designated COVID-19 testing site (no age restrictions and may include some individuals who do not have direct contact with patients, based on their role).  Work in a laboratory handling COVID-19 specimens (no age restrictions and may include some individuals who do not have direct contact with patients, based on their role).  Work on a designated COVID-19 hospital ward (no age restrictions).  Work in provincial or federal correctional facilities (no age restrictions).  Emergency response services and specialty-patient transportation workers registered with their applicable college or association in Manitoba, born on or before December 31, 1975.  Home-care workers born on or before Dec. 31, 1965 who are employed by a regional health authority, employed by a RHA-contracted service providers or employed by a self-managed and family managed care-program client. Source: Manitoba Government Close

"If were going to get out of this pandemic, we need the majority of Manitobans to get this vaccine," he said.

"Id encourage all Manitobans, when your eligibility comes up, to get that vaccine as soon as youre eligible," he said. "Thats when were going to start getting that herd immunity effect and hopefully in the fall of this year, were going to be able to see life at least more back to normal than it certainly is right now."

An additional shipment of 9,360 Pfizer doses is expected this week with a third of the delivery heading to Brandon to launch the immunization clinic.

On Monday, Manitoba NDP and Opposition Leader Wab Kinew called on the government to double down in its efforts to vaccinate the population.

"I think most people in the province would want to see the government giving all of their attention, giving this the due consideration as a No. 1 priority in the province right now," Kinew said.

"Unfortunately were still lagging behind other jurisdictions, so we would like to get that fixed and hopefully every Manitoban who wants to get a vaccine can get one this year."

Meanwhile, 17 of the 63 First Nation communities in Manitoba have received an initial shipment of the Moderna vaccine, the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba confirmed. All available doses are being shipped out this week.

Over the weekend, vaccines arrived in Nelson House, York Factory, Broken Head, Sagkeeng, Little Black River, Bunibonibee, Gods Lake Narrows, Manto Sipi, Roseau River, Sioux Valley, Canupawakpa and Hollow Water.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
One of Israels leading human rights organizations has labeled the country an apartheid state in an extraordinary step that is bound to draw backlash among conservative segments of Israeli society and from members of the government.

In a report entitled This is Apartheid, BTselem said Israel has become a regime of Jewish supremacy with different rules for the Jewish Israeli and Palestinian populations in the territories under its control.

The analogy to white-ruled South Africa gained traction in the 1990s among dedicated advocates of the Palestinian cause for self-determination. The term has been used to challenge claims that Israel is a democratic state with a separate and temporary military occupation of Palestinian territories.

That distinction has grown divorced from reality, BTselems report alleged Tuesday.

Most importantly, the distinction obfuscates the fact that the entire area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River is organized under a single principle: advancing and cementing the supremacy of one group  Jews  over another  Palestinians, it read.

Spokesperson of the Israeli Embassy in London Ohad Zemet called the report a "propaganda tool" and said that "Israel rejects the false claim in the so-called report as it is not based on reality but on a distorted ideological view."

The continued expansion of exclusive settlement areas and infrastructure for Israelis, as well as the division of the militarily occupied West Bank into different administrative categories with limits on Palestinians movement, has led critics to accuse Israel of creating Bantustans and of making Israeli control over the West Bank permanent.

Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and Syrias Golan Heights in the 1967 war against its Arab neighbors, and was supposed to work toward allowing an independent Palestinian state following the 1993 Oslo Accord. Critics have pointed out that that goal appears no closer today than it did decades ago.

Though Israeli forces pulled settlers from Gaza in 2005, the strip remains blockaded. A war between Israel and Palestinian liberation groups in Gaza in 2014 left sections of the territory in ruins and severely worsened living conditions.

Meanwhile, successive Israeli governments have continued to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank while entrenching their military presence there.

Then-outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry alluded to the obvious discrepancy in a firmly worded speech in late 2016. Here is a fundamental reality: If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic. It cannot be both, and it wont ever really be at peace, the Obama administrations top diplomat warned.

The Trump administration has widely been seen as greenlighting the ambitions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while offering Palestinians a promise of economic investment and a future state in exchange for allowing Israel to annex large swaths of the West Bank.

That plan has been shelved amid international backlash and as the White House pushes its last-minute Abraham Accords initiative, which seeks to convince Middle Eastern leaders to normalize ties with Israel despite the lack of any realistic prospect for a two-state solution. So far, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have formally recognized Israel, which announced a plan for 800 new settlement homes in the West Bank earlier this week.

Public opposition to the status quo Israel has created has grown in the West over the past decade, including in the United States. But apparent supporters of Israels policies have pushed back on advocacy for Palestinian rights, chief among them the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

The movement calls for economic boycotts of Israeli businesses and goods modeled on those that targeted apartheid South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Last year, a number of US lawmakers endorsed proposed legislation that would have allowed the federal government to punish companies that chose not to do business with Israeli companies.

More than 30 US states now have laws designed to discourage economic boycotts of Israel and Israeli businesses.

Members of BTselem stopped short of endorsing calls for boycotts or sanctions but said on Tuesday that the international community should take action to change Israels policies.
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Bodies of 10 servicemen and a civilian have been found during the search operations in the battle zones, in particular in the directions of Sghnakh, Jabrayil and Hadrut, the official of the State Emergency Service of Artsakh Hunan Tadevosyan told Armenpress.

The bodies of the fallen troops were found from the sections of the military positions. The dead civilian is an elderly man. His body was found at home. He has been identified. Forensic examination has been set to clarify the circumstances of his death.

So far, a total of 1222 bodies of servicemen and civilians have been found during the search operations.

Today the search operations will continue in Hadrut, Fizuli and Jabrayil sections, the official said, adding that in line with this the search for missing in action, who are likely hiding, is also underway.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan










Pennsylvanias outgoing auditor general had some harsh words Tuesday for U.S. Rep. Scott Perry and his actions after the deadly attack last week on the U.S. Capitol.

This is a time where youre either for democracy or not. Youre either for the United States or not. Period. End of story, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said during Tuesdays media call. To me, anyone thats behaving this way over the past week, with political calculations in mind, theres a cold place in hell for them.

DePasquale, a Democrat, unsuccessfully challenged the Republican Perry for his congressional seat in the November election. DePasquale did not run for re-election as auditor general, and Republican Tim DeFoor was elected to replace him this year.

In a call about DePasquales third State of the Child special report, he was asked about recent calls for Perry to resign.

The events of last Wednesday, as we see more and more footage, video footage, was an attempted coup and a terrorist attack on the United States, DePasquale said. We have to get to the bottom of how that happened, the people that did that need to be held accountable and at every level to the fullest level of the law, (and) the people that incite that need to be held accountable.

Following the storming of the Capitol, Perry objected to the certification of the Electoral College vote.

PA Rep. Scott Perry objects to Pennsylvania's electoral votes. The objection is also signed by a senator, Hawley, so the House and the Senate will now go into seperate session for another two hours to debate and then vote. pic.twitter.com/eMnoM4MrBt  Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) January 7, 2021

In a statement issued Saturday, Perry denounced the violence in Washington, D.C. as unacceptable and criminal, and recognized Joe Biden was certified as president-elect.

For the congressman to cast a vote to overthrow the election after that is simply shocking to its core, DePasquale said, noting Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler stopped her objection of the election, knowing it was going to further divide America. Scott Perry could have cared less.

DePasquale added his comments should not be construed as anything connected to his future political ambitions.

In a tweet after the Capitol attack and Perrys vote, DePasquale called Perrys comments on the House floor an attempt to overthrow an election.

Your actions last night on the House floor objecting to a free and fair election were an attempt to overthrow an election. Im embarrassed @RepScottPerry that you represent us in PA 10 and Im sorry to the people of this district and the nation that I didnt beat you.  Eugene DePasquale (@DePasqualePA) January 7, 2021

On Tuesday, DePasquale said, right now this is about making sure we heal our democracy and thats my priority as a citizen right now, beyond my role as auditor general.

Perrys office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from lehighvalleylive.com about the auditor generals statements.

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
A former Russian Navy commander allegedly stole two 13-ton bronze propellers from his own destroyer while it was in a dry dock being converted into a floating museum.

The commander, who has not been named, is accused of conspiring with others to secretly replace the propellers on the Bespokoynyy destroyer with ones made from a cheaper and lighter material.

Sergei Sharshavykh, head of the military investigations team in the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet, said the commander attempted to defraud the state of 390,000 with his scheme.

The warship now functions as a floating naval history museum (pictured) on an island near St Petersburg

The names of the commander of the 511ft destroyer and his accomplices have not been revealed, nor has their method for removing the weighty objects, according to Russian media outlet Interfax.

But the Russian navy have said their investigation is nearly concluded.

The heist took place at the Yantar Shipyard in the heavily militarised Kaliningrad which is home to the headquarters of the Baltic fleet.

The guided missile destroyer, which was commissioned in 1991, returned to Yantar in 2016.

Investigators have not revealed when the theft took place but by 2018 the warship was on display as a museum of military history as the Patriot Park in Kronstadt, near St Petersburg.

The Sovremenny class, also known as Project 956 Sarych class, consisted of 21 ships built by the Soviet Union and later the Russian army.

A former Russian Navy commander has stolen two 13-ton bronze propellers from a decommissioned Sovremenny class destroyer

Four of them ultimately went to the Chinese navy and construction continued until 1991.

Bespokoynyy was commissioned on December 28, 1991, two days after the Soviets voted to dissolve the union.

The ships were armed with eight P-270 Moskit supersonic anti-ship missiles, 48 surface-to-air missiles, two twin 130m gun mounts and torpedo tubes.

At the time they was launched, Sovremenny class ships had the most sophisticated radar and communication systems of any in the Soviet fleet.

All four of the Chinese ships are still in service, and the Russian Navy also has four which are undergoing major redesigns.
Like all of the guarantees of the Bill of Rights, the First Amendments fundamental guarantee of freedom of speech, and of the press limits only the actions of the government (federal, state and local), not the actions of private individuals, organizations or businesses. Just as a private enterprise cannot violate your constitutional right not to be subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures, just as a private enterprise cannot violate your constitutional right to the free exercise of religion, and just as a private enterprise cannot violate your constitutional right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, so too is it legally impossible for Twitter or Facebook to violate your  or Trumps  constitutional right to freedom of speech, or of the press.
Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves B.C. Supreme Court during a break from a hearing, in Vancouver, Canada, on Dec. 11, 2020 (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Applies for Change to Bail Terms

Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has applied for changes to her bail conditions and a hearing will be heard on Jan. 12 and 13.

The Canadian Department of Justice confirmed the application in a statement, adding that the hearing will be heard by Justice William Ehrcke, the same judge who set the current bail conditions for Meng in 2018, according to BIV.

Meng was arrested at the Vancouver International Airport en route to Mexico in 2018 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the request of a U.S. extradition warrant. Meng was charged for conspiracy to defraud financial institutions, such as HSBC, about her companys business dealing with Iran, exposing them to risks of violating U.S. sanctions.

Meng was soon released and placed under house arrest, where she has remained since 2018. She is confined to the Vancouver area, but outside of the airport zone, and is monitored with the aid of a tracking ankle bracelet.

Crown prosecutors will object to the application, according to the statement.

It is Canadas position that the conditions imposed on Ms. Meng by the British Columbia Supreme Court at her initial bail application in December 2018 were necessary and appropriate, and there is no reason to vary the conditions at this time, the officials said.

Meng has been attending extradition hearing since 2018. Her case will resume on March 1, and is expected to wrap up in April.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three farm laws and set up a four-member committee to examine the grievances of the farmers, but in legal experts' opinion, the move to form the expert panel to resolve the impasse is not "far-sighted".

The apex court, in its order, said: "The representatives of all the farmers' bodies, whether they are holding a protest or not and whether they support or oppose the laws shall participate in the deliberations of the Committee and put forth their viewpoints." The committee after hearing the government as well as the representatives of the farmers' bodies, and other stakeholders, will submit a report to the Supreme Court containing its recommendations.

However, the farmers unions have already rejected the top court move for a court-appointed committee to resolve the situation and stressed they won't appear before it.

Speaking to IANS, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi asked what would happen after hearing the aggrieved farmers, the committee suggested amending the laws.

"Would it have legislative powers? The Supreme Court should not have intervened and stayed the implementation of the farm laws. The procedure to constitute a committee is faulty," he said.

Noting that none of the main lawyers of the farmer unions had argued that the laws are unconstitutional, Dwivedi said that instead of forming the committee, the top court should have heard the issue on the constitutional aspect. "It is shocking," said Dwivedi on top court decision to set up the committee.

Senior advocate Nidhesh Gupta said the farmers feel all the four members of the committee favours the farm laws. He added that in December, Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and expressed support for the new laws.

Gupta cited that the other two members --Dr. Pramod Kumar Joshi, agricultural economist and Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices -- have written articles favouring the farm laws.

"In spite of the good intention of the Supreme Court, it appears that the farmers are aggrieved with the fact that each member of the committee has publicly supported the farm laws. If the farmers are correct, then the top court may well consider nominating such members to the committee who are at least neutral in their approach, if not against the farm laws," he said.

Similarly, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh said antecedents of the four members of the committee suggest that either they have spoken or written in support of the farm laws.

"The constitution of the committee to resolve the deadlock between the farmers and the government over three farm laws does not seem to be far-sighted," he said. He added that this committee will not resolve the problem if the agitating farmers think the farm laws are oppressive. "Instead, the committee appointed by the top court should have been included impartial and more knowledgeable members," added Parikh.

(Sumit Saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in)

Award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald took to Twitter on Monday to slam tech giants for censoring conservative voices on their platforms, and also criticized liberals who have supported their decisions.

The ACLU in NYT on why the union of Silicon Valley monopolies -- Apple, Google and Amazon -- to remove Parler from the internet is so problematic. While ACLU is largely just a liberal pressure group now, they still have some real civil liberties lawyers:https://t.co/wgBlAnjyZX pic.twitter.com/3twrrwD5Rq  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 11, 2021

"Tech monopolies -- FB, Google, Apple, Amazon -- have more concentrated wealth & power than any in history," Greenwald wrote. Curiously, he did not mention Twitter by name, although he did reference the ACLU's concerns over all five platforms' decisions to censor conservative voices in the wake of the Capitol Hill riot.

Greenwald described three times when tech giants used "brute force" to "manipulate US politics." He pointed to the suppression of the Hunter Biden scandal in October, when Twitter and Facebook both worked to suppress a bombshell report from the New York Post detailing Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine and China and the connections his father, President-elect Joe Biden, had to them. Facebook suppressed the story alleging it to be fake news while Twitter cited their policy against posting hacked material despite the fact that no material was hacked to obtain the information.

Greenwald also pointed to the recent ban of President Donald Trump from Twitter and Facebook, noting in a separate Tweet that even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who rules over a country with a far less robust tradition of freedom of speech than the United States, has expressed concern over Trump's ban.

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel blasted Twitters decision to ban U.S. President Donald Trump.



'The right to freedom of opinion is of fundamental importance,' Steffen Seibert, Merkels chief spokesman, told reporters in Berlin on Monday." https://t.co/1f8X98ZJIY  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 11, 2021

"The right to freedom of opinion is of fundamental importance," Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters on Monday.

The final example Greenwald used was the collusion by Apple, Google, and Amazon to wipe the pro-free speech social media site Parler from the internet. Apple and Google both removed Parler from their respective application stores within hours of each other, with Amazon banning the site from their web hosting servers shortly afterward. The tech giants alleged that Parler was not doing enough to prevent violent incitement on their platform in the wake of the Capitol Hill riot by pro-Trump extremists.

According to Greenwald, however, Parler was not used to coordinate the storming of the Capitol which left multiple people dead. "The planning was largely done on Facebook. This is all a bulls--t pretext for silencing competitors on ideological grounds," Greenwald alleged, additionally claiming that none of the people arrested at the Capitol since the riot had accounts on the website.

While Greenwald did not provide evidence to support this claim, he wrote in the following tweet that he would be publishing an article on the matter shortly.

"And liberals are overwhelmingly supportive," Greenwald warned.

Greenwald also argued that concern over the growing power of big tech monopolies is not a right-wing view. He further suggested that the most in-depth report on big tech's abuse of monopoly status "was issued 3 months ago by a Democratic House Sub-Committee."

"As they exist today, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook each possess significant market power over large swaths of our economy. In recent years, each company has expanded and exploited their power of the marketplace in anticompetitive ways," Democratic Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and antitrust subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline claimed in a joint statement at the time.

"I wonder how many people subserviently cheering Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and Google billionaires for destroying Parler a) have ever been on Parler, b) know anything about it besides what CNN & NBC censors have shown them, & c) compared the hate speech there to what's on FB & YouTube," Greenwald questioned.

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When asked why the society was changing its official position at the last moment, its president, Professor Gilda Tachedjian, said: Thats for us to know and you to find out. One reason is we dont want to undermine the confidence in the vaccine. And we dont have the full picture. We need to go with the most effective vaccine so we can have herd immunity. But we just dont have the full picture at the moment with the AstraZeneca vaccine." Professor Stephen Turner, president of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology. Credit:Joe Armao Speaking before the virology society's position changed, vice-president and spokeswoman Professor Heidi Drummer said 62 per cent effectiveness was not enough to achieve herd immunity. We should wait to see what data AstraZeneca provides to demonstrate higher levels of efficacy can be achieved with their vaccine and opt to use vaccines that achieve the highest level of efficacy to achieve herd immunity, whichever they are," she said.

Loading If it is 62 per cent efficacy, and that comes out in their further trials, I think there is a really good argument to make for the federal government to invest in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and use that in the wider community. Professor Drummer later said she "had to stand by what the president says". "I dont oppose the rollout of the vaccine provided we can see more data that shows that 90 per cent efficacy can be achieved, she said. Herd immunity means that such a large portion of the population is immune that a virus can no longer circulate and is eliminated.

Associate Professor James Wood, a University of NSW vaccine modeller and member of the federal governments Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, said herd immunity was the long game, and providing a vaccine that could protect life immediately was much more important, particularly given Australia had so far only bought enough Pfizer vaccine for 5 million people. Phase three trial results from the AstraZeneca vaccine published in The Lancet this month show the vaccine was 62.1 per cent effective at preventing disease when given in standard doses. However, in a small group of volunteers who accidentally received a lower dose, that rate rose to 90 per cent, creating significant uncertainty over the vaccines true effectiveness. Not a single person given proper doses of the vaccine developed severe COVID-19. Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer have achieved greater than 90 per cent effectiveness, probably high enough to force the virus out of circulation if widely administered, Professor Drummer said. The Australian government has secured 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with two injections required per person.

It remains unproven if any of the vaccines can prevent transmission of coronavirus. Professor Drummer said clinical data suggested the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were far more likely to do so than AstraZeneca's, but more studies needed to be conducted. Dr Andrew Miller, president of the Australian Medical Associations Western Australia branch, said a vaccine that did not provide herd immunity would not meet the publics expectations about returning to pre-COVID normal. We need it to be over 70 per cent effective  preferably over 80 per cent  to prevent significant transmission still continuing in the community, he said. We've got plenty of money, and we have got plenty of time because we have very good disease control. Why would we settle for the second-best option?

Professor Julian Rait, president of the AMAs Victorian branch, said judgment on the AstraZeneca vaccine should be reserved until more data was available. Burnet Institute director Professor Brendan Crabb said the federal government did a good job with limited information in choosing its vaccine candidates, but it should now review Australia's reliance on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Examine newsletter Science and health explained and analysed with a rigorous focus on the evidence. Examine is a weekly newsletter by science reporter Liam Mannix. Coming soon, sign up now. He said while AstraZeneca still might prove more effective in reality than clinical trials have suggested, at this stage the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were looking significantly better at stopping people from getting COVID-19. Personally, I'd much rather have AstraZeneca than nothing. I would have it tomorrow. It is a highly safe and effective vaccine, he said.

But would I have a more effective one if I could? Yes I would. Health Minister Greg Hunt denied on Tuesday the suggestion that administering AstraZenecas vaccine essentially meant the government was giving up on herd immunity. We are listening to the Australian government medical experts. They are the ones choosing the vaccines. They have chosen on the basis an mRNA vaccine has never ever been done before for anything. There is a very strong history of different types of conventional vaccine being rolled out with high effectiveness. Its important to note that the results also show up to 90 per cent effectiveness more generally, with final results to come. And up to 100 per cent in relation to severe illness. A spokesman for the Health Department said people should be cautious around making assessments of its efficacy until the full data is released and the [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approval process has been conducted.

Loading The government confirmed last year that people would be allowed to purchase vaccines privately. A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca said the company had always maintained that various vaccines would be needed to combat COVID-19. "More data will continue to accumulate, refining the efficacy reading and characterising vaccine efficacy over a longer period of time." The number of people who need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is known as the "critical vaccination level". It is calculated based on how effectively a virus is transmitting in a population.

Loading The more infectious the virus, the higher the critical level. But our behaviour also plays a role. In places with better social distancing, we are already making it harder for the virus to spread, lowering the critical level. Evidence suggests on average around the world every person infected with COVID-19 will go on to infect between two and three other people. To achieve herd immunity and end the pandemic, vaccines need to lower that average to below one  so that, over time, the virus dies out. This may have been achievable in Australia using AstraZenecas vaccine, Professor Wood said.
[January 11, 2021] Funding Societies: Key digital financing and FinTech vertical to continue momentum in 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Whilst the global economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges at almost all industries in 2020, Funding Societies believes that it has also served as an accelerator for FinTech adoption  and, in the case of financial services  it has led to an increased use of digital financing solutions. 2020 performance review Echoing this, the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) financing platform in Malaysia has successfully disbursed more than RM650 million to-date, amid the recent year being dominated by the COVID-19 outbreak. This strong performance further solidifies its leading position in the industry with more than 60% market share, having disbursed RM6 billion regionally. Wong Kah Meng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Funding Societies Malaysia, said, "2020 has been the most tumultuous year for many companies. However, we have emerged stronger than ever, achieving major milestones as we remain focused on our mission in supporting both micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and investors on our platform. We remained nimble and had stepped up efforts on both the SMEs and investors' fronts. This includes proactively reaching out to our MSMEs rom the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia to gauge ways on how we can further support them in these difficult times while keeping our investors' best interests in mind."



The platform has since offered deferment and extended deferment programs to qualified MSMEs, ensuring a win-win situation for both the MSMEs and their investors. On the investor front, Funding Societies has successfully onboarded 50,000 registered investors to-date, despite the volatile investment environment. "Aside from a greater awareness of digital investment platforms in recent years, the growth in our investors base can be attributed to increased correlation across traditional asset classes such as stocks and bonds, which thus calls for greater need for investment diversification beyond those asset classes," added Wong. "We also successfully launched notable partnerships with various industry players as part of our efforts to expand our reach to more SMEs, including U Mobile, Razer Fintech and TM Info Media (via Yellow Pages platform), to name a few. These strategic partnerships have enabled us to reach out to creditworthy MSMEs, by leveraging on our partners' MSME network and data, with consent, and offering them tailored financing solutions," remarked Wong.

Catapulting Funding Societies into the spotlight as a preferred digital financing solution in recent years is its unique business model of providing access to financing to thousands of MSMEs, many of which are traditionally underserved or unserved by conventional channels. Funding Societies has since maintained an average default rate of around 3% via its multi-pronged risk assessment approach, including continuously monitoring and analysing the impact of COVID-19 and the Movement Control Order (MCO) on their MSME clients, reviewing existing MSMEs' exposures, and implementing action plans for impacted businesses. Outlook for 2021 As the most hard-hit segment, MSMEs continue to have the Government's substantial support in helping them to recover from the impact of the pandemic, via the PENJANA stimulus package worth RM35 billion and the additional measures announced in the expansionary 2021 Budget. On the P2P financing industry-focused incentive, Wong expressed, "We are appreciative of the Government's confidence in P2P financing as a viable financing solution for MSMEs. The additional RM50 million allocation to P2P financing platforms in matching investment grants as announced in the 2021 Budget for instance, is very timely given the challenges that local businesses face, to ensure they can bridge their short-term cash flow needs whilst their business recovers. We laud the Government's continuous support and recognition of the industry and this certainly bodes well with our mission to become the leading digital financing platform for all MSMEs in the country." "Based on our forecast for 2021, we expect to disburse more than RM1 billion in financing cumulatively, as the economic environment stabilizes and recovers. As one of the key verticals of the FinTech industry in Malaysia, we believe that P2P financing is well positioned to be at the forefront of driving Malaysia's digital financial inclusion," Wong concluded. SOURCE Funding Societies Malaysia

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In a major register-based study, scientists at University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now demonstrated a connection between inferior physical fitness in young adults and elevated risk of the autoimmune disease psoriasis. For the male recruits to compulsory military training who were rated as the least fit, the risk of developing psoriasis later was 35 percent higher than for the fittest.

The study was based on data on more than 1.2 million men conscripted, aged 18, into the Swedish Armed Forces between the years 1968 and 2005. During the enrollment process, all these young men underwent the same fitness test on an exercise bicycle. The researchers divided the data, according to how fit the men were, into three levels (low, medium, and high fitness). They then merged the data with other registers, using Sweden's National Patient Register to obtain diagnostic codes for psoriasis and the joint disease psoriatic arthritis. The men who had already received one of these diagnoses before conscription were excluded from the study.

Later in life, between the ages of 37 and 51, just over 23,000 of the conscripts developed psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. In the low-fitness group, 2.5 percent developed one or both of these diseases, while only 1.7 percent in the high-fitness group did so. In calculating this risk differential, the scientists adjusted for other risk factors, such as body mass index (BMI).

Association not causal

Thus, the less fit the men were when they were recruited, the higher the proportion of them who later fell ill with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. In the low-fitness group, the risk of developing psoriasis was 35 percent higher, and that of developing psoriatic arthritis 44 percent higher, than in the high-fitness group.

We show that there's an association between lower fitness and raised risk of developing psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, but we don't show a causal connection. So we can't say that these health conditions can be prevented by exercising." Marta Laskowski, Study First Author, Doctoral Student, Dermatology, University of Gothenburg & Resident Physician, Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Group in need of monitoring

The group of men who were least fit was also the smallest: just under 48,000 or 3.9 percent of all the conscripts in the study. This is a group that healthcare services should try to monitor regularly.

"Low fitness was already known to boost the risk of incurring cardiovascular disease, and psoriasis as such is linked to raised cardiovascular disease risk, too. The results from our study confirm the reasons for assessing people's fitness early in life, to identify individuals at a higher risk for adverse health outcomes later in life," Laskowski says.

Previous research has indicated that, in general, people with psoriasis are less fit than those without it who engage in an equal amount of physical activity. However, the reasons for this difference have not been fully clarified.

"One weakness of our study is that we weren't been able to monitor the trends of the men's fitness during the intervening years, between their conscription and the disease onset. We're also lacking data on smoking, which is a known risk factor for psoriasis," Laskowski explains.

Scaly skin patches

Some 300,000 Swedes have psoriasis in a mild, moderate, or severe form. It is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease that affects women as often as men. What triggers its onset is not entirely clear, but heredity is known to play a large part in combination with external factors. The most common type, plaque psoriasis, causes reddened, flaking, and itchy skin lesions ("plaques").

Psoriasis sufferers also often have other diseases. Some 30 percent get the inflammatory joint condition known as psoriatic arthritis. Examples of other known comorbidities are obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression.

In recent years, treatment options have substantially improved. Today, besides ointments with local effects, there are drugs that have systemic effects. Recent years have also seen the emergence of efficacious biological agents that modulate the signaling cascade in the inflammatory process that drives psoriasis.
Women in the healthcare workforce seem to be suffering stress and burnout in the current pandemic situation, disproportionately when compared to men, suggests a new preprint research paper published on the medRxiv* server.

Increased burden on health care workers

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed an immense burden on healthcare systems in many regions around the world. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the essential workers who come into close and prolonged contact with COVID-19 patients, exposing themselves to the potential risk of infection. In addition, they are faced with harassment, stigma, and both emotional and physical trauma as a result of their occupation, as other people fear that HCWs could bring the infection to them.

All this has led to higher rates of stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, and coping mechanisms such as drinking and substance abuse. Suicide rates have also risen. In fact, Amnesty International has reported that over 7,000 HCWs have died since the pandemic began, while in the USA alone, almost 1,000 deaths have been reported among HCWs.

Women in healthcare under greater stress

Women are faced with more significant burdens in such a situation. Not only are they still forced to endure or challenge pre-existing workplace issues such as gender bias, discrimination, sexual harassment, and other inequalities, but they make up 75% of the health workforce. Female doctors are already depression-prone, and suffer more burnout and report more suicidal thoughts relative to their male counterparts. In addition, they carry out much more work unrelated to their professional duties, such as parenting and caregiving, compared to men  on average, this is 2.5 times greater.

Review of studies on HCW burnout reveals risk factors

The scientists looked at 47 studies from all over the world. They found that stress and burnout in female HCWs were primarily because of poorly structured organizations, roles at work, and policies. In over 40% of cases, the lack of adequate resources was cited, including not having access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and having too few staff. Also, those directly caring for COVID-19 patients had increased stress and burnout in 43% of the studies. In about 38% of studies, HCWs were found to have a higher burden at work, with more COVID-19 patients to care for, but without enough compensation.

Two-thirds of HCWs said they were concerned about passing on the infection to their family, and they were worried about their own safety as well. Over a third of women were at high risk for stress and burnout. Women who were young, had no family, or had young children to care for were more likely to be emotionally stressed and experienced burnout. Inexperienced HCWs, and those who felt they were not capable of the work demanded of them in caring for COVID-19 patients, were at higher risk.

Over a quarter traced their burnout to their organization's culture, patient care protocols, and their interactions with society at large. Patient care protocols failed to clearly define the steps, especially when related to poor infection care guidelines, which were repeatedly identified as stress triggers. When peers, managers, and organizational leaders were supportive of their work, women HCWs were less likely to suffer burnout.

Triggers of Stress and Burnout during COVID-19

Idolization coupled with persecution

One phenomenon is the universal idolization of HCWs in the mass as heroes who are combating the epidemic on the frontline, with a paradoxical stigmatization and avoidance of them at personal level due to their presumed contagion risk. The first attitude imposed a higher burden of expectations on HCWs, increasing their feeling of moral responsibility and stress as they tried to meet such expectations. On the other hand, their social isolation led to immense emotional turmoil. Such burdens were only increased by social distancing, in keeping with government guidelines.

Public and governmental responsibility

The government and public authorities also contributed to burnout in other ways. Public health failures such as non-preparedness for a pandemic, as well as failures to prepare official guidelines and set up facilities for the screening and treatment of the disease, led to increased stress and burnout in young women.

Supportive measures

Less than 40% of the studies dealt with measures that could make women workginh in healthcare feel more supported. In about a third of the studies, individual well-being and resilience were addressed. These included regular exercise, mental health support, and faith-based activities, as well as hobbies.

In a fifth of studies, the researchers promoted interventions at the organizational level, such as changing the work type or schedule, improving communication about work policies, providing physical resources such as PPE, offering training relating to the proper management of the disease, and financial support. More down-to-earth interventions included providing rest areas, food, and resiliency training. No evidence was offered that any or all of these measures were useful, however, but some studies did show that undesirable coping mechanisms were at work, such as avoidant coping and substance use.

Severe dearth of data

There is a severe shortage of information on how race, culture, profession, and leadership affect the risk of stress during the pandemic. For instance, it is astonishing and tragic that fully a third of female nurses who have died during this period in the USA are Filipino. There is also little data on how burnout affects HCWs at different levels of the organizational hierarchy.

Policies such as the US Families First Coronavirus Response Act allowed employers to exclude HCWs from the 80 hours of paid sick leave that could be availed of citing COVID-19-related benefits. This discriminatory act caused much anxiety and stress among people in these professions. Not much is known about how such stress and burnout affect the quality of care or patient safety, absenteeism, and even long-term decisions about whether to work, especially among female HCWs.

Conclusion

The researchers concluded that much remains to be known about how COVID-19 affected female HCWs. Such data is important in quantifying, describing and eventually preventing female burnout in the health and allied professions. National health organizations should gather more data in this area to enable sound conclusions to be drawn and improve health for women in the healthcare workforce.

*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.
The concept was heavy on strategy and avoided concrete steps unless they were required to illustrate an argument

Khursheed Ali Khan was no run-of-the-mill general. Behind a laissez-fair demeanor, he was a serious practitioner of military art, with a sterling soldierly character. In a wargame, he tasked me with making a plan, but then I suggested modify it to bring out a few lessons. Nothing unusual, except whenever a visitor would pick holes in my design, K always clarified why it was forced upon me.

As NWFP governor, he asked me -- as I had recently left the service-- to outline a few ideas on how to address some intractable issues. The paper I wrote was titled Three Ks that defy resolution. These were Kabul, Kashmir and Karachi.

The K word was to acknowledge the proposals sponsor. A quarter century may have elapsed, but in a discussion the other day when similar subjects came up, I had to revisit my old thesis. It was based on some ideas that we from the military used to pester the political governments with, and having headed the National Defence College, one believed our core issues needed a structured approach. The concept was heavy on strategy and avoided concrete steps unless they were required to illustrate an argument.

It was really self-evident. Issues with a long gestation period -- all three Ks were brewing for decades -- would need to be thought through for the long haul. Overtime, there would be developments needing adaptation or modification of original assumptions, even of plans.

In Afghanistan, for instance; after the Soviet pullout, infatuated with the resistance we realised at great cost that the tribesmen may have pursued a common agenda against the occupiers, but were now rivals for Kabuls throne. A historian in the decision-making echelons would have sounded the right alarm. Genuine Afghan hands were strongly opposed to using unconventional warriors in set-piece battles like Jalalabad, and later against the Northern Alliance.

When the Taliban emerged as an anti-Mujahideen force, its momentum may have surprised us; but not the old Communist cadres growing beards to drive militia tanks and fly the helicopters.

Later we may have factored in the role of spoilers, but our counter-measures were mostly transactional. Indias Afghan strategy was, of course, Kautilyan, but because of our neighbourhood advantage it could be contained. But our official sources exaggerated it to the extent that paranoid Afghans were convinced our involvement in Afghanistan was essentially to keep India out. After the Soviets left, Americas interests were never aligned with ours. We still sucked up to them-- and even believed post-9/11 that our bilateral ties were again strategic.

Besides improving ties with Iran and Russia, and keeping China and Turkey on board, we did well to retain leverage with Taliban against great external pressure for two decades and could thus bring them to the table whenever required. But we now need some experts inAfghan psyche and those with credibility among the key factions to steer the intra-Afghan dialogue, or to disengage from this messy affair.

The Kashmir imbroglio was no less complex. Surprised by the robustness of the popular surge for independence in the early 1990s, we never really got a handle over the multiple challenges such movements present --providing an effective political umbrella; influencing the militancy so that it didnt lead to any unintended consequences; and creating the necessary rapport with resistance groups. Finding the right mix of military and non-military prongs required a more subtle direction than swinging between arming the resistance to abandoning it.

Engaging India in the Composite Dialogue framework was wise, and there may have been even some collateral benefit in Gen. Pervez Musharrafs four-point salvo; but if anyone believed Indians would voluntarily give up their position of advantage, he should have his head examined. After August 5, 2019, the handling of developments in the Valley clearly showed there were hardly any experienced hands in our Kashmir policy cells, and our responses were therefore limited to cartography and rewriting milestones.

I dont think I ever understood the rise and fall of Karachi, but it was quite clear our once vibrant multi-ethnic megapolis was heading for an implosion  and all of us with our eyes wide shut.

Even a cursory look at this narrative suggests issues with roots in history, or simply too complex, were beyond the depth of our state structures. On core issues, one needed a core group to charter a course, steer its conduct, and adapt it to the evolving environment.

A bureaucratic or politically partisan system could not be entrusted with this -- not only because its key members were mostly on the move, but also as those at the helm often force the pace to add a feather in their otherwise colourless cap.

K took the paper to BB --then in her second incarnation as PM --who didnt seem terribly pleased as with the Taliban now taking big strides in Afghanistan, she didnt want to share the spoils of the victory with a hybrid group that had the Opposition on board.

Nevertheless, she appointed a pretty clued-up security adviser, who all by himself had no sway with the hands-on the Afghan wheel, which only moved in the military track. Before that Nawaz Sharif had made it clear his Kabulpolicy would be conducted by his kitchen cabinet, not the Afghan cell. Soon thereafter he outsourced the Kashmir struggle to a private contractor. However, both mainstream parties had a common approach on Karachi: break up the MQM and let the devil take the hindmost.

It is of course unfair to put all the blame for fly-by-night policies on political leadership. Members of the Deep State were reluctant to permit any rank outsiders, regardless of experience or expertise, in the decision-making corridors. Who knows when a group, even if dominated by the civil and military hierarchy, working under the chief executive and essentially in an advisory role, would get enough traction due to its sound judgment. That could blow the myth of the States claim to total wisdom.

No surprise there. People in power are always protective of their turf. But the worst part is that they seldom pick up the courage to tell their political masters, civil or military, that most of our festering issues may not be fixed in an estimative timeframe -- and therefore their management should take priority over a wishful outcome.

A council of wise men has always been a good idea since Platos days.
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Idaho Internet Provider Blocks Access to Twitter, Facebook to Customers Who Request It

A North Idaho Internet provider blocked access to Twitter and Facebook at its customers requests.

According to emails sent to customers over the weekend, Your T1 WIFIwhich provides services in the Spokane and northern Idaho areassaid it received phone calls from customers after those websites moved to block certain types of content and suspended accounts associated with President Donald Trump.

It has come to our attention that Twitter and Facebook are engaged in censorship of our customers and information, an email to Your T1 WIFI customers said.

We have the past couple days been fielding calls from customers voicing the concern that they do not want these sites allowed to be displayed on their internet feedand that they do not want their children to go to these sites, the email added. They could do this themselves but some do not have the technical knowledge to do so and it would be very tiresome for us to do it for them and it would be expensive to visit each customer that wants this done.

Bret Fink, the owner of Your T1 WiFi, told Newsweek that the emails are authentic. Customers had requested that Twitter and Facebook become inaccessible in their households, Fink said.

Fink clarified to KREM that people who did not request the block will still be able to access the websites.

Weve had customers asked to be blocked by it. That is what the email was about, so no we are not blocking anybody, only the ones that have asked for it, Fink said, according to the station.

The company also said that it doesnt agree with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other tech companies engaging in censorship.

Our company does not believe a website or social networking site has the authority to censor what you see and post and hide information from you, stop you from seeing what your friends and family are posting, the email from Your T1 WIFI said, adding: We also dont condone what Google, Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, and Apple are doing  to Parler by trying to strong arm them into submission.

A representative with Idahos state attorney generals office said it doesnt have the jurisdiction to enforce any laws, including net neutrality laws, in the matter.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned of unchecked power being wielded on behalf of tech companies after Facebook and Twitter suspended Trump.
Election workers check the tapes from the voting machines to verify they contain the correct signatures from polling stations after polls closed in the general election at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Nov. 3, 2020. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Michigan Judge Approves Release of Names of Antrim County Election Investigators

A judge in Michigan ruled Monday that the state can release the names of an election investigation team that performed a forensic audit on voting machines and software last year.

Circuit Judge Kevin Elsenheimer listened to arguments by Matthew DePerno, representing plaintiff William Bailey, and state lawyers before making his decision.

DePerno entered a motion last month asking Elsenheimer to keep the names secret, saying they fear for their safety.

Plaintiff and the forensic team fear that disclosing the names and personal information (such as resume, curriculum vitae, address, and employer) will be detrimental to the forensic investigators, DePerno wrote in the motion.

But during the hearing, Assistant Attorney General Erik Grill said DePerno deliberately requested to make that report a matter of national interest.

Now he wants to protect the identity of the people responsible for making that report. I dont understand the argument and I dont think theres any legal basis for it, Grill said. Who these people are and their professional credentials is super important to making an evaluation of the credibility of the report.

Elsenheimer sided with the defense, saying, As for the release of the witnesses by name and their identifying business associations, the court believes that is, frankly, part of the process.

While the names will be released, the judge said personal information including phone numbers will not.

A team hired by DePerno performed a forensic audit in Antrim County in December 2020. They said they found Dominion Voting Systems voting system is intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results and that the results in the county should not have been certified. The only identity of a team member released so far is that of Russell Ramsland Jr., co-founder of Allied Security Operations Group.

Dominion and state officials have challenged the report, alleging it twisted some aspects of the voting system and included falsehoods about others.

The claims made in the report are technologically impossible. Dominion machines did notand could not haveswitched or enabled the switching of any votes. A hand count of the paper ballots as well as a review by any independent, federally accredited Voting System Test Laboratory (VSTL) will confirm this fact, Dominion, whose products are used by 28 states, said in a statement.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, said Monday that the state is drafting an order relating to the disclosure of names and we fully expect plaintiff and his counsel to be forthcoming with those names.

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Today Show Sylvia Jeffreys has clashed with an Australian senator who defended the acting Prime Minister after he compared the raid on US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters to Black Lives Matter protests.

Michael McCormack came under fire on Tuesday for saying 'all lives matter' as he refused to apologise for comparing last week's riot at the US Capitol with the protests last year.

He described Trump supporters' actions as 'unfortunate' and 'similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year'.

He was also refused to denounce Coalition colleagues George Christensen and Craig Kelly for spreading dangerous coronavirus misinformation.

Federal senator and former cabinet minister Matt Canavan was quick to defend Mr McCormack when he was grilled on the Today show on Wednesday.

The Nationals senator said he agreed with Mr McCormack, which sparked a heated exchange with Jeffreys on live breakfast television.

Today Show host Sylvia Jeffreys (right) clashed with federal senator Matt Canavan (right) on Wednesday morning as he defended the acting prime minister

'I thought he had a great day as he spoke common sense and you get criticism these days for speaking common sense,' the senator told the program.

'Michael was right to condemn all types of violence.'

'To undermine the Black Lives Matter movement by saying "all lives matter"?' a stunned Jeffreys interrupted.

'Absolutely,' Senator Canavan replied.

'The Black Lives Matter movement has been responsible for untold amounts of damage.'

He was interrupted again by a fired-up Jeffreys as the pair began talking over one another.

Senator Canavan described 90-95 per cent of Trump supporters who raided the US Capitol last week as peaceful. Pictured are Trump supporters at the US Capitol last week

'Ninety-five per cent of Black Lives Matters protests were peaceful, you're saying you didn't see a difference between the BLM protests and a siege on the Capitol building in Washington?'

Senator Canavan hit back, claiming '90 to 95 per cent' of attendees at last week's Trump rally were peaceful as well.

'That doesn't mean they should be criticised like the BLM movement, who have failed to reign in their own supporters.'

'Violence continues in the US. The Portland (Oregon) federal court house was stormed like the US Capitol by Antifa groups. That's got to be called out and Michael was right to do that.'

Jeffreys repeatedly tried to ask a question as the senator continued talking over her.

Sylvia and the senator clashed over Michael McCormack's comments comparing last week's raid on the US Capitol with the Black Lives Matters protests (pictured in Washington last June)

'What about when that different view is a conspiracy theory that undermines the health professionals that are leading us through a pandemic in this country?' Jeffreys asked when she was able to speak.

'You say to trust the experts. The Prime Minister says to trust the experts but it seems not even some member of your own team trust the experts,' she said

Senator Canavan also came under fire from journalist Sarrah Le Marquand during the segment.

Jeffreys eventually wrapped up the interview but not without having the final word.

'We didn't get to Michael McCormack's use of the term "contentious facts" which summed up his performance yesterday, in my personal opinion,' Jeffreys concluded.

'It is a reflection of where we're at at a country right now. That summarises how people are feeling around the world as well.'

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack (pictured on Tuesday) has come under heavy fire on Tuesday for saying 'all lives matter' as he refused to apologise for comparing last week's raid on the US Capitol with Black Lives Matter protests

Acting prime minister McCormack also came under fire for refusing to censure rogue MPs Craig Kelly and George Christensen for spreading misinformation.

The conservative backbenchers have used Facebook to share conspiracy theories about controversial unproven coronavirus treatments.

Mr Christensen has also pushed conspiracy theories and unproven treatments throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr McCormack said people who didn't like Mr Christensen's social media posts should 'toughen up'.

'You might look out there and say the sky is blue and I can see from here that it's grey. If we go out from this rotunda there are probably blue patches,' the acting prime minister said.

Jeffereys also pushed Senator Canavan to condemn Mr Kelly and Mr Christensen, but he held the party line and refused to do so.

The federal opposition demanded senior cabinet figures condemn the coalition duo who are refusing to take a backward step.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen said Mr Kelly had made a systemic and deliberate attempt to undermine medical health professionals.

'Craig Kelly is a menace and at every turn, Scott Morrison and now Michael McCormack, acting prime minister, have failed to call him out,' he said on Monday.

Australia's acting PM shocks with THREE very non-PC remarks in just 48 hours in the job - including an 'outrageous' comment that's set to spark fury from our closest ally

Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter'

By Charlie Moore, political reporter for Daily Mail Australia

Michael McCormack has been heavily criticised for saying 'all lives matter' as he refused to apologise for comparing last week's raid on the US Capitol with Black Lives Matter protests last year.

The acting prime minister, who is filling in while Scott Morrison takes a week of leave, came under fire on Monday for saying President Donald Trump should not be banned from Twitter and Facebook for inciting violence.

He said Trump supporters' raid on the Capitol as politicians met to affirm Joe Biden's election win was 'unfortunate' and 'similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year'.

Human Rights group Amnesty International said comparing a violent raid on the Capitol that killed five to the mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter movement was 'deeply offensive' and asked Mr McCormack to withdraw the comment.

But the acting Prime Minister refused to apologise and sparked further outrage by saying the controversial phrase 'all lives matter', which is used by far right groups to diminish the struggles faced by black and Indigenous communities.

'I appreciate that there are a lot of people out there who are being a bit bleeding heart about this and who are confecting outrage, but they should know those lives matter too. All lives matter. People shouldn't have to go to a protest and lose their lives,' Mr McCormack told the ABC.

Michael McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC (pictured) on Thursday and instead likened the mob to Black Lives Matter protesters

Labor health spokesman Chris Bowen said the comments were 'beyond disgusting'.

'Australians of colour deserve to know that the Government thinks more of them than that, and to have the Acting Prime Minister spout the words, 'all lives matter', to diminish the Black Lives Matter movement, was beyond disgusting,' he said.

A study by the US Crisis Monitor found that more than 93 per cent of 7,750 Black Lives matter protests following the death of black man George Floyd who was knelt on by a policeman were peaceful.

Labor's Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said comparing the movement with a violent raid where windows were smashed and 50 people were injured was a 'failure of leadership'.

'It beggars belief that the acting Prime Minister is drawing his equivalence,' he said.

'This is a stupendous and outrageous failure of leadership. When leaders all around the world are rightly condemning the violence in Washington, DC we have members of the Australian government trying to legitimise it or draw false comparisons.'

Mr McCormack refused to withdraw his comparison, saying the movement 'involves violence. It involves the destruction of property. It involves deaths of people, and any violence of that form is condemned.'

During his first two days as acting PM, Mr McCormack also called unemployed people 'lounge lizards' and refused to condemn government MPs Craig Kelly and George Christensen for spreading misinformation peddled by Trump supporters.

Mr Kelly has also claimed in a social media post that asking children to wear face masks amounts to 'child abuse'.

But instead of condemning the post, Mr McCormack said in a press briefing: 'Facts are sometimes contentious and what you might think is right, somebody else might think is completely untrue, that is part of living in a democratic country.'

Mr Bowen said: 'Craig Kelly is a menace and at every turn, Scott Morrison and now Michael McCormack have failed to call him out.'

Earlier Mr McCormack said unemployed Australians need to 'turn off Netflix' and get a job in the bush.

He said JobSeeker recipients, many of whom lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, were earning 'more than they ever dreamed of' on the taxpayer dollar.

The Nationals leader said the Regional Australia Institute found almost 50,000 jobs up for grabs in country Australia, and the unemployed should go get them.

He made the 'lounge lizards' gaffe during an interview on Monday, and doubled down when grilled about it on Nine's Today show on Tuesday morning.

'I say to those people, who have perhaps done reasonably well off JobSeeker - given the fact they might have been earning more than what they could have ever have dreamt of - it's time to turn Stan and Netflix off and come out to regions,' he replied.

Australians are seen lining up at a Centrelink office in Melbourne at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

'You can have a better life. You don't actually have to stick in congested traffic in the capital cities. You can get out to regional Australia.'

Today host Allison Langdon asked whether it was 'slightly insulting' to label unemployed residents 'lounge lizards'

She argued not everyone has the ability or freedom to relocate, particularly during a pandemic when they are subject to lockdowns and hotspot declarations.

Mr McCormack replied 'there's not much Covid out here', speaking from Townsville in North Queensland.

'Many communities in regional Australia have hardly had a case of Covid if at all and they are craving for people from the city to come out and experience the bush,' he said.

The acting prime minister said there were a variety of available jobs - beyond working on a farm.

'They're not just jobs picking fruit, they're not just jobs in meatworks. They're jobs in all sorts of good endeavours and certainly good well-paying jobs,' he said.

'It's fun to pick fruit, it's good and well-paying work to work in a meatworks and goodness knows we need them.'
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I was asked to describe where the Republican Party goes from here in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack upon the U.S. Capitol by a mob of insurrectionists incited by President Trump.

The answer is, Im not really sure.

What I am sure of is that until the Republican Party is no longer the vessel of politicians who have helped form and perpetuate the seditionist lie that the November 2020 election was fraudulent, there is no path forward to credibly govern or gain control of either elected branch of government.

Nor should there be one.

In these days before us, Republican leaders must acknowledge that Trump is the father of an insurrection and it is still active. The radicalized base of the Republican Party knows that he delighted in the violent assault on American democracy. He called the assailants very special and has signaled to them his approval by refusing to immediately condole the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.

Trumps refusal to attend the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, while still refusing to concede Biden won a fair and free election, is a clear indication he plans to continue to command his followers into the future. There will be a Trump media platform, rallies at which he will continue to claim he won the election. Hell ease into claiming hes the true president.

The rebellion doesnt end on Jan. 20. It will progress.

The longer GOP leaders delay in confronting this reality and seek to hold him accountable, the more uncertain the future of the party will remain.

Shouldnt they have started by not voting (after the riot!) to reject the electors from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? Yes. But 126 Republicans voted to do so. Why? A good number are radicalized themselves and believe the conspiracy nonsense of a fraudulent election. Some are worse  they dont believe the conspiracy but choose to perpetuate it for their own cynical quest for power and relevance.

But there are also those that cast their votes because theyre scared. Scared of the repercussions from within their own constituencies. Their votes should not be excused. Theyve taken an oath to the Constitution of the United States, but its important to understand the depth of the radicalization of likely 20% of the American population.

This is a moment for Republican leaders to decide on which side of history they will stand. Unlike the movies, it turns out that doing the right thing isnt easy or aggrandizing. If the Republican Party as we knew it is to be revived, there must be a resolve to extinguish the predicate of the insurrection  that the election was fraudulent.

This requires immediate action. House GOP leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy needs to join the lead of the GOP Conference Chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and publicly state that Trump is wrong about the election. It was valid and Joe Biden will be a legitimately elected president of the United States.

The worst of the instigators, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, need to be ostracized and then removed from the Senate when next on the ballot. Their colleagues should censure them. They should be described as enemies of the Constitution and our institutions of democracy. They should be made examples of in order to prod cowards to find courage by default.

Begging for the Democrats to not proceed with a second impeachment so the country can heal is absurd. Insurrectionists arent interested in healing; theyre interested in a revolution. Revolutions must be quashed. The Republican Party should stand for a measure of justice for the assault upon democracy. Impeachment should be supported by Republicans.

The question we all should be considering isnt where does the Republican Party go from here, but where does American politics go from here?

To my fellow Republicans, I beg you, find your voice in this momentous hour in defense of American democracy.

Rob Stutzman is a veteran GOP consultant and campaign alumnus of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mitt Romney and several members of Congress.
(Natural News) Were there people from Antifa and BLM at the Trump rally?

(Article by Anthony T. republished from WeLoveTrump.com)

Yes, of course, and a new picture floating around of John Sullivan posed as a Trump supporter proves this.

So for those of you who dont know, John Sullivan is a radical left-wing activist and founder of Insurgence USA who just so happened to film the death of Ashli Babbit inside the Capitol building.

Before the siege of the Capitol Building Sullivan posted a picture of himself with the caption counter-intel.

Take a look:

John Sullivan  the BLM activist who was arrested and charged in June at the BLM marches, shown here with a Trump 2020 hat on before storming the Capitol building  pic.twitter.com/ZRvZujakOw  Jake Hepple (@JakeHepple1) January 8, 2021

Once he infiltrated the Capitol building he was caught on live camera but this time without any Trump gear on.

This is BLM activist John Sullivan yesterday. Definitely Not a Trump supporter.

You won't hear or see this in MSM pic.twitter.com/TyfReHd0hf  Doctor Democracy   (@maxalex66) January 7, 2021

John Sullivan witnessed the lady get shot as they were one of the first trying to get into the Capitol through a door. Why was the founder of Insurgence USA among the leaders of those insurging? Doesnt sound like a Trump supporter pic.twitter.com/uIpkPToOx1  Brian Murphy (@Bmurphy47) January 7, 2021

Activist John storming the Capital maskless and standing over a woman and recording her bleed to death is weirdly unsurprising. pic.twitter.com/aAN5zzdANh  Dublin (@DublinPDX) January 7, 2021

Fox News covered Sullivans entrance into Capitol Hill and shared these details:

An anti-Trump activist who once said he wanted to rip the president out of office entered the Capitol Building Wednesday alongside a mob of pro-Trump protesters, but he said he was just there to document it. Sullivan told Fox News he regularly attends protests to record whats going on, including a clash involving Proud Boys on Tuesday near D.C.s Black Lives Matter Plaza. Its just recording, solely, and not being active in it, he claimed, although he reportedly was arrested in connection with protests back in Utah over the summer and admitted climbing into the Capitol through a window.

Here is Sullivan giving his testimony:

So, while Trump supporters who were at the Save America Rally are losing their jobs, John Sullivan gets interviews with CNN, Fox News, and other networks.

It makes no sense whatsoever.

Read more at: WeLoveTrump.com
State officials are getting reports of scam letters being sent in the past week to Michigan residents through the U.S. Postal Service.

The letters warn people they have an overdue tax bill with the state and need to call a toll-free number immediately to resolve the debt. Do not pay people or send financial information to sources through a phone number you cant independently verify is an official number, the Michigan Department of Treasury said in a news release.

The letter aggressively threatens to seize a taxpayers property  including bank accounts, wages, business assets, cars, real estate and cash  if the debt is not settled, the news release said.

The letters appear credible because they uses specific facts about the person whos receiving the letter, using publicly available information, per the Treasury.

Michigans Treasury does correspond with taxpayers through the mail, but only uses state of Michigan letterhead and includes the names of the governor and treasurer.

Anybody with questions about their state debts can call the Treasurys Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265. To learn more about Michigans tax and collections process, visit www.michigan.gov/taxes.

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Seoul, Jan 12 : Samsung Electronics on Tuesday unveiled its new mobile application processor (AP) for premium smartphones that boasts upgraded performance and energy-efficiency.

The Exynos 2100 is Samsung's first high-end mobile AP with a 5G modem manufactured on an advanced 5-nanometer extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process technology to provide better solutions to gaming and multitasking environments, the tech giant said.

The 5G-integrated chipset, which will be the brain of mobile devices, was introduced at Samsung's Exynos On event held on the sidelines of the all-digital Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021.

"Our Exynos team has been committed to creating premium mobile computing experiences by bringing innovations to processors that are at the heart of today's smart devices," said Kang In-yup, who heads System LSI Business at Samsung. "Exynos 2100 will set a new standard for tomorrow's flagship mobile devices." Using the latest cores from British chip design firm Arm Ltd., Samsung said the Exynos 2100 comes with tri-cluster architecture and that its multi-core performance is 30 percent better than previous models, reports Yonhap news agency.

Also equipped with Arm's latest Mali-G79 graphics processing unit (GPU), Samsung said the Exynos 2100's graphic performance improved 40 percent compared to its predecessors, helping users to enjoy seamless experiences on their mobile devices when using augmented reality and virtual reality services.

"The evolution of technologies such as 5G, advanced graphics and machine learning have been critical in enabling new mobile experiences," said Paul Williamson, vice president and general manager, Client Line of Business at Arm. "Arm and Samsung have collaborated closely to incorporate Arm's powerful next-generation compute and graphics platform, at the heart of the Samsung Exynos 2100." Samsung said the Exynos 2100 features three next-generation neural processing units (NPU) in order to have upgraded on-device artificial intelligence (AI) processing capabilities that boast 26-trillion-operations per second (TOPS) with more than twice the power efficiency of the previous generation.

This means the chip can process massive amounts of data on its own without help from a cloud server, thus providing stable services to users.

The Exynos 2100 also comes with a high-end image signal processor that supports an image resolution up to 200 mega pixels. It can be connected with a maximum six image sensors.

Samsung said the latest chipset is also energy efficient as it is equipped with its power saving solutions known as Amigo, or Advanced Multi-IP Governor, when running high-quality games and programs.

Samsung, the world's largest memory chip and smartphone producer, is looking to expand its presence in the systems-on-chips (SoC) sector, hoping more smartphone makers select its Exynos chipset for their devices.

The South Korean tech titan said the Exynos 2100 is already in mass production. The chipset is expected to power Samsung's premium Galaxy S21 smartphone, which is scheduled to be unveiled on Thursday, along with Qualcomm Inc.'s Snapdragon 888 mobile AP.

According to market tracker Counterpoint Research, Samsung's share in the mobile AP market was 12 per cent in third quarter of 2020, down 4 per cent points from a year ago. The company was ranked third behind Taiwan's MediaTek Inc. with 31 percent and U.S.-based Qualcomm with 29 per cent.

COLUMBUS, OhioColumbus police are preparing for several pro-Trump protests this weekend at the Ohio Statehouse and elsewhere around the city, according to a spokesman.

Sunday, in particular, is the big day were most concerned about, said Sgt. James Fuqua, a Columbus police spokesman. Thats the day armed protesters are preparing to demonstrate in Columbus and every other state capital, as well as in Washington, D.C.

However, Fuqua added, we are focusing on the entire weekend based on the information that we have.

Columbus is one of a handful of cities singled out in particular on social media and right-wing websites for protests against Democrat Joe Biden taking office after he was elected president last November over President Donald Trump. Five people died last week after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol; the same day, fights broke out outside the Ohio Statehouse between Trump supporters and opponents.

Columbus police officials met with other Central Ohio law-enforcement agencies on Monday afternoon to coordinate and plan how to respond to the protests, as well as any counter-protests that might take place, Fuqua said. Columbus police have notified officers that anyone who hasnt already been granted time off between Friday night and Sunday night, as well as Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, must come to work, he said.

Asked whether Columbus police were anticipating that the armed demonstrations might turn violent, Fuqua replied We are just fully prepared and committed to dealing with protesters whether they are armed  as is their constitutional right -- or not.

As of Monday, there were no plans to close the Ohio Statehouse this weekend or on Inauguration Day, according to Mike Rupert, a spokesman for the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. But, he added, plans can change.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol, which handles security at the Ohio Statehouse, is working with other law-enforcement agencies to maintain a safe environment and protect Statehouse property, said Lt. Craig Cvetan, a patrol spokesman. Cvetan declined to discuss details about the patrols plans for handling the protests, citing security grounds.

No one except peace officers may carry guns and other weapons inside the Ohio Statehouse or on the surrounding grounds, per the Ohio Administrative Code.

Last summer, the Ohio Statehouse was vandalized during protests over the death of Black Minneapolis resident George Floyd. Several windows were broken and red paint was stamped on the buildings walls.

Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said Monday that she personally wasnt aware of any pro-Trump demonstrations planned for this weekend in the city.

Read more Ohio politics and government stories:

Summit County Democratic Party Executive Director Troy Gawlak steps down to work with sheriff

Ohio reports 7,892 new coronavirus cases, 75 deaths: Monday update

President Trump is giving Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ohios Jim Jordan

Ohio regulators set to officially pause nuclear bailout fees created through tainted energy bill

See how many coronavirus cases there are in each Ohio ZIP code

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A day after the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre for its handling of the farmers protest and indicated that it may go to the extent of staying the implementation of the contentious farm laws, the top court is set to pronounce orders on Tuesday on various issues related to the laws and may take a call on setting up of a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India (CJI) to find ways to resolve the impasse.

"We are extremely disappointed with the negotiation process," the court said on Monday, adding, We don't want to make any stray observations on your negotiations but we are extremely disappointed with the process. The apex court, which was hearing a clutch of pleas challenging the new farm laws as well as the ones raising issues related to the ongoing agitation at Delhi borders, said it is not talking about the repeal of these farm laws at the moment.

This is a very delicate situation, the bench said, adding, There is not a single petition before us which says that these farm laws are beneficial. We are not experts on economy; you tell us whether government is going to put on hold farm laws or we will do this, the bench said. We are sorry to say that Centre has not been able to solve the problem and the farmers agitation.

ALSO READ | 'Don't Want Blood on Our Hands': What SC, Govt Said on Farm Laws Explained in 10 Points

Attorney General K K Venugopal argued that a law cannot be stayed unless the court finds it violates fundamental rights or constitutional schemes. Our intention is to see whether we can find an amicable solution to all this. That is why we had asked you (Centre) whether you are willing to keep these laws on hold for sometime. But you wanted to buy time, the bench observed, adding, We don't know whether you are part of the solution or part of the problem.

The apex court, which said the matter is getting worse and people are committing suicides, reiterated the need for having a committee comprising representatives from the government and farmer organisations from over the country and said it will stop the implementation of these laws if the panel advises to do so. It said farmers are protesting against these laws and they can tell their objections to the committee.

The bench warned that it may stay the law if the government does not do it on its own. "Whether you have faith or not, we are the Supreme Court of India, we will do our job," the bench told the farmer unions which are protesting against these farm laws. The bench said it did not know whether the protesting farmers were observing social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic but was concerned about them getting food and water.

The bench also expressed apprehension that there might be some incident which may breach the peace. It said after the implementation of these laws are stayed, the protestors can carry on with the agitation as the court doesn't want "anyone to say that we stifled the protest. The top court observed that talks are breaking down because the Centre wants to discuss the new farm laws point by point but the farmers want them repealed. We are not going to protect any law breakers. We want to prevent the loss of property and lives, it said.

When the issue of law and order was raised before the bench, These issues will be taken care by police. Right to protest is intact and Gandhiji exercised Satyagraha. That agitation was much bigger. When the attorney general told the court that next meeting between the government and farmers is scheduled for January 15 and the court should not pass any order today, the bench said, We do not think the Centre is handling the issue correctly. We have to take some action today. We don't think you are being effective.

ALSO READ | Staying Implementation of Farm Laws Not a Solution, Will Continue Stir: Farmer Leaders on SC Remark

If laws are put on hold then negotiations will have a chance to work out. Let me take a risk and say Chief Justice of India wants them (protesting farmers) to go back to their homes, the CJI said. The eighth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions on January 7 headed nowhere as the Centre ruled out repealing the contentious laws, while the farmers' leaders said they are ready to fight till death and their 'ghar waapsi' will happen only after 'law waapsi'.

The apex court had earlier issued notice and sought the Centre's response on a batch of pleas against the three contentious farm laws -- the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

The Centre, meanwhile, moved the Supreme Court seeking an injunction against the proposed tractor or trolley march or any other kind of protest which seeks to disrupt the august gathering and celebrations of the Republic Day on January 26. In an application filed through the Delhi Police, the Centre has said that it has come to the knowledge of the security agencies that a small group of protesting individuals or organisations have planned to carry out a tractor march on Republic Day.

"It is submitted that the proposed march is slated to disturb and disrupt the august celebrations of nation on Republic Day and would be bound to create a massive law and order situation," the application said. "It is submitted that the said proposed march/protest seeks to disrupt and disturb such celebrations which is bound to create a serious law and order situation and will cause an embarrassment to the nation," it said.
Mike Pence and Donald Trump met in the Oval Office on Monday night in a bid to repair their deeply-damaged relationship, which had been shredded by Wednesday's rioting.

Trump on Wednesday unleashed his followers on Pence, accusing his vice president of failing to support him in his bid to overthrow the election.

A mob of MAGA-hatted rioters stormed the Capitol and roamed the corridors calling for Pence to hang. A gallows was even set up outside Congress.

One high-profile Trump supporter, attorney Lin Wood, praised by Trump for doing 'good work' on election fraud, called for Pence to face the firing squad.

Yet on Monday evening Pence, who reportedly did not speak to Trump during or after the insurrection, was at the White House for a meeting described by aides as cordial.

CNN reported that Pence and his aides wanted to show that the country was not in total disarray.

'Need to telegraph to our allies and adversaries that we have a fully functioning government,' the source said.

Mike Pence, pictured with Trump in the Oval Office in September, met the president Monday

John Roberts, Fox News' White House correspondent, tweeted a summary of the meeting

Fox News' White House correspondent, John Roberts, reported that a senior administration official said: 'The two had a good conversation, discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments.'

The official said that the two men united in their contempt for the rioters, disowning those who stormed the Capitol.

'They reiterated that those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America First movement backed by 75 million Americans, and pledged to continue the work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term.'

Pence, once known for his loyalty and subservience to the president, angered Trump both with his refusal to overturn the election, and with his announcement that he will attend Joe Biden's January 20 inauguration. Trump has confirmed he will not be there.

Pence, a devout Christian, infuriated Trump with his position on the election, and Trump tried repeatedly to change his mind.

'Do the courageous thing, Mike,' Trump said in one meeting, The Washington Post reported.

'It will be bad for you and for the country if you don't,' Trump said at another time, according to an official describing the meeting.

Marc Short, the vice president's chief of staff, began readying for an inevitable clash between the two men, a person who talked to him told the paper, and never considered that Pence could please the president.

Trump was attempting to convince Pence right until Wednesday morning, it was reported.

One former senior official told the paper that the rupture between the two men was highly unusual.

'The president could say, 'Mike I want you to go fly to Asia,' and he would do it, or 'Mike, I want you take over the coronavirus task force,' and he would do it, never questioned a thing,' said the former official.

'Pence would spend hours in the Oval. Pence would come in, he'd get his daily brief and then he'd get word of when the president would be coming into the Oval and then he'd go over there and they'd spend hours together.

'For them to not speak anymore is a paradigm I just never would have imagined.'

The meeting, however, appeared to suggest that the pair were attempting to patch things up, and that Pence was not going to press ahead with the 25th Amendment.

On Sunday it was reported that he had not yet made up his mind, although it was 'unlikely' he would press to remove the president.

On Monday, before their meeting, Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats pressed ahead with the articles of impeachment.

Impeachment is scheduled for consideration at 9am Wednesday, if Trump refuses to resign and Pence won't initiate other procedures to remove him.

The impeachment effort itself will dominate the final week of Trump's presidency, and is almost certain to come to a historic result: the first time in history a president has been impeached twice.

After the House vote, the articles are expected to move immediately to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated a trial, presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, likely won't start until the upper chamber returns on January 19.

Trump can still be impeached after he has left office.

Trump on Wednesday told his followers to 'fight' to 'persuade' Pence to block Biden's election

A mass of Trump supporters left his rally on Wednesday and headed straight for the Capitol

Trump supporters scaled the walls of the Capitol and broke in, for the first time since 1814

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol

The vice-president, pictured on Thursday, enraged the president and his supporters by refusing Trump's demand that Pence halt the certification of Joe Biden's electoral victory

Pence could certainly be forgiven for having little inclination to save Trump from the 25th Amendment.

While Pence was sheltering from the mob on Wednesday, Trump, at 2:24pm, tweeted: 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!'

Trump was watching the storming of the Capitol live on television, and left it to Pence to call up the National Guard and secure the building, according to multiple reports. Trump on Sunday took credit for summoning the reinforcements.

McConnell was evacuated from the Capitol, but praised Pence for his actions.

'Although the Vice President and I were not together during the evacuation, he personally got very involved and stayed in close contact with me as we worked to secure urgently needed resources to thwart the mob and I appreciate those efforts greatly,' McConnell said in a statement to The Washington Post.

McConnell told others he was enraged with Trump and planned to never speak to him again.

Pence skipped his speech to the Republican National Committee meeting, scheduled for the next day, and did not come to the White House.

He returned on Friday.

White House aides have been shocked and saddened by Trump's turning on Pence, The Washington Post reported.

One senior administration official described it as 'unconscionable, even for the president.'

'We're very lucky that Mike Pence is a decent guy and rational and levelheaded,' said Joe Grogan, the former head of the Domestic Policy Council under Trump.

He told the paper: 'If he had been replaced by someone as nuts as the people who have been surrounding the president as the primary advice givers for the last few months, we could have had even more of a bloodbath.

'Imagine what would have happened if Pence was devious and vile and didn't stand up for the Constitution.'

Twitter has been forced to step in and stop 'Hang Mike Pence' trending in the wake of the MAGA mob riot where Donald Trump supporters called for the Vice President's execution and strung up a noose outside the Capitol

Trump on Sunday claimed that he, not Pence, had called up the National Guard

Twitter stepped in to stop 'Hang Mike Pence' trending in the wake of the MAGA mob riot, after the phrase began trending on the platform in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The social media giant permanently banned Trump on Friday night, citing risks of 'further incitement to violence'.

A screenshot shows that of 1.26am, over 14,400 Twitter users had used the phrase.

Twitter confirmed in a statement to Newsweek that it had moved to block the phrase because it violated rules on trending subjects.

'We blocked the phrase and other variations of it from trending. We want trends to promote healthy discussions on Twitter. This means that at times, we may prevent certain content from trending,' a spokesperson said.

'As per our Help Center, there are Rules for trends - if we identify accounts that violate these rules, we'll take enforcement action.'

The phrase was no longer trending later in the day and it does not appear on the Twitter Trending USA site, which tracks trending topics.

On Twitter's Help Center, it has a rule to prevent violent threats against individuals as well as the glorification of violence.

The threatening phrase surfaced online in the wake of Wednesday's riot where Trump supporters - among them white supremacists, QAnon fanatics and Proud Boys - violently broke into the Capitol building in an attack that left five people dead.

Horrifying footage from the scene of the siege shows a mob chanting 'Hang Mike Pence' as they stormed the building.

A Reuters' photographer covering the riot also claimed he heard at least three Trump supporters speak about hanging the Vice President from a tree as a 'traitor'.

Jim Bourg, the Reuters News Pictures Editor in DC, tweeted Friday that he heard 'many more' speak about executing Pence as they stormed the Capitol and tried to hunt him down.

'I heard at least 3 different rioters at the Capitol say that they hoped to find Vice President Mike Pence and execute him by hanging him from a Capitol Hill tree as a traitor,' Bourg said.
TITTABAWASSEE TWP, MI  A state prison located in Saginaw County is in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak, with more than half of the inmates there testing positive.

Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz said that as of Monday, Jan. 11, there are 774 inmates at Saginaw Correctional Facility who are positive for coronavirus. The facility has 1,387 inmates.

There are more than 300 additional prisoners who are in step-down phase, meaning they have been medically cleared by the MDOCs chief medical officer, are symptom free and are no longer considered contagious.

Additionally, 118 staffers at the prison have tested positive for the virus.

The prison is currently considered in outbreak status, Gautz said.

The prison located at 9625 Pierce Road in Tittabawassee Township, west of the city of Saginaw, is composed of 11 buildings and opened in 1993. COVID-19 cases did not start spiking there until the late fall, Gautz said.

Saginaw has been fortunate to not have many cases of COVID prior to November of 2020, Gautz said. This was due to the diligence by inmates and staff in maintaining a clean and sanitary facility. Unfortunately, this virus has made its way into Saginaw now and can spread quickly in congregate settings.

Throughout the MDOCs facilities across the state, 23,233 inmates have tested positive out of 40,134 tested. As of Monday, there are 6,357 active cases of inmates with coronavirus with an additional 1,940 in step-down phase.

There have been 123 inmate deaths from COVID-19, three of whom were prisoners at Saginaw Correctional Facility. Zero staff members at that prison have died from the virus, though four employees at other facilities have.

In December, a dozen or so inmates at the Saginaw facility refused to return to their cells for several hours after an altercation began between two prisoners. Gautz said that disturbance had nothing to do with the outbreak.

Staff at Saginaw are still working around the clock to ensure the safety of all prisoners and staff, Gautz said. We continue to email all staff and remind staff during pre-shift meetings about the importance of wearing the proper PPE and enforcing social distancing. Saginaw continues to urge prisoners to not gather in unnecessary small or large groups. Saginaw staff continue to provide the necessary hygiene items, copious amounts of cleaning supplies, PPE and encourage the population to do their part in following all protocols.

The first MDOC employee to receive the COVID-19 vaccine did so on Dec. 30. Per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services vaccine phase plan, health care staff who provide direct care are the first MDOC employees eligible to receive the vaccine. All other employees fall under priority 1B, which includes critical infrastructure employees and those 65 years or older.

Phase 1C includes people at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions and people 65 years and older. While Gautz has said as many as 10,000 inmates fall under this, the remaining inmates fall under Phase 2 of the MDHHS plan, which is a mass vaccination campaign for all individuals 16 and older.

Statewide, Michigan has had 523,618 positive coronavirus cases and 13,401 deaths as of Jan. 11.

Read more:

Michigan prison inmates refuse to return to cells for several hours after assault

State prisoner accused of beating cellmate to death appears in court

Convicted murderer with terminal illness seeks clemency to die at home with mother

Inmates briefly take control of U.P. prison unit
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.
Illinois Man Arrested for Threatening Violence at Biden Inauguration

A suburban Chicago man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly threatening to commit violence at President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration.

Louis Capriotti, 45, left a voicemail on Dec. 29, 2020, for a U.S. House member from New Jersey, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch said.

Capriotti allegedly said that if certain individuals think that Joe Biden is going to put his hand on the Bible and walk into that [expletive] White House on January 20th, theyre sadly [expletive] mistaken.

Capriotti further allegedly stated in the voicemail, We will surround the [expletive] White House and we will kill any [expletive] Democrat that steps on the [expletive] lawn, according to a criminal complaint.

Capriotti allegedly has a history of leaving profane voicemails for members of Congress.

Capriotti was charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. The charge carries a prison term of up to five years. He was scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.

Our office takes the security of our public servants very seriously, Lausch said in a statement. Individuals who cross the line of free speech by making unlawful threats will be held accountable.

The case hadnt been entered into the federal court system as of 2:20 p.m. Central Time. It wasnt clear whether Capriotti had retained an attorney.

President Donald Trump on Monday approved a request from Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser for a pre-emergency declaration because of security concerns regarding the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Bowser told Trump that the plans and resources for the event were insufficient to establish a safe and secure environment as a direct result of the insurrectionist actions that occurred on January 6. She was referring to the storming of the Capitol during a joint session of Congress.

Bowser this week urged people not to travel to the nations capital for the inauguration. The swearing-in was already being curtailed because of health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Presidential Inaugural Committee this month axed plans to hold an in-person parade, opting for a virtual one instead.

Up to 15,000 National Guard troops could be deployed around D.C. on Inauguration Day.

Biden told reporters on Monday that hes not scared about taking his oath outside in light of the Capitol breach.

Im not afraid of taking the oath outside, he said.
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The Palestinian Authority has given emergency authorization to Russias Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, Health Minister Mai al-Kaila announced on Monday.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which financed Sputnik V, said that a first batch of doses was expected to be delivered to the Palestinians in February. The organization did not say how many doses would be sent.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and blockaded Gaza Strip have not received any significant shipment of vaccines yet. In her statement, Ms. al-Kaila said that health workers would be inoculated first when a vaccine shipment arrives.

It was not clear whether a major Sputnik V shipment would be the first to reach the territories. Ali Abed Rabbo, a senior Health Ministry official, said last week that the Palestinians hoped to receive two million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in February. Health officials now say they expect those doses to arrive in March.
If politics is a game, who better to play it than a master showman like a mega-rock star? America has adored rock star Tyler Sloan for decades, and when he decides to leave the Las Vegas stage to run for a seat on the United States Senate, it's assumed that he'll run an unconventional campaign. He exceeds expectations  and more.

"In an era of predictable hyper-partisanship, not just in politics, but also in popular culture and the media, RealClear Politics' foray into publishing was a logical next step for a nonpartisan enterprise dedicated to airing views that span the ideological spectrum. Although our initial plan was to publish only non-fiction, at a time when what's happening in Washington would strain the credulity of pulp fiction readers, Center Stage seemed perfectly timed," says Carl Cannon, Executive Editor, RealClear Media Group.

Author Wayne Avrashow's experiences in politics, government, and as a practicing attorney provide unique insight into the machinations and characters that populate political campaigns. He has an extensive background in California politics and as a lawyer-lobbyist in California, Nevada, and Idaho. He is the author of numerous op-ed articles for daily newspapers, in legal, business, and real estate publications.

The book's protagonist, Tyler Sloan, exits the Las Vegas stage to render a show-stopping performance as an independent candidate for Nevada's United States Senate seat, expressing disdain for the two-party system and dismissing special interests and lobbyists. Sloan finds himself caught in a political campaign fraught with scandal, corruption, and conflicting loyaltiespersonally, politically, and romantically. Will Sloan navigate the political turbulence as his own past returns with vengeance?

"In the tradition of Allen Drury and Richard Condon comes the next great author of political thrillers: Wayne Avrashow," says New York Times bestselling author Michael Levin.

Center Stage is available now. It is registered with the American Wholesale Book Company, Baker & Taylor, Follett Library Resources, and Ingram, and available online via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Amplify Publishing.

Author Wayne Avrashow is available for interviews, features, and virtual events. For more information or to request a review copy, please contact Sky Wilson at [email protected] or visit http://wayneavrashow.com/

SOURCE RealClear Publishing
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Investment and wealth management services provider, Rathbone Brothers Plc (RAT.L), Tuesday, in its update for the year ended December 31, 2020, reported 8.6 percent growth in total FUMA, reflecting strong market movements and investments as well as continuing net inflows. The Group also announced the appointment of Clive Bannister as its new Chairman Designate. The Group's Funds Under Management and Administration or FUMA totaled 54.7 billion pounds at December 31, 2020, an increase of 8.6 percent over 50.4 billion pounds at December 31, 2019. Total net inflows across the group in 2020 were 2.1 billion pounds, compared to 0.6 billion pounds in 2019. While gross organic inflows stood at 3.3 billion pounds, acquired inflows were 0.6 billion pounds in investment management. Separately, Rathbones said it appointed Clive Bannister as Chairman Designate and Non-Executive Director of the Company, to succeed Mark Nicholls, who is retiring as Chairman. While Clive will join the Board with immediate effect, he will take up the role of Chairman following the conclusion of the 2021 Annual General Meeting on May 6, the company revealed. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
A week after New Jerseys Department of Health pre-registered 1 million residents for the COVID-19 vaccine, several Hudson County cities are beginning to do the same, exclusively for senior citizens.

City officials say the localized pre-registrations will allow local seniors to get vaccinated as widely and quickly as possible. Hoboken even plans to go door-to-door in senior buildings to ensure every resident knows about the opportunity.

Hoboken, Bayonne and Weehawken are all currently pre-registering seniors.

The states registration portal launched Jan. 5 and is open to all New Jersey residents. After taking contact and insurance information, it asks about the registrants line of work and medical history.

Registrants will be emailed when it is their turn to schedule an appointment, it says. More than 1 million people have registered so far, the states top health official said Monday.

It remains unclear how the scheduling of a vaccination appointment will differ depending on whether a resident pre-registered through the states portal or with their municipality.

Seniors 75 and older are among the populations who will be eligible for vaccinations in Phase 1b of New Jerseys vaccination rollout. Currently, the only members of Phase 1b eligible for the vaccine are first responders, and the state has not announced when it will begin vaccinating remaining groups in that category.

Bayonne residents received a robo-call from Mayor Jimmy Davis last week informing them those 65 and older can call or email the city to be added to a list for vaccinations at Bayonne Medical Center.

It will be a few weeks before we can get our seniors vaccinated, he said on the phone call. However, we want you to contact us now so that we will have time to create our lists.

The list will help the city expedite vaccinating seniors who are not in senior housing, said Bayonne spokesman Joe Ryan.

In Hoboken, seniors will be directly connected to Riverside Medical Group and CarePoint Health, which have vaccination sites in the Mile Square City, said city spokesman Vijay Chaudhuri. Going door-to-door in senior buildings to pre-register residents will also ensure more get appointments, he said.

We want to make sure that when the day comes for our seniors to get vaccinated, were ready to efficiently schedule as many appointments as possible with our medical providers, said Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

The city plans to offer a similar pre-registration opportunity for members of the general public that will fall into the phase 2 category, he said.

Jersey City, meanwhile, has partnered with Uber to help essential workers and seniors get to their vaccination appointments, it announced Tuesday. The city will provide 12,000 free roundtrip Uber rides that eligible residents can sign up for when registering for their vaccination with the city.

While rides can be booked through the Uber app, the company will also provide the city with a dedicated platform called Uber Health where city employees can book rides for residents who dont have access to the app.

Bayonne seniors 65 and over can pre-register by emailing bayvax@baynj.org or calling 201-858-6088. They will be asked to leave their name, birth date and phone number, the mayor said.

Hoboken seniors 75 and over can register at http://www.hobokennj.gov/seniors or by phone at 201-420-5621 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays.
IFL is proud to be partnering with North Chicago to combat the effects of COVID-19, said Seth Weinberger, founder of IFL. Learning to read is a civil right. Across America, young students are being deprived of the right to a quality education when they are not taught to read proficiently."

Innovations for Learning, a global education nonprofit, and North Chicago School District 187 have launched a high dosage tutoring program to catch up students who have fallen behind in beginning reading due to COVID-19 school closures. The program features trained interventionists who work intensively with students 1:1 on beginning reading proficiency. The program started this Fall by reaching out to students at home, will continue through a summer program in 2021, and will proceed with intensive 1:1 in-class instruction throughout the 2021-22 school year. The goal of the program is to have all of the districts K-2 students at grade level reading by June, 2022.

COVID-19 has impacted education across the country, and the impairment of instruction is particularly acute for the youngest students in low-income communities. According to Dr. John Price, Superintendent of D187, What we are seeing from our students is that the pandemic, and remote learning, are hurting our youngest and most vulnerable students - our non-readers - the most. They are least able to work and learn independently, and most in need of direct, side by side support that they can't get right now. We will need to invest time in our non-readers as soon as possible in order to help them get back on track.

The IFL-D187 high dosage tutoring program is on the leading edge of a nationwide movement to provide high intensity tutoring for students impacted by COVID-19. Dr. Robert Slavin, Director of the Center for Research and Reform at John Hopkins University, has called for a national deployment of high dosage tutors to address the impact of COVID-19: What we and many other researchers have found is that the most effective strategy for struggling students, especially in elementary schools, is one-to-one or one-to-small group tutoring. Structured tutoring programs can make a large difference in a short time, exactly what is needed to help students quickly catch up with grade level expectations. Effective tutoring is likely to enable these children to advance to the point where they can profit from ordinary grade-level instruction. We fear that without this assistance, millions of children will never catch up, and will show the negative effects of the school closures throughout their time in school and beyond.

High dosage tutoring is now being deployed to help students learn a range of subjects from math to science. The tutoring is high dosage if it is conducted 1:1 or in a small group, with trained, paid tutors, at least three times per week. SAGA Education serves high school students in multiple cities in the U.S. with 1:1 math instruction. Match Education provides students in Boston with 1:1 high dosage tutoring in various subjects. In addition to North Chicago, IFL conducts high dosage tutoring in schools in and around Seattle, Indianapolis, and Columbus. IFLs largest high dosage tutoring implementation is in Broward Country Florida, the nations sixth largest school district.

In the IFL-North Chicago program, IFL has recruited college graduates to work 1:1 with over 500 struggling K-2 students for 3-5 days per week. The instruction provided by these interventionists is focused on building a beginning phonics foundation, sight words acquisition and reading fluency with comprehension.

In addition to providing high dosage tutoring to struggling students, IFL will also provide volunteer tutors to work with students who have mastered a phonics foundation but may still need support to become fluent readers. These tutors will be recruited from IFL corporate partners in the community and will tutor students once per week for 30 minutes on fluency and comprehension. Abbvie, headquartered in North Chicago, is supporting the program both with funding and with volunteer tutors from their local workforce.

The impact of the program will be evaluated by Dr. Karen Kortecamp, associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at George Washington University, using D187s reading assessments conducted at the beginning, middle and end of each school year. The evaluation will be part of research that has been conducted on the IFL program at North Chicago since the start of the 2019-20 school year. At the time school was closed in March, 2020, nearly 85% of kindergarten and first grade students were on track for grade level reading. This progress is consistent with results of IFLs high dosage tutoring in other school districts.

The results of IFLs high dosage tutoring programs are documented in research available on its website. Nearly 80% of first grade students have reached grade level reading after receiving high dosage tutoring, compared to approximately 50% of students in prior years.

Studies by other organizations have demonstrated that not only is high dosage tutoring for struggling early readers effective, but it is just as effective as intensive programs conducted by experienced teachers. See, Neitzel, A., Lake, C., Pellegrini, M., & Slavin, R. (2020). A synthesis of quantitative research on programs for struggling readers in elementary schools.

About Innovations for Learning

IFL has been focused on beginning reading instruction for over 25 years. IFL serves 25 school districts in the US, as well as districts in the United Kingdom and Canada. IFL partners with over 200 global corporations who collectively provide over 6000 volunteers annually for its TutorMate program.

The high dosage tutoring model of instruction is in its third year of implementation in school districts IFL serves. The model draws upon IFLs 25 years of experience designing instructional tools and methods for both independent student use and for 1:1 instruction by classroom teachers.

IFL is proud to be partnering with North Chicago to combat the effects of COVID-19, said Seth Weinberger, founder of IFL. Learning to read is a civil right. Across America, young students are being deprived of the right to a quality education when they are not taught to read proficiently. This country has the resources to correct this injustice if we fight for it as hard as we fight for freedom itself.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 12 : The Kerala government's Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (NORKA)-led Pravasi start up scheme has created a start up climate with 4,179 expatriate entrepreneurs over the past five years.

The state government has sanctioned Rs 220.37 crores for the start up projects by Pravasis who have returned to the state after long years in foreign countries.

In the financial year 2019-20, 1,043 entrepreneurs were sanctioned Rs 53.40 crores. This scheme was envisaged as a joint venture between NORKA and the Kerala Startup Mission to create self-employment opportunities for Pravasis who return to the state from abroad and who are planning a new journey as entrepreneurs.

The objective of the scheme is to rehabilitate expatriates who can contribute to the economic development of the state according to their professional skills.

Kerala Bank, Canara Bank and the Travancore Pravasi Development Cooperative Society are some of the financial institutions which provide loans to the expatriates.

Loans up to Rs 30 lakhs with a capital subsidy of 15% (Subject to a maximum of Rs 3 lakhs), are available for start ups by expatriates who have returned to the state after working for a minimum 2 years in a foreign country. The scheme also offers a 3% interest rebate for the first four years for those who pay the interest on time.

NORKA is conducting field camps for easier disbursal of loans and to make the loan procedure easier. The organization is focusing to provide loans in a single day. Seven camps were conducted during the 2019-20 financial year and about 500 expatriates benefitted from these camps.

NORKA chairman and senior leader of CPM, K Varadarajan while speaking to media persons said "Since the LDF government came to power, this government has distributed 45.21 crores as subsidy to 2,895 entrepreneurs till November 2020".
This undated photo shows the annual bell-ringing ceremony being performed by dignitaries at Bosingak Pavilion in Seoul. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



By Bahk Eun-ji



The country has held a bell-ringing ceremony to ring in the New Year at Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul every year, with more than 100,000 people gathering there to celebrate.



This year, however, the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first cancellation since the tradition began in 1953. The event was replaced with a video that was pre-recorded.



But still the bell ringing remains special to the people, especially Seoul citizens, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government added the Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony to the Seoul Future Heritage list recently.



Since 2013, the city government has designated 488 buildings, sites and even non-physical cultural assets as "future heritage" that are historically and culturally significant enough to be preserved and handed down to future generations.



The city government said the bell-ringing ceremony is a representative New Year's event that has become a tradition in Seoul.



"The Bosingak bell tolling at night comes to mind when people think of the New Year and January," said Kim Kyung-tak a deputy director of the city's culture policy division.



Every year, the mayor of Seoul, government officials and specially invited representatives of the public ring the bell to herald the New Year.



Crowds gather around the pavilion near Jonggak Station on Seoul Metro Line 1 to celebrate the occasion. Just like ball drop seen annually in Times Square, New York, the bell tolls at midnight. It is rung 33 times, and the ceremony is televised on all major channels.



The 33 chimes of the bell is a reference to the 33 heavens of Buddhism and this expresses hope for the wellbeing and development of the country and its people.



Yeouido Park / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



Along with Bosingak Bell, the city government also added Yeouido Park to the list.



The site of Yeouido Park had been initially developed as an airfield in 1916 under the Japanese occupation. After liberation, it was used as an airfield and an air base until 1971, and in 1972, it was redeveloped as 5.16 Square and used as a venue for large-scale gatherings. 5.16 refers to Park Chung-hee's 1961 military coup d'etat.



The square was turned into a public park and opened on Jan. 24, 1999.



Also on the list is the short story "Watching Trams" by writer Ha Geun-chan, published in January 1976 by Literature and Thought, a literary magazine and an organizer of the prestigious Yi Sang Literary Award.



"Watching Trams" depicts the feelings of citizens experiencing the subway for the first time.





A cover of an edition of Literature and Thought in 1976, which includes "Watching Trams," written by Han Geun-chan / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Rep. Chris Freeland's Legislative Update

By Rep. Chris Freeland

BENTON -The first day of the 2021 Regular Session was dramatically different from previous years, with face masks, social distancing, and the use of technology to allow some members to participate virtually from anywhere on the Capitol campus. However, when we held up our right hands and repeated the words of the Oath of Office, one thing became very clear  we are still the Kentucky General Assembly, and we are going to continue to be the peoples voice.Before I share an update on what we accomplished this week, I want to again thank the people of this legislative district for putting their faith and trust in me. This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I hope you will never hesitate to reach out to me to share your opinions or concerns or to let me know if I can help you find information about a state program. I may not always have the answer you want to hear, but I will do my very best to represent you.If you are interested in following the legislatures daily activities, you can keep track through the General Assemblys official website at legislature.ky.gov. There are links on the website that will take you to the live broadcast of House Floor action and committee meetings, as well as the bills before us this session and our legislative calendar.HB 1  Framework for Remaining Open in the COVID-19 Pandemic  This bill provides clarity and reassurance for businesses, schools, parents, and nonprofits. If passed into law, any of these entities may remain open and operational if they follow a comprehensive operating plan detailing how they will adhere to safety guidelines. HB 1 also prevents the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) from restricting, modifying or suspending in-person non-custodial parental visitation for children in state care and requires the CHFS to establish guidelines for long-term care facilities that choose to allow in-person visits if it is deemed necessary to the residents health and mental well-being. Major relief for employers who would otherwise be forced to pay as much as $100 more per employee in unemployment insurance contributions is also included.HB 2  Protecting Life  HB 2 grants the Attorney General the authority to seek injunctive relief and civil or criminal penalties to prevent violations regarding abortions or administrative regulations. By giving the Attorney General more authority, we are one step closer to ensuring there are people in place to protect unborn childrens rights.HB 3  Giving Kentuckians a Voice in Cases Against the State This measure expands access to the courts and ensures that Kentuckians across the state will have a voice in who decides these suits. HB 3 would allow Kentuckians who file suit against state government or a state elected official to do so in the county of their residence and also allows for virtual hearings to increase accessibility.HB 4  Flexibility with Legislative Session Schedules  If passed by the Senate and approved by voters, HB 4 would eliminate the requirement that the General Assembly adjourn the 60-day session in even-numbered years by April 30 and the 30-day session in odd-numbered years by March 30. The provisions of HB 4 also allow legislators to add up to ten additional legislative days if three-fifths if the House and Senate vote that they are necessary.HB 5  Expand Oversight on the Reorganization of Boards and Agencies  HB 5 would require all executive branch reorganizations and board reorganizations to be approved by the General Assembly. The five previous governors used the executive order to reorganize a cabinet, agency, or board a total of 446 times.HB 10  Liability Protection for Individuals, Businesses, Churches, Schools, Etc.  No person or organization acting reasonably to prevent the spread of COVID-19 should fear a lawsuit. HB 10 would provide liability protection from civil lawsuits related to COVID-19 if the entity in question is making a good-faith effort to conform to the current safety guidelines.SB 1  Better Defining Executive Authority in States of Emergency  SB 1 balances the need for Kentucky to act quickly in an emergency with ensuring that a governor does not overstep the boundaries of executive branch authority. The measure limits to 30 days any Emergency Orders issued by a governor that place restrictions on the functioning of schools, colleges, private businesses or non-profits, political, religious, or social gatherings, or places of worship, or imposes mandatory quarantine or isolation requirements. Also, a Governor could not issue another emergency order based upon the same or substantially similar facts and circumstances as the original order without prior approval of the General Assembly. Additionally, the General Assembly, by joint resolution, may terminate a declaration of emergency at any time.SB 9  Born Alive Act  SB 9 states that medically appropriate and reasonable life-saving and life-sustaining medical care and treatment must not be denied to any born-alive infant. If it were to become law, any violation by a medical provider could result in felony charges among other penalties.I left Frankfort after meeting on Saturday, something the legislature rarely does, but we felt was necessary this year. We will reconvene on Monday for the sixth legislative day of the 2021 Regular Session and plan to adjourn on Wednesday, January 13 until February 2. In the meantime, I can be reached during the week from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (EST) through the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via e-mail at Chris.Freeland@lrc.ky.gov.
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global health service company Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) today announced that George Kurian has been appointed to Cigna's Board of Directors. His appointment is effective March 1, 2021.

Mr. Kurian currently serves as chief executive officer of NetApp, Inc., a cloud-led, data-centric, software company. Prior to joining NetApp in 2011, he served as vice president and general manager of Application Networking and Switching Technology at Cisco Systems. An engineer by training, Mr. Kurian has also previously held product strategy and consulting roles at Akamai Technologies, McKinsey & Company and Oracle Corporation.

"With a wealth of product development, business leadership and customer engagement expertise, George brings a valuable perspective to Cigna's Board of Directors as we execute on our strategic priorities to take on the greatest challenges in health care today," said Isaiah Harris Jr., Cigna Chairman of the Board.

"We are pleased to welcome George as a new independent director to the Cigna Board," said David M. Cordani, Cigna president and chief executive officer. "His deep experience in innovative, high-technology global businesses will be invaluable to Cigna as we continue to grow our business and transform the healthcare experience for customers, clients, providers and all of those we serve."

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth companies or their affiliates and Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits and other related products.

Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 170 million customer relationships around the world. To learn more about Cigna, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

Media Contact

Lauren Borghard

1 (860) 840-4354

[email protected]

SOURCE Cigna

Related Links

https://www.cigna.com




China US Photo: GT

After Washington announced last week that the US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, would pay a visit to Taiwan this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday he was lifting restrictions on contacts between officials of both the US and the island of Taiwan. The Trump administration is exploiting its final days to make anti-China decisions. It's the diplomatic team led by Pompeo that is playing the most proactive leading role to force this course of action.

Only 10 days are left for the incumbent US government, but it may become the most challenging period for China-US relations. Pompeo has shown his madness in policies toward China. He has the potential to play out all anti-China "cards," and had done some completely incredible acts in the recent past. Pompeo's team is working like a retreating army to knock down every building, then bury land mines, in a bid to prevent potential reconstruction.

China must resolutely crack down on these saboteurs and take drastic measures against them before their destruction gravely impairs China's core interests. China must not tolerate their abuses.

As Pompeo's team will soon be out of power, China needs to avoid entanglement and maintain its bottom line of China-US relations amid the US power transition. This will be consistent with China's interests. But the precondition is that outgoing US officials should adhere to rules and regulations and restrain from pushing more destructive approaches. The US political system should constrain their moves.

But it did not and this reality was far from what many good-hearted Chinese people had expected from the US. Pompeo and his likes are frenzied and out of control. With the US establishment standing by to watch the fight, Pompeo and his supporters are in a state of willful arrogance that allows them to do whatever they want vis-a-vis the China-US relationship.

Pompeo has ventured into the Taiwan question, which he believes is the best place to hurt China, and the best place to upend the entire relationship between the US and China. As a result, the Taiwan question has become his biggest gamble.

Sadly, these people are becoming dizzy with their hubris and they have forgotten that the Taiwan Straits are where China's game tools are growing the fastest. Beijing has refrained from taking actions in the region in pursuit of peaceful reunification. But China's rapidly growing power is in the best position to be used in the region, which will deal a heavy blow to US arrogance.

Let us summon our strength and resolution to confront the ultimate provocation of the US. We will discredit Pompeo and his likes for their hubris in misjudging the situation and deter them in the Taiwan Straits. No one in the US or the world will really sympathize with them. Everyone knows that they deserve to lose as it is them who have initiated the fight in the first place.

We need to see this as a rare window of opportunity for the Chinese mainland to do something about the Taiwan question. The US has been embroiled in serious chaos caused by the loss of control over the epidemic and a bumpy transfer of power. The Trump administration has lost its prestige, and its ability to mobilize people and take action is crippled. It is unable to have a strategic collision with China over the latter's core interests by any stretch of the imagination.

Therefore, it's fair to say Pompeo and his likes have overestimated the US strength to provoke the Chinese mainland over the Taiwan question. They appear to be tough outwardly, but are actually weak on the inside. They lack strong support, and many people are waiting to make them a laughing stock.

When they cross the line over the Taiwan question, we need to strike back firmly and hard. We must turn the fight against them in the last 10 days of the Trump administration into a process that draws a clear bottom line with the US and the island of Taiwan, showing both of them the severe consequences if they ever really touch the bottom line - this is a process to establish China's prestige.

If we don't act this way, the US and the island of Taiwan will think Beijing would rather tolerate their provocations for the sake of long-term interests. The actions taken by Pompeo and his likes to trap the Taiwan question and China-US relations will be "legitimatized," and the Biden administration may mistakenly think it will have more room to pressure the Chinese mainland. This will make the start of China-US relations in the next four years detrimental to China.

We would rather face a Taiwan Straits crisis, even a storm, in the next 10 days if Pompeo and his likes become more aggressive and provocative before leaving office. The crisis will teach Taiwan secessionists a lesson and nail Pompeo and his likes to the pillar of shame. Even if this will cause a shock to China-US relations during the period of power change in the US, it will bring more benefits to the normal development of bilateral relations in the long term.
Washington, Jan 12 : The US has added Cuba to the list of "State Sponsor of Terrorism", a move that might constrain the incoming Joe Biden administration's efforts to reshape relations with Havana.

The State Department said in a statement on Monday that it had designated Cuba as "a State Sponsor of Terrorism" for "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbour to terrorists", reports Xinhua news agency.

US media had reported that the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump considered returning Cuba to the list before leaving office.

In a tweet on December 30, 2020, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said: "I denounce Sec of State Pompeo maneuvers to include Cuba in the list of States sponsoring terrorism to please the anti-Cuban minority in Florida.

"US grants shelter and impunity to terrorist groups acting against Cuba from that territory." Cuba had been put on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1982.

In March 2016, Barack Obama became the first sitting US President to visit Cuba since 1928 following the warming of bilateral relations that began in December 2014, ending a 54-year stretch of hostility.

But tensions between Cuba and the US worsened after Trump took office in 2014.

The Trump administration has increased the trade embargo, first imposed in 1962, which has banned American flights to Cuban cities except Havana; barred cruise ships and yachts from visiting the island; and limited remittances Cuban-Americans send to their families on the island.

Washington has also re-instated Cuba into a list of countries that "do not fully cooperate with the US counter-terrorism efforts".

The decision prohibits the sale or license for the export of defence articles and services to the nations contained in the blacklist.
State Rep. Tom Craddick said the Legislative session, which is set to begin Tuesday, will be about the deficit and redistricting.

In other words, hes seen it all before.

The Midland Republican told the Reporter-Telegram this session reminds him of 2003  when he became the first Republican speaker of the House since Reconstruction. Of course, in 2003, there wasnt coronavirus.

The most experienced legislator in Texas state government history will be a newbie like others entering this session and the restrictions it has put on hearings and overall practices that most are used to. He also said it is likely to keep everything simple and legislators focused on the priorities, which he said starts with balancing the budget and redistricting.

I see the session as basically Get the major things over, Craddick said.

***

About the budget: Craddick said having less money will require cuts across the board. He said there was a lot of money spent on public education and other new programs during the last session (2019).

The Dallas Morning News reported this week that the state needs about $5 billion more than taxes currently generate to maintain current services.

Can we fund the programs from last session, Craddick said, I dont know whether that will happen.

He said in addition to education and health services that there will be a focus on programs related to the pandemic, but there is a likelihood that legislators pass what we need and go home.

About COVID: When it comes to COVID, there will be bills dealing with spending and bills dealing with Gov. Greg Abbots actions in trying to help keep the states residents safe. Craddick said hes heard there are as many as 70 bills anticipated having to do limiting the governors power during a pandemic like COVID  the product of legislators telling their residents at home they were going to make changes. Craddick, however, said that doesnt guarantee legislators will have enough support for any one item.

About redistricting: A growing population inside the state means Texans likely will add three new congressmen, Craddick said. Redistricting is a process performed every 10 years to draw the lines on legislative districts at the state and federal level. Midland and Odessa are currently in Texas Congressional District 11. Craddick said he is against splitting the counties into different districts and that it benefits Midland and Odessa to stay together.

It shouldnt change, Craddick said of keeping Midland and Odessa together.

Craddick also doesnt expect much change with the state senate district because of the population growth in Midland-Odessa and that his House district, which includes Midland, is likely to include less counties after redistricting is completed.

About a GROW-ing priority: The GROW Bill needs to be done, he said Monday. The Generate Reoccurring Oil Wealth (GROW) Texas fund generally sets aside money for initiatives in areas significantly impacted by oil and gas production. In 2019, it overwhelmingly passed the House and died in the Senate. The bill calls for a commission to administer funds that come from the rainy day fund -- or the states savings account -- and advise the Legislature on making appropriations to address infrastructure needs related to safety, health care and education initiatives in those production-impacted regions.

Passing the GROW Bill will provide direction for Permian Basin companies about the state investment likely in areas like the Permian Basin, Craddick said.

About the new speaker: Legislators are expected to make a Beaumont Republican  Dade Phelan  the next speaker of the Texas House. Craddick called the fourth-term state representative and chairman of State Affairs capable as anything and everything goes through the State Affairs committee, so he has seen it all.
New Escape by the Bay campaign logo

With the onset of COVID-19 last March, the waterfront city of Benicia, California needed to totally reconceive its tourism marketing strategy for the summer and holiday season. Benicia is a charming jewel of the San Francisco Bay Area, but it has historically been popular with visitors because of its public events, shopping, and indoor dining -- attractions which were problematic during the pandemic.

The city turned to its marketing firm, Creative Digital Agency, to forge a new path forward for the remainder of the year.

Reinventing Summer In Benicia

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the tourism industry, says Kevin Almeida, Managing Director of CDA. With Benicia, we had to essentially scrap our plan for the year and start over. We looked at the data and refocused on the things our audience was crying out for: day trips, outdoor leisure activities, and safe ways to relax and escape the stresses of the year.

Luckily, Benicia was a prime candidate to offer visitors an escape. CDA worked with the city to launch the Great Escape By the Bay campaign, which emphasized a variety of day trip itineraries that promoted mental and physical health while incorporating safe shopping & dining agendas to continue driving revenue for small, locally-owned businesses.

The campaign required a rapid turnaround to launch across multiple channels:



A new website for the campaign (http://www.EscapeByTheBay.com)

Media relations and PR, bringing travel writers/bloggers and local social media influencers like Kris Hui into the city to enjoy the different day trips offered.

Multi-channel paid media, encompassing local TV, email, billboards, digital media, and print advertising in Diablo magazine

Multimedia production, including content for TV, print, and web showcasing a safe COVID-19 visitor experience

We appreciate CDA being able to adapt so quickly to everything that happened, says Teri Davena, Economic Development Specialist for Benicia. We were able to respond to the crisis faster than just about any other destination, mitigating the hit to tourism revenue for the City.

The campaign drove a huge upswing in earned media coverage, especially for a year when large public events were cancelled. Benicia was covered by Visit California, the SF Chronicle, Mercury News, and even got a shoutout on Live With Kelly and Ryan.

Further, the citys social media engagement and new follower acquisition rate increased by several hundred percent across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Holiday Shopping

In the winter, after the devastating California wildfires had subsided, Benicia business owners were looking forward to relaxing COVID-19 restrictions to help bring in seasonal holiday shoppers -- but the Winter surge across the country necessitated another rapid shift in focus.

CDA worked with the city to launch Shop Benicia, a new citywide eGift card program that incentivized shoppers to support small local businesses during the pandemic by purchasing online gift cards which could be redeemed at any participating business in the city.

The Shop Benicia launch was an enormous success, with the Citys initial promotional offer selling out in the first two weeks and local media like ABC7 News picking up the story.

Shop Benicia lets small business owners compete with the sort of gift card programs offered by mega-retailers, says Mario Giuliani, Economic Development Manager for Benicia. Part of what makes Benicia so special is our one-of-a-kind shopping experience. All our downtown businesses are locally-owned and unique -- no chain stores or franchises to speak of. This program rewards people for supporting the incredible shops, restaurants, art galleries, salons & spas that make up the heart and soul of our community.

Approaching the New Year

Moving into 2021, CDA and Benicia expect theyll need to remain agile.

Weve got some exciting things coming up, says Almeida, furthering Benicias digital transformation in regards to added convenience to shopping and the visitor experience. But if the past year has taught us anything, its that destination marketers need to be ready to change at a moments notice. Were just one week into the new year and I think its fair to say theres nothing normal about 2021.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Results Include 8.68 g/t Au over 10 meters

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Galleon Gold Corp. (TSXV: GGO) (the "Company" or "Galleon Gold") is pleased to announce additional gold intercepts in and around the recently discovered Zone #9 high grade shoot at its 100% owned West Cache Gold Project, Timmins, Ontario. Recent drilling confirms that Zone #9 continues to show favorable grade continuity and widths within the shoot at depth. Current drilling is expected to provide better near-surface definition and test the shoot to greater depth.

Highlights

WC-20-081 intersected 8.68 g/t Au over 10.0 m , from 276 to 286 m including sub-intervals of 12.25 g/t Au over 2.0 m and 12.04 g/t Au over 2.0 m

intersected , from 276 to 286 m including sub-intervals of and WC-20-080 intersected 8.25 g/t Au over 9.0 m , from 190 to 199 m including a sub-interval of 19.7 g/t Au over 1.0 m

intersected , from 190 to 199 m including a sub-interval of WC-20-079 intersected 3.37 g/t over 5.0 m from 161 m to 166 m including a sub interval of 6.43 g/t over 1.0 m

"We are starting to see the emergence of a significant ore shoot, and as we trace it down dip and along strike, the grades and widths continue to be impressive. I am particularly pleased to see the continuity of the mineralized interval in Hole 81 and our growing ability to predict the orientation of the shoot with increasing accuracy. These are the types of grades and thicknesses that add to, and strengthen, the overall results of the gold project as the PEA is being developed by our third-party consultant, P & E Mining Consultants. As we spend more time modelling the geology at West Cache, the blue-sky potential is tremendous," comments R. David Russell CEO and President of Galleon Gold.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1 provides a cross-sectional view of five newly reported Zone #9 intervals, while Figure 2 shows a plan view of the 2020 Zone # 9 drill hole collar locations. The Figure 3 plan map indicates holes announced in this press release, while also providing planned hole locations. Figure 4 illustrates the dip orientation of the Zone #9 ore shoot in relation to previously modelled pit shapes. Table #1 summarizes assay and drill hole information. A full copy of the assays and drill hole statistics, from the current drill program, is available on the Company's website.





Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1014/71786_e4e6785b940d7a35_001full.jpg





Figure 2

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1014/71786_e4e6785b940d7a35_002full.jpg





Figure 3

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1014/71786_e4e6785b940d7a35_003full.jpg





Figure 4

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1014/71786_e4e6785b940d7a35_004full.jpg

Table 1 West Cache Zone #9 Drill Intercepts Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) WC-20-076 107.8 110.0 2.3 1.61 WC-20-077 58.9 61.5 2.6 1.16 WC-20-078 108.0 110.0 2.0 1.19 WC-20-079 161.0 166.0 5.0 3.37 including 162.0 163.0 1.0 6.43 WC-20-080 185.0 199.0 14.0 5.8 including 190.0 199.0 9.0 8.25 including 190.0 195.0 5.0 10.27 WC-20-081 276.0 286.0 10.0 8.68 including 279.0 281.0 2.0 12.04 including 284.0 286.0 2.0 12.25 2020 West Cache # 9 Drill Intercepts previously released WC-20-027 239.7 240.7 1.0 1.40 WC-20-030 234.0 243.7 9.7 7.41 including 234.0 237.0 3.0 14.75 WC-20-031 274.5 283.0 8.5 5.87 including 277.0 279.0 2.0 10.09 WC-20-037 167.7 171.0 3.3 1.23 including 167.7 168.7 1.0 2.80 WC-20-042 237.0 247.7 10.7 7.44 including 239.8 243.1 3.3 8.88 including 244.8 247.7 2.9 10.19 WC-20-045 187.0 194.0 7.0 1.96 including 189.0 193.0 4.0 2.92 WC-20-053 148.0 156.0 8.0 3.06 including 148.0 149.0 1.0 7.53 WC-20-054 184.5 201.0 16.5 1.97 including 190.0 198.0 8.0 2.63 including 190.0 192.0 2.0 4.64 WC-20-075 54.0 58.0 4.0 6.60 including 55.0 57.0 2.0 10.87 Note: all drill intercepts average approximately 90% true thickness.

Qualified Person and Quality Control

The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Chris Dupont, P. Eng, a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Quality Control and Assurance procedures and protocol include the insertion of one blank or standard for every 10 samples submitted for assay in addition to the insertion of standards, duplicates, and blanks inserted by AGAT Laboratories using the prep facility in Timmins, ON and analytical lab in Mississauga, ON. All gold values utilize common fire assay procedures with an AA finish, although assays over 10 g/t are re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. All samples reported have been checked against Company and Lab standards, duplicates and blanks. Sample prep includes all sample material crushed to 75% passing 2 mm with a 300 g split pulverized to 90% passing 200 mesh to create the 30 gram sample for fire assay. All core logging and sampling were completed in-house at the Company core facility in Timmins, ON. Core produced in the field is delivered to the Company's Timmins warehouse every morning with all logging, cutting, labeling and bagging completed by supervised personnel. Bagged core samples for assay are picked up twice a week by AGAT personnel for delivery to their prep facility across town.

About West Cache Gold Project

The West Cache Gold Project is located 13 km west of Timmins Ontario; it is serviced by Provincial highway 101 and secondary access roads. It is situated along the Porcupine-Destor gold belt, approximately 7 km northeast of Pan American Silver's Timmins West Mine and 14 km southwest of Newmont's Hollinger Mine.

About Galleon Gold

Galleon Gold is a North American exploration and development company. Eric Sprott holds approximately 23% of the Company's outstanding common shares and is also the Company's partner on the Neal Gold Project in Idaho. Drilling is currently underway at the Company's flagship project, the West Cache Gold Project, located 13 km from Timmins, Ontario.

For further information:

Galleon Gold

R. David Russell

Chairman and CEO

T. (416) 644-0066

info@galleongold.com

www.galleongold.com

Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, expectations, plans, and objectives of Galleon Gold are forward-looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause Galleon Gold's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future exploration activities and cash flows, and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Galleon Gold undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71786
Several dozen trade unionists of the Sanitas health workers' federation participated on Tuesday in a rally before the Government House demanding an increase in the pay of health workers and social assistance workers in line with the pay law.

The trade unionists who took part in the protest chanted "Hotii!" (Thieves!) and "Ne-ati mintit!" (You have lied to us!) They displayed placards with the words " Stati putin si nu lucrati, avem banii inghetati" (Wait a minute and don't work, our money are frozen)"Promisiunile nu platesc facturile" (Promises don't pay bills) and "Si eroii au de platit facturi" (Heroes also have to pay bills).

During the demonstration, chairman of the Sanitas Bucharest Federation Viorel Husanu told AGERPRES that the main dissatisfaction of the trade unionists is the government's decision to freeze public pay for 2021 at the December 2020 level.The union leader said the former government, which included the current prime minister, lied to health and social workers when he promised them, at the end of last year, that their pay will go up after January 1, 2021.He said the members of the Sanitas Federation only demand compliance with the pay legislation and do not demand pay raises.During the rally, the leaders of the Sanitas Federation were not invited by government officials for talks.
On the Bathroom Shelf (above) this week is a very cool biodegradable toothbrush created by Meath couple Niamh McGill and Joe Finnegan. Theyre changing the world one handle at a time  and so can you. Bambooth is a bamboo biodegradable toothbrush, is the first and only bamboo toothbush approved by the Oral Health Foundations independent panel of dental experts.

Theres also a cute kids version too  the bambino, you can get them personalised to make bedtime fun. and eco-friendly. Shop online at www.bambooth.com or they are stocked in independent retailers nationwide including reuzi, Green Outlook, Meaghers Pharmacies, Meadows & Byrne, Avoca and more. A Bambooth adult brush is 4.99, a bambino brush is 4.99, with a family pack of two adult and two bambinos for 17.96.

Theres a beautiful exhibition by Cork Printmakers at Nano Nagle Place, see main picture above. When were allowed visit galleries again do check it out. Its called Land Under the Waves/Tir Fothoinn and it explores the Irish landscape and the sea.

The Print Gallery is a partnership between Nano Nagle Place and Cork Printmakers, a print studio and resource organisation with over 100 members based at Wandesford Quay, Cork City. Exhibiting artists include John Beasley, Johnny Bugler, Wendy Dison, Angela Gilmour, Debbie Godsell,and Deirdre McKenna, Maeve Lynch Emma OHara and Aideen Quirke. Pictured here is Maeve Lynch in a gorgeous photo by Clare Keogh. Find out more at www.nanonagleplace.ie

Designer paint brand Curator has opened an experiential pop-up on Dublins South Anne Street.

We could all do with a bit of colour in January and the display runs until January 15. A collaboration of native art and design for the home, the pop-up marks Curators two-year anniversary on the Irish market. Created in collaboration with some of Irelands finest designers, Curator comprises 144 paint colours, inspired by 29 Irish designers, available in five finishes, coming together to form one beautiful collection.

Theres an interactive digital palette and creative colour wall, and youll receive a complimentary tester pot and A5 colour panels. Open Monday to Saturday, 11am-7pm and Sunday, 12pm-6pm. Prices range from 32, 1l, to 99, 5l, and the collection is available in five stunning finishes.

Id be tempted to turn this peace candle back to front to say See ya! to 2020, but I think that would be going against the whole peace message of the piece. Maybe we could use it as V for victory after surviving last year? Its a gorgeous vibrant yellow, handmade with a burn time of 20 hours. Available for 39 from www.audenza.com

Check out the tweettastic Singvogel clock. German for songbirds, its part of the KooKoo range of bird voices wall clocks. With 12 detailed illustrations by bird artists Dan Zetterstrom from Sweden and Irelands own Killian Mullarney, every full hour youll hear for 10 seconds the voice of one of the European songbirds - from the blackbird to the woodlark. Imagine! But fear not, it comes with a practical light sensor that automatically switches off the birds voices when it gets dark and ensures a peaceful night. Phew. 103, see more at www.thedesigngiftshop.com

Any Riverdale fans out there? This blue and yellow Vixens mug is a nice little gift for cosy tea breaks, 3 in Penneys www.primark.com

In our tech corner this week we have these fabulous Freebuds Pro from Huawei. Super comfy to wear, with air pressure balancing, brilliant sound and intelligent noise cancellation, and no wires to untangle and/or curse at. They were 179.99 but at time of typing they are available for 99 at Carphone Warehouse. www.carphonewarehouse.ie

You can also find out more at

https://consumer.huawei.com/ie/audio/freebuds-pro/#buy

Spotted online this week  a bright and beautiful double sofa bed in butterscotch yellow. Its called the Haru and is available at www.made.com for 422.
URBANA, Ill. - Soil erosion is a major challenge in agricultural production. It affects soil quality and carries nutrient sediments that pollute waterways. While soil erosion is a naturally occurring process, agricultural activities such as conventional tilling exacerbate it. Farmers implementing no-till practices can significantly reduce soil erosion rates, a new University of Illinois study shows.

Completely shifting to no-till would reduce soil loss and sediment yield by more than 70%, says Sanghyun Lee, doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at U of I and lead author on the study, published in Journal of Environmental Management.

But even a partial change in tilling practices could have significant results, he adds.

"If we focus on the most vulnerable area in terms of soil erosion, then only 40% no-till shows almost the same reduction as 100% no-till implementation," Lee says.

The study used physical data and computer modeling to estimate soil erosion in the Drummer Creek watershed, which is part of the Upper Sangamon River watershed in Central Illinois. The area's main crops are corn and soybeans, and tillage is a predominant agricultural practice.

"The rate of soil erosion is increased and accelerated by unsustainable agricultural production. One of the main reasons is conventional tillage in the field," Lee says. "Our model provides a tool to estimate the impacts of tilling on soil erosion across the watershed."

Lee and co-authors Maria Chu, Jorge Guzman, and Alejandra Botero-Acosta developed the modeling framework, coupling a hydrological model (MIKE SHE) with the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) to examine the impacts of no-till practice in the watershed. The WEPP model provided the sediment sources from the agricultural fields under different tillage practices and the hydrologic model simulated sediment transport across the watershed.

The researchers included historical data on climate, soil properties, sediment sample data, and other relevant measures, then used the coupled model to predict how different management practices affect soil erosion rates.

"Farmers may prefer tilling because wet climate conditions cause compacted soil," Lee says. "However, soil erosion removes topsoil, which contains lots of nutrients, and this may reduce yield in the long term. Soil erosion also affects water quality, both locally over time and at a distance.

"Therefore, farmers need to weigh the benefits of tilling with the consequences of soil erosion and choose the best management strategies."

The modeling framework can help identify the most vulnerable areas, so producers can implement sustainable management practices where it matters most, Lee notes.

###

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois.

The article, "A comprehensive modeling framework to evaluate soil erosion by water and tillage," is published in Journal of Environmental Management. [https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. jenvman. 2020. 111631 ]

Authors are Sanghyun Lee, Maria Chu, Jorge Guzman, and Alejandra Botero-Acosta.

Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) project # ILLU-741- 380.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Monday that he is not jumping ahead in the COVID-19 vaccine line.

The 43-year-old mayor said he has been asked if he's been inoculated. He shared some transparency on his social media channels Monday night.

RELATED: 'People are dying': Cowboys Dancehall's weekend concerts raising social distancing questions

"When my age/health group is called, I'll be there with bells on," he said. "My focus right now is ensuring that we get enough doses for our region, especially as we work to vaccinate our vulnerable & priority populations."

Scarce supply of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine appointments has left thousands of San Antonians trying and trying and trying again to get a chance to roll up their sleeves. Over the weekend, 9,000 spots at the mass vaccination center at the Alamodome filled up six minutes after registration opened. States throughout the country are figuring out which communities to prioritize in the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, but the struggle of jammed phone lines and demand are shared throughout.

In Texas, healthcare workers, residents of long-term facilities, people 65 and older, pregnant women and those 16 or older with pre-existing chronic conditions are able to sign up for the vaccine, per the state's phase 1A and 1B guidelines.

Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger, who oversees the Metro Health Department, told the San Antonio Express-News they're pushing the state for more doses.

Were putting in our request for as many as possible, she said, according to the article. We will be asking for at least 30,000, split between the three major providers  University Health, city of San Antonio and WellMed  each getting approximately 10,000 doses.

Nirenberg toured the Alamodome vaccination site with Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Monday, as San Antonio began mass vaccinations. Wolff, who qualified due to his age, allowed local media to be present on Dec. 30 as he got his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at University Health.

Also on Monday, Governor Greg Abbott provided an update for the state's vaccine rollout from Arlington, where one of Texas' 28 vaccination hubs is located. The state expects to receive about 310,000 each week.

The tumultuous rollout coincides with another COVID-19 surge in Texas. The city and county reported 3,002 cases  the highest in a single day since the pandemic began  on Sunday.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
Western Australias Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson insists he isn't "being muzzled" after it was revealed he hasn't spoken at a government press conference in more than 100 days despite Premier Mark McGowan regularly referring to his health advice when it comes to the state's border decisions.

In the past six months, the states top adviser during the coronavirus pandemic has fronted government press conferences on two occasions, one on September 26 while in Port Hedland responding to an outbreak on an iron ore carrier, and another on November 16, when he sat in the front row as Mr McGowan outlined WA's decision to close its border with South Australia.

Every other state and territory in Australia has its Chief Health Officer at most press conferences. In the past six months, WA's Chief Health Officer has fronted the media's questions just twice. Credit:Nine

During the latter, Health Minister Roger Cook invited the media to ask questions of himself, Mr McGowan, Police Commissioner Chris Dawson and Dr Robertson, however only the Premier was queried.

Dr Robertson's absence comes amid Mr McGowan regularly fielding questions from journalists about WAs testing regime and border policies and often responding: it would depend on the health advice.

Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
CEO & President Michael Whife "honored and humbled" by the privilege to bring innovative marketing solutions to the region

TOKYO and DENVER, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Selling Simplified Group, Inc. (SSG), announced today the opening of its Tokyo, Japan office, marking the company's 11th location in Asia Pacific and further establishing the company as the APAC region's B2B demand gen leader.

Michael Whife, SSG's CEO and President, said of the opening, "We're truly honored and humbled to have a place on Japan's B2B stage, and we look forward to serving Japan's B2B leaders with the most innovative demand generation technology on the market."

In SSG's continued efforts to transform the APAC B2B demand generation landscape, the strategic move into Tokyo allows the company to support one of the region's most critical markets.



Whife said, "Our approach in APAC, which we've honed over the last four years, is perfectly designed for a place like Japan, where a robust local business presence is absolutely imperative."

Emphasizing SSG's philosophy on servicing business regions from within, Whife continued: "We've been advocates of a localized business model since we first moved into Asia in 2016. Our focus, in Japan especially, is on providing truly dedicated customer service to our clients, and that hinges on building a fully-staffed regional office, from sales and operations roles to creative and data analyst roles filled by local Japanese talent.

"We understand the privilege it is to be welcomed by the Japanese market, and aim to honor that privilege by providing first-rate in-language support backed by innovative marketing solutions and enriched local data."

SSG has been successfully running in-language B2B campaigns in Japan for two years, supported by their extensive 1st-party Japanese data. "Our data, which has been translated and structured specifically for the region, is without a doubt the best suited to Japanese B2B lead gen efforts," said Whife.

The announcement comes as enthusiasm from the local market builds at the prospect of a truly viable local demand vendor.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1397276/Tokyo_PR_Image.jpg

From left, Grace ONeill, fundraising manager at Extern, and Claire McLernon from Danske Banks contact centre

Danske Bank staff have raised more than 75,000 to help vulnerable people in Northern Ireland.

The funds were raised during a year-long partnership with Extern NI.

Support included the donation of essential items to support families, advertising space to promote the charity's hardship appeal and the sale of old IT equipment. Danske Bank itself contributed 20,000.

Gavin Adams, business development director with Extern said: "Our partnership with Danske Bank has been a vital support to Extern across the last year, particularly around the challenges presented by coronavirus.

"The fantastic fundraising efforts of Danske staff enabled us to quite literally save lives, and to make a real difference to families and people in our society who otherwise would have found things very difficult as a result of the pandemic."

The money will help the charity's coronavirus appeal, providing immediate and longer term support to those impacted by coronavirus, as well as the renovation of the charity's respite centre at Kinnahalla in Co Down. The centre helps children and young people with autism spectrum disorder.
The Murmansk Region authorities have decided to establish a new Ministry of Arctic and Economic Development in the regional government.

We are establishing the Ministry of Arctic and Economic Development of the Murmansk Region by merging two agencies  the Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Economic Development. Tatiana Russkova, the acting Minister of the Economy of the Murmansk Region, will head the new ministry, said Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrei Chibis at the regional government meeting.

According to the governor, the key goal of the new ministry will be a well-coordinated effort to increase investment in the economy of the Murmansk Region and to create new skilled and high-paying jobs.

The changes will also affect the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Murmansk Region which will become responsible for the fishing industry. Vice-Governor Dmitry Filippov will supervise this ministry.

In addition, a separate committee on youth policy will be established within the regional government. It will be separated from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Policy.
The MAGA rioter who stole Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's lectern during violent protests at the Capitol last week was released on $25,000 bail on Monday - and his attorneys say he was in DC during the protest to 'witness history'.

Florida father-of-five Adam Christian Johnson, 36, who was photographed at Wednesday's chaotic riot walking out of the Capitol carrying Pelosi's lectern, was released from jail around 1pm on Monday.

He had been arrested Friday night on a federal warrant and was booked into jail in Pinellas County. He faces three counts of entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, theft of government property and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

On Monday night Johnsons lawyers David Bigney and Dan Eckhart were grilled by CNN host Chris Cuomo on Cuomo Prime TIme and they defended their client saying, 'You always can't judge a book by its cover.'

When Cuomo asked Eckhart why Johnson deserves his defense, he replied: 'Youve got the photos and a lot of things on social media where theyre demonizing Mr. Johnson. It is really a mischaracterization.'

Adam Johnson, 36, who was photographed smiling and walking with Nancy Pelosi's $1,000 lectern during Wednesday's Capitol riot was released from jail on $25,000 bail Monday. Johnson wore a white T-shirt, dark shorts, flip flops and his ankle GPS tracker and carried a plastic bag as he arrived to his Parrish, Florida home

Home sweet home: As he walked sheepishly from the car to his $500,000-house in Parrish, Florida, a woman inside opened the door for him and Johnson became emotional when he saw her. After the lawyers left, Johnson refused to come to the front door.

Johnson pictured above in a Trump hat smiling and waving to cameras as he walks out of the Capitol building carrying Nancy Pelosi's $1,000 lecturn during Wednesday's riot

'He is a family man. His wife is a physician. He has five children. There is nothing in his background or his past that would attribute any type of violence or this type of rebellious behavior to him. It is an anomaly, an unusual situation for him,' he added.

Adam Johnson, 36, was arrested by federal marshals in Florida on Friday and was held in Pinellas County Jail until his Monday release according to arrest records

Cuomo then challenged, 'So he is not part of some extremist group? He wasnt part of an organized effort to get into the Capitol?'

'No, he certainly wasnt. He was there to witness a little bit of history and thats the extent of it,' Bigney said.

'He wasnt involved in any coup. He wasnt involved in any planning of any entering of the Capitol. Things got out of hand. You saw the pictures. He was not there for any destruction, any treason. He was just there to witness history,' Bigney added.

Cuomo noted how strange it was for Eckhart and Bigney, both high-flying lawyers, to defend Johnson in his case.

Bigney said: 'He's got his Constitutional right, we're here to defend him.'

He argued that the government likely did not see Johnson as a threat since he was allowed to be released from jail Monday.

'It's not because he's a threat to the country, it's not because he's a flight risk. If the government really thought he was part of some kind of coup, he'd probably be incarcerated right now,' Bigney said.

Emotional return home: Exclusive photos show Johnson returning home about 5pm Monday in a Porsche SUV with his two lawyers, Daniel Eckhart and David Bigney

A view of Johnson's $500,000 Parrish, Florida home above

Johnson is a psychology graduate turned furniture maker. He is married to a doctor and is currently a stay-at-home dad originally from Bradenton, Florida

Johnson has not yet entered a plea to the charges, which were filed in Washington

Johnson was arrested on Friday on a federal warrant and booked into Pinellas County jail in Florida on charges including government property theft

Under the conditions of his release, Johnson is forced to wear a GPS tracker on his ankle, must abide by a 9pm to 6am curfew, surrender his passport and firearms, and is restricted from traveling outside Central Florida

When asked if they were worried about the future of Johnson's case, the lawyers said they were confident they could defend Johnson.

'Well, were not worried because, Chris, this is the initial stage as you know. We just got him out today. Theres more to this story and youll be one of the first to know as the case evolves,' Eckhart said.

Johnson has not yet entered a plea to the charges, which were filed in Washington.

The lectern he was seen carrying was later found on January 7 by a member of the Senate staff in the Red corridor of the Senate wing off the Rotunda in the Capitol building. It is worth more than $1,000, according to the House of Representatives' curator.

Under the conditions of his release, Johnson is forced to wear a GPS tracker on his ankle, must abide by a 9pm to 6am curfew, surrender his passport and firearms, and is restricted from traveling outside Central Florida.

Speaking to reporters after his release Johnsons lawyers said that the photo of him walking out of the Capitol building smiling and waving to cameras with Pelosis lectern is a challenge for them.

'I dont know how else to explain that, but yeah that would be a problem,' Eckhart said.

'Im not a magicianso yeah weve got a photograph of our client who appears to be inside the federal building with government property,' he added according to WFLA.

Speaking to CNN later that night, Eckhart said on the magician comment: 'I made a mistake during the initial questioning where ...I said something to the effect of "Im not a magician meaning we cant make that evidence disappear."'

'This is a serious case. Everyone involved in the storming of the Capitol last week needs to be held accountable for their actions, including Mr. Johnson,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Scruggs said at the Monday hearing, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

"He was there to witness a little bit of history and that's the extent of it," says one of the lawyers representing the man infamously pictured with the Speaker's lectern. "He wasn't involved in any coup in any planning of any entering of the Capitol. Things got out of hand." pic.twitter.com/TtiotaYdHY  Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) January 12, 2021

On Monday night Johnsons lawyers David Bigney and Dan Eckhart were grilled by CNN host Chris Cuomo and they defended their client saying, 'You always can't judge a book by its cover.' Bigney said Johnson was in DC to 'witness a little bit of history and thats the extent of it'

Speaking to reporters after his release Johnsons lawyers said that the photo of him with Pelosis lectern is a challenge for them. 'Im not a magicianso yeah weve got a photograph of our client who appears to be inside the federal building with government property,' lawyer Daniel Eckhart said (left)

ADAM JOHNSON RELEASED HAPPENING NOW | Adam Johnson, the man seen holding Nancy Pelosi's lectern during U.S. Capitol, released. What we know >> https://wfts.tv/3oCcNJ1 Posted by ABC Action News - WFTS - Tampa Bay on Monday, January 11, 2021

DailyMail.com's exclusive photos show Johnson returning home about 5pm Monday in a Porsche SUV with his two lawyers, Daniel Eckhart and David Bigney.

Clean shaven and sporting shoulder-length hair, Johnson wore a white T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops as if he'd just spent a day at the nearby beach.

He did, however, sport a GPS tracker on his left ankle, a condition for his release until a court hearing in Washington, DC, on January 19, on the day before the Joe Biden inauguration.

Johnson carried a manilla envelope in one hand and a plastic bag with some of the belongings he took to the Pinellas County jail near Tampa.

As he walked sheepishly from the car to his $500,000-house in Parrish, Florida, a woman inside opened the door for him and Johnson became emotional when he saw her.

After the lawyers left, Johnson refused to come to the front door.

Johnson is a psychology graduate turned furniture maker who is currently a stay-at-home dad originally from Bradenton, Florida. His wife is a doctor, according to The Bradenton Herald.

Johnson is said to have traveled from Parrish in Manatee County, Florida to Washington DC on Wednesday to join the Stop the Steal rally seeking to block Congress from certifying the presidential election results. Photos on his now-deleted social media accounts show him posing next to a sign reading 'closed to all tours' inside the Capitol building

He shared these snaps on Facebook showing himself and other Trump supporters traveling to Washington DC to protest Congress' joint session to protest the election

Johnson shared this image of himself in a mob near the Capitol on his since-deleted Facebook page

He has previously faced possession of marijuana and violation of probation charges, the paper reports.

Johnson is said to have traveled from Parrish in Manatee County, Florida to Washington DC on Wednesday to join the Stop the Steal rally seeking to block Congress from certifying the presidential election results.

He documented the trip on Facebook, sharing photos at the airport and part of the DC crowds. Photos on his now-deleted social media accounts show him posing next to a sign reading 'closed to all tours' inside the Capitol building.

On his Facebook he also disparaged law enforcement and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The director of Voice of America ordered the reassignment of a reporter for the international news organization after she sought to ask questions of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a VOA-sponsored appearance on Monday, according to several people who attended the event.

Patsy Widakuswara, who covers the White House for VOA, was ordered off the beat by Director Robert Reilly after firing questions at Pompeo after his speech and a brief Q&A session conducted by Reilly.

Pompeo, who had spoken about "American exceptionalism" and criticized oppressive regimes in China, Iran and elsewhere during his appearance, ignored Widakuswara's questions as he left VOA's headquarters in Washington.

Reilly, a former VOA director and conservative writer, was appointed to head the government-funded agency last month by Michael Pack, who since June has headed VOA's parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Pack has ignited several controversies, lawsuits and whistleblower complaints during his short tenure, during which he has attempted to reshape VOA and four other international networks. He has replaced experienced managers with loyalists and has asserted his right to influence editorial judgments, despite regulations prohibiting political influence over news produced by the agencies.

Widakuswara, who declined to comment, has been a VOA employee since 2003 and has covered the White House since mid-2018.

A VOA spokesperson declined to comment. Reilly did not respond to an email requesting comment.

Widakuswara's reassignment - which appears to be punishment for seeking information from a prominent newsmaker - carries several layers of irony, given the themes of Pompeo's talk and the issues surrounding his appearance.

A small group of VOA employees filed an anonymous whistleblower complaint last week asserting that Pompeo's appearance in VOA's auditorium would pose a coronavirus health risk and that orders to carry the speech on VOA's TV channels and live streams amounted to the promotion of government "propaganda."

During his speech Monday, Pompeo told a small group of VOA employees, "It is not fake news for you to broadcast that this is the greatest nation in the history of the world and the greatest nation that civilization has ever known."

He also decried censorship abroad, comparing it to efforts by social media giants to limit inflammatory commentary in the wake of a mob assault on the U.S. Capitol.

"This kind of censorial instinct is dangerous," he said. "It's morally wrong. And it's against your mandate. Censorship, wokeness, political correctness, it all points in one direction - authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness. ... It's time that we simply put woke-ism to sleep."

He also said it was wrong to ignore America's faults. "But this isn't the vice of America, focusing on everything that's wrong with our great nation. ... It certainly isn't the place to give authoritarian regimes in Beijing or Tehran a platform."

Reilly conducted a brief question session afterward but didn't touch on recent events, such as the Capitol attack and the State Department's re-designation of Cuba on Monday as a terrorist state.

No outside journalists were permitted to attend the event, and VOA journalists weren't permitted to ask questions. When several in attendance began to shout questions after the program finished, a live stream of the event went dark within seconds.

Widakuswara trailed Pompeo as he left the building, shouting after him, "Mr. Secretary, what are you doing to repair the U.S. reputation around the world? Mr. Secretary, do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?" (Days after Democrat Joe Biden won the election in November, Pompeo echoed President Donald Trump's false claims of victory and said he was expecting a "smooth transition to a second Trump administration.")

She received no response from Pompeo.
To reduce tensions and dispute over maritime borders and energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey invited Greece to resume talks on Monday, January 11. According to reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu extended an invitation to Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias regarding a meeting to discuss their relations.

The Turkish Foreign Minister said, "Today... we want to extend an open invitation to Greece. We invite Greece to start exploratory talks, with the first meeting being held in January".

This comes after Turkey vowed to improve ties with the countries of the European Union. Cavusoglu further said that Turkey will be hosting the talks at a date that will be mutually decided. These talks will be the 61st round of a long-running process of negotiations between Greece and Turkey and aim at improving relations between the rival nations.

Read: UAE FM On End Of Qatar Dispute, US, Iran, Turkey

Conflict between both the nations

Turkish and Greek foreign ministers last met in the month of October while attending a conference in Slovakia and reached an agreement to set up a date for a new round of negotiations between the two countries. The NATO allies have been locked in conflict over the maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean as warships from both sides stand guard.

Read: Turkey To Clamp Down On New Year's Parties Amid Virus Curfew

Tensions between Greece and Turkey escalated after Ankara sent research vessels to look for resources in the region. The research boats were accompanied by warships, which upset the Greek side, who immediately asked Turkey to withdraw the vessels.

Greece, in turn, then sent its own warships to the region stoking fear of conflict among regional partners. The European Union had warned Ankara of possible sanctions for its actions in the eastern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged Ankara to maintain peace and regional stability and "abstain from unilateral actions" in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Read: EU To Spend Hundreds Of Millions More On Refugees In Turkey

Also Read: Turkey Signs Agreement With BioNTech For COVID-19 Vaccine, Initial Doses To Arrive Soon

(With AP Inputs)
The University of North Georgia (UNG) will increase its mental health support services for students beginning this semester.

This week, UNG launched Nigel Cares to complement the work of UNG's Student Counseling Services. All UNG students will have access to the following:

A 24/7/365 mental health support line for in-the-moment support and linkages to next steps, regardless of time of day or their location.

Up to five sessions of telehealth or in-person treatment sessions per issue provided at no cost by a network of licensed mental health clinicians.

Virtual psychiatric clinics to offer assessment and medication management.

Personal student navigators to assist with referral coordination and support.

An online training and education tool designed exclusively for students.

The Nigel Cares website, app and online wellness magazine with self-help tools and resources.

Comprehensive campus programming and improved coordination of services.

This effort is part of the larger University System of Georgia (USG) Mental Health Initiative backed by $11.5 million in Governor's Emergency Education Relief funding for the system's 26 institutions.

Dr. Simon Cordery, director of Student Counseling at UNG, said the support comes at a crucial time as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stress students.

"We have seen students' remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are taking these steps to enhance our mental health services and support their continued success," Cordery said.

Cordery is eager to see how these connections benefit UNG students.

"We can't be everywhere all the time, and this is a way to expand our services," Cordery said. "We're giving students different ways to reach out. These partnerships are just another way we can reach students who are not walking into the Student Counseling center."

The access to telephone or video-based psychiatric care will be a major benefit to students.

These services are in addition to those already offered by Student Counseling, which include individual and group therapy and counseling, suicide prevention and education, problem solving, and time management skills building.

In recognition of the unique needs of each school, the USG will also award mini-grants to support mental health and wellness efforts. These funds can be used to establish new technology resources, increase campus programming or enhance communications.

Additional funds will be set aside to create a USG Mental Health Consortium, which will develop a long-term service model for the USG's 26 institutions.

"Mental health challenges are on the rise on campuses across the country, including here in our state," USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. "The university system and its institutions have a responsibility to address this and lessen how these challenges impact students. We are grateful to Governor Kemp and appreciate his support on this critical issue."

[January 12, 2021] Examity Taps Veteran Tech Executive as CTO

NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Examity, the online proctoring solution recognized as one of the fastest-growing education technology companies in the United States, today announced the appointment of Paiman Nodoushani as Chief Technology Officer. A 29-year veteran of the tech industry who previously served as SVP of Engineering & Cloud Operations at Veracode, Nodoushani will oversee Examity's Engineering, IT, SaaS Operations, and information security teams. "Even before the pandemic, the rapid pace of technological change created both new opportunities and challenges for organizations looking to keep up with the latest developments while also responding to user needs. Now, that pace has only accelerated," said Nodoushani. "I'm excited to join a team that has long been at the forefront of innovations focused on security and accessibility, principles that have never been more important as COVID-19 reshapes the intersection of technology and testing." Nodoushani joins Examity with deep experience and knowledge in designing and developing sophisticated technology tools, from building multi-tennt, cloud-based platforms to managing embedded systems. Prior to joining Veracode, he served as VP of Engineering at Monotype and the next-generation cable provider Layer3 TV, and spent more than a decade at Cisco Systems. Nodoushani has also served on the boards of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, the Massachusetts Network Communications Council, and Habitat for Humanity International. He is currently the co-chair of the MassTLC Technology & Innovation Community.



Examity's founding CTO, Shailu Tipparaju, a globally recognized education industry leader, will remain at the company, taking on the role of Founder and Chief Innovation Officer. In this new position, he will work closely with Examity's product and technology teams to bring design-based thinking and innovation frameworks to enable adoption of new products, as well as furthering Examity's pioneering work with industry associations including IMS Global, universities, and professional assessment programs around the world. "Building Examity from the ground up, and helping to shape the emerging field of online proctoring, has been a highlight of my career," said Tipparaju. "As a growing number of institutions and testing providers turn to technology for test integrity, I look forward to collaborating with our growing team and continuing to push the industry forward."

Founded in 2013, Examity offers a variety of proctoring styles, from automated through to live, for hundreds of education and certification providers including Adobe, Epic, and Western Governors University. A 2020 winner of Fast Company's prestigious Most Innovative Companies Award, Examity has been named twice to Deloitte's Fast 500 list and has also been honored for three consecutive years as one of the fastest-growing businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. About Examity Examity was founded to meet the needs of colleges, employers, and assessment providers looking to ensure test integrity. Since 2013, Examity has partnered with hundreds of organizations worldwide to provide a cost-effective and flexible online proctoring solution. For more information, visit Examity.com or follow the company on Twitter @examity. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/examity-taps-veteran-tech-executive-as-cto-301206424.html SOURCE Examity

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Secretary of State for Foreign affairs Dominic Raab leaves 10 Downing Street in London on April 9, 2020. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

UK Introduces Measures to Prevent Complicity in Uyghur Abuse

Britain on Tuesday introduced measures to prevent British organisations from being complicit in the Chinese regimes human rights violations against Uyghurs.

The evidence of the scale and severity of the human rights violations being perpetrated in Xinjiang against the Uyghur Muslims is now far reaching, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

Today we are announcing a range of new measures to send a clear message that these violations of human rights are unacceptable, and to safeguard UK businesses and public bodies from any involvement or linkage with them.

The UK government will conduct a review of export controls to prevent goods that may contribute to human rights abuses from being exported to the Xinjiang region.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said that businesses and public bodies must be more vigilant than ever before and ensure they are not inadvertently allowing forced labour in their supply chains.

As part of the new measures, all UK public bodies will be given guidance on excluding suppliers that may have been complicit in human rights violations in Xinjiang.

The government will also provide detailed guidance to UK businesses, informing them of the risks associated with maintaining commercial links to Xinjiang.

In addition, financial penalties will be introduced for businesses that fail to meet their obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements, under the Modern Slavery Act.

Forced labour, anywhere in the world, is unacceptable, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said.

This government wants to work with businesses to support responsible practices, and ensure British consumers are not unwittingly buying products that support the cruelty we are witnessing against the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.

But the main opposition Labour Party said the foreign secretarys words are not matched by the strength of his actions.

The Foreign Secretary says the persecution of the Uighur is harrowing, barbaric and truly horrific. His actions do not match his words. pic.twitter.com/ikAovJClNF  Lisa Nandy (@lisanandy) January 12, 2021

Lisa Nandy, Labours shadow foreign secretary, said the Conservative government had trailed long-awaited sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for abuses in Xinjiang for months.

Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party, welcomed Raabs announcement, but said Magnitsky sanctions should have been included in the measures.

The United States has already imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses against Uyghurs, including the Xinjiang regions Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, who is a member of the Chinese Communist Partys powerful Politburo.

In July 2000, the UK government introduced new sanctions to target individuals involved in human rights abuses or organised crime. But it has not used the new policy tool to target Chinese officials despite calls for it to do so from lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties.

Lily Zhou contributed to this report.
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --



"For anyone who's endured failure or heartbreak in their professional lifeand that means everyoneJeff's tale, full of insight, wisdom, perseverance and heart, is an invaluable resource and a blueprint for dealing with the wonderful chaos of leadership." - Jennifer Aaker, Stanford Graduate School of Business, General Atlantic Professor and Coulter Family Fellow

"Jeff Immelt's HOT SEAT is the ultimate and intimate insider's account of sixteen epic years as CEO of GE. With remarkable candor and self-awareness, Jeff tells hundreds of riveting storiessharing hard-learned lessons in leadership. HOT SEAT is the brilliant, fast-paced, tough love story of Jeff's personal devotion to his family and GE's people. He literally bleeds for GE (spoiler alert: tattoos revealed). If you work in tech, finance, energy, or health care, this book is required reading. If you care about world affairs, global progress, or public service, it is inspiring. HOT SEAT is a great gift from Jeff, a personal hero and patriotic, magnificent servant leader." - John Doerr, Chairman, Kleiner Perkins and author of Measure What Matters

"An extraordinary combination of insights and candor, Jeff Immelt's HOT SEAT takes you into the office, head and heart of the man who became CEO of GE on the eve of 9/11, and then led the behemoth for sixteen fascinating, and often turbulent, years. A handbook on leadershipand life." - Stan McChrystal, General, US Army (Retired); CEO & Founder of McChrystal Group

"Jeff pulls back the curtain on his many battle scars, talks about lessons learned and gives us insight into the importance of optimism, growth and, most important, humility." - Ruth Porat, SVP and Chief Financial Officer, Alphabet and Google

"Jeff Immelt has always been one of my leadership role models. He leads with head and heart. He is an 'all-in' leader who is completely committed to his team and his customers, and he cares deeply about both. This book shows how leadership is a full contact sport and Jeff leaves everything on the field." - John Donahoe, CEO, Nike

"Jeff Immelt's disarmingly candid retrospective of his tenure as the CEO of GE dissects his successes and failures, providing insider perspective on the rationale for his most controversial decisions. He explores the emotional and intellectual challenges of the loneliest, most challenging position in any organization. There are many lessons to be gleaned from this narrative. HOT SEAT is an insightful perspective for aspiring, current and future leaders." - Toby Cosgrove, executive advisor and former CEO, Cleveland Clinic

"The metric that matters in a business leadership book is how many pages you underline things on because you know you want to remember and refer back to them. Hot Seat scored 192 for me. If you're looking for a 'How great was I?' memoir, move to the next book. If you want the real lessons of leading one of the world's most complex companies through sixteen of the world's most challenging and least predictable years, take a seat and turn to page one." - Andrew Robertson, President and CEO, BBDO Worldwide

More endorsements

In his new book, HOT SEAT: What I Learned Leading a Great American Company (HOT SEAT), Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of General Electric ("GE") shares the hard-won lessons he learned during his sixteen years at the helm of one of America's most iconic companies. Beginning with Immelt's first Monday on the jobthe day before September 11th, 2001HOT SEAT offers a rigorous and candid self-interrogation of Immelt's tenure, detailing for the first time, his proudest moments, missteps, and the lessons he learned battling one crisis after another as he led GE into the 21st century.

Marked by straight talk and humility, HOT SEAT is not a typical business book. As Immelt writes in the prologue:

"In October 2017, as I stepped down after thirty-five years at General Electric, I wasn't sure I could write this book. My sixteen years as CEO had given me a front-row seat to history, and I'd learned some tough lessons I believed others could benefit from. But my tenure ended badly. Many business books begin with a tacit promise: 'Let me tell you how to be like me: an unmitigated success!' Clearly, I couldn't say that.

My legacy was, at best, controversial. GE won in the marketplace but not in the stock market. I made thousands of decisions impacting millions of people, often in the midst of blinding uncertainty and second-guessed by countless critics. I was proud of my team and what we'd accomplished, but as CEO, I'd been about as brilliant as I was lucky, by which I mean: too often I was neither."

As the business world continues to be rocked by stunning economic upheaval and a global pandemic, the likes of which have not been seen in 100 years, HOT SEAT is an urgently needed, and unusually candid, guide for decisive leadership.

Lessons for Leaders

HOT SEAT is a gripping story of American and global business over the past 20 years. It provides leaders with lessons and perspectives on how to handle crises and is a must-read playbook on how to lead with integrity in the face of uncertainty.

"No one hands CEOs a playbook on your first day, you simply must figure it out," Immelt said. "That takes a lot of love and respect for your people as well as perseverance in the face of second-guessing and withering criticism. I wanted HOT SEAT to capture the peaks and valleys of what it is like to be CEO, with the hope that my story can help readersand leadersin one of the most turbulent times in recent history."

He further explains in the book:

"When trouble erupts on a global scale and disruption is constant, leaders often lack control. In situations like this, all you have is your willingness to make decisions and to persevere. The goal is survival, by which I mean progress, not perfection. Here's the bottom line: leaders' biggest decisions are always scrutinized, and mine were no exception. I only wish you could stand in my shoes and see what I saw in crucial momentsthere were probably ten thousand of themwhen my team had to act. I'd be curious to see what you'd do."

Immelt adds that good leaders absorb fear in the face of uncertainty and hold "two truths" in a crisis, preparing for the worst while making investments for growth. They also remain steadfast in their desire to drive change, while fixing their own mistakes when they get it wrong. And, in good times and bad, leaders must be transparent, accountable, and supportive of their team.

In-Depth Retrospective

Taking over at GE from the legendary Jack Welch, Immelt was arguably one of the first American CEOs to deal with the effects of rapid technical innovation. To capture the era, Immelt's co-author (Amy Wallace) interviewed more than 70 colleagues and members of the GE ecosystem. As such, HOT SEAT is a review of events from those who lived it.

"We all worked hard to help GE win in turbulent times," Immelt said. "Some initiatives workedand some didn'tbut, importantly, leaders can learn from both. In business, as in life, truth equals facts plus context. By sharing the good and the bad, HOT SEAT adds to the context of the era."

HOT SEAT is a refreshing alternative to leadership books that provide checklists or management dictums. It delivers raw and honest reflections from the leader of one of the world's largest and most important enterprises during unprecedented times.

Please visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hot-Seat/Jeff-Immelt/9781982114718 for more information on HOT SEAT.

About the Book

Title: HOT SEAT: What I Learned Leading a Great American Company

Author: Jeff Immelt with Amy Wallace

Publisher: Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster

Publication date: February 23, 2021

ISBN13: 9781508278290

Hardcover price: $30

About the Author

Jeff Immelt was the ninth Chairman of GE and served as CEO for sixteen years. He has been named one of the "World's Best CEOs" three times by Barron's. During his tenure as CEO, GE was named "America's Most Admired Company" by Fortune and one of "The World's Most Respected Companies" in polls by Barron's and the Financial Times. Immelt has received fifteen honorary degrees and numerous awards for business leadership and chaired the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness under the Obama administration. He is a member of The American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and a lecturer at Stanford University. Immelt earned a BA in applied mathematics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard University. He and his wife have one daughter.

Excerpts from Jeff Immelt's HOT SEAT

On 9/11

"Tuesday morning, September 11, I awakened just after 5 a.m. so I could hit the gym before paying a visit to one of GE's best customers, Boeing. When I turned on the TV above my stair-climber machine, however, every channel was broadcasting images of a fire burning on the 110-story north tower of the World Trade Center. The first reports I heard speculated that a small private aircraft had mistakenly veered off course. But as I kept steppingright, left, right, lefta second plane hit the south tower, and this one was anything but small. Thanks in part to my dad's tutelage at Lunken Field, I knew how to recognize a Boeing 767. Something was horribly wrong.

I left the gym and hurried to my room. I knew my wife, Andy, and my fourteen-year-old daughter, Sarah, were in New Canaan, Connecticut, where we'd just moved from Milwaukee. Assured my family was safe, I flipped on the TV and made my first call, to GE's chief financial officer, Keith Sherin. He was watching the news too, and at first we didn't say much as the unfathomable images sunk in. Would anyone above the damaged floors escape, Sherin and I wondered, and if so, how? Meanwhile, both of us knew that GE held all the reinsurance on 7 World Trade Center, a forty-one-story building right next to the twin towers. We had insured the insurance company that held that policy.

At 6:59 a.m. Seattle time, the south tower collapsed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Twenty-nine minutes later, the north tower fell, and 7 World Trade Center would soon crumble as well, leveled by the incredible force with which the twin towers had crashed down. Soot and an eerie white ash engulfed all of Lower Manhattan.

Sometime during this period I called up G.G. Michelson, the pioneering R. H. Macy executive who was then on GE's board of directors, for a reality check. Michelson was a rock. She'd broken through many a glass ceiling, attending Columbia Law School when few women did, negotiating with Teamsters and other union leaders on behalf of the Macy's department store chain, often serving as the only woman on corporate boards that clamored for her time. She'd had a rough upbringingshe spent some time in orphanages while her mother, who would die when she was eleven, battled tuberculosis. I sensed that, as somebody who'd weathered the worst storms, she'd give solid advice. When I told her how I was analyzing GE's priorities, she was encouraging. 'You're doing great,' she said. 'Trust your instincts.' I was so grateful I admitted something I hadn't planned to reveal: 'Look,' I told her. 'I feel like I want to vomit all the time.'"

+++

On "The Arrogance of False Piety"

"The best leaders absorb fear. I'm not talking about soothing people by blowing smoke or giving false assurances. I'm talking about giving people the truth, but also giving them a way forward. In the wake of 9/11, GE's people needed to hear, and to believe, that we had a plan and that, working together, they could help us execute it

True leaders are frank, but they don't traffic in panic. The best leaders acknowledge mistakes, but they don't tear their colleagues down just to ease their own discomfort. Transparency is an admirable goal. But the real goal is to solve problems. When leaders merely unload their burdens without offering a plan of action, that's selfishness masquerading as candorthe arrogance of false piety."

+++

On "Owning Your Decisions"

"It may sound weird to say it, but I am certain that I would never have become GE's CEO if I hadn't first learned to fix refrigerators. In 1989, however, when GE moved me, Andy, and our daughter to Louisville, Kentucky, so I could become head of customer service for GE Appliances, I wasn't so sure it was a promotion.

GE's refrigerators had begun failing at an alarming rate. The problem, we soon figured out, was faulty compressors. Compressors, which push refrigerant vapor into a unit's outer coils, have to work harder when the weather gets hot. So the hotter it got, the more our compressors failed. First, we heard from customers in Puerto Rico. Then Florida. After a little investigation, we determined that every single compressor inside 3.3 million refrigerators was going to fail, one by one, in a wave that would roll across the country from the warmest spots to the coolest. We figured refrigerators in Maine would be the last to give out, but their time would come. Each repair would cost us $210more than half what customers had paid in the first place. It was a disaster.

In all, I oversaw seven thousand employees in multiple disciplines. To do that well, I couldn't just rely on my sales skills. My office was in what was called Building 6a cavernous, empty factory in Appliance Park where we'd made air conditioners until Jack moved that division to Asia. I used this shelled-out space to host town hall meetings, where I leveled with people about the direness of the situation. But I learned to stay focused on the parts of the problem that my workers could control, such as the time it took to make a repair. The standard was 106 minutes. We launched sessions where we shared best practices, so people could learn from one another. Then we had contests, with prizes for those who fixed units faster. This way people could win, even as we were fixing a mess.

It was the largest product recall in the history of GE, and I was right in the middle of it. But I will always be grateful I did that job, because it was so unrelentingly impossible. Once you've pushed through a problem that at first seemed unfixable, the obstacles that come afterward don't hit you quite as hard.

In big companies, hundreds of people can be involved in decisions. When the decision works, thousands take credit. When decisions fail or face challenges, most grumble, 'I told them not to do that.' This idea is as true in the boardroom as it is on the assembly line. What was impressiveand instructiveabout the compressor crisis was that Jack owned his decisions. He was solid in the face of second-guessers, and he was willing to sacrifice short-term profits to protect consumers. I learned an important lesson that I would later try to model for my people."

+++

On Crisis Management

"On the morning of September 25, (GE Chief Financial Officer Keith) Sherin and I did an investor update. 'Are you going to do an equity raise?' someone asked. I believed that we were in good shape. We had a lot of cash. Our commercial paper was trading. So I answered: 'We don't think so. We feel very secure.' But our institutional investors weren't reassured. That night, Cassidy forwarded me an email from one of them at 8:51 p.m. 'What you guys announced has not put out the fire,' it said. 'Our bondholders are freaking out.'

The next dayFriday, September 26Washington Mutual, which had been placed into receivership the previous day, filed for bankruptcy, and Morgan Stanley looked like it might have to do the same. To me, this was the most catastrophic daythe one that made clear how huge a crisis we were in. After WaMu's bankruptcy filing, there was a $5 billion run on Wachovia Bank, whose shares dropped 27 percent. This was terrible news for us. Entities that owned GE's debt tended to buy insurance in the form of credit default swaps. Now our credit default swaps were blowing outwhen the owners of our CP tried to buy insurance, it was either unavailable or very expensive.

That's when Goldman Sachs called Sherin. They wanted to meet that night, they said, to urge us to consider doing something that, less than twenty-four hours earlier, I'd said we wouldn't do: a public offering.

I'll never forget the look on Sherin's face when he came into my office around 5 p.m. to tell me what the folks at Goldman had just said: that we needed to raise equity. I pushed back, but Sherin was insistent, and I had to listen to him. Sherin had a 'true voice,' by which I mean he always put the company first, without regard to his own ego. If he was concerned, I knew I needed to be, too. A few hours later, we met with the Goldman team and sketched out a plan.

On Saturday morning, I headed to the office and got the members of the GE board on a conference call. As best I could, I summarized how treacherous and unknowable the environment had suddenly become for GE. We needed to raise at least $15 billion, I told the board, and we needed to start right away. There was dead silence on the other end of the phone that felt like it would never end. Finally, Roger Penskethe auto racing magnate who was always one of my favorite GE board membersspoke. 'Let's go get the money,' he said and the rest of the board quickly agreed. How audacious was the task we were about to undertake? Here's some context: Just a few months before, in March 2008, Visa had staged the largest stock offering in history, raising $18 billion But they'd spent months preparing for that equity raise. We didn't have months. We had days."

+++

On Globalization and China

"Globalizing a U.S.-based company is hard. It is easier to let leaders back at headquarters make excuses for why deals in emerging markets can't get done. True globalization requires a transfer of power from headquarters to the field. It requires placing trust in people you can't see up close, in person. In the age of COVID, when going into work at headquarters is unsafe, companies realize the need to empower those closest to the action. Doing so requires cultural change, and today it is an ongoing trend. But back when we were tackling globalization at GE, headquarters still ruled.

I always kept focused on the power of the Chinese market and the reach of the Chinese government. Let's face it: in some markets, China has replaced the United States on the economic development front. In the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, Chinese construction companies built power projects with GE products and Chinese financing. That is the nature of globalization. But when you are 'In China for China,' as GE was during my tenure, you can succeed and work around trade wars.

The COVID-19 crisis has shone a harsh light on China. Even those of us who have long touted the potential of the China market and local partnerships are disappointed by the country's initial coverup of the virus. Add to that the growing trade pressures and it is easy to envision a period of geopolitical volatility marked by anti-China sentiment.

I understand this sentiment, which exists at the grassroots level in America. And the voices of business leaders who could encourage a more constructive dialogue has gone silent. But does anyone think that a trade war between the world's two biggest economies is a good idea? Beyond that, I fear the next generation of American business leaders will be afraid of China, or that they won't believe that it's their job to learn how to compete there. That is a mistake. Particularly when the United States and China are the only two countries that matter when it comes to solving the world's toughest problems.

China has transitioned from merely being a manufacturing powerhouse to commanding respect as an important intellectual hub. Today, 'Made in China' no longer means cheaply produced goods. Instead, in industry after industry, it means: China has decided to stake out a position, and the world will likely follow. The only reason there is a solar industry, for example, is because the Chinese decided it would be so and set about making the solar panels and selling them below cost. I suspect they will outpace the United States in electric-vehicle deployment as well.

In a world of growing competition, we will never be protected from China. Every year for the past twenty-five years, China has graduated more engineers than the US and Europe combined. Moreover, on an increasing number of issues, China is 'the decider.' If climate change is your focus, look to China: they are leading not only in solar but in the next generation of batteries, nuclear power plants, and electric vehicles as well. China will be on par with the United States on next-generation AI and digital tools. Recently, when Boeing faltered, China was the first country to ground the 737 MAX narrow-body jet. Where China goes, increasingly goes the world."

+++

On GE Capital

"GE Capital had survived the financial crisis, and for that we were grateful. While I'd hoped we could continue to shrink GE Capital gradually, now it was clear we needed to do it quickly. Instead of throwing off cash, GE Capital now required infusions of it. That not only drove our stock price down; it would change the company forever.

If you'd asked me in 2013, I would have said GE's regulators were overly worried about rainy days. What the regulators wanted was for us to run GE Capital like pessimists. The Fed always believed that GE people were too optimistic. I remember one of our earliest meetings with Caroline Frawley, the Fed regulator who'd been assigned to GE. She gave a withering presentation to the board, listing GE's flaws one after another, and I wigged out, ticking off all the pressures GE was facing. 'You're just trashing us for no reason,' I huffed at her. But moments after she exited the room, GE board member Geoff Beattie gave me what for. 'You are out of line because GE Capital is out of line,' he said. 'This is not going to work the way you seem to think it will. We need to work with Frawley, not against her.'

I was chastened, and I shaped up. Because while GE Capital's people knew their businesses well, there was no denying that we were not so good at assessing all the other kinds of risks that existed outside GEthose that were tied to being big and complicated. We weren't organized in a way that asked macro questions. When you have $400 billion in assets, you need to think about more than whether or not your debtors are going to pay you back. You need to assess what the Fed calls 'enterprise risk'to ask what-if questions about how your company's complexity might leave it open to harm. Now, with regulators involved, and with our cost of funds shooting dramatically up, I knew we had to pivot.

If you'd had asked me then, I would have told you that I felt all too mortal. We'd been lauded for our 'bold decision' to exit financial services, but I never felt good about it. While we got out of GE Capital whole, I feared we'd left money on the table that we could have captured had we had the option of waiting. But we didn't. Restructuring was the right decision for GE. But I saw it for what it was: capitulation. The hardest decisions are the ones that don't maximize upside, but merely avoid a greater loss. I accept that learning how to retreat is a leadership skill. I just wish I hadn't been required to learn it.

In April 2015, we'd said we were going to complete the sell-off within three years. We essentially finished it in two yearsmore than one hundred transactions in sixty-two countriesand we came in, as predicted, at 1.1 book value, maybe a little bit higher. On June 29, 2016, just fourteen months after we'd announced the unwinding of GE Capital, GE became the first big financial institution to shed the SIFI label. We had accomplished what many said was impossible. We could focus again on running the company."

+++

On How It Ended

"When I got (GE Board of Trustees Lead Director) Jack Brennan on the phone, he said the board wanted to choose my successor as soon as possible, at their next meeting, just two weeks away.

I was the only passenger on my flight home from Houston to Boston, alone but for the crew. Usually I would have embraced such solitude as a chance to get more work done, but not on this night, I felt listless, angry, and hurt. Some have asked me whether I was simply burned-out. There's no question that I was, but at the same time, I just wasn't done being CEO. It wasn't that I felt I was owed more time. I hated the idea of being the guy who hung on too long. But I hadn't gotten the company where I wanted it to be."

Contacts

Emily Roy, Prosek Partners

646-818-9232, [email protected]

Jordan Rodman, Simon & Schuster

212-698-7433, [email protected]

SOURCE Avid Reader Press
US House Democrats plan to vote Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told Democrats on a caucus call on Monday (local time).

Hoyer said that the House will vote Tuesday evening on a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from power, and then plan to vote Wednesday at 9 am ET on the impeachment resolution, CNN reported.

Democrats formally introduced their impeachment resolution Monday, charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection" as they attempt to impeach him for the second time.

The single impeachment article, which was introduced when the House gaveled into a brief pro-forma session on Monday, points to Trump's repeated allegations that he won the election and his speech to the crowd on January 6 before the rioters breached the Capitol, according to CNN.

"He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States," said the resolution.

House Republicans blocked the move by Democrats to have Vice President Mike Pence invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, citing feedback from members, floated the possibility of "a resolution of censure under the rules of the House," as well as a bipartisan commission to investigate riots.

However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the call with House Democrats Monday, called the idea of censuring Trump an "abdication" and made it clear it's not an option she's willing to consider, according to a person on the call, CNN reported.

Chaotic and violent scenes erupted at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of Trump stormed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and confrontations with the police.

Wednesday's violence came hours after Trump encouraged his supporters to fight against the election results as Congress was certifying Biden's victory in the November vote.

(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.)
Bexar County commissioners reluctantly approved spending nearly $2.5 million for more than 60,000 hours of overtime at the jail, as staff projected the total could grow beyond $12 million this year, about 25 percent over budget.

We cant continue to spend money like this, newly elected Precinct 3 County Commissioner Trish DeBerry said at her first meeting. Its unacceptable, and its broken.

DeBerry, who succeeded Kevin Wolff as the only Republican on the court, was the lone vote against the expenditure.

But the entire court demanded Sheriff Javier Salazar provide more details when he makes future requests to pay overtime.

We dont understand how youre burning through that many overtime hours, said County Manager David Smith, who requested the overtime hours be broken down post by post, shift by shift.

Salazars request for the 61,500 hours of past and future overtime at Bexar County Jail covers Dec. 4 to Feb. 12.

DeBerry said she believes Salazar is doing everything he can to address the jails manpower woes, but is facing a crisis in morale among detention officers.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County adds Medicaid expansion to legislative goals

In making his presentation to the court, Salazar outlined his efforts to close the detention personnel gap at the jail, which has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the Sheriffs Office to space out and isolate groups of inmates while maintaining state-required detention staffing levels.

The sheriff supports better pay for deputies and creation of a new work week of four days of 12 hours each followed by three days off to help reduce turnover at the jail.

He also has proposed converting part of a new wing at the jail complex into a treatment facility for mental health patients as a means of diversion from the main jail to help reduce the jail population, now at about 3,750.

County officials have begun discussing a plan to hire a consultant to study the feasibility of staffing the proposed new mental health inpatient wing through a partnership with University Health.

While county leaders think the idea is worth pursuing, they said short-term solutions also are needed as well as better metrics to explain how the facility is racking up so much overtime.

Weve got to get to the root of this, DeBerry said.

The countys budget department had recommended commissioners only approve about one-fourth of the overtime, at a cost of just under $600,000.

However, commissioners said they wanted the funds in place to pay deputies for overtime work, and would continue working on the jail problem that Salazar said has lingered for 12 years.

According to the budget department, overtime costs at the jail will run about $12.3 million by the end of the fiscal year if the current rate of spending continues.

The current budget for jail overtime is $8.89 million.

Mandatory overtime and working conditions at the jail have been key topics in ongoing discussions on a new collective bargaining agreement between the county and Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County.

Anna Bradford, mother of a former jail detention officer, Scott Bradford Jr., said her son took his own life in October, four months after resigning from his job as a detention officer at the jail, where he had worked for about five years.

She urged commissioners to improve morale at the detention facility.

On ExpressNews.com: Wolff rethinks goals for final term amid COVID-19

Its too late for my son. My plea is for his fellow brothers and sister deputies who deserve so much more, Bradford said. Please dont let this happen to another deputy and their family.

Also attending her first meeting Tuesday was newly elected Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, representing Precinct 1.

Clay-Flores is a Democrat whose precinct encompasses the South and Southwest sides. She introduced her six-member staff, led by Chief of Staff Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, who she said will help connect with county residents who traditionally have been underserved.

I present to you the team that will be serving alongside me to fight for justice in our community and do a lot of things that (in) my community has been overlooked for so long, Clay-Flores said.

DeBerry, elected to represent the North Side precinct, proclaimed Tuesday a new day on Commissioners Court and vowed to be a fiscally conservative budget hawk in Bexar County government.

The addition of Clay-Flores and DeBerry marks the first time in more than 25 years, and only the second time in Bexar County history, that two women have served at the same time on the court, which is composed of a county judge and four precinct commissioners.

County Judge Cyndi Taylor Krier and Precinct 4 Commissioner Helen Dutmer served on the court together in the early 1990s.
Back in August, Simon Cowell suffered a brutal back accident after driving an electric bike.

But according to Closer magazine, his accident has brought him closer together with his longtime girlfriend, Lauren Silverman.

She and Simon Cowell, who shares six-year-old son Eric, are reportedly going stronger after the American socialite took care of the BGT judge day and night.

Now that he's healing more than six months of his accident and emergency surgery, it has been said that Simon Cowell is mostly thanks to his girlfriend's 24/7 care.

A tipster told the outlet, "Lauren's been Simon's rock over the last few months, and it's helped them bond and build an even deeper connection, which they both said has made them feel closer than ever."

They added how the 43-year-old didn't leave his side since his accident, and her "support, love and care" towards the 61-year-old music executive on his most challenging time has "reinforced his love for her and made him realize how lucky he is to have her."

But What About Mel B?

In May, rumors surfaced that Simon Cowell and his "X-Factor" co-star Mel B had a fling.

An insider told Mirror that the dad-of-one is reportedly "livid and mortified" when Lauren Silverman accused him and the former Spice Girl of having an affair while they worked together on the show.

Mel B, who quit the "X-Factor" in 2019, was also said to have been mad and embarrassed by his girlfriend's allegations, denying that there was any romance between her and her boss.

The insider revealed, "Clearly this story is utterly ridiculous and completely pointless - because there was no affair. Simon and Lauren are very happy together as a couple."

"They have been in lockdown together in LA for more than six weeks now."

Suspicious Lauren

But another source reportedly revealed to The Sun that though Lauren Silverman adores Simon Cowell, she is always suspicious of all the female attention he gets.

It's reportedly because "He's so charismatic, women flock to him, and it riles Lauren."

Simon Cowell Update 2021

After Simon Cowell's injury, he is reportedly walking again after doctors feared he might be paralyzed forever because of the accident.

His friend Sinitta previously told The Sun that the music boss is already making the most of his life and have exercising by walking five miles every day.

However, Simon Cowell was forced not to go back to work for BGT finals late last year because doctors urged him to stay in the US to recover properly.

READ MORE: 'Sex and the City' Reboot: 3 Stars Who Can Play Samantha If Kim Cattrall is Recast

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
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Severe thunderstorms often produce lightning, heavy precipitation, hails, and wind gusts, and cause significant economic losses and casualties in the region they passed through. So, their prediction is one of the primary concerns of not only weather forecasters but also local government and public. However, the accurate forecasting on severe thunderstorm is still a great challenge because of its complicated mechanism of formation and enhancement.

Beijing metropolitan region is one of the most developed areas in China and is also influenced greatly by severe thunderstorms. The complex terrain, dynamic and thermal characteristics of Beijing and its surrounding areas, as well as the multi-process and multi-scale interactions inside the thundercloud, make the development and propagation of the lightning weather system in Beijing very complicated.

"Efforts to understand the effects of complex thermal dynamics and microphysical characteristics on lightning, five consecutive years of collaborative observation experiments on severe convective thunderstorms were conducted in Beijing", said the fist author Xiushu Qie from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. "The primary detection equipment contains a 3D lightning location system - Beijing Lightning Network (BLNET), two X-band dual linear polarization Doppler radars and four laser raindrop spectrometers, etc. The data from the mesoscale meteorological observation network in Beijing operated by China Meteorological Administration was also utilized."

The researchers stated: "The lightning location data from the BLNET has the advantages of the 3D location of both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning with high-precision and being free from the terrain influences, providing new insights into the structure of the severe thunderstorms, especially the small-scale storm cells."

The researchers found that squall lines and multi-cell thunderstorms are the two main types of lightning disaster weather systems affecting Beijing. Lightning weather systems often generate and develop in the western and northern mountainous areas. The heat island effect and boundary layer characteristics of Beijing urban areas play important roles in the propagation and enhancement of thunderstorms passing over. The highest lightning density regions are in the east of Changping, the middle and east of Shunyi District, and the central city of Beijing. The lightning frequency of very strong thunderstorms can produce hundreds of lightning flashes per minute in the central Beijing.

Analyzing the lightning in thundercloud, the authors found that lightning mostly occurs in areas of strong convection and transition areas about 10 km away from the edge of strong convection, where the strong updraft or wind shift distributed. The growth and collision of ice-phase particles not only enhances the lightning process in the cloud, but also facilitates the generation of hailstones. The jump increase in lightning frequency can early warn the occurrence of hailfall and short-term heavy precipitation. The early warning time can reach nearly half an hour.

"By establishing the relationship between lightning frequency and the model parameters, such as water vapor mixing ratio, ice phase particle content, updraft velocity and radar reflection factor, lightning data can be assimilated into numerical weather prediction models at the cloud-resolved scale", the authors said. "Lightning data assimilation can significantly improve the forecast of severe convection and heavy precipitation".

###

Nearly 30 scholars from 8 research institutions from Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Meteorological Administration, and several Chinese universities, are involved in in this study, funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41630425, 41671144074), the Key Research Program of Frontier Science, CAS (Grant No. QYZDJ-SSW-DQC007), and the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2014CB441401).

See the article:


Chief David Monias says he's always on call but admits obstetrics isn't exactly his specialty.

Chief David Monias says he's always on call but admits obstetrics isn't exactly his specialty.

Still, the leader of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation was out the door in a flash Monday morning  minus one sock and wearing a couple of untied shoes  racing to a neighbour's house to help in the premature delivery of a baby girl.

Addy Lee-Ann McKay decided to make her debut early. She was born at just 30 weeks on the Pimicikamak Cree Nation on Monday. Chief David Monias rushed to help, but her grandmother and two medical technicians had the situation well in hand.

"As chief, we get calls for help all the time on everything, governing issues to housing issues to health issues, death, things like that. Right now, we're doing a lot of work on COVID-19 vaccinations, rapid tests," said Monias. "This was sure different.

"I hear someone on the phone calling, 'Help, help.' All I heard was 'baby' and 'washroom'. I called the ambulance and the nursing station, and went over there. There was so much commotion. There was a lady on the floor having a baby, and the grandmother was delivering the baby.

"It was a wonderful surprise, scary and exciting at the same time."

His cousin's daughter, Tori, delivered a girl, Addy Lee-Ann McKay, into the waiting arms of Tori's mom, Sandra McKay, with the help of local emergency medical technicians Randy Crait and Daphne Halcrow.

"Grandma did most of the work. The ambulance staff cleaned up baby and wrapped her in a blanket," said Monias.

Mom and baby, delivered at just 30 weeks and weighing four pounds, five ounces, were immediately flown to Thompson for additional care. Both are doing fine, the chief said.

Monias said he has witnessed sadness and fear in his community for months as they grapple with the pandemic. Two band members have died, and there were 31 active cases in Pimicikamak (Cross Lake) on Monday.

Nearly 200 doses of the vaccine were sent to the community of about 7,000 residents, located 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg, and are being administered to personal care home residents, elders over 70 and elder care home staff.

But he's heartened by the birth of the community's newest resident.

"There's quite a lot of despair but maybe it gives us some hope and faith in life. Maybe it's a sign of things to look forward to," said Monias, who has three grown children and a four-month-old grandson. He also lost a son and a granddaughter.

Helga Hamilton, the community's director of health, said Monias is the epitome of a jack of all trades.

"He's got so much to think about right now with the pandemic, on top of a housing shortage, isolation and where do we put these people," she said. "Now he's helping deliver babies. I texted him this morning, 'Good job, Dr. David Monias.'"

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak issued a statement to acknowledge the fast-acting chief's commitment to his community.

"Being a leader of a First Nation is no easy task. As a former chief, I know that its a role where you are expected to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The pandemic has amplified the demand that is put upon our chiefs and I commend all of them for the hard work they have done in responding to the challenges brought upon our communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee.

"This morning, Chief Monias received a phone call to attend an emergency. (He) assisted by making calls for help to ambulances and the nursing station. His hands-on assistance was not needed at the birth as a grandmother was on hand to catch the baby as it made its entrance into the world."

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell
Iran has allowed al-Qaeda to set up its operational headquarters and fundraise from within Iranian territory, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday, a week before a new administration bent on reviving diplomacy with Tehran takes office.

Al-Qaeda has a new home base. It is the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pompeo said during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington. Al-Qaeda today is operating under the hard shell of the Iranian regimes protection.

Americas top diplomat said al-Qaeda has increased its presence in Iran since 2015, the year Iran, the Barack Obama administration and several world powers finalized a landmark nuclear agreement that curtailed Tehrans nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

A sea change was happening within the Iran-al-Qaeda axis, Pompeo said, adding that deputies of the groups current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, are now living inside Iran.

He accused the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of providing al-Qaeda with logistical support including travel documents, ID cards and passports. Tehran has also allowed the group to fundraise and freely communicate with other al-Qaeda members, Pompeo alleged.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected the claims, accusing Pompeo of spreading warmongering lies.

No one is fooled. All 9/11 terrorists came from @SecPompeo's favorite [Middle East] destinations; NONE from Iran, Zarif tweeted on Tuesday.

Pompeo acknowledged there is no evidence that Iran helped plan or had advance knowledge of the 9/11 attacks, but noted that at least eight of the hijackers traveled through Iran between October 2000 and February 2001.

The relationship between Shiite-led Iran and the Sunni-dominated terrorist group was also documented by the Obama administration, which in 2011 accused Irans leaders of helping al-Qaeda move cash and recruits into neighboring Pakistan. In 2010, Army Gen. David Petraeus told Congress that the terrorist group was using Iran as a key facilitation hub, where facilitators connect al-Qaedas senior leadership to regional affiliates."

Officials in the administration of President Donald Trump have previously called attention to Iran and al-Qaeda's ties, raising concerns the administration was building a case to go to war with Iran under the same authorization for use of military force that covered attacks on al-Qaeda and its associates after 9/11.

The State Departments 2020 terrorism report, which was released to Congress in June, described Iranian authorities as unwilling to bring to justice senior members of al-Qaeda residing in the country or identify those it is holding in its custody. Osama bin Ladens son Hamza bin Laden is thought to have lived in Iran before he was killed in a US operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region in September 2019.

This is not a love match, said Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Its always been an uncomfortable relationship, one that has been extremely cynical and opportunistic on both sides.

In November, The New York Times reported that Israeli agents in Tehran killed al-Qaedas second-in-command, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, at the request of Washington. Abdullah, also known as Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was wanted by the United States for his role in masterminding the Kenya and Tanzania embassy bombings, which killed 12 Americans in 1998.

Pompeo confirmed his death for the first time publicly on Tuesday, without specifying whether Israel was involved.

Pompeos renewed rhetoric on al-Qaeda and Iran is seen as another Trump administration effort to complicate President-elect Joe Bidens pledge to reenter nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Biden has said the United States will rejoin the landmark agreement, from which Trump withdrew in 2018, if Iran returns to strict compliance under the deal.

On Tuesday the secretary of state unveiled sanctions on Muhammad Abbatay and Sultan Yusuf Hasan al-Arif, two al-Qaeda leaders who the United States believes are based in Iran. He also designated three leaders of the al-Qaeda Kurdish Battalions, a Salafi militant organization operating on the Iran-Iraq border.

The newest sanctions represent a final push from the outgoing Trump administration to punish Iran for its nuclear ambitions and destabilizing regional behavior. Earlier this week, Pompeo announced he would designate the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization, a move aid groups warned will worsen the war-torn countrys already dire humanitarian crisis.

What does Pompeo think hes doing at this stage? The US has already sanctioned Iran up to the eyeballs, Slavin said.

This is a bargaining chip with the United States, she said of Irans harboring al-Qaeda. If the US were willing to lift sanctions on Iran and take Iran off the terrorist list and so on, Iran would drop al-Qaeda like a hot potato.
Wildlife biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, combined GPS location data of tagged mule deer and pronghorn antelope with satellite imagery of Wyoming fences to find out just how often these animals encounter fences, and what happens when they do. As part of the study, the researchers created a software package that uses GPS data of animal locations to identify which sections of fencing pose the biggest barriers to pronghorn (left) and mule deer (right). These fences, considered more "impermeable," can be targeted first for modification or removal. Credit: Wenjing Xu

Each year, thousands of migratory mule deer and pronghorn antelope journey northwest from their winter homes in the Green River Basin, a grassland valley in western Wyoming, to their summer homes in the mountainous landscape near Grand Teton National Park.

But to reach their destination, these ungulates must successfully navigate the more than 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) of fencing that crisscrosses the region. That's enough distance to span nearly twice the length of the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a new study, wildlife biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, combined GPS location data of tagged mule deer and pronghorn with satellite imagery of fences to find out just how often these animals encounter fences, and what happens when they do. The results, published on Jan. 7 in the Journal of Applied Ecology, help pinpoint which fences pose the biggest barrier to ungulates trying to access their ideal habitat.

Along with the study, the team is also publishing a software package that will help wildlife managers around the world quickly analyze GPS tracking data to identify fences and other barriers that might be impeding the vital movements of animals.

"We need fencesthey help keep livestock safe, can help keep livestock and wildlife separate, and mark property boundaries," said Arthur Middleton, an assistant professor of wildlife management and policy at UC Berkeley and senior author of the paper. "So, the question becomes, how do you identify which fences are really important, and which are problematic from a wildlife standpoint, and then seek some way to mitigate the impacts?"

Fences don't always pose an insurmountable barrier to wildlife, and different species find different ways to get around them. Mule deer are willing to jump over fences that are low enough. Pronghorn antelope, however, are reluctant to jump over fences and instead must seek out areas where they can move underneath.

Wenjing Xu, a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley and lead author of the paper, took these different behaviors into account when creating the software package that compares animal tracking data with fence maps. The program can categorize different types of behaviors that animals might engage in when they encounter a fence, such as quickly crossing over the fence, pacing back and forth along the fence, or turning around and walking away from the fence.

To understand how fences are impacting mule deer and pronghorn, Xu started by painstakingly comparing fencing maps from the federal Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service with satellite imagery, adding in fences that were not included in the government surveys. When all the fences were accounted for, Xu was surprised at the sheer amount of fencing in the region.

"The total length of fences is really, really striking, especially with what we know about the different types of wide-ranging animals that live in that area," Xu said.

Xu then compared these maps to GPS tracking data that collected locations every two hours for 24 tagged female mule deer and 24 pronghorn antelope.

Each summer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope migrate from their winter range in the Green River Basin near Pinedale, Wyoming, to their summer range in the high elevations near Jackson. A new study by University of California, Berkeley, wildlife biologists examined how fences impacted these annual migrations. Credit: Wenjing Xu

Each year, mule deer encountered fences an average of 119 times, Xu found. Pronghorn antelope encountered fences at more than twice that rate, about 248 times per year. About 40% of these fence encounters resulted in a change in the animals' behavior.

"Anybody who's spent time in the West knows you'll find a lot of fences. But, seeing such frequent encounters, 40% of which result in a failure to cross, is kind of mind-blowingespecially when you multiply those numbers across whole populations and landscapes," Middleton said.

Some of these fences are currently being used by ranchers to protect livestock or mark property lines. Others are relics of a bygone era when sheep farming was popular in the state, Middleton said.

The best way to mitigate the impact of these fences on animal migration is to remove them, or to replace them with more "wildlife-friendly" fences that mule deer can jump over or that pronghorn can duck under. However, both of these options require money and labor. According to Xu, a recent fencing modification project in Wyoming spent more than $10,000 per mile of fencing to make the fences more permeable to pronghorn.

The software package developed by Xu is able to create maps that highlight the fences that pose the greatest impediment to animal movement, helping to prioritize fences to be modified or removed.

"There is such a strong need for this kind of data," Xu said. "Modifying fences is really, really expensive, and the amount of fencing that might need to be fixed is just so large. [Wildlife managers] really want to find ways to prioritize their resources."

Brandon Scurlock, a wildlife management coordinator for the Pinedale region of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, is working to designate a protected migration "corridor" that connects the summer and winter ranges of pronghorn antelope in western Wyoming. Similar migration corridors for mule deer were established by the state earlier this year.

Scurlock's team is already using the study results to identify fences that might create barriers along these routes, and prioritize those for modification.

"It's been interesting noticing the characteristics of some of these fences that this study has pointed out as being not very permeable for Pronghorn," said Scurlock, who was not a member of the study team. "We recommend the bottom wire of a fence be at least 18 inches above the ground. And, when looking at some of the particularly bad fences that that these methods highlight, we almost invariably see that they have barbed wires that are too close to the ground."

One option for offsetting the cost of fence mitigation throughout this region, which is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, could consist of imposing a small "conservation fee" on visitors to the area's parks, which include the extremely popular Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Middleton and co-authors, including Berkeley Law professor Holly Doremus, explored the feasibility of this approach in a study published last month in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.

"Fine-scale movement data has helped us see much further into animals' lives, including the challenges we've imposed," Middleton said. "I hope this work helps open people's eyes to the scale of fence effects. Our next steps are to better understand the actual biological cost that all these fence-related behavioral changes have on wildlife populations, and find ways to mitigate those effects at a really large scale."

Explore further New migration maps serve as tools to help big game in West

More information: Wenjing Xu et al, Barrier Behaviour Analysis (BaBA) reveals extensive effects of fencing on wideranging ungulates, Journal of Applied Ecology (2021). Wenjing Xu et al, Barrier Behaviour Analysis (BaBA) reveals extensive effects of fencing on wideranging ungulates,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13806 Arthur D. Middleton et al. Harnessing visitors' enthusiasm for national parks to fund cooperative largelandscape conservation, Conservation Science and Practice (2020). DOI: 10.1111/csp2.335 Journal information: Journal of Applied Ecology
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ROSTOCK (dpa-AFX) - German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex Group (NRDXF.PK) announced Tuesday that incumbent CFO Christoph Burkhard will step down early for personal reasons and resign from office, effective February 28, 2021. He will pursue new professional challenges in the future. The early termination of Burkhard's service contract was done by best mutual agreement. Burkhard has been responsible for finance at Nordex since October 1, 2016. Dr Ilya Hartmann, currently CEO Division Europe at Nordex, has joined the management board of Nordex SE on January 1, 2021 and will take over as CFO from March 1, 2021. Hartmann has previously served in various management positions at Nordex since 2017. He has also held senior positions with operational responsibility for more than ten years in the renewables industry, including in Spain and in the US. 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.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Australia is a signatory, provides for all people to have freedom of opinion, expression and the right to seek information.

Such freedoms, however, are not absolute. They carry duties and responsibilities on the part of the individual, responsibilities that are essential to ensure the rights of others are not trampled, to ensure public safety and national security.

Freedom of speech has its limits. Credit:Bloomberg

In turn, the High Court has said that the freedom of speech afforded by the nations constitution is limited to what is necessary for the effective operation of that system of representative and responsible government outlined in the constitution.

As such, our freedom of communication does not miraculously liberate speech or expression. It does not protect people who utter defamatory statements, for example, and in recent years specific laws have been introduced outlawing hate speech, racial vilification and more. Any limits to free speech should be carefully considered. We can and should debate where to draw the lines and ask the broad question about how much control social media companies should have over public discourse. Nevertheless, limits do exist.
Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a petition for writ of certiorari in the case of NCLA client Christopher Gibson. He was challenging the decision of an Eleventh Circuit panel which concluded the district court lacked jurisdiction to hear his objections to the unlawful protection from removal by the President that Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) administrative law judges (ALJs) enjoy. Former U.S. Solicitor General Greg Garre of Latham & Watkins authored the cert. petition.

In 2014 the SEC entered a formal order of investigation of Gibsons trading activities. Gibsons first ALJ, who ruled on his case in 2017, was deemed unlawfully appointed according to the U.S. Supreme Courts 2018 decision in Lucia v. SEC. Rather than try Gibson in federal court, the SEC subjected him to a second hearing before another constitutionally-defective ALJ. NCLA argues that SEC ALJs enjoy multiple layers of protection from removal by the President of the United States. Currently, ALJs can only be removed for cause, and the only people who can remove them are SEC Commissioners and Merit Systems Protection Board membersalso people whom the President can only remove for cause.

SECs scheme fails to follow two controlling Supreme Court decisions: Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB and Thunder Basin v. Reich. In the Supreme Court unequivocally held that officers of the United Stateslike SEC ALJsmay enjoy only one layer of for-cause removal protection. Otherwise, the Presidents Article II duty to ensure that federal officers are doing their jobs is unduly restricted. Free Enterprise Fund also unanimously held that district courts have jurisdiction to hear constitutional challenges to structural defects in agency tribunals under the very statutory provision at issue in Mr. Gibsons case. Thus, the Eleventh Circuits rulingand that of several other circuitsconflicts with the Supreme Courts precedent in Free Enterprise Fund. Thunder Basin instructs that courts must hear claims that cannot be meaningfully reviewed later, are wholly collateral, and are outside agency competence and expertiseall of which are true in this case.

The SECs pattern of ignoring such precedents must be corrected. NCLA has another case in the works that may reach the Supreme Court on this same issue. NCLA has oral argument in front of an en banc Fifth Circuit on Jan. 20 in a similar case representing single-mom Michelle Cochran of Dallas, TX. If the Fifth Circuit rules against the SEC, that would set up a split in the law among the circuits, which might persuade the Supreme Court to address the issue.

NCLA released the following statements:

Christopher Gibson will have endured two constitutionally flawed administrative trials, multiple appeals and surrendered six figures in government penalties before a competent court can decide the threshold question of whether his ALJ had the right to try him in the first place. And, he will face a third retrial if he is able to vindicate his rights in a circuit court at the end of his administrative appeal. This is senseless, costly to both the government and its targets, and illogical. NCLA intends to continue to fight to protect similarly situated Americans constitutional rights and restore rationality to our system of justice.

Peggy Little, NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel

NCLA is disappointed that the Supreme Court chose not to resolve this jurisdictional issue that is preventing lower courts from even addressing the important constitutional question at issue, but we are not giving up. Christopher Gibson and others like him should not have to pony up six-figure fines to the SEC before an Article III federal court ever even hears the merits of their valid constitutional claims.

Mark Chenoweth, Executive Director and General Counsel, NCLA

ABOUT NCLA

NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights.

###
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Credit: Shutterstock

To limit the spread of disease and reduce environmental pollution, human waste (excreta) needs to be safely contained and effectively treated. Yet 4.2 billion people, more than half of the world's population, lack access to safe sanitation.

In developing countries, each person produces, on average, six liters of toilet wastewater each day. Based on the number of people who don't have access to safe sanitation, that equates to nearly 14 billion liters of untreated faecally contaminated wastewater created each day. That's the same as 5,600 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

This untreated wastewater directly contributes to increased diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever and rotavirus. Diseases such as these are responsible for 297,000 deaths per year of children under five years old, or 800 children every day.

The highest rates of diarrhea-attributable child deaths are experienced by the poorest communities in countries including Afghanistan, India, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Given the global scale of this problem, it's surprising sanitation practitioners still don't know where exactly all the human excreta flows or leaches to, due to absent or unreliable data.

Poor sanitation to worsen under climate change

Inadequate sanitation is not only a human health issue, it's also bad for the environment. An estimated 80% of wastewater from developed and developing countries flows untreated into environments around the world.

Sewage discharges in proximity to sensitive coral reefs, particularly in the tropics. Credit: Shutterstock

If an excess of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorous) are released into the environment from untreated wastewater, it can foul natural ecosystems and disrupt aquatic life.

This is especially the case for coral reefs. Many of the worlds most diverse coral reefs are located in tropical developing countries.

And overwhelmingly, developing countries have very limited human excreta management, leading to large quantities of raw wastewater being released directly onto coral reefs. In countries with high populations such as Indonesia and the Philippines, this is particularly evident.

The damage raw wastewater inflicts on corals is severe. Raw wastewater carries solids, endocrine disrupters (chemicals that interfere with hormones), inorganic nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens directly to corals. This stunts coral growth, causes more coral diseases and reduces their reproduction rates.

The challenges of climate change will exacerbate our sanitation crisis, as increased rain and flooding will inundate sanitation systems and cause them to overflow. Pacific Island nations are particularly vulnerable, because of the compounding impacts of rising sea levels and more frequent, extreme tropical cyclones.

Meanwhile, increased drought and severe water scarcity in other parts of the world will render some sanitation systems, such as sewer systems, inoperable. One example is the mismanagement of government-operated water supplies in Harare, Zimbabwe leading to the failure of the sewerage system and placing millions at risk of waterborne diseases.

Even in more developed countries like Australia, increased frequency of extreme weather events and disasters, including bushfires, will damage some sanitation infrastructure beyond repair.

A man emptyies a pit latrine in urban Tanzania. Credit: Jacqueline Thomas, Author provided

Global targets to improve sanitation

Improving clean water and sanitation have clear global targets. Goal 6 of the United Nation's sustainable development goals is to, by 2030, achieve adequate and equitable sanitation for all and to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater.

Achieving this target will be difficult, given there is an absence of reliable data on the exact numbers of sanitation systems that are safely managed or not, particularly in developing countries.

Individual studies in countries such as Tanzania provide small amounts of information on whether some sanitation systems are safely managed. But these studies are not yet at the size needed to extrapolate to national scales.

So what's behind this lack of data?

A big reason behind the missing data is the large range of sanitation systems and their complex classifications.

For example, in developing countries, most people are serviced by on-site sanitation such as septic tanks (a concrete tank) or pit latrines (hole dug into the ground). But a lack of adherence to construction standards in nearly all developing countries, means most septic tanks are not built to standard and do not safely contain or treat fecal sludge.

A typical pit latrine in rural Tanzania. Credit: Jacqueline Thomas, Author provided

A common example seen with septic tank construction is there are a lot of incentives to build "non-standard" septic tanks that are much cheaper. From my current research in rural Fiji, I've seen reduced tank sizes and the use of alternative materials (old plastic water tanks) to save space and money in material costs.

These don't allow for adequate containment or treatment. Instead, excreta can leach freely into the surrounding environment.

A standard septic tank is designed to be desludged periodically, where the settled solids at the bottom of the tanks are removed by large vacuum trucks and disposed of safely. So, having a non-standard septic tank is further incentivised as the lack of sealed chambers reduces the accumulation of sludge, delaying costly emptying fees.

Another key challenge with data collection is how to determine if the sanitation infrastructure if functioning correctly. Even if the original design was built to a quality standard, in many circumstances there are significant deficiencies in operational and maintenance activities that lead to the system not working properly.

What's more, terminology is a constant point of confusion. Householdswhen surveyed for UN's Sustainable Development Goal data collection on sanitationwill say they do have a septic tank. But in reality, they're unaware they have a non-standard septic tank functioning as a leach-pit, and not safely treating or containing their excreta.

Fixing the problem

A non-standard septic tank, which uses plastic, in Fiji. Credit: Jacqueline Thomas, Author provided

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 requires nationally representative data sets. The following important questions must be answered, at national scales in developing countries:

for every toilet, where does the excreta go? Is it safely contained, treated on site, or transported for treatment?

if the excreta is not contained or treated properly after it leaves the toilet, then how far does it travel through the ground or waterways?

when excreta is removed from the pit or septic tank of a full on-site latrine, where is it taken? Is it dumped in the environment or safely treated?

are sewer systems intact and connected to functioning wastewater treatment plants that releases effluent (treated waste) of a safe quality?

Presently, the sanitation data collection tools the UN uses for its Sustainable Development Goals don't answer in full these critical questions. More robust surveys and sampling programs need to be designed, along with resource allocation for government sanitation departments for a more thorough data collection strategy.

And importantly, we need a coordinated investment in sustainable sanitation solutions from all stakeholders, especially governments, international organizations and the private sector. This is essential to both protect the health of our own species and all other living things.

Explore further We should talk more about toilets

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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(Natural News) Classified information about unidentified flying objects (UFOs) must be made public in the next six months according to the coronavirus stimulus bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last Sunday. The provision is written as a committee comment under the annual intelligence authorization act, which is rolled into the $2.3 trillion relief and government funding bill.

Drafted by the Senate Intelligence Committee chaired by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, the provision requires the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and other agency heads under the Department of Defense, to submit a report within 180 days of the date of enactment of the Act to the congressional intelligence and armed services committees on unidentified aerial phenomena.

Though its still unclear how much of the classified information will be made public, former intelligence officials welcomed the provision and said that it would help clarify numerous questions the public has in light of last years declassification of three Navy videos of UFOs.

Bill seeks detailed report on UFOs

The omnibus appropriations legislation includes the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (IAA). Introduced in June last year by Rubio, the act allots more resources toward intelligence gathering and analysis to protect American national security.

One provision of the act requires the disclosure of what the Pentagon, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and their counterparts know about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). Any report on the matter should address observed airborne objects that have not been identified and include a detailed analysis of unidentified phenomena data collected by: a) geospatial intelligence; b) signals intelligence; c) human intelligence; and d) measurement and signals intelligence.

The report should also include a detailed analysis of data obtained by the FBI and derived from investigations of intrusions into restricted United States airspace. Also, it should contain an assessment of whether a foreign adversary is responsible for a UAP. (Related: Human-like aliens may have come from another dimension, according to declassified FBI file.)

The provision, however, is not included in the actual text of the nearly 6,000-page bill and is instead part of the committee comments at the end of the IAA. All the same, its stipulations have the full force of the law and indeed have already taken effect since the legislations enactment.

Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough also confirmed that the provision is part of the appropriations bill, noting the department is aware that the Senate Intelligence Committee required the disclosure of UAPs.

Transparency advocates welcome UFO provision

The provision has been greeted warmly by former intelligence agents who have been pushing for more transparency following the release of three Navy videos of UAPs last year.

Nick Pope, a former UFO investigator for the U.K.s now-defunct Ministry of Defence, said: I welcome this move, which shows how seriously the phenomenon is being taken in the intelligence community.

But Pope noted that it remains unclear what a UAP report will say and how much can be made public given the highly classified nature of some of the information.

Chris Mellon, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for intelligence, said that the provision gives Americans an objective basis for assessing the validity of [a UAP] and its national security implications. Mellon hopes that the next administration will execute its oversight prerogatives because the concerns of the public and military personnel have been ignored for too long.

In April last year, the Pentagon declassified three Navy videos of UAPs. The department said that the reason for the release was to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real or whether or not there is more to the videos. The videos were leaked before they were declassified and triggered numerous speculations regarding their veracity.

Several lawmakers called for more transparency after the footage was officially made public. Rubio, for one, emphasized that Americans must be aware of UAPs as these might pose a threat to national security. We have things flying over our military bases and places where we are conducting military exercises and we dont know what it is  and it isnt ours, said Rubio in July last year.

For more stories about the governments top-secret UAP findings, visit UFO.news.

Sources include:

NYPost.com 1

Warner.Senate.gov

TheGuardian.com

NYPost.com 2


2020 has been a challenging year for many business owners and for many different reasons, says Saini. At the same time, there are still business owners who are excelling. This series will highlight the lessons we can learn from people who are doing it well.

San Francisco Bay entrepreneur Ajay Saini launches the Business by the Bay radio show and podcast  a 30-minute bi-weekly series focused on the challenges faced by business owners and actionable solutions from expert guests.

The first episode hits the airwaves live at 10 a.m. on January 16, 2021, on 1640 AM KDIA in the San Francisco Bay area, which will then be available on the Business by the Bay website and all popular podcast platforms like iTunes, Spotify, and Google.

The inaugural show will focus on funding challenges businesses face. Guest Nick Talwar of CircleUp, an investment platform, will discuss various solutions business owners can utilize to avoid funding crisis.

The second show will focus on hiring the right talent. Guest Ashutosh Garg, CEO of Eightfold will discuss how to understand skills at scale and hire for potential.

2020 has been a challenging year for many business owners and for many different reasons, says Saini. At the same time, there are still business owners who are excelling. This series will highlight the lessons we can learn from people who are doing it well.

Host Ajay Saini has international experience, working for businesses big and small, and has established himself as a successful entrepreneur. In 2016, he co-founded Labwork365, a direct-to-consumer lab testing company, which recently teamed up with Acuva Technologies to introduce a UV disinfection device in the United States.

In 2018, he opened a ComForCare home care franchise to address the needs of the aging population in the U.S. Most recently, Saini and his wife Vinny invested in Payroll Vault, a boutique-style payroll service franchise.

Fans of the podcast can contact Ajay Saini via email ajay@businessbythebay.live or go to http://www.businessbythebay.live to provide feedback and ideas for the podcast or to become a guest on the show.

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU : Indian airlines started delivering batches of Covid-19 vaccines nationwide on Tuesday, preparing for the launch of a campaign to offer shots to 1.3 billion people, in what officials call the world's biggest vaccination drive.

Vaccinations are set to begin on Saturday in an effort that authorities hope will see 300 million high-risk people inoculated over the next six to eight months.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

First to get the vaccine will be 30 million health and other frontline workers, followed by about 270 million older than 50 or deemed high-risk.

Airlines were due to deliver 5.65 million vaccine doses on Tuesday to various cities, Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Twitter.

Officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's western home state of Gujarat said vaccine distribution was their top priority.

"These vaccines will be taken to the cold storage from the airport and swiftly delivered to vaccination booths," said Nitin Patel, the state's deputy chief minister.

Modi's government signed purchase pacts on Monday with vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII), based in the western city of Pune, for its Covishield shot, more than a week after approving the vaccine developed by Britain's AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

"We've given a special price of 200 ($2.73) for the first 100 million doses only to the government of India on their request," Adar Poonawalla, the firm's chief executive, told Reuters television's India partner ANI.

The price represented a gesture of support for the common man, those who are poor and vulnerable, and healthcare workers, he said, adding, "After that we'll be selling it at 1,000 Indian rupees in private markets."

While AstraZeneca has said it would not profit from the vaccine during the pandemic, neighbouring Bangladesh is expected to pay about $4 a dose, and pricing in Britain is as yet unknown.

Health authorities in eastern and western states said they would make use of experience gained from running regular child immunisation programmes for polio to ensure full coverage in what they called the world's biggest vaccination drive.

But creaking transport networks and a crumbling healthcare system add an enormous layer of complexity, they said.

India's tally of close to 10.5 million infections is the world's second highest after the United States, although the rate of increase has been slowing.

On Tuesday, India added 12,584 cases, for its lowest daily increase in several months, while the death toll exceeds 151,000.

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A judge has granted a stay in what was due to be the U.S. government's first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades.

In 2004, Lisa Montgomery, from Kansas, killed expectant mother Bobbie Jo Stinnett in Missouri before cutting the baby from Stinnett's womb and passing off the newborn as her own.

Montgomery - the only woman on federal death row - faced execution Tuesday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, just eight days before President-elect Joe Biden, an opponent of the federal death penalty, takes office.

But Judge Patrick Hanlon, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, granted the stay late Monday citing the need to determine Montgomery's mental competence, reported the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Montgomery is being held at the Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas, a prison for inmates with mental illness. A woman has not been executed at a federal level since 1953. There are currently 52 prisoners on Federal Death Row - 51 men, and one woman - Montgomery.

'The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery's current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government's rationale for her execution,' Judge Hanlon wrote in his ruling.

'Both the (government) and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence,' he said, citing precedent.

But 'it is also in the public interest to ensure that the government does not execute a prisoner who due to her mental condition "cannot appreciate the meaning of a community's judgement."'

Lisa Montgomery, from Kansas killed an expectant mother in Missouri, cut the baby from her womb and passed off the newborn as her own. A judge has granted her a stay of execution after she was set to become first woman to be executed by federal government in 70 years

Left: Expectant mother Bobbie Jo Stinnett at a dog show. Right: Zeb Stinnett and baby Victoria Jo Stinnett, who was cut from her mother's womb by Montgomery in the gruesome attack

Montgomery faced execution Tuesday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, (pictured) Indiana , just eight days before President-elect Joe Biden , an opponent of the federal death penalty, takes office

In 2004, Montgomery drove about 170 miles from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Bobbie Jo Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder.

She strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.

She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who survived and is now 16 years old and hasn't spoken publicly about the tragedy.

In 2007, Montgomery was convicted of kidnapping resulting in death and handed a death sentence. She would have been the first woman executed by the federal justice system since 1953.

'As we walked across the threshold our Amber Alert was scrolling across the TV at that very moment,' recalled Randy Strong, who was part of the northwest Missouri major case squad at the time.

He looked to his right and saw Montgomery holding the newborn and was awash in relief when she handed her over to law enforcement.

The preceding hours had been a blur in which he photographed Stinnett's body and spent a sleepless night looking for clues - unsure of whether the baby was dead or alive and no idea what she looked like.

But then tips began arriving about Montgomery, who had a history of faking pregnancies and suddenly had a baby. Strong, now the sheriff of Nodaway County, where the killing happened, hopped in an unmarked car with another officer.

He learned while en route that the email address fischer4kids(at)hotmail.com that was used to set up the deadly meeting with Stinnett had been sent from a dial-up connection at Montgomery's home.

Lisa Montgomery (left), due to be killed by lethal injections on Jan. 12, was convicted in 2007 in Missouri for kidnapping and strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett (right)

A group shot from the dog show in Abilene, Kansas. Lisa Montgomery (second from left), Bobbi Jo (second from right) and Zeb Stinnett (far right) pose with their dogs

'I absolutely knew I was walking into the killer's home,' recalled Strong, saying rat terriers ran around his feet as he approached her house. Like Stinnett, Montgomery also raised rat terriers.

Bobbie Jo Stinnett's mother, Becky Harper, sobbed as she told a Missouri dispatcher about stumbling across her daughter in a pool of blood, her womb slashed open and the child she had been carrying missing.

'It's like she exploded or something,' Harper told the dispatcher on December 16, 2004, during the desperate yet futile attempt to get help for her daughter.

Prosecutors said her motive was that Stinnett's ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children.

Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.

Montgomery suffered sexual abuse and torture at the hands of her stepfather and mother that Montgomery's lawyers and her sister, who was also raped in their childhood home, compared to a horror movie. In a nearly 7,000-page clemency petition filed earlier in January, they asked Trump to commute Montgomery's sentence to life in prison

Montgomery's lawyers, though, have argued that sexual abuse during Montgomery's childhood led to mental illness.

Attorney Kelley Henry spoke in favor of Monday's decision, saying in a statement to the Capital-Journal that 'Mrs. Montgomery has brain damage and severe mental illness that was exacerbated by the lifetime of sexual torture she suffered at the hands of caretakers.'

Montgomery, now 52, was abused by her stepfather, who built a room in the back of a trailer where they lived in which he and his friends raped her from about the age of 11, and where her mother pimped her for sex, Montgomery's lawyers said.

Diane Mattingly, Montgomery's older sister, previously told reporters at a briefing that she was also repeatedly raped, sometimes with Montgomery in the same room, until authorities removed her to foster care.

'So many people let her down,' Mattingly said. 'Yes, I started out the same way, but I went into a place where I was loved and cared for and shown self worth. I had a good foundation. Lisa did not and she broke. She literally broke.'

Her stepfather denied the sexual abuse in videotaped testimony and said he didn't have a good memory when confronted with a transcript of a divorce proceeding in which he admitted some physical abuse.

Her mother testified that she never filed a police complaint because he had threatened her and her children.

But the jurors who heard the case, some crying through the gruesome testimony, disregarded the defense in convicting her of kidnapping resulting in death.

Prosecutors argued that Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb.

Pictured: the grave site of Bobby Jo Stinnett. Stinnett was a 23yr old pregnant women murdered by Lisa Marie Montgomery at her home in Skidmore, Missouri who then removed the unborn baby from Stinnetts womb

Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife, authorities said. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own, prosecutors said

Pictured: Demonstrators protest federal executions of death row inmates, in front of the US Justice Department in Washington, DC, on December 10, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden's stance on the death penalty After current president Donald Trump resumed the federal death penalty in 2020 - for the first time in 17 years - president-elect Joe Biden has signalled his intention to eliminate capital punishment at a federal level. On Joe Biden's website outlining the policies of the in-coming commander-in-chief, he instead proposes that individuals on death row should 'serve life sentences without probation or parole.' 'Over 160 individuals who've been sentenced to death in this country since 1973 have later been exonerated,' his website says. 'Because we cannot ensure we get death penalty cases right every time, Biden will work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal government's example. 'These individuals should instead serve life sentences without probation or parole.' Advertisement

Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver's in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.

She eventually confessed, and the rope and bloody knife used to kill Stinnett were found in her car. A search of her computer showed she used it to research caesareans and order a birthing kit.

Stinnett's husband, Zeb, told jurors his world 'crashed to an end' when he learned his wife was dead.

He said he didn't return for months to the couple's home in Skidmore, a small farming community that earlier gained notoriety after the 1981 slaying of town bully Ken Rex McElroy in front of a crowd of people who refused to implicate the killer or killers.

That crime was chronicled in a book, 'In Broad Daylight,' as well as a TV movie, the film 'Without Mercy' and the miniseries 'No One Saw a Thing.'

Recently, on Victoria Jo's birthday, he sent Strong, the sheriff, a message through Facebook Messenger thanking him.

'I just wept,' Strong recalled. 'He is going to constantly be reminded of this whether in his nightmares or somebody is going to call and want to interview him.

'The family doesn't want to be interviewed. They want to be left alone. The community of Skidmore has had a troubling past and history. They didn't want this. They didn't deserve this.'

Montgomery originally was scheduled to be put to death on Dec. 8. But the execution was temporarily blocked after her attorneys contracted the coronavirus visiting her in prison.

Without denying the seriousness of her crime, Montgomery's lawyers last week sought clemency from US President Donald Trump.

But Trump, an outspoken supporter of the death penalty, has so far failed to act on their request. He has allowed more executions in a year than any other U.S. president has done since the 19th century.

Despite the decline of capital punishment in the US and around the world, Trump's administration, revived the punishment in the federal system in 2020 after a 17-year hiatus even as the novel coronavirus spread to infect prison employees, inmates' lawyers and two other inmates facing execution.

President-elect Joe Biden (right) has said he will seek to abolish the death penalty. He takes office on January 20, after Trump's (left) administration revived the punishment in the federal system in 2020 after a 17-year hiatus

President-elect Joe Biden - who takes office on January 20 - has promised to work with Congress to try and abolish the death penalty altogether.

Biden spokesman TJ Ducklo has said the president-elect 'opposes the death penalty now and in the future' and would work as president to end its use.

But Ducklo did not say whether executions would be paused immediately once Biden takes office.

U.S. officials have portrayed the executions as bringing long-delayed justice for victims and their families.

Since the summer, 10 Americans have died by lethal injection at Terre-Haute. In addition to Montgomery, two men are scheduled for federal execution this week.

Montgomery's execution has been postponed once before: after her lawyers tested positive for Covid-19 in November, a court postponed her execution until at least December 31.
The Hudson County Commissioners are looking to limit how long members of the public can speak during their bi-monthly meetings.

The commissioners, formerly known as freeholders, will introduce an ordinance Thursday that will cut down the amount of time the public can speak about issues that do not appear on the meeting agenda.

Public speakers are currently allotted five minutes each toward the end of every meeting to address the commissioners on topics not covered by agenda. Under the proposed ordinance, speakers would be limited to three minutes each.

The legislation would also limit the total time the public can speak about non-agenda issues to no more than two hours. That means with no interruptions, a maximum of 40 people would be able to speak during this portion of commissioner meetings.

Public comment on agenda matters will remain at five minutes per speaker and will not be limited by a total time frame.

The potential change follows several controversial meetings in late 2020 when activists who oppose the countys jail contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement scolded the commissioners for renewing that agreement. When the commissioners approved the contract during their Nov. 24 meeting, they heard hours of public comment from more than 100 speakers who opposed the deal.

Anti-ICE activists and residents turned out for the Dec. 23 meeting, but watched as several commissioners walked out of the meeting, ending it abruptly, during public comment.

Chairman Anthony Vainieri declined to comment on the ordinance, stating he will hold his comments until the meeting.

Commissioner Bill ODea, who criticized his colleagues who left the December meeting, said the timing of the ordinance seems to indicate the jail controversy is whats behind the legislation.

I was against it a few years ago when they reduced the time from 10 minutes to five minutes now, they want to reduce it to three minutes, ODea said. In another five years, people are going to have to learn to speed talk because they will probably have 30 seconds.

In 2018, the board cut the amount of time public speakers get to discuss agenda items from 15 minutes to five minutes. That change was also made as anti-ICE activists and immigrant advocates called on the board to terminate its contract with ICE.

Vainieri said at the time the decision had nothing to do with the ICE contract.

On Tuesday, ODea questioned how public speakers will be selected if 100 people want to talk. He said there currently isnt any signup process; speakers simply just raise their hand.

Meanwhile, during an emergency meeting held Monday, the commissioners voted to close down its chamber and move all meetings online, citing the rise in COVID-19 cases and security concerns. Commissioner Fanny Cedeno was the lone commissioner to vote no on the matter.
Patricia Heaton tells Christians after US unrest: 'This world is temporary'

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Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton shared a Christian message with common sense Americans after violence unfolded on Capitol Hill last week when hundreds of Trump supporters broke through barricades and stormed the Capitol building.

A peaceful rally and protest were attended by tens of thousands of Trump supporters at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, but things escalated after some walked over to Capitol Hill and caused destruction to government property by forcefully entering the restricted Capitol building. Some even made their way to the House and Senate chambers and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, leaving many Americans alarmed.

On Friday, Heaton decided to share some advice for Christians who were disturbed by what happened. She reminded believers that this world is not meant to be their final home.

If youre a common-sense person, you probably dont feel you have a home in this world right now, she tweeted. If youre a Christian, you know you were never meant to.

Following her message, someone replied and sternly disagreed with Heatons stance.

The world is our home. It is a wonderful creation that God said is GOOD. We are created beings and will be resurrected as created beings  like Jesus. It might not be your home, but it sure is mine and I love it and will do all I can to care for it, the rebuttal read.

Heaton respectfully defended her tweet and explained that "this world is only temporary."

I love many things here too, and yes, we are called to love our neighbor and be good stewards. But this aint it, the Everybody Loves Raymond star responded.

We are meant to serve Christ while we are here, she expounded.

Heaton, a devout Catholic who often publicly shares about her faith in Christ in Hollywood, has disassociated from both presidential candidates in the recent election. Back in February 2020, she denounced the Democratic Party for hosting a barbaric campaign against pro-life views.

I dont understand why pro-life people want to know if they are welcome to join the democrat party, Heaton said online. Why would any civilized person want to support a barbaric platform that champions abortion for any reason through all nine months funded by taxpayers?

P.S. I didnt vote in the last presidential cycle and will not be voting in this one. I am not a Trump supporter, she added.

When not acting and encouraging people on social media, the actress is committed to doing humanitarian work alongside the Christian aid organization World Vision.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
(a) Digital elevation model of the Canterbury Plains (sourceEnvironment Canterbury), located along the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, showing the location of mapped gullies. The location of figure is shown in the inset. (b) Mosaic of aerial photographs of the study area (see a for location; sourceEnvironment Canterbury). The location of luminescence dating (optically stimulated luminescenceOSL) samples, G-TEM transects and other figures is shown. (cd) Enlarged sections of the aerial and site photographs of the luminescence-dating sampling sites of NZ13A and NZ14A. Credit: University of Malta

Groundwater flow and seepage can form large gullies along coastal cliffs in the matter of days, it has been discovered, as per a recently-published paper.

An international team of scientists from Malta, Germany, Romania, New Zealand and USA has used drones and satellite imagery to monitor a stretch of coastline near Ashburton (South Island, New Zealand). They found that gullies up to 30m in length can develop in less than a week.

Field observations and numerical models have shown that groundwater plays a key role in forming these gullies, by either eroding tunnels or triggering landslides.

Gullies are an important coastal hazard. There is an average of one gully every 250m along the Canterbury coastline, and their formation leads to the loss of precious agricultural land.

Similar coastal gullies have been documented in South Taranaki (North Island, New Zealand), as well as other countries such as the USA, Japan and Brazil.

When and where coastal gullies form can be partly predicted. The study has shown that gullies form when more than 40mm of rain fall per day, and that they are preferentially located above buried, old river channels.

The Coastal gully in Canterbury Credit: MARCAN

Explore further Image: Gullies of Matara Crater

More information: Aaron Micallef et al, Groundwater erosion of coastal gullies along the Canterbury coast (New Zealand): a rapid and episodic process controlled by rainfall intensity and substrate variability, Earth Surface Dynamics (2021). Aaron Micallef et al, Groundwater erosion of coastal gullies along the Canterbury coast (New Zealand): a rapid and episodic process controlled by rainfall intensity and substrate variability,(2021). DOI: 10.5194/esurf-9-1-2021
RTHK: Pompeo alleges Iran new 'home base' of Al-Qaeda

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged on Tuesday that arch-enemy Iran has become a new "home base" for Al-Qaeda worse than Afghanistan, an assertion questioned by experts.

In a speech a week before leaving office, Pompeo confirmed a New York Times report that Al-Qaeda's second-in-command was killed last year in Tehran, although he did not say that Israel carried it out.

"Al-Qaeda has a new home base. It is the Islamic Republic of Iran," Pompeo said in a speech at the National Press Club.

"I would say Iran is indeed the new Afghanistan - as the key geographic hub for Al-Qaeda - but it's actually worse.

"Unlike in Afghanistan, when Al-Qaeda was hiding in the mountains, Al-Qaeda today is operating under the hard shell of the Iranian regime's protection."

He urged more international pressure, calling the alleged alliance a "massive force for evil all over the world."

President Donald Trump's hawkish top diplomat stopped short of urging military action, saying: "If we did have that option, if we chose to do that, there's a much greater risk in executing it."

But he announced sanctions on several individuals and a US$7 million reward for information on an Al-Qaeda member he said was believed to be in Iran identified both as Muhammad Abbatay or Abd al-Rahman al-Maghrebi.

Iran, a Shi'ite clerical state, is ideologically opposed both to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, extreme Sunni movements that are predominantly Arab, and has fought on fronts abroad against both.

Many experts believe that Tehran has allowed Al-Qaeda operatives to use its territory - comparatively safe from the US military - to provide guarantees that the extremists will not target Iran.

Pompeo acknowledged that late Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden himself "considered Al-Qaeda members inside the Islamic Republic of Iran to be hostages" and that there was no evidence Iran backed the September 11, 2001 attacks, mostly carried out by Saudi nationals.

But Pompeo, a former CIA chief, said that Iran in recent years has permitted Al-Qaeda greater freedom of movement including issuing travel documents, and that the group has "centralised leadership" in Tehran.

"Tehran has allowed Al-Qaeda to fund-raise, to freely communicate with other Al-Qaeda members around the world and perform many other functions that were previously directed from Afghanistan and Pakistan," Pompeo said.

Pompeo has championed a hard line on Iran including sweeping sanctions that have ravaged its economy.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to seek a return to diplomacy and has tapped Bill Burns, a widely respected former diplomat who has led secret negotiations with Iran, as CIA chief.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed the allegations by his US counterpart that the Islamic republic has become the new "home base" for Al-Qaeda, pointing to US ties with Saudi Arabia.

"No one is fooled," Zarif tweeted. "All 9/11 terrorists came" from Pompeo's "favourite" Middle East "destinations" he added. "NONE from Iran."

(AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has alerted of violent demonstrations in America ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens inaugurati...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has alerted of violent demonstrations in America ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration.

The security service said extremists are calling on President Donald Trump supporters to storm the United States Capitol again for armed protests.

Actions are being planned at all 50 state capitols between January 16 and 20, ABC News quoted an FBI bulletin.

They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur, it reads.

It added that the US Capitol, attacked last Wednesday, faces threats from January 17 through Inauguration Day.

A poster on social media platform Parler, charged far-right movements to stage an armed march on Capitol Hill & all state capitols.

Thousands of National Guard troops will be in Washington by this weekend to boost security.


Supporters of US President Donald Trump climb on walls at the US Capitol during a protest against the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results by the US Congress. (Image: Reuters/Jim Urquhart)

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to impeach Donald Trump on Wednesday unless he steps down or is removed before then, after drawing up charges accusing him of inciting insurrection ahead of last week's siege of the Capitol.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told his fellow Democrats the chamber would take up impeachment on Wednesday if Vice President Mike Pence does not invoke the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, a House aide said.

Passage would make Trump, a Republican, the only U.S. president ever to be impeached twice.

An impeachment would prompt the Senate to hold a trial to decide whether to convict and remove him from office, although it is unlikely the proceeding would be completed before Trump's term expires in nine days.

A Senate conviction could also lead to Trump being barred from holding public office again, ending his potential 2024 presidential bid before it begins.

Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the seat of Congress last Wednesday, forcing lawmakers who were certifying Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory into hiding in a harrowing assault on the heart of American democracy that left five dead.

The violence occurred shortly after Trump urged supporters to march on the Capitol during a rally where he repeated false claims that the Nov. 3 election was "rigged" against him.

Democrats formally introduced an impeachment charge on Monday, accusing Trump of "incitement of insurrection."

"The President represents an imminent threat to our constitution, our country and the American people, and he must be removed from office immediately," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Republicans blocked a parallel effort to immediately consider a resolution asking Pence to invoke the never-used 25th Amendment to remove an unfit president.

The House is expected to vote on Tuesday evening on the resolution as Democrats seek to ramp up pressure on Pence and his fellow Republicans.

Pence advisers said he opposed invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows a vice president and the Cabinet to remove a president who is incapable of fulfilling his duties.

Trump acknowledged a new administration would take office on Jan. 20 in a video statement after the attack but has still not conceded that he lost the election.

He has not been seen in public since the riot, although he met with Pence on Monday for the first time since lambasting him for refusing to block the certification of Biden's victory.

Twitter and Facebook have suspended Trump's accounts, citing the risk of him inciting violence.

SECURITY CONCERNS

Washington remains on high alert ahead of Biden's inauguration, which had already been scaled back dramatically because of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Guard was authorized on Monday to send in up to 15,000 troops, and tourists were barred from visiting the Washington Monument due to threats of more violence from Trump supporters.

The FBI has warned that armed protests are being planned in the U.S. capital and in the 50 U.S. state capitals ahead of the inauguration, according to a federal law enforcement official.

Two members of the Capitol Police have been suspended in connection with last week's attack and 10 to 15 officers are under investigation, Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Ryan told an online news conference.

One suspended officer took a selfie with a protester, while another wore a Trump-supporting hat and started directing protesters around, said Ryan, who chairs a House subcommittee looking into how Trump supporters were able to breach Capitol security.

The lawmakers who drafted the impeachment charge say they have locked in the support of at least 214 of the chamber's 222 Democrats, indicating strong odds of passage.

Democratic Representative Diana DeGette said some Republicans had privately expressed support for impeachment.

"I heard from several Republicans over the weekend, making sure I was OK, and saying how outrageous this was, and they said that they think this is impeachable," she told reporters.

CONVICTION UNLIKELY

House Democrats impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, but the Republican-controlled Senate voted not to convict him.

Even if the House impeaches Trump again, the Senate is not scheduled to return to Washington until Jan. 19. Recalling the Senate to conduct an impeachment trial before next week would require the consent of all 100 senators.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has been exploring ways to call the chamber back into emergency session, a senior Democratic aide said, although Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would have to consent.

An impeachment conviction needs a two-thirds majority, which would require at least 17 Republican votes. So far, only a handful of Republican lawmakers have publicly said they would consider voting for impeachment.

Other Republicans have urged Democrats to abandon impeachment in the name of unity.

"Pushing partisan driven articles of impeachment through Congress days before the inauguration will further divide our country," Senator Steve Daines said in a statement. He was among a group of Republican senators who had planned to object to the election certification but changed their minds after the assault on the Capitol.

Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, called the impeachment drive "ill-advised" on Monday in a Fox News interview, saying he saw no path to a conviction in the Senate.

"We have been trying to send that message over" to the House, he said. "They know the votes aren't there."

Democrats will take Senate control once the winners of Georgia's recent runoff elections are seated, which will create a 50-50 split with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tiebreaking vote.

Some Democrats worry an impeachment trial could tie up the Senate during Biden's first weeks in office, preventing the new president from installing Cabinet secretaries and acting on priorities like coronavirus relief.

Biden said on Monday he had spoken to some senators about impeachment and officials would check with the Senate parliamentarian about whether a trial could be conducted at the same time as other business.

"Can you go a half day on dealing with the impeachment and a half day getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate as well as moving on the (stimulus) package? That's my hope and expectation," he told reporters in Delaware after getting his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
A delivery person for DoorDash rides his bike in the rain during the coronavirus pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Nov. 13. / REUTERS-Yonhap



By Kim Jae-heun



A U.S. firm DoorDash and local e-commerce company Coupang are being seen as candidates to acquire Yogiyo, the No.2 player in the domestic food delivery service market.



"DoorDash and several other strategic investors such as Just Eat, Takeaway.com and Meituan Dianping, will have a chance to enter the Korean market with the cash and investments generated from other parts of the world they're operating in," an industry source said. "American firms especially have enough money to do so."



Yogiyo's value is estimated at around 2 trillion won, which is quite high for small- or medium-sized private equity funds.



For DoorDash, the Korean market is attractive for its test-bed characteristic. As the seventh-largest single market among OECD member countries, Korea has good buying power and information technology infrastructure.



Competition in American and Chinese markets is already too fierce and the Korean market is just right for testing new services, according to the source.



"Considering the symbolic characteristics and size of the Korean market, Yogiyo is definitely an attractive player for international investors," the source said.



Coupang is also seen as strong candidates to take over Yogiyo.



The e-commerce giant is already running Coupang Eats, which is No. 3 in the local market.



Acquiring Yogiyo will instantly elevate Coupang Eats to the No. 2 spot and help the online retailer expand its delivery service.



"The cost of Yogiyo is too high and there will not be many local candidates that can handle it. Coupang is not in a good shape financially now and it shouldn't be eyeing acquiring Yogiyo. However, it has always overturned market predictions and succeeded as a result," a source in the food delivery industry said.



Kakao also has potential to find Yogiyo attractive as it operates a reservation service for online food delivery on its platform. Over 6.5 million people are registered for the service as of June and the number is still increasing. It is just the matter of Kakao's willingness to enter the delivery service market.



Both Naver and Kakao could find it burdensome to start a food delivery service as it means doing business with small business owners directly. One issue related to commissions or the mismanagement of delivery workers could deteriorate the company's image and affect its main business.



The country's largest retailer, E-mart, owned by Shinsegae, could create good synergy with Yogiyo but it does not have enough cash.



"E-mart is currently expanding its online business aggressively and a food delivery player could play a critical role with its fulfilment business too," the source said. "However, as far as I know, the company does not have 2 trillion won in cash flow to acquire Yogiyo."



However, not all global food delivery services and strategic investors will jump at Yogiyo as they are backed by the same investors.



Uber, Grab, DoorDash and Zomato receive money from SoftBank while shares of Meituan Dianping, Delivery Hero, Just Eat and Takeaway.com are directly or indirectly owned by Naspers, a South African investor.



Korean internet giant Naver wholly owns Japanese food delivery player Demae-can and Alibaba is the sole owner of Chinese firm Ele.me.



So which firm bags Yogiyo depends on their major shareholders, who must be consulted before any action is taken.










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One groovy family from Florida decided to buy a funky house in Indiana that is stuck in time from the far out 1970s.

Nathan and Alysha Jackson of Orlando, Florida, weren't even in the market for a house when they got wind of one particular home whose photos went viral.

They were so intrigued that they bought the strange-looking offering in the Shoaff Park section of Fort Wayne for $161,000, according to Zillow.

The home had all of the hallmarks of 1970s-era designs, including wall-to-wall shag carpets, wood paneling, a stone fireplace, a purple and pink bathroom, a floating staircase, and more.

James Sherbondy, an architect, owned and designed this home in the Shoaff Park section of Fort Wayne, Indiana

The 2,476-square-foot property in Fort Wayne has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, but that's not what makes it unique

The interior of the home was preserved in a kind of 1970s-era time capsule with wall-to-wall purple shag carpets in the common room and a stone fireplace

The walls (in the center) are carpeted while the walls on the right are wood-paneled

The kitchen was left as if it were still the 1970s with all of the appliances, cupboards, chairs, table, stove, and oven preserved from that era

The home was sold by Sherbondy to Nathan and Alysha Jackson of Orlando, Florida. They are pictured above with their two adopted children

'Everything is carpeted, even the bathroom,' Nathan said.

We were struck by the bones of it, Alysha Jackson told WANE-TV.

The home on Parkland Drive boasts four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

At 2,476 square feet, it is much bigger than the property in which they lived in Florida.

'We were struck by the bones of it,' Alysha Jackson said in explaining the couple's decision to buy the home. The common room is seen above

The floors are lined with a purple shag carpet and lights that are from the 1970s era

The house comes equipped with a kitchen and dining area that includes a dishwasher

The floating staircase seen on the lefthand side also comes with purple shag carpeting. The furniture on the right is also from the 1970s

'Its just such a unique space that we loved it,' Nathan Jackson said in recalling his reaction to seeing the home

The entrance to the home features a wooden door with carvings in them as well as giant door knobs which were popular five decades ago.

Its just such a unique space that we loved it, Alyshas husband, Nathan said.

Remarkably, the home was well maintained to the point where even the 1970s-era stove and oven work properly.

This was super cool because it works really well, Nathan said, referring to the oven and stove.

Its almost 50 years old.

The cupboards and cabinets are in tip-top shape as are the lights.

Remarkably, all of the appliances, including the oven and stove, are working properly, according to Jackson

The retro kitchen was still outfitted with modern technology including a dishwasher

Jackson was amazed with the kitchen and its nearly 50-year-old orange stove that he called 'super cool because it still works really well'

The kitchen even includes a sliding door with access to the backyard in a woodsy area of Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Jacksons plan to modernize the home and bring it up to contemporary design standards, though they chose to create a photo album celebrating its unique, 70s-era style

The above image shows the extensive wood paneling that was a common feature of interior design more than five decades ago

The bathroom features red shag carpeting as well as a purple and pink bathtub surrounded by wood paneling on the walls.

This is another one of those oh-my-gosh-what-in-the-world rooms in the house, Nathan said.

Purple carpeting covers the living room floor as well as the floating staircase.

The Jacksons thought people would be fascinated by how the house would be transformed from its 1970s time warp into a modern home with up-to-date renovations.

Instead, they created an Instagram account in which they embrace the homes old design, dressing up in 1970s-era clothing, and posing in their new abode.

Nathan decided to sport a mustache and allow his hair to grow out while wearing 1970s-era garb like.

Alysha also got decked out in 1970s retro fashion. The couple posed with their kids in some of the rooms and created a photo shoot.

The above image shows one of the four bedrooms inside the home in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The window in the upper left hand side is uniquely shaped as sunlight beams through it in this image

This image shows one of the four bedrooms inside the 70s 'time capsule' home in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The shoot, which was arranged with the help of professional photographer Dustin McKibben, was posted on Instagram.

The Instagram handle they created is called 'the Jackson Fi'. Initially, the account had just a few hundred followers.

But since posting their 70s-themed photo shoot, they have attracted more than 32,000 followers.

'Introducing our newest project: Bringing this groovy 70's home into this century!' the couple wrote on their Instagram page.

'We are thrilled to be the new owners of this time capsule that hit the internet by storm a couple weeks ago.

'We will be documenting our whole process from start to finish, but before kicking things off we had a little fun with a little retro throw back photoshoot.'

Nathan and Alysha Jackson have been married since June 2013. They have two children whom they adopted during the coronavirus pandemic.

The couple was astonished by the master bathroom in the house due to its obviously unique design

The bathroom boasts a pink, purple and red oval tub surrounded by red shag carpet and dark wood paneling

'This is another one of those oh-my-gosh-what-in-the-world rooms in the house,' Nathan Jackson said

The above image shows an overhead view of the pink oval-shaped bathtub inside the master bathroom

The Jacksons, who also own a house in Orlando, Florida, weren't in the market for a home, but were intrigued when photos of the Fort Wayne property went viral

This image shows the entirety of the master bathroom, with the pink tub and wood paneling along the walls

According to their Facebook pages, Nathan and Alysha are full-time sellers on Amazon. They have found success in online commerce after stepping away from their previous careers as teachers.

Nathan is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and has lived in Orlando, Florida.

The owner of the house, James Sherbondy, is an architect by trade. He built the home in 1975, according to WPTA-TV.

When asked why Sherbondy left the home the way he did, John Lahmeyer, the real estate agent who handled the sale of the property, said: 'They left it that way because they loved it.'

'You're traveling through another dimension, into a home of design, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind,' the description of the home read on Zillow.

'A journey into a wondrous home whose boundaries are that of imagination.

'That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Sherbondy Zone.

'Distinctive, one of a kind home designed in 1975 by renowned architect James Sherbondy as the family's personal residence.

'The home offers a way of life featuring architectural flair, soaring ceilings and designed utility in every square foot.'

The listing also reads: 'Privacy and serenity abound, tucked in Concordia Woods on a .66 acre wooded lot that is a nature lover's paradise.'

When the house was put up for sale, photos of the home and its interior went online and quickly went viral, attracting the attention of the Jacksons.

'Weve got carpet here and carpet on the walls,' Nathan Jackson said, pointing to the purple floor

There's also a floating staircase with shag carpets on each step connecting the upstairs and downstairs portions of the home

Even the bare-bones railing show just how old the property is and how it has been well-maintained

It is safe to say that when the couple modernizes the home they will choose a new set of furniture

Another factor that makes the home stand out from others is its unusual geometric shape as seen above

The above image shows one of the four bedrooms inside the home in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The upstairs corridor with wall-to-wall shag carpets and wood paneling leads to the bedrooms

One of the three bathrooms inside the home is seen in the above photo. The old decor is evident in the lighting and the mirror

Another one of the three bathrooms is seen above. The sink is a funky green color while the shower stall has retro-style tiling

Another bathrooms shows a sink with a green counter and blue marble

The Jacksons, who were living in Orlando at the time and were not in the market for a house, were nonetheless intrigued.

Nathan was particularly enamored with the idea of moving into the unique house located in his boyhood hometown. He and Alysha then started having some serious conversations.

'We put in an offer, and by Monday morning it was accepted,' Alysha told WPTA-TV.

'I think we just looked at each other and expected to find buyers remorse, like "what did we just do?"

'But we were really just excited.'

Nathan added: 'Its really kind of surreal.'

'It's been tough with the two- and three-year-old having carpet in the kitchen but we've been making it work,' Alysha said.

The adoptive mother said she was mindful of how her two children were making the adjustment to new surroundings.

'With backgrounds in foster care, there's trauma involved and you really want to be careful with how you deal with change,' Alysha said.

The Jacksons thought people would be fascinated by how the house would be transformed from its 1970s time warp into a modern home with up-to-date renovations. Instead, they created an Instagram account in which they embrace the homes old design, dressing up in 1970s-era clothing, and posing in their new abode

The couple is seen above with their two young children who they adopted during the coronavirus pandemic

According to their Facebook pages, Nathan and Alysha are full-time sellers on Amazon. They have found success in online commerce after stepping away from their previous careers as teachers

Nathan is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and has lived in Orlando, Florida

'Theyre just like heroes. Theyre resilient and have just rolled with it.'

The Jacksons plan to split their time between Orlando and Fort Wayne.

They will rent out whichever property is unoccupied via Airbnb as part of their plan to live off passive income.

'A lot of times I tell people things are scary for a reason but they usually pay off,' Alysha said.

Nathan said the couple's purchase of the property is testament to their 'think-outside-the-box' attitude toward life.

'Thinking outside the box is such an underrated, underutilized skill that isnt really taught a lot,' Nathan said.

'And so showing people how to think outside the box, how to live life a little differently?

'Its important to us, and a great lesson to show other people.'

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Russia will keep flights to and from the United Kingdom suspended until February 1, 2021, TASS reports citing the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

Russia suspended flights to and from the UK on December 22.

According to the World Health Organization, a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus, initially found in the UK, has been recorded in more than 40 countries. Russia detected the new strain in late 2020. Head of the countrys sanitary watchdog Anna Popova said that Russian testing systems were capable of detecting the new variant of the virus.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on December 14 that the countrys researchers had discovered a new strain of COVID-19, which could be the reason behind a rapid rise in infections in the country.
[January 12, 2021] Valneva in Advanced Discussions with European Commission to Supply up to 60 Million Doses of Inactivated, Adjuvanted COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

Saint-Herblain (France), January 12, 2021  Valneva SE, a specialty vaccine company focused on prevention of infectious diseases with significant unmet medical need, today announced it is in advanced discussions with the European Commission (EC) for the supply of up to 60 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, VLA2001. VLA2001 is currently the only inactivated vaccine candidate in clinical trials against COVID-19 in Europe. Valnevas vaccine candidate is based on a proven approach and will leverage the Companys existing manufacturing platform being used for its US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved Japanese encephalitis vaccine. VLA2001 entered Phase 1/2 clinical studies in December 20201 and Valneva expects to report initial safety and immunogenicity data in April 2021. Upon analysis of the data, Valneva will select the best dose and commence the second part of the Phase 1/2 clinical development. If clinical development is successful, an initial approval may be granted in the second half of 2021. Thomas Lingelbach, Chief Executive Officer of Valneva, said, Todays announcement helps to ensure that millions of Europeans potentially have access to a proven and well-established inactivated vaccine approach, upon approval of VLA2001. We are grateful to the European Commission for their support and eager to partner with them to address the ongoing pandemic. We are deeply committed to providing broad access to our inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate and, as we proceed with clinical development, we will simultaneously continue working with partners, including the European Commission and the UK Government, to help us reach that goal. We increasingly see wider recognition that our vaccine will be one that the world cannot do without. In September 2020, Valneva announced a major COVID-19 vaccine partnership with the UK government for the supply of up to 190 million doses of its inactivated vaccine candidate, VLA20012. Under the partnership agreement, if vaccine development is successful, Valneva will provide the UK government with 60 million doses in the second half of 2021. About the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Disease

SARS-CoV-2 is a new coronavirus identified in late 2019 and belongs to a family of enveloped RNA viruses that include MERS and SARS, both of which caused serious human infections of the respiratory system. The virus, which causes a disease named COVID-19, has never before been found in humans. Since this outbreak was first reported, the virus has caused approximately 2 million reported deaths globally. It has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) . About VLA2001

VLA2001 is Valnevas vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. VLA2001 consiss of inactivated whole virus particles of SARS-CoV-2 with high S-protein density, in combination with two adjuvants, alum and CpG 1018. This adjuvant combination has consistently induced higher antibody levels in preclinical experiments than alum-only formulations and shown a shift of the cellular immune response towards Th1. VLA2001 is produced on Valnevas established Vero-cell platform, leveraging the manufacturing technology for Valnevas licensed Japanese encephalitis vaccine, IXIARO. The process, which has already been upscaled to final industrial scale, includes inactivation with BPL to preserve the native structure of the S-protein. CpG 1018 is a component of the US FDA-approved HEPLISAV-B vaccine.VLA2001 is expected to conform with standard cold chain requirements (2 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius).



About VLA2001-201

VLA2001-201 is the first-in-human Phase 1/2 study evaluating three dose levels of VLA2001 (low, medium, high) for safety, tolerability and immunogenicity in a two-dose schedule with intra muscular vaccinations three weeks apart. Overall, 150 healthy young adults aged 18 to 55 years will be recruited. The study includes an open-label dose-escalation phase and will be conducted as a randomized, double-blind, multicenter study. On January 8th 2021, a Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) gave approval to progress into the studys full randomization phase. VLA2001-201 is conducted in two parts: Part A (Day 1 to Day 36) and Part B (Day 37 to Day 208). Following an evaluation of Part A data (i.e., data up to Day 36) from the present study, further clinical studies may be initiated. About Valneva SE

Valneva is a specialty vaccine company focused on prevention of infectious diseases with significant unmet medical need. The Company has several vaccines in development including unique vaccines against Lyme disease, COVID-19 and chikungunya. Valnevas portfolio includes two commercial vaccines for travelers: IXIARO/JESPECT indicated for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis and DUKORAL indicated for the prevention of cholera and, in some countries, prevention of diarrhea caused by ETEC. Valneva has operations in Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the U.S. with over 500 employees.

Investor and Media Contacts

Laetitia Bachelot-Fontaine

Director Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

M +33 (0)6 4516 7099

investors@valneva.com



Teresa Pinzolits

Corporate Communications Specialist

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communications@valneva.com Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Valneva, including with respect to the progress, timing, design, data read-outs, anticipated results and completion of clinical trials for VLA2001. In addition, even if the actual results or development of Valneva are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments of Valneva may not be indicative of future results. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "could," "should," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "targets," or similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of Valneva as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, the expectations of Valneva could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the development and manufacture of vaccines, unexpected clinical trial results, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, competition in general, currency fluctuations, the impact of the global and European credit crisis, the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements made during this presentation will in fact be realized. Valneva is providing the information in this press release as of the date hereof and disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. 1 Valneva Initiates Phase 1/2 Clinical Study of Inactivated, Adjuvanted COVID-19 Vaccine

2 Valneva Announces Major COVID-19 Vaccine Partnership with U.K. Government



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The spokesman for Irans Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said Tehran has no plans to expel inspectors dispatched by the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) for regular visits to the countrys nuclear sites.

Khatibzadeh was addressing questions and concerns raised after a stern warning from senior lawmaker Ahmad Amir-Abadi Farahani. The hard-line parliamentarian said in a televised interview earlier this week that the Islamic Republic will definitely push out those inspectors if the incoming Joe Biden administration fails to lift US sanctions against Iran by Feb. 21.

Farahani grounded his argument on a recently ratified parliamentary legislation that has set a two-month deadline for the United States to return to the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the remaining signatories to honor their side of the accord.

Khatibzadeh hinted at the lawmakers possible misinterpretation of the legislation. This might have been a slip of the tongue, he told reporters, noting that allowing IAEA inspections is a separate commitment under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which Iran is a signatory.

The comments were reaffirmed by the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, who stressed that inspections are part and parcel of Irans cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and the visits will not be banned even if Iran suspends its voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol. Suspension of that protocol is among potential measures that the controversial parliamentary legislation has approved in response to the violations of the other parties.

Under the same law, the Islamic Republic has already taken other steps, including a resumption of nuclear enrichment at the 20% level, which is viewed as a significant breach of the JCPOA that had kept the rate under the 3.67% cap. The announcement has triggered international reactions, including deep concern from the European Council.

Despite the statements from the two government officials in Tehran, Fereydoun Abbasi, another ultraconservative lawmaker and a former atomic chief himself, renewed the warning that the IAEA inspectors will be denied entry if the other JCPOA signatories fail the deadline.

And apart from the contradictory signals sent from inside Iran, the uncertainty surrounding the future of the nuclear deal grew further after a Jan. 11 report by the New York-based Institute for Science and International Security. The institute has released satellite imagery that purportedly shows Irans fast-paced progress toward the construction of tunnels for a suspected new underground facility close to the Natanz nuclear enrichment site. Iranian officials have not yet commented on the report.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Ls Cohen Published: January 12 2021

Kenneth Baribault made Detective First Grade along with others for the newly created rank in the Nassau County Police Department.

In 2008, Nassau County Police Officer Kenneth Baribault pulled over a drunk driver on the Long Island Expressway. While he was arresting that individual, another drunk driver hit him, causing injuries that nearly took his life. Doctors gave him a 10% chance of living.

Against all odds, Baribault struggled back, working for over 13 years learning to walk and talk again and recover from his injuries.

On Tuesday, January 5, Baribault was honored by the department with the rank of Detective First Grade.

Please join us in congratulating Detective First Grade Kenneth Baribault, the Nassau County Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.

Photo: Nassau County Police Department Facebook page.

Baribault was given the designation along with more than a dozen others during a ceremony in Mineola. Baribault appeared in a Zoom video for the honor.

They were the first police officers to be promoted to the newly created rank in the Nassau County Police Department.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Staten Island borough presidential candidate Leticia Remauro has resigned from the Staten Island Hebrew Public Charter Schools board of trustees after a video surfaced of her saying the phrase Heil Hitler during an extended rant while attending a rally outside Macs Public House last year.

Remauro called Hebrew Public Charter Schools President and CEO Jonathan Rosenberg to inform him of the video and offered her resignation, Rosenberg said in an email to the Advance/SILive.com.

We accepted her resignation as appropriate under the circumstances, and remain grateful to her for her important work as the founding board chair for the school, said Rosenberg.

The video, which is no longer publicly visible on Remauros account, showed her standing in front of uniformed officers outside the Grant City establishment during a December rally, saying, We have to come together with the small business community, with Staten Island to stand up for our right  the right to pay taxes  so that we can pay the salaries of these good men and women, who, yes, are only doing their jobs.

But, not for nothing, sometimes you got to say, Heil Hitler,  Remauro said in the video. Not a good idea to send me here. Were not going to do it, just like those Sheriffs said to Cuomo that they werent going to burst down doors and get people out of their houses.

The video was taken amid protests at Macs Public House after the owners of the establishment said they planned to continue indoor dining despite being in a state-designated coronavirus micro-cluster orange zone, where it is illegal.

Tension between the restaurant and state officials erupted when the Sheriffs office executed a law-enforcement action and arrested owner Danny Presti and issued a partial vacate order for the business. Presti was later arrested for a second time, after authorities say he attempted to flee an arrest for defying city and state orders, while injuring a New York City Sheriffs Office deputy in the process.

HORRIBLY INSENSITIVE

During a phone call with the Advance/SILive.com Monday night, Remauro, a Republican, apologized for the video and said her phrasing was horribly insensitive.

My grandson is the great-grandchild of two Holocaust survivors who lost their families in Germany, said Remauro, so Im very, very acutely aware of the impact of the Holocaust.

Remauro explained that she was trying to make a reference to the role of the NYC Sheriffs Office working at the behest of Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to blockade a business, to take it away, similar to what has happened with Mussolini, with Castro in Cuba, with Hitler in Germany. Its the first steps of taking away your rights.

The similarity and the fear that this was going to start all over again was there because we lost our churches, we lost our ability to give our children an education, were losing small businesses and all the jobs that go with it, Remauro said of the restrictions imposed by the city and state. Our rights were just being taken away.

Remauro said the comment was made when emotions were running very high due to her frustration at restrictions stymying small businesses that she said were arbitrarily made by the governor.

I apologize for it, but Ill never apologize for standing up for the small business community of Staten Island, said Remauro.

Remauro is a former Community Board 1 chair and a onetime borough Republican Party chair who is now in private business. She has served numerous roles in the community and politics, including campaign manager for now Rep. Nicole Malliotakis unsuccessful mayoral run.

Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) called Remauros language shocking and wrong in a post on Twitter Tuesday.

The words used by Leticia Remauro at a rally at Macs Public House are shocking and wrong; I strongly condemn them, said Malliotakis. At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise across our city and especially on Staten Island, there is no excuse for such words being uttered.

People of faith and good will must work together as one to ensure that words of hate are removed from our vocabulary and our hearts, added Malliotakis.

The Staten Island Republican Committee released a statement Tuesday, saying, We are shocked to learn of the grotesque, divisive, and hurtful words uttered by Leticia Remauro.

This conduct has no place in our political discourse, the statement continued.

The words used by Leticia Remauro at a rally at Mac's Public House are shocking and wrong; I strongly condemn them. At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise across our city and especially on Staten Island, there is no excuse for such words being uttered...  Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) January 12, 2021

CALLS TO END CAMPAIGN

North Shore City Council candidate Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat, called on Remauro to end her candidacy for Staten Island Borough President in a post on Twitter, & in lieu of that, for the NYC Campaign Finance to deny her public matching funds for her candidacy.

Anti-semitism & bigotry of any form must not be tolerated or allowed to be on the ballot, said Hanks.

North Shore City Council candidate Mike Schnall, also a Democrat, released a statement Monday blasting Remauros language, saying, I condemn in the strongest words and actions possible, the vile, disgusting and unacceptable words posted on social media by Republican candidate for Staten Island Borough President Leticia Remauro.

Hate has no home in our beloved borough of Staten Island, and no place in our politics and government, Schnall added. I call on her to suspend her campaign, and I call on the Campaign Finance Board to deny her any campaign matching funds. Taxpayer dollars should never go to support hate speech.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Tara Westover was 17 years old when she first stepped into a classroom.

Born in Idaho to parents who opposed public education, Westover was only taught to read so she could participate in her familys morning scripture study, never touching a history or geography book.

My dad was worried that ideas could be dangerous, so it was better not to get exposed to them at all, she recalled.

When an older brother exposed her to subjects like music and math, she developed a hunger for learning. She secretly taught herself high school courses like algebra at night and, having never taken a standardized test, took the ACT and scored well enough to earn an academic scholarship to college.

After later earning her doctorate in history, Westover went on to write a book about her journey through education and the impact it had on her relationship with her family.

The author discussed her award-winning memoir, Educated, during a broadcasted interview on Jan. 11, as part of Calvin Universitys January Series. The annual, popular lecture series runs through Tuesday, Jan. 26.

This years 15 speakers are scheduled to talk about issues like future of the Supreme Court, climate change, global trade, civil discourse, racial tensions and economic uncertainty.

Around 4,500 listeners tuned into Westovers virtual conversation with Karen Saupe, the chair of Calvins English Department. When asked what it was like to suddenly enter a college classroom after never having a formal education, Westover described her experience in one word: Panic.

Id put on (my college application) that I had been homeschooled to a rigorous standard and I remember that was the phrase that was not true, so I kind of had fibbed my way in and then once I was there, I would go to classes and I just didnt know what they were talking about, she said.

Westover recalled a moment during an introductory history course when a professor mentioned the Holocaust, and she raised her hand to ask what it was because she had never heard of it. The class was shocked and thought she was making a bad joke, Westover said.

It was stressful, it was just a mess, she said. I was trying to catch up on history, how exams worked because the only test Id ever taken was the ACT, so that was a rough transition.

But Westover said the stressful parts of her education soon passed, reminding student listeners that while school is stressful, it is temporary.

Its worth thinking about your life as a story, she said. Theres going to be parts of it that are sad and theres some parts of it that are stressful and theres going to be parts of it that youre doing well and thats good. Its good that your life has shape, its good that you have that you have these changes.

I try to remember whenever Im in a moment of a real struggle that this is a moment. It isnt forever. Its not permanent. Its part of the story.

Westover shared that her parents were very skeptical of institutions in society. She and her six siblings never went to the doctors office, and Westover didnt get a birth certificate until she was 9 years old.

But despite her irregular upbringing, Westover said there were some things her parents taught her that carried on into her college education.

I grew up reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible, and thats not the worst thing in the world to grow up on, she said.

Those are difficult texts. Theyre opaque, they dont yield easily. I could myself lucky that I grew up reading that because now Im used to reading things that I dont fully understand, Im comfortable with it. Ill just keep reading it, or read it again.

Looking back at the way she was raised, Westover said she still struggles with forgiveness of her parents, who looked away from her allegations of abuse by her brother and raised her in an unsafe environment. Her relationship with her parents has been estranged since writing the memoir, she said.

It took me a really long time to just accept that Im not willing to do what I have to do to be a part of that family, she said.

Its brought me peace to accept the fact that I dont get to control other peoples behavior. I dont get to decide whether my dad will will believe me about my brothers abuse, I dont get to change my brother being violent, I dont actually get to control other peoples behavior.

Westover went on to debut at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list for her memoir and has remained there for more than two years. She was also named one of the most influential people of 2018 by TIME Magazine for her staggering impact.

Two other New York Times bestselling authors, Matt de la Pena and Bruce Feiler, were also part of this years January Series lineup.

RELATED: New York Times best-selling authors to headline Calvin Universitys virtual January Series

De la Pena spoke on Thursday, Jan. 7, about the power of story and why everyones story matters. He is the author of seven young adult novels, including Mexican White Boy and We were Here, and five picture books.

Feiler is a six-time New York Times bestseller and author of Life is in the Transitions and Mastering Change at Any Age. He will share his life story and those of hundreds of others he has gathered in his book during his lecture Thursday, Jan. 21.

See the full list of speakers here.

More on MLive:

Beware of imposter letter attempting to scam Michigan taxpayers, state says

Lansing mayor wants National Guard at Michigan Capitol for possible armed protests

Twitter purges 70,000 QAnon accounts following US Capitol riot
A Hazleton man was mopping the floor of the convenience store he worked at when he was gunned down without warning near the end of his shift Dec. 12.

Seven days later, police arrested the suspected shooter in an unrelated drug case and Tuesday they announced his arrest for the death of 50-year-old Ashokkumar Patel, an essential worker toiling through the pandemic. Patel worked at Craigs Food Mart on West Broad Street in Hazleton so his family could have a better life.

Jafet Rodriguez, 40, of Hazleton will face felony charges of homicide, robbery, burglary and theft in relation to the investigation, Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis announced Tuesday during a news conference at Hazletons City Hall. He is expected to attend a preliminary arraignment Wednesday morning by video where bail will be set in the homicide case.

This is not a case of a robbery gone bad. Rodriguez murdered Patel in cold blood, Salavantis said. Patel was shot for no other reason than to prevent leaving a witness behind, she added.

All murders are senseless acts of violence, but in all my years as district attorney the murder of Mr. Patel struck a cord with myself, my staff, the police and the community like few others have, Salavantis said.

+5 Family finds peace in arrest, hopes for answers Bhavik Patel hoped for justice after his father was gunned down during a robbery inside a Ha

Rodriguez has been in custody without bail on unrelated drug charges since Dec. 19. He was arrested after Hazleton narcotics officers and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force opened an investigation they say showed Rodriguez was selling suspected heroin/fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana. He was living at 130 E. Cranberry Ave. at the time.

The investigation

Salavantis said Patel was defenseless when he was shot.

He was preparing to close Craigs for the night, handling a mop a little after 9 p.m., when an armed man entered the business, shoving Patel into a closet before shooting him in the head/neck area.

He walked into the store armed and ready, Salavantis said.

The shooter then rushed to the area behind the counter, taking loose cash and a bank deposit bag, before fleeing the store with more than $14,000, the district attorney said.

Investigators said Patel didnt immediately die. Fighting for his life, he crawled to the sales counter. He reached for his cellphone and called 911 for help but Salavantis said he was unable to say who he was, where he was or that he was shot due to his injury and he succumbed to his wound there.

Dr. Gary Ross, a forensic pathologist, performed and autopsy Dec. 14, finding the cause of death was a single gunshot wound and the manner was homicide.

Investigators pieced together their investigation using video surveillance and data from Rodriguezs cellphone, Salavantis said. Cellphone data showed Rodriguez traveled from his home to Craigs and then back home around the time of the murder.

Video showed he left his home carrying a trash bag as Patel died on the floor of the store and drove to 410 E. Diamond Ave., where he owned and operated an auto detailing business, she said.

City police and the district attorneys office served a search warrant at Rodriguezs business Jan. 8, finding the red Nike sweatshirt and face mask the murder suspect wore in a garbage bag.

Rodriguez admitted to being at Craigs that day but said he left prior to the murder. He denied owning the sweatshirt, but police were told from a witness that Rodriguez did own it, Salavantis said.

Rodriguez frequented Craigs and played video poker there, including on Dec. 12, she said. It wasnt uncommon for him to lose and then win thousands gambling, and Rodriguez knew where Craigs kept its money and that Patel would recognize him, Salavantis continued.

They have not stopped working, Salavantis said of Hazleton police and members of her office who worked through the case with help from Pennsylvania State Police, Luzerne County Drug Task Force and Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force.

The investigation involved following up on numerous tips, especially after the December news conference where suspect pictures were released, Salvantis said. In total, 14 search warrants were executed.

A huge thank you to everyone involved. It was remarkable, acting Hazleton police Chief Brian Schoonmaker said. I am relieved and hopefully we can bring some relief to the Patel family.
ALTON  The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign this holiday season officially met its goal of $103,000 just shy of the new year.

During December, Lt. Lily Reinier from the Salvation Army in Alton had expressed concern that the goal would not be met due to restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We didnt have a lot of ringers, and some of the usual (group) werent available to ring this year, Reinier said.

According to Reinier, the campaign reached its goal shortly after Christmas, adding that they also had some last minute mail submissions.

The total for this years campaign, however, remains to be determined. She said the donations continue to be counted, with the Salvation Army projecting to have a total know by the end of January.

Were still receiving donations from the mail, Reinier said.

She also noted that, in addition to reaching the goal, this years Red Kettle campaign included a gold coin discovered in a red kettle at the Walmart in Wood River. According to Reinier, the coin is valued at about $180.

The familiar Red Kettle campaigns roots go back more than a century when, in 1891, Joseph McFee, a Salvation Army captain, was bothered by how many people in San Francisco were going hungry and decided to give people a free Christmas meal.
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A Secret Service agent is under investigation after she posted Facebook comments accusing lawmakers of 'treason' for certifying Joe Biden's election victory and blaming Antifa for riots at the US Capitol last week.

The investigation was first reported Monday night by the Washington Post, which obtained screenshots of the posts that sparked it.

In comments shared on Thursday, one day after a mob of Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol, the unnamed agent condemned efforts to remove the president from office and charged that members of Congress who formalized the Electoral College vote were 'committing treason on live tv'.

She also voiced support for the insurrectionists, writing in part: 'Good morning patriots! Yesterday started out beautiful and as usual Antifa soured the mood and attacked police and an Air Force veteran was murdered. It's OFFENSE time finally!!'

In another post, the agent shared a meme of Trump shaking hands with himself, captioned: 'Here's to the Peaceful Transition of Power.'

The agent posted a meme on Facebook showing President Donald Trump shaking hands with himself, captioned: 'Here's to the Peaceful Transition of Power'

Capitol Police have come under fire for not bolstering the number of officers on the day of the protest and making no preparations for the possibility that it could escalate into violent riots. The department had the same number of officers in place as on a routine day

The Post reported that the agent also echoed Trump's unfounded claims that the election was rigged by Democrats.

No details have been revealed about the identity of the agent and it is unclear if she has been put on leave pending the investigation.

The Secret Service, which prohibits agents from engaging in any political activity, did not immediately return DailyMail.com's requests for comment.

When approached by the Post, an agency spokeswoman said: 'The US Secret Service carries out its law enforcement mission in an objective and apolitical manner.

'Any allegation that an employee is not carrying out their duties in that manner will be investigated.

'As this is a personnel matter, the agency will not be commenting.'

The agent allegedly accused lawmakers who certified Biden's election victory of 'committing treason on live tv'. Lawmakers are pictured during the certification proceedings

The Secret Service probe came to light after US Capitol Police began investigating a total of 17 officers for alleged misconduct in connection with the insurrection at the Capitol last Wednesday.

Two of the officers were suspended, Ohio Rep Tim Ryan said Monday - one for taking a selfie with a rioter and another for putting on a MAGA hat and acting as a 'guide' for rioters around the Capitol.

Ryan, who chairs a House panel probing last week's events, said interim Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman is taking 'aggressive action' to see if there was any internal 'help' by officers in the chaos.

The Secret Service probe came to light after US Capitol Police began investigating a total of 17 officers for alleged misconduct in connection with the insurrection at the Capitol last week
Ireland had more women and children living in State-run homes for unmarried mothers than anywhere else in the world, according to a shocking new report detailing the plight of those forced to live in Mother and Baby Homes.

The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes found 56,000 women were forced to live in refuges since the foundation of the State in 1922 because they were abandoned by the fathers of their children and their families.

The commission says it is not aware of a similar investigation into institutions in any other country but said it is probable the proportion of Irish unmarried mothers who were in Mother and Baby Homes was the highest in the world.

The five-year investigation finds responsibility for the harsh treatment endured by these women rests mainly with the fathers of their children and their own immediate families but was also supported by the State and the Church. However, it must be acknowledged that the institutions under investigation provided a refuge  a harsh refuge in some cases  when the families provided no refuge at all, it adds.

The harrowing report details how 57,000 children were born in Mother and Baby Homes until they were closed in 1998 and how, shockingly, 9,000 died while in their care.

Read More

Of even more concern is the fact that the death rate among children deemed illegitimate by society during this period was far higher than those deemed legitimate, according to the report.

Between 1945 and 1946 the death rate among children in Mother and Baby Homes was almost twice the national average of those not living in these institutions.

The report reveals the high infant mortality rates were known to local and national authorities at the time and were recorded in official publications.

Children suffered physical abuse in the homes and also emotional abuse from local residents in their communities because they were raised in the institutions. However, the report did not find incidents of sexual abuse towards the children.

The women living in these homes suffered emotional abuse and were regularly subjected to denigration and derogatory remarks. It appears that there was little kindness shown to them and this was particularly the case when they were giving birth, it says. The atmosphere appears to have been cold and seemingly uncaring, the report adds.

The women were offered no counselling and were warned not to share their stories with other residents.

The commission said there was little evidence of the mothers being physically abused and no evidence of sexual abuse.

However, it found 200 women died in these homes with more than half (57pc) related to child birth. During the 1950s, there were also a significant number of deaths related to infectious diseases.

The commission raises serious questions about the failure of the Government and local authorities to intervene and address the living conditions and discrimination suffered by those living in these State-supported institutions.

It also found no evidence of the Cabinet ever discussing the plight of Mother and Baby Homes residents in the first 50 years after Ireland gained its independence.

It was not until the introduction of new adoption laws that some women were able to leave or avoid staying long-term in the homes.

The introduction of the Unmarried Mothers Allowance in 1973 was the first time any financial support was given to single women facing these conditions.

At least 1,638 children from the homes investigated were put up for adoption, with the vast majority sent to the US.

The report includes allegations that significant money was exchanged between Church authorities and adoptive parents but the commission was unable to prove or disprove the veracity of the claims.

At least seven vaccine trials were carried out in homes with children involved in some of the tests. Consent was not obtained for the tests and proper ethical and regulatory approval was not sought.

Focus may shift in the coming weeks to county homes, which were not investigated, but admitted 25,000 women with special needs, mental health problems, venereal disease or a criminal conviction.

These women were often rejected by Mother and Baby Homes. And the accommodation and care given to children in county homes was grossly inadequate and descriptions given in the report are extremely distressing.

The commission raises the serious concerns of former residents about the laws preventing adoptees from searching for their biological parents.

The report recommends holding a referendum on the right of unrestricted access to birth information for adopted people.

The commission says there has been quite vitriolic criticism of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) over how it provides information to adoptees. However, it says the criticism is unfair and misplaced as the agency is implementing current legislation.

The commission considers that there should be such a right even though it is acutely conscious of the concerns expressed by some birth mothers about this. If, as seems likely, a referendum is required to allow for the necessary legislation, then one should be held, it adds.

It says parents and siblings should be given information on where children were buried by the homes and highlights difficulties in accessing information related to deaths that occurred in the institutions in Tuam, Co Galway and Bessborrough, Co Cork.

The commission says the introduction of a redress scheme is a matter for the Government but says children as well as their mothers would have a strong case for compensation from the State.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  In the 36 hours after last weeks deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, 112 Republicans reached out to the election office in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to change their party registration. Ethan Demme was one of them.

Ever since they started denying the election result, I kind of knew it was heading this way, said Demme, the countys former Republican Party chairman who has opposed President Donald Trump and is now an independent. If they kept going, I knew theres no way I can keep going. But if youve been a Republican all your life, its hard to jump out of a big boat and into a little boat.

Officials are seeing similar scenes unfold elsewhere.

In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 192 people have changed their party registration since the Jan. 6 riot. Only 13 switched to the GOP  the other 179 changed to Democrat, independent or a third party, according to Bethany Salzarulo, the director of the bureau of elections.

In Linn County, Iowa, home to Cedar Rapids, more than four dozen voters dropped their Republican Party affiliations in the 48 hours after the Capitol attack. They mostly switched to no party, elections commissioner Joel Miller said, though a small number took the highly unusual step of cancelling their registrations altogether.

The party switching pales in comparison to the more than 74 million people who voted for Trump in November. And its unclear whether theyre united in their motivations. Some may be rejecting politics altogether while others may be leaving a Republican Party they fear will be less loyal to Trump.

But they offer an early sign of the volatility ahead for the GOP as the party braces for political fallout of the riots that Trump incited.

I do think theres a palpable shift, from knee-jerk defense of the president to wow, that was a bridge too far, said Kirk Adams, the former Republican speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Adams said he knew several people, including once-solid Trump supporters, who are switching their registrations. He said it may be weeks or months before the full impact of the insurrection is clear.

Minds are being changed, he said. But you cant go overnight from I think the presidents right and the election is being stolen to I guess he was wrong about everything.

Party registration doesnt always preview how voters will actually cast their ballots, especially when the next major national elections are nearly two years away. But party leaders across the country are expressing concern that the riots could have a lasting impact.

The GOP cannot afford any slippage in its ranks after an election that, even with record-breaking Republican turnout, saw them lose control of both the presidency and the U.S. Senate.

Increasingly Ive looked at my party in this state and our numbers are dwindling, said Gary Eichelberger, a commissioner in suburban Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. If we narrow the base of the party, we are going to lose this county.

Republicans in Washington are approaching the moment with caution, denouncing the insurrection and providing scant defense of Trump. But so far, few have joined Democratic calls for the presidents impeachment and immediate removal.

Just two Senate Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, have called on Trump to resign.

Multiple GOP officials said there was some unease about the partys direction at the RNC winter meeting on Amelia Island, Florida, which took place a few days after the attack. Serious conversations are underway at the committee to conduct a comprehensive look at the 2020 election results to determine what the party did wrong and how to better appeal to voters, according to Henry Barbour, a RNC member from Mississippi.

But Trump still has a pull on swaths of the GOP base.

A Quinnipiac Poll released on Monday found roughly three-quarters of Republicans believe Trumps false statements that there was widespread voter fraud in Novembers election, which is what triggered the attack on the Capitol after Trump urged a crowd of supporters to go to Congress as it was set to certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

Overall 7 in 10 Republicans approved of Trumps performance as president, compared to 89% in Quinnipiacs December poll.

When you love President Trump, you love President Trump, said Michele Fiore, an RNC committeewoman from Nevada. With all of our hearts, we support him. We know he did not create the chaos that happened in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.

Rae Chornenky, who stepped down as chair of the Maricopa County Republican Party in Arizona shortly after the election amid a power struggle with those in the state party claiming widespread election fraud, said she thinks the president still has a hammerlock on the partys grass roots.

They just believe it was a stolen election, and theyre not going to back off that position, Chornenky said. Hell be the driving force of the GOP for years to come, Chornenky predicted of Trump.

The 2022 midterm elections may provide a test of that. Former Rep. Ryan Costello is strongly considering a run for Pennsylvanias open Senate seat as a Republican. A longtime Trump critic, he sees the time as ripe for an explicitly anti-Trump GOP candidate.

We need people willing to lose races, lose political campaigns, over this, Costello said. We need campaigns about the cleansing of the party. Sometimes its not possible to dance around landmines. Sometimes, youve just got to jump in there.

___

Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Riccardi from Denver. Associated Press writers Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Hannah Fingerhut in Washington; Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; Steve Peoples in New York; and Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire GOP mega-donor who brought a casino to Bethlehem, died on Monday, Las Vegas Sands announced.

Adelson, who founded the Sands and served as its chairman and CEO, passed away from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, the company said. He was 87.

Adelson last week took a leave of absence from his company to resume treatment for the cancer that was first disclosed in 2019, CNN reported.

His impact on the industry will be everlasting, the Sands said in a news release.

A funeral will be held in Israel, with plans for a memorial service in Las Vegas to be announced at a later date.

Born and raised in Boston, Adelson went from a teen selling newspapers on a street corner to becoming one of the worlds most successful entrepreneurs, the company said.

Forbes estimates Adelsons net worth at $35 billion.

His holdings previously included the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, which opened May 22, 2009, on the former Bethlehem Steel site on the citys South Side.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. was the majority owner of Sands BethWorks Gaming LLC, which owned the casino, the events center, and surrounding land totaling about 56 acres.

Sands BethWorks Retail LLC -- owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp. and developer Michael Perrucci, New York real estate developer Barry Gosin and their business partners -- had holdings that included the outlet mall, the iconic blast furnaces, the Steel General Office building, No. 2 Machine Shop and several parking lots.

The Sands repeatedly said the casino was for sale for the right price, and in 2018 announced a buyer -- Wind Creek Hospitality, an affiliate of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama.

The deal went through for $1.4 billion.

Adelson was known for donating millions of dollars to pro-Israel organizations, including pledging a total of $100 million to Birthright Israel, an organization that funds trips to Israel for young Jewish adults.

Later in his life, Adelson began giving large sums of money to Republican candidates and conservative causes.

Politico reports that in 2012, he became the largest individual donor in American electoral history, injecting more than $90 million in a failed effort to prevent President Barack Obama from winning a second term.

President George W. Bush and his wife issued a statement calling Adelson an American patriot, a generous benefactor of charitable causes, and a strong supporter of Israel.

George W Bush on Sheldon Adelson death: pic.twitter.com/raiuZqOyIh  Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) January 12, 2021

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
Michigan has administered 233,085 of the 829,200 COVID-19 vaccine doses distributed throughout the state during the first four weeks of vaccine availability.

As of Sunday, Jan. 10, about 28% of the vaccine doses sent around the state had gone into arms, according to data published Monday, Jan. 11, from the Department of Health and Human Services. A total of 1,218 provider sites are enrolled in the vaccination program, and state officials say all of the doses theyve received have been shipped to providers.

The highest one-day total for vaccinations was Friday, when 29,642 vaccinations were reported. Over the weekend there were 9,292 vaccinations on Saturday and 2,237 on Sunday.

Of the doses administered to-date, most have been through hospitals (173,377), local health departments (43,041) and home health providers (8,042). Health care workers have been the top priority, along with residents and staff at long-term care facilities.

On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar requesting permission to directly purchase up to 100,000 more doses of vaccines for Michigan residents. Whitmer and eight other governors have requested that President Donald Trumps administration send out the second doses being held by the CDC, but she has not received a response.

We remain ready to accelerate distribution to get doses into arms, Whitmer wrote.

President-elect Joe Bidens incoming administration has said Friday it plans to release all of the available vaccine doses currently being held back by the CDC.

Whitmer said Friday that Michigans distribution process has made great strides, but admitted that it has to take a little bit of time. MDHHS echoed that sentiment Monday and asked residents to be patient as local health departments put systems in place to allow for scheduling of vaccine appointments.

Counties that are ready to schedule vaccinations are listed on the states vaccine website, here. Others are expected to begin scheduling later this week, said Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for MDHHS.

As of Sunday, 214,894 residents have received their first dose and are awaiting their second of two doses. The Pfizer vaccine recommends three weeks between doses, while the Moderna vaccine recommends four weeks.

Nearly 19,000 Michiganders have received both doses of the vaccine.

Oakland County has received the most vaccines at 80,750, followed by Wayne County with 72,000, Kent County with 50,400 and Washtenaw County with 43,500. The city of Detroit alone has received 47,925 doses.

Significantly more women (157,457) have been vaccinated than men (75,461) thus far. Vaccinations have occurred across all adult age groups, led by individuals in their 30s and 50s.

Of the doses distributed across the state, 475,800 have been of the Pfizer vaccine, which was first to receive emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The other 108,300 doses are of the Moderna vaccine, which have mostly been provided to CVS and Walgreens pharmacies to be administered in long-term care facilities through a federal program.

Michigan is averaging 3,071 new COVID-19 cases and 103 new associated deaths per day over the last week. Both seven-day averages are down from three weeks earlier.

Since the start of the pandemic, Michigan has reported 234,618 confirmed cases and 13,401 confirmed deaths, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. It has also tracked 44,064 probable cases and 791 probable deaths that werent confirmed by a PCR test.

To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Read more on MLive:

Monday, Jan. 11, coronavirus data by county: 43 counties now have positivity rate of 10% or higher

Call for in-person school, vaccine for teachers top priorities for Michigan schools now

2020 was Michigans deadliest year on record, and COVID-19 was the No. 3 killer

Michigan Medicine blames low supply for COVID-19 vaccination delay

Next in line for vaccines, Michigan teachers are feeling optimistic
(CNN)  Videos of belligerent passengers at airports  some donning pro-Trump outfits  being forced off planes or denied boarding are circulating widely on social media, with many users describing the scenes as airport officials informing people that participated in the Capitol riot that they're on a no-fly list. But that's not necessarily the case.

Though at least one member of Congress and airline worker unions have called for known riot participants to be put on the FBI-managed no-fly list, which is designed to prevent known and suspected terrorists from getting airline tickets, it's not clear if that step has been taken.

The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

Federal officials and DC police are still working to identify and track down many of the rioters, though at least 20 federal criminal defendants have been arrested across the country.

When a person is put on the federal no-fly list, they would be stopped or undergo additional screening before going through a TSA checkpoint, according to the TSA.

That means the widely circulated footage of angry travelers being forced off of planes or screaming in a terminal likely aren't reacting to news that they've suddenly been put on the federal government's no-fly list, according to the TSA. Rather, they're more likely to be depictions of a well-known issue that has been plaguing airlines for months: Flight attendants and airline workers being forced to handle situations in which angry passengers refuse to comply with Covid-19-related safety policies.

Though airline CEOs have said the vast majority of passengers comply with the rules, anti-mask wearers vocally refusing to wear protective gear have disrupted flights in several high-profile cases.

(Conspiracy theories that the President has not disavowed  and that he has occasionally egged on  have attempted to paint Covid-19 as a "hoax.")

Last year, airlines warned passengers that they can enforce their own no-fly lists intended to ban disorderly customers from flying in the future. Hundreds of passengers are currently on those lists.

Airlines and two unions representing flight attendants, however, have said they are concerned about in-flight security as the pro-Trump rioters who stormed the US Capitol last week left the Washington, DC, area  particularly after several altercations on flights to DC ahead of the insurrection.

"We are incredibly concerned about recent politically motivated incidents on board passenger aircraft," read a statement from the APFA president Julie Hedrick. "Regardless of one's political beliefs, the cabin of a commercial aircraft must, out of necessity, be a calm environment for the safety of everyone onboard."

Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it banned 14 passengers that were on board a flight from DC to Seattle a day after the riot because they refused to wear masks and were "rowdy, argumentative and harassed our crew members."

Alaska said it has so far banned a total of 302 passengers for violating its mask policy since it went into effect last August 7.

The airlines don't necessarily share their no-fly lists with each other. Delta's CEO, for example, said last month that about 700 people are on the company's no-fly list. The discrepancy means that unruly passengers could simply book flights on different aircraft.

Meanwhile, union representatives are calling for the FBI to add as many rioters as possible to the federal no-fly list, and are encouraging federal regulators to do more to discourage dangerous or disturbing behavior on flights.

"Airlines and law enforcement agencies have bolstered security at Washington-area airports this week after reports of 'mob behavior' on flights in and out of the region surrounding Wednesday's siege on the US Capitol," according to a January 9 statement from the Association of Flight Attendants. "Every airline flying out of the region over the last several days has experienced incidents onboard. Flight Attendants House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) on Thursday urged TSA and the FBI to add 'violent perpetrators' who participated in the Capitol riots to the federal No-Fly List."

Democrat Rep. Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Transportation Committee, said in a statement Monday that he is urging the FAA and its administrator, Stephen Dickson, "to limit the chance that the Nation's commercial airline system could be used as a means of mass transportation to Washington, DC, for further violence in connection with the inauguration."

The FAA issued a separate statement, announcing "unruly behavior on an airplane may violate federal law" and it can result in jail time and fines of up to $35,000.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Videos of passengers being removed from planes do not indicate federal no-fly status yet, TSA says."

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NOON Aesthetics, Inc. today announced the launch of their latest product, the Reform Eye Cream, containing their own patented DermShield technology. This product is the latest addition to the highly sophisticated portfolio of NOON Aesthetics, Inc. on its mission to change the paradigm in professional skincare.

"We are using the brand new SYN AKE technology," says Chris Kraneiss, Managing Director and Executive Vice President at NOON Aesthetics, Inc. "This neuropeptide blocks neuromuscular contractions. Together with a blend of other highly efficacious ingredients like but not limited to APP (a Vitamin C derivative), an active caffeine complex and sodium hyaluronate, this product helps to treat fine line and wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness, muscle contraction and free radicals."

This news comes in the wake of many recent product launches of the company, including:

The LactoCeramide-15 (15% lactic acid, ceramides 2,3,6)

The Intensive Hydrogel (2% fully plant derived salicylic acid)

The Azelaic Forte 25 (25% azelaic acid, 5% alpha arbutin)

The Retinol Charisma Plus Serum (1.6% pure retinol)

"We are extremely excited about this launch, especially since this product includes our own patented DermShield technology," says Masha Minkin, Co-Founder and CTO of NOON Aesthetics, Ltd., based in Tel Aviv, Israel. "We know that our technologies and products are very unique and results oriented."

To learn more about NOON Aesthetics, Inc., click here www.noonaesthetics.com.

About NOON Aesthetics, Ltd.: NOON Aesthetics Ltd. was established in 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel and expanded into more than 30 countries since. NOON Aesthetics globally develops, manufactures, and sells clinical skincare to help to treat conditions such as acne, pigmentation, and rosacea. The company does not distribute its products in online but is distributed only through the professional skincare channel. The US corporate office is located in Irvine, California.

NOON Aesthetics, Inc.

833-666-6246

[email protected]

SOURCE NOON Aesthetics, Inc.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:59:37|Editor: huaxia

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Aerial photo taken on May 23, 2018 shows the Luohu District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

-- A tall tree grows from deep roots. It is self-reliance that has enabled China to stand firmly among nations of the world.

-- China has the confidence and capability to realize a high level of self-reliance and self-improvement.

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- As the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, China is committed to realizing a high level of self-reliance and self-improvement, defined by the leadership as the most essential characteristic of China's new development paradigm.

It is a major strategic task for China's overall development to establish at a faster pace the new development pattern featuring "dual circulation," in which domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay.

A tall tree grows from deep roots. It is self-reliance that has enabled China to stand firmly among nations of the world. China has learned from its experience that a country cannot ask, buy or beg for core technologies in key fields from other countries. Only by holding these technologies in its own hands can the country ensure economic security, national security and security in other areas.

The country has thus underscored independent innovations and the establishment of mechanisms that facilitate innovations and technological breakthroughs.

A high-speed train runs along the railway linking Yinchuan and Xi'an, in Huanxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Dec. 26, 2020. (Photo by Zhang Yongxin/Xinhua)

China has the confidence and capability to realize a high level of self-reliance and self-improvement. It has laid a solid foundation thanks to the unremitting endeavors in the past decades, especially since the reform and opening up.

According to the Munich-headquartered European Patent Office, China has the highest average growth rate in patents of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies, which concern smart connected objects, the Internet of Things, big data, 5G communication and artificial intelligence.

China's pursuit of self-reliance under its new development pattern, however, is not to close its doors but to be more involved in international cooperation. It will more actively integrate into the global innovation network and implement a strategy of international cooperation that is more open, inclusive and mutually beneficial. 
Campbellfield, Australia -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2021 -- All 4 Kids is an online store providing a vast range of baby kids accessories such as toys, stroller, pram stroller and many more. The company has built a remarkable portfolio of products over the years, and this has seen them become a one-stop-shop for all baby kid's needs. Additionally, the company provides excellent customer services, which makes them a reliable vendor to partner with. The company imports its products directly from reputable manufacturers, enabling them to cut the intermediary cost and share savings with customers.



Offering tips clients should consider when buying a baby pram, the company spokesperson said, "Pram is one of the first requirements of parents when it comes to looking out for comfort and care for their babies. It allows babies to lie and sit comfortably. When buying a pram for newborn babies, parents need to ensure that it is well padded and allows them to sleep in it comfortably. They should also buy a pram that can withstand the normal wear and tear of daily activities. Moreover, their newborn babies should be able to lie flat on the pram so that it protects their back and breathe well. This will contribute to their overall development. Also, the parent should look for a pram that has ideal space and weight too."



Get the best baby bouncer in Australia from All 4 Kids. They stock an extensive collection of baby bouncers that are comfortable, snug and fun for baby to sit in. Their baby bouncers are also available in a wide range of neutral colours including pearly pink, old rose, anthracite, black, light grey, and blue. One of the baby bouncer brands they stock is the Beeba Up and Down Bouncer. The baby bouncer brand is a modern bouncer with adjustable height. It has a detachable head hugger which provides optimum support. Also, it has soft padded seating which offers excellent comfort for the baby. Moreover, it has excellent stability, a rocking lock and a 5-point harness, allowing the baby to be lulled in complete safety. To buy, clients can visit the company's website.



Speaking on why parents should buy an ideal tepee for their kids, the company spokesperson said, "A tepee is just a conical tent that is made from colourful cotton canvas. It provides the opportunity for children to either cosy up and read a book or dive deep into imaginary play. There are several reasons why parents should buy a tepee for their kids. A tepee makes a great fort as it is a readily constructed fort that's ready to play whenever a child desires. Tepee tents are affordable and durable and are perfect for independent play. Independent play teaches kids skills like self-reliance, creativity, imagination and focus. To buy a tepee, clients can visit our store to pick out the perfect tepee tent for their children."



Are you planning to buy a stroller? All 4 Kids is the right place to go and shop. The company sells a wide range of baby products from strollers to furniture, baby clothes and others at very affordable price online. They stock a vast range of baby strollers with many benefits including comfort, convenience and safety, portability, travelling, jogging and easy handling of twins. With the company, clients can get the right stroller that will fulfil their needs without any damage. Beside online baby stroller, their online prams in Australia are also famous for quality and durability.



About All 4 Kids

All 4 Kids online is a family-owned Australian company offering quality baby products for an affordable price.



Contact Details



Company Name: All 4 Kids

Telephone: 1300 882 061

Website: https://all4kidsonline.com.au/
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Lithuania's producer prices declined further in December, figures from Statistics Lithuania showed on Tuesday. The producer price index decreased 7.9 percent year-on-year in December, following a 8.3 percent decrease in November. Excluding refined petroleum products, producer prices fell 1.4 percent annually in December, following a 1.5 percent decline in the preceding month. Producer prices for products sold on the Lithuanian market decreased by 5.6 percent annually in December. Prices for products sold on the foreign market fell by 9.4 percent from a year ago. On a month-on-month basis, producer prices rose 1.5 percent in December, following a 0.6 percent increase in the prior month. Another data from Statistics Lithuania showed that the EU measure of harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, fell 0.1 percent yearly in December. On a monthly basis, the HICP remained unchanged in December. 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.
India recently approved what lawmakers considered the harshest anti-conversion law in the country's history yet.

The Madhya Pradesh State Cabinet on Dec. 26 approved what the lawmakers dubbed as the harshest anti-conversion law ever implemented in the country's entire history yet. The law replaced its former act with stricter implementation and sanctions that the authors said will prevent the forced religious conversion of poor Hindus.

On Jan. 9, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Anandiben Patel, promulgated The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance of 2020 to replace the Madhya Pradesh's Religious Freedom Act of 1968. The order comes with a list of more stringent rules on citizens desiring to change religion. The act also includes rules for religious conversion facilitators, the International Christian Concern (ICC) reported.

A part of the ordinance says individuals who desire to switch religions must secure a permit from the district administration 60 days prior to the conversion. The person facilitating the conversion must also let the district administration know about the upcoming conversion 60 days ahead of the ceremony.

The ordinance clearly stated sanctions on individuals caught violating the rules on religious conversions such as failure to secure the necessary permit and forcefully converting individuals to a different religion. Citizens who fail to follow the previsions will have to face imprisonment of up to three to five years. Violators will also have to pay a 50,000-rupee penalty.

Under Section 3 of the ordinance, individuals convicted of forceful religious conversions minors, women, and alike will face two to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees. This is more stringent than the previous implementation that sanctions two to five years of imprisonment for the offender and fines them a financial penalty worth 25,000 rupees.

The law was supposed to be promulgated by the Madhya Pradesh State Legislature. However, since the legislature is still not in session, the government promulgated the ordinance as per the constitution. The ordinance will have the same effect on the state as a law. With the weight of the sanctions and the stricter rules to follow in religious conversions, lawmakers dubbed this ordinance as the harshest anti-conversion law yet.

Christians are at a higher risk of false accusations to justify violence inflicted on them for allegations of forced religious conversions. Reports say that radical Hindu nationalists often take advantage of the existence of such ordinances to pass their own laws to limit the changing of religion.

While Christians in the country suffer a lot from violence due to false accusations of fraudulently converting individuals, the population data of India does not provide concrete evidence that they are the ones behind the fraud. Since 1951 up to the most recent census, Christians remain to make up only 2.3 percent of the national population.

However, Christians in places such as Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand suffer violence. Assailants justify the harassment and assault by accusing the victims of forced conversion.

Reports also reveal that since the existence of the anti-conversions law in 1967, there is still no individual in the country convicted of forced conversion, according to ICC.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The first ever shipment of coronavirus vaccines that will arrive in the country in February will be given to healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, two officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the initial batch of 50,000 doses from China's Sinovac will be allotted for medical frontliners based in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the pandemic in the country.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a separate briefing, said healthcare workers will not get to choose their preferred brand since the Sinovac delivery is the only one expected to arrive in the country until June. Those apprehensive about its safety and efficacy can opt out of the vaccination program. However, they will lose their spot in the priority list and they would have to be relegated to the bottom of the list.

"Sa Pebrero hanggang Hunyo, wala po talagang pagpipilian. Kaya nga po kung ayaw niyo ng Sinovac, well, hindi kayo pipilitin," he said.

[Translation: You won't have any brand to choose from from February to June. If you don't want to receive Sinovac, you won't be forced.]

Roque drew flak for saying on Monday that Filipinos cannot be "picky" once a vaccine becomes available for rollout in the country. Some Filipinos are apprehensive about receiving the doses from China after Brazilian researchers reported that Sinovac's CoronaVac is just more than 50% effective based on trial data.

President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesperson also said there is an "initial agreement" to complete the vaccination of all healthcare workers nationwide before moving on to the next sectors in the priority list. He added there was a debate in the COVID-19 task force to include those with co-morbidities in the government's vaccine priority list. If granted, those with other medical conditions will be vaccinated after healthcare workers, senior citizens, and before poor families.

Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH hopes to complete the database for those included in the vaccination priority list this month.
VICTOR, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today that it has closed its sale of the Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy brand, related inventory, and interests in certain contracts to Sazerac for approximately $265 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments.



"The closure of this sale concludes a series of transactions within our wine and spirits business designed to help accelerate revenue growth and operating margin performance by advancing our vision of building a winning portfolio of distinctive, higher-end brands," said Bill Newlands, Constellation Brands' president and chief executive officer. "With these transactions now behind us, our team can more fully concentrate our resources and focus behind a smaller set of more premium brands that better align with consumer premiumization trends."

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, Constellation announced it had closed transactions with E. & J. Gallo Winery and Vie-Del Company. Constellation divested a portion of its wine and spirits portfolio principally priced at $11 retail and below, including certain related facilities, and its Nobilo wine brand to Gallo. Constellation also divested certain brands used in its grape juice concentrate business, together with related inventory, interests in certain contracts, and liabilities to Vie-Del Company.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The word "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate to business strategy, future operations, future revenue growth, future operating margin performance, prospects, plans, and objectives of management, as well as information concerning expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur or will occur on any contemplated timetable. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Constellation Brands undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

In addition to risks and uncertainties associated with ordinary business operations, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including actual post-closing adjustments; the accuracy of all projections; and other factors and uncertainties disclosed from time-to-time in Constellation Brands' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, which could cause actual future performance to differ from current expectations.

ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS

At Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. It's worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. It's what has made us one of the fastest-growing large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver what's next.

Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, and our high-quality premium wine and spirits brands, including the Robert Mondavi Brand Family, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, The Prisoner Brand Family, SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey.

But we won't stop here. Our visionary leadership team and passionate employees from barrel room to boardroom are reaching for the next level, to explore the boundaries of the beverage alcohol industry and beyond. Join us in discovering what's Worth Reaching For.

To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrandsand visit www.cbrands.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 / michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com (mailto:michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com)

Amy Martin 585-678-7141 / amy.martin@cbrands.com (mailto:amy.martin@cbrands.com)

Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 / patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com (mailto:patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com)

Marisa Pepelea 312-741-2316 / marisa.pepelea@cbrands.com (mailto:marisa.pepelea@cbrands.com)?

A downloadable PDF copy of this news release can be found here: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/318ce3a5-526c-49c7-9cf8-f571e3fc3b44



(Natural News) A Phoenix-based freelance photojournalist by the name of Arianna Grainey is getting roasted by the internet for complaining on Twitter about having to wait an hour and forty minutes for a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine  even as the elderly and other high-risk people are having to wait weeks or months for theirs.

Having to stand in line for a little bit was simply too much for Grainey to handle, so she took to social media in a series of now-protected tweets to rant about what a bother it was to have to stand there for so long.

Have been in this line for an hour and forty minutes, Grainey complained to her handful of followers. As a photojournalist I am deemed essential by my country.

In other words, Grainey is just as essential as a firefighter or a hospital worker, in her own mind, and thus should have had the red carpet rolled out for her to receive a China virus injection immediately upon arrival at the facility that administered it to her.

A Twitter account called Comfortably Smug that had been reposting Graineys chain of tweets about having to wait in a long line to get jabbed noted that the self-important complainer took down the offensive posts within 15 minutes  but not before they were captured by onlookers.

If youre not a healthcare worker and youre a healthy under 30 American, Ive got strong opinions about you stepping in line before grandma, tweeted Josh Homes, a former Chief of Staff and campaign manager to Sen. Leader Mitch McConnell.

If Grainey survives, she will be better off than the growing number of people who didnt

Could it be that Grainey is simply looking for a date? Getting an Operation Warp Speed injection, after all, will soon be a requirement for people who want a relationship, says Anthony Fauci.

Or maybe Grainey wants to see what it feels like to develop Bells palsy, a common side effect associated with President Donald Trumps fast-tracked vaccines.

Whatever the case may be, Grainey apparently feels as though she deserves the vaccine before people who are older and sicker than she is, demonstrating the density of the media elite who apparently lack the self-awareness necessary to see their own hypocrisy.

According to Fred T. from The Right Scoop, Grainey will be a forever symbol of the MSM journo elites, eating cake and aghast that the peasants wont just stop being starving.

We hope that Grainey does not end up suffering a severe adverse reaction from the petroleum-based nanoparticles that were added to Pfizer and BioNTechs China virus vaccine. In the event that she does, she will wish that she had gone to the back of the line rather than straight to the front.

Since the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology used in COVID-19 vaccines has never been injected into human bodies until now, there is no telling how the jab will affect Grainey in the long term. And since her Twitter account appears to have vanished, we may never know the outcome of her volunteering to be a human guinea pig.

A plumber is essential, wrote one commenter at The Right Scoop. A journalist is non-essential. They are polar opposites.

This thing isnt tested, theres no way of knowing potential long-term problems, so why would someone even want their loved ones to take it? asked another. I say let these essential workers or whatever they are be the guinea pigs.

To keep up with the latest news about the nasty adverse effects associated with Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination, be sure to check out and bookmark Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheRightScoop.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
"Journalists are witnesses and rarely in the history of our country has the work of reporters been more important than on January 6, 2021, in documenting the deadly insurrection that nearly toppled our government," said National Press Club President Michael Freedman and National Press Club Journalism Institute President Angela Greiling Keane in a statement. "They are important chroniclers of democracy. Press freedom is a key tenet of American democracy and democracies worldwide. Journalists' ability to do their jobs and operate unimpeded by threats and violence is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Any attempt to interfere with that right should be investigated and wrongdoers prosecuted."

In the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump, numerous reporters in the Capitol and on its grounds were verbally threatened, physically attacked or had their equipment damaged.

All reporters covering the certification of the presidential election in the Capitol that day had to either hide, or flee for their safety. "Murder the Media" was scrawled on a door in the Capitol.

Other journalists were reportedly wrongly detained in Washington, D.C., during arrests that day.

Five people died as a direct result of the violence, including a U.S. Capitol Police Officer who was attacked.

"Last week's insurrection was a direct result of a dangerous misinformation campaign spread by President Trump, members of his administration, and several of his most fervent supporters in Congress," the press leaders said. "The attacks on the press covering the scene last Wednesday were driven by President Trump's repeated rejection of truth and his demonization of the purveyors of it."

The National Press Club, founded in 1908, is The World's Leading Professional Organization for Journalists with nearly 3,000 members worldwide. The Club is a strong voice for Press Freedom matters abroad and at home.

The Club's nonprofit, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, 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.

PRESS CONTACT: Lindsay Underwood for the National Press Club; [email protected], (202) 662-7561

SOURCE National Press Club

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[January 12, 2021] The Best Just Got Better: All-new Razer Blade 15 and Razer Blade Pro 17 With NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the all-new Razer Blade 15 and Razer Blade Pro 17 gaming laptops powered by NVIDIA (News - Alert)  GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs. To take advantage of the powerful new GPUs, the laptops are now available with new display options at higher refresh rates and higher resolutions. The new Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 gaming laptops form the most powerful and diverse lineup of gaming laptops from Razer ever - and with new configurations starting at only $1,699, now anyone can experience a Razer Blade. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005415/en/ The all-new Razer Blade 15 powered by the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-Series Laptop GPUs. (Photo: Business Wire) "The new Razer Blade line is the best place for gamers to play the next generation of games," said Brad Wildes, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Razer Systems business unit. "Our new line features the latest graphics technology, giving gamers the most immersive experience available. With the fastest displays on the market and one of our smallest chassis ever, gamers can enjoy ultra-smooth gameplay anywhere and everywhere. Simply put: The Razer Blades are the ultimate way to play." The Most Powerful The all-new Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 offer gamers the most powerful graphics technology currently available, armed with the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series laptop GPUs, up to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs, powered by the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, increase energy efficiency by up to 2x, accelerate performance dramatically and introduce third-generation Max-Q technologies such as Advanced Optimus for improved battery life when playing on the go, Dynamic Boost 2.0 for optimized GPU performance when gaming or creating, and Whisper Mode 2.0 for improved acoustic control when working in quiet environments. GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs deliver stunning ray-traced gaming experiences in Cyberpunk 2077 and other top titles and enable creators to produce incredible content using hundreds of GPU-accelerated apps.



The Fastest The Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 continue a legacy of being the fastest around, featuring new display types with higher refresh rates and more resolution options to take full advantage of the powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs. For the first time ever, the Blade 15 Advanced Model will be available with three unique 15.6" display options: Full HD at 360Hz, Quad HD at 240Hz with NVIDIA G-SYNC, and a stunning Ultra HD OLED with a wide color space at 60Hz. The Blade Pro 17 will also be available with three different 17.3" display options: Full HD at 360Hz, Quad HD at 165Hz, and Ultra HD at 120Hz.

The high refresh rate Full HD display is perfect for hardcore gamers for whom every frame counts to maintain the competitive advantage. The Ultra HD displays are the ultimate way to work for content creators needing the power of a gaming laptop but the visual fidelity of a studio workstation. The Quad HD displays offer the best of both worlds, featuring a high refresh rate for fast-paced gaming and a high resolution for content creation. Whether gaming, creating, or gaming and creating, there is now the perfect Razer Blade for everyone. The Smallest In 2011, Razer broke the mold and introduced the world's first true gaming laptop, a machine capable of playing the latest titles while maintaining a sleek and mobile form factor capable of being taken anywhere. Today, Razer continues that legacy, launching the smallest 15-inch gaming laptop powered by an NVIDIA RTX 30 Series Laptop GPU currently available. The Blade Pro 17 remains one of the thinnest 17-inch gaming laptops on the market, measuring in at a mere 19.9mm x 260mm x 395mm, making it the perfect mobile desktop replacement. The compact form factor of both laptops lets users break free from their desk and take their game anywhere. The new Razer Blades make the most of their small form factor, packing every inch of space with something to make every user's life easier. The sides are lined with a variety of inputs ranging from USB-C to HDMI 2.1 to a UHS-III SD card reader, so users can connect to anything, without hunting for a dongle. The keyboards are powered by Razer Chroma RGB that can be customized for productivity or gaming with front-facing speakers flanking the sides to keep work and play fun and engaging. In addition, Razer Blade users will gain immersive audio for a 360-degree soundscape when listening to movies, music, or games with THX Spatial Audio over any analog headphones or the device speakers. Internally, the laptops feature expansive storage and memory options, up to 1TB and 32GB respectively, to keep up with the rise of demanding games and creative applications. To learn more about the all-new Razer Blades go to razer.com/gaming-laptops PRICING & AVAILABILITY The new Razer Blade 15 starts at only $1699.99/1799.99 MSRP and will be available for pre-order exclusively at Razer.com and Razer Store locations on January 12 and for purchase from select retailers starting January 26. The new Razer Blade Pro 17 starts at $2299.99/2399.99 MSRP and will be available for pre-order exclusively at Razer.com and Razer Store locations on January 12 and for purchase from select retailers in Q1 2021. MEDIA RESOURCES Download assets here. Download the Razer Blade 15 spec sheet here. Download the Razer Blade Pro 17 spec sheet here. ABOUT RAZER Razer is the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers. The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world's largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services. Razer's award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops. Razer's software platform, with over 100 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher). In services, Razer Gold is one of the world's largest virtual credit services for gamers, and Razer Fintech is one of the largest offline-to-online digital payment networks in SE Asia. Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, Razer has 17 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337). Razer - For Gamers. By Gamers.  View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005415/en/

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Just as 2020 was ending, the EU and China announced the completion of a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) between the two. This will be the most ambitious agreement that China has ever concluded with a third country," boasted the European Commission.

The CAI gives European firms enhanced access to the Chinese market, removes (or relaxes) Chinese government requirements on joint ventures and technology transfer in some sectors, and promises equal treatment with state enterprises and greater regulatory transparency. Moreover, the Chinese government has undertaken some obligations on environmental sustainability and labour rights, notably by agreeing to make continued and sustained efforts" to ratify the Forced Labour Convention.

On paper, this is a win not only for European industry, but also for human rights. But the reception the CAI has received has not been uniformly positive. The US reaction ranged from disappointment to outright hostility. For hardliners, Europes decision looked like caving in to Chinese economic might and handing Beijing a diplomatic win. But many moderates, including President-elect Joe Bidens designated national security adviser, were dismayed as well. The incoming Biden administration would have preferred a unified front against China, by striking an economic deal with Europe first. For others, it was the EUs apparent naivete on Chinas human rights promises that rankled.

The Europe-China agreement underscores a fundamental question of the post-pandemic world order: How should strategic and economic relations between major powers with different institutional and political arrangements be managed? Can democracies remain true to their values while engaging in trade and investment with China?

To answer that, we must recognize two facts. First, it is impossible to envisage a significant decoupling of the Chinese economy and economies of the West that does not induce economic catastrophe. Second, there is little that Western countries can do to reshape Chinas state-driven economic model or repressive human- and labour-rights regime.

Trade and investment deals cannot transform China into a Western-style market economy or turn it into a democracy. Our best hope, then, is to seek a new global regime that recognizes the diversity of economic and political settings without severely undermining the gains from international trade and investment.

None of this implies that Western countries should put human rights or political considerations aside when they engage China in the economic sphere. It simply means that the West should pursue more limited, more attainable, and ultimately more defensible goals. Two goals are paramount. First, trade and investment rules should ensure that Western firms and consumers are not directly complicit in human-rights abuses in China. Second, such rules should safeguard democratic countries against Chinese practices that could undermine their domestic institutional arrangements on labour, environment, technology, and national security. The objective ought to be to uphold and protect the Wests own values, rather than export them.

So, the relevant question on the CAI is not whether the EU will be able to alter the Chinese economic system or [repressive regime]... but whether the EU has given up its freedom to pursue policies that limit complicity in human rights and labour abuses or safeguard European national security and labour standards.

The European Commission has claimed that the CAI allows the EU to maintain its policy space", especially in sensitive" sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and public services. In other areas, the EU is already fairly open to Chinese investment.

That raises the question of what the Chinese government thinks it is getting with the agreement. The answer seems to be that China is buying insurance against future restrictions in Europe. The agreement contains an arbitration scheme that enables the parties to bring violation complaints against each other... While the European Commission views this as a way to prevent Chinese backsliding from commitments, it could also serve as a means for the Chinese government to challenge specific entry barriers against Chinese firms.

An arbitration mechanism is necessary. But what if, say, a European country wants to bar a Chinese firm that treats its workers badly or operates in Xinjiang? What happens if European countries adopt tougher measures preventing Chinese firms with problematic labour or environmental practices from operating in the EU? Would the arbitration mechanism find these regulations compatible with the CAI? Similarly, how much deference will panels show to exceptions to market access based on national security" considerations?

The answers are not clear. Much will depend on the final text of the CAI, and the degree to which arbitration panels choose to prioritize market access over countries self-described public purpose."

In any case, neither the US desire to forge a united front against China, nor the reality that the CAI will fall short of creating a freer, more market-oriented China is a valid argument against the CAI. We should not judge the CAI by whether it enables Europe to export its system and values. We should judge it by whether it allows Europe to remain true to its own. 2021/Project Syndicate

Dani Rodrik is professor of international political economy at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Forbes School of Business and Technology Center for Women's Leadership will host a virtual panel on Friday, January 15, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. PT.

Panel speakers include Tamar Elkeles, Chief Human Resources Officer/Head of HR, XCOM; Dr. Chitra Anand, Technology Executive & Advisor, Author of The Green House Approach, Former Chief Communications Officer, Microsoft Canada; Lizzie Bronte, Technology Delivery Expert, Nationwide Insurance; and Dr. Karen Ivy, Department Chair, Department of Technology Studies, [email protected] UAGC. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Maja Zelihic, Department Chair and Professor in the Forbes School of Business & Technology, and advisory team member for the Center for Women's Leadership.

Dr. Ivy shared, "The technology industry continues to fall behind the curve in terms of gender equity in recruiting and hiring. Women constitute only 34.4% of the five largest technology companies, while they make up 47% of the workforce across all other sectors. Is this lag the result of lower interest among women in STEM fields or resistance to recognize women's tech leadership qualifications? What actions can technology companies and the women who seek to join them take to build gender equity?"

The CWL Women in Technology Panel will address these questions from the varied perspectives of exceptional women who broke through the glass ceiling to attain leadership positions in the challenging technology sector. Join us for a productive discussion of what women should know when considering a career in the technology sector and of theories and tactics toward overcoming gender disparities in the field.

Registration is available at: https://bit.ly/3oxnyMp.

About University of Arizona Global Campus

The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus builds on Ashford University's promise of high-quality online learning, access and inclusivity and the University of Arizona's mission as a land-grant institution focused on student success. Global Campus is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 35,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. For more information, visit uagc.edu.

About the Center for Women's Leadership (CWL)

The CWL envisions a world in which all women are empowered as leaders. The Center's mission supports this by providing a community for networking and professional development and making recommendations to organizational practices through existing and novel research. The Center encompasses four distinct areas: events, education, mentorship, and research, each aimed at the empowerment of women leaders. For more information please see: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6925212/ and https://www.uagc.edu/forbes-school-of-business-and-technology/center-womens-leadershipContact:

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UNCLE announces $1BN transformative investment to grow to over $5BN of assets over the next five years

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Realstar Group announced that QuadReal Property Group has invested c.$1B to acquire a majority interest in eight of its UK assets (seven in London, one in Manchester). Four of these assets form part of Realstars UNCLE branded rental housing portfolio, including its flagship 45-story tower in the centre of Elephant & Castle, as well its Stockwell, New Cross and Manchester buildings.

QuadReal has already partnered with Realstar on six other UNCLE developments in London, bringing its rapidly growing residential rental portfolio under the UNCLE brand to 10 locations, representing nearly $2.5B of assets and growing.

In addition to its investment in the properties, QuadReal is also acquiring an ownership stake in Realstars UK management business which owns the UK rights to the UNCLE brand.

UNCLE was founded by Realstar principal, Ryan Prince, with a mission to bring a sense of trust and decency back to the rental experience. Similar to a hotel chain, UNCLE aims to create neighborhoods in multiple locations, with varying price points in the largest global cities.

Ryan Prince, CEO and Founder of UNCLE, says: We have worked in partnership with QuadReal and its clients as a trusted business ally for many years. However, under this new relationship they will become partners alongside us in the UK on both the brand and operations, as well as the bricks and mortar. This joined-up approach will be a real advantage in achieving our goal to double (and hopefully triple) the size of the UNCLE portfolio over the next five years.

Far from being dead when the pandemic passes, cities will continue to be the lifeblood of global communities. UNCLEs locations, amenities and most importantly service offers city dwellers what they deserve for their hard-earned money. With vaccines now approved and in circulation, we can now see light at the end of the tunnel.

Jay Kwan, QuadReals Managing Director of Europe, adds: This transaction represents the natural evolution of QuadReals investment strategy in Europe. We are deepening our exposure to a sector we believe in, and more solidly aligning ourselves with a world class partner on the operating side of the business. We are well positioned to continue expanding UNCLEs reach in the UK.

Jonathan Dubois-Phillips, QuadReals International President, says: QuadReals global real estate portfolio now includes over 50,000 residential rental suites. This commitment reflects our strong conviction to the asset class. We continue to see opportunities to improve the communities we invest in  by addressing the fundamental lack of professionally managed rental accommodation. We have a long, successful track record investing with the Realstar team and were extremely confident that partnering with them in the UK operating company will enhance the breadth and depth of UNCLEs rental housing options.

Realstar were advised by Eastdil and QuadReal were advised by JLL.

About Realstar

Whether for a night, a year or a decade, Realstar strives to be the most trusted owner and operator of the places its customers call home. Investors and managers of properties for living since 1974, Realstar owns and manages in excess of $8 billion of assets in Canada and the UK. It is a long-term owner and manager of its rental portfolio, which today comprises of over 25,000 apartments. It is the previous owner of Delta Hotels (now part of Marriott) and a portfolio of Holiday Inn hotels comprising of over 13,000 rooms throughout the UK. It also owns the master franchise rights to the Days Inn and Motel 6 brands in Canada. Realstar has been a player in the UK property market for over 18 years and has gone on to acquire or develop in excess of 2.5bn assets. The firms strategy has been to target overlooked and misunderstood alternative asset classes such as the primary healthcare, hotel and rental residential sectors. Currently, Realstar UK owns over 1 billion of property, including successful student accommodation brands and build-to-rent brand UNCLE.

www.realstargroup.com

About UNCLE

Frustrated and surprised by the lack of any consumer brand in the rental living space, UNCLE was established by Ryan Prince in 2017. The brands mission is to offer a warm friendly service in design-savvy apartments and amenity spaces combined with a straight-talking, no-nonsense approach for renters from all backgrounds who are tired of being treated like second-class citizens  in short, to take the lord attitude out of being a landlord. In the three years since its launch, UNCLE already has five open locations across London and Manchester and a further 5 under construction.

UNCLE: Renting as it should be.

www.uncle.co.uk

About QuadReal

Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, QuadReal Property Group is a global real estate investment, operating and development company. QuadReal manages the real estate and mortgage programs of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), one of Canadas largest asset managers with a $171.3 billion portfolio. QuadReal manages a $44.2 billion portfolio spanning 23 Global Cities across 17 countries. The company seeks to deliver strong investment returns while creating sustainable environments that bring value to the people and communities it serves. Now and for generations to come.

QuadReal: Excellence lives here.

www.quadreal.com

For all UK enquiries please contact:

Rebecca Baisden

Deputy Account Director

Halpern

07729174697

Rebecca.baisden@halpern.co.uk

For all Canadian enquiries please contact:

Susan L MacLaurin, CFA

Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications

QuadReal Property Group

T 604-975-9563

susan.maclaurin@quadreal.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4020cd4a-a34f-4e85-8e8c-dba3b22476f9



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7fd38b8d-42d1-4490-9893-d8c7ba96ba97

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/21321eb8-e75c-4096-b1e6-0a635e659208
Brussels: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cancelled his Europe trip at the last minute on after Luxembourg's foreign minister and top European Union officials declined to meet him, European diplomats and other people familiar with the matter said.

The Europeans snubbed Washington's top envoy days after the storming of the US Capitol by thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump, an unprecedented attack on American democracy that stunned many world leaders.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the National Press Club, Tuesday, January 12, 2020 - he could not get a meeting in Luxemburg. Credit:AP

Pompeo, a close ally of Trump, had sought to meet Jean Asselborn in Luxembourg, a small but wealthy NATO ally, before meeting EU leaders and the bloc's top diplomat in Brussels, three people close to the planning told Reuters.

Pompeo had originally planned to go to Luxembourg, but that leg of the trip was scrapped, one diplomatic source said, after officials there showed reluctance to grant him appointments. The Brussels leg was still on until the last minute.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
NEW DELHI: China has engaged continuously in silencing the voices of dissent under its oppression and the most recent name in this manhunt initiated by the Chinese government is Uighur doctor and rights activist from Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) Dr. Gulshan Abbas. China has sentenced Dr. Gulshan Abbas to 20 years in prison after branding her a terrorist. Abbas reportedly disappeared in 2018, shortly after her sister Rushan Abbas participated in a panel discussion on China and its internment camps in the XUAR. After her location remained unknown for the past 27 months, her family was confirmed about her sentencing by the CCP government in March 2019. Her family came to know about this on December 25, 2020 by reliable inside sources.

As the cloud around the disappearance of Gulshan Abbas has cleared, China has been caught off-guard on the geopolitical stage of the world. Major human rights organizations have started to gather and press for the demands of unconditional release of Dr. Abbas. Campaign for Uyghurs  an advocacy organization campaigning for Uighur human rights, has shared the statement of the Commissioner of the United States Council on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Nury Turkel, who has appealed to everyone to write to the Chinese ambassador in their respective regions, even if the letters are ignored by them. He has further asked everyone to build a movement for immediate and unconditional release of Dr Gulshan Abbas. Turkels arguments were reiterated by the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy . Human Rights and Labour, Robert A Destro, while voicing out his demand for immediate release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas on Twitter. He highlighted CCPs practice of hunting down activists for speaking out against its repressive policies.

The campaign for Uighurs along with Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC),organised a press conference on 30th December 2020, CFUs Executive Director Rushan Abbas , who happens to be the sister of Dr Gulshan Abbas , informed about sentencing of her sister of 20 years by the CCP government. The event was joined by many prominent human rights advocates including CECC Chairman and parliamentarian Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Tom Suozzi, Rep. Chris Smith,

Ambassador Kelly Currie from the State Department's Office of Global Women's Issues, and USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel. The speakers in the event unanimously put forward the demand for immediate release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas by the CCP government.

Jim McGovern strongly condemned the action of the CCP government to imprison and punish the innocent and helpless people from the region. He appealed to the government of the United States to prioritize the passage of the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act during discussions with Officials of the CCP government. Rep. Tom Suozzi strongly denied the charges on Dr. Abbas, while calling out the merciless abuse of the Uighurs by the CCP. His thoughts were reiterated by Rep. Chris Smith, who also called out on American corporations for their biased portrayal of human rights values. and keeping silence on the Uighur rights issue. Ambassador Kelly stated that human rights crimes of such stature need to be repulsed with unanimity, where the US Congress and administration jointly need to pursue this matter, seeking early and unconditional release of Dr. Abbas. USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel is the immediate testimony of the fabrication of charges on Dr. Gulshan Abbas. Citing his personal cordial relations with her, he pointed out the cowardly policy of the CCP government of going after mothers, grandmothers, and professionals  all in the name of muzzling the voices against oppression from the region.

Rushan Abbas and Dr. Rishat Abbas , siblings of Dr. Gulshan Abbas have kept the lanterns of Uighur rights and liberation of Gulshan Abbas burning. In the fight towards CCPs abuse of Uighur rights, they have been bravely demanding China for the release of their sister and checking CCPs abuse of human rights in XUAR. The horror of Uighur families can be felt in the statement of Gulshan Abbass daughter , Ziba Murat , who could not reveal the source of information about her mothers detention in China due to the security reasons. She further stated that her mother , being a doctor has helped people all along her life. But her cruel sentencing of 20 years by the Chinese government in her old age is an inhuman torture.

Such arrests have emerged as a new paradigm by the CCP regime, where it subjects the relatives of the exiled activists to various kinds of tortures and forcibly disappears them. Subjecting the people to harsh

punishments, enforced disappearances, and relocation to internment centers are few arrows in the quiver of Chinese government. According to World Uyghur Congress, China has adopted the most inhumane policies in its genocide against the Uighurs. China has not only forced the Uighurs to work in the labour camps, but it has also banned the Uighur language, separated Uighur families and sterilized the Uighur women in an attempt to bulldoze a cultural identity completely.

The press conference organized by Campaign for Uyghurs and CECC has brought the notice of the world on the gross injustice inflicted upon the Uighurs. Resulting in brewing of a movement by the Uighur rights activists,media houses around the world have started taking notice of this issue. Meanwhile, Twitter has started to flood with the hashtag #FreeGulshanAbbas , bringing in the attention of Twitter

community on this issue. The Uighur cause has also started to gain momentum and support in India. Red Lantern Analytica (RLA), a New Delhi based international affairs observer group has issued a statement of solidarity with Dr. Gulshan Abbas, wherein the organization has condemned the inhumane sentencing of the activist and extended support to the movement demanding immediate release of Dr. Abbas from the Chinese prison. This moment of solidarity was duly welcomed by Gulshan Abbas sister Rushan Abbas and daughter Ziba Murat and campaign for Uyghurs, all of them retweeted the statement from RLA from their respective Twitter handles. Campaign for Uighurs thanked RLA for their active support to the cause and sharing the truth about the crackdown on Uighurs by the Chinese regime . The tweet was further retweeted by Ziba Murat and Rushan Abbas . The whitewashing of the Uighur issue by the Chinese government handles and their propaganda operations. With the awareness of people on the issue of Uighur right abuses , a hopeful future awaits for those who have been oppressed for long by the CCP government in XUAR.
The Centers for Disease Control is recommending states expand COVID-19 access to everyone ages 65 and older even as it announces changes that could practically double the vaccine supply.

The recommendations are for states to expand their vaccination pool to those 65 and older as well as younger people with certain health conditions.

In Alabama, the first round of vaccines went to healthcare workers and workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Starting Jan. 18, it will be expanded to first responders as well as people ages 75 and older.

At least two counties have already started giving the vaccine to people over 75 and other counties have begun allowing people over 75 to sign up for the vaccine. Sign ups for Lee, Chambers and Macon counties are here.

The CDC guidelines are only a recommendation but are designed to increase whats seen as a slow national rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Of the more than 35 million doses of COVID-19 that have been delivered nationwide, just under 9 million shots have been administered, NBC News reported. In Alabama, the state has administered 87,138 COVID-19 vaccinations  roughly 32% of its total allotment - since its program began the week of Dec. 12, 2020.

The new guidelines would include those 65 and older and any adult with health conditions that would place them at greater risk for COVID-19 complications.

Alabama offering COVID vaccine for those 75 and older Jan. 18: Where to get it

More vaccines released

The Trump administration announced today it would no longer hold back the required second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, a move that will essentially doubling supply.

Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the administration has been holding back second doses as a safety stock.

We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production. So everything is now available to our states and our health care providers, Azar said.

The vaccine requires two doses between 21 and 28 days apart.
The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to gain pace in Spain. The Health Ministry reported on Monday that there have been 61,422 confirmed new infections since Friday, the biggest increase that has been seen on a Monday  when weekend data is also included  since the start of the pandemic. A total of 401 people were also added to the overall death toll from the virus.

Difficult weeks are on their way, warned Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), speaking at a press conference on Monday to present the latest data. In the coming days an increase in the incidence is expected, he added, in reference to the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This data point is currently at 436, a substantial increase from the 350 registered just three days before. The trend is clearly rising and the situation is not promising, he added. The data is not moving as fast as in the second wave, but there is a considerable increase that is being seen day by day, with figures that are already very close to [those of] the end of October.

Without losing his calm delivery but with a somewhat somber tone, Simon pointed to the recent Christmas holidays as the origin of the current acceleration in cases on as many as six occasions when speaking last night. We have perhaps had a better time than we could or should have done and now we have to cope with what is coming, he warned.

A frontline healthcare worker in the Valencia region getting vaccinated on Monday. Monica Torres

What is on its way is a very complicated situation in Spains hospitals, where nearly 14% of beds are occupied by Covid patients, a percentage that is as high as 26% in intensive care units (ICUs) and is around 40% in regions that are under higher pressure, such as Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia, La Rioja and the Balearic Islands.

While it is still early for them to take effect, Simon said that he was hoping that the restrictions put in place after last weeks Kings Day celebrations would soon begin to make a difference. The hope is that ICUs and hospital beds are not overwhelmed, he said about the measures. A slowdown in the growth of new cases could begin to be seen at the start of next week, he added.

Simons words were a call for responsibility after what he hinted at were the excesses of Christmas, albeit without using those exact words. Asked about the new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus that had been discovered in the United Kingdom, the CCAES director stated: The problem is not the new strain, its our behavior. If we apply [prevention measures] properly, we can control [the epidemiological curve], he said.

There were some optimistic statements, though fewer than usual. Simon pointed to the ongoing vaccination program, although he admitted that there were some weeks to go before their effect would be noted. Perhaps in February, when more than a million people have been vaccinated, he said, pointing out that each person must receive two doses of the immunization.

The intensive care unit at Santa Lucia hospital in Cartagena (Murcia).

He also wanted to convey a message of hope when asked whether a new lockdown would be necessary. It wasnt needed to control the second wave, he pointed out, adding that the drastic measure has a major effect on society and the economy. If we behave with solidarity, if we administer the measures in an adequate way, we will manage to control it, he added.

Spains hospitals are currently treating 16,791 Covid patients. This is up 3,333  nearly 25%  on a week ago. In the countrys ICUs, the rise has been 319 people, up 14.6%, to 2,511 ICU beds.

The situation is particularly complicated in La Rioja, where 42% of ICU beds are occupied by Covid patients, Valencia, with 40%, Catalonia (39%), the Balearic Islands (37%) and Madrid (36%), although there has been a general rise in practically all of Spain.

A sign of this is the large increase in the number of PRC and antigen tests being carried out. After several weeks when they barely exceeded 100,000 a week, given the succession of holidays over the Christmas period, on Friday they numbered over 180,000.

The positivity rate  the percentage of these tests that come back positive  has also continued to rise, another indicator of the increased circulation of the virus right now. The average in all of Spain rose on Friday to 16.7%, but in regions such as Castilla-La Mancha and Valencia, it was above 30% and in another four  Andalusia, Madrid, Extremadura and La Rioja  it was close to 20%.

Extremadura continues to be the worst-hit region right now, with a 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants of 1,022. It is followed by the Balearics (598) and Madrid (596). Meanwhile, the Canary Islands and Asturias are the only regions where the incidence is below 200. Andalusia, which until just a few days ago had similar figures, has seen a considerable rise and is now close to 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

The situation in Spain has become even more complicated due to the effects of Storm Filomena, which left huge amounts of snow behind in Spain and has paralyzed some areas of the country, including Madrid. I expect it to have an effect, but a minor one, replied Simon when asked about the effect that the weather could have on the spread of infections and the rhythm of the vaccinations.

As for the new strain of the virus, Simon said that it could not be blamed in any way for the rise in infections registered in Spain, as has been the case in the United Kingdom. Research is ongoing in Ireland too as to whether it is to blame for the explosion of cases there. If the variant has any effect in Spain it will be marginal, at least, he said. For now, 70 coronavirus cases with this new strain have been identified in regions such as Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia, and another 72 patients are being monitored for evidence of the new variant.

English version by Simon Hunter.
UPDATE: New information has emerged regarding the death of the Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick that questions the initial cause of his death provided by officials close to the Capitol Police.

One had dreamed of becoming a police officer and was injured in a clash with rioters. One was an Air Force veteran and a fervent supporter of President Trump who was shot by the police. Three others were Trump loyalists  including one who sold kangaroos dressed like the president  who suffered what the authorities called medical emergencies.

These five people from disparate backgrounds and different corners of the country now share one fate: Their lives all ended last week as a mob incited by Mr. Trump stormed the Capitol.

Federal prosecutors have opened investigations into the deaths of two  the officer beaten by pro-Trump rioters, and the California woman shot inside the Capitol. But the authorities have released limited information about the deaths of the others, while families and friends have been grappling with scattered accounts of their final actions that day.
SDLP Mid Ulster MLA, Patsy McGlone has said he is deeply concerned at reports that Magherafelt and Maghera have been identified as Royal Mail 'blackspots'.

He said they were two of 28 areas identified across the UK, and the only area in Northern Ireland, where residents are experiencing lengthy delays in receiving mail.

In a statement published with the list on its website, Royal Mail said it was working hard to deliver the most comprehensive and high quality service they can to all its customers despite the pandemic and the associated rise in pressure on delivery resources due to increased online shopping.

Mr McGlone said he has contacted the Health Minister today to ensure that the Trust source alternative means of contacting elderly and vulnerable residents to provide them with key information about their COVID vaccination date.

I was deeply concerned to read reports that Magherafelt and Maghera districts are Royal Mail blackspots and are experiencing delays in receiving mail.

"While I recognise that Covid-19 has led to reduced staff numbers and online shopping has added significant pressure to Royal Mail, residents in BT45 and BT46 should receive their mail in a timely manner.

While I acknowledge the hard work and long hours of local post workers, this situation is far from acceptable. I will be contacting Royal Mail to see what plans they can put in place to relieve the local pressure and provide some urgent clarity for residents.

Mr McGlone said the situation would be distressing at any time, but is particularly worrying when many elderly residents are waiting on a letter informing them about the Covid vaccine.

"It is absolutely vital that the Northern Trust put in place a satisfactory means of communication, to ensure some of our most vulnerable citizens dont miss out.

Residents in South Derry desperately need clarity on this and I have already made representations to the Minister and Royal Mail.
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Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) looks on during a hearing in Washington on July 29, 2020. (Graeme Jennings/Pool/Getty Images)

Fourth Member of Congress Tests Positive for COVID-19 Following Joint Session

A fourth representative announced Tuesday a positive COVID-19 test result following the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress.

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said he tested positive on Tuesday morning.

Schneider blamed the contraction of the disease, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, on having to spend time in a room with other members of Congress, during the storming of the Capitol, which interrupted the joint session.

Several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask, he said in a statement.

Schneider, 59, said hes showing no symptoms and is isolating.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said Monday shed tested positive for the disease.

Like Schneider and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), who announced a positive test earlier Monday, Jayapal, 55, blamed Republican colleagues who declined to wear masks while members were cloistered in a room during the storming of the Capitol, which interrupted the joint session.

Many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemiccreating a superspreader event, or an event where a multiple people contract the new illness, Jayapal said in a statement. She called for fines to be levied on members who refuse to wear masks in the Capitol.

Video footage showed Jayapal without a mask in the House chamber on Jan. 6.

Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of the United States Congress, told members after the session that they may have been exposed to another person with COVID-19 because of the close proximity while sheltering in place. He said members should get tested as a precaution.

Law enforcement officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

People can contract the CCP virus from others, whether they have masks or not. Some experts say wearing masks can lower the chances of transmission of the virus.

Jayapal, who has been quarantining since Jan. 7, didnt say whether she is showing any symptoms. Her office didnt immediately return an inquiry.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) also tested positive in recent days. He pinned what happened on exposure to another infected member of Congress with whom he shares a residence in Washington.

Fleischmann said he was feeling OK and isolating as he continued to work. I again, want to urge all Americans to continue to wear masks, practice proper hygiene, and follow CDC guidance as we work to combat COVID-19, he added in a statement.

Rep. Jacob LaTurner (R-Kan.) tested positive on the evening of Jan. 6, before the joint session was over. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incubation period for the illness is two to 14 days. That means he did not contract the malady while in the Capitol, where he was for a number of hours before testing positive.

Reps. Kay Granger (R-Texas), Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Kevin Brady (R-Texas) missed the joint session because they recently tested positive for COVID-19. Rep.-elect Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) still hasnt been sworn in after testing positive late last year.

Reps. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) returned to Washington this month after testing positive last month. Moore returned before completing the recommended CDC quarantine period.
Johannesburg, Jan 12 : A health department in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province has issued a warning to communities about the dangers of exhuming bodies of people who died from Covid-19, saying it might further spread the virus.

On Monday, spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo told Xinhua news agency that the department became aware that some families in the Ngcobo area were digging up graves of their loved ones who died due to the disease to remove a plastic that is used to cover their bodies.

He said the explanation behind the digging up was that families "were haunted by the dreams of their loved ones who said they were suffocating due to the plastics used".

"The plastic is used to prevent the spread of the virus and the contamination of the environment including the rivers," he noted, adding that exhuming bodies without following proper procedures was illegal.

"You are putting people involved in the exhumation of being infected with COVID-19 including the community. You are spreading the virus unwittingly," he told Xinhua on Monday.

Since the start of the pandemic, mortuaries are required to cover bodies with plastic bags to prevent the spread of the coronavirus which has killed 33,163 people so far in South Africa and infected 1,246,643 others.

"Exhumation has to be authorised by a magistrate, the process has to be done by a funeral parlor in the presence of a health environmental officer as well as police. Proper protective clothing have to be worn," he said.

He said one could face a five-year jail term for failing to follow the regulations associated with exhumation.

Kupelo added that the department would embark on a awareness campaign to educate communities about the pitfalls of doing this.
A student survey found that many children at Conte Community School feel isolated from their peers but also feel loved and safe.

Conte Makes 2021 School Improvement Plan, Addresses Student Feelings

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Conte Community School's 2021 School Improvement Plan is using internally researched data to meet the needs of pupils during these difficult times.

As a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a student survey revealed that amidst remote learning, Conte pupils are struggling with positive feelings and are feeling isolated from their peers.



Students were asked how often they felt excited, happy, loved, and safe over the past week. Only 39 percent of students answered favorably to feeling excited and 50 percent answered favorably to feeling happy.

Fortunately, 65 percent of students voted in favor of feeling loved, and 81 percent feeling safe.



When being asked how connected the children felt to their peers right now, only 33 percent answered favorably.



Districtwise, 63 percent of students answered favorably to the survey's "positive feeling" portion, and 64 percent in the student engagement section.



Principal Kerry Light told the School Council on Monday that these feelings are happening everywhere, as the pandemic has touched everyone's lives. Regardless, the school is using strategic planning and brainstorming to aid this effect.



"Right now the learning model is out of our control," she said. "So I say that the thing we do have control over is relationships."



The school scored best on school public health measures, which applied to the time that it was operating in person. Fifty-nine percent of students answered that it was easy to sanitize hands, wear a mask, and stay 6 feet away from others. The districtwide average for these criteria was 53 percent.



"For the most part I have to say that when we were in person, the kids did a fantastic job at following routines," Light said.



In Monday's School Council meeting, Light explained that School Improvement Planning is made around four improvement practices that are proven to be the top methods that turn around schools.



The four focus areas are:

Leadership, shared responsibility, and collaboration.

Intentional practices for improving instruction.

Providing student-specific supports and instruction to all students.

School climate and culture.

Light said Conte's strongest area is in the first turnaround practice of leadership shared responsibility and collaboration. She explained that the school has three big things currently happening under this practice.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:03:33|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China is using a combination of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 amid the latest resurgence of the virus in Beijing and provinces including Hebei, Liaoning and Heilongjiang.

The number of confirmed and asymptomatic infections of COVID-19 in north China's Hebei Province has continued to increase since the province reported a new locally transmitted confirmed case on Jan. 2. As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, a total of 326 locally transmitted confirmed cases and 234 asymptomatic cases had been reported, vice governor of Hebei Xu Jianpei said Tuesday.

The provincial capital Shijiazhuang, where more than 300 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been found since the beginning of this year, launched the second round of citywide nucleic acid testing on Tuesday, said Meng Xianghong, vice mayor of the city.

The testing is expected to take only two days, Ma Yujun, acting mayor of the city, told a press conference. There will be sufficient professional staff for sampling, information input and maintaining order at every sampling site to ensure that work is carried out in an orderly and efficient manner.

On Jan. 8, a nucleic acid test laboratory named Huoyan, or Fire Eye, was built in only 10 hours and put into use in 21 hours in Shijiazhuang. It can test up to 1 million samples a day, significantly improving the city's testing capability.

"In the process of combating the epidemic, early and accurate detection is particularly important," said Du Yutao, board member of BGI Group, a Shenzhen-based biotech company which has established Huoyan labs in 16 cities across China and in 17 countries and regions across the world.

Du, together with an experienced working group sent by BGI Group, arrived in her hometown Shijiazhuang on Jan. 6.

"I don't know how to describe my feelings when I saw my hometown fall into silence," said Du. "But we have accumulated rich experience and improved testing capacity. I believe the city will surely succeed in fighting the epidemic."

Elsewhere in China, the northeastern cities of Dalian and Shenyang in Liaoning Province have also conducted several rounds of citywide nucleic acid tests following a resurgence of COVID-19 cases since December last year.

"Through large-scale testing, infections can be detected at the earliest," said Zhao Lian, deputy director of the Dalian municipal health commission.

"We're carrying out scientific and accurate disinfection of the public environment in the city, including disinfection of areas which have seen resurgence of the virus and preventive disinfection of other areas," said Liang Chunbo, director of the Dalian City Administration Bureau, adding that sanitation facilities such as garbage stations shall be sterilized at least three times a day.

"After scientific research and accurate prevention and control, the epidemic situation in Dalian is currently under control," said Zhao. As of Monday, no new confirmed cases were reported in the city for six consecutive days.

The province has decided to further extend the health observation period to 28 days for all inbound travelers from abroad. In addition to the current 14-day centralized medical quarantine and seven-day home observation, the new "14+7+7" model will enforce another week of health monitoring, during which the quarantined individual must regularly report body temperature to the local community.

Similarly, Beijing has also extended the COVID-19 observation period for inbound travelers to 21 days following sporadic locally-transmitted cases. The capital has further laid out requirements for COVID-19 prevention and control in public transport services, including taxis and road passenger transportation.

Meanwhile, China is administering domestically developed COVID-19 vaccines to specific groups with high infection risks, including medical workers, airport staff and people handling cold-chain imported products.

Over 1 million people in Beijing had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of 11 a.m. Monday. The city is expected to complete administering the first dose of the jab among specific groups by Friday.

Activities at city parks and squares have been suspended in Hebei as part of the province's efforts to tame the latest outbreak.

Upon the implementation of stricter COVID-19 prevention and control measures, Shijiazhuang has taken a raft of measures to ensure supply of staple food, as well as heating, gas and water supply, as all residents of the city have been told to stay home for two weeks since Jan. 6.

Authorities said they have arranged 59 supermarkets and over 300 convenience stores in Shijiazhuang to directly supply over 2,000 residential complexes.

About 25,000 couriers are returning to work to supply daily necessities to stay-at-home residents in the city after a second round of nucleic acid tests among couriers.

"I actually feel proud to be on the front line, to deliver the daily supplies to residents," said Yang Donghai, a 33-year-old courier. "All clients thanked me on receiving their parcels, which is more important than anything else." Enditem

Ethiopia: MSF provides medical assistance to some of the most affected people in Tigray
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospitals and health systems across the world are looking at telehealth strategies to facilitate their advance into the telemedicine industry. PressureDOT is at the forefront of remote critical monitoring with its recently developed, world's smallest wireless intra-abdominal pressure sensing capsule.

PressureDOT is a real-time wireless pressure sensor platform used in critical care to prevent unnecessary laparotomies and to prevent organ failure in patients with pancreatitis, traumatic abdomen injuries, and septicemia.

"The advantage of telemedicine lies in its ability to implement remote critical monitoring. Because PressureDOT is aimed at the irreplaceability of special patient groups, it just happens to be the stepping stone for digital critical care and is the first continuous wireless detection system product," said PressureDOT Founder and Dr. Ranson Liao, who is also a medical doctor and professor at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

PressureDOT displays real-time IAP and solves the current challenges of determining IAH

Intra-abdominal pressure monitoring is part of critical care. Doctors face numerous difficulties in measuring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) correctly by checking intravesical pressure. Also, it is a procedure that requires significant time and manpower.

Conventional hydrostatic pressure measurements do not always provide accurate results and do not offer real-time, continuous measurements.

PressureDOT simplifies the process of measuring IAP, delivering accurate results that reduce IAH and ACS misdiagnoses. PressureDOT also decreases the risk of intravesical and nosocomial infections.

Liao said PressureDOT is the world's smallest real-time wireless intra-abdominal pressure sensing capsule and is able to measure intra-abdominal pressure continuously.

Doctors have more advanced equipment than before

The capsule is composed of a pressure sensor and PCBA that can pass into the body via swallowing or nasogastric tube delivery. The capsule uses advanced packaging technology. Once the patient swallows the capsule, the system works automatically.

PressureDOT incorporates a high-efficiency antenna that is safe for ingestion. It transmits signals with low acceleration. The external receiver system uses a special antenna array to track the capsule position and gastrointestinal motility in real-time. Doctors and healthcare providers can then monitor the patient's bio information using a mobile device.

Data streamed by PressureDOT include information on intra-abdominal pressure, temperature, pressure trends, and capsular 3D location tracking. All provide physicians with the most reliable information for making proper diagnosis and intervention recommendations to avoid delayed treatment.

Depicting the next-gen diagnosis landscape

With the support of PressureDOT, doctors can measure intra-abdominal pressure accurately and in real time, helping manage intra-abdominal hypertension as early as possible to avoid the onset of abdominal compartment syndrome and reduce mortality.

Because PressureDOT provides a richer stream of information, it can indicate the right time for emergency surgery and thus reduce mortality from 50% to 5%. This incredible innovation has earned PressureDOT selection by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the featured 100 Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021.

Liao said that 2020 was the most important year so far in the development of remote digital health systems. "It is necessary to identify the correct direction of healthcare for the next decade. The possibility of telemedicine relies on developing the equipment to do remote critical monitoring. PressureDOT is a stepping stone to digital critical care and the first product for continuous wireless detection systems.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/38htga

SOURCE PressureDOT
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New Delhi:

Despite Congress refused that it did not instigate violence in Madhya Pradesh, but a party MLA, Shakuntala Khatik, was caught on camera asking her supporters to burn down a police station in Shivpuri.

The Congress MLAs supporters were shouting slogans against administration while blaming of conducting hooliganism. Meanwhile, the MLA asked to burn down a police station which was recorded.

Khatik was seen in a verbal spat with a police officer who was trying to placate her in the video. She was demanding suspension of Karaira TI.

Another Congress MLA Jeetu Patwari was also involved in an altercation with a state government official. Patwari and his supporters had allegedly ransacked a market after they were denied entry into the market.

Earlier, the grand old party demanded the resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his home minister over the deaths of six farmers in Mandsaur in police firing.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh farmers protest: Farmer succumbs to injuries at Indore hospital, wife attempts suicide on hearing news

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi dubbed the BJP governments at the Centre and state as Band, Baaja, Bullet regimes that responded to protesting farmers with bullets instead of providing them remunerative prices for their produce.

Accusing BJPs state and central governments of being insensitive towards farmers and their plight, she said this is the reason why farmers were agitating in states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The policy of the BJP governments at the Centre and in states is clear that if the farmers demand remunerative prices for their produce then they will get bullets in return. If you demand the price of your labour, you are labelled as criminals, she said.

Also Read | BJP-ruled states oppressing farmers, poor: Mayawati

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New Delhi, Jan 12 : Uttarakhand politics is on the boil after former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that the Congress should declare its 'captain' ahead of the Assembly polls, drawing sharp criticism from other state leaders, particularly Indira Hridyesh who is leader of opposition in the Assembly.

Congress General Secretary Rawat is touring the state. But his Facebook post has opened up a pandora's box in the state politics.

"This is the reality that Pritam Singh is the 'commander' so he should be announced as the Chief Ministerial candidate. I will welcome Indira Hridyesh too and I have ended the confusion over my name," Rawat said.

He also said that "the party should relieve me from collective leadership and set me free. I want to warn against the people who want to take over the state through unfair means. I don't want to see the Congress go down in the state." Earlier on Monday he had said that there should be no confusion in the party and one person should be nominated to lead the party drawing sharp reaction from other leaders who said that Congress never nominates its leader ahead of elections to which Rawat said that in a number of states including Punjab and MP, the party has done this.

The former Chief Minister's latest statement has made the Congress think over the strategy and the state in-charge Devendra Yadav told IANS "we are clear that the Congress will go for collective leadership in the polls slated for next year." While Uttarakhand Congress leaders are not in sync with Rawat's statement, some say that it was Rawat who was leading the party in 2017 and lost both his seats. Rawat says "I don't want to become burden on the party and I still have the black spots of 2017." However, Congress leaders feel that Rawat's statement has put the party under pressure as no leader can lead the party in the election other than him and he wants to make sure that he will be the captain of the ship. The Congress believes that in Uttarakhand it is on the verge of returning to power so the fight for the top slot has intensified.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 04:47:16|Editor: huaxia

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KHARTOUM, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) - Sudan on Monday reiterated its adherence to the necessity of giving the African Union (AU) experts a bigger role in the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Monday met with ministers of foreign affairs and irrigation. During the meeting, Al-Burhan was briefed on the developments of tripartite talks among Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt on the dam as well as the reason behind the recent impasse, said the sovereign council in a statement.

Yasir Abbas, Sudan's irrigation and water resources minister, said following the meeting that Sudan supports the AU's role as a facilitator in the talks.

"During the last period, the talks were infeasible because the positions of the three countries diverged from the start. That's the reason why Sudan constantly insists that the AU should play its natural role in facilitating the negotiation process," Abbas added.

The minister also reiterated Sudan's belief that negotiation is the proper solution for the GERD issue through a fair deal for all parties.

On Sunday, the AU announced the failure of the latest round of talks. The Sudanese negotiators believed that the GERD talks should go beyond the level of irrigation ministers and involve the AU and the leaders of the three countries to provide the political will to bring their positions closer.

Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia have been holding talks for years over the technical and legal issues related to the filling and operation of the GERD.

Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the project, while Egypt and Sudan, downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the river for its freshwater, are concerned that the dam might affect their share of the water resources. Enditem
President-elect Joe Bidens presidential inauguration isnt the only one happening this month. Bidens adopted German Shepherd named Major will have his own indoguration to raise funds for his former shelter, according to The Hill.

The gathering will be virtual and held on Sunday, Jan. 17 just days before the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration. Delaware Humane Association will host the virtual event alongside Pumpkin Pet Insurance.

The associations website reads:

Delaware Humane Association & Pumpkin Pet Insurance invite you + your pup to the worlds largest virtual party for dogs in honor of Major Bidens Indoguration. Join us to celebrate the first-ever shelter pup to become First Dog and raise funds to help more DHA shelter animals like Major live the American Dream! To claim your spot, simply donate $10 or more to DHA today.

Major was adopted back in 2018 and will be the first rescue shelter dog in the White House. The participating dogs in the indoguration reportedly will also be able to join Majors Cabinet for the Secretary of Rescue Dogs.

With 100 percent of the proceeds going to Delaware Humane Association, the executive director Patrick Carroll hopes the indoguration will raise awareness for shelter dogs and other homeless animals who need homes.

With Major heading to the White House, its our sincere hope that we can continue to connect more homeless animals with families than ever before, Carroll said in a statement, according to The Hill. If a shelter dog is good enough for the White House, theyre good enough for your house!
People walk past the Myer Christmas window display as they do their Christmas shopping on December 20, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Confidence Key to Retail Spending Recovery

Retailers enjoyed an exceptionally strong spend-up a month out from Christmas but there is some uncertainty around how they have fared since in the face of COVID lockdowns in two major capitals.

Consumer confidencea pointer to future household spendingended 2020 on a sour note in response to the COVID-19 cluster and lockdown days out from Christmas in NSWs northern beaches.

Those restrictions were only eased on Jan. 10.

Queensland also declared a snap lockdown in the Greater Brisbane area last weekendafter a case of the highly infectious UK strain was detectedbut was able to end it on Monday evening as planned after the state recorded zero locally-acquired cases three days running.

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index will get its first airing of the year on Tuesday.

This gauge dropped two percent last time around in reaction to the NSW lockdown, pulling back from its highest level for 2020 and having rebounded strongly as the economy recovered from the depths of recession.

The monthly Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment survey is also released on Wednesday.

In December, this index surged to a 10-year high after recovering 48 percent from a low in April when there was a nationwide lockdown.

The growing strength in confidence coincided with a huge 7.1 percent surge in retail spending in November.

Mondays retail trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Novembers increase was led by a whopping 22.4 percent increase in Victorian sales as Melbourne emerged from a lengthy lockdown.

BIS Oxford Economics chief economist Sarah Hunter expects spending patterns will continue to normalise towards their pre-COVID pattern.

Particularly once the vaccine has been rolled out and the uncertainty over outbreaks prompting further lockdowns diminishes, she said.

Colin Brinsden in Canberra
Photo by Yue Shuhua

By Li Qiang and Liu Yang

The day January 11, 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of China's J-20 stealth fighter's maiden flight. Ten years after the maiden flight, the development direction of the Chinese fighter jets led by the J-20 becomes a hot topic of widespread concern from the outside world. In particular, the images of a video released by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), which revealed the engine change of the J-20, have attracted wide attention.

The new changes of the J-20 were unveiled for the first time in the PLAAF's recent recruitment video and a promotional video of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a Chinese military expert said in an interview.

The expert believes that the engine for China's J-20 has undergone relatively large changes in details in recent ten years, indicating that the power problem restricting the development of the fighter has been resolved. For the future high-end aviation weapons, a powerful engine will become an important benchmark. Combined with the development of its network technology, material technology, and other essential technologies, China will have the comprehensive high-end manufacturing capability of J-20. In the future, the J-20 will assume a more important role in the development of China's strategic air force.

The expert also mentioned that, internationally, two-seat fighter jets could perform a variety of combat missions. In the future, if a twin-seat variation of J-20 comes into exist, it will be able to perform multi-purpose combat missions, with integrate elements from various warplane types including fighters and bombers.

Li Gang, the test pilot of the J-20's maiden flight, believes that the J-20 is a fourth-generation fighter jet, one that can compete with foreign counterparts in the true sense of the word. Before the J-20, the overall equipment and combat capabilities of the PLAAF was still behind some advanced countries. Since the J-20 was commissioned, this gap was basically gone or became quite narrow. Li hopes that the developers can continue their efforts to develop a better aircraft than the J-20.

The west continues to pay attention to the progress of China's aviation industry and the development of aviation equipment. Not long ago, a British think tank issued a report saying that China's aviation industry has surpassed Russia in many areas. Countries all over the world are accelerating the development of new generation fighter jets. The next generation of fighter jets, unmanned wing planes, and AI air combat systems are gradually moving from vision to reality. It also means that the development of China's new fighter jets cannot and will not stop. With the successful development and deployment of the J-20, the Chinese fighter jets, who were once lagged behind and now are competing on the same stage with foreign counterparts, will continue to make progress in the future.

When the J-20 made its maiden flight, the then US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was visiting China. Gates, who was quite impressed with the maiden flight, later confessed that the US intelligence agencies underestimated China's capability to develop a new generation of fighter jets.

The J-20 led China's military aircraft into the 20th era. Aviation equipment numbered 20, such as Y-20 and Z-20, are the latest and most advanced models of similar aviation equipment in China. In fact, there are still many gaps need to be filled in the combat equipment sequence of the PLA, and more 20s are needed. Among world-class strategic bombers, large tankers, stealth carrier-based fighter jets, carrier-based fixed-wing early warning aircraft, etc., who will be luckily the next 20? Let us just wait and see.

(This article is originally published on huanqiu.com, is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.)
Egypts health minister announced on Monday that the countrys daily rates of coronavirus infections dropped by 21 percent so far in January compared to the last week of December.

During a press briefing, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said the last week of 2020 witnessed a noticeable rise in positive coronavirus cases, while the daily rates of patients referred to the intensive care units dropped by 8 percent.

She added that the daily rate of suspected cases received by coronavirus-designated hospitals decreased by 15 percent too, while the rates of cases admitted to hospital daily decreased by 11 percent.

The daily recovery rate increased by 5 percent in the same period, she said.

Egypt has been witnessing a second wave of the pandemic since the last week of December after the country recorded double the number of infections daily.

The spike comes after almost five months of reporting lower daily infections and death tolls.

However, less than 1000 new cases have been reported over the past three days.

The minister explained that the number of people who succumbed to the coronavirus in the second wave of the pandemic is 50 percent less than the number recorded in the first wave.

Zayed's remarks come one day after Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the World Health Organisation regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that, as of 6 January, Egypt has been among the countries with the highest reported number of coronavirus-related deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Oxygen problems

The minister also assured the public of the availability of oxygen tanks, which has become a main pillar in the coronavirus treatment protocols, given its ability to improve patients' breathing performance.

The ministry has increased oxygen supply to all hospitals by 50 percent through doubling the production rate at a number of factories producing medical oxygen and also doubling the number of oxygen transport vehicles to meet hospital needs, stated Zayed.

According to the updated treatment protocol for coronavirus patients, oxygen is vital for treating ICU patients and cases of patients with moderate illness.

Monday was the third consecutive day to see no shortage in oxygen supplies in hospitals, the minister added.

The minister attributed problems in transportation of oxygen tanks to hospitals to delays caused by recent foggy weather conditions in Egypt, which, she added, led to the suspension of transportation operations from 8 hours to 12 hours on some days.

The minister stressed in her statements that the shortage in oxygen supplies is not a challenge only for Egypt but also for all the countries dealing with the pandemic.

A spike in consumption of oxygen was recorded in most regions of the world over the last three weeks, Zayed expalined.

The minister indicated that Cairo, Giza, and Qalioubiya will be included in the initiative launched by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to monitor non-hospitalised coronavirus patients at home.

She added that all governorates will be included as well as soon as the supplies of blood oxygen saturation monitors increase.

Vaccines

Egypt has already received the first batch of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, and 34 centres have been allocated nationwide for the long-awaited vaccination mission.

In a telephone interview with MBC satellite channel on Monday, the minister said the inoculations will start in all governorates right after the second batch arrives in early February.

Egypt's Drug Authority (EDA) has already approved the emergency use of the Chinese vaccine on 2 January, almost three weeks after the first shipment was received.

The EDA is currently working on procuring Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and is expected to issue emergency approval soon, according to Zayed.

She added that Egypt is expected to receive a shipment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine within two to three weeks from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations.

Egypt has asked Pfizer to present its registration file to Egypt, according to the health minister.

She highlighted that medical teams, people with chronic diseases, and the elderly will be prioritised when vaccinations start.

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MTN has announced that it will reward customers who download the COVID-19 Alert SA application with 1GB of free data valid for one hour.

In an effort to rally South Africans to download and use the COVID-19 Alert app, MTN has not only zero-rated its use but will reward customers with 1GB of free data for an hour after download as a reward for their efforts in fighting the pandemic, the company said in a statement.

The COVID-19 Alert SA was designed by Discovery for the National Department of Health and uses Bluetooth contact tracing technology to notify you if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

This technology preserves app user privacy and anonymity, and your information is not shared with the government or other users.

One of the critical aspects of combatting COVID-19 is the ability to detect positive cases early and to isolate as many contacts as possible, said MTN executive for corporate affairs Jacqui OSullivan.

The COVID Alert SA app gives every smartphone user in South Africa the chance to understand their exposure to the virus, so that we can all protect our families and our communities, and especially those people who are most at risk of severe disease.

She said that for Bluetooth contact tracing to be effective, at least 10-15% of the population must download and use the app in a given area. At 60% uptake, suppression of the virus can be achieved.

This is why we have taken the steps to zero-rate and even reward our customers who have downloaded the app, OSullivan said.

The COVID-19 Alert SA app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Zero-rated websites

MTN has also zero-rated important online resources and information during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mobile operator has so far zero-rated more than 900 individual URLs that South Africans can access without using mobile data.

Our efforts have been aligned with that of government to ensure that students are able to access online educational resources to continue their studies during this difficult time, OSullivan said.

This is an extraordinarily difficult time for all South Africans and MTN remains committed to ensuring that we keep as many South Africans as possible connected, in touch and able to enjoy a world of digital opportunity, despite the complex times we are all currently facing.

Now read: WhatsApp compared to alternatives Telegram and Signal
There is also a strong argument that the pardons must be specific, in the sense that they must identify the crimes for which people are being pardoned. If thats correct, Trump could not say (for example) that Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, is pardoned for anything and everything that he might have done wrong. Trump would have to name the crimes to which the pardon is meant to attach.

Criminal Background Records January is a great time to review hiring policies, especially as many laws governing the use of public records such as criminal background records can change during this time.

On January 1, 2021 a number of laws related to pre-employment background screening will change or be enacted, including a number related to Ban-the-Box, laws which govern the use of Criminal Background History as part of the vetting process. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com suggests: With the new year hiring managers and HR Departments must review their employment hiring policies to remain complaint with new and/or changing laws governing the use of public records and a best practice remains to work with a well-qualified third-party pre-employment background screening agency, such as CriminalBackgroundRecords.com.

In 2021 several new or updated changes to Ban-the-Box legislation will take place, undoubtedly the first of many changes that will occur over the course of the year.

In St. Louis a new Ban-the-Box bill is set to become law on January 1, 2021 and will have an immediate impact on private employers across that city.

From JDSupra.com (Jan. 04, 21):

Effective January 1, 2021, private sector employers with 10 or more employees in the City of St. Louis must comply with Ordinance 71074 (the Ordinance), a ban-the-box ordinance that prohibits employers from asking job applicants about criminal histories during the initial employment screening process. Compliance with the Ordinance is required to obtain and maintain a business operating license in the City of St. Louis. (1)

Almeida adds: Many companies have employees in multiple states, multiple jurisdictions with difference in law. Working with a third-party pre-employment screening agency that has a national and global presence remains a best practice.

In New York City laws governing the use of criminal history records have been updated.

From JDSupras website on December 17, 2020:

On December 10, 2020, the New York City Council passed bill Int. 1314-A, which significantly expands the scope of New York Citys ban-the-box law, the New York City Fair Chance Act (FCA). The bill would impose significant restrictions on an employers ability to take adverse action against a job applicant or current employee based on pending criminal charges or arrests, or convictions arising during employment. The amendments would also prohibit asking for or considering adjournments in contemplation of dismissal1 or non-criminal violations2 in employment decisions. (2)

In the end, Almeida concludes, early January is a great time to review hiring policies, especially as many laws governing the use of public records such as criminal background records can change during this time. A best practice for employers amongst such changes to law remains to work with a well-qualified third-party pre-employment background screening agency.

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a third-party employment screening company, an advocate of SHRM, a member in good standing with the PBSA (Professional Background Screening Association) and for over 17 years has maintained an A+ Rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). The company has highly trained operators well versed in the needs and requirements of companies and organizations large and small utilizing public records, such as criminal background records, as part of a hiring process. Assisting companies in maintaining full compliance under the law is a central tenet of all client relationships with CriminalBackgroundRecords.com.

Notes:

(1) jdsupra.com/legalnews/effective-january-1-2021-city-of-st-6907339/

(2) jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-york-city-expands-scope-of-its-ban-30591/
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WASHINGTON  Before self-proclaimed members of the far-right group the Proud Boys marched toward the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, they stopped to kneel in the street and prayed in the name of Jesus.

The group, whose participants have espoused misogynistic and anti-immigrant views, prayed for God to bring reformation and revival. They gave thanks for the wonderful nation weve all been blessed to be in. They asked God for the restoration of their value systems, and for the courage and strength to both represent you and represent our culture well. And they invoked the divine protection for what was to come.

Then they rose. Their leader declared into a bullhorn that the media must get the hell out of my way. And then they moved toward the Capitol.

The presence of Christian rituals, symbols and language was unmistakable on Wednesday in Washington. There was a mock campaign banner, Jesus 2020, in blue and red; an Armor of God patch on a mans fatigues; a white cross declaring Trump won in all capitals. All of this was interspersed with allusions to QAnon conspiracy theories, Confederate flags and anti-Semitic T-shirts.
During that time, some incredible things happened with the Torino. The nameplate gave birth, just like the Mustang, to a Twister Special variant meant exclusively for Kansas, for instance; most importantly, it spawned the Talladega , whod go on and win 29 races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons.But the lesser Torinos were not far less impressive, and some of them manage to capture the imagination of collectors even today.The 1968 Torino we have here (that would be from the very first production year) is no Talladega and no Twister Special. It is just a GT, but one that managed to survive all these years in great condition.The car comes with the original body and no added panels or bling. Its wrapped in a hue of gold offset by the black stripe that runs the length of the car, twice on each side. The chrome is still where it was when the carmaker fitted it, and the entire rig rides on steel wheels wrapped in Performance GT Grand Prix radial tires.The interior seems well taken care of as well, with gold and black adorning the seats, door panels, and steering column. No major modifications have been made here either.The engine, on the other hand, is where more work was performed. The 302ci (4.9-liter) unit, which is controlled through a 3-speed automatic transmission, was rebuilt and gifted with a mild camshaft and an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor.The Torino GT is selling like you see it for $23,900.
A Bhartiya Janta Party flag draped around a bust of Karamchand Mohandas Gandhi has become the eye of a political storm in a Kerala town, days after a 'Jai Shree Ram' banner caused outrage among locals youth leaders.

The incident occurred in Palakkad where a BJP flag was found draped on a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Municipal Corporation building on Monday. According to reports, an FIR has been filed against the unidentified person, even as BJP distanced itself from the incident.

How did a BJP flag come to cover a Gandhi statue?

In CCTV footage that has been going viral on social media, an unidentified man in a mask can be seen climbing the statue of Gandhi in the municipal building and tying the BJP flag on it before climbing down and walking away. The incident, which caused outrage among local leaders, is being investigated by police. "We have registered a case under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint filed by the municipal secretary in charge. We are yet to identify the culprits," the Investigating Officer told media. Section 153 of the IPC deals with wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot.

Who is outraging against the flag?

The DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M) took out a protest march and garlanded the statue. Congress and its youth wing too staged a separate march and Congress and took out separate marches in the city in protest against the incident. Later, both CPI(M) and Congress councilors staged a sit-in in front of the municipal chairperson's room, demanding that action be taken against those responsible. BJP leaders, who did not wish to be named, said the party was not involved in the incident and sought a comprehensive probe.

Why has the flag caused outrage?

In December, BJP won the local body polls, retaining the Municipality in the local body polls Palakkad and Pandalam in the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-ruled state. Following the victory, some BJP workers allegedly unfurled a giant banner with "Jai Sri Ram" written on it from the terrace of the Corporation building on December 16. Palakkad and Pandalam are two of the total 87 local body seats that went to polls in December last year.

(With inputs from PTI)
Trump to list Cuba as sponsor of terrorism on his way out of office
[January 12, 2021] CES 2021 Lydsec Bao is the new generation of cloud authentication with a multi-factor solution

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lydsec Digital Technology developed "Bao" is a new generation of cloud authentication product that secures authentication and transaction verification with a multi-factor (MFA) solution. Bao allows the user to control and verify program accounts via mobile devices and computer equipment. The new patented design "A key-lock function" brings more convenience to the users when they are experiencing online/offline transactions, and at the same time the users can also control the range of their accounts. It is totally up to users when to enable their accounts. Building the future Fintech for everyone to use By being under the circumstance of authorized time, locations and devices, your online accounts (banking accounts, online gaming accounts, email accounts, cloud hardware, etc.), credit cards and online payment will be impervious to attacks and both your personal virtual and physical assets and privacy will be safe. Bao ensures that only the authorized mobile phones or computers can the accounts be logged in and can transactions be processed. It can also restrict that only from the location where the user is can the accounts be logged in and can transactions be processed. It can also secure that only at the given period can the accounts be logged in and can transactions be processed. Bao moreover provides cross protection authentication by two-channel structure and risk engine analysis. Pros of Bao Efficiently avoids the risk of online/offline payment, fake credit cards and other credit card frauds.

The convenient one-key lock provides customers with safe and convenient account management and control functions.

Financial account, credit cards, third-party payment, game accounts, etc. can be widely used.

It can be implemented and added to the account management treasure without changing the existing design structure.

Mobile payment methods develop continuously, and various hardware and software manufacturers continue to invest into it.



Lydsec Digital Technology is a software company with specialization in Internet third-party authentication solutions that was founded in 2012.

Lydsec developed Keypasco Multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution with Keypasco AB from Sweden. A total solution for Internet content providers (ICPs) and service providers a convenient, easy-to-implement, and cost-effective software. It is successfully used in banking, third-party payment companies, smart building, E-commerce, online gaming companies, and health-care industries. In recent years the company also introduced Multi-Peer VPN, program weakness scanning, and program quality control tools as well as biometrics like facial/voice recognition, providing a complete solution from endpoint authentication, protection, and programs security to meet the needs of customer identification and data leakage prevention. Regarding to the authentication need of OPEN BANKING, Bao authentication platform is developed and launched. We aim to be the leader of online security. Feel the energy of the founding team Lydsec Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Chairman and Founder Cheng-I Lin has an International MBA from Portland State University in US and master of hydraulic and ocean engineering from NCKU in Taiwan. Focusing on Internet authentication services, cross-border payment system, and O2O EC platform. GM and Co-founder Cindianne Lin has a master of Human Resource management from NCU in Taiwan. She worked for Gamania, a leading gaming company, Alcormicro, a leading IT design company, and Taiwan Carrefour as head of human resource for several years. CTO Sean Chang was graduated from the Graduate Institute of Technology & Innovation Management of National Chengchi University in Taiwan. Sean worked for Multi-Media QA Head of VIA Technologies (2001-2008) and Product Manager of AlcorMicro (2008-2013). Experience in Internet Security & Financial platform. The significant innovation momentum of Lydsec Digital Technology has made them being selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021. CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion:https://pse.is/3aypeu View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ces-2021-lydsec-bao-is-the-new-generation-of-cloud-authentication-with-a-multi-factor-solution-301206582.html SOURCE Lydsec Digital Technology Co., Ltd.

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Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle (C) proceeds behind the Mace through the Central Lobby during the State Opening of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament, in London, on Dec. 19, 2019. (Adrian Dennis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

British MPs Told to Wear Face Masks Inside Parliamentary Chamber

British lawmakers and parliamentary staff have been strongly encouraged to wear face coverings inside the House of Commons chamber to reduce the chance of CCP virus infections.

This is part of a new package of measures recommended by the House of Commons Commission to make the Houses of Parliament a safer place to work during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The Commission also recommended reducing the total number of seats in the Chamber to 50, including the Speaker and officials, and establishing a stricter one-way system into and out of the Chamber.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Commons Speaker and chair of the Commission, said the measures were necessary as the country moves into a critical stage during the crisis.

Ideally, everyone should be working remotely, but for MPs and staff who have to come on to the parliamentary estate, these measures will help keep everyone as safe as possible, he said.

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the third national lockdown to curb the spread of a new CCP virus variant, which he said has a 50 to 70 percent faster rate of transmission.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics showed that around one in 30 people in London have been infected with the virus.

On Jan. 8, London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a major incident, saying that the city was at crisis point amid a surge of CCP virus cases.

Under the lockdown rules, people may only leave home for limited reasons, such as to shop for essentials, to work if one absolutely cannot work from home, to exercise, to seek medical assistance, or to escape domestic abuse.

In line with social distancing rules, the House of Commons Commission has encouraged staff members to work remotely where possible. But it said that some MPs and key staff are still required to work on the parliamentary estate to enable the House to continue to fulfil its important constitutional role.

Since the pandemic began last spring, four MPs are known to have received hospital treatment for the CCP virus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken to St Thomass Hospital in central London on April 5 and spent three days in intensive care.

Labour MP Tony Lloyd spent 25 days in Manchester Royal Infirmary in April, including 10 days in an induced coma on a ventilator.

Another Labour MP, Yasmin Qureshi, spent six days in hospital in October, where she was treated for pneumonia after testing positive for the CCP virus.

Jo Stevens, Labour MP for Cardiff Central, said on Jan. 6 that she had left hospital after receiving treatment for the virus.

Simon Veazey contributed to this report.
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- iWEECARE brings innovation to the healthcare industry by providing an automated, comfortable to wear, and accurate smart body temperature measuring patch - Temp Pal, has benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic and received large amounts of orders from Europe, China, and the US. The characteristics of the wearable medical devices that could remotely monitor the change of wear's body temperature caught attention from investors.

In 2020, iWEECARE announced a $2.4 million pre-A funding. The team is progressively collaborating with hospitals and healthcare institutions around the world to implement Temp Pal's innovative technology to the medical care floor. Furthermore, iWEECARE has also been selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021.

Temp Pal helps people to keep track of their body temperature

Take infants as an example, the traditional ways to take baby temperatures are through an ear thermometer or anal thermometer, which could sometimes create disturbance, especially when an infant is asleep. Besides, the one-time temperature is not able to notice abnormal changes of temperature in time. For another, Temp Pal could play an important role during the flu season. After taking a vaccine, it is critical to take close observation of the infant's body temperature for any unlikely side effects.

iWEECARE's Temp Pal is a wearable, lightweight thermometer patch that can transmit temperature data wirelessly and be monitored remotely. The team developed a mobile app that is able to transfer body temperature data to authorized devices in real time. The app can visualize the changes of body temperature, and push out alerts when abnormal temperature is observed. Other than a temperature documenting app, it is also a health managing tool that can help keep track of medication history.

Proudly presents the lightest body temperature patch to the world

Temp Pal is made with medical grade TPE. Small and lightweight in design, it is approximately the same size as a post stamp. Its soft to touch texture makes it unnoticeable. The body temperature is measured at an accuracy rate of +/-0.05 Celsius degree, that makes Temp Pal to be capable of measuring basal body temperature (BBT) for fertility planning. Temp Pal has received the Euro CE Certification, Taiwan FDA approval and medical device certification in Thailand, while is also expected to receive the medical device approval in the US, China and Singapore. The product passed the examination of ISO10993 - biocompatibility verification, which proves it non-irritating, non-allergenic and without toxic chemicals.

Temp Pal is designed and manufactured in Taiwan by professionals from the ICT, medical, data science, manufacturing, and international marketing industry. Selected by Taiwan MOST to its top 32 startup program and a part of TTA, iWEECARE is not only focusing on personal healthcare including BBT and body temperature monitoring, but also working closely with hospitals and medical institutions to carry out Temp Pal's expansion to more areas in the world.

Temp Pal conducted its product testing in hospitals, postpartum care centers, and long term care facilities. Currently liaising with hospitals around the globe to implement the device to its medical care. Other than the market in Taiwan, Temp Pal is used in the European, Thailand and Japan market.

iWEECARE's Temp Pal is the best solution for long-term healthcare scenarios. Collaborating with hospitals around the world, iWEECARE is looking forward to strengthening and improving its product development while helping to make health monitoring easier and more efficient. They are the A team to bring convenience to human life and to create benefits to the world.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3b5nla

SOURCE iWEECARE Co., Ltd.
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BackyardProduction/iStockBy LAURA ROMERO, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) -- As Trump loyalists stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, conservative-leaning social media sites like Parler and Gab erupted with talk of revolution and civil war, with trending hashtags like #StormTheCapitol.



Experts tell ABC News that services like Parler -- whose app has now been removed from the leading app stores -- helped create echo chambers for violence and extremist views, then provided a platform for some of the coordination of last week's attack.



And now that the tech industry is moving to crack down on toxic rhetoric, many of those voices have gone in search of alternative platforms.



"We've seen this coming for a while," Ben Decker, founder and CEO of Memetica, a company that provides intelligence and risk advisory services regarding harassment, disinformation, and violent extremism, told ABC News. "The volume of stochastic violence on Parler and similar platforms has always been high; it just took the horrific actions of last week for any tech companies to respond."



"What's most horrifying and concerning about the rise of these new platforms is, we're only one incident away from another Tree of Life shooting," Decker said of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack in which 11 worshipers were shot dead by a man who authorities say used Gab to promote his racist views.



Within days of Wednesday's attack on the Capitol, Apple over the weekend removed Parler from its App Store and Google removed it from its Android app store, Google Play. Amazon Web Services also cut off service to Parler on Sunday, knocking the entire platform offline because it violated Amazon's terms of service by not doing enough to combat death threats and other risks to public safety, Amazon officials said.



Ahead of the shutdown, Parler founder and CEO John Matze said the app would be offline for an extended period because other cloud hosting companies do not want to work with Parler in light of the moves by Amazon, Google and Apple.



"We will likely be down longer than expected," Matze wrote in his Parler profile. "This is not due to software restrictions -- we have our software and everyone's data ready to go. Rather it's that Amazon's, Google's and Apple's statements to the press about dropping our access has caused most of our other vendors to drop their support for us as well."



In a statement released late Monday, Matze added, "I founded Parler to be a place of open dialogue and discussion where we could work to move past the anger and hostility that seems to be consuming our otherwise civil society" and said that "we do not condone or accept violence on our platform and we never will."



Apple officials, however, said that Parler's failure to moderate its content was a violation of their terms of service.



"We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity," Apple said in a statement.



The insurrection last week that left five dead and more than 50 Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police officers injured was "all predictable enough," said Decker, who doesn't believe the online threats of harm and physical violence were taken seriously.



"If the congress confirm ... you break into congress and kill the swamp creatures," said one user on Parler prior to the attack. "Don't forget your guns, this is not supposed to be a good for nothing peaceful protest, it's the beginning of a revolution."



"Were [sic] gonna kill congress," another user responded.



Representatives from Parler and Gab did not respond to ABC News' request for comment.



Unlike Twitter and Facebook, apps like Parler and Gab have minimal usage guidelines and no rules limiting hate speech -- which gave Trump supporters a platform on which to promote and even coordinate the attack on the Capitol, said Diara Townes, an investigative researcher and the community engagement lead at First Draft, a project that fights misinformation and disinformation.



"The intentional lack of content moderation gave free rein for the more extremist users to not just promote but coordinate what happened on Capitol Hill, such as with memes showcasing revolutionary war imagery, naming specific politicians to target, and using hashtags like #FightForTrump and #TheStormIsHere," Townes told ABC News.



"Parler influencers with tens of thousands of followers echoed volatile posts from divisive Trump supporters in the days leading up to Wednesday, and shared screenshots of Trump's tweets about 'a wild day,' advocating for all supporters to show up and 'be ready,'" Townes said.



As police gates were breached and congressional offices were vandalized and ransacked, Trump supporters turned to the apps to encourage others to "fight back" and "hold ground," Townes said.



Later Wednesday, Gab CEO Andrew Torba announced that traffic on Gab was up 40% during the day.



Three days later, Torba said that it was up even more.



"The traffic just keeps growing, hang tight, even more servers on the way today," he wrote on the site Saturday.



Although Parler and Gab saw usage climb after Election Day as Trump supporters circulated unfounded claims that the election had been stolen amid a slew of disproven conspiracy theories, top social media services like Facebook and Twitter imposed stringent measures to stop the spread of misinformation by expanding their conduct policies and updating their moderation of hate speech.



The problem with not moderating content, said First Draft's Townes, is that people who don't recognize incorrect information will keep relying on that content in the app.



Referring to it as an echo chamber, Townes said that "they're being pulled in ... and not being able to relate back to reality."



Experts like Jesse Littlewood, vice president of campaigns at the nonpartisan watchdog group Common Cause, say the lack of moderation on apps like Parler is normalizing hate speech and other forms of "toxic" online content.



"These platforms are where individuals can see their worldview reflected and encouraged, even if in complete opposition to the facts," said Littlewood. "This avoidable tragedy [on Wednesday] was fomented for weeks based on the president and his Republican allies amplifying disinformation about the results of the election."



Creating communities of people with sincerely held beliefs who see nothing but reinforcement for those beliefs can lead to political violence, said Stanford University technical research manager Renee DiResta.



"Many of the people who showed up to the Capitol were carrying signs with phrases common in these spaces," DiResta said.



Townes, who monitors apps like Parler and Gab for First Draft, said it is hard to say if Apple and Google removing the apps earlier would have made a difference in last week's attack, as people would have looked for other ways to connect. But, she said, it could have limited the "amount of exposure less extreme online users had to dangerous conspiracy theories and violent ideologies."



Experts say that users are continuing to seek out other, similar platforms among apps like Discord and the Russia-owned Telegram.



They're "rampant with conspiracy theories, all trying to explain what really happened on Capitol Hill and what they should do next: Wait, give up or act," Townes said.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has rejected a takeover bid for one of Australia's largest builders from a Chinese government controlled company over concerns it could give foreign intelligence services access to information about the nation's critical infrastructure.

China State Construction Engineering Corp launched the bid last year for a major stake in Probuild, the Australian subsidiary of a South African-owned company, in a deal understood to be worth more than $200 million.

The planned acquisition of major builder Probuild by state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corp has fallen over. Credit:Josh Robenstone

The deal required the approval of both the Treasurer and the Foreign Investment Review Board.

South African company Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) confirmed late on Monday the proposed sale of its 88 per cent stake in Australian-based Probuild would not proceed on national security grounds.
NEW DELHI: Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in an exclusive interview with Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary talked about how it can play the role of a mediator in the India-China conflict that has escalated since the Galwan valley incident in June last year. 20 Indian jawans were martyred in the clash. The Chinese side also suffered casualties, however, it hasn't acknowledged it ever.

Highlighting that both India and China are Nepal's neighbours, PM Oli said that Nepal has nothing to do with the Galwan episode.

"We have nothing to do with Galwan episode between India and China. Both the nations are my neighbour," Oli said when asked why Nepal took a neutral stand rather than showed its softness towards China.

On the question of mediating or negotiating between Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi and playing a role as a neutral umpire, the Nepal PM said that he is ready to sit with the two prime ministers to resolve the issue.

"We will talk to both sides, you should sit for the talks. Because almost all of us are peers. Maybe someone will be one and a half years elder or younger. All of us have been in politics for a long time. Therefore, we are peers, not 'like' peers.

The Prime Minister added that if these two giant neighbours start fighting, then it will have a negative impact on Nepal.

"We want now is that it's the era of Asia and we should develop ourselves. So we want our neighbours to have a good relationship. Let there be an atmosphere of trust," he said.

Live TV
A vertical retirement village and aged care community is slated to replace an inner-Brisbane RSL clubhouse after changing hands in December.

Coorparoo RSL sub-branch put its 20 Harries Road clubhouse on the market in September for an expressions of interest campaign, after deciding selling up with the hope of a long-term lease was the best option to secure the club's future.

The RSL club has been at its Coorparoo site for decades but the clubhouse is ready for a refresh. Credit:Google Maps

RSL sub-branch president Merv Cuylenburg said the branch received more than 70 expressions of interest on the key corner site in the heart of Coorparoo's shopping district.

Mr Cuylenburg told Brisbane Times in September that the "tired" clubhouse needed extensive work, prompting the club to seek new opportunities for its future.
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.
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As Serum Institute of India ships out its coronavirus vaccine candidate to multiple cities in the country, CEO Adar Poonawalla has said that it is a big relief for the company. He also said that multiple countries are seeking COVID-19 vaccines from India and that the company is trying to supply COVID-19 vaccines in Africa. He also said that the vaccine will be sold at Rs 1,000 per dose to private players, as against Rs 200 for the government.

Poonawalla also said that after the first 100 million doses will be offered at Rs 200 per dose to the government, Serum Institute will sell the coronavirus vaccine at Rs 1,000 per dose to private players. "We have given a special price of Rs 200 for the first 100 million doses only to the Government of India on their request that we want to support the common man, vulnerable, poor and healthcare workers. After that, we'll be selling it at Rs 1,000 in private markets," Adar Poonawalla said.

"It is a relief day for all of us as the entire team has been working tirelessly for the last few months. We offered a price of Rs 200 for the first 100 million doses only in India to make the vaccine available for aam aadmi," said Poonawalla. He added that multiple countries have approached India for the vaccines and that Serum Institute is trying to supply the vaccine in Africa as well as other countries. "All these things are being worked out and the government is also working on it," he said.

The company shipped the first consignment of Covishield, the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca to 13 locations from its Pune facility. Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of SII's gates before 5 am to Pune airport, from where the vaccines were transported across the country on special cargo planes.

The first flight ferrying the COVID-19 vaccine from Pune's Serum Institute of India reached Delhi at 10 am on Tuesday. Spicejet flight SG8937 with the consignment departed from Pune at 8 am. SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh said, "Proud to say that SpiceJet carried India's first consignment of COVID vaccines from Pune to Delhi this morning."

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Centre places orders for 6 crore doses from SII, Bharat Biotech

Also read: Centre negotiates lower price for Serum's COVID-19 vaccine

To be eligible, applicants must be nominated; either by a non-profit institution or by a previous Princess Grace Award winner. The Princess Grace Awards accepts nominations for early career creative generators (including but not limited to theater directors, playwrights, designers, choreographers, film directors, etc.) and performance-based creatives (including but not limited to actors, dancers, etc.).

In November 2020, the Princess Grace Foundation announced updated guidelines and eligibility to ensure the Awards program remains equitable and accessible, and that funding to artists is optimized to be reflective of artists' needs.

Updates to the 2021 Awards program:

Expanding the pool of nominators: Nominations from non-profit universities, professional training programs, and organizations and new in 2021 nominations from previous Princess Grace Award winners.

Nominations from non-profit universities, professional training programs, and organizations and nominations from previous Award winners. Cash grants for Artists : Unrestricted cash grants in 2021 to be used in general support rather than project-specific support.

: Unrestricted cash grants in 2021 to be used in general support rather than project-specific support. A simplified application: Standardized application across disciplines and two-part tiered submission process.

Round 1 | Deadline February 15

Round 2 | Deadline May 1

ABOUT THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION  USA

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to honoring the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, nee Grace Kelly. Her commitment to advance the arts in the United States is sustained by the Princess Grace Awards which supports and elevates extraordinary early career artists in theater, dance and film through game-changing grants; and nurtures and supports Princess Grace Award winners through their careers. Since the Foundation's inception, has awarded over 800 recipients. Notable Princess Grace Award winners include: Emmy Award winner Cary Fukunaga, director of 007's No Time to Die; Jon M. Chu director of Crazy Rich Asians; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Chinonye Chukwu, Tony Award winner director, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer Prize playwright Tony Kushner; Golden Globe Award winner Oscar Isaac; and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre's Gillian Murphy and Isabella Boylston and New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck, and choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown.

Visit https://pgfusa.org/2021-awards-program/

SOURCE Princess Grace Foundation-USA

Related Links

http://www.pgfusa.org


British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce has formed an unlikely alliance with the UK Space Agency to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft engines.

The collaboration will see the two organisations working together to explore the potential of nuclear power as a source of energy for future expeditions into deep space.

If successful, a nuclear spacecraft could cut the journey time to Mars to just three to four months - roughly half the time possible using current chemical engines.

What's more, the reduced journey times would mean astronauts on board the spacecraft are exposed to less radiation during the flight, making future trips to Mars or other planets safer.

If successful, a nuclear-powered spacecraft engine could cut the journey time to Mars to just three to four months - roughly half the time possible using current systems

WHAT IS NUCLEAR PROPULSION? Nuclear propulsion involves channeling the energy release in splitting the atom to accelerate propellants at huge speed. Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency predict that this kind of engine could be twice as efficient as the chemical engines currently used to power rockets, cutting journey times in half. With journey times cut in half, astronauts would be exposed to a lower dose of radiation, which could protect them from both radiation sickness and cancer. Advertisement

Nuclear propulsion has previously been described by NASA as a 'game changing technology for deep space exploration.'

It involves channelling the energy release in splitting the atom to accelerate propellants at huge speed.

Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency predict that this kind of engine could be twice as efficient as the chemical engines currently used to power rockets, cutting journey times in half.

Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: 'Space nuclear power and propulsion is a game-changing concept that could unlock future deep-space missions that take us to Mars and beyond.

'This study will help us understand the exciting potential of atomic-powered spacecraft, and whether this nascent technology could help us travel further and faster through space than ever before.'

A nuclear-powered engine could also make journeys into deep space safer for astronauts.

With journey times cut in half, astronauts would be exposed to a lower dose of radiation, which could protect them from both radiation sickness and cancer.

Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency predict that this kind of engine could be twice as efficient as the chemical engines currently used to power rockets, cutting journey times in half

'Space radiation may place astronauts at significant risk for radiation sickness, and increased lifetime risk for cancer, central nervous system effects, and degenerative diseases,' NASA explained.

Dave Gordon, UK Senior Vice President, Rolls-Royce Defence said: 'We are excited to be working with the UK Space Agency on this pioneering project to define future nuclear power technologies for space.

'We believe there is a real niche UK capability in this area and this initiative can build on the strong UK nuclear network and supply chain.

'We look forward to developing this and other exciting space projects in the future as we continue to develop the power to protect our planet, secure our world and explore our Universe.'

The idea of a nuclear-powered spacecraft engine isn't new.

NASA launched a programme back in 1961 to develop a nuclear-powered engine, although the programme was terminated in 1972 due to space budget cutbacks.

Now, more than 45 years later, NASA is working on a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) system once again.

'We're working on a first generation NTP system that has great growth potential,' said Doyce 'Sonny' Mitchell, manager of the NTP project at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

Nasa's timeline for the project remains unclear.
The chief executive of Failte Ireland has admitted that domestic tourism is at a "low ebb" due to the Covid-19 pandemic but stressed the need for the sector to spearhead a recovery once the crisis has passed.

Writing in the 2019 Failte Ireland annual report, Paul Kelly said it "is not just a review of last year, it looks back on what seems now like another era".

"This report is written at a low ebb, after a high point," he said.

It is written too with determination to restart our industry, to ensure our well-trained people have a future in an Irish tourism industry characterised by old values of hospitality and new ideas of innovation."

That high point was 2019, with the report showing 9.7m overseas tourists in addition to domestic trips in 2019, an increase in the number of people employed in the sector and the highest ever number of foreign tourists here.

However, the report points out that more than 70% of overseas holiday bed-nights were spent in just five counties in what Mr Kelly said was "a disparity we are keen to address".

This points to the untapped potential in many parts of Ireland where there is a need for more tourism growth and job creation," he said. "We will not allow 2019 to become a historic memory of lost, good old days."

Failte Ireland will continue to do everything to support the tourism industry during this incredibility difficult time.



Tourism businesses can access a range of practical supports on our @Failte_Ireland COVID-19 Support Hub here  https://t.co/Wyu7ioZYH4#TourismTogether pic.twitter.com/eddiPmtkUi  Failte Ireland (@Failte_Ireland) January 12, 2021

That view was echoed by Failte Ireland interim chairperson, Paul Carty, who wrote of the "devastating effect on all tourism" of the pandemic.

"The challenges the virus poses to the health and welfare of our people are immense," he said, adding that Brexit and other issues had already had an impact on the sector in 2019.

He referred to a time of unprecedented crisis but said the "winning formula" of 2019 would serve as a guide to recovery in the tourism sector here.

The report suggests 2019 was a year of "uneven growth across core overseas markets", with the number of North American tourists falling by 3% to 1.9m tourists, after six years of double-digit growth, but demand from mainland Europe growing to 3.6m tourists, up 3%, surpassing record numbers in 2018.

It said despite uncertainty caused by Brexit, tourist numbers from Britain stayed "relatively static" at 3.5m tourists in 2019.

A woman dresses a baby in the old town of Kashgar, in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, in a file photo.

Washington has condemned Beijing for a since-removed tweet that sought to justify repressive family planning policies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) by suggesting they make Uyghur women more independent, prompting calls to shutter Chinas embassy and ban its Twitter account.

Last week, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. posted a tweet referencing a report in the official China Daily about a study by the state-affiliated Xinjiang Development Research Center that found extremism had incited people to resist family planning and that its eradication had given Uyghur women more autonomy when deciding whether to have children.

According to the study, decreases in the birthrate and natural population growth rate in the XUAR in 2018 were not caused by forced sterilization of the Uyghur population as documented in a June 2020 report by German researcher Adrian Zenz linking the two and concluding that such measures amount to a government-led campaign of genocide under United Nations definitions.

When Zenzs study came out, official Chinese media vilified him and said Beijing is considering suing him for libel, while the foreign ministry denounced him.

Study shows that in the process of eradicating extremism, the minds of Uygur women in Xinjiang were emancipated and gender equality and reproductive health were promoted, making them no longer baby-making machines, the Jan. 7 Chinese Embassy tweet read. They are more confident and independent.

Authorities in the XUAR are believed to have held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a vast network of internment camps since early 2017. Reports suggest that women who flout family planning policies are regularly placed in detention.

Twitter removed the tweet over the weekend, saying it had violated the sites rules, without providing details.

However, the post drew plenty of condemnation before it was taken down, including from U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, who said in a tweet that the Chinese Communist Partys chauvinism and racism towards Uyghurs knows no limit.

Lets call this what it is cultural eradication through forced abortion, forced sterilization, unjust imprisonment, and torture, she added.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to the tweet with one of his own. "Uyghur women are not 'emancipated' by forced abortions and sterilizations," he said.

Nury Turkel, a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent U.S. federal government body, called Chinas attempt to justify its policies in the XUAR utterly appalling and shameful.

I call on the international community to join USCIRF in condemning #CCP in the strongest terms, a tweet by the commission quoted him as saying.

Wolf Warrior diplomats

The embassy tweet follows a recent pattern of pugnacious online diplomacy by Chinas envoys. Named after a 2017 blockbuster movie that brimmed with jingoism and set box-office records in China, Wolf Warrior diplomats use Twitter to troll critics, insult their host countries, and threaten governments that criticize China.

The birth control claims also drew condemnation from China watchers who called for tougher measures against Beijing for attempting to defend its rights abuses in the XUAR.

CJ Werleman, an Australia-based author and columnist for Inside Arabia, welcomed Twitters removal of the tweet but suggested more punitive steps should be taken.

Hey, @Twitter, while youre at it - how about slapping a permanent ban on Chinese embassy for bragging about genocide, he tweeted.

Columnist and China critic Gordon Chang told RFAs Uyghur Service Monday that Beijing is committing crimes against humanity and its embassy is openly bragging about them.

That facility has no place with the United States, he said.

Forced abortions and birth control

In August, sources told RFA that hospitals in the XUAR were forced to abort and kill babies born in excess of family planning limits or who were in utero less than three years after the mothers previous birth.

According to a June 8 report published on the official Xinjiang Web news site, an average of 8 million extra pregnancies are aborted in China each year. The report said that nearly 10 percent of women undergo a second such operation in their lifetimes, while almost three percent of women who are unable to have a second child have had such an abortion performed on them.

RFA has been documenting the use of forced abortions in the XUARand particularly how Uyghur women are rarely given any other choice by the statesince at least 2005, when a family-planning cadre in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture described the way family-planning officials would take women directly to government offices and hospitals to perform the procedures.

Over the past several decades, Uyghurs reports about family-planning policy implementation in the region have suggested that many instances of Uyghur discontent that were often portrayed by the state as splittism, and later as religious extremism and separatism, stemmed from frustrations with family planning.

Even women who do not violate limitations on children under family-planning policies in the XUAR are routinely forced to undergo birth control procedures that include implantation of intrauterine devices (IUDs) and tubal ligation surgeries.

Several have described in recent interviews painful procedures that left them both physically and emotionally scarred and suggested such measures are part of a bid by the government to eradicate their ethnic group.

Reported by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021

If the President Is Silenced, When Do the Billionaire IT Barons Get to You?

Jan. 11 , 2021 (EIRNS)Immediately led on Jan. 7-8 by Edward Snowden, Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and Michael Gorbachev, more leading figures in political life and journalism have attacked the attempt at total censorship of President Donald Trump by the IT billionaires of Silicon Valley, who are trying to impose total control over political speech in the United Statesto start.

Today German Chancellor Angela Merkel blasted (in Reuters description) Facebook and Twitter censorship of Trump. The right to freedom of opinion is of fundamental importance, Steffen Seibert, Merkels chief spokesman, told reporters in Berlin on Monday, according to Reuters. Given that, the Chancellor considers it problematic that the Presidents accounts have been permanently suspended. The First Amendment can be interfered with, Merkels spokesman said, but by law and within the framework defined by the legislaturenot according to a corporate decision. Bruno Le Maire, the French Economy Minister, called the digital oligarchy the threat to democracy; French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune expressed shock at the Facebook and Twitter power grab and said, This should be decided by citizens, not by a CEO,

The British liberal Guardian showed considerable disdain in reporting Australian Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormacks statement denouncing the censorship of Trumpbut that was Snowdens warning: Those who think they like to see Trump silenced, will learn that this is a turning point and that if the IT giants can silence a U.S. President, they will try to use that power to silence anyone. Billionaire Mark Zuckerbergs Facebook pointed in that direction today in a statement implying no further discussion of the Nov. 3 election allowed by anyonenot just by Donald Trump. We are now removing content containing the phrase stop the steal under our Coordinating Harm policy from Facebook and Instagram. We removed the original Stop the Steal group in November and have continued to remove Pages, groups and events that violate any of our policies.

Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, who helped Snowden blow the whistle on the surveillance state, made the same point in a series of tweets today: Tech monopoliesFB, Google, Apple, Amazonhave more concentrated wealth & power than any in history. They have used brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics: censoring NY Post, banning Trump, destroying Parler. And liberals are overwhelmingly supportive. Most recently, he declared: these Silicon Valley monopolies are grave menaces to political freedom & economic well-being. And prefaced the series: Authoritarians never believe theyre authoritarians, no matter how much censorship, surveillance, jingoism, & imprisonment they demand. They tell themselves their enemies are so uniquely evil and dangerousterroriststhat anything done in the name of fighting them is noble.

This stripping of free speech is now targeting Trump and his most vocal and active supporters. As Ed Snowden observedechoing Martin Niemoller about the Nazisyou may say, Im no active Trump supporter, this is OK with me. Is this for Biden? It was Joe Biden who, by his own boasting, wrote the Patriot Act in 1994the Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of 1995. It wasnt passed, but in 2002 when Attorney General John Ashcroft wrote the Patriot Act itself, he called Biden, recounts Caitlin Johnstone, and said Im introducing your bill from 1994.

Thus if the surveillance state has become the unconstitutional reality of life since 9/11including making an unholy partnership between the military-intelligence complex and the IT billionaires of Silicon ValleyJoe Biden had already planned that future for America after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

And Biden opposes any tampering now with Section 230 of the Federal Communications Act which allows these tech giants to masquerade as neutral platforms while giving them unprecedented censorship power. Experts are suddenly seeing what Trump meant about Section 230. The dean of Tufts Universitys Fletcher School, for example, Bhaskar Chakravorti, on Jan. 10: Jan. 6 ought to shape the future of tech as we know it. The only way in which social media doesnt continue to be weaponized to undermine democracy, is by rethinking this critical piece [Section 230] that gave rise to the web as it is today and is the root of many of its evils.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has appeared to forget that during the Presidential campaign she promised an anti-trust law to break the digital oligarchs companies upGlass-Steagall for tech. They must be broken up. The President must not be silenced. At stake is American constitutional self-government.
A wide range of issues have been identified as the root cause of the slow rollout of the coronavirus vaccine nationwide, one of them being the coordination of getting patients registered and scheduled to go into their local medical facility. Today, Curogram, the leading HIPAA-compliant patient-centric telemedicine and messaging platform, announced its partnership with Asbury Park-based VNACJ Community Center to provide its COVID-19 Crisis Response Platform, a two-way text and mass texting patient engagement solutions that can quickly integrate with any practice management or EMR system.

The safety and well-being of our local residents is always at the top of our mind. During these unsettling times, we have been working to provide much-needed services in order to battle this pandemic, said Christopher Rinn, CEO, VNACJ Community Health Center. Knowing we had to move quickly to distribute the coronavirus vaccination, we leaned on Curogram for their help. In a short 72 hours they integrated their technology into our system, we were able to pre-register 2,906 patients and vaccinate 1,831 patients in the first 12 days of our program.

Curograms COVID-19 Crisis Response Platform is being used in the following ways:



Mass Texting  Mass communicate vaccination services to patients.

Online Registration Module  Mass register patients with customizable data collection.

Site Configuration and Scheduling  Adapt appointment availability as your site configurations and appointment capacity changes.

Maintain Social Distancing Protocols  Communicate with patients via texting to reduce face-to-face exposure for frontline staff..

Reduce Call Volumes  Reduce incoming phone calls from patients by communicating via two-way text.

Automated Text Reminders with Driving Directions  Ensure patients attend their vaccination appointments.

Recall  Invite patients to book their second vaccination dose at the appropriate time.

Integration Engine  Automate EMR data entry and local government agency reporting with custom integrations.

Enabling simple communications with patients is our core expertise, said Michael Hsu, COO at Curogram. We are grateful to be in a unique position to play a vital role in helping support local communities and the healthcare industry in continuing to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to helping VNACJ Community Health Centers be the leading vaccination sites in New Jersey.

To learn more about this partnership and how Curogram can quickly integrate its easy-to-use platform, providing a safe way for patients to communicate and schedule their coronavirus vaccination, visit https://curogram.com/.

About Curogram

Curogram is changing the way healthcare providers communicate with todays patient consumer with HIPAA-compliant texting and telemedicine solutions that sync with any EMR.

About VNACJ Community Health Center

Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Community Health Center, Inc. (VNACJ CHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), has provided comprehensive primary and preventive health care for infants, children, and adults of Monmouth County, New Jersey for more than 27 years. The VNACJ Health Centers are conveniently located in Asbury Park, Freehold, Keyport and Red Bank. In 2019, our staff provided more than 44,500 visits to more than 14,200 patients. For more information about VNACJ CHC please visit http://www.vnachc.org.

Media Contacts

For Curogram:

Erica McCarthy

erica.mccarthy@curogram.com

714-926-5429

For VNACJ Community Health Center:

Jenna Vaccaro

Director, Strategic Initiatives

jenna.vaccaro@vnahg.org

732-829-9621
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Eric Lis factory making glass lampshades for companies including Home Depot Inc. is being stretched to its limits with sales doubling their pre-pandemic level.But like many Chinese manufacturers, he doesnt plan to expand operations -- a reticence that could slow the pace of Chinas economic growth this year and prolong a shortage of goods being felt around the world as demand picks up.Surging prices of raw materials means margins are compressed, explains Li, owner of Huizhou Baizhan Glass Co. Ltd., in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, which makes about $30 million in annual revenue. With the global economic recovery still uneven, the future is very unclear, so there is not much push to expand capacity, he adds.The combination of higher input prices, uncertainty about export prospects and a weak recovery in domestic consumer demand meant Chinese manufacturing investment from January to April was 0.4% below the same period in 2019, according to official statistics (comparing to 2019 strips out the distortion of last years pandemic data).Due to the vast size of Chinas manufacturing sector, that poses a risk both to the nations growth -- which is currently predicted to reach 8.5% in 2021, according to a Bloomberg tally of economists estimates -- and to a global economy thats grappling with supply shortages and rising prices.Falling ProfitsWeaker-than-expected investment could have a sizable impact on GDP growth this year, said Citigroup Inc.s China economist, Li-gang Liu. Lower investment may dent imports of capital goods and equipment from developed economies like Japan and Germany, which in turn could drag their economic recovery and rebound as well, he added.AnHui HERO Electronic Sci & Tec Co. Ltd. is one of those companies feeling the squeeze. Based in the eastern province of Anhui, the company manufactures capacitors used to make electronic circuits, with sales mainly in the domestic market. Jing Yuan, the founder, says orders are up as much as 30% year-on-year, but profits are down 50% due to increasing materials costs that are not easily passed onto clients.The company is under huge cash pressure as it needs to pay half a month in advance of delivery in order to secure copper and other metals, which they previously paid for months after receiving, he said. The commodity issue has to be addressed by the government, he added.What Bloomberg Economics Says...Chinese industry is absorbing significant cost pressures from rising commodity prices -- damping the inflationary impact for the rest of the world. Will it last? Our analysis of gross margins suggests it could for a while longer: downstream industries -- where the cost crunch is most severe -- still have a small cushion.David Qu, China economistFor the full report, click here.Input shortages mean some manufacturers arent able to make use of their existing facilities, so expansion would be of little use. Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio Inc. suspended production at one of its factories last month, due to a shortage of microchips.Modern Casting Ltd., which makes iron and steel products in Guangdong, issued a note to clients this month saying it would not be able to meet its current orders due to high raw material costs. A member of staff who answered the phone at the companys office confirmed the note, but declined to give further details.Growth TransitionOn top of the higher input costs, Chinese companies face a bumpy transition toward domestic consumer spending to sustain its post-pandemic recovery.Exports, Chinas strong-suit last year, may begin to slow as vaccine roll-outs cause consumers in wealthy countries to shift spending back to services. Meanwhile, the growth rate of Chinese consumer spending has yet to fully recover.Investment sentiment among Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises is below levels seen even in 2018-9 when uncertainties from the U.S.-China trade war were a brake on expansion plans, according to a regular survey of more than 500 Chinese companies by Standard Chartered Plc.Demand is still mainly underpinned by exports, so domestic companies are aware that this is not sustainable, said Standard Chartereds China economist, Lan Shen.While some export-oriented sectors have been pushed to their limits, large amounts of slack remain for manufacturers targeting Chinese consumers due to subdued domestic demand.Retail sales growth was 4.3% in April on a two-year average basis, which strips out base effects from the pandemic, less than half pre-pandemic growth rates. Overall capacity use at Chinas manufacturers fell to 77.6% in the first quarter from 78.4% in the previous three months, with the automotive sector hit hardest by overcapacity following three years of declining sales volumes.Even for electric vehicles whose sales are surging, most companies have already built their capacity and will now focus on incremental upgrades. The majority of the investment has been done, said Jochen Siebert of JSC Automotive Consulting.China ordered state-owned companies to expand last year, with their investment growth of 5.3% in 2020 from the prior year easily outstripping the 1% increase in private investment. But for a sustainable pick-up in investment, the market, not the state, needs to feel confident.Carsten Holz, an expert on Chinese investment statistics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, estimates that privately-owned companies have accounted for 87% of manufacturing investment in 2015, the most recent year of available data. They are more sensitive to input costs.There is a pandemic plus insecurity about future trade given a new U.S. administration, neither of which is conducive to investment that relies on long-term growth prospects, Holz said.Mixed PoliciesTransport bottlenecks are also a challenge for export-oriented manufacturers. Gordon Gao, who exports gardening products from China, said that he has had to reject 80% of orders this year due to port delays. In one case, an order placed before mid-February could only be shipped three months later when a client finally secured a container.Beijing has tried to improve conditions for private companies by ordering a crackdown on speculation to curb commodity prices and easing access to bank loans.Yet the government continues to gradually withdraw fiscal and monetary stimulus measures introduced amid the pandemic last year. It set a relatively unambitious target of above 6% growth for this year, and the Communist Partys Politburo signaled last month it would prioritize reforms to control house prices and debt growth.The policy stance has definitely shifted away from supporting growth and back toward de-risking the financial sector, said Adam Wolfe, an economist at London-based Absolute Strategy Research. The risks for economic growth seem tilted to the downside, especially for capital-intensive, construction-linked sectors.For manufacturers such as Li, a longer period of domestic growth and control over input prices will be needed before capacity expansion is on the cards. While his company of 200 workers took on new permanent staff before the pandemic, for now hed rather pass the risks of investment on to others.I wouldnt do that now, I would rather hire some temporary workers and outsource the rest, he said.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
An American-Chinese socialite who reportedly jumped to her death in Hong Kong with her five-month-old daughter in her arms had a boyfriend who was not ready to marry her after she fell pregnant, a friend has revealed to Chinese media.

Luo Lili, 34, who had rubbed shoulders with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Rita Ora, allegedly plunged from her 5,000-square-foot penthouse naked while holding her baby after suffering post-natal depression, according to multiple reports.

One of Ms Luo's friends confirmed her death to the press. The source claimed that a pregnant Ms Luo had hoped to get married to her partner to formalise their relationship, but he had not agreed at the time.

A friend of Luo Lili, a socialite who jumped to her death in Hong Kong with her baby in her arms, has disclosed Ms Luo's emotional struggle in the lead-up to her death. The friend told reporters that a pregnant Luo had hoped to get married to her partner, but he had not agreed

Hong Kong police only identified the two individuals found dead on a podium of an apartment block last Wednesday by their surname Luo. But local media alleged that one of them was Ms Luo (seen in pictures on her Instagram) and the other was her five-month-old daughter

As the only daughter of a real estate tycoon mother who owns multiple luxury development projects in China, US-educated Ms Luo appeared to have lived a lavish life, studying and travelling around the world from a young age.

In 2014, she founded her own company TriBeluga, an incubation service firm that connected global startups with China.

Various Hong Kong news outlets, including HK01, Apple Daily and Ming Pao, reported that Ms Luo jumped from her luxurious, duplex apartment last Wednesday.

The reports also said that she carried her five-month-old daughter, who also died in the incident.

Ms Luo was frequently pictured with influential figures around the world. In a set of undated pictures uploaded to her Instagram account, the China-born, US-educated socialite and businesswoman was pictured meeting with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

In another picture on Ms Luo's Instagram, she was pictured with British pop superstar Rita Ora

Hong Kong police said they found the bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her five-month-old daughter lying on a podium of an apartment block in Yau Ma Tei on January 6.

In a statement to MailOnline on Tuesday, the police only identified the deceased by their surname Luo.

'The woman and the baby girl were certified dead at scene. Initial investigation revealed that they fell from a unit. No will note was found at scene,' said the police, who are still investigating the incident.

'Post-mortem examinations will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of deaths of the deceased.'

In an online statement, the police said that officers were deployed to the scene after receiving a report from a local security guard who had spotted the corpses.

Alice Chiu Tsang Hok-Wan, a Hong Kong philanthropist and friend of Ms Luo's claimed the socialite's boyfriend had not agreed to marry a pregnant Ms Luo (seen in an Instagram photo)

In an interview with Chinese news site The Cover, Alice Chiu Tsang Hok-Wan, a Hong Kong philanthropist and friend of Ms Luo's disclosed the socialite's emotional struggle in the lead-up to her death.

'After falling pregnant, [Ms Luo] hoped to get married to her boyfriend and honour their relationship in an open and official manner. However, her boyfriend was not ready to get married,' Mrs Chiu told The Cover.

She described Ms Luo as an 'optimistic, positive and kind' woman who was passionate about charity.

'I will miss her forever,' she added.

Ms Luo, a single mother, had kept the identify of her baby's father a secret.

She was believed to have taken her life after suffering post-natal depression, reported Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao.

The article alleged that she jumped to her death without wearing clothing from her 5,000-square-foot penthouse while carrying her baby in her arms in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon.

Ms Luo, 34, appeared to have lived a lavish life, studying and travelling around the world

Ms Luo appeared to have enjoyed an extravagant life as a socialite as she was frequently pictured with influential figures around the world, including former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British pop superstar Rita Ora.

In a recent Instagram post, Ms Luo shared a photo with her daughter, Aier, while celebrating her baby girl's 100-day birthday.

The mother wrote: 'She is God's way to give me perspective on life. Thank you for showing up in my life my beloved daughter.'

Ms Luo was reportedly the only daughter of Luo Lin, the chairman of Jinlin Real Estate in south-western Chinese metropolis Chengdu, who owns multiple luxury development projects across the country.

Her father is said to have come from a doctor family who have practised Chinese traditional medicine for six generations.

Her parents divorced when she was little, as Ms Luo previously revealed on her social media.

Born in Chengdu, Ms Luo moved to Hong Kong at the age of four before studying in Australia and the United States.

She was said to have worked as a translator for her mother before founding her own company in 2014.

In a 2015 interview, Ms Luo confessed that it was not easy to be born to a wealthy family because they had to 'show up' to be deemed successful.

'Other people think that it is easier for us to do things, but that's not the case,' she said.

'When ordinary people can [be deemed successful by completing] just 60 per cent of a mission, we have to do 80 per cent [to be recognised on the same level]. In particular, because I am a woman, I have to really show up and finish 95 per cent of a task to be regarded as successful.'

She added that she was ready to prove her business capabilities to others through her diligence.

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details
The Wall Street Journal seems to have stirred up an interesting and important lawsuit brought by video-sharing service Rumble against the Google/YouTube prong of Big Tech. The Wall Street Journals Sam Schechner reports on the lawsuit in Google Sued by YouTube Rival Over Search Rankings. Subhead: Video-sharing site Rumble, citing a Wall Street Journal investigation, alleges Google diverted traffic away from it toward YouTube. Schechner reports:

Video-sharing site Rumble Inc. accused Google in a lawsuit of abusing the power of its search engine and mobile operating system to boost its YouTube video service over rivals, the latest allegation of anticompetitive conduct against the Alphabet Inc. unit. Toronto-based Rumble, which has become popular among conservative pundits, on Monday filed an antitrust suit in federal court in California arguing that Google is unfairly rigging its search algorithms to place YouTube above Rumble in its search results. Rumble said Googles behavior cost it significant numbers of viewers and advertising dollars. The lawsuit also argues that Googles deals to pre-install a YouTube app on mobile devices running Googles Android operating system have unfairly deprived Rumble of viewers. Google, through its search engine, was able to wrongfully divert massive traffic to YouTube, depriving Rumble of the additional traffic, users, uploads, brand awareness and revenue it would have otherwise received, the lawsuit states.

Google blows off the lawsuit. Schechner turns to the Journals role in its genesis:

Rumbles lawsuit cites the findings of a Wall Street Journal investigation from July that found Googles search results gave a preference to YouTube links over those from video rivals. In a series of tests, the Journal found that search results in a large majority of cases featured YouTube videos ahead of the same or very similar versions of the videos available on competitor sites. Rumble wasnt featured in the Journal testing, but the video-sharing company says in its lawsuit that it conducted its own similar tests using its videos. One exhibit in the lawsuit includes screen shots of a Google search for funny dogs on rumble which returns a list of videos that are entirely from YouTube.

Google blew off the Journal as well. Schechner recalls:

In response to the Journal report, a Google spokeswoman said in July that no preference is given to YouTube or any other video provider in Google search, but declined to comment on the specific examples. Our systems use a number of signals from the web to understand what results people find most relevant and helpful for a given query, the spokeswoman said at the time.

Rumble introduces a Kafkaesque twist in the Google/YouTube scenario:

Rumble says one of its main business models is allowing content creators to license their videos exclusively to Rumble, which then syndicates them to other video services, including YouTube and Microsoft Corp.s MSN. Rumble then pays the posters a share of the advertising revenue those videos garner. Rumble says it must syndicate its videos to YouTube in order to survive, because of the monopoly Google has obtained for its YouTube platform through its unlawful anti-competitive conduct.

Schechners story concludes with a recitation that bears on Rumbles damages:

Since 2014, Rumble says, its videos syndicated on YouTube have generated 9.3 billion views, and $4.3 million in revenue. Rumble contends that most, if not all, of those 9.3 billion views would have occurred on the Rumble website had Google not boosted YouTube in search results. Those viewers would have watched and uploaded other videos, too, all of which would have earned better ad rates than on YouTube, Rumble contends. Cumulatively, Rumble calculates that advertising on the allegedly missing views over that period would have generated well in excess of $2 billion.

I believe those damages would be trebled under the antitrust cause of action.

More to come.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : After the farmers' unions made it clear that they will not accept anything but the withdrawal of the farm laws, the Congress has stepped its attack on the Modi-led government.

Rahul Gandhi in a tweet on Tuesday said, "The government's efforts to confuse farmers is futile, the farmers know the motive and their demands are clear -- withdraw anti-Agri laws." The farmers, after the Supreme Court indicated to form a committee, said on Monday that they will not appear before it. Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal in an article, which he shared with the media said, "The protesting farmers want to be heard. For years, governments have neglected the agricultural sector, failing to recognise the abysmal conditions under which a majority of our farmers work. The ongoing protests must be understood in the backdrop of the levels of poverty they face." The Congress after lending support to the farmers' protest have now come at the forefront. Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi has spoken to the opposition leaders for a joint strategy on the farmers' agitation.

The Congress on Saturday had said that it has decided to organise 'Kisan Adhikar Divas' in the country and will gherao the Raj Bhavans across all states on January 15.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday had said: "Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has decided that in support of the agitating farmers, the party will organise Kisan Adhikar Divas in its party offices and will also gherao the Raj Bhawans in the state headquarters on January 15."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
BRIDGEPORT  City firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze on Ochsner Place for nearly two hours on Tuesday morning.

Shortly after 9 a.m., fire units were dispatched to the area of Ochsner Place and Main Street for a reported structure fire at a dwelling on Ochsner Place, the fire department said.

First arriving fire units reported heavy smoke coming from a 2.5-story wood structure on Ochsner Place, according to initial dispatch reports.

Fire units requested the dispatcher send police units to shut down traffic near the intersection of Old Town Road and Main Street so crews could stretch a line to a hydrant to help extinguish the flames.

The recall was relayed around 10:30 a.m.

Fire officials at the scene requested the Red Cross to request to help five adults displace by the fire.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Malta, N.Y.  An Upstate New York town official has resigned from their position after being detained for their involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot last week.

Sharon Pineo, 70, of Round Lake, N.Y., was identified by a local Republican lawmaker and media outlets as the woman appearing in photos taken Wednesday during the pro-Trump mobs insurrection attempt. She was seen being helped up by police and also being led away in handcuffs.

The Times-Union reports Pineo stepped down as a member of the Malta Zoning Board of Appeals in Saratoga County.

I tender this resignation with regret but believe that in these challenging times, it is important not to allow any impediment to the smooth operation of the town business, Pineo wrote in a letter to Malta Supervisor Darren OConnor on Monday. It has been my honor to serve on the board. I thank you and former Supervisor (Vincent) DeLucia for the opportunity.

The Albany newspaper reports Pineo, who held the appointed position since 2018, did not mention the Capitol siege.

Pineo organized a bus trip to Washington, D.C., according to a Facebook post on the Upstate Conservative Coalition, to protest Congress certification of the Electoral College votes in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. Supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building, leading to five deaths and dozens of arrests.

Our President asks that we, the people, assemble at the Capital (sic) to declare to Congress that we do not support a stolen election, Pineo wrote on Dec. 22.

Its unclear if Pineo was taken into custody at any point, or simply removed from the area. Theres no record of Pineo being arrested or criminally charged.

Calls for her resignation spread on social media after she was identified in the photos.

... it has come to my attention that a member of the Malta Zoning Board of Appeals was involved in the protests in Washington DC and was detained by law enforcement, Republican town council member Tim Dunn wrote on Facebook over the weekend. While my understanding is that this individual has not been charged with a crime, the actions and intentions of the group that stormed the Capitol are reprehensible and not consistent with the values of our community.

MORE:

Utica man arrested in U.S. Capitol riot: Its crazy, I didnt enter anywhere

Rep. Elise Stefanik responds to calls for resignation after Capitol riot

Syracuse man appears as person of interest in FBI, D.C. police investigation of U.S. Capitol riot

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 04:09:20|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two Iraqi soldiers and three members of the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi were killed on Monday in attacks by the militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial security source said.

In one attack, two soldiers were killed and a third wounded when IS militants attacked their base on Monday evening in Buhruz area in the south of the provincial capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Major Alaa al-Saadi from the provincial police told Xinhua.

Iraqi security forces launched a search campaign in the area looking for the attackers, al-Saadi said.

In two other separate attacks, three members of the Hashd Shaabi were killed, the military officer said.

The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces defeated the extremist IS militants in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem


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Former Fire Chief Robert Ward served West Hazleton, and all of Greater Hazleton, during a long and dedicated career.

A patriarch, mentor and pillar of Pennsylvania fire service  Robert Ward was so many more things to the people who knew him.

His passing Saturday night leaves a void but his legacy lives on in the people he knew, including the firefighters he trained and worked with. Wards respect for them was noticeable and expressed in a recent Facebook post he wrote.

I started my career as a firefighter December 31, 1974. Spent 38 years on the job and retired December 31, 2011 at the rank of Fire Chief. But its not about me, its the men and women with in the Department that make things tick and work. What a great bunch of firefighters I had under me, he wrote on Dec. 24.

Humbly, what he didnt mention was how he taught just about every firefighter in Greater Hazleton and many in the state, how he tried to improve fire service, his innovations and how he loved serving his community, say the firefighters who knew him.

He also loved his family dearly, said West Hazleton Fire Chief Richard Sparks who has been friends with Ward since 1976 and will miss him in so many different ways. He was dedicated to the borough and to the fire service, as a fire instructor, chief and firefighter.

His forward thinking, knowledge and experience, saved lives of citizens and firefighters, Sparks said. I think he made everyone around him a better firefighter.

Every firefighter in this area has been taught by Chief Ward at sometime in their lives, said Dennis Ganc, general manager of Lehigh Valley EMS and former West Hazleton fire chief who served after Ward retired.

When Ganc got into the fire service, people recommended he join West Hazleton because hed come under Wards direct tutelage.

I went there and knew nothing, no one in my family ever served. I was welcomed but at the same time I was pushed and challenged (by Ward), Ganc said.

In his classroom, Ward would take extra time to help someone struggling with a lesson because he wanted people to be better, Ganc said.

His charisma in the classroom drew students in, Hazle Twp. Fire Chief Scott Kostician said. He taught by the book but, at the same time, hed joke around and keep people interested, Kostician said.

The passion burning in him to serve his community was evident.

He was a man of character and dedicated to the fire service. The fire service has many ups and downs and many people dont persevere through those ups and downs but he did, Cal Herring of Freeland Fire Department said.

Ward was concerned about the future of volunteer firefighters. He supported an effort proposed more than 10 years ago to teach firefighting at high school career centers as a way to combat dwindling firefighter numbers and when the idea was brought up again in recent times with the goal to implement it once funding is available, Ward was still there supporting it, Kostician said.

Firefighters plan to continue to pursue that outreach in his memory.

Ward worked with other leaders in the Suburban Mutual Fire Aid Association in the late 1980s and early 1990s to raise money for a mobile fire safety house to teach children fire safety. Kostician said every mutual aid company, including the Hazleton Fire Department, collected aluminum cans which were turned into cash at a scrap yard and paid for the teaching tool.

He use to take that around everywhere and teach children, Kostician said.

Ward always believed local fire stations should work together to protect the communities they serve, sharing manpower and equipment, so when Hazleton and West Hazleton signed an agreement to work together in recent times, Ward was invited to the signing, even though he was retired at that point, Hazleton Fire Chief Donald Leshko said.

If there was any person who left a huge mark on fire service in this area it was Bob Ward. He will never be forgotten. I can tell you that much, Leshko said. He left the fire service in better condition than he found it.

Gary Perna, a McAdoo volunteer firefighter and a past president of the Six County Firemans Association, said he learned a lot more than firefighting in Wards classroom. His values as a family man and love for his wife and children were always apparent.

In fact, when Perna married a fellow firefighter, Whitney, he offered them words of encouragement saying: If a husband and wife can go into a burning building together, they can handle anything.

As news spread of the retired chiefs death, people poured their sympathy for his family into social media posts.

Among them was David Onder, paramedic and former member of West Hazleton Fire and Ambulance. He said Ward taught him the right way to perform fire ground rehabilitation services and that it was Wards name on most of his first responder certifications.

A legend, he wrote in the Facebook post.

God speed Chief to your new assignment at the Main Station ... There is an old Greek saying that You never really die as long as someone remembers you and you will be remembered for ages among the multitudes of students you have taught, Onder wrote.

WASHINGTON - After a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, forcing Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., to take shelter in a crowded committee room, she began preparing for the worst.

Many of the GOP members of Congress hiding out with her were not wearing masks, she said, and had refused to accept them from a colleague. So, soon after Congress affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory later that night, she began to quarantine, fearing she could have contracted the coronavirus.

Her prediction turned to be right. Late Monday night, Jayapal announced that she had tested positive, making her the second Democratic representative to do so this week, after New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The two diagnoses come after Brian Monahan, the attending physician to Congress, warned over the weekend that lawmakers may have been exposed to the virus while taking cover from the rioters.

Jayapal, who said she was locked down in a committee room for hours with more than 100 people, placed the blame squarely on some of her GOP colleagues.

"Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them," Jayapal said, accusing them of"creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack."

Her statement pointed to a video published by Punchbowl News on Friday, which showed several maskless Republicans in the room with her - including Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Michael Cloud of Texas, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania - refusing surgical masks from Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.

"I'm not trying to get political here," Mullin can be heard saying in the video, before telling her: "I'll come over there and hug you."

Within two days of the Capitol siege, Jayapal told the Cut that she had begun quarantining, convinced that she could have been exposed to the virus in that room.

Several public health experts echoed the congresswoman's assertion that the locked-in room could have served as a "superspreader event." The coronavirus is surging in the United States. As of early on Tuesday, more than 22.5 million infections in the United States have been reported, and at least 374,000 people have died, according to data tracked by The Washington Post.

In an email to lawmakers on Sunday, Monahan said that all those"in protective isolation in room located in a large committee hearing space" may have been exposed to someone with the virus. He advised them to seek a coronavirus test and continue to monitor for symptoms while wearing masks.

Coleman, a 75-year-old cancer survivor, said she was isolating at home with "mild, cold-like symptoms" after taking shelter during the riots in a room with lawmakers who had refused to wear masks.

Jayapal did not say if she was experiencing symptoms but noted that she would continue to work "to the best of my ability" while in quarantine.

While Jayapal received her first dose of a vaccine on Jan. 4, that shot alone is not enough to make her immune to the virus. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require a second dose, six weeks after the first, to be fully effective.

Scientists have also made it clear that vaccine protections do not kick in overnight. For that reason, public health officials have recommended that all those who have been vaccinated must continue to practice social distancing and wear masks in public.

With most members of Congress and some of their staff members having received at least one shot, those guidelines were not lost on Jayapal.

In her statement on Monday, she said that any lawmaker who refuses to wear a mask inside the Capitol should be fined and removed from the floor by the sergeant-at-arms. (The Committee on House Administration already says it is a "critical necessity" to mask up while indoors at the Capitol.)

"This is not a joke," she added. "Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy."

- - -

The Washington Post's Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report.
US President Donald Trump, facing impeachment on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" on Tuesday denied responsibility for his supporters' violent invasion of the US Capitol last week and said his remarks before the siege were appropriate. The Republican president told reporters that his speech before Wednesday's assault - in which he urged supporters to march on the Capitol and fight - had been analyzed by unnamed others, who he said believed it was "totally appropriate." "If you read my speech ... what I said was totally ...
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Budgets: Schools have been told they will have to pay for hot meals for pupils

The Department of Education has said schools wishing to provide hot meals for pupils who are continuing to attend will have to find flexibility in their own budget to do so.

Sinn Fein MLA Karen Mullan has called on the Education Minister to put plans in place to ensure all children who are attending schools can get a hot meal.

The party's education spokesperson said she was concerned that the children of key workers who are still attending have not been receiving school meals.

Only vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers are able to attend nursery, primary and post-primary schools until the February mid-term break.

According to guidance issued by the Education Authority as new remote learning measures came into force, there will be no specific provision of school meals for vulnerable children or children of key workers still attending schools.

"While the majority of children are not currently at school because of the Covid-19 restrictions and parents of children entitled to free school meals are receiving a direct payment, children of some key workers are still attending school and concerns have been raised that some are not receiving hot meals," the Sinn Fein MLA said.

"I have spoken to the Education Authority on this issue and reiterated the importance of children receiving hot meals at school in a safe and responsible way.

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"It is up to the Education Minister to put contingency plans in place to ensure children who are currently attending schools can get a hot meal."

A Department of Education spokesperson said: "As the vast majority of pupils entitled to free school meals are learning remotely from home (except pupils at special schools), the department considers the most expedient way to ensure that families have a means to provide food for their children is to make direct payments in lieu of free school meals.

"Direct payments will issue this week. School meals services will be available as normal in special schools.

"Pupils entitled to free school meals attending special schools will receive free school meals at school as normal.

"Although schools will remain open to children of key workers and vulnerable children, and as direct payments will issue to those parents, children attending school (other than special school), have been advised to bring a packed lunch to school.

"It is normal practice for schools to cater for any child who presents to school hungry. Procedures are in place with the Education Authority to provide for this. This is required to be followed up with a referral to the Education Welfare Service. Schools should liaise with school catering staff who will be on call as necessary.

"However, where a school has a number of vulnerable children attending and wishes to make hot meal provision, the school has the flexibility within its budget to provide this, liaising with its school meals service as necessary."

It is also now compulsory for post-primary pupils who are still attending school to wear face coverings in classrooms and at drop off or pick up outside school unless they are exempt.
MW to develop Broadlands No Ordinary wine range

Clem Yates MW has been signed up by Broadland Drinks as a consultant winemaker to develop its No Ordinary wine range.

Yates is a former Sainsburys wine buyer and technical manager at Tesco and was with Off-Piste Wines as sourcing and supply director for seven years.

She left Off-Piste in late 2019 to start her own consultant winemaking and sourcing business.

No Ordinary was launched by Broadland last year with wines from New Zealand, Moldova and Portugal, with the aim of becoming the UKs biggest multi-country wine brand.

It expects to add three or four wines to the range in 2021.

Broadland chief executive Mark Lansley said No Ordinary is all about giving consumers a chance to explore unexpected wines from around the world.

Our research showed that consumers want to try something different but are looking for reassurance.

We looked for an outstanding, experienced, adventurous winemaker to help us select and blend the right wines and we are very pleased Clem will be working with us on this brand.

Yates added: I look forward to developing a fresh and exciting range of wines that engage with todays adventurous consumers.

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Sydneysiders heading to Booderee National Park in Jervis Bay - famous for its white sand beaches - are being turned around and sent home.

Strict coronavirus measures mean anyone from Sydney making the three-hour drive south to the popular tourist destination must get a valid exemption.

That's because the area which only has a population of about 400 people is not actually part of New South Wales - it's a territory which is under the governance of the Commonwealth, much the same as the ACT.

Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong have been declared Covid-hotspots by the Commonwealth meaning anyone travelling from those places needs to cancel their holiday plans.

But popular destinations in Jervis Bay like Huskisson Beach and Hyams Beach remain open to visitors.

Strict coronavirus measures mean anyone from Sydney making the three-hour drive south to the popular Booderee National Park (pictured in the above map) must obtain a valid exemption

Jervis Bay's national park would normally be packed with tourists and visitors at this time of year, but at the moment it's all but deserted

What is included in the off limits areas? * The navy base at Jervis Bay Village * Wreck Bay * Iluka Beach * Murrays Beach Advertisement

Jervis Bay is known for its picturesque beaches, whale watching tours, native wildlife and the prominent navy base which occupies the turquoise waters.

The Booderee National Park area would normally be packed with tourists and visitors at this time of year, but at the moment it's all but deserted.

For local residents returning from a Covid-hotspot, they must self-isolate for 14-days or face a fine of up to $8000.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications said the main reason for the strict measures is to protect Indigenous communities - which has occupied the area for 20,000 years.

'With Covid-19 continuing to pose a threat to the local community, the health and safety of elders and vulnerable residents of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community and broader territory is our highest priority,' a statement said.

'To protect the community through the Covid-19 pandemic, Public Health Emergency Directions are made regularly to protect residents and minimise risks to visitors.'

Strict coronavirus measures mean anyone making the three-hour drive south to the popular holiday destination (pictured) must obtain a valid exemption

The main reason for the strict measures is to protect Indigenous communities - which has occupied the area for 20,000 years. Pictured: Wreck Bay Aboriginal community

'The health and safety of elders and vulnerable residents of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community and broader territory is our highest priority,' the Commonwealth government said

Elders said local Aboriginal people are largely in support of the increased restrictions which were brought in last week.

'It's just people outside that are having issues now because they can't go to the national park or their favourite surf spot,' Yuin man Keiran Stewart-Assheton told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Everyone I've spoken to about it is supportive of it.

'There's no doctors or anything here so people need to leave for groceries or services. They shut the toll gates down and only allow access routes, or people that are working for the navy.'

The Jervis Bay Territory was surrendered to the Commonwealth in 1915 and since that time the area's governance has been somewhat complicated.

Although the coastal landmass is not part of the ACT, as many Australians assume, the ACT does administer its services.

But only the Commonwealth government has the power to make public declarations such as health orders.

Jervis Bay is regarded as one of the world's best locations to see whales. Pictured a humpback whale breaches the water

Jervis Bay remains a popular holiday destination because of it's native wildlife and stunning beaches

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday coronavirus restrictions in Greater Sydney will stay in place for at least another week, as the state recorded five new local cases.

One infection is linked to the Berala cluster in Western Sydney and is a close contact of a previously reported case.

Two cases, from the Northern Beaches, are household contacts of each other and the source of their infections is under investigation.

A man who in his 40s who went to Mount Druitt Emergency Department on Saturday 9 January and his close household contact have also tested positive, with the source of their infections under investigation.
Ukraine and Moldova have agreed to increase the volume of Moldovan natural gas stocks in Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities, to restore electricity supplies to Moldova and transit of electricity from Ukraine to Romania through Moldova, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said after negotiations with President of Moldova Maia Sandu.

"There are many developments for deepening our cooperation in the energy sector. This is an increase in the storage of natural gas by the Moldovan side in Ukrainian storage facilities, a project for the transit of European gas through Moldova to Ukraine, restoration of electricity supplies to Moldova and transit of electricity from Ukraine to Romania via the territory of Moldova," Zelenskiy said in a press statement in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Zelensky also noted the importance of jointly combating smuggling on the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, "especially on its Transnistrian section." "This is indeed a very important area of our cooperation, taking into account, in particular, our desire to integrate into a joint market with the European Union," the President of Ukraine said.
The second tunnel boring machine of the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station metro section arrives in the northern city of Hai Phong on January 11, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board.

The second tunnel boring machine required for the construction of Hanois second metro line has arrived from Germany and will be assembled in the next three months.

It has landed in a Hai Phong City port and will be taken to Hanoi this month for drilling for the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station metro line.

The machine, manufactured by German firm Herrenkechtm, is more than 100 meters long and weighs over 850 tons. It can drill 10 meters of tunnel per day.

Nguyen Cao Minh, head of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB), said 2021 is an important year for the metro project with the arrival of both excavators.

They will be used to drill the four-kilometer underground section.

The line will run 12.5 km from Nhon in the western Nam Tu Liem District through Kim Ma Street to the city railway station in the downtown area, and cost VND33 trillion ($1.42 billion).

It had received its first train from France on October 20, 2020.

The elevated section will start commercial operation later this year and the underground section next year.
EL PASO, Texas, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunt Heroes Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Hunt Military Communities (Hunt), is excited to announce it has recently started accepting applications for its third annual HHF scholarship grants. Hunt will award $40,000 to deserving applicants.

Applicants to the Hunt Heroes Foundation Scholarship Program must be:

A high school senior or high school graduate or a current post-secondary undergraduate at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational school or a trade school student; or

Planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year

A qualified applicant must be one of the following:

An active-duty Service Member, National Guard or Reservist of one of the five branches of the United States Armed Services (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard) and with current military identification provided to HHF if selected as a recipient; or

A dependent of a Service Member (spouse, or child), prepared to provide documentation of dependent status to HHF if selected as a recipient by providing (a) birth certificate; (b) custody or guardianship order from a court with authority; and/or (c) marriage certificate; and be

Dependent children are defined as natural and legally adopted children or stepchildren living in the employee's household or primarily supported by the employee.

"We understand the challenges many families are facing during these difficult times and are happy to be able to support the ongoing education of military members and their families," stated John Ehle, Hunt Military Communities' President. "Due to the generous donations we received this year, we are able to recognize 15 recipients and award $40,000 total in scholarship grants in 2021. With the support of our donors, Hunt Heroes Foundation is able to continue to provide resources to the military community and we will continue to grow the program each year to support as many people as possible."

If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an award ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Up to 15 awards will be granted as follows:

Four $5,000 awards for 2-year associates program or 4-year undergraduate studies.

awards for 2-year associates program or 4-year undergraduate studies. Six $2,500 awards for vocational-technical programs or certificates, 2-year associates program or 4-year undergraduate studies program, and

awards for vocational-technical programs or certificates, 2-year associates program or 4-year undergraduate studies program, and Five $1,000 awards for vocational-technical programs or certificates, 2-year associates program or 4-year undergraduate studies program.

Scholarship recipients will be selected based on community involvement, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, statement of goals and aspirations, unusual personal or family circumstances, an outside appraisal, and two (300 words or less) essays responding to the following questions:

How has being a part of the military or part of a military family affected your life? What would you like to change in your community, and how would you do it?

Scholarship America, a third party independent consultant, will coordinate, evaluate, and select the scholarship recipients. All scholarships must be filled out online at: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/huntheroesscholarship

The deadline to submit a nomination is March 4, 2021 at 3 pm CST or until 50 applications are received, whichever comes first. For questions or issues with the scholarship process, nominees are encouraged to email: [email protected]

About Hunt Heroes Foundation

Formed in 2018, the Hunt Heroes Foundation proudly serves military families, partners and communities through opportunities and ideas generated by our people and partnerships. Together, the HHF will discover new ways to ensure we help bring a positive change to the communities in which we live and work.

About Hunt Military Communities

Hunt Military Communities, the largest military housing owner, offers unsurpassed quality and service to more than 165,000 residents in approximately 52,000 homes on Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army installations across the USA. We do this through our core values: safety, kindness, efficiency, enthusiasm and selflessness and our 5-Star Service commitment. With a 50-year legacy and a partnership with the Department of Defense, Hunt strives to ensure the integrity of our military communities and the families who live there. For more information, visit www.huntmilitarycommunities.com .

SOURCE Hunt Military Communities

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ONTARIO -- U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz met behind closed doors with his Republican colleagues in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 as President Donald Trump implored Congress to overturn the presidential election.

They huddled to consider the case for dismissing millions of American votes. Making that case would give Trump the second term that he falsely claimed he won.

In the coming hours, Bentz, Oregons only Republican in Congress, would lock down in his office as marauders a block away vandalized the Capitol. Secured with his staff, he parsed legal issues on voting in six states in question.

And he ultimately joined the effort to deny one state  Pennsylvania  a say in who should be president.

The vote was consequential for Bentz, serving just his fifth day in office. He had come to Congress representing Oregons 2nd Congressional District, an attorney by training and an experienced politician with years in the Oregon Legislature.

In an interview Saturday with the Malheur Enterprise, Bentz explained his path to that vote. He shared how he learned belatedly about inappropriate remarks made by Trump as the insurrection unfolded.

Hes faced intense scrutiny for his stance. Commenters by hundreds loaded up his Congressional Facebook page. Some supported his vote against the Pennsylvania results but most criticized him. A few said he disgraced himself and should resign.

Bentz said, however, that he acted on principle, not politics, when he cast that vote.

Sometimes its really difficult to do the right thing, Bentz said.

The path, the vote

On Jan. 6, Congress convened to consider election results certified by each state, and formally declare the winner of the presidential election. The process is typically routine with little controversy.

But key Republican legislators had joined with Trump in conceiving a plan to thwart the process. They hoped Congress would reject the results from enough states to strip away their electoral votes for Joe Biden, leaving Trump the winner.

Bentz had already signaled his concerns about the election, joining with 25 other Congressmen-elect in a Dec. 15 letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The letter asked for an investigation.

The incoming legislators referred to multiple states engaged in litigation and said that thousands of witnesses have submitted sworn affidavits of reported fraud.

The letter also said the legislators had verified reports of issues with mail ballots, with voting machines and with restrictions on election observers.

During the Enterprise interview, Bentz conceded he saw no evidence of those issues.

That part of the letter I dont support, he said.

He also said that he didnt accept the presidents claims that election fraud was so widespread that he actually won.

Against the backdrop of such fraud claims, Republican congressmen met at 9 a.m. Jan. 6 in an auditorium at the Capitol Visitor Center. According to Bentz, objections to the results of six states were anticipated. Congressmen stated the case for and against the objections for each state.

The session broke up three hours later, each Congressman left to decide on their own how to treat each states electors. Bentz said he was not pressured by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, or other Republicans to support overturning the presidential election.

As they left the auditorium, Trump was launching into an outdoor speech not far away, addressing thousands of his supporters. His speech later was blamed by officials in both political parties for inciting the invasion of the Capitol.

Unaware of the presidents rallying speech, Bentz returned to his second-floor suite of offices in the Longworth House Office Building, across Independence Avenue from the Capitol.

There, his staff went to work to analyze the election processes in the six contested states.

I told them to go through each state as best we can to determine what foundation for a constitutional objection existed, he said.

He wanted to know if the election process in any state seemed out of line with the Constitution.

That work was very difficult, Bentz said.

He said he decided he would object to a states election results if the vote was done using methods not authorized by that states legislature. He said the Constitution delegates to state legislators, not other government officials, the power to decide how elections will be done.

Bentz concluded that the challenge to Arizona wasnt justified, and late Wednesday night  after the invaders had been expelled and order restored  he joined others in the House in voting against that objection.

The deliberations continued on into the early morning hours of Jan. 7.

The Pennsylvania vote

About 12:30 a.m. Washington time, the House turned to Pennsylvania. The debate lasted two hours, but Bentz didnt speak or make any submission to the Congressional Record to explain his eventual vote supporting the objection.

Bentz, in the later interview, said he had concluded that Pennsylvanias votes should be rejected, based on how the state handled certain mail ballots. Trump for months had told the country that mail ballots were rife with fraud.

Pennsylvania officials intended to count any mail ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but delivered in the next few days, extending the deadline. Their decision was backed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The state received 9,428 such ballots, but set them aside at the direction of the U.S. Supreme Court. So the results of those votes werent included in the states final count sent to Congress, showing Biden had won the state by about 80,000 votes.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania said in a Dec. 16 court filing that it was content to let the Supreme Court settle the matter.

This case is an ideal vehicle, in part precisely because it will not affect the outcome of this election, the filing said.

Bentz said in the interview that he wasnt aware the votes hadnt been included in Pennsylvanias totals. He acknowledged that had he been successful in his challenge, his questioning of about 10,000 uncounted ballots would have overturned the results of voting by nearly 7 million people.

But he also explained that he acted on principle  that he judged that Pennsylvania had violated the U.S. Constitution and he wasnt going to support that.

His intent, he said was to follow the Constitution.

At 3:08 a.m. Washington time on Thursday, the House considered and rejected the objection to Pennsylvanias election results. Bentz joined 137 Republican representatives in the failed effort to overturn those results.

It would have been easy to have voted against the objection for Pennsylvania, Bentz said. Thats not what my analysis showed. Youve got to stick with your principles.

Bentz said he was also mindful that voters across the country still doubt the election results.

I wanted people to understand they were being heard, Bentz said. These people are so angry about being left out.
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A portable and cost-effective device that delivers consistently high levels of oxygen to Covid-19 patients and helps keep their lungs from collapsing has been approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).

OxERA oxygen supply device

Efficient oxygen use

Field testing

Production and distribution

The OxERA (oxygen-efficient respiratory aid), is effective where there are a large number of Covid-19 patients yet a lack of skilled staff, ICU and high care facilities; and insufficient bulk oxygen supplies. It effectively bridges the gap between current standard oxygen therapy via face masks and ICU-based non-invasive or mechanical ventilation, while requiring no more oxygen flow than a standard face mask.The device was developed by a group of East London-based volunteers that includes doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs. The has now approved the OxERA device for emergency Covid-19 use, which will be manufactured and distributed by Gabler Medical.Dr Craig Parker, a medical officer working in anaesthetics with a background in mechanical engineering, says the group was determined to find a solution when they realised that South Africa would face similar patient loads seen in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic, but would have limited high care capacity and fewer resources to respond.They set up a social enterprise (a business with specific social objectives) in March 2020, trading as Umoya (air in isiXhosa). Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as scuba diving equipment and 3D printing, they built a working prototype within two weeks, and a 3D-printed final design within seven weeks.The device's key components are an anaesthetic mask and an adjustable mechanical valve, known as a positive end respiratory pressure (Peep) valve. Oxygen supply is via a hose and accumulator bag, with the hose connected to any available oxygen source. A viral filter removes viral particles from expired air, which is a safety benefit for health practitioners using the device.The high oxygen level delivered by the device ensures that maximum oxygen content is available to diseased lungs. The valve on the device maintains slight pressure to prevent lungs from collapsing when the patient breathes out, and reduces the amount of work it takes to breathe.Furthermore, as oxygen supply can be adjusted to patient demand, less oxygen is usually required. In our oxygen resource-constrained environment this is a game changer. It allows even the most basic facilities, which are dependent on bottled oxygen or small oxygen concentrators, to provide a higher level of care than they are currently able to," Parker says.The device has been used successfully in environments ranging from rural clinics to specialist hospitals, and by all levels of staff. Hundreds of devices have already been distributed to 25 hospitals from Cape Town to Pretoria, says Umoya project manager Trevor Rossouw, a civil engineer with a background in project and business management. These include the Volkswagen Covid-19 field hospital, Frere and Cecilia Makiwane Hospitals and many of the academic hospitals in the country.Many rural hospitals such as Zithulele on the Wild Coast and Madwaleni near Elliotdale have benefited from the devices. They have also been used by GPs for home and clinic treatment. Devices have also been distributed as far as Zimbabwe, DRC and the Central African Republic.The device is Sahpra-approved for use during the Covid-19 emergency period. Interest in the device should gather momentum as clinical trials are being arranged at Chris Hani Baragwaneth Academic Hospital which offers specialist services to referred patients.The device will be manufactured, distributed and supported by Gabler Medical, which holds ISO13485 certification and specialises in the manufacture of oxygen therapy equipment.We can produce over 15,000 units a week, so capacity is not an issue. This will definitely create jobs during the pandemic and, if the product achieves general acceptance, also after the pandemic. The device holds export potential too," says Reiner Gabler, MD of Gabler Medical.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made 2020 a hard year for everyone. The pandemic that began in China's Wuhan has devastated economies across the globe and claimed millions of lives. Being the first country to be affected by the virus, China claims to have recovered from the ill effects of the pandemic while most of the countries are still struggling. However, while China forecasts to make future gains during the next few quarters, several trends are emerging that may cause the Chinese economy falters and declines.

While the most recent numbers suggest that Chinas economy is roaring back after being devastated by the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese government's statistics (those from official sources) are heavily influenced by political ambitions and narratives.

One of the main problems that will start affecting Chinas economy as it tries to bounce back is a looming demographic problem, which is a considerable reduction in Chinas workforce. While this demographic problem may not impact China soon, this will certainly be a key factor in terms of its long-term growth or lack thereof.

For the last 40-years China has maintained an amazing rate of growth, this has been primarily on account of its large and ever-growing workforce. As per a Forbes report, China currently has five adults of working age for every American worker. However, numbers are soon to change as there is likely to be a decline in China's workforce.

A United Nations statistics project has revealed that in the coming years, Chinas workforce will shrink by 6.8%. This means that the advantage China had over the US in terms of the workforce will likely shrink. The main reason for this sudden decline in the workforce is the fact that for decades, China enforced a draconian one-child policy on its citizens.

Now the eager workers of China, who contributed to the great growth of the country are retiring and China in the coming years will feel an acute shortage of workers. The new generation is neither eager towards CCPs nationalism, nor is it willing to forego their luxuries for the sake of their nation.

Another fundamental flaw exists that will likely restrict Chinas economic growth in the future is its lopsided growth model which focuses heavily on investments and exports. Chinese leadership tried and spectacularly failed to address this problem ten years ago and this failure is likely to cause China to become more debt-ridden than it already is and restrict future growth. In the early years when China was setting out and trying to build its economy, the government focused heavily on exports. This resulted in China building factories and infrastructure that would be used to produce goods for export to the rest of the world.

Chinas economy used to be so underdeveloped that this approach gave handsome returns to the country in the latter half of the 20th century and the early years of this century. But this approach has only been effective till now, that is the initial years of growth. Back in 2007, former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao claimed that the export-investment model that China was following had serious limitations and that the government should start moving away from it.

According to Forbes, back in 2007 consumer spending accounted for 37% of the Chinese economy and exports dominated at a whopping 49%. As per the latest available data, consumer spending is slightly higher at 39%, while exports continue to dominate at 49%. After China was warned, its officials tried to fix Chinas lopsided growth model but failed. Their failure prompted them to redouble their efforts into practices that had made China's economy lopsided. They invested more heavily on factories and infrastructure. But unlike earlier when these investment and infrastructure projects brought prosperity to China, these new ones have failed to give back similar returns. Such low-return yielding investments have caused China's debt to rise by 15% in 2020 alone.

Another thing that has held Chinas economy back and will likely hamper growth is the highly centralized economic planning of the Chinese government. As China's economy is centrally planned, it is unable to experiment and branch into new fields like more market-driven economies. A centrally planned economic system leans on key focus fields and tends to ignore the rest.

On the contrary, a market-driven economy has much more room for experimentation. While some of these experiments may fail, their losses are more than overshadowed by the experiments that succeed in the long run. In the early stages of development, the path that countries must choose to flourish is clear and simple and focused planning would fetch flourishing results. This is why Chinas economic model served it well during its initial years. But during the later stages of growth, the path diverges and the state needs to lessen its economic activities as there are no clear-cut paths. This is why only a few favoured aspects even now will severely harm it.

China, in the future, will also be faced with another wall that will hamper its economic growth, that is a creeping divide between the rural and urban population. In its mad dash to modernize and grow as fast as possible. China has seemingly focused the majority of its efforts on its urban population and seemingly forgotten about the Chinese countryside and its rural population.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was assumed to be at a great level. The virus seemingly did not discriminate between rich and poor or rural and urban. But the pandemic seems to have affected rural populations more acutely. Rural migrant workers in China were left incredibly vulnerable to the negative economic impact of the virus, especially as they did not have access to the social service schemes provided in big cities. The rural population comprises 40% of China's population and they are increasingly falling behind their urban counterparts without access to government support or job placement services.

As per MERICS, a combination of these factors could cause social friction to rise in China. Due to the effects of the virus, millions of migrant workers have lost their jobs. According to statistics provided by MERICS, nearly 27 million people in China are currently unemployed, this is roughly 5.9% of China's population. However, they are also roughly 60 million unemployed migrant workers who are not counted towards these statistics. If these figures are taken into account, the employment rate in China will increase to 10%. School shutdowns have also impacted rural households much more than urban households. Rural families in China do not have access to modern communication devices and therefore their children have not been able to continue their education online like those in urban areas.

The CCP favours urban educated persons over rural persons. In CCPs opinion, a university graduate will likely get a higher paying job and therefore contribute much more towards consumption. Another reason the CCP chooses to focus on urban populations is that they are more likely to revolt and cause social unrest if their needs are not met. On the other hand, rural populations are also likely to protest but they are less coordinated and therefore easier for the CCP to shut down. Rural migrants in China still have abysmally low wages that barely cover their living expenses. If there is no change in the way that China approaches its rural population, there is a high possibility that social tensions will rise in the future.

Statistics pertaining to economic growth provided by the CCP suggest that the country will experience a period of economic growth in the next few quarters. However, official statistics are likely inflated by the government in order to cater to their narrative and therefore should always be taken with a grain of salt. In trying to follow the paths that would yield the highest returns. The CCP has done great damage to its economy and society. These damages are slowly creeping up on China and threaten its long term economic health.
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Repairify, Inc. d/b/a asTech ("asTech"), a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC ("Kinderhook"), announced today the acquisition of Root Four Imagination Inc. ("BlueDriver" or the "Company"). BlueDriver is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer aftermarket diagnostic scan tools and services. The Company represents the ninth add-on acquisition for asTech and Kinderhook's 99th automotive-related transaction. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The BlueDriver diagnostic tool is able to match a vehicle's make, model, and trouble code to a specific fix from a repair database that has been verified by professional automotive technicians. Once the proper fix is identified, customers can seamlessly order parts online within the BlueDriver application along with clearing diagnostic trouble codes upon completion of the repair. asTech is now the only company in the world that has both aftermarket / quick-scan and full OEM diagnostic scanning and calibration capabilities.

"BlueDriver is a highly strategic acquisition and allows asTech to augment its service offering with aftermarket diagnostic capabilities. The addition will assist asTech in executing on its global multi- tier tool strategy and expand its offering in the automotive repair ecosystem into mechanical, whole auction, fleet, retail, and eCommerce markets," said Paul Cifelli, Managing Director of Kinderhook Industries.

"Repairify is thrilled to welcome Maurice Tuff, who will be joining Repairify as our Chief Technology Officer. asTech has always remained committed to providing customers with accurate diagnostic services and the BlueDriver tool offers our customers a quality, trusted and easy-to- use diagnostic solution. asTech believes there will continue to be strong demand for aftermarket diagnostic solutions and is confident that the integration of BlueDriver will further enable us to provide our customers with a one-stop-shop for vehicle diagnostic, calibration, and remote programming services," said Cris Hollingsworth, President of Repairify.

"I am ecstatic to be joining the Repairify team and optimistic that the combination of BlueDriver, asTech, and their technologies will further enable us to deliver superior diagnostic solutions to our global customers," said Maurice Tuff, Chief Technology Officer of Repairify.

Stewart McKelvey, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Pranger Law served as legal counsel to asTech. Financing for the transaction was provided by BBVA USA.

About Kinderhook Industries

Kinderhook Industries, LLC is a private investment firm that manages over $3.3 billion of committed capital. We have made in excess of 250 investments and follow-on acquisitions since inception. Kinderhook's investment philosophy is predicated on matching unique, growth-oriented investment opportunities with exceptional financial expertise and our proprietary network of operating partners. Our focus is on middle market businesses with defensible niche market positioning in the healthcare services, environmental / business services, and automotive / light manufacturing sectors. We have a track record of successfully and consistently building industry leaders.

For more information, please visit: www.kinderhook.com

About asTech a Repairify, Inc. Company

asTech is the leading provider of remote diagnostic solutions and services to the collision industry. asTech provides cutting-edge, expert diagnostics using OEM tools to provide safe and accurate repairs. asTech provides remote diagnostics using its patented device and also provides access to ASE-Certified Master Technicians, who are trained to be virtual diagnosticians. asTech Master Technicians can service many trouble codes remotely and provide real-time assistance to shop technicians at the vehicle when needed. asTech also offers mobile repair, key replacement, and calibration services. asTech is based in Plano, Texas.

For more information, please visit: www.astech.com

About BlueDriver

Founded in 2006, Root Four Imagination Inc. is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer aftermarket diagnostic scan tools. Headquartered in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, the Company offers BlueDriver, the #1 vehicle scan tool solution on Amazon. The BlueDriver tool is wireless, Android and iOS compatible, and equipped to match a vehicle's make, model, and trouble code to a specific fix from a database with repairs that have been verified by professional automotive technicians. The tool is compatible with any vehicle's OBD-II port and offers enhanced diagnostics for GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Mercedes, BMW, Honda, and Volkswagen vehicles.

For more information, please visit: www.bluedriver.com

SOURCE asTech

Related Links

http://www.astech.com


This discovery could offer critical clues to explaining why Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged about 10,000 feet in less than a minute before slamming into the Java Sea on Saturday

Jakarta: A black box from the crashed Indonesian passenger jet has been recovered, officials said Tuesday, a discovery that could offer critical clues to explain why the plane with 62 people aboard slammed into the sea.

Divers just off the coast of the capital Jakarta hauled the jet's flight data recorder to the surface, as the hunt continues for its cockpit voice recorder.

Indonesian transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi told a live television briefing that the box had been found  after the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) in less than a minute before slamming into the Java Sea Saturday.

An AFP reporter on a navy ship said investigators started picking up strong signals from an area where they were searching, with divers able to retrieve the box in about an hour from the wreckage-littered seabed.

So far authorities have been unable to explain why the 26-year-old plane crashed just four minutes after takeoff.

Black box data  which record information about the speed, altitude, and direction of the plane as well as flight crew conversations  helps explain nearly 90 percent of all crashes, according to aviation experts.

Sumadi added officials believe the cockpit voice recorder is nearby that of the flight data recorder.

"We strongly believe it'll be found soon," he said.

Some 3,600 personnel are taking part in the recovery effort, assisted by dozens of boats and helicopters flying over small islands off the capital's coast.

The agency deployed a remotely operated vehicle to assist the divers.

'Hoping for a miracle'

Scores of body bags filled with human remains were being taken to a police morgue where forensic investigators hope to identify victims by matching fingerprints or DNA with distraught relatives  some held out hope of survivors.

"We haven't accepted it yet," Inda Gunawan said of his brother Didik Gunardi who was on the doomed Saturday flight.

"Our family is still hoping for a miracle that he is still alive."

Authorities have identified flight attendant Okky Bisma, 29, as the first confirmed victim after matching fingerprints from a retrieved hand to those in a government identity database.

"Rest in peace up there darling and wait for me... in heaven," Okky Bisma's wife Aldha Refa wrote on Instagram.

There were 10 children among the passengers on the half-full plane, which had experienced pilots at the controls as it left Jakarta bound for Pontianak city on Borneo island on a 90-minute flight.

A transport safety agency investigator has said the crew did not declare an emergency or report technical problems with the plane before its dive, and that the 737 was likely intact when it hit the water.

Search-and-rescue agency chief Soerjanto Tjahjono echoed that view earlier Tuesday, pointing to the relatively small area where debris was scattered in about 23 metres (75 feet) of water.

"The size is consistent with the assumption that the plane didn't explode before hitting the water," he added.

"The damage seen on the retrieved fan blade also shows that the engine was still working" at the time of the crash.

The crash probe was likely to take months, but a preliminary report was expected in 30 days.

Aviation analysts said flight-tracking data showed the plane sharply deviated from its intended course before it went into a steep dive.

Plagued by safety concerns

Sriwijaya Air, which flies to destinations in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia, has had safety incidents including runway overruns.

But it has not had a fatal crash since starting operations in 2003.

Its CEO has said the jet, which was previously flown by US-based Continental Airlines and United Airlines, was in fit condition.

Indonesia's fast-growing aviation sector has long been plagued by safety concerns, and its airlines were once banned from the US and European airspace.

In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet crashed near Jakarta. That accident  and another in Ethiopia  led to the grounding of the 737 MAX worldwide.

The 737 that went down Saturday was first produced decades ago and was not a MAX variant.
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FLINT, MI -- Opponents of a proposed settlement of Flint water crisis lawsuits are continuing to speak out against it, hoping to have an impact on U.S. District Judge Judith Levy, who is expected to either reject it or give it preliminary approval in a matter of days.

About two dozen residents spoke out Monday, Jan. 11, on the proposed $641-million settlement between residents who have filed the lawsuits and the state of Michigan, city of Flint, McLaren Regional Medical Center and Rowe Professional Services.

Levy is scheduled to preside over a hearing in federal court on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and has said she will decide whether to give the settlement preliminary approval this month.

If she does, the approval will trigger a period of registering claims for a portion of the $641 million and allow for objections to it before she makes a final determination on whether the deal is fair, adequate, reasonable, and an arms-length transaction.

Were looking to let the world know this settlement isnt for all the people of the city of Flint, protest organizer Arthur Woodson said Monday. We understand the kids have to be looked out for -- the lead affects their brains differently than adults.

But at the same time, the adults have been put through a series of different travesties and circumstances to where they need to be compensated also, Woodson said.

The settlement was negotiated by attorneys for the residents and the state, which initially agreed to pay $600 million to settle the litigation against it and its employees.

That deal -- later joined by the city, McLaren and Rowe -- includes a distribution formula that calls for nearly 80 percent of the available funds to pay claims filed by children who were 17 and younger at the time they were first exposed to Flint River water in parts of 2014 and 2015.

Members of the Flint City Council and former Mayor Karen Weaver are among those who have opposed the settlement because they say it provides too little money overall, because of the distribution formula or both.

What I hope (our protest) does is causes Judge Levy to reconsider the allocation of dollars (to) allow more Flint citizens to participate in the compensation, said the Rev. John McClane, who was among the demonstrators outside the Flint water treatment plant Monday. Flint citizens have suffered greatly because of the water crisis ... I dont believe its enough (and) the way the compensation is allocated -- that still can be changed.

Residents have the option of joining in settlement, whether they are already a part of a lawsuit or not, or continuing to pursue cases against the state, city, McLaren, Rowe or others.

In addition to those lawsuit targets, residents have named the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Flint water consultants, and bond underwriters who arranged financing of the Karegnondi Water Authoritys pipeline financing in pending lawsuits.

Residents and businesses have claimed in their litigation that they were harmed by elevated levels of lead, bacteria and chlorination byproducts in Flint water while the city used the Flint River as its water source in parts of 2014 and 2015.

MLive photojournalist Cody Scanlan contributed to this report.

Read more:

Federal judge says she will meet for days if necessary to hear from residents about Flint water settlement

Attorney for 4,000 residents tells city of Flint: Turn down water crisis settlement and well demand $500M

Opponents vow to fight Flint water settlement as city decision approaches
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
[January 12, 2021] Stock Options Trading Community Makes $5 Million in Profits During COVID-19 Pandemic

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In less than nine months, Los Angeles based startup Options Trade King has steadily grown to show a profit of over $5 million with a trading community of nearly 500 members and growing. The company was founded following lockdown restrictions in April, and despite the overall downturn of the economy since then, it has managed to grow by 50% Month over Month momentum in a short time. They call him the "KING" and he started Options Trade King after learning a bit about trading "rooms" from various colleagues. Prior to starting the company, he had little experience trading options, which allows traders to buy options contracts on stocks. This allows them to buy or sell at a determined price, and since options have an expiration date, the sale must be executed in a limited amount of time. Said KING, "The reason I started this company was after my friends told me about these trading 'rooms.' I've been a trader for many years, but I had no options trading experience before starting the company." Regardless, he decided to jump into options trading, and has been successful in building a community full of traders with varying levels of experience. Part of the way in which the community has grown so quickly is through the use of social media. Options Trade King is very active on Instagram, which is used to communicate daily trends in options trading and to celebrate the successes of members in the community.



$25 trial subscription for newbies to learn their hand at options trading for seven days with no pressure. Members also have access to past plays to see how other members have historically fared in the market. They have access to live tech support as well as daily and weekly stock alerts that they can use to make decisions about their calls. A successful business story in a year full of cutbacks and economic woes for many, Options Trade King is objectively successful in a volatile field. By sharing and working as a trading collective to make smart, targeted trades, the company has managed to net large profits for many of its members. As the community continues to grow, the future looks bright for this startup.

Said KING, "I'm very happy about this trader community we've created and we're already up $537,442 the first week of 2021. Everyone signs up under a 7-day trial first to see if this place is worth it to them and every single person that joins is able to see all past trades we've done since starting last April. We also just started Crypto this year and we have many things in the works to keep this community thriving and excelling with all the tools any trader would need to be successful". For more information, visit https://optionstradeking.com/ Options Trade King, Inc. Options Trade King is an online options trading community. Founded in April 2020, in the heart of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the company experienced unprecedented growth, earning millions of dollars in profits in their first year. The platform provides a live stock options trading community with a very high success rate. For more information, contact Options Trade King. Alaina Brandenburger

415-225-8755

288921@email4pr.com Follow Options Trade King on Instagram @OptionsTradeKing View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stock-options-trading-community-makes-5-million-in-profits-during-covid-19-pandemic-301206291.html SOURCE Options Trade King, inc.

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It has recently been reported that U.S. diplomats in China and Cuba were likely the victims of directed microwave radiation, causing physical effects such as headaches, visual problems, nausea, and cognitive difficulties. In some cases, the effects were so debilitating that the diplomats were no longer able to work. While causation has not been established, news outlets have reported on theories as to the intent of the radiationperhaps to cause harm to the diplomats or to steal secrets from their cell phones.

Assaults such as these against the front lines of the U.S. diplomatic community could represent a stark warning on the implications of emerging technologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCI)and other Internet of Bodies (IoB) devices. What might a nefarious actor be willing to do if wearable or implanted devices could reveal valuable government information, or if that information could be intercepted and manipulated? How should emerging technology be governed in order to yield the maximum benefit? The balancing of benefits and risks is complex and thus deserves considerable attention.

There are numerous potential and beneficial uses for BCI and IoB technologies. Amputees could use BCIs to physically control prosthetic limbs. Head-worn attention-monitoring devices could be used to analyze whether a student is paying attention or whether a driver is getting drowsy. Some have predicted that BCIs will someday become a requirement for those performing jobs such as surgery or flying planes. Internet-connected glasses or wearable cameras could record whatever the user sees. For some BCI developers, the ultimate goal is to be able to read and write to the brain, and recent research advancements have shown that neural signals can be translated into text, which could allow a person to type using only his or her thoughts or allow those unable to speak to articulate their feelings or health symptoms. Yet, with this expanse of benefits, which may require a sense of urgency, there are also risks that could be discussed sooner rather than later. In fact, unmanaged fear of the risks could stifle the ability to leverage the benefits. The events in China and Cuba are reminders that policy regarding emerging technology might best be addressed proactively rather than re-actively.

The U.S. Department of Defense is investing in the development of BCIs and IoB devices for military use to, for example, monitor cognitive workload and physical symptoms, control aircraft, and enhance decision-making. The implications of such technology being hacked by adversaries, though unlikely until far into the future, could be disastrous. An adversary might be willing to deploy weapons that could allow them not only to access and manipulate information read from or written to people's brains but to increase pain or exploit emotions such as fear.

These devices may also present a number of ethical and privacy risks. Data privacy is already a fraught issue for smartphone and other IoB devices and software. There is a patchwork of data privacy laws that vary widely state by state, with no coordinated federal regulations on data brokers (entities that have no direct relationship with a user but can buy and sell that persons information). BCIs and implanted IoB devices may potentially record more intimate data than ever before, which may exacerbate unresolved data privacy concerns. Ethical issues of informed consent and rules of engagement in a warfighting setting have yet to be resolved for either group of technology.

Together with international partners, policymakers might consider developing appropriate policy frameworks for such emerging technologies to ensure that innovations harnessed for societal, economic, or military benefits do not create new vulnerabilities and that governments adequately defend and manage against potential attacks. The technology is quickly moving forward. Policy may need to play catch-up.

Mary Lee is a mathematician at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, Tim Marleris a senior research engineer at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and Anika Binnendijk is a political scientist at RAND.
A 10-member team of WHO experts assigned to probe the origins of COVID-19 will directly fly from Singapore to the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December 2019, amid a resurgence of the deadly disease in several cities close to Beijing, prompting lockdowns. "Current plan is that they will fly from Singapore to Wuhan on January 14," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Tuesday.

He, however, said he has no details whether the experts would have to undergo quarantine and what is their itinerary and how long the team would stay in Wuhan and directed the media to the relevant authorities. Observers say it is significant that the 10-member expert team is commencing their much-delayed probe from Wuhan from where COVID-19 emerged in December last year before it became a pandemic, killing over 1,944,750 people worldwide so far. The World Health Organisation team's visit has become a bone of contention as Beijing, which questions the widely-held view about the virus' origins in Wuhan, had delayed granting permission to it.

China has been proactively questioning the view that the deadly outbreak took place in a wet market in Wuhan where live animals, birds and reptiles are sold and spread to humans. The market remained closed and sealed since early last year. China had confirmed the arrival of the WHO team on Monday, ending the uncertainty and delay which drew sharp criticism from the world health body.

Monday's confirmation of the expert team's visit came after WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is often accused of being pro-China, in a rare instance of criticism, expressed disappointment over Beijing for not finalising the necessary permissions for the experts' team's arrival. The visit is also taking place when China, which has effectively contained the virus, is experiencing a relapse of the disease in several places in Hebei province close to Beijing. China has reported 55 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 40 in north China's Hebei province and one in the Chinese capital.

Hebei province reported a total of 326 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 234 asymptomatic infections from January 2 to January 12 till 10 am, Vice Governor Xu Jianpei said. Lockdown has been clamped in Hebei's provincial capital Shijiazhaung along with Xingtai and Langfang cities.

As a result, lockdowns have been imposed in some of the areas and political conference of Hebei has been postponed. Officials have asked residents of the city of Gu'an near Beijing to stay home for a week starting Tuesday. Hebei has also reportedly delayed the meetings of the provincial People's Congress and its advisory body that are usually held in February. All provinces hold their local legislatures meetings before the National People's Congress (NPC). This year's NPC is due to take place in Beijing on March 5.

China had postponed NPC meeting to May last year for the first time in its history due to coronavirus.
The move automatically triggers United States sanctions against Cuba  likely to have negligible effect, experts said, given the scale of existing American penalties against Havana.

But the action could be a symbolic deterrent for businesses, adding another among many disincentives to seek opportunities to export to, import from or provide services for Cuba, said John Kavulich, the president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

Mr. Pompeos statement cited Cubas refusal to extradite 10 leaders of Colombias National Liberation Army, also designated a foreign terrorist organization, who have been living in Havana since 2017. The leaders traveled to Havana in 2017 for peace talks hosted by Cuba to end a long-running insurgency in Colombia, and have not returned home.

The National Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for a bombing of a Bogota police academy in January 2019 that killed 22 people and injured more than 87 others.

Mr. Pompeo also cited the presence in Cuba of three fugitives charged with or convicted of murder in the early 1970s, including Joanne D. Chesimard, 73, a former member of the Black Liberation Army who now goes by the name Assata Shakur, and who remains on the F.B.I.s list of most wanted terrorists for killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1973.

His statement also said that Cubas government engages in a range of malign behavior across the region, and that its intelligence and security services were assisting Nicolas Maduro to maintain his stranglehold over his people while allowing terrorist organizations to operate." He said that the Cuban government supported Colombian rebels beyond its borders and that its assistance for Mr. Maduro had helped create a permissive environment for international terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela.

On the campaign trail, President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. spoke of a return to Mr. Obamas more open approach to Havana, pledging to promptly reverse the failed Trump policies that have inflicted harm on the Cuban people and done nothing to advance democracy and human rights.
A DUBLIN-based woman was scammed out of nearly 180,000 as part of an invoice redirect fraud when she tried to buy a house.

However, speedy investigations by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) meant they managed to recover all the money the organised crime gang had stolen.

"This happened just before the Christmas period when the woman was buying a property and she received an email from her solicitor that was actually from a criminal gang who had compromised her solicitor's email system," a source said.

"The woman did not realise she was dealing directly with the fraudster when the transaction took place.

"However, gardai were quickly alerted to the situation and all the money was retrieved."

Read More

In another recent case, fraud squad detectives worked with a European police force to retrieve 150,000 that had been scammed from a man who was trying to make an international purchase.

Invoice redirection fraud happens when a person or a business receives information, purporting to be from trusted suppliers or service providers, that a beneficiary's bank account details have been changed.

As a result, funds that are due to be paid out are transferred to a fraudulent account.

In order to carry out a fraud successfully, the gang often uses information about companies they have obtained through hacking or from the firms' websites or social media accounts.

Sources said there has been an increase in this type of crime across Europe since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Gardai have warned the public of the continuing existence of invoice-redirect fraud, and to treat any request to change bank account details with caution as those making the request may not be who they claim to be.

No arrests have been made yet in the wake of last month's major fraud attempts, but gardai are understood to be following a definite line of enquiry.

Last August, a Dublin-based business lost 2.1m after being tricked into transferring funds to a fraudster's account.

Read More

However, after the matter was reported quickly, gardai contacted police in Hong Kong and the money was secured and returned.

However, in many cases the money is never recovered.

Gardai said caution should be exercised when a request is made to change bank account details.

They said it is imperative that a phone call is made to a representative of the company to confirm the bank account has in fact changed before any funds are transferred.

One of the biggest investigations by the fraud squad in recent months is codenamed Operation Skein.

Detectives are looking into a 6m invoice redirection fraud that led to a number of arrests of foreign nationals in Ireland last year under anti-gangland legislation.

In that case, the money was stolen from companies in Spain, Belgium and the US.

The gang enlisted a number of people based in Ireland to store some of the stolen money in their accounts.





Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-11 02:07:44|Editor: huaxia

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A batch of Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines are loaded onto a vehicle after arriving at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, Jan. 11, 2021. Jordan will start a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign from Jan. 13, Health Minister Nathir Obeidat said Sunday. During a press conference in the capital Amman, Obeidat said the quantity of COVID-19 vaccines is enough for 20 percent of Jordan's population, calling on the public not to believe and spread rumors about the vaccine. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Jordan will start a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign from Jan. 13, Health Minister Nathir Obeidat said Sunday.

During a press conference in the capital Amman, Obeidat said the quantity of COVID-19 vaccines is enough for 20 percent of Jordan's population, calling on the public not to believe and spread rumors about the vaccine.

Vaccination does not mean the end of the pandemic, the minister noted, urging all to continue wearing face masks, observing social distancing, and refraining from gatherings.

Secretary-General of the Health Ministry for Epidemiological Affairs Wael Hayajneh said there will be 29 centers across Jordan for the vaccination campaign.
Lord Bath - Britain's most colourful aristocrat - has bequeathed most of his 23million estate to his wife of 50-plus years - snubbing his lifetime of 74 lovers he cheekily called his 'wifelets'. The 87-year-old, who owned Longleat Safari Park and died with coronavirus in March last year, was nicknamed 'The Loins of Longleat' and the UK's most 'lustful lord' having lived as a polygamist with scores of girlfriends. But his army of mistresses, some of whom are believed to have lived in cottages on his Wiltshire estate, have not benefited from his will, despite, in his heyday, exclaiming that 'a woman on either side of him in bed' every night was a basic requirement. Lord Bath had 14.4million left from his 23million fortune after taxes and any debts were paid, giving 1million to his wife Anna, 77. The Longleat estate, including its art and other items have been placed in trust for her and their children. The Seventh Marquess died in Royal United Hospital, Bath, on March 28, 2020, after being struck by Covid-19. He had been an infamous ageing hippy inside his Elizabethan home and its sprawling 900 landscaped acres. Pictured: Lord Bath with his wife Anna Gael (left), and 'wifelets' Trudie Juggernauth-Sharma (top centre), Cristina Carneiro De Mendonca (bottom centre) and Amanda Boyle (right).
Switzerland gave the green light Tuesday to the Moderna vaccine against the new coronavirus -- after being the first country in continental Europe to start using the Pfizer-BioNTech jab

Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :Switzerland gave the green light Tuesday to the Moderna vaccine against the new coronavirus -- after being the first country in continental Europe to start using the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

The Swissmedic regulatory authority said the Moderna vaccine had shown high efficacy and could be administered immediately to those aged 18 and over.

The neighbouring European Union gave its approval to the US firm's vaccine last Wednesday, followed by Britain on Friday.

"Swissmedic has today temporarily authorised the Moderna vaccine," the agency said in a statement.

"This means that a second Covid-19 vaccine has satisfied the strict requirements for safety, efficacy and quality and can be used with immediate effect in Switzerland." It said the Moderna vaccine was 94 percent effective from two weeks after the second dose.

Some countries are delaying the second injection of vaccines that require two doses in order to maximise the number of people given some degree of protection through a first injection.

But Swissmedic said it recommended sticking to the one-month interval for the Moderna vaccine rather than deferring the second dose and cautioned against mixing between two different vaccine types.

Health Minister Alain Berset tweeted that the first 200,000 Moderna doses would be delivered by the end of Wednesday.

Switzerland on December 23 became the first country in continental Europe to start using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its mass immunisation programme against the coronavirus pandemic.

- Variants on the march - The country of 8.

6 million people has seen coronavirus infections gradually decrease from a spike in early November.

However, the government remains concerned and is likely to confirm Wednesday that the restrictions it has imposed will be extended until the end of February.

Nearly 485,000 people have tested positive for the virus, while 7,753 people have died.

Patrick Mathys, the health ministry's crisis management chief, told a press conference that Switzerland's infection rates were still troubling despite decreases in deaths and hospitalisations.

He voiced concern about the spread of new, seemingly more contagious variants of the virus first detected in Britain and South Africa.

Some 127 such cases have been found so far in Switzerland -- and rather than just being imported cases, the strains are now spreading domestically, he said.

Mathys estimated that five to six percent of positive tests in Switzerland were now linked to these variants -- up from 1.4 percent in the first week of January.

Switzerland has secured around 15.8 million eventual Covid-19 vaccine doses, in deals with three manufacturers.

It has signed contracts for around three million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, around 7.5 million from Moderna, and around 5.3 million from AstraZeneca.

With each of the three different vaccines, two doses are required per person.

By January 18, Switzerland should have received enough Pfizer and Moderna doses to vaccinate four percent of the adult population with both shots, the health ministry said.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The abrupt resignation of Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf added to the mounting tension in Washington ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration next week, with thousands of National Guard troops set to be deployed and the warning of armed protests in all 50 state capitals. As inaugural security preparations intensified, House Democrats accelerated their push to force the ouster of President before his term officially ends, threatening to impeach him for a second time unless he resigns for encouraging the march that led to last Wednesdays assault on the U. S. Capitol. But Vice President Mike Pence indicated that hed reject demands to immediately oust Trump through the 25th Amendment to the Constitution as the two met in the Oval Office and agreed to work together for the remainder of the term, according to a senior administration official.

Trump has issued an emergency declaration for the national capital here ahead of his successor Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, amidst threat perception to the event by federal agencies. Democratic Party nominee for US President in 2016 Hillary Clinton expressed solidarity towards impeachment of President by saying it is essential to impeach him in wake of the Capitol riots but warned that impeachment alone "won't remove white supremacy from America". Meanwhile, Facebook does not intend to lift the suspension on outgoing US President Donald Trump, the platform's second in command Sheryl Sandberg said Monday.

Deutsche Bank to pull back from biz with Trump Deutsche Bank and Signature Bank, two of Donald Trumps favoured lenders, are pulling away from the billionaire president in the wake of last weeks deadly riot at the US Capitol. The German lender has decided not to conduct any further business with Trump and his company, said two people with knowledge of the matter, asking not to be identified. Trump owes the Frankfurt-based lender more than $300 million. Bloomberg
President Donald Trump plans to tout completed sections of his border wall in Texas on Tuesday -- his first public event since encouraging supporters who went on to attack the U.S. Capitol last week.

Trump is set to visit Alamo, Texas, to claim progress on the unfinished wall, in a bid to deflect attention from intense criticism of his behavior and highlight what he believes to be one of his signature accomplishments.

Yet the trip is unlikely to overshadow fallout from last Wednesday's riot, which left five dead, spurred calls for Trump's resignation or ouster, led to his ban from Twitter and set in motion U.S. House plans to impeach him again.

Trump has refused to step down, and Vice President Mike Pence signaled Monday he'll spurn demands to immediately oust Trump, as the two met and agreed to work together for the remainder of the term, according to a senior administration official.

It was the first time Trump and Pence had spoken since the president's supporters stormed the Capitol while Pence was presiding over formal affirmation of their re-election defeat, according to two people familiar with the matter. Trump had demanded that Pence overturn the election result in his favor but Pence defied the president, creating a rift between the two men.

Trump will make the trip without one of the officials who has been leading a frenzied push to build more sections of the barrier in Trump's final weeks in office. Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, resigned Monday, citing "recent events" including an ongoing court battle over his eligibility for the position. He did not specify whether the riot was a factor, and his statement lauded "strengthened border security" without mentioning the wall specifically.

Trump campaigned in 2016 with a promise to construct a wall along the southern border of the U.S., and that he'd make Mexico pay for it. Mexico did not pay. The administration has built about 452 miles, though much of that has included replacing existing barriers. Trump financed the project in part by redirecting military spending.

Trump has routinely boasted about it, including in his comments to supporters shortly before the march to Capitol Hill began. "Remember, the wall, they said it could never be done," he said Wednesday. He told the crowd "caravans" would illegally cross into the U.S. under President-elect Joe Biden, without citing any evidence of that.

"They want to come in again and rip off our country. Can't let it happen," Trump said. He made similar warnings about the midterm elections in 2018.

Trump was banned from Twitter for statements that followed the riot, which Twitter said may have been interpreted as a blessing for his supporters to disrupt Biden's inauguration.

Trump's supporters may see symbolism in the name of the president's destination in Texas, though the White House says there's no hidden message.

The city of Alamo shares a name with the historic site 200 miles north where some 200 revolutionaries held off a much larger force led by the Mexican leader Antonio Santa Anna for 13 days in February and March 1836. The battle ended with the garrison being annihilated but it helped inspire the Texans to defeat the Mexican army about a month later.

Trump has repeatedly urged his supporters to "fight" the results of the election, telling them on Wednesday before the attack on the Capitol that "we fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."

Representative Vicente Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, called on elected officials to boycott Trump's visit. "This is a time for good ol' South Texas-American pride to beam into our communities and to not allow ourselves to be used like an old rag by a modern day traitor," Gonzalez said in a statement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center called on Trump to scrap the trip, saying people living along the border have been subject to violence inspired by Trump's rhetoric.

"Rather than addressing his own culpability in the insurrection at our nation's Capitol last week, Trump is seeking to divert attention by heading to the symbolic seat of his racist immigration agenda," Efren Olivares, deputy legal director of the center's Immigrant Justice Project, said in a statement.
Kerry Katona has poked fun at her strong resemblance to reality star and former model Yolanda Hadid.

The media personality, 40, shared a snap of Yolanda and her daughter, model Gigi Hadid, to her Instagram and joked it was her in the photo.

Alongside the shot, which was originally posted to Gigi's Instagram, Kerry wrote: 'When I met @gigihadid' along with several laughing emojis.

Lookalike: Kerry Katona has poked fun at her strong resemblance to reality star and former model Yolanda Hadid

It wasn't just Kerry who thought she had a strong likeness to the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star as many of her followers agreed.

One user wrote: 'I honestly thought it was you,' while another added: 'Wow you look just like her.'

Another fan said: 'I actually thought it was you when I saw it,' and one more joked: 'I believed that was you more than I believed it was her.'

It appears Kerry is in better spirits after recently admitting she's 'sick of being sick' three weeks after first testing positive for coronavirus.

Resemblance: Alongside the shot, which was originally posted to Gigi's Instagram, Kerry wrote: 'When I met @gigihadid' along with several laughing emojis

On Thursday, she took to Instagram and shared two foul-mouthed captions alongside her posts telling the virus to get 'out of my life' and saying 'I want a divorce!!!!'.

Kerry penned: 'COVID please f**k off now!!!!!! Not only Im I sick of being sick Im sick of the lack of motivation I have and its bloody making feel extremely depressed!

'My get up has definitely got up and gone... probably gone to Dubai with the rest of the other f*****s! F**K OFFFFFF!!! Sorry for swearing.'

She then followed up the post with a snap of her positive result and further detailed how she's been struggling with the virus.

Reaction: It wasn't just Kerry who thought she had a strong likeness to the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star as many of her followers agreed

The frustrated star wrote: 'F**k off covid!! Im sick of being sick. Im sick of you f*****g with my mental health Im sick of being so bloody tired all time!

'Im sick of this cough and this mass feeling in my chest! Im just sick of you!!!! I want a divorce!!!!

'Wait what sorry wrong drama just so use to saying that over the years! I want you out of my life NOW F**K OFF but Ryans test is negative! Just me!!! Bloody great!!!'

Kerry first revealed she and fiance Ryan Mahoney had tested positive on December 18, saying she's 'never felt so poorly' in all her life.

Frustrated: Kerry recently revealed that she's still got Covid-19, three weeks after first testing positive for the virus

Positive: The star, 40, first revealed she and fiance Ryan Mahoney had tested positive on December 18, saying she's 'never felt so poorly' in all her life (pictured in December)

The news of their positive results came just five days after their date night at Proud Cabaret.

Kerry recently had to share a screenshot to 'prove' her positive Covid-19 result after she was targeted by trolls who claimed she was 'paid' to 'pretend' she has the virus.

Taking to Instagram, the mother-of-five posted a picture of her message from the NHS confirming that her 'coronavirus test result is positive'.

Kerry said that 'couldn't believe' she was having to prove her result as she hit back at the 'f**king stupid' trolls.

Update: Kerry shared the confirmation that she's still positive for coronavirus to Instagram

Had enough: She ranted in the caption, saying she's 'sick' of having no motivation and is starting to feel 'extremely depressed'

'I'm sick of being sick': Kerry added that her fiance Ryan Mahoney is no longer positive

Kerry penned: 'I can't believe I'm actually having to do this just prove I had Covid!!!! The people who are saying that Celebs are being paid are f**king stupid idiots!!!!

'These people are clearly not b****y right in the head! I honestly can't understand their thinking behind it! Very silly indeed....'

Kerry also issued a health update as she continued: 'But I'm on the mend thank god just have this cough! I wouldn't of wished it on anyone! Ive honestly never felt so poorly but happy to be through it now. Stay safe people xxx.'
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- oneZero, a global leader in multi-asset enterprise trading technology solutions, today announced that Stuart Brock has joined the company as Head of Institutional Sales, UK and Continental Europe. Stuart will be responsible for further building oneZero's institutional business in the region. He brings extensive institutional experience and industry knowledge from his background in eFX at Kx System, RBS Markets and FlexTrade.

"I am excited to join oneZero, as we build our business in the European institutional market," said Stuart Brock. "oneZero's technology gives clients greater control over their liquidity function, with advanced aggregation, customized pricing, price distribution and risk management, and I'm eager to show the solution's functionality to wholesale brokers and banks in the region."

"We are delighted to welcome Stuart to our team. His experience and business knowledge will be an asset to our current and future clients as they transform their businesses with oneZero," said Andrew Ralich, Co-Founder and CEO of oneZero.

This news comes as oneZero continues to bolster its institutional offering, with new features being added to the Wholesale Broker Hub, additional market data integration services and advanced analytics within Data Source . oneZero has been actively increasing its European footprint; in 2020 oneZero appointed Jamie Rose as Director of Relationship Management in the region.

About oneZero

oneZero has been a leading innovator in multi-asset enterprise trading technology for over a decade. Its powerful software encompasses the Hub, EcoSystem and Data Source - three components that separately solve specific organizational challenges and together provide a complete solution for trading technology, distribution and analytics. Through reliable connectivity, technology, infrastructure and market access, oneZero empowers financial institutions and brokers to compete effectively in the global financial markets through a globally compliant, liquidity-neutral solution.

www.onezero.com

SOURCE oneZero Financial Systems

Related Links

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SFU Student Experience Initiative presents a conversation with Nisgaa writer and scholar from Vancouver, Dr. Jordan Abel, Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta. Dr. Abel is the author of Injun, the Place of Scraps, Un/Inhabited and received his PhD from SFU in 2019. He will be joined by Dr. Deanna Reder to share his experiences as a graduate student and researcher. Dr. Deanna Reder (Cree-Metis) is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Indigenous Studies and the Department of English at Simon Fraser University.

About Jordan Abel

Dr. Jordan Abel is a renowned scholar and author who has won numerous awards for his poetry, including Injun, The Place of Scraps, and Un/Inhabited. His work has appeared in Canadian Literature, The Capilano Review, and Poetry Is Dead. His visual poetry has been featured in exhibitions at the Polygon Gallery, UNITT/PITT Gallery, and the Oslo Pilot Project Room in Oslo, Norway. His latest project, NISHGA, (from McClelland & Stewart in 2020) is an autobiographical work that addresses the complexities of contemporary Indigenous experience and the intergenerational impact of the residential school system.

About the Supervision in the 21st Century Speaker Series

Hosted by Dr. Jeff Derksen, SFUs Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Dr. Roxanne Panchasi, Associate Dean  Academic, this lecture series provides a space for graduate students to learn and think with scholars from across the disciplines. Focused on the reimagining of graduate supervision in the 21st century, the series is sponsored by the SFU Student Experience Initiative.

For more information please contact: seinfo@sfu.ca
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 first batch of 14,000 Moderna vaccines will arrive on Wednesday at the Cantacuzino National Institute for Medical-Military Research and Development, the National Committee of Coordinating Activities regarding vaccination against COVID-19 (CNCAV) informed Tuesday.

According to the source, the transport is ensured by the manufacturing company, and the vaccines will be brought to Bucharest by land.

The vaccines will be stored at the National Storage Centre, and in the following period they will distributed in regional and vaccination centers.

The recommendation for the Moderna vaccine is to be administered in two doses, with a 28-day interval, for people of over 18 years of age.

"The two vaccine choices available in the European Union are very similar. The efficiency of the two vaccines is approximately the same. The BioNTech Pfizer vaccine has a 95% efficiency in preventing COVID-19, while the Moderna vaccine has a 94.1% efficiency. For neither of the vaccines can we say yet, how much they prevent the asymptomatically infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus," says the quoted press release.
This article is by,,,,, and

- - -

Two promising coronavirus vaccine candidates were speeding through trials in September when the country's top public health agency invited states to submit plans describing how they would get the shots to millions of people. It was an opportunity, eight months after the United States confirmed its first coronavirus case, to redeem the nation's devastating failures in organizing a regimen of testing, contact tracing and equipping medical workers with protective gear.

"We have the time to take the lessons learned from the last six months and apply them forward and get it right," Soumi Saha, a pharmacist and advocate for cost-effective health care, said on that optimistic mid-September day. "The one thing we know for sure is a fragmented approach does not work."

But that is precisely what the nation got. Health departments and hospital executives are struggling to compensate for decentralized planning, complaining that they were not given enough money to prepare for missions that are becoming increasingly urgent as the pandemic reaches new peaks. The United States recorded more than 4,000 covid-19 deaths on a single day last week.

The story of how this happened reflects schisms that have defined the U.S. response, with mistrust smoldering between career scientists and political appointees accountable during an election year to a president widely criticized for his response to the pandemic but who took credit on the stump for vaccine development and promised one would be ready "very soon." The delayed and disjointed vaccine rollout is the product of poor coordination between the federal government and the 50 states and additional jurisdictions tasked with carrying out the most ambitious immunization campaign in history, likened by officials to the effort to turn back the Nazis in 1944.

With these problems thwarting the rollout, it is clear the United States has not learned from its fractured pandemic response and risks repeating some of the same errors.

"My peers in infectious-disease medicine and public health are all looking around saying, 'How are you all handling these issues? What happens when we get airdropped vaccines? Who gets it first? How do we do it equitably?'" said David Aronoff, director of the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

- - -

Late last year, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and other top administration officials spent weeks predicting that 20 million people would be immunized by the end of 2020. But by the time the New Year's Eve ball fell, just over 3 million doses had been administered, prompting a blast of criticism from dismayed public health officials who said the Trump administration used the vaccines' development as a political tool in a bid to win reelection without planning sufficiently for their rollout.

Vaccine experts say the dispiriting launch reflects more than inflated estimates. The government's decision to leave 64 states and other jurisdictions to devise individual plans spawned duplicative meetings, emails and telephone calls as local officials strained to share advice about common logistical challenges.

Since the rollout began last month, sign-up websites have crashed and long lines have snaked outside clinics, even as some people, including health-care workers, have rejected the shots out of unfounded fears about their safety - problems that veterans of immunization campaigns worldwide say could have been addressed through comprehensive, centralized planning and communication.

"All the focus was on developing the vaccines," said Walter A. Orenstein, an epidemiologist at the Emory University School of Medicine, who was director of the U.S. Immunization Program for 16 years. "I don't think there was enough focus on getting vaccine into the arms of the people who need them."

In an interview, Azar defended the administration's record, hailing the delivery of millions of vaccine doses to the nation. He and other senior administration officials said the government has worked closely with states, with final decisions about how to distribute and administer vaccine left to them rather than setting up federally run mass-immunization sites.

"It was always . . . agreed to that we needed to use and leverage existing systems of vaccine administration through the United States, with the states playing the leading role," Azar said.

He insisted that money was not an impediment for state-run vaccination programs.

"We bought the vaccine. We're paying for the distribution costs. We've kitted the syringes, needles and [personal protective equipment] for it," he said.

Administration officials attributed the delay in administering vaccines to states and health systems too rigidly adhering to guidance about who should receive priority for shots.

As of Monday, 25.5 million doses of vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna had been distributed, but barely 9 million people had received their first shot, according to a government tracker.

Delivering vaccines to millions of people in mere months was destined to hit roadblocks, and even nations with vaunted pandemic responses, such as Germany, have been bedeviled by the complexity of that effort.

Azar said in the recent interview that he and others had created unrealistic expectations that 20 million people would get vaccinated by the end of December.

"I'm going to concede to you, myself included and other senior people on TV interviews, there were a couple of instances where we accidentally used shorthand to say 20 million vaccinations [would be administered] rather than the long form of vaccines available for 20 million people," he said.

The public perception is damaging, state and local officials say.

"Had we just projected realistic quantities, the public wouldn't have seen this as a shortcoming," said Steven J. Stack, Kentucky's public health commissioner. "They would have recognized it for the incredible accomplishment it was to even have this much vaccine this fast."

- - -

The foundations of the nation's vaccine campaign were poured last spring. Since April, key decisions about vaccination planning, budgets and allocation have resided with the leadership of Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership set up to accelerate development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and to speed their distribution.

Warp Speed's initial architect, a top Food and Drug Administration vaccines regulator named Peter Marks, envisioned a comprehensive effort that would include extensive federal support to help immunize hundreds of millions of people, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention playing a critical role.

Marks left Warp Speed and returned to the FDA in late May, just weeks after the White House publicly announced the effort. And the CDC - the nation's premier organizer of vaccination drives - wound up taking a back seat as it endured a fraught relationship with Azar and his top aides.

That was a consequential development, said federal health officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Had the CDC played a bigger role, those officials said, forecasts about the number of doses would have been tempered, along with public expectations.

President Donald Trump was vowing to bring in the military, raising concerns among the country's leading associations of immunization managers and health officials about overturning rather than reinforcing existing systems. In June, they wrote to the leaders of Warp Speed to "strongly recommend building upon existing plans and assessing, enhancing, and utilizing the existing coordinated public and private vaccine delivery infrastructure."

That same month, Nancy Messonnier, the CDC's senior official with broad oversight over the vaccination effort, traveled with a colleague from the agency's headquarters in Atlanta to request approval from Warp Speed and the Department of Health and Human Services for a CDC-led communication and education plan on vaccines, according to one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal matters.

"It was general public awareness, to let the public know that vaccines are coming, this is what to expect," the official said. The CDC "never got the okay to do it."

Messonnier briefed state health officials in late August on the possibility that two vaccine candidates could soon be available. But the documents and briefing were vague, referring only to "Vaccine A" and "Vaccine B." One state health official who participated in the call, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conservations, said, "We found out from reading in the press which was Pfizer and which was Moderna. They didn't even tell us that."

- - -

Then, in mid-September, the CDC issued a 57-page interim playbook about coronavirus vaccination, asking states to submit their immunization plans, but with little information about how many doses they could expect or when.

In the interview that day, Saha, vice president of advocacy at Premier Inc., a consultancy that works with about 4,000 hospitals on group purchasing and other health system improvements, said that what was needed was a "federal floor - the minimal standards and baselines that everyone can expect no matter where you go or who you are."

A week later, in a call with governors, Azar said vaccine was already being stockpiled, even as the products were being tested.

"We anticipate to have manufactured enough vaccine by the end of 2020 to vaccinate our most vulnerable populations," Azar said at the time.

Vice President Pence described the federal and state partnership necessary to ensure successful vaccination campaigns, asking governors to be ready with plans to administer the shots.

"We need you, number one, to be ready to distribute it and, number two, to do your part to build public confidence," Pence said, noting that in an election season, he wanted to make sure politics stayed out of the process.

Meanwhile, Trump was demanding that the FDA approve a vaccine before the Nov. 3 election, casting a political shadow over the developments.

HHS and the Office of Management and Budget had redirected money for communications from the CDC to a company in Arlington, Va., for a year-long campaign to "defeat despair and inspire hope" during the pandemic, according to documents provided to congressional committees.

Democrats decried the campaign - which was to feature celebrities friendly to the president - as reelection propaganda. After Azar ordered an internal review, a retooled science-based initiative got underway in December. But the first wave of advertisements designed to boost confidence in vaccines is not scheduled to begin until late January, more than a month after vaccine distribution began.

A federal official involved in planning said skepticism greeted demands in September and October from Warp Speed's logistics arm that states be prepared to administer vaccine by November, with officials at the CDC and in state government viewing it as election-season posturing. Lingering questions about the potential "militarization of public health" framed those concerns, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to address ongoing planning.

- - -

One state official recalled a briefing in the weeks leading up to the election with some of the top brass - the FDA commissioner, infectious-disease chief Anthony Fauci, the surgeon general and others - that focused almost exclusively on debunking misstatements made by Trump. These officials sought to reassure state leaders that the president would not be able to "make shortcuts to have an election-eve coup," according to the state official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to recount internal discussions.

"In retrospect, it's a bit of a pity, when we could have been discussing logistics and operations, but everyone was really paranoid," the state official said.

As the election neared, it became more difficult to schedule Azar for updates with state and local health officials. A notice on Oct. 28 from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials indicated that the health secretary had declined a request for a conversation about funding and other needs.

After the election, Azar had minimal interactions with officials carrying out the vaccination campaign in the states, briefly making remarks at the beginning of calls but engaging very little, according to officials who participated. Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, had one-on-one calls with state officials, most often governors, in addition to group briefings. He was generous, often giving out his personal cellphone number, but not prepared to discuss the ground-level challenges of immunization, said multiple state health officials who have spoken with him.

Azar contested the portrayal that he has not communicated with health officials, saying he participates nearly every Monday afternoon in a virtual meeting Pence convenes with governors, some of whom invite their health departments to attend. "Their state [health] officials are available on video or telephone on these calls," Azar said. "When I'm looking up at the video, they are sitting right there on the call."

The last time officials in San Antonio - one of six metro areas considered its own jurisdiction for federal vaccine planning - spoke to Perna was Dec. 3, said Colleen Bridger, the city's interim health director.

Federal officials maintained that Perna and others have been immediately available to local authorities, with one senior administration official saying the four-star Army general recently spoke to 15 governors on a single day.

"The problem was that, over the holidays, those communications fell off, and then there were a lot of decisions made that were different from what our regular calls had communicated," Bridger said.

The December launch dates of the two vaccines created immediate headaches.

State officials worked through Christmas and into the new year, dealing with the daunting logistics of administering limited supplies of shots that, in the case of the Pfizer vaccine, come in 975-dose batches.

"My wife asked, 'Why are you on a conference call at 8 o'clock on New Year's Eve?' " said Randall Williams, Missouri's health director.

Scheduling vaccinations at nursing homes and assisted-living centers was challenging - the responsibility of CVS and Walgreens, which operate influenza vaccination clinics.

"In some cases, we have had to make 10 to 12 phone calls'' to lock down a schedule for a visit, said Larry Merlo, chief executive of CVS Health.

Part of the reason for the slow uptake has been hesitancy among staff members, with only about 30% to 40% willing to get shots, according to officials and executives.

April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 2015, which represents long-term care workers in California, said the federal government, nursing homes and chain pharmacies did not offer education programs for workers.

"I just think the plan is not very well thought out,'' Verrett said.

- - -

The week of Christmas was especially chaotic, as states acted on their own, abruptly expanding eligibility to millions of people.

In some states, those changes sparked tensions among local and state officials.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis declared that the state's older residents would follow front-line medical workers in gaining access to vaccines. He acted without consulting state health officials stationed in Florida's 67 counties, according to a health official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a lack of authorization to address the matter publicly. Some counties had plans in place to immunize emergency workers so they could administer shots to others - an arrangement that was jettisoned as thousands of elderly residents suddenly clamored for the vaccinations.

In Texas, a directive instructing providers not to wait to complete one priority group before moving to the next led health authorities in San Antonio to overhaul their plan.

"So now all of a sudden we're in a mass vaccination model, but remember public health has been staffing the pandemic since early 2020, and so we have a workforce that's really tired," Bridger said.

Hospital executives also highlighted as cumbersome the prioritization tiers for vaccine imposed by different states, with large numbers of employees not responding to emails inviting them to get vaccinated and others opting to wait until after the holidays.

Some hospitals began turning to volunteers.

At Tucson Medical Center in Arizona, one of the states hit hardest by the winter coronavirus surge, the hospital set up a drive-through system staffed in part by dozens of volunteers.

"We are in a disaster staffing plan and have been now for several weeks,'' said Judy Rich, chief executive of Tucson Medical Center.

Only in the economic stimulus package lawmakers passed at the end of the year did funding come through for the states, which for months had pleaded with the administration and Congress for about $8 billion to train additional vaccinators, improve data systems and do outreach to priority populations.

Pennsylvania officials said the delay left them unable to launch public education campaigns on radio, television or digital media, or billboards and bus signs, or even print basic educational materials.

"We need a Smokey Bear or an anti-smoking-type campaign," said Patricia Stinchfield, a nurse practitioner and immunization expert at Children's Minnesota, who lamented the lack of coordination among institutions, each of which developed its own scheduling plan, putting enormous strain on information technology departments. She warned that the organizational challenges will grow as more people become eligible for vaccines.

The path ahead remains unclear.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the ranking Democrat and soon-to-be chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, described a conversation last week with Perna.

"What I heard from him is that it's up to states," said Murray, who released a white paper in July addressing the need to ensure an adequate workforce and set up sites to administer vaccines. "His position was, 'They've got plans.' "

On Thursday, the American Hospital Association, which represents 5,000 hospitals, and other health-care organizations sent a letter to Azar urging stronger federal leadership, coordination and accountability.

Richard Pollack, the association's chief executive, said shortages of critical supplies are already occurring. "It's those kinds of things where we need a mechanism to send up those flares and get them addressed in a very quick way," he said.

- - -

Last week, after criticism about the slow rollout, did the federal government give states the option of accelerating chain pharmacies' involvement in the immunization effort. Pharmacy leaders had been telling Operation Warp Speed for weeks that they were equipped to play a bigger role sooner than planned.

The pharmacy plan was developed by the CDC, and the decision to "turn it on" early was made last week at Camp David, Md., where Azar met for three to four hours with federal health officials and Warp Speed leaders to discuss plans for vaccines and therapeutics in the last days of the Trump administration. Participants included Perna and Moncef Slaoui, Warp Speed's chief science adviser.

CDC officials were not included.

Meanwhile, disagreements among Trump administration officials have flared. Some top health officials were taken aback when Slaoui appeared on TV suggesting that the FDA was discussing with Moderna possibly cutting doses in half to provide more vaccine to more people, faster.

"Slaoui was shooting from the hip," said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to talk publicly about the issue. The FDA said last week that it was not considering reducing Moderna's doses because there wasn't adequate data to support such a move.

President-elect Joe Biden on Friday signaled the first change he intends to make in the nation's vaccination campaign: stopping the Trump administration's practice of withholding about half of the available doses to ensure enough are available for the required second shots. The incoming administration has said it will elaborate on its vaccine strategy this week.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in a Washington Post Live interview Wednesday that he expects the pace of vaccinations to pick up soon and warned against "tinkering with the timing of the doses" or going "outside of the scientific data."

"Let's all be a little patient and not conclude that we've got a major challenge that's been not met yet until we have a little bit more time to see how it goes," Collins said, adding that in weekly calls among governors, states were learning from one another as they face immunizing 80% to 85% of the population in hope of achieving herd immunity by June or July. He predicted that the nation is headed toward delivering 1 million injections a day.

Still, the turmoil disturbs experts such as Kelly Moore of the Immunization Action Coalition, who directed Tennessee's immunization program during the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009 when she helped create a statewide vaccination system.

"I just wish we could come together and agree on a coordinated effort nationwide," Moore said. "There's a lot of wisdom that could have helped us think through these situations before they arise."
Addressing the valedictory function of the second National Youth Parliament Festival, Modi urged youths to join politics, saying the 'poison of dynastic politics' will continue to weaken democracy unless they join the fray

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday blasted dynastic politics as the "biggest enemy" of democracy and said it gives rise to a new form of "dictatorship" and burdens the country with "incompetence".

Addressing the valedictory function of the second National Youth Parliament Festival, Modi launched an all-out attack on dynastic parties, saying those who rise due to their dynasties have no respect and fear of law as they believe if their previous generations were not accounted for corruption, none can touch them as well.

Addressing the National Youth Parliament Festival. https://t.co/OtaqUrBnZS  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 12, 2021

"They see such examples in their own families. So they have neither respect nor fear of law," he said, asking youngsters to join politics as this is "necessary" to save it.

Though he did not name any party, he has in the past often hit out at Opposition parties, including the Congress, for being run by families.

He said, "It is true that (in politics) the fortunes of those who have been winning elections on the basis of surnames are dwindling. But in politics, this disease of dynastic politics is not completely finished."

They, he said in reference to these dynasties, are also a very big reason behind political and social corruption in the country.

Though people have now been supporting honesty and performance, and the legacy of "corruption" of those in dynastic politics have become a burden for them, but the "disease of dynastic politics" has not been fully eradicated, the prime minister said.

"There are still people whose conduct, ideas, and goals are all aimed at saving their family politics and their families in politics. Dynastic politics gives rise to a new form of dictatorship in democracy and burdens the country with incompetence. Dynastic politics only strengthens the sentiment of 'me and my family' instead of 'nation first'," he said.

Modi, however, added that things have changed from a time when people associated politics with "violence, corruption, and loot" and thought it cannot change. A youngster joining politics was seen as someone who has gone astray, he said.

People are now so aware that they stand with honest people in politics and give them a chance, he said, asserting that honesty and performance have become "first essential requirements of today's politics". This has happened due to pressure created by the awareness in the country, he said, before noting that some changes are still required and highlighting dynastic politics as the "biggest enemy" of democracy.

"The biggest enemy of democracy still exists and that is dynastic politics. Dynastic politics is such a challenge before the country that has to be rooted out," he said.

Exhorting youngsters to join politics in his virtual address, the prime minister said the "poison of dynastic politics" will continue to weaken democracy unless they enter it. The nation's politics like any other sector needs them and their new thoughts, energy, ideas and dreams a lot, he said.

Referring to dynastic politics, he said this can be changed through awareness and the young generation joining politics. His government has been organising and promoting youth-related events, including holding mock parliament, to prepare the young generation in this regard, Modi said.

The speeches of three national winners of the festival were also broadcast during the event in the central hall of Parliament. Lauding them, Modi said he would tweet links to their speech and also those of other participants in the final round.

In his address, he also paid rich tributes to Swami Vivekananda, whose birth anniversary fell on Tuesday, and said his ideals have inspired people, including during the freedom struggle, of every generation and asked youngsters to follow them.

Vivekananda's views on nationalism and nation-building and his teaching regarding serving the people and serving the world continue to inspire us, he said.
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2021 / Orosur Mining Inc. ("Orosur" or the "Company") (TSX:OMI)(AIM:OMI), a South American-focused gold developer and explorer, is pleased to announce a new appointment to the Board and to provide a drilling update at its Anza project.

Board Appointment

The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Nicholas (Nick) von Schirnding to the Company's Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director with immediate effect.

Nick has over 25 years' experience in mining and natural resources, including strategic development, M&A, restructuring, driving operational change and corporate governance.

Nick is Executive Chairman of Arc Minerals plc, a London listed mining group with interests in Africa,and also Chairman of Fodere Group, a private company that has developed environmentally sustainable technology to extract high value minerals from ore. In addition, Nick is a Non-Executive Director of Jangada Mines plc and Edenville Energy plc, which are both listed on AIM in London.

Previously Nick was CEO of Asia Resource Minerals plc (formerly Bumi plc), a FTSE listed mining company and was instrumental in successfully restructuring their 25mtpa open pit coal mining operations. Nick was also deputy chairman of Berau Coal, Indonesia's fourth largest listed coal company. Prior to this Nick held senior roles at both Anglo American plc and De Beers.

Nick has worked and lived in both developed and emerging markets including the UK, India, SE Asia, Africa and South America.

Nick will be joining the Company's Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee with immediate effect.

Drilling Update

Drilling work has been progressing well. The Company currently has two diamond drill rigs at the Anza project, the first of which commenced drilling operations on 15th November 2020.

To date, three holes have been completed and the rigs are currently well advanced on the 4th and 5th holes. Over 1,100 metres has been completed of the planned first phase of 2,400 metres, and over 1,000 samples have been submitted for analysis.

However, the Company has been informed that Covid-19 related staff shortages at the ALS laboratory in Lima, Peru, has resulted in a substantial increase in expected assay turnaround times, especially those related to fire assay, which is the primary assay method for gold. It was originally anticipated that assays could be returned in a matter of weeks, but current schedules suggest turnaround times of well over one month.

Given the time that samples have already been in the laboratory, it is expected that complete assays for the first hole should be available by the end of this month and results from these will be communicated to the market once they become available.

Other matters

As corporate activities increase, Louis Castro, currently non-executive chairman of the Company, will assume a number of executive duties largely related to commercial, corporate and financial matters. Accordingly, and with the appointment of Mr Von Schirnding, as non-executive director, it has been decided to appoint Mr Castro as Executive Chairman with immediate effect.

Louis Castro, Chairman of Orosur, commented:

"As I take a more executive role within the Company, I am delighted that Nick has agreed to join the Company as an independent non-executive director. Nick has a proven track record in the development of resource companies. As well as his strong corporate governance skills, his advice and many contacts in the industry will be invaluable to the team as we seek to maximise the value of our Anza Project in Colombia and to progress other opportunities. We look forward to working with him as we continue to advance the Company.

In relation to the results from the first hole of the current drilling campaign at Anza, we hope to be able to release those results before the end of January."

For further information, please contact:

Orosur Mining Inc

Louis Castro, Chairman,

Brad George, CEO

info@orosur.ca

Tel: +1 (778) 373-0100

SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP - Nomad & Joint Broker

Jeff Keating / Caroline Rowe

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3 470 0470

Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Ltd - Joint Broker

Andy Thacker

Tel: +44 (0)20 3657 0050

Flagstaff Communications and Investor Communications

Tim Thompson

Mark Edwards

Fergus Mellon

orosur@flagstaffcomms.com

Tel: +44 (0)207 129 1474

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

About Orosur Mining Inc.

Orosur Mining Inc. (TSX: OMI; AIM: OMI) is a precious metals developer and explorer focused on identifying and advancing gold projects in South America. The Company operates in Colombia and Uruguay.

About the Anza Project

Anza is a gold exploration project, comprising three exploration licenses, four exploration license applications, and several small exploitation permits, totaling 207.5km2 in the prolific Mid-Cauca belt of Colombia.

The Anza Project is located 50km west of Medellin and is easily accessible by all-weather roads and boasts excellent infrastructure including water, power, communications and large exploration camp.

The Anza Project is currently wholly owned by Orosur via its subsidiary, Minera Anza S.A. The Anza project is subject to an Exploration Agreement with Venture Option between Orosur's 100% subsidiary Minera Anza S.A and Minera Monte Aguila SAS, a 50/50 joint venture between Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM, TSX:NGT), and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM, TSX:AEM).

Regulatory Disclosures

The following disclosures are required regarding the appointment of Nicholas Kurt von Schirnding, aged 58, pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies:

Current directorships and/or partnerships: Former directorships and/or partnerships (within the last five years): Arc Minerals plc Cosmos Exploration Limited Edenville Energy plc Jangada Mines plc Fodere Rutile Zamsort Limited Zaco Limited Casa Mining Limited Proteus Holdings Limited



Nick has no direct or indirect interest in the Company's ordinary shares.

No further disclosure is required pursuant to AIM Rule 17 and paragraph (g) to Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for Companies.

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: Orosur Mining Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623922/Orosur-Mining-Inc-Announces-Board-Appointment-and-Drilling-Update
Texas recorded its 30,000th death from COVID-19 over the weekend, making it the second state in the country to surpass the milestone.

The development coincides with a sharp spike in statewide deaths, which reached a seven-day average of nearly 279 on Sunday, the highest mark since early August.

Texas rate of tests coming back positive also peaked earlier this month at nearly 21 percent, surpassing the previous high set during early July, shortly after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close and issued a mask mandate for most of the state. COVID hospitalizations now make up more than 15 percent of hospital capacity in all but one of the states 22 hospital regions, the threshold that triggers restrictions such as bar closures and the suspension of elective surgeries.

Sadly, too many lives have been lost, and too many people have fallen ill, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday. We know a lot of this is preventable if people would continue to wear their masks, avoid large crowds, practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently and get tested.

Harris County, Texas most populous county, leads the state with 3,588 deaths. Only eight other counties across the United States have recorded more deaths from the pandemic, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. In the hospital region that includes the Houston area, COVID hospitalizations are up more than 23 percent since Christmas, and COVID patients have made up more than 15 percent of capacity for 13 days in a row.

Though COVID hospitalizations have risen steadily in Houstons hospital region since November, David Persse, the citys health authority, noted Monday that the number of COVID patients in general hospital beds is rising faster than the number of COVID patients in intensive care units.

Thats really to the credit of the hospital folks. They are learning how to better manage folks, and theres a smaller percentage of them which are winding up in the intensive care unit, said Persse, adding he hopes the trend will help mitigate death counts.

The statewide death tally is based on an analysis of official data from the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Chronicles reporting, which showed the state crossing the 30,000th death threshold on Sunday.

The virus true toll likely is higher than the official tally, however.

Nearly 245,000 Texans died in 2020, about 36,000 more than expected based on mortality records and predictive modeling, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though COVID-related deaths account for most of the 36,000, health experts have said many of the remaining so-called excess deaths likely stem from pandemic-related problems, including misclassifications because doctors did not fully understand how COVID affects the circulatory system at the beginning of the pandemic.

By the numbers 30,521: COVID-19 deaths in Texas through Monday 66.9: Texas' seven-day average of deaths on Oct. 22, then the lowest point since July 278.7: Texas' seven-day average of deaths on Sunday 718,965: Texans who had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday afternoon 83,538: Texans who had been fully vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday afternoon 13,397: Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Houston's hospital region 23: percentage increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Houston's hospital region since Christmas See More Collapse

There also was a sharp increase in the number of Alzheimers deaths and deaths from circulatory diseases, according to CDC data.

The brunt of the virus has been unevenly distributed, with Latinos making up nearly half of all deaths from the virus, according to data from the Department of State Health Services. White Texans make up about 38 percent of deaths while Black Texans make up roughly 10 percent.

Latinos also make up a disproportionate part of the increased death count: About 20,000 more Latinos died in 2020 than had died on average from 2015 to 2019 in Texas.

She wanted to live

At first, Houston native Margaret Omelchuck, 83, developed only a mild case of COVID-19  fatigue, muscle aches and little else  and spent all her energy caring for her husband Alfred, who was severely ill after contracting the virus, according to Omelchucks daughter, Molly Omelchuck.

Then, about two weeks after she tested positive, Margaret Omelchuck developed pneumonia. She died Jan. 3 at a hospital in Austin, while her husband survived.

Molly Omelchuck said her mother crashed once Alfred Omelchuck began to recover. She speculated that Margaret may have survived if not for her exhaustion from looking after Alfred.

She kept saying, I dont want to die. Why is this happening to me? Molly Omelchuck said. She would have lived many, many more years. There was a lot more she wanted to do.

Many of Texas more than 30,000 COVID victims declined swiftly and with little warning. That includes Houstonian Miguel Perez, a father of seven who went from being a healthy 44 year old to in the ICU in just a few days, according to a GoFundMe page that was launched in the wake of Perezs death.

He was the sole source of income for his family, which includes children between the ages of 2 and 20.

Vaccine rollout

Amid Texas second major coronavirus spike, state officials are scrambling to distribute millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The states vaccine rollout has been criticized as slow and inadequate, with a seemingly random process to determine who receives the vaccine, prompting the officials to launch 28 so-called vaccination hubs around the state in an attempt to streamline the rollout.

By Monday afternoon, 1.58 million doses had been shipped across all 254 Texas counties, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly 719,000 people had been vaccinated with at least one dose, while about 83,500 had been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Houston area saw its first case of a new, more contagious COVID-19 strain last week. The man who contracted the strain did not have any recent travel history, according to Harris County health officials, suggesting the strain already may be well established in the community.

The strain is covered by the currently approved Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and is not believed to cause more severe symptoms, though scientists in the United Kingdom have estimated it is 40 percent to 70 percent more contagious.

jasper.scherer@chron.com

Why 2021 Will Be the Year Self-Driving Cars Go Mainstream

Today, Im going to reveal three ways to profit off the self-driving car megatrend, which is gaining momentum.

The technology behind this trend has been ready for years. But I believe this is the year its about to finally be unleashed. And its opening up a huge moneymaking opportunity for everyday investors.

With COVID and post-election lawsuits dominating the news, you wont read much about this in the mainstream media. But this industry quietly hit two major milestones in December.

COVID Hit The Fast-Forward Button

Ive written before about how COVID has basically hit the fast forward button on a lot of important industries from solar to 5G to online delivery. It pulled all these trends that were likely to play out in 2025/2030 to right now .

And Im not just talking about opportunities in the stock market. Just think about how quickly the new COVID vaccines debuted.

Previously, the fastest vaccine to go from development to deployment was for the mumps in the 1960s. It took about 4 years. COVID vaccines came out in less than 12 months. Thats the fastest ever, and I couldnt be happier.

The world together is focused on solving one single problem for essentially the first time in history. Even during WWII there were 2 distinct sides and not every country was involved. But today, all the richest countries and their smartest scientists raced to create vaccines to stop this virus once and for all.

Not only that, but think about the FDA approval. It usually takes a long time. Its a rigorous process with lots of regulation. The mRNA technique that was used to develop the vaccines was written within a couple days. And before long was on the fast track to FDA approval. Normally these things take years and years.

COVID also hit the fast-forward button on self-driving cars. Let me explain.

This Is The Year Self-Driving Cars Go Mainstream

Ive been writing about this opportunity since 2018. In fact, I published an article that summer titled The End of the Steering Wheel . The technology has been ready for a while, as evidenced by Waymo, which is Googles self-driving car arm.

Waymo is the front-runner in the self-driving race. Its been ferrying paid passengers around Phoenix in its minivans for the past year. And often with no human safety driver standing by to grab the wheel if something goes wrong.

Its robotaxi service, Waymo One, topped 100,000 trips last year. Since 2019 its fully driverless vehicles drove 70,000 miles on US roads. But it just achieved its biggest milestone yet.

A few weeks ago, Waymo introduced a fully driverless ride-hailing service in Phoenix. Previously, the company only allowed a select few people to test it. Now, anyone in Phoenix can ride in a Waymo vehicle without a human safety driver in the front seat.

All you have to do is download their app, hail a self-driving car just like you would an Uber or Lyft ride, and itll show up in no time. Now, its important to note that Phoenix has flat, wide, well-maintained roads, and its sunny most of the year. Theres no black ice or mountainous terrain to contend with. Conditions are ideal for self-driving cars.

But there are at least 100 suburbs and metro areas around the US that are similar to Phoenix in this way, and those are the places Waymo will launch next. Then its only a matter of time before we see self-driving cars driving around Manhattan, Chicago, San Francisco, you name it. And itll happen sooner than most people think.

Waymo did the heavy lifting. Its robotaxis are up and running in Phoenix, and now it can transfer that knowledge to dozens of other US cities. By the end of 2021, I believe fully self-driving cars will be in at least 15 major US cities .

Amazon-owned Zoox unveiled its autonomous robotaxi on December 14. Its a fully driverless vehicle built for ride hailing. Passengers face each other. It cant be driven by a humanbecause theres no steering wheel. It can go up to 75 mph and can run up to 16 hours on a single charge. Take a look at this thing:

These are incredible milestones. But most people didnt hear about them with COVID and the election sucking all the air out of the room.

This Technology Is Finally Ready For Prime Time

The only thing holding this massive disruption back is regulation. Back to the COVID vaccines example. They are the first mRNA vaccines approved for use. But mRNA isnt newits been around for years. Its just that the FDA regulated it to the point where it couldnt be used.

I think the same is going to happen to self-driving cars this year. The need for them is greater than ever. A lot of people dont want to get in a car with a stranger who may have been exposed to COVID. Theyd rather get in with a robot that can disinfect itself.

The question is: how can you start profiting off this trend? One of my greatest frustrations is that investors tend to get really excited about a tech trend in its early stages only to find there arent many direct ways to profit.

You cant buy Waymo or Zoox, for example. Youd need to buy Google and Amazon, which own them. Obviously, those arent pure plays on the self-driving car trend.

But new, investable areas are now emerging in self-driving cars. For example, LIDAR is a cutting-edge technology which stands for Light Detection and Ranging.

In short, these tiny sensors that resemble a lawn sprinkler are affixed to the roof and front grill of the car. These sensors then send out roughly 160,000 pulses per second in all directions. These pulses can detect the smallest detail, like a leaf blowing in the wind.

Three Ways to Profit

There are three specific stocks on my radar. The most intriguing LIDAR play right now is InterPrivate Acquisition Corp. (IPV). Its a SPAC thats buying a company called Aeva.

Aeva makes 4D LIDAR sensorsand I believe it has the best technology. You can grab a piece of this company by buying the SPAC, ticker IPV.

Another is a Peter Thiel-backed company called Luminar Technologies (LAZR). And the last is Velodyne Lidar (VLDR).

These are all new developments in the last year or so that werent available before. If youre interested in buying them, keep your investment small for now. These are volatile, unproven stocks with intriguing technologies. Not companies you want to bet big on quite yet.

The Great Disruptors: 3 Breakthrough Stocks Set to Double Your Money"

Get my latest report where I reveal my three favorite stocks that will hand you 100% gains as they disrupt whole industries. Get your free copy here.

By Stephen McBride

http://www.riskhedge.com

 2021 Copyright Stephen McBride - 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.




Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, have we become a nation of wimps?

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:21:24|Editor: huaxia

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A staff member (R) hands over a stack of 2019 edition renminbi banknotes to a customer at an Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) branch in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's new yuan-denominated loans totaled 19.63 trillion yuan (3.03 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2020, up 2.82 trillion yuan year on year, central bank data showed Tuesday.

In December alone, new loans stood at 1.26 trillion yuan, up 117 billion yuan year on year, according to the People's Bank of China.

The M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 10.1 percent year on year to 218.68 trillion yuan at the end of 2020. 
DP Worlds port-centric logistics arm Smart Solution Logistics FZE (SSL) has signed an agreement with Israel-based Allalouf Logistics to explore new growth opportunities for the logistics and general freight forwarding business in the UAE and Israel.

The agreement, which will foster trade between key trade hubs in both countries and beyond, was signed by Albert Kraak, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SSL, and Gil Miller, Managing Director, Allalouf Logistics, said a Wam news agency report.

Strategically located in Dubais Jebel Ali Port with excellent connectivity to terminals at the port, DP Worlds SSL offers an extensive range of containerised logistics solutions. Using its worldwide network of ports and terminals overseas, SSL helps companies to link their supply chain to any part of the world using high-end IT platforms and variety of transportation modes. Through its collaboration with Allalouf Logistics that is part of the Allalouf Group, one of the largest and longest established shipping agencies in Israel, the company aims to reinforce the logistics sector, in the UAE, Israel and other prime markets, a statement said.

The freight and logistics market in the UAE has grown steadily over the years, surpassing other major industries. It is recognised as a crucial enabler in the UAEs economic diversification efforts. According to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, the logistics sector's gross output amounted to AED219 billion in 2018. Additionally, the sector's contribution to the UAE's GDP is projected to increase by 8 per cent in 2021.

Albert Kraak, Chief Operating Officer, SSL, said: "We take pride in the fact that we have been able to consistently contribute to the growth of the economy and we will continue doing so. Despite the Covid-19 crisis, we achieved a 30 per cent year-on-year jump in revenue. The normalisation of trade ties between the UAE and Israel has further opened up growth opportunities for us. We firmly support the leaderships vision for the countrys future development and are confident that this new venture will aid the economic prosperity of the nation, while also cementing the leading status of the logistics industry in the region."

He added: "Through our collaboration with Allalouf Logistics, our primary goal is to expand our network and reach markets that were inaccessible in the past."

Gil Miller, Managing Director, Allalouf Logistics, explained: "The onset of the global pandemic has underpinned the importance of the logistics sector. Collaborations like these are essential to tackle the challenges in the supply chain and keep economies running."

As part of the agreement, both entities will deploy all efforts to establish and maintain suitable freight stations required for the operational receiving, consolidating, loading, shipping, unloading and orderly release of cargo, and full container load. - TradeArabia News Service
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is flanked by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft as he speaks to reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Aug. 20, 2020. (Mike Segar/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwan Restrictions Removed to Address Beijing Threats, Says Pompeo

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that his recent decisions about Taiwan were made with great consideration, while reiterating the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the world.

Pompeo was answering a question about his recent decisions to lift decades-old contact guidelines on how U.S. officials should interact with their Taiwanese counterparts, to have U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft visit the self-ruled island this week, and to issue a joint statement on mass arrests in Hong Kong.

I wish these things had been done a long time ago. These werent rushed. These were considered efforts that we made and theyre an important part of the strategy that weve laid out with respect to how to protect and preserve American freedoms vis the challenge that the Chinese Communist Party presents, Pompeo stated.

Fact: the biggest threat to @UN integrity and international human rights is the CCPs efforts to pervert norms and co-opt these institutions. I took it seriously from Day 1, and we fought back. pic.twitter.com/OaQ8lnTKFK  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 11, 2021

Pompeo made the remarks while speaking at the American international broadcaster Voice of Americas headquarters in Washington on Jan. 11.

Beijing has lashed out at the Trump administration over the two moves regarding Taiwan, which the Chinese regime claims is part of its territory. Chinas hawkish state-run media Global Times, in recent editorials, slammed the moves as the Trump administrations last-ditch madness while threatening war and suggesting actions in the coming days to nail Pompeo to the pillar of shame.

Because of efforts by Beijing to limit Taiwans international influence, Taiwan currently only has 15 diplomatic allies. The United States is currently not one of them, after the Carter administration switched diplomatic recognition in favor of Beijing in 1979. Despite the lack of a formal relationship, Washington has maintained a robust relationship with the self-ruled island based on the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

Pompeos lifting of restrictions has been welcomed not only by U.S. lawmakers but also in the United Kingdom. Luke de Pulford, a member of the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, stated that the UK should follow Pompeos decision via Twitter on Jan. 9.

Pompeo also reiterated his view that Red China should be approached according to distrust and verify, a policy that he first brought up while giving a speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California on July 23 last year.

To make his point, Pompeo said the recent arrests of more than 50 activists, former lawmakers, and politicians in Hong Kong was more evidence that Beijing has walked away from its promise to Hongkongers. Those arrested are accused of subverting state power under Hong Kongs national security law.

When Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997, the one-party communist state promised that Hongkongers would enjoy freedoms and rights not protected in mainland China for at least 50 years.

Since then, the CCP has progressed its own agenda and broken its promise, most recently by implementing the draconian security law in June last year, which penalizes vaguely-defined crimes such as subversion and secession with a maximum of life imprisonment.

The Chinese Communist Party has a clear intent for hegemonic dominance and we have an obligation and responsibility to the American people, and frankly to freedom-loving people around the world, to make sure that that is not the world that our children and grandchildren live in, Pompeo concluded.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12) The Health Department has refuted claims that a new coronavirus variant has already been detected in the Philippines, as it continued to appeal to netizens to stop spreading unverified information on the matter.

Gusto naming ipaliwanag na wala pa tayong nade-detect na UK or any variant at all here in the country, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire told CNN Philippines The Source on Tuesday in response to social media posts about the supposed presence of the variant in Metro Manila.

Hindi po yan totoo, and please, do not add to the fear of the public by issuing this kind of statement, she added.

[Translation: We would like to explain that we have not yet detected the UK or any variant at all here in the country. Those are not true, and please, do not add to the fear of the public by issuing this kind of statement.]

Vergeire reiterated that the new variants can only be detected through genome sequencing, which can only be carried out by the Philippine Genome Center, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health. The over 300 specimens earlier processed for sequencing also gave no signs of any new variant, she added.

Meanwhile, the Health official also noted that the sequencing results of the close contacts of the Filipina domestic helper in Hong Kong earlier diagnosed with the new variant are expected to be released within the week.

All of them were subjected to RT-PCR and genome sequencing. So we will know all of the results maybe by Wednesday or Thursday, Vergeire said.

Vergeire added that the OFW, a 30-year-old woman from Cagayan province, is in stable condition. Relatives who were exposed to her had tested negative for the virus through antigen and antibody tests and remain under quarantine, governor Manuel Mamba said over the weekend.

DOH observing 4 variants

Vergeire also noted that the agency is observing global developments on four reported COVID-19 variants, including one supposedly detected in Nigeria.

There are already three that has sufficient evidence already from the different countries, Vergeire said, referring to the ones found in UK, South Africa, and Sabah.

And then theres this another variant that they had been saying, this Nigerian variant, although there is not much evidence yet for this. But we are looking at these four variants.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said authorities are monitoring a possible new variant of the coronavirus emerging in Nigeria, as reported by news network Al Jazeera in December. Africa CDC head John Nkengasong, however, noted that more analysis is needed.

The Philippines earlier imposed restrictions to travelers from nations with reported cases of the new variant from the UK, and of the mutation in South Africa. Medical experts, citing initial studies, have warned that these variants can potentially be more contagious.
TORONTO - New restrictions to fight skyrocketing rates of COVID-19 were being considered by Ontario's cabinet Monday night, although a curfew was not one of them.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at the daily briefing at QueenOs Park in Toronto on Friday, January 8, 2021. Ontario's cabinet was to consider new measures Monday to fight skyrocketing rates of COVID-19, but a curfew was not one of them. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO - New restrictions to fight skyrocketing rates of COVID-19 were being considered by Ontario's cabinet Monday night, although a curfew was not one of them.

The discussion took place as the province hit the grim milestone of recording more than 5,000 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Premier Doug Ford said residents can expect an announcement on new measures on Tuesday, when the province will also make new COVID-19 projections public.

"We worked all weekend ... right until late hours last night," he said as he arrived at the legislature ahead of Monday night's cabinet meeting.

"We'll be going to cabinet with recommendations."

Ford did not elaborate on the recommendations but has said the current provincial lockdown may need to be extended and stricter measures could be imposed if cases continue to soar.

Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate medical officer of health, said a curfew was not among the recommendations going before cabinet, adding that she had seen no evidence one would be effective.

She noted, however, that current trends in the province were "scary" and said as many as a third of residents surveyed reported they are not following public health guidelines.

"The bottom line is people know what they should be doing," she said. "It's a shame that we have to wait for government to force them into doing the right thing."

The latest spike in cases can be attributed in part to people gathering over the holidays, growing outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes, and workplace outbreaks, Yaffe said.

More must be done to help residents comply with public health rules, she said, including instituting paid sick days, bringing in eviction protections, and making isolation hotels available.

"It's not going to be an easy few weeks," Yaffe said. "But what these trends demonstrate is that further actions are necessary."

Officials in government and health-care have warned that surging cases are putting great strain on the health-care system.

Projections made public in late December showed that Ontarios ability to control the spread of COVID-19 was precarious, but tough lockdowns lasting a month or more could cut the number of daily cases significantly.

That data, released on Dec. 21, showed that if COVID-19 case rates continued to grow between one to three per cent, the province would have 3,000 to 5,000 daily cases by the end of January.

Ontario has recorded well over 3,000 cases daily for the last week, with 3,338 new cases reported Monday.

It also reported 29 new deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths reported to 5,012 since the start of the pandemic.

The government said 1,563 people are currently hospitalized with the virus, with 387 people in intensive care and 268 on ventilators.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused the Ford government of "stalling" on new public health restrictions, a move she said will cost lives.

"Tougher measures are not only overdue, they must be backed by a major investment in immediate supports like paid sick days for every Ontarian, safe isolation facilities, and direct financial help for small business owners and individuals," she said in a statement.

Liberal health critic John Fraser said the government is displaying a "lack of urgency" despite the rising death toll from the virus.

"We have seen firsthand how delays cost lives," he said in a statement. "Time is our greatest asset during a pandemic.

Meanwhile, the medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex said that his hard-hit region has now completed the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations in all its long-term care homes.

The provincial government pledged last week to give COVID-19 vaccines by Jan. 21 to all long-term care residents, workers and caregivers in hot-spot regions.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed said Monday that he believed Windsor-Essex had become the first health unit in the province to accomplish the goal.

"Our long-term care homes have seen the worst of the outbreaks," he said. "They have really come through. They really worked with us to get all of this done ahead of schedule."

On Monday, Ontario reported giving 8,859 more doses of the vaccine since its last daily update, with 122,105 total doses now administered.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.

She's been enjoying a fun-filled trip to Dubai with her reality star pals after narrowly escaping England's new COVID-19 restrictions.

And Joanna Chimonides didn't appear to have a care in the world as she happily flaunted her pert posterior in a new Instagram snap shared on Monday.

The Love Island star, 24, also took to her stories where she flaunted her incredible figure while posing in a white bikini.

Cheeky! Joanna Chimonides didn't appear to have a care in the world as she happily flaunted her pert posterior in a new Instagram snap shared on Monday from her Dubai holiday

Joanna didn't appear to be troubled by the recent news that Dubai had been removed from the UK corridor as she posed up a storm for the sizzling snap.

The beauty slipped into a striped bikini as she looked over her shoulder while ensuring to get the best view of her behind.

Joanna's caramel locks tumbled down her back while she opted for a natural make-up look, with her figure taking centre stage against the brilliant blue sky background.

Captioning the cheeky snap she penned: 'Now youve got my attention.'

Strike a pose: The Love Island star, 24, also took to her stories where she flaunted her incredible figure while posing in a white bikini

Over on her stories, Joanna once again displayed her physique as she modelled a skimpy white bikini in the mirror.

The stunner turned this way and that as she pouted and preened for the camera in the video.

Joanna has been happily documenting her lavish getaway with pals including Francesca Allen, Georgia Steel and Hayley Hughes with a slew of snaps, while most of the UK is ordered to stay at home except for essential reasons to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However, their fun-filled getaway may be overshadowed by the recent reports that travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of COVID -19 cases there - an undoubted shock for the influencer-packed city.

Flaunt: Over on her stories, Joanna once again displayed her physique as she modelled a skimpy white bikini in the mirror

Poser: The stunner turned this way and that as she pouted and preened for the camera in the video

While they have partied, pandemic news has been rumbling at home as earlier this week, it was revealed that new rules will require international travellers to come back negative after a PCR test before arriving in England will come into force from Friday.

From 4am on January 15, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane - including UK nationals - will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country.

They will need to present proof of a negative test result - using a PCR test or on some occasions a LAMP or lateral flow test - to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals.

Trip abroad: Joanna and her pals have been documenting their travels in Dubai, while the rest of the UK remains in lockdown for the third time

New arrivals who flout the rules will face a minimum 500 fine, while the operator who transported them will also be fined.

Passengers will still have to quarantine for 10 days regardless of their test results, transport minister Robert Courts said in a statement.

British nationals attempting to return home who test positive must not travel and must follow the local guidance in their host country, and contact the nearest consulate if they need support.
Proposed a principle of nanomagnetism, in which the spin direction changes on its own upon applying electric current without external spins. Expected to accelerate commercialization based on a paradigm shift from conventional spin memory devices

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has announced that the research team led by Dr. Kim Kyoung-Whan at the Center for Spintronics has proposed a new principle about spin memory devices, which are next-generation memory devices. This breakthrough presents new applicability that is different from the existing paradigm.

Conventional memory devices are classified into volatile memories, such as RAM, that can read and write data quickly, and non-volatile memories, such as hard-disk, on which data are maintained even when the power is off. In recent years, related academic and industrial fields have been combining their advantages to accelerate the development of next-generation memory that is fast and capable of maintaining data even when the power is off.

A spin memory device is a device that stores data of 0 and 1 in the N pole and S pole directions, respectively, of a very small nanomagnet. It is widely applied in hard disks because the directions of the N pole and S pole are maintained even when the power is off. Thus, the successful commercialization of next-generation spin memory depends on how quickly and easily it can be controlled in the N pole and S pole directions of a nanomagnet.

Until now, spin was injected from the outside to control the N pole and S pole directions of a nanomagnet. Here, spin is a basic unit of magnetism that cannot be divided further, and numerous spins with the same directions as the N pole and S pole are gathered to form a single magnet. Therefore, if many spins are injected into a nanomagnet from the outside, the N pole and S pole directions of the nanomagnet can be controlled. However, its commercialization is arduous because generating and injecting external spins is not energy-efficient.

Recently, it has been reported that spins are formed inside a nanomagnet if electric current is applied to the nanomagnet. However, because no theory on how to analyze the behavior of such spins has been established yet, there has been no studies on the physical results of these spins.

Dr. Kim Kyoung-Whan at the KIST has established a theoretical system by developing a spin diffusion equation that describes the spin conductance in magnetic materials. It was discovered that when the spins formed by electric current is emitted to the outside, only the sign is opposite to that of the spins injected from the outside, and the effects are the same. Therefore, the directions of the N pole and S pole can be controlled by the nanomagnet itself without external spin injection, and the power consumption can be reduced by up to ~60% compared to that of conventional spin devices. Furthermore, memories can be developed in simple structures because they do not need the conventional structure for injecting external spins.

Dr. Kim Kyoung-Whan said, "This study provided an academic basis for spin conductance in magnetic materials. Furthermore, through the new paradigm, it is expected to contribute significantly to solving the optimization problems of power consumption, production yield, etc., which have been the biggest obstacles to the implementation of next-generation spin devices."

###

This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), as part of the Institutional R&D Program of KIST, and the New Research Support Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea. The research results were published in the latest issue of Physical Review Letters(Impact factor: 8.385), a journal in physics.
The US has sent an invitation to to attend the inauguration of President-elect scheduled for January 20, the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C. confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.

"We have received the invitation. Ambassador (of in the US Anatoly Antonov) is expected to take part (in the inauguration ceremony)," the diplomatic mission told TASS News.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted in November 2020 that Ambassador Antonov could attend the inauguration ceremony of the new US President.

However, the participation of foreign countries' representatives at this event is not stipulated, he noted.

For the first time since the US presidential elections took place on November 3, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to Biden congratulating the latter on his victory.

The congratulatory message came after after Biden won the US Electoral College vote that officially determines the presidency.

When Biden was projected to win the election, had said that it was "proper to wait for the official results" referring to certification of the outcome by the Electoral College.

--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.)
Greylock Federal Credit Union is the only Berkshire institution allowed to begin processing PPP loans because of its focus on underserved communities. Those groups either had trouble receiving funding or missed out on it entirely last year.
Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2021 -- Latest document on 'Open Source Services Market by Industry (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Manufacturing, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Retail and Distribution, Others), Service Type (Consulting Services, Implementation, Support, Maintenance and Management, and Training Service), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC and RoW) - Global Forecast to 2026' is added in HTF MI research reporsitory provides in-depth analysis, Competitive scenario, and future market trends and strategies. The regional analysis includes countries like USA, Germany, China, France, Japan, South Korea, UK, BeNeLux, Nordic Nations, Middle East & Africa and many other countries along with major players profiled such as Red Hat, Wipro, Accenture, Infosys, IBM, ATOS, Cisco Systems, HPE, HCL, and Oracle. The Market has witnessed continuous growth in the past few years and is projected to see some stability post Q2,2020 and may grow further during forecast year 2021-2026



Access sample report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2923759-open-source-services-market-by-industry



Summary

Open source service is a type of software where source code is released by the copyright holders for users to utilize, study, and also can modify it. The users can deliver the software to anyone on any Platform. Globally, the open-source services help the firm to achieve IT strategic goals and help to improve the performance, productivity, and maximize the efficiency of the organization. The major factors driving the open source services market are accessibility to the source code to all the firms, and low cost than the proprietary solutions as well as simple interoperability.



Research Methodology:

The Open source services market has been analyzed by utilizing the optimum combination of secondary sources and in-house methodology, along with an irreplaceable blend of primary insights. The real-time assessment of the market is an integral part of our market sizing and forecasting methodology. Our industry experts and panel of primary participants have helped in compiling relevant aspects with realistic parametric estimations for a comprehensive study.

The demand for the open-source services market is supporting the market growth. Somehow, the open-source services have certain security challenges that are drawing down on market growth. Open Source Services Market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of ~21.75% with a value expecting to reach $66.84 billion by 2026.



View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2923759-open-source-services-market-by-industry



The scope of the Open Source Services Market is defined in the market analysis as follows:

o Based on Industry:

- Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance

- Manufacturing

- Healthcare and Life Sciences

- Retail and Distribution

- Others



o Based on Service:

- Consulting Services

- Implementation

- Support, Maintenance, and Management Services

- Training Services



o Based on Geography:

- North America

- Europe

- Asia Pacific

- Rest of the World



The open-source services market based on industry  In industry segment, the manufacturing industry is having the largest share in the open-source market due to the adoption of open source in the manufacturing industry as well as due to the high adoption of production planning, inventory planning and estimation of demand in the manufacturing industry. The banking, financial services, and insurance industry are also expected to have the next large share in the market as this industry adopted the customer relationship management solutions to approach the customers.

Further, the open-source services market based on service is segmented into consulting services, implementation, support, maintenance and management services, and training services. The consulting service has acquired the largest share in the open-source services market as many players competing in the open-source services market are highly developing strategies to promote the awareness about Linux and other open-source operating systems for the developers.



The open-source services market based on regional segmentation is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW. North America has been the largest contributor in the open-source market growth due to the high funding in the cloud-based solutions and early acquisition of advanced technologies and solutions for the better performance of the enterprise. Asia Pacific is also a region, which is contributing towards the market share growth, especially in China, where a lot of companies are dependent on IT technology, which is increasing the utilization of the open-source.

Globally, the Open Source Services Market is growing at a CAGR of ~21.75% during the forecast period of 2020-2026. The factors driving this market are cost-effective service, accessible software to everyone in the business for providing valuable solutions for the enterprise. In addition, the open-source service gives the secured data. Rapidly increasing demand for real-time important data and requirement of the open-source intelligence market gives support in the growth of the open-source market. However, highly complicated open-source intelligence is a restrain to the open-source market growth.

The report also includes the analysis of major players in the Open Source services market. Some of the major players consist of Red Hat, Wipro, Accenture, Infosys, IBM, ATOS, Cisco Systems, HPE, HCL, and Oracle.



Globally, the demand for the open-source services market is increasing, especially in IT-oriented firms, for the enhancement of operational effectiveness. This report will help the market players to understand the key market trends, market dynamics, and dynamic need of the end-users. The qualitative and quantitative analysis enhances the user experience of the report.

? The competitive analysis of the major players enables users to understand the dynamic strategies such as product innovation, partnerships, merger & acquisitions and joint ventures of the key players

? This report also provides the portfolio analysis, capability analysis of the leading players

? Quantitative analysis of the market enables users to understand the actual facts of the market across four major regions



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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

2. Industry Outlook

3. Market Snapshot

3.1. Total Adressable Market

3.2. Segment Addressable Market

3.3. Related Markets

3.4. Ecosystem

4. Market Outlook

4.1. Overview

4.2. Market Trends and Impact

4.3. Pricing Analysis

4.4. Market Segmentation

4.5. Market Dynamics

4.5.1. Drivers

4.5.2. Restraints

4.5.3. Opportunities

4.6. DRO - Impact Analysis

5. Industry: Market Size & Analysis

5.1. Overview

5.2. Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance

5.3. Manufacturing

5.4. Healthcare and Life Sciences

5.5. Retail and Distribution

5.6. Others

6. Service: Market Size & Analysis

6.1. Overview

6.2. Consulting Services

6.3. Implementation

6.4. Support, Maintenance, and Management Services

6.5. Training Services

7. Geography: Market Size & Analysis

7.1. Overview

7.2. North America

7.3. Europe

7.4. Asia Pacific

7.5. Rest of the World

....Continued



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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TENTEN Wilshire, a luxury building in downtown Los Angeles that embodies the Live, Work, Play under one roof mentality, is set to give away free rent for a year to 10 qualified applicants; limited to the first 500 entries. Interested applicants should visit https://1010wilshire.com/free-rent and apply.

TENTEN Wilshire, a unique community designed for the lifestyles of professionals, provides over 600 fully furnished live/work suites and executive suites for rent no matter how short or long the stay. The LIVE-in-luxury suites are fully furnished and provide sophisticated architecture and elegant interior design along with comforts like fine linens, stainless steel appliances, and panoramic views. At the property, residents WORK in style as TENTEN provides the latest in technology and full-service amenities including furnished conference rooms and business centers. Ideal for meeting people and networking, TENTEN provides residents with a professional environment, typically found only in today's most successful corporations, so they can work as productively as possible. During downtime, residents can PLAY all in one place with amenities such as relaxing by the pool, watching movies in the screening room, participating in rooftop events and exercising in the high-tech gym located over 200 feet above the ground. Whether celebrating another business accomplishment or just appreciating the simple pleasures of a balanced lifestyle, TENTEN was specifically created with a balance of work and leisure needs in mind.

"During these hard times, I want to help others by alleviating their financial obligations in the New Year," said Rahim Amidi, founder and developer of TENTEN Wilshire. "With the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertain economy and job market, rent shouldn't be a worry (for qualified tenants). By providing people the opportunity to combine where they live, work, and play into one place, we allow people to function without any limitations that the COVID pandemic has placed on others. This is a solution for both individual entrepreneurs, creatives, professionals, and successful organizations looking for a better, more effective, and cost-efficient solution for their workforce."

Prizes:

A total of ten (10) Grand Prizes (each consisting of 1 Year Free Rent of a Fully Furnished, All-Inclusive, Turn-Key Live/Work Apartment at TENTEN Wilshire) will be drawn randomly from all qualified applicants; limited to the first 500 entries. The drawing will be on June 1, 2021.

How to Enter:

During the promotion period, visit https://1010wilshire.com/free-rent and complete the Schedule a Property Tour & Apply for Free Rent form. Then, during the scheduled property tour, submit a completed application form with all requested details including first and last name, valid e-mail address, complete mailing address, date of birth, telephone number, and a valid ID. The qualified applicant will be notified of eligibility within 72 hours and automatically entered in the drawing.

Rules:

Must Be 21 Years of Age or Older to Enter.

Must Tour and Submit Completed Rental Application In-Person to Enter Raffle.

Rental Application is Strictly for Eligibility and NOT a Commitment to Lease.

Qualified Applicants are Automatically Entered Into the Drawing.

Limit 1 Entry per Person.

Limit 1 Grand Prize per person.

Prizes Cannot Be Exchanged, Transferred, Sold, or Used in Any Way, By Anyone, Other Than the Winning Applicant.

Violation of Rules Related to This Raffle or Violation of Property Use Rules May Lead to Loss of Eligibility or Immediate Termination of Free Rent.

ABOUT TENTEN Wilshire:

TENTEN All-Inclusive Living - Where all amenities, utilities, valet parking, cable, Wi-Fi, and concierge service are all included. TENTEN Wilshire is the ideal place to live, work, and play. Whether you are a travel manager, a relocation specialist, a working professional, or an entrepreneur, TENTEN Wilshire provides the perfect blend of amenities and necessities to make your decision an easy one. You have heard the phrase "Live, Work, and Play" uncounted times, but not until now have all three been addressed in a single lifestyle solution. With the 110, 10, and 101 Freeway entrances within a mile of the building, residents can be anywhere in Los Angeles in moments. In addition, cultural destinations including MOCA, Disney Concert Hall, Nokia Theater, Staples Center, and the Ahmanson/Dorothy Chandler Pavilion are all within a short distance. Shopping is also close by, with the 7th and Fig shopping center, Macy's Plaza, and the Ralph's Fresh Fare Grocery all just a few short blocks away. At TENTEN Wilshire, all suites are designated Live/Work, so conducting business from home in a professional manner just became possible. Basic utilities are all included in these fully furnished luxury suites, further simplifying an otherwise busy life. There are no short-term lease fees, making TENTEN Wilshire the perfect option, whatever your needs may be. TENTEN Wilshire, a new lifestyle solution for those wanting to live, work, and play, no matter how long or short your stay.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Buonantony

Press Pass LA PR + Social

[email protected]

(323) 496-1976

Related Images

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TENTEN LOGO

SOURCE TENTEN Wilshire
ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Another group of Crimean Tatars has been sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges of being members of a banned Islamic group and plotting to seize power in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The Southern Military Regional Court in the city of Rostov-on-Don on January 12 sentenced Enver Omerov to 18 years, Ayder Dzhepparov to 17 years, and Riza Omerov to 13 years in prison.

The three men, who were arrested in June 2019, were found guilty of plotting to forcibly seize power in Crimea as members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic group that is banned in Russia, but is legal in Ukraine.

Enver Omerov was also found guilty of organizing the activities of a terrorist group.

Ukrainian Ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova condemned what she called the "aggressor country's illegal decision about our citizens."

"[Russia] with its shameful activities continues to openly violate international agreements and the norms of international law. I would like to remind the international community that especially today, the Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner, all Ukrainian citizens kept in the Kremlin's custody need your support and the consolidation of efforts for their earliest release," Denisova said in a statement posted on Telegram.

In two separate cases in the second half of last year, the same court sentenced other Crimean Tatars to lengthy prison terms on similar charges, which they, their supporters, and Ukrainian authorities rejected as politically motivated.

Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they call a persistent campaign of oppression targeting Crimean Tatars and other citizens who oppose Moscow's annexation.

Russia occupied and seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. The majority of Crimean Tatars opposed the Russian takeover of their historic homeland.

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Pieces of unwanted debris left by humans in low-Earth orbit have become the equivalent of a 'new drifting island of plastic' in outer space, an expert has warned.

Scientific models estimate there are more than 128 million pieces of space debris that are larger than 1mm, and 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm.

These range from old rocket parts to flakes of paint that have chipped off satellites

Now, Ekaterini Kavvada, the directorate general of Defence Industry and Space at the European Commission, has warned that this space junk is 'not a theoretical threat but a reality'  similar to the threat posed by floating islands of plastic in the Earth's oceans.

She added that the debris could cause damage to active European and other satellites, adding that if we do not react in a safe and timely way, the consequences will be 'detrimental.'

Pieces of unwanted debris left by humans in low-Earth orbit have become the equivalent of a 'new drifting island of plastic' in outer space, an expert has warned (artist's impression)

HOW MUCH DEBRIS IS IN SPACE? Scientific models estimate there are more than 128 million pieces of space debris that are larger than 1mm, and 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm. Fragments as small as 1cm have the potential to completely destroy satellites because of the speed at which they are travelling. Artificial satellites are used in communications, such as satellite television and phone calls, and navigation, which includes the Global Positioning System (GPS). These types of spacecraft also play a role in weather forecasting, tracking storms and pollution and astronomy. Advertisement

Speaking at the 13th European Space Conference, Ms Kavvada said: 'Orbiting space debris has become the new drifting island of plastic  if I had to make the comparison  that poses a looming threat for the safety and the security of all the traffic and space sustainability.'

Fragments of space debris as small as 1cm have the potential to completely destroy satellites because of the speed at which they are travelling.

Artificial satellites are used in communications, such as satellite television and phone calls, and navigation, which includes the Global Positioning System (GPS).

These types of spacecraft also play a role in weather forecasting, tracking storms and pollution and astronomy.

Ms Kavvada said that, since January 2019, there have been more than 5,000 satellites in space, but only 2,000 are still active.

She said: 'Hopefully  and this is why we cross our fingers every day  those satellites may be able to deorbit and mostly burn up in the atmosphere, when their useful life is finished.'

However, Ms Kavvada warned that there are still nearly 3,000 inactive satellites drifting in space, with recent data suggesting there have been more than 500 break-ups or explosions of these space objects, resulting in fragmentation.

She said that adding webs of networked satellites, known as mega constellations, to space could result in the Kessler syndrome  a chain reaction where more and more objects collide to create new space junk to the point where Earth's orbit became unusable.

Ms Kavvada said: 'This sounds already like a disaster waiting to happen.'

Rolf Densing, director of operations at the European Space Agency, who was also speaking at the space conference, said: 'We are living in a time the mega constellations are being built up, and the population of objects in orbit around us is growing by the thousands per year.

'So by now, we have about 1,000 Starlink satellites in orbit.

'By the end of the decade, we will be talking about tens of thousands of satellites that are in the orbit around us.'

Mr Densing said the ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) is getting 'hundreds of collision warnings' on a fleet of about 20 satellites the agency operates.

He said: 'About every two weeks, on average, we will have to fly the collision avoidance manoeuvre.'

Ms Kavvada said that limiting the production of space junk, avoiding the generation of new debris, and developing instruments to remove current space debris are needed to 'ensure long-term sustainable use of space'.

She said: 'Even in a theoretical scenario in which no further objects are added to the space environment, the results of simulations stemming from the ESA and NASA show that the critical density reached in LEO (low-Earth orbit) is such that mitigation alone is not any more sufficient.'

There are an estimated 170 million pieces of so-called 'space junk', but only 22,000 are tracked (artist's impression)

Ms Kavvada added: 'So, today, if we do not react in a safe and timely way the consequences will be detrimental.'

Last year, the UK Government awarded seven private companies 1 million to help track space junk as part of its space surveillance and tracking (SST) programme.

The UK will also play a critical role in building The Claw, which will be the first ever satellite to remove space junk.

A part of the ESA's Clearspace-1 mission scheduled for 2025, The Claw will use a pincer motion to collect debris, before giving it a controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, allowing it to decompose safely and away from life.

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 12th, 2021

A third detailed briefing on the pandemic situation locally has been published by the local authority.

The below update was published yesterday part of the new twice weekly update system, and echos recent updates with community transmission in households thought to be the driver of the high local covid figures.

The full update from yesterday afternoon is copied below, with all bolding and underlining of points is copied from Wrexham Councils email, and we intend to do similar for future updates:

Dear Councillors,

COMMUNICATIONS

This note is sent directly to Members, community councils and the media, but Members and Community Councillors play a vital role in helping share key information and messages with their communities. For today, the key message remains that everyone should exercise extreme vigilance for several months until the vaccination programme takes effect and to follow the advice here: Welsh Government website, and the Welsh Government and Wrexham Council Twitter accounts. Essentially, assume that you and anyone you come into contact with has the virus and act accordingly. On Fridays, we will share user-friendly communication assets that will help you more readily share information on social media.

DATA ON THE VIRUS

Please find attached:

Table 1  the summary of the weekly data for Wrexham as a whole compared to other councils in North Wales.

Table 2  the summary of daily data for the 18 Public Health Wales MSOA statistical sub-areas of Wrexham

NB  the data for week ending 3rd January are largely finalised. Those for week ending 10th January are still very tentative, so it would have been misleading to include them today .

The County Borough as a Whole (Table 1)

Wrexham remains worst in Wales for our rate per 100,00 population (851.7 today) and 2nd for positivity (29.3% today), but the situation is slightly better than reported on Friday. We can only hope that this short trend continues.

The Sub-Areas (Table 2)

Almost all of the 18 MSOA sub-areas of Wrexham (chosen by PHW) have improved a little since my last report to you 3 days ago (8th January), though some have got worse and the figures remain very high.

3 have recorded their worst figures since 20 th October (shown in bold on the table), compared to 9 on 8 th January.

have recorded their worst figures since 20 October (shown in bold on the table), compared to 9 on 8 January. 15 have greater than 550/100k , compared to 16 on the 8 th .

have greater than , compared to 16 on the 8 . 8 have greater than 800/100k , compared to 11 on the 8 th .

have greater than , compared to 11 on the 8 . 14 are in the worst decile in Wales , compared to 11 on the 4th. However, the threshold for the 1st decile is much lower (648/100k) than last week (750/100k). Those with more than 700 are set out below:

o Gwersyllt West & Summerhill has 1924/100k  up from 1722 on the 8th

o Hermitage & Whitegate has 1268  down from 1417 on the 8th

o New Broughton & Bryn Cefn has 1134  up from 1108 on the 8th

o Llay South & Gwersyllt East has 1022  down from 1034 on the 8th

o Coedpoeth & Brymbo has 1008  down from 1074 on the 8th

o Wrexham West has 948  down from 960 on the 8th

o Caia Park has 896  up from 840 on the 8th

o Ruabon & Marchwiel has 860  down from 936 on the 8th

o Town North, University & Rhos-ddu has 799  down from 901

o Borras & Rhosnensi has 764  down from 868 on the 8th

o Johnstown North & Rhostyllen has 734  down from 1223 on the 8th

o Acton & Maes-y-dre has 732  down from 791 on the 8th

0 have less than 300/100k, compared to 0 on 8th December. In fact, the lowest is 466/100k

Settings

The virus is very widespread with the principal locations remaining households followed, some way below, by outbreaks in care/nursing homes (including, sadly a number of hospitalisations and deaths), the Maelor Hospital and the prison.

MANAGING THE VIRUS

General

The Level 4 Alert lockdown, which came into force on 20th December has been extended until the end of January and should soon begin to have an effect, as the October firebreak did, although the predominance of the UK variant and the easing of the restrictions over Christmas have clearly acted against this for the last few weeks.

Schools

Schools continue to provide education to pupils via remote learning. On-site provision continues for those children who are vulnerable and for the children of key workers. Unless there is a significant reduction in cases of Covid-19 before 29 January these arrangements will continue until the February half term (week beginning 15th February).

Other Council Services

The Council is continuing to provide critical services as publicised on our website.

Vaccination

Care Home Vaccinations

Over the weekend and into this week care homes that have no positive cases amongst staff and residents are being vaccinated. As per the update on Friday, the Health Board are expecting guidance on how vaccines can be rolled out to care homes that have had an active outbreak and how this can be achieved in the quickest possible timescales. The position with staff in care homes remains that they will, in the main, receive vaccinations through the Mass Vaccination Centres, but any spare vaccinations taken to care home will be offered to staff who have not yet received their vaccinations

Other Staff

As a Local Authority we have now received a request to provide the names of relevant frontline social care staff and we are now collating those names and details so that they can be shared with the health board to enable those staff to have appointments as soon as possible

Community Vaccination

Welsh Government has today published a Vaccination Plan aiming to vaccinate:

all care home residents and staff, health and social care staff, people over 70 and people with underlying health conditions by mid-February

people over 50 by the spring

all other adults by the autumn.

More information can be obtained via the following link: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/about-the-vaccine

Regards

Chief Officer Planning and Regulatory
The DreamVu Difference The need for autonomous robots greatly accelerated in 2020 and we are excited to bring to market two game-changing vision systems, said Mark Davidson, Chief Revenue Officer at DreamVu. With PAL and PAL Mini, our customers can create autonomous robots that provide safe cleaning and disinfection, a

DreamVu, the leader in omnidirectional 3D vision systems, today announced the availability of two new 3D vision intelligence systems for autonomous systems: PAL and PAL Mini. Both products utilize innovative patented optics and advanced imaging algorithms to create the worlds largest stereoscopic field of view. The ability for a single 3D camera to see large areas in a single frame saves robot system designers valuable time in development and improves the run-time efficiency of the robot once deployed. Both PAL and PAL Mini provide high-resolution vision, high-accuracy depth, and color 3D point-clouds, easily integrate into a variety of autonomous systems, and consume extremely low power.

Learn about The DreamVu Difference

Unlike other stereo cameras, PAL and PAL Mini deliver unmatched performance using only a single CMOS sensor and no moving parts. Both products provide visual intelligence that eliminates blind spots and combines full color video with precise depth mapping and detection in a single video stream. The easy-to-use and implement cameras are ideally suited for navigation systems in warehouse robots, disinfection robots, commercial cleaning robots, and domestic vacuum cleaning robots where low-latency, low-power, and high-reliability are critical.

The need for autonomous robots greatly accelerated in 2020 and we are excited to bring to market two game-changing vision systems, said Mark Davidson, Chief Revenue Officer at DreamVu. With PAL and PAL Mini, our customers can create autonomous robots that provide safe cleaning and disinfection, and support more efficient e-commerce operations.

About PAL

PAL provides 360 horizontal field of view with 110 vertical field of view at up to 9 megapixels with a usable depth range of 10 meters and no minimum depth distance. An entire 3D occupancy map can be generated from every frame, making PAL an ideal sensor for navigation systems in autonomous mobile robots (AMR) providing Obstacle Detection & Obstacle Avoidance (ODOA) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) with complete understanding of the environment, helping AMRs localize and navigate along the most efficient paths. PAL is currently available with a USB interface and can be purchased directly from http://www.dreamvu.com/shop for $1,499. An Ethernet version with on-board ARM processor and GPU is in development with prototypes also currently available for purchase.

About PAL Mini

PAL Mini is the most compact omnidirectional 3D vision system, delivering 360 horizontal field of view with a vertical field of view of 80 at up to 4 megapixels and a usable depth range of 5 meters. Due to its ultra-small form-factor, PAL Mini is optimized for navigation systems in smaller AMRs and domestic robots. PAL Mini can also be utilized as a complementary sensor for applications such as people detection in disinfection robots, or wall, cliff, and stair tracking in commercial cleaning robots where maximizing cleaning area is paramount. PAL Mini is available with a USB interface and can be purchased for $999 from http://www.dreamvu.com/shop.

Each product includes a flexible software development kit (SDK) with broad compatibility, including a Robot Operating System (ROS) and OpenCV. The products can also be complemented with DreamVus Vision Intelligence Software, which provides AI functions such as object recognition and classification, people detection, and DreamVus complete ODOA and SLAM solutions.

For more information about DreamVu, PAL and PAL Mini, visit http://www.dreamvu.com or contact us at: info@dreamvu.com

About DreamVu

Based in Philadelphia, PA, with an R&D center in Hyderabad, India, DreamVu is the leader in omnidirectional 3D vision systems. With camera-based systems that leverage patented optics and imaging software to reduce system costs and deliver an unparalleled field of view, DreamVu is pioneering the next generation of visual intelligence and transforming the way machines and humans see the world.
At the start of the pandemic, many doctors on the front lines turned to Twitter and other social media platforms to find guidance and solace directly from their peers. In early 2020, information on COVID-19 had yet to be studied and published in peer-reviewed journals or printed in medical textbooks. Since then, social media has been characterized as both a boon to medical communities seeking real time information and a major driver of misinformation on the virus and its spread. A new study from researchers at the University of Paris provides support for social media as a potentially useful tool in the doctor's diagnostic toolkit and a way for general practitioners with questions to connect to specialists who may have the answers.

In France, some general practitioners have turned to social media for help diagnosing common dermatological conditions. They post a deidentified photo of a skin condition to Twitter or MedPics, a private social networking site for doctors, and other clinicians can respond with their diagnosis. In a retrospective observational study, researchers compared the accuracy of using social media to crowdsource a dermatological diagnosis to the accuracy of asking a dermatologist using more traditional telemedicine methods. Researchers found that diagnoses suggested by doctors on social media generally agreed with teledermatology results, and diagnoses were even more strongly aligned when dermatologists were active in the crowdsourced response. When the images posted to social media were reviewed by an expert committee of dermatologists, the researcher found that primary diagnoses from social media were accurate about 60% of the time, whereas teledermatology consultations were correct about 55% of the time, with no significant difference between the two studied methods.

These results suggest that social media can be as useful as teledermatology services for doctors when diagnosing common and minor dermatological conditions, but consultation with an expert dermatologist may still be necessary. The authors acknowledge that social media is less secure than standard medical communications technologies and that Twitter and other public platforms do not take the same measures to protect patients' privacy.

###

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The top 10 results have been unveiled in the first-of-its-kind COVID-19 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation Grand Challenge, a groundbreaking research competition focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) models to help in the visualization and measurement of COVID specific lesions in the lungs of infected patients, potentially facilitating to more timely and patient-specific medical interventions.

Attracting more than 1,000 global participants, the competition was presented by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Hospital in collaboration with leading AI technology company NVIDIA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The competition's AI models utilized a multi-institutional, multi-national data set provided by public datasets from The Cancer Imaging Archive (National Cancer Institute), NIH and the University of Arkansas, that originated from patients of different ages, genders and with variable disease severity. NVIDIA provided GPUs to the top five winners as prizes, as well as supported the selection and judging process.

"Improving COVID-19 treatment starts with a clearer understanding of the patient's disease state. However, a prior lack of global data collaboration limited clinicians in their ability to quickly and effectively understand disease severity across both adult and pediatric patients," says Marius George Linguraru, D.Phil., M.A., M.Sc., principal investigator at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National, who led the Grand Challenge initiative. "By harnessing the power of AI through quantitative imaging and machine learning, these discoveries are helping clinicians better understand COVID-19 disease severity and potentially stratify and triage into appropriate treatment protocols at different stages of the disease."

The top 10 AI algorithms were identified from a highly competitive field of participants who tested the data in November and December 2020. The results were unveiled on January 11, 2021, in a virtual symposium, hosted by Children's National, that featured presentations from top teams, event organizers and clinicians.

Developers of the 10 top AI models from the COVID-19 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation Grand Challenge are:

1. Shishuai Hu, et al. Northwestern Polytechnical University, China. "Semi-supervised Method for COVID-19 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation"

2. Fabian Isensee, et al. German Cancer Research Center, Germany. "nnU-Net for Covid Segmentation"

3. Claire Tang, Lynbrook High School, USA. "Automated Ensemble Modeling for COVID-19 CT Lesion Segmentation"

4. Qinji Yu, et al. Shanghai JiaoTong University, China. "COVID-19-20 Lesion Segmentation Based on nnUNet"

5. Andreas Husch, et al. University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg. "Leveraging state-of-the-art architectures by enriching training information - a case study"

6. Tong Zheng, et al. Nagoya University, Japan. "Fully-automated COVID-19-20 segmentation"

7. Vitali Liauchuk. United Institute of Informatics Problems (UIIP), Belarus. "Semi-3D CNN with ImageNet pretrain for segmentation of Covid lesions on CT"

8. Ziqi Zhou, et al. Shenzhen University, China. "Automated Chest CT Image Segmentation of COVID-19 with 3D Unet-based framework"

9. Jan Hendrik Moltz, et al. Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Germany. "Segmentation of COVID-19 lung lesions in CT using nnU-Net"

10. Bruno Oliveira, et al. 2Ai - Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave, Portugal. "Automatic COVID-19 detection and segmentation from lung computed tomography (CT) images using 3D cascade U-net"

Linguraru added that, in addition to an award for the top five AI models, these winning algorithms are now available to partner with clinical institutions across the globe to further evaluate how these quantitative imaging and machine learning methods may potentially impact global public health.

"Quality annotations are a limiting factor in the development of useful AI models," said Mona Flores, M.D., Global Head of Medical AI, NVIDIA. "Using the NVIDIA COVID lesion segmentation model available on our NGC software hub, we were able to quickly label the NIH dataset, allowing radiologists to do precise annotations in record time."

"I applaud the computer science, data science and image processing global academic community for rapidly teaming up to combine multi-disciplinary expertise towards development of potential automated and multi-parametric tools to better study and address the myriad of unmet clinical needs created by the pandemic," said Bradford Wood, M.D., director, NIH Center for Interventional Oncology and chief, Interventional Radiology Section, NIH Clinical Center. "Thank you to each team for locking arms towards a common cause that unites the scientific community in these challenging times."

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Media Contact: Diana Troese | dtroese@childrensnational.org
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.

Paris: At least 50 countries have committed to protecting 30 per cent of the planet, including land and sea, over the next decade to halt species extinction and address climate change issues.

About 30 leaders, government officials and heads of international organisations participated online in the One Planet Summit designed to find ways to protect the world's biodiversity. Top US officials were notably absent, as were the leaders of Russia, India, Brazil. Australian Prime Minster Scott Morrison is on leave this week. The ABC reported Australia was not on the list of 50 countries to make the pledge.

A grey seal and her pup on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, England. The One Planet Summit aims to protect the world's biodiversity, including marine ecosystems. Credit:PA/AP

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which was launched in 2019 by Costa Rica, France and Britain to set a target of protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet by 2030, has now been joined by 50 countries.

A 2019 UN report on biodiversity showed that human activities are putting nature in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming for over 1 million species of plants and animals.

The Rusvesna (Russian Spring) e-newspaper on January 11 ran an article expressing impression on Vietnams achievements in economic development, poverty reduction,

COVID-19 prevention and control and foreign affairs under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Workers at a factory

The article said among nearly 30 countries that posted positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2020, Vietnam emerged with a growth rate of 2.91 percent. Vietnams trade revenue rose by 3.6 percent in the first 11 months of the year to 490 billion USD.

In such context, Hanoi and Moscow also saw positive progress in economic and trade ties. Vietnam was Russias largest trade partner in ASEAN and fifth largest among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forums member economies.

Russias statistics showed that its trade with Vietnam increased by 11.5 percent to 4.6 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2020.

The author attributed these achievements to the countrys successful fight against the COVID-19 pandemic under the CPVs leadership, saying that measures taken by Vietnam were not only drastic and strong but also open and transparent.

As a result, around 1,500 infection cases were recorded in Vietnam in the past year. In particular, public response to the authorities actions was extremely positive.

The paper said that the 13th National Congress of the CPV is scheduled to take place from January 25 to February 2, with the aim of assessing the implementation of resolutions adopted at the last congress five years ago.

It cited an article written by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong last August, as saying that the poverty rate decreased from 9.9 percent in 2016 to less than 3 percent by 2020. The leader also emphasised the mission of turning the country into a developing nation with a modern-oriented industry and escaping from the group of states with lower middle income by 2025.

Meanwhile, by 2030, which marks the CPVs 100th founding anniversary, Vietnam expects to become a developing country with a modern industry and its people having upper middle income. In 2045, when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, celebrates its 100th establishment anniversary, the Southeast Asian nation will become a developed country with high income.

Regarding external policy, the author said that Vietnam achieved numerous successes in 2020, and its position has been enhanced in Southeast Asia in particular and the Asia-Pacific region in general. As the Chair of ASEAN, Vietnam well organised the blocs activities in the format of video conference and promoted the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. The paper noted that on the first day of 2020, Vietnam became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, with its membership lasting until the end of 2021.

Having highly appreciated Vietnam's foreign policy of peace, the author believed that both Vietnam and Russia, with a similar approach, will contribute to strengthening peace and stability in the region./.VNA
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 57F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 03:22:13|Editor: huaxia

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Staff members hang flags outside the U.S. Capitol Building to prepare for the upcoming presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Democrats on Monday formally introduced the article of impeachment against President Donald Trump, taking the first step to impeach the president the second time during his presidency.

The single article of impeachment, contained in a resolution introduced while the House gaveled into a pro-forma session, charged the president with "incitement of insurrection," pointing to his repeated false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

Those claims and a speech Trump delivered to supporters in Washington on Jan. 6 incited a group of rioters to breach the Capitol as Congress convened a joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the election, the resolution said.

The resolution also cited Trump's phone call on Jan. 2 with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the president urged the secretary to find enough votes to overturn the election results in the state, as one of a series of efforts by the president to subvert and obstruct the certification of the election results.

"In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," the resolution said. "He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."

Citing the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the resolution noted that the law "prohibits any person who has 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against' the United States" from holding office.

Calling Trump "a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office," the resolution said the president "thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States."

Resolved to impeach Trump for the second time after they did so in December 2019, House Democrats are expected to expedite the impeachment process by holding a floor vote on the resolution on Wednesday the earliest.

Before unveiling the impeachment resolution, House Democrats sought to pass a separate, nonbinding resolution through unanimous consent asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution with a majority of Trump administration Cabinet members to remove the president from office.

That effort was shot down by Republicans in the chamber. As a result, Democrats will hold a floor vote on Tuesday on the resolution requesting the direct removal of the president absent the impeachment and the subsequent Senate trial.

Pence, who initially inclined not to invoke the 25th Amendment but who per a more recent CNN report hasn't ruled out that possibility, was given 24 hours to respond to the resolution, or the impeachment will proceed.

The introduction of the impeachment resolution came not only as calls for Trump to resign or be forced out grew among a majority of Democrats and some Republicans following the violent intrusion of the Capitol, but also at a time when Trump has less than 10 days left as the occupant of the White House.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that while the House is poised to impeach Trump this week, Democrats may wait until after the 100th day since Biden assumes office to deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial.

Such a tactic is aimed at not letting the trial complicate congressional proceedings of the incoming president's policy agenda, including Senate confirmations of the president-elect's nominations for key administration posts. Biden's inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a memo circulated among Republicans last week that he would not call the Senate - now in recess -- back in session before Jan. 19, meaning that the earliest possible time for the chamber to conduct the impeachment trial is on Biden's inauguration day.

If that were to happen, Trump would be the first U.S. president in history to be tried on impeachment charges in the Senate trial after stepping down. Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said he didn't see "any constitutional problem with the Senate acting fast or slowly," suggesting that for a president to be tried during an impeachment trial as a defendant after he leaves office doesn't violate the Constitution.

The enthusiasm for impeaching and convicting the president remained low among many Republicans.

Meanwhile, a number of GOP senators, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, have called on the president to resign in the wake of the Capitol insurrection. Nebraska GOP senator Ben Sasse publicly said he would "definitely consider whatever articles (of impeachment)" the House delivers to the Senate, for he believed that Trump "has disregarded his oath of office." Enditem
Monitoring the stiffness of the tissue near a patient's thyroid while they sing a note can allow medical professionals to determine the presence of a tumor.

WASHINGTON, January 12, 2021 -- Singing may be the next-generation, noninvasive approach to determining the health of a patient's thyroid.

Typically, a fine needle is used to detect the presence of a tumor in the thyroid, which most commonly affects children and younger women. However, this method can only detect about 5% of thyroid cancers.

Researchers from Universite de Tours, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Dijon-Bourgogne, and Universite Bourgogne Franche-Comte suggest a simpler approach: singing. They demonstrate the technique in the journal Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing.

"Developing noninvasive methods would reduce the stress of patients during their medical exams," said Steve Beuve, one of the authors. "Having to sing during a medical exam can perhaps help release some of the nervous tension even more."

When a person sings, the vibrations from their voice create waves in the tissue near the vocal tract called shear waves. If a tumor is present in the thyroid, the elasticity of its surrounding tissue increases, stiffening, and causing the shear waves to accelerate.

Using ultrasound imaging to measure the speed of these waves, the researchers can determine the elasticity of the thyroid tissue. This method, which the authors call vocal passive elastography, is an extension of passive elastography, a shear wave propagation tracking technique used in seismology.

"The propagation of shear waves gives us information about mechanical properties of soft tissues," Beuve said.

Because the elasticity of biological tissues depends on the speed of the shear waves, by asking a volunteer to sing and maintain an "eeee" sound at 150 hertz, approximately the frequency of D3, the group was able to characterize the thyroid and find any abnormally stiff areas.

A key benefit of V-PE is how quick and easy it is. It requires no specialized or complex equipment added to the ultrasound scanner and only needs about one second of data acquisition to complete. Analyzing the data is the longest step, but a computer program that the team developed does the computation automatically.

The group is working on improving the user friendliness of the computer interface and potentially expanding V-PE to include other areas near the vocal tract, such as the brain.

"We want to cooperate with physicians to propose protocols to verify the relevance of elasticity as a biomarker of pathogens," Beuve said.

###

The article "Natural shear wave imaging using vocal tract vibrations: introducing vocal passive elastography (V-PE) to thyroid elasticity mapping" is authored by Steve Beuve, Samuel Calle, Elise Khoury, Emmanuel Simon, and Jean Pierre Remenieras. The article will appear in Applied Physics Letters on Jan. 12, 2021 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0031169). After that date, it can be accessed at

https:/ / aip. scitation. org/ doi/ full/ 10. 1063/ 5. 0031169 .

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Warnock calls Senate victory a glimpse of Gods vision of a more inclusive humanity

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In his first sermon days after defeating Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a closely contested runoff election in Georgia, Rev. Raphael Warnock called his election as the southern state's first black senator on Sunday a glimpse of Gods vision of a more inclusive humanity.

The longtime civil rights activist and pastor emerged victorious with fellow Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff over Republican Sens. Loeffler and David Perdue in Georgia's hotly contested Senate runoff elections last week.

Their victories came two months after President-elect Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992.

Whoever would have thought that in the state of Georgia we would see the people of Georgia rise up and send an African American man who grew up in public housing, the pastor of this Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King preached and a Jewish young man, the son of an immigrant to the United States Senate, he said in a recording of the sermon shared on his churchs website.

Doesnt matter if youre a Democrat or a Republican. If you look at that, it doesnt matter about your politics and your ideology. If you look with an honest eye at the history of this country and see this moment, you must know that this is a glimpse of Gods vision of a more inclusive humanity that embraces all of Gods children."

Warnock, 51, is the pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. both served as pastors.

And now that hes elected, the church leader says he wants Gods glory to shine through me.

Im just grateful to be a part of this. Im just grateful because I just want to serve. I just want to be a vessel," he explained. "I just want to be a prism of Gods glory so that Gods glory might shine through me and thats what you should want for your own life  that Gods glory might shine through your gifts, through your opportunities to share and to serve."

Before preaching his sermon based on Matthew 11: 7-15 and titled Gods Victory Over Violence, the congregation also shared how happy its members are with their pastors election to Congress.

We rejoice with the state of Georgia, the nation and the people around the world as we congratulate our senior pastor the Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock on his historic election to the United States Senate," the church said in a statement.

"In this pioneering moment, we are proud that Pastor Warnock has been elected as Georgias first black U.S. senator and the 11th African American senator in our countrys history. And as a congregation, we pray that God will continue to guide and protect our pastor as he embarks on this historic journey."

In his sermon, Warnock highlighted from the Scripture John the Baptists work during a time of political and cultural transition. He compared it with present-day America.

With the coming of John the Baptist on the scene, there was this sense that something new and something special was emerging in the world. The sense that God was up to something, he said.

This was no ordinary time. It was a time of transition, inflection, a turning point, read this Gospel passage and know that this was no ordinary time and John is no ordinary man. He was a preacher to be sure but a different kind of preacher  truth-telling trouble maker was he, Warnock said.

The Senator-elect also highlighted the tension created by John the Baptists activism that led him to be jailed by Herod.

He is an inmate in Herods prison industrial complex. He is a brother in jail. He is a brother in jail there because he is violently resisted. But the reverberations of his ministry still resound with meaning and power throughout the whole land," the preacher stated. "John the Baptist, by the time we bump into him in this text, he is already in jail. He has been caged, but the truth of his gospel cannot be caged."

Warnock shared how the celebration of his victory in Georgia was interrupted by the attack on the Capitol.

Georgia had elected its first black senator and its first Jewish senator. And then as we were basking in the glory of all that represented, [it seemed] like we could only have a few hours to celebrate," he recalled. "Just as we were trying to put on our celebration shoes, the ugly side of our story, our great and grand American story began to emerge as we saw the crude and the angry, disrespectful and the violent break their way into the Peoples House."

Warnock added that some who stormed the Capitol were carrying confederate flags along with "signs and symbols of an old world order passing away."

I asked myself, 'Lord, why could we not have a few hours to bask in the glory of what God is doing?'" the pastor said.

Here it is, the old world order is surely passing away and those on the underside of history [are] arising to take their place as equal members in the human family. Thats what God intends for all of us. And if youre looking at it right, one peoples emergence ought not be a threat to your own somebodiness."

Warnock compared the response of law enforcement to protesters marching against racial injustice and police brutality over the summer and the Capitol rioters last week. He then called on all of us to recognize our common humanity.

The violence in this world is real yet violence does not have the last word. God is still up to something in this world and so dont give in to cynicism. Dont give in to fear. Dont give in to hatred. Dont give in to bigotry. Dont give in to xenophobia because violence will never have the last word," he assured. "Yes, John spoke up, and they beheaded John. But his voice crying out in the wilderness had already prepared the way of the Lord by the power of his moral voice. He had already paved a highway in the desert for our God."

Warnock went on to state that Jesus was crucified "in order to crush his movement."



But he got off the cross and got in our hearts," he continued. "Thats why nobody sings songs to Caesar. But all over the world right now in churches and cathedrals from the east to the west, from the north and the south in diverse languages and tribes, all are singing 'all hail the power of Jesus name, let angels prostrate fall"
Major tech companies pulled the plug on the social media start-up Parler just as the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constables Office was carving out a space on Twitters nascent right-wing competitor.

A move to Parler had made sense, Pct. 4 spokesman Lt. Jim Slack reasoned last month. Slack, who oversees social media communications for Precinct 4, explained the agencys presence on Parler marked a renewed commitment by the agency to broaden its conversation with the public.

Parler is becoming very popular in our area. Because of this, we decided to join Parler. We try to reach as many as possible in the social media posts, highlighting the incredible work of Constable (Kenneth Rowdy) Haydens Office, Slack said Dec. 15, adding the agency is already on Twitter, along with Facebook and Instagram.

But on Monday, Parler became one less home for that mission, as Amazon removed it from its web-hosting service. The site is currently unreachable.

Amazon followed Apple and Google, which removed Parler from their app stores. The tech giants were moved to do so out of concern Parler was not moderating content that incited violence by some of its 12 million users.

These actions followed the violent mob that descended on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The raid and its aftermath claimed the lives of five, including one on-duty Capitol Police officer.

A review late last year of social media accounts held by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office and the countys five constables offices showed Precinct 4 was the only one of the local agencies on Parler.

Precinct 4 had minimal activity on the site. As of Jan. 5, there were four Precinct 4 posts on Parler and its account had 22 followers. All posts, referred to as parleys, were made in October.

We didnt use it very often, Slack said Monday. Honestly, it just kept slipping my mind.

An automated introductory parley dated July 17 shows the account opened months prior.

Parler, which started in September 2018, branded itself as a platform friendly to right-of-center speech. It was gaining traction as a refuge for conservatives frustrated by the moderation policies of Twitter and Facebook.

On Friday, President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter as the site cited a risk of further incitement of violence as rationale. On the morning of the Capitol riots, Trump urged supporters at a rally outside the White House to march to the congressional building to fight much harder and show strength.

Slack made clear on Monday that Precinct 4 was never on Parler for its politics, reiterating the purpose for being on the site was to better inform the public of work by the constables office.

Were mainly using it to be able to reach more people in general. Just another audience that was untapped currently by us, Slack said. Im sure (others were on it for political reasons), just not us.

In October, Slack had described its use of Parler as another avenue. And Precinct 4s push to expand lines of communication with the public continues.

Were not gonna reach everyone through just one social media channel, Slack said at the time. Like all relationships, communication is probably the most important thing. If you cant communicate then you cant have a good relationship with your neighborhood.

Social media has been a tool for Precinct 4 in netting crime-solving tips, Slack pointed out. The agency has posted on its Facebook surveillance footage capturing images of suspects. On its website, mcc04.org, tipsters can provide information anonymously under the contact tab.

Additionally, Slack said Precinct 4s crime blotter, which features arrests by offense and time, will relaunch within the next two weeks.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx

The deaths of a couple whose bodies were found inside their home in Audubon, Camden County, have been ruled a murder-suicide, Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer said Tuesday.

Police responded about 1 p.m. Monday to a home on the 100 block of Oakland Avenue to a report of two people found dead. A witness had gone to the home to conduct a welfare check after not hearing from the couple since Saturday, Mayer and Audubon Police Chief Thomas Tassi said in a news release.

Once inside, detectives located Jane Venable, 64, and Kevin Venable, 63. The Medical Examiners Office determined Tuesday that she had died from multiple gunshot wounds and that he died from a self-inflicted one, the Prosecutors Office said.


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MEDINA, Ohio -- During City Councils Finance Committee meeting on Monday (Jan. 11), Main Street Medina was recognized for its work in supporting the community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

This came about as council discussed an ordinance allowing the city to renew its membership in the non-profit organization that promotes and works to preserve Medinas historic district.

Even in the COVID situation that the city is in, Main Street has done an excellent job of being able to still maintain a number of the activities, albeit they look a little bit different, said Mayor Dennis Hanwell.

The pandemic has caused Main Street Medina Executive Director Matt Wiederhold and the rest of the organization to put in more work to make sure that events happen safely and to rethink the kind of events they put on for the community.

Obviously, 2020 was a challenging year for everyone, and it really forced Main Street Medina to rethink and revisit everything that weve been doing in the past, Wiederhold said.

We totally shifted our focus from special events to working face to face with businesses. Its not that we havent done that in the past, but this past year, our focus was solely on doing whatever we could in partnership with the city and the chamber (of commerce) and whoever else to make sure that our local businesses survived, he said.

He shared that he was proud that, even with all of the challenges the community has faced this year, not a single business was lost due to the pandemic. He said the community really came out to support local businesses.

This year, in addition to facing the challenges presented by the pandemic, the organization was able to do some other great things, such as creating an online restaurant page, starting a newsletter, maintaining strong membership support and securing grant money from Heritage Ohio.

It makes me very proud to look out my office window and see cars in the parking lots and people on the sidewalks and knowing that Medina is a safe place for people to come and support our small businesses, Wiederhold said.

In other news, Hanwell provided a COVID-19 update for council and the community.

Medina County remains in the red level, said Hanwell. December 2020, we had the most COVID deaths in the county since the pandemic began.

Wed like to remain vigilant with avoiding large gatherings, wearing masks in public, washing hands frequently and social distancing, he said.

Police Chief Ed Kinney also addressed concerns that council had about the potential for protests related to what has been going on in Washington, D.C.

Ive been recently approached by two of the council members regarding constituency inquiries about the potential for civil unrest due to the events that weve seen in D.C. over the past several days, Kinney said.

I have not received any intelligence or information from homeland security or the FBI regarding any protests in Medina, he said. Its important to know that, if protests do materialize here in Medina, we have procedures in place to address that, similar to the protests we had this summer.

Read more from the Medina Sun.
She recently responded to backlash for jetting off to Barbados over the Christmas period to spend time with her family.

But Montana Brown appeared to be in good spirits as she enjoyed a deep fishing boat trip off the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados, on Monday.

The Love Island star, 25, flaunted her washboard abs in a blue and white striped bikini as she waded through the sea to board the boat before the trip.

Day trip: Montana Brown appeared to be in good spirits as she enjoyed a deep fishing boat trip off the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados, on Monday

She showed off her toned physique in the skimpy two-piece as she continued soaking up the sun on the balmy Caribbean island.

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Montana loosely styled her salt-licked brunette tresses in a messy bun as she was joined by her pal Frankie and another woman for the fun-filled day trip.

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She clutched her flip-flops in one hand as she paddled through the shallows and protected her essentials in a large black handbag.

Montana and her blonde friend kept themselves protected amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by sporting blue face masks before boarding the boat.

Fun times: The Love Island star, 25, flaunted her washboard abs in a blue and white striped bikini as she waded through the sea to board the boat before the trip

After setting off on the trip, the TV personality and her two pals were seen chatting and soaking up the sun on the upper deck of the small fishing boat.

Her latest sun-filled outing comes after she hit back at backlash for travelling abroad to Barbados in the midst of the global pandemic.

On Monday, the bombshell said she 'needed' to be around her loved ones as she explained her decision to stay in the tropical country for the foreseeable future.

The reality star wrote: 'Hey everyone, I've had a few messages regarding me being away.

'I know it's a really difficult time for everyone in the UK and I completely understand everyone's frustrations.

Soaking up the sun: After setting off on the trip, the TV personality and her two pals were seen chatting and relaxing on the upper deck of the small fishing boat

'Just to clarify, I'm not in Dubai, I travelled to Barbados with my family before the UK lockdown (before Christmas) and made the decision to stay due to the new restrictions in the UK.

'I posted a Story when I first got out of quarantine to assess whether you guys felt comfortable with me posting (which I'll put on the next slide).

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'If that's changed I do understand and I'll put a question box on this Story too as I want to hear from you and what your opinions are.'

Montana revealed she already had plans to travel and shoot content for her swimwear brand, Swim Society, this year. She also assured her Instagram followers that she valued their opinion.

She added: 'As a business, we did have a content trip planned for January for Swim Society and I knew I wouldn't be able to do that due to the restrictions, so that influenced my decision to stay [in Barbados].

Criticism: Her latest post comes after she hit back at backlash for travelling abroad to Barbados in the midst of the global pandemic

'I want to post uplifting content as I know it's a really awful and uncertain time however, I also don't want to be insensitive to what people are going through.

'It's a hard thing to manage and I really don't want to upset anyone or for people to think I don't care what's going on'. (sic)

In the next Instagram slide, Montana uploaded a previous Instagram story from December when she initially revealed she had left the UK.

The former Love Island star wrote: 'Just to let everyone know, I am not in the UK. I left a couple of days ago to join my family after receiving a negative Covid test.

'It's been a tough year for everyone and I understand everyone's circumstances are different. But mentally, I needed to be around my family and loved ones at this time.

Controversy: On Monday, the bombshell said she 'needed' to be around her loved ones as she explained her decision to stay in the tropical country for the foreseeable future

'Let me know if you guys are happy for me to Story/post. I don't want to seem insensitive to everything that is going on. I know it's a really tough time for everyone.' (sic)

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At the time of the original Instagram post, the reality star was slammed by followers who claimed that the star was 'hardly in lockdown' as she had 'escaped the UK' in favour of balmy Barbados.

On December 20, London and surrounding areas were plunged into Tier 4, which saw travel abroad for leisure 'not permitted', with exceptions only allowed for reasons such as work, education and childcare.

During the first week of January, Boris increased coronavirus restrictions by enforcing a third national lockdown.

Explanation: In the next Instagram slide, Montana uploaded a previous Instagram story from December when she initially revealed she had left the UK

Criticism: She was slammed by fans for sharing 'what she's been doing in lockdown', despite having been in Barbados when the UK was plunged into a third lockdown

Her response came after she was criticised for sharing 'what she's been doing in lockdown', despite having been in Barbados when the UK was plunged into a third lockdown.

She shared a light-hearted clip of her and Frankie both happily dancing along to popular tune Fergalicious in her Barbados hotel room.

Alongside her clip, she penned: 'when people ask what you've been doing in lockdown.... with my Babygirl @frankiebowdenn'

The TV star was then slammed by Instagram users, who claimed that the star was 'hardly in lockdown' as she had 'escaped the UK' in favour of balmy Barbados.

Covid: At the time of the original Instagram post, the reality star was slammed by fans who claimed the star was 'hardly in lockdown' as she had 'escaped the UK' in favour of Barbados

One angry fan fumed: 'When the rest of the U.K. are following the rules and not travelling.....'

While another commented: 'LOCKDOWN?! Please stop'

And a third wrote: 'Hardly lockdown. Do anything to escape the uk whilst we're all in the s**t'.

A fourth angrily penned: 'How are you all getting away with this. Then rub it in everyones faces. It's disgusting and you c list celebs need to stop putting this all over the internet.' (sic)

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The Barbados government recently brought in tough measures to suppress coronavirus transmission. Those breaking COVID-19 laws on the island face an 18,000 fine or jail.
The tender will be open to PV projects ranging in size from 10 to 20 MW. The Turkish government has set a ceiling price of TRY0.35 ($0.047)/kWh for the procurement exercise. The selected facilities will be located across 74 grid connection points and will have to rely on locally produced modules.Turkey's Ministry of Energy has announced the 1 GW solar tender it announced in July of last year will be held over a five-day period between March 8-12, 2021. In a document published in the country's official journal, the Turkish government specified that it set a ceiling price of TRY0.35 ($0.047)/kWh ...

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.
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the global education industry. Teaching remotely using a digital platform is the solution for school closures. However, research indicates that online learning is more time efficient and increases retention of information. The online learning market is forecasted to grow significantly through the foreseeable future. Worth some US$101 billion in 2019, the online learning market has been projected to rise to over US$370 billion in 2026.

A Taiwan education industry pioneer

"SAT" encapsulates the idea of "knowledge satellites". SAT. Knowledge's mission is to deliver knowledge to every corner of the world. The platform is currently transforming the idea of education, and the company is looking forward to bringing new ideas to talent education. Moreover, SAT. Knowledge is eager to change Taiwanese education.

SAT. Knowledge has gathered together best-in-the-industry professionals to deliver knowledge and experience in easily accessible lecture, visual content, and virtual face-to-face formats. A team of educational content specialists reviews all content before publication to maintain the highest standards for quality.

In 2019, SAT. Knowledge collaborated with popular YouTube star Michael from Popping Bottles to create series of lessons targeting English proficiency. Unlike traditional English learning experiences that overly emphasize vocabulary and proper grammatical usage, the course trains up learners to confidently express themselves in English. The course raised over $7 million in just a day from thousands of backers. This success shows that the market for online learning has future potential, not only because of accessibility, which allows users to enter the course at their convenience, but also because of the carefully curated, professionally prepared content.

SAT. Knowledge believes in "education for all".

SAT. Knowledge expands its positive impact outside of the platform. Take the collaboration with Michael from Popping Bottles as an example. During the fundraising stage, with every series purchased, SAT. knowledge will donate to one student in need. In one month of fundraising, the company overshot its fundraising target by 3,610%, allowing the platform to donate 2,651 sets of series to students. SAT. Knowledge has demonstrated its desire to continue with one-for-one fundraiser opportunities. Together with Michael, the company looks forward to providing access to English education to more students in need. The platform is using their innovative technology and ideas to create equal opportunity in education for the community.

SAT. Knowledge's latest fundraising program is for a graphic design series with Italian illustrator Roberto Innocenti with assistance from Taiwanese Children's Book creator Kuang-tsai Hao. The team traveled to Italy to capture Innocenti's approach to children's book illustrations. By creating responsible graphics for children's books, Innocenti's inspirations and techniques help viewers learn directly from the top figure in the industry anytime and anywhere. Other series currently in the works focus on teaching basic Japanese, graphic content creation, business English, and TOEIC exam preparation. Other than language-related content, forums are also available for subscription on a wide range of topics. Users may register to access content or may select paid content based on their preferences and needs.

In addition to meeting the rising demand for online learning, SAT. is gathering top professionals to create knowledge that is elevating education quality. SAT. Knowledge was selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3apl4a

SOURCE SAT. Knowledge
Then Vice President Mike Pence waves as he walks off the stage after speaking at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 22, 2020. (Lynne Sladky/AP Photo)

Secret Service Says Its Aware of Death Threats Made Against Pence

The U.S. Secret Service said it is aware of death threats directed at Vice President Mike Pence.

We are aware of the comments and take all threats against our protectees seriously, a Secret Service spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on Monday.

After President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter on Jan. 8, a massive amount of tweets with the hashtag Hang Mike Pence were allowed to trend on the social media site. The hashtag and its related content were blocked later by the company.

We blocked the phrase and other variations of it from trending. We want trends to promote healthy discussions on Twitter, a Twitter spokesperson told The New York Post. There are Rules for trendsif we identify accounts that violate these rules, well take enforcement action.

President Donald Trump, followed by Vice President Mike Pence, left, walks into the briefing room at the White House in Washington, on Nov. 24, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

The phrase originated from widespread outrage on Jan. 6 after the vice president made known his intention to certify the disputed election results.

According to Mediate, the CEO of Parler John Matze told the outlet that they had taken down some of lawyer Lin Woods posts on the platform.

Parler is an alternative to Twitter that has attracted many classical liberal and conservative-leaning users. Parleys are posts, similar to tweets, on the social media site.

Yes, some of his parleys that violated our rules were taken down, said Matze.

He also questioned why Twitter didnt take down screenshots of Woods post.

Im curious why Twitter never took down that tweet with the screenshot. Seems to be spreading Lins message, which was a violation on Parler, Matze said.

Mediate contacted Wood for comment, to which he responded that he didnt know that Parler removed his posts.

I am unaware of any actions by Parler to take down my posts, Wood said, according to Mediate. If such action occurred, I received no notification of it. My post about Pence was rhetorical hyperbole conveying my opinion that his actions on the Electoral College vote were treasonous to We The People.

Correction: The headline has been updated to show that the Secret Service is investigating, not the FBI. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
On Facebook, Dawn Zettlmeier said, Paul and I have achieved carrying on their dream, and we are forever grateful. We pray we have done them proud, and are certain they are looking down saying well done. We also know they would understand our decision to permanently close our doors after 42 years of serving the Tinley Park community.
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WARWICK, R.I., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Last year, millions of Americans had to put travel plans on hold due to the pandemic. While travel bans and restrictions continue to remain in place, there are signs of growing optimism for an eventual travel rebound. This week, InsureMyTrip reports a slight uptick in travel insurance purchases for trips abroad. Those international trips are scheduled to be taken later this year.

Summary:

Travelers more likely to visit close-to-home international destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean

and the Higher demand for destinations with warmer climates

Slight increase in travel insurance plans sold for farther away destinations like Italy , Aruba , and United Kingdom

, , and Travelers more apt to consider travel insurance for COVID-19 related travel concerns

"For those who decide to travel this year, travel insurance remains top of mind. Travelers are more informed than ever about the value of emergency medical coverage and other key benefits designed to better protect families during the pandemic," says InsureMyTrip Director of eCommerce Cheryl Golden.

2021 Travel Insurance Demand For International Destinations

Travel insurance demand is highest for close-to-home international destinations, like Mexico and the Caribbean. Based on InsureMyTrip data, here is the list of top destinations, based on the number of policies sold.

Mexico Caribbean Bahamas Italy Canada United Kingdom Dominican Republic Aruba Jamaica France Virgin Islands , U.S. South Africa Spain Costa Rica Greece

Pandemic Travel Insurance Coverage

As travelers consider future travel plans, more traditional travel insurance companies are now expanding or adapting coverage for travelers during the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some general examples:

Reimbursement for covered medical treatment during a trip due to COVID-19 illness

Get sick with COVID-19 and must cancel a trip

Physician orders a quarantine before trip

Lost a job during the coronavirus pandemic by no-fault of your own

InsureMyTrip also recommends travelers strongly consider a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade. This upgrade offers the most trip cancellation flexibility and is the only option available to cover fear of travel or government/country border lockdowns. Full terms of coverage will be listed in state-specific policy. If eligibility requirements are met, reimbursement is up to 50-70 percent of pre-paid non-refundable trip cost.

The unbiased travel insurance comparison site also released a groundbreaking "COVID-19 recommendation tool" to guide travelers towards plans that may be best suited to cover COVID-19-related travel concerns.

MORE: Coronavirus & Travel Insurance Information Hub

Travel Insurance Expert

Meghan Walch

401-773-9210

[email protected]

Travel Insurance & Data Expert

Cheryl Golden

401-773-9210

[email protected]

Note: Traditional travel insurance does not offer cancellation coverage for fear of travel, whether related to COVID-19 or not. Cancel For Any Reason is required.

About InsureMyTrip

It's simple. InsureMyTrip finds you the right travel insurance plan, every time. InsureMyTrip is the authority on travel insurance. We are committed to empowering travelers to make the best possible insurance decisions by leveraging our technology, data intelligence, and expertise. InsureMyTrip is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

SOURCE InsureMyTrip

[January 12, 2021] Beacon Annuity Solutions is Pleased to Announce that Protective Life has Joined Annuity Switchboard, a Service that Helps Streamline the Annuity Sales Process for Distribution Partners

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Annuity Solutions, a leading provider of cloud-based annuity software and compliance solutions, today announced Protective Life, has joined a growing list of Annuity Switchboard partners. Annuity Switchboard, a Beacon Annuity Solutions service, offers streamlined pre-sale and compliance-driven solutions for carriers and their distribution partners -- broker/dealers, banks, brokerage general agencies, independent broker/dealers and other firms -- through a secure, centralized and automated infrastructure. This infrastructure enables insurance carriers to communicate its up to the minute annuity rate and product information at key points throughout the annuity purchase cycle. Annuity Switchboard's unique approach to automating the maintenance and distribution of annuity rate and product information ensures that an annuity provider's distribution partners have access to 100% carrier certified information to support their sales and compliance efforts. "For those financial professionals who recognize the critical role annuities can play in providing clients with protected lifetime income, the next step becomes ensuring their compliance and suitability decisions are being made with the most accurate product information available," said Jeremy Alexander, CEO, Beacon Annuity Solutions. "We are so pleased to welcome Protective to the Annuity Switchboard, which will help their distribution partners focus on serving clients while our platforms handle delivering the reliable annuity data they need." "Protective has a long history of providing dependable annuity products that help solve a variety of planning needs," said Jim Wagner, Chief Distribution Officer of the Retirement Division at Protective, "We value the importance of the advisor experience and are excited to partner with Beacon Annuity Solutions to have our competitive products n the Annuity Switchboard platform for our distribution partners and their clients."



In addition to supporting annuity sales and distribution, Annuity Switchboard provides numerous benefits to carriers. The easy-to-use interface allows the provider to effectively manage and approve all its annuity offerings for each distributor down to the state level. Over time, carriers experience less NIGOs (applications deemed Not in Good Order) and breakage, resulting in reduced acquisition costs. About Protective Life

Protective Life Corporation (Protective) provides financial services through the production, distribution and administration of insurance and investment products throughout the U.S. Protective traces its roots to its flagship company, Protective Life Insurance Company  founded in 1907. Throughout its more than 110-year history, Protective's growth and success can be largely attributed to its ongoing commitment to serving people and doing the right thing  for its employees, distributors, and most importantly, its customers. Protective's home office is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and its 3,000+ employees are located in offices across the United States. As of September 30, 2020, Protective had assets of approximately $125 billion. Protective Life Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc. For more information about Protective, please visit www.Protective.com. About Beacon Annuity Solutions As a recognized leader in quality annuity data and research tools for the past 22 years, Beacon Annuity Solutions provides over 250,000 industry professionals with the market intelligence needed to minimize compliance risk, support monitor and maximize sales, conduct product research, and support product development and pricing efforts. Our comprehensive and unsurpassed data warehouse maintains quality up-to-date information for thousands of annuity contracts including fixed, fixed indexed, variable and indexed variable products. Along with our extensive sales data, subscribers are able to keep a finger on the pulse of the annuity industry, allowing for the identification of trends and opportunities. Additional information about Beacon Annuity Solutions can be found at annuityswitchboard.com. Media Contact

Gary Phifer

(847) 386-2192

288920@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beacon-annuity-solutions-is-pleased-to-announce-that-protective-life-has-joined-annuity-switchboard-a-service-that-helps-streamline-the-annuity-sales-process-for-distribution-partners-301206372.html SOURCE Beacon Annuity Solutions

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[January 12, 2021] Bank of America to Report Fourth-Quarter 2020 Financial Results on January 19

As previously announced, Bank of America will report its fourth-quarter 2020 financial results on Tuesday, January 19. The results will be released at approximately 6:45 a.m. ET, followed by an investor presentation at 8:30 a.m. ET. The news release, supplemental filing and investor presentation can be accessed in the following ways: Bank of America newsroom at https://newsroom.bankofamerica.com.

Bank of America Investor Relations website at http://investor.bankofamerica.com.

Business Wire's news web page at http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/news. Investor Conference Call Information

For a listen-onl connection to the investor presentation, dial 1.877.200.4456 (U.S.) or 1.785.424.1732 (international). The conference ID is 79795. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Investors can also listen to a live audio webcast of the conference call and view the presentation slides by visiting the "Events & Presentations" section of the company's Investor Relations website.



Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 2,900 lending centers, 2,500 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and approximately 2,300 business centers; approximately 17,000 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 39 million active users, including approximately 31 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for email news alerts.

www.bankofamerica.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005065/en/

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ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of specialist UK insurance broker The Bollington Wilson Group ("Bollington"). The transaction will close following regulatory approval.

Founded in 1973 as a local community broker, Bollington has since grown organically and through strategic acquisitions into a highly successful specialist UK insurance broker with more than 400 employees. Headquartered in Sale, Bollington also operates from offices in Liverpool, Bollington, Harrogate, Sutton Coldfield, Stafford and Bolton. It has well-established divisions in SME, micro-SME and personal lines. The business will become part of Gallagher's UK Retail Division, and Paul Moors, Group CEO, will remain with Gallagher as Chairman of Bollington.

"Bollington will be a fantastic addition to Gallagher. Its entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional track record of growth, both organic and through acquisitions, demonstrates a strategy and culture similar to our own, something that is highly important to us when making acquisitions," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "We look forward to welcoming the team to our growing, global company."

Michael Rea, CEO of Gallagher's UK Retail Division, added: "Bollington is hugely respected. This thriving business has strong capability and an impressive portfolio of specialisms that are complementary to our existing business lines, and will provide us with additional scale in the regional commercial broking sector."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 49 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins

VP  Investor Relations VP  Corporate Communications

630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected]

UK media contact:

Emma Banks, External Communications, Gallagher

+44 (0) 7894 158 605 [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Related Links

http://www.ajg.com


Rudy Giuliani faced the possibility of disbarment Monday for his inflammatory comments prior to the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The New York State Bar Association announced it will consider revoking his membership and state Sen. Brad Hoylman filed a formal complaint with the Attorney Grievance Committee, initiating a process that could result in Giuliani losing his law license.

I was horrified to watch last weeks insurrection attempt in Washington, D.C, and was especially dismayed to see members of the legal profession from New York State at the heart of it, Hoylman, the chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, said.

Hoylmans complaint cites the former mayor for rampant and egregious violations of the rules of professional conduct related to his participation in a scheme to unlawfully overturn the results of a free and fair election and his complicity in inflaming a violent coup attempt on our seat of federal government, he said.

Meanwhile, the New York State Bar Association said it was opening an inquiry into Giuliani, who is President Donald Trumps personal attorney. The association noted Giulianis now-notorious suggestion, Lets have trial by combat, before the riots that resulted in five deaths.

We must address the root cause of this abhorrent incident, the blame for which lies first and foremost with President Donald Trump. But the president did not act alone, the association said Monday in a statement. Hours before the angry mob stormed the Capitol walls, Trumps personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, addressed a crowd of thousands at the White House, reiterating baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the presidential election and the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs.

No person who advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States, or of any state, territory or possession thereof, or of any political subdivision therein, by force or other illegal means, shall be a member of the association, the organization said.

The association said it has received hundreds of complaints about Giuliani over the past few months for helping Trump cast doubt on the veracity of the 2020 presidential election.

The announcements further highlighted Giulianis stunning downfall. Once the mob-busting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and then the mayor during the 9/11 attacks, Giuliani is now best known for pushing bogus claims for Trump. He even leaked hair dye during a now-notorious press conference pushing an incomprehensible conspiracy theory that the election was stolen for President-elect Joe Biden.

.Giuliani did not respond to a text message.

(c)2021 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The IQAC of Deviprasad Goenka Management College of Media Studies (DGMC), a leading Media School in Mumbai, is hosting the first virtual international conference titled "Living Gender: Recognition, Repression, and Representation".

This conference is being organised to understand, reflect and ideate on various expressions of interaction of gender with other social structures, its impact on various societies, especially the marginalised sections. The conference is being hosted virtually on Saturday January 16, 2021.

The conference will see an array of activists, academicians and journalists share their thoughts about this important topic. The speakers headlining the conference include Dr Deepti Misri, Associate Professor Women and Gender Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, USA; Dr Nitasha Kaul, Associate Professor Department of Politics and International relations University of Westminster, London, UK; Dr Anjali Arondekar, Feminist Studies Department and Co-Director, Centre for South Asian Studies, University of California, USA; Urvashi Bitalia, eminent Indian feminist writer, publisher and activist and Sampat Pal Devi, activist and founder of Gulabi Gang to name a few.

"This multidisciplinary conference aims at bringing together people across the spectrum of gender, sexuality, disability, caste and nationality to create an intersectional dialogue around these themes which can lead a way forward for not just academia and pedagogy but also various other platforms such as media, commerce, and management platforms on issues of gender," said Dr Amee Vora, Principal DGMC.

The conference will witness parallel paper reading from academicians across the country along with certain international submissions.

For further details and registration for the conference is open and can be done at

This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied all responsibility for last week's riot on Capitol Hill, saying his fiery speech to his supporters before they marched on the Capitol was 'totally appropriate.'

In his first public remarks since Wednesday's MAGA storming of the Capitol, the president slammed Democrats, accusing them of creating 'tremendous danger' with their attempt to remove him from office but said repeatedly he wanted 'no violence.'

The president defended his speech at a rally on ellipse, where he encouraged his thousands of supporters to 'march' on the Capitol.

They did so, leaving five dead and a path of destruction in their wake in the form of busted windows, broken furniture and destroyed office space. Dozens have now been rounded up by police and FBI.

'If you read my speech - and many people have done it and I've seen it both in the papers and in the media, on television, it is been analyzed - and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate,' he said as he boarded Air Force One to head for Alamo, Texas, on the Mexican border, to inspect his wall.

'They've analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody to a tee thought it was totally appropriate,' he continued. He offered no indication of who 'they' are.

Trump also denounced the Democrats' efforts to remove him from office, which has been joined by some Republicans, to remove him from office - and called it a 'danger,' not his supporters' actions.

But, he said he wanted no violence from his supporters. Trump reportedly had initially enjoyed the sight of his supporters on Capitol Hill last week, fighting for him to illegally take a second term in the White House. He changed his tune and called on them to stand down when he warned he could be held legally responsible for their actions.

'We want no violence, never violence. We want absolutely no violence,' he said repeatedly Tuesday before he left for Texas to tout the completion of a section of his border wall.

'And on the impeachment, it's really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. This impeachment is causing tremendous anger,' he said.

He denounced Democratic leaders but made no mention of the Republicans who have called on him to leave office.

'It's really a terrible thing that they're doing for Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to continue on this path. I think it's causing tremendous danger to our country, and it's causing tremendous anger, I want no violence,' he said.

Not resigning: Donald Trump spoke in public for the first time since the MAGA riots, taking no responsibility and ignoring a question about whether he would resign

'I want no violence.' Trump claimed he was not fomenting riots - but then said his impeachment, which the House votes on Wednesday, is 'causing tremendous anger'

Farewell: Trump's trip to Texas is the only scheduled time away from the White House between now and leaving office. He is widely expected to fly to Florida on January 19, the day before Joe Biden is sworn in

Off to Alamo (not that one): Trump boarded Marine One to head for the Mexican border in Texas the town of Alamo, which is named for The Alamo but about 200 miles from the site of the original

Out of the White House: Trump's flight to Air Force One will be one of his last trips from the South Lawn

Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in the Capitol Tuesday ahead of a vote in the House calling on Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove President Trump from office

Later Tuesday, the House will vote on legislation calling on Vice President Mike Pence to start the process to remove Trump via the 25th amendment.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi set an ultimatum Monday that if Trump does not resign or Pence does not invoke the 25th Amendment, the House will move forward with impeaching the president for a second time.

The House will hold a vote Tuesday evening on a non-binding demand that Pence invoke the 25th Amendment.

Pence's advisers say he is opposed to this measure, indicating he will likely not move forward with meeting pressures from congressional Democrats in Trump's final eight days.

Republicans who have publicly broken with Trump since Wednesday's Capitol riots Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.) Said Trump 'committed impeachable offenses.' Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) Said the president had caused 'this insurrection.' Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) Called on Trump to resign. ' I want him out.' Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) Said Trump 'caused' the riot and called his response 'completely inadequate' Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) Called for Trump to resign and called 25th Amendment the 'next best thing.' Said he would 'vote the right way' on impeachment, without endorsing the tactic. Rep. Peter Meijer (Mich.) Said fellow Republicans told 'lied' and 'deceived' and called what happened an 'act of domestic terrorism' Advertisement

The House could vote as early as Wednesday at 9 a.m. on articles of impeachment. Republicans are not doing a 'whip count' - meaning leadership will not be arm twisting their members to support Trump. Instead top GOP officials said lawmakers should vote their conscious.

Pelosi told '60 Minutes' in an interview that aired Sunday that she prefers the 25th Amendment because that forces immediate removal, while impeachment wouldn't be resolved before Trump's term is up.

She fears Trump could use his final days to do more damage  like pardoning the mob who stormed the Capitol.

The Senate is in recess, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said they would not reconvene earlier than January 19 to receive articles from the House.

This means even if the lower chamber did elevate impeachment, action wouldn't be taken on the measure until the day before Joe Biden's inauguration at the earliest.

Trump's refusal to accept responsibility for Wednesday is likely to only anger further Democrats, but it is the Republican House and Senate caucus' reactions which will set his fate.

Some Republicans have already called for him to go but none has so far publicly backed impeachment.

Lindsey Graham, who claimed he was 'done' with the president last week, appeared to have had a dramatic change of heart and was traveling with him on Air Force One.

But others have privately said they need to see Trump take some responsibility, meaning his refusal could drive them into the Democrats' camp on impeachment.

Republicans are emerging from Trump's presidency deeply divided and the impeachment vote could scar the party even more.

Trump's allies, including his son Donald Trump Jr., are threatening to primary any Republican who does not support the president.

Meanwhile, a group of former administration officials and anti-Trump Republicans - calling themselves the the Republican Accountability Project - said they would make a $50 million commitment to support GOP lawmakers who voted for Trump's impeachment, The New York Times reported.

Trump also road-tested a defense for his impeachment in his remarks on Tuesday.

At the end of Trump's remarks, he appeared to reference guidance he has received from attorneys and aides about the content of his Wednesday speech  which form the basis for the impeachment article charging him with 'incitement of insurrection.'

His comment follows reports that White House counsel Pat Cipollone had warned Trump that he faces potential legal exposure for the remarks he made to the crowd that went on to storm the Capitol.

Although Trump did not specifically tell anyone to break a window or trespass, he did tell them to 'fight,' that 'when you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules,' that 'we're going to have to fight much harder,' and that 'if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.'

He also spoke as if Vice President Pence could make a difference in the outcome. 'If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election,' Trump said - meaning overturning the Electoral College results, which Pence said he did not have the power to do.

The final substantive paragraph, which he defended, told his supporters that 'we' would march to the Capitol to 'take back our country.'

'So we are going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue - I love Pennsylvania Avenue - and we are going to the Capitol.,' he said.

'And we are going to try and give  the Democrats are hopeless, they are never voting for anything, not even one vote  but we are going to try to give our Republicans  the weak ones because the strong ones don't need any of our help  going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,' Trump said. 'So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.'

He in fact returned to the White House.

Trump's initial response to the MAGA riot was to release a video message where he told his followers he loved them.

'We love you, you're very special,' he said in the short video posted to his Twitter account, which was still active at the time.

And he reiterated his original message, which had helped incite the mob, that the election had been stolen.

'I know your pain, I know you're hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it. Especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace,' he said.

His message appeared to have no effect on the mob, who was heard yelling for Vice President Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The day after the riots, Trump released a second video message where he acknowledged a 'new administration' was coming into the White House but he didn't congratulate President-elect Joe Biden nor even mention his name. He also denounced the mob.

'Those who violently besieged our Capitol, are the opposite of everything this administration stands for. The core value of our administration is the idea that all citizens have the right to live and safety, peace and freedom. Those who are working in this building are working to ensure an orderly transition of power. Now it is time for America to unites to come together to reject the violence that we have seen, we are one American people, full, under God,' he said.

What Trump told supporters before they ransacked the Capitol in 'totally appropriate' speech

We're going to have to fight much harder 'Republicans are constantly fighting like a boxer with his hands tied behind his back. It's like a boxer. And we want to be so nice. We want to be so respectful of everybody, including bad people. And we're going to have to fight much harder.' We're going to walk down to the Capitol 'We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. 'Get tougher' / You are allowed to go by very different rules 'The Republicans have to get tougher. Youre not going to have a Republican Party if you dont get tougher. They want to play so straight. They want to play so serious. The United States, the Constitution doesnt allow me to send them back to the states. Well, I would say yes, it does, because the Constitution says you have to protect our country, and you have to protect our Constitution, and you cant vote on fraud, and fraud breaks up everything, doesnt it? When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do, and I hope he doesnt listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that hes listening toWhen you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do, and I hope he doesn't listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that he's listening to.' Takes 'more courage not to step up' 'I also want to thank our 13 most courageous members of the U.S. Senate ... I actually think, though, it takes, again, more courage not to step up, and I think a lot of those people are going to find that out. And you better start looking at your leadership, because your leadership has led you down the tubes.' Never concede 'We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn't happen. You don't concede when there's theft involved. Our country has had enough.' On 'fake news' and 'Big tech' 'They rigged an election, they rigged it like they have never rigged an election before.' 'All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by bold and radical left Democrats, which is what they are doing, and stolen by the fake news media. That is what they have done and what they are doing. We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesnt happen. You dont concede when theres theft involved.' 'We will not take it anymore' 'Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about.' And to use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with, we will stop the steal.'

Denied Biden's vote count 'He had 80 million computer votes. Its a disgrace. Theres never been anything like that. You can take Third World countries, just take a look, take Third World countries, their elections are more honest than what we have been going through in this country. Its a disgrace. Its a disgrace. Even when you look at last night, they were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off with boxes, and nobody knows what the hell is going on. Theres never been anything like this. We will not let them silence your voices. Were not going to let it happen.' [Note: Biden got more than 81 million votes; Trump rounded up his own total to 75 million.] Call for military and law enforcement to join 'And I would love to have, if those tens of thousands of people would be allowed, the military, the Secret Service and we want to thank you  and the police and law enforcement  great, youre doing a great job. But I would love it if they could be allowed to come up with us. Is that possible? Can you just let them, please?' Pressure on Mike Pence: Says it takes 'courage' to do nothing 'I hope Mike is going to do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election ... All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to re-certify, and we become president, and you are the happiest people.' 'And I actually, I just spoke to Mike. I said, Mike, that doesnt take courage, what takes courage is to do nothing. That takes courage, and then we are stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot, and we have to live with that for four more years. Were just not going to let that happen.' Won't stand for Biden win 'We want to go back, and we want to get this right, because were going to have somebody in there that should not be in there, and our country will be destroyed. And were not going to stand for that.' 'You're not the people that tore down our nation' 'If this happened to the Democrats, thered be hell all over the country going on. Thered be hell all over the country. But just remember this, youre stronger, youre smarter. Youve got more going than anybody, and they try and demean everybody having to do with us, and youre the real people. Youre the people that built this nation. Youre not the people that tore down our nation.' March peacefully ... we will see whether Republicans stand strong 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today, we will see whether Republicans stand strong for the integrity of our elections. But whether or not they stand strong for our country  our country, our country has been under siege for a long time. Far longer than this four-year period' 'Ashamed ... throughout eternity' 'Today, we see a very important event, though, because right over there, right there, we see the event thats going to take place, and Im going to be watching because history is going to be made. Were going to see whether or not we have great and courageous leaders or whether or not we have leaders that should be ashamed of themselves throughout history, throughout eternity. Theyll be ashamed. And you know what? If they do the wrong thing, we should never, ever forget that they did. Never forget.' Calls Republicans who voted not to count certified votes 'warriors' 'I want to thank the more than 140 members of the House. Those are warriors.15 Theyre over there working like youve never seen before, studying, talking, actually going all the way back studying the roots of the Constitution because they know we have the right to send a bad vote that was illegally gotten.' Biden will be 'illegitimate' 'But think of this: If you dont do that, that means you will have a president of the United States for four years with his wonderful son, you will have a president who lost all of these states, or you will have a president, to put it another way, who was voted on by a bunch of stupid people who lost all of these states. You will have an illegitimate president. That is what you will have, and we cant let that happen.' Call to 'do something' about radical left 'The radical left knows exactly what they were doing. They are ruthless, and its time that somebody did something about it. And Mike Pence, I hope youre going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. (APPLAUSE) And if youre not, Im going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. Im not hearing good stories.' Election was 'stolen' 'Make no mistake, this election was stolen from you, from me, and from the country, and not a single swing state has conducted a comprehensive audit to remove the illegal ballots. This should absolutely occur in every single contested state before the election is certified.' Alleges 'criminal enterprise' 'So, when you hear  when you hear, While there is no evidence to prove any wrongdoing, this is the most fraudulent thing anybodys  this is a criminal enterprise. This is a criminal enterprise.' Fight like hell

'And again, most people would stand there at 9 oclock in the evening and say, I want to thank you very much, and they go off to some other life. But I said something is wrong here, something is really wrong, cant have happened, and we fight. We fight like hell, and if you dont fight like hell youre not going to have a country anymore.' Advertisement

It is not known which group of lawyers are currently advising Trump on his role before and during the riots. Lawyer Rudy Giuliani spoke before Trump at the rally, telling participants to engage in 'trial by combat.' Lawyer Cleta Mitchell was on the line during Trump's call to ask a Georgia election official to 'find' 11,780 votes, but she resigned from her firm in the aftermath.

Trump broke his public silence after revealing his false belief that 'ANTIFA people' were behind Wednesday's riot in a private call to the most senior Republican in the House - who claimed that the president does accept some blame for the unrest that killed five people.

And he also publicly contradicted Kevin McCarthy, the fiercely loyal House Minority Leader, who told House Republicans on Monday that Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots and has accepted some responsibility, Politico reported, citing four Republican sources on a private call.

That left McCarthy publicly embarrassed, at a time when his caucus is splitting over what to do about Trump and donors are deserting.

Trump's abdication of responsibility came amid mounting fears that the violence is not over.

On Monday evening lawmakers were briefed by law enforcement that there were three active plots, including one involving 4,000 'armed patriots' planning to surround Congress. They had been issued with 'rules of engagement,' Conor Lamb (D-PA) told CNN - meaning when they would shoot people.

Trump on Monday declared a state of emergency in D.C. amid ratcheting tensions over violent plots which could rock Capitol Hill ahead of Biden's inauguration.

The declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as Democrats had been demanding.

Last week's chaos resulted in the deaths of four rioters and one Capitol Police officer from his wounds and the suicide of another; dozens of injuries; and extensive damage throughout the ransacked building.

McCarthy strongly pushed back against Trump's claim that the rioters were Left-wing agitators intent on discrediting Trump and his followers - a claim made by staunchly pro-Trump congressman Matt Gaetz, and repeated by Fox News' anchors and pundits.

'It's not ANTIFA, it's MAGA,' McCarthy replied, according to Axios.

Speaking again: Trump spoke to reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One for Texas, where he is inspecting his border wall

Not me: Trump denied all responsibility for the MAGA riot saying that it had been 'analyzed' and was 'appropriate.' He offered no suggestion for who provided the analysis

Is this the nuclear football? A military aide accompanied the president up the steps of Air Force one with two briefcases which appear similar to the book of command codes which Trump has access to. Late last week Nancy Pelosi sought assurances from Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that a 'deranged' president could not use them

Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, told Trump that he was wrong to blame ANTIFA for Wednesday's chaos

Trump on Wednesday had told his supporters they needed to 'fight' to overturn the election

People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday

Kevin McCarthy, the fiercely loyal House Minority Leader, told House Republicans on Monday that Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots. Pictured: McCarthy talks with President Donald Trump during an event in February 2020

'I know. I was there,' McCarthy said, according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call.

McCarthy later reiterated his position during a two-hour meeting with Republicans in the House, telling them there is 'undisputedly' no evidence that people linked to ANTIFA participated in the insurrection.

The theory that anti-Trump agitators stirred up the unrest has been decisively debunked. Those arrested so far for their part in the riots have in many cases a long and public history of supporting the president: none of those detained has been a supporter of ANTIFA.

Trump, during the tense 30 minute conversation with McCarthy on Monday morning, also continued to insist that the election had been stolen from him.

McCarthy, exasperated, told him: 'Stop it. It's over. The election is over.'

The ensuing chaos at the Capitol resulted in the deaths of four rioters and one Capitol Police officer; dozens of injuries; and extensive damage throughout the ransacked building. Pictured: Rioters breach the Capitol building on January 6

After Trump told his supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, he retreated to the White House to watch it on TV

Capitol Police were woefully unprepared to meet the mob which marched on Trump's orders

The rioters easily barged past the Capitol Police and stormed the building

The mob overran the Capitol Police shortly after Trump urged them to 'fight' on his behalf

Police try to hold back protesters pushing into a doorway at the Capitol on Wednesday

WHAT DOES THE 25TH AMENDMENT SAY? CAN TRUMP'S CABINET REALLY TOPPLE HIM? The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution deals with presidential authority in the event of death or removal from office, and was ratified in 1967, in the wake of John F Kennedy's assassination. What does the 25th Amendment say? It is in four sections, all dealing with the president leaving office during his or her elected term. The first section states that the vice president takes over the Oval Office if the president dies or resigns  or is removed  something which the original Constitution did not clearly state. Presidents of course can be removed by impeachment, a feature of the constitution from the start. They can also be removed through the 25th Amendment - of which more below. Section II states that if the vice president dies, or resigns  or is fired  both the House and Senate have to confirm a new vice president. Until 1967, presidents could change vice presidents mid-term on their own if they got the vice president to agree to resign - not something that actually happened, but which was possible in principle. Section III makes clear that a president can temporarily delegate his powers to the vice president, and later reclaim them when he - or she - is capable of serving. This is most often invoked if a president is under the influence of surgical anesthetic for a short period of time. Section IV is the amendment's most controversial part: it describes how the president can be removed from office if he is incapacitated and does not leave on his own. The vice president and 'a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide' must write to both the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, saying that 'the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.' The term principal officers of the executive departments would normally mean the cabinet secretaries. So at least eight of the president's 15 most senior Cabinet members together with the vice president must agree that a president should be removed before any plan can move forward. Notifying the House Speaker and the Senate president pro tempore is the act that immediately elevates the vice president to an 'acting president' role. The deposed president can contest the claim, giving the leaders of the bloodless coup four days to re-assert their claims to the House and Senate. Congress then has two days to convene  unless it is already in session  and another 21 days to vote on whether the president is incapable of serving. A two-thirds majority in both houses is required to make that determination. As soon as there is a vote with a two-thirds majority, the president loses his powers and is removed, and the vice president stops acting and is sworn in as president. But if 21 days of debate and votes ends without a two-thirds majority, the president gets back his powers. What could happen to trigger the 25th Amendment? Vice President Mike Pence and eight of the 15 'principal' Cabinet members would have to agree to notify Congress that President Donald Trump was incapable of running the country. That group is made up of the Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Interior Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, Commerce Secretary, Labor Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretary, Transportation Secretary, Energy Secretary , Education Secretary, Veterans Affairs Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary. Their formal notification would go to the House Speaker and, in the senate, to the 'president pro tempore', the Senate's most senior member. As soon as the letter is sent, Pence would become 'acting president.' Alternatively, Congress could set up its own mechanism to decide if he is fit for office - maybe a commission, or a joint committee. Pence would still have to agree with its conclusion and then write formally to the Speaker and president pro tempore. Or another possibility is that the pool of 'principal officers' is considered to be bigger than the 15 and a majority of that group call Trump incapable. What if Trump does not agree? If Trump claims he is capable of holding office, he would write to the House Speaker and the president pro tempore of the Senate within four days, setting up three weeks of intense debate in both houses of Congress. Trump would be removed from office if both two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate agreed with Pence and his cabal. If either of both chambers fell short of that mark, Trump would retain his powers and likely embark on a wholesale housecleaning, firing Pence and replacing disloyal Cabinet members. Are there any loopholes? The 25th Amendment allows Congress to appoint its own panel to evaluate the president instead of relying on the Cabinet  the men and women who work most closely with Trump  to decide on a course of action. It specifies that some 'other body as Congress may by law provide' could play that role, but Pence would still need to agree with any finding that the president is incapable of discharging his duties. That commission could hypothetically include anyone from presidential historians to psychiatrists, entrusted to assess the president's fitness for office. Another loophole is that it does not spell out that the Cabinet is needed to agree, but says that the 'principal officers' of the departments are needed. That term is undefined in the constitution. In some departments legislation appears to name not just the secretary but deputies and even undersecretaries as 'principal officers', so many more people could be called in to the assessment of Trump's fitness. But Trump's cabinet has a swathe of 'acting' cabinet officer - and it is unclear if they could therefore take part in removing him. Could Trump fire Pence if he rebelled? No. The vice president can resign or be impeached and removed - but he does not serve at the pleasure of the president. Is there any precedent for this? No. Only Section III, the voluntary surrender of presidential powers, has ever been used - and only very briefly. In December 1978, President Jimmy Carter thought about invoking Section III when he was contemplating a surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush both voluntarily relinquished their powers while undergoing procedures under anesthetic. Section IV has also never been invoked, although there have been claims that Ronald Reagan's chief of staff Donald Regan told his successor, Howard Baker, in 1987 that he should be prepared to invoke it because Reagan was inattentive and inept. The PBS documentary 'American Experience' recounts how Baker and his team watched Reagan closely for signs of incapacity during their first meeting and decided he was in perfect command of himself. Advertisement

McCarthy told Trump that he believes the president should call Biden and continue the tradition of meeting with him for a handover, prior to the inauguration.

He also said Trump should follow tradition and leave a welcome letter in the Resolute Desk for his successor.

Trump said he had not yet decided whether to do so.

Democrats are now poised to impeach Trump this week for 'inciting an insurrection.'

Some Republicans are expected to join Democrats in the vote to impeach Trump, but the U.S. Senate is unlikely to convene in time to consider the article before Trump leaves office at noon on Jan. 20.

In a memo to Republicans ahead of the call Monday, McCarthy told fellow lawmakers he does not back impeachment and suggested other measures, including censure of the president.

Republicans have been left deeply shaken and divided by Wednesday's events.

Some, such as Senators Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey, have said they want the president to resign.

Others are furious that it took Trump nearly 24 hours to release a video condemning the violence and lawlessness that overtook Capitol Hill, and saw the Senate chamber broken into by the mob.

Trump supporters, egged on by the president himself, stormed the Capitol on Wednesday

The mostly maskless crowd flooded the halls of the Capitol with little resistance from Capitol Police

Rioters stormed the hallways of Congress plundering items and desecrating the building

Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress

A MAGA rioter who put his feet up on Nancy Pelosi 's desk was arrested along with a man who brought 11 Molotov cocktails, two handguns and an assault rifle to the Capitol on Wednesday

They were further incensed by a report in The Washington Post, published on Monday, which claimed that Trump was slow to respond to their appeals for help because he was too gripped by live television coverage of the carnage.

The paper reported that McCarthy contacted Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, while Senator Lindsey Graham phoned Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, to beg for help.

Kellyanne Conway, a longtime Trump confidante and former White House senior adviser, called an aide who she knew was standing at the president's side.

Chris Christie, a close ally of the president's and a former governor of New Jersey, said he'd spent the last 25 minutes trying to reach Trump directly.

'The president caused this protest to occur; he's the only one who can make it stop,' Christie said.

'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. And anything short of that is an abdication of his responsibility.'

The president still failed to react.

'He was hard to reach, and you know why? Because it was live TV,' said one close Trump adviser.

'If it's TiVo, he just hits pause and takes the calls. If it's live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold.'

Trump watched with interest, pleased to see that his supporters were fighting so hard on his behalf, one close adviser told the paper.

Graham, one of Trump's strongest supporters, admitted that the president was slow to realize the magnitude of the problem.

'It took him awhile to appreciate the gravity of the situation,' Graham told the paper.

'The president saw these people as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen.'

The MAGA mob holding down a cop and beating him with a baton on Wednesday in a shocking new video still. The officer shown has not been identified yet. It's unclear if he is either of the cops who died. One was beaten with a fire extinguisher, according to police sources, and the other committed suicide after the riot

In a different incident from the riot, Capitol cop Eugene Goodman is seen running away from the mob, leading them from the Senate. He is being hailed as a hero

'Largest armed protest in American history' is one of three plots to attack the Capitol before Joe Biden's inauguration, cops reveal

Police revealed three plots to attack the Capitol ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration - including the 'largest armed protest in American history.'

It comes as the FBI alerted its staff to possible uprisings at capitols in all 50 states ahead of Inauguration Day, particularly if Trump is removed from office before Biden enters the White House.

Trump's declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as Democrats had been furiously demanding.

On Monday night, the new chiefs of Capitol Police told House Democrats they were looking into three separate plans, including one described as 'the largest armed protest ever to take place on American soil.'

But the most concerning is said to involve armed rioters encircling the Capitol and blocking Democrats from entering - killing them if necessary - so that Republicans can take command of government.

Another protest is being planned in honor of Ashli Babbitt, the USAF veteran who was shot at point blank range by a police officer as she tried to clamber into the Speaker's Lobby during the Trump mob's siege.

'It was pretty overwhelming,' one Democrat told Huffington Post of the police briefing.

Meanwhile the FBI's internal memo warned of a group which was calling for the 'storming' of state, local and federal government buildings, as well as court houses if Trump is removed from office.

The bulletin came to light just as Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced an article of impeachment accusing Trump of incitement to insurrection, five days after the mob of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol, leaving five people dead in a futile bid to overturn the general election.

Members of the New York National Guard form up on the East Front of the US Capitol in Washington DC on Monday. More than 6,000 members of the National Guard were deployed to Washington, DC, over the weekend, with dozens of them standing guard over the Capitol during Monday's proceedings

Trump speaks to his supporters at a rally on Wednesday hours before hundreds of his fans stormed the Capitol Building in DC during violence which left five people dead

Members of the Washington National Guard surround the Washington State Capitol as the Legislature opens the 2021 session in Olympia, Washington on January 11, 2021. The FBI is warning of local uprisings possible in all 50 states

A supporter of President Donald Trump listens to speakers during a rally outside the state capitol in Washington over the weekend. He wears a t-shirt which says: 'Trump still my president'

With Joe Biden's inauguration fast approaching in nine days, Washington, DC, and cities around the US are bracing for violent protests similar to that which left five people dead at the Capitol last week. Pictured: Members of the New York National Guard line up on the East Front of the Capitol on Monday morning

National Guardsmen were also deployed to the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, where protesters gathered on Monday

A protester uses a megaphone to address a crowd outside the Washington State Capitol on Monday

The Department of Homeland Security is working with the DoD, local DC authorities and inauguration officials to sharpen the law enforcement response in the coming days, including by erecting non-scalable fencing (pictured on Sunday) and security checkpoints around Capitol Hill

A protective fence is seen outside the US Supreme Court on Sunday as officials prepare for violence around Inauguration Day

More than 6,000 members of the National Guard were deployed to Washington, DC, over the weekend, with dozens of them standing guard over the Capitol during Monday's proceedings.

Capitol Police told Congress that it was preparing for up to tens of thousands of Trump supporters arriving in the days ahead, including possible violence to take control of the White House and the Supreme Court.

Working alongside their colleagues in the National Guard, the police are said to have told Democrats that they had agreed on rules of engagement in the eventuality of an armed demonstration.

They do not plan to shoot anyone unless fired at first, but they added that there were exceptions to the rule.

The police urged caution on lawmakers about leaking any specifics to the press because Big Tech had so successfully 'cut off main communications' that many could now only learn of plans through traditional media.

One member remarked that the Silicon Valley gagging order on Trump's supporters 'might ultimately save lives.'

But as the Capitol Police expressed confidence it was making sufficient plans to combat any violent uprisings, some lawmakers questioned whether this was the case given the lax security last week.

One Democrat told the police chiefs that there was clear evidence that some in the police department could be 'in league with the insurrectionists who love to carry their guns.'

'You can't just let them bypass security and walk right up to Biden and Harris at inauguration,' this lawmaker told HuffPost.

A further area of Democrat speculation surrounded whether the Trump administration was preventing federal law enforcement from lending its expertise to the police.

The member told the HuffPost: 'I don't think anyone has confidence that the folks at the Pentagon, that may or may not even be needed for some of this, or the Department of Homeland Security, where we don't even know who's in charge, are going to be cooperative.'

The Pentagon is now considering sending as many as 13,000 guardsmen to secure the nation's capital on Inauguration Day, January 20. Prior to the Capitol breach, officials had planned to deploy roughly 7,000 guardsmen

Capitol Police are working together with National Guardsmen to patrol the area surrounding Capitol Hill

Traffic is blocked on the West Front of the Capitol building on Monday morning

A Capitol Police officer patrols a closed roadway near the Capitol building on Monday morning

The National Park Service said Monday it would close the Washington Monument and other area facilities beginning today and lasting through January 24.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is reportedly considering sending as many as 13,000 guardsmen to secure the area on Inauguration Day. Prior to last week's breach, officials had planned to deploy roughly 7,000 guardsmen.

The hardened-up security plans come after the Department of Defense said it was aware of 'further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day', Congressman Jason Crow (D - Colorado) said in a statement Sunday after speaking with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy about security preparations.

The Department of Homeland Security is working with the Defense Department, local DC authorities and inauguration officials to sharpen the law enforcement response in the coming days, including by erecting non-scalable fencing and security checkpoints around Capitol Hill.

'Now that it happened people will take it much more seriously,' a senior DHS official told CNN in reference to last week's violence. 'Now, the planners, they are all going to take it much more seriously.'

Federal and local authorities have faced fierce criticism for their perceived failure to crack down on Wednesday's insurrection despite evidence that they knew it was coming.

Hundreds of people might now face federal charges in the wake of last week's Capitol breach, DC's acting US attorney said in an interview with NPR over the weekend, saying a massive, 24-hour-a-day hunt was on to identify suspects and bring charges against them.

In the meantime, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said she is 'extremely concerned' about security on Inauguration Day in a letter to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf over the weekend. She wrote that the event 'will require a very different approach to previous inaugurations given the chaos, injury and death experienced at the US Capitol during the insurrection'.

On Monday the National Park Service announced that the National Mall and Memorial Parks will be shuttered until January 24 'in response to credible threats' after last week's riots.

Monday's FBI bulletin said the bureau is aware of plans for armed protests in every single state between January 16 and 20 - with one major demonstration slated to take place in Washington, DC, on January 17.

On Monday the National Park Service announced that the National Mall and Memorial Parks will be shuttered until January 24 'in response to credible threats' after last week's riots

A National Parks Police vehicle sits near the Washington Monument on Monday after it was closed to the public

Images of Trump supporters clambering up the walls of the Capitol - supposedly one of the most secure buildings in the United States - and smashing their way in with little resistance shocked the world on Wednesday

It said an 'identified armed group', which was not named directly, intends to travel to the nation's capital ahead of the protest on January 16. 'They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment a huge uprising will occur,' the bulletin stated, according to ABC News correspondent Aaron Katersky.

Twitter cited online chatter about a 'proposed secondary attack' on the US Capitol and its counterparts in all 50 states when it moved to suspend Trump's account on Friday.

'Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021,' the company wrote in a blog post, without offering further detail.

Twitter was believed to be referring to the same chatter cited in the FBI bulletin.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to be sworn in on the west front of the US Capitol on January 20 before participating in a Pass in Review on the east front and then receiving a traditional escort to the White House by representatives from every branch of the military.

Biden's team has remained adamant that the inaugural events, which were paired down prior to the MAGA riots to avoid drawing large crowds rife for transmission of coronavirus, should go forward despite last Wednesday's events.

'We are confident in our security partners who have spent months planning and preparing for the inauguration, and we are continuing to work with them to ensure the utmost safety and security of the president-elect,' a senior Biden inauguration official said last week.

'This will mark a new day for the American people focused on healing our nation, bringing our country together and building it back better.'
Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama this morning received a farewell courtesy call from the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Dame Meg Taylor, as her 6 year term concludes this month.

PM Bainimarama conveyed the #FijianGovernments appreciation to Dame Meg Taylor for her leadership and commitment in advancing regional priorities and development of the Blue Pacific collectively through the Forums strengthened engagements with Fiji and the Region.

Reflecting on the strategic partnership, PM Bainimarama said that Forum initiatives such as the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway has been crucial in supporting the region to successfully contain #COVID19.

PM Bainimarama further added that the PHP will remain crucial in the recovery phase as the regions collective efforts focuses on finding innovative solutions to address the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19.

In reaffirming the #Fijian Governments commitment to regional solidarity, PM Bainimarama commended the progress made on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

The Head of the Fijian Government said that #Fiji looks forward to the discussions on the 2050 Strategy and the review of the regional architecture at the PIF Leaders Meeting to be held in #Suva later this year.

Despite the multifaceted challenges that the Pacific is now faced with, PM Bainimarama is confident in the resolve and resilience of the Pacific people and the support of international and regional partners such as the Pacific Island Forum in overcoming them.

PM Bainimarama conveyed the best wishes from Fijian Government and the people of Fiji to Meg Taylor in her future endeavors.

In response Dame Meg Taylor thanked PM Bainimarama and the Fijian Government for its remarkable support given to PIFs during her tenure as the SG.

In 2014, Dame Meg Taylor was appointed by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders as Secretary General of Pacific Islands Forum, a political grouping of 16 independent and self  governing states. She is the first woman to hold this position, during which she also advocated on women in leadership, Pacific peoples welfare and interest on sustainable development, oceans and environment management to name a few.

Article and Photo by Fiji Government Media





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An infographic summarizing the team's research on mapping curiosity styles through Wikipedia browsing and graph theory. Results show that participants tend toward either a "busybody" or "hunter" style, but change throughout the day. Surveys served to link how curious practice might influence emotional well-being and vice versa. Continued research on linking the two will help elucidate new applications for mapping knowledge networks. Credit: Melissa Pappas

Curiosity has been found to play a role in our learning and emotional well-being, but due to the open-ended nature of how curiosity is actually practiced, measuring it is challenging. Psychological studies have attempted to gauge participants' curiosity through their engagement in specific activities, such as asking questions, playing trivia games, and gossiping. However, such methods focus on quantifying a person's curiosity rather than understanding the different ways it can be expressed.

Efforts to better understand what curiosity actually looks like for different people have underappreciated roots in the field of philosophy. Varying styles have been described with loose archetypes, like "hunter" and "busybody"evocative, but hard to objectively measure when it comes to studying how people collect new information.

A new study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Annenberg School for Communication, and the Department of Philosophy and Religion at American University, uses Wikipedia browsing as a method for describing curiosity styles. Using a branch of mathematics known as graph theory, their analysis of curiosity opens doors for using it as a tool to improve learning and life satisfaction.

The interdisciplinary study, published in Nature Human Behavior, was undertaken by Danielle Bassett, J. Peter Skirkanich Professor in Penn Engineering's Departments of Bioengineering and Electrical and Systems Engineering, David Lydon-Staley, then a postdoctoral fellow in her lab and now an assistant professor in the Annenberg School of Communication, two members of Bassett's Complex Systems Lab: graduate student Dale Zhou and postdoctoral fellow Ann Sizemore Blevins, and Perry Zurn, assistant professor from American University's Department of Philosophy.

"The reason this paper exists is because of the participation of many people from different fields," says Lydon-Staley. "Perry has been researching curiosity in novel ways that show the spectrum of curious practice and Dani has been using networks to describe form and function in many different systems. My background in human behavior allowed me to design and conduct a study linking the styles of curiosity to a measurable activity: Wikipedia searches."

Zurn's research on how different people express curiosity provided a framework for the study.

"Each curiosity style has its own 'kinesthetic signature' that describes how a person naturally searches for information," says Zurn. "For example, the 'hunter' style is characterized by the seeking of closely related information, aiming to dive deeply into a certain topic, while the 'busybody' jumps from topic to topic, collecting loosely connected information."

The study was comprised of 149 participants, who were instructed to browse Wikipedia for 15 minutes a day over the course of 21 days. With no further instructions on what pages to visit, the participants' paths through the site revealed the kinesthetic signatures of their curiosity styles.

"Wikipedia allowed both introverts and extroverts to have equal opportunity in curious practice, a limitation in other studies of curiosity, while the ad-free search engine allowed individuals to truly be captains of their own curiosity ships," says Bassett.

While browsing, data was recorded as knowledge networks where each unique Wikipedia page visited became a node and the relatedness between Wikipedia pages, determined by text similarity between two pages, created the thickness of the edges between the nodes.

Participants with the hunter curiosity style exhibited a tight network with relatively high clustering of nodes, thick edges, and short overall path lengths. Those with the busybody curiosity style exhibited a looser network with nodes further separated by thin connecting edges and longer path lengths.

The signatures of a participant's curiosity style were not written in stone, however.

"We found that people are curious in their own ways and fall in and out of different styles, shown by changes in the knowledge network structures over time. We then wanted to understand the drivers of these changes," says Bassett.

To better understand the factors that influence which curiosity style a person might use, the researchers surveyed the participants on indicators of well-being in a laboratory visit before their Wikipedia browsing began. These indicators included "deprivation sensitivity," or the tendency to seek information in order to fill knowledge gaps, and "sensation seeking," or the tendency to seek novel and exciting information. Other factors recorded participants' tendencies to browse topics for fun, seek out social interaction, and tolerate stress. The information from these surveys was incorporated in the models of the knowledge networks, allowing the team to assess the mechanisms behind curiosity styles.

Curiosity styles as knowledge networks where each node is a Wikipedia page and the paths between nodes represent the similarity between pages. "The hunter" style is characterized by high clustering and low overall path length, while "the busybody" style is characterized by low clustering and high overall path length. Credit: Melissa Pappas

"We hypothesize that a switch from hunter to busybody style might arise due to sensation seeking, or the craving for novelty and new information during the day," says Bassett.

"By measuring a person's level of sensation seeking before each Wikipedia browsing session, we found that people tended to take larger steps between nodes when the tendency to seek new information was high," says Lydon-Staley, creating a loose knowledge network.

The participants who originally scored higher in deprivation sensitivity tended to form tighter networks as they sought information to fill knowledge gaps. This network structure indicated the hunter style of information seeking. For example, one participant searched for "History of the Jews in Germany," "Hep-Hep riots," "Zionism," "Nathan Birnbaum," and "Theodor Herzl," all centralized around Jewish history.

On the other end of the spectrum, participants who reported lower deprivation sensitivity exhibited a knowledge network characterized by thinner links, more loosely connected topics, and longer overall network paths. An example of this style is a Wikipedia search for "Physical chemistry," "Me Too movement," "The Partridge Family," "Harborne Primary School," "HIP 79431," and "Tom Bigelow."

"With this method, we can now quantify the kind of information or resources we store. Resources affect well-being, and this research complicates, in a good way, how resources affect well-being," says Lydon-Staley.

Bassett adds that, "while there may be different motivators behind each curiosity style, each style has a purpose."

In addition to the importance of each style, our ability to learn and our emotional well-being may be more related to the connection of information rather than the information itself.

"Curiosity is edgework. It is more about building structures of information than about acquiring separate informational units. This can motivate us, as educators, to ask how we can help students not only understand existing knowledge connections but get excited about building new ones," says Zurn.

As to whether we should be directing curiosity to improve education, Lydon-Staley says, "We need more data to know how to use this information in the classroom, but I hope it discourages the idea that there are curious and incurious people."

"Curiosity should be encouraged and expectations of certain types of curiosity to be exhibited by certain types of students is limiting. We should value and respect each style of curious practice while being less prescriptive for how to accomplish a task," says Bassett.

Some real-world applications that align with this understanding of curiosity are using projects that students can tune to their own curiosity, supporting quieter students to express their curiosity in less boisterous ways, and realizing that students may be able to solve problems in ways unimaginable to the teacher.

"By visualizing these networks, we can begin to see not only the spectrum of hunter and busybody styles, but the incredible flexibility that characterizes curiosity and the knowledge networks it builds. Appreciating the diversity of curious practice can be really empowering for students, especially those who are otherwise socially marginalized or underserved. Rather than asking 'am I curious or not?' they can ask 'which style or styles do I have?' and 'what can I do with it?'" says Zurn.

It is clear that curiosity is important for our well-being and the visualization of these knowledge networks may help to pinpoint where curiosity reflects emotional state and vice versa. Recent research from the same team showed that when we maintain a consistent level of curiosity throughout the day, we are more likely to experience increased feelings of life satisfaction and decreased symptoms of depression. Their work suggests that engaging in curiosity more often and having an open mind about what curiosity looks like may improve well-being, a link the team plans to test using interventions in future work.

In a time when human interaction is stinted and our natural curiosity is interrupted by ads and algorithms, curiosity examined through a network perspective helps us see how we can use curiosity to increase life satisfaction and communication with others. While a clear benefit of this study is its potential future applications in education and emotional well-being, its network approach and interdisciplinary research design also promotes collaborative scientific studies. This interdisciplinary approach allows us to learn from many perspectives and propose many applications for knowledge networks as tools to enhance our well-being beyond education.

Explore further Getting curious about curiosity

More information: David M. Lydon-Staley et al, Hunters, busybodies and the knowledge network building associated with deprivation curiosity, Nature Human Behaviour (2020). Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour David M. Lydon-Staley et al, Hunters, busybodies and the knowledge network building associated with deprivation curiosity,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-00985-7
Actor Luke Cook welcomed his first child, a son name Chaplin, with his celebrity stylist wife, Kara Wilson, in November.

And after praising his wife in an Instagram video on Sunday, the 34-year-old hit out at celebrity mums for flaunting their 'amazing' post-baby bodies.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star explained on Instagram Stories that women shouldn't compare their postpartum experience with anyone else's.

Support: Actor Luke Cook has said it's 'toxic' for women to compare their post-baby bodies to celebrity mothers

'I think its really toxic when people compare themselves, especially new mums, to how good another new mum is looking,' he began.

'Those celebrities who are, like, 14 days after giving birth, look how amazing they look in this candid shoot on the beach, they set those photographers up.'

He added that many of these stars have 'ten nannies, five personal trainers [and] three personal chefs' at their disposal.

His view: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star explained on Instagram Stories that women shouldn't compare their postpartum experience with anyone else's

'They can skip time with their children to go to the gym, and we compare ourselves to them, which I think is so f**king toxic,' he said.

'You are doing the vital job of being a mum. It's your health journey not anyone else's. Don't compare yourself to anyone else.'

Luke spoke out after receiving several messages from fans comparing their post-baby bodies to his wife Kara's in a video he'd shared earlier in the day.

Comparisons: Luke spoke out after receiving several messages from fans comparing their post-baby bodies to his wife Kara's (pictured) in a video he'd shared earlier in the day

Kara looked fit and healthy in exercise leggings and a crop top, as Luke said: 'Mummy, you look f**king fine, damn.'

The couple welcomed their first child together, son Chaplin, in November.

Luke announced the birth on Instagram and shared a gallery of sweet photos of the newborn.

Baby joy: Luke announced the birth of his first child with stylist Kara in November, sharing a gallery of photos of the newborn on Instagram

'Chaplin Benjamin Cook. Born 11/11/2020. Kara was brave. We all cried. He's a joy,' Luke wrote alongside a picture of himself cradling his son.

Kara also shared a photo of herself crying as she held her little boy just moments after giving birth.

'I've dreamt about what this moment would feel like for what seems like an eternity... It's what only my dreams have been made of,' she wrote.
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[January 12, 2021] AlertMedia Adds Kara Hamilton, Chief People and Culture Officer at Smartsheet, to Board of Directors

AlertMedia, the world's leading emergency communication and threat intelligence provider, today announced Kara Hamilton, Chief People and Culture Officer at Smartsheet, has joined its board of directors. In her capacity on the board, Hamilton will work closely with AlertMedia's executive leadership team to support a variety of strategic growth initiatives and pursue new market opportunities. "2020 was a record year for AlertMedia and reinforced that we've only scratched the surface as we work to deliver the technology businesses need to keep their people safe and informed during critical events," said Brian Cruver, founder and CEO at AlertMedia. "Kara is a unique leader who brings years of experience serving in a variety of roles at multiple fast-growth businesses, including at her current company where she helped take the company public. I'm excited to tap into her immense talents to accelerate our growth trajectory and momentum in the market." As Chief People and Culture Officer at enterprise collaboration software company, Smartsheet, Hamilton is responsible for all aspects of employee experience, including recruiting and retention strategies. Under her leadership, the company has garnered numerous awards recognizing ompany culture, including consistently being recognized as a best place to work. Prior to focusing on people and culture exclusively, Hamilton served in a variety of leadership roles spanning finance, legal, and IT. Before joining Smartsheet, she also served as the director of finance for GoAhead Software (News - Alert) (acquired by Oracle) where she led business operations for the U.S., Poland, and India.



"The AlertMedia team has delivered truly market-leading solutions to an impressive and rapidly-growing customer base," said Hamilton. "Given current events and the unprecedented year we've just endured, emergency communication and employee safety have never been more important. An organization's investment in the safety and well-being of their people should be a central component of the future of work, and every company can benefit from solutions that support faster and more effective communication." Hamilton's board appointment comes at a time of explosive growth for AlertMedia's business and team. During the past 12 months, the company experienced a 96% increase in year-over-year revenue growth while adding nearly 1,000 new customers. Additionally, the company added more than 100 new employees since the beginning of 2020. AlertMedia has continued to earn accolades as one of the top places to work in Austin and the country, recently being recognized as a top employer by multiple technology and business publications, including the Austin Business Journal, Built In Austin, and Inc. magazine.

Hamilton joins current AlertMedia board members Mike Smerklo, co-founder and managing director at Next Coast Ventures, Morgan Flager, managing partner at Silverton Partners, Bob Nye, general partner at JMI Equity, and Brian Cruver, founder and CEO at AlertMedia. About AlertMedia

AlertMedia is the world's leading emergency communication provider. Our award-winning, two-way multichannel messaging system, threat intelligence, and 24/7 employee safety solution help organizations protect their business and people through all phases of an emergency. AlertMedia supports critical communication for thousands of leading businesses-including DHL, British Petroleum, Coca-Cola Bottling, and Walmart-in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit www.alertmedia.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005195/en/

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Vietnams e-commerce market is forecast to continue growing strongly in the time to come thanks to a big population with high rates of young people and internet users.

Classification of goods at e-commerce firm Lazada

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam is currently considered one of the fastest-growing e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia.

The ministry this year will focus on developing e-commerce infrastructure, building and completing institutions and legal framework relating to e-commerce, and creating a transparent and favourable legal environment for Vietnamese businesses and consumers.

It will also submit to the Government a decree amending and supplementing a number of articles in Government Decree No 52/2013/ND-CP dated May 16, 2013 on e-commerce, and enhance the integration and sharing of electronic data on the handling of administrative procedures between the MoIT and the Peoples Committees of cities and provinces via the National Public Service Portal and the National Government Service Platform (NGSP).

Attention will be given to promoting the application of information technology (IT) and digital transformation in managing, operating, and finalising platforms for e-Government at the ministry.

The ministry is responsible for building training programmes for managers and other intensive programmes for those in charge of e-commerce, as well as organising short-term training in e-commerce for enterprises and communications programmes to raise public awareness about e-commerce.

Inspection and examination for any violations regarding e-commerce will be strengthened, especially for businesses and the owners of e-commerce trading floors, in order to ensure the origin and intellectual property rights of goods sold via online platforms.

E-commerce activities were improved last year, contributing to driving its development nationwide.

The ministry arranged for the application of blockchain technology in goods traceability for certain agricultural products in order to promote the export of farm produce in the context of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) being ratified and coming into effect.

It has also supported businesses in applying digital technology in digital transformation, promoting online sales, setting up brand emails, and using smart sales and management software.

The ministry has worked on digitalising market information systems and upgrading the export support platform at ECVN.com, which is the first such platform in the country to support local businesses in exporting and seeking international partners.

According to the ministry, about 53 percent of the population shopped online last year. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnams e-commerce revenue grew 18 percent during the year, hitting 11.8 billion USD and accounting for 5.5 percent of total retail sales of consumer goods and services nationwide.

The MoIT has exerted every effort to improve consumer confidence in e-commerce, strengthened the capacity of infrastructure systems and supporting services for e-commerce, promoted the application of e-commerce in key export industries, and developed e-commerce in localities./.VNA

E-commerce serves as a gateway for Vietnamese exports E-commerce offers businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a direct reach to international customers, boosts their sales, speeds up the marketing process and saves costs, experts have said.
A group of women in Mexico has worked together on a new project to help commemorate their loved ones. They created a cookbook, featuring their missing loved ones' favorite dishes.

Each dish has the name of the person it was made for and the date that they disappeared. The idea came from Zahara Gomez Lucini, who is a Spanish-Argentine photographer.

Lucini has documented the group of women since 2016, according to a We are Mitu report.

Related story: After Teen Was Murdered, Mother Stalks Escaped Killers Across Mexico to Bring Her Daughter to Justice

Missing loved ones' favorite recipes

One recipe was from Mirna Medina Quinonez, which she named in honor of her dead son. Quinonez's recipe guides the readers to the preparation of a braised beef and shredded cheese quesadilla, with a light salad, chunky salsa, and refried beans.

The dish was called Pizzadillas for Roberto, which appears in a new cookbook created to raise money for women in search of their missing relatives in Mexico, according to Los Angeles Times report.

Quinonez said it is a very simple meal but it was her son's favorite meal.

He called them 'pizzadillas' because I'd use two tortillas, instead of just folding one in half. Then, my son would cut it into four pieces, just like pizza slices," she was quoted on a report.

Quinonez's son was named Roberto Corrales Medina. He was 21-years-old when he disappeared in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in 2014.

Quinonez is a retired schoolteacher and founder Las Rastreadoras del Fuerte.

Miriam Violeta Maldonado Valdez also contributed a recipe for her 23-year-old daughter, who disappeared in Sinaloa in 2014.

Valdez called the recipe Ceviche for Marian, which includes lots of Serrano peppers and salsa huichol, which is a hot sauce known in the area.

Valdez said that she had been searching for her daughter when she joined the rastreadoras.

"And I found my daughter the very day I joined them. They were digging when I recognized her shirt," Valdez was quoted on a report.

Las Rastreadoras del Fuerte

The group is composed of about 130 mothers. They are among the many collectives that have been established across the country, where more than 73,000 people have disappeared in the long cycle of violence and impunity by drug traffickers, corrupt public officials, and members of the military and police.

For her group to stay afloat, Quinonez said it takes about $1,450 dollars to do that. The cost covers the expenses for office space and internet access to maintain their databases, according to Yahoo News report.

The expenses also include money for gasolines, which is needed to get to places, from mountainsides to country sides, to search the remains of their missing relatives.

The collective began selling the cookbook this summer, which comprises of 30 recipes all dedicated to their loved one.

The cookbook can be purchased on their website for about $22.

Most of the members of the organization wear white T-shirts with the photos of their missing loved ones. On the back, the shirt read: I'll search for you until I find you.

Meanwhile, those who have found their loved ones wear green T-shirts, which read: Promise fulfilled.

Quinonez was informed in 2017 that her son's bones had been found in a mass grave. Since then she started wearing green.

Related story: Nearly 60,000 Now Missing in Mexico's Drug War, Relatives Demand Answers







An airport manager of IndiGo airlines was on Tuesday night shot dead in Patna's Punaichak area under Shashtri Nagar police station. Unidentified assailants on bike shot at Rupesh Kumar Singh outside his residence as he was returning from work.

Singh was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries.

According to SSP Upendra Sharma, investigation is underway and footage from nearby CCTV cameras is being scanned for evidence. He assured that the culprit will soon be arrested. The reason behind the attack remains unknown.

The airline issued a statement expressing grief at the demise of the Patna airport manager. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. We are in contact with his family and providing them our full support, while cooperating with the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation," it said.

Singh is survived by his parents, wife and two children.
World News: WSI video competition 2020 awards announced

January 12,2021 | Source: WSI

WSI, the International Organisation for Women in the Seafood Industry, has announced its awards for the year 2020 for films that describe the struggles, discriminations and opportunities that women face in the seafood industry around the world.



Marie Christine Monfort, WSI Executive director, says: The strong stories from all over the world are all very singular and universal at the same time. They describe struggles, discriminations and opportunities that women face in the seafood industry. In all cases the films say that women play a paramount role along the seafood supply chain. Without them, seafood would never reach the consumers and it is time for the industry to pay attention.



For the fourth consecutive year, WSI has discovered and awarded prizes to extraordinary stories from Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Tanzania and India.



Among the 23 films in competition from 15 countries, the international jury had the sensitive mission of determining the Official Awards. This year, WSI opened a Life under Covid film category as the COVID virus has severely hit seafood workers, especially women.



The international jury, which included highly recognised professionals, has awarded prizes to the following films:



First prize: Move Forward (Indonesia)



What a positive, inclusive, and hopeful vision of the role of women in fisheries, says John Parks, Senior Associate, TetraTech consultant. An uplifting story of education and technology, confirms Milika Sobey, human and fishing rights expert in the Pacific region.



Second prize: Women in Fisheries: Our Stories (UK)



The Exeter (UK)-based producing team of the filme shared their enthusiasm: We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the second prize in this competition, amongst many excellent contributions showcasing womens work and positions in fisheries from around the world. We hope that achieving this international and prestigious recognition from WSI will help us to push for better national recognition of the work women do in UK fisheries.



Third prize Changing Tradition: Nadeshico Sushi (Japan)



This unique film offers a good example of perseverance, entrepreneurship and women changing traditions, commented jury member Zuridah Merican, Editor & Publisher of AQUACULTURE Asia Pacific.



Third prize: Women Fishworkers: Our Story Matters (Tanzania)



Though displaying a very different style, the film from Tanzania collected the same number of votes as the Japanese film. WSI is delighted to distribute a second third prize to this outstanding story.



Category:Life under COVID



2020 has hit women in the seafood industry hard due to the closure of markets, the sole source of income for many. WSI is proud to make the two following stories visible:



First prize: Overcoming Tribulations: The Story of Ramani (India)



A very powerful and poignant story of Ramani, a fish seller who adapts with audacity to the dramatic 2020 Covid19 pandemic by buying a scooter, a rare and brave act for a woman in India.



Special WSI mention: No Work, No Money, No Food (India)



This film depicts the stark reality facing women fishers as a direct result of the statewide lockdowns brought on by the Covid pandemic, according to the citation.



According to Helene Gobert, Fisheries and Ocean Project Manager, Agence Francaise de Developpement : "The French Development Agency is proud to support the WSI competition, which demonstrate by example that the role of women in the fisheries and aquaculture sector is paramount. By making their experiences public and visible, these videos, which we must all share widely, should encourage decisionmakers to take them into account in development policies and projects.



The 2020 jury included seven experts from the four corners of the globe:



 Africa-based Ayobola Adedayo, Senior Product Consultant, Executive MBA at INSEAD

 Asia-based Zuridah Merican, Editor & Publisher of AQUACULTURE Asia Pacific

 Europe-based Nicole Franz, Fishery Analyst, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO

 Middle East-based Hasna Al-Harthy, Assistant FAO Representative for Oman

 North America-based John Parks, Senior Associate, TetraTech consultant

 Pacific-based Milika Sobey, human and fishing rights expert

 South America-based Eduardo Gonzalez Lemmi, CEO, Glaciar Pesquera S.A.





WSI has invited entries for the 2021 video competition.



https://womeninseafood.org/what-we-do/video-competition/videos-2020/



https://womeninseafood.org/wsi-mission/
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Despite the recession that Nigeria entered in 2020, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the early passage of the 2020 budget improved the economy.

Had the budget not been passed in December 2019, he said the nations economy would have experienced worse setbacks than it did in 2020.

In November 2020, the Nigerian economy slipped into its second recession in five years  when the gross domestic product contracted for the second consecutive quarter.

It was the nations second recession since 2016, and the worst economic decline in almost four decades.

It was announced by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the nations GDP recorded negative growth of 3.62 per cent in the third quarter of 2020. Nigeria had earlier recorded a 6.10 per cent contraction in the second quarter.

The NBS said the performance of the economy in the third quarter of 2020 reflected residual effects of the restrictions to (on) movement and economic activity implemented across the country in early Q2 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Self-appraisal

Speaking with journalists on the occasion of his 62nd birthday in Abuja, Mr Lawan said Nigeria suffered a recession of -6% because lawmakers were able to pass the budget on time.

Our economy would have been worse if the budget 2020 was passed mid-year last year like the practice was. But we suffered a recession of -6 per cent, now we are in a recession of -3.2 per cent and that is because we were still able to get the budget passed.

The recession, we have been told by the experts will come to an end probably at the end of the first quarter this year, because we have extended the implementation period of the 2020 capital budget allocation to 31st March.

Demons of PIB will be defeated

Among the plans of the lawmakers for 2021 is the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The Senate President said this will be done against all odds.

Mr Lawan, who described the bill as a demon that has lingered for too long, disclosed that many people who have worked against the passage of the bill will be stopped. He, however, did not mention the people involved.

By the grace of God, when we resume, we will start work on the Petroleum Industry Bill. That is going to be one heck of legislation that not only Nigeria but the entire world is waiting, because that will change our economy. Money will start flowing.

that PIB thing is like a demon, there are people both within and outside the country who will work against it but it is going to be the strength of our patriotism to pass it.

People didnt want it to happen because they stopped it from happening for 20 years. When we said we will do it, one of them came to me and said SP, you see, you dont have to do this thing now. It is not going to work.

He said the zeal and courage of lawmakers that was used to pass the Deep Offshore Oil Production Contracts Act, will be used to pass the PIB.

The lawmakers are expected to resume legislative activities on January 26.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12) The Health Department said Tuesday it will be closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation by the end of the month to see if the celebration of the Black Nazarene Feast would contribute to the spike in cases.

We will look about three to four weeks from that time since the Traslacion happened, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergiere told CNN Philippines The Source. So maybe towards the end of January it is where well see if really the cases have increased because of this.

The religious spectacle held every January 9 typically gathers millions of devotees, but for this year, government officials, health experts, and even the Quiapo Church urged them to celebrate at home due to the ongoing pandemic.

Despite the advisories, hundreds of thousands of faithful still flocked to the Quiapo Church last Saturday to join in the feast  a development that experts warned may contribute to an increase in virus infections.

As weve seen, they just ignored these warnings and they went on to the Quiapo Church to have this activity. We think this might aggravate our situation if ever there would be increasing cases, Vergeire added.

The agency earlier advised those who have attended the physical masses to minimize their interactions, especially with the vulnerable members of their household, and to conduct active self-monitoring for any symptoms.

It also called on local government units to coordinate with Quiapo Church to get the list of attending devotees, and to actively monitor their constituents who took part in the event for early detection of possible COVID-19 cases and limit transmission.
Prior to the pandemic, Lamita, a fitness studio chain, suspended its operation temporarily on January 4 because of unsettled internal conflicts.

In 2019, Lien and Hung, well-known investors, agreed to pour VND10 billion into the chain

Lamita

Prior to the pandemic, Lamita, a fitness studio chain, suspended its operation temporarily on January 4 because of unsettled internal conflicts. The chain officially notified its trainees and partners about how it would fulfill its committed duties.

Established in 2012 as a Zumba Center in Hanoi, Lamita developed into member brands, including Lamita Fitness, Lamita Star, Lamita Shop and La Pham.

Lamita used to have 65 studios and 200 employees before the Covid-19 epidemmic outbreak.

In 2019, Lien and Hung, well-known investors, agreed to pour VND10 billion into the chain in exchange for 35 percent of the shares of Lamita Fitness. However, the capital did not arrive because of some problems.

Later, Lamita called for investment from a domestic venture fund in the chain, which was valued at VND100 billion.

CEO Vu Thi Thuy Linh held a conference about Lamita Dance Fitness, extolling its trainers, courseware and digital platform as the first dance studio system in Vietnam.

Most importantly, Lamita Dance Fitness targeted community values, positive energy, and connections among people.

However, the chain was affected by the pandemic, and did not receive its investment capital. Meanwhile, it faced problems paying for the premises and staff.

After the lockdown, Lamita resumed operation, but it finally had to shut down.

WeFit

Prior to that, WeFit, which later changed to WeWow, declared bankruptcy. Despite efforts to restructure the chain, it had to stop operation on May 11, 2020.

The company has been in bankruptcy proceedings at HCM City Peoples Court.

WeFit was established by Khoi Nguyen in September 2016 with the goal of being the leading brand in the fitness industry in Vietnam. The app connected more than 600 training points and provided more than 5,000 workout schedules each day. Clients could exercise at any gym belonging to the WeFit chain.

WeFit received $155,000 worth of investment from ESP Capital in late 2017. In early 2019, it successfully called for $1 million in capital from CyberAgent Capital.

Lessons learned from failures

The failures of these startups show that corporate governance and capital flow play a vital role in fitness chains.

The CEO of WeFit admitted that sometimes the amount of money WeFit had to pay to partners was larger than revenue.

However, the gym market in Vietnam is still attractive, estimated to have value of $113 million in 2020 and an annual growth rate of 20 percent.

Thu Ky

Covid-19 tests resilience of Vietnams businesses Despite difficulties caused by Covid-19, many Vietnamese businesses have been able to survive and develop.
BBDO Singapore has launched a campaign for Walch, a leading hygiene and home care brand, to boost hygiene practices and bring Walch Speed Foaming Automatic Hand Wash into the homes of Singaporeans celebrating Chinese New Year to make sure they have a joyous, healthy and safe celebration.

Since the rise of Covid-19 in 2020, the new normal has impacted us all greatly. Our daily lives, rituals and gatherings have changed drastically and the virus remains a risk to many, so people have adapted their habits. In Singapore, everyone wears masks and has increased their hygiene practices, making sure they wash their hands on a regular basis.

When BBDO Singapore received the brief for the Walch Chinese New Year 2021 campaign by Whealthfields Lohmann Singapore Pte Ltd, they seized the opportunity knowing they could make an impactful difference to the lives of Singaporeans given the importance and relevance of Walch products in todays new normal.

This Chinese New Year will be different.

Due to travel and large group restrictions, it will be a challenge for loved ones to gather to celebrate Chinese New Year. BBDO Singapore cut through the clutter of CNY marketing and connected the dots between Walchs essential and relevant product, and peoples desire to be with their families this Chinese New Year. So the campaign tagline, Gift Health. Gift Wealth. was born from the belief that there is no greater wealth than health. What better way to position Walch Speed Foaming Automatic Hand Wash as the perfect CNY gift than to highlight its function as a contactless hygiene product that ensures your loved ones remain safe and in good health.

We are delighted to be working with BBDO Singapore on such an important campaign, said Alicia Liew, Head of SEA, Whealthfields Lohmann Singapore.

With the Walch Chinese New Year 2021 campaign, we hope to make everyone excited to celebrate this occasion with their families and friends, even though we will be celebrating very differently, whether safely together in smaller groups or virtually online.

We want to keep the tradition of gifting alive and inspire families to share Walch as the perfect gift of good health with their loved ones.

When asked about the campaign, Guan Hin, Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Singapore commented, "Gifting in CNY is an important tradition. Giving a gift in today's context needs to be relevant and useful. Walch Speed Foaming Automatic Hand Wash might be an unexpected gift but it's going to be the most meaningful gift of all."

In order to bring the slogan Gift Health. Gift Wealth. to life, BBDO Singapore created a meaningful ad of a family gathering on a video call to celebrate CNY highlighting the unique situation that many families will be gathering online rather than in person to celebrate CNY, hopefully resonating with everyone celebrating the festival this year.

BBDO Singapore and Whealthfields Lohmann started 2021 with a bang launching this exciting cross-channel campaign across the island with bus stop 6-sheets, MRT platform screen door, digital and social media as well as various point of sales assets in Singaporean supermarkets, progressively rolled out until end Feb.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 17:54:09|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's private sector has come forward to raise 50 million U.S. dollars in support of the Sri Lankan government's COVID-19 vaccination procurement drive, local media reported here Tuesday.

The local Daily FT reported that the pledge of 50 million U.S. dollars was made recently, and a committee of business leaders have been appointed to spearhead the initiative.

Several companies in sectors such as apparel, exports, manufacturing, services and IT are to be encouraged to contribute to this fundraiser.

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID-19 Disease Control, Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle said here Monday that COVID-19 vaccines will arrive in Sri Lanka by next month and citizens could receive the jab by mid or end of February.

Fernandopulle said the government was currently in discussion with the Indian government to obtain the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and she was also hopeful that through the COVAX facility of the World Health Organisation, Sri Lanka may obtain doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as well.

The vaccine will be first administered to frontline healthcare workers, Tri-Forces and Police, followed by senior citizens above the age of 60 years while vulnerable communities with complications will also receive the jab once the rollout begins. Enditem
BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a message of condolence to Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the recent crash of a Sriwijaya Air passenger plane.

Xi said he is shocked to learn about the crash. Noting that China is a friendly neighbor of Indonesia, Xi said he, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, would like to express deep condolences over the victims and extend sincere sympathies to the bereaved families.
California to Use Disneyland as COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Site

The parking lot of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, will soon serve as the first Super Point-of-Dispensing (POD) site for COVID-19 vaccines in Orange County, officials said Monday.

Orange County said that the resort, which has been mainly shuttered since the onset of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic in March, will likely become operational later this week.

Its one of five sites to be set up to vaccinate thousands of people daily, county officials said.

The Disneyland Resort, the largest employer in the heart of Orange County, has stepped up to host the countys first Super POD siteundertaking a monumental task in our vaccination distribution process, acting Chairman Andrew Do, First District, said in a statement.

The news came as Californias COVID-19 death toll reached 30,000 on Monday, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

The sites are absolutely critical in stopping this deadly virus, county Supervisor Dough Chaffee said in a statement.

The state will vastly expand its effort with new mass vaccination sites at parking lots for Los Angeles Countys Dodger Stadium, Petco Park in San Diego, and the CalExpo fairgrounds in Sacramento.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants gather on the field before their game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 23, 2020. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Cars lined up early Monday near the downtown stadium in San Diego, where officials aimed to inoculate 5,000 health care workers a day.

Its kind of like a Disneyland ride with cars moving through, said Heather Buschman, spokeswoman for UC San Diego Health, whose medical staff was administering the shots. She said people seemed eager to be vaccinated, with more than 12,500 health care workers in San Diego County initially scheduling an appointment.

Its important to vaccinate as many willing people as possible for COVID-19, and we need the space to do it, Supervisor Donald P. Wagner, Third District, said in the countys statement. I thank Disneyland Resort and the City of Anaheim for stepping up in the shared effort to give OC residents protection against the virus.

The vaccination site at the Anaheim resort will follow California guidelines in issuing COVID-19 jabs to individuals who fall under Phase 1a, which recently expanded to include those aged 75 and above.

Coronavirus has brought both a public health crisis and economic devastation, Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu said. With this super site, we will begin to overcome both. Every vaccination done in Anaheim will help to save lives and speed the reopening and recovery of our city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Facebook announced on Monday that it would start removing content with the phrase "stop the steal" ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

Facebook said it made the decision in light of the riot in the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday. It added that the phrase "stop the steal" violated the company's policy against "coordinating harm," reported Daily Wire.

It can be recalled that a Stop the Steal group was also removed from Facebook last November. The company confirmed that it continues to remove pages and events that they believe violate their policies, including calls for violence.

The change affecting "stop the steal" posts will also take place in Facebook-owned Instagram.

Related story: Google, Apple Suspend 'Free Speech' Parler App in Wake of Capitol Riot

Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg also said the company has "no plans" to lift the ban, reported NBC News.

'Stop the Steal' Ban Part of Facebook's Anti-Violence, Anti-Misinformation Effort

Facebook's vice president of integrity Guy Rosen and vice president of global policy management Monika Bickert said in a company blog that this rule was part of the firm's efforts to prevent violence and misinformation leading up to the presidential inauguration.

The company said a "significant number" of "stop the steal" posts have already been taken down, but the new policy's enforcement will still take some time to scale up.

"Stop the Steal" has consistently been used by President Donald Trump as an expression to spread theories of fraud during the 2020 election.

Groups supporting this statement popped up on Facebook shortly after and expanded to right-wing sites like the recently suspended Parler, noted End Gadget.

Facebook also said it would continue to promote reliable news about the upcoming inauguration to its users who use their news tab.

After the inauguration, the company will update its label about posts questioning the election results to include that Joe Biden has officially taken his position as the sitting president.

Facebook also said that it would continue its November police to pause ads in the U.S. about politics or the elections. Restrictions on Facebook posts that have a history of encouraging hate speech will also be in place.

Facebook Vows Continued Support of Robust Conversation

Facebook said it has allowed "robust conversations" related to the recent election outcome and will continue to do so. However, it condemned "attempts to organize events against the outcome of the U.S. presidential election that can lead to violence."

Read also: Fact Check: Did President Trump Watch Live Streams of Capitol Riot From a Private Party Nearby

The company's other efforts to combat hate speech and violence-related posts were increasing Group admins' requirement to review and approve posts, automatically disabling comments in posts that encourage hate speech or incite violence, and demoting content that likely violates their policies.

Facebook will keep all these measures as it stays vigilant against additional threats to safety.

The social networking site's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, earlier said it would also suspend Trump from its platform in the days leading up to a complete and peaceful transition of power. It took effect last week as Trump was effectively locked from posting any content on the site indefinitely.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a 'painful' year since Megxit after the couple's nanny moved back to the UK and the pandemic left them feeling 'alone,' the authors of Finding Freedom have claimed.

Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, who co-wrote the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell biography, alleged that moving to LA brought difficult changes for the couple who stepped back as senior royals in March last year.

To be at the point they are at now, having set up an empire and a charity in just over nine months, shows just how hard they have worked to make this transition a success, said Omid Scobie, writing in Grazia. 'But its taken a lot of work to get here. The journey has been painful.

The authors went on to say the move has also been challenging for Meghan, 39, who has juggled motherhood with moving house four times.

A friend of the duchess told Durand: 'It's just been a lot. Their nanny moved back to the UK when they moved to LA because of the pandemic and restrictions left them feeling quite alone. Each move made them feel more displaced.'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a 'painful' year since Megxit after the couple's nanny moved back to the UK and uprooting four times left the couple feeling 'displaced', it has been claimed. Pictured, the couple last October

Harry hammered out a deal with his family at a Sandringham summit in January last year after he and Meghan said they wished to earn their own money (pictured at the Commonwealth Day Service last March)

The couple left their newly-renovated house Frogmore Cottage last year to live in Vancouver Island for six months.

They then rapidly left Canada for California before the borders closed due to Covid-19 restriction and moved into Tyler Perry's Hollywood Hills house.

Finally, they relocated to their current nine-bedroom family mansion in Montecito.

Omid Scobie added that since making the move to LA the couple have been 'eager to contribute to the community,' particularly in regards to the Covid-19 response, and are keen to put the 'focus back on what mattered'.

Writing in Grazia, Caroyln Durand said a friend of the couple told her the couple felt 'alone' after their nanny left

It comes after it was reported that Prince Harry was refused permission for a wreath to be laid at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday on his behalf, in another possible sign of a family rift.

The Duke of Sussex, who spent ten years in the armed forces, made the personal request to Buckingham Palace, but was refused due to the fact he had left royal duties in March, The Times reported last November.

The Queen was not thought to have been informed of the request or its refusal, which is said to have 'deeply saddened' the Duke of Sussex, the publication reported.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether Prince Harry's request had been refused.

Last month it was reported that the couple want a 12-month extension to the Megxit deal that would see them keep their royal patronages and head back to the UK to seal the deal in person.

However, sources told Omid that the couple have no such plans, adding: 'They really haven't looked back'.

Authors of the Finding Freedom (pictured) biography Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie claimed that moving to LA has brought difficult changes for the couple who stepped back as senior royals in March last year

Prince Harry hammered out a deal with his family at a Sandringham summit in January last year after he and Meghan said they wished to earn their own money.

They left at the end of March and moved to California where they have since bought a 11 million mansion and launched their good causes organisation, Archewell.

In the wake of the royal departure, some people also claimed the couple should be replaced as the president and vice-president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust but, in response, the organisation said they are 'as committed as ever'.

Harry was also said to have fallen out with his brother William, with the pair allegedly not speaking for months after the deal was agreed.

But in recent months relations between the couple and the rest of the royal family are said to have thawed, with Harry and Meghan sending presents to Prince William and his family.

Grazia magazine, on sale now.
Stock market-listed property investor Yew Grove Reit says rent collection for the first three months of the year has been strong.

The company has collected 100pc of its quarterly rents for the period, according to an update from the group.

Quarterly rents account for 90.35pc of its rent roll, with monthly rents accounting for 9.65pc.

All but 3,175 of the monthly amounts due on January 1, 2021 has been collected. If this rate of collection is repeated in February and March, the full quarterly collections will exceed 99.6pc, Yew Grove said.

The 0.4pc of rent not collected relates to non-food retail that has been closed due to the new national lockdown.

In aggregate, the companys non-food retail rents amount to 0.7pc of the total rent roll.

Jonathan Laredo, chief executive of Yew Grove, said: We are pleased that despite the ongoing challenges created by the resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic, our tenants are still demonstrating business resilience.

However, he warned that while the vaccine programmes offer a route out of the current situation, the renewed lockdown will continue to make business very difficult for our smaller tenants.

Read More

"I believe the next six months will continue to challenge us all, said Mr Laredo.

Whilst we are cautiously optimistic, the vast majority of rents will continue to be paid as they fall due, we will keep the markets updated on any material changes to the situation, he added.

Last month, Yew Grove said it had progressed in its plans to sell non-core properties. As part of this, the company sold a vacant industrial unit in Stillorgan for 1.46m in November.

The company also sold units at Centrepoint Business Park, Clondalkin, county Dublin, for 950,000 in December.

Commenting on todays update, Goodbody analyst Colm Lauder said: As with previous quarters, Yew Groves high-quality tenant base, with minimal non-food retail (less than 0.7pc of the total rent roll) has meant it has continued to collect rent largely as normal, ensuring security for its dividend distributions.
Professor Thomas Hirth. (Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)

Thomas Hirth remains Vice-President for Innovation and International Affairs of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Today, a large majority of the KIT Senate followed the vote of the KIT Supervisory Board. Hirth has been Vice-President since 2016. During his first term of office, he directed the development of the innovation and internationalization strategies of KIT, among others.

The Supervisory Board unanimously voted for a second term of office of Professor Thomas Hirth as Vice-President for Innovation and International Affairs. I am very happy that Mr. Hirth will continue to push the development of innovation activities and international partnerships, says the Chairman of KITs Supervisory Board, Professor Michael Kaschke.

I am very happy about the clear confirmation of this vote by the KIT Senate. Innovation is a statutory mission of KIT, on par with research and academic education. This is and remains a unique selling proposition. Moreover, permanent exchange with our international partners in science and industry is a decisive factor of success. This is also reflected by EPICURs selection as European University. KIT is one of the partners of this alliance of universities. Thomas Hirth largely directed further development of KITs strategic profile in these two important areas in the past years. I look forward to continuing our cooperation, says the President of KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka.

With the development and implementation of the innovation strategy and internationalization strategy we achieved a lot in the past years. The same holds for strategic partnerships with industry that are crucial to the application of research results and their transfer to society. Collaboration with other universities in Europe, such as EPICUR, and worldwide is of high importance to us, says Professor Thomas Hirth, KIT Vice-President for Innovation and International Affairs. This will now be the basis for the further development and implementation of both strategies. Work will additionally focus on the development of knowledge transfer and dialog with society.

President Holger Hanselka (center) with Vice-Presidents Thomas Hirth (left) and Oliver Kraft (right). (Photo: Amadeus Bramsiepe, KIT)

Innovation: Strategic Partnerships, Startups, Transfer to Society

Establishment of strategic partnerships with industry and support of startups were central activities during the first term of office of Thomas Hirth. An example is the ZEISS Innovation Hub@KIT that started operation early this year. The Innovation Hub stands for close collaboration of science and industry and offers space for startups of both partners. By the acquisition of the Innovation Campus Future Mobility (ICM) together with the University of Stuttgart, KIT managed to position itself as a stronghold in the strategy dialog for the automotive sector in Baden-Wurttemberg.

As regards startups, KIT was highly successful in the funding program EXIST V of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Ideal support of startups by KIT is also reflected by the Grundungsradar startup ranking of the Stifterverband for promoting science and education and the German Startup Monitor. In both rankings, KIT repeatedly reached top positions.

To push knowledge transfer, the TRIANGEL open space for education, communication, startups, and transfer is presently being established in close vicinity to KITs Campus South. With this center, KIT wishes to integrate all parties from science, industry, and society and to intensify dialog.

International Collaboration

Together with seven other partners from all over Europe, KIT forms the EPICUR University Alliance that has been funded as European University by the European Commission since 2019. It is the goal of this Alliance to generate momentum for the development of a European education area. In addition, KIT is active in other European networks, such as CLUSTER and CESAER, as well as in the German-Japanese consortium HeKKSaGOn and in interACT, a university network with nine partners in Europe, the USA, Japan, and Australia. Collaboration efforts are complemented by joint activities with partners in the region of Shanghai and the Province of Jiangsu in China as well as in Argentina and Chile. Constant further strategic development of these and other partnerships will be a major task of Thomas Hirth during his second term of office.

Thomas Hirth  About the Person

Professor Thomas Hirth, born in 1962, has been Vice-President for Innovation and International Affairs at KIT since January 2016. Before, he held various positions with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, last as Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart. Since April 2008, he had also been professor at the University of Stuttgart, where he headed the Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology. From 2012 to 2015, Hirth was Spokesperson of the Life Sciences Association and Member of the Presidential Committee of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as well as Vice-Dean of Faculty 4 Energy, Process, and Bio-Engineering of the University of Stuttgart. Hirth studied chemistry at the then University of Karlsruhe (TH) and obtained his doctorate at the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry.

The second term of office of Thomas Hirth will start on January 01, 2022 and end on December 31, 2027.

Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,600 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 23,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
President Moon Jae-in arrives to deliver a New Year speech at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Yonhap



President troubled by ruling on compensation for comfort women



By Do Je-hae



One of the more noticeable differences in Moon's New Year address, Monday, compared to the one in 2020 was the reduced focus on international relations, particularly regarding Japan.



The Korean leader's reference to the neighboring country only contained a few words  "striving for forward-looking relations."



The New Year address came as Moon has been dealt with an additional burden in Korea-Japan relations from another historical dispute  this one involving Korean victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese military before and during World War II. Last week, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of 12 Korean plaintiffs who had demanded compensation from the Japanese government for the atrocities they suffered during Japanese colonial rule of the peninsula.



Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said his government would never accept the Korean court's ruling, adding that all wartime reparations were settled with the 1965 normalization treaty, which has been the basis of bilateral relations since then.









Under these circumstances, the reduced presence of Japan in Moon's New Year speech is seen to reflect the limitations his administration faces in realizing any visible headway in bilateral relations during the remainder of his presidency which will end in May 2022.



Some experts advised the two countries to continue to seek dialogue that will bring them one step closer to a historical reconciliation, despite the additional difficulty from the recent ruling.



"Even when the 1965 normalization treaty was concluded, both sides knew that the agreement itself was insufficient," a history professor told The Korea Times on the condition of anonymity. "Since then, both countries have conducted negotiations on many issues such as the comfort women, Korean victims of the atomic bombs, and Koreans in Sakhalin. Through such efforts, the two sides have been able to find remedial action to complement the treaty. We should not forget these past precedents."





Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during a news conference at his official residence in Tokyo, Jan. 7. AP-Yonhap
Its the hope that kills you. So, for now, Ive put mine somewhere safe.

When we first heard of the vaccine breakthrough in November I was all set to pop the champagne. If Pfizer comes, could spring be far behind?

Then it all went belly-up. Everyone knows why. The madness, natural though it was, of what happened over Christmas mostly. The vast majority of us behaved, of course, but that wasnt good enough. Then there were these new strains.

After hope had been dangled underneath our noses, smelling so sweet and seductive, it was a bitter pill. Back to square one, except this time it was Baltic and pitch black outside.

So there is nothing for it but to shelve hope for now. Simply get through each day as it comes and peep out from under the duvet the morning after to see if the new dawn is worth the small talk.

I know Im not alone. At least I can sense that I am not. Even out for walks this past frosty week you could see it in how people carry themselves.

No pep and less joy. Dragging themselves through the day for want of something better to do, like sulky teenagers.

What makes it worse is that having made so many sacrifices over the past eternity, the weary are vilified daily on radio and television for coming up short.

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The level of doom being intravenously fed to the nation by RTE on an hourly basis is presumably with the intention to inform. But in truth it is leading to paralysis and hysteria instead.

RTE might think of cheering us up every now and then instead of acting out its Nurse Ratched fetish at every turn.

Even an attempted coup in Washington  possibly one of the more significant stories of this or any other decade  had to take second place to Covid on the main evening news last week. Its an obsession.

Hard to salvage hope from that sort of bleak national consensus.

Ill park mine until I can put it to good use.

Turns out Covid-19 also leads to a bout of brain rot

I have a stack of books in front of me as I write. Piled high in no particular order but with a particular purpose: they are background reading for my thesis which I should be prepping for but somehow cant. It used to be called procrastination, but in the age of Covid the condition has developed a level of acceptance or even respectability.

So much so in fact that universities like Trinity have been on to their students, undergrads and postgrads alike, offering loose or endless extensions on submissions. Seemingly as well as everything else, this pandemic is causing brain rot. The moment you post any academic information between your ears it turns to mush and cant be retrieved. Ill snap out of it one of these days and begin to put shape on this monumental, ill-conceived project which is part of my life until September.

Not sure what day that might be though.

A look back at 1968 can teach us a thing or two

The bonkers scenes on Capitol Hill last week will live long in the memory. They were more like the opening scenes of a dodgy dystopian movie. 2021 has already marked itself out as extraordinary.

But does it beat 1968 when both Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated and Chicago was rocked by those infamous counter-culture riots?

The ring-leaders were prosecuted the next year and The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix, starring Mark Rylance and Eddie Redmayne, is a timely reminder that America has always been at odds with itself  and often violently.

Timely watch.
A MS-13 gang member wanted for murdering his ex-girlfriend in front of their daughter in California shot himself dead as cops swarmed in to arrest him in Texas.

Herbert Nixon Flores, 46, had been at large since last Wednesday after a surveillance camera captured the horrific moment he executed Karen Ruiz, 31, in the driveway of a home in Pacoima, California, where she was dropping off their three-year-old girl.

The Irving Police Department said the FBI Fugitive Task Force from Los Angeles had pinned Flores' location to Arlington, where he was visiting family members.

Agents saw Flores getting in a vehicle Saturday and driving towards Dallas as the Dallas Police Air Unit and cops on the ground tracked his movements.

Herbert Nixon Flores died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Saturday in Dallas moments before cops were set to arrest him for murdering Karen Ruiz, the mother of his three-year-old daughter, in Pacoima, California, last Wednesday

Still image from a surveillance camera shows the moment Herbert Nixon Flores (left) aims his gun at Karen Ruiz (left) before he killed her last Wednesday in Pacoima, California

Flores noticed he was being tailed by the police and abandoned his vehicle. He then starting walking and shot himself with a handgun as cop cars pulled up.

The Irving Police Department said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Video footage of the chilling murder released by the Los Angeles Police Department last week shows Ruiz reaching into the backseat where her daughter was sitting last before Flores suddenly pulls up behind her SUV.

Ruiz leaves her child in the vehicle and runs towards the front door entrance crying for help. Flores finally catches up to her and fires at least six shots and escapes.

Karen Ruiz drove to a home in Pacoima, California, last Wednesday to drop off her three-year-old child with the babysitter. She ran to the home's front door entrance to seek help when she was her ex-boyfriend Herbert Nixon Flores before he shot her dead

Herbert Nixon Flores is filmed aiming his gun at his ex-girlfriend Karen Ruiz before he shot her six times

A frightened Karen Ruiz is seen on camera sprinting toward the door before her ex-boyfriend and father of her three-year-old daughter shot her dead last Wednesday in Pacoima, California

A man in the background can be heard saying in Spanish, 'he killed her, he killed her,' while other children and adults screamed.

Ruiz's daughter is currently in the care of family and is safe, according to police.

Los Angeles Detective Sharon Kim told KTLA that Flores, a citizen of El Salvador, had a history of domestic violence.

Flores had also stalked Ruiz for several months before he killed her.

Authorities last Friday charged him with murder, child endangerment and shooting at an inhabited dwelling or occupied car.

'The relationship was violent,' Kim said. 'She had several reports made against him over the years and most recently she took out a restraining order against him due to some violent acts he committed against her.'
The post-Brexit fisheries deal pleases no one, an Irish MEP has claimed.

The agreement actually pleases no one, despite the UK governments claims that it has taken back control, Green MEP Grace OSullivan told the European Parliaments fisheries committee yesterday. The UK fishing industry was sold a lie and now we will all suffer from this.

The EU and UK agreed a last-minute trade deal on Christmas Eve, including a 25pc cut in the value of EU stocks in UK waters from mid-2026.

But MEPs are worried the UK will withdraw access for EU fishermen beyond 25pc once the five-and-a-half year phase-in period is up.

The head of the Parliaments fisheries committee, French MEP Pierre Karleskind, questioned the UKs good faith in sticking to the deal. Weve all had some doubts on the durability and sustainability of this good faith, Mr Karleskind said.

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The Irish Fish Producers Association (IFPO) is also concerned that UK authorities are using Brexit to reignite a row over Rockall.

Last week, Scottish authorities boarded an Irish vessel fishing in waters off the uninhabitable rock in the north-east Atlantic.

They are, lets say, because of Brexit, going to try and enforce it going forward, the IFPOs chief executive officer, John Ward, told the Irish Independent. Its a problem for Ireland and its a problem for the EU."

A European Commission official said the trade deal ensures stable access for EU fishing vessels, even after 2026, and that the bloc can take measures to retaliate if this is not the case.

Charlina Vitcheva, the Commissions director-general for fisheries, said the UK side had escalated unmanageable expectations that had contaminated the talks.

The Brits were struggling very hard to have the possibility to deny access [to EU vessels], she said yesterday. And if they decide to, we are capable, with compensatory measures, to deter this possibility.

Although the deal is being applied provisionally until February 28, it needs approval by a majority of the blocs 705 MEPs before it can become law.

Parliamentary committees began their scrutiny of the deal this week, and are looking at a possible vote in March. This means they would have to secure an extension to the provisional application.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael senator Sean Kyne has warned that smaller Irish ports will suffer because theyre no longer allowed to land UK catches under the trade deal.

As a non-EU country, UK trawlers can now only land catches at Ireland's two international ports  Killybegs in Donegal and Castletownbere in Cork  but there are more than 30 small ports around the country that landed fish up to now.

These new restrictions regarding the landing of catches by UK trawlers are making the Brexit situation even more challenging for Irish coastal communities, particularly those involved in seafood processing, Mr Kyne said in a statement.

Every effort needs to be made to change this rule.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Belfast: In the last weeks of 2020, Ireland had one of the lowest coronavirus cases per capita in the European Union. Now it has the highest in the world.

While countries across Europe battle a third wave, in Ireland, the trajectory in recent weeks isn't just an upward curve: it's the path of a rocket ship.

Going into Christmas week, Ireland was reporting 10 new coronavirus cases each day per 100,000 residents - compared to about 66 cases per 100,000 residents in the United States. But three weeks later, Ireland is reporting more than 132 new cases per 100,000, according to the latest seven-day rolling average compiled by Johns Hopkins University, while the United States has risen less dramatically, to about 75 cases per 100,000.

"I think we've run out of adjectives to describe how serious this is," Irish health chief Paul Reid said.
~ Lineage Link, powered by Turvo, is the temperature-controlled logistics industrys first technology solution that enables actionable insight and control across the entire supply chain ~



~ Turvos software provides Lineage customers with unprecedented visibility to their inventory, orders and shipments, enabling data-driven decision-making in todays competitive and fast-paced environment ~



Lineage Logistics, LLC (Lineage or the Company), the worlds largest and most innovative temperature-controlled industrial REIT and logistics solutions provider, today announced the launch of Lineage Link through a partnership with Turvo, a leading provider of collaborative logistics software designed for global supply chains.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005430/en/

Lineage Link, powered by Turvo, is a unified and fully integrated supply-chain technology solution that seamlessly connects the Lineage network, driving collaboration, performance and efficiency for all supply chain participants. The platform gives customers an unprecedented level of insight and control to enable more agile and informed decisions, providing visibility across locations, orders, inventories, transportation and warehouse appointment scheduling.

Lineage will deploy Turvos technology at over 200 facilities by 2021 and ultimately across the majority of its global network of over 330 facilities in 15 countries spanning North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Our partnership with Turvo, which has enabled our rollout of Lineage Link, provides our customers with a transformative logistics solution to engage, manage and optimize their end-to-end supply chain, said Sudarsan Thattai, Lineages Chief Information Officer. Part of Lineages purpose is to transform the food supply chain, and with our industry-leading Lineage Link platform, were able to do just that by extending process automation into our network for deeper collaboration and visibility.

Turvos technology allows warehouses across Lineages network to share assets, such as customer service personnel, across multiple warehouse management systems (WMS) and forms a foundation that can ingest data into a single repository then distribute it across multiple applications.

We are working with Lineage to eliminate barriers in the supply chain created by antiquated, siloed technology, said Scott Lang, Chairman and CEO of Turvo, Inc. Our continued innovation will further digitize the Lineage network and validate Lineages position as a technology powerhouse at the forefront of supply chain efficiencies and transformation.

Learn more about Lineage Link, powered by Turvo, here.

About Lineage Logistics

Lineage is the worlds largest and most innovative temperature-controlled industrial REIT and logistics solutions provider. Lineages expertise in end-to-end logistical solutions, its unrivaled real estate network, and its use of technology combine to promote food safety, increase distribution efficiency, advance sustainability, lessen environmental impact, and minimize supply chain waste. As a result, Lineage helps customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small family-owned businesses increase the efficiency and protect the integrity of their temperature-controlled supply chain. Lineage has grown its cubic feet by 60% annually since 2008 to 1.9 billion cubic feet, making it the largest global temperature-controlled industrial REIT. In recognition of the companys leading innovations, Lineage was recognized as the No 1. Data Science company on Fast Companys Annual list of The Worlds Most Innovative Companies in 2019, in addition to ranking 23rd overall in an evaluation of thousands of companies worldwide. (www.lineagelogistics.com)

About Turvo

Turvo is the first multi-enterprise collaborative platform specifically designed for the global supply chain. Turvo connects people and organizations allowing shippers, logistics providers and carriers to digitally transform their workflows with cloud-based software and mobile applications. The technology unifies all systems, internal and external, providing one end-to-end platform to execute all operations and analytics while eliminating redundant manual tasks and automating business processes. Turvo customers include some of the worlds largest, fortune 500 logistics service providers, shippers and freight brokers. Turvo is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in Dallas, Texas, and Hyderabad, India. (www.turvo.com)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005430/en/
A chilling death threat has been made against two UK-based theatre directors  by the last dictatorship in Europe

Natalia Kaliada, 47, and her husband Nicolai Khalezin, 56, fled Belarus a decade ago when their theatre group enraged strongman president Alexander Lukashenko.

Despite gaining British citizenship, they have now been told by an official Belarus newspaper they will be hunted down and hanged side by side.

Natalia Kaliada, 47, and her husband Nicolai Khalezin, 56, (pictured in 2015) fled Belarus a decade ago when their theatre group enraged strongman president Alexander Lukashenko

The couple, who live in London, are well aware that Belaruss ally Russia has previously carried out killings in Britain. After being given asylum in the UK, writer Miss Kaliada and former diplomat Mr Khalezin have continued campaigning for democracy in Belarus, a former Soviet republic bordering Poland.

The underground drama group the couple helped create, Belarus Free Theatre, continues to stage secret shows in the countrys capital Minsk. It has put on performances around the world to fight for freedom.

Supporters include Sherlock Holmes actor Jude Law and playwright Tom Stoppard. Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and ex-foreign secretary Lord Hague have also backed the group. However, the couple cannot relax despite now being 1,200 miles from Minsk.

They are now calling for the UK Government to step up sanctions against president Alexander Lukashenko (pictured in 2019) and his regime to include those who help finance Belarus

Over Christmas, Belaruss main government-supporting newspaper carried an article threatening them. The piece in Sovietska Belarus said: We will definitely find you...and we will hang you side by side.

Miss Kaliada told the Mail: Death threats were always part of our life  we were announced as public enemies on TV in Belarus ten years ago  but this is the first time the main columnist of Sovietska Belarus is using such language. Our close friends have been kidnapped and killed  some poisoned. And the question is how connected to Moscow is Belarus?

She insisted: I have a simple response to whats been written in Belarus  if they are making death threats against us, it means we are doing the right thing. We will continue to do so. Miss Kaliada added: Clearly, weve become a target... its getting more tense.

Lukashenko, 66, (pictured last August) who has been in power for 26 years, is reported to have set up a 1million assassination slush fund in 2012 to pay for attacks overseas

We have British citizenship so theyre threatening citizens of other countries  and the UK needs to take responsibility. They are now calling for the UK Government to step up sanctions against Lukashenko and his regime to include those who help finance Belarus.

Miss Kaliada noted that Russia had defied international laws and conventions to launch attacks on British soil. In 2018 assassins used deadly nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in a failed bid to kill former spy Sergei Skripal, 67. Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died after she handled a discarded perfume bottle containing the poison.

In 2006 former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko died after radioactive polonium-210 it was put in his tea at a London hotel. Miss Kaliada said: People somehow continue to be killed and poisoned here.

Lukashenko, 66, who has been in power for 26 years, is reported to have set up a 1million assassination slush fund in 2012 to pay for attacks overseas. Miss Kaliada said four opposition members had disappeared since 1999 and she pointed to the staged suicide of Belarus journalist Oleg Bebenin in 2010.

She stressed: Knowing what Lukashenko already did to our friends, we feel like anything could happen. And while Lukashenko has money to pay hired killers he will do so.

Thats why were appealing to the UK Government to not just condemn Lukashenko, but impose sanctions on his regime and those who finance it.

The campaigner said the Foreign Office told her to speak to police about the death threat. A Foreign Office spokesman said: The UK condemns the intimidation and persecution of Belarusian political opposition figures by Lukashenkos regime.
It's a presidential visit to Texas that's been widely criticized, scrutinized, and for some, feared.

In his last presidential visit, President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Alamo, Texas on Tuesday in an attempt to mark the incomplete construction of his long-promised border wall. Despite facing a second impeachment for inciting insurrection on Jan. 6, Trump will arrive Tuesday morning in the Rio Grande Valley.

It's a move that has Texas on edge and tensions "running dangerously high," according to Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez.

"I urge both sides to keep passions in check because ultimately the Rio Grand Valley has a unique opportunity to demonstrate to the world that peaceful public discourse is more effective than public violence," Cortez tweeted ahead of the presidential visit.

TRUMP'S VISIT TO TEXAS: Should Trump head to Texas after facing impeachment for an insurrection?

Texas Rep. Vincente Gonzalez of McAllen also weighed in about Trump's visit.

"This is a time for good South Texas American pride to beam into our communities and to not allow ourselves to be used like an old rag by a modern day traitor," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez added that Texans should not be deceived about President Trump's motive for the trip.

"Don't be fooled: President Trump does not care about the people of South Texas, this country, or the rule of law," Gonzalez added. "This individual fomented an attack on the United States Capitol and American democracy."

Community activist group, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) sounded off, mobilizing a petition to cancel Trump's visit.

"Border communities rightly see his trip as an immediate threat to community safety and security," LUPE's Facebook post stated.

Sign our petition: lupenet.org/cancel President Trump will reportedly make a trip to the Rio Grande Valley this Tuesday... Posted by La Union del Pueblo Entero - LUPE on Sunday, January 10, 2021

What is most concerning is that after a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump decides to make an "optics" visit that has Texans rightfully concerned, according to University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus.

"It's a serious worry. I don't think we aren't going to see the same kind of organized violence that we saw in Washington, D.C.," Rottinghaus told Chron. "I think the violence we're likely to see will pop up in all sorts of places that weren't expected, and that's the real danger in the future."

Rottinghaus said that as long as Trump remains in the presidency, he has the potential to continue to fuel false claims of winning the presidential election.

"He's still president. He can still make these unsubstantiated claims which could potentially lead to violent outbreaks from his supporters," Rottinghaus said. "That threat is still very real as long as he is the president. "

During the Trump administration, taxpayers spent $12.7 billion on the border wall. It's anticipated that Trump will take credit for building 450 miles of the border wall during his visit. However, the border wall remains unfinished, with only less than 40 miles of newly constructed fence, Rottinghaus said.

"He can claim very little credit for the border wall," Rottinghaus said. "This was a presidential pet project. As a result, it was left mostly undone."
The IT major said it will acquire GE's stake in Tata Consultancy Services Saudi Arabia for a cash consideration of $12,471.

On 24 September 2013, TCS had announced the creation of a first of its kind All-Women Business Process Services Center in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), in partnership with GE. Over the past seven years, the center has expanded from 20 to almost 1000 women employees and won several awards.

Given GE's planned exit from this partnership, the partners have entered into a definitive agreement subject to closing conditions for transfer of GE's stake in the venture to TCS. On completion of required governance and business changes to effect this transition, TCS will assume full responsibility of the Women's Center, securing its viability in the longer term and allowing it to continue to serve as a source of opportunity and skills development for women in the country.

Post transaction, TCS will hold 100% stake in Tata Consultancy Services Saudi Arabia. The transaction will be executed within a period of 3-6 months.

The IT major reported 16.4% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 8,701 crore on a 4.7% increase in revenue to Rs 42,015 crore in Q3 December 2020 (Q3 FY21) over Q2 September 2020 (Q2 FY20). The company announced its Q3 results on Friday, 8 January 2021.

The company's consolidated net profit has grown by 7.2% and revenue has risen by 5.4% in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20.

Shares of TCS fell 0.25% to Rs 3,167.05. TCS is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization.

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SPRINGFIELD  Two strip clubs in the citys downtown would be replaced by a housing complex and a neighborhood grocery store under a proposal by a New York development company.

Hammad Graham, a managing member of Brooklyn-based Brisa Developer LLC, said there is a letter of intent for the purchase of the 5th Alarm building at 775 Worthington St. and its parking lot across the street, and the Center Stage property at 265-267 Dwight St. Both sites house strip clubs that have been closed nearly a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company is proposing to demolish the 5th Alarm building, converting it to parking, and building a 73-unit housing complex at the vacant lot across the street, Graham said.

The Center Stage building would be either renovated or demolished to make way for a small hybrid supermarket selling basic groceries and prepared lunches and dinners, he said.

The 5th Alarm Lounge at 775 Worthington St. in Springfield, Jan. 12, 2021. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

The properties are currently owned by James Santaniello of Longmeadow, under BSC Realty.

I feel good about the plans, Graham said. Everything requires community input and support. I think its a benefit to the community and not a detriment at all.

The purchase plans are not final. The company wants to get input from city officials regarding the need and potential for a zone change at the 5th Alarm site to allow the housing development.

Graham said the next step is a larger conversation with the city regarding whether local officials support the concept.

Daniel Kelly, a lawyer representing BSC Realty, declined comment.

Brisas proposed housing complex at the 5th Alarm site would include affordable and workforce housing. Other housing seems to be a reasonable distance from the proposed development, Graham said.

Brisa Development is the development arm of Brisa Builders Corp., which has been involved in residential and senior housing and mixed-use development with commercial and retail space.

Graham has local ties: he is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Most of company developments are in metro New York  but given his background in Western Massachusetts, Graham said, I always wanted to come back.

Graham said he has projects in various stages in pre-development in Massachusetts; but, he said, Springfield has been a challenging market for me to gain transaction in.

My hope is that this project could garner some community support if folks are made aware of it and be a successful first development for Brisa in Springfield, Graham said.

Brisa projects include a supportive housing complex on Cornaga Avenue in Queens, New York; the Ebenezer Plaza affordable and workforce housing project in Brooklyn; and the planned Genmore Manor Site B affordable housing project in Brooklyn.

Given the ongoing pandemic, Graham said he does not know if multiple strip clubs in a small geographic area is viable.

Santaniello is also the owner of the Mardi Gras property on Taylor Street in the downtown, and there is an additional strip club under different ownership on Chestnut Street.
Four Chiredzi villagers, including a woman and her 11-month-old daughter who were last Thursday swept away while trying to cross the flooded Mutirikwi River are still missing amid fears they could have been eaten by crocodiles.

Mutirikwi is one of the most crocodile-infested rivers in the Lowveld and a search and rescue team combing the river for Kundai Chikwava (18), her daughter Shantell Hungwe and the Gambinya sisters Tryphine (14) and Tamuka (7) who were swept away in the river has failed to make much headway.

Only some human body parts that include parts of the thighs and ribs which matched Tryphine have been located.

The Chiredzi Civil Protection Unit (CPU) handed over the recovered body parts to Tryphines relatives and they interred them at her parents home at Village 8, Chiredzi North.

CPU Chiredzi chair and district development coordinator Mr Lovemore Chisema said besides the recovered body parts, nothing else has been found.

A search and rescue team combing the river since last Friday made little headway after covering an area stretching 7km along Mutirikwi River.

We have been doing an intensive search for the missing four persons who were swept away in Mutirikwi River and save for some human remains that matched Tryphine Gambinya, nothing was recovered by the search team that comprised the police and villagers, said Mr Chisema.

The search operation has been going on since Friday and we have since informed the national CPU about our progress to date after covering 7km along the river and there is unanimity that we have done our best.

Mr Chisema said while the search has not yet been officially terminated, indications were that the missing persons would not be found.

We will still continue to undertake some isolated searches for the missing persons, but we suspect that their remains might have been eaten by crocodiles because the river is heavily infested with the reptiles.

Besides crocodiles, Mr Chisema disclosed that the search effort was also being hampered by the rivers width which was also heavily braided making the search more complicated and cumbersome.

He paid tribute to local villagers for joining the search party while reserving special tribute to companies such as Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe for also lending a hand.

The four were swept away on Thursday morning after water levels in Mutirikwi River suddenly soared while they were trying to cross from Ward 28 in Chiredzi West to Ward 16 in Chiredzi North constituency.

Four others, Sarah Mhloro (33) of Village 8 in Marapira and her three other children Tracy (15), Belinda (12) and Talent (3) Gambinya were lucky after they were airlifted by an Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopter from an island where they were marooned on Friday afternoon.

Police and rescue teams speaking to Mhloro and her daughters after she was rescued by AFZ in Mutirikwi River.

Mhloro, who is also mother to Tryphine and Tamuka, spent more than 24 hours stuck on the island while waiting for help.

Trouble started after a weir along Mutirikwi spilled following heavy rains, spawning floods downstream that swept away four people leaving Mhloro and her children marooned.

Besides rescuing Mhloro and her children the same AFZ helicopter also airlifted three Chivi villagers from Shindi area who had been marooned on a huge rock along Runde River.

Every year several villagers lose their lives in the Lowveld after being swept away by flooded rivers that would have burst their banks. Herald
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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -Chakana Copper Corp. (TSXV: PERU) (OTCQB: CHKKF) (FSE: 1ZX) (the "Company" or "Chakana"), is pleased to announce that will be conducting a Town Hall Meeting on January 13, 2021.

Mr. David Kelley, CEO of Chakana will update stakeholders on recent high-grade results at its Soledad Discovery Project in Peru, including Paloma East and West and Huancarama targets as well as overall strategy for the Company.

The webinar will be interactive and will be hosted by Follow the Money Investor Group. All stakeholders and interested investors are welcome to tune in and participate with questions. The playback will then be available on the Company's website. To participate in the Town Hall Meeting please register here: https://www.bigmarker.com/ftmig1/Chakana-Copper-Town-Hall-Discussion?utm_bmcr_source=peru.

About Chakana Copper

Chakana Copper Corp is a Canadian-based minerals exploration company that is currently advancing the high-grade gold-copper-silver Soledad Project located in the Ancash region of Peru, a highly favorable mining jurisdiction with supportive communities. The Soledad Project consists of high-grade gold-copper-silver mineralization hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes. A total of 33,353 metres of drilling has been completed to-date, testing 10 of twenty-three confirmed breccia pipes with more than 92 total targets. Chakana's investors are uniquely positioned as the Soledad Project provides exposure to several metals including copper, gold, and silver. For more information on the Soledad project, please visit the website at www.chakanacopper.com.

About Follow the Money Investor Group

Follow the Money Investor Group is an investor focused digital marketing company that provides the content and information needed for investors to navigate the ever-changing capital markets. Our global community uses our platform to discuss and collaborate daily on all facets of their current and potential investments. Our goal is to help retail investors make the right financial decisions that fit their individual needs.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

(signed) "David Kelley"

David Kelley

President and CEO

For further information contact:

Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

Phone: 647 964 0292

Email: jjobin@chakanacopper.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71783
A former Miss Supercar finalist was released early from hotel quarantine thanks to a loophole signed off by the Victorian Government.

Gemma Mai, 35, flew into Melbourne Airport on January 3, and was detained by health authorities as she had been in NSW in the past 14 days.

The mother-of-one from Tweed Heads, one street away from the Queensland border, move in to a hotel on the Gold Coast under the belief she could fly to Melbourne a few days later.

After Victoria slammed shut its border on January 1, Ms Mai was informed at airport arrivals she would be forced into hotel quarantine, at a cost of $3,000.

Gemma Mail (pictured above) 'couldn't believe' she was in hotel quarantine after Victoria closed its border on January 1

Gemma Mai (pictured above) was in hotel quarantine for two weeks in Melbourne following a 'border fail'

Gemma Mai (pictured above) is free to return home after the Victorian Government opened its border to regional NSW

But her situation finally changed on Monday night, when the Victorian Government opened its border to regional NSW under the recently introduced 'traffic light' hotspot system, leaving her free to return home.

After her 'border fail', Ms Mai now plans to spend a few days relaxing in Melbourne to 'get her head around it all', before returning home to her 11-year-old son and family.

'I have had to talk to six different people from six different departments to get to this point,' Mai told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'I couldn't believe I was put into quarantine in the first place. I feel relieved, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.'

Ms Mai unsuccessfully argued her case after her arrival in Melbourne, before she was taken to a hotel in Docklands, just outside the CBD.

'When I got to the hotel, you walk into the hotel lobby and there's about 15 different people all in PPE. And they're all looking at you like you're a criminal. And it's very confronting and very overwhelming,' Ms Mai told Daily Mail Australia.

'You proceed up the stairs and they give you a sticker with your room number. I was ready for someone to walk out and hand me a green jumpsuit like I was going to jail.'

Ms Mai said the tears started flowing as soon as the reality kicked in - she was spending 14 days in a hotel without human contact.

'I got into the lift. As much as I was trying to crack a few jokes to make light of the situation, as soon as the doors closed I burst into tears. The reality had definitely kicked in,' she said.

Ms Mai had only planned to be in Melbourne for a few days before returning home to her son and job as a clerical manager at a radiology

Ms Mai was provided with a Detention Notice on arrival at Melbourne Airport on Sunday as she was directed to hotel quarantine

Ms Mai, a former Miss Supercars finalist, said prior to her being on the Gold Coast, she had only been at her home, work and her parents home nearby

When reflecting on her frustrating situation in hotel quarantine, Ms Mai revealed she had not seen any information before her flight saying her travel plans would result in her being refused entry.

'I kept up to date with everything knowing if I'd be able to travel. As soon as I found out that Victoria was closing their borders to NSW and had to be out by 11.59pm on January 1, I got out,' she said.

Ms Mai, who is a clerical manager at a radiologist, said she had not been to a known coronavirus hotspot area before travelling to Queensland for her trip to Melbourne.

'I had not been anywhere. I had only been to my place of work, my house and my parents house, which is located not very far from me,' she said.

Ms Mai said she found the situation at Melbourne Airport to be 'confronting' and officials provided her with little information other than 'you'll have to go into 14 days hotel quarantine'.

On the second morning of her hotel quarantine, Ms Mai was provided with a letter informing her Victoria was reviewing the circumstances of people returning from New South Wales

The former Miss Supercars finalist (pictured above) is now free to return home to her family in Tweed Heads in NSW

Her and two others who were told they had to quarantine were shocked by the decision.

She was provided with a detention notice that said she was a prohibited person under the NSW Border Scheme Directions, having arrived in Victoria after 11.59pm on December 20.

There was no option to immediately return to the Gold Coast, or NSW, she said.

She had planned to be in Melbourne for only a couple of days to see friends for personal reasons, before returning home to her 11-year-old son and job.

Victoria banned anyone from entering from New South Wales, even its own residents returning home, from 11.59pm on January 1.

'The state of NSW has been designated as a Red Zone and the Northern Beaches a Hot Zone,' the Victorian Government said.

'Victorians visiting New South Wales cannot return to Victoria unless an exception (eg resident of border community) or exemption applies.'

Victoria had first banned residents from the Greater Sydney area and the Central Coast from 11:59pm on December 20, before extending the ban to the entire state.

Under the Border Scheme Directions at the time, a person who resides in, or has visited, a state or territory other than NSW may only enter Victoria from NSW if the person if they have not been in NSW for the last 14 days, other than to transit to Victoria.

Millions of people will now be spared this rule so long as they have not been in Sydney and surrounds in the two weeks before entering Victoria.
This adorable dog has beautiful, long eyelashes that some women would kill for.

Mabel, a one-year-old Cocker Spaniel, lives in Warwickshire with her owner Caitlin Baker, 20.

Caitlin, who usually works as an eyelash technician, is currently out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic and the present lockdown, and spends most of her time at home with Mabel.

Thankfully for her, the Spaniel boasts an impressive pair of lashes of her own, which are completely natural, and have earned her 2.3 million likes on TikTok.

The pooch charms anyone she meets with her luscious lashes, which make her look more doe-eyed than any Disney Princess.

Mabel, a one-year-old Cocker Spaniel who lives in Warwickshire with her owner Caitlin Baker, 20, catches everyone's attention thanks to her beautiful lashes

Caitlin, who works as a lash technician, can't get enough of her pooch's beautiful eyes with generous lashes.

Can dogs have naturally long eyelashes? Just like humans, dogs have eyelashes to protect their eyes. When they dig, play outside or explore the park, their lashes are there to prevent them from external objects or debris that could otherwise lodge themselves under their eyelids. But unlike their ownners, a dog eyelashes are only found on their upper eyelid, not the lower part of the eye. Dogs' lashes can be trimmed, but if they are no bother to the dog, they should be left alone to make sure their eyes receive the proper amount of protection. They will grow back if trimmed. Long-haired pooches, like Cocker Spaniels, are more likely to have long eyelashes than others. Other breeds known for their envious lashes are Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus and Poodles. The Guinness World Record holder for longest eyelashes as of 2014 is an Australian Labradoodle in Tokyo, Japan named Ranmaru, whose eyelash measured 17 centimetres. Source: Pawleaks.com Advertisement

A video shows demure Mabel giving Caitlin's camera innocent looks and batting her eye-lashes.

Caitlin first laid eyes on Mabel a year ago and instantly fell in love with the adorable puppy.

It was love at first sight for the lash technician and her partner when they first visited.

Upon noticing Mabel's pretty lashes, Caitlin said she fell in love with her even further.

Nap time! Mabel gives her owner Caitlin a playful look as she unwinds on the bed after a long day of looking adorable

Ready for my close up! Caitlin said she fell in love with Mabel the moment she saw her a year ago

Mabel's lashes are so long, they can be admired from a distance, and give the Cocker a coy look

'When we first saw her we fell in love with her and then noticed her lashes and instantly loved her even more,' Caitlin said.

And while the owner could gaze into her pooch's eyes all day, she is not the only one.

Mabel catches the attention of everyone she meets thanks to her otherworldly lashes.

'People think shes amazing and often say she looks like Cindy Lou who from The Grinch which is my favourite Christmas movie,' Caitlin said

Cindy Lou Who, who is the main female lead in the festive classic starring Jim Carrey, is known for her long, arches lashes.

The character in the 2000 movie is played by Taylor Momsen. However, while the child actor had to be propped with lashes extension to achieve the look, Mabel's own lashes are nothing but authentic.

Gaze into my eyes! Caitlin is currently not working due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions

Mabel, pictured rubbing her eyes, left and napping, right, is an adorable Cocker Spaniel from Warwickshire

Mabel, pictured, was compared to Cindy Lou Who, the little girl from the Grinch played by Taylor Momsen, who has world-defying lashes

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A mother who woke up from a coma to learn her two sons had allegedly been mowed down by an unlicensed driver begged to borrow her friend's phone so she could thank friends and family for sending her messages of support.

Shaylene Frail, 34, suffered spinal and leg injuries after Jacob Steven Donn's out-of-control vehicle allegedly hit and killed her sons Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, in a horror crash in Wellington, central NSW, on January 5.

The 25-year-old driver allegedly fled the scene following the crash, which also saw the boys' family friend Mataya Ah See, 10, lose a leg.

After having plates and screws inserted into her left knee during surgery, Ms Frail stunned doctors by managing to sit up in her hospital chair and smile for a photo while doing a magazine crossword.

'You can imagine my surprise when I walked in and found her sitting up in a chair not long after surgery. Even the doctors are amazed at her strength and resilience,' the young mother's friend Bec Clarke said on Monday night.

Ms Clarke shared a moving photo of the mother smiling beside her hospital bed and revealed she had begged to borrow her phone so she could thank friends and family for sending their well wishes on Facebook.

In a Facebook thread, Ms Clarke offered heartfelt replies to dozens of people, writing to one woman: 'I gotta keep fighting to make my babies proud.'

Ms Clarke said she ended up having to take the phone off her 'as she would have been sitting up all night on it.'

Shaylene Frail stunned doctors by sitting upright in her hospital chair after surgery. She lost her sons Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, in a horror crash but her first thought was to thank friends and family for sending in well wishes

Jacob Steven Donn, 25, broke down in tears as he was refused bail in Dubbo Local Court. He is facing 14 charges over a horror crash at Wellington, in central western NSW, last Tuesday

'Shay knows the hardest part is yet to come but knows she has the love and support of her family, friends, community and even strangers,' Ms Clarke added.

'She really does want to thank everyone personally for their well wishes and support during this tough time.'

Donn sobbed as he was refused bail in Dubbo Local Court on Tuesday, charged with 14 offences including dangerous driving occasioning death.

He had allegedly been doing skids and burnouts in the moments before the crash.

Police prosecutor Michelle Bartlett said in court that he had been deliberately driving poorly and had 'a clear disregard for the rules'.

'The actions of the accused  were intentional,' she said, The Dubbo News reports.

Donn's defence lawyer Ivy Johnson told the court her client had taken responsibility for his actions and accepted he was the driver.

She said despite the allegations he had fled the scene, he had not skipped town.

But Magistrate Theresa Hamilton refused his bail application, telling the court that it was fair to consider Donn a potential flight risk.

Brothers Sheldon, six, and Shane Shorey, 7, (pictured, left) were killed instantly when a car allegedly driven by Donn mounted the gutter and hit them with considerable force in Wellington, NSW

Police allege Donn was performing burnouts on Warne Street when he lost control, mounted the gutter and hit the group of five pedestrians

'Although he has a very limited history as an adult, it is a matter of concern that he has been dealt with previously for unlicensed driving,' she told the court.

'In view of his failure to respect the fact that he has no licence and is not allowed to drive, there is also a risk he will commit further serious offences and endanger the safety of the community.

'The facts outline dangerous manoeuvres being undertaken by the defendant prior to the impact. It seems to me in all the circumstances there are risks that he would fail to appear if given bail.'

Donn was supported in court by his great-grandmother Dawn Donn, who had taken him in as a young boy and raised him, and his great-aunt Tracey.

Outside court Mrs Donn told The ABC: 'I love him and I support him. I miss him every minute of every day.'

Mrs Donn last week told Daily Mail Australia her great-grandson had visited her just an hour before the crash.

'I'm devastated, I'm so sorry for those boys and Jacob is too. He loves kids,' she said.

'I've spoken to him on the phone, he's rung me twice. He's upset, he's crying all the time.

'He was here yesterday about 3pm to 4.30pm... it was like normal, and when he came here yesterday we told him get out of the car, you should not be driving, but he didn't listen.

Joseph Shorey (pictured above) visits the scene where his two sons were killed last Tuesday

On what should have been Shane's eight birthday party, his family and friends farewelled the little boy at a local pool in Dubbo on Friday

Family and friends gathered together for an emotional farewell to Shane Shorey who was killed in a horror car crash on Tuesday

Mr Shorey had last seen his sons on Monday when they told him they loved him and would see him in just a few weeks upon their return to Queensland, where they lived

'He's so sad. He is a kind loving boy, he's only got us. I might not ever get to see him in this home ever again if he goes to jail.'

Shayleen Frail and her sons, Shane and Sheldon, had just left the Wellington Leisure Centre when they were allegedly hit by an out-of-control Holden sedan being driven by Donn.

Mrs Frail was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in Sydney, while Shane and Sheldon died at the scene.

Their 10-year-old family friend was also airlifted to Sydney where he underwent surgery to amputate his leg.

Another child, 9, somehow suffered only minor injuries in the crash.

At the scene last Wednesday, just 24 hours after the crash, Joseph Shorey visited and paid an emotional tribute to his two sons.

Mr Shorey had last seen his sons on Monday when they told him they loved him and would see him in just a few weeks upon their return to Queensland, where they lived.

'I only saw them the day before and they gave me big hugs and cuddles and said: "Dad, we love you, we'll see you on the 17th",' Mr Shorey said.

'Now I've lost my two youngest boys.

'Sheldon was a little show off, always being like "look at me, look at me", but he's a little cutey - all the girls loved him.'

Shayleen Frail was trapped up against a fence by the Holden as she walked from the pool with her two sons, a family friend, and another boy. She remains in hospital in a stable condition

Wellington residents lay flowers and toys at the scene in Warne St where Shane and Sheldon were killed

The tragedy has shocked the tight-knit community in country New South Wales where locals flocked to the scene with balloons and teddy bears

Donn had never held a drivers licence but still allegedly got behind the wheel of this Holden sedan on Tuesday afternoon

Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, had been in Wellington to visit their mother after spending Christmas at home in Queensland with their father (The pair are pictured, left, at a Santa photo with their dad and stepmother)

Last Friday, on what would have been Sheldon's eighth birthday, his family gathered at the Dubbo Pool to celebrate in his memory.

Balloons spelling out his name were released into the sky and his father told those in attendance it was the party he had dreamed of.

In heartwarming footage shared to Facebook, Mr Shorey lit the candles on his late son's birthday cake while other children in the group sang Happy Birthday.

A GoFundMe page set up to assist Mr Shorey pay for funerals for his two boys has so far seen more than $23,500 donated.

Devastated dad visits the scene where his two young sons were killed Sheldon and Shane Shorey's father, Joseph Shorey, making a brave visit to the scene, told media gathered he had a very simple message for hoons: 'It's not cool, and it's left two of my sons dead.' Confronting pictures show Mr Shorey with his head in his hands after arriving with friends and family, before falling to his knees and inspecting the tributes from locals. Balloons, teddy bears and flowers adorned the tragic scene, with the local community in tatters over the deaths - which saw neighbours rush to free the trapped family from under a car. After driving through the night from his home in Queensland, Mr Shorey and family members visited the crash site late on Wednesday. They hugged, cried, laughed, prayed and played some of the boys' favourite music. Afterwards he bravely spoke about his two sons, remembering their precious lives that were cut short. The boys' father Joseph Shorey (pictured in blue) made an emotional visit to the scene on Wednesday He also hit out at the allegations Dunn was doing burnouts and donuts in the street in the moments before the crash, telling hoon drivers: 'It's not cool' He also hit out at the allegations Dunn was doing burnouts and donuts in the street in the moments before the crash, telling hoon drivers: 'It's not cool'. 'That is not cool, all you young fellas out there doing that, it's not cool, because there are consequences if you do something stupid and wrong,' Mr Shorey said. 'Don't drive around stupid, drive around smart. You want to do donuts go and join a race club and do them there. Don't do them on the streets. 'Sheldon's only six, he'll be seven next month on the 12th. Shane was only seven, he was turning eight on Friday... two more days.' Family and friends gathered to support the family of two young boys killed in the horror crash Advertisement

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PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Ingalls Shipbuilding announced the start of fabrication of the Pascagoula shipyards 37th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129).

The start of fabrication is the initial milestone in the construction of a ship, signifying the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

The start of fabrication for one of the U.S. Navys most critical assets is always a significant milestone for our shipbuilders, said Ingalls president Brian Cuccias. We look forward to leveraging our unparalleled shipbuilding expertise to construct the nations newest, most capable destroyer.

DDG 129 is named in honor of Jeremiah Denton, a Mobile, Ala., native and Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism while a prisoner of war.

Denton, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and classmate of future U.S. President Jimmy Carter, was shot down in North Vietnam in 1965 while serving as the commander of Attack Squadron 75 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence.

He endured eight years of brutal conditions in a Hanoi POW camp and, as one of the earliest and highest-ranking officers taken prisoner in North Vietnam, was forced to participate in a propaganda broadcast carried in the U.S.

While answering questions during the broadcast, Denton indicated having trouble with the bright television lights, but was actually blinking in Morse code the word T-O-R-T-U-R-E. It was the first confirmation to U.S. intelligence officials that American POWs were being tortured.

In February 1973, Denton was the first of all American POWs released by Hanoi to step off an American plane during Operation Homecoming. Denton would go on to a 34-year career as a Naval officer, retiring in November 1977 with the rank of Rear Admiral.

In 1980, Denton, a Republican, was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first retired Navy admiral elected to the Senate. He was also the first Republican to represent Alabama in the Senate since Reconstruction and the first Catholic elected to statewide office in the state.

Denton lost his bid for reelection to Richard Shelby in 1986. He died in Virginia Beach, Va., in March 2014 at the age of 89. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery along with his first wife, Kathryn Jane Maury, to whom he was married for 61 years before her death in 2007.

Mrs. Denton had served as the ships sponsor for the Aegis guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), built at Ingalls and christened in 1985 while Denton was serving in the Senate.

Ingalls has delivered 32 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. Other destroyers currently under construction include Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG 121), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) and Ted Stevens (DDG 128).
"There was a lot of DIY fun colors happing in 2020 since everyone was pretty much stuck at home. Silver-blonde, teal, and a lot of pink were a few of my top favorites," shared Garnier Celebrity Hair Colorist. Nikki Lee. "When trying new colors at home, it's important to make sure you're caring for your hair a bit extra. I like Garnier's Color Reviver Mask because it keeps your color fresh while also conditioning."

The survey, which delves into the hair color habits of 2,000 American women aged 18 and older, pinpointed that one in three women have dyed their hair for the first time at home during quarantine, and most commonly, and unsurprisingly, turned to Instagram (30%) or the internet (29%) to learn how.

"With so many people turning to at-home hair color during the shutdown, we wanted to ensure they had somewhere to turn for help. We utilized our social channels to share tutorial content as well as details of Garnier's various educational tools, such as our Virtual Shade Selector. We want to continue to be a resource and provide info wherever someone may be searching for it," says Greg Hui, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Garnier USA.

Garnier's study heralds the rise in at-home hair color sales from their collections, including Nutrisse and Olia. As 2020 closes, here is a breakdown of the trends in at-home hair color.

According to research, the average American woman feels that she has aged almost four years over the course of 2020 due to stress from the pandemic. This added stress manifested itself in many ways, including the appearance of new gray hair.

Nearly half of the women polled (42%) reported discovering new gray hair during quarantine

With more than half of women (52.32%) agreeing that they have gone gray faster during quarantine than they would have otherwise

Half of the women surveyed (50.37%) reported that they dyed their hair during quarantine to cover up grays

Why and how women chose to color their hair at home during quarantine varied. With women trying to keep up some sense of normalcy with their looks during the uncertain times, women did what they had to do to keep their hair color looking fresh.

Respondents reported various reasons for coloring their hair at home during quarantine, including grown out roots (17.86%) and color fade (15.36%), One in five women also reported that they colored their hair during quarantine for some needed change.

Four out of five women dyed their hair themselves for the first-time during quarantine (80%)

Women turned to various sources to learn how to color their hair at home for the first time, including Instagram (30.49%), online websites (29.2%), and YouTube (23.5%)

With quarantine lasting longer than many expected, women had to do their best to determine when and how often to color their hair at home.

Since the start of quarantine, more than half (88%) of women say they have dyed their hair at home multiple times (more than once)

Women were eager to maintain their color early into quarantine, with one in three women (31%) first dying their hair at home between 3 and 4 weeks at home, about a quarter (25.04%) first dying at 5 to 6 weeks in, and one-fifth (19.08%) of women holding out until 7 and 8 weeks.

Oftentimes, the most difficult part of coloring hair at home is determining the right product.

Women used their time at home to try new products and shades they might not have otherwise. Nearly half of respondents (42.7%) reported trying a new brand of at-home hair dye than they have used before, and about a third of women (37.2%) reported that they tried a color that they might not have otherwise because they were at home.

Various factors are considered when deciding on what brand of hair color to use at home. First and foremost, nearly half of women considered the price and value of the brand (48.9%) followed by how long the color would last (44.5%). Next, about a third of women looked for brands, such as Garnier Nutrisse and Garnier Olia , with a large range in color options (39.5%), brands that would not damage their hair (36.4%), how available and easy it would be to get the product (34.6%) and the level of chemicals found in the formula (33.7%).

, with a large range in color options (39.5%), brands that would not damage their hair (36.4%), how available and easy it would be to get the product (34.6%) and the level of chemicals found in the formula (33.7%). Women shared concerns about coloring hair at home for the first time. Nearly half of women shared concerns about if the end results would be as desired (47.8%) and if they were selecting the right shade (42.7%), while a third of women (33.6%) were concerned about damaging their hair. Garnier aims to help ease the shade selection process for women with their Shade Selector to allow users to try hair color shades on virtually in store or online.

Quarantine has proven to be a time for experimentation among women as well, especially when it came to their hair color.

During quarantine, a quarter of women (25.54%) reported using a color care mask, such as Garnier's Nutrisse Color Reviver 5- Min Mask , and another quarter of women (24.44%) tried at-home hair color for the first time. About one-third of women reported dying their hair with bleach or going blonde.

, and another quarter of women (24.44%) tried at-home hair color for the first time. About one-third of women reported dying their hair with bleach or going blonde. Some experimented a bit more with daring shades, like shades in the Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color. More than half (54.55%) of women who dyed their hair during quarantine decided to try a new, bold shade for the first time.

Respondents found inspiration from a number of people and places, including social media (30.4%) and celebrities (40.83%), while others (42.18%) reported utilizing the opportunity to try something new since they did not need to leave the house.

This unexpected opportunity to go bold may have even inspired some women to stick to their new, bold shades, with two-thirds (62.45%) of respondents reporting they would be likely to turn to a bold color again next year.

With many women coloring their hair for the first time or reaching for shades outside of their typical choices during quarantine, it will be interesting to see how hair color behavior continues to shift once life returns to "normal" after quarantine.

Most respondents plan to keep their hair color more traditional shades found in the Garnier Nutrisse or Olia lineup, such as brown (25.27%), black (20.65%), blonde (10.98%), and red (8.76%).

More than two-thirds (66.75%) of women plan to continue to dye their hair at home, with one in three (31.99%) planning to exclusively color their hair at home.

About Garnier USA

Garnier, a L'Oreal USA brand, was developed in 1904 in France by hair care expert Alfred Amour Garnier and is now present in more than 65 countries worldwide. Following the launch of Garnier in the United States in 1999 with Nutrisse hair color, the brand has continued to develop beauty products with a keen awareness of its responsibility to you and the planet. The entire collection of Garnier brands available in the U.S. includes Nutrisse, Fructis hair care and Fructis Style, Olia hair color, Color Sensation hair color, SkinActive and Whole Blends hair care.

For more information visit www.garnierusa.com or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Snapchat @GarnierUSA.

For Press Inquiries Please Contact

Danielle Macaluso

Garnier, AVP Brand Communications

212.984.4799

[email protected]

Lauren Larkin or Donna Valle

Alison Brod Marketing Communications

212.230.1800

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SOURCE Garnier

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Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 76F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
With a federal court ruling recognizing Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster as the winner of a close contest, Gov. Tom Wolf and fellow Democrats are calling on the Senates Republican majority to swear him in.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan issued a ruling in the tight contest for the 45th Senate District in western Pennsylvania. The judge found Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarellis petition to overturn the election results failed on the merits.

In response to a tweet about that decision, Wolf posted a two-word tweet of his own: Seat Brewster.

On Tuesday afternoon, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, said Brewster would be sworn in Wednesday.

While Brewster is poised to take office, the court ruling follows a bruising battle between Republicans and Democrats.

Earlier Tuesday, Wolf said, Todays court decision reaffirms that Sen. Brewster won the election.

He received the most votes and the court dismissed his opponents claims, Wolf said. Sen. Brewster must be sworn in to represent the 45th Senate District in the Pennsylvania State Senate. The tragic events of the past week are a reminder that democracy must be preserved for today and future generations. The voters decide elections, not powerful Harrisburg politicians. Our nation has been through too much pain and disruption for this shameful power grab to continue.

Senate Republicans may not like the outcome of the election, but they cannot overturn the will of the people in western Pennsylvania or ignore court decisions. The peoples ballots are counted, and the results are accurate. Refusing to seat Sen. Brewster and leaving the district without a voice would be unethical and undemocratic. The Senate Republicans have no choice. Sen. Brewster must be sworn in.

Last week, Corman and Senate Republicans blocked Brewster from taking office, saying the Senate would review petitions from the candidates and wait for the legal ruling. Corman angered Democrats by saying the Senate had the authority to determine who should fill the seat. A heated debate on the Senate floor over filling the seat garnered national media attention.

On Friday, Corman said in a statement the Senate GOP majority will likely follow the lead of the judges ruling provided it was clear in determining who the winner was.

It is our plan to let the election case in front of the federal district court play out and ultimately seat whoever is successful in that process as long as the findings from the court are to the merit of the challenge and the validity of the disputed ballots and not based on the lack of jurisdiction of the federal courts, Corman said in his statement.

If the federal court rules, as we believe, that the ballots should not count then we will seat Mrs. Ziccarelli immediately and if they rule ballots should count we will seat Senator Brewster immediately, Corman said.

Ziccarelli challenged the election outcome over inconsistencies in how votes were counted in the two counties that make up the senatorial district. Including the undated ballots from Allegheny County gave Brewster a 69-vote edge over his opponent. But Ziccarelli ask the court to invalidate those ballots and not count them in the way Westmoreland County handled undated ballots, which would have given her the win by a 24-vote margin. Brewster was certified by the Department of State as the winner.

In her lawsuit, Ziccarelli contended through her lawyer Matt Haverstick that inconsistency violated her due process and equal protection rights, but the judge did not agree. She lost a similar case that went all the way to the state Supreme Court.

I want to thank Judge Ranjan for his thoughtful and well-reasoned decision on the merits of this case, said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County. My colleague Senator Brewster won more votes, affirmed that victory in state courts, and had it confirmed by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Hes been declared the winner more times and in more ways than should be necessary, but I believe that the matter is now unequivocally settled. I look forward to Senator Brewsters swearing in ceremony and watching him take the oath of office I know he will faithfully abide every day of his service.

Sen. Vince Hughes, R-Philadelphia, said, The Senate Republicans need to accept these facts and swear Senator Brewster in immediately. They must accept the will of the voters, and the rule of law, and give the residents of the 45th Senatorial District the senator they chose. Seat Jim Brewster now.

Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny County, echoed those words in her own statement: Seat Senator Brewster now.

Independent Sen. John Yudichak of Luzerne County, weighed in with his support for seating Brewster based on the affirmative decisions of state and federal courts.

Democracy, the rule of law, and the rules of the Senate have prevailed as both candidates were provided fair and equal access to their due process rights to contest an election in our court systems, and Senator Jim Brewster has been declared the winner, Yudichak said.

He went on to commend Brewster for handling this difficult episode in the Pennsylvania Senate with his characteristic honor and a deep respect for the institution of the Senate and wished him well as he resumes his duties.

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post issued a statement, calling on Corman to seat Brewster immediately.

The one fig leaf they had to try to justify their antidemocratic tactic is now gone, Post said. The people of Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties voted for Senator Brewster in November, and the Republican Party must accept their decision even if it is politically inconvenient for them. The Pennsylvania GOPs shameful actions over the past week is merely one example of Republicans broad assault on our democracy, actions that precipitated the violence and insurrection on Capitol Hill last Wednesday. Our democracy will not survive if elected officials who know better keep throwing temper tantrums simply because they lost a free and fair election.

The decision last week to not seat Brewster resulted in a blow-up in the Senate. Democrats argued strenuously against Republicans refusal to swear in the senator who represented the 45th District for the past 10 years. At one point, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman refused repeated efforts by Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County, to be recognized and the lieutenant governor instead broke Senate rules by giving a Senate Democratic senator the floor. That ultimately led to Senate Republicans approving a motion to remove Fetterman as the Senates presiding officer for the day, which is the second time in two years they have taken that action against him.

* This post was updated to include Sen. John Yudichaks comment.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- vybe urgent care, the leading independent operator of urgent care centers in the greater Philadelphia area, announces the opening of two new COVID Testing Centers in Paoli and St Davids. Both new centers will be open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day and will offer COVID-19 rapid antigen testing. Patients may schedule appointments up to one week in advance.

Opening on January 15th, the Paoli COVID-19 Testing Center is located at 254 West Lancaster Ave, on the south side of Route 30 directly across from the main entrance of Paoli Hospital.

Opening January 18th, the St. Davids COVID-19 Testing Center is located at 599 Lancaster Ave, in the Radnor Hotel complex at the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Radnor-Chester Road.

vybe is expanding its testing capabilities by fully dedicating these new locations to COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (screenings without a clinician visit). Rapid antigen testing is a perfect solution for asymptomatic patients who need clearance for travel, work, school, or a medical procedure. Patients with appointments are encouraged to complete their registration forms online prior to visiting, which helps minimize contact in the center. These rapid antigen tests are offered on a self-pay or employer-paid basis and are not typically covered by health insurance.

For patients with symptoms or who need other urgent care services, vybe offers telemedicine and a choice of 10 additional locations throughout the Philadelphia area.

The COVID-19 rapid test screenings offered at these vybe centers are a convenient alternative to PCR testing, but not a replacement if a patient is looking for a full medical visit based on symptoms or known exposure. Still, patients who need results quickly may opt for a rapid test screening with same day results.

"We all need to monitor our health, especially during this time of COVID-19 concerns," said vybe urgent care President Peter Hotz. "We're thrilled to bring fast, convenient testing to meet the demand in these key areas of suburban Philadelphia."

vybe is fully accredited by the Urgent Care Association (UCA), which is the highest level of distinction for urgent care centers and ensures high levels of patient safety and quality.

About vybe

vybe urgent care is Philadelphia's leading independent urgent care provider delivering care to adults and children in Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks and Chester Counties. Open 7 days a week, vybe delivers an affordable and convenient alternative to long emergency room wait times and the limited hours of family physicians. In addition to welcoming walk-ins, vybe offers a telemedicine service for those who wish to see a clinician online. vybe accepts major insurance plans and provides a comprehensive range of urgent care services such as illness and injury treatment, digital x-rays, EKGs, lab testing, physicals, immunizations, and occupational medicine. Find the medical care you need with the convenience you want at vybe urgent care locations throughout the Philadelphia area.

For more information, visit www.vybe.care

Contact:

Peter Hotz

2159996060

[email protected]

SOURCE vybe urgent care

Related Links

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PUNE, India, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global demand for Remote Patient Monitoring Market, in term of revenue, was worth of USD 1,649.80 Million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 2936.38 Million in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 12.22% from 2019 to 2025. The global remote patient monitoring is expected to grow at significant growth rate due to number of driving factors.

The study provides a crucial view of remote patient monitoring market by segmenting the market based on product, application, type, and end user. Based upon product remote patient monitoring market is segmented into Vital Sign Monitors (Blood Pressure Monitors, Pulse Oximeters, Heart Rate Monitor (ECG), Temperature Monitor, Respiratory Rate Monitor and Brain Monitoring (EEG)) Special Monitors (Anesthesia Monitors, Blood Glucose Monitors, Cardiac Rhythm Monitor, Respiratory Monitor, Fetal Heart Monitors, Prothrombin Monitors, Multi Parameter Monitors (MPM) and Others). Based upon application remote patient monitoring market is segmented into Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, Sleep Disorder, Weight management and Fitness Monitoring, Bronchitis, Infections, Virus, Dehydration, Hypertension and Others. Based upon type segment market is segmented into devices and systems. Based upon end user remote patient monitoring market is segmented into Hospital Based Patients, Ambulatory Patients and Home Healthcare. The regions covered in global remote patient monitoring market are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. On the basis of country level, global market is sub divided into U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, Brazil, Mexico, GCC, Africa, etc.

Get Free Sample Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/1099

Increasing incidence of chronic diseases and technological advancement in healthcare is increasing the demand for remote patient monitoring market. In recent years increasing changes in lifestyle creating the number of difficulties in healthy living and it occurs the number of chronic disorders, globally. In the past few years globally, diabetes, cardiovascular, and cancer incidence are rapidly increasing, and related healthcare expenses are also increased. For example, according to world health organization cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of death globally, and it takes an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. The heart diseases and stroke costing health care system approximately USD199 billion per year in the United States. By using remote patient monitoring people can reduce the healthcare cost by its different application like, reducing official physician visits, patients getting consultation without having to visit a medical practitioner, and others due to this the demand for remote patient monitoring is growing in the market. For example, According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the health care industry could save $700 billion in the next 15 to 20 years with the use of remote patient monitoring technology in conjunction with electronic health records (EHR). Increasing geriatric population is another major factor which propelling the demand of remote patient monitoring market. In the past few years, the geriatric population is facing the number of disease problems and due to this value-based care approach demand is also increased. However, an expensive remote monitor and requires huge resources in terms of software and hardware may hamper the global remote patient monitoring market growth. Despite that, increasing technological advancement and awareness about remote patient monitoring in low and middle-income countries may generate new opportunities for the further growth of the market.

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In the scope of Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market, we have considered both system and devices i.e. the patient monitoring systems used by hospitals, clinics, primary and community health centers, private practitioners and wearable and non-wearables devices for patient such as blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, heart rate monitor, temperature monitors etc.

Remote Patient Monitoring Statistics

The product segment of remote patient monitoring market is dominated by special monitor drive with largest market share of 76.81 % in 2019.

The application segment of remote patient monitoring market is dominated by diabetes segment by capturing the largest market of 23.36% in year 2019.

The end user segment of remote patient monitoring market is dominated by Hospital Based Patients with largest share of 46.61 % in year 2018.

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North America region is the leading region owing to the increasing chronic disease driving the North American market. For example, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for 840,768 deaths in 2016. Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. Due to these growing healthcare expenses of chronic disease the U.S healthcare industry is moving towards a value-based care approach, using technological applications efficiently to reduce healthcare expenses. Additionally, increasing the investment of industries in the healthcare sector is also boosting the remote patient monitoring market.

The Asia Pacific is an emerging region in the remote patient monitoring market in the forecast period. Due to the increasing geriatric population and the number of cancer cases in its developing nations are responsible to boost the remote patient monitoring market. For example, in 2016, approximately 12.4 percent of the population in the region was 60 years. Additionally, increasing acceptance of remote patient monitoring in hospitals is also responsible for growth in the market.

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Remote Patient Monitoring Market Trends:

Healthcare industry is rapidly developing in technology and services. A recent development in this area is remote monitoring of patients which has many advantages in a fast-aging world population with increasing health complications. With relatively simple applications to monitor patients inside hospital rooms, the technology has developed to the extent that, the patient can prefer normal daily activities at home while still being monitored with the use of modern communication and sensor technologies. Following are trends taking place in the patient monitoring field and the key market drivers design engineers need to consider. Clearly, there is overlap among them since IoT spans two important areas like the developments of smart, connected products and devices.

A Real-Time Health Monitoring System for Remote Cardiac Patients Using Smartphone and Wearable Sensors

The Applications of Remote Patient Monitoring System using a Java-enabled 3G Mobile Phone

The Increasing Role of IoT for Remote Monitoring and Healthcare Applications

TE Connectivity's Solution for Blood Oxygen Level Detection As many of these trends point out, demand is increasing for solutions for home healthcare with remote and self-monitoring technology.

Get detailed market trends @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/technology-and-media/remote-patient-monitoring-system-market-size

Remote Patient Monitoring Market Segmentation,

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By Type

Systems

Devices

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By Product

Special Monitors

Anesthesia Monitors



Blood Glucose Monitors



Cardiac Rhythm Monitor



Respiratory Monitor



Fetal Heart Monitors



Prothrombin Monitors



Multi Parameter Monitors (MPM)



Others

Vital Sign Monitors

Blood Pressure Monitors



Pulse Oximeters



Heart Rate Monitor (ECG)



Temperature Monitor



Respiratory Rate Monitor



Brain Monitoring (EEG)

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By Application

Diabetes

Cardiovascular Diseases

Cancer

Bronchitis

Sleep Disorder

Weight management and Fitness Monitoring

Infections

Virus

Dehydration

Hypertension

Others

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: By End-User

Hospital Based Patients

Ambulatory Patients

Home Healthcare

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: Regional Analysis

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

U.K.



France



Germany



Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China



Japan



India



Rest of Asia pacific

Latin America

Brazil



Mexic



Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa

and GCC



Africa



Rest of MEA

Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market: remote patient monitoring companies Analysis

Philips Healthcare

Medtronic

Roche

Boston Scientific

LifeScan

Biotronik

Hill Rom Inc.

Bosch

Honeywell

Intel

Other

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President-elect Joe Biden receives his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. The vaccine is being administered by Chief Nurse Executive Ric Cuming. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Barely a month into a mass vaccination campaign to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration unexpectedly shifted gears Tuesday to speed the delivery of shots. A slow start had triggered widespread concern from states and public health officials.

Now, Health and Human Services Alex Azar has announced two major changes. First, the government will no longer hold back required second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, practically doubling supply. Second, states should immediately start vaccinating other groups lower down the priority scale, including people age 65 and older, and younger people with certain health problems.

The move better aligns the outgoing administration with the new Biden-Harris team. On Friday, President-elect Joe Biden said he will rapidly release most available vaccine doses to protect more people. He said he supported immediately releasing vaccines that health authorities were holding back out of caution, to guarantee they would be available for people needing their second dose.

"We had been holding back second doses as a safety stock," Azar said on ABC. "We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production. So everything is now available to our states and our health care providers."

Simultaneously, he gave states the green light to dramatically expand the pool of people eligible to receive vaccines.

Walgreens pharmacist Mindy Keeton delivers a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shot on Monday at the AHEPA apartments in Merrillville, Ind. (Kale Wilk/The Times via AP)

"We are calling on our governors to now vaccinate people aged 65 and over, and under age 65 with a (health condition) because we have got to expand the group," he said.

As of Monday morning, the government had distributed about 25.5 million doses to states, U.S. territories and major cities. But only about 9 million people had received their first shot. That means only about 35% of the available vaccines had been administered.

Initially, the shots were going to health care workers and nursing home residents. Those 75 and older were next in line. But problems arose even in vaccinating that limited pool of people. Some hospital and nursing home workers have been hesitant to get the vaccine. Scheduling issues created delays in getting shots to nursing homes.

Some states, including Arizona, have or are planning to open up mass vaccination centers, aiming to inoculate thousands of people a day in a single location. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis opened up vaccinations to people 65 and older. In other states, local health authorities have started asking residents 65 an older to register, in anticipation the vaccination campaign would be expanded.

"We've got to get to more channels of administration," said Azar. "We've got to get it to pharmacies, get it to community health centers.

Jill Johnson adminsters the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Sharee Livingston, an OB-GYN with UPMC Lititz. UPMC frontline workers receive the first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg hospital, December 18, 2020. (Dan Gleiter/The Patriot-News via AP)

"We will deploy teams to support states doing mass vaccination efforts if they wish to do so," he added.

Although Azar said the shift was a natural evolution of the Trump administration's efforts, as recently as Friday he had raised questions about whether Biden's call to accelerate supplies was prudent. The Trump administration, which directed a crash effort to develop and manufacture vaccines, is hoping to avoid a repeat of earlier debacles with coronavirus testing. Dubbed "Operation Warp Speed," the effort has produced two highly effective vaccines, with more on the way.

Each state has its own plan for who should be vaccinated, based on recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommendations give first priority to health care workers and nursing home residents.

But the slow pace of the vaccine rollout has frustrated many Americans at a time when the coronavirus death toll has continued to rise. More than 376,000 people have died, according to the Johns Hopkins database.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said hundreds of thousands of people are getting vaccinated every day across the nation, but the pace of inoculations needs to improve.

Walgreens pharmacist Stephanie Rosado, left, administers a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shot to Peter Murdakes, a housing board member at the AHEPA apartments in Merrillville, on Monday./The Times via AP)

"We're in a race against this virus and quite frankly, we're behind," Adams told "Fox & Friends." "The good news is that 700,000 people are getting vaccinated every single day. We're going to hit 1 million people and we need to continue to pick up that pace."

In Philadelphia, health department spokesman James Garrow, said the new direction from Washington will take time to figure out before it impacts vaccine distribution in the city. "This is a wholesale change out of the blue after months of planning," Garrow said.

Washington, D.C. on Monday opened up vaccines to residents 65 years and older and the system was quickly overwhelmed. People reported problems with the website for registration and hours-long waits to register by phone. A message on the city's website Tuesday morning read, "All 6,700 of the available vaccination appointments for the week of 1/11/21 were filled."

Biden is expected to give a speech Thursday outlining his plan to speed vaccines to more people in the first part of his administration. His transition team has vowed to release as many vaccine doses as possible, rather than continuing the Trump administration policy of holding back millions of doses to ensure there would be enough supply to allow those getting the first shot to get a second one.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires a second shot about three weeks after the first vaccination. Another vaccine, this one produced by Moderna, requires a second shot about four weeks afterward. One-shot vaccines are still undergoing testing.

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.
Contractor admits role in Sisseton housing project bribery scheme

A contractor has admitted to his role in a bribery scheme and his partner has now been charged.

IT was known as the graveyard for police vehicles.

But it has been about two years since the Vehicle Management Corporation of T&T (VMCOTT) has actually serviced a police vehicle.

Natasha Prince, the State companys chief executive since 2018, told Express Business last week that the TTPS just stopped sending their vehicles to service and no reason was given.
[January 12, 2021] Global $4.34 Billion Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Markets to 2028 with Profiles of Dyson, iRobot, Samsung, Miele & Koninklijke Philips Among Others

DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2020 To 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Concept of Home Automation to Drive Demand for Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Worldwide The global robotic vacuum cleaners market was valued at US$ 4.34 Bn in 2019 and expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.1% during the forecast period from 2020 to 2028. Floor cleaning is one of the major maintenance tasks across verticals, be it residential, commercial, or industrial. Rising demand for automated cleaning equipment can be majorly credited to the growing concept of smart homes and awareness regarding the importance of hygiene and cleanliness at homes and workplaces. Changing socioeconomic factors like increased female employment and their inclination towards technical jobs has led to the scarce availability of workforce for household chores. This, coupled with the busy lifestyle of people in urban areas is driving demand for automated cleaning equipment, especially in the residential segment. Demand for Robotic Vacuum Cleaners to Swell at Commercial Establishments In 2019, the residential segment was the largest value contributor to the global robotic vacuum cleaners market. Improving the standard of living coupled with the ever-rising population and consequent increase in the number of residential units, especially in the emerging economies like Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East is expected to drive demand for robotic vacuum cleaners in the residential segment. In addition, a growing preference for wooden floorings at home is expected to drive the growth of robotic vacuum cleaners that can vacuum and mop together. On the other hand, the industrial segment is expected to witness regulated growth over the forecast period 2020 -2028. The commercial segment covers robotic vacuum cleaners used in restaurants, hotels, commercial complexes, business buildings, and schools among others. The economic development resulting in the growth of commercial real estate is expected to drive demand for new robotic vacuum cleaners in the commercial segent.



Asia Pacific Expected to Witness Strong Growth In 2019, Europe was the largest robotic vacuum cleaners market in terms of both unit shipments and revenue. Overall, higher acceptance of technological innovations boosts demand for innovative equipment in the region. Other factors assisting market growth in the region include public awareness regarding cleanliness and an increasing number of research activities dedicated to developing novel and advanced automated cleaning systems. On the other hand, emerging economies in the Asia Pacific, especially India and China are expected to exhibit strong growth, especially towards the latter half of the forecast period.

The evolving habits of consumers coupled with the proportionate potential for smart appliances are expected to spur market growth in the Asia Pacific. In addition, proliferating Internet retailing and intense competition among manufacturers in the region have lowered the unit prices of robotic vacuum cleaners, thereby improving their adoption among price-sensitive customers in the region. Some of the leading manufacturers profiled in the study include iRobot Corporation, Dyson Ltd., ILIFE Robotics Technology, Neato Robotics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Ecovacs Robotics, Yujin Robots Co., Ltd., Maytronics Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Metapo, Inc, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Panasonic Corporation, Miele & Cie. KG, Hayward Industries Inc., and Sharp Corporation among others. Key Topics Covered: 1. Preface 1.1. Report Scope and Description 1.2. Research Methodology 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Global Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Snapshot 3. Global Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Analysis 3.1. Global Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Overview 3.2. Market Inclination Insights 3.2.1. Recent Trends 3.2.2. Future Outlook 3.3. Market Dynamics 3.3.1. Market Drivers 3.3.2. Market Challenges 3.4. Value Chain Analysis 3.5. Attractive Investment Proposition, By Geography, 2019 3.6. Competitive Landscape 3.6.1. Market Positioning of the Leading Manufacturers 3.6.2. Major Strategies Adopted 4. Global Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Value, By Product Type , 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 4.1. Comparative Analysis 4.1.1. Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Value, By Product Type, 2019 & 2028 (Value %) 4.2. Robotic Floor Vacuum Cleaners 4.3. Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaners 5. Global Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Value, By End-use Application , 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 5.1. Comparative Analysis 5.1.1. Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Value, By End-use, 2019 & 2028 (Value %) 5.2. Residential 5.3. Commercial 5.4. Industrial 6. Global Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Value, By Sales Channel, 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 6.1. Comparative Analysis 6.1.1. Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Market Value, By Sales Channel, 2019 & 2028 (Value %) 6.2. Direct Retail 6.3. Internet Retail 7. North America Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Analysis, 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 8. Europe Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Analysis, 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 9. Asia Pacific Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Analysis, 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 10. Rest of World Robotic Vacuum Cleaners (RVC) Market Analysis, 2018 - 2028 (US$ Mn) 11. Company Profiles 11.1. Dyson Ltd. 11.2. iRobot Corporation 11.3. ILIFE Robotics Technology 11.4. Neato Robotics 11.5. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. 11.6. Ecovacs Robotics 11.7. Hayward Industries Inc. 11.8. Sharp Corporation 11.9. Panasonic Corporation 11.10. Pentair 11.11. Yujin Robot Co., Ltd. 11.12. Metapo, Inc. 11.13. Miele & Cie. KG 11.14. Koninklijke Philips N.V 11.15. Maytronics Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i5msql Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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A Mormon bishop has been charged with allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to a child after a tip off about his Pinterest account.

Nicholas Pierre Faivre, the former bishop of the Leura Ward of the Church of Latter Day Saints, had his Blue Mountains home raided by the Federal Police on Monday.

Detectives seized a mobile phone and two tablet computers and charged Faivre, 42, with two counts of 'transmit indecent communications' to a minor.





One-time Mormon bishop Nicolas Faivre, 42, was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers this week and charged with two counts of transmitting indecent communications to a minor

The investigation was sparked by a tip from the United States National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in September 2020.

The centre claimed that an Australian Pinterest user had been lying about his age, a police statement said, leading local officers to allegedly identify the Katoomba man.

Faivre was refused bail during a brief appearance at Penrith Local Court on Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told Daily Mail Australia: 'Nicolas Faivre has served in his congregation as a bishop (lay leader) in the past but has not been in a leadership role for over a year.'

The spokesman said the church opposes abuse of any kind and works with authorities to protect the innocent.

Faivre has previously given media interviews about his work with the church, telling The Guardian in 2017 that the 'message of the gospel' was 'something special'.

Faivre has often been addressed as 'bishop' by friends

Friends often address Faivre as 'bishop'.

Jarryd Dunbar, a detective sergeant with the Federal Police, said parents and carers need to be aware of the risks of unsupervised children accessing the internet.

'Any website that enables users to interact freely with one another is a platform that offenders can use to groom children,' Mr Dunbar said.

Faivre will return to court for a bail review on Thursday. His lawyer, Jasmina Ceic, was approached for comment.
TERRE HAUTE, IND.  A judge has temporarily stopped the U.S. governments plans Tuesday to carry out the first federal execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades, finding that the Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and tried to pass off the newborn as her own was likely mentally ill and couldnt comprehend she would be put to death.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -FJORDLAND EXPLORATION INC. (TSXV: FEX) ("Fjordland" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Mr. Mark Gibson has agreed to join its board of directors as HPX's appointee. HPX currently owns 29% of Fjordland, and has the right to two board seats.

Mr. Gibson serves as the Chief Operating Officer of High Power Exploration (HPX), a privately owned US corporation led by CEO, Robert Friedland. In 2011, Mark was the founding CEO of HPX tasked with the job of commercializing the Typhoon geophysical transmitter developed by parent company, I-Pulse. He concurrently serves as the COO of Kaizen Discovery Inc. (TSXV: KZD - appointed in 2016) and Cordoba Minerals Corp. (TSXV: CDB - appointed 2017). Mark previously worked with Anglo American and was the founder of a geophysical service company focused on managing seismic surveys for the mining industry. He has more than 29 years of wide-ranging experience as a geoscientist and manager in the natural resources sector. Mark graduated from the University of Southampton in 1990 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Geology and the University of Leeds in 1997 with a M.Sc. in Geophysics.

James Tuer, Fjordland's President commented, "I'm pleased to welcome Mark to the Company's board of directors. He brings with him a wealth of experience in mineral exploration based on leading edge geophysical systems and process modeling. At Fjordland, we believe that it is exactly this type of thinking that is a prerequisite to finding new world class nickel deposits within existing mining camps."

In order to allow Mr. Gibson to join the board, long time board member Ross McDonald has agreed to retire from the board and continue to aid Fjordland in an advisory capacity.

Richard Atkinson, Chairman, states, "Ross joined the company in 2005. His career as a Chartered Accountant, active in the natural resource sphere has provided him with a skill set in financial management and corporate governance that has greatly benefited the Company and its shareholders. I am pleased he has agreed to continue his association with Fjordland as an advisor for the foreseeable future."

Stock Option Grants

The board of directors reports it has accepted the recommendations of the Compensation Committee and has granted a total of 300,000 incentive stock options under the Company's stock option plan, in accordance with the Company's compensation policy. The options are exercisable for five years at a price of $0.105 per share and are subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Fjordland Exploration Inc.

Fjordland Exploration Inc. is a mineral exploration company that is focused on the discovery of large-scale economic deposits located in Canada. Fjordland is actively exploring three high quality nickel projects.

In collaboration with HPX and Commander Resources, Fjordland is exploring the South Voisey's Bay "Pants Lake Intrusive" target which is a Ni-Cu-Co deposit analogous to the nearby Voisey's Bay deposit located approximately 80 km to the north.

Fjordland has been granted an option by CanAlaska Uranium to earn an interest in the North Thompson Nickel Belt project, situated 20 km. north of Vale's long-life Thompson mine located in northern Manitoba. The project is considered prospective for Ni-Cu-Co-PGE magmatic sulphide mineralization analogous to the deposits hosting the historic mine. The Company is earning into an initial 49% interest in the project by spending $1.5 million by May 2022.

In December 2020, Fjordland announced that it had entered into an agreement with Quebec Precious Metals Corporation to acquire 100% of the Renzy nickel copper project located near Maniwaki Quebec. Fjordland is required to spend $1.0 million within 5 years to earn its interest. During the production period from 1969 to 1972, 716,000 short tons were mined with average grades of 0.70 % Nickel and 0.72 % Copper. The location of the Renzy Shear zone and the overall quantity of the mafic/ultramafic rocks in the area that carry sulfides with elevated concentration of Ni, Cu, and PGM's bodes well for finding additional deposits.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"James Tuer"

James Tuer, President

For further information:

James Tuer

Ph: -604-688-3415

info@fjordlandex.com

www.fjordlandex.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the private placement, and other future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various 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 plans or expectations include market prices, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

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/71847

China prosecutes over 16,000 people for duty-related crimes in 2020

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 16,000 people were prosecuted for duty-related crimes across China in 2020, data from the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) shows.

More than 1,400 judicial personnel were investigated for job-related crimes, up 63.1 percent year on year, said the SPP.

From January 2020 to November 2020, 1,079 prosecutors were investigated for violations of discipline and law, it added.
Source: Reuters

Authorities in China introduced new COVID-19 curbs in areas surrounding Beijing on Tuesday, putting 4.9 million residents under lockdown as new infections raised worries about a second wave in a nation that has mostly contained the disease.

The number of new cases in mainland China reported on Tuesday almost halved from a day earlier and remain a small fraction of what it saw at the height of the outbreak in early 2020.

However, local authorities are implementing strict curbs whenever new cases emerge to prevent the kind of economic paralysis seen a year ago.

The National Health Commission reported 55 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, down from 103 a day earlier. Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, accounted for 40 of the 42 locally transmitted infections, with the capital and northeastern Heilongjiang province reporting one local case each.

The city of Langfang in Hebei on Tuesday said its 4.9 million residents will be put under home quarantine for seven days and be subject to mass COVID-10 testing in the latest attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

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 blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

Two counties under Langfang's jurisdiction that border Beijing, Guan and Sanhe, had already announced home quarantine measures. Guan reported one new COVID-19 case but Sanhe did not say whether any of its residents were diagnosed with the disease.

Shijiazhuang, Hebei's capital, has been hardest hit in the latest surge in infections and has already placed its 11 million people under lockdown. The province has shut off certain sections of highways and is ordering vehicles registered to Shijiazhuang to turn back.

Gaocheng district in Shijiazhuang is gathering more than 20,000 people living in 12 remote villages into centralised quarantine as part of the city's COVID-19 control, state media China News Service reported late Monday.

Authorities in Beijing's Xicheng district said on Tuesday that the confirmed COVID-19 patient from Guan county works at a building in the district.

A new guideline issued by the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control recommended that taxi and ride-hailing operators suspend car-pooling services, the Communist Party-backed Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday.

The guideline also said that drivers should get a nucleic acid test for coronavirus every week and be vaccinated in order to work.

NEW CASES

Other provinces in China are reporting new confirmed or asymptomatic cases. Heilongjiang province reported 36 new asymptomatic cases in Wangkui county, which also went into lockdown on Monday.

Authorities do not classify asymptomatic cases as confirmed COVID-19 infections. Yichun city in Heilongjiang province on Tuesday reported one new asymptomatic case linked to Wangkui, as well.

Underscoring the risk of the spread, the city of Changchun - the capital of northeastern Jilin province - reported seven new asymptomatic patients on January 11, four of whom had travelled from Wangkui recently.

Residential compounds that these patients lived in were put into lockdown, preventing people and vehicles from leaving the premises.

Authorities in Wuhan, where COVID-19 first emerged in late 2019, on Monday launched contact tracing work after two infected people from Hebei visited the city.

Across China, the number of new asymptomatic cases rose to 81 from 76 a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in mainland China now stands at 87,591, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
Gov. Phi Murphys State of the State address will air at 1 p.m. Tuesday on his YouTube.com channel.

The pre-recorded speech will also be streamed on Murphys Twitter and Facebook pages.

Murphys address will include remarks on COVID-19 as well as improving the lives of middle-class families and building a stronger and more resilient post-pandemic economy, according to a statement from his office.

Officials said Monday that more than 214,000 have been vaccinated  including 199,293 first dose shots and 14,984 people who got their second shot. The state has received 572,250 doses so nearly 360,000 are sitting in a freezers.

Two of the states six vaccine mega-sites are open  at Rockaway Townsquare in Morris County and Rowan College of South Jersey in Gloucester County.

More than 1 million have pre-registered to receive the shot on the states COVID-19 website.

The state hopes to vaccinate about 4.7 million  about 70 percent of New Jerseys adult population.

At least 17,873 have died of virus-related causes with another 2,059 fatalities probably caused by the coronavirus.

New Jerseys economy was hit hard by the state and federal response to the pandemic, with the unemployment rate climbing to 10.2% in November, up more than two points from the month before. The Murphy administration and lawmakers also agreed on borrowing up to $4.5 billion to plug holes in the state budget Murphy says stemmed from the outbreak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
BALTIMORE, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you part of a security team? Then you'll want to read this because I'll share some amazing info for free. My name's David McHale, I'm the vCISO at Bridge Connector and Principal at HailBytes. I'm hosting a new webinar series where you'll learn the whats and whys of the dark web Like what the dark web is, why you'd want to watch it, and what tools are best for the job.

You'll see case studies of companies that have seen huge impact from dark web intel. You'll learn what your dark web intel process should look like. Which includes the five-step process to follow in your own dark web investigations. You're going to find out how criminals hide their discussions about your company. You'll see real-life screenshots of how they protect themselves and sell your data. You'll also learn how your team can plan incident response for alerts you set using that intel.

Plus you'll learn how to cut your tech, legal, and HR costs by thousands if you build your own dark web intel stack.

And what you should watch out for if you're partnering with another company to monitor for you.

You can get all the details on EventBrite here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-use-the-dark-web-as-a-security-ally-virtual-workshop-registration-132892528129?aff=pr21

P.S. if you bring a colleague and let me know you'll receive the recording (usually $79) for free.

About HailBytes

We're an international information security firm that helps financial services and healthcare businesses reduce employee security risk, manage technical vulnerabilities, and monitor for data breaches.

We're a proud partner of the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, the Howard County Tech Council, Amazon Web Services, and InfraGard.

Press Contact:

David McHale

(833) 892-3596

https://www.hailbytes.com

SOURCE HailBytes
Jakarta, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2021 ) :Indonesian divers returned Tuesday to a wreckage-littered seabed off Jakarta in their hunt for the black boxes that will likely be key to unlocking the mystery of why a passenger jet carrying 62 people fell from the sky.

Some 3,600 personnel are taking part in the recovery effort, assisted by dozens of boats and helicopters flying over small islands off the capital's coast.

Underwater images from Indonesia's navy showed divers plumbing the murky depths as they combed through twisted wreckage from the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500, which plunged about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) in less than a minute before slamming into the Java Sea Saturday.

Authorities have so far been unable to explain why the 26-year-old plane crashed just four minutes after takeoff.

But they say they have the approximate location of the black boxes after picking up signals from the devices, which record information about the speed, altitude and direction of the plane as well as flight crew conversations.

Black box data helps explain nearly 90 percent of all crashes, according to aviation experts.

But the boxes could be hidden under layers of mud or plane wreckage in waters about 23 metres (75 feet) deep, and divers have to grapple with a strong current and poor weather.

"They've got to go through garbage and other debris (on the seafloor) and the mud and visibility are also a challenge," Yusuf Latif, a spokesman for Indonesia's search-and-rescue agency, said Tuesday.

The agency deployed a remotely operated vehicle to assist the divers, as investigators examined recovered parts of the wreckage at the port.

- First victim - Scores of body bags filled with human remains were being taken to a police morgue where investigators hope to identify victims by matching fingerprints or DNA with distraught relatives.

Late Monday, authorities identified flight attendant Okky Bisma, 29, as the first confirmed victim after matching fingerprints from a retrieved hand to those in a government identity database.

There were 10 children among the passengers on the half-full plane, which had experienced pilots at the controls as it left Jakarta bound for Pontianak city on Borneo island on a 90-minute flight.

National Transportation Safety Committee investigator Nurcahyo Utomo said Monday that the crew did not declare an emergency or report technical problems before its dive.

The available data suggested it was "most likely" the plane was intact when it hit the water Saturday, he added.

The crash probe was likely to take months.

Aviation analysts said flight-tracking data showed the plane sharply deviated from its intended course before it went into a steep dive, with bad weather, pilot error and mechanical malfunction among the potential factors.

- Spotty record - Sriwijaya Air, which flies to destinations in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, has had relatively minor safety incidents including runway overruns, but it has not had a fatal crash since it started operations in 2003.

The Boeing jet that crashed Saturday was previously flown by US-based Continental Airlines and United Airlines.

Indonesia's fast-growing aviation sector has long been plagued by safety concerns, and its airlines were once banned from US and European airspace.

In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet crashed near Jakarta.

That accident -- and another in Ethiopia -- led to the grounding of the 737 MAX worldwide.

The 737 model that went down Saturday was first produced decades ago and was not a MAX variant.

In 2014, an Indonesia AirAsia plane headed from Surabaya to Singapore crashed with the loss of 162 lives.

A year later, more than 140 people, including scores on the ground, were killed when a military plane crashed shortly after take-off in Medan on Sumatra island.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Members of Congress who refuse to wear masks on U.S. Capitol grounds should be fined $1,000 for each day they go maskless amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell argues.

Were done playing games, the Michigan congresswoman said in a statement. Either have some common sense and wear a damn mask or pay a fine. Its not that complicated.

Dingell, D-Dearborn, proposed the fines Tuesday, Jan. 12, in new legislation shes introducing with Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Maryland, in the aftermath of last weeks deadly Capitol riot by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Dingell called the Capitol attack a potential virus super-spreader event and noted three members of Congress have since tested positive for COVID-19.

These were NOT patriots, they were terrorists.

https://t.co/tqRu7Jpi7H  Rep. Debbie **Wear A Mask** Dingell (@RepDebDingell) January 12, 2021

When many lawmakers, including Dingell, were forced to evacuate amid the attacks last Wednesday and were then held in a room together, several were not wearing masks, Dingell told the Detroit Free Press.

It is not brave to refuse to wear a mask, it is selfish, stupid and shameful behavior that puts lives at risk, Dingell said Tuesday, announcing the $1,000 fine proposal.

Days ago, a colleague of ours died from this virus and left behind a beautiful, young family to mourn his loss. Yet still, in the midst of a deadly assault on our United States Capitol, a number of our Republican colleagues laughed off rules designed to keep not just their colleagues safe, but to protect the lives of the teams of workers keeping things going, law enforcement, and staff throughout the Capitol. Now, three of our colleagues are suffering from the virus.

The legislation would amend the House rules and remain in effect until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deems it safe not to wear a mask.

Tonight on #TheCircus premiere: @jheil speaks with Michigan @RepDebDingell about Wednesdays chaotic scene at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/tD4iXvkH8n  The Circus on Showtime (@SHO_TheCircus) January 10, 2021

The legislation is co-sponsored by several other members of Congress.

Congress members refusing to wear masks and distance in the Capitol puts other members, aides, support staff and their families at risk and there must be consequences for such selfish and reckless behavior endangering the lives of others, Brown said in a statement, calling it critical lawmakers set an example for the rest of the country.

MORE FROM MLIVE:

Police seeking man in U-M hoodie involved in violent riots at U.S. Capitol

Lansing mayor wants National Guard at Michigan Capitol for possible armed protests

Full firearms ban at Capitol would come with $1.5 million price tag for new security measures

Tuesday, Jan. 12, coronavirus data by county: Both positivity rates and new case averages inch down

Democracy bent but didnt break, Dingell says after Congress certifies electoral vote
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held a meeting on Tuesday with the ministerial group responsible for the national project for upgrading Egyptian villages within the framework of the Decent Life Initiative.



President Sisi directed the bodies concerned to directly contact residents of the 1,500 villages that are covered as part of the initiative's first phase; with a view to getting acquainted with their requirements and opinions about developing their villages, Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.



Sisi ordered that this project include regulating the distribution of government premises that offer services in governorates and villages, and linking them with ministries in the New Administrative Capital, the spokesman added.

Short link:



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The House will give Donald Trump one last chance to leave office before moving forward with impeachment Wednesday  but the president shows no indications of stepping aside as he plans to fly to Texas on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate 400 miles of border wall completed.

Democrats are demanding action on Tuesday with either the president resigning or Vice President Mike Pence invoking the 25th Amendment to get his boss out of the White House now.

If neither action is taken, the Democrat-majority House will plow ahead on Wednesday with voting on articles of impeachment over the president allegedly inciting a pro-Trump mob to storm the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, January 6.

House Republicans blocked an unanimous consent request on Monday seeking to quickly pass a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. A full House vote on the measure is expected Tuesday evening as Trump faces his last eight days in office.

The House of Representatives convened Tuesday at 9:00 AM as it prepares to vote on a non-binding measure demanding Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. They could vote as early as Wednesday on impeachment

Members of the National Guard arrived to defend and guard the Capitol building on Tuesday as Democrats prepare articles of impeachment against Trump

National Guard members gathered on Capitol Hill as Washington D.C. takes precautionary measures not to have a repeat of Wednesday where thousands of pro-Trump protesters were able to breach the Capitol

The National Guard was called in from several states, including Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey after Capitol Police where unable to solely defend the Capitol from the barrage of Trump supporters descending from all over the country

The flags at the Capitol remained at half staff on Tuesday to honor Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died Thursday after being hit in the head with a fire hydrant during the riots last Wednesday

Members of the National Guard will remain on Capitol Hill defending the perimeter as Democratic members of the House of Representatives prepare articles of impeachment against Trump

One service member carries a box of emergency ration meals as it appears the National Guard is preparing to stay in place guarding the Capitol as Congress move forward with impeachment

In a show of 'business as usual', Trump will travel to Texas Tuesday to visit the U.S.-Mexico border and celebrate 400 miles of southern border wall competed during his presidency

Meanwhile, the president will travel to Texas to survey the southern border wall as he celebrates 400 miles completed during his presidency  putting on a 'business as usual' facade as his party continues to turn against him in the fallout from the Capitol riot last week.

Trump has not been seen in public since the day of the Capitol siege as he addressed his crowd of adoring supporters. He has released two videos, one calling for protesters to go home on Wednesday and another on Thursday condemning the violence.

The president's favorite means of communication was cut off last week when Twitter suspended his account permanently, saying it was concerned he could use it to incite further mayhem.

On Monday, Trump held a private ceremony awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom  the highest civilian honor  to Republican Representative, and ally, Jim Jordan. The Ohio lawmaker was one of the dozens to object to the Electoral College results even after the Capitol was breached by the pro-Trump mob.

The 25th Amendment has never been used before, but it allows a majority of the Cabinet to strip the president of power if he or she is unable to discharge the office's duties. Lawmakers and politicians have deemed this to be the instance with Trump  with some claiming he could use his final days to pardon those involved with the attack on the Capitol.

Pence advisers say he is opposed to using the 25th.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring a vote to the floor Tuesday to demand Mike Pence, who was at the Capitol when riots ensued, invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office now  just eight days before his term is up

The violence at the Capitol caused a serious rift between Trump and Pence, and the two men did not speak for days, although they did meet at the White House on Monday. A senior administration official said they discussed the riot.

'The two had a good conversation, discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments,' the official added.

If Trump has not stepped down and Pence has not taken action by Wednesday, Democratic leaders said they will bring his impeachment to the House floor  one week after the riot that forced lawmakers into hiding for hours and left behind five dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

Democratic lawmakers introduced one article of impeachment on Monday, accusing Trump of inciting a violent insurrection with a fiery speech exhorting thousands of followers to march to the Capitol where Congress was working at the time to certify Joe Biden's Nov. 3 election victory.

'The president's threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action,' Pelosi said when revealing the charge.

With only eight days left in Trump's term, chances the Democratic drive will result in his removal are a long shot.

Trump has not made any public appearances since he riled up a crowd with his speech last Wednesday before thousands of pro-Trump protesters marched to the Capitol and stormed inside the building to disrupt certification of the election for Joe Biden

Impeachment triggers a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is in recess and not scheduled to return to Washington until Jan. 19, the day before Biden is to be sworn in. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will not end recess early for impeachment-related business.

A Senate conviction requires a two-thirds vote, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to break with a president who has maintained an iron grip over his party for four years.

There are reservations from Democrats with moving forward with impeachment now, claiming it could distract from the start of Biden's presidential term and set the tone for more of the same divisiveness.

President-elect Joe Biden raised concerns with this path on Monday, claiming he asked congressional leaders if impeachment can be managed alongside the presidential transition.

Biden said if an impeachment trial is held at the start of his administration, he hopes the Senate would be able to conduct normal business at the same time, perhaps by splitting its hours in half.

Some Democrats have expressed concern that a trial could hamper Biden's agenda, slowing down confirmation of his appointees and distracting from legislative priorities such as a new coronavirus relief package.

Capitol police were unable to solely fend off the thousands of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday, January 6 as Congress moved to certify the election for Joe Biden

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died Thursday after he was hit in the head with a fire hydrant during the chaos

Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Sunday that the House would hold off on sending the articles to the Senate until after Biden's first 100 days in office.

Republican Representative Tom Reed wrote in a New York Times op-ed that he and House colleagues will introduce a censure resolution against Trump on Tuesday as an alternative to a 'rushed, divisive' impeachment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic members on a conference call on Monday that a censure 'would be an abdication of our responsibility,' according to a source familiar with the call.

Democrats will take control of the Senate once the two winners of last week's runoff elections in Georgia are seated later this month, creating a 50-50 split and giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, the most right-leaning Democrat in the Senate, told Fox News on Monday he viewed the impeachment drive as 'ill-advised' given how unlikely conviction appears to be.

Trump, who initially praised his supporters even after the violence unfolded, delivered an uncharacteristically subdued video statement on Thursday denouncing the attack and vowing a smooth transition of power.

He did not, however, concede defeat in the election.
PHILADELPHIA  The U.S. Supreme Court declined to fast-track remaining legal challenges to Pennsylvanias election results on Monday, underscoring the justices reluctance to wade into widely discredited Republican arguments for reversing the outcome of the 2020 vote.

The decision did not dismiss the election challenges outright and kept them alive for the justices to potentially take up in the future.

But Mondays orders  along with denials for expedited consideration in several other election-related cases arising from states such as Wisconsin and Georgia  pushed those considerations until after President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration Jan. 20.

In the event that the court decides to consider any of the cases after that, it would likely only do so in terms of their implications for future elections.

For instance, one of the cases affected by Mondays decisions, brought by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., seeks to overturn Pennsylvanias vote-by-mail law, passed by the GOP-controlled state legislature in 2019 and used without objection in earlier elections.

The court had already refused to fast-track an earlier petition in that case.

Other cases denied expedited hearings Monday include the Trump campaigns Dec. 20 petition asking the court to overturn several key rulings made in the run-up to the election by Pennsylvanias highest court, which it argued usurped the authority of the state legislature to set election deadlines and rules.

The justices also refused early consideration of a case that arose out of Centre County on whether private foundations could offer financial support to counties election infrastructure. The Pennsylvania Voters Alliance, the group that brought that case, challenged grant funding that certain counties received from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. The money was meant to defray election expenses, but the Voters Alliance argued it unfairly favored Democratic candidates.

A U.S. District Court judge in Williamsport had earlier found their arguments unpersuasive, and the Voters Alliance had asked the Supreme Court to take up the case before a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, citing the then-upcoming election and postelection deadlines in their need for haste.

None of the cases involved in Mondays court orders contained any specific allegations  let alone evidence  of votes being deliberately cast illegally. Instead they took issue with Pennsylvanias processes for the casting and counting of ballots from legally registered voters.

Joe Biden won the state by a margin of more than 80,000 votes.

___

Jeremy Roebuck of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote this story.

(c)2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Turkey Invites Rival Greece to Resume Talks on Disputes

ANKARA, TurkeyTurkey on Jan. 11 invited Greece to resume talks designed to reduce tensions between the neighbors, following this summers dispute over maritime borders and energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also extended an invitation to Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias for a meeting to discuss their troubled relations.

The invitation comes as Turkey, which faces sanctions from the European Union, has vowed to improve ties with EU nations.

Today  we want to extend an open invitation to Greece, Cavusoglu said. We invite Greece to start exploratory talks, with the first meeting being held in January.

He said Turkey would host the talks at a date that would be mutually decided by Greek and Turkish officials.

The so-called exploratory talks would be the 61st round of a long-running process of negotiations between Greece and Turkey that aim to improve relations that are often testy between the two neighbors.

The countries are at odds over a series of issues, including territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea. The two countries have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s.

Tensions flared this summer after Turkey sent a research vessel escorted by warships to prospect for energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean in an area Greece says is over its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights.

In December, the EU gave the green light for the expansion of sanctions against Turkey over its exploration of gas reserves in waters claimed by EU members Greece and Cyprus.

Speaking after a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa during a trip to Lisbon, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he had been informed of Cavusoglus comments.

Mitsotakis said that while the invitation for talks hadnt yet come through the official procedure, I retain as a positive element that Turkey has expressed the will for the process to start and said it was time to set a specific date for the talks.

Greece will come to the exploratory talks, once the date is finalized, also following the directions the European Council itself has given, which are none other than to essentially continue where we left off in March 2016, in other words, to make progress, I hope, on the issue of determining the maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.

Cavusoglu said Dendias had rejected an invitation by Albanian Minister Edi Rama to host a meeting between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers in Tirana because of the coronavirus restrictions but expressed hope that a meeting can take place in the Albanian capital soon.

I hope Greece does not turn down this opportunity, Cavusoglu said.

By Suzan Fraser
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Bharti Airtel share price gained 3 percent intraday on January 12 after research firm HSBC retained buy call on the stock.

The global research firm has retained buy rating on the stock and has raised the target to Rs 650 from Rs 570 per share. It is of the view that the key catalyst would be rise in Mobile ARPU adding that ARPU is to improve on high value subscribers and migration from 2G to 4G, according to a CNBC-TV18 report.

HSBC feels that potential tariff hikes in FY22 will also aid ARPU adding that spectrum supply is abundant in the upcoming auction. It expects Bharti Airtel to invest Rs 9,800 crore and industry to skip 700 MHz.

The stock was trading at Rs 564.60, up Rs 17.50, or 3.20 percent. It has touched an intraday high of Rs 564.90 and an intraday low of Rs 545.10.

The stock price has been in focus after the telecom major received almost all regulatory approvals required to raise foreign direct investment (FDI) in its downstream companies. According to sources, Bharti Airtel has got approval to raise FDI in its payments bank from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIFB), the nodal agency. According to RBI guidelines, the payments bank can raise FDI up to 74 percent.

The company also appointed Pradipt Kapoor as its Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Domestic research firm Axis Securities has a buy rating on Bharti Airtel with a target of Rs 676 per share.

: 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.

Developers from Vietnams metropolises are now also targeting markets elsewhere, photo Le Toan

Singaporean developer Keppel Land Vietnam successfully received bookings for all units of the first three towers of its latest project named Celesta Rise in Ho Chi Minh City in one morning event held at the end of November.

The astoundingly quick absorption rate of Celesta Rise proved that the market demand remains strong and developers who have good products can still attract buyers by the droves.

Indeed, Celesta Rise was one of the most sought-after residential developments in the urban Saigon South area thanks to its strategic location as well as unique and fascinating facilities.

Diversifying products and adding technology to serve customers from beginning to end are the way leading developers are now trying to attract customers attention.

Andy Han, CEO of SonKim Land, Corporation explained why the companys luxury integrated development The Metropole Thu Thiem has been a runaway success.

Vietnamese love buying property. From the central location to ongoing and planned infrastructure improvements, the development was popular from the onset, he said at a talk held in Ho Chi Minh City last month themed Real estate and tech sector in a changing world.

But what has been really driving sales is The Metropoles ability to meet the demand of a post-pandemic world: non-touch design and the innovative 99 per cent dust filtering ventilation system. With people spending more time indoors, there is an increased demand for larger apartments of three bedrooms, too.

In 2020, 65 per cent of apartment units launched in Ho Chi Minh City were in the high-end and luxury segment. Figures from CBRE show that the citys east along with Thu Duc City have been contributing a major portion of property supply, including high-end and luxury products and is forecast to provide 44 per cent of the total supply until 2025. Meanwhile in Hanoi, nearly 70 per cent of launches were mid- and high-end products.

A primary trend putting wind in the sails of the Vietnamese residential property market is the increasing population and income levels. Local developers are also starting to look beyond the bounds of their northern and southern bases of power, with Ho Chi Minh City-based developers rolling out projects in the capital and vice versa.

According to Nguyen Van Dinh, general secretary of the Vietnam National Real Estate Association (VNREA), even if foreign investment flows into real estate have dropped due to the pandemic, the setback is only temporary as many foreign investors are still waiting for the opportunity to invest in Vietnam.

The global supply chain has been disrupted and European and North American enterprises are considering leaving China, presenting an opportunity for Vietnam to receive a new wave of foreign investment, which will benefit the real estate sector, he said.

The positive sentiment is shared by the largest global real estate developers. These investors from South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan among others are all looking for assets and cooperation opportunities with reputable domestic enterprises.

However, the forecast recovery will likely be moderated by several factors, such as the prolonged legal difficulties that have been haunting the real estate sector this year.

Despite Vietnams strong showing in pandemic control, the coronavirus remains a living threat across the globe and even a working vaccine will take several months of clinical testing before it can be put into wide-scale use.

It is hoped that things can return to normalcy around the second or the third quarter of 2021, with intentional flights reopened, said Dinh from VNREA.

Pastors seem more reluctant to address issues of race in their congregations today than four years ago.

According to a LifeWay Research study, 74 percent of pastors agree their congregation would welcome a sermon on racial reconciliation, with 32 percent strongly agreeing. In 2016, however, 90 percent of pastors believed their congregation would be open to a sermon on the topic, with 57 percent strongly agreeing.

Today, 17 percent of pastors say their church would not want to hear about racial reconciliation, up from 7 percent in 2016.

While most pastors teaching is not limited to things their congregation wants to hear, it is helpful to know the reaction pastors anticipate from their congregation, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. Instead of a majority strongly agreeing, now only a third of pastors have no hesitation that their congregation would welcome a sermon on racial reconciliation.

African American pastors (93%) are more likely than white pastors (73%) or pastors of other ethnicities (74%) to say their church would be open to a sermon on racial reconciliation.

Pastors of churches with 250 or more in attendance (83%) are the most likely church size to say their congregation would welcome such a sermon.

Denominationally, Methodists (83%), Presbyterian/Reformed (79%), Pentecostals (78%), and Baptists (74%) are more likely than pastors of Lutheran churches (59%) to believe their congregation would like to hear a sermon on the topic.

Sermon feedback

More than 8 in 10 pastors (83%) say theyve preached on racial reconciliation in the past two years, including 70% who say they have not received any negative feedback because of those sermons and 12% who have been criticized.

Close to 1 in 6 pastors (16%) admit they have not addressed racial reconciliation from the pulpit in the past two years.

Compared to 2016, however, more pastors say they have received negative feedback, and more have ignored the topic in their sermons.

Four years ago, 5 percent said they were criticized for a sermon on racial reconciliation compared to 12 percent today. One in 10 pastors (10%) said they had not preached on the topic in the last two years in 2016, while 16 percent say that is the case now.

The typical pastor is addressing racial reconciliation from the pulpit and without pushback from their congregation, said McConnell. However, the noticeable increase in pastors avoiding the topic and receiving criticism could signal there are new dynamics emerging.

White pastors (17%) and pastors of other ethnicities (18%) are more than twice as likely as African American pastors (6%) to say they have not addressed racial reconciliation from the pulpit in the past two years.

White pastors (14%) are also more likely than pastors of other ethnicities (3%) to say they have received negative feedback from sermons on the topic.

Pastors 65 and older (20%) are more likely than pastors 45 to 54 (13%) to say theyve not talked about the topic from the pulpit in the past two years. Younger pastors (18 to 44) are the most likely to say theyve had negative feedback from preaching a sermon related to race (21%).

Lutheran pastors (27%) are twice as likely as Baptist (13%), Presbyterian/Reformed (13%) and Pentecostal pastors (12%) to say they have not addressed the issue in a sermon in the past two years.

Sermon requests

Around 1 in 5 pastors (21%) say leaders in their church have directly urged them to preach on racial reconciliation, while 77% have not heard such requests.

In 2016, a quarter of pastors (26%) said they had been asked for sermons on the topic, and 73% said they had not.

There are many possible reasons fewer churchgoers are asking for sermons on racial reconciliation, said McConnell. However, you cannot say that fewer Americans are talking and thinking about race today compared to four years ago.

White pastors (79%) and pastors of other ethnicities (77%) are more likely than African American pastors (56%) to say they have not heard such requests.

Evangelical pastors (81%) are more likely than their mainline counterparts (63%) to say no leaders in their church have asked them to preach on racial reconciliation.

Pastors in the South (79%) are more likely than pastors in the West (70%) to say they havent heard such congregational urging.

Lutheran (90%) and Baptist pastors (86%) are more likely than Pentecostal (77%), Restoration movement (70%), Presbyterian/Reformed (68%) and Methodist pastors (63%) to say they have not had leaders ask for a sermon on that topic.

Methodology: The mixed mode survey of 1,007 Protestant pastors was conducted Sept. 2  Oct. 1, 2020 using both phone and online interviews. Responses were weighted by region and church size to more accurately reflect the population. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.4 percent. Comparisons are also made to a telephone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors using random sampling conducted Aug. 22  Sept. 16, 2016.
English Lithuanian

Siauliu Bankas AB, company code 112025254, domicile address: Tilzes str. 149, Siauliai, Lithuania.

On 12 January 2021, the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court issued a decision in an administrative case in which the complaint of Siauliu bankas AB regarding the legality of the decision of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania imposing sanctions on Siauliu bankas (a fine of EUR 880 thousand) was examined. The Resolution of the Bank of Lithuania was adopted after the 2019 scheduled inspection for the identified violations and shortcomings in the implementation of the requirements for the anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing.

The court by its judgment dismissed Siauliu bankas complaint as unfounded and left the existing decision of the Bank of Lithuania unchanged.

Siauliu Bankas eliminated most of the violations and shortcomings identified by the Bank of Lithuania before considering the results of the inspection at the Board of the Bank of Lithuania. Siauliu Bankas has not identified any cases that Siauliu Bankas would be used for money laundering and terrorist financing purposes due to the violations and deficiencies identified in the inspection report. The Bank of Lithuania also did not state in the resolution that Siauliu Bankas and / or other persons would have benefited or caused damage to third parties due to the violations.

Siauliu bankas is currently evaluating the decision made by the court and will decide on its appeal within the time limits established by law (30 calendar days). It needs to be emphasized that the fine imposed by the Bank of Lithuania will not adversely affect the sustainable business continuity of the Bank. The fine imposed was accounted in the Banks financial results of year 2019.

Additional information shall be provided by

Communication specialist

Monika Rozyte, +370 686 79234, monika.rozyte@sb.lt




YBO - The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam under the Ministry of Science and Technology has recoginised the geographical indication of Mang tre Bat Do (Bat Do bamboo shoots) for Bat Bo bamboo shoot products of Yen Bai province.

The Intellectual Property Offices certificate for the geographical indication of Mang tre Bat Do (Bat Do bamboo shoots) is handed over.

The recognition was recently announced by the provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Tran Yen district Peoples Committee.





Yen Bai is currently home to more than 4,000ha of Bat Do bamboo, mostly planted in Tran Yen, Luc Yen, Yen Binh, and Van Yen districts. The plant prefers moist soil and doesnt need rich nutrition, which is suitable for traditional cultivation practices of residents in mountainous areas.





State agencies, scientists, businesses, and farmers have worked together throughout the cultivation and harvesting process, helping local farmers earn about 30 million VND (1,300 USD) from each hectare of Bat Do bamboo annually. Bamboo shoots are processed into salted, fermented, and dried products, which have been exported to the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.





After getting the geographical indication, Bat Do bamboo shoot products are hoped to have their own brand and win over trust of domestic and foreign consumers.




I strongly condemn the violence incited by outgoing President Trump in and around the Capitol Building on Wednesday. There is no place for such actions in a peaceful democracy. Conservatives are calling on President Trump and his supporters to respect the will of the American people and allow for a peaceful transition of power.

"I strongly condemn the violence incited by outgoing President Trump in and around the Capitol Building on Wednesday. There is no place for such actions in a peaceful democracy. Conservatives are calling on President Trump and his supporters to respect the will of the American people and allow for a peaceful transition of power."

 Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen

DATE/ORIGIN UNKNOWN Photo circulating on social media of Conservative MP Candice Bergen wearing a MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat.

The prepared statement above was given to media after a photo of the deputy Conservative leader wearing a Make America Great Again hat began circulating on social media in the wake of the deadly Capitol riots in Washington last week.

As CTV reported, the undated photos show Bergen wearing a camouflaged MAGA hat  a slogan that has become synonymous with outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump. The now infamous slogan has also become associated with right-wing terrorists and racists, as neo-Nazi groups like the Proud Boys have openly donned the hats and publicly expressed their support for President Trump during his term in office.

But in light of the Washington D.C. riots, Trumps role in fomenting that insurrection, which ultimately claimed the lives of five people  has prompted U.S. Democrats and even some Republicans to call for Trumps removal as president in the dying days of his mandate. And in turn, conservatives on both sides of the border are reconsidering their support of the man.

It feels like "too little too late" territory, given that Trumps actions of late have been entirely in character with the man weve seen turn the White House into a joke during the past four years. Then again, the "better late than never" argument could also be made.

At the very least, its refreshing to see loyalists finally jump ship, even though they chose to wait until the ship was taking on water.

Its only natural that Canadian Trump supporters re-evaluate their allegiances to the increasingly tarnished MAGA brand and realign themselves with what is proving the correct side of history.

Say what you will about specific policy decision, generalized support for Trump symbolized by the wearing of MAGA merchandise requires delusion, stupidity or a dangerous combination of the two, and it has ever since Trump stole the slogan from past president Ronald Reagan in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

Beginning with his pre-election, racist-tinged birtherism and continuing to his more recent mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that intensified the viruss swath of destruction throughout the United States and his ongoing attacks on democracy that include his incitement of a terrorist attack on the Capitol building, Trumps reprehensible character has been well known for quite some time.

And this isnt even counting everything that came in between, including continuous pathological lying, decrying "fake news" whenever facts were inconvenient to him and demonizing Muslims, Mexicans, and pretty much anyone who isnt white, all the while claiming to be the "least racist person."

Trump pardoned war criminals who massacred unarmed Iraqi civilians and ordered the violent clearing of peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters in order to hold a self-serving photo opportunity.

This is why Bergen wearing a MAGA hat is, in fact, a big deal, and is why its important she explain why, exactly, she was wearing it. Was it a mistake? A sign of support? If so, what, exactly, was it about Trump that warranted support at any stage of his thankfully short political career?

She condemned Trumps incitement of violence last week, but what about everything else he has said and done?

We need answers and accountability, and after several days of avoiding public accountability, weve yet to see any.

Even more troubling has been the silence from Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin OToole, who named Bergen deputy leader in September and campaigned under a Trump-esque "Take Back Canada" slogan. It remains unclear who, exactly, we should be taking Canada back from.

Canadians deserve to know what were dealing with.
kW

The Germans have made no secret of the fact that both the upcoming Audi e-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan have been developed together, so they are essentially two peas of the same pod.That said, they will each have their individual characteristics despite the common architecture, which will be used on the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo as well.For one thing, the e-tron GT will be slightly more comfort-orientated than the Taycans, while the two electric motors powering it will have their combined output dialed back a bit compared to their Stuttgart brothers.The e-tron GT concept car had a combined 590 horsepower, but you can expect that figure to jump to around 650 horsepower on the production model, though only when the available boost mode is used.The car has already started production about a month ago, but Audi still hasnt removed most of the camouflage wrap from its testing prototypes for some odd reason. Expect it to look awfully close to the concept when it goes on sale later this year, though.With a low-slung body, sloping roofline, and the widest hips this side of an RS model, the Audi e-tron GT was supposed to be unveiled much earlier, but was postponed because of the ongoing international health crisis. Expect it to be available in more than one version, albeit all of them should feature quattro all-wheel-drive thanks to an electric motor on each axle.The concept car was able to hit 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds and eclipse 124 mph (200 kph) in just over 12 seconds. Those numbers will definitely be better in the production version , but not as good as those of the Taycan Turbo S. Thanks to the 800-volt architecture shared with the Porsche and a complex cooling system, its battery pack should be able to handle repeated runs from a dig without compromising acceleration figures, whatever they will be.Range wise it might actually up the ante on its more powerful Taycan brother, not necessarily thanks to better aerodynamics or lesser weight but the more efficient and slightly less torquey electric motors, which will be tuned for comfort and efficiency.Don't think of it as a slow car, though, as the e-tron GT should be able to give the Tesla Model S a run for its money, even if it wont be as agile as a Porsche from a standing start. Speaking of money, even though the Porsche brand usually requires you to have a slightly larger bank account to become one of its customers, the electric Audi grand tourer wont exactly be a bargain either.Expect it to start at around $140,000 in its 650-horsepower iteration, if not more, while a less powerful, entry-level version should revolve around a $90,000 starting price later on.Audi hasnt mentioned anything about a hardcore RS version, but it wouldnt be impossible, especially since we already know that the Taycan Turbo S can deliver up to 750 horsepower with the Boost Mode activated and using almost identical technology.Like the Taycan, where the 2022 Audi e-tron GT will shine is its speed of charging, since it will be able to feed with electrons quite a bit faster than a Tesla if the right charging station is used.Teslas v3 Superchargers can only go as far as 250, and the maximum the Model S can accept is a 'measly' 200 kW. In the U.S., using Electrify Americas DC fast chargers, which offer up to 350 kW, the Porsche Taycan can already charge at a whopping 270 kW, and the same story happens in Europe with Ionity stations.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has expressed its resolute protest against the conviction on trumped-up charges of three Ukrainian citizens by the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in the case of the so-called "Bilohirsk group Hizb ut-Tahrir," according to a comment posted on the ministry's website.

"These sentences are further evidence that the Russian judicial system, which has nothing to do with justice, is used to continue the policy of persecution of Crimean Tatars and suppression of any signs of dissent in the occupied Crimea," said First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar.

Ukrainian diplomats are demanding that Russia overturn the court's decision and immediately release Enver Omerov, Riza Omerov, Aider Dzhapparov, and all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to condemn Russia's use of political persecution against Ukrainian citizens, as well as to increase political and diplomatic pressure so as to release illegally detained Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.

On January 11, a court in Rostov-on-Don held its final hearing on the trial of Ukrainian citizens Enver Omerov, Riza Omerov, and Aider Dzhapparov. Prosecutors demanded long prison terms for them: 19 years for Enver Omerov, 13 years for Riza Omerov, and 18 years for Dzhapparov.

All three are residents of the Bilohirsk district of Crimea, who were detained on June 10, 2019. They are accused of "committing terrorist activities" and participating in the activities of the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir.

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Last Wednesday, after narrowly escaping a violent mob incited by the president of the United States to attack the Capitol and its occupants, I was forced to spend several hours in a secure but confined location with dozens of other members of Congress. Several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask, as demonstrated in video from Punchbowl News, even when politely asked by their colleagues, Schneider said. Today, I am now in strict isolation worried that I have risked my wifes health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff.
[January 12, 2021] Babel Street Acquires Cutting Edge Dark Web Indexing Technology

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Babel Street, Inc., the worlds leading AI-enabled data-to-knowledge company, today announced it acquired intellectual property (IP) assets known as the TORI Dark Web Rapid Indexer.

The acquired technology collects, curates and indexes massive volumes of dark web content within minutes; the current industry standard requires weeks or months at such large volumes. These automated and timely updates of dark web data, when combined with Babel Streets patented and AI-driven, cross-lingual search technology across more than 200 languages, enables customers to discover and decipher ever more relevant data to inform their teams and accomplish their missions. The IP will be integrated into the full Babel Street product suite -- Babel X, Babel BOX and Babel Channels. The enhanced capability will support a wide range of use cases permitting Babel Street customers to: Exploit hackers tampering with IT systems the day it starts

Identify the sale of dangerous, stolen and counterfeit items -- illicit drugs, stolen credit cards, bitcoin keys, illegal weapons, fake vaccines and more -- as they are listed on the black market

Intervene proactively to control data leaks and hackers data dumps of social security numbers (SSN), personally identifiable information (PII), credit card numbers, trade secrets, proprietary information and more

React quickly to slow the spread of disinformation and fake news before it breaks into the mainstream social networks Babel Street prides itself on being thoughtful stewards of data and empowering their customers to make the world a better place, said the founder and CEO of RunSafe Security, Inc., Joe Saunders who advised on the transaction. It was importnt to us that the technology was sold to a good corporate citizen whose customers would greatly benefit from using it to combat attempts of bad actors to do harm. We wholeheartedly trust Babel Street and the companys ability to advance the technology to the next level, enabling their customers to protect the safety and lives of people, governments and organizations.



As we see on a daily basis, bad actors continue to use the dark web to threaten our livelihood, safety, and way of life. With our customers missions top of mind, we acquired this cutting-edge technology to enhance our ability to detect illicit activity in near real time on the dark web, said Babel Street founder and CEO, Jeffrey Chapman. It is a perfect complement to our suite of analytical tools and existing data offerings, providing increased value to our customers. Babel Street continually pursues opportunities to further innovate its platform and product suite. In 2020, Babel Street acquired technology to help its clients further identify the intersection of key trends and influential voices from publicly available information (PAI).

To learn more about Babel Street, please visit www.babelstreet.com or https://www.linkedin.com/company/babel-street/ . About Babel Street

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Research News

UB experts offer perspectives on attack on Capitol

UB faculty members have something to say about the violent takeover of the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters on Jan. 6. Photo: Tyler Merbler, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

UBNOW STAFF

UB faculty members from a variety of disciplines have something to say about the Jan. 6 siege by rioters on the U.S. Capitol.

Gardner calls Trumps actions an act of treason

Elections law expert James Gardner, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Bridget and Thomas Black Professor in the School of Law, calls Wednesdays storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump an act of violence and insurrection of a kind not seen in this country since the Civil War.

That a sitting president would incite the violent seizure of a coordinate branch of government represents a complete rejection by the nations chief law enforcement officer of any kind of constitutional order, Gardner says.

It is an act of pure destruction, and thus constitutes treason against the United States.

Gardner outlines options available to lawmakers if they choose to seek Trumps removal from office.

Read the story

Misinformation won over free speech and democracy

The misinformation that led to the siege of the U.S. Capitol has made it clear that freedom of speech currently outweighs societal good in the U.S., says UB information literacy expert Heidi Julien.

Election misinformation  including claims that the general election was stolen  has proven to be a threat on democracy, says Julien, professor of information science in the Graduate School of Education, adding that political leaders and executives of social media companies bear responsibility for the rampant spread of falsehoods.

But Julien says that half-baked actions by Facebook and Twitter to label misinformation or ban people who disseminate misinformation is too little too late.

Read the story

Race of Capitol rioters determined treatment

Noting the glaring double standard in the way law enforcement treats people of different races, UB faculty member Henry Louis Taylor Jr. says there would have been a bloodbath had predominantly Black and Brown group of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol last week.

I am stunned by the restraint showed by law enforcement, including the National Guard. This crowd of angry Trump supporters stormed the nations capital, says Taylor, professor of urban and regional planning, who researches issues of race and class.

If hundreds of Black and Brown people had stormed the nations capital, there would have been a bloodbath.

Read the story

Invoking 25th Amendment will further divide nation

UB political scientist James E. Campbell says invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office in the wake of the violence Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol will further divide an already-divided nation.

If you want to heal the nation, I cant think of a worse idea than using the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump. Its like pouring gasoline on a bonfire, says Campbell, UB Distinguished Professor of Political Science.

Campbell studies polarization and has written extensively on the subject, including his book Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America.

Read the story

Editors note: The views and opinions expressed by faculty in commentary about current events are based on their scholarship and/or research and do not represent the official positions of the University at Buffalo.
Theres a better than 50-50 chance Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will vote to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial, according to a new report.

McConnell appears to be more set on convicting Trump in an extraordinary turn against the president in the wake of last week's Capitol riot.

A Tuesday night report from Axios cited a top Republican close to McConnell saying, 'The Senate institutional loyalists are fomenting a counterrevolution' to Trump.

McConnell has been signaling support for the House Democratic impeachment effort that includes an article charging the president with 'incitement of insurrection'.

The news comes on the heels of a New York Times report that McConnell told associates he believes Trump 'committed impeachable offenses' and hes 'pleased' by the move to impeach him.

Also on Tuesday Rep. Liz Cheney, the House's third-ranking Republican, announced that she would vote for impeaching President Trump.

'On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes. This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our Republic,' wrote Cheney, the daughter of the former vice president.

U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, after visiting the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Harlingen, Texas, Tuesday

President Donald Trump returns to the White House on Marine One in Washington, D.C Tuesday

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is signaling support for the House Democratic impeachment effort that includes an article charging the president with 'incitement of insurrection'. Trump retyrns to the White House on Tuesday evening

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denounced Trump's election challenge in a speech last week after a mob egged on by Trump invaded the U.S. Capitol

Also on Tuesday Rep. Liz Cheney, the House's third-ranking Republican, announced that she would vote for impeaching President Trump

'Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough. The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,' she continued.

'I will vote to impeach the President,' Cheney concluded.

Word of the powerful Senate Republican's posture came Tuesday as the House prepared prepared to take up an impeachment article Wednesday  with signs that several Republicans will back it.

McConnell worked successfully to scuttle the impeachment effort during a trial last year on different charges. His current view follows reports that McConnell never wants to speak to Trump again after the Capitol riots that had Trump supporters invading the Capitol, trashing leadership offices, and endangering the lives of lawmakers.

McConnell backs the effort because it will make it easier to purge Trump from the party, the New York Times reports.

One feature of impeachment  which can grind the Senate to a halt and lead to furious partisan arguments  is that it allows lawmakers to vote to prohibit the person being impeached from ever holding public office with the U.S. government.

Trump may run for president in 2024, and many of his potential rivals happen to hold Senate seats.

McConnell has made clear in private discussions that 'now is the moment to move on the weakened lame duck, whom he blames for Republicans losing the Senate,' according to the report.

His view emerged as Trump, rather than express contrition, called impeachment a 'hoax' and a 'witch hunt,' and defended his pre-riot comments that Democrats have already said was incitement. Trump called his speech minutes before the siege 'totally appropriate.'

U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks from a helicopter before boarding Air Force One at Valley International Airport after visiting the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in Harlingen, Texas, U.S., January 12, 2021. A pro-Trump mob invaded the Capitol last week, with angry rioters stopped just feet short of the Senate chamber and McConnell's leadership office

Nevertheless, a McConnell memo that emerged over the weekend cited scheduling challenges for impeachment  a trial might not even begin until after Jan. 19th, since the Senate is not in session.

Trump ignored McConnell's advice and launched his election challenge despite two run-off elections in Georgia which the GOP lost  stripping the party of its majority.

McConnell's wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, quit the Trump cabinet after the riots, which included an angry mob getting blocked steps from the door to the Senate chamber that McConnell uses when he normally strolls from his leadership office.

A source told CNN McConnell 'hates' Trump and is 'furious' with him after the Capitol riots.

Cheney's statement denouncing the president comes after he told supporters they need to 'get rid' of people like her.

'We got to get rid of the weak Congresspeople, the ones that aren't any good, the Liz Cheneys of the world. We got to get rid of them,' Trump said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised her, amid speculation numerous House Republicans might follow her lead. 'Good for her for honoring her oath of us. Would that more Republicans would honor their oaths of office,' Pelosi said.

'THE PRESIDENT LIT THE FLAME.' GOP NO.3 LIZ CHENEY'S STATEMENT IN FULL On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes. This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our Republic. Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough. The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. I will vote to impeach the President. Advertisement

The siege left five people dead, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was based on the Senate side.

It was not immediately clear how McConnell might vote on impeachment.

Convicting Trump on an impeachment article requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate, where Republicans hold 50 votes  a high bar to meet.

Report on his potential thinking follows reports that a House GOP leader, Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, could potentially back impeachment, after calling it a conscience vote that leaders would not whip.

She, like McConnell, put out a blistering statement following the Capitol riots.

The House is set to vote Tuesday on a procedure for impeachment after an angry clash at the Rules Committee over Trump's claims of election fraud. The full House is set to vote Wednesday on impeachment.

Assuming passage, it has not been determined when Democratic leaders will transmit the impeachment article, or when the Senate might take it up.

Amid concern among members of both parties about what Trump will do in his final eight days in office, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and other top military members issued a letter stating that the military would not follow any unlawful orders and expressing loyalty to the U.S. Constitution.

The FBI has warned of possible plans for additional attacks on the Capitol  and announced an array of charges that could include sedition, conspiracy, and murder, along with trespassing and property theft in ongoing manhunt for Capitol riot perpetrators. More than 160 cases are currently open.

Just as news broke of McConnell's posture, it was revealed that upstate New York Republican Rep. John Katko would back impeachment in the House.

'To allow the president of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy,' Katko said in a statement, Syracuse.com reported. For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action. I will vote to impeach this president,' he said.

President-elect Joe Biden said Monday there was the possibility of dual-tracking an impeachment and Senate session that would be needed to get his cabinet confirmed.

Biden phoned McConnell on Monday, according to the Times on the subject of a trial, and McConnell said he would consult the Senate parliamentarian and get back.

There are Senate rules and precedents governing impeachment, but leaders also might be able to negotiate a way to handle it, with the possibility of a special impeachment committee taking up some of the burden.

Trump has continued his usual pattern of lashing out at political adversaries when under attack.

'Free speech is under assault like never before. The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden Administration. As the expression goes, be careful what you wish for,' Trump said, amid a Democratic push to have Vice President Mike Pence invoke the amendment to declare Trump unfit.

Post-riot accounts from last Wednesday reveal that not only did President Trump egg on supporters who wreaked havoc in the Capitol  but he was glued to the television as the events unfolded, incapable of responding to desperate pleas to use influence to stop it and enjoying seeing it unfold.

There were two major areas where the president fell dramatically short of what was being asked of him: using his personal popularity with his followers to urge them to vacate the Capitol immediately; and using the vast powers of his office to try to speed a federal response.

But when key current and former aides and family members tried to reach him, he was 'busy enjoying the spectacle,' according to a Washington Post account.

What Trump told supporters before they ransacked the Capitol in 'totally appropriate' speech

We're going to have to fight much harder 'Republicans are constantly fighting like a boxer with his hands tied behind his back. It's like a boxer. And we want to be so nice. We want to be so respectful of everybody, including bad people. And we're going to have to fight much harder.' We're going to walk down to the Capitol 'We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. 'Get tougher' / You are allowed to go by very different rules 'The Republicans have to get tougher. Youre not going to have a Republican Party if you dont get tougher. They want to play so straight. They want to play so serious. The United States, the Constitution doesnt allow me to send them back to the states. Well, I would say yes, it does, because the Constitution says you have to protect our country, and you have to protect our Constitution, and you cant vote on fraud, and fraud breaks up everything, doesnt it? When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do, and I hope he doesnt listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that hes listening toWhen you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do, and I hope he doesn't listen to the RINOs and the stupid people that he's listening to.' Takes 'more courage not to step up' 'I also want to thank our 13 most courageous members of the U.S. Senate ... I actually think, though, it takes, again, more courage not to step up, and I think a lot of those people are going to find that out. And you better start looking at your leadership, because your leadership has led you down the tubes.' Never concede 'We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn't happen. You don't concede when there's theft involved. Our country has had enough.' On 'fake news' and 'Big tech' 'They rigged an election, they rigged it like they have never rigged an election before.' 'All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by bold and radical left Democrats, which is what they are doing, and stolen by the fake news media. That is what they have done and what they are doing. We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesnt happen. You dont concede when theres theft involved.' 'We will not take it anymore' 'Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about.' And to use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with, we will stop the steal.'

Denied Biden's vote count 'He had 80 million computer votes. Its a disgrace. Theres never been anything like that. You can take Third World countries, just take a look, take Third World countries, their elections are more honest than what we have been going through in this country. Its a disgrace. Its a disgrace. Even when you look at last night, they were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off with boxes, and nobody knows what the hell is going on. Theres never been anything like this. We will not let them silence your voices. Were not going to let it happen.' [Note: Biden got more than 81 million votes; Trump rounded up his own total to 75 million.] Call for military and law enforcement to join 'And I would love to have, if those tens of thousands of people would be allowed, the military, the Secret Service and we want to thank you  and the police and law enforcement  great, youre doing a great job. But I would love it if they could be allowed to come up with us. Is that possible? Can you just let them, please?' Pressure on Mike Pence: Says it takes 'courage' to do nothing 'I hope Mike is going to do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election ... All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to re-certify, and we become president, and you are the happiest people.' 'And I actually, I just spoke to Mike. I said, Mike, that doesnt take courage, what takes courage is to do nothing. That takes courage, and then we are stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot, and we have to live with that for four more years. Were just not going to let that happen.' Won't stand for Biden win 'We want to go back, and we want to get this right, because were going to have somebody in there that should not be in there, and our country will be destroyed. And were not going to stand for that.' 'You're not the people that tore down our nation' 'If this happened to the Democrats, thered be hell all over the country going on. Thered be hell all over the country. But just remember this, youre stronger, youre smarter. Youve got more going than anybody, and they try and demean everybody having to do with us, and youre the real people. Youre the people that built this nation. Youre not the people that tore down our nation.' March peacefully ... we will see whether Republicans stand strong 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today, we will see whether Republicans stand strong for the integrity of our elections. But whether or not they stand strong for our country  our country, our country has been under siege for a long time. Far longer than this four-year period' 'Ashamed ... throughout eternity' 'Today, we see a very important event, though, because right over there, right there, we see the event thats going to take place, and Im going to be watching because history is going to be made. Were going to see whether or not we have great and courageous leaders or whether or not we have leaders that should be ashamed of themselves throughout history, throughout eternity. Theyll be ashamed. And you know what? If they do the wrong thing, we should never, ever forget that they did. Never forget.' Calls Republicans who voted not to count certified votes 'warriors' 'I want to thank the more than 140 members of the House. Those are warriors.15 Theyre over there working like youve never seen before, studying, talking, actually going all the way back studying the roots of the Constitution because they know we have the right to send a bad vote that was illegally gotten.' Biden will be 'illegitimate' 'But think of this: If you dont do that, that means you will have a president of the United States for four years with his wonderful son, you will have a president who lost all of these states, or you will have a president, to put it another way, who was voted on by a bunch of stupid people who lost all of these states. You will have an illegitimate president. That is what you will have, and we cant let that happen.' Call to 'do something' about radical left 'The radical left knows exactly what they were doing. They are ruthless, and its time that somebody did something about it. And Mike Pence, I hope youre going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. (APPLAUSE) And if youre not, Im going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. Im not hearing good stories.' Election was 'stolen' 'Make no mistake, this election was stolen from you, from me, and from the country, and not a single swing state has conducted a comprehensive audit to remove the illegal ballots. This should absolutely occur in every single contested state before the election is certified.' Alleges 'criminal enterprise' 'So, when you hear  when you hear, While there is no evidence to prove any wrongdoing, this is the most fraudulent thing anybodys  this is a criminal enterprise. This is a criminal enterprise.' Fight like hell

'And again, most people would stand there at 9 oclock in the evening and say, I want to thank you very much, and they go off to some other life. But I said something is wrong here, something is really wrong, cant have happened, and we fight. We fight like hell, and if you dont fight like hell youre not going to have a country anymore.' Advertisement

President Donald Trump called his pre-riot remarks 'totally appropriate'

President Donald Trump was glued to the television at the White House as his supporters ransacked the Capitol

As the historic mob invasion of the U.S. seat of legislative government unfolded, a variety of people with influence over Trump sought to get to him to urge action.

The routes they took were typical of the loosely organized web of influence within the Trump White House.

Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham  who only after the riot firmly declared Joe Biden the winner of the election  reached out to the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump.

'It took him a while to appreciate the gravity of the situation,' Graham told the Post. 'The president saw these people as his allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen,' Graham said of the rioters who took the Capitol.

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who Trump believes is so much under his wing that he has publicly called him 'My Kevin,' was pleading for action.

Trump had told supporters to 'fight' and encouraged them to march to the Capitol

Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Protesters attempt to enter the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation's capital during a joint session Congress to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. One Capitol Police officer died in the action

Police officers in riot gear line up as protesters gather on the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. It took hours to regain control of the building

Senator Lindsey Graham reached out to Ivanka Trump during the chaos

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) pleaded with Trump during the riot

Chief of staff Mark Meadows urged Trump to speak out after an aide told him 'They are going to kill people' in reference to the rioters

McCarthy phoned Trump directly to try to plead for assistance  but also called the president's son in law, Jared Kushner, who was returning form a trip to the Middle East.

Former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, who doesn't even work for Trump anymore, tried to get through to him to urge action. She phoned an aide she knew was in close proximity to Trump.

The office of the Mayor of Washington, desperate to get more National Guard forces amid logistical and jurisdictional hurdles, also reached out to Conway.

Chief of staff Mark Meadows urged Trump to speak out after an aide told him: 'They are going to kill people,' in reference to the rioters.

A primary area of the pleas related to something Trump was capable of doing on his own without engaging with the bureaucracy: issuing simple Twitter or video pleas for protesters to get out of the Capitol.

The appeals he finally made either lacked a direct call to fall back, or sprinkled in approving language even as the riot that would become deadly unfolded.

At 2:30 pm, about half an hour after the Capitol breach, Trump told his supporters to 'Please support our Capitol Police' and to 'Stay peaceful!'

His next message was more explicit, writing 'No violence!'  but claimed 'WE are the Party of Law & Order.'

After he finally put out a video at about 4 pm, Trump finally told his backers to 'go home.' But he also called them 'very special,' called the election 'fraudulent,' and said: 'You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace.'

Trump himself had egged on his supporters with demands that they 'fight,' calling the election fraudulent, and putting pressure on Vice President Mike Pence, whose only role was ceremonial and involved opening and reading from envelopes containing electoral votes.

Trump was glued to the television as the storming of the Capitol was broadcast.

Prior reporting has revealed that the Washington D.C. government had requested a National Guard presence, but Guard were assigned to traffic and other assistance and weren't issued ammo or riot gear.

The now resigned chief of Capitol Police says he wanted more Guard support in advance of Wednesday but had been told by superiors to ask for it informally. The governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, says there were delays getting approval to send Guard forces from the Pentagon.

But it wasn't mere distraction that kept Trump from springing into action. It's not atht he was too busy because he was so consumed, which he was,' the New York Times reported.

'He was pleased because it was people fighting on his behalf. He was pleased because he liked the scene. And he was pleased because it was delaying the certification of the Electoral College vote,' the New York Times reported. 'He knew what was happening... He just didn't want to do anything.'

Although McCarthy told colleagues on a call Monday Trump had accepted 'some responsibility' for the riot, on Tuesday the president was back to his defiant posture familiar from impeachment and the Russia probe. He said a second impeachment Democrats are lining up is a 'continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics.'
A straight man has revealed how he married his gay best friend to avoid a hefty inheritance tax bill, and insists his late husband would be 'proud' of a new documentary about their tale of tax dodging.

Father-of-three Michael O'Sullivan, 60, tied the knot with former butler Matt Murphy, 85, in December 2017.

Matt asked his friend of 30 years and carer to marry him because he wanted him to inherit his house in Stoneybatter, Dublin, when he died - seeing it as a way of paying him back for looking after him in his twilight years.

If they hadn't married, Michael would have had to have paid a 44,868 (50,000) inheritance tax bill, the pair previously told Irish radio, and even argued that due to the fact Michael cared for Matt without taking a Carers Allowance, they saved the state money.

When couples marry in Ireland, they face an interview to ensure the relationship is legitimate, but a legal expert says there does not need to be a sexual or romantic element to the relationship to make it a 'genuine' marriage.

According to retired judge Sir James Munby: 'A sexual relationship is not necessary for there to be a valid marriage.'

Father-of-three Michael OSullivan, 60, right, tied the knot with former butler Matt Murphy, 85, left, in December 2017

It's a grey area because prohibitions apply to marriage between certain people related by blood or marriage, but friendship is not listed as a legal barrier to a couple tying the knot.

If you're married or civil partners, you can transfer assets to your spouse free of tax. Additionally, under the Succession Act 1965, your spouse has a legal right to a minimum of one third of your estate no matter what your will might say.

Sadly Matt passed away in January last year following a short illness, and Michael said his late husband would have loved the spotlight being on him as a result of the documentary, reports the Irish Sunday Mirror.

The programme, called Let the Rest of the World Go By - a tribute to the song Matt sang at their wedding - which aired on Ireland's national TV station RTE One last night, shares a touching insight into the men's relationship.

What is inheritance tax? Inheritance tax was designed as a levy on only the very wealthy, but triple-digit property inflation since the 1980s has dragged more families into its grasp. In the UK, it is currently charged at 40 per cent on estates worth more than the tax-free threshold of 325,000, or 650,000 for couples. In Ireland the tax-free threshold depends on your relationship to the deceased, 16,250 in the case of a friend, and it's charged at 33 per cent. All gifts or inheritances from a spouse or civil partner are exempt from this tax. Advertisement

In it, Michael affectionately brands Matt 'bitchy' while Matt admits he could 'strangle' his 'hubby' at times.

'He would probably give out that I do nothing around the house - I don't do anything around the house, because it's f****** very hard to do anything around the house,' Michael says, surrounded by Matt's hoarded belongings.

'I cleared out the kitchen sink but he's the one that always smokes in the kitchen sink, or throws his coffee in the sink.'

Matt retorts: 'He has no interest in houses as such, or colours or styles or linen or curtains or paint, nothing. He wants to live in a caravan.'

Speaking about his late partner, Michael told The Irish Sunday Mirror: 'He was such a great character and he comes across as himself and he would have loved it. He loved the attention.

'It was very emotional to watch it back. It's a lovely piece of work that tells the story so well. What's nice about it is that it airs during the same week as Matt's anniversary which is on the 14th.'

He added that he never expected their story would be told around the world, and they didn't even formally invite people to their wedding.

'I found a set of rings in Matt's jewellery box that worked as wedding rings,' he recalled.

Michael said he is sure they inspired other people to do the same, joking they were 'like the odd couple'. Last year he told the Sunday Independent: 'It was a real mixed marriage: I was straight and he was gay and I was Catholic and he was Protestant.'

Sadly Matt passed away in January last year following a short illness, and Michael said his late husband would have loved the spotlight being on him. Pictured on their wedding day

Born to a single mother, Matt grew up on a 2,000 acre estate on the outskirts of Cashel, Co Tipperary, and became a trainee butler in a local mansion when he was 13, moving to Dublin at the age of 33.

The pair met in 1990 while both working for the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Despite their 24 year age gap, they became friends, with Matt looking on Michael as a younger brother.

Michael, now a professional actor with three children from two relationships, formed a strong bond with Matt until he retired, at which point they lost contact for several years.

When Matt was approaching his 80s, circumstances brought them back together. Before Matt 'proposed', Michael was going through a difficult time as a house he was staying in was put up for sale.

He spent several nights sleeping in his car, and other times Matt invited him over to stay at his house before they eventually struck up their deal.

When Michael explained that, while it was a nice idea, tax rules meant he'd have to pay half its value to the government, Matt suggested they got married so that, when he died, the house would automatically go to him

When the news of their impending marriage broke, Matt told the New York Times that if two people can live together and help each other, it was the most important thing in life.

In the documentary Michael discusses in more detail why they decided to go ahead with the wedding.

He recalled: 'At the time it was a marriage of convenience, you know. We didnt know it was going to be a big international story.

'It was an amazing journey. I needed somewhere to live and Matt needed someone to take care of him.

'Matt spent his whole life looking after other people, fussing over them, people relied on him. But who was going to look after Matt?

'Matt came up with the idea and said, "I will give you the house and you look after me and I will give you the house as payment".'

When Michael explained that, while it was a nice idea, tax rules meant he'd have to pay half its value to the government, Matt suggested they got married so that, when he died, the house would automatically go to him.

Michael previously told LiveLine: 'I love Matt  not in a sexual way  but Matt said it one of the days and I just thought, "That's not a bad idea".'

The pair argued that due to the fact Michael cared for Matt without taking a Carers Allowance, they saved the state money.

'We didn't go for the Carer's Allowance because Matt would have to be examined, the house would have to be looked at and Matt's a hoarder,' Michael previously told Claire Byrne Live on RTE One.

'This was a solution, I wouldn't get paid by the carers and Matt would get looked after, otherwise Matt would be in a home by now.'

While the first year of their marriage was great, Michael told in the documentary how Matt's health took a turn for the worse in the year before his death.

He explained: 'I noticed his mind slipping a bit. He would come out with some strange things. I would just go along with it. I didnt say anything, it was harmless.

'The first year was great. We went in the car, we went walking a lot, to the cafe, we just went everywhere together. It was so good.'

At Matt's funeral, Michael sang Let The Rest Of The World Go By - which includes the poignant lyrics 'with someone like you, a pal good and true, I'd like to leave it all behind and go and find a place that's known to God alone, just a spot we could call our own And let the rest of the world go by.'
Wednesdays attack on the Capitol was the tragically predictable result of white-supremacist grievances fueled by President Donald Trump.

But his departure from office, whether immediately or on Jan. 20, will not solve the deeper problems exposed by this episode.

What happened is cause for grief and outrage. It should not be cause for shock. What were too often passed off as the rantings of an unfortunate but temporary figure in public life are, in reality, part of something much bigger. That is the challenge that confronts us all.

Over these last days, Ive thought about my experiences as a senator from New York on Sept. 11, 2001, and the 9/11 Commission Report that followed. The reports authors explored the failures that opened the door for a devastating terrorist attack. The most important failure, they wrote, was one of imagination. We do not believe leaders understood the gravity of the threat.

Almost 20 years later, we are living through another failure of imagination - the failure to account for the damage that can be done to our nation by a president who incites violence, congressional leaders who fan the flames, and social media platforms that sear conspiracy theories into the minds of Trumps supporters. Unless we confront the threats we face, we risk ensuring that last weeks events are only a prelude to an even greater tragedy.

Expand Close Donald Trump addresses his supporters last Wednesday. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo / Facebook

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Trump ran for president on a vision of America where whiteness is valued at the expense of everything else. In the White House, he gave white supremacists, members of the extreme right and conspiracy theorists their most powerful platforms, even claiming that there were very fine people among the torch-wielding militia members who converged on Charlottesville in 2017.

By the time he lost in 2020, he had whipped a dangerous element of our country into a frenzy. His supporters began planning their insurrection, making plans to march on the Capitol and stop the steal. Members of Congress, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., encouraged them, in Brookss words, to start taking down names and kicking ass. Trump left no doubt about his wishes, in the lead-up to Jan. 6 and with his incendiary words before his mob descended.

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So how do we move forward as a country? What does it say about us that so many were complicit, while those who sounded the alarm were dismissed as hysterical?

The generous explanation is that its hard to comprehend the danger of what seem like ridiculous conspiracy theories until you experienced that danger firsthand. This is a lesson Ive learned myself. Ive had my share of unpleasant experiences with people who believed I was evil incarnate - everything from being burned in effigy for fighting for health-care reform, to claiming that I was running a pedophilia ring out of a pizza parlor, to receiving a mail bomb from a rabid Trump cult member.

Fanatical ideas can lead to real, even deadly harm. Thats something the people of Michigan realized last year when armed militia members plotted to kidnap their governor. Its something Nashvillians saw when a conspiracy theorist blew up an entire city block. Now, its something all of America has experienced.

But it is not enough to scrutinize - and prosecute - the domestic terrorists who attacked our Capitol. We all need to do some soul-searching of our own.

In Isabel Wilkersons new book Caste, she cites a question from historian Taylor Branch: If people were given the choice between democracy and whiteness, how many would choose whiteness? Wednesday reminded us of an ugly truth: There are some Americans, more than many want to admit, who would choose whiteness.

Its sobering that many people were unsurprised by what occurred last week, particularly people of color, for whom a violent mob waving Confederate flags and hanging nooses is a familiar sight in American history. Consider what we saw last June, when Black Lives Matter protesters peacefully demonstrating in Lafayette Square were met with federal officers and tear gas. If the first step toward healing and unity is honesty, that starts with recognizing that this is indeed part of who we are.

Removing Trump from office is essential, and I believe he should be impeached. Members of Congress who joined him in subverting our democracy should resign, and those who conspired with the domestic terrorists should be expelled immediately. But that alone wont remove white supremacy and extremism from America. There are changes elected leaders should pursue immediately, including advocating new criminal laws at the state and federal levels that hold white supremacists accountable and tracking the activities of extremists such as those who breached the Capitol. Twitter and other companies made the right decision to stop Trump from using their platforms, but they will have to do more to stop the spread of violent speech and conspiracy theories.

The Biden administration will need to address this crisis in all its complexity and breadth, including holding technology platforms accountable, prosecuting all who broke our laws, and making public more intelligence and analysis about domestic terrorism.

Despite the horror of what we saw happen, in the weeks and months ahead the news cycle will move on. We owe it to ourselves not to do the same. We have the strength, the ability and - yes - the imagination to confront what happened and ensure that nothing like it ever happens again. Thats what real patriotism looks like. ( Washington Post)

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Lockdown measures could be tightened within days if people keep flouting the rules, the Mail can reveal today.

Downing Street insisted today the focus was on better compliance with existing Covid regulations.

But sources warned ministers were ready to tighten the lockdown further unless the situation improved by the weekend.

'The compliance data is mixed,' an insider said. 'We should have better data by the weekend and at that point we will have to decide whether we need to go further.'

Extra measures being considered include removing the exemption that allows two people to meet outdoors to exercise.

Another source said some ministers were pushing for more businesses to be closed, including estate agents, outdoor markets and click-and-collect retail.

Scientists are also arguing for the two-metre social distancing rule to be increased to three metres.

A Downing Street source said Boris Johnson would need clear data showing problems before he ordered further damaging closures.

The Prime Minister told the Cabinet yesterday it was 'more important than ever that the public stay at home'.

A Downing Street source said Boris Johnson (pictured at a Cabinet meeting yesterday) would need clear data showing problems before he ordered further damaging closures

Estate agents could be closed, markets shut and meeting for exercise banned to stop surge in Covid-19 cases (file photos)

No 10 pins hopes on us following the rules... but keeps the big stick in reverse HOW RULES MAY CHANGE End exercise meetings Ministers are considering removing the exemption that allows two people to meet outdoors to exercise. The exemption, which did not exist in the original lockdown, was included as a lifeline for the lonely. But scenes of crowded parks have led to concerns it is being abused. Increase mask wearing Health officials are examining plans to make masks mandatory in crowded outdoor areas such as supermarket queues and markets. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said this week that masks were not necessary in most outdoor settings but there 'might be some logic' to wearing them in crowded spaces. Close more businesses Some ministers are pushing for the closure of more businesses, such as estate agents and click and collect retail operations  many of which were shut in the first lockdown. Supporters of the move say it would help limit the spread of the virus and reduce the reasons for people to go out. No10 has not ruled it out. 3m social distancing Some Government scientists are pushing for the two-metre social distancing rule to be extended to three, but officials say the idea is on the back-burner for now. Shut churches and nurseries London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for places of worship to close while Labour wants nurseries shut. But ministers insist neither move is being considered for now. Advertisement

As officials reported another 1,243 deaths from Covid:

Mr Johnson faced the wrath of China after blaming its 'demented' traditional medical practices for the pandemic;

England's largest hospital trust said it was redeploying staff to critical care and halting some elective surgery to avoid being overwhelmed by Covid cases;

New figures showed more than half of virus patients in intensive care are in their 50s or 60s;

Major supermarkets united in formally banning customers without face masks;

Statistics chiefs said more Britons had died over the past 12 months than in any year for more than a century;

Police leaders demanded more clarity on exercise regulations;

The highly infectious South African variant of Covid-19 had spread, with up to 30 cases in the UK;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested police could be prioritised alongside teachers and shop workers in the second phase of the vaccine rollout.

Ministers hope infections are 'levelling off' in some areas. Latest data revealed that 45,533 people tested positive for the virus on Monday, taking the seven-day average down by 0.5 per cent  the first fall in weeks.

However, some government scientists fear the true case rate is more than 250,000 a day.

They have warned the Prime Minister that, even with the rollout of the vaccine, the death rate may not start to fall until the middle of next month.

At a press conference yesterday, Priti Patel was asked why the lockdown rules were laxer than those introduced last March.

The Home Secretary initially said the regulations were 'tough enough' and simply needed to be followed more closely.

But she then confirmed ministers were looking again at whether the restrictions need to be tightened.

'These issues are live within government,' she said. 'Rules are always under review. We are constantly, right now, looking at where we are at.'

Miss Patel also revealed that police had handed out 45,000 Covid fines  and warned that a minority were 'putting the health of the nation at risk'.

The PM's spokesman said: 'If we need to take further action we will. But the important thing now is we are asking people to stay at home.'

Ministers are growing alarmed by the emergence of a Covid hotspot on Merseyside, which has overtaken London as the area where the virus is increasing fastest.

A surge in cases there could be embarrassing for the Government, which made great play of the decision to move the region into Tier Two at the end of the second lockdown while most of the rest of the North West stayed in Tier Three.

The highest overall case rate in England remains Barking and Dagenham in London.

Mask flouters on tubes, buses and trains WILL be fined: Police chief's warning - as Priti Patel warns of get-tough regime with lock-down rule breakers

By David Wilcock, Jack Wright and Jack Elsom for MailOnline

Police last night warned that people caught not wearing a face mask on public transport will be fined as Priti Patel backed an even tougher crackdown on lockdown rule-breakers.

National Police Chiefs' Council chairman Martin Hewitt said officers would no longer 'waste time' trying to reason with lockdown sceptics as deaths from the latest deadly wave of coronavirus continue to soar.

Speaking at a Downing Street press briefing, he gave examples of shocking 'irresponsible behaviour' from people not heeding warnings - even with more than 1,200 people dying every day.

They included a 30-per-head boat party in Hertfordshire with more than 40 people, a Surrey house party whose host tried to claim it was a business event and a minibus full of people from different households caught travelling from Cheltenham into Wales for a walk.

Standing beside Mr Hewitt, the Home Secretary said a minority of the public are 'putting the health of the nation at risk' as she backed the tougher police approach to lockdown rules.

Priti Patel used yesterday's TV conference, during which she was flanked by the chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Martin Hewitt, to plead with people to follow the rules

Mr Hewitt said: 'Organising parties or other large gatherings is dangerous, selfish and totally irresponsible in light of the current threat that we face. Organisers will be fined. But so too will the people who choose to attend

Infections drop, but daily deaths hit 1,243 Infections are falling for the first time in weeks in a glimmer of hope on the second deadliest day of the pandemic. Today 1,243 deaths were recorded in the UK. The horrifying death toll is higher than the 1,224 at the peak of the first wave on April 21, but below the record 1,325 last Friday. Weekly cases have fallen for the first time since the second national lockdown ended six weeks ago. Yesterday some 45,553 new cases were reported in the UK, compared to 60,916 last Tuesday and a high of 62,916 last Wednesday. The infection rate per 100,000 has decreased for three consecutive days and is currently 592, compared to 641 on January 4. It is the first time it has fallen since the start of December, when it was 152. While pressure on the NHS is increasing, admissions are stabilising in London and the South East. Data shows there are a record 35,075 Covid-19 patients in UK hospitals, up 70 per cent from Christmas Day. Advertisement

She warned that officers are moving more quickly to issuing fines where people are clearly breaching coronavirus regulations, with nearly 45,000 fixed penalty notices issued across the UK since March.

It comes as No10 considers imposing Chinese-style outdoor mask mandates, curfews and 10ft social distancing to tighten up the shutdown amid pressure from scientists and Sir Keir Starmer to clamp down harder.

Mr Hewitt said: 'Organising parties or other large gatherings is dangerous, selfish and totally irresponsible in light of the current threat that we face. Organisers will be fined. But so too will the people who choose to attend.

'Not wearing a face covering on a bus or a train is dangerous. It risks the lives of other travellers including those critical workers who must continue to use public transport to do their important work. So on those systems, unless you are exempt, you can expect a fine.'

He urged people to take personal responsibility for their actions, adding: 'We will talk to people and we will explain. But I think the rules are clear enough for people to understand, we are 10 months into this process.'

Ms Patel said 'far too often' police officers were risking their health and lives by 'coming into close contact with people, including those who deny the very existence of coronavirus, to keep us all safe'. She added: 'We are now at a critical stage in our battle against this virus.

'To protect those that you care about, and the capacity of our hospitals to protect us all, please stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.'

Ms Patel insisted the coronavirus rules that people need to follow are clear.

Asked why the regulations were not as tough as the first lockdown despite the parlous situation faced by the NHS, the Home Secretary told a Downing Street press conference: 'The rules are actually very simple and clear.

'We are meant to stay at home and only leave home for a very, very limited number of reasons.'

Outdoor recreation was permitted 'in a very, very restricted and limited way, staying local'. She added that police had set out 'the type of egregious breaches that we will clamp down on'.

But ministers are under mounting pressure to clarify exactly how far people can travel for exercise amid public and police confusion over 'woolly' lockdown rules.

Government advice urges people to stay 'local' but does not specify a distance in law, which has resulted in officers making their own interpretations and incorrectly fining walkers driving just five miles from home.

Boris Johnson, who has himself come under fire for cycling in the Olympic Park seven miles from his Downing Street flat, has been urged to follow the devolved administrations and set clear boundaries.

In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has permitted people to travel up to five miles outside their local authority area, and in Northern Ireland, the Executive has placed a 10-mile limit. Wales also has a 'stay local' rule.

Hopes of immediate clarification for England appeared to be scotched yesterday as a senior police officer said people should instead use their own judgement.

Mr Hewitt told the No10 press briefing: 'I don't think we're in a position where we want to set a particular distance, because if a police officer stopped somebody how would you prove that a person is within or outside that distance? I think it is simpler than that.'

His remarks fly in the face of demands from colleagues who branded the existing guidance 'incredibly vague'.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick yesterday threw her weight behind calls for a definition of the advice to stay 'local' to be enshrined in law.

And Lib Dem MP Tim Farron wrote a letter to the Prime Minister calling for him to provide clarity, dismissing the current advice as 'clear as mud'.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse raised eyebrows yesterday after suggesting people could travel up to 70 miles for exercise.

No mask, no shopping! Supermarkets' crack down - amid fears of attacks on staff

By Sean Poulter Consumer Affairs Editor for the Daily Mail

Britain's biggest supermarkets united tonight in formally banning customers without masks.

The stores have also urged customers to shop alone in an effort to help combat increasing infections.

Wearing masks will now be strictly enforced at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Lidl.

The move follows pressure from the Government, with some ministers suggesting that retailers have not been doing enough to protect the public.

Many industry leaders are privately furious, however, that shops are being treated as scapegoats for soaring infections.

Read my lips? Security guard remonstrates with woman entering a Morrisons without a mask in London

Asda shopper in Swindon has full trolley but no coverage

There are concerns the clampdown will trigger flashpoints at supermarket doors, with staff facing abuse and even violence.

Tesco explained its tough line, saying: 'To protect our customers and colleagues, we won't let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with Government guidance.

'We will have additional security in stores to help manage this.'

Waitrose said: 'Marshals will be positioned at the entrances of all supermarkets. They will have disposable masks for customers who do not have their own and will deny admission to anyone refusing to comply.'

In contrast, both the Co-op and Iceland have refused to enforce wearing masks for fear it will lead to attacks on employees.

The two stores and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) insist the police are responsible for enforcing the rules  not shop workers. The penalty is 200 for a first offence.

The Co-op has seen an 80 per cent rise in attacks, including swearing, spitting and physical assaults, during the pandemic.

It said: 'We have strict policies about ensuring our colleagues are not placed in harm's way.' Iceland said: 'In view of the rising tide of abuse and violence directed at our store colleagues, we do not expect them to confront the small minority of customers who aggressively refuse to comply.'

It has been suggested the Government could increase the social distancing rule for shops from 1m to 2m, and also ban non-essential stores offering 'click and collect'.

The majority of retail industry bosses argue both plans would be a disaster  particularly for small shops. BRC director of business and regulation, Tom Ironside, said: 'The ability for non-essential stores, from florists to toy and book shops, to offer click and collect services has been a lifeline.'

John Lewis has already decided to partially suspend its click and collect service from department stores, although it will still be available through Waitrose.

Did England pass its peak BEFORE lockdown? Covid outbreaks started to slow at start of 2021 in Kent and other Tier 4 areas - but cases are still spiralling in Liverpool (so use our tool to work out how bad the situation is in YOUR area)

By Luke Andrews and Sam Blanchard for MailOnline

England's coronavirus outbreak could have started to slow down before the national lockdown started on January 4, data suggest as infection numbers appeared to peak in the worst-hit regions at the start of the year.

The tide appears to have turned in parts of the country experiencing the worst outbreaks  London, the South East and the East of England  in the first week of 2021, with cases coming down since then.

Millions of people living in those areas were forced into gruelling Tier 4 restrictions the weekend before Christmas, ordered to stay at home for two weeks to try and control the new variant before the national lockdown started.

Infection rates fell in most parts of the country at the start of January, suggesting local lockdown rules in place in December were having an effect but it wasn't fast enough to satisfy ministers, who called a drastic national shutdown just days into the new year.

National figures paint a similar picture, with the 45,533 new positive tests announced yesterday marking a 25 per cent fall on this time last week and representing the third day in a row that the country's infection rate has come down.

It's still too soon for the effects of national lockdown to show up reliably in data but cases starting to come down in some of the worst-affected places suggests that Tier 4 rules were working before they were abandoned.

Data from Kent, at the heart of the most recent outbreak, showed that cases were still fluctuating even in Tier 4, coming down in all of the 13 local authorities put into Tier 4 before Christmas, then spiking again in January before declining again around the time when lockdown was announced.

In Liverpool, meanwhile, which was the only part of the country to be downgraded from Tier 3 to Tier 2 in December after officials claimed a mass-testing programme had got the city's outbreak under control, cases skyrocketed at the end of the year and are still rising, although the increase has slowed in lockdown.

Experts say the beginnings of a decline in infection numbers are 'looking good' but that it's too soon to 'crack open the champagne', with the coming days and weeks critical in judging whether Britain has got the new strain of coronavirus under control.

Lockdown rules are now not expected to lift until around 11.5million more of the country's most vulnerable people have been vaccinated.

Cases in Kent appear to have come down as a result of Tier 4, at first over Christmas and then again in early January, but they spiked in the middle around new year, suggesting the restrictions weren't working well enough to satisfy the Government

Infection rates in all regions started to fall at the start of January's lockdown but it was too soon for the effects of the national rules to have taken effect, suggesting earlier restrictions were kicking in slowly

Rates of coronavirus have continued to surge in Liverpool, which was only in the unusually lenient Tier 2 before Christmas

Department of Health data show that cases in Kent hit a high watermark of 869 infections per 100,000 people  around 0.9 per cent of the population infected in a week  on January 4, the day before the lockdown came into force.

The infection rate had dipped by 14.6 per cent two days later to 742.1 per 100,000.

The fact that the regional infection rates peaked in Tier 4 areas at the very start of lockdown 3.0 suggests that the local restrictions they had been labouring under for the two weeks prior were starting to work.

Boris Johnson will test out round-the-clock vaccine hubs By Daniel Martin and Kate Pickles for the Daily Mail Boris Johnson is considering opening round-the-clock vaccination centres  just days after Downing Street said there was no demand. The Daily Mail has been told that the Prime Minister has signed off on a pilot for hubs that will open for much longer than is currently the case. Twenty-four hour, seven-day-a-week centres are under consideration, a senior Government source said, in an attempt to ensure people receive the jab as quickly as possible. 'As well as more day-time appointments we are considering a pilot where vaccinations are offered for longer hours,' the source said. Mr Johnson's decision comes just days after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded round-the-clock vaccinations. At the time, Number 10 suggested there was no 'clamour' for such a service. Last night NHS England said that while there was not enough vaccine supply to justify a 24-hour service at the moment, it could be effective in future when more vaccine is received. Advertisement

It can take a week or two for case counts to start coming down after restrictions are brought in because it can take up to 10 days for someone to test positive for coronavirus after they catch it  this is why the self-isolation period is so long.

Any declines in cases seen at the start of the national lockdown, therefore, must have been the result of measures in place before it started. The effects of the England lockdown are only now filtering through in data as the Department of Health today announced 45,533 positive tests, which is the lowest figure since December 29.

The average infection rate in East of England dropped from a peak of 856 per 100,000 people on January 4 to 741 by January 7, the most recent data for the seven-day average.

In London, it fell from 1,116 to 1,005 over the same period, in the South East from 774 to 679. All three regions were mostly or totally in Tier 4 for two weeks before lockdown began.

In areas with the lightest rules, however, cases continued to surge late into the year and, despite almost the entire country getting tougher rules on boxing day, continued to rise into the start of lockdown, with some still going up.

In the North West, the infection rate was 582 per 100,000 on January 4 and rose to 607 by January 7. In the South West, the rate remained at 385 during the same period.

Professor Paul Hunter, a medicine lecturer at the University of East Anglia, said the dropping rates were 'promising' but that he 'wouldn't crack open the champagne just yet'.

He told MailOnline: 'Unless there is a glitch in the figures to get us all excited just to dash our hopes in three days time, this is looking very good.'

He warned the falling infection rate after January 4 may be because the national shutdown discouraged Britons suffering symptoms of the virus from getting tested, artificially driving down the number of cases early.

Data doesn't support this, however, with more than half a million tests per day being carried out on all but one of the days since England went into lockdown and the average still rising.

But Professor Hunter pointed to England's Covid-19 hospitalisations data, with the daily number of admissions appearing to plateau by January 7 at almost 4,000 a day, suggesting infections may have peaked before lockdown.

This is because it takes roughly two weeks for someone who is infected with the virus to develop symptoms severe enough to be hospitalised, meaning infections may have initially begun to plateau after Christmas.

He said: 'In the last seven days we had 2,000 fewer cases reported than in the previous seven days.

'It's a possible hint that things might be already on the decline... I wouldn't quite crack open the champagne just yet and there's nothing stopping that going the other way.

'Unless this is something by some evil genius with a warped sense of humour who wanted to get us all excited just to dash us against the rocks in three days' time, it is looking very good.'

Breaking Kent down into its 13 boroughs reveals 12 saw their Covid-19 infection rates peak on January 4 and then come down afterwards.

But in Sevenoaks it peaked two days earlier  on January 2  when it reached 871 per 100,000.

The highest infection rate in the county was recorded in Dartford, near London, on January 4 when it hit 1,302 per 100,000.

The county was plunged into Tier 4 only three weeks before most boroughs peaked  with gyms and so-called non-essential shops forced to close  which is around the time span that experts say is needed to show whether the measures are working.

There were mounting concerns that the highest tier, which had left schools open, was failing to control the more infectious coronavirus variant from Kent. Although the latest figures suggest the fear may be unfounded.

They paint a stark contrast to the situation in Liverpool, which was left in Tier 2 measures and only pushed into Tier 3 on December 30 after the Government held it up as an example of how to handle an outbreak.

The area saw infections surge by 88 per cent in the seven days to December 30, and 148 per cent in the following week to January 6 reaching a high point of 960 per 100,000.

Number 10 now faces the prospect of having to tighten the screw even further on England's lockdown, in a last-ditch attempt to try to thwart the spread of the super-infectious new variant.

The Prime Minister today held a virtual meeting with his senior team as they considered their next move, with takeaways, click-and-collect services and the allowance for meeting up one-on-one to exercise thought to be next in the firing line.

No10 said Mr Johnson 're-iterated the need to bring the transmission rate of the virus down given the pressure that the NHS now faces'.

Sources told MailOnline the PM hopes to avoid going further this week, with the effects of England's third national lockdown only just starting to feed into the daily infection figures.

But ministers have made clear they are ready to get even tougher, with leading figures on SAGE pushing for a three metre social rule distancing rule, and threats to axe the loophole allowing people to exercise with a friend from another household.

Nicola Sturgeon said today that she was mulling harsher limits on click and collect shopping in Scotland, as well as tightening the rules on takeaways. She is expected to announce any changes tomorrow.

The Government has been desperately pleading for people to limit their contacts and stay at home as the health service struggles to cope with the volume of Covid patients and police ramp up enforcement of the brutal restrictions.

Ms Patel used this evening's TV conference, during which she was flanked by the chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Martin Hewitt, and NHS London's medical director, Dr Vin Diwakar, to plead with people to follow the rules.

She and Mr Hewitt said most people had been abiding by lockdown rules but they were still facing 'egregious' violations by some, and that police patrols would be stepped up and officers would become stricter about fines as they try to keep order on Britain's streets.

Mr Hewitt also said that people refusing to wear masks on public transport should 'expect a fine', as he warned officers would no longer 'waste time' trying to reason with people. He revealed that forces across the UK have so far issued almost 45,000 fixed penalty notices to people breaking lockdown rules.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 11)  The Philippines is set to receive 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Chinese firm Sinovac this year, with the first 50,000 doses available as early as February.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement on Monday, citing the Department of Health.

"Ayon sa DOH, magkakaroon na tayo ng unang 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac, darating ito sa susunod na buwan," he said.

[Translation: According to the DOH, we will have 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac, and we will receive them as early as next month.]

"Ang paunang darating po ay 50,000 doses lang ng vaccine galing sa Sinovac, pero at least, magsisimula pa rin po tayo," Roque added.

[Translation: The first batch of vaccine from Sinovac will come in 50,000 doses, but at least, we are starting.]

Apart from the 50,000, there are 15,000 doses also being used for the Chinese firm's clinical trial in the country. Another 950,000 doses will be provided by March, one million each for April and May, two million in June, until 25 million doses are secured by yearend.

The government was earlier criticized for the alleged inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines on President Rodrigo Duterte's security group, even as the country has yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccine for rollout. These came amid already ongoing criticisms of the government's preference for China-made vaccines.

READ: AFP: PSG members got vaccinated first to 'protect' Duterte from COVID-19

"There's nothing spectacular about Sinovac, other than it's proven safe and efficient," Roque noted, citing clinical trials already conducted in some countries like Turkey, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, 30 million doses of vaccine from Covovax had also been secured by the country, as announced by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. It partnered with US-based biotechnology firm Novavax in the development and commercialization of the vaccine.

The doses will be available to the Philippines beginning the third quarter of 2021. The cost of the vaccine is expected to be finalized soon, added the SII, also noting its reputation of providing "effective, safe and affordable" vaccines worldwide for decades.

READ: PH signs deal for 30M doses of Covovax  Serum Institute of India
Since the novel coronavirus first burst on to the global scene, only to cause a pandemic eventually, the virus has undergone several mutations from its original self. These mutations have been documented by scientists from across the globe but only a few are being closely monitored.

Reuters

These strains of the coronavirus are mostly identified with the country of their origin and hence include the strain from the UK, South Africa, Nigeria and the most recent one as the strain in Japan.

Upon analysis, scientists have concluded that these strains differ in their transmissibility rate as well as potency to cause an illness. Although the strains are not known to be any more lethal than the prevalent Covid-19 variant, they have been found to transmit from an infected to a healthy person more easily.

This has in turn caused a spike in infections across countries bringing in a second or a third wave of Covid-19 infections in some cases. As a result, the healthcare facilities have been overburdened and the Covid-19 has claimed more deaths than ever before, as was recently seen in the UK.

Health experts, hence, are keeping a close eye on these mutated strains of the coronavirus and their potential to aggravate the pandemic. Here, we try to have a similar look at these strains of the coronavirus and how they have spread across different countries over time.

UK Strain

MK LHL testing data showing increasing prevalence of H69/V70 variant in positive test data - which is detected incidentally by the commonly used 3-gene PCR test. pic.twitter.com/1U0pVR9Bhs  Tony Cox (@The_Soup_Dragon) December 19, 2020

The UK Covid-19 strain was first reported by the UK authorities to the World Health Organisation on December 14. The first case of the variant was recorded sometime in September. By November around a quarter of cases in London were the new variant, reports BBC.

This proportion reached nearly two-thirds of cases being those of the new variant by mid-December. As of today, the UK strain of the virus has been reported in thirty one other countries, including China, India, and the United States.

One of the important alterations in the mutated virus is believed to be that of its spike protein, better enabling it to infect the host cells. The virus strain has hence been linked with more transmissibility and has hence spiked up the infection count since coming into the picture.

The first cases of the UK strain in India were detected on December 29 when six passengers returning from Britain were tested positive for the new coronavirus strain. Since then, 96 people have been confirmed to be infected with the mutated strain of the virus.

South Africa Strain

National authorities in South Africa announced the detection of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 to the WHO on December 18. The variant was found to be rapidly spreading in three provinces of South Africa at the time.

Following the detection, South African health authorities started routine sequencing of the new coronavirus variant. It was found that this new SARS-CoV-2 variant had largely replaced other SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

The mutation has been responsible for a surge in Covid-19 cases in South Africa, which are now recording all time high numbers on a daily basis. The mutation even managed to spread to other countries through travel. South Africa is facing travel bans from several countries.

As of January 11, the coronavirus variant from South Africa has been reported from sixteen other countries. The total number of infections, however, remains limited to somewhere in the 20s.

Nigeria Strain

(Representative Image: Reuters)

Other than the coronavirus strains found in the UK and South Africa, African authorities announced the detection of a new Covid-19 strain in Nigeria on December 24. The authorities called for more investigation on the variant at the time.



"It's a separate lineage from the UK and the South African lineages," John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told an online news conference from Addis Ababa as quoted in a report by Reuters. "The one we are seeing in Nigeria, and this is based on very limited data yet, has the 501 mutation," Nkengasong added

The strain is not yet considered to be more infectious or lethal than its counterparts. Nkengasong further confirmed that the Nigeria CDC and the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases in Nigeria will study more samples of the strain going forward. As of now, no other country has reported the Nigeria strain of the disease.

Japan strain

The latest in line of mutated coronavirus strains, the new strain was detected by Japans NIID on January 6. The new mutant strain was found in four passengers arriving in the country from Brazils Amazonas state on January 2. All travellers are now in quarantine at Tokyo's airport.

As per the NIID, the new strain has 12 mutations in the spike protein. It is, however, yet to be seen if the newfound strain is more infectious than the rest. Japan says that it is now conducting more studies on the new coronavirus strain to monitor the effect of Covid-19 vaccines against the strain.
San Francisco, Jan 12 : Facebook, Google and Microsoft have announced that they were freezing political contributions from their political action committees (PAC) in the wake of the January 6 riot in the US Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters.

"Following last week's awful violence in D.C., we are pausing all of our PAC contributions for at least the current quarter, while we review our policies," Xinhua news agency quoted Facebook spokesman Andy Stone as saying in a statement on Monday.

Alphabet Inc's Google said it would pause contributions from its PAC.

"We have frozen all NetPAC political contributions while we review and reassess its policies following last week's deeply troubling events," a Google spokesperson said.

Microsoft said the company is halting its political spending until after it assesses the implications of last week's events.

"The PAC regularly pauses its donations in the first quarter of a new Congress, but it will take additional steps this year to consider these recent events and consult with employees," the company said in a statement.

Also on Monday night, Amazon announced that it will pause donations from its PAC to lawmakers who voted against the certification of the presidential election results.

"We intend to discuss our concerns directly with those Members we have previously supported and will evaluate their responses as we consider future PAC contributions," an Amazon spokeswoman said in a statement.

The attack on the Capitol building took place on January 6 while Congress was in session considering the ratification of the electoral college votes electing Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

Before the violence, Trump, who has claimed that their election was invalid because there was massive fraud, told a rally of his supporters before the Congress session began to go there.

A section of his supporters stormed the Capital and invaded the Senate chamber and the offices of the Speaker and others, bring the session to a halt and evacuating the legislators to safe places.

Five people, including a police officer, were killed during the riots.

Congress met later and put its seal on the election of Biden and Harris, who will be sworn-in on January 20.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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India added 12,584 new cases to its COVID-19 tally in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

With 18,385 more discharges, the cumulative recoveries reached 1,01,11,294.As many as 167 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,51,327.

As many as 167 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,51,327.

The total number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,04,79,179 including 2,16,558 active cases.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 18,26,52,887 samples were tested for COVID-19 up to January 11 including 8,97,056 samples tested yesterday.

The first consignment containing vials of Covishield vaccine were dispatched from the Serum Institute of India here in the early hours of Tuesday, ahead of the January 16 launch of the nationwide vaccination drive.

Bihar reported 213 new COVID19 cases today so far, the active cases in the state rise to 4290.

Tamil Nadu reported 682 new COVID-19 cases, 869 discharges, and six deaths in the last 24 hours, said the State Health Department. Total cases: 8,26,943, Total discharges: 8,07,744, Death toll: 12,228 and Active cases: 6,971.

Rajasthan reported 429 new COVID-19 cases, 568 recoveries and 2 deaths today. Total cases: 3,13,425, Total recoveries: 3,04,104, Death toll: 2,736 and Active cases: 6,585.

Kerala reported 3,110 new COVID-19 cases and 3,922 recoveries today. Total recoveries stand at 7,47,389 while the active cases reach 63,346.

Andhra Pradesh reported 121 new COVID-19 cases, 213 recoveries and 2 death in the last 24 hours. Total cases reach 8,85,037, total recoveries at 8,75,456 and the death toll has reached 7,131. The total number of active cases stand at 2,450.

Telangana recorded a total of 224 new COVID-19 cases, 461 discharges, and one death on Sunday.





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At a COVID-19 quarantine centre in the northern province of Thai Nguyen (Photo: VNA)



The new case brought the national tally of COVID-19 to 1,514.

The new patient arrived at Tho Xuan airport in the central province of Thanh Hoa on January 8 and was immediately put into quarantine in the locality.

Among patients under treatment, nine have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, eight twice and eight thrice. The fatalities remain at 35.

A total of 17,634 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-affected regions are staying in quarantine nationwide./.
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Coronavirus is killing fewer healthy and younger people in England now than it did during the first wave of the pandemic in spring, analysis shows.

The risk of the virus to people without pre-existing health conditions and those under the age of 60 has always been small, with the disease preying on the elderly and patients with weakened immune systems.

But NHS England figures reveal that threat has become even smaller over time, with experts claiming it is a sign that doctors have become better at treating the virus.

People with no comorbidities made up 5 per cent of 25,080 total Covid deaths in the first wave, defined as from the beginning of the pandemic in March to May 19, according to analysis by The Times.

Whereas healthy Brits with no known health woes accounted for only 3 per cent of the 12,125 Covid deaths in the third wave, between December 2 and January 6.

People under 60 made up 5.9 per cent of virus-attributed deaths during the winter wave, down from 8.7 per cent in the spring. Although the changes have only been by a few per cent, they have potentially saved hundreds of lives.

Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told the newspaper: 'If you think about the number of patients that it is, it's not necessarily so small'.

The survival chances are thought to be higher now than at the beginning of the Covid pandemic because of the emergence of treatments such as the cheap steroid dexamethasone. Doctors are also more reluctant to put Covid sufferers on ventilators than they were in spring, after it became clear the machines made some patients worse.

However, people with underlying health conditions and those over-60 are still dying to the disease at a similar rate this winter compared to the spring. Professor Clarke said people with compromised immune systems 'probably don't respond as well' to the new therapies.

And the NHS figures show that women and white people now account for a higher proportion of deaths than they did in the first wave. For women the rate has risen from 39 to 43 per cent and for whites it has climbed from 84 to 89 per cent.

Even though healthy and young people appear to have better survival chances now than last spring, it should be noted that the analysis only looked at one month for the third wave, compared to three months for the first.

It is possible that by February, the death rate for people in these categories may climb and match that of the first wave. Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said it was 'too soon' to draw firm conclusions from the figures.

Meanwhile, those with comorbidities appear to be dying at a slightly higher rate than in spring - making up 96.7 per cent of winter Covid deaths compared to 94.9 per cent of the victims in spring.

A similar story has played out in the over-80s, who have accounted for 58 per cent of the deaths this time around compared to 53 per cent in the first wave.

For those aged between 60 and 79 survival chances have increased. People in this group made up 36 per cent of fatalities in the last month, down from 39 per cent in the spring.

The Times' analysis also found that men, who have been disproportionately dying the disease, have seen survival rates improve - from 61 per cent to 57 per cent - with women now dying at a higher rate than in spring.

It comes as MailOnline analysis suggested Britain could suffer 120,000 coronavirus deaths by the time ministers can safely ease restrictions because enough of the country has been vaccinated.

But experts believe another 25,000 deaths are already baked into the tally because of cases that occurred over the last three weeks, which is roughly how long it can take infected patients to become severely ill and succumb to the disease. Whitehall sources fear the figures could hit as high as 2,000 a day. Another 15,000 could die from infections caught between now and the end of February, even if the UK manages to halve the size of its outbreak

Department of Health statistics show the UKs official Covid death toll currently stands at 82,000  half of which have occurred since the start of the second wave in September.

But experts believe another 25,000 deaths are already baked into the tally because of cases that occurred over the last three weeks, which is roughly how long it can take infected patients to become severely ill and succumb to the disease. Whitehall sources fear the figures could hit as high as 2,000 a day.

Another 15,000 could die from infections caught between now and the end of February, even if the UK manages to halve the size of its outbreak.

Boris Johnson pledged to vaccinate 13million of Britain's most vulnerable residents by mid-February, saying that achieving the mammoth goal would allow No10 to 'lift many of the restrictions we've endured for so long'.

But experts say it's impossible to predict how many people will die by the time the UK has vaccinated millions of the most vulnerable people because no-one knows how well the lockdown will work against the highly-infectious mutation.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: 'The correct answer is that we don't really know how many people will die. There's still a lot of uncertainty with how effective the current lockdowns will be at actually reversing the increase in cases.' Professor Kevin McConway, a statistician at the Open University, said the suggestion was 'not a million miles off'.

Fears are growing that restrictions may need to be toughened. The Prime Minister is thought to have discussed the prospect of introducing tougher controls to ensure the public abide by the lockdown, with options including forcing people to wear masks outside.
Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, declined to comment on the President's current views of Pence. "Vice-President Pence has been a critical part of this administration and helped President Trump achieve unprecedented successes on behalf of the American people. We are all grateful for the Vice-President's service to the country," Deere said. Critics say Pence deserves less credit after standing by the President so long - not forcefully speaking out against child separation at the border, Trump's calls with Ukraine's president and his numerous attacks. Many note that he chose to serve Trump for four years and was the head of the administration's coronavirus response; more than 375,000 people have died. "Republicans have said for decades that you can't negotiate with terrorists, and Trump is a terrorist and Pence decided to negotiate with him because he thought it was in his best interest, and this was inevitable," said Stuart Stevens, a longtime Republican consultant and Trump critic. "Mike Pence threw aside everything he said he believed in - everything - I mean, here is a guy who railed against adultery on his radio show, and then teams up with Donald Trump and of course it was going to end this way." Some of the rioters swarming the Capitol chanted "hang Mike Pence". Credit:Bloomberg

Pence now faces opprobrium from Trump's supporters, including some who chanted for his hanging during Wednesday's siege and yelled in the Capitol, "Where's Mike Pence?" "He has no future in the Republican Party," Stevens said. "When the base of the party is not booing you, but chanting hang you, that's a bad sign." For Pence, it is an uncomfortable and unfamiliar position. One former senior administration official said Pence had previously described his job as doing most anything Trump had asked him to do. "The President could say, 'Mike I want you to go fly to Asia,' and he would do it, or 'Mike, I want you take over the coronavirus task force,' and he would do it, never questioned a thing," said a former senior administration official, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly. "Pence would spend hours in the Oval. Pence would come in, he'd get his daily brief and then he'd get word of when the President would be coming into the Oval and then he'd go over there and they'd spend hours together. For them to not speak anymore is a paradigm I just never would have imagined." The rupture began on December 15, when Trump decided erroneously that Pence was his last resort to block his election loss. The President began telling others to pressure his Vice-President to object to the final counting of electoral college results by Congress, and the topic came up regularly in conversation between Trump and Pence, officials said.

Loading Those putting pressure included lawyers Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, trade adviser Peter Navarro and conspiracy-minded Trump ally Sidney Powell, officials said, along with other lawyers and outside advisers sent by Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows. Trump told "almost anyone who called to tell him he could still win to call Pence," one senior administration official said. Pence at times was in the Oval Office when Trump called people to try to convince the Vice-President, an official said. Pence was subjected to repeated phone calls from Trump, including one as late as last Wednesday morning - and to implicit threats from the President that he would attack him if he did not object to Biden's victory, officials said. "Do the courageous thing, Mike," Trump said in one meeting, according to a person present. "It will be bad for you and for the country if you don't," Trump said at another time, according to an official describing the meeting.

"There was never any sort of convincing case that the President or any of the lawyers around him made," a senior administration official said. Pence tried to be respectful and listen to everyone but told his team to conduct an independent analysis of the laws. The White House declined to comment. Powell did not respond to a request for comment. Senators regularly told the Vice-President that they did not have evidence to support the President's claims and that they wanted to be supportive, but they needed evidence, a Pence adviser said. Pence told them he'd pass along the messages, but the White House never provided evidence to many of the senators, the adviser said. The day before the certification, Trump was extremely angry, a person present in the Oval Office said, venting at Pence, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and others as Pence told him he was planning to certify the results. Pence met with Trump multiple times before Wednesday to talk him through the dynamic and explain why he could not do what Trump wanted, advisers said. After Wednesday's final pitch did not go well, Trump gave a fiery, falsehood-laden speech, in which he repeatedly pressured Pence to a bloodthirsty crowd.

Soon, the mob descended, and Trump verbally attacked the Vice-President. President Donald Trump told the Stop the Steal rally Pence was supposed to intervene. Credit:Getty Pence declined to leave the Capitol after protesters breached the compound, even though his security detail on three occasions suggested it would be a good idea to do so, a senior administration official said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others left. While Trump was watching TV and resisting entreaties to tell the mob to go home, Pence repeatedly called military officials and others in the government to expedite the National Guard's deployment. He talked with McConnell about reinstating the certification vote that evening and met with Capitol Police officials, even as Trump and lawyers continued to call others to try to slow the certification. Neither Trump nor anyone in the White House checked on Pence. Pence skipped his speech to the Republican National Committee meeting, scheduled for the next day, and did not come to the White House. He returned on Friday. Pence's aides say he needs to make money in the private sector and may write a book. He is keeping his options open for a potential 2024 Presidential bid, an adviser said, and feels at peace with what he did.

"Pence withstood enormous public and private pressure at an historic moment. He followed the Constitution, upheld the rule of law and treated people on all sides with civility," said Tim Phillips, who leads Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-affiliated group. "Those who know him well are not surprised." Trump told aides that he wanted to ban Marc Short, the Vice-President's chief of staff, from the West Wing, for giving Pence advice to certify, and that he was not interested in seeing Pence. But no one carried out the ban and Short continued to come to work, officials said, and scheduled a Pence going-away event for Friday. On Friday evening, Pence came to his office suite with wife, Karen, and his daughter Charlotte for a farewell ceremony. He told the room of aides that he hoped they were proud of what they'd accomplished in the administration and encouraged them to continue to work in public service, a person present at the meeting said. He was given a four-minute standing ovation and was presented with his Cabinet chair. He told the room that early on Thursday morning as he left the Capitol, after certifying the results from Biden, he received a text message from Short. "2 Timothy 4:7," the text said. The Bible verse reads: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

After a decade of living in Los Angeles, former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester has relocated back to Australia.

And she doesn't appear to have any regrets about the move, as she looked happier than ever while enjoying a day out at Clovelly Beach in Sydney on Monday.

Ajay, 51, appeared to be in great spirits as she splashed around in the ocean and performed some relaxing yoga moves.

Back home: After a decade of living in LA, Ajay Rochester has moved back to Australia. She looked happier than ever while enjoying a day out at Clovelly Beach in Sydney on Monday

She kept sun-safe by sporting a rash vest, which she paired with black boardshorts.

The television personality styled her blonde hair into two plaits and went makeup free for the outing.

She kept her phone around her neck in a waterproof bag while going for a swim.

Happy: The former Biggest Loser host, 51, doesn't appear to have any regrets about the move

Out and about: Ajay, 51, appeared to be in great spirits as she splashed around in the ocean and performed some relaxing yoga moves

At one stage, a nervous-looking Ajay hesitated by the water's edge before jumping into the ocean to cool off.

She appeared to be enjoying herself and even took some photos on her iPhone.

Later on, Ajay returned to her towel and did some relaxing yoga stretches.

Style: She kept sun-safe by sporting a rash vest, which she paired with black boardshorts

Leap of faith: At one stage, a nervous-looking Ajay hesitated by the water's edge before jumping into the ocean to cool off

Accessory: She kept her phone around her neck in a waterproof bag while going for a swim

The sun-soaked outing comes after Ajay returned to Australia from LA in December.

She flew into Sydney and completed her 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine.

The mother of one told The Daily Telegraph she'd returned Down Under because she was sick of the lockdown in California.

Natural: The TV host styled her blonde hair into two plaits and went makeup free for the outing

Happy snaps: She appeared to be enjoying herself and even took some photos on her iPhone

Back in Oz: The sun-soaked outing comes after Ajay returned to Australia from LA in December

'I spent 10 months in my apartment locked up, like a self-imposed prisoner terrified of this virus while millions of others go about doing what they want and it just spiraled out of control,' she said.

'I just knew I had to go. I had this gut feeling. People here don't realise how lucky they have it.'

Leaving her life in America behind wasn't easy for Ajay, who had to deal with a lot of bureaucracy before being permitted to fly out of the country.

Calming: Later on, Ajay returned to her towel and did some relaxing yoga stretches

Relaxing: The mother of one performed a routine featuring child's pose and cobra pose

Fed up: Ajay told The Daily Telegraph she'd returned Down Under because she was sick of the lockdown in California

It took her three months to find a way home due to tough Covid-19 restrictions.

'I got home in the end so I'm one of the lucky ones as there are so many who haven't been as fortunate,' she said.

Ajay, who hosted weight loss show The Biggest Loser from 2006 to 2009, had relocated to the U.S. in 2010. She has a son, Kai, 21, who has Asperger's Syndrome.

Her most recent TV appearance was on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2019, but she now mostly works behind the scenes as a casting agent.
Egypts Ministry of Health signed a cooperation protocol on Tuesday with Tahya Misr fund and Talaat Mostafa Development Group to provide COVID-19 vaccines for 2 million people.

Minister of Health Hala Zayed attended the signing of the cooperation protocol in Cairo. The protocol aims to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to 2 million Egyptians from the prioritised categories, specifically those in need.

The protocol was signed by General Wael El-Saei, the assistant minister of health for financial and administrative affairs; Colonel Tamer Abdel-Fatah, the executive director of Tahya Misr Fund; and Egyptian businessman Hisham Talaat Mostafa, the CEO of Talaat Mostafa development and construction group.

Zayed stated during the event that Tahya Misr Fund was the main arm to provide COVID-19 vaccines according to the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

The Minister also praised the role of the Egyptian businessmen who stood beside the Egyptian people during the pandemic. She also thanked Talaat Mostafa Group for its contribution in the pandemic.

Tamer Abdel-Fattah said that the fund received EGP 160 million donations, in addition to the contribution of Talaat Mostafa Group, on Tuesday as part of the Coronavirus Vaccine for Free Initiative that was launched by the Egyptian presidency.

He also said that since the start of the pandemic, the fund managed to provide the health sector with medical supplies, including ventilators, masks, and PPEs.

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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.

A version of this piece originally appeared in Andrew Liptaks Substack, Transfer Orbit.

On Friday, Twitter did something that it should have done years ago: It permanently banned President Donald Trump from the platform, citing the risk of further incitement of violence after a mob of supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington.

The president had used the platform for more than a decade, building up a massive following that would help propel him into the White House. Twitter has been his preferred megaphone in the last half-decade, and the company has certainly given him plenty of leeway in that time as hes used it to get his messaging out.

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Since the perma-suspension came downand even before it, as Twitter (and Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms) began to put warning or clarification labels on misleading poststheres been plenty of outrage from the right about how these tech firms are censoring them for their political beliefs. Notably, Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. wrote (on Twitter!) that we are living Orwells 1984. Free-speech no longer exists in America. It died with big tech and whats left is only there for a chosen few.

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Others have raised similar arguments. Following the incident at the Capitol, publisher Simon & Schuster announced that it would cancel Missouri Sen. Josh Hawleys upcoming book The Tyranny of Big Tech, citing his objections to the election certification. In a statement, Hawley again invoked the imagery of Orwell: This could not be more Orwellian.

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Both cases certainly arent true: Trump has the entire White House press corps at his disposal, and with it the ability to put his message out via any number of venues. Hawley has plenty of options to see his book make it into the public, either through another publisher or some other method.

There have been other accusations as well: users expressing their alarm at how Twitter appeared to be suppressing a hashtag for the novelthey couldnt use #1984. However, Twitters hashtags have never worked with just numbers.

All of these instances fit with something Ive noticed in right-wing Twitter/bloggersphere since November: the invocation of Orwell. Ive seen Orwellian or wrongthink or 1984 unironically floating around online as users decry this perceived persecution at the hands of big tech companies. The imagery and language of George Orwells novel 1984 has long been used as a rote stand-in descriptor for the right for the moments when they feel slighted, or as a way to point out a perceived overreach of power by the government (or, in these cases, private businesses).

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And its equally clear that they dont know what theyre talking about.

Its easy to see why the idea of the novel itself (written by an avowed democratic socialist) holds particular appeal for American conservatives. The book is Orwells examination of totalitarian and dystopian societies, how they suppress and surveil free thought, peoples movements and opportunities, and ultimately create an alternate reality for their citizens.

Orwell isnt the first to explore this topic: As the 20th century arrived, there came a moment when authors began to recognize the ways in which governments could use technology in harmful ways when mixed with ideology. Yevgeny Zamyatin wrote We in 1920, a response to the problems he saw in Russia at the time. Theres also Aldous Huxleys Brave New World, Katharine Burdekins Swastika Night (1937), Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451, and plenty of others that have examined this line of thought.*

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The concern over a strong, central authority in America has been a historical wellspring of libertarian and right-wing thinking, and dystopian fictions predilection for the topic makes it an appealing canon for activists to turn to. Notably, William Pierce, author of the racist dystopian novel The Turner Diaries, invoked the threat of Big Brother as a motivating factor for his fictional terrorists.

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Sympathetic political ideology is one connection, but theres another, more ironic instance here: the use of language. 1984, critic Katharine M. Morsberger writes in her critical essay in Survey of Science Fiction Literature Volume 3, is concerned with how language works in society.

Language and its significance is the dominant theme in Nineteen-Eighty Four.  In Newspeak, it is impossible to think certain thoughts because there are no longer words for them. History and literature are rewritten to conform to the Partys view.

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Orwells works endure because of his focus on a central tenet of dystopian fiction: the control of language in shaping reality. Terms like Big Brother, doublethink, 2+2 = 5, or thoughtcrime are extremely effective, conveying their satirical definitions outside of the context of the book. Theyre absurd terms, but thats the point: They show how warped reality can become for them to be accepted on their face.

I spoke with a science fiction author and data scientist, Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, about this the other day, and he made an interesting observation about how language helps shape ones worldview: In 1984, Orwell highlighted the efforts on the part of his fictional government to simplify languages down to very basic ideas to avoid free thought as a form of control reducing peoples abilities to express complicated thoughts and concepts.

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Wijeratne noted that the right seems to be on a similar path: simplifying arguments and their associated language to effectively spread them to their followers. By contrast, he said, hes seen the left go in the opposite direction: introducing more nuanced language or emphasizing a diversity of opinions or worldviews.

Theres an irony here: that the rhetoric invoking Orwells imagery is coming from a political movement that is essentially putting its head in the sand and denying actual reality. Ive heard plenty of people talking about how its an established fact that climate change is a hoax, how the Democrats are secretly trafficking children, the left stole the election for Biden, or that the entirety of the political right is being silenced because of a cabal of tech companies conspiring against it.

And those beliefs are supported by a larger media ecosystem of TV networks, talk radio, alt-right blogs, and social media platforms, all of which have convinced a large segment of the population that reality isnt really what it seemsand that it doesnt matter. Remember: A prominent member of this party once championed the phrase alternative facts with a straight face.

Now thats Orwellian.

Correction, Jan. 12, 2021: This piece originally misspelled Katharine Burdekins first and last name.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.


US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Photo: AFP

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday announced the lifting of all "self-imposed restrictions" to regulate American "diplomats, servicemembers, and other officials' interactions" with their counterparts on the island of Taiwan. He said the restrictions were taken "in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing." "No more," he added, noting, "Executive branch agencies should consider all 'contact guidelines' regarding relations with Taiwan to be null and void." The island of Taiwan immediately welcomed the statement.

With just 10 days left before the US presidential transition, Pompeo is once again straining the China-US relationship and pushing the Taiwan question deeper down the road of no return. Such a move is tantamount to committing a crime to structurally damage peace in the Taiwan Straits and jeopardize China-US efforts to keep the bottom line stable. The dire consequences will be beyond anyone's predictions.

It is well known that the one-China principle is one of the cornerstones of today's world order. Most countries around the world have established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and abided by their promises to not develop official relations with the island of Taiwan. Imposing restrictions on contacts with Taiwan officials is part of international obligations the US should bear. If Washington arbitrarily removes these restrictions it had previously complied with, China-US relations will be totally redefined, and the two countries will move into hostility. The international basis and foundation for a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question will collapse.

There are only a few days left for Pompeo to dominate US diplomacy. His frenzied acts herald two uncertainties: First, what attitude will the Biden administration adopt? Will it invalidate the incumbent government's actions that stepped out of line? Second, will Pompeo and his whims become more unbridled and make further provocations? For instance, will Pompeo pay a surprise visit to Taiwan before he steps down to make the upgrade of official exchanges between the US and the Taiwan island an established fact?

In order to push the incoming Biden administration to overthrow the decisions made in the incumbent government's last-ditch madness and prevent politicians such as Pompeo from taking actual actions to break the bottom line, China needs to clearly show its resolution to firmly oppose the US' extreme provocations and counter the US head-on.

The US announced that its ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, will visit Taiwan this week. It cannot be ruled out that this is a test of Beijing's response by Pompeo's team. Beijing should send a strong signal to the US side, warning them to stop their provocations. Beijing should let the US and the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in the island of Taiwan know that if they dare to stage a Pompeo visit to Taiwan before the end of the US secretary of state's tenure, Beijing's strong counteractions will fall like an avalanche upon them. The Chinese People's Liberation Army fighters will fly over the island of Taiwan immediately, declaring Beijing's sovereignty over the island in an unprecedented way. If the US and the island of Taiwan dare to overreact, war will be sparked. China will punish the Taiwan authorities which cooperate with Pompeo's final show of madness.

Beijing needs to send a stern warning to the Taiwan authorities that the days before January 20 are the last days of the current US administration. Those on the island of Taiwan must not take for granted that they can seek secession with the help of the last-ditch madness of an administration abandoned by the Americans. On the contrary, such madness is very likely to bring them annihilation.

We believe if there is a showdown cross the Taiwan Straits, the international community will widely stand with China and its people. Because everyone knows that the Trump administration has lost itself and been acting wantonly in ways neither the international rules nor the US constitution allows. A large loophole has been exposed in the US political system, which has lost the ability to restrain their moves.

In addition to the Biden camp, many Americans are worried that the current administration is so inept that it will resort to nuclear weapons. But if it goes to a sudden showdown on Taiwan, it will be the same as if a nuclear bomb is thrown into the peaceful world. As such, China must punish with the severest measures the individuals and forces that jeopardize peace. China's national sovereignty must be defended and humanity's basic rules and justice of interactions must be safeguarded. Those who infringe China on core interests will be doomed.

We want to make sure that the study gives us clear evidence of where the challenges are, where the community needs more resources, where the community needs support, and also where the community is struggling because access is denied because they are Black, brown, tan, of every different background, Sayeed said.
Reports in the media are suggesting that four of the five main retail banks (AIB, BOI, PTSB and KBC, but not Ulster Bank) are joining forces to launch a new digital payments app which they hope will take on digital-only payment platforms like Revolut, ApplePay and N26.



The Irish Independent reports the banks have provided notification of their intention to set up the venture (Syntech Payments) to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), hence the media story, though Project Pegasus has been in train for around 2 years and is understood to have the backing of the Central Bank.



The banks will need CCPC approval under competition rules, so the competition watchdog has launched a preliminary investigation into the plan. The Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) banking umbrella organisation says the objective will be the planned launch of "a multi-banking app that will enable Irish users to send and make payments in real time."



One of the directors of the joint venture is from the BPFI and the venture will be open to other financial institutions like An Post and credit unions. Goodbody Stockbrokers say quantifying the fee income headwinds from fintechs is very difficult to measure, but clearly meaningful to elicit a co-ordinated response, so the move by the mainstream banking sector probably plays to the old maxim that the best defense is a good offense.

Goodbody say if the banks show a willingness to share a platform on digital payments, it raises the questions as to whether there are other projects/ventures that could be considered as they all look to reduce costs/digitalise as low rates and competition continue to pressure revenues.

According to Goodbody Stockbrokers, "Revolut has c.1.2m Irish customers and recently set a target of 2m, noting there is also a huge opportunity in business accounts. Similarly, N26 has round 150k Irish customers and is targeting 1m. Other banks across Europe are considering similar launches to meet the fintech challenge though the Irish approach, incorporating all the main domestic players (bar one), certainly stands out."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
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Core technology includes promising bivalent single-domain antibodies simultaneously targeting two surface structures of the viral spike protein.

Lead candidates DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 are engineered for high potency and their potential to avoid the emergence of escape mutants.

DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 entered into accelerated development to initiate clinical studies later this year.

DiosCURE Therapeutics SE announced a publication in Science describing its core technology of multivalent single-chain antibodies with a unique molecular mode-of-action to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virions. An international team led by scientists at the University of Bonn developed and characterized the lead candidates, which are exclusively licensed by DiosCURE.

"This global pandemic requires an arsenal of therapeutic and preventative tools and our lead candidates will allow us to contribute to what will be an ongoing battlestated Klaus Wilgenbus, Chief Executive Officer at DiosCURE. "DiosCURE was established with the goal of developing novel, best-in-class immunotherapies to protect a significant population which will remain at risk, including exposed healthcare workers, immunocompromised patients, non-responders to vaccines and patients experiencing post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. The data now published provides a solid foundation to continue our development efforts with the goal of entering the clinic later this year."

The company's lead candidates, DIOS-202 and DIOS-203, are synergistic combinations of single-domain antibodies derived from camelid heavy chain-only antibodies. These next-generation immunotherapies against SARS-CoV-2 were designed based on detailed structural information of the antibodies' interaction with its viral target protein and result from functional and evolutionary experiments. The discovery and promising early preclinical data were published in an article in Science entitled "Structure-guided multivalent nanobodies block SARS-CoV-2 infection and suppress mutational escape on January 12, 2021. The study details the identification of DiosCURE's lead candidates out of millions of potential structures, as well as the rational design of multivalent constructs, which increased neutralizing activity more than 100-fold. Preclinical studies demonstrated that DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 selectively target two distinct epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein at once, which largely prevents the emergence of escape mutants. The dual targeting induces the premature activation of the fusion machinery, rendering the virions non-infectious. These discoveries were accomplished through a collaborative effort of research groups at the University Hospital of the University of Bonn (led by the Institute of Innate Immunity and the Core Facility Nanobodies), The Scripps Research Institute and the Karolinska Institutet.

The lead candidates are expected to be highly efficacious, well-tolerated, cost-efficient in production and are amenable to a wide range of clinical applications. As immunotherapies, DIOS-202 and DIOS-203 are suitable as prophylactic and to treat infected patients to avoid severe COVID-19 disease.

"The structure-based multivalent single-chain antibodies we discovered have strong potential for clinical applications. This is owed to their highly potent neutralizing activity and in-built protection from the rapid emergence of escape mutants. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutants will remain an ongoing challenge in this pandemic, and novel therapies are urgently needed to address this problem," stated Eicke Latz, Director of the Institute of Innate Immunity at the University of Bonn, co-founder and Board member of DiosCURE. "Our understanding of the short- and long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly evolving, and rational therapeutics targeting the virus are needed to curb the potentially devastating consequences of COVID-19."

About DiosCURE

DiosCURE is developing next-generation immunotherapies focused on a novel approach against SARS-CoV-2. The Company's proprietary bi- and trivalent variable domains of heavy chain-only antibodies (VHHs) are synergistic combinations of single-domain antibodies, constructed following structural information and optimized for potency as well as their potential to avoid the emergence of escape mutants. DiosCURE designed lead candidates that target two different epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with the potential to be highly efficacious, well-tolerated and manufactured at a large-scale standardized process. To learn more about our company, please visit www.DiosCURE.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005536/en/

Contacts:

DiosCURE Contacts:

Klaus Wilgenbus, M.D.

Chief Executive Officer

info@DiosCURE.com



Media Contacts:

Trophic Communications

Eva Mulder or Sophia Hergenhan, Ph.D.

DiosCURE@trophic.eu

+49 89 238 877 30
A group of 20 influential public radio stations has condemned the New York Times for a 'lack of transparency' after personal ties between the star host of 'The Daily' Michael Barbaro and its discredited series 'Caliphate' emerged.

Barbaro was in December tasked with speaking to the Times' executive editor Dean Baquet in an episode of The Daily - which is also broadcast on public radio - in which the paper retracted much of the story on which popular series Caliphate had been built.

The Times acknowledged that it had been misled in the production of the series by Canadian-Pakistani man Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, who had fabricated his story of working as an ISIS executioner.

Yet in hosting the episode, Barbaro failed to disclose that much of the production team involved in 'Caliphate' had come from 'The Daily' - and that he is engaged to the series' executive producer Lisa Tobin.

According to NPR, Barbaro also pressured at least five journalists via social media to play down the errors in Caliphate and to get them to pull back their public criticism of the series.

A group of 20 influential public radio stations has condemned the New York Times for a 'lack of transparency' after it emerged the star host of 'The Daily' Michael Barbaro is engaged to the executive producer of 'Caliphate' Lisa Tobin, pictured together above

The letter also questioned why 'Caliphate' producer Andy Mills, pictured left with the series' host Rukmini Callimachi, hosted 'The Daily' the day after the retraction

A group of 20 radio stations in the Public Radio Program Directors Association voiced their concerns on Monday night in a letter to the New York Times Audio Division

In a letter sent to the New York Times Audio division on Monday night, the Public Radio Program Directors Association said it had to question the paper's decisions as they needed to ensure their programming upheld 'the high standards that our listeners expect'.

The group includes stations such as KCRW and KPCC in Los Angeles, KOUW in Seattle, WAMU in Washington, D.C., and WBEZ in Chicago among its members.

Radio stations in Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas and Minneapolis had also signed onto the letter.

The Daily is created by the Times but also reaches more than 2 million listeners weekly as a program on public radio stations.

'We would just like the New York Times to admit this was a failure on their part and to work on remedying the situation,' Abby Goldstein, president and executive director of the Public Radio Program Directors Association, told NPR.

'We, along with our audiences, place tremendous value on the fact that our journalism is free from influence of any kind, whether motivated by financial, political, or personal enrichment reasons,' said the letter of Barbaro's alleged attempts to influence reporters.

'We feel Barbaro's actions are in direct conflict with our ethical guidelines and they call his general credibility into question.'

The association accused the Times of having a 'serious lapse in judgment' in also allowing Barbaro to host the thirty-minute retraction episode and said that the decision was 'flawed'.

'How are we to trust that difficult questions would be asked, answers would be demanded, and the truth be sought,' the station executives asked.

'This was a moment for transparency, that moment is now lost, and there should be accountability for this lapse in judgment.'

The letter also raised concerns over the presence of Mills, highlighting that several women had come forward during his time at WNYC to complain of degrading treatment.

Mills had presented the episode of The Daily coming straight after the Caliphate retraction. He had been a co-creator and co-star the series, acting as sidekick to main 'Caliphate' host Rukmini Callimachi.

The Times acknowledged that it had been misled in the production of Caliphate by Canadian man Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, who had fabricated his story of working as an ISIS executioner

Michael Barbaro is engaged to Lisa Tobin, who as an executive producer on 'Caliphate', but he failed to disclose his personal link to the series on The Daily episode about the retraction

Michael Barbaro and Lisa Tobin pictured working together above

While Callimachi has been reassigned within the Times, the letter questioned why Mills was being given 'greater visibility'.

'We fully recognize that this is a vast simplification of the situation, we understand the complexity of this issue and the many considerations that went into making the decision,' the letter continued.

'It seems, however, that the optics of this decision may not have been carefully considered. Over the past several years, public media has undertaken strenuous efforts to create diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.

'We have felt the inequity, exclusion and dominant white culture since #MeToo, carrying forward to the Black Lives Matter movement and the important cultural reckoning we experience in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd.'

The letter added that the Times' decisions on Barbaro and Mills were 'not just tone deaf' but 'blind to the current landscape in which we now exist'.

'The times are changing and yet based on this decision, it appears that The Times is not changing along with them,' it claimed.

In a response seen by the Washington Post, on Tuesday morning the Times said that Barbaro 'deeply regrets' placing pressure on reporters from other publications to control the spin on Caliphate's grievous editorial errors.

Yet it argued that it did not think that Barbaro was required to disclose his relationship with Tobin during the retraction episode as it was 'an audio version of our editors' note, not an accountability interview'.

In its response, the Times argued that Barbaro was not under any obligation to disclose his relationship with Tobin as he had not been conducting 'an accountability interview'

Sam Dolnick, the Times' Assistant Managing Director (pictured center with A. G. Sulzberger and Dean Baquet), responded to the claims in a letter to the association on Tuesday

It added that it was a 'mistake' to have allowed Mills to host the following episode of The Daily after the retraction, but claimed that it was part of a package that had been previously scheduled to run over the holidays and should have been moved.

'We believe we've handled what was a significant journalistic lapse with accountability,' said the response, written by Sam Dolnick, the Times' Assistant Managing Director.

'We are deeply committed to continuing to pursue ambitious audio journalism and have already begun implementing changes that will make our audio report even stronger. '

Last December, the Times admitted to 'an institutional failure' in the production of its podcast 'Caliphate' by giving 'too much credence' to the story of a man now revealed as a fantasist pretending to be a terrorist.

In a devastating internal review released, it was found that the paper had failed to corroborate the sensationalist claims made by Chaudhry and that the podcast team was duped by his fake story of working as an ISIS executioner.

Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, from Burlington, Ontario, has been charged with a terrorism hoax

Reporter Rukmini Callimachi, pictured above, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and won a Peabody Award for her work on the 'Caliphate' podcast. She has remained at the Times

The review began after Chaudhry was arrested by Canadian authorities in September and charged with 'a hoax regarding terrorist activity' as his lies fell apart.

Chaudhry's remarkable, yet untrue, story of being a fighter and executioner with the Islamic State in Syria had been the centerpiece of the award-winning 'Caliphate', for which reporter Callimachi was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and won a Peabody Award.

Scandals that rocked the New York Times in 2020 June 7: New York Times' opinion editor, James Bennet, resigned following a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton. The opinion piece, entitled Send in the Troops, advocated using federal troops to quell unrest across the US caused by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Bennet, who had revealed in a meeting that he had not read Cotton's piece before it was posted online, had defended it following the initial protests, saying it was important to hear from all points of view. Yet more than 800 staff members signed a letter protesting its publication. Bennet then resigned from his position after the Times disowned the incendiary opinion piece. Following a review, the newspaper said Cotton's piece should not have been published, at least not without substantial revisions. July 14: One of Bennett's hires, conservative opinion editor writer Bari Weiss, announced she had quit in a scathing letter that slammed the newspaper for fostering an 'illiberal environment' that allowed her to be bullied by coworkers. Weiss, who joined the Times in 2017, said the paper of record was among the media institutions now betraying their standards and losing sight of their principles as she accused them of only publishing stories that 'satisfy the narrowest of audiences'. In her lengthy resignation letter addressed to publisher A.G. Sulzberger, Weiss claimed that intellectual curiosity and risk-taking was now a 'liability' at the Times. The controversial editor and writer said the opinions of those on Twitter had become the newspaper's 'ultimate editor'. Weiss also accused the outlet of creating a 'hostile work environment' for employees that essentially had anything other than left-of-center views. She says this mentality resulted in her being constantly bullied by coworkers who have called her a 'Nazi and a racist' because of her 'own forays into wrongthink'. Staffers had previously called for Weiss to be fired after her tweets regarding the Tom Cotton scandal. September: Trump repeatedly criticized the New York Times 1619 Project claiming it seeks to 'change our history'. Trump was asked about instructors using the project, named after the year the first ship with African slaves arrived in the U.S., to teach slavery in America and whether he wanted the subject to be taught. 'We grew up with a certain history and now they're trying to change our history. Revisionist history,' Trump claimed. Senator Cotton was also caught up in this incident, introducing legislation that would ban schools from teaching the curriculum through the Saving American History Act of 2020. Advertisement

Yet, the Times found that the podcast, launched in 2018, dropped far short of the paper's standards following widespread failings, right up to senior management.

They branded Chaudhry a 'fabulist' who concocted stories as an escape from his more mundane life in a Toronto suburb or living with grandparents in Pakistan.

Dean Baquet, the executive editor of the paper, took personal responsibility for the errors in the editorial process, saying that the blame fell on him and other newsroom leaders.

During his interview with Barbaro, he said: 'When the New York Times does deep, big, ambitious journalism in any format, we put it to a tremendous amount of scrutiny at the upper levels of the newsroom,' he said in an interview with The Daily, another New York Times podcast.

'We did not do that in this case,' he continued.

'And I think that I or somebody else should have provided that same kind of scrutiny  and I did not provide that kind of scrutiny, nor did my top deputies with deep experience in examining investigative reporting.

'I think this guy, we now believe, was a con artist, who made up most if not all that he told us.'

The Times said the two-month review had concluded that the 12-part podcast featuring award-winning correspondent Callimachi, who has frequently reported on IS, 'gave too much credence to the false or exaggerated accounts' of Chaudhry.

The Times had ample reason to be suspicious of Chaudhry's account, since an episode of 'Caliphate' was devoted to discrepancies in his story and its own fact-checking.

But the newspaper should it have worked harder to verify the claims before deciding to make Chaudhry a central character.

Chaudhry had claimed he traveled to Syria in 2016 to join the terrorist group ISIS and committed acts of terrorism, including two killings.

He went by the name Abu Huzayfah in the podcast and described in harrowing detail his role in executions.

His account, as told to Callimachi, was incredibly graphic, in particular as he describes killing a man in an 'orange jumpsuit.'

The account caused an uproar in Canada's parliament, with opposition Conservatives expressing outrage that Chaudhry was living freely in Ontario province after making the terror claims.

At the time, the Times claimed they had managed to secure a photo of Abu Huzayfah on the banks of the Euphrates River in Syria, an indication that he had indeed made the trip.

Investigators have now found that Chaudhry had passed along photos taken by others in Syria as his own.

There is also still some dispute over whether he even traveled to Syria. Canadian officials say he never did, nor did he ever join the Islamic State, although American intelligence officials still have some doubt, the newspaper said.

'Caliphate' marked a foray into narrative audio reporting for the Times, which is increasingly seen as a major revenue stream for the paper.

The show became a major hit, rising to the top of the Apple podcast charts in 2018.

However, red flags surrounding the series' veracity were never far away.

The scandal has led to intense backlash for the paper of record, especially from other news organizations, which have accused it of allowing for fearmongering regarding the radicalization of Muslims.

Walgreens pharmacist Mindy Keeton delivers a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shot at the AHEPA apartments in Merrillville, Ind. on Jan. 11, 2020. (Kale Wilk/The Times via AP)

Trump Administration to Release All COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

President Donald Trumps administration is releasing all COVID-19 vaccine doses, instead of holding some back.

Officials had implemented a strategy of keeping doses in reserve to guard against potential manufacturing issues.

Weve had so much success with quality and predictable manufacturing, and almost flawless distribution of the vaccine, but we have seen now that the administration in the states has been too narrowly focused, Health Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday on ABCs Good Morning America.

Both of the authorized vaccines require two doses spaced several weeks apart.

One of the ways the administration is working on remedying issues that have plagued the vaccination program is to make available every dose of the vaccine, Azar added. We had been holding back second doses as a safety stock. We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production. So everything is now available to our states and our healthcare providers.

President-elect Joe Bidens team said last week that the Biden administration would release nearly all doses after taking office as they continued to take aim at how the Trump administrations rollout has fallen short of projections.

He supports releasing available doses immediately, and believes the government should stop holding back vaccine supply so we can get more shots in Americans arms now, a spokesman said.

Health officials said last year they projected 20 million Americans getting vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of 2020. That number ended up being under 4 million. The lag has been pinned on states by some federal officials and on the Trump administration by some state officials.

An employee shows the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in New York City in a Dec. 21, 2020, file photograph. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

As of Jan. 11, over 25 million doses have been distributed to states but the number of people that have been injected is under 9 million.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that more people can get a COVID-19 vaccine, after weeks of restricting who got the shots. Over 1,000 pharmacies were expected to come online soon and accept reservations, while up to 20 mass vaccination sites are being set up by the state.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, said the states success with quickly administering vaccines it receives from the federal government stems from relying on the National Guard and local pharmacies.

We reacted to the fact that we would have vaccines sitting on the shelf, he told CNBC. And we reacted to the fact that age, age, age was driving this and these were the people that are dying, and we really aggressively got after it.

Two other ways the Trump administration is seeking to smooth the vaccination program is to call on governors to vaccinate anyone 65 and older and anyone under 65 who has a comorbidity, Azar said Tuesday.

We have got to expand the group. Weve already distributed more vaccine than we have healthcare workers and people in nursing homes, he said, referring to the first two groups that officials directed states to inject first.

Officials also have to work to expand the places where the vaccines are being administered, Azar continued, including adding pharmacies and community health centers and, potentially, mass vaccination events.

It has been overly hospitalized so far in too many states, he said.

Operation Warp Speed officials planned on sharing more details in a briefing later Tuesday.
Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday proposed a stimulus package exceeding $1 billion suggesting the state's poorest families should get $750 payments as soon as possible to help buffer the economic calamity of the coronavirus pandemic.

His proposal, which requires General Assembly approval, would also effectively send more cash to the state's 709,000 unemployed people by waiving state and local taxes on unemployment benefits and entitling them to a big tax refund.

Another piece of his coronavirus relief plan would let small businesses keep up to $12,000 worth of sales tax levied on their customers, and implement other changes to reduce tax bills.

The Maryland General Assembly convenes Wednesday for its annual legislative session, and Hogan urged lawmakers to quickly approve the aid.

"I could not imagine anything that could possibly be more important for the legislature to pass," the governor said during an Annapolis news conference. He said swift action was necessary to "immediately get these much-needed dollars out the door."

Hogan and the General Assembly's Democratic leaders have conferred for months on a potential stimulus package, but have developed their own proposals.

House Speaker Adrienne Jones, D-Baltimore County, and Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, said Hogan's plan incorporated "our priorities," but that Democrats in the legislature also have additional goals. Those include sending more aid to nursing homes and essential workers, fixing the state's broken unemployment system and giving schools more money to help get children back to in-person learning.

They did not commit to quickly passing Hogan's proposal.

"We look forward to the Governor working with us to accomplish these goals and demonstrating for the country what the true value of bipartisanship can be," their joint statement said.

Hogan repeatedly described his plan as "targeted."

The proposed stimulus checks would only go to residents who qualify for the state's earned income tax credit. Eligibility is determined on a sliding scale by annual income and family size, capped at $15,820 for a single person and $56,844 for a family with three or more children. In Maryland, which has one of the nation's highest median incomes, more than 400,000 people qualify for the tax credit and would get checks under Hogan's proposal.

Money would be distributed in two tranches. Individuals would receive $450 total, while families would get $750.

"Every day that goes by without passing a stimulus and tax relief package means more jobs that will be lost, more families will lose their homes, more businesses who will go out of businesses, and more people that suffer," Hogan said. "Struggling Marylanders and small businesses who are barely hanging on cannot afford the kind of partisan bickering and needless delay that we have seen in Washington."

The proposal falls far short of one pushed by a frequent Hogan ally, Comptroller Peter Franchot, a Democrat who is running for governor in 2022. For weeks, Franchot has publicly and privately called on the governor to send $2,000 checks to every state resident, an action he says the governor could take unilaterally.

Hogan said spending that much money would be an "irresponsible" action and said he could not do it without legislative approval.

Franchot accused Hogan of "passing the buck."

"The thousands of Marylanders who are on the verge of homelessness, who are going to bed hungry every night, and who are accruing unsustainable debt cannot - and should not - wait one more day until their state government provides the help they desperately need," Franchot said in a statement. "His plan doesn't include assistance to struggling families and small businesses NOW."

Hogan said he would pay for plan by using $100 million from the state's rainy day fund; cash the state accumulated because the economy rebounded better than expected from the pandemic-triggered recession; and money stashed away by the Board of Public Works in July during an unprecedented round of early budget cuts.

Meanwhile, Maryland's largest public employee union called Monday for legislation that would create workplace protections for workers during the pandemic, including a right to refuse dangerous work, free testing and reporting of positive tests and an additional $3 an hour for hazard pay.

The union, AFSCME Council 3, is at an impasse with the Hogan administration over pay for the upcoming year.

- - -

The Washington Post's Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.

Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.


(Newser)  Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire mogul and power broker who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China and became a singular force in domestic and international politics, has died after a long illness, his wife said Tuesday. Miriam Adelson and the Las Vegas Sands Corp. both released statements confirming Adelson's death, per the AP. He was 87 years old. He was the son of Jewish immigrants, raised with two siblings in a Boston tenement, who over the second half of his life became one of the worlds richest men. The chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation brought singing gondoliers to the Las Vegas Strip and foresaw correctly that Asia would be an even bigger market.

story continues below

In 2018, Forbes ranked him No. 15 in the US, worth an estimated $35.5 billion. If you do things differently, success will follow you like a shadow, he said during a 2014 talk to the gambling industry in Las Vegas. Blunt yet secretive, Adelson resembled an old-fashioned political boss and stood apart from most American Jews, who for decades have supported Democrats by wide margins. Adelson was considered the nations most influential GOP donor over the final years of his life, at times setting records for individual contributions during a given election cycle. Politico notes that in 2012, he put $90 million into the presidential race, becoming the largest individual donor in US electoral history.

(Read more Sheldon Adelson stories.)
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ANN ARBOR, MI  In its A2Zero carbon-neutrality plan, Ann Arbor set an ambitious goal last year to power the entire community with 100% renewable energy by 2030.

As city leaders look to move forward, theyre now forming key criteria and guiding principles for investments in energy efficiency and generating and purchasing renewable energy, including local solar installations and potential bulk purchases of renewable energy from elsewhere.

Missy Stults, the citys sustainability manager, gave City Council an overview of the draft criteria and principles Monday night, Jan. 11, while noting investments likely are going to have to be made outside Ann Arbor.

An initial assessment of solar energy potential in Ann Arbor showed about 78 megawatts could be installed, and that wont be enough, Stults said.

We use about 440 megawatts, so we cant actually even generate everything we use locally, she said.

Ann Arbor unanimously adopts ambitious roadmap to carbon-neutrality

There still are opportunities to lower energy use through energy efficiency, but its unlikely the city will ever be able to generate all its energy locally, Stults said.

Since the city may want to keep investments local as much as possible, Stults asked council members what local means to them, whether that means keeping it within the county or state, or within a 100-mile or 150-mile radius of the city.

There are things that are really impressive that can happen here and there are things that are really impressive that can happen somewhere else, she told council.

If the goal is lets move fast and lets get something big and check it off, well, I know we dont have land for 440 megawatts sitting idle in the county, so I would have to go somewhere else in Michigan to find that.

The completed solar array at Northside Community Center, 209 Taylor St. in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020.

Council Member Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, said local to him means Michigan and the city has to deal with state-level constraints on what it can and cant do.

Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, suggested shes OK with making renewable energy investments outside Ann Arbor, saying within the county boundaries is still local.

There also needs to be a push to get the community to recognize people need to live sustainable lifestyles, said Council Member Erica Briggs, D-5th Ward.

We cant just not live a sustainable lifestyle but sort of pretend we are by ... shifting the balance elsewhere, she said.

Ramlawi agreed there needs to be more focus on changing peoples behavior and reducing consumption.

DTE Energy raises concerns about Ann Arbors plan for 100% renewable energy

Stults told council she wanted guidance on what projects she might bring forward that could get council excited.

Is it going to be changes to the greenbelt acquisition process so solar is in? Is it going to be an RFP for a virtual power reduction agreement, which I will tell you about in a future meeting? she said, hinting at discussions to come.

The first of the three core criteria Stults proposed Monday night is reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Solutions must reduce energy demand and/or power Ann Arbors electricity needs with renewable energy that is as close to carbon-neutral as possible, it states.

The second criterion is that renewable energy and energy-efficiency investments must displace fossil fuels and be things that wouldnt have happened without city investment.

We want to make sure that our investment dollars actually do something, that were bringing new renewables on the grid or were doing new energy-efficiency work, Stults said.

The third and final criterion is justice and equity, stating low-income and minority populations should be central in decision-making and should be priority targets for the benefits associated with energy solutions.

Solutions must also respect the different capacities and lived experiences of members of our community and support fair and just compensation for those helping to create a renewable energy future, it states.

Its about working with low-income people, making sure fair wages are paid for folks who are actually doing this work and creating the job force that were going to need longterm to solve this crisis, Stults said of the climate crisis.

All future energy-related activities will need to meet the criteria or articulate why thats not possible, Stults said.

A closer look at Ann Arbors plan for potentially $50M solar farm

In addition, there are five proposed guiding principles, the first being enhancing the resilience of people, the community and natural systems, and ensuring people  especially at-risk individuals and emergency services and personnel  have power during and after a disaster.

We certainly dont want the grid to go down, but it will at some point, Stults said, suggesting creating micro grids and having battery storage can help create redundancy and resiliency.

The second principle states energy projects should be local as much as possible, with regional and state-level solutions given second consideration.

When renewable energy solutions are not viable in Michigan, projects should be developed in partnership with environmental justice communities that have been disproportionately burdened by the extractive nature of the fossil fuel-based economy, it states.

People really do want to have some projects here that they can see, they can feel, they can touch, that are employing their neighbors or folks that they know, Stults said.

So, to the extent possible, we want to maximize how much we can develop locally. When we cant do that super local, then expanding out.

Ann Arbor celebrates launch of citys first solar-powered resilience hub

The third principle is speed, saying emission-reduction solutions should be capable of being deployed rapidly to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

As fast as you can reduce emissions, its much, much better for the planet and for the likelihood of mitigating catastrophic changes, Stults said.

And the atmosphere doesnt care where emissions reductions come from, she added, noting this can be in conflict with keeping investments local if there are opportunities to invest in renewables elsewhere.

The fourth principle is finding energy solutions that are scaleable and can be designed for replication in other municipalities in the region and nationwide.

The fifth principle is finding energy solutions that are cost effective and as affordable as possible, while still aligning with the core criteria and guiding principles.

This can sometimes be in tension with the other values, Stults said of the affordability principle, recalling an article she read in The New York Times about solar panels.

You can get some pretty cheap solar and its generated in workshops in China that are probably using forced labor. Thats a conflict that we will have, she said, suggesting cost will be an important factor, but not the only one.

Ann Arbors carbon-neutrality plan could inspire countywide effort to tackle climate change

Council Member Lisa Disch, D-1st Ward, emphasized the need for speed.

We are behind. We are already living in a terrible future .... she said, arguing the city needs to think about future generations.

While she supports investing in Michigan as much as possible, Michigan is still cloudy and there are benefits from investing in other parts of country, she said.

There is a role for a big upfront push to get emissions down and buy time to make the shift to a less resource-intensive lifestyle and develop more things locally, Disch said.

City Council will be adopting the annual budget for the next year in May and the city is facing potential budget shortfalls.

Stults said shes prepared multiple versions of her offices budget, depending on what level of funding is available, and the city might not hit the 2030 A2Zero carbon-neutrality target if efforts are scaled back to a certain degree.

The criteria and principles discussed Monday night will go back to the citys Energy Commission for more review and then come back to council for adoption, Stults said.

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In a powerfully narrated video on his Twitter account, Hollywood icon and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has compared the horrors of Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany, November 9, 1938, to the despicable storming of the Capitol in D.C. on January 6, 2021. Yet he misses a massively significant difference between the two tragic events. And it is that difference, which is a very positive one, on which we should focus.

The video, featuring Schwarzenegger in a law and order, patriotic setting (holding Conan the Barbarians sword too!), was posted on Sunday, January 10, amassing more than 30 million views within the first 24 hours and raising many important points.

Schwarzenegger introduces his comments as an immigrant to this country, noting that he grew up in Austria. He states, Im very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, which he describes as a night of rampage against the Jews carried out in 1938 by the Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys.

Wednesday, he continues, was the Day of Broken Glass right here in the United States.

Yes, these rioters did not just break down the doors of the building that housed American democracy. They trampled the very principles on which our country was founded. Indeed, they shattered the ideas we took for granted.

Then, after describing the brokenness and lostness of the generation that had worked together with the Nazis (manifest in his own fathers drunken violence against the family), he states that he has seen firsthand how things can spin out of control, based on lies.

For him, Trump tried to steal a fairly contested election by getting millions of Americans to believe his lies about electoral fraud, and that points to the very real possibility of national deception. In Schwarzeneggers eyes, Trump will go down in history as the worst president ever, and the Republicans who stood with him will also live on in ignominy.

But Schwarzenegger also has a strong message of hope, speaking of Americas resiliency, calling on our national leaders to have a servants heart (a phrase he remembers from his Catholic upbringing), and, as a Republican, standing firmly behind President-elect Biden.

To be sure, the Terminator star raises valid concerns about the atmosphere in America that led to the Insurrection last week. He also rightly confronts the degree to which millions of Americans would follow Trump no matter what. It is in that same spirit that I wrote a recent article asking, Is There a Cult of Trump?

Of course, many sincere, thoughtful, non-violent Americans would take strong exception to having their honest questions about potential electoral fraud compared to the Nazi lies. But even so, there is no question that plenty of Trump voters put their trust in him to the point that anyone else, from Jeff Sessions to Bill Barr and from Amy Coney Barrett to Mike Pence, could be thrown under the bus the moment they seemed disloyal to him. That also explains how so many Trump supporters, many of them Christian conservatives, could be ardent followers of QAnon.

All this, indeed, is very dangerous, all part of the cultlike veneration of Trump.

Still, Schwarzenegger missed the biggest difference between Kristallnacht and the Insurrection, and, to repeat, it is a very positive difference. The former took place all over Germany with no resistance from the general populace. The latter was concentrated in one main location  indeed, the very seat of our government  and drew almost universal condemnation from the general populace, including the vast majority of Trump supporters. Across the nation we shouted, That is not us!

In the words of a German pastor, author of a powerful book about unconfessed German guilt regarding the Holocaust, Drawing parallels to National Socialism can be a very dangerous thing, in my opinion, as Arnold Schwarzeneggers most recent analogy shows, when he compared the rush on the Capitol to Kristallnacht, which is an unacceptable downplaying of the Holocaust. (This is from his email to me of January 11. That being said, he also noted that there really are some remarkable points of reference that the Nazi era offers for today. I will share those in a subsequent article.)

To give a picture of the scope of Kristallnacht, according to Reinhard Heydrich (second in command of the SS after Heinrich Himmler), 815 [Jewish] shops [were] destroyed, 171 dwelling houses set on fire or destroyed... 119 synagogues were set on fire, and another 76 completely destroyed... 20,000 Jews were arrested, 36 deaths were reported and those seriously injured were also numbered at 36...

Yet, as recounted with sadness by the German Christian leader Basilea Schlink (1904-2001), the general populace did nothing. They saw these atrocities take place in front of their eyes  in their neighborhoods and to their neighbors  and they did nothing. (Ultimately, about 30,000 Jews from Germany and Austria were arrested and sent off to concentration camps in the immediate aftermath of this event.)

As Mother Basilea wrote about 10 years after World War II, We are personally to blame. We all have to admit that if we, the entire Christian community, had stood up as one man and if, after the burning of the synagogues [on Kristallnacht], we had gone out on the streets and voiced our disapproval, rung the church bells, and somehow boycotted the actions of the S.S., the Devils vassals would probably not have been at such liberty to pursue their evil schemes. But we lacked the ardor of love  love that is never passive, love that cannot bear it when its fellowmen are in misery, particularly when they are subjected to such appalling treatment and tortured to death. Indeed, if we had loved God, we would not have endured seeing those houses of God set ablaze; and holy, divine wrath would have filled our souls.

And thats the massive difference between the storming of the Capitol and Kristallnacht. Since the fateful events of last Wednesday, there has been almost universal, national disgust. There has been revulsion. There has been shame. There has been shock.

And rather than the perpetrators of the event being endorsed and applauded, they are being despised, marginalized, and brought to justice. In stark contrast with Kristallnacht in 1938, when thousands of Jews were rounded up and arrested, today it is the rioters (whom Schwarzenegger compared to the Nazis) who are being rounded up and put in jail.

As for President Trump, he has been subject to an overreaction from Big Tech, largely cutting him off from his constituency, while some of his closest advisors are fleeing from his side. This is hardly comparable to the situation with Hitler, the Nazis, and the German populace.

This should encourage Arnold Schwarzenegger rather than discourage him.

From my perspective, while there is much in his video that I affirm and while I agree with some of Schwarzeneggers concerns, we should also highlight the widespread, intensely negative, American reaction to the Insurrection rather than simply compare this watershed, tragic event to Kristallnacht.

The more we examine the two side by side, the more dissimilar they become. That gives us hope in the midst of the chaos, concerns, and confusion. The Germans tacitly said yes to Kristallnacht. Americans are shouting no to the storming of the Capitol.
FC Seoul have appointed Ki Sung-yueng as the team's captain for the upcoming season.

The club endured a tough time last season, finishing ninth in the K-League, so Ki will be expected to lead them back into the top half of the ladder. He joined the club last July after 11 years playing in Europe.

The club also signed a three-year deal with forward Na Sang-ho, whose two-year spell with FC Tokyo ended after last season. Na impressed the Seoul club while playing for Seongnam on loan last year.


Washington: The US Justice Department has opened criminal investigations of more than 170 individuals on their involvement in the riot at the Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters, and investigators are working toward charging people with assault and seditious conspiracy.

"I think the scope and scale of this investigation and these cases are really unprecedented, not only in FBI history, but probably Department of Justice history," Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said in a press briefing on Wednesday (AEDT)

Trump supporter Richard Barnett made himself quite at home at Nancy Pelosi's desk. Credit:AFP

"The Capitol grounds outside and inside are... a crime scene."

Sherwin said 70 criminal cases have been filed to date. While many of them involve people whose photos went viral on social media, such as Richard Barnett pictured sitting at the desk of a staffer of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said more serious charges are coming and a grand jury has been reviewing the cases.
India on Tuesday asserted that the international community must not allow terrorism to be justified and terrorists glorified as it told the UN Security Council that the crime syndicate responsible for the is given not just State protection but enjoying 5-star hospitality, a veiled reference to the D-company head Dawood Ibrahim believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

"First, we must all summon up the political will to unhesitatingly combat terrorism. There must be no ifs and buts in this fight. Nor should we allow terrorism to be justified and terrorists glorified. All member States must fulfill their obligations enshrined in international counter terrorism instruments and conventions, External Affairs Minister said in a virtual address.

He was speaking at the UNSC Ministerial Meeting on Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts: International cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001),' the first address by Jaishankar to the Security Council after India began its two-year tenure on the 15-nation body this month.

Jaishankar proposed an eight-point Action Plan for the UN system to credibly address the menace of terrorism and ensure effective action. He asserted that linkages between terrorism and transnational organised crime must be fully recognised and addressed vigorously.

He is the senior-most Indian leader to address the UNSC since India joined the 15-member council this month.

"We, in India, have seen the crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts not just given State protection but actually enjoying 5-star hospitality," he said, alluding to D-Company and its head Ibrahim, believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

In August last year, Pakistan had for the first time acknowledged the presence of Ibrahim on its soil after the government imposed sweeping sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders which also included the name of the underworld don wanted by India.

Jaishankar emphasised that the international community must not "countenance double standards" in the battle against terrorism.

"Terrorists are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones. Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda. And those who cover up for them are just as culpable," he said.

"Accordingly, we must reform the working methods of the Committees dealing with Sanctions and Counter Terrorism. Transparency, accountability and effectiveness are the need of the day. The practice of placing blocks and holds on listing requests without any rhyme or reason must end. This only erodes our collective credibility," he said, an apparent reference to China which had repeatedly blocked India's bids at the UN to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Before India succeeded in its nearly 10-year long efforts to have Azhar designated as a global terrorist at the UN last year, China, Pakistan's all-weather ally, had repeatedly blocked New Delhi's attempts to list him under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC.

In a strongly-worded statement, Jaishankar said combating terrorist financing will only be as effective as the weakest jurisdiction. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) should continue to identify and remedy weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks.

Jaishankar also underlined that enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes must be done objectively, "not for political or religious considerations. Proposals in this regard merit due examination before circulation."



Last year, Pakistan had made attempts to get four Indian nationals listed as terrorists under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. Pakistan's attempt was thwarted as the US, the UK, France, Germany and Belgium blocked the move in the Council as no evidence was given by Islamabad.

Jaishankar said the global community must firmly discourage "exclusivist thinking" that divides the world and harms the social fabric.

"Such approaches facilitate radicalisation and recruitment by breeding fear, mistrust, and hatred among different communities. The Council should be on guard against new terminologies and misleading priorities that can dilute our focus," he said.

He voiced concern that in recent years, terrorist groups and lone wolf attackers have significantly enhanced their capabilities by gaining access to new and emerging technologies, including drones, virtual currencies and encrypted communications. Social media networks have also contributed to the radicalisation and recruitment of youth.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has only aggravated the situation. The relative isolation and extended disruption due to the lockdowns and the associated distress and economic uncertainty has made the world more susceptible to radicalising narratives and extremist propaganda," he said.

UNSC Resolution 1373, adopted in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, is a reminder that terrorism continues to be the gravest threat to mankind.

"It not only grievously impacts human life but uproots the very foundation of humanity," he said, adding that India has always been at the forefront of global counter terrorism efforts.

In 1996, long before the adoption of Resolution 1373, India took the initiative to pilot the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism with the objective of providing a comprehensive legal framework to combating terrorism.

(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, Jan 12 : A consignment carrying around 2.5 lakh doses of the 'Covishield' vaccine landed at the national capital's IGI Airport on Tuesday and is slated to reach Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), Delhi's only vaccine storage facility, officials told IANS.

This is the first consignment of 'Covishield' vaccine which arrived at Indira Gandhi international Airport (IGIA) on Tuesday morning. The consignment from Pune to Delhi consists of 34 boxes and weighs 1,088 kgs. The doses will be transported in a special vehicle under heavy security to the RGSSH.

The Delhi government-run RGSSH is among the key Covid-19 facilities in the national capital, which is also doubling up as a vaccine storage house. The hospital has undergone robust preparations for the storage of vaccines, which will first be used to inoculate around 3 lakh health workers in Delhi before other priority groups are immunised.

The officials informed that the vaccines will be stored at a three-storey building in an area of 4,700 square feet, located in a relatively secluded corner of the campus, that will serve as the nerve centre of the vaccine storage exercise. Ahead of the arrival of the doses, the facility was taken over by the Delhi government's directorate of family welfare and restricted for public entry.

The officials told IANS that even the hospital staff are not allowed to enter the building without permission from the government.

The officials involved in the process said that the vaccines would be stored at the ground floor and first floor of the facility while the third floor will be used to keep the syringes and other essentials required during the vaccination.

A total of 90 deep freeze refrigerators have been installed there to store the vaccines in a temperature range of 2-8 degrees Celsius.

The Delhi government has chosen 89 sites in the national capital, including government and private hospitals, for the first phase of the immunisation drive meant for healthcare workers.

AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital, Apollo Hospital and Max Hospital will be among the vaccination centres here.

The aviation ministry informed earlier in the day that 9 flights from Pune carrying 56.5 lakh doses will be operated to 13 locations across the country on Tuesday. The locations include Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved two vaccines - Covishield by Pune-based SII and Covaxin by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited - for emergency use authorisation (EUA) against Covid-19 in the country.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Tunisia stamps to celebrate 60 years of Tap 'Important role in construction of modern Tunisia'

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, JANUARY 12 - The Tunisian postal service is issuing on Tuesday a special stamp to celebrate the 60th year anniversary of the Agence Tunis Afrique Presse (Tap), Tunisia's public news agency, with a platform across Maghreb, Africa and the Mediterranean, with which ANSA forged an agreement of strategic cooperation in 2017. The Tunisian postal service said in a statement that ''this institution has undertaken an important role in the construction process of modern Tunisia''.



''The creation of the agency Tunis Afrique Press on January 1, 1961, was an important event in the history of national media. This institution in fact is considered the main source of information for several public, private and associative Tunisian media as well as various institutions of the State'', the statement went on to say.



This stamp, as well as other such products made for this occasion, will be sold in all postal offices of Tunisia and on the internet through electronic payment on the website www.e-stamps.poste.tn. (ANSA).





"Dee is a proven executive with a track record of delivering profitable growth," said DG Macpherson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Grainger. "Her financial expertise and deep understanding of Grainger's business operations will serve the company well as we execute our strategy and expand our leadership position. I would also like to thank Rob O'Keef for serving as our interim CFO and the entire Grainger finance team for leading through a smooth transition. Rob will resume his role as Vice President and Treasurer."

The Grainger Business Unit will merge all commercial functions for the Grainger brand in North America into a single organization. This new structure will help drive profitable share gain and exceptional customer solutions across geographies.

"We keep the world working when we truly understand our customers' needs and provide solutions that keep their operations running, protect their people, and save them time and money," said Macpherson. "Integrating our sales, services and solutions functions into one business unit will help Grainger better support our customers with quicker, more coordinated decisions.

"Paige is well-positioned to lead the Grainger Business Unit, bringing a strategic mindset and operational experience to the role," continued Macpherson. "Since joining Grainger, Paige has made significant contributions to the company, first as the head of our Global Supply Chain function, and most recently leading Grainger's Technology, Merchandising, Marketing and Strategy functions. In each position, she delivered strong operational results and put the customer first."

Merriwether and Robbins will assume their new roles effective immediately.

About Deidra Merriwether

Deidra (Dee) Merriwether joined Grainger in 2013 as head of North America Finance. In 2017, she became head of U.S. Direct Sales and Pricing, leading the development and implementation of Grainger's new pricing strategy, and reinvigorating the company's relationships with large and medium customers throughout the United States. In 2020, she was named SVP and President, North American Sales & Services, where she has been responsible for Grainger's sales, solutions and customer engagement strategies across North America. Prior to joining Grainger, Merriwether worked in various roles with Sears Holdings, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Eli Lilly, where she delivered consistent top quartile performance. She currently serves on the board of directors of Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest timberlands operators, as well as the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

About Paige Robbins

Paige Robbins joined Grainger in 2010 and, during her tenure, she has led the Global Supply Chain, Branch Network, Customer Service Centers, Corporate Strategy, Marketing, Merchandising and the Grainger Technology Group. Prior to joining Grainger, Robbins served as Partner and Managing Director at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she specialized in industrial companies. At BCG, she helped her clients on a range of issues including growth, customer segmentation, pricing, profit improvement, supply chain and merger and acquisition strategies.

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2019 sales of $11.5 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products, with operations primarily in North America, Japan and Europe.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this communication, other than those relating to historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" which are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those presented or implied in the forward- looking statements include: the unknown duration and impacts of the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019; a major loss of customers; loss or disruption of sources of supply; failure to develop or implement new business strategies; the company's responses to market pressures; the outcome of pending and future litigation or other proceedings; government contract matters; disruption of information technology or data security systems; general industry, economic, market or political conditions; general global economic conditions; facilities disruptions or shutdowns; natural and other catastrophes; loss of key members of management; and other factors that can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent reports filed on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, which are available on our Investor Relations website. Forward-looking statements are given only as of the date of this communication and we disclaim any obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.

SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.

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http://www.grainger.com


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New York Bariatric Group Partners with Naveen Ballem, MD LLC Tweet this

This is the first affiliation of a private practice for NYBG in New Jersey and represents a step towards making bariatric weight loss accessible to patients in that region, while solidifying top quality care principles by which the group was founded. As Naveen Ballem, MD LLC joins NYBG, it will add the all-inclusive bariatric one-day clearance to its service line, which expedites a required pre-surgical workup for patients.

The Naveen Ballem, MD LLC group of 4 surgeonsDr. Naveen Ballem, Dr. Harvey Rainville, Dr. Kartik Gohil, and Dr. Michael Cudworthhave combined surgical experience of over 45 years. They will be joining the distinguished NYBG team of 16 board certified bariatric surgeons, making it the largest bariatric surgery group in the United States.

"We are very delighted to welcome Dr. Ballem and his talented surgeons to our team in New Jersey," said Dr. Shawn Garber, founder and CEO of New York Bariatric Group. "Shawn has always been on the forefront of change in the bariatric industry and we are very excited to join this robust platform," added Dr. Naveen Ballem, CEO of Naveen Ballem, MD LLC.

Nixon Peabody LLP advised NYBG in its affiliation with Naveen Ballem, MD LLC.

New York Bariatric Group

New York Bariatric Group is widely known as the preeminent bariatric practice in the North East. Weight loss procedures include the Gastric Balloons, LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Band, revisional surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric bypass. Utilizing technology, talent, and experience, New York Bariatric Group is the elite practice for the treatment of obesity.

NYBG accepts most insurances. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 800-633-8446 or visit stopobesityforlife.com

Press Contact: Megan DiGregorio

Director of Marketing and Business Development

Email: [email protected]



Contact: New York Bariatric Group

www.StopObesityForLife.com

800-633-8446

SOURCE New York Bariatric Group

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Donald Trump has stumbled and fallen, and the establishment is not going to let slip this last opportunity to stomp him and his movement to death.

On Sunday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a startling ultimatum:

Either Vice President Mike Pence and the Trump Cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment, declare the president "unfit" for office, and remove him within 24 hours, or House Democrats will vote to impeach him again.

As the Senate, which would have to hear the case and hold the trial, does not meet again until Jan. 19, the day before Joe Biden is inaugurated, what is going on here? It sounds absurd, like rushing to hang a man who is going to die the next day.

But such is the blind hatred of Pelosi's House for Donald Trump.

Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina suggests holding off sending a bill of impeachment to the Senate for 100 days, to give Biden a chance to get his appointees confirmed, and then indict and convict Trump of sedition when he is a private citizen.

What would be the purpose of impeaching a president who hasn't been president for three months?

Answer: A conviction would strip Republicans of the right to reelect the man who got the largest number of votes in their party's history.

House Democrats want veto power over whom Republicans can nominate. And this is the crowd that does not cease to bray about its devotion to "democracy."

What are the specific grounds for impeaching Trump?

In the first draft of the resolution of impeachment, apparently, the crime is "incitement to insurrection."

Yet, in his Wednesday speech on the mall, Trump declared, "We're going to cheer on brave senators and congressmen and -women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them."

Trump added, "Everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard."

Nowhere in Trump's remarks was there a call to violence or to invade the Capitol building, or to engage in the mob criminality that took place under the Capitol dome Wednesday afternoon.

But the effort to disgrace and drive Trump from an office he will vacate in 10 days is only a part of the general purge that is underway against conservatives, Republicans and Trumpists.

Twitter and Facebook -- the social media megaphones Trump has used to communicate with some 80 million followers -- have terminated the president's personal accounts.

Apple, Amazon and Google have cut ties to the social media website Parler, which is popular among conservatives.

The goal of Big Tech is censorship -- to circumscribe Trump's capacity to communicate with his followers, and then to cripple the capacity of the right to communicate with one another.

And this is being applauded by individuals who see themselves as acolytes of the First Amendment.

Now calls are coming from home-state newspapers and colleagues for Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz to resign from the Senate. And for what?

During Mike Pence's reading of the count during a joint session on Jan. 6, Cruz and Hawley called for debate on the electoral vote counts of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

What Hawley and Cruz did was not only permissible under the statute, it was also supported by more than 100 GOP members of the House.

Now, Cumulus Media, which has more than 400 radio stations and employs some of the most popular conservative talk-radio hosts in the nation, has warned its on-air personalities to stop suggesting the election of 2020 was stolen from Trump -- or face termination.

Said Brian Philips, vice president of content at Cumulus, in an internal memo: We "will not tolerate any suggestion that the election has not ended. The election has been resolved and there are no alternate acceptable 'paths.'"

"If you transgress this policy," says Philips, "you can expect to separate from the company immediately."

Major corporations have begun to instruct their Political Action Committees to halt contributions to Republican legislators who support Trump. And some of Trump's Cabinet officers and White House staff have bailed out on him.

"Count your friends when you're down," Richard Nixon said.

On Jan. 21, Democrats will control the Senate, the House and the White House. Big Tech, Big Business, Big Media will all be on board.

They will be led, however, by a president and vice president who are in their offices not because of the great campaign they conducted and the brilliant case they made -- but because Americans voted in the most massive turnout in history, 74 million for Trump and 81 million against Trump.

As for the GOP, it should follow in these difficult days the counsel of LBJ when things were going bad: "Just hunker down like a mule in a hailstorm. And let the wild wind blow. And the sun will come out again in the morning."

In two years, the pendulum will swing back to the right, for it now has nowhere else to go.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
Although animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Giriraj Singh said there have been no scientific reports on transmission of bird flu to humans and consumers should not be scared, prices and demand for poultry and eggs has fallen in several states.

Already reeling from the impact of the novel coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns, the bird flu outbreak comes as a fresh blow for the poultry industry.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the sales and prices of eggs and poultry had similarly dropped due to unsubstantiated rumours that linked chicken to the spread of the coronavirus . As per MoneyControl, the losses during this period were pegged at $1 billion.

With customers drying up, the chain of production of poultry products is already under threat, according to several media reports.

The Indian poultry industry was projected to reach Rs 4,340 billion by 2024, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 16.2 percent during 2019-2024, according to some estimates. However, if reduced demand due to the avian influenza persists, this target may become increasingly difficult to achieve.

'Nervous' consumers, mounting losses

The slump in the poultry industry has a far-reaching impact, as Indians consume 30 crore poultry birds and 900 crore eggs per month on an average. People in a range of occupations, from shop owners to retail suppliers, stand to be affected.

So far, the avian influenza has been reported in 10 states. Delhi, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra on Monday confirmed bird flu cases, adding to the list of seven states  Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh  which had already reported avian deaths due to the disease.

While states announced several measures including mass culling of poultry, ban on live bird markets and restriction on chicken and related food materials, the Centre asked them not to close mandis or obstruct the sales of poultry products. The Delhi government has imposed a ban on the sale of processed and packaged chicken brought from outside the city.

Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Giriraj Singh said there have been no scientific reports on transmission of bird flu to humans and consumers should not be scared.

However, the effects have become visible on the poultry sector in several states.

According to the Indian Express, farmgate prices of broiler chicken have crashed from around Rs 82 to Rs 58 per kg in Maharashtra, Rs 94 to Rs 65 in Gujarat, and Rs 80 to Rs 70 in Tamil Nadu since last Wednesday.

During the same period, egg prices have fallen from Rs 5.10 to Rs 4.20 per piece in Namakkal (Tamil Nadu), Rs 5.35 to Rs 4.05 in Barwala (Haryana), and Rs 5.30 to Rs 4.50 in Pune, said the report.

As per an Indian Express report, prices had plunged below the production costs due to apprehensions among consumers last week and Anwesh Patel, president of the Gujarat Broiler Farmers Coordination Committee (GBFCC) had said poultry farming industry also saw a 90 percent dip in sales. Meat and poultry vendors in Gujarat said that traders were picking up less stock following a sudden drop in the demand.

An estimated 1.3 crore live broiler birds and 20 crore eggs are sold daily in India on an average, and during the winter season, the numbers can climb to 1.5 crore and 28 to 29 crore . The bird flu scare, however, has led to consumption dropping by 30-40 percent in the last 4-5 days, B Soundararajan, chairman of the Rs 8,700 crore-plus-turnover Suguna Foods Pvt Ltd told the Indian Express.

The share price of poultry products supplier Venkys also slipped more than five percent intraday on 6 January due to fears on reports of the bird flu.

Consumers are showing some signs of nervousness going by the sales trend over the last two days. We feel consumption has slowed by 10-15 percent," a poultry retail supplier in Chennai told MoneyControl.

A poultry shop owner from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserbagh told MoneyControl that the usually booming business during winter witnessed a 50 percent slump. "We thought of recovering losses suffered during COVID-19 , but with bird flu it seems difficult," the report quoted him as saying.

With inputs from PTI
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cancelled his visit to the Grand Duchy, according to the New York Times.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ditched a visit to Luxembourg after its foreign minister labelled President Donald Trump a "criminal", an official in the EU nation said Tuesday.

Pompeo is heading to Brussels on Wednesday to meet NATO's secretary general and the Belgian foreign minister on his last foreign trip in the job as Washington's top diplomat before Joe Biden's inauguration.

The two-day trip had initially been expected to include a visit to neighbouring Luxembourg, but that was dropped from the final schedule.

An official in Luxembourg told AFP on condition of anonymity that the visit was cancelled in protest at comments by Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn slamming Trump as a "criminal" over the attack by his supporters on the Capitol last week.

Asselborn described Trump to RTL radio as a "political pyromaniac who must be brought before a court".

"He has ignored his own Constitution, court decisions and of course the election results," the minister said.

Pompeo has remained staunchly loyal to Trump despite resignations from a string of his cabinet colleagues and calls to force the president from office over the storming of the Capitol.

His last foreign trip rounds off four tumultuous years of US foreign policy under Trump that has seen the US strain its traditional alliances in Europe.

A spokesman for the European Union said that Pompeo would not be meeting any top official from the Brussels-based bloc during his low-key visit to the city.
WASHINGTON: The number of federal agencies and private companies who learn that they have been affected by a massive Russian hack is expected to grow as the investigation into it continues, the U.S. governments chief counterintelligence official said Tuesday.

The FBI and other agencies last week attributed the intrusions to Russia as part of what officials described as an intelligence-gathering operation rather than an effort to damage or disrupt U.S. government operations. U.S. officials said at the time that fewer than 10 federal agencies were believed to have been compromised by follow-on activity on their systems.

William Evanina, the director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in a live-stream Washington Post interview that he expected to see a growth in the number of victims.

So far, the list of agencies known to have been affected includes the Treasury, Commerce and Justice departments, among others.

I think this will expand accordingly as we identify" additional victims, Evanina said. I think the hard part for the investigators is we dont know what we dont know, but I think this will continue to grow.

The hacking campaign was extraordinary in scale, with the intruders having stalked through government agencies, defense contractors and telecommunications companies for months by the time it was discovered. Experts say that gave the foreign agents ample time to collect data that could be highly damaging to U.S. national security, though the scope of the breaches and exactly what information was sought is unknown.

An estimated 18,000 organizations were affected by malicious code that piggybacked on popular network-management software from an Austin, Texas, company called SolarWinds.

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
Aims to be Europe's #1 security, compliance and backup company

READING, England, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The fast-growing global provider of backup solutions, Altaro, has today announced that Hornetsecurity, the leading email cloud security provider in Europe, has acquired the company.

Hornetsecurity is a cloud security specialist headquartered in Germany that operates in more than 30 countries. Sold through Hornetsecurity's international channel partner network, its premium services are used by more than 40,000 customers including Swisscom, Telefonica and KONICA MINOLTA. This new acquisition builds on Hornetsecurity's acquisition of Spamina, the Spanish market leader for cloud email security solutions, in January 2019 and EveryCloud, its British market partner, at the beginning of 2020.

Strong synergies between both companies

David Vella, CEO of Altaro, highlighted how the synergies between both companies would result in more powerful offerings for businesses and organizations around the world. Altaro develops backup solutions for Hyper-V, VMware, physical servers, network endpoints and Microsoft Office 365, which perfectly complement Hornetsecurity's email and compliance solutions, particularly in the sphere of Microsoft 365 environments.

"We have found exactly the right strategic buyer in Hornetsecurity and are delighted to become part of the group," he said. "The synergies between the two companies are obvious. Through our combined know-how and experience, and the innovative combination of our product suites, Hornetsecurity's European market leadership in cloud security has reached a new level."

He expressed full commitment to the new entity: "All Altaro co-founders remain on board and will occupy leadership roles within the Hornetsecurity Group," he said. The same goes for the Altaro worldwide team, which will expand as a result of the investment.

Comprehensive security and compliance solution for the cloud

Daniel Hofmann, CEO of Hornetsecurity said: "Our goal is to provide organisations with a complete security and compliance solution for their cloud technologies. By integrating Altaro's backup solutions into Hornetsecurity's product portfolio, we can provide a comprehensive package to protect customer data."

Looking ahead, he revealed: "We will expand the company's current international locations in the coming years to provide our partners with new products and solutions even faster."

Daniel Blank, COO of Hornetsecurity, explained: "MSPs and IT outsourcers are rapidly expanding their cloud architectures and services. With the acquisition of Altaro, we are not only expanding our security services for M365, but also responding to our channel's growing need for Hyper-V and VMware backup solutions."

Listing some of Hornetsecurity's reasons for this investment, he said: "Altaro's 100% commitment to the channel, its partners' clear respect of their technical support, and their excellent product were key factors in our decision. The acquisition will also strengthen our international marketing and sales. Together, we will strengthen and expand our partner networks, which will further boost growth of the entire Hornetsecurity Group."

About the Hornetsecurity Group

Hornetsecurity is the leading German email cloud security provider in Europe, which protects the IT infrastructure, digital communication and data of companies and organizations of all sizes. The security specialist from Hanover provides its services worldwide via 9 redundant, secured data centres. The product portfolio covers all important areas of email security, including spam and virus filters, legally compliant archiving and encryption, as well as defence against CEO fraud and ransomware. With more than 200 employees, Hornetsecurity is represented globally at 11 locations and operates in more than 30 countries through its international channel partner network. Its premium services are used by approximately 40,000 customers including Swisscom, Telefonica, KONICA MINOLTA, LVM Versicherung, DEKRA and Claas.

About Altaro
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conducted a small shuffle of his ministers before holing up later in the day for a cabinet retreat to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands in front of his cabinet as he speaks to media during the final day of the Liberal cabinet retreat at the Fairmont Hotel in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Sudoma

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conducted a small shuffle of his ministers before holing up later in the day for a cabinet retreat to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament.

The shuffle is due to the departure of Navdeep Bains, who stepped down as innovation minister Tuesday and is not intending to run again in the next election.

In the first virtual swearing-in ceremony in Canadian history, Francois-Philippe Champagne shed his title as foreign minister to take up Bains' former role, while ex-transport minister Marc Garneau moved into Champagne's old job.

Toronto-area MP Omar Alghabra took over the Transport portfolio, which has seen 10 months of turbulence since the pandemic prompted a travel industry collapse and controversy over refunds for flight cancellations.

Jim Carr also returned to cabinet as minister without portfolio and special representative to the Prairies.

The former minister for international trade diversification stepped down after announcing his diagnosis with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in October 2019.

In a video message posted Tuesday morning, Bains said that after six elections, he wants to spend more time with his family.

"They have sacrificed so much over the last 17 years. This last year has been hard on families," says the MP from Mississauga, Ont. "My daughters, who are in Grade 5 and Grade 8, have needed me more in the last year and I've needed them, too. It's time for me to put my family first, and I couldn't be happier about it."

Trudeau has been clear that he wants departments crucial to the country's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to be overseen by ministers who will be around to help sell the government's agenda during the next election campaign.

In a news conference after the shuffle, Trudeau said he would prefer to keep dealing with suppressing the pandemic, distributing vaccines and restoring the economy than to have a federal election before the health crisis is over.

"I certainly hope to be able to work constructively in Parliament this winter and spring to be able to deliver those things for Canadians," he said.

Many of the federal government's supports and benefit programs have been approved unanimously by legislators. But, he said, in a minority Parliament opposition parties can trigger an election  and he refused to commit to not use his prime ministerial prerogative to call one himself.

"My commitment is to doing whatever is necessary to support Canadians through this pandemic," Trudeau said.

The shuffle, which played out online in a streamlined ceremony stripped of pomp and ritual overseen by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, follows a smaller round of musical chairs triggered by the resignation of then-finance minister Bill Morneau in August. Chrystia Freeland replaced Morneau while keeping her role as deputy prime minister.

The cabinet retreat  four one-day sessions to take place over the next two weeks  is to focus on what more the government needs to do to manage the pandemic, which continues to rage across the country, including ways to accelerate the rollout of vaccines.

It is also supposed to focus on the eventual economic recovery and the Liberal government's plans to invest billions in the fight against climate change, job creation, affordable housing, skills training and a national child-care program.

The retreat is taking place as the government prepares for the resumption of Parliament on Jan. 25, in what is bound to be a more aggressively partisan environment.

The pandemic forced a measure of cross-party co-operation last year, which allowed Trudeau's minority Liberal government to operate without any serious threat to its survival.

But the spirit of collaboration was badly strained by the end of last year and is likely to evaporate altogether this year, particularly once the government introduces a budget expected to send the already-historic federal deficit into the stratosphere.

The government will need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to survive a confidence vote on the budget.

Trudeau began holding periodic cabinet retreats six years ago, billing them as a way to encourage bonding among ministers while getting outside the Ottawa bubble.

COVID-19 put an end to the regional outreach aspect of cabinet retreats last September. Trudeau and his ministers confined themselves to a few days holed up in a government building in the nation's capital to ponder how to get the country through what was then just the start of the second wave.

And now the pandemic is putting an end to the bonding aspect of retreats as well.

Trudeau will be hosting a retreat that will be entirely virtual, with ministers participating via videoconference from separate locations around the country.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2021.
Molson Coors Beverage Co is to join other US brewers in the lemonade hard seltzer category with the upcoming release of Vizzy Lemonade.

Molson Coors will roll out Vizzy Lemonade in four flavours

The company today confirmed plans to roll out the four-flavour Vizzy Lemonade range across the US in April. The new line follows the unveiling of Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade by Anheuser-Busch InBev last week and the launch of The Boston Beer Co's Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer in 2019.

Vizzy Lemonade comprises Strawberry Lemonade, Peach Lemonade, Watermelon Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade. The flavours will have the same 5% abv as the core Vizzy range, which was launched last year. Similarly, each 12oz can (34.1cl) contains 100 calories.

Molson Coors markets the Vizzy brand as the only hard seltzer to contain antioxidant vitamin C and targets consumers looking for "better-for-you" alcoholic products.

Commenting on the latest release, Elizabeth Hitch, director of hard seltzers at Molson Coors, said: "Lemonade and antioxidant vitamin C go hand-and-hand, and drinkers have been clamouring for a lemonade version of Vizzy. Vizzy Lemonade is bright, bold and comes in four fun and unique dual-flavour mash-ups."

"It's okay to fail, but do it fast and do it cheap" - just-drinks speaks to Atom Labs global head of NPD, Rosie Milsom
Community helps out

The entire Western Wayne School District community came together this holiday season to help district families in need.

Western Wayne School Board President Bernice Fiorella reached out to local partners in search of food. An anonymous donor gave the district 150 Christmas dinners; Harry Howell organized food pickup; and the local American Legion transported the food items to three locations: the Western Wayne Middle School, Evergreen Elementary School and Ladore Lodge in Waymart.

Daves Super Duper also helped get additional food for the families, and the Hamlin Rotary donated blue bags for the items to be put in.

Food items collected for families included ham, potatoes, pie, vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, bread, butter, cereal, mac and cheese, stuffing, Danish donated by the Western Wayne food service department, and even candy canes.

Food baskets were packed by a small army of volunteers who ranged in age from first grade to retirement. The baskets were delivered to all corners of the district, some delivered by Western Wayne School Resource Officers.

The Western Wayne school community also helped their annual Operation Elf effort; faculty and staff made donations to purchase gifts for district families in need. Close to $1,000 was raised through the program.

Western Wayne students who helped pack the donated food items for families included Sofie Fiorella, Ava Fiorella, Aliya Fiorella, Andrew Race, Peter Race, Anna Race, Lillian Maros, Lizzie Washine, Jayla Fiorella and Natalie Race.

My favorite part about being a Wildcat is helping give back to my school, said eighth grader Lizzie Washine, cheerleader and vice president of the middle school student council. A true Wildcat doesnt just get knowledge from their school, they give back to it as well.

Officers elected

The Wilson Fire Company 1 in Peckville recently elected officers for 2021.

They include Ross Homentosky, president; Tim Keller, vice president; Frank Lesnefsky, secretary; William Griffiths, treasurer; John Ryczak, delegate to NEVFF; Chris Dubas, Bryce Cholish and Tim Keller, alternates to NEVFF; Tom G. Taylor, fire prevention officer; William McElroy, trustee; Bryce Cholish, training officer; Ken Taylor, safety officer; Anthony Ligi, captain of Fire Police; Jason Leri, chief; Tom G. Taylor, first assistant chief; Guy Salerno, second assistant chief; Gregg Cholish, captain; Robert Kochanowski, first lieutenant; David DeLeo, second lieutenant; and Paul Kwiek, out-going president.

The company meets the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in company headquarters.
Jules Robinson has lashed out at Kmart after claiming to have received a faulty product from the retail giant.

On Tuesday, the former Married At First Sight star claimed that she was sold faulty solar power lights.

In an Instagram post, the 38-year-old warned her followers not to 'waste' their money on the product.

Scroll down for video

'Don't waste your money': Jules Robinson has lashed out at K-Mart after claiming to have received a faulty product from the retail giant

'Kmart I love you,' the salon owner captioned a short video uploaded to her account.

'But these do not work... don't waste your money Kmart lovers!'

The mother-of-one finished her caption by using the hashtag, 'Solar Power Lights'.

In the video, the lights are strewn on the ground as the camera zooms in on the product and a large red cross appears on the screen.

Giving her opinion: On Tuesday, the former Married At First Sight star claimed that she was sold faulty solar power lights. Pictured with husband Cameron Merchant, 37

It is unknown how long she has had them for or what the exact issue with the product is.

Her complaint comes after she celebrated one of her baby son Oliver's biggest milestones.

Her husband Cam Merchant recently revealed that they'd taken their first trip as a family to the beach.

Beach baby! Her husband Cam Merchant recently revealed that they'd taken their first trip as a family to the beach

'Clearly as excited and appreciative to be out and about hitting the beach as his parents. Either way another nice first time experience #beachday #grateful #firsttimeexperience #getmehomeplease,' he captioned the photo.

Cam and Jules met on season six of the Channel 9 dating show and have since been one of the most successful couples to come from the show.

After falling madly in love, they became engaged at the end of the TV experiment.

The two officially tied the knot in November 2019 in a lavish ceremony in Sydney, which was broadcast on a special TV episode of A Current Affair.
PARIS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Atos today announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire In Fidem, a Canada-based specialized cybersecurity consulting firm. This acquisition will reinforce Atos' position as the #3 worldwide cybersecurity services leader1 and in particular enhance its North America cybersecurity services capabilities by bringing experienced consultants to the Atos team.

Consistent with its targeted acquisition strategy, the operation will expand Atos' client portfolio and established expertise in cybersecurity services in Canada. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Montreal with offices in Quebec City and Ottawa, In Fidem has expertise in cloud security, digital identity, risk management, security operations, digital forensics and cyber breach response. It is a leading player in the Canadian market and has a proven track-record of successfully addressing large private and public organizations' digital security challenges. In Fidem will bring its network of more than 100 highly skilled specialists to the Atos cybersecurity team.

"This acquisition reinforces our position in a fast-growing cybersecurity market and is a key addition to our current cybersecurity business in North America. In Fidem's strong long-standing client relationships will bring added value to our teams. We're excited to unite our expertise with that of In Fidem and see many synergies between our teams and business approach," said Pierre Barnabe, Senior Executive Vice-President, Head of Big Data & Cybersecurity at Atos.

"This strategic move will enable our customers to benefit from Atos' extensive expertise, global presence and its leading rankings in Managed Security Services. We're convinced that the combined capabilities of our portfolio and expertise with that of Atos' will bring added value to our clients. We look forward to the next steps in our journey together," said Matthieu Chouinard, CEO of In Fidem.

The closing of the transaction is expected to take place in Q1 2021.

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees and annual revenue of  12 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos operates under the brands Atos and Atos|Syntel. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

1 Gartner Market Share: Managed Security Services, Worldwide, par Rustam Malik, 5 May 2020

SOURCE Atos

Related Links

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The violent assault on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump has raised security concerns about the coming inauguration of Presdent-elect Joe Biden

US Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced his resignation unexpectedly Monday as worries rose over more violence during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week.

Wolf's departure as head of the body in charge of security for the January 20 event came five days after President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol, hoping to prevent Biden from replacing him.

The Homeland Security Department oversees several law enforcement bodies including the Secret Service, the point agency for security for the White House and the US president.

Wolf, who said he was stepping down for procedural reasons, named Pete Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to replace him.

But the move did not end questions over whether the US capital city would be adequately secure over the coming week.

An internal FBI document warned of the possibility that armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states between the coming weekend and January 20, according to US media.

The White House issued a statement saying that Trump had "declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District's response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021."

Workers construct the stage for Joe Biden's presidential inauguration at the US Capitol

It said the order gave the Department of Homeland Security the authority to act "to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the District of Columbia."

Meanwhile, federal and city officials continued to point fingers over who was responsible for the debacle at the Capitol last Wednesday, when the Congressional police force was overwhelmed by thousands of Trump supporters who succeeded in shutting down the legislature.

- More troops called up -

The Pentagon said Monday it had authorized 15,000 National Guard troops to be deployed for Biden's inauguration.

Already 6,200 troops are on the ground in Washington, and a total of 10,000 are planned by the coming weekend, said General Daniel Hokanson, chief of the Defense Department's National Guard Bureau.

The US Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf resigned nine days before president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, for which his agency handles security

Another 5,000 could be deployed by the day of the inauguration, he said.

They will come equipped with riot gear and weapons, but so far they have not been authorized to arm themselves while on the streets of the US capital, he said.

Before he announced his departure, Wolf also ordered an acceleration of preparations by the Secret Service, citing "events of the past week and the evolving security landscape."

Preparations for the event were moving quickly. A security fence has been built around the entire grounds of the Capitol, where Biden will take the oath of office as Trump's successor.

- 'Don't come' -

Still angry about last Wednesday's violence, in which five people died, including a protester shot dead by police and a police officer who was attacked and died from his injuries, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser appealed to Biden backers to stay away from the capital on inauguration day.

Normally, hundreds of thousands of Americans -- sometimes more than a million -- flock to Washington for the quadrennial event.

"We are asking Americans not to come to Washington DC for the 59th presidential inauguration on January 20 and to instead participate virtually," Bowser said.

Organizers said the Democratic president-elect would use the occasion to foster national unity, faced by a country deeply divided over politics and hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Pentagon said it had authorized 15,000 National Guard troops (similar to the ones pictured in Washington state) to be deployed for Joe Biden's inauguration

He will be sworn in at the Capitol in front of the National Mall filled with flags rather than the usual hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Afterwards, he and three former US presidents -- Trump won't attend -- will travel to Arlington National Cemetery, where thousands of US military war dead for veterans are buried, to lay a wreath.

But the preparations come as Democrats, accusing Trump of fomenting and applauding what they branded an "insurrection" and "coup" attempt last week, seek to force Trump from office prematurely.

That could further spark violence by Trump supporters, the FBI warned in a new internal advisory.

According to US media, the document says that far-right groups like the violent Boogaloo Boys are planning protests around the country timed to the inauguration.

One group, the FBI said, "warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS (Trump) via the 25th Amendment a huge uprising will occur," ABC News reported.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Scientists estimate that a vaccination rate of about 70% is needed for herd immunity, where entire populations are protected against an infection

Geneva: The World Health Organization's chief scientist warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop COVID-19 , herd immunity is highly unlikely this year.

At a media briefing on Monday, Dr Soumya Swaminathan said it was critical countries and their populations maintain strict social distancing and other outbreak control measures for the foreseeable future. In recent weeks, Britain, the US, France, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and others have begun vaccinating millions of their citizens against the coronavirus .

"Even as vaccines start protecting the most vulnerable, we're not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021," Swaminathan said. "Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it's not going to protect people across the world."

Scientists typically estimate that a vaccination rate of about 70 percent is needed for herd immunity, where entire populations are protected against a disease. But some fear that the extremely infectious nature of COVID-19 could require a significantly higher threshold.

Dr Bruce Aylward, an adviser to WHO's director-general, said the UN health agency was hoping coronavirus vaccinations might begin later this month or in February in some of the world's poorer countries, calling on the global community to do more to ensure all countries have access to vaccines.

"We cannot do that on our own," Aylward said, saying WHO needed the cooperation of vaccine manufacturers in particular to start immunizing vulnerable populations. Aylward said WHO was aiming to have "a rollout plan" detailing which developing countries might start receiving vaccines next month.

Still, the majority of the world's COVID-19 vaccine supply has already been bought by rich countries. The UN-backed initiative known as COVAX, which is aiming to deliver shots to developing countries is short of vaccines, money and logistical help as donor countries scramble to protect their own citizens, particularly in the wake of newly detected COVID-19 variants in Britain and South Africa, which many officials are blaming for increased spread.

WHO, however, said that most of the recent spikes in transmission were due to "the increased mixing of people" rather than the new variants.

WHO's technical lead on COVID-19 , Maria Van Kerkhove, said that the spike in cases in numerous countries was detected before the new variants were identified. Van Kerkhove noted that during the summer, COVID-19 cases were down to single digits in most countries across Europe.

"We lost the battle because we changed our mixing patterns over the summer, into the fall and especially around Christmas and the new year," she said, explaining that many people had multiple contacts with family and friends over the holidays. "That has had a direct impact on the exponential growth that you have seen in many countries," she said, describing the case count increase in some places as "vertical".

Dr Michael Ryan, WHO's emergencies chief, said while there is some evidence variants may be speeding the spread of COVID-19 , "there is no evidence that variants are driving any element of severity". He said the variants shouldn't alter countries' strategies for controlling outbreaks.

"It doesn't change what you do, but it gives the virus some new energy," Ryan said.
The second wave of the coronavirus has continued to sweep across Nigeria with 1,244 new infections recorded in 18 states across the country on Monday. Nigeria also recorded three new deaths.

On Sunday, Nigeria crossed the grim milestone of over 100,000 infections as health officials call for stricter enforcement of safety measures.

The 1 244 new cases on Monday pushed the total number of infections in the country to 101, 331.

One in every six persons (16 per cent) tested for COVID-19 in Nigeria in the past two weeks tested positive for the virus, indicating how far the virus has spread,

PREMIUM TIMES review of official data showed that Nigeria set a weekly record of about 10, 000 cases in the past week.

Deaths

The spike in infections is also feeding through into fatalities.

Three people died from the disease on Monday, taking the death toll to 1,361 in total.

Nigeria recorded one of its highest coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, with 12 people dying from the virus.

In the past 24 days, there have been 149 fatalities as a result of COVID-19 complications in Nigeria.

The government blamed the increasing deaths on late referral of COVID-19 patients to treatment centres.

The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, said caregivers are holding on to suspected cases for too long before presenting them for treatment.

But health experts believe the lowering of guard on safety and the weak enforcement of protocols especially in the countrys major airports in Abuja and Lagos could be responsible for the recent surge, warning that the situation could get worse if citizens keep violating safety protocols.

The federal government recently warned that a significant increase in coronavirus infections in Nigeria appears imminent this January due to continued violation of safety protocols during the Christmas period.

Active cases in the country rose sharply from about 3,000 about a month ago to nearly 20, 000 due to a rise in new infections.

Of the over 101,000 cases so far, 80,491 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment.

Specifics

The 1,244 new cases are reported from 18 states- Lagos (774), FCT (125), Plateau (102), Anambra (47), Ondo (46), Rivers (27), Edo (18), Kaduna (16), Ogun (16), Gombe (16), Bauchi (11), Kano (11), Nasarawa (10), Akwa Ibom (7), Sokoto (7), Borno (5), Ekiti (4), and Zamfara (2).

Lagos led with 774 new cases on Monday, more than half of the daily total. The commercial city is Nigerias coronavirus epicentre with a total of over 36,000 confirmed cases and about 256 deaths.

The Minister of State for Health, Mr Mamora, warned Nigerians against complacency in containing the COVID-19 pandemic as the much-awaited vaccines may not arrive the country as soon as expected.

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So far, Nigeria has conducted over a million COVID-19 tests.
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Vaccines are distributed by appointment only and time slots opened Jan. 7 for this week and next. Within 24 hours, all the slots were filled, Stamp said, though more appointments will be added for next week now that the health department knows it will be receiving more doses of the vaccine than first expected.


BLANTYRE: Two senior Malawian cabinet ministers and two other senior political figures died on Tuesday from COVID-19, the government said.

The deaths followed a cabinet meeting and other gatherings attended by politicians over the Christmas period, but officials did not say where the victims were infected.

Local Government Minister Lingson Berekanyama and Transport Minister Sidik Mia both succumbed to the disease in the early hours of Tuesday, the government spokesman said.

They were senior members of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the main partner in an alliance that unseated ex-leader Peter Mutharika in a second round election in June last year, delivering victory to President Lazarus Chakwera. Mia had been tipped as a possible successor to Chakwera.

All 31 of Malawis cabinet attended the meeting in the presidents oval office on Dec. 21, and the following day labour minister Ken Kandodo reporting having contracted the coronavirus. He has since recovered. Another minister, Rashid Gaffar, is self-isolating at home.

There were several gatherings, prayers and a funeral in the country over the Christmas period which Chakwera and other officials attended, all of them broadcast on state TV.

Malawi has lost a true patriot, a hard worker, spokesman Kazako said of Berekanyama, breaking down in tears on public radio as he reported the news.

The former Governor of Malawis central bank, Francis Perekamoyo, and the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Ernest Kantchentche, also died of the disease, the government announced.

Chakwera is due to address the nation at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Tuesday.

On Monday Malawi recorded 452 new Covid cases and 10 new deaths, the highest daily average since the first case was confirmed in April, the co-chair of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID, John Phuka, said in a statement.

He said Malawi now had a cumulative total of 9,027 cases, and 235 deaths. Some 1,852 of the cases were imported cases, mostly from returnees from South Africa, where a new highly contagious variant of the virus was found.

(Editing by Tim Cocks and Giles Elgood)

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
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The NHS will never ask for your bank details and vaccines are not being delivered to your front door

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 12th, 2021

The NHS will never ask for your bank details and vaccines are not being delivered to your front door by people who who have not been identified as NHS staff.

That is the message from Wales Health Minister, who has warned of a number of coronavirus related scams circulating right now.

In the UK, coronavirus vaccines will only be available via the NHS, at the appropriate time, people will be contacted directly by the NHS, their employer, a GP surgery or local pharmacy to receive the vaccine.

The vaccine is free of charge and at no point will people be asked to pay.





Speaking at yesterdays Welsh Government briefing Mr Gething said there has been reports of a particularly nasty scam which has seen people tricked into paying for coronavirus vaccine and then being jabbed in the arm.

Mr Gething said: I want to make people aware that there are a number of scams involving covid including a particularly nasty one, which people have been tricked into paying for COVID vaccine and then jabbed in the arm.

I want to be clear, our NHS will never ask anyone to pay for covid vaccine. These are free, the NHS will never ask for your bank detail and vaccines are not being delivered to your front door by people who who have not been identified as NHS staff.

Everyone will be contacted directly by our NHS, either by phone or by letter advising you about where you will have your vaccine.

If you think you have been targeted, please tell someone that you trust.

Last week it was reported that scam text messages were being sent out claiming that a dose of the new COVID-19 vaccine is available to the recipient.

People are being sent a text message claiming to be from the NHS which informs the recipient that, we have identified that your [sic].

The message ends with a link to a bogus website mocked up to look like a legitimate NHS platform.

The website requests personal details, including name and address. It also asks for banking details, supposedly for verification.

This is a scam  you will be contacted by the NHS when you are eligible for your vaccine and you will not have to pay for it.

The public are asked to remember that the NHS will never:
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Eleven minutes before the Target at Uptown closed Saturday night, investigators say, arsonists used accelerants to set numerous fires inside and outside the store, causing severe damage.

Crime Stoppers released security camera footage of five suspects  wearing face masks and winter hats or hooded jackets  and asked the public for help identifying them.

The store remained closed Sunday and Monday.

According to Crime Stoppers, around 9:45 p.m. Jan. 9 the suspects entered the Target on Louisiana and Indian School NE.

The subjects used accelerant fluids to ignite four fires within the store and one outside causing severe damage, Crime Stoppers said.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

While Crime Stoppers said there were five fires, a Target spokeswoman said in a statement that there were three small fires.

Were thankful that our team members were able to safely evacuate themselves and all guests from the store, the spokeswoman said. The building structure was not damaged, but weve closed the store until further notice while we assess the impact to the store and products. Were working with the Albuquerque Fire Department and will provide any information that may be helpful to their investigation. The spokeswoman did not disclose a damage estimate or answer questions about how much merchandise was ruined.

Spokespersons from the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue did not answer questions about the incident or provide additional details.


This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield showed what a three metre rule would look like as scientists urge for social distancing to be increased.

The presenting duo discussed the possibility of the gap being increased as government ministers look for ways to manage the out of control coronavirus crisis.

During Tuesday morning's episode of the magazine show, they demonstrated what the rule would look like for them, as Phillip, 58, quipped: 'How long do they expect our sofa to be?'

'How long do they expect our sofa to be?' This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield showed what a three metre rule would look like

Speaking to Nick Ferrari during a segment about increased restrictions, Holly, 39, queried where the new advice was coming from.

She said: 'The problem with it is, we understand how serious the situation is, you've got the World Heath Org saying it's still up to a metre. There's no one else saying that. That's the problem isn't it? Who do you listen to?

Nick replied: 'You're absolutely right, this is because we're at a time of great distress. There was a suggestion we'd only be allowed out once a week and nothing came of it. The government said they are not considering the three metre rule.'

While Phil added: 'So where does this come from?!'

Managing a crisis: The presenting duo discussed the possibility of the gap being increased as government ministers look for ways to manage the out of control coronavirus crisis

What should we do? Speaking to Nick Ferrari (bottom left) during a segment about increased restrictions, Holly queried where the new advice was coming from

British radio host Nick, said: 'SAGE advises the government. I agree, Phillip and Holly, the media have questions to answer.

While Holly admitted: 'I agree, we have a responsibility to report facts. Life is bad enough without having to worry about untruths.'

Making his opinion on the possibility of increased social distancing known, Phil added: 'No other country is doing this, three metres is too far.'

She said: 'The problem with it is, we understand how serious the situation is, you've got the World Heath Org saying it's still up to a metre. There's no one else saying that. That's the problem isn't it? Who do you listen to?'

Feeling the heat: The discussion came following reports that Boris Johnson is under pressure to increase the social distancing gap to stop the spread of coronavirus

The discussion came following reports that Boris Johnson is under pressure to increase the social distancing gap to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Leading members of the Sage scientific advisory panel want the measure raised from 'one metre plus' to 'two metres plus'.

Increasing the social distancing rule to three metres is seen as one way of stopping the spread of the new variant of the virus, which can be passed on more easily.

In reality: Graphics display what a three metre rule could look like once put into practice

In practice this would change the limit to three metres  nearly 10ft. The drastic proposal came as a furious Matt Hancock denounced individuals who flout social distancing rules.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference the Health Secretary said that he would 'not rule out further action if needed.'

He was backed by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, who sits on Sage and said it was time to 'double down' on Covid curbs  including outdoor contact.

Asked if a three-metre rule would be imposed in England, a Downing Street spokesman said last night: 'There are no current plans to change social distancing rules. However, everything is kept under review.'

Opponents of the move say it would have little impact, cause more confusion and be a logistical nightmare.

Two-metre signs have been painted on pavements across the nation, with similar notices found in tens of thousands of shops, factories, offices and public places.

Changing them all would add to the soaring cost of fighting the pandemic.

Supporters claim the benefit in saving lives and protecting the NHS means the move is worth it. They argue it is a response to the new variant which is thought to be up to be 70 per cent more transmissible.

Nick replied: 'You're absolutely right, this is because we're at a time of great distress. There was a suggestion we'd only be allowed out once a week and nothing came of it. The government said they are not considering the 3 metre rule'

It came as the country recorded a further 529 Covid deaths on Monday - marking a 30 per cent rise on the 407 reported on the same day last week.

It was the deadliest Monday since April 20 when 570 people lost their lives and it marked the worst week for deaths in Britain since the pandemic began.

An average of 931 people have lost their lives on each of the past seven days, compared to the highest seven-day average of 920 in April's first wave.

But, in a positive sign that the UK's soaring case load may be levelling out, 46,169 people tested positive for the virus - down 20 per cent in a week.

The Daily Mail was told that several members of Sage say the lockdown needs to be even tougher than the first one in March last year.

The idea of a Chinese-style ban on residents leaving their homes was raised at one meeting.
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New Delhi:

The Congress on Friday took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking why he did not raise the issues of Kulbhushan Jadhav and ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control when he met Nawaz Sharif at Astana.

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said Modi had asked the Pakistan prime minister about his and his mothers health, instead of giving a befitting reply to him for killing Indian soldiers.

She said Modi had in 2014 questioned the dialogue with Pakistan when soldiers were being killed, but when it came to asking tough questions, he only queried about Sharifs health.

I want to ask the Prime Minister, when he spoke about Nawaz Sharifs health and asked about his mother, did the prime minister also speak about Kulbhushan Jadhav, she said.

Chaturvedi asked whether the prime minister thought it fit enough to ask his Pakistani counterpart about why Pakistan continues to violate the Line of Control.

Why is it that our Army jawans are dying almost on a daily basis. Beheading has happened and yet we do not give an answer to the Pakistani prime minister, she said.

Also Read: PM Narendra Modi meets Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, enquires about his health and family

Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged greetings with his Pakistani counterpart in the leaders lounge at a reception at Astana Opera in the Kazakh capital organised to welcome leaders participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

The meeting came amid escalating Indo-Pak tensions over a range of issues.

Also Read: Congress slams Modi govt, says it has no right to decide what should people eat

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A 'rough and violent' boyfriend has been accused of murdering a mother's three month old daughter 'by shaking or throwing her against a cot,' before she allegedly covered up for him.

Mille Rose Burdett was rushed to Watford General Hospital with a severe brain injury in December 2018, just two months after she had been born.

Doctors established she had multiple fractures to her ribs, as well as a bleed on the brain.

She was later transferred to King's College Hospital, but died in January 2019.

A trial today heard concerns had been raised over whether Davey Everson, who denies murder, was suitable to raise his girlfriend's infant daughter.

St Albans Crown Court heard how bruising had been noticed on the baby girl's face before she died, and witnesses claimed to have seen him forcing a bottle into the infant's mouth so hard it made her bleed.

Everson, 23, appeared in the dock today joined by Millie's mother, Kirsty Burdett, 25, who denies causing or allowing the death of her daughter by failing to take such steps as would be reasonably expected of her to protect the child from the risk of significant harm.

Davey Everson, 23, denies the murder of three-month-old Mille Rose Burdett. A trial today heard witnesses had raised concerns over Davey's behaviour, after he was seen forcing a bottle into Millie's mouth, causing her to start bleeding

Opening the prosecution's case, David Spens QC told the court Millie had been admitted to hospital on 15 December 2018 with multiple fractures and a severe brain injury, from which she never recovered.

'The person alone with her at the time the fatal injuries were inflicted was Davey Everson, the partner of her mother, Kirsty Burdett,' he said.

Mr Spens added: 'He has never provided an account that explains how her injuries were caused.

'That is because the prosecution say the truth is he violently assaulted her in anger, most likely by shaking or throwing her against a surface such as into a cot.'

'The prosecution case against Miss Burdett is that she failed to take reasonable steps to protect Millie from Mr Everson despite the clear signs that he posed a serious risk to her; that is the case in a nutshell,' he said

The court was told Kirsty Burdett was pregnant with Millie when she split up from the child's father.

She then formed a relationship with Mr Everson, who lived in Edmonton, London.

The court heard he would visit Kirsty regularly at her home in Rickmansworth and stay with her at weekends.

Mr Spens told the jury: 'Davey Everson accompanied Kirsty Burdett when Millie Rose was born and he had expressed his wish to take her on - to be a father to her.

'However, from early on in the relationship, it became apparent that there was cause for concern about Davey Everson, his treatment of Kirsty Burdett and his suitability as a parent.'

The jury was told he was 'aggressive and verbally unpleasant' towards Miss Burdett and was 'rough and violent' towards her new baby daughter.

'It is plain now Millie suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity during her short life,' said Mr Spens

The court was told around a month after her birth, Millie had bruises on her cheeks that Mr Everson was to later accept responsibility for.

Millie's mother Kirsty Burdett allegedly told a social worker Everson was 'heavy handed,' with her daughter. Miss Burdett denies a charge causing or allowing the death of her daughter by failing to take such steps as would be reasonably expected of her to protect the child from the risk of significant harm

On November 17, 2018 police attended Miss Burdett's home after she and the defendant had been heard arguing.

That same month, said the prosecutor, in a phone call to a social worker, Mr Everson said a bruise to Millie Rose's face had been caused accidentally as he was 'burping' her.

During the call, the court was told, the social worker could hear Miss Burdett in the background who was plainly able to listen in to what was being said.

Mr Spens said: 'Pausing there, is winding a possible explanation for bruises to a baby's face? If not, Davey Everson has injured Millie and lied to Social Services, with Kirsty Burdett's acquiescence.'

On November 20, 2018, said Mr Spens, Millie Rose was taken to Watford General Hospital after she had been 'screaming in pain.'

He said it was subsequently diagnosed she was suffering from 'colic,' a term used when a baby cries a lot but there's no obvious cause.

A post-mortem examination later revealed fractures to the baby's ribs that had been sustained at some point around 18 November.

'Was that the injury that was causing Millie's discomfort and pain, that lead to Kirsty Burdett taking her to the hospital on or round about 20 November? If so, could Kirsty Burdett not be aware of what caused it?' asked Mr Spens.

The jury heard a member of Miss Burdett's family had seen Mr Everson's frustration when trying to feed the baby from a bottle which appeared to be too big for her.

At one point the witness said he had 'shoved the bottle hard into her mouth saying f****** drink it - take it you f****** b****.'

Mr Spens said although Miss Burdett had not witnessed that particular incident, she was later to admit in interview that there was an occasion that Everson had shoved a bottle into the baby's mouth so hard that it made her mouth bleed.

On another occasion, to explain bruising to Millie Rose's face, Kirsty Burdett is said to have told her mother that she had fallen from a car seat which had not properly fitted her buggy.

The jury was then told how, on 11 December 2018, a health visitor who went to Miss Burdett's home noted there were indications the baby was failing to thrive.

The Health visitor gave the mum advice as to 'upping her calorie intake' and also noticed there was a bruise on each of the baby's cheeks the size of finger marks.

He said, asked by the health visitor how the baby had obtained them, the mother said Everson was 'heavy handed' with her.

'By December it must have been clear to Kirsty Burdett that Davey Everson had serious problems with controlling his anger,' said the prosecutor, who he said posed a continuing and serious risk to the baby.

'However, rather than reporting his behaviour and ending the relationship, Kirsty Burdett had defended him, covered up for him,' he said.

St Albans Crown Court has heard how Millie Rose Burdett suffered bruising, fractured ribs and a bleed on the brain during her short life. The trial continues

The court was told that, following a 999 call made from the mother's phone on December 15 during which the operator was told Everson Millie wasn't breathing properly, she was taken by ambulance from her home to Watford General Hospital.

At the house, Mr Everson is said to have claimed to a paramedic that he had been feeding her in a bedroom when she choked and stopped breathing.

Mr Spens said he told a police officer who went to the house that he had been feeding the baby from a bottle of milk in a bedroom and when he tried to burp her, her head and arms went backwards and she became floppy.

At the hospital a CT scan showed the baby was suffering from a bleed on her brain which, said the prosecutor, suggested a 'strong possibility of a non-accidental injury having taken place.'

She had bruises on her left forearm and left forehead.

Later that day Mr Everson was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of attempted murder.

In a police interview he declined to answer questions and gave officers a prepared statement in which he said: 'At no time did I cause any harm to Millie Rose. I do not wish to make any further comment.'

In Miss Burdett's first interview with police officers, Mrs Spens said she told them her boyfriend could be 'heavy handed' with the baby and went on: 'All I can think he's put the milk in too far down; she's drunk too much - that's why she has choked. But that doesn't explain the bleed on the brain.'

Mr Spens added that Everson had grown 'over-possessive,' with Millie, and alleged he started to handle Millie roughly after saying she looked like her biological father.

The jury was told he had sent the mother a text on 6th December saying: "I'm upset because Millie's not mine. Every time I look at her I can see him, but I'm happy. I'm Millie's Dad, Kirsty, and you know I love [you] too Kirsty. I want to have a little family".

Burdett allegedly told police: 'He'd plonk her down on some occasions, was becoming more irritable to her. I'd take over. He didn't see what he was doing was wrong. He said he was irritated when I kept nagging him about it. He wouldn't speak about it.

'Instead of gently holding her he would just throw [her] in his arms and just shove the bottle in her mouth. I then said "Easy, let me do it if you're going to get annoyed". He would say: "Don't tell me what to do".'

It was also discovered the baby had suffered multiple fractures to both sides of her chest and to the front and back ribs.

In addition, she had a fracture to her right femur and a fracture to her left tibia which, said Mr Spens, was 'consistent with the to and fro from movement of the legs during violent shaking.'

He said although the fractures the baby had suffered were non-life threatening, the brain injury was severe and, unable to breathe on her own, she was put on a ventilator.

She continued to remain in a coma and the opinions of the neurology and neuroradiology teams were that her head injuries were so severe that there was little hope of independent survival.

She died on January 11, 2019, after intensive care support was withdrawn.

In addition to the murder charge he faces, Everson also denies a charge of cruelty to a person under 16 involving another young child who cannot be named.

Miss Burdett also pleads not guilty to the same charge involving the same child.

The trial continues.
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ROCHESTER, Minn. - It was a special day for the Rochester Police Department.

Castle Quilters at 125 Live awarded them with a quilt to show their appreciation for the brave men and women who serve and protect the community. Chief Jim Franklin and Captain Jeff Stilwell were there to receive the quilt on behalf of the department.

"It feels great to be able to get back and interact with the community," said Franklin. "We are an agency that places a premium on community engagement and community-oriented policing and the fact that we could come and receive this wonderful gift from them and then interact is an absolute honor."

Although the community usually awards quilts during the holidays, they do it during other times of the year for deserving entities.

"It's really nice to know that you are supportive by your community," said Captain Jeff Stilwell. "It's a lot easier to police a community where they support you and really the partnerships we have here are just awesome."

Employees at the community center were also proud to see the quilt awarded to them.

"They deserve it because of all the things they do for our community," said Program Coordinator Robin Hoelzle. "They are out there in the public doing service for us. It is always nice to acknowledge all the things that they are doing."

125 Live and Castle Quilters are hoping to honor law enforcement again in the future.

To properly monitor and help curb the spread of COVID-19, several millions of diagnostic tests are required daily in just the United States alone. There is still a widespread lack of COVID-19 testing in the U.S. and many of the clinical diagnostics protocols require extensive human labor and materials that could face supply shortages and present biosafety concerns.

The current gold standard for COVID-19 diagnostic testing in the U.S., developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is quantitative PCR-based (qPCR) molecular tests that detect the presence of the viral nucleic acid. Although highly accurate, these CDC-approved tests require specialized reagents, equipment, and personnel training. In addition, multiple diagnostic kits that have been rapidly developed and introduced into the market have accuracy, cost and distribution limitations. Moreover, the test systems currently utilized are not easily scalable to a high-throughput platform to deliver the required millions of tests per day.

Given the urgent need to develop alternative reagents and approaches to provide nucleic-acid testing in the face of heightened demand and potential shortages, a research team from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine has developed a simplified COVID-19 testing protocol that offers a distinct advantage over the standard viral or universal transport medium (VTM). This testing protocol can detect minimal quantities of the SARS-CoV-2 using samples from both upper respiratory tract swabs (nasal and throat) as well as saliva, and can be used in research laboratories with minimal molecular biology equipment and expertise.

The protocol, published in PLOS ONE, utilizes TRIzol (guanidinium thiocyanate/phenol-chloroform) to purify the viral RNA from different types of clinical specimens, requires minimal biosafety level precautions and, given its high sensitivity, can be easily adapted to pooling samples strategies. Using this simplified protocol, samples are eluted in TRIzol immediately after collection and RNA is extracted. Results have shown that this protocol is as efficient, if not more than the CDC-approved silica-membrane based RNA purification microcolumns in isolating small amounts of viral and cellular RNA from multiple types of samples (nasal and throat swabs and saliva).

"The high sensitivity of our protocol may be useful in testing patients with low viral titers such as asymptomatic patients or testing individuals prior to quarantine release. Our method also enables several patient samples to be pooled, decreasing the number of tests required for larger populations," said Massimo Caputi, Ph.D., lead author and a professor of biomedical science in FAU's Schmidt College of Medicine. "In addition, testing can easily be carried out by any research laboratory equipped with minimal standard equipment. Since saliva can be utilized as a reliable source of virus, samples can be self-obtained by patients and inactivated in TRIzol, eliminating the need for medical staff and higher-level biosafety protocols and facilities."

With this new approach, samples are first pooled and tested; positive pools are then retested individually. This relatively simple solution decreases the testing resources used but results in a loss in sensitivity from diluting positive patient samples with negative ones, hence the need of highly-sensitive tests that utilize biological materials, like saliva, which can be obtained in larger amounts and can be easily preserved for re-testing.

The protocol uses common chemical reagents that are in abundant supply and can isolate high-quality RNA that can be utilized for multiple assays and RNA sequencing projects. In addition, samples in TRIzol can be preserved at 4 C for more than a week with minimal degradation and little to no loss of viral RNA. Moreover, the ability to use saliva samples, which are as- or more sensitive and reliable than nasopharyngeal swabs, offers an attractive specimen alternative. Nose and throat swabs are the most common upper respiratory tract specimens used for COVID-19 diagnostic testing. However, the collection of these specimen types can cause discomfort, bleeding, and requires close contact between healthcare workers and patients, posing the risk of transmission.

In the most commonly used COVID-19 testing protocols, a healthcare provider collects a nasal or throat swab and transfers it to a vial containing a few milliliters of VTM. The sample is then transported to a laboratory for testing. The transport and storage can take from a few hours to a few days depending on the distance and processing times of the nearest clinical laboratory. The CDC recommends that specimens are stored at 2 to 8 C for up to 72 hours after collection and at -70 C or lower for longer periods of time. However, the logistics of having multiple sample collection points, chokeholds in the reagents supply chain, and abrupt increases in the demand for testing due to local outbreaks might generate unexpected delays in processing the samples.

"We can expect a high demand for COVID-19 testing in the foreseeable future as testing of the general population and asymptomatic individuals becomes more widespread," said Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., co-author, senior associate dean for research and chair of the Department of Biomedical Science in FAU's Schmidt College of Medicine. "The lack of control of the pandemic in many underdeveloped countries as well as the continued escalation of COVID-19 in the U.S. also are compelling reasons to increase testing efforts. We are hopeful that a combination of testing approaches, including protocols like ours, may be the most efficient way to fill the current and future gaps in testing."

###

Study co-authors are Sean Paz; Christopher Mauer; and Anastasia Richtie; graduate students in FAU's Schmidt College of Medicine.

This work was supported by the Florida Blue foundation grant, "Developing Predictive Algorithms for COVID-19 Infection in FAU Health Care Workers."

- FAU -

About the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine:

FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is one of approximately 155 accredited medical schools in the U.S. The college was launched in 2010, when the Florida Board of Governors made a landmark decision authorizing FAU to award the M.D. degree. After receiving approval from the Florida legislature and the governor, it became the 134th allopathic medical school in North America. With more than 70 full and part-time faculty and more than 1,300 affiliate faculty, the college matriculates 64 medical students each year and has been nationally recognized for its innovative curriculum. To further FAU's commitment to increase much needed medical residency positions in Palm Beach County and to ensure that the region will continue to have an adequate and well-trained physician workforce, the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Consortium for Graduate Medical Education (GME) was formed in fall 2011 with five leading hospitals in Palm Beach County. The Consortium currently has five Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residencies including internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and neurology.
NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Pfizer Inc. (PFE) announced Tuesday that it invested a total of $120 million in four clinical-stage biotech companies during the second half of 2020 as part of the Pfizer Breakthrough Growth Initiative (PBGI). Through PBGI, Pfizer is investing up to $500 million in biotechnology companies, providing funding and access to Pfizer's scientific expertise to help ensure the continuity of promising clinical development programs of potential future strategic interest to Pfizer. The first four investments of new program created to support clinical-stage biotechnology companies including companies focused on oncology, rare disease, and inflammation & immunology. Pfizer invested $10 million in Vancouver, BC-based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company ESSA Pharma (EPIX), $25 million in Cambridge, Mass.-based clinical-stage immuno-oncology company Trillium Therapeutics (TRIL), $25 million in Cambridge, Mass.-based privately held clinical-stage company Vedanta Biosciences, and $60 million in Bedford, Mass.-based clinical-stage genetic medicines company Homology Medicines (FIXX). Separately, Vedanta Biosciences announced that it intends to use the proceeds to fund a Phase 2 study of VE202 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which it plans to initiate in 2021. Topline Phase 1 study data showed VE202 was generally safe and well-tolerated at all doses and demonstrated durable and dose-dependent colonization. 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.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The country's civil aviation sector swung into action on Tuesday for providing the expeditious logistical support to the roll-out of India's mega anti-Covid vaccination drive.

Accordingly, nine flights operated by various domestic airlines ferried 56.5 lakh doses from Pune to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

"Today @airindiain@flyspicejet @goairlinesindia&@IndiGo6E will operate 9 flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow & Chandigarh," Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, said in a tweet.

Today @airindiain @flyspicejet @goairlinesindia & @IndiGo6E will operate 9 flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow & Chandigarh.  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 12, 2021

Last week, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued guidelines to airlines and other aircraft operators for transportation of Covid-19 vaccines.

As per the guidelines, authorised airlines can carry the vaccine packed in dry ice in the passenger or the cargo cabin.

The circular noted that the carriage of Covid-19 vaccines from the manufacturing units to the place of administration gains significant importance especially in the light of the high expectations of the governments, healthcare personnel and the general public.

Sector wise, IndiGo transported 900 kg of vaccine from Pune to Chandigarh and Lucknow via flight 6E 6515 and 6E 882 respectively today.

From Wednesday, it will transport the vaccines from Mumbai to other cities, basis the allocation.

On its part, GoAir operated two flights from Pune to Chennai ferrying 708,000 doses of the vaccine.

"While our efforts to alleviate the complexities of the vaccine movement given the scale of the consignments and logistics, we are taking every possible step to support the institutions and our stakeholders to reach the vaccine in all possible corners of the country," said GoAir CEO Kaushik Khona.

"This responsibility of vaccine shipment recognises the efforts taken by GoAir towards developing its cargo services for critical vaccine movement and motivates us to take the lead in order to remain the preferred choice for the industry." A BIAL spokesperson said that 54 boxes of the Covid19 vaccine, consisting of approximately 650,000 doses arrived at Bengaluru airport from Pune "at 1145 hours on Tuesday, January 12, 2021".

Besides, budget airline SpiceJet carried the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine from Pune to Delhi.

The first consignment of Covishield consisted of 2,64,000 doses from Pune to Delhi on SpiceJet flight SG 8937.

Subsequently, the Delhi airport received the first consignment of COVID vaccine.

"Today, we have received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine at our airport. Temperature-controlled facility, ranging from -20 Deg C to +25 Deg C, at our two Cargo terminals can efficiently and safely handle these temperature sensitive vaccines," said CEO-DIAL Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.

"We have 'Cool Chambers and Cool Dollies' to maintain temperature required for these vaccines at the cargo terminal and during transit between aircraft and terminal or vice versa. Our both the terminals can handle around 5.7 million vials in a day." According to Jaipuriar, DIAL has synergised and collaborated with all the stakeholders including exporters, importers, logistics companies, freight forwarders or agents, government, airlines, cargo terminal operators, to ensure faster turnaround of the vaccines.

Furthermore, SpiceJet transported multiple vaccine consignments from Pune to different Indian cities including 276,000 doses to Guwahati, 996,000 doses to Kolkata, 3,72,000 doses to Hyderabad, 480,000 doses to Bhubaneswar, 648,000 doses to Bengaluru, 552,000 doses to Patna and 408,000 doses to Vijayawada on Tuesday.

"On Day One, SpiceJet is shipping 4 million doses of Covishield vaccine weighing close to 11 tonnes to eight different cities which include Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Patna, Vijayawada and Delhi," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

India's mega anti-Covid vaccination campaign is expected to commence from January 16.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Syndicated from IANS
By Erin McCarthy, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Twitter suspended the account of former U.S. Rep Lou Barletta over the weekend, around the same time that social media platforms of President Donald Trump, whom Barletta ardently supports, were silenced as well.

Barlettas account was reactivated around midday Monday after Twitter told him his profile had been mistakenly flagged. But Barletta, who is no longer in public life, said in an interview that he remained outraged that the company took the step against a private citizen voicing his opinions and is not buying the companys reasoning for the temporary ban.

Im glad twitter let me back onto my account but I shouldnt have to be. I was lucky that the media was demanding an answer from twitter as well but what about all the voices that dont have the media asking why theyre silenced? I will continue to stand up for ALL of our voices.  Lou Barletta (@RepLouBarletta) January 12, 2021

Twitter said in a statement that the account was suspended in error for perceived violations of our impersonation policy. This has been reversed and the account has been reinstated.

I believe theyre picking and choosing First Amendment rights, Barletta said, noting Twitter restored his account after several inquiries from reporters. This is a dangerous road where a private citizen really has nowhere to go if this happens to them.

There is no evidence the suspension was purposeful. Twitter suspensions were not widespread among Republican users. However, Barlettas team shared a screenshot of an earlier email from Twitter support that said his suspension was due to systems that find and remove multiple accounts in bulk, and yours was flagged by mistake.

First Amendment lawyers say the Constitution protects against the government, not a private company such as Twitter, censoring a citizens speech, but recent events raise questions about what could be considered protected speech.

Twitter didnt notify him of the suspension in advance, said Barletta, who found out about it Sunday when he got a call from a reporter with the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader asking why Barlettas account was down.

The call came two days after Twitter permanently suspended Trumps account due to the risk of further incitement of violence, it said, after he spurned a mob of his supporters to siege the U.S. Capitol in an attack that left five dead, and as extremists talked online of further violence ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Barletta stands by Trump, defending his actions on Wednesday and calling the presidents social media suspension a slippery slope.

Barletta also stood by messages sent on a separate Twitter account on Sunday and Monday before his main profile was reactivated, indicating he remained outraged and shocked.

No one person or business should have the power to pick & choose what voices are heard, he wrote Sunday.

Barlettas recent messages did not incite violence. He tweeted of the insurrection: What is happening in DC is totally unacceptable and un-American. Violence and destruction are NEVER the answer.

He criticized lawmakers calling for impeachment or the invocation of the 25th Amendment, which would remove Trump from office. He also called on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to pass fair election laws and restore election integrity, and hours before the riot at the Capitol, he urged Congress to delay certification of Bidens win due to baseless claims of voter fraud in Pennsylvania.

I didnt see anything on there that was offensive, he said. Questioning the integrity of the election here in Pennsylvania doesnt seem over the top.

He said he would never encourage anyone to commit violence, and the attack on the Capitol saddened him as a former member of Congress.

In 2018, the former Hazleton mayor did not seek a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was instead handpicked by Trump to challenge U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. in an unsuccessful bid for Caseys Senate seat.

Since then, Barletta started the Leaders Only Unite political action committee, or LOU PAC, which supports candidates who are tough on immigration and private construction of the border wall, and campaigned for Trump.

More: Republicans in Pa., elsewhere change party affiliation after riot at U.S. Capitol

BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Vee Solutions and Summit Capital Solutions has reached agreement to use the Alpha Vee Solutions research technology platform supporting Summit's fast growth. Summit provides investment professionals direct access to leading tradeable investment strategies from asset managers and index providers. This new investable research technology partnership will yield two exciting products exclusively released on the Virtue Capital Management platform. For more information and to access portfolio information, please visit https://virtuecapitalmanagement.com.

Summit

Virtue Capital Management, we utilize a holistic approach so that everything that affects an investors' personal situation is taken into consideration. Virtue Capital Management services are provided to our hand-picked network of professional investment advisor representatives who alone have rights to use our proprietary investments and our specialized model portfolios. This support allows our advisors to put the focus where it belongs, on their clients.

"Alpha Vee continues its direct indexing research expansion and distribution through Summit, one of America's fastest growing asset manager. Over many months we were able to demonstrate and build solid personal and technical relationships with the executive team. With the development of our unique technology and research each firm has developed an exciting business opportunity," said Leigh Eichel, CEO of Alpha Vee Research Solutions.

Jeremy Rettich, CEO of Summit Capital said, "We are delighted that the partnership with Alpha Vee research will now be available to our Investment Advisors across the United States. As a leading asset manager, Alpha Vee has built a reputation for developing innovative and strong performing tradable research, making Alpha Vee a valuable addition to our ecosystem."

Enquiries:

Alpha Vee Solutions Leigh Eichel 617.212.8691 [email protected]

Summit Capital Solutions Jeremy Rettich 844.371.4718 [email protected]

About Alpha Vee Solutions Ltd.

Alpha Vee Ltd. is a leading boutique independent investment solutions firm dedicated to research, design and build of leading investment indexes and FinTech. Alpha Vee licenses a wide range of dynamic, smart beta and multi factor investment models and software solutions. For more information on our offering please, email us at [email protected].



About Summit Capital Solutions

Unlike most TAMPs, Summit's services go beyond the portfolio by providing legal support, compliance and full-spectrum business development through our affiliated companies.

Summit offers "full service" and "al a carte" Turnkey Asset Management Platform (TAMP) offerings, allowing access to a wide suite of solutions to choose from that assist you in managing and growing your business. Our services go beyond traditional TAMP offerings to help IARs, RIAs, and Registered Representatives (RRs) grow their firms. For more information on our offering please, call us at 844.371.4718

SOURCE Alpha Vee
The U.S. Army will not grant a Democratic lawmaker's request to have the service's Criminal Investigation Command (CID) screen thousands of National Guard troops deploying to Washington, D.C., to find possible supporters of extremists planning to disrupt Inauguration Day.

In the aftermath of a violent breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., made the request to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy on Sunday "to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists," according to a readout of the call.

McCarthy agreed to take "additional measures," but they do not include the massive CID effort needed to investigate the 10,000 Guard members expected to arrive in the District of Columbia this weekend, a force that could grow to 15,000 before President-elect Joe Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration.

Read Next: State Capitols Step Up Security amid New Safety Concerns

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said he hadn't heard of the request, telling reporters Monday afternoon, "I am not tracking that."

The Army released a statement Tuesday addressing future steps, without detailing specifics.

"The Army is working with the Secret Service to determine which service members supporting the national special security event for the inauguration require additional background screening," according to an Army statement. "Per Department of Defense policy, all service members are trained annually on the Threat Awareness and Reporting Program (TARP), which requires department personnel to report any information regarding known or suspected extremist behavior that could be a threat to the department or the United States."

The D.C. National Guard is also providing additional training to service members as they arrive, advising them "that if they see or hear something that is not appropriate, they should report it to their chain of command," according to the statement.

"There is no place for extremism in the military, and we will investigate each report individually and take appropriate action," the statement adds.

Hours after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol -- smashing windows and destroying property -- the Pentagon authorized up to 6,200 Guard members from Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania to deploy to D.C. on federal status to maintain security through Inauguration Day.

McCarthy told Crow on Sunday that the Defense Department is aware of "further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day and is working with local and federal law enforcement to coordinate security preparations," the call readout states.

Hokanson announced Monday that the Pentagon has increased the authorization for Guardsmen to deploy to D.C. to as many as 15,000, but said that the Guard Bureau is currently planning for 10,000 to arrive by Saturday.

Also on Monday, state capitals across the U.S. began deploying Guard units to reinforce law enforcement after the FBI issued a warning about plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitols and in Washington ahead of the inauguration.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Lawmaker to Army Secretary: Investigate Troops Deploying to Inauguration for Domestic Terror Sympathies
[January 12, 2021] Suning Sets Out Strategy for its Fourth Decade, Transforming from a Retail Franchise to Global Retail Service Provider

NANJING, China, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Suning Group ("Suning"), one of the leading commercial enterprises in China, recently announced its strategy for its fourth decade, emphasizing its focus on retail and services. With more than 280,000 employees around the world serving 600 million customers, it ranks among the top three private companies in China, with its subsidiary Suning.com among the Fortune Global 500. Founded in 1990 in Nanjing, China, Suning has transformed from the original air-conditioning franchise store all the way to the world-leading commercial retail giant that it is today. Its 30-year history of innovation has transformed China's retail sector, as it has made the move from retailer to a retail service provider. Today, Suning's portfolio includes Suning.com, integrated shopping malls, home appliance 3C direct-sales stores, retail cloud franchise stores, Carrefour stores, and mom & baby specialty stores. 30 years of evolution When traditional brick-and-mortar retailers were hit by the rise of digital rivals in 2010, Suning dove headfirst into its transformation. In August that year, Suning's online mall was officially launched, sparking the integrated development of its online and offline operations. In the following years, Suning has been dedicated to building a smart retail ecosystem that covers online and offline scenarios. Its large stores dot China's big and small cities, while the core business is anchored in Suning Plaza and the Suning Cloud Store. In communities, Carrefour China, where Suning acquired its 80% stake in 2019, is expanding rapidly, with hypermarkets, curated stores, and fresh food stores ensuring full offline coverage. In lower-tier markets, the Suning.com Retail Cloud model is dominant. On April 30, 2020, the newly upgraded Nanjing Suning Xinjiekou store located in the city's busiest business area opened to great fanfare. The store attracts consumers seeking to experience products and services in an immersive setting, with purchases done both online and offline. Within just 58 seconds of opening, the store's sales exceeded CNY10 million, the company reported. Currently, Suning's retail operations cover all scenarios, categories, and consumergroups, with a full-scale business network that spans from online to offline, urban to rural, and electrical appliances to FMCG. It is not only a retail company but also a technology-driven retail service provider. Suning Group's technology arm Suning Technology's open Biu+ platform boasts more than 110 brands, thanks to its focus on open smart modules, OS systems, and IoT standard protocols.



The Decade of Scenario Services - From retailer to retail service provider At last year's Suning 818 Shopping Festival which celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the company's annual shopping festival, the company announced that the next decade will be defined as the "Decade of Scenario Services". Suning has continuously championed the philosophy that "service is the only product". It now seeks to not only serve consumers but link up its entire ecosystem.

As part of this strategy, Suning recently announced that it has established the new subsidiary Yunwangwandian to focus on development and services that is empowered by its retail infrastructure including supply chain, logistics and IT infrastructure. It has already raised CNY6 billion in its Series A round of funding. The four keys of retail service: Supply chain, customer operations, services and technology As it embarks on a new journey, Suning is set to further consolidate and deploy its four core capabilities including supply chain, customer operations, services, and technical capability, and will construct an innovative smart retail mechanism, in an effort to empower players in its industry ecosystem. It will comprehensively enrich its product categories, promote refined supply chain operations, carry out personalized precision marketing, continuously strengthen its service capabilities such as logistics, after-sales, and customer service, enhance its data transaction and digital risk control capabilities, and boost multi-scenario smart retail implementation. For example, Suning will enter the cloud supply chain with its B2S2B2C model, bringing enhanced, more valuable products to users. Suning has also increased the proportion of self-operated customized products to 25%, in an effort to bring more high-quality products and a better shopping experience to customers. Suning Logistics currently covers 95% of China, with plans to complete 20 million square meters in warehouse space by 2025, according to company statistics. Over the next three years, it will also reduce warehouse storage fees and provide additional distribution support. Suning seeks to leverage online and offline digitalization to help retailers upgrade, helping more than 6,000 small and medium-sized merchants set up cloud operations in three years. Suning will also launch its three-year, commission-free independent software vendor (ISV) services, focusing on the store, marketing, transaction performance, and data. As part of its strategy, it seeks to train 100 large-scale ISVs to build a smart retail ecosystem of "100,000 merchants + 100,000 stores". About Suning Group Founded in 1990, Suning is one of the leading commercial enterprises in China with two public companies in China and Japan. In 2020, Suning Group ranked second in the top 500 non-state owned enterprises in China with annual revenues of CNY665.259 billion (approximately $US97 billion) and continued to top the list of Internet retailing category. Adhering to the enterprise mission of "Leading the Ecosystem across Industries by Creating Elite Quality of Life for All", Suning has strengthened and expanded its core business as retail through a corporate ecosystem comprised by multiple vertical industries, including commercial real estate, financial services and sports. Suning.com, the main subsidiary pioneering in online and offline retailing, has been listed in the Fortune Global 500 for four successive years from 2017 to 2020. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/suning-sets-out-strategy-for-its-fourth-decade-transforming-from-a-retail-franchise-to-global-retail-service-provider-301206069.html SOURCE Suning Group

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At the beginning of last week, President Trump was valiantly fighting against the Deep State, but in a few hours of Wednesday January 6, 2021, the ruling class executed a coup de main, and it was all over.

You could tell by the way that congressional Republicans collapsed in a heap, all at once, and rubber-stamped the results of the election.

By the way, coup de main is a fancy French phrase used by military aficionados meaning a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow.

I suppose that after a decent interval some liberal historian will write a New York Times bestseller about The Last Days of Trump and we will learn all about the brilliant minds in the ruling class that planned and executed their regime-saving coup de main.

I decided to go and look at my brief take on Gaetano Moscas The Ruling Class to see if I could learn a lesson or two from last weeks coup de main.

Mosca says that, because of standing armies and their enormous expense, "no government can be overthrown by force unless the men who are in charge of it are themselves irresolute or lose their heads" or shrink from "repression involving bloodshed." Yes, I think I buy that.

Mosca says that to maintain its supremacy a ruling class must maintain energy, practical wisdom, political training in every generation. Otherwise, it declines and submits to another ruling class. Hmm. Could our rulers have a bit of a problem there?

Mosca says that democracy has deeply changed the role of the ruling class. Voting does not lead to the power of the people. Instead, it perfects the power of the ruling class. Ouch.

Mosca says that every ruling class creates a political formula, that invents a moral and legal basis for its power. The U.S. formula used to be that government existed to protect the little guy. The formula was celebrated in anthems like Its a Wonderful Life, with the little guy homeowners of Bailey Park protected by St. George Bailey from the rapacious dragon Mr. Potter.

In our day government exists to fight systemic racism, and it is celebrated in anthems like the woke oppressed peoples, allies, and white oppressors narrative. If it werent for the allies, little kiddies are carefully taught from K thru Activism School, the world would collapse into a literally Hitler oppression of the oppressed peoples by the white oppressors. Sign here to become an ally.

They say, when you have achieved victory in battle, that the important thing is to use the cavalry to turn the enemys defeat into a rout. So now the Deep State is calling for impeachment of the President -- maybe after he leaves office.

Im not sure whether to say Damn Your Eyes or Go Ahead, Make My Day.

A few weeks ago I said that if Trump won reelection over the fraud he would be a conquering hero, but if he lost he would be a Sacrificial Hero, as in Jung, archetypes, collective unconscious, and the bestest Sacrificial Hero of all time, Jesus Christ.

(I wonder why God keeps putting Sacrificial Heroes into most of the religions that He dictates to His prophets? I wonder what He means by that?)

If I were a Democratic operative with a byline I would be calling for Trump to be treated kindly, Thank You For Your Service, Donny, and send him into honorable retirement. Appoint him to head up a commission.

But if I were Mitch McConnell, I might be persuaded to egg the Democrats on, to impeach him; to convict him in a trial in the Senate; to appoint special prosecutors, one each to investigate each of his children, and one each to investigate each appointee that didnt resign by Inauguration Day; to prosecute him for tax evasion and bankrupt him: to crucify Trump upon a Cross of Woke. And make Donald Trump into a martyr for the cause of the Great Rebellion of Commoners. For every good cause needs its martyr.

If I were Speaker Nancy, inspecting the built by slaves tag sprayed by Florida Man on the wall of my Capitol office -- just kidding! -- and determining never to speak to a Republican again in my life, what would I decide?

The way I look at it, a ruling class at the height of its power does not impose a Carthaginian peace on the Deplorables. Instead, it throws them a bone, something noble and generous like delaying the end of fossil-fueled cars from 2035 to 2040. Or awarding a Harvard professorship to a conservative once every two decades.

But I have a feeling that, while our ruling class executed ruling-class duties flawlessly last week, its leaders are not wise enough -- or powerful enough -- to cool their jets, especially the jets of their Wokey cancel-ologists.

Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class.

Image: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-299-1805-10 / Scheck / CC-BY-SA 3.0

The scheme Digitization of Terrestrial Television Broadcasting by 2020 observes Decision No.2451/QD-TTg signed on December 27, 2011 by the Prime Minister.

At that time, 90 percent of Vietnamese households owned a TV, yet the vast majority of the population had no experience on digital television.

However, until 2020, 16 million families in the country could enjoy cable TV, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and free satellite TV.

To carry out the scheme, since 2014, Vietnam has requested that all TV on the market must owns the function of Digital Video Broadcasting  Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2). Meanwhile, the Government support around 1.9 million poor households with a suitable set top box from 2015 to 2020.

Therefore, including 20 percent of satellite TV coverage, 100 percent of the Vietnamese population is able to access digital television in 2020.

In the press conference, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung enthusiastically reported that the scheme is successfully completed, fulfilling all 4 major assigned goals.

Firstly, the scheme frees over 100MHz of the 700MHz band, which is the prime band for 5G coverage in the whole country.

Secondly, television coverage is now able to reach even the farthest regions of Vietnam, enabling all citizens of 63 provinces to access this utility.

Thirdly, besides the state-managed company of VTC - Multimedia Corporation, the scheme effectively calls upon the cooperation of social resources for service provision, such as Audio Visual Global (AVG), Southern Digital Television Company Ltd (SDTV), Northern Digital Television Company (DTV).

Lastly, all local television broadcasters are professionally reorganized in order to focus more on regional news and content producing in addition to transmitting national ones.

Minister Hung stated that the full stop of analog television in Vietnam in 2020 has made the country become the fifth in 10 ASEAN nations and 78/193 nations worldwide to complete the TV digitalization process.

The Minister pointed out reasons for the success of this scheme, including a detailed plan which is citizen-oriented, the wise choice of DVB-T2, the effective use of Vietnam Public-utility Telecommunication Service Fund instead of the state budget for the process (around VND 1,145 billion or US$49.5 million), the creativity in communications to attract the support from both the community and related businesses.

By Tran Binh  Translated by Thanh Tam
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The FBI insisted on Tuesday that it did warn Capitol Police and other forces about the MAGA mob riot plot after learning about on January 5, after days of silence from the bureau over its failure to prevent it.

On January 5, the FBI's office in Norfolk, Virginia, blasted an internal memo which cited social media posts talking about spilling the blood of 'BLM slave soldiers' on the Capitol.

The memo was obtained by The Washington Post on Tuesday.

It read: 'As of 5 January 2021, FBI Norfolk received information indicating calls for violence in response to 'unlawful lockdowns' to begin on 6 January 2021 in Washington. D.C.

'An online thread discussed specific calls for violence to include stating 'Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled.

'Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.'

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Steven D'Antuono, the head of the FBI's Washington Field Office, said agents shared the information on the Joint Terrorism Task Forces communications system within 40 minutes of receiving it. He did not say what time that was or even what day it was.

The Capitol Police, DC Metro Police and Park Police all have access to the JTTS communications system.

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Steven D'Antuono (left), the head of the FBI's Washington Field Office, said agents shared the information on the Joint Terrorism Task Forces communications system within 40 minutes of receiving it, He did not say what time that was or even what day it was. Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin (right) said hundreds would be charged

FBI MEMO ON JAN 5 As of 5 January 2021, FBI Norfolk received information indicating calls for violence in response to 'unlawful lockdowns' to begin on 6 January 2021 in Washington. D.C. An online thread discussed specific calls for violence to include stating: 'Be ready to fight. 'Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. 'Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. 'Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.' Advertisement

'When my office received that information, we briefed that within 40 minutes to our partners. It got ingested into the system and was shared with all our partners through that process that we have. That's the action that we took on that and that's it,' he said.

It's unclear what else the bureau did to raise the alarm other than post it on the database.

Also at the press conference on Tuesday, Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said his office would prosecute hundreds of people over their 'egregious' conduct at the Capitol.

He said that while the original misdemeanor charges against many of the suspects seem light, he will increase charges as he gathers more evidence and some could put people away for up to 20 years if convicted.

'As we sit here now, we've opened more than 170 subject files meaning these individuals have been identified as potential persons who committed crimes. Of those cases that have been opened, we've charged over 70 cases.

'That number is going to grow into the hundreds. We're looking at everything from trespass to theft of mail to assault on local officers, theft of potential national security information, felony murder and even civil rights excessive force.

'The gamut of conduct is mind-blowing. The FBI is working with the US attorney's office. We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy. Their marching orders are to build seditious and conspiracy cases. Those have prison terms of up to 20 years,' Sherwin said.

The Post reports that FBI agents in Washington knew about it, despite Steven D'Antuono, the head of the FBI's Washington Field Office, telling reporters on a call on Friday there had been 'no indication' of the looming bloodshed.

The FBI has not commented on the memo, nor has it given detailed statements about what it did to warn local law enforcement about what was coming.

Christopher A. Wray, the director of the FBI who took over from James Comey in 2017, has not spoken publicly since Wednesday's riot

The Post reports that there are now ongoing discussions in the bureau about whether leadership racial profile terror suspects because they did not take the threats - that were made almost exclusively by white male Republicans - seriously.

There were vague, anonymously-made claims that agents warned Capitol Police about a plot last week but no firm action was taken.

Instead, fewer than 2,000 Capitol cops were left to fight the mob of some 10,000 - many of whom were armed - with only 340 National Guard to help them and last-minute back up from the DC Metropolitan Police force.

They were immediately outnumbered and overwhelmed.

One cop died in the hospital after being allegedly beaten with a fire extinguisher and another committed suicide.

Now, there are talks that another 4,000 'patriots' are planning to return to the Capitol ahead of Inauguration Day, and there are grave concerns over what is being done to prevent further violence.

What is sedition and what is the burden of proof? Sedition is the crime of conspiring to overthrow the government. In the United States, it is covered under Title 18 (Crimes and Criminal Procedure), code 2384. Its official title is 'seditious conspiracy'. The law states: 'If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.' Only treason (waging war against the U.S. and aiding its enemies) - which potentially carries the death penalty - is more serious, in the section. Sedition carries a possible 20 year prison sentence. Devin Schindler, a law professor who once clerked for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, told the Detroit Free Press the events of January 6 were 'textbook sedition'. 'For at least some of these protesters, particularly the ones that broke into the Capitol, I think there's an extraordinarily strong case that they used force to delay, to hinder, the execution of our laws governing the election and how electoral votes are counted,' he said. 'It seems fairly clear to me, based on what we're seeing, that folks are in fact, almost textbook violating this seditious conspiracy statute by using force to interfere with lawful government activity.' If you protested outside the Capitol, within the appropriate bounds of free speech, you couldn't be punished because your protest would be protected by the First Amendment. But actually entering the Capitol is not protected by the First Amendment at all, and they could be prosecuted for sedition if they violated the law by trespassing onto the Capitol in order to disrupt the ordinary workings of government. In September, Attorney General William Barr suggested that those who protested in the aftermath of George Floyds murder should be charged with sedition. But that would have been unlikely to result in convictions, because there was little to suggest the protesters - some of whom certainly committed criminal acts - intended to overthrow the government. Advertisement

Extremists are using the encoded app Telegram to coordinate and plan, NBC reported on Tuesday.

Some are sharing knowledge of how to make, conceal and use homemade guns and bombs in advance of the inauguration.

The messages are being posted in Telegram chatrooms where white supremacist content has been freely shared for months, but chatter on these channels has increased since extremists have been forced off other platforms.

A U.S. Army field manual and calls to 'shoot politicians' and 'encourage armed struggle' have been posted in a Telegram channel that uses 'fascist' in its name.

Chris Sampson, chief of research at the defense research institute Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics and Radical Ideologies, told NBC his group has alerted the FBI about it.

'When they start calling for assassinations, when they start calling for action versus sharing information, we flag them a little higher,' said Sampson.

'Some channels merely swap information, but then they accelerated into conversations of where to be.'

A state of emergency was declared last night by Trump in anticipation of more planned protests, including the 'largest armed protest in American history'.

But FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has said nothing to calm the public about what his agency is doing to stop any future attack from actually happening.

An unidentified police officer is beaten by the mob outside the Capitol last week during the riot

Law enforcement officers pull their weapons on the protesters inside the House chamber on Wednesday after the mob breached the building

Wray was appointed by Trump in May 2017, shortly after he took office.

He replaced James Comey, who had enraged Trump with his handling of Hillary Clinton's use of an email server when she was Secretary of State.

Before joining the FBI, Wray worked both as a private practice lawyer and in the Department of Justice. He at one time served as deputy attorney general.

During an interview on Today on Tuesday, Comey fumed that there had been an 'appalling lack of preparation' for the riot.

'It wasn't a failure of imagination. It was just a failure to see a threat that was in bright daylight, coming at you. I don't know. It's going to be really important for there to be some kind of commission to understand what happened here.

'Not just at the capitol with the Capitol Police, but did they get the information they need?

'Did they see the threat the way so many other agencies must have seen it?' he said.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday apologized for the collaborative lack of preparation that put the Capitol cops and DC Metro cops in grave danger.

'I am sorry there was a failure in security that put those officers in harm's way,' she told Good Morning America, adding there would be 'very intense questions' over what went wrong.

According to The Huffington Post, Democrats were last night taken into behind-closed-door talks where they were told what to do in the event of another attack.

On Monday night, the new chiefs of Capitol Police told House Democrats they were looking into three separate plans, including one described as 'the largest armed protest ever to take place on American soil.'

But the most concerning is said to involve armed rioters encircling the Capitol and blocking Democrats from entering - killing them if necessary - so that Republicans can take command of government.

Another protest is being planned in honor of Ashli Babbitt, the USAF veteran who was shot at point blank range by a police officer as she tried to clamber into the Speaker's Lobby during the Trump mob's siege.

'It was pretty overwhelming,' one Democrat told Huffington Post of the police briefing.

Meanwhile an FBI internal memo circulated that warned of a group which was calling for the 'storming' of state, local and federal government buildings, as well as court houses if Trump is removed from office.

The bulletin came to light just as Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced an article of impeachment accusing Trump of incitement to insurrection, five days after the mob of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol, leaving five people dead in a futile bid to overturn the general election.

The inauguration ring of steel: 10,000 National Guard troops will close off monuments and patrol anti-climb fences as DC braces for violence after three more Capitol attack plots were uncovered

Tough security measures are being put in place across Washington DC ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, including bringing in at least 15,000 National Guard troops, erecting new anti-climb fences around the Capitol and White House and the closure of national monuments.

The increased security measures are now being implemented earlier than scheduled in the wake of last week's deadly attack on the US Capitol by violent Trump-supporting rioters.

Tough security measures are being put in place across Washington DC ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, including bringing in at least 15,000 National Guard troops, erecting new anti-climb fences around the Capitol and White House and the closure of national monuments

It comes as Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in DC and authorities revealed three separate plots to attack the Capitol ahead of the inauguration, including one described as the 'largest armed protest in American history.'

Officials are promising extremely tight security around the entire capital region - some of which is already being put in place. The beefed up security will include increased law enforcement, extra checkpoints, fencing and barricades across the city.

The public is now banned from entering the Capitol grounds and the inauguration will be a ticketed-only event. Anti-climb fences have also now been installed around the Capitol building.

Access to the Washington Monument is also now prohibited for the next two weeks due to ongoing threats. Security fences were also erected outside the Lincoln Memorial on Monday.

Public access to roads, parking areas and restrooms on the National Mall, which is where crowds of supporters usually gather during inaugurations, may be shut down this week if deemed necessary.

NATIONAL GUARD: The National Guard has been authorized to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington to safeguard the capital. At least 10,000 of those troops will be in place by Saturday with the remaining 5,000 on standby. There are already 6,200 troops on the ground in DC in the wake of last week's MAGA mob violence

It is not yet clear what road closures are being put in place or how far out from the Capitol checkpoints will be set up. Authorities haven't yet confirmed how close members of the public will actually be able to get to the official event even though they are being asked to stay away given the COVID-19 pandemic.

While next week's event was already going to be pared down because of COVID-19, authorities say the increased security means Biden's inauguration will look drastically different to previous ones.

The National Guard has been authorized to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington to safeguard the capital.

At least 10,000 of those troops will be in place by Saturday with the remaining 5,000 on standby.

There are already 6,200 troops on the ground in DC in the wake of last week's MAGA mob violence.

Plans are still on for a major public art display spanning multiple blocks of the National Mall that will feature 191,500 US flags and 56 pillars of light. The display is meant to symbolize every US state and territory and 'the American people who are unable to travel' to the capital to celebrate given COVID restrictions.

The inauguration is being held at the same spot at the US Capitol where the violent MAGA mob rioters overran law enforcement last week and stormed the federal building.

US Secret Service special agent in charge Michael Plati, who is leading the inauguration security, insists such security breaches won't occur at the January 20 inauguration.

Some of the heightened security measures will be obvious: officers in uniforms, checkpoints, metal detectors and fencing.

US CAPITOL: The public is now banned from entering the Capitol grounds and the inauguration will be a ticketed-only event. Members of the National Guard stand inside an anti-scaling fencing that now surrounds the Capitol

But he says some won't be so obvious.

While law enforcement never go into too much detail about security so would-be attackers aren't tipped off, Plati said they've taken into account the siege.

'It's a poignant reminder of what can happen.'

Plati said last week's Capitol siege and the inauguration aren't even comparable from a security standpoint.

The inauguration is designated as a 'national special security event,' which clears the way for communication, funding and preparation between multiple agencies in Washington, like the Capitol Police, Pentagon, Homeland Security and District-area police.

Other such events are the State of the Union, the Super Bowl and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Last week's rally turned violent siege was viewed as a free speech event in the days before, despite multiple warnings about the potential for violence from right-wing extremist groups.

Egged on by Trump, the violent mob marched from the White House to the Capitol, where they occupied the building for hours to try to stop lawmakers from certifying Biden's win.

One of the main problems last week was a lack of coordination by multiple agencies in the district, which won't happen this time because those agencies have already been approved to work together and have been doing so for months, Plati said.

'We will have the adequate resourcing, personnel and plans in place,' he said.

Plati said the event is planned over a year with contingencies and they anticipate the possibility of extreme violence.

'There's a variety of methods to ensure that we have a secure, seamless, safe environment for our protectees but most importantly, the general public,' Plati said.
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A lurking threat that has stymied US corn growers for decades is now returning to the forefront: western corn rootworm. Sometimes referred to as the "billion-dollar bug," the species' tiny larvae chew through the roots of corn plants, causing devastating yield losses. In 2003, farmers began planting a genetically engineered variety of corn known as "Bt," which produces a protein toxic to the pest species - but by 2009, the billion-dollar bug had already evolved adaptations for resistance to the toxin.

A new study suggests that slowing the resurgence of western corn rootworm may require a larger-scale strategy than previously thought. The findings, which were published in the Ecological Society of America's journal Ecological Applications, show that when farmers do not follow best management practices for mitigating corn rootworm within a field, they also jeopardize surrounding fields.

Primary author Coy St. Clair and his colleague Aaron Gassmann pinpointed 64 "problem fields" across Iowa, where western corn rootworm had caused greater-than-expected levels of injury to corn between 2009 and 2013 in two varieties of Bt maize: Cry3Bb1 and mCry3A. Compared to fields where rootworm had not damaged Bt maize, the problem fields had higher levels of continuous maize cultivation in surrounding buffer areas.

Corn rows as far as the eye can see in Buchanan County, Iowa. Original image from Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress collection. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

Regular crop rotation is a key strategy for interfering with rootworm's life cycle: when rootworm eggs hatch in a field without corn, the larvae starve before they have a chance to mature and lay eggs. However, continuous planting of corn tends to be more profitable in the short term, leaving corn growers with difficult decisions about how to manage risks.

St. Clair, now a research entomologist for Genective (Champaign, Ill.) who conducted the research as a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University, says that the story of western corn rootworm resistance to Bt illustrates that pest mitigation is a shared responsibility. "If the pest remains susceptible, everyone benefits. If resistance develops, everyone suffers."

Continuous maize cultivation gives nascent rootworm populations a chance to evolve resistance to the Bt toxin - and for those newly resistant offspring to travel to other fields.

"The takeaway here is that a farmer who is employing best management practices - such as frequent crop rotation, or planting of non-Bt maize - will effectively manage rootworm and delay resistance in their own field firstly, while simultaneously helping to delay resistance development in surrounding populations secondly," explained St. Clair. "Conversely, a farmer who is planting multiple years of the same trait will risk resistance in their own field, while contributing to the depletion of the shared resource of trait susceptibility."

As of 2020, agronomists have confirmed that populations of western corn rootworm resistant to the two Bt traits examined in the study are present across the US corn belt, along with two additional Bt traits.

###

Journal article:

St. Clair, Coy, and Gassmann, Aaron, 2021. "Linking Land Use Patterns and Pest Outbreaks in Bt Maize." doi.org/10.1002/eap.2295

Authors:

Coy St. Clair and Aaron Gassman

Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

Author contact:

Coy St. Clair (coyray03@gmail.com">coyray03@gmail.com)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:21:34|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Portuguese firm that will lead to the construction of a 284 km standard gauge railway line in the northern part of the country.

In a statement reaching Xinhua on Tuesday, Nigeria's Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, who signed the MoU on behalf of the West African nation with the Portugal-based Mota Engil Group, said the 1.959 billion U.S. dollar project will run through the northern states of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and reach a city in the neighboring Niger Republic.

Amaechi said the rail line would help develop freight and passenger transport as it would be integrated with road transport.

"It would contribute greatly to the local economy as well as the nation's social sector," the minister said.

According to Amaechi, the duration for the project is 36 months and the contract type is engineering, procurement, and construction.

The Nigerian government has in recent years stepped up modernization of its railway lines across the country, with a standard gauge railway line connecting the capital city Abuja and Kaduna commissioned in 2016 and another one connecting the economic hub Lagos and Ibadan that's expected to be commissioned in 2021. Enditem
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  The Tennessee Department of Transportation has awarded the Design-Build contract for the new I-65 Buckner Road interchange in Spring Hill. Bell & Associates, out of Nashville, Tenn., had the low bid of $54.3 million and are expected to complete the interchange project by May 2023.

The project includes the extension of Buckner Road from Buckner Lane to Lewisburg Pike across I-65 with a Diverging Diamond Interchange. The City of Spring Hill kickstarted the project with a $25 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in late 2018.

The City of Spring Hills diligence in securing this competitive grant put this interchange on the fast track, said TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright. TDOT has an aggressive schedule to meet, but the Design-Build contracting method allows us to tap into the innovation of the private industry and deliver the project in a much shorter timeframe compared to traditional design-bid-build projects.

In the Design-Build delivery process, the prime contractor partners with a designer to develop final design plans and complete right-of-way acquisition, permit approvals, utility relocation, and construction. Bell & Associates have partnered with engineering firm Neel-Schaffer for the interchange project and the tentative schedule is as follows.

 January 2021  Fall 2022 Project design

 Spring 2021  Fall 2022 Right-of-way acquisition, permit approvals, and utility relocations

 Spring 2022  Spring 2023 Construction

At this time, TDOT anticipates minimal traffic impacts for construction activities. More information regarding the construction schedule will be available in the coming months.

For more information on the I-65 Buckner Road Interchange and the Design-Build method of project delivery, visit https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-buckner-road-interchange.html
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Reliance Retail is looking to exit from the direct sale aspect of its e-commerce platform JioMart and will instead engage kirana stores to sell products to customers within their neighbourhoods.

Based on a franchising model, the development would shift Reliance Retails business model away from its competitors such as Grofers, BigBasket and Amazon.

Two sources told the Times of India that contracted kiranas will source products from Reliance or elsewhere. In case the product ordered is not in stock with the kirana Reliance Retail will supply the goods in question. Margins will be split equally, it said.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Reliance Retail will, however, continue sale of perishable goods from its stores for products such as fruits and vegetables or products with low shelf life.

JioMarts new system will be undertaken on pilot basis with over 56,000 kiranas in 30 cities in the June quarter before being fully adopted. The company is also on a drive to recruit kiranas from more than 100 cities by April 2021, the sources added.

One source said that since on boarding kiranas is a long drawn process the next few months will follow a hybrid model of sales through kiranas in areas where tie-ups are in place and direct sales from Reliance Retail stores in areas where kirana partnerships are yet to be signed.

The source however affirmed that Reliance will eventually exit from direct fulfilment of FMCG and grocery in JioMart.

Besides the changes to JioMart, Reliance is also reconfiguring its business-to-business cash-and-carry store Reliance Market. These stores will now be turned into fulfilment centres where kiranas can place online orders for B2B delivery of products from Reliance, as per the report.

Pilot for this already underway, the sources said.

Reliance did not respond to queries, as per the report.

Reliance Industries (RIL) which is the parent company of Reliance Retail, JioMart and Reliance Market is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments which publishes Moneycontrol.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The private facilities used as Covid-19 vaccination centres by the Delhi government will receive their share of doses on the day of inoculation while it will be given to the public facilities a day before, officials told IANS.

Suneela Garg, a key member of the task force handling vaccination in Delhi, confirmed that the vaccines would reach the public facilities, which consist of government hospitals and cold-chain storage points, would receive the vaccines on Friday. "The private hospitals will receive the vaccine doses early morning on the day of vaccination," she added.

Garg, who is also a public health expert and professor of excellence at the Maulana Azad Medical College, said that the inoculation process would start with a single booth at each vaccination centre where beneficiaries will be called in a batch of 10. "The number will be increased gradually. A maximum of 100 people will be taken by each site," she added.

Meanwhile, the officials from the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi government, will conclude the re-inspection of all the cold-chain points which started on Wednesday after the vaccines arrived in Delhi. "It is done to ensure that there is no defect in the distribution system of the vaccines," a senior official said.

The Delhi government has finalised 89 sites for the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive where the doses will be offered to around three lakh healthcare workers working in different medical facilities in the national capital.

Of the 89 vaccination points, 49 are in private hospitals and the rest are public health facilities, as official said. The public facilities include 34 district-level government multi/super speciality hospitals, four government sub-divisional hospitals and two community health centres.

The vaccines will be distributed to these points from the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), Delhi's only vaccine storage facility. It has received as many as 2.64 lakh doses of Covid vaccines, which landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) earlier on Wednesday.

The hospital has received 22 boxes consisting of 26,400 vials of Covishield, the Covid vaccine developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

"A total of 22 boxes of vaccines have been received here. Each box contains 1,200 vials and each vial has 10 doses," Chhavi Gupta, spokesperson of RGSSH, told IANS.

The Central government had informed last week that the much-awaited Covid-19 vaccination drive will start from January 16. In order of priority, an estimated three crore healthcare and frontline workers will be administered the vaccine across the country, followed by those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with comorbidities numbering around 27 crore.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved two vaccines -- Covishield by Pune-based SII and Covaxin by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech -- for emergency use authorisation against Covid-19 in the country.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Your friend was wisely reluctant to provide her Social Security number, but I wonder if she realizes what a POD is and why you are attempting to do this? She may believe that you are asking her to co-sign a loan, or co-own the account.
UPPER THUMB  Tuscola Countys 2021 budget was in place before the first of the year, as is required by state regulations.

The budget outlines general fund revenues and expenses of $14,627,433.

There was no need to use fund reserves to balance the budget, explained Tuscola County Controller-Administrator Clayette Zechmeister. The 2020 budget was amended at $14,376,387 so the increase between the budgets is about 1.8% higher or $258,775.

Also, finances were helped by Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding from the Department of Justice that was passed through the Michigan State Police.

The sheriff's department received $65,664, the prosecutors office received $35,969, and the courts $74,822 for expenses incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those funds were used to maintain public safety through prevention, preparation, and response during the coronavirus pandemic, said Zechmeister. The county had also been given $417,467 for Coronavirus Relief Local Government Grants Program from the Federal Government CARES act passed through the state of Michigan.

That fund can only be used for CRLGG Programs, she said.

A 3% wage increase was included in the budget for employees as well as a pay increase for commissioners along with benefits for them.

Included in this years budget, is an increase of $2,000 for each commissioner's base compensation, and the cost of providing county health insurance.

The base pay of the county boards chair will increase from $12,345 to $14,345, which is approximately a 16% increase.

The other four commissioners' base pay will increase from $11,504 to $13,504 which is an approximate 17% increase.

If all five commissioners take the countys health insurance at a cost of $16,500 per commissioner it would total $82,500.

In mid-September, commissioners voted to rescind a December 2014 resolution that was adopted that explained commissioners did not work full time and were required to provide no more than an average of 29 hours a week of services as a commissioner.

The rationale for going on record that they were not full-time employees and as such not entitled to county paid health insurance was done as a cost saving measure for the county.

However, in mid-2020, commissioners changed the rules saying their duties as commissioners was full time work.

In making the change, they qualified to sign up for county health insurance. The approximate cost is about $16,500 per year per commissioner.

To date, three commissioners have signed up for health insurance, and a fourth is expected to sign up to take insurance.

Four out of five commissioners each operate at least one business, and one is retired.

There was also a lot of discussion and questions about finances during budget development.

During discussions, Commissioner Dan Grimshaw balked at the amounts saying he thought some were over budgeted, such as the 15% increase in the prosecutors budget, and that it should be cut.

Zechmeister explained most of that cost is in salaries and insurances, as some were signing up for the insurance who hadnt before. Also, there would be new hires coming in the department so it was unknown how many would take insurance.

So the budget was sent with those variables in mind, and could be adjusted later, she explained.

In the jail budget, the sheriff asked for an additional $1,854 for janitorial supplies and an additional $3,304 in clothing and bedding for jail inmates. The increases were based on anticipated increases to clean the jail because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Court Administrator Sheila Long requested an additional $47,000 to court-appointed attorney fees to meet the contract that had already been signed for non-criminal services for this year.

Grimshaw next questioned the $70,000 increase from $132,208 to $207,646 in the treasurers department.

Treasurer Ashley Bennett, who took over that position the first of the year from retiring Pat Gray, received a pay increase with that position, and there were two positions that had to be filled.

Her vacant position as deputy treasurer had to be filled, and there is an employee who will retire Jan. 31. So until the retirement occurs, the current employee would be training the new one for a month.

In the final setting of the budget it was noted, budgets are living document with changes and adjustments made.
EAST ALTON  No injuries were reported Tuesday morning in an East Alton accident.

According to authorities, a Chrysler mini-van collided with a semi truck on Illinois 140 at Stanley Road. The vans impact with the truck ruptured one of the trucks saddle fuel tanks, spewing diesel fuel all over the roadway. The truck stopped about 40 yards from the site of the crash.

East Alton firefighters called for assistance from the Wood River Fire Department who brought a collapsable containment device used to catch the leaking diesel fuel leaking.

Both East Alton and Alton authorities rushed to the scene because the intersection divides the two jurisdictions. Miraculously nobody was seriously injured in the crash which closed eastbound Illinois 140 at Powder Mill Road for nearly an hour.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changed on Tuesday his cover photo on Twitter, replacing a picture with outgoing US President Donald Trump with the one in which he is being vaccinated against COVID-19 .

A joint photo of the two leaders, with Netanyahu sitting next to Trump at a White House meeting, has long been on the prime minister's official Twitter account @netanyahu. The photo was seen as a sign of friendship and close ties between Israel and the Trump-led US administration.

The removal came after the relations between the two leaders have deteriorated after Netanyahu officially congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on the latter's victory in the November presidential election.

The new picture on Netanyahu's Twitter profile says "Citizens of Israel, we are returning to life." No comment on the cover photo's replacement was given on his account.

Meanwhile, Trump has been blocked on all major social platforms following the January 6 unrest in the US Capitol, when a group of his supporters stormed the building, clashing with police, damaging property, seizing the inauguration stage and occupying the rotunda.

The violent rally, which killed five people, took place after Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claims is a stolen election.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -Chakana Copper Corp. (TSXV: PERU) (OTCQB: CHKKF) (FSE: 1ZX) (the "Company" or "Chakana"), has resumed its 15,000m drill program at the Soledad Project in Ancash, Peru. Prior to taking a short holiday break in late December, field crews had completed thirty-four drill holes for 6,634 metres at three high priority targets: Paloma East, Paloma West, and the Huancarama Breccia Complex (Fig. 1). The Company is now pleased to release additional positive results from the initial eight drill holes from the eastern portion of the Huancarama Breccia Complex, having previously reported on the new discoveries at Paloma East and Paloma West.

Mineralized intervals from initial holes at Huancarama include:

DDH # From - To (m) Core Length (m) Au

g/t Ag

g/t Cu % Cu-eq

%* Au-eq g/t* SDH20-153 30.70 90.30 59.60 0.20 17.9 0.21 0.49 0.76 including 30.70 47.00 16.30 0.34 12.3 0.10 0.43 0.65 including 57.00 90.30 33.30 0.17 24.4 0.30 0.62 0.95 SDH20-154 54.00 106.05 52.05 0.35 58.3 0.26 0.99 1.51 SDH20-155 9.80 65.30 55.50 0.33 26.8 0.68 including 37.00 62.00 25.00 0.43 42.1 0.98 SDH20-156 67.40 84.95 17.55 0.72 76.0 0.44 1.56 2.39 SDH20-157 84.10 161.00 76.90 0.27 44.3 0.28 0.84 1.28 including 84.10 88.40 4.30 1.03 114.0 1.26 2.91 4.45 SDH20-158 96.70 98.20 1.50 3.38 352.0 0.90 6.12 9.36 and 116.00 139.10 23.10 0.51 36.5 0.99 SDH20-159 71.00 210.00 139.00 0.30 39.2 0.29 0.82 1.26 SDH20-160 92.80 219.00 126.20 0.31 34.6 0.53 1.03 1.57 including 138.00 151.00 13.00 0.60 48.4 1.40 2.21 3.37 including 184.00 205.00 21.00 0.58 58.8 1.35 2.23 3.41

* Cu_eq and Au_eq values were calculated using copper, gold, and silver. Metal prices utilized for the calculations are Cu - US$2.90/lb, Au - US$1,300/oz, and Ag - US$17/oz. No adjustments were made for recovery as the project is an early stage exploration project and metallurgical data to allow for estimation of recoveries are not yet available. The formulas utilized to calculate equivalent values are Cu_eq (%) = Cu% + (Au g/t * 0.6556) + (Ag g/t * 0.00857) and Au_eq (g/t) = Au g/t + (Cu% * 1.5296) + (Ag g/t * 0.01307).

In addition to summary information reported here readers are also referred to figures 2 and 3 (included):

Holes SDH20-153 to SDH20-155 are shallow holes drilled across the H1 breccia outcrop aiming to the south and southwest. All three holes intersected mineralized breccia; the best intercept is in hole SDH20-154 with 52.05m of 0.35 g/t Au, 0.26% Cu, and 58.3 g/t Ag (1.51 g/t Au-eq) starting at 54m depth.





Holes SDH20-156 to SDH20-158 were drilled to the southwest across the H2 breccia. All three holes intersected mineralized breccia and a conglomerate that marks the base of the Calipuy volcanic section with holes SDH20-156 and SDH20-157 ending in pre-breccia granodiorite. At higher levels the breccia appears to be a neck-like body that is expanding at depth. Hole SDH20-156 intersected 17.66m with 0.72 g/t Au, 0.44% Cu, and 76.0 g/t Ag (2.39 g/t Au-eq) starting at 67.4m depth; hole SDH20-157 intersected 76.90m with 0.27 g/t Au, 0.28% Cu, and 44.3 g/t Ag (1.28 g/t Au-eq) from 84.10m depth.





Holes SDH20-159 and SDH20-160 were drilled to the southeast from north of H2. Both holes intersected continuous mineralized breccia connecting H2 and H1 and confirming a large lateral extent of breccia. Hole SDH20-159 intersected 139m with 0.30 g/t Au, 0.29% Cu, and 39.2 g/t Ag (1.26 g/t Au-eq) starting at 71m; hole SDH20-160, drilled directly beneath the collapse zone, encountered 126.2m with 0.31 g/t Au, 0.53% Cu, and 34.6 g/t Ag (1.57 g/t Au-eq) from 92.8m depth. Notably, two high-grade zones occur within this interval: 13m with 0.60 g/t Au, 1.40% Cu, and 48.4 g/t Ag (3.37 g/t Au-eq) from 138m; and 21m with 0.58 g/t Au, 1.35% Cu, and 58.8 g/t Ag (3.41 g/t Au-eq) starting at 184m depth.

Examples of mineralized drill core from these holes are shown in Figure 4.

David Kelley, President and CEO commented, "results from the initial scout drilling on the eastern half of the Huancarama Breccia Complex have confirmed a large, mineralized breccia with approximate dimensions of 100m by 50m. Holes SDH20-159 and SDH20-160 are particularly important as they demonstrate long runs of continuous mineralization with some impressive zones of high-grade encountered in SDH20-160. The breccia remains open at depth and the western half of the breccia complex is currently untested. The near surface mineralization encountered thus far may have bulk mineable potential. We are continuing additional scout drilling at Huancarama to further expand the area of mineralization, and we look forward to reporting additional drill results in the near future."

Huancarama Target Area and the Phase 3b Drill Program

The Huancarama Breccia Complex is located 300m south of and 400m above the deepest breccia intercept at Paloma. Within the complex there are five principal breccia bodies exposed at surface over approximately 200m (Fig. 5). There is a distinctive feature believed to be a collapse zone with dimensions of 50m by 30m. Unverified reports suggest that this may be a mine collapse, but it may also be a natural feature. The largest breccia body in the complex is H1 (approximately 60m in diameter). Two historic adits are in the complex, one trending north-northeast for 170m along the western side of H1, and a second shorter adit of 21m at H2. Surface sampling from the breccia bodies and channel sampling of the adits yielded strongly anomalous gold results (see news release dated November 19, 2019). In addition to several targets within the complex, numerous targets exist between Huancarama and Paloma.

Results reported here are part of the ongoing Phase 3b drill program, which is fully funded from the Company's current treasury and is anticipated to see 15,000 metres completed. Phase 3b is testing a cluster of high-grade, gold-enriched tourmaline breccia pipe targets within the Paloma and Huancarama target areas. Twenty-eight holes have now been reported from the Phase 3b program; twenty-six of the holes have reportable intercepts.

About Chakana Copper

Chakana Copper Corp is a Canadian-based minerals exploration company that is currently advancing the high-grade gold-copper-silver Soledad Project located in the Ancash region of Peru, a highly favorable mining jurisdiction with supportive communities. The Soledad Project consists of high-grade gold-copper-silver mineralization hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes. A total of 35,553 metres of drilling has been completed to-date, testing ten (10) of twenty-three (23) confirmed breccia pipes. The exploration team has identified 92 targets in total on the project, confirming that Soledad is well endowed and has strong exploration potential. Chakana's investors are uniquely positioned as the Soledad Project provides exposure to several metals including copper, gold, and silver. For more information on the Soledad project, please visit the website at www.chakanacopper.com.

Sampling and Analytical Procedures

Chakana follows rigorous sampling and analytical protocols that meet or exceed industry standards. Core samples are stored in a secured area until transport in batches to the ALS facility in Callao, Lima, Peru. Sample batches include certified reference materials, blank, and duplicate samples that are then processed under the control of ALS. All samples are analyzed using the ME-MS41 (ICP technique that provides a comprehensive multi-element overview of the rock geochemistry), while gold is analyzed by AA24 and GRA22 when values exceed 10 g/t by AA24. Over limit silver, copper, lead and zinc are analyzed using the OG-46 procedure. Soil samples are analyzed by 4-acid (ME-MS61) and for gold by Fire Assay on a 30g sample (Au-ICP21).

Results of previous drilling and additional information concerning the Project, including a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, are made available on Chakana's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person

David Kelley, an officer and a director of Chakana, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

(signed) "David Kelley"

David Kelley

President and CEO

For further information contact:

Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

Phone: 647 964 0292

Email: jjobin@chakanacopper.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statement Advisory: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Chakana to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements or information relates to, among other things, the interpretation of the nature of the mineralization at the Soledad copper-gold-silver project (the "Project"), the potential to expand the mineralization, and to develop and grow a resource within the Project, the planning for further exploration work, the ability to de-risk the potential exploration targets, and our belief in the potential for mineralization within unexplored parts of the Project. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. The Company disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events or developments except as required by law.

Figure 1 - View looking north showing breccia pipes and occurrences within the northern Soledad cluster. Pipes that have been drilled in previous campaigns are shown in red. Targets shown in green are the focus on this 15,000m drill campaign. Other pipes and occurrences remain to be tested by drilling. Additional breccia pipes occur on the south half of the property and are not shown here.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/71777_6f1d3d5bd47b18d7_001full.jpg

Figure 2 - Map of the Huancarama Breccia Complex and drill hole lithology in holes completed to date. Red represents tourmaline breccia based on the first eight holes and lithology mapped in the underground tunnel. Black dotted outlines show surface expression of mapped breccias; white dashed line shows collapse zone. Location of section line for Figure 3 indicated.



To view an enhanced version of FIgure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/71777_6f1d3d5bd47b18d7_002full.jpg

Figure 3 - Section looking northeast highlighting the drill holes at Huancarama reported in this release. Light red 3D shape shows preliminary shape of breccia based on the first eight holes and lithology mapped in the underground tunnel.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/71777_6f1d3d5bd47b18d7_003full.jpg

Figure 4 - Detailed core photos from Huancarama: SDH20-153 (79.47m) mosaic breccia cemented by tourmaline-quartz-chalcopyrite; SDH20-156 (84.80m) shingle breccia showing selective replacement by chalcopyrite-pyrite and late euhedral "buckshot" pyrite; SDH20-159 (189.09m) mosaic breccia cemented by tourmaline-quartz-chalcopyrite; SDH20-160 (204.80m) massive chalcopyrite with galena and siderite. Core diameter is 6.35cm (HQ) in all instances.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/71777_6f1d3d5bd47b18d7_005full.jpg

Figure 5 - Drone image looking northeast at the Huancarama Breccia Complex showing the five principal tourmaline breccia bodies exposed at surface (H1-H5), historic adit portal, and drill platforms. Note drill rig in center of image.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/71777_6f1d3d5bd47b18d7_006full.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71777
Kampala, Uganda (PANA) - The Ugandan army has raided the home of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, arresting everyone on site including the private guards, the candidate said on Tuesday
A Jordanian parliamentarian has accused media and journalists in the country of spreading misleading rumors and "poisoned ideas", amongst other charges, during a speech on 8 January. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) join its affiliate, the Jordan Press Association (JPA) in condemning these accusations and calls on the newly elected parliament to take urgent measures to support the media sector.

Among the most serious accusations made by MP Razzouq against the media and journalists in his speech in Parliament were describing journalists as "prepaid pens", spreading "poisoned ideas" and "misleading rumors", according to media reports.

Razzouq is a member of the Parliament for the third district of Irbid governorate, the second-most populated district in Jordan, located in the northern part of the country.

Despite the fact that he tried to defend himself by saying he was only referring to some journalists, the clarification came after he referred to the media in general as bearers of a false and deceptive yellowness.

Like other countries in the region, media is facing an unprecedented crisis in Jordan which has been exacerbated by the Covid 19 crisis. Some media face an imminent threat of closure. The IFJ has highlighted the successive failures of Jordanian parliaments and goverments to pass legislation that would protect critical journalists, independent media and their financial sustainability, thus exacerbating the crisis even more.

All this is happening in the middle of repeated crackdowns on press freedom and critical reporting. Among the latest is the case of Alwakaai website reporter, Jamal Haddad, who was arrested on 24 December 2020 for publishing information that announced the failure of the Covid vaccines arrival in Jordan and the undeclared administration of this medicine to government officials.

On 26 August 2020, the cartoonist Emad Hajjaj was arrested for mocking UAE-Israel deal in a cartoon published in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, a pan-Arab media outlet based in London. He was released four days later.

On 15 April, Jordanian authorities arrested Mohamad al-Khaldi and Fares Sayegh, director and owner of private channel 'Roya TV', based in Amman, for broadcasting a program where they interviewed workers who were complaining about the lack of money to buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

JPA said: We reject these claims as they are baseless accusations and promote distrust of the public and spread false ideas and rumors agianst the media.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: Critical journalism is one of the foundations of democracy and sustainable development. It is the responsiblity of governments and parliaments to make sure that their country enjoys the right legislative and regulatory framework it needs to flourish. Rather than engaging in cheap attacks on journalists and the media, Jordanian policymakers must do their utmost to fullfill their repeated promises to protect the social and professional rights of journalists in the kingdom."

Jordan was the third country to sign up to the Arab Declaration on Media Freedom on 12 October 2016. The text sets out 16 key principles to achieve the highest international standards of media freedom and protect and enhance journalists rights, including the protection of freedom of information.
Musical artists The Chicks, Ruthie Foster, James McMurtry, David Ramirez, Eliza Gilkyson, Dar Williams, Ray Prim, Akina Adderley, Grace Pettis, Rachael Sage, and more are set to appear at the "Move Forward Virtual Music Fest" to raise money to safely relocate two historic Confederate Monuments from the Bastrop, TX County Courthouse lawn. The event will include original performances, new videos and guest speakers and will take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18th) at 6:30 pm CT. The project is organized by the Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee. All proceeds will go to the BCMRC.

The objective of the project is twofold: to help Bastrop County promote an environment of racial equality and to ensure that the history of the two monuments is preserved. Of the $50,000 needed to carefully remove and relocate the statues, $28,000 has been raised, with $22,000 more needed to complete the process.

The "Move Forward Virtual Music Fest" will be simulcast on Move Forward's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The relocation was given the go ahead by Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape. All participating artists concur with Bastrop City Council Member Dock Jackson, one of two Black members of the Council and a longtime advocate for the city's Black community, who wrote "The Confederate monuments are a serious concern to the Black community, but I think they're now a concern to the whole community. Not only because of recent events, but because of the message it sends. When you have to go to the courthouse for birth certificates or marriage licenses, you have to pass by those monuments, and that's not a very pleasant reminder of the past."

About the Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee:

The committee was empaneled after the Bastrop County Commissioners Court voted in July to remove its two Confederate monuments from the courthouse lawn. One of the statues is a tall stone obelisk with Confederate symbols that was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1910. The second is a granite headstone commemorating Joseph D. Sayers, a major in the Confederate Army and Texas 22nd governor, which was erected in 1964 by the state of Texas.

Cheryl Lee and Sharah Johnson, Co-Chairs of the Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee explain, "The Committee is confident that the relocation can be done in a dignified manner, and has resolved to make this transition one that will honor this part of history in Bastrop County while allowing our community to advance toward a more just and inclusive home for all of our residents."

The festival will feature a personal message from 13-time Grammy-winning Texas band, The Chicks along with their new music video, "March March," and additional performances, music videos and messages from other luminaries, including:

ARTISTS

The Chicks

Ruthie Foster

James McMurtry

Eliza Gilkyson

Dar Williams

David Ramirez

Akina Adderley

Ron DeShay

Tom Prasada-Rao

Rachael Sage

Crys Matthews & Heather Mae

Ray Prim

Robert A. Kraft

Nobodys Girl

BettySoo

Rebecca Loebe

Grace Pettis

SPEAKERS

Cheryl Lee (host), Co-Chair of Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee

Ryan Holiday, bestselling author ("Trust Me, I'm Lying," "The Obstacle is the Way," and other titles), speaker, and creative advisor

For more information about the fundraiser or to make a donation, please contact

Cheryl Lee, Co-Chair

Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee

P.O. Box 136, Bastrop, TX 78602 (payable to Confederate Monument Relocation Fund)

512-636-0374

cheryllee@sbcglobal.net

monumentrelocationbastrop@gmail.com

For information about Grace Pettis/Rachael Sage, please contact

Jill Richmond Johnson

MPress Records

jillr@mpressrecords.com
Chattanooga State Community College will begin offering two 7-week terms during the spring 2021 semester that begins Jan. 19. The 7-week format allows the student to take the same number of credit hours as they would normally take during a regular 15-week semester, only they are taking fewer at a time.

The 7-week format splits in half the traditional 15-week semester. Students can take 2-to-3 courses during the first 7-week term, and 2-to-3 courses during the second 7-week term, thereby completing four, five or six courses during spring semester.

This gives students the advantage to focus on 2-to-3 courses for only 7-weeks at a time. Following completion, the student is ready to move on to the next 2-to-3 entirely new courses.

In higher education research, there are many studies citing the benefits to students enrolling in shorter term courses," said Dr. Beth Norton, vice president of Academic Affairs. "The completion rates for these courses are much higher than traditional 15 week-long courses, where life issues surface and many students drop out. We are focused on student success at Chattanooga State Community College, so moving to a course delivery format, backed by higher education research, is a move that we can easily justify to support the success of our students."

The first term begins Jan. 19 and ends March 5 while the second term begins March 15 and ends May 6. The traditional 15-week semester begins Jan. 19 and ends April 30. These three options allow students to choose courses that suit their life schedule.

For the spring 2021 semester most classes are offered virtually or online. Virtual classes provide instruction live through a virtual technology format on scheduled days and times. Online classes offer more flexibility and can be completed during a time of your choosing.

Eligible students using Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, or Reconnect to the Workforce can choose any of these options to help make their classes tuition-free.

For more information about courses offered during the 7-week term, visit chattanoogastate.edu/7weekclasses.




CANTON, Mass., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2021, Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, a national provider of insurance solutions for individuals and at the workplace, is celebrating 130 years of dedication to those who rely on the carrier and delivering on its promises. At the launch of this milestone, it is an opportunity to reflect on the progress of the past year and how, in spite of the challenges that 2020 presented, the company continued to build on its strategic framework. The key initiatives of 2020 included investments in people, process, and technology to continue building on Boston Mutual Life's strategic roadmap to further enhance the company's organizational readiness and leverage it to greater levels of success.

"As we enter our 130th year, Boston Mutual Life remains committed to building on our founding as a progressive life insurance company, adapting our business practices to keep momentum in the markets we serve, and continuing to deliver on our commitment to providing peace of mind to those who rely on us," said Paul A. Quaranto, Jr., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company. "We anticipate these new initiatives will have a significant impact on our success and position us well as we transition to a post-pandemic world."

Insurance carrier Boston Mutual enters 130th year poised for continued growth & innovation in commitment to the future. Tweet this

Launch and Expansion of Strategic Project Management Office (SPMO) and Innovation Lab

One year ago, Boston Mutual Life introduced its SPMO and Innovation Lab areas, with staff based in Omaha, Nebraska, and Canton, Massachusetts. With the Omaha office as the first non-sales office outside of the company's headquarters in Massachusetts in its history, the joint mission of the two teams is to support key projects and develop and implement solutions throughout the company.

The two teams have since been involved in a number of critical projects, including assisting with business continuity plans related to the coronavirus pandemic. The department spearheaded the company's transition from fully in-office working arrangements to majority operating in a remote environment. The department also assisted business areas in the completion of 26 projects by the end of 2020.

Led by Vice President Jennifer Helms, the area welcomed Jennifer King in November 2020 to complete the build out of its leadership team. King, Director  SPMO, is based in the Canton office and will serve alongside her counterpart, Andrew Sherwood, Director  Innovation Lab, as a leader for the SPMO team, helping to further mature practices and processes. King brings with her more than 20 years' experience in project and program management in the financial services industry.

Strategic Growth Through Hiring, Acquisition, and Advancement in Employee Opportunities

The acquisition of Onyx Data Solutions' IT Outsourcing Service last November accelerated the company's progress by enabling a turnkey insourcing of IT operations and an enhanced state of organizational readiness to support the deployment of technology as part of the company's future-state strategies.

As part of the acquisition, the 26 employees of the IT Outsourcing Service area were offered and accepted positions at Boston Mutual Life, contributing to the company's personnel growth. Jennifer Helms leads the IT Operations department as the Interim Vice President of IT Operations, with assistance from Mikaela Pappas, Second Vice President of IT Operations.

Other recent key moves towards organizational alignment include the appointment of Regional Sales Vice President Josh Police to the newly created role of Vice President of Market Strategies, serving as a dedicated resource focused on challenges and opportunities resulting from an unprecedented year in 2020. In this role, he will strategically assess existing and new markets, products, and distribution channels to best position the company for the next normal.

The organization also furthered its commitment to its people with the introduction of the company's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan: The Future of Work. On behalf of the company, Quaranto signed the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity and Inclusion  the largest CEO-driven commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as well as endorsed the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI)'s Economic Empowerment and Racial Equity Initiative  aligning Boston Mutual Life's efforts internally with those across the industry.

To learn more about Boston Mutual Life, please visit www.bostonmutual.com. If you are interested in joining one of the organization's dynamic teams, browse open opportunities here. For more details on becoming a producer partner, click here.

About Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

Founded as a progressive life insurance company in 1891, Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company is a national carrier that provides insurance solutions designed for working Americans and their families, as well as enrollment and billing options at the workplace. With its home office based in Canton, Massachusetts, as a mutual company, Boston Mutual Life is dedicated to acting in the best interests of its policyholders, producers, employees, and its communities. For more information, please visit www.bostonmutual.com or contact your Boston Mutual Life representative. Follow the company on Facebook (/BostonMutualLifeIns) or LinkedIn (/company/boston-mutual-life-insurance).

Media Contact:

Meredith D'Agostino, Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

[email protected]

(800) 669-2668 x276

SOURCE Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

Related Links

www.bostonmutual.com


Prime Minister will address the valedictory function of the second Parliament Festival on January 12 via video conferencing.

The selected candidates in the parliaments held at state and district levels will take part in the event. The first three winners will get the opportunity to express their views before the Prime Minister.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', among others, will also be present on the occasion.

The objective of the Parliament Festival (NYPF) is to hear the voice of youth between 18 and 25 years of age, who are allowed to vote and will join various careers in coming years, including public services.

The National Youth Parliament Festival is based on the idea given by the Prime Minister in his 'Mann Ki Baat' address on December 31, 2017.

Taking inspiration from the idea, the first NYPF was organised from January 12 to February 27, 2019, with the theme "Be the Voice of New India and Find solutions and Contribute to Policy". A total of 88,000 youth participated in the program.

The second NYPF was launched on December 23, 2020, through virtual mode. 2.34 lakh youth from across the country participated in the first stage. It was followed by State Youth Parliaments through the virtual mode from January 1 to 5.

The finals of the second NYPF will be held in the Central Hall of the Parliament on January 11.

Twenty-nine national winners will get an opportunity to speak before the national jury comprising of Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly, Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Sahib Singh, and journalist Prafulla Ketkar.

The top three winners will get an opportunity to speak before the Prime Minister in the valedictory function on January 12.

National Youth Festival, which is being celebrated every year, will be held from January 12 to 16. Due to COVID-19, the 24th National Youth Festival is being held in virtual mode. 'YUVAAH - Utsah Naye Bharat Ka' is the theme of this year's festival, which suggests, the youth bring alive the celebration of New India.

The opening ceremony of the 24th National Youth Festival and the closing ceremony of 2nd National Youth Parliament Festival will both take place today at the Central Hall of Parliament.

The closing ceremony of the 24th National Youth Festival will be held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre here on January 16.

(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 Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga invites the community to attend a virtual screening of Syndrome K in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The screening of the film will be available from noon, Jan. 26, to noon, Jan. 28.

Tickets for the screening are $12 per household and available by visiting www.jewishchattanooga.com.

Additionally the films distributors are making the virtual screening available to high school students and high school youth groups in the greater Chattanooga area. There is no charge for students and teachers. Arrangements for youth screenings, either at an institution or as part of virtual learning, can be made by contacting Ann Treadwell, 493-0270 or atreadwell@jewishchattanooga.com.

Syndrome K is film is the true story about a highly contagious, highly infectious, invented disease created by three Roman Catholic doctors to hide Jews during the holocaust. Patients in this hospitals ward had been hospitalized and classified as suffering from Syndrome K in late 1943. In October of that year, the Nazis combed the Jewish ghetto and other areas of Rome, deporting about 1,200 Jews. Of the Jews deported, only 15 survived the camps. After this, the hospitals doctors and religious leaders welcomed increasing numbers of patients. These patients were infected with Syndrome K as a way to spare them from deportation to the camps. The archives at Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum) in Israel and at the Vatican maintain the information about the Righteous Jews involved. A Righteous Jew is a person who rescues one or more Jews from the threat of death, deportation or death camps. The film is in Italian, with English subtitles and lasts 80 minutes.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB008vwd-LQ

Annually on Jan. 27 activities take place around the world to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to acknowledge and condemn the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. Designated by the United Nations General Assembly by resolution on Nov. 1, 2005, International Holocaust Remembrance Day acknowledges the genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 11 million others, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. The General Assembly marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the end of the Holocaust with this resolution.

An additional screening about Holocaust survivors will take place Feb. 16-18. Nobody Was Interested, Nobody Asked is the story of holocaust survivors experience in Canada. Thursday, Feb. 18, evening there will be a Zoom discussion with director Max Beer, and producer Deena Clusy-Apel. The film is in English and lasts 60 minutes.

Tickets for this film are available at www.jewishchattanooga.com for $12 per household and includes the Thursday discussion.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzb8eJqDV5g&t=90s






A Republican political operative who is running for Staten Island borough president apologized on Tuesday after she drew widespread condemnation for saying Heil Hitler during a protest against coronavirus restrictions.

The politician, Leticia Remauro, made the remark as she was recording a video of herself during a protest on Dec. 2 outside Macs Public House, a tavern in Staten Island that has become a rallying point against virus restrictions. The video drew attention after it was sent to a reporter with NY1, who shared it on Twitter on Monday night.

In the video, Ms. Remauro expresses support for Macs and other small businesses.

She then pans to a line of officers outside the tavern, saying that she is there to stand up for our right, the right to pay taxes so that we can pay the salaries of these good men and women, who yes are only doing their job, but not for nothing, sometimes you've got to say Heil Hitler, not a good idea to send me here, were not going to do it.
During the meeting of advisors to the heads of state, members of the Normandy Four, head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak is being focused on security issues, a source close to the talks told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The discussions are ongoing for the fifth hour, they are complicated, but security issues for Yermak and the delegation are an absolute priority," the agency's interlocutor said.

According to him, "the delegation is working exclusively within the approved red lines." He especially noted that this position meets with understanding and support from the representatives of Germany and France.

The meeting of the advisors to the heads of state of the Normandy format is taking place in Berlin on Tuesday.
When talking to Sydni Holder, one would think she is older than her 19 years. Her calm demeanor and logical outlook on life are more typical of someone 20 or 30 years older. Even her hobbies are those of an older person. She enjoys making candles, knitting, baking bread and making jewelry. However, like many young women her age, she admits to an obsession with The Bachelorette television show.

Holder graduated from Greenwood High School in May 2019. While in high school, she was active in theater, student council, Interact Rotary Club and journalism. When she entered Midland College in the fall of 2019, she immediately became involved with Students in Philanthropy. She currently serves as the public relations chair for MCs chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

I have had the privilege to have Sydni in the classroom and to work with her in Phi Theta Kappa, said Terri Gilmour, Government professor and director of the MC Honors Program. She is an absolute dream student leader! Of course, she is an excellent student, but her upbeat personality and her dedication to every endeavor she tackles are contagious to all around her. She is such an asset to Midland College.

I chose Midland College because of affordability and the many scholarships that are available, she said. In addition to Pell grant funding, Ive also been awarded the Students in Philanthropy Scholarship, the Marian and Jan Jones Scholarship, and I was awarded a scholarship from the colleges general scholarship funded by the McGary Regan Foundation.

I certainly have not regretted the decision to attend Midland College. Ive gotten a quality education, and I love the MC community. The teachers and staff want to see students succeed. They are vested in my personal success.

Gilmour is one of the faculty who Holder said has helped her the most.

Not only is Dr. Gilmour a great teacher, but she also a mentor, Holder said. She has good advice for everyday life.

This coming May, Holder will graduate from Midland College and transfer to Texas Tech, where she will major in History. Her ultimate goal is to attend law school and become an attorney.

I love history! Holder exclaimed. History is the study of the sum of human experience. It is concerned with the past and its present legacy.

Ive always wanted to be a lawyer. Im a fan of true crime. My mom wanted to be a lawyer, but life happened, and it didnt work out for her. I guess its in my DNA.

Holder is the daughter of Sharon Holder of Midland and Chris Holder of Abilene. Sharon is a librarian at James R. Brooks Middle School in Greenwood, and Chris works in the oil and gas industry. Her younger sister Bradi is 16 and a junior at Greenwood High School.

Family is important to Sydni Holder. In fact, two days each week, she travels to Big Lake to care for her grandfather Jerry Floyd, which includes taking him to doctors offices and grocery shopping in nearby San Angelo.

The COVID pandemic hit Holder and her family hard. Her grandmother Billie Ruth Floyd contracted COVID in a long-term-care facility in Big Lake and passed away on July 7. In addition, Holder has not been able to find a part-time job. This past summer, she worked approximately 35 hours per week as a barista at a Big Bear Coffee Shop in Silverton, Colorado. When she returned to Midland, she found that there were no job opportunities available.

Ive had part-time jobs since I was 16, Holder explained. While I was in high school, I worked for Jasons Deli and then last year, I worked at Smoothie King. When an opportunity arose for me to spend the summer in Colorado with family friends and work at their coffee shop, I was thrilled to be able to take it. I had no idea that when I returned to Midland I would have so much trouble finding a job.

Holder said that she also struggled with online courses.

I took all online courses last fall before the pandemic, and I missed the face-to-face interaction with other students and teachers, Holder said. So, I enrolled in all face-to-face classes for last springs semester. Then, the pandemic hit, and all my courses were converted to online. In the fall, a lot of people chose online courses because of the fear of catching COVID, but I preferred to just go ahead and enroll in the traditional face-to-face options. They work much better for me.

One of her favorite classes this past fall was Physical Geology taught by Joan Gawloski.

Sydni is a hard worker in the classroom and does quality work, Gawloski noted. She always goes the extra mile, and its all done with a smile!

Despite the obstacles brought about by the pandemic, Sydni Holder still maintains a bright outlook for her future. As she enters her last semester at Midland College, Holder looks forward to a promising future at Texas Tech and then law school.

--

Rebecca Bell is the executive director of Institutional Advancement at Midland College.
By Dawn Stover, Underscore.news

The Brigham Fish Market was bustling on a Monday afternoon in November. Two women shared a meal over beers at an outdoor table overlooking the Columbia River in Cascade Locks. In front of the entrance to the market, a couple dined at a streetside table behind a fish-patterned metal railing. Inside, an older couple pointed out a fresh Chinook salmon fillet in the glass-fronted display, and several people waited for takeout orders in an attractive space decorated with Native American art, blanket samples, and historical fishing photos.

In the kitchen, Terrie Brigham, a Umatilla tribal member who manages the market, was preparing a smoked-salmon quesadilla and Cajun-seasoned halibut and chips. Brighams sister owns the business, which specializes in fresh and smoked fish from the Columbia River, mostly caught by family members.

Brigham says she is one of the lucky ones. The market has stayed open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by relying on takeout orders, outdoor seating, and federal relief funding that helped keep employees on the payroll. A second location, called Brigham Fish n Chips and located in the new food court of the Wildhorse Casino & Resort outside Pendleton, opened in late September.

The Brigham market is surviving, but the pandemic has been hard on many Native Americans who make their living selling fish from the Columbia. COVID-19 has devastated the restaurant industry, causing a major downturn in the market for salmon. Meanwhile, the living conditions at tribal fishing sites and villageslong neglected by the federal governmenthave made it difficult for fishers to practice social distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

One of the lessons learned from the pandemic is that Native American fishers camping or living year-round on the river need better access to health care and other services. With 2020s relatively long fall season behind them, officials are planning for the possibility that COVID-19 will still be a threat when seasonal fishers return to the Columbia in the spring.

Tribal fishermen Sam George (right) and Damien Winnier gillnet fish the Columbia River for Salmon off of the Stanley Rock Treaty Fishing Access Site in Hood River, OR. This year COVID-19 has added challenges to an already lower than average season in terms of salmon runs. Lack of demand because of restaurant closures has pushed down prices, and a difficulty maintaining social distancing puts Indian fishers at increased risk for the disease. Leah Nash/Underscore.news

On the 147-mile stretch of the Columbia from Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam, the only commercial fishing allowed is by the four Columbia Plateau tribes that signed treaties with the federal government in 1855. The treaties ensure the fishing rights of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. Despite those treaties, dwindling salmon runs have forced the tribes to strike a delicate balance between their rights to the salmon, other commercial and recreational fishers, and protecting the environment.

COVID-19 has made salmon fishing, culturally and economically important for the people on this stretch of the Columbia, even more difficult. The outbreak has had a disproportionate impact on tribes. In Oregon, Washington, and a dozen other states, American Indian and Alaska Native people have died at nearly twice the rate of white people.

COVID-19 took from the Yakama Nation two leaders who had long helped protect salmon and fishing rights. In April, tribes mourned the loss of Bobby Begay, a leader at Celilo Village who died at age 51 from complications of the coronavirus. In July, the Yakama Nation mourned for Johnny Jackson, chief of the Cascade Band of the Yakama, an elder who lived on the bank of the White Salmon River near Underwood, Washington, and was a passionate advocate for the River People of the Columbia Gorge and their abiding connection to salmon. Jackson died after being hospitalized with COVID-19.

Other Native people who fish the Columbia continue to be at risk of contracting the coronavirus. They live and work in conditions that can be crowded at times, and their work brings them into contact with people from around the region. But those challenges did not prevent fishers from participating in the 2020 harvest. The annual return of salmon to the river not only connects the four treaty tribes to a way of living that predates their loss of land to white settlers, but also is the primary source of income for many tribal members.

During the fall commercial gillnet fishing season, which ended on Oct. 7, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission staff found itself in pandemic-response mode.

The commission provides technical assistance to the four Columbia Plateau treaty tribes. This year, fish commission employees tasked with helping fishers in business development and regulatory compliance also delivered supplies from the Yakama Nation to fishers camped at access sites on the Columbia River. The food, water, toilet paper, and cleaning and school supplies from the Washington-based tribal government was distributed to people along the river to cope with COVID-19.

When the pandemic hit, people living year-round on the river didnt have easy access to the health care [available] back on the reservation, says commission Executive Director Jaime Pinkham, who is Nez Perce. They were falling through the cracks.

The tribes partnered with One Community Health, which operates clinics on both sides of the Columbia River Gorge, to connect fishers with local health care services. Also, says Pinkham, the fish commission and its partners and funders worked hard to get a medical vehicle to do testing. That van will now be used to do vaccinations on the river.

Tribal fisherwoman Minnie Goudy gillnet fishes the Columbia River for salmon off of the Stanley Rock Treaty Fishing Access Site in Hood River. Leah Nash/Underscore.news

Treaty-tribe fishers got the go-ahead to fish with gill nets during a three-day summer season that began in late June, and again during the much longer fall season that began in August and ended in early October. The tribes closed the gillnet season after steelheads, an oceangoing form of rainbow trout, came back in greater-than-expected numbers, resulting in a large catch that was approaching the harvest limit. The 2020 runs for Chinook salmon, however, were significantly lower than the 10-year average, although more adult spring and summer Chinook salmon passed through Bonneville Dam this year than in 2019.

Fishers who use traditional platforms and dip nets, or conventional hook-and-line gear, were allowed to continue fishing through the end of the year, for both subsistence and commercial sales. Brigham, whose grandfather fished at Celilo Falls, will continue to sell fish that is caught by family members from scaffolds in Cascade Locks.

Overall, the fishing in 2020 was not super amazing, she says. But it could have been worse.

Each year, biologists from the four tribes that have traditionally fished in the Columbia River meet with their counterparts from state and federal agencies. Together, they analyze fish counts and use computer models to make their best guess as to how many fish can be sustainably harvested. After accounting for fish that are needed as hatchery broodstock, or that will be allowed to escape upriver to produce a new generation of wild salmon, they determine how many are available for harvesting.

The individual tribes decide the fishing seasons and regulations for their members. Tribes divide their allocated salmon harvest among three categories: ceremonial use, subsistence, and commercial fishing. Fishers exercising their treaty rights are legally entitled to half the yearly harvest of Columbia River salmon.

Although Native fishers work outdoors, some of their working and living conditions put them at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus. A typical fishing boat used for gillnet fishing is about 20 feet long and has a crew of four people who may or may not be members of the same household. Fishers are elbow-to-elbow while pulling in nets, which makes it impossible to maintain social distance.

While the gillnetting season was open, Brigham limited the size of her crew to reduce the chances of exposure to the coronavirus and to protect her father, who fishes with her. She fished with only her core crew, rather than hiring additional help.

But boats are not the only place where fishers come into close contact.

When the salmon are running, people from across the Pacific Northwest, many of them living on reservations in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, come to the Columbia to fish. Tribal governments urged fishers to start social distancing even before heading to the river, to minimize their contacts with people outside their own households, and to get tested for COVID-19 through tribal clinics.

People tend to travel from village to village, especially during fishing season, says Lana Jack, who identifies as Celilo Wyam. Jack lives in Celilo Village and made regular deliveries this year of face masks, hand sanitizer, and other supplies to people at smaller villages along the Columbia.

Some Native American fishers live year-round at 31 fishing sites along the Columbia that are reserved for their use; many others join them seasonally. Many people at these sites are living in conditions that are unsafe and unsanitary. Legislation enacted in December 2019 authorized the Secretary of the Interior to assess and improve facilities at fishing sites, but that process is still in the assessment phase. The omnibus spending bill Congress passed shortly before the end of the year set aside $1.5 million for the treaty sites in 2021.

Tribal governments brought in wash stations and additional portable toilets, and they increased janitorial services. But even at the best-equipped sites, fishers must share facilities such as showers and fish-cleaning stations. They have to crowd around processing tables that are not much bigger than a dining table. The least-developed sites have only pit toilets and no running water. In the fall, the busiest season, hundreds of people fish on the river, and 2020 was no different.

The pandemic also brought new procedures for mask wearing and physical distancing at wholesale and over-the-bank sales stations. At the wholesale stations, fishermen couldnt get out of their vehicles, says Brigham. But at over-the-bank stations, where fishers sell their catch directly to customers, not all of the customers took care to wear masks.

The federal government has broken its promises to construct permanent housing for Native American families whose homes along the Columbia were inundated by dam construction. Celilo Village, which is visible from Interstate 84, is the only site where the government has constructed replacement houses for Native Americans since dam construction began in the 1930s.

At sites such as Lone Pine in The Dalles, residents still lack access to basic amenities, including running water, electrical connections, and a sewer system.

Its not just about building houses, Pinkham says. River communities also need adequate health care and social services, a year-round economy, and schools for their children. Covid has taught us a lot about the infrastructure for a long-term sustainable community on the river, he says.

Living conditions at camps and villages werent the only challenges for fishers coping with COVID-19. Because of the virus, the fall commercial fishing season took place in a radically altered economic environment. In the U.S., about 70% of all seafood is consumed in restaurants, so restaurant closures and restrictions necessitated by the pandemic have had a major impact on the salmon business.

There are two types of customers for Columbia River salmon caught by Native fishers: The majority of the catch is purchased by wholesalers, who in turn sell the fish to higher-end restaurants and grocery stores. The rest is sold over the bank directly to the public, either at businesses like the Brigham Fish Market or at small stands near the river in Cascade Locks and other locations along the Columbia River Gorge.

Roughly 75% to 80% of tribal fishers on the Columbia sell to wholesalers. This year, not as many wholesalers showed up to buy fish. Fishers can still sell directly to customers or to small markets like Brighams, but that doesnt make up for the loss of their biggest market.

Additionally, fishers couldnt apply for coronavirus assistance funding provided by the CARES Act until the commercial fishing season was underway, months after the pandemic began, because applicants were required to provide extensive documentation of their receipts and expenditurespaperwork that many fishers didnt have.

Sales both to wholesalers and to the public have traditionally been cash transactions, and fishers have paid their crew members in cash. Many of them havent kept good records, and this traditional way of doing business has proved to be a problem in the time of COVID-19. Organizations like CRITFC and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission have tried to help fishers quantify the economic impacts of the pandemic on their livelihoods, but the process has been frustrating for those who rely on the informal economy.

Many of these health and economic challenges are continuing into 2021. They come on top of climate forecasts that predict a continued decline in salmon runs.

That wont stop fishing on the Columbia. As COVID-19 vaccines begin to roll out, people who fish the river eagerly await the arrival of the first spring Chinook salmon, which usually happens in early April.

Its part of our identity to fish and to eat fish, says Jeremy FiveCrows, who is Nez Perce and works as a public affairs specialist at CRITFC. For tribal people, theres no way to keep them away from the river.
The two-story addition will contain a new combination gym and fine arts stage, with seating for about 750 people, as well as new state-of-the-art classrooms on the second floor that will be geared toward science, technology, engineering, arts and math, the district said. Green roof space outdoors will also be available as instructional space, according to the district.
A centre for ethnic Bulgarian local government, education and culture will be built in Budapest with support of 3 billion forints (EUR 840m) from the governments of Hungary and Bulgaria.

State secretary for church and ethnic relations, Miklos Soltesz, told a press conference that the Hungarian government is providing 2.6 billion forints and the Bulgarian government 1 million euros for the project to be built in Vagohid street, in the citys 9th district, next to the Saint Cyrill and Saint Method Bulgarian Orthodox Church (pictured on top).



The ethnic Bulgarian community has in exchange agreed to return their right to use a state-owned property in Bajza Street.





MTI Photo: Marton Monus
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SANTA FE  Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed optimism Monday that state lawmakers this year will authorize a constitutional amendment to withdraw more money from the Land Grant Permanent Fund to expand early childhood programs.

The proposal would also require voter and congressional approval.

I feel very good about getting this resolution over the finish line, Lujan Grisham said in an online news conference Monday.

The state House has passed the measure in each of the last four years, only to have it blocked in the Senate.

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But voters substantially reshaped the composition of the Senate this year and handed Democrats a 27-15 majority. Altogether, 11 of the Senates 42 members will be new this session.

The proposed legislation, House Joint Resolution 1, would boost the amount withdrawn from the states largest permanent fund each year to 6%, up from 5% now.

It would generate about $180 million a year, the bulk of it dedicated to early childhood education services, such as prekindergarten, home visiting programs for new parents and similar programs.
Despite a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 56,000 Iranians, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned Western coronavirus vaccines, claiming theyre untrustworthy.

The import of American and British vaccines is banned, Khamenei said on January 8.

The surprise announcement was met with anger by Iranians who have in past weeks called on their government to purchase safe vaccines as soon as possible.

Analysts and experts accused Khamenei of politicizing the issue and endangering the well-being of Iranian citizens, who are faced with the Middle Easts deadliest outbreak.

Why Did Iran Ban Western Coronavirus Vaccines?

The decision appears to be the result of the worldview of Khamenei, Irans highest political and religious authority. Khamenei is deeply mistrustful of the United States and other Western countries and has cited unfounded conspiracy theories about the coronavirus's origins since the early weeks of the outbreak in Iran. The ban also highlights Tehrans tense ties with Washington, which have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump left the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed crippling sanctions.

Speaking on January 8, Khamenei claimed that Western companies want to test their vaccines on Iranians.

If their Pfizer company can produce vaccines, why dont they use it themselves so that they dont have so many dead? The same applies to Britain," Khamenei said.

He meanwhile failed to acknowledge that such vaccines had already been deployed in Western countries, where a number of national leaders have been among the first to receive them in an effort to instill public confidence.

"Our people will not be a testing device for vaccine manufacturing companies," the Iranian leader said. His country will purchase safe foreign vaccines, he said, without providing details.

Meanwhile, Iranian health authorities have promoted the possible import of vaccines from India, China, or Russia, and reportedly even agreed to allow a Cuban vaccine candidate to be tested on Iranians.

Ali Vaez, director of the International Crisis Group's (ICG) Iran Project, says the ban is the triumph of ideology over common sense.

Its not just a reckless politicization of the Iranian peoples well-being, but an ill-advised political move, Vaez told RFE/RL.

Early in the outbreak, in March, Khamenei dismissed an offer of assistance by the Trump administration, which has refused to ease sanctions despite the pandemic and calls for such a move from UN officials, some U.S. lawmakers, and others. Khamenei also went so far as to suggest -- without citing evidence -- that the coronavirus that has now killed nearly 400,000 Americans might have been manufactured by the United States.

Iranian officials have complained that the sanctions have hampered their efforts to contain the crisis.

Khameneis ban followed a December 28 announcement by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) that a group of U.S.-based philanthropists had donated 150,000 doses of a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that were supposed to be transferred to Iran within three weeks.

Following Khameneis ban, an IRCS spokesman said the plan had been dropped.

Saeid Golkar, a senior fellow on Iran policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, called the ban another example of [Khamenei's] micromanagement and intervention in the everyday lives of citizens.

Ayatollah Khamenei makes this inefficient and ultimately authoritarian regime more ineffective, Golkar told RFE/RL.

What Are Supporters Of The Ban Saying?

Since Khameneis public announcement of the ban, government officials have fallen in line by criticizing Western vaccines.

President Hassan Rohani said on January 9 that some companies wanted to test their products on our people, without getting into specifics.

The hard-line parliament on January 11 echoed support for a ban on Western-made vaccines. In doing so, it appeared to fabricate evidence for such a move.

"Due to evidence of shock, side effects, and even deaths in some cases after injecting the vaccines, including those from Pfizer, the government should ban the import of vaccines produced by American, British, and French companies," 200 of the 290 parliament members said in a statement.

Iranian officials had previously suggested that the country did not have the required infrastructure to handle the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at extremely low temperatures, and also suggested it was too expensive.

Hard-liners have made similarly unfounded claims that Western vaccines can cause serious health issues such as cancer and infertility, or even turn Iranians into robots.

An official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed, inexplicably, that companies that produce COVID-19 vaccines are working to reduce the worlds population by 20 percent.



There is evidence that these institutions have themselves manipulated and infected the virus, deputy IRGC coordinator Mohammad Reza Naghdi said.

A former IRGC commander claimed this week that some Western companies inject global-positioning technology into peoples bodies via vaccines to control them.

They want to control us to the point that we become Ironmen, Hossein Kanani Moghadam was quoted by Iranian media as saying.

What Are Opponents Of The Ban Saying?

Medical experts have said that there is no basis for the anti-Western vaccine claims and warned that Iran's ban could complicate its peoples timely access to COVID-19 preventatives.

Its an ideological decision. Its not based on science, Tehran-based psychiatrist Hessam Firouzi told RFE/RLs Radio Farda.

We shouldnt ban medicine from some countries because were having problems with them, Firouzi said, adding that Western medicine and vaccines are routinely used in Iran.

In a letter to Rohani, Irans Medical Council called for the purchase of effective vaccines based on a scientific approach and free from political issues to inoculate vulnerable groups as quickly as possible.

The council said separately that 200 Iranian doctors have died of COVID-19 and that more than 3,000 have emigrated since the outbreak in Iran began.

Many Iranians took to Twitter to criticize the ban.

Former Interior Ministry official Mostafa Tajzadeh said that no official, not even the supreme leader, has the right to make unprofessional comments about how to deal with the coronavirus or make decisions contrary to the recommendations of experts.

To highlight the perceived absurdity of the ban, some people have posted a photo in which Khameneis doctor -- U.S.-educated Alireza Marandi -- is seen next to German scientist Ugur Sahin, who helped create the Pfizer vaccine. Sahin was the 2019 recipient of Irans biennial Mustafa Prize for leading Muslim scientists.

What Are Iranians' Options?

Some Health Ministry officials have recently promoted COVID-19 vaccines developed by China that are already being rolled out in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the Seychelles.

The head of Irans Medical Council, Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, said on January 12 that the country will import 2 million coronavirus vaccines before the Iranian New Year on March 21 from India, China, or Russia.

Zafarghandi also suggested that Iran could still purchase British-Swiss pharmaceutical AstraZeneca's vaccine, which was developed with the University of Oxford.

I dont understand why it is called a British vaccine. It has been manufactured by Sweden and its scientific research has been done in Oxford, he said.

He added that its purchase from various sources is on the agenda.

Iran has also said that it is collaborating on a coronavirus vaccine with a Cuban research institute, despite international questions about its testing methods.

Last month, officials in Tehran said they had launched a clinical trial of Iran's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine.

Those tests are presumably ongoing but, even if they are effective, it could take months before the vaccine could be deployed and it might run into the kind of public distrust that has accompanied Iranian officials' dubious infection statistics since the first days of the crisis.

Ive been a physician for 20 years, [and] I can say that 70 percent of my patients ask me whether they should buy the Iranian or foreign version of medications I prescribe. Isnt the Western-made one better?" Firouzi quoted them as saying.

Radio Farda broadcaster Mohammad Zarghami contributed to this report.
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Authorities Remain on Alert in Brisbane for Virus

Three new cases of the CCP virus have been detected in Brisbane hotel quarantine, one of which is the partner of the quarantine hotel cleaner who sparked the three-day lockdown.

The man initially tested negative in the morning on Jan. 7 but became unwell in the evening.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young is asking anyone who has been to the venues he visited in the two days before Jan. 7 to come forward for testing.

The venues are Bunnings Warehouse Acacia Ridge, between 2 p.m. and 2.15 p.m. on Jan. 5; and Sunnybank Cellars, between 2.05 p.m. and 2.15 p.m. on Jan. 6.

The risk is low, but the risk is there, so I really ask you to come forward, she told reporters.

Dr Jeannette Young looks on at a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on Jan. 11, 2021. (Jono Searle/Getty Images)

She also urged anyone who went to three venues visited by the hotel cleaner last week to come forward and get tested.

Those sites included Woolworths at Calamvale North, Coles Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown, and a Sunnybank Hills newsagent and were visited between Jan. 3-5.

The other two confirmed cases are a man and his daughter who returned from Lebanon and tested positive while in quarantine.

As of Jan. 12, Queensland does not require Victorians coming into the state to be tested unless they have symptoms, no matter how mild.

Health minister Yvette DAth looks on at a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on Jan. 09, 2021. (Jono Searle/Getty Images)

State Health Minister Yvette DAth urged Queenslanders to get tested in order for health authorities to monitor for outbreaks.

Masks are mandatory in supermarkets, shops, indoor markets, places of worship, libraries, gyms and indoor recreational facilities such as cinemas and art galleries until Jan. 22.

They must also be worn on public transport, taxis, and rideshare vehicles and should be carried at all times.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said while officers would enforce mask-wearing they may also offer people masks if they dont have one.

We will always give people the opportunity to comply with the directions, he said. However, if people choose not to do that, there are strict penalties that apply and up to a $1300 fine could be imposed.

Gatherings in private homes have been capped at 20 people and capacity is restricted at pubs, restaurants, and cafes.

Young also said an ongoing investigation into how the hotel cleaner became infected might not be conclusive.

Police are trying to recreate the entire timeline to pinpoint any specific breach.

It still may be that we will never get to the bottom of whatever actually happened because it could be something quite incidental to do with how infectious disease is, Commissioner Gollschewski said. But we will absolutely look at everything in the whole process.

The total number of active cases in Queensland is 28.
Journalists sit next to the screens showing Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivering a speech via video for the opening ceremony of the 3rd China International Import Expo at a media center in Shanghai on Nov. 4, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing-Linked Group Seeks to Sway US Media With Reporter Trips, Dinners With Execs

A group tied to Beijing has organized trips to China for more than 120 journalists from almost 50 U.S. media outlets since 2009, as part of a broad campaign to deepen the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) influence in the United States.

Called the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), the group is a Hong Kong-based nonprofit headed by billionaire Tung Chee-hwa, a Chinese regime official. Tung was formerly the Chief Executive (top government leader) of Hong Kong and is currently a vice-chairman of the CCPs political advisory body, the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference. CUSEF is registered as a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

FARA filings reveal how the group has tried to sway media coverage and shape public opinion in the United States.

Alongside trips for journalists, the group has organized trips for current and former lawmakers, courted media executives from major publications via private dinners, and aimed to cultivate a group of third party supporters in the United States to generate positive opinion articles on China that would appear in Western media outlets.

The activities offer a glimpse into the CCPs sprawling efforts to influence public perceptions and sway elite opinion in Western democracies, in an effort to persuade governments to adopt policies in tune with Beijings agenda. The goal of this campaign, dubbed United Front work by the Party, is to make Americans receptive to Beijings form of authoritarianism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a speech last October.

By targeting foreign news outlets, the regime hopes to limit negative media coverage of Beijing, while boosting favorable coverage, Grant Newsham, a senior fellow at Washington-based think tank Center for Security Policy, said in an email.

Positive storiessuch as how many shiny skyscrapers there are in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and how the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] has been so successful in battling COVID-19, and how the Chinese economy has recovered nicelyshape both public and official thinking in the U.S.and ultimately shapes official (and business and financial) policy towards China, Newsham said.

Media Engagement

FARA filings from 2011 made by BLJ Global, a public relations firm hired by CUSEF, laid out a multi-pronged plan to frame public discourse on U.S.-China relations in positive termscentered on the idea of China as an indispensable partner to the U.S.

The firm listed the objectives of its work for CUSEF as: Develop and foster a community of like-minded experts on U.S.-China relations; Build relationships with influential media figures who can serve as positive voices for discussions on U.S.-China relations; and Construct a positive and cohesive message of U.S.-China engagement and work to broadcast that message through the Chairman [Tung]  Third-party supporters and organizations, and the media.

Its target for 2010 was to place an average of three articles a week in various publications containing statements in support of China. In 2009, the firm assisted or directly influenced the publication of 26 opinion articles and quotes within 103 articles, the filing stated.

Some positive opinion articles would be written by CUSEFs third party supporters, a group of experts, former politicians, and influential figures whose membership BLJ sought to expand, given their key role in effectively disseminat[ing] positive messages to the media, key influencers and opinion leaders, and the general public.

Journalist Trips

Since 2009, BLJ has organized journalist trips for 128 journalists from 48 U.S. outlets, including Washington Post, the New York Times, the L.A. Times, Vox, NPR, and NBC, according to a review of FARA filings.

The firm, in the 2011 filing, called the visits familiarization trips intended to recruit top journalists to travel to China, selected for effectiveness and opportunities for favorable coverage.

These visits should be designed to offer a fresh and positive look at Chinas accomplishments, and underscore how important it is for the U.S. to engage directly with China, it said.

In 2009, two trips attended by reporters from seven publications yielded 28 articles, the filing said.

The China trips, Newsham said, resembles the Chinese regimes longstanding practice of visit diplomacy and hospitality that works so well with government officials and businessmen from many countries.

He added this approach works really well with people who have only limited experience with China.

Journalists may believe they are immune from the regimes influence efforts, Newsham said. But thats hard to believe.

Shift in Perceptions

The Chinese regime has heralded foreign journalist trips like those funded by CUSEF as important programs through which reporters can understand the real China.

The Chinese Peoples Institute of Foreign Affairs, a state-controlled body that regularly funds trips for foreign officials, plays host for the journalists on the CUSEF-sponsored trips.

Then-director of the Institute Yang Wenchang, at an internal meeting in 2009, called U.S. media visits a very good experiment, noting that such efforts needed to be carried out for the long term with an emphasis on creating a unique brand.

In 2020, director of the institute Wang Chao wrote in their in-house publication that the organization has made increasing efforts to invite foreign media groups to China so that they can experience Chinas progress firsthand, and use these media as a window to make more foreigners see a real China.

The Party-run AllChina Journalists Association has been running a journalist exchange program since 2010. A 2016 state media article boasted that foreign media visits organized by the association have played a key role in expanding Chinas international friend circle.

Such trips have allowed reporters who have never been to China and have been deeply influenced by biased U.S. reporting on China to have in-depth conversations with Chinese officials, experts, and media counterparts about Chinas development, which helps to clear much of the misunderstanding or concerns, the article said.

It further cited testimonials from a senior editor at Huffington Post, who said the visits arranged by the association made him realize how ignorant the U.S. press circle is about China.

A Pulitzer-winning financial columnist with the L.A. Times, after a 9-day visit to China, said he found that the understanding from U.S. media about China will never catch up with the speed of Chinas development, according to the report.

A reporter with Reuters, identified as Patrick, said the China visit had changed his perception about the role of Chinese media.

Before visiting China, I thought that Chinese media served the goal of class struggle, but after coming here I found that this idea remains fixated on the Cultural Revolution period, which is somewhat laughable, he said, according to the Chinese article. He called the media exchange quite valuable.

The regime has also utilized these media trips in times of crisis, seeking to sway foreign media sentiments to its side. Following two major protests by ethnic minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang against the Partys rule in 2008 and 2009 respectively, which the CCP branded as riots, the association condemned Western media that fabricated news at the earliest opportunity, according to a 2011 article by state-run media Xinhua. The group promptly arranged foreign media for on-site interviews  to create a favorable public opinion for the handling of the incidents, the article said.

Reuters declined to comment. Huffington Post and L.A. Times did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Private Dinners

From 2009 to 2017, CUSEF hosted a range of dinners and meetings with representatives from 35 outlets, including Time magazine, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Times, AP, and Reuters.

Private dinners hosted by Tung with executives and editors at top American publicationsusually in Washington and New Yorkwere described by BLJ in the 2011 FARA filing as invaluable for their effectiveness in engaging support from the leaders of the news industry.

While it cannot be quantified, the influence that Mr. Tung has had on high-level opinion-formers has served to sway news coverage in major outlets and influence the elite, BLJ continued.

As vice chair of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, Tung presides over a key unit in the regimes United Front network. The advisory body self-identifies as a patriotic united front organization for promoting socialist democracy.

United Front work, described by Party leaders as a magic weapon, involves the efforts of thousands of groups inside and outside of China that carry out political influence operations, suppress dissident movements, gather intelligence, and facilitate the transfer of technology to China.

Tung, a Shanghai-born Hong Kong businessman, was the first chief executive of Hong Kong after the city transferred from British to Chinese rule in 1997. He resigned in 2005 before finishing his second term. While in office, he oversaw the drafting of the controversial anti-subversion bill called Article 23, which triggered the citys largest protests until the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019.

He has consistently expressed loyalty to the Chinese regime, most recently in December by voicing his support for the national security law that Beijing imposed on the city last year. He has also claimed that Beijing did not breach its promises under the one country, two systems formulaunder which Hong Kong was to retain autonomy and freedoms not found in the mainlandand has not intruded in Hong Kong affairs for the past 22 years.

In a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2017, Xi praised Tung for selflessly devoting your time, energy, wisdom, and resources to the nation, and establishing an example for latecomers.

CUSEF and BLJ did not respond to requests for comment. CUSEF, in a 2017 statement to Foreign Policy, denied any connection to the Chinese regime. We do not aim to promote or support the policies of any one government, a spokesperson said at the time.

The Lure of Chinese Money

Besides fostering influence through personal relationships, the CCP yields more direct influence on Western media by controlling their ability to operate in China and their access to Chinese citizens, Newsham noted.

If you write something too critical of the CCP  you can be kicked out of the country, Newsham said. So it leads to a degree of self-censorshipthat inevitably weakens the coverage of [China] in that it presents a less than accurate account of things.

Foreign correspondents in China have accused the regime of weaponizing visas to pressure foreign media to alter their reporting. Last February, the regime revoked the visas of three Wall Street Journal reporters after the newspaper declined to apologize for running an opinion article headlined, China is the Real Sick Man of Asia.

In 2013, Bloomberg pulled the plug on an investigative report on ties between Wang Jianlin, then Chinas richest man, and top CCP leaders, for fear of retribution from Beijing, NPR reported last year. It is for sure going to, you know, invite the Communist Party to, you know, completely shut us down and kick us out of the country, Bloomberg then-editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler said in an October 2013 conference call obtained by NPR. Theyll probably shut us down.

Successful Campaign

Newsham said Beijings efforts to sway American press coverage have been rather successful.

Consider also how long it took to get any sort of decent press coverage of Chinese genocide in Xinjiang, or any coverage at all, of CCP organ harvesting from Chinese, often Falun Gong, victims, he said, referring to a spiritual group that has been severely persecuted in China since 1999. From the CCPs perspective, thats a success.

Besides underreporting Beijings human rights abuses, U.S. media outlets often fail to account for the Chinese regimes role in precipitating crises on domestic soil.

For instance, in its coverage of the CCP Virus pandemic, the mainstream media refused to even entertain the possibility it leaked from a Chinese lab. And they attacked such claims as fake news, Newsham said.

He noted that this theory has only recently appeared to gain more acceptance in media coverage. But the media wasted a year at least, and allowed the PRC to obscure the story.

Press coverage of the fentanyl crisis that kills tens of thousands of Americans each year also routinely fails to mention that the synthetic drugs originate from China, Newsham noted. Meanwhile, reports on the Chinese economy very rarely mention that official economic and financial statistics are unreliable, or that there is no rule of law in the country, he added.

Newsham suggested the matter of the medias engagement with the Chinese regime comes down to principle ultimately.

Would these reporters/executives have done something similar with South Africas apartheid era government? Maybe not.
Fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is threatening a companys controversial plans to retrieve and exhibit the radio that had broadcast distress calls from the sinking Titanic, according to a court filing made by the firm.

The company, RMS Titanic Inc., said on Monday that its revenues plummeted after coronavirus restrictions closed its exhibits of Titanic artifacts, causing the firm to seek funding through its parent company. Some of the exhibitions, which are scattered across the US, are still closed, while others that have reopened are seeing limited attendance.

RMS Titanic recently missed a deadline with a federal admiralty court in Virginia to submit a funding plan for the radio expedition. The company left open the possibility that it may no longer seek the courts approval for the undertaking if a plan isnt submitted in the coming weeks.

The Titanic's bow at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Credit:AP

The companys update, filed with a US District Court in Norfolk, was made in the midst of an ongoing court battle with the United States over whether the expedition is legal.

Cubase 11 is an outstanding release, which includes many enhancements and new features to make producing music easier, quicker and, yes, make Cubase more fun to use as well," said Matthias Quellmann, Steinbergs Senior Marketing Manager for Cubase.

Steinberg is featuring Cubase 11, comprising Pro, Artist and Elements editions, during NAMMs virtual Believe in Music week starting January 21. Each edition has the same core technologies but with dedicated tools tailored to the scope and scale of individual music production requirements.

Cubase is celebrated for its comprehensive feature set, powerful tools and unparalleled sound quality. Since 1989, Cubase has been bringing technological advancements to the table, the German expertise in creating which has been accumulated over three decades of core contributions to the industry. Now, Cubase 11 is the next major step in the long evolution of DAWs.

Guiding you on your music production journey

Cubase 11 is for music producers, songwriters, engineers and composers and those who aspire to become all of these. Version 11 not only delivers a myriad of workflow and performance improvements across the entire range. It has also upgraded the smaller Artist and Elements editions: VariAudio 3, ARA 2 support and unlimited audio, MIDI and instrument tracks in Artist, and side-chain support in Elements. Combining these enhancements and upgrades with the exciting newly introduced features provides genuine inspiration for the creative journey of producing music to the highest standards.

Exclusively available in Pro

Cubase Pro 11 focuses on making printing stems a much easier task. Exporting processes can be queued and exported in one operation, with the export selection easily aligned with the selection made in the project, and controlling the full signal path, including channel insert effects group sends and master bus effects, is now a reality within Cubase.

Another focus within the Pro edition is synchronization across different windows. With Global Tracks now displayed in the Key Editor, staying in sync with tempo changes or markers is possible without ever having to leave the editor.

The Frequency EQ plug-in has received an update, now delivering dynamic response options: dynamic mode for each of its eight bands makes the filter nodes follow the input signal, and the newly introduced multiple side-chaining allows each band in Frequency to be set to an individual side-chain.

The Score Editor comes with many new enhancements. The new Properties provides instant access to matching options and notation settings, with Note Editing Overlay notes now edited as conveniently as in the Key Editor. The Score Editor now also supports the SMuFL font format, bringing Doricos Bravura and Petaluma fonts to Cubase for the first time.

Other new additions in Cubase Pro 11 are Eucon integration for supporting the latest Avid consoles, the remote recording plug-in VST Connect SE 5 with a resizable and HiDPI-ready user interface, and 5.1 surround sound support for the MultiTap Delay signal processor.

Amazing additions to Pro and Artist

Available in both Cubase Pro and Cubase Artist, SuperVision is a fully customizable, multimeter audio analyzer, providing up to nine module slots for level, spectral, phase and waveform analysis,

Alongside the many refinements included in Pro and Artist, such as new Marker Lines, Pitch Visibility and improvements to the Range Selection tool and ARA workflow, additional tools have been introduced. These include Imager, the new multiband plug-in that contributes to a cleaner mix, and SpectraLayers One, a compact version of the acclaimed SpectraLayers Pro 7. Imager offers four bands for placing audio tracks in the stereo field, and the individual scope and correlation displays facilitating an easier panning to make the tracks sit perfectly in the stereo spectrum, while SpectraLayers One lets users visualize and edit audio in the spectral domain.

Family features for Pro, Artist and Elements

The Sampler Track in Cubase 11 boasts many new additions, such as the new slicing mode for loop-based samples, two global LFOs for more complex filtering sounds, and the new mono legato glide, which is ideal for bass lines.

The Scale Assistant is another addition to the Key Editor, setting the scale to ensure that all notes are played in perfect tune. Change the view so that only the notes of the set scale are displayed or let the Scale Assistant analyze the played MIDI notes and change them to the correct scale. Further improvements to the Key Editors capabilities include creating ramps and curves in the CC and Pitch Bend lanes, setting pitch bend steps to semitones, copying CC edits to another MIDI track and deleting MIDI notes with a simple double-click  its often the small things that make all the difference.

Also new to Cubase 11 is Squasher, a great tool that combines upward and downward audio compression for up to three bands, making it extremely flexible for adjusting the dynamic range.

Cubase 11 also comes with fresh-new content: six sound and loop sets have been created by hip-hop producer Beat Butcha, Hollywood sound designer Robert Dudzic and Black Octopus Sound, covering a wide range of music styles that will help to quickly jump-start any music production project.

Additional features across the three editions of Cubase include variable DPI on Windows 10, with more scaling settings than ever before, optimized performance for Metal-capable GPUs, further optimization for real-time processing on systems with more than eight cores, and a new multiple side-chain input architecture.

Steinbergs Senior Marketing Manager for Cubase, Matthias Quellmann, commented: Cubase 11 is an outstanding release, which includes many enhancements and new features to make producing music easier, quicker and, yes, make Cubase more fun to use as well. We have been working closely with producers and composers to see what developments would enhance their workflow: some have a big impact on how one works in Cubase while others are small, detailed changes that make certain processes run just that much more smoothly. Overall, Cubase 11 is an essential update for all Cubase users as well as being the ideal version for those looking to dive into the world of music production for the first time.

Availability and pricing

Cubase Pro 11, Cubase Artist 11 and Cubase Elements 11 are available from resellers and through the Steinberg Online Shop.

Suggested retail pricing:

Boxed

Cubase 11 Pro - $579.99

Cubase Artist 11 - $329.99

Cubase Elements 11 - $99.99

Download Only

Cubase 11 Pro - $552.00

Cubase Artist 11 - $302.00

Cubase Elements 11 - $99.99

Various downloadable updates and upgrades, crossgrades, and education versions are exclusively available through the Steinberg Online Shop.

Customers who have activated Cubase Pro 10.5, Cubase Artist 10.5 and Cubase Elements 10.5 or earlier versions since October 14, 2020, are eligible for a free, downloadable grace period update to the latest version, respectively.

New features



Advanced Audio Export: Save time with new export queues [Pro]

Sampler Track 2: New creative features including slicing, LFOs and legato glide [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Scale Assistant: Follow, quantize and play live to a set scale [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Advanced Key Editor: Create perfect pitch bends and more [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Global Tracks: Stay in sync more easily [Pro]

Frequency 2: Amazingly precise dynamic EQ for better mixing [Pro]

Squasher: Improve leads, tame bass and enhance reverb for EDM [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Score Editor: Workflow improvements and beautiful new fonts [Pro]

New Samples: Six fresh sound and loop sets [Pro, Artist, Elements]

SuperVision: Super-flexible, customizable metering [Pro, Artist]

Imager: Multiband stereo placement for perfect panning [Pro, Artist]

MultiTap Delay Surround Support: Delay in up to 5.1 surround sound [Pro]

Windows 10 Variable DPI: More scaling settings [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Cubase Artists/Elements Upgrades: More bang for fewer bucks [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Multiple Side-Chain: Improved input architecture [Pro, Artist, Elements]

Eucon Support: Latest Avid console compatibility [Pro]

VST Connect SE 5: Resizable HiDPI-ready interface for remote recording solutions [Pro]

Workflow and UI Improvements: Refinements to make your working life easier [Pro, Artist]

Apple Metal Acceleration: Enjoy maximum Mac performance [Pro, Artist, Elements]

SpectraLayers One: Remarkable visual editing and audio source separation [Pro, Artist]

Links

Product page: http://www.steinberg.net/cubase

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/cubase

About Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH

Steinberg is known the world over for its music and audio software and hardware solutions. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling innovative products for musicians and producers in the music, film, post production and multimedia industries since 1984. Steinberg products are used by Grammy and Oscar award-winning composers, engineers and producers. The company also offers business customers license-management and copy-protection systems.

Visit http://www.steinberg.net for further details.
An Oklahoma grandmother. The CEO of a Chicago-area marketing firm. A Florida man convicted of attempted murder. A leader of the group of far-right street brawlers known as the Proud Boys. An Iraq war veteran who works at a Seattle-area packaging plant. A newly sworn-in West Virginia lawmaker.

Hailing from across the country and comprising a variety of backgrounds, many who rampaged through the U.S. Capitol Wednesday had one thing in common: an unfounded certainty that President Trump had won re-election. In the days since the attackresulting in five deaths, including a police officer who was killed and a rioter shot by policea clearer picture of the angry mob has begun to emerge.

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Some had expressed their anger openly on social media. Some had been in trouble before, with backgrounds including arrests, financial problems and affiliations with extremist groups, according to public records and online posts. Some led unassuming lives, with dumbfounded family members saying they had no idea how their loved ones got swept up in the chaos inside the Capitol.

By Friday night, more than 40 people had been charged in D.C.s superior court and at least 13 had been charged in federal court with gun crimes, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, assaulting an officer and other charges, according to authorities.

Much remains unknown about the rampage, including all that happened inside the Capitol walls once the protesters breached the exterior and how much of the attack was planned in advance.

But through arrest records, online accounts and interviews with family members, a portrait is coming into focus of a collective whose rage had been simmering for months, sometimes years, and last week reached a boil.

Among the shouting protesters rushing into the Capitol, Mark Leffingwell came face to face with U.S. Capitol Officer Daniel Amendola and began punching him repeatedly in the helmet and chest, according to a court filing. Mr. Leffingwell, a 51-year-old military veteran from Washington state, struggled with Officer Amendola and other police before they were finally able to control him and place him under arrest.

Some of the rioters had long been steeped in political grievances.

Weeks before, retired firefighter Richard Barnett from Gravette, Ark., said in a video posted on Facebook that he believed the country was beyond Democrats versus Republicans and in a battle between freedom and good versus evil."

The silent majority has been silent long enough, and were standing up," he said while holding a long gun. We have to take this snake off at the head."

He was photographed with his feet on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office.

I did not steal itI put a quarter on her desk even though she aint f---ing worth it. And I left a note on her desk that says, Nancy, Bigo was here, you Bitch," Mr. Barnett, who calls himself Bigo, told a news outlet, describing how he took an envelope from Mrs. Pelosis office during the riot.

Mr. Barnetts comments are laid out in a police affidavit. He is currently being held in a detention center in Washington County, according to booking records, on charges of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and theft of public money, property, or records. He couldnt be reached for comment.

Bradley Rukstales and Michael Curzio were among six people arrested as part of a large crowd observed inside the Capitol kicking chairs and throwing an unknown substance at police officers, according to a warrant.

Mr. Rukstales, chief executive of a small Chicago-area marketing technology firm, later issued a statement on Twitter that he followed hundreds of others through an open set of doors to the Capitol building to see what was taking place inside."

It was the single worst personal decision of my life," the statement said. I have no excuse for my actions and I wish I could take them back." He couldnt be reached for comment.

Mr. Rukstaless company, Cogensia, suspended him after his arrest Wednesday and then fired him Friday, as the company became the target of ire, and some called on social media for a boycott of the business. The company said it condemns what occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, and we intend to continue to embrace the values of integrity, diversity and transparency in our business operations, and expect all employees to embrace those values as well."

Mr. Curzio, 35 years old, is from Summerfield, Fla., a small unincorporated community north of Orlando. According to Florida records, Mr. Curzio was released from prison in February 2019 after being sentenced for attempted first-degree murder six years earlier. Local news accounts of the incident said Mr. Curzio shot his ex-girlfriends boyfriend during a dispute. According to a news report at the time, Mr. Curzio told police he had made a mistake.

Melissa Restifo, a close friend, said Mr. Curzio was not a monster, far from it."

He wanted to stand up for our rights as citizens of this great country," said Ms. Restifo in text messages to The Wall Street Journal, noting her friend had always been a staunch supporter of President Trump.

In a video posted on Facebook and aired by WFTV 9 ABC before it was removed, Mr. Curzio discussed traveling to the Jan. 6 rally. If anything happens, we get f---ed up, arrested or killed. Just know, man, I love yall, and I did what I believed in," he said.

Ms. Restifo said she felt uneasy about Mr. Curzio attending the rally and worried something bad would happen.

I believe that he and everyone else regrets how the situation unfolded. How could you not?" she said.

Mr. Curzio, who couldnt be reached for comment, is in the process of getting a lawyer, Ms. Restifo said.

There is no indication that Mr. Rukstales and Mr. Curzio knew one another before they were placed in handcuffs and arrested together inside the Capitol.

A defining feature of the Capitol riot was the blending of hard-core extremists with large numbers of mainstream Americans, said Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks U.S. extremist movements.

In Charlottesville," he said, referring to the deadly 2017 rally in Virginia, there was a hardened group of white supremacists that converged from all over the country." But at the Capitol, you had hard-core white supremacists who came from all over the countryand in addition you had ordinary people, thousands and thousands."

Right-wing extremists amplified their violent rhetoric online in the days before the storming of the Capitol, according to Brian Levin, a former New York City police officer who now directs the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. The extremists communicated via social networks like Parler and 4chan, both popular with far-right groups.

The Proud Boys, a far-right, men-only group of what it calls Western chauvinists," were among those in attendance. We are everywhere," read a Jan. 6 post on a Proud Boys channel on the messaging app Telegram. Things will get difficult soon but dont lose heart. We are growing and our unity will terrify the evil elites running this nation."

Several men who marched with the Proud Boys donned orange hats, helping disguise their connection to the group, according to Will Sommer, a journalist with the Daily Beast who saw them.

The Journal earlier reported that men in orange hats and military-style vests were among the first to push through a security barricade, spurring the first siege of the nations Capitol by U.S. citizens.

As recently as last months violent unrest following a Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, members of the group openly wore their signature yellow-and-black bandannas and patches. More recently, they had been discussing on social media the need to be more incognito.

Enrique Tarrio, the 36-year-old head of the Proud Boys, denied afterward that the orange-hatted men belonged to them. Personally banned from Washington, D.C., because of an arrest on charges including possession of high-capacity firearm magazines days before the protests, Mr. Tarrio said he had ordered his members not to go to the Capitol. That said, he added, Im not going to denounce it at all."

Nick Ochs, the leader of the Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys, filmed himself inside the Capitol and later tweeted a photo of himself and another man, cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Hello from the Capital lol," Mr. Ochs captioned his post. That evidence was used by federal authorities to arrest him Thursday upon arriving at the Honolulu airport.

Mr. Ochs had earlier posted a note to followers on a social-media account saying he was coming to D.C. to support Mr. Trump and to deliver the heinous, ugly truth to a heinous, ugly city," according to SITE Intelligence Group. Last year he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for a seat in Hawaiis House of Representatives.

Facebook said it banned Mr. Ochs in September after learning he was a member of the Proud Boys, which it designates as a hate group.

In 2016 he appeared on the television show Divorce Court" in an online clip titled Bon Voyage to this Marriage." But he and his partner appear to still be together; photos posted on her Facebook page include recent baby photos.

Mr. Tarrio said Mr. Ochs was filming video to post on Telegram. Hes the voice of reason in the organization," Mr. Tarrio said. Mr. Ochs couldnt be reached for comment.

The cloud of violence that followed the mob inside the Capitol that day extended to nearby streets, where arrests included one man whom police found with multiple firearms and 11 Molotov cocktails.

Many of those arrested so far inside the Capitol dont appear to have extensive criminal histories.

Marsha Murphy of Hinton, Okla., is a grandmother who runs an ammunition supply company, Ameri-I-CAN Ammo Enterprises. Ms. Murphys motto, according to the companys website, is Life is what you make it. I chose to make it fun." She was charged with unlawful entry and curfew violation, according to local media reports.

She couldnt be reached for comment. Her daughter, Crystal Garcia, told a Tucson, Ariz., television station she was outraged at her mother, saying she had told her about going to the rally in Washington and promised to then stay in the hotel room.

My youngest son asked what was going on with his nana," Ms. Garcia said. I had to explain to him in a way that a 7-year-old can understand that she now has to go to a big persons timeout because she didnt listen to a police officer."

The unrest also drew politicians, lawyers and other professionals. Some businesses, as well as several fire and police departments, are now investigating whether their own employees were involved.

A GOP state lawmaker from West Virginia, Derrick Evans, resigned Saturday after being arrested and charged with illegally entering the Capitol and disorderly conduct during the riot. Mr. Evans apologized for his actions.

Others also expressed regret over the events soon afterward.

Mr. Leffingwell, the veteran from Seattle, was charged with knowingly entering a restricted area, assaulting a federal law-enforcement officer and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Before police read him his rights, he spontaneously apologized for striking the officer," a probable-cause statement said.

Mr. Leffingwell, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Iraq, works at a packaging plant, according to Jane Leffingwell, his 80-year-old mother. She said he has a wife and two sons.

Hes a busy man with his young family," she told the Journal. She said she doesnt recall her son ever joining a political group or know if he is a Trump supporter.

Hes always voted and been interested in current events," she said. I did not know he was going to Washington."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Courtesy of Congressman Michael McCaul

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, whose district includes portions of west Harris County including Katy, reported that his Tomball office has been vandalized.

According to the Tomball Police Department, the front of the building, located at 990 Village Square Drive, was defaced sometime late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Bharat Biotech has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos for supplying COVAXIN to Brazil. In principle, both parties have agreed that supplies of Covaxin will be prioritised for the public market, through a direct procurement by the Brazilian government. Supplies to the country would depend upon receipt of market authorisation from ANVISA, the Brazilian regulatory authority.

A team from Precisa Medicamentos visited the Bharat Biotech's Hyderabad facility last week to discuss potential export possibilities of Covaxin with Chairman Dr Krishna Ella on the January 7-8. Ambassador of Brazil to India, Andre Aranha Correa do Lago joined the discussions virtually, representing the Government of Brazil in procuring Covaxin.

ALSO READ: COVID-19 vaccine rollout: Adar Poonawalla says vaccine will be sold to private players at Rs 1,000 per dose

"As a company determined to protect global public health, it has always been important for us to develop vaccines for a global cause. Covaxin is an innovation and a perfect example of novel product development from India. Covaxin has generated excellent safety data with robust immune responses to multiple viral proteins that persist. We are happy to note that vaccines innovated in India are able to address the public health needs of Brazil," Dr Ella said.

"We identified highly technological, scientific and sanitary control levels. There were also excellent outcomes in clinical trials, which will be published soon. Bharat Biotech has exceeded our expectations, demonstrating quality and safety at the level of the largest vaccine suppliers in the world," Emanuela Medrades, pharmaceutical director of Precisa Medicamentos, said after visiting the Bharat Biotech facility.

ALSO READ: 'Covishield, Covaxin both part of vaccination drive; 5,000 vaccine points,' says Dr Vinod Paul

India has approved Covaxin, along with Serum-Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covoshield for emergency use. The company has also received marketing approvals for Covaxin. India is going to kick-start its nationwide vaccination drive from January 16.

Meanwhile, Brazil has asked India to expedite coronavirus vaccine shipments to the country.
Hong Sai-hwa, author of the 1995 best-seller "I am a Paris-based Cab Driver" and columnist of the liberal newspaper Hankyoreh / Korea Times file



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Hong Sai-hwa, author of the 1995 best-seller "I am Paris-based Cab Driver" and columnist of the liberal newspaper Hankyoreh, is a critic from within the liberal camp. In his sharp-tongued style, Hong, 73, has written columns harshly criticizing President Moon Jae-in for his mismanagement of the economy, failure of policies to stabilize real estate and home prices, and worsening social policies among others.



His criticisms were also directed at President Moon's deputies and his fandom. He blamed loyal Moon supporters, widely known by the slang term "Moon-ppa" or "Moon fanatics" for having "spoiled" their leader and causing him to lose his sense of direction in major policy areas due to their unconditional support for the political leader, despite a slew of policy failures.



Hong's harsh criticism has pitted him against hardcore Moon supporters.



"It's true that I got a lot of negative comments from Moon supporters. But I don't care much about them," he told The Korea Times over the phone when asked if such negative reactions hurt him or ever discouraged him from writing columns critical of the president and his supporters. "I do a self-check because of their furious reactions I don't read their comments on my columns because there's no point in their criticism. But they can't stop me from criticizing the Moon government because it has gone too far."



President Moon is a rare politician having a fandom. Due to his ardent supporters, he is often compared to the late former President Roh Moo-hyun who also had a solid fandom.



Hong said the two supporter groups are different, saying hard-core Moon supporters are unconvincing. "Those who supported Roh were relatively reasonable, but for Moon supporters, they tend to display only two extreme emotions  love or hate. Once people judge others based on whether they like someone or not, there will be no truth or falsehood because their ability to reason will be paralyzed," he said. "Their overly emotional reactions only do a disservice to President Moon."



Hong said he himself was one of the Moon supporters who felt "insurmountable excitement" when Moon was elected president in May 2017 after his predecessor Park Geun-hye was ousted from presidency for corruption scandals involving her long-time friend Choi Soon-sil.



Having experienced the Moon government for four years, however, Hong expressed his standpoint about the liberal government has changed a lot.



He has lashed out at Moon several times in his columns. In his satirical piece, titled "Our President is a Good King" published in November last year, Hong sarcastically referred to Moon as a king, not president.



He accused President Moon of having failed to live up to his promises that he would avail himself to reach out to the public as much as possible to interact with them and heed their opinions.



Hong said Moon has instead become one of the most "distant" presidents. He noted Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun attended a total of 150 press briefings or news conferences during their tenures, President Lee Myung-bak attended 20 and Park Geun-hye five. The figure for Moon was only six, not so different from his predecessor, he wrote.



"Leaders will be pressured when they meet journalists or have to answer their questions. If they can make a choice and do only things they want to, they won't have such pressure," he wrote. "A king who ascends to power with absolute power will not want to take part in uncomfortable news conference or answer questions from the journalists. But this is not the case for a president who is elected by voters."



His king analogy has irritated President Moon supporters. Some say Hong should stop writing columns, go back to Paris and work as a cab driver as he used to. Hong, a former democracy fighter, lived in Paris for over two decades from the late 1970s after his asylum was granted. Then the Korean dissident drove a cab to make a living. He shared his experience and thoughts in his 1995 best-seller before eventually returning to South Korea in 2002 and years later serving as head of a now defunct minor progressive party.



Hong said what he said and wrote about President Moon is all aimed as constructive criticism because he wants the Moon government to be successful. "He's the president. So what he does has a far-reaching impact on the nation and the lives of the people. That's why I keep telling him to take his job seriously," he said.



He encouraged President Moon to look back at what he promised to do before he became the leader if he wants to discover what has gone wrong with his presidency.


Photo Credit: Marcus Kauffman, Oregon Dept. of Forestry

The 6th Annual 2021 International Mass Timber Conference will be 100% virtual, March 30April 1, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The move to virtual for the worlds largest mass timber event creates exciting, new opportunities for what is usually an in-person conference. A virtual platform should drive even greater global attendanceover 900 attendees from 15 countries are already registeredand provide for even more access to international content. Although 2021 will be virtual only, a hybrid in-person and virtual conference is expected in 2022 and beyond.

Considered the timber architecture revolution, mass timber office buildings, schools, and apartment complexes are rising rapidly around the world and the reason why so many attend the International Mass Timber Conference each year. Mass timber products are large, engineered panels and beams made of solid wood and used as structural elements in buildings (floors, walls, support), often replacing concrete and steel. Mass timber has many favorable qualities including fire and seismic resistance and offers a unique ability to address a large variety of societal challenges: climate change, affordable housing, forest health, rural jobs, and the urban disconnect from nature.

The Mass Timber Conference covers the latest information and innovative thinking on the entire supply chain for mass timber, from forest seedling to finished building. The event takes an in-depth look at mass timber products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail-laminated timber, glulam beams, mass plywood panels, dowel-laminated timber, and laminated veneer lumber.

The 2021 conference will feature over 40 industry presenters, offering real-world information necessary for mass timber businesses and projects. A best-in-class keynote presentation from highly sought-after housing and construction research analyst, Ivy Zelman of Zelman & Associates, will provide insights into what 2021 brings for construction and demand and the impacts to the mass timber sector. In addition, Antony Wood, CEO of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, will discuss mass timbers role in super skyscrapers and in the increasingly vertical cities of the future.

Registrants will be able to connect with the worldwide audience via the virtual platform and a mobile app. Virtual mass timber building tours will provide a unique opportunity to look inside innovative buildings from around the world. The events virtual exhibit hall will also give attendees access to over 100 exhibitors and offer one-on-one appointments and virtual booth presentations. In addition, registrants will each receive a complimentary PDF of the 2021 International Mass Timber Report ($469 value), a useful tool for proceeding with and selling mass timber projects with greater confidence.

A special 30% early bird discount is available on General attendee passes through February 3, 2021.

Attendees hail from around the world and include architects, engineers, builders, developers, academia, manufacturers, foresters, environmentalists, government officials, and more.

The Mass Timber Conference is produced by Forest Business Network in cooperation with the wood design experts at WoodWorks-Wood Products Council. The conference is supported by Premier Sponsors: Hexion, Swinerton Mass Timber, Katerra, and Kallesoe Machinery. Major Sponsors include: Think Wood, Freres Lumber Company MPP, D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Seagate Mass Timber, Sansin, Hilti North America, Nordic Structures, Weyerhaeuser, Sterling, Oregon Forest Resources Institute, and USNR.

About Forest Business Network

FBN is a top-tier consultancy, event marketing, and news and information source in the forest products sector. Its weekly email newsletter is a go-to news resource for global industry professionals. FBNs president and CEO, Craig Rawlings, is a nationally recognized expert in under-utilized timber and biomass.

About WoodWorks

WoodWorks provides free one-on-one project assistance as well as education and resources related to the code-compliant design of non-residential and multi-family wood buildings. WoodWorks technical experts offer support from design through construction on a wide range of building types, including mid-rise/multi-residential, educational, commercial, corporate, institutional and public.
[January 12, 2021] Independent Consulting Total Economic Impact Study Reveals 200% ROI for Organizations Using the Outlier Automated Business Analysis Platform

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Outlier, the leader in automated business analysis (ABA), announced the findings from its commissioned Total Economic Impact (TEI) study today. Conducted by Forrester Consulting, the study found that Outlier can provide customers with up to a 200% return on investment (ROI) over three years with a payback period of three months. This study is one of the first detailed studies of its kind conducted during the pandemic, revealing how leading businesses can maximize the value of analytics and data in an ever-changing competitive and market environment. The complete study is available here.

One customers digital product team leveraged Outliers ABA platform to immediately alert them when changes to their marketing campaigns negatively impacted their performance. Before Outlier, the digital team could go weeks without noticing impacts to these marketing campaigns, which resulted in the permanent loss of sales and losing strategic visibility into their business customers and trends. The independent TEI study is based on customer interviews, data collection, and financial analysis of a brand using the Outlier ABA platform. The return on investment was driven by improvements in business results and marketing spend, as well as efficiency and more strategic deployment of analytics systems and professionals:

Improved conversion from campaign optimization valued at $251,794 . Outliers daily stories enabled the marketing team to find unexpected changes in data quickly and efficiently, helping the team better understand the data generated. In one example, Outlier notified the team of an unusual increase in bounce rate for a digital campaign landing page, allowing the team to immediaely take action to solve the issue and to reduce bounce rate by 30%.

. Outliers daily stories enabled the marketing team to find unexpected changes in data quickly and efficiently, helping the team better understand the data generated. In one example, Outlier notified the team of an unusual increase in bounce rate for a digital campaign landing page, allowing the team to immediaely take action to solve the issue and to reduce bounce rate by 30%. Increased efficiency of data science team valued at $590,627. By using Outliers ABA platform to automatically uncover insights rather than relying on manual analytics, each data scientist saved a total of 100 hours annually. For one brand interviewed, this resulted in saving 2,000 person-hours of laborequal to two years of time freeing resources to pursue additional strategic projects.

By using Outliers ABA platform to automatically uncover insights rather than relying on manual analytics, each data scientist saved a total of 100 hours annually. For one brand interviewed, this resulted in saving 2,000 person-hours of laborequal to two years of time freeing resources to pursue additional strategic projects. Increased efficiency of business analyst teams worth $380,955. After the investment in Outlier, data scientists were able to automate workstreams and optimize strategy. Outlier saved each business analyst 75 hours annually on research and data manipulation, resulting in 3,225 person-hours saved, boosting work efficiency.





In addition, the study highlighted the unquantified benefits of leveraging Outliers ABA platform and found that customers achieve improved data capture and an increase in business visibility in times of market flux. One customer, a senior director of direct-to-consumer product sciences from a global consumer brand told Forrester, Weve gotten massive value out of Outlier AI. Its helped us to be more proactive and to be a state-of-the-art company.

The independent TEI study by Forrester Consulting provides organizations with a framework to evaluate the real-world business impact of their investments. For organizations looking at automated business analysis, the study clearly outlines the financial and work process benefits of choosing Outlier. This comprehensive new study by Forrester confirms that the Outlier AI automated business analysis solutions platform can help customers make sense of data analytics and obtain high levels of value from data quickly and efficiently, said Sean Byrnes, CEO of Outlier. The customer feedback included in this study echoes what we continue to hear from users  Outliers ability to find unexpected actionable insights in data continues to be the driving force behind business transformation, productivity and process optimization. Outlier will host a webinar featuring guest speakers from Forrester on Tuesday, February 2 at noon ET/9am PT. Youll hear from Forrester consultant Nick Mayberry and Principal Analyst Jennifer Belissent on the structure and methodology of the Total Economic Impact study and more details on findings. Theyll also talk about how companies are leveraging AI to enhance data analytics investments and obtain value faster. Outlier CEO Sean Byrnes will also discuss how customers are achieving financial results with Outlier. RSVP for the webinar here. About Outlier

Outlier, based in sunny Oakland, California, helps global consumer, financial services and various other organizations identify unexpected changes within their critical business data. The Outlier automated business analysis platform uncovers unexpected patterns and relationships using advanced AI and machine learning algorithms. Organizations can integrate Outlier with existing sources of data within minutes, allowing leaders to gather business insights quickly, identify potential opportunities and address the unexpected. Media Contact:

Jennifer Ellard

jennifer@outlier.ai

1-510-468-6996



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A man in his 80s has died and a woman was injured in a road crash in Co Tippperary earlier today.

The tragic accident happened this afternoon around 3.15pm when the car left the road and struck a tree on the L4306 near Bansha.

No other vehicles were involved.

Gardai and emergency services raced to the scene where they found two people seriously injured.

The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

His passenger, a woman also in her 80s, was taken from the scene by ambulance to hospital for treatment. Her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Read More

The man's body was taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Waterford where a post-mortem examination will be arranged. The local Coroner has been notified.

The crash site has been preserved for examination by Garda forensic collision investigators tomorrow morning. The road is currently closed with local diversions are in place.

Gardai have appealed for witnesses to this collision to come forward and also to any road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) from the area at the time, to make it available to investigators.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda Station on 062-80670, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
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Charleston, WV (25301)

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A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

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A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
WOODSTOCK, Ill., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Law Group, LLC is proud to announce Nicole O'Connor has taken and passed the Illinois BAR and will be sworn in Thursday, January 14, 2021 to practice law in Illinois. Today we celebrate and congratulate Nicole on all the time and hard work she has put in over the years to acquire this great achievement. Nicole has been working with attorneys from Prime Law Group helping many throughout McHenry County, the BAR was her final leap. Nicole was a paralegal for over 20 years prior to passing the BAR and has assisted and worked on thousands of personal injury cases ranging from small to large settlements. Nicole looks to practice in personal injury, workers compensation, Social Security Disability as well as civil litigation.

Nicole knew at the age of 12 she was determined to better individuals lives and help uphold the law. Nicole and her mother unfortunately were in an accident where a drunk driver had hit them, the man walked away free and she knew the level of injustice they were presented was wrong. It was personal experience that persuaded Nicole to practice law and to make change benefitting anyone who may have been in an accident resulting in Injury. Nicole is intimately aware of the economical, as well as emotional damages that can present themselves from such circumstances. She knows how important worker compensation is for her clients and the benefits it represents. No matter the case, Nicole can lead the way as she suffered her own worker's compensation injury in 1998 and truly understands the impact injuries have on peoples' lives.

"Nicole was amazing, knowledgeable and very easy to talk to. Any questions I had where immediately answered and I could definitely tell everyone truly just wanted to help me. For sure the only place I will turn to in the future. Thank you to everyone at Prime Law Group."

To learn more about Nicole O'Connor, click here.

Nicole O'Connor

Prime Law Group, LLC

815- 338- 2040 Ext. 107

[email protected]

Prime Law Group, LLC is a full-service law firm from business to litigation with over 100 years of combined experience, our lawyers have the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the most complex situations. Let us help you with your next personal injury matter.

SOURCE Prime Law Group, LLC

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Big Tobacco did something unusual in Marlboro Country last fall: It stood aside while Colorado voters approved the state's first tobacco tax hike in 16 years.

The industry, led by Altria Group, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, has spent exorbitantly in the past to kill similar state ballot initiatives. In 2018, Altria's lobbying arm spent more than $17 million to help defeat Montana's tobacco tax ballot initiative. That same year, it spent around $6 million to help defeat South Dakota's similar measure.

And four years ago, Altria was the leading funder in a successful $16 million campaign to quash Colorado's previous proposed tobacco tax increase.

In November, by contrast, Altria didn't spend a penny in opposition and Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved the tax with two-thirds support. Likewise, in Oregon, Big Tobacco stayed on the sidelines while a tax hike passed there.

The tax measures are major wins for anti-smoking advocates after a string of defeats but, in an example of how politics makes strange bedfellows, Colorado's tax might not have been possible without Altria's help. And, advocates said, the way those measures passed could provide a blueprint for states to follow in future elections.

In Colorado, Altria, the parent company of Marlboro cigarette maker Philip Morris, insisted that a minimum price be included in the proposal, according to The Colorado Sun, citing emails between political consultants and Gov. Jared Polis' office. So while supporters see an increased tobacco tax as more revenue for the state, a disincentive for kids to smoke and a win for public health, the measure could also allow America's premium tobacco companies to gain market share.

The Colorado measure will increase the total state-levied tax from 84 cents to eventually $2.64 per pack by 2027. The tax rate on vaping products, not currently taxed, will be 30% of the manufacturer's list price in 2021, gradually increasing to 62% by 2027. The proposition also set the minimum price per pack of cigarettes at $7 as of Jan. 1 and that floor rises to $7.50 in 2024. The change could effectively help premium cigarette companies corner the market, since discount cigarettes would rise to at least $7.

Discount cigarette companies Liggett Group, Vector Tobacco and Xcaliber International  which funded opposition to the tax initiative, Proposition EE  tried to sue the state over the minimum tax provision, alleging "Philip Morris will reap huge benefits from the new legislation" and the changes will "destroy their ability to compete in Colorado." In December, a federal judge rejected the company's request for a preliminary injunction. A spokesperson for Liggett said the company plans to appeal.

"When it came to entities like Altria and other stakeholders that we engaged in the legislative process, I think that they saw the writing on the wall," said Jake Williams, executive director of Healthier Colorado and one of the key organizers behind Proposition EE. "And it helped us get through the legislative process, not just with Democratic votes, but Republican votes to refer the measure to the ballot."

Altria officials said in a statement that their tobacco companies oppose excise tax increases, but they did not say whether they had worked with Colorado lawmakers.

"Altria did not advocate for or against Proposition EE, and after evaluating the content and intent of this measure, Colorado voters decided to vote in favor of it, some aspects of which were focused on tobacco harm reduction and may help transition adult smokers to a non-combustible future," the statement said.

Polis' office did not respond to a request for comment. The Colorado Attorney General's Office said it would not comment on matters under active litigation. State Democratic Sen. Dominick Moreno and Rep. Julie McCluskie, both state sponsors for the legislation, declined to comment for the same reason. Fellow Democrats Rep. Yadira Caraveo and Sen. Rhonda Fields, also state sponsors for the legislation, did not respond to requests for comment.

Colorado campaign finance records show Altria and Altria's lobbying arm in 2020 contributed to funds that support both Democratic and Republican candidates in the state  a pattern playing out nationally.

Williams said Altria's absence of public opposition wasn't the only factor in the initiative's success. The tax revenue will initially fund revenue lost during the covid-19 pandemic, then fund tobacco use prevention and eventually preschool education.

The American Lung Association, which supported the Colorado measure, said it believes tobacco taxes are among the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among youths, who are more sensitive to changes in price. The organization cites studies that found every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4% for adults and 7% for teens.

"Without tobacco industry opposition, it's very popular among the public," Thomas Carr, the association's director of national policy, said of the tax increase. "We've long seen it in polling on the subject."

There was no major industry opposition to the Oregon increase, either. Its tobacco tax increase  Measure 108  also got a resounding two-thirds of support. But Oregon didn't negotiate with Altria lobbyists or set a minimum price provision, according to Elisabeth Shepard, campaign manager for Yes for a Healthy Future.

"I don't know what the [Colorado] deal was," Shepard said. "All I know is that before it even made it to the ballot, Altria indicated that they were not going to oppose the measure and stuck with their word."

While Shepard worried until Election Day whether Big Tobacco would swoop in with opposition in Oregon, it didn't. She believes her campaign worked because the effort had early resources and money, the tax was targeted to fund the Oregon Health Plan (the state's Medicaid), and her campaign's coalition had 300 endorsers, including those in health and business communities.

"We had the left, we had the right, we had the far-right, we had the far-left," Shepard said.

Her campaign paid its advisory committee members, including representatives from affected communities such as Indigenous Oregonian tribes. At least 30% of American Indian and Alaska Native adults in the state smoke cigarettes. Oregon's measure increases tobacco taxes $2 per pack, from $1.33 to $3.33, as well as creates a new tax for e-cigarettes. The revenues will help fund an estimated $300 million for the state's health plan.

Altria did not respond to a request for comment about Oregon tobacco taxes, but the company has previously said it opposed Oregon's measure.

Shepard believes her campaign model could work in other states. Other anti-smoking advocates took note of the 2020 election.

"We certainly support establishing minimum prices for all tobacco products in conjunction with tobacco tax increases, as we know increasing the price of tobacco products is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use," said Cathy Callaway, director of state and local campaigns for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

It could just come down to a state's voters and its politics, according to Mark Mickelson, a former Republican in South Dakota's legislature. Mickelson was behind creating his state's failed 2018 tobacco tax ballot initiative.

"We just got beat," Mickelson said. The opposition "got ahead of us on the message. They had a lot more money and had just played on doubts that the [tax revenue] money would go to tech ed."

The average state cigarette tax is $1.88 per pack, but it varies across the country  as high as $4.35 in New York but only 44 cents in North Dakota, where a 2016 ballot initiative to increase that to $2.20 was defeated.

Tax increases can translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue for states, said Richard Auxier, senior policy associate at the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

"It's a little easier to pass a tax on someone else, which is often how this is seen  passing this tax on smokers, rather than passing it on all working people, [compared to] if you were to increase income tax or  a sales tax."

But not all voters get a say.

In Kentucky, which isn't a referendum state, Republican state Rep. Jerry Miller said there's not a lot of sympathy for tobacco companies anymore.

"The agriculture community, which used to be on the same page with cigarette companies, are now always in opposition because the cigarette companies are always trying to tweak their formula to use cheaper tobacco," he said.

Miller's recent vaping tax bill failed in the state legislature, but he's working on a new one.

"We don't have that tradition or the mechanism that somebody collects 10,000 signatures and they get a referendum on a ballot," he said. "That's why things like this have to go through the legislature  and so it really just depends on the state [government]."
Duong Tan Hau (L) listens as a police officer reads a decision to place him under house arrest for investigation for spreading Covid-19 in the community in HCMC, January 12, 2020. Photo by the police.

A Vietnam Airlines flight attendant suspected of setting off a Covid-19 outbreak in HCMC last November has been placed under house arrest.

Duong Tan Hau, 29, is being investigated for "spreading dangerous infectious diseases in humans."

Hau was placed under house arrest after he recovered from Covid-19 and completed a 14-day isolation.

Ho Chi Minh City police officially launched the investigation into Hau more than a month after they began investigating the case.

According to the police, Hau had breached regulations when staying at the airlines quarantine facility and continued to do the same after returning home for a designated self-isolation period. His irresponsibility is believed to have triggered a new outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the community.

Hau had returned to Vietnam from Japan on November 14 and was quarantined for four days at a facility managed by Vietnam Airlines in HCMC's Tan Binh District. While he was there, he broke the rules by visiting another quarantine area and ended up contracting the virus from another crew member whod returned from Romania, police said.

However, after two tests showed he was negative for the novel coronavirus, Hau was released from the airlines facility, but told to isolate himself at home for another 14 days.

As per Vietnams protocols on Covid-19 prevention, pilots and attendants need to use dedicated restrooms and their own vehicles on getting off the plane. No contact is allowed with passengers during flights.

On arriving in Vietnam, they are quarantined and tested for the novel coronavirus twice 72 hours apart. If both tests return negative, they are allowed to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

However, when he was at home, Hau failed to isolate himself. He made contact with his mother and two friends, including an English language teacher who came to stay with him for a few days.

On November 29, 15 days after he returned from Japan, he tested positive for the virus, becoming "Patient 1342" and the the teacher followed suit the next day. The teacher had later spread the virus to a nephew and a student.

The outbreak broke Vietnam's 89-day and HCMC's 120-day streak of having no community transmissions.

Hau has been suspended from his job and will be considered for dismissal.

However, Hau claims he has told investigators more than once that he did not visit another quarantine area when at the airlines facility and that he "had only met several colleagues when getting water for drinking at a mutual area."

During those face-to-face meetings, Hau said he was struggling with stomach-ache and therefore had been enquired after and been taken care of by several colleagues. One of them, he said, was the attendant returning from Romania.

"I understand that I have made mistakes. But I shouldnt be the only one to be blamed for this. Errors in quarantine management have allowed me to neglect and let my guard down. I hope that the investigators will clarify this and assess the nature and extent of my violation," Hau told VnExpress Tuesday after receiving the decision to be placed house arrest pending further investigation.

His lawyer Dao Thi Bich Lien said: "I hope the investigation agency will clarify the causes, conditions, context, subjective and objective reasons as well as the responsibilities of the management units in this case. And in case Hau is convicted, it will be a warning for all other flight attendants."

Vietnam has recorded 1,520 Covid-19 cases so far with 35 deaths. Many of the deaths were of elderly patients with underlying conditions like diabetes and kidney failure.

As of Tuesday, the nation has gone 40 days without recording any community transmission of the novel coronavirus.
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A growing wave of big businesses are deciding to suspend or review their campaign donations in the wake of last weeks riot at the Capitol, with many saying they would stop donating to Republicans who objected to the elections certification.

AT&T Inc., ConocoPhillips, Dow Inc., Facebook Inc. and United Parcel Service Inc. were among companies announcing Monday that they are halting or reviewing campaign donations from their political-action committees to lawmakers and political candidates.

Those announcements follow JPMorgan Chase Inc. and Citigroup Inc., which said over the weekend they were halting their PAC donations. Some, including Amazon.com Inc., Comcast Corp. and General Electric Co., pledged to stop donations to the Republican lawmakers who objected to President-elect Joe Bidens victory in the Electoral College.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

Last weeks attempts by some congressional members to subvert the presidential election results and disrupt the peaceful transition of power do not align" with company values, said American Express Co. Chief Executive Stephen Squeri in a memo sent to employees Monday, announcing the companys decision to suspend PAC donations to more than 100 congressional Republicans who voted to challenge the election results.

Dallas-based AT&T, one of the biggest corporate lobbyists, said its federal PACs board decided to suspend contributions to members of Congress who voted to object to the certification of Electoral College votes last week." It wasnt immediately clear how long the suspension will last.

A GE spokeswoman said it would suspend donations by its PAC to those lawmakers who objected to the election for the duration of the 117th Congress. An Amazon spokeswoman said the company will base future PAC contributions on how the elected officials respond to the companys concerns.

Hallmark Cards Inc. went a step further, asking two Republican senators who objected to the Electoral College votes, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Roger Marshall of Kansas, to refund PAC donations it made in prior elections.

Hallmark believes the peaceful transition of power is part of the bedrock of our democratic system, and we abhor violence of any kind," the greeting-card company said, adding that its PAC is reviewing its contribution guidelines. Hallmarks move was earlier reported by Popular Information, a newsletter.

The Kansas City, Mo., company said it is asking for the $7,000 it gave to Sen. Hawleys campaign and $5,000 given to Sen. Marshalls. Neither senators office responded to requests for comment.

Decisions by companies to review or suspend their PAC donations is the most recent sign of corporate unease with moves by Republicans to call into question Mr. Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election and could signal a broader desire on the part of business to distance itself from Washingtonat least temporarily.

The decisions may represent a widening fissure between the Republican Party and big business. Many Republican lawmakers adopted more populist stances on business issues such as trade and immigration policy in recent years, positions that have sometimes put them in conflict with the partys longtime allies in industry.

Chemical giant Dow said it would suspend PAC contributions to any member of Congress who voted to object to the certification of the presidential election" through the end of each elected officials election cycle, which is up to six years for some senators. Dow is committed to the principles of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power," the company said.

Corporate PACs are just one slice of the political fundraising efforts, and Washington is in the midst of a transition between administrations, a slow time for fundraising. Most PACs donate to candidates closer to elections. Also, many of the dinners and fundraising events that would typically happen in connection with a presidential inauguration have been put off because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Corporate PACs are funded by volunteer donations from management-level employees and doled out to candidates by executives, usually in consultation with their lobbyists. PAC donations are an important source of money for incumbent lawmakers in both political parties, particularly Republicans in recent years.

In the 2020 election, Republican candidates and committees received a total of $205 million in campaign donations from corporate PACs, according to campaign-finance data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Democratic candidates and causes received $155 million from corporate PACs.

Money from corporate PACs helped Republicans make up a deficit in campaign donations from other sources in the last election. The Democratic Party and its candidates received nearly 60% of the $3.6 billion donated by corporate executives in the 2020 election, according to the data.

Last weeks votes by some Republicans to challenge the Electoral College process has prompted many companies to rethink donations from their PACs. Microsoft Corp. and Deloitte said they are temporarily halting donations. JPMorgan said it is pausing for six months, while American Airlines Group Inc. set a three-month freeze.

Other companies said they are reviewing their procedures for political donations, but will continue to give money through their PACs.

Airbnb Inc. and Mastercard Inc. said they would stop giving to the Republicans whose votes they deemed to undermine the electoral process. More than 100 Republicans in the House voted to challenge the election results in certain states last week. Those Republicans included two of the partys top leaders, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. A handful of Senate Republicans voted to challenge election results.

Oil-giant ConocoPhillips said it is halting PAC donations, as well as corporate donations to other campaign entities, such as a political fund that supports Mr. McCarthy.

In the 2020 election, ConocoPhillips donated $500,000 to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which supports the election of all House Republicans.

In light of the Congresss recent vote on the certification of the electoral results, ConocoPhillips has suspended all political contributions for at least six months," it said in a statement.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Several companies in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region have realigned their capital spending during 2020 due to the Covid-19 impact, leading to delays in some pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the region, says a report.

Additionally, reduced LNG imports from some of the key consumers such as Japan, China and India have further dented the growth of the midstream sector in the region, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Haseeb Ahmed, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: The rising ambiguity around the current economic scenario is deterring the prospective investors. One of the go-to strategies for several LNG operators has been downsizing the overall capital expenditure (capex) for 2020. For example, Woodsides decision to cut the planned total capex in 2020 has led to a delay in final investment decisions (FIDs) on Pluto Train 2 LNG, BrowseNorth West Shelf pipeline and ScarboroughPluto pipeline developments in Australia. Withdrawing the capex plans ensured that these companies had sufficient working capital, but it might dent their profitability in the long run.

Major pipeline and LNG operators have reported that their year-on-year financial performances have been hit in 2020. Consequently, midstream operators such as Royal Dutch Shell, Total SE and BP have reduced their capex by more than 20% to ensure steady cash flows.

Ahmed concludes: The oil and gas sector has undergone significant losses, pushing companies to take desperate measures such as reducing capex or delaying FIDs. However, on the brighter side, the global LNG supply glut along with low LNG prices will encourage new countries such as Myanmar, Vietnam and Sri Lanka to speed up LNG importing infrastructure. These new entrants will possibly contribute to the future LNG industry growth in the APAC. - TradeArabia News Service

Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

Here are five things to know about President Donald Trumps return to Texas today. With just over a week left in his term in office, Trump is hoping to draw attention to what he sees as his key accomplishments while Democrats in Congress seek to impeach him for a second time.

BREAKING SILENCE: Trumps trip to Hidalgo County on the Texas border marks his first public appearance since the rally in Washington, D.C. that led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol and the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Hill police officer. Trump is expected to travel to a section of the border wall that has been erected since his election in 2016. The White House has been tight lipped about his itinerary, only confirming he is expected to visit the town of Alamo near the Texas border. Media access is being limited with no public details of when or to whom Trump is supposed to speak.
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Logan, WV (25601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
Marc Allaire, pictured in June 2020, setting up one of the Advanced Light Source's X-ray crystallography beamlines. Credit: Marilyn Sargent/Berkeley Lab

A team of HIV researchers, cellular biologists, and biophysicists who banded together to support COVID-19 science determined the atomic structure of a coronavirus protein thought to help the pathogen evade and dampen response from human immune cells. The structural mapwhich is now published in the journal PNAS, but has been open-access for the scientific community since Augusthas laid the groundwork for new antiviral treatments tailored specifically to SARS-CoV-2, and enabled further investigations into how the newly emerged virus ravages the human body.

"Using X-ray crystallography, we built an atomic model of ORF8, and it highlighted two unique regions: one that is only present in SARS-CoV-2 and its immediate bat ancestor, and one that is absent from any other coronavirus," said lead author James Hurley, a UC Berkeley professor and former faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). "These regions stabilize the proteinwhich is a secreted protein, not bound to the membrane like the virus's characteristic spike proteinsand create new intermolecular interfaces. We, and others in the research community, believe these interfaces are involved in reactions that somehow make SARS-CoV-2 more pathogenic than the strains it evolved from."

Structural biology in the spotlight

Generating protein structure maps is always labor intensive, as scientists have to engineer bacteria that can pump out large quantities of the molecule, manipulate the molecules into a pure crystalline form, and then take many, many X-ray diffraction images of the crystals. These imagesproduced as X-ray beams bounce off atoms in the crystals and pass through gaps in the lattice, generating a pattern of spotsare combined and analyzed via special software to determine the location of every individual atom. This painstaking process can take years, depending on the complexity of the protein.

For many proteins, the process of building a map is helped along by comparing the unsolved molecule's structure to other proteins with similar amino acid sequences that have already been mapped, allowing scientists to make informed guesses about how the protein folds into its 3-D shape.

Co-authors Cosmo Buffalo (left) and Richard Hooy discussing the ORF8 structure, shown as a ribbon diagram and space-filling model. Credit: Kevin Larsen

But for ORF8, the team had to start from scratch. ORF8's amino acid sequence is so unlike any other protein that scientists had no reference for its overall shape, and it is the 3-D shape of a protein that determines its function.

Hurley and his UC Berkeley colleagues, experienced in structural analysis of HIV proteins, worked with Marc Allaire, a biophysicist and crystallography expert at the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, located at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS). Together, the team worked in overdrive for six monthsHurley's lab generated crystal samples and passed them to Allaire, who would use the ALS's X-ray beamlines to take the diffraction images. It took hundreds of crystals with multiple versions of the protein and thousands of diffraction images analyzed by special computer algorithms to puzzle together ORF8's structure.

"Coronaviruses mutate differently than viruses like influenza or HIV, which quickly accumulate many little changes through a process called hypermutation. In coronaviruses, big chunks of nucleic acids sometimes move around through recombination," explained Hurley. When this happens, big, new regions of proteins can appear. Genetic analyses conducted very early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic revealed that this new strain had evolved from a coronavirus that infects bats, and that a significant recombination mutation had occurred in the area of the genome that codes for a protein, called ORF7, found in many coronaviruses. The new form of ORF7, named ORF8, quickly gained the attention of virologists and epidemiologists because significant genetic divergence events like the one seen for ORF8 are often the cause of a new strain's virulence.

"Basically, this mutation caused the protein to double in size, and the stuff that doubled was not related to any known fold," added Hurley. "There's a core of about half of it that's related to a known fold type in a solved structure from earlier coronaviruses, but the other half was completely new."

A ribbon diagram rendering of the ORF8 structure, which is composed of two protein units with identical amino acid sequence and shape that are connected by a sulfur-sulfur bond. Credit: The Hurley Lab/UC Berkeley

Answering the call

Like so many scientists working on COVID-19 research, Hurley and his colleagues opted to share their findings before the data could be published in a peer-reviewed journal, allowing others to begin impactful follow-up studies months earlier than the traditional publication process would have allowed. As Allaire explained, the all-hands-on-deck crisis caused by the pandemic shifted everyone in the research community into a pragmatic mindset. Rather than worrying about who accomplished something first, or sticking to the confines of their specific areas of study, scientists shared data early and often, and took on new projects when they had the resources and expertise needed.

In this case, Hurley's UC Berkeley co-authors had the viral protein and crystallography expertise, and Allaire, a longtime collaborator, was right up the hill, also with crystallography expertise and, critically, a beamline that was still operational. The ALS had received special funding from the CARES Act to remain operational for COVID-19 investigations. The team knew from reviewing the SARS-CoV-2 genomic analysis posted in January that ORF8 was an important piece of the (then much hazier) pandemic puzzle, so they set to work.

The authors have since all moved on to other projects, satisfied that they laid the groundwork for other groups to study ORF8 in more detail. (Currently, there are several investigations underway focused on how ORF8 interacts with cell receptors and how it interacts with antibodies, as infected individuals appear to produce antibodies that bind to ORF8 in addition to antibodies specific to the virus's surface proteins.)

"When we started this, other projects had been put on hold, and we had this unique opportunity to hunker down and solve an urgent problem," said Allaire, who is part of Berkeley Lab's Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division. "We worked very closely, with a lot of back and forth, until we got it right. It really has been one of the best collaborations of my career."

More information: Thomas G. Flower et al, Structure of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8, a rapidly evolving immune evasion protein, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Thomas G. Flower et al, Structure of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8, a rapidly evolving immune evasion protein,(2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021785118
CEDAR CITY, Utah, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CBC Mortgage Agency (CBCMA), a tribally owned nationally chartered housing finance agency and a leading source of down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, has launched the Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative to increase homeownership within the urban Indian community. The word "Kani" is a word used by the Cedar Band of Paiutes for home or house from the band's traditional language. The National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC), an advocacy group for American Indian families living in urban areas, has partnered with CBCMA on the initiative to address the housing needs of Native Americans living in urban areas.

"As a native owned company, we recognize the unique set of challenges that the Native American community faces in becoming homeowners," said Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative spokeswoman Tama Tsinnie (Navajo). "This new initiative will enable us to provide key resources to address the housing crisis within urban Indian communities. Currently, urban Indians spend more money on rent proportionally than non-Indian renters and similar to other communities of color lack down payment resources to facilitate home ownership. We aim to focus the Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative on these housing issues through education, financial literacy, and securing sustainable homeownership for Native Americans, who live off the reservation."

CBCMA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cedar Band Corp., offers the Chenoa fund down payment assistance program. Cedar Band Corp. is a federally chartered tribal corporation wholly owned and operated by the Cedar Band of Paiute Indians. NUIFC will promote the Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative's message through its existing affiliated urban Indian centers by hosting webinars and homebuyer workshops with CBCMA. These workshops aim to provide support to Native American urban communities with guidance and down payment assistance programs.

The Cedar Band of Paiutes celebrates the resilience of native communities no matter where they are located and through the Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative will help address a long-standing housing crisis of Native Americans purchasing homes in urban communities.

"With homelessness and under housing a definitive and widespread issue in our communities, this is an excellent opportunity to provide meaningful education and assistance to urban dwelling American Indian and Alaska Native peoples to access homeownership." said National Urban Indian Family Coalition Executive Director Janeen Comenote (Quinault). "We are excited to partner with the Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative and are looking forward to launching this unique project."

More information about the Kani Urban Indian Housing Initiative is available online at http://kanihousing.org

About CBC Mortgage Agency

Founded in 2013, CBC Mortgage Agency is a tribally owned nationally chartered housing finance agency. As a leading source of down payment assistance, CBCMA helps low-to-moderate income consumers, often in minority neighborhoods, achieve the dream of homeownership. CBCMA, which was recognized as one of the Top 25 Companies in Mortgage & Servicing by MReport, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cedar Band Corporation, a federally chartered tribal corporation founded and wholly owned by the Cedar Band of Paiute Indians. More information can be found at chenoafund.org.

About the National Urban Indian Family Coalition

Founded in 2003, the mission of the NUIFC is to elevate a national voice and sustain Indigenous values and culture through a strong network of urban Indian organizations. The goals of the NUIFC are to build a movement that promotes advocacy, enhances resources, and mobilizes systems to integrate Urban Indian issues in policy discussions and implementation and to sustain indigenous values and culture within urban communities. Learn more by visiting www.nuifc.org.

CBCMA Press Contact:

Sam Garcia

Publicist

Strategic Vantage Marketing & Public Relations

214.762.4457 | [email protected]

NUIFC Contact:

Janeen Comenote, Executive Director

National Urban Indian Family Coalition

206.551-9933 | [email protected]

SOURCE CBC Mortgage Agency

Related Links

http://chenoafund.org


Mammootty, the megastar is all set to play the Kerala Chief Minister in the upcoming political thriller One. As per the latest reports, the Mammootty starrer has been slated to hit the theatres in February 2021. In that case, One might emerge as the first Malayalam film to hit the theatres post lockdown.

As per the latest reports, the makers are yet to finalise the release date of the Mammootty starrer. But the sources have confirmed that the team is planning to release One in February. However, the release date will be finalised only after the team analyses how the public reacts to the theatre reopening post lockdown, and the future of the films that hit the theatres in Kerala for Pongal.

If things go as planned, Mammootty's One will resume the theatrical releases of the Malayalam films. Following the release of the Mammootty starrer, around 11 films are slated to hit the theatres. Well, we really hope things proceed on a positive note, as cinema is one of the biggest industries we have.

Coming to One, the project marks the megastar's first collaboration with the young filmmaker Santhosh Viswanath. The political thriller around the clash of different political ideologies and the duties of an ideal Chief Minister. Mammootty is playing the role of Kadakkal Chandran, the senior politician who gets appointed as the Chief Minister of Kerala under a sensitive circumstance.

The political thriller is scripted by the National award-winning scenarist duo Bobby-Sanjay. The Mammootty starrer will feature an extensive star cast including Joju George, Murali Gopy, Sreenivasan, Balachandra Menon, Ranjith, Mamukoya, Salim Kumar, Suresh Krishna, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Sudev Nair, Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Nimisha Sajayan, Gayathri Arun, Ishaani Krishna, and so on. One is bankrolled by Ichais Productions.

Also Read:

Mammootty's The Priest: Official Teaser To Release On January 14

Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, And Team Wrap Up Joji
C.P. Vietnam receiving the award

On January 8, 2021, at the National Convenience Centre (NCC) in Hanoi, the ceremony was held to announce the 50 best enterprises in 2020, top 10 reputable tourism and husbandry companies, and 500 largest businesses in Vietnam.

This is the 14th consecutive year that the VNR500 Ranking has been published to help build and promote the prestige and brands of local businesses. The VNR500 ranking is built by independent study and evaluation by Vietnam Report, based on criteria for revenue, profit, total assets, and labour force. The ranking complies with international standards and is compiled through independent, scientific evaluation.

This year, C.P. Vietnam has been selected as one of the top 50 best enterprises in 2020, ranking as well the first among animal feed producers.

2020 has been a year of fluctuations and challenges for the economy, including the husbandry sector. However, C.P. Vietnam has achieved strong improvements by inaugurating its CPV Food Binh Phuoc complex last month, which is providing high-quality and safe chicken (bred in a closed chain) with the annual capacity of 50 million chicken. The first batches of the factory were exported to Hong Kong, enabling C.P. Vietnam and Vietnam at large to be one of the worlds largest poultry food producers.

The 50 best enterprises in 2020

Additionally, C.P. Vietnam keep adding technologies to improve product quality and services, and production lines, as well as expands factories, diversifies areas, as well as promotes the circular economy to mitigate environmental impacts and maintain a sustainable business.

Inheriting the successful business foundations of Thai parent conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group, C.P. Vietnam operates 12 factories across the country, along with 3,000 green, clean, and safe farms.
- Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Expert is the industry's first next generation Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solution

- Solution is vendor-agnostic and powered by AI to offer increased visibility across remote locations

- Intelligent benchmarking improves performance, resiliency and efficiency

LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has today announced that its EcoStruxure IT Expert software has won the 'Data Centre Intelligent Automation and Management Innovation of the Year' category at the DCS Awards 2020. The award recognises the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data analytics within its next-generation, vendor-agnostic, data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) software.

EcoStruxure IT Expert provides visibility into the health and status of data centre components, gathering data from IoT-enabled physical infrastructure assets, including racks, switchgear, power distribution, cooling and UPS systems. Using AI and machine learning, it consolidates performance and alarm data, producing proactive recommendations to rectify unplanned issues before they become critical. The platform also enables users to increase visibility into the data centre environment from remote locations, delivering data-driven recommendations that improve uptime, drive efficiency and reduce costs.

"I'm proud to accept this award for our next-generation DCIM EcoStruxure IT Expert," said Marc Garner, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK&I. "Data centres provide the foundations for digital transformation and by creating vendor-agnostic DCIM software platforms that are built on the cloud, our customers can gain greater visibility into mission-critical IT environments, and leverage AI to proactively mitigate downtime."

Defining next-gen DCIM

Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure IT Expert is the industry's first cloud hosted monitoring platform, which is vendor-agnostic and powered by AI. This next-generation DCIM platform is defined by five key attributes, which differentiate it from legacy data centre management systems.

It relies on cloud technologies for ease of implementation, scalability, analytics and maintenance Connects to a data lake enabling insight & event prediction with AI Utilises mobile and web technologies and integrates with third party platforms Prioritises simplicity and intuitive user experiences in its design Serves as a compliance tool to identify and eliminate potential cyber security risks

EcoStruxure IT also allows partners and service providers to more easily extend their visibility and manage multiple datacenter and edge computing sites across a larger geographical area; delivering real-time alerts and updates that allow users to proactively mitigate unplanned downtime from anywhere, at any time and on any device.

Furthermore, its award-winning Monitoring & Dispatch Services enable partners and end users to optimise resources, improve efficiency, and help prevent downtime by leveraging Schneider Electric to manage the operations of distributed IT infrastructure. Through adoption of next-generation DCIM architectures such as EcoStruxure, today's data centre managers can ensure maintenance upgrades and service schedules perform at optimum levels.

For more information on Schneider Electric's award-winning EcoStruxure IT Expert, please visit the website.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

https://www.se.com/uk/en/

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To that, Mr. Raskin has a short answer, and a long one. First, the short answer: The people who are saying why impeach now really should be asking: Why does he continue to commit impeachable offenses up until the very end of his term?

The long one, which Mr. Raskin, who has written two books on Supreme Court cases, intends to deliver Wednesday on the House floor, begins this way: We came very close to experiencing a coup in America. It was like an attempted coup wrapped inside a violent riot wrapped inside some cosmetic protests on the outside.

He went on: And the president gave all kinds of aid, comfort and exhortation to the mob. That is intolerable. It takes us in a profoundly dangerous direction as a society. America is a country built on common sense. And we have to use our common sense now to recognize a lethal danger to our people, our Congress, our leaders and the whole nation. This president is a clear and present danger to our country.

Mr. Raskin, 58, is an instantly recognizable figure in the Capitol; he was once described as looking like a mad scientist, though he began slicking his hair down after that. He has an infectious enthusiasm for the Constitution and American history. He has been steeped in liberal activism since he was a toddler.

His father, Marcus Raskin, who died in 2017, was an aide to President John F. Kennedy and a vehement opponent of the Vietnam War. In 1970, the elder Mr. Raskin received part of the Pentagon Papers, the classified study of American decision making in Vietnam, from its author, Daniel Ellsberg, and helped get them to the reporter Neil Sheehan of The New York Times.

The younger Mr. Raskin keeps a 1964 clipping from The Washington Post with a photo of him as a 2-year-old toting a placard at a protest. When he was 6, his father took him to the first Freedom Seder, a Passover meal that brought Jewish and Black people together a year after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thomas Bloom Raskin, named for the Revolutionary War figure Thomas Paine, was an heir to this legacy. He was the only son and second child of Mr. Raskin and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, a deputy treasury secretary under President Barack Obama and former member of the Federal Reserve Board. They also have two daughters, Tabitha, 23 and Hannah, 28.
Photo taken on Jan. 10, 2021 shows the Chinese national flag and the police flag hanging on helicopters in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- China is steadily advancing the efforts to build a peaceful China and the rule of law under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the latest instruction to raise the levels of the Peaceful China initiative and the rule of law in China on eve of the first Chinese People's Police Day, which falls on Sunday.

He called on all police officers to take concrete actions to make new greater contributions to safeguarding people's happiness, national security and social stability.

The call followed another instruction Xi made last November, urging a greater focus on solving prominent problems, as well as efforts to make the implementation of the Peaceful China initiative more scientific and raise its levels of public participation, rule of law and intelligence.

Xi's guidance has powered the initiative through the past eight years with a series of positive results.

Overall, China is considered one of the safest countries in the world by more and more people.

The number of criminal cases involving the deaths of individuals per 100,000 people in China is among the lowest in the world.

About 95.55 percent of the Chinese people are satisfied with the current status of public order.

By the end of November 2020, police had busted more than 3,500 mafia-style criminal organizations over three years.

Special policewomen pose for photos at a shooting training gym in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Golog, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Xi's latest instruction was heeded by members of the police and judiciary, who pledged efforts to consolidate the Peaceful China initiative and the rule of law in China.

Sun Andong, a police officer from Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, said that being careful and patient is crucial for primary-level police officers to better handle disputes.

"In the new year, I will continue to work hard and make new contributions," Sun added.

Li Peng, a judicial police officer of the Supreme People's Court, vowed to start from details to let the public have a stronger feeling of warmth and justice of the law throughout judicial process.

The people's court will fully play its role in punishing crimes, resolving conflicts and maintaining justice, said Liu Li, a Beijing district court official.

Efforts will be made to better deal with disputes and defuse risks in accordance with laws, as well as press ahead with campaigns to fight organized crime, Liu added.

Deng Yong, a senior official from southwest China's Sichuan Province in charge of judicial, procuratorial and police work, said that they will comprehensively implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and strive to meet people's new demands and expectations of fairness and justice.

Deng also said sustained efforts will be made to create a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment.

[ Editor: WPY ]
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, speaking about the risk of more violence and riots in the days surrounding Inauguration Day and the need to ensure safety. Several pro-Trump extremists made threats on Parler to return to the U.S. Capitol the day before the inauguration with weapons. The Parler app has since been suspended by Amazon, Apple and Google. ( NPR  Jan. 9, 2021)
[January 12, 2021] Latticework Capital Management Announces Investment in Beacon Behavioral Hospital, a Leading Provider of Mental Health Treatment Programs

Latticework Capital Management, a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on partnering with entrepreneurially-minded management teams to build leading healthcare companies, announced today that it has made a strategic investment in Beacon Behavioral Hospital ("Beacon"), a leading provider of mental health treatment programs. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Beacon is one of the largest and most established psychiatric treatment providers in Louisiana. Beacon currently has inpatient and intensive outpatient programs that provide treatment services to those struggling with mental health disorders. "We are excited to partner with Sean Wendell and the entire Beacon team, as we look to support their vision for continued leadership in this underserved industry," said Latticework Managing Partner Kyle Bradford. "Beacon has a strong reputation in Louisiana for its quality of care and clinical operations, and we are honored to partner with the team to continue executing upon their vision for growth." Sean Wendell, CEO of Beacon Behavioral Health Hospitals said, "A tremendous opportunity exists for Beacon to further support our patient population by enhancing our existing service capabilities, as well as strategically adding new solutions to the Beacn portfolio. My team and I were in search of a partner that shared our vision for growth and could help us to achieve our goal of becoming the preeminent mental health provider in the state. We believe we found such a partner with Latticework, which has substantial experience and resources within the healthcare industry and a proven track record of supporting management teams in growing healthcare businesses like ours."



About Beacon Behavioral Hospital: Beacon Behavioral Hospital is a leading provider of psychiatric treatment services in Louisiana. The Company currently operates four inpatient treatment programs and eight outpatient treatment programs throughout the state. Beacon's mission, "to provide unsurpassed patient care in a compassionate, cost effective, and ethical manner," has been, and will always be, the cornerstone of Beacon's success. To learn more visit www.beaconbh.com

About Latticework Capital Management: Headquartered in Dallas, Latticework is a growth oriented private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry. Latticework leverages its over 60 combined years of healthcare experience, as well as its network of industry executives, to help companies grow and realize their full long-term value. The firm is currently investing out of LCM Healthcare Fund I, LP and Beacon represents the fourth platform investment made from this investment partnership. For more information, please visit www.latticeworkcapital.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005312/en/

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HILL CITY, Minn. (AP)  Eight people were arrested in a protest to oppose construction of the Enbridge Energy Line 3 oil pipeline replacement in northern Minnesota, authorities said.

More than 150 people gathered in Aitken County on Saturday to protest the project, the Northern Lights Task Force said in a news release. They blocked a road in one area, then traveled on buses and cars to another area south of Hill City, where authorities say they interfered with construction workers.





. . .

This is the incredible moment a photographer discovers a forgotten portrait of his mother that has been left untouched in a 34-year-old roll of film.

Bogdan Grygorenko, 33, who is originally from Kiev, Ukraine, and is now living in Canada, was 'super excited' to find the old film roll left sitting in his family's vintage Lubitell 166B camera after it was sent to him earlier this month.

After sending the roll to a lab to have the images developed the photographer was left in awe to see a portrait of his mother Olena, 56, dating back to 1986.

Mr Grygorenko said: 'At first I was a bit disappointed because there was nothing of significant value on them. Just some blurry pictures.

Bogdan Grygorenko, 33, who is originally from Kiev, Ukraine, and is now living in Canada, discovered the images in a 34-year-old roll of film

The photographer was left in awe when he discovered a portrait of his mother Olena, 56, dating back to 1986

Mr Grygorenko discovered the images on a vintage Lubitell 166B camera that he was sent by his family earlier this month

'But when I saw the last two pictures I almost started crying. It almost felt that this picture was destined for me to discover. This was fascinating.

'My parents were in complete shock when they saw the picture. My mum told me that she was actually seven months pregnant with me!

'My mum and dad who were students back then, went to the Carpathian region while in their last year of university. My father bought a camera for this trip. On their return he completely forgot about this camera.

'My parents told me they thought about throwing away this camera on multiple occasions.

'I got into film photography a year ago and once I found out my family had a few old film cameras I immediately asked my parents to send them over.

'When I received the camera and opened it I was in shock to discover film in it. I went to the lab immediately and thought this was a great opportunity to record a video. That's how I started my photography channel on Youtube.

The portrait of his mother was taken by Mr Grygorenko's father while the pair were in their final year at university

The old film roll held images of snow-covered mountains in the Carpathian region of Ukraine

The photographer's parents took the pictures during a trip to the Carpathian region while Mrs Grygorenko was seven months pregnant

Mr Grygorenko (pictured with his parents Olena and Andriy) later sent the old images to his parents

'So essentially I developed a film with myself in it. It all feels magical especially considering it was during Christmas season.'

During the clip, the photographer told viewers he came upon the camera 'by accident' and was curious to see what they contained.

He said: 'Guys in my hand I'm holding a roll of film that has been sitting in my family's camera for around 30 years and I actually got it by accident because my family sent it to me from Ukraine.

'When I opened the camera I had this very film sitting right in the camera. I'm super excited to see what kind of pictures it will hold because nobody has seen these for about 30 years.

'I'm on my way to the lab to get them developed now.'

After having them developed, he continued: 'My mum hasn't seen this picture. My dad definitely forgot that he took it and now I get this. I'm actually curious if I can restore it a little bit, give it a little more light.'





He added: 'I've seen a picture of my mum from this era but there's something about the fact that this picture was completely forgotten. That brings up a lot of emotions. That's amazing!'

To view Mr Grygorenko's work click here.
NEW DELHI: Farmers protesting at Delhi borders against three central laws said they will continue to hold agitation even after the Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 12) ordered to constitute a committee to be headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse.

BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, "We are not satisfied. We will continue to agitate at borders and won't return our homes until the government withdraws the three farm laws."

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action. The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha. "We welcome the court's order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

The reaction from the farmer union leaders came after the apex court stayed the implementation of all three farm laws and also formed a committee comprising mostly agriculturists to hear the grievances of the farmer unions against the laws.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said, "We are going to suspend the implementation of the three farm laws until further orders."

The Chief Justice mentioned the names of agriculture economist Ashok Gulati, Dr. Pramod Kumar Joshi, Anil Dhanawat and B.S. Mann to be on the committee to hear the farmers' issues regarding the laws. The top court also issued a notice on the Delhi Police application seeking to stop farmers from entering the national capital to hold a tractor rally on the Republic Day.

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The Lutheran Church of Nigeria has conferred the Luther Ambassador International Award on the Commissioner for International Development and Cooperation in Cross Rivers State, Dr. Inyang Asibong.

She received the award yesterday alongside the Head of Civil Service in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Effiong Essien at the Luther Cathedral, Obot Idim in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom the State.

The National President of Lutheran Church of Nigeria, Dr. Christian Okon Ekong who conferred the honour on Dr. Asibong and Mr. Essien said that the award is in recognition of their contributions to the Lutheran Church of Nigeria.

The Clergyman said notably, Dr. Inyang Asibong received the approval of the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade and facilitated the return of the Immanuel Lutheran Hospital, Yahe, Yala LGA in Cross River State to the Lutheran Church of Nigeria.

He called on the award recipients to continue to be good ambassadors of the Lutheran Church of Nigerian and continue to make meaningful contributions to humanity.

Dr. Inyang appreciated the Lutheran church for the recognition, which she said would propel her to do more. She recalled that she joined the Lutheran church about 16 years ago and has continued to grow haven served as secretary of the church welfare committee; a Dorcas Group 1 Ambassador of the church, Zonal Patroness of the Cross River South Zone of Luther messengers and most recently, she was ordained a Deaconess of the Lutheran Church last year.

She expressed gratitude to the Governor of Cross River Prof. Ben Ayade for the opportunity to serve the people of Cross River as a Commissioner for Health and now as a Commissioner for International Development and Cooperation.

Dr. Inyang Asibong disclosed that in her new role as Commissioner for International Development, Cross River State Government is working with international organizations to implement a Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) project to help people recover from the adverse economic impact of the Covid-19.

She said the modalities for the implementation of the CARES Project are ongoing and that Cross River state Government and the Ministry of Economic Development and Ibom Deep Sea Port in Akwa Ibom State are in partnership with international organizations to implement the CARES Project.
SaaS-based Support and Maintenance Services Will Help Lower Costs and Improve Efficiency for Italian Communications Service Provider

Netcracker Technology announced today that Italian communications service provider Tiscali has converged its BSS functions, including online rating and charging, across its lines of business in order to better support 5G and other next-generation services and move toward its goal of becoming a full quad-play operator.

Tiscali will leverage the next-generation revenue management features in Netcracker Digital BSS, part of the Netcracker 2020 portfolio, while moving from traditional support and maintenance to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model.

Tiscali, a long-time Netcracker customer, is a Smart Telco with the largest fiber coverage available in Italy and provides high-speed Internet access, voice, mobile and other value-added services to business and residential customers throughout the country.

Netcracker's cloud-based Support Maintenance service uses an extensive analytics-based toolset and data monitoring and analysis to provide visibility into the critical businesses within the CSP. This helps identify and resolve issues before they escalate and keeps operations within established SLAs and KPIs.

"Netcracker has been a long-term trusted partner for the company, and we rely on the converged Digital BSS solution to support both residential and enterprise customers. By shifting to an on-premise SaaS model, alongside Netcracker Support Maintenance, we will be able to meet our business goals while being confident that we will experience a high level of service quality and uninterrupted system performance," said Luca Manunza, IT Governance Manager at Tiscali. "This assurance will allow us to continue to evolve our services, bring new services to market quickly and stay ahead of the competition."

"We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Tiscali by providing our convergent Digital BSS solution, which will bring an improved customer experience, support for B2B2X revenue streams and our managed services in a cloud-based model," said Benedetto Spaziani, Regional Vice President EMEA at Netcracker. "This will give Netcracker the ability to provide product and solution support and upgrades, as well as continuous business requirements analysis, which will give Tiscali the highest level of system performance and business continuity."

About Netcracker Technology

Netcracker Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, offers mission-critical digital transformation solutions to service providers around the globe. Our comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and professional services enables large-scale digital transformations, unlocking the opportunities of the cloud, virtualization and the changing mobile ecosystem. With an unbroken service delivery track record of more than 25 years, our unique combination of technology, people and expertise helps companies transform their networks and enable better experiences for their customers.

For more information, visit www.netcracker.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005059/en/

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WASHINGTON: A fiery debate opened in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday over a Democratic-led effort to remove President Donald Trump from office for inciting supporters who stormed the Capitol last week, while Trump denied any wrongdoing.

Democrats pushed Republican lawmakers to disavow Trumps false claim that President-elect Joe Bidens victory in the Nov. 3 election was illegitimate - the very claim that enraged Trumps supporters and prompted the violence in Washington that killed five including a police officer.

Republicans refused to concede the point and said their unsuccessful effort last week to challenge the results of the election was justified.

Making his first public appearance since the Jan. 6 riot, Trump defended the remarks he made to supporters at a rally before they stormed the seat of Congress and lambasted Democrats for pushing ahead with a drive to impeach him for an unprecedented second time.

What I said was totally appropriate," Trump told reporters as he left for a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border wall near Alamo, Texas, his first public foray since the assault on the Capitol. I want no violence."

The Republican president did not answer a reporters question about whether he would resign.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives plans to vote as soon as Wednesday on an article of impeachment charging Trump with inciting insurrection unless he resigns or Vice President Mike Pence moves to oust him under a provision in the U.S. Constitution.

The House will vote later on Tuesday on a resolution calling on Pence, a Republican, to invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, a never-before used power that allows a majority of the Cabinet to strip the president of power if he or she is unable to discharge the offices duties.

Pence advisers say he is opposed to the idea.

With only eight days left in Trumps term, chances the Democratic push will result in his removal before Biden takes office on Jan. 20 appear remote. But Democrats say Trumps actions demand a response.

Our nation, our democracy and our freedom cannot risk another day of the Trump presidency," said Representative Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee.

Democrats could also use an impeachment trial to push through a vote blocking Trump from running for office again.

PARTISAN BATTLE LINES

At a Rules Committee session setting the timeline and procedures for Tuesdays debate, lawmakers previewed the potentially emotional battle over the resolution with angry exchanges over Republican efforts to cast doubt on Bidens sweeping election win.

McGovern challenged Republican Representative Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump ally who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from the president on Monday, to declare that Biden won fair and square and the election was not stolen."

Jordan refused to utter those words and defended his challenges to the Electoral College result saying, I followed the process the Constitution prescribes" when there are concerns over a states election results.

I am stunned that after all that has happened we cannot get a definitive answer," McGovern responded as the two lawmakers sparred and talked over each other.

If Trump has not stepped down and Pence has not taken action by Wednesday, Democratic leaders plan to bring impeachment to the House floor.

REPUBLICAN CENSURE

U.S. Representative Tom Reed, a moderate Republican, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that he and House colleagues would introduce a censure resolution against Trump on Tuesday as an alternative to a rushed, divisive" impeachment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top congressional Democrat, told Democratic members on a conference call on Monday that a censure would be an abdication of our responsibility," according to a source familiar with the call.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has said that no trial could begin until the chamber returns from its recess on Jan. 19.

But Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is set to become the majority leader after two Democrats from Georgia are seated and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is sworn in, told reporters the Senate could be recalled to handle the matter.

Top Democrats are still debating whether it would be better to send the impeachment charge against Trump to the Senate immediately upon passing it or wait to give Biden time to work with senators to confirm his nominees and pass priority legislation before setting off a fresh partisan brawl.

A Senate conviction requires a two-thirds majority of those present, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to break with a president who has maintained an iron grip over his party for four years. An impeachment trial also could proceed even after Trump leaves office.

House Republican leaders have decided not to lobby their members against voting for impeachment, two House leadership aides told Reuters, leaving the decision to each lawmakers conscience.

TRUMP TO BORDER

Until his departure for Texas, Trump had not been seen in public since the day of the Capitol siege.

Trumps favorite means of communication was cut off last week when Twitter suspended his account permanently, saying it was concerned he could use it to incite further mayhem.

The presidents actions have driven a wedge among Republicans, with a handful of lawmakers either calling for him to step down immediately or saying they will consider supporting impeachment.

Impeachment appears likely to pass the House: the lawmakers who drafted the formal charge say at least 218 of the 222 Democrats in the chamber already support it.

The House impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring Ukraines president to investigate Biden, but the Republican-controlled Senate acquitted him in February 2020.

Only two other U.S. presidents have been impeached.

After last weeks chaos, authorities are hardening security ahead of Bidens inauguration, which has already been dramatically scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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
Office workers were left shocked after a highly venomous snake poked its head out from beneath their kitchen microwave.

The metre-long eastern tiger snake was found curled up behind the appliance in the staff kitchen of the Parks Victoria office at Templestowe in Melbourne.

Veteran wrangler Mark Pelley was called to the scene to remove the deadly snake on January 11.

A deadly eastern tiger snake has been caught hiding under a microwave

'I opened the cupboard, which had the microwave inside, and a head popped out from underneath,' Mr Pelley told the Herald Sun.

He removed the microwave from the cupboard and safely caught the snake in minutes.

Mr Pelley said the snake was likely seeking shelter from the hot weather.

He said it was the first time he had been called to remove a snake from beneath a microwave in all his years working across Australia.

Mr Pelley told The Australian that the snake had enough venom to kill all of the six staff members present in the office.

Melbourne's best known snake catcher, Mark Pelley, caught the snake

The eastern tiger is considered the fifth most deadly snake in the world, with venom strong enough to kill a victim within an hour of a bite.

'They leave you alone if you leave them alone, but if you try to pick them up or kill them they'll bite you,' Mr Pelley said.

Staff members at the office were able to stay calm and praised Mr Pelley once he caught the snake.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
President Donald Trump is facing a historic second impeachment a week after a violent and deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

An article of impeachment expected is expected to come to a vote this week in the U.S. House. The single charge of incitement of insurrection says the Republican president willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged  and foreseeably resulted in  lawless action at the Capitol, such as: if you dont fight like hell youre not going to have a county anymore. "

Trumps term will end Jan. 20 when Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office.

But it appears there is enough support in the House to proceed with impeachment when it comes up for a vote on Wednesday, according to reports from The Associated Press, Politico and others. First, there will be a House resolution on Tuesday calling for Vice President to invoke the 25th Amendment Constitutional authority to remove Trump from office.

Here is where the Lehigh Valley areas Congressional representatives stand.

Wild supports impeachment.

Doubting that Pence will invoke the 25th Amendment, Wild tweeted on Monday that she had signed the article of impeachment to be introduced this week. She has already called for Trumps immediate removal from office.

This president incited an insurrection against the legislative branch of the United States of America, wrote Wild, a Lehigh County resident whose district covers the entire Lehigh Valley. He has put the safety and security of the American people & our democracy at risk. We will not stand idly by. He must be held accountable.

Since apparently President Trump is not going to resign, nor is Vice President Pence going to invoke the 25th Amendment, I have signed on to articles of impeachment being introduced this week pic.twitter.com/rlkInpUprF  Rep. Susan Wild (@RepSusanWild) January 11, 2021

And to my Republican colleagues who say we should just move on, we cannot heal and unite as a nation until there is accountability for those responsible for these deaths and this insurrection.  Rep. Susan Wild (@RepSusanWild) January 11, 2021

Gottheimer supports impeachment.

The representative whose district includes northern Warren County last week called for Trumps removal and joined in the article of impeachment.

In the days since, Gottheimer tweeted on Monday, Ive worked to convince my colleagues across the aisle that its critical that we hold the President accountable for inciting the attack. This is about protecting our country from insurrection and ensuring the peaceful transition of power.

In the days since, I've worked to convince my colleagues across the aisle that it's critical that we hold the President accountable for inciting the attack. This is about protecting our country from insurrection and ensuring the peaceful transition of power.  Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) January 11, 2021

Malinowski supports impeachment.

Representing southern Warren County and all of Hunterdon County, Malinowski joined the straightforward impeachment resolution the day after the Capitol attack.

The president encouraged a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from doing its job, he wrote on social media. This unprecedented in American history and must never be repeated.

I'm joining Representatives Cicilline, Lieu, and Raskin on this straightforward impeachment resolution. The president encouraged a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from doing its job. This unprecedented in American history and must never be repeated. https://t.co/N0fpFZDGxT  Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) January 7, 2021

It is unclear if Toomey will support impeachment if the resolution proceeds to the Senate.

The senator from Lehigh County has said in various interviews over the last several days that he believes Trump should resign and that impeachable offenses were committed. But he doubts impeachment could be accomplished before Bidens inauguration, according to an AP report. His office did not have anything new to say on Monday.

I think the president has disqualified himself from ever, certainly, serving in office again, Toomey said, via the AP. I dont think he is electable in any way.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
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New Delhi, Jan 12 : There is no withdrawal of Chinese troops from the Ladakh frontier and the ground situation remains the same, said Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday, stating that reports of Chinese soldiers' movement from depth areas has no relation to the deployment on the Line of Actual Control.

Dismissing reports that 10,000 Chinese soldiers have been redeployed, General Naravane said too much should not be read into either their presence or their going back, as these locations are between 500 to 1,500 kms deep inside Chinese territory.

He also said that the current conflict situation along the LAC in Ladakh remains the same and the Indian Army is keeping a strict vigil and the soldiers are in a state of high alert on the Indian side of the de facto border.

"Today's situation in Ladakh is the same. As far as the (Chinese soldiers') withdrawal is concerned, every summer, they come to the Tibetan Plateau for training and return especially as winter sets in. These are traditional training areas from where they go back. We should not read too much into these, whether they are present or absent or go back from these areas. This is nothing new," Naravane said at his annual press conference here.

"These areas are well off in the depth areas anywhere between 500 to 1,500 kms away from the border. All the same, we keep an eye on them, as these are the forces that could be mobilised and reach the borders in 24 hours to 48 hours so there is a necessity to keep a watch in all the deployments in the Tibetan Plateau." He also made it a point to clarify that there has been no decrease in troop strength along with the eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation areas along the Line of Actual Control, either on the Chinese side or on the Indian side.

"We need not give too much significance on these comings and goings. What is more important is border areas where eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation is there in all the various friction areas. There has been no reduction of troops in these particular areas. That is where we have to be more concerned and alert." Naravane said in May 2020, the Chinese PLA had the first-mover advantage. But in August 2020, India turned the tables when India had the first-mover advantage on the southern banks of Pangong Tso, where Indian soldiers occupied key heights bang on the Indian perceived LAC.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
ABC NewsBy AARON KATERSKY and JOHN SANTUCCI, ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- The New York State Bar Association is investigating whether to drop Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, from its ranks.



Giuliani is one of the few lawyers defending the president as prosecutors consider whether to charge him for inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.



The investigation would stain Giuliani's record but would not result in his disbarment, which would be handled by the Appellate Division of the New York Court System.



Removal from the membership of the bar association could, however, make it more challenging for Giuliani to represent Trump, though it wasnt immediately clear how the reprimand would affect him outside of New York.



In a statement, the association noted Giuliani's words at the "Save America" rally that preceded the riot.



"If we're wrong, we will be made fools of, but if we're right a lot of them will go to jail," Giuliani told rally-goers on Jan. 6 before they marched on the Capitol. "Let's have a trial by combat."



"NYSBA's bylaws state that 'no person who advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States, or of any state, territory or possession thereof, or of any political subdivision therein, by force or other illegal means, shall be a member of the Association,'" bar association officials said in the statement. "Mr. Giuliani's words quite clearly were intended to encourage Trump supporters unhappy with the election's outcome to take matters into their own hands. Their subsequent attack on the Capitol was nothing short of an attempted coup, intended to prevent the peaceful transition of power."



The bar association said it subsequently received hundreds of complaints about Giuliani, and the investigation is based on those complaints and Giuliani's public statements.



In media appearances and in court testimony, the former New York City mayor has leveled unproven accusations of voter fraud in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.



In interviews with 60 Minutes that aired Sunday, Georgia election officials accused Giuliani of knowingly lying when he testified last month before the Georgia state Senate about allegations of voter fraud.



Gabriel Sterling, the state's voting system implementation manager, said that Giuliani misrepresented a video his office had provided showing ballot processing and counting in Fulton County after November's general election, telling state senators that suitcases being handled by election workers contained illegitimate ballots.



"From my point of view, they [Trump's attorneys] intentionally misled the state senators, the people of Georgia and the people United States about this, to cause this conspiracy theory to keep going and keep the disinformation going, which has caused this environment that we're seeing today," Sterling said. "Rudy Giuliani looked them in the eye and lied."



Bar association officials said that Giuliani will have a chance to explain himself to the association if he so chooses.



"This decision is historic for NYSBA, and we have not made it lightly," association president Scott Karson said. "We cannot stand idly by and allow those intent on rending the fabric of our democracy to go unchecked."



A spokesperson for Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Climate change damage to the homes of clownfish affects their physiology

The metabolism of clownfish  or anemonefish  decreases when their sea homes are damaged by climate change, according to a new study.

The research  led by an international team of scientists from the University of Glasgow and CRIOBE, and published today in Functional Ecology  found that exposure to bleached coral reefs can have a negative effect on the physiology and growth of anemonefish.

The study found that anemonefish living in bleached anemones for longer than a month progressively decreased their metabolism, had less growth and modified their behavior to become less active.

Mass coral bleaching is the result of extreme heat waves caused by worldwide climate change. On tropical reefs, anemones are home to anemonefishes. When anemones bleach, they dont just lose their color, but also the algae that live in their tissues that provide energy to anemones and also anemonefishes.

The impacts of temperature-induced bleaching events on corals and anemones are well known but, until now, the longer term impacts on anemonefish has been understudied. The team of scientists from France, Chile, Denmark and the UK conducted the research at CRIOBE, a research station in French Polynesia.

For the study, the international team exposed 47 wild juvenile anemonefish to thermally-induced bleached anemones, as well as healthy anemones, for several months in Moorea lagoon. The team measured fish behavior, metabolism and growth after one month of living within healthy or bleached white homes. Each measure was repeated a month later, after two months of exposure; and, finally, juvenile anemonefish survival was monitored over nine months.

Dr Shaun Killen, from the University of Glasgows Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, said: So far scientists have mainly focused their attention on the direct effects of bleaching on corals and on the effects of bleaching-induced coral mortality on the coral reef community. However, our results suggest that even if corals survive and recover from a bleaching event, this doesnt occur without costs for their associated communities that structure coral reef ecosystems.

Overall, our findings highlight the gravity of bleaching events and emphasise the need to regulate human actions that contribute to climate-change related events, such as bleaching.

Suzanne Mills, Associate Professor at Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) PSL Universite Paris, CRIOBE, France, said: Although fish in bleached anemones spent more time out of their anemone, they were less active and moved around the anemone less, suggesting an inability to adjust their feeding rate to cope with the lower amount of food available.

Our finding that bleached anemone hosts lower the growth of associated fish is therefore likely to have cascading and life-long consequences for individual anemonefish, but also for other fish species associated with hosts that bleach.

Daphne Cortese, PhD student with EPHE, CRIOBE and the University of Glasgow, said: In food-limited environments, it can be advantageous to down-regulate metabolism, but there is a limit to how much it can be decreased, and we didnt obverse any stabilization over time.

This finding, together with lower growth and modified behavior, suggests that fish in bleached anemones are at an energetic disadvantage and that there is an increasingly negative impact of anemone bleaching on anemonefish over time rather than an acclimation to the new condition.

The study, Physiological and behavioural effects of anemone bleaching on symbiont anemonefish in the wild, is published in Functional Ecology. The study is funded by

Agence National de la Recherche, LabEx CORAIL, Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Environment Research Council and European Research Council starting grant.

Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 6557 or 0141 330 4831


If everything goes according to plan, New Jersey will soon begin vaccinating its teachers and other school employees against COVID-19.

With educators protected, districts will move to fully reopen schools, eager for students to return to classrooms and weary parents to finally get back to work  right?

Not exactly.

A sluggish national vaccine rollout, uncontrolled coronavirus spread in local communities, a lack of vaccination options for children and strict social distancing requirements will likely make it difficult for all districts to return to normal before the end of this school year, according to educators and health experts.

At a minimum, hybrid learning is going to be the norm the rest of this school year, predicted Stephanie Silvera, an epidemiologist at Montclair State University.

Its not what exasperated parents and cooped-up students want to hear. But thats the challenge of balancing hope versus reality nearly a year into a pandemic that has dramatically altered daily life, Silvera said. Until there is widespread vaccination or immunity, the risk of spreading the virus remains. An expansion of hybrid scheduling might be the best families can expect, she said.

Yes, there is a vaccine, but simply existing isnt enough. We need to get shots in peoples arms, Silvera said. The teachers may be able to transmit not only to people who they live with at home, but to students, who might bring it home to their unvaccinated family members.

Reopening schools goes beyond teacher vaccination, said Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators. However, he expects schools will be able to gradually ramp up in-person instruction throughout the spring thanks to vaccinations, and hopefully, fewer coronavirus cases across the state.

I dont think there is a magic point or a tipping point, Bozza said. We have schools that are open fully for their students, and we have others that are fully closed. I think its going to be community by community as the circumstances improve around the state.

New Jersey has just 79 school districts offering full in-person instruction, according to the state. Nearly 340 districts are providing all-remote courses. The states largest district, Newark Public Schools, has already announced it will not reopen until April 12, meaning its students will spend at least 13 months away from the classroom.

In a push to get children back into school, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified teachers and other school workers as part of Phase 1b of the nations vaccination program, along with first responders, food service workers, day care employees and public transit workers.

New Jersey made police and firefighters eligible last week to receive the vaccine. The Health Departments Professional Advisory Committee has been discussing prioritization for the next group of workers to be made eligible, according to the state.

I cant give you a date, but I know that everybody is looking forward to getting this vaccine and being able to feel more confident about going out in public and working with our students, said Marie Blistan, president of the New Jersey Education Association, the states largest teachers union.

However, it will take time to vaccinate the more than 110,000 public school teachers, along with thousands of other essential school employees.

Both vaccines currently available in the U.S. require two dosages with a three- or four-week waiting period between shots. It then takes another three or four weeks to have full protection, meaning many teachers wont be safeguarded until March, Silvera said.

And thats assuming most teachers are interested in getting vaccinated. Theres already some legal debate over whether districts can require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees and how much unions might push back.

Teacher vaccinations should be a game-changer for staff confidence about returning to school, said Robert Zywicki, superintendent of Mount Olive Public Schools. His district had to halt hybrid schedule classes in December, when 52 staff members were quarantined.

But health experts say children may need to wait months until they can get vaccinated. As long as rules for social distancing are in place and students are not vaccinated, its difficult to envision all students returning for full school days before the fall, Zywicki said.

If you have 20 kids in a classroom, you can still have 20 kids who give it to each other, he said. The vaccine may be a silver bullet from a public perception, but it doesnt change the reality of the school district operations.

More than 110 in-school coronavirus outbreaks have been recorded in New Jersey involving 557 students, teachers and staff since the school year began in late August, according to the state dashboard.

Even after teachers are vaccinated, the prevalence of the virus in local communities could prevent schools from fully opening, said Mark Schwarz, superintendent of Madison Public Schools.

On Monday, New Jersey reported 5,042 new cases of the coronavirus and 51 additional COVID-19 deaths. The transmission rate increased to 1.09, remaining above the key benchmark that indicates the outbreak is expanding. The state reported 6,435 new cases on Saturday, the highest number recorded during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, schools in every county remain on a high COVID-19 activity alert, which means they should consider all-remote learning, according to state guidance.

Those metrics will need to improve for districts to feel confident bringing more students and staff into school buildings each day, Schwarz said.

In-person learning is going to be most impacted by the case rates and the positivity rates, Schwarz said. That is when in-person learning is going to become more possible for more districts.

Health and science should drive reopening conversations with safety as the top priority, Blistan said. Though students are missing significant learning time, she thinks teachers can help them get caught up once everyone returns to full-time in-person instruction.

We can and will figure it out, Blistan said. What we couldnt figure out and what we cant fix is irreparable damage from a virus that we were exposed to and our kids were exposed to.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Adam Clark may be reached at aclark@njadvancemedia.com. Have a news tip or a story idea about New Jersey schools? Send it here.

The US newspaper New York Times included Vietnams Con Dao island among its 52 places to love in 2021.

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The destinations were selected from more than 2,000 suggestions the paper received after asking its readers about spots that have delighted, inspired and comforted them in a dark year. It said these places remind us that the world still awaits.

Thang Dac Luong, a lawyer and a writer in Sydney, chose Con Dao as his place of significance, describing it as a tropical paradise with a terrible past. The author wrote about his fathers captivity on the island from 1961  1963 and his memorable trip to Con Dao.

I spent three days on Con Dao. I visited a cemetery where relatives of people who died or suffered in the prison can bring offerings. Theres a marine conservatory, where baby turtles are being raised. On the last day, I was on the beach. As I swam out in the warm, turquoise water, I burst into tears. Its important that we have these places where we can remember the people weve lost. Someday, Id like to take my children there so they can learn more about their grandfather.

Located around 230 kilometers (143 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Con Dao island was once dubbed Hell on Earth, home to a brutal prison where the French and American invaders jailed and tortured many Vietnamese freedom fighters during the 19th and 20th centuries.

This is not the first time Vietnams prison island has been highlighted by prestigious publications.

In 2017, CNN praised it as one of 12 paradise islands in Asia, while US magazine Time included Con Dao in a list of 13 places around the world to amaze travelers with its blue water./.VNA

Con Dao from hell on earth to tourist paradise Con Dao has been voted one of the best secret and most appealing islands on earth by Australian Lonely Planet and US Travel and Leisure magazines.
There is a clear gap in the aesthetic space, and in the future, Dr. Kortesis and I look forward to providing all practices with top-tier offerings, expanding state-of-the-art-experiences to a regional and national level. says Founding Partner and expert surgeon, Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS.

K&B Management, a Charlotte-based practice consulting firm dedicated to driving healthcare innovation for aesthetic practices, recently acquired Renaissance Plastic Surgery in Concord, North Carolina, a strong start to the year, and the firm. As Co-Owners of K&B Management, Dr. Bill Kortesis MD, FACS and Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS plan to revamp the practice and upgrade its current offerings by delivering high-value, premium-level treatments and procedures. Newly re-named, H/K/B Renaissance Cosmetic Surgery will serve as an expansion of H/K/B Cosmetic Surgerys SouthPark and Huntersville practices, allowing for further impact in the aesthetic space. Additionally, Dr. Kortesis and Dr. Bharti will be utilizing their expertise to offer on-site support and guidance, enhancing the established practices ability to perform at its best, and to offer patients the best possible results.

Dr. Kortesis and Is goal is to provide patients in the region, and nation, the ultimate aesthetic experience. The acquisition of Renaissance Plastic Surgery not only allows us to elevate both our team and our brand but is also an important step in bringing premier talent to Concords ever-growing area. There is a clear gap in the aesthetic space, and in the future, Dr. Kortesis and I look forward to providing all practices with top-tier offerings, expanding state-of-the-art-experiences to a regional and national level. says Founding Partner and expert surgeon, Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS.

Dr. Kortesis and Dr. Bharti are award-winning, highly renowned plastic surgeons and health technology investors who have made a significant impact in the industry. Aside from moving the needle medically, the influential speakers and fellowship mentors are driving change in the future of aesthetic medicine, using innovative technology and techniques to help further the next generation of advancements. As current Co-Owners and Managing Partners of H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, the businessmen have created a foundation for premier, luxury experiences. The practice has experienced comprehensive growth since its inception, expanding to a second location, increasing from one to three surgeons, and adding multiple mid-level providers over time. The unparalleled experience and success seen at H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery is possible through the knowledge and dedication the surgeons continuously show their patients. Through these new endeavors, the doctors are combining their extensive medical experience with their business acumen and innovative mentality to help other practices grow their practices and better serve their patients.

What makes this opportunity so exciting for us is that we are able to come in and guide these practices, not just as businessmen, but from physician to physician. Dr. Bharti and I wanted to use K&B Management to empower others in the field because we understand the obstacles physicians can face throughout their journey in the medical aesthetic space. Every practice should have the ability to provide the same luxury-level treatment that patients seek at H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, and H/K/B Renaissance Cosmetic Surgery is a great step in the direction of working with those in the surrounding community, says Co-Owner and Managing Partner, Dr. Bill Kortesis MD, FACS.

K&B Management strives to provide solutions to practices looking to grow, and the strategic acquisition of Renaissance Plastic Surgery is a significant step forward in increasing access throughout growing areas to premium-level services and offerings. In the future, the firm plans to expand upon its current capabilities and provide professional, actionable guidance on a regional, as well as national level.

K&B Management

K&B Management, founded in 2019 by renowned plastic surgeons, Dr. Bill Kortesis MD, FACS and Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS, offers strategic growth and consulting services to practices and providers in the medical aesthetic space. Charlotte-based with a national reach, K&B Management aims to facilitate the highest standard of aesthetic medicine by bridging the gap between providers and the industry. Through K&B Managements innovative, tactical approach, each provider has the means to thrive and deliver optimal patient experiences.

Bill Kortesis MD, FACS

Dr. Bill Kortesis is a Co-Owner and Managing Partner of H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, as well as Co-founder of K&B Management. As a board-certified plastic surgeon and Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Dr. Kortesis aims to foster the next generation of aesthetic medicine and improve healthcare for all. Through investing in the latest, most innovative technologies, Dr. Kortesis believes strongly in the importance of utilizing digital means to provide optimal patient care. H/K/Bs yearly fellowship program allows Dr. Kortesis to further impact the future of aesthetic medicine, by training future plastic surgeons in the highest level of surgical technique.

Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS

Dr. Gaurav Bharti is a board-certified plastic surgeon based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and practices at H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, where he also acts as Co-Owner and Managing Partner. Additionally, Dr. Bharti serves as Co-Founder of practice growth consulting firm, K&B Management. Recognized by Castle Connolly as one of its Top Doctors and American Airlines magazine as one of the Best Plastic Surgeons of America, Dr. Bharti has used his expertise to further the medical aesthetics industry and deliver the highest level of patient care. As a fellow mentor to the next generation of aesthetic surgeons, Dr. Bharti believes in the importance of continued education and serves as an influential speaker at conventions, trade shows, and podcasts surrounding the medical aesthetics industry. Ultimately, Dr. Bharti aims to utilize innovative concepts to improve patient outcomes and contribute to cutting-edge advancements in

the industry.
It's been a busy few days for Apple TV+. Firstly, Andy Samberg and his Palm Springs writer Andy Siara have teamed up with Noah Hawley and Ben Stiller for a untitled sci-fi comedy-drama that has landed at Apple Studios. Apple finalized the deal over the weekend, picking it up in a competitive situation.

Details for the projects logline are being kept in an alternate dimension but it is known that it is an original idea by BoJack Horseman creator and author Raphael Bob-Waksberg. For more on this, read the full report by The Hollywood Reporter.

Secondly, we're learning today that Madam Secretary alum Geoffrey Arend is set as a series regular opposite Rose Byrne and Rory Scovel in Apple TV+ dramedy Physical, from Almost Family creator Annie Weisman, Dirty John showrunner Alexandra Cunningham and Tomorrow Studios.

Written by Weisman, who also will serve as showrunner, Physical is set in a 1980s Southern California beach community. It follows Sheila (Byrne), a woman struggling in her life as a quietly tortured housewife who finds an unconventional path to power through an unlikely source: the world of aerobics.

Arend will play Jerry, a longtime friend of Danny (Scovel) and Sheila (Byrne) from their activist days at Berkeley. Hes come to stir up some good, and possibly bad, trouble. For more, read the full Deadline report.

First word of this series was covered in a May 2020 Patently Apple report titled "Apple Finalizes Deal for the new Dramedy titled 'Physical' by signing a 2-year deal with Annie Weisman, Creator of the Series."

Archive: Apple TV News
The original plan, Hanlon said, was to operate the medical supply company in the back of the building at 801 W. Devon Ave. and lease out the front portion to a friend who runs an ice cream shop in Wisconsin. But when the latter idea fell through, Hanlon and Krakowski decided it shouldnt spell an end to ice cream in South Park.
Malaysia declares virus emergency, sparking anger

WORLD: Malaysias king declared a nationwide state of emergency today (Jan 12) to fight a coronavirus surge that is overwhelming hospitals, but critics charged it was a bid by an unstable government to cling to power.

CoronavirusCOVID-19

By AFP

Tuesday 12 January 2021, 03:18PM

The declaration by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah allows for the suspension of parliament and political activities. Photo: AFP.

The announcement came a day after the prime minister introduced sweeping new curbs across much of the Southeast Asian nation, including the closure of most businesses, and warned the health system was at breaking point.

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah agreed to declare an emergency until August 1 following a request from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a meeting yesterday, the national palace said in a statement.

In a televised address, Muhyiddin said parliament would be suspended and elections would not take place, with the king able to enact new laws if necessary.

But the leader, whose 10-month-old government faces a host of challenges, insisted that the civilian government will continue to function.

The emergency declaration... is not a military coup and a curfew will not be enforced, he said.

He insisted he was committed to holding a general election once the countrys outbreak is brought under control.

The announcement came after Muhyiddins key coalition allies threatened to withdraw support, which could have led to the collapse of the government and snap national polls that some feared could worsen the outbreak.

Malaysia kept the virus in check for much of last year with a tough lockdown but, once curbs were eased, cases accelerated and have repeatedly hit fresh records in recent days.

As well as suspending political life, the declaration gives the government powers to take over private hospitals as government facilities become overwhelmed, and get extra help from the military and police, Muhyiddin said.

The emergency could be lifted earlier if the rate of infection slows.

The country has reported more than 138,000 virus cases and 555 deaths.

Dark day for democracy

An election in the state of Sabah last year has been blamed for triggering a new wave of infections that spread nationwide.

But critics expressed worries that the declaration was a gambit to cling to power by Muhyiddin that could erode civil liberties.

The declaration of a state of emergency seems like another attempt by Muhyiddin to hold on to power, block elections and to remove parliamentary oversight, rather than to seriously address the pandemic, tweeted Josef Benedict from Civicus, a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists.

A dark day for democracy.

Marina Mahathir, an activist and the daughter of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, tweeted that an emergency declaration was a declaration of failure.

Failure to manage the pandemic, failure to govern, failure to care about the people, she wrote.

Muhyiddin first tried to persuade the king to declare an emergency in October but was rebuffed. The last time an emergency was declared nationally was in 1969, in response to deadly racial riots.

Malaysia has been in political turmoil since March last year when Muhyiddin came to power without an election following Mahathirs resignation and the collapse of his reformist administration.
(Left) Cyrus Shey, Managing Partner of Bregal Milestone (Right) Antti Nivala, CEO and Founder of M-Files "The valuable investment from Bregal Milestone, bolstered by support from our existing shareholders Partech, Tesi and Draper Esprit, will enable M-Files to deliver further innovations in product development, AI and our cloud platform," said Antti Nivala, CEO and Founder of M-Files.

M-Files, the intelligent information management company, today announced that it has received a strategic investment of $80 million (67 million). Bregal Milestone, a European growth capital firm, led the round with current investors Partech, Tesi and Draper Esprit also participating.

M-Files provides an intelligent, repository neutral platform that utilizes metadata and artificial intelligence (AI) to break down information silos and unify systems, data and content across an organization. M-Files seamlessly embeds within popular digital workplace platforms, including Microsoft 365, Salesforce and Google Workspace, enabling users to access and manage documents and information from the applications where they prefer to work.

From small and medium-sized businesses to large global enterprises, M-Files is a trusted partner to thousands of customers in over 100 countries, helping them increase efficiencies and drive productivity. M-Files has more than 500 employees located across 11 global offices. The company's software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model continues to propel its strong growth. M-Files has been featured in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Content Services Platforms (formerly Enterprise Content Management) since 2012 and named a Visionary for the last five consecutive years.

Antti Nivala, CEO and Founder of M-Files:

Bregal Milestones extensive experience investing in the B2B enterprise software sector and their philosophy in partnering with fast-growing companies like M-Files made the firm an attractive investment partner. Weve identified opportunities to accelerate our growth and further expand M-Files market penetration, especially in North America. The valuable investment from Bregal Milestone, bolstered by support from our existing shareholders Partech, Tesi and Draper Esprit, will enable M-Files to deliver further innovations in product development, AI and our cloud platform.

Cyrus Shey, Managing Partner of Bregal Milestone:

We are thrilled to partner with the M-Files team to support Antti and his team on their very exciting growth journey. M-Files has a robust and cutting-edge solution that brings tangible value-add to its customers. We look forward to supporting management in accelerating growth and further consolidating M-Files leadership position, namely in the US and other key geographies. The transaction is the 9th investment made by Bregal Milestones inaugural growth capital fund in just over 2 years, and we couldnt be more proud to partner with Antti and the world-class M-Files team.

About M-Files Corporation

M-Files provides a next-generation intelligent information management platform that improves business performance by helping people find and use information more effectively. Unlike traditional enterprise content management (ECM) systems or content services platforms, M-Files unifies systems, data and content across the organization without disturbing existing systems and processes or requiring data migration. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in its unique Intelligent Metadata Layer, M-Files breaks down silos by delivering an in-context experience for accessing and leveraging information that resides in any system and repository, including network folders, SharePoint, file sharing services, ECM systems, CRM, ERP and other business systems and repositories. Thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries use M-Files for managing their business information and processes, including NBC Universal, OMV, Valmet, SAS Institute and thyssenkrupp. For more information, visit http://www.m-files.com.

About Bregal Milestone

Bregal Milestone is a growth capital firm managing a 495 million pan-European fund dedicated to making investments in high-growth European companies. The firm provides growth capital and strategic assistance to support market-leading companies in the technology and technology-enabled services sectors. Bregal Milestone is part of Bregal Investments, who have invested over 15 billion to date.

Media Contact:

Debra Dekelbaum

Senior Manager, US PR, M-Files

debra.dekelbaum@m-files.com

(972) 516-4210 ext. 272
Hong Kong: CE rejects double standards

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today called on the international community not to adopt double standards for the Mainland and Hong Kongs internal affairs.

Ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam made the remarks in response to the international communitys comments on the arrest of people suspected of violating the National Security Law.

Having regard to the recent incidents that have happened in the United States, when we mentioned the double standards being adopted by overseas officials and politicians when they commented on incidents in Hong Kong, the first double standard is the importance of national security.

Why should Hong Kong not have the safeguards on national security when jurisdictions all over the world have a series of legislation to safeguard their own national security? Are they suggesting that the safety of Hong Kong people is of lesser significance and importance than American citizens in American society?

So the first double standard that they have adopted is they uphold their own national security, but at the same time, belittle the need for national security in the People's Republic of China, especially in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Mrs Lam said that the second double standard is related to the rule of law.

The rule of law requires enforcement of the law and the keeping of law and order in a city in order to safeguard the life and property of citizens.

But since June 2019, everybody has seen what happened in Hong Kong, we had rampant violence and riots undermining the safety of Hong Kong people, properties and businesses, but some overseas commentators or politicians were sort of condoning or encouraging these sorts of activities under the guise of democracy.

But when the same thing seemed to happen in their own country, they immediately took a very different approach to condemn the violence. Some said that this was verging on sedition in American society.

Now the third double standard, of course, is respect for the judicial system. I think all over the world, if we talk about the rule of law, one of the most important fundamentals is the courts, the independence of the courts, as well as the quality of our judges. Hong Kong is very blessed to have a very distinguished judiciary, supported by very distinguished judges.

I would really appeal - especially since we had a new Chief Justice installed yesterday - I would appeal to the community at large to leave room for the courts to do their work, which is to uphold justice in Hong Kong without fear, favour, self-interest or deceit.

The Chief Executive added that the arrests were made in accordance with the law and not based on the political stance of those arrested.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

DECORAH, Iowa  A Cresco man is facing criminal charges over a collision in Winneshiek County that seriously injured himself and two others.

Gannon Willie, 22, is charged with two counts of serious injury by vehicle. Authorities say it happened on July 5, 2020, along 210th Street west of County Road W14. According to court documents, Willie was driving an SUV west when he collided with the side of a haybine being hauled east by a tractor.

Willie had to be extricated from the SUV and flown to Gundersen Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin, for treatment of his injuries. Court documents state a male passenger in the SUV suffered multiple injuries, including two skull fractures, and was in the hospital for roughly five days. A female passenger had to have surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, to repair damage to the tendons and ligaments in her left arm. A third passenger suffered internal bruising on the chest and hips from the seat belt.

Investigators say an open bottle of whiskey was seen in the wreckage of the SUV and a test of Willies urine confirmed the presence of methamphetamine.

These criminal charges were filed on December 3, 2020. Willie has not yet entered a plea.
Its Not Censorship, Its a Coordinated Effort

A time to strengthen families and communities

Commentary

Big Tech, social media, and the press used the violence on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 as a pretext to purge their platforms of conservative figures and Republican officials, most notably President Donald Trump. Amazon, Apple, and Google conspired to deplatform Parler, regarded as a conservative, or free-speech, alternative to Twitter.

Critics of the sweeping actions argue, rightly, that censorship violates not only First Amendment freedoms but also the spirit of the law protecting internet service providers from liability.

But this isnt censorship. Rather, its part of the strategic logic of mass conflict. The leadership of the political, corporate, and cultural establishment that today rules America shut down the communications of those against whom they are waging war.

The moves fully expose the architecture of the American oligarchyBig Tech is a Democratic Party-funding mechanism and part of its operational arm, with social media and the prestige press serving as information-warfare platforms disseminating propaganda and blocking information damaging to the regime. For instance, Simon and Schuster canceled Sen. Josh Hawleys book with the timely title of The Tyranny of Big Tech, claiming that Hawley played a dangerous role in events at the Capitol.

Jan. 6 was indeed a big deal, but not for the reasons the regime gives publicly. From its perspective, what Hawley did was much more dangerous when he officially questioned the integrity of the 2020 vote, i.e., the regimes legitimacy.

In fact, the communication lockdowns began long before the election. Most famously, social media blocked allegations of Biden family corruption and financial ties to Chinese Communist Party proxies. Given Big Techs relationship with the CCP, concerns that a foreign power played a role in the decisions made by tech executives to silence Trump, Beijings most outspoken and still most powerful critic, can hardly be dismissed. In any case, the corruption of the American regime is now a matter of record, and thats why its vanguard moved so quickly after the events of Jan. 6.

They were spooked.

Obviously, it wasnt Trump alone who brought hundreds of thousands of Americans, including families, to Washington on a Wednesday in January to march in the cold. But for the regime, Trump must be seen to be at the center of the picture, not only to isolate and degrade the current leader of the opposition, but more importantly to obscure optics dangerous to the regimes health.

The press and social media edited Trumps Jan. 6 statements to buttress the narrative of a strongman determined to hold on to power by directing his followers to set on a sacred democratic institution.

I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard, Trump said during his speech, a sentence found nowhere in reports claiming hed incited an insurrection. After Trump supporters entered the Capitol, some forcefully, some through open doors, social media blocked his video statement urging protestors to go home peacefully.

Strip away social media and the presss forged account of Jan. 6, and its an instantly recognizable event replayed throughout historydisenchanted masses seeing no other choice but to descend on a capital city to march on a corrupted parliament. Through that lens, Jan. 6 is a family-friendly version of the protests against the depraved parliamentarians of, among recent others, Burkina Faso in 2014, Hong Kong in 2019, and Lebanon in 2020.

Jan. 6 was more than four years in the making, starting with the Russiagate operation that the spy services and prestige press organizations ran against Trump. The regimes assault on the republic was serial and continuous: the fraudulent special counsel investigation tasked to unseat Trump; the bogus impeachment of the president designed to cover for yet more alleged Biden family corruption in yet another foreign country; the weaponization of the coronavirus lockdowns to destroy small businesses while enriching tech giants such as Amazon; the George Floyd riots; and culminating finally in the compromised election of a candidate who repeatedly gave public evidence he was no longer cognitively competent.

Jan. 6 was the day that Americans finally declared the oligarchic regime a third-world farce. With its lack of legitimacy exposed by the demonstrators, the regime had to move to delegitimize not only Trump but the action and the protestorsit was an insurrection, and even those who didnt participate in violence were domestic terrorists.

Banishing Trump and others from Twitter, such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn, and canceling Parler, satisfied the regimes vanguard since it targeted their opposite numbers, elites, social media executives, journalists, and so on. How other Trump supporters regard the move isnt clear, since only a fraction of his 75 million voters is on Twitter. Eventually, the regime will deploy other instruments to widen its fire, redefining all opponents to its agenda as white nationalists and setting against them law enforcement, as well as employers, banks, transportation services, and so on.

In the meantime, the first order of business is to restore communications, for the opposition as a whole. Other social media platforms are likely to arise but will also find themselves embroiled in conflict theyre likely to lose to tech giants. There are options, however: Americas one fail-safe form of communication, our media before there was onehouses of worship.

All churches, synagogues, and mosques must be reopened immediately. Here is where Americans can share our common bond, as well as information, knowledge, gossip, jokes, recipes, etc. This is a moment to strengthen families and communities, to ground faith in prayer, communion, and love, and to steel the spirit.

As local, state, and federal authorities move to keep Americans isolated by shuttering houses of worship under cover of coronavirus measures, court cases must be brought against authorities by the hundreds, the thousands, compelling the regime to act out its fundamental illegitimacy and confess its inability to govern a constitutional republic.

Lee Smith is the author of the recently published book The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The legislative Judiciary Committee on Monday confirmed Supreme Court Justice Andrew J. McDonald for a second eight-year term on the states highest court, despite a handful of negative Republican votes revealing lingering animosity from his failed nomination to become chief justice in 2018.

There was no debate over the 54-year-old McDonald during the committees virtual hearing. But several GOP lawmakers, including two new members of the state House of Representatives, voted against him. Two others, Rep. Doug Dubitsky of Chaplin and Sen. Rob Sampson, who recently challenged Gov. Ned Lamonts executive orders in the high court, disqualified themselves.

McDonald was confirmed 32-5. The nomination now heads to the House and Senate.

Opposition in the voting was led by Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, a conservative recently named ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Fishbein, in a query indicating opposition to the proposed legalization of marijuana for adult use, asked McDonald whether Connecticut law could trump federal laws against the drug.

So if marijuana is illegal for recreational use federally, how can a state such as Connecticut even contemplate recreational marijuana legalization? Fishbein asked.

That a subject that obviously is going to be debated in the legislature this year, replied McDonald, a Stamford native who now resides in Hartford. Thats a policy decision for the legislature, whether they want to entertain that question, and if so, whether to pass legislation related to that. It would be something that would be litigated and if it got to our court, then I would focus on the merits of the arguments. I am not suggesting that I have studied this in any detail or formed any opinion about whether such legislature would pass statutory or Constitution muster.

Eleven states have full legalization of cannabis, most as a result of statewide referendums, while 34 have medical-marijuana programs, including Connecticut.

In 2018, the state Senate turned down former Gov. Dannel P. Malloys nomination of McDonald to become the nations first openly gay chief justice. Republicans criticized the high courts 2015 ruling that the repeal of the death penalty had to include the inmates on death row. Republicans charged that McDonald was an activist judge.

McDonald, a former Democratic state senator from Stamford who was co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee while he held the Senate seat, was first appointed to the high court by Malloy in 2013. McDonald had been Malloys top lawyer when Malloy was mayor of Stamford and again in Malloys first two years as governor.

A longtime trial lawyer, McDonald, who attended Stamford public schools, Cornell University and the University of Connecticut Law School, did not serve as a jurist in the lower courts before Malloys nomination to the Supreme Court.

Opponents also included first-term Reps. Kimberly Fiorello, R-Greenwich and Donna Veach,R-Berlin; Rep. David Labriola, R-Oxford; and Rep. Cara Pavlock-DAmato, R-Bristol.

State Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, who voted against McDonald in 2018, called the period two years ago a tumultuous time. I know it must have been hard not to be appointed chief justice, Kissel said, asking whether it was difficult for McDonald, who has authored 140 court opinion, to go right to the Supreme Court in his first judicial job.

Not a problem whatsoever, McDonald replied. Obviously I was a trial attorney for 20 years. I was pretty versed from at least one side of the bench, on how court operations work. The process of judging is very different at the Superior Court level as opposed to an appellate court level. We have the time to research and look into things in much more detail than the trial courts have to. They have to call balls and strikes dozens of times a day. We have the ability to review the law in much greater detail than they do, as we do our job.

Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co-chairman of the committee said in an interview that McDonald has proven himself to be a key member of the court.

Justice McDonald brings a unique perspective to the Supreme Court bench as one of the few people who have served in all three branches of state government, Stafstrom said. He has proven himself a reasoned jurist and someone the state relies to serve on a variety of judicial committees to bring about reform and progress in providing access to justice for the citizens of Connecticut.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
LAVAL, QC, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard" or the "Company") (TSX: ATD.A) (TSX: ATD.B) confirms it has initiated exploratory discussions with Carrefour SA (Paris: CA) regarding a potential friendly transaction, the terms of which are still subject to discussion. There can be no certainty at this stage that these exploratory discussions will result in any agreement or transaction. Couche-Tard will keep the public informed of any material developments in this respect if and when it is legally required or otherwise appropriate for the Company to do so.

About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Couche-Tard is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of the number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel retail in the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), as well as in Ireland, and has an important presence in Poland.

As of October 11, 2020, Couche-Tard's network comprised 9,261 convenience stores throughout North America, including 8,085 stores with road transportation fuel dispensing. Its North American network consists of 18 business units, including 14 in the United States covering 47 states and 4 in Canada covering all 10 provinces. Approximately 109,000 people are employed throughout its network and at its service offices in North America.

In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia, Ireland, Poland, the Baltics and Russia through 10 business units. As of October 11, 2020, Couche-Tard's network comprised 2,722 stores, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products while the others are unmanned automated fuel stations which only offer road transportation fuel. Couche-Tard also offers other products, including aviation fuel and energy for stationary engines. Including employees at branded franchise stores, approximately 22,000 people work in its retail network, terminals and service offices across Europe.

In addition, under licensing agreements, more than 2,220 stores were operated under the Circle K banner in 15 other countries and territories (Cambodia, Egypt, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Macau, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam), which brings the worldwide total network to more than 14,200 stores.

For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. or to consult its quarterly Consolidated Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis, please visit: https://corpo.couchetard.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements set forth in this press release, which describes Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche Tard's actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, uncertainty related to the duration and severity of the current COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in the reports filed by Couche-Tard with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Related Links

http://corpo.couche-tard.com


New Delhi, Jan 12 : A gangster, active in eastern UP and wanted in two separate heinous murder cases of Varanasi and Lucknow, was apprehended in the Shahbad Dairy area and a pistol and a live cartridge seized from him, police said on Tuesday.

Girdhari alias Kanhaiya Vishwakarma was arrested on Monday after a secret input was received by Delhi Police that he would be coming near the Shahbad Dairy.

On interrogation, he revealed that he is a sharp shooter in the Dhruv Kumar Singh alias Kuntu Singh gang of eastern UP. He also disclosed that in 2019, he was involved in the murder of Ritesh Singh, a bus contractor in Varanasi and a close associate of a rival of the Kuntu gang. He had been declared a proclaimed offender in the case while a reward of one lakh was declared on him by the UP Police in the case.

Girdhari is involved in 22 cases of murder, attempt to murder, and under the Arms Act and the Gangster Act in UP. He was trying to hide in Delhi after a recent murder in UP.

"On January 6, he, along with his associates and two other persons sent by Kuntu Singh, murdered Ajit Singh, a resident of UP's Mau and a close associate of Ritesh Singh. Ajit Singh was also a witness in Sarvesh Singh murder case. After committing murder of Ajit Singh, he absconded. Now, he got arrested in a case under the Arms Act," DCP, Outer North, Ghanshyam Bansal, said.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - News 10's Heather Good reports Lisa Montgomery has been executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute.

Good served as a media witness for the execution.

Montgomery's time of death was listed as 1:31 am.

The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri.

The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Justice Department to carry out the first execution of a female death-row inmate in almost seven decades following a flurry of legal rulings.

The high court handed down its decision just after midnight on Wednesday, allowing the federal Bureau of Prisons to proceed with the execution of Montgomery.

Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.

STATEMENT FROM LISA MONTGOMERY'S ATTORNEY

The craven bloodlust of a failed administration was on full display tonight. Everyone who participated in the execution of Lisa Montgomery should feel shame. No one disagrees that Mrs. Montgomery was the victim of unspeakable torture and sex trafficking. No one can credibly dispute Mrs. Montgomerys longstanding debilitating mental disease  diagnosed and treated for the first time by the Bureau of Prisons' own doctors. Our Constitution forbids the execution of a person who is unable to rationally understand her execution. The current administration knows this. And they killed her anyway. Violating the Constitution, federal law, its own regulations, and longstanding norms along the way.

The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman. After we, her attorneys, contracted COVID-19 during our travels to visit her after her execution was scheduled, the government fought tooth and nail against any delay to allow us to recover so we could represent her effectively. Then they violated the law in multiple ways in rescheduling her execution for the final days of the Trump Administration. As courts agreed Lisas case presented important legal issues warranting serious consideration  including whether she was competent to execute  the government hammered onward with appeals.

By insisting on an execution during a pandemic, this administration demonstrated its reckless disregard for human life of innocent citizens. Executions are super-spreader events. The government knows this. Yet, they put the lives of every single person who must participate in these events as well as every one of those persons' friends, families, neighbors, co-workers, and who knows how many other people. Because this administration was so afraid that the next one might choose Life over Death, they put the lives and health of US citizens in grave danger.

In the midst of all this litigation, Lisas request for clemency remained before President Trump. It was supported by thousands of organizations and individuals  faith leaders, anti-violence advocates, conservative leaders, international organizations, and many more. But the President did nothing. He had not even the decency to formally deny  or even acknowledge  Lisas clemency application, though it is hard to imagine a case more deserving of executive intervention than this one.

Lisa Montgomerys execution was far from justice. She should never have faced a death sentence in the first place, as no other woman has faced execution for a similar crime.

And Lisa was much more than the tragic crime she committed, a crime for which she felt deep remorse before she lost all touch with reality in the days before her execution. Lisa was also much more than the horrors inflicted upon her, the sexual violence and abuse she endured at the hands of those who were supposed to love, nurture, and protect her.

Lisa was a loving mother, grandmother, and sister who adored her family. She was a devout Christian who loved Christmas and created beautiful angels for those lucky enough to receive her gifts. Lisa often became trapped in the prison of her mind, losing touch with reality for periods of time. But when not gripped by psychosis, she was a gentle and caring person whom I was honored to know and to represent.

Lisa Nouri, Amy Harwell and I represented Mrs. Montgomery for eight years. We loved her very much and she loved us. She honored us with her truth and trusted us to share it in a way that not only told her story, but that could help other women.

Even though President Trump could not be the hero we asked him to be, we are here to say to every woman and girl who has been the victim of violence and degradation: You matter. Your pain matters. You are more than a victim. You are a survivor. Do not let anyone humiliate or shame you. You deserve to be loved.

In the past week, we have seen just how far President Trump and his administration will go in their disdain for justice and the rule of law. This failed government adds itself to the long list of people and institutions who failed Lisa.

We should recognize Lisa Montgomerys execution for what it was: the vicious, unlawful, and unnecessary exercise of authoritarian power. We cannot let this happen again.

-Kelley Henry, attorney for Lisa Montgomery

-January 13, 2021

OTHER EXECUTIONS THIS WEEK

Two more executions are scheduled to happen this week in Terre Haute.

Cory Johnson is set to be executed on Thursday. He was found guilty in the murders of seven people.

His lawyers argue Johnson should be exempt from the death penalty because he has an intellectual disability.

Here's what the Department of Justice says Johnson did:

"Cory Johnson murdered seven people  Peyton Johnson, Louis Johnson, Bobby Long, Dorothy Armstrong, Anthony Carter, Linwood Chiles, and Curtis Thorne  in furtherance of his drug-trafficking activities.

Between 1989 and July 1992, Johnson and several co-conspirators, including federal death-row inmates Richard Tipton and James Roane, were partners in a large drug-trafficking conspiracy based in Richmond, Virginia. In early 1992, Johnson went on a killing spree, shooting and killing each of the seven victims for perceived slights or rivalry in the drug trade.

Johnson shot one victim at close range after ordering him to place his head on a car steering wheel. Johnson shot and killed another victim at the victims home when he failed to pay for crack cocaine  and Johnson also murdered the victims sister and a male acquaintance. In February 1993, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found Johnson guilty of numerous federal offenses, including seven counts of capital murder, and unanimously recommended seven death sentences, which the court imposed.

Johnsons convictions and sentences were affirmed on appeal more than 24 years ago, and his initial round of collateral challenges failed 15 years ago. Johnsons execution initially was scheduled to occur in May 2006, but a preliminary injunction prevented the government from proceeding until it was vacated this September.

Johnson is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Jan. 14, 2021, at the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, Indiana."

Dustin Higgs is set to be executed on Friday. A jury found him guilty for his role in the kidnappings and murders of three women.

His lawyers say Higgs did not kill anyone, but there were trial arguments he directed another person to kill the women.

Here's what the Department of Justice says Higgs did:

"Dustin John Higgs kidnapped and murdered three women  Tamika Black, 19; Tanji Jackson, 21; and Mishann Chinn, 23.

One evening in January 1996, Higgs and two friends drove to Washington, D.C., to pick up Black, Jackson, and Chinn, whom Higgs had invited to his apartment in Laurel, Maryland. At the apartment, Jackson rebuffed an advance by Higgs and the women left. Higgs offered the women a ride back to Washington, D.C., but instead drove to a secluded area in the Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge, ordered the women out of the vehicle, gave a gun to one of the friends, and said, better make sure theyre dead.

The other man shot Black and Jackson in the chest and back, and shot Chinn in the back of the head, killing all three women. On Oct.11, 2000, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland found Higgs guilty of numerous federal offenses, including three counts of first-degree premeditated murder, three counts of first-degree felony murder, and three counts of kidnapping resulting in death, and unanimously recommended nine death sentences, which the court imposed.

Higgs convictions and sentences were affirmed on appeal nearly 17 years ago, and his initial round of collateral challenges failed nearly eight years ago. Higgs is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 15, 2021."
(Newser)  A white woman who wrongly accused a Black teenager of stealing her cellphone and tackled him at a New York City hotel appeared to back off her apology in a TV interview that aired Monday, suggesting without evidence that maybe he did try to steal her phone after all. "So, maybe it wasn't him, but at the same time how is it so that as soon as I get asked to leave the premises after I had accused this person of stealing my phone, how is that all of a sudden they just miraculously have my phone at the back?" Miya Ponsetto, 22, said on CBS This Morning. The interview was conducted Thursday, hours before Ponsetto was arrested in California in connection with the Dec. 26 confrontation with 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr., the AP reports. Ponsetto was charged Saturday in New York with attempted robbery, grand larceny, acting in a manner injurious to a child and two counts of attempted assault, city police reported. On Monday, Harrold's parents called for a boycott of the Arlo Hotel, where the incident happened, per the New York Post.

story continues below

Security video shows Ponsetto frantically grabbing at Harrold as he tries to get away from her in the Manhattan hotel. The teen's father, jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, has said that Ponsetto's phone had been left in an Uber and was returned by the driver. In the first part of the interview, broadcast Friday, Ponsetto said: "I don't feel that that is who I am as a person. I don't feel like this one mistake does define me." She was combative in the clips that aired Monday, interrupting host Gayle King and her own attorney. Ponsetto said she was "sorry from the bottom of my heart" but added: "Hes 14? Thats what theyre claiming? Yeah, I'm 22, I've lived probably just the same amount of life, like honestly. I'm just as a kid at heart as he is." In the Friday portion, she said: "I feel sorry that I made the family go through all that stress but at the same time it wasnt just them going through that. But I do sincerely from the bottom of my heart apologize that if I made the son feel as if I assaulted him or if I hurt his feelings or the father's feelings." (Ponsetto left the hotel before police arrived.)
ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech to EU ambassadors in Ankara that "we are available to elaborate a positive agenda with the EU and to put our relations back on the right track". "We must make the eastern Mediterranean a sea of cooperation for common interests rather than an area of competition", the president also said.



"We have not abandoned the ambition for a full adhesion to the EU. It is our joint responsibility to make 2021 a successful year for Turkey-EU relations", continued Erdogan, claiming that Turkey would like to fill the void left by Brexit.



Expressing the wish that "explorative talks" between Turkey and Greece that will resume on January 25 in Istanbul after nearly five years will contribute to the resolution of energy disputes, Ankara's leader stressed the opposition to ''maximalist'' visions that aim to "close Turkey within its beaches".



Regarding Cyprus, Erdogan then criticized Brussels for not having "any contact recently" with Turkish Cypriots. "How can the EU have a role as facilitator in this way? We have to stop talking about Cyprus through models that failed and discuss about realistic alternatives", added the Turkish president, referring to the hypothesis of a solution with "two people and two States" proposed by Ankara.

Previousely on Tuesday Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a meeting with EU ambassadors in Ankara ''We see our future in Europe and we want to build it together.'' ''We are connected to the EU through the process of adhesion talks. We are determined to implement reforms. The EU must support us'', continued Cavusoglu, expressing the wish that ''2021 will be a year of solidarity,'' added Cavusoglu.

The resumption, after nearly five years, of ''explorative talks'' with Greece was announced on Monday night. The talks are scheduled to take place on January 25 in Istanbul to discuss disputes on the eastern Mediterranean and other bilateral issues.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday visited Union minister Shripad Naik , who is admitted in the Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji, after he met with an accident in neighbouring Karnataka and said he's stable and that doctors don't see him being in any danger.

Singh arrived the INS Hansa base in Goa by a special flight in the afternoon and around 2.40 pm, he reached the GMCH, where Naik is undergoing treatment.

Naik (68), the Union Minister of State for Defence and AYUSH, underwent surgeries at the government-run hospital during the night, a senior official from the hospital told PTI in the morning.

His health condition is stable, the official said.

"I'd spoken to Goa CM after the accident, PM (Narendra Modi) had spoken to him too. PM had then called me up and expressed distress. He then asked me to come here (Goa), I was thinking the same. Shripad Naik is stable, doctors say that he doesn't seem to be in any danger as of now," said Singh.

"Doctors have spoken to AIIMS Director (Delhi), a team will come to Goa and consult with the doctors. If needed, he might be taken to Delhi for treatment. It depends on the doctors here," said the union minister.

                                         Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 12, 2021

Naik received injuries, while his wife Vijaya and an aide died on Monday when their car met with the accident near Ankola in Uttar Kannada district, while he was returning to home state Goa from Dharmasthala in neighbouring Karnataka.

Naik, the BJP MP from North Goa, was shifted to the GMCH ear Panaji late Monday night.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday night said Naik's condition was critical earlier, but now he is "stable".

"A team of doctors led by Dean of GMCH Dr Shivanand Bandekar is treating him. We are giving him the best medical care, the chief minister said.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had said another medical team was on a standby to ensure best treatment for Naik.

Rajnath Singh also spoke to Sawant on Monday about speedy medical treatment to the BJP MP.

(With PTI inputs)

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Millions of Americans have seen video of her dying.

An array of videos shot from different angles shows Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from the San Diego area, in a group of rioters smashing windows into the Speakers Lobby, a chamber in the U.S. Capitol. Inside were lawmakers and staffers, feet away from an angry crowd attempting to break its way in.

Once a window shatters, Babbitt leaps up and tries to hurtle herself through. A Capitol police officer inside the Speakers Lobby shoots her at close range and she falls back, fatally wounded.

The shocking death, the first of five at the Capitol that day, was immediately weaponized by far-right propagandists. But less than a week removed from her death, Babbitt has become a confused pawn in their disinformation war.

There are two primary narratives, one that formed mere minutes after she was shot and another that emerged about half a day later.

Before authorities even confirmed she was dead, notorious radio host Alex Jones was talking about her death on-air. He repeatedly referred to the shooting as an execution, and posted graphic, uncensored video of the shooting all over his website to elicit outrage. (Its worth noting here that Jones repeatedly claimed in broadcasts leading up to the riot that he was in communication with the White House about organizing the event and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on logistics.) Frequent InfoWars guest Tom Papperts National File news site also picked up that angle. " Ashli Babbit, Peaceful Protester Executed by DC Police, one headline reads. Others skipped pretence and went straight to calling her a martyr.

This fits neatly into existing white nationalist narratives. Few events have rallied the modern movement like the killing of Vicki Weaver by an FBI sniper at Ruby Ridge in 1992. Her death still resonates powerfully as a propaganda tool for those seeking to show the government is willing to kill its own civilians, and Babbitts death, also at the hands of the state, has parallels that are easy and convenient to echo.

The second narrative about Babbitts death relies less on familiar far-right tropes and is imbued instead with the unhinged chaos of the internet.

In this version of events, Babbitt is either a spy or, even stranger, not dead at all. Although her social media activity and interviews with family and co-workers paint a clear picture of her radicalization through online conspiracy theories, that very ecosystem has now disowned her. A post by the QAnon Patriots account on Parler sums up the most common conspiracy theory circulating: " Ashli Babbit was a False Flag Operation. She is alive, the post reads. Only a small amount of her immediate family would know, the rest have to believe shes dead to keep up the illusion.

The post had over 500 upvotes, and others on the topic received similarly positive engagement from Parler users.

Last week, lawyer Lin Wood, the failed architect of multiple rejected suits attempting to overturn the election, posted a link on Parler to a video that claims to break down all the reasons why Babbitts death was faked. It is the usual conspiracy drivel, consisting of slowed footage and half-baked theories presented as absolute fact.

So you got fooled, suckered, played. Dont feel bad Sheeple, the DeepState has been doing this for years, the video description reads.

Thanks to Wood, that video now has nearly half a million views and has been circulated widely on social media by people eager to dismiss Babbitts death as a false flag.

We have never seen conspiracy theory proliferate in real-time at this order of magnitude. Instead of coalescing months or years after the event, its happening extemporaneously on social media. Propagandists who once dictated narratives are treading water. The waves of groupthink are carrying them toward the dominant storylines pushed on Twitter and Facebook, and more extreme hubs like Gab and Parler.

As a result, propagandists like Jones are now trying to thread the needle of glorifying the actions of the mob while also deflecting blame onto provocateurs. Part of their audience wants encouragement to continue, even violently, to overturn an election result they simply do not want to accept. And another part wants to be reassured their side would never kill police officers or break the law. The two sides are fundamentally at odds with each other.

This struggle is seen in microcosm on Jones InfoWars. Five days after his homepage was splashed with articles about Babbitts death, she is now nowhere to be found there. She gets only a small mention in a special report that Jones issued Sunday, in which he claims without evidence that high level sources at the Pentagon told him the violence was sparked by antifa. There is no credible proof people affiliated with the militant anti-fascist movement were the source of Wednesdays violent riot; there is, however, a significant online and real-life paper trail that shows the people arrested are overwhelmingly longtime Trump supporters.

Jones claims, again with no evidence, that an agent provocateur riled up the crowd at the Speakers Lobby doors in order to make conservatives look bad; Babbitt, swept up in the moment, was killed as she jumped through the shattered glass.

Jones special report presents the Capitol attack as a win for his audience. Because Trump supporters were so law-abiding, this thing basically failed, he says. Babbitt, once the center of his patriots-are-being-persecuted narrative, is now just collateral damage. He banked on using her as a martyr in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but as online conspiracies about antifa and false flags rose to the top, Jones had to pivot away from using Babbitt as the central piece of his narrative.

There are real-world implications for online conspiracy theories like these. People are experiencing life through these altered lenses, and we are seeing people deny their own reality as it unfolds before their eyes.

There is no more startling example than that of another person killed in Wednesdays riot. Rosanne Boyland, who drove from Georgia to attend the D.C. event, was crushed under a mass of surging Trump supporters outside the Capitol building. She later died. Justin Winchell, a friend who witnessed her death, told CBS46 the next day that he thought antifa instigators started the riot that killed her.

She was killed by an incited event and it was not incited by Trump supporters, he told the TV station.

There is no proof of his claims.

___

(c)2021 SFGate, San Francisco

Visit SFGate, San Francisco at www.sfgate.com

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Emergency services at the scene of the fatal crash on the Ballylagan Road near Straid, Ballyclare

Heartfelt condolences have been offered to the loved ones of a man who died following a collision between a car and a lorry in Co Antrim.

The crash happened near Ballyclare, on the Carrickfergus Road close to the Ballylagan Road, Ballynure, yesterday morning.

The incident was reported to police around 9.15am.

The male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, while another patient was taken to Antrim Area Hospital by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS).

Officers remained at the scene yesterday conducting enquiries.

UUP councillor Vera McWilliam said her sympathies were with the loved ones and friends of the man who had died in the collision.

"This will be incredibly difficult news for them at what is only the start of 2021," she told the Belfast Telegraph.

"My thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with them at this extremely difficult and heartbreaking time."

The PSNI later said in a statement that it was anticipated that the Ballylagan Road and Carrickfergus Road would both remain closed for some time.

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received a 999 call at 9.19am following a report of the collision.

Two emergency crews were dispatched to the scene.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said yesterday there are no further details at this time.

Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision, or who captured it on their dash cam, to call 101 and quote reference number 285 of 11/01/21.
Police have launched a manhunt after an attacker allegedly threw acid at two women, who have both suffered burns of varying degrees on the face and body.

The shocking events took place this Tuesday in the town of Cartama, near Malaga, where the attack was reported at 2.05pm.

One of the vehicles at the scene of the alleged acid attack. / SUR

According to sources, the suspect threw the liquid from the inside of his vehicle at the two women, who were in another car, before fleeing the scene.

Medical personnel sent to the area requested the support of an air ambulance to transfer the most seriously injured woman to hospital.

Guardia Civil officers have taken charge of the investigation which, according to sources consulted, focuses on the partner of one of the victims.

Local Police and Civil Protection have also been mobilised to support medical teams and control traffic.
:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s latest financial stability report (FSR) has warned of a big spike in the bad loan levels of Indian banks this year. The report, a key document on the macroeconomy, suggested Indian banks gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) could grow to 13.5 percent of the total loans by September 2021 in a base case scenario and 14.8 percent in a worst-case scenario.

The gross NPAs of banks stood at 7.5 percent in September 2020. This means NPA levels will nearly double even going by the base case scenario.

How worrying is this forecast for investors? There are a few points to consider:

One, this forecast itself isnt a new piece of information. In the last FSR report as well (July 2020), the RBI had projected the NPA levels almost on the same lines. It had then said the GNPAs could rise to 14.7 percent of the total loans by March 2021 in a worse scenario and 12.5 percent in a base case scenario. Hence, the latest estimates are more or less the same as the previous one. And, markets have already priced this in.

Second, compared with the initial phase of Covid-19, there is a gradual pickup in overall economic activities. Most banks have indicated a lower number of loan recast requests from corporate borrowers signalling the overall stress in the sector may not be as big as initially feared. Loan growth has begun to pick up and NPA levels remain on the expected lines. If the economic recovery gains momentum, more number of borrowers may be in a position to pay back money to lenders.

Third, banks have made significant provisions on their NPA books already. This gives investors major comfort with respect to the banking system preparedness to fight NPAs. Even with respect to Covid-19, banks have made aggressive provisioning over the last three quarters.

Thus, one possibility is that RBIs caution on NPA situation may be a bit of a stretch.

But, the bigger question is what should be done to deal with the existing stock of bad loans? The six-month moratorium and one-time loan recast have given a temporary breathing space for banks to plan their next move but these arent permanent solutions. There should be a systematic approach to resolve the NPA book.

For one, a bad bank may be a good idea and its time may have come for effective resolution of stressed assets. A bad bank, an old idea, refers to a separate entity where all the bad assets of the banking industry can be bundled into. This separate entity, managed by asset reconstruction professionals, can then initiate efforts for asset resolution. However, a bad bank can be a reality only if the government takes the lead and provides the initial capital. If this happens, this will free up banks from the existing stock of bad loans and give them space to focus on fresh business.

Also, the government will have to urgently recapitalise weak public sector banks which carry high bad loans on their books. These banks may not be in a position to raise money on their own unlike the bigger ones (SBI, PNB, BoB) and may require handholding from the government. The budget will be keenly watched in this context.

It is also critical that the RBI is given a free hand to do its job. Interventions from judiciary and government on stressed asset resolution has done much damage to the banking sector in the past. The regulator is the best judge of what is good for the banking system.

But, beyond resolution, what is even more important is that the government will have to continue to pump in money to stimulate demand in the economy.

If economic recovery happens sooner than expected, banks will be able to recover pending dues from big borrowers and kick-start the credit cycle. Banks mirror the health of the economy and as one of the former RBI deputy governors famously said, banks cannot outperform the economy.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
This illustration picture shows social media applications logos from Linkedin, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter displayed on a smartphone in Arlington, Va., on May 28, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

World Leaders Denounce Big Tech Censorship of President Donald Trump

Political elites worldwide have criticized big tech companies for banning President Donald Trump from their social media platforms.

At present, the president has been banned from Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit, and Instagram.

Twitter permanently removed Trumps account, saying that his recent posts were in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Twitters ban on Trump problematic, and said that freedom of opinion is an essential right of elementary significance, her spokesperson, Steffen Siebert, said on Jan 11.

This fundamental right can be intervened in, but according to the law and within the framework defined by legislatorsnot according to a decision by the management of social media platforms, Siebert said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel answers questions about the German governments policy at the parliament Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 16, 2020 (Markus Schreiber/AP Photo).

Seen from this angle, the chancellor considers it problematic that the accounts of the U.S. president have now been permanently blocked, he said.

Members of the French government agreed.

Clement Beaune, the junior minister for European Union affairs, said he was shocked a private company made this kind of decision.

This should be decided by citizens, not by a CEO, he told Bloomberg TV on Monday. There needs to be public regulation of big online platforms.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire also condemned the move and said that tech giants were part of a digital oligarchy that was a threat to democracy.

Manfred Weber, the leader of the European Peoples Partya centre-right political partyechoed Beaune and called for Big Tech firms to be regulated.

We cannot leave it to American Big Tech to decide how we can or cannot discuss online. Todays mechanisms destroy the compromise searching and consensus-building that are crucial in free and democratic societies. We need a stricter regulatory approach, he wrote on Twitter on Jan. 11.

We cannot leave it to American Big Tech to decide how we can or cannot discuss online. Todays mechanisms destroy the compromise searching and consensus building that are crucial in free and democratic societies. We need a stricter regulatory approach. #CapitolHill @POLITICOEurope https://t.co/ouJwTCT5B1  Manfred Weber (@ManfredWeber) January 11, 2021

Meanwhile, Norways left-wing Labor Party leader Jonas Gahr Stre said that Big Tech censorship threatens political freedom around the world.

He said Twitter needs to apply the same standard globally that it did to Trump.

This is a line where freedom of expression is also at stake, said Stre. If Twitter starts with this sort of thing, it means that they have to go around the world and look at other people completely astray, and shut them out.

Then Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in Parliament House in Canberra December 16, 2020. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

The Australian government has also called the ban on Trump an act of censorship.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack said, Theres been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that havent received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship. Im not one who believes in that sort of censorship.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he was uncomfortable with Twitters ban on Trump. Those decisions were taken by commercial companies, but personally, I felt uncomfortable with what they did, he said.

Quoting Voltaires famous line: I may not agree with what you say, but I defend the right to say it, Frydenberg said that freedom of speech is fundamental to a democratic society.

Fellow Liberal Party member and senator, Alex Antic, said he will push for a Senate Select Committee into Big Techs influence and censorship of political ideas when the Australian Parliament resumes next month.

Antic told The Epoch Times on Jan. 12 that he is concerned that Big Tech can so easily censor one side of the debate.

Our democratic process is founded on our ability to share ideas freely and to be exposed to challenging and opposing viewpoints. It is crucial to the integrity of that process that Big Tech companies do not censor one side of the debate, Antic said.

Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador also echoed his global counterparts, with Reuters reporting that he said it was a bad sign when private companies try to censor opinion.

Obrador said a court of censorship like an inquisition to manage public opinion.

I dont like anybody being censored or taking away from the right to post a message on Twitter or Face(book), he said.

In Russia, the opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, who is an outspoken anti-corruption campaigner, said he believed the ban was an unacceptable form of censorship and was based not on a genuine need but rather Twitters political preferences.

In a thread posted on the platform on Jan. 10, Navalny said: Dont tell me he was banned for violating Twitter rules. I get death threats here every day for many years, and Twitter doesnt ban anyone.

Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny gestures while speaking to a crowd during a political protest on in Moscow, on July 20, 2019. (Pavel Golovkin/AP Photo)

He noted that this pattern had been seen before in both Russian and China when big companies utilise their position to become a government best friend and enabler when it comes to state-based censorship laws.

This precedent will be exploited by the enemies of freedom of speech around the world. In Russia as well. Every time when they need to silence someone, they will say: this is just common practice, even Trump got blocked on Twitter,' he wrote on Twitter.
Social media companies would have to sign up to an Australian code of conduct on the way they silence free speech and shut down accounts, under a federal push for greater oversight after Twitter and Facebook suspended posts by US President Donald Trump.

Liberal MPs called for the voluntary code as a practical first step to introduce transparency and accountability to public debate on the online platforms, while raising the prospect of passing new federal laws to mandate the code if necessary.

US President Donald Trump's ban from Twitter has sparked calls from Australian MPs for a code of conduct on social media companies. Credit:AP

The calls put an early proposal on the agenda within the federal Coalition party room as cabinet ministers express frustration at Twitter's move to take down Mr Trump's account but struggle to name a policy solution to the private company's control of the content posted on its site.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has slammed Twitter's move and questioned why the company took down Mr Trump's tweets when it would not remove a Chinese Foreign Ministry tweet last year that showed an Australian soldier holding a knife to a young child's throat.


DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Print Advertising Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Print Advertising Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global print advertising market.



Major players in the print advertising market are Ogilvy & Mather, MullenLowe U.S., McCann Worldgroup, Publicis Groupe, Dentsu, Havas, Grey global, Droga 5, BBDO and VMLY&R.



The global print advertising market is expected to decline from $39.30 billion in 2019 to $35.44 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -9.82%. The decline is mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of industries and other commercial activities resulting in operational challenges. The entire supply chain has been disrupted, impacting the market negatively. The market is expected to further decline and reach $30.8 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of -4.57%. Internet access, digital advertising, and an increase in the use of social media are acting as huge contributors to the decline in print production.



The print advertising market consists of the sales of advertising services and related goods by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that plan, develop, create and manage advertisement and promotional activities in print media such as periodicals and print newspapers. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.



Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the print advertising market in 2019 and is expected to remain the largest region in this market even in the forecast period.



In March 2020, Lambert & Co., a US-based public relations and integrated marketing firm, acquired Fairly Painless Advertising, Inc., a company providing marketing and advertising services, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is expected to move Lambert & Co. from a PR firm minoring in the ad and creative services to a fully-integrated agency majoring in the creative services and advertising field. Fairly Painless Advertising, Inc., is a US-based full-service advertising agency that provides research, planning, and creative services that cover print and digital design.



The print advertising market covered in this report is segmented by type into newspaper advertising; magazine advertising; posters and banners; others. It is also segmented by industry into retail; electronics and telecommunications; insurance and finance; automotive; others.



The potential of print advertising to connect to multiple generations is also a key driving factor for the print advertising market. A study was conducted by Temple University and the US Postal Office of the Inspector in 2019 utilizing methods such as eye-tracking, core biometrics, and neuroimaging to test the effectiveness of print versus digital ads on both young and old groups of participants. The results showed that both the age groups processed physical ads faster than digital ads. This provides companies with the advantage of targeting wider generations giving the necessary exposure to their product, which aids in the growth of the print advertising market.



The print advertising market is facing extensive competition from the newer digital advertising media such as internet and mobile advertising which is hampering the growth of the market. Companies are focusing on digital marketing means like social media for making the ads more interactive, touching, and delivering without location constraints and with faster reach. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) report, the internet ad revenue in 2019 was $124.6 billion.



Advertisers believe that digital video is more suitable for entertaining every generation of consumers and, thus, they are choosing the digital video format, which is eliciting further growth. Therefore, the increased proliferation of digital marketing is likely to limit the expansion of the print advertising market in the coming years.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Print Advertising Market Characteristics



3. Print Advertising Market Size and Growth

3.1. Global Print Advertising Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion

3.1.1. Drivers of the Market

3.1.2. Restraints on the Market

3.2. Global Print Advertising Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

3.2.1. Drivers of the Market

3.2.2. Restraints on the Market



4. Print Advertising Market Segmentation

4.1. Global Print Advertising Market, Segmentation by Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Newspaper Advertising

Magazine Advertising

Posters and Banners

Others

4.2. Global Print Advertising Market, Segmentation by Industry, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Retail

Electronics and telecommunications

Insurance and finance

Automotive

Others

5. Print Advertising Market Regional and Country Analysis

5.1. Global Print Advertising Market, Split by Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5.2. Global Print Advertising Market, Split by Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion



Companies Mentioned

Ogilvy & Mather

MullenLowe U.S

McCann Worldgroup

Publicis Groupe

Dentsu

Havas

Grey global

Droga 5

BBDO

VMLY&R

WPP Group PLC

Omnicom Group

Interpublic Group of Companies

Hakuhodo

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

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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Prime Minister on Tuesday blasted dynastic as the biggest enemy of democracy and said it gives rise to a new form of "dictatorship" and burdens the country with incompetence.

Addressing the valedictory function of the second Youth Parliament Festival, Modi launched an all out attack on dynastic parties, saying those who rise due to their dynasties have no respect and fear of law as they believe if their previous generations were not accounted for corruption, none can touch them as well.

They see such examples in their own families. So they have neither respect nor fear of law, he said, asking youngsters to join as this is necessary to save it. Though he did not name any party but he has in the past often hit out at Opposition parties, including the Congress, for being run by families.

He said: It is true that (in politics) the fortunes of those who have been winning elections on the basis of surnames are dwindling. But in politics, this disease of dynastic is not completely finished. They, he said in a reference to these dynasties, are also a very big reason behind political and social corruption in the country.

Though people have now been supporting honesty and performance, and the legacy of corruption of those in dynastic politics have become a burden for them, but the disease of dynastic politics has not been fully eradicated, the prime minister said.

There are still people whose conduct, ideas and goals are all aimed at saving their family politics and their families in politics. Dynastic politics gives rise to a new form of dictatorship in democracy and burdens the country with incompetence. Dynastic politics only strengthens the sentiment of me and my family instead of nation first, he said.

Modi, however, added that things have changed from a time when people associated politics with violence, corruption, and loot and thought it cannot change. A youngster joining politics was seen as someone who has gone astray, he said. People are now so aware that they stand with honest people in politics and give them a chance, he said, asserting that honesty and performance have become first essential requirements of today's politics.

This has happened due to pressure created by the awareness in the country, he said, before noting that some changes are still required and highlighting dynastic politics as the biggest enemy of democracy.

The biggest enemy of democracy still exists and that is dynastic politics. Dynastic politics is such a challenge before the country that has to be rooted out, he said. Exhorting youngsters to join politics in his virtual address, the prime minister said the poison of dynastic politics will continue to weaken democracy unless they enter it.

The nations politics like any other sector needs them and their new thoughts, energy, ideas and dreams a lot, he said. Referring to dynastic politics, he said this can be changed through awareness and the young generation joining politics.

His government has been organising and promoting youth-related events, including holding mock parliament, to prepare the young generation in this regard, Modi said.
Responding to a fight on a Bay Area Rapid Transit train, Johannes Mehserle, a white transit officer, shot Mr. Grant on New Years Day 2009 while Mr. Grant, a 22-year-old Black man, was lying facedown, unarmed, on a train platform at the Fruitvale Station. The shooting was filmed on cellphone cameras and rapidly spread across social media, leading to mass protests in Oakland, Calif., and more than a decade of calls for justice. The killing was the foundation of the 2013 movie Fruitvale Station, in which Michael B. Jordan depicted Mr. Grant in a retelling of his last 24 hours.

Mr. Mehserle claimed that the killing was an accident because he mistook his pistol for his stun gun, which he said he meant to use. In 2010, Mr. Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and served 11 months in prison.

There is no evidence that Pirone personally caused Mr. Grants death, Ms. OMalley wrote in the report, but said that Mr. Pirones overly aggressive conduct contributed to the chaotic nature of events that transpired that day.

Mr. Pirone, who is white, was seen on videos pulling Mr. Grant from the train, pinning him to the ground with a knee to his neck and using a racial slur. A long-sealed report on the killing, released in 2019, laid much of the responsibility on Mr. Pirone, and said he punched Mr. Grant without justification, lied to investigators and started a cascade of events that ultimately led to the shooting.

In the aftermath of the killing, Mr. Pirone was fired.

His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
National Youth Day is celebrated on January 12, because, on this day, the great spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda was born. Indian Government declares the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day to honour the great philosopher. Vivekananda stands as a universal icon of youth who always believe the eternal energy of the youth. The monk is popular across the world for introducing the Vedanta and Yoga to the western world.

Yuva Diwas, also known as National Youth Day, is celebrated across the country in schools and colleges with various activities such as Debates, speeches, rallies, seminars, etc. On this January 12, lets tour National Youth Day theme, National Youth Day quotes and National Youth Day history.

Also Read: Abdul Kalam Quotes For Students On Education And Success
BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vee24, the leader in Intelligent Conversational Multi-experience solutions, announced today that D'Ieteren Automotive, Belgium's number one vehicle distributor, is using the Vee24 platform to showcase its auto brands at the Motor Show. Due to the global pandemic, this year's traditional physical presence at the Brussels Motor Show will be replaced by a virtual event running through January 2021. In order to provide the kind of face-to-face experience typically available at the show, D'Ieteren Automotive has chosen to work with Vee24 to connect its highly-trained product geniuses with car shoppers via one-to-one video chat as well as text chat. Vee24's high-definition video solution will enable D'Ieteren Automotive to provide detailed, personalized car exploration service. In addition to meeting customers face-to-face online, real-time collaboration, including co-browsing and screen-sharing, will enable product geniuses to walk through different car configurations and specifications before sending highly qualified leads to the right dealership for the customer. Vee24 is helping car shoppers connect with more than 150 product geniuses supporting the popular automotive brands that D'Ieteren Automotive distributes including Porsche, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Cupra, Volkswagen, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

"Vee24 is excited to be supporting D'Ieteren Automotive as they take this innovative approach to customer engagement at the Motor Show. The Vee24 platform is uniquely suited to the new demands in the auto industry as high-touch customer sales and service moves from in-person to virtual showrooms," said Priya Iyer, CEO of Vee24. "As the car buying experience moves online, D'Ieteren Automotive is using Vee24's conversational multi-experience platform to connect with customers virtually, showcase vehicles, and smoothly hand off interested buyers to car centers including Porsche and Volkswagen."

Whether they're connecting via a computer or mobile phone, car shoppers attending the virtual auto show from anywhere will be channeled to a product genius who has extensive knowledge of the specific vehicle model the customer is interested in learning about. In addition to using VeeStudio for video and text chat, D'Ieteren Automotive is using VeeScheduler to allow customers to book a personal appointment to speak with a product genius at their convenience. The car shopper and product genius can talk face-to-face via video chat and with co-browsing can explore available online information or screen share images and details about a specific model. Product geniuses can virtually escort a highly qualified buyer to the right dealership, schedule the interested customer for a test drive, or transfer them to the finance department to explore various financing options for a purchase.

"D'Ieteren Automotive is dedicated to providing a premier experience to our car shopping customers, but the virtual format of this year's auto show presented a challenge. We're excited to pair Vee24's immersive video experience with our highly knowledgeable product geniuses to provide responsive, personal service and advice to discerning car buyers," said Jose Fernandez, Chief Customer Experience, Marketing & Digital Officer, D'Ieteren Automotive. "Vee24's proven platform and digital innovation impressed us. The agent software is so easy to use. It took less time than anticipated to train our product geniuses on the technology, leaving them more time to study the models in detail. We are thrilled with the results of this project and are excited about the future."

The virtual Motor Show runs from January 04 to January 31, 2021. Product geniuses are available to chat with interested customers from 8 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, throughout the event. D'Ieteren Automotive chose Vee24 and its enterprise-grade, highly reliable and scalable platform because it was miles ahead of any other option. Vee24's platform provides omnichannel online customer experiences that can expand as D'Ieteren Automotive's needs grow. Vee24 is truly bringing the in-dealership experience online with the innovative live engagement solutions needed today.

About D'Ieteren Automotive

D'Ieteren has 215 years of experience in mobility, making us a key player in the mobility of the future. Throughout its seventy-plus years of partnership with the Volkswagen Group, D'Ieteren Automotive has imported and distributed Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, SKODA, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Porsche cars in Belgium, along with spare parts and accessories. D'Ieteren Automotive operates a network of independent dealerships across the country and has key sites along the Brussels-Mechelen-Antwerp corridor. It also offers long-term leasing services and a full range of vehicle financing options via a joint subsidiary between D'Ieteren and Volkswagen Financial Services.

As a resolutely forward-looking company, we are also continually developing a growing range of mobility products and services that go well beyond selling and distributing cars. In other words, D'Ieteren Automotive is poised as a key player in the societal changes that will impact the mobility of our fellow citizens. While the world changes, we continue to prepare for the future. We're aiming to make the mobility of the future fluid, sustainable and accessible - so it enhances your everyday life.

About Vee24

Vee24 is the world leader in live engagement solutions and brings a unique blend of technical know-how, customer insight, and best practices to deliver the next chapter in customer engagement. Vee24 is headquartered in Boston, MA with European headquarters in Macclesfield, England. Vee24 supports many top industry brands in the financial services, retail, automotive and healthcare sectors.

Marketing Contact: Martha Stuart, [email protected]

Media Contact: Joshua Milne, [email protected], 617-501-1620

SOURCE Vee24

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The United States has sent an invitation to Russia to attend the inauguration of President elect Joe Biden scheduled for January 20 in the capital, the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. said.

"We have received the invitation. Ambassador [of Russia in the U.S. Anatoly Antonov] is expected to take part [in the inauguration ceremony]," TASS cited the diplomatic mission as saying.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted in late November last year that Ambassador Antonov could attend the inauguration ceremony of the new U.S. president. However, the participation of foreign countries representatives at this event is not stipulated, he noted.

The U.S. presidential election was held on November 3. On December 14, the U.S. Electoral College convened and confirmed Democratic candidate Joe Bidens election victory. Bidens inauguration ceremony is due on January 20, 2021.
Thirty-nine sailors, who have been stuck in China for several months amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, will return to India this week, Minister of State for Ports Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.

ANI

How many Indians have been stuck in China?

In the last few weeks, India has been repeatedly urging Beijing to provide "urgent" assistance to the Indian sailors on board two ships stuck in Chinese waters.

Indian bulk cargo vessel MV Jag Anand has been on anchorage near Jingtang port in Hebei province of China since June 13 and it has 23 Indian sailors. Another vessel, MV Anastasia, with 16 Indian nationals as its crew is on anchorage near Caofeidian port in China since September 20.



Fleetmon/DK Mistral

Had Chinese govt been contacted?

In his tweet, Mansukh Mandaviya said, "Our Seafarers stuck in China are coming back to India! They will reach on 14th January. This could only happen due to strong leadership of @NarendraModi ji", giving the credit to the Prime Minister.

"I deeply appreciate the humanitarian approach of the Great Eastern Shipping Company towards the seafarers and standing by them in this crucial time! @GE_Shipping," he shared in another post.

Our Seafarers stuck in China are coming back to India!

Ship M. V. Jag Anand, having 23 Indian crews, stuck in China, is set to sail toward Chiba,Japan to carry out crew change, will reach India on 14th January.

This could only happen due to strong leadership of @NarendraModi ji  Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 9, 2021

Both these vessels have been waiting for discharge of their cargo and there is a growing stress on the crew members on account of the long delay.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Indian Embassy in Beijing continued to remain in close and continuous touch with the Chinese authorities in Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin.

Why were the Indian vessels stuck?

Two ships with 39 sailors aboard - MV Jag Anand and MV Anastasia -were reportedly not allowed by the Chinese authories to either dock or go for a crew change over coronavirus restrictions.

The Chinese foreign ministry too, had earlier said that the vessels were stuck at the ports only because of quarantine measures, dismissing speculations that it stemmed from the ongoing stand-off between the two countries.

vesselfinder.com

Last month, Beijing had denied blocking the movement of ships.

Chinese authorities have been in close communication with Indian side&provided timely assistance&necessary supplies to Indian sailors.China has never denied any vessel departure.Real cause of situation is freight forwarder doesn't want to adjust plans due to commercial interests.  Ji Rong (@ChinaSpox_India) December 30, 2020

"Chinese authorities have been in close communication with Indian side & provided timely assistance & necessary supplies to Indian sailors. China has never denied any vessel departure. Real cause of situation is freight forwarder doesn't want to adjust plans due to commercial interests," spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in India Counselor Ji Rong said in a tweet.

As 2020 came to an end, I did the thing I do several times a day: I checked my Instagram.

But on this fortuitous evening, one Story stopped me from mindlessly tapping through each of the tiny bubbles above my feed. The post, from one of my internet pals, announced sign-ups for the Phase 1B vaccinations were now being administered through University Health in San Antonio.

I, like most Texans, assumed the state would focus on making sure all those eligible under the 1A tier (first responders, those in long-term care institutions) would be inoculated before offering the vaccine to others. Then again, the Lone Star State's COVID-19 response has been...patchy at best. Sure, the state shut down in March, but the minute Governor Greg Abbott deemed it necessary to reopen businesses, he did. That was in May, and now, as Texas rivals California for total cases, we're reaping those results. Relief, economical and emotional, has been scarce.

As we watched the disease take the lives of whats now more than 370,000 fellow Americans, I kept a watchful eye on those who were most affected by COVID-19. Those with lingering symptoms who still struggle to this day. And those like my friend Christian Aldana, who succumbed to the disease in late November. He was 28.

When the Pfizer vaccine was approved for emergency use by the Federal Drug Administration this past Dec. 12, and its Moderna counterpart just a few days later, I figured I wouldn't be lining up for it until mid-March at the earliest. Dr. Anthony Fauci himself estimated the public wouldn't have access until early spring.

Fast-forward to New Year's Eve, as I stared at my phone and realized I could possibly get the vaccine a lot sooner than "spring."

Per the 1B guidelines for the state, people 65 and older, and those 16 and older with chronic pre-existing conditions are eligible to sign up. Pre-existing conditions run the gamut: cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies, solid organ transplantation, obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher), pregnancy, sickle cell disease, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This past Wednesday, I received the first of two doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The process handled by University Health was seamless. There was some mild aching the first night, which snowballed into tenderness the next day, but that was to be expected.

What I didn't expect was the guilt that set in.

Per my BMI (a system that's archaic at best, and wildly awkward at worst), I'm very much eligible to receive the vaccine. But what about my parents in the Rio Grande Valley, who are just over 60 and don't qualify yet? Theyre also part of the community affected by the digital divide, and currently dont have access to high-speed internet. What about my sister who works in the service industry and is exposed to far more people than I am? What about the love of my life, and newly minted husband who just barely crosses that BMI threshold?

Turns out I wasn't alone in my guilt.

After I posted about receiving the first dose, several friends reached out asking about their own family members and how to sign up. Another reached out about whether she qualified due to organ transplantation, but shared the same guilt: "Ugh, Im gonna feel so guilty if I get this thing before my RGV family but that rollout is a damn mess down there."

And almost a full year after having to shut down the country, our government doesn't have a cohesive plan (this might be too much to ask of folks too busy whipping up baseless election fraud claims, alongside a fervor in their base that resulted in a coup last Wednesday, but that's neither here, nor there). State governments are filling the gap, and per Texas, the state is opening up priorities in order to get a bulk of the population vaccinated.

County and city officials are now tasked with flexing serious event planning muscle, while still providing drive-thru testing sites. As of this writing, San Antonio's Alamodome, Wonderland Mall of the Americas, Elvira Cisneros Senior Community Center and the Alicia Trevino Lopez Senior One-Stop Center, as well as some pharmacies, have been tapped as mass vaccination hubs.

Making an appointment will take some time. When appointments opened this past Saturday morning, 9,000 vaccine slots for the first week of the Alamodome's vaccine hub were filled in less than 10 minutes. According to the San Antonio Report, 124,000 calls were made to the Southside senior centers; operators were able to answer just over 1,100.

With an estimated 60 percent of San Antonians eligible to receive the vaccine under the 1B group, it stands to reason this will take time. So far, I've joined 48,000 people in Bexar County in receiving their first dose, and about 3,000 people have received both doses, DSHS data shows.

Days out from my first dose and as I wait for my second, my guilt has given way to determination. Sitting in guilt won't give my loved ones antibodies. Guilt doesn't serve me, action does. The overwhelming demand in San Antonio is encouraging because just this Sunday, the city reported the largest COVID-19 caseload to date.

San Antonians are trying to get back to pre-pandemic life sooner rather than later. Guilt won't get 70 percent of Texans vaccinated, pushing our leaders while allowing for some grace, and advocating for a better process will.
ReSource Pro, a global provider of operational solutions for insurance organizations, today announced it has acquired two strategic advisory and management consulting firms focused on P&C Insurance, Strategy Meets Action (SMA) and The Nolan Company (Nolan). The transactions were completed on Jan. 1, 2021.

By acquiring these two firms, ReSource Pro is building on its strategy to deliver business transformation services and operational solutions to insurance organizations. SMA and Nolan are recognized thought leaders and are focused on pragmatic consulting and advisory approaches that enable insurance carrier transformation.

Strategy Meets Action

Strategy Meets Action is an industry leading strategic advisory firm delivering strategic insights, consulting services, and published research to carriers, solution providers, and insurtech startups. The firm provides insights and guidance on business strategy, digital transformation, core systems and customer experience.

Strategy Meets Action will continue to be led by Deb Smallwood in her new role as Senior Partner, Carrier Transformation, SMA.

According to ReSource Pro CEO Dan Epstein, We are thrilled to add Deb, her team and the expertise of Strategy Meets Action into our suite of offerings. Together, we will provide insurance carriers navigating their digital transformation journeys, a broader platform of capabilities.

The Nolan Company

Founded in 1973, Nolan is a management consulting firm, offering services to insurance executives on strategy, growth, technology and operational improvement.

Nolan will continue to be led by Steve Discher in his new role as Senior Partner, Carrier Practice, Nolan.

Nolan offers deep industry knowledge around optimizing new business, claims, underwriting, distribution, customer experience and policy services, explained Epstein. We are excited to partner with Steve and his team at Nolan to grow their business while integrating their offerings into broader ReSource Pro solutions."

The financial details of these transactions were not disclosed. Morgan Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to ReSource Pro in these transactions.

About ReSource Pro

ReSource Pro brings integrated operational solutions to insurance organizations to improve agility, resilience and profitability. Headquartered in New York, ReSource Pro's global service centers address client operational needs around the clock. Recognized as an industry thought leader and listed as one of Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies annually since 2009, the company is renowned for its focus on innovation, service excellence and trusted partnerships, and its unique productivity platform for insurance operations. More than 5,000 ReSource Pro employees provide dedicated support to hundreds of insurance organizations, consistently achieving a +97% client retention rate over a decade.

http://www.resourcepro.com.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 02:20:49|Editor: huaxia

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ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department would notify the Congress of its intent to designate Yemen's Houthi group as a "foreign terrorist organization."

In a late Sunday statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he also intended to designate three leaders of the Iran-backed group as "specially designated global terrorists."

According to the statement, these designations will be implemented on Jan. 19, one day before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

"Terrorist designations of Houthis" in Yemen confronts its "terrorist activity" and seeks to deter further "malign activity" by the Iranian regime in the region, according to Pompeo.

However, the United Nations and Yemeni analysts noted that this move would complicate the UN-brokered peace plan and international aid efforts in the impoverished Arab country.

"It's clear that the decision is likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the regular press briefing on Monday.

Dujarric called for the U.S. to ensure that licenses and exemptions are granted, so that humanitarian assistance continues to reach the people who need it, and the private sector can continue to function in order to stave off complete economic collapse and large-scale famine.

Yemen's internationally-recognized government blamed the Houthis of "causing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world that has affected millions of innocent Yemenis."

The government clarified that the designation of Houthis as "terrorists should be viewed as an effective tool to stop their deplorable behavior, and whose application is not designed to negatively impact the conduct of relief and humanitarian operations."

On the other side, Dhaif-Allah Shami, the official spokesman of the unrecognized Houthi government in Sanaa, said that "talking about the effects of the American decision on international aid is not to the extent that they depict. We mainly depend on our God and on what our land produces."

Abdul-Salam Mohamad, chairman of Abaad Studies and Research Center, told Xinhua that there will be serious economic and humanitarian consequences for Washington's decision as the Houthis largely control over activities of relief organizations and commercial companies in the country's northern provinces.

Following the designation decision, the humanitarian organizations and commercial companies will stop dealing with the Houthi authorities in northern Yemen for fear of being involved in supporting a "terrorist" group, he said.

He continued, "but there are many other options that the Yemeni government will take in cooperation with the international community to alleviate these repercussions."

Abdul-Rahman Barman, a Yemeni human rights advocate and director of the American Center for Justice, believes that Washington's decision will cause ramifications and he also expected that similar international decisions might be followed by other countries designating Houthis as "terrorists."

Barman told Xinhua that "after Washington's decision, there will be tightened ban and serious military supervision will be imposed to prevent smuggling weapons to the Houthis in Yemen."

He said that "this designation will be in the interest of Yemen's government and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, as it will positively serve them through giving the anti-Houthi factions more justification as well as motivation to continue military operations against the rebels."

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab coalition that intervened militarily in Yemen and began with carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis since March 2015, in support of the Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his internationally-recognized government.

For Ali bin Hadi, a retired military expert and observer based in the southern port city of Aden, the prominent Houthi leaders are already under UN sanctions and won't be largely affected by Washington's decision aimed at labeling their rebel group as a "foreign terrorist organization."

"Sanctions including an international travel ban and assets freezing will leave no notable impact on the rebel group's leaders who largely don't travel abroad and also have no international assets to freeze by the U.S.," said the Yemeni observer.

He said that "the Houthi leaders have many alternative ways to insulate themselves from impacts caused by sanctions of the U.S. or the UN, but the ordinary Yemeni people will be largely devastated by such international decisions."

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The six-year-old war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million and pushed Yemen to the brink of starvation. Enditem
The Diocese of Keningau launched Kekitaan FM last October to boost evangelisation at a time of limited contacts and shuttered churches. Radio is a means to reach many more people, a tool that allows more radio staff to be prophets of modern times. Today Malaysias king proclaimed a state of national emergency.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews)  The task of evangelisation in the age of the new coronavirus pandemic, with its limits on contacts and travel, is a great challenge.

For the past three months, Catholics in the Diocese of Keningau, Malaysia, have relied on Internet radio, which now has an audience in the millions, including outside the diocese.

In a recent Mass (pictured) concelebrated by Bishop Cornelius Piong of Keningau and Fr Clement Abel, director of the Dioceses Commission for social communications, the prelate thanked the Holy Spirit who inspired the idea of founding Kekitaan FM.

Bishop Piong told Herald Malaysia that through the new medium of communication, they can reach people who could not otherwise come to church, at a time when travel is limited to counter the spread of COVID-19.

At the end of his homily, Bishop Piong, Fr Abel and the radio staff (radio presenters, DJs and technicians) renewed their commitment to be prophets of modern times and heralds of the Good News.

Using technology, especially the latest, has become an imperative since the pandemic has limited contacts and forced many churches to close.

After months during which the pandemic seemed under control, the coronavirus has spread more widely in Malaysia, as in other Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand.

In view of the situation, Malaysian King Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah today issued a state of national emergency. Many fear that COVID-19 could overwhelm the countrys healthcare system.

Kekitaan FM began broadcasting on 3 October and found a ready audience in the Diocese of Keningau and beyond.

For the bishop, these months have brought significant changes and great blessings to the diocese, enhancing the way the Church reaches out to people in terms of pastoral care.

To mark the third month, a half day mini-retreat was held for all the staff on Sunday, 3 January, from 1 pm to 5 pm, at the Tatal Retreat Centre.

For the prelate, nowadays it is increasingly necessary to use all the forms of media available for evangelisation.

Kekitaan FM chairman Didiroy Joneh, who spoke at the retreat, thanked all those who put their personal talents to work for the success of the radio and the mission.
The Department for the Economy has said it will not be giving a running commentary on a 95m retail voucher scheme amid concerns over its timing and the mechanics of its financing.

The scheme is expected to provide individuals with a pre-paid card of up to 100 for spending in bricks and mortar retailers - including charity shops - and hospitality.

Holders of the card would not be barred from spending it in big supermarkets but will not be able to spend it online.

But SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin said she was concerned that the money had to be spent before the start of the new financial year in April 1 - at a time when coronavirus rates are still not under control.

She said she was concerned that the details had not been thought through.

Non-essential retail is also closed until at least February 6 under the latest coronavirus lockdown.

Ms McLaughlin, the partys economic spokesperson, also said she was concerned that the funds on the card would be spent in big supermarkets - bypassing the independent retailers who have been forced to shut for most of the last 10 months.

The department, which is led by Economy Minister Diane Dodds, was asked to explain how the schemes funding would work and if there was pressure to spend the money before the end of the financial year, but would not provide the information.

It was also asked if the 95m could be spent on loading up the cards at this point before the end of the financial year - even if consumers were not in a position to spend the funds until some months afterwards in a new financial year.

A spokesperson said: The Minister has set out the aims and rationale for the high street support scheme, and the department is working to develop the scheme within this framework. We will not be providing a running commentary on this development.

It is clearly not appropriate to encourage shoppers out on to our high streets given the current situation with the virus.

When we move to economic recovery our local shops will need our full support after this very difficult period, and the best way to simulate demand in our bricks and mortar retail will be this innovative scheme to boost the recovery on high streets throughout Northern Ireland.

In a separate statement, the department had said that the funds on the card could be spent at bricks and mortar businesses including, but not exclusive to, our retail and hospitality sectors.

Charity shops will be included in the businesses where the card can be used. It will not be available for online sales so has a very clear focus on spending and supporting local.

The delivery of the scheme will inject 95m into our local economy. The multiplier effect of this innovative financial support offering will deliver even greater economic benefits and make a significant step to kick-starting our economy.

But Ms McLaughlin said: I am very concerned about the proposals for the retail voucher scheme and I fear they have not been sufficiently thought through by Minister Dodds and her officials.

The advice that we have received from officials to the Assemblys economy committee is that the money has to be fully spent within the current financial year - and this means spent by consumers, not simply transferred onto cards that could be spent in the new financial year. Given that we seem likely to be living through pandemic restrictions for some time to come and also the impact that Eat Out to Help Out had in spreading the virus, this seems like a very serious problem.

She said that permitting spending on the card in big supermarkets would defeat the aim of helping small retailers.

If we are in a situation where the scheme goes ahead and where all money has to be spent by consumers in this financial year, then the big supermarket chains may be the only businesses likely to receive much trade from it. They are the very businesses that do not need it.

The minister and the department need to be very clear as to the objective of the scheme, evaluating its actual benefit to the high street.

Giving citizens vouchers that can be spent anywhere will have little or no benefit. It is essential to target money towards those businesses and citizens in need. The Executive and the department must be clear and consistent in the schemes objective.

Businesswoman Carol Little, who owns retailer Alana Interiors in Lurgan, Co Armagh, said she strongly believed the cards should only be valid for small, local retailers.

It should be spent in peoples local communities and I think people would be happy with that. It would be unfair if it was given to people to spend in big supermarkets as those are the big retailers who have been allowed to trade. The people who have been most affected by restrictions are those whose doors are closed at the minute.

Northern Irelands scheme is to be modelled on similar initiatives launched in Jersey and Malta last year.

The Jersey scheme was rolled out by Ian Burns, the director general of customer and local services at the Government of Jersey.

He said that card provider Prepaid Financial Services had been paid around 400,000 for providing the cards, which were sent to 106,000 people on the island.

People of all ages were provided with the cards - even newborn babies, he said - though parents were enabled to spend the money on behalf of very young offspring.

The scheme had been projected to cost 11m but injected 10.12m into the Jersey economy.

Mr Burns said the scheme had been successful in giving the economy a boost when it was launched in September. Cards were sent out and had to be spent by the end of October.

He said Jersey had opted to use pre-paid cards rather than vouchers as cards were a more direct means of delivering spending in the economy.

Islands still retain their cards, he said - which has given the government the option of reviving the scheme by delivering top-ups in the future.

Nor did its scheme bar spending in supermarkets, or on alcohol and cigarettes.

He said he would recommend the scheme to other jurisdictions. Economists and our Chief Minister were very pleased and we would recommend it. All round, from our perspective it was very successful and delivered a lot of positivity.

He said that 103,364 islanders, or 97.5%, activated their cards, spending a total of 10.12m. The spending was 95.5% of the possible total available.

But Mr Burns said the island had fewer big, out of town supermarkets than the UK, with a Waitrose and a big Co-op its main large shops.

A Department of Finance spokesperson said: "Funding is not considered spent when it is allocated to departments.

"Under the current public expenditure rules there is very limited scope for carry forward of funding across financial years. The Finance Minister has actively encouraged Executive colleagues to ensure that any allocated funding is spent before the end of this financial year."
The City of San Antonio has issued more than 4,900 warnings and 444 citations for violating the emergency declarations, according to an enforcement report.

Officials had received over 26,200 calls reporting violations as of Monday.

READ ALSO: FAQ: When and where Texans can get the COVID vaccine

The social distancing orders, intending to slow the spread of COVID-19, first went into place on March 18. The most recent, a 10th addendum to the eighth emergency health declaration, went into effect on Sept. 21.

Multiple city departments  Code Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Metro Health and the San Antonio Police Department  are enforcing the order.

Here are the citations issued so far:

January 30

- At Subway, located at 18410 U.S. Hwy 281, the proper signs about COVID-19 symptoms were not posted. The manager told inspectors that the owner had removed the sign. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that Hops & Hounds, located at 13838 Jones Maltsberger, was over capacity. Staff were not wearing masks and customers were not social distancing. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported a large party at a private residence on the 7700 block of Autumn Park. Inspectors found a large gathering and saw underage drinking. Citations were issued for minors in possession of alcohol.

Also, 36 citations were issued to individuals for violating the COVID-19 emergency order. All attendees were required to leave the area.

- At Roxy Sports Bar, located at 3249 Wurzbach, staff and customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

- At Bar 301, located at 23567 I-10 West, staff and customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. The bar was offering on-premises consumption but did not have the proper tag from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Two citation were issued.

- At El Corona Nite Club, located at 7503 U.S. Hwy 90 West, staff and customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. The club had 731 people inside, over the max 50 percent capacity of 450. Two citations were issued.

January 29

- A caller reported that employees were not wearing masks at Chevron (Luisa's Cocina), located at 418 Fair. Inspectors saw employees not wearing masks. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that Smoke BBQ, located at 501 E. Crockett, was over occupancy. Inspectors saw several customers not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

- At 301 Bar, located at 23567 I-10 West, the health and safety signs were not posted and social distancing features were not being enforced. The bar was offering on-premises consumption but did not have the proper tag from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Three citations were issued.

January 28

- At Rodriguez Auto Center, located at 2521 S. Presa, employees were not wearing masks and there were no social distancing features in place. A citation was issued.

- At Kennedy's Irish Bar, located at 19179 Blanco Road, employees were not wearing masks and social distancing features were not enforced. A citation was issued.

January 27

- At Chelitas Mexican Restaurant, located at 550 Enrique M. Barrera, social distancing features were not in place or being enforced. A citation was issued.

- At Vehicle Wrap Texas, located at 6563 Babcock, staff and customers were not wearing masks. A citation was issued.

January 23

- At Taqueria El Rancho de Jalisco, located at 505 Fair, staff were not wearing masks and no social distancing features were in place. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that people were not wearing masks at Dollar General, located at 5735 West Commerce. Staff were not wearing masks. A citation was issued.

- At Three Legged Monkey, located at 2313 N.W. Military Hwy., customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

- At El Corona Nite Club, located at 7503 U.S. Hwy 90 West, customers were not wearing masks or social distancing at the overcrowded club. The club had 766 people inside instead of the 450 allowed at 50 percent capacity. Two citation were issued.

January 22

- At North Park Mazda, located at 9333 San Pedro, employees were not wearing masks. A citation was issued.

- At Shell, located at 1753 Rigsby, the health and safety signs were not posted. Staff and customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that Hops and Hound, located at 13838 Jones Maltsberger, was over occupancy. Inspectors saw kitchen staff and customers not wearing masks or social distancing.

The general manager said the restaurant had very little staff to monitor customer compliance, but that business was picking up and they will be hiring more employees to help with the mask requirements. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that people were not wearing masks at Center Court Pizza & Brew, located at 20711 Wilderness Oak. Inspectors saw several customers and employees not wearing masks properly. A citation was issued.

- At El Sol Mexican Restaurant, located at 1815 Pleasanton, the health and safety signs were not posted. Kitchen staff were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

- At the Sand Box bar, located at 7280 UTSA Blvd., social distancing features were not being enforced and customers were not wearing masks. A citation was issued.

January 21

- At Mega Vape, located at 2603 S.W. Military, the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- At H-E-B, located at 735 S.W. Military, a customer did not have a mask and refused to comply with the mandate. Social distancing features were in place but not being enforced. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that construction workers were not wearing masks at 7203 Wurzbach. Inspectors saw multiple workers not wearing masks and issued a citation to the property owner in charge of the workers.

- At Lin's Buffet, located at 7863 I-35 South, the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- At Twin Peaks, located at 103 S.W. Loop 410, employees were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

- At the Sand Box bar, located at 7280 UTSA Blvd., multiple groups were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

January 19

- A caller reported that people were not wearing masks at Mario's Grocery, located at 2902 Guadalupe. Inspectors saw customers not wearing masks. A citation was issued.

January 16

- A caller reported people not wearing masks at Midas Oil Change, located at 11000 Interstate 10 West. The health and safety signs were not posted and staff were not wearing masks in the bay area. Two citations were issued.

January 15

- At Gloria's Hideout, located at 5330 S. Zarzamora, the health and safety signs were not posted. The bar had a "red tag" from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission but was offering on-premises services. Two citations were issued.

- At Cowboys Dancehall, located at 3030 N.E. Loop 410, employees and customers were wearing masks and social distancing  except for one employee of an outside food truck who was not wearing a mask or social distancing. The food truck employee was cited.

January 14

- At Bombay Klub, located at 4542 W. Cesar Chavez, the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- At Diamonds Show Club, located at 2525 N.E. Loop 410, employees and customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. The club was operating without a certificate of occupancy. A citation was issued.

January 12

- A caller reported that customers at Kwik Wash Laundry, located at 11802 Blanco, were not wearing masks. Inspectors found that no health and safety signs were posted and a customer did not have a mask. Two citations were issued.

January 11

- An email reported that Cowboys Dancehall, located at 3030 N.E. Loop 410, held a large event on Jan. 9. There were no masks or social distancing. Two citations were issued. Videos showed a packed dance floor as fans gathered to watch country musician Cody Johnson.

- At TX7 Clothing Store, located at 2310 S.W. Military, inspectors found no health and safety signs posted anywhere inside. A citation was issued.

Jan. 9

- At Dollar General, located at 3350 S.W. Military, the manager told inspectors that health and safety signs had been removed "per corporate." A citation was issued.

- At Dollar General, located at 8718 S Zarzamora, the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- A caller reported that people were not wearing masks at QuikTrip, located at 4710 Fredericksburg. Inspectors found that health and safety signs were not posted and two customers were not wearing masks. Two citations were issued.

- At Dreamers, located at 2376 Austin Hwy., the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- At Streetfare SA, located at 1916 Austin Hwy., the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- At Big Bang and One Pocha Live Lounge, located at 4408 Walzem, the health and safety signs were not posted and the tables were too close to each other. A citation was issued.

Jan. 8

- A caller reported that people were not wearing masks at the EZ Wash laundromat, located at 6101 S. Flores. Inspectors saw individuals not wearing masks and issued a citation.

- At Little Sam's convenience store, located at 3215 Roosevelt, the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued.

- An email reported that masks were not being worn at Planet Fitness, located at 207 N. General McMullen. Inspectors found the business was allowing customers to walk around without masks or social distancing. Employees were wearing masks, but members were not. A citation was issued.

- At Sir Winston's Pub, located at 2522 Nacogdoches, customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

Jan. 7

- At My Bar, located at 6402 Callaghan, employees were wearing masks but social distancing features were not enforced. A citation was issued.

January 6

- A caller reported that employees at C.D. Division Tire-Muffler Shop, located at 730 Division, were not wearing masks. Inspectors saw employees not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued.

January 5

- A caller reported that people at Lowe's, located at 1200 N. Loop 1604 W., were not wearing masks. Inspectors saw people inside the store without masks. A citation was issued.

- At Guzman's Barber Shop, located at 414 N. General McMullen, employees and customers were not wearing masks. Social distancing was not being enforced. A citation was issued.

January 4

- At Roy's Taco Hut, located at 246 Enrique Barrera, there were no social distancing features in place and social distancing was not being enforced. A citation was issued.

- At Koo Kutz Barbershop, located at 10029 San Pedro, customers and staff were wearing masks but health and safety signs were not posted at the entrance. A citation was issued.

Click here for all citations dating back to April.

Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.

A 25-year-old woman has become the primary caregiver for her five siblings after they tragically lost their mother to COVID-19.

Vanessa Perez, from Phoenix, Arizona, is raising her siblings, who range in age from 6 to 23, after the death of their 46-year-old mom, Mayra Millan, who passed away just a few weeks before Christmas.

'She was full of love and ready to just give all her love to all of us,' Perez told Good Morning America of her mom. 'She always ensured that we had exactly what we needed. We didn't always have what we wanted, but we always had what we needed.'

Heartbreaking loss: Vanessa Perez, 25, from Phoenix, Arizona (center), has become the primary caregiver for her siblings after the death of their mom, Mayra Millan

Tragedy: Millan, 46, died from COVID-19 on December 14 after contracting the virus around Thanksgiving

Millan became sick with COVID-19 around Thanksgiving, and her eldest daughter believes she contracted the virus while working at a local grocery store.

All five of her children lived with their mom in Phoenix, and they were concerned for her health as the family's only essential worker.

Perez said that after her brother Carlos, 23, had graduated from college in May and was looking for a job to financially take care of his mom and their siblings  who are 20, 16, 15, and 6 so she wouldn't have to work in the pandemic.

Arizona has had a total of 628,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 10,147 deaths as of Monday, with cases in the state soaring.

Hard to handle: Millan was an essential worker at a local grocery store, and Perez believes she contracted the virus at work

Health concerns: Perez called an ambulance for her mom on December 1 after her symptoms went from fever, fatigue, and a headache to difficulty breathing

Loss: Millan, who didn't have any preexisting conditions, according to her eldest daughter, died just a few weeks before Christmas after being sedated and on a ventilator for two weeks

Millan didn't have any preexisting conditions, according to Perez, who called an ambulance for her mom on December 1 after her symptoms went from fever, fatigue, and a headache to difficulty breathing.

That was the last time they spoke to their mother, who was sedated and on a ventilator the entire time she was hospitalized.

Perez, who works with high school students full-time, said they called the hospital for information on her mom's condition up to four times a day because they weren't able to visit in person due to COVD-19 restrictions.

'They would tell us she was getting better and we would get our hopes up high,' Perez told WBNS. 'And then the next day the same lung that had collapsed, re-collapsed.'

Millan died on December 14, leaving Perez to plan her mom's funeral and care for her siblings. She is trying to get guardianship of her youngest three siblings.

So sad: Things have been particularly hard on Perez's six-year-old sister, Melania, who is having trouble grasping what happened to their mother

Family: Perez, who is trying to adopt her three youngest siblings, said they are 'helping each other move forward'

'Immediately what came to my mind was my siblings,' she said. 'Ive always been like their second mom and I just didnt want them to feel any pain.'

Things have been particularly hard on six-year-old, Melania, who is having trouble grasping what happened to their mother.

'I've tried to explain to her in simple terms that God took mom and we're going to see her again, but she doesn't really understand,' Perez told GMA. 'It's been extremely overwhelming.'

The family has received help from both their extended relatives and community. A GoFundMe that was started to help Millan's children and cover her funeral costs has raised over $24,000, so far.

'Im being strong for all my siblings,' Perez explained to WBNS. 'But Im really grateful and I always tell them that Im happy theres so many of us. God bless because were whats helping each other move forward.'
will close border posts with neighbouring countries for entry and departure as cases surge due to the new variant, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.

In a national broadcast on Monday evening, Ramaphosa scotched widespread speculation that there would be a move to Level 4 restrictions due to the rising infections and deaths, especially as people return home and to work following the festive season.

He said the current Level 3 would continue until it was deemed safe to remove some of the restrictions, such as the ban on sale and movement of alcohol and a prohibition on public gatherings, except for funerals with strict protocols observed.

There were 339 more deaths overnight across the country.

"The storm is far fiercer and much more destructive than anything we have known before. We are now in the centre of that storm," Ramaphosa said. "We do not know how much longer it will last or how much worse it will get, but we know what we need to do to weather this storm and to survive."



"It's necessary to keep the alert level 3 measures in place until we have passed the peak of new infections and we are certain that the rate of transmission has fallen enough to allow us to safely ease the current restrictions," he said.

The president elucidated the decision on the border closure following severe congestion at border posts with neighbouring countries, especially Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as thousands of people tried to re-enter in the past fortnight.

"This (congestion) has exposed many people to infection as they wait to be processed; and it has been difficult to ensure that the health requirements for entry into are met. Many people are arriving without proof of COVID-19 tests," Ramaphosa said.

"To reduce congestion and the high risk of transmission, cabinet has decided that the 20 land ports of entry that are currently open will be closed until 15th February for general entry and departure."



Ramaphosa, however, listed the exemptions, such as transporting fuel and cargo, emergency medical attention for a life-threatening condition, return to South Africa by its citizens or others with valid visas and departure of foreign nationals.

On the call by teacher unions not to reopen schools on January 27, Ramaphosa said various stakeholders were discussing the matter and would make a decision in the next few days.

The unions have said many teachers had succumbed to the virus already and the risk in this second wave to returning teachers and learners was too great as they could carry the new variant of the virus back to their families.

"We need to act with common purpose, understanding that what we each do is important for ourselves, for our families, our communities and our society," the president said, underscoring the need to wear masks, and follow maintaining social distancing and others protocols.

(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 New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Ithaca, N.Y.  Ithaca police say they charged a man with a hate crime after he used racial slurs and threatened to kill another man in a Wegmans bathroom last week.

Adam C. House, 35, of Ithaca, was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment as a hate crime following the incident at 8:40 p.m. Thursday at the Ithaca Wegmans, police said.

Officers responded to the Wegmans at 500 S. Meadow St. for a report of someone who had been threatened. When officers arrived, the victim told police he was in the bathroom at Wegmans when a man, later identified as House, entered and started yelling at him, Ithaca Police Lt. Jacob A. Young said in a news release.

The victim told police House punched the bathroom stall and started screaming threats, which included racial slurs and threats to kill the victim, Young said in the release.

The victim was able to leave the bathroom and find a store employee who helped him call police, Young said.

House remained in the bathroom. Thats where officers found House and took him into custody.

Police say the victim and House did not know each other before this incident.

House was taken to the Ithaca Police Department, charged with the hate crime and released on an appearance ticket. He is scheduled to answer the charge at 9 a.m. Jan. 27 in Ithaca City Court.

Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced it will start requiring all international travelers coming into the US to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter the country.

Global testing requirements would be an expansion on a Trump administration policy barring UK travelers without a negative test from entry, which was announced on December 24.

The new rule, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, will apply to Americans returning home from abroad, as well as visitors.

Passengers are required to get tested no more than three days before their flight and show a negative result to the airline before boarding.

The CDC then recommends getting tested again three to five days after arrival and staying in one location for seven days post-travel.

Under the requirement for travelers coming from the UK, the government offers no assistance in the event that you test positive. The CDC simply advises that you will be barred from boarding planes and should self-isolate for at least 10 days in the UK. The same will almost certainly now apply to people traveling from any other country.

CDC's new order will go into effect on January 26.

'Testing does not eliminate all risk,' CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield sad in a statement.

'But when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations.'

The restrictions are aimed at keeping out new, more contagious 'super-covid' variants like those that emerged in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

However, public health experts say the US government is trying to slam the barn door after the horse has already bolted.

The US will expand its requirement for negative COVID-19 tests from travelers from the UK to apply to all international travelers Pictured: Testing staff at Los Angeles International Airport move passengers through the line at the onsite COVID-19 testing lab, the first of its kind, December 31

Already, at least 82 Americans in 10 states - Colorado, California, Florida, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Connecticut, Indiana and Minnesota - are infected with the 70 percent more infectious UK 'super-covid' variant, known as B117.

No cases of the other variants have been reported so far - but that doesn't mean they aren't here.

If they were, it's far from certain that the CDC would know.

The agency says it is stepping up the number of covid-positive samples it checks for hallmarks of the new variants, but weeks may pass between the submission of a sample by a state and results returned by the CDC - weeks during which a more contagious variant could be taking hold and spreading like wildfire in the US.

In fact, the first identified case of the B117 variant in the US was in a person with no recent travel history, in Colorado.

They and a fellow National Guard member who worked together in nursing homes both had the variant, and it's unclear where or how they picked it up.

The state's cases of B117 coronavirus have now risen to three.

In the other nine states in the US, the origin stories of the UK variant are a mixed lot.

Too little, too late: The UK 'super-covid' variant is already in 10 US states and has infected at least 82 Americans, according to DailyMail.com tracking

Both cases in Connecticut were in people who had recently traveled - one to Ireland, the other to New York. In Pennsylvania, the person with the new variant had a 'known travel exposure.'

But three people linked to a Saratoga Springs, New York, jewelry store had no recent history of travel.

In these cases, it's clear that a variant is already spreading in the community, not simply being imported from outside the US.

Minnesota health officials recently revealed that one person in the state who has the UK variant initially tested positive on December 18 - before the US testing requirement for UK travelers went into effect.

The requirement was unequivocally too little, too late.

Already there are two other variants of concern spreading globally. Scores of countries banned travelers coming from South Africa altogether over the past few weeks, the US was conspicuously silent.

Still, the decision to require testing for all international travelers comes before any cases of the South African or Brazilian variants have been found in the US.

US SUPER-COVID CASES SURGE TO 82 IN 10 STATES AMID FEARS NEW VARIANTS ARE FUELING THE SURGE OF US CASES

The new 'super COVID' variant first detected in the UK is continuing to sweep across the U.S. as more cases have been identified.

As of Tuesday morning, 82 infections have been detected in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas.

California currently has the highest number of reported cases with 34 in total - 32 in San Diego County and two in San Bernardino County - and Florida is close behind with 22 cases.

New York has the third highest number of cases with Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) confirming in a call with reporters on Tuesday that eight more cases had been identified in the state, bringing the total up to 12.

The strain, known as B 1.1.7., is feared to be up to 70 percent more transmissible and to spread more easily among children.

What's more, a Minnesota case of the new variant indicates it may have been circulating in the U.S. far earlier than previously believed.

The positive sample comes from a patient that was taken on December 18 and uploaded to the global genomic database GISAID.

With other variants also confirmed in South Africa and Brazil, many have criticized U.S. health agencies for failing to adequately detect and track new strains.

Additionally, health experts say the variants provide cause for the Trump administration to ramp up nationwide vaccination efforts, which have been lagging since the rollout started in December.

It comes as new interactive maps show how U.S. hospitals are overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, as the number of people admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with the disease continues to increase.
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MediaTek's Dimensity lineup has turned out to offer some of the most impressive chipsets on the market, and the Taiwanese company is set to release the line-leading offering on January 20. The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 is coming, and it will offer flagship performance at an affordable price point.

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MediaTek's comeback has been rather impressive. Starting with the Helio G90T that debuted on the Redmi Note 8 Pro and on to the class-leading Dimensity series, MediaTek has fought back from oblivion to become solid contenders in a market traditionally dominated by Qualcomm. The Taiwanese company is looking to continue on that path, too.

MediaTek has now announced that it will release a new chipset soon. On January 20, to be exact. The chip in question will be the Dimensity 1200, and will slot in above the popular Dimensity 1000+ as MediaTek's flagship SoC.

Bangkok, Jan 12 : Ace shuttlers Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, and HS Prannoy, who were forced to withdraw from the Thailand Open Super 1000 after they tested Covid positive earlier on Tuesday, were dramatically cleared by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to compete by the end of the day.

Kashyap, husband of Olympic bronze medallist Saina, also had to withdraw as he was sharing a room with Saina and was asked to self-quarantine earlier on Tuesday. By the end of the day, all three were back in the draw and will play their matches on Wednesday.

Prannoy is set to face Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia on Wednesday while Kashyap faces Canada's Jason Anthony Shue. Saina faces Kisona Selvaduray of Malaysia in her first round fixture.

Earlier on Tuesday, Saina and Prannoy, who had recently recovered from Covid-19, were declared to have once again tested positive for novel coronavirus and as a result were withdrawn.

The Indian squad, which travelled to Bangkok to compete in the Yonex Thailand Open followed by Toyota Thailand Open, and BWF World Tour Finals, had tested negative during the first two tests that were conducted earlier.

However, Saina and Prannoy returned positive during the third test conducted on Monday.

"We are constantly in touch with the BWF as well as the organisers and our team management and players. These are unprecedented times but BWF is doing everything to ensure full support to our players including their safety," BAI general secretary Ajay Singhania had said in a statement before the players' withdrawals were reversed.

After testing positive, both Saina and Prannoy were taken to the hospital to be isolated for a minimum of 10 days. Kashyap was asked to quarantine in his hotel room due to close proximity with Saina.

However, Saina had earlier claimed she hadn't received her Covid-19 test reports and it was only before the warm up for her Tuesday's match authorities told her that she had tested positive for coronavirus.

Saina reacted by tweeting: "I still didn't receive the Covid test report from yesterday it's very confusing and today just before the warm up for the match they tell me to get to hospital in Bangkok ... saying that I m positive according to rules the report should come in four hours." Saina was slated to take on Kisona Selvaduray of Malaysia in her opening round contest on Tuesday.

Prannoy, on the other hand, was to take on Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia while Kashyap was to take on Jason Anthony Ho-Shue of Canada in their respective opening round contests.

While the trio initially withdrew, the rest of the Indian team players were allowed to compete in the event.

Saina had recently raised concerns over the fitness of the athletes after physios and trainers were restricted from meeting the badminton players during the entire Thailand tour. The Covid-related rules have been put in place by the BWF and Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) stated that it was only for the first three days that players could not meet their support staff, until the start of the training period.

The entire Indian contingent, despite being tested negative in the pre-tournament test, is expected to be re-tested once again on Tuesday, BAI further informed.

Saina, Prannoy, Kashyap, along with RMV Guru Sai Dutt and Pranaav Jerry Chopra, had tested positive last month and had served the mandatory quarantine period.

Saina last competed in the All England Open in March last year and Tuesday's game was supposed to be her first since the outbreak of coronavirus in early last year.
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"Ahard job that involves risk taking." That's how Li Hui described his profession, a description that brings to mind the image of a police officer. But he's not an officer; he's a researcher. Working in the seed industry for years, he said the long life cycle of seed development makes the job a tough one indeed.





By "risk taking" he refers to the uncertainties of success in the industry. "Unlike the production of industrial products, seed breeding is rife with uncertainties and success requires experience and luck," Li, a research assistant with the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told Beijing Review. "Many professors fail to cultivate a fine variety even throughout their life."





Recently Li received media attention as the industry was brought into the spotlight by the Central Economic Work Conference held in December last year. Developing the industry has become one of the major tasks for 2021 because of its importance to China's food security.





Seed and food security





China's modern seed industry has yielded remarkable results, Tang Renjian, Minister of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, said recently during a visit to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.





Tang said China is self-sufficient in the seeds of two main grain crops, rice and wheat, while the domestic supply of the seeds of corn and soybean is also guaranteed. Currently, the share of foreign-funded enterprises in China's seed market is 3 percent while imported seeds account for 0.1 percent of the country's seed consumption, according to him. In general, the seed supply is guaranteed and risks are controllable, he said.





China's rice seed breeding is a success story, Li said. The latest news about rice seed breeding was announced on December 28, 2020, which said that some of the rice seeds traveling around the Moon on board of the Chang'e-5 spacecraft sprouted and were ready for follow-up studies.





Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, rice seed breeding has made great progress, going from breeding by farmers to large-scale commercialized development and from natural selection to gene editing. Rice seed breeding has contributed to increase in total output and per unit yield of rice and to the country's food security. Moreover, new rice varieties that need less pesticide and chemical fertilizer have contributed to lowering pesticide residue and protecting the environment, Li said.





In recent years, rice varieties that can thrive in saline and alkaline fields have also been cultivated. .





The achievements in rice breeding have not only benefited people in China but also those in other countries.





Tu Shengbin, an associate research fellow at the Chengdu Institute of Biology, CAS, told Beijing Review that the application of hybrid rice techniques and improvements of equipment can help increase export of rice from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia by a total of 20 million tons, accounting for half of the global rice trade volume.





Tu said there is a great potential for collaboration between China and participants of the Belt and Road Initiative in rice seed breeding.





Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, such cooperation is especially important. "Some countries restrict crop export, especially during the novel coronavirus pandemic," Tu said. He believes that cooperation rather than restriction is the way to enhance food security.





Reducing import dependence





Although China is self-sufficient in the seeds of rice and wheat, it imports seeds of other grains and vegetables.





According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China imported $475 million worth of grain seeds and $228 million worth of vegetable seeds in 2018.





Li Jing, a research fellow with the Institute of Botany at CAS, told Beijing Review that although China is an agricultural country, its seed technology lags behind developed countries. "Quality gaps have resulted in higher prices of foreign seeds," she added.





Li Jing said overreliance on imported seeds will result in domestic growers' inability to bargain in the international market, which may lead to economic losses for large growers, and even the risk of seed source shortage. Measures must be taken to avoid the plight.





Germplasm resource is key to coping with the seed issues, as was mentioned at the Central Economic Work Conference. "The conservation and utilization of germplasm resources are key to independent innovation in seed breeding," Li Guoxiang, a researcher with the Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote in an article published in December 2020.





Li emphasized the building of seed banks. In the southern province of Hainan, a national comprehensive seed breeding base featuring research, production, sales and technological exchanges is taking shape. The base called Nanfan is expected to contribute to seed breeding. However, Li said some varieties with local characteristics are still endangered and the cutting-edge talents are insufficient, which can slow down the development of seed banks.





"Research and development (R&D) is vital for the growth of the seed industry," Lu Fuxing, a professor with the Institute of Rural Vitalization, Hunan Normal University, wrote in an article in December 2020. He said that currently, 90 percent of the molecular breeding technologies and related intellectual property rights are in the hands of countries like the U.S., and he suggested China increase R&D investment in this field.





Li Hui suggested the integration between theories and practice. He said research institutes and companies should cooperate to develop products that meet market demand, and sustainable policies should be launched to create a solid environment for seed breeding.





It always takes dozens of years before the seed of a new crop variety is born. Li Hui believes that the job, though being hard and full of challenges, always promises hopes. That is why, like many of his colleagues, he considers seed breeding and research a lifelong career.




Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump on Friday after he incited the mob that attacked the Capitol and he continued to post tweets that the platform believed would lead to more violence. Trump made his debut on the platform in 2009 with a post promoting an interview on Late Night With David Letterman, and he would go on to send out more than 57,000 tweets over the course of nearly 12 years. Though it was initially used to advertise books and media appearances, the @realDonaldTrump account eventually became Trumps megaphone of choice for haranguing enemies, keeping his party in line, delivering off-the-cuff rants, spreading disinformation, and even announcing major policy actions. When Trump lost the election, a number of journalists and political commentators rejoiced at the prospect of no longer having to be in thrall to his erratic social media habits.

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Curious about how much influence he might continue to wield on the platform, Ive been keeping a daily tally of his Twitter followers since Nov. 5, when it became evident that Joe Biden was going to win the election. At the time, Trump had about 88.3 million followers. Heres a graph showing how his follower count has changed over the last two months:

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As you can see, losing the election actually helped Trump gain followers in the immediate aftermaththe jump from Nov. 5 to Nov. 9 represents a leap of about 600,000 followers. He then saw a gradual decline from the end of November until the beginning of January, as his claims that he had actually won the election became more desperate and, it seems for many Twitter users, more tiresome. Between Nov. 13 and Jan. 5, he lost close to 400,000 followers.

The Capitol riot resulted in a spike in followersa jump of about 214,000 users from his recent low. All in all, Trump gained more than 52,000 followers since the race was called for Biden. Its worth noting that Trump didnt have long on the platform to complain about a drop in followers on Jan. 8, as many other conservatives did. That was the day that the platform began removing tens of thousands of accounts that were dedicated to promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory as part of its effort to prevent further violence after the Capitol riot. That evening, Twitter dropped its ban hammer on the president.

Joe Biden, whom Ive also been tracking, only had around a third of Trumps following by the time Twitter banned the president. Since winning the election, though, Bidens following has seen consistent growth. Hes netted more than 9 million followers, for a current following of more than 23.7 million people. While Trump had many more followers than Biden, at no point did he eclipse the Twitter following of the man whose presidency he tried to erase, Barack Obama.
Netflix is an awesome streaming platform, but you can only enjoy it to the max if you're from the US, the UK, or Canada.

Why?

Because those countries have the most Netflix titles (over 5,690). Other countries like Portugal and Norway only have around 3,000 titles. Pretty unfair, if you ask us. If you'd like a more in-depth look, use StreamCatcher to closely analyze Netflix's full library. Just look up a title and the tool will tell you what countries it's available in.

If you happen to live in a country with a low number of Netflix titles, is there anything you can do to unblock other libraries? You're also probably wondering the same thing if you live in a country like the US or Canada, but are currently abroad.

Well, we're happy to say that yes, you can do that. And don't worry - you won't need to physically visit those countries to unblock the shows and movies you want.

How to Switch Netflix Libraries - Just Use a VPN

This is by far the simplest way to do this. If you're not familiar with VPNs, here's a quick intro: they're online tools that hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic. By stopping Netflix from seeing your IP, VPNs prevent it from knowing your geo-location. Without that information, Netflix can't redirect you to your country's content library.

If you'd like to know how a VPN hides your IP, it's really simple - you use a VPN app to connect to a VPN server, and the server routes your connection requests (which contain your IP) to Netflix. That leads Netflix to believe your traffic is coming from the VPN, not your device. So it only sees the VPN's IP address.

If you're having trouble picturing how that works, here's a helpful image:

We know that still might sound confusing, but don't worry - using a VPN to unblock Netflix is extremely simple. Here's what you have to do:

Subscribe to a VPN provider. We recommend ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Download and install the provider's app. Run the app, and use it to connect to a VPN server. NOTE: The server has to be in the same country as the Netflix library you want to unblock (so the US for the US library). That's it! Log into your Netflix account, and start binging as many shows and movies as you want.

WARNING - Not All VPNs Can Unblock Netflix

Unfortunately, you can't just pick any VPN off the web, and use it to unblock Netflix. The site is pretty good at detecting VPN IP addresses. When it does that, it redirects users to the Netflix proxy error page.

You won't get in trouble, so don't worry. Contrary to what many people say, Netflix won't ban you for using a VPN. But you won't be able to bypass that landing page unless you disconnect from the VPN (which means no more access to different Netflix libraries).

While there are some things you can try to avoid the Netflix proxy error, the most efficient solution is to use a VPN that can actually unblock Netflix. That basically means using a VPN that regularly refreshes its IPs, so that Netflix doesn't detect them.

The problem is that VPN providers normally don't mention how often they do that. You could ask their support reps, sure, but why waste time with that when we can tell you which VPNs are able to fully unblock Netflix 24/7?

We tested over 50 providers, and came to the conclusion that ExpressVPN and NordVPN are the best Netflix VPNs on the market right now. We were always able to unblock the Netflix content we wanted while using those providers.

How Does Netflix Geo-Block Its Libraries?

It uses your IP address to see what your geo-location is, and it then redirects you to the Netflix library associated with that IP address.

Here's how the process would look like if you were from Germany:

When you visit Netflix, your device sends connection requests to the site. Those requests contain your IP address. Netflix checks the requests - particularly your IP to see what country and city you are from. Once Netflix sees you're from Germany, it redirects your traffic to the German content library (which might be missing some titles).

Why Does Netflix Use Geo-Blocks?

They don't have a choice, really. They have to geo-block content to comply with licensing agreements. Since they don't own most of the content they broadcast, they have to license it from the copyright holders. And those third parties often sell licensing rights for one show to multiple streaming sites and TV networks across the globe.

For example, while Netflix might have the rights to Dexter in the US, they don't own them in the UK. Sky seems to own them there since the show is available on Sky Go and NOW TV. So Netflix geo-blocks Dexter in the UK. Otherwise, it might seem like they're illegally streaming it there.

Besides that, another reason why Netflix often doesn't have global rights for a title is because their analytics showed that people in certain countries wouldn't be interested in it. Since licensing content is a huge expense for them, they can't afford to make investments that don't have a positive ROI. For Netflix, that might mean:

Subscription renewals;

Reduced customer churn;

New subscribers.

If a show or movie can't offer them that, there's not much reason for Netflix to waste money on it. It sounds harsh, we know, but the company could end up in the red if they were to get global rights for every piece of content it comes across.

How Do You Like to Switch Netflix Libraries?

Do you use a VPN like us, or do you rely on other unblocking methods? If you do use a VPN, could you let us know which provider it is? Also, if you know other reasons why Netflix uses geo-blocks, please mention them in the comments below.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Contractor admits role in Sisseton housing project bribery scheme

A contractor has admitted to his role in a bribery scheme and his partner has now been charged.

MBABANE  The South African Reserve Bank is said to have announced a relaxation of the rules relating to loop structures.

They involve investments through foreign structures that in turn own assets here in Eswatini and three other countries. The other three countries are South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho. According to BizNews, these structures are attractive to South African entrepreneurs looking for foreign investors.

The long-awaited relaxation of the rules relating to loop structures has finally been announced and most South African residents may now invest in these structures.

However, such investments may still be subject to some form of supervision. It is also important to note that various tax measures are currently being introduced to address potential tax leakage arising as a result of the relaxation, reads the report in part.

Arises

It has been gathered that a loop structure arises where a South African exchange control resident (individual or company) has an interest in a foreign structure and that foreign structure directly or indirectly owns assets in the Common Monetary Area (CMA) consisting of South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia. CMA links the member countries into a monetary union so that they can have the same development and equitable economic advance to be treated as a whole. According to the report, until recently, these structures were permitted only in very limited circumstances, typically where South African exchange control residents in aggregate did not own more than 40 per cent of the shares in the foreign company, regardless of the extent of ownership held by the foreign company in the South African assets, including resident companies.

In terms of Exchange Control Circular No. 1/2021 (Circular), the restrictions on loop structures pertaining to individuals, companies and private equity funds that are tax resident in South Africa have been further relaxed. The circular does not refer to trusts and it thus seems that trusts will still not be permitted to invest in loop structures.

The changes outlined in the circular apply with effect from January 1, 2021, reads the report. Where a South African resident has inherited foreign assets held by a deceased person offshore in compliance with exchange control regulations, the resident may apply to an entity styled Finsurv for approval to retain the assets offshore.

Scrapped

Until recently, such approval would be subject to the condition that the assets may not be used to invest in a loop structure. The prohibition on the investment in loop structures has now been scrapped.

Inward foreign loans received from foreign lenders will no longer be subject to the restriction that; the loan funds may not represent or be sourced from a South African residents authorised foreign assets; and there may not be any direct/indirect South African interest in the foreign lender.

All clients who are either currently invested in loop structures or who have been unable to make investments as a result of the loop structure restrictions, should carefully consider the impact of the proposed relaxations on their current or future investments.

It is particularly important for investors to obtain advice regarding the impact of the proposed tax changes on existing loop structures. As the proposed changes are intended to address potential tax leakage arising from the relaxation of loop structures, it could have a negative impact on the tax treatment of existing loop structures, further highlighted the report.






US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump, on January 12, called the preparations for his impeachment in US Congress "absolutely ridiculous" and said they were causing "tremendous anger".

Trump called his likely impeachment in the House of Representatives on January 13 a "continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics".

His comments came days after his supporters had stormed the US Capitol and clashed with police, resulting in at least four deaths and interrupting a constitutional process to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the election.

The outgoing US President then told reporters that his speech to a rally of Trump supporters that then turned violent was totally appropriate.

He had told his supporters on the day they surged the US Captiol: "All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by bold and radical left Democrats, which is what they are doing, and stolen by the fake news media. That is what they have done and what they are doing. We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesnt happen. You dont concede when theres theft involved. "

Notably, the US President faces a single charge  that of incitement of insurrection  in the impeachment resolution that the House is set to debate just days ahead of Democrat Joe Biden's swearing-in ceremony.

--With input from agencies

He, however, said he wanted "no violence". He said: "It is a really terrible thing that they are doing. But we want no violence. Never violence.
Passpatch LLC, announced its partnering with Innovation Hills Inc. of Japan, to deliver into the nation, the pilot of Passpatch technology as a method to monitor and detect temperature spike changes to persons at risk for either heat stroke or possible COVID-19. The trial will use the Passpatch Pandemic Defense System TM.

Japan, with a population in 2019 measured by World Bank at 27.2% over age 65, ranks number one in the world as a country with the largest percentage of aged population. Already challenged by the increased medical needs of an aging demographic, the higher percentage of older citizens also means an increased mortality risk for the nation from infection with COVID-19.

We are excited to partner with Passpatch in this trial. As Japan locks further down for COVID-19, there is a critical need in Japan to bring technologies to the country that can monitor aging citizens health condition, improve preventive care, lessen pandemic risk, and contribute to arresting the continuous rise in healthcare and long-term care costs the nation critically faces, stated Innovation Hills CEO and Founder, Hajime Suzuki.

The test trial will use Passpatch technology to provide real-time monitoring of a spike to the defined settings for at-risk of heatstroke or infection triggering temperature. The wearable-based platform consists of a high-precision medical grade digital temperature sensor designed to meet ASTM and ISO requirements for patient monitoring and pairs with a mobile application.

Innovation Hills aged care application is an exciting expansion to our initial vision for Passpatch as a pandemic defense system, states Giovanni Nino, co-founder of Passpatch.

For US market users, a release to customers of the beta Passpatch Pandemic Defense System is planned for early first quarter 2021.

About Passpatch , LLC

Passpatchs mission is to remove the gaps in pandemic defense, through providing real-time alerts to a rise in an individuals temperature, the alarms to a change in an individuals health condition or infection transmission risk. Passpatch is committed to deliver technologies that enable people to gather at work, school, or any group event, safely and confidently. Passpatch, LLC is a privately-held US-based company.

For more info, visit http://www.passpatch.com/

About Innovation Hills

Innovation Hills is a project to create a new ecosystem for a better future in a 60,000 square meter complex in Kibi Highlands, JAPAN. Innovation Hills consists of 7 sections, interacting with each other including OpenLabo, an Open Innovation laboratory in collaboration with EU's largest tech institute Fraunhofer, and Universities in Japan.


As the outlook for oil is uncertain for 2021, following a turbulent 2020, companies look toward new technologies and innovation to drive the industry forward. More and more firms come up with innovative solutions for the digital transformation of oil, Oil Price reports in its article Can Tech Save The Oil Industry?

As thousands lost their jobs across the oil industry in 2020, it became clear that energy companies had to embrace change, to modernize oil strategies continuing into the new decade. While several have suffered the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Houston has been gradually branding itself as a tech hub.

The long-established oil industry, not often open to dramatic change, is slowly coming around to the idea of digitalization, the introduction of new technologies, and essentially anything that will bring it out of the 2020 rut into the future.

In a 2020 Ernst & Young Oil and Gas Digital Transformation and the Workforce Survey, around 92 percent of companies polled highlighted the need to adapt their practices in line with modern expectations. Much of this change involves digitalization of the industry, with 51 percent of companies planning to invest moderately in digital technologies and 29 percent to invest a great deal. According to the poll, two of the principal drivers of this investment were the pandemic and low oil prices.

In Houston, several start-ups have jumped at the chance to provide innovative solutions for oil majors who before would not have given them the time of day. Tachyus, a Silicon Valley startup that transferred many staff to Houston last year, is a tech company that aims to optimize energy production. Another firm, GoExpedi, aims to procure industrial energy equipment, using a digital inventory system to track and manage all equipment. Digital services and blockchain networks have also been cropping up across the U.S. in support of the modernization of the energy sector.

The City of Houston has been supporting these startups through incubator and accelerator programs and roundtables to encourage greater innovation across the oil industry. And this effort seems to have paid off as Houston tech startups raised $466 million in funding between January and July 2020 according to a HTX Funding Review.

Similarly, in Scotland, RAB-Microfluidics  a company that created pioneering oil analysis technology, has acquired 1.24 million ($1.68 million) in funding that expects the company to double its staff and further develop the new technology.

Its Lab-on-a-chip technology will allow energy companies to monitor the condition of oil used in heavy machinery on-site instead of needing to transfer it to a laboratory for analysis. The Aberdeen-based company, which was developed out of the Physical Science college at the University of Aberdeen, created a 22x15mm glass chip that can provide a 30x20cm portable laboratory for use on-site.

The technology is not only limited to use in oil but will also serve the gas, aerospace, transport and manufacturing industries. RAB-Microfluidics CEO, Rotimi Alabi, explained how the company is revolutionizing oil testing and analysis services by delivering oil analysis more than one thousand times faster and around ten times cheaper than the current approach that is based on sending oil samples to laboratories..

While several oil companies have had to slash costs to tackle the decrease in demand and drop in oil prices over the last year, many are open to innovative money-saving solutions and new technologies that will support oil production, storage, monitoring, and analysis in the future.

As the energy sector continues to face uncertainties going into 2021, it seems that tech companies with a focus on oil could be the perfect opportunity for investment as majors look to modernize. Digitalization and the use of innovative technologies is saving the oil industry vital funds needed to keep afloat under the current volatile conditions.
Arizona state legislator Mark Finchem, a former Kalamazoo police officer, attended the rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, in Washington, D.C. that turned into a violent riot as people denying the outcome of the presidential election stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Finchem is among a group of elected officials who continue to question the legitimacy of the presidential election, despite President Donald Trump himself admitting Joe Biden will soon be inaugurated to lead the country.

The Arizona lawmaker continues to publish messages denying the outcome of the 2020 election.

What happens when the People feel they have been ignored, and Congress refuses to acknowledge rampant fraud. #stopthesteal, Finchem tweeted on Jan. 6 at 3:16 p.m., accompanied by a photograph of people crowded around the Capitol.

The tweet includes a warning from Twitter, This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet cant be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence.

Finchem says on LinkedIn he worked for Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety for 21 years, beginning as a firefighter before getting training to be a police officer.

Ryan Bridges, public information officer for the City of Kalamazoo, confirmed that Finchem retired from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety in 1999.

At KDPS, our top priority is maintaining the safety of our residents, businesses and city, and we do not support or condone the acts of January 6, 2021, Bridges said on Jan. 11. Mr. Finchems comments in no way, shape, or form represent the views of KDPS or the City of Kalamazoo.

Finchem also promoted the Trump rally in the days before the event, billed as March to Save America, which shows a schedule ending at the Capitol.

He tweeted #stopthesteal in the time leading up to the Capitol event.

Trump conceded to Biden in a video message posted on Jan. 7.

Finchem questions news reports of what happened at the Capitol in his Jan. 10 blog, while continuing to deny the election results:

Even after clear and convincing evidence was delivered to Congress, the deep-state denial became even more evident. VP Make (Mike) Pence revealed his commitment to the establishment, and in doing so may well have ended our republic as we have known it, a blog on Sunday, Jan. 10, reads.

Finchem did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

On Monday afternoon, Facebook announced it was removing content mentioning stop the steal.

Finchem had urged his supporters on Jan. 8 to follow him to the app Parler, which has since been removed from stores at Amazon, Apple and Google.

The Capitol incident caused a shockwave in national politics and triggered another impeachment inquiry against President Trump.

Calls for Finchem and other lawmakers to step down have reverberated as news was confirmed that four people died during the riot. A Tuscon.com columnist and others have called for Finchem to be removed.

Police departments across the country have announced actions against officers who participated in the Capitol event.

City of Kalamazoo Spokesman Bridges said, as of Jan. 11, they had no information to support that any KDPS staff attended the D.C. rally.

If we receive information stating otherwise, the KDPS Office of Community Affairs and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (formerly the Division of Professional Standards), will investigate, Bridges said.

Private activities of city employees, including KDPS staff, are regulated by applicable federal, state and local laws, and employees can face swift employment consequences for breaking laws, Bridges said. In addition, he said, KDPS staff must also adhere to all KDPS policies and protocols, including policy 310.6.8 subsection H, which states:

No officer shall become a member of any organization, association, movement or group which the officer knows, or should have known advocates or approves of commission of acts of force or violence to deny others the rights under the Constitution of the United States of America or the laws thereof or which the officer knows or should have known seeks to alter the form of government by unconstitutional means.

Read more:

Kalamazoo Civil Rights Board members dont want police investigating complaints

Rep. Fred Upton shell-shocked after rioters breach U.S. Capitol

Commissioners want accountability for city manager who secretly fired police chief

Kalamazoo city manager apologizes for not disclosing that police chief was fired

Muskegon GOP chair remains strong Trump supporter after Capitol violence

Rio Tinto's new chief executive Jakob Stausholm will move swiftly to strengthen the resources giant's relationship with the Mongolian government in an attempt to defuse a deepening dispute over the $8.7 billion Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine expansion.

In a fresh setback for Rio's problem-plagued project, the Mongolian government this week warned the Anglo-Australian miner it was dissatisfied with the progress of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine expansion and was now considering revoking its 2015 mine development and financing plan unless economic returns were improved.

The plan to enlarge the Oyu Tolgoi mine has been beset by a series of delays and cost blowouts since construction began in 2019. Credit:Bloomberg

Mr Stausholm, formerly Rio's chief financial officer, was elevated to the CEO role at the mining giant in December. His predecessor in the role, Jean-Sebastien Jacques, was ousted last year following investor outrage over the destruction of ancient caves in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The new Rio CEO has made it clear that forging closer relationships with governments and greater trust with stakeholders in the countries it operates will be one of his top priorities across its global mining operations.
Its now clear that the March 2021 election in Israel is bad news for womens representation in Israeli politics.

After a year when the coronavirus put the civic, health and economic crisis front and center and women leaders around the world like New Zealands prime minister rose to prominence, in Israel no woman stands at the head of any political party, large or small. Lists of candidates for the 24th Knesset must be submitted by Feb. 4, but as of now there is no party headed by a woman.

Every day new parties spring from divisions, especially on the center left, all of them led by men. On Jan. 2, former chief of staff Moshe Yaalon established a new party to vie for the center-left votes. He joins other men who broke off from larger parties such as Ofer Shelah, who also left Lapids Yesh Atid, a camp that historically put women center stage and was once led by Israel's only woman prime minister.

On the right among the ultra-Orthodox and on the left among the Arab parties, theres nothing to speak of at all. The New Hope is led like all the others by a man, Gideon Saar, who left the Likud.

In a gallery of the party leaders who are running in the March 2021 election, there only mens faces. The picture is worth a thousand words, showing that women in Israel have succeeded in breaking glass ceilings in finance and the legal system, but not in politics. Judge Esther Hayot leads the Supreme Court today, and other women head the big banks. Women are prominent in the high-tech and business worlds, but in politics they havent managed to become decision-makers on a national level.

Only eight years ago, in the 2013 election, three of Israel's significant political parties were led by women: Shelly Yachimovich headed Labor, Tzipi Livni headed HaTenuah and Zehava Gal-On led Meretz. Together they led a parliamentary force of nearly a quarter of the Knesset's members. Today, none of them is politically active.

Going back further to the 2009 election, a woman stood at the head of the largest party in Israel and vied head-to-head against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Livni, the former foreign minister, led Kadima to a huge achievement: 28 mandates in the election, one more than Netanyahu. While she didnt succeed in forming a government, theres no doubt she broke a glass ceiling in politics and many Israelis expressed faith in her ability to lead a complex country like Israel, with its security challenges and the existential threats.

It was an excellent year for women in Israel, for women in politics and for Israeli society in breaking gender barriers. Livni was compared to the only female prime minister to serve in Israel: the 1970s' Golda Meir. Many saw Livni as Meir's heir, a woman who could fight for her place. Livni got the closest of any woman candidate to serving as prime minister of Israel in the past 50 years. Today no woman is close to such an accomplishment and the field is empty.

Another woman who was discussed as a possible prime minister is former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who once headed Yamina but despite her popularity failed to reach the mandate threshold. Naftali Bennett took over the party.

Thus, while representation of women in the Knesset has grown in recent years, particularly on the lists of parties that dont hold primaries, they have not succeeded in taking center stage. In the current Knesset there are 30 women, an all-time high. But that number doesnt translate to real influence. Not only are there no women in senior positions around the government table, they are pushed to the margins in positions within the parliament. No woman has ever chaired any of the three permanent Knesset committees  the finance committee, the foreign affairs and security committee or the constitution, law and justice committee. No woman has ever served as finance or defense minister.

While the incoming US administration is going to break records for womens representation in the most senior positions, including vice president, Israel is moving backward. Its due to more than the influence of the ultra-Orthodox or security challenges. There seems to be another dynamic that is perhaps tied to the long and powerful reign of Netanyahu and the perception is that only a man could bring him down. The fight to replace him is aggressive and borrows heavily from the worlds of warfare and battle, which continue to dominate the political arena.
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Donald Trump falsely believes that 'ANTIFA people' were behind Wednesday's riot, he told the most senior Republican in the House, but does accept some blame for the unrest that killed five people.

Kevin McCarthy, the fiercely loyal House Minority Leader, told House Republicans on Monday that Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots and has accepted some responsibility, Politico reported, citing four Republican sources on a private call.

Trump has not publicly acknowledged any responsibility for the attack, which unfolded after he staged a rally on Wednesday and called on his supporters to 'fight' the election result and 'persuade' Republicans not to certify Joe Biden's victory.

However, Trump last night declared a state of emergency in D.C. amid ratcheting tensions over violent plots which could rock Capitol Hill ahead of Biden's inauguration.

The declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as Democrats had been demanding.

Last week's chaos resulted in the deaths of four rioters and one Capitol Police officer; dozens of injuries; and extensive damage throughout the ransacked building.

McCarthy strongly pushed back against Trump's claim that the rioters were Left-wing agitators intent on discrediting Trump and his followers - a claim made by staunchly pro-Trump congressman Matt Gaetz, and repeated by Fox News' anchors and pundits.

'It's not ANTIFA, it's MAGA,' McCarthy replied, according to Axios.

Scroll down for video

Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, told Trump that he was wrong to blame ANTIFA for Wednesday's chaos

Trump on Wednesday had told his supporters they needed to 'fight' to overturn the election

People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday

Kevin McCarthy, the fiercely loyal House Minority Leader, told House Republicans on Monday that Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots. Pictured: McCarthy talks with President Donald Trump during an event in February 2020

'I know. I was there,' McCarthy said, according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call.

McCarthy later reiterated his position during a two-hour meeting with Republicans in the House, telling them there is 'undisputedly' no evidence that people linked to ANTIFA participated in the insurrection.

The theory that anti-Trump agitators stirred up the unrest has been decisively debunked. Those arrested so far for their part in the riots have in many cases a long and public history of supporting the president: none of those detained has been a supporter of ANTIFA.

Trump, during the tense 30 minute conversation with McCarthy on Monday morning, also continued to insist that the election had been stolen from him.

McCarthy, exasperated, told him: 'Stop it. It's over. The election is over.'

The ensuing chaos at the Capitol resulted in the deaths of four rioters and one Capitol Police officer; dozens of injuries; and extensive damage throughout the ransacked building. Pictured: Rioters breach the Capitol building on January 6

After Trump told his supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, he retreated to the White House to watch it on TV

Capitol Police were woefully unprepared to meet the mob which marched on Trump's orders

The rioters easily barged past the Capitol Police and stormed the building

The mob overran the Capitol Police shortly after Trump urged them to 'fight' on his behalf

Police try to hold back protesters pushing into a doorway at the Capitol on Wednesday

WHAT DOES THE 25TH AMENDMENT SAY? CAN TRUMP'S CABINET REALLY TOPPLE HIM? The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution deals with presidential authority in the event of death or removal from office, and was ratified in 1967, in the wake of John F Kennedy's assassination. What does the 25th Amendment say? It is in four sections, all dealing with the president leaving office during his or her elected term. The first section states that the vice president takes over the Oval Office if the president dies or resigns  or is removed  something which the original Constitution did not clearly state. Presidents of course can be removed by impeachment, a feature of the constitution from the start. They can also be removed through the 25th Amendment - of which more below. Section II states that if the vice president dies, or resigns  or is fired  both the House and Senate have to confirm a new vice president. Until 1967, presidents could change vice presidents mid-term on their own if they got the vice president to agree to resign - not something that actually happened, but which was possible in principle. Section III makes clear that a president can temporarily delegate his powers to the vice president, and later reclaim them when he - or she - is capable of serving. This is most often invoked if a president is under the influence of surgical anesthetic for a short period of time. Section IV is the amendment's most controversial part: it describes how the president can be removed from office if he is incapacitated and does not leave on his own. The vice president and 'a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide' must write to both the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, saying that 'the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.' The term principal officers of the executive departments would normally mean the cabinet secretaries. So at least eight of the president's 15 most senior Cabinet members together with the vice president must agree that a president should be removed before any plan can move forward. Notifying the House Speaker and the Senate president pro tempore is the act that immediately elevates the vice president to an 'acting president' role. The deposed president can contest the claim, giving the leaders of the bloodless coup four days to re-assert their claims to the House and Senate. Congress then has two days to convene  unless it is already in session  and another 21 days to vote on whether the president is incapable of serving. A two-thirds majority in both houses is required to make that determination. As soon as there is a vote with a two-thirds majority, the president loses his powers and is removed, and the vice president stops acting and is sworn in as president. But if 21 days of debate and votes ends without a two-thirds majority, the president gets back his powers. What could happen to trigger the 25th Amendment? Vice President Mike Pence and eight of the 15 'principal' Cabinet members would have to agree to notify Congress that President Donald Trump was incapable of running the country. That group is made up of the Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Interior Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, Commerce Secretary, Labor Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretary, Transportation Secretary, Energy Secretary , Education Secretary, Veterans Affairs Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary. Their formal notification would go to the House Speaker and, in the senate, to the 'president pro tempore', the Senate's most senior member. As soon as the letter is sent, Pence would become 'acting president.' Alternatively, Congress could set up its own mechanism to decide if he is fit for office - maybe a commission, or a joint committee. Pence would still have to agree with its conclusion and then write formally to the Speaker and president pro tempore. Or another possibility is that the pool of 'principal officers' is considered to be bigger than the 15 and a majority of that group call Trump incapable. What if Trump does not agree? If Trump claims he is capable of holding office, he would write to the House Speaker and the president pro tempore of the Senate within four days, setting up three weeks of intense debate in both houses of Congress. Trump would be removed from office if both two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate agreed with Pence and his cabal. If either of both chambers fell short of that mark, Trump would retain his powers and likely embark on a wholesale housecleaning, firing Pence and replacing disloyal Cabinet members. Are there any loopholes? The 25th Amendment allows Congress to appoint its own panel to evaluate the president instead of relying on the Cabinet  the men and women who work most closely with Trump  to decide on a course of action. It specifies that some 'other body as Congress may by law provide' could play that role, but Pence would still need to agree with any finding that the president is incapable of discharging his duties. That commission could hypothetically include anyone from presidential historians to psychiatrists, entrusted to assess the president's fitness for office. Another loophole is that it does not spell out that the Cabinet is needed to agree, but says that the 'principal officers' of the departments are needed. That term is undefined in the constitution. In some departments legislation appears to name not just the secretary but deputies and even undersecretaries as 'principal officers', so many more people could be called in to the assessment of Trump's fitness. But Trump's cabinet has a swathe of 'acting' cabinet officer - and it is unclear if they could therefore take part in removing him. Could Trump fire Pence if he rebelled? No. The vice president can resign or be impeached and removed - but he does not serve at the pleasure of the president. Is there any precedent for this? No. Only Section III, the voluntary surrender of presidential powers, has ever been used - and only very briefly. In December 1978, President Jimmy Carter thought about invoking Section III when he was contemplating a surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush both voluntarily relinquished their powers while undergoing procedures under anesthetic. Section IV has also never been invoked, although there have been claims that Ronald Reagan's chief of staff Donald Regan told his successor, Howard Baker, in 1987 that he should be prepared to invoke it because Reagan was inattentive and inept. The PBS documentary 'American Experience' recounts how Baker and his team watched Reagan closely for signs of incapacity during their first meeting and decided he was in perfect command of himself. Advertisement

McCarthy told Trump that he believes the president should call Biden and continue the tradition of meeting with him for a handover, prior to the inauguration.

He also said Trump should follow tradition and leave a welcome letter in the Resolute Desk for his successor.

Trump said he had not yet decided whether to do so.

Democrats are now poised to impeach Trump this week for 'inciting an insurrection.'

Some Republicans are expected to join Democrats in the vote to impeach Trump, but the U.S. Senate is unlikely to convene in time to consider the article before Trump leaves office at noon on Jan. 20.

In a memo to Republicans ahead of the call Monday, McCarthy told fellow lawmakers he does not back impeachment and suggested other measures, including censure of the president.

Republicans have been left deeply shaken and divided by Wednesday's events.

Some, such as Senators Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey, have said they want the president to resign.

Others are furious that it took Trump nearly 24 hours to release a video condemning the violence and lawlessness that overtook Capitol Hill, and saw the Senate chamber broken into by the mob.

Trump supporters, egged on by the president himself, stormed the Capitol on Wednesday

The mostly maskless crowd flooded the halls of the Capitol with little resistance from Capitol Police

Rioters stormed the hallways of Congress plundering items and desecrating the building

Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress

A MAGA rioter who put his feet up on Nancy Pelosi 's desk was arrested along with a man who brought 11 Molotov cocktails, two handguns and an assault rifle to the Capitol on Wednesday

They were further incensed by a report in The Washington Post, published on Monday, which claimed that Trump was slow to respond to their appeals for help because he was too gripped by live television coverage of the carnage.

The paper reported that McCarthy contacted Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, while Senator Lindsey Graham phoned Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, to beg for help.

Kellyanne Conway, a longtime Trump confidante and former White House senior adviser, called an aide who she knew was standing at the president's side.

Chris Christie, a close ally of the president's and a former governor of New Jersey, said he'd spent the last 25 minutes trying to reach Trump directly.

'The president caused this protest to occur; he's the only one who can make it stop,' Christie said.

'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. And anything short of that is an abdication of his responsibility.'

The president still failed to react.

'He was hard to reach, and you know why? Because it was live TV,' said one close Trump adviser.

'If it's TiVo, he just hits pause and takes the calls. If it's live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold.'

Trump watched with interest, pleased to see that his supporters were fighting so hard on his behalf, one close adviser told the paper.

Graham, one of Trump's strongest supporters, admitted that the president was slow to realize the magnitude of the problem.

'It took him awhile to appreciate the gravity of the situation,' Graham told the paper.

'The president saw these people as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen.'

The MAGA mob holding down a cop and beating him with a baton on Wednesday in a shocking new video still. The officer shown has not been identified yet. It's unclear if he is either of the cops who died. One was beaten with a fire extinguisher, according to police sources, and the other committed suicide after the riot

In a different incident from the riot, Capitol cop Eugene Goodman is seen running away from the mob, leading them from the Senate. He is being hailed as a hero

Donald Trump finally addressed his mob of supporters in a video Wednesday where he continued to claim the 'election was stolen'

Truce! Trump speaks to Pence for the first time since last week's Capitol riot drove a wedge between them - amid Pelosi's bid to force the VP to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the president

Mike Pence and Donald Trump met in the Oval Office on Monday night in a bid to repair their deeply-damaged relationship, which had been shredded by Wednesday's rioting.

Trump on Wednesday unleashed his followers on Pence, accusing his vice president of failing to support him in his bid to overthrow the election.

A mob of MAGA-hatted rioters stormed the Capitol and roamed the corridors calling for Pence to hang. A gallows was even set up outside Congress.

One high-profile Trump supporter, attorney Lin Wood, praised by Trump for doing 'good work' on election fraud, called for Pence to face the firing squad.

Yet on Monday evening Pence, who reportedly did not speak to Trump during or after the insurrection, was at the White House for a meeting described by aides as cordial.

CNN reported that Pence and his aides wanted to show that the country was not in total disarray.

'Need to telegraph to our allies and adversaries that we have a fully functioning government,' the source said.

Mike Pence, pictured with Trump in the Oval Office in September, met the president Monday

John Roberts, Fox News' White House correspondent, tweeted a summary of the meeting

Fox News' White House correspondent, John Roberts, reported that a senior administration official said: 'The two had a good conversation, discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments.'

The official said that the two men united in their contempt for the rioters, disowning those who stormed the Capitol.

'They reiterated that those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America First movement backed by 75 million Americans, and pledged to continue the work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term.'

Pence, once known for his loyalty and subservience to the president, angered Trump both with his refusal to overturn the election, and with his announcement that he will attend Joe Biden's January 20 inauguration. Trump has confirmed he will not be there.

Pence, a devout Christian, infuriated Trump with his position on the election, and Trump tried repeatedly to change his mind.

'Do the courageous thing, Mike,' Trump said in one meeting, The Washington Post reported.

'It will be bad for you and for the country if you don't,' Trump said at another time, according to an official describing the meeting.

TIMELINE OF TRUMP'S FINAL DAYS OF OFFICE Jan 10 - Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, reveals he has 200-plus co-sponsors. Jan 11 - Pelosis leadership team will seek a vote on a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment. House Democrats are also expected to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday. Jan 12 - A full House vote is expected on the matter on Tuesday. Jan 13- Pence and the Cabinet have until today to act. If not, the House would move forward with impeachment. Democrats plan to delay an impeachment trial for 100 days to allow Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated. Jan 20 - The inauguration; Trump leaves office and Joe Biden becomes the 46th President of the Unites States Advertisement

Marc Short, the vice president's chief of staff, began readying for an inevitable clash between the two men, a person who talked to him told the paper, and never considered that Pence could please the president.

Trump was attempting to convince Pence right until Wednesday morning, it was reported.

One former senior official told the paper that the rupture between the two men was highly unusual.

'The president could say, 'Mike I want you to go fly to Asia,' and he would do it, or 'Mike, I want you take over the coronavirus task force,' and he would do it, never questioned a thing,' said the former official.

'Pence would spend hours in the Oval. Pence would come in, he'd get his daily brief and then he'd get word of when the president would be coming into the Oval and then he'd go over there and they'd spend hours together.

'For them to not speak anymore is a paradigm I just never would have imagined.'

The meeting, however, appeared to suggest that the pair were attempting to patch things up, and that Pence was not going to press ahead with the 25th Amendment.

On Sunday it was reported that he had not yet made up his mind, although it was 'unlikely' he would press to remove the president.

On Monday, before their meeting, Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats pressed ahead with the articles of impeachment.

Impeachment is scheduled for consideration at 9am Wednesday, if Trump refuses to resign and Pence won't initiate other procedures to remove him.

The impeachment effort itself will dominate the final week of Trump's presidency, and is almost certain to come to a historic result: the first time in history a president has been impeached twice.

After the House vote, the articles are expected to move immediately to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated a trial, presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, likely won't start until the upper chamber returns on January 19.

Trump can still be impeached after he has left office.

Twitter stepped in to stop 'Hang Mike Pence' trending in the wake of the MAGA mob riot, after the phrase began trending on the platform in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The social media giant permanently banned Trump on Friday night, citing risks of 'further incitement to violence'.

A screenshot shows that of 1.26am, over 14,400 Twitter users had used the phrase.

Twitter confirmed in a statement to Newsweek that it had moved to block the phrase because it violated rules on trending subjects.

'We blocked the phrase and other variations of it from trending. We want trends to promote healthy discussions on Twitter. This means that at times, we may prevent certain content from trending,' a spokesperson said.

'As per our Help Center, there are Rules for trends - if we identify accounts that violate these rules, we'll take enforcement action.'

The phrase was no longer trending later in the day and it does not appear on the Twitter Trending USA site, which tracks trending topics.

On Twitter's Help Center, it has a rule to prevent violent threats against individuals as well as the glorification of violence.

The threatening phrase surfaced online in the wake of Wednesday's riot where Trump supporters - among them white supremacists, QAnon fanatics and Proud Boys - violently broke into the Capitol building in an attack that left five people dead.

Horrifying footage from the scene of the siege shows a mob chanting 'Hang Mike Pence' as they stormed the building.

A Reuters' photographer covering the riot also claimed he heard at least three Trump supporters speak about hanging the Vice President from a tree as a 'traitor'.

Jim Bourg, the Reuters News Pictures Editor in DC, tweeted Friday that he heard 'many more' speak about executing Pence as they stormed the Capitol and tried to hunt him down.

'I heard at least 3 different rioters at the Capitol say that they hoped to find Vice President Mike Pence and execute him by hanging him from a Capitol Hill tree as a traitor,' Bourg said.

Trump supporters scaled the walls of the Capitol and broke in, for the first time since 1814

Pence could certainly be forgiven for having little inclination to save Trump from the 25th Amendment.

While Pence was sheltering from the mob on Wednesday, Trump, at 2:24pm, tweeted: 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!'

Trump was watching the storming of the Capitol live on television, and left it to Pence to call up the National Guard and secure the building, according to multiple reports. Trump on Sunday took credit for summoning the reinforcements.

McConnell was evacuated from the Capitol, but praised Pence for his actions.

'Although the Vice President and I were not together during the evacuation, he personally got very involved and stayed in close contact with me as we worked to secure urgently needed resources to thwart the mob and I appreciate those efforts greatly,' McConnell said in a statement to The Washington Post.

McConnell told others he was enraged with Trump and planned to never speak to him again.

Pence skipped his speech to the Republican National Committee meeting, scheduled for the next day, and did not come to the White House.

He returned on Friday.

White House aides have been shocked and saddened by Trump's turning on Pence, The Washington Post reported.

One senior administration official described it as 'unconscionable, even for the president.'

'We're very lucky that Mike Pence is a decent guy and rational and levelheaded,' said Joe Grogan, the former head of the Domestic Policy Council under Trump.

He told the paper: 'If he had been replaced by someone as nuts as the people who have been surrounding the president as the primary advice givers for the last few months, we could have had even more of a bloodbath.

'Imagine what would have happened if Pence was devious and vile and didn't stand up for the Constitution.'

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol

Twitter stepped in to stop 'Hang Mike Pence' trending in the wake of the MAGA mob riot, after the phrase began trending on the platform in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The social media giant permanently banned Trump on Friday night, citing risks of 'further incitement to violence'.

A screenshot shows that of 1.26am, over 14,400 Twitter users had used the phrase.

Twitter confirmed in a statement to Newsweek that it had moved to block the phrase because it violated rules on trending subjects.

'We blocked the phrase and other variations of it from trending. We want trends to promote healthy discussions on Twitter. This means that at times, we may prevent certain content from trending,' a spokesperson said.

'As per our Help Center, there are Rules for trends - if we identify accounts that violate these rules, we'll take enforcement action.'

The phrase was no longer trending later in the day and it does not appear on the Twitter Trending USA site, which tracks trending topics.

On Twitter's Help Center, it has a rule to prevent violent threats against individuals as well as the glorification of violence.

The threatening phrase surfaced online in the wake of Wednesday's riot where Trump supporters - among them white supremacists, QAnon fanatics and Proud Boys - violently broke into the Capitol building in an attack that left five people dead.

Horrifying footage from the scene of the siege shows a mob chanting 'Hang Mike Pence' as they stormed the building.

A Reuters' photographer covering the riot also claimed he heard at least three Trump supporters speak about hanging the Vice President from a tree as a 'traitor'.

Jim Bourg, the Reuters News Pictures Editor in DC, tweeted Friday that he heard 'many more' speak about executing Pence as they stormed the Capitol and tried to hunt him down.

'I heard at least 3 different rioters at the Capitol say that they hoped to find Vice President Mike Pence and execute him by hanging him from a Capitol Hill tree as a traitor,' Bourg said.
The government of Quebec, Canada, has been keeping its residents on a metaphorical short leash when it comes to COVID restrictions, which has prompted a local woman to put her husband on a literal leash so that the pair could go outside during curfew.

But police in Sherbrooke, Quebec, quickly sniffed out the deception and fined the pair more than $1,200 each.

The bizarre incident took place at around 9pm on Saturday, about an hour into the curfew, on King Street East.

A 24-year-old resident of Sherbrooke, Quebec, was caught by police walking her 40-year-old husband on a leash after an 8pm COVID curfew had gone into effect (stock image)

Under the restrictions imposed by the provincial administration last week, people are prohibited from leaving their homes between 8pm and 5am, except to walk their dogs in the vicinity of their homes.

Police patrolling the streets spotted a 24-year-old woman walking her 40-year-old husband on a leash on the sidewalk in the direction of Sherbrooke's downtown.

The wife reportedly told police she was just out 'walking her dog' near their home.

'One of them had the other on a leash, and she said she was taking her dog, pointing to her partner, out on a walk, as allowed under the exceptions provided by Quebecs premier under its curfew law,' said Isabelle Sehrdon, a spokesperson for the local police department, as reported by BBC.com.

Sehrdon added that the couple 'did not cooperate with the police at all,' said they were glad to be fined and would accumulate more tickets, according to the local paper La Tribune.

Under the restrictions imposed by the government of Quebec last week, people are prohibited from leaving their homes between 8pm and 5am, except to walk their dogs

During the first weekend under curfew, police across Quebec handed out 750 tickets to people who ventured outside after 8pm.

On Monday, Quebec's premier Francois Legault called on residents to abide by social distancing rules, saying 'I know it's difficult, but Quebeckers are able to work as a team when necessary.'

Quebec and the rest of Canada have seen a sharp uptick in COVID cases in recent months. The pandemic so far has claimed more than 17,000 lives across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:38:32|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had sought the assistance of the foreign diplomatic missions based in Colombo to encourage foreign investors to invest in the island country, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

During discussions held with the Honorary Consuls based in Colombo, Gunawardena said it was important for all countries to mutually assist each other to revive the world economy as a collective effort amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage said the weather conditions of the previous year had a positive impact on the country's tea production, hence, Sri Lanka was in an advantageous position to market its quality tea worldwide.

Discussions were also held over the means of bringing investors to Sri Lanka during the period of the pandemic, including the opening of airports for tourists and its new foreign policy.

Sri Lanka is all set to re-open its international airports on Jan. 23 after airports were closed in March last year following the detection of the first local COVID-19 patient. Enditem

(Natural News) A first-of-its-kind study, involving over 25,000 children, reveals that masks are harming schoolchildren in many physical and psychological ways and have a negative effect on their behavior, focus and interest in learning. These negative effects are censored from social media, under-reported by the media, and ignored by government officials. Of the 25,930 children studied, the database includes at least 17,854 health complaints submitted by parents. These health issues and impairments were observed in approximately 68 percent of masked schoolchildren who were forced to wear a face covering for an average of four and a half hours per day.

Prolonged, forced, strict mask wearing destroys the health of children

The registry, established on October 20th, 2020, asked 363 doctors to inform parents and teachers that they can report the health impacts they are witnessing from prolonged mask use of children. The health issues were exhaustive and included irritability (60%), headache (53%), difficulty concentrating (50%), less happiness (49%), reluctance to go to school/kindergarten (44%), malaise (42%) impaired learning (38%) and drowsiness or fatigue (37%). Nearly a third of the children sleep worse than normal, and quarter of the children had developed new fears. Hundreds of children were less cheerful, less playful and most were unusually irritable.

Even more concerning, (29.7%) had shortness of breath, (26.4%) experienced dizziness, and hundreds of children suffered from feelings of weakness, a feeling of disease, accelerated respiration, tightness in the chest, and short-term impairment of consciousness. Universal mask wearing is destroying the health of children, making their immune system more susceptible to disease. (Related: The CDC is developing a nationwide medical police state program to track vaccine compliance; may lead to medical kidnapping of children.)

Masking of schoolchildren is a medical experiment that should be a parents choice and require informed consent

Around the world, fathers and mothers are losing their parental rights as asinine medical interventions are mandated on their children in the school setting. Children are being psychologically raped, as adults force them to believe that their breath is a constant source of disease transmission, that they have a moral duty to ensure that their diseased breath never infects another person. Children are being trained to fear one another, to fear the world around them, and to quiver in obedience to authority and medical fraud. Will these institutions be held liable for the physical, psychological and behavioral harm they continue to impose on children?

Teachers and counselors, who are required by law to report child abuse, are now actively participating in the abuse of children and bullying parents to comply. Every day, authorities turn a blind eye to the psychological harm they impose on children with mandatory masking of each childs mouth and nose. What else can be forced onto children under the guise of keeping everyone safe?

Masking of schoolchildren is a medical experiment. Mask manufacturers have not conducted independent studies for long term use of their products on adolescents. Therefore, parents are not given informed consent so they can make a choice that is best for their child. In most cases, the schools are dictating what parents must do to their childs body, setting unlawful precedent that tramples on the medical privacy rights of the family while perpetuating institutional abuse of children that is liability-free.

There are no manufacturer-independent studies on the use of masks for children and adolescents that are certified as medical products for occupational safety in professional applications, the study authors stated. In addition, due to the unknown materials used, there are no findings on the potential protective effects or side effects of the often home-made everyday masks worn by the majority of children. In view of the ongoing measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular the varying obligations for children and adolescents to wear masks in school over a longer period of time, there is an urgent need for research.

Check out HealthFreedom.news for more on the harms of forcing masks on children.

Sources include:

GreenMedInfo.com

NaturalNews.com

Ultimately, Isbell concluded that storytelling and reading work best in tandem to help children develop language and story comprehension, just as you want your child eating a balanced meal. Remember the basics of storytelling If you're making up a story, remember every story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Every story should have a conflict and a resolution. Need help? Consider the folk tale. On Circle Round, the children's storytelling podcast from WBUR public radio in Boston, US, host Rebecca Sheir draws from folklore as source material for entertaining, audio-only stories for kids. I've drawn from my admittedly limited knowledge of Homer's Odyssey (which was originally passed down orally) and the Bible (David and Goliath works pretty well). This saves you the mental effort of coming up with an original story every night. Several experts recommended stories from Aesop's Fables, which has been delighting children for millennia and includes "The Tortoise and the Hare." Why? Because for kids, the protagonists "aren't really animals, they're people," Isbell said. They visualise the characters and identify with them, and the nuanced morals  slow and steady wins the race, for example  are things any kid can understand.

If you're really stumped, consider your own story. "We all have stories  a clever way you got out of a tricky situation, a surprise that made you laugh," said Sheir. In particular, stories from your childhood have a special resonance because, as Sheir puts it, "kids have a hard time believing you ever were a child." Take the story in an unexpected direction Diane Ferlatte has participated in storytelling festivals on five continents and in much of the United States, and her 2006 album of Brer Rabbit stories earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. She is, in short, a storyteller's storyteller. Her advice? Use pitch, pacing and pausing to keep your child on the edge of their seat (or pillow). "Pauses are very important," she said. "It lets that curiosity and suspense in." You can use strategic pauses to let your child ponder what happens next, and then take the story in an unexpected direction. Or just to make sure they're paying attention. Sheir seconds Ferlatte's advice. "When you're making up a story, the voice is so important," she said. "You can vary your rhythm, pitch, intonation, your pacing. You can speeditup! You can slow  down  your  words. You can move your voice up! if someone is climbing a mountain, or move your voice down if they're climbing down. You don't have to be a musical person  we all have these musical instruments we've used for all of our lives."

One word of warning: Sometimes, kids don't want you to go full Jim Carrey. Or, as my daughter said the other night, "Please don't use funny voices." Her loss. My wicked witch voice is both terrifying and hilarious. Loading Use your whole body One advantage of telling, rather than reading, a story is that you don't have to look at and hold a physical book, which frees your face and hands to gesture and make eye contact. It's the difference between some guy reading a joke book and Chris Rock or Ali Wong doing standup. As Ferlatte puts it, "If books could give us sound and movement and voices and facial expression, that'd be wonderful. But they can't." Use your hands to show whether something is huge or tiny, tap on nearby objects to imitate knocking on a door or whoosh your hands when something happens quickly. This physicality involves your children in the story. As Isbell puts it, when we're telling a story to another person, "We're dancing. We're moving together."

Encourage audience participation "One of the things with a story told is you can change it around," Isbell said. If your daughter wants the protagonist to be a mermaid instead of a snail, you can change that. A voyage through the high seas can become a journey to Mars. "You can change the sequence, you can change the characters, you can change the phrases. This nurtures that fluency of ideas that we want our children to develop." As with singing a song, you can encourage call and response, or use rhymes to keep the child actively engaged. Ferlatte recommends leaving out the end of a sentence and letting your child fill in the blank. "When you're telling stories, you want them to be involved in the telling," Isbell said. "We want them to be co-creators of the story, so they're not just listening, they're actively participating." This also helps if you're hard up for material. "If you're winging it, and running out of ideas, you can use audience participation to give yourself a break," Sheir said. "You can even steal your kids' ideas."

Add a soundtrack This last tip is helpful for if and when you're telling stories beyond bedtime  on a long car ride, for example, or to liven up bath time. The idea is to use props or live musical accompaniment, just as professionals do at festivals or on recordings. Loading "Your child is becoming your John Williams," Sheir said, referring to the iconic composer of movie themes. Find an actual instrument or just two sticks "and as you tell the story, your child scores it. Or you can let your child take the lead  if they speed up, you speed up the action. If they slow down, you slow down, too." You can also employ techniques like exquisite corpse, in which everyone takes a turn advancing the story. Or use Rory's Story Cubes, in which you roll dice to determine where a story goes next. In a time when physical bookstores and libraries remain off-limits for some of us, storytelling is a way to introduce new tales into our daily life. It's also a way to bond with your child, to tap into her natural imagination while, perhaps, reawakening yours. In our home, I'm aware that Mum is the preferred parent for, well, almost everything  but storytelling remains exclusively my domain.
The strategic partnership between Mind Cure and ATMA will bridge access to research locations for psychedelic drug research while providing patient data for iSTRYM, Mind Cure's digital therapeutics platform.

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Mind Cure Health Inc. (CSE: MCUR) (OTCQB: MCURF) (FRA: 6MH) ("Mind Cure" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the signing of a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") for strategic investment and commercial cooperation with ATMA Journey Centers Inc. ("ATMA"), a Calgary-based organization. ATMA is the first commercial treatment center in Canada to announce providing psychedelic-assisted therapy for a section 56 exempt patient. The LOI is intended to help Mind Cure secure an equity position within ATMA, empowering the Company with access to a global release strategy for iSTRYM, as well as international locations for translational research on novel molecules and treatment protocols.

"ATMA's clinicians possess a proven track record of advocacy and innovation driving toward the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic medicine for patients in the treatment of mental health and wellness. Mind Cure is extremely excited to join ATMA in the renaissance that is disrupting mental health care by partnering with one of the pioneers in the therapeutic psychedelics industry," said Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO, Mind Cure. "With Mind Cure's therapeutic tool, iSTRYM, along with ATMA's pivotal achievement as the care provider for Canada's most recent section 56(1) exempt patient, mental health care in Canada is making history. We are thrilled to work with the best-in-class to drive our focus on accelerating our research and technology platforms."

Mind Cure's partnership with ATMA is an exciting opportunity for researchers and therapists to participate in each of Mind Cure's research programs focused on pain, neuroregeneration, migraines, and cluster headaches. The proposed investment will facilitate the syndication of Mind Cure's psychedelic drug protocols and the use of Mind Cure's proprietary technology, iSTRYM, to optimize treatment for ATMA clients.

The deployment of capital will also advance speed and scale for data enrichment of iSTRYM, providing the AI-driven platform with access to patient data as ATMA targets domestic and international healing and treatment centers.

"Psilocybin-assisted therapy offers healing and understanding that is unmatched by traditional methods. Patients dealing with end-of-life anxiety, pain, depression, trauma, and addiction have been at the mercy of ineffective and underwhelming treatments for much too long. The resources are here, and we are extremely grateful to be at the frontlines of this world-changing, innovative, and extremely alleviating solution, to help bring peace to sufferers," said David Harder, co-CEO, ATMA Journey Centers Inc. "We are witnessing an inflection point for mental health treatment as the commitment to wellness in Canada takes a huge step forward."

Pursuant to the LOI, the parties intend to negotiate the terms of definitive agreements (the "Definitive Agreements"), which will provide for, among other things an initial $500,000 investment by Mind Cure in ATMA, participation by Mind Cure in ATMA's future financings, and the exclusive use of iSTRYM throughout ATMA's business. There can be no assurance that the Definitive Agreements will be entered into or that the investment or commercial transactions will be completed on the terms proposed in the LOI or at all.

About ATMA Journey Centers Inc. and SYNTAC Institute

ATMA is a private healthcare company with the mission of delivering effective and innovative healing and transformative experiences that awaken the inner healer and promote a deeper connection with the self, with others, and with the beauty of the world. ATMA is the first private sector service provider in Canada to announce psychedelic-assisted therapy provision under the approval of Health Canada's Section 56(1) exemption, which will allow ATMA to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy to those seeking psychedelic assisted therapy.

ATMA's founding members, David Harder, Greg Habstritt, and Vu Tran, also founded SYNTAC Institute, a non-profit organization with the mission of bringing the healing and transformative power of psychedelic medicine and psychedelic-assisted therapy to Canadians. SYNTAC has been an influential participant in the Canadian psychedelic medicine industry and operates Catalyst Presents, a series of conferences and summits in Canada focused on psychedelics.

About Mind Cure Health Inc.

Mind Cure exists as a response to the current mental health crisis and urgent calls for effective treatments. Mind Cure believes in the need to reinvent the mental health care model for patients and practitioners to allow psychedelics to advance into common and accepted care.

Mind Cure is focused on identifying and developing pathways and products that ease suffering, increase productivity, and enhance mental health. Mind Cure is interested in exploring diverse therapeutic areas beyond psychiatry, including digital therapeutics, neuro-supports, and psychedelics, all to improve mental health.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO

Phone: 1-888-593-8995

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (also known as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or industry results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "feel", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "subject to", "will", "would", and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Some of the specific forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: the conclusion of the transactions and negotiation of the Definitive Agreements contemplated by the LOI on the terms disclosed herein, or at all; ATMA conducting additional psychedelic-assisted therapy; the disruption of mental health care through psychedelic-based therapies; the development of iSTRYM and incorporation into ATMA's business; the relationship with ATMA accelerating the development of Mind Cure's research and technology platforms; participation of researchers and therapists in Mind Cure's research programs; Mind Cure's investment facilitating the syndication of Mind Cure's psychedelic drug protocols and the development of those protocols; protocols and iSTRYM to optimize treatment for ATMA clients and driving greater access to patient data for the AI-driven digital therapeutics platform; the roll-out of domestic and international treatment centres by ATMA; the realization of an inflexion point for mental health treatment; and Mind Cure's collection of data from ATMA's section 56 exempt clients.

Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by Mind Cure, including, without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian economy and Mind Cure's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect Mind Cure's business; there will be a demand for Mind Cure's products and ATMA's clinics in the future; no unanticipated expenses or costs arise; Mind Cure will be able to continue to identify products that make them ideal candidates for providing solutions for treating mental health; the partnership with ATMA will help Mind Cure achieve its business goals; and Mind Cure will be able to operate its business as planned. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what Mind Cure believes to be reasonable assumptions, it cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such information.

Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to: the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian economy, Mind Cure's industry and Mind Cure's business, which may negatively impact, and may continue to negatively impact, Mind Cure and may materially adversely affect Mind Cure's investments, results of operations, financial condition, and Mind Cure's ability to obtain additional equity or debt financing, and satisfy its financial obligations; general economic conditions; future growth potential; competition for mental health and wellness investments; Mind Cure's partnership with ATMA may not help Mind Cure achieve its business goals; iSTRYM, and its database function may not be successfully developed or help to optimize protocols and enhance scientific research; and changes in legislation or regulations. Management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information contained herein are based upon reasonable assumptions and information currently available; however, management can give no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. Additional information on the risk factors that could affect Mind Cure can be found under "Risk Factors" in Mind Cure's final prospectus which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Mind Cure. The forward-looking information is stated as of the date of this news release and Mind Cure assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release and the CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Mind Cure Health Inc.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is facing some major backlash over choosing the new secretary of Health and Human Services.

One America News Network reported that Biden announced his nomination of choosing Xavier Becerra, California's Attorney General to become the new HHS secretary.

However, this move is facing a major backlash mainly because of Becerra's lack of qualifications. While the California Attorney General served in Congress previously, he has no record of having a work experience with the HHS or any other known medical background.

But more than his lack of credentials to work for the HHS, critics are even more worried that Becerra is a pro-abortion extremist.

In an earlier report from Christianity Daily, several pro-life groups already gave their warning with Biden's choice of the new HHS secretary being an abortion extremist.

In 2016, Becerra earned a 100 percent ranking from NARAL Pro Choice America for eight different voting records on Planned Parenthood, Anti-Choice and Non-Discrimination on Reproductive Health to name a few. NARAL Pro-Choice has been fighting for reproductive freedom in America since 1969 and has 2.5 million members to date.

A year after receiving the highest rating possible from the pro-choice group, Becerra sued a pro-life activist who uncovered Planned Parenthood's involvement in selling aborted babies to biotech companies.

The biggest pro-life group in America, Susan B. Anthony List, has openly expressed their stand against Becerra becoming the new HHS secretary.

The pro-life group took to Twitter last week saying that "Joe Biden has proven yet again he is an extremist on abortion."

With his choice of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for HHS Secretary, Joe Biden has proven yet again he is an extremist on abortion@marjoriesba (1/3)https://t.co/oUK2LkoRMJ  Susan B. Anthony List (@SBAList) December 7, 2020

The day before the aforementioned tweet, the Susan B. Anthony List called for Republican senators "to stand firm" and stop the unacceptable nomination to which several Republican lawmakers responded having expressed their will not to vote to confirm Becerra's election as the next HHS secretary. Republicans are also urging other lawmakers to make the same move.

Senator Thomas Bryant Cotton agreed that Becerra is not qualified to handle a position with the HHS and has been a "disaster" in the state where he happened to be the attorney general.

"Xavier Becerra spent his career attacking pro-life Americans and tried to force crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortions. He's been a disaster in California and he is unqualified to lead HHS. I'll be voting no, and Becerra should be rejected by the Senate."

Becerra's continued defense of reproductive freedom and persecution of journalists who expose Planned Parenthood's role in trafficking baby has made him such an extremist when it comes to the issue of abortion. The California AG has led multi-state coalition to forcibly include abortion in employees' insurance plans despite it being against their faith.

"Becerra's record: continued persecution (started by predecessor Kamala Harris) of citizen journalists who exposed Planned Parenthood's role in baby parts trafficking, tried to force pro-life pregnancy centers to refer for abortion, and voted for partial birth abortion."

Becerra's record:  continued persecution (started by predecessor Kamala Harris) of citizen journalists who exposed Planned Parenthood's role in baby parts trafficking  tried to force pro-life pregnancy centers to refer for abortion  voted for partial birth abortion (2/3)  Susan B. Anthony List (@SBAList) December 7, 2020

Aside from the Susan B. Anthony List, other pro-life group and its leaders including Albert Mohler from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Lila Rose of Live Action have already expressed their alarm over Biden's choice of electing Becerra as the new HHS secretary.
Catholic school discriminated against white student accused of racism, lawsuit claims

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A lawsuit is accusing a Catholic school in Missouri of subjecting an 18-year-old student to relentless verbal ridicule after an African American classmate falsely accused her of racism.

Villa Duchesne, a K-12 private school in Frontenac, along with faculty members are listed as defendants in the lawsuit filed in St. Louis County court last week. The complaint relates to the alleged treatment of an unnamed student recognized in the lawsuit as Daughter Doe.

In the lawsuit, attorneys for the plaintiffs family allege that the school engaged in an overt and intentional racial discrimination against white students and even encouraged and facilitated race-based aggression against Doe that was promulgated by African American fellow students.

[T]hrough the use of coercion, intimidation, and threats, the lawsuit alleges that faculty and administrators tried to force Doe to adopt or espouse the political philosophies of Critical Race Theory.

The girls lawyer, Mark McCloskey, told The Christian Post that Doe was accused in October by an African American student [identified as A.S.] of standing up and saying in a class session on social justice work that black lives dont matter.

McCloskey contends that the class was recorded on Zoom and the girl never said that phrase. According to the lawsuit, teacher Theresa Wiss watched the classroom the entire time.

In the real world, this class was recorded, McCloskey said. The recording shows that the alleged statement was never made. The teacher who was there knows that the statement was never made, but nonetheless, on Oct. 13 called my client to the principals office.

After A.S.'s accusation, the lawsuit states that Doe's house was vandalized and that she was threatened by her classmates. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the student was accused by other students of being a racist and a Trump supporter.

The lawsuit states that in the Oct. 13 meeting, Principal Jeannie Steenberge and Wiss let A.S. shout at Doe and point a finger in her face.

A.S. allegedly called Doe a liar and denied that she had ever made statements about her.

The lawsuit contends that A.S. contradicted herself and later admitted she had told people the girl had said: black lives do not matter.

The African American student also said Doe was a racist, was the biggest known racist in the school, was in love with Trump and everyone knows that all Trump supporters are racist.

That legal filing claims that Wiss told Doe she should expect to be treated as a racist because of a pro-police Thin Blue Line sticker she put on her laptop. Wiss misidentified it as a Blue Lives Matter sticker.

You need to realize that having a Blue Lives Matter flag is racist and that it was made to crush the BLM movement, said Wiss, according to the lawsuit. Simply having that sticker, you should expect to be treated like a racist.

The Thin Blue Line has been a symbol of the sacrifice and service of police since long before Black Lives Matter began. However, combining the symbol with the American flag in support of police only began in 2014.

School leaders Steenberge, Dean of Student Excellence Mesho Morrow and Dean Emily Kaplan called Doe back to another meeting on Oct. 23.

They didnt allow her to bring her cell phone into the room. McCloskey contends that Morrow told Doe during the meeting to lie about her experience and to say that she was no longer concerned about the bullying, vandalism and threats she had received from other students.

Morrow, an African American who is allegedly a supporter of the Black Lives Movement, is alleged to have tried to convince Doe to state that it is her father who had put her up to cause trouble.

As my client continued to refuse to agree with these falsehoods, the Dean of Student Excellence kept getting louder and louder and louder and doing these karate-chopping motions with her hands toward my clients face, McCloskey argues. That same meeting the Principal Steenberge told our client, Were all racists, were white.

Doe asked to leave and the staff wouldnt let her, according to the lawsuit. The student also allegedly asked to call her parents and a lawyer but the teachers again would not let her.

The lawsuit accuses Kaplan of typing notes on the meeting. However, Kaplan contends that she was not making a transcript of the discussion but working on another matter.

Before and after both meetings, A.S. continued to threaten Doe, according to the court filing.

The student was alleged to have said that she would throw hands on this b**** and that Im sick of that racist b****  we need to end her.

I know that the African American student involved has publicly said, and I think directly to my client, that she can do whatever she wants and wont be punished because shes black, McCloskey alleged to CP. I think that has been an ongoing situation at the school. On Oct. 23, [Morrow] told my client that the African American girl would not be punished for anything.

Villa Duchesnes school policy considers lying, bigotry and internet abuse serious violations of community standards, said McCloskey, who accused the African American student of making a false claim based on racial hatred.

Why is the school being so reluctant to admit that the African American student is a liar and why are they continuing to try and intimidate or force my client into agreeing with Critical Race Theory and apologize for something that didnt happen? he asked. Thats why amongst other things this lawsuit got filed. My client continues to this day to get harassed about it.

Teachers at Villa Duchesne often display shirts, posters and web posts that support Black Lives Matter, the attorney continued.

"The Black Lives Matter Movement is about as anti-Catholic a movement as you could possibly imagine," McCloskey asserted.

Doe has been socially ostracized and threatened online, McCloskey stressed. A private Facebook page for school alumni have made insulting and defamatory content about her, he added.

Officials from Villa Duchesne have yet to respond to The Christian Posts request for comment on the lawsuit.

But a spokesperson for the school told St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the school will not address the matter publicly.

A wave of cases like Does steals justice from many students across the country, McCloskey. warned.

Another St. Louis Catholic school attempted to include a provision in its rulebook that would allow students to be punished for unintentionally offending others with a "microaggression," the lawyer warned.

There seems to have been this invisible hand that has walked across the country this year, causing many of the Catholic schools and all the public schools, I think, to adopt an active program of trying to create or adopt Critical Race Theory, he said. All this is of very recent origin and its not isolated to a single school.

McCloskey, who mostly handles injury cases and occasional civil rights cases, said that a week ago, he was settling a lawsuit about police brutality for an African American man. McCloskey and his wife also made headlines last July when they were seen brandishing guns outside their home when Black Lives Matter protesters marched by.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  The National Bureau of Investigation has filed a new complaint against former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. chief Ricardo Morales and other PhilHealth officials before the Office of the Ombudsman over irregularities in the release of the state insurer's funds.

The NBI on Monday recommended the charges for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Misappropriation of Funds of the Corporation, and administrative cases of Grave Misconduct, Gross Negligence and Conduct Prejudicial to Public Interest. Aside from Morales, respondents to the case were executive vice presidents Arnel de Jesus and Renato Limsiaco, senior vice president Israel Pargas, and 11 other officials from Metro Manila and other regions.

Arsenia Ladores, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Ricky Pagligawan of dialysis center B. Braun Avitum were also named in the complaint for conspiring with the PhilHealth officials over the release of  33.8 million worth of funds under the insurer's interim reimbursement scheme. The complaint said this allotted amount was higher than the correct allowable IRM fund to health care institutions.

"It is also worth stressing that PhilHealth failed to organize a validation team as required by PhilHealth Circular 2020-0007, which is necessary to assess the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and properly determine the percentage of allowable IRM fund to be granted to the requesting health care institution," the complaint read.

Under PC 2020-0007, PhilHealth is only supposed to provide funding to those that were directly hit by "fortuitious events" with clear and apparent intent to continuously operate.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Task Force PhilHealth has also endorsed to the Ombudsman the investigation by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission on the involvement of the Northern Luzon regional office of PhilHealth over the use of a fake account for making fraudulent claims.

Justice Undersecretary Neil Bainto said in a statement that criminal and administrative complaints were recommended against 25 incumbent and former PhilHealth officials who were not yet named, but "majority of whom are from the regional office."

The probe stemmed from a fake account under the name "Pamela del Rosario" at the North Luzon office which generated 27 fraudulent claims. paving the way for contributions that were retroactively applied and antedated. Charges were also recommended against PhilHealth officials and employees for their failure to investigate and properly prosecute those involved in the incident.

The charges include falsification of public documents under Article 171 in relation to Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), Malversation under Article 217 of the RPC, Usurpation of authority under Article 177 of the RPC, Violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act under Republic Act (RA) No. 3019, Violations of the National Health Insurance Act of 1995 under RA No. 7875, and administrative liabilities for Grave Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Service.

Task Force PhilHealth, headed by the DOJ, "shall continue to pursue further targeted investigations on the alleged corruption and anomalies" in the agency, Bainto noted.
The COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated a growing trend among doctors toward corporate medicine and away from private practice. The personality and priorities of doctors had already been undergoing a metamorphosis. And, just as we have witnessed the collapse of small businesses across the country from the politization of the disease, many independent physicians have lost their practices as well. American entrepreneurship in medicine is another casualty of the government's response to COVID-19.

What survives the crisis is a Big Business/Big Government cluster of health care delivery "systems" where doctors can find safe harbor. Older doctors who remember when hard work and good service made them a better living are tempering their expectations and joining up, no longer having to deal with the opaqueness and complexity of billing and collections. Younger doctors with lower expectations and a greater desire for a regular, less rigorous schedule have already adapted to the new normal.

In Star Trek, the Next Generation, the great assimilator is the soulless Borg, a space-traveling "hive" that integrates and incorporates other civilizations' technology and workforce to survive, unable to create on its own. When encountering the Borg, the doomed victims are warned that "resistance is futile." Will medical care dispensed through these health care giants approach the quality, accessibility, and overall service of a private practice?

Having been exposed to employee physicians at the Veterans' Administration hospitals and varied employee physicians at competing health care entities in Atlanta, Georgia, it is easy to see how owning a practice versus working for a conglomerate changes a doctor's attitude. If a clinic day is light in private practice, the doctor will let it be known that he is available for consultation and see how to get more traffic through his office. When a day is light with the Borg, the "worker bee" doctor blames the entity, throws their hands up, and leaves early for home. There is no reason to work late, come in early, or evaluate efficiencies and costs. The physician has no sense of ownership.

Many doctors in 2021 are seeing patients only when gowned and gloved and with eye protection, with a seeming aversion to the physical exam. Keep in mind that this is all done for a virus with an overall 0.6% mortality rate. But the fear is reinforced by the health care systems, with doctors working in outpatient clinics being told to stay home because giving care is too dangerous.

In 1983, when undergoing surgical specialty training at Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta, we were all too aware that we were being exposed to a new virus transmitted by blood that had a nearly 100% death rate. We were not told to stop seeing patients because of the risk of contracting what would later be called AIDS. We were the front line for the care of the poor, and it was our duty to protect ourselves as we could, use common sense, and attempt to save lives in the "war zone" of our famously bloody city. We graduated with a sense that we had been tempered through a crucible, and we wanted to conquer the world.

Those were different times with different priorities and different personalities.

In its best episodes, Star Trek would give lessons in the benefits of freedom, free will, and individualism, all tenets of the American identity. "Perfect" societies that have taken away choice, eliminated evil, or abandoned their flesh and blood bodies are exposed as soulless and barren. The heroes would display the advantages of living "illogically," with the ability to choose one's path in life being preferable despite the uncertainties and failure that may result.

This surrender of physicians to collective work is greasing the path toward socialized medicine. The left will continue to use the crisis of COVID-19 to push its agenda. The end result will be the biggest Borg of all: a federal takeover of medicine. It will be "free" to all Americans and non-Americans. No one will acknowledge that quality of care, availability of access, and lesser cost cannot coexist. People will find out that a doctor without any incentive to work will not have any sense of ownership in the process.

Unfortunately, there is no Captain Picard to remind us of what is good about American entrepreneurship in medical care and how soulless and barren our care will trend as a result.

Image via Pixnio.
Comments



It can be argued that one of the reasons some people continue to demonstrate a passive attitude towards calls for full adherence to the COVID-19 regulations is the belief that this virus only kills those with pre-existing health conditions and the elderly. This false assumption may have been drawn from the trend observed during the first wave of the virus.

The second wave figures, however, are painting a different story. In our analysis of the statistics released by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, over the past 21 days, about 55 of the 155 COVID-19-related deaths recorded during this period were of people who had no reported underlying health conditions or comorbidities.

Escalating the possibility of fatalities is the shortage of bed space, particularly intensive care unit (ICU) facilities, to admit critically ill patients. Added to this, is the serious shortage of health personnel to attend to the high number of patients.

attitude

This should serve as a stern caution that our attitude towards the coronavirus pandemic requires unison of thought and action to avoid the need for medical attention if we are to curb its spread and save lives.

We also ought to be cautious against placing full trust in self-prescribed remedies without consulting health practitioners when COVID-19 signs and symptoms emerge. Several deaths have been attributed to delayed medical attention.

We should also bear in mind that our response to calls for responsible behaviour will help the Health Ministry sooner get back to focusing on its full mandate and utilising its resources equitably.

Institutions such as the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital cannot be allowed to deteriorate to levels where patients are allegedly sexually abused due to lack of care and attention; nor can we afford to have expectant mothers endure an added pain of leaking roofs at the maternity ward at Sithobela Health Centre.

embarrassing

It is equally embarrassing to have an E88 million health facility with no staff simply because we trained more soldiers than nurses and allocated a bigger budget to the security forces at the expense of our health infrastructure. These are some of the very painful lessons to be learnt from this current episode. As a populace, we dare not repeat the same mistakes.

Let us listen to professional advice and heed the COVID-19 regulations to help stop COVID-19 because none of us are immune from it.






Barn destroyed by Wednesday morning fire

Fire destroyed a barn about five miles southeast of Watertown Wednesday, according to a report from Watertown Fire Rescue.
A new strain of COVID-19 initially discovered in the United Kingdom has been found in Nueces County, officials said Sunday.

A Corpus Christi resident, a male between 60 and 70 years old, tested positive for variant B.1.1.7. The man returned from the United Kingdom in late December after travelling for a family emergency. He believes he contracted the virus there, officials said.

Since returning to Texas, the man has been quarantining at home with a severe headache. He will be kept in isolation by the local health authority to prevent further spread of the variant.

READ ALSO: Rank: The 20 San Antonio ZIP codes with the highest number of active COVID-19 cases

The new variant is known to be more contagious, according to Nueces County health official Dr. Srikanth Ramachandruni. It has been found in eight U.S. states and more than 33 countries around the globe.

"Currently there is no evidence that B.1.1.7 causes more severe illness or increased risk of death," Ramachandruni said.

In Texas, the new strain was first identified Thursday in a Harris County man with no travel history, leading Houston scientists to conclude the strain may be well established in the community.

The variant can still be detected by current tests, Ramachandruni noted, and does not affect the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ramachandruni advised residents to keep wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing their hands as often as possible. He also told people to seek the vaccine, as the virus has become "out of control again" in the area.

"In order to develop immunity to the virus, we only have two options," Ramachandruni said. "Getting infected or getting vaccinated. I believe the second option is the brightest."

The county southeast of San Antonio reported 149 new COVID-19 cases and five related deaths Sunday. There are 2,839 active cases in the community.
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Twitter has removed more than 70,000 accounts related to the QAnon conspiracy theory in its latest crackdown and effort to distance itself from the violent content.

Twitter announced the sweep of suspensions on Monday saying it removed the accounts since Friday in the wake of last week's protest at the US Capitol.

It comes after social media platform permanently banned President Donald Trump from its service last week 'due to the risk of further incitement of violence' after Wednesdays Capitol siege. Facebook also locked Trumps account.

Twitter said it cracked down on posts that have 'the potential to lead to offline harm' in its QAnon suspensions.

The app said they found some users operated multiple QAnon accounts.

Twitter has removed more than 70,000 accounts related to the QAnon conspiracy theory in its latest crackdown and effort to distance itself from the violent content. File image of QAnon activists outside the Fox News headquarters in Manhattan in November

Twitter announced the sweep of suspensions on Monday saying it removed the accounts since Friday in the wake of last week's protest at the US Capitol. A mass of Trump supporters left his rally on Wednesday and headed straight for the Capitol

'These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service,' the company said in a blog post.

Following Wednesdays protest where frenzied Trump supporters stormed their way into the Capitol building in a chaotic riot that left five dead, social media giants have sought to distance themselves from right-wing conspiracy theorists.

The QAnon conspiracy is a discredited and disproved far-right conspiracy theory that alleges a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles are running a global child sex-trafficking ring and are plotting against Donald Trump, who is considered a hero fighting against the cabal. Theorists say that high-ranking Democratic politicians and Hollywood actors are in on this dark ring.

A woman who broke into the Capitol building and was shot and killed, was a QAnon believer named Ashli Babbitt, according to the New York Times.

Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump from its service last week for its tweets 'due to the risk of further incitement of violence' after Wednesdays Capitol siege. Facebook also locked Trumps account. Trump pictured at his Wednesday rally

'These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service,' the company said in a blog post. A QAnon demonstrator in Los Angeles, California above in August

This isn't the first time Twitter has cracked down on QAnon conspiracy theorists. In July Twitter did another QAnon sweep banning 7,000 accounts linked to the conspiracy theory

On Monday Facebook said it will remove any content referring to 'Stop the Steal,' the phrase used by Trump supporters who falsely claim the presidential election was stolen from Trump.

Facebook and Twitter have faced major challenges in the past year, cracking down on false information regarding the election and the coronavirus pandemic.

In August Facebook banned QAnon groups that called for violence. Then in October the platform said it would remove any group, page or Instagram account that openly identifies as QAnon.

In July Twitter did another QAnon sweep banning 7,000 accounts linked to the conspiracy theory.


PFAS investigation in Pellston completes second round of samples

Officials discovered polyfluoroalkyls in Pellston residential water sources in late 2019. The airport is believed to be the source of the substances.

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Nigeria is generally seen as a Country whereby the democratic institutions that ought to be made enduring, resilient and vibrant are deliberately undermined, sabotaged and weakened operationally due largely to the desire of the politicians to line their pockets with filthy lucre by circumventing conventions, laws, ethics and global best practices.

However, this unfortunate scenario pales into insignificance and assumes a much more troubling status, when the Country is burdened by the presence of political office holders whose stock in trade is basically the institutionalization of flip-flops in policy articulation and implementation.

When policies and programmes mapped out by government are not coherent and consistently implemented to generate benefits pragmatically and on a utilitarian basis, then the tendency is that even members of the business community across the global community will be too slow to invest their capitals and resources in the economy of such a place whereby government says one thing in the mourning and by noontide the same government says another thing that directly contradicts the one that was said in the mourning. Policy consistency means a lot and policy FLIP-FLOPS demean the essence of constitutional democracy.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari  led administration since coming into office on May 29th 2015, has carved a notoriety as one administration that nobody should rely on as regards the veracity and finality of her public pronouncement on their face value because of the regularity of government officials inconsistency and incoherence.

There is therefore a severe dearth of decisive decision making process observable in the administrative style of President Muhammadu Buhari since his second coming as a civilian leader of the largest concentration of black people in the World since 2015.

But the truth is that for Nigeria to be able to navigate through the minefield of gross physical, economic and political underdevelopment, the best quality of leadership expected of the President or any sort of political office holder is the ability and capacity to take decisive decision for that is the essence of visionary leadership.

This much we can read from a fantastic write up titled:  Decisive decision making and the role of visionary leaders uploaded on website of www. Dgicomn.com.

This piece precisely states as follows: "Although decision-making as a leader might entail a wide array of components that can hardly be summarized in a few paragraphs, there are some basic attributes that can be observed across the board. Dian Griesel, President of DGI, based in New York City as well as the author of several books, knows from hands-on experience what it takes to be an effective leader today and what leaders need to look for in management."

Also, we are told thus: Each leader will lead in his or her own way, says Griesel. However, when youre at the front of the room, and people are looking to you for the answers, there are a few basic skills that you should have in your tool kit. These include honesty and transparency, confidence and collaboration. These might seem like broad terms, but they are important enough to create a solid framework for everyone, and specific enough so that each person can put his or her own spin on them.

The public policy researchers say: "Its not enough to seem honest, Griesel elaborates, because most people will be able to see right through you. If you find yourself approaching a task with ulterior motives, it might be time to step back and re-examine. Chances are, your team will sense youre hiding something from them, and if they find out youre not telling them the truth, your credibility will likely be shot for any future projects. Approaching your team with openness and honesty will prompt them to trust you more, and make them more likely to trust you in the future.

"Although its nearly impossible to please everyone on your team all the time, seriously considering their strengths and weaknesseswithout sacrificing your own choices and opinionswill likely yield positive results and contribute to a good team dynamic. It will make the team more likely to trust you, and expedite future tasks."

Strategically we are yold that speaking of the future, its always a good idea to over prepare. "This is more than having a Plan B scenario in mind, Griesel explains. She believes you should also have a good exit strategy just in case your decision doesnt go as planned."

An authority on power and politics within a business organization had warned as follows; Every environment has their own internal system that is dictated by aspects such as power and politics. These things have as much control over the functionality of an organizational as the individual features of organizational behaviour. Often, they can shift how those components develop and affect those in the environment as well. Their impact-and that of those who control them-can shape the entire dynamics of an organization more so than any other force.

Specifically, we are warned that: Power and politics within a business or organization are rather similar to the traditional political structures of government: authority is divided throughout the different parts of the system that power is exerted in.1 There are often different sources of power competing for control, which isn't necessarily a bad thing until someone decides to fight dirty."

The internal politics of an organization, too, can be polarized as everyone will most likely relate to one side of an issue over another no matter how neutral they attempt to remain, the researcher argued.

And then concluded: "All in all, the organizational power and politics in a business can be a fascinating and unique thing that can have a serious impact on organizational behaviour.

So, all through the whole gamut of the way the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has gone about articulating her public policies and their implementation, there is this deep seated practice of willful flip-flop to such a pattern that most analysts are beginning to ask what really is the leadership ideological mantra of the present Federal government of Nigeria.

This interrogatory has becime imperative because the deliberate unleashing of policy FLIP-FLOPS directly impinges on the constitutional warning that all traces and tendencies of abuse of power must be eradicated as a matter of statutory obligation.

This is precisely what is said in section 15 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999, as amended, thus; the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.

It is an abuse of power for the government to fail in its obligation to properly articulate a public policy in line with the legal frameworks, and set out to meticulously implement those policies or programme for the over all benefits of the greatest number of the good people of Nigeria.

The foundation for these inconsistencies in the current political administration at the centre started in 2015 when it took President Buhari nearly six months to make the composition of the Federal executive council a reality.

A political analyst with Guardian Newspaper of Britain wrote a favourable piece to support the delay in the formation of the Federal cabinet by Buhari and anchored this strange reasoning on the need for the President to pick the best team.

However from the benefits of hindsight, it has since emerged that even after spending six months to select his ministers, many of the ministers did not have what it takes to implement the economic blueprints that the then Presidential Candidate of All Progressive Congress sold to gullible voters because within just few months of taking office, the economy went into a serious recession and when we were told that the recession was over, it emerged that Nigeria had become home to the largest number of absolutely poor people thus overthrowing India which has over two billion population compared to us with less than 200 million- a statistics obtained through series of fraudulent head counts by the ethically tainted National Population commission.

Also from amongst Buharis first cabinet, the then Finance Minister was later found to have allegedly lied that she obtained a waiver not to serve her time as a participant of the compulsory programme for all Nigerian under 30 year university graduates-the NYSC.

So the failure of President Buhari to be decisive has done more harm than good as against the public relations analysis that Simon Allison published in THE Guardian of the United Kingdom in 2015

He had written thus; Choosing a cabinet in Nigeria is a complicated balancing act. One must juggle the need for skilled leaders with the requirement to repay political allies, while navigating the shifting alliances of internal party politics and eliminating accumulated deadwood. Then theres the need to carefully maintain an ethnic and religious balance, and to make sure each of the countrys 36 states is somehow represented."

The British reporter also errorneously submitted thus: "No wonder it took newly elected president Muhammadu Buhari nearly six months to make his decision.

Impatience is not a virtue, said the president to his critics, who thought that the long delay in naming a new government was bad for business. Buhari was unmoved: Careful and deliberate decisions after consultations get far better results, he said.

The most notable decision involves Buhari himself. The president has taken charge of the ministry of petroleum, which for years has been associated with gross mismanagement and corruption on a grand scale. That Nigeria, Africas largest oil producer, must import refined petroleum is as a result of the failures of this ministry, which has resisted all attempts at meaningful reform over the years.

Buhari has now gambled his reputation on succeeding where others have failed. If he can turn the petroleum ministry around, he will have gone a long way towards fulfilling his election promises. Helping him is junior minister, Ibe Kachikwu, who is current head of the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The influential finance portfolio has been handed to Kemi Adeosun, a former investment bank chief who has a daunting task ahead of her. Collapsing oil prices have slashed the governments revenue, and stunted economic growth, with analysts predicting more turbulent times ahead.

As can be seen, this analysis may have been procured because corruption is worst in the petroleum sector, fuel is still being imported, refineries are destroyed even as millions of dollars are stolen under the guise of turn around maintenance of the three refineries and the then finance minister was accused of academic fraud.

Since then it has been one policy flip flop or the other whether in the electricity power sector, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and even in the public communication office of the President whereby too many contradictory pieces of informations have been callously unleashed on the public space including the recent one about the number of students of the science school in Kankara, Katsina State who were abducted, and released.

"Hundreds of schoolboys who were kidnapped in north-western Nigeria nearly a week ago have been released, a local official said late on Thursday, prompting joy and relief for families that had been praying for the boys safe return.Katsina state Governor Aminu Bello Masari said in a televised interview with state channel NTA that 344 boys held in the Rugu Forest in neighbouring Zamfara state had been freed," reported Al Jazeera.

However, Garba Shehu the SA on media to Muhammadu Buhari contradicted the above information by claiming that only ten students were missing.

When he was found out, he quickly apologized.

The media stated this communication fiasco thus: "Garba Shehu, spokesman to President Muhammadu Buhari, has apologised for saying only 10 students were kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina state.

Shehu apologised in a post on his social media handles on Friday.

Over 300 students were kidnapped from the school on December 11, after an attack by bandits."

"They were, however, rescued on Thursday and arrived in Katsina on Friday.

While Aminu Masari, governor of Katsina, had said over 300 students were missing after the attack, Shehu had claimed that some of the abducted students who escaped told the military that 10 of them were taken away by the gunmen".

The presidential spokesman, however, said he was sorry for the incorrect communication, adding that it was not his intention to downplay the seriousness of the situation.

I apologise for the incorrect communication citing that only 10 students were kidnapped at the science school, Kankara, he wrote.

This communication of numbers was provided by persons that should ideally know. These numbers were seen to conflict with what was available at that time.

Please understand that this communication was in no way done to downplay the seriousness of the situation", he had said, in a belated but illiterately crafted attempt at confusing gullible Nigerians the more.

But Garba Shehu is not alone.

The majority of the Federal Government officials from time to time, engage in double speak which has graphically painted President Muhammadu Buhari as someone who believes in using organized confusion as his governance mantra.

Not long ago, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) published a 50 percent tariff hike but Festus Keyamo who is the Minister of state for labour said there was no price hike only for the minister of power to announce a reversal of the hike after 24 hours.

By that Tuesday, January 5, 2021 it was reported that Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo on Tuesday denounced purported hike in electricity tariff by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC. Most papers quoted him as denying any sort of tariff hike.

Then on January 7th, 2021 it was reported that the Nigerian government has directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to suspend the implementation of the recently reviewed tariff.

NERC on Tuesday increased the electricity tariff payable by power consumers across the country. The hike in tariff which varies, based on different consumer classes, took effect from January 1, 2021. This unambiguous public notice which even a newspaper like Thisday ran as a commercial full page black and White advertisement was repudiated by a minister under the same central government.

The Niger Delta Development Commission is perhaps one place whereby this deliberate policy inconsistencies has assumed a life of its own because within two months, the same government constituted and failed to inaugurate a substantive governing board but has twice appointed interim management committee and then sacked it and appointed interim administrator. They went finishing for some kind of excuse and found a willing tool in a judge of a high Court who is said to habe granted an injunction against the earlier appointee. What a deliberate and sustainable programmes of deceit and deception!

In the petroleum sector, the NNPC within few days said they will rely on import of petroleum and then has just announced that it is shopping for one billion United states dollars to repair the Port Harcourt refinery.

The other time the same NNPC said it was cheaper to buy petrol from the small neighbouring Niger Republic which is not even a crude oil producer in the category of Nigeria that ranks as the seventh biggest global crude oil producer. Nigerians kicked against this unwise move and then the FLIP-FLOPS.

What these inconsistencies do to the economy of Nigeria is to ensure the ballooning of poverty and the expansion of public sector corruption.

This is why what Bishop Kukah said is true.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Revd. Matthew Kukah, had reportedly continued his criticism of the leadership of the country, stating that the privileged few were busy looting the country dry and seeking repentance in foreign pilgrimages. Kukah also described the country as a huge wasteland, huge debris of deceit, lies, treachery, double-dealing and duplicity.

Bishop Kukah warned that darkness was setting in as the sun quickly recedes, so there should be a sense of urgency. The Catholic Bishop spoke while delivering a sermon entitled A Nation in Search of its Soul, at the wake keep Mass for His Grace, Archbishop Peter Jatau at St. Josephs Catholic Cathedral, Kaduna.

He said that the privileged few were milking the nation dry, with mass looting of the nations resources. According to him, We sin at home by stealing the nations resources, but we seek repentance and forgiveness in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem in the guise of lesser or higher pilgrimages. We make money from abandoning projects duly paid for by governments, which have adopted contractocracy as a governance mechanism. We are allowing others to use our money to develop their own infrastructure. Our elites all assembled in Dubai for Christmas and also to welcome the new year. As virtue recedes into the sunset in our country, there is an urgent need for us to pause and take stock of what is required to save our country, Bishop Kukah added.

Nigerians must wake up and demand accountability and transparency.

*EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO is head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs @www. huriwanigeria.com , [email protected] , www.thenigerianinsidernews.com .
Pennsylvania became the seventh state in the nation to surpass 18,000 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday as a winter case surge causes a record pace of lives lost.

The state reported 7,275 additional coronavirus cases and 227 more deaths in the daily Pennsylvania Department of Health briefing. The total case count now stands at 733,429 with a death toll of 18,080 Pennsylvanians.

It took just five days for Pennsylvania to report the loss of another 1,000 lives after the state reached 700,000 cases and 17,000 deaths last week.

Within the Lehigh Valley, 43,518 total cases have been reported with 1,049 deaths.

The states grim milestone comes the same day the federal government urged states to pick up the pace of vaccination and pledged to not hold back the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Trump administration is now asking states to vaccinate people 65 and over and those under 65 with underlying health conditions that put them at high risk.

(Cant see this map? Click here.)

Here are your Pa. coronavirus updates for Jan. 12, 2021.

Coronavirus in Pa.

Pennsylvania on Tuesday became the seventh state in the nation to report more than 18,000 coronavirus-related deaths, joining New Jersey, California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois in the grim distinction.

Pennsylvanias surge in deaths follows an all too predictable pattern. Cases climbed for much of December reaching a peak of almost 10,600 average daily new cases over the last week on Dec. 16.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

Then came the hospitalizations surging above 6,000 patients. Typically, deaths peak two to three weeks after a case surge, a trend that is often delayed due to reporting lags associated with deaths.

The state is now averaging 219 reported deaths each day, up 25% over two weeks ago.

The 227 deaths the state reported Tuesday bring COVID-19s toll in Pennsylvania to 18,080 Pennsylvanians. (The state does not report deaths on the day they occurred rather when they are notified of them.)

Almost 6,000 residents died in December, making it the pandemics deadliest month. Thus far, at least 679 Pennsylvanians have lost their lives in January.

The majority of those who have died are over the age of 65 and 52% of them lived in long-term care facilities.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

Pennsylvania added 7,275 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, after two days of artificially low counts due to technical maintenance. This brings the statewide total to 733,429 cases.

The daily average of new cases is on the uptick after falling for weeks.

State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the next week will be critical in determining the intensity of Pennsylvanias post-holiday case surge.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

Hospitalizations have dropped from their mid-December peak, but still remain nearly double the spring peak. There are 5,232 patients currently hospitalized with 1,070 people requiring intensive care.

The health department estimates 74% of Pennsylvanias COVID-19 patients have recovered, meaning they have survived 30 days since their positive test. This is the highest the recovery percentage has been since early November, when the fall case surge began.

Residents are urged to wear masks, stay socially distant and stay home, away from groups, as much as possible to avoid another January surge. Leading into the weekend, the state saw its first 10,000-case days since mid-December.

Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley

Like the state, the Lehigh Valley has also seen an overall rise in cases.

As a region, the Valley had 369 new coronavirus cases and 12 more deaths, bringing the regions case total to 43,518.

Lehigh County now totals 24,010 cases and 564 deaths while Northampton County has 19,508 total cases and 485 deaths.

The Lehigh Valley crossed 40,000 combined cases and 1,000 deaths last week. Only three counties  Philadelphia, Montgomery and Allegheny  have more deaths than the Lehigh Valleys combined total, and only Philadelphia and Allegheny have more total cases.

Good vaccine news

The Trump administration is asking states to speed delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to people 65 and older and to others at high risk by no longer holding back the second dose of the two-dose shots, officials said Tuesday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the administration in the states has been too narrowly focused.

As a result, he said, the Trump administration is now asking states to vaccinate people age 65 and over and those under 65 with underlying health conditions that put them at high risk. He said the vaccine production is such that the second dose of the two-shot vaccine can be released without jeopardizing immunization for those who got the first shot.

We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production, Azar told ABCs Good Morning America. So everything is now available to our states and our health care providers.

Levine, Pennsylvanias health secretary, promised Monday that the pace of vaccination should pick up across the state.

At least 311,477 vaccines have been administered across the state. That figure does not include shots CVS has administered in long-term care facilities as part of a federal partnership.

Gov. Tom Wolf is holding a 2 p.m. news conference to discuss COVID-19 in the state and vaccinations.

On Monday, Levine said she expected the state to soon move from just inoculating frontline healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents and staff to the next phase.

The Trump administrations announcement Tuesday is sure to shake up those phases and lead to changes in Pennsylvanias vaccine delivery plan.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to give a speech Thursday outlining his plan to speed vaccines to more people in the first part of his administration.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires a second shot about three weeks after the first vaccination. Another vaccine, this one produced by Moderna, requires a second shot about four weeks afterward. One-shot vaccines are still undergoing testing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) A mass brawl involving hundreds of people broke out at the Purnara reception center in Cyprus, causing dozens of injuries, local media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Phileleftheros newspaper, the fight took place late Monday night, around 11 p.m. (21:00 GMT).

Approximately 600 migrants living in the center got embroiled in a conflict, throwing stones, beating each other with iron rods, and breaking fences.

Police officers intervened and stopped the clashes. A total of 35 people were injured, and 24 of them were taken to a general hospital in Nicosia, where they received first aid, the newspaper said.

According to Interior Ministry Spokesman Loizos Michael, clashes occurred between groups of Syrian and African migrants.

The police have already launched an investigation to find out the reasons for the mass fight.

LANSING, MI - Mondays new open carry ban in the Michigan Capitol landed with a thud among state lawmakers from both parties, albeit for different reasons.

Speaker of the House-elect Rep. Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, does not think the Michigan State Capitol Commission has the legal authority to enact the ban it approved with a unanimous vote, though he supports obeying the new rule for now.

Meanwhile, the prevailing sentiment among Democrats is that the ban doesnt nearly go far enough, and is just one step on a path that should lead to a full firearms ban inside the Capitol building.

Read more: Open carry of firearms banned inside Michigan Capitol

Those extra steps towards a total prohibition on guns inside the Capitol would come with about a $1.5 million price tag, according to police and Capitol Commissioners.

Extra security measures require extra resources

The Capitol Commission stopped short of a full firearms ban since that dollar amount is more than its annual maintenance budget, said Vice-chair John Truscott. The $1.5 million would pay for more metal detectors and other screening equipment, said Lt. Darren Green of the Michigan State Police Capitol post.

With metal detectors, X-rays, magnetometers and things like that, theres a pretty substantial cost, Green said. The Capitol Commission at this time has said thats not something they would support right now... because of the financial commitment it would take.

That means either the Republican-led Legislature pass a new appropriation for security measures, or the state police shift their budget around to accommodate the new rule. If neither comes, security inside the Capitol building isnt expected to change much, Green said.

The other wrinkle is educating Second Amendment defenders on the new restriction, he said.

I dont think its going to be necessarily difficult for us (to adjust), Green said. A conversation with these people that are coming into the Capitol, explaining to them the new rule...allowing them to ask questions, giving them a lot of verbal direction on what their options are.

The state police Capitol post follows guidelines set from by Capitol Commission, Green said.

Were going to react to whatever decisions they make and act accordingly, he said.

For specific threats, state police will increase its presence around the Capitol, said MSP spokeswoman Shanon Banner. Extra officers roamed around the Capitol on Monday in case of a protest against the Capitol Commission vote, and more presence is expected after the FBI warned of demonstrations organized by online groups for Jan. 17, three days before President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated.

Read more: Security increased at Michigan Capitol as FBI warns of possible armed protests

This extra presence is expected for the next two weeks, Banner said.

Todays increased presence at the Capitol is a response to potential threats against state capitols in the weeks to come, she said.

Experts, lawmakers divided

An open carry ban may make lawmakers feel further removed from the threat of a shooting, said Matt Saxton of the Michigan Sheriffs Association, but it wouldnt likely actually stop a potential shooter.

Until we turn our government buildings into prisons, put fences around them and not allow anybody inside, youre not going to stop all incidents from happening, whether you ban open carry (or not), he told MLive. If someone has malicious intent, and they plan to do it with a firearm, theyre going to bring it where their intent is to cause harm.

Emma Fridel, a criminology expert and assistant professor at Florida State University, published a study last May finding that more restrictions on concealed carry permits generally means fewer firearm homicides. This correlation, however, doesnt necessarily apply to mass shootings, she said.

She did say gun restrictions do reduce the possibility that someone enters a stressful situation, such as a tense protest, with a device that can kill someone more easily.

Hypothetically, if the same people storm a Capitol but none of them have guns, versus the same people storming the Capitol but all of them have guns, which do you think is more likely to result in someone getting shot? she asked rhetorically. That is more the issue. More guns means more opportunity for someone to act.

Democratic lawmakers have discussed a full firearms ban since armed demonstrators protesting the COVID-19 lockdown stormed the Michigan Capitol building in April. Months later, some of those same men were arrested for their involvement in a plot to kidnap Whitmer and spark a civil war.

The Commission revisited the open carry question in the wake of last weeks attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. Democrats including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a number of House representatives said the open carry ban was not enough.

The Capitol Commissions action to ban open carry guns at the Capitol is a good start, but more action is needed, Whitmer said in a statement. On a normal day, hundreds of people walk through the Capitol, including groups of fourth graders, teachers, and parents on school field trips to learn about state government. Thats why we must take action to ban all weapons at the Capitol to keep Michiganders safe.

Nessel added that todays ban was simply not enough to protect Capitol staff, representatives and visitors from injury.

Firearms - whether explicitly visible or concealed by clothing - possess the same capability to inflict injury and harm on others, she said in a statement. Only banning them does little to meaningfully improve the safety and security of our Capitol.

Other Democrats such as Rep. Sarah Anthony of Lansing said the limited ban allows domestic terrorists a way to get weapons into the Capitol building.

The commissions vote today will continue to allow domestic terrorists access to Michigans Capitol, Anthony said in a statement. The nation is watching whats happening in Michigan and wondering why there is complacency to the threat of violence.

Republican lawmakers were more split on the open carry ban. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, supported the ban, partially pushing the Capitol Commission to make the move.

Wentworth, on the other hand, will be looking at options for handling the ban in the future.

Read more from MLive:

6 from Michigan arrested during riots, storming of Capitol in Washington D.C.

Presence at US Capitol ahead of riot not likely to affect prospective Michigan GOP co-chairs candidacy

Michigan representatives call for Trumps removal after riots in U.S. Capitol

Objection against Michigans presidential electoral votes fails without support in Senate

3 Michigan Republicans object to electoral votes in Arizona, Pennsylvania

Betsy DeVos resigns from Trump Cabinet, citing attack on Capitol

State lawmakers who supported overturning election shouldnt be seated, Michigan Houses top Democrat says

Congresswoman Slotkin says military officials are concerned about Trumps mental state

Far-right activist who encouraged U.S. Capitol occupation also organized stop the steal rally in Michigan
New York, Jan 12 : Computer-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) can function more like human intelligence when programmed to use a much faster technique for learning new objects, researchers say.

In the journal Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, the researchers explained how the new approach vastly improves the ability of AI software to quickly learn new visual concepts.

"Our model provides a biologically plausible way for artificial neural networks to learn new visual concepts from a small number of examples," said the researcher, Maximilian Riesenhuber, Professor of neuroscience at Georgetown University in the US.

"We can get computers to learn much better from few examples by leveraging prior learning in a way that we think mirrors what the brain is doing," Riesenhuber added.

Humans can quickly and accurately learn new visual concepts from sparse data -- sometimes a single example.

Even three- to four-month-old babies can easily learn to recognize zebras and distinguish them from cats, horses, and giraffes. But computers typically need to "see" many examples of the same object to know what it is, the researcher explained.

The big change needed was in designing software to identify relationships between entire visual categories, instead of trying the more standard approach of identifying an object using only low-level and intermediate information, such as shape and color, he added.

The researchers found that artificial neural networks, which represent objects in terms of previously learned concepts, learned new visual concepts significantly faster.

The brain architecture underlying human visual concept learning builds on the neural networks involved in object recognition.

The anterior temporal lobe of the brain is thought to contain "abstract" concept representations that go beyond shape. These complex neural hierarchies for visual recognition allow humans to learn new tasks and, crucially, leverage prior learning.

"Our findings not only suggest techniques that could help computers learn more quickly and efficiently, they can also lead to improved neuroscience experiments aimed at understanding how people learn so quickly, which is not yet well understood," Riesenhuber concluded.
Published on 2021/01/11 | Source

Actor Tae In-ho is starring in the new JTBC drama "Sisyphus: The Myth".

"Sisyphus: The Myth" is a fantasy mystery drama about the journey of Han Tae-seul, a genius engineer who tries to discover the existence of a hidden life in our world, and the Savior Kang Seo-hae, who has made a long and dangerous journey for him.

Tae In-ho plays the character Eddie Kim, co-founder of Quantum and Time and Han Tae-seul's pace maker. From social personality to gentlemanly dignity, he's armed with perfection and is determined to grow Quantum and Time into a global company. He is very proud of the company's growth through constant motivation while encouraging Han Tae-seul. Meanwhile, he gets caught up in an unexpected incident and stands at the center of the situation.

Tae In-ho, who previously appeared as a breakthrough actor in genres such as comedy, romance and medical, showed different charms in each of his works, heralding a different transformation each time. Tae In-ho's detailed emotional performance will complete the character armed with perfection. Expectations are high for Tae In-ho's new character, who stands tall in the lead role based on his solid performance.

"Sisyphus: The Myth" airs in February.
Istanbul: A Turkish court has sentenced Adnan Oktar, a controversial Muslim televangelist and cult leader to life in prison, finding him guilty of forming a criminal gang and sexual abuse of minors, among several other offenses.

Adnan Oktar was handed down a total of 1,075 years in prison.

Adnan Oktar who was known for holding theological discussions surrounded by glamorous women on his private television channel was convicted of 10 separate charges, including leading a criminal gang, engaging in political and military espionage, sexual abuse of minors, rape, blackmail and causing torment, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The charges also included aiding the network led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of masterminding a failed coup attempt in 2016.

Thirteen of Oktar's associates were also given lengthy sentences on similar charges, Anadolu reported.

The 64-year-old, who has denied the accusations, is expected to appeal the verdict. He has maintained that he was the victim of a plot.

Oktar was arrested in 2018 along with dozens of his followers in police raids on his properties in Istanbul and other cities as part of an investigation into his group.

The arrests came after Turkeys media watchdog imposed fines on Oktars TV channel and suspended broadcasts of his shows where he was surrounded by women who had undergone cosmetic surgery and were known as 'kittens'.

The televangelist who uses the pen name Harun Yahya is also known for a series of books he has authored promoting creationism against Darwins theory of evolution.
In a massive win for the hundreds of thousands of farmers who had been protesting at the borders of Delhi for nearly 50 days, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of all three farm laws.

While putting the laws on hold, the SC said it wants to solve the stalemate between the Centre and the farmers by setting up the committee.

BCCL

The bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde formed a committee comprising HS Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi, Ashok Gulati and Anil Dhanwant to examine farm laws.

"We are concerned about protecting the lives and property of citizens of India and we want to solve the problem," said the bench.

"This is not politics. There is a difference between politics and judiciary and you will have to cooperate", it said to farmer unions.

Reuters

The protesting farmers who had fled their ground in the face of the Delhi winters and unseasonal rains said they welcomed the Supreme Court's order, but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action.

The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha.

AFP

"We welcome the court's order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

Many on social media welcomed the SC's decision and felt that the farmers should call off their protest now.

Finally SC favored Govt by suspending laws temporarily.

It will create an atmosphere to portray #FarmersProtest as unwanted now.

It will give an excuse to Pro-BJP mouthpieces to ask Now rules have been suspended, why farmers are still protesting?#FarmersAppealLawsRepeal  Kisan Ekta Morcha (@Kisanekmorcha) January 12, 2021

The latest amendment to the Preamble of Indian Constitution says: We the Judges of Supreme Court of India do hereby adopt, enact and give to the people of India their Constitution...... Long Live Indian Constitution and Democracy. #FarmersProtest #JudicialActivism https://t.co/mgwwBSieGG  Randhir Kumar (@Randhir_Kumar_) January 12, 2021

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) says Farmers Protest will continue .We have nothing to do with what happened in #SupremeCourt #FarmLaws #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/AldYn0gTBT  Mahua Moitra Fans (@MahuaMoitraFans) January 12, 2021

The SC order is a setback to the government, which for nearly 50 days told the protesting farmers that a repeal of the laws is not an option.

The government has maintained that by opening up the agricultural procurement to private companies, the farmers will stand to benefit.

The farmers, however, rejected this and expressed apprehension of the collapse of APMCs and MSP.

AFP

On Monday, the apex court had pulled up the Centre for its handling of the farmers' protest against the new farm laws saying it is extremely disappointed with the way negotiations between them were going and it will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse.

The eighth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions on January 7 headed nowhere as the Centre ruled out repealing the contentious laws, while the farmers' leaders said they are ready to fight till death and their 'ghar waapsi' will happen only after 'law waapsi'.
DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alternet Systems, Inc. (USOTC: ALYI) today announced their financing partner, RevoltTOKEN has achieved a major milestone. RevoltTOKEN CEO Henryk Dabrowski plans to publish an update this Friday, January 15th, 2021 to detail the milestone and provide the latest update on progress toward the planned ICO to fund the ALYI electric vehicle ecosystem.

For more information and to stay up to date on RevoltTOKEN's latest developments, please visit www.revolttoken.com.

For more information and to stay up to date on ALYI's 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

[email protected]

+1-800-713-0297

SOURCE Alternet Systems, Inc.
That will be news to Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who was hounded out of the country following her 2017 Anzac Day social media post: Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine ...).

Noel Turnbull, Port Melbourne Its irresponsible to gloss over this

Serious situations like the pandemic magnify the danger of MPs like George Christensen, who has tweeted masks & lockdown dont work. It is way beyond irresponsible for the acting Prime Minister to try to gloss over this by saying we all have free speech. This, along with all the other brainless inflammatory comments, must be addressed for the safety of our community. The dangerous example of Donald Trump could not be more in our face .

Julie Conquest, Brighton The logic has gone missing in action

I am sure that if I was to stand on a soapbox in any capital city and spout utter nonsense that either endangered public health, incited a riot or a storming of Parliament I would rightly be swiftly dealt with under a number of existing laws. Yet according to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, if government members such as George Christensen, Craig Kelly and others do so on social media they should be allowed to do so because otherwise it would constitute a breach of their right to free speech and be considered censorship.

Where is the logic in this?

Geoff McNamara, Newry An ignominious response to an immediate imperative

Australia, internationally recognised as a climate laggard, has another stance to be proud of thanks to Michael McCormack. Michael McCormacks strident criticism of Twitters decision to block Donald Trump when it cited the risk of further incitement of violence is an ignominious response to an immediate imperative. His is an ignorant, ideologically-driven and ill-informed concept of free speech.

Stephen Morley, Blackburn THE FORUM

Two takes on capitalism

Interesting angles on capitalism were presented by Amanda Vanstone (White-collar crime is no less heinous) and Tim Soutphommasane (Republic needs to revisit Plato) in The Age (Comment, 11/1). Vanstone says that capitalism has done wonders for the world while Soutphommasane suggests that the narcissistic populist Donald Trump is arguably as much a product of the culture of global capitalism as he is of America. Perhaps Amanda should take Soutphommasanes advice to reflect upon Platos caution that the inherent weakness of democracy is that it exposes the whole process to the passions of the mob. She could well remove her rose-coloured glasses to acknowledge, as Soutphommasane does, that our beloved country continues to show signs of social decay amid abundance and strength.

Kevin Burke, Sandringham Decades in the making

With so much outrage and reporting focused on Donald Trumps actions it is pleasing to read more in depth analysis of United States society today.

As Trump has said, This country was seriously divided before I got here. As Tim Soutphommasane has written, a democracy needs elites to set things right. Unfortunately many elites, including Richard Nixon, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, have failed dismally to create a united, fair and just society. This is also discussed in more detail in an outstanding report by Stan Grant (ABC online, 10/1) It would be a mistake for Australians to think the removal of Trump will solve the parlous state of US society ... it has been decades in the making and a warning to other democracies such as Australia to watch, listen, learn but not follow.

Iris Owen, East Geelong Ask yourself this

Im getting tired of reading interstate traveller complaints about border closures.

Were in the middle of a pandemic. Sudden border closures and lockdowns will be a routine part of our lives for the foreseeable future. If Australians wish to travel interstate they need to ask themselves two questions: Do I really need to travel, and, can I manage remaining interstate for an extended period of time if required? If the answer to both these questions is yes, then travel. If not, stay put.

Monica Clarke, Port Melbourne We can do the right thing

If 2020 has shown our politicians one thing, it is that Australians will do what is right, above what is easy  or popular. The lockdowns were hard. They were stressful and challenging. But we did what was necessary because we understood why we were doing it and what was at stake. The message from scientists and our political leaders was clear: Get the virus under control quickly to save lives and return to some semblance of normality. Not in my lifetime have I seen politicians so publicly and consistently follow the advice of scientists. It was this display of maturity and intelligence  to listen to those more qualified than themselves  that gave the public confidence that the measures we were taking were the right course of action.

When COVID-19 is finally and permanently manageable, I hope the politicians will continue to listen to the scientists and show the leadership they displayed during the pandemic and implement strong, effective and lasting policy to battle the greater threat of climate change. As a nation of people who clearly care for others, we will do what is right and be the better for it.

Kate Meehan, Rowville A deafening silence

I wonder why Scott Morrison has not taken the lead and co-ordinated a uniform national approach to combating coronavirus when he was so vocal about his border force protecting us from those dangerous refugees. Surely the far more dangerous pandemic warrants this. Perhaps the Prime Ministers deafening silence has something to do with not taking any unnecessary political risks.

Geoff Phillips, Wonga Park Viva free speech

I read with interest Craig Kelly and George Christensens reaction to Donald Trumps ban from Twitter in your story Call for new social media rules after Trump bans (The Age, 11/1).

Their argument seems to be that free speech trumps (pardon the pun) the unilateral rights of businesses. They may be interested to know that in Australia, the High Court has upheld an injunction issued against a worker on a picket line that stopped him from holding a sign that said the word Scab on it, we have a regulator (the Australian Building and Construction Commission) that goes into lunchrooms to ensure that hard hats have no union or Southern Cross badge on them, and, in 2017, an injunction was obtained by UGL that ordered the deflation of an inflatable rat called Scabby on an AWU picket on the basis of bullying. We welcome comrades Christensen and Kelly to the defence of free speech in Australia. We look forward to their vociferous disgust the next time the ABCC prosecutes someone for having a union badge on their hard hat. Viva free speech.

Mark Perica, North Melbourne What if it happened here?

Are Michael McCormack and Josh Frydenberg seriously suggesting that Donald Trump should be free to use social media, at this highly charged time, to spread more falsehoods and to promote rallies potentially designed to fire up his supporters to take direct action to challenge the result of the presidential election? This is not free speech, rather it is speech designed to promote disharmony, encourage affray and to pressure elected officials in a last-ditch attempt to overturn Joe Bidens win.

I wonder if our ministers would find it acceptable if Anthony Albanese claimed that he had lost an election due to electoral fraud by his opponents and then shamelessly used social media to spread lies about that election and to orchestrate a campaign encouraging his followers to rise up to overturn the election result. And that he was planning to continue that campaign on social media even after a violent invasion of Parliament by many of his supporters, some of whom were armed.

Garry Meller, Bentleigh Arm trams with cameras

I am seeing with increasing alarm cars that speed past trams that are at a stop, with the tram driver furiously banging the bell  all to no avail. A notorious route is 19 along Royal Parade. What do we know about the number of fatalities and injuries that are caused by this behaviour? Apart from making driver education on this point more insistent, may I suggest a camera be installed on the front left of every tram so that the driver can photograph the passing number-plates?

Ronald Ridley, Fitzroy Stop kidding ourselves

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says racial slurs like the reported comments from some spectators during the cricket Test would be so un-Australian if they were proven to have occurred.

Where has she been living? Certainly not in this country. People like Adam Goodes, Eddie Betts and countless other Indigenous sportsmen and woman would have been disbelieving and hurt by comments like hers. Its well past time that we stopped kidding ourselves we are not a racist country. We have a very long way to go before that claim has any truth. It will take a bit more than changing one word in our national anthem.

Nick Toovey, Beaumaris A legacy of history

Your correspondent (US Senate voting system is seriously flawed, Letters, 11/9) asserts that the American system appears flawed in allowing smaller states, such as Georgia, to elect two senators while other states with four times the population, such as California, are also limited to two. Just as with our federated system, this is a legacy of history where small states feared they would never get a decent say in decision making in the Senate. We are lucky that our state populations are not as disparate in numbers, otherwise we would have the same problem. As it stands, Tasmanians are over-represented in the Senate compared to Victorians, but we can live with that. Our system also sees minor parties commonly elected, adding a variety of voices to the debate.

While frustrating for the party in power in the lower house, it does force it to negotiate strategically with the Senate.

Peter Barry, Marysville Reprehensible leadership

I thought Tim Paine was treated very leniently when given a fine instead of a suspension for the manner in which he spoke towards a Test umpire. Now he is heard via a stump microphone calling an Indian batsman a dickhead. This is reprehensible leadership from an Australian sporting captain, especially when a young Indian player is claiming he was racially abused by spectators the day before. If Paine is not suspended then the Australian Cricket Board is virtually condoning such disrespectful behaviour and leaving itself open to justified criticism by the international cricket community.

Peter Cooke, Warrnambool Its not behind us

One had hoped that the bad old days of behaviour on the Test cricket field had passed us with new understandings about what is not acceptable behaviour following the debacle in South Africa.

No such luck if the Sydney Test is any guide. Many watching or listening to the broadcasts would be appalled by the sledging and the actions of some Australian players. On the other hand, the Indian players under provocation, appeared to maintain their dignity. It does seem that when under pressure, it is so easy for the Australian team to revert to the ugly Australian as a form of attack. They need to undergo some retraining, or give the game away.

Bruce MacKenzie, South Kingsville AND ANOTHER THING Politics

I would like to thank Craig Kelly and George Christensen for helping me to finally make up my mind to vote Labor in the next election.

Ivan Glynn, Vermont Credit:

Has anyone else noticed how much quieter the world has become since Donald Trumps voice has been silenced?

Margaret Ady, Avondale Heights Not even Donald Trumps latest excess has deterred his supporters in the Coalition.

John Walsh, Watsonia Critics of Senate representation, the same number from every state, small or large, should realise this is deliberate so the interests of smaller states are not dominated by the big boys.

Joan Peverell, Malvern He also said this ...

Yes, Josh Frydenberg, Voltaire defended the right of someone to say something he disagreed with, but he also said opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.

Martin de Boerr, Coburg The cricket

The Aussie cricketers so intent on banter with the Indian batters missed several chances and a win that was otherwise in the bag.

Niri Deshpande, Kew

Why do I find myself, yet again, hoping the Australian team loses?

Lindsay Zoch, East Melbourne Time to hit the DRS for six  and out.

John Black, Warragul How did this happen?

What madness has allowed Australia, the worlds largest exporter of natural gas, to be on the verge of becoming a gas importer because of short supply (Squadron sets flight path for LNG imports, Business, 11/1)?

Malcolm McDonald, Burwood Furthermore

Two words on racial slurs against Indian cricketers, Adam Goodes.

Chris Hooper, Castlemaine Finally

Bravo to trapped and injured Anthony Albanese, who praised the young driver who apologised for causing the recent accident he was in.

Barbara Fraser, Burwood
Unions claim Qantas has underpaid many of its workers more than $10,000 each by subsidising their overtime payments with the government's JobKeeper scheme.

The Australian Services Union, Transport Workers Union and Flight Attendants' Association of Australia are among a coalition that will on Wednesday seek leave to appeal a landmark court judgment on how JobKeeper works to the High Court.

Qantas unions say workers have been underpaid more than $10,000 because of how Jobkeeper has been applied. Credit:Paul Rovere

The case has broader implications for the governments JobKeeper scheme because it could force some companies to pay staff more in overtime and penalty rates.

The unions won their legal challenge to the way Qantas applied JobKeeper payments in the Federal Court in September before the case was overturned on appeal last month.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has rejected a takeover bid for one of Australia's largest builders from a Chinese government controlled company over concerns it could give foreign intelligence services access to information about the nation's critical infrastructure.

China State Construction Engineering Corp launched the bid last year for a major stake in Probuild, the Australian subsidiary of a South African-owned company, in a deal understood to be worth more than $200 million.

The planned acquisition of major builder Probuild by state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corp has fallen over. Credit:Josh Robenstone

The deal required the approval of both the Treasurer and the Foreign Investment Review Board.

South African company Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) confirmed late on Monday the proposed sale of its 88 per cent stake in Australian-based Probuild would not proceed on national security grounds.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexico state employees and teachers would get salary increases averaging 1.5% under a nearly $7.4 billion budget plan released Tuesday by a key legislative panel.

The proposed pay raises, which would cost about $60 million, are among the biggest differences between the Legislative Finance Committees spending plan and a separate proposal issued earlier this week by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

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................................................................

While the governor did not include broad pay raises in her $7.3 billion budget plan, several Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday that the salary increases are necessary to recruit and retain state workers and educators.

Its really a cost-of-living adjustment, LFC Director David Abbey said during a news briefing Tuesday, adding that state workers have received pay increases in only five of the past 12 years.

Other differences between the two budget plans include $250 million for statewide roadwork and $300 million to backfill the states unemployment fund, which has been shored up with federal funds after being depleted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neither of those proposals was included in Lujan Grishams plan, although the governor did propose making up to $475 million available for additional pandemic relief  money that could be used in various ways to assist hard-hit businesses and workers.

A Department of Finance and Administration spokesman said Tuesday that the unemployment fund will be addressed in the coming budget year, adding that the governors administration hopes President-elect Joe Biden will forgive loans and sign off on a new federal stimulus package.

But Sen. Steven Neville, R-Aztec, said the one-time spending to bolster the jobless fund would help avoid higher unemployment taxes for struggling New Mexico businesses.

Its going to be very helpful in trying to get our state back in line, Neville said Tuesday.

Despite the differences, lawmakers said theyre optimistic agreement can be reached during a 60-day legislative session that starts next week.

And several legislators noted that both budget plans avert spending cuts, which appeared all but inevitable last year due to the pandemic and falling oil prices.

The Lujan Grisham administration directed state agencies in September to prepare for 5% spending reductions but later changed course after better-than-expected revenue estimates were released in December.

New Mexico is now expected to take in roughly $7.4 billion during the fiscal year that starts July 1  or about $169 million more than current state spending levels.

The New Mexico economy is struggling, but the state is not in as bad a shape as we anticipated nine months ago, said Sen. Roberto Bobby Gonzales, D-Ranchos de Taos, the LFCs chairman.

Education, health

Both Lujan Grishams budget plan and the Legislatures proposal rely heavily on cash reserves to fund one-time expenditures, while keeping recurring spending levels largely flat.

But both plans would authorize some targeted spending increases, specifically for public schools and health care programs.

Specifically, the LFC spending proposal would provide $185 million in one-time education funds, along with money for extended learning time and summer school programs intended to help make up for classroom time lost due to pandemic-related school closures.

Like Lujan Grishams plan, it would also authorize a $20 million transfer from a new early education trust fund to add additional prekindergarten slots and expand home visiting programs to more families.

In addition, the LFC budget recommendation calls for a 4.5% funding increase for the Children, Youth and Families Department, primarily to address youth behavioral health.

New Mexico has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and some lawmakers have expressed concern about the problem being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health and behavioral health issues have been front and center on lawmakers minds during the pandemic, said Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, the LFCs vice chairwoman.

Governor hopeful

With the 60-day session scheduled to start Jan. 19, a Lujan Grisham spokeswoman said Tuesday that the Governors Office was hopeful a swift agreement could be reached on the budget.

As for the proposed salary increases for state workers and teachers, the Governors Office said its vital not to over-promise, given the states financial situation.

While pay increases for state employees is certainly something we would like to be able to support, and something the administration has advocated for strongly in the last two fiscal years, the executive recommendation for (the coming fiscal year) is focused on preserving and enhancing key investments in programs that make a difference for New Mexicans, Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said.

The average salary for rank-and-file state employees was $50,502 per year, according to a recent compensation report by the State Personnel Office.

That put New Mexico in the middle of the pack among its neighboring states, with Colorado offering higher average salaries and Arizona and Oklahoma providing slightly less pay to their state workers.
EVLI BANK PLC'S PRESS RELEASE JANUARY 12, 2021 AT 9.00 AM. (EET/EEST)



Evli Bank Plc will publish its Financial Statements Bulletin for the period January-December 2020 on Friday January 22, 2021 at approximately 11.00 am. The report will be available on the company's website at www.evli.com/investors after publishing.

Webcast to investors and analysts

Maunu Lehtimaki, CEO, and Juho Mikola, CFO, will present the result to investors and analysts as a webcast on Friday January 22, 2021 at 12.00 pm. The presentation will be held in Finnish. After the event, the presentation material will be available in English at www.evli.com/investors . To participate in the event, please sign up in advance to ir@evli.com by January 18, 2021 at 4.00 pm. at the latest. A webcast link will be sent to participants.

Welcome!

EVLI BANK PLC





For additional information, please contact:

Hanna Metsa, Communications Specialist, Evli Bank Plc, tel. +358 40 665 5119, hanna.metsa@evli.com





Evli Bank Plc

Evli is a bank specialized in investments that helps institutions, corporations and private persons increase their wealth. The product and service offering includes mutual funds, asset management and capital markets services, alternative investment products, equity research, administration of incentive programs and Corporate Finance services. The company also offers banking services that support clients' investment operations. Evli is the highest ranked and most used institutional asset manager in Finland*.

*KANTAR SIFO Prospera External Asset Management Finland 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and SFR Scandinavian Financial Research Institutional Investment Services, Finland 2015, 2016 ,2017, 2018.

Distribution: main media, www.evli.com
In its latest effort to promote verified, true information, Google is supporting attempts to fight falsehoods about COVID-19 vaccines. Its Google News Initiative will provide up to $3 million in grants to journalists and fact-checkers who are tackling false information about the vaccine.

The goal of the open fund is to "reach audiences that are typically underserved or targeted by misinformation," Alexios Mantzarlis, news and information credibility lead at Google News Lab, wrote in a blog post. News organizations with a "proven track record" in debunking falsehoods and fact-checking are eligible for the grants, as are partners of such groups.

Google will provide up to $1 million in funding per project and cover up to 80 percent of the total costs. A jury of 12 Google employees will review applications and select the recipients.

While $3 million won't be nearly enough to completely stamp out virulent misinformation about the vaccine, it'll surely help, especially if fact-checkers can use the funds to proactively reach people who have no idea that the falsehoods they encounter are incorrect. As Mantzarlis points out, research has suggested that "audiences coming across misinformation and those seeking fact checks dont necessarily overlap."

The company announced the Google News Initiative back in 2018 and, at the time, it pledged $300 million to combat fake news and support journalism projects. Last April, Google said it would provide up to $6.5 million to fight coronavirus misinformation.

Podean Secures Danielle Waller, previously Merkles Amazon And E-Retail Lead, As Global Media Leader

Global Amazon agency and marketplace consultancy Podean has appointed Danielle Waller in a newly created position as Global Head of Media. Danielle was previously at Merkle, now part of Dentsu, where she built the Amazon practice over the past seven years to where it became a highly regarded offering amongst the advertising holding companies.

The appointment of Danielle is on the back of the strong growth that Podean is experiencing both in the US and internationally and the growing demand for advanced marketplace media solutions by the agencys global client base. Podean is now operating with Amazon specialists on the ground across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, with plans to launch three more regions in 2021. The agency counts as its clients progressive consumer brands including e.l.f. Cosmetics, WaterWipes, MARS, DeLonghi and Unilever among the 80 brands it manages Amazon services for.

Mark Power, Founder of Podean, comments, We are delighted to have Danielle to join us as part of our global leadership team. Her experience and track-record in building robust marketplace and Amazon media solutions for savvy ecommerce brands will be welcomed by our clients who are all shifting their focus and investment into ecommerce. You cant win in ecommerce or Amazon without advanced media strategies and we are excited to be empowering Danielle to deliver exactly that.

2020 was a busy year that saw Podean increase its team by 600% while also opening 3 new new regional offices. The agency also launched new products including GoGlobal; a sales acceleration program for brands seeking global incremental sales across the Amazon ecosystem, as well as Prophet; a profitability algorithm that solves profitability challenges for brands selling on the Amazon marketplace.

Danielle comments, I am impressed with what Podean has built and its hard to believe that the agency is only two years old. They have created a truly unique offering blending the sophistication of large media agencies with the agility and retail expertise of smaller ecommerce businesses. Im looking forward to not only applying my existing knowledge and experience but also developing new solutions and strategies for clients seeking an edge in this dynamic ecommerce environment.

Podean also recently launched LiveCraft, an agency that develops strategies around all aspects of live content creation and its distribution across social and other media platforms, with the aim of enhancing brand reputation among fans and communities and driving incremental sales for brands. LiveCraft offers the full range of services needed to succeed in live marketing including talent discovery and management, brand partnerships and sponsorships, livestream production and activation, live commerce integration and supporting media and promotions.

For enquiries/interview please contact mark@podean.com. Images of Danielle and logo can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eqIHrHiBnTUey-K4jyg8OPydT5yPrI4P

About Podean:

Podean is the first global Amazon agency and marketplace consultancy focused on helping brands drive sustainable long-term growth. Podean (poh-dee-uhn) hails from the word antipodean, referring to things diametrically opposed. Specifically, it is a term used in reference to Australia and New Zealand by inhabitants of the northern hemisphere. The notion of being opposite is what our Podean is focused on  we want to operate and act the opposite of narrow, slow moving and slow acting agencies. Podean counts among its clients brands within the auto, beauty, appliance and technology categories, in addition to consulting engagements with media/advertising agency groups and high-profile global management consultancies. Podeans founder, Mark Power is the co-author of Amazon for CMOs  a best-selling business title where he interviewed many of the top CMOs about their opinions and ambitions as they relate to Amazon. Podeans Global CEO Travis Johnson was previously the founder and President of Dentsus Amazon-focused consultancy, Sellwin. Prior to joining Dentsu he was Global CEO of Ansible Mobile, and also held CEO positions for media agencies UM, Initiative and Cadreon. He was an Adweek Media Allstar in the US for 2017. http://www.podean.com
All is not well within the Congress in Bihar and it was proved once again on Tuesday when a group of MLAs and their supporters were involved in a fracas with leaders sitting on the dais in Patna's Sadakat Ashram. Image Source: IANS News

All is not well within the Congress in Bihar and it was proved once again on Tuesday when a group of MLAs and their supporters were involved in a fracas with leaders sitting on the dais in Patna's Sadakat Ashram. Image Source: IANS News

Patna, Jan 12 : All is not well within the Congress in Bihar and it was proved once again on Tuesday when a group of MLAs and their supporters were involved in a fracas with leaders sitting on the dais in Patna's Sadakat Ashram.

The Congress had organised a meeting of its farmers' cell at the party's state headquarters where newly appointed in-charge of Bihar, Bhakt Charan Das was also present. The meeting was called to discuss the strategy to be adopted over the ongoing farmers agitation.

Matters came to a head when leaders and their supporters began pushing and shoving each other after one group was allegedly denied a chance to make a speech. In the melee one of the MLAs fell from the dais. Chairs were also thrown during the 30-minute ruckus. There were also allegations of being the ruling BJP and JDU agents.

The violence began after one of the groups alleged that they were not given a chance to deliver a speech and make their views known. They climbed on to the stage and raised objections. Soon their supporters also climbed on to the stage and created a ruckus.

Bhakt Charan Das who was holding the microphone, tried to calm the agitated members as did Madan Mohan Jha, the Congress state president and other senior leaders present on the stage. But the angry MLAs were not in a mood to listen to anyone.

Das had earlier claimed that the Bihar Congress was united and there were no differences within the party.

The differences in the Bihar Congress came to the fore after the party's under performance in the recently concluded assembly election. The party won just 19 seats, 7 seats less compared to the 2015 assembly election despite contesting on a larger number of seats.

When contacted, Madan Mohan Jha refused to comment on this incident.

On January 5, Congress former MLA Bharat Singh had claimed that 11 newly elected MLAs were likely to quit the party and join the NDA soon.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 18:54:27|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the United States imposing political suppression and economic sanctions on Cuba under the pretext of fighting terrorism, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

According to media reports, the U.S. announced Monday a decision to designate Cuba as a "state sponsoring terrorism" once again more than five years after removing the country from the list, and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has strongly condemned the U.S. decision as a hypocritical move full of "political opportunism."

China has always been of the view that the international community should join hands in fighting terrorism, but firmly opposes the United States using anti-terrorism as an excuse to impose political crackdown and economic sanctions on Cuba, Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily press briefing in response to a related query.

The U.S. side should develop normal state-to-state relations with Cuba on the basis of equality and mutual respect, Zhao said. "This will serve the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, and help maintain peace and stability of the Latin American region." Enditem
A 73-year-old Bergen County man was in custody Tuesday after a 69-year-old woman he lived with was found stabbed to death, authorities said.

The woman, whose name was not released, died of stab wounds early Tuesday, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.

The stabbing occurred in a home on Indian Field Court, Musella said. Public records show the home is a condominium.

Both (victim and suspect) lived in the home, and no other individuals are believed to be involved, Musella said in an email.

The man, who is considered a suspect, was taken into custody by Mahwah police and detectives with the prosecutors Major Crimes Unit, Musella said.

The suspects name was not released and Musella did not say whether charges had been filed.

The death is under investigation and no other information was available early Tuesday afternoon, Musella 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.
Islamic education is already an integral part of Afghanistan's so-called "secular" educational system, in addition to pure religious teachings at mosques, madrasahs, and Shariat faculties across the country. But the Education Ministry recently proposed a new policy approach in which Islam will become part of the education ecosystem, and one of the ideas is transferring primary education to mosques.

Last December, acting minister Rangina Hamidi wanted to secure a vote of confidence for her position at the Education Ministry. She delivered a speech in the Afghan parliament and laid out a plan with five pillars for reform in Islamic education, reforms in education and training improving the quality of education, administration, and resources, and strengthening education at provincial levels with formal schools at its center. The acting minister said 2.2 million Islamic books have been printed and distributed, but none of that satisfied the conservative members of the parliament enough to give her the vote.

Part of the plan was to move grades one to three from the formal education system to mosques, but when challenged by Afghan netizens and activists officials said this was only for areas that lacked schools. The new policy remains ambiguous and its effectiveness unknown. Even officials like Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Reconciliation Council, have opposed the move, saying it is wrong and a mistake.

Since 2001, after the fall of the Talibans tyrannical theocratic regime, there have been significant improvements in the education sector. Some 9.5 children are now in school with a dozen public and private universities and schools operating across the country. Afghanistan spends around 4% of its GDP on education, and half of the expenditure is paid by the international community. There are 270,000 employees at the Education Ministry, although there are concerns about ghost teachers and advisers. At the same time, an estimated 3.7 million Afghan children do not attend school, and many areas of the country lack schools and teachers.

The idea of moving education to mosques raises a set of questions. Is this a measure to bring secular education into mosques or the other way around? How does the ministry plan to provide teachers for the proposed mosque classes? How will it regulate educators? Formal education already faces many operational challenges, with some teachers going unchecked with their mistreatment and abuse of children. The sexual abuse of hundreds of students in Logar Province in 2019 is a case example. How will issues such as corporal punishment be moderated at mosques?

The second set of questions and concerns is about girls. If male imams are in charge, will Afghans in rural areas send their daughters to a mosque to be taught by a man, or will female teachers be trained instead? Some girls enroll in schools a bit late, sometimes around the age of 7 or 8. By the time they are in grade two or three, they may reach the age of puberty. How will the issue of menstruation affect girls' participation in mosque education? How will the issue of segregation be resolved for communities wishing to segregate? Mosques, especially in rural areas, are usually one big hall where only men are allowed for prayers. Segregated spaces are scarce.

The third area of concern is the radicalization of children in mosques and madrasahs manipulated by jihadi groups such as the Taliban, the Islamic State, and other groups. In early adolescent development, children are more open to learning and capable of absorbing new concepts. Afghanistan is already struggling with containing the radicalization of youth, even within the formal education system. Radicalized groups like Hizb-e-Tahrir, a Salafi movement that operates across the country, carry influence at many universities, which has alarmed government officials. The government is attempting to regulate madrasahs, but it faces resistance.

The Taliban has long called secular education a threat to Afghan culture and Islamic values and has been known to burn down schools and kill teachers. The Taliban's attitude toward education has barely changed over the past two decades. In the areas it controls, the hard-line movement has introduced more religion into the curriculum. For girls, it has allowed limited education until puberty, and in some areas it has completely banned girls from attending school. Reportedly, as part of the peace negotiations, the Taliban also wants to change the name of the Education Ministry to the Islamic Education Ministry .

Religious education has no doubt been an essential part of Afghan society. Even in major cities, many Afghans attend both mosque and secular education by choice. When necessary, mosques can be used as part of community-based education solutions, but they cannot serve as a substitute to formal schools for the questions raised above and the purpose of mosques in the first place. Mosques are supposed to be sacred spaces for worship and venues for spiritual growth. By design, they are not there to meet the needs of modern education -- the same is true of churches and temples. If the counterargument is that the authorities will build the capacity of mosques to provide such substitution, then why not simply build more schools and train more teachers? Let mosques do their job of religious and spiritual education and schools do their job of educating Afghan children in the hard and soft sciences and preparing them for the 21st-century world.

The so-called introduction of Islam into the ecosystem of education and moving primary education to mosques is an attempt to appease the ultra-conservatives and score political points. This move has little positive impact on the quality or quantity of education in the country. Islam has been part of the education system for as long as there has been education. Stakeholders should focus on improving the quality and quantity of the existing formal education system. The focus should be on training competent teachers, building more schools for girls and boys and facilities such as libraries and sanitary toilets, and encouraging critical thinking. Mosques can be used on an ad-hoc basis in some areas, but they should not substitute schools.

These views are the authors alone and do not necessarily represent those of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LMI Technologies (LMI), the global leader in 3D scanning and inspection, announced today that Terry Arden - LMI's Chief Executive Officer, will be stepping down from his full-time CEO role, but will continue in a different role at LMI. This has been a carefully taken decision during 2020 and is based on the desire from Terry to have a better work life balance. Mark Radford - LMI's Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Arden as CEO. Terry will continue on a part-time basis with LMI as Chief Brand Officer to support the LMI Executive in product and business strategy development while enjoying more time off with friends and family and the pursuit of other interests.

Terry will continue in a part-time role as Chief Brand Officer, supporting the LMI executive support the LMI Executive in product and business strategy development .

Alexander van der Lof, CEO of TKH Group, LMI's parent company stated: "It is of course a major step that Terry is making and we very much appreciate that Terry will continue to support LMI. His leadership and entrepreneurial spirit as well as his vision to bring LMI to technology and market leadership in the 3D Vision industry are extraordinary and we are very grateful for the passion and commitment that Terry has shown. A unique company with impressive success has been created with a very strong foundation of operational and technical talent on which the next generation of leadership through the appointment of Mark can be further built. I am excited about the opportunities that LMI has in the coming decade with its excellent products, expertise, and people and trust that everyone at LMI will fully support Mark."

Terry Arden added "LMI has been my passion and focus for the past 18 years. During this time, I learned so much and was fortunate to translate market megatrends into winning moves that grew the company into the dominant player it is today. For the past 10 years now, LMI achieved 20% average YoY revenue growth by transforming its business through building smart products where customers could leverage web technologies to easily produce quality 3D data and apply imaging algorithms to extract key measurements and make pass/fail decisions. Through a constant stream of innovative product introductions, several fully integrated M&As, great place to work recognitions, and the development of a worldwide network of direct offices and distribution partners, LMI has built a leading position to transform factories toward a smarter, more efficient future. The LMI growth story is primarily a testament to the many bright minds at LMI who demonstrate excellence in their fields to deliver great products and customer experiences. For me, it is time now to pass the CEO reins to Mark who is well prepared and supported by strong management teams to steer LMI into another decade of prosperity and build upon our FactorySmart vision."

Mark Radford, who was promoted to COO in 2016, previously held the roles of Director of Operations since 2014, and Director of Technology since 2012. Radford joined LMI in 2006 and has a broad range of knowledge and experience with LMI's products, services, operations and customers.

Mark Radford stated, "I am honoured to be selected as the next CEO of LMI, and want to thank both Terry and the TKH Executive Board for the opportunity and confidence they have placed in me to lead this strong organization. Terry has been a fantastic mentor these past 14 years. I look forward to working with the LMI Team to continue delivering technology leadership and industry-leading solutions to our customers."

Media Contact:

Spainie Zhuang

Marketing Coordinator

LMI Technologies

Email: [email protected]

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terry-arden-former-ceo-lmi.png

Terry Arden, Former CEO, LMI Technologies

Terry will continue in a part-time role as Chief Brand Officer, supporting the LMI executive support the LMI Executive in product and business strategy development .

Related Links

LMI Website

SOURCE LMI Technologies


Edited by O.A.T. Vice Chairman Harriet Lewis, the complimentary NEW 101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers features advice from O.A.T.'s most seasoned solo women travelers, Trip Experience Leaders in over 80 countries around the world, and O.A.T. associates.

"Today at Overseas Adventure Travel, more than 50% of our travelers are solo women, and they're over 60 years of age," said Harriett Lewis. "There's a very wide range of women who decide to travel as solos. Sometimes we go totally alone, other times we explore with a friend, share with a roommate, or join a group. We just love to travel and discover new things."

101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers is a "how-to" guide written specifically for the mature womanwhether she is traveling completely independently, joining a group tour, or just traveling without a partner for the first time. 101+ Tips covers a full range of topics all in one place, making it one of the most comprehensive travel resources available. The book includes insights on safety for solo travelers; money matters, including global gratuities; etiquette, dining, and culture abroad; packing like a pro; top solo-friendly destinations; and tips for specific regions of the world. The 96-page book is lightweight, designed to fit in a small travel bag or purse for handy reference.

Tip #26 recommends, "Set up a separate travel account. If you load your travel account with money and do not use your normal 'at home' account, it will spare you the headache of having to reset all your direct debits in case your travel-only account is compromised." Tip #70 advises, "Hide your money in different places. If you wear a money belt or neck pouch, wear it on the inside of your clothing. Take cash, a debit card, or a credit cardbut don't put them all in one place."

Solo: Going strong

Solo women represent 50% of O.A.T. passengers, with more than 31,000 travelers booked for 2021 and 2022.

"I lost my husband a few years ago, and life wasn't going to stop for me," said 9-time O.A.T. traveler Inge Brockbank. "Continuing to be active is of the utmost importance. If you don't challenge your brain, you're going to rust. I don't want to rust before my time, so I keep on exploring."

Patricia Calzia, a 20-time traveler, said, "People were surprised to hear that I was traveling solo to Morocco. They'd ask me who was going with mewho'd be looking out for me. I told them I'd be with 15 friends; I just hadn't met them yet. On O.A.T. trips, the rest of the group is so welcoming that it never feels like you're alone."

O.A.T offers Free Single Supplements on 92% of its 30,000 single spaces to support solo travelers. O.A.T. provides Free Single Supplements on all O.A.T. adventures and pre- and post-trip extensions, and free or low-cost Single Supplements on its Small Ship Adventures.

The top 5 O.A.T. adventures selected by solo women include Morocco Sahara Odyssey, Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari, Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private Classic River-Yacht, Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions, and Japan's Cultural Treasures.

O.A.T. caters to solo travelers with an intimate and accessible experience. Groups are limited to 8-16 travelers (average of 13) by land and 20-25 (average of 22) by sea. Every O.A.T. journey is a learning adventure that not only showcases iconic sights, but takes travelers beyond them to experience the true culture through unique hands-on activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic interactions with the local people.

To view the NEW 101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers online or to request a complimentary copy of the booklet, visit www.oattravel.com/community/101-tips.

For a free catalog or more information about O.A.T., please visit www.oattravel.com or call 1-800-955-1925.

ABOUT OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which also include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational endeavors worldwideamong them, 100 schools, in 50 countries. The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $200 million since 1981.

SOURCE Overseas Adventure Travel

Related Links

http://www.oattravel.com


The barometers bounced back in early afternoon trade. At 12:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 24.95 points or 0.05% at 49,294.27. The Nifty 50 index gained 29.45 points or 0.20% at 14,514.20.

Gains were capped as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) warned that an expected doubling of bad loans and soaring financial markets in the nation's weakened economy threaten financial stability.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.79% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.34%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,523 shares rose and 1,307 shares fell. A total of 140 shares were unchanged.

Derivatives:

The Nifty 28 January 2021 futures were trading at 14,537.55, at a premium of 23.35 point compared with the spot at 14,514.20. The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rose 2.02% to 22.8350.

The Nifty option chain for 28 January 2021 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 20.20 lakh contracts at the 15,000 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 29.70 lakh contracts was seen at 14,000 strike price.

Economy:

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, in his foreword for the financial stability report released on Monday, said: "Stretched valuations of financial assets pose risks to financial stability. Banks and financial intermediaries need to be cognizant of these risks and spillovers in an interconnected financial system."

The financial stability report has also warned that banks' bad loans may double by September 2021. The RBI sees gross bad loans account for 13.5% of total loans by September even in a base case scenario.

The RBI expects banks' capital ratios will erode to 14% in September from 15.6% in September 2020, the report showed. This may worsen to 12.5% in a very severe stress scenario, under which nine banks may fall short of meeting the minimum capital requirement of 9%.

Meanwhile, UBS Global Research, in a research report, stated that, with number of active COVID-19 cases falling sharply, India's economy is expected to clock the fastest growth among Asian peers with higher than 11.5% growth in FY 2022.

Coronavirus Update:

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 9,08,91,380 with 19,44,750 deaths. India reported 2,16,558 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 1,51,327 deaths while 1,01,11,294 patients have been discharged, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Bharat Biotech reportedly inked a purchase agreement with the Government of India on January 11 to provide 55 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin at Rs 295 per dose. The pharma firm will be providing its coronavirus vaccine directly to 12 states, and the process will be completed in two days by January 14. Dispatches will begin from Hyderabad starting January 12. Bharat Biotech will be providing 38.5 lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in stage 1 and 16.5 doses in stage 2.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Realty index advanced 2.61% to 338.15. The index added 6.89% in five days.

DLF (up 8.22%), Indiabulls Real Estate (up 3.97%), Sunteck Realty (up 1.68%), Brigade Enterprises (up 1.66%) and Oberoi Realty (up 1.01%) jumped.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Laurus Labs rose 0.59%. The pharmaceutical ingredients maker said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Laurus Synthesis, incorporated a subsidiary by the name of Laurus Ingredients with effect from 9 January 2021. Laurus Ingredients, a step-down subsidiary of Laurus Labs, will undertake ingredients business and will also set up greenfield projects for new synthesis business.

Force Motors rallied 5.82% after the company said that its board on Monday (11 January 2021) approved raising upto Rs 500 crore through issue of non-convertible debentures.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Multi-brand technology recruitment company Frank Recruitment Group is expanding its European footprint through the addition of a Geneva location, bringing new jobs to the area.

UK staffing firm Frank Recruitment Group has today announced the opening of its latest location in Geneva, Switzerland.

The new office is the cloud recruitment company's eighth in Europe, bringing its total number of global hubs to 21.

Frank Recruitment Group, founded in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2006 with just three members of staff, now employs almost 2,000 people worldwide and is part of Tenth Revolution Group, the global leader in cloud talent solutions. The Swiss location will add a number of new team members to that headcount, with plans to create up to 50 jobs within five years.

The move will see Frank Recruitment Group further increase its reach in Europe and enable the firm to better support its growing global client base.

With the country's technology market expanding fast, and digitalisation and cloud migration at the top of every Swiss CIO's agenda, demand for IT professionals to support transformation is mounting.

"Our new Swiss base will allow us to offer better support to our clients and partners in the region, at a time when specialist technology recruitment consulting is more needed than ever," said Director of Sales Paul Hanley, who will be leading the new location.

"We want to replicate the success we've achieved in other global regions here in Switzerland by solidifying our position as the leaders in cloud tech staffing solutions, and continue to enable digital transformation by delivering the best permanent and contract tech talent to businesses that need it," Hanley said.

"I'm especially proud to be launching our Swiss office," said Zoe Morris, Frank Recruitment Group President. "2020 was a challenging year for the staffing industry, so it feels like a special achievement to be opening a new location and growing our business at this time. We feel very privileged to be able to serve this exciting market and create new jobs in the area in the process."

Hanley added, "Our launch team is packed with seasoned, multi-lingual staffing experts, all of whom have significant experience within the Swiss recruitment industry. Our focus is entirely on the tech market, and that will allow us to deliver the kind of dedicated, specialist expertise that's been missing in the Swiss market so far. I'm incredibly excited to get to work in the market, and make a real impact for both businesses and tech professionals in the area by connecting the right people with the right jobs."

At the new location, Frank Recruitment Group will initially launch its Nigel Frank, Mason Frank, and FRG Technology Consulting brands, which recruit for Microsoft, Salesforce, and emerging technology specialists, respectively.

The Swiss office is based at 14 Rue du Rhone, Geneva.

Note to editors:

ABOUT FRANK RECRUITMENT GROUP

Frank Recruitment Group is a division of Tenth Revolution Group, the world's leading experts in cloud talent solutions. Founded in Newcastle upon Tyne, in 2006, Frank Recruitment Group creates and delivers highly sought-after professionals in some of the industry's most skills-scarce ecosystems.

The company employs nearly 2,000 people across 20 offices, including Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa, Denver, Scottsdale, Charlotte, and Irvine in the US. EMEA and APAC are served by nine offices across the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and locations in Singapore and Australia.

The group operates seven trading brands that each focus on a specific technology product: Jefferson Frank (AWS), Nigel Frank International (Microsoft Dynamics and Azure), Mason Frank International (Salesforce), Washington Frank (enterprise ERP), Anderson Frank (NetSuite), Nelson Frank (ServiceNow), and FRG Technology Consulting (Marketing Automation and emerging technologies).

Frank Recruitment Group was named one of Europe's fastest-growing companies and received recognition as one of the UK's top 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits. The group plans to expand its outreach globally and attract more trainee recruiters in strategic hubs to meet demand for its services.

For more information, visit: www.frankgroup.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005733/en/

Contacts:

Media Enquiries:

Josie Middleton

T: +44 (0)191 338 7553

E: j.middleton@frankgroup.com

W: www.frankgroup.com
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Conception has developed software for streaming retailing called Shoptube. It features Multi-Cast that will help the streamers to break the border of the platform without downloading the APP or login into the platform, this means streamers can obtain traffic easier.

This innovative solution has been selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021.

Complete digital integrated marketing services

Conception Digital Integrated Marketing solution features Cross platforms streaming and product uploading, by uploading the product page rapidly during streaming in multi-platform. This feature helps streamers save more time for serving the customer and increasing retention time.

Conception also offers customized marketing plans. They can customize the marketing plan based on the depth of the digitalization of the clients. Also, based on the data analysis and report, the team can build up a comprehensive marketing solution from website building to advertising.

"We go from website setup to data analysis, we expect to provide our customers with the most comprehensive digital marketing model and the most accurate digital advertising method."

The company offers website development services ranging from creating a responsive web design, website wireframe layout, creating brand image website design, E-commerce website design, Wordpress website design, and database building and synchronization.

The team does not just create websites but makes sure they offer more. For example, building a professional website with a marketing point of view. The team also ensures to include communication system connectivity. They conduct professional requirements interviews and provide assistance related to image branding. They also provide Data software, digital marketing system connectivity.

Conception also offers data analysis services such as identifying the customer search history, sourcing channel. They also provide customer base analysis, SEO performance analysis, website heatmaps analysis and digital advertising performance analysis. They perform a comprehensive customer character analysis, multi-channel data comparison, graphic report for clarifying data trends, as well as providing monthly, quarterly, yearly data comparison.

A concrete team with great "conception" and "design"

"Conception" in English is conception, which means design in French. We are a team back to Taiwan from all over the world.

Marketing consultants  Chloe has learned that good design in French is about combining the right concepts, only then can the company's main shaft be completely passed on to the customer.

Advertising data analysts- Warwolf have seen that each piece of data should be treated rigorously in the Japanese way of doing things, and find out the most appropriate route for each company from the data.

We look forward to helping each customer communicate the right company image and expand product awareness. Let every traffic be valid data so that each piece of data can reach the final conversion. We are committed to making every owner have a good website that looks good, finds, and uses.

The team helps its customers find the best digital marketing model from an online marketing perspective. Let customers' online marketing model perfectly integrate offline business systems. We help clients design the most intuitive website style from an SEO perspective.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3bdd6g

SOURCE Conception
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three controversial farm laws and formed a four-member committee to take over negotiations with the farmers on the impact of these laws.

On Monday, the top court had indicated that it may appoint a retired Chief Justice on the committee and asked the parties involved in the matter to suggest few names. Chief Justice S.A. Bobde disclosed that he had asked former Chief Justice P. Sathasivam but he was reluctant since he doesn't understand Hindi. Former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha's name was also suggested during the hearing.

However, on Tuesday, the Chief Justice named four agriculturists to the panel: Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist; Bhupinder Singh Mann, President, Bhartiya Kisan Uniom-Mann; Anil Ghanwat, President, Shetkari Sangathan; and Pramod Kumar Joshi, International Food Policy Research Institute.

None of these members were part of the hearing on farm laws in the apex court, especially in the past two days, when a bench headed by the Chief Justice made several critical observations against the government on these laws. The bench also cited that government had failed to develop a consensus before passing the laws.

The top court noted that the negotiations between the farmers' bodies and the government have not yielded any result so far, therefore a committee of experts in the field of agriculture to negotiate between the farmers' bodies and the government may create a congenial atmosphere and improve the trust and confidence of the farmers.

But there seems to be a roadblock. It has been widely reported that members of the committee favour the farm laws. Against this backdrop, the farmers' unions have said that this committee is not a solution.

For instance, Gulati, for instance, has put his weight behind the farm laws and compared them to the 1991 economic reforms. Mann, who heads his own faction of BKU, who has also come out in the support of farm laws. In December, he had met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and expressed his support for the new farm laws.

Ghanwat, who heads the Maharashtra based Shetkari Sanghatana, has spoken against the demand for repealing the farm laws. He had also told the media that the APMC and MSP systems will continue, therefore there is no reason for agitation. Joshi had written an article in a leading financial daily, where he had said it is unfortunate that farmers are changing the goalposts before every negotiation.

The Supreme Court has tasked the committee to hear the government as well as the representatives of the farmers' bodies, and other stakeholders, and submit a report to the court containing its recommendations. "This shall be done within two months from the date of its first sitting. The first sitting shall be held within ten days from today," said the top court in its order.
Theranos, the blood-testing start-up that promised to revolutionize health care only to collapse after its hyped product turned out to be a dud, destroyed incriminating evidence proving that it engaged in fraud, prosecutors allege.

Federal authorities also allege the companys star CEO Elizabeth Holmes, 36, and her former lover and COO, Ramesh Sunny Balwani, 56, used funds from investors to subsidize an extravagant lifestyle while peddling a fraudulent product.

Prosecutors submitted a filing to federal court in San Francisco on Monday alleging that Theranos executives destroyed data that proved their blood-testing product was inaccurate.

Knowingly misleading investors by providing false data is a federal crime.

The company knew about its inaccurate testing data that was collected over a period of three years, according to The Register.

Elizabeth Holmes (center), the founder and former CEO of Theranos, arrives for a court hearing in San Francisco in this January 2020 file photo. Federal prosecutors allege that she used company money to fund a lavish lifestyle including luxury trips and hotel stays

The data was stored on a specially-developed SQL database called the Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), according to the court filing.

The database even flagged blood test results that might require immediate medical attention, and communicated this to the patients physician.

Holmes and Balwani have pleaded not guilty to charges they defrauded investors, doctors and patients by falsely claiming Theranos could revolutionize medical lab testing with technology that could enable a wide array of tests with a few drops of blood.

Before its unraveling, Theranos had been valued at $9billion and made Holmes, a Stanford University dropout who founded the company in 2003 at age 19, a Silicon Valley star.

Holmes' trial is scheduled for March 2021.

She and Balwani were originally indicted in June 2018. Balwani's case is being handled separately.

Before its collapse, Theranos boasted that it had developed a test that would allow patients to receive results in minutes after providing a drop of blood.

But federal prosecutors allege that Theranos executives knew their product was only half-reliable, as the failure rate for the tests was 51.3 per cent.

In other words, Theranoss TT3 blood test results were so inaccurate, it was essentially a coin toss whether the patient was getting the right result, prosecutors said, citing the companys own data.

The data was devastating.

A grand jury investigating fraud claims against the company subpoenaed the database, only for the company to allegedly destroy it.

The company's COO, Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani (seen above in a San Jose courtroom in November 2019), is also charged with fraud

On or about August 31, 2018 - three months after a federal grand jury issued a subpoena requesting a working copy of this database - the LIS was destroyed, the federal government alleges in its court filing.

The government has never been provided with the complete records contained in the LIS, nor been given the tools, which were available within the database, to search for such critical evidence as all Theranos blood tests with validation errors.

The data disappeared.

The government also alleges that Balwani hired a crony and paid his firm $10million over seven years to run the database.

Theranos entered into a contract with IncRev Corp, which was run by Shekar Chandrasekaran, a friend of Balwanis, according to the court filing.

In 2017, Theranos imposed cost-cutting measures. As a result, the firm stopped uploading data into the database.

Nonetheless, IncRev was still paid $159,000 a month to maintain it, according to prosecutors.

The feds allege they have internal company emails which prove that Theranos and its lawyers worked to conceal the findings in the database from the grand jury.

Instead of handing over all of the data with the inaccurate results, Theranos only provided backup of the database, meaning that the evidence given was incomplete and investigators needed to piece it together with other findings.

The backup data that was given to investigators was only accessible through a computer password that Theranos executives couldnt remember, according to prosecutors.

The government retained a computer forensic expert to assist in retrieving this data, who found that the key file on the hard drive, required to reconfigure the SQL database, is itself encrypted by a distinct password (not the one provided with the transmittal letter to open the hard drive), and cannot be opened, according to the court filing.

As investigators were demanding to see the database, Theranos decided to shut down the facility that housed the database in Newark, New Jersey.

Company executives were warned beforehand by IT contractor Michael Chung that taking apart the hardware and servers would make it almost impossible to recreate the database.

Theranos became a $9billion start-up after promising to revolutionize health care with an at-home blood test (pictured) that promised results in just a few minutes. The federal government alleges that it misled investors about the accuracy of the test

But the company went ahead and shut down the database anyway, denying both its own executives and the government access to the database.

The federal government alleges that Chandrasekaran was fully aware of the implications of shutting down the Newark facility.

Federal prosecutors also revealed that while investigators were closing in on Theranos, Holmes was using company funds to fund an extravagant lifestyle that included travel on private jets, stays in luxury hotels, and access to multiple assistants.

Although Defendant's assistant was an employee of the company, she handled a range of non-business tasks for Defendant, including personal clothes and jewelry shopping, home decorating, food and grocery buying, and other items, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors allege that Holmes knew that the companys tests were inaccurate since she would personally field complaints about the defective product even while publicly claiming that it was effective.

In November, Holmes' attorneys filed a motion in an attempt to block prosecutors from mentioning her wealth, spending habits and luxurious lifestyle during her fraud trial.

According to a filing submitted in late November and obtained by CNBC, the government is alleging that Holmes 'had her Theranos-paid assistants run personal errands, perform personal tasks, and purchase luxury goods'.

But her defense attorneys are claiming that prosecutors are trying to use a motive argument based on the assumption that Holmes' lavish lifestyle may have motivated her to 'commit fraud to acquire or maintain that lifestyle'.

'The amount of money Holmes earned in her position at Theranos, how she chose to spend that money, and the identities of people with whom she associated simply have no relevance to Ms Holmes' guilt or innocence,' her attorneys wrote in the motion.

'Many CEOs live in luxurious housing, buy expensive vehicle and clothing, travel luxuriously and associate with famous people  as the government claims Ms Holmes did,' her attorneys said.

Holmes (pictured), a Stanford University dropout, launched her Palo Alto blood-testing start up in 2003. She and Balwani are accused of scamming investors out of more than $700million

Before Holmes' fall from grace she employed personal assistants to run her luxury shopping sprees, traveled by private jet and stayed at exclusive hotels.

Theranos became a big name in Silicon Valley led by Holmes, a Steve Jobs-obsessed leader who wore black turtlenecks everyday like her Apple idol.

She attracted investors and venture capital firms and the company was valued at $9billion before crashing in 2015.

Holmes is set to go to trial March 9 after it was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. Balwani will face trial separately and at a later date.

Holmes, a Stanford University dropout, launched her Palo Alto blood-testing start up in 2003 when she was 19 years old.

A notoriously secretive company, Theranos shared very little about its blood-testing machine with the public or medical community.

Holmes said she was inspired to start the company in response to her fear of needles.

But an investigation by The Wall Street Journal in 2015 found that Theranos' technology was inaccurate at best, and that the company was using routine blood-testing equipment for the vast majority of its tests.

If convicted, both Holmes and Balwani face up to 20 years in prison.
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After Amazon decided to stop hosting the web content of Parler, it said on Monday "working to remove some QAnon products from the online marketplace."

The world's largest online retailer drew scrutiny for having apparel with QAnon insignia and related books up for sale days after QAnon followers joined last week's siege of the U.S. Capitol, which left five people dead.

Also Read | How plant meat is coming of age in India

QAnon backers have pushed conspiracies on social media based on web postings from the anonymous "Q," citing insider knowledge of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

The action by Amazon follows a decision to stop hosting the web content of Parler, a social network used by some supporters of Trump. The company alleged that Parler had violated the terms of service of its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services (AWS), for failing to deal with an increase in violent social media. Parler sued AWS on Monday in response.

Twitter said it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts since Friday that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content.

Parler Sues Amazon

Parler, meanwhile, sued Amazon for ending web-hosting service for the site in the wake of rioting at the U.S. Capitol last week.

The web hosting site went offline early Monday morning after Amazons cloud services division stopped providing the service. Last week Apple and Alphabet Google had withdrawn Parler from their app stores.

Parler said in a lawsuit filed Monday, Amazons action is the equivalent of pulling the plug on a hospital patient on life support. AWS will kill Parlers business -- at the very time it is set to skyrocket.

Amazon said there was no merit to the claims.

AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we respect Parlers right to determine for itself what content it will allow," the company said in an emailed statement. It is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others, and that Parler is unable or unwilling to promptly identify and remove this content, which is a violation of our terms of service."

PayPal blocks site that helped raise funds for Capitol violence

PayPal said on Monday it had blocked a Christian crowdfunding site, GiveSendGo, after it helped raise funds for people who attended last week's event in Washington when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol.

The digital payments processor also confirmed to Reuters that it closed an account held by Ali Alexander, one of the organizers of the gathering. The news was reported earlier by Bloomberg, which cited an unidentified source.





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Brendan Fraser became a household name with some beloved blockbusters.

And the Encino Man star might be on his way to his first Oscar, thanks to an upcoming high profile film.

He's set to star as a 600lb recluse in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed father/daughter dramedy The Whale, for which A24 and Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures are teaming up for the first time.

Leading man: Brendan Fraser is set to star as a 600-pound recluse in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed father/daughter dramedy The Whale (pictured in February, 2019)

The 52-year-old plays Charlie, a 600-pound middle-aged man living on the outskirts of Mormon Country in Idaho, who attempts to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter.

Their relationship became estranged after he came out as gay and left their family for his lover, who later died, triggering Charlie's compulsive eating to cope with his grief.

MacArthur-winning playwright Samuel D Hunter is adapting the film, based on his 2012 Off-Broadway play of the same name.

Hunter told Deadline: 'Adapting my play into a screenplay has been a real labor of love for me. This story is deeply personal and I'm very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience.

Father/daughter dramedy: The 52-year-old plays Charlie, a 600-pound middle-aged man living on the outskirts of Mormon Country in Idaho, who attempts to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter (pictured in January, 2018)

First collab: The film marks the first time A24 and Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures are teaming up (pictured in May, 2018)

Cult classics: Aronofsky is known for helming such films as The Wrestler (2008), Mother! (2017) and Black Swan (2010), which earned him an Academy Award nomination

'I've been a fan of Darren's ever since I saw Requiem for a Dream when I was a college freshman writing my first plays, and I'm so grateful that he's bringing his singular talent and vision to this film.'

Aronofsky is known for helming such films as The Wrestler (2008), Mother! (2017) and Black Swan (2010), which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Fans are already building up some awards buzz for Fraser, hoping the high profile gig will serve as his Oscar-worthy comeback.

The role might be a bit of a departure for the actor, whose career took off with heartthrob roles in such films as George of the Jungle (1997) and The Mummy (1999).

Fraser has made appearances in such shows as The Affair, Trust and Doom Patrol in recent years.
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Related Qatar Airways to reroute some flights through Saudi airspace

The Head of Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority Ashraf Noweir said on Tuesday that Egypt officially reopened its airspace to Qatari aircraft this morning, ending a three and a half year airspace ban on Qatar.

The decision to the lift airspace ban on Qatar allows Egypt's flag carrier EgyptAir and Qatar Airways to operate flights between the two countries, as well as the exchange flight schedules between the Egyptian and Qatari civil authorities for approval, Noweir explained.

Noweir added that the aviation authority has also approved a request by the Qatari authorities to allow Qatari aircraft to pass through the Egyptian airspace.

The decision comes a week after Egypt signed the Al-Ula agreement for Arab reconciliation with Qatar, which ended a diplomatic and travel boycott by the Arab Qaurtet - Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain - on Doha since mid 2017.

The agreement was signed last week by the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at their summit in Saudi Arabia.

The quartet cut diplomatic, economic and travel ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of interfering in their internal affairs and supporting terrorist groups, charges denied by Qatar.

Saudi Arabia had restored full ties with Qatar and reopened its airspace to Doha last Monday.

The United Arab Emirates reopened all its land, sea and air entry points with Qatar on Saturday.

Bahrain also reopened its airspace to Doha on Monday.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed after the signing of the agreement last week the need to build on this step of reconciliation with Qatar to enhance joint Arab work and relations.

Shoukry said that these relations should be based on goodwill and non-interference in the Arab countries domestic affairs.

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Local health care facilities are preparing to administer COVID-19 vaccines to people 75 and older next week, as virus cases and deaths continue to climb in Morgan County.

People 75 and older and first responders will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by appointment beginning on Monday, the Alabama Department of Public Health said. ADPH administrator for the Northern District Judy Smith said the call center for vaccination appointments received 1.1 million calls in one day on Friday after announcing the next stage of vaccinations.

If you want a vaccine, we are going to get you a vaccine, Smith said. I want to emphasize to everybody, if you do not get it on Monday the 18th, you may not get it that day, you may not get it on Tuesday, but I promise you we are going to stay on this until we get everybody who wants a vaccine, a vaccine.

Those who are eligible based on age can schedule an appointment for a free COVID-19 vaccination at a county health department by calling 1-855-566-5333.

Smith said Morgan County has about 8,900 residents aged 75 or older.

She said the Morgan County Health Department will have police officers controlling traffic to ensure safety during vaccinations. She said 20 vehicles will be allowed in at a time based on the time of their appointments.

We dont want to do like some other counties did. We dont want to have people waiting in line for three hours and then finding out that we dont have a vaccine dose, Smith said. Youve hung on this long, please just be patient with us and lets hang on a little bit longer.

Smith said the health department is using all of its available nurses to administer vaccines.

Were not going to be able to squeeze in 700 people on Monday, but I will tell you that we have pulled in every nurse that we possibly can from our system for the next two weeks, Smith said.

Decatur Morgan Hospital president Kelli Powers said those who want to receive a vaccine at Decatur Morgan Hospital can fill out a form at www.decaturmorganhospital.net to be placed on a waiting list.

We will call in to schedule an appointment for you to come to the vaccine clinic, Powers said.

The hospital received 600 appointment requests from people in Morgan County over the weekend, Powers said.

As of Saturday, according to the ADPH, fewer than a third of the 271,925 vaccine doses allotted to the state had been administered.

Second dose

Smith said vaccine recipients who receive their first dose at the health department will receive a card with a reminder to return for their second vaccine dose in exactly four weeks, at the same time. They will not need to schedule an appointment.

Were not going to chase you down, were not going to harass you, were not going to do anything, she said. Your appointment time four weeks from now will be the same time, same place, just four weeks later.

Smith said since both Decatur Morgan Hospital and the Morgan County Health Department are administering the Moderna vaccine, people can get one dose at one location and their second dose at the other.

If you get your first dose from us, as long as its (a) Moderna vaccine and youve got your date correct, you can get your second dose with somebody else who has the Moderna vaccine, she said.

Vaccine rollout

In addition to the health department and hospital, Payless Pharmacy in Decatur will also have doses of the vaccine available. Smith said shes hoping for other pharmacies and health care facilities to receive the vaccine soon.

Smith said the health department, which will administer vaccines Monday through Friday, hopes to vaccinate at least 100 to 150 people daily for 750 people or more per week.

If we can pull in additional vaccine, if we can pull in additional teams, well do more than that, Smith said.

Smith said anyone who has had COVID-19 should delay receiving the vaccine for at least 60 and ideally 90 days because someone who has just had the virus will have some immunity to it.

Powers said the hospital should be able to administer between 150 and 200 doses per day, but the exact number will depend on staffing and whether the vaccine clinics are scheduled to run all day or for a shorter period of time.

Were trying to figure out how many clinics we can have to get these people vaccinated as soon as possible, Powers said.

Powers asked that those wanting to be vaccinated only make an appointment at one health care facility. She said double-booking could prevent others from receiving their vaccine dose.

On whether a sufficient number of people who have had the option of getting vaccinated have done so, Powers said, Not yet. I think were getting there.

Smith said she wants to see 70% of the population get vaccinated, but staffing will limit how fast doses can be given.

Ill never be happy until the 70% is done, and I will just say, we dont want anybody to die; we also dont want to kill off our nurses, she said. A lot of people have left the profession.

Smith said people need to continue taking precautions after they receive their vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it takes a few weeks until immunity is built up after vaccination.

That means its possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick, according to the CDC website.

Powers said the hospital is in need of blood donations from individuals who have had COVID-19. The donations are used for monoclonal antibody infusions, which are given to high-risk individuals with COVID-19 to help prevent patients from developing complications and requiring hospitalization. Smith said some blood donation facilities are not accepting donations from people who have recently had the COVID-19 vaccine.

More deaths

Smith said 25 people in the county have died from COVID-19 since Dec. 31. A total of 104 Morgan County residents have died from the virus since the pandemic began.

So in 11 days of this month, weve already lost 25 of our citizens. Again, that speaks to how tragic this situation is and how imperative that it is that we continue to do the things that we need to do, Smith said.

Decatur Morgan Hospital had a total of 91 confirmed or presumed inpatients with COVID-19 as of Monday morning, up from Wednesday, when the hospital had 84 confirmed or presumed inpatients with COVID-19.

In the past two weeks, 1,549 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Morgan County. Since the pandemic started, 11,781 cases have been diagnosed.

Powers said the hospitals intensive care unit is full. In addition to those in intensive care for other reasons, there are 12 COVID-19 patients in intensive care and nine are on ventilators.

Morgan Countys percent positivity rate has decreased significantly in the past week from close to 60% over a two-week period to about 27% over two weeks as of Monday. However, Smith said she expects hospitalizations to rise late this week and next week.

Powers said staffing is still an issue at Decatur Morgan, and the hospital is looking to hire nurses. She said there are between 60 and 65 open positions for registered nurses, some of which are part time.

We still have a lot of employees out, 33 positive, 46 are self-quarantined. We do need some nurses, Powers said. We have had some staff that have left to go to other jobs.

 cassie.kuhn@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2469. Twitter @ DD_CassieKuhn.

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SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Humane Farming Association (HFA)  a national farm-animal protection organization with 270,000 members  filed suit against Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey for her failure to promulgate regulations to improve conditions for egg-laying hens as required by state law. The suit is intended to compel the AG to promulgate such regulations as required by the farm-animal protection ballot measure that was approved by Massachusetts voters in 2016.

Link to complaint online: https://www.hfa.org/pdf/HFA-ag-complaint.pdf

Known as "Question 3," the ballot measure established minimum space requirements for pigs, calves, and, primarily, laying hens. Most importantly, the law requires that each laying hen be provided no less than 1.5 square feet of floor space. The measure was overwhelmingly approved by 77 percent of voters.

Specifically, the law required the Attorney General to adopt implementing regulations by January 1, 2020. However, Healey has neither issued nor even proposed to issue the legally-mandated regulations, which is in flagrant violation of her legal duties. Instead, Healey's office is working with lobbyists, including those from the egg industry, to pass legislation that would reduce the allotted space requirement provided to hens to a mere one square foot per bird, which would allow the egg industry to crowd fifty percent more hens into a given space. The AG's office is also seeking to shift the Attorney General's regulatory responsibilities to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

"It's outrageous to see that this animal-protection measure, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters, is now languishing while the AG supports legislation that will drastically weaken the measure," said Humane Farming Association National Director Bradley Miller. "The AG's failure to promulgate the regulations and her support of legislation that will reduce the amount of space provided to hens are contrary to the will of Massachusetts voters and harmful to farm animals," said Miller.

On October 14, 2020, HFA (through its Boston counsel, Brown Rudnick LLP) sent a letter to Attorney General Healey demanding that the required regulations be promulgated in short order. The letter stated that, if no action was taken on this matter by November 14, HFA would initiate enforcement litigation in state court. To date, no action has been taken; hence, the organization is filing suit.

About HFA

The Humane Farming Association (HFA) is dedicated to the protection of farm animals and operates the nation's largest farm-animal sanctuary. Founded in 1985 and over 270,000 members strong, HFA is nationally recognized for its integrity and its groundbreaking anti-cruelty campaigns.

Contact: Jim Dougherty, (202) 607-7093

[email protected]

SOURCE Humane Farming Association

Related Links

https://www.hfa.org/


Southern Glazer's announces new senior appointments

American beverage alcohol distributor Southern Glazer's Wines & Spirits has announced the appointment of a new senior team member.

Jamie Gruwer has taken on the role of vice president, suppliers and customer collaboration, as of 1 January 2021. In her new role she will report to Mark Chaplin, Southern Glazer's vice president, sales and marketing.

Ms Gruwer will be responsible for delivering collaboration programmes that deliver both savings and additional revenue-generating opportunities for Southern Glazer's. This will include identifying and driving opportunities in commercial, supply chain and operations, enterprise technology partners, digital commerce, human resources and finance.

Since joining the company from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2016, she has also served as senior director, supply chain and operations strategy, and vice president of supplier synergy.

Mark Chaplin said: "Jamie's cross-functional background and experience makes her the ideal leader to help us find new and innovative ways to collaborate and deliver value to our supporters and customers. This expanded value-added capability will enable us to improve the effectiveness of our partner relationships and continue to develop best-in-class business solutions together."

The announcement of Ms Gruwer's new role follows Southern Glazer's appointment of Tim Anderson as senior vice president and general manager of Kansas and Iowa. Mr Anderson, who has been senior vice president and general manager of Kansas since 2012, will continue reporting to Scott Westerman, executive vice president of the North Central Sub Region. He replaces John D'Attoma, who has recently retired.

Scott Westerman said: "Tim has been a proven leader over the course of his 14-year career at Southern Glazer's and has been extremely successful in his leadership of Kansas. I am confident that he will only continue to build upon our success in the state of Iowa."

12 January 2021 - Bethany Whymark
Regulated or not. Clarity on taxation or not. Indians are taking big slices of bitcoin, and how! Cryptocurrency exchanges that facilitate rupee-bitcoin transactions have seen a surge in number of users on their platform. Zebpay, one of the oldest exchanges having operations in India, has seen customer base increase by over four times from April to December. As many as 1,40,298 new users registered on its platform between March and December while app downloads stood at 3,24,581 during the same period.

The Bitcoin prices may have corrected about 25 per cent in last three days. It had shot through the roof over the last few months - from $6000-odd in April to $41,946.74 as on January 8, its all-time high. It hit a day's low of $30,549.60 on Monday. Talk to bitcoin believers, and they say every dip is an opportunity to buy more. But is it?

Why do investors value bitcoin

Bitcoin is a virtual currency that doesn't involve a sovereign authority but a decentralised peer-to-peer network to facilitate payments. But more than a payment method, bitcoins are treated as an investment avenue. Being a scarce asset (its creator Satoshi Nakamoto has designed it in a way that it will always have a maximum supply of 21,000,000), people world over treat it as a digital gold. Besides, countries like Japan and the USA, among others, have allowed citizens to transact in bitcoins for goods and services. Bitcoin investors believe the currency will find global acceptance as an alternative to the US dollar -- slowly and gradually. This is what keeps the long-term sentiment positive in cryptocurrencies. However, the currency's volatile nature works against it becoming a mainstream currency.

"Winds are blowing in our direction. There are more tailwinds than headwinds. Our interactions with politicians and company CEOs give us a sense that they are much more favourable to bitcoins now. Earlier they called it a bubble and a currency for scamsters and hackers. But no longer. One of the main reasons why prices have rallied this time is because large corporations have invested in bitcoin - a signal of institutional confidence in the currency," says ZebPay CEO Rahul Pagidipati.

Should you buy bitcoins?

In Indian currency, bitcoins are trading above Rs 25 lakh. Interestingly, on Zebpay and on many other exchanges, you can buy units of bitcoins (called satoshis) for as low as Rs 100. But is investment in bitcoin wise? Bitcoins are not regulated in India. If something goes wrong, there will be no grievance redressal mechanism where you can lodge a complaint. Besides, bitcoin prices are highly volatile and rise and fall on speculative reasons mostly.

"Stick to simple rules. First, if you don't understand it, don't buy it. If you understand crypto well and want to get involved make sure you understand the risk and size your crypto exposure appropriately. Good recent past returns in itself are not a good justification to buy an asset, there has to be an asset allocation and risk management framework around it," says Gaurav Rastogi, CEO at Kuvera.

If you do have to invest taking a staggered approach will be advisable, that is, buying some units of bitcoins periodically.

How are bitcoins taxed?

The tax authorities have not really spelled out taxation rules around bitcoins. "According to regular income tax parlance, the tax implications on cryptocurrencies should depend on the investment's nature, whether held as a currency or property. Gain from the sale of bitcoin may be taxed as business income if traded frequently or taxed as capital gains if held for the purpose of investment," says Archit Gupta, founder & CEO, Cleartax.

"If regarded as business income, then the gains will be taxed as per the applicable slab rate. However, if you are an investor in bitcoin, taxation may be similar to that of gains taxed as capital gains. Which means if you redeem your investments before 3 years, you may pay short term capital gains as per your current tax slab. If redemption is after 3 years, any redemption may be treated as long term capital gain and could be taxed at 20% with indexation. However, each case has to be looked at separately and it is best to consult a tax expert for your personal situation," he adds.

Besides, there are talks of North Block considering an 18 per cent GST on bitcoin transactions. "Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (a branch of the union finance ministry) has conducted a study on levying GST on cryptocurrencies and has suggested to the finance ministry that bitcoin can be categorised under 'intangible asset' class and GST could be imposed on all transactions. However, the finance ministry is yet to decide on the same," says Archit Gupta.

So, even though there is no clarity on taxation by the government, it doesn't mean you can evade taxes. "As per the Income Tax Act, all incomes are liable to income tax except explicitly exempt income. Remember that tax authorities have the powers to summon details of all the transactions from any agencies for the purpose of assessing the income and calculating income tax."

Password is key

Your bitcoins wallets could be hacked. While known exchanges do put checks and balances to protect your bitcoins against it, some investors keep their cryptocurrencies in cold wallets, that is, printing them and storing them physically instead of maintaining a hot wallet on the exchange. While both the options are fine, the trouble with cold wallet is if something happens to the investor and no one else is aware of the password, there is no way to recover the key. The investments will be gone forever with the person.

"If you have a wallet with us, and you lose your password, we help you recover it. We also have a nominee form, so if something happens to you, the nominee will be provided with the password," says Pagidipati.

"It's good to keep some money in cold storage, but only after you have reached certain level of coins and understanding. Cold storage is technical," he adds.

Also Read: Adar Poonawalla says COVID-19 vaccine will be sold to private players at Rs 1,000 per dose

Also Read: Securities Appellate Tribunal overturns SEBI penalty on SBI, LIC, Bank of Baroda over UTI MF

Also Read: Sensex, Nifty hit all-time highs; how far can markets rise this year
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Clearing announced today that Christopher J. McGoff retired from The Clearing's Board of Directors effective December 9, 2020. He is also retired as an employee of The Clearing, effective December 17, 2020. McGoff stepped down to pursue other interests.

The founder of The Clearing, Chris McGoff has long been a pillar of the firm. He established the company's core IP in his first book, The Primes, How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem (John Wiley & Sons publisher). His speaking career created new opportunities for The Clearing to make an impact across federal and commercial clients who were "daring great things" and "having the moral courage to take a stand for real outcomes." In his second book, Match in the Root Cellar: How You Can Spark a Peak Performance Culture (ForbesBooks publisher), McGoff outlined the three ways of being and seven principles for unleashing the untapped potential of an organization. Through his words, the cultural values of The Clearing were fortified: We believe in, inspire, and outfit people to have meaningful lives and to make extraordinary contributions to causes that matter.

John Miller, Co-Founder of The Clearing, has been elected Chairman of the Board. Miller said of McGoff's legacy:

Over 13 years ago, Chris founded The Clearing as a place for leaders to step away from the noise and chaos of the day to day and into a safe and protected space where they could sit alongside experts to reframe themselves and their work to take meaningful action on the causes that matter most. From the beginning of operations in 2009, the company has delivered excellent value to hundreds of customers and has provided a platform for growth and opportunity for our employees. All the while, Chris has stayed in the front lines of marketing, sales and delivery, intellectual property creation, and of developing our talented employees in the work. As Board Chairman, he continually challenged the company's leaders to dare greatly. He raised tough questions and set a high bar for our reach.

Tara Carcillo, CEO at The Clearing, was elected to join the Board as a Director. Carcillo states, "We are honored to have had such a founder and leader for our firm. McGoff's confidence in our team to carry this company forward is humbling. The people at The Clearing are forever grateful for the many gifts he continues to give the world through this community. We look forward to the next phase of our partnership."

About The Clearing

The Clearing, Inc. is a Washington, DC-based consulting firm with people-focused solutions around organizational strategy, leadership, culture, and customer experience. Learn more at theclearing.com .

SOURCE The Clearing

Related Links

https://theclearing.com


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Another controversy has erupted from Thailand Open 2021. After shuttler Saina Nehwal revealed that she had still not received her COVID-19 report with Thailand authorities asking her to shift to a hospital, Kidambi Srikanth shared that he was made to undergo 4 COVID tests since he landed in the country. Taking to Twitter, Kidambi Srikanth shared how his nose was bleeding profusely after his repeated COVID tests, calling the shocking mistreatment 'unacceptable'.

"We take care of ourselves for the match not to come and shed blood for THIS . However, I gave 4 tests after I have arrived and I cant say any of them have been pleasant. Unacceptable," he tweeted sharing appalling images of his bleeding nose after his swab tests.

We take care of ourselves for the match not to come and shed blood for THIS . However , I gave 4 tests after I have arrived and I cant say any of them have been pleasant .

Unacceptable pic.twitter.com/ir56ji8Yjw  Kidambi Srikanth (@srikidambi) January 12, 2021

Read: Kevin Sanjaya Tests Covid-19 Positive; Ruled Out Of Thailand Open, World Tour Finals

Read: Saina Nehwal Claims To Have NOT Received COVID-19 Report, Told To Isolate In Hospital

Confusion over Saina Nehwal's COVID-19 reports

In a major blow to the Indian badminton contingent, star shuttlers Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy allegedly tested positive for Coronavirus on Tuesday. 30-year-old star Nehwal, however, has alleged that she still hadn't received her COVID-19 report from Monday and the situation was 'very confusing.' Nehwal claimed that she was informed of her test results just before the warm-up for the match against Kisona Selvaduray and was advised to go to the hospital in Bangkok. Saina further added that according to the rules, the results should arrive five hours after the tests and tagged BWF media for further clarification on the situation.

The entire Indian badminton contingent had cleared the COVID-19 test and had been training as a part of the Green Zone, however, recent results were obtained from the third round of testing, with the first two results returning as negative, as per reports.

I still didnt receive the covid test report from yesterday its very confusing and today just before the warm up for the match they tell me to got to hospital in bangkok ... saying that I m positive ..according to rules the report should come in 5 hours.. @bwfmedia https://t.co/ETkWiNVHnP  Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 12, 2021

Read: Saina Nehwal Tests Positive For COVID-19 In Thailand, Fans Wish Her Speedy Recovery

Read: BWF Announces 2021 Calendar Focused On Olympic Qualifiers; India Open Scheduled In May
Amazon.com has entered into an agreement to acquire property at the former Evangeline Downs site for a fulfillment center, a source told the Acadiana Advocate.

The Current first reported the story Friday afternoon that the tech giant was in negotiations to acquire land just east of Interstate 49 on the southern edge of Carencro behind the FedEx facility.

The 120-acre property at 3620 NE Evangeline Thruway is listed as "sale pending" on the states commercial database website. Its listed for $13.08 million.

The deal is expected to close at the end of the year, the source said.

Plans are believed to include a 1 million-square-foot building that will also employ hundreds. It houses items before they are shipped to distribution centers and then to the customer.

The Currents report cited sources with knowledge of the negotiations. Property owner Carrol Castille declined to discuss specifics of the potential sale, citing a confidentiality agreement with a large land purchaser and that he has not seen one document with Amazons name on it.

Its not clear if Amazon is interested in his property because a similar proposal at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge fell through. Earlier reports indicate the deal ended after the developer, Seefried Industrial Properties, which has contracted with Amazon on past fulfillment centers, pulled out because of issues getting control of other parcels of land on the site.

Amazon typically builds two types of buildings in markets where it seeks to offer faster shipping to customers. One is a fulfillment center and the other is a distribution center, also known as a delivery station.

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Seefried is also building Amazons 111,000-square-foot distribution center off Siegen Lane in Baton Rouge.

The nearest fulfillment center might be Houston, which has two and three distribution centers. Amazon also has a distribution center in New Orleans.

A Lafayette fulfillment center could serve all of the western side of Louisiana from Morgan City to Shreveport, the source said.

Reports of recent Amazon fulfillment center placements in Clay, N.Y., Beaumont, Calif., and Pflugerville, Texas, boast creation of 1,000 jobs on each of the deals.

The Baton Rouge distribution center, near Fieldstone Drive and Honore Lane, includes office space, storage and a truck dock for up to 16 tractor trailers, documents on file with the city-parish show. The Industriplex project plans also include 234 employee parking spots, 12 bicycle parking spots, 712 delivery van parking spots and 18 parking spots for 18-wheeler trucks.

Amazon has more than 150 delivery stations across the country. The last-mile delivery is completed by independent contractor businesses, which hire workers to drive the Amazon vans. Those workers are not employees of Amazon.

Kristen Mosbrucker contributed to this report.
Chennai, Jan 12 : Chennai Air Customs on Tuesday said it had seized foreign currency and gold worth Rs 32.55 lakh and arrested one person.

In a statement, the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport said the Customs officials intercepted three passengers - one male and two females - bound for Dubai.

On examination of the back pack of the male passenger Nouffar, foreign currency valued Rs 8.86 lakh was found and he was arrested as he had a previous offence registered against him.

The Customs officials seized foreign currencies worth Rs 12.44 lakh from the two women.

In another case Customs officials seized gold paste weighing 260 grams from Mohamed Amsath who flew in from Dubai. The extraction yielded 220 grams of gold worth Rs.11.25 lakh.
Bhopal:

According to a top government official, move to promote digital payment, electricity crunch and ban on regulated sale of poppy husk are some of the reasons behind farmers' stir in Madhya Pradesh.



The state has been on the boil ever since the farmers launched an agitation last week seeking loan waiver and better crop prices.



"The Centre and the state government have forbidden the farmers to sell poppy husk since the last two years in Mandsaur and Neemuch districts and this has rendered hundreds of farmers, mostly members of the strong Patidar community, jobless," the official from western Madhya Pradesh told PTI.



According to him, the government used to regulate the sale and farming of poppy husk in the past, but now it was destroying the contraband, which was earlier permitted to be used for medicinal purposes.



The situation has been volatile in Mandsaur and Neemuch for the last couple of days. Five farmers were killed in police firing at Mandsaur on Tuesday, while six others were injured.



The official claimed all the deceased farmers belonged to the Patidar community.



"Besides, the state government's move to promote digital payment in place of cash for procuring produce from farmers in the mandis (markets) aggravated the woes of the cultivators," he said.



The farmers have run out of cash due to digital payment mode, which is still at a nascent stage in Madhya Pradesh, he said.



"The cost of farm produce has also gone up considerably due to two reasons -- shortage of electricity to farmers and black marketing of manure," the official said.



According to him, farmers were using diesel-run water pumps for irrigation due to lack of power.



"The electricity distribution company in the region has been snapping power supply to farmers if they fail to pay the monthly bills instantly," he said.



Besides, the farmers are forced to buy manure from the black market at a huge price due to rampant corruption in the state. This has increased the cost of production of agriculture produce, the official alleged.



Widespread violence, including several incidents of arson, have been reported from western Madhya Pradesh, especially in Mandsaur and Dewas districts, in the week-long agitation in the state.



Rattled by the violence, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced a crop loan settlement scheme, which proposes waiving of interests of the cultivators who have defaulted on repayment of their loans.



"It is the farmers' anger which has spilled onto the roads against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan due to widespread corruption in the farm sector," Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh national president Shivkumar Sharma told PTI.



"There is no electricity in rural areas of MP, so the farmers are using diesel-driven water pumps to irrigate their land. Secondly, they are forced to buy fertilisers from black market," he said.



"I had been saying that massive corruption is plaguing the farm sector under Chouhan since long. Now my stand is vindicated," he said.



"Due to these factors, the cost of production of farm produce has skyrocketed. For getting satisfactory price for their produce, the farmers are protesting," said Sharma, who had led a farmers' agitation in December 2010.



However, he disagreed that the ban of poppy husk business had ignited the farmers' stir.



If contraband is the reason, why are the farmers protesting in other parts of the state, he argued.



BJP MP from Mandsaur, Sudhir Gupta, blamed the Congress for the farmers' agitation.



"Congress is behind the violence during the farmers' stir," he alleged.



The state government has said that it was ready for an open dialogue with the protesting farmers.



"The stir has inflicted immense financial loss to my constituency," Gupta said.

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Model Jessica Gomes travelled to Australia from Los Angeles two weeks ago.

And on Monday, the 35-year-old seemed relieved as she finally left the hotel she was staying at after competing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Jessica flipped the bird as she walked out of the Sydney Meriton Hotel, while holding a phone and wallet in her hand.

Over it? Jessica Gomes flipped the bird as she left a Sydney hotel after completing mandatory two week quarantine on Monday

Finally free: The 35-year-old seemed relieved as she finally left the hotel she was staying at after competing the mandatory quarantine period

The model then collected her large silver suitcase and beige bag before leaving the hotel.

Jessica looked stylish in a comfortable green jumpsuit, which was cinched in at the waist.

The brunette beauty completed the ensemble with a pair of black sandals and wore sunglasses.

She styled her long locks out and wore a blue face mask as she left the building.

Stylish: Jessica looked stylish in a comfortable green jumpsuit, which was cinched in at the waist

Going home: The model collected her large silver suitcase and beige bag before leaving the hotel

Jessica, who has been living in LA for the past eight years, arrived in Sydney last month.

In an interview with Vogue Australia in October last year, Jessica revealed she had developed a newfound appreciation for her hometown of Perth.

'Now, at this time of my life, I have to say I really love Los Angeles and I really love Perth,' she said.

Comfortable: The brunette beauty completed the ensemble with a pair of black sandals and wore sunglasses

Staying for long? Jessica, who has been living in LA for the past eight years, arrived in Sydney last month

Chatting: After walking out of the hotel, Jessica was spotted talking on her phone as she stood at the front

'I would never have thought that's what I would say about Perth, but it really is so special - it's so Aussie and salt of the earth. I realised how much I loved Perth over this past summer holiday.'

But she seems settled in Los Angeles, after more than eight years of living there.

'I love LA so much, I just feel like it's where I'm meant to be,' she told InStyle Australia in January 2019.

'I really love Perth': In an interview with Vogue Australia in October last year, Jessica revealed she had developed a newfound appreciation for her hometown of Perth
Delhi, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are the latest states to confirm bird flu as the country gears up to prevent its spread.

Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat are other states which had earlier confirmed the presence of bird flu after several birds were found dead.

Haryana has reported the highest number of deaths where more than 4 lakh birds have died so far.

Representational Image

Nearly 200 birds, mostly crows, have been found dead in Uttarakhand's Dehradun and Rishikesh.

A total of 165 birds were found dead in different parts of Dehradun on Sunday, including 121 crows in the Bhandari Bagh area alone. There were 162 crows, two pigeons and an eagle among the dead birds found in Dehradun, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajiv Dhiman said.

"There has been no case of human transmission," Minister of Animal Husbandry Giriraj Singh said today, urging everyone to eat "properly cooked chicken, preferably at 70 degrees Celsius".

Delhi bans import of birds

The national capital has banned import of live birds and the biggest wholesale poultry market in Ghazipur has been shut.

Reports suggest that Delhi is staring at a loss of Rs 2.5 crore.

Minister of Animal Husbandry Giriraj Singh said, "If Delhi would've followed centre's advisory, first issued in October, 2019, there wouldn't have been a need to shut the market. Panic has spread within 500 km. I've written to the Chief Minister."

BCCL

Poultry markets in areas like Sanjay Lake, Bhalswa Lake, and Hauz Khas are special focus.

Over 800 hens died in Parbhani in Maharashtra

Over the last two days, Parbhani, about 500 km from state capital Mumbai, has seen most poutry deaths. About 800 poultry birds - all hens - died in the last two days.

Reports suggest that close to 8,000 birds will be culled in the area.

Avian Influenza is confirmed in crows from Mumbai, Thane, Beed, Dapoli in Maharashtra.

Birds culled in Kerala

After 12,000 ducks died in Kerala, tens of thousands of birds were culled. The 5N8 strain of Avian Influenza was confirmed in parts of Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.

BCCL

Himachal Pradesh has reported deaths of over 2,000 birds, most of them bar-headed geese, at Pong Dam sanctuary.

Kangra has been marked as the epicentre and slaughter sale, purchase and export of any poultry birds, fish of any breed and their related products, including eggs, meat, chicken, have been banned.





The farmers seeking NFU Scotland's top officeholder roles will host a round of virtual hustings events starting from next week.

For the first time in the union's history, the candidates will ditch the traditional tour of every region of Scotland due to the pandemic.

Instead, the four nominations for the two vice presidential posts will undertake online hustings taking place from Friday 22 January.

They are: Andrew Connon, Aberdeenshire; Willie Harper, Renfrewshire; George Milne, Fife; Robin Traquair, Midlothian.

Current vice president Martin Kennedy, who will stand unchallenged for the position of president, will also take place in the virtual events.

NFU Scotland Chief Executive, Scott Walker said: Five people have put the interests of the industry ahead of the interests of their own businesses and are standing for the positions of president or vice President.

I wish each one of them the very best and, while missing out on the traditional tour of Scotland, I urge them to make the most of these online meetings.

"They all have the skills and experience to do a great job for NFUS and this is their opportunity to convince members that they are the person to occupy one of the top positions in the union as we tackle the major challenges ahead."

He added that the Scottish farming industry industry was entering 'a new era' and that the 'right people' were needed to drive forward policies.

Members will have the chance to hear from our candidates as they take part in these three virtual events," Mr Walker said.

"The decision the membership must make is who should lead this union for the next 24 months as we negotiate one of the biggest periods of change faced by the industry in the unions 108-year history.

The union's elections will take place at its virtual council meeting on 12 February, with online voting arrangements for council members in place.
Woman reports paying $330 to scam

AUBURN  State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a theft by deception incident that was reported around 10 a.m. Thursday.

Police said an Auburn woman reported she was scammed by someone acting as representative of Life Lock.

The woman reported paying $330 to have the Quantum Services downloaded onto her computer.

Woman cited after left-turn crash

POTTSVILLE  Two people escaped injury when their vehicles collided at East Maple Avenue and Edgewood Road in Norwegian Township around 11 a.m. Thursday.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Rose Stevens, 91, of Pottsville, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Cruz and was making a left turn onto Edgewood Road when she ran into a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek driven by Heather Kerschner, 48, of Schuylkill Haven, who was stopped at a stop sign on Edgewood Road waiting to make a right turn.

Kerschner was taken to a Pottsville hospital by Schuylkill EMS for treatment of minor injuries and Stevens did not require medical transport, police said.

As a result of the crash, police said, Stevens was cited for not driving on roadways laned for traffic.

Police: Someone issued bad check

PINE GROVE  State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a bad check incident at BGs Value Market in Pine Grove Township that was reported around 2:45 p.m. Jan. 4.

Police said someone issued a bad check resulting in the theft of $94.57 in food items and $401.75 for a prepaid gift-debit card.

Police: Man lost control of vehicle

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN  State police at Schuylkill Haven investigated a crash that happened on South Greenview Road in North Manheim Township around 9:10 a.m. Jan. 3.

Police said Jeremiah Deitzler, 25, of Cressona, was driving a 2004 Ford F-250 north when he lost control while attempting to negotiate a slight turn. The vehicle, police said, slid across the north and southbound lanes and struck an embankment, causing it to spin 180 degrees and go into a ditch alongside the road.

Police said Deitzler fled the scene of the crash and that his truck had disabling damage.

Police: Man tried to disarm officer

DONALDSON  A Donaldson man was jailed after being arrested for trying to disarm a state police officer during an incident on East Centre Street in Frailey Township round 9:40 p.m. Jan. 3.

Police from the Schuylkill Haven station said they were investigation a report of Mark Ginter, 54, being involved in a physical altercation with a 42-year-old Donaldson woman.

During the investigation, Ginter grabbed the handle of the Taser weapon that was secured in a officers duty belt.

Police said that Ginter was advised he was under arrest and briefly resisted before being taken into custody.

The man was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, on charges of disarming a law enforcement officer and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $10,000 straight cash bail, police said.

Police investigate fraudulent checks

RINGTOWN  State police at Frackville are investigating incidents of forgery and counterfeiting that happened to two borough residents between Nov. 8 and Dec. 30.

Police said John Sion and Deloris Sion reported two checks they mailed at the Ringtown Post Office were somehow intercepted, modified to pay out to someone they did not know and fraudulently cashed.

Two other similar cases have been reported in the last month in the Ringtown valley.

Police are suggesting that all payment checks be mailed in person at a local post office.

Police say truck hit other tractor-trailer

HAMBURG  A crash that happened in the westbound lanes of Interstate 78, east of Academy Road in Tilden Township, Berks County, around 6:30 p.m. Jan. 3 is being investigated by state police at Hamburg.

Police said an unidentified tractor-trailer was being driven west when it struck the back of another tractor-trailer in an area where traffic was backed up due to another crash.

No injuries were reported and police said damage was minor to both vehicles.
January 6 was a very bad day for President Donald Trump and a very good day for American democracy. The dead and wounded will be remembered as a tragic outcome of the presidents violent rhetoric. But what happened that day  and Im not just referring to the takeover of Congress by Trumps supporters  could very well mark the beginning of an important period of renewal and strengthening of American democracy.

On January 6, the laws, institutions, and norms that limit presidential power in the United States were stress tested. Fortunately, they survived Donald Trumps attempt to stay in the White House despite losing the election.

This is not to say that American democracy has passed through this crisis unscathed. It had already been weakened, and although the coup failed, Trump and his accomplices have left the country even more vulnerable and divided. Whats more, the blow to Americas international prestige is enormous.

On a day that was full of surprises we also got a letter and a speech that changed the course of history

But, as we have seen, Trump, along with some Republican members of Congress and the anti-democratic forces that actively participated in the coup attempt, were discredited even more. The seizure of the Capitol building by violent rioters incited by the president was, obviously, a historic event. Something like this hasnt happened since British forces set fire to the Capitol in 1814. Fortunately, this time the occupation was short-lived.

But other very important things happened for US democracy on January 6. That morning we learned that the two Senate candidates running for office in the state of Georgia  Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff  had defeated their Republican rivals. Warnock will be the first black senator from Georgia  a southern state with a long history of segregation and racial discrimination. Jon Ossoff, 33, will be the first Jewish senator elected in a southern state since the 1880s and the youngest senator in the Democratic Party since Joe Biden was elected half a century ago.

The electoral wins of these two candidates mark a milestone that goes beyond the historic nature of their election. With those two additional votes, the Democratic Party, which already has a majority in the House of Representatives, will also have a majority in the Senate. This hasnt happened since 1995. Control of Congress will give Joe Biden more freedom and accelerate the appointment of government officials that require Congressional approval and that of the federal judges whom the president proposes and the Senate can approve or reject. Of course, Biden also has much better chances of initiating meaningful and long-lasting economic and political reforms.

Perhaps for the first time in four years, Mike Pence put his countrys democracy before Donald Trumps personal interests

On a day that was full of surprises we also got a letter and a speech that  albeit not as dramatic as the televised occupation of the Capitol  changed the course of history.

Mike Pence, who as vice-president also serves as president of the Senate, sent a letter to his fellow senators. In the letter, the until-then submissive, obedient, adulating and, surely, long-suffering Mike Pence, informed senators that he would rigorously comply with the limited duty mandated by the Constitution in the process of certifying the electoral college votes for the president and vice-president. What Pence did not say in his letter, but everyone knew, is that this was not what his boss, the president, had ordered. Trump publicly reiterated that he expected Mike Pence (who owes me so much) to support the electoral fraud that he had mounted in collusion with Senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and other Republican operators. Perhaps for the first time in four years, Mike Pence put his countrys democracy before Donald Trumps personal interests. Had the opposite happened, the coup would have had a better chance of success.

The other surprise was the speech by Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate. For four years McConnell had loyally supported Donald Trump. On January 6, he stopped. When the counting of the electoral votes began in the Senate, and before the invasion of the Capitol prevented further debate, McConnell gave a devastating speech that exposed, and effectively defeated, the coup that Trump and his allies were trying to perpetrate. If McConnell had aligned himself with the coup-plotters that day, we would now be speaking in a different tone about American democracy.

The defects of this democracy are in plain sight, as are all the challenges it faces. The reforms it urgently needs are also known. But will they be implemented? Will they be successful? We dont know. But we do know that January 6, 2021 will likely go down in history as the day the United States began to reshape its democracy.

Follow me on Twitter @moisesnaim
The featured pronouncement of the reality television show The Apprentice was Donald Trump announcing, Youre Fired. Viewers always assumed Donald Trump was the doer of the action, the one to determine the inadequacy of a contestant, but, to be honest, that was always an assumption.

My junior high school English teacher (Miss Shure) proclaimed this kind of sentence structure the passive voice, a grammatical construct in which the subject of the sentence is not the doer of the action but rather its recipient. She listed several reasons why a writer avoids the passive, the most important of which being that it is a way for people to avoid responsibility for an action; it obfuscates. It is, in other words, the language of cowards rather than leaders.

It is the kind of language politicians use who wish to hide their actions. Going back to the days of President Clinton and Ms. Lewinsky, one White House press secretary admitted, mistakes were made. Classic passive voice! By whom? A mischievous elf?

It is all too frequently the language of our current president. Not long ago, his response to Chris Krebs (a Trump appointee and head of the Cybersecurity division of the Office of Homeland Security) announcement that the 2020 election was the most secure in U.S. history was to proclaim Chris Krebs has been terminated. The key questions missed in the statement was, yy whom and for what purpose?

The answer to those questions was by the president and as to the reasonfor speaking the truth as Mr. Krebs saw it. Of note is that none of Krebs subordinates have come forward to dispute his conclusions and to date, Trump has now lost sixty court challenges (two at Supreme Court level), the net effect of which is to confirm Krebs pronouncement.

Trump has fired many of his key staff, usually by Tweet, and mostly phrasing the firing in the passive voice without public mention of cause. On Nov. 9, 2020 Trump fired his Secretary of Defense with these words: Mark Esper has been terminated. Missing in the public statement was Espers opposition to the use of the Army in dealing with the Black Lives Matter protests as cause. The use of the army to crush legal protest (Remember the 1st Amendment to the Constitution makes clear our Right to such dissent) is the kind of thing totalitarian regimes do.

This administrations list of fired public servants is long but consistent as to cause namely their commitment to the oath they swore to protect and defend, the Constitution of the United States. It is a commitment to honesty and integrity and the kind of loyalty that gets one terminated in this presidency, for this president sees only loyalty to himself as the litmus test for retention.

Let me put the results of Nov. 3 iin short, clear, active voice: We the people fired you, Mr. Trump!

Joseph R Fischer, LTC, US Army (retired), Northumberland, Pa.
The best part about takeout in Chicago? All the stellar options. The worst part? Trying to decide which to eat. If there was ever a good problem to have, too much great food is the one  but its a problem we can help you solve. Enter our Takeout 100, an oversized guide to food and drinks to-go from restaurants and bars throughout the city and suburbs. Heres the list with all the details you need to know.

Arlene Foster has paid a glowing tribute to those who answered a desperate appeal for off-duty healthcare staff to work as hospitals struggled to cope with a rise in Covid patients.

Instead of offering her gratitude, she should have been saying sorry, because much of the responsibility for the current crisis lies on Stormont's shoulders.

Every single political party here was aware that having a very Merry Christmas would mean funerals and rising hospital admissions in the New Year. Political cowardice meant that the Executive went ahead and lifted restrictions in the full knowledge that a very heavy price would be paid.

Official statistics show that those crowds of shoppers, packed restaurants, and large family gatherings came at a very cruel cost.

In mid-December, our health service was already under huge pressure and there were warnings that the third wave of coronavirus could be the most dangerous. We were also told of new strains of the disease.

Covid didn't know it was Christmas. It followed no calendar. Yet Stormont behaved as though it did. When quizzed about the wisdom of lifting restrictions for Christmas on Monday, Foster stressed that it was a unanimous Executive decision.

The DUP will clearly win no awards for putting public health first during this pandemic, but why did Sinn Fein, Alliance, the SDLP and Ulster Unionists support the plan?

Some argued that the parties really had no other option as the public weren't in the mood for a cautious Christmas. "The Executive had to let the air out of the balloon," says a Stormont source. "Even if they hadn't, people would have done what they wanted anyway."

He has a point, and it's not just up here that recklessness ruled. The Irish Government loosened restrictions significantly in December and now has the world's highest infection rate.

Read More

The Executive handled the first four months of the pandemic fairly well. It's all been downhill since the Bobby Storey funeral in July. Sinn Fein severely damaged its Covid credibility by so blatantly breaching the rules, but that doesn't let Foster's party off the hook.

How can the DUP have any moral authority when it used a cross-community veto to block health proposals? When one of its ministers sectarianised the pandemic? When four of its MPs voted against lockdown restrictions in England just last week? When Sammy Wilson either won't wear a face mask or won't wear it properly? When the Education Minister repeatedly buried his head in the sand on closing schools and the transfer test?

Foster and O'Neill haven't hosted a joint Executive press conference in a month, but they're expected to do so on Thursday. Regardless of what they say, will anybody even be listening?
by Sumon Corraya

Immunisation is expected to start in the first week of February. To be vaccinate, people must register online via a vaccine app starting on 26 January.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Since last December, developed countries have started vaccinating against the coronavirus, but a developing country like Bangladesh is still waiting.

Nevertheless, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) yesterday announced that the country's vaccination campaign against COVID-19 will begin in the first week of February.

The government plans to give elderly people half of the first five million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine that will come from the Seram Institute of India.

The government said from the start that frontline health workers would be among the first to get vaccinated.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals has informed us that the vaccines will arrive in Bangladesh between January 21 and 25, said DGHS director general Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam at a press conference in his office.

We will start the vaccination programme a week from that, he added. That means the vaccination process will begin across the country in the first week of February.

Mr Khurshid Alam noted that in order to be vaccinated, people must register online via a vaccine app starting on 26 January. The mobile application is nearing completion and will be authorised by the relevant ministry on the same day.

The vaccination plan prioritises health care workers, freedom fighters, law enforcement and defence personnel, government employees, journalists and elected officials.

About a million governmental and non-governmental health workers will receive the vaccine.

Clerics, migrant and bank workers are also included in the first stage, but highly vulnerable segments of the population, including the elderly, factory and white-collar workers, transport workers, rickshaw pullers and day labourers are not included.

Five million people will receive the vaccination every month. Under the plan, priority groups will receive two doses of the vaccine in the space of eight weeks. In a letter of consent, vaccine recipients will declare that they are willingly taking the vaccine.

People under 18, pregnant women and very ill people will not receive the vaccine.

People expressed hope that vaccination could save them from the coronavirus.

The vaccination against the coronavirus is a blessing for us, said Nur Ul Hossian, a 40-year-old teacher speaking to AsiaNews. It's time to put an end to the pandemic. He thanks the inventor of the vaccine.

So far, Bangladesh has reported 523,302 cases of COVID-19; 467,718 have recovered whilst 7,803 have died.
Entrants from Hungary are no longer required to stay in isolation in Romania, according to official information from that country.

With regard to a decrease in new coronavirus infections per 100,000 residents in Hungary, Romanian authorities decided to take Hungary off the list of countries whose travellers must stay in a two-week quarantine on entering Romania.





MTI Photo
BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has released its first open-source software library for human-explainable artificial intelligence (AI). BCG GAMMA FACET enables users to make better business decisions by opening the "black box" of advanced machine learning models. Advances in AI have given data scientists powerful tools to analyze complex business problems and predict outcomes. FACET goes one step further, giving data scientists and business experts a new way to understand how a model arrives at predictions. With this new insight, data scientists can use machine learning models to inform decisions that save money, maximize yield, retain customers, remove bias, and improve patient outcomes.

BCG believes that humans must always be at the core of all AI-based decisions. By helping developers and business users understand how algorithms analyze the data sets on which AI predictions are based, BCG GAMMA FACET reestablishes human control over and trust in AI. It uses a newly developed model-inspection algorithm to explain the relationships between the model variables. And it applies a simulation approach to enable data scientists to conduct "virtual experiments" to determine how changes in these variables can affect predicted outcomes.

"Data scientists are often under pressure to explain the behavior of their models. This is precisely the aim of FACET: to explain the key variables in the models very quickly, in order to provide greater clarity in the dialogue between data scientists and operational teams. By facilitating the explicability of models, FACET contributes to the deployment of a more transparent and more responsible AI," says Sylvain Duranton, BCG managing director, senior partner, and global leader of BCG GAMMA.

"We are very glad that scikit-learn's simple and consistent design allowed BCG to develop FACET, a very valuable tool for our community," says Alexandre Gramfort, senior research scientist at Inria, co-author, and member of the scikit-learn technical committee.

"BCG GAMMA is very excited to join the open-source data science community with our public release of FACET," says Jan Ittner, BCG partner, associate director, and leader of the BCG GAMMA FACET team. "We look forward to working with the data science community and in partnership with scikit-learn to make AI more useful and understandable for everyone."

BCG GAMMA FACET is an intuitive, easy-to-implement, open-source software library available to the global data science community.

For more information about BCG GAMMA FACET, please contact Sophie Ruedinger at +49 170 334 4530 or [email protected].

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The man who vowed to be a president of law and order failed to enforce the law or restore order. The man who has always seen himself as the protector of uniformed police sat idly by as Capitol Police officers were outnumbered, out-maneuvered, trampled on  and in one case, killed. And the man who had long craved the power of the presidency abdicated many of the responsibilities of the commander in chief. The episode in which Trump supporters rose up against their own government, leaving five people dead, will be central to any impeachment proceedings, critical to federal prosecutors considering incitement charges against him or his family, and a dark cornerstone of his presidential legacy. This portrait of the President as the Capitol was under attack on January 6 is the result of interviews with 15 Trump advisers, members of Congress, GOP officials and other Trump confidantes, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid details. The day began ominously, with a "Save America March" on the Ellipse devoted to perpetuating Trump's baseless claims that somehow the 2020 election was stolen from him. Before the President's remarks around noon, several of his family members addressed the crowd with speeches that all shared a central theme: Fight. Eric Trump, one of the President's sons, told the crowd that lawmakers needed to "show some fight" and "stand up," before urging the angry mass to "march on the Capitol today." Donald Trump jnr, another of the President's sons, exhorted all "red-blooded, patriotic Americans" to "fight for Trump."

Backstage, as the President prepared to speak, Laura Branigan's hit Gloria was blared to rev up the crowd, and Trump jnr, in a video he recorded for social media, called the rally-goers "awesome patriots that are sick of the bull----." His girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, danced to the song and, clenching her right fist, urged people to "fight." The President, too, ended his speech with an exhortation, urging the crowd to give Republicans "the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country." "So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue," he concluded. Trump, however, did not join the angry crowd surging toward the Capitol. Instead, he returned to the White House, where at 2.24pm he tapped out a furious tweet railing against Vice-President Mike Pence, who in a letter earlier in the day had made clear that he planned to fulfill his constitutional duties and certify President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the winners of the 2020 Electoral College vote.

"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify," he wrote. "USA demands the truth!" By then, West Wing staffers monitoring initial videos of the protesters on TV and social media were already worried that the situation was escalating and felt that Trump's tweet attacking Pence was unhelpful. Members of Congress being evacuated from the House Chamber after Trump supporters breached the Capitol. Credit:Bloomberg Press officials had begun discussing a statement from Trump around 2pm, when protesters first breached the Capitol, an official familiar with the discussions said. But they were not authorised to speak on behalf of the President and could only take the matter to chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, this person said, adding that "the most infuriating part" of the day was how long it took before Trump finally spoke out. Around the same time, Trump jnr headed to the airport for a shuttle flight home to New York. As he waited in an airport lounge to board the plane, the President's namesake son saw that the rally-goers they had all urged to fight were doing just that, breaching police barricades and laying siege to the Capitol.

An aide called Trump jnr and suggested he immediately issue a statement urging the rioters to stop. At 2.17pm, Trump jnr hit send on a tweet as he boarded the plane: "This is wrong and not who we are," he wrote. "Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don't start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and this doesn't help anyone." But the President himself was busy enjoying the spectacle. Trump watched with interest, buoyed to see that his supporters were fighting so hard on his behalf, one close adviser said. But if Trump didn't appear to understand the magnitude of the crisis, those in his orbit did. Conway immediately called a close personal aide who she knew was with the President, and said she was adding her name to the chorus of people urging Trump to speak to his supporters. He needed to tell them to stand down and leave the Capitol, she told the aide. Conway also told the aide that she had received calls from the DC mayor's office asking for help in getting Trump to call up the National Guard. Ivanka Trump had gone to the Oval Office as soon as the riot became clear, and Graham reached her on her cellphone and implored her for help. "They were all trying to get him to speak out, to tell everyone to leave," said Graham, referring to the small group of aides with Trump on Wednesday afternoon.

Several Republican members of Congress also called White House aides, begging them to get Trump's attention and have him call for the violence to end. The lawmakers reiterated that they had been loyal Trump supporters and were even willing to vote against the electoral college results  but were now scared for their lives, officials said. When the mob first breached the Capitol, coming within mere seconds of entering the Senate chamber, Pence  who was overseeing the electoral certification  was hustled away to a secure location, where he remained for the duration of the siege, despite multiple suggestions from his Secret Service detail that he leave the Capitol, said an official familiar with Pence's actions that day. Instead, the Vice-President fielded calls from congressional leaders furious that the National Guard had not yet been deployed, this official said. Pence, from his secret location in the Capitol, spoke with legislative and military leaders, working to mobilise the soldiers and offering reassurance. Members of the US Capitol Police trying to block demonstrators from reaching the House Floor. Credit:Bloomberg Even as his supporters at the Capitol chanted for Pence to be hanged, Trump never called the Vice-President to check on him or his family. Marc Short, Pence's chief-of-staff, eventually called the White House to let them know that Pence and his team were OK, after receiving no outreach from the President or anyone else in the White House.

Meanwhile, in the West Wing, a small group of aides  including Ivanka Trump, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Meadows  was imploring Trump to speak out against the violence. Meadows's staff had prompted him to go see the President, with one aide telling the chief of staff before he entered the Oval Office, "They are going to kill people." Shortly after 2.30pm, the group finally persuaded Trump to send a tweet: "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement," he wrote. "They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!" But the Twitter missive was insufficient, and Trump had not wanted to include the final instruction to "stay peaceful," according to one person familiar with the discussions. Less than an hour later, aides persuaded Trump to send a second, slightly more forceful tweet: "I am asking for everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful," he wrote. "No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order  respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!" US President Donald Trump speaks at the "Save America March" rally before the Capitol was stormed by his supporters. Credit:Getty Images

McCarthy did eventually reach Trump, but later told allies that he found the President distracted. So McCarthy repeatedly appeared on television to describe the mayhem, an adviser said, in an effort to explain just how dire the situation was and to secure the President's attention. McCarthy also called Kushner, who that afternoon was arriving back from a trip to the Middle East. The Secret Service originally warned Kushner that it was unsafe to venture downtown to the White House. McCarthy pleaded with him to persuade Trump to issue a statement for his supporters to leave the Capitol, saying he'd had no luck during his own conversation with Trump, the adviser said. So Kushner headed to the White House. At one point, Trump worried that the unruly group was frightening GOP lawmakers from doing his bidding and objecting to the election results, an official said. National security adviser Robert O'Brien also began calling members of Congress to ask how he could help. He called Senator Mike Lee, around 4pm, a Lee spokesman said. In an unlikely twist, Lee had heard from the President earlier  when he accidentally dialed the senator in a bid to reach Senator Tommy Tuberville, to discuss overturning the election. Others were still having trouble getting through to the White House. Speaking on ABC News shortly before 4pm Wednesday, Chris Christie, a GOP former governor of New Jersey, said he'd spent the last 25 minutes trying to reach Trump directly to convey a simple, if urgent, message.

"The President caused this protest to occur; he's the only one who can make it stop," Christie said. "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. And anything short of that is an abdication of his responsibility." Around this time, the White House was preparing to put out a video address on behalf of the President. They had begun discussing this option earlier but struggled to organise their effort. Biden, meanwhile, stepped forward with remarks that seemed to rise to the occasion: "The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are." Trump aides did three takes of the video and chose the most palatable option, despite some West Wing consternation that the President had called the violent protesters "very special." "This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people," Trump said in the video, released shortly after 4pm "We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

Amid the chaos, DC Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had implemented a 6pm curfew for the city, and as darkness fell, Secret Service told West Wing staff that, save for an essential few, everyone had to leave the White House and go home. At 6.01pm, Trump blasted out yet another tweet, which Twitter quickly deleted and which many in his orbit were particularly furious about, fearing he was further inflaming the still-tense situation. "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long," Trump wrote. "Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!" Thirteen minutes later, at 6.14pm, a perimeter was finally established around the Capitol. At about 8pm, more than six hours after the initial breach, the Capitol was declared secure. The following evening, on Thursday, Trump released another video, the closest advisers say he is likely to come to a concession speech.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:15:53|Editor: huaxia

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OUAGADOUGOU, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso's army said a soldier and eleven terrorists were killed in a clash with an armed group on Saturday in the north of the country, according to a statement released on Tuesday here in the capital Ouagadougou.

An army patrol was ambushed by an armed group in Koumbri locality, northern Yatenga province on Saturday, causing one dead and six injured among the soldiers, it said.

The response of Burkina Faso's armed forces "enabled to neutralize 11 assailants" among the unidentified armed group, it said.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been facing a worsening security situation with terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of over 1,000 people and displaced thousands of others. Enditem
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The Tesla and SpaceX CEO on Monday replied to a satirical tweet about Twitter and Facebook banning Donald Trump from their platforms

He said 'a lot of people will be unhappy' with what it means for free speech

Parler went offline shortly after 3am EST Monday after Amazon booted the platform off its web hosting service, effectively shutting the site down

The president was permanently banned from Twitter on Friday

The social media crackdown has revived a debate over whether tech giants should be treated as 'publishers' with the same liability as news providers

Critics have slammed the move as a purge on free speech

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday blasted tech titans for 'authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness'

CEO John Matze, who launched the app in August 2018, said that he has been receiving death threats since his platform was thrust into the spotlight

Elon Musk has torn into the 'West Coast high tech' who have turned into the 'de facto arbiter of free speech' after Amazon scrubbed Parler from the internet.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had replied to a satirical tweet about Twitter and Facebook banning Donald Trump from their platforms. Twitter also permanently banned Trump loyalists as part of a broader purge of accounts.

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Musk said Monday: 'A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech.'

Replying to another user who said 'West Coast high tech has to make the distinction between banning hate speech and banning speech it hates', Musk added: 'This is an important distinction.'

Parler went offline shortly after 3am EST Monday after Amazon booted the platform off its web hosting service, effectively shutting the site down until it can find a new hosting partner or fund its own servers.

It had already vanished from the Apple and Google app stores after they cut ties with the platform in the wake of the deadly mob attack at the US Capitol.

The site later said it would sue Amazon Web Services (AWS) over the decision. Amazon said the lawsuit has 'no merit', arguing it 'is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others'.

CEO John Matze, who launched the app in August 2018, said that he has been receiving death threats since his social media platform was thrust into the spotlight. 'People are threatening my life,' he said. 'I can't go home tonight.

The social media crackdown has revived a debate over whether tech giants should be treated as 'publishers' with the same liability as news providers.

Critics have slammed the move as a purge on free speech and pointed to Amazon 'holding the keys to the internet'.

Elon Musk said Monday that 'a lot of people' are going to be 'super unhappy' with tech giants becoming 'the de facto arbiter of free speech'

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had replied to a satirical tweet about Twitter and Facebook banning Donald Trump from their platforms

The company's chief content officer, Amy Peikoff, further said that social media firms forcing Parler from their platform was Orwellian.

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Matze told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that it was 'scary' how comprehensive his blacklisting had been, and how quick.

'You just never think it will happen, right?' Matze told Carlson. 'You know?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday slammed tech titans for 'authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness' during his speech on the broadcaster Voice of America.

'Censorship, wokeness, political correctness, it all points in one direction - authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness. It's similar to what we're seeing at Twitter, and Facebook, and Apple, and on too many university campuses,' Pompeo railed.

'We are all parts of institutions with duties and responsi

Discussing the removal of Parler from AWS, American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Ben Wizner told The New York Times: 'There is a difference between a social media platform like Twitter...deciding who its members are and what its guidelines should be, and a company like Amazon that really hold the keys to the internet.'

Wizner also pointed to a 2017 quote by CloudFlare CEO Matthew Prince when he took down The Daily Stormer who said: 'I woke up in a bad mood and decided someone shouldn't be allowed on the internet No one should have that power.'

DailyMail.com has contacted the ACLU for additional comment.

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Regarding Twitter's ban of Trump ACLU senior legislative counsel Kate Ruane said: 'We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now.

'But, it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions.'

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Amazon was on Saturday forced to warn its employees to 'be vigilant' following far right threats to blow up its data centers, a leaked memo reveals.

In an email to staff Saturday, Chris Vondehaar, Vice President of Infrastructure at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: 'We all need to [be] vigilant during this time to keep one another and our facilities safe.

'If you see something, say something  no situation or concern is too small or insignificant.'

Twitter and Facebook have removed Donald Trump from their platforms. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pictured

Jack Dorsey, Chief Executive Officer, Twitter is pictured

Amazon has also blocked service updates on their systems in an effort to avoid a cyber attack by those upset at the decision to remove the right leaning social media site used by Donald Trump fans.

Fox New host Jeanine Pirro argued Parler's deplatforming 'is akin to a Kristallnacht'. In 1938, Nazis in Germany and Austria vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses during an attack that became known as Kristallnacht.

She said: 'They gave us a taste of this pre-election when they suppressed the Hunter Biden story. And now that they've won, what we're seeing is a kind of censorship that is akin to a Kristallnacht, where they decide what we can communicate about.'

Pirro later clarified in a tweet: 'Although book burning started earlier, Kristallnacht included the destruction of Jewish stores, homes & synagogues containing rare Jewish books & Torahs. My reference was in context of books.The Holocaust was the greatest hate crime the world ever tolerated. I abhor all violence.'

The journalist tweeted Sunday to accuse the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' the app after Donald Trump was on Friday kicked off of most mainstream social media platforms

Greenwald tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

The president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. said it was a 'purge of conservative ideas and thought leaders.'

Piers Morgan wrote: 'It has been quite sinister to witness the speed in which the tech world has conspired to use the Capitol riot to silence not just Trump but entire right-wing social media platforms like Parler which has been effectively driven offline by Google, Apple and Amazon.'

And journalist Glenn Greenwald on Sunday accused the tech giants of 'feigning offense to destroy' to Parler. He claimed 'far more violence' has been planned on Facebook.

He tweeted Monday to pan liberals as 'overwhelmingly supportive' of big tech using 'brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics'

Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning far-right social media site Parler, a leaked memo reveals (stock image)

John Matze founded Parler in 2018 as a 'free-speech driven' alternative to mainstream platforms. He is pictured with his family. Amazon has warned its employees to 'be vigilant' as it faces threats to blow up its data centers after banning the far-right social media site

Shortly after 3am EST Monday, Parler disappeared from the web with an error message saying 'we can't connect to the server' after Amazon pulled the plug

The app was removed from the Google app store after conservative social media users flocked to the site in the wake of the Capitol attack

Greenwald wrote: 'Tech monopolies -- FB, Google, Apple, Amazon -- have more concentrated wealth & power than any in history. They have used brute force 3 times in 3 months to manipulate US politics: censoring NY Post, banning Trump, destroying Parler. And liberals are overwhelmingly supportive.

'That these Silicon Valley monopolies are grave menaces to political freedom & economic well-being is *not* a right-wing view.

'Authoritarians never believe they're authoritarians, no matter how much censorship, surveillance, jingoism, & imprisonment they demand. They tell themselves their enemies are so uniquely evil and dangerous - terrorists - that anything done in the name of fighting them is noble.'

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman called it 'problematic' that free speech could be obstructed by 'decision of the management of social media platforms'.
The death of a man killed during an assault Monday night in east Birmingham is being investigated as a homicide.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as LaCorey Lashard McDonald. He was 31 and lived in Alabaster.

Coroners officials said McDonald was shot about 8 p.m. in Zion City. The location wasnt immediately known by police.

He was taken to St. Vincents East by private vehicle where he was pronounced dead at 8:46 p.m. No additional details have been released.

The homicide is Birminghams fourth so far this year. In all of Jefferson County, there have been five homicides, including the four in Birmingham.

This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
An innocent photo of NRL star Josh Addo-Carr celebrating the Melbourne Storm's 2020 Grand Final win has sparked controversy among footy fans and triggered a backlash from some of Sydney's most feared street gangs.

The winger can be seen throwing up the hand signal 67 in a nod to Doonside - the gritty Western Sydney suburb where he was born, which has the postcode 2767.

Another high-profile figure from the area is notorious drill rapper Hooligan Hefs, who pens songs glorifying guns, gangs and street violence.

After the Storm speedster made the hand gesture during a post-match interview, a social media account linked to Hooligan Hefs re-posted the photo with the caption 'LETS FKN TROT !! congrats brother'.

Addo-Carr dismissed the controversy by reassuring fans the hand signal has 'nothing to do with gangs'.

Addo-Carr can be seen throwing up the 67 hand signal, which is a nod to Doonside - the gritty Western Sydney suburb where he was born

Another high-profile figure from the 2767 postcode is notorious drill rapper Hooligan Hefs (pictured) who pens songs glorifying guns, gangs and street violence

'I'm proud of where I come from but want to make it clear that no one should get involved in gangs,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

But another infamous Sydney rapper has lashed out at posers who claim to represent a neighbourhood but don't 'put in work'.

Spanian said that when you throw up gang signs to represent your 'hood' it implies 'you're a participant'.

The controversial artist is known for speaking candidly about his life of crime, drug addiction and growing up in inner city Sydney as part of street gangs.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting he is still involved in any illegal activity.

'Just because you are raised somewhere, that doesn't mean you're one of the boys there,' he said in a fiery Instagram post.

Spanian (pictured) said that when you throw up gang signs to represent your 'hood' it implies 'you're a participant

'It doesn't work like that. If you're going to represent a hood, you have to put in work.

'We were out here... holding the street values, stabbing c**ts for the name of the street, making money, putting the streets on the map.

'Go to jail, represent the hood, have fights over the hood.'

Addo-Carr is not the only NRL star to make gestures representing a neighbourhood.

His opposing Grand Final winger Brian To'o from the Penrith Panthers was raised on the mean streets of Mt Druitt in Western Sydney and is friends with members from one of Australia's most infamous live acts, ONEFOUR.

Penrith winger Brian To'o, pictured with his partner, grew up on the mean streets of Mt Druitt

Members of the Western Sydney-based ONEFOUR group (pictured) admitted in a documentary they can 'relate to stabbings and punch-ons'

The group have made headlines across the world for rapping about street crime in Western Sydney and were even banned from performing by New South Wales Police last year after several members fell foul of the law.

Despite the controversy, the group have developed a significant following online and are known for ushering in dance move the Mounty Bop.

To'o is known to perform the shuffle in celebration after he scores a try.

Police investigating ongoing postcode violence in Sydney's west said the display of hand symbols by high-profile people is by no means new, but it does raise concerns.

'While it's unlikely we'd see conflict on the field, this type of behaviour could easily cause issues among spectators,' Criminal Groups Squad Commander Detective Acting Superintendent Jayne Doherty said.

NRL boss Andrew Abdo said the code will continue to work closely with NSW Police so players understand the potential ramifications of 'certain actions'.

'Our players are role models, particularly to young people in the community, and we take our role to educate our players of that responsibility very seriously.'

Police investigating ongoing postcode violence in Sydney's west said the display of hand symbols by high-profile people is by no means new, but it does raise concerns. Pictured: ONEFOUR
A patient lies on a stretcher in a hallway in the overloaded emergency room at Providence St. Mary Medical Center amid a surge in COVID-19 patients in Apple Valley, Calif., on Jan. 5, 2021. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Southern California Hospitals Postpone Elective Surgeries During COVID-19 Surge

Some Orange County hospitals have suspended elective surgeries as they struggle to keep pace with an ongoing pandemic that continues to push the boundaries of health care capacity.

Local health officials made the call to postpone nonessential procedures following a state health order that sought to more effectively prioritize patient care. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) directed health centers to categorize elective surgeries through a tier scale endorsed by the American College of Surgeons.

The health order delays elective surgeries and non-life-threatening surgeries but it does not affect surgeries involving serious medical conditions, like cancer removal or heart surgeries, Adam Blackstone, spokesperson for the Hospital Association for Southern California, told The Epoch Times via email Jan. 11.

This is a measure that many hospitals in highly affected areas have already undertaken to accommodate the massive influx of COVID-19 patients.

The Jan. 5 order follows a tier system for counties experiencing less than 10 percent intensive care unit (ICU) availability in regions with zero percent ICU capacity.

Southern California regional ICU bed capacity remained at zero percent on Jan. 11. In Orange County, 3,259 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, alongside 29 deaths. Right now, 2,221 Orange County residents are hospitalized with the disease, including 544 in intensive care.

The MemorialCare groupa health system that includes Saddleback Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center, and the Long Beach Medical Centerwas among those forced to delay some medical procedures.

We have postponed all elective surgeries and procedures that can be delayed in compliance with [the order], Saddleback Medical Center spokesperson Debra Culver told The Epoch Times via email on Jan. 11. In addition, we continue to comply with and monitor any additional guidance from the CDPH and other state agencies.

Changes have also been made at the Hoag Health Networks Irvine and Newport Beach hospitals, according to the networks medical director of infection prevention.

We have a number of plans to increase capacity at the hospital, Dr. Philip Robinson said Jan. 11 in a statement sent to The Epoch Times. We have cancelled elective surgeries to reduce the strain due to an increase in patient volume, allowing us to keep beds open.

Much like the rest of Southern California, Hoag hospitals are experiencing a surge thats expected to last several weeks, Robinson said.

We currently have capacity at both hospitals thanks to the tireless work of our clinical teams caring for all of our patients, he said.

We are also redeploying nurse resources from other service lines to the COVID units. Weve trained up nursing staff so that we can migrate medical personnel from med surge to critical care to help handle increasing volume of patients. We have many physicians and medical staff that are stepping forward and working long hours to meet the needs of the community.

As doctors and nurses continue working long shifts to treat patients, Robinson called on the public to do its part to help too.

Weve been asking the community to do their part to curb this rise in cases, and continue to do so, he said. At this point, we all know what to do: stay home as much as possible, keep your mask on when you are out and refrain from gathering.

This commitment and effort by everyone is required to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, protect the communitys most vulnerable populations, and reduce the impact on our health care resources.
We welcome you to the village of Arlington Heights and thank you for choosing our community. As your market study found, we have a very healthy senior living segment of our community and were very proud of that, Mayor Tom Hayes told company representatives, referring to the Lutheran Home Senior Living community and The Moorings of Arlington Heights. Weve got a lot of senior living facilities in Arlington Heights and we can always use more.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:18:08|Editor: huaxia

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-- Two years after a detailed development plan for the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center was approved by the central government, the district has become a front-runner in attracting foreign investment and a highland clustering emerging industries.



-- The district has made a preliminary review of over 600 major projects with a total investment of more than 800 billion yuan, covering infrastructure, public service, and industries, according to Zeng Zanrong, Party chief of Tongzhou District.

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Despite the freezing cold, construction on a museum, a theater, and a library in eastern Beijing's Tongzhou District is progressing in full swing.

The projects are set to be the landmarks of the district, designated as the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center. Two years after a detailed development plan for the administrative center was approved by the central government, the district has become a front-runner in attracting foreign investment and a highland clustering emerging industries.

Workers install the component of a shield tunneling machine at the road transformation site in Tongzhou District of Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

In 2020, 71 foreign-invested enterprises landed in the district with multiple industries such as finance, culture and tourism, and science and technology gathering in the area.

OPEN AND INTERNATIONAL

The Universal Beijing Resort, a China-U.S. joint venture, is expected to start operation in Tongzhou in May this year.

Tom Mehrmann, president and general manager of the Universal Beijing Resort, said over 100,000 people have participated in the construction of the park, with the collaboration of more than 500 top international and Chinese designers and artists.

The resort is the epitome of the opening-up of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center. More and more foreign companies are optimistic about the location advantages of the administrative center and choose it as the first stop to settle in China.

Landmark projects of Beijing's sub-center are under construction in Tongzhou District of Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

"We chose to settle in the administrative center because we have confidence in the governance ability and efficiency of the local government, as well as China's financial development," said Huang Hong, head of the preparatory team of Ueda Yagi Money Broking (China) Co., Ltd, the first wholly foreign-owned money brokerage company in the Chinese mainland. It was established in the administrative center on Nov. 26.

"We believe we will be successful here," Huang said.

"During the company's application for the establishment, the relevant authorities, despite COVID-19, completed the review of the company and approval of the establishment within a very short period of time, which was hailed by the Japanese parent company," Huang added.

Huang, who has worked in European and Asian financial markets for many years, said China has resolutely contained the COVID-19 epidemic and its economy has taken the lead in recovery, adding that the current openness and activity of China's financial market are unprecedented and attractive to foreign investors.

In the future, the company will take advantage of the incentives for innovation in the administrative center and continue to improve product lines and business systems to provide well-rounded services to both domestic and foreign customers.

In addition to Ueda Yagi, the Refinitiv Financial Technology Information Services (China) Group Co., Ltd. has also recently completed its registration, becoming the first China headquarters of a wholly foreign-owned financial technology company in the administrative center.

With its positioning as a national comprehensive demonstration zone of service industry opening-up and pilot free trade zone, the Beijing administrative center is increasingly attractive to overseas financial institutions.

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows the business district along the Grand Canal in Tongzhou District of Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

In the first 10 months of 2020, the actual utilization of foreign investment totaled 565 million U.S. dollars, exceeding the annual target in advance, statistics showed.

CLUSTER OF COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIES

Hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak at the beginning of 2020, Terminus Group, a high-tech company engaged in the research on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, received timely help from local authorities of the administrative center where the company had moved in earlier 2019.

As stated in the district's preferential policies, companies will be rewarded with incentive payments in the early and later stages of their development since their settlement in the area.

Terminus was offered 6 million yuan (about 926,400 U.S. dollars) to tide over the difficulties, said Xie Chao, vice president of the company.

"What we value most are the opportunities in the administrative center. Especially under the backdrop of the digital economy, the district will become a pioneer in building a new-type digital eco-city," Xie said.

Photo taken on July 21, 2020 shows a park in Tongzhou District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Over the years, the district has phased out backward production capacity and undertaken some of the functions of the central urban area of Beijing to help address problems including traffic congestion and air pollution.

"Companies like ours will benefit from a string of policies that focus on expanding the opening up of the service industry and setting up a free trade pilot zone in Beijing," Xie added.

As one of Beijing's "two new wings" along with the Xiong'an New Area, the administrative center has become a model of quality-driven development by gathering a variety of superior resources.

People visit the Grand Canal Forest Park in Tongzhou District of Beijing, capital of China, July 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

The district, which aims to accommodate 1.3 million permanent residents by 2035, has witnessed the settlement of headquarters of centrally-administered state-owned enterprises, branches of state-owned commercial banks, high-tech companies, a national cybersecurity industrial park, and a human resource service park.

The district has made a preliminary review of over 600 major projects with a total investment of more than 800 billion yuan, covering infrastructure, public service, and industries, according to Zeng Zanrong, Party chief of Tongzhou District.

"In the following five years, we aim to maintain an annual investment of over 100 billion yuan," Zeng said.

(Written by Peng Peigen, Ma Xiaoran, Wang Xiaojie, Guan Guifeng, Luo Guojun and Qiang Lijing; video reporters: Sun Lei, Xia Zilin and Guan Guifeng; video editor: Zhang Xinyi)
Austin, TX  January 12, 2021  The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research received recognition on local Lansing news station FOX News 47 for the Certified Insurance Service Representative High School program. The news station highlighted a second-year student at the Wilson Talent Center (WTC) in Mason, Michigan for being the first high school senior to pass the first exam toward the Certified Insurance Service Representative designation.

The WTC offers career and technical education programming for high school juniors and seniors. The center offers 18 programs in 12 career clusters, giving students the ability to earn high school academic credit, dual college credit, and either state or national certifications.

The WTC partners with business leaders through advisory board participation or by providing work-based learning opportunities for students. Advisory board members from organizations and businesses within specific career fields advise students on curriculum, resource needs, and industry trends. Many of these employers also offer student internships and job shadows. Many of them end up hiring WTC students upon graduation, and some even help them pay for their continued education.

In a recent Nat Alliance NOW Podcast, Monique Colizzi, Business & Risk Management Instructor at the WTC, was interviewed about the students recent milestone and had this to share about the program:

The curriculum is well laid-out with teacher and student guides. The educational videos are nicely done and the curriculum is polished and tailored to fit different learning styles. You dont have to be an expert to facilitate this program. Teachers as well as career and technical education advocates should give it a try. Youre never going to do your students a disservice by exposing them to quality curriculum that ties in with everyday life. Youll be doing the world and the industry a huge favor and a great service.

Read the article here or listen to the podcast.

If you would like to financially support a high school, offer internship opportunities, or bring the CISR High School program to your community, contact Tasha Sheehan at tsheehan@scic.com.

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is the nations premier provider of educational opportunities for insurance and risk management professionals. Learn more at www.scic.com.

Topics Education Training Development

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
In this Saturday, July 13, 2019 file photo, a child is vaccinated against Ebola in Beni, Congo. The World Health Organization and other partners said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, they are creating a global emergency stockpile of about 500,000 vaccines of Ebola vaccines to help stamp out any future outbreaks of the disease.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, file)

The World Health Organization and partners said Tuesday they are creating a global stockpile of Ebola vaccines to help stamp out future outbreaks.

In a statement, WHO, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said they were establishing an emergency reserve of about 500,000 doses; nearly 7,000 are available now and more will be added throughout the year and beyond. Financial support for the vaccine stockpile was provided by the vaccines alliance GAVI.

The Ebola vaccine being stockpiled is made by Merck. Before it was licensed, the shot was used to previously help contain outbreaks in Guinea and Congo under a protocol for "compassionate use."

Other stockpiles managed by WHO and partners exist for diseases including meningitis and yellow fever.

The Ebola vaccines will be stored in Switzerland, where they will be ready to be shipped after WHO and partners receive a request from countries. The agencies say any decision to release vaccines will be made within 48 hours of any such request and that the targeted delivery time is within one week.

The vaccines will be reserved for those at highest risk of being infected with Ebola during any epidemic, including those exposed to the disease and health workers treating patients and their contacts.

In this Saturday, July 13, 2019, file photo, a health worker wearing protective suit enters an isolation pod to treat a patient at a treatment center in Beni, Congo DRC. The World Health Organization and other partners said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, they are creating a global emergency stockpile of about 500,000 vaccines of Ebola vaccine to help stamp out any future outbreaks of the disease.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

Explore further Vaccine group announces creation of Ebola vaccine stockpile

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Lawmakers heard from two experts Tuesday who warned that granting another waiver to a recently retired general to serve as defense secretary weakens American norms.

Several Democratic senators say they will vote against granting a waiver for Lloyd Austin. President-elect Joe Biden has said he'll nominate the retired Army general officer, who fought in Iraq and oversaw all military missions in the Middle East, to lead the Pentagon.

Austin retired in 2016. By law, anyone serving as defense secretary must have been out of uniform for at least seven years unless they have a waiver from Congress.

Read Next: Army Will Not Screen All National Guardsmen Deploying to DC for Extremist Sympathies

Several senators, including Biden's former colleagues in Congress, say the move won't get their vote after a waiver was granted to Jim Mattis, a retired Marine general who served as President Donald Trump's defense secretary, in 2017.

"The reason for the principle of civilian control is not only to protect our democracy against military interference, it is to protect the military against excessive interference -- political partisan interference --that may jeopardize the professionalism and effectiveness of our military," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and Marine Corps veteran.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and former National Guard officer, said she doesn't believe the seven-year rule is long enough.

"The military is a much smaller community than it may seem to people who haven't served," she said. "Especially as service members make their way up the ranks and that pyramid gets steeper and steeper."

A newly retired general is likely to have personal relationships with most of the military's highest-ranking leaders, Duckworth added, which "puts them in a difficult situation."

Duckworth first stated in December that she planned to oppose a waiver for Austin.

Lindsay Cohn, a professor at the Naval War College who studies civilian-military relations, said giving Austin a waiver so soon after Mattis received one sets "a dangerous precedent." When members of Congress considered a waiver for Mattis, she noted, it was said to be a once-in-a-generation exception.

"I think that this chamber has a very difficult decision in front of it to decide whether the reasons that the president-elect has given, and the reasons that you all can think of yourself, justify printing another waiver," Cohn told senators.

Biden has defended his decision to select Austin to be his future defense secretary nominee.

"I believe in the importance of civilian control of the military," he said last month. "So does the secretary-designee Austin. He'll be bolstered by a strong and empowered civilian sector and senior [officials] working [Defense Department] policies and to ensure that our defense policies are accountable to the American people."

Cohn and Kathleen McInnis, an international security specialist with the Congressional Research Service, laid out potential fallout if military officers more routinely move into the defense secretary role, which they say is inherently political.

The seven-year "cooling-off period" required before a military member can serve as defense secretary helps reduce their reliance on uniformed networks, Cohn said.

McInnis noted that Mattis faced criticism from some for relying more on military colleagues for information and advice than he did Defense Department civilians. DoD civilians have, in recent years, had their voices "relatively muted," she added.

"They are there to do the day-to-day work of civilian oversight of the military," McInnis said. "They work with their counterparts overseas to understand political and military dynamics that might impact national security. They go to war zones and help military commanders really understand the secretary's intent. They are where the rubber meets the road of civilian-military relations."

Several members of Congress have expressed support for Austin's selection as the future defense secretary nominee and indicated they will support a waiver approval. It is noteworthy, though, that members of Biden's party are taking a stance against it.

As Blumenthal put it, "It is a matter of principle."

"I have immense respect and admiration for General Austin," he said. "... It's not personal."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also said she plans to vote against a waiver for Austin, though she added that if Congress grants one, she'll consider his nomination independently on its merits.

If confirmed, Austin would be the first Black defense secretary. Lawmakers on Tuesday noted the importance of having a defense secretary who represents those in the ranks, something Cohn echoed in her testimony.

"The importance of the fact that he would be a Black man in a very visible position of authority, trust and responsibility, should not be underestimated," she wrote. "As scholars like Meg Guliford have noted, the national security world has thus far done a poor job of fostering the advancement of people of color to leadership positions, and of making it a world that is inviting to young people of color."

Austin will appear before the House Armed Services Committee on Jan. 21 to discuss civilian control of the military, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said last week.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Related: Biden Hits Back at Criticism over Choosing Retired General for SecDef
She is the daughter of Oasis star Noel Gallagher and his ex-wife Meg Mathews.

And Anais Gallagher looked radiant as ever as she shared a stunning selfie to Instagram on Monday.

The 20-year-old showcased her toned figure as she posed in a white crop top while looking away from the camera.

Stunning: Anais Gallagher looked radiant as ever as she shared a stunning selfie to Instagram on Monday

Anais, who appeared to be posing in her bedroom, added to her look with several gold necklaces.

Appearing to go make-up free for the snap, the social media star styled her platinum blonde locks into a ponytail.

Alongside the photo, Anais wrote: 'Me & my handsome nose.'

It comes after Anais admitted that fans are disappointed when they hear her speak as they expect her to have a northern twang like her father, 53.

Famous family: Anais is the daughter of Oasis star Noel Gallagher and his ex-wife Meg Mathews

But as she spent many of her younger years in southern England, she instead has a 'posh' accent - much unlike her father and uncle Liam, 48.

She told the Daily Star: 'It disappoints people when they hear me because they have a perception that I'm going to be so Mancunian, then I come along and sound so posh. I want to be my own person.'

Last September, Anais revealed she ditched her bustling London life for a quieter dwelling in Dorset, after moving to the countryside with her beau Julius Roberts.

She had previously shared a glimpse of her new home in the sprawling fields, as she raised a family of goats with her chef boyfriend.

Famous father: Anais recently admitted fans are disappointed when they hear her speak as they expect her to have a northern twang like her father Noel, 53 (pictured in October 2019)

In a video posted to Instagram, Anais shared a glimpse of her journey to the country with boyfriend Julius and their pals.

Along with enjoying dinner and card games by candlelight, the model proceeded to chase after a field full of goats, before relaxing in a field to enjoy the stunning views.

Anais first revealed her romance with chef Julius in July, and has since shared a slew of loved-up snaps with him.

Speaking previously to NME, Anais told how it was normal for her to watch her father perform on stage as a child and she has only become 'emotional' watching his shows more recently.

Loved-up: Last September, Anais revealed she has ditched her bustling London life for a quieter dwelling in Dorset, after moving to the countryside with her beau Julius Roberts

Anais revealed the band's Wembley Stadium gig in 2009 is her earliest memory of an Oasis performance.

She said: 'Obviously I went to lots of Oasis gigs, but this is the one I can remember most vividly.

'I particularly remember being very upset there were no Cadbury Buttons in the dressing room  a huge travesty for eight-year-old me.

'People expect the memory of Oasis to have been just as crazy for me as it was for them, but I was born watching my dad onstage so it didn't really faze me.

'I've only started getting properly emotional when I see him onstage recently. Before, I was slightly oblivious.'

Noel shares two sons, Donovan, 13, and Sonny, 10, with his wife Sara MacDonald, whereas he had his only daughter Anais with his ex-wife Meg.
Stiffness in our tissues causes tension in our cells. Research from the Buck Institute, the University Health Network (University of Toronto), Stanford University, and the University of Alberta shows that stiffness impacts the innate immune system by upping its metabolism. The findings suggest the cellular tension likely sets off an inflammatory loop that contributes to the development of chronic diseases of aging. Publishing in Cell Reports, Buck Associate Professor Dan Winer, MD, and colleagues present an emerging way of looking at how the immune system functions, possibilities for new immunotherapeutics, and a call for scientists to reconsider the way they do research.

While stiffness is a recognized factor in acute infections (think swollen lymph glands or swelling after a cut), Winer is particularly focused on how stiffness that arises from the environment impacts immune cells. "While viruses and bacteria are key players in triggering an immune response, we think that the forces in the environment around the cells are an extremely important part of the puzzle that influences immunity," he said. "Stiffness in our tissues and the resulting cellular tension changes in most diseases, as well as in aging itself," said Winer. "This work provides support for a new way of thinking about how the immune system functions, suggesting that mechanical force primes and likely controls immunology during acute and chronic disease because it readies the immune system in the face of danger."

Winer and his team, led by Mainak Chakraborty, MSc, Research Assistant at the University Health Network in Toronto and Sue Tsai, a former post-doctoral fellow in the lab, now an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta, cultured dendritic cells (DCs), a component of the innate immune system that orchestrates an immune response, from mouse bone marrow and spleen at different degrees of physiological stiffness. "DCs grown at physiological resting stiffness showed reduced proliferation, activation and cytokine production compared to cells grown under high stiffness which mimicked fibro-inflammatory disease," said Chakraborty. "High stiffness grown DCs showed increased activation and flux in major glucose metabolic pathways," added Tsai. "In models of autoimmune diabetes and tumor immunotherapy, the cellular tension primed the DCs to elicit a response from the adaptive immune system, which kicks in specifically and secondarily following infection or injury." The findings were not limited to mouse DCs, as human DCs also showed enhanced markers of activity under higher tension.

Researchers identified the Hippo-signaling molecule, TAZ, as an important factor impacting DC metabolism and function under tension in the innate immune response. Winer says that finding is significant, given that a lab at the University of California, Los Angeles recently showed that same pathway facilitated the effects of tension in the adaptive immune system. "This seems to be a critical pathway for sensing environmental force in both arms of the immune system," said Winer. "Mechanoimmunology still has been understudied. We hope our work moves this emerging field forward and leads to the development of new force-targeting immunotherapies that would allow the immune system to function normally across the many conditions that alter tissue stiffness."

Big implications for killer diseases and chronic diseases of aging

Winer says there are number of diseases predicted to be influenced by the impact of tissue stiffness on the immune system. "Heart disease, cancer and lower lung disease are among the top causes of death in the U.S.," he said. "Computer algorithms from our study show that all of these conditions are strongly modulated by genes or protein interactions that are induced by tension in the immune system. Those studying these diseases should consider this finding."

Noting that tissue stiffness is a well-known phenomenon associated with aging (for instance, the lungs and their blood vessels can double in stiffness with age), Winer says it's likely that the interaction with the immune system contributes to the low-grade chronic inflammation that fuels many of the diseases of aging. "The tension from the stiffness promotes metabolism and cytokine production in DCs which may potentially contribute to what is now known as inflammaging." Winer says his lab plans on looking at mechanoimmunology in aging mice and in the context of specific diseases.

Winer says the genes that are activated via cellular tension are potential targets for immunotherapeutics, which is another focus in his lab. He says techniques now exist (via an add-on to Magnetic Resonance Imaging or ultrasound) that enable the mapping of tension in specific tissues and organs. Winer says the ability to track the tension could provide a biomarker of aging and make it easier to test new drugs.

A final note to researchers: Be wary of culturing on plastic!

Almost as important as the findings in this study, Winer is urging researchers to consider changing the way they culture immune cells. He says for decades the vast majority of scientists have been using plastic plates to grow their cells, which exerts tension thousands of times higher than what a cell feels in the body. "Many immune cells need to anchor themselves in the dish and the stiffness of the plastic imparts supraphysiological force on the cells" he said. Winer's team grows immune cells on soft silicone gels which have been treated to closely mimic the physiology inside the body. "We think adopting new research culturing techniques in immunology might better mimic the physiology inside the body."

###

Citation: Mechanical Stiffness Controls Dendritic Cell Metabolism and Function

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108609

Other collaborators include: Saad Khan, and Helena Lei, Diabetes Research Group, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Kevin Chu, Megan Lee, Camille Huang, Masoud Akbari, Xavier Clemente-Casares, and Sue Tsai, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada; Annie Shrestha, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Canada; Shawn Winer, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Xavier S. Revelo, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; Fanta Barrow, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Xiangyue Zhang, and Edgar G. Engleman, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA; Matthew Gold, and Pamela S. Ohashi, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Yi Tao Chan, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Canada; Nicholas K. Kotoulas and Cynthia Goh, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada; Juan Jovel, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada; Chiara Pastrello, Max Kotlyar, and Igor Jurisica, Osteoarthritis Research Program, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Evangelos Michelakis, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Canada.

This work was supported by grants from the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST)/Aventis Pasteur, the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre (BBDC)-Novo Nordisk Studentship, the National Research Council H.L. Holmes Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology Bridge Fund, the New Frontiers in Research-Exploration Fund, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Huiying Memorial Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Innovation Early Researcher Award, Ontario Research Fund, Natural Sciences Research Council, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Buchan Foundation and IBM.

About the Buck Institute for Research on Aging

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Alice Rose George, a Mississippi-born poet, curator and photo editor who was an ardent promoter of famous and unsung photographers for over 50 years, and whose unerring eye for visual details made her a fixture in New Yorks magazine world, died on Dec. 22 in Los Angeles. She was 76.

Her partner, Jim Belson, said the cause was a concussion.

Witty and urbane with a love for whiskey and a wisp of a Southern accent, Ms. George, known to her friends as Pi, cultivated relationships with scores of photographers and collectors, gallerists and magazine editors, helping to knit together a community just as the very nature of photography was undergoing rapid change, including new directions in photojournalism and the efflorescence of art photography.

Beginning with her first job, as an assistant photo editor at Time magazine in the late 1960s, Ms. George took advantage of the demise of the old order of photo-driven magazines like Life and Look to promote a more personal, engaged style of photojournalism, an analog to the emerging vogue around the highly personal, deeply immersive New Journalism of the day.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Sika (SXYAY.PK, SKFOF.PK), a specialty chemicals company, reported that its fiscal 2020 sales decline 2.9 percent from last year to 7.88 billion Swiss francs. In local currencies, sales rose 3.4 percent. The negative currency effect (-6.3%) caused sales in Swiss francs to decline, which includes a negative currency impact of around 500 million Swiss francs. The EMEA region reported a sales increase in local currency of 4.4 percent and the Americas region recorded sales growth in local currencies of 1.0% in 2020. Growth in the Asia/Pacific region amounted to 12.6%. Sika also specified the establishment of new factories in Colombia and China, alongside factory expansions in the United Arab Emirates, France, and Switzerland. For the 2020 fiscal year, Sika expects over-proportional increase in EBIT and an EBIT margin of around 14%. From 2021, the company is aiming for a higher EBIT margin of 15%-18%. Looking ahead, Sika is confirming its 2023 strategic targets. The company remains aligned for long-term success and profitable growth. With its focus on the six strategic pillars - Sika is seeking to grow by 6%-8% a year in local currencies up to 2023. 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.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Lane County Public Health is getting 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine, falling far short of what officials expected.

Incident Commander Steve Adams said after conversations with the Oregon Health Authority, they were expecting nearly 1,500 doses of the vaccine. The county has already gotten 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine over the past two weeks. Adams said he and others have been on the phone with OHA, trying to understand why a county of more than 340,000 people is getting such a small shipment.

"They've indicated that the differences are accounted for by allocations week by week," Adams said. "Some of the smaller counties might not have received allocations as high as ours in the past."

Here's how many doses of the Moderna vaccine each county in Western Oregon is getting this week:

Benton: 100

Coos: 100

Douglas: 500

Lane: 100

Linn: 100.

Other agencies in Oregon are also getting more of the Pfizer vaccine. RiverBend in Springfield is getting 3,900 doses and Mercy Medical in Roseburg will be getting 975 doses.

Adams said Lane County Public Health is working to try and get Moderna doses from OHA.


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Final rules governing unmanned aircraft, commonly known as drones, were released Monday by the Federal Aviation Administration, a move expected to open the door for delivery of consumer packages by air.

The rules establish minimum standards for safety so drones can fly over populated areas and at night, under certain conditions.

According to an FAA statement, the rules come at a time when drones represent the fastest-growing segment in the entire transportation sector. Currently there are more than 1.7 million drone registrations and 203,000 FAA-certificated remote pilots, the agency stated.

"These final rules carefully address safety, security and privacy concerns while advancing opportunities for innovation and utilization of drone technology," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said in the statement.

A cornerstone of the new rules is a requirement that drones flying over populated areas include remote identification.

"Remote ID is essential to identify the location, altitude, velocity, flight path, and performance characteristics of unmanned drones in public or any airspace," explained L. Nicole France, a principal analyst and vice president at Constellation Research.

"That airspace awareness ensures safe operation for other aircraft and people on the ground," she told TechNewsWorld. "It ensures that the FAA, including air traffic control, national security agencies, and local law enforcement can also distinguish compliant aircraft and operations from those that may be dangerous or illegal."

Stepping Stone to Full Integration

The FAA explained that equipping drones with Remote ID technology builds on previous steps taken by the agency and the drone industry to integrate operations safely into the national airspace system.

Current regulations prohibit covered drone operations over people and at night unless the operator obtains a waiver from the FAA, the agency continued. The new FAA regulations jointly provide increased flexibility to conduct certain small drone flights without obtaining a waiver.

"The new rules make way for the further integration of drones into our airspace by addressing safety and security concerns," FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. "They get us closer to the day when we will more routinely see drone operations such as the delivery of packages."

"Safety is always advantageous," added Barry Alexander, founder, CEO and COO of Aquiline Drones, a full-service drone company in Hartford, Conn.

"And Remote ID is a safety-enhancing feature and implementation," he told TechNewsWorld. "These safety-enhancing features far outweigh the cost of implementation."

UPS, which has been experimenting with delivery drones, praised the FAA's move. "UPS Flight Forward appreciates the FAA's latest rulemaking for unmanned aerial systems, which will advance the integration of drones into the National Airspace System," UPS spokesman John Mayer said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld.

"The framework is a critical step in allowing more complex UAS operations, with a focus on safety and security," he added.

UPS Flight Forward Drone Delivery

Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with the Enderle Group , an advisory services firm in Bend, Ore. explained that Remote ID only allows drone traffic to be monitored.

"We're not ready to manage traffic yet," he told TechNewsWorld. "When there are more drones in the sky, management is going to be critical."

No Skin Lacerations

The Remote ID rule applies to all operators of drones that require FAA registration. There are three ways to comply with the rule:

Operate a standard Remote ID drone that broadcasts identification and location information of the drone and control station;

Operate a drone with a Remote ID broadcast module, which may be a separate device attached to the drone, that broadcasts identification, location, and take-off information; or

Operate a drone without Remote ID but at specific FAA-recognized identification areas.

"The rule also dictates that the location of both the drone and the operator are broadcast," France noted. "That makes sense given that, unlike in a manned aircraft, the pilot won't be in the same physical location as the aircraft itself."

When operating drones at night, the rules require pilots to complete special training and that the drones must be equipped with anti-collision lights that can be seen for three statute miles and have a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision.

For drones operating over people, the aircraft must not contain any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin.

Apt Timing

France acknowledged that the new rules alone don't fully address all of the issues required to make commercial drone deliveries commonplace. But, she added, they do address a critical foundation to make that happen: identifying the locations of unmanned drones and their operators.

"Without the ability to actively identify and track the location of drones within public airspace, it's impossible to assure the safety of other aircraft or people on the ground," she said. "These regulations lay out the specific requirements for unmanned drones, as well as their remote operators, to be identified throughout the entirety of their flights."

Alexander noted that there are lots of commercial opportunities associated with the widespread use of drones as a primary transportation medium which are both cost-effective and "green."

"And given new societal realities created by the COVID pandemic -- such as social distancing -- the timing of this ruling is particularly apt," he said.

"Some commercial drone delivery services actually have huge societal benefit, such as saving lives," he added. "Tissue and organ delivery services utilizing drones are a prime example."

Noise and Lifestyle Problems

Public safety and monitoring and managing drone traffic aren't the only problems facing drone delivery. Noise and quality of life issues are likely to emerge.

"We've yet to see much public outcry, but to my mind that's simply because we really haven't seen all that much commercial drone traffic yet," observed France.

"You have only to look at the controversy and public complaints from communities near airports large and small to anticipate where this might go," she said.

"To compound the issue," she continued, "drones won't be limited to the low-level airspace around airports alone. I know I get annoyed when I hear a lone amateur drone whirring around near my house. What's it going to look and sound like when there are multitudes of commercial drones flying around?"

Alexander added that there are still technical challenges for the aircraft, too. "Endurance is huge problem," he said. "Getting a drone to stay airborne for extended periods of time is currently a challenge and is associated with limited battery life or short supplies of fuel."

He added that navigation in airspace shared with manned aircraft can also be a problem.

Fortunately, we still have a few more years to iron out some of these problems. "Right now, we're in a trial phase," observed Enderle. "We don't even know what the threats to the drones are, which makes insuring them problematic. 2021 will be a year for a lot of trials. We probably won't get to a critical mass anywhere until 2025.

"We'll probably see deliveries more often in rural areas than in urban centers," he predicted. "Drones make a lot more sense in rural areas. There's a lot more places to land and the cost of truck deliveries in rural areas is relatively expensive."

"We also have self-driving delivery vehicles coming," he added. "They work better than drones in densely populated urban areas."

John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.


The coronavirus pandemic doomed Gov. Gavin Newsom's ambitious plans last year to combat homelessness, expand behavioral health services and create a state agency to control soaring health care costs.

But even as the pandemic continues to rage, California's Democratic governor said Friday he plans to push forward with those goals in the coming year, due to a rosier budget forecast buoyed by higher tax revenue from wealthy Californians who have fared relatively well during the crisis.

Newsom's $227.2 billion budget blueprint also prioritizes billions to safely reopen K-12 schools shuttered by the pandemic, $600 payments for nearly 4 million low-income Californians  in addition to federal stimulus payments  and coronavirus relief grants and tax credits for hard-hit small businesses.

However, his 2021-22 fiscal year spending plan does not include additional public health money for local health departments steering California's pandemic response, which have been chronically underfunded. He vowed to support cities and counties by boosting state testing and contact tracing capacity, speeding vaccination efforts and funding state-run surge hospitals that take overflow patients.

Newsom said Friday his budget reflects a "pandemic-induced reality" with investments aimed at spurring California's economic recovery by helping businesses and people living in poverty. Wealth and income disparities, he added, "must be addressed."

But Democrats in control of the state legislature, county leaders and social justice groups say that will be difficult to achieve because Newsom's spending plan does not sufficiently fund health and social safety-net programs.

And without additional public health money, local leaders worry California will not be able to adequately control the spread of the virus.

"County public health is drowning," said Graham Knaus, executive director of the California State Association of Counties. "We are triaging right now between testing, contact tracing and vaccination, and it's impacting the response to the pandemic."

Newsom's budget proposal is the first step in a months-long negotiation process with the Democratic-controlled legislature, which has until June 15 to adopt the state budget that takes effect July 1. Lawmakers have become increasingly frustrated with the governor's response to the pandemic, including his unilateral spending decisions in response to the emergency. Newsom is also facing a burgeoning recall effort, backed by heavyweight Republicans such as former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is considering challenging Newsom in the 2022 California gubernatorial election.

Newsom said he expects to make some tough calls on spending even though the state anticipates a $15 billion budget surplus for the coming fiscal year, largely because a state fiscal analysis projected deficits in subsequent years.

"While we are enjoying the fruits of a lot of one-time energy and surplus, it's not permanent and we have to be mindful of over-committing," Newsom said, explaining why he didn't include funding to expand Medicaid to more unauthorized immigrants.

Some lawmakers say they will nonetheless press Newsom to use higher-than-expected revenues  and perhaps seek new taxes  to expand health coverage to more Californians.

The following health care proposals factor heavily into Newsom's 2021-22 budget proposal.

Covid relief

Newsom committed $4.4 billion in his budget to vaccine distribution, increased testing, contact tracing and other short-term pandemic expenses. Because that spending is related to the public health emergency, the state expects at least 75% to be reimbursed by the federal government and insurance payments.

He also proposed $52 million to fund costs at state-run surge hospitals, including support staff. And he is asking lawmakers to sign off on a covid relief package that would provide funding before the start of the fiscal year in July. It would include $2 billion to help school districts reopen classrooms to in-person instruction beginning in February by paying for protective equipment, ventilation systems and adequate testing. It would also commit billions to economic recovery, such as stimulus payments for individuals, and grants and tax credits for struggling small businesses.

Newsom also wants to increase the budget for the Department of Industrial Relations by $23 million to fund up to 113 additional workplace inspectors at the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health to police health order violations at businesses and enforce workplace safety laws.

Transforming Medi-Cal

Spending for Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program for low-income residents, is expected to grow in the coming year because of the economic impact of the pandemic  as is its enrollment. The program has roughly 13 million enrollees, or about one-third of the state population.

In the coming year, Newsom will also press forward with a major overhaul of Medi-Cal, through a project called CalAIM, to provide new benefits emphasizing mental health care and substance use treatment, and pay for some nontraditional costs such as housing assistance. The hope is the program would divert homeless and other vulnerable people away from expensive emergency room care and keep them out of jail.

State Medi-Cal officials estimate the program would cost $1.1 billion for the first year. The state is working with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to obtain approval for the program.

Newsom also wants to expand Medi-Cal benefits to cover over-the-counter cold medicine and blood glucose monitors for people with diabetes. His budget includes $95 million for a major expansion of telehealth services that would permanently provide higher payments for virtual doctor visits.

Controlling health care costs

Newsom is proposing a new state agency, the Office of Health Care Affordability, which he said would help control health care costs. He budgeted $63 million over the next three years for the office, which would set health care cost targets for the health care industry  along with financial penalties for failing to meet future targets.

Powerful health industry groups said they are still assessing whether they will support the proposal. But some expressed concern last year when Newsom floated the idea. Doctors and hospitals routinely fight proposals in Sacramento that might limit their revenue.

Newsom acknowledged Friday the task would be "tough."

Battling homelessness and food insecurity

Newsom is proposing a one-time infusion of $1.75 billion to battle homelessness.

Of that, Newsom said, $750 million would help counties purchase hotels and transform them into permanent housing for chronically homeless people. Another $750 million would allow counties to purchase facilities to treat people with mental illness or substance use disorders. And $250 million would help counties purchase and renovate homes for low-income older people.

Newsom's budget also includes $30 million to help overwhelmed food banks and emergency food assistance programs.

Lawmakers said they plan to negotiate for even more funding for homelessness and safety-net programs.

"We absolutely need to significantly increase our investment to address homelessness because the need is so intense," said Assembly member David Chiu (D-San Francisco). "And I don't think there's a single legislator who isn't incredibly concerned about the food insecurity we're seeing: lines around the block for food banks in what should be the wealthiest state in the country."

Expanding health coverage

Newsom did not include money in his proposed budget to expand Medi-Cal to unauthorized immigrants age 65 and older. He had previously promised to fund the proposal, estimated to cost $350 million per year once fully implemented, but he said Friday the state cannot afford to commit to ongoing costs with a projected budget deficit starting in fiscal year 2022-23. California already offers full Medicaid benefits for income-eligible unauthorized immigrants up to age 26.

Some lawmakers and health care advocates countered that providing health insurance for undocumented immigrants would save lives and reduce costs, especially during the pandemic, and vowed to continue to fight for the expansion.

"To say we are disappointed is describing it very lightly," said Orville Thomas, a lobbyist with the California Immigrant Policy Center. "These are Californians dying and getting sick at disproportionate rates during covid."

Concerns are growing that the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week by extremists supporting U.S. President Donald Trump may be the start of what could be a series of potentially armed and violent protests across the country leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday told VOA it is examining evidence suggesting groups or individuals may be looking to incite violence or engage in criminal activity in connection with the planned transfer of power.

"While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local and federal law enforcement partners," the bureau said in a statement.

"Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property," the statement added.

An FBI bulletin, first obtained by ABC News and Yahoo News, likewise cautions about the potential for violence, in Washington as well as in all 50 states.

The FBI has "received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, D.C., on 16 January," the bulletin said. "They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment a huge uprising will occur."

The bulletin further warned that a group is calling for the storming of state, local and federal buildings should efforts to remove Trump from office before the January 20 inauguration succeed.

While not commenting on the specific threats, other government agencies are taking steps to bolster security.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday it is directing the U.S. Secret Service, normally tasked with presidential security, to start its inauguration security operation this Wednesday, six days earlier than planned.

DHS cited "events of the past week and the evolving security landscape," as the reason for the change.

National Guard

Earlier Monday, the U.S. National Guard said it had authorized up to 15,000 members to assist with security efforts for the January 20 inauguration.

"To date, our troops have been requested to support security, logistics, liaison, and communication missions," Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in a statement.

NEW: @USNationalGuard authorized to "provide up to 15,000 Guard members to meet current & future inauguration support requirements...to support security, logistics, liaison, & communication missions" following requests from Capitol Police, @NatlParkService, per @ChiefNGB pic.twitter.com/5KhGFK3QwO  Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) January 11, 2021

Guard officials said 6,200 troops from six states are in Washington supporting civilian authorities in the aftermath of last Wednesday's riot, during which the U.S. Capitol was briefly overrun by thousands of pro-Trump extremists, leaving five people dead.

The National Guard has a long history of helping to secure U.S. presidential inaugurations; about 8,000 National Guard members were present during Trump's inauguration in 2016.

The U.S. National Park Service also announced Monday it will close the Washington Monument from January 11 until after the inauguration, citing threats of violence.

"Groups involved in the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt the 59th presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021," NPS wrote in a statement on its website.

The NPS said other parts of the National Mall and roadways could be blocked in the coming weeks, as well.

Emergency declaration

In addition, the White House late Monday announced Trump approved an emergency declaration for Washington, lasting until January 24, four days after the inauguration.

The move clears the way for key federal agencies, including DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate and mobilize emergency assistance should it be needed.

But there is also some concern the heightened security may be needed beyond the inauguration.

"The State of the Union [presidential address to Congress] is just around the corner," Terry Gainer, a former chief for the Capitol Police who also served as the Senate Sergeant-at-arms, told a webinar Monday.

"The Right to Life March will happen [January 29]," Gainer added. "The ongoing discussions with the impeachment  all sorts of things that would attract wrongdoers to come there, as well as protesters who should legitimately protest and have a right to do it."

In contrast to the latest warnings and increased precautions, both the FBI and the Washington Metropolitan Police have said there was no intelligence before last Wednesday's planned protests to suggest portions of the crowd could become violent.

Allegations of pushback

Outgoing U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund has told The Washington Post that he met with pushback from military officials, and that security officials in the House of Representatives and the Senate denied his request to ask the National Guard to be ready to help ahead of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"If we would have had the National Guard, we could have held them at bay longer until more officers from our partner agencies could arrive," Sund told the Post.

But the U.S. Army late Monday refuted Sund's suggestions that military officials sought to deny any requests for help.

"I did not make the statement or any comments similar to what was attributed to me by Chief Sund in the Washington Post article," Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, the Director of the Army Staff, countered in a statement.

"But [I] would note that even in his telling he makes it clear that neither I, nor anyone else from DoD, denied the deployment of requested personnel," Piatt added.

A Pentagon spokesman said last week that U.S. Capitol Police did not make a request for National Guard backup before the riot that left five people dead, including a Capitol police officer. A second officer who responded to the assault on the Capitol died off duty.

Pro-Trump rioters overwhelmed the outnumbered Capitol Police and spent several hours inside the building Wednesday as security rushed lawmakers to safety. Authorities took hours reasserting control of the building, with Capitol Police eventually getting help from the National Guard, local police and federal law enforcement agencies.

In the wake of the attack, several lawmakers have questioned Capitol Police preparation. Sund, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger and House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving have all resigned.

VOA's Esha Sarai contributed to this report.


The Syria government has announced that it wants Syrians to call a hotline if they see people begging, so that they can taken and housed in rehabilitation homes run by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor reports Etihad Press.

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, the Damascus government has been trying to deny the existence of both poverty and the poor in the country, be it through statements by its officials, media messages that Syria is fine, or calls for the return of expatriates, which have usually been met with widespread criticism and ridicule by the population.

The process of combating poverty and, if you will, combating the poor, is not only by denying their existence, but also with legal prosecution through security branches. Even hotlines were created to report the poor if they are seen in the streets, where the authorities do not want them to be.

The hotlines

Recently, a member of the Executive Bureau of Health, Social Affairs, and Civil Defense in Damascus Governorate, Basil Mayhoub, came out saying that, the Damascus Police Command will be assigning three hotlines for citizens to report any case of beggary or homelessness and their whereabouts.

Mayhoub said, Once the report is received, the Police Operations Room informs the patrols, which head to the area to control the case and arrest the beggars, taking them to the nearest police station, before providing the Ministry of Social Affairs with the number of cases found.

Mayhoub added that, the competent judicial authorities will take the relevant legal measures and refer the beggars according to specific particulars of the situation, such as the age group and gender, to care and rehabilitation homes run by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor or one of the NGOs accredited by the Ministry, a list of which will be published at a later date.

The Ministry of Justice wont be showing any mercy to these beggars as it will be implementing the provisions that Mayhoub described as strict, by placing beggars in care homes, if available, for a minimum of three months for rehabilitation.

The statements of the government official, and his request to report such cases, aroused the indignation and ridicule of a large number of Syrians. One of them said, This is all very nice! Now I can simply report myself without any trouble and without having to spend time on the street! A free service! Doesnt our government love their people.

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.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Ophir Gold Corp. (TSXV: OPHR) (FSE: 80M) ("Ophir" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of a ground magnetic survey completed as part of the fall 2020 exploration program at its Breccia Gold property (the "Breccia Gold Property" or the "Property"). The Property is located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA approximately 40 km southwest of Salmon, and is accessible via paved highway and a network of well-maintained gravel roads.

"The magnetic results, as interpreted by Ophir's exploration team are highly encouraging" comments Shawn Westcott, CEO of Ophir. "We have the potential for increasing the known 1500-meter strike length of the Meadows Lake Fault Zone, which hosts the well-mineralized Breccia Gold Zone, as well as the potential signature of a large intrusive body that may be the source of the breccia-epithermal system."

In addition to the prospecting and rock sampling completed this fall (News Release November 18th, 2020), a ground magnetic survey was completed across the Property. A total of ~ 57 line-kilometres of survey data, on 100-m spaced lines, was collected using a Gem Systems GSM-19 Magnetometer in walking mode. The survey data was collected and processed by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd.

The primary objective of the program was to highlight the Meadows Fault Zone/Trend, which is host to the high-grade Breccia Gold Zone (BGZ) and the focus of historical exploration and production circa 1930/40 (Gahsmith Mine). The trend is overlain and obscured to the south by alluvium and to the north by the flat lying Challis Volcanics. The Company is pleased to report that the ground magnetic survey was highly successful defining a magnetic low/contact corridor, which correlates well with the mapped Meadows Fault Zone (Figure 1). Further, the trend clearly continues to the south, past the Breccia Zone, where it is obscured by the alluvium-overburden, as well as continues north towards the Lee Prospect. This is significant as it demonstrates the Meadows Fault Zone, and its potential for gold-silver mineralization, extends across the entirety of the Property. Specifically, to the south of the Breccia Zone, the trend has been subject to only limited exploration due to cover. As such, the magnetic data highlights its potential continuation south of the BGZ.

A preliminary 3D inversion of the data was also completed and outlines a strong magnetic high at approximately 800 m depth (Figure 2). This anomaly may represent a heat source and base "plumbing" of the overlying system and supports the Company's interpretation that the BGZ represents the uppermost levels of a low-sulphidation epithermal gold system.

The Company is permitted for an inaugural diamond drill program at the Breccia Gold Property, targeting the main Breccia Gold Zone, which is expected to commence in spring 2021.

Figure 1: Rock sample results overlain on the first vertical derivative of the magnetic data collected in 2020.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/71782_85eadeb8a4e42bd9_001full.jpg

Figure 2: 3D inversion of the 2020 ground magnetic data and preliminary interpretation



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/71782_85eadeb8a4e42bd9_002full.jpg

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Garry Clark, PGeo, Vice-President of Exploration and a Director of the Company, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release and prepared or supervised its preparation.

About the Breccia Gold Property

The Breccia Gold Property consists of 98 claims covering approximately 1,973 acres within the Blackbird Mining District, in Lemhi County, approximately 40 kilometres southwest of Salmon, Idaho. The Property is accessible by paved highway and a network of well-maintained gravel roads and is host to the historical Gahsmith Gold Mine. Exploration and development activity on the Property dates back to the 1930's and has been exploited by at least eight adits, with several thousand tons of mineralized material extracted. The Breccia Gold Property now covers both the Meadows Fault Zone and the lesser explored, parallel Musgrove Mine Trend. Recent exploration carried out in 2018 and 2019 has included the re-mapping and sampling of the Meadows Fault Zone and the results are suggestive of the existence of a significant low-sulfidation, epithermal gold system.

About the Company

The Company is a fully financed gold exploration company focused on the exploration and development of its flagship property, the past producing Breccia Gold Property located in Lemhi County, Idaho. The Company has an option to earn a 100% interest in the property over a three-year period from Canarc Resource Corp. and DG Resource Management.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Shawn Westcott"

Ophir Gold Corporation

For further information, please contact:

Shawn Wescott, CEO

Phone 1 (604) 365 6681

swestcott@ophirgoldcorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risk related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71782
File picture of Norman Houston who worked for the Northern Ireland Executive pictured in Washington with Joe Biden in 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

The First and deputy First Minister have led tributes to Northern Irelands former representative in Washington DC Norman Houston after his death, saying they were saddened to hear of his passing.

Mr Houston had been Northern Ireland's main representative in Washington before he stepped down from the role in 2019, following 12 years of service.

The former Larne High School pupil worked with US presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump during his tenure. He is survived by his children Chloe and Connor.

Arlene Foster said on Tuesday she was shocked and deeply saddened to hear the news. "It is devastating for Normans family and his many friends and colleagues both here in Northern Ireland and in the United States," she said.

Mr Houston was a "consummate professional" and a "true ambassador" for Northern Ireland.

"Throughout his time as Director of the Washington Bureau he made an enormous contribution to promoting Northern Ireland on a global stage and I was privileged to work with him over many years.

"Normans hard work, dedication and infectious personality helped to build many important relationships, which have benefitted countless people. We will miss him greatly," she said.

Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said Mr Houston's contribution to developing Northern Ireland's relationship with the United States was "immeasurable".

"He was an excellent diplomat (...) He had an unforgettable presence and his name was known far and wide throughout the city and beyond.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Normans family at this very sad time. We think especially of his daughter Chloe and son Connor. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

DUP MP Ian Paisley knew Mr Houston for more than two decades.

"As Junior Minister I appointed him to his role as NI representative in Washington DC. This was a role that was made for him. He served Northern Ireland with distinction for 15 years in that position.

"In reality he had access to the White House and the Hill that many national representative offices were jealous of.

"He was our man in America and he did more to promote Northern Ireland there than anyone else. His like will not be seen again," he said.

"Like many I am shocked by the sudden nature of his passing and I can only hope that his family find comfort in the very many happy memories they have."

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said news of Mr Houston's death was "incredibly sad".

"I knew Norman as Mr Northern Ireland in America. He was known, respected and very fondly thought of across the United States," he said.

"This is a great loss and we would like to pass on our condolences to his family and friends."

Staff at the NI Bureau, which is the diplomatic mission of the NI Executive in the United States and Canada, said they were heartbroken.

We are so heart-broken to hear of the sudden passing of our wonderful friend & colleague, Norman Houston. A dear friend & a wonderful ambassador for Northern Ireland. We join with his many friends here in North America to send our deepest condolences to Chloe, Connor and family. pic.twitter.com/hxF4jWS0eS  NI Bureau (@NI_Bureau) January 12, 2021

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described Mr Houston as a "top class public servant".

Really shocked to hear that Norman Houston has died. He was a top class public servant who was a great ambassador for Northern Ireland in Washington DC. He was always extremely kind and helpful to me on my visits there. The thoughts of the SDLP are with his family at this time.  Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) January 12, 2021

Sean Farren, Chair of the John and Pat Hume Foundation said he "deeply regretted" Mr Houston's passing.



"Many members of the Hume Foundation Board, including myself, would have been warmly welcomed to DC by Norman. He was a well-liked and generous person who served with great distinction in the NI Bureau for 15 years.



"On behalf of the John and Pat Hume Foundation, I wish to send our sincere condolences to his children, wider family and friends."

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Empey said: "Norman was an unassuming but highly effective representative for Northern Ireland in Washington DC. He'll be sadly missed."

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said he was "saddened" by the news.

So deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Norman Houston. He was one of Northern Irelandas greatest advocates and leaves behind a wonderful legacy.

Thank you for everything my friend. https://t.co/X9Q5N3xtyM  Jonathan Buckley MLA (@JBuckleyMLA) January 12, 2021

Ulster Unionist MLA Mike Nesbitt said he was "devastated" to hear of Mr Houston's death after he acted as Northern Ireland's presence in Washington successfully for so many years.

"Norman was well known and well respected in Capitol Hill and the White House. He was the ultimate professional who could make you feel you were the most important person in the room."

CEO of the WAVE Trauma Centre Sandra Peake described Mr Houston as "a true friend" to the organisation, who was hugely supportive in his role in the US.

"He was highly regarded at every level of successive administrations in Washington and because of that was able to open doors to get access for victims and survivors to key players," said Ms Peake.

"As well as being a dedicated public servant, Norman was a man of real compassion and kindness, of constant good humour and was great company."

"Our breakfast sandwiches start with a fresh-baked bagel, straight out of the oven. That is pretty awesome," said Chad Thompson, Head of Culinary Innovation at Einstein Bros. Bagels. "But, what makes our egg sandwiches undeniably the best is the fresh-cracked eggs, high-flavor ingredients and signature shmears that will make you look forward to getting out of bed in the morning."

Einstein Bros. Bagels egg sandwiches are available in 11 mouthwatering flavor combinations. Top sellers include:

The Farmhouse: a complete breakfast that is fully loaded with perfectly seasoned fresh-cracked eggs, crispy, thick-cut bacon, a layer of smoked ham and gooey cheddar cheese. It's finished with a creamy country pepper shmear, our version of country gravy, on a fresh-baked Cheesy Hash Brown Gourmet Bagel.

The Chorizo Sunrise packed with flavor and spice, it's stacked with savory chorizo sausage, velvety avocado, melty cheddar cheese, fresh-cracked eggs and spicy jalapeno salsa shmear, sandwiched between a fresh-baked Green Chile Gourmet Bagel.

The All-Nighter: the ultimate breakfast cure to your late nights with the perfect combination of fresh-cracked eggs, thick-cut bacon, ooey gooey American cheese and creamy jalapeno garlic aioli, all on a fresh-baked Cheesy Hash Brown Gourmet Bagel.

The one-time National Bagel Day offer from Einstein Bros. Bagels is available at participating locations when you Order Ahead on the app, excluding license stores inside colleges, airports, hotels and hospitals. Learn more at www.EinsteinBros.com .

About Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc.

Einstein Bros. Bagels is part of the Coffee & Bagel Brands family, a leading quick-casual company also known for Caribou Coffee, Bruegger's Bagels, Noah's New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel brands. Einstein Bros. Bagels is a neighborhood bagelry that's always baking up a new way to bagel. Known for its fresh-baked bagels available in a variety of flavors and premium double-whipped shmears, Einstein Bros. Bagels also serves gourmet bagel sandwiches, coffee, espresso, sweets and snacks. Einstein Bros. Bagels is proud to be the largest bagel retail company in America with more than 700 locations in 40 states and the District of Columbia. To learn more, visit www.EinsteinBros.com .

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Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
Interstate 84 was closed in eastern Oregon for about four hours after truck crashes blocked both directions of traffic over nearly 100 miles of the freeway.

A crash at exit 216 near Pendleton closed the eastbound lanes of the freeway around 2 p.m. Two truck crashes near mileposts 258 and 260 caused the westbound lanes of the freeway to shut down at exit 304 near Baker City.

Transportation officials have not specified the causes of each crash or disclosed how many people, if any, were injured.

The eastbound lanes reopened around 6 p.m., but the westbound lanes remain closed until about 9:30 p.m.

Transportation officials had closed the westbound lanes starting in Ontario, because of the limited truck parking in Baker City. Oregon 204 and Oregon 245 are also closed, so travelers could not use those roads as alternate routes while I-84 was shut down.

Wintry weather hampered crews from clearing and treating the roads, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

This story has been updated.

--Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR
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US vice president elect Kamala Harris' cover photograph on the latest edition of Vogue has lit up the internet with duelling interpretations of how she is represented even as Harris' own team is said to be less than thrilled about the way things turned out.

Harris wore a powder blue Michael Kors pantsuit for her cover shoot but the Vogue cover features Harris in a more casual dark pantsuit and her well loved Converse sneakers. She is framed against the backdrop of heavy silken drapes in pink and leaf green - a nod to the VP elect's college sorority colours.

The Vogue team points out that the casual picture featuring Harris in a Donald Deal blazer - "styling choices that were her own" - are a "tribute to a formative chapter of Harris's life: her time as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc's Alpha chapter at Howard University".

Harris team members who were involved in the logistics of the photo shoot, speaking on background, explained that they didn't know about the image switch until the photographs were leaked over the weekend. There was no official comment from Harris' office.

In a short article that introduces the cover photograph, Vogue explains that the concept was to honour "Harris' college days and the powerful women who comprise the ranks of sororities like Alpha Kappa Alpha."

In a statement, Vogue said it went ahead with the more informal image of Harris for the cover because the photo captured her "authentic, approachable nature, which we feel is one of the hallmarks of the Biden-Harris administration."

In both the images, taken by Black photographer Tyler Mitchell, Harris is standing with her hands crossed, looking straight into the camera and smiling. Mitchell posted just one of the covers to Instagram - the one of Harris in a blue suit.

Some critics have hit the choice of the casual picture on the cover of the fashion bible as "washed out", "poor quality", "too familiar".

"The cover did not give Kamala D. Harris due respect. It was overly familiar. It was a cover image that, in effect, called Harris by her first name without invitation," wrote Washington Post columnist Robin Givhan.

"In using the more informal image for the print edition of the magazine, Vogue robbed Harris of her roses."

For Harris' immediate circle of family, it's all good, whether in pink or blue. "Sobbing", Harris' niece Meena Harris tweeted, in a photo tweet with the Vogue cover and a screenshot of a text excerpt from the cover story.

Harris is set to be sworn in as vice president on January 20. She will be the first ever Indian and Black American and first woman of colour to take oath as the country's vice president.

--IANS

nikhila/rt

(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.)
Tesla in talks with five Indian state governments.

The electrical vehicle (EV) manufacturing giant, Tesla is in talks with five Indian state governments to commence operations in India, as per reports. Days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that they are looking to begin operations in India, the company is looking at setting up manufacturing, research and development (R&D) centres in the country.

According to reports, Tesla is also in the process of conducting a location search for setting up their operations and has hired a global consulting firm for the same. The governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have had talks with the company who are also considering local partnerships for sourcing, reported CNBC-TV 18.

According to CNBC-TV18, the Karnataka Government has proposed multiple location options, Tumkur being one, to Tesla for setting up their manufacturing.

On December 28, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had also confirmed that the company will enter the Indian market in early 2021. It will enter India with the Model 3 Sedan, expectedly priced at around Rs 60 Lakh.

The vehicle is fully electric and is powered by a 60kw hour lithium-ion battery pack with a range of 500 km. In a span of only 3.1 seconds, the Sedan speeds up from 0 to 60mph and has a top speed of around 250 km.

South Jacksonville village president candidate Tyson Manker has asked that village President Harry Jennings be removed as chairman of the board that will hear a challenge to Mankers candidacy.

Richard Dick Samples, the other candidate for the presidency, filed an objection last week to Mankers candidacy, arguing that Manker failed to properly file his candidacy forms. Manker then filed a motion to dismiss Samples objection.

A hearing before the villages Electoral Board  comprised of Jennings, trustee Paula Stewart and village Clerk Megan Moore  was set for today.

Manker filed a motion Monday, claiming Jennings has a personal bias in the dispute. In the motion, Manker contends an email from Jennings was trying to intimidate (him) into removing a post from (his) personal Facebook page promoting (his) candidacy for village president.

The motion contends Jennings sent Manker an email Friday with a screen shot from someones phone that showed a photo of Manker as the cover photo for the villages page. Jennings told Manker to correct this matter, according to the motion, although Manker said the photos are auto-generated and not something he can control.

Jennings said he received a complaint about the Facebook page, which he sent to the village attorney prior to reaching out to Manker.

If you dont have a page, Facebook will generate a page and if you check in itll post pictures, Jennings said. Well, the actual background image for the page was of Manker, so we just suggested he fix the link or whatnot. Im not tech-savvy and not sure how that works.

Mankers motion to remove Jennings as head of the Electoral Board will be the first item of business at a hearing at 6 p.m. Jan. 20 at South Jacksonville Village Hall. The hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. today has been canceled to accommodate the vote on that motion.

After the hearing on the motion to remove Jennings, the board will hear Mankers motion to dismiss Samples petition objection. If Mankers motion to dismiss is denied, the board then will hear Samples objection.

The meeting can be attended in person, via Zoom at bit.ly/3i8wJAP or by calling 312-626-6799 and using the meeting ID 993 584 5163 and passcode 002533.
People can receive an on the spot fine of 100 from today, for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

A fixed penalty notice will be issued by gardai for those who travel beyond the 5km limit and refuse to turn back.

Gardai will no longer consult the DPP in these cases, and those who get fined will have 28 days to pay.

Speaking about the move to issue fines, Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey of the policing and security unit, said: "An Garda Siochana continues to see significant compliance by the public with public health regulations, however, we also continue to see some activity which is in contravention of these regulations introduced to stop the current spread of Covid-19 and protect our communities.

"I appeal to every person without a reasonable excuse for travel  stay at home, this is your duty as a citizen and will save lives and support our frontline services, nurses, doctors, hospital staff, and my Garda colleagues at this time," he said.

In a statement, An Garda Siochana highlighted a number of breaches of pandemic regulations across the country including:

In Co Cavan, a man was fined 150 after being found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse

In Co Kildare, a man was found in breach of travel restrictions without reasonable excuse and received a 250 fine after an appeal

In Co Sligo, two men were fined 300 after breaching travel restrictions with reason

In Co Dublin, a man was found in breach of Covid-19 regulations after failing to return home when directed. Two hours later he was seen at the same location and was fined 350.

Gardai have said officers have been consistent in their graduated policing response to supporting Public Health Regulations.

Their guidelines, in line with their tradition of policing by consent have seen members of An Garda Siochana engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce.
Presidents customarily grant their most controversial pardons in the waning days of their final term. President Donald Trump could potentially issue the most controversial pardons in history, by pardoning all of his loyal supporters who marched on and assaulted the U.S. Capitol Building.

A pretty sizable group of Trump supporters were present on Jan. 6. Within that group, theres a lot of range when it comes to criminal culpability. A protester who remained on the lawn outside the building waving an oversized MAGA banner is less culpable than, say, the guy who posed sitting with his foot up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office desk.

Some Trump supporters could face possible homicide charges in connection with the deaths at the Capitol. Many more could be charged with trespass on, or destruction of, government property. On the other end of the spectrum, Trump supporters who never came within 50 yards of the Capitol Building likely committed no crime.

 READ MORE: Should Trump be removed from office? | Pro/Con

In riot situations, its also challenging for law enforcement to single out and prosecute an individual defendant. In the melee and fog of tear gas, an accused person could mount an it wasnt me or some other dude did it defense. In recent years, however, rioters have started helping prosecutors out by posting videos and pictures of their own crimes on social media. What one person calls a selfie, police detectives call evidence. Master criminals they are not. Police are not complaining. Some of the characters in the more infamous images from the riots have already been arrested.

While culpability may vary, ideology among the Trump supporters probably does not: its a safe bet that the people there were President Trumps most ardent, vocal supporters. It takes a lot of enthusiasm for someone to travel to D.C. from places like Arizona or Florida just to attend a political rally.

Trump knows the people who stormed the Capitol love him. Heres the real bizarre question: Will he love them back with a mass pardon?

Its possible for several reasons.

First, the president can, in theory, pardon everyone who entered the Capitol Building, right now. He does not need to know their names. He does not need to know what they did. It doesnt matter if they have been prosecuted or even identified yet. President Jimmy Carter summarily pardoned all draft dodgers of the Vietnam War  whether or not they had been arrested. Carters attorney general was ordered to halt all investigations of people not yet even charged. President Gerald Ford also granted a full, free, and absolute pardon [to] Richard Nixon for all offenses  which he  may have committed or taken part in. Presidents can pardon all [federal] offenses, before they are even investigated, as long as the conduct has actually occurred.

The president can pardon those who rioted at the Capitol. As ill-advised as this move may be, heres why he might.

These Trump supporters may be all he has left. Members of his own administration are already bailing out. Social media is finally suspending him at the very end of his term  either out of some amorphous corporate scruples or to curry favor in advance with the new administration. The Trump supporters, and the denizens of Parler, are his only allies right now.

 READ MORE: Sen. Pat Toomey calls on Trump to resign; Chris Christie calls insurrection incitement an impeachable offense

Additionally, he may pardon them because weve spent four years saying, He wouldnt dare [fill in the blank], and then watching him [fill in the blank]. His decisions are not just unpresidential; they are counter-presidential. Sometimes they appear calculated to be the opposite of what a president would do.

But heres why Trump would be ill-advised to pardon the rioters, no matter how much he loves that they love him:

First: Trumps pardons have already established that Trump is ultimately out for Trump, and no one else. Sure, he pardoned his cohorts Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, and others. But, he made them go through investigations, trials, prosecutions, and even incarceration before he finally did it. And those are people he likes. A lot. He doesnt even know the Viking Guy or any of the others.

 READ MORE: Pa. Republicans showed Trumps grip on the party after the attack on the Capitol

Second: Right now, Trump can claim he never wanted or intended his supporters to break into the building, and that his speech was just fire-breathing political hyperbole. If he pardons them after the fact, then he is rewarding their conduct, implying after-the-fact that they did the presidents bidding. The pardons would still be effective, but the underlying conduct could invite charges.

Trump should not pardon the Capitol Trump supporters. Unfortunately, thats exactly why he might do just that.

Danny Cevallos is an NBC News and MSNBC legal analyst, and a lawyer at Cevallos & Wong LLP in Newtown. Danny@DannyCevallos.com
[January 12, 2021] Russell Investments Canada Limited Announces Quarterly Distributions for Exchange Traded Fund Series

Russell Investments Canada Limited ("Russell Investments Canada") today announced cash distributions for the ETF Series ("ETF Series") of certain Russell Investments Canada mutual funds listed below for the months of January, February and March. Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, as of the Record Date, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on the Payment Date. Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follows:







Fund Name Ticker Symbol Cash Distribution per Unit ($) CUSIP ISIN Record Date Payment Date Exchange Russell Investments Fixed Income Pool RIFI $0.0308 78249T103 CA78249T1030 January 20,

2021 January 25,

2021 TSX February 22,

2021 February 25,

2021 March 22,

2021 March 25,

2021 Russell Investments Global Unconstrained Bond Pool RIGU $0.0277 78250N102 CA78250N1024 January 20,

2021 January 25,

2021 TSX February 22,

2021 February 25,

2021 March 22,

2021 March 25,

2021 Russell Investments Global Infrastructure Pool RIIN $0.065 78250R103 CA78250R1038 January 20,

2021 January 25,

2021 TSX February 22,

2021 February 25,

2021 March 22,

2021 March 25,

2021 Russell Investments Real Assets RIRA $0.067 78250P107 CA78250P1071 January 20,

2021 January 25,

2021 TSX February 22,

2021 February 25,

2021 March 22,

2021 March 25,

2021

The Manager, Russell Investments Canada, administers and manages the ETF Series. About Russell Investments Canada Limited Russell Investments Canada Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russell Investments Group, Ltd. Established in 1985, Russell Investments Canada Limited has its head office in Toronto. About Russell Investments Russell Investments is a leading global investment firm providing tailored solutions and services to institutions and individuals through financial intermediaries. Russell Investments is dedicated to improving people's financial security, leveraging an 83-year client-centric heritage rooted in investment innovation. The firm is the fourth largest adviser in the world with CAD$397.3 billion in assets under management (as of 9/30/2020) and CAD$3.4 trillion in assets under advisement (as of 6/30/2020) for clients in 32 countries. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Russell Investments operates through 19 additional offices in major financial centers such as New York, London, Tokyo, Toronto and Shanghai. Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or dissemination in the United States. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in the ETF Series Units. Investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other important information are contained in the prospectus. Please read the prospectus and ETF Facts carefully before investing. The ETF Series Units are not guaranteed, their value may change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Certain statements included in this news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as or similar to, "expects", "anticipates", "believes" or negative versions thereof. Forward looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to, among other things, risk, uncertainties and assumptions about economic factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from what is contemplated. We encourage you to consider these and other factors carefully before making any investment decisions and we urge you to avoid placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Russell Investments has no specific intention of updating any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. For a summary of the risks of an investment in the fund, please see the specific risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus. Units of ETF Series trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination. Income tax considerations for investors are contained in the prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Russell Investments is the operating name of a group of companies under common management, including Russell Investments Canada Limited. Russell Investments' ownership is composed of a majority stake held by funds managed by TA Associates with minority stakes held by funds managed by Reverence Capital Partners and Russell Investments' management. Copyright  Russell Investments Canada Limited 2021. All rights reserved. Frank Russell (News - Alert) Company is the owner of the Russell trademarks contained in this material and all trademark rights related to the Russell trademarks, which the members of the Russell Investments group of companies are permitted to use under license from Frank Russell Company. The members of the Russell Investments group of companies are not affiliated in any manner with Frank Russell Company or any entity operating under the "FTSE RUSSELL" brand. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112006084/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

ATLANTA and CHICAGO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VillageMD announced today it is growing in Atlanta, opening four more Village Medical clinics in the area, led by local physicians, Dr. James Morrow and Dr. Clyde Watkins. Together, the practices boast nine primary care providers and will serve patients in DeKalb and Forsyth counties. These openings mark the fourth Village Medical clinics in the Atlanta area and the 40th clinic for the brand, including practices in Austin, Houston, Phoenix, and Murray, Ky. Village Medical offers comprehensive primary care across a broad range of physician services, along with 24/7 care through telehealth and virtual care.

"We're excited to grow in the Atlanta area and add two experienced primary care physician leaders to Village Medical. Both Drs. Morrow and Watkins share our vision of delivering an excellent patient experience while driving better care outcomes," said Brent Asplin, M.D., president of Village Medical. "Both physicians will continue offering exceptional care, complemented now with our high-tech, high-touch primary care model to more patients in the Atlanta area."

Village Medical offers a comprehensive suite of primary care services including preventative care, treatment for illness and injury, and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease. Atlanta-area patients can learn more about the practice here.

"I'm thrilled to join Village Medical and continue the high-quality healthcare we provide our patients in the Atlanta area. I'm looking forward to introducing our longtime patients to the enhanced experience with Village Medical's state-of-the-art technology," said James Morrow, M.D., an award-winning physician, including "Best of North Atlanta" and "Best of Forsyth."

Village Medical patients will have access to same-day appointments and virtual health visits with a Village Medical provider. Additionally, Village Medical patients can take advantage of Village Medical at Home, which provides in-home primary care visits with experienced primary care providers. Village Medical patients also benefit from VillageMD's patent-pending docOS operating platform, which integrates data and technology to give physicians a 360-degree view of their patients' health profiles and can help identify gaps in care.

Village Medical opened its first Georgia location November 2020 in Stone Mountain, Ga. Dr. Watkins will lead two Village Medical locations at 465 Winn Way, Suite 100 in Decatur, Ga., and at 2745 DeKalb Medical Parkway, Suite 200 in Lithonia, Ga. Dr. Morrow will lead two practices at 3970 Deputy Bill Cantrell Memorial Road, Suite 150 in Cumming, Ga., and 12970 Highway 9 in Milton, Ga.

Village Medical also offers full-service, primary care in Austin, Houston, Murray, Ky., and Phoenix and will enter several new markets this year. To learn more, make an appointment or view all Village Medical locations, please visit www.villagemedical.com.

About VillageMD

VillageMD, through its subsidiary Village Medical, is a leading, national provider of value-based primary care services. VillageMD partners with physicians to provide the tools, technology, operations, staffing support and industry relationships to deliver high-quality clinical care and better patient outcomes, while reducing the total cost of care. The Village Medical brand provides primary care for patients at traditional free-standing clinics, Village Medical at Walgreens clinics, at home and via virtual visits. VillageMD and Village Medical have grown to include more than 2,800 physicians across nine markets, are responsible for approximately 600,000 lives and manage $4 billion in total medical spend in value-based contracts. To learn more, please visit www.villageMD.com.

SOURCE VillageMD

Related Links

http://www.villagemedical.com


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Myanmar's next Union Parliamentary session has scheduled to be held on February 5, state-run media reported Tuesday.

The Union Parliamentary session will be held, following the concurrent convening of the House of Representatives and the House of Nationalities on February 1.

The upcoming parliamentary sessions will elect speakers and deputy speakers for both Houses of the Parliament and will form parliamentary committees while electing President and Vice-Presidents as part of forming the Union Government.

held its multi-party general elections on November 8 last year and the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) won the majority of seats in both Houses of the Union Parliament.

The 2020 multiparty general elections were the third of its kind held under the terms of the country's 2008 constitution.

The general elections, which are held every five years, are to choose members of a new parliament that will elect a president and two vice presidents and form a new government.

(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 New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
PORTLAND, Maine, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CBDgateways.com, a new entity with decades of experience behind it, is launching a new payment processing website to spotlight their CBD payment gateway and merchant account placement business.

With the launch of their new website, CBDgateways.com, the company aims to better serve US-based online CBD and hemp business owners by providing them with easy access to the information they need to begin accepting credit cards on common, established website shopping platforms, including Wix, WordPress, WooCommerce, and Shopify.

While only serving CBD and hemp businesses based in the United States, CBDgateways.com assists CBD and hemp businesses of all sizes. According to the company, they will not only work with small and mid-sized CBD businesses, but also with enterprise-level CBD businesses to lower their cost of accepting credit cards.

Credit card merchant accounts are priced on several factors, including not only the perceived risk of the account to the processor in terms of regulatory trouble or chargeback losses, but also on the gross processing volume.

CBDgateways.com will work with small CBD websites, and provide free savings analyses to large, established CBD websites that are looking to add to their bottom line by trimming the costs associated with processing credit cards through their current CBD merchant account.

According to their newly launched website, because CBDgateways does not directly approve CBD merchant accounts, but instead facilitates them, they can more easily help CBD websites find the best fit in terms of a CBD merchant account and payment gateway.

To learn more, visit: https://CBDgateways.com/

About CBDgateways.com:

CBDgateways.com is a Portland, Maine-based internet business providing payment gateways and merchant account placements to start-ups and established CBD businesses in the United States.

Media Contact:

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Pennsylvania reported 227 new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, pushing its total to 18,080 since the start of the pandemic nearly a year ago. On Monday, the state had reported a total of 186 deaths for Saturday and Sunday, although weekend totals are often artificially low because of data reporting lags.

The state also reported 7,275 new COVID-19 infections  a possible good sign that the rate of new infections isnt headed for a repeat of the surge that followed the Thanksgiving holiday.

State officials say the coming days will show whether heavy travel over the Christmas holidays will lead to a repeat of the earlier surge, when new infections topped 10,000 for a string of days, with deaths regularly above 200.

As of late Monday, hospitalizations also remained below the level of the earlier surge. About 5,230 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, nearly the same as Sunday, but below the post-Thanksgiving surge when hospitalizations averaged more than 6,100.

As of late Monday, 1,070 people were in intensive care with COVID-19, also below the earlier peaks, with 4,657 intensive care beds still open across the state.

Nationally, COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations remain near record levels, with the surge attributed to Christmas and New Year holiday gatherings. Hospitals in California, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia were especially stressed, according to USA Today. California is requiring its hospitals to detail how theyll prioritize care if theres not enough beds, staff or supplies for everyone, USA Today reported on Tuesday.

A record 22,676 people have died of COVID-19 during the past week in the United States, according to USA Today.

In Pennsylvania, the new infections reported Tuesday bring the states total to 733,429 lab-confirmed or probable COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic. Experts say 25-40% percent of people who test positive have no symptoms and may not feel sick, but they are still capable of spreading COVID-19. Most of the people who died are over 65, with more than half of those living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

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There are times when I feel that I am boxed-in by this unrelenting virus, COVID-19. This microscopic entity has put the majority of the world into lockdown, affecting all aspects of human life and social interaction. The virus does not discriminate due to race, creed, or color. Be you rich or poor, a professional or laborer, you are fair game to be its next victim. It stealthily works its evil ways upon its unsuspecting victims, often causing dire consequences for the most vulnerable. Those that wage war against it, our doctors and nurses on the front lines of battle, are standing face to face with the enemy and often are falling victim to its assault.

As a people, we have limited weapons to defend and protect ourselves and treat those who become infected. Potential hope is dangled before us in the form of a vaccine, but the vaccine supply is limited and distribution slow and uncoordinated. Why are stores of vaccine just standing in storage instead of being used to help save lives? Why wasnt this all thought through in the many months that have passed since this virus reached our shores? There are only so many times we can have hope placed before us and then taken away before we then give up altogether and walk off. For the good of our society, we must agree to wait our turn, allowing the most vulnerable and those at most risk to be the recipients of this potential life-saving vaccination. Sacrificing for the good of others is not something easily accepted by some.

Even more perplexing, there are those among us, who think this is all a hoax. To these people, wake up and see whats going on around you instead of listening to those who peddle misinformation and downplay the severity of the situation. All you need do is visit the ICU of your local hospital and peer through the windows. See the intubated patients, gasping for breaths of air, feeling helpless, feeling alone, and feeling scared. Visit the gravesites of those beloved family members who have died due to COVID. The grieving family knows this is not a hoax. Peer into the faces of the doctors and nurses who treat the COVID patients. Exhaustion and sadness envelop them, but still, they go on doing their jobs day after day. Stop and think about what they must feel when they witness portions of our society disregarding safety guidelines to help slow the viruss spread. What must they do to convince the non-believers?

I miss my life the way it was before the virus grabbed hold of us. It was a time when I could see my grandchildren and give them a big hug and kiss, instead of simply hearing their voices over the phone or seeing their faces on a computer screen. But that time is gone for the foreseeable future. If I want to remain alive and well, Ive got to play it smart right now by doing what our medical experts instruct us to do. For me, this is not an infringement of any freedoms. It is simply common sense and using the medical knowledge we presently have on COVID-19.

I am disgusted with our politicians who have used the pandemic as a political tool. To them, I say, Get over yourselves and work toward the common good, finding solutions to problems rather than creating discord. Some can not accept the voice of the majority of American citizens in the recent presidential election. And so they continue to draw attention away from the real and present danger, that of COVID-19. People are dying every second from this virus. Those who survive their battle with the virus will, potentially, have ongoing medical problems present in their lives.

The normality of life has been transformed into something unrecognizable. Isolation, depression, poverty, and death are now integral parts of our existence. We have been stretched to our mental limits with the extra burdens that have been laid upon us. The lives of our children have also been impacted. Educational systems have been turned topsy-turvy. Simple things like playing ball with kids from the neighborhood or classroom outings are non-existent.

We need all of this to end. We need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Despite the stress and hardships in todays world, I have found moments of solace and reasons to give thanks. I pray and give thanks to my Creator that my family is well and safe. I write, putting my thoughts down on paper. For me, this is a healing action, freeing my mind of anger and stress. What I find most healing is going out into nature. I pick my favorite trail and walk, trying to take everything in all around me  the freshness of the air, the chattering of the squirrels up in the treetops, the rushing noise of the adjacent stream after the recent heavy rain. I eventually make my way to my favorite tree along the trail, a giant sycamore. It has withstood the test of time and stands tall and strong, its immense branches stretching upward to the sky. Yes, I am a hugger of trees. I admit it. I extend my arms around its trunk as far as I can, reaching all away around its circumference is an impossibility. As I stand there in silence, it is like having an epiphany of sorts. I can almost hear this old tree uttering words of patience and strength. I call it my Grandfather tree, always there with wisdom and comfort. When I walk off, I always feel better having had the encounter.

Find those things that bring you comfort, whatever they may be. In this time of waiting, waiting for this virus to be gone, we must all find our ways of healing ourselves  that is, healing the spirit, healing the mind. We need this to endure this time; we need this to survive. There is light waiting for us at the end of this tunnel if we stay strong and work together.

Please, leave a comment as to how you are finding a sense of peace during these times. It may serve as encouragement for others to give it a try. We will make it through this, and I have no doubt. Blessings to all.

Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Its different there, he said. Youre a GP when you graduate, and you go straight into the trenches, caring for patients, delivering babies and performing general surgery. It was extremely hard to start over, but once youre determined to do something, you have to keep working at it and look at your ultimate goal. I knew learning more would benefit me in the future.

Since arriving in the United States two decades ago, Kenta-Bibi has added three degrees and a physician executive certification to his curriculum vitae.

My passion is learning and passing on that information, said Kenta-Bibi, an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and faculty at the Middlesex Health Family Medicine Residency Program.

Before he could start his own residency training, Kenta-Bibi had to complete all the steps required of international medical graduates , including Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. So, he worked in public health for two years as an emergency response coordinator for the health district that includes Bristol and Burlington before matching into the family medicine program at Middlesex Health.

I chose family medicine based on the fact that it was the specialty where I could help the most people, said Kenta-Bibi, whose wife, Eucharia Kenta-Bibi, M.D., is also a family physician. Obstetrics is one of my passions, but I didnt want to limit my scope.

During his training, Middlesex expanded from a three-year program to a four-year format. Although the new requirement didnt apply to his class, Kenta-Bibi opted to stay an extra year.

By adding an extra year, Middlesex residents can focus on specific training tracks, including academic medicine and maternity care. Kenta-Bibi used the extra time to earn his masters degree in medical education.

It allows flexibility for residents to master these things, said Kenta-Bibi, who continues to practice full-spectrum family medicine with obstetrics. Our residents have more training, more experience and a higher number of patient visits.

According to Middlesex, the programs residents complete their training with 40% more clinical exposures than those in a traditional program.

Kenta-Bibi has taken on a number of leadership roles in his community. At Middlesex Hospital, he chairs the Patient Safety and Quality Committee and the Readmission Steering Committee.

Roughly 20% of all Medicare patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has estimated that 12% of readmissions could be avoided and that preventing 10% of such readmissions could save Medicare $1 billion a year . Since 2012, CMS has penalized hospitals with excess readmissions, and Kenta-Bibi said Middlesex Hospital has been able to greatly reduce these penalties.

We have looked at the reasons why people come back and focused on transitions of care to avoid readmissions, said Kenta-Bibi, who also is a medical advisor to the six-town Chatham Health District.

Kenta-Bibis leadership also extends to the state level. He has been on the Board of the Connecticut AFP since 2012 and is serving as the chapters president this year.

Advocacy work is very important and necessary for family physicians, he said. Our role is not only treating individual patients. We go beyond that and look at our communities and address issues with health disparities.
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The Bauchi State government says it would reopen its 4,816 schools on January 18 for the 2020/2021 academic session, according to Aliyu Tilde, the state commissioner of education.

The federal government is currently considering rescheduling the resumption of schools across the country from January 18 due to the spike in COVID-19 cases.

We would reopen the schools for first term, which was supposed to begin in September, the Bauchi State official said, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi, on Tuesday.

He said the previous lockdown of schools, as a result of the pandemic, had negatively affected the school calendar, hence governments resolve to resume school at the earlier scheduled date.

Mr Tilde explained that the schools would strictly abide by the COVID-19 protocols of social distancing, wearing of face masks, sanitising hands and any other measure that would prevent the disease.

Any school found not adhering strictly to the protocols would be sanctioned appropriately, Mr Tilde said, explaining that till date no single case of the disease had been recorded in the states schools.

The commissioner stressed that full academic activities would begin in earnest across the 4,600 primary and Junior Secondary schools, as well as the 216 Senior Secondary schools, across the 20 local government areas of the state on the stipulated date.

He called on parents and guardians to be ready for the school resumption date, saying, we were supposed to resume school since the 4th of January this year, but we had to follow the federal governments directive of January 18th.

We have since fumigated all our schools, including the four existing tertiary institutions, to guard against any eventuality  he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had recently introduced full implementation of ICT in all its schools, to match with the emerging trends in education delivery.

(NAN)
Durkin Will Serve Alongside Chairman Dr. Michael A.E. Ramsay to Help Organization Achieve Goal of Zero Preventable Deaths from Medical Errors by 2030

The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF), a global non-profit on a mission to achieve zero preventable patient deaths by 2030, has appointed Mike Durkin, OBE, MBBS, FRCA, FRCP, DSc to serve as vice chairman of the board of directors. Dr. Durkin will work alongside Chairman Michael A.E. Ramsay, MD, FRCA to provide guidance and strategic support of the organization's goal to create safer and more reliable healthcare systems.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005212/en/

Mike Durkin, OBE, MBBS, FRCA, FRCP, DSc (Photo: Business Wire)

"Dr. Durkin has been an invaluable member of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation board since he joined in 2018, and we are pleased he has accepted this leadership role," said Dr. Ramsay. "His experience leading the National Patient Safety Improvement Programme for the National Health Service (NHS) England and work with the World Health Organization's international development of patient safety systems make him an ideal fit to help lead our organization as we continue to grow globally."

Durkin brings 30 years of experience in medical management and leadership to his role with PSMF. He currently maintains positions as the visiting professor and senior advisor on patient safety policy and leadership of the NIHR Patient Safety Translational Research Centre at the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London and as associate non-executive director at NHS Resolution. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the national director of patient safety for England's NHS. Prior to these roles, he held attending, research and teaching positions in cardiovascular anesthesia and critical care at London, Yale and Bristol universities. He served as executive medical director at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and held successive executive medical director positions for England's strategic health authorities culminating as the medical director of the NHS for the South of England supporting a population of 16 million people, prior to becoming the national director in 2012. His passion for patient safety led him to assemble the Berwick Advisory Board in 2013 to advise on creating conditions to improve the safety of patients in England. In 2015, he was commissioned by the secretary of state for health to chair an expert advisory group that led to the establishment of the Healthcare Safety Investigation branch. He also headed the development of the Ministerial Inter-Governmental Summits on Patient Safety held in the UK (2016), Germany (2017), Japan (2018) and Saudi Arabia (2019).

"I am honored to be appointed as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation," states Durkin. "With the recent launch of our new commitment model and amid a global pandemic, I believe the healthcare industry across the globe is ready and prepared for change and I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to further our shared mission."

Durkin was appointed officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty The Queen for his services to patient safety and in 2018 was selected as an inaugural member of the International Academy of Safety and Quality. Durkin holds an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of England and he was awarded the highest accolade of the Royal College of Physicians of London for service to patient safety, their Honorary Fellowship in 2017. He is chair of the management board of NICE National Clinical Guideline Centre and sits on multiple national and international research, policy and patient safety advisory boards.

To learn more about the Patient Safety Movement Foundation and its leadership team, visit: https://patientsafetymovement.org/about/

About the Patient Safety Movement Foundation: Each year, more than 200,000 people die unnecessarily in U.S. hospitals. Worldwide, 4.8 million lives are similarly lost. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) is a global non-profit on a mission to eliminate preventable deaths from hospital errors. PSMF uniquely brings patients and patient advocates, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers and private payers together under the same cause. From its Actionable Patient Safety Solutions and industry Open Data Pledge to its World Patient Safety, Science Technology Summit and more, PSMF won't stop fighting until it achieves zero. For more information, please visit patientsafetymovement.org to learn more, and follow PSMF on Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005212/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact

Leslie Licano, Beyond Fifteen Communications, Inc.

psmf@beyondfifteen.com (949) 733-8679 ext.101
The Upvalleys local community theater, UpStage Napa Valley, has needed to think outside the stage during the pandemic, when theaters across the country are dark.

UpStage is offering complimentary, virtual performances on its website as a gift to the community. The fourth segment of its Shelter-in-Place series, A Hard Choice, will begin airing on Jan. 23. These short videos capture how members of our community are coping with the pandemic.

A Hard Choice focuses on the difficult decision of local chef Kenn Madsen and his artist spouse Elizabeth Stokkebye to return permanently to their homeland of Denmark. Their decision to return to their roots was made amidst the Napa Valleys horrific fires, the pandemic, and the countrys challenging political climate.

Madsen and Stokkebye emigrated with their three young children to the United States 40 years ago. In the ensuing years, Madsens culinary expertise became widely known throughout Napa Valley, including at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and the restaurants of Auberge du Soleil and Calistoga Ranch, the latter which burned to the ground in the Glass Fire.
TL;DR: The Exynos 990 was a failure due to its inferior performance when compared to Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, but this time Samsung promises that its latest mobile chipset has been designed to "surpass the power user's performance expectations." On paper, it does look like a compelling upgrade, but only time will tell if it measures up to the Snapdragon 888.

Samsung has announced the latest Exynos SoC that will power its next crop of flagship Galaxy smartphones, the Exynos 2100. The new chip is built on a 5nm EUV process node and is a different beast than previous Exynos chips in that it's designed completely around Arm's latest Cortex cores.

This is possibly in response to numerous complaints and petitions that demanded Samsung drop Exynos mobile platforms as it wasn't quite comparable with Qualcomm chips in terms of performance per watt, image processing, and thermals. Additionally, the Korean tech giant has chosen to integrate the 5G modem into the chipset, whereas the Exynos 990 relied on a separate part.

The new Exynos 2100 SoC is built on a tri-cluster architecture with one top-performance Arm Cortex-X1 core that runs at up to 2.9 GHz, three high-performance Cortex-A78 cores that run at up to 2.8 GHz, and four power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores. Samsung says this configuration provides a sizable 30 percent performance uplift compared to the Exynos 990.

The GPU is based on the Arm Mali G78MP14, which is also found in Huawei's Kirin 9000 SoC. Here it only used 14 of the available 24 cores, as Samsung is trying to hit lower power consumption figures and improve battery life. To that end, the company also employs the in-house built AMIGO multi-IP governor which balances performance and power usage according to what happens on-screen. Overall, this should provide a 40 percent performance uplift compared to the previous generation.

The image signal processing capabilities of the Exynos 2100 are definitely impressive on paper, as Samsung says it supports sensor resolutions of up to 200 megapixels and can work with as many as six sensors (and only four sensors simultaneously). But more importantly, the company promises this can best the Snapdragon 888 through the ability to capture 4K video at 120 fps and 8K at 60 fps.

The new chip also comes with a better neural processing unit capable of up to 26 trillion operations per second with better efficiency when compared to the Exynos 990, which means it's comparable to the Hexagon 780 neural processing unit found in the Snapdragon 888 SoC. As for the 5G modem, it supports both sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrums while delivering download speeds of up to 5.1 Gbps and 7.35 Gbps, respectively.

During the announcement, Samsung praised its renewed partnership with Arm in developing the Exynos 2100, which is expected to power the Galaxy S21.

The South Korean giant also offered an updated timeframe for when we might see AMD Radeon graphics in its smartphones: not until 2022.
A number of companies are distancing themselves from President Trump following the attacks at the U.S. Capitol.

This includes social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

President Donald Trump President Donald Trump

Critics have questioned whether suspending the president's account is a violation of the president's First Amendment right to free speech.

However, experts said that is not the case.

Calhoun Community College Professor, Dr. Waymon Burke, said it is pretty simple. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are private companies.

Those companies are not obligated to give anyone a platform on their sites.

"I guess it's sort of like being a member in a club," Burke said. "You have to abide by their rules, they make those rules and if you abide by those rules, it's more likely you'll have access."

The First Amendment only protects us from government censorship. Professor Burke said what Twitter has done is enforce its own set of guidelines.

"It's likely they want to prevent liability or embarrassment, or some other type of consequences of anyone using their platform to do something that is out of the norm and that the society does not want," Burke said.

Burke adds since social media is fairly new, there are issues that are likely to be addressed in the future. This includes whether these platforms could be regulated by the government.

"Facebook, Twitter, or whatever, are they responsible for any irresponsible things for someone who access their networks says, could they be liable?" Burke said. "That's the controversy about legislation before Congress."

President Trump's supporters argue these platforms are targeting only one party. However, Burke said the concern over bias media is not just coming from one side.

"When others who are on the other side of the political fence, they've made the same charges in the past that they can't get the proper access to media," Burke said. "I think that's a common thing, the political right or political left think there is bias in the media, and you hear that from the far left and far right."

Burke added, while the president may not be able to send out tweets, he has other ways to get his message across to the American people during his final days in office.
The charming images show former Romanian street dogs Finn and Yuri on trips to spectacular landscapes

They have been snapped by their owner, Anne Geier, who has been taking them on her travels for three years

The Austrian photographer told MailOnline Travel: 'When we are travelling, it is the best time for the dogs'

Absolutely paw-some!

That's one way to describe these images of two rescue dogs enjoying trips to some of Europe's most mesmerising landscapes.

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The beautiful photos feature former Romanian street dogs Finn (the brown dog) and Yuri (the black and white dog) and were snapped by their Austrian owner, Anne Geier, in countries such as Italy, Norway and Switzerland.

Anne, a full-time photographer, has been taking her pets on trips across Europe for the past three years and they are often joined by her boyfriend, Robert. In 2019, they bought a Volkswagen T4 campervan, which they use for travelling, and although Anne admits that it can sometimes be hard living out of a van - she says her dogs love it.

The snapper, who is from the small Austrian village of Tauplitz, tells MailOnline Travel: 'I started taking photos of Yuri and Finn during our travels to create loving memories for us, to show people around the world a piece of their beautiful souls combined with breathtaking landscapes and to show how special and unique rescue dogs are.

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'When we are travelling, it is the best time for the dogs. They get 24 hours of quality time with their owners and it's everything they need to be happy. You can see and feel how much they enjoy travelling.' Scroll down to see some of the most amazing shots from their epic trips...

Just paw-fect: Rescue dog Finn admires the magical 262ft (80m) high Fontanone di Goriuda waterfall in the Val Raccolana valley in the Julian Alps in north-west Italy, close to the border with Slovenia. His owner, photographer Anne Geier, says the picture 'looks a bit like a painting as it's such a fairytale landscape'

Anne says her dogs loved visiting the Italian Dolomites, pictured, as it is home to 'thousands of marmots'. She explains: 'They are little hunters and they prefer places with many wild animals, where they can search their traces.' Pictured is Yuri looking out to the rugged peaks of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains. The highest peak here stands at 9,839ft (2,999m)

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This mesmerising image shows Yuri staring out from the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland, which crosses the Bernese Alps at a potentially dizzying elevation of 7,100ft (2,164m). Anne says that lurking in the background are the Brunberg and Sidelhorn mountains

Here Finn is investigating the rocky perimeter of the Barglistuber, a 144ft (44m) high waterfall in the Glarus region of eastern Switzerland. Anne said: 'When we are travelling, it is the best time of the year for the dogs. They get 24 hours of quality time with their owners'

Another enchanting shot of Finn next to the Barglistuber waterfall. According to My Switzerland, it has been described as 'one of Switzerlands most beautiful waterfalls'

Finn perches on a rock and sits for the camera on a visit to the Dachstein mountains in Styria, southeast Austria. Anne says that in the distance you can see the Gosau Glacier on the Dachstein Massif

An other-worldly shot of Anne and her pets sitting on a paragliders' launchpad above a sea of clouds with the Ausseer Zinken - a 6,082ft (1,854m) mountain on the Dachstein plateau - in Austria ahead of them

A playful Yuri on a jetty on the mesmerising Lake Fuschl, which is in the popular Salzkammergut holiday region of the Austrian state of Salzburg. Anne says: 'Travelling with dogs is quite easy. You just have to take care of what the entry requirements for dogs are for each country'

This epic view shows Yuri on the protected island of Runde off the coast of Norway - best known as a haven for birds. Anne says she is keen to take the dogs to Norway again but to go further north to the spectacular Lofoten Islands

An ethereal image of Finn in woods close to the town of Bad Goisern - a popular holiday destination in central Austria. Anne says her biggest dream would be to take her dogs on a trip to Iceland post-lockdown. But, unfortunately, due to strict entry requirements and quarantine rules for dogs, she does not believe it will be possible

This heartwarming snap shows Finn relaxing on a boat on Austria's Lake Hallstatt. The mayor of the village on its shore that shares the name last year had to beg tourists to stay away after rumours emerged it was the inspiration for the fairytale city of Arendelle in Disney's Frozen movies. It became mobbed by 10,000 visitors a day, some of whom let themselves into homes to use the bathrooms

Finn explores an ice cave in the Rhone Glacier in the southern part of the Swiss Alps. The 328ft (100m) long tunnel is recut in the glacier each year and 'glows in magically fine shades of blue', according to My Switzerland

Anne shot this spectacular image of Yuri 'dancing' at the Nufenen Pass in the Swiss Alps. The pass sits at 8,129ft (2,478m) and is one of the highest mountain roads in Switzerland. Lonely Planet describes it as 'probably the most remote gateway into Switzerlands Italian canton [Ticino]'

This stunning shot shows Finn looking towards the Bondhusbreen glacier in Folgefonna National Park in Norway. Anne says that the dogs much prefer to visit countries in northern Europe as they 'aren't really too happy when in hot temperatures'

Anne and her dogs travel around in her Volkswagen T4 campervan, which she bought in 2019. She says: 'We are totally free and flexible and not bound on any accommodation. The dogs love the van. It's like a home for them.' Pictured is Finn on the edge of Gosau Lake, a small mountain lake in the Gosau Valley of Austria

Finn perches on a rocky outcrop in Gosau Lake in Austria after being carried there by Anne's boyfriend, Robert. She jokes: 'Even though the water was not that deep - my dogs don't like to walk through water'

This jaw-dropping scene shows Yuri and the view from Eidfjord - 'one of the most beautifully sited towns in this part of Norway, dwarfed by sheer mountains and cascading waterfalls', according to Lonely Planet. Anne stresses that in pictures where her dogs look close to the edge of precarious drops, they are always wearing a leash

As well as returning to Norway, Anne is eager to take her dogs to Scotland and some of the Baltic countries once it's safe to do so. Pictured is Finn in Norway at Hardangervidda National Park, which at 1,321 square miles (3,422 square kilometres) is the largest national park in the country

A spectacular shot of Finn next to the stunning Johannes waterfall in Obertauern, Salzburg

An eerie image taken on a hazy day in woods near the village of Strobl in Salzburg

Anne admits that living out of a camper van when travelling can be tough. She explains: 'It's a very simple way of life and you have to just bring the important things. Of course, sometimes it's also quite hard to have no shower for days or to sleep in a cold car.' Pictured is Finn surveying the scene from a tent in Austria's Obertraun - a village close to Hallstatt

This striking image, featuring Finn, was taken at Lago di Braies - a beautiful mountain lake in the Italian Dolomites that usually attracts 600,000 tourists each year

A mesmerising shot of Seiser Alm, the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe, and the jagged peaks of the Italian Dolomites beyond. And, of course, Finn and Yuri!

Finn exploring the woods near Irdning, a village in the Austrian state of Styria. Owner Anne has worked as a full-time dog photographer for three years
The State Department is investigating what appears to be a 'prank' after its website suggested President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence's term would end on Monday evening.

The change to the department's bio page for Trump - which displayed the text 'Donald J. Trump's term ended on 2021-01-11 19:49:00' - created an internet frenzy on Monday afternoon.

The vice president's biography was similarly edited to state 'Michael R. Pence's term ended on 2021-01-11 19:44:22.'

A disgruntled worker at the State Department changed the biographies of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in a 'prank' that showed his term in office had ended

Dates on the State Department webpage were altered to state that Vice President Pence's term was also ending on Monday evening

The change came nine days before President-elect Joe Biden is to be sworn in.

Eventually both pages were removed around 3:50pm and simply threw up error messages reading: 'We're sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments.'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ordered an internal investigation into the matter with a focus on interns and employees leaving the State Department this week before the Biden administration takes over.

But it might not be easy to track down who was behind the hack given how many people have access to the content management system used for the State Department's official website.

It's a 'closed system' that is 'nearly impossible to hack,' said one of the diplomats. 'It's 100% not a hack,' they said to BuzzFeed.

It's believed the website was adjusted by someone at the State Department rather than a hacker from the outside

There is still another nine days before President-elect Joe Biden is to be sworn in

The flub comes as Trump is under growing pressure to resign and as he faces a second impeachment after his supporters stormed the Capitol last week in a bid to halt the certification of Trump's election defeat to President-elect Joe Biden.

Two people familiar with the incident say the department is investigating exactly how the change to the website happened and believe the stunt was the work of a 'disgruntled staffer'.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. The pages have since been removed.

The sudden alteration led to much hilarity on Twitter by those who were amused by the change.

'Was the disgruntled staffer... Mike Pence?' asked one Twitter user.

'That narrows it down to: the entire State Department,' wrote another.

'I nominate "Angry Staffer" for the Presidential Medal of Freedom,' joked another user.

'An administration marked by stability and professionalism to the last,' added another.

The sudden alteration led to much hilarity on Twitter by users who were amused by the change

In recent days, American diplomats have drafted two cables condemning President Donald Trump's incitement of the deadly assault on the Capitol and calling for administration officials to possibly support invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

Using what is known as the State Department's 'dissent channel,' career foreign and civil service officers said they fear last Wednesday's siege may badly undermine U.S. credibility to promote and defend democratic values abroad.

'Failing to publicly hold the president to account would further damage our democracy and our ability to effectively accomplish our foreign policy goals abroad,' according to the second of the two cables, which were circulated among diplomats late last week and then sent to State Department leadership.

More than 100 State Department employees signed the cable.

Dozens of State Department officials filed a formal dissent cable directed at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, pictured , who has failed to address the role Trump played in encouraging his supporters who stormed the Capitol building

The dissent channel is normally used to oppose specific foreign policy decisions. The two most recent cables appear to be unprecedented in their scope and characterization of the president as a danger to the country.

The cables also reflect anger at the response to the riot by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a loyal Trump ally.

Pompeo has condemned the violence at the Capitol but has pointedly not addressed the role Trump played in encouraging his supporters who stormed the building. Nor has Pompeo addressed the aftermath or acknowledged that American diplomats overseas may now face new difficulty in promoting democracy.

A top Republican staffer on the House Armed Services Committee resigned from his position, while warning there were likely foreign spies at Wednesday's Capitol Hill riot.

Jason Schmid sent out a blistering resignation letter to the incoming ranking member, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, and the committee's membership, blasting Republican members for putting 'political theater ahead of the defense of the Constitution and the Republic.'

'Foreign intelligence services were likely on the scene and will certainly capitalize on the crisis it has caused - our people will pay a steep price,' Schmid warned in a letter first obtained by Politico. 'Congressional enablers of this mob have made future foreign conflict more likely, not less.'

A top Republican aide on the House Armed Services Committee wrote a letter to leadership and members that warned that 'foreign intelligence services were likely on the scene' of Wednesday's Capitol Building riot

Jason Schmid resigned from the committee after 13 GOP lawmakers who serve on it voted in favor of challenging Electoral College votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania - votes they took after Wednesday's riot

Jason Schmid (pictured) wrote a blistering resignation letter Tuesday to the top Republican and other members of the House Armed Services Committee

Schmid's issue was with the 147 House Republicans and seven GOP senators who voted in favor of challenging Electoral College results in Arizona and Pennsylvania in the hours after the MAGA mob's violent incident killed five, including a Capitol Police officer.

'A poisonous lie that the election was illegitimate and should be overturned inspired so called "patriots" to share common cause with white supremacists, neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists to attack the seat of American government,' he wrote.

'Anyone who watched those horrible hours unfold should have been galvanized to rebuke these insurrectionists in the strongest terms,' he continued.

'Instead, some members whom I believed to be leaders in the defense of the nation chose to put political theater ahead of the defense of the Constitution and the Republic,' he added.

Schmid said the decision to vote against legitimate Electoral College electors put in harm's way 'every service member, intelligence officer and diplomat.'

'How are they to effectively defend American democratic ideals when the entire world saw so many members disregard those same ideals for cynical political purposes?' Schmid asked GOP lawmakers.

President Donald Trump had encouraged Republicans to object to the Electoral College results in key swing states where 'alternate' electors had met and backed the president, instead of the rightful winner of those states, President-elect Joe Biden.

Lawmakers were in the process of debating an objection to Arizona's Electoral College count when rioters broke into the Capitol Building.

Around midnight Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley backed another GOP House-led objection to Pennsylvania's votes going to Biden, triggering another two hours of debate and then a vote.

Overall, 13 members of the House Armed Services Committee voted in favor of these challenges.

Schmid called the number 'disturbing.'

Trump had also pushed Vice President Mike Pence to singlehandedly choose which Electoral College votes to count, pressuring him to certify votes from the 'alternate' electors.

Pence has no Constitutional power to do such a thing - and did not go through with Trump's plan.

Thanks to Trump, rioters were under the delusion that Congress - or Pence - would be able to overturn the results of the election.

'These self-inflicted wounds are a gift to autocrats who seek a diminished America and are fundamentally inconsistent with the responsibility to provide for the common defense,' Schmid said.

The outgoing staffer concluded his letter by saying 'the failure of so many Republican members of the Committee to put the nation ahead of electoral politics compels my resignation from the staff.'
Oscar winning actor Nicole Kidman has said she would love to move to Belfast after her experience filming in Northern Ireland.

The Australian star is set to appear as Queen Gudrin in the upcoming Viking revenge epic The Northman which was filmed in Northern Ireland last year.

In an interview on Marc Marons WTF podcast, Kidman spoke of falling in love with Belfast despite visiting during a pandemic.

I was shooting in Belfast, I love Belfast now, she said.

The weirdest thing is Im in Belfast and Im like... maybe we should move here, Im that sort of person.

Im in Belfast going this place is really special. Theres something about it, I was just drawn.

I have Irish blood, my family came over to Australia in 1839 on the SS Susan as free settlers.

On the experience of filming during a pandemic, she had told director Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse) she was initially terrified to make the journey to Northern Ireland.

One because its a pandemic and flying into the middle of a lockdown to work on a film, she said.

Also just grateful to be doing the work... this is so important and thats why I went because... one, I didnt want to let down a huge production and two, I want to work with these people.

And if we can do it with safety, how fantastic and we did.

Read More

She added with a laugh: The film is finished and Im moving to Belfast.

On working with co-star Ethan Hawke (Training Day) in Northern Ireland, she added: He played my King, Im now crazy about Ethan. He was always a great actor, but just personally what a great guy and so much knowledge.

The all-star cast also includes Icelandic popstar Bjork, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queens Gambit) as well as Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood).

Filming locations have included Helens Tower Wood in Co Down, the Mourne Mountains, Larne as well as the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal.
French English

Paris, January 12, 2021  Atos today announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire In Fidem, a Canada-based specialized cybersecurity consulting firm. This acquisition will reinforce Atos position as the #3 worldwide cybersecurity services leader1 and in particular enhance its North America cybersecurity services capabilities by bringing experienced consultants to the Atos team.

Consistent with its targeted acquisition strategy, the operation will expand Atos client portfolio and established expertise in cybersecurity services in Canada. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Montreal with offices in Quebec City and Ottawa, In Fidem has expertise in cloud security, digital identity, risk management, security operations, digital forensics and cyber breach response. It is a leading player in the Canadian market and has a proven track-record of successfully addressing large private and public organizations digital security challenges. In Fidem will bring its network of more than 100 highly skilled specialists to the Atos cybersecurity team.

This acquisition reinforces our position in a fast-growing cybersecurity market and is a key addition to our current cybersecurity business in North America. In Fidems strong long-standing client relationships will bring added value to our teams. Were excited to unite our expertise with that of In Fidem and see many synergies between our teams and business approach said Pierre Barnabe, Senior Executive Vice-President, Head of Big Data & Cybersecurity at Atos.



This strategic move will enable our customers to benefit from Atos extensive expertise, global presence and its leading rankings in Managed Security Services. Were convinced that the combined capabilities of our portfolio and expertise with that of Atos will bring added value to our clients. We look forward to the next steps in our journey together said Matthieu Chouinard, CEO of In Fidem.

The closing of the transaction is expected to take place in Q1 2021.

***

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees and annual revenue of  12 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos operates under the brands Atos and Atos|Syntel. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

Atos Contacts

Investor Relations: Gilles Arditti  +33 (0)1 73 26 00 66  gilles.arditti@atos.net

Press Relations: Lucie Duchateau - +33 7 62 85 35 10  lucie.duchateau@atos.net

North America Press Relations: Maggie Wainscott - +1 903 262 8169  maggie.wainscott@atos.net

In Fidem Contact

Press Relations: Nathalie Pen - +1 (514) 847-3664  nathalie.pen@infidem.biz

1 Gartner Market Share: Managed Security Services, Worldwide, par Rustam Malik, 5 May 2020

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Cherie Ward considered tossing the envelope into the trash.

It would have been the most valuable piece of garbage in the sack.

The piece of mail that arrived Saturday, Jan. 9, actually contained a Visa card that was preloaded with the federal pandemic stimulus payment to Cherie and her husband, Bob, who live in Baker City.

Cherie Ward said her initial thought was that the envelope contained a credit card offer.

The kind you get all the time and that you throw away, she said.

What to watch for

But she was intrigued by the phrase Economic Impact Payment, which was printed in two places.

Ward said she read the letter inside but was still skeptical, considering the prevalence of credible-looking scams.

For one thing, she said the couples first federal payment last spring was a direct deposit to their bank account.

To get a Visa card in the mail is strange, Ward said.

Even if you got direct deposit the first time, you may receive your stimulus payment via a debit card in the mail.

Only after consulting the AARP website and calling her bank was Ward satisfied that the mail was legitimate. She and her husband called to activate the card.

Ward emailed the Herald Monday morning because she was concerned other residents would receive the same envelope and throw it away.

According to the IRS, the debit cards are intended to speed payments to Americans. Some people who received a check or a direct deposit this spring got the card this time.

In all, the IRS said it will mail about 8 million debit cards this month. People who dont receive a check or a direct deposit should watch their mail carefully for an envelope containing the card.

Unlike the cards mailed last spring, these envelopes include the Treasury Department seal.
TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global world becomes increasingly more connected, a majority of people communicate through messenger apps. In fact, almost 3 billion people use messenger apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook's Messenger app. FUNTEK Software Inc. is a chat solution provider. Their core products include imkit (Chat SDK) and PinChat (B2C Instant messaging SaaS). They target industries such as Retail, Finance, Insurance, e-Commerce, Events and Social Platforms, and Pharmacy, etc. to provide them controllable and easy-to-setup business chat service.

Currently, businesses are relying on messenger apps to interact and communicate with customers; however, there are challenges that arise from using messenger apps as the main method of communication. With messenger apps, there is often a lack of data transparency that leads to potentially lower conversion rates. Chat history is scattered and uncontrollable, so business owners are not always able to access or analyze chat data to generate insights. If customers are interested in taking the next step in the customer journey, they will most likely still need to download additional apps or follow the business's official account. Lastly, it is far too expensive for businesses to build out their own chat solutions.

PinChat allows customers to easily connect and interact with businesses without the hassle of downloading any apps or registering new accounts

PinChat solves these challenges with their easy to use scan-to-chat solution. Recently launched in July 2020, PinChat is designed with three key principles: high conversion, flexible integration, and agile adoption. Their scan-"direct"-to chat allows customers to easily communicate with businesses without the hassle of registering a new account or downloading any apps. Furthermore, PinChat provides WebHook APIs for common enterprise service integrations, like registration, reservation, surveys, and even payment.

With PinChat, businesses can easily integrate chat solutions into their services and are able to own their chat data and access it at any time. PinChat's competitive edge lies in its high-security, high-compatibility, and high-concurrency  it complies with bank-level security regulation, is designed to fit into any existing architecture, and supports scalable infrastructure with at least 100,000 peak connections for one single application.

Businesses that adopt PinChat's solution see an increase in customer satisfaction levels and application usage

FUNTEK has been empowering the banking, retail, insurance, e-commerce, pharmacy, and events and social platform industries by building exclusive messenger systems integrated with their service and product. For example, one of their current clients is a franchised pharmacy store with over one hundred branches. This pharmacy franchise used to have an average customer response time of 8 hours. By adopting PinChat's scan-to-chat QR code solution, they were able to shorten response time by 80% and improve their customer satisfaction. For another client, 2020 Meet Taipei, they were able to integrate PinChat's services into their mobile application and online event booth for exhibitors. Attendees of the event could use PinChat to connect with each of the 400 exhibitors instantly anytime while the client could manage all the chats backstage and analyze the overall engagements of their event.

Since its launch, PinChat has received more than 15,000 QR Code scans and has reached 21,000 monthly active users this October. Users from more than 23 countries are using PinChat, including India, Thailand, Japan, and Korea. They have also established partnerships with enterprises in over 10 different countries, including Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Thailand. FUNTEK's business model is simple, PinChat is based on a monthly subscription model that scales with the number of monthly active users.

FUNTEK's vision is to extend customer interactions for businesses through easy-to-implement chat solutions

Brian Fang, the CEO and Co-founder of FUNTEK, has deep industry knowledge in the business software industry and is passionate about delivering reliable products to customers. Their team is composed of experienced experts on real-time and large scale systems. FUNTEK's vision is to extend customer interactions for businesses; that is, to help businesses connect and communicate with their customers beyond the traditional channels.

FUNTEK is backed by strong investors such as SparkLabs Taipei, Orange Fab Asia Taipei and Amazon Joint Innovation Center. FUNTEK also has been selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups to showcase at CES 2021.

CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3bvtuu

SOURCE FUNTEK Software Inc.
Officials in several Canadian provinces expressed concerns Monday about the health network's ability to handle a rising tide of COVID-19 cases, with a senior Quebec health official warning that the province could soon face difficult choices about whom to treat.

Amanda Parsons, a registered nurse on staff at the Northwood Care facility, administers a dose of the Moderna vaccine to Ann Hicks in Halifax on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. In a bid to control COVID-19, the federal government plans to make free vaccines available to everyone who lives in Canada over the course of 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan-Pool.

Officials in several Canadian provinces expressed concerns Monday about the health network's ability to handle a rising tide of COVID-19 cases, with a senior Quebec health official warning that the province could soon face difficult choices about whom to treat.

Dr. Lucie Opatrny, an associate deputy minister in Quebec's Health Department, said hospitals across the province are at maximum capacity and struggling to keep up even with cancer and emergency surgeries.

At a news conference alongside Premier Francois Legault, she said hospitals are being forced to delay more and more surgeries and treatments, creating a backlog that she said could last "months or even years."

Worse, she said the network was preparing for the possibility of having to use its protocol of prioritizing access to intensive care  essentially deciding which seriously ill patients get treated first if it becomes impossible to help them all.

"It was an exercise we told ourselves was purely hypothetical just a few months ago," she said, but now it is increasingly likely the protocol will be invoked in the coming weeks if trends don't improve. She said every effort would be made to avoid that scenario.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also confirmed additional restrictions would be announced on Tuesday in light of dire new COVID-19 projections that are set to be made public, as Toronto Mayor John Tory called for a return to a full lockdown similar to what was imposed last spring.

The province's death toll surpassed 5,000 after 29 more deaths were attributed to the novel coronavirus on Monday  along with3,338 new cases and 80 additional COVID-related hospitalizations.

While there had been speculation that Ontario would follow Quebec's lead in imposing a curfew, senior government sources with knowledge of the measures being considered confirmed Monday that a curfew was not part of the public health recommendations.

Quebec, which has reported a Canada-high 8,737 deaths, reported 1,869 new infections and 56 more COVID-related hospitalizations Monday.

Legault said that while the situation in hospitals was "critical," there was also some good news: the vaccination campaign is almost halfway to its target vaccination rate in long-term care homes, he said, and the test positivity rate had declined slightly, to about seven per cent.

He said most Quebecers respected the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that came into effect over the weekend in order to limit transmission and ease the burden on the health-care system.

Canada's chief public health officer said hospitalizations and deaths are still rising across the country. About 4,336 people were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day last week, with an average of 811 in intensive care, Dr. Theresa Tam said in a statement Monday.

"This situation continues to burden local health-care resources, particularly in areas where infection rates are highest," she wrote. "These impacts affect everyone, as the health-care workforce and health system bear a heavy strain, important elective medical procedures are delayed or postponed, adding to pre-existing backlogs."

The news was more positive on the economic front, as the leaders of Canadas top banks expressed confidence that an economic rebound is on the horizon, especially given the arrival of promising vaccines.

However, the consensus at the Royal Bank of Canada's Canadian Bank CEO conference was that things will remain difficult in the short term as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise.

Royal Bank of Canada chief executive Dave McKay said the economy could likely be reopened when between 4 million and 4.5 million high-risk Canadians have been vaccinated against the virus. But some sectors of the economy, including small businesses, hospitality businesses and transportation companies, are likely to take longer to recover.

While the COVID-19 situation remained serious across the country, there were glimmers of good news.

Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba both announced they'd begun inoculating residents in remote Indigenous communities on Monday, while Nova Scotia expanded the first phase of its immunization program to reach more vulnerable residents in long-term care and health-care workers outside Halifax.

Manitoba reported 133 new daily COVID-19 cases, down from 400 at the height of the fall spike, prompting the province's chief public health officer to say the restrictions in place to limit transmission appeared to be working. However, Dr. Brent Roussin said hospitals remain strained and more time is needed to get COVID-19 numbers down further.

Alberta had another decrease in new daily cases with 639, while Saskatchewan's infections continued to grow with 412  bringing its weekly average of new daily cases to 307, the highest since last summer.

British Columbia recorded 22 more deaths from COVID-19 over a three-day period, pushing its death toll to 1,010, as the province also announced an additional 1,475 cases.

Nunavut said it would lift restrictions on the last two communities under lockdown after two weeks without a new case.

 With files from Shawn Jeffords, Tara Deschamps and Steve Lambert

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.
The Yankees and free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu are engaged in a very expensive game of chicken. And it could end up costing New York big bucks, according to ESPNs Jeff Passan:

Whatever the fuel behind the Yankees decision-making, every day that goes by, theyre daring LeMahieu to leave. He could take the Toronto Blue Jays money, which hasnt been very popular even though it spends the same, or go jewelry-chasing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who wont pay him what he wants but have a 24-karat gold, diamond-encrusted sales pitch. And every day, their bluff hasnt been called. The danger for the Yankees comes if, as some expect, Springer signs first -- and its not with Toronto. ... LeMahieus leverage only stands to grow as his peers atop the board (George Springer and J.T. Realmuto) exit the market and leave him the belle of the ball. The Yankees have gone more than two months with him atop their priority list and no priority treatment offered. Soon enough, someone is bound to budge.

On Monday, MLB Network Radio analyst and former MLB GM Jim Duquette said that right now, Toronto would be, in my opinion, a real threat to the Yankees re-signing LeMahieu.

Talks between the Yankees and LeMahieu are not making progress, MLB Networks Jon Heyman reported Monday, opening the door for the Los Angeles Dodgers as well.

As mentioned on @MLBNetwork the Yankees will go 4 years for DJ LeMahieu. Theres still a $ gap, however; it appears theres still a standoff with all the very top free agents. Dodgers, Jays, Mets among others interested but itll still be a surprise if DJ leaves. ... Dodgers are interested in DJ LeMahieu but their first 3B choice remains their own Justin Turner. As with other top free agents, quite a gap remains. Turner reportedly seeks 4 years (via @latimessports ); Dodgers so far prefer 2.

Heymans reporting came one day after Yahoo Sports Tim Brown reported LeMahieu has become dismayed by the slow-play tactics of the Yankees, along with other clubs.

Teams that have engaged with the LeMahieu camp say LeMahieu expects more than Josh Donaldsons four-year, $92 million deal with the Minnesota Twins and at least on par with J.D. Martinezs five years and $110 million with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees, LeMahieus preferred club after two successful seasons in the Bronx, have not met those terms. The 32-year-old LeMahieu has, therefore, asked his representatives to re-engage with teams that have previously shown the most interest, the source said, among them the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, and to reconnect with teams that reached out early in the free agent period, including the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and others.

LeMahieu, who finished third in voting for the American League MVP Award, led the majors with a .364 batting average in 2020. That made him the first person in the modern era to win batting titles in both leagues. LeMahieu led the National League with a .348 batting average for the Colorado Rockies in 2016.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.

LANSING, MI - The open carry of firearms inside the Michigan Capitol building is banned effective immediately after a unanimous vote Monday from the states Capitol Commission.

The members of appointed state panel voted 6-0 to prohibit open carry inside the building during a short afternoon meeting on Jan. 11. This does not affect open carry on Capitol grounds outside the building. Outside of uniformed law enforcement, civilians must have an up-to-date and valid concealed carry license to bring firearms into the Capitol.

The vote comes after months of debate, particularly in the wake of armed protesters storming the state Capitol in April and supporters of President Donald Trump attacking the U.S. Capitol last week.

Read more: Commission vote appears likely to shift in favor of open carry ban at Michigan Capitol

Commission Chair Gary Randall charged Vice-chair John Truscott and Commissioner Bill Kandler late last year with researching options for the panel to improve security measures around the building. While the Commission doesnt have the funds to install metal detectors and more at entrances themselves, Kandler said, the open carry ban was something they could do immediately.

Commissioner Truscott and I spent a lot of time figuring out how security works and how we could implement things, how security works at other buildings such as the Supreme Court, Kandler said. After we reviewed all the implementation aspects, we determined the extreme limit of our real authority to actually implement was to implement a ban on open carry. We dont have the infrastructure to do much else at this time.

Unlike many state Capitol buildings around the country, visitors to the Michigan Capitol arent subject to metal detectors or a security checkpoint upon entry and are allowed to bring firearms into the building. The Republican-led Legislature would need to approve an appropriation to pay for added security infrastructure.

Read more: Top Republican signals support for banning open carry in Michigan Capitol, but many say thats not enough

Members of the six-member appointed state panel have been hesitant to take action without legislative buy-in. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, voiced support last week for an open carry ban in the building, but Speaker of the House-elect Rep. Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, said the Commission doesnt have the legal authority to make this rule.

The Speaker will be looking at options for handling that moving forward, said Wentworths spokeswoman in a statement. In the meantime, the Michigan State Police will be enforcing the new ruling. In order to ensure there is no confusion in the Capitol, Speaker Wentworth asks everyone to respect the Michigan State Police and the rules they enforce.

The Commissions legal counsel agreed with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels opinion over the summer that the panel can ban firearms inside the building.

Democrats, including Nessel and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday, said the new rule was a good start, but a full firearms ban in the Capitol building is the next step.

The Capitol Commissions action to ban open carry guns at the Capitol is a good start, but more action is needed, Whitmer said in a statement. On a normal day, hundreds of people walk through the Capitol, including groups of fourth graders, teachers, and parents on school field trips to learn about state government. Thats why we must take action to ban all weapons at the Capitol to keep Michiganders safe.

Nessel added that todays ban was simply not enough to protect Capitol staff, representatives and visitors from injury.

Firearms - whether explicitly visible or concealed by clothing - possess the same capability to inflict injury and harm on others, she said in a statement. Only banning them does little to meaningfully improve the safety and security of our Capitol.

In September, the commission voted 4-2 against a proposal to completely prohibit outside firearms in the Capitol. During that same meeting, members failed to pass a motion to ban open carry with a split 3-3 vote. Commissioners Bill Kandler, Joan Bauer and Kerry Chartkoff voted for the ban, while Chair Gary Randall, Vice-chair John Truscott and Commissioner Margaret OBrien opposed it.

Read more: Top Republican signals support for banning open carry in Michigan Capitol, but many say thats not enough

All offered brief words of support for the new open carry ban. Chartkoff, in particular, called it the biggest issue weve faced in the history of the Capitol Commission.

I think its one of the most difficult ones to face the Capitol Commission or any of its predecessors, she said. I have personally received thousands of emails on this issue, many of them extremely well-written both pro and con... Many of them would like us to go further, but I think we all recognize that this is an important first step.

The Commission revisited the open carry question in the wake of last weeks attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. Armed protesters opposing Gov. Gretchen Whitmers COVID-19 business closures stormed the Michigan Capitol in April, prompting months of discussions over a complete firearms ban in the Capitol.

Read more: Michigan extremism a dress rehearsal for Capitol riot, experts say

Months later, some of those same men at the storming of the Michigan Capitol were arrested for their involvement in a plot to kidnap Whitmer and spark a civil war.
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CNN's Don lemon called the President a huge snowflake as he took aim at Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley after he praised his boss for his manliness.

National press secretary Gidley told Fox News' Bill Hemmer Monday: 'The most masculine person I think to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States'.

Lemon ranted on his show Monday night : 'I've heard a lot of pathetic things from this White House; this one really takes the cake.

'A big tough guy who incited a riot and then hid in the White House for five days and still refuses to take responsibility. He's the president of the United States.

''He's the most masculine' - come on man... Shut up.

'Shut up! He is the biggest snowflake of them all, the biggest one.

'Why are you coddling his feelings all the time?

'Who's the snowflake now?'

Scroll down for video

Don Lemon (above) ranted on his show Monday night: 'He (Trump) is the biggest snowflake of them all - the biggest one'

'The most masculine person I think to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States,' President Donald Trump's campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley said Monday on Fox News Channel

Hemmer had asked Gidley if Trump was feeling 'emasculated' because his Twitter and other social media accounts had been suspended.

'Look, I wouldn't say emasculated,' Gidley began.

After touting Trump's masculinity, Gidley attacked Twitter and Facebook's decision to ban the president, after he inspired a mob to march on Capitol Hill with remarks he made at a rally Wednesday.

His supporters broke into the Capitol Building in a violent incident that killed five, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer.

'What he does see is a systematic attack against, not just him, but against 75 million Americans who disagree with the socialist, communist vision that Democrats have for this country,' Gidley continued. 'That is completely unfair.'

Gidley was referring to the 74.2 million Americans who voted for Trump in November.

President Donald Trump is seen above at his 'Save America' rally on Wednesday before his supporters rioted at the Capitol

'And by the way, if Twitter and Facebook are private businesses and you can't do anything about it, then I think every pizza shop owner, every gym owner, every restaurant should open up right now and say if you're going to allow Facebook and Twitter to act the way they're acting, then we're going to open up as well,' Gidley continued.

Lemon concluded his attack on Gidley and Trump by saying: 'The president's legacy will be not the most masculine president but the biggest loser we have ever had as president,'

'Maybe that should have been the name of his show instead of The Apprentice: The Biggest Loser.'

Lemon also took aim at QAnon Shamen Jacob Chansley for being a snowflake because he won't eat prison food.

Chansley, who is from Phoenix, turned himself in to the FBI after returning from Washington, D.C. on Saturday morning and according to his mother, has not eaten since being detained because the detention facility won't feed him all organic food.

Gidley (right) was asked by Fox's Bill Hemmer if Trump was feeling 'emasculated' because his Twitter and other social media accounts had been suspended. Gidley answered that he 'wouldn't say emasculated' and then complimented the president's manliness

During Gidley's interview he was also asked by Hemmer how Trump planned to communicate with the public in his post-presidency.

'That remains to be seen. As I said, you can absolutely censor us. You can't silence us. And well see how the president reacts, and we'll see what Twitter and Facebook decide to do with his accounts,' Gidley answered.

'There are obviously a lot of options out there. Whether he ends up creating his own entity, well wait and see, but the president of the United States most assuredly is going to be able to communicate with his followers and the American people one way or the other,' Gidley added.
In the days following the siege on the U.S. Capitol, there is no immediate danger suggested in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday.

Currently no known threats to the State House and other buildings in Massachusetts, Baker told reporters.

The Republican governor said officials in local and state law enforcement are in regular conversation with federal officials and have been for months.

Such conversations are centered through the Fusion Center, a state-operated center focused on gathering and sharing information between the different law enforcement agencies. Baker said the team knows what to look for and what is out there, both on social media and offline.

He declined to provide specific details on safety protocols or enhanced security efforts at the State House or otherwise.

Last week, following multiple requests from media outlets, Baker, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano issued a following joint statement about the issue.

The safety of the Massachusetts State House, its employees and its neighbors is of utmost importance. As we witness the events in Washington, DC and across the nation, we are aware of the need to ensure the safety of this building and those who work within it. We continually assess our security needs and will adjust as necessary.

Baker emphasized Tuesday that he is confident in the states safety plans should action be planned at the State House or elsewhere.

When asked of what action should be taken against participants in the Capitol insurrection, the governor said they will and should be arrested.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling said Thursday he intends to prosecute any Massachusetts residents who traveled to the nations capital to participate in the action.

The Constitution protects the right to freedom of speech and assembly. What it does not protect is a violent assault on government institutions. Americans on the right and left must re-learn the difference. Anyone who traveled from Massachusetts with the intent to commit such crimes will be prosecuted in the District of Massachusetts, Lelling said.

Multiple residents have been identified in photos and videos captured at the Capitol in days since, including at least one Western Massachusetts resident arrested and another seen on video striking an officer.

On the streets of Washington, D.C. Wednesday, thousands gathered in protest as Congress counted the electoral votes to confirm President-elect Joe Bidens victory. Some engaged in violence with police, throwing punches and spraying pepper spray at officers.

The crowd descended on the Capitol building Wednesday afternoon, overtaking the building.

Elected representatives were seen crouched under desks and donning gas masks while Capitol police barricaded the doors. In the hours the pro-Trump insurrectionists were inside the building, photos showed members of the group taking the seats of lawmakers and hoisting American, Confederate and Trump campaign flags around the building.

Glass panes of a House door were shattered and other structures were left damaged.

Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer, a woman shot by law enforcement and three others who suffered medical emergencies.

16 Violence outside the U.S. Capitol as Trump supporters storm chambers

After the crowds were cleared from the building, lawmakers returned and confirmed Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election early Thursday. Vice President Mike Pence announced the Electoral College tally of 306-232.

You did not win, Pence said when the Senate reopened and he addressed the Pro-Trump rioters.
ALEPPO, Syria  The Hurras al-Din (Guardians of Religion) group affiliated with al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a recent attack on a Russian base in Tal al-Saman in the northern countryside of Raqqa, which is under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The attack raised questions about Hurras al-Dins ability to carry out attacks outside the areas of its deployment in Idlib, northwestern Syria. Some wondered about the timing of this attack and the messages the group wants to convey to the various parties that share control over the Syrian territory, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that controls Idlib.

A car bomb targeted the Russian base near the village of Tal al-Saman on Dec. 31. A campaign dubbed Raqqa Being Slaughtered published photos on Facebook from the site of the bombing, noting that clashes with automatic weapons briefly broke out after the bombing without specifying the parties involved.

The Russian forces had strengthened their military presence at the Tal al-Saman base during December 2020 following an agreement with the SDF. The Russian TASS news agency quoted the deputy director of the Russian Khmeimim air base in Syria, Maj. Gen. Vyacheslav Sitnik, as saying on Dec. 27 that additional Russian military police units have been deployed to the Ain Issa area to step up efforts to stabilize the situation.

After the attack on the Russian base, Hurras al-Din issued a statement on social media it called The Battle of Hardship, saying, A secret group from Hurras al-Din managed to raid a hub of the occupying Russian forces in Tal al-Saman in Raqqa governorate.

Hurras al-Din leader Mohammed Abu Khalid al-Suri defined the objectives of the operation on his Telegram account, saying, The mujahedeen believe that their goal in al-Sham (the Levant) is to fight the aggressive enemy, not the Muslims, nor is it to fight over the crossings, money and control, as warlords do.

He added, With the Battle of Hardship, the mujahedeen aim to prove a point to those factions that possess tens of thousands of soldiers, millions of dollars, weapons and equipment, in an indirect reference to the opposition factions and to the HTS, which Hurras al-Din opposes and accuses of treason.

Suri added, Targeting the bases of the Syrian regime and the Russian enemy and draining them is one of the most successful and most effective solutions in this period after the factions in the north closed the fronts, prevented invasions, concluded a truce with the enemies, and brought them into Muslim areas and dismantled the strength of the mujahedeen. We had to think outside the box to find proper solutions, which is why operations behind enemy lines were carried out to emphasize the mujahedeen's rejection of imported international agreements.

Bilal Sattouf, a researcher in jihadist groups residing in the countryside of Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, The Hurras al-Dins attack on the Russian base outside the Idlib area carries several indications. First and foremost, it reveals a security defect in SDF-controlled areas in a way that enabled the group to carry out this operation. It also indicates Hurras al-Dins intent to expand the scope of its operations in Syria. In the future, we may witness other operations by the group outside Idlib against the Syrian regime forces and perhaps the Iranian militias, and the SDF as well.

Sattouf added, The attack also shows the differences between Hurras al-Din and HTS when it comes to ending the battles in Idlib, since HTS is somewhat committed to the Russian-Turkish agreement in Idlib. Meanwhile, Hurras al-Din wants to showcase itself as a large and effective force capable of shuffling the cards.

He noted, [The attack coincided] with Russian-Turkish action in Ain Issa aimed at deporting the SDF from the area. It seems Hurras a-Din wanted to prove its presence in the areas where other parties conclude agreements to share lands. Hurras al-Din also wants to tell both Russia and Turkey that the pressure exerted on the organization in Idlib could not eliminate it.

Sattouf pointed out, Hurras al-Din can reach areas outside Idlib, and the recent attack also provides it with jihadist propaganda that helps it preserve its jihadists as well as attract new ones, especially in light of the growing operations of the Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian desert, creating competition between the two organizations to attract jihadist fighters.

HTS launched a campaign against Hurras al-Din in Idlib in 2020, which led to direct clashes and resulted in dismantling a large percentage of the organization amid internal divisions. Ever since, there have been questions on whether the clashes between HTS and Hurras al-Din pushed the latter to reconcile with IS, or even if the two (IS and Hurras al-Din) cooperated to strike the Russian base in Raqqa. This could be possible given that IS has been active in eastern and northeastern Syria, which could lead to cooperation between Hurras al-Din and IS in future attacks.

Orabi Abul-Hayy Orabi, a researcher in Islamic groups, told Al-Monitor, I completely rule out the possibility of Hurras al-Din coordinating with IS to attack the Russian base. But there could be some sort of temporary truce between the two sides to facilitate their movements in the desert and other Syrian areas where the two sides have security cells.

For his part, Obadah al-Tamer, dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the Damascus University in the countryside of Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, Hurras al-Dins attack may be linked to what might be called the proxy conflict over that area, but one operation may not be significant enough to base a logical explanation on, nor does it allow for a realistic prediction of causes.
The software also allows the Bitcoin network to confirm the accuracy of the password to allow transactions, without seeing or knowing the password itself. In short, the system makes it possible for anyone to create a Bitcoin wallet without having to register with a financial institution or go through any sort of identity check.

That has made Bitcoin popular with criminals, who can use the money without revealing their identity. It has also attracted people in countries like China and Venezuela, where authoritarian governments are known for raiding or shutting down traditional bank accounts.

But the structure of this system did not account for just how bad people can be at remembering and securing their passwords.

Even sophisticated investors have been completely incapable of doing any kind of management of private keys, said Diogo Monica, a co-founder of a start-up called Anchorage, which helps companies handle cryptocurrency security. Mr. Monica started the company in 2017 after helping a hedge fund regain access to one of its Bitcoin wallets.

Mr. Thomas, the programmer, said he was drawn to Bitcoin partly because it was outside the control of a country or company. In 2011, when he was living in Switzerland, he was given the 7,002 Bitcoin by an early Bitcoin fanatic as a reward for making an animated video, What is Bitcoin?, which introduced many people to the technology.

That year, he lost the digital keys to the wallet holding the Bitcoin. Since then, as Bitcoins value has soared and fallen and he could not get his hands on the money, Mr. Thomas has soured on the idea that people should be their own bank and hold their own money.

This whole idea of being your own bank  let me put it this way: Do you make your own shoes? he said. The reason we have banks is that we dont want to deal with all those things that banks do.
Aliro Joins the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) Our mission to enable the quantum internet requires the best minds in both quantum computing and networking

Aliro Quantum, the first quantum networking company in the United States, announces today that it has joined the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). As a QED-C Founding Member, Aliro will contribute to three Technical Advisory Committees: Enabling Technologies, Use Cases, and Standards and Performance Metrics. Aliro has also added Don Towsley, a leading researcher in the area of quantum networking, to its scientific advisory board.

We are excited to welcome Aliro as a Founding Member of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), said Celia Merzbacher, Deputy Director of QED-C. Aliro and QED-C share a goal to enable quantum networking and other applications by building the foundational technology needed. We look forward to Aliros contributions to QED-C as we grow a robust commercial quantum-based industry and associated supply chain in the United States.

Through QED-C, Aliro will take part in the effort to identify high impact use cases and applications for hybrid classical and quantum networking, as well as identify gaps and needed performance metrics in enabling technologies.

Our mission to enable the quantum internet requires the best minds in both quantum computing and networking, said Prineha Narang, Professor at Harvard and CTO of Aliro. Thats why we are pleased to join QED-C and welcome Professor Don Towsley as an advisor. Professor Towsleys work has already inspired our product roadmap, and I look forward to his continued guidance to help us accelerate our platform development.

Don Towsley is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Information & Computer Sciences at University of Massachusetts  Amherst. Professor Towsley's research spans a wide range of activities from secure communications to distributed machine learning and, in recent years, quantum communications and networking. Towsley and collaborators have provided fundamental research across the quantum network stack, from quantum switch designs (On the Exact Analysis of an Idealized Quantum Switch) to new routing algorithms (Routing Entanglement in the Quantum Internet). Towsley's expertise across the quantum networking stack will inform Aliro's network network simulation and emulation products.

In addition, Towsley is a leader at the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) Engineering Research Center at the University of Arizona, where Professor Prineha Narang at Harvard and Aliro CTO is also a research area co-lead.

I have worked closely with Professor Narang on research in the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) at the University of Arizona, and I am thrilled to now support the Aliro team, said Professor Don Towsley. As Aliros focus naturally aligns with my research in quantum networking architecture and performance, I am looking forward to assisting their efforts in bringing commercial and defense applications to life.



Aliro recently announced two new quantum networking simulation and emulation platform products, Aliro Q.Network and Aliro Q.Compute, to enable quantum network development. Professor Narang at Harvard has recently given a series of keynotes on Aliros development at several virtual conferences, including: InnovationXLab Quantum Information Science & Technology Summit, IEEE Quantum Week, Inside Quantum Technology Europe, Quantum.Tech Quantum Thursday, and the OIDA Technology Showcase.

To learn more about Aliro and its quantum networking solutions, visit aliroquantum.com.

About Aliro Quantum

Aliro Quantum is a quantum networking platform company that spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University. Aliro is leading the charge on quantum network market creation by offering the foundational technologies needed for organizations around the world to build powerful quantum systems. An Air Force Research grant recipient, Aliro is designing quantum network simulation and emulation tools while partnering with national labs and hardware vendors including Air Force Research Labs, IBM Q Network, Rigetti, Honeywell Quantum Solutions, and Hyperion Research to make scalable quantum computing accessible. To learn more, visit aliroquantum.com.

Contact:

Sarah Mees for Aliro Quantum

617-462-8066

sarah@meescommunications.com

HOUSTON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Energistics Consortium and The Open Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that enables their respective Members to collaborate more closely. This will ensure that the Energistics standards evolve to meet the requirements of The Open Group OSDU Data Platform.

Established in 2018, The Open Group OSDU Forum is a volunteer consensus-based Energy industry group consisting of over 175 Member companies. Its 1,300 participants have worked together to build a single cloud-based, open source platform for all energy data. This platform will eliminate existing barriers to data sharing  empowering the Energy industry to make faster, better informed business decisions. From the outset, the central tenet of the OSDU Forum has been to create a data platform backed by a standards-based ecosystem that provides OPEX and CAPEX benefits to energy operators and opens new opportunities to suppliers.

The Open Group has based the OSDU Forum on the success of its other open architecture initiatives in the Energy industry, including the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) and the Open Footprint Forum. The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) and the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) consortiums also merged the organizations and technical interests of their Members to develop standards that support the business needs and IT requirements of the respective ecosystems.

For 30 years, Energistics has facilitated a community of Oil and Gas industry experts that has defined the standards for moving upstream data between partners. Energistics joined the OSDU Forum in 2018 to support the development of the OSDU Data Platform, bringing Energistics standards and industry expertise to the table. These standards include WITSML for drilling/wells, RESQML for Reservoir and earth models, and PRODML for production data, as well as the Energistics Transfer Protocol which underpins the data standards.

Ross Philo, CEO of Energistics said: "While a number of companies are members of both The Open Group and Energistics, there is not a complete overlap. To enable seamless collaboration between stakeholders in both groups, we will establish processes to allow the harmonization of priorities and cross member participation. We are committed to supporting the success of The Open Group OSDU Data Platform and this MOU testifies to the spirit with which our two organizations work together."

Phillip Jong, the OSDU Forum Chair, said: "The OSDU Forum is pleased to join forces with Energistics and leverage the existing Energistics standards, which have been developed by Energy industry experts over the past three decades. The OSDU Data Platform will provide implementations of these standards and expose the data to applications via OSDU APIs. In doing so, we will create executable standards through which business value can be rapidly delivered across the entire industry."

About Energistics

Energistics is the leading upstream oil and gas industry's data standards body. We are a global, non-profit consortium established over 30 years ago to bring together industry professionals in a neutral and collaborative environment to develop and deploy open data exchange standards and to address oil and gas information sharing challenges. Our members consist of integrated, independent and national oil companies, oilfield service companies, hardware and software vendors, system integrators, regulatory agencies and the global standards user community. For more information, visit our website at www.energistics.org .



About The Open Group OSDU Forum

The Open Group OSDU Forum is an international forum of oil and gas operators, cloud services companies, technology providers, suppliers of applications to oil and gas operators, academia, and other standards organizations working together to develop an open, standards-based, data platform that will bring together exploration, development, and wells data. For more information, visit https://osduforum.org.

OSDU is a trademark of The Open Group.

About The Open Group

The Open Group is a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards. Our diverse membership of more than 800 organizations includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics, and consultants across multiple industries. For more information, visit www.opengroup.org.

SOURCE Energistics

Related Links

http://www.energistics.org


Jaipur, Jan 12 : The Rajasthan government is committed to facilitate ease of doing business and help industries become competitive. The state government has set up a single-window system in which officials from 14 departments are providing permissions in 100 different areas related to industries. MSMEs can avail permissions easily through the Raj portal without having to run around to different offices.

During 2019-2020, RIICO received investments of Rs 1400 crores from the auction of industrial plots via e-auction. This was informed by Rajasthan Minister for Industry Parsadi Lal Meena while addressing a webinar on "Challenges in Sourcing Cheaper Electricity for Industries" on Tuesday.

The webinar was organised by FICCI Rajasthan State Council, in association with Indian Energy Exchange Limited.

Managing Director, Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, Rohit Gupta said that electricity cost is a major input in the overall cost of industries. Electricity cost in Rajasthan is higher as compared to other states due to the financial position of the power discoms which is linked to the consumer mix of the state.

The department is planning to look into areas like access to rebates, making timely payments to the generators, operational efficiency of thermal plants, etc. to reduce the overall procurement cost, he said.

Head-Business Development & SVP, Indian Energy Exchange, Rohit Bajaj said that high Cross Subsidy Surcharge, 24-hour scheduling restriction, uniform scheduling for at least 8 hours, minimum 1 MW contract demand for availing open access, among others are key issues for open access in Rajasthan.

Bajaj said that industries can avail of power procurement options like long-term for more than 7 years, medium term from 1 year to 5 years, short term for up to 1 year. The most preferred option is, however, the Power Exchange option which is a highly liquid and transparent marketplace.

Partner, Deloitte, Anujesh Dwivedi said that open access is an option to purchase cheaper electricity. It allows the consumer to purchase electricity directly from power generators, traders or exchange. In Rajasthan, open access will have a positive impact on additional job opportunities and state wise share in incremental GDP.

There is a need to initiate discussions between the Department, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC), Power Discoms on how open access can be effectively resolved. Furthermore, there is also a need to establish a road map for implementing provisions related to Open Access under the Rajasthan Industrial Development policy 2019, he added.

Earlier, delivering the welcome remarks, Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council &, CMD, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd, Ashok Kajaria said that as industrial activity resumes after Covid there is a need to fight the slowdown and attract new investments to the state. For this, the reduction of operating cost, especially electricity cost, can help in the growth of industries. Rajasthan can look into the best practices being adopted by other states.

Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan Sub-committee on MSMEs, N K Jain proposed the vote of thanks at the webinar.
Posted Monday, January 11, 2021 8:19 am

Preschool-age children are still learning important skills, techniques and more despite restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic with help from two local preschool teachers.

When the pandemic closed in-person instruction around Washington state, preschool teachers Melanie Hanes and Kaite Tidwell decided to continue their passion for helping kids learn by starting Joey School, an online preschool subscription box parents can use to teach their kids general preschool curriculum each month.

Hanes and Tidwell have operated and taught local families at Sprouts Academy Preschool on 194th Street in Ridgefield for about six years now. When the schools closed, Hanes said the duo spent a lot of time riding their bikes together and coming up with new ideas. Originally planned for the families in their preschool, Hanes and Tidwell came up with the idea of Joey School as a way to continue teaching families with preschool age children. However, after discussing the idea and reaching out to social media, the duo decided to launch the program nationwide instead of limiting the program to their families.

We kind of reached out on some social media platforms to see what the interest level was. We had a lot of interest in California, Hanes said. We created our first box and sold 100 boxes.

The duo continues to pack and ship about 100 boxes a month to families across the United States and even sends a few boxes to Canada.

Each box is fully equipped with lessons, materials and curriculum needed for parents to teach their children at home, and includes a theme for the month. The first Joey School box was all about colors. Recent box themes include arctic animals and transportation. Along with the monthly curricula, the first box ordered  and every three months after  includes a supply kit containing basic resources for preschoolers such as crayons, glue and more.

Hanes explained how each box is designed to have four three-day weeks of teaching material and curriculum, each with a lesson plan and any designated materials. For example, on Mondays children will complete a lesson on sensory, phonics and math. On Wednesday, students learn music and math. On the final day, music and art could be involved.

Theres usually three activities a day and 45 minutes of focused learning for each of the three days, Hanes said. We try to encourage parents to break it up with play in-between and have a couple of blog posts with teaching tips on doing it and how to break it up.

Hanes said with the break times included, each day is about an hour-and-a-half of instruction, and break times should be included because play time helps students keep their focus over the period learning.

Playtime isnt the only fun part included, however. Much of the curriculum involves dancing, moving and art projects. Hanes said each box contains the required materials for specific art projects. The transportation box included fun projects such as kinetic sand as its sensory activity while the arctic hibernation box had water beads.

With each box we create, I think its my new favorite, Hanes said when asked about her favorite theme thus far. Hibernation is one of my favorite preschool activities, and kids just love animals.

Hanes said her favorite part about creating the boxes is writing the curriculum and becoming creative with Tidwell.

Weve been writing a lot of the stories and poems that come in the boxes. Its been a huge avenue for being creative, Hanes said.

On the side, Hanes is currently working on her masters degree in physical education from Washington State University, Vancouver. Tidwell already has a degree in art education, something Hanes says contributes to the creativity, art and movement implemented in Joey School boxes.

As for the response to the program, Hanes said families have been satisfied with Joey School to this point and look forward to the boxes each month. Because the boxes come with everything a parent needs to be a teacher, the preparation time involved is next to nothing for parents on a time crunch due to other daily needs.

Most people say they really appreciate the curriculum and the fact they dont have to prep each day, Hanes said, mentioning that preparing lessons could sometimes take an entire night. At first, doing online school like this was hard for me, but the response from customers has been rewarding.

Joey School boxes are $99 and can be ordered online at joeyschool.com, with discounts for sibling boxes for families with two kids of preschool age. The price of shipping is included in the box, and all materials needed are included.
A nurse has posted a selfie showing her sore and exhausted face after a harrowing shift in full PPE.

Lauren Morrisroe, a nurse in Northampton, asked people to follow the Government lockdown guidance 'just so we can be with each other safely again'.

She revealed she reached 'breaking point' after a patient lashed out while being transferred between wards.

Hospital porters were not able to help move patients hooked up to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, she said.

'Last night I got dressed in PPE, whilst the porters closed off all the corridors to a ward. I went into the patients room to put all the attached machine on the trolley ready to transport.

Lauren Morrisroe (pictured), a nurse in Northampton, asked people to follow the Government lockdown guidance 'just so we can be with each other safely again'

'I waited for the ok to take the patient out the room, and off I went. I had to push the patient on the trolley, along with all the machines as the porters cant take patients on CPAP to the ward.'

She went through the corridor, into a lift, through another corridor and into another lift before a staff member in full PPE could help her.

'Staff on the ward all had to move out of the way except one that was also ready in PPE,' she said. 'We went into the room, me, another nurse with the patient and carefully took the monitoring off the patient, careful not to pull at the attached wires, we were then ready to slide them onto the bed from the trolley.'

She revealed she reached 'breaking point' after a patient lashed out while being transferred between wards. Pictured, on her graduation day

As the patient regained consciousness they started to 'swing punches and grab' at the nurses who had to lift them onto a hospital bed.

'It was this point they woke up very confused and disoriented and began to swing punches and grab at me and the other nurse, not their fault as they had no clue what was happening,' she said.

'We slid the patient onto the bed that weighed more than me and the other nurse combined.'

After the difficult transfer Ms Morrisroe left the room to remove her PPE and took out her phone to check her 'sore' face.

'This was what was staring back at me,' she said. 'This was my breaking point.'

Hospital porters were not able to help move patients hooked up to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, she said. Pictured, Ms Morrisroe took to social media

Ms Morrisroe revealed she doesn't have a support bubble and sees no one outside of work, adding: 'I stick to the rules and stay at home, I have no one to come home to and rant or cry or cuddle. Please just have a little thought for some of us.

'Some of us are breaking but trying our best to stay positive but its not easy. This isnt for any kind of sympathy, or attention, or praise.

'I just want to raise some awareness. I know people are fed up, I am too! But lets be in this together and do what we are told for each other, just so we can be with each other safely again.'

It comes as the country recorded a further 529 Covid deaths on Monday - marking a 30 per cent rise on the 407 reported on the same day last week.

It was the deadliest Monday since April 20 when 570 people lost their lives and it marked the worst week for deaths in Britain since the pandemic began.

An average of 931 people have lost their lives on each of the past seven days, compared to the highest seven-day average of 920 in April's first wave.

But, in a positive sign that the UK's soaring case load may be leveling out, 46,169 people tested positive for the virus - down 20 per cent in a week.
For all their fondness for pronouncing in public (a dangerous vocation), critics seldom admit to worrying about being wrong  in print, that is. The poetry critic Randall Jarrell was a rare exception. He was tormented by the example of Moby-Dick. Imagine being one of the reviewers who overlooked it, or, horrors, panned it. Whats our own Moby-Dick? he wrote. Whats the book that, a hundred years from now, everybody will look down on us for not having liked? What do we say then?

The anxiety about a classic can persist through ages. How easy it is to be blind to Moby-Dick even today. The novel is barnacled with praise, glory; how can we see it clearly, how do we dodge the twin temptations of dull reverence and crabby contrarianism?

That obscuring fog gathers around the contemporary masters, too. Take George Saunders. In recent years, the writer has become regarded as a secular saint of American literature, with his Buddhist-inflected beliefs in fictions moral, purifying mission. He made his name with his antic short stories  fables, really  thronged with suicides, amputations, broken men: the malformed detritus of capitalism, the necessary cost of doing business. In 2017, he published his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, set during the Civil War and narrated by a chorus of restless ghosts. Theyre stranded in the bardo  Tibetan purgatory  and loafing around a graveyard when theyre interrupted by Abraham Lincoln. He has broken into the tomb of his 11-year-old son, frantic to hold him once more.

The desperate, botched rescue operation is a common feature in Saunderss work, and his fiction itself has the feeling of a rescue operation  on us, the reader. Hes moved by an evangelical ardor where fiction is concerned, intent on how it can help us become more loving, more open, less selfish, more present, less delusional, as he put it in a viral commencement speech. These particular hopes have never been more precisely, joyfully or worryingly articulated than in his new book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, an analysis of seven classic Russian short stories.
This is the former Garda clerical worker now facing possible jail time for spitting on a female security worker in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dublin District Court heard this week how John Medupe also threatened the security guard that he would "crack her head open and enjoy every minute of it" after being challenged when he jumped a supermarket queue.

The court heard the woman was left extremely distressed by the incident as she was afraid she could have been infected by Covid-19.

Assault

Medupe, with an address at Killarney Parade, Phibsboro, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour with intent to cause a breach of the peace.

After counsel for Medupe entered a guilty plea on his behalf, Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case to a later date for full facts to be given, as well as mitigation.

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The offence of assault causing harm carries a maximum possible sentence of 12 months in prison at District Court level.

Approached this week, Medupe told the Sunday World he did not wish to comment about his behaviour.

"I can't say anything about that," he said.

Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at Marks & Spencer in the Jervis Shopping Centre last July 2.

A Garda sergeant told Judge Smyth that the DPP had consented to the case being dealt with summarily in the District Court, subject to a judge considering the issue of jurisdiction.

In an outline of the prosecution's case, the court heard Medupe went into the shop and jumped a queue.

When a security guard spoke to him about this, he replied: "F**k you."

He then tried to enter the store through the Mary Street clothing section and the same security woman stopped him and told him he could not enter.

He became abusive and spat on her, the court heard.

The spittle landed on her chin, shirt and tie and she was "very distressed".

The woman was afraid she could catch Covid-19, the court heard.

Court

Medupe also said to her: "If you keep following me, I'm going to crack your head open and enjoy every minute of it."

Judge Smyth accepted jurisdiction to deal with the case, allowing it to remain in the District Court.

He said that before sentencing he would need to see a victim impact statement, if the injured party wished to make one.

No medical report was available to the court.

Defence solicitor Matthew De Courcy asked the judge to note a plea of guilty and adjourn the case in the accused's absence for finalisation later.

Judge Smyth remanded Medupe on continuing bail to appear in court on a date next month.




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 Crude gained 8 percent last week - Saudi Arabia plan a voluntary output cut; President-elect Joe Biden to layout stimulus plans this week;

 EIA showed large bullish draw to crude oil inventories by the end of 2020.

Perspective

Oil ended the first week of 2021 with a gain of nearly 8 percent as OPEC leader Saudi Arabia continued with its lower-for-longer supply strategy. Saudi Arabia announced an additional 1 million barrels per day (Mbpd) output cut over February and March. OPEC+ agreed most producers would hold output steady in February and March while allowing Russia and Kazakhstan to raise output by a modest 75,000 bpd in February.

The oil market's attention has been almost entirely on the potential for reduced global supplies. The decision by the Saudis was a big deal and it's an underpinning for oil prices. Clearly, maintaining the oil price was paramount and they were willing to let others take advantage in order to accomplish that. This was followed by a large US crude oil inventory drawdown reported by the EIA earlier in the week, which only provided further support.

Further boost to crude prices came from the annual rebalancing by commodity funds to match the requirement of indexes they are benchmarked against  an exercise that began Friday and could result in the purchase of some $9 billion of oil contracts over the next week. WTI's nearest contract traded at a premium to the following month for the first time since May, while the closely-watched spread between the nearest two December contracts is at its strongest intraday level since last January.

Saudi Arabia's surprise cut appears to have caught some Asian buyers by surprise and demand for US crude for export to Asia has gained this week. Unipec, the trading arm of China's largest refiner, bought its eighth cargo of North Sea crude in a pricing window run week and was seeking more in what may be the heaviest buying of its kind on record.

Meanwhile, the bullishness in the market that drove oil prices higher came amid the prospects for a deeper fiscal stimulus in the US, vaccine optimism and a weaker US dollar. Moving on, and the cold weather that we are currently seeing in North Asia is helping to reduce middle distillate stocks in the region. Latest data from Singapore shows that middle distillate inventories fell by 689 million barrels over the last week, leaving stocks at their lowest level since August. Beijing's coldest weather since 1966 is pushing local energy prices higher and temperatures across much of Europe and Asia are expected to stay below average for most of January, supporting higher demand for heating oil as people turn up the heat during the lockdown. However, this factor is yet to clearly materialize on the petroleum refining margins.

In all this optimism, lost, or rather overlooked, was the question about the weakening demand for fuels in the US, particularly with gasoline demand falling to its lowest since the start of the pandemic and inventories of diesel-led distillates piling up too.

For EIA inventories, Crude inventories fell by 8 million barrels to 485.5 million barrels, their biggest decline since August, exceeding expectations for a 2.1 million barrels drop. The drawdown in stocks is typical for the end of the year, when energy companies take barrels out of storage to avoid hefty tax bills. However, product demand slowdown remains a main worry as US gasoline stocks rose by 4.5 million barrels, the biggest increase since April, the EIA said, ahead of expectations for a 1.5 million barrels rise. Distillate stockpiles rose by 6.4 million barrels, versus expectations for a 2.3 million-barrel rise.

Natural Gas

Natural gas prices retreat after a cold forecast was put back into the forecast and the government storage report fell short of expectations. While the fundamental deficit remains favourable to the bulls, the lower heating demand projections have pushed the total gas balance to a surplus of around 1.97 Bcf/d. The main trend for gas is down, however, firm demand for LNG will be one reason providing a floor to the selloff. Weather is expected to remain in the driver's seat when it comes to price action over the coming weeks. Markets are discounting the fact that due to warmer weather forecast, it could be a sign that even a major draw in this week's government storage report for the week-ending won't be enough to trigger a meaningful rally.

Outlook

Crude gains look questionable as the market can turn its attention back to fuel demand issues in the coming weeks, and also to how well the US and the rest of the world are coping in their recovery from COVID which can lead to sell off at higher levels. The big questions facing traders is how long will the OPEC+ news support speculative buying and at what level will the rising number of COVID cases and potential lockdowns weigh enough on demand to pressure prices?

The move by Saudi Arabia could keep oil prices propped up for some time, but at some point prices will become overextended as the focus shifts toward slower demand for gasoline and other fuels in the United States and other parts of the world due to wider restrictions to contain the spreading pandemic. Severe mobility restrictions around the world to contain a surge in COVID cases still weighed on fuel sales, weakening prospects of energy demand recovery in the first half of 2021.

(Navneet Damani is the VP  Commodities Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.)

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
iStock/Chansom Pantip(NEW YORK) -- It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to small businesses nationwide, but a new survey shows what some have done to adapt and survive.

The non-scientific poll of 1,000 small business owners commissioned by the online payment company Melio shows that 31% say embracing new technology has helped them stay afloat during the pandemic.

More than half -- 57% -- of respondents said COVID-19 had a "somewhat" or "very" negative impact on their small business; 7% reported a positive impact, while 36% reported the pandemic had no impact on their business' bottom line.

Twenty-five percent say the crisis and its related lockdowns and other impediments have "accelerated" their adoption of digital tools, like brick-and-mortar stores deploying online ordering.

Twenty-three percent say they were able to shift their workforce to working from home full time; the same number said they digitized payments from their customers.

Nineteen percent of those polled said they upped their online advertising and marketing game, and 17% revamped their business' website to help adapt to the "new normal."

On a related note, 21% increased their digital presence through social media; 22% started selling products online for the first time.

The poll also revealed that younger business owners were able to make these changes more quickly; 56% of those aged 26-41, for example, let their employees work remotely -- just 17% of companies owned by boomers did so. Nearly 40% of the younger business owners also embraced digital payments for their company, compared to 12% of the owners 57 years old and over.

Fourteen percent of those companies surveyed say they started offering "new, digital products," while 13% turned to gift cards or promises for future discounts to keep them afloat; 12% started curbside service.

Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Herb Kelleher is still a beloved presence at Southwest Airlines, two years after his death.

The flight attendants on my Southwest flight from Orlando, Fla., to Austin on Jan. 3 all wore a simple button with a face on it that I didnt recognize immediately.

When I asked one attendant about the pin, she smiled.

Its Herb Kelleher, our founder, she explained.

Co-founder, technically.

The buttons recalled a simpler time at the airline, when Southwest Airlines was making big profits and employees were secure in their jobs and part of a large, happy family.

The airline has been no-frills since its first flight in 1971. No real food  other than snack bags  and no first-class section or airport lounges.

What made the airline stand out were its employees. Flight attendants were always friendly, telling jokes. They seemed to be having a good time. Unlike almost every other major airline in the world, Southwest had never laid off employees.

On ExpressNews.com: Wary Traveler: Dearth of travel guides reflects travel industry slump

Then COVID-19 hit, and the airline is losing money for the first time. Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly shook employee morale last year with a threat of furloughs unless employees took a 10 percent pay cut.

Southwest is still no-frills, but the employees arent joking so much anymore. Some flight attendants even seem a little cranky.

Remembering the spirit Kelleher brought to Southwest may be a good thing for the airline.

My flight came two years to the date of Kellehers death at the age of 87 on Jan. 3, 2019. Kelleher, who served as CEO and president of Southwest for 20 years, stepped down as company chairman more than a decade ago.

Yet he remained active as chairman emeritus, keeping an office at Southwest headquarters in Dallas and making appearances at company reward dinners.

And employees still loved him. The flight attendant said simply, Herb was someone very special.

He was known for his colorful antics, a rarity among CEOs. He dressed up as Elvis Presley and once settled a business dispute with a public arm-wrestling contest.

But what endeared him to employees went beyond his colorful character.

When Kelleher, a San Antonio lawyer, helped start Southwest, he put employees first, customers second and shareholders third. If employees were treated right, theyd pass on good feelings to customers, he said, and happy customers led to the profits that investors were looking for.

My flight attendant said Kellehers commitment to employees deserved to be remembered. I couldnt help wondering aloud whether the buttons, while honoring Kelleher, were also symbolic of workers feelings toward Southwests current management.

The flight attendant said she had no ill feeling toward Kelly. He is a businessman, helping Southwest navigate troubled times during a pandemic. But he isnt Herb, the people person, she noted.

On ExpressNews.com: Wary Traveler: The disappearing rental car

Kelleher was certainly a businessman, too, and a billionaire at that. Southwest made him rich. And it was easy to avoid layoffs, since the low-cost, low-fare airline that Kelleher pioneered was so profitable.

After my flight, I sought out Lyn Montgomery, president of Transport Workers Union Local 556, Southwest flight attendants Dallas-based chapter. Shes been a flight attendant for 27 years.

She confirmed that the buttons worn by many of Southwests flight attendants had the dual purpose of honoring Kelleher while expressing frustration at current management, including Kelly.

People feel the culture is slipping away, she said.

The threat of employee layoffs only aggravated the situation, she said.

Kelly has rescinded the threat, thanks to the federal government. Congress passed a federal stimulus act in late December that will give Southwest a portion of the $15 billion in new airline grants as long as the carrier keeps employees on the payroll until March 31.

Top executives of United Airlines have already told thousands of laid-off employees who have been recalled because of the stimulus they most likely will be out of work again in April.

But Kelly announced there would be no furloughs or pay cuts at Southwest in 2021 because of the aid.

You might think Southwest employees would be pleased that their positions appear to be safe for now.

They are. But they are still upset that Kelly threatened their jobs if they didnt agree to wage concessions, particularly because Southwest is in the best financial shape among major U.S. airlines.

Southwest had $15 billion in cash on hand, more than any other airline, as revenue collapsed during the pandemic. Analysts say the airline could pay off its $13 billion debt and still have $2 billion left over.

Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Kelly has been as open, honest and transparent as any leader could possibly be managing through this crisis.

Kelly worked with and for Kelleher for more than three decades  probably more than any other person at the airline. He has fully embraced Herbs love for our people and has put them first in every decision he has made since becoming CEO, Mainz said.

That may be, but Montgomery said she will be fighting to get back to the days when it was more apparent that Southwest employees were part of one big, happy team.

Kelly has been CEO since 2004.

Perhaps someday Southwest flight attendants will think of Kelly fondly.

But for now, Herb Kelleher is the CEO whose photo they wear near their hearts.

randy.diamond@express-news.net
As C.D.C. director, I will be responsible for making sure that the public trusts the agencys guidance and that its staff feels supported. On my first day, I will ask Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director, with 32 years of experience at the C.D.C., to begin a comprehensive review to ensure that all existing guidance related to Covid-19 is evidence-based and free of politics.

Restoring the publics trust in the C.D.C. is crucial. Hospitals and health care providers are beyond tired, beyond stretched. I know because I have stood among them, on the front lines of the Covid-19 response in Massachusetts. We also face the need for the largest public health operation in a century, vaccinating the population  twice  to protect ourselves and one another from a surging pandemic. Because the impact of Covid-19 does not fall equally on everyone, we must redouble our efforts to reach every corner of the U.S. population.

The research and guidance provided by the civil servants at the C.D.C. should continue regardless of what political party is in power. Scientific breakthroughs do not follow four-year terms. As I start my duties, I will tell the president, Congress and the public what we know when we know it, and I will do so even when the news is bleak, or when the information may not be what those in the administration want to hear.

Never before has the C.D.C.s partnership with Congress been so important. Last year demonstrated how a frail, poorly tended public health infrastructure can bring a great country to its knees. Public health has been diminished and underfunded for years. The relief package that Congress passed in December is a good start, but more funds will surely be needed to increase the pace of the vaccine rollout; to strengthen data reporting, management and analytics; and to conduct proper surveillance not just of this virus but also of future pathogenic threats.

Our successful recovery from this virus requires us to make sure that those who have suffered disproportionately are no longer left behind. As the C.D.C. director, I will work to address inequities that have left African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans hospitalized and dying at disproportionately higher rates from Covid-19, by focusing on the health conditions that are prevalent in communities of color.
Marietta, Okla - Love County Sheriff Marty Grisham says his departments relationship with the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department has benefitted his law enforcement efforts in many significant ways.

A cross-deputation agreement existed before Grisham became sheriff, but he quickly signed an addendum upon assuming office. I felt like to make it binding, my name needed to be on that addendum, he said.

My thought was, and still is, the more (officers) the merrier. If I was cross-deputized with Lighthorse Police, that basically helps by giving me more people to work with, and to work for me if I needed them in cases out here in the county.

Weve worked well together the last four years Ive been sheriff. There have been occasions where I have needed their assistance because of vacations, because of being shorthanded. They have always been ready and willing to assist us with whatever the case may have been, whether it was to take a report for vandalism or a domestic (disturbance) or whatever it was. They have been very helpful.

Cross-deputization gives a little bit more jurisdictional freedom to everybody, I think, in order to do the job down here, Grisham said.

It gives us the jurisdictional freedom to go onto (tribal) property. I think without the cross-deputization, our hands would be tied. We could go in and make sure everybody is safe and keep everybody safe until a Lighthorse officer got there, but we wouldnt be able to handle that call if we werent cross-deputized.

Grisham said cooperation has been a two-way street. By the same token, we have also helped them (on tribal property). If they dont have somebody close by, then our deputies have been able to handle it.

I think its a good partnership. We take care of each other, he said.

Lighthorse Police Chief Mike Manning says cross-deputation agreements produce partnerships among law enforcement agencies whose ultimate goal is protection of the residents they serve.

Cross-deputation agreements allow agencies to leverage resources when needed and provide officers and agencies the ability to operate without concern of liability to whether they should or should not have arrested someone because of jurisdiction, Manning said.

More importantly, too, they are designed to help the citizens  the people we serve. Thats the main thing. Its not really so much about what one agency can do for another as it is what all of us can do for the citizens we serve.

Lighthorse Lieutenant Michael Huff agrees. Huffs WinStar District covers all or part of five counties, sometimes creating a challenge for its 15-member force.

If we go from our most extreme property on the west at the Oklahoma-Texas state line, to our most extreme eastern portion around Colbert, its probably a two-and-a-half-hour-trip if you had to go from one to the other, Huff said.

With our officers having to cover such a wide area, there are times we may be a county or two over and get a call in Love County. Well lean on them to get the call and make sure everything is okay before we get there.

We work really well with Love County Sheriffs Department, he said.

Grisham said valuable resources have accrued from working with the Lighthorse Police Department.

Weve had occasion to use their assets quite a bit. Weve used their K-9 quite a bit down here and we had an occasion to use their SWAT team once.

Grisham said one of the biggest advantages is the speed in which Lighthorse Police assistance is consistently made available compared to other potential law enforcement partners who may be spread too thin.

Grisham served on Oklahomas Highway Patrol for 28 years before Love County voters elected him sheriff. He knows from experience the challenges inherent in covering all four corners of the Sooner State, particularly when it comes to needing the specialized services of, for instance, a tac (or SWAT) team or a dive team.

The Highway Patrol is scattered all over the state and may take three hours for their tac team or dive team to get here, he said. Lighthorse Police take an hour and a half.

The time difference may be a matter of life and death in certain situations.

Theyre closer, theyre well-trained and I trust their decisions, he said.

Not all support has been a result of emergencies. Material assets have also been made available.

Were a small county and we dont have a big budget for equipment. I have been able to put lightbars on my cars, extra lights, and cages, things they werent going to use again. Because of the partnership we have, I was able to outfit one or two my cars.

Grisham says there will be no hesitation in enforcing laws in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Congress never disestablished Muskogee-Creek tribal land.

I dont see any problems coming up. Were going to handle business as usual, he said.
Midway through her tirade against unnecessary masks, abusive vaccination programs, corrupt judiciary and lying public servants at an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne last month, Melbourne lawyer Serene Teffaha seemed almost to run out of breath. "I've given birth to this class action," she said.

One academic described the coronavirus protest movement as a whale shark, with every anti-5G, anti-vaxxer, medical sceptic, snake oil salesman and far-right libertarian feeding off it like pilot fish. Ms Teffaha, who rose from obscurity to reinvent herself as a "human rights lawyer" last year, has emerged as their champion.

It is perhaps not a surprise that she's risen to prominence during a pandemic, a time when baseless conspiracy theories about the dangers of 5G and the origins and spread of coronavirus have swirled feverishly.

Serene Teffaha has been drumming up clients for a catch-all class action that includes people affected by any form of detention, mandatory vaccination, business closures, residential aged care isolation, cross border rules, contact tracing, compulsory testing and masks and various other measures put in place to control the spread of coronavirus. She has raised at least $500,000 since May, but is yet to file any class actions. The federal government has made clear it will not make a coronavirus vaccine mandatory.
Photosynthesis, the process by which plants and other organisms convert sunlight into chemical energy, has been a major player during the evolution of life and our planet's atmosphere. Although most of the ins and outs of photosynthesis are understood, how the necessary mechanisms evolved is still a topic of debate. The answer to this question, however, may actually lie buried in the mineral world.

In a recent study published in Earth Science Frontiers (10.13745/j.esf.sf.2020.12.3), scientists from Peking University, China, shifted the focus in photosynthesis research from plants and bacteria one step further back to rocks and substances found in what's known as the "mineral membrane" of Earth. They propose that various components of this relatively thin layer, such as birnessite, goethite, and hematite, can also absorb energy from sunlight and channel it into chemical reactions. But how does this happen?

These semiconducting minerals are sensitive to specific wavelength of sunlight. When they absorb photons, electrons in lower energy states (valence band) are excited to jump into higher energy states (conduction band). The photoelectrons have sufficient energy to drive reduction reactions that would otherwise require external energy.

Surprisingly, this non-classical photosynthesis mechanism that occurs in widespread semiconducting minerals can catalyze reactions akin to those in biological photosynthesis found in cyanobacteria. For example, certain minerals can promote oxygen evolution (formation of dioxygen molecules) and carbon fixation (producing organic compounds using carbon atoms from inorganic sources). Moreover, these minerals may even act as photocatalysts for water splitting, which produces hydrogen and oxygen from water, and the conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into marine carbonate products. These processes combined might have played a transformative role throughout primitive Earth, causing noticeable changes in atmospheric and marine conditions to foster the evolution of early lifeforms.

Most importantly, the scientists noted that birnessite is structurally similar to the "Mn 4 CaO 5 complex at the core of the photosynthesis systems of modern organisms. This manganese-containing compound, which performs water splitting upon absorbing sunlight, may have actually evolved as an analog to birnessite. Lead author Dr. Anhuai Lu explains, "Our work in this new research field on the mechanisms of interaction between light, minerals, and life reveals that minerals and organisms are actually inseparable." The scientists postulate that primitive bacteria would have depended on minerals like birnessite to convert sunlight into useful chemical energy at first, before slowly incorporating structural analogues into their cellular bodies throughout evolution.

A better understanding of non-classical photosynthesis will help scientists unravel the mysteries behind the evolution of life and the chemical composition of our planet as we know it. From a more practical standpoint, it will also aid in the development of efficient methods for harvesting solar energy. "We can use mineral photocatalysis to promote water splitting, thereby improving the efficiency of biophotosynthesis systems and leading to revolutionary technologies," remarks Dr. Lu.

From progress in eco-friendly applications to a deeper knowledge of the history of life, it is clear that there is much to gain from studying the natural interactions between sunlight and minerals. Contrary to how the old saying goes, there still seems to be many things new under the sun!

###

Reference

Authors: Anhuai Lu, Yan Li, Hongrui Ding, Changqiu Wang, Xiaoming Xu, Feifei Liu, Yuwei Liu, Ying Zhu, and Yanzhang Li

Title of original paper: Natural Mineral Photoelectric effect: Mineral Non-classical Photosynthesis

Journal: Earth Science Frontiers

DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2020.12.3

Affiliations: Beijing Key Laboratory of Mineral Environmental Function, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University

About Earth Science Frontiers

Earth Science Frontiers is a bimonthly peer reviewed scholarly journal co-sponsored by the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. It was first published in 1994, and academician Wang Chengshan is the current Editor-in-Chief. Each issue of the journal is centered on a specific geoscience topic and managed by experts in that field as Guest Editors. Each issue also contains a number of articles on self-select subjects. Articles published in Earth Science Frontiers cover all disciplines of earth sciences with emphasis on frontier and innovative basic research. At the same time, the journal also publishes research findings that may be considered contentious. Over the years, Earth Science Frontiers has won several publisher awards, including "The Internationally Most Influential Journal in Chinese Language" and "The Top 100 Outstanding Chinese Scholarly Journals." In 2019, Earth Science Frontiers was selected among top-tier journals to join a national action plan for achieving excellence in science and technology research publishing in China.

E-mail: frontier@cugb.edu.cn

Website: http://www. earthsciencefrontiers. net. cn

About Professor Anhuai Lu

Dr. Anhuai Lu is a professor at the School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University. He completed his bachelor's degree in geology from Peking University in 1984. After finishing his masters and doctoral studies in mineralogy from the China University of Geosciences in 1987 and 1993, respectively, he went on to serve as an associate professor and then professor at the same institution, before joining his current position. He has served in several prestigious positions, such as the Chairman of Mineralogy Committee of China, the Chairman of Environmental Mineralogy Committee of China, the First Vice-President of International Mineralogical Association, and the Fellow of Mineralogical Society of America.


Jennifer Hawkins welcomed her first child with husband Jake Wall in October.

And this week, the model shared some never-before-seen photos of little Frankie with her fans on Instagram.

In one photo, the 37-year-old cradled the sleeping toddler in her arms.

Sharing is caring: Jennifer Hawkins shared some never-before-seen photos of little Frankie with her fans on Instagram this week

In another, a doting Jake holds Frankie while staring out at a picturesque lake.

An additional photo shows an inquisitive Frankie reading 'her fave book' right before breakfast.

Jennifer and her property developer husband Jake announced they were expecting a daughter in May 2019, and welcomed their tiny tot in October that year.

Sweet: In one photo, the 37-year-old cradled the sleeping toddler in her arms

The couple got married in Bali, Indonesia in 2013, after eight years of dating.

The former Miss Universe recently hinted she'd struggled to become pregnant.

She said on The Kyle and Jackie O Show: 'I just feel so grateful to be in this moment, because it was not perfect leading up.

Well read: Another photo shows an inquisitive Frankie reading 'her fave book' right before breakfast

'I had a break when I had Frankie, as it took us a little bit to get there. It changes you so much.'

Jennifer first expressed her desire to start a family in September 2018, following her departure from Myer after 12 years as the department store's ambassador.

At her final runway show for the retailer, she told the Herald Sun: 'I'd love to have a family, it's taking the time to look ahead. I want to have the time to be able to do that.'
Hours after the Supreme Court of India criticised the Centre for the way the farmers agitation was handled, the protesting farmers said in a statement that it won't appear before a panel set up by the top court and only wanted a repeal of the three contentious farm laws.

"While all organisations welcome the suggestions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court to stay the implementation of the farm laws, they are collectively and individually not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee that may be appointed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court," the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said in a statement.

The statement said that all the organisations of farmers "express great respect for Hon'ble Supreme Court for it's understanding of the problem and comforting words expressed during the hearing today".

Also read: 'Don't Want Blood on Our Hands': What SC, Govt Said on Farm Laws Explained in 10 Points

"Looking to the attitude and approach of the Govt which made it clear before the court today repeatedly that they will not agree to the discussion for repeal before the committee," the statement said.

The farmers said this in a statement after the court told the Centre earlier in the day that it was "disappointed" in the way that the crisis was handled.

The farmers said that they were unanimous in their decision to not want to appear before a panel. "...we met our lawyers this evening at length and after deliberation on pros and cons of the suggestions of to the committee, we informed them that we are unanimously not agreeable to go before any committee. That may be appointed by Hon'ble Supreme Court today due to stubborn attitude of the government"

The Centre, meanwhile, approached the Supreme Court seeking an injunction on an alleged tractor rally the farmers are planning on Republic Day. The Centre told court "It is submitted that the proposed march is slated to disturb and disrupt the august celebrations of nation on Republic Day and would be bound to create a massive law and order situation," the application said. "It is submitted that the said proposed march/protest seeks to disrupt and disturb such celebrations which is bound to create a serious law and order situation and will cause an embarrassment to the nation," it said.

However, farmers groups represented by Dushyant Dave had informed the court that there were no plans to disrupt 26 January celebrations or cause any law and order situation through a tractor march. Dave had told the Supreme Court, Many farmer leaders are former jawans and retired army personnel. How can we disrupt the Republic Day celebrations. He requested the court to allow farmers to go to Ramlila maidan for protests.
The World Health Organization's chief scientist warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop Covid-19, herd immunity is highly unlikely this year. At a media briefing on Monday, Dr Soumya Swaminathan said it was critical countries and their populations maintain strict social distancing and other outbreak control measures for the foreseeable future.

In recent weeks, Britain, the US, France, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and others have begun vaccinating millions of their citizens against the coronavirus. "Even as vaccines start protecting the most vulnerable, we're not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021," Swaminathan said. "Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it's not going to protect people across the world."

Scientists typically estimate that a vaccination rate of about 70% is needed for herd immunity, where entire populations are protected against a disease. But some fear that the extremely infectious nature of Covid-19 could require a significantly higher threshold.

Dr Bruce Aylward, an adviser to WHO's director-general, said the UN health agency was hoping coronavirus vaccinations might begin later this month or in February in some of the world's poorer countries, calling on the global community to do more to ensure all countries have access to vaccines.

"We cannot do that on our own," Aylward said, saying WHO needed the cooperation of vaccine manufacturers in particular to start immunising vulnerable populations. Aylward said WHO was aiming to have "a rollout plan" detailing which developing countries might start receiving vaccines next month. Still, the majority of the world's Covid-19 vaccine supply has already been bought by rich countries.

The UN-backed initiative known as COVAX, which is aiming to deliver shots to developing countries is short of vaccines, money and logistical help as donor countries scramble to protect their own citizens, particularly in the wake of newly detected Covid-19 variants in Britain and South Africa, which many officials are blaming for increased spread.

INTERMIXING, NOT NEW STRAINS, BEHIND NEW COVID SPIKE

WHO, however, said that most of the recent spikes in transmission were due to "the increased mixing of people" rather than the new variants. WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove said that the spike in cases in numerous countries was detected before the new variants were identified. Van Kerkhove noted that during the summer, Covid-19 cases were down to single digits in most countries across Europe.

"We lost the battle because we changed our mixing patterns over the summer, into the fall and especially around Christmas and the new year," she said, explaining that many people had multiple contacts with family and friends over the holidays. "That has had a direct impact on the exponential growth that you have seen in many countries," she said, describing the case count increase in some places as "vertical". Dr Michael Ryan, WHO's emergencies chief, said while there is some evidence variants may be speeding the spread of Covid-19, "there is no evidence that variants are driving any element of severity".

He said the variants shouldn't alter countries strategies for controlling outbreaks. "It doesn't change what you do, but it gives the virus some new energy," Ryan said.

Also read: India should invest in primary healthcare in Budget 2021: WHO's Swaminathan
Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

No one can fault the work ethic of todays Republican Party. In the hours and days after rioters stormed the Capitol in the name of Donald Trump, members of the presidents party began to construct their defense. Yes, the violence was terrible, and sure, Trump had contributed, and above all, God bless the Capitol Police. But its clear already that there is a point beyond which the party will not go. Impeachment, most Republicans have insisted, is unnecessary, even divisive. Democrats are placing a desire for vengeance above the best interests of the country, complained Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee. A handful of Republicans even sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to drop the notion of impeachment altogether, in the interest of healing and fidelity to the Constitution.

For now, House Democrats arent listening. They introduced articles of impeachment on Monday. But their Republican colleagues swiftly blocked a measure calling on Vice-President Mike Pence and members of the Cabinet to remove the president via the 25th Amendment. This obstruction is of limited use as the measure will simply advance to a full floor vote, which Republicans stand to lose. But the effort is revelatory. The partys priority isnt democracy or even the prevention of future violence. Instead, Republicans are intent on impunity. For themselves and for their followers, too.

Although congressional Republicans arent unanimously opposed to impeachment, dissenting voices are so few that their comparatively moderate views make them the partys new fringe. Mainstream Republican opinion is meaningfully indistinguishable from Trumps own rhetoric. Party members can condemn last Wednesdays violence as much as they want, but as long as they block any form of accountability for Trump, their declarations are worth little. And though its true that Trump has only a few days left in power, impeachment is more than a symbolic effort. If successful, it wouldnt just remove Trump from power; it would block him from ever holding office again, thus making an otherwise inevitable 2024 campaign impossible. Even if that werent the case  if impeachment could only ever be a performative display of outrage  the effort would still be valuable. Symbols have meaning, after all. Thats the entire point. In this case, the meaning is a show of intolerance for presidential behavior that cost at least five lives.

But its not hard to understand why impeachment is further than most Republican lawmakers want to go. If Trump is so unworthy of office that he must be removed, his enablers also deserve greater scrutiny. The president did not incite a riot on his own. He had help. In the years before last weeks violence, Republicans were only too pleased to blame domestic unrest on the left: Black Lives Matter protesters, Democrats, and antifa. Although right-wing violence is clearly the real domestic threat, the Republican Party could hardly admit its own complicity and relied instead on a handful of scapegoats. When Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, Republicans were there to soothe the presidents wounded ego. Many were only too happy to agree with Trump that the election had been stolen by Democrats, in order to make Biden out to be an illegitimate president. Some took more direct action. Over a dozen Republican state legislators attended last Wednesdays rally before it became a riot. West Virginia delegate Derrick Evans was later charged for allegedly taking over the Capitol with a mob and has since resigned. Among Republicans, #StoptheSteal was a group effort.

By pleading for unity now, Republicans merely try to disguise their intentions. They want clemency, and with it, a return to the status quo. Nobody can blame Trumps enablers for expecting a pass, because accountability has never interested Washington. The administration of George W. Bush tortured and murdered its way through the Muslim-majority world for eight years, and justice is still absent. This month, Bush will even join President-elect Biden at Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreaths on the graves Bush put there.

Yesterdays impunity set todays expectations, but even by the standards of the past, the Republican Partys interest in unity possesses a dangerous edge. In the wake of the riot, the statements and tweets and letters that party members put out read more like hostage threats: Back away from democracy, and no one else has to get hurt. The problem, then, is much bigger than Trump, and impeachment is only one step in what must be a long and comprehensive process. On Monday, Representative Cori Bush of Missouri introduced a resolution to expel Republicans who objected to last weeks certification of Bidens election win on the grounds of sedition. Her resolution comes closer than impeachment to address the threat the GOP presents.

But politics cannot continue as usual. The Democratic Party should understand that by now. The first two years of Bidens presidency will be enormously consequential, and if his party is to make the most of this opportunity, it will have to develop a coherent ideological identity. It cant run away from socialism and pray that the GOP stops blaming antifa for right-wing violence. The times do not call for meek spirits or big tents or civility. The public deserves something better: a true champion of the poor and vulnerable. Democrats have to break Republican power every way they can imagine, and they can start by making sure there is a price for complicity with Trump. At the same time, the party will have to build up its own base through basic democracy reforms and a sweepingly pro-worker, anti-poverty platform that shows voters how little the GOP cares for them. There can be no unity without accountability, no healing without pain.


Assmang produces refined ferro-manganese at its Cato Ridge Alloys plant in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal and halted production last week.The force majeure declaration was made in the first week of 2021 after it became clear there would be a shortage of oxygen due to supplies being diverted to hospitals to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the source said.Oxygen is needed in medium-carbon and low-carbon ferro-manganese production to reduce the carbon content.It is unclear when Assmang will restart production, the source said. As long as the hospitals need whatever oxygen is available, then production will be stopped.An alternative source of oxygen was found [to maintain] medium-carbon ferro-manganese production at Cato Ridge in the first week of January, but that too was unavailable a week later, the source added.On January 11, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa extended coronavirus restrictions in the country, citing a massive increase in Covid-19 cases driven by a virulent new local variant, which was discovered in the country last year. The restrictions were due to expire on January 15.Medical experts have said the second wave has yet to reach its peak in the country of around 60 million people, and worry that healthcare services in South Africa may struggle to cope with the influx of patients. And some believe a third wave may happen when winter comes in the southern hemisphere in May and June, and are worried that the existing vaccines may be less effective against the new variant.In Europe, medium-carbon ferro-manganese spot prices moved up to 1,350-1,450 per tonne delivered on Friday January 8, up from 1,350-1,380 per tonne a week earlier.European high-carbon ferro-manganese prices also increased.Fastmarkets' high-carbon ferro-manganese basis 78% Mn max, standard 7.5% C, delivered Europe was 980-1,020 per tonne on Friday, up from 960-1,000 per tonne a week earlier.South Africa exports some its production to Europe and the United States and it is a particular type of alloy containing only 0.10% phosphorous compared with European output, a European trader said.Producers in Europe - such as Eramet, Glencore and, occasionally, OFZ Slovakia - produce medium-carbon ferro-manganese containing 0.15% phosphorous.European prices may go up depending on how long the force majeure lasts, but we think European steelmakers will be supplied with what they need in the short term, the trader said. However, [the crisis] will add support to prices in the near term, for sure.The US also imports refined ferro-manganese from Brazil and Asia, so the impact on prices in the US should be similar, European traders said.Cato Ridge Alloys is a joint venture between Assmang, which holds a 50% share, Mizushima Ferroalloys (40%) and Sumitomo Corp (10%), according to the Assmang website. Cato Ridge currently has annual capacity to produce up to 60,000 tonnes of refined ferro- manganese.Assmang is jointly controlled by Assore and African Rainbow Minerals, which each hold 50% of the issued share capital. Both shareholders are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The bulk of the group's production is exported to Asia, Europe, India and the US.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Armed with COVID-19 vaccines developed in record time, authorities across Europe are scrambling to quickly innoculate populations against an outbreak that has killed more than 626,000 people on the continent.

Despite high hopes and ambitious goals, most vaccination campaigns are off to a slow start, hampered by limited stocks of doses and logistical constraints. In some cases policy decisions have also drawn fire.

And barely weeks into the drive, rates of vaccination differ widely across the continent.

Britain is leading the way with three vaccines approved and 2.6 million doses administered to 2.3 million peoplemore than all other countries of Europe put together.

London is keenly aware of the symbolism of its advance, following Britain's official exit of the EU customs union on January 1 in the final act of Brexit.

The notable laggards include France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where only tiny fractions of the population have received jabs even while neighbours like Germany or Spain have vaccinated hundreds of thousands.

Russia was first out of the gate in August, embarking on a mass programme with Sputnik 5, a homegrown jab developed by its Gamaleya research institute.

As of this week, over one million Russians have been vaccinated, a small fraction of the country's population of some 145 million.

Most other countries waited for a vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, with Britain the first in Europe to approve the treatment for a widespread campaign launched on December 8deemed "V-Day" by its health minister.

The 27-member EU followed suit on December 27, setting out a coordinated programme to ensure fair access to doses that require super-cold refrigeration, making transport and storage complicated.

Member states were left to decide who would be first in line for the two injections needed, spaced a few weeks apart, though most focussed initially on the elderly, for whom the virus is most dangerous, and front-line healthcare workers.

Some countries have moved quickly, vaccinating tens of thousands in the first few days, while others have struggled to deploy doses or insisted on a cautious rollout.

France saw only a few hundred people vaccinated after the first week of availability, an embarrassment for the government that raised questions about the competence of its much-vaunted healthcare system.

Britain, meanwhile, in late December approved a vaccine from AstraZeneca and Oxford University as part of its goal to have 15 million people vaccinated by mid-February.

EU regulators say the AstraZeneca jab could be approved by January 29.

On January 6, the bloc bolstered its arsenal by approving a vaccine from the US biotech Moderna, followed quickly by Britain.

Other EU candidate vaccines still being developed are from Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi/GSK and Curevac, and negotiations are ongoing for one from Novavax.

Experts say 70 percent of a country's population must be innoculated against COVID-19 in order to end a pandemic that has wreaked social and economic havoc.

Here is a breakdown of vaccination numbers by country, and as a percentage of total population, based on the most recent official figures:

Britain: 2.3 million people (3.4 percent of population)

Denmark: 115,932 (2.0 pct)

Iceland: 4,933 (1.35 pct)

Italy: 654,362 (1.1 pct)

Slovenia: 20,546 (1.0 pct)

Lithuania: 24,995 (0.89 pct)

Spain: 406,091 (0.86 pct)

Germany: 688,782 (0.83 pct)

Estonia: 10,972 (0.83 pct)

Hungary: 78,579 (0.8 pct)

Sweden: 80,000 (0.77 pct)

Portugal: 74,000 (0.7 pct)

Ireland: 35,000 (0.7 pct)

Russia: One million (0.69 pct)

Romania: 125,190 (0.66 pct)

Slovakia: 26,251 (0.58 pct)

Poland: 203,053 (0.53 pct)

Greece: 49,645 (0.48 pct)

Austria: 38,545 (0.43 pct)

Czech Republic: 40,000 (0.37 pct)

Latvia: 6,933 (0.36 pct)

Norway: 20,833 (0.34 pct)

Finland: 14,196 (0.26 pct)

Belgium: 25,000 (0.22 pct)

France: 138,351 (0.21 pct)

Bulgaria: 14,473 (0.2 pct)

Netherlands: 31,000 (0.18 pct)

Serbia: 9,300 (0.13 pct)

Croatia: 29,746 (0.7 pct)

Albania launched its campaign on January 11. Kosovo, Macedonia, Ukraine, Turkey have not started their vaccination drives.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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The Kuwaiti emirs proposal to end the more than three-year-old Qatar blockade was accepted just as the Gulf Cooperation Council summit started on Jan. 5 in the historic city of al-Ula, Saudi Arabia. All four states  Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt  that endorsed the blockade against Qatar gave up on their 13 original conditions. Doha has fully recovered its position and has managed to diversify its security and trading partners.

We may never know the exact feelings of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan while watching [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed] bin Salman hug Erdogans good friend [Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad] Al Thani, but it was not a surprise. Ankara was expecting and preparing for this. We welcome al Ula Declaration as the good first step for Abu Dhabi to acknowledge its mistakes, a senior Justice and Development Party (AKP) bureaucrat working for the Ministry of Defense told Al-Monitor.

Indeed, on Jan. 4, even before the UAE and Saudi Arabia opened their airports, land and seaports to Qatar, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement welcoming the decision and hoping for a permanent and extensive resolution to the conflict between the parties.

In December 2019, I wrote about Ankaras concerns on Saudi-Qatari reconciliation. After the al-Ula Declaration, although some still debate if the end of the blockade will harm the Turkish-Qatari friendship, this is not a likely outcome in the near future. Ankara is aware that the codependency generated by the blockade will ease, but it aims to turn this shifting balance to its own advantage. The Al-Ula statement is expected to contribute to the thawing of relations between Ankara and Riyadh.

Aykan Erdemir, senior director of the Turkey program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Al-Monitor, The Saudi-Qatari detente provides Turkey an opportunity to intensify its efforts to repair relations with [Saudi Arabia] and Egypt. The Erdogan government has been eyeing a similar detente with Riyadh and Cairo to break free from Ankaras growing isolation in the region, to boost Turkey's foreign trade hit by an unofficial Saudi export ban against Turkish goods, and to earn the goodwill of the incoming Biden administration. That said, Erdemir also raised a red flag that the end of the blockade against Doha does not mean Ankara will now be on better terms with Cairo and Abu Dhabi.

Indeed, Cairo sent Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to the summit at al-Ula, signaling its reservations about the end of the blockade. Egypts concerns focus on Qatari and Turkish support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE consider the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization.

At the end of the blockade, it seems the UAE and Saudi Arabia find themselves prioritizing their top threat concerns. Ankara observes that Riyadhs focus is back on Iran, whereas for Abu Dhabi Turkey remains a major rival.

Ankara acknowledges that al-Ula does not alter the challenge the UAE poses to the Turkish presence in the region. From Somalia to Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey is alert regarding the UAE presence.

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow for the Middle East at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, told Al-Monitor, It is still too early to tell whether or how the al-Ula agreement may reshape issues such as the UAE-Turkey dynamic, but my initial assumption is that the fault lines that have arisen between the UAE and Turkey are largely separate from the Qatar-UAE relationship, and as such, I don't expect that the resolution of the blockade, at least on paper, will have an immediate impact.

When asked about how the al-Ula Declaration might affect Turkish-Iranian relations, Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Al-Monitor, Beyond an attempt at unity to better offset the Islamic Republic, it is unclear how, if at all, the end of the Qatar blockade will impact Irans relations with Turkey, which, like Qatar, also supports the Muslim Brotherhood in the region. Tehran has long been able to stovepipe and manage its cooperation and competition with Turkey, widening and narrowing the lanes when tactically expedient. The same is true for Erdogans Turkey.

Turkish support for the Muslim Brotherhood is a double-edged sword. It is the main reason why Doha and Ankara get along so well, but also why Ankara is so isolated in the region. Lorenzo Vidono, director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, told Al-Monitor, But I am not sure we will see a major change in the near future when it comes to Qatar's support of [Muslim Brotherhood] networks in the West. The agreement seems to me a rather cold truce, one in which it has been agreed to a return to civility and re-establishing basic commercial and logistic relations, but it all seems quite tepid. And there was hardly any pledge to fundamentally change behavior on the part of Qatar (again, for what one can know from the outside). So, as far as I can imagine, I can see the Qataris still funding [Muslim Brotherhood] networks in the West and the other countries being annoyed by it, and that is the analysis I have seen also from Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks in the West. And I think the same goes, a fortiori, for Turkey, whose support for [Muslim Brotherhood] networks in the West (and in other places) is untouched by the al-Ula events.

That said, both Doha and Ankara feel the cost of their support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Watching Al Jazeera Arabic in the last week, for example, gives some clues. There are subtle signs such as pro-Saudi commentators appearing on the channel. Although Qatar came out of the blockade stronger, it did not opt to leave the GCC as it once threatened to do. Ankara also views that with the Abraham Accords and a new administration in Washington, it may need to scale down on its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and mend bridges with Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Muslim Brotherhood is likely to be the most challenging issue for the next couple of years. Gradually, Istanbul became a safe harbor for exiled Muslim Brotherhood members, inevitably influencing the thinking of local elites. These people are now teaching the Quran, preaching Islam but also performing other jobs such as journalists broadcasting in Arabic. Yet some change is imminent as talk of Hamas members returning to Damascus is now considered normal in Ankara. Turkeys Islamists were jubilant in 2012 when Hamas left Damascus, but today quietly they have accepted the fact that some sort of normalization with Israel would require less cooperation with Hamas.

A prominent scholar of fiqh (Islamic law) who resides in Istanbul told Al-Monitor that some senior members of Egyptian [Muslim Brotherhood] left Istanbul. A few younger ones fear they may be repatriated to Cairo, but most know Erdogan will not sacrifice them easily because this is a cause he believes in. And that is the most important detail here: The Muslim Brotherhoods cause is one that Erdogan and his top men will continue to support, even if they might have to scale down public appearances.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Treo Ventures (formerly known as Strategic Healthcare Investment Partners-S.H.I.P.), a venture capital fund focused on investments in high impact companies at the intersection of biology and technology in medical devices and digital health, announced the successful closing of its $128 million debut fund. The fund has a presence in Silicon Valley, CA and Dublin, Ireland, and will be supporting world class entrepreneurs across these geographies. Treo has been actively investing and building a portfolio of category defining companies including Hyalex Orthopedics, CVRx, ShiraTronics, Intuity Medical, NeoChord, and Noctrix Health.

Brad H. Vale, PhD, DVM, and Mudit K. Jain, MBA, PhD founded Treo in 2018 and Tracy Pappas joined the team in 2020. Leveraging the team's decades of healthcare venture investing experiences, Treo invests in companies that are developing and commercializing disruptive technologies to address major unmet healthcare needs. Areas of therapeutic interest include, but are not limited to, cardiovascular disease, neuro-mediated disorders, orthopedic and spinal diseases and injuries, metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, respiratory, oncology and ophthalmic conditions. Treo backs companies with productive, domain-experienced, and stage-appropriate entrepreneurial teams. Additionally, Treo will invest in companies originated by NuXcel, a medical device accelerator, co-founded by Mudit Jain and Lynn Elliott, with a presence in Ireland and USA.

We're excited about our fundraising accomplishments and the portfolio we are building," said Mudit K. Jain, General Partner of Treo. "We've received tremendous support from our diverse set of limited partners that include a sovereign wealth fund, global medical device and pharmaceutical companies, and financial investors based in USA, Asia, and Europe. Our limited partners share our vision for developing and accelerating the delivery of clinically impactful, novel technologies. Brad Vale, General Partner of Treo, said, "Our goal is to build a portfolio of breakthrough technologies, addressing the biggest healthcare challenges of our time, while generating compelling investment returns."

Over the last 30 years, Treo's principals have established themselves as successful, highly respected venture capital investors, company builders, inventors, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders in the healthcare industry.

In addition to co-founding NuXcel and ShiraTronics, Mudit Jain brings over two decades of medical device industry experience across venture capital, company formation, R&D, and business development in companies such as Synergy Life Science Partners, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, and Guidant Corporation. Mudit currently serves on the boards of CVRx, ShiraTronics, Neochord, NuXcel, and Noctrix Health. Some of his prior investments/board responsibilities include Inspire Medical Systems, iRhythm Technologies, Neuspera, Aptus Endosystems (acqd. by Medtronic), CardioMEMS (acqd. by St. Jude Medical), and Impres Medical (acqd. by J&J).

Brad Vale has spent his entire 30-year career in the medical device field, including leading Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, one of the largest corporate venture investors in the healthcare industry. He has invested in and/or served on the boards of over 30 companies, including Atrionix (acqd. by J&J), Indigo Medical (acqd. by J&J), Biosense (acqd. by J&J) and Nevro. Brad is also on the boards of Tramway Ventures, a technology seed fund, and Agilvax, an oncology biotech company, both in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tracy Pappas, a Partner at Treo, brings over 20 years of senior operational and finance experience in the medical device, venture capital, and technology industries to the investment team. Tracy held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Aptus Endosystems (acqd. by Medtronic), Synergy Life Science Partners, Partners for Growth and Scale Venture Partners. Tracy currently serves on the board of Noctrix Health.

About Treo Ventures

Founded in 2018 by Brad H. Vale, PhD, DVM, and Mudit K. Jain, PhD, Treo Ventures is a venture capital fund based in Silicon Valley, CA and Dublin, Ireland. The fund invests directly in private medical device and digital health companies that are developing breakthrough, disruptive technologies to address unmet healthcare needs. For more information, visit www.treovp.com

Information Contact:

Mudit K. Jain, PhD, General Partner

Treo Ventures

[email protected]

650.402.2560

SOURCE Treo Ventures

Related Links

https://treovp.com/


Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

The California Department of Public Health is asking residents to avoid non-essential travel to any part of the state more than 120 miles from their homes.

The new recommendations replace those issued before the Thanksgiving holiday and are aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. As California cases continue to explode, health officials updated the state's travel advisory with a clear message: Stay close to home.
12 Siblings Set Record for the Highest Combined Age, Oldest Being 97 and Youngest 75

Twelve siblings, born to the same parents in Pakistan and now living around the world, have claimed the Guinness World Record for Highest Combined Age. The oldest sibling is 97 years old; the youngest is 75.

However, their combined age is an extraordinary 1,042 years and 315 days, according to their official record, confirmed on Dec. 15, 2020.

In 22 years, one woman gave birth to 12 children, the youngest sibling, Eugenia Carter, told 980 CFPL. By the time I was born, there was enough siblings to look after the other ones.

The 12 DCruz siblings, who share the Guinness World Record for highest combined age as of Dec. 15, 2020 (Courtesy of Guinness World Records)

The siblings, hailing from the DCruz family name, many of whom share birthday months, were born in the following order:

1st Doreen (Sept. 3, 1923),

2nd Patrick (Sept. 30, 1925),

3rd Genevieve (July 4, 1927),

4th Joyce (March 2, 1929),

5th Ronald (Aug. 24, 1930),

6th Beryl (Aug. 26, 1932),

7th Joe (June 1, 1934),

8th Francesca (Sept. 17, 1936),

9th Althea (July 27, 1938),

10th Teresa (June 9, 1940),

11th Rosemarie (March 30, 1943), and

12th Eugenia (Oct. 24, 1945)

Though they do not live in the same place, the DCruzes say they are a close-knit family who count achieving the Guinness World Records title as one of the great highlights of their lives, says the record-keeping publication in a news release.

The dozen siblings, all born to Michael and Cecilia DCruz in Karachi, Pakistan, left their birthplaces and settled across the United States, Canada, Switzerland, and London, England. [T]here wasnt much opportunity [in Pakistan] if you were Christian, Eugenia explained, Global News reported.

My eldest brother came to Canada first, and then he slowly brought all of us [over] a span of 15 years, she continued. Eugenia met her husband, Brian, in Calgary. The couple moved to London together, where they tied the knot.

The scattered siblings remain close despite their distance. Eugenia claims that always try[ing] to forgive and forget, and look[ing] to your siblings for support is the recipe for a long, healthy relationship.

We Zoom every day at 11 a.m., she added.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us here: emg.inspired@epochtimes.com
In a rare move, Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved yesterday a number of preliminary steps for Palestinian construction initiative in the West Bank. The steps will promote the legalization of hundreds of Palestinian structures in West Bank Area C, which makes it under Israeli security and administrative control. More specifically, among the projects that will be promoted are plans for the expansion of the Palestinian villages Al-Walaja and Hizma, a construction permit for a hotel in the Bethlehem area, a hearing on the submission of construction plans for a hotel in Beit Jala, and a hearing on retroactively regularizing several agricultural structures in the area of al-Fara in the northern West Bank.

The projects were discussed and advanced at a meeting of the Civil Administrations Planning Subcommittee, which belongs to the Ministry of Defense. Over the years, most of the requests for Palestinian construction projects in Area C were denied. Between 2016 and 2018, only 21 out of the 1,485 Palestinian applications for construction permits in Area C were accepted. In 2019, the Security Cabinet approved some 700 construction permits for Palestinians  a move that apparently sought, on the one hand, to prevent the High Court from blocking demolitions of Palestinian property on the grounds that it is impossible for them to obtain construction permits, and on the other, to curb international criticism for blocking Palestinian construction. Still, according to publications, despite the political decision, only a handful of building permits had actually been issued by the Defense Ministry Planning Committee throughout 2019 and until June 2020.

Analysts believe that the decision by Gantz this time to advance Palestinian building permits reflected efforts to offset political blowbacks after authorizing earlier in the day advancement of plans for the construction of some 800 housing units in West Bank settlements. Gantz also decided last week not to legalize dozens of wildcat West Bank outposts.

The announcement on advancing the construction in the West Bank settlement was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday morning. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders advancement of construction of approximately 800 residential units in Judea and Samaria [West Bank], including in Tal Menashe, the home community of the late Esther Horgan," tweeted Netanyahu. The Civil Administrations High Planning Committee is expected to approve these steps next week. Plans will include the construction of 500 housing units in the West Bank settlements of Itamar, Beit El, Shavei Shomron, Oranit and Givat Zeev, the advancement of plans to build 100 units in the Tal Menashe settlement, and the construction of more than 200 housing units in the Nofei Nehemia outpost.

Right-wing settlement movement Regavim criticized sharply Gantzs decision, holding Netanyahu responsible for it. "While Netanyahu declares the expansion of Jewish settlement by 800 housing units, he also, at the same time, approves plans for obviously illegal construction by the Palestinian Authority over hundreds of dunams. The meaning of this is terrible: [Jewish] settlement must converge into small, fenced spots, while the Palestinian Authority expands over the territory and gets that approved," Regavim tweeted.

The Young Settlements Forum launched Jan. 4 a hunger strike outside the office of Netanyahu. They called on him to abandon his latest rapprochement with Israeli-Arab legislator Mansour Abbas and legalize West Bank outposts before the March 23 elections. Dozens of settlers in cars headed to Jerusalem in a convoy this afternoon. They were joining a demonstration in support of those who are on the hunger strike.

THE mother of teenager Noah Donohoe has said a car convoy which packed out the streets of Belfast is just the start of her quest for justice over her sons death.

Speaking on Thursday, the heartbroken mum said she would continue to fight for a thorough investigation into how the schoolboy lost his life in after disappearing on a bike ride to meet friends last year.

This not the end of our journey, it is just the start. We will not stop until we have justice for Noah, she said. All we want is the truth.

Noah deserves that and every parent deserves to know that when their children leave their homes, they will return safely.

In scenes not witnessed in the city since the 1994 ceasefire, an estimated 500 cars packed out the streets to follow the family in the campaigning cavalcade which drove to the gates of Stormont.

Along the route of the two-hour long convoy, which travelled the streets where Noah was last seen alive, supporters  including NHS workers  social-distanced to line the footpath to show their support for the grieving mums fight for answers.

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Those carrying posters and pictures of the 14-year-old, whose body was discovered in a north Belfast storm drain in June, stood out in solidarity in areas such as Andersonstown, the Antrim Road, the Shore Road and Upper Newtownards Road.

Horns sounded out throughout the emotional journey, which brought Fiona Donohoe to tears as she witnessed both young and old travel from different parts of Northern Ireland in car family bubbles to show their support.

North Belfast MP John Finucane, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll and Independent councillor Raymond Barr were the few politicians who took part in what the family called Noahs Convoy.

Councillor Barr, who last year passed a unanimous motion at Derry and Strabane District Council calling for a Police Ombudsman probe into the PSNIs handling of the investigation into Noahs death, said the level of support showed to the family was like nothing he had seen before.

The Ombudsman claims this is not an issue of public interest, try telling that to the thousands  yes thousands  who turned out tonight to demand truth and justice for Fiona and Noah, he said.

It most certainly is in this publics interest to get answers.

The cavalcade left a packed out Blacks Road car park at around 5.45pm where vehicles backed out onto a nearby roundabout.

As Fiona was driven by her sister Niamh at the front of the convoy, cars lined up on the streets joining the endless stream to the sound of horns and shouts of justice for Noah.

Arriving at Parliament Buildings just after 8pm, Fiona exited her car and tied a blue ribbon to the gates.

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She also attached a touching note with a poem, signed off with the words: We are Noahs voice and we will keep calling his name for answers.

Speaking afterwards Fiona said: This is only one part of the journey to Stormont for justice and answers, and we will get them.

This is the start of a new year but not the end of our journey and we are going to keep going, because there is more than this.

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[We want] the truth... we want answers. If I knew the truth I wouldnt be standing here. All I want is for a thorough investigation for my son, for every child in Northern Ireland.

She was supported by her sister Niamh, who added: All we want is the truth.

Noahs body was discovered in a north Belfast storm drain six days after going missing on Sunday, June 21.

His disappearance sparked one of the biggest missing person search operations ever to have taken place in Northern Ireland.

At the time, PSNI Superintendent Muir Clarke described the boys disappearance as one of the most unusual missing persons inquiries he had ever dealt with.

A post-mortem report later stated the boy died as a result of drowning.

In November, 33-year-old Belfast man Daryl Paul appeared before a Belfast court accused of stealing Noahs laptop, which had become separated from the teenager, on his final journey.

Some of Noahs clothing has never been recovered.

A full inquest into his death is due to take place this year.

Coroner Joe McCrisken told a preliminary hearing last year that he wanted to set out fact against fiction in order to dispel the many baseless and inaccurate rumours which continue to circulate surrounding the boys tragic death.

It was also heard that a number of evidential lines of inquiry have now arisen from material PSNI have received to date.

Barrister Declan Quinn told the court that the PSNI is investigating health and safety issues that may arise in this inquest.
Less than three quarters of pupils were in secondary school classes the week before Christmas as the number of students in state schools across England plummeted, official figures show.

Seventy-two per cent were in secondary school classes on December 16, down from 80 per cent the week before, according to the Department for Education.

Attendance in primary schools dropped from 89 per cent to 86 per cent over the same end of term period.

Between nine per cent and 11 per cent of pupils - up to 872,000 children - did not attend school for Covid-19 related reasons on December 16.

The number of pupils in schools plummeted to their lowest levels in London, dropping to 67 per cent from 80 per cent on December 10.

The declining numbers occurred in the same week as the disputes between the Government and Left-wing councils and teaching unions over keeping schools open amid rising coronavirus cases.

On December 14, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson instructed Greenwich council to keep schools open to all pupils or face the threat of legal action.

Pupils at Rosshall Academy wear face coverings at a school in Glasgow, Scotland

A pupil uses a sanitising unit as students return to Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow

On December 14, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told Left-wing Greenwich council to keep schools open to all pupils or face the threat of legal action

Council leader Danny Thorpe told schools in the south-east London borough not to reopen for the final week of term on Sunday December 13 and instead to switch to remote learning.

But classrooms stayed open after Mr Williamson issued a temporary continuity direction to the London borough of Greenwich, as well as demanding it withdraw letters to head teachers and parents which advised the closures.

However, in Greenwich just 44 per cent of secondary school pupils and 50 per cent of primary pupils went to class on December 16, the figures show.

Secondary schools were ultimately forced to close last week as Boris Johnson plunged England into a third national lockdown.

No10 is now threatening to close nurseries, as well as impose Chinese-style curfews, outdoor mask mandates and 10ft social distancing.

The south-west had the most children in school, with 87 per cent in total, but that had fallen from 89 per cent a week previously.

Figures show that in Thurrock, Essex, secondary school attendance was just 14 per cent on December 16, while in the London borough of Redbridge it was 17 per cent.

Meanwhile in Kent, just over a third (34 per cent) of secondary school pupils attended class.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'At the end of last term we warned that attendance was likely to drop off a cliff as a result of the Government's confused approach, and so it has proved.

Pupils at Rosshall Academy wear face coverings at a school in Glasgow, Scotland

A lady walks past a social distance sign which is displayed outside a primary school in Newcastle Under Lyme, England as the country entered a third national lockdown

Calls to close nurseries Calls for nurseries across the country to close along with primary and secondary schools have been led in recent days by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Most infected children display no symptoms of coronavirus and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said today that the risk to children 'is very low'. But Sir Keir said nurseries 'probably should be closed', adding: 'I think there is a case for looking at nursery schools, we're talking to the scientists about that.' Nursery industry body Early Years Alliance has urged the Government to explain how nurseries can be safe while primary schools must remain shut. Schools are currently only open for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers, and there is a possibility this could be extended to nurseries. However Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has insisted that it was important to keep nurseries open so children's parents can still work. Advertisement

'In the absence of a distinct message from the Government, as expected, families clearly took their own decisions on what was safe, and they should not be blamed for that.

'Despite repeated claims that children and young people are a national priority, the Government has routinely failed to take the right steps to preserve the quality of their education.'

A Department for Education spokesman said: 'Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country worked extremely hard to remain open throughout the autumn term, implementing safety measures and providing remote education where children were self-isolating.

'We are now keeping schools and colleges open to critical worker and vulnerable children and those protective measures remain in place to help protect staff and students, while the national lockdown helps reduce transmission in the wider community.'

It comes as up to 60 per cent of schools are currently full despite the national lockdown, according to a poll conducted by the National Association of Headteachers.

One in 10 schools had between 40 and 60 per cent of students attending during the first week of the new lockdown - despite schools being closed to all but the children of key workers.

The union has now called on ministers to introduce a cap on the number of students allowed in school, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock also urging key workers to keep their children at home if possible.

The new NAHT poll also found that more than a third (34 per cent) of school leaders say they had 31 per cent or more of their normal roll attend school in person on Thursday.

The Government's 'confused' message to parents on school attendance risks defeating the national aim of suppressing the virus, the leader of the NAHT warned.

Pupils in schools and colleges in England - except children of key workers and vulnerable pupils - have been told to learn remotely until mid-February due to tighter restrictions.

Department for Education guidance currently says schools should not limit the number of children of key workers or vulnerable pupils on-site during lockdown, and only one parent needs to be a critical worker for their child to attend class - even if parents are working from home.

But it also says parents who are critical workers should keep their children at home 'if they can'.

A separate Schools Infection Study from Public Health England (PHE), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), also published in December, found there were similar levels of infection in schools as in the community.

Teachers and pupils from 105 primary and secondary schools were tested at the peak of the second wave in November when they did not have any coronavirus symptoms - which means they were tracked in a normal daily school environment.

The findings showed that 1.24 per cent of pupils and 1.29 per cent of staff overall tested positive for current infection - similar to the 1.2 per cent reported in the community.
[January 12, 2021] Kanbrick Announces New Program to Support Midsize Companies

Kanbrick, the long-term investment partnership co-founded by Tracy Britt Cool and Brian Humphrey, today announced the launch of Build with Kanbrick, a selective three-month business program designed to help midsize companies accelerate long-term growth. Kanbrick, which is focused on buying, building, and growing great businesses for the long term, established Build with Kanbrick after recognizing a gap in the market serving owners and CEOs of midsize companies. While traditional accelerators support startups through networking and mentorship, no such opportunities exist for strong midmarket businesses. "Small and midsize companies are the backbone of the American economy, but following this unprecedented year, many are facing unique challenges in taking their businesses to the next level," said Britt Cool. "At Kanbrick, we partner closely with owners and executives to help grow their businesses, and the Build with Kanbrick program is an extension of our broader mission to help organizations and people reach their full potential." Build with Kanbrick's approach is rooted in the Kanbrick Business System, the value creation playbook the team developed through years of building and growing great companies. The program helps owners and CEOs assess key opportunities and create a plan to drive lasting value.



Up to five owners and CEOs will be accepted into the first cohort. Build with Kanbrick begins with a business system diagnostic that leverages the Kanbrick Business System to assess each company's opportunities. Participants will receive one-on-one sessions with the Kanbrick team and collaborative group sessions with guest experts, as well as templates, tools, and resources focused on growing their businesses. Build with Kanbrick alumni will also have access to the Kanbrick Community for networking with other executives and exclusive content.

Build with Kanbrick is accepting applications through Feb. 15, 2021. The three-month program will run virtually beginning March 1, 2021. Owners and CEOs interested in participating in the Build with Kanbrick program are encouraged to learn more by visiting Kanbrick.com/Build. About Kanbrick Kanbrick is a long-term investment partnership founded by Tracy Britt Cool and Brian Humphrey based in Chicago, Illinois. Kanbrick is focused on buying, building, and growing great businesses for the long term. Kanbrick partners closely with owners and executives, taking a hands-on approach to empower people and companies to reach their full potential. For more information visit Kanbrick.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005793/en/

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A team of HIV researchers, cellular biologists, and biophysicists who banded together to support COVID-19 science determined the atomic structure of a coronavirus protein thought to help the pathogen evade and dampen response from human immune cells.

The structural map - which is now published in the journal PNAS, but has been open-access for the scientific community since August - has laid the groundwork for new antiviral treatments tailored specifically to SARS-CoV-2, and enabled further investigations into how the newly emerged virus ravages the human body.

Using X-ray crystallography, we built an atomic model of ORF8, and it highlighted two unique regions: one that is only present in SARS-CoV-2 and its immediate bat ancestor, and one that is absent from any other coronavirus. These regions stabilize the protein - which is a secreted protein, not bound to the membrane like the virus's characteristic spike proteins - and create new intermolecular interfaces. We, and others in the research community, believe these interfaces are involved in reactions that somehow make SARS-CoV-2 more pathogenic than the strains it evolved from." James Hurley, Lead Author, Professor, UC Berkeley, Former Faculty Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab)

Structural biology in the spotlight

Generating protein structure maps is always labor intensive, as scientists have to engineer bacteria that can pump out large quantities of the molecule, manipulate the molecules into a pure crystalline form, and then take many, many X-ray diffraction images of the crystals. These images - produced as X-ray beams bounce off atoms in the crystals and pass through gaps in the lattice, generating a pattern of spots - are combined and analyzed via special software to determine the location of every individual atom. This painstaking process can take years, depending on the complexity of the protein.

For many proteins, the process of building a map is helped along by comparing the unsolved molecule's structure to other proteins with similar amino acid sequences that have already been mapped, allowing scientists to make informed guesses about how the protein folds into its 3D shape.

But for ORF8, the team had to start from scratch. ORF8's amino acid sequence is so unlike any other protein that scientists had no reference for its overall shape, and it is the 3D shape of a protein that determines its function.

Hurley and his UC Berkeley colleagues, experienced in structural analysis of HIV proteins, worked with Marc Allaire, a biophysicist and crystallography expert at the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, located at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS). Together, the team worked in overdrive for six months - Hurley's lab generated crystal samples and passed them to Allaire, who would use the ALS's X-ray beamlines to take the diffraction images. It took hundreds of crystals with multiple versions of the protein and thousands of diffraction images analyzed by special computer algorithms to puzzle together ORF8's structure.

"Coronaviruses mutate differently than viruses like influenza or HIV, which quickly accumulate many little changes through a process called hypermutation. In coronaviruses, big chunks of nucleic acids sometimes move around through recombination," explained Hurley. When this happens, big, new regions of proteins can appear.

Genetic analyses conducted very early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic revealed that this new strain had evolved from a coronavirus that infects bats, and that a significant recombination mutation had occurred in the area of the genome that codes for a protein, called ORF7, found in many coronaviruses. The new form of ORF7, named ORF8, quickly gained the attention of virologists and epidemiologists because significant genetic divergence events like the one seen for ORF8 are often the cause of a new strain's virulence.

"Basically, this mutation caused the protein to double in size, and the stuff that doubled was not related to any known fold," added Hurley. "There's a core of about half of it that's related to a known fold type in a solved structure from earlier coronaviruses, but the other half was completely new."

Answering the call

Like so many scientists working on COVID-19 research, Hurley and his colleagues opted to share their findings before the data could be published in a peer-reviewed journal, allowing others to begin impactful follow-up studies months earlier than the traditional publication process would have allowed. As Allaire explained, the all-hands-on-deck crisis caused by the pandemic shifted everyone in the research community into a pragmatic mindset. Rather than worrying about who accomplished something first, or sticking to the confines of their specific areas of study, scientists shared data early and often, and took on new projects when they had the resources and expertise needed.

In this case, Hurley's UC Berkeley co-authors had the viral protein and crystallography expertise, and Allaire, a longtime collaborator, was right up the hill, also with crystallography expertise and, critically, a beamline that was still operational. The ALS had received special funding from the CARES Act to remain operational for COVID-19 investigations. The team knew from reviewing the SARS-CoV-2 genomic analysis posted in January that ORF8 was an important piece of the (then much hazier) pandemic puzzle, so they set to work.

The authors have since all moved on to other projects, satisfied that they laid the groundwork for other groups to study ORF8 in more detail. (Currently, there are several investigations underway focused on how ORF8 interacts with cell receptors and how it interacts with antibodies, as infected individuals appear to produce antibodies that bind to ORF8 in addition to antibodies specific to the virus's surface proteins.)

"When we started this, other projects had been put on hold, and we had this unique opportunity to hunker down and solve an urgent problem," said Allaire, who is part of Berkeley Lab's Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division. "We worked very closely, with a lot of back and forth, until we got it right. It really has been one of the best collaborations of my career."

A man was sentenced to time served in jail after he pleaded guilty to shooting at a car with a pellet gun, but a judge warned him he would be facing much more time in jail if the gun was real.

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A man was sentenced to time served in jail after he pleaded guilty to shooting at a car with a pellet gun, but a judge warned him he would be facing much more time in jail if the gun was real.

Fernando Tanner, 34, was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to firing at a relatives car with an airsoft gun after an argument in December 2018.

According to a presetence report prepared for Tanner, at approximately 3 p.m. on Dec. 14, 2018 a woman arrived at the Waywayseecappo Manitoba First Nations Police Service detachment visibly shaken and upset.

She told police Tanner had shot at her car with what she believed was a rifle. The victim described the firearm as three-to-four feet long and light brown, which she saw Tanner pointing at her in her rearview mirror.

Police took photos of two holes from a pellet gun in the rear passenger-side tail light of the vehicle.

Officers went on patrol and found Tanner lying in the centre of the road. He appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and officers had to help him get up, the report says.

While in the back of the police cruiser Tanner became agitated and started hitting the divider between the front and back seat.

In a statement to police, the victim said she originally went to the residence to drop off some Christmas presents, when she ran into Tanner, who was under the influence of something. He wanted to talk to her about his children, but the woman told police she doesnt like being around him when he is intoxicated.

Tanner then started getting angry and swearing at her, so she got into her car and drove away, the presentence report reads.

While driving away Tanner shot at the car with the pellet gun and the victim said she heard the "bing" from his shots. She told police she feared for her safety at the time.

Crown attorney Deidre Badcock suggested a six-month jail sentence for the incident, which she said is at the low-end for the offence. She said it appears Tanner has a bad attitude about his offending as he tried to minimize the incident in the pre-sentence report.

"Firearms are a problem in the Westman area, they are too easily accessible on the streets and people  feel they need to discharge and really give no thought to it. The court needs to send a message that if you have a firearm you have to have it in a lawful manner and cannot use it in a way Mr. Tanner did here today," she said.

Defence counsel Anthony Dawson said Tanner has a problem with alcohol and is making an effort to address his addiction. He also took part in an anti-aggression program while in jail and knows he cant act on his impulses when he is released.

Tanner had a difficult childhood and has Gladue factors, said Dawson, and was abused by both his parents. Both sets of his grandparents also attended residential schools, which left them with longstanding trauma.

Dawson suggested a suspended sentence for the offences, arguing more time in jail is not the right punishment for the accused.

Judge Donovan Dvorak called the situation "very serious" and there was clear potential for harm even though Tanner shot at the vehicle with a pellet gun.

"The sentence cant be the same in relation to a pellet gun as it would be to a high-powered rifle because the potential for injury is not the same. Having said that, if you were shooting at the vehicle with a high-powered rifle as it was driving away you would be going to the (penitentiary)," he said.

Dvorak sentenced Tanner to 155 days time already served in jail, which amounts to approximately five months.

 dmay@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @DrewMay_
This time last year, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wasnt holding briefings memorializing lives lost to the coronavirus or excoriating knuckleheads in viral videos for not wearing face masks. Some voters barely paid attention to their governor, a mild-mannered, multimillionaire former Goldman Sachs executive: In one pre-pandemic poll, one in five New Jerseyans had no opinion of him.

But by the close of 2020, Murphy, a Democrat, was a regular guest on national news shows, his COVID-19 announcements streamed millions of times. His approval ratings soared early in the pandemic, and more than 60% of residents surveyed in November still approved of his crisis response.

Whether they like it or not, theyre probably more familiar with me, Murphy said last month. Given that were all going through this together.

As Murphy seeks reelection in November, Democrats say his heightened popularity, a surge in Democratic voter registrations, and a broad coalition of support will make him tough to beat. They also point to legislative achievements like raising the minimum wage, enacting paid sick leave, and hiking taxes on residents who earn more than $1 million a year.

Democratic strategist Joshua Henne said Murphys low-key personality was an effective counterpoint to President Donald Trumps bluster as the pandemic upended daily life. Murphys COVID-19 briefings also introduced him to people who wouldnt normally tune into state government a year before an election.

In a time of great uncertainty and worry, his regular appearances and straight talk showed strong leadership and a steady, soothing presence, he said.

 READ MORE: A millionaires tax is coming to New Jersey, in a long-sought political win for Gov. Phil Murphy

Republicans see the political upshot of Murphys pandemic response differently. The virus has killed almost 18,000 New Jerseyans, and the death rate in nursing homes last year was among the highest in the country. Murphy kept restrictions on gyms and restaurants in place longer than most states, angering some in the small business community. New Jerseys unemployment rate recently topped 10%, with Atlantic City suffering the worst job loss in the nation. And the 2020 elections showed that the electoral politics of the pandemic can be complicated.

Murphy declined to comment for this story, with aides saying he was focused on vaccine distribution efforts. His campaign announced last week that a fund-raising drive led by first lady Tammy Murphy pulled in $3.5 million over the last three months of 2020, the maximum allowed for the June Democratic primary under the states public financing program.

One of only a couple gubernatorial races in 2021, the New Jersey campaign will be closely watched as an early referendum on President-elect Joe Bidens administration. It was Chris Christies victory in the 2009 governors race that heralded the Republican wave to come the next year.

New Jersey hasnt reelected a Democratic governor since 1977. Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, has launched a campaign arguing that Murphy has taken a tyrannical approach to coronavirus restrictions and worsened the states already strained finances.

 READ MORE: Coronavirus politics are getting trickier for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy

Though Republican strongholds remain in parts of the state, registered Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans in New Jersey, and Biden beat Trump there by more than 15 percentage points. But Chris Russell, a GOP strategist working on Ciattarellis campaign, said Murphys higher profile wont be a universal asset. Business owners and parents of schoolchildren lost patience as 2020 wore on, he said, and many are now questioning the science behind Murphys restrictions.

Theres a lot of voters who are going to think that he did the right thing initially, but has since overstepped that authority, Russell said. All the people who voted for Biden, its a mistake to assume those votes are locked down for Murphy. People will be looking for outlets to their frustration, and theyre going to have the opportunity to make a difference on the ballot.

 READ MORE: N.J. lawmakers say yes to billions in corporate tax breaks, in less than a week

Former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli, a Democrat who represented New Jersey for 20 years in Congress, said that in a toxic political climate, the pandemic gave Murphy a platform to showcase leadership skills that helped him build support.

COVID was a make-or-break moment for governors, and the Trump administration was a tremendous unifier, Torricelli said. What might have been seen as difficulties for him have faded away, and he now leads a largely united Democratic Party.

A crucial internal party reconciliation took place last year after Murphy spent years in a political war with George Norcross, an insurance executive who is the de facto leader of the South Jersey Democratic machine, and State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a longtime Norcross friend and ally.

One feud stemmed from a Murphy-ordered task force that alleged companies with ties to Norcross were awarded millions more in state tax credits than they deserved. At one point Norcross called Murphy politically incompetent and said he and Tammy Murphy thought they were King and Queen of England.

But in recent months, peace settled over the dueling Democratic factions. Sweeney has praised the governor in recent months. In September, when announcing a deal with Murphy on a millionaires tax that Sweeney previously resisted, Sweeney said the pandemic changed his priorities.

And just before Christmas, Murphy announced a new Sweeney-approved tax incentive bill to update the former program, one that will create about $15 billion in tax credits for businesses.

But as Murphy shored up support with the South Jersey establishment, he disappointed other backers. The tax bill, fast-tracked through the Democratic-controlled legislature, offers more money in incentives than what some liberals expected. Murphy has defended the bill, saying it imposes regulations that were missing from the previous program and will help the economy rebound.

Others say Murphy is leaning too far left. Amid economic devastation caused by the pandemic, Murphy and top lawmakers agreed to borrow $4.5 billion to avoid deep cuts and layoffs. Keith Davis, chairman of the Atlantic County Republican Committee, said Murphy will soon be forced to confront the states financial problems.

 ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters.

People are frustrated by New Jersey having the highest rate of taxation, and this governor has not shown any interest in bringing them relief or making it a more competitive place for business, Davis said. If we have high unemployment going into the fall, Im not sure people are going to remember the feelings of goodwill they had in the spring. Theyll remember being thrown out of work.
Ukraine is a strategic partner for the Republic of Moldova, and maintaining constant and pragmatic cooperation with Ukraine is an important task for Moldova, said Moldovan President Maia Sandu during her official visit to Ukraine.

"I am glad to be in Kyiv as President to restore friendship between our countries at the highest level. In recent years, the Moldovan-Ukrainian dialogue at the level of heads of state has been virtually suspended. I confirm that Ukraine is a strategic partner for the Republic of Moldova, and maintaining constant and pragmatic cooperation with Ukraine is an important task for the Republic of Moldova and for the President," Maia Sandu said at a press conference following talks with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday.

She stressed that during today's talks, the parties had agreed to bring relations between the two countries to another level - strategic partnership.

"Today we are taking an important step towards the establishment of these strategic relations. We decided to create the Council of Presidents of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine as a new permanent format of cooperation at a high level," Sandu said.

According to the Moldovan President, this mechanism of constant interaction will help in the development of policies and strategies, and will contribute to solving problems on the bilateral agenda, as well as to monitor the implementation of the agreed agreements.

"During the meeting, we reaffirmed our joint desire to intensify the implementation of the European integration program by our countries. This path is a strategic option for the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and a reliable way of developing a functional state with a modern market economy in the interests of citizens," she stressed.

Sandu added that the heads of state also spoke in favor of strengthening the Moldovan-Ukrainian partnership with the Eastern Partnership, in particular within the framework of the summit of this initiative, which will be held this year.

"We paid special attention to the issues of Moldovan-Ukrainian relations, which for a long time remained unresolved. We agreed to intensify efforts and identify mutually beneficial solutions to existing problems. In this context, we agreed to resume dialogue through the specialized institutions of our countries, including the continuation of the activities of working groups and bilateral sectoral commissions on current issues," she explained.

Sandu noted that the presidents discussed the need to find solutions in the interests of citizens of both countries in such key areas as ensuring security on the joint state border, ensuring environmental protection, cooperation in the energy sector, regulation in accordance with international law and in the interests of both countries related to the mutual recognition of property rights, the constant and balanced development of bilateral trade, the liberalization of international transport between countries and the problems associated with the operation of the Dniester hydropower complex.

"Taking into account that the waters of the Dniester River provide life to more than 7 million people who live in the basin of this river both in the Republic of Moldova and in Ukraine, it is very important to continue the dialogue between our countries to ensure the protection and sustainable use of the Dniester River, so that its water serve both our generation and future generations," the head of state believes.

She and Zelensky also agreed to expedite the search for a sustainable solution to ensure mutual travel based on ID cards, which would benefit the citizens of both countries, she said.

Sandu noted that one of the projects discussed during the meeting concerns the development of road infrastructure on the Chisinau-Soroca-Yampil-Kyiv highway.

"This will create an automobile transport corridor that will reduce trip time between Chisinau and Kyiv, and may become the fastest route from the central region of Ukraine to the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe," she said.

The President of Moldova started her speech in Ukrainian. She also thanked Zelensky for the invitation to make this visit.
Workers will soon learn whether they will be able to return to CBD offices next week, as the Victorian government faces pressure to get public sector staff back to their desks faster than planned.

Up to 50 per cent of private sector staff and 25 per cent of public sector employees were due to return to their workplaces this week, but the schedule was delayed by a week as a result of the Black Rock cluster.

Angelique is looking forward to permanently returning to the office full-time. Credit:Joe Armao

Jobs Minister Martin Pakula said on Tuesday an announcement on the updated plans would be made within days.

"A decision will be made in a timely way and I would hope that's within the next 24 to 48 hours," he said.
Kevin Harrington My team and I are thrilled to partner with SecondOpinions.com and their vast network of top U.S. board-certified physicians. Without any doubt their innovative offering will make a significant positive impact on the healthcare of people everywhere.

USARAD Holdings Inc., the leading U.S. Joint Commission accredited teleradiology and telemedicine company welcomes Kevin Harrington to its Board of Advisors. Kevin is an American entrepreneur and business executive who has appeared on the television series Shark Tank. Kevin is the mastermind and inventor of the Infomercial and has worked with thousands of companies from start-ups to over one-billion-dollar success stories. He found his own success in 1985 when he created his first infomercials after identifying an opportunity to fill late night and early morning dead airtime on cable networks. Since then, as an early investor in numerous products, Harringtons work behind the scenes of business ventures has produced more than $5 billion in global sales.

As a seasoned, serial entrepreneur, Kevin Harrington and his team have chosen to partner with SecondOpinions.com due to its ability to reach and help millions of people worldwide. SecondOpinions.com is the leading medical second opinion service that utilizes advanced technology to best serve its patients amidst rapid changes in healthcare. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), SecondOpinions.com is transforming the healthcare industry by ensuring quick, reliable, and accurate medical diagnoses, especially in medical specialties with notoriously high rates of error, such as diagnostic imaging (radiology), oncology (cancer) and orthopedic surgery. Misdiagnosis and medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. and globally. 400,000 Americans die from incorrect diagnoses each year. Approximately half of surgeries are considered unnecessary with the annual costs of over $120 billion. Additionally, almost 90% of initial diagnoses are changed or revised.

SecondOpinions.com was founded approximately 7 years ago by Michael Yuz, MD MBA, in response to a need he saw in the market: an unacceptable rate of medical errors. Since then the international company has provided its services to patients in over 120 countries, and SecondOpinions.com has proven to be a trusted brand that works with top American Board-Certified medical specialists.

Dr. Yuz has noted, Due to the complexity of medicine and high rate of medical errors, it is essential for every patient globally has affordable second opinion option available to them at their fingertips. It could be a matter of life or death. He actively urges everyone to educate themselves on the importance of obtaining a second opinion.

Kevin Harrington has added, "My team and I are thrilled to partner with SecondOpinions.com and their vast network of top U.S. board-certified physicians. Without any doubt their innovative offering will make a significant positive impact on the healthcare of people everywhere.

About SecondOpinions.com and USARAD Holdings Inc

SecondOpinions.com is a medical consultation and second opinions leader providing healthcare customers, physicians and consumers with expert opinions from all medical specialties and sub-specialties. To date, SecondOpinions.com has helped patients in more than 120 countries around the world.

The parent company of SecondOpinions.com is USARAD Holdings, Inc., a global telemedicine company consisting of three operating divisions backed by Siemens Healthineers, Omphalos Venture Partners and Excelerate Health Ventures. USARAD is a radiology services provider offering interpretations of a full range of sub-specialty and general radiology patient studies. With an existing advanced technology network connecting medical facilities to board-certified radiologists and support staff, USARAD offers radiology services in all 50 states as well as many countries. Via its unique Radiology-On-Demand platform, USARAD is committed to providing timely and responsive image review 24/7.

CareDoctors.com is USARADs newest division and was established in 2020 at the peak of COVID-19 Pandemic. The goal of CareDoctors.com is to enhance patient care experience by offering live video consultations from the safety of their homes bundled with tele-pharmacy services. CareDoctors.com achieves this by working with over 1,000 board certified physicians in all specialties.

For more information, please visit http://www.usarad.com, http://www.secondopinions.com and http://caredoctors.com.
People were on their way to Rostov-on-Don for a court hearing in the "Hizb ut-Tahrir case".

In Crimea, Russian occupation authorities unlawfully detained 120 Ukrainian citizens of Crimean Tatar origin.

Ukrainian law enforcement in response to the incident have opened criminal proceedings in this regard, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.

Read alsoCrimean Platform to become epicenter of Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine in 2021  FM KulebaOn the evening of January 11, under the pretext of ID and car check, security operatives illegally detained 120 Ukrainians in order to prevent them from attending a court hearing in the "Hizb ut-Tahrir case", which was set to be held that morning in mainland Russia's Rostov-on-Don.

Ukrainian police have qualified the act as "illegal deprivation of liberty" and launched the relevant probe.

The Criminal Code provides for up to five years in prison for those found guilty of committing the said crime.

Earlier reports said the Russian State Traffic Inspectorateoperatives in the occupied Crimea had been unlawfully holding nearly 120 Crimean Tatars on the Kerch bridge for about nine hours.

Read alsoRussian court sentences Crimean Tatar activist Seytosmanov to 17 years in prisonThe group were on their way to Rostov-on-Don to attend a court hearing in the Hizb ut-Tahrir group case where the verdict is expected to be announced.

A group of Crimean Tatars from Bakhchisarai, Staryi Krym, Sudak, Belogorsk, Dzhankoy, and Simferopol were blocked on the Kerch bridge. The traffic police took their IDs for verification and photographed their passports.

They were held at sub-zero temperatures with no hot drinks or food provided.

Repression against Crimean Tatars

The defendants of the Belogorsk group in the so-called "Hizb ut-Tahrir case" are Enver and Riza Omerovs, as well as Ayder Dzhapparov.

They were detained in the summer of 2019.

The Russian prosecution demanded 19 years in prison for Enver Omerov and 13 years for his son Rezi Omerov, as well as 18 years for Dzhapparov.

Reporting by UNIAN
An out-of-luck mechanical fitter with decades of experience has resorted to standing at a roundabout with a handmade cardboard sign in a bid to find work.

Kim Holloway, 56, has been in the trade for most of his working life and considers mechanical engineering a profession that is 'in his blood'.

But after recently returning from Australia to his New Zealand hometown Gisborne, the Kiwi has struggled to find employment.

Determined to re-enter the workforce, Mr Holloway planted himself on the corner of Fitzherbert St and Ormond Rd with a black texta-inscribed sign asking employers to take him on.

Kim Holloway, 56, (pictured) has taken to standing on a Gisborne street with a sign in a bid to gain employment

'I need a job. Mechanical Fitter. Anything considered,' it reads.

After spending days on the street in rainy weather, Mr Holloway caught the eye of several prospective employers.

Now, he has been inundated with offers.

'I've had about six phone calls and been to a couple of interviews, which I will hear back later today about,' he told the New Zealand Herald.

It is not the first time Mr Holloway has used the creative tactic to secure a job.

Previously based in Australia, where he spent 15 years building drills for the mines, Mr Holloway had initially taken to the streets with a similar sign.

He said he was inspired to try his luck again in New Zealand after he received 'heaps of responses'.

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken up the global economy, leading to a surge in unemployment across several industries in both Australia and New Zealand.

With specific sectors suddenly in demand to combat the health crisis, positions in health, e-commerce, online learning, transport and logistics, creative technology, and customer support and call centre work have boomed.

Meanwhile, the hardest hit industries include aviation, tourism and hospitality, which have been virtually brought to a halt amid lockdowns and travel bans.

In 2017, Perth man Barry became homeless after moving to Melbourne for a job which fell through

But career and CV specialist Tom O'Neil said people coming from those industries had many transferable skills.

'With strong skills in relationship management, customer service, administration, retail and sales, it is very easy for people in these industries to pivot into a new allied industry successfully,' Mr O'Neil said.

'Being genuinely good with people and having a high level of emotional intelligence is also a major aspect of supervisors and management.'

In recent years, there have been numerous reports of job-seekers finding employment after holding up signs in public.

In 2017, Perth man Barry became homeless after moving to Melbourne for a job which fell through.

A woman who came across him with a sign in the streets launched a 'give Barry a chance' campaign, resulting in numerous job offers and accommodation.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

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Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

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Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

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Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
Mining and metals producer Assmang has declared force majeure on its medium-carbon ferro-manganese production in South Africa, a source told Fastmarkets this week.

Assmang, which produces refined ferro-manganese at its Cato Ridge Alloys plant in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, halted production last week.



The force majeure declaration was made in the first week of 2021 after it became clear there would be a shortage of oxygen due to supplies being diverted to hospitals to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the source said.



Oxygen is needed in medium-carbon and low-carbon ferro-manganese production to reduce the carbon content.



It is unclear when Assmang will restart production, the source said. As long as the hospitals need whatever oxygen is available, then production will be stopped.



An alternative source of oxygen was found [to maintain] medium-carbon ferro-manganese production at Cato Ridge in the first week of January, but that too was unavailable a week later, the source added.



On January 11, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa extended coronavirus restrictions in the country, citing a massive increase in Covid-19 cases driven by a virulent new local variant, which was discovered in the country last year. The restrictions were due to expire on January 15.



Medical experts have said the second wave has yet to reach its peak in the country of around 60 million people, and worry that healthcare services in South Africa may struggle to cope with the influx of patients. And some believe a third wave may happen when winter comes in the southern hemisphere in May and June, and are worried that the existing vaccines may be less effective against the new variant.



In Europe, medium-carbon ferro-manganese spot prices moved up to 1,350-1,450 per tonne delivered on Friday January 8 from 1,350-1,380 per tonne a week earlier.



European high-carbon ferro-manganese prices also increased.



Fastmarkets' high-carbon ferro-manganese basis 78% Mn max, standard 7.5% C, delivered Europe was assessed at 980-1,020 per tonne on Friday, up from 960-1,000 per tonne a week earlier.



South Africa exports some its production to Europe and the United States and it is a particular type of alloy containing only 0.10% phosphorous compared with European output, a European trader said.



Producers in Europe - such as Eramet, Glencore and, occasionally, OFZ Slovakia - produce medium-carbon ferro-manganese containing 0.15% phosphorous.



European prices may go up depending on how long the force majeure lasts, but we think European steelmakers will be supplied with what they need in the short term, the trader said. However, [the crisis] will add support to prices in the near term, for sure.



The US also imports refined ferro-manganese from Brazil and Asia, so the impact on prices in the US should be similar, European traders said.



Cato Ridge Alloys is a joint venture between Assmang, which holds a 50% share, Mizushima Ferroalloys (40%) and Sumitomo Corp (10%), according to the Assmang website. Cato Ridge currently has annual capacity to produce up to 60,000 tonnes of refined ferro- manganese.



Assmang is jointly controlled by Assore and African Rainbow Minerals, which each hold 50% of the issued share capital. Both shareholders are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The bulk of the group's production is exported to Asia, Europe, India and the US.

London, January 12, 2021



CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) agricultural brands, STEYR and New Holland Agriculture, alongside global construction equipment brand CASE and global powertrain brand FPT Industrial, have all been awarded prestigious 2020 Good Design Awards. Conferred by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, these awards recognize products and concepts from the four brands that were judged to be outstanding examples in their respective fields.

Celebrating the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product and graphic designs from around the world, the selection criteria are based on the highest aesthetic in terms of innovative design, new technologies, form, materials, construction, concept, function, utility, and energy efficiency, and sensitivity to the environment. The jury, composed of design professionals, industry leading specialists, design journalists and critics selected the following products from a record number of submissions from 48 countries: the STEYR Konzept Tractor, the New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density, the CASE 'Project Zeus' concept electric backhoe loader and the FPT Industrial concept Cursor X engine.

STEYR Konzept Tractor

STEYR's Good Design Award was given in recognition of the creative yet practical thinking behind the Konzept, a striking study of the future of tractor development. The distinctive design brings real-world benefits in areas ranging from performance to visibility to sustainability. Examples include the minimalist cabin interior where information is projected on to transparent screens, enabling maximum visibility and enhancing operator comfort and productivity.

The award also acknowledges the Konzept's forward-thinking technology, including an innovative hybrid power system combining a conventional engine, a generator and electric drives. The concept tractor was designed in conjunction with sister CNH Industrial powertrain brand FPT Industrial. Its modular hybrid powertrain system is the perfect blend of compactness, efficiency and thought-through engineering. This allows different power sources to be used depending on application. As a result, the tractor can be operated with zero noise/exhaust emissions where possible/required.

New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density

The New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density was commended for its design vision and enhanced operational efficiency. The product's flowing lines were inspired by nature, specifically the sight of crops swaying in the breeze as they grow, and its sinuous, sleek form reflects the machine's functionality.

The BigBaler 1290 High Density significantly enhances baling sustainability. Using patented Loop Master knotting technology, twine offcuts are eliminated, and over the course of a baling season this could save some six kilometers or 46kg of twine. This makes for twine free, uncontaminated forage and no residue left in the field.

CASE 'Project Zeus' electric backhoe loader concept

The CASE 'Project Zeus' electric backhoe loader is a unique-in-the-industry prototype, which perfectly combines the essence of CASE's heritage and its mission to enhance sustainability in construction in a clean and simple design package. This zero-emission machine has the same power and performance as its standard diesel equivalent and delivers significantly lower operating costs. Series production models of the electric backhoe, branded as the CASE 580 EV, will be delivered in early 2021.

The jury was impressed by how the concept conveyed design heritage stretching back to 1957, anchored in both clean operation and the sharp and clean design of the machine. It was commended for its innovative lighting/backlighting design elements, rugged yet clean lines and contouring, as well as a modern and intuitive user experience.

FPT Industrial Cursor X Engine Concept

The FPT Industrial Cursor X engine concept, which is a symbol of how the Brand conceives innovation, is a concept engine designed for 'Planet Earth'. Cursor X is defined by the four 'M' philosophy: Multi-power - it can be powered by the most sustainable fuel for the specific mission - natural gas hydrogen fuel cell electric generation or battery-stored energy; Modular - to enable easy assembly and vehicle integration; Multi-application - to power a wide variety of machines from agriculture to construction and from commercial vehicles to power generation applications; and Mindful - the engine is self-learning and fully connected.

The Cursor X was recognized for bringing the 'engine out from under the hood', transforming it into a design statement in itself.

CNH IndustrialN.V.

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SARAJEVO - In Bosnia-Herzegovina all of the 900 migrants who were forced to leave the camp of Lipa, near Bihac (north-west), destroyed by a fire on December 23, have found shelter in tents set up by the Bosnian army in the area of the Lipa camp, local media report. News outlets quoted refugees as expressing satisfaction for the new situation, although temporary, as they wait for the destroyed camp to be rebuilt. The tents are heated and have water and beds with matrasses. A container has six showers and in a large tent hot meals are distributed. The situation, though far from ideal, is an improvement compared to the previous days spent by refugees in freezing temperatures in the snow. Weather conditions are expected to worsen, with temperatures forecast to further plunge in the coming days as thousands of refugees continue to remain in the open, sleeping in the woods or in makeshift shelters.



Migrants before Christmas set tents on fire at the Lipa camp when they heard that the camp would be closed ahead of radical renovation work to adapt it to winter conditions. The attempt to move refugees to the former Bira camp, in downtown Bihac, and then to former barracks in Bradina, south of Sarajevo, proved unsuccessful due to strong opposition from local residents, backed by local mayors.



Bosnian authorities were urged to provide for the migrants by the EU - which has so far allocated over 90 million euros for Bosnia-Herzegovina to assist the migrants - and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), denouncing the danger of a real ''humanitarian catastrophe''.



On Monday, EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned that Bosnia risks ''grave consequences'' if it will not provide urgent assistance to migrants who have remained without shelter.



Authorities need to take ''full responsibility, urgent action and do everything necessary to provide immediate assistance and work on long-term solutions'', he said.



A good part of some 8,000 migrants along the Balkan route present in Bosnia-Herzegovina are in the north-east of the country where they are trying to cross the Croatian border to continue their trip to western Europe.


The Lebanese government said on Tuesday that Interpol has issued requests for the detainment of three men allegedly involved with the chemical supply that exploded in Beiruts port last year.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the International Criminal Police Organization, as it is also known, issued Red Notices for the Russian captain and the Russian owner of the ship that reportedly brought 2,750 tons of the flammable fertilizer ammonium nitrate to Beiruts port in 2013. They also issued a notice for a Portuguese merchant who discovered the nitrate in a Beirut warehouse in 2014, according to the agency.

Last August, the nitrate caught fire in the capital citys port and then exploded, killing more than 200 people and severely damaging the area. The tragic blast exacerbated the political, economic and COVID-19 crises in Lebanon. The government launched an investigation into the explosion with assistance from the US government.

Interpol is an international organization that facilitates police cooperation across different countries. Its Red Notices are a nonbinding request to law enforcement to provisionally arrest individuals.

Al-Monitor could not locate the shipowner, captain or merchant in Interpols Red Notice database. An Interpol spokesperson told Al-Monitor that the organization does not comment on the existence of Red Notices for individuals. National News Agency reported that Lebanese Judge Ghassan Khoury saw a copy of the notice. The Lebanese government asked Interpol to issue arrest warrants for the owner and captain in October.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SpotSee Holdings ("SpotSee"), a Harbour Group company, has acquired TMC Hallcrest and LCR Hallcrest ("Hallcrest"), Jeff Fox, Harbour Group's chairman and chief executive, announced today. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Hallcrest develops and manufactures color-changing temperature indication products. The companies offer a broad portfolio of irreversible and reversible temperature labels used to indicate temperature excursions across a wide range of industrial, transportation, medical device, sterilization, food, and printing applications. Additionally, the companies manufacture forehead thermometers for monitoring patients during surgical procedures, among other applications. TMC Hallcrest is headquartered in Flintshire, United Kingdom, and LCR Hallcrest is headquartered in Glenview, Ill., United States.

Mr. Fox commented, "The addition of Hallcrest broadens SpotSee's offering of temperature indicators and makes SpotSee the market leader across shock, tilt and temperature indication and monitoring. The combination of the businesses offers significant opportunities to bring new products and capabilities to the broader customer base. With Harbour Group's operations and acquisitions expertise, we look forward to continuing to expand both organically as well as through acquisition."

Russell Booth, Managing Director of TMC Hallcrest, stated, "We are very excited to join forces with SpotSee to expand the distribution of our irreversible indicator product portfolio worldwide and to unite our new-product development initiatives."

Rocky Sapienza, VP of Operations of LCR Hallcrest added, "We look forward to the next phase for our business as we combine with SpotSee. We see our complementary customer bases and products coming together to reinforce our position as a market leader in the temperature indication market."

Tony Fonk, CEO and President of SpotSee, stated, "We are thrilled by the combination of Hallcrest and SpotSee to create a world leader in the growing temperature indication and monitoring market. Hallcrest has a strong reputation in temperature indication serving the medical, industrial and consumer markets. We believe Harbour Group's strategic, operational, and acquisition expertise gathered over many years will continue to be a valuable resource to help our business grow. We look forward to providing an enhanced and innovative global product offering by combining these three great companies."

About SpotSee Holdings

SpotSee Holdings develops and manufactures shock, vibration, temperature, and other environmental condition monitoring solutions for in-transit, in-plant, and in-storage applications. The company offers a broad portfolio of branded products including indicator devices, RFID, Bluetooth, satellite, and cellular connected devices that provide real-time tracking, monitoring, and reporting capabilities. The company is headquartered in Dallas.

About Harbour Group

Harbour Group is a privately owned, operations focused company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Harbour Group's companies are engaged in manufacturing and distribution across diverse industries including control solutions, remote monitoring solutions, fence and gate hardware systems, interior wallcoverings and fabrics, LED lighting, flow control, scientific products and lab ware, thermal management solutions, boiler systems, professional diagnostic and repair tools, stainless fittings and auxiliary plastic processing equipment. Since its founding in 1976, Harbour Group has acquired 213 companies in 47 different industries.

SOURCE Harbour Group

In a closed meeting that lasted until around 8:30 p.m. Monday, members of the Port Neches-Groves ISD board of trustees heard from a 2010 PN-G alum of Cherokee descent who is part of a broad movement seeking to have the districts Indian Spirit mascot removed.

The district denied the request to change the mascot, but agreed to keep the conversation going, according to the former student.

A statement from Michael Mason, an outspoken critic of the mascot and practices, was read by the PN-G graduate, who goes by his tribal name Little Bear, or Usdi Yona in Cherokee.

Related: Native American alum speaks out on PN-G mascot controversy

A transcript of the statement read to the board exclusively obtained by The Enterprise details a lengthy breakdown of how the mascot could be changed, and why it is time  including quotes that Mason said are from current and former PN-G students.

But Mason also spoke more forwardly than in the past about ways the district can maintain their hallmark Honor, Pride and Tradition in a more respectful way.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

An important thing to remember: By changing the mascot, none of that pride in yourselves, in your children, in your students goes away, Mason said in the statement. But by changing the mascot, you have a chance to have a start without actually hurting anybody.

Yona told The Enterprise Tuesday that both Mason and he viewed the meeting as a success.

They actually seemed like they were listening, and they seemed more understanding about what was going on, he said.

Board members and the district superintendent spoke with him afterwards and expressed their intention to continue a dialogue moving forward.

They told me that it took guts to come up, especially as a PN-G alumni, so I think that they are starting to think more about what is going on.

The board president and superintendent did not return requests for comment.

The formal grievance is the latest in a growing number of calls for change that reached a fever pitch last year when over 100,000 people signed a petition and the Principal Chief of the largest tribal government, the Cherokee Nation, sent a letter requesting the mascot be changed.

Related: PN-G not budging as Cherokee chief demands removal of Indian mascot

As pressure grew, an attorney representing the district sent Mason a cease and desist letter, demanding he stop calling and emailing the school and other organizations, referring to them as racist.

The current Los Angeles resident has continued a steady campaign against the mascot in recent months, including participating in an email and phone-call drive that occurred over the summer.

In the letter, the attorney alleges Mason and others at his directive have repeatedly called district staff and contacted education associations and acted in a harassing and abusive manner. Specifically, on several different occasions, you have emailed individuals and leaders at the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA), of which PNGISDs Assistant Superintendent serves as President.

Mason, whose partner is of Native American descent, has enlisted other organizations  including the Black Lives Matter Houston, the National Congress of American Indians and the Cherokee Nation  in his local fight to change the mascot.

Related: PN-GISD responds to change of 'Scalp 'Em' sign

The letter from the attorney requested that concerns be routed through the proper channels, such as the grievance process which was addressed at the monthly meeting of the board.

Yona said before attending the meeting that the conversation would be the first of many, telling The Enterprise that having the conversation was an important step.

I know they are not going to change it immediately, because I know it is going to be a process, he said. But the goal is to get them to keep talking about it. Keep the dialogue about it now.

Mason and Yona both denounced any threats to students or staff over the issue, after concerns were raised by the administration when a petition calling for the change first went viral.

I also have been attacked, as has Mason and even the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation after he sent that letter; so it is something that is happening on both sides, Yona said. I dont incite the violence. I am not asking for that. I am asking for us to push the school board to change for the better.

isaac.windes@hearstnp.com

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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.
Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales on Tuesday named veteran prosecutor Daryl Harris as chief of his offices new civil rights division, which will review police use-of-force cases that result in deaths or injuries.

Bexar County commissioners approved funding for the division in October. The new unit will handle cases of officer-involved shootings, custodial deaths and allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement, according to a statement released early Tuesday.

On ExpressNews.com: D.A. in San Antonio vows more careful scrutiny of police use-of-force cases

The division, staffed with two prosecutors, an investigator and an advocate, will report directly to Gonzales.

Over the summer, amid growing awareness of the need for transparency and independence in Bexar County and beyond, I saw the need to create a division dedicated specifically to these offenses, Gonzales said. Daryl is a dedicated public servant. Like me, he has seen the need to make change to how our office handles these cases. He is already conducting reviews and looking for new ways to make our process as fair and independent as possible.

Harris has been with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office since July 2002. Among his prosecutions was the case of a dangerous dog attack in which a pit bull terrier maimed a senior citizen in 2017, and last year, the case of Jamal Harris, no relation, who was convicted of a series of rapes in the Medical Center area.

On ExpressNews.com: Clash over $1 million for family violence services pits Bexar County prosecutor against advocates

Daryl Harris also has served as the deputy chief of the criminal trial division and chief of the intake division. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Kansas State University and St. Marys University School of Law. Harris served as an Army officer until 2001.

He said he has watched the reporting about officer-involved shootings and has evaluated the ongoing national debate about such incidents in recent years.

I have considered these arguments as a black man, a father, a retired soldier, an attorney, a career prosecutor, but most importantly as an American citizen, Harris said in a written statement. The discourse in 2020 has been particularly intense in this country.

All residents have rights that must be protected and respected, he stressed, adding, I think those in uniform agree with that.

All police officers  in every department  are authorized to use force when necessary to serve and protect us. I think the public knows and agrees with that, Harris said. These two points come into conflict when a citizen is injured or killed by a police officer. That conflict defines the space where the Civil Rights Division must live and do our work.

He vowed to comb through each case thoroughly, rigorously and evenhandedly, as the public expects and the law requires.

I understand that this approach will frustrate or upset either side in one case or another. I accept that; but the only promise I make is that we will always seek to do the harder right instead of the easier wrong, Harris said.

Later Tuesday, Gonzales reiterated on a Zoom call with reporters that even if his office concludes a criminal charge against an officer is inappropriate or would be difficult to prove, all such cases will go to a grand jury, and a memo explaining the reasons for any resulting lack of indictment will be posted on the DAs office website.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Workforce

Did Trump shrink the government? Not according to the Plum Book

The quadrennial book containing lists of jobs filled by appointment in the executive and legislative branches known as the Plum Book came out last week, offering some details, but not a full picture, of senior level positions in the last year of the Trump administration.

Officially known as the "United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions," the Plum Book lists both filled and vacant positions that may be subject to non-competitive appointments. For job seekers, it offers insight into what jobs might be up for grabs in an incoming administration. It contains details about positions like what agency they're in, the previous person in the position and their salary level.

The most recent edition contains information from June 2020, as reported to the Office of Personnel Management by agencies and offices. This edition has arrived later after the election than previous editions had in past years.

The book's listings include appointments that do and don't require Senate confirmation, non-career members of the Senior Executive Service and Schedule C employees, as well as other confidential or policy-determining positions at GS-14 and above that are excepted from the competitive service by law.

Although it's often thought of as an anthology of political appointments, it also includes career Senior Executive Service positions and Senior Foreign Service officer positions that are career positions.

Because the book's information is essentially a snapshot right before an administration heads out the door, it can be difficult to use it to draw conclusions about who has been in the administration or how many appointment positions there were, said Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.

The book also contains some inaccuracies. For example, over past recent presidencies, not all Senate-confirmed positions made it into the book, said David Lewis, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University whose focus of study is the presidency, executive branch politics and public administration.

For those and other reasons, the book garnered some attention on the Hill last year as some lawmakers pushed to make it into an online, continually updated resource, although the bill didn't make it all the way through Congress.

Some data missing

This year, information about positions in the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Office of the Director for National Intelligence and other offices doesn't appear in the book at all.

The appendices of the book are often used to reference totals for the number of positions listed, said Christina Condreay, an associate for the research and evaluation team at the Partnership for Public Service.

This year's Plum Book appendix, however, doesn't list the totals for at least seven offices and agencies that are included in the body of the book, including the Postal Service and the Office of the Inspector General for the United States International Trade Commission, she said. Vacant positions in the Senior Executive Service are also usually included in the "general" category for the total count, but weren't this year.

Nonetheless, the information in the book still offers some insights into appointments in the last year of the Trump administration.

Although the forward in the book says that it lists over 9,000 positions, the real number of positions in the book that will need to be filled by the incoming Biden administration is probably closer to 3,800 to 4,000, said Condreay. The 2016 Plum book was also reported to contain around 4,000 positions that would need to be filled.

About 230 of those positions are "stand-up critical" positions that have be filled when the new administration takes office in order for the government to function, said Terry Sullivan, the executive director of the White House Transition Project.

In terms of overall numbers of Senate-confirmed appointees, there hasn't been much significant variation in large and visible agencies - those under the Chief Financial Officers Act - since 2000, Condreay said. In the 2000 Plum Book, there were 766 positions requiring Senate confirmation. In 2016, 818. In 2020, 826.

That's despite Trump officials' claims that they would shrink the workforce, including the number of appointees.

"The number of political appointees will drop significantly," said Trump spokesperson Cliff Sims in 2016. "'Drain the swamp' was not just a campaign slogan."

The process of filling these Senate-confirmed positions has become an increasingly lengthy process over the years. The Trump administration in particular has had difficulty in filling these positions, Sullivan said. As of Jan. 7, the Trump administration has had 539 positions filled out of 757 key positions requiring Senate confirmation, according to a tracker run by the Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service. The administration has also seen high turnover in Cabinet positions.
Portlands world-famous bookstore Powells is under fire for carrying a book by right-wing agitator and commentator Andy Ngo.

The book, Unmasked: Inside Antifas Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy, is available for pre-order on Powells.com and elsewhere. It is not currently on the shelves.

Ngo, who is from Portland, was once an editor for the Portland State University student newspaper, The Vanguard, before being fired for an ethics violation in 2017.

Since then, Ngo has become a vocal conservative commentator.

In a tweet Sunday, Ngo shared screenshots of people unhappy that Powells has his book, scheduled for release in February, listed on its site, writing, Antifa are threatening to picket Portland bookstore @Powells if they dont ban my book about antifa.

A small group of protesters gathered Monday at the store in downtown Portland.

Andy Ngo goes out of his way to dox the Black Lives Matter community which he considers antifa, protestor Dustin Brandon told The Oregonian when asked why he was demonstrating outside the bookstore.

He has put probably 95% of the people here, including myself, lives at risk, just through what he does online, Brandon said.

Demonstrators gather at Powell's Books on West Burnside in downtown Portland on Jan. 11, 2021 to protest the listing of Andy Ngo's book on the Powell's website. Andy Ngo is a conservative writer and right-wing Portland journalist.

Powells responded in a statement Monday: At Powells, a lot of our inventory is hand-picked and hand-promoted. And a lot of our inventory is not hand-picked. Unmasked by Andy Ngo came to us through an automatic data feed via one of our long-term partners, Hachette Book Group.

Powells said the book would not be promoted and not placed on shelves.

That said, the statement continued, it will remain in our online catalog. We carry a lot of books we find abhorrent, as well as those that we treasure. We believe it is the work of bookselling to do so.

At Powells, a lot of our inventory is hand-picked and hand-promoted. And a lot of our inventory is not hand-picked. Unmasked by Andy Ngo came to us through an automatic data feed via one of our long-term partners, Hachette Book Group. (1 of 3)  Powell's Books (@Powells) January 11, 2021

According to Powells, this isnt the first time they have received pushback about books they sell.

Decades ago, the statement said, we received credible bomb threats for selling the work of Salman Rushdie, and yet we carried on. We cannot behave any differently today when we feel differently about the book or writer in question.

Samantha Swindler contributed to this report.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Grainger (GWW) announced Deidra (Dee) Merriwether, currently Senior Vice President and President, North American Sales and Services, has been named Chief Financial Officer. Deidra (Dee) Merriwether joined the company in 2013 as head of North America Finance. In 2017, she became head of U.S. Direct Sales and Pricing. The company also announced that Paige Robbins, currently SVP, Chief Technology, Merchandising, Marketing and Strategy Officer, has been named SVP and President of the Grainger Business Unit. The Grainger Business Unit will merge all commercial functions for the Grainger brand in North America into a single organization. The appointments will be effective immediately. 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.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have spoken for the first time since last week's Capitol insurrection, during which Pence was forced to flee the Senate chamber and retreat to a secure location. A senior administration official says the two met on Monday evening in the Oval Office.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting, said the two had a "good conversation", discussing the week ahead and "reflecting" on the administrations accomplishments over the last four years.

The official said that during the meeting, both men agreed that "those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America first movement backed by 75 million Americans" and pledged to continue working on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term.

The person did not mention Trump's lingering anger over Pence's refusal to go along with his unconstitutional scheme to try to overturn the results of the November election that he lost. Nor did the person mention whether Pence confronted Trump for using him as a scapegoat and tweeting that he lacked courage while the siege was underway.

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[January 11, 2021] Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor leads SE Asia into 5G, and full logistic connectivity

BANGKOK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thailand's high-tech Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) will this year become the first part of Southeast Asia to offer 5G telecommunications connectivity as it targets becoming the region's gateway and digital innovation hub, EEC Secretary General Kanit Sangsubhan said. "Half the area of the EEC will be covered by 5G by February 2021," Dr Kanit said. "The signal is already there and we are now working with companies and local residents to help offer them the best solution for their individual needs." In a wide-ranging interview to mark the upcoming third anniversary of the establishment of the EEC, Dr Kanit also confirmed that the government and private investors would this year spend 100 billion baht ($3.3 billion) on the next stage of construction of a 220-km high speed train connecting Bangkok's two existing airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang, with the EEC's own airport at U-Tapao.

Dr Kanit added that 5G connectivity combined with the high speed train would help transform U-Tapao and its surrounding area into Thailand's equivalent of Japan's Narita or South Korea's Incheon  a smart city "aerotropolis" twinned with the nation's capital one hour away at the other end of the train line. Narita International Airport Corp., the company that operates Tokyo's main airport, will be a part of consortium to manage U-Tapao, Dr Kanit said.

The EEC, a 13,000 square kilometer zone stretching south and east of Bangkok, became a legal entity in May 2018 as part of an ambitious strategy known as Thailand 4.0 aimed at raising the Kingdom from middle-income to fully developed nation status by 2035.

Covering three provinces with a total population of three million, the EEC is already home to the world's 11th largest auto exporting industry, leading global suppliers of hard disc drives and home appliances, a major petrochemical industry and the international tourist resort of Pattaya.

Under the Thailand 4.0 plan, automakers and their supply chains are transitioning to electric vehicle production, the electronics sector is upscaling and perochemical manufacturers are increasingly adopting less polluting renewable biotechnologies as Thailand embraces the so-called bio-circular-green economy.





Now they are being joined in the EEC by companies specializing in artificial intelligence, robotics, medical devices and biosciences including such futuristic technologies as genomics sequencing. For investors and employees, housing will increasingly be available in environmentally and connectivity-friendly smart cities located around scenic Pattaya.



Dr Kanit stressed that the EEC vision extends far beyond the immediate region. It aims to become a logistics hub and gateway linking the world's two most populous countries, China and India, and the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) trading bloc of which Thailand is the second largest economy. Between them, China, India and the 10 ASEAN states account for some 3.5 billion consumers or almost half the world's population, with the EEC geographically at the crossroads to connect them. The ASEAN countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have a combined population of some 650 million.

Dr Kanit said the EEC already had a close relationship with China's Greater Bay area which includes Hong Kong, the booming technology hub of Shenzhen and other major cities in the economic powerhouse of Guangdong province.

He described the EEC's role as a "dry port" for goods and commodities passing through the region. With the help of a planned "land bridge" to connect the Kingdom's Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean, containers shipped through the EEC to India would be able to reach their destination four or five days quicker than using the existing route via Singapore and the heavily congested Malacca Strait, Dr Kanit estimates. In turn, Thailand's connection with China provides an onward overland link to Europe.

The total cost of developing the EEC is 1.7 trillion baht (about $60 billion), 80 percent of which will be funded by the private sector and 20 percent by the government. About one-third of that will be spent in the next four or five years on completing the high-speed train, the airport and expansion of two sea ports at Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut, Dr Kanit said.

Despite the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Kanit said the EEC since its inception has met its average annual private sector investment target of 300 billion baht. He also praised the effectiveness of the public-private partnership investment model the EEC has adopted.

Dr Kanit cited the example of the high-speed rail which is half funded by the government and half by a consortium led by Thailand's CP Group and backed by international investors. "CP group mobilized a team," Dr Kanit said. "Construction is from China, technology from Italy and funding from both Japan and China. That is the power of the private sector. What we have achieved is to mobilize the government, the private sector and the local people. This has never happened before and it is what excites me so."

Foreign investors say they are excited also. "It's all about location, location, location and the EEC is definitely the right place to be," Stanley Kang, Chairman of the Joint Chambers of Commerce in Thailand, which represents 9,000 companies from 36 countries, said in an interview. "In the past, the attraction for investors was cheap land and labor. But our future is creativity and innovation and Thailand's advantage is the EEC. There is a big opportunity now and a lot of investment is moving in."

Mr Kang credits the success of the high-tech corridor to a visionary long-term focus by the Thai government on quality hard and soft infrastructure. Long before it was rebranded as the EEC, the region was known as the Eastern Seaboard. When the company Mr Kang heads, TIC Group, first opened a factory there in the 1980s, the land was occupied by "cobras and cows" and the road from Bangkok only had two lanes.

"It took you four hours to drive there and overtaking was as dangerous as being on a race track," Mr Kang said. "Then the highway became four lanes, then six lanes and now in parts it is eight-lane. Thailand realized that without good infrastructure you can't get foreign direct investment. You didn't just need a port, you needed an efficient port. You also needed ease of doing business and the government provided that with a one-stop shop for the necessary permits."

The strategy worked and the Eastern Seaboard prospered. "Thailand did a great job 30 years ago and now they are focusing on a different type of investment for the next 30," Mr Kang said. "We are moving fast and have to continue to do so." Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyytDckn_TY For more information, please visit: https://www.eeco.or.th/en SOURCE Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EEC)

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Amaravati, Jan 12 : Several Christian minority leaders in Andhra Pradesh castigated Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu for his alleged recent religious comments while attacking Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Besides criticism, TDP lost a longtime minority leader, Philip C. Tocher.

"I am pained to inform you that I am resigning from the TDP's active membership with immediate effect from this day due to the sudden out blast remarks made by Naidu against Christian community," wrote Tocher to party state president Kinjarapu Atchannaidu recently.

Tocher requested Atchannaidu to accept his resignation as he has been facing grave questioning by his fellow community members across the state.

He was with TDP since its inception in 1983 and went on to be nominated as the Anglo-Indian MLA during the TDP regime from 2014 to 2019.

A group of people protested in Visakhapatnam at the GVMC Mahatma Gandhi statue demanding Naidu to apologise to the minority community.

In Vijayawada, a Dalit Christian rights leader, Perike Varaprasadada Rao, accused that Naidu was making that kind of statements to survive in politics.

Likewise, John Benny Lingam, another minority leader from Krishna district wrote to the superintendent of police to take action on the former Chief Minister.

"We suspect that Naidu is using his men to break the idols and push the crime on Christians. So please arrest and interrogate him to extract the truth," alleged Lingam, who supported TDP in the 2019 elections.

Across the state, several other minority leader and community elders condemned Naidu, prompting the party to take conciliatory tone towards the community.

TDP posted a conciliatory tweet on Tuesday in Telugu, attaching a video of party leader Varla Ramaiah, which surprisingly was not found again after some hours.
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A family court in Cross River State, South-south Nigeria, on Tuesday, sentenced a man to 22 years imprisonment, without the option of a fine, for raping his 14-year-old daughter. The judge, who is the acting Chief Judge of Cross River State, Eyo Ita, had earlier convicted the man for rape in December.

The convicted man, Emmanuel Thompson Udo, 47, raped his own daughter at his residence in Calabar, according to a report by CrossRiverWatch.

Mr Udos arrest and prosecution by the police followed a petition from a non-governmental organisation, the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, after the mans wife reported his incestuous act to the organisation.

James Ibor, the principal partner of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES about the court ruling.

I want to use this opportunity to commend first, the mother of the child who was bold to seek help by contacting us at the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, I want to commend the police that carried out a thorough investigation, he said.

I want to also commend the attorney general and commissioner for justice, and the members of his office, for the way he conducted the prosecution, I want to commend my staff for providing psychosocial support to the child throughout the period of the proceedings. Above all, I want to commend the acting Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Eyo Ita for the judgment.

Mr Ibor said the ruling would serve as a deterrent to paedophiles.

The truth is that rape has not been on the increase (in Nigeria), the reporting has increased.

If you do a thorough investigation youll discover that we have a culture of rape, and that explains why somebody would ask you can a man rape his wife. If you have sex without the consent of your wife, it means rape has taken place, he said.

Mr Ibor said the judgement was a relief to the victim.

The survivor has this feeling of justice, yes, the person who did this to me has been punished. Theres that satisfaction, theres that relief, and that is justice. The society also has that satisfaction that justice has been done, perpetrators or would-be perpetrators would be deterred by that judgement, he added.

Cases of rape appear to be on the rise in Nigeria. Only on January 4, the police in the north-west state of Yobe Police arrested four men for allegedly raping two minors.

A day earlier, the Ogun State government suspended its Commissioner for Environment, Abiodun Abdul-Balogun, for allegedly attempting to rape a 16-year old student.
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PITTSBURGH, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Care Rx, one of the nation's leading and most innovative pharmaceutical care companies supporting serious illness, palliative and hospice care providers, has launched a virtual wound care consultation service that brings an expert wound care physician and nurse directly to the bedside to work with hospice and palliative care nurses.

The program is led by a duo of wound care experts: Aletha Tippett, MD, a nationally recognized wound care expert, and Toccara Jule, RN, a certified hospice and palliative nurse with a lengthy background in wound management.

"With an initiative like this, we're changing the hospice paradigm about wound healing," Tippett said. "While our goal is comfort, dignity and pain management, we find that with effective wound management about half of the wounds we see with hospice patients can heal. It's a significant quality of life improvement for these patients."

"Some providers rely on extensive wound care guides, which are of limited utility when a nurse is at the bedside trying to manage the pain, discharge and odor associated with serious wounds," Jule added. "With a simple video connection, Delta Care brings expert help to the bedside, where we not only can support the nurse but also reassure and comfort the patient and the patient's family."

How It Works

Delta Care clients simply enter the Delta Care online e-Tools portal, select wound care and then schedule an appointment with Tippett and Jule. Nurses will be able to share with them real-time video from their tablet or phone of a patient's wound.

In support of the rollout of the Delta Care Wound Care program, Delta Care is also introducing the Dragonfly Wound Kit, which includes a dressing developed specifically for use with hospice patients. "This dressing reduces odor, prevents infection and relieves pain. It's one of the few products of its kind," Tippett noted.

The dressing needs to be changed two or three times a week for most wounds. And it's simple enough that a family caregiver can do it, Jule said.

"As a physician, I'm happy to be able not just to support the nurse at the bedside but also to speak directly with patients and families, reassuring them, educating them and answering their questions," Tippett added.

"Effective wound management is as important to family members as it is to hospice patients," Tippett explained. "It relieves family caregivers of the anxiety they may be having about the patient's wound. The Dragonfly Wound Kit and video consult gives them the tools and education they need to better manage wounds. As a result, they feel better. And they often can see the result."

"The Delta Care Wound Care Program is further evidence of Delta Care's commitment to innovation and disruption in the pharmacy benefit field," said Michelle Mikus, PharmD, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations for Delta Care Rx. "Expert wound care consultation at the bedside is something not typically available from a hospice or palliative care provider's pharmacy partner. But it's now an essential part of Delta Care's comprehensive service offering."

The program is an extension of Delta Care's already extensive offering of on-demand services, which include On Demand Pharmacist Services (pharmacist consults), Hospice LiveTM provider and pharmacist video consults at the bedside, and Delta Campus clinical education.

"Not all hospices have the expertise in-house to handle difficult wounds," Jule noted. "Delta Care clients have this expertise at their fingertips and available right at the bedside."

About Delta Care Rx

Delta Care Rx ( www.deltacarerx.com ) transforms and improves the hospice pharmacy sector through business transparency, innovation, extreme customer service, and the maintenance of vital community-pharmacy relationships. As a pharmacist-owned, privately held provider, Delta Care sets the industry benchmark for pharmacy benefit management, mail order pharmacy options, on-demand pharmacist services and hospice-tailored electronic prescribing. In addition, Delta Care offers electronic tools, including cutting-edge telehealth technology, to improve the quality of patient care and simplify essential workflow and ordering processes within hospice settings.

About Aletha Tippett, MD

Dr. Aletha Tippett received her BS in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri in 1975 and her MD from the University of Cincinnati in 1997. Dr. Tippett has concentrated her practice on wound care for 15 years and has treated more than 15,000 wounds. Her main areas of focus in wound care are limb salvage and pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, to which she brings a bio-engineering approach. She has been honored with numerous healthcare awards and is a published author and international speaker and teacher on wound care topics. Dr. Tippett is president of the Hope of Healing Foundation , dedicated to limb salvage and novel wound therapies. Dr. Tippett is also active in hospice and is a certified hospice medical director for provider in Southwest Ohio.

Mark Cohen

Delta Care Rx

800.335.8219

SOURCE Delta Care Rx
YEKATERINBURG, Russia  A fire raced through a nine-story apartment building in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, killing eight people, including a child.

Emergency officials in the Sverdlovsk region said on January 12 that the cause of the fire in the residential building overnight remained unknown.

According to preliminary data, the blaze started in an apartment on the second floor and smoke quickly filled the building, making it impossible for many residents on upper floors to escape.

Firefighters managed to rescue 90 people, including nine children, from the building. The eight residents who lost their lives were found in apartments on the second, fifth and ninth floors, officials said.

The regional prosecutor's office said that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

Deadly fires caused by violations of safety regulations or faulty wiring are common in Russia.

Two days earlier, a fire at a private nursing home in western Siberia killed seven people.

Less than a month ago, a fire in a private retirement house in the Bashkortostan region killed 11 people.
No imported forms of a key type of cancer drug will be available on Chinas public health insurance this year because the government and multinational pharmaceutical firms were unable to strike a deal to set lower prices, a high-level official involved in the negotiations has said.

Last month, the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) included three Chinese developers of frontline cancer drugs in the public insurance system, allowing patients to access the treatments at a fraction of their full price. However, two imported medicines developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Merck & Co. Inc. were not included.

In an interview with Caixin, Xiong Xianjun, the head of the NHSAs medical service administration office, said the government and foreign drugmakers were unable to reach an agreement during talks that sought to keep cancer treatments below the current price of sintilimab, a lymphoma drug co-developed by Chinas Innovent Biologics Inc. and U.S. drug giant Eli Lilly & Co. that became available under the public insurance system last year.

Xiongs comments come after some drug companies agreed to slash prices of certain new medications by an average of 51% to become eligible under government-backed insurance plans, which cover most of Chinas 1.4 billion people and can reimburse between 60% and 90% of the cost of treating common diseases.

At the center of the negotiations was the status of PD-(L)1 inhibitors, a group of frontline cancer drugs that block so-called checkpoint proteins that can prevent the immune system from killing cancer cells. Around 4.5 million people in China develop cancer per year, according to the Global Cancer Observatory, a body affiliated with the World Health Organizations specialized cancer agency.

The NHSA decided prior to the start of the talks that none of the seven proposed new PD-(L)1 inhibitors were to be more expensive than sintilimab, Xiong said.

While Chinese drugmakers accepted those terms more readily, foreign enterprises were unable to lower their prices, possibly because their expectations are comparatively high and they come under pressure from international pricing systems, he said.

The three Chinese treatments to make the public insurance list are BeiGene Ltd.s tislelizumab, Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd.s toripalimab and Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd.s camrelizumab. Sintilimab, the drug co-developed by Innovent, is sold under the brand name Tyvyt.

Regulators were unable to make deals for Bristol-Myerss nivolumab, sold under the brand name Opdivo, and Mercks pembrolizumab, sold as Keytruda. The drugs may still be available in China on the private market.

Contact reporter Matthew Walsh (matthewwalsh@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.
On Monday, Amber Heard and girlfriend Bianca Butti stepped out together in Los Angeles.

The Aquaman star, 34, rocked faded blue jeans and a black-and-red plaid shirt that was button-up all the way to the top.

The actress grinned ear to ear while stepping out with her girlfriend.

Beaming: Actress Amber Heard and girlfriend Bianca Butti grinned ear to ear as they stepped out together in Los Angeles on Monday

She also donned a pair matching slippers without socks.

Her casual look was rounded by having her long blonde tresses pulled back into a loose ponytail.

Butti, 38, opted for casual-cool in an all-denim ensemble with flip-flops and her hair pulled into a small bun.

Impromptu walk: The Aquaman star, 34, rocked faded blue jeans, a black-and-red plaid shirt that was button-up all the way to the top and matching slippers

The couple's romance first made headlines in January 2020 when they were seen packing on the PDA while on holiday in the resort town of Palm Springs, California.

During their getaway, the pair were seen sharing a number of passionate kisses moments after walking out of a hotel to their awaiting car.

Heard was married to Johnny Depp from 2015 until 2017.

Stepping out: The couple stepped out together on Monday

In November, a U.K. judge ruled against Depp's suit against an English publication for calling him a 'wife-beater,' citing that the accusations Heard made - that have negatively impacted the actor's career - were 'substantially true.'

In the latest legal hearing in Virginia between Amber and Johnny, Fairfax County Judge Bruce D. White blocked Depp's attempt to have Heard's case against him thrown out of court amid a new law.

Depp's case is slated to head to trial May 3, while Heard's suit is expected to go before the court later on in the year.

Most recently Heard starred in the dark fantasy miniseries, The Stand, which premiered on CBS All Access on December 17, 2020.

Heard is slated to reprise her role of Mera in the upcoming superhero series Zack Snyder's Justice League that's scheduled to drop on HBO Max on March 2021. The four-part miniseries will be followed by a version that combines the episodes into a single film.
The plunge in San Franciscos apartment market fueled by the coronavirus pandemic has been a blessing for thousands of tenants who have successfully haggled with their landlord for lower rents or moved into units that are at least 25% less expensive than they were a year ago.

But it has also created opportunities for scam artists who are using current safety precautions to bamboozle tenants eager to take advantage of the soft market.

Across the country, pandemic health restrictions have forced rental transactions to go digital, as tenants and landlords rely on their smart phones and laptops to do everything from 3-D tours to digital signings. Property managers and tenants attorneys say the pace of the scams is picking up.

It happened to Noe Valley residents Alex Westhoff and Sean McCormick, who were bilked for nearly $13,000 when they thought they had landed an ideal two-bedroom walk-up on Leavenworth Street at the foot of Russian Hill.

In October, Westhoff and McCormick saw a Craigslist ad for a flat in a Marina-style, three-unit building between North Point and Bay streets. The apartment had a dining room and in-unit washer-dryer, which their Noe unit didnt. It had outdoor space  both a yard and roof deck  which has become all the more valuable during the lockdown. It was more spacious than their current apartment and at $2,990, it cost $110 less per month.

We had been hearing about all the great deals on rent and wanted to take advantage of it, Westhoff said. We wanted more room. We wanted outdoor space. We wanted something bikeable to work. We frequently have friends and family visiting from out of town and we thought it would be fun to be a hop, skip and a jump to Alcatraz, Coit Tower and a lot of good restaurants.

Eager to check the place out, the couple contacted the rental agent listed on the ad. A few weeks later they heard from the agent, who gave his name as Matthew Reynolds and asked them to provide their credit scores and information for a criminal background check. They were instructed to download the Rently app, through which they secured a one-time lockbox code so they could take a self-guided, COVID-safe tour of the unit.

As they walked through the unit, Reynolds Facetimed with them, giving a detailed rundown of all the units features.

Matthew knew so many details about the place  the layout, how to access the roof deck, how to access the backyard, who the neighbors were, Westhoff said.

The couple filled out a rental application and gave Reynolds just under $6,000 for first months rent and security deposit. They also filled out a questionnaire, which asked them how much rent they would be willing to pay in advance.

Westhoff said they were taken aback by the question.

We did really want the place, so we said we could put up three months, he said. We wanted to put our best foot forward.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Soon afterward, Reynolds asked for two more months rent up front, another $6,000. While they thought he was being pushy, they had agreed that they could pay three months in what they thought was a legally binding document, so they went along with it.

Then Reynolds hit them up for another $1,500. This time they balked but eventually agreed to send $750 via PayPal.

Looking back, this was a major red flag even at the time, but we had already signed the lease, Westhoff said. He said they needed the money for upgrades, mentioned that his wife was sick.

On New Years Eve, the couple showed up at the apartment at 4 p.m. to meet Reynolds and get the keys. He was a no-show. A woman who came out of the building informed them that a family had recently started to move into the apartment. They tried calling Reynolds  they now realize that was a fake name  but his phone had been disconnected.

We were baffled and angry, and then everything started to make sense, Westhoff said.

The couple filed a report with the San Francisco Police Department.

SFPD spokesman Michael Andraychak said the department sees one or two fraud reports a month involving online rental ads, but this one was the first that investigators are aware of in which a suspect, posing as a property manager, had access to the Realtors lockbox and conducted a contactless walk-through with the victim.

While some of the interactions with Reynolds were troubling, there were plenty of details that seemed legit. In addition to phone conversations and texts with Reynolds, the couple emailed with someone who purported to work for Property Management Systems, a local company that oversees about 300 units in the city. The emails from this agent included the company watermark.

Courtesy Alex Westhoff

Property Management Systems President Michelle Horneff-Cohen said that a fraudster recently pulled off a scam identical to the Leavenworth one in the Sunset District.

Historically, wed have one or two (scams) a year, but it never got as far as this, she said. Now its gotten to the point where these criminals are getting a whole lot of peoples money. It breaks my heart.

Horneff-Cohen said prior to the pandemic, her company never used lockboxes, preferring face-to-face meetings and tours, or open houses. But when the lockdown started, she reluctantly signed on with Rently to facilitate contactless tours.

We thought it was great because people dont have to worry about COVID, she said.

Tenant attorney Joe Tobener said since the pandemic started, he gets about a call a week from a tenant who has been scammed.

Its becoming really common, and there is not a lot you can do after the fact, he said. There is nothing to chase down, no insurance or meaningful assets. Its just a sad phone call, getting these tenants to realize that they have been scammed and there is nothing we can do. Its a police matter.

He said the one thing all the cases have in common is that the fake landlords almost always double down.

They always go for a second bite, he said. And because of how desperate the housing market is, the tenants usually fall for it.

Andraychak said renters should be wary of deals that seem to be too good to be true or situations where the rental agent makes multiple requests to pay more money. And tenants should meet the agent or landlord in person whenever possible.

Property manager J.J. Panzer said the recent fraud cases are an extended, more sophisticated version of a Craigslist ruse that goes back years.

That is an extra level of ballsy, Panzer said. It seems like its one step beyond the level of the scam that people like to pull.

Janan New, executive director of the San Francisco Apartment Association, said she was not surprised by the scams, given the overall rise in crime in the city.

Crime is rampant in the city right now, and this is just one more aspect of criminal behavior, she said. Its indicative of what is going on in our city right now.

Westhoff and McCormick have been able to stay in the Noe Valley apartment for the time being and continue to look for a new place. They are lucky in that they are both employed and have enough savings to cover the losses, although they are trying to get the money back from their bank.

Imagine if the victim had been someone who had given up a rent-controlled apartment or was a single parent barely getting by, Westhoff said. It could have ruined someones life. It could have caused them to become homeless.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen


[January 12, 2021]

Blockworks Launches Editorial Site to Help Investors Understand Digital Assets

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitcoin and crypto are no longer obscure internet phenomena. Over the past decade, they have become a critical alternative asset class that impacts nearly every institution in the world.

Blockworks has been helping investors understand this emerging asset class for nearly three years. Today, Blockworks is launching an editorial site.

Blockworks' editorial site will focus on the asset managers, companies, and individuals that shape the crypto industry.

The goal of our editorial team is simple: to provide investors and finance professionals with the news, analysis, and insights they need to make informed decisions about the digital asset space," said Michael Ippolito, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Blockworks.

What to expect:

As an independently-owned company that has never raised venture money, coverage from Blockworks will hae no agenda.







Blockworks pledges to report on the industry in a way that is unbiased, fact-based and accessible. Blockworks will dutifully cover markets, investment trends, and regulatory developments that connect the emerging crypto ecosystem with the broader world of macro finance.

Why now?

Bitcoin has emerged as a non-sovereign, global, decentralized, digital store of value.

The industry is experiencing record institutional inflows, from macro hedge funds, to university endowments, to RIAs.

We're entering into a new world of finance, and Blockworks is here to help investors navigate it.

About Blockworks:

Blockworks is a financial media brand that delivers breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors.

Our editorial content, newsletters, podcasts and events provide investors with the critical analysis and information they need to make smarter decisions about digital assets.

Got tips about what we should cover, or questions for our editorial team? Let us know at news@blockworks.co

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blockworks-launches-editorial-site-to-help-investors-understand-digital-assets-301206041.html

SOURCE Blockworks
SHANGHAI, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 12, 2021 local time, ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO; HKEX: 2057) ("ZTO" or the "Company"), a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China, held its 2020 year-end network partner convention in Qingpu, Shanghai, where ZTO's headquarter is located.

The participating management of the Company reviewed and summarized the achievements in 2020. Over the past year, even though the global economy was hit by the epidemic and the competition in the industry has intensified, the Company still stood together with nearly 30,000 network partners to continuously promote diversified outlet empowerment measures, which maintained the stability of the network. ZTO rounded off this year with the parcel volume growing faster than the industry, the steadily increased market share, and the continuously excellent service quality and customer satisfaction. Throughout 2020, the Company delivered 17 billion parcels, a year-over-year growth of 40.3%, further expanded its market share, and ranked first in terms of parcel volume among the peers.

In 2021, ZTO will stay committed to the mission and empower the whole network to ensure the orderly establishment of the ecosystem, the further expansion of the market share, the steady growth of the network's overall profitability, the security of pickup-delivery, operation and information across the whole network, and the leading position of the service quality in the industry to accelerate the development in the changing situations.

About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and HKEX: 2057) ("ZTO" or the "Company") is a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China.

ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain.

For more information, please visit http://zto.investorroom.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "going forward", "ought to", "may", "seek", "intend", "plan", "projection", "could", "vision", "goals", "aim", "aspire", "objective", "target", "schedules", "outlook" and similar statements. ZTO Express may make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about ZTO Express's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in ZTO Express's filings with the SEC and HKEX. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and ZTO Express undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +86 21 5980 4508

SOURCE ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.
(Newser)  Another lawmaker is facing heat for a Capitol breach, this time in the Pacific Northwest. When far-right protesters descended on the Oregon Capitol on Dec. 21 during a special legislative session, surveillance video (available here via the Oregonian) showed GOP Rep. Mike Nearman exiting through a side door, and holding it open for two demonstrators right outside. More soon joined them, until police showed up and a scuffle began. A source tells the paper that Nearman then proceeded to go right back into the building through another entrance. Per the Statesman Journal, at least 50 protesters gained access to the Capitol vestibule due to Nearman's breach, with six cops pepper-sprayed. "His actions have created immense fear among legislators and Capitol staff," House Speaker Tina Kotek says in a statement. "He should resign immediately because he has already breached the public trust and endangered our ability to safely conduct the people's business."

story continues below

Kotek removed the 56-year-old lawmakerone of the most conservative members of the state legislature, per the Washington Postfrom the budget and tech subcommittees he'd been assigned to, as well as rescinded his commission appointments. Nearman will also see an invoice from Kotek for $2,000 to cover the damage done by rioters inside the building. On Monday, Nearman agreed to certain safety measures, including handing over his Capitol access badge, giving 24 hours' notice before showing up there, and agreeing to not let any unauthorized people in. Meanwhile, from the GOP side, Oregon House Minority Leader Christine Drazan has called the video "difficult to watch," though she hasn't yet said if she's on board for sanctions for Nearman. For now, she wants a full probe, with repercussions "if the investigation finds that actions taken were criminal," she says, per the Oregonian. (Read more Oregon stories.)
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Almost 7 in 10 people in Ireland are living in homes that are too large for their household needs.

New figures published by the European Commission show that Ireland has one of the highest rates of people living in under-occupied dwellings in the EU.

Official statistics released by Eurostat reveal that 69.6pc of Irish people were living in dwellings deemed too large for their needs in 2019 in terms of excess rooms  more than twice the EU average of 32.7pc.

Only Malta and Cyprus had higher rates of under-occupied homes than Ireland.

The classic cause of under-occupation is older individuals or couples remaining in their home after their children have grown up and left, while family breakdown can also result in under-occupation, a Eurostat spokesperson said.

On average, there are 2.1 rooms per person in Irish households compared to the EU average of 1.6 rooms.

The Republics high rate is believed to be linked to the large number of adults living in empty nest households and the relatively larger size of traditional Irish families and associated need for more bedrooms compared to most other European countries.

The latest figures show that over 92pc of older people in Ireland are living in homes that are considered too big for their actual needs.

In contrast, only 3.2pc of the Irish population were classified as living in overcrowded households in 2019, although the figure has increased from 2.7pc the previous year.

It is still the second lowest rate among the EUs 27 member states where 17.2pc of people on average live in households without enough rooms for their needs.

Read More

However, the proportion of people on low incomes and at risk of poverty who live in overcrowded conditions in Ireland is almost twice the national average at 5.9p.

Irish males (3.5pc) are also more likely than Irish females (3.0pc) to live in overcrowded households.

Based on age, 20-25 year olds are most likely to be living in an overcrowded dwelling with the problem affecting 5.8pc of that age group compared to just 0.3pc of those aged over 65 years.

Overcrowded accommodation is considered to be any dwelling that does not have the number of rooms appropriate to the size of the household, the family situation and the ages of its members.

It is calculated on the basis of there being one living room, one room per couple, one room for each single adult, one room per pair of single people of the same gender aged 12-17 and one room per pair of children under 12.

Under-occupied homes are households with more than the minimum number of rooms considered adequate.

The European Commission expressed concern about the impact of living in overcrowded living conditions during the current pandemic where many people are confined to their homes due to public health guidelines and regulations.

Overcrowded households can feel even smaller with kids playing in the same room as parents trying to telework during the coronavirus lockdown. Moreover, overcrowded environments can present a higher risk of spreading the virus, a spokesperson said.

On measures of housing quality, Irish homes were slightly better than the EU average with 12.5pc of Irish people living in a house with a leaking roof and 4.9pc unable to keep their home adequately warm.

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gold prices rose on Tuesday, rebounding from a near six-week low hit in the previous session, reflecting the political uncertainty in Washington and rising coronavirus cases worldwide. Spot gold rose a little over 1 percent to $1,862.40 per ounce, after having touched its lowest since Dec. 2 on Monday. U.S. gold futures were up 0.6 percent at $1,862.15. U.S. President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Washington, D.C. due to the conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24. Amid threats of further violence, President-elect Joe Biden said he is not worried about holding his inauguration in front of the U.S. Capitol. As countries struggle with the pace of vaccinations, the overall global coronavirus caseload has topped 90.8 million and the deaths surged to more than 1.94 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Gold is also benefiting from worsening U.S.-China tensions and expectations of fresh stimulus to be announced by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. Biden has called for a $2000 'stimulus checks' to his fellow Americans as he prepares to assume the presidency on January 20. '$600 is simply not enough when you have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table,' Biden said on Sunday. As the U.S. continues to blacklist dozens of Chinese companies, Beijing responded by announcing new rules to protect its firms from 'unjustified' U.S. sanctions. The United States is lifting 'self-imposed restrictions' on contacts between American and Taiwanese diplomats and officials. 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.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said that her task is to maintain permanent pragmatic cooperation with Ukraine, which is a strategic partner for Moldova.

Sandu said this after signing bilateral documents with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday, January 12, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

At the beginning of her speech, Sandu said in Ukrainian that she was very pleased to be in Kyiv today on her first official visit as President of the Republic of Moldova and then continued her speech in Moldovan.

"I am glad to be in Kyiv as president to restore friendship between our countries at the highest level. In recent years, the Moldovan-Ukrainian dialogue at the level of heads of state has been virtually suspended. I confirm that Ukraine is a strategic partner for the Republic of Moldova and maintaining permanent and pragmatic cooperation with Ukraine is an important task for the Republic of Moldova and for the institution of the president," Sandu said.

She said she had agreed with President Zelensky to take relations to another level of strategic partnership. In this context, she noted that today's decision to establish a Council of Presidents of Moldova and Ukraine was the first step in this direction.

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SEO is at a pivotal time as Google continues changing the ways in which websites are ranked with maps and the like. Were grateful to have our finger on that pulse at Hooker and Company.

SEOblog.com, a fast-growing website providing the latest SEO news, tips and resources and helping business owners connect with leading SEO agencies, has released its exclusive 2021 ratings naming the best SEO companies in Minneapolis.

SEOblog analysts determined the 15 best SEO companies in Minneapolis based on dozens of key quantitative and qualitative factors. SEOblog industry experts examined each Minneapolis digital marketing agencys website, industry experience, market presence, client list, portfolio, expert certifications and authorship among other factors in its ranking system.

SEOblog has provided an in-depth view of companies in a particular city or focus area on various directory pages to help business owners find the expert help they need to grow. This was a new, free offer added by SEOblog in 2019.

Minneapolis has several of the nations top SEO agencies that provide a very competitive digital marketing landscape.

SEO is at a pivotal time as Google continues changing the ways in which websites are ranked with maps and the like, said Jordan PR Olson, a digital content strategist at Hooker and Company. Were grateful to have our finger on that pulse at Hooker and Company.

SEOblog.com rankings are updated regularly as the market shifts and new players emerge. SEOblog.com has published more than 2,300 agency listings with more added every day. There is no fee to participate, and the website welcomes all qualified agencies to apply.

SEOblog.coms 15 Best SEO Companies in Minneapolis in 2021:

Hooker and Company, Skol Marketing, Leadpages, Mankato Web Design, Portkey SEO Solutions, TopRank Marketing, Hook Agency, 405 Media Group, One Wheel Marketing, Triton Commerce, Gorilla Webtactics, Carmichael Lynch, Rocket55, VantagePoint Marketing and Windmill Strategy.

Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/minneapolis/

About SEOblog.com

SEOblog.com is a leading thought leadership site with a rich history of publishing educational and informative articles about SEO and digital marketing topics. In early 2019, SEOblog.com answered the call from buyers of digital marketing services that lacked unbiased, informative online resources and launched a comprehensive directory to highlight the best SEO companies in the United States -- https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/. SEOblogs mission is to connect businesses with qualified digital marketing agencies while also offering further SEO education, best practices and industry trends.

SEOblog.com is a one-stop shop for educational SEO and digital marketing content, research, ratings and reviews for the best agencies in each local market across the United States. The website will be increasing its coverage of U.S. SEO agencies and accepting more guest blog posts in the coming months. Contact SEOblog if youre interested in getting involved.
Medical-grade oxygen usage is surging in South Africa amid a second wave of coronavirus infections, leaving suppliers struggling to keep pace with demand.

As infection rates and deaths reach records, Air Liquide SA, Afrox Healthcare Ltd. and Air Products are boosting deliveries to hospitals, with some now taking place daily rather than weekly.

Air Liquide mainly supplies private hospitals, while Afrox supplies mostly government facilities.

Consumption from our hospital customers has increased by three to four times, Air Liquide said in a response to queries. Some regions have experienced a more than six-fold increase, while some specific hospitals have experienced an as much as 10-fold increase in consumption.

The rise in demand has caught hospitals and their suppliers by surprise as the authorities and the scientists advising them expected the second wave of infections to begin in February rather than November. The emergence of a more transmissible variant of the virus is among the main factors behind the acceleration in new cases.

The health system had been laid out to see a resurgence of the pandemic, but not so early, said Ian Sanne, an infectious diseases doctor who heads Right to Care, a non-profit that provides treatment to people with HIV and associated diseases.

Sanne, a member of Health Minister Zweli Mkhizes Ministerial Advisory Council on Covid-19, said an audit of government hospitals identified 150 that needed upgrades to their oxygen supplies. Thirty-six of those have been completed, with the process taking as long as six weeks at each facility, he said.

Many of the hospitals that havent been upgraded are dependent on oxygen supplied in 10.2 kilogram (22 pound) gas cylinders. There is a risk of cylinder shortages, with a single Covid-19 patient using as many as 10 a day, and cylinders that are usually used for nitrogen, argon or air are being re-purposed, according to Sanne. There is a need to urgently train more people to drive oxygen tankers, he said.

The increase in demand for medical oxygen may jeopardize supplies to industrial customers and neighboring countries.

Air Liquide and Afrox have issued force majeure notices to their industrial customers, warning that supply may be interrupted, Business Day newspaper reported on Monday, citing copies of the letters.

As the company also supplies non-medical grade oxygen into industry and various industrial applications, Afrox has the ability to divert supply from these sectors and refine product to medical-grade standard, the company said in a response to queries.

As of Sunday South Africa had reported 1.23 million confirmed coronavirus infections and over 33,000 deaths, making it the worst-hit country in Africa.

Now read: President Ramaphosa to address the nation tonight
(Natural News) The conspiracy theories dont sound too crazy now, do they?

(Article by Daniel republished from WeLoveTrump.com)

Nancy Pelosi is back in the spotlight again.

During the protest on Wednesday, it was reported that her laptop was taken from the Capitol Building.

Initial reports said that Trump supporters took it.

However, there are some theories that it was taken by special forces.

Take a look:

Posted by VK today on wego. Special forces allegedly took Pelosis laptop. pic.twitter.com/zWc5tT9sB4  CeeCee  (@the_exception) January 9, 2021

Reports Of Nancy Pelosi's Laptop Missing  PANIC IN D.C! pic.twitter.com/Mia5S8oX71  Because (@bookman6071) January 8, 2021

Nancy Pelosi's laptop was taken from her office in the Senate on the 6th

Perhaps that's why she looks fooked!  https://t.co/ae9O4UDjww  Katie Hopkins (@Hellohowru12345) January 8, 2021

Just curious, where are Hillarys emails, where is Hunters laptop (hell, wheres Hunter), and now, wheres Pelosis laptop? Publish those contents and youll have a bestseller for ever!  Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) January 8, 2021

It is confirmed.

Nancy Pelosis laptop has been stolen.

NBC News confirms that the laptop was taken.

But

Nancy Pelosis team claims that nothing incriminating was on it

Aide for Speaker Pelosi tells NBC News that a laptop from a conference room was stolen during Wednesday's storming of the US Capitol. It was a laptop that was only used for presentations, the aide says.  NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) January 8, 2021

While we CURRENTLY dont know the contents of the laptop

While nothing has YET been made public

Its interesting that an FBI file dump is suddenly going viral for the first time.

We must note

These are NOT new documents.

However, these documents were NOT widely covered by the mainstream media.

It appears that Nancy Pelosis brother Franklin Roosevelt DAlesandro was charged with rape.

He was charged with rape at the age of 20 years old.

The victims?

They were aged 11 and 13.

Yes they were underage.

Where was the outcry from the left? Where was the outcry from the feminists?

It turns out that DAlesandro wasnt the only one who was tried.

He was 1 of 12 men who were tried

BUT

He was the ONLY one that was able to successfully obtain an acquittal.

What are the odds?

Here is the official FBI report.

You can also view it on the official FBI website.

The pertinent section begins at the bottom of page 42.

Small, local news sources covered the incident, but it never gained national traction.

Here is the Baltimore Suns obituary for DAlesandro in 2007:

Franklin D. Roosevelt DAlesandro, a retired city courthouse clerk and member of the family that includes two former Baltimore mayors and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, died of cancer yesterday at the Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. The Hamilton resident was 73. Known as Roosie, he was born in Baltimore on March 7, 1933  shortly after the first inauguration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for whom he was named. He was the second son of Annunciata and Thomas DAlesandro Jr., who was mayor of Baltimore from 1947 to 1959 and earlier served in the House of Representatives. Raised in the familys Little Italy home, he was a graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School and attended Loyola College. In 1953 and 1954, Mr. DAlesandro was in the headlines when he was arrested at the age of 20 and subsequently acquitted in trials on charges of rape and perjury. He soon married his longtime sweetheart, Mary Ann Jankowski, and they had two daughters. For many years, Mr. DAlesandro worked in the land records section of the Baltimore Court House. He was a mentor to young title searchers, and he helped stabilize that department, said his older brother, Thomas J. DAlesandro III, who served as mayor from 1967 to 1971. He helped people working there go from working with pens on paper, through the era of the typewriter to the computer. He was an agreeable sort of guy who did his job well, former Baltimore Chief Circuit Court Judge Joseph H.H. Kaplan said yesterday. He didnt complain and was always very pleasant. As a brother, friend, and adviser, Roosie always advocated a gentle approach, no matter how drastic the disagreement, Ms. Pelosi, the San Francisco congresswoman, said in a statement sent by her deputy press secretary. Roosie died as he had lived, surrounded by his family, loved by his friends, grateful for Gods blessings on his life, and prepared to meet our parents and brothers in Heaven, she said. A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Leos Roman Catholic Church, 227 S. Exeter St. In addition to his wife, brother and sister, survivors include his daughters, Rose Ann DAlesandro of Baltimore and Deborah Ignatowski of Lutherville; another brother, Nicholas DAlesandro of Baltimore; and two granddaughters. Three brothers are deceased.

Isnt it interesting that were just now finding this out?

This is not new information.

But it appears to have successfully been buried.

If President Trump had a family member charged with rape, we would all know about it.

Yet

This story about Pelosis brother appears to only be coming into the light now.

Read more at: WeLoveTrump.com
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Boris Johnson has come under fire from his own party for publicly shaming China's use of traditional medicine and blaming the 'demented' practice of harvesting pangolin scales for causing coronavirus.

Conservative insiders detected the Prime Minister's fiancee Carrie Symonds' influence in his incendiary remarks, which has sparked a furious row with Beijing.

In an environmental speech to world leaders yesterday Mr Johnson tore into people who 'grind up the scales of a pangolin' in a bid to become more 'potent' - a thinly veiled attack on Chinese remedies.

Ms Symonds has been vocal in her opposition to wet markets, where the animals are sold, gaining praise from Peta as it announced her as one of its most influential activists of 2020

Former Tory aides told MailOnline she was 'definitely' behind Mr Johnson's conservation push and are growing concerned that her enthusiasm for such issues are eating up too much of the Government's bandwidth at the expense of other policy areas.

One Tory insider said: 'When the f*** was he talking about the environment before he got with her? I've never seen Boris talk about the environment.

'It's also a tangential issue. It is completely lacking any political antennae. it is not mission critical. This government should be about the public's agenda, not Carrie's agenda.'

The Tory said there was a 'time and a place' to talk about conservation issues, and this was 'not it'.

Mr Johnson made the remarks in a virtual speech to the One Planet Summit, hosted by France's President Macron, citing the illegal trade in the scaly anteater-like creatures.

They are widely used in Chinese medicine and their trafficking has been blamed for transmitting the virus from bats found in the wild to humans.

The first documented cases of the Covid-19 were in the Chinese city of Wuhan, with a wet market trading in exotic animals being seen as the probable source.

Mr Johnson's attack on China was followed today by a broadside by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab over the treatment of the Uighur minority.

On another day of chaos for Britons battling the worst crisis for a generation:

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warned furlough is masking unemployment and the true rate could be 6.5 per cent not 4.9 per cent;

The government is facing more pressure to make the vaccination programme 24-hours and start giving more frontline workers jabs;

Matt Hancock has denied there is a national oxygen shortage as the strain on the NHS increases but admitted patients might have to be moved to where there are supplies;

One in every three deaths in England and Wales was linked to coronavirus in the final days of 2020, official figures revealed today as a separate analysis claimed the virus was behind the sharpest rise in fatalities since 1940;

Downing Street has admitted pictures of the random contents in some free school meal food parcels are 'completely unacceptable' after the issue was highlighted by Marcus Rashford;

Seven vaccination hubs have come into use, including London's ExCeL and Birmingham's Millennium Point;

Derbyshire Police has cancelled 200 fines for two women penalised for driving five miles to go for a walk;

Nearly a quarter of care home residents have received their first shot of Covid vaccine, with nearly 2.7million doses now administered across the UK;

Hospitals started rationing oxygen as it emerged that one in four coronavirus patients is under 55.

Former Tory aides told MailOnline that Carrie was 'definitely' behind Mr Johnson's conservation push, pointing out he rarely talked about such issues before they were linked

She has been vocal in her opposition to wet markets where they are sold, gaining praise from Peta as it announced her as one of its most influential activists of 2020.

Boris Johnson in a Protect The Pangolin t-shirt in 2018, while jogging with then Australian counterpart foreign minister Julie Bishop

Two suspects surrounded by dead pangolin that were among 457 confiscated from a wild animal smuggling ring in Guangdong Province, China

Pangolins are heavily-trafficked scaly anteater-like creatures, which have been blamed for transmitting the virus from bats to humans

Carrie backed ban on wet markets as she boosted her wildlife activism Carrie Symonds won a wildlife award last year for her environmental work, including support for endangered pangolins. Last April she publicly revealed she had signed a petition calling for an end to the wet markets where they are often sold. The Prime Minister's fiancee, who was pregnant with son Wilfred at the time, took to social media to share the 'End the Trade' petition. The 32-year-old wrote: 'Have signed this petition calling for an end to the global wildlife trade once and for all. Please do consider doing the same. 'This crisis gives us the chance to start doing things better. Let this be one of those things.' Ms Symonds tweets support for then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's call to end pangolin trafficking Her championing of the heavily-trafficked animal's plight stretches back years, and in 2018 she threw her weight behind Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, who was calling to stamp out the trade. Hardline environmental group Peta later named her Person of the Year, saying her 'activism gets results,' after she campaigned against the plight of monkeys being used to pick coconuts. Ms Symonds has been vocal in her opposition to wet markets, the fur trade and trophy hunting. Last year she also raised awareness of monkeys being used as slave labour to pick coconuts, helping to get products support the practice taken off British shelves. Ms Symonds has long burnished her environmentalism credentials and works as a senior adviser to conservation charity Oceana. Advertisement

In comments that are likely to risk fury from Beijing, Mr Johnson said: 'Obviously it's right to focus on climate change, obviously it's right to cut CO2 emissions, but we won't achieve a real balance with our planet unless we protect nature as well.

'One final thought, don't forget that the coronavirus pandemic was the product of an imbalance in man's relationship with the natural world.

'Like the original plague which struck the Greeks I seem to remember in book one of the Iliad, it is a zoonotic disease.

'It originates from bats or pangolins, from the demented belief that if you grind up the scales of a pangolin you will somehow become more potent or whatever it is people believe, it originates from this collision between mankind and the natural world and we've got to stop it.'

But China hit back at the PM after his comments. Today Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: 'We've said many times that origin tracing is a scientific matter.

'There is no room, no place, for people making speculations, hyping up - otherwise it will only disrupt international co-operation.'

Meanwhile Chinese web users labelled Boris Johson 'laughable' and 'very ignorant'.

Under a Weibo post by the state-run Vhina Daily, one user who claimed to be a medical student said: 'As a medical student majoring in traditional Chinese medicine, I feel the comment from the British Prime Minister is very ignorant, to be honest.'

Another critic wrote: 'This is laughable. Does the British Prime Minister have a brain?'

Some took a step further and suggested that coronavirus had affected the PM's ability to think.

One such user stated: 'It seems that the novel coronavirus has affected not only Johnson's lungs but also his brain.'

Mr Raab this afternoon said British firms will face heavy fines if they are lined to Chinese human rights abuse and companies will have to meet requirements showing their supply chains are free from forced labour in the Xinjiang province, the Foreign Secretary told the Commons this afternoon.

The Beijing government has been accused of widespread abuse in the area, home to the Muslim Uighurs, including allegations of forced sterilisation, slave labour and mass internment.

Members of the Uighur minority group have reportedly been made to pick cotton in Xinjiang province, leading to concerns British consumers could inadvertently be buying tainted goods.

Mr Raab said companies will be given robust guidance on how to carry out due diligence checks to make sure they are not sourcing products tainted by the human rights violations in the province.

He told MPs the picture of human rights abuses in Xinjiang was 'harrowing' and the UK had a 'moral duty to respond'.

Pangolins inhabit tropical forests in India, China, south-east Asia and parts of Africa.

Out of the eight existing sub-species, three are critically endangered, and all of them are protected by international treaty.

The general hunting and trading of pangolins have been banned in China since the late 1980s, but the exotic mammals are still trafficked by the thousands for their perceived nutritional value.

Their scales are deemed as a previous ingredient by believers of traditional Chinese medicine and its than 123 tons were sold in 2019 on the black market.

People also eat their meat for the supposed health benefits and the animals' blood is seen as a healing tonic.

China has previously denied pangolin are a vector for moving the virus from bats to humans.

Last year researchers in the Communist state found that the animals are indeed natural hosts for various coronaviruses, but do not appear to be the direct source of Covid-19.

In November a different team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences claimed the virus likely originated in India in summer 2019 - jumping from animals to humans via contaminated water - before travelling unnoticed to Wuhan, where it was first detected.

In a further attac on China, companies will have to meet requirements showing their supply chains are free from forced labour in the Xinjiang province, the Foreign Secretary told the Commons this afternoon

Members of the Uighur minority group have reportedly been made to pick cotton in Xinjiang province, leading to concerns British consumers could inadvertently be buying tainted goods

Britain yesterday recorded a further 529 Covid deaths - marking a 30 per cent rise on the 407 reported on the same day last week. It is also the deadliest Monday since April 20 when 570 people lost their lives

Pictured: A map showing the nine countries China has blamed for the outbreak of Covid-19

What has Covid got to do with pangolins? Pangolins - which have been illegally traded for centuries and used in traditional Chinese medicine - have been implicated in the emergence of coronavirus in China last winter. Scientists are almost certain the virus first emerged in bats. But, because bats are not usually able to infect humans directly, they believe the virus was passed to an intermediate species before jumping to people. Pangolins appear to be immune to Covid-19, which makes them a prime carrier of the virus and would have allowed them to act as an unharmed vector carrying the virus from bats deep in the wild, where they live, to public markets where the scaly creatures are illicitly traded. All eight species of pangolin are supposed to be protected from trafficking by international law. Yet they are one of the most bought and sold mammals in Asia and Africa, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Based on reported seizures between 2011 and 2013, more than 230,000 pangolins are killed every year. But experts believe the official seizures represent as little as 10 per cent of the actual number being traded on the black market. In Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam, pangolin meat is a delicacy and their scales are used as ingredients for traditional medicine, to treat ailments such as skin diseases, menstrual disorders and arthritis. Chinese law states that selling pangolins is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The prevailing theory is that Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan's infamous wet market, where hundreds of different species of animals were kept in cramped cages dangerously close to one another, sometime last winter. Scientists have described such markets as the perfect breeding ground for new, pandemic-causing viruses. Pangolins were not listed on an inventory of items sold at the Huanan Seafood Market, however the illegality of trading pangolins could explain their exclusion from the list. The black market trade in the creature has also been previously implicated in oubreaks of bird flu. World Health Organization experts will visit the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019, on Thursday at the start of their investigation into the origins of the pandemic, Chinese authorities have said. China has denied that the market - or pangolins - are involved in the spread of the virus, and its authoritarian regime has blamed other countries such as India for the outbreak. Another theory is that the virus was engineered at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a high-security biochemical lab in the city. One of America's most senior government officials last week claimed this was the most 'credible' origin theory. Matthew Pottinger, president Donald Trump's Deputy National Security Adviser, told politicians from around the world that even China's leaders now openly admit their previous claims that the virus originated in a Wuhan market are false. Mr Pottinger said that the latest intelligence points to the virus leaking from the top-secret Wuhan Institute of Virology, 11 miles from the market, saying: 'There is a growing body of evidence that the lab is likely the most credible source of the virus.' In a zoom call with UK MPs he claimed the pathogen may have escaped through a 'leak or an accident', adding: 'Even establishment figures in Beijing have openly dismissed the wet market story.' Like the wet markets, China has denied the lab having anything to do with the outbreak. The visit to Wuhan by the WHO team is already mired in controversy after it published terms of reference revealing it will not investigate the Wuhan institute  the only laboratory in China with the highest international bio-security grading  as a possible source of Covid-19. Scientists have previously said that Covid-19 unique spike protein and its ability to latch onto human cells so efficiently mean generic engineering shouldn't be ruled out. Advertisement

Mr Johnson has previously called for greater protection for pangolins.

In 2018 he wrote a newspaper article calling for greater efforts to track down on hunting and smuggling the mammal.

He wrote: 'As we get older we human beings are capable of all manner of self-deception. We go under the knife in the hope of looking younger. We take pills and potions of dubious efficacity.

'But in the annals of human folly there is surely nothing more delusional than the belief still prevalent in large parts of Asia that a man can somehow rectify his waning virility by grinding and eating the scales of a pangolin.

'And yet that is what they do. The tragedy is that all eight species of pangolin are now endangered, two of them critically so.

'We are losing them to poachers at a rate of 100,000 a year. They are smuggled, butchered and cooked  all for the sake of their mythical medicinal qualities.'

Mr Johnson gathered Cabinet today amid fears lockdown could be tightened within days unless coronavirus numbers ease.

The PM has been holding a virtual meeting with his senior team as they consider the next move in the crisis wreaking havoc on the country.

Ministers have been desperately pleading with Britons to limit their contacts as the NHS struggles to cope with the volume of Covid patients, as police ramp up enforcement of the brutal restrictions.

But the government has made clear it is ready to get even tougher, with leading figures on SAGE pushing for a three metre social rule distancing rule and threats to axe the loophole allowing people to exercise with a friend from another household.

Other options thought to have been considered include stopping non-essential click-and-collect shopping, and closing more workplaces.

Matt Hancock hinted at a crackdown on exercising with one other person at a Downing Street briefing last night, saying the exception was being abused to socialise.

In another ominous sign this morning, Mr Johnson tweeted saying that 'meeting others from outside your household or support bubble puts you and others at risk of serious disease'.

However, in a round of interviews policing minister Kit Malthouse risked muddying the message by saying a 70-mile cycle ride would count as 'staying local' under the lockdown rules.

Mr Johnson gathered Cabinet today amid fears lockdown could be tightened within days unless coronavirus numbers ease.

The PM has been holding a virtual meeting with his senior team as they consider the next move in the crisis wreaking havoc on the country.

Ministers have been desperately pleading for people to limit their contacts as the NHS struggles to cope with the volume of Covid patients, and police ramp up enforcement of the brutal restrictions.

But the government has made clear it is ready to get even tougher, with leading figures on SAGE pushing for a three metre social rule distancing rule and threats to axe the loophole allowing people to exercise with a friend from another household.

Other options thought to have been considered for England include restricting click and collect to essential retail, and closing more workplaces.

Nicola Sturgeon said today that she is considering harsher click and collect limits in Scotland, as well as tightening the rules on takeaways. She is expected to announce any changes tomorrow.

Matt Hancock hinted at a crackdown on exercising with one other person at a Downing Street briefing last night, saying the exception was being abused to socialise.

In another ominous sign this morning, Mr Johnson tweeted saying that 'meeting others from outside your household or support bubble puts you and others at risk of serious disease'.

However, in a round of interviews policing minister Kit Malthouse risked muddying the message by saying a 70-mile cycle ride would count as 'staying local' under the lockdown rules.

The comments came after Mr Johnson faced a backlash for cycling with his security detail in the Olympic Park over the weekend - seven miles from Downing Street.

There is also fresh confusion after No10 sources insisted it is not against the rules to sit on park benches, but only for a 'short pause' during exercise.

The scale of the problem confronting the UK was starkly illustrated again last night with another 529 Covid deaths recorded - marking a 30 per cent rise on the 407 reported on the same day last week.

It was the deadliest Monday since April 20 when 570 people lost their lives and it marked the worst week for deaths in the UK since the pandemic began.

An average of 931 people have lost their lives on each of the past seven days, compared to the highest seven-day average of 920 in April's first wave.

But, in a glimmer of hope the UK's soaring case load may be leveling out, 46,169 people tested positive for the virus - down 20 per cent in a week.

The effects of the widespread Tier 4 lockdown that came into force on Boxing Day, and the national lockdown from last week, should be starting to feed into the daily infection figures

Boris's First Lady who saw off Dominic Cummings in No10 power struggle Carrie Symonds and the question of how much power she wields over the Prime Minister has very much been in the spotlight in recent months, after she helped throw his chief advisor out of Downing Street Dominic Cummings left No10 in November after a bitter and very public civil war over the direction of the Government. He had wanted Mr Johnson's now former director of communications Lee Cain to be made the PM's chief of staff. But the appointment was said to have been blocked by Ms Symonds and her supporters, prompting Mr Cain to resign as Mr Cummings also then quit his post. It was claimed allies of Cummings used a cruel 'Princess Nut Nut' nickname for months. The slur went viral as the extraordinary power struggle between the PM's fiancee and the Vote Leave cabal emerged in public. There has long been frustration that Ms Symonds was running a shadow PR operation, while she is said to have been incensed at the aggressive behaviour of Mr Cummings and his cadre. Ms Symonds, herself a former government special adviser and Conservative Party head of media, emerged triumphant on in the struggle for control with Mr Cummings. In December Mr Cummings launched a thinly veiled revenge attack on Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds as he said politicians now focus more on 'gossip-column stories about their dogs' than on 'issues of existential importance'. The remark will almost certainly be seen in Number 10 as a jab at Mr Johnson, Ms Symonds and Dilyn, with the Jack Russell rescue dog having become a familiar face in photographs since he moved into Downing Street in September 2019. Both Ms Symonds and Mr Johnson have been repeatedly pictured with Dilyn, with the PM even taking the dog out on the campaign trail ahead of the 2019 general election. Advertisement

Boris Johnson gathers Cabinet amid fears lockdown could get tighter in DAYS unless Covid numbers turn  with options including a THREE-metre rule and banning people from different households from exercising together

Boris Johnson gathered Cabinet today amid fears lockdown could be tightened within days unless coronavirus numbers ease.

The PM has been holding a virtual meeting with his senior team as they consider the next move in the crisis wreaking havoc on the country.

Ministers have been desperately pleading with Britons to limit their contacts as the NHS struggles to cope with the volume of Covid patients, as police ramp up enforcement of the brutal restrictions.

But the government has made clear it is ready to get even tougher, with leading figures on SAGE pushing for a three metre social rule distancing rule and threats to axe the loophole allowing people to exercise with a friend from another household.

Other options thought to have been considered include making all shopping click and collect, and closing more workplaces.

Matt Hancock hinted at a crackdown on exercising with one other person at a Downing Street briefing last night, saying the exception was being abused to socialise.

In another ominous sign this morning, Mr Johnson tweeted saying that 'meeting others from outside your household or support bubble puts you and others at risk of serious disease'.

However, in a round of interviews policing minister Kit Malthouse risked muddying the message by saying a 70-mile cycle ride would count as 'staying local' under the lockdown rules.

The comments came after Mr Johnson faced a backlash for cycling with his security detail in the Olympic Park over the weekend - seven miles from Downing Street.

There is also fresh confusion after No10 sources insisted it is not against the rules to sit on park benches, but only for a 'short pause' during exercise.

The scale of the problem confronting the UK was starkly illustrated again last night with another 529 Covid deaths recorded - marking a 30 per cent rise on the 407 reported on the same day last week.

It was the deadliest Monday since April 20 when 570 people lost their lives and it marked the worst week for deaths in the UK since the pandemic began.

An average of 931 people have lost their lives on each of the past seven days, compared to the highest seven-day average of 920 in April's first wave.

But, in a glimmer of hope the UK's soaring case load may be leveling out, 46,169 people tested positive for the virus - down 20 per cent in a week.

The effects of the widespread Tier 4 lockdown that came into force on Boxing Day, and the national lockdown from last week, should be starting to feed into the daily infection figures.

On another day of chaos for Britons battling the worst crisis for a generation:

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warned furlough is masking unemployment and the true rate could be 6.5 per cent not 4.9 per cent;

The government is facing more pressure to make the vaccination programme 24-hours and start giving more frontline workers jabs;

Seven vaccination hubs came into use, including London's ExCeL and Birmingham's Millennium Point;

Derbyshire Police has cancelled 200 fines for two women penalised for driving five miles to go for a walk;

Nearly a quarter of care home residents have received their first shot of Covid vaccine, with nearly 2.7million doses now administered across the UK;

Hospitals started rationing oxygen as it emerged that one in four coronavirus patients is under 55.

Mr Johnson held a virtual meeting with his senior team as they consider the next move in the crisis wreaking havoc on the country

The distance was set at two metres in March after experts said coronavirus was up to ten times more transmissible at one metre than at two. Now experts want the public to maintain the distance on public transport, in supermarket lines and while out and about

Nearly 2.7million vaccine doses have been administered across the UK, according to government figures from last night

In another ominous sign this morning, Mr Johnson tweeted saying that 'meeting others from outside your household or support bubble puts you and others at risk of serious disease'

PM is given March deadline by Tory lockdown-sceptics Boris Johnson has been given a March 8 target by Tory lockdown sceptics to start easing coronavirus curbs. Former chief whip Mark Harper, chairman of the Tory backbench Covid Recovery Group, said restrictions should not remain in place for 'a second longer' once the vaccine has protected priority groups. Around 15 million people are expected to be vaccinated by mid-February, covering care home residents, the over-70s, clinically extremely vulnerable people and frontline health and care staff. Those groups accounted for 88% of fatalities in the first wave and the Government is in a race against time to protect them with a first dose of vaccine. Mr Harper suggested that once they had received their jab  and it has been given time to become effective  there should be no excuse for keeping England's national lockdown in place. More than 2.3 million people have so far received a jab and Mr Harper said achieving the mid-February goal must remain the 'central, overriding focus' for ministers. He said that 'like the disease, lockdowns and restrictions cause immense harm'. 'So for today's progress to really mean something to the millions of people across the country who are doing the right thing and obeying the law, the Government must urgently set out exactly how today's progress begins to translate into a return to normal life for us all and show a clear exit strategy  a route back to freedom.' With a lag of three weeks between the vaccine being administered and offering its full protection, Mr Harper said 'if we hit the crucial February 15 deadline, the four top-risk groups will have immunity by March 8'. 'At that point  once all the key groups have become immune to Covid  what possible reason could there be for keeping severe restrictions in place a second longer? Advertisement

Mr Johnson warned yesterday that 'complacency' among the public could plunge the country into a deeper crisis at what was already a 'very perilous moment'.

The warnings came amid mounting Government concern that the third lockdown may fail to bring the latest spike in coronavirus infections under control.

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said Britain was 'now at the worst point of this epidemic' and urged people to stop seeing friends and family, even in the limited circumstances still allowed, saying every 'unnecessary' contact risked spreading the virus.

The only assurances so far offered are that support bubbles will remain in place and nurseries can stay open.

Mr Johnson has been given a March 8 target by Tory lockdown sceptics to start easing coronavirus curbs.

Former chief whip Mark Harper, chairman of the Tory backbench Covid Recovery Group, said restrictions should not remain in place for 'a second longer' once the vaccine has protected priority groups.

Around 15 million people are expected to be vaccinated by mid-February, covering care home residents, the over-70s, clinically extremely vulnerable people and frontline health and care staff.

Those groups accounted for 88% of fatalities in the first wave and the Government is in a race against time to protect them with a first dose of vaccine.

Mr Harper suggested that once they had received their jab  and it has been given time to become effective  there should be no excuse for keeping England's national lockdown in place.

More than 2.3 million people have so far received a jab and Mr Harper said achieving the mid-February goal must remain the 'central, overriding focus' for ministers.

He said that 'like the disease, lockdowns and restrictions cause immense harm'.

'So for today's progress to really mean something to the millions of people across the country who are doing the right thing and obeying the law, the Government must urgently set out exactly how today's progress begins to translate into a return to normal life for us all and show a clear exit strategy  a route back to freedom.'

With a lag of three weeks between the vaccine being administered and offering its full protection, Mr Harper said 'if we hit the crucial February 15 deadline, the four top-risk groups will have immunity by March 8'.

'At that point  once all the key groups have become immune to Covid  what possible reason could there be for keeping severe restrictions in place a second longer?

Mr Johnson is facing growing pressure to launch round-the-clock vaccinations as ministers 'race against time' to get jabs in arms.

Labour has demanded the Government 'sorts out' a 24/7 operation despite No10 claiming there is no 'clamour' for appointments after 8pm.

Tory MPs are urging ministers to 'look carefully' at whether the hours can be extended while some have said there is 'no excuse why it shouldn't be 24/7'.

Armed police were on duty at Waterloo Station today as the government considers tightening the lockdown rules again

The concourse was all-but deserted at Waterloo as the public gets used to the draconian restrictions being in place

Pressure mounts for 24-hour vaccinations Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to launch round-the-clock vaccinations as ministers 'race against time' to get jabs in arms. Labour has demanded the Government 'sorts out' a 24/7 operation despite No10 claiming there is no 'clamour' for appointments after 8pm. Tory MPs are urging ministers to 'look carefully' at whether the hours can be extended while some have said there is 'no excuse why it shouldn't be 24/7'. The PM has promised that around 13million of the most vulnerable Britons will be vaccinated by mid-February. The aim is for everyone over the age of 50 to be offered a Covid jab by the end of April. But doubts have been raised about the target with numbers standing at around 2.7million as of yesterday, and there are also calls for frontline workers such as teachers and police officers to be pushed up the priority list. Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick today said her officers should be 'properly recognised' in the prioritisation list for vaccines as she warned her colleagues are 'not immune to the virus'. The latest ambitious timetable means vaccinating 32million Britons  six in ten adults  within 16 weeks. Two million jabs will have to be given every week in the 'greatest logistical challenge of our time'. A 47-page masterplan published last night said the nation's remaining adults  another 21million  would be inoculated by autumn. Advertisement

The PM has promised that around 13million of the most vulnerable Britons will be vaccinated by mid-February.

The aim is for everyone over the age of 50 to be offered a Covid jab by the end of April.

But doubts have been raised about the target with numbers standing at around 2.7million as of yesterday, and there are also calls for frontline workers such as teachers and police officers to be pushed up the priority list.

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick today said her officers should be 'properly recognised' in the prioritisation list for vaccines as she warned her colleagues are 'not immune to the virus'.

The latest ambitious timetable means vaccinating 32million Britons  six in ten adults  within 16 weeks. Two million jabs will have to be given every week in the 'greatest logistical challenge of our time'.

A 47-page masterplan published last night said the nation's remaining adults  another 21million  would be inoculated by autumn.

The Daily Mail has been told that Leading members of the Sage scientific advisory panel want the one-metre plus rule raised to 'two metres plus'.

In practice this would change the limit to three metres  nearly 10ft. The drastic proposal emerged as a furious Matt Hancock denounced individuals who flout social distancing rules.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference the Health Secretary said that he would 'not rule out further action if needed.'

He was backed by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, who sits on Sage and said it was time to 'double down' on Covid curbs  including outdoor contact.

Asked if a three-metre rule would be imposed in England, a Downing Street spokesman said last night: 'There are no current plans to change social distancing rules. However, everything is kept under review.'

Several members of Sage say the lockdown needs to be even tougher than the first one in March last year.

The idea of a Chinese-style ban on residents leaving their homes was raised at one meeting.

Ministers are furious that some people have been using their right to daily exercise simply as an excuse to meet friends for a coffee in the park.

One source said: 'If it means limiting people to a single one-hour walk on their own once a week that is what we must do. We cannot let a few selfish idiots put the whole country in danger.'

It is feared that the failure to observe the restrictions is fuelling the number of deaths and risks hospitals becoming overwhelmed.

Increasing the social distancing rule to three metres is seen as one way of stopping the spread of the new variant of the virus, which can be passed on more easily.

In a round of interviews this morning policing minister Kit Malthouse risked muddying the message by saying a 70-mile cycle ride would count as 'staying local' under the lockdown rules

What are the government's rules on taking exercise? You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You can exercise in a public outdoor place: by yourself

with the people you live with

with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one)

in a childcare bubble where providing childcare

or, when on your own, with one person from another household This includes but is not limited to running, cycling, walking, and swimming. Personal training can continue one-on-one unless everyone is within the same household or support bubble. Public outdoor places include: parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests

public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)

the grounds of a heritage site

playgrounds Advertisement

Opponents of the move say it would have little impact, cause more confusion and be a logistical nightmare.

Two-metre signs have been painted on pavements across the nation, with similar notices found in tens of thousands of shops, factories, offices and public places.

Changing them all would add to the soaring cost of fighting the pandemic.

Supporters claim the benefit in saving lives and protecting the NHS means the move is worth it. They argue it is a response to the new variant which is thought to be up to be 70 per cent more transmissible.

If it goes ahead it would be the Government's third policy on social distancing.

The distance was set at two metres in March after experts said coronavirus was up to ten times more transmissible at one metre than at two.

But it was reduced to 'one metre plus' in July after the first lockdown  mainly to make it easier for restaurants and cafes to reopen.

A 'two metre plus' rule would in practice mean staying three metres apart  nearly 10ft  unless steps were taken to limit the danger of transmission, such as screens.

Social distancing gaps vary around the world.

In China, Hong Kong and Singapore, which were successful in controlling the pandemic, the gap was one metre.

However, they imposed other, far stricter, rules including curfews. Spain and Canada followed the two-metre rule.

The three other home nations have different versions of the two-metre rule.

In Scotland people are advised to keep two metres apart and in Wales they are told to stay two metres apart unless it is not practical, with young children exempt.

The gap in Northern Ireland came down to one metre but is two again.

Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia said: 'Risk declines the further you are away from someone.

'So three metres will reduce risk somewhat compared to two metres  but it is difficult to say how much and whether that would make a big difference. I suspect the main issue is people not sticking to the two-metre rule.'

Mr Hancock warned against trying to 'push the boundaries' on exercise, adding: 'If too many people break this rule we are going to have a look at it. Don't say you are exercising if really you are just socialising.'

He said the two-metre rule had to be obeyed, not seen 'as a limit to be challenged'.

Shortly after Mr Hancock's Downing Street press briefing on Monday, the PM released a short video filmed during his visit to the Ashton Gate vaccination centre in Bristol.

Mr Johnson faced a backlash for cycling with his security detail in the Olympic Park over the weekend - seven miles from Downing Street

In it, he urged Britons to 'follow the guidance, stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives' as Covid continues to spread rapidly in several parts of the country.

Britons shouldn't 'lose focus on the pandemic' as coronavirus is 'still causing huge, huge problems for our NHS', Mr Johnson added.

Mr Hancock also used the briefing to defend the PM after he was spotted cycling in the Olympic Park seven miles from Downing Street in apparent breach of government advice.

The Health Secretary said it is allowed to cycle that distance from where you live to take exercise, despite also insisting that people must 'stay local'.

But he also warned that rules on two people from different households being able to exercise outdoors together could be torn up if people keep abusing them.

'If too many people keep breaking this rule we are going to have to look at it but I don't want to do that,' Mr Hancock told a No10 briefing yesterday evening.

The PM was seen wearing a hat and a face mask on his bike at the venue seven miles away from Downing Street yesterday afternoon.

A source told the Evening Standard that Mr Johnson was exercising, accompanied by his security detail.

Extraordinarily the premier is said to have 'noted how busy' the park was and remarked on it at a meeting later.

Official Government guidance says exercise should be limited to once a day and 'you should not travel outside your local area'.

Two women were fined 200 each by Derbyshire Police for driving five miles from their home for a walk, while in Whitby officers have slammed people for going sledging.

A witness said: 'He was leisurely cycling with another guy with a beanie hat and chatting while around four security guys, possibly more, cycled behind them.

'When I realised the person looked like Boris I cycled past them to hear his voice and be sure it's him. It was definitely Boris.

'Considering the current situation with Covid I was shocked to see him cycling around looking so care free,' added the woman, who asked not to be named.

Also considering he's advising everyone to stay at home and not leave their area, shouldn't he stay in Westminster and not travel to other boroughs?'

The PM's spokesman was unable to give any information yesterday on why Mr Johnson had gone to Stratford and why it was within the rules.

It is also not clear whether Mr Johnson was driven to the park with his bike, or cycled the whole way there and back.

Lib Dem MP Tim Farron said: 'Government guidance on travelling to exercise is as clear as mud.

'People are travelling hundreds of miles to the Lake District while others are afraid to drive 5 minutes to the local park.

'I've written to the Prime Minister, asking him to set out clear guidance once and for all.'

In a video shared to the PM's official Twitter account yesterday evening - which features footage of Mr Johnson's visit to Bristol on Monday- the PM heaped praise on the Government's vaccine programme.

But he warned Britons that it should not lead to complacency, as the new Covid variant is still spreading rapidly.

Mr Johnson said: 'Hi folks. I am here at this amazing Bristol mass-vaccination centre in a football stadium and it's one of the 50 that we are going to be rolling out by the end of the month to help all the 1,000-plus GP surgeries, the 233 hospital sites, plus the 200 pharmacies.

'And that's, of course, just a start that we're using to dispense the vaccine.

'As I speak to you this morning I think we've done about 2.4 million jabs, 2 million people in the country already who have been vaccinated, and we will be massively ramping that up in the course of the next few weeks as we get up to, we hope, 15 million by the middle of February.

'And that's a very ambitious programme, we're confident we can do it.

'But, as we get the jabs into people, it's incredibly important that we don't lose focus on the pandemic that is still, alas, surging in so many parts of the country, still filling our hospitals with Covid patients, still causing huge, huge problems for our NHS.

'So everybody has got to follow the guidance. Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.'

Along with his video, the PM tweeted: 'As we get jabs into arms, we must not lose sight of the state of the pandemic - which is putting huge pressure on our NHS.

'So, please follow the rules and stay home to protect the NHS, and save lives.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 00:05:42|Editor: huaxia

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LILONGWE, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has declared a state of national disaster in all the country's 28 districts as COVID-19 takes its toll on Malawians with over 2,000 new cases recorded and at least 50 people dead since Jan. 1.

The president made the declaration on Tuesday in a special address to the nation after the death of two of his cabinet ministers on Tuesday morning due to COVID-19.

"I declare a state of national disaster in respect of all the districts in the country with effect from today, January 12, 2021," said Chakwera.

"I, therefore, appeal for more assistance from the international community, relevant UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, for uncommon contributions towards the resources needed to meet the present challenge of the pandemic," he said.

The president hinted that the declaration is the first step towards a possible state of emergency which he said is subject to approval by the parliamentary committee of defense and security.

Chakwera has described the death of the two senior government officials, Muhamad Sidik Mia, Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure, and Lingson Berekanyama, Minister of Local Government, as "incalculable loss".

The president has since declared a three-day period of mourning (from Jan. 12 to 14) and he has directed that all national flags across the country should fly at half-mast in respect of the government officials and citizens that the country has lost to the pandemic.

The Malawi leader has also directed ministries of health, homeland security, education, civic education, local government and justice to work together with the Vice President, Saulos Chilima, to consider amendment of the country's COVID-19 guidelines.

Meanwhile, Chakwera has instituted an emergency meeting for the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to "explore additional measures" in preventing COVID-19 in the country in view of the president's declaration.

Schools and all learning institutions are open in Malawi despite confirmed cases of COVID-19 being reported in some of the institutions and universities.

Over 9,000 cases have been recorded in Malawi since April 2020 and over 2,000 of these cases have been recorded in the month of January alone. Enditem
Despite the national government delegation having refused permission for the Tuesday protest against the Balearic government's latest restrictions, an estimated 1,500 people participated in demonstrations outside the government's Consolat de Mar headquarters, Palma town hall and other locations.

The protesters were from the hospitality sector. Bars and restaurants in Mallorca and Ibiza will have to close from Wednesday for at least fifteen days, and businesspeople and workers let the government know what they felt about the order. "Armengol, resign." "Enough." "The people, united, will never be defeated." These were just some of the messages. They believe that the authorities have abandoned them and that the self-employed are being left without resources and aid.

Outside the government HQ, where the National Police had to form a cordon, there was anger among the protesters, who demanded that a member of the government showed his or her face. As there was no response, they moved to the parliament building, where firecrackers were thrown in the direction of the police and a chant went "the president is a drunk". Reporters from the IB3 broadcaster were accused of manipulation; at the town hall, eggs were thrown, some of which hit members of the media.

The protest had drawn people from across the island. In Sa Pobla, bars closed so that owners and workers could attend. The crowds were such that they breached safe distancing regulations, which had been what the government delegation had feared and was therefore the reason for not having granted permission. The delegation says that organisers face sanctions for staging an unauthorised protest.
The private facilities used as Covid-19 vaccination centres by the Delhi government will receive their share of doses on the day of inoculation while it will be given to the public facilities a day before, officials told IANS.

Suneela Garg, a key member of the task force handling vaccination in Delhi, confirmed that the vaccines would reach the public facilities, which consist of government hospitals and cold-chain storage points, would receive the vaccines on Friday. "The private hospitals will receive the vaccine doses early morning on the day of vaccination," she added.

Garg, who is also a public health expert and professor of excellence at the Maulana Azad Medical College, said that the inoculation process would start with a single booth at each vaccination centre where beneficiaries will be called in a batch of 10. "The number will be increased gradually. A maximum of 100 people will be taken by each site," she added.

Meanwhile, the officials from the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi government, will conclude the re-inspection of all the cold-chain points which started on Tuesday after the vaccines arrived in Delhi. "It is done to ensure that there is no defect in the distribution system of the vaccines," a senior official said.

The Delhi government has finalised 89 sites for the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive where the doses will be offered to around three lakh healthcare workers working in different medical facilities in the national capital.

Of the 89 vaccination points, 49 are in private hospitals and the rest are public health facilities, as official said. The public facilities include 34 district-level government multi/super speciality hospitals, four government sub-divisional hospitals and two community health centres.

The vaccines will be distributed to these points from the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), Delhi's only vaccine storage facility. It has received as many as 2.64 lakh doses of Covid vaccines, which landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) earlier on Wednesday.

The hospital has received 22 boxes consisting of 26,400 vials of Covishield, the Covid vaccine developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

"A total of 22 boxes of vaccines have been received here. Each box contains 1,200 vials and each vial has 10 doses," Chhavi Gupta, spokesperson of RGSSH, told IANS.

The Central government had informed last week that the much-awaited Covid-19 vaccination drive will start from January 16. In order of priority, an estimated three crore healthcare and frontline workers will be administered the vaccine across the country, followed by those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with comorbidities numbering around 27 crore.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved two vaccines -- Covishield by Pune-based SII and Covaxin by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech -- for emergency use authorisation against Covid-19 in the country.
JUNO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that it plans to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 financial results before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in a news release to be posted on the company's website at www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. The company will issue an advisory news release over PR Newswire the morning of Jan. 26, with a link to the financial results news release on the company's website. As previously communicated, the company will make available its financial results only on its website.

Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy, Rebecca Kujawa, executive vice president, finance and chief financial officer of NextEra Energy, and other members of the company's senior management team will discuss the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 financial results during an investor presentation to be webcast live, beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 26. Results for NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) also will be discussed during the same investor presentation.

The listen-only webcast will be available on NextEra Energy's website by accessing the following link: www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. The financial results news release and the slides accompanying the presentation may be downloaded at www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults, beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on the day of the webcast. A replay will be available for 90 days by accessing the same link as listed above.

NextEra Energy, Inc.

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is the largest rate-regulated electric utility in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, and serves more than 5.6 million customer accounts, supporting more than 11 million residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable electricity. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive clean energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from seven commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. A Fortune 200 company and included in the S&P 100 index, NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2020 list of "World's Most Admired Companies" and received the S&P Global Platts 2020 Energy Transition Award for leadership in environmental, social and governance. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.

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If you are a victim of domestic abuse, call Refuge's freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247

Malin Anderson re-shared a clip of her bruised arm to Instagram on Monday, under a month after her violent ex was released from prison.

The Love Island star, 28, who originally posted the harrowing video in 2019, reflected on the physical abuse she had suffered, admitting that while she can no longer recognise her former self, she's now in a place where she 'floats free'.

Last month, the influencer upped her security at her home as it was reported that her former partner Tom Kemp has served three months of a ten month sentence and will serve the remaining seven months of his term on Home Detention Curfew.

'I hardly recognise who I once was': Malin Anderson re-shared a clip of her bruised arm to Instagram on Monday, under a month after her violent ex was released from prison

Revealing how she views herself after being in an abusive relationship, the TV star wrote: 'TRIGGER. As I stare into the eyes of this girl, I hardly recognise who she once was.

'Lost confidence, beaten down mentally and physically.. just a former version of who she used to be.

'The glitter in her eyes had gone, the spring in her step; no more.. her soul stuck in a cage.'

Detailing her growth and how it 'hurts' to recall the past, the media personality said: 'It feels weird reflecting back on past photos or videos, as I always thought it would never happen to me.

'The glitter in my eyes had gone': The Love Island star, 28, reflected on the physical abuse she had suffered (pictured with ex Tom Kemp, who was jailed for bodily harm, in 2019)

Heartbreaking: The media personality originally posted the harrowing video in 2019

'Im a strong character, fearless and free.. to think that I was trapped in toxicity for so long and became a slave to my own freedom - hurts.

'The bruises to me arent what pains me, its the look in my eyes.. the look of loss. The look of a girl who felt like she lost everything, including herself.'

The body confidence advocate also said she's now in a better place as she added: 'But now I float free, almost like magic, my own kind of magic.

'Im in a place where everything flows to me like a river.. my happiness oozes out of my eyes and I see life with a HD lens. The emotional abuse took longer to recover from, but I got there.. I reclaimed my power.

'Im a strong character, fearless and free': The influencer admitted that while she can no longer recognise her former self, she's now in a place where she 'floats free'

'Somethings take a while, but youll get to a space you never thought was possible. The way you think you need them - you dont. You need you back. Nobody but, YOU.

'He left her weak, not expecting her to fly.. but wings grow strong once the cage is gone, and she left him in the shade with her wings in the sun' - Atticus.'

'Please contact @refugecharity - 08082000247 - you will never be alone, I promise - even in these difficult times there is still a way out.' (sic)

Tom, 28, was jailed at Aylesbury Crown Court in September after admitting to actual bodily harm, which left the reality star 'black and blue'.

Horrific: TV star Malin previously accused the 'narcissist' of being abusive in Instagram posts in 2019 and shared pictures of herself with a cut cheek and bloodied nose

TV star Malin previously accused the 'narcissist' of being abusive in Instagram posts in 2019 and shared pictures of herself with a cut cheek and bloodied nose.

But Tom, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, denied the claims at the time, branding her a 'liar with mental health issues'.

The former couple had an on-off romance, splitting briefly during her pregnancy, amid claims Tom had been unfaithful to her, but reconciling shortly before the birth.

Their baby daughter Consy was born seven weeks premature in December 2018 and was being treated at Great Ormond Street hospital, but sadly passed away aged four weeks on 22 January 2019.

In March they split again, with Malin admitting it was better to end things between them as she and her partner struggled with their grief.

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, call Refuge's freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247
The man who vowed to be a president of law and order failed to enforce the law or restore order. The man who has always seen himself as the protector of uniformed police sat idly by as Capitol Police officers were outnumbered, out-maneuvered, trampled on  and in one case, killed. And the man who had long craved the power of the presidency abdicated many of the responsibilities of the commander in chief. The episode in which Trump supporters rose up against their own government, leaving five people dead, will be central to any impeachment proceedings, critical to federal prosecutors considering incitement charges against him or his family, and a dark cornerstone of his presidential legacy. This portrait of the President as the Capitol was under attack on January 6 is the result of interviews with 15 Trump advisers, members of Congress, GOP officials and other Trump confidantes, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid details. The day began ominously, with a "Save America March" on the Ellipse devoted to perpetuating Trump's baseless claims that somehow the 2020 election was stolen from him. Before the President's remarks around noon, several of his family members addressed the crowd with speeches that all shared a central theme: Fight. Eric Trump, one of the President's sons, told the crowd that lawmakers needed to "show some fight" and "stand up," before urging the angry mass to "march on the Capitol today." Donald Trump jnr, another of the President's sons, exhorted all "red-blooded, patriotic Americans" to "fight for Trump."

Backstage, as the President prepared to speak, Laura Branigan's hit Gloria was blared to rev up the crowd, and Trump jnr, in a video he recorded for social media, called the rally-goers "awesome patriots that are sick of the bull----." His girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, danced to the song and, clenching her right fist, urged people to "fight." The President, too, ended his speech with an exhortation, urging the crowd to give Republicans "the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country." "So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue," he concluded. Trump, however, did not join the angry crowd surging toward the Capitol. Instead, he returned to the White House, where at 2.24pm he tapped out a furious tweet railing against Vice-President Mike Pence, who in a letter earlier in the day had made clear that he planned to fulfill his constitutional duties and certify President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the winners of the 2020 Electoral College vote.

"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify," he wrote. "USA demands the truth!" By then, West Wing staffers monitoring initial videos of the protesters on TV and social media were already worried that the situation was escalating and felt that Trump's tweet attacking Pence was unhelpful. Members of Congress being evacuated from the House Chamber after Trump supporters breached the Capitol. Credit:Bloomberg Press officials had begun discussing a statement from Trump around 2pm, when protesters first breached the Capitol, an official familiar with the discussions said. But they were not authorised to speak on behalf of the President and could only take the matter to chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, this person said, adding that "the most infuriating part" of the day was how long it took before Trump finally spoke out. Around the same time, Trump jnr headed to the airport for a shuttle flight home to New York. As he waited in an airport lounge to board the plane, the President's namesake son saw that the rally-goers they had all urged to fight were doing just that, breaching police barricades and laying siege to the Capitol.

An aide called Trump jnr and suggested he immediately issue a statement urging the rioters to stop. At 2.17pm, Trump jnr hit send on a tweet as he boarded the plane: "This is wrong and not who we are," he wrote. "Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don't start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and this doesn't help anyone." But the President himself was busy enjoying the spectacle. Trump watched with interest, buoyed to see that his supporters were fighting so hard on his behalf, one close adviser said. But if Trump didn't appear to understand the magnitude of the crisis, those in his orbit did. Conway immediately called a close personal aide who she knew was with the President, and said she was adding her name to the chorus of people urging Trump to speak to his supporters. He needed to tell them to stand down and leave the Capitol, she told the aide. Conway also told the aide that she had received calls from the DC mayor's office asking for help in getting Trump to call up the National Guard. Ivanka Trump had gone to the Oval Office as soon as the riot became clear, and Graham reached her on her cellphone and implored her for help. "They were all trying to get him to speak out, to tell everyone to leave," said Graham, referring to the small group of aides with Trump on Wednesday afternoon.

Several Republican members of Congress also called White House aides, begging them to get Trump's attention and have him call for the violence to end. The lawmakers reiterated that they had been loyal Trump supporters and were even willing to vote against the electoral college results  but were now scared for their lives, officials said. When the mob first breached the Capitol, coming within mere seconds of entering the Senate chamber, Pence  who was overseeing the electoral certification  was hustled away to a secure location, where he remained for the duration of the siege, despite multiple suggestions from his Secret Service detail that he leave the Capitol, said an official familiar with Pence's actions that day. Instead, the Vice-President fielded calls from congressional leaders furious that the National Guard had not yet been deployed, this official said. Pence, from his secret location in the Capitol, spoke with legislative and military leaders, working to mobilise the soldiers and offering reassurance. Members of the US Capitol Police trying to block demonstrators from reaching the House Floor. Credit:Bloomberg Even as his supporters at the Capitol chanted for Pence to be hanged, Trump never called the Vice-President to check on him or his family. Marc Short, Pence's chief-of-staff, eventually called the White House to let them know that Pence and his team were OK, after receiving no outreach from the President or anyone else in the White House.

Meanwhile, in the West Wing, a small group of aides  including Ivanka Trump, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Meadows  was imploring Trump to speak out against the violence. Meadows's staff had prompted him to go see the President, with one aide telling the chief of staff before he entered the Oval Office, "They are going to kill people." Shortly after 2.30pm, the group finally persuaded Trump to send a tweet: "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement," he wrote. "They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!" But the Twitter missive was insufficient, and Trump had not wanted to include the final instruction to "stay peaceful," according to one person familiar with the discussions. Less than an hour later, aides persuaded Trump to send a second, slightly more forceful tweet: "I am asking for everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful," he wrote. "No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order  respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!" US President Donald Trump speaks at the "Save America March" rally before the Capitol was stormed by his supporters. Credit:Getty Images

McCarthy did eventually reach Trump, but later told allies that he found the President distracted. So McCarthy repeatedly appeared on television to describe the mayhem, an adviser said, in an effort to explain just how dire the situation was and to secure the President's attention. McCarthy also called Kushner, who that afternoon was arriving back from a trip to the Middle East. The Secret Service originally warned Kushner that it was unsafe to venture downtown to the White House. McCarthy pleaded with him to persuade Trump to issue a statement for his supporters to leave the Capitol, saying he'd had no luck during his own conversation with Trump, the adviser said. So Kushner headed to the White House. At one point, Trump worried that the unruly group was frightening GOP lawmakers from doing his bidding and objecting to the election results, an official said. National security adviser Robert O'Brien also began calling members of Congress to ask how he could help. He called Senator Mike Lee, around 4pm, a Lee spokesman said. In an unlikely twist, Lee had heard from the President earlier  when he accidentally dialed the senator in a bid to reach Senator Tommy Tuberville, to discuss overturning the election. Others were still having trouble getting through to the White House. Speaking on ABC News shortly before 4pm Wednesday, Chris Christie, a GOP former governor of New Jersey, said he'd spent the last 25 minutes trying to reach Trump directly to convey a simple, if urgent, message.

"The President caused this protest to occur; he's the only one who can make it stop," Christie said. "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. And anything short of that is an abdication of his responsibility." Around this time, the White House was preparing to put out a video address on behalf of the President. They had begun discussing this option earlier but struggled to organise their effort. Biden, meanwhile, stepped forward with remarks that seemed to rise to the occasion: "The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are." Trump aides did three takes of the video and chose the most palatable option, despite some West Wing consternation that the President had called the violent protesters "very special." "This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people," Trump said in the video, released shortly after 4pm "We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

Amid the chaos, DC Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had implemented a 6pm curfew for the city, and as darkness fell, Secret Service told West Wing staff that, save for an essential few, everyone had to leave the White House and go home. At 6.01pm, Trump blasted out yet another tweet, which Twitter quickly deleted and which many in his orbit were particularly furious about, fearing he was further inflaming the still-tense situation. "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long," Trump wrote. "Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!" Thirteen minutes later, at 6.14pm, a perimeter was finally established around the Capitol. At about 8pm, more than six hours after the initial breach, the Capitol was declared secure. The following evening, on Thursday, Trump released another video, the closest advisers say he is likely to come to a concession speech.
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There are buildings, memorials, sculptures dedicated to events, incidents and moments we dont want to forget, some we wish we could forget, and some events and people we shouldnt continue to acknowledge with public property.

Theres the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, a striking memorial and museum that honors the memory of those who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Theres the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Hiroshimas Peace Memorial Park, reminding us that an atomic bomb was detonated, killing thousands during World War II. Theres the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, sitting where the World Trade Center towers once stood, with a pool with the names of 2001 attack victims nearby.

There are buildings, memorials, sculptures dedicated to men who played significant roles, positive influencers who forced us to think differently and act with courage. Theres the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, each located on or near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Harder to find are places where women with impact are honored and recognized. There are some. Theres the Victoria Memorial in London outside Buckingham Palace. In New York City, theres the Swing Low Harriet Tubman statue, a tribute to the well-known historical figured who was an Underground Railroad conductor leading hundreds of enslaved Black people to freedom.

There are other sculptures, programs, streets and buildings named after Tubman, as there should be. But not everyone worthy of such honors has global or national impact. Some people were significant in the lives of people who lived near them.

Christina Marie Green Davis is one of those people. She was the first and only Black student to attend Leon Godchaux High School in 1965 in St. John the Baptist Parish. For St. John the Baptist folks, shes a legend who changed the course of history by integrating an all-White school. Her mom, the local NAACP secretary, coordinated with civil rights friends to get her daughter to school and to make sure she was safe. "We didn't have all the publicity, but I still had to go through the verbal abuse and people walking on the opposite side of the hall," Davis said in a newspaper story a few years ago.

Green Davis graduated as salutatorian in 1966 and went off to college. She returned to her home parish. For decades, she worked at the Veterans Administration Office in New Orleans. She lived a few streets over from East 22nd Street, not far from La. 44 and the Mississippi River.

After she died in October, her family asked that the name of the street where she lived be changed in her honor. The matter was considered at a December parish council meeting, according to the LObservateur, the parish newspaper. The problem was there was no process to get it done. A Tuesday measure scheduled for a public hearing aims to clarify the steps. Once thats done, anyone can ask to name or rename public property, including the Green Davis family.

Parish Councilwoman Tammy Houston, who co-sponsored the legislation with Councilman Kurt Becnel, told me her colleagues consider the move long overdue. For too long theres been no procedure. Green Davis deserves the name change, she said. She is a hero, she added. Shes our Ruby Bridges.  She integrated the high school in St. John. She is someone who we all should look up to.

If all goes well, what happens Tuesday night will be a start, not an end. More is possible.

Quite honestly, I dont think just renaming that street after her is befitting, said Houston. I think we should do something districtwide, communitywide, parishwide.

Maybe the Fifth Ward Elementary School can carry the Green Davis name. Maybe the St. John School Board Office can be named after her. Or, maybe the high school she integrated can be named Green Davis High School.

As we continue to shape history with updated appreciations, context and understanding, Queen Victoria and Harriett Tubman should be joined by people who made significant local contributions. Green Davis is one of them.
PRESTON, Minn.  A Rochester man gets probation over a stolen SUV recovered in Fillmore County.

Jeremy Lee Bobo, 43, was sentenced Monday to five years of supervised probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

He was arrested on April 22, 2020, and charged with six crimes. Bobo wound up pleading guilty to one of them, aiding and abetting the receiving of stolen property.

The Fillmore County Sheriffs Office says Bobo was arrested when he and a woman were seen approaching an SUV that had been stolen in Wisconsin but tracked through cell phone data to rural Lanesboro. Criminal charges against the woman were filed but eventually dismissed.
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Shannon O'Hara, Shannon OHara

UPDATE: While Hotel Alessandra's website indicates the hotel is permanently closed, Midway issued a statement late Tuesday indicating the closure is temporary.

With the unprecedented challenges faced by the hospitality industry in the COVID-19 era, ownership and its capital partners have decided to temporarily close Hotel Alessandra, along with its dining concepts, Lucienne and Bardot Bar, Robert Williamson, Midway senior vice president for investment management, told the Houston Chronicle. We view this as a unique opportunity to reevaluate operations, explore ways to enhance our offerings, maximize value and reopen with minimal impact while the industry slowly recovers. Providing an unrivaled hotel and dining experience remains our top priority and we look forward to serving our guests in the near future.
VIRGINIA  Friends and family were left devastated after two Virginia women were shot to death Sunday afternoon in this small Cass County community.

Kathleen G. Wzientek, 68, and Brenda G. Crum, 64, died and a man was injured in a shooting just after 1 p.m. Sunday.

Friends are mourning the loss.

My daughter called me from work and she told me, Bertha Bert Slow of Roodhouse said of how she heard of the deaths, which left her and her husband speechless. I was like What? Whats going on?

Slows daughter called because she didnt want her mother to learn of Crums death on Facebook, Slow said.

I felt a lot of sadness, she said.

Illinois Conservation Police in rural Morgan County arrested Robert D. Harris, 71, of Virginia late Sunday in connection with the shooting. He is being held in the Morgan County jail while awaiting formal charges by the Cass County States Attorneys Office.

Deputies were called about 1 p.m. Sunday to a report of a shooting at 140 S. East St.

Crum and Wzientek were pronounced dead at the scene, while a man suffered minor injuries, Sheriff Devron Ohrn said.

Slow had known Crum for years; they worked together at Passavant Area Hospital for more than a decade before Crum retired around 2014, Slow said.

I worked with her at Passavant for several years, Slow said. She prayed for people that needed prayers.

Slow teared up as she recalled how well known Crum was in Virginia and considered how much she will be missed.

Her (late) husband was a farmer and her kids and grandkids grew up in Virginia, Slow said. She was such a nice, loving and caring person.

Slows reaction was a common one in the community.

I love that woman  Im going to miss her, Slow said.

Formal charges are expected to be filed against Harris today.

I am still talking with state investigators before I determine the final charges, Cass County States Attorney Craig Miller said Monday.

The shooting remains under investigation by Illinois State Police and Cass County Sheriffs Department with assistance from Illinois Conservation Police, Beardstown police and Virginia police.

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Market Research Future (MRFR) collected data on several factors including implications of COVID 19 Impact on Automatic Pill Dispenser Market and demographic challenges, showed how it could move forward in the coming years.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Overview

Automatic pill dispensers are systems designed to dispense medicines without the need for supervision. This would be beneficial to the elderly and patients unable to stand in long queues. It can manage complex medication regimes and reduce waiting times at pharmacies. In addition, the presence of these machines in retirement communities and assisted living facilities can reduce the shift times of nurses. It can also lower complexities in distribution of medicines. The global automatic pill dispenser market report by Market Research Future (MRFR) takes a look at the various factors surrounding the industry and makes projections for the period of 2019 to 2024 (forecast period).

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Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Competitive Outlook

Becton, Dickinson and Company, Yuyama Co.Ltd., McKesson Corporation, Omnicell Inc., Cerner Corporation, Swisslog Holdings AG, Capsa Healthcare, Talyst, Inc., ScriptPro LLC, and Baxter International Inc. are key players of the global automatic pill dispenser market.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Outlook

The global automatic pill dispenser market is set to exhibit a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period. It was valued at USD 1700 million in 2018.

The growing numbers of the geriatric population is one of the primary drivers of the market. The elderly find it difficult to adhere to medication refills and automated pill dispensers can lend its assistance in this regard. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the population of the elderly can magnify to 22% of the global population by 2050.

Other factors driving market growth include adoption of pill dispensers in home care centers, rise in regulatory approvals of drugs, advances in automatic pill dispensing systems, and awareness of timely intake of medications. The use of these pill dispensing systems to reduce the rounds of doctors and nurses as well as assist patients in attaining their daily nutrient intake can bode well for the global automatic pill dispenser market.

But high costs of these systems can hamper market growth.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Segmentation

The global automatic pill dispenser market is segmented based on type and end user.

The global automatic pill dispenser industry is segmented by type into centralized automated dispensing system and decentralized automated dispensing system. The centralized automated dispensing system is further segmented into robotic automated dispensing systems and carousels. Furthermore, decentralized automated dispensing systems are segmented into automated unit dose dispensing system, pharmacy-based automated dispensing system, and ward-based automated dispensing system.

Based on end user, the market is segmented into home healthcare, hospital pharmacy, and retail pharmacy.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Regional Analysis

In the current scope of the study, the segments mentioned above are covered into the four global regions, namely, the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

The Americas had dominated the market owing to the large geriatric population in the region. The allocation of a large amount of healthcare expenditure for assisted living facilities and hospitals for dispensing medicines to the elderly can drive the market demand. According to the World Health Organization, the U.S. geriatric population can account for more than 20% of the total population in the country. High prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, cancer, and others as well as efforts by pill dispensing manufacturers to improve the system for making it accessible for the elderly can augur favorably for the global automatic pill dispenser market.

Europe had assumed the second position in the global owing to receiving funds for research and development and technological advances in these systems. Adherence to medications is the primary driver of the regional market. According to the National Health Service (NHS), close to USD 124 million of drugs had to be returned due to its non-utilization.

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At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

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The brutal execution of underworld gang figure Amar Kettule has reignited fears of a terrifying turf war in Sydney's southwest.

The standover man died at the scene after being hit with a spray of bullets on a side lane near William Street in Fairfield about 2.40am on Sunday.

Kettule, 34, reportedly extorted money and was high up in the True Kings street gang, with police probing whether a feud with rival DLASTHR gang led to his slaying.

Conflict between the two Assyrian gangs peaked in 2016, with a spate of shootings and fire bombings in the city's southwest linked to a bloody turf war.

Amar Kettule, 34, was shot dead in the street in a suspected targeted attack in Sydney's southwest in the early hours of Sunday morning

Police are investigating whether Kettule's brutal execution is linked to increasing conflict between the True Kings and DLASTHR rival gangs

Fairfield City Commander Detective Superintendent Glen Fitzgerald said police were investigating whether Kettule's killing was linked to gang wars in the area.

'We believe the attack to be targeted. He is well-known to police - however this is a violent attack on a suburban street and is unacceptable behaviour,' he said.

Det Supt Fitzgerald said detectives would be looking into whether Kettule's death was a revenge killing.

'It's part of the investigation (the feud) and a line of inquiry but the cause and motive is very unknown, it's still very early in the investigation,' he said.

'We will have a number of police out on the highway doing whatever we can to eliminate any chances of any type of action happening.

'But until we know the cause of this, it's difficult to say what will happen.'

Kettule and his girlfriend were driving their Toyota Prado into the Fairfield Towers apartment complex as the shooting unfolded.

CCTV footage obtained by The Daily Telegraph showed Kettule, wearing a white Adidas shirt and gold chains, arriving home with his partner just hours before his death at 7.30pm.

CCTV footage showed Kettule, wearing a white Adidas shirt and gold chains, arriving home with his partner just hours before his death at 7.30pm

Police are pictured at the scene after the deadly shooting. Kettule is believed to be a senior member of the True Kings street gang

At 8.40pm the couple were seen emerging from the apartment. After returning six hours later, Kettule was gunned down in a nearby alleyway.

His death is eerily similar to his brother Dylann's, who was gunned down in a suspected drive-by shooting outside his girlfriend's unit block in January 2014.

Kettule also has links to the Nomads bikie gang and had to be restrained by police in the aftermath of his brother's death when he demanded to see Dylann's body.

The conflict between DLASTHR (The Last Hour) and the True Kings resulted in more than a dozen shootings in Sydney's southwest in 2016.

In March of that year, a True Kings member was driving with another man when shots were allegedly fired at them from another car carrying DLASTHR rivals.

The violence peaked with two separate shooting attacks on suburban houses linked to the turf war four months later, prompting police to set-up Operation Condor.

Pictured: Amar Kettule. He was well-known to authorities, police said on Sunday morning

Raphael Joseph (pictured), a founding member of DLASTHR, disappeared in 2014 with police believing he was kidnapped and murdered

DLASTHR had been under close watch since the mid 2000s, with police intelligence putting the gang behind the supply of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in the greater Fairfield area.

The violent street gang was founded in 2004 when members of the Assyrian Kings used initials in their name to form a new group.

In 2016, the gang had at least 10 full-time members, who were tattooed with an unmistakable DLASTHR tattoo.

Gang members were understood to be extorting or bashing small time local drug dealers in an attempt to recruit them, or run them off their turf.

But some members of DLASTHR reportedly split from the gang in 2012 to start rival True Kings.

Both are linked to branches of the Assyrian Kings, a gang responsible for the killing of police officer David Carty.

A founding member of DLASTHR, Raphael Joseph, 37, disappeared from a McDonald's restaurant in Auburn in March 2014.

Police believe he was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by a drug supply syndicate.

Tensions between the rival DLASTHR and True Kings gangs peaked in 2016 with police establishing Operation Condor to stamp out criminal activity. Pictured, a member of DLASTHR who was arrested by police in 2016

Professor in criminology at Bond University, Dr Terry Goldsworthy, told NewsCorp said violence was a way to send messages to rivals.

'Murders are usually a means to an end, it's the same tools used throughout the world by organised crime groups,' he said.

'They use violence to establish their dominance in criminal or geographical markets.'

Gangs expert Dr Michael Kennedy said Kettule 'could have overstepped the mark in terms of his status, or offended someone from another family'.

Kettule's family and friends gathered on Monday for a candlelight vigil in the alleyway where he was killed.
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2020's Features Include:

Travis Abaire Christian Ramos Victor Grasso Jamie Christensen George De Jesus Omar Harris Leonard Redway Danny Gronendyke Melanie McLean Aldrich NuQuay Ferguson Robert Broccolo Judaline Cassidy

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The company is looking forward to sharing more trade stories and continuing the program in 2021. TradeMasters can be nominated to be featured by contacting [email protected] .

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Kim Cattrall threw some thinly-disguised shade at her former Sex and the City castmates by 'liking' a fan tweet that 'applauded' her decision to 'put herself first' and refuse to take part in the upcoming reboot of the HBO show.

Kim, 64, has yet to make a public statement about the news of the series' revival, but she made her feelings about it perfectly clear with her reaction to the tweet, which praised the star for 'doing what is best for her'.

The tweet read: 'I absolutely love Sex and the City and whilst I am saddened that Samantha will not return, I applaud doing what is best for you and think this is great example of putting yourself first. Well done @KimCattrall.'

Keeping it classy: Kim Cattrall, 64, took a thinly-veiled swipe at her former Sex and the City castmates by 'liking' a fan tweet that applauded her for refusing to take part in the reboot

'Well done': The tweet praised Cattrall for 'putting herself first' and 'doing what is best for her'. She quit the role after the second movie amid reports of a feud with Sarah Jessica Parker

The news of the Sex and the City reboot was announced on Sunday, when Sarah took to Instagram to share a teaser clip for the new series, which is called And Just Like That...

Fans were of course quick to note that the new poster for the show, did not include Kim's sex-mad character Samantha Jones, reigniting long-running reports of bitter tension between the actress and her fellow castmates.

The rumors plagued the four women throughout much of their time filming - however each of the actresses shut down speculation of a rift time and time again.

Since walking away from the role of Samantha once and for all however, Kim has been much more open about the fact that she was 'never really friends' with any of her former castmates.

She also hit out at Sarah, insisting that she 'could have been nicer' about Kim's decision not to continue taking part in the popular franchise.

Thus far, those involved in the Sex and the City reboot have remained mum about how it will address Samantha's absence, refusing to confirm whether the role will be re-cast, or whether she will be written out of the script altogether.

When one Instagram commenter suggested Jennifer Coolidge be cast as Samantha, Sarah wrote vaguely: 'We have some new stories to tell. We are excited.'

She clarified in another comment: 'No, I don't dislike [Samantha/Kim]. I've never said that. Never would. Samantha isn't part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do. X.'

She also expressed her regard for Kim as when another commenter wrote they 'will miss Kim/Samantha,' Sarah Jessica replied: 'We will too. We loved her so.'

Looking fab: Kim became a TV icon as sex-mad publicist Samantha Jones on Sex And The City during its original run on HBO from 1998 to 2004

The original series created by Darren Star, and adapted from a column by Candace Bushnell, ran on HBO and its revival will have a home on HBO Max.

Kim and her co-stars, Sarah, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon all became TV icons on the original run of the series from 1998 to 2004.

Afterward Kim appeared in both of the movie adaptations - including the critically-panned sequel that featured Liza Minnelli singing Beyonce's song Single Ladies.

Despite the negative critical reception, fans were desperate for a third movie - which was said to have been in the works with all four ladies back in September 2017, until tensions between Kim and Warner Bros executives 'torpedoed' the project, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed.

At the time, sources involved in the production of the third movie exclusively told DailyMail.com that Kim was the reason why the sure-to-be blockbuster had been shelved, claiming that she had 'demanded' Warner Bros put its weight behind other projects that she had in development before she would agree to begin filming.

Warner Bros refused to meet her demands and had to cancel production as the company decided it wouldn't be fair to fans to produce a movie with only three of the four main characters.

Appearing on Life Stories the following month, Kim told MailOnline columnist Piers Morgan that she had turned down the role at the end of 2016.

'This isn't about more money. It's not about more scenes. It's not about any of those things. This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life, to end one chapter and start another. I'm 61. It's now. The other girls are 10 years younger than me, you know, and that is their choice,' said Kim.

The way they were: Kim and her co-stars (from left) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon are pictured at the London premiere of Sex And The City 2 in 2010

She stressed that she had 'never been friends' with her co-stars and took issue with being branded a 'diva' for refusing to star in a third film.

'This is really where I take to task the people from Sex and the City and specifically Sarah Jessica Parker, is that I think she could have been nicer. I really think she could have been nicer. I dont know what her issue is, she said.

The thing that still bothers me is this feeling of being in some way made to be the baddie. I never asked for any money, I never asked for any projects, to be thought of as some kind of diva is absolutely ridiculous.

Fashionable in France: Although Sarah Jessica has denied feud rumors, Kim has said her old co-star 'could have been nicer' and that their rapport was only ever professional

Sarah Jessica has denied feud rumors, saying in 2018 that she was 'heartbroken' by Kim's comments about their relationship after years of working together.

'I found it really upsetting because thats, you know, thats not the way I recall our experience,' she told Andy Cohen on his talk show Watch What Happens Live. 'Soits sadI always think that what ties us together is this singular experience is the thing.

'It was a professional experience but it became personal because it was years and years of our lives,' she continued. 'So Im hoping that that sort of eclipses anything thats been recently spoken. That many years spent doing something so special that people had a connection with is such a privilege.

When Kim's younger brother Chris committed suicide in 2018, the actress released a statement about his death online.

'It is with great sadness that myself and my family announce the unexpected passing of our son and brother, Chris Cattrall. At this time we ask for privacy. We want to thank you all on social media for your outpouring of love and support in this trying time,' she wrote.

Sarah Jessica responded with a message on Kim's Instagram, writing: 'Dearest Kim, my love and condolences to you and yours and Godspeed to your beloved brother. Xx'

A furious Kim hit back at her former co-star, accusing her of 'exploiting' her family's tragedy in a follow-up post.

'I couldn't help but wonder... where are they now?': Sarah Jessica posted a brief cryptic trailer this Monday for the new show which is called And Just Like That...

'My Mom asked me today "When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?" Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now,' wrote Kim on Instagram.

'Let me make this VERY clear. (If I havent already). You are not my family. You are not my friend. So Im writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your "nice girl" persona.'

She then linked to the New York Post story 'Inside the mean-girls culture that destroyed "Sex and the City,"' from 2017.

The article alleged that Sarah Jessica, Kristin and Cynthia formed their own friend group on-set to the exclusion of Kim.

Near the conclusion of the show's run an insider told Page Six that Kim's three main co-stars would not speak to her 'even in the makeup room.'

Last year Kim, who was born in England and raised mostly in Canada, became an American citizen and starred in the short-lived soap opera Filthy Rich.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Current means of fighting bacteria are no longer as good as they used to be because of antibiotic resistance. These days, people are dying from bacterial infections that could have been cured fifty years ago.

At the University of the Netherlands, Nathaniel Martin, professor of Biological Chemistry at the Institute of Biology Leiden, explains why current antibiotics are no longer as successful as they used to be. He discusses various solutions, such as designing synthetic antibiotics in the lab.

Credit: Leiden University

Explore further Deadly infections on the increase: Urgent need for new antibiotics
Deaths from ischemic heart disease and hypertensive diseases in the United States increased during the COVID-19 pandemic over the prior year, while globally, COVID-19 was associated with significant disruptions in cardiovascular disease testing. These findings are from two papers publishing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that examined the indirect effects of the pandemic on cardiovascular disease patients and their care.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been substantial, but there are concerns about the indirect impact of the pandemic as well, particularly for heart disease patients. Many reports have suggested that large mortality increases during the pandemic cannot be explained by COVID-19 alone. During the height of stay-at-home orders in the U.S., hospitals reported a decline in the number of heart attack and stroke patients being diagnosed and treated at the hospital. The assumption was that some patients feared contracting COVID-19 at a hospital and were choosing to delay care or not seek care at all for emergencies, including heart attacks. The American College of Cardiology issued a statement and infographic on the safety of hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and urged people to seek immediate care if needed.

Cardiovascular deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

In this study, researchers examined whether population-level deaths due to cardiovascular causes (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, hypertensive diseases, cerebrovascular disease and other disease of circulatory system) changed in the U.S. during the early phase of the pandemic, relative to the same period in the year prior, and if these changes were more pronounced in states that experienced the initial surge of COVID-19 cases.

Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, researchers looked at death rates from cardiovascular causes in the U.S. from March 18, 2020 - June 2, 2020 (the pandemic) and January 1, 2020 - March 17, 2020 (before the pandemic) and compared them to the same periods in 2019. They found that deaths from ischemic heart disease and hypertensive diseases increased after the onset of the pandemic in 2020, compared with changes over the same period in 2019. In contrast, deaths caused by heart failure, cerebrovascular disease or other diseases of the circulatory system did not change nationally. New York City experienced the largest relative increase in deaths due to ischemic heart disease (139%) and hypertensive diseases (164%) during the pandemic. The remainder of New York state, New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois also experienced significant increases in deaths due to these conditions, while Massachusetts and Louisiana did not see a change in cardiovascular deaths.

"Our findings suggest that the pandemic may have had an indirect toll on patients with

cardiovascular disease, potentially due to the avoidance of hospitals out of fear of exposure to the virus, increased health care system strain and the deferral of semi-elective procedures and care," said Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, lead author of the study, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "U.S. public health officials and policymakers should improve public health messaging to encourage patients with acute conditions to seek medical care."

International impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis of heart disease

The COVID-19 pandemic caused health care delivery disruptions across the globe in 2020, including delays in cardiovascular disease diagnosis and timely treatment. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, and outcomes are dependent on early and effective diagnosis to determine the best possible treatment. In this study researchers sought to determine the full magnitude of reductions in diagnostic heart disease procedures in 2020 and how that might impact long-term cardiovascular disease outcomes.

Surveys were submitted from 909 inpatient and outpatient centers performing cardiac

diagnostic procedures in 108 countries. According to researchers, procedure volumes decreased 42% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 64% from March 2019 to April 2020. Specifically, transthoracic echocardiography decreased by 59%, transesophageal echocardiography by 76% and stress tests by 78%. Coronary angiography (invasive or computed tomography) decreased 55%. Researchers also classified countries into four economic levels (low, lower-middle, upper-middle and high) and found that location in a low/lower-middle income country was associated with an additional 22% reduction in cardiac procedures and less availability of personal protective equipment and telehealth.
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Ethiopia warned Sudan on Tuesday it was running out of patience with its neighbour's continued military build-up in a disputed border area despite attempts to diffuse tensions with diplomacy

The decades-old dispute over al-Fashqa, land within Sudan's international boundaries that has long been settled by Ethiopian farmers, erupted into weeks of clashes between forces from both sides late last year.

"The Sudanese side seems to be pushing in so as to inflame the situation on the ground," Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti told reporters. "Is Ethiopia going to start a war? Well, we are saying let's work on diplomacy."

"How long will Ethiopia continue to resolve the issue using diplomacy? Well, there is nothing that has no limit. Everything has a limit," he told a briefing in Addis Ababa.

Sudan's information minister and government spokesman Feisal Mohamed Saleh said the country did not want war with Ethiopia but its forces would respond to any aggression.

"We fear that these comments contain a hostile position towards Sudan. We ask of Ethiopia to stop attacking Sudanese territory and Sudanese farmers," he told Reuters.

Sudan said on Dec. 31 that it had taken control of all of Sudanese territory in the area. Ethiopia says Sudan took advantage of its forces being distracted by the Tigray conflict to occupy Ethiopian land and loot properties.

The United Nations said in a report last week on the humanitarian situation in Tigray that there were reports of a military build-up on both sides of the border around the area.

The border tensions come at a time when Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt are also trying to resolve a three-way row over Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Ethiopia sees the dam as key to plans to become Africa's largest power exporter. Egypt, which gets more than 90% of its scarce fresh water from the Nile, fears the dam across the Blue Nile could devastate its economy.

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan said on Sunday that they reached a new impasse in the dispute. Egypt and Ethiopia separately blamed Sudanese objections to the framework for the talks.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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The broad industry shift to the cloud was well underway by the time COVID-19 started to spread around the globe in March 2020, but there is clear evidence that cloud adoption has accelerated at a previously unforeseen pace as a result of the pandemic.

Data from Synergy Researchwhich diligently tracks global cloud spend and market shareshowed enterprise spending on cloud infrastructure services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and hosted private cloud services) reached $65 billion in the third quarter of 2020, up 28% from the third quarter of 2019 and up 3% from what analysts expected before the pandemic hit, adding around $1.5 billion of spending for that quarter alone.

It is quite clear that the Q3 market was out of sync with the trends and substantially larger than would have normally been expected, said John Dinsdale, chief analyst and research director at Synergy Research. Logically the effects of the pandemic are the only reasonable explanation for that boost in the market.

Spiceworks Ziff Davis, a business-to-business tech marketplace, polled 1,073 IT buyers in North America and Europe in June and July of 2020 for its 2021 State of IT report, finding that budget holders plan on aggressively shifting away from owning hardware to operating more cloud services.

It shows that hardware spending has been steadily dropping year-on-year, from 35% in 2019 to an expected 31% in 2021, with cloud spending going the other way, from 21% to an expected 24% in 2021.

The companies powering this transition also had a very good year, with cloud stocksas represented by cloud-dominated exchange traded funds (ETFs) such as the First Trust Cloud Computing ETF (SKYY) and the Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU)far outperforming the market in 2020.

For cloud spending, the only way is up

Worldwide public cloud spending is forecast to rise 18.4% in 2021 to total $304.9 billion, according to the latest figures from Gartner. Subsequent survey data indicated that 70% of organizations plan to increase their cloud spending in the wake of the disruption caused by COVID-19.

The pandemic accelerated cloud spending, said Ed Anderson, a research VP and distinguished analyst at Gartner. When you look at spending overall, people moved into the cloud to support their need to control costs, support new remote work patterns, and maintain the viability of their businesses.

Technology industry analysts cannot always be relied on to agree, but on the topic of cloud spending growth, they are unanimous.

After some softening in public cloud revenue growth rates in late 2019, Forrester has adjusted its 2021 projection for the public cloud infrastructure market from 28% growth to reach $113.1 billion in 2021, to 35% growth to $120 billion in 2021, as a result of the pandemic.

IDC expects spending on cloud IT infrastructure to grow at an annual rate of 10.4%, reaching $109.3 billion in 2024 and accounting for 63.6% of total IT infrastructure spend. Cloud investments were accelerated in 2020, and those successful with that will continue to spend at that level and another 20% or so will still increase, said Carla Arend, senior program director for software and infrastructure at IDC in Europe.

Cloud investments are here to stay

These projections suggest that any cloud investments made last year in response to the pandemic are likely to continue. When people move a process or app into the cloud, it tends to stay there, said Gartners Anderson. If you extrapolate that into 2024, you end up with an uplift of tens of billions of dollars overall.

Take Danny Attias, chief digital and information officer for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, who was already far along in his plans to move core systems such as its donor CRM and high-performance DNA sequencing applications out of its data centers and onto Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud infrastructure. Then the pandemic hit, and this strategy went into hyperdrive.

We accelerated our strategy last year, he told InfoWorld, tripling its Azure spending in 2020 from 2019 levels while also bringing the total cost of infrastructure and platforms down by 40%, proving out the value of the cloud strategy.

Not everyone is increasing their cloud spend

IDC updated its models in November to factor in the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with IaaS investment levels remaining surprisingly flat after the adjustment.

Our reasoning is two trends are happening at once: A slowdown of the economy and the acceleration of adoption of cloud services net out to our original forecast pre-pandemic, Arend said. A third of the market will severely decrease their spend, so that needs to be factored in, despite the general acceleration of cloud spending.

Anderson also notes that Gartners projections havent jumped as dramatically as some might expect, mostly due to the overall dampening effect of the broader economic slowdown caused by the pandemic. That initial surge happened but at the same time you saw a compression of overall budgets. That created a dampening effect on what would have been a huge surge, he said.

But any lingering discrepancy between cloud laggards and leaders is only due to shrink in 2021, as organizations realize they need to modernize fast, or risk extinction.

A January 2021 report by IDC and the vendor Cloudreach surveyed 200 American CIOs about their cloud migration plans, finding that 29.5% of respondents accelerated their digital transformation plans as a result of the pandemic and 33.5% continued on their existing path. For 16% of respondents, the pandemic triggered plans for a broader digital transformation, and only 4% had no plans to transform their business. Furthermore, 27.5% said a large-scale migration to public cloud was essential for survival.

As banking industry watcher Jim Marous wrote, In 2021 financial institutions will need to determine their commitment to improving digital banking experiences and prioritize technology investments to support a multichannel future. In other words, organizations of all sizes will need to evaluate their digital transformation journey in light of what has occurred in 2020. Cloud computing can assist with many of these initiatives, assisting with agility, scale, product innovation, and analytic projects.

A mindset change in favor of the cloud

While the numbers show a broad acceleration of cloud adoption, COVID-19 has also changed many organizations attitudes to the cloud.

Many people I spoke to saw this mindset shift at the board level in April and May, said IDCs Arend. This mindset shift is a consistent story I hear from many conversions, that any lingering skepticism of cloud services has gone.

There will always be some doubters for reasons of conservatism or legacy investments and skills, but 2020 has absolutely been the strongest proof point that cloud works, scales, and is resilient, said Paul Miller, a principal analyst at Forrester.

One sector that has been highly reliant on flexible cloud services to meet customer demand during the pandemic has been retail, and more specifically, groceries.

Phil Jordan, group CIO at British retailer Sainsburys says he saw three years of adoption in three months from employees last year when it comes to more cloud-based collaboration tools such as Microsoft 365. The strategy hasnt changed but what changed materially was the adoption and barriers to adoption, he said.

The retailer has also been able to leverage the flexibility of cloud services to scale its e-commerce operations to meet volatile demand, as the UK government changed guidelines regularly through the year.

Now Jordan is looking to push more legacy workloads, generally residing on the supply chain side of the business, into the cloud. The urgency to have the same consumption model for all workloads has definitely accelerated, he said.

Although much cloud spending was made up front immediately in the wake of global stay-at-home orders in March 2020, the cloud has proved itself extremely valuable in these highly volatile times, and organizations certainly wont be going back to the old way of doing things.

The cloud genie is out of the bottle across all industry sectors, and there is a small number of dominant vendors primed to reap the benefits for years to come.
Property firm Land Securities has revealed it only collected about two-thirds of rental payments that was due on Christmas Day last month.

The Bluewater Shopping Centre owner said it was expecting 101million in net rents within five days of December 25, but only received 66million. At the same point in 2019, rent collection levels were at 94 per cent.

It amassed just 29 per cent of rent it was owed from its non-office Central London estate, and 36 per cent from its regional retail portfolio, compared to 87 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively, the previous year.

Trinity Leeds is one of the biggest regional shopping centres owned by Land Securities

But the volume of payments by offices remained very strong at 87 per cent. Another 11million in rents had either been deferred, cut, or scrapped because of company voluntary arrangements (CVA) or administrations.

The group's remarks come a day after rival British Land revealed it managed to collect less than half of the rent it is due from the shops and other retail outlets that hire its space, as two-thirds of them were forced to close in January.

Land Securities, which is Britain's biggest commercial landlord, has been particularly concerned about the state of high streets, with London hit harder than other areas of the country.

Since the first national lockdown began in March 2020, the FTSE 100 firm has suffered from steep declines in footfall at its shopping centres as consumers buy less goods from stores, some shops temporarily close, and more Britons work from home.

Land Securities owns the prominent London landmark Piccadilly Lights, seen here being recreated for the 80th anniversary of the Blitz last year

Two months ago, it unveiled a 945million writedown of its assets, with its shopping centres and shops responsible for most of the valuation drawdown, which came on the same day it reported half-year losses of 835million.

Since that time, the capital has remained a ghost town - with just a handful of busier days between the end of the lockdown and introduction of tiering, when non-essential retailers close their doors again.

As part of its future plans, the business intends to slash its portfolio by around a third by selling hotels, London offices, and retail parks such as Lakeside in Essex and leisure parks like Milton Keynes' Xscape.

It has said it wants to invest instead in new London developments and potentially other UK cities, and 'reimagine' its retail approach, with provincial shopping outlets like Trinity Leeds and Westgate Oxford revamped into more mixed-use properties.

Land Securities has suffered steep declines in footfall at shopping centres as more Britons buy their goods online and work from home

Land Securities' London properties include One New Change, a mixed retail and office development near St. Paul's Cathedral, Project Nova, which is developing the area circling London Victoria Station, and Piccadilly Lights.

'We continue to take a proactive approach to addressing the challenges the pandemic presents to our people, our customers and our business,' the company stated.

'In early April 2020, we established a customer support fund of 80million for occupiers who most need our help to survive. To date, 24million of rent concessions have been allocated to customers.'

Shares in Land Securities ended the day 1.6 per cent lower at 647.6p.
BEIRUT - The exhibit ''Wounded art'' is open in Beirut until the end of the week to remember the devastation caused by the double explosion of the port of Beirut on August 4 last year. In what was described as one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions of history, 200 people died, over 6,000 were wounded and one third of the Lebanese capital was damaged, forcing some 300,000 people to abandon their homes temporarily or permanently. Disfigured, as many victims of the explosion, artworks damaged by the disaster are now exhibited in Villa Audi, in the heart of Ashrafiye, a district that has been described as ''devastated'' by the explosion. Villa Audi, a private foundation linked to bank group Audi, a co-sponsor of the show, was deeply affected by the August 4 blast.

Artworks on display include paintings by British artist Tom Young, who moved to Beirut years ago and whose atelier and home were damaged by the explosion. His paintings exhibited until January 16 appear torn but repaired with stitches. The show also hosts the metal sculpture by local artist Nayla Romanos Illiya, which was damaged by the blast.

Villa Audi also displays nine paintings by Lebanese artist Nabil Nahhas which were created after the tragedy. The paintings represent the theme of devastation caused by the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium that were guiltily left for seven years in hangar number 12 of Beirut's port.
The outgoing head of the Capitol Police requested that D.C. National Guard units be placed on standby in case his small force was overwhelmed by violent protesters last Wednesday, but he was rebuffed by House and Senate security officials and a top Pentagon commander, he said in an interview on Sunday.

Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned under pressure last week, said he made the request two days before Wednesdays riot after reviewing intelligence that indicated the demonstration would be larger and more violent that previously anticipated  and repeated his request as he watched the rioters attacking his officers.

If we would have had the National Guard, we could have held them at bay longer, until more officers from our partner agencies could arrive, Mr. Sund, who served in the top post for under a year, told The Washington Post.

In the end, the Capitol Police, outnumbered, was unable to hold back a mob several times its size, resulting in a violent invasion of the national legislature not seen since the War of 1812. Representative Tim Ryan, Democrat of Ohio, told reporters on Monday that two officers had been suspended: one who took selfies with rioters, and one who put on a Make America Great Again hat and directed rioters in the Capitol.
The federal government is considering giving workers the choice of putting more money into their superannuation or having more take-home pay in an attempt to break a political deadlock ahead of a looming rise in the super guarantee.

The plan, which has not gone to cabinet and is part of a range of possible reforms being examined by the government, would trigger a battle with Labor, the unions and the $3 trillion industry superannuation fund sector who argue increases above the current 9.5 per cent guarantee are necessary for workers to have an adequate retirement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will consider a proposal for opt-in superannuation increases. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Increasing the super guarantee to 12 per cent was a Coalition election commitment and Labor is prepared to campaign fiercely if the government changes its mind. But with some Coalition MPs pushing for no increase in the super guarantee and economists concerned the rise will affect the nation's economic recovery during the coronavirus pandemic, the Morrison government is looking for fresh ways to manoeuvre on the promise.

The 9.5 per cent guarantee is scheduled to rise to 12 per cent in 2025, delivering an extra $20 billion into earners' retirement accounts with the first 0.5 percentage point hike legislated to kick in from July. However, a new model being considered for the superannuation system could see workers given the choice about whether to put more of their money into super.

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (blue) heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (red), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID

A new coronavirus variant discovered by South African scientists is fuelling a surge of infections nationwide and raising global concern.

Here is what we know about the variant, dubbed 501Y.V2:

When was it discovered?

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on December 18 that the government had advised the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) of a new variant.

It was found by scientists led by the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), which discovered that it had been dominating samples collected over the past two months.

The South African scientists also shared their findings with authorities in Britain, where a similar variant was spreading.

Where did it come from?

Scientists stress that mutation in virus strains is an expected phenomenonthe microbe evolves in order to survive.

In an interview, KRISP bioinformatician Houriiyah Tegally said the variant may have come "from immunocompromised patients, whose immune system has a harder time suppressing infections."

"The virus replicates many more times in these patients and... that's how such a case of escape (to another human) can happen," she said, recalling the high numbers of immunocompromised patients in South Africa, with HIV or TB.

Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the University of Oxford, has also suggested immunosuppressed patients as a potential source for new mutations.

What makes the variant different?

The 501Y.V2 variant "has a number of mutations on its spike protein, which allows the virus to infect humans and also creates an immune response," Tegally said.

As a result, it "seems to be more transmissible"but also "seems to be able to evade (antibodies) better".

Wendy Barclay, head of the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, also said in December that changes on the spike protein "would make it easier for the virus to enter cells, and could biologically explain an increase in transmission."

The WHO has said that while the South African variant shares the 501Y mutation with the strain spreading in Britain, the two are distinct.

Is it more dangerous?

On December 31, the WHO said it saw no clear evidence that the new variant by itself led to more severe disease or death.

On the other hand, as more people become infected by a more transmissible virus, more risk becoming seriously ill.

"Increased transmissibility eventually translates to a far higher incidence rate, and even with the same mortality, this means significant pressure on health systems," said Bruno Coignard, head of infectious diseases at France's heath authority.

Tegally also warned: "This new lineage could also present a higher risk of reinfection... we are still waiting to see the data but it is a very real concern."How widespread is it in South Africa?

To date, South Africa has reported a total of almost 33,600 deaths from more than 1.2 million cases.

In the past week, 133,294 new infections have been detected.

When the KRISP researchers first spotted the variant in October, "we saw it in 20 percent (of samples)," Tegally said, mounting as high as 80 percent more recently.

"We are waiting to sequence more of the January cases (and) would not be surprised if those samples are close to 90 percent or even more," Tegally said.

Will vaccines work against it?

German vaccine maker BioNTech said last week that antibodies from people who have received the jab "effectively neutralise" virus with the key mutation found in Britain and South Africa.

Tegally cautioned about the limitations of this work, which was conducted in a laboratory.

The study "did not test... one of the mutations we have been worried about, so does not actually say whether its vaccine will work or not," she said.

"We are hopeful as vaccines are meant to be broad-ranged, but for now we just have to wait and see."

Should other countries be concerned?

The South African variant has also been detected in Britain, Finland, France and Israel. Switzerland, Denmark and Britain have banned incoming travellers from South Africa.

But Health Minister Mkhize said last month that there was "no evidence" the South African variant was more dangerous than the British one, which has also spread abroad.

The WHO advocates a "risk-based approach" to international travel and countries should "regularly re-consider" bans and other measures.

"The response from the international community has been quite stigmatising. It is understandable, people are scared... but we should not fear," Tegally said, stressing the need for research.

More mutations may be occurring elsewhere in the world without people knowing, she noted.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
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This isnt the first time that this story makes international headlines, though it seems some details have changed. In June 2020, word got out that Da Tong Yang and his wife Guifang Huo were suing Mercedes over the S 550 they had bought for $155,000 in 2017.As per the initial report, less than a year and 6,400 km (4,000 miles) into the ownership, while on the highway, the steering wheel locked, and the couple nearly drove into a concrete wall. The Richmond dealership said that it had inspected the car and issued a fix, providing a detailed account of the work done. Yang, on the other hand, wanted the car replaced or his money returned, saying he would still not feel safe in it.He even traveled to Germany to speak to Mercedes bosses but only got in return the promise that they would look into it.The case is yet to go to trial, even though Yang filed in early 2019, the Vancouver Sun is now reporting. Meanwhile, Yang is talking to the media and, as noted above, some details of the story have changed. Hes now saying the Richmond dealership is refusing adequate inspection and repairs, even though he was offered assurances by Mercedes bosses that he would get everything done free of charge.Moreover, he makes it sound as if this is some coverup by Mercedes, citing the U.S. recall for the S-Class models produced between 2015 and 2019, in which a transistor in the power steering control unit could overheat and disable the power system, increasing the odds of a crash. For his part, he insists the dealership is telling him he can drive the car as is, but hes too afraid to do so.They insisted I can drive the car, but Im afraid to. I drive on the highway all the time and it could be life-threatening, he says.The other option hes being offered, that of selling the S-Class, is not doable, he says. That would mean passing the car with a known, potentially fatal defect. Keeping silent on the issue could mean other drivers are at similar risks as himself.We are doing this for a good cause, so they can do some more research (on the defect) before someone gets hurt, he tells the publication. Mercedes-Benz has continued to shirk responsibility, to delay everything and deny everything.So, the virtually brand new 2017 S 550 has been sitting in Yangs garage all this time, having been parked there in April 2018.A publicist for Mercedes-Benz Canada says they cant comment on pending litigation.
EAGAN, Minn., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), the world's premier e-discovery training and certification professional association and part of The BARBRI Group, has added three esteemed industry professionals to its Global Advisory Board.

With a diverse and deep breadth of legal operations, e-discovery, and information governance experience, William Hamilton, Susan Jackson, and Amy Sellars will lend their leadership and experiences with other industry veterans to help ACEDS continue to fulfill its mission. The association is committed to educating the legal community, promoting a unifying influence in the development and use of technology in the law, and improving and certifying the technical competence of legal professionals.

"We continue to build on the strength of our advisory board with professionals committed to e-discovery, legal operations and academia. The caliber of professionals on our board reflects our thriving e-discovery community and the very best of disciplines across our industry," said Mike Quartararo, president of ACEDS. "The addition of these exceptionally talented and distinguished members to the ACEDS Global Advisory Board positions ACEDS to make further strides in continuing to improve the educational resources, training and certifications our community needs and has asked of us."

"We are honored to have such distinguished professionals joining the board," said Ari Kaplan, principal of Ari Kaplan Advisors, who chairs the ACEDS advisory board. "I look forward to learning from and collaborating with each of them."

Hamilton, Jackson and Sellars join an ACEDS Global Advisory Board composed of experts in e-discovery, legal technology, software, services and academia who provide guidance, educational and product input, and thought leadership on industry trends, policy and program development to ACEDS. Board members offer unique areas of expertise and perspectives reflecting the dynamic, growing e-discovery community. They serve as ambassadors of ACEDS as it expands professional development offerings and resources to anticipate and meet the needs of the legal community.

About the New Board Members

William Hamilton is the Senior Legal Skills Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law (UF Law). Hamilton, who teaches electronic discovery, complex litigation and civil procedure at UF Law, helped develop the original CEDS exam in 2010 and was the chairperson of the original ACEDS Advisory Board. He has taught electronic discovery for the past 10 years and is an author of the LexisNexis Practice Guide Florida e-Discovery and Evidence and A Student Electronic Discovery Primer: An Essential Companion for Civil Procedure Courses. He is also the General Editor of the LexisNexis Practice Guide: Florida Contract Litigation. Hamilton is a neutral arbitrator and mediator for the World Intellectual Property Organization and the author of more than 100 domain name dispute decisions. Prior to academia, Hamilton served as the electronic discovery partner for a national law firm. During his 30-year litigation career, he has been recognized in Chambers USA, Florida Legal Elite, Best Lawyers in America, and Florida Super Lawyers.

Susan Jackson is Legal Counsel, Commercial, Trade & Information Governance at Novelis Corporation. Jackson is a certified computer forensic examiner and has worked for the company for the past 18 years. Her focus is on corporate governance, international trade, commercial contracts, information governance and e-discovery. Among her responsibilities, she works on U.S. anti-dumping/counter-veiling duties cases, responding to government investigations. She is also responsible for both the global records retention and e-discovery programs at Novelis. Jackson operates a forensic lab for all human resources and information systems, cybersecurity investigations, e-discovery requests, compliance with electronic information internal policies and international data privacy regulations. She is also an adjunct professor at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School teaching e-discovery and computer forensics, cybersecurity and data privacy.

Amy Sellars is Associate General Counsel of Cardinal Health's Discovery Center of Excellence and director of that organization. Previously, she led Walmart Legal's Discovery Operations Group, she worked for the country's largest midstream oil and gas company and was an associate at the law firm of Crowe & Dunlevy. Sellars focuses exclusively on electronic discovery across a large docket of litigation and investigations. She serves as Secretary for the ACEDS Ohio Chapter Board and is a Steering Committee member for The Sedona Conference's Working Group 1 on Electronic Document Retention and Production. Sellars has taught electronic discovery and legal operations at the University of Tulsa College of Law, the University of Arkansas School of Law, and Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

About ACEDS

The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), part of leading legal education provider The BARBRI Group, is a global association for professionals working in e-discovery, information governance, compliance, and the broader legal community. ACEDS provides training and certification in e-discovery and related disciplines to corporate legal departments, law firms, the government, service providers and institutions of higher learning. The CEDS certification is recognized around the world and used to verify skills and competence in electronic discovery for organizations and individuals through training, certification, and ongoing education. The CEDS credential is held by legal professionals at the largest Fortune 500 companies, Am Law 200 firms and government agencies. ACEDS has 26 chapters, with locations in major U.S. cities, the UK, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Our goal is to help professionals and organizations reduce the costs and risks associated with e-discovery while helping to improve and verify their skills and advance their careers and overall technology competence in e-discovery and related fields. http://www.aceds.org/

SOURCE Association of Certified eDiscovery Specialists

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COLLINSVILLE  Kindergarten through 12th graders in Collinsville returned to two days a week hybrid/blended learning Monday.

Students with last names beginning A-L will attend in-person Tuesdays and Thursdays while students with last names starting with M-Z will attend on Wednesdays and Fridays. Mondays will remain remote learning days.

Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC), pre-kindergarten and specifically identified individual education program, English learner (EL) and at-risk students will attend school daily, Tuesday through Friday.

In December, the districts board of education approved using E-learning days instead of canceling school during inclement weather, if appropriate.

Madison County Health Department officials told Collinsville that the districts health staff are eligible for vaccination in upcoming days as part of Phase 1A. After this phase is mostly complete, the health department communicated that certified and support staff (Phase 1b) will be eligible for vaccination.

For more details, visit here.

District 7 has posted details of its Return to Learn on its website  most pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students are due to return to school on Jan. 19.

However, all parents who selected 100 percent remote learning for their students during first semester will continue in that status despite the other changes.

Sixth through eighth-grade students will transition back to five days of in-person instruction per week on Jan. 19 using the following schedule:

 Jan. 19 through Jan. 22  All sixth-grade students will begin attending in-person every day. Seventh- and eighth-grade students will remain in remote learning.

 Jan. 25 and Jan. 26  Seventh-grade students will join sixth-graders in returning to daily in-person learning while eighth-graders will remain on remote learning.

 Beginning Jan. 27, all middle school students will attend in-person every day. District officials say the staggered transition will confirm that the middle schools can safely transition back to in-person learning with full-time instruction. Parents should watch for emails from building principals to outline further or specific building procedure changes.

At the high school, all freshmen through seniors will remain in remote learning on Jan. 19. As staff members receive the COVID-19 vaccine and community caseload numbers recede, the intent is to return high school students to five days per week of instruction.

For more information, visit here.

In the Triad School District, kindergarten students through sixth grade returned to school on Jan. 6 while grades seven through 12 are on a hybrid learning schedule, alternating between students with last names A-K on one day and L-Z the following school day, then repeating. This also began Jan. 6. The district plans to continue in this fashion until Jan. 29. Beyond that, the schedule for February remains to be decided, except for Feb. 5, a remote planning day, and Feb. 15, Presidents Day.

To view the January and February calendars - click here and scroll down.

Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at 618-659-5735
Appointment

12 January 2021

Jacqueline "Jackie" Volkart has been appointed dual general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Miami Beach, including the newly re-imagined, 376-room Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and the 95-room Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour. She joins the Miami resorts with over 30 years of hospitality management experience.

Most recently, she served as general manager at The St. Regis San Francisco, where under her leadership, the hotel completed a full guest room and banquet facility renovation and re-gained the prestigious Forbes Five Star Award for 2021. The hotel also earned the San Francisco and California Green Business Awards.

Jackie is a veteran of Marriott International, having joined the company in 1990 as the Director of Catering and Conference Services during the opening of Casa Magna Resort in Cancun. She was then selected to join the opening team at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun as Director of Meetings and Special Events. From there, she continued to take on leadership positions within The Ritz-Carlton brand, and went on to serve in Hotel and General Manager roles at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, The Ritz Carlton, Battery Park, The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove and The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.

Throughout her career, she has served as an industry advocate, serving as a board member or chair of numerous advisory committees and Marriott Business Councils.

Jackie has a Bachelor of Science degree in international hospitality management at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland and earned her MBA in international hospitality and service industries management at Glion Higher Institute of Education, also in Switzerland. She is multilingual, a fluent speaker of Swiss, German, French, Spanish and Italian.
A bifacial perovskite/silicon tandem prototype being field-tested at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology in Saudi Arabia. The new technology is the result of a collaboration that includes U of T Engineering researchers. Credit: Michele De Bastiani

To increase the performance of solar panels, an international collaborationincluding researchers from King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) and U of T Engineeringhas created a bifacial, or two-sided, tandem solar cell, built by bringing together the best of the perovskite and silicon technologies.

Out in the field, light primarily comes directly from the sun. Conventional tandem solar cells can already convert this light into electricity more efficiently compared to traditional silicon-only solar cells by absorbing additional wavelengths of light.

Now, the researchers have realized that even more energy can be gathered using a two-sided tandem configuration. Light reflected and scattered from the groundreferred to as "albedo"can also be collected to significantly increase the current of a tandem solar cell.

The research, which was published today in the journal Nature Energy, outlines exactly how the team engineered the perovskite/silicon device to exceed the currently accepted performance limits for the tandem configuration.

"By exploiting the albedo, we can now generate currents higher than in conventional tandems, without increasing the manufacturing costs at all," said Dr. Michele De Bastiani, the co-lead author of this study. The study's authors include University Professor Ted Sargent (ECE) and ECE postdoctoral fellow Yi Hou.

The potential for capturing indirect sunlight has been studied in the past, but without experimental verification. In addition to U of T Engineering, KAUST researchers worked with collaborators from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the University of Bologna to solve the scientific and engineering challenges required to include indirect sunlight in the energy gathering capacity of their modules.

With this knowledge at hand, they tested the bifacial tandem solar cell in outdoor conditions, achieving efficiencies beyond any commercial silicon solar panel.

"Bifacial silicon-only solar cells are rapidly taken an increasing share in the photovoltaics market, as they can lead to a performance gain of 20% relative. Exploiting this concept in perovskite/silicon tandems now opens opportunities for ultra-high power generation at affordable cost" concluded Professor Stefaan De Wolf (KAUST).

Explore further Tandem devices feel the heat

More information: Michele De Bastiani et al. Efficient bifacial monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells via bandgap engineering, Nature Energy (2021). Journal information: Nature Energy Michele De Bastiani et al. Efficient bifacial monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells via bandgap engineering,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-00756-8
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 84F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.


Secretary of State has cancelled what would have been his final official trip abroad as concerns grow over potential violence at next week's presidential inauguration, the State Department said Tuesday.

Less than 18 hours after announcing that Pompeo would be traveling to Brussels this week to close out his tenure as America's top diplomat, the department said it had pulled down all senior-level overseas travel, including the secretary's.

Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the decision had been made to assist in the transition to the incoming Biden administration, which will assume office on January 20.

Since last week's deadly assault on the US Capitol by rioters encouraged by President Donald Trump, concerns have been raised about the security of Biden's inauguration.

Officials said the cancellation of Pompeo's trip was intended to support the transition and was not related to fears of violence.

The Department of State is well along in its transition efforts with President-elect Biden's team," Ortagus said in a statement.

We are fully committed to the completion of a smooth and orderly transition process to be finalized over the next 8 days. Both the department and the President-elect's team have been fully engaged for several weeks toward this end, and we are pleased with the level of cooperation and professionalism that has been displayed.

Pompeo, who was criticized for not immediately recognizing Biden's victory over Trump in November's election, met last week with his designated successor, Antony Blinken, in what a State Department official described as a cordial meeting.

We are expecting shortly a plan from the incoming administration identifying the career officials who will remain in positions of responsibility on an acting basis until the Senate confirmation process is complete for incoming officials, Ortagus said in the statement.

As a result, we are cancelling all planned travel this week, including the secretary's trip to Europe.

The department's most senior career diplomat, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, who is No. 3 in the hierarchy, is expected to serve as acting secretary of state from noon on January 20 until Blinken is confirmed by the Senate.

The department had announced late Monday that Pompeo would visit Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday on his final trip abroad as America's top diplomat. While there, Pompeo intended to meet NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Belgium's foreign minister before returning to Washington.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Police on Sunday arrested an Arkansas man on suspicion of killing his wife during a drug-fueled attack at an Alief-area home, according to police and court records.

Brian Marshall, 36, was charged Monday with murder in the shooting death of his wife, Takela Marshall, 34, around 2 p.m. in the 6800 block of Songbrook Drive. He hid in a bedroom closet and shot her when she opened the door, prosecutors said.

The victims mother grabbed Marshall and kept him there with both hands because he was trying to get away, according to police. The mothers boyfriend called police while trying to help Marshalls wife, who was shot at least once in the face, court records state. He wrested the gun away from Marshall and stashed it in the garage.

Police found Takela Marshall mortally wounded, court records state. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Police arrested Marshall and he admitted to smoking Kush  a strain of cannabis  and taking Xanax.

The wifes sister was also home at the time of the shooting and told officers that earlier Marshall had gone outside in the nude and tried crawling onto a couch where she had been sleeping, prosecutors said in a probable cause hearing.

Court records show Marshall is from Pine Bluff, Ark., and has several convictions  charges including kidnapping, battery, and robbery  in Jefferson County cases. He arrived in Houston over the weekend, prosecutors said in bail paperwork. A public defender said that he had been working a construction job in Texas.

Prosecutors opposed a personal bond  noting that he is out on bail for an Arkansas-based charge  and expressed worry that he was a flight risk.

He arrived here just a day ago and has been staying at a hotel because his Houston-area family told him he is not welcome to stay with them, prosecutors wrote, also requesting that Marshall be held on a bond of $250,000. The hearing officer, Jim Callan, agreed to that amount, citing convincing evidence that he is a flight risk and community threat.

Police arrested Marshall before in Houston in 2019 when he was wanted for an out-of-state parole violation.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. and PERTH, Australia, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Advanced Metals Pty Ltd (GAM), a leading producer of tantalum powders and metallurgical products, has again successfully undergone a conflict minerals due diligence audit under the RMI Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) audit standard.

The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) validates GAM for the eleventh consecutive year. GAM was determined conformant to the RMAP Standard following the September 2020 audits of its facilities. Since their initial validation in 2010, the first such validation of any metal type, GAM facilities in Aizu, Japan and Pennsylvania, USA have been leaders in complying with the RMAP audit program. This conflict-minerals' due diligence audit program is led and supported by a cross section of industries (e.g., Electronics, Aerospace, Automotive), governments, and multi-stakeholders.

GAM continues to enhance its holistic management system approach to minerals due diligence through a broad and deep involvement with organizations like the Public Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA), the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Multi-Stakeholders Group.

GAM's ongoing leadership role in minerals' due diligence includes activities like participating in the December 2019 Public Private Alliance (PPA) delegation to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the April 2020 engagement with a local University to share the value of ethical minerals sourcing with students and the May 2020 supply chain awareness review with a major toys OEM in the USA.

About GAM

A leading conflict-free tantalum producer, GAM has exclusive rights to the world's largest industrial resources of tantalum ore located in Western Australia.

GAM produces conflict-free tantalum powders and metallurgical products at its Pennsylvania, USA and Aizu, Japan plants for a range of industries including electronics, aerospace, automotive, medical and chemical processing.

GAM's smelting facilities in Japan and the USA were first declared "Conflict-Free" in 2010 under the former EICC/GeSI Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) audit program and continue to maintain their conformance to the current (RMAP) standard.

About RBA, RMI and RMAP

The Responsible Business AllianceRBA was formerly known as the Electronic Industry Citizenship CoalitionEICC, The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) was formerly known as the Conflict Free Sourcing InitiativeCFSI, and The Responsible Minerals Assurance ProcessRMAP was formerly known as the Conflict Free Smelter ProgramCFSP.

Media Contact:

Kurt Habecker

Phone +1 610-369-8220

email - [email protected]

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SOURCE Global Advanced Metals
University of Colorado-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano on Thursday refused to terminate John C. Eastman, a visiting scholar in conservative thought and policy, for spreading conspiracy theories about election fraud prior to the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the losing presidential candidate.
For music and physical education classes in local schools, winter marks a welcome shift to indoor learning after classes were held outdoors in the fall to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

And schools are employing indoor safeguards to continue that mitigation until the weather warms up in the spring to a point where the classes can move outdoors again, according to local superintendents.

Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said music classes are adding several safeguards for indoor instruction.

"We purchased additional PPE equipment. We added more air scrubbers in the HVAC equipment to (music classrooms)," Sharrow said. "We have specialty masks (for students) and specialty covers for the instruments. We'll be keeping kids (spaced) apart and not downwind from each other.

"As soon as the weather warms up (in the spring), we'll go back outside (for music education) if we're still where we think we may be (with the COVID-19 pandemic)," Sharrow added.

Meridian Public Schools Superintendent Craig Carmoney said his district has special masks and instrument covers for instrumental music classes. These measures were recommended based on an aerosol study commissioned by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Carmoney noted the ventilation system in the Meridian schools is refreshing the air three to four times an hour.

"So we have continual fresh air in our classrooms, which does help minimize the spread of the virus," Carmoney said.

Another challenge for music instruction, especially at the high school level, has been the fact that high school students had to learn virtually from Nov. 18 through Dec. 18, per a state epidemiological order. All Midland County high schools are scheduled to be back to in-person learning by Monday, Jan. 25.

"It's created quite a challenge," said Bullock Creek School District Superintendent Shawn Hale. "Our secondary (music) teacher (Josephine Bossenberger) hasn't been with the kids (in person) since the first part of November. It's challenging to have a group play (music) together virtually. I'm sure she's very excited to return to something that looks more normal."
Woman arrested following k-powdered milk drug cocktail deaths

THAILAND: A young woman has been arrested in Bangkoks Sai Mai area and a quantity of a new illegal drug cocktail known as k-powdered milk seized in the wake of the death of six people who used it.

drugscrime

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 12 January 2021, 01:46PM

Sirikarn Chuekhetkram, 23, at Sai Mai police station in Bangkok after her arrest and police seizure of six packets of an illegal drug cocktail known as k-powdered milk today (Jan 12). Photo: supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham.

Sirikarn Chuekhetkram, 23, was taken into custody in front of a house in Jitpawan community in Sai Mai area today (Jan 12) by police acting on a tip-off alleging she sold the drug cocktail, known as k-nom pong by Thai users because of its appearance.

The cocktail is reported by Thai news outlets to contain ketamine, methamphetamine, heroin and a sedative. Police say they have yet to fully analyse it.

The police team, led by Metropolitan Police Division 2 chief Pol Col Saksit Meesawat, searched the woman and found three small plastic bags of drugs in her pockets.

She allegedly confessed there were three more packets of the same drugs in her bedroom. She took them there and police found the drugs.

Ms Sirikarn told police the drug mixture contained ketamine and a sleeping pill called rose (ramelteon, commonly prescribed under the brand name Rozerem).

Ms Sirikarn allegedly said she bought the drugs from a friend in Pathum Thanis Lam Luk Ka districts soi Khlong 2 for B470 a gramme and sold them on Facebook for B600 a gramme. Her regular customers were young people in Sai Mai area.

She allegedly admitted having sold the drugs for a long time before being caught.

Ms Sirikarn was initially charged with illegal possession of category 2 drugs with intent to sell. She was taken to Sai Mai police station for legal action.

Yesterday, national police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk ordered a crackdown on the new illegal drug cocktail following the death of six people, three men and three women aged 21-34 years, after using it.

Five of them died in the area under the jurisdiction of Wat Phraya Krai police station in Bangkok.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 14:27:02|Editor: huaxia

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NUR-SULTAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Tuesday that the ruling Nur Otan party grabbed 71.09 percent of votes and 76 seats in the parliamentary elections on Sunday.

The Ak Zhol Democratic Party and the People's Party of Kazakhstan secured 12 and 10 seats in the Majilis, the lower house of the parliament, winning 10.95 percent and 9.1 percent of votes respectively.

The Auyl Party and the Adal Party, however, did not pass the seven-percent threshold to enter parliament.

According to the CEC, a total of 7.5 million out of 11.9 million voters cast their ballots on Sunday, with the voter turnout at 63 percent.

The lower house consists of 107 deputies who serve a five-year term. Among them, 98 were elected directly from party lists during Sunday's election, while the remaining nine were elected on Monday by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, an advisory body representing the country's major ethnic groups. Enditem
MBABANE - He was not just his comrade in their struggle, but also shared a jail cell with him.

No one can blame political activist Maxwell Dlamini for being devastated by the passing of former President of the proscribed Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Mario Masuku.

Dlamini was Masukus co-accused after they were arrested by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) in 2014.

Interviewed yesterday, he said he was saddened and shattered by the passing away of PUDEMOs longest serving president.

Comrade Mario was the bamboo tree that provided cooling shades of peace and hope and resistance against the regime. He was a giant, an internationalist, commander, our sharpest spear in our struggle for freedom and democracy. He is in the league of Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda, Oliver Tambo, Samora Machel and Amilcar Cabral. He is an African giant who stood against injustices and oppression, said Dlamini.

Mentor

He mentioned that the late political activist was a mentor, father, comrade, leader and co-accused.

I shared with him a jail cell, police van, and shackles and stood with him in the dock side by side fighting and confronting injustices. His humility, love for the people, commitment and sacrifice into the democratic struggle in the country is immeasurable. He gave all into the struggle for emancipation even his own personal life, health and liberty was threatened, stated Dlamini.

Describing their life in prison, Dlamini said Masuku was like a father to him as he would bring him sweets from the prison tuck-shop.

He let me read newspapers first. He would share his food with me, giving me the largest share of the meat. He would give me his phone cards to call and check on my family. These acts of kindness, love and humility defined the colossal life of Mario, he said.

Elaborating, he said when they were transferred to the Matsapha Maximum Prison, they found that the conditions and food were not good and Masuku was the first to suggest that they should engage on a hunger strike.

Hunger

Even when I pleaded with him to let me undergo the hunger strike alone because of his poor health, he insisted that the struggle was bigger than him, that the liberation of the people was far more important than his own personal health and liberty. Indeed we engaged in a hunger strike, with him taking his medication on an empty stomach, sacrificing his own health and life for the good of others, he stated.

Furthermore, Dlamini said Masukus selflessness and commitment to the struggle was further exhibited when he lost his mother while in prison.

He said that was the only time he saw him broken, shattered and devastated.

He could not speak nor do anything after receiving the news. He went straight to bed, slept the whole day only to wake up at 8pm during our prayer time and insisted that we read Psalms 23 under the title The Lord is my shepherd and we prayed. When we suggested together with our late lawyer, Leo Gama, that he must apply for bail alone to increase chances of burying his mother, he refused, recounted Dlamini.

He said Masuku reminded him that since they entered prison together, they would have to leave together.

He ditched the attempt and opportunity to get released and personal liberty at my expense. He turned down even the offer to be taken by the prison warders to go pay his last respects to his mother in shackles because of his commitment and dedication to the struggle, he added.

Adding, Dlamini said Masuku taught him humility, love, resilience and commitment to the struggle.

He said the late activist insisted that their struggle was not of hate, hunger or personal gratification.

He said it was a struggle for our people, a human struggle of justice, peace, emancipation and love. He taught me that we must channel and turn our anger and hate into political energy, that we must love, respect and treat people with dignity, he emphasised.

Following the news of Masukus death, various local and international organisations and political parties issued statements on social media platforms conveying their condolences.

Meanwhile, seasoned politician and Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament Marwick Khumalo, said he respected the late Masukus strong political conviction and beliefs.

Khumalo said his comment was in two-fold where Masuku was concerned.

Democracy

This is as a politician and as a bonafide Mbabane Highlanders FC. He was a staunch advocate of multiparty democracy, an ideal he never realised while he was alive and as a leader and founder member of his movement, PUDEMO.

Even in death, I respect him for his strong political conviction and beliefs. A man who can stand firmly and unwaveringly on a certain political course can only attract others respect, regardless of whether they share his views or not. It is not necessary that some didnt subscribe to his views, holistically, said Khumalo.

He mentioned that Masukus sweat and toil for the principle he so strongly believed in remained a cornerstone for youth activism in his movement.

Nevertheless, we were of one mind and soul at Mbabane Highlanders FC. He played for the team, he served in various managerial capacities, and became a lifelong patron, until his death. For his service to my team, I salute him. Needless to say, he was my relative. He was the biological grand-uncle of my younger brother Majahodvwas four children. May your soul rest in paradise Thundabathole Bafokazana, Khumalo added.






The injury-ravaged Indian team was dealt another blow on Tuesday as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the fourth Test against Australia due to an abdominal strain.

Bumrah, key to India's attack, sustained the strain during the drawn third Test in Sydney.

It has been learnt that Bumrah's scan reports showed a strain and the Indian team management does not want him to aggravate the injury, keeping in mind the upcoming four-Test series against England.

"Jasprit Bumrah suffered an abdominal strain while fielding in Sydney. He is going to sit out of the Brisbane Test but is expected to be available against England," a BCCI source told PTI.

It is now expected that two-Test old Mohammed Siraj will be leading the Indian attack and will be joined by Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan in the Brisbane Test, starting January 15.

Also read: Badminton players Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy test positive for COVID-19

Also read: Vikas Kohli shares first, adorable pic of Anushka-Virat's daughter; check here
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Five women, 600 olive trees, the culmination of care and enterprise: an agricultural and social project financed by European funds.

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An olive tree about one hundred years old has a chasm burned in the center of the trunk because of a lightning strike.They call it Fausto, luckybecause it has returned to bear fruit thanks to five women from an anti-violence center, who participated in the ASPEm project - Social Agriculture for the Promotion of Empowerment of Women and Single Parent Families with Minors.

Its happening in Molise, Italy, where the social cooperative Be Free, which for years, also in other regions of Italy, has been managing centers that combat gender violence, and Kairos social cooperative, works thanks to a grant of 30,000 euros from the European Social Fund of 2014-2020.

"The levels of female employment in Italy are very low, explains Oria Gargano, president of the Be Free Cooperative, we are among the lowest in Europe. Economic autonomy is the basis for being able to get out of a situation of violence. In Lazio, we have won a bid: an agri- food project to fight male violence against women, involving Slowfood and Eataly. We will plant seeds, plants that favor the reproduction of microorganisms and bacteria and make the earth alive and hospitable. This also helps to build a hospitable environment for insects. In short, an agri-food project, that is also green, to combat violence against women.

Five women

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Psychologists, social workers, lawyers, oil experts, entrepreneurs and businesswomen, agri- tourism managers and marketing experts have collaborated to create ASPEm.A team that worked in synergy, but also across different levels of the project.In fact,, had access to a training course on the methods and supply chain of oil productionand they supervised fields left by owners who were no longer in a position to take care of them.

The land was cleared and branches that could have hindered harvesting were removed, learning first hand what there is to know about the plants and allowing the olive trees to produce more fruit. The women then applied mosquito nets, took care of the harvest in October, and pressed the olives at the mill and bottled the Extra- Virgin Olive oil. "Twice as many bottles as last year, said Nicola Malorni, president of Kairos, and laboratory analysis found that the vitamin E exceeds the average nutritional characteristics, reaching 266 milligrams per kilogram".

Top quality oil

,

when the women launched it online and organized tastings.Sales skyrocketedrestaurants in the area bought it, and ASPEm became a self-sustaining project.Some of the women have left the farm to lead different lives, others are still employed in the project and are planning to expand it by involving other disadvantaged or struggling people, such as prisoners or the disabled.

In short, it is the success story of five women who chose to get out of a situation of violence, met other women and a center that welcomed them. There, they learned how to take care of 600 olive trees that no one could care for anymore. An olive oil was born, it's called ASPEm. Inside, there are the pressed olives of Fausto, the lucky tree that came back to life....

The local ice cream shop has made it into a gourmet ice cream flavor, just ask for a taste test.

Ph: La Repubblica
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

One year into a changed world, the numbers defy comprehension. More than 21 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Statesa rate approaching one in 15 peopleplus untold millions who had mild or no symptoms and were never identified. Add the millions who have now received their first doses of vaccine, and it is fair to wonder:

Can we start to look forward to when life returns to normal?

The answer hinges on that often-misunderstood concept of herd immunity, made all the more complicated by the emergence of two variants of the coronavirus that seem to spread more rapidly, one of which is already in the U.S. Evidence so far suggests that the new mutations will have little, if any, impact on how well the vaccines work, and they do not seem to result in more severe illness.

Yet given the wintertime surge in casespossibly aggravated by the new mutationsand the question of how long immunity lasts, public health experts say this is no time to relax precautions.

For a reality check on how far we've come, we spoke to three researchers who study the spread of infectious disease: Temple University epidemiologist Abby Rudolph, Drew University biologist Brianne Barker, and Pennsylvania State University biologist Maciej Boni.

Like a forest fire

The term herd immunity was coined a century ago by veterinarians studying the spread of disease in livestock. Simply put, they meant that if enough cows developed immunity to an illness, the herd would be protected. Even if an animal or two were somehow to become infected on occasion, they would be unable to pass it on.

Boni, who has served on World Health Organization committees for malaria and other disease epidemics, likens the concept to a forest fire.

"If a lot of the trees have been burned down," he said, "you have a forest that's sparse enough that no fire can take off in the forest."

But in practice, achieving the threshold necessary for mass protection from disease is complicated. For one thing, the number varies depending on how easily the microbe in question spreads.

Measles, to borrow the forest analogy, spreads like proverbial wildfirewith each infected person passing it on to more than a dozen others in an unexposed population. It is so infectious that more than 90% of a population must be immune in order to prevent outbreaks, whether as the result of natural infection or a vaccine. And even then, the level of protection is not uniform. Vaccines are not foolproof, and some people choose not to get them. If a school or neighborhood is home to enough people in that category, there is fuel for a potential outbreak.

COVID-19 is far less transmissible. In a "naive" population with no prior exposure and no precautions in place, each infected person spreads the virus to an average of three others, epidemiologists calculated early in the pandemic. Social distancing, masks, and other safeguards can drive that number down so long as everyone is on board, but a key point to remember is that word average. Some people with COVID-19 are super-spreaderspassing on the disease to far more than three others, whether because they are careless, or unaware they're infected, or both.

Taking those uncertainties into account, scientists estimated that 60% to 70% of people needed to be immune before the virus could be contained.

Then in December, a new wrinkle emerged: a variant of the coronavirus that seemed to spread more rapidly.

The British variant

Viruses mutate a tiny bit every time they copy themselves in order to spread from cell to cell. In the vast majority of cases, these random changes have no effect on how well a microbe spreads. Or they have a negative effect, causing a particular lineage to die out.

When a new variant started to spread rapidly in Great Britain, researchers said it could be the result of something called a founder effectmeaning that version of the virus gained traction simply because it happened to be the one carried by a person who exposed lots of other people, not because of some change in the virus itself.

But mounting evidence suggests that mutations in the virus, not human behavior, are somehow enabling the faster spread, said Drew University's Barker, who studies the biology of the immune system.

A key indicator is that every time the variant arrives in a new location, it seems to spread just as rapidly as it has in the United Kingdom, Barker said.

"The odds would be against having it be a founder effect or some behavioral issue in each new country, where we know the restrictions and the behaviors are so different," she said.

Pennsylvania health officials said Thursday that the new variant, dubbed B.1.1.7, had been identified in a Dauphin County resident who apparently became infected while abroad. Meanwhile, another fast-spreading variant has been identified in South Africa.

It remains unclear just how much faster these new strains can spread, or exactly which genetic changes are to blame, Barker said. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has estimated that the threshold for herd immunity from COVID may now be above 80%.

If there's any good news, neither set of mutations in the new variants is thought to be significant enough that the vaccines will no longer work. And neither version of the virus seems to make people more sick.

But the health consequences of COVID-19 were bad enough to begin with. If the same fraction of infected people become seriously ill, then an increase in overall infections means more people end up in hospitals, and more people die.

"All this means to me," Barker said, "is that we have a lot less room for error in all of the interventions that we're doing."

So how close are we?

One challenge in measuring the spread of the coronavirus is the fact that many people have mild symptoms or none at all, and never undergo the nasal-swab tests that detect a current infection. Scientists have tried to get past that roadblock with a different test: measuring blood samples for the presence of antibodies, which can remain in the blood for months after an infection.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has undertaken several such studies, including one in Pennsylvania, testing samples from people who get their blood drawn for various reasons at commercial labs.

This month, scientists at the drug companies Pfizer and Merck analyzed these studies and others to conclude that, as of mid-November, 47 million Americans14% of the populationhad antibodies to the virus. That finding, published in JAMA Network Open, represents more than four times the official case count of 11 million by that point.

But the analysis has limitations, said Rudolph, an associate professor of epidemiology at Temple's College of Public Health, who was not involved in the study.

Among other issues, the people whose antibody levels were measured might not be representative of the general population in some way. They might have gotten their blood drawn because of an underlying health issue that made them more susceptible to infection. Or maybe they were more liable to take precautions, meaning they could be less likely to have been infected with the virus, Rudolph said.

"The biases can go in either way," she said.

The study authors acknowledged these limitations and others, and said their 14% figure represented an estimate, ranging from below 12% to above 18%.

Boni, the Penn State biologist, said 14% was at least in the ballpark. And since then, cases have surged.

If the rate of undetected cases remains several times higher than the official case count, that could mean the U.S. is approaching 60 or 70 million infectionsperhaps 20% of the population, though it varies from state to state.

Pennsylvania is likely close to that level of infection, and with a continued post-holiday surge, seems poised to hit 28% by the end of January, said Boni, who has analyzed state data.

A grim forecast, for sure. But at the same time, the rate of vaccinations is picking up, contributing to herd immunity in a safe fashion.

A good target would be to vaccinate 10% of the population each month, he said. That would mean 38% protection (28% plus 10%) by the end of January, and maybe more than 50% immunity by the end of February.

"Now March looks good," he said. "And if March looks good, April looks really good," with some aspects of life starting to seem "close to normal."

That's if all goes well. But the vaccines are not 100% effective. And it is unclear how long immunity lasts, though a recent study led by the La Jolla Institute for Immunology found that after infection, various defenses in the immune system retained their "memory" of the virus for up to eight months.

It is, in effect, a race against time, Boni said. The more illness we wish to prevent, the faster we should make sure every pharmacy and clinic is supplied with syringes.

"We have to keep vaccinating," he said. "We don't have any alternative."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The book consisting of 7 essays, 6 of which are written by Prof. V. Suryanarayan elaborates on the plight of refugees tracing the historical, social and political origins of the conflict in the island nation to the contemporary challenges that they face.

The end lines of the book Sri Lankan Refugee Crisis: Perspectives from Chennai is a poem by Benjamin Zephaniah that captures the essence of what the book tries to convey.

We can all be refugees

Nobody is safe,

All it takes is a mad leader

Or no rain to bring forth food,

We can all be refugees

We can all be told to go,

We can be hated by someone

For being someone

The book consisting of 7 essays, 6 of which are written by Prof. V. Suryanarayan elaborates on the plight of refugees tracing the historical, social and political origins of the conflict in the island nation to the contemporary challenges that they face.

This book was released at a time during the shrill debates surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act that was happening across the country. While the opposition political parties opposed it on the pretext of excluding Muslims from the Act, political parties from Tamil Nadu opposed the bill primarily for the reason of excluding Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka.

A solution to this 3 decade old problem should attempt to effect a life change for these people, who came to Tamil Nadu as refugees and stayed inside and outside of camps. For this, the issue has to been seen not just as a political issue central to Tamil Nadu politics but also Indian foreign policy.

These seven chapters in the book will definitely be very insightful and useful for the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu to work together and formulate a policy based on the Constitution of India, the political context of Tamil Nadu, and the Indo-Sri Lankan foreign policy.

There is no doubt that the impact of these articles will be greater on the Government of India working with the Government of Tamil Nadu to implement solutions to the problems, especially as Prof. Suriyanarayan in his article on Sri Lanka-India Relations puts forward the notion of R2P: Responsibility to Protect.

Prof. Suryanarayan's views that come in these articles are based on his extensive research work in this area and incorporate historical events, international policy requirements and people's rights.

He makes a strong case for the inclusion of the Tamil refugees in the Citizenship Amendment Act, while aptly highlighting the plight that the refugees are voiceless people living amidst fear and optimism.

Prof. Suryanarayan in the chapter titled Sri Lanka  Not a Theocracy? highlight the fact that Sri Lanka is theocratic state just like the three Islamic neighbours of India where Tamils are not placed on an equal pedestal, thus making the Tamils who had come to India as refugees as religiously persecuted people.

However, the sixth chapter named Why were the refugees from Sri Lanka excluded from Citizenship Amendment Act? written by Pradeep Gunasekaran, S. Kaushik and S.G. Suryah sheds light on the legal and constitutional nuances of including them as part of the bill and how it would mete out injustice to the true cause of the refugees  repatriation and reconciliation.

As rightly pointed out by Suryah, Pradeep Gunasekaran and Kaushik in their chapter, politicians, especially MPs and MLAs should understand the real aspirations of the people and not resort to posturing.

They make it very clear that the Central Government's circular dated 21 November 2007 should be withdrawn for the refugees to get citizenship which they can get even without being including as part of the CAA 2019.

There is no doubt that this effort to come out with a policy brief will bring about positive changes that will promote human dignity and human rights, especially the rights of refugees.

Rarely do we see rich and insightful policy briefs produced from this part of the country and the fact that Tamilagam Research Foundation has made an effort to bring out such policy briefs for steering a well-informed public discourse is truly appreciable.

Disclaimer: No Deccan Chronicle journalist was involved in creating this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

After that, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Pence will have 24 hours to respond. Next, the House would proceed to voting on impeachment, similar to a criminal indictment. A vote could come Wednesday and, if approved, would be sent to the Senate, which serves as a jury to decide whether hes guilty. A trial isnt likely until after Trump exits office. But if the U.S. Senate convicts him, he could be barred from running for federal office again.
In a recent medRxiv* research paper, the US scientists examined the effects of non-synonymous mutations in the circulating B.1.1.7 strain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on linear antibody epitope signal for viral spike glycoprotein and nucleoprotein  and demonstrated that mutations should not result in immune evasion.

Akin to all other viruses that undergo natural mutation process over time, SARS-CoV-2 made the international scientific community gravely concerned with the spread of a novel, more infectious variant of this agent that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Also known as B.1.1.7 strain, its non-synonymous mutations are specified by six mutations and two deletions in the spike glycoprotein (which is a primary vaccine target), two mutations, and an early stop codon in non-structural protein 8, as well as two mutations in the viral nucleoprotein.

Consequently, its circulation within the UK has raised public concerns as the potential for reinfection was discussed. Also, vaccine efficacy came into question due to conceivable evasion from antibody recognition. The pertinent question now is: how likely is a latter scenario?

In this study, a research group led by Dr. Winston A. Haynes from Serimmune, Inc. in Goleta (California, United States) examined both wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the B.1.1.7 variant in order to appraise whether the mutations found in the B.1.1.7 variant make existing antibodies unable to bind to their respective viral targets.

Linear epitope signal in COVID-19 patients for B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2. We used PIWAS analysis to examine linear epitope signal against B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 in 579 COVID patients. For (A) spike glycoprotein and (B) nucleoprotein, we performed PIWAS tiling against both wild type (purple) and B.1.1.7 (orange) SARS-CoV-2. Regions outside of the variant region are tiled against the wild-type protein and are marked as identical (grey). Dominant SARSCoV- 2 epitopes identified in Haynes, Kamath, Bozekowski, et al4. are shown with red bars. PIWAS antigen score highlights individuals where the signal changed (green) or decreased by at least 3 (blue) as a result of the strain variants. For each epitope, we show the percentage of outliers (dashed line, PIWAS score > 99th percentile of the pre-pandemic control population) for the wild type and B.1.1.7 mutant. (C) We show non-structural protein 8 PIWAS antigen scores for the wild type SARS-CoV-2 strain relative to the 99th percentile in the pre-pandemic control population.

Appraising mutations and epitope signals

A high throughput, random bacterial peptide display method known as serum epitope repertoire analysis (SERA) was applied to enable the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and high-resolution mapping of viral epitopes across any arbitrary proteome.

More specifically, the researchers aimed to appraise whether non-synonymous mutations found in the B.1.1.7 strain can halt binding by antibodies generated during natural infection with the existing, wild-type SARS-CoV-2. For that purpose, they have performed SERA on 579 COVID-19 patients (collected before the emergence of the aforementioned mutated strain).

They have acquired a set of synthetic oligosaccharides known as 12mers for each patient, which basically represent the patient's antibody epitope binding specificities. By employing protein-based immunome wide association studies (PIWAS), the researchers tiled COVID-19 patient SERA data against both the B.1.1.7 and the wild type SARS-CoV-2 proteome in a computer model.

At the antigen level, the obtained peak wild-type and peak mutant PIWAS values were compared to pinpoint individuals with decreased epitope signal at the antigen level. In a nutshell, they have compared PIWAS antigen scores for the same proteins and variants.

Limited changes in comparison to the original strain

This study showed that the mutations reduced signal substantially in only 0.5 percent of the population at the antigen level. Albeit some epitope mutations can diminish measured signal in up to 6 percent of the population, these are not the dominant epitopes for their antigens.

Changes conferred by mutations resulted in only two individuals (i.e., 0.3 percent of the population) having a considerable reduction in PIWAS antigen scores, reflecting the peak epitope signal across the entire antigen. Basically, COVID-19 patients had limited changes in epitope signal on the B.1.1.7 strain when compared to the original strain.

And although the early stop codon in accessory or non-structural protein 8 of the SARS-CoV-2, an ORF8 gene product  resulted in the most decreased signals, antibodies to non-structural protein 8 are not likely to play an important role in a protective response.

No loss of vaccine efficacy

"Our data suggest that the mutations seen in the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 would not result in loss of dominant antibody responses to linear spike glycoprotein and nucleoprotein epitopes in the vast majority of our cohort's COVID patients", say study authors in this medRxiv paper.

Since PIWAS can detect linear epitope signals, further assays are necessary to evaluate structural evasion of the immune response. In particular, the infamous mutation P681H is found just upstream of the furin cleavage site, which is actually a hotspot for epitope signal.

However, as mRNA vaccines include intact spike sequences (like those circulating in naturally infected individuals), and naturally infected indeed show a durable immune response, there is currently no evidence to suggest that the existing vaccines will not be effective against B.1.1.7. In the meantime, the situation has to be continuously monitored.

*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.

The federal government on Tuesday changed its recommendations on vaccines and asked states to start vaccinating people age 65 and over as well as younger people who have underlying conditions that put them at higher risk for a negative outcome should they get the virus.

The government also said it would speed up vaccine delivery by sending more doses and not holding back doses in reserve for second shots.

We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told ABCs Good Morning America. So everything is now available to our states and our health care providers.

But its not yet clear what this will mean for the millions who are waiting for vaccines in New Jersey.

It is under consideration and more information will be forthcoming, said Health Department spokeswoman Donna Leusner. A full list of categories eligible under 1b will be forthcoming.

So far, the state has only given vaccines to those in the 1a category  health care workers, nursing home residents and staff  and to police and fire personnel, who are part of Phase 1b.

The states current plans say some or all groups in 1b would be next. That includes adults who are over age 75, other first responders, food service workers, educators, support staff and daycare workers, public transit workers and workers who support radio, print, internet and television news and media services, according to the states updated 188-page vaccination plan released in December. Other critical and essential workers are also included in 1b, the plan said.

The states Phase 1c would come next, including people between the ages of 16 and 64 with high-risk conditions and other adults aged 65 to 75. It was unclear if those people would be moved to the 1b category or if this category would open up at the same time.

The state said last week there are ongoing discussions to see who would get the vaccinations next.

Thats something that still needs to be discussed, said Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, medical advisor to the New Jersey COVID-19 response team and chairman of the states COVID Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), last week.

On Monday, New York state opened up eligibility ahead of the federal guidelines for those 65 and older and for others with underlying health conditions.

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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.
But it scrapped some rules in an apparent response to concerns voiced by Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian and Armenian businesspeople.

The government has continued to require people wear face masks in all public areas and kept in place social distancing and hygiene rules set for businesses even after lifting a coronavirus-related state of emergency and introducing a nationwide quarantine regime in September.

The less stringent regime was due to expire on Monday. The Ministry of Health asked the government late last month to extend it until July 11, citing the continuing large number of coronavirus cases in Armenia.

Kerobian criticized the request last week, saying that the restrictions would hurt the Armenian economy hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Some business associations as well as dozens of private firms echoed his concerns.

The government sided with the Ministry of Health while making what appear to be concessions to the critics. In particular, it lifted restrictions on indoor and outdoor festive events. Those include a ban on restaurant parties attended by more than 60 people.

The government also allowed foreign nationals to enter Armenia through its land border crossings and not just by air. But those travellers will have to produce documents showing that they tested negative for the coronavirus up to three days ago or to self-isolate and take such tests in Armenia.

The Armenian authorities largely stopped fining people and businesses to enforce the anti-epidemic rules following the September 27 outbreak of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The daily number of new COVID-19 cases reported by them grew rapidly as a result. But it has been steadily falling since mid-November.

According to the Ministry of Health, there were 8,782 active cases in Armenia as of Monday morning, sharply down from 22,850 cases reported on December 1.

More than 162,000 coronavirus infections and at least 2,931 deaths caused by them have been officially confirmed in the country of about 3 million to date. The real number of cases is believed to be much higher.
An Indian restaurant in the UK launched a samosa into space. Unbelievable, but true!

Chai Walla, a popular and top-ranked restaurant in Bath, UK, set out on a space mission and was successful in just three tries.

Niraj Gadher, the owner of the Chai Walla eatery, said he wanted to spread some cheer in his area, so he came up with this strange yet exciting mission of sending a samosa into space, according to news website UPI.

"I said as a joke once that I would send a samosa into space, and then I thought during this bleak times we could all use a reason to laugh," Mr Gadher told Somerset Live.

 iStock

The restaurant took the help of helium balloons to launch the famous Indian street delicacy into space. It took three attempts to get it right.



With a mission unheard of like this one, glitches were inevitable. With the first attempt, the helium balloons slipped from his hands. "The second time we didn't have enough helium, but we got there on the third time," he said after two failed attempts.

The restaurant successfully managed to send a samosa into space for a brief while before it crash-landed in France.

There is a video circulating on the internet that shows Mr Gadher and his friends launching the samosa into space after fastening it to a weather balloon with a GoPro camera and a GPS tracker to track its progress.

The restaurant launched the samosa and tracked its progress.

In terms of the samosa's journey, the GPS initially malfunctioned when the balloon rose high up in space. Incidentally, the next day it descended down and it was revealed that the samosa had crash-landed in France.

This then led to an area-wide hunt for the samosa in the region where it had landed. Instagram user by the name of Axel Mathon found the samosa in a field in Picardie.

"Really until I got here, I couldn't believe it," he told a local news website. "And actually when I looked up I saw the burst helium balloon in the trees. and I found this polystyrene box well packed. It was a bit like a treasure hunt, I thought it was crazy!"

Clearly, a samosa's journey to space was enough to get everyone together.

Total destruction of our democracy was averted on Jan. 6 as a seditious, mostly White mob failed to take hostages or destroy the Senates electoral confirmation process. President Donald Trump, the Terrorist-in-Chief, incited the rabble to violence.

The mob easily overcame the Capitol Police, who were remarkably unprepared for the assault.

Later, the mob exited the Capitol building without being detained. As many have pointed out, imagine the different reaction if those people storming the Capitol had been black?

But take racial hatred out of the equation. Imagine a scenario where the terrorists who incited the violence and stormed the Capitol building with the intention to take hostages had been from Iran or Chechnya? What would the reactions of police, the politicians, and the public in that case? Might we go to war over such an outrage?

Because that is what happened on Jan. 6, apart from the attackers not being from Iran or Chechnya. A horde of terrorists bent on violence and mayhem attacked the ultimate symbol and soul of American democracy  the U.S. Capitol  with the intent of overturning a democratic election and installing, or re-installing, an illegitimate President.
Ottawa, Jan 12 : Navdeep Bains, Canada's Industry Minister and senior-most among the four ministers of Indian origin in the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, suddenly resigned on Tuesday, citing family grounds for his decision.

Bains, 43, who is very close to the Prime Minister and was instrumental in winning many seats for his Liberal Party from the so-called 905 region of the Greater Toronto Area in the last federal elections in 2019, said he was stepping down to spend time with his daughters.

He said he hadn't spent any time with his eldest daughter, who is currently in Grade 8 and would soon be gone to university.

Bains said his elder daughter told him during the summer holidays that if he stayed in politics and spent another four years in the Cabinet, he won't be able to spend any time with her during her childhood.

He said his daughter's words "struck a chord with me".

"I came to this realisation with my wife that I've got this small window of opportunity to spend time with my girls," said Bains who is father to two girls.

Prime Minister Trudeau thanked Bains, saying that he "has been an integral part of our team. He's worked tirelessly to create more opportunities for Canadians and will be missed at the Cabinet table. Nav, thank you for your friendship and everything you've done to help build a better Canada".

Bains said he would campaign for the party in the next elections whenever these are held.

With his departure, Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan becomes the senior-most Indo-Canadian minister in Canada.
Goel, a partner in Noida-based firm which shot to fame in 2017 after announcing smartphones at Rs 251 apiece, was arrested in 2018 in connection with an extortion case

Noida: The Noida Police has arrested two officials of a consumer goods import-export company accused of dumping billions of rupees from thousands of people across the country by tricking suppliers, officials said on Monday.

Those held have been identified as Mohit Goel and Omprakash Jangid. Goel was also a partner in Noida-based Ringing Bells company which had shot to fame in 2017 after it announced smartphones for Rs 251 only apiece, the officials said.

Goel, in his thirties, was arrested by the Delhi Police in 2018 in connection with an extortion case, they added.

The Noida Police has impounded two cars, including an Audi, from the accused men who were held for fraud on Sunday by officials of Sector 58 police station.

The company, Dubai Dry Fruits and Spices Hub', had a frontal business of import and export of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) with a plush corporate office in the industrial hub of Sector 62 in Noida.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Love Kumar said the company has duped money from several people and an FIR was lodged against it in December.

The company has fraud cases lodged against it in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and "some other" south Indian states, the officer said.

A Noida Police statement pegged the fraud amount running into "billions of rupees" and the number of persons duped by the company as "thousands".

"During the investigation, the Noida police team found two accused Mohit Goel and Omprakash Jaangid and arrested them," Kumar told reporters.

He said Goyal is the key person in the gang which primarily has five to six core members and several other associates, who are yet to be arrested.

This was the fourth such firm floated by the gang after the previous three got shut following criminal cases against them and arrest of gang members, he said.

On their modus operandi, Kumar said, the gang gets a company registered and deals in FMCG products like dry fruits, spices, lentils, rice, oil.

"They would procure goods from suppliers at rates higher than the normal market price initially and make timely payment, in a bid to make a good impression on their target. They would later place bulk orders and make 30 to 40 percent of payment in advance, further assuring suppliers of their credibility," he said.

However, the remaining payment would be made in post-dated cheques which would bounce at the bank, he said adding the commodities bought from suppliers would then be sold in the open market by the gang at low rates.

"So basically, they would buy genuine goods from suppliers officially at higher rates but not pay the full money in return and sold the goods in the open market in cash and make money there," Kumar said.

He said the gang first dabbled in this fraud in 2018 when it registered a company in Gurgaon and allegedly made money fraudulently. Later an FIR was lodged against the company there and some of the gang members were sent to jail.

They again formed a company in the name of Shri Shyam Traders and the same thing happened. An FIR was lodged, some gang members were sent to jail and the company was shut, he said.

The third firm they floated was in Noida which dealt in Ayurvedic products but again duped people and got shut in a similar manner and Dubai Dry Fruits was their fourth company, Kumar said.

"Complaints of fraud against Dubai Dry Fruits have been made by people hailing from not only Uttar Pradesh but Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and some other south Indian states where FIRs are lodged against it," the additional CP said.

"Others associated with this racket will be arrested soon," he added.

Kumar said the Noida Police are seized around two dozen cases across states against the firm so far but are getting more information from their counterparts in other states now about the whole nexus as it is unfolding.

The police have seized 60 kgs of dry fruits, three mobile phones, some electronic items, and documents from the accused persons and impounded an Audi and a Toyota Innova from them, according to a statement.
Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Aurora Borealis

Take a front row tent at Earth's greatest light show

Head north at the right time of year and you are in for a light show like no other. But what's so special about the Aurora Borealis? And how can you can see the Northern Lights for yourself?

Aurora Borealis at a glance:

Occurs roughly 60 miles above the surface of the earth - commercial planes typically fly at up to 7 miles high

The Northern Lights can be observed as far south as Scotland under the right conditions

The earliest known record of the Aurora Borealis dates back to 567 BC.

What makes the Aurora Borealis a natural wonder?

Aurora Borealis has left admirers in awe for thousands of years. The lightshow is created by collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. While this happens all across the globe, the earth's magnetic field is weakest in the polar regions and the phenomenon is most visible in the Artic and Antarctic.

Aurora Borealis in film and TV

The Aurora Borealis plays an important role in 2007's The Golden Compass. The film, starring Daniel Craig, is based on the popular children's novel Northern Lights, and features the natural wonder as a portal to an alternate universe. Philip Pullman's stories build on ancient traditions which viewed the lightshow as a kind of omen or message about the future. However, the author doesn't share the same idea as tribes on Nunivak Island near Alaska, who once believed the lights were the spirits of walruses playing with the skulls of unfortunate humans.

How can tourists enjoy the Aurora Borealis?

You can enjoy the Aurora Borealis from Iceland, Greenland and other North European countries, but it's Canada that offers the best opportunity to see the natural light display. Yellowknife, the Northwest Territories capital, boasts more viewing nights than any other location and makes the unofficial claim to be the 'aurora capital of the world'. Here, visitors can settle for the night in a tepee in an Aboriginal-owned village under the stars. Or enjoy a more luxurious experience at the nearby Blachford Lake, lined with eco-lodges complete with hot tubs.

What else is there to see and do in Canada?

Although Canada is home to 80-90% of all accessible land under the Aurora Oval there's plenty to see and do away from the natural wonder. 'The Rockies' are an adrenaline-junkie's dream and littered with opportunities to enjoy white water rafting, snowboarding and other high octane pursuits. Then there are the cities. Toronto delivers all the excitement you'd expect from a North American metropolis and it's situated just a two-hour drive away from Niagara Falls.

Head for the North Pole with your policy sorted

At World First we provide worldwide travel insurance, so you can enjoy the lightshow with total peace of mind.

AN apprentice plumber "swung his fists" and shouted obscenities when gardai arrived at the scene of a street fight in central Dublin.

Liam Donnelly (23) also ran from officers before he was caught and arrested.

Judge Bryan Smyth fined him 300 when he admitted public order offences.

Donnelly, of Kippure Park in Finglas, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and garda obstruction.

Dublin District Court heard gardai were called to Strand Street Great, Dublin 1 on September 8, 2019.

They were told there was a fight going on and when they arrived, the accused was at the scene acting in a very threatening manner, a garda said.

He was shouting obscenities, saying "f**k you" and "f**k off," and swinging his fists. He then fled but was stopped after a short foot chase and arrested.

Donnelly had taken too much alcohol on the night and "can't even remember" what happened, his solicitor said.

Convictions for public order offences would have "serious consequences for his livelihood and future", he added.

The judge fined the accused on the obstruction charge and took the other into consideration.





Jan. 12, 2021

A Huron County man who crashed his snowmobile in Chippewa County earlier this month died Jan. 8 at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

Richard David Dufty, 55, of Cassville succumbed to injuries he suffered in the Jan. 2 crash along Snowmobile Trail UP 472 (Bobby Gay Truck Trail), in the Hiawatha National Forest, northeast of Trout Lake.

Dufty was riding a 2017 Ski-Doo MXZ XRS 800 E-tec snowmobile within a group of six riders traveling west on the trail.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Mike Olesen and Sgt. Calvin Smith were dispatched to the crash site at 3:35 p.m. EST.

Investigation showed Dufty had passed the other riders in the group at a high rate of speed. When they caught up, they saw a snow cloud in the air at the spot where Duftys sled left the trail.

Olesen said Duftys sled gradually went off the righthand side of the trail, traveling on a slight corner. Toxicology reports indicated alcohol was a factor in the accident.

Duftys snowmobile hit several trees alongside the trail before the snowmobile flipped end over end and Dufty was ejected.

Dufty, with attending EMS personnel, was transported in the back of Sgt. Smiths DNR patrol vehicle from the crash site along the trail to a waiting ambulance.

After forecasted poor weather conditions prevented air transport to Petoskey, Dufty was taken to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital by Mackinac Straits EMS personnel. On Jan. 3, Dufty was transferred to the hospital in Royal Oak.

Additional agencies assisting at the scene of the crash included the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office and Michigan State Police.

Including Dufty, four snowmobilers have died from snowmobile crashes in Michigan this winter. Three of the four crashes have occurred in the Upper Peninsula. Last winter, the DNR logged a total of 14 snowmobile fatalities, 10 of which occurred in the U.P.

Conservation officers remind snowmobilers to ride safely, including traveling at safe speeds, not drinking and driving and staying on the right side of the trail.

For more information on snowmobile safety, visit Michigan.gov/RideRight. To learn more about snowmobiling in Michigan visit Michigan.gov/Snowmobiling.
LeggUP partners with Morneau Shepell Through our strategic partnership with Morneau Shepell, well connect a diverse group of mental health professionals with people in need through the consumer grade AbilitiCBT digital platform.

LeggUP announced today the expansion of its network of professionals to support the delivery of Morneau Shepells internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy solution, AbilitiCBT, across the United States. LeggUPs core technology supports the recruitment, onboarding and training of custom provider networks for global enterprises.

This partnership is part of Morneau Shepells roadmap to continue expanding upon its digital mental health services throughout North America. LeggUP was selected for its track record in building global networks of providers with proven results and its commitment to expanding access to quality mental health care to as many Americans as possible.

Morneau Shepells monthly Mental Health Index reports have continued to show a trend of declining mental health for Canadians, with findings showing that the strained mental health of Americans may be here for the long term.

Existing mental health options in the United States should be driven by technology and clinical adherence. Through our strategic partnership with Morneau Shepell, well connect a diverse group of mental health professionals with people in need through the consumer grade AbilitiCBT digital platform, explained Tom Finn, Co-Founder and CEO of LeggUP.

Morneau Shepells AbilitiCBT solution currently includes programs for generalized anxiety, anxiety related to a pandemic, depression, pain management and insomnia, and will soon expand with new programs for trauma, grief and loss and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as additional content for panic disorder and social anxiety. AbilitiCBT is guided by a professional therapist through a digital platform accessible anywhere. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective forms of therapy. It works by helping individuals understand and change the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are causing problems. AbilitiCBT combines the convenience of virtual access with the same benefits of in-person therapy to provide meaningful mental health support to people struggling with mental health challenges.

Over the past few months alone, we have provided support to tens of thousands of individuals through AbilitiCBT. Our partnership with LeggUP will allow us to efficiently reach a greater portion of those who need the type of clinically effective support our solution can deliver, anytime, anywhere, from any device, said Nigel Branker, president, health and productivity solutions for Morneau Shepell.

About LeggUP

LeggUP is the career health platform that delivers evidence-based employee experiences to build career success and improve the mental health of employees through our personalized programs. LeggUP seamlessly integrates expert career health providers, science-backed assessments and self-paced development to positively impact the productivity and wellbeing of employees through 1-on-1 personal engagements. LeggUPs integrated approach equips enterprises with mental health solutions that build resilient organizations in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. For more information, visit leggup.com.

About Morneau Shepell

Morneau Shepell is a leading provider of technology-enabled HR services that deliver an integrated approach to employee wellbeing through our cloud-based platform. Our focus is providing world-class solutions to our clients to support the mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing of their people. By improving lives, we improve business. Our approach spans services in employee and family assistance, health and wellness, recognition, pension and benefits administration, retirement consulting, actuarial and investment services. Morneau Shepell employs approximately 6,000 employees who work with some 24,000 client organizations that use our services in 162 countries. For more information, visit http://www.morneaushepell.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.
Up to 40 asylum seekers living at Britain's first migrant camp in Kent went on hunger strike and are sleeping outdoors in protest at conditions inside.

Many migrants gathered outside the barbed wire-topped fence at Napier Barracks in Folkestone at around 1pm chanting 'freedom!' and waving banners.

There have been reports of suicide attempts within the Ministry of Defence-owned army barracks, where asylum seekers have been held for months.

Several dozen people stood outside the gates of the military facility to demonstrate over conditions inside and social distancing concerns.

One man attempted to take his own life on Friday as he was 'unable to cope with the conditions there any more', according to migrant charity Care4Calais.

Charity founder Clare Moseley called conditions 'cramped and unsafe', adding: 'Asylum seekers have fled terrifying dangers, wars and persecution, they need support and protection, instead our Government is treating them with cruelty.'

Asylum seekers currently held inside Napier Barracks staged a protest outside the entrance to the barracks with banners and signs to demonstrate about the poor living conditions

Many migrants gathered outside the barbed wire-topped fence at Napier Barracks in Folkestone at around 1pm chanting 'freedom!' and waving banners

There have been reports of suicide attempts within the Ministry of Defence-owned army barracks, where asylum seekers have been held for months

Handout photo issued by Care4Calais of asylum seekers conducting a sleep out overnight

Around 10 police officers were also present outside the entrance as the protest went on, though no arrests have been made.

A group of five migrants slept outside their multi-occupancy housing blocks that night in sub-zero temperatures as part of their demands for better living conditions.

They have claimed that they will continue to do so until things improve, despite the bitter winter winds dropping to -2C.

Napier Barracks is one of two Ministry of Defence sites being used to house asylum seekers which were loaned to the Home Office last year.

The Government had struggled to house the thousands of people who crossed the English Channel in small boats during 2020.

Napier Barracks was designated to house about 400 asylum seekers - more than any other Home Office 'initial accommodation site'.

Controversy over the use of a military facility to house vulnerable people has persisted and the Home Office has also faced accusations that it is 'trying to gag' volunteers visiting the site using the Official Secrets Act.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

Ms Moseley of Care4Calais added: 'Morale is low. This is not the first time this [attempted suicide] has happened and we fear it will not be the last.

Hunger strikers demanded 'basic human rights' and a move to 'safe' accommodation, with one migrant admitting that he feared catching Covid-19

Several dozen people stood outside the gates of the military facility to demonstrate over conditions inside and social distancing concerns

Asylum seekers currently held inside Napier Barracks staged a protest outside the entrance to the barracks with banners and signs to demonstrate about the poor living conditions

'They feel that they have no other way for their voices to be heard. They are frustrated and exhausted, having spent months being told by the barracks managers that they will be moved to more suitable accommodation.

'At the barracks, the men are isolated and cut off from vital support - most experience a severe decline in their mental health.

'This type of accommodation is entirely inappropriate for people who may have suffered through human trafficking, torture and imprisonment.

'They are surrounded by barbed wire fencing; the military or detention environment re-traumatises those living there and they struggle to keep going.

'Asylum seekers are some of the most resilient people we know.'

The charity has set up a fundraising page which has received more than 2,500 in donations to buy coats, hats and gloves for the migrants.

Hunger strikers demanded 'basic human rights' and a move to 'safe' accommodation, with one migrant admitting that he feared catching Covid-19.

One man attempted to take his own life on Friday as he was 'unable to cope with the conditions there any more', according to migrant charity Care4Calais

Handout photo issued by Care4Calais of asylum seekers conducting a sleep out overnight

A row of beds at the former disused barracks in Folkestone, Kent, that houses asylum seekers

Some residents have symptoms and are in isolation inside the military facility, the man - who asked to remain anonymous - said.

He told the Morning Star: 'The main demand is to move us to a safe place.

'We feel that we are arrested like criminals and we feel like we are all isolated from the community. We are not able to do anything, just waiting for a decision from the Home Office, and there's no response.

'Some [people have been] waiting for four months and there is no news, just eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping, and it makes a very negative impact on us.

'We cannot think, we do not know what will happen, we don't know the future. We are calling on the people to try and raise our voices to the government for the basic human rights.'

Healthcare organisations are concerned about the deteriorating mental health of some residents during their stay.

Jennifer Blair, co-head of legal protection at the Helen Bamber Foundation which works with survivors of torture, human trafficking and extreme abuse, said: 'We anticipate that the longer people are living on the site, the worse the impact on them may be.

'When people first arrived in the camps, they were told they would be moved on in four weeks.

'Instead, there is no move-on plan for many residents and the impact of indefinite placement in these harsh conditions is severe, particularly when considering these cold winter months and the global pandemic.

'Survivors of torture and human trafficking have been stripped of their autonomy in the past and so being kept in a military site surrounded by barbed wire can be retraumatising.'
Barn destroyed by Wednesday morning fire

Fire destroyed a barn about five miles southeast of Watertown Wednesday, according to a report from Watertown Fire Rescue.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
Gorillas sit after two of their troop tested positive for COVID-19 after falling ill, and a third gorilla appears also to be symptomatic, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in San Diego, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2021. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Global/Handout via Reuters)

San Diego Zoo Gorillas Test Positive for COVID-19, First Known Case Confirmed in Apes

Two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19, the zoo announced, marking it the first known such cases confirmed in apes.

San Diego Zoo Global announced that two gorillas at its San Diego Zoo Safari Park began coughing on Jan. 6, and that it began the process of testing fecal samples from the gorillas through the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CA HFS).

Preliminary tests found the presence of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, in the gorilla troop. The positive results were confirmed on Monday by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The test results confirm the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in some of the gorillas and does not definitively rule out the presence of the virus in other members of the troop, it said.

The zoo said it suspected that the gorillas acquired the infection from an asymptomatic staff member, despite the staffer having adhered to all COVID-19 recommended precautions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and San Diego County Public Health, which included wearing personal protective equipment around the gorillas.

Aside from some congestion and coughing, the gorillas are doing well, Lisa Peterson, San Diego Zoo Safari Parks executive director, said in a statement. The troop remains quarantined together and are eating and drinking. We are hopeful for a full recovery.

For almost one year our team members have been working tirelessly, with the utmost determination to protect each other and the wildlife in our care from this highly contagious virus, she added. The safety of our staff and the wildlife in our care remains our number one priority.

In an update on the CCP virus for California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that it is unclear whether the virus was transmitted between animals, or from humans, and that the matter was under investigation.

The CCP virus has also been found in a number of other wild-animal species in captivity, including several lions and tigers at the Bronx Zoo in New York and four lions at the Barcelona Zoo in Spain.

But the gorillas in San Diego are believed to mark the first known case of infections confirmed in apes. The virus also has shown up in a number of household dogs and cats.

Last month, the USDA said it had confirmed the first known case of the coronavirus in an animal in the wild, a mink, following an outbreak among farmed minks that killed 15,000 of the animals.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Gina Verdibello is worried about how shell pay for the patches for her Girl Scouts Troop 12026. And how the troops annual Halloween party and the girls annual membership fees will be funded.

But its a small price to pay, the co-trooper leader says, for the stand her troop members are taking by boycotting the annual sale of the iconic Girl Scout cookies. When the roughly two dozen members of the troop learned the cookies are made with non-sustainable palm oil  much of it produced with child labor  they decided to join a boycott started by a girl scout from Tennessee.

There is no excuse for using child labor when you can pay legal adults to do the same work, said 15-year-old Lauren, one of the troop senior members. Children should be in classrooms and not working on plantations. Because of this myself and my troop have decided not to sell Girl Scout cookies this season, and every season until this wrong is made right!

An investigation by the Associated Press revealed that tens of thousands of children work alongside their parents in Indonesia and Malaysia harvesting palm kernels, earning little or no pay while routinely being exposed to toxic chemicals and other dangerous conditions. Some never go to school or learn to read and write.

Sitting out this fundraiser will cost the Jersey City troop more than $1,000 that would be used for troop activities, but Verdibello and troop co-leader Kellie Lewis dont mind. They said they are proud that the girls, who range in age from 10 to 15, made this commitment to right an injustice.

The girls saw a video from the Associated Press of a girl from Malaysia or Indonesia and they were very upset about it, said Verdibello. So we decided we wanted to make the troops, at least in our area, aware that we arent going to sell.

Its a learning lesson for my girls too because Girl Scouts is supposed to be about leaving the world a better place. And this is not good. Its like I cant go back. I cant sell cookies now. 

The Girl Scouts of USA, the national organization, did not initially respond to the AP reporting on the abuses, but after an onslaught of social media criticism, the organization sent out a tweet the next day calling on its bakers and the nonprofit oversight organization Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil to take action.

That was not good enough for Olivia Chaffin, the 14-year-old from Tennessee who started the boycott efforts. Her change.org petition has nearly 9,000 signatures. Its not good enough for Troop 12026 of Jersey City, either.

It is disturbing to find out that the one great organization is hurting so many young lives, said 14-year-old senior troop member Amelia. I wish that I could help these children, some even my age, by not selling cookies this year.

When Troop 12026 reached out to the national leadership, it received a vague response that made no promises to change the way the cookies are made. The state organization, Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, did not respond to a request for comment.

Verdibello says that as word has gotten out about the boycott, some residents have sent her donations to make up for the loss from the cookies sale.

We are not allowed to run donation drives at the same time as the cookies are sold, but people have been sending me donations on their own, Verdibello said. I have not solicited donations, but people have heard about the boycott and decided to support us.
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Market Highlights:

The Mortuary Equipment Market is mainly driven by the growing demand for technological updation and automation in mortuaries.Due to the unpleasant nature of the work involved in mortuaries, many mortuaries are opting for automated machines that can carry out the work of multiple human workers easily and with no fuss. Mortuary equipment developers have consequently come up with several new technological upgrades to make the job of mortuary technicians easier and more agreeable. The increasing demand for technological upgrades make mortuary work easier and more palatable is likely to be a major driver for the global mortuary equipment market over the forecast period.

The global mortuary equipment market is expected to exhibit a robust 6.48% CAGR over the forecast period from 2019 to 2024, according to the latest research report from Market Research Future (MRFR). The global mortuary equipment market is expected to reach a valuation of close to USD 1.3 billion by 2024.

Get a Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/8207

Mortuary equipment is a growing market in Asia Pacific, where awareness regarding mortuaries is relatively low. This is likely to be a major driver for the mortuary equipment market over the forecast period, as there is significant unmet potential in the market. Growing awareness about mortuaries and the increasing state expenditure to make mortuaries more technologically updated and modern are likely to be major drivers for the global mortuary equipment market over the forecast period.

Competitive Analysis:

Flexmort, Funeralia GmbH, EIHF Isofroid, Barber of Sheffield, Ferno-Washington Inc., Mopec Inc., Mortech Manufacturing Company Inc., HYGECO, Thermo Fisher Scientific, SM Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd., KUGEL Medical GmbH & Co. KG, and LEEC Limited.

Segmentation:

The global Mortuary Equipment Market is segmented by product type, end use, and region.

By product type, the global mortuary equipment market is segmented into refrigeration units, embalming workstations, dissection tables, autopsy platforms, cadaver lifts and trolleys, and others. The refrigeration units segment accounted for the largest share of USD 231.4 million in 2018 and is likely to remain the leading revenue generator over the forecast period.

By end use, the global mortuary equipment market is segmented into hospitals, academic institutes and research organizations, forensic laboratories, and others.

Regional Analysis:

The Americas is likely to remain the leading revenue generator in the global mortuary equipment market over the forecast period, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Widespread awareness about mortuary technology and equipment and the growing government assistance to the healthcare sector are likely to be the major drivers for the mortuary equipment market in the Americas over the forecast period. The growing geriatric population is also likely to drive the mortuary equipment market in the Americas, as the death rate is likely to rise in the coming years.

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Asia Pacific is likely to be an important regional market for mortuary equipment, due to the massive unmet demand in regions such as China and South Korea. Japan, China, South Korea, India, and Australia are the leading regional markets within the Asia Pacific mortuary equipment market and are likely to represent the strongest growth prospects over the forecast period due to the growing scope for the growth of the healthcare sector in the region. Increasing awareness about mortuaries has also led to a growing demand for mortuary equipment in Asia Pacific and is likely to remain a key driver over the forecast period.
UNODC Highlights Achievements of the Joint Global Initiative on Preventing Violent Extremism in Prisons

 Getty Images / xcarrot_007

Vienna (Austria), 12 January 2021  Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the joint global initiative on preventing violent extremism in prisons closed 2020 by taking stock of the projects many achievements throughout the year. Its main aim is to support Member States as they address the complex challenges of violent extremism in prisons.

The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre, in coordination with the United Nations Security Councils Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. In 2020, UNODC and its implementing partners continued supporting national officials in Kazakhstan, Tunisia and Uganda. They implemented 45 activities despite the pandemic, and demonstrated agility in adapting to public health orders.

From building more effective dynamic security and intelligence frameworks, to developing prisoner classification systems and creating a rehabilitative environment in prisons; the multiple initiatives built up the capacities of Member States in handling the threat of violent extremism in prisons.

Several country officials noted the significance of these activities across the domestic and international arenas. Among these were General Major Meyram Ayubayev, Deputy Chairperson of the Kazakhstan Prison Committee, who emphasized that dynamic security, or maintaining relationships of mutual respect and trust between staff and prisoners, is by far the best way of keeping prisons safe and secure, as well as encouraging prisoners to engage willingly in rehabilitation programmes.

In Tunisia, where a country work plan for assistance was endorsed, the Minister of Justice for Tunisia, the Honorable Mohamed Boussetta, noted that the signing of the global and national initiatives reflects the Tunisian Governments commitment to the global approach on preventing violent extremism.

Promoting governments ownership and sustainability were at the core of programme implementation throughout 2020. In Kazakhstan, UNODC worked alongside prison officials to establish a Prison Staff Training Centre on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in Prisons and built the capacity of national trainers to deliver courses on PVE. By the end of 2020, the Centre had well surpassed its annual goal of training 200 prison officers.

In Uganda, training modules on preventing violent extremism in prisons were developed and integrated into the Prison Academy and Training School basic curriculum, while building the skills of Ugandan prison trainers to deliver the courses.

In addition, prisoner classification frameworks were developed jointly with the prison authorities of Kazakhstan and Uganda, to differentiate prisoners who present different security, custody and treatment needs, that require different correctional management and intervention approaches.

The programme also supported COVID-19 preparedness and response by providing technical guidance, protective equipment and other supplies, to allow national prison administrations to perform their essential duties safely during the pandemic.

During 2020, UNODC and its implementing partners also worked closely to continue building strategic relationships. The programme supported national prison officials in engaging with civil society organizations, to better support the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners and establish local stakeholder networks for preventing and combating violent extremism. The programme promoted the critical role of rehabilitation and social reintegration of violent extremist prisoners during an event at the 2020 virtual edition of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week.

Highlighting the critical role prisons can play in ensuring public safety through the effective rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners back into society, UNODC Executive Director, Ms. Ghada Waly, has said that the COVID-19 crisis has put the spotlight on prison overcrowding, poor conditions and lack of resources, and the acute risks these deficiencies pose to 11 million people in prisons worldwide, and the health of all communities. We have a collective responsibility for prisoners humane treatment and social reintegration. And we need to value the work of prison staff, who deliver a social service that too often goes unrecognized.

On behalf of the European Union, Mr. Oliver Luyckx, Head of Unit for Security in the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) at the European Commission, noted that this important endeavour requires a multi-agency approach between prison and probation administrations, judicial authorities, police forces, local governments, social workers and other local actors, including local communities. In this field, UNODC is showing sustained dedication and leadership through our joint programme, implemented in Kazakhstan, Tunisia and Uganda.

Reflecting on the results of the programme implementation in Uganda, Dr. Johnson Omuhunde Rwashote Byabashaija, Commissioner General of the Uganda Prisons Service, underlined that the generous funding from the European Union, the Netherlands and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism contributed to the successful social reintegration of ex-prisoners through promoting access to justice and good prison management.

For an in-depth look at the 2020 achievements of the global joint initiative, view the video below:

Video
will receive the first consignment of over 4.33 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday from the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, the state government said.

The first flight carryingthe vaccine is expected to reach Kochi's Nedumbassery airport at 2 pm on Wednesday and by 6 pm, another set will reach the Thiruvananthapuram airport,sources said.

Health authorities have made all arrangements to receive the vaccines and dispatch them to the centres concerned.

Of the 4,33,500 lakh vaccine doses, 1,100 would be sent to Mahe, which is an enclave of Puducherry and lies between Kozhikode and Kannur districts, National Health Mission sources told PTI.

The vaccine will be stored in the Regional vaccine centres at Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikodefrom where it would be distributed to 133 centres across the state.

"Thiruvananthapuram will receive 1,34,000 doses of the vaccine, while Ernakulam and Kozhikode willreceive1,80,000 and 1,19.500 doses respectively," Health Minister KK Shailaja said in a release.

So far, 3,62,870 people have registered themselves for the vaccination,which will commence from January 16.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-11 23:51:19|Editor: huaxia

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A health worker receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Air Albania stadium in Tirana, Albania, Jan. 11, 2021. Ten months after the report of the first COVID-19 cases, Albania on Monday started to vaccinate its residents against the disease. Fifty health workers in the capital Tirana received their vaccinations on Monday. (Photo by Gent Onuzi/Xinhua)

TIRANA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ten months after the report of the first COVID-19 cases, Albania on Monday started to vaccinate its residents against the disease.

Fifty health workers in COVID-19 hospitals in the capital Tirana will receive the vaccine on Monday, Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu said at a press conference.

The vaccine will be free of charge and health workers in all four COVID-19 hospitals in Tirana and other regional hospitals will be the first to be offered the voluntary inoculation.

The first vaccination sites in the country are situated in the premises of Air Albania stadium in Tirana, which have been equipped with the specific requirements for vaccination.

Vaccination started around 3 p.m. local time and Prime Minister Edi Rama was among the first candidates to get the vaccine shot, as broadcasted live by the local media.

Prior to the vaccination, Rama told reporters that he would be one of the firsts to be vaccinated "only to give a clear message that the vaccine is not only safe, but is the only weapon to the invisible enemy."

A total of 975 doses have arrived in Albania from a European Union country, Rama said. Another 10,000 doses are expected to arrive in the country in the third week of January.

The government has secured 500,000 COVID-19 vaccines from the manufacturer Pfizer. The prime minister said currently the government is making efforts to reaching another vaccine agreement with AstraZeneca.

To date, Albania has reported a total number of 63,595 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 37,648 recoveries and 1,241 fatalities. Enditem
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Having one child with a rare, incurable and often misunderstood genetic disease is tough enough but Ann S. Woodbury has four children  and a husband  with myotonic dystrophy (Dystrophia Myotonica, DM), a disease that is characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. Ever since their diagnosis in 1998, Woodbury has been advocating for families like hers and educating physicians about the symptoms that can vary from individual to individual and affect multiple organs.

Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy Ann S. Woodbury

Woodbury, who for many years helmed a statewide support group in Utah for people with DM, has just released a new book, Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy, to bring greater awareness of the devastating disease to the public and health professionals.

In the book's foreword, Jacinda Sampson, M.D., Ph.D., who treated the family, wrote about the disease that strikes one in 2,100 Americans: "DM is more than a muscle disease, it has implications for the whole body and affects every individual differently  from the floppy (hypotonic) infant to the unsuspecting grandparent. I learned that DM is often quite devastating, not only because it affects the functions of so many organs and systems in the human body, but also because many people who have this disease can live with it and go undiagnosed with it for years. Some estimate that as many as 50% of those with this disease remain undiagnosed instead of being treated for the disease."

In an interview, Woodbury can discuss:

The range of symptoms patients exhibit and the organs it affects

How before their diagnoses her children's symptoms alienated her from her church and community

Tips for caregivers and what it means to "take care of yourself"

Why we should all be mindful of interacting with people whose behavior seems "different"

Praise for Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy

"In Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy, Ann S. Woodbury describes very well the presence and impact of the features of DM. These features include sleepiness, cognitive impairment and apathy. Information and practical advice on this topic are very scarce or simply nonexistent for this disease. Through Ann's book, caregivers and relatives can get a greater understanding of the neurobehavioral symptoms typical of DM and be more efficient in helping patients help themselves."  Benjamin Gallais, Psychologue Ph.D., chercheur (researcher), Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada

"What a story Ann has shared! Allowing the reader into her life takes courage. Many will benefit from reading her journey."  Maria Gurrister, M.S. CCCSLP, Wasatch Speech and Language Center

"I am a lead geneticist at the University of Utah, where we had just completed a two-year research project that revealed that Myotonic Dystrophy (DM) occurs at the rate of just over 1 in every 2,100 individuals. I knew the science behind the disease but reading Ann's book Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy taught me about the real people who deal with this disorder on a daily basis. Learning about their day-to-day lives has given me renewed meaning for my research." Diane Dunn, senior research specialist, University of Utah

About the author

Ann S. Woodbury has been caregiving and advocating for her family since their diagnoses in 1998, at a time when even doctors didn't know all of the effects of DM or that it was a brain disorder. She has shared her knowledge of the disease and its treatment as the former head of Utah's DM support group. Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy is her first book.

Contact: Ann S. Woodbury, (801) 554-1258; [email protected]; www.annswoodbury.com

SOURCE Ann S. Woodbury

Related Links

https://annswoodbury.com


Berkshire Community College is said to be in the running to host criminal trials. The state Trial Court is looking for alternatives to current courthouses that are believed to be unsafe for use during the pandemic.
Armenia acting Deputy MOD on news about soldiers being ordered to not open fire

ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armenia to allocate lands in Syunik Province to Russian border guards

Armenia Armed Forces General Staff deputy chief: We can destroy all Azerbaijani soldiers who invaded territory

Armenian advocates file lawsuit against Nikol Pashinyan

Army general staff deputy chief: About 1,000 Azerbaijan soldiers are illegally in Armenia

Army general staff: Armed forces can capture Azerbaijani soldiers who marched into Armenia

Armenia legislature approves several amendments to laws

Armenian opposition MP: Villages mentioned by ruling bloc's deputy are Armenia's buffer zone

Armenia Gegharkunik Province villager to acting PM: Over 50% of our pastures are now under Azerbaijan control

Armenia Kotayk Province has new governor

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US ambassador, discusses border situation

NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning

European Council head says process of implementing sanctions against Belarus is launched

Armenia acting MOD leaves for Moscow

Armenia President, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces discuss current situation on border

Armenia acting PM to residents of borderline village: If we cede our border, Azerbaijanis will get more excited

Armenia MOD not confirming reports about Azerbaijan firing shots at Tavush Province

Ex-President Kocharyan meets with Yerevan residents, "Armenia" bloc members (PHOTOS)

Armenia petitions to European Court to ensure fundamental human rights of 6 soldiers captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia acting premier: We need to unite in this situation

Serj Tankian makes statement on Azerbaijans displayed horrific racism

Man detained in US for intending to commit attempt on Biden

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD continues disseminating disinformation

Erdogan to visit Baku and Shushi

Two Armenia legislature committees to hold closed joint meeting regarding tense situation on Azerbaijan border

Holy Etchmiadzin on capture of Armenia soldiers: Such behavior of Azerbaijan authorities is strongly condemnable

Gegharkunik Province village border area situation very tense, says Armenia enlarged community leader

Armenia opposition MP: Shots are heard Gegharkunik Province

Armenian National Congress party electoral list is announced

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan leadership bears responsibility for consequences of actions by its armed forces

Opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament demands convening Security Council special session

140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Acting premier: Our servicemen were abducted from Armenia territory

Armenia MOD announces names of 6 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

Armenia parliament majority leader to CSTO: Our international partners do not call it like it is

Armenia parliament manages to have quorum in 2nd attempt

World oil prices falling

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan popularity rating consistently drops over the past week

Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers commander does not return from Azerbaijan with encouraging news for Armenia

MOD: 6 Armenia soldiers are surrounded, captured by Azerbaijan military early morning

William Shakespeare, 1st man in world to get approved coronavirus vaccine, dies aged 81

Spain Congress of Deputies committee accepts pro-Armenian motion

Ex-PM comments on double-digit growth in Armenia economy

Facebook calls Russia, Iran leading purveyors of disinformation

Erdogan says meeting with Biden will mark 'start of new era' in relations with Washington

Armenia acting Deputy PM on creation of third high-voltage electric communication line with Iran

Vladimir Zaynetdinov: CSTO has taken note of application submitted by Armenia acting PM

Armenia's Pashinyan says addressing UN Security Council not ruled out

Armenia acting FM: International pressure on Azerbaijan is growing

Netanyahu tells Blinken that Israel is against reopening US consulate for Palestinians

23 political parties and 4 alliances apply to Armenia Central Electoral Commission ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Instagram launches ability to hide likes

Iran FM on solutions to problems in the region, territorial integrity

Bloomberg: Support for Erdogan's ruling party hits record low

Inter-agency commission sums up reports on implementation of roadmap for EU-Armenia CEPA

Armenian acting PM on CSTO and Russia and their duties as Armenia's allies

Slovakia allows use of Russian vaccine Sputnik V

Armenia acting PM on situation in Syunik Province: CSTO still hasn't clearly expressed its position

Armenia's Pashinyan: It's very rarely that Baku made provocations in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on its own

Armenia acting PM: There will be no demarcation of borders until Azerbaijani troops are pulled out of territory

Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

Blinken describes Egypt as a "real and effective partner"

Armenia's Pashinyan slams opposition again

Yerevan court ends trial over Armenia 3rd President's nephew Hayk Sargsyan

Armenia President expresses condolences on passing away of Catholicos-Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan

Armenia President hosts Iran FM-led delegation

Armenia acting PM doesn't see need to declare martial law in the country

Iran to send delegation of intellectual companies to Armenia

EU demands to fine AstraZeneca for not fulfilling contract

Zakharova: Russia is closely participating in settling Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident

Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijan, electoral lists for snap elections submitted, May 26 digest

Armenia 1st President Levon Ter-Petrosyan heads Armenian National Congress Party's electoral list

Armenia acting PM: Acting defense minister to visit Moscow soon

Taliban oppose establishment of US bases in region after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Two new videos showing incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers

Central Bank to raise Armenia economic growth forecast for 2021

Acting minister: Armenia MOD, Russian peacekeepers dismiss Azerbaijan statements

Armenia Ambassador presents Letters of Credence to Tunisia President

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Karabakh President receives multiple Guinness record setter Ashot Khanoyan

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Laurence des Cars to become Louvre director

Armenia State Revenue Committee and Iran Chamber of Commerce chiefs meet in Tehran

Armenia ruling party electoral list top 30 names are made public

Armenian government officials answering MPs' questions in parliament (LIVE)

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Argentina Ambassador, presents situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia opposition MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan want to push Russia and CSTO out of the region

"Armenia" bloc submits electoral list to central election commission

MOD: Armenia army did not fire at all on Azerbaijan in mentioned days

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Georgia PM on National Day

Armenia President congratulates Georgian counterpart on occasion of Independence Day

Armenia acting PM, Iran FM discuss steps aimed at resolving situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Prosperous Armenia Party MP on snap parliamentary election: We will not form coalition with anyone

Armenia ruling bloc MP on applying to CSTO: I do not rule out us reaching also Article 4 of the treaty

Armenia ruling party submits electoral list to Central Electoral Commission

Armenia legislature majority: No discussion about declaring martial law, canceling elections

Armenia parliament majority leader on appointment as ambassador: There is confirmation from American side

Health ministry: Wearing face masks in open spaces no longer mandatory in Armenia as of June 1
[January 11, 2021] Postal Realty Trust Announces Pricing of Upsized Follow-On Offering

Postal Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: PSTL) (the "Company"), an internally managed real estate investment trust that owns properties leased primarily to the United States Postal Service (the " USPS (News - Alert) "), today announced the pricing of an upsized underwritten public offering of 3,250,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $15.25 per share. As part of the offering, the Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 487,500 shares of Class A common stock. The offering is expected to close on January 14, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include the acquisition of additional properties, payment of dividends, capital expenditures related to the properties in its portfolio, and the repayment of indebtedness under the Company's unsecured revolving credit facility. Jefferies, Stifel, BMO Capital Markets and Janney Montgomery Scott are acting as bookrunning managers for the offering. BTIG, D.A. Davidson & Co., Height Capital Markets and Strategas are acting as co-managers for the offering. A registration statement on Form S-3 relating to these securities has been filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2020. This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, or any solicitation of an offer to buy, 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. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. A copy of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may b obtained, when available, from the following: Jefferies LLC, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, by telephone at (877) 821-7388 or by email at ProspectusDepartment@Jefferies.com; Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, One South Street, 15th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, Attention: Syndicate Department, by fax at (443) 224-1273, or by email at SyndProspectus@stifel.com; BMO Capital Markets Corp., 3 Times Square, 25th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Syndicate Department, by telephone at (800) 414-3627 or by email at bmoprospectus@bmo.com; and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109, Attention: Equity Capital Markets Group, or by email at prospectus@janney.com.



About Postal Realty Trust, Inc. Postal Realty Trust, Inc. is an internally managed real estate investment trust that owns and manages over 1,100 properties leased primarily to the USPS. The Company believes it is one of the largest owners and managers of properties leased to the USPS.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the proposed public offering and other statements identified by words such as "could," "may," "might," "will," "likely," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "continues," "projects" and similar references to future periods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections. Forward-looking statements, including, among others, statements regarding the Company's acquisition pipeline, the Company's business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, the Company's actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the USPS's terminations or non-renewals of leases, changes in demand for postal services delivered by the USPS, the solvency and financial health of the USPS and the Company's other tenants, competitive, financial market and regulatory conditions, disruption in market, economic and financial conditions as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, general real estate market conditions, the Company's competitive environment and other factors set forth under "Risk Factors" in the Company's registration statement on Form S-3, the preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering and the accompany prospectus, as well as in the Company's most recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111006105/en/

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In the early hey-days of the Range Rover, following its introduction in the 1970s, it was the vehicle of choice for the British rangers. The...
MEXICO CITY (AP)  More than three weeks into Mexico Citys second pandemic shutdown some restaurants ignored official warnings and opened with limited seating Monday under the slogan Open or Die.

This second shutdown has been even more painful for restaurant owners and their staffs. Ten months into the countrys epidemic they have already burned through savings, renegotiated leases and reduced employee hours, all the while operating at a loss.

They had regained some footing by fall as a wary public gained a degree of comfort with eating out in reduced-capacity restaurants. But the forecast winter climb in infections hit just as people lowered their guard and in many cases attended gatherings during the holiday season.

Now employers have fewer options beyond laying off workers, and a drive down almost any street displays shuttered storefronts and for rent signs.

Were at the limit, said restaurateur Giulliano Lopresti, who reopened his Argentine restaurant Quebracho on Monday. Not having certainty to operate during the red light (restriction phase) is condemning businesses, the restaurants to close.

The Mexican government has not provided assistance to small businesses like in the United States. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has touted a one-month reprieve on payroll taxes, but Lopresti said that is the one area that least worries employers.

There has been no break on social security payments for workers and he doesnt want to leave his employees without insurance. Multiple owners said the government-owned electric utility has been worse than ever to work with, closing its offices and making it nearly impossible to contest exorbitant electric bills.

In mid-December, faced with filling hospitals, Mexico City returned to its red alert, suspending restaurants' limited seating and returning to takeout and delivery only. Hospitals in the capital, Mexico's COVID-19 epicenter, were at 92% capacity.

On Monday, the mayor said that hospitalizations had been surging for the past four days and that health workers were investigating the cause. Experts had warned that gatherings during the holidays would lead to increasing infections.

Story continues

The greatest number of infections occur in closed spaces where masks are not used and safe distance is lost, Sheinbaum said, adding that city officials did not want to impose the restaurant restriction, but they are trying to reduce the number of infections.

Asked specifically about restaurants that opened Monday, she said they would be sanctioned with fines or even closed.

We are at the highest peak of hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic and it keeps rising, she said via Twitter later.

Restaurant associations have proposed guidelines that would allow them to operate while the capital remains on red alert, including 25% capacity indoors and 35% outdoors, tables of no more than six and earlier closing times.

On Monday, diners filled 10 outdoor tables and more waited in line at the Sonora Grill, an upscale steakhouse on one of Mexico Citys main boulevards. Restaurants with table service observed by The Associated Press were checking diners' temperatures, providing hand gel and sanitizing tables.

Eating lunch at Quebracho, accountant Carlos Weinberger said restaurants should be allowed to open. People are traveling and the virus is everywhere, so restaurants shouldnt be singled out, he said.

Authorities are failing to balance health concerns with economic ones, he added. We die from coronavirus or from hunger, he said.

In Coyoacan, a charming Mexico City borough, a number of restaurants around its central plaza hung signs threatening to open Monday, but in the end stuck with takeout service only.

Gabriel Barragan Ortiz, the head waiter at Cabo Coyote, said they decided to wait for the citys response to their threat to reopen, but hoped the government would recognize their plight.

Many of us, the first time, had a bit of savings, someone we could ask to borrow money, a relative who could help us, but the situation now is more difficult, Barragan said.

Lopresti and others said they just cannot survive on their takeout business. He said his restaurants made only 1% to 3% of their usual sales with takeout. He published an open letter explaining his reasons for reopening and started an online signature campaign to pressure the government.

If Im going to die or my restaurant is going to close and Im going to go bust, I prefer to do everything possible rather than go down with the doors closed, Lopresti said.

Mireya Ruiz built a single restaurant, Casa de la Yeya, serving low-cost traditional Mexican dishes into a chain of 10 places over 29 years. During the pandemic she has had to close three, and two more are on the verge, she said.

Ruiz hasnt fired anyone but nearly half of her employees have left because she cant give them enough hours of work to survive.

My people are doing really badly, and every day we lose more positions, Ruiz said through tears. Were desperate and they arent helping us.

__

AP journalists Lissette Romero and Rebecca Blackwell contributed to this report.
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Mandsaur:

Mandsaur, the core of the farmers agitation in Madhya Pradesh, remained peaceful on Saturday with authorities relaxing curfew for 12 hours from 8 am to 8 pm.

As the situation eased, markets reopened and locals stepped out to stock essentials such as vegetables and milk.

District Collector O P Srivastava said normalcy was returning and there was no report of any untoward incident.

Curfew, which was imposed after five people were killed in police firing during a farmers protest on June 6, was relaxed for 12 hours in five police station areas of the district. Internet services, however, remained suspended in the area.

If the situation remains normal, curfew will be withdrawn tomorrow, Srivastava said.

ALSO READ | Mandsaur farmers protest: CM Shivraj Chouhan begins indefinite fast



Farmers in the state began protests over low prices for their crops on June 1. The Mandsaur-Neemuch region, about 300 km from the state capital Bhopal, became the nerve centre of the gathering storm of farmer distress. Later, protests spread to some other parts of the state.

On the allegation that 26-year-old farmer Ghanashyam Dhakad died in police custody, the district collector said the authorities were looking into the charge and that appropriate action would be taken if anyone was found guilty.

He said the kin of the deceased would be provided Rs 1 crore as compensation and a member of his family would be given a government job, as announced by the state government for the five other victims.

The last rites of Dhakad were performed at his native Badavan village in the violence-hit Mandsaur district.

Villagers had alleged that he was beaten up by policemen, leading to his death.

Earlier on Saturday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sat on an indefinite fast at Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal for restoration of peace. He has appealed to farmers to come to Dussehra Maidan and have a dialogue with him.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
William during The Tusk Conservation Awards at Banqueting House in London in 2018. (Jeff Spicer/AFP)

Prince William has called an attack that left six park rangers dead horrendous and condemns the actions of those responsible.

Six rangers were killed at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is home to endangered mountain gorillas. The youngest victim was 25.

The attack took place on Sunday morning and was confirmed by a spokesman for the park, Olivier Mukisya.

He said: A group of armed men attacked our positions in the region of Nyamitwitwi in the middle of Virunga national park.

Prince William with the Shakarimba band, who were flown in from Botswana to perform at the Prince's 21st birthday party in 2003. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

Prince William (L) gives sports equipment to pupils during his visit Ol Maiso primary school in Laikipia, Kenya, in 2018. (Reuters/Thomas Mukoya)

Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly quit social media

Read more: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accused of ignoring COVID travel advice during tour to Scotland

The Duke of Cambridge said: The horrendous attack on staff at the Virunga National Park is abhorrent and I condemn the actions of those responsible in the strongest terms.

Rangers who work tirelessly to protect both the national park and the neighbouring communities should be honoured not attacked. They should never find themselves in a position where their lives are on the line.

The six men were named as: Surumwe Burhani Abdou, 30; Alexis Kamate Mundunaenda, 25; Reagan Maneno Kataghalirwa, 27; Eric Kibanja Bashenkere, 28; Innocent Paluku Budoyi, 28; and Prince Nzabonimpa Ntamakiriro, who was 27.

Rangers at a field post in Virunga park, in 2016. The park's rangers are often in danger because of the situation in DR Congo. (Thierry Falise/LightRocket)

A baby mountain gorilla rides on its mother's back on the slopes of Mount Mikeno in the Virunga National Park, in 2008. (Reuters/Peter Andrews)

One other ranger was wounded but his injuries were reported to be non-life threatening.

A statement shared online explained: At approximately 07.30am local time, the Rangers were ambushed while on foot patrol inside the Park. The attack took place near Kabuendo, which is located near the border of the Park, in the Central sector, between Nyamilima and Niamitwitwi.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the rangers were taken by surprise and had no opportunity to defend themselves, and that those responsible for the attack are local Mai-Mai groups.

Mai-Mai groups refer to community based militia groups in the DR Congo. They have previously been linked to attacks on rangers and gorillas in the park.

Story continues

Prince William and Prince Harry meet a cheetah when they visit Mokolodi Education Centre in 2010 in Gaborone, Botswana. The brothers have over the years forged strong links to Africa. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Prince William and Prince Harry hold an African rock python at the Mokolodi Education Centre in 2010 in Gaborone, Botswana. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle felt 'alone' and 'displaced' during US move

The statement added: Virunga National Park deeply regrets the tragic loss of life among its Rangers, who work tirelessly and with dedication to protect both the Park and the neighbouring communities from the tyranny of armed groups. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten nor be in vain.

According to Reuters, more than 200 rangers have been killed in the last decade in the park, with the deadliest attack taking place last April, when 12 died.

Virunga has been UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site since 1979. The wildlife population has been under threat from poaching as well as a result of the Congolese civil war.

Prince William, 38, and his brother Prince Harry, 36, have a long association with the continent of Africa, and William proposed to his wife Kate in Kenya.

Harry has called Africa his second home and took his wife Meghan there early on in their relationship.

Watch: Prince William hears of horror of handling third coronavirus wave surge at London hospital
Medical testimony against UK gender clinic in court case released: 'Live experiment on children'

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Medical testimony shared in recent U.K. court proceedings against a gender clinic in London regarding the prescribing of puberty-blocking drugs to gender-confused minors has been published.

Attorneys for the Daily Mail argued in court Sunday that significant public interest exists in disclosing the evidence that doctors presented during the judicial review against the Tavistock and Portman NHS late last year after it had been previously prevented from being released.

The case against the Tavistock clinic was brought by Keira Bell, a 23-year-old woman who has detransitioned after having identified as transgender during her teen years. Bell argued that she was not capable of understanding the long-term risks to her health, was making "brash" choices at the time, and the combination of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones likely sterilized her. Bell also underwent a double mastectomy, which she also came to regret.

Christopher Gillberg, a child psychiatrist who testified during the judicial proceedings, likened prescribing hormonal agents to halt normal puberty in minors to a "live experiment" on vulnerable youth.

"In my years as a physician, I cannot remember an issue of greater significance for the practice of medicine," he said.

"We have left established evidence-based clinical practice and are using powerful life-altering medication for a vulnerable group of adolescents and children based upon a belief."

Among the other things that were revealed during the hearing was that puberty blockers stunt bone and brain development, teen girls undergoing medicalized gender-transition are urged to pick sperm donors to fertilize their eggs and then freeze them, and clinicians are not warning patients how the experimental treatments put their fertility at risk.

It was also presented that children on the autism spectrum are being led to believe on the internet that they are transgender and that youth who later regret transitioning wind up "locked" in a body that has been harmed.

"[T]here was no other field of medicine where such radical interventions are offered to children with such a poor evidence base," said Stephen Levine, a clinical psychiatrist from Ohio who challenged the idea that the gender drugs were reversible.

In his submission to the court, Levine also highlighted severe cardiovascular complications that come with the experimental hormones, such as substantial risks of heart attacks in females and deep-vein blood clots in males.

The U.K. High Court held in its decision that medical professionals should not allow children ages 16 and 17 to go on puberty blockers without first seeking the consent of the courts and doctors who prescribe them to under-16s without court authorization will face a higher degree of scrutiny for clinical negligence.

Baroness Nicholson, a member of House of Lords, voiced her disgust that young people were being treated in such a fashion.

"Puberty blockers are ... a harrowing, physical destructive experiment on immature boys and girls. It closes normal development in favour of a painful life and a curtailed barren future  the NHS should never have allowed such unresearched use of public money on irremediable surgery on healthy bodies," she said.

Defenders of puberty blockers as a legitimate course of medical treatment, such as Tavistock Director Polly Carmichael, have insisted that delaying the pubertal processes with blockers gives patients more time "to think about their gender identity."

Sophie Scott, a University College London professor, disputed the claim during her testimony, noting the harmful impact the drugs have on the brain.

"I am concerned that the current treatment regime practiced by the Tavistock is exposing young people to significant risk of harm," she said.

The ruling against the Tavistock clinic came after years of growing scrutiny as whistle blowers drew attention to internal practices within the Gender Identity Development Service.

In a July 2019 open letter to Carmichael, Kirsty Entwistle, who until October 2018 had been a staff psychologist at GIDS in Leeds, expressed her concerns that clinicians were telling children and their families that puberty blockers were "fully reversible" when in fact the long-term impacts are unknown.

A climate of fear existed within the clinic among staff who were troubled about internal protocols but did not voice their concerns for fear of being labeled transphobic, she explained. A disproportionate number of the children being treated at the clinic were suffering from a range of other mental health comorbidities and were living in poverty, she said.
Teton County Reporter

Previously the Scene editor, Billy Arnold made the switch to the county beat where he's interested in exploring Teton County as a model for the rest of the West. When he can, he still writes about art, music and whatever else suits his fancy.
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Digital Editor
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-11 21:13:28|Editor: huaxia

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Albert Mhangami (1st L, back) of Zimbabwe, a master's degree student in the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, plays with students at Dawancun Primary School in Lu'an City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Cao Li)

by Albert Mhangami

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- I am certain I will remember that building for as long as I live. It looked like a fortress, or more like a gem, a bright orange-yellow one, wooden beams neatly spaced underneath a roof of traditional dark grey tiles. Six ruby lanterns sat on golden tassels at its gate, crowning the elegant backdrop of grey and white buildings that had become a cultural trait of Anhui's architectural landscape.

I am by no means an expert on poverty alleviation, but like many in my field of policy, I found it hard not to become deeply invested when I read the statistics and frameworks of China's poverty alleviation strategy over the last two decades.

Trillions of yuan in infrastructure alone, hundreds of provincial and municipal experiments, the restructuring of domestic social and economic policy, incalculable hours of debate and dialogue -- these numbers, dates, methods and results formed the documents the world had been blown away with; that I had been blown away with.

I would chant them like a prayer when speaking on panels or in everyday conversation. I would count them like beads, speak them out like hopes and dreams as the numbers increased with each passing year.

But as a policy scholar, it's hard to see these numbers without seeing them as an intangible, distant possibility.

And then one day, those numbers were standing in front of me.

I was doing field research at Tsinghua University, my home and place of learning for two years. I had been sent with a small team of young scholars to Chongqing so that we could see the numbers for ourselves.

It was phenomenal, a feeling so simple yet so difficult to put into words that I left with more questions than I had the time or the language skills to ask.

So, when the university allowed me to join another small team to visit a village in Anhui, I was determined to interact more deeply with these numbers.

Our first stop was a classroom. After some games and laughs had allowed me access to the students' unconditional openness, I was able to ask them a number of questions.

It started very basically: what they wanted to be when they grew up, what they liked about their school, and so on. But without warning, the team shifted gears and moved to more complex questions.

I was surprised. It's so easy to forget just how aware children are of the world around them, and it's equally easy to take for granted how skilled journalists are at asking the right questions.

"Have you noticed any changes in the village?"

I almost couldn't keep up with them after that. The children covered everything from the physical infrastructure of the entire village to their subsidized meals at school.

Two moments really struck me more than I thought they would. I couldn't think of the words for medical insurance when a boy with his arm in a sling entered the conversation. With the help of a translator, I tried not to overreact when he detailed how the cost of an injury he had sustained while playing had been shared with the government. He knew shocking amounts of detail and for good reason.

Subsidies and insurance were guardians of the millions of jobs and assets the government had created for the people. A costly and unplanned trip to the hospital anywhere in the world can strip aid, micro-financing, and all sorts of other projects of their roles in poverty alleviation, so this little boy's experience really meant more than he could ever know.

The second moment was when another boy almost floored me when he said, "I want to study abroad."

I remember talking with a member of the team about this boy's statement for the entire car journey to our next site.

Poverty is ultimately about options. A child who only five years prior would have seen the provincial capital as a goal was speaking of the international community as a space for his dreams -- poverty was truly being alleviated.

A woman came and gave me a handshake as I left the car. Her hands were like my mother's: warm, gentle, and yet hard from years of difficult work.

Her husband had died early. She sold a few things from a small room to help herself and her son, but it wasn't ever enough. I could hear it in her voice, the feeling of working past your limits and that just not being enough, not even enough for a decent life.

She pointed to the beautiful building in front of us. Bright wooden beams covered the entire structure. It was part of the village's tourism infrastructure, built by the government. And here is where the intersection of all the complexities of poverty really becomes apparent.

The village excelled at two things: producing its three main agriculture products and relating its significant history. Agriculture taxes that burdened farmers had been removed, key products had been subsidized so they didn't have to compete with other provinces, and infrastructure (physical, logistical and digital) connecting the rural population to the massive national supply chain had been provided.

The infrastructure was created by buying houses from residents in extreme poverty at high prices, building better-quality new homes to match the new industrial infrastructure and then selling these new homes at cheap prices with additional subsidies.

This meant that not only were the villagers receiving higher-value assets in the form of new homes (greatly improving their financial security), but they were also leaving the exchange with a net profit as the amount they were paid for their old homes ended up being greater than the amount they had to pay for their new ones.

Homes that were not used for industrial infrastructure were used for tourism infrastructure. The rich history of the village fit well with its new story of poverty alleviation, drawing in tourists from all over the country. The influx of tourists resulted in more income and the creation of jobs.

The woman with my mother's hands was a recipient of one of those jobs. She is a cleaner, earning a salary by preserving the standard and beauty of the new community she is a part of. As we walked and talked, to my horror the translators abandoned me, and I was stuck trying to put into words the map of questions in my heart.

"My son is happy and has a girlfriend."

We laughed as I asked her if her son was handsome, working hard, and living a good life. Her answer felt so light, clearly unburdened by the massive weight of intergenerational poverty.

I heard a similar laugh the next day when I waved excitedly at a sweet store owner I had met after that conversation.

She invited me to sit with her and heat up my hands near the fire. With the cameras off we laughed about her unageing skin and how the massive quantities of chestnuts I had bought from her were just as much a gift to me as they were to her.

But a simple question from one of the reporters revealed the complexity of her life.

Her father was deaf and dependent on her salary as well as her husband's. But the social infrastructure had relieved three generations of the unbearable burden that poverty truly carries, just as it had for the woman I met before, and as it had for the other people I would meet later.

We all knew the real sting of poverty was that it was inherited. It was not that it impacted your own life, but that it made your presence a stain on everyone you love, that it doomed anyone who depended on you. It was a stain that reached so far down your bloodline that you would never even be able to see the children whose lives were impacted by their association with yours.

She laughed with a familiar lightness when we asked her about her plans for the new year. It was a laugh similar to that of an old man whose business was doing so well that I spent most of our interview telling him it was okay to answer his phone and address his customers and friends. It was a laugh that was shared by the people of that village, by the hundreds of millions of people that had been pulled out of poverty. It was a laugh that showed confidence in a government that had prioritized the people in the global battle against poverty, a battle that is too often turned into a fight of economic interests versus poverty, instead of what it truly is: a fight of the people versus poverty. Enditem

(Albert Mhangami, from Zimbabwe, is a master's degree student in the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University)
Tesla may be closer to producing the US$25,000 electric vehicle sooner than the market thought, according to media reports.

At Tesla's Battery Day in September 2020, Elon Musk said that the EV maker would produce a US$25,000 vehicle, probably in three years.

"Tesla will make a compelling $25,000 electric vehicle that is also fully autonomous," Musk said back in September.

According to documents in Chinese about the Gigafactory Shanghai shared on Twitter by Tesla fans, the Tesla "Model 25k" could be coming out of China as soon as 2022. The previous assumption was that so cheap a Tesla would hit the market in 2024-2025, according to Tesla Facts.

"Tesla could import them to Europe and offer them for 24,900 - addressing vast majority of the European automotive market by revenue," Tesla Facts says, noting that by using Model 3 chassis as basis "they won't compromise on safety."

Tesla has just started taking orders for the Model Y in China at a lower-than-expected price.

Earlier this month, Tesla said it delivered half a million cars last year. The total 2020 deliveries of 499,550 vehicles are just 450 lower than the 500,000 target Musk had set, and they beat analyst expectations.

"In 2020, we produced and delivered half a million vehicles, in line with our most recent guidance. In addition, Model Y production in Shanghai has begun, with deliveries expected to begin shortly," the EV maker said in a short statement accompanying the figures.

To compare, in 2019, Tesla delivered around 367,500 vehicles globally for the full year, which was then 50 percent more than the previous year and in line with its full-year guidance for 2019.

Last week, Tesla surpassed Facebook in terms of market value, becoming the fifth most valuable company in the S&P 500. There are now only four companies with a market value higher than Tesla's Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.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.


OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Enbridge Inc. (ENB.TO, ENB) has rejected the State of Michigan's demand to shut down Line 5 dual pipelines. The company alleged that the State's Notice ignored scientific evidence and was based on inaccurate and outdated information.



According to the company, Line 5 enables the safe transport of fuel to heat homes and provides energy to Michigan, neighboring U.S. states and Canada's two largest provinces.



In a letter responding to the State's November 13 notice, Vern Yu, Enbridge Executive Vice President and President, Liquids Pipelines, wrote, 'Our dual lines in the Straits are safe and in full compliance with the federal pipeline safety standards that govern them.'



Yu also stated that Enbridge has no intention of shutting down the pipelines based on the State's unspecified allegations and its violation of federal law.



The company has requested that the United States District Court dismiss the State of Michigan's action in that the revocation of the easement is contrary to federal law and that pipeline safety resides with the federal Pipeline Safety Act and its enforcement is the responsibility of an expert federal agency (PHMSA).



The company alleged that the State acted unlawfully in issuing the Notice to revoke and terminate the 1953 easement by attempting to upend federal jurisdiction.



In the meantime, the dual pipelines will continue to operate safely until they are replaced on completion of the Tunnel Project,' wrote Vern Yu.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

ENBRIDGE-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Police are seeking information about a man wearing a University of Michigan hoodie allegedly involved in violent riots at the U.S. Capitol last week.

The Metropolitan Police Department released photos of 60 people wanted for federal crimes connected to the insurrection and assault on a police officer in Washington D.C. last week. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text to 50411, and police are offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest.

Police arrested 72 people, including six Michigan residents, on various charges related to the riots on Jan. 6. Police are seeking a man shown wearing a U-M sweatshirt and a leather jacket in images taken around 4:30 p.m. on the U.S. Capitol grounds.

A pro-Trump mob broke into the Capitol, clashed with police and vandalized congressional offices in an effort to disrupt the certification of President-elect Joe Bidens victory. President Donald Trump called on his supporters to rally in Washington and urged them to march toward the Capitol.

Five people were killed in the riots, including a Capitol police officer struck with a fire extinguisher and a woman who was shot by police. Another Capitol police officer who was on duty during the attack died by suicide days later.

Congress is considering an article of impeachment charging Trump with inciting an insurrection against the U.S. government. The U.S. House is planning to vote Wednesday.

All seven of Michigans Democratic representatives in the House co-sponsored the article of impeachment introduced Monday. Democrats said they would prefer Trumps Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and declare him unfit for office, but are ready to support impeachment if the Cabinet does not act.

Republican lawmakers have not voiced their support, though U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids, said he was strongly considering backing impeachment in an interview with WXMI-TV Monday.

Meanwhile, police are keeping a close eye on future threats at government buildings in the final days of Trumps term. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is asking Americans not to come to the nations capital for Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20.

The Michigan State Police increased its visible security presence at the Capitol in Lansing while the FBI warned armed protests are being planned at state capitols. The Michigan Capitol Commission also banned the open carry of firearms inside the Capitol Monday.

At least one group is calling for storming government buildings if Trump is removed from office before Jan. 20, according to an FBI memo first reported by ABC News.

READ MORE ON MLIVE:

Full firearms ban at Capitol would come with $1.5 million price tag for new security measures

Security increased at Michigan Capitol as FBI warns of possible armed protests

Republicans pushed election lies and armed protests, but say their rhetoric didnt spur U.S. Capitol chaos

Domestic terrorism represents growing threat to United States
A woman charged with the murder of Sydney grandfather Peter McCarthy allegedly used an Opal card registered in his name to make two bus trips across Sydney on the day his body was found.

On December 20, four days after the 77-year-old was last seen on CCTV, police found Mr McCarthy's body, with severe facial and head injuries during a welfare check at his South Coogee flat, in what police previously described as a "robbery that's turned into a brutal and severe bashing".

Narelle Smith has been charged over the murder of Peter McCarthy. Credit:Nine News

That same day, Narelle Smith, 46, allegedly used Mr McCarthy's Opal card to travel via bus from South Coogee to Surry Hills and back between midday and 3.11pm, court documents note.

Following extensive investigations and a public appeal, police arrested Ms Smith at a unit at Elphinstone Road, South Coogee, just before 1pm on Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 18:12:19|Editor: huaxia

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ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists in central China have uncovered a jade item carved to resemble a cicada from a tomb dating back to the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC).

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) said the 4-cm-long jade item was found in a tomb in the Erlitou relics site in the city of Yanshi, Henan Province.

Experts speculate that the jade cicada may have been inspired by imaginations stemming from insect molting, including deeming it a new life after death and a way to communicate with the gods.

Zhao Haitao, a researcher with the CASS, said the jade was among the first group of artifacts unearthed from the tomb, which is likely to have the largest collection of burial objects at the site.

"As we continue cleaning the tomb (to identify objects), it is highly likely that we'll have more important discoveries," Zhao said, adding that the discovery of numerous kallaite pieces in the tomb indicated the existence of a large kallaite artifact yet to be revealed.

Previously, a rare dragon-shaped artifact consisting of over 2,000 kallaite stones was discovered at another tomb at the site. Enditem
[January 12, 2021] Veteran-Owned Company, in Partnership With Synaptive Medical, Awarded Medical Equipment ECAT Contract for Modus V

Fidelis Sustainability Distribution, a veteran-owned company, has been awarded a Medical Equipment ECAT contract by the Defense Logistics Agency valued at $45,000,000 USD over 5 years. The ECAT contract is an online source (electronic catalog) for Robotic Assisted Surgery and other OR related products and acts as one of the preferred purchasing sources for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. Fidelis Sustainability Distribution works in conjunction with Synaptive Medical, a leader in robotics, to provide ECAT customers with Synaptive's Modus V, a groundbreaking robotic digital microscope. Modus V is a robotically controlled digital microscope that offers surgeons improved, informative visualization and ergonomics during procedures. The automated exoscope is attached to a robotically controlled arm and moves intuitively by tracking surgical instruments, while displaying high-quality images of the surgical field on a monitor. This modern approach to a conventional microscope is currently being used by cranial, spine, and ENT surgeons across the globe. "Over the years, Fidelis has proven to be a valuable partner and allowing the purchase of Modus V to be simplified to our U.S. Government customers is just another example," said Marc Buntaine, CEO of Synaptive Medical. "With a more streamlined acquisition the utilization of our product will be faster to better serve our veterans."



The ECAT System is a net-centric ordering, distribution, and payment system providing the DoD and more recently VA Healthcare facilities, access to multiple manufacturer and distributor commercial catalogs. ECAT has proven to be a successful acquisition strategy that allows customers to browse, compare, and order a wide range of pharmaceutical, laboratory, dental, optical fabrication, and medical/surgical equipment commercial items. "We are passionate to serve those who've served this great country," said Dustin Lee, president and veteran principal of Fidelis. "ECAT is one of the most efficient government procurement vehicles available. With the addition of Modus V and supporting technology from Synaptive, our end user physician customers will have access to the most innovative Neuro-Microscope on the market to care for our veteran brothers and sisters."

Synaptive's product offering also includes whole-brain tractography, navigation, and a 0.5T point-of-care MRI. The products are modular and designed for seamless integration both within the Synaptive suite and with other surgical products. Hospitals can purchase Synaptive offerings either individually or together to fully optimize the quality and delivery of their services. About Fidelis Sustainability Distribution Fidelis Sustainability Distribution, LLC, is a Nevada-based, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business focused on helping streamline acquisition of medical/dental technology in US Government facilities. Our firsthand industry experience of how technology moves from concept to commercialization and through healthcare supply chains, enables us to support our manufacturing partners and Government customers alike at the highest level. About Synaptive Medical Synaptive Medical Inc., a Toronto-based, global medical device and technology company solves surgical, imaging, and data challenges to improve the quality of human lives. Synaptive's integrated suite of products - bridging MRI, surgical planning, navigation, and robotic visualization - delivers novel information with automated efficiency across all stages of clinical intervention. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005174/en/

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 03:40:45|Editor: huaxia

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RIGA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Passenger traffic at Riga International Airport plummeted 74 percent in 2020 year-on-year to just 2.01 million people amid the coronavirus pandemic, the airport said in a statement Tuesday.

According to preliminary results, Latvia's national carrier airBaltic flew 57 percent of the passengers served at Riga Airport last year. Ireland's low-cost carrier Ryanair flew 16 percent and Hungary's no-frills airline Wizz Air 9 percent of the airport's passengers.

The number of flights handled by Riga Airport fell by 59.1 percent from 2019 to 35,592 flights last year. Flights on regular commercial routes were down 68 percent.

Riga Airport CEO Laila Odina said in an interview with Latvian public radio Tuesday that the airport expects to receive 2.8 million passengers in 2021, a target that might appear rather unrealistic given existing COVID-19 restrictions and ongoing pandemic.

However, relaxed travel regulations coming into effect on Jan. 15 will hopefully enable the airport to gradually increase operations, Odina said, adding that by May or June the airport could be operating at 30 to 40 percent of its 2019 capacity.

Meanwhile, cargo flights handled by Riga Airport nearly doubled in 2020, while business, technical, military and other flights grew 82.6 percent.

Riga Airport, the largest air traffic hub in the Baltic states, handled more than 7.8 million passengers in 2019. Enditem
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 11, 2021) - Cardinal Capital Partners Inc. (the "Company" or "Cardinal") and MindHealth Biomed Corp. ("MindHealth", and together with Cardinal, the "Parties") are pleased to announce that they have received conditional approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") for listing of the common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") following the completion of the reverse takeover transaction (the "Transaction") with Cardinal. Completion of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of conditions typical for a transaction of this nature. Listing on the CSE is subject to completion of the Transaction the filing of standard documentation with the CSE. It is expected that Cardinal will be re-named "Psyence Group Inc." following the Transaction. For more details about the Transaction, see Cardinal's news release dated September 14, 2020.

Psyence Group Inc. intends to be a global platform for business and innovation leading the way in naturally derived psychedelic therapy and the development and commercialization of related technologies and products.

The Parties are also pleased to advise that Cardinal and MindHealth shareholders voted 100% in favour of the Transaction in their respective Shareholder Meetings.

About Psyence Group:

The Psyence Group intends to set the global standard for natural psychedelics. Science-led by global experts in neurology, neuroscience and drug development. Psyence has built and operates one of the first federally licensed commercial psilocybin cultivation and production facilities. Psyence will be pioneering the use of natural psilocybin for the long-term treatment of psychological trauma and its mental health consequences. Psyence Group will have a global footprint operating across multiple legal jurisdictions, through the advanced provision of psychedelic therapy and experience, as well as market leading Functional Mushroom brands and product portfolio.

Contact Information

Lisa-Marie Iannitelli, Investor Relations

Email: ir@psyence.com

Media Inquiries: media@psyence.com

General Information: info@psyence.com

No stock exchange nor IIROC accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the Transaction as described in this news release.

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" pursuant to applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company and MindHealth respecting future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "w ill", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes, but is not limited to, information regarding: (i) expectations regarding whether the Transaction will be consummated, including whether conditions to the consummation of the Transaction will be satisfied including, but not limited to, the necessary CSE approval and the timing associated with such consummation and obtaining such approval, if at all, (ii) the business plans and expectations of the Company. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company and MindHealth's respective management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Resulting Issuer. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: (i) the ability to satisfy conditions to the consummation of the Transaction and of listing on the CSE, on the proposed terms or at all, (ii) the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors, (iii) changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets, changes in applicable laws and regulations both locally and in foreign jurisdictions, (iv) compliance with extensive government regulation and the costs associated with compliance, (vi) the risks and uncertainties associated with foreign markets, (vii) risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and (vii) the diversion of management time on the Transaction. Although the Company and MindHealth have attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. Neither the Company nor MindHealth intend, nor assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71816
Police, fire department and other emergency personnel assist Monday afternoon in the recovery of the body of Hans Heck, 35, of Bennington. After police reported he had fled the scene of a serious accident Friday evening, Hecks body was found Monday by searchers in woods off Route 279.
The United Steelworkers and French manufacturer Constellium have reached a deal that will end a strike that began last month in Alabama, the union said Monday.

A union statement said members had ratified a new, five-year contract with the company at its Muscle Shoals plant. About 400 members of Local 200 will start returning to work on Tuesday.

Together, we took a stand on Constelliums attack on our members seniority rights, said Daniel Flippo, district director of the union. Our solidarity provided the protection that was able to be achieved, and we look forward to working with this strong and vibrant, engaged membership in the future.

Months of talks failed to result in an agreement before a contract expired on Nov. 1, and workers walked out on Dec. 15.

In a statement, the Paris-based company said it was pleased workers had approved a new contract and looked forward to them returning to work.

Contellium has about 13,000 employees who work at more than 25 plants in China, Europe and North America, the companys website says.
Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko will represent Ukraine at the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States.

"The inauguration of the president is a special ceremony in the United States which is definitely not related to meetings with foreign leaders. Specific official visits are made for this purpose," Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Volodymyr Yelchenko explained in an exclusive comment to Ukrinform.

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic situation is still difficult in the United States, it is clear that all foreign countries will be represented at the level of ambassadors who are already in Washington, D.C., Yelchenko said.

According to the press service of the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, this applies to all countries without exception which have their embassies in the United States. "This year, the inaugural committee informed all foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C. that no changes in the level of participation are expected," the Ukrainian embassy informs.

As reported, Democratic candidate, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election on November 3. His inauguration is scheduled for January 20.

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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to conduct a small shuffle of his cabinet Tuesday, sparked by the departure of Navdeep Bains, the minister of innovation, science and industry.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains leaves on the third and final day of a Liberal cabinet retreat in Ottawa on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to conduct a small shuffle of his cabinet Tuesday, sparked by the departure of Navdeep Bains, the minister of innovation, science and industry.

Rumours of the impending shuffle began circulating late Monday.

According to sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the moves, Bains has informed Trudeau that he does not intend to run in the next federal election, which could come as early as this spring.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is expected to replace Bains.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau is expected to take over from Champagne at Global Affairs Canada.

Trudeau is expected to elevate Toronto-area MP Omar Alghabra to cabinet to take on the Transport portfolio.

Alghabra has been parliamentary secretary to several ministers, including Trudeau.

Trudeau's minority Liberal government could be toppled if the opposition parties unite against it  potentially after the next budget in the spring, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic sent the federal deficit skyrocketing.

Bains's department will be a key player in the government's plan to reignite the shattered economy once the pandemic is over.

Trudeau has been clear that critical portfolios need to be overseen by ministers who intend to be around for the long haul and who can sell the government's agenda during the next election campaign.

He made that argument last August, when Bill Morneau abruptly resigned as finance minister and gave up his seat in the House of Commons. Morneau was replaced by Chrystia Freeland.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2021.
Sweden has registered 17,395 new coronavirus cases since Friday, taking the total above 500,000 cases since the start of the pandemic.

The statistics from the Healthy Agency, means that the country now has more coronavirus patients in hospital than at any stage of the pandemic as hospitals struggle to cope with a rampant second wave of the virus.

Sweden has made headlines around the world by never imposing the type of lockdown seen elsewhere in Europe but it has started tightening measures in the face of a stronger than expected second wave over recent months.

The figures show that December 17 was the deadliest day since the start of the pandemic with 116 deaths, surpassing a previous peak of 115 daily deaths set in April.

While Sweden still has around 20 per cent spare capacity at intensive care units, there are worries the spread will accelerate again as people return to work and schools after the holidays.

"It's quite obvious that the healthcare system is as strained now (as during the spring)," Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, the architect of an unorthodox pandemic strategy that has eschewed lockdowns, told a news conference.

"We are near the limit for what the healthcare system can handle."

On Friday, Sweden's parliament passed a pandemic law giving the government new powers to curb the spread of Covid in a country that has controversially relied on mostly non-coercive measures up to now.

The new law, which came into force on Sunday, enables the government to close businesses, shopping malls or public transport.

Under the new law, the government has authority to close public transport. Pictured: Passengers wearing face masks exit a commuter train at Malmo central station in Malmo

The Government can also impose limits on the number of people allowed in specific public places, rather than general restrictions on public gatherings.

In most cases, breaches of the new restrictions will lead to a fine, which previously has not been possible.

Unlike many other countries, Sweden does not have legislation that allows the government to shut down society in peacetime.

A ban on public gatherings of more than eight people took effect in November and a recommendation on the use of face masks on public transport came into effect on Thursday.

The special pandemic law, which is in force until September, was first planned to go into effect in March but this was moved forward to January.

The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 234 new deaths since Friday, taking the total to 9,667.

The deaths registered have occurred over several days and weeks with many from the Christmas period being registered with a significant delay.

The second wave has also affected how Swedes perceive authorities' handling of the crisis.

In December 47 per cent said they had relatively high or high confidence in the government's and agencies' actions, down from 52 per cent in the previous month.

Sweden's death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns.
Pakistani officials say a police officer has been killed as he was escorting a vaccination team in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -- the latest attack against health workers taking part in a campaign to eradicate polio.

The January 12 attack in the Karak district came on the second day of a nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign launched with the hope of eradicating the crippling disease in Pakistan by the end of the year.

Police said gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot and killed the officer in a remote village before fleeing the scene, adding that the polio workers on the team escaped unharmed.

A search for the attackers was said to be under way.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

In the past decade, the Pakistani Taliban has killed scores of health workers and police guarding them because they believe anti-polio vaccination campaigns are intended to sterilize children. Militants also accuse the health workers of acting as spies.

Pakistan launched its latest anti-polio vaccination campaign on January 11 despite a steady rise in coronavirus cases, with the goal to vaccinate 40 million children across the country.

The previous campaign took place in August.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two remaining countries in the world where polio is still prevalent, after the African continent was declared free of the wild poliovirus following decades of eradication efforts.

Pakistan had hoped to eliminate polio back in 2018, when only 12 cases were reported. But in the years since there has been an uptick in new cases.

The highly infectious, water-borne pathogen usually affects children under 5, sometimes causing irreversible paralysis or even death when breathing muscles are affected.

There is no cure to the disease, but the polio vaccine protects children for life.

Elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, a soldier was killed and two others wounded in an attack on their check post on January 12.

A search operation was launched following the attack in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district, security officials told RFE/RL.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the second such attack on security forces in North Waziristan since the beginning of the year.

Pakistan's seven northwestern tribal districts, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have long been a militant stronghold, including for Taliban fighters.

In 2014, security forces conducted a massive operation in North Waziristan and claimed the area had been cleared of militant groups.
Post-Trump Republican Party Likely to Continue Most of His Policies, With Less Bombast

News Analysis

Republicans face some tough questions as they head into the political wilderness with Democrats in control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives until at least 2023.

The biggest question concerns the man who pulled off a miraculous upset to win the White House in 2016, but who now leaves the Oval Office much as he entered and occupied it: Bombarded with criticism and now confronted with newly empowered Democrats bent on exterminating him and his supporters from public life.

Depending on how President Donald Trump conducts himself in the months ahead, he could remain the dominant figure in the Republican universe, according to GOP officeholders and campaign strategists interviewed by The Epoch Times since the Jan. 6 confrontation at the U.S. Capitol.

I certainly dont think the impact of Trump in the Republican Party or in Republican politics is going away just because of everything that has happened, Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) said.

I just dont think the presidents influence on the party and politics is going away. I think youre seeing some people who are trying to distance themselves now from the president, but in six months, where are we going to be?

Steube emphasized that his focus in the next two years will be on winning the House back, just as it was in the past two years. Despite Trumps loss to former Vice President Joe Biden, Republicans gained 11 seats in the House of Representatives.

Other conservative Republican activists express similar continuing enthusiasm for Trump and some disdain for party leaders, who have been less supportive.

The GOPs only hope is to hue closely to the Donald Trump agenda, Less Government Chairman Seton Motley said. So, of course, they are steadfastly refusing to do so. It is, as always, exceedingly humorous watching the 5 percent of the GOP that doesnt like Trump who run the party showblaming all of their failings on the 95 percent of the GOP that likes Trump.

Brian Darling, former senior counsel to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and now head of the Washington-based Liberty Government Affairs firm, said Trump may soon be out of the Oval Office, but he still will be around.

Trump will be an active power in American politics and the Republican Party going forward, no doubt. Before the [Jan. 6 Capitol] riot, he received a record 75 million votes for an incumbent president, and after the turmoil of a second impeachment by the Democratic-controlled House, he will still have a loyal following, Darling said.

Darling was referring to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) demanding that Trump either be removed from office under the 25th Amendment before his term ends Jan. 20 or face a second impeachment.

The Democrat-led House impeached Trump in December 2019, but the Republican-led Senate declined to convict the chief executive. House Democrats introduced new impeachment charges on Jan. 11 and there is talk in their ranks of pushing for post-presidency criminal prosecutions.

But Darling cautioned Republicans not to make the mistake of thinking that Democrats will be able to do anything they please after Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.

We all need to keep in mind that Democrats are going to need strict party discipline to get anything partisan done. They have yet to announce plans on the Senates filibuster and they still have a number of Democrats in the House and Senate residing in red districts and states, Darling told The Epoch Times.

It is not going to be easy for Democrats to pass anything controversial. Expect the [Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) gang to be disappointed from the start, he added. I fully expect the Democratic socialists to have a miserable two years until they are back in the minority when Republicans take back the House and Senate.

Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams said: It has always been easier to be in opposition than to be in power. The GOP can now get back to its roots of being fiscally conservative.

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) President Grover Norquist, who was a key figure in the Republicans 1994 Contract with America campaign that restored the party to control the Senate and House for the first time in 40 years, sees a similar path forward for the GOP in 2021.

Democrats will soon control the House, Senate, and the White House. What should Republicans do? The same thing they did when Clinton in 1992 and Obama in 2008 swept the House, Senate and White House with much greater majorities, the ATR head told The Epoch Times.

Offer constructive alternatives to the Democrat lurch to the left and take back the Congress two years from now, he said.

Perhaps the most important question regarding the future prospects for the GOP concerns the evangelical and conservative Christian voters who routinely make up a fourth to nearly half of the partys election-day turnouts.

Among the most influential evangelical leaders is Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, who told The Epoch Times that its possible there will be a measurable decline in the enthusiasm in coming months for the GOP among such voters.

Its possible, I think there could be because of the fervor for Trump and what is perceived as a mis-caricature of justice there, in that Trump gets a different treatment, Daly said.

Im not saying thats accurate, but I do think when you look at Twitter and the other situations we have right now, there is a building resentment within conservative Christians about that double-standard, he said.

But, he said, when you look forward, I dont know that there is an alternative for the conservative Christian community at this stage. I think the Republican Party, based on the platform, based on the policies theyve pursuedsmaller government, religious liberty, pro-lifethose are the things that by and large conservative Christians support and were not going to find them in the Democratic Party.

Daly said he expects different leadership to rise in Republican ranks, including Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Ted Cruz of Texas.

Effective leadership is the key, how do we pick up the pieces and move forward, Daly said. If somebody could be maybe a little less caustic, a little more articulate on the issues, I think Christians will support that individual.

Daly said he anticipates the Biden administration to be a radical four years and I think that, in and of itself, and what Big Tech is doing, and what mainstream media has done, will continue to solidify Christians around the Republican party.

Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Read about worries about more violence and Donald Trumps last days in office, check out coronavirus updates and see more stories trending online today.

Top stories

Armed protests being planned at all 50 state capitols, FBI bulletin says (ABC News)

Trump admits to House GOP leader McCarthy that hes partly to blame for violence at U.S. Capitol (CBS)

What is the Insurrection Act and how could Trump use it? Heres what to know (USA Today)

Fact check: No, impeachment itself would not ban Trump from a 2024 run (CNN)

As term nears end, Trump shows little interest in doing job of president (AP)

Trump enters final week as president with few allies, no Twitter and an impeachment effort (NBC)

Two Capitol Police officers suspended, several more are under investigation after riot (Fox News)

Coronavirus news

WHO warns coronavirus herd immunity unlikely this year (Yahoo)

Doctors test popular anti-depressant to see if it fights off Covid-19 (CNN)

Coronavirus causes largest U.S. greenhouse gas emissions drop since World War Two: report (Reuters)

Gorillas test positive for coronavirus at San Diego park (AP)

Pandemic pricing? Cost of a patio heater quadrupled on Amazon (CBS)

Second lawmaker tests positive for Covid after Capitol lockdown (NBC)

China expands lockdowns, local political conference delayed (AP)

Other trending headlines

Judge stays execution of only woman on federal death row (UPI)

Dishwashing robots and Bluetooth masks: Pandemic products hit techs biggest show (CNN Business)

U.S. Puts Cuba Back On List Of State Sponsors of Terrorism (NPR)

Ken Jennings Honors Alex Trebek During First Episode as Jeopardy! Guest Host (Variety)

John Reilly, General Hospital Alum and Soap Opera Star, Dies at 84 (People)
Benefiting from TCL CSOT's cutting-edge inkjet printing technology, with a 100% color gamut, it significantly enhances the quality of the display. It can be widely applied across flexible TVs, curved and foldable displays, and transparent commercial displays.

Its OLED RGB self-luminous devices are manufactured with high-precision inkjet printing technology, without the need for fine metal masks. As a result, the cost is 20% lower than traditional display technologies and is more applicable for large-size displays and mass production.

The portable 6.7-inch AMOLED Rollable Display re-defines the standard form of a smartphone. With a rollable AMOLED display, it can be extended from 6.7-inches to 7.8-inches with a simple tap of the finger, turning it from a smartphone into a tablet and creating an entirely new user experience with its easily adaptable user interface. The smartphone is less than 10mm thick, making it significantly thinner than the foldable smartphone.

Through the enhanced design of the smartphone's flexible screen, the curling and sliding radius of the flexible screen can be as small as R3mm, combined with the special sliding mechanism design. With the simple swipe of a button, the screen originally curled and hidden inside the case can be pulled out, therefore enabling the phone to stretch out and draw back. The sliding life of the device is up to 200,000 times. The software interface can be adapted accordingly for single-hand use or multi-tasking.

This year, reports[1] published by Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) have further highlighted the huge potential of the display market. In its OLED material market forecasts report, DSCC projected that the AMOLED stack material market will grow from $951 million in 2019 to reach $2.69 billion in 2024 at a CAGR of 23%. Specifically, in another foldable/rollable display shipment and technology report[2], DSCC forecasted an 80% CAGR increase in foldable/rollable smartphone revenues from 2020 to 2025, reaching $105 billion.

TCL CSOT focuses on the display technologies of mini LED, micro LED, and OLED/QLED. The products range from large, small and medium display panels and touch modules, interactive white boards, video walls, automotive displays, and gaming monitors, which are making further contributions to advancements in the global panel industry. After 11 years of development, TCL CSOT has now transitioned from playing catch-up in technologies to becoming one of the key players in the development of semiconductor display technologies.

In the future, TCL CSOT will venture further into new applications for display technologies. The company will continue to strengthen its cooperation with upstream and downstream partners in the industry, focusing on panel microsystems, new materials and key components. TCL CSOT aims to make joint efforts towards building a semiconductor display industrial ecosystem.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1417704/Printed_OLED_Scrolling_Display.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1417703/Printed_OLED_Scrolling_Display.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1417702/1.jpg

SOURCE TCL Group
About 4 a.m., the woman was driving a Honda sedan northbound when she intentionally drove around officers onto the sidewalk and crashed into a barricade outside Trump Tower, at 401 W. Wabash Ave. in the Near North neighborhood, police said.

Former Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent is joining calls to impeach President Donald Trump following last weeks deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

House Democrats on Monday formally introduced a historic second article of impeachment, charging Trump with incitement of insurrection.

A vote is expected later this week in the U.S. House., and Democratic lawmakers from the area have all said they support impeachment.

Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, also a former Lehigh Valley congressman, has called for Trump to resign.

The letter, signed by Dent and 23 other former GOP members of Congress, was posted Monday on the Project on Government Oversight site.

It calls for Congress to fulfill your constitutional duty to uphold the integrity of the legislative branch and protect American democracy.

There is no excuse for nor defense of a President of the United States to actively orchestrate an insurrection on a separate but coequal branch of government, the letter says. Surely, the Founders would be sickened by the thought of such actions. As members of the branch that was under attack - not just politically but physically - you must remove the president from office.

The letter ends with, Its time, once and for all, to put country over party.

Dent decided in 2017 to not seek an eighth term in Congress representing Lehigh Valley communities. He was replaced by current U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, a Democrat, who has said she supports impeaching the president.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
Ireland has the highest rate of new Covid-19 cases of any country in the world, according to figures published by Our World in Data.

The Emerald Isle had 1,228.66 new cases per million people on 11 January, putting it ahead of Israel (873.10) and the UK (854.42), the data show.

Coronavirus infections have been surging in Ireland in recent weeks. On Monday, 4,929 new cases and eight deaths were logged.

Christmas gatherings and the new coronavirus variant have been blamed for the rise.

Irish premier Michael Martin said the mutation discovered in the southeast of England had a "significant impact on transmission" in Ireland.

Speaking to Newstalk radio on Monday, Mr Martin said he was told by his chief medical officer that the new variant accounted for 45 per cent of the most recent 92 samples that underwent additional testing, compared with 25 per cent of those tested in the week to 3 January and 9 per cent two weeks earlier.

He also said that compliance with coronavirus restrictions had begun to weaken in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.

The increased infections are heaping further pressure on hospitals already overun by the disease.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 1,700 confirmed cases in hospitals across the country, according to Irish government figures.

Some 144 of those cases were receiving treatment in intensive care units, the data shows. In total, Ireland has recorded 152,539 cases and 2,352 deaths.

Professor Alan Irvine, president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, told RTE's News at One the situation is a "national emergency".

The system "will not be able to cope" if infections continue to rise, he added.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Congress on Tuesday questioned the impartiality of the members of a Supreme Court-appointed panel and reiterated that the three new central farm laws be instead withdrawn and direct talks by the Prime Minister with protesters.

The Chief Justice had mentioned the names of agricultural experts Ashok Gulati, Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi, Anil Dhanawat and BS Mann as committee members to hear out the farmers' views on the new laws and help end the impasse. Except for Mann, the other three have allegedly supported the farm laws in the recent past.

"These panel members selected by the Supreme Court have openly expressed views against the withdrawal of these farm laws. It will be tough for farmers to repose faith in the committee, wherein a majority of members have views different from theirs on the issue," Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill remarked.

Shergill also demanded the resignation of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar for what he called "total incompetence, irrational and irresponsible behaviour of the BJP-led central government", due to which the higher judiciary had to step in.

"The stay order on the farm laws is a tight legal slap on the BJP's dictatorial law- making and imposing mechanism," he said.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala demanded that the three "black" laws be repealed. "From day one, Ministers have branded protesting farmers as anti-national and often Khalistanis; farmers are still being subjected to abuse by the BJP," Surjewala alleged.

The Congress reiterated its support to farmers on their demands, asserting that anybody opposed to farmers was not a party member. "The Congress will not sit back till the laws are not taken back," he added.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three new central farm laws enacted in September 2020 and formed the committee to hear the grievances of the farmer unions against these laws.

Attorney Franklyn M. Gimbel

The celebration of Franks induction took place on Saturday, May 18, 2020, at the Pfister Hotel and was an outstanding moment in his career. The Big Pi Award is awarded to alumni Brothers who are held in high esteem by virtue of outstanding accomplishment, which brings honor to the Brother and Pi Lambda Phi. It is the Lifetime Achievement Award for Pilam and the Big Pi Chapter has become a whos who of well-regarded and famous Pilam alumni.

Frank started practicing law in 1960 after graduating from Marquette University Law School (from which he also won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015) and soon became one of four assistant U.S. attorneys in Milwaukee. He prosecuted the local head of the Mafia for tax evasion and secured a conviction. Attorney Gimbel established GRGB in 1968 and has tried 200 jury cases over his legal career. He has handled multiple homicide cases with acquittals in several cases. In 1988, he argued a case in front of the United States Supreme Court, winning a reversal and establishing a new rule of law for asserting entrapment as a defense in a criminal case.

Frank served as the lawyer for the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs Association for 31 years and negotiated many contracts on its behalf. In addition to his law practice, Frank has always been community-minded. He served on the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission and served as Chairman of the Wisconsin Center District Board that oversaw the construction of Milwaukees first Convention Center. Frank also served as President of both the Milwaukee Bar Association and the State Bar of Wisconsin as well as the local Milwaukee Rotary Club.

Steve Marcus introduced Frank for the award.

About Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP

Serving Wisconsin since 1968, Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown has earned a position of admiration in the legal community. The firm is known for its tradition of honesty and integrity, as well as the ability to achieve positive results in cases ranging from complex civil litigation to white-collar crime investigations. GRGB has earned respect for passionate representation of their clients rights.

The firm has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and has been named Super Lawyers and Rising Stars by Law & Politics. GRGB attorneys have served as Presidents of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Bar Association as well as Chairmen of sections and divisions. For more information on GRGB and its lawyers, please visit http://www.grgblaw.com.


Emily Rainey, an Army captain, is currently under investigation for joining last week's rally and the subsequent riot at the U.S. Capitol in an effort to disrupt the Electoral College votes certification, an Army spokesperson said.

Army spokesperson Major Dan Lessard said Capt. Emily Rainey is under investigation for leading members of a conservative advocacy group from North Carolina to join the rally and stand against the alleged election fraud, NBC News reported.

Rainey is a 30-year-old psychological operations officer stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"We are aware of her presence at the event and we are investigating her involvement to determine the exact extent," Lessard said in the report.

He noted that it is still unknown if Emily Rainey violated any laws or regulations by attending and participating in the event. He added that there is no evidence yet if any other service members joined Rainey.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth asked acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller on Monday to allow military criminal investigators to join law enforcement officials in identifying if troops or veterans took part in the alleged insurrection.

The Pentagon has acknowledged receiving Duckworth's letter regarding the matter, according to a USA Today report.

"Our Nation must demonstrate resolve and resilience in bringing the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and conspiracy theorists who formed this mob to justice," Duckworth said in a report.

Duckworth added that this includes addressing deeply troubling reports that members of the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans took part in the riot.

Related story: Fact Check: Did President Trump Watch Live Streams of Capitol Riot From a Private Party Nearby





Not the First Time for Emily Rainey to Be Investigated

Reports said that this was not the first time Rainey's actions have been investigated after she posted a video online of her pulling down caution tape at a playground closed under North Carolina's COVID-19 restrictions.

Police in Southern Pines charged Emily Rainey with injury to personal property, according to a U.S. News report. Police said they warned her twice before she entirely tore down the tape that closed the playground due to the pandemic.

According to the Army spokesman, the Army gave her appropriate administrative action for the incident, and she submitted her resignation in September. Lessard added that the resignation process for an officer could take months or more. Emily Rainey was scheduled to be out in the Army in April.

U.S. military members are permitted to take part in political organizations and events out of uniform. But the Department of Defense (DOD) said there are exceptions to the rule, like sponsoring partisan organizations while being in service.

It is still unclear if the Army officer's participation with her group violated the DOD policy.

Meanwhile, Rainey argued she attended the Trump rally while on leave, adding that she did not advertise that she was an Army officer. She said that she told her bosses ahead of time that she would be participating.

Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died during the Capitol riot.

Related story: Trump Concedes Election To Biden, Condemns Capitol Riot





AUBERVILLIERS, France, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HSBC (contact: 'synd manager'; telephone: +44 207 992 8066) hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities

The securities: Issuer: VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA Guarantor (if any): NA Aggregate nominal amount: EUR Benchmark Description: Fixed due 14th Jan 2027 Offer price: TBC Other offer terms: Stabilisation: Stabilising Manager(s): Barclays, Credit Agricole, HSBC, ICBC, ING Stabilisation period expected to start on: 11th January 2021 Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 12th February 2021 Existence, maximum size & conditions of use of over-allotment facility[1]: 5% of the aggregate nominal amount Stabilisation Venue(s) Over the counter (OTC)

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilisation Manager(s) will take any stabilisation action and any stabilisation action, if begun, may be ended at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive") before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State.

This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

_________________________

[1] Please note that the existence and the maximum size of any greenshoe option, the exercise period of the greenshoe option and any conditions for exercise of the greenshoe option must also be disclosed, if such option exists. In addition, the exercise of the greenshoe option must be disclosed to the public promptly, together with all appropriate details, including in particular the date of exercise and the number and nature of securities involved.



Shareholders in fallen neobank Xinja are bracing for the company to be placed into liquidation after a memo sent on New Year's Eve warned their shares could be worthless.

In an update sent to investors after 4pm on December 31, Xinja said it had enlisted an external party to explore options to recoup value after the company made the shock decision to exit banking only 15 months after receiving its licence. "This is without doubt the toughest letter that any member of the board has had to write in our professional career," the email, obtained by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, said.

Xinja CEO Eric Wilson and board director Thomas Vikstrom. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

"At this stage we do not know what the exact remaining capital at hand will be once the banking licence handback is completed. This will depend on many factors outside of our control."

Customers were separately told on Monday that Xinja's mobile app would be discontinued this week and they should move to withdraw any funds remaining in their accounts.
There has been no withdrawal of Chinese troops from the Ladakh frontier and the ground situation remains the same, said Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday, stating that reports of Chinese soldiers' movement from depth areas has no relation to the deployment on the Line of Actual Control.

Dismissing reports that 10,000 Chinese soldiers have been redeployed, General Naravane said too much should not be read into either their presence or their going back, as these locations are between 500 to 1,500 kms deep inside Chinese territory.

He also said that the current conflict situation along the LAC in Ladakh remains the same and the Indian Army is keeping a strict vigil and the soldiers are in a state of high alert on the Indian side of the de facto border.

"Today's situation in Ladakh is the same. As far as the (Chinese soldiers') withdrawal is concerned, every summer, they come to the Tibetan Plateau for training and return especially as winter sets in. These are traditional training areas from where they go back. We should not read too much into these, whether they are present or absent or go back from these areas. This is nothing new," Naravane said at his annual press conference here.

"These areas are well off in the depth areas anywhere between 500 to 1,500 kms away from the border. All the same, we keep an eye on them, as these are the forces that could be mobilised and reach the borders in 24 hours to 48 hours so there is a necessity to keep a watch in all the deployments in the Tibetan Plateau."

He also made it a point to clarify that there has been no decrease in troop strength along with the eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation areas along the Line of Actual Control, either on the Chinese side or on the Indian side.

"We need not give too much significance on these comings and goings. What is more important is border areas where eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation is there in all the various friction areas. There has been no reduction of troops in these particular areas. That is where we have to be more concerned and alert."

Naravane said in May 2020, the Chinese PLA had the first-mover advantage. But in August 2020, India turned the tables when India had the first-mover advantage on the southern banks of Pangong Tso, where Indian soldiers occupied key heights bang on the Indian perceived LAC.
Third-Party Risk Intelligence provides risk management executives crucial in-depth insight to position themselves for growth. Those who embrace automation and advanced analytics, will be able to proactively reduce their third-party risk in 2021, said Lori Frank, President, and CEO of Argos Risk.

Argos Risk, LLC, a recognized leading provider of Third-Party Risk Intelligence (TPRI) services to manage and monitor the viability and overall business health of third-party relationships, today announced an upsurge in helping U.S. financial institutions and businesses reduce financial risks.

Tracking the impact of COVID and the recovery, 2020 research confirms, the number of small businesses open decreased by 29% along with a decline in small business revenue of 31.9%. Despite the overall challenges in revenue, delinquencies, and business closures, those conveying an expanded focus on proactive risk mitigation, feel they are better positioned for growth and success in 2021.

Nationwide, we saw how COVID impacted businesses and all their third-party relationships, said Lori Frank, President, and CEO of Argos Risk. TPRI products, such as AR Surveillance, provides risk management executives crucial in-depth insight to mitigate risk. Those who adopt the tools available, and embrace automation and advanced analytics, will be able to proactively reduce their third-party risk and position themselves for growth, added Frank.

ACH Originators, Originating Depository Financial Institutions (ODFIs), Vendors, and Accounts Receivable Managers have all been impacted by the decline in revenue, third-party business failures, and increased business interruptions. Now, to better position themselves, they are implementing proactive risk mitigation.

In 2020, 75% of businesses experienced some level of business interruption and 37% of businesses experienced an interruption caused by a non-critical vendor relationship. Historically, organizations focused on mission-critical relationships; however, due to recent events, they realize monitoring smaller third-party is essential.

By implementing Argos Risks TPRI solution, AR Surveillance, businesses can monitor their third-party relationships, make informed decisions, and mitigate risk. Leveraging trusted data points, TPRI determines the level of risk third-party relationships created by assigning risk scores critical to the financial health and well-being of a monitored company. Thereby, allowing key insight into a companys operations, their financial viability, business health, current trade payment behavior, and their industry outlook in comparison to their peers.

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First Minister Arlene Foster has hit out at "selfish" business owners and employers who have forced staff to come into work even if it is not necessary.

The DUP leader, speaking in Dungannon on Tuesday afternoon, said: "It is unfortunate that I have become aware that some business owners are requiring their staff to attend the workplace when people could work from home or indeed businesses which should not be open at all.

"That is quite a selfish spirit and it is not going to help us beat the virus and keep people safe.

"And for those who say but someone else is doing it, as my mother used to say, if they put their hand in the fire, there is no need for you to follow it."

Mrs Foster said that over the last few weeks the R rate for new cases has dropped from 1.8 to 1.1 in Northern Ireland.

She added: "That has been achieved by so many taking personal responsibility and doing the right thing."

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill praised health care workers who have been dealing with "immense pressure" in recent days.

She said: "We are indebted to you for the work that you have been doing in supporting those people in the health service."

It comes as a further 22 people in Northern Ireland have died after testing positive for Covid-19. It brings the death toll to 1,498.

Of the 22 fatalities, 18 happened within the current reporting period, from 10am on Monday to 10am on Tuesday, while the remaining four deaths occurred previously.

A further 1,205 people have tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

The are 751 Covid patients in hospitals across Northern Ireland, with 55 in intensive care and 38 requiring ventilation.

Hospitals are at 99% occupancy.

A total of 149 care homes are dealing with outbreaks of the virus.

Read More

Here's how Tuesday unfolded:
Originally Posted by Beezer Originally Posted by

So Trumps "words" he did not say incited the riot at the Capitol building?



But KG's bloody head of Trump, her "art", did not incite the crazies to come out screaming to go after Trump that day forward? LOL!!!!! She gets a free pass, Trump does not? And Trump was never that vulgar.



And Madonna's words to "blow up the White House" had zero effect on that massive crowd who was already an angry mob?



Trumps rallies are not angry mobs screaming, trashing the streets, and committing violence. The BLM and Antifa plants did. Sure you are going to have a handful of unstable people in any protest, but 99.99% of Trumps people were peaceful, singing, giving speeches and welcoming each other.



People did not go to Trump rallies burning flags, burning the Church, burning down businesses, destroying police cars, throwing molotov cocktails into cars and bloody people in the streets.



Show me where Trump people did that.
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Regulatory News:

According to the indicative timetable scheduled by the commercial court of Paris, and subject to a positive shareholder vote in favor of all the resolutions required for its implementation during the general meeting scheduled on January 20, 2021, a court hearing shall be held on January 25, 2021 in order to examine the draft accelerated financial safeguard plan.

In this perspective, the court decided to extend the accelerated financial safeguard proceedings by a ruling dated January 11, 2021.

This extension is notably in the continuation of the approval of the draft accelerated financial safeguard plan by the financial creditors' committee and the bondholders' general meeting, as announced on January 7, 2021.

Europcar Mobility Group (Paris:EUCAR) is therefore executing the necessary steps aiming at completing the implementation of its financial restructuring.

Disclaimers

This announcement has been prepared by Europcar Mobility Group exclusively for information purposes. It does not constitute or include any advice or recommendation by Europcar Mobility Group (or any other person) regarding the securities of Europcar Mobility Group or EC Finance plc or as to the merits of any transaction or the making of any investment decision. It does not constitute or include any confirmation or commitment by Europcar Mobility Group (or any other person) regarding the present or future value of the business of Europcar Mobility Group, its securities, its affiliates or any of Europcar Mobility Group's or their assets.

This announcement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange or acquire securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The securities referenced in this announcement may not be offered, sold, exchanged or delivered in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The securities mentioned in this announcement are not, and will not be, registered in the United States. This announcement is not directed at, or intended for distribution, publication, availability to or use by, any person or entity that is a citizen or resident or located in any locality, state, country or other jurisdiction, where such distribution, publication, availability or use would be contrary to law or regulation, or which would require any registration or licensing within such jurisdiction.

This press release includes forward-looking statements based on current beliefs and expectations about future events. Such forward-looking statements may include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and/or expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations and services and product development, as well as statements, regarding performance or events. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "may", "would", "should" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Europcar Mobility Group and its subsidiaries and investments, trends in their business, future capital expenditures and acquisitions, developments in respect of contingent liabilities, changes in economic conditions globally or in Europcar Mobility Group's principal markets, competitive conditions in the market and regulatory factors. Those events are uncertain; their outcome may differ from current expectations which may in turn materially affect expected results. Actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement contained in this press release is made as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by applicable law, Europcar Mobility Group does not undertake to revise or update any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. The results and the Group's performance may also be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, risks identified in the "Risk factors" of the Annual Registration Document registered by the Autoritedes marches financiers on May 6, 2020 and also available on the Group's website.

About Europcar Mobility Group

Europcar Mobility Group is a major player in mobility markets and listed on Euronext Paris. The mission of Europcar Mobility Group is to be the preferred "Mobility Service Company" by offering attractive alternatives to vehicle ownership, with a wide range of mobility-related services and solutions: car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, chauffeur services, car-sharing and private hire vehicle (PHV rental to "Uber like" chauffeurs).

Customers' satisfaction is at the heart of the Group's mission and all of its employees and this commitment fuels the continuous development of new services.

Europcar Mobility Group operates through a diversified portfolio of brands meeting every customer specific needs and use cases, be it for 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week or longer; its 4 major brands being: Europcar the European leader of car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, Goldcar the low-cost car-rental Leader in Europe, InterRent 'mid-tier' car rental and Ubeeqo one of the European leaders of round-trip car-sharing (BtoB, BtoC). Europcar Mobility Group delivers its mobility solutions worldwide solutions through an extensive network in over 140 countries (including wholly owned subsidiaries 18 in Europe, 1 in the USA, 2 in Australia and New Zealand completed by franchises and partners).

Further details on our website:

www.europcar-mobility-group.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111006075/en/

Contacts:

Europcar Mobility Group



Investor Relations

Caroline Cohen caroline.cohen@europcar.com



Press relations

Valerie Sauteret valerie.sauteret@europcar.com

Vincent Vevaud vincent.vevaud@europcar.com



Publicis Consultants

Judith Grandcoing judith.grandcoing@publicisconsultants.com
How the Government's vaccine plan breaks down PHASE 1 (FEB 15 TARGET) CARE HOME RESIDENTS - 300,000 CARE HOME WORKERS - 500,000 AGE 80+ - 3,300,000 HEALTHCARE WORKERS - 2,400,000 SOCIAL CARE WORKERS - 1,400,000 AGE 75-79 - 2,300,000 AGE 70-74 - 3,200,000 CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (UNDER 70) - 1,200,000 PHASE 2 (SPRING) 65-69 2,900,000 AT-RISK UNDER 65 7,300,000 60-64 1,800,000 55-59 2,400,000 50-54 2,800,000 PHASE 3 (AUTUMN) REST OF ADULT POPULATION 21,000,000 Advertisement

Desperate shift workers and teachers have come forward to say they would happily come day or night to get the coronavirus vaccine after Boris Johnson insisted there is no 'clamour' for appointments after 8pm.

Mr Johnson is facing growing pressure to launch round-the-clock vaccinations as ministers 'race against time' to get jabs in arms.

Labour has demanded the Government 'sorts out' a 24/7 operation despite No10's claims there is no demand for evening appointments.

Upset workers took to social media to blast the Prime Minister's claim.

One wrote: 'I work shifts. I'm awake when most of the country is asleep. So, happy to have my vaccine anytime.'

Another user, a teacher, said: 'If this would speed things up and I'd not be taking a vaccine from someone more vulnerable I'd happily go anytime of day or night.

'I'm a 60-year-old teacher working in school and scared for myself and my older vulnerable husband. Of course I'd go!'

Another Twitter user said: 'I'd clamour at anytime of night! As a teacher I'm still in school during the day looking after key worker children so would love a vaccine and after 8pm would be perfect!

'I'm pretty sure the rest of staff would agree. Sign us up!'

And another wrote: 'They are doing this in New York and my teacher friends who are the same age as me (35) got their vaccine today. I'm a teacher also and absolutely no sign of a vaccine for me yet.

'I would take any vaccine at anytime to get back into the classroom!'

Tory MPs are urging ministers to 'look carefully' at whether the hours can be extended while some have said there is 'no excuse why it shouldn't be 24/7'.

The PM has promised that around 13million of the most vulnerable Britons will be vaccinated by mid-February.

Another Twitter user wrote: 'I work shifts so 9-5 time isn't good for me, I would have the vaccine anytime.'

Desperate shift workers and teachers have come forward to say they would happily come day or night to get the coronavirus vaccine after Boris Johnson insisted there is no 'clamour' for appointments after 8pm

The aim is for everyone over the age of 50 to be offered a Covid jab by the end of April.

But doubts have been raised about the target with numbers standing at around 2.7million as of yesterday, and there are also calls for frontline workers such as teachers and police officers to be pushed up the priority list.

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick today said her officers should be 'properly recognised' in the prioritisation list for vaccines as she warned her colleagues are 'not immune to the virus'.

The latest ambitious timetable means vaccinating 32million Britons  six in ten adults  within 16 weeks. Two million jabs will have to be given every week in the 'greatest logistical challenge of our time'.

The queues outside the surgery in Yardley, Birmingham, Monday Jan 11 for a Covid jab

Members of the public arrive to receive their injection of a Covid-19 vaccine at the NHS vaccine centre that has been set up at the Centre for Life in Times Square, Newcastle

Upset workers took to social media to blast the Prime Minister's claim

A 47-page masterplan published last night said the nation's remaining adults  another 21million  would be inoculated by autumn.

This second phase is likely to prioritise teachers, police, shop staff and others whose jobs involve dealing with the public.

The 13million most vulnerable  over-70s, health workers and care residents  are already scheduled to receive their jabs by February 15. Doses will be 12 weeks apart.

The aim is for all over-50s to have the first jab of the two-dose vaccine by May.

More than 80,000 medics and volunteers will operate from 2,700 centres and the taskforce could swell to 300,000.

People queue outside Hornchurch library in the London Borough of Havering for their Covid-19 vaccination today

Vaccinations in progress at the Millennium Point centre in Birmingham today

Nearly 2.7million vaccine doses have been administered in the UK according to figures released by the government yesterday

Boris Johnson (pictured taking Cabinet today) is under pressure from members of the Sage scientific advisory panel to increase the social distancing gap

People waiting to receive their vaccines doses in Times Square, Newcastle today

The vaccine rollout was continuing in Newcastle today as the government tries to ramp up the numbers protected

But while Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last night that the NHS will would do 'whatever it takes', he played down the prospect of a round-the clock operation, saying people will prefer to get jabs in the day.

And in the Commons, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said it will not happen in the first phase, where the four most vulnerable groups are being targeted, because staff would end up 'standing around waiting'.

'If we were to go to a 24-hour regime, it would be much harder to target the vaccine at those four cohorts,' he said.

'Obviously, when we have limited vaccine volume, we do not want staff standing around waiting for people in centres that are open 24 hours.

'Also, many of those people are over 80, and we are going into care homes to vaccinate the residents of those homes.

'The decision to go from 8am to 8pm was made because we want to ensure that there is an even spread and very close targeting.'

Former minister Steve Baker, a leader of the lockdown-sceptic CRG group of Tory MPs, told MailOnline the Government must 'look carefully' at extending the hours.

'The sooner the vulnerable are vaccinated, the sooner we can end these destructive cycles of lockdowns and restrictions,' he said.

'So the Government should look closely at all the practical problems of 24/7 operation and press forward with it if it would help meet necessary goals.'

Tory MP Henry Smith said the vaccine rollout seemed to be going well so far, adding: 'There is no excuse why it shouldn't be 24/7. This is a national emergency and every hour lost is damaging to our economy and our future and our finances and our health.

'We cannot lose a moment. I steer away from making international comparisons... but the fact that Israel has been able to vaccinate most of the population - it could be done faster.'

Another Tory MP suggested to MailOnline that the Government should soon look at extending opening hours to 6am and 10pm to increase the daily number of jabs.

But they said 'supply isn't coming from the manufacturers in the quantities needed yet' to move to extended opening hours.

At a Downing Street briefing last night, Mr Hancock was asked about comments from the Prime Minister's spokesman that there was not a 'clamour' for a 24/7 vaccination model.

He said: 'We'll do this if it's needed, absolutely we will do whatever it takes to get this vaccine rolled out as fast as possible.

'The thing is that if both the person doing the vaccination and the person being vaccinated would both prefer for that to happen in the middle of the day, rather than the middle of the night, then that's probably when we should do it.'

He said there would be some groups where a 24/7 model may be the best approach but added: 'Our attitude on the vaccine rollout is whatever it takes to do this as fast and safely possible.'

NHS England's Professor Stephen Powis said that working through the day was the 'most efficient' use of staff and volunteers.

Professor Powis added: 'I'm sure for the vast majority of people they would prefer to have their vaccine during the day.

'And the best use of our staff and volunteers... working through the day is the most efficient way of delivering the most vaccine.'

Armed police were on duty at Waterloo Station today as the government considers tightening the lockdown rules again

The concourse was all-but deserted at Waterloo as the public gets used to the draconian restrictions being in place

He said the vaccination strategy was to open as many centres in as many different settings as possible.

'I think that will give the vast majority of people a range of choice as to where they can most conveniently and most closely get their vaccinations,' he added.

'And frankly, that is the best way to maximise the number of vaccines that we are able to give.'

However, Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: 'Our wonderful NHS staff are rising to the challenge, as they always do, to deliver the vaccine.

'The British people have sacrificed so much, now the Government must deliver for the British people. The Prime Minister needs to use this lockdown to develop a round-the-clock vaccine programme, 24-hours a day, 7 days-a-week.

'If the Government can't sort out 24/7 vaccinations they need to admit that this is as a result of their own shortcomings, not blame the public and NHS staff.'

Ministers are under growing pressure to add police officers high up on the priority list.

Ms Dick, Britain's most senior police officer, has asked the Government to consider the case for inoculating frontline workers earlier than planned.

Writing in the Times, she said: 'By necessity, frontline police officers and staff interact with many people every day and are sometimes inevitably in close contact, whether helping injured victims or detaining offenders.

Supermarkets have said they are toughening up their stance on wearing masks. Pictured, New Cross in South East London today

'I have been asking the government to consider that the unique environments in which frontline colleagues work are properly recognised in the prioritisation process for vaccines.

'The case for frontline officers so they can continue to keep others, as well as themselves, safe is very strong. I am delighted to hear this is being actively discussed.'

Her views echo with those of John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, who has said rank and file officers urgently needed the 'protection they deserve'.

He has asked for officers to be prioritised after society's most vulnerable groups and NHS workers have been given the jab.
He returned home sometime after 4 a.m. on Thursday, after Congress finished certifying the election results in the shadow of a mob invasion, and tried to get some rest.

"I haven't been sleeping a lot since we've been without Tommy," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., admitted.

It had been a week since his 25-year-old son, Thomas Bloom Raskin, died by suicide, less than two days since they buried him, and just over 12 hours since Raskin took cover with his daughter and son-in-law at the U.S. Capitol as thousands of Trump supporters ransacked the building and fatally attacked police.

But Raskin still had work to do.

The constitutional law professor was out of bed before 8 a.m., and spent the week drafting an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump as well as a resolution asking Vice President Mike Pence to set in motion the 25th Amendment to incapacitate the president, which the House will consider Tuesday.

His source of strength, he said in an interview Monday, is his son.

"I felt him in my heart and in my chest," Raskin said. "All the way through the counting of the electoral college votes and through the nightmare of the armed attack on the Capitol."

House Democrats say dramatic action is necessary to sideline Trump in the final days of his tenure, given the president's relentless attempts to undermine the results of the election and incite the crowds that breached the Capitol.

Raskin has played this role before, though not at a time of such personal loss and national trauma. Last year, as a member of the House Judiciary and Rules committees, he was among the Democrats to present hours of testimony making the case for impeachment.

He's spent four years pushing Congress to sharpen unused tools contained within the 25th Amendment - namely the ability for lawmakers to appoint an independent body to debate the fitness of a president - in the event it would become pertinent during Trump's presidency. It was the first bill he ever filed.

Now, with his family grieving and the nation's democratic institutions under siege, he has written a new resolution, asking Pence and Cabinet members "to declare what is obvious to a horrified Nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office."

Should Congress advance the resolution Tuesday, the House will give Pence 24 hours to decide whether to weigh the 25th Amendment with the Cabinet. If Pence declines, Democrats have vowed to try to make Trump the only president in history to be twice impeached.

The legal argument for impeachment turns on a legal principle that Raskin said he discussed not long ago with Tommy, who had followed both his parents to Harvard Law School and was in the middle of his second year.

In his First Amendment class, the younger Raskin was studying the "incitement to imminent lawless action," which Raskin described as "the line where speech ends and conduct begins." Tommy had asked him, Raskin recalled, would a government official be held to a higher standard than a private citizen?

"That ironically is going to be the critical issue for us talking about Donald Trump," he said. "Some people are saying, 'Well, Donald Trump was just exercising his free speech.' As president of the United States, he cannot be encouraging, counseling and inciting mobs that go and attack the Capitol of the United States."

In his four years in Congress, Raskin has been a prized asset for Democrats because of what Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., called his "unparalleled knowledge of our Constitution." That same legal prowess, coupled with an activist's spirit, has bolstered his reputation since he entered Maryland politics roughly 15 years ago.

Raskin, who lives in famously liberal Takoma Park, joined the Maryland Senate in 2007, establishing himself as an intellectual powerhouse with a dizzying array of interests, a master of the witty quip and a favorite of the civil rights and environmental groups he championed unequivocally.

"He has an extremely gifted mind, intellectually," said Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, D, who served in the Senate with Raskin. "He can be eloquent on almost any subject. And the most endearing, or impressive, thing about it is he's not arrogant. He's not full of himself."

Off the floor, Raskin's wide-ranging interests earned him friends and connections of all political stripes, including a running chess duel with one of the chamber's most conservative members, now-state Senate Minority Leader Bryan Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel.

"He's very affable," Simonaire said. "But he'd kill you in a debate."

So when, on New Year's Eve, Raskin's office revealed that his son Tommy had died, lawmakers across the political landscape flooded the Raskin family with support, which Raskin said was heartening.

He and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former senior Treasury official under President Barack Obama, published a searing tribute to their son a few days later that revealed his struggle with depression. The tribute included Tommy's final wishes: "Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me"- a plea that has since led hundreds of strangers to honor his legacy with acts of kindness of their own.

On Jan. 5 they laid Tommy to rest, a small, private ceremony because of the pandemic.

And then came Wednesday, when Republicans in Congress would heed Trump's calls to challenge - without evidence - the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

Raskin's daughter Tabitha asked him to stay home from work that day. But Raskin told her that as a lead floor manager, tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., he couldn't do that.

"I said, 'Why don't you just come with me?' " he recounted. She agreed, hoping to see her father in action. Raskin's son-in-law Hank Kronick, who is married to his other daughter, Hannah, joined them.

As Raskin took the podium to speak against Republican objections to the electoral college votes, he thanked his colleagues for their support. The chamber gave him a prolonged ovation.

Less than an hour later, the mob breached the building.

In the tumult, Raskin and his family got separated: Raskin and other lawmakers, donning gas masks, were whisked away to an undisclosed location; his daughter and son-in-law, who were seated elsewhere, ended up in Hoyer's office adjacent to the House floor with Raskin's chief of staff.

"They were locked inside and barricaded the door," Raskin said, "and Tabitha and Hank were hiding under the desk as this mob pounded on the doors."

They were reunited an hour later in a committee room, where they stayed for hours, Raskin said, and where he hugged Tabitha tight and told her he was sorry, feeling responsible, horrified by what they, and everyone, had witnessed.

"We cannot let this go," he said of the need to hold Trump accountable.

In the days that followed, as Raskin joined Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, Calif., and David Cicilline, R.I., in drafting the article of impeachment, and prepared to make his case against the president on the House floor, he thought of his son again and again.

If he were here, the law student and moral philosophy devotee would have thought the violence at the Capitol was "the absolute worst form of crime against democracy," Raskin said.

"It really is Tommy Raskin," he added, "and his love and his values and his passion, that have kept me going."

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.
By Ritah Kemigisa

Opposition presidential candidates have re-echoed calls for the electorate to take the responsibility of securing their vote.

The call has been resounded by Forum for Democratic Changes Patrick Amuriat while addressing a joint news conference in Kampala.

This is contrary to the Electoral Commission directive against the same, sounded earlier by the chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama.

Amuriat on the other hand is urging voters to stay within the polling stations after casting their ballots to protect their vote.

He says at this moment, there is no need to emphasize brutality suffered by the candidates at the hands of security personnel during the past 60 days, but the focus should be on polling day itself which is just one day away.

Amuriat has also decried militarization of the campaign process by the NRM which he says is meant to create fear and intimidation of voters.

Meanwhile, the Alliance for National Transformations Maj.Gen Mugisha Muntu has challenged the Electoral Commission to rescind its directive prohibiting use of cameras within polling stations saying there is need for total transparency during the voting process.

The candidates are addressing a joint news conference after holding a closed door meeting that was also attended by former FDC president Retired Col Dr Kiiza Besigye and NUPs Robert Kyagulanyi.
In a stern message to Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday said India will never tolerate cross-border terrorism and it reserves the right to respond with precision to any terror activity at a time and place of its choosing.

Addressing a press conference ahead of Army Day on January 15, he also said India must be prepared to deal with a "two-front" threat scenario as collusive approach by and was manifesting on the ground.

" continues to embrace terrorism as an instrument of state policy. However, we are very clear that we have zero-tolerance for terror and we reserve our right to respond at a time and place of our own choosing and with precision," he said.

He said India has sent a clear message to that it will not tolerate any terrorist activities.

Elaborating on growing cooperation between and Pakistan, the Army chief said India must be prepared to deal with a "two-front" threat scenario suggesting that both may create trouble simultaneously.

"There is no doubt that a collusive threat exists. This is not just something which was part of some strategy paper or loud thought process. It is very much manifesting on the ground," he said.

"There is indeed increased cooperation between and Pakistan in both military and non-military fields. And a two-front threat is very much something that we have to be prepared to deal with and in dealing with such a threat, we will have to see which is the more serious threat and prioritise and deal with that first," he said.

Talking about Jammu and Kashmir, Gen Naravane said though the situation in hinterland has improved, it has not yet reached a level when the government can contemplate moving troops out of the union territory.

Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir.

Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide the state into two union territories in August 2019.

(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.)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said the end of the coronavirus pandemic is in sight with the rollout of vaccines.

But with multiple hurdles delaying distribution, the process has moved more slowly than expected, and the question on everyone's mind is: When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?

In pursuit of an answer, we reached out to all nine Bay Area counties and asked their health departments to provide their vaccine plans. We asked several questions: How many vaccines have you distributed? When can seniors get inoculated? When will vaccines be available to the general public? How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them? What's being done to speed up the vaccine process in your county?

All the counties got back to us except Contra Costa. While some of the responses were all over the map and none of the counties could give a date for when they will begin inoculating the general public, our investigation allowed us to sort through the confusion and pull together some of the most important information.

First of all, we learned many aspects of vaccine distribution that are consistent in all counties. A few of those key points:

 The state of California's prioritization plan dictates vaccine allocations for each county. In other words, the state decides how many vaccines each county gets.

 Vaccine providers  which mainly consist of health departments and health care providers such as Kaiser and Sutter Health  are receiving and administering the allocations.

 The state has developed phased allocation guidelines that recommend to counties who should get the vaccine first. Counties are currently focused on Phase 1a, which includes workers in health care and long-term care settings and residents of skilled nursing facilities.

Counties will next move onto Phase 1b. Tier 1 of this phase includes persons 75 years and older and people who are at risk of exposure at work in the following sectors: education, child care, emergency services and food and agriculture.

You can find a complete rundown of the state's allocations guidelines here and in the graphic below.

California Department of Public Health

Here's a look at the information the counties provided.

Alameda

The county's vaccine plan is posted online here.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

"Alameda County (excluding city of Berkeley) has received 60,075 doses, of which 12,675 are second doses. Of those, the hospital systems have received 32,925 doses (includes 10,725 second doses)," the county's health department wrote in an email on Jan. 6. "The Alameda County Health Care Services Agency has vaccinated 3,695 people as of Jan. 3 and we estimate 4,000 doses will be administered this week via POD clinics. Community health clinics are expected to administer at least another 4,000 doses."

When will vaccines be available to seniors?

The county didn't provide an estimated date, but said it aims to complete Phase 1a by the end of January, which would mean Phase 1b, which includes seniors, would start in February. "The timing is dependent on vaccine supply and participation rates," the department said.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

"Spring to Summer 2021, but many 'every day' people will be in Phase 1b because of their occupations."

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

"We will directly contact people through various channels, including employers, community-based organizations, health plans, and through public announcements."

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

The county said it is doing two main things: 1.) exploring resources to bring on more vaccinators and to scale up operations and 2.) getting the vaccine out as quickly as possible by inoculating all people in Phase 1a, regardless of tier status.

Contra Costa

The Contra Costa Department of Public Health did not respond to SFGATE questions, but we gleaned answers to some questions from their website.

The county's distribution plan is shared here.

How many people have been vaccinated in the county?

"As of now, all but 1,400 of the 43,675 doses allocated in Contra Costa have been assigned to people in Phases 1A and 1B priority groups. All the doses are expected to be given within the next 14 days," Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth said in a statement posted online.

The county also said, "As of Jan. 10, 30,245 doses have been administered in the county by various health providers, including Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) and John Muir Health, as well as the federal long-term care partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Safeway and Rite-Aid are completing their registration process with the state. Safeway will begin offering shots at one location this week with additional sites coming on board in the next two weeks."

When will seniors be vaccinated?

The health department doesn't directly answer this question on their website, but notes that Phase 1b vaccinations could happen as soon as in the next two weeks.

"As of now, all but 1,400 of the 43,675 doses allocated in Contra Costa have been assigned to people in Phases 1A and 1B priority groups. All the doses are expected to be given within the next 14 days," Roth said.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

The county didn't state an estimated date, but the state has provided spring 2021 as the best estimate, with the caveat that this may change.

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

"Contra Costa Countys healthcare system is gearing up to provide as many as 7,000 vaccines per day in an effort to vaccinate all eligible residents over the next six months," according to a statement on the county health department website.

"We continue to redirect every resource available to getting shots in arms," Contra Costa County Deputy Health Officer and COVID Operations Chief Dr. Ori Tzvieli said in a statement. "At the same time, we are developing partnerships and networks that will ensure every pharmacy and healthcare provider in the county can provide the vaccine as more and more people are eligible to receive it."

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

"Once COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, many healthcare providers will offer COVID-19 vaccines in locations such as outpatient clinics, doctors offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals and federally qualified health centers," the department said on its website. "Contra Costa Health Services will also offer opportunities to vaccinate at mass vaccination events and public health immunization clinics."

Marin

Here's a link to Marin County's vaccine distribution plan.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

"By the end of this week, we will have vaccinated nearly 12,000 frontline health care workers and emergency responders. We are just now opening Tier 2 of Phase 1a," the county said in a Jan. 7 email.

When will vaccines be available to seniors?

The Marin County Department of Public Health said they hope to complete Phase 1a by the end of January. This would mean they could move onto Phase 1b  which includes seniors  in February, but this depends on allocations from the California Department of Public Health.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

The county didn't provide an estimated date, but the state has provided spring 2020 as the best estimate, with the caveat that this may change.

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

The county said it will distribute information through its Emergency Operations Center with news releases, social media posts, virtual town halls (find here) and on its main website. The county sends a daily status update and is encouraging the public to subscribe (click here).

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

"Our goal is that at the end of each week, we have no more than 100 doses in storage. This requires quick movement on [our] part to roll out vaccine supply as soon as it's received from the state. We are holding vaccine clinics, which allow us to vaccinate up to 700 people per day. Were also working in collaboration with local hospitals and CVS (as part of the federal pharmacy partnership program) to get vaccines into our skill nursing and residential care facilities. Again, the speed at which were able to move is greatly dependent on the states allocation to us."

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Napa

You can find information about vaccinations in the county here, and the complete vaccine plan here.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

The health department is posting a daily update on the number of vaccines administered daily here. As of Jan. 11, there were 5,449 given.

When will you begin vaccinating seniors?

"We are aiming to vaccinate those who are 75 years of age or older by March, but it is also contingent on sufficient vaccine supplies and staffing."

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

"Most likely in 6 months, pending vaccine availability."

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

"Nixle, social media and traditional media. We will also utilize our pre-existing relationships with NGOs and nonprofits to reach to help bridge the digital divide and make sure no one is left out."

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout? "

We are vaccinating health care workers and encouraging them to sign up in our Medical Reserve Corps to increase the number of health care workers that can vaccinate, including dentists, paramedics, physicians and registered nurses."

"We are holding phase 1 (all tiers) vaccination clinics every day this week with the goal of delivering 500 vaccinations per day for a total of 2500 by Friday, allocations from state dependent," added Napa County spokesperson Janet Upton.

San Francisco

You can find the San Francisco vaccine plan here. The Department of Public Health also advised checking out this recent live briefing with S.F. Mayor London Breed that covered vaccine distribution.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

"Healthcare providers that serve multiple jurisdictions, such as Kaiser, UCSF, Sutter and others, are receiving their vaccines directly from the state, and Department of Public Health (DPH) and the city are not provided any information on how many people they are vaccinating," S.F.'s COVID Command Center said in a statement. "The same goes for federal entities, such as VA hospital."

When will you begin vaccinating seniors?

The county didn't provide an estimated date, but the state has provided spring 2020 as the best estimate, with the caveat that this may change.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

"Once vaccine supply has increased, the vaccine will be available to a broader segment of the population. The general population will not likely have access until the vaccine supply is no longer limited  expected later in 2021."

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

S.F.'s COVID Command Center didn't provide specifics on how people will be notified but suggested the information will come from health care providers and the county: "At this point, it is expected that the majority of people will receive the vaccine from their healthcare or insurance provider. DPH and the county's role is serving the people they always serve for healthcare needs -- those on Medicare and the uninsured."

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

"We are working with healthcare providers to find innovative ways to help them deliver vaccine is accessible and timely manner."

San Mateo

The county didn't provide specific answers to SFGATE's questions and only sent a link to the vaccine plan posted here.

We found answers to some of our questions posted on the county's health department website.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

"San Mateo County was allotted an initial 5,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and expect to receive five to six times that amount of (Pfizer and Moderna combined) doses by the end of the month," according to a statement posted by the county's health department online. "Administration of the vaccines began right away. We estimate 24,000 of the total 38,000 health care workers (this includes direct clinical care, those who handle cleaning, etc.) in San Mateo County will receive their first (of two) doses of vaccine from these initial shipments. Future shipments are already in process and will provide the second doses for these critical groups."

When will you begin vaccinating seniors?

The county doesn't share an estimated timeframe online, but as the state recommends it plans to vaccinate seniors after is has completed giving shots to healthcare workers and those living in long-term care facilities.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

The county didn't provide an estimated date, but the state has provided spring 2020 as the best estimate, with the possibility that this may change.

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

The county provides this online resources for more information on vaccine distribution.

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

The county did not provide information to answer this question.

Santa Clara

Santa Clara County has vaccine information posted here and said it will be sharing an updated plan in coming days.

The county didn't provide answers to SFGATE's questions, and referred to a recent press briefing as a source of information. Watch it here.

We also pulled answers to some of the questions from the county's public health department website.

How many people have been vaccinated in the county?

The county website doesn't state the number of individuals who have been vaccinated, but it says a total of 127,600 doses have been received.

When will you begin vaccinating seniors?

The county health department doesn't provide an estimated timeframe online.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

The county didn't provide a timeline, but the state has estimated the general public will be vaccinated beginning in spring 2021.

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

The county advises people to check with their health care providers and large pharmacy chains. "Like other vaccines, most people will receive COVID-19 vaccination through their primary care provider," the health department said in a statement posted online. "All large health systems including Kaiser, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, the Countys hospitals and clinics, Stanford Healthcare, and many smaller community clinics will be allocated vaccine to vaccinate their patients as they become eligible. We also expect that other entities like the large pharmacy chains (Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Walmart, etc.) may eventually offer COVID-19 vaccination to eligible members of the public. "

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

The county didn't respond to this question.

Solano

The county health department didn't provide a local vaccine plan, but said its plan follows the guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of California.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

"As of 12/31/20, approximately 4,000 healthcare workers have been vaccinated. This is approximately two thirds of the healthcare workers in our county," the health department wrote in an email. "We hope to have an overwhelming majority of our healthcare workers vaccinated by January 31."

When will you begin vaccinating seniors?

The county didn't provide an estimated date and said to refer to the CDC and state guidelines.

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

The county didn't provide an estimated date and said to refer to the CDC and state guidelines. The state has said the general public is likely to be inoculated beginning in the spring.

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

The county's health department said people will be notified through "various media communication channels like press releases, social media, and the COVID vaccine page."

The department said, "We encourage residents to visit the Solano County COVID-19 vaccine page: www.SolanoCounty.com/CovidVaccine."

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

"Vaccine rollout for health care workers is going slowly and well, most of the acute care hospital workers that that wanted vaccine have received it. On December 28, 2020, the State announced a partnership with CVS and Walgreens to provide vaccines to residents and staff in long-term care facilities. Skilled nursing facilities in Solano County will be participating in this program and are scheduled for vaccination in the upcoming weeks."

Sonoma

The county posted its vaccine plan here.

How many people have been vaccinated in your county?

"As of today, 8,046 Sonoma County residents have been vaccinated. We hope to complete Phase 1a of our distribution plan and begin Phase 1b by Jan. 31," the county said in a Jan. 6 email.

When will you begin vaccinating seniors?

"Seniors 75 and older that dont live in long-term care facilities are included in Phase 1b, so we hope to begin vaccinating them by the end of January."

When will vaccines be available to the general public?

"The general population is included in Phase 2. We hope to begin vaccinating the general population this spring."

How will people in your county be notified when the vaccine is available to them?

"The Sonoma County communications team is working on a multiple platform outreach strategy to inform the public about the vaccine rollout and when it will be their turn. This includes our website and social media platforms, television and radio ads, fliers and healthcare promoters in lower income neighborhoods."

What is your county doing to speed up the vaccine rollout?

"Sonoma County Public Health is coordinating with facilities and providers in the Phase 1a and 1b groups to make sure they have vaccine doses and staff to administer them. We are also vaccinating our own healthcare workers that are included in those phases and facilitating vaccine clinics for EMTs and first responders in the first phases."

Editor's note: This story was updated Jan. 12 at 10:30 a.m. after hearing back from the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health.
Manitobans should have a better idea by the end of the week whether the province will ease restrictions after public-health orders expire Jan. 22. So far, its looking promising.

Manitobans should have a better idea by the end of the week whether the province will ease restrictions after public-health orders expire Jan. 22. So far, its looking promising.

Friday marks the end of a two-week period after the holidays. Thats the time it usually takes for people infected with COVID-19 to show symptoms. By then, the province will have reliable data on how social gatherings over Christmas and New Years Eve impacted the spread of the virus.

There was a bump in case numbers two weeks after Christmas Day. But infections are falling again, albeit slowly. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has also declined.

The long-term trend (between early November, when Manitoba began its code-red restrictions, and now) is also encouraging: case numbers, test-positivity rates and hospitalizations are all down. They are nowhere near as low as they were prior to Thanksgiving, but they continue to trend in the right direction.

The number of working hours health-care staff lost due to sickness  about 102,000 hours over the last two-week period  has also declined. It's an important indicator of hospital capacity. That figure is down 10,000 hours from a peak in late November. Its still higher than the five-year average for that period (85,000 hours), but its improving.

"Todays numbers are encouraging," chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said Monday, who sounded more upbeat than he did last week when reviewing post-holiday data.

Roussin released data last week that showed many Manitobans violated public-health orders by gathering outside their households. Despite that, there hasnt been a major spike in case numbers.

That could change. Figures are still coming in from New Years celebrations. Roussin said there were close to 3,000 close contacts over the holidays identified so far, some of which will likely become cases. Data released over the next few days will paint a clearer picture.

There are still troubling signs the virus is circulating at high levels, especially in northern communities. Manitobas test-positivity rate remains high at 10 per cent. (Although its fallen to 8.8 per cent in Winnipeg  the lowest its been since early November).

There are threats around us: case numbers in other parts of Canada are soaring, including in Ontario and Quebec. Three new, more contagious variants have been identified around the world, some of which have shown up in Canada (but not Manitoba).

None of those factors can be ignored.

Still, if cases and hospitalization numbers continue to fall this week, it's expected the Pallister government will ease some restrictions beginning Jan. 23.

Roussin says the province plans to survey Manitobans to find out what their priorities are on a proposed reopening plan. He said not everything can reopen at once; the province will have to make choices on what restrictions remain in place.

Small business should be at the front of the line. They have borne the greatest brunt of the lockdown (in many cases with little to no evidence that the virus was circulating in their places of business). It doesnt mean bars and restaurants should resume normal business. But if the numbers warrant, shuttered retailers should be allowed to resume in-store operations with limited capacity. They have suffered the most economically and deserve relief.

What should not change is the ban on socializing between households. That should be one of the last restrictions lifted. Its done the most damage, in part because the province was slow to respond to it.

Its still too early to tell whether restrictions should be lifted at all. Hospitals remain over capacity and Manitobas COVID-19 case fatality rate continues climb as a percentage of the national average. The province needs to see a consistent decline in case numbers, the test-positivity rate and hospitalizations over the next week before relaxing any rules.

So far, the data looks positive.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
Sen. Lindsey Graham jumped back on the Trump plane Tuesday as he accompanied President Donald Trump on Air Force One to the border wall in Texas.

The trip comes after Graham broke with the president on Wednesday, refusing to join a Trump-backed effort to contest Electoral College counts as the vote was being certified by Congress in the hours after the MAGA riot.

'All I can say is count me out, enough is enough,' Graham told his Senate colleagues then. 'When it's over it is over.'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (left) was back at President Donald Trump's (right) side as the president traveled to Texas for an event at his border wall

On Wednesday, Graham explained that he would not be backing an effort to challenge Electoral College votes, whch Trump was pushing as a way to prolong his election loss

Graham (third from right) said more recently that he was opposed to the effort to the get the president removed from office under the 25th Amendment or via impeachment

Graham, a South Carolina Republican, is photographed during Tuesday's border trip with the president in McAllen, Texas

'It's over,' Graham said.

The South Carolina Republican's split from Trump came as a surprise, as Graham has been a close ally of the president once they repaired any hostilities leftover from the 2016 GOP presidential primary. Graham was also briefly a candidate for president in 2016.

In his Wednesday night floor speech, Graham said he opposed the effort to challenge certain states' Electoral College votes - states where groups of Republican 'alternate' electors had gathered to cast rogue votes for Trump - because the tactic had been used after the Civil War as well.

Graham explained that his home state of South Carolina was joined by Louisiana and Florida and sent two slates of electors to Congress after the 1876 race.

They did so to hold Congress hostage and force the body to end Reconstruction after the Civil War.

'It led to Jim Crow,' Graham explained. 'If you're looking for historical guidance, this is not the one to pick.'

The South Carolina Republican also said that a forming a commission to look into voter fraud, as some GOP lawmakers suggested, wouldn't do enough to change minds.

'Having a commission chosen by Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell and John Roberts is not going to get you to where you want to go, it ain't going to work,' Graham said. 'It's not going to do any good, it's going to delay and it gives credibility to a dark chapter of our history.'

Graham did throw some compliments Trump's way, calling him a 'consequential president,' just hours after the president incited the Capitol Hill riot.

He also told the chamber that he 'prayed' President-elect Joe Biden would 'lose.'

But then admitted Biden won the election.

'He's the legitimate president of the United States,' Graham said.

At a press conference Thursday, Graham said he was against using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from power as a result of the violent mob, which killed five.

'I do not believe that's appropriate at this point,' Graham said.

He added, 'Now if something else happened all options would be on the table.'

On Monday, Graham also warned against impeaching Trump for a second time, tweeting that it 'will do far more harm than good.'

'It is past time for all of us to try to heal our country and move forward,' Graham encouraged.

The House of Representatives will vote on a resolution pushing Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet to pursue the 25th Amendment, which would push Trump out of office with just a week and a day left in his term.

With Pence unlikely to go through with that, the House will likely vote on impeachment Wednesday.

Currently the Senate isn't set to return until January 19, a day before Biden's swearing-in.

Graham didn't speak to reporters in the press pool Tuesday, but Trump did, lashing out at the impeachment effort.

'And on the impeachment, it's really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous,' Trump said. 'This impeachment is causing tremendous anger.'
PAXTAKOR, Uzbekistan -- Women in Uzbekistan's eastern region of Jizzax have been offered cheap coal after they blocked a highway to protest against a lack of natural gas and electricity amid an unusually cold winter.

Local authorities in the Paxtakor district on January 11 met with the women and urged them to unblock the highway ahead of a visit by President Shavkat Mirziyoev to the region.

The women ended the blockade of the highway after the local government secured the immediate delivery of one ton of cheap coal to the district.

One of Mirziyoev's promises when he was elected as the Central Asian nation's president in 2016 was to carry out programs to solve electricity and natural-gas shortages.

Last month, Mirziyoev ordered his government to cut natural-gas exports to ensure the domestic availability of gas. He also publicly criticized the cabinet for what he called its "failure to properly prepare for the winter season," adding that there was a domestic shortfall of 20 million cubic meters of gas a day.

He ordered the government to transfer into the control of investors some 25 natural-gas fields in the country to boost supplies, as well as the purchase of an additional 217,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

This year has been unusually cold in Uzbekistan with power outages and heating shortages have been reported across the country.
WASHINGTON  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took his job nearly three years ago promising to restore swagger to American diplomacy.

He is leaving the State Department with many of its diplomats and staff expressing outrage at his behavior, accusing Mr. Pompeo of failing to acknowledge, much less protest, President Trumps role in inciting the rioters who laid siege to the Capitol last week. Just weeks before, Mr. Pompeo had suggested that Mr. Trump won an election that he lost.

And now, in Mr. Pompeos last week in office, United States allies, who have long bristled at his threats and lectures, are making clear that they believe that he and Mr. Trump presided over the most far-reaching damage in decades to Americas traditional role as a exemplar of democracy.

For Mr. Pompeo, who left his post as C.I.A. director to take on a job whose first occupant was Thomas Jefferson, it is the culmination of a tense relationship with the professionals inside what Mr. Trump once referred to as the Deep State Department.
Valeo Foods has bought German confectionery group Schluckwerder, bringing the Irish companys annual revenues to more than 1.2bn.

It is the second acquisition by Valeo in less than a month and its 18th since the company was founded 11 years ago.

Valeo Foods was established in Ireland in 2010 as a portfolio business of CapVest Partners. It has expanded since then and now owns a range of high-profile brands such as Kettle crisps, Batchelors, Kelkin and Rowse.

Schluckwerder operates three production facilities in northern Germany. Retailers including Lidl, Aldi and Netto form a core part of its business. More than 25pc of its products are sold outside Germany.

The firm generates annual revenues of about 100m and employs close to 500 people. It brings Valeos total workforce to about 4,500.

It also marks Valeos first acquisition in Germany.

Schluckwerder, founded in 1956, has been sold to Valeo Foods by German mid-market private equity firm Novum Capital. The German confectioners units also include marzipan maker Erasmi & Carstens.

Read More

Novum Capital acquired the business in 2019, enabling former shareholder Rolf Schluckwerder to retire.

Valeo group chief executive Seamus Kearney described Schluckwerder as a great business.

It significantly strengthens our presence in continental Europe, he said. Its purchase represents the continued realisation of our strategy of building a major international food business where we see further opportunities for expansion. Schluckwerder is our first German acquisition and we expect to further grow our European business unit alongside our existing significant platforms in the UK and Ireland.

Mr Kearney said Valeo will continue to focus on acquisition targets in categories with stable demand characteristics.

Last month, Valeo sealed the acquisition of UK snack company It's All Good (IAG), the leading producer of tortilla chips in the UK. That adds about 37m (41.4m) in annualised turnover to Valeo.
A British tech tycoon at the centre of a 3.7bn fraud case should not be extradited to the US because the UK has 'surrendered sovereignty for too long,' ex-Cabinet ministers have said.

Electrical engineering expert Michael Lynch is facing fraud charges in the US, as authorities claim he overstated the value of his software company before it was sold to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

HP purchased Mr Lynch's company, Autonomy, for $11bn (8bn) in 2011, but the company is seeking damages of around 3.7bn in London's High Court.

Ahead of an extradition hearing next month, former senior ministers and business leaders, including one-time Brexit secretary David Davis, as well as Sir John Rose, former chief executive of Rolls-Royce, have rallied in support of Mr Lynch.

They warned the 55-year-old faces 'a decade in prison,' if extradited and convicted.

Michael Lynch, 54, sold his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011 in an $11billion (8.5million) deal - but faces 17 charges in the US including wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud

A joint letter published in The Times today read: 'The Serious Fraud Office considered the case involving Mike Lynch and decided there was nothing worthy of prosecution.

'The High Court picked over the issues for 10 months. The British legal system is quite capable of dealing with this. But our extradition treaty with the US can mean none of that matters.'

The letter warned that the treaty meant 'any British businessman or woman who finds themselves at odds with a powerful US company could face the same fate'.

It added: 'That means facing a system where prosecutors cut deals offering their own witnesses immunity, while those who want to testify for the defendant risk being dubbed 'co-conspirators' and prosecuted. This is not justice.'

Former Brexit secretary David Davis is among the ex-ministers and business leaders who have called for Mr Lynch to not be extradited. A letter published in The Times argued the 'British legal system is quite capable of dealing with this'

Former secretary of state for the environment Lord Deben is among the signatories of a letter warning Britain's extradition treaty with the US puts British entrepreneurs at risk if they 'find themselves at odds with a powerful US company'

Autonomy, which specialised in software to sort through large data sets, was sold for $11bn, but the sale resulted in heavy loses for US firm HP.

An extradition request for Mr Lynch, who has a PhD in signal processing from the University of Cambridge, was submitted to British authorities in November 2019.

HP is seeking damages of 5 billion dollars (3.7 billion) from Mr Lynch in a civil case in London's High Court.

He claims any loss was down to the tech giant's mismanagement of the acquisition.

At a previous hearing in February last year, Westminster Magistrates Court heard MR Lynch faces 17 criminal charges including wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud.

Mr Lynch, who divides his time between London and his farm in Suffolk, was barred from leaving England and Wales. Lawyers told the hearing he had already handed over his British and Irish passports.

Former minister Andrew Mitchell has also leapt to the support of Mr Lynch, who is currently facing High Court proceedings in London with HP

The letter, also signed by Lord Maude of Horsham, warns: 'We've surrendered sovereignty over our own justice system for too long'

Extradition row follows landmark Assange case Concerns over Michael Lynch's possible extradition come after it was ruled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would not be sent to the US for trial. Assange is wanted in Washington to face 18 charges relating to the 2010 release by WikiLeaks of 500,000 secret files detailing aspects of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US claims he helped intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal the 2010 documents before exposing confidential sources around the world. He faces a possible 175-year sentence if convicted but Assange and his lawyers have long argued the case against him is politically motivated. Earlier this month Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the United States' request to extradite Assange, saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh US prison conditions. The US has said it will appeal the decision. Advertisement

Signatories to the letter in The Times include four Conservative ex-cabinet ministers: former Brexit secretary David Davis, former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, former minister for the Cabinet Office Lord Maude of Horsham, and former secretary of state for the environment Lord Deben.

Joining them is ex-Liberal Democrat MP Sir Vince Cable, who served as business secretary in the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government.

Veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, former Barclays bank chairman Marcus Agius and Sir John Rose, former chief executive of Rolls-Royce, have also signed the letter.

The letter highlighted Boris Johnson's criticism of the UK's extradition treaty with the US.

It said: 'The Prime Minister accepts the treaty is unbalanced. The Foreign Secretary has railed against it. Politicians on all sides want it changed.

'We've surrendered sovereignty over our own justice system for too long.

'The Government cannot stand by as another Briton risks being delivered like this to the US justice system.'

The letter comes just over a week after a Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the US' request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Assange is wanted in Washington to face 18 charges relating to the 2010 release by WikiLeaks of 500,000 secret files detailing aspects of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The extradition request was denies amid concerns Assange, 49, would take his own life if held in a US prison.
An information gap following the Capitol assault has fueled fears among members of Congress that it was an inside job involving the Capitol Police.

Why it matters: The mass resignations by the Capitol Police chief and Senate and House sergeant-at-arms, coupled with few briefings by federal officials like the FBI, have left important questions unanswered and a lone Democratic congressman from Ohio trying to fill in the gaps.

Rep. Tim Ryan, chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Capitol Police, has held three virtual briefings to update reporters.

On Monday, he shared the shocking news that two Capitol Police officers had been suspended and 1015 were under investigation for their behavior during the riot.

"One was the selfie officer, and another was an officer who put a MAGA hat on and started directing people around, Ryan said.

There hasn't been an official briefing or press conference from the Capitol Police since the attack.

A House Democratic aide told Axios that among other things discussed on their weekly caucus call this afternoon, members expressed lots of anger and frustration about national security failures."

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Friday that something "untoward" had occurred after rioters seemingly went looking for him at an unmarked office separate from his main location in Statuary Hall emblazoned with his name.

The backdrop: Ryan and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) announced last Thursday that the Legislative Branch Appropriations subcommittee, which funds the Capitol Police, is actively investigating what happened.

They've been conducting several hearings and calls with law enforcement and military officials while working on a tight timeline to get more answers and implement changes/reforms for the inauguration.

The bottom line: The uncertainty comes as the clock ticks down to President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration in nine days.

Enter The Enforcer. Priti Patel slowly click-clacked into yesterday's Downing Street press conference, lower jaw out, forearms bared, camera lens fixed with her best 'let's be 'avin' ya' glare.

She had come to lay down the law. Too many people were flouting lockdown rules. Or, as she put it, 'breachin' regulations'. So once again the Home Secretary was swingin' her truncheon and this time she was crackin' skulls.

This was Priti's first appearance at these briefings since May. Whenever Miss Patel visits, one imagines a nervy aura falls on Number Ten. Crockery-carrying catering staff develop a bad case of the shakes. Lily-livered civil servants suddenly find needless departmental briefings they need to attend.

Priti 'The Enforcer' Patel came to lay down the law at people flouting lockdown rules

We were told the police have so far issued more than 45,000 fines to those in breach of regulations. Nearly 50,000! Chancellor Rishi Sunak will have been cock-a-hoop. Lord knows he could use the cash.

Priti announced this without a scintilla of remorse. On the contrary, she paraded the figure like a badge of honour.

Many Conservatives have balked at the way we have quietly morphed into a police state over the past year. Not Priti. She loves it. Revels in it. All those people who have been complaining about park benches and playgrounds being taped up should count their blessings. If the Home Sec had her way she'd have them all electrified.

She made it clear that, however unpopular the rules were, the rozzers had her full support  they were 'excellent' apparently. At one point she even referred to them as 'my police officers'.

While many Conservatives have balked at the police state we have become, Priti revels in it

'My message to anyone refusing to do the right thing is simple. If you do not pay your part our selfless police officers will enforce the regulations and I will back them to do so,' she said matter-of-factly.

Accompanying her was Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, and Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS medical director for London.

Both stood ramrod-straight against their lecterns. No stand-easies permitted when Officer Patel is on deck! Hewitt was briefly allowed to speak a few words. Quiet, beaverish sort of fellow. He wore the uniform but looked as though he would be more at home in woolly knits and Cornish pasty shoes. Show this man an episode of The Sweeney with John Thaw pinning a suspect against the wall, yelling 'you're nicked!' and he'd probably wince.

He began by publicly shaming a few of the more flagrant rule-breakers. There was the boat party of more than 40 people in Hertfordshire. In this weather?

Priti could not answer when a member of the public asked why restrictions are more relaxed than last spring

Somerset police had also broken up an illegal rave organised last weekend. Happily, my West Country police snouts assure me Somerset resident Jacob Rees-Mogg was not among the revellers.

Bullet-headed Dr Vin had little new to add. He reminded us how we all needed to behave as if Covid was a 'horrible, horrible' disease. Yes, yes. As insights go, this was like telling us Taylor Swift has quite nice legs. A member of the public called Ian asked why restrictions were more relaxed than last spring when the new strain is supposedly more lethal.

Priti couldn't really answer that. Not that she felt minded to. 'Follow the rules!' she barked. 'Stay local.'

A chap from the BBC tried again. 'Stick with the rules, think about your actions, stay local and we will get on top of this pandemic,' she ordered by way of response.

Someone asked what 'staying local' actually meant. Two women in Derbyshire had recently been fined for going on a walk five miles from their home. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister had gone on a bike ride in the Olympic village seven miles from Downing Street. How was that fair?

Priti said the police had the right to reserve judgment in these cases.

Her mouth broadened but there was not a hint of contrition in this response.

Besides, she added, the fines in Derbyshire were rescinded. Hewitt was more bashful. 'Sometimes mistakes will be made,' he shrugged apologetically.

Not someone you'd want fighting your corner at an employment tribunal, I suspect.

After an awkward round of thank yous, the Home Secretary slipped away, back to her paperwork and possibly to untie a few unruly assistants who'd needed to be taught a lesson.
During the weekend, East Baton Rouge Parish broke 25,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and the 12-parish region surpassed 60,000 cases since the pandemic started in Louisiana in March.

More than 35% of those confirmed infections have been appeared in the past 2 months, in a third Louisiana surge in viral cases that began to gain steam around Nov. 1.

Though alarming, the rate of the Baton Rouge region's growth in cases in this third surge is behind the state's, where nearly 42% of the nearly 312,300 cases in Louisiana have been confirmed through testing since Nov. 1, state health data show.

Louisiana nearly doubles places where people 70+ can get coronavirus vaccine: See list Louisiana added more than 100 pharmacies and other providers administering vaccines to elderly patients across the state on Monday, as officia

Health experts say the latest surge of infections has put the Baton Rouge area and state on a continued plateau of high daily case numbers that will likely be sustained for some weeks by the run of recent holidays that brought people together.

Test positivity rates have been up. Hospitalizations have been up and are stretching ICU bed capacities. About a quarter were open for any medical need on Monday in a state health region that includes East Baton Rouge and some other metro parishes, though not Livingston and some others.

Deaths are also up in the region, recently matching the peak that followed the summer surge in cases but below those from the spring, state data show.

"We've not seen a plateau like this before. It's never stayed up like this consistently either at a state level or even at a regional level," said Susan Hassig, a Tulane University epidemiologist who has advised the state on its viral response.

The worrying trends, some of which may already be in place for the next few weeks, come as the state's vaccination effort begins to gather steam after a slow start and the state's viral restrictions on businesses and public gatherings are close to expiring.

Many businesses and some Republican leaders have chaffed under the rules and tried to challenge them through legislation and in court. Gov. John Bel Edwards is planning a news conference Tuesday about their status.

Council on Aging offers pop-up coronavirus vaccination clinic for East Baton Rouge seniors The East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging on Tuesday will offer a three-day pop-up coronavirus vaccine clinic for seniors aged 70 and older.

Last week, officials who run hospitals in the Baton Rouge area and who are just beginning to ramp up vaccinations beyond their staff to those 70 and older under expanded state eligibility rules warned about rising hospitalizations, which, locally, were approaching the peak from summer.

Ochsner Health System officials said they hadn't even yet started to feel the effects of the holiday celebrations, perhaps just infections spread during pre-Christmas parties. Numbers had dropped some during the weekend, however.

Officials at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center began vaccinations of those 70 and older on Wednesday at the north Baton Rouge campus, and Baton Rouge General began them on Friday at the Mid City and Bluebonnet campuses. Both systems plan to add locations in the coming days and weeks.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging announced Monday the opening of a pop-up vaccination clinic at its downtown center Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with hopes of vaccinating 1,000 seniors.

Baton Rouge General officials said they vaccinated 60 people on Friday after an initial run and hoped to vaccinate 500 people per week going forward.

On Monday, Ochsner officials, who had an earlier jump on vaccinations, said they had scheduled 113,025 vaccination appointments statewide and given 57,035 doses through Sunday, nearly 39% of them during the past weekend.

The officials, who run the largest hospital system in the state, said they believe they could distribute 15,000 to 16,000 doses per day statewide if they can be assured of a consistent supply of vaccines.

Calling that level of vaccination "huge," if achieved, they noted that they typically don't know how many doses they are getting  and the state doesn't often know either  until shortly before the delivery.

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

"Again, it's hard to make that kind of plan until we know we can get that kind of supply," said Dr. Robert Hart, Ochsner's chief medical officer. "That creates a little bit of a problem."

Warner Thomas, Ochsner CEO and president, added later hospital officials were monitoring supplies and appointments daily with the state and federal government to ensure doses are available for seniors and health system staff.

The hospital officials suggested a rough estimate of herd immunity in the state would require vaccination of somewhere around 2.8 million adults; the current vaccines require two doses each.

OLOL begins vaccinating those 70 and older at north Baton Rouge campus; more sites planned Our Lady of the Lake hospital began distributing doses of coronavirus vaccines at its north Baton Rouge campus Wednesday to regular elderly pa

Hassig, the Tulane epidemiologist, said she hopes that, by late February or early March, the gathering vaccination push will result in fewer hospitalizations and deaths among those 70 and older, but, for the coming few weeks, the virus's impact can be expected to continue.

"For infections that are already present, the vaccine isn't going to make a difference," she said.

Through Dec. 30, two-thirds of the parishes in the Baton Rouge area had positivity rates of 10% or greater and most were trending upward, an indicator under state and federal standards of wide community spread of the virus.

St. Helena was the highest at 19.4%, but a clutch of parishes  Ascension, Livingston and West Baton Rouge  weren't far behind, hovering between 15.6% and 16.8% positivity for the week ending Dec. 30.

Jared Hymowitz, coordinator for East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome's Health City Initiative, said a brief holiday drop in testing and the absence of testing by LSU during the break did probably contribute to some of the increase in positivity rate but the majority of it is from community spread.

He based that conclusion  that rising positivity rates weren't simply an artifact of lower testing rates  on the hospitalizations numbers, which have been trending upward too.

"We started feeling the numbers in mid-December, and they haven't slowed down since," Hymowitz said.

In Louisiana, state positivity figures are the ratio of positive cases to tests given for a weeklong period.

OLOL begins vaccinating those 70 and older at north Baton Rouge campus; more sites planned Our Lady of the Lake hospital began distributing doses of coronavirus vaccines at its north Baton Rouge campus Wednesday to regular elderly pa

One-quarter of East Baton Rouge Parish's total cases have been added since Dec. 1, state data show. The parish broke 25,000 cases Sunday and pushed that number to 25,105 cases on Monday.

East Baton Rouge's positivity rate was 13.1% for the week ended Dec. 30. It's the parish's highest weekly positivity rate since the third surge began, state data show.

Concern over rising positivity and cases were no less a concern down Interstate 10.

Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment delivered what has become an all-too-often warning about the high positivity rates and the continued testing efforts during in his bi-weekly address to the Parish Council during a recent virtual meeting.

"So, we all need all of our citizens to continue wearing masks, washing their hands, practice social distancing," he said, adding those with symptoms or close contacts should get tested.
The American National Center for Education Statistics 2019 report estimates 962,300 violent incidents.

Online publication 'Schools Week' reported that assaults on school premises in the UK have soared 72% in the four years up to 2019.

In October 2019 an Australian public-school worker was repeatedly bitten by one of her students. She stated: "I was bitten on the arms; I was bitten on the stomach and I was bitten on the leg. That was day one."

BitePRO Senior Consultant Rachel Riding states: "As part of our own recent international survey, 95% of participants confirmed they had experience of dealing with biting, scratching or pinching behaviour in the workplace, and 89% had personally such type of injury as part of their role."

BitePRO CEO Robert Kaiser comments: "Those charged with the health and safety of education professionals have a legal duty, through the risk assessment processes, to examine workplace hazards, identify those at risk and take measures to control those risks."

"We know a lot about the phenomenon of school violence and the subsequent injuries teachers suffer from. We also understand that comfortable protective clothing, preventing human bites or other injuries is an effective way of mitigating that risk."

Several other reports have concluded that too many teachers have had their careers ended prematurely and their lives ruined as a result of violent incidents at work causing significant long-term physical and psychological injuries, including stress, anxiety and depression.

British firm BitePRO claim that 83% of their survey participants confirmed the number of injuries had been reduced since wearing bite resistant clothing.

The firm is currently working in additional garment designs to further help education professionals. Please visit the company's online shop: www.bite-pro.com or email [email protected].

About BitePRO

BitePRO is an international firm specialised in the design and supply of bite resistant arm guards and clothing, offering wearable protection from human bites. Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1396307/BitePRO_Bite_Resistant_Arm_Guards.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1359438/BitePRO_Logo.jpg

Media Contacts:

Rachel Riding

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)1423 229755

Vicky Wrigley (PR)

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)845 519 3953

SOURCE BitePRO

Related Links

https://www.bite-pro.com


The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Columbus police are preparing for pro-Trump protests this weekend at the Ohio Statehouse.

Sunday, armed protesters are preparing to demonstrate in Columbus and every other state capital, as well as in Washington D.C. Is the city ready for a violent attack? Were talking about it 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:

With pro-Trump protests threatened in state capitals around the country, are Columbus police planning to be ready for trouble?

President Donald Trump gave Jim Jordan the nations highest honor yesterday, the Medal of Freedom. Has Jordans tune on the rigged election changed any over the past few weeks, or is he still peddling false claims?

How can Cleveland State University defend hiring Douglas Dykes to a $140,000-a-year job when he left his job with the county in disgrace, having pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and lied on official documents?

The former Public Utilities Chief of Ohio, Sam Randazzo, didnt just have mess with the FirstEnergy bailout. Now we come to learn he was messing with proposed windfarms in a way that benefitted a former client?

We finally know who bought Nighttown, the Cleveland Heights jazz club and restaurant. Who is it?

Ive been predicting that July 4th will be this nations coming out party post pandemic. Sounds like some experts say Im off base.

CSU is getting closer to a final plan for its reorganization, with an announcement and records released Monday. Im having a hard time understanding what they want to do. Please clear it up.

I saw a cool ad from the Ohio Health Department during the Browns game, based on Jenga, aimed at curbing behaviors that create coronavirus risk. Im wondering, though, whether the same creative juices will go into ads trying to get people to get the vaccine?

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PUNE, India, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ProMobi Technologies is excited to announce that Scalefusion, its mobile device management solution, has entered into a strategic partnership with Wishtel, a manufacturer of IRA branded tablet PCs that provides mobility solutions across diverse fields. With this tightly integrated partnership, Wishtel customers can now leverage the powerful hardware of IRA along with full-blown device management offered by Scalefusion.

This strong partnership is focused on delivering top-notch functionality that can be configured and personalized to the T to fulfill the dynamic needs of the Wishtel customers.

Wishtel is known for its design ability to create easy-to-carry and compact tabs that are suited to use across any field. With years of experience in their tow, the Wishtel team is known for producing customizable touch screen products to solve industry challenges. With Scalefusion, Wishtel can now extend device management capabilities for its customers, taking its solution to the next level. Wishtel IRA offers an education-centric solution that enables digitalization of classrooms. The partnership with Scalefusion paves the way for secure and distraction-free learning environments- within or outside the classroom.

Wishtel and Scalefusion have industry-grade solutions for Android OS- the IRA tablets. With this partnership with Scalefusion, Wishtel IRA can now ensure its customers easy, out-of-the-box onboarding, enrollment into policies and devices management. The customers can also make use of UI personalization, content management capabilities along with real-time location tracking, history retention and geofencing. Wishtel IRA customers can also experience quick issue resolution and reduced device downtime powered by Remote Cast and Control. To further bring agility to the operations, Wishtel IRA customers can automate recurring IT tasks and boost IT productivity.

Both Scalefusion and Wishtel are dedicated to offering customized solutions based on their specific needs, which makes this partnership more interesting.

"We are extremely thrilled to venture into this partnership with Wishtel. With this integration, we intend to serve the customers with a dynamic solution. Our team is committed to delivering the best-in-industry service for device management for businesses across all industries. We are looking forward to this association with Wishtel to affirm the same", commented Mr. Harishanker Kannan, the Co-Founder and CEO of ProMobi Technologies.

"Partnering with Scalefusion, our aim is to provide 360-degree mobility solutions to our customers. It is going to be an exciting time and a very productive association for our customers", said Milind Shah, the CEO of Wishtel.

About Scalefusion:

Ambitious companies around the world trust Scalefusion to secure and manage endpoints including smartphones, tablets, laptops, rugged devices, POS, and digital signages. Our mission is to make Device Management simple and effortless along with providing world-class customer support. Scalefusion currently has a global customer base of more than 6000 customers and its HQ is located in Pune, India. Scalefusion has offices across Hyderabad and Delhi in India, along with global offices in Mexico and Canada.

For more information, please visit: https://www.scalefusion.com.

Scalefusion on LinkedIn

About Wishtel

IRA is India's leading homegrown tablet devices brand. Founded in 2012 by a team of forward thinkers and innovators.

WishTel Private Limited is a manufacturer of IRA branded tablet PCs and provides mobility solutions with years of experience in the field.

Taking the vision of digital India ahead, IRA aims to provide a computer for everyone in the form of easy-to-carry and compact tabs to hone and develop skill building in every field.

To learn more visit: https://wishtel.com/

Media contact :

Swapnil Shete

swapnil@mobilock.in

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Tony Lefebvre, chief operating officer of Signature Flight Support reveals how the companys network of FBOs managed to remain open during Covid-19 and why the company is committing to a sustainable future for business aviation.

When talking about Signature it is difficult not to mention its size. With more than 210 locations around the world, it has grown over the last decade to become the sectors largest provider of FBO services and has a major role in the industry. The companys activities draw attention, whether that is when it is managing to stay open during the Covid-19 pandemic or when investing in the long-term future of the industry through increasing the availability of sustainable aviation fuel.

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Tony Lefebvre is the person responsible for Signature Flight Supports operations. He is fully aware of the challenges of running an aviation business on the scale of Signatures, as well as the responsibility that comes with its role within the sector. We are often seen as the FBO industrys key operator. People use Signature because we offer such a broad ecosystem and large network  we offer consistency versus eight FBOs, he says.

Signature has a presence in the top 20 metro areas in the USA and increasingly Europe, thanks to an acquisition strategy that has targeted high traffic and growth areas. Our strategy has been to be highly relevant  to be where people want to go, Lefebvre says. That means we operate in a lot of major metropolitan markets which have the most business aviation aircraft movements.

Sometimes we are the only FBO at an airport. Theres a responsibility that comes with that and we want to continue to be innovative and advance private aviation, he says.

Workforce culture

With more than 5000 employees spread across five continents, there are several challenges to maintaining a coherent and consistent culture across the company.

Lefebvre says, We cover a lot of ground, South Africa, Hawaii, Singapore  managing time zones can be challenging. We rely on a good leadership network and the team that runs the operating the side of the business with me is fantastic.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic regional management teams would regularly visit FBOs. This has changed to the use of video calling during the pandemic, although regional directors have continued to visit in person to maintain relationships. Like everyone weve had to adapt to this new world and thats meant ensuring that we continue to communicate effectively, says Lefebvre.

Service and safety

Another key aspect of effectively running a FBO network that is as large as Signatures is the availability of accurate and reliable information about what is happening at different bases. Management has access to tools that use information about, for example traffic and staffing levels, from a variety of sources.

We can see the activity at the FBO and the outcomes of decisions being made. It means we can support with additional resources if they are needed fast, he says.

Ensuring consistently high levels of customer service is the goal of almost any aviation business. Within Signature, high-quality training is a key to achieving this and the company has invested heavily in training in the last few years. According to Lefebvre, new employees now go through more training and instruction than ever before: We want to instil common practices and give them the confidence and competence to deliver good service every day.

Lefebvres background is in commercial airlines, where he learnt that training is the way to change behavior and follow best practices. We have a virtual learning management platform that fortuitously we implemented just before Covid-19 hit. It allows us to offer consistent training from a central location throughout the network, meaning our syllabus is reliably replicated, he says.

A central part of Lefebvres responsibility is operational safety. Many companies seek to continuously improve safety in their operations but achieving this can be elusive. In a similar way to the provision of training, Signatures approach to safety takes inspiration from the commercial airline sector. We have borrowed and adapted the Safety Management System that are used by commercial air carriers. Continuous improvement means we assess risk and build policies to mitigate it, he says.

Our safety culture is extraordinarily active. Everyone gets the Safety 101 basics, like PPE, and situational awareness, how to be safe in their work environment. We then go into the aspects of their job. No one just goes out and starts towing and de-icing aircraft. There are hurdles and stage gates a person has to go through to be qualified.

Using technology the level of data available within the SMS is also very detailed. For example, managers can see how many tows of an aircraft an individual worker has performed. As well as operational data there is a network of cameras on Signatures ramps and in hangars to provide feedback and review activities. This helps management to solve problems quickly when they arise, for example providing refresher training if there has been a spate of incidents with similar characteristics. And if there is a rise in incidents at a particular base, resources can be allocated to help them improve. The level of data we have is very impressive, says Lefebvre. We are not only active in giving people the platform but also on the assurance side, ensuring that people are working safely every day.

Pandemic operations

There is little doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit business aviation hard this year. Save for a couple of places where airports temporarily suspended service, Signature has not closed any FBOs or offices during the pandemic. Lefebvre says, There has been a little bit of a slowdown, but we are open at all of the locations that we were operating going into the pandemic.

We quickly recognized the impact that Covid-19 was having in our communities and we took measures to create a safe workplace where we mitigate the risks, with operational continuity plans in place. We acquired PPE early and leaned in hard with practices such as social distancing and hand washing, not just at work but at home.

We audit to make sure procedures are being adhered to and that personal protective equipment is being used. Our facilities are disinfected daily through a 50 point checklist.

During the early phases of the pandemic regular communication was necessary to keep all areas of the business informed of the rapidly evolving situation of how the spread of the virus was impacting operations.

Lefebvre says, We communicated well, but as well as Covid-19 fatigue you can get call fatigue. Our messaging is simple, targeted and straightforward  people have a job to do away from Zoom or Microsoft Teams and that is often flying medical personnel, government representatives or transporting PPE.

Weve also reduced the number of corporate daily tasks people have to do so they can focus more on running the business.

Sustainability goals

The Covid-19 pandemic has not dented Signatures ambitions to improve the sustainability of its operations. During September 2020 the company announced that it was establishing the sectors first permanent supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel at its San Francisco International Airport and London Luton FBOs as part of its company-wide Signature Renew environmental initiative. Lefebvre says that the response from customers and perhaps more crucially the uptake of SAF has been very positive  the FBO at San Francisco has sold out of every single gallon bought to it so far.

We needed customer demand to start offering SAF and partners willing to share the risk. Its the right thing for the industry to do and puts a marker down, says Lefebvre. Our intention is to buy more SAF and we are looking for ways to grow our supply. As we commit to purchase more, suppliers produce more, creating momentum for sustainable Jet A.

The SAF market is complicated and the largest demand is from airlines. Governments around the world are pushing for aviation to reduce carbon emissions, but Lefebvre believes the future of the sector will be more sustainable: Supply of SAF is going to take some time to come through as demand increases, but it is the most promising way for aircraft operators to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, including up to 25% at current blend rates.

Combined with aircraft equipped with technology to reduce fuel burn and the use of carbon offsets as a stop gap until we can replace supply one for one, we will get to a point where you can fly carbon netural and you can do it with Signature.

As well as the SAF activity, the companys Renew program aims to more than triple the number of its FBOs that are equipped with solar panels. Seven of its FBOs currently have solar PV on site. The company is installing EV charging infrastructure and is moving all of its ground support equipment that can be electric to be fully-electric. Where vehicles cant be electric they use biodiesel. Our intention is to accelerate our adoption of sustainable technology in the air and on the ground, Lefebvre says.

The Renew program reveals the long-term planning that Signature engages in and in the future there are plans to continue to expand the network. Lefebvre says, We are always actively looking to grow the business. We added Geneva and Sion during the pandemic and will continue to grow our locations in the markets where it makes sense.

However, the immediate goal for the business is to maintain stability. Lefebvre says, Nobody knows exactly what will happen to travel patterns when business returns. We will be flexible and manage accordingly over the next 18 months, although weve seen positive signs during lulls in the infection rates that suggest a return of business.

We are focused on providing customer experiences that are highly customized and separating our brand from others in the market place. We want to provide a network that is relevant to our customers and still provides the customer service that feels like a local FBO.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Republicans and their media mouthpieces have collectively settled on a single argument against impeaching Donald Trump: It would be divisive, and after last weeks violence at the Capitol, politicians need to unify the country. Impeaching the president with only 12 days left will only divide our country more, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted last week. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz charged that impeachment is unnecessary, divisive, and its only being done because Democrats want to keep the focus on President Trump so they can hold together their fragile coalition. Sen. Marco Rubio suggested that President-elect Joe Biden was failing to live up to his campaign promises by not coming out against impeachment:

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Biden has a historic opportunity to unify America behind the sentiment that our political divisions have gone too far



But instead he decided to promote the lefts efforts to use this terrible national tragedy to try and crush conservatives or anyone not anti-Trump enough  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 10, 2021

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Some have suggested that by going ahead with impeachment, Democrats will bear responsibility for the next round of pro-Trump terrorism. Rep. Kevin Brady, a powerful senior House member from Texas, tweeted that Democrats were engaging in intemperate and inflammatory language and calling for action that is equally irresponsible and could well incite further violence. The line is now being parroted on Fox News.

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Brian Kilmeade again says Dems shouldn't pursue impeachment because Republicans are threatening mass violence



"We see what's happening around this country, how 50 state houses are being threatened on Inauguration Day, this is the last thing you want to do" pic.twitter.com/LS1DOfEWkR  Lis Power (@LisPower1) January 12, 2021

This is all breathtakingly hypocritical. Republican politicians, including more than half of the partys House members, did not seem particularly concerned about uniting the nation last week when they voted against certifying Novembers election results. Though Trump himself bears most of the responsibility for last Wednesdays insurrection, the decision by lawmakers like McCarthy and Gaetz to contest the Electoral College count contributed to the disaster by perpetuating the lie that the race had been stolen, a belief that ultimately led the mob to attack the Capitol. To turn around now and oppose impeachment on the grounds of unity is, as many have noted, laughably opportunistic; their protests simply cannot be taken seriously. Worse yet, those warning that impeachment could trigger more violence are implicitly demanding that Democrats give in to hostage-takers. Their position is that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should allow herself to be cowed by a right-wing mob.

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The grim reality is that there is nothing Democrats can do on their own at this stage to unite the country. With the help of quiescent lawmakers in Washington, Trump has convinced a critical mass of GOP voters that Biden stole the election; according to a Quinnipiac poll released Monday, 73 percent of Republicans still believe Novembers results were marred by fraud, while a Vox and Data for Progress poll found that 49 percent of the partys voters dont trust the election results and dont think Biden should be inaugurated. There is nothing that Biden himself, or any Democrat, can say that will undo that damage. Will impeachment anger conservatives further? Maybe. But keep in mind that militant reactionaries are currently planning armed protests and plotting to overthrow the government in response to Bidens inauguration. The mere fact that Trump is leaving office appears to be enough to make them pick up arms; if the impeachment article Democrats have introduced makes a difference, itll just be at the margins.

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The only somewhat sure way to begin a healing process in this country would be for Trump to admit that he lost the election, fair and square. Nothing short of that will break the spell that pushed his most cultish followers into violence. Of course, he wont. The man is a feckless egotist who more likely than not believes his own bullshit. He has perpetuated his own version of a stabbed-in-the-back myth in order to assuage his own wounded pride and retain his power over the GOP. According to the Washington Post, Trump immediately regretted the video he released last week after the riot, in which he promised a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power, because he feared that the calming words made him look weak. Asked during a visit to Texas on Tuesday about his own role in the Capitol attack, he showed no signs of introspection or contrition, telling reporters of his speech to the crowd, People thought that what I said was totally appropriate.

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But if Republicans actually wanted to make an effort at reconciliation, the party could start by conceding that Joe Biden won legitimately, that he is the rightful next president, and urge Trump to do the same. Not just a majority of its senators, or a minority of its House membership, but the whole partyfrom backbencher representatives all the way up. If they want to go further and show that inciting violence is in fact unacceptable, they could join Democrats to impeach Trump.

None of this seems particularly likely either. A handful of Republican moderates seem poised to vote to impeach and convict, but not enough to remove Trump from office. Even admitting that Biden won seems like too tall an order for many key GOP figures; when Slate asked McCarthys office whether he would affirm that Biden won the election and there was no fraud or unlawful irregularities that affected the outcome, the House minority leaders staff did not respond. (Update, 2:33 PM: After this piece was initially published, an aide emailed pointing to the portion of McCarthys previous public statement in which he merely referred to Biden as the president-elect, as if that should clear up any confusion.) As long as Republicans refuse to take a concrete stand for truth and against violence, their complaints about divisiveness should be treated as nothing more than pure bad faith.
Revenue has relaxed rules that were set to cost people with company cars thousands extra in tax during the lockdown.

This is because the tax authority had told those who use a car provided to them for work that they are to be charged benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax for use of their cars as normal from this month.

This is despite the fact that the lockdown means they cannot use the company cars for work.

This was set to cost people with company cars up to 1,500 more in tax a month.

Thousands of sales reps have been forced to work from home but they had been told by Revenue in December that they would liable for BIK as normal this year based on business mileage under pandemic conditions.

It comes after tax authorities relaxed the rules from the first lockdown last March for all of last year in relation to BIK.

BIK is calculated based on original value of the car provided to the staff. People pay PAYE on a cash equivalent calculated using the cars value and the mileage driven for business.

A percentage amount is then applied to the original market value of the company car, based on mileage.

Low mileage generates the higher percentage tax rate at 30pc, with other bands down to 6pc for those driving more than 48,000km a year.

The more mileage you put on your car, the less tax you pay.

But it also means the less mileage you do then the higher the rate of the tax.

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As company cars are not being used for work at the moment, sales reps are being taxed at a rate of 30pc of the value of the cars.

One sales rep for a pharmaceutical firm, speaking before the Revenue climb-down, said: I stand to be charged around 1,500 per month from my salary as a result of this action.

Last year Revenue allowed the amount of business mileage travelled in January 2020 to be used as a base month for the purposes of calculating the amount of BIK due for all of last year.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty and Labours Ged Nash had contacted Revenue asking it to show the same flexibility this year.

Contacted yesterday. Revenue conceded that a new lockdown was now in place. This was not the case in early December when it lifted its concessionary measure related to employer-provided vehicles.

The Revenue Commissioners said having regard to the current public health restrictions, the short-term concessionary measures announced back in March will remain in place.

This means that if the employer takes back possession of the vehicle and an employee has no access to the vehicle, no BIK shall apply for the period.

Where an employee retains possession of a vehicle, but the employer prohibits the use of it, no BIK will apply if it is not used for private use.

If the worker holds on to the company car and there is limited business use and some personal use, then the the amount of business mileage travelled in January 2020 may be used as a base month for calculating the amount of BIK due.

Revenue said: Due to the nature of the Covid-19 pandemic it is not known how long any Covid-19 restrictions will ultimately remain in place.

Revenue will, however, continue to regularly review all Covid-19 related matters (including the provisions relating to BIK on employer-provided vehicles) and if any further measures are considered necessary in the future, updated guidance will be made available by Revenue.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who had dubbed the country's anti-Covid vaccine as the BJP's one before its rollout and had vowed not to take its shot, on Tuesday asked when would the poor be inoculated.

"When would the be provided to the poor? The government also needs to tell whether it would be free of cost or they will have to pay for it, the SP chief posed the query on a day when the first consignment of the vaccine landed in Lucknow.

Yadav's January 2 remark had prompted a sharp reaction not only from the ruling party but also from NC vice-president Omar Abdullah who had said vaccines don't belong to any political party, but humanity.

On a day when the Supreme Court set up a four-member panel to resolve farmers grievances against the three central farm laws, the SP chief reiterated his party's support to farmers, saying that everybody is facing problems because of the new farm laws.

The Samajwadi Party supports farmers agitation against the farm laws, the SP president said while speaking at a function at Sri Ram PG College at Adampur here.

He also accused the state government of doing nothing to ferry the migrant workers returning to Uttar Pradesh from various states amid the Covid lockdown.

The migrants started from places like Gujarat and Maharashtra on bicycles and foot but the government did nothing for them. There were 90,000 buses. Had they been deployed, people would not have died on roads, he said.

On the charge of his government often appointing officials of his caste on key posts in police and district administration, Yadav retorted, My government was termed a casteist government, but you can yourself see now, who is sitting on which government position and decide.

(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.)

EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season.

CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15.

GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season.

BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career.

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Supreme Court of India (SC).

The Supreme Court on January 12 said it will suspend the implementation of the three farm laws until further orders.

The top court said that it will also set up a Committee to resolve the impasse between the farmers' unions and the government over the three farm laws, which have triggered protests at Delhi borders since November last year.

"We are going to suspend the implementation of the three farm laws until further orders", Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said during the hearing in a batch of petitions batch of petitions challenging the laws.

Follow our LIVE BLOG on Farmers' Protest here

Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, Jitender Singh Maan, President BKU. Dr Pramod KumarJoshi, International policy head and Anil Dhanvat of Shivkeri Sangathna will be part of the Committee.

The next hearing of the case will be held on January 18, reports said. The formal orders will be uploaded shortly.

The three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India and Justices AS Bopana and V Ramasubramanian heard arguments from both sides on January 11 and January 12.

"We have the power to suspend the legislation. But the suspension of legislation must not be for an empty purpose. We will form a Committee which will submit a report to us," Bobde said during the hearing on January 12.

The farmers unions had, earlier, shot down the proposal to go before a Committee.

"Every person who is genuinely interested in solving the problem is expected to go before the Committee. The Committee will not punish you or pass any orders. It will submit a report to us," the CJI said insisting that the Court doesn't want to hear an argument that farmers will not go to the committee

Earlier, senior advocate PS Narasimha, representing one of the intervenors supporting the farm laws, submitted before the court that these kind of protests could be "dangerous" as "banned" groups like "Sikhs for Justice" were involved.

The CJI asked Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal to confirm Narasimha's allegation. The AG said Khalistanis have infiltrated into the protests.

"If there is an infiltration by a banned organization, and somebody is making an allegation here on record, you have to confirm it. You file an affidavit by tomorrow," the CJI asked AG who said an will be filed along with IB records.

During the hearing on January 11, the top court had hinted at its intention of putting the implementation of farm laws on hold to end the impasse between the government and the protesting farmers. The court observed that the steps taken by the government to break the deadlock have proven ineffective.

In its affidavit filed hours after the hearing concluded on January 11, the Centre told the top court that the three laws were a result of two decades of deliberations and that the demand to repeal them in entirety was "neither justifiable nor acceptable"

"The Central government has done its best to engage with the farmers to remove any misapprehensions or misgivings in their minds and no efforts have been found lacking," the affidavit said.

Thousands of farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points for more than 45 days now, demanding repeal of the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops.

Several rounds of talks between the Centre and farmers union leaders have failed to end the deadlock so far.

The eighth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions on January 8 remained inconclusive as the government ruled out repealing the three laws. Another round of talks was scheduled to be held on January 15.

The two sides had arrived at some common ground in the sixth round of talks held on December 30 with the government agreeing on two of the four demands of farmers  removing stubble burning penalty on farmers and withdrawing provisions in the draft Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, which intend to change the mode of subsidy payment to farmers.

The Centre has projected these farm laws as major agriculture reforms aimed at helping farmers and increasing their income, but the protesting unions fear that the new legislation has left them at the mercy of big corporates by weakening the MSP and mandi systems.
Bad news for those looking for President Trump's resurgence on Parler after being banned from Twitter on Friday -- the hyper-conservative social platform has now been banned on Apple, Google, and Amazon. Known as the backup outlet of choice for several prominent republicans like Milo Yiannopoulos and weirdly lax policies on handling "hate-filled, violent speech," according to CNN, the site has been down since the weekend. Without access to Amazon Web Services and with other hosts turning down their requests for reasons including the risk of "negative publicity stemming from the violence, organized in part on platforms such as Parler," Fortune reported, Parler has peaced out of the social media game, seemingly for the foreseeable future.

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We are clearly being singled out, Parler exec Amy Peikoff told Fox & Friends Weekend, as the sound of sad songs being played from an orchestra composed only of the world's smallest violins filled the air. I believe we were treated unfairly."

It seems the decision to pull the platform at least from the Apple store and Amazon stemmed from Parler's inability to deal with dangerous speech, which some tech experts say could lead to another incident like last Wednesday's Capitol siege.

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"We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity," An Apple Spokesperson told Fox Business. "Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to peoples safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues."

As Parler scrambles to resume services for all five of its users, including Mr. Yiannopoulos, several competitors like Gab and Telegram have popped up, vying for their chance to become America's Next Top alt-right echo chamber, in a real

So folks, remember, while free speech is generally pretty amazing, as we learned last week, hate speech and inciting language can have deadly consequences and must be taken seriously.
Jasmin Bhasin took to Twitter and did an 'ask me anything' session with her fans, where she encouraged them to ask anything about her. Fans flooded her with questions about her relationship with Ali Goni and asked for updates about their relationship status. A fan went ahead and asked the actor how did she meet Aly for the first time and to describe it.

Fan asks how did Jasmin Bhasin and Aly Goni meet?

Describe your first ever meet with Aly  #AskJasmin  #Jasly FOREVER-Niharika  (@nihxtweets) January 12, 2021

Read Also | 'High Time The Truth Came Out': Govinda After Krushna Abhishek's 'defamatory' Comments

How did Jasmin Bhasin meet Aly Goni for the first time?

When a fan of Jasmin Bhasin asked her to describe the first time she met Aly, the actor responded to the question and revealed that she met Aly at the Mumbai Airport. She stated that both of them were leaving for Argentina for Khatron Ke Khiladi. Check out the tweets below.

I met @AlyGoni for the first time at the Mumbai airport when we were leaving for Argentina for KKK  https://t.co/1OOtrbXMLa  Jasmin bhasin (@jasminbhasin) January 12, 2021

Read Also | Payal Ghosh Poses Question On 'credentials' Of Actors Amid Ongoing Drug Probe

Fans react to Jasmin's tweet

The tweet where Jasmin revealed how she met Aly for the first time, started doing the rounds on social media very soon. Fans of the actor flocked to the post and left their comments and reactions on the same. A number of people congratulated her for her relationship with Aly and sent them warm regards.

Many other people sent much love to Jasmin and left heart and kiss emoticons on the post. Several other people requested the actor to revealed more details about her relationship with him. A number of other netizens asked the actor to keep them updated about her relationship status and when does she plan to get married to him.

Aly ko jab 1st time the tab kya socha tha #AskJasmin  Siya (@siyakuchu) January 12, 2021

Hehe

Airport wala connection #AskJasmin#JasminBhasin  NO BB WITHOUT JASMIN (@User12356870291) January 12, 2021

@jasminbhasin didi plz insta par live aa jayoooooo  Queen (@Kamalpr96382620) January 12, 2021

You both are GOALS!!

We love you Jasly  Jasly (@Aditigu98567546) January 12, 2021

Read Also | Milind Soman Replies To Fan Who Asks Him To Recreate Beach Running Picture In Cold Weather

Read Also | Australia's Platypus Habitat Declines By 22 Percent Over 30 Years: Study

Jasmin Bhasin's KKK

Jasim Bhasin was a contestant on the show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi  Made in India which aired in the year 2020. In fact, the actor was a second runner up on the show.

Jasmin Bhasin's boyfriend

Jasmin on the work front

Jasmin Bhasin made her acting debut on TV with the show Tashan-e-Ishq, which aired in the year 2015. The actor was then seen in shows like Dil Se Dil Tak in a prominent role and shared the screen with Rasmi Desai and Siddharth Shukla. Jasmin was also featured in shows like Naagin and several south Indian movies like Vaanam, Veta, Ladies & Gentlemen and Jil Jung Juk.

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.
There was an angry clash at the House Rules Committee Tuesday as Democratic members tried to get Republican Jim Jordan to denounce the claim that Joe Biden didn't fairly win the election following a Capitol riot that endangered lawmakers and resulted in the death of a Capitol Police officer.

Rules Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern repeatedly put Jordan in the hot seat by asking him to state that Biden won the election 'fair and square.' It was something Jordan was unwilling to do, even as lawmakers in both parties reacted in horror to the riot that occurred steps away from the Capitol hearing room.

'Mr. Jordan, this isn't a both sides issue,' McGovern told Jordan after he expressed opposition to a House Democratic impeachment resolution being considered.

'Of course I understand Joe Biden won,' Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said, without being willing to say it was done fairly

Then he delivered a long recitation of what happened on Wednesday, culminating in a question: 'So my question for you is will you admit that Joe Biden won fair and square and the election was not rigged or stolen?' he asked Jordan.

What followed was a 19-second pause, before Jordan, speaking from the Rules Committee hearing room, finally responded.

'Can you hear me, Mr. Chairman?' he finally said. 'What I did over the, over the past several months is follow the process,' was Jordan's first attempt at an answer.

McGovern had gone over the terrifying events of the day.

'Our capital was attacked, five people are dead, countless people are wounded. We had a group of domestic terrorists  homegrown fascists  that came to the Capitol building to desecrate this symbol of democracy and freedom and to do harm to people,' he said. 'And with all due respect, I'm glad that all it took for you to call for unity and healing was for our freedom and our democracy to be attacked. But for the last several months, the gentleman from Ohio and others have given oxygen to the President's conspiracy theories. And I just, and we all want healing. But in order to get to healing we need truth, and we need accountability,' McGovern continued.

Rules Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern repeatedly asked Rep. Jim Jordan whether Joe Biden won the election 'fair and square'

McGovern demanded 'accountability' after a 'coup'

Jordan participated from the Rules Committee, which is just off the House chamber invaded by rioters

In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) made the case for VP Mike Pence invoking the 25th Amendment or impeachment

'I mean, people came to the Capitol building to try to launch a coup to stop us from upholding our constitutional responsibilities. I mean I I was on the floor of the House floor, I know you were and others ... and when I went into the Speaker's Lobby, I saw this mob. You know, trying to break glass doors to get access to the floor and god knows what else. You know, they defied the Capitol Police who were bravely trying to protect us. And, and I saw in their eyes. You know, hate, and evil. And I'm just grateful that more that more people weren't harmed in this terrible attack but they, they came here to destroy things to desecrate things. And they did so because the president of the United States told them to go do it. At his urging.'

'That's not the question I asked,' McGovern told Jordan when he avoided a straight answer.

'I'll get to the question,' Jordan said, denying that he was doing a filibuster.

He pointed to January 6, the date Congress counts the electoral vote, as a date of 'ultimate significance,' saying: 'So we followed that process.'

He said Republicans spoke against the 'unconstitutional way' that some states conducted their elections.

'But I'm not asking about the process. I'm asking you to make a statement that the election was not stolen. That Joe Biden and Kamala Harris one fair and square, that's that's the question.

'Yes he is,' Jordan acknoweldged.

'So Joe Biden won fair and square?' McGovern pressed.

'He won the election because the way the process works is the last chance to object is January 6th and the objection didn't prevail,' was the best Jordan could muster  still acknowledging Biden's win on technical grounds.

'If we want to talk about healing. We have to talk about truth. And if we want to talk about healing we also need to deal with the issue of accountability,' McGovern lectured him.

'Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman. Yes, Joe Biden is going to be sworn in as president he is, he is President-elect Joe Biden,' Jordan said in his renewed attempt.

Then he complained that 'the rules were changed in unconstitutional fashion,' referencing states who boosted mail-in voting amid the pandemic, in decisions pushed through by state legislatures, election boards, and judges.

'You refuse to answer that question,' McGovern told him.

'He's going to be the president. I've said that on television,' said Jordan in the televised meeting.

'That is not the question I asked. I asked you to to to to lay bare the fact that this lie out there that somehow that Joe Biden did not win the election fair and square. He did. The President to this day, continues to perpetrate that.

'Of course I understand Joe Biden won. Are you saying there's concerns with this election,' Jordan countered.

Jordan had tweeted December 4th, as Trump and his forces tried to dispute the election results: 'Over 50 million Americans think this election was stolen. Thats more than one third of the electorate. For that reason alone, we owe it to the country to investigate election integrity.'

Jordan also tweeted Oct. 19th, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on an election issue. 'Democrats are trying to steal the election, after the election. Chief Justice Roberts is letting them do it,' he wrote.

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Coronavirus testing in Oregon has plummeted in recent weeks, returning to levels not seen since November and far outpacing a decline in diagnosed new cases.

Oregons average daily testing numbers are down 34% since Dec. 17 but confirmed and presumed infections are down only 10%.

The Oregon Health Authority came under scrutiny in the fall over what appeared to be lackluster testing progress, prompting the agency to alter the way it reports testing volume to show gains had been made. But a new analysis by The Oregonian/OregonLive has found testing numbers subsequently crashed during the holidays and still have not recovered.

The Oregon Health Authority on Monday reported 10 more deaths and 939 new coronavirus cases, marking the third time in the past week cases have been below 1,000.

State officials on Tuesday said some hospitals have shifted staffing from testing to vaccinations, limiting access to testing.

We are encouraging our partners to do their best to meet both important pandemic needs -- testing and immunization -- as best they can, Tim Heider, a spokesman for the Oregon Health Authority, said in emailed response to written questions.

Oregon tracks testing volume by disclosing the number of electronic lab reports received. Tests peaked Dec. 17 with a seven-day average of 25,184 but are now down to 16,723, roughly equal to testing levels for Nov. 15.

Meanwhile, confirmed or presumed infections have been trending up over the past week. Oregons average test positivity rate, 7.5%, is a full point higher than it was Dec. 17.

Yes, more testing is needed during this long winter surge, Heider said. Our current percent positivity indicates that we are not testing sufficiently.

State officials are on edge. Recent modeling suggests Oregon could see more cases in the weeks ahead, and Gov. Kate Brown has said the potential winter wave has the potential to surpass records set this fall.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (1), Benton (13), Clackamas (87), Clatsop (1), Columbia (14), Coos (15), Crook (1), Deschutes (38), Douglas (16), Hood River (3), Jackson (40), Jefferson (5), Josephine (38), Lane (61), Lincoln (8), Linn (13), Malheur (2), Marion (110), Morrow (8), Multnomah (16), Polk (40), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (63), Union (5), Wasco (7), Washington (314) and Yamhill (18).

Deaths: Oregons 1,604th death linked to coronavirus is a 73-year-old Jefferson County woman who tested positive Dec. 25 and died Jan. 9 at St. Charles Medical Center  Bend.

The 1,605th fatality is a 57-year-old Lane County woman who tested positive Dec. 18 and died Jan. 9 at Oregon Health & Science University.

Oregons 1,606th death is an 88-year-old Lane County man who tested positive Dec. 23 and died Jan. 7 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend.

The 1,607th fatality is a 53-year-old Lane County man who tested positive Dec. 28 and died Jan. 8 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend.

Oregons 1,608th death is a 91-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive Dec. 13 and died Dec. 21 at his residence.

The 1,609th fatality is a 91-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Dec. 3 and died Dec. 11 at her residence.

Oregons 1,610th death is a 74-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Dec. 18 and died Dec. 30 at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center.

The 1,611th fatality is a 95-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Jan. 1 and died Jan. 8 at Adventist Health Portland.

Oregons 1,612th death is a 93-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive Dec. 15 and died Jan. 2 at her residence.

The 1,613th fatality is a 98-year-old Washington County woman who tested positive Dec. 29 and died Jan. 4 at her residence.

Each person had underlying health conditions.

Not yet included in the states official count is an inmate from Two Rivers Correctional Institution who died Jan. 10 after testing positive for coronavirus, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections. He as between the ages of 70 and 80.

The Oregon Health Authority also removed two death from their official count for fatalities that were reported twice.

The prevalence of infections: The state reported 923 new positive tests out of 12,934 tests performed, equaling an 7.1% positivity rate.

Who got infected: State officials hadnt provided detailed age breakdowns since Friday. Since then, new confirmed or presumed infections since grew among the following age groups: 0-9 (147); 10-19 (442); 20-29 (897); 30-39 (682); 40-49 (559); 50-59 (444); 60-69 (295); 70-79 (175); 80 and older (102).

Whos in the hospital: The state reported 409 Oregonians with confirmed coronavirus infections were in the hospital Monday, up six from Sunday. Of those, 84 were in intensive care units, the same as Sunday.

Vaccines administered: Oregon has administered 104,595 doses out of 270,800 received, or 39% of its supply.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 126,607 confirmed or presumed infections and 1,613 deaths, among the lowest totals in the nation. To date, the state has reported 2,839,839 lab reports from tests.

-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt
Panaji, Jan 12 : A joint team of Cyber Crime officials from the Goa Police and Delhi Police arrested two Delhi-based Africans, who duped a woman from Goa of Rs 37 lakh by luring her through a matrimonial site.

A statement issued by the Goa Police said that the accused had started engaging with the Goa-based woman by posing as a suitor, who wanted to send gifts to her from abroad, which required payments to customs authorities.

"Complaint was received in Cyber Crime PS by victim, that one person had lured the victim by giving her a matrimonial proposal on a website by creating a fake profile," the statement said.

"Thereafter, the criminal lured her by saying that he is sending her expensive gifts from a foreign country where he works as a doctor. Thereafter, on the pretext of custom clearances for the foreign gifts, the criminals defrauded the victim of Rs 37 lakh," the statement said.

The two accused have been identified as Tsoupa Sebastien from Cameroon and Senehuoun Franck from Ivory Coast, both of whom were residing in Mehrauli area in the national capital. The arrests were carried out by a joint team of Cyber Crime and South Delhi police officials on Tuesday.

"Several mobile phones, SIM cards issued on fake identities have been seized alongwith database of 650 victims from the two persons. Further investigation is going on," the statement said.
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Barely a week after he was confirmed positive for COVID-19, the attorney-general of Oyo State, Oyelowo Oyewo, has tested negative for the deadly virus.

Consequently, Mr Oyewo has been discharged from the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) Isolation Center at Yaba, Lagos.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the professor of law at the University of Lagos, Akoka, is currently at home, observing treatment in isolation for the next 14 days.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the States Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatubosun, Tuesday, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo capital.

This newspaper exclusively reported how Mr Oyewo tested positive for the virus last week, a development that generated palatable fear among workers and residents of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, where he was confirmed positive.

Mr Olatubosun, however, said on Tuesday that the commissioner of justice is now healthy.

On January 2, 2021, the Honorable Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General was rushed to Lagoon Hospital, Lagos, at 10 pm and underwent a chest CT Scan that disclosed the possibility of the presence of COVID-19 Virus in his system, he was immediately transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) Isolation Center, Yaba, for further investigation.

On the 3rd January 2021, a positive test result was entered and the Medical Team of Doctors and Nurses admitted him into the IDH Facility for immediate and prompt medical treatment, which continued from 3rd January 2021 till 10th January 2021, when he was discharged from the IDH Isolation Center and released to go home and continue isolation and treatment for another 14 days in Lagos.

The Oyo State government further appreciated the medical personnel of the IDH Yaba, Lagos for the care and treatment of the Attorney-General.

The government also implored the people of the state to take the COVID-19 Pandemic serious and to observe all necessary COVID-19 Protocols at all time.

Before now, top government officials have also been victims of the deadly disease that has no respect for any individual

Some state governors have in the past tested positive while some top officials have also died of COVID-19.

Despite warnings by the government that citizens should observe safety protocols, many are defying the guidelines.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro dropped his opposition to Thomas Jefferson Universitys acquisition of Einstein Healthcare Network following a federal court loss and after Jefferson agreed to invest $200 million over seven years in Einsteins North Philadelphia facilities.

Our focus in this case has always been on strengthening access to high-quality health care for people living and working in North Philadelphia, the attorney generals office said in a statement Monday. Following extensive talks with Jefferson and Einstein, the systems have committed to making investments in North Philadelphia that will go beyond what was initially proposed and are especially crucial while we face this global health pandemic.

The Federal Trade Commissions litigation against the deal is still alive in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Until reaching its agreement with the attorney general, Jefferson had not committed to spending a specific amount of money at Einsteins hospital and other facilities in Philadelphia. A financial expert hired by Einstein to testify during last falls six-day antitrust trial estimated that Einstein needed an infusion of $210 million to $300 million in cash over four years to pay for must-do capital expenditures and to maintain minimally acceptable amounts of money in the bank.

Jefferson, which uses Einstein as a major training site for medical students, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The attorney general early last year joined the FTC in a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to block the Jefferson-Einstein deal, alleging that Jeffersons control of Einstein would give Jefferson enough market power to unfairly raise prices for hospital care in parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Judge Gerald J. Pappert rejected that bid on Dec. 8, concluding that the case by the FTC and the attorney general failed to mesh with the reality of the Philadelphia-area health-care market and relied on testimony from health insurers Independence Blue Cross and Cigna that was not credible.

The attorney general was still involved in the case on Dec. 9 for the emergency motion for an injunction pending appeal in district court, but dropped out by the time the FTC appealed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals the next day.

Pappert denied the motion for an injunction pending appeal on Dec. 14. A panel of three Third Circuit judges denied a similar emergency motion for injunction pending appeal a week later.

The FTC had no comment Monday on the attorney generals decision to drop out of the case. The agency said last month that it was considering its options for next steps in the litigation.

Antitrust experts have said that the FTCs loss in district court illustrates the agencys difficulty making hospital antitrust cases in metropolitan areas with many hospitals.

If the FTC defines the market where the merging parties would gain excessive market power to raise prices as an entire region, then market shares are typically too small to show undue concentration. If the agency tries to peel off parts of the region  as it did in the Jefferson-Einstein case with areas surrounding Einstein in North Philadelphia and Einstein Medical Center Montgomery in East Norriton  opponents can always argue that other nearby hospitals should have been included in the mix.

In this case, Pappert found it hard to believe that the FTC tried to make the case that the Jefferson-Einstein combination would have too much market power without mentioning the presence of the University of Pennsylvania Health System in the market.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A handful of U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Democrats voiced reservations on Tuesday about making another retired general the top civilian official at the Department of Defense, some citing last week's rampage at the U.S. Capitol.

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden has nominated retired General Lloyd Austin to be defense secretary. Because he left the army in 2016, Austin needs Congress to waive a law - designed to ensure civilian oversight at the Pentagon - that requires top brass to have hung up their uniforms for at least seven years.

Democrats said they were concerned because it would be the second such waiver in four years. The last was in 2017 for Republican President Donald Trump's first defense secretary, retired General Jim Mattis.

"We are now in danger of setting a precedent, after precedent, with a new norm, creating a danger that exception will swallow the rule," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said.

A committee hearing on Tuesday addressed the issue, ahead of an as-yet-unscheduled vote on the waiver.

Several senators alluded to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of Republican President Donald Trump opposed to Congress certifying Biden's Nov. 3 election victory.

Lawmakers have called for an investigation into why it took so long for troops to be deployed to help Capitol Police repel the attackers. Others have expressed concern that military veterans were among extremists charged since the assault.

"This attack was the greatest threat to constitutional order in my lifetime," said Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who will become the Armed Services Committee chairman when Biden is sworn into office on Jan. 20.

Democrats Tammy Duckworth, Elizabeth Warren and Blumenthal said they opposed the waiver. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said he was undecided.

"The waiting period is important and the length of time matters," said Duckworth, a military veteran.

Opposition to the waiver does not mean the Democrats - whose party will control the Senate after Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris take office - will oppose Austin's nomination.

Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, the outgoing committee chairman, said the date of Austin's confirmation hearing, which had been Jan. 19, might be changed.

Most Senate committees, now led by Trump's Republicans, have not even scheduled hearings for Biden's nominees, despite a Senate tradition of holding pre-inaugural hearings to help ensure a smooth transition.

The Army told Reuters it was working with the FBI to see if any attackers were current service members and with the Secret Service to see if any of the nearly 10,000 National Guard troops securing Biden's inauguration would need additional screening.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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DUBAI: Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday banned the government from importing new coronavirus vaccines from the United States and Britain.

Imports of U.S. and British vaccines into the country are banned. I have told this to officials and Im saying it publicly now," Khamenei said in live televised speech.

If the Americans were able to produce a vaccine, they would not have such a coronavirus fiasco in their own country," he said.

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
Jordan's state security court sentenced a man to death on Tuesday for the 2019 stabbing of eight people, four of them foreign tourists, at one of the kingdom's ancient sites.

The victims, who included one Swiss and three Mexican tourists, all survived the November 2019 knife attack in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Jerash, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the capital Amman.

Mustafa Abu Ruwais, 24, was sentenced to "death by hanging for the terrorist knife attack on tourists," the court said.

Ruwais, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, was at the time of the attack a resident of the Souf camp in Jerash, which houses some 20,000 Palestinian refugees.

He was arrested immediately afterwards and charged with terrorism offences in January last year.

The Jordanian victims included a tour guide and a security officer who attempted to intervene.

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- Pizza Katerina is reopening its doors with a new family behind the counter.

Melodie and Jimmy Holman, along with their five children, are bringing back the Neapolitan-style pizza and fresh bread that made Pizza Katerinas fan base so loyal during its short-lived stint at 635 N 9th St. just west of Kalamazoo, in Oshtemo Township.

The store will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 2, with the same signature sauce and pizza crust. Vegan options will also continue to be available with cauliflower crust pies.

The Holmans are adding their own flair with three specialty pizzas inspired by family and friends: a Thai pizza, a spicy pizza and a pesto pizza.

The Holmans were regulars at Pizza Katerina, often Facebook messaging the owners days in advance to hold orders of focaccia bread and baked goods.

The pizzerias original owners, Paul and Kathleen Harris, opened the shop in 2019 as their retirement gift to each other and a celebration of Kathleens clean bill of health after battling breast cancer.

Born and raised in Boston, Paul was missing the slices he grew up on, he said.

The real desire was more selfish than anything else, I wanted good pizza, Harris said.

Despite not having Italian roots on either side of the family, the couple created the dough and sauce recipes from scratch. Harris joked that YouTube can take you anywhere and teach you anything.

The name Pizza Katerina was derived from a Google search as well, as Harris searched for the Italian equivalent of his wifes name.

The restaurants following grew quickly, resulting in long lines and high demand.

We had a few days where we actually would literally run out of dough, Harris said. Its heartbreaking. Youre grateful for customers coming in and ordering but then you got to tell them, as theyre walking in the door, We cant make you a pizza.

The Harris tenure came to an end more quickly than planned as Kathleens cancer returned in her brain, resulting in an immediate closure of Pizza Katerina. Now in better health, she and her husband are looking forward to having the Pizza Katerina name live on  even if its not them throwing the dough anymore.

Being the pizza enthusiasts that they were, the Holman family was eager to pick up the torch and run.

I love that they have not just a passion for the business, but I think they have a lot of the same outlook as I did, Harris said. We really wanted to emphasize customer service, that type of old neighborhood place that you just dont have anymore.

As a family of seven, the Holmans are accustomed to feeding a crowd and doing so on a budget. They were adamant about keeping Pizza Katerina affordable. They have a spreadsheet for every recipe and have exacted the menu prices down to the teaspoon of oregano, they said.

They will also keep the tradition of fresh baked bread and baked goods, hiring on an in-house baker as well as perfecting the Harris recipes. The Holmans and Harrises have become even closer in the month leading up to the grand opening as they navigate the kitchen together sharing tricks of the trade.

The Holmans favorite focaccia bread is being served as breadsticks as well with their own specialty marinara sauce.

Until indoor dining restrictions lift, Pizza Katerina will be takeout only with delivery options through third party delivery services.

Leading up to the February grand opening, the new Pizza Katerina will have a contest to pick a fan favorite specialty pizza. The Thai pizza is inspired by Pad Thai with peanut sauce and red curry. The spicy pizza features both fresh jalapeno slices and green jalapeno stuffed olives. The pesto pizza will be topped with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese.

The Drive-Thru Pizza Poll event will be Friday, Jan. 29. Customers can order three small slices of each signature pie for $5 and then vote on Facebook for a favorite. The winning pizza will be on special opening week. Customers are encouraged to sign up on Facebook ahead of time.

More on MLive:

Local Eats: 9 places to get your coffee fix in Kalamazoo

Two new Chick-fil-A locations prepare to open in West Michigan

Moving container PODS turned into makeshift private dining rooms at Kalamazoo restaurants

Kalamazoo spice maker stays true to family roots, balancing purpose and profit on a global scale

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Moldova decisively and unreservedly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

"We have focused on the challenges and threats that have an impact on both national and regional security. The stability and security of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are vital for both countries. In this context, we reaffirmed our mutual and firm support for a peaceful resolution of conflicts based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our countries within the internationally recognized borders. I would like to emphasize once again that the Republic of Moldova decisively and unreservedly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu said after signing bilateral documents with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

She praised the sincerity of discussions with the President of Ukraine and expressed confidence that the constant dialogue, which the leaders of Moldova and Ukraine agreed to establish today, is in the national interests of both countries.

Sandu also confirmed the invitation for President Zelensky to pay an official visit to Moldova.

"I hope to see you, Mr. President, again in Chisinau in the near future," the President of Moldova said.

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Chris Pine and Jonathan Pryce looked dapper as they filmed scenes for their upcoming movie All the Old Knives in London on Monday.

The actors have leading roles in the thriller, which is based on the novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer.

Chris, 40, wrapped up warm for the outdoor scene as he donned a black coat which he wore over a grey turtle neck jumper.

Production: Chris Pine looked dapper as he filmed scenes for his upcoming movie All the Old Knives in London on Monday

The film star also sported a pair of dark trousers and brown shoes while his hair was styled into a quiff for the shoot.

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Chris was seen alongside members of the crew who maintained social distancing and sported face masks and visors.

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Jonathan, 73, sported a dark grey coat for the shoot along with a matching scarf and brown trousers.

It was announced last month that the spy thriller, also starring Thandie Newton, has landed at Amazon Studios.

Shoot: The actor has a leading role in the upcoming thriller, which is based on the novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer

Co-star: Chris was joined by actor Jonathan Pryce, 74, who also stars in the flick

Chris and Thandie star as CIA operatives and former lovers who meet up for dinner at Carmel-by-the-Sea to reminisce about their time together in Vienna six years previously.

Chris' character Henry is still with the agency but Thandie's character Celia has moved on to marriage and children.

The project was first announced back in May 2017 and finally started filming in December.

Outfit: Chris, 40, wrapped up warm for the outdoor scene as he donned a black coat which he wore over a grey turtle neck jumper

Crew: Chris was seen alongside members of the crew who maintained social distancing and sported face masks and visors

Crew: Chris was seen alongside members of the crew who maintained social distancing and sported face masks and visors

Dapper: The film star also sported a pair of dark trousers and brown shoes while his hair was styled into a quiff for the shoot

Scene: Jonathan sported a dark grey coat for the shoot along with a matching scarf and brown trousers

It comes after Chris was recently said to be in talks to star in a live-action film adaption of Dungeons And Dragons.

If the actor signs on, he will be the first in what is expected to be a star-studded ensemble cast.

He helped launch the Star Trek reboot film series (20092016) for Paramount where he played James T. Kirk.

Studio: It was announced last month that the spy thriller, also starring Thandie Newton, has landed at Amazon Studios

Plot: Chris and Thandie star as CIA operatives and former lovers who meet up for dinner at Carmel-by-the-Sea to reminisce about their time together in Vienna six years previously

Story: Chris' character Henry is still with the agency but Thandie's character Celia has moved on to marriage and children

The California native is also well known to fans for his role as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman (2017) and the upcoming sequel Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

The filmmaking tandem of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley co-wrote the new Dungeons And Dragon screenplay, based on a draft by Michael Gilion, and will also serve as the directors.

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They're best known for helming the action comedy film Game Night (2018), starring Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman.

Upcoming: It comes after Chris was recently said to be in talks to star in a live-action film adaption of Dungeons And Dragons

Movie: All the Old Knives was first announced back in May 2017 and finally started filming in December
Weve heard it before: Wear a mask, practice social distancing, avoid crowds, and wash our hands regularly. These are all important ways to protect ourselves from the coronavirus and from spreading it to others.

But what happens if you took those safety precautions and were hanging out with a friend who later tests positive for the coronavirus? If you were both wearing masks and stayed six feet apart, do you need to be concerned about having been exposed?

Heres what you should know.

How the CDC defines close contacts

Close contacts are the people contact tracers track down and advise to quarantine and get tested after being exposed to someone with COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a close contact as anyone who was within six feet of an infected person for a minimum of 15 minutes within a 24-hour period, starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic people, two days prior to getting tested) until the time the person is isolated.

If you dont fit this criteria, you wont get a call from contact tracers, even if youve hung out with someone who ends up testing positive. And youre not obligated to quarantine under CDC guidelines (14 days after your last contact with the person who has COVID-19).

Experts say, however, that doesnt necessarily mean you werent exposed.

 READ MORE: Making COVID-19 easier: Your questions, answered.

There are factors beyond social distancing and the 15-minutes rule

There are many factors that affect the spread of the coronavirus, including ventilation, whether the infected person already had symptoms or not, and what kind of activity you were doing. Being around someone for less than 15 minutes doesnt completely eliminate your risk of becoming infected. Neither does staying six feet apart. But both measures help contact tracers narrow down who should quarantine and get tested after an exposure.

There are shades of concern. As epidemiologists, weve more recently been looking at what we call the Swiss cheese model of protection, says Michael LeVasseur, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University. Each layer of defense is not perfect, but when you line them all together, they offer much stronger protection.

Like Swiss cheese, protective measures like social distancing, wearing a mask, hand washing, and testing all have holes that the virus can move through. But the more you layer those together, the greater the chance you have of covering up those holes and protecting yourself and others. Getting vaccinated will likely become your least hole-filled layer of protection.

One important measure to consider is whether you were hanging out inside or outside.

The setting really matters here, says Krys Johnson, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Temple University. If youre wearing masks and social distancing, but youre in a small room together, thats still going to lead to an increased risk. The longer you sit in an enclosed space, the more viral particles build up in the air.

Better ventilation allows virus particles to more easily disperse. When you are masked and maintaining social distancing, being outdoors will gain you more confidence that your exposure risk was low. Either way, experts advise remaining extra cautious for the next 14 days or getting tested.

You dont have to quarantine. But should you?

If its feasible, LeVasseur recommends quarantining as if you were considered a close contact.

Its not a quarantine in any kind of mandated way, but in the I dont want to infect the people Id be spending time with way, says LeVasseur. We have this new variant thats 56% more infectious. Now is not the time to let down our guard.

There are now multiple new coronavirus variants circulating globally. While theres no evidence that they cause more severe illness, mutations originally found in the United Kingdom and South Africa have proven to spread more quickly and easily.

The virus is already overwhelming hospitals, says Johnson. Theres really no room for error.

Were advised to keep hangouts with those outside of our household to a minimum regardless. Even if you were at a distance, if you were with someone who tests positive, experts encourage acting with an abundance of caution.

But lets say you have an in-person job, and imposing a self-quarantine isnt realistic. Then what? Double down on the safety precautions youre already taking.

Make sure youre wearing your mask at all times, and youre not around folks who arent wearing masks, says Johnson. Depending on what your employers policy is, you might want to let them know. Some may be more willing to allow people to take paid time off.

Testing may help alleviate some of your anxiety. But you may not be able to get tested immediately after finding out about potential exposure. The best time to get tested is five to seven days after your last contact with the person who was infected.

The worst thing you can do is go get tested too early, its negative, and then [a couple days later] you go see your grandmother, and you end up being presymptomatic or asymptomatic, says Johnson.

Bottom line: If you end up hanging out with someone (masked, at a distance) who tests positive, rather than driving yourself crazy with anxiety, empower yourself in the situation by practicing extra caution. Until the pandemic ceases and hospital beds free up, erring on the side of safety will always remain the prescribed advice.

I encourage a level of anxiety where youre going to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others, says LeVasseur. The right way to think about it is being responsible  to your loved ones, your neighbors, your community.

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DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Endeavors Sales Group, the company dedicated to providing advanced products and cost-savings solutions to government agencies, corporations and the medical market, has added Artemis Bio-Solutions products and services to its line of business.

Nu Endeavors

Artemis Bio-Solutions manufactures and markets a full line of highly effective disinfectants, decontaminants, sanitizers and cleaners. Its Bio-Oxygen line, which includes Bio-Oxygen Chem Decon, Bio-Oxygen Sani-Cloud, Bio-Oxygen Carpet, Bio-Oxygen Laundry and Bio-Oxygen Mold 100, was derived from unique chemistry developed and patented by Sandia National Laboratories. Artemis' Bio-Oxygen products achieve a 7-log reduction rate (99.99999% effective) against many pathogens, including human coronaviruses, and they are inherently biodegradable.

Artemis also offers related equipment, including sprayers, rapid microbial detection devices and sanitizer dispensers. In addition, the company maintains a network of strategic partners that Nu Endeavors can access to provide environmental cleaning and disinfection services, emergency response services, staff training and certification to its customers.

"Our customers are front-line healthcare and other essential workers who deserve the best products and services to improve hygiene in their facilities and protect against new waves of the coronavirus pandemic," said Michael Pokorski, CEO of Nu Endeavors. "We looked at a number of solutions and found that Artemis' products are the most effective, while also being environmentally friendly."

"Artemis' staff are experienced and knowledgeable in numerous biohazard and chemical hazard cleanups and preventions, and that gives us another advantage to recommend the right products and services to our customers," Pokorski added.

"Nu Endeavors has a track record of successfully selling into the medical community, government agencies, schools, hospitality, mass transit and manufacturing industries, and we look forward to supporting their sales efforts," said Randy Lowry, President of Artemis Bio-Solutions.

To access Artemis Bio-Solutions products and receive discounted pricing through Nu Endeavors, visit https://go.nubiodecon.com/Artemis.

About Artemis Bio-Solutions

Artemis Bio-Solutions manufactures and markets a full line of highly effective and environmentally friendly disinfectants, decontaminants, sanitizers and cleaners for professionals and consumers. The company also offers related equipment and training. For more information about Artemis and its products and services, please visit artemisbiosolutions.com.

About Nu Endeavors

Nu Endeavors Sales Group's mission is to source and provide advanced products and cost-saving services that help the medical market with better patient outcomes and rising facility costs. To learn more about Nu Endeavors, visit https://nuendeavors.com/.

Media Contact:

Brittany Satterfield

734-365-2606

[email protected]

SOURCE Nu Endeavors
The Paycheck Protection Program, a federal stimulus meant to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic, came back online Monday at 8 a.m. Businesses that received the low-interest, forgivable loans from the first iteration of the program in 2020 will soon be able to apply for a second, and restaurants and hotels will soon be able to qualify for larger loans proportional to their payroll costs.

The program is open to businesses with 500 or fewer employees, which are eligible for first-draw loans of up to $10 million, while second-draw loans are limited to businesses with 300 or fewer employees and capped at $2 million. For their second-draw loans, restaurants and hotels can receive as much as 3.5 times their average monthly payroll, while all other loans are limited to 2.5 times. The funding is part of a second, $284 billion, relief bill signed into law last month.

This time, following criticism that the first round of the program served disproportionately few minority-owned businesses, it began a little differently. It rolled out first with community institutions, which tend to have stronger relationships with minority communities.

It was to Unity National Bank, the only Black-owned bank in Texas, that Shipleys Do-Nuts franchisee Alan Bergeron turned when he applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan last April. The loan helped him keep his employees on payroll when the universities and churches that drove much of the business at his two franchises  one on Scott Street between University of Houston and Texas Southern University, another off Loop 610 at Martin Luther King Boulevard  closed.

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"My stores became a ghost town, Bergeron said. To be able to get a lifeline was crucial I was able to keep people employed.

Community institutions include minority desository institutions, Community Development Financial Institutions, Certified Development Companies and Microloan intermediaries. In Houston, such lenders  which include Unity, Golden Bank and American First National Bank  will be the only institutions able to accept PPP loan applications until at least Wednesday.

The Small Business Administration, which oversees the program, will issue further guidance on when other lenders, including major financial institutions, will be able to submit applications during the week.

Amegy Bank spent the weekend preparing for its go-ahead to start processing applications. When the SBA released the PPP application forms late Friday, Amegys technology team went to work making sure its online webform would collect all of the necessary information, Jentri Smith, the banks SBA lending manager, said. The bank also added a link to its webpage where small businesses can sign up to receive an email when the SBA allows the bank to begin accepting applications.

While businesses who have not yet received any PPP funds are already able to apply through community institutions, businesses looking for their second PPP loan will not be able to apply until Wednesday. There are separate applications for the first and second loans, and it is feasible for a business to receive both a first and second loan in 2021 before the program ends. Both loans can be forgiven, making them essentially grants, if most of the money is used for worker pay and benefits.

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Bergeron, who plans to apply for a second loan on Wednesday, praised the opportunity to receive a larger loan in proportion to payroll than previously. Thats a great thing, and I mean to take advantage of that, he said.

Emily Williams Knight, chief executive of the Texas Restaurant Association, agreed. This is the lifeline restaurants needed at a critical juncture in our long-term road to recovery, she said in a statement.

Applications are already flowing in at a steady pace, said Kwame Cain, Unitys chief credit officer.

Carol Guess, who works with small businesses as interim president of the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce, urged Houston-area companies to take advantage.

For smaller businesses, first-time applicants, community institutions and minority businesses, this round of funding is designed to correct the issues of the first round of PPP funding, she said. While it still may not be perfect, seize this opportunity to get funding.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;

twitter.com/raschuetz
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LSP, the leading European life sciences investor, today announces the launch of the LSP Dementia Fund, a fund dedicated to fight neurodegenerative diseases. The fund will be managed by Professor Philip Scheltens, a world-renowned dementia scientist and thought leader.

Dementia is the greatest healthcare challenge of our time. A staggering 50 million patients suffer from dementia worldwide and predicted to triple to 150 million before the year 2050. The burden to our healthcare system is equally large; global costs are currently estimated to amount to over $800 billion - or 1.1% of global GDP - and will rise exponentially if no treatment is found. Yet, investments in R&D to find novel treatments are lagging behind.

The LSP Dementia Fund focuses on all stages of dementia drug and medtech development and as such is the first of its kind in the world. It offers the combination of LSP's deep investment experience with Philip Scheltens' impressive scientific acumen and extensive network of dementia experts and research institutions across the globe. The focus will be on finding novel treatments to battle the different neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, that cause dementia, as well as generating a strong financial return for investors. This makes the LSP Dementia Fund a true impact investment. In just a few months, LSP raised 50 million from strategic parties, financial institutions, and family offices. Given this significant appetite of investors, LSP believes the fund will ultimately reach at least 150 million.

Dr. Rene Kuijten, Managing Partner of LSP and founder of the LSP Dementia Fund, comments: "LSP is very honoured that Philip has joined our firm to lead this new and unique fund. In the past two decades, venture capital has proven to play an essential role in advancing biotech companies, but dementia opportunities remained largely unfunded. Together with Philip and his network, we now have a truly unique expertise in-house to identify and develop breakthrough ideas in the dementia field, ultimately leading to solutions for patients suffering from this terrible disease''.

Prof. Philip Scheltens states: "I am excited to make this move in my career to realise treatment options for patients, building on and combining it with the work I was able to do at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam. I am very honoured to be a part of the LSP team, the largest and most experienced life sciences investor in Europe."

About Philip Scheltens

Philip Scheltens recently joined LSP as Founder and Managing Partner of the Dementia Fund. Philip is a neurologist and Professor of Cognitive Neurology at Amsterdam University Medical Centers. He heads the internationally renowned research institute he founded at this institution: the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam. Philip is a prominent global opinion leader in the dementia field and as such has published well over 1,000 publications in leading scientific journals, supervised the completion of more than 75 PhD theses and trained many clinical fellows of which five were appointed professor. Philip has been dedicating his career to improving the diagnosis and care of patients with dementia. His next challenge is to find breakthrough therapies for patients with dementia, together with LSP. He will keep his affiliation with the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam.

About LSP

LSP is one of the largest European investment firms providing financing for life sciences and health care companies. LSP's management has raised over 2 billion ($2.3 billion) and developed more than 120 companies since it started to invest in 1988. With offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP currently has the possibility to invest from four funds, each having a distinctive investment scope and a dedicated team: LSP 6 invests in private early- to late-stage drug development and medical technology companies; LSP HEF 2 focuses on private late-stage medical technology companies with a health and economic benefit; LSP Dementia invests in private companies targeting neurodegenerative diseases; and LSP Public targets public healthcare companies. Among LSP's signature deals are argenx, Crucell, KuDOS, Movetis, Neuravi, Okairos, Prosensa, Qiagen and Zealand Pharma. In addition, LSP is an active contributor to the life sciences industry through roles as founder and board member of the Oncode Institute, initiator of the Dutch Venture Initiative (DVI), as well as board member of European venture capital associations, technology transfer institutes and government bodies. For more information: lspvc.com.

SOURCE LSP
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Those who set multiple fires at Target in Uptown over the weekend face second degree felony charges, according to a spokesman for Albuquerque Fire Rescue.

This means the damage cost more than $20,000. The store remained closed on Tuesday.

Crime Stoppers announced Monday that it was looking for five people believed to have started the fires with accelerant fluids. It released photos of the suspects who were wearing face masks, hats and hooded coats.

AFR spokesman Tom Ruiz said firefighters were dispatched to the store on Louisiana and Indian School shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday for a tree that was on fire outside. He said they extinguished that and then were notified of two more blazes inside.

They were able to put out two small fires one in the restroom and one in the clothing area, Ruiz said. Those fires themselves werent that large, they were able to put them out with a water can.

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A water can is a handheld device that looks like a fire extinguished but is filled with a couple of gallons of water. Ruiz said the sprinklers were also set off inside the store.

He said AFR investigators are working with the Albuquerque Police Department.
The 21 distinguished award recipients represent achievements across a wide range of light-based sciences as well as key advancements made by these technologies

The Awards Committee of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, today announced the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. Honoring transformative advancements in multiple areas including medicine, astronomy, lithography, optical metrology, and community-focused achievements the Society's awards recognize technical accomplishments as well as committed service to SPIE and support of its organizational mission.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005279/en/

Maryellen Giger, the A.N. Pritzker Professor of Radiology at the University of Chicago, is recognized with the 2021 SPIE Directors' Award. (Photo: Business Wire)

SPIE Gold Medal: Hugo Thienpont

In recognition of his profound and durable impact on society and pioneering vision for photonics. The different disruptive instruments that Thienpont has developed and implemented during the past decades have generated a tangible impact on education, research, innovation, and societal well-being in Flanders, across Europe, and beyond.

SPIE President's Award: Maria Yzuel

In recognition of her inspirational leadership in the field of optics; tireless dedication to the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion in science; and many years of outstanding service to SPIE and its international community.

SPIE Directors' Award: Maryellen Giger

In recognition of her outstanding service to SPIE and the optics and photonics communities. Giger has been a key voice in data-driven approaches, and an active leader in pushing forward our equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.

SPIE Mozi Award: Xiang Zhang

In recognition of his seminal, fundamental contributions in optical physics and experimental research in the optical perfect lens.

SPIE Britton Chance Award in Biomedical Optics: Enrico Gratton

In recognition of a lifetime of contributions to the field of biomedical optics, including pioneering theoretical and instrumentation developments in fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and diffuse medical imaging.

SPIE Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award: Keisuke Goda

In recognition of his significant contributions to the field of biophotonics through the development of innovative ultrafast optical imaging and spectroscopy methods and their integration into microfluidic platforms.

SPIE A.E. Conrady Award in Optical Engineering: Dave Aikens

In recognition of his world-leading expertise, training programs, and development of optical engineering and optical standards.

SPIE Harrison H. Barrett Award in Medical Imaging: Kevin Berbaum

In recognition of more than three decades of dedication in the study of Satisfaction of Search, and significant contributions to receiver operating characteristic analysis.

SPIE Harold E. Edgerton Award in High-Speed Optics: Vladislav Yakovlev

In recognition of his remarkable contributions to ultrafast laser technology, ultrafast spectroscopies, and ultrafast imaging and their applications, as well as for his SPIE outreach.

SPIE Dennis Gabor Award in Diffractive Optics: Malgorzata Kujawinska

In recognition of her outstanding and manifold contributions to holographic technologies in optical metrology, optical imaging, and optical information processing, as well as for her extraordinary dedication to the SPIE community and widely recognized international leadership in applied optical engineering.

SPIE George W. Goddard Award in Space and Airborne Optics: Thomas Rimmele

In recognition of his invention and application of extended-source adaptive optics delivering diffraction-limited, high-resolution imaging of the solar surface.

SPIE G. G. Stokes Award in Optical Polarization: Nirmalya Ghosh

In recognition of his extensive research in the field of Mueller matrix polarimetry and applications of Mueller matrix polarimetric spectroscopy and imaging in various interdisciplinary fields including quantum optics, space optics, biomedical optics, chemistry, material science, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

SPIE Chandra S. Vikram Award in Optical Metrology: Krzysztof Patorski

In recognition of hisseminal contributions to diffraction, interferometry, moire fields, and fringe analysis with applications in optical metrology, experimental mechanics, and biomedical engineering.

SPIE Frits Zernike Award in Microlithography: Bruce Smith

In recognition of his many contributions as a researcher and leader in the microlithography community, and for his achievements in educating an entire generation of engineers who continue to advance academic research and industry understanding.

SPIE Diversity Outreach Award: Celine d'Orgeville

In recognition of her leadership in diversity, inclusion, and equity activities in Australia and elsewhere in the world.

SPIE Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award in Photonics: Jorge Ojeda-Castaneda

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to modern and advanced imaging technologies for the development of phase-space representations of imaging devices, which enable the design of innovative techniques for extending field depth, and for proposing novel designs employing lenses with tunable optical power.

SPIE Maiman Laser Award: Anne Tropper

In recognition of her pioneering contributions to rare-earth doped fiber and optically pumped semiconductor lasers.

SPIE Early Career Achievement Award Academic Focus: Muyinatu Bell

In recognition of her pioneering contributions to photoacoustic imaging for surgical guidance, including innovative technology designs, novel deep learning applications, informative spatial coherence beamforming theory, and visionary clinical possibilities.

SPIE Early Career Achievement Award Industry/Government Focus: Sergio Carbajo

In recognition of his capacity to unify ultrafast and quantum optics with X-ray science to advance the mission of Basic Energy Sciences facilities.

SPIE Maria J. Yzuel Educator Award: Bishnu Pal

In recognition of four decades of sustained contributions in education, outreach, research, technical program committees of global flagship conferences, and editing of four popular publications in guided wave optics and photonics.

SPIE Aden and Marjorie Meinel Technology Achievement Award: Shouleh Nikzad

In recognition of her pioneering and sustained contributions to the development of ultraviolet instrument technologies, especially imagers for space exploration and extension of their use in terrestrial applications.

The complete listing of all SPIE awards and recipients is available here.

About SPIE

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves more than 258,000 constituents from 184 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2020, SPIE provided over $5.8 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org.

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Contacts:

Daneet Steffens

Public Relations Manager

daneets@spie.org

+1 360 685 5478

@SPIEtweets
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) - Students in Botswana have been implored to exceptionally observe COVID-19 preventive measures, following the opening of the countrys 2021 school calendar on Tuesday
WASHINGTON - The FBI warned Monday that armed far-right extremist groups are planning to march on state capitals this weekend, triggering a rush to fortify government buildings amid concerns that the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol last week could spread throughout the country.

The memo is something of a raw intelligence product, compiling information gathered by the bureau and several other government agencies, an official said. Some of it is unverified, and the threat is likely to differ significantly from place to place, though the memo said there were plans in all 50 state capitals, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the bulletin is considered a law enforcement document not authorized for wide public release.

But the data points it highlights for law enforcement are nonetheless troubling - including that there was information suggesting people might storm government offices, or stage an uprising were President Donald Trump to be removed from office, the official said.

The FBI declined to comment on the memo, which was first reported by ABC News. "Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property," the agency said in a statement.

Officials in many states had already begun taking steps to increase security and plan for additional violence in response to protests last week. On Monday, Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced that he was activating the National Guard to provide support for the Capitol Police in Madison. The troops are members of the Wisconsin National Guard Reaction Force and are trained to quickly deploy in a crisis.

On Saturday, heavily armed demonstrators surrounded the Kentucky Capitol. The protesters, dressed in camouflage and carrying assault weapons and zip-tie handcuffs, vowed to continue to support Trump while railing against Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

At a news conference Monday, Beshear vowed he would not be "intimidated" and he called on Americans to reject those who threaten the symbols and buildings that represent the country's Democratic principles.

"These are not the actions of people who believe in this country. These are people who believe they can bully and intimidate other individuals," Beshear, visibly angry, said. "To anybody who believes that domestic terror is the way to go, we will be ready for you. We will not back down."

In Wisconsin, state workers on Monday began boarding up ground-level windows of the Capitol in Madison in anticipation of the protesters. In Arizona, officials had erected a double layer chain-link fence around the Capitol complex in Phoenix. In Michigan, a state that has been on edge since the FBI disrupted a plot in October to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a state legislative committee voted Thursday to ban residents from openly carrying guns inside the Capitol in Lansing.

Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee called up 750 National Guard troops to help protect the Capitol, where the legislature kicked off its annual session Monday.

"We sincerely hope for peaceful actions but if that does not happen, we will be prepared," Inslee said in a statement Friday.

Inslee's action followed last week's mob assault on the governor's mansion, on the same day that a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people including a Capitol police officer. A video of the disturbance in Olympia, Wash., shows a man with an assault rifle and a large knife standing in front of Inslee's residence, as other demonstrators stand nearby holding Trump flags.

On the same day in Phoenix, a group of people who were upset about Trump's loss banged on the locked doors of the Capitol building, cracking a window while shouting for Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who has come under fire from conservatives who say he didn't do enough to help Trump win the state. Besides the new fencing, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said the agency is limiting public access to government buildings. State employees have been encouraged to work from home.

Meanwhile in Oregon last week, demonstrators burned an effigy of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. And on Sunday, according to Beshear, someone vandalized the home of Kentucky's public health commissioner by spray-painting "covid is PCR fraud" on his mailbox.

"This is about individuals, and those bullies trying to create terror by saying we know where you live," Beshear said.

Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher at the Anti Defamation League's Center on Extremism, said there remains considerable volatility surrounding who plans to demonstrate at state capitol buildings on Sunday.

Friedfeld said members of the "boogaloo boys" movement - a loose network of anti-government groups who believe the country is heading toward a civil war - began advertising the state capital events in November.

In recent days, Friedfeld has seen signs that supporters of the boogaloo boys appear to distancing themselves from the protests, even calling for the outright cancellation of a march that had been scheduled for Sunday in Washington.

But Friedfeld cautions that the events in the states could still become venues for which other extremist groups or random aggrieved Trump supporters latch onto, even though he has yet to see a lot of online chatter that would indicate the protests will be well-attended.

"I have not seen people talking about storming the capitols, but that sentiment is still there and it is possible people show up," Friedfeld said. "And if the events of Wednesday taught us anything, it is that we can't ignore right-wing events, and we just can't assume it will be nothing and we have to take these things seriously."

And irrespective of how many and in what states protests materialize this weekend, Friedfeld said he worries that state capitals will continue to be front lines of the country's bitter, and increasingly violent, cultural and political battles.

He noted that this week's events represent an escalation of unruly protests that began in some state capitals more than a year ago when gun owners, upset by proposed new restrictions on the sale of firearms, began aggressively challenging state leaders in Virginia and elsewhere.

In the spring, conservative activists held demonstrations at state capitols to protest government orders and closures related to the coronavirus pandemic, some of which turned violent. The threats to public safety took an even more ominous turn this fall after the FBI uncovered the plot by far-right extremists to kidnap Whitmer, as well as Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.

"I think people are paying more attention to what is happening at the state level in a way that they didn't in the past," Friedfeld said. "And part of what we see with right-wing extremists is, when President Trump took over, they liked President Trump so they kind of shifted ire away from President Trump and toward state and government officials."

Brian Moran, secretary of public safety in Virginia, said state authorities are bracing for the possibility of large and potentially violent demonstrations both on Sunday - when social media has suggested that the Proud Boys and other groups will show up in Richmond - and Monday, when gun rights advocates are planning a major vehicle caravan through Richmond.

"We have to discern what's credible or not, but we're taking it all very seriously," Moran said.

Moran said law enforcement officials are gathering intelligence to understand what threats the capital might face in the coming days, with the General Assembly convening its legislative session Wednesday. The House of Delegates will meet online, via video conference, but the state Senate will meet in person in a hall at the Virginia Science Museum.

Moran said monitoring has been hampered by the recent crackdown on extremist agitators by social media companies.

"That's a two-sided coin. It impedes their ability to organize, but also eliminates our eyes on what they are planning," Moran said. "It requires them to go underground further."

In Maryland, Greg Shipley, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police, said his agency has also enhanced security at the State House in Annapolis due to posts circulating online about the possibility of armed demonstrations.

"We continue to coordinate with local, state and federal authorities regarding any threats related to the General Assembly session, this weekend or the inauguration," Shipley said.

Some Republican lawmakers also have been urging the leaders of their states to take the threat of mass rebellion seriously. Jim Steineke, the Republican majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, drew criticism last week when he compared the siege on the U.S. Capitol to the 2011 protests in Madison, where teachers and union workers occupied the Capitol building.

"Learn the lessons from Wisconsin when liberal throngs stormed the State Capitol and took it over. If you do not clear them now, you will lose control for days if not weeks," Steineke wrote on Twitter.

But amid the tightening security, some state lawmakers say they are worried that the threats they now face will persist long after this weekend.

Michigan state Rep. Donna Lasinski, a Democrat, noted how she was approaching her office Thursday morning when she received a text alert that the building was being evacuated because of a bomb threat.

Lasinski recounted how she froze, uncertain whether to go inside where state police were standing or run away.

"What I know is it has become untenable for folks, lawmakers, staff, school groups to feel that they can come to our state Capitol, to the people's house, and feel that they won't be threatened or harassed or intimidated," she said. "This cannot be our new normal."

- - -

The Washington Post's Erin Cox, Ovetta Wiggins and Gregory S. Schneider contributed to this report.
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American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson died on Monday night. The billionaire was known for his strong support for Israel and influence on US-Israel relations over several decades.

Adelson was born in Boston to Jewish immigrant parents from eastern Europe. He served in the US Army and started several small businesses before building a casino and hotel empire. He owned properties in Las Vegas, Singapore and Macau. He died at 87 from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, according to the Associated Press.

Adelson was a staunch supporter of Israel and was particularly close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Adelson's financial support to Netanyahu began during his first term as prime minister back in 1996, according to the Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.

In the United States, Adelson backed pro-Israel Republicans including US President Donald Trump. Adelson donated $20 million to Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and spoke to Trump frequently after he became president. Adelson also attended the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, according to Reuters.

Adelson was also a major financial backer of the Birthright Israel program, which pays for young Jews from around the world to visit Israel. Many of the trips are Zionist in nature and seek to expand support for Israel. Adelson donated $140 million to Birthright, the Israeli news site Arutz Sheva reported.

Last year, Adelson reportedly purchased the the US ambassador to Israels residence from the US government for $67 million. The home is located in Tel Aviv but is no longer of use to the State Department now that the embassy is located in Jerusalem.
Latin America is not only one of the most visited regions on earth because of its beautiful sceneries, but it's also home to truly dark places that specter-hunters and morbid thrill-seekers look for.

Terrifying Places in Latin America

Latin America is not only known for its distinct places that are full of mysteries and cultural background, there are places in the region that specter-hunters and morbid thrill-seekers look for and are always part of their bucket list. These are the terrifying places in Latin America.

Ruined hotels, abandoned mental hospitals, temples of violent death cults-grim locations like these are just a few that one can find in the region. These places are not for the faint of heart.

Read also: Top 5 Mysterious and Unexplained Places in Latin America

According to a published article in Fodors' Travel, here are some of the terrifying places in Latin America:

1. La Noria Cemetery in Atacama Desert, Chile

This is the place you do not want to get caught out after sundown. La Noria has a dark history. It was a lonely saltpeter-mining town whose inmates were subjected to unspeakable cruelty. Slave-like conditions prevailed, even for children. When the workers died, they were tossed in shallow, tumbledown graves-and forgotten.

However, after the settlement was shuttered in the 1920s, strange happenings were reported. Objects would change location when no one was looking.

A persistent, barely audible whisper filled the air. Most ominously, at night the cemetery would suddenly fill with presences, their gibbering voices heard for miles.

2. Real Felipe Fortress in Lima Peru

People described this place as sadistic. During Peru's war against the Spanish crown, they forced the prisoners mostly Republicans to remain standing the whole time they were interned even when they were sleeping. The life expectancy of the captives here is 60 days.

It is not a surprise anymore why the place scores high on the paranormal-activity scale. If you are liable to panic in tight places, then this fortress is not for you.

3. Santa Muerte Shrine in Mexico City, Mexico

Devotees and sociologists have tried to normalize it but La Santa Muerte or Sacred Death has been tied to ritual murders and several of the country's bloody narco-related killings.

Additionally, the shrine also pays homage to the dark goddess in images that recall both the Virgin Mary and the Grim Reaper.

Moreover, the Santa Muerte cult has a deep root in Aztec culture. This is where death was venerated in huge annual festivals. The place reemerged in the 20th century as Mexico found itself bled to the bone by narco-violence that was forced underground during the Spanish Conquest.

Read also: Latin America: One of the Most Dangerous Places in the World

4. Hotel de Salto in San Antonio del Tequendama, Colombia

The hotel is branded as "Hotel of the Suicides," The Hotel del Salto began life as a train station and in 1928 became a playground for Bogota's beautiful people.

However, it was in the '50s when things started to go wrong. It was also the time the river got polluted and guests stopped coming.

Additionally, following those years more and more visitors were dying, in what some said was a gruesome recapitulation of a ritual from the 1500s, wherein the indigenous Muisca people would leap to their demise to avoid capture by the conquering Spanish.



As there has been a consistent decline in the fresh cases of covid-19 in India , public health experts have said that there is a possibility that the country is moving towards herd immunity for the highly infectious disease.

According to the union health ministry, at least 12,584 daily new cases were added to the national tally in the last 24 hours after nearly seven months. The daily new cases were 12,881 on 18th June, 2020.

There has been a fall in daily fatalities too with 167 daily deaths recorded in the last 24 hours. Indias active caseload has fallen to 2,16,558 today. The share of Active Cases in the total Positive Cases has further compressed to 2.07% of the cumulative caseload. A net decline of 5,968 cases has been recorded in the total active cases in last 24 hours, according to the union health ministry.

The fall in new cases is mostly because the population in dense urban areas and metros which has been infected has crossed a threshold, while in the rural areas, the same population density will not be there. So, the possibility of a rise in number of cases in rural areas will be limited. Also, in rural areas, testing levels in rural areas are not as good as metros and other urban areas. While there will be fewer cases in rural areas, less testing will also be an issue," Giridhar Babu, head of life course epidemiology at Public Health Foundation of India said.

At least 70.08% of the new cases are concentrated in seven States and UTs. Kerala reported the maximum daily new cases numbering 3,110in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra recorded 2,438 new cases while Chhattisgarh reported 853 new cases yesterday, the union health ministry said. Five States/UTs account for 62.28% of the 167case fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra reported 40 deaths. Kerala and West Bengal follow with 20 and 16 new deaths, respectively, the government said. The total number of persons found to be positive with the new UK variant genome stands at 96 on Tuesday, the union health ministry said adding that there has been no addition in the past 24 hours.

The strict enforcement of social distancing measures and covid appropriate behaviour has also helped in mitigating the disease across states. The authorities are being strict about social distancing, and more importantly, wearing masks in public places and people are maintaining basic hygiene," said Om Kumar Bharti, epidemiologist at Institute of Health & Family Welfare. Himachal Pradhesh.

The herd immunity can come in two ways, either by natural infection or by vaccination. The coronavirus has already sickened over 1,04, 79, 913 persons so far in India and claimed more than 1,52, 558 lives. The covid-19 vaccination drive that will start from January 16 will further provide immunity to the population.

Vaccines in India are about to be launched. We are moving towards herd immunity because in India the cases are coming down. One of the classical examples is the Dharavi slum of Maharashtra. As far as the number of cases is concerned, it depends upon testing, and testing is very low in India," Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor, department of Community Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

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Mark Wright has opened up about his family's battle with Covid, which he said has psychologically changed his father, and left one of his uncles in a critical condition.

The former reality star appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss how his family has been affected by coronavirus.

The 33-year-old told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that one of his uncles is in hospital with the virus and is on oxygen but "doing okay", another uncle is in a "critical condition", and his father has now left hospital but appears "mentally" changed.

Wright said he is "praying every night" for his uncle's recovery and that these have been "the hardest weeks of my life".

He urged viewers to follow the rules, explaining: "Until you see it firsthand, that might be the day you realise 'I need to buck up my ideas', and then it might be too late."

The presenter admitted that he has some friends who are conspiracy theorists and he begged viewers to take the pandemic seriously and to follow the rules.

"They think that it's all rubbish and you don't need to be locking down the country," he said.

"Until you get to a point like where I am now... you will regret doing what you're doing, so listen to the rules, stay at home and there's a lockdown for a reason."

Speaking about the effects he's noticed in his father as a result of coronavirus, Wright said: "He's out of hospital and I hope he doesn't mind me saying this but, mentally, something's not right there at the moment.

"He's okay but he's not my dad that he was four weeks ago. He's better and I'm hoping there's improvement more to come but it can leave long-lasting problems."

Among the symptoms of 'long Covid' (where symptoms can last for weeks, if not months), the NHS lists problems with memory and concentration (brain fog), depression and anxiety, and insomnia.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, while hearing a batch of petitions on the farmers laws and farmers agitation, suspended the implementation of farm laws until further notice and ordered the formation of a committee with agricultural experts to find a solution to the impasse.

Pramod Joshi, Ashok Gulati, Anil Ghanwat and Bhupinder Singh Mann were among those named for the panel.

A day after the top court criticised the Centre for the way the farmers' agitation was handled, it asked the farmers to cooperate with a committee and asked for all farmers organisations to be made party to the case. The court also asked the Centre to submit an affidavit on the security situation after the attorney general made allegations on the presence of Khalistanis in the protest.

Here are the highlights from todays hearing:

 The Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde said, We are going to suspend the implementation of the farm laws. We stay the laws till further orders. However, earlier in the hearing on Tuesday he said the laws could not be indefinitely suspended with an alternative process of resolution.

 The top court ordered the formation of a committee with agricultural experts to hold talks between the protesting farmers and the Central government.

 Agricultural economists Ashok Gulati, Pramod Joshi, Anil Ghanwat and Bhupinder Singh Mann were among the names mentioned by the CJI as members of the panel. Gulati is the Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations and the winner of the Padma Shri in 2015. Joshi is a former director for South Asia at the International Food Policy Research Institute. He was the director of the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management and the director of the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research in New Delhi. Mann is a former Rajya Sabha MP and a member of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. Ghanwat is the president of the Shetkari Sanghatan that has supported the farm laws.

Also read: Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: Won't Leave Protest Site Despite SC Order, Tractor March Will Happen in Delhi on Republic Day, Says Farm Leader

 During the hearing, the attorney general alleged presence of Khalistani support for the farmers protests and presented the court with news clippings.

 The CJI said, If there is an infiltration by a banned organization, and somebody is making an allegation here on record, you have to confirm it. You file an affidavit by tomorrow.

 The solicitor general said in court that the farmers were being misled. Farmers are being misled. Misgivings are being spread about the law. The law protects the farmer adequately, he said.

 After the court's observation on women and children being part of the protest, AP Singh for farmers union BKU-Bhanu told the court that women, senior citizens and children will not participate in the protest.On Singhs remarks the CJI said, We will record your statement that elders, women and children will not participate in the present protests We want to place on record our appreciation for this stand.

 During its oral observation at the beginning of the hearing the court had also said, Committee shall take view from all farmer organisations. Members of the bar expected to show loyalty to the judicial process. You cannot enter the process to reject the process. You (farmers) will have to cooperate with us. We want to solve the problems. This was after farmers unions refused to appear before a committee set up by the court.

 ML Sharma, who appeared for the farmers, had said that the farmers were of the opinion that a committee will not yield results since the Centre will not withdraw any laws. To which the SC said, We will protect farmers land. We will pass an interim order saying the no farmers land can be sold for contract farming."

 The SC also said it will mention in its order that the farmers may apply may apply for permission to the Delhi police commissioner for protests at Ram Lila Maidan or other locations.
CHICO, Calif.  Butte County Public Health is partnering with Chico Unified School District to offer vaccination opportunities beginning as early as this week.

On January 7, 2021, BCPH entered Phase 1B of the state of Californias Prioritization Tiers. Included under the Tier 1 to be vaccinating next are frontline essential workers which includes education.

COVID-19 Vaccines - Important links & resources

BCPH continues to be a partner with Chico Unified school nurses and staff to help navigate in-person education during a global pandemic. Chico Unified School District said it remains committed to collaborating with Public Health to help minimize COVID-19 transmission on its school campuses and the larger community.

In addition, Chico Unified continues to support surveillance testing. Staff surveillance testing was added to the district-wide health and safety precautions in December to maximize the early detection of potential COVID-positive staff members.

We are fortunate to be part of a collaborative community that prioritizes the health and safety of our schools, stated Chico Unified Superintendent Kelly Staley. We have strong communication and partnerships with Butte County Public Health, the Butte County Office of Education and our local health care providers. Id like to thank our staff, students and families for their dedication and commitment to maintaining a safe learning environment. It takes a strong community to support the education of students, and Chico is definitely strong and resilient.

At this time, the vaccine is by invitation only. Public Healths asks the community to not contact them or local hospitals to schedule your vaccine.

Click here to view additional Chico Unified School District's COVID-19 information and resources.
Pennsylvania State Police say they are working with Capitol police to protect residents and the Commonwealth after the violence at the United States Capitol and talk of armed marches at state capitals in the coming days.

Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter said city police also are planning with all partners to be prepared for any civil unrest ahead of the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden.

State police will assist with personnel and other resources as necessary, said Ryan Tarkowski, communications director for the agency.

Planning is ongoing, and PSP representatives from Troop H, Area II Command, Department Headquarters, and the Bureau of Emergency and Special Operations have been collaborating with PA Capitol Police as well as the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency since the onslaught at the United States Capital; and will continue to do so throughout this week, Tarkowski said.

The Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center, based in Harrisburg, serves as an information hub for federal, state, and local law enforcement, Tarkowski said.

It is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with trained analysts who provide law enforcement with intelligence and investigative information, he said. We are confident that PSP has the resources in place to protect Pennsylvanians against threats and to work with all levels of law enforcement to keep the Commonwealth safe.

Meanwhile, law enforcement has beefed up its presence at the Pennsylvania Capitol this week.

The administration condemns the senseless acts of violence that occurred last week at our nations Capital [sic] that resulted in the loss of life, according to a statement from the state Department of General Services, which oversees the Capitol Police.

Since that event, PA Capitol Police have been working with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of those working in the building and the protection of our state Capitol, said the General Services statement. The PA Capitol Police is enhancing its visible presence and will continue to collaborate with other law enforcement entities.

Due to the pandemic, the Capitol has been closed to visitors since Dec. 7. Only employees and people with badge keycard credentials are permitted inside.

Capitol police, more heavily armed than usual, were observed in and around the building on Monday as the House of Representatives convened for some organizational sessions this week.

Jason Gottesman, House GOP spokesman, said, I think everything is being done out of an abundance of caution and making sure that the Capitol is as safe and secure as possible during this time.

The Senate is not due back into session until the week of Jan. 25, which is when the House is scheduled to return as well after this week.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, told the Associated Press Monday that he has kept in touch in recent days with the Senate security force and that he expects to meet in person with them Tuesday. He said Capitol Police can request additional resources if needed but they have not done so yet.

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that aggressive and often hateful chatter appeared on various social media sites including a mention of an armed march on state capitals as well as other locations including Pittsburgh.

Across the country, Legislatures convened in more than half a dozen states.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help state police keep order at the state Capitol and defend security fencing. At least two people were arrested, including a woman who, according to state police, used a recreational vehicle to block a roadway and refused to comply with orders to move.

At the Georgia Capitol, a state patrol SWAT team walked the perimeter wearing fatigues and carrying rifles while lawmakers gathered inside for the start of a two-year term.

In Idaho, doors to the House and Senate chambers were locked Monday morning, and two Idaho state troopers were stationed at each entrance. In past years, the doors were propped open while an unarmed statehouse staff member controlled access.

On the same day as the deadly riot in Washington, D.C., a group of armed people broke down a gate outside the governors mansion in Olympia, Washington, and made it to the porch and front yard before being convinced to leave by police.

On Monday, lawmakers had to drive through an area gated off and guarded by the National Guard to park outside the Capitol. A small group of protesters gathered in the morning, shouting that they should be let inside the building to observe lawmakers.

Its a sad day for our country, isnt it, where you have to have that kind of security around the people who were elected to represent you, Democratic Sen. Patty Kuderer said. Unfortunately, we live in troubling times, and I do believe were going to get through it, but its going to take a lot of time and a lot of effort.

In Michigan, where armed demonstrators against coronavirus restrictions entered the Capitol last year, a state commission was considering a policy change that could limit guns inside the building. Michigan lawmakers return to session Wednesday.

Some of the anti-government extremists accused in a plot to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had attended the lockdown protests. Prosecutors say the accused ringleader initially talked of recruiting 200 men to storm the building, take hostages and execute tyrants.

A secondary plan involved locking exits and setting the statehouse on fire, according to court documents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

READ: Fun-loving trio who died in Dauphin County crash had been longtime pals

READ: Harrisburg logged more killings in 2020 than in 30 years; Cumberland County homicides doubled
A young volunteer watches the pen turning process at the Woodcraft of Nashville, Tennessee, store during the Turn for Troops Turn-a-Thon. Hats off to all the volunteers and Woodcraft store personnel who made the 2020 Turn for Troops event successful, despite COVID-19 safety mandates.

Despite the limitations of sponsoring a nationwide event during the coronavirus pandemic, Turn for Troops volunteers and Woodcraft store personnel rallied in 2020 to turn enough wooden pens for military personnel to comfortably pass the 200,000 overall mark.

The 14,006 unique pens turned in 2020 put the 17-year total at 204,615 and only fell 1,379 short of the 15,385 total for 2019. Pens are given to those on active military duty or recovering from injuries.

While some Woodcraft retail stores hosted limited in-store Turn for Troops Turn-a-Thons on Veterans Day weekend (masks and social distancing required), many stores asked volunteers to turn pens at home or in small groups and then submit them to a store. Still other volunteers continued to turn pens at home or in groups all during the year.

Hats off to all the volunteers and Woodcraft store personnel who made the 2020 Turn for Troops event successful, despite COVID-19 safety mandates. You are the best, President and CEO Jack Bigger said. Because of your willingness to adapt to difficult circumstances, Woodcraft will again be able to express thanks through these unique pens to military personnel for their service and sacrifice to protect the USA.

Top Stores

Six Woodcraft stores submitted over 1,000 pens:

#1 Tucson, Arizona: 2,782  highest total in 5 years; moved from #2 in 2019.

#2 Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 1,555  first year in the top 4; moved from #6 in 2019. Milwaukee Area Woodturners turned most of the pens submitted by the Milwaukee store.

#3 Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1,317  moved from #1 in 2018 and 2019.

#4 Boise, Idaho: 1,235  top #4 store for all 17 years.

#5 Knoxville, Tennessee: 1,183  record year for them; moved from #7 (793) in 2019.

#6 Nashville, Tennessee: 1,020  moved from #5 in 2019.

Other stores that showed improvement:

Richmond, Virginia  230 (none last year).

Roanoke, Virginia  101 (20 last year).

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania  135 (0 last year).

Madison, Wisconsin  833 (318 last year).

Other Contributors

Due to COVID concerns, Woodcraft had three new groups/individuals submit a total of 86 pens directly, for a total of 1,036 outside pens. The Villages Woodworkers Club in Florida sent 800 of that total, and Nial J. Hadden of Fredonia, New York, sent 150. The Villages and Hadden are regular contributors.

After pens begin arriving from the stores, Woodcraft personnel at the corporate office check with their military contacts about where to send the new batch of pens. Sometimes stores will suggest where to send some pens, and sometimes military personnel will reach out to Woodcraft after reading publicity about the annual event.

Although Woodcraft sponsors the Turn for Troops Turn-a-Thon around Veterans Day, pens are distributed year-round. Pens have been shipped to Afghanistan, South Korea, Kuwait, Germany, Nigeria, Romania and Niger, covering all military branches and the National Guard. Woodcraft also sent pens to several US military ships: USS Lassen, USS Bataan and USS Tripoli.

For more information about Woodcraft, please contact the Woodcraft store nearest you, visit Woodcraft.com or call (800) 535-4482. Click here to learn more about Woodcraft franchise opportunities or email woodcraftfranchise@woodcraft.com.


[January 12, 2021] Generational Equity Advises K.C. Electric Systems in Sale to Private Investor

Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of K.C. Electric Systems, Inc. to a Private Investor. The acquisition closed December 29, 2020 and details were not disclosed. Located in Carrollton, Texas, K.C. Electric is an electrical contractor serving the commercial and industrial sectors throughout the Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area. Revenue is generated from a mix of the Company's product offerings, including: Remodeling, new construction, and service. K.C. Electric serves grocery stores, full-service restaurants, industrial spaces, quick-serve restaurants, and retail establishments. The Company has 150 active clients and a client list of over 200 making it one of the leading electrical contracting firms in the Dallas metro area. Generational Equity Executive Managing Director of M&A - Central Region, Michael Goss and his team, led by Managing Director Mergers & Acquisitions, Cory Strickland, with support from Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, Jacob Mangalath successfully closed the transaction. Senior Managing Director James Carr established the initial relationship with K.C. Electric. "It was a pleasure to work with such a great company and to be part of the team to bring a great buyer and seller together to take K.C. Electric Systems to the next level, which we know will continue far into the future," said Strickland. About Generational Equity Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, Generational Consulting Group, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America.



With over 250 professionals located throughout North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing growth consulting, merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. Their six-step approach features strategic and tactical growth consulting, exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A transactional services, and wealth management. The M&A Advisor named the company the 2017 and 2018 Investment Banking Firm of the Year and Valuation Firm of the Year in 2020. For more information, visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005394/en/

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(see related stories) ROME, JAN 12 - Democratic Party (PD) leader Nicola Zingaretti on Tuesday warned ex-premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) party against triggering a government crisis. "The PD continues to ask for a revamp of the government," Zingaretti, who is also Lazio governor, told Sky television. "But it is one thing to ask to reinforce it, it is another to bring it down. "Provoking a crisis would not be understood by 99% of the Italian people. "It's a serious political mistake and I make an appeal for good sense". He said that if IV withdraws its ministers Premier Giuseppe Conte will have to assess the situation with President Sergio Mattarella. "I hope they realise that, in this way, we would enter a tunnel that no one knows the way out of," Zingaretti said. "If you smash a vase you can't put the pieces back together". (ANSA).
Editor's note: This story is no longer being updated. Please go to this vaccine FAQ for the latest information.

The U.S. coronavirus vaccine rollout has been much slower than anticipated, with only 4 million doses distributed so far versus the 20 million promised. Californias inoculation efforts also are off to a slow start, with less than one-third of the available doses administered so far, officials say.

On Tuesday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams urged states to move quickly with vaccinations and keep moving down lists if any priority groups show hesitancy. Meanwhile, California approved an emergency waiver for the states 36,000 dentists to adninister the coronavirus vaccine.

A lot of questions remain about the major undertaking of inoculating millions of people across the country in hopes of bringing the pandemic to an end.

Here are answers to some of the most pressing questions about vaccine distribution, including how it relates to Bay Area residents. This story will be updated regularly as new information arrives.

How many vaccine doses have come to each Bay Area county?

According to Californias new vaccine tracking webpage, 276,955 doses had been allocated to the Bay Areas nine counties as of the week of Dec. 28. The total number may be higher because it does not include doses given to large health systems, state health departments encompassing multiple counties, or long-term care facilites.

How many people have been vaccinated in the Bay Area?

The states tracking website shows doses administered based on six regions, updated daily. The Bay Area is in Region Two, which also includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. As of Jan. 4, 117,900 shots had been administered.

Some Bay Area health care providers are making significant progress and are close to having administered the first dose for the initial group of workers slated to receive it.

UCSF has completed first doses for about 6,500 of its 7,500 highest-priority workers, who include emergency department doctors and nurses, respiratory therapists and environmental service workers. UCSF will start administering the second dose to some workers Jan. 6, said Desi Kotis, UCSFs chief pharmacy executive who is overseeing vaccinations.

Officials in Marin County said they have received slightly fewer doses than hoped because some were diverted to the CVS and Walgreens program for nursing homes. But they said the county has been receiving a steady supply of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

How many doses of vaccine is the state receiving?

The first coronavirus to gain U.S. regulatory authorization, made by Pfizer-BioNTech, started arriving in California in mid-December. On Dec. 21, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the first batch of doses of the other approved vaccine, made by Moderna, had arrived in California.

California initially anticipated receiving between 2.1 million and 2.4 million doses of vaccine in December, but that figure has since been revised down, to about 1.8 million doses. States receive their allocations from the federal government.

A total of 1,762,900 vaccine doses had been distributed to health care systems throughout California as of Dec. 28. The California Department of Public Health reported that as of Jan. 1, 414,684 vaccine doses, about 24% of the total distributed to local health departments, had been administered statewide.

Which groups of people are first in line to get the vaccine?

The California Department of Public Health released vaccine allocation guidelines on Dec. 5. In Phase 1A, which is happening now, priority vaccination is recommended for health care and long-term care facility workers who are at risk of COVID-19 exposure, and residents of skilled nursing facilities and other long-term care facilities who are older or medically vulnerable.

Next, frontline essential workers and individuals 75 years and older will likely start receiving vaccines in late winter of 2021, according to the states vaccine website. That is in line with the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practicess recommendations for Phase 1B. The panel voted Dec. 20 that individuals over 75 and frontline workers who are critical to keep society functioning, including grocery store workers, first responders and teachers, should be in that group.

Newsom said the state is working with its Community Vaccine Advisory Committee and Drafting Guidelines Work Group to discuss more prescriptive versions of the CDCs guidelines. He said ensuring racial, ethnic and geographic equity important in these decisions. The next meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and is open to the public.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com
Cowboys Dancehall received two citations for violating COVID-19 regulations after a weekend of Cody Johnson concerts, according to the city's development services department.

Three calls were made by the public regarding the shows at Cowboys over the weekend. Upon inspection, responding officers found the venue to be in compliance each time and took no further action, according to Enforcement of Public Health Emergency Declaration data. However, videos shared by fans inside the venue, showing shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, raised eyebrows throughout the city. A representative with the department told MySA the citations  one for social distancing and one for lack of mask-wearing  were issued Monday after the videos surfaced.

RELATED: 'People are dying': Cowboys Dancehall's weekend concerts raising social distancing questions

The two new citations brings Cowboys' total tally of violations to seven. Past citations, issued between August and October, were given for similar social distancing concerns.

The city said proactive checks of the North East Side dancehall will be conducted in the next few weeks. Cowboys faces having their certificate of occupancy revoked if the violations ensue, according to the department.

Cowboys did not respond to requests for comment or to expand on the protocols in place to ensure social distancing. Fans were urged ahead of the shows to buy tickets quickly as each would have limited capacity.

Social media video also played a part in placing a COVID-19 positive woman from the Del Rio area at the Friday Cody Johnson concert. Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens rebuked one the constituent for attending the show in a Facebook video. He said the woman was seen on Snapchat at the show with her mask on her wrist. He said she confessed to lying to contact tracers about her whereabouts and was issued a citation. Owens said he will release her name when the citation process is complete.

"I don't understand how people that are supposedly your friends would call you a friend," the official said. "That's just unbelievable. There are people you came in contact with who don't even know that you're positive. It just blows my mind. When people ask 'How is this stuff spreading?' Because of people like her, that's how this stuff is spreading."

Cowboys does not have upcoming concerts scheduled, but is promoting events on Facebook, like a monthly birthday party taking place on Saturday.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
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Things seem to be working backwards at The Commons on St. Anthony nursing home in Auburn, New York. Vaccinating people is supposed to reduce or end coronavirus deaths. Right? But, at The Commons, such deaths are reported to have occurred only after residents began receiving coronavirus vaccinations.

James T. Mulder wrote Saturday at syracuse.com that until December 29 there had been no coronavirus deaths at The Commons. December 29, when deaths of residents with coronavirus began occurring at The Commons, is also, Mulders article discloses, seven days days after the nursing home began giving coronavirus vaccinations to residents, with 80 percent of residents so far having been vaccinated.

Over a period of less than two weeks since December 29, Mulder relates that 24 coronavirus-infected residents at the 300-bed nursing home have died.

Is the timing just a strange coincidence?
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MBABANE  Overwhelmed, joyful and surprised were some of the emotions expressed by St Francis and KaBoyce Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level pupils who passed with flying colours.

The pupils noted that despite the challenges that they had to be away from school and learn online, they did not let the predicament stand in their way to success. Also, they attributed their success to the determination and hard work of their teachers, who motivated them to work even harder. St Francis High School Head teacher Sisana Simelane, commended the pupils, whom she said did remarkably well at a time of the year, where there had been challenges exerted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Simelane said both pupils and teachers were determined to achieve great results compared to the past years amid the situation they were facing. She said the pupils scored As, Bs and Cs.

On the other hand, KaBoyce High School Head teacher Lungelo Nhlengethwa, reiterated Simelanes statement, adding that compared to last year, the results were outstanding and most pupils did well in Mathematics. Nhlengethwa said despite having challenges with teachers, the school had to change its strategy.
Sam Levinson-directed Malcolm & Marie was shot last year amid the pandemic with strict safety protocols and a small crew.

This week, the trailers of Zendaya and John David Washington's long-awaited romantic drama Malcolm & Marie, the Apple TV+ show Losing Alice, Naomi Watts' Penguin Bloom, Finding Ohana, Bonding Season 2, and Outside the Wire have debuted.

Malcom & Marie



Sam Levinson, the creator of HBO's Euphoria, writer-director behind Another Happy Day and Assassination Nation, brings two powerhouses, Zendaya and John David Washington for his Netflix film Malcolm & Marie. The film was shot last year in the middle of the pandemic with strict safety protocols and a small crew.

Here is the official synopsis: "When filmmaker Malcolm (Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya), return home from a movie premiere and await his films critical response, the evening takes a turn as revelations about their relationship surface, testing the couples love."

Malcolm & Marie will be out on Netflix on 5 February.

Losing Alice



Apple TV+ will premiere the internationally acclaimed Israeli series Losing Alice on 22 January.

Alice (Ayelet Zurer) is a middle-aged film director who feels lost since raising her family and wants to revive her career in filmmaking. A chance meeting with Sophie (Lihi Kornowski), a femme-fatale screenwriter, gives her this exact opportunity. But the story takes a sinister turn when Alice goes on an obsessive journey toward success at any cost.

Penguin Bloom



"Based on the incredible true story, Penguin Bloom follows Sam Bloom (Naomi Watts), a young mother whose world is turned upside down after a near-fatal accident leaves her unable to walk. As she learns to adapt to her new life, she finds hope in an unlikely hero, a small bird named Penguin," reads the official description.

Glendyn Ivin has directed the film, which is based on the book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive. The cast also includes Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver, Rachel House, Leeanna Walsman and Lisa Hensley.

Netflix will release Penguin Bloom on 27 January.

Bonding Season 2



The second season of Netflix's short-form dark comedy series from Rightor Doyle finds former high-school BFFs Tiff (Zoe Levin), a grad student who moonlights as a dominatrix and Pete (Brendan Scannell) "totally broke and banned from every dungeon in New York City." This time, they will have to work to rebuild their reputations in the city's BDSM circles.

Bonding Season 2 releases on 27 January.

Outside the Wire



Outside the Wire, directed by Mikael Hafstrom, is set in a future, where cyber warfare and cyborgs are real. The description reads: "When disgraced drone pilot, Lt Harp (Damson Idris) is sent into a deadly militarised zone after disobeying orders, he finds himself working for Capt Leo (Anthony Mackie), an android officer tasked with locating a doomsday device before insurgents do."

The movie also stars Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones), Michael Kelly (House of Cards), Emily Beecham (Hail, Caesar!), and Enzo Cilenti (Free Fire).

Netflix will release Outside the Wire on 15 January.

Finding 'Ohana



The upcoming family movie is about two Brooklyn-raised siblings vacationing in O'ahu, who jet off on a treasure hunt with their new friends, finding it, they believe will help save their grandfather's home. Along the way, they reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.

Finding 'Ohana debuts on Netflix on 15 January.
2020 Michigan Community Service Commission Accomplishments

2020 Michigan Community Service Commission Accomplishments

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) started out 2020 with Governor Gretchen Whitmer signing the new State Service Plan.

The 2020-2022 State Service Plan outlines the Michigan Community Service Commissions vision for volunteerism and national service in Michigan for the next three years. The State Service Plan is a guide for future decision-making, investment and collaboration to improve Michigans communities. The 20202022 plan outlines ways to strengthen partnerships to expand the impact of volunteerism, national service, mentoring and disaster preparedness efforts in the state.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response  Supported Volunteers and Donations

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and new challenges arose. Volunteers and AmeriCorps Members had to adapt their service to continue meeting community needs while following health guidelines. MCSC supported both volunteer and donations management.

MCSC would like to thank all the partners that rallied together to help others during a very difficult time. Watch a thank you video from MCSC chair Robert Kolt.

More than 7,000 volunteers joined the Michigan COVID-19 team.

The Michigan Food Bank Council partnered with the MCSC to help provide volunteers and secure donations. Over 330,218 volunteer hours were tracked.

MCSC and other departments secured personal protection equipment and products.

1,000 AmeriCorps Members Made an Impact

AmeriCorps members adapted their service to aid COVID-19 relief efforts. AmeriCorps members, engaged in the following activities in response to the pandemic:

Providing emergency food distribution

Connected residents to housing, food, water, and health care

Delivered basic needs and hygiene kits

Assisted at drive-thru testing sites

Collected and delivered PPE

Assisted with contact tracing

Distributed COVID-19 safety information

Provided virtual support for distance learning

AmeriCorps members also achieved the following results:

43,513 youth received support

31,536 youth received college advising

10,430 students accepted to post-secondary institutions

6,366 Students receiving education program support

2,331 students improved academic performance math and literacy

5,384 individuals received access to nutrition and hunger resources

Volunteerism Generation Fund Grant - Reimaging Service

The Commission received the largest Volunteer Generation Fund grant in the country, totaling $2,222,811 over three years.

The funds will support organizations in their response to COVID-19 by identifying resources and collaborating regionally to meet compelling needs.

The project will use innovative technology systems to support skills-based volunteerism, support corporate volunteerism and virtual volunteering and youth volunteerism to make a meaningful impact.

National Days of Service

National Days of Service projects adjusted to be virtual and outside with social distancing.

MCSC supported 51 volunteer projects for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Global Youth Service Day and 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.

The Projects engaged over 6,000 volunteers and provided nearly 20,000 service hours.

Mentoring and Youth Development Support Expands

The MCSC Youth Impact AmeriCorps VISTA Program expanded to 28 host sites and 36 AmeriCorps VISTA members.

AmeriCorps VISTA members provided capacity resources to empower youth to be successful in school and/or work during COVID-19 recovery.

Mentor Michigan implemented the National Quality Mentoring System (NQMS) to assist mentoring programs adopt evidence-based mentoring standards and procedures to help organizations enhance their programs.

Mid-Michigan Flooding - Engaging Volunteers

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, another disaster struck our state.

Michigan was first in the nation to experience a natural disaster during the pandemic.

MCSC assisted with engaging volunteers and resources to provide services during the initial phase and helped to establish long term recovery groups in the area.

Continue To Help in 2021

The needs continue to be great. This is a time for us to come together and find ways to help.

MCSC looks forward to continuing our work with you to make a difference in our great state.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Tuesday, insisted that Nigerian universities in the country are not ready to re-open at the m...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Tuesday, insisted that Nigerian universities in the country are not ready to re-open at the moment.

The Union said it finds it difficult to return to classes in the middle of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Recall that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had earlier directed the lecturers to go back to classes on January 18, 2021.

But ASUU is demanding that the Nigerian Government should review the decision owing to the increase in COVID-19 cases around the country.

Our concern is rooted in the safety of our members, ASUUs National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, told Channels Televisions Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.

What happens to congested hostels, crowded classrooms? What flexible arrangements are in place? It is a situation of emergency. Im not sure the Universities can cope, he said.

When asked if e-learning was an option for universities, the ASUU President said the necessary infrastructure was not in place.

We are aware that some universities are putting measures in place, with alternative learning models, he said, adding some are even trying blended classes, virtual and physical.

But these efforts are limited. They get to a point they cant go further.

ASUU has been talking about revitalisation since 2012. These are some of the areas where the assistance would have helped. Universities need huge funds to do this.

People are saying start virtual classes, but more than 60 percent of our students will run into trouble  they cant afford data or smartphones.

ASUU had on Wednesday December 23, 2020 called off its ten-month-old industrial action.

The prolonged strike was due to Federal Governments delay in meeting the agreements reached with the union.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 1244 new cases of COVID-19 infections in the country..

NCDC reported that the country now has a total of 1,361 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Nigeria now has over 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Big Techs Trump Censorship Stokes Global Security Fears

Countries may be forced to develop their own platforms rather than rely on a handful of U.S. companies who can cut them off, experts say

The swift and widespread deplatforming of President Donald Trump has broader, global consequences, forcing other countries to assess their communication channels for potential risks to national security, experts say.

World leaders including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Acting Australian Prime Minister Michael McCormack have condemned recent moves by some of the worlds largest tech companies, arguing the companies violated free speech protocols and have too much power. Others, such as Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, have accused their censorship of Trump as being motivated by partisan politics.

Experts told The Epoch Times this censorship by Big Tech could cause countries to consider developing their own platforms rather than depend on a handful of private U.S. companies that have the ability to cut off communication to millions. Ethical concerns have also been raised, as well as what to do about Section 230, an outdated law protecting platforms from litigation for content their users post, which critics and lawmakers say needs to be repealed or reformed.

Any ideologically driven decision to censor political speech is going to have ramifications, said Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute and a founding member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China.

Mosher said the companies are grossly underestimating the number of people in and out of governments overseas who support Trump.

It will spark a massive move off of their platforms to other existing and new platforms that will be created, Mosher told The Epoch Times. In fact, a few years down the road, we may well be talking about how they destroyed their own business model. This move will cost them and their shareholders tens of billions of dollars.

Harsh Madhusudan, a public markets investor based in India, wrote in a Twitter post: We must build our own social media platforms. This is too much power in the hands of a private company. Many expressed similar views.

Twitter has permanently banned Trumps account, while Facebook and Instagram have blocked him from posting on their platforms at least until the transition to President-elect Joe Biden is complete. Snapchat and Twitch have also disabled Trumps account. Meanwhile, Stripe, which handles payments and transactions on many websites, has said it will no longer process payments for Trumps campaign.

Twitter lost $5 billion in market value after Trumps account was banned, while its stock fell as much as 12 percent on Jan. 11.

The global consequences of being deplatformed by Big Tech are major, according to digital privacy expert Attila Tomaschek. If Twitter and other platforms want to send a message that incitements of violence will not be tolerated, they should be consistent in their responses rather than picking and choosing which world leaders should have a voice  and which shouldnt, he said.

It is curious why, then, have other high-profile accounts, which have much more directly called for violence in the recent past, not been de-platformed in the same way, Tomaschek told The Epoch Times, pointing to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

Big Tech, as private companies, are free to operate their platforms as they see fit, he noted, including establishing safety and security policies and suspending users who violate any policies or otherwise breach the terms of service.

Targeted Censorship

While its unlikely social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter will ban foreign leaders any time soon, which would create more negative media attention, the recent moves against Trump demonstrate that they have the power to do so, said Andrew Selepak, social media professor at the University of Florida.

Right-leaning politicians in other countries should be the most concerned that these platforms appear to be targeting individuals and politicians that are conservative or promote right-wing ideologies, Selepak told The Epoch Times.

Big Techs censorship of Trump could be used as justification for some countries to potentially ban Twitter and Facebook, said Selepak, who noted that many want to create their own Silicon Valley.

Other countriesparticularly those with more authoritarian governmentscould make similar censorship moves such as creating their own nationalistic social media in parts of the world that thwart open communication, said Selepak.

With a likely Democrat-controlled White House and Congress, it is unlikely action will be taken to change Section 230. While the acts legislation is outdated, politicians have provided few alternatives to the law, Selepak said.

Instead, politicians have relinquished their authority to the big tech companies to allow them to decide how social media will be monitored and policed, Selepak said.

While publishers can be held liable for any content they post, social media platforms are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which states that no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

Ryan Mauro, the Clarion Projects national security analyst and Shillman fellow and director of Clarion Intelligence Network, questioned if Twitters ban was really about safety and security. Twitter could set up a delay on Trumps tweets so they could block those they felt could inspire violence, he noted.

Wouldnt that have been smarter, fairer, less dangerous to free speech and better for Twitters stock value? Mauro told The Epoch Times. Cancel culture and censorship contributes mightily to the radicalization that Twitter says it wants to combat.

According to Mauro, one of the important factors in radicalization is echo chambers where the like-minded can meet, plot, and reinforce their alternate realities. It is better for extremists or those who could be influenced by extremism to be in a forum where their ideas can be challenged, and to be exposed to information that can de-radicalize them.

Theres a strong argument for destroying the ability of designated terrorist groups like ISIS to communicate via social media, but those are targeted actions, Mauro said. This measure is broad and sets a dangerous precedent.

Los Angeles-based constitutional attorney Robert Barnes said no country should allow social media platforms to censor speech within their borders, especially speech by its elected officials.

Creating alternative platforms will be critical, both in the U.S. and abroad, Barnes told The Epoch Times.

Twitter will likely face a securities class action because their conduct can be considered fraud on the market costing shareholders $4B in value, he said.

Barnes said it is long overdue for the United States to amend Section 230 to make protecting First Amendment activities a condition for the immunity of social media monopolies.
Ukraine and Moldova state the need for further cooperation in the energy sector and emphasize the importance of increasing the reliability and diversifying the supply of electricity and energy, according to a joint statement made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu.

Zelensky and Sandu signed the statement in Kyiv on Tuesday, January 12, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

"We state the need for further cooperation in the energy sector in order to strengthen energy security in the region. We believe it is important to increase the reliability and diversify the supply of electricity and energy, as well as to ensure greater transparency in the energy sector," the document reads.

Zelensky said that there was already a lot of work to be done to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector.

"We are talking about increasing the volume of Moldovan natural gas being stored in Ukrainian storage facilities, a project for the transit of European gas through Moldova to Ukraine, resuming electricity supply to Moldova and the transit of electricity from Ukraine to Romania, which will pass through Moldova," he said.

In addition, Zelensky said that during his talks with Sandu, the sides emphasized the importance of citizens crossing the common border on ID cards.

Zelensky also said that he had discussed with Sandu the joint fight against smuggling at the common border, especially in the Transdniestrian section of the border.

Sandu is in Kyiv on January 12. This is her first official visit since being elected President of Moldova.

op

Jordan was quick to welcome the historic agreement between Qatari and other Gulf leaders signed Jan. 5, under which full diplomatic relations were restored while ending three and a half years of an economic blockade imposed jointly in June 2017 by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on Qatar.

The agreement was reached at a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in the Saudi city of Al-Ula, which was chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the reconciliation summit. Egypt, which is not part of the GCC, also signed the agreement.

In a statement issued on Jan. 5, Jordans Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was quoted as saying, The Al-Ula Statement is a considerable achievement to heal the rift, end the Gulf crisis and resume brotherly ties to normal, which enhances Gulf solidarity and stability. He added that the move also contributes to strengthening Arab solidarity and supporting efforts against common challenges. He also lauded Kuwaiti and US efforts in ending the crisis.

Jordan feels particularly relieved since it had to embrace a cautious diplomatic line when the crisis first erupted in June 2017. The four countries had severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and enforced an economic blockade that included closing land borders and airspace before Qatari airlines. Qatar was accused of supporting terrorist groups and interfering in the internal affairs of neighboring countries.

In response, Jordan was forced to downgrade diplomatic ties with Doha, asking the Qatari ambassador to leave and revoke the license of Al Jazeera news network. It stopped short of taking further actions. The moves were meant to show a semblance of solidarity with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, but without provoking Qatar, where an estimated 40,000 Jordanian expatriates are working.

King Abdullah II was the head of the Arab summit back then but chose not to mediate and left that task for Kuwait. Aside from the economic fallout  as Jordanian producers were unable to export their products to Qatar by land  Amman felt that the crisis would weaken its efforts to confront US President Donald Trumps controversial moves with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian peace stalemate, including his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital in December 2017 and walk away from the two-state solution.

The Gulf crisis had strained relations between Amman and Riyadh, the latter wanting Amman to take sides. Jordan had pulled out of a Saudi-led military coalition against the Houthi rebellion in Yemen a few weeks after Riyadh launched its campaign there in March 2015.

But in King Abdullahs view, avoiding further intra-Arab divisions and focusing on common enemies would serve Ammans best interests. He had sought to improve ties with Doha, which had been strained under former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The new emir had attended the March 2017 Arab summit held in Amman and was warmly received.

As the Gulf crisis lingered, King Abdullah took the bold move to restore full diplomatic ties and exchange ambassadors with Doha in July 2019. At that time, local analysts saw the move as underlying Jordans independent foreign policy course and desire to keep away from intra-Arab squabbles. It also marked divergence between Amman and Riyadh over approach regarding the US proposed regional peace plan. It also reflected Ammans frustration that billions of dollars in Saudi investments have been delayed since a joint fund was enacted in 2017.

When Jordan called on the Gulf states to help support its ailing economy following mass protests that led to the sacking of the government in June 2018, Saudi Arabia hosted a four-nation meeting in Mecca the same month that was attended by Kuwait and the UAE, in addition to Jordan. The three Gulf states pledged an aid package worth $2.5 billion in the form of a cash deposit with the Central Bank of Jordan, World Bank loan guarantees for the kingdom, annual support for the state budget for five years and financing for development projects. Aside from a $1 billion deposit from the three Gulf states to support the Central Bank of Jordan, little else materialized from the Mecca meeting.

Meanwhile, Qatar, which was not invited to the 2018 meeting, stepped in two days later to offer a $500 million aid package to Jordan. The package included investments, project finance and job opportunities for Jordanians in the Gulf state. And in August 2018, the two countries launched a job website aimed at providing 10,000 job opportunities for Jordanians in Qatar.

The Qatari gesture was welcomed by Jordan and is believed to have paved the way for an even bolder move by King Abdullah when he invited the Qatari emir to visit Amman in February 2020, bringing relations to full normalization.

While relations with Riyadh are best described as stable for now, King Abdullah enjoys close personal ties with Abu Dhabis Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed. Jordan had avoided criticizing the normalization agreements signed between Israel on one side and the UAE and Bahrain on the other last September. Jordan has maintained a good working relationship with Kuwait and Bahrain as well.

Analysts here believe that Amman will be in a stronger regional position when the Joe Biden administration takes over later this month. King Abdullah has worked with Biden for years, and the latter has committed to backing the two-state solution and supporting the kingdom. This will also help improve Ammans ties with Riyadh and reflect positively on its economic relations with the GCC in general.
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Amazon asks SEBI, stock exchanges not to grant no-objection to Future Retail deal

Amazon has written to SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi informing that the regulator should not give no-objection to the Future Retail transaction with Reliance as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has constituted an arbitral tribunal.

In a letter to Tyagi, Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings said, "We write to inform you that the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has constituted the arbitral tribunal in the arbitration proceedings initiated by Amazon against inter alia FRL, Kishore Biyani and Rakesh Biyani.

"We wish to highlight that in view of the constitution of the arbitral tribunal, the interim award passed by the EA stands automatically extended for the duration of the arbitration proceedings unless it is reconsidered/modified/vacated by the arbitral tribunal."

"We wish to highlight Rule 10, Schedule I to the rules of the SIAC, 2016 (SIAC Rules) in this regard, which provides that: 'The Emergency Arbitrator shall have no power to act after the Tribunal is constituted. The Tribunal may reconsider, modify or vacate any interim order or Award issued by the Emergency Arbitrator, including a ruling on his own jurisdiction. The Tribunal is not bound by the reasons given by the Emergency Arbitrator. Any interim order or Award issued by the Emergency Arbitrator shall, in any event, cease to be binding if the Tribunal is not constituted within 90 days of such order or Award or when the Tribunal makes a final Award or if the claim is withdrawn'," Amazon said.

Future Retail stands injuncted from proceedings with the transaction with Reliance and restrained by the award.

"We reiterate that FRL continues to be expressly injuncted and restrained by the interim award from taking any steps in furtherance of or in aid of the impugned transaction, including filing or pursuing any application before any person, including SEBI or agencies in India. As the interim award is deemed to be an order of the court and now stands automatically extended pursuant to the SIAC Rules, FRL continues to suffer from a fatal disability to pursue its application for issuance of observation letter/no-objection letter before any regulatory authority," Amazon said.

The impugned transaction as per the letter is the purported resolution dated August 29, 2020 (Impugned Board Resolution) passed by the board of directors of FRL approving the amalgamation of FRL, along with other group companies, with Future Enterprises Limited (FEL) and the subsequent transfer and vesting of the retail and wholesale undertaking' from FEL as a going concern on a slump sale basis to the Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (Reliance Industries) Group.

In view of Section 17(2) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, the interim award passed by the EA is deemed to be an order of a court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and continues to be in force, it said.

"We extract Section 17(2) for your convenience: '(2) Subject to any orders passed in an appeal under section 37, any order issued by the arbitral tribunal under this section shall be deemed to be an order of the court for all purposes and shall be enforceable under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), in the same manner as if it were an order of the Court'," it added.

It is a matter of record that no appeal under Section 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 has been filed against the interim award.

"In view of the directions in the operative part of the interim award and the above, we request your good offices to take action by inter alia: (a) suspending review of the impugned transaction as well as the scheme involving the impugned transaction, and not granting any no-objection in relation to the same; and (b) directing the Indian stock exchanges not to issue any no-objection/approval letter to FRL," Amazon said.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
It was opening day of the 2021 legislative session, and the perimeter of the Georgia State Capitol on Monday was bristling with state police officers in full camouflage gear, most of them carrying tactical rifles.

On the other side of the country, in Olympia, Wash., dozens of National Guard troops in riot gear and shields formed a phalanx behind a temporary fence. Facing them in the pouring rain was a small group of demonstrators, some also wearing military fatigues and carrying weapons. Honor your oath! they shouted. Fight for freedom every day!

And in Idaho, Ammon Bundy, an antigovernment activist who once led his supporters in the occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, showed up outside the statehouse in Boise with members of his organization carrying wanted posters for Gov. Brad Little and others on charges of treason and sedition.

At a time of uncertainty, we need our neighbors to stand next to and continue the war that is raging within this country, Mr. Bundys group declared in a message to followers.
MBABANE  Although they all agree that the COVID-19 vaccine is necessary, Members of Parliament (MPs) have different views on how the process should be implemented.

While some feel that it should not be compulsory others are of the view that it will, by extension be mandatory, for example, if people want to undertake external trips.

The MPs are, however, of the view that government through the Ministry of Health, should make a proper presentation on which vaccine would be administered in Eswatini, its safety and reliability because there have been many theories about the vaccines, some of which make them personally uncomfortable.

Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini, when interviewed yesterday, said government had already taken a decision that the vaccine would be made available for emaSwati.

He said it would be up to the individual whether they choose to take it or not.

The MP said this was what he was currently obtaining on the ground and he would encourage people of his constituency to be at the forefront to take the vaccine.

After all, there is no vaccine which promises eternal life, said Dlamini. He said without the vaccine, there would be absolute chaos. Dlamini was also of the view that for international travel, some countries may demand that people should be vaccinated.

I think it is a good decision and I would like to thank the donors who have also pledged their assistance, said Dlamini. He said he would be in the forefront should the vaccine be available.

Meanwhile, Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo, said the vaccine should not be mandatory and that people should be given a choice.

This is a vaccine which enters the bloodstream and it is very different from the bans which government imposes, such as the restriction of liquor sales and closing shops, said MP Khumalo.

Horror

The MP said vaccination was a different ball game, particularly because of the horror stories they had heard about some of them. He said the social media posts about how some prominent individuals in the globe wanted to test it on Africans were shocking.

The MP said the Ministry of Health had to clearly come out and state which vaccine would be given to Eswatini and if their own experts had tested it and whether it was safe. We cant just be vaccinated because it is from overseas, he said. He further said the World Health Organisation (WHO) also needed to come out clear on the vaccines. Khumalo further added that even in the First World countries, the vaccine was not mandatory although the citizens were encouraged to take it.

Mhlangatane MP Madala Mhlanga said they needed to know governments stance on the issue.

He said government must be clear on the planned rollout of the vaccine.

Probably, Sibaya would give a much clearer way forward or as MPs we must have a picture, he said.

He stated that as emaSwati and a Christian nation, it was important to seek Gods intervention and guidance on this one as the nation could not ignore all the conspiracy theories circulating.

Ludzeludze MP Vusi Swali, said he thought this was a wait and see situation.

We do rely on our health experts and we trust the WHO will advise on measures to be followed since this kind of situation is a first. Yes, we need the vaccine as of yesterday, but certain misconceptions and theories about the vaccine have not been cleared, he said.

He said as a result, it was, therefore, difficult to make an informed decision at the moment with the ongoing research on the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze said people were now living in the big world of information and were in panic mode, full of uncertainty.

If that was not the case, I would have said it has to be compulsory for all, but I cannot, so I go with the notion of autonomy that people should be free to say yes or no to it. We are in the middle of a pharmaceutical war as was the case with ARVs and the eyes of the world market will not be in the deaths but the market, he said.

Accessible

Sibandze said government must assure the nation of its choice and if it was the right one, government must make sure that it was easily accessible to all.

He said he wished he was in Parliament to debate the issue, but unfortunately the role of Parliament in the face of disaster was not stipulated.

But all in all, I am saying the vaccination has to be available to all, but people do not have to be forced to use it, he said.

He said this was because people were not the same, had different beliefs in religion and social affiliations.

There are people who would rather die than kutsi bafutse (steam), he said.

Motshane MP Robert Magongo said if the vaccine was made for people to survive, then everyone should take it. However, he was of the view that WHO needed to give more clarity on the vaccines because there were many theories.

Cliques

Gege MP Musa Kunene said everyone should have access to the vaccine, instead of giving it to different cliques. He said choosing a certain group would not save the country, more so because people could get infected more than once.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, said they would definitely make a presentation to Parliament even though they were still on recess.

She said the country was still under an emergency. Nkosi said they were in discussion with Covax as well as the other different approved vaccine candidates to see what was available and when.

Government has set aside about E200 million for the purchase of the vaccine, while His Majesty King Mswati III urged emaSwati to cooperate with the Ministry of Health once the vaccine was available.






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Gables Residential has achieved Fitwel certification for Crimson in Houston, TX and Gables Vista in Denver, CO.

Fitwel is the worlds leading certification system committed to building health for all. Gables Vista in Denver, CO is the largest Fitwel Certified Multifamily Residential project in Colorado at 277,719 sq. ft and impacts the largest number of residents (323) compared to other Multifamily Residential projects in Colorado.

Crimson is the first Fitwel Multifamily Residential Certified project in Houston, TX, and is the largest Fitwel Multifamily Residential Certified project in Texas at 454,124 sq. ft. Gables is pleased to be a leader in building health and wellness in Houston by delivering the first Fitwel certified residential community to the city.

Gables Residential became a Fitwel Champion in July 2020 bringing Fitwels evidence-based healthy design and operational strategies into its communities to support the health of its residents and associates across the portfolio. The company looks forward to working with the Center for Active Design to bring about a healthier future where buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and well-being.

Juliette Apicella, Director of Sustainability at Gables Residential stated, Gables is committed to developing and managing quality, high-performing, healthy apartment communities that allow us to deliver exceptional experiences and service to our residents. Working with the Center for Active Design and the Fitwel program has helped us receive recognition for the health and wellness strategies we were already applying at our communities, and they continue to assist us to identify new opportunities to expand our work in this important area.

Gables Residential is proud to have the following communities Fitwel certified:



Crimson in Houston, TX

Gables Vista in Denver, CO

Gables Brookhaven in Atlanta, GA

Gables Old Town North in Alexandria, VA

Gables Pointe 14 in Arlington, VA

The Ashley Gables Buckhead in Atlanta, GA

Gables Residential is a leader in the healthy building movement, and we congratulate the team for the significant strides they are making to promote the health of residents across their portfolio, said Joanna Frank, President and CEO of the Center for Active Design. Achieving Fitwel certification is critical to building trust, especially as more evidence emerges highlighting the impact the built environment can have on health outcomes. Now more than ever, residents and employees want to know that building owners are taking the proper precautions to safeguard their health and wellness. We commend Gables on its proactivity in this regard.

About Gables Residential

Gables Residential is an award-winning, vertically integrated, real estate company specializing in the development, construction, ownership, acquisition, financing, and management of multifamily and mixed-use communities. Gables Residential owns, develops, and manages communities in high-growth U.S. markets such as Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, South Florida, Southern California and metropolitan Washington, D.C. Gables also provides third party management services in the New York, Baltimore, Frederick, Tampa, Phoenix, Charlotte, Central and North Florida markets.

Gables manages approximately 30,000 apartment homes and approximately 275,000 square feet of retail space and has received national recognition for excellence in development, construction, management, sales, marketing, training, and benefits. These achievements reflect the impact of Gables experienced and dedicated team members, its superior knowledge of the markets served, and its expertise in development and management. For additional information about the company and its real estate portfolio and services, visit http://www.gables.com.

About Fitwel and the Center for Active Design

In just three years, Fitwel has become the leading global health certification system, seeing a dramatic uptick in use, with 80% growth in certifications annually. Generated by expert analysis of over 5,600 academic research studies, Fitwel is implementing a vision for a healthier future where all buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and well-being. Fitwel was created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. General Services Administration. The Center for Active Design, a global not-for-profit organization, was selected as the licensed operator of Fitwel, charged with expanding Fitwel to the global market.
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
ROCHESTER, Minn. - 9-1-1 service is now restored after and 8-county outage that lasted hours.

According to Minnesota Emergency Communication Networks, the 9-1-1 outage affected residents in Olmsted, Dodge, Freeborn, Mower, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona counties.

In Olmsted county, a notification of the outage went out around 4 p.m. and phones didn't beep again to say it was restored until 8 p.m.

KIMT News 3 spoke with Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson about the outage. He said operators were having trouble hearing callers on their phone lines. Dispatchers then had them call in using the 7-digit phone number instead.

Sheriff Torgerson says the outage did not have a huge impact on their response to emergencies.

"We're adept and able to adjust and I'm listening to my radio in the office here and we're still getting calls and we're still responding," said Torgerson.

CenturyLink is Minnesota's 9-1-1 service provider. Minnesota Emergency Communication Networks said on Tuesday, CenturyLink reported the outage was caused by bad card which supports a large national fiber line in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The equipment was rebooted, which restored service.

If 9-1-1 services are cut, you can contact the dispatch centers directly. A list of those phone numbers can be found here.
Actress Kajol, who's on the last leg of promotion of her upcoming Netflix film Tribhanga, spoke about her favourite K-drama (Korean drama) and we can't stop smiling. If you're a fan of K-drama, you must have watched Crash Landing On You featuring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin in the lead roles. Just like us, Kajol also swooned over their cute chemistry and called it as one of her most favourite K-dramas.

Recently, when Kajol's Tribhanga co-star Mithila Palkar interviewed her and asked her if she binge-watches K-dramas, she said, "I do. I find them highly entertaining. I love the aesthetic. I started with Crash Landing On You, which is one of my most favourites. I thought the idea of the whole North Korea-South Korea love story was fabulous and I loved the way they did it. It was a superb idea and fantastically executed."

If you're new to K-drama world, you should surely give it a try and you will understand why Kajol couldn't stop praising the show. For the unversed, CLOY is streaming on Netflix and is one of the highest rated K-dramas of 2019.

Coming back to Tribhanga, the Netflix film is directed by Renuka Shahane and also casts Tanvi Azmi in the lead role. When Kajol had shared the trailer of Tribhanga on social media, many B-town celebs including Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar praised Kajol and urged their fans to watch it.

ALSO READ: Tribhanga Trailer: Kajol, Tanvi Azmi And Mithila Palkar's Netflix Film Is High On Emotions

Speaking about the film, Kajol had earlier said in a statement that just like the name, the film is a celebration of women and all their beautiful imperfections.

Speaking about motherhood that is one of the highlights of the film, Kajol had said, "As a mother, I can vouch that there are challenges that women face daily as the smallest of things we do affect our children. Motherhood is a minefield of emotions captured extremely well by Renuka. I am very excited for the audience to see this film and hope it will resonate with people of all ages."

Tribhanga will release on Netflix on January 15, 2021.

ALSO READ: Kajol On Mom Tanuja: I Feel Like I Am A Better Person Because Of The Things She Taught Me As A Child
While Mayor Muriel E. Bowser of Washington, D.C., was grappling with the riot that tore through the Capitol last week, another crisis was slowly unfolding in the district: a surge of coronavirus cases.

Washington has been averaging 290 new coronavirus cases a day over the past week, its highest figure for any seven-day stretch of the pandemic. The rest of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, is also surging: All three states set weekly case records on Sunday.

At a news conference on Monday, Ms. Bowser urged residents to be vigilant against the virus, noting that the districts hospitals are being strained by coronavirus patients and that the rate of positive virus test results was worryingly high.

We remain concerned  as the rest of the country remains concerned  about the increase in cases, the mayor said.
It was always going to garner outsize scrutiny. Complicated by Vogues own messy history with race. Reports have come out about the magazines editor, Anna Wintour, and her own past with staffers of color. Earlier covers featuring Black women such as Olympic gymnast Simone Biles have caused people to criticize the magazine for its lack of Black photographers and for not understanding how to light Black women (an issue that also came up in regards to Harris). All of that, filtered through the lens of systemic racism in this country, guaranteed that the magazines portrayal of Harris would be especially fraught.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : On the occasion of National Youth Day, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) on Tuesday staged a protest outside the Agriculture Ministry by polishing shoes and selling vegetables.

About 100 NSUI activists led by Delhi in-charge, Vinod Jakhar and Delhi State President, Akshay Lakhra assembled outside Krishi Bhawan demanding the rights of the youth and the farmers regarding unemployment.

Speaking to mediapersons, NSUI national secretary Lokesh Chugh said that thousands of farmers are sitting on protest in this bone-chilling weather at several borders of the national capital for last 48 days.

"The protest was carried out to display solidarity by doing shoe polishing work and by selling vegetables. This is how NSUI tried to carry out a symbolic protest to remind this adamant government that they need to turn up for the youth," Chugh said.

According to NSUI President Neeraj Kundan, not only is the youth facing an unemployment crisis but our annadatas are also unemployed and have been protesting for their rights.

NSUI demands that by making effective policies, the government must work on reducing unemployment.
Bonnie Watson-Coleman was walking in a first-floor hallway in the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday afternoon when a police officer headed in the other direction warned her of trouble ahead.

I dont think you want to go that way. Theyre there, the officer said.

Curious, but cautious, she kept going.

Another officer was more direct. Maam, you cannot go down there, theyre breaching the Capitol, the officer said.

The Congresswoman from New Jerseys 12th Congressional district looked a bit further and saw unruly crowds, some clad in red jackets, and many wearing the ubiquitous red MAGA hats favored by Trump supporters.

Moments later, she was herded to a holding office with numerous members of Congress and their staffers, where they hunkered down in safety as rioters lay siege to the Capitol building during an insurrectionist assault that left five dead - including a Capitol police officer originally from New Jersey.

But Watson Coleman was not safe in that room: its where she was likely exposed to COVID-19, she told NJ Advance Media in an exclusive interview on Tuesday at her home in Mercer County after being released from the hospital.

There were at least 150 to 200 people, there was no distancing, and there were some (Republican members of Congress) and their staff, who would not wear masks or keep them on, Watson Coleman said.

They didnt show any concern, and they were arrogantly defiant, she said Tuesday during a call with NJ Advance Media. They should have been taken out of the room.

At least two other lawmakers have tested positive after being locked in the room that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases, described as a subway car during rush hour.

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Coleman Watson speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C. in a December 2019 file photo.TNS

Within days, she started developing symptoms of what she thought was a cold, and sought testing for the coronavirus following guidance from Congress physician. She is thankful for his advice. Without it, I might not have. My symptoms are mild. But I did out of an abundance of concern, she said.

That day was her second on Capitol Hill since the start of the pandemic, the 75-year-old cancer survivor said. Shes been extra careful, personally, during the pandemic. She works from her home, votes by proxy, and does not even go to the grocery store that much.

Her first time back to Washington was in late December to get the first shot of the vaccine. I was in and out and not exposed to that many people, she said.

She returned last week because she was not going to miss the historic vote to affirm Joe Bidens Electoral College win.

After revealing her diagnosis Monday, Watson Coleman was resting at home Tuesday afternoon after receiving antibody treatment and other therapies at a local hospital. Hopefully the symptoms stay as they are. It treats different people in different ways.

The prior seven days, Watson Coleman says, have been unprecedented for her.

During the Capitol violence, her husband William Coleman was by her side because their Washington apartment near the Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters, just blocks from the Capitol, was evacuated due to a bomb found in an alley. Then her House office building was evacuated, too.

And during the siege, a former Trenton resident and Trump supporters Facebook posted an apparent threat to Watson Coleman, but it was later taken down and the account owner said he was hacked. Her office forwarded the post to the U.S. Capitol Police for investigation.

William Coleman has tested negative for the virus. Four other members of her family await tests, but none are showing symptoms, she said.

The congresswoman said people who do not mask put others in grave danger, simple as that.

There have to be consequences for not wearing one, she said. She says she gets the uncomfortableness and inconvenience, but its a public health matter, not politics or individual rights. She said she is buoyed by Bidens masking messages.

Hopefully, he will be able to bring peace to the country, Watson Coleman said.

But right now, I dont have a lot of optimism.

She lays blame for the countrys strife squarely at the feet of President Donald Trump.

I think the president of the United States incited this before Jan. 6, and I think he did it really directly, on that day. Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr. also share significant blame for their incendiary remarks, she said.

And I think that that has to be dealt with severely, including with the president of the United States of America, she said.

When Trump is out of office, Watson Coleman said she believes he will be remembered for being a coward who unmasked racists. Donald Trump is a sick, demented, evil person who cares for nothing but himself.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.
TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MedC Biopharma Corporation ("MedC"), a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes products containing cannabinoids and/or other natural compounds, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership agreement with Sana Healthcare ("Sana"). Sana is a specialist importer, wholesaler and distributor of cannabis-based medicines and supports biopharmaceutical companies in selecting and then pursuing the most appropriate clinic pathways in the UK. The partnership will advance the development of MedC's product platform for the treatment of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) Sezary Syndrome.

MedC has a science-based pipeline of botanically derived products with substantiated medical claims. This pipeline consists of IP and exclusive access to technology, formulations and discovery data for both consumer and pharmaceutical potential. It includes an exclusive license to ground-breaking research and development, headed by Professor Hinanit Koltai and based on extensive testing on malignant cell-lines and blood samples from patients with CTCL, and a platform of products based on active ingredients derived from the cannabis plant, which have demonstrated potential to treat Sezary Syndrome. Current medications for Sezary Syndrome do not cure the disease and often deliver only short-term remission for patients so development of new treatment options is crucial.

MedC has partnered with Sana Healthcare to finalize the plan for key stakeholder participation, the design and execution of toxicology and clinical studies, and the strategy for regulatory approval, pricing and reimbursement requirements in the UK. Clinical execution will be aligned with funding following toxicology studies and have targeted availability of a post clinical report available the first half 2022. The information generated for the UK market will be leveraged for further development in global jurisdictions.

MedC is currently raising funds to conduct safety and efficacy trials for a cannabinoid-containing product that is designed to treat CTCL Sezary Syndrome. This product would be considered an orphan drug in the USA and UK, with the potential for government financial considerations, supportive regulatory concessions, and eligibility for market exclusivity. The MedC/Sana partnership will work towards establishing orphan drug designation for this product in the UK, government reimbursement for patients and market exclusivity.

Avi Drori; Founding Partner and CEO of MedC, said, "We are pleased that our continued efforts and our relationship with Sana Healthcare will advance our CTCL platform to the clinical development stage. We look forward to the clinical trials in 2021, so we can finally bring hope to patients seeking a cure for this terrible disease."

Ben Hamburger; Founding Partner and CEO of Sana Healthcare, said, "We are extremely excited to be working with MedC. MedC has an outstanding leadership team and very promising pre-clinical data targeted towards a disease with a low survival rate and currently without a recognised cure. We look forward to a successful 2021 together.

About MedC Biopharma

MedC Biopharma is a Canadian science-driven, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. It focuses on the development, production, and delivery of differentiated products containing cannabinoid or other natural compounds for the medical, consumer and veterinary skin and general health markets.

Connect with MedC Biopharma: www.medc.bio

About Sana Healthcare

Sana Healthcare is a subsidiary of Sana Life Science  a specialist importer, wholesaler and distributor of cannabis-based medicines, licensed by the MHRA in the UK.

Sana Healthcare selects the most efficacious cannabis-based medicines for distribution in the UK market, supporting biopharmaceutical companies with the development and execution of the most appropriate clinical pathway. As part of a broad range of services Sana Healthcare is able to provide support across clinical trials, marketing authorisation and product reimbursement."

Connect with Sana Healthcare: www.sanalifescience.com

Press Contact:

Avi Drori

7024820341

https://www.medc.bio

SOURCE MedC Biopharma Corporation

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Counting On star Joy Anna Duggar has revealed that she and her husband Austin Forsyth have already fallen ill with COVID-19, having tested positive back when she was still pregnant with their daughter.

The 23-year-old made the revelation on Instagram this weekend in answer to a fan question about whether she and her family have had the coronavirus.

'Yes, Austin and I both tested positive for Covid last year,' she wrote. 'I was still pregnant with Evelyn. We both had body aches, slight fever, and lost our taste and smell. Thankfully we recovered quickly!'

Not so surprising news: Joy Anna Duggar revealed on Instagram that she and her husband Austin Forsyth both had COVID-19 last year, while she was pregnant

Sick: She said they both had body aches, fever, and loss of taste and smell

Turned out OK: Joy Anna said they have since both recovered, and in August she gave birth to a healthy baby girl

Expecting: They announced the pregnancy on Instagram in March 2020

Joy Anna appears to have been lucky with a quick recovery and seemingly no impact on the health of her baby.

According to the Mayo Clinic, pregnancy increases the risk of severe illness with COVID-19, with expectant moms more likely to develop respiratory complications and end up in the ICU. They are also more likely to be placed on a ventilator.

Joy Anna also didn't specify when, exactly, she contracted the virus, though social media provides some potential clues.

Over Fourth of July weekend, Joy Anna, Austin, and their son Gideon got a visit from Joy Anna's best friend Carlin Bates, of Bringing Up Bates fame, from Tennessee.

Thirty-three weeks pregnant at the time, Joy Anna stayed with the others in a cabin at Austin's parents' camp in Arkansas.

Not long after, Joy Anna had a baby shower attended by at least 20 other people, indoors, with not a mask in sight.

The culprit? Joy Anna got a visit from her friend Carlin Bates for Fourth of July weekend

What social distancing? Carlin and her husband joined Joy Anna and Austin and Austin's family's camp

Pictured at the festivities was Joy Anna's mom Michelle, as well as her sisters Jana, Jessa, Johanna, Jennifer, Jordyn, and Josie.

Her big sister Jill was also notably in attendance. Jill has been absent from quite a few family gatherings, which her husband Derick Dillard has claimed on numerous occasions is because dad Jim Bob restricts her access to the rest of the family.

Sisters-in-law Lauren and Anna showed up, too, with Anna bringing along daughters Meredith, Mackynzie, and baby Maryella, and Lauren toting her baby, Bella.

Also there were Carlin Bates, visiting from Tennessee, and several other non-famous faces, bringing the total to at least 21 people.

At the time, the state of Arkansas had had a total of nearly 40,000 cases, with hundreds more confirmed every day.

Caution to the wind: Also in July, Joy Anna had a baby shower attended by at least 20 other people, indoors, with not a mask in sight

The whole fam (almost): Pictured at the festivities was Joy Anna's mom Michelle, as well as her sisters Jana, Jill, Jessa, Johanna, Jennifer, Jordyn, and Josie

More girls: Her sisters-in-law Lauren and Anna (who is married to sex pest Josh) also came with their daughters

BFF: Her best friend Carlin Bates came to visit, too, and helped her open presents

Look who got an invite! Her big sister Jill was also notably in attendance. Jill has been absent from quite a few family gatherings, due to some dubious rulings from her dad, Jim Bob

Several weeks later, Carlin confirmed that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

'Evan and I both came down with COVID, so we have been a little out of it,' Carlin wrote on Instagram on August 16.

'We are on the tail end of recovery and are both doing better. We feel for you that are struggling with COVID right now and we are keeping you in our prayers. Yall please stay safe out there!'

The timing indicates that she may have either contracted the disease from Joy Anna or given it to her.

So far, Joy Anna is the only member of the Duggar family to admit to coming down with the virus  though fans speculate that the entire Duggar family may have already had it, pointing to their frequent large gatherings and complete disregard for COVID-19 precautions.

There are already quite a lot of people living at parents Jim Bob and Michelle's house, and Joy Anna shared on Instagram that she is over there at least once a week.

Other Duggar adults with their own homes have also been spotted at the main Duggar household numerous times during the pandemic.

What pandemic? A very large gathering of Duggars spent Christmas together

Who cares about the overtaxed healthcare system! Before that, several had gathered indoors for a mask-free wreath-making party

Rules be damned! 16 Duggar women and girls got together for the December party

Most recently, the Duggars have hosted several rather large family gatherings to celebrate Christmas.

Taken on Christmas Day, a family photo shows 39 people  including someone dressed as Santa Claus and several babies  posing together indoors.

Days before, 16 Duggar women and girls got together inside, without masks, for a wreath-decorating party.

Members of the Duggar family have also come under fire for traveling during the pandemic  including in November, when mother Michelle and little sister Jordyn flew to Los Angeles to support Jinger when she gave birth to her second daughter, Evangeline.

Michelle and Jordyn arrived in Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo's home without masks after their cross-country flight, as did Jeremy's parents.

Jinger and Jeremy also decided not to wear masks when a masked midwife visited them at their home.

Given Joy Anna's diagnosis and the family's frequent gathering, it is possible and even likely that other members of the family have contracted the virus as well.

Across the US in California, Jinger and her husband Jeremy Vuolo have shown a similar disregard for precautions, even as a healthcare worker wore her own mask in their home

Like there's no pandemic! Though Jinger couldn't have her mom at the hospital with her to give birth, Michelle did fly in from Arkansas to Los Angeles
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12) The Philippine government has recently inked a deal to secure 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Covovax, which is developed by US-based biotechnology company Novavax.

The doses are expected to arrive in the country beginning the third quarter of 2021, product manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) announced over the weekend.

What makes the vaccine different from the other ones in the market? What are the initial results of its clinical trials? CNN Philippines spoke to Dr. Luningning Villa, medical director of Faberco Life Sciences, SIIs local partner, to learn more.

Developed by US-based company, manufactured in India

While it is developed by American-based Novavax, the Covovax vaccine is manufactured in India. The company had a license agreement with the SII, which directs the latter to manufacture at least one billion doses, according to Villa.

Doses to inoculate vulnerable sector in PH

The doses are expected to accommodate 15 million Filipinos. In a press release over the weekend, Villa noted the target sector would be the vulnerable and poor" in the country.

Clinical trials encouraging

Clinical trials for the vaccine have been deployed in different countries including the US, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, among others. While official stage 3 results have yet to be released, Villa said initial data have been encouraging.

The results of the initial phases of the clinical trials are very encouraging, Villa told The Source. In the first phases, its saying that the immune response, the protective antibody level is even higher than those who have recovered from the COVID-19 infection themselves.

Participants of the clinical trials range from 18 to 84 years old, Villa noted. She likewise revealed that the vaccine is also being tested in healthy HIV positive patients.

Villa said they are expecting interim results on Covovax by next month. By the second quarter, we will have solid evidence for safety and efficacy profile of this vaccine, she added.

Adjuvant in the vaccine

The product also has a plant-based adjuvant, which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described as an ingredient used in some vaccines that helps create a stronger immune response in people receiving it.

Not difficult to handle

Villa also noted that the vaccine is stable at 2C to 8C. That means that the vaccine can be transported and stored at the regular temperatures required in our existing cold chain systems," she explained. "So its not too complicated, its not too difficult to handle.

SII ready to supply sectors

Villa assured that Faberco and SII are ready to cater to all sectors that would be interested in the vaccine, but stressed that they would be still be taking the cue from the national government and appointed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. regarding arrangements and orders.

She added that the company has received inquiries as well as expression of interest from some local government units.
The Trump administration forged ahead with a rule to increase the minimum pay for foreign workers on high-skill H-1B visas Tuesday in a move that could sideline many of them from the U.S. labor market.

The Department of Labor announced the final rule after federal lawsuits in San Francisco and elsewhere stopped a previous version from taking immediate effect late last year.

The final rule we are releasing today represents an important step to improve some of Americas largest foreign labor programs and ensure they function in a way that benefits all Americans, said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia in a press briefing on Tuesday. The new wage standards will ensure companies cannot use foreign labor as a low-cost alternative to American workers.

Immigration advocates, including many in Silicon Valley who rely on the visas, had assailed interim rules issued in October, saying they set unrealistic and unattainable salary floors, amounting to $208,000 a year in many cases. Labor officials said they had received more than 2,000 public comments to those initial rules. Many thought wages were inflated, and would have a significant negative effect on the economy, said John Pallasch, assistant secretary for employment and training. Commentators urged phased implementation to allow employers, workers and the department (time) to adjust to the new methodology.

Critics of high-skill visa programs, including in the Trump administration, have long characterized H-1Bs and other work-based visas as vehicles for undercutting U.S. workers with cheaper foreign labor.

Supporters of the program say the changes are designed to subvert immigration laws and unfairly disadvantage foreigners who might work for U.S. companies, hurting innovation.

By artificially increasing the wage level, youll drive more people out of the U.S. labor market, said Stuart Anderson, executive director for the National Foundation for American Policy. Companies may choose to place skilled workers in other countries, like Canada, with less restrictive rules, he said.

The move comes as the Department of Homeland Security rolled out a final rule last week seeking to base the lottery that picks H-1B recipients on wages instead of education level. That rule will only affect new applicants whereas the Labor Department rule includes extensions, renewals and those seeking permanent residency via green cards.

These two new rules taken together (are) another attempt to discourage legal immigration for high skilled workers, said Hiba Anver, the managing director with Erickson Immigration Group and an immigration attorney.

Labor officials said they have adjusted the wage floors downward and created phases, especially for overseas workers already in the United States. They said they felt confident that these changes would circumvent the legal challenges the rules have already faced that resulted in a court injunction against them.

Court challenges in San Francisco and elsewhere succeeded in stopping the Labor Department from getting around the normal public notice and comment period required by federal law, but have not answered the question of whether the moves violate immigration laws.

If lawsuits over the rule continue or new ones are brought, the Department of Justice under the Biden administration will have to decide if it will continue defending the Trump-era rule, said Eleanor Pelta, a lawyer and immigration expert at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

The wage floors take effect July 1 and vary across four wage and experience levels depending on location, ranging from entry-level to executive roles.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Entry-level visa holders will eventually be required to make more than 35% of people in the same occupation and area, up from 17%. Level two workers will see an increase to 53%, while level three will jump to 72% and the highest level will increase to 90%.

For new overseas workers, they initially will be set at 90% of the new wages, rising to the full amount after one year.

Immigrant workers who are in the process of obtaining a green card or who have H-1B visas that are eligible for extension will be subject to wage minimums that are 85% of the final amount on the July 1 starting date. After one year that will rise to 90%, then 95% after two years. Beginning July 1, 2024, they will be subject to the full new rate.

The rules come from a government department run by the Trump administration, which is openly hostile to immigration, unlike the incoming Biden administration.

The Biden administration has said it plans to halt so-called midnight regulations pushed through by Trump in the waning days of his administration.

The incoming administration could then issue its own rule, go through Congress to rescind the wage changes, or go through the courts if it chose to head off the new rules, according to Maka Hutson, an attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Chase DiFeliciantonio and Carolyn Said are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com, csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice, @CSaid

[January 12, 2021] Illinois-Based Charity Targeted in Lawsuit Alleging Orphanage Trafficking in Kenya, According to FeganScott Law Firm

Today an Illinois-based charity was sued under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, claiming the non-profit, First Love International Ministries, and its partner, Loving InDeed, stripped Kenyan children from or failed to return them to their homes to create "profit orphanages," designed to attract donations from well-meaning contributors and donors in the United States. "In Kenya, these orphanages are referred to as Charitable Children's Institutions or children's homes," said Elizabeth Fegan, founding partner and managing member of FeganScott. "In reality, some of these are nothing more than for-profit orphanages that exploit the growing voluntourism industry by falsifying the identities of children, claiming the children have no living family members, and taking advantage of well-meaning donors." The complaint alleges that First Love built a rich but deceptive tapestry of children in need, claiming Kenyan children are in hopeless situations and have been "orphaned through AIDS, disease, violence, or simply been abandoned by their parents." However, according to the complaint, First Love utilizes a practice condemned as orphanage trafficking, where recruiters target poor Kenyan families, offering their children a better life, when in fact, the children are worse off. First Love and its network of similar corporations, such as Loving InDeed and other children's homes, keep the children at their homes for years without promoting or ensuring family reunification. They then use the children's likenesses and presence to increase donations from churches and donors. "Despite the fact that many of these children have one or both living parents or extended family members, the children are instructed to claim they are orphans when interacting with the revolving door of tourist volunteers, ostensibly to make the volunteers more willing to contribute to the profit orphanage," Fegan added. According to the complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, once the children reach 18 years of age, they are expelled from the orphanage, often without any attempt to reunite them with their families and without the skills necessary to integrate back into society. "The extent to which the defendants utilize the symbolism and tenets of Christianity to hide their malicious intent is hypocritical at best and downright criminal at worst," said Fegan. "Not only does First Love cast itself as a savior of children while actively removing them from their families and communities, it simultaneously defrauds innocent donors and vlunteers who think they're helping children in need."



In the United States and across international borders, the institutionalization of children has almost completely stopped. In fact, it is universally recognized that the placement of children in institutions should only occur as a last result, and then, only on a temporary, short-term basis. "The Kenyan government has been leading the way in making important reforms for children, which includes strengthening families and preventing separation, as well as increasing the availability of family-based alternatives to orphanages and decreasing the reliance on institutional care," said Michelle Oliel, executive director and co-founder of the Stahili Foundation, a non-profit that combats child exploitation and poverty in Kenya. "But organizations like First Love continue to find ways to subvert the important work of the government, violate laws, and cause undue harm to children and donors."

Despite this international consensus, according to the complaint, First Love continued to traffic children, using various illicit methods to obfuscate the truth and otherwise demand the children perform for American voluntourists. In addition to these violations, the suit notes that First Love used financial and material poverty as justification for the removal of children from parental or family care, often exploiting them by forcing them to lie to voluntourists and exposing them to short, emotionally traumatic visits, which can further exacerbate the children's trauma. "First Love actively coordinated an elaborate network of self-fed organizations with the explicit intent to deceive donors and raise millions of dollars for their own enterprise," Fegan said. "The organization is focused on utilizing children as pawns in an ill-gotten scheme of their own design-ultimately preying on the good intentions of American donors." When the plaintiff, a long-term donor and voluntourist who donated her services as a social worker to First Love's children's homes, initially voiced concerns to First Love about the care of the children and the distribution of funds, the suit alleges that the organization and its board members used intimidation and threats to prevent the plaintiff from sharing her allegations and providing evidence to governmental authorities. "This whole experience has been devastating, I have always pledged to be of service to those who are most in need, and now I feel betrayed by the very organization that promised to support me," said Katherine Calavan, the plaintiff in the proposed class action. "As a social worker, this is especially heart-wrenching because personally and professionally, my mission is to advocate for those in need. This suit is giving me and others like me the chance to do the right thing by shedding light on the harm to children from First Love's practices." The suit attempts to hold First Love for RICO Act violations including raising money to enrich themselves or their organization through activities that violate international norms and Kenyan standards, exploiting children, misleading voluntourists and donors, and harassing and threatening class members from reporting or disclosing allegations. The 70-page document names a number of instances of deceptive and misleading marketing that were developed to target donors, knowing that the monetary support was not helping the children as the donors would have expected. "The intricacy of First Love's dishonesty is rooted in its ability to wield Christian values to avoid retribution from donors who caught on - and they're not alone in manufacturing this kind of deceit," Fegan said. "This is an unconscionable practice that weaponizes faith and harms people who are truly trying to make a difference in the lives of others - we need to expose the inner workings of this system and demand accountability for those who have been caught in its fraudulent grasp." The suit seeks compensation and punitive damages on behalf of all persons who donated money or time to First Love or members of the First Love Solicitation Enterprise. It also seeks to expel and return the defendant's wrongful profits and revenue. About FeganScott FeganScott is a national class action law firm dedicated to helping victims of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Beth Fegan, the firm's founder and managing member, represents the group of survivors suing criminally convicted movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. The firm, championed by acclaimed veteran, class-action attorneys who have successfully recovered $1 billion for victims nationwide. FeganScott is committed to pursuing successful outcomes with integrity and excellence while holding the responsible parties accountable. Case No. 1:21-cv-00185 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112006045/en/

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India's drug regulator has approved two vaccines  Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by SII and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for restricted emergency use and the Centre has said that the vaccine roll out will begin from 16 January.

Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Tuesday said that the Centre has entered into a procurement agreement with the Serum Insititute of India for 110 lakh doses of Covishield and 55 lakh doses of Covaxin will be procured from Bharat Biotech and that all of the doses will be received by 14 January.

Addressing a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said all the shots, consisting of 1.1 crore doses from Serum Institute of India (SII) and 55 lakh doses from Bharat Biotech India Limited, will be received in all states and UTs by Thursday.

India's drug regulator has approved two vaccines  Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by SII and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for restricted emergency use and the Centre has said that the vaccine roll out will begin from 16 January.

Both the vaccines have established safety and immunogenicity through a well prescribed regulatory process, the health secretary said at Tuesday's briefing.

Giving information on the prices of the vaccine, Bhushan said that the 110 lakh doses of Covishield will be procured at Rs 200 per dose (excluding taxes). Bharat Biotech will provide 16.50 lakh doses of Covaxin free of cost to the Central Government as a special gesture, while the rest of the 38.5 lakh doses are priced at Rs 295 per dose, the health secretary said. Therefore, Covaxin costs Rs 206 per dose.

Bhushan reiterated that the vaccines will be rolled out sequentially as there will be limited availability at first and added that healthcare workers (around 1 crore) will be the top priority, followed by frontline workers (approximately two crore) and prioritised age groups (numbering approximately 27 crore). Cost of health care workers and frontline workers will be borne by the Centre, he reiterated.

Giving an overview of the other vaccine trials in India, the health secretary said that there are four vaccines, whose R&D is being conducted in India or will be manufactured in India, these are in the pipeline and there is a possibility that they will be available soon.

"In the coming days you may see some of these vaccines too approaching the drug controller for emergency use authorisation," Bhushan said.

He informed that Phase-II trials of Zydus Cadila were completed in December, the third stage trials have been permitted by the drug regulator and will be beginning this month. He further said that Gamaleya Institute's Sputnik V's Phase-II trials in partnership with Dr Reddy's Lab have been completed, Phase- III trials are underway and it will be manufactured in India.The Phase 1 trials of Biological E started in December and Phase-II trials may begin in March.

The Phase-I trials of Gennova have been approved and has begun and its Phase-II trials may begin in March, he said.

The health secretary also gave an overview of the prices of other vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is available for $19.50 per dose (Rs 1,431) excluding overhead costs and taxes and has to be stored at -70 degree, he said.

Moderna's vaccine is available for Rs 2,348-Rs 2,715 per dose while Sinopharm is available for more than Rs 5,650 per dose. China's Sinopharm vaccine is available at over Rs. 5,650 he said.

The Sinovac Biotech vaccine is available for Rs 1,027 per dose while Novavax vaccine is available for Rs 1,114 per dose. Gamaleya Institute's Sputnik V and the Johnson&Johnson vaccine are available at Rs 734 per dose.

All the above-listed vaccines, except the Pfizer one, can be stored at 2 to 8 Degrees Centigrade, he said.

The Centre is having close collaboration with States/UTs for vaccine roll-out and all preparations are on track for vaccine roll-out from 16 January, the health secretary asserted.

#IndiaFightsCorona: Govt is having close collaboration with States/UTs for vaccine roll-out. All preparations are on track for vaccine roll-out from 16th January, 2021: Secretary, @MoHFW_INDIA #StaySafe #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/PrT69m8kYi  #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) January 12, 2021

Listing the expectations from state and UT governments, Bhushan said all logistics should be ready for vaccination roll-out from 16 January.

States will exercise continuous oversight and personal involvement on the entire process and there should be a special focus on communication activities and utilisation of all types of channels to create an encouraging environment, that vaccines are safe and immunogenic, he said.

"It is important because we need to ensure that as we proceed, this is monitored at every level in state as well as UTs. This will ensure all target populations get the vaccine and there is no wastage because we have started getting news of wastage happening in western countries.

"This will also ensure everyone knows what they are supposed to do. There are roughly over 50 countries in the world where vaccination has started but all of them have populations less than ours. So our challenge is much greater and therefore we need to be more prepared," Bhushan said.

Stating that the effectiveness of the vaccines begins only 14 days after the second dose, Bhushan emphasised on the need to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour after the first as well as the second dose. The two doses will be given 28 days apart, he said.

Dr VK Paul, Member (Health) Niti Aayog said cases are falling and more significantly deaths have also been falling . He said the country is holding the CFR and this is a consistent pattern but cautioned against lowering the guard.

Paul also sought to assure that both the vaccines approved in India are safe and immunogenic and also said that they are affordable. He said that the vaccines have been tested in thousands of people and side effects are negligible. "Theres no risk of significance. Let's be reassured," he said.

"The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to accept and support the two indigenously developed vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin). I would like to thank them for this," he said

At beginning of the briefing, Bhushan said that the coronavirus situation is still worrisome across the world, and the graph is climbing in US, UK, Brazil and South Africa.

"In India, active cases continue to decline in a steady manner. The daily new cases have touched a new low today and stands at 2,16,558," he stated.

In India, last 24 hours, 12,584 new cases were reported, The Hindu quoted him as saying. However, active cases continue to decline in India and it is now less than 2.2 lakh.

Only two states with more than 50,000 cases contribute 54 percent of the active cases, Bhushan said. In Kerala the number of active cases are 63,547 and in Maharashtra, they are 53,463, he said.

#IndiaFightsCorona: This is the snapshot of overall #COVID19 situation in the country. -Active cases are only 2.07% of the total active COVID cases

-Only 2 States- Kerala & Maharashtra accounts for 54% of the total active cases in the country: Secretary, @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/XxbsMS5x1b  #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) January 12, 2021

Only 43.96 percent of the active cases are in hospitals, while the 56.04 percent are in home isolation, he informed.

jmax young, a migrant from San Diego and an excellent writer, has completed his new book Denise Delgardo, Episode Two: Some Beech Street Business: a gripping and potent fiction along the stranger things of cases and mysteries unfolding.

Young writes, In this episode our anti-anti-heroes are again messing with powers and circumstances that are out of their control. Neither of them and their minions are ever prepared for the intrigue and danger they encounter. But the oddity of their cases has begun to identify them. They can either run away and continue their careers with mundane assignments that neither pay the bills nor fulfill their thirsts for misadventure. Wait till you get a load of the ensuing episodes!

The second adventure involving Denise Delgardo and her misanthropes defies the usual private-investigator tale. As all her assignments begin, shes following a spouse suspected of infidelity. And as all her assignments soon morph, shes up to her symbolic and literal neck in danger unimagined vis a vis time travel to a very scary time.

Readers who wish to experience this work can purchase Denise Delgardo, Episode Two: Some Beech Street Business at bookstores everywhere or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Eamonn Hughes became the first resident of St Mary's Hospital in Phoenix Park to be vaccinated today. Photo: Marc O'Sullivan.

A 75-year-old man who has become the first resident in St Marys Hospital in Phoenix Park to be vaccinated against Covid-19 says he is looking forward to going outside again.

Eamonn Hughes, originally from Co Cavan, got the vaccine today alongside other residents and healthcare workers at the hospital.

The vaccine is so important, Eamonn said, adding: I look forward to my wife Rose and daughters Sharon and Paula and granddaughters Alexandria and Saoirse visiting again.

When the weather's nice, I like to go outside to see nature and to get inspiration for my art, Im looking forward to going outside again.

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Michael Farrelly (89), from the South Circular Road, was also vaccinated this morning and said: Hopefully it will help me see my son and two grandchildren again.

Ligimol Varghese, assistant director of nursing at St Marys Hospital, was the first member of staff vaccinated. She said it was important that people in the care of St Marys feel safe.

Its important we get vaccinated and protect the people we care for. It is very important people under our care feel safe and protected, which is why I am getting vaccinated.

Today will go down as a significant moment for the residents, their families and the staff at St Marys, said Mellany McLoone, chief officer at the HSE.

St Marys Hospital experienced the effects of Covid-19 last year, and the vaccination programme provides hope. Today, in St Marys, our other residential care settings, and over time, we can see the role the vaccination programme will have in helping manage the transmission in our community.

Covid-19 has directly affected the day-to-day life of all nursing home residents.

Essene Cassidy, head of older persons services, said the residents of St Marys have been extremely understanding and supportive of the staff.

Essene added it was so positive to see that the vaccination programme will benefit the residents and staff will work to support them in the days ahead.

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MBABANE - Former President of the proscribed Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Mario Masuku has passed on after succumbing to COVID-19 complications.

Masuku, who had an underlying medical condition, reportedly died while undergoing treatment at the Mbabane Government Hospital on Monday, at the age of 69.

He was reportedly diabetic.

His demise was confirmed by his son Mzwandile, who disclosed that Masuku died hardly a week after being admitted.

Mzwandile said his father would be buried on Friday in adherence to the COVID- 19 regulations, that a person should be buried within three days after his or her demise.

Wished

He will be buried at Makhosini on Friday morning. We had wished to give him a send-off that he deserved, but the situation is what it is, said Mzwandile.

He said they appreciated that his father was a peoples person and they would make means to accommodate his followers through social media and online platforms.

The Masuku family also issued a statement yesterday wherein it requested to be given privacy during this difficult time.

It is with immense sadness that the Masuku family announces that our father and grandfather Mario Masuku passed away peacefully on Monday, January 11, 2021 after a short illness. Rest in peace Nhlanekhulu. Further details will follow, reads part of the statement.

When reporters from this publication visited his residence at Eveni in Mbabane yesterday, there were cars parked belonging to mourners.

Masuku had many run-ins with the law due to his political beliefs and call for regime change.

Arrested

He was arrested a number of times while serving as the president of PUDEMO, an organisation that was proscribed during the tenure of the late Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini.

He stepped down from leading PUDEMO after he was released from custody.

Masuku will be remembered for among other things his authoritative voice and stern face while raising a clenched fist when addressing the crowds during PUDEMO rallies.

He fought hard for freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

It was his belief in freedom of expression that would lend him in prison from time-to-time on charges of Sedition.

Meanwhile, Lawyers for Human Rights (Swaziland) LHR(S) also extended their deepest sympathy to the Masuku family.

LHR(S) Chairperson Maxwell Nkambule said: A giant has fallen; a limb has fallen from the freedom of expression family tree! As an organisation we commit ourselves to follow in the steps of Mario Masuku and continue the fight for human rights; until freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of assembly is fully realised.

On the other hand, PUDEMO National Executive Committee Chairperson Mphandlana Shongwe described Masuku as an oak tree which withstood all weather conditions.

He was a liberator, worker, priest and a peace maker. He withstood jail, poverty and all harsh conditions. To me he was like a father, said Shongwe.

Shongwe said he was speechless on the death of Masuku as they were very close.

He said when he met Masuku in 1983, he (Shongwe) was still a student at William Pitcher College and the former was already employed at Barclays Bank.






PUTTING all your eggs in the one basket has helped those least well off in our society.

John the Baptist Community School in Hospital donated a massive cheque for 6,445.77 to the Redemptorists' annual hamper appeal. The LCA 2 class donated 165 of their profits from selling eggs as part of their mini company.

The money was raised by donations from students, parents and staff and the parents association who generously gave 500. Talented musician, Alanna Griffin, first year student, and her mother and friend donated 555.77 raised from busking at a Christmas market. It all added up to an incredible amount.

The Redemptorists worked with the Limerick Food Partnership and partner organisations across the city and county to get hampers into 6,000 homes in the lead up to Christmas.

It is one of the biggest food initiatives in Limerick each year. The cost of the hampers this year will be 165,000. It is a tradition now expertly overseen by Seamus Enright that goes back almost 40 years when it was started by the late Fr Gerry Daly.

And this years appeal was a big success thanks to the likes of John the Baptist.

Redemptorist priest, Fr Gerard Moloney said: Peoples generosity this Christmas has been extraordinary. Even though the final figures havent been added up yet, we took in far more money and food in 2020 than last year, despite having to curtail many of our regular fundraising activities. Such goodness is heart lifting.
The police in Kano said they have smashed a syndicate of mobile phone thieves who allegedly operate in Sharada, Sauna and Sabon Gari quarters of Kano Metropolis.

Kano has a high rate of mobile phone snatching with some of the cases leading to the death of victims who attempted to resist the thieves.

The police spokesperson in the state, Abdullahi Haruna, in a statement on Tuesday said officers arrested suspects in an operation that followed complaints by residents of increasing incidence of phone snatching in the named areas.

Mr Haruna gave the names of the suspects in police custody as Nura Muhammad (18), Yusuf Dayyabu (20), Nura Danladi (20), Abdulkarim Abubakar (18), Imrana Salisu (19) and Friday Andrew ( 20).

Also in custody are Mustapha Dahiru (18), Ibrahim Salisu (22), Najib Ibrahim (28), Dahiru Abdullahi (20), Yau Abdullahi (20) and Yusuf Sadiq (18).

Based on reports from residents of Sharada, Sauna and Sabon Gari Quarters of Kano Metropolis that Mobile Phone Snatching/Robbery Syndicate relocated to these areas, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Habu A. Sani, psc, raised and instructed a team of operation Puff Adder, led by SP Bashir Musa Gwadabe, to arrest the perpetrators.

All the suspects confessed being part of Robbery and Phone Snatching Syndicates. All of them were arrested in possession of Dangerous Weapons. The suspects also confessed being addicts of intoxicating drugs, Mr Haruna said in the statement.

The police spokesperson said some notable drug dealers were also arrested with exhibits during the raid.

He identified them as Umar Sharif (25), who was arrested with 137 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be lndian hemp, Gambo Idris (40) with 97 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, Ghali Alhassan (25) with 11 bags of Exol tablets and seven sachets of Diazepam, and Barau Umar (20) with six satchets of Diazepam.

The suspects, according to Mr Haruna, confessed they sell intoxicants to thugs (Yan Daba).

Suspected bank account fraudsters

Mr Haruna said the police also arrested six suspects accused of stealing a Samsung Galaxy phone and using the SIM card to withdraw money from account of the phone owner .

On 03/10/2020, at about 1700hrs, one Abdulsalam Isah m of Gwagwarwa Quarters, Kano, reported that an unknown person stole his Samsung Galaxy T5 pro Handset valued One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira (N180,000.00) and on the 05/10/2020, the suspect used the SIM card of the stolen Handset and withdrew money from his account, the sum of Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira (N330,000.00).

Upon receiving the complaint, the Commands Commissioner of the Police CP Habu A. Sani, psc raised and instructed a team of Operation Puff Adder, led by DSP Shehu Dahiru, to arrest the perpetrators, Mr Haruna said.

The PPRO identified the suspects as Kabiru Adamu (24) from Kaduna State, Najib Suraj (29) of Sharada Quarters, Kano, Naziru Aminu (23) of Sharada Quarters, Kano, Auwalu Usman (22) from Kaduna state, Mustapha Mohammed (22) of Rimin Kebbe Quarters, Kano and Abdullahi Husseini (27) of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano.

He said the slolen mobile phone was recovered.

Suspected fraudster

The police also arrested 19-year old Umar Isa of Kankia local government of Katsina state for allegedly defrauding Auwalu Abdulmalik and Buhari Yusuf of N333,000.

He said the suspect has also threatened to kidnap the daughters of the victims if they failed to send him more money.

Mr Haruna said all the suspects will be charged to court after thorough investigation.

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Portland Brewing, one of the Portland craft beer scenes founding breweries, will stop production after 34 years in downtown and industrial Northwest Portland next month, according to a post on the brewerys Facebook page. The brewery will produce its last MacTarnahans Amber Ale by February 5.

The brewery was founded in 1986 in what is now the Pearl District by three giants of the citys early brewing scene: Fred Bowman, Jim Goodwin and Art Larrance. Eventually, the brewery was renamed after lead investor Mac MacTarnahan, whose name graced the brewerys flagship amber ale, and relocated from its original home to a sprawling Northwest Portland space with a copper kettle brewhouse and European-style beer hall up front.

Portland Brewing went through a series of mergers and ownership changes in the 2000s, including a sale to Seattles Pyramid Brewing, before landing in the portfolio of Costa Rican holding company Florida Ice & Farm Co. The Portland Brewing brand was revived in 2013. But the Northwest Portland brewpub closed to the public in 2018, citing the challenging restaurant market, though the company carried on selling packaged beers on grocery store shelves and through its occasional dock sales.

The history of the Portland brewery and its brands made this a very difficult decision, Florida Ice & Farm chief executive Rich Andrews wrote in a press release. It just no longer made sense to sustain the operation given the brand footprint, competitive craft beer landscape, and capital investments needed to update the brewery.

Portland Brewing, one of the pioneers of Portland's celebrated craft beer scene, will stop production on February 5. The attached Bavarian-style brewpub (pictured) closed in 2018.The Oregonian/file

According to Willamette Week, which wrote about Portland Brewings demise on Saturday, Florida Ice & Farm Co. has no plans in place for the Northwest Portland brewery and its signature copper tanks.

Portland Brewing built its reputation on beers such as MacTarnahans Amber Ale, ZigZag Lager and BlackWatch Cream Porter. More recently, the brewery launched a Keep Portland Weird beer series, featuring collaborations with city icons including the Unipiper and Music Millenium founder Terry Currier. Though the Portland Brewing and MacTarnahans brands are no more, Pyramid Brewing production will continue at the Genesee Brewing facility in Rochester, New York.

As The Oregonian beer writer Andre Meunier noted in a 2019 profile of the brewery, Portland Brewing had a role in shaping the world-class beer scene of Portland today. Working alongside the Widmer and McMenamin brothers in 1985, founders Bowman, Goodwin and Larrance successfully lobbied to change Oregon law and allow breweries to sell beer and food at the same site where they brewed. Portland Brewing was the citys fourth microbrewery, and opened one of its first brewpubs at its original location at Northwest 14th Avenue and Flanders Street.

That location operated as a Portland home for Newports Rogue Ales & Spirits for more than 20 years before closing in September.

Portland Brewings closure comes during a difficult time for Oregons beer industry, particularly legacy breweries. Two years ago, Widmer Brothers closed its 23-year-old North Portland brewpub. Ten months later, it was purchased outright along by Anheuser-Busch. Pearl District pioneer Bridgeport Brewing, which was founded in 1984, the same year as Widmer, closed in February of that same year, while the 23-year-old Lompoc Brewing called it quits that October.

 Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell
Situation in Nitra is critical. Some call for total lockdown

The district crisis staff suggests restricting the operation of production companies, opening kindergartens for some children only and limiting the number of people in shops.

Nitra Mayor Marek Hattas (r) and hospital head Milan Dubaj (l) talk about the critical situation in the town. (Source: SITA)

The situation in Nitra is quite serious and can be compared with the autumn development of the pandemic in the Orava region.

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The situation in Nitra remains critical, Mayor Marek Hattas said after meeting with the district crisis staff, as quoted by the SITA newswire. The number of infected people is rising, and weve become the worst district in Slovakia in the past seven days.

He also confirmed that they will organise mass testing during the upcoming weekend, i.e. on January 8-10. It will be held in the town, but also in other municipalities in the Nitra district.

Companies should limit operation

One option to slow down the spreading of the infection is a hard lockdown. It is not enough to close the town of Nitra; it needs to be applied to the whole district, Hattas said.

The members of the district crisis are asking for operational limits of as many production companies in the entire district as possible. An alternative in their eyes is the testing of their staff and restrictions on the number of people in shops to one person per 25 square metres.

Related article Situation worsens before the years end, cabinet to discuss tougher restrictions Read more

They also want kindergartens to be open only for the children of people working in critical infrastructure.

The final decision on kindergartens and the number of people in shops should be made by the Regional Public Health Authority (RUVZ) in Nitra, while the measures regarding the limited operation of production companies should be adopted by the central crisis staff, Hattas said.

Nitra-based carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has not commented on the potential suspension of its production. It is considering testing its staff, though.

The company is monitoring the situation and is in close touch with the representatives of Nitra and RUVZ, said Miroslava Remenarova, manager of corporate relations, as quoted by SITA.

The company is already operating in a tougher regime. Those who do not have to be present are working from home.

Patients sent to other hospitals

The situation in the Nitra hospital is critical as well. Its capacities have been close to fully exhausted, said its head Milan Dubaj.

They receive dozens of new COVID-19 patients every day, while 10 patients died there in the past 24 hours. Currently, there are 195 COVID-19 patients, 16 of them on artificial lung ventilation. About 200 hospital employees are on sick leave, Dubaj said.

The hospital needs to transport patients to other hospitals. Three patients on artificial lung ventilation had to be sent to Nove Zamky, Martin and Bratislava the previous night.

Meanwhile, the Bratislava crematorium is assisting the crematorium in Nitra, head of the Marianum Pohrebnictvo company Boris Sramko confirmed for the TASR newswire.

Nitra already had to order a cooling trailer for dead bodies in late December.

The cooling trailer in Nitra. (Source: TASR)

Read more about the coronavirus outbreak in Slovakia:

4. Jan 2021 at 17:41 | Compiled by Spectator staff

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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
This is the moment a female hunter is forced to use her shotgun as a club to beat a snarling wild boar away after she failed to kill it with two shots.

The incident was filmed in the commune of Erula in the Italian province of Sassari on the Italian island of Sardinia.

The footage shows the female hunter pointing towards an area of overgrowth where wild boar is hiding before it charges towards her.

The woman fires two shots in quick succession but appears to miss with both shells and starts to panic when she is unable to reload.

The woman aimed her shotgun towards a wild boar which charged towards her in Sardinia

The woman failed to kill the boar, pictured, and was forced to bash it with the barrel of her weapon to prevent it from attacking her

The boar continues to charge at the woman who is forced to defend herself with the barrel of her shotgun, striking it wildly at the animal.

The unnamed hunter is heard shouting 'go away' and 'get off' as she continues to hit the aggressive boar which then turns and runs as she calls for help from friends.

She is then heard asking 'what could I do?' and 'I couldn't reload' as she apparently shows blood in the bushes and says that she was really scared of the sudden attack.

The footage, which was widely shared online, prompted calls for hunting to be put on hold during the pandemic with critics saying that people who engage in killing wild animals run the risk of getting involved in accidents themselves which will put further strain on hospital resources.

They said the footage highlighted the fact that hunters are often behaving irresponsibly with firearms, and the correct thing to do is to stop all hunting.

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-- China has over the past few years expanded the scale and diversified the forms of its international development cooperation.

-- China has been assisting other developing countries to reduce poverty, boost agricultural progress, support equal access to education, improve infrastructure, and speed up industrialization.

-- China will implement more projects for improving living standards in developing countries, especially the least developed countries.

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China has contributed more to the well-being of humanity as the country has been upgrading its foreign aid to a model of international development cooperation, with new initiatives taken and greater results achieved.

This was revealed by the latest government white paper, titled "China's International Development Cooperation in the New Era," and backed by observers.

Xu Xiuli, dean of the College of International Development and Global Agriculture at China Agricultural University, said it is the first time China has issued a white paper under the name of "international development cooperation" instead of foreign aid.

She said the upgrade has produced ample results, including new cooperation models, partnerships, platforms and better coordination.

According to the white paper, China has over the past few years expanded the scale and diversified the forms of its international development cooperation.

Photo taken on Sept. 15, 2020 shows a new bridge built with the aid of China in Ban Xor village in Vientiane, Laos. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

From 2013 to 2018, China allocated a total of 270.2 billion yuan (about 41.4 billion U.S. dollars) for foreign assistance in three categories -- grants, interest-free loans, and concessional loans. Of the total, grants accounted for 47.3 percent and concessional loans 48.52 percent.

The main recipients were the least developed countries in Asia and Africa.

Speaking on the importance of China's development cooperation with Africa, Cavince Adhere, an international relations scholar in Kenya, said developments like the implementation of the Africa 2063 Agenda "cannot take place" in the absence of some of the aspirations behind the Belt and Road Initiative.

"China has built many roads, railways, ports, and power facilities for Africa," said Stephen Ndegwa, a lecturer at the United States International University-Africa, adding that "a lot has been done."

Photo taken on April 29, 2020 shows the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

The white paper also noted the increasingly diverse forms of international development cooperation, ranging from complete projects, goods and materials, technical cooperation, the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to medical teams and volunteers.

The mission, the white paper said, is to "promote a global community of shared future."

Rommel Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, said in conducting international development cooperation, China -- the largest developing country in the world -- has shown its global vision, which is a vision that can be shared, particularly by neighbors in the developing world.

The white paper said China has been assisting other developing countries to reduce poverty, boost agricultural progress, support equal access to education, improve infrastructure, and speed up industrialization.

Zigani Saturnin (L), a student from Burkina Faso, checks crop growth in the field at an agricultural experimental base in Quzhou County, north China's Hebei Province, July 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhu Xudong)

For example, China promoted its experience in village-by-village poverty reduction in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Chinese technicians and agricultural professionals went to developing countries and taught impoverished farmers how to grow viable plants to increase their income.

"China conducts international development cooperation with a focus on improving local people's well-being," the China International Development Cooperation Agency said in a statement, explaining the white paper's significance.

Experts said the concept of eco-environmental protection is another notable highlight of China's international development cooperation.

Beatrice Matiri-Maisori, lecturer at Riara University in Kenya, said China has set an example, "not only as a major industrial manufacturer," but also as a country that delivered on its commitments to sustainable development.

Looking into the future, the white paper said China will "do everything within its means" to promote cooperation and inject Chinese strength into global development.

A member of the 21st batch of China medical team in Ethiopia makes preparation for work at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Aug. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

China will implement more projects for improving living standards in developing countries, especially the least developed countries, to ensure food security and guarantee basic needs, and prevent secondary disasters in the world economy, the white paper said.

As a builder of world peace, a contributor to global prosperity and a defender of international order, China will continue to cooperate on international development and contribute even more to improving the common well-being of humanity and building a global community with a shared future, it said.
As Connecticut restaurants and other businesses cash in checks for up to $20,000 from the state, Gov. Ned Lamonts economic development chief said Tuesday he expects the newest federal infusion to result in as much as $3.5 billion in assistance for companies able to obtain it.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reopened the Paycheck Protection Program for new applications, offering loans that can be forgiven if companies do not furlough employees. After large banks dominated PPPs initial round last year  leading many small business owners to complain of getting shut out out of the money  smaller community lending institutions were given first crack at taking applications on Monday.

More than 64,000 Connecticut businesses were approved for $6.7 billion under the program last year, amounting to just over $100,000 each or roughly $10,000 for each job saved under the program.

With banks swamped last spring with applications that delayed disbursement of PPP funding, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development created a bridge loan program to provide immediate assistance. DECD Commissioner David Lehman said Tuesday Connecticut should be in line for as much as $3.5 billion if businesses actively seek funding under PPP.

With federal funding last year from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, DECD created a $50 million program to award $5,000 grants to small businesses. That was followed by a $35 million program freeing up grants between $10,000 and $20,000 for hospitality industry businesses; and a $9 million grant program supporting nonprofits.

Speaking Tuesday on a Zoom conference, Lamont and Lehman said they see the PPP program as the best bridge for assistance to get businesses through the next few months, until COVID-19 vaccines become available more broadly and the return of warmer weather provides a boost for restaurants that are able to generate additional revenue through expanded dining outdoors. Lamont did not rule out the possibility of additional state aid for businesses, but suggested he wanted to see the impact of the newest PPP round of funding before determining any steps.

Were trying to do everything we can to keep the restaurants and (other) businesses open, Lamont said Tuesday. This 60-to-90 day period is really key to make sure your businesses stay in business, to get to that warmer day.

State Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury, and Rep. Caroline Simmons, D-Stamford, are chairs of the Commerce Committee in the Connecticut General Assembly, which has been assigned an early piece of legislation to grow the economy by supporting diverse economic opportunities, worker protections and small business revitalization, with no further details available immediately on Tuesday.

On the Zoom call Tuesday, a Hartford apparel store owner spoke through tears in describing her relief at receiving news she had qualified for state aid, and in describing the impact of office closures on downtown Hartford businesses.

Im not sure if anyone realizes whats happening in downtown Hartford  our state capital right now is totally crumbling and is devastated, said Jody Morneault, owner of Morneaults Stackpole Moore Tryon. We are literally living on savings and credit cards  and I dont want to close my store.

Dan Meiser, chair of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said he has experienced two sides of the pandemic in the five businesses he runs in Stonington and its tourist village of Mystic.

Two of my restaurants, Oyster Club and Engine Room, those are your more-traditional, sit-down restaurants  those were the hardest hit, Meiser said. The flip side of that is we also have two casual, to-go concepts with Grass & Bone  which is a butcher shop and a market  and Nanas (Bakery and Pizza), which quite frankly have thrived in this environment of ... takeout and delivery.

Meiser said Oyster Club received a state grant, and that he can only hope business will rebound for the rest come April when the newest round of PPP funding runs its course.

Were really hoping, especially as we go into the spring and summer, that were going to see a pop, a boomerang effect, ... of people that have been isolated and quarantined at home this past year who really want to get out and get back involved with their communities and support their local economies, Meiser said. For us, this bridge grant program was critical (and) I know it was critical for so many other restaurants ... throughout the state, coupled with the second round of PPP.

Other options might include easing regulations to help businesses in the short-term and support for businesses launching new operations as a result of the pandemic, according to David Lewis, CEO of the Norwalk-based human resources consulting and training firm OperationsInc and a board member of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. Lewis added commercial real estate property owners are on the short-list of those needing assistance.

Landlords are getting their clocks cleaned, Lewis stated Tuesday in an email. If a business [tenant] is otherwise healthy then they should be paying rent. Eviction moratoriums aside, landlords need some love from the state and need to be shown the light at the end of the tunnel. You must pair up some of the ... initiatives with ways to help get cash flowing to landlords again, especially those that own retail spaces.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
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On the (Lack of) Choices for Vaccines

More at: https://pinglacson.net/2021/01/12/on-the-lack-of-choices-for-vaccines/

It's not fair to say that Filipinos cannot choose their vaccines, at least from those made available by the government.

It's bad enough that the national government virtually controls which brand/s of vaccines to procure. Pati ba naman ang pagpili kung ano ituturok sa braso ng mga Pilipino, hindi pa rin pwede mamili ang Pilipino?

Bakit ko naman pipiliin ang brand na 50% lang ang efficacy at wala man lang application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), against other brands with 79% and/or 95% efficacy and have pending EUA approval from the Food and Drug Administration?

Having said that, we can only pray and hope that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health properly implement the vaccination plan they laid out during our Senate hearing Monday.

While the plan may sound good, the difference is in the implementation - the reaction and responses to emergencies. Without proper execution, a plan no matter how good it is written and presented, won't mean anything.

Entrepreneur Donald A. Hawkins established a legacy of honesty and integrity in the Midland community. Donald, 98, died Thursday, Jan. 7 at Independence Village Senior Living Community.

Donald was born Nov. 28, 1922 in Bay City, to Minnie and Albert Hawkins, the youngest of three children. He served in the U.S. Army in the European Theater from 1942-45, during which time he was involved in the liberation of Belgium following World War II. Ever the patriot, Donald kept in touch with his fellow veterans and more than 50 years after the war, Donald visited the same family he had stayed with during the liberation.

After returning home from the war, Donald married Ann Adams in 1945, and had four children. Adams died in 1971, and Donald married the former JoAnn Shahin in 1977, happily adding three more children to his family. JoAnn, who survives him, recalls how Donald had a twinkle in his eye and treated his children and step-children equally.

God has blessed us twice, JoAnn said. We both had beautiful first mates and we were happy, the two of us.

In 1947, Donald got a job in The Dow Chemical Co.s printing department in Bay City and in 1954 moved to Midland. The company faced a tough year in 1958 with a reduction in its salaried workforce. Not wanting the division to be seriously reviewed to be shut down when there was an economic downturn, Donald made the departments services into his own business, initially called Hawkins Letter Service.

They filled a little niche, JoAnn said. He loved it. He wanted to be in printing, even in high school.

Hawkins Printing and Mailing Service provided wedding invitations, greeting cards, mass mailing services and direct mail. Donald worked for the business for 30 years before retiring in 1987. When he sold the building, his only stipulation was that the new owners raise the American flag every morning.

Donalds involvement in the community spread to the Midland County Community Fund. He was appointed the city chairman of the 1960 fund drive, was the industrial division chairman in 1964 as well as chairman of the Health/Education/Government division of the 1968 drive. As a business owner he served on the Midland Chamber of Commerce board and was a member of Midland Economic Development Corporation.

Donald was also a member of the Midland Rotary Club  he was one of the chairs of the clubs inaugural pancake supper  Big Brothers, the Midland chapter of the American Red Cross and was active in Junior Achievement and the United Way. Donald and JoAnn contributed to many local organizations including Midlands Open Door and West Midland Family Center.

Don loved Midland. Midland has a warm place in our hearts, JoAnn stated.

A funeral service was held Monday. The family plans to host a celebration of life when conditions allow for groups to gather safely in-person. Arrangements are being handled by Wilson Miller Funeral Home.
The decision was later upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit, pushing any new execution date into Joe Biden's administration unless the Supreme Court intervenes.

The 11th-hour ruling, granted late in the night, was based on evidence that she was unable to understand the government's rationale for her execution.

Michigan City: A federal judge in Indiana has blocked the execution of Lisa Montgomery, a convicted murderer and the only woman on federal death row in the United States, on mental health grounds.

Montgomery, who was due to be killed by lethal injection within the next 24 hours, was convicted in 2007 in Missouri for kidnapping and strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett, then eight-months pregnant.

In December 2004, Montgomery drove about 270 kilometres from her Kansas farmhouse to the north-west Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a puppy from Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder. She strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude caesarean and fleeing with the baby.

Bobbie Jo Stinnett was 23 and eight-months pregnant when she was murdered by Lisa Montgomery. Credit:Maryville Daily Forum

She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasnt spoken publicly about the tragedy.

Tips had begun arriving about Montgomery, who had a history of faking pregnancies and suddenly had a baby. Randy Strong, the sheriff of Nodaway County, where the killing happened, hopped in an unmarked car with another officer. He learnt while en route that the email address fischer4kids@hotmail.com that was used to set up the deadly meeting with Stinnett had been sent from a dial-up connection at Montgomerys home.
Egypt's health ministry reported 961 new coronavirus infections on Monday, marking the third straight day of cases below 1,000 since 24 December.

The ministry also reported 52 new covid-19 related deaths over the past 24 hours.

Monday's figures bring the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak in mid-February to 150,753, and death toll to 8,249.

The statement said that 312 patients discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 119,212.

Egypt entered a second wave of the pandemic since the last week of December after it recorded double the number of infections daily.

The spike comes after almost five months of reporting lower daily infections and death tolls.

However, Health Minister Hala Zayed on Monday asserted the stability in the country's 363 hospitals designated for coronavirus cases in terms of occupancy rates and oxygen use during January, compared to the last week of December.

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Owners of a Mexican tile import company in Austin, Texas, Nick Barreiro and Canan Kaba have had to travel for business during the pandemic. But the opportunity to stay as the sole guests of the five-room Hotel Amparo in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for $500 a night last summer satisfied two of the couples goals: to enjoy a hotel they had discovered on a previous trip and to ensure they werent contributing to the spread of the virus.

They missed meeting other travelers and having more menu choices, but, Mr. Barreiro said, all of that is easily outweighed by having the hotel completely to yourself.

In these socially distant times, many travel companies are adapting to offer their lodgings, tours and experiences to private groups of families or friend pods. Most of these buyouts tend to target one-percenter travelers  the 20-room Greydon House on Nantucket, for example, goes for $20,000 a night in summer  but savvy planners will find more affordable options for private travel to sate their wanderlust now or in the post-vaccine future.

We found if we can keep it somewhat affordable on a per room or per guest basis, then its something in the range of a normal vacation and people get very intrigued, said Brent Reynolds, the chief executive of Nolan Reynolds International, which runs a few small hotels in Costa Rica where private bookings have quadrupled since the pandemic. Its Casa Chameleon at Mal Pais, which accommodates 20 adults in 10 villas, on the Nicoya Peninsula costs $3,000 a night.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:33:41|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Concerted action for protecting the world's biodiversity and for a global climate change governance framework has been highlighted at the One Planet Summit, a virtual event organized by France in partnership with the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank.

The one-day summit brought together 30 leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations.

"EVERYONE MUST DO MUCH MORE"

"Biodiversity represents the natural capital of the world, yet exploitation, pollution and climate change are bringing irreversible damage to ecosystems," the UN said ahead of Monday's summit.

"We have been poisoning air, land and water -- and filling oceans with plastics," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, while addressing the summit.

"Meanwhile, COVID-19 has taken more than 1.8 million lives and devastated economies," he added.

Pandemic recovery is mankind's chance to change course with smart policies and right investments. Biodiversity innovations in energy and transport can lead to sustainable recovery and economic and social transformation, said Guterres.

But the global community has not met any of its biodiversity targets set for 2020, and biodiversity is facing a financing gap of 711 billion U.S. dollars per year until 2030, the UN chief added.

"Our meeting in Kunming, the COP in China this year (the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15), is a vital step in establishing a post-2020 global framework for biodiversity and stopping the extinction crisis," he said.

On climate change, Guterres regretted that today's adaptation efforts account for only 20 percent of climate finance, while only 14 percent of climate finance is dedicated to the least developed countries.

"Everyone must do much more. COP26 cannot be another missed opportunity," he said, referring to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that biodiversity loss is closely linked to the emergence of pandemics. "We need to act urgently, globally and locally," she tweeted, adding that "cooperating for our 'One Planet' is essential for our health."

"We will invest several hundred million euros over the next four years for research on biodiversity, animal health, emerging diseases, and much more," she pledged.

"DEVELOPING COUNTRIES NEED SUPPORT"

At the summit, participants agreed that protecting nature is essential for the fight against climate change.

World Bank Group President David Malpass called for support to the developing countries in drawing up long-term strategies for low-carbon and climate-resilient economies to end their reliance on coal and address biodiversity loss.

The World Bank Group has announced an ambitious target that an average 35 percent of its financing portfolio should have climate co-benefits over the next five years, according to him.

Malpass pledged to continue working together with the private sector, civil society, governments and institutions to help developing countries address climate change and adapt to its mounting impacts.

"Obviously it is right to focus on climate change," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will host a critical climate summit in Glasgow in November.

"But we won't achieve a real balance with our planet unless we protect nature as well," he added.

For her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany plans to put 30 percent of land and sea areas under protection by 2030, and called on other countries to do likewise. The commitment sees Germany join over 50 countries in the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC), launched by France.

Merkel also appealed to the global community to stop destroying forests, saying that protecting forests meant protecting people's health.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in his closing remarks, said that nations worldwide had pledged to spend some 14.3 billion U.S. dollars to tackle the climate crisis and environmental degradation at the summit.

The sum is to be spent on the Great Green Wall project to plant trees in the Sahel region in Africa, he said.

Launched in 2007, the Great Green Wall project aims to plant thousands of kilometers of trees spanning the whole width of the African continent to stop the spread of the Sahara desert and counter droughts and famines.

"Africa has a huge number of solutions in hand and our role is to help it so as to help us too," Macron said.

CHINA'S ENDEAVOR

In his address to the summit via video link, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Monday urged all countries to make joint and swift efforts to push forward the building of a shared future for all life on Earth.

Noting that this year China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, and will formulate the post-2020 biodiversity framework to map out a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the next 10 years, Han said that all parties should work together and act quickly to ensure that the conference achieves positive results.

He also called on all parties to strengthen communication, meet each other halfway, and jointly promote the framework negotiation process.

All parties concerned should study and formulate the post-2020 action targets scientifically to ensure they are rational and enforceable, strengthen enforcement of resource mobilization and guarantees, and effectively enhance the implementation capabilities of developing countries, he added.

China has made remarkable achievements in environmental protection, drawing a red line for ecological protection, setting up a national park system, and implementing major projects for biodiversity protection, Han said.

He noted that China will continue to improve environmental quality and build a beautiful country in accordance with the requirements of high-quality development.

The One Planet Summit was initiated in 2017 with a focus on global climate and environmental governance. The theme of this year's summit was biodiversity conservation. Enditem
'Our future is in Europe, let's build it together', Turkey Cavusoglu urges EU ambassadors to 'support us in reforms''

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JANUARY 12 - ''We see our future in Europe and we want to build it together'', Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a meeting on Tuesday with EU ambassadors in Ankara. The gathering was also organized ahead of his expected visit to Brussels on January 21.



''We are connected to the EU through the process of adhesion talks. We are determined to implement reforms. The EU must support us'', continued Cavusoglu, expressing the wish that ''2021 will be a year of solidarity''. Over the past few days, Turkey has accelerated its diplomatic offensive towards Brussels, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the opening of a ''new page'' in relations with Europe.



The resumption, after nearly five years, of ''explorative talks'' with Greece was announced on Monday night. The talks are scheduled to take place on January 25 in Istanbul to discuss disputes on the eastern Mediterranean and other bilateral issues. (ANSA).




In a recent New Yorker article about the Capitol siege, Ronan Farrow described how investigators used a bevy of online data and facial recognition technology to confirm the identity of Larry Rendall Brock Jr., an Air Force Academy graduate and combat veteran from Texas. Brock was photographed inside the Capitol carrying zip ties, presumably to be used to restrain someone. (He claimed to Farrow that he merely picked them up off the floor and forgot about them. Brock was arrested Sunday and charged with two counts.)

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Even as they stormed the Capitol, many rioters stopped to pose for photos and give excited interviews on livestream. Each photo uploaded, message posted, and stream shared created a torrent of data for police, researchers, activists, and journalists to archive and analyze. Known as open-source investigation, or OSINT for short, this is a relatively new development in security. Organizations like Bellingcat carry out detailed digital investigations using the data available through the web and other networked technologies. OSINT methods are useful across most professional sectors, but especially law enforcement and journalism. Biometric data, such as voice prints and images of faces, matched with social media histories, location data, and purchases, can be used to confirm the identity and location of ordinary people. It is truly astounding how much open data is available on any given person (including you).

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Watching the Capitol rioters be arrested may be satisfying. But the role of facial recognition technology here is alarming, given the risks of false identification and the technologys inherently biased design. Crisis is often used to increase the reach of surveillance technologies. Many who consider the use of facial recognition technology ethically wrong in the context of policing take a different stance when its in the hands of researchers and journalists trying to identify neo-Nazis and insurrectionists. This could end up further entrenching facial recognition technology at a time when we should be working to ban it.

During a Twitter discussion we took part in about this topic with A.I. researchers and advocates, it was clear that some still hoped there is a way forward with facial recognition technology, while those who have looked deeply at the values underlying it see it as deeply flawed, racist, and a debasement of human rights. There was also a persistent idea that the researchers using facial recognition technology to hunt for rioters were going to be consistently on the right side of things, but we know that to not be the casewe have seen examples of software that purports to identify gayface, assess gender, even detect Uighers.

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Among these experts who are in favor of this use of the technology, there is a sense that its an arms race, and the only answer is for these tools to also be in the hands of regular folks. This idea was most obviously on display when a technologist in Portland used facial recognition technology to identify police officers who acted violently at Black Lives Matter protests. But turning this technology against the state (and against right-wing insurrectionists) is a temporary win, with potentially greater societal costs.

Before Wednesdays Capitol siege, researchers and advocates urged Congress to ban facial recognition technology entirely, due its uptake by police forces and government agencies, especially as it is integrated into mundane places like airports and traffic lights. They havent had much luck nationally. More recently, several cities have taken up the charge and barred its use locally, but that does little to slow the development within corporations and universities.

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Many of major tech companies have put a temporary moratorium on some uses of facial recognition tech, and even called for legislation (although a cynical view is that this is a tactic for companies to influence the legislative process). That is not a bad thing. But we need to see much more. In response to the ground-breaking research project Gender Shades by Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru, which shows how poorly facial recognition technology performs on non-white people, companies largely vowed to amass larger and more diverse datasets. The companies have also largely failed to make public ethical commitments around A.I. and bias, something that Mutale Nkonde, founding director of AI for the People, called for in an oped in the Harvard Business Review.

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Some have suggested that because facial recognition technology is both useful and profitable, there will always be incentives to build it even if it is ethically fraught. For example, reporting on Clearview AI, which sells such identification software, suggests law enforcement use of the technology increased 26 percent after Wednesdays events at the Capitol. This increased adoption comes after last years Huffington Post investigation that linked the development of Clearview AI to a dark network of far right activists, tech moguls, and political operatives.

It is true that banning facial recognition technology in the U.S. altogether, while a positive development, would not prevent other countries from designing and deploying facial recognition technology. Thats why, in addition to outlawing it in the U.S., we need a coalition to make this technology into a human rights violation. Many have already started this crucial work. Big tent groups like Data for Black Lives critically examine how facial recognition technology is deployed, especially in the service of policing. Nasma Ahmed, director of Canadas Digital Justice Lab, and Sarah Aoun, the chief technologist at the Open Technology Fund, have led international campaigns bridging technologists and civil society. AI Now conducted an international policy analysis surveying biometric data regulation and found that whether governments choose to create laws largely depends on their understanding of individual privacy, rather than focusing on broader public harms. Sasha Costanza Chock has outlined a plan for design justice, where communities are part of the process of technological innovation.

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Despite this work, the hype of facial recognition technology lives on. For example, during the melee at the Capitol, the Washington Times published a false story on social media claiming that Antifa were responsible for the breach and were identified by facial recognition. (The paper later issued a correction.) Here, the invocation of facial recognition technology is a rhetorical trick to make the claim more believable. It was later repeated by numerous right-wing politicians, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, and influencers on social media, reaffirming peoples faith in technology to make a patently false accusation. The fact that the technology is flawed matters less than that people believe in it and use it to support their chosen narrative.

Technologies often go through cycles of hope and hype, where the promise of new technology to solve difficult problems is matched with excited marketing pitches, often overselling its capabilities in the process. The truth is that much of the identification of the MAGA rioters comes from a bevy of data sources available, not facial recognition technology itself. It helps when the rioters openly organize themselves on Facebook and plaster their images on Instagram.

It is a shame that these points need to be litigated over again, but researchers, technologists, and advocates will continue to make them until everyone understands why facial recognition technology is a menace to human dignity.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.

TSXV:OIII |OTCQX:OIIIF - O3 Mining

TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - O3 Mining Inc. (TSX.V: OIII) (OTCQX: OIIF) ("O3 Mining" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has changed its ticker from OQMGF to OIIIF effective January 13, 2021.

No action is required by current shareholders relative to the ticker symbol change.

The press release is available on the Corporation's website at https://o3mining.com/news/

About O3 Mining Inc.

O3 Mining, which forms part of the Osisko Group of companies, is a mine development and emerging consolidator of exploration properties in prospective gold camps in Canada - focused on projects in Quebec and Ontario  with a goal of becoming a multi-million ounce, high-growth company.

O3 Mining is well-capitalized and holds a 100% interest in properties in Quebec (133,557 hectares) and Ontario (25,000 hectares). O3 Mining controls 66,064 hectares in Val-d'Or and over 50 kilometres of strike length of the Cadillac-Larder Lake Fault. O3 Mining also has a portfolio of assets in the Chibougamau region of Quebec.

About OTC Market Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections, and interpretations as at the date of this news release. The information in this news release about the transaction; and any other information herein that is not a historical fact may be "forward-looking information". Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "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 information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Corporation, at the time it was made, involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the companies to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the restart of operations; further steps that might be taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19; the impact of COVID-19 related disruptions in relation to the Corporation's business operations including upon its employees, suppliers, facilities and other stakeholders; uncertainties and risk that have arisen and may arise in relation to travel, and other financial market and social impacts from COVID-19 and responses to COVID 19. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the parties cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Corporation nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Corporation does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

SOURCE O3 Mining Inc.
A statement the White House released from first lady Melania Trump has sparked swift backlash after she painted herself as a victim of unwarranted personal attacks in the wake of the deadly riots at the Capitol in support of her husband.

The first lady said she was disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week  seemingly referring to the pro-Trump mob, which threatened to kill the heads of government while clashing with police officers and ransacking the halls and offices of Congress as it convened to certify the 2020 presidential elections.

She then added: I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me  from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda.

She was likely referring to an Op-Ed published by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff in the Daily Beast. The former aide to Ms Trump called the violence at the Capitol last week shocking, awful, disheartening and shameful  a rare rebuke from a former loyal adviser to the first lady.

But at a moment when the nations government appeared to have just narrowly avoided an insurrection, it seemed the last thing anyone wanted to discuss was the first ladys personal grievances about her former friend and aide.

Reporters noted how the initial release of the statement featured typos and included the names of the four rioters who sparked the mob alongside that of United States Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died as a result of his injuries sustained in the attacks and Howard Liebengood, another officer who according to police.

Others pointed out the similarities in her statement from a speech she delivered during the Republican National Convention, in which the following line also appeared: The common thread in all of these challenging situations is Americans unwavering resolve to help one another.

Some conservatives decried the statement, including Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain (RAZ), who wrote on Twitter: Five people died in a domestic terror attack on our own republic last week incited by her husband but Melania Trump is the victim in this?! Every morning I think I cant get more disgusted.

The first lady also received flack from the other side of the political aisle.

MSNBC contributor Kimberly Atkins wrote in a tweet: [Its] quite a feat to twist the events of last weeks horrific attack to make oneself the biggest victim. But somehow, Melania Trump found a way.

Some noted how Ms Trump wore a controversial jacket that read I dont care, do you? as she visited children separated from their families under her husbands administration at the US-Mexico border.

White House staffers have resigned in waves following the violent mobs, in which at least 14 police officers were injured, according to police.

Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary and an aide to Ms Trump, resigned amid the violent protests, saying in a statement: It has been an honor to serve the country in the White House. I am very proud to have been a part of Mrs. Trump's mission to help children everywhere, and proud of the many accomplishments of this Administration.

Ms Trumps statement implored Americans to stop the violence days after her husbands extremist supporters breached security measures and stormed the Capitol building.

The mob arrived to the Capitol following his speech, in which he continued to promote conspiracy theories of rampant voter fraud while urging his voters to march to Congress.

Our Nation must heal in a civil manner. Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nations Capitol. Violence is never acceptable, Ms Trump said in her statement. It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your First Lady. I want to thank the millions of Americans who supported my husband and me over the past 4 years and shown the incredible impact of the American spirit. I am grateful to you all for letting me serve you on platforms which are dear to me.
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Digital Editor
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The country's civil aviation sector swung into action on Tuesday for providing expeditious logistical support to the roll-out of India's mega anti-Covid vaccination drive.

Accordingly, the operation conducted seamlessly all across the country commenced from Pune, the base of Serum Institute of India, manufacturers of the Covishield vaccine.

Subsequently, the precious, temperature controlled cargo first travelled via trucks to Pune airport.

Subsequently, nine flights operated by various domestic airlines ferried 56.5 lakh doses from Pune to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

"Today @airindiain@flyspicejet @goairlinesindia&@IndiGo6E will operate 9 flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow & Chandigarh," Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a tweet.

Last week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued guidelines to airlines and other aircraft operators for transportation of Covid-19 vaccines.

As per the guidelines, authorised airlines can carry the vaccine packed in dry ice in the passenger or the cargo cabin.

The circular noted that the carriage of Covid-19 vaccines from the manufacturing units to the place of administration gains significant importance especially in the light of the high expectations of the governments, healthcare personnel and the general public.

Sector wise, national carrier Air India ferried the consignment of 276,000 vaccine doses weighing approximately 700 kg, from Pune to Ahmedabad.

On its part, IndiGo transported 900 kg of vaccine from Pune to Chandigarh and Lucknow via flight 6E 6515 and 6E 882 respectively today.

From Wednesday, it will transport vaccines from Mumbai to other cities, basis the allocation.

Besides, GoAir operated two flights from Pune to Chennai ferrying 708,000 doses of the vaccine.

"While our efforts to alleviate the complexities of the vaccine movement given the scale of the consignments and logistics, we are taking every possible step to support the institutions and our stakeholders to reach the vaccine in all possible corners of the country," said GoAir CEO Kaushik Khona.

"This responsibility of vaccine shipment recognises the efforts taken by GoAir towards developing its cargo services for critical vaccine movement and motivates us to take the lead in order to remain the preferred choice for the industry." A BIAL spokesperson said that 54 boxes of the vaccine, consisting of approximately 650,000 doses arrived at Bengaluru airport from Pune "at 1145 hours on Tuesday, January 12, 2021".

Budget airline SpiceJet carried the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine from Pune to Delhi.

The first consignment of Covishield consisted of 2,64,000 doses from Pune to Delhi on SpiceJet flight SG 8937.

Subsequently, the Delhi airport received the first consignment of Covid vaccine.

"Today, we have received the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine at our airport. Temperature-controlled facility, ranging from -20 Deg C to +25 Deg C, at our two Cargo terminals can efficiently and safely handle these temperature sensitive vaccines," said CEO-DIAL Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.

"We have 'Cool Chambers and Cool Dollies' to maintain temperature required for these vaccines at the cargo terminal and during transit between aircraft and terminal or vice versa. Our both the terminals can handle around 5.7 million vials in a day." According to Jaipuriar, DIAL has synergised and collaborated with all the stakeholders including exporters, importers, logistics companies, freight forwarders or agents, government, airlines, cargo terminal operators, to ensure faster turnaround of the vaccines.

Furthermore, SpiceJet transported multiple vaccine consignments from Pune to different Indian cities including 276,000 doses to Guwahati, 996,000 doses to Kolkata, 3,72,000 doses to Hyderabad, 480,000 doses to Bhubaneswar, 648,000 doses to Bengaluru, 552,000 doses to Patna and 408,000 doses to Vijayawada on Tuesday.

"On Day One, SpiceJet is shipping 4 million doses of Covishield vaccine weighing close to 11 tonnes to eight different cities which include Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Patna, Vijayawada and Delhi," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

On Wednesday, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will begin with its first domestic distribution of the Covishield vaccine consignment from early morning to tomorrow and cater to a minimum of 16 destinations.

India's mega anti-Covid vaccination campaign is expected to commence from January 16.

(Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 17:00:15|Editor: huaxia

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An Indonesian army soldier cleans mud from a house after a landslide in Cihanjuang village in West Java, Indonesia, Jan. 12, 2021. The search and rescue team of Bandung city in West Java province has found three more deaths of the landslides in Sumedang district, bringing the death toll to 16, an official said on Tuesday. (Photo by Septianjar/Xinhua)

JAKARTA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The search and rescue team of Bandung city in West Java province has found three more deaths of the landslides in Sumedang district, bringing the death toll to 16, an official said on Tuesday.

The Bandung Search and Rescue (SAR) team is still searching for 23 missing people, office head Deden Ridwansyah added.

The team involves 1,108 personnel to deal with the landslides that occurred on Saturday night in Sumedang district.
FCW Insider: Jan. 12

Despite promises to "drain the swamp," the Trump administration did little to reduce the number of political appointments, according to data in the latest iteration of the Plum Book.

The Pentagon eliminated a class deviation that implemented the president's executive order purging diversity training across federal grants and contracts.

The Defense Department is looking to expand its 5G exploration to include a new network of technologies with a competitive challenge.

Quick Hits

*** Chad Wolf, the official acting as Secretary of Homeland Security, resigned on Monday, citing recent events "including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary." Peter T. Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will step in to serve as acting secretary, according to a statement from Wolf.

*** President-elect Joe Biden named William Burns, a career diplomat and foreign service officer who served in senior positions at the Department of State across multiple administrations, to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

*** The Office of Management and Budget formally designated the Department of Health and Human Services as the government's key shared services provider or Quality Service Management Organization for grants management.
People wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk past a light display in the central business district in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. China says World Health Organization experts will begin a fact-finding visit this week in the central city of Wuhan, considered by many as ground zero in the coronavirus pandemic. AP-Yonhap



A team of WHO experts will land directly in Wuhan on Thursday, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday, starting their long-delayed probe into Covid-19 at the virus epicentre.



The ten scientists will investigate the origins of the new virus in a politically fraught mission that comes more than a year after the pandemic began and after accusations Beijing has tried to thwart the project.



The World Health Organization team will leave from Singapore and fly straight to Wuhan, the central city where the first cluster of cases was detected in December 2019.



Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters this was the "current plan" and said the WHO team was set to arrive Thursday.



It is expected that they will have to complete two weeks of quarantine due to China's strict border restrictions.



The investigation had been set to start last week but a last-minute hold up over entry permissions in China scuppered plans.



Marion Koopmans, part of the WHO team and head of the viroscience department at Rotterdam's Erasmus University Medical Center, said they wanted to "reconstruct" how the pandemic started.



"I think it would be the start of a probably longer term project," she told Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.



Beijing has argued that Wuhan is not necessarily the source of the virus, and officials have pushed theories that it began abroad.



When asked about the chance that the virus could have emerged overseas, Koopmans said the WHO team would "have an open mind to all hypotheses."



"At this stage I don't think we should rule anything out, but it is important to start where, obviously in Wuhan, a big outbreak occurred," she said.



Experts say solving the mystery of how the virus first jumped from animals to humans is crucial to preventing another pandemic.



The WHO insisted this week that the investigation was not looking for "somebody to blame".



Emergencies director at the UN health body Michael Ryan said the delayed mission was about science, not politics.



"Understanding the origins of disease is not about finding somebody to blame," Ryan told a press conference in Geneva.



"It is about finding the scientific answers about the very important interface between the animal kingdom and the human kingdom."



The novel coronavirus has killed nearly two million people since the outbreak first emerged in Wuhan.



Thousands of mutations in the virus have taken place as it has passed from person to person around the world, but new variants recently detected in Britain and South Africa are seemingly more contagious. (AFP)



Hollywood star Zac Efron has been hiding out with girlfriend Vanessa Valladares in a $22million love nest in Byron Bay since September 2020.

And during their recent trip to Sydney, the couple were living large in another impressive holiday home near Bondi Beach.

The actor, 33, is believed to have splashed out $5,000 per night to stay at the Mediterranean-inspired mansion in Bellevue Hill.

Scroll down for video

Living large! Hollywood star Zac Efron (pictured) is believed to have splashed out $5,000 a night for an impressive holiday home near Bondi Beach during his recent trip to Sydney with girlfriend Vanessa Valladares

Take a peek: The impressive Airbnb hideaway in Bellevue Hill has five bedrooms and five bathrooms

The home, promoted to travelers as 'your very own luxury resort', has five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Zac, who has been residing in Byron Bay since June 2020, has visited Sydney multiple times in the past few months.

Clearly staying in style wherever he goes, Zac opted for the spacious and relaxed accommodation over a hotel.

Staying safe: Clearly staying in style wherever he goes, Zac opted for the spacious and relaxed accommodation over a hotel

Stylish! The property has high-end fittings throughout and a Scandinavian-inspired interior design concept - much like Zac's rumoured residence in Byron

While close to popular Sydney beaches, including the world famous Bondi Beach, Zac and Vanessa could also swim in the home's own large outdoor pool.

The property has high-end fittings throughout and a Scandinavian-inspired interior design concept - much like Zac's rumoured residence in Byron.

Tucked away in a quiet street, the heartthrob no doubt was pleased with the home's use of security cameras and its private gated entry.

Fit for a celebrity: Tucked away in a quiet street, the heartthrob no doubt was pleased with the home's use of security cameras and its private, gated entry

In August, Zac reportedly cancelled his scheduled flight home to Los Angeles and chose to ride out the coronavirus pandemic in Australia.

Byron Bay has since become a celebrity enclave amid the pandemic, with many of Australia's wealthy residents flocking to the beachside town due to international travel bans.

Zac subsequently met his girlfriend, brunette model and waitress Vanessa Valladares, when she was working at the Byron Bay General Store & Cafe earlier last year.

The High School Musical star recently signed on and filmed Stan Original Film Gold in the South Australian outback.

Gold will be available on Stan later this year.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle to settle the final cases in the Packaged Seafood Products antitrust litigation.

The antitrust litigation involved more than 30 complaints, alleging anticompetitive activity in the U.S. tuna market. The final plaintiff group, the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs, reached an agreement to settle. The settlement will be subject to negotiation of a final agreement and will require court approval. Two other class action settlements, with the End Payer Plaintiffs and the Commercial Food Preparer Plaintiffs, also require court approval.

COSI has continued to dedicate its efforts to serving its customers and working with its suppliers to strengthen and grow the category. As a perennial leader in shelf-stable seafood, COSI and Thai Union are committed to growing the category through the development of new innovative products, such as Infusions and Wild Catch, along with its core branded line of tuna, salmon, and specialty products.

Together with Thai Union, COSI has made dramatic changes to the way it does business and how it shapes the industry. These changes include a comprehensive compliance & training program, revised ethics code of conduct and the global award-winning SeaChange sustainability platform to bring lasting change to the seafood industry for the betterment of customers, employees, the environment and natural resources on which we all rely.

About Chicken of the Sea International

Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC dba Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) is a leading provider of healthy, delicious and responsibly sourced seafood, offering not only a robust product line but the recipes and meal-planning insights needed to inspire seafood lovers to greater culinary creativity. The company provides tuna, salmon, clams, crab, oysters, shrimp, mackerel, kipper snacks and sardines in cans, cups and pouches as well as innovative new products consistent with seafood's growing status as a healthy "new" protein choice in America. The Company continues to provide high-quality sustainable seafood to its longstanding loyal customers throughout North America and to strive to be the world's most trusted seafood leader.

Headquartered in El Segundo, California, COSI uses responsible fishing practices to source its seafood products from around the world, and packages them at a state-of-the-art processing facility in Lyons, Georgia, as well as at third-party facilities. The company is led by a team of industry veterans with more than 300 years of collective experience in the consumer goods industry.

For information on Chicken of the Sea International, including recipes, serving suggestions and nutritional and meal-planning insights as well as information on the latest new Chicken of the Sea products, go to www.chickenofthesea.com.

Media Contact/North America

Craig Rexroad

Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Government Relations, North America, Chicken of the Sea International

M + 1 858 699 9063

+ 1 213 705 1264

SOURCE Chicken of the Sea International

Related Links

www.chickenofthesea.com


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Scott Morrison made a tough but necessary call one month ago to cancel support for an Australian vaccine because he wanted to maximise community confidence in the treatment of COVID-19.

Now the Prime Minister has another challenge in shoring up that confidence, only this time the threat comes from within his own ranks.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to criticise backbench MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly over their controversial Facebook posts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly has become a dangerous source of dubious advice and outright lies on social media at a time when the government wants full support for a mammoth effort to vaccinate almost everyone.

Kelly rails against the use of masks and calls them "child abuse" for schoolchildren when political leaders and health authorities are telling Australians to cover up.
On November 12, as Trump was inciting fascist gangs to help overturn his defeat in the presidential elections as he had threatened to do throughout the campaign, the Morenoite La Izquierda Diario website wrote that everything indicates that Trumps true strategy is not to entrench himself in the White House. Instead, Trump hopes to maintain the adrenaline and avoid tribalism in the Republican Party.

This statement, which was also published by their English-language website Left Voice, was a criminal dismissal of the grave crisis within the US uniquely designed to prevent an outpouring of working class reaction to Trumps coup drive, the World Socialist Web Site warned .

Supporters loyal to President Donald Trump clash with authorities before successfully breaching the Capitol building during a riot on the grounds, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

On January 6, Trump incited a fascist mob armed with firearms, pipe bombs and zip-tie handcuffs to storm the Capitol with the collaboration of sections of the police and the Pentagon as the US Congress met to certify the electoral results. In the following days, Trump and a significant section of the Republican Party have continued their neofascist conspiracy, while the corporate media and Democratic Party seek to conceal the dangers.

The American ruling class, facing the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, has demonstrated its determination to use any meansincluding dictatorship and fascismto break all restraints on its plans to impose its herd immunity policy during the pandemic and escalate exploitation, neocolonial plundering and imperialist war.

In response, the Morenoites have joined the Democratic Party in their efforts to politically disarm the working class and sow complacency. In a major article on January 7, they wrote: The assault on the Capitol was neither an insurrection nor a coup, as the bourgeois press insinuates. Instead, they add, it demonstrates that the far right, far from accepting defeat after the November 3 [elections], has become emboldened during the transition.

The article, rather than explaining what emboldened the far rightwhich would expose the bankruptcy of the Morenoites entire outlookgoes on to reassure readers that even this threat has passed. In this moment, the establishmentfrom the Republicans and Democrats to the militaryare united against Trump and the far right hoping to end the chaotic populism of Trump, Izquierda Diario explains.

As evidence of this united front of capitalist politicians against the far-right threat, the Morenoites cite statements by Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Marsha Blackburn acknowledging Bidens election after the January 6 coup. In doing so, Izquierda Diario is aiding the efforts of the Democratic Party to cover for the coup conspirators, legitimizing Trumps claims of voter fraud in the name of bipartisan unity.

In response to the coup, the Morenoites are not only anesthetizing and politically disarming US workers who face a continuing threat of fascistic dictatorship, but they are setting the stage for advancing this policy in other countries. This a continuation of their historic efforts to subordinate workers to supposedly progressive factions of the national capitalist class during crucial historic episodes of the class struggle.

This tendency was founded by Nahuel Moreno, who broke with the International Committee of the Fourth International in 1963, rejecting its struggle for the international unity and political independence of the working class based on a revolutionary socialist program, in order to adapt to Castroism, Stalinism and bourgeois nationalism, in particular, the Peronist movement in Argentina.

His party subordinated revolutionary struggles in Argentina between 1968-75 to the bourgeois nationalist Peronist party and governments and the trade union bureaucracy, helping to politically disarm the Argentine working class ahead of the US-backed 1976 coup and installation of a fascist military junta that killed at least 30,000 workers and youth.

While the Socialist Workers Party (PTS) in Argentina, which leads the publication of Izquierda Diario, claims to have distanced itself from Moreno, its politics continue to reaffirm the same nationalist and opportunist perspective.

Within the US, the Left Voice group is dedicated to appealing to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a faction of the Democratic Party. The editors of Jacobin magazine, which is closely linked to the DSA, have also scoffed at calling the assault on the Capitol a coup and reaffirmed the stability of US republican institutions.

Fearful that the coup is exposing the criminality of their perspective, the Morenoites suggest that their orientation to the DSA is still viable since internal divisions between the establishment wing and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party have merely been patched up.

In a separate article on the same day, Left Voice, referring to the trade unions and organizations tied to the Democratic Party, states: By funneling the energy of the Black Lives Matter movement [against police violence] into support for Biden, these leaders intentionally or not worked to undermine what could have been the foundations of the type of mass social movement we need to protect against the Far Right.

The Morenoites themselves, however, provided arguments for voting in favor of Biden and reproduced the race-obsessed identity politics employed by the Democratic Party to divide workers and conceal the partys class character and the dominance of class divisions under capitalism.

In the same article, Left Voice writes that, in the context of the austerity measures implemented by both parties, Right-wing extremism emerged because it spoke to the despair of (typically) white men. By tapping into the racism that capitalism is built on 

After the October presidential election of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) in Bolivia, which had condemned mass resistance to its own military overthrow by fascists the previous year, Izquierda Diario wrote: This defeat of the continental right could be extended if, as everything indicates, Trump loses the elections on November 3.

On November 2, speaking to those undecided ahead of the elections, Left Voice claimed the Democrats electoral coalition is very tenuous as it includes everyone from nominally socialist organizers to sectors of big capital. A Democratic majority in the Senate, it adds, could give the senators who represent the progressive wing more power because their comparatively smaller numbers will mean more. Thus, it claims, what will define this struggle is how much pressure there is from the base to push through a progressive agenda.

Facing high expectations for reforms, it continues, Biden and the Democrats could very well try to resolve this by giving some early concessions to the working class, albeit not nearly enough to address the deepening crisis. Amid widespread hunger, unemployment and the threat of homelessness, the promise, the day before the elections, of early concessions stands as a tacit endorsement of the Democrats and Biden.

Moreover, the fact that they combine this position with the statement that Biden will resolve one of the greatest capitalist crises in modern history in their [the capitalists] favor is an explicit avowal of the impregnability of capitalism and a repudiation of the prospects of revolution.

The article adds: There are clearly neo-fascist and proto-fascist forces in the United States today, but there is little or no evidence that the capitalist class has turned to those forces for the purpose of destroying and replacing the institutions of bourgeois-democratic rule and crushing the working class.

The president of the most powerful state in the world has been cultivating these fascist forces for years and had been threatening for months to invoke martial law to crush protests and set up a presidential dictatorship.

This response to Trumps coup is consistent with the Argentine PTSs 2020 Congress Theses and subsequent discussion. In a November 30 piece, the PTS ideologist and legislator Christian Castillo explains that the Argentine Morenoites view the political situation as incipiently pre-revolutionary with events that pre-announce that we have major clashes between classes ahead.

Not surprisingly, it follows that this pre-suggests the need to build a revolutionary party, but that for the time being they can continue their opportunist orientation to the Peronist government, parliamentarism and the trade unions. The possibility opens for the development  of conditions for the emergence of a powerful workers, socialist and revolutionary party. The PTS, Castillo adds, bets it will be a key factor in the emergence of this party.

For now, similar to how they muddled the bourgeois and reactionary character of the Democratic Party, Castillo insists that the big bourgeoisie does not regard the Frente de Todos [Peronist government] as its own government ...

Fearing that events abroad might challenge this perspective, he wrote: We do not believe that the categories of revolutionary and pre-revolutionary situations can be used at an international level  [The PTS resolution] defines the specificity of the Argentine situation and its prominent aspects as of today.

This is an open repudiation of the program of world socialist revolution embodied in Marxism and Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution, at a time in which the global pandemic and economic crisis have demonstrated the incapacity of the ruling class and its political representatives, especially in the center of world finance and imperialism, to control the forces unleashed by the world economy.

Vladimir Lenin explained in a 1914 essay that the ruling class employs two general methods of struggle against workers. On the one hand, there is violence, persecution, bans and suppression, which the entire ruling class backs during highly critical moments in the workers struggle against wage-slavery. On the other hand, in keeping with the democratic system, the ruling class employs utmost cunning, with ruses and subterfuges aimed at spreading the ideological influence of the bourgeoisie among the wage-slaves with the object of diverting them from their struggle against wage-slavery.

As the crucial experience of Trumps coup has demonstrated, in order to fight the threat of dictatorship, workers and youth in the United States, Argentina and internationally must oppose the agents of the ruling class seeking to disarm them politically. This includes the Morenoites, whose politics reflect the interests of upper middle class layers that seek greater privileges in academia, the trade unions and politics by employing such ruses and subterfuges against the workers.

The ICFI, which publishes the World Socialist Web Site, is the only political force that has consistently warned of the dangers represented by the Republican coup plotting and the soporifics of the Democrats and their hangers-on. The urgent conclusion that must be drawn is that the ICFI needs to be built in every country to lead a mass revolutionary political movement in the working class fighting for socialism.
Corporate Vision Magazine's annual Corporate Excellence Awards winners were announced in late December. "Im extremely proud of the Creative Virtual team for delivering and supporting conversational AI solutions that are not only innovative, but helping our customers and partners achieve success despite new challenges."

Creative Virtual, a world leader in customer and employee engagement solutions, has earned Most Innovative Conversational Self-Service Solutions, 2020  UK in the annual Corporate Excellence Awards. Corporate Vision Magazine announced the winners in their December issue, recognising the commitment to innovation and growth of those companies over the past year.

It is a challenging time for businesses and their employees and customers, says Chris Ezekiel, Founder & CEO of Creative Virtual. Im extremely proud of the Creative Virtual team for delivering and supporting conversational AI solutions that are not only innovative, but helping our customers and partners achieve success despite new challenges. This award recognises that dedication and the excellence of our global team.

Corporate Excellence Award winners are handpicked by the magazines in-house team and assessed against multiple criteria, including company performance, expertise within their industry and client testimonials or recommendations. The awards recognise companies that show commitments to innovation, business growth and providing the best products and services to clients.

Creative Virtual introduced the Neutrino release of V-Person, their conversational virtual agent and chatbot technology, to the market in 2020. This release combines conversational AI with a powerful orchestration platform (V-Portal) and unrivalled industry expertise to help enterprises unlock their knowledge and create AI-enhanced conversations with customers and employees. Based on nearly two decades of delivering successful self-service solutions, this innovative release brings together humans and AI with powerful integration options and easy-to-manage workflows.

Learn more about the companys innovative conversational self-service solutions and expert consultation and support on the Creative Virtual website.

ABOUT CREATIVE VIRTUAL

Creative Virtual is a world leader in virtual agent, chatbot, live chat and conversational AI solutions that bring together humans and artificial intelligence to create conversations with customers and employees across touchpoints in a seamless, personalised way and at large scale. Leading global organisations, including HSBC, BT, Chase, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Lloyds Banking Group and American Family Insurance, rely on our award-winning V-Person technology to improve their support experience, reduce costs, increase sales and build brand loyalty.

Named the Product Leader in AI-Enhanced Customer Self-Service by Frost & Sullivan and awarded The Queens Awards for Enterprise: Innovation, Creative Virtual delivers an industry-leading combination of proven technology and expert guidance from a highly experienced team and extensive partner network. Our global team supports installs around the world in over 35 languages, providing both localised support and international insights to our customers and partners.

To learn more visit http://www.creativevirtual.com.



ll from the current and ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic. This is the reason why investors will fail to show any interest in oil and gas stocks in 2021.

Bleak future

The oil and gas industry in Vietnam depends heavily on fluctuations in the world oil market, therefore, the situation in the oil and gas industry is still not very positive in 2021. The disadvantage of high upstream project costs lowers motivation to invest and exploit in new oil and gas fields. Many companies in the oil and gas industry have made business plans for the year 2021 with the assumption that oil prices will remain below USD 50 per barrel and hence are looking at conservative profit growth margins.

Based on these expectations of leaders in the oil and gas industry, we can believe that 2021 will not be the year that stocks in oil and gas will stay strong. One rare positive sign in the industry comes from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) global market. The sharp decline in global LNG prices throughout 2020, helped power plants and a group of other industrial manufacturers to benefit from low input prices. The LNG industry will also serve as the biggest job provider in the oil and gas industry in the next ten years. Investors in gas fields, infrastructure contractors for gas extraction, importers and port operators will be direct beneficiaries of natural gas usage in industrial production.

The current oil price outlook in short, medium and long term is quite bleak. The expectation for global oil and gas demand to go up, which was not optimistic before the outbreak of oversupply and the US-China trade war, became even more negative due to the impact of the unending Covid-19 pandemic. Decline in travel demand, poor consumption due to reduced incomes, and delay in industrial production activities due to social distancing are three major reasons that are affecting the global oil and gas industry. After oil prices fell drastically during peak social distancing and lockdown periods in the second quarter of 2020, oil prices were seen to recover. However, according to forecasts of oil prices in 2021, they are likely to fluctuate between USD 40 to USD 50 per barrel.

Difficult to forecast

All oil and gas industrial activities have been seriously affected by drop in oil prices, mostly the upstream activities. Although the number of new projects are not many, the world demand is difficult to predict. This makes upstream companies unable to implement new exploration projects. Therefore, disbursement in the future is likely to decrease, leading to a decline in the value of unrealized contracts of oil and gas construction enterprises. In addition, crude oil and gas production will also face difficulties in long-term growth.

The facts above show that mining output will surely decrease in 2021. According to forecast made by Fitch Solutions, based on the five-year plan of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN), Vietnam's 2021 crude oil output fell 4%. Due to limited resources of the state economic conglomerate, the growth of crude oil output in the long term will depend on attracting private capital into the industry.

Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is proposing to develop a revised Petroleum Law to create a legal corridor for investors. However, we believe that the opening of the State to private capital flow is not yet possible. Thus, enterprises in the oil and gas industry will not be able to expect job growth in the next few years.

Investors uncertain

With reference to oil and gas stocks, it is impossible not to mention the leading company in the industry, namely, the PetroVietnam Gas Joint Stock Corporation (GAS). GAS development strategy, natural gas fields, gas pipelines, LNG ports, and cooperation contracts with gas power plants are expected to bring growth for the company as well as for the gas industry in general.

However, up until now, only the Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet gas field project is being developed. Other projects that are in the pipeline can only come into operation from 2023 onwards, including the LNG Thi Vai warehouse and expansion project; gas collection and transportation pipes project; LNG Son My port warehouse project; and a series of gas power plants, including Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4. All future LNG imports are also expected to be active due to plentiful and cheap LNG supply from international gas fields.

Although profits from domestic gas extraction are not high, GAS can still exploit the imported LNG market, while preserving its position as the sole gas supplier for downstream projects. In addition to GAS, the list of companies that can benefit from the world LNG trend include PetroVietnam Power Nhon Trach 2 Joint Stock Company (NT2), Petrovietnam Fertilizer and Chemical Corporation (DPM), and PetroVietNam CaMau Fertilizer Joint Stock Company (DCM). These are companies that have factories using natural gas inputs and will widen their gross margins when input gas prices fall.

Currently, there are not too many oil and gas stocks that are expected to stay strong, therefore, it is difficult for investors to select enterprises showing prospective growth results in 2021. However, opportunities may still come when the market price drops sharply, especially for healthy and strong stocks, and there is a good amount of cash flow and stable dividend policies for shareholders. Investors can hold on to these shares for when there is a surge in oil and gas world prices.

Nguyen Ha Trinh, Rong Viet Securities (VDSC)
New York, Jan 12 : US vice president elect Kamala Harris's team is unhappy about the picture of the country's soon to be second in command which turned up on the cover of the latest Vogue magazine.

Harris wore a powder blue suit for her cover shoot but the Vogue cover features Harris in a more casual dark pantsuit and her well loved Converse sneakers. She is framed against the backdrop of heavy silken drapes in pink and leaf green - a nod to the VP elect's college sorority colours.

A Harris team member, speaking on background, explained that they didn't know about the image switch until the photographs were leaked over the weekend. There was no official comment from Harris' office.

In a statement, Vogue said it went ahead with the more informal image of Harris for the cover because the photo captured her "authentic, approachable nature, which we feel is one of the hallmarks of the Biden-Harris administration".

In both the images, taken by Black photographer Tyler Mitchell, Harris is standing with her hands crossed, looking straight into the camera and smiling. Mitchell posted just one of the covers to Instagram - the one of Harris in a blue suit.

Reactions are pouring in online. Critics are hitting the choice of the casual picture on the cover of the fashion bible as "washed out", "poor quality", "too familiar".

"The cover did not give Kamala D. Harris due respect. It was overly familiar. It was a cover image that, in effect, called Harris by her first name without invitation," wrote Washington Post columnist Robin Givhan. "In using the more informal image for the print edition of the magazine, Vogue robbed Harris of her roses." For Harris' immediate circle of family, it's all good, whether in pink or blue. "Sobbing", Harris' niece Meena Harris tweeted, in a photo tweet with the Vogue cover and a screenshot of a text excerpt from the cover story.

Harris is set to be sworn in as vice president on January 20. She will be the first ever Indian and Black American and first woman of colour to take oath as the country's vice president.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (ENMRD) has submitted a request for an additional $10 million to the New Mexico Legislature to continue work at the Carlsbad Brine Well project.

Sand deployment at the former I&W Brine Well south of Carlsbad, where U.S. Highways 62/180 and 285 converge to form the South Y, was suspended at the end of July 2020 and equipment was removed, read an ENMRD news release.

During an October meeting of the Carlsbad Brine Well Remediation Authority options for further remediation work was discussed and continuation depends on funding, the release noted.

Around $5 million remains in a Brine Well Remediation Fund for monitoring the site. The fund originally had $54 million set aside from various sources.

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More: More cash needed to finish suspended Carlsbad Brine Well work

It has been estimated by ENMRD officials that at least $21 million will be needed to finish the project.

EMNRD presented our draft budget to the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) in November 2020 and the budget will be finalized during the upcoming legislative session, said Spokesperson Susan Torres.

She said ENMRD has been in contact with the legislature and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham about the total cost and are optimistic that funding can be obtained.

Its worth noting that the budget submitted by EMNRD included an agency-wide cut, however, after our appearance before LFC budget estimates were updated so its possible a less restrictive budget will be recommended during the session, she said.

More: $17M more needed to finish Brine Well work

State Sen. Gay Kernan (R-42) said funding alternatives have been sought.

Rep. (Cathrynn) Brown (R-55) and I submitted a letter to the Governor in October 2020 asking for guidance with regard to the additional funding needed to complete the Brine Well project. We also requested the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP) to utilize their grant writing expert to assist in researching and locating funds that could be dedicated to the project, she said.

In the proposed 2022 budget, Kernan said lawmakers are hopeful that funds will be dedicated to the Brine Well project.

It is possible that Capital Outlay allocations will be asked of local legislators as well as an additional local match. I do not believe we will generate significant support from legislators across the state who in the past supported the Brine Well project, she said.

State Sen. David Gallegos (R-41) said former Gov. Susana Martinez struck a deal with southeast New Mexico legislators years ago to put up capital outlay money before turning over any state money.

Before being elected to the New Mexico Senate last year, Gallegos represented Lea County in the New Mexico House of Representatives and allocated $200,000 in capitol outlay funds to what he said was a safety issue.

Now were being told its not as much of a safety issue as a completion issue, he said. Im worried the governor will say no that if anyone is going to do it, its going to be southeast legislators, the City (of Carlsbad) and the (Eddy) County.

More: Millions more needed to complete Carlsbad Brine Well remediation

Gallegos added that Carlsbad and Eddy County have already put up funds for the project.

I really think this needs to be a legislature or statewide issue, he said.

The Carlsbad Brine Well operated from 1978 to 2008 as a source of salt-laden water for use in oil well drilling. Fresh water was pumped into the subsurface to dissolve subsurface salt layers, creating a brine that was pumped out and trucked to the oil fields for use in drilling and completions. Removal of the salt created an underground cavity and a risk of collapse of the overlying ground, read the ENMRD website.

The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD) recognized the hazard in Carlsbad after a brine well southwest of Artesia collapsed in July 2008. A second brine well north of Loco Hills collapsed months later. It has been estimated that a similar collapse at the Carlsbad Brine Well could cause in excess of $1 billion in damages, affect an essential irrigation canal, a major highway intersection, a rail line, and multiple businesses and residences, according to ENMRDs website.

More: Sonar imaging could reveal how much of the Carlsbad Brine Well remains to be filled

I still think there are unknowns because the cavern (size) was unknown when they did all the seismic testing or thought they used that fine sand and that sifted down to rubble and so the bottom floor was never the bottom floor, Gallegos said.

He said the hardest part of the Brine Well is proving to the state that they have the liability.

We have to complete it in order to keep it safe, Gallegos said.

The remediation contractor continues to conduct bi-weekly visits to perform any needed inspections, equipment repair and site maintenance. An array of sensors deployed across the site collects data 24 hours a day, seven days a week to detect ground movement and pressure within the cavity, read ENMRDs release.

Along with ongoing review of the sensor data, any unusual ground movement triggers immediate alerts that are relayed to EMNRD and the Carlsbad Fire Department. The highly sensitive sensors detect even the smallest vibrations, including any recent earthquakes in the surrounding areas. The remediation contractor stays in communication with the Carlsbad Fire Department with any updates and project status, the release said.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: $10M sought to continue Brine Well work south of Carlsbad

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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
A law being introduced in Tasmania would raise smoking age to 21-years-old

Under the new bill those aged 18 to 21 would not be able to purchase tobacco

Similar law tested in one town in the United States and youth smoking halved

States such as California followed and in 2019 the age was raised across US

One Australian state is set to take the lead in raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 - and the rest of the country could follow.

Tasmania is introducing a bill into state parliament this year which would prohibit anyone under 21 years of age from buying cigarettes.

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Similar laws were previously introduced in one United States town and proved so successful in reducing smoking rates in younger people that the entire country followed suit.

Tasmania is introducing a bill into state parliament this year which would prohibit anyone under 21-years-old from buying cigarettes (file image)

Tobacco use was halved among high school students in town of Needham Massachusetts where the law was first introduced - plunging by 47 per cent.

The move to change the cigarette purchasing age in Australia follows campaigning by anti-smoking groups who say Australia would see the same benefit.

The Public Health Amendment to the Prevention of Sale of Smoking Products to Underage Persons Bill 2018 will be introduced to state parliament in March.

Independent Tasmanian politician Ivan Dean has been campaigning against smoking for years and will read the amendment to parliament.

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It is expected to receive bi-partisan support.

If the scenario in Australia follows the American pilot program, other states will likely quickly follow in preventing those aged 18 to 21 from buying the product.

After the success in Needham,states across the US such as New York, California and Hawaii began to raise the age before in December 2019 it was raised across the entire country.

The Public Health Amendment to the Prevention of Sale of Smoking Products to Underage Persons Bill 2018 will be introduced to state parliament in March (file image)

Critics have argued Australians are considered adults at 18-years-old, can already buy alcohol or join the Army, and should be responsible for their own decisions.

'All you're going to do is get people who are 21, 22, or with fake ID, going into shops and buying cigarettes and distributing them,' Greg Barnes from the Australian Lawyers Alliance told the ABC.

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'Everybody under the age of 18 gets [tobacco] from family and friends and that is not going to change,' Small Business Council CEO Robert Mallett said.

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Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Fiore Cannabis Ltd. (CSE: FIOR) (OTCQX: FIORF) ("Fiore" or "Company"), a licensed multi-state Cannabis cultivator, producer and retailer, today released a corporate update to investors, highlighting recent company developments and updating the Company's strategic plan heading into 2021.

Key highlights:

- Fiore's Share Price increased 13% in 2020 and was up 116% (from 9 cents to 19.5 cents) since the name change to Fiore Cannabis Ltd.;

- Revenues for Green Leaf Wellness, Fiore's dispensary in Desert Hot Springs, California, were up 22% year-over-year;

- Inventory for Fiore's Apex cultivation and production facility in Las Vegas currently sits at 60 pounds of dry 100% organically soil-grown flower, 77 pounds of trim, 287 pounds of fresh frozen biomass and 4.4 pounds of distillate;

- Operating expenses for the company decreased by 34% in 2020 compared to 2019;

- Company raised more than $2.2mm CAD from two Private Placements in 2020;

- Company secured $2mm USD loan as a private mortgage secured against US assets;

- Work continued uninterrupted within the global pandemic brought on by COCID-19 as Fiore's operations in Nevada and California were deemed essential services;

- Returned 18.5-million shares to treasury by unwinding the merger with ACC Enterprises;

- Crossed more than 10-million shares to insiders to address sell-side pressure on the CSE;

- Insiders and investors know to management equal approximately 80% of the 133-million issued and outstanding shares;

- US election of Biden/Harris and the Georgia Senate runoff going to the Democratic Party have combined to open the door to cannabis-friendly legislation in the form of the MORE Act, the SAFE Banking Act and the STATES Act.

Fiore enters the 2021 fiscal year with a great deal of market momentum. At the Apex facility, three flower harvests will be packaged and ready for sale to the Nevada market in late January. Three more harvests will follow in February and two more in March. Fiore is also processing all its crude extracts into live resin distillate ready for vape cartridges that will be marketed under their Diamante brand. Additional brands have been created to bring specialty extracts and concentrate products to market in Nevada.

The global pandemic brought on by COVID-19 has not posed a serious threat to Fiore's operations thanks to the immediate safety protocols put into place at the beginning of the outbreak. As the company moves into 2021, Fiore will continue its forward momentum by focusing to perfect the business model for Apex in Nevada and its retail dispensary in California.

About Fiore Cannabis Ltd.

Fiore Cannabis Ltd. (CSE: FIOR) (OTCQX: FIORF) is a publicly traded company that has been investing in the development of medical and recreational cannabis products since 2014. Fiore has expanded its operating portfolio to include cultivation, production and retail offerings in our key North American legal jurisdictions Nevada, California and British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.fiorecannabis.com

For Further Information:

Erik Anderson, President and CEO

1-877-438-5448 Ext. 713

eanderson@fiorecannabis.com

Cannabis Industry Involvement:

The Company owns marijuana licenses in California and Nevada. Marijuana is legal in each state; however, marijuana remains illegal under United States federal law and the approach to enforcement of U.S. federal law against marijuana is subject to change. Shareholders and investors need to be aware that federal enforcement actions could adversely affect their investments and that the Company's ability to support continuing U.S.-based operations and its access private and public capital could be materially adversely affected.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements or information that relate to our current expectations and views of future events, including in respect of the closing of the fourth tranche, the use of proceeds, any extension of the Maturity Date and increases regarding the size of the Debenture offering. These statements relate to future events or future performance. Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, outlook, expectations or intentions regarding the future including words or phrases such as "anticipate", "objective", "may", "will", "might", "should", "could", "can", "intend", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "plan", "is designed to", "project", "continue", or similar expressions suggest future outcomes or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements may also include, among other things, statements about the future business strategy; expectations of obtaining licenses and permits; expectations regarding expenses, sales and operations; future customer concentration; anticipated cash needs and estimates regarding capital requirements and the need for additional financing; total processing capacity; the ability to anticipate the future needs of customers; plans for future products and enhancements of existing products; future growth strategy and growth rate; future intellectual property; changes in laws and regulations; regulatory approvals and other matters; and anticipated trends and challenges in the markets in which the Company may operate.

These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate.

Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such factors include, among others: the risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71776


Photo: The Canadian Press People take a sunbath at sunset on the Malecon in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Jan 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The Trump administration on Monday re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, hitting the country with new sanctions that could hamstring President-elect Joe Biden's promise to renew relations with the communist-governed island.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the step, citing in particular Cubas continued harbouring of U.S. fugitives, its refusal to extradite a coterie of Colombian guerrilla commanders as well as its support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The designation, which had been discussed for years, is one of several last-minute foreign policy moves that the Trump administration is making before Biden takes office Jan. 20.

Removing Cuba from the blacklist had been one of former President Barack Obamas main foreign policy achievements as he sought better relations with the island, an effort endorsed by Biden as his vice-president. Ties had been essentially frozen after Fidel Castro took power in 1959.

As he has with Iran, Trump has sought to reverse many of Obamas decisions involving Cuba. He has taken a tough line on Havana and rolled back many of the sanctions that the Obama administration had eased or lifted after the restoration of full diplomatic relations in 2015.

Since Trump took office, after a campaign that attacked Obama's moves to normalize relations with Cuba, ties have been increasingly strained.

In addition to attacking Cuba for its support of Maduro, the Trump administration has also suggested that Cuba may have been behind or allowed alleged sonic attacks that left dozens of U.S. diplomats in Havana with brain injuries starting in late 2016.

However, few U.S, allies believe Cuba remains a sponsor of international terrorism, quibbling with either the definition based on the support for Maduro or outright rejecting American claims that Cuban authorities are bankrolling or masterminding international terrorist attacks.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trumps designation would not help the Cuban people and seeks only to tie the hands of the Biden administration.

This designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism with less than a week to go in his presidency and after he incited a domestic terror attack on the U.S. Capital ... thats hypocrisy, Meeks said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Nonetheless, cheered on by Cuban American and Venezuelan exiles in south Florida, the Trump administration has steadily increased restrictions on flights, trade and financial transactions between the U.S. and the island.

The latest sanctions put Cuba alongside North Korea, Syria and Iran as the only foreign nations deemed state sponsors of terrorism. As a result of Monday's actions, most travel from the U.S. to Cuba will be barred as well as the sending of remittances to Cuba from relatives in the United States, a significant source of income for the impoverished island.

But with dollar-generating business already reeling from the effects of the coronavirus and previous measures like Trumps ban on cruise ships and cap on remittances, the biggest impact will likely be diplomatic.

This will really slow any thaw in relations with the Biden administration, said Emilio Morales, an exiled Cuban economist and president of the Miami-based Havana Consulting Group.

Morales said unwinding the measure will take at least a year and require careful study by the U.S. government. He is also doubtful whether Biden, who played no significant role in the Obama administrations opening to Cuba, would be willing to invest the sort of political capital Obama did and throw a lifeline to Cuba's leadership without anything in return.

Obamas removal of Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list had been a major target of Trump, Pompeo and other Cuba hawks in the current administration.

Cuba has repeatedly refused to turn over U.S. fugitives that have been granted asylum, including a black militant convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in the 1970s. In addition to political refugee status, U.S. fugitives have received free housing, health care and other benefits thanks to Cubas government, which insists the U.S. has no legal or moral basis to demand their return.

But perhaps the biggest change since Obama's outreach in 2015 is Cuba's strong support for Maduro, who is considered by the a dictator whose pilfering of the oil-based economy has driven 5 million Venezuelans from their homes.

Cuba has had a long-standing alliance with Maduro, although it has long denied it has 20,000 troops and intelligence agents in Venezuela and says it has not carried out any security operations. Cuban officials, however, have said they have the right to carry out broad military and intelligence co-operation that they deem as legitimate.

The relationship between the two countries has grown strong in the past two decades, with Venezuela sending Cuba oil shipments worth billions of dollars and receiving tens of thousands of employees, including medical workers.

In May 2020, the State Department added Cuba to a list of countries that do not co-operate with U.S. counter-terrorism programs.

In making that determination, the department said several leaders of the National Liberation Army, a Colombian rebel group designated a terrorist organization, remained on the island despite Colombia's repeated request they be extradited to answer for the 2019 car bombing of a police academy in Bogota that killed 22 people.

Cuba has rejected such requests, saying that turning over the leaders would violate protocols agreed to by Colombia's government for peace efforts that were broken off after the deadly bombing.

In repudiating the allegations, President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said Cuba was the victim of terrorism. He cited an armed attack on its embassy in Washington last April as one example. Cubans see the blacklist as helping the U.S. justify the long-standing embargo on the island and other economic sanctions that have crippled its economy.

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By RACHEL LA CORTE and GENE JOHNSON

Associated Press

OLYMPIA  Security fencing at the Washington state Capitol was defended by National Guard members Monday as the Legislature convened amid concerns that armed groups might try to occupy the building, which is closed to the public because of the pandemic.

Some lawmakers are returning as authorities reassess security at state capitols across the country after the violence that occurred last week at the U.S. Capitol.





. . .
Egypt's newly-elected MPs will hold an opening procedural session of the new House of Representatives on Tuesday to take the constitutional oath and elect a speaker and two deputies.

MPs will also meet in two plenary sessions on Wednesday and Thursday to elect the leading posts of parliament's 25 committees.

The opening session of the new the House of Representatives will be chaired by media expert and prominent journalist Fardia El-Shobashy, as the eldest member in the House.

El-Shobashy will be aided by two deputies, MPs Fatma Ahmed and Abanoub Ezzat, as the two youngest members of the House.

El-Shobashy said it is the first time that a woman chairs an opening parliamentary session in Egypt.

"It is a big honour for me and for all women in Egypt and it shows that women are playing a greater political role in Egypt now," said El-Shobashy.

The new parliament will have a record number of 147 women (26 per cent).

El-Shobashy will read out President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi's decree on 6 January, asking newly-elected MPs to hold an opening procedural session to take the constitutional oath and elect a speaker and two deputies.

She will also read decrees on the results of Egypt's parliamentary elections, held between 21 October and 8 December 2020, and naming 28 appointees in the new parliament.

The next step is that a number of 284 MPs, including those elected via the individual candidacy system, will be asked to enter the meeting hall at 11am to take the oath.

Another batch of 284 MPs plus 28 appointed deputies will have to enter the meeting hall at 2pm to take the oath.

Once MPs finish this business, they will have to leave the meeting hall, which will be sanitized.

According to Article 104 of the constitution, each newly-elected MP should take the oath as follows: "I swear by almighty God to honestly preserve the republican system, respect the constitution and the law and that fully observe the interests of the people, and preserve the homeland's independence, unity and the integrity of its land."

The final step in the opening session will be all MPs gather again in the meeting hall to elect a speaker and two deputies.

Ali Abdel-Aal, the speaker of the outgoing 2015-2020 parliament, is expected to be re-elected for another five years.

Three MPs are expected to run for the post of deputy speaker.

Mostafa Bakri, a Mostaqbal Watan MP and a journalist, said Sunday that he decided to run for the post of deputy speaker.

Ahmed Saad El-Din, parliament's former secretary-general, and Soliman Wahdan, a member of the opposition Wafd party, are also expected to run for the post of deputy speaker.

Parliament's Secretary-General Mahmoud Fawzi said the House's opening procedural session on Tuesday will be held amid severe anti-coronavirus measures.

"All MPs will have to wear face masks, use sanitisers and observe social distancing," said Fawzi, also revealing that "Tuesday's opening session will be aired live on state TV."

Once elected, Abdel-Aal will deliver a speech outlining the roles of the new parliament in the coming stage.

A number of MPs representing political parties and independents are also expected to take the floor to address MPs.

On Wednesday, another procedural session will be held to open the door for MPs who wish to run for the leading posts of the House's 25 committees. Each MP will also have to elect a chairman, two deputies and one secretary-general for each committee.

On Thursday, MPs will meet to take note of the final lists of members of each committee.

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New Delhi, Jan 12 : American fashion brand Fossil brand on Tuesday launched the newest addition to its wearables assortment-- the Gen 5 LTE Touchscreen Smartwatch.

Enabled with 4G cellular connectivity powered by Verizon, Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform and Wear OS by GoogleTM, Android phone users can stay more connected with texting and calling abilities without needing their phone.

"Users can enjoy audible functionality, calls, and hear responses from Google Assistant - when you ask a question or tell it to perform an action, you can hear Google speak back to you," the company said in a statement.

As the newest iteration of Fossil's latest touchscreen smartwatch, users will also enjoy software updates from Wear OS by Google and Fossil Group, speaker functionality, smart battery modes and 8GB storage.

The new smartwatch is launching first in the US and specifically designed for Android phone users with eligible Verizon service.

To connect the cellular functionality, Gen 5 LTE comes with the integrated 4G LTE modem in the Snapdragon Wear platform with an eSIM chip, making Fossil the first mass-market fashion brand on Wear OS by Google to offer eSIM.

The new smartwatch launches with 2 colourways in stunning combinations of black straps on a smoketone stainless steel and blush straps on a rose gold-tone case.

With a 45 mm case size and endless strap options, Gen 5 LTE continues to provide consumers with personalized technology in customizable designs and styles.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Update: Vikas Kohli has clarified that the picture he shared was not of his niece, rather it was a stock photo:

Did Virat Kohlis brother share the first glimpse of the Indian captains daughter with Anushka Sharma? Vikas Kohli conveyed his excitement of becoming an uncle by posting a picture of a babys feet. He penned an adorable message welcoming the little one to the family.

READ: Fans Gush Over The Birth Of Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma's Baby Girl, Flood Social Media

Virat Kohlis brothers post

Vikas Kohli termed the feeling of the birth of Virushkas first child as happiness overboard. He sweetly termed the baby as the angel in the house, with animated characters forming the 'welcome' sign.

READ:Virat Anushka Baby News: 'Congratulations Captain' Trends After Major Announcement

Virat Kohli-Anushka become parents

Virat Kolhi announced on Monday that he had been blessed with a daughter, and that the baby and mother Anushka Sharma were doing good.

"We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time.

Love, Virat," he wrote.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma had tied the knot in a grand but extremely private ceremony in Italy on December 11, 2017. They had announced on August 27, 2020 that they were expecting their first baby in January.

The Indian Captain is currently on paternity leave after leading India in the First Test against Australia Down Under, and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane took over for the remaining matches.

Anushka Sharma, whose last film as an actress was Zero in 2018, produced ventures like Paatal Lok and Bulbbul last year.

READ: Virat, Anushka Welcome Baby Girl: Bollywood Celebs Congratulate Couple With Warm Wishes

READ: Fan Pays Tribute To MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli, Recreates A Kishore Kumar Classic | Watch

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the trenching program on the Evelyn Property has resumed following the holiday season with Company geologists and equipment having returned to the property on January 7. The trenching program was initiated in the fall of 2020 to follow-up geological mapping and sampling programs completed in 2019 and 2020.

To date, a total of 230 samples have been assayed from the trenching program. The trenches have been completed on-strike of selected high grade grab samples recovered during the previous field programs to explore for vein continuity under alluvial cover as well as to determine and confirm structural and vein orientations. In addition, trenches have been completed covering selected areas based on interpretation of the Drone magnetic survey completed on the property in 2020. The trenching has widely expanded the footprint of mineralization on the property and has resulted in further resolution of the geological picture. Higher grade mineralization consists of quartz veins and veinlets, ranging from 2 - 3 centimeters up to 1.5 metres hosted by fault and fracture zones with minor oxidized pyrite, iron oxide, copper bearing oxide and carbonate minerals, and locally minor to trace amounts of galena, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite. Alteration of the host rocks incudes iron bearing carbonate minerals, quartz, and sericite. Assays from the trenching program previously released with Au values greater that 1 gram per tonne (g/t) are summarized in the table below and are illustrated in the map below. Results from the trenching program have been reported in three separate releases during November and December 2020.

Additional Trenching and Permitting

As of the resumption of trenching on January 7, a larger and heavier Excavator (Caterpillar 330) is being used to deal with thick and difficult cover, realize target bedrock depths, and complete the trenches at a greater rate. In December 2020, the Company applied for a new permit to complete a second phase trenching program. This permit is expected to be granted within the next 6 weeks and should allow the Company to complete the currently permitted trenching and continue without delay into Phase 2. The objectives of Phase 2 trenching remain the same; to continue to develop known showing and explore selected new areas. The Company will continue to follow its safety protocols designed to be consistent with the Mexico Government guidelines with regards to COVID-19.

"We are extremely impressed with the exploration results of 2020 from the Evelyn property including the high grades of some of the recent trench sampling. Our plan for 2021 is to capitalize on this momentum and swiftly prepare for a drilling program on the Evelyn Gold Project," said Ron Goguen, President & CEO of Colibri.

Table of Samples Greater than 1 g/t Au, 2020 Trenching Program





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/71839_de450f923465e93d_001full.jpg





Map 1: Gold Samples at Evelyn Gold Project as of December 31, 2020

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/71839_de450f923465e93d_002full.jpg

About Evelyn Gold Project

The Evelyn property is an orogenic-type gold project located in the Caborca Gold Belt of Sonora Mexico. The Caborca gold belt hosts several past producing gold mines and currently producing mines include La Herradura, Mexico's largest gold mine, which produced 482,722 ounces of gold in 2019 at an average grade of 0.8 gram per tonne Au (located approximately 25 km west of Evelyn), and the Noche Buena mine, which produced 127,166 ounces Au at an average grade of 0.55 g/t Au in 2019 (located approximately 9 km southwest of Evelyn). Data generated to date on the Evelyn project includes geological mapping, 230 trench samples, 341 outcrop and sub-crop samples, property-wide soil samples, property-wide magnetic survey, and five drill holes.

Sampling, Analyses, and QAQC

The samples collected during the trenching program are chip samples of outcrop and sub-crop exposed in the trenches. Sample preparation and assays are completed at ALS Minerals in Hermosillo, Sonora using industry standard sample preparation and analytical techniques for Au determination. QAQC implemented by the Company includes the use of Certified Reference Materials and the completion of duplicate analyses. All samples were in the possession of Company geologist from collection to submission at the ALS Laboratory in Hermosillo.

Qualified Person

Jamie Lavigne, P. Geo and a Director for Colibri is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

About Colibri Resource Corporation:

Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) focused on acquiring and exploring properties in Mexico. The Company currently has five active projects at various stages of exploration. The Evelyn Gold Project is 100% owned and explored by the Company and four projects Pilar, El Mezquite, Jackie, and Pitaya are currently subject to joint venture or earn agreements to arms length parties.

For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.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.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These 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, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate.

For further information: Ronald J. Goguen, President, Chairperson and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, rongoguen@colibriresource.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71839
"We are excited to welcome Elliot and Karin to the Advisory Board as we continue to further our goal of improving the delivery of health care in an impactful way that is efficient and equitable. They each bring distinct and exceptional perspectives to this role -- from prioritizing the underserved to transforming industries -- that Ariadne Labs will greatly benefit from," said Asaf Bitton, Executive Director, Ariadne Labs.

Elliot Cohen is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of PillPack, which was acquired by Amazon in 2018. He is a senior lecturer at MIT's Sloan School of Management and a Founder Partner at Founder Collective. Prior to co-founding PillPack, he founded and directed MIT's Hacking Medicine program. Mr. Cohen graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in computer science and cognitive science. Mr. Cohen also has an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management .

is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of PillPack, which was acquired by Amazon in 2018. He is a senior lecturer at and a Founder Partner at Founder Collective. Prior to co-founding PillPack, he founded and directed Hacking Medicine program. Mr. Cohen graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in computer science and cognitive science. Mr. Cohen also has an MBA from . Karin S. Leschly , MD, FAAFP, serves as the Medical Director of Quality Improvement and Population Health at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, one of the largest federally qualified community health centers in the nation. Prior to her quality role, she was the Medical Director of the Family Medicine Department at EBNHC where she led several initiatives including continuity site expansion of Boston University Family Medicine Residency, integrating Behavioral Health into primary care, and opening another site with advanced access in Winthrop for the EBNHC Family Medicine Department. She led practice transformation of the Patient Center Medical Home efforts and is continuing this work with Community Care Cooperative's (C3) Medicaid ACO while practicing full spectrum Family Medicine. She is an Assistant Professor in Family Medicine at Boston University where she precepts BUFM residents and teaches Introduction to Family Medicine. She has an MD from Jefferson Medical College and completed a Residency in Family Medicine at the Brown University . She received a BA in biochemistry from Harvard. Outside of work you can usually find her with one of her five daughters, her husband of 25 years or jogging on a New England trail.

Elliot and Karin join the following current members of Ariadne Labs' Advisory Board:

Don Berwick

Andrew Dreyfus

Atul Gawande , Founder and Chairman of the Governance Council

, Founder and Chairman of the Governance Council Peter Hecht

Eric S. Lander

Elizabeth Nabel

Michelle Williams

Jason Yeung

Gwill York

About Ariadne Labs:

Ariadne Labs is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. We develop simple, scalable solutions that dramatically improve the delivery of health care at critical moments to save lives and reduce suffering. Our vision is for health systems to deliver the best possible care for every patient, everywhere, every time. Visit ariadnelabs.org to learn more and covid19.ariadnelabs.org to learn about Ariadne Labs' response to COVID-19.

Media Contact: Brigid Tsai, [email protected]

SOURCE Ariadne Labs

Related Links

http://www.ariadnelabs.org


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 06:02:20|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations counter-terrorism chief on Tuesday called on the international community to keep continued vigilance against the real ongoing threat.

"Terrorist activity has shown that we must remain extremely vigilant: the threat remains real and even direct for many states," Vladimir Voronkov, UN undersecretary-general of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, told the virtual meeting on the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

He warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the need for action, as terrorists take advantage of the crisis to exploit new technologies and linkages with organized crime groups.

"Terrorists have sought to exploit disruptions arising from COVID-19. They have sought to benefit from the setbacks to the development and human rights agendas, riding on the wavetops of polarization and hate speech amplified by the pandemic," he said. "The threat has become even more difficult to prevent, with low-cost, low-tech attacks against soft targets by so called lone wolves."

The Security Council convened the ministerial-level meeting to review global cooperation in combatting terrorism in the 20 years since members unanimously adopted a resolution following the Sept. 11 attacks against the United States.

Resolution 1373 called for criminalizing terrorism financing, and for greater information sharing by states, among other measures. The Council also established a Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor its implementation.

Voronkov also stressed the need for better engagement with civil society, but also with youth, the business sector, and the scientific community.

The UN counter-terrorism chief called for boosting international cooperation against terrorism, and for renewed commitment to address underlying factors that drive its spread, while underlining the role of the Security Council in ensuring global unity against this persistent threat.

"Your voice is critical to emphasize that preventing and countering terrorism is necessary to facilitate decisive progress on the interlinked peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights agendas," he said. Enditem
THE controversial demolition of an historic Limerick building is unlikely to take place for a number of weeks.

Over the weekend, a number of parties, including Independent councillor Elisa ODonovan said the knocking of Curragower House in Clancys Strand was set to take place this Monday.

It came after An Bord Pleanala gave approval to Derry Corbett to demolish the existing building and replace it with one house, three apartments and a cafe.

Over the weekend, Cllr ODonovan Tweeted the Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan to urge him to step in and prevent it from happening.

Demolition of Curragower House is due to take place on Monday. @greenparty_ie @noonan_malcolm can you not intervene as Minister for Heritage to save it I dont see how knocking this building to build a cafe and two apartments is essential works pic.twitter.com/AiTY6Yc5Uf January 9, 2021

 It's all quiet at Curragower House in #Limerick at the moment, amid reports demolition was to commence on the building in Clancy's Strand today. For more, see @Limerick_Leader later. pic.twitter.com/vzFRcoPVFM  Nick Rabbitts (@Nick468official) January 11, 2021

Sorry to hear that the demolition of Curragower House is imminent.@elisaodonovan @Nick468official@Limerick_Leader https://t.co/buPyLkiIW9  HAYES SOLICITORS LIMERICK ( 061) 469504 #Limerick (@HayesLimerick) January 9, 2021

This Monday however, no workmen were on site, with a well-placed source indicating that the start date for demolition as stated by the developer following the grant of the planning permission was purely arbitrary.

Its also likely the work is not considered as being essential, so is not allowed to take place under the rules of the third national lockdown.

Nothing is going to happen on that site for the next few days, or probably weeks, the Limerick Leader has been informed.

Fifteen conditions put out by An Bord Pleanala in its approval of the scheme need to be satisfied before it is knocked, and its understood these are not all in place.

All compliance requests need to be met. Then the agent would need to submit the name of contractor, and give formal notice before demolishing it. Its potentially months away, the source added.

There has been huge opposition to the planned demolition of the red-brick unit by the River Shannon.

In 2019, councillors passed a notice of motion to add it to the Register of Protected structures (RPS), which would stop any changes to the building.

But at the time, council bosses said they would only examine this possibility, despite members claiming it is in their gift to decide what buildings are protected.

An Taisce and solicitor Michelle Hayes have opposed the knocking of Curragower House.

The Limerick Leader has contacted the agent on the project, Healy Partners for comment.
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Representatives of social media firms, including Twitter, are and will always remain safe in India: IT Ministry.

Through its actions, deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India's legal system: IT Ministry.

Twitter attempting to dictate terms to world's largest democracy: IT Ministry.
Social media companies would have to sign up to an Australian code of conduct on the way they silence free speech and shut down accounts, under a federal push for greater oversight after Twitter and Facebook suspended posts by US President Donald Trump.

Liberal MPs called for the voluntary code as a practical first step to introduce transparency and accountability to public debate on the online platforms, while raising the prospect of passing new federal laws to mandate the code if necessary.

US President Donald Trump's ban from Twitter has sparked calls from Australian MPs for a code of conduct on social media companies. Credit:AP

The calls put an early proposal on the agenda within the federal Coalition party room as cabinet ministers express frustration at Twitter's move to take down Mr Trump's account but struggle to name a policy solution to the private company's control of the content posted on its site.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has slammed Twitter's move and questioned why the company took down Mr Trump's tweets when it would not remove a Chinese Foreign Ministry tweet last year that showed an Australian soldier holding a knife to a young child's throat.
DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 35 years, the Little Caesars Love Kitchen has traveled across the United States and Canada to donate and serve pizza meals to those in need. An estimated 50,000 Little Caesars franchise owners and employees have volunteered their time to support the program and feed over 3.5 million people in their local communities.

As a new year begins, the Love Kitchen team's philosophy of giving back and making a difference remains strong. In February, and in partnership with Mitch Albom's SAY Detroit charities, the Love Kitchen will donate and serve pizza in its hometown of Detroit at the SAY Detroit Play Center, in addition to the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

In 2020, the Love Kitchen traveled across the United States, aiding in multiple natural disaster relief efforts, including serving victims and first responders of the Nashville tornados; the Midland, Michigan flooding; Hurricane Laura in Texas and Louisiana; Hurricane Sally in Florida; Hurricane Delta in Louisiana; Hurricane Zeta in Alabama; and the wildfires in Oregon.

Consistent with every year since its inception, the Love Kitchen also conducted many non-natural disaster related servings at local community organizations across the country.

In addition, in 2020, Little Caesars donated more than 1 million pizzas to hospital workers and first responders and an additional 251,000 pizzas were donated by customers through the Little Caesars Pie it Forward initiative.

"The Love Kitchen embodies Little Caesars strong tradition of giving back and we're committed to continuing this work in 2021 and beyond," said Dave Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars. "As a family company, we know the importance of supporting the communities in which we serve. I'm thankful for our franchisees and crew members who make this possible."

ABOUT LITTLE CAESARS

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant. Today, Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world, with company and franchise-owned stores in each of the 50 U.S. states and 26 countries and territories.

Little Caesars recently introduced contactless options for both delivery and carry-out through the Little Caesars app. Pizzas are baked in 475-degree ovens to ensure food safety and never touched after baking. The chain has also reinforced cleanliness and sanitization procedures, increasing the frequency of cleaning commonly touched surfaces including door handles, glass, countertops, Pizza Portal surfaces, phones, and cash registers.

Known for its HOT-N-READY pizza and famed Crazy Bread, Little Caesars has been named "Best Value in America" for the past 13 years (based on nationwide survey of national quick service restaurant customers conducted by Sandelman & Associates - 2007-2019 entitled "Highest Rated Chain  Value for the Money"). Little Caesars products are made with quality ingredients, like fresh, never frozen, mozzarella and Muenster cheese and sauce made from fresh-packed, vine-ripened California crushed tomatoes.

An exceptionally high growth company with 60 years of experience in the $145 billion worldwide pizza industry, Little Caesars is continually looking for franchisee candidates to join our team in markets around the world. In addition to providing the opportunity for entrepreneurial independence in a franchise system, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized and appealing characters in the country, Little Caesar.

SOURCE Little Caesars Pizza

Related Links

http://www.littlecaesars.com


Two months after Walden voters ousted Mayor Bill Trohanis and replaced him with then-Vice Mayor Lee Davis, the new mayor is making good on his campaign promises.

Tuesday evening, during their regular January monthly meeting, Mayor Davis and other Walden council members will reconsider the towns controversial 2019 approval of a plan to convert the old Lines Orchids greenhouse site into a so-called village center.

Highlighting the agenda for Tuesdays meeting is a resolution which contends that Walden officials violated both state law and the towns zoning ordinances when they went along with attorney/developer John Andersons plans to build a large supermarket/gas station/retail complex/parking lot on the site.

Consequently, the proposed resolution says, Mayor Lee Davis is hereby authorized and directed to take all appropriate actions to invalidate the 2019 (Ordinance 331) approving the rezoning . . . and to carry out the intent and purpose of this resolution, which is to comply with state law and the zoning ordinance  and to correct the erroneous passage of Ordinance 331.

If approved, the resolution will also end the towns opposition to a lawsuit opposing the grocery store complex filed last year in Hamilton County Circuit Court by Linda Collins, Gary D. Smith and Anthony J. Wheeler.

From now on, it says, Walden officials and attorneys will cooperate with the petitioners in the lawsuit.

Mayor Davis, a longtime attorney, has been a staunch opponent of developer Andersons plan to clear the way for the supermarket complex by rezoning the Lines Orchids property as a village center. The project  which is currently stalled in Bradley County Court now that all Hamilton County judges have recused themselves from hearing it  has languished for over a year.

The issue was a major bone of contention between former Mayor Trohanis, who supports the proposed 44,000-square-foot grocery and retail complex, and Mayor Davis during their sometimes-heated campaign this past fall.

Anybody whos ever seen a village center can look at this and see that its not a village center, Attorney Davis told voters during his mayoral campaign. Its a strip mall.
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The official supervising the agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions is warning that Tehran's decision to ramp up uranium enrichment could undermine efforts to keep the deal alive amid diplomatic efforts to bring the United States back on board.

foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Iran's intention to enrich uranium up to 20 per cent at the Fordo underground nuclear facility is a very serious development and a matter of deep concern, and has very severe proliferation implications. Last week, Iran began enriching uranium to levels unseen since the deal was struck in 2015.

Iran has argued that it is no longer obliged to respect limits laid out in the pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, because President Donald Trump violated it first by pulling the United States out of the deal in 2018, which resulted in crippling sanctions on Iran's moribund economy.

The deal offers Iran economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, but with the reinstatement of American sanctions, the other signatories China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.K. have struggled to provide Iran the assistance it seeks.

President-elect Joe Biden has said he hopes to return the US to the deal, which was negotiated while he was vice president. Borrell and the other countries would welcome such a move.

At this critical juncture, Iran's action also risks undermining efforts aimed at building upon the existing diplomatic process. We urge Iran to refrain from further escalation and reverse this course of action without delay, Borrell said in his statement, released late Monday.

He said that full and timely cooperation with the Atomic Energy Agency "remains critical.

Borrell added that the EU looks forward to working with the incoming U.S. administration. Despite Iran's violations, the IAEA has reported that Tehran continues to give inspectors full access to its nuclear sites a key reason the signatories say it is worth preserving.
In 1993, having determined that the Government of Sudan was harboring and supporting terrorists, including the leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization Osama bin Laden, the United States designated Sudan a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

Such a listing has serious consequences: the country in question becomes an international pariah. Investors avoid a designated country, while other countries are wary of dealing with it. The United States is barred from providing many kinds of direct assistance, imposes a variety of export controls, and works to oppose lending to such a country from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. A designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism limits a countrys ability to participate in the global economic system.

The designation also cost Sudan its sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that makes governments immune to civil suits or criminal prosecution. As a result, victims of al-Qaida attacks and their families sued the government of Sudan for restitution in U.S. courts. In separate cases, U.S. courts ruled that Sudan owed reparations to the families of the victims of the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya and to the families of 17 U.S. sailors who died as the result of a bomb attack in Yemen on the U.S. naval destroyer Cole.

In August 2019, the people of Sudan overthrew its long-time dictator and the new, provisional government declared that its top priority was to rid Sudan of its pariah status and to join the community of nations once again. To that end, the government of Sudan agreed to settle the judgements against it by making available 335 million, to be distributed among the plaintiffs. Following further review of Sudans progress, on December 14, the United States removed Sudan from its State Sponsor of Terrorism list. On December 28 the Consolidated Appropriations Act was enacted, which included language that provided a path towards the restoration of most of Sudans sovereign immunities.

This step represents a fundamental change in Sudans relationship with not only the United States but also the entire international community. It removes a major impediment to Sudans full reintegration into the global economy by reducing the risk of attachment of Sudans assets, opening the possibility for substantially increased trade and investment, said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a written statement.

We commend the Sudanese people for their continued insistence on freedom, peace, and justice.
Ukraine supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders.

Ukraine's position on Transnistria remains unchanged, President Volodymyr Zelensky assured in a statement following the signing of bilateral documents with President of Moldova Maia Sandu in Kyiv on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The event was held without the participation of the media outlets; it was broadcast live on the Facebook page of the head of the Ukrainian state.

Today we discussed the situation in the Transnistrian region of Moldova and exchanged views on our further steps regarding Transnistria, in particular taking into account the mediating role of Ukraine in the 5+2 format. I would like to emphasize once again that Ukraine's position regarding the Transnistrian settlement remains unchanged  we firmly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders, Zelensky stressed.

President of Moldova Maia Sandu is on her first official visit to Ukraine on January 12, 2021.

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WASHINGTON - The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week's deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

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FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, in Washington. Federal prosecutors say a retired Air Force officer who was part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol was arrested Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Texas. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

WASHINGTON - The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week's deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Bidens Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC.

Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January, the bulletin said, according to one official. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The FBI issued at least one other bulletin  they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic  before the riots last week. On Dec. 29, it warned of the potential for armed demonstrators targeting legislatures, the second official said.

While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners with maintaining public safety in the communities we serve," the bureau said in a statement. Our efforts are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity.

The FBI said it wasn't focused on peaceful protests but "on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property.

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country,

Were keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that were monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close co-ordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested, he said.

The riots followed weeks of online calls for violence in the nation's capital in the waning days of Donald Trump's presidency. There have been several arrests, and at least two Capitol police officers, one who took a selfie with rioters, and another who put on a Make America Great Again hat, were suspended. At least a dozen more are under investigation, according to lawmakers.

A tweet in which Trump promised that last Wednesday's event in Washington, D.C., will be wild fueled a month-long frenzy of incitements, strategizing, and embrace of violence against lawmakers, according to a research group that tracks online extremism activity, In a report issued Saturday, the SITE Intelligence Group also warned that the Capitol attack has emboldened Trump-supporting extremists.

No matter how all this plays out, its only the beginning, posted a user on TheDonald message board, according to the report.

Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism, said authorities in state capitals and other major cities besides Washington should prepare for the possibility of violent protests next week.

A lot of people were energized by what happened last week, he said. State capitals are a natural place where people might want to show up, especially assuming that they think there might be a huge presence of police and military in D.C. because of what happened last week.

Pitcavage tracks militia, white supremacists and other far-right extremists, but he said the Capitol siege demonstrated the emergence of a new movement of Trumpist extremists, so caught up in the cult of personality around Trump that they may be willing to break the law or engage in violence purely in support of Trump and whatever he wants."

The talk of armed marches next week isn't limited to radicalized Trump supporters. State capital events on Jan. 17 appear to be promoted by supporters of the anti-government, pro-gun boogaloo movement. Boogaloo followers advocate for a second civil war or the collapse of society, and they don't adhere to a coherent political philosophy.

Posts on social media sites also have promoted a Million Militia March on the day of Biden's inauguration. Pitcavage said the event, apparently organized by a promoter of the pro-Trump "QAnon" conspiracy theory, appears unlikely to draw a massive crowd.

Javed Ali, a former FBI senior intelligence officer who teaches courses in counterterrorism at the University of Michigan, said it can be challenging for law enforcement to identify the line between people exercising their constitutionally protected rights to bear arms and free speech and those who pose "a real operational threat."

The FBI just can't passively sit in websites and forums and social media platforms, waiting to see who's going to present a direct threat versus just someone who is being highly radicalized, he said. There has to be an investigative predicate for the FBI to then start even the lowest form of an investigation."

David Deitch, an attorney who was a prosecutor in the Justice Departments counterterrorism section from 2003 to 2007, said law enforcement must recognize a tenuous balance between protected free speech and speech that intends to incites violence.

It's a very fact-based, case-by-case determination, he said. There's no one factor that's going to determine all of it. It's certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.

Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland. Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley was left with a broken collarbone after falling from a trapeze in the stage musical Pippin on December 30.

It's now understood the 67-year-old show business veteran will undergo surgery, two weeks after her horrific fall.

The beloved entertainer will return to hospital on Wednesday for the procedure, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Paying a visit: Kerri-Anne Kennerley (centre) reunited with the cast of the stage musical Pippin on Monday after suffering a horrific fall during a performance last month

The news comes after the former Studio 10 presenter reunited with the cast and crew of Pippin on Monday, with her arm in a sling.

Kerri-Anne was all smiles as she posed with her arm in a sling, sharing pictures of the reunion to Instagram.

'It was so nice to see my @pippinaustralia family,' Kerri-Anne wrote in the caption.

'They have been so supportive and I miss performing with them and being a part of the show.'

Support: She also thanked fans for their support, writing on Instagram: 'Thank you for everyone's well wishes. I am truly blessed to have the best fans and friends in the world'

She then thanked fans for their support, writing: 'Thank you for everyone's well wishes. I am truly blessed to have the best fans and friends in the world.'

Last month, Kerri-Anne broke her ankle and collarbone after suffering a horrific fall from a trapeze during a performance of Pippin at Sydney's Lyric Theatre.

She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital 'as a precaution' and bowed out of the musical.

Horrific: Last month, Kerri-Anne broke her ankle and collarbone after suffering a horrific fall from a trapeze during a performance of Pippin at Sydney's Lyric Theatre. She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital 'as a precaution' and bowed out of the musical

Footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed the shocking moment the former Studio 10 host dropped to the floor as the audience gasped in horror.

An X-ray also showed the full extent of her injuries, which left her in a 'significant amount of pain'.

In a statement released by her management at the time, Kerri-Anne confirmed she would no longer be starring in the stage production.

Shocking: Footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed the shocking moment the former Studio 10 host dropped to the floor mid-performance as the audience gasped in horror

'Good riddance to 2020,' she said. 'Pippin has genuinely been one of the great experiences of my life exceeding all my expectations.'

She added that she loved the cast 'more than ever', before saying of the accident: 'What happened is just a random misstep in the trapeze and circus world.

'I've always felt safe in their hands but accidents just happen. I was trained well and loved getting stronger and the routine smoother.

Poor KAK! An X-ray also showed the full extent of her injuries, which left her in a 'significant amount of pain'

'I'm devastated that I can't finish the run. It was just so much fun. I broke my collarbone quite severely and have a slight chip of my ankle bone.'

Kerri-Anne said she would know 'within a week' if she needed surgery.

'I'm hoping my injury will heal in the natural course of time, but for now I have to bow out. I will miss my Pippin family!' she concluded.

Kerri-Anne was playing the supporting character Grandma Berthe in Pippin, and her signature song involved climbing atop a 15ft (4.5m) trapeze.
PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Rebecca Boyle was elected president of the Orange Board of Education at the boards first meeting of the year Monday (Jan. 11).

Boyle, who served as the boards vice president last year, replaces Beth Wilson-Fish, who was board president the past two years. Boyle has served on the board since January 2018.

Melanie Weltman, a former board president, was elected the boards vice president. She joined the board in 2013.

Boyle, of Orange, and Weltman, of Pepper Pike, were both administered the oath of office by district Treasurer Todd Puster after being elected by their peers.

The meeting was held in person at the Pepper Pike Learning Center, with board members wearing face masks and seated at least 6 feet from one another. Wilson-Fish, Boyle and Weltman attended in person, and board members Jeffrey Leikin and Deborah Kamat joined the meeting remotely.

Survey results reported

With the Orange City School District resuming its hybrid learning model this week, 59 percent of Orange High School students are continuing to learn at home via fully remote instruction.

That information was part of the results of a survey of district families that Superintendent Lynn Campbell reported to the school board Monday.

Campbell said the survey was sent to families, just before winter break in December, to gain information for registration. Parents were asked if they wanted to continue with fully remote learning for their children in the second semester or take advantage of the in-person, hybrid option.

All students continued in fully remote learning when they returned from winter break on Jan. 4 and were given the option to resume the hybrid model -- which the district had offered for three weeks in November -- on Monday.

The numbers for Brady Middle School students are the opposite of those from Orange High School: 41 percent of Brady students opted to remain fully remote, with 59 percent choosing the hybrid model.

At Moreland Elementary School, 38.6 percent are still learning remotely, and 61.4 percent opted for the hybrid model.

Families were also asked in the survey what their preference would be when the district offers an all-day, in-person model, which it hopes to do during the third quarter.

At Orange High School, the number opting for all-day, in-person learning would increase to 61.4 percent, as opposed to 38.6 percent staying fully remote, Campbell said.

It would be 74 percent in-person vs. 26 percent remote at Brady Middle School and 75 percent in-person vs. 25 percent remote at Moreland Hills Elementary School.

So, its quite an increase at each building if we had an all-day option, Campbell said.

Campbell noted that the district had a response rate of better than 90 percent for the survey.

Parents were also asked for feedback about the districts fully remote and hybrid models. They were asked to rate each model on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the lowest rating and 4 the highest.

For the remote learning model, 21 percent of parents gave it a 4, 46.3 percent a 3, 24 percent a 2 and 8.6 percent a 1.

So the overall rating for the remote learning experience as a district was relatively positive, Campbell said.

The ratings for the hybrid model were much higher overall, Campbell noted, as 45 percent gave it a 4, 40 percent a 3, 11 percent a 2 and only 3.4 percent a 1.

So the few weeks we were in-person with our hybrid model had 85 percent of respondents giving it a 3 or 4, he said. They love being in school and seeing staff.

More instructional time

Campbell said a consistent thread through the survey was that parents would like to see more instructional time and more engagement for their children, especially those in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Comments were very positive about the efforts of the teachers and staff to be engaging and to keep the kids motivated, he said. Our community acknowledges that by and large, the teachers are working very hard to make the most of in-person hybrid (learning), as well as remote learning.

But were not perfect, and we are working to improve. For now, we want to dig in and do hybrid, in-person really well, keep doing our remote really well and tweaking and monitoring the trends, so we can make an educated and informed decision on when we can begin moving forward with an all-day model.

Weltman said shes hopeful that the district can respond to the desire that has been expressed by many parents for more instructional time for their children, especially those in K-5.

I dont want to put children, especially younger children, under undue stress if its too much screen time, and we do have a number of children in that situation, she said. Is there a way we can either extend (instructional time) a bit or that we can have enrichment time for students who need that perhaps?

Campbell said Renee Tuttle, principal of Moreland Hills Elementary School, was working with teachers there before winter break about what could be done with the other half of the day, when children are learning remotely in the hybrid model.

Our Moreland leadership team got together, and we brainstormed ways that we can increase some of the rigor for our students on the opposite cohort of our schedule, Tuttle said.

At this point, we offer intervention in math, reading and also gifted intervention, and also some of the support services, so that our students arent missing that core instructional time. So we have some things in the works right now to increase some of those opportunities on the opposite cohort.

Prom dinner at Rock Hall?

The board reviewed a contract with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to provide a prom dinner for Orange High School seniors on April 24 at that venue in Cleveland at a cost of $8,000.

It also reviewed a contract for All Access Catering to cater the dinner at a cost of about $19,200 for an estimated 320 guests.

The district has paid a $1,000 deposit to the Rock Hall to reserve the date for the event.

Boyle asked whether the district has a backup plan if the event has to be postponed or canceled due to the ongoing nature of the coronavirus pandemic.

I know (Orange High School Principal Paul) Lucas is having discussions with high school activity advisers, Campbell said. Ive asked him to put some things together, and he assured me hes on it.

Weltman said, If we couldnt do it April 24, and we could do it in June, shortly after graduation, I would want to make it happen.

A matter of six weeks would be much better than if it was canceled, she said. I know the kids last year would have been happy with something in June.

Campbell said he believed the district received a full credit from the Rock Hall on the $1,000 deposit it paid for last years prom dinner, which was canceled due to the pandemic, and Lucas confirmed that it did.

It can be a little tougher (to schedule) the later we get, because other schools do have the Rock Hall also booked, Lucas said. But I know the Rock Hall has been great to work with, and they would be willing to help us do whatever.

Were trying to have alternate plans for a senior dinner, what we can we do if the venue isnt allowed to host us.

The board did not vote on the contracts, in order to allow more time for review.

The boards next meeting is at 6 p.m. Jan. 25.

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After 14 years studying the action of the enzyme LMWPTP in tumor cells, Brazilian researchers conclude that the molecule is associated with chemotherapy resistance and metastasis.

The abundant presence of an enzyme known as low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMWPTP) in tumor cells has long been considered an indicator of cancer aggressiveness and metastatic potential. It is also known to perform important functions in cells under normal conditions, participating in both the proliferation process and the regulation of intracellular systems. Research continues on its role in cancer progression.

In Brazil, a group of researchers at the University of Campinass In Vitro Bioassay and Signal Transduction Laboratory led by Professor Carmen Verissima Ferreira-Halder are studying the possibility of inhibiting this protein phosphatase to create novel opportunities for monitoring and treatment of cancer and other diseases.

We believe inhibition of LMWPTP could contribute to the treatment of several diseases, Ferreira-Halder said. In our case, the focus is on cancer, but research shows its also associated with autoimmune diseases and diabetes, among others.

Ferreira-Halder was principal investigator for the Thematic Project Low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase in colorectal cancer: from the bench to product generation, supported by FAPESP and completed in June 2020.

The phosphatase favors the action of intratumor proteins that help tumors divide, migrate and establish metastasis. For this reason we say its a hub, in the sense that it controls several processes which together make tumor cells resistant to treatment and able to migrate and establish metastasis, she said.

A review article by the group published in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences outlines 14 years of research on LMWPTP and its contribution to cancer treatment. Our group was one of the first to show that this enzyme contributes to chemotherapy resistance in leukemia cells, Ferreira-Halder said. We also found that the more advanced the stage of the tumor, the larger the amount of the enzyme. With these discoveries as a basis, research conducted in collaboration with the group led by Professor Maikel Peppelenbosch at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam [Erasmus MC, Netherlands] validated the significance of LMWPTP to other types of cancer, such as prostate, colorectal and stomach cancer. This research showed us that LMWPTP not only weakens the response to chemotherapy drugs but is also associated with a greater capacity for metastasis.



Druggable target



The review article, whose first author is Alessandra Valeria de Sousa Faria, also discusses the available substances that inhibit LMWPTP and the characteristics that make it difficult for drugs to be designed against it. Ferreira-Halder believes it is not yet possible to speak of treatment based on inhibition of LMWPTP, but the strategy can be used for other purposes.

Our initial aim is to use this enzyme as a biomarker for the purpose of monitoring treatment, and also to use it to classify patients in terms of the severity of disease. In my view this can be done in a relatively short time, she said. As for treatment, a lot more work remains to be done. Professor Nunzio Bottini at the University of California San Diego [USA] has filed for a patent on a highly effective inhibitor that can be administered orally. Actually he and his group have synthesized several inhibitors, but they have only published one. Maybe were in for a surprise and a drug will be developed faster. Who knows?

The main challenges to be faced in developing inhibitors are specificity  the drug must act specifically on LMWPTP, which is part of a family of some 100 highly similar phosphatases  and stability, so that the drug remains active in the organism. Until Bottini and his group filed their patent application, all inhibitors acted on several members of the family, Ferreira-Halder said.

Some of the substances mentioned in the review were developed for other purposes but also inhibit LMWPTP and could be used to treat cancer, according to Faria, who recently defended her doctoral thesis on how LMWPTP affects platelets, small cell fragments in the bloodstream that play a key role in clotting.



Platelets



Farias research on LMWPTP began with its role in colorectal cancer and platelet reaction in this microenvironment. As our investigation of platelet biology progressed, we realized how much more knowledge of the enzymes action on platelets was needed, she said.

The first part of the study consisted of verifying the action of LMWPTP and the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) on platelets, with regard to both metabolism and function. The second focused on the influence of platelets on the expression of LMWPTP in cells.

The goal was to find out to what extent tumor cells may educate platelets to support certain events, such as metastasis, for example, and conversely how far platelets educate tumor cells to assure their survival and proliferation, Faria explained.

For Ferreira-Halder, the relationship appears to be two-way. However, the action of tumor cells probably predominates. They practically program platelets to work in their favor, she said.

Collaborations

Ferreira-Halder and her group have collaborated with Peppelenboschs since 2004, but work on the Thematic Project completed in June began only 2016, she recalled, adding that experiments conducted by Emanuella Maria Barreto Fonseca and Claudia de Lourdes Soraggi at Peppelenboschs laboratory provided a vitally important foundation for the initial hypotheses. Fonseca was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from FAPESP. Soraggi was able to attend an overseas training course thanks to support from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) via its Executive Vice Rectorship for International Relations.

In our Thematic Project research, we were able to investigate the action of this phosphatase from various angles and validate the hypothesis of its role in other tumors besides chronic myeloid leukemia, Ferreira-Halder said. We wanted to uncover the mechanism of its action, and we now have a great deal of information about this action  not just inside but also outside the tumor, because we set out to see if LMWPTP also influenced the tumors microenvironment external to the cancer cells.

Other research interests for the group during the project included: extracellular vesicles (nanometer-sized structures that play an important role in intercellular communication), with Stefano Piatto Clerici supported by FAPESP showing that LMWPTP regulates these vesicles; platelets, studied by Faria, also with a scholarship from FAPESP; and the TGF-beta signaling pathway, which is involved in many cellular processes such as proliferation and differentiation and was studied by Helon Guimaraes Cordeiro.

The network of collaborators continued to expand, adding an expert in platelet biology (Sheila Siqueira Andrade at PlateInnove Biotech), and a hematologist and an oncologist at Erasmus MC (Moniek de Maat and Gwenny Fuhler respectively).

According to Ferreira-Halder, the Thematic Project has so far spawned 15 publications (eight articles and two book chapters, as well as five articles under peer review), and several other research fronts. A new project in the same line of research is currently being designed.
Two months after revamping the citys emergency travel order, Chicago officials recalibrated the requirements again on Tuesday to give travelers from all states with certain COVID-19 rates the chance to opt out of a mandatory quarantine.

Also on Tuesday, state health officials announced 6,642 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 117 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,040,168 and the statewide death toll to 17,743 since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, teachers may be able to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the coming months, news that comes as the Chicago Teachers Union is fighting a return to physical classrooms as the district returned to school on Monday.

Because not everyone currently eligible to get the shots has taken them, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said those shots should be made available to the next round of 3.2 million eligible recipients in phase 1b  those 65 and older and those who are front-line essential workers. That category includes teachers and other school personnel.

Heres whats happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

6:20 p.m.: Illinois looks toward 2nd phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, though still weeks away for many. Data shows 1 in 45 have had at least 1 shot so far.

Though COVID-19 vaccines could be available soon for essential workers and older people throughout the state, most county health departments in the Chicago area are still working to vaccinate those included in the initial phase  health care workers, and those working and residing in long-term care facilities.

Data released on Tuesday shows that roughly 1 in 45 Illinoisans has gotten at least the first shot of a vaccine, with wide variations across the state.

The new batch of data  the states first broad release of COVID-19 vaccination numbers since vaccinations began about four weeks ago  comes a day after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said county health departments can begin vaccinating people in phase 1b if they have already run through people in the initial phase who want the inoculation, so as not to leave doses sitting on the shelf. The state as a whole remains in phase 1a.

The data comes as Illinois grapples with how best to roll out the vaccine, including when and where to expand vaccinations to senior citizens and front-line essential workers. The states 1b phase includes people 65 and older, and workers such as first responders, teachers, grocery store workers and public transit workers.

Read more here. Madeline Buckley and Joe Mahr

6p.m.: CPS makes good on promise to cut off pay and access to remote learning platform for educators whove refused to show up for in-person classes

In the 10 months Chicago schools were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, any semblance of normalcy for students primarily came from one consistent image: their teachers face on the computer screen of a Google Classroom.

And while Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union have remained at odds over the reopening plan  under which thousands of educators and students were supposed to have reported to schools Monday as phase one launched  for students in some classrooms, that continuity was disrupted Tuesday.

Yesterday, I was locked out of my Google Classroom. This means today when my students log in, they will not have me there to teach them, Linda Perales, a Southwest Side special education teacher at Corkery Elementary, said Tuesday morning. CPS is causing chaos to our students because they are trying to force us back into unsafe conditions.

She spoke during an online news conference, which also touched on a COVID-19 case causing concern among staff at McCutcheon Elementary on the North Side, as well as CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates assertion that there were entire school buildings without the students (the district) thought were coming in Monday.

Union President Jesse Sharkey also said there was an overall lack of procedural guidance for working amid this new normal, such as guidelines on how to identify when to close a classroom or school because of virus transmission.

Perales has spoken at other recent news conferences leading up to the first day of in-person classes Monday for preschool and some special education students whose families chose to return. Along with other staff, she was expected back to in-person work last week and refused to do so, citing safety concerns as the pandemic rages on, much more dangerous now than ever before, she and others maintain.

Though she was among the hundreds of CPS educators who didnt show up on Jan. 4, Perales maintained that was not in defiance of the district because she was teaching remotely, as she said shes done effectively since March.

But as the district began sending repeated letters to the holdouts, reminding them they could be disciplined up to and including termination, about 71% of teachers and 81% of paraprofessional staff expected back went to schools Monday. CPS and city leaders say theyve made a $100 million investment in making schools safe from COVID-19 and point to local private schools that have mostly been open since the fall.

Still, more than 500 teachers were not in attendance Monday, and 235 employees failed health screens. CPS said it issued final notices last week to 210 employees who didnt show in person last week. On Monday, 145 of them  who were again absent  faced the harshest consequences, Perales among them. The district warned it would lock those employees out of their Google Classroom and email accounts, and withhold pay starting Tuesday.

I am worried for my students who will log in today and I wont know who is there teaching them because I know that it wont be me, the person that knows them and knows their routine and knows the work that theyre doing and can meet their needs. Its going to be someone random, Perales said.

4:26 p.m.: Chicago still vaccinating health care workers, no immediate plans to expand to seniors, health commissioner says

Chicago has no immediate plans to start moving into the next phase of COVID-19 vaccination where older people and essential workers could start getting the shots.

Health care workers in the first phase of the vaccination plan are still snapping up doses as they become available, city Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday.

If the demand slows, the city would expand the parameters of those eligible, she said.

Looking ahead, if we get to a point where were hearing from providers that there are vaccines that might not be used, we would probably be encouraging them to start using vaccine in their highest risk patients, the oldest patients with the most underlying conditions, Arwady said at a news conference to discuss vaccine rollout. But that cannot supplant the ongoing work of getting this (phase) 1A group done.

Read more here. John Byrne

3:15 p.m.: New Illinois vaccination data available online

The states first broad release of COVID-19 vaccination data shows that, four weeks into the program, roughly 1 in 45 Illinoisans has gotten at least the first shot of a vaccine, though there is wide variation across the state.

The data comes as Illinois grapples with how best to roll out the vaccine, including when and where to expand vaccination to senior citizens and front-line essential workers.

Throughout the pandemic we have used data to guide our decisions and actions and we will continue to do so for vaccine administration, IDPHs director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, said in a news release.

Illinois is a very diverse state, geographically and in the make-up of its population. It is important to track where we are seeing both high and low vaccination rates. These data will help us understand what actions we can take to end this pandemic as quickly as possible.

The new data shows shots ramping up from about 10,000 a day two weeks ago to approaching 25,000 a day now, based on a rolling seven-day average.

But those shots have been distributed differently across the state. In Sangamon County, the seat of the state capital, more than 4% of the population has gotten at least one dose. In Alexander County  on Illinois southwestern tip  just 0.3% have gotten a dose, or 16 people out of more than 6,000 residents.

The data  which is current as of Monday  also shows that more than 72,000 Illinois residents have gotten both shots, or about 1 in 175 Illinoisans.

Vaccinations began a month ago for healthcare workers and long-term care residents, and the data shows there is plenty more to dole out.

The state says its received nearly 870,000 doses in the past month and has administered roughly 350,000 of them. Thats about 41% of doses received. Similar CDC data shows the states rate of vaccination ranks 25th in the nation as of Monday, according to a Tribune analysis.

Some of the delay can be traced to a subset of the vaccination program  the shots for long-term care residents  in which the federal government is partnering with pharmacies to deliver the shots. The state data shows that less than 18% of those 230,000 doses have been administered.

State officials have said previously that they believe more shots have been delivered than recorded, because those giving the shots have 24 hours to input the data into computers. Theyve also said it can take time to ship the vaccine to places that are vaccinating people.

Illinois became one of the last states in the country to release vaccination data, and its not as complete as the data many other states are offering online to their citizens.

States including North Dakota and Mississippi already are releasing numbers based on race, age and ethnicity. Thats considered key information to ensure the vaccine gets spread fairly. Illinois data also does not contain detailed records of each place within the state thats gotten vaccines, as Georgia and Pennsylvania have done, and what each place has done with their shipments, as in Michigan and South Carolina.

The state health department said in the news release that it would release more detailed data when it could.

Joe Mahr

1:05 p.m.: Chicago travel order revamped again to allow travelers from all restricted states to avoid quarantine with negative COVID-19 test

Two months after revamping the citys emergency travel order, Chicago officials recalibrated the requirements again on Tuesday to give travelers from all states with certain COVID-19 rates the chance to opt out of a mandatory quarantine.

In November, the order had been divided into three tiers to account for the fact that some states the city wants to restrict movement from are faring the same or better than Chicago in terms of coronavirus case numbers. The new requirements will no longer factor city metrics into account but will ease restrictions on people coming from the hardest-hit states.

The November revamp had said the orders most severe red stage, which required a mandatory 10-day quarantine, included all states above Chicagos seven-day rolling average of daily cases per 100,000 residents. The orange stage, which required a quarantine or a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before arrival, had states between 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents and Chicagos daily cases per 100,000 residents. The yellow stage, which had no restrictions, included states under 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents.

Beginning Friday, the travel order will no longer have a red tier, as it will be combined with orange states to include all areas with a rolling average over 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents, according to a news release from the public health department. The new orange stage will have the same requirements  10-day quarantine or a negative COVID-19 test  as it did before. That means states will either be in the orange stage and subject to those restrictions or in yellow with no restrictions.

Hawaii will be the only state in yellow, the news release said. All other states as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., are in orange. But most of the country has been under some form of restriction under Chicagos travel order for a while now, with the majority of the map colored red or orange even before Tuesdays update.

Officials have said the order is meant to educate residents and have not strictly enforced it. And no matter where travelers are coming from, orange or yellow states, they should adhere to public health guidelines that have been in place since the pandemic started.

Regardless of category, people are urged to avoid non-essential travel and to follow standard COVID-19 mitigation practices such as wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and social distancing, the press release said.

Read more here. Alice Yin

12:47 p.m.: Chicago-area restaurant owners hope for a better year, but brace for slow winter

Every step of the pandemic has felt unusual for restaurants, but unlike the uncertainty of most of last year, vaccines are being distributed, adding a glimmer of hope to 2021. Unfortunately, its unclear exactly when most of the public will get access to the vaccines. Adding to the stress is that it is winter, a season traditionally known as the slowest time of the year for restaurants. Plus, indoor dining is still banned in the Illinois, and since its cold, fewer people want to brave outdoor patios.

So how do people in the restaurant industry feel right now? We reached out to chefs and owners from across the city, and the responses were as mixed as youd expect. Many noted the difficulties still ahead, from worrying about financial stability during the winter to concerns about vaccinations. But there was definitely an undercurrent of hope that things will turn around after a disastrous 2020.

I feel optimistic; yes, I do, says Greg Hudgins, owner of Tastee Rolls (130 E. 79th St.), which serves creative takes on egg rolls, including one filled with jerk chicken. He and his fiancee, Angel Williams, opened a second location of the restaurant in Chatham a few months ago.

Because the shop only does to-go service, they havent had to worry about the closing of dining rooms. In fact, not only has business been good for the past few months, they are even considering opening other locations in Atlanta, Las Vegas and maybe California.

But for restaurants that depend on their dining rooms to make money, the feeling is more restrained. Its like recovering from a major surgery, says chef Dan Snowden of Pizza Lobo (3000 W. Fullerton Ave.) in Logan Square. Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but you know its not going to be easy.

Read more here. Nick Kindelsperger

12:10 p.m.: Illinois reports 6,642 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, 117 new deaths on Tuesday

State health officials on Tuesday announced 6,642 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 117 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 1,040,168 and the statewide death toll to 17,743 since the start of the pandemic.

There were 93,491 tests reported in the previous 24 hours. The preliminary statewide test positivity rate is 8.6%.

10:50 a.m.: Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider tests positive for COVID-19, blames maskless Republicans during Capitol riot lockdown

Illinois U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 after being confined with members of Congress who refused to wear masks during the violent pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week.

In his statement, Schneider referenced a video from the new Washington-based news outlet, Punchbowl News, that showed Republican members of Congress refusing requests to wear a mask as a woman went around the room handing them out.

Schneider, a Democrat from north suburban Deerfield, is at least the third member of the House to test positive since the violent pro-Trump mob descended on the Capitol building. Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., also have tested positive for the coronavirus. Watson Coleman is a 75-year-old cancer survivor.

Read more here. Bill Ruthhart

10:40 a.m.: Cicero educators refuse to show up at school: Staff members genuinely afraid to return to unsafe buildings

Despite a request from the Cicero School District 99 superintendent and school board, the vast majority of the districts teachers refused to return to their classrooms on Monday, saying rising COVID-19 rates in the community make school buildings unsafe.

By demanding that we return to classrooms in the midst of the pandemic, Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez and the District 99 Board of Education are not prioritizing the safety of our teachers and school staff, Rachel Esposito, president of the Cicero Council, the districts teachers union, said.

Of the district roughly 11,000 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, less than 2,000 have indicated they would attend in-person classes once the districts 17 buildings are re-opened, Esposito said.

Read more here. Karen Ann Cullotta

9:20 a.m.: State education measure would create commission to address needs of students who have fallen behind during pandemic

Both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly on Monday passed the Legislative Black Caucus broad education proposal that makes changes to statewide education laws from early to higher education.

The education measure is one of four tenets of a the Black Caucus agenda, which lawmakers are considering during the five-day lame-duck session and also includes measures aimed at tackling racial disparities in criminal justice, health care and economic development.

The education legislation includes the creation of a standardized assessment for children entering kindergarten that measures literacy, language, mathematics, and social and emotional development, and also aims to expand access to computer science courses students.

The legislation charges a state education commission with making recommendations on how to address the needs of students who have fallen behind as a result of not being in the classroom during the pandemic.

Read more here. Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella

7:20 a.m.: Dont hold back second doses of COVID-19 vaccine, Trump administration tells states in bid to speed shots to vulnerable

The Trump administration is asking states to speed delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to people older than 65 and others at high risk by no longer holding back the second dose of the two-dose shots, officials said Tuesday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the administration in the states has been too narrowly focused.

As a result, he said, the Trump administration is now asking states to vaccinate people aged 65 and over and those under 65 with underlying health conditions. He said the vaccine production is such that the second dose of the two-shot vaccine can be released without jeopardizing immunization for those who got the first shot.

Read more here. Associated Press

7 a.m.: Older Cook County residents hit by coronavirus economic downturn can use loan program to offset taxes

Older Cook County residents with lower incomes can use a state loan program administered by the county treasurers office to offset the cost of their property taxes, according to a news release from the office.

Homeowners with household income of less than $55,000 a year who will be 65 or older by June 1 can receive a 6% loan of $5,000 or less per year and pay off the loan when a house is sold, according to the release. The deadline to apply is March 1.

More information and applications for whats know as the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program are available at cookcountytreasurer.com.  Chicago Tribune staff

From pizza to doughnuts, burritos to Spam musubi, here are our favorite takeout orders and restaurants in the Chicago area. (Chicago Tribune photos) (Chicago Tribune photos/Chicago Tribune photos)

6 a.m.: Takeout 100  the Tribunes guide to Chicagos best restaurants for pickup and delivery right now

Takeout, once an afterthought, something to grab on the way home from work, has become a lifeline to restaurants  and to us. With dining rooms closed since late October  and with no signs of opening soon  and outdoor seating limited by space, costs and winter, restaurants have stepped up their takeout game, and indeed have been doing so since March 2020. Full meals, DIY meal kits  complete with reheating directions and even playlists  and traditional a la carte, its all there, as close as your cellphone.

But sometimes, its hard to choose. Which is why the Tribunes Food & Dining team has compiled a list of 100 Chicago-area restaurants and bars offering our favorite takeout dishes. Takeout 100 is searchable by ZIP code, address or town, and can be filtered for food type and price range.

Read more here. Chicago Tribune dining staff

In case you missed it
Letters about the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, submitted for publication to The Advocate and The Times-Picayune newspapers in recent days, overwhelmed our capacity to publish them all in our print editions. Following is a representative sample of those letters that could not be included in the print edition, selected and edited in an effort to include as many writers and viewpoints as possible.

Graves pushed democracy toward this 'death spiral'

Shame on Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, for joining fellow Republicans in trying to subvert American democracy by overturning certified election results in battleground states. His reason: the allegation that "a number of voting anomalies took place."

Among the 90 or so judges who looked at these and scores of other bogus allegations were three in appeals court judges in Pennsylvania. The opening paragraph of their decision states: " Calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here." Each of these three judges was nominated by a Republican president.

Our Views: Steve Scalise betrays our democracy with vote to overturn election Among the many betrayals of our democracy we witnessed this week, perhaps none were more disheartening than seeing our own Steve Scalise join 

Even Republican Senate President Mitch McConnell said, "The voters, the courts and the states have spoken. If this election is overturned by mere allegations by the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral." Graves, by his cynical, anti-democratic vote on Jan. 6, pushed his country towards that spiral.

We can do better, Louisiana.

AL GODOY

retired producer

Baton Rouge

With whole world burning, should we turn down heat?

Your Jan. 9 headline was: Threatening Impeachment. But this is not news, really. The bunch behind impeachment has been pushing it or its equivalent in one form or another since before their hated target took office.

What is rather newsworthy, in a Keystone Cops kind of way, is this one's timing. They seem to be trying to outdo Donald Trump in pouring fuel on a fire. There certainly have been reasons aplenty to fire up people of all stripes the past several months on top of the past several years' domestic tensions. You'd think it would be time for a new administration to turn down the heat.

Sane and sober people would certainly say enough  let calm prevail! Is pushing to enact your fantasy of taking out a guy you despise but only has a few days left in office a sensible, much less unifying act?

DOUG ROOME

retired social worker

Metairie

Knew he was dangerous, but the elected aided him

That Donald Trump was a charlatan, a con man, a liar, and a cheat  and therefore possibly dangerous as president  was not a new thought last Wednesday. In the summer of 2015, I thought and said those very words but believed him to be too much of a buffoon to win over Republicans much less a sufficient number of Americans.

Nevertheless, despite what some Republicans (like my representative, Steve Scalise and my senator, John Kennedy) are saying now in defense of Trump, many of us Democratic moderates and liberals hoped and expected that once in office Trump would be presidential  or at least act like a president.

That Trump began and ended his presidency telling vicious lies that stirred the dark racist forces in our society and finally fomented those forces into violence is in no small measure due to Scalise and Kennedy serving as his aiders and abettors. Indeed, both Scalise and Kennedy have directly contributed to the lies and conspiracy theories. They both need to resign.

MAX REICHARD

retired history professor

New Orleans

Where was outage after summer protests in US?

Justified condemnation of the loss of life and thousands of dollars of destruction during the desecration of the U.S. Capitol continues to receive wall-to-wall coverage by all news agencies.

Where was this concern and outrage by most of these same reporters earlier this year when people died, many were injured, sections of cities were confiscated, and enormous property was destroyed by looting and burning of private and public buildings. It was dismissed simply by many as the necessary byproduct of "peaceful demonstrations" and a form of reparations.

We have always been told to respect and obey our laws, but nowhere is it written that their enforcement depends on the political affiliation and race of the law breaker.

DAVID PALMISANO

retired communications worker

Marrero

Kennedy cites irregularities that are as elusive as aliens

As he continues to promulgate his fictions and fantasies about the presidential election, Sen. John N. Kennedy, R-La., constantly refers to "irregularities." While not a single election board, court or other independent arbiter has affirmed the first shred of evidence for them, Kennedy continues to claim that these "irregularities" exist. He also claims that many other Americans believe in these "irregularities."

To get a perspective on exactly how much sense these specious claims actually make, I suggest substituting the word "alien" for "irregularities" in all of Kennedy's proclamations. After all, we have no evidence for the existence of aliens either, but plenty of people believe they exist.

KEITH G.C. TWITCHELL

writer, consultant

New Orleans

Election illegal: Scalise stance was based on Constitution

The Opinion/Commentary section in Sundays paper is fit for nothing but lining the bottom of a bird cage. Rep. Steve Scalises objection to accepting electors was based on the Constitution, as his presentation clearly shows.

If any of you at The Advocate would watch it, you would see how our new president was illegally elected. This is without even looking at the massive amount of voter fraud that took place.

Scalise honored his oath of office by bearing true faith and allegiance to the Constitution. Others did not. The very definition of treason is to violate a sacred oath or trust. Our presidential election was illegal and fraudulent. Im sorry that you at The Advocate cant see that.

Its no wonder the dumbest students I met during my time at LSU were majoring in journalism.

JAMES LEWIS

business manager

Baton Rouge

Recall petition? Kennedy has been Trump sycophant

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., knowingly and willfully sought to undermine our democracy by espousing demonstrably unfounded lies about the validity of the presidential election. He, like Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, must pay a price for their actions.

Kennedy has been a sycophant for Donald Trump since Day 1 of the current administration, wholeheartedly supporting the president's litany of damaging lies. He is living proof that being highly educated does not immunize one from acting as a dumb down fool, not if it is in service of their perceived self-interest.

A formal recall petition should be filed so that someone actually committed to the principles of our sacred democratic institutions can represent our great state.

MIKE FAWER

attorney

New Orleans

Time to act: Remove Trump from the presidency now

I am appalled that our elected representatives and senators were subjected to this terroristic attack. We have representatives and senators serving in their 80s.

The thought of those leaders forced to cower and hide for fear of their lives underscores the need for the most serious consequences possible and that means impeachment. Donald Trump is not going to resign, and I do not think Mike Pence has the will and courage to pursue the 25th Amendment.

Congress must act now to ensure that Trump faces the harshest consequences now. He must be removed from office before he can incite any additional violence and before he can issue any more pardons.

NANCY STICH

retired banker

Baton Rouge

Most behaved peacefully at Capitol; MAGA will return

Tens of thousands of patriotic Americans, true peaceful protesters gathering to hear the president, didnt destroy. No insurrection was planned. They were looking for hope in a world of hopelessness created by incompetent leadership.

Some (who knows their affiliation?) chose to riot but their numbers are minuscule by comparison to the total attendees. But every liberal news broadcast simultaneously used the same words, tone and rhetoric. Never orchestrated, right?

Censorship has risen its ugly head. Free speech, a constitutionally protected right, will soon be nothing but a memory if Democrat liberals have their way.

This vile and immoral behavior will not stifle individuals who treasure the freedom to share thoughts. Understand such actions only strengthens the resolve of those being oppressed. This power grab will not last but only serve to give rise to opposition hell-bent on returning freedom of expression as a God-given right.

Its time this country root out evil leaders determined to control the citizenry. Socialism/communism will never take over America. It may temporarily rule until the resistance can recover. But the overthrow of such governance will simply not be tolerated long term. MAGA will return!

BILLY ARCEMENT

leadership consultant

Prairieville
Legal challenges were being fought in multiple federal courts on Tuesday on whether to allow Tuesdays scheduled execution of convicted murderer Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row in the United States.

It is one of three executions the U.S. Department of Justice had scheduled for the final full week of the administration of Republican President Donald Trumps administration. Whether it proceeds will likely fall to the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative majority has previously allowed all of Trumps 10 previous executions to proceed.

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20, and says he will seek to abolish the federal death penalty.

On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted to stay the execution to hold hearings on whether the Justice Department gave insufficient notice of Montgomerys execution date. The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to overturn that stay.

Also on Monday night, a federal judge in Indiana ordered the execution to be postponed to allow for a hearing on whether she was too mentally ill to be executed. But the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago overturned the stay on Tuesday afternoon.

Around the same time, the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its own stay of the execution, siding with her lawyers that the government had scheduled her execution in violation of the original sentencing courts judgment issued in 2007.

Montgomery, 52, had been scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) on Tuesday at the Justice Departments execution chamber at its prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

She was convicted in 2007 in Missouri for kidnapping and strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett, then eight months pregnant. Montgomery then cut Stinnetts fetus from the womb. The child survived.

In the Indiana ruling, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon granted a stay to allow the court to conduct a so-called competency hearing. The U.S. Supreme Court holds that executing an insane prisoner breaches a constitutional ban on cruel and unusual" punishments.

Doctors who have examined her and her lawyers told the court in Indiana that Montgomery has brain impairments and bipolar disorder, among other mental illnesses.

She has auditory hallucinations, has expressed uncertainty about whether the child of the woman she killed was really her own, and has said that God speaks with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, according to court filings.

Justice Department lawyers countered with transcripts of Montgomerys prison phone calls they said showed she understood her execution date was drawing near.

Montgomerys lawyers asked for Trumps clemency last week, saying she committed her crime after a childhood in which she was abused and repeatedly raped by her stepfather and his friends, and so should instead face life in prison.

Federal executions had been on pause for 17 years and only three men had been executed by the federal government since 1963 until the practice was resumed last year under Trump, whose outspoken support for capital punishment long predates his entry into politics.

His administration had also set execution dates for two men convicted of murder on Thursday and Friday, but a U.S. judge in Washington ordered their executions be delayed until at least March 16 in order to allow them to recover from COVID-19. The Justice Department has appealed that order.

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
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WASHINGTON  Poised to impeach, the House sped ahead Monday with plans to oust President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy, and pushing the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly in an extraordinary effort to remove Trump in the final days of his presidency.

Trump faces a single charge  incitement of insurrection  after the deadly Capitol riot in an impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday.

At the same time, the FBI warned ominously on Monday of potential armed protests in Washington and in all 50 states by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was being closed to the public amid the threats of disruption. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf abruptly resigned.

It all added up to stunning final moments for Trumps presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare that he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently invaded the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.

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President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government, the four-page impeachment bill says.

He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, it says.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is summoning lawmakers back to Washington for votes, and Democrats arent the only ones who say Trump needs to go.

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to go away as soon as possible.

Pending impeachment, Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke their constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before Inauguration Day.

The Democrats House resolution was blocked by Republicans. However, the full House is to hold a roll-call vote on it Tuesday, and it is expected to pass. After that, Pelosi said, Pence will have 24 hours to respond. Next would be the impeachment proceedings.

Pence has given no indication he is ready to invoke the 25th Amendment.

He and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, a senior administration official said.

Trump and Pence had a good conversation in the Oval Office discussing the week ahead, and they pledged to continue working for the rest of their terms, said the official.

No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment.

As security tightened, Biden said Monday that he was not afraid of taking the oath of office outside  as is traditionally done at the Capitols west steps, one of the areas where people stormed the building.

As for the rioters, Biden said, It is critically important that therell be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage  that they be held accountable.

Biden said hes had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, although Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senates time, perhaps go a half-day on dealing with impeachment, a half-day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package for more COVID relief.

As Congress briefly resumed Monday, an uneasiness swept government. More lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege. And new security officials were quickly installed after the Capitol Police chief and others were ousted in fallout from the attack on the iconic dome of democracy. Some GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Josh Hawley, faced public blowback for their efforts on the day of the riot trying to overturn Bidens election.

However, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.

He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split, and a few may vote to impeach.

The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trumps own false statements about his election loss to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

House Democrats have been considering a strategy to delay for 100 days sending articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial, to allow Biden to focus on other priorities.

There is precedent for pursuing impeachment after an official leaves office. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said he would take a look at any articles that the House sent over. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a frequent Trump critic, said he would vote the right way if the matter were put in front of him.

Cicilline, leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles, tweeted Monday that we now have the votes to impeach, including 213 cosponsors and private commitments.
Chinas exports rose 21.1 percent year on year in November 2020, according to data released by the countrys General Administration of Customs, which also showed that Chinas total value of foreign trade in goods exceeded 29 trillion yuan (about $4.48 trillion) in the first 11 months of 2020, up 1.8 percent from the same period of 2019.

In fact, China has successfully reversed the downward trend in foreign trade in goods and secured better-than-expected performance since last September, with the gross value of imports and exports of goods enjoying positive growth for three months in a row from September to November last year. In Taizhou, east Chinas Zhejiang province, small and medium-sized foreign trade firms (those with a total export value of less than 100 million yuan), achieved a total export value of 8.99 billion yuan and a 49.6-percent growth last November, shattering records of both gross value and growth rate of exports in 2020, said recent statistics from Taizhou customs authority. After experiencing a 20.3-percent sharp drop in the first quarter last year, small and medium-sized foreign trade companies in Taizhou rallied slightly in the second quarter with a 0.6-percent growth and recovered steadily in the third quarter, when the growth rate reached 1.9 percent. We have received overseas orders for products to be delivered in March and April, and phone calls from foreign clients have still kept coming these days. We are really busy, said Xie Yong, a foreign trade dealer who sells products of Taizhou Zhengli Electric Motor Co., Ltd. While people across the country were enjoying New Year celebrations, Xie was working the whole time during the 2021 New Year holiday. He has seen first-hand that Chinas export sector has been returning fast to stable growth. Xie is not the only foreign trade dealer busy handling rising overseas orders in Taizhou. Dai Hongjun, an automobile shock absorber agent in Sanmen county of Taizhou, told Peoples Daily that foreign trade firms in Sanmen county have seen an increase in overseas orders since July 2020. We have basically maintained a 50-percent growth in the number of overseas orders on a monthly basis since last August. So far, our products to be produced in the next few months have all been booked, Dai said. According to Dai, his company has distributors in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In order to help overseas customers get timely information about their orders, the company has opened 24-hour service hotline, Dai added. The growth in foreign trade at the end of the year 2020 has offset the loss in the beginning of the year, said many distributors in Taizhou, noting that their annual sales performance in 2020 was basically at the same level as that in the previous years. They attributed the rapid recovery of their business mainly to the effective measures taken nationwide to control the COVID-19 and promote fast resumption of work and production. Li Yifang, a distributor in Taizhou, has realized the change in the way people hold business negotiations in the past more than half a year. Li used to take flights to meet his clients all over the world to discuss details of agreements, while he has now moved his business talks online. Online meeting is efficient and convenient, and it doesnt mean the negotiators are less sincere than in face-to-face talks, Li said. Li has benefited a lot from the model of Internet plus foreign trade introduced in Taizhou. The city has been making efforts to reduce the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on various links of foreign trade, and expand market and increase orders for foreign trade firms through ways including holding online exhibitions, meetings, and matchmaking events. Last year, Taizhou held a total of 47 online exhibitions, and built a special platform for online exhibitions. Gathering more than 600 companies so far, the platform is aimed at serving as a comprehensive exhibition platform that features functions including brand promotion, sale and purchase of global products, and online negotiation. In addition to adopting new business forms and models, Taizhou has also established a dedicated coordination mechanism and a special working group for exports to ensure overall planning for various affairs concerning exports. Local authorities in the city have also rolled out multiple measures recently to boost the development of foreign trade by smoothening sales channels, optimizing customs clearance procedures, and improving communications and credit insurance services. Since various problems hindering distribution of exports have been resolved, goods can be exported successfully from Taizhou, which has effectively facilitated the recent rebound in foreign trade, said many business owners and distributors in the city.
Lauri Lyons Naming an African burial ground in honor of a slave owner and a Confederate, is like naming a Jewish cemetery in honor of Hitler. It is totally unacceptable.

Rest with Honor Savannah is a historical social justice initiative working to commemorate an unmarked colonial 'Negro Burying Ground' located in the center of Savannah, Georgia. The burial ground was designated in 1763 and is now 258 years old.

In 2017, Lauri Lyons visited Georgia for a press trip that unexpectedly took a divine detour into Americas colonial past. While taking a walking ghost tour of Savannah, the tour guide mentioned a rumor about a haunted African burial ground. That sparked my interest to find out if the existence of the burial ground was fact or fiction, said Lyons.

For more than 20 years, Lauri Lyons has been a prolific global storyteller and documentarian. She is the author of Flag: An American Story and is the Founder of Nomads Magazine. She is also well known as a journalist, celebrity photographer, and educator.

In 2020, Lyons extensive historical research and relentless detective work unearthed the present-day location of the burial ground. She was also able to obtain a Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic report about a colonial skull found at the site. The Savannah Municipal Archives has signed an official research statement, confirming that the City only has records of two bodies exhumed from the burial ground.

Lyons also launched the Rest with Honor Savannah initiative and proceeded with community outreach efforts via the local press, public virtual meetings and cultural programs.

Savannah played a major role in establishing the cotton and rice plantations in America, which were fueled by slave labor, and made America extremely rich. The plantations and the enslaved Black people from Africa and the Caribbean that worked on them created the foundation of the American economy.

In 1850 the City of Savannah closed the Negro Burying Ground aka African Burying Ground and redesigned the space as two public squares (parks) - without moving the buried bodies.

One of the squares was named Whitefield Square in honor of Reverend George Whitefield, who was one of the founders of the Methodist church and one of the primary people responsible for overturning Georgias ban on slavery.

The other square was named Calhoun Square in honor of John C. Calhoun, the fierce pro-slavery Vice President of the United States and the Confederate icon responsible for creating the philosophy of States Rights, nullification and secession from the Union.

Lyons believes the African burial ground encompasses Whitefield Square, Calhoun Square and space in between the squares. Naming an African burial ground in honor of Whitefield and Calhoun, is like naming a Jewish cemetery in honor of Hitler. It is totally unacceptable. said Lyons.

As a response to this blatant act of institutional racism, Ms. Lyons launched a petition in July 2020 http://www.change.org/restwithhonorsavannah to bring attention to the burial ground and correct the social injustice. The petition is a call of action for the City of Savannah government officials to do the following:

1. Officially recognize the (2) squares as a colonial African burial ground.

2. Rename Calhoun Square and Whitefield Square.

3. Place information markers in the squares.

4. Protect the African burial ground via the National Park Service or as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. Build a memorial for the burial ground.

Lyons immediately began building a coalition of Savannah community members to help raise awareness about the burial grounds' existence and its importance. A Savannah activist said Lauri is a godsend. Her work and research validated what we always knew locally; we just didnt have the confirmation. We were used to walking downtown and were always told that there was a burial ground there, somewhere. We just didnt know where.

Lyons also reached out to unlikely allies to support her efforts. Reverend Robert Lee IV, a descendant of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee has publicly stated, On behalf of myself as a descendant of a slave owner and a descendant of a Confederate General, I want to emphatically and unconditionally call for this change to happen in Savannah. The time is now to address what is happening in our country, but in our past as well, and to be honest with it.

Over the years, Lauri Lyons has paved her own path and pioneered along the way. In light of her extraordinary discovery, Lyons is now the Executive Director of the Rest with Honor not-for-profit organization, working for social justice and cultural preservation. The organization is now gathering petition signatures to legally rename the squares.

Savannahs African Burying Ground is central to America's narrative about race, religion, and war. It deserves to be officially commemorated because it is a major part of American History. Black lives matter in the past and present.

To sign the Rest with Honor Savannah Initiative visit: http://www.change.org/restwithhonorsavannah. Follow the movement on Facebook and Instagram @restwithhonorsavannah
SpendEdge forecast the Global Ginkgo Biloba Extract market is expected to grow by USD 77.28 million as we reach 2024. This is due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. However, healthy growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.92%.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111005767/en/

SpendEdge has announced the release of its Global Ginkgo Biloba Extract Market Procurement Intelligence Report (Graphic: Business Wire)

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Indena SpA

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Ginkgo Biloba Extract 2020-2024: Scope

SpendEdge presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The Ginkgo Biloba Extract market report covers the following areas:

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Ginkgo Biloba Extract Market Trends

Ginkgo Biloba Extract Market Analysis

Ginkgo Biloba Extract Market Geographic Landscape Outlook

APAC

Europe

MEA

North America

South America

Key leading countries

SpendEdge suggests various forecast scenarios considering the impact of COVID-19. SpendEdge's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports. SpendEdge's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Ginkgo Biloba Extract Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist Ginkgo Biloba Extract market growth during the next five years

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The growth of the Ginkgo Biloba Extract market

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Non-Alcoholic Beverages Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: The non-alcoholic beverages will grow at a CAGR of 5.26% during 2021-2025. Prices will increase by 6%-7.8% during the forecast period and suppliers will have a moderate bargaining power in this market.

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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Pongal 2021: Know the date, auspicious time, and how to celebrate this harvest festival

As Rahul Gandhi attends Jallikattu, check why #Goback_Rahul is trending on Twitter

Pongal 2021: Rahul Gandhi to visit Tamil Nadu on Jan 14, attend Jallikattu event

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Chennai, Jan 12: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would visit Tamil Nadu on January 14, the Pongal day and witness a bull taming event, 'Jallikattu,' the party's state president K S Alagiri said on Tuesday.

By witnessing the event at Avaniapuram in Madurai district, the senior Congress leader would lend his moral support to farmers protesting against the new farm laws across the country, he told reporters.

Tamil Nadu govt grants permission to hold Jallikattu event, with certain restrictions

SC asks govt to form COMMITTEE on farm laws, wants crisis SOLVED | Oneindia News

"The bull is a symbol of farmers," he said. Only Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his party the AIADMK supported the Central government''s three farm laws and no other political party favoured it, he said.
St Petersburg, Florida: A Florida man spotted carrying a lectern belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office in a widely circulated photo during the Capitol assault has been released on $US25,000 bail ($32,000).

A federal magistrate judge in Tampa agreed to the release on Monday US time, at a brief hearing for Adam Johnson, 36, from the nearby community of Parrish.

Johnson was arrested on Friday night on charges of government property theft, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and entering a restricted building without lawful authority, according to an arrest warrant. Some 90 arrests have been made in conjunction with the riots.

A pro-Trump protester identified as Adam Johnson carries the lectern of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi through the US Capitol Rotunda. Credit:Getty Images

Johnson has not yet entered a plea to the charges, which were filed in Washington. He has to surrender his passport, observe travel restrictions and adhere to a curfew of 9pm to 6am.
GRAFTON Group says its revenues fell by more than six percent last year due to the Spring Covid lockdown, despite a strong performance from its Woodies and Chadwicks stores.

Revenue at the Woodies DIY business in Ireland rose 17pc, thanks to increased sales as people worked from home. At the other end of the scale Grafton reported a 25pc decline in sales in its manufacturing division.

Grafton finished the year strongly with trading in the two months to December 31 ahead of expectations as the group saw its average daily like-for-like revenue up by 7.2pc year-on-year and total revenue ahead by 10.8pc to 439.4m (487.5m).

Demand was strongest in the Woodies and Chadwicks businesses in Ireland and in Selco in the UK, according to a trading update from the company.

Grafton benefitted from its strategy of investing in higher returning businesses and from households spending a greater proportion of disposable income on their homes.

Overall, Grafton says its revenue from continuing operations last year declined by 6.1pc to 2.51bn, due to a sharp fall in trading during the second quarter lockdown.

The decline in trading during this period was significantly offset by a strong recovery in the second half of the year.

Adjusted operating profit for the year is expected to exceed current consensus of 174m by slightly more than 5pc. Nonetheless, this is lower than the 2019 operating profit due to the significant impact of Covid-19 in the first half of the year.

In Ireland, Chadwicks continued to sustain double digit growth in average daily like-for-like revenue through the second half of the year, which the company said was driven by strong demand in the residential repairs, maintenance and improvements market and growth in house building as transactions recovered.

Overall revenue for 2020 in Ireland is expected to show a 0.2pc decline for the year.

Grafton ended the year with liquidity of around 800m.

Gavin Slark, CEO of Grafton Group, said: We are very encouraged by the strong recovery and performance of the group in the second half of the year.

Despite the uncertainties related to the pandemic, we believe Grafton is well placed for continuing progress in the year ahead supported by our very strong financial and market positions.

Grafton said that while the most recently announced lockdown measures in Ireland had closed most construction activity from January 9, its branches remained open to support essential maintenance and those elements of the industry that are permitted to operate.

Flor ODonoghue, analyst at Davy, said the business clearly is in great shape.

The stock has responded to a number of positive announcements, rising 37pc in Q4. This has justifiably lifted Graftons rating and, while its valuation is not quite as appealing as it was, we believe the stock still screens well in a peer context, Mr ODonoghue said.

Last month the company bought Proline Architectural Hardware, a Dublin-based distributor of iron products for doors. Proline reported revenue of 10.8m last year.

Also in December Grafton bought AVC  which trades as StairBox  for 44m (49m). StairBox is a UK manufacturer and distributor of wooden staircases.

Grafton will announce its final results for the year on February 25.
DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Working Solutions, a leader in on-demand contact center outsourcing, begins its 25th year in business with a major, long-term investment from Housatonic Partners, a well-respected, private equity firm focused on growth companies.

"Working Solutions has a long history of providing outstanding customer service to its clients' customers across multiple industries," said Housatonic Partners Managing Director Joe Niehaus. "We're excited to partner with the company's management team to build on this legacy of customer success while developing new channels of growth."

The investment comes after a year of strong business performance by Working Solutions as it continues to ensure clients and their customers uninterrupted sales and service support during the coronavirus pandemic.

"This will further fund Working Solutions' tools and technology automation, accelerated by on-demand service trends," said Kim Houlne, founder and chief executive. "It also fuels our rapid expansion into evolving markets and geographies."

Housatonic Partners believes in the Working Solutions virtual model and its professional, onshore network of 150,000+ agentsall working on-demand for the past quarter of a century. The company's flexible-and-scalable customer sales and support operations span the United States and Canada. They deliver continuity in times of unforeseen events, such as the current health crisis, seasonal volume swings and everyday business.

"When COVID-19 sent everyone to a work-from-home environment, we didn't lose a day or even an hour," said Houlne. "This is how we've been working for the past 25 years for clients and their customersnonstop."

Working Solutions joins other innovative companies in which Housatonic Partners has invested, including but not limited to, LQ Digital, an internet marketing services provider offering digital agency, lead generation, qualification and transfer services, and ServiceSource, an outsourced sales solution focused on maintenance and support services for technology clients.

About Working Solutions

With 25 years of success, Working Solutions is a recognized leader in onshore, on-demand contact center solutions. Its remote workforce includes sales, customer care and technical expertswith more than 150,000 registered agents in the United States and Canada. They deliver fast-flex business process outsourcing (BPO) services for clients and their customers across diverse industries, such as consumer services, healthcare, retail, travel and hospitality. To learn more, please visit WORKINGSOLUTIONS.COM.

About Housatonic Partners

Housatonic Partners is a private equity investment firm founded in 1994, with more than $1.3 billion in capital under management. The firm invests in growing, profitable businesses with highly recurring revenue. Housatonic Partners has backed exceptional management teams in more than 90 small to mid-sized companies over the last 26 years. For more information, please visit HOUSATONICPARTNERS.COM.

For more information, contact Springfield Lewis, director of communications, at [email protected].

SOURCE Working Solutions

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Facing likely impeachment  and the potential for criminal liability  for helping incite last weeks deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, President Trump on Tuesday sought to defend himself, saying the speech he gave at a rally shortly before the siege was totally appropriate.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for Alamo, Texas, the president was asked whether he accepted any personal responsibility for the events that left at least five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer, after a violent mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol building.

So if you read my speech, and many people have done it, and Ive seen it both in the papers and in the media, on television, its been analyzed and people thought what I said was totally appropriate, Trump replied. And if you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level, about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem, what they said. But theyve analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody to the T thought it was totally appropriate.

President Trump speaks to the media on Tuesday before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

In December, Trump, on his now frozen Twitter account, urged supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6, promising a wild time. He spoke for over an hour at the Save America rally prior to the assault on the Capitol, telling supporters, Youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.

When you catch somebody in a fraud, you are allowed to go by very different rules, Trump said, in demanding that Vice President Mike Pence refuse to accept the Electoral College slates from several states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden.

If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election, the president said. Pence, who constitutional experts said had no choice in the matter, declined to follow Trumps order.

Later, a large group of the insurrectionists surging into the Capitol chanted, Hang Mike Pence.

We fight like hell, and if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, Trump exhorted the thousands of supporters who had gathered on the Ellipse, at the other end of the Mall from the Capitol. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about.

Were going to walk down, and Ill be there with you, Trump said, before returning via motorcade to the White House, where he reportedly watched the carnage on television. We are going to the Capitol.  Were going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.

President Trump's supporters gather outside the Capitol on Jan. 6. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Others, including Trumps sons Eric and Donald Jr., his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, also spoke at the rally demanding that Republicans block the Electoral College count.

Hours later, as police attempted to clear the building, Trump posted a video telling the rioters it was time to go home. He repeated his lie that the election was stolen from him and told the hundreds who had committed federal crimes that they were very special and we love you.

Last week, Michael R. Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said, We are looking at all actors here, not only the people that went into the building, but . . . others that maybe assisted or facilitated or played some ancillary role in this. We will look at every actor and all criminal charges.

When Trumps fight like hell comments were raised, Sherwin reiterated, We are looking at all actors here, and anyone that had a role, if the evidence fits the element of a crime, theyre going to be charged.

____

Read more from Yahoo News:
The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
POTTSVILLE  While city officials will have to accept new bids for garbage collection, they are closer to a deal to resolving a dispute with the county over tax collection with an agreement approved Monday night.

City council voted 3-2 at a virtual meeting to reject the three bids for solid waste removal and to start the process again after the attorney for the citys current garbage provider raised issues about the bids for two other companies.

Mayor James T. Muldowney and Councilwoman Dottie Botto voted against rebidding, while Councilmen Dave Clews, Mark Atkinson and Joseph Devine approved the motion.

Council members were going to award a three-year, $971,900 contract to Clifton Park, New York-based County Waste. The other bids were from Audubon-based J.P. Mascaro & Sons, the current provider, for $1,123,992, and Tamaqua Transfer, headquartered in Walker Township, for $1,069,200.

The vote was tabled at last months meeting to allow City Solicitor Thomas Pellish to review the bids.

Al DeGennaro, deputy general counsel for J.P. Mascaro & Sons, sent a letter to city officials a week before the December meeting outlining problems he said the other companies had with their bids.

Officials with County Waste and Tamaqua Transfer said last week that there werent any problems.

DeGennaro said during Mondays meeting that County Waste didnt meet the requirements in the bid package requiring insurance coverage, disposal capacity and a recyclable materials processing facility, all of which he said Mascaro has.

Youre supposed to award (the contract) to the bidder that meets your specifications, he told officials.

DeGennaro called the County Waste bid defective, and said he was appalled the solicitor allowed them to award the contract when they dont meet your own requirements that are mandatory.

Pellish said during the meeting he reviewed the bid specifications and found awarding the contract to County Waste to be appropriate. County Waste Vice President of Business Development Jonas Kreitzer said the city could see a $400,000 price difference with the bid.

Muldowney said prior to his vote the city had an opportunity to save some money with County Waste.

Tax collection pact

City council approved an agreement with county officials over the citys collection of county taxes, which city and county officials argued about for much of last year.

Under the pact, county officials will reimburse the city for one-third of the salaries of the citys tax collection staff, except for the deputy clerk handling trash accounts, which the county will reimburse a half of the one-third amount for their benefits.

In November, the council approved a resolution withholding paying tax revenue to the county until it reimbursed the citys tax office for collecting county taxes in Pottsville.

Atkinson, councils director of accounts and finance, said at the time county officials owed the city $73,000 in reimbursement fees. County Treasurer Linda L. Marchalk said in November city officials needed to clarify the roles of the tax office employees, adding it was expensive to pay one-third of the salaries for four employees.

The agreement approved Monday evening states the county will pay the 2020 balance it owes the city for tax collection and city officials will release the funds to the county.

Commissioners Chairman Barron L. Hetherington said Monday afternoon that the commissioners are expected to vote on the agreement at Wednesdays meeting pending the city councils vote, calling it a good step in the right direction.

Also, the council voted 3-2 to name Isaac Souchak a patrolman in the police department. Atkinson and Clews voted against the hire, citing the cost. The mayor, Botto and Devine agreed to the hire.

Atkinson called Souchak a fine candidate but worried that given the citys financial situation during the pandemic, the new officer would have to be laid off in the future.

I dont believe we can long-term afford this position, he said.

The councilman previously said funding to hire the officer included in the budget was the reason for his vote against it last month.
Certain wines from France and Germany may soon become a lot more expensive in the U.S., due to a 25% tariff that took effect Tuesday.

The new fee, announced by the U.S. trade representative two weeks ago, is designed to penalize the European Union as part of an ongoing dispute over aircraft subsidies thats dragged on for more than 16 years. But according to wine industry leaders, the greatest penalties will be paid by American businesses, not European ones, including Bay Area wine importers and restaurants that have already been struggling to survive during the pandemic.

For every dollar the U.S. spends on a bottle of European wine, American companies  including wine importers, distributors, retailers and restaurants  make $4.52, according to Ben Aneff, president of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance. The tariffs disproportionately damage business in the U.S., he said, which makes tariffs particularly ineffective in getting the E.U. to change behavior.

These tariffs apply to French and German wines with 14% or more alcohol by volume, plus certain brandies including Cognac and Armagnac. Champagne and Champagne-method sparkling wine are excluded, though effervescent wine, such as petillant naturel, is subject to the fees. Foods, including many cheeses, are also subject to new tariffs, as well as aircraft parts like fuselages.

That means American wine drinkers may have fewer French and German wines to choose from at shops, and the ones that are here may get pricier. An entry-level Chardonnay from Pascal Clement, a producer in Frances Burgundy region, could rise from $30 to $44, said its importer Steve Graf, co-founder of Valkyrie Selections in Healdsburg. That increase makes the wine unsellable, Graf added. I dont think Im going to be able to continue buying wines from him.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

They are not the only tariffs being levied on European wines. An earlier round, also related to the dispute over aircraft subsidies, added 25% to French, German and Spanish still wines under 14% ABV, plus Irish and Scotch whiskeys and specialty foods.

By introducing the new tariffs, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is trying to match the value of recent actions by the E.U., the latest back-and-forth in the trade wars centered around American aircraft manufacturer Boeing and its European competitor, Airbus. The conflict originated when the U.S. complained to the World Trade Organization that Airbus had received illegal subsidies, giving it a significant economic advantage. Ever since, the World Trade Organization has authorized both the U.S. and the E.U. to levy tariffs against each others goods in varying amounts.

The announcement from the U.S. trade representatives office did not specify why wine, brandy and other food products specifically were targeted in the new action, but said that France and Germany were targeted because those two countries have provided the largest levels of subsidies. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Its inevitable that any countrys tariffs will have some impact on its own companies, especially companies that sell foreign goods. By May, imports of the French wines affected by the 2019 tariffs had dropped by more than 53%, according to data from the U.S. International Trade Commission, which would suggest that the tariffs were having the desired effect of pressuring the French economy.

But Aneff said in the case of wine tariffs, the economic damage to U.S. companies has actually exceeded the damage to the E.U. Thats largely because alcohol sales are regulated by U.S. states, not the federal government, and so there are multiple middlemen  importers, distributors and a retailer or restaurant  that are affected by increased costs.

Moreover, Aneff cited other data from the U.S. International Trade Commission showing that overall French wine exports rose by 2.77% after the 2019 tariff implementation, including a 35% increase in exports to China. In other words, even though U.S. buying slowed, French wineries have been able to find other markets for their products.

Meanwhile, Bay Area businesses braced for the new expense. A $43,000 tariff bill will await Valkyrie Selections when its next shipment of 2,800 cases arrives by boat from France next week. While Graf can absorb some of the new cost, its inevitable that some portion of that new bill will be passed along to consumers. By the time his newly tariffed French wines hit the retail shelves, he expects prices to be 15-25% higher than they currently are.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Ultimately theres going to be less choice on the shelf, said Kate Laughlin, vice president of Novato importer Martines Wines. More than 90% of the Martines portfolio is comprised of French imports, and she expects some of the more obscure categories  like wines from Frances Jura region  to become nonviable with the new fees. These are not fungible products, Laughlin said. These are very distinct products that were dealing in.

The abrupt timing of this new tariff announcement struck many industry players as particularly unfair. The order came on Dec. 30, giving just two weeks advance notice. But container ships can take six weeks to bring wine from Europe to the West Coast, meaning that many importers already had shipments under way and were helpless to avoid the new costs.

We cant turn the boat around, Laughlin said. Thats the thing that is fundamentally unfair  we have orders already in motion that are now going to cost us 25% more.

Billy Weiss, owner of North Berkeley Imports, had just been figuring out how to absorb the effects of the 2019 tariffs when this new round was announced. He said that the earlier tariffs, applied to lower-alcohol wines, were not as deleterious as they might have been in another period, since the current vintages from France  2018 and 2019  were warmer years and tended to result in higher-alcohol wines.

Most of the (French) wines weve brought in were naturally over 14.1%, said Weiss, who imports from about 60 French wineries. So while weve had some effect, it was really a small subsection of my business. Thats about to change; now, all of his French wines will be affected. (The impact on German wines, which Weiss does not import, will be smaller since fewer German wines exceed 14%.)

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

Weiss said he had been left with no choice but to raise prices for his customers, including restaurants. When you have all these restaurants that are going out of business, do we really want to raise the cost of wine for them?

Leaders of the restaurant industry have spoken out against the tariffs too. Frustratingly, restaurants have been caught in the crossfire of a much larger trade war, wrote chefs Alice Waters and Kwame Onwuachi in a Dec. 30 op-ed in the Washington Post. They argued that, because the tariffs add a significant financial burden to restaurants, their staff risk losing their jobs. As a result, they wrote, working-class Americans such as line chefs, dishwashers and wait staff suffer the most.

Waters and Onwuachi have helped form a group called the Coalition to Stop Restaurant Tariffs, whose goal is to persuade the administration of President-elect Joe Biden to eliminate the wine and food tariffs as soon as possible.

That choice may eventually lie with Katherine Tai, Bidens pick for trade representative, but the timeline on which she might act was unclear. Aneff, of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance, said the nomination of Tai was a boon for the wine industry but still thought it unlikely that a new trade team would be in place by the next specified date for reviewing the tariff schedule, in February. That means the current wine tariffs could be in place for most of 2021.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

That being said, Biden will have the power to make wholesale changes essentially on day one, Aneff said. He hoped that the Biden administration would be convinced by the simple fact that these wine and food tariffs have, so far, not made the impact on the French economy that the U.S. trade representative had intended.

Weiss of North Berkeley Imports echoed a sentiment shared by many others in the wine industry: Why should small, family-owned wine companies be involved in a fight thats really between corporate, industrial manufacturers? This is really a dispute between Airbus and Boeing, not between Napa and Bordeaux, he said. And it just means that the choices of Bay Area consumers will be more limited and more expensive.

Its important for people to understand, Weiss continued, that small businesses are essentially being used as a pawn.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley
Clifford Chance advising on first ever public company statutory merger in Qatar

Clifford Chance has advised Al Khaliji Commercial Bank on the signing of its merger agreement with Masraf Al Rayan on 7 January, 2021, the first ever public company statutory merger in Qatar.

The merger will create one of the Middle East's largest Shariah-compliant banking groups with assets and shareholder equity worth more than 183 billion Qatari Riyals.

The merger is also expected to contribute positively to the economic development in the State of Qatar by supporting corporate businesses and small and medium sized entities as well by helping finance key development initiatives in line with Qatar's Vision 2030.

Mohammed Al-Shukairy, Regional Managing Partner at Clifford Chance for the Middle East comments: "We are proud to have advised Al Khaliji on this transformational transaction to create a new Qatari banking champion. We would like to thank Al Khaliji for its continued trust in the firm. Clifford Chance has advised on the first ever statutory mergers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and I am delighted that we have now played a role in setting the blueprint for public company mergers in Qatar."

Fahad Al Khalifa, Group Chief Executive Officer of Al Khaliji noted "We are pleased to have Clifford Chance as our Legal Advisers for this landmark transaction. Mohammed and his team's unwavering dedication, deep public company experience and ability to find solutions throughout the process has been critical to getting us to this point. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Clifford Chance in moving ahead to closing."

The core Clifford Chance team on this transaction was led by Mohammed Al-Shukairy, with assistance from Counsel Jack Hardman, Senior Associate Zahra Shahab, Associate Sima Al Baterni and trainee Ahmed Shafiek.

Ranked 1st for M&A in the Middle East and Africa by Mergermarket in 2020, Clifford Chance regularly advises on the region's most high profile and innovative M&A transactions. The firm recently advised on the largest ever M&A transactions in the Middle East, including PIF's US$ 69 billion sale of its stake in SABIC to Saudi Aramco and AD Power's US$ 20 billion sale to TAQA. In the banking sector, the firm also recently advised NCB on its proposed US$ 223 billion merger with Samba, SABB on its US$ 70 billion merger with Al-Awwal Bank and UNB on its US$ 114 billion merger with ADCB and Al Hilal Bank.
(Natural News) The contribution of asymptomatic transmissions to the spread of COVID-19 may have been grossly exaggerated, a new study suggests. After looking at data from 54 studies involving almost 78,000 participants, researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Washington have concluded that the majority of reported viral transmission cases were facilitated by people who manifested symptoms, whereas those who show no signs of infection despite testing positive rarely spread the virus to others.

The researchers also noted that because of government mandates requiring suspected or confirmed cases to isolate at home, households will continue to be significant venues for coronavirus transmission.

Evidence of asymptomatic transmission is lacking

Shortly after the coronavirus pandemic began, reports of otherwise healthy people (i.e., not showing the usual symptoms) testing positive emerged from around the world. These, together with the unprecedented surge of daily coronavirus cases for the better part of last year, baffled scientists and inevitably sparked fears of catching the coronavirus from asymptomatic carriers, or silent spreaders. (Related: Asymptomatic coronavirus carriers puzzle scientists.)

Not long afterward, these fears began influencing government mandates, and nationwide lockdowns were implemented in dozens of countries in hopes of containing the spread of COVID-19. In the U.S., public health authorities initially required only those manifesting symptoms to wear masks and to self-isolate; soon, however, governments began issuing lengthy stay-at-home orders to address growing concerns about asymptomatic spreading.

But recently, a number of studies have begun to question the validity of these measures, citing new evidence that asymptomatic transmission is a rare occurrence. For instance, new research published Nov. 20 in Nature Communications reported that not only was the prevalence of coronavirus infection in Wuhan, China  where COVID-19 originated  very low two months after the end of lockdown but that no close contacts of 300 confirmed asymptomatic cases tested positive for the coronavirus.

Another study published on Dec. 1 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine reported similar findings. After evaluating the risk of COVID-19 transmission to close contacts in various settings, the researchers found that the secondary attack rate  the probability that an infection occurs among susceptible people within a specific group  is only 0.3 percent for asymptomatic cases. On the other hand, this measure increased with increasing symptom severity.

In an editorial published Dec. 21 in BMJ, two British researchers also emphasized recent findings suggesting that the secondary attack rate may actually be three to 25 times lower for asymptomatic individuals than for those who manifest symptoms. Additionally, while earlier studies estimated that about 80 percent of infections are asymptomatic, only 17 to 20 percent of infected patients turn out to be truly symptom-free. Around 49 percent of confirmed cases initially described as asymptomatic go on to develop symptoms.

But while the researchers are convinced that the prevalence of asymptomatic transmission has been overstated, they do not dismiss the role of presymptomatic transmission. According to viral culture studies, people infected with the coronavirus are infectious one to two days before the onset of symptoms and could remain infectious up to seven days after. Hence, symptomatic and presymptomatic transmissions play a larger role in the spread of the virus than truly asymptomatic transmission.

Viral transmission more likely to occur in homes due to restrictions

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, American researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 54 studies that involved 77,758 participants. Aside from determining the household secondary attack rate for the Wuhan coronavirus, officially known as SARS-CoV-2, they also compared its transmission to that of other coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) that have caused massive outbreaks previously.

The researchers reported that the estimated household secondary attack rate for SARS-CoV-2 was 16.6 percent; more than double that of SARS-CoV (7.5 percent) and MERS-CoV (4.7 percent). The household secondary attack rate for symptomatic COVID-19 cases was also considerably higher than that of asymptomatic cases (0.7 percent), suggesting that even in close proximity to others (i.e., family members), people without symptoms are less likely to transmit the virus than people with symptoms.

Considering the nature of the virus and how it can be transmitted  i.e., via direct or indirect contact with infected people, respiratory droplets or saliva, contaminated objects and aerosols  the researchers said that crowded indoor environments, such as households, are particularly high-risk settings since they allow sustained close contact and conversations. Additionally, given that authorities require individuals suspected of or confirmed to have COVID-19 to isolate themselves at home, the researchers recommend exploring prevention strategies that can be implemented in households to reduce the risk of viral transmission.

For more news about the Wuhan coronavirus, head over to Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

JustTheNews.com

Nature.com

TheLancet.com

ACPJournals.org

BMJ.com

JAMANetwork.com
BYD has exclusively won cumulative orders to supply 1,002 battery-electric buses to the capital of Colombia, Bogota. (Earlier post.) This tender was open to all bus technologies. This is the largest order for pure-electric buses outside of China to date, which sets a new record in sales volume for the overseas pure-electric bus industry.

Bogota City Public Transport Authority (TRANSMILENIO S.A.) launched a public commercial tender covering diesel, CNG and electric technologies for 1,295 buses in August. Three of BYDs global strategic partners finally adopted BYDs integrated electric bus solutions for their bids and successfully won the tender, totalling 1,002 electric buses. BYD will partner with local bus manufacturers Superpolo and BUSSCAR respectively on the bus body parts.

This batch of buses is scheduled to be delivered during 2021 and into the first half of 2022, and will be put into operation on 34 bus routes across five regions of the capital, providing residents along the routes with quiet, safe and emissions-free travel services.

So far, BYD has won 1,472 orders for pure electric buses in the Colombian capital. According to TRANSMILENIO S.A., these buses will reduce 83,433 tons of carbon dioxide and 9.63 tons of particle emissions per year compared to diesel buses meeting fifth-generation European emission standards over the 15-year concession period.

In addition to Bogota, Colombias capital city, BYD buses operate in Medellin, Cali and elsewhere. At present, BYD has accumulated 1,550 orders for pure electric buses in Colombia, leading the push for bus electrification in Colombia and Latin America.

Since BYD entered the Colombian market in 2012 it has made several breakthroughs, including establishing Latin Americas first pure electric taxi fleet in Bogota in 2013, and now winning this 1,002-unit pure-electric bus order. BYD has a market share of more than 96.5% in the Colombian electric bus market, and 99% in Bogota, the capital.

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Eric Lis factory making glass lampshades for companies including Home Depot Inc. is being stretched to its limits with sales doubling their pre-pandemic level.But like many Chinese manufacturers, he doesnt plan to expand operations -- a reticence that could slow the pace of Chinas economic growth this year and prolong a shortage of goods being felt around the world as demand picks up.Surging prices of raw materials means margins are compressed, explains Li, owner of Huizhou Baizhan Glass Co. Ltd., in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, which makes about $30 million in annual revenue. With the global economic recovery still uneven, the future is very unclear, so there is not much push to expand capacity, he adds.The combination of higher input prices, uncertainty about export prospects and a weak recovery in domestic consumer demand meant Chinese manufacturing investment from January to April was 0.4% below the same period in 2019, according to official statistics (comparing to 2019 strips out the distortion of last years pandemic data).Due to the vast size of Chinas manufacturing sector, that poses a risk both to the nations growth -- which is currently predicted to reach 8.5% in 2021, according to a Bloomberg tally of economists estimates -- and to a global economy thats grappling with supply shortages and rising prices.Falling ProfitsWeaker-than-expected investment could have a sizable impact on GDP growth this year, said Citigroup Inc.s China economist, Li-gang Liu. Lower investment may dent imports of capital goods and equipment from developed economies like Japan and Germany, which in turn could drag their economic recovery and rebound as well, he added.AnHui HERO Electronic Sci & Tec Co. Ltd. is one of those companies feeling the squeeze. Based in the eastern province of Anhui, the company manufactures capacitors used to make electronic circuits, with sales mainly in the domestic market. Jing Yuan, the founder, says orders are up as much as 30% year-on-year, but profits are down 50% due to increasing materials costs that are not easily passed onto clients.The company is under huge cash pressure as it needs to pay half a month in advance of delivery in order to secure copper and other metals, which they previously paid for months after receiving, he said. The commodity issue has to be addressed by the government, he added.What Bloomberg Economics Says...Chinese industry is absorbing significant cost pressures from rising commodity prices -- damping the inflationary impact for the rest of the world. Will it last? Our analysis of gross margins suggests it could for a while longer: downstream industries -- where the cost crunch is most severe -- still have a small cushion.David Qu, China economistFor the full report, click here.Input shortages mean some manufacturers arent able to make use of their existing facilities, so expansion would be of little use. Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio Inc. suspended production at one of its factories last month, due to a shortage of microchips.Modern Casting Ltd., which makes iron and steel products in Guangdong, issued a note to clients this month saying it would not be able to meet its current orders due to high raw material costs. A member of staff who answered the phone at the companys office confirmed the note, but declined to give further details.Growth TransitionOn top of the higher input costs, Chinese companies face a bumpy transition toward domestic consumer spending to sustain its post-pandemic recovery.Exports, Chinas strong-suit last year, may begin to slow as vaccine roll-outs cause consumers in wealthy countries to shift spending back to services. Meanwhile, the growth rate of Chinese consumer spending has yet to fully recover.Investment sentiment among Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises is below levels seen even in 2018-9 when uncertainties from the U.S.-China trade war were a brake on expansion plans, according to a regular survey of more than 500 Chinese companies by Standard Chartered Plc.Demand is still mainly underpinned by exports, so domestic companies are aware that this is not sustainable, said Standard Chartereds China economist, Lan Shen.While some export-oriented sectors have been pushed to their limits, large amounts of slack remain for manufacturers targeting Chinese consumers due to subdued domestic demand.Retail sales growth was 4.3% in April on a two-year average basis, which strips out base effects from the pandemic, less than half pre-pandemic growth rates. Overall capacity use at Chinas manufacturers fell to 77.6% in the first quarter from 78.4% in the previous three months, with the automotive sector hit hardest by overcapacity following three years of declining sales volumes.Even for electric vehicles whose sales are surging, most companies have already built their capacity and will now focus on incremental upgrades. The majority of the investment has been done, said Jochen Siebert of JSC Automotive Consulting.China ordered state-owned companies to expand last year, with their investment growth of 5.3% in 2020 from the prior year easily outstripping the 1% increase in private investment. But for a sustainable pick-up in investment, the market, not the state, needs to feel confident.Carsten Holz, an expert on Chinese investment statistics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, estimates that privately-owned companies have accounted for 87% of manufacturing investment in 2015, the most recent year of available data. They are more sensitive to input costs.There is a pandemic plus insecurity about future trade given a new U.S. administration, neither of which is conducive to investment that relies on long-term growth prospects, Holz said.Mixed PoliciesTransport bottlenecks are also a challenge for export-oriented manufacturers. Gordon Gao, who exports gardening products from China, said that he has had to reject 80% of orders this year due to port delays. In one case, an order placed before mid-February could only be shipped three months later when a client finally secured a container.Beijing has tried to improve conditions for private companies by ordering a crackdown on speculation to curb commodity prices and easing access to bank loans.Yet the government continues to gradually withdraw fiscal and monetary stimulus measures introduced amid the pandemic last year. It set a relatively unambitious target of above 6% growth for this year, and the Communist Partys Politburo signaled last month it would prioritize reforms to control house prices and debt growth.The policy stance has definitely shifted away from supporting growth and back toward de-risking the financial sector, said Adam Wolfe, an economist at London-based Absolute Strategy Research. The risks for economic growth seem tilted to the downside, especially for capital-intensive, construction-linked sectors.For manufacturers such as Li, a longer period of domestic growth and control over input prices will be needed before capacity expansion is on the cards. While his company of 200 workers took on new permanent staff before the pandemic, for now hed rather pass the risks of investment on to others.I wouldnt do that now, I would rather hire some temporary workers and outsource the rest, he said.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Democrats have proposed a $1,000 a day fine on lawmakers who refuse to wear masks while in the Capitol complex, a move that comes after a third lawmaker tested positive for COVID in the wake of last week's lockdown with Republicans who refused to wear face coverings.

Rep. Debbie Dingell is leading the charge on the issue and would be the onus on the House Ethics Committee to determine that 'any Member, Delegate or Resident Commissioner' is in violation, and, if so the committee 'shall fine such individual $1,000 for each day that such violation occurs.'

'It is not brave to refuse to wear a mask, it is selfish, stupid, and shameful behavior that puts lives at risk,' the Michigan Democrat said in a statement to The Washington Post. 'Days ago, a colleague of ours died from this virus and left behind a beautiful, young family to mourn his loss. Yet still, in the midst of a deadly assault on our United States Capitol, a number of our Republican colleagues laughed off rules designed to keep not just their colleagues safe, but to protect the lives of the teams of workers keeping things going, law enforcement, and staff throughout the Capitol.'

Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider on Tuesday announced he had COVID and blamed Republicans for infecting himself and fellow Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Bonnie Watson Coleman, a 75-year-old cancer survivor.

'Last Wednesday, after narrowly escaping a violent mob incited by the President of the United States to attack the Capitol and its occupants, I was forced to spend several hours in a secure but confined location with dozens of other Members of Congress,' Schneider said in a statement Tuesday.

'Several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask... even when politely asked by their colleagues,' he continued, pointing to a video posted online by Punchbowl News showing that.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan has proposed a $1,000 a day fine on lawmakers who refuse to wear masks while in the U.S. Capitol complex

Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider became the third lawmaker to test positive for COVID after being in lockdown with lawmakers last week when Trump supporters attacked the Capitol

He said he was in isolation and worried about exposing his wife to the disease.

'Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wife's health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff,' Schneider said.

Schneider said he was not experiencing symptoms yet and has been isolating in his home in suburban Deerfield, Illinois, since returning from Washington, D.C.

He said he would take any votes, including a potential impeachment vote against President Donald Trump, by proxy this week.

Schneider called on any lawmaker not taking the necessary precautions such as wearing a face mask to be sanctioned and removed from the House floor.

'We can no longer tolerate Members coming to the floor or gathering in the halls of Congress without doing the bare minimum to protect those around them,' he said. 'Those that flout public health guidance should be sanctioned and immediately removed from the House floor by the Sergeant at Arms for their reckless endangerment of their colleagues.'

Jayapal announced late Monday night that she too had tested positive for COVID after sheltering in a small , poorly ventilated room with more than 100 lawmakers last week.

She also blamed Republicans for her infection.

'I just received a positive COVID-19 test result after being locked down in a secured room at the Capitol where several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but recklessly mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one,' the 55-year-old posted.

After her announcement, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a hard-line Trump supporter who has expressed support for QAnon theories, took a shot back at Democrats.

'I hope you fully recover from #COVID19 without any complications!,' she said in a retweet of Jayapal's announcement. 'Before you point fingers at me or anyone else, you need to talk directly to @SpeakerPelosi about exposing ALL of us to covid when she called back POSITIVE covid House members last week for votes for Speaker!'

She was referring to a vote in the House last week attended by some Democrats who had previously positive for COVID. Those lawmakers said they had consulted with the medical staff before attending the vote series.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal has become the second Democratic congresswoman to test positive for COVID-19 after being forced to shelter in a secure room with maskless Republicans during last Wednesday's siege of the Capitol

Jayapal, who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District, revealed her diagnosis in a tweet on Monday night, blaming her political adversaries for the infection

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a hard-line Trump supporter who has expressed support for QAnon theories, took a shot back at Democrats

During Wednesday's attack on Capitol Hill by a mob of unruly Trump supporters, lawmakers were rushed to an undisclosed location and held together for their own safety.

Several Democratic politicians complained that Republican colleagues did not wear face masks in the enclosed space, where they huddled together for hours while they waited for security officials to clear the Capitol.

Jayapal says she is convinced more positive test results will follow, claiming that being forced to huddle in the room will turn out to be 'a superspreader event'.

'Only hours after Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemiccreating a superspreader event ON TOP of a domestic terrorist attack,' Japayal fumed on Twitter.

She added: 'Any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy. I'm calling for every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol to be fined and removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms.'

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman announced she tested positive for COVID and blamed being trapped in a hold during last week's attack on the Capitol with Republicans who refused to wear face masks

Jayapal did not say whether she was experiencing any notable symptoms following her COVID-19 diagnosis.

She says she will continue to work as she remains in quarantine as per her doctor's instruction.

'I share the outrage and anger of those across America who have watched Trump fail to combat this raging pandemic and refuse to take care of Americans who are suffering, dying, and devastated. I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office,' she wrote.

On Monday afternoon, Rep. Coleman announced her positive diagnosis.

She stated, however, that she was awaiting the results of a PCR test and said she previously received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID19 vaccine, which has been made available to members of Congress and other government officials.

It takes two doses for full immunity.

Dr. Brian Moynihan, the attending physician in the Capitol, issued a warning on Sunday to all lawmakers that they may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus during their lockdown.

He noted that 'many members of the House community were in protective isolation in the large room - some for several hours' on Wednesday.

He said 'individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection'.

House lawmakers who were whisked to safety when a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol were filmed bickering over masks as they hunkered down in a safe room

Video from inside the room where lawmakers huddled together last week, obtained by Punchbowl News, showed several Republican lawmakers not wearing masks - including Congressman Andy Biggs (Arizona), Michael Cloud (Texas), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma) and Scott Perry (Pennsylvania).

Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, who was walking around handing out masks, repeatedly asked those in the maskless group to take one, but they brushed her aside.

President-elect Joe Biden said he saw the footage and was 'appalled.'

'I was appalled when I saw, as a matter of fact, distinguished congresswoman from Delaware showed the folks in hiding from the mob, going around trying to hand out masks for everybody. Republican colleagues wouldn't take the mask,' he said. 'I think it is irresponsible. So we all have to make sure it is not a political issue. It is an issue of public safety.'
First Minister Arlene Foster during a media briefing at the Hill of The O'Neill, Ranfurly House Arts and Visitor Centre in Dungannon. Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The First Minister Arlene Foster has hit out at the selfish spirit of some employers who have forced staff to come into their workplace instead of working from home and at businesses which have stayed open despite the current coronavirus regulations.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill in Dungannon this afternoon, Mrs Foster said: It is unfortunate that I have become aware that some employers and business owners are requiring their staff to attend the workplace when people could work from home or indeed businesses which should not be open at all.

Thats quite a selfish spirit I have to say, and its not going to help us to beat the virus and keep people safe.

And for those who say someone else is doing it, as my mother used to say, if they put their hand in the fire, there is no need for you to follow it.

Mrs Foster confirmed that she and Ms ONeill will speak later with the Chief Constable Simon Byrne for an update on compliance and enforcement with the current health regulations.

Ms ONeill added that an urgent roundtable forum will be held with retailers, supermarkets, supply chains, councils and health and safety chiefs about enforcement within the retail sector.

Its our collective social responsibility to do the right thing, she said.

We have been concerned about anecdotal evidence of staff coming to us with concerns around employers asking them to come into work. Were also concerned about some retailers not operating in line with the spirit of the restrictions. Thats not only unfair to the small retailers who are complying with the requirement to remain closed but it also goes against all the effort to stop the spread of coronavirus right across the community.

The DUP leader also praised the reduction of the R-number in Northern Ireland from 1.8 to around 1.1 as she urged people to take personal responsibility and do the right thing.

Mrs Foster said the public should make simple and everyday choices such as phoning family and friends rather than visiting, doing one big food shop rather than nipping out each day for a few items and not going into the workplace when they dont have to.

I do appreciate the costs these restrictions are having, I appreciate the weariness, were all sick and tired of restrictions but we absolutely must do it to get through it, she added.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, the vaccine is rolling out at a very good rate, we can see a route back to normality but it will take us months to get there.

Executive ministers met earlier on Tuesday for an update from Health Minister Robin Swann on the increasing pressures facing the healthcare system.

Northern Irelands health trusts have warned that hospitals could see double the number of Covid-19 patients by the third week in January.

With 1,205 new positive cases of the virus, 751 people with Covid in hospitals and 55 in intensive care, Ms O'Neill stressed the "immense pressure" that the health service is under.

"This number is only going to rise, we're in for a very tough number of weeks ahead, the pressure will mount on the health system and we all need to adhere to the public health advice," she said.
Heading into awards season, very few participants in the harness racing industry can state definitively that they'll be collecting hardware in the next few weeks. Nancy Takter is one of the exceptions to that rule.

Takter has already been announced as the Trainer of the Year as voted by the United States Harness Writers Association, her first such honour and the only category that was agreed upon unanimously by the voters. Leading the way for Team Takter was the top ranked horse in North American harness racing, sophomore pacing colt Tall Dark Stranger. The favourite for Horse of the Year honours stateside posted a nearly flawless 11-1-0 record from 13 starts with more than $1.4 million in earnings  making him the only seasonal Standardbred millionaire. However, with just two starts in Canada for the Ontario-sired son of Bettors Delight and Precocious Beauty, Tall Dark Stranger did not meet the minimum start criteria for the 2020 O'Brien Awards.

That being said, a trifecta of Takter trainees help comprise the 2020 O'Brien Award list of finalists after solid and successful campaigns on both sides of the 49th parallel. Freshman pacing filly Caviart Audrey won five of nine races and more than $372,000 in her rookie campaign which included victories in the Eternal Camnation and Champlain, along with an elimination and the final of the Shes A Great Lady.

"All her starts in Canada, she raced tough," Takter told Trot Insider. "She's a fast filly, and I think her best racing is in her future."

While that prophecy might be difficult to fill for Caviart Audrey, consider that her first and second dams were champions Darlins Delight and Town Pro  both exceptional two-year-olds that were even better at three. That's not even taking into account that her sire is Somebeachsomewhere, a horse that requires absolutely no introduction in this forum. Time will tell, and that voyage for Caviart Audrey started last week as Takter just brought the filly back into training for her sophomore season.

Speaking of sophomores, a pair of Takter-trained three-year-old trotters also made the short list for the 2020 O'Brien Awards  trotting colt Ready For Moni and trotting filly Sorella.

Ready For Moni boasted a bankroll in excess of $646,000 for his sophomore season, which included five wins in 11 starts. His season was highlighted by a sweep of the Goodtimes, victories in the Zweig Memorial and Stanley Dancer, and a runner-up finish in the Hambletonian.

"He raced tough all year and was super in the Goodtimes," noted Takter. "Hell be back at four and hopefully get to continue to add to his resume."

If Caviart Audrey has a license for getting better with age based on pedigree, the same could easily be said for Ready For Moni. The son of Ready Cash and Nothing But Moni carries the bloodlines of two trotting titans: European icon Ready Cash and the great Moni Maker as his second dam.

Ready For Moni will once again winter with Lindy Farms in Florida before shipping north for his older campaign that might see him face off for the first time against fellow O'Brien finalist Pemberton.

"Lucky for him, he doesnt like the cold," said Takter of Ready For Moni from her New Jersey base, "and lucky for me that I get to go see him there!"

A four-year-old that will be back with Takter sooner than later is Sorella. The Canadian record holder by virtue of her 1:51.3 score in the Casual Breeze, Sorella won eight of 15 races and $737,000, including victories in the Hambletonian Oaks, the Reynolds, Bluegrass and the Matron. The Hambletonian Oaks victory was the highlight of her season, and Takter was so impressed with that performance it begs the question of how she would have stacked up against the open competition in the Hambletonian.

"She was so good that day; it wouldve been interesting to see if the story line wouldve been different if we raced her against the boys," said Takter. "She's a tough filly that raced tough from June to November ... the only one in her division that did that."

With the above trio poised to return to action in 2021  along with the likes of three-time Breeders Crown winner Manchego and the rapidly-developing No Lou Zing  Takter is optimistic that her stable can pick up right where it left off ... even if Tall Dark Stranger and Kissin In The Sand have moved on from their racing careers:

"After having to say goodbye to a few stable stars, it's nice to have these guys back for next year and some others, too!" she said.

There's no arguing that the depth of Takter's stable contributed greatly to her success in 2020, in both the United States and Canada. But, unfortunately for her and her team, the celebrations otherwise befitting an $8-million season  second only to Ron Burke but remarkably with only a tenth of the starts  will have to be put on hold.

"It really stinks that, after the incredible year my team had in both the U.S. and Canada, we won't be able to go to the awards and celebrate," Takter admitted. "Guess COVID just needs to go away, and we need to do it all over again this year!"

But, by any indications, there's absolutely no reason Team Takter can't enjoy an even better 2021.

The 2020 Virtual OBrien Awards Gala takes place on Sunday, January 31, 2021 and will be available for viewing on standardbredcanada.ca from 7:00  8:30 p.m. (EST).
Youth icon and Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana is a thought leader who is aiming to bring constructive, positive changes in society with his progressive, conversation starting entertainers. Ayushmann, voted as one of the most influential people of the world by TIME Magazine, has been recently appointed as UNICEF's Celebrity Advocate for their global campaign EVAC (Ending Violence Against Children). On National Youth Day, Ayushmann stresses how the youth of the country can fight back against any kind of violence on them.

"Only when young people come together with a common understanding and join forces in putting an end to violence against children, can we hope for some substantial changes. Influencing peer groups to recognize violence in its many forms is something the young people can do very effectively," says Ayushmann.

The versatile actor adds, "From small actions like calling out a friend who is harassing a girl on the street or reaching out/calling helpline to report acts of violence against their peers that they come across in daily life, supporting the survivors in seeking help, or asking adults like parents, teachers and school authorities to listen to them are some concrete actions that young people can take to make a difference."

Ayushmann also lays out his journey forward with UNICEF in 2021. "In 2021, UNICEF aims to build greater awareness, dialogue and public action on prevention of and response to violence against children. At the same time we need to continue to advocate for increased investment and attention to services and programmes that assist survivors of violence," he says.

ALSO READ: Ayushmann Khurrana Returns To Mumbai To Sign A Big Project!

Ayushmann hopes that through his association with UNICEF, he will be able to help kids in need for urgent protection. He says, "Our goal is for every child to benefit from a loving, safe and supportive environment throughout their childhood and adolescence that will help them grow up strong and healthy - mentally and physically."

He adds, "Violence against children is deeply pervasive in society and takes on many different forms such as bullying, sexual abuse, corporal punishment and violence online. Very often the perpetrators are people who children trust or are familiar with, including parents, family members, neighbors, and friends. Ending violence against children is everyone's business and needs continuous efforts by each one of us."

ALSO READ: Doctor G: Ayushmann Khurrana Is Excited To Play A Doctor In Junglee Pictures' Next; Read Details
That campaign involved a barrage of lies about the integrity of the voting process from the president, his allies and other elected Republicans. It included farcical legal challenges that were laughed out of court even as they sowed doubt in the minds of a majority of Republicans about whether Joe Biden won fairly. It involved the president and his allies strong-arming state election officials to change the vote count outright. When it all failed, the president held a rally on the National Mall and sent the angry crowd to march on the Capitol and stop Congress from declaring Biden the winner of the presidency. The riot came at the cost of at least five lives and shook the confidence of the nation and the world in the stability of American democracy.
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Supreme Court of India (SC).

The Supreme Court will on January 12 pronounce its interim order on in a batch of petitions challenging the three agri-reform laws that have sparked protests by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, at various Delhi border points since November last year.

The three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopana and V Ramasubramanian will pronounce the order.

During the hearing on January 11, the top court had hinted at its intention of putting the implementation of farm laws on hold to end the impasse between the government and the protesting farmers. The court observed that the steps taken by the government to break the deadlock have proven ineffective.

You tell us if you will put on hold the implementation of the laws. Otherwise, we will do it. What is the problem in keeping it in abeyance? Chief Justice Bobde observed during the hearing on a batch of petitions against the farm laws.

Follow our LIVE BLOG on Farmers' Protest here

The bench observed that the matter needs to be resolved by a Committee. The farmers unions have, however, shot down the proposal to go before a committee.

Attorney General KK Venugopal resisted the Court's proposal of staying the implementation of the law saying it is as good as staying the law which was not possible without examining a law.



Union of India files an affidavit in SC, after hearing concluded in farmers' issue today.

It submitted that the Acts received wide acceptance across the country & some farmers & others objecting, had put a condition of repeal, it's neither justifiable nor acceptable.#FarmLaws January 11, 2021

After the hearing concluded on January 11, the Centre filed a counter affidavit in the top court saying that protesters were peddling an erroneous notion that the Parliament passed the farm laws without consulting or discussing with anyone.

"The Central government has done its best to engage with the farmers to remove any misapprehensions or misgivings in their minds and no efforts have been found lacking," the affidavit said.

Thousands of farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points for more than a month, demanding reversal of the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops.

Several rounds of talks between the Centre and farmers union leaders have failed to end the deadlock so far.

The eighth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions on January 8 remained inconclusive as the Centre ruled out repealing the three laws.

The Centre said it would consider repealing the laws only if the top court termed them illegal. The government has said that it will follow directions of the top court in the matter. Another round of talks was scheduled to be held on January 15.

The two sides had arrived at some common ground in the sixth round of talks held on December 30 with the government agreeing on two of the four demands of farmers  removing stubble burning penalty on farmers and withdrawing provisions in the draft Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, which intend to change the mode of subsidy payment to farmers.

Ambassador Alaa Youssef presented his credentials as the permanent representative of Egypt to the UNESCO to the organisation's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, in the French capital, Paris

The ceremony for presenting the credentials, on Monday, was followed by a meeting with the director-general of the UNESCO, during which means of strengthening bilateral relations between Egypt and the organisation in various fields of its work were discussed, especially in light of Egypt's current membership in the organisations executive council and the World Heritage Committee.

The talks also tackled means of enhancing the role of the UNESCO's regional office in Cairo, which was the first external office to be established by the organisation outside its headquarters in Paris.

During the meeting, Youssef reviewed the national efforts made in the fields of education, science, and culture, and the programme launched by the Egyptian government to reform the primary education system, which contributed to mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also reviewed the ongoing preparations for the opening of the new Egyptian Museum, as well as the launch of new cooperation projects between Egypt and the organisation.

Youssef praised the efforts made by the UNESCO to support member states in the fields of education, culture, and science, and the recent initiatives launched by the organisation, especially the International Campaign to Combat Illicit Trade in Cultural Property and the International Education Alliance.

For her part, Azoulay hailed the active role of Egypt in the organisation, praising in particular the role it played during her chairmanship of the sub-committee of the UNESCO Convention for the Prohibition and Prevention of the Illicit Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, as well as Egypt's active participation in drafting the international recommendation on the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence.

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As the International Space Station orbits Earth, its four pairs of solar arrays soak up the sun's energy to provide electrical power for the numerous research and science investigations conducted every day, as well as the continued operations of the orbiting platform.

The space station is the springboard to NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon, a platform to test advanced technologies for human exploration of deep space and future mission to Mars. NASA also has opened the space station for business and commercial activities, including private astronauts missions.

Designed for a 15-year service life, the solar arrays have been operating continuously since the first pair was deployed in December 2000, with additional array pairs delivered in September 2006, June 2007, and March 2009. The first pair of solar arrays has now provided continuous electrical power to the station for more than 20 years as more modules were added and dozens of crews tackled thousands of scientific experiments and continued operations through hundreds of spacewalks, cargo missions, and more.

Though they are functioning well, the current solar arrays are showing signs of degradation, as expected. To ensure a sufficient power supply is maintained for NASA's exploration technology demonstrations for Artemis and beyond as well as utilization and commercialization, NASA will be augmenting six of the eight existing power channels of the space station with new solar arrays. Boeing, NASA's prime contractor for space station operations, its subsidiary Spectrolab, and major supplier Deployable Space Systems (DSS) will provide the new arrays. The combination of the eight original, larger arrays, and the smaller, more efficient new arrays will restore the power generation of each augmented array to approximately the amount generated when the original arrays were first installed, providing a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations.

The new solar arrays will be a larger version of the Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) technology that successfully demonstrated the mechanical capabilities of solar array deployment during its test on the space station in June 2017.

The new solar arrays will be positioned in front of six of the current arrays, and will use the existing sun tracking, power distribution, and channelization. This approach is similar to the one used to upgrade the station's external television cameras to high definition, using the existing power and control mechanisms.

The new arrays will shade slightly over half of the length of the existing arrays and will be connected to the same power system to augment the existing supply. The eight current arrays are currently capable of generating up to 160 kilowatts of power during orbital daytime, about half of which is stored in the station's batteries for use while the station is not in sunlight. Each new solar array will produce more than 20 kilowatts of electricity, eventually totaling 120 kilowatts (120,000 watts) of augmented power during orbital daytime. In addition, the remaining uncovered solar array pair and partially uncovered original arrays will continue to generate approximately 95 kilowatts of power for a total of up to 215 kilowatts (215,000 watts) of power available to support station operations at completion. For comparison, an active computer and monitor may use up to 270 watts, and a small refrigerator uses about 725 watts.

The solar arrays will be delivered to the International Space Station in pairs in the unpressurized trunk of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft during three resupply missions starting in 2021, when the second pair of current arrays reaches the 15th year of its design life. The installation of each solar array will require two spacewalks: one to prepare the worksite with a modification kit and another to install the new solar array.

NASA signed a modification to the ISS Vehicle Sustaining Engineering contract with Boeing to provide the six new solar arrays. Doing so provides the International Space Station with enough power to maintain normal operations and ensure adequate power for future opportunities in low-Earth orbit, whether for NASA and its international partners or commercial companies.



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The farmers have not only categorically refused to engage with the said 'expert panel', which includes two domain experts and two farmer leaders, but have also asserted that their tractor march on Republic Day will be held as per schedule

The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed the implementation of new farm laws till further orders saying it may encourage the protesting farmers to come to the negotiating table in good faith, and constituted a four-member committee to listen to their grievances and make recommendations to resolve the issue.

The top court, noting that negotiations between the farmers' unions and the government have not yielded any result so far, said the constitution of a committee of experts in the field of agriculture to negotiate may create a congenial atmosphere and improve the trust and confidence of farmers.

Protesting farmer, however, made it clear that they will not call off their agitation until the three farm laws are repealed, while raising doubts over the neutrality of the four-member panel set up by the Supreme Court to resolve the deadlock over the contentious legislations.

The farmers have not only categorically refused to engage with the said 'expert panel', which includes two domain experts and two farmer leaders, but have also asserted that their tractor march on Republic Day will be held as per schedule. They also claimed that they already knew the government will install such a mechanism so that it can escape its responsibility.

Here are the day's key developments on the front.

Highlights from the SC order

Farmers welcomed Supreme Court decision to stay the three contentious laws until further notice. But the court's decision to set up a four-member committee to talk to farmers and submit a report before it was widely unpopular among the stakeholders. The protesting unions had conveyed their displeasure even ahead of the hearing, as they added later that they were going to boycott the panel.

This came even as the court had mandated that the committee should hold its first sitting within 10 days in Delhi and submit a final report within two months from first sitting.

Furthermore, the court has also tried to allay fears regarding erasure of the Minimum Support Price mechanism by stating that MSP system was in existence before the enactment of new farm laws and it should be maintained until further orders. The court also provisioned that no farmer should lose his or her title as a result of the clauses of the new laws.

"No farmer shall be dispossessed or deprived of his title as a result of any action taken under new farm laws," the court said.

Farmers raise concern over objectivity of expert committee

Top farmer unions and leaders who have been associated with the movement since the start immediately distanced themselves from the committee, as soon as it was announced in court. Reports said that senior lawyers Dushyant Dave, HS Phoolka and Colin Gonsalves representing different farmers associations had remained absent from court, perhaps in anticipation of such a move. According to The Indian Express, advocate ML Sharma, who represents some of the unions, told the bench that some farmers had told him that they were not willing to go before the committee.

The bench said members of the bar must show "some loyalty" to the judicial process.

"You cannot reject the process if it does not suit you. You will have to cooperate with us and accordingly speak to the client. You cannot tell us negative without telling something positive to your clients," the report quoted the bench as saying.

However, agitating farmer unions have said they want a complete repeal of the laws and they do not want to appear before any committee.

"It is clear that the court is being misguided by various forces even in its constitution of a committee. These are people who are known for their support to the three Acts and have actively advocated for the same," a statement issued by All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) said.

Most leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Balweer Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal and Yogendra Yadav said the members of the committee have already expressed their views in the past favouring the new laws "so the question arises in our minds that how justice will be done to farmers by their hands".

Pal, in a presser claimed, that the farmers' joint body leading the agitation had already foreseen the outcome of Tuesday's hearing as they knew about the government's intention to shirk off responsibility.

"We had issued a press note last night stating that we won't accept any committee formed by Supreme Court for mediation. We were confident that Centre will get a committee formed through Supreme Court to take the burden off their shoulders," Krantikari Kisan Union chief Pal said.

The Supreme Court had, however, stated that the committee was not a mediation panel but an expert group, pointing out that a knowledgeable person has to tell the court what is the complaint on the ground.

The four members -- Bhupinder Singh Mann of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Anil Ghanwat of Shetkari Sanghatana, Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi and agricultural economist Ashok Gulati -- have expressed opinions, which the farmers' deem pro-government in the current scenario. Firstpost also found that at least three of the four panelists have been vocal supporters of the government's new farm laws, while one member headed an organisation which demanded that the three laws be implemented, but with some amendments

Read the detailed profiles of all members of the panel here

Khalistani supporters have infiltrated farmers' protest: Centre to SC

Another key point of discussion in court today was the alleged presence of separatist elements in farmers' agitation. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the apex court that Khalistan supporters have infiltrated the protest and he will file an affidavit along with the necessary inputs of the intelligence bureau (IB).

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian told the AG that if there is infiltration by a banned organisation, then the government has to confirm it and asked him to file an affidavit by Wednesday.

The matter had come up after senior advocate PS Narasimha, appearing for intervenor 'Indian Kisan Union' supporting the new farm laws, alleged that some banned organisations have been fuelling the protests of farmers.

These kinds of protests can be "dangerous" he said, adding that groups like "Sikhs for Justice" are involved in these agitations. The bench told Venugopal that somebody has made an allegation here on record that there are some banned organisations which are helping the protest. "Will you confirm this or deny?" the bench asked the AG.

The Attorney General said, "We have said that Khalistanis' have infiltrated the farmers' protest. We can file an affidavit by tomorrow, along with the report of the intelligence bureau".

Trouble for BJP in Haryana?

The Bharatiya Janata Party may be facing some heat from ally Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) in Haryana as several MLAs of the party openly appealed to the Centre to repeal the laws, or the alliance government will face the repercussions. This also came just hours before a scheduled meeting between JJP chief Dushyant Chautala and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"The Centre should rollback these laws as farmers of Haryana, Punjab and the country are up in arms against the legislations," JJP MLA Jogi Ram Sihag told PTI.

"We will request Dushyant ji to convey our feelings to Amit Shah ji," he said. Before meeting Shah, Chautala will hold a meeting with all his party's MLAs at a farm house in New Delhi.

The meeting being organised by Chautala is being seen as an attempt to keep his flock of MLAs in the alliance as the farmers' agitation dominates the political narrative in Haryana.

Last week Khattar could not address a farmers' rally in his Karnal constituency after farmers ransacked the venue. In a similar incident a few weeks back, protesting farmers dug up a helipad in Chautala's constituency, Hisar.

Moreover, Independent MLA Somveer Sangwan has already withdrawn support from the government.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.

Farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The three farm laws, enacted in September last year, have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

With inputs from PTI
NEW HAVEN  Board of Education member Ed Joyner said a piece of testimony stood out to him as the panel took public comments on the districts partial reopening plan: A nurse and former teacher said the COVID-19 vaccine will not be a panacea in the short term and its important for schools to open.

The testimony came Monday, as for two hours members of the public spoke to the school board  mostly in opposition  about whether a plan to reopen elementary schools on Jan. 19 for kindergarten to fifth grade should advance.

As the board did not vote to make change, the partial reopening plan remains in place.

Joyner said former teacher Anthony Pellegrino, whom he knows personally, has worked double shifts as a nurse caring for patients during the pandemic and is evidence that adhering to safety protocols is effective.

Ultimately, Joyner was among board members who voted to reject a motion by colleague Darnell Goldson to amend the agenda so the board could take a vote on whether the partial reopening plans should move forward. The vote on Goldsons motion failed 4-3..

Of the seven board members, only Joyner changed his position on whether schools should reopen from when he voted with the majority in August 2020 to keep schools closed for a marking period. That vote also was 4-3. A planned Nov. 9, 2020, reopening was put off in October before the school board could discuss it when the citys health department intervened because of rising infection rates and ordered that schools remain closed.

Although Joyner said Pellegrinos testimony reached him, Pellegrino was greatly outnumbered in his support for the partial reopening plan before Board of Education President Yesenia Rivera closed the public participation section.

Organized parent groups, the president of the citys teachers union and other community members spoke overwhelmingly against the plan to reopen schools as the city currently deals with its worst community infection rates since the start of the pandemic last March.

Music teacher Jonathan Berryman urged the board not to imitate other school districts around the state and nation that are opening during the pandemic.

The New Haven Public Schools has invested significant resources into making virtual learning a flourishing possibility, he said.

Dave Cicarella, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, said teachers are overwhelmingly opposed to the partial reopening plan.

He said he had also not been provided with an updated checklist on various indicators of preparedness from the district.

Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey said she is not afraid of people sharing their opinions, but she is listening to experts such as city Health Director Maritza Bond and Community Services Administrator Mehul Dalal as she plans the reopening.

The city of New Haven has been unique, our health department and our city have taken a vaster number of measures than any school district in the state, Bond said.

Many of the speakers mentioned a desire to see the district wait until teachers can be vaccinated, as they are newly eligible in the next phase of vaccinations that begins next week.

The concern is our staff and our teachers going to the schools will not be as protected as they would like to be, said board member Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, a pediatrician who has shared concerns with reopening plans. We owe it to them to give them time to get vaccinated.

Mayor Justin Elicker said that, because of the number of people included in that phase, it is unlikely that the necessary number of teachers and school workers could be vaccinated in a short period of time.

Parents also raised the issue of the city determining two schools are unsafe for occupancy in December when district officials had initially planned on returning students to those buildings during the prior two reopening attempts. Parents at Quinnipiac STEM School and West Rock School knew that the ventilation systems were outdated and could not incorporate outside air, but officials from the states Office of Policy and Management recommended keeping windows open during the warmer months.

Tracey said the recommendation was not enough for teachers in the building, so the district hired an engineering firm to look at the buildings.

Despite the hours of testimony, some board members said they were acting on behalf of parents who did not speak up in public.

While I deeply respect the organized parent groups, I also respect the parents that are willing to make this decision, said board member Matt Wilcox.

Under the plan to return, parents have the option of continuing remote learning for their child in the fifth grade or younger. Students returning to school up to third grade will receive four days of instruction and students in fourth and fifth grades will be split into two groups who attend school on Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday.

Joyner said he has never known Tracey to willingly make a bad decision.

On Tuesday, some parents expressed the feeling that stakeholders were ignored.

It appears the administration did not meaningfully consult the teachers union and did not inform at least two board members at all before announcing reopening. There is no excuse for this. There is also no excuse for disregarding the recommendations of the sole medical professional on the board, said parent Sarah Miller, a volunteer organizer with the grassroots NHPS Advocates parent group.

Cicarella said Tuesday that he agrees that he was not consulted before the decision. He said that union leaders were informed of the decision before the public, but their feedback was never sought.

Were we told? Absolutely we were told, he said. Did we have any input whatsoever into that decision? No.

Magaly Cajigas, a parent of a senior at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, said she and her daughter have given up on the idea of high school students returning before the year is over.

Her focus now is the school musical and hopefully a prom and were praying on a graduation, she said.

Cajigas supports the reopening of schools, but she said she understood some of the sentiments expressed by parents belonging to organized parent groups who spoke before her Monday night.

I understand where theyre coming from if the sufficient communication hasnt been made to lay out the plans, she said.

Cajigas said, though, that there is no single voice that speaks for all parents  neither her nor the organized parent groups. She said parents in the past have sometimes struggled to enter school board meetings before the Zoom videoconferencing software disallows more people from entering, and they are unable to provide comments.

She said the negative tone of some meetings might also have a chilling effect on parents speaking up.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Actor Sonu Sood has started a new mission to ensure that students who are unable to attend online classes due to inaccessibility to smartphones, get education without roadblocks. Sonu had earlier shared a post on Instagram about his 'new mission'.

When asked, he told IANS, "I have realised during lockdown that a lot of people missed their online classes because they didn't have smartphones or unable to join those classes. I am introducing a platform where those who don't have phones will have options. No one should miss education. We will bring together these people and give them smartphones."

Sonu had earlier too distributed almost 100 smartphones to students for educational purposes.

"During Covid we distributed almost 100 phones in some parts of Punjab, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai," he shares and adds, "The idea is to save their careers and the parents shouldn't feel embarrassed that their children cannot have classes because they can't afford it and the kids should not complain that their parents are unable to get those classes because of those smartphones."

Sonu Sood was hailed as the national hero during the lockdown for arranging transportation for migrants to go back to their hometowns.
Justin Theroux stepped out for his daily walk with his beloved Pit Bull Zuma on Monday in New York City.

The actor, 49, stuck to his signature look of ripped jeans with a beanie and shades.

He wore a beige quilted jacket over a black hoodie and stepped out in black lace-up boots.

Routine: Justin Theroux stepped out for his daily walk with his beloved Pit Bull Zuma on Monday in New York City. He stuck to his signature look of ripped jeans, shades and a beanie

The Leftovers star donned a face mask for his outing as well as black leather gloves.

Theroux dotes on his rescue pup dog whom he adopted in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Harvey that made landfall in Texas and Louisiana in August 2017.

He recently documented his and Kuma's road trip to the ocean on his instagram, which followed a road trip to Mexico weeks earlier.

Bundled up: The Leftovers star donned a face mask for his outing as well as a beige quilted jacket over a black hoodie and black leather gloves

His best friend: Theroux dotes on his rescue pup dog whom he adopted in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Harvey that made landfall in Texas and Louisiana in August 2017

Last month, it was reported that his new film, a fertility thriller entitled False Positive, was picked up by Hulu for a 2021 release.

The story follows Ilana Glazer's character Lucy, who has tried to get pregnant several times with her partner Adrian (Justin Theroux).

The couple's luck seemingly turns around after they find the 'perfect fertility doctor' in Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan and they welcome a baby girl.

Theroux, who was once married to Jennifer Aniston, is currently filming a TV series adaptation of The Mosquito Coast, based on the novel written by his uncle Paul Theroux.
SPRINGFIELD  Western New England University School of Law Dean Sudha Setty joined with more than 150 other law school deans from across the country to decry the assault on our democracy that took place when insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

As legal educators, we know that to meet this moment in our democracy, our foremost job is to educate lawyers of conscience and character. This joint statement reaffirms that fundamental role and the work that lies ahead for our profession, Setty said.

The statement from the deans reads, in part, The violent attack on the Capitol was an assault on our democracy and the rule of law. The effort to disrupt the certification of a free and fair election was a betrayal of the core values that undergird our Constitution. Lives were lost, the seat of our democracy was desecrated, and our country was shamed.

It was signed by 157 deans including those from Harvard University, Boston College, University of Massachusetts, Suffolk University, Northeastern University and Boston University.

The joint statement reflected upon the roles that lawyers played in recent events and affirm the deans commitment to working together to repair the damage to democratic institutions and rebuild faith in the rule of law.

Many lawyers and judges worked honestly and in good faith, often in the face of considerable political pressure, to ensure the 2020 election was free and fair. However, we recognize with dismay and sorrow that some lawyers challenged the outcome of the election with claims that they did not support with facts or evidence. This betrayed the values of our profession.

The full statement and list of signatories may be found at law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/law_deans_joint_statement_1.12.21_final.pdf
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medly Pharmacy, a full-service, digital pharmacy that offers free same-day prescription delivery, today announced its expansion into the Raleigh market. This expansion marks Medly's sixth market, already servicing New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Miami, and Baltimore  and the first new market of 2021.

Medly's tech-enabled pharmacy platform offers free same-day prescription delivery through a mobile application that allows patients to manage prescription status, chat with pharmacists, and track deliveries up to when the medication reaches their doorstep. This service has been critical for high-risk and elderly patients who can't leave their homes during COVID-19. Additionally, for those patients who prefer to maintain the traditional in-person experience, they can visit Medly's brick-and-mortar locations for all of their pharmacy needs. Medly's patient-first approach provides customer service in over twelve languages and can dispense all medications  specialty, brand, generic, and topical.

In addition to same-day delivery, Medly offers a range of patient-friendly services, including automatic refills and medication synchronization. These services empower patients to overcome social determinants of health and other challenges to access their medications and take them as prescribed by their provider. Together these services create a better experience for each patient resulting in a customer satisfaction score that is 4.5 times greater than that of the average pharmacy.

Medly's expansion to the Raleigh market is an important step in the company journey, using their recent 100 million series B funding round, co-led by Greycroft and Volition Capital, as a springboard to enter the North Carolina market. As Medly embarks on a new year, they're bringing with them the learnings and takeaways from 2020  including how they helped over 75,000 patients get their prescriptions within a day without having to go to a pharmacy. To support their entrance into Raleigh, Medly has hired dozens of employees and plan to increase staff as they grow throughout the Triangle Region.

"Recent studies have shown that close to 100 million residents in the United States could be lacking adequate access to a pharmacy, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated that growing problem. The impact of the pandemic has resulted in more patients, specifically seniors and those with chronic health conditions, opting to remain at home and have their goods delivered  especially prescriptions," said Dr. Marg Patel, CEO and Cofounder of Medly. "Maintaining medication adherence is more important than ever, especially since those with chronic conditions have the highest risk of hospitalization from the COVID-19 virus. We are eager to make our first mark in North Carolina and help Raleigh residents access their prescriptions in a faster, innovative, and more affordable way as we pave the way for better health outcomes in the state and beyond."

"I'm excited to welcome Medly, a next-generation healthcare innovator and pharmacy, to my district," said State Senator Jay Chaudhuri. "Their announcement could not have come at a better time when patients are relying on pharmacy services more than ever because of the real and continued challenges we face with COVID-19."

Medly will operate out of 3029 Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, North Carolina. Patients that wish to switch their preferred pharmacy to Medly can download the iOS application, visit the pharmacy, or ask their doctor to send their prescriptions to Medly.

About Medly Pharmacy

Medly Pharmacy is a full-service, digital pharmacy that delivers a patient's prescriptions to their door for free on the same day in New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore and Raleigh. The digital experience makes managing prescriptions simple, efficient, smart and most importantly, safe for customers. More information can be found at https://medly.com/en-us.

Media Contact:

Baxter Townsend

[email protected]

(631) 697-8530

SOURCE Medly Pharmacy

Related Links

https://medly.com


On January 9, the Centre announced a high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on events to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose beginning from January 23.

A few days ago, on January 4, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced her governments events to celebrate Netajis anniversary -- setting up a national university and a monument and printing literature.

As West Bengal assembly elections draw near, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party are putting their best foot forward in appropriating Netaji, one of the most revered Indian freedom movement figures from West Bengal.

For Mamata Banerjees TMC, Netaji is an icon representing local Bengali asmita or pride. For the BJP, which many observers feel is TMCs key opponent in the upcoming polls, Netaji is a symbol of national pride whose legacy, the saffron party says, remained neglected to benefit the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The Centres panel of 85 members has at least ten ministers, seven chief ministers and many parliamentarians on board, apart from eminent citizens, authors and Netajis family members. It has many BJP leaders from West Bengal, including Babul Supriyo, Dilip Ghosh, Roopa Ganguly, to name a few.

West Bengal assembly polls 2021| Focus on booths to wooing women voters, BJP's election strategy in 5 points

The move is being seen as BJPs attempt to appropriate Netaji and his legacy, especially since the party has been trying to make inroads in West Bengal politics, so far dominated by the Left, Congress and now the TMC. Mamata Banerjee and senior Congres leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury are also on the Centres panel.

National Pride

For quite some time now, the BJP has been giving more attention to Netaji accusing Congress of downplaying him. The partys focus in the national leader has renewed ahead of the West Bengal election scheduled in April-May, experts said.

Mamata Banerjee is trying her best too. A vast majority of Indians have forgotten the great message Netajis life had been to his people. The young generation needs to learn from his life, she said at a virtual meeting attended by members of her governments committee that include Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Abhijit Banerjee, among others.

The chief minister has announced that January 23 will be celebrated with a grand parade in Kolkata and the Independence Day parade in the city will be dedicated to Netaji. She has also demanded that January 23 be declared as a national holiday.

Cornering Bengalis

TMC leaders making references to Netaji is not uncommon. Most of them have invoked local Vs outsider argument while targeting BJP leaders.

North Indians (politicians) have tried to corner Bengalis since the time Subhash Bose lost in Tripuri Congress. The same is being repeated now with Mamata Banerjee. But she continues to fight just like Bose. Should Bengalis accept leaders from other states being imposed on them," West Bengal minister Bratya Basu said recently in an attack on the BJP. Basu is also an acclaimed theatre and film personality.

BJP was quick to hit back suggesting Bose was a national hero. Those who have lost the trust of people in Bengal are lecturing us about outsiders. I want to ask them did freedom fighters from Bengal sacrifice their lives only for Bengal or for the entire nation. BJP leader Dilip Ghosh asked.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, TMC won 22 out of the 42 parliamentary seats in West Bengal. It had won 34 seats in the 2014 general elections. The BJP, which had almost no presence in the state in 2014 scripted an improvement by bagging 18 seats in 2019. The saffron partys vote share went up from 17 percent in 2014 to 40.3 percent in 2019 largely at the expense of the Left and Congress votes.

In 2016 assembly polls, TMC won 211 seats in the 293-member state assembly with 44.91 percent votes. BJP got 3 seats with a vote share of 10.16 percent.

READ : West Bengal Assembly polls: How Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM may spell trouble for Mamata Banerjee's TMC

182-metre tall statue?

The Congress is in the fight too. In a recent interview to a news website, All India Congres Committees (AICC) West Bengal in-charge Jitin Prasada accused BJP of trying to alter the states culture. He said that Congress would build the tallest statue of Bose if it came to power in the state.

The BJP doesnt care for the culture and identity of West Bengal. It is evident in their past dealings. Why havent they made a 182-metre tall statue of Subhash Chandra Bose yet? If the Congress comes to power in West Bengal, we will make the tallest statue of Bose, Prasada said in the interview.
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ROME, JAN 12 - The revised draft of the government's Recovery Plan has been sent ministers ahead of a crunch cabinet meeting to approve it that is scheduled to start at 21:30 on Tuesday. The plan on how to use over 200 billion euros Italy will receive in low-interest loans and grants from the EU's COVID-19 Recovery Fund - the Next Generation EU programme - has been rejigged on the basis of observations and criticism from the parties supporting the government. The Recovery Plan has been at the centre of recent tension between Conte and ex-premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) party. There is speculation IV's ministers may quit after Tuesday's cabinet meeting, triggering a crisis of government. "In over 170 pages, the strategies, projects and resources to get Italy going again are presented," wrote Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri. The biggest chunk of the plan is devoted to the 'green revolution' with 68.9 billion euros devoted to the ecological transformation of the economy. The plan sets aside 20 billion euros for the health sector and there is also more money for schools and digital investments. (ANSA).
The family of abducted teenager Jayme Closs say she's taking life day-by-day and is finally 'dancing and enjoying school activities' two years after she managed to escape from the man who murdered her parents and held her hostage for 88 days.

Her family gave the update on her life on Monday to mark two years since the then-13-year-old made the daring escape from the cabin in northwest Wisconsin where she had been held by her abductor Jake Patterson.

In the months after her rescue, a traumatized Closs had detailed how she feared going out in public.

The teen told Patterson's 2019 sentencing hearing that she used to love dancing, going out with her friends and going to school but her attacker had taken those things away from her.

Jayme Closs' (pictured in 2020) family says the now-15-year-old is taking life day-by-day and is finally 'dancing and enjoying school activities' again two years after she managed to escape her abductor

Jayme said she initially feared going out in public following her daring escape. Now, her family says Closs is doing well. She is pictured above with her aunt last year

Her aunt and guardian Jennifer Naiberg Smith now says Closs is doing well.

'Jayme is doing good. We take life day by day. She is enjoying dance, school activities and many other things as much as is possible in regards to now dealing with the covid restrictions,' she said in a statement.

'She is surrounded by lots of loved ones. We always want to say and remind others never take life for granted. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Always remember to take the time to tell your loved ones you love them.'

Her aunt went on to address the events of January 10, 2019 when Closs managed to escape, saying they were grateful for the people who found the teen and kept her safe until authorities arrived.

'We are very thankful for everything that happened on this day two years ago; for Jayme's bravery and for Jeanne, Peter and Kristen for all being in the right place, at the right time and keeping Jayme safe,' she said.

'We're still very thankful for the community, to the whole world for all caring and being there, and to law enforcement who worked tirelessly to seek justice.'

Patterson (right) is currently serving a life sentence after admitting to breaking into the Closs family home on October 15, 2018 before gunning down Jayme's parents, James and Denise Closs (left)

Her family gave the update on her life on Monday to mark two years since the then-13-year-old made the daring escape from the cabin (pictured above) in northwest Wisconsin where she had been held by Patterson for 88 days

Patterson is currently serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping.

He admitted breaking into the Closs family home on October 15, 2018, gunning down the teen's parents, James and Denise Closs, and then dragging Jayme away.

Patterson held her under a bed in his remote cabin for 88 days before she made a daring escape.

He told police after his arrest that he never thought Closs would escape because she was petrified and that after holding her captive for two weeks he believed he'd get away with his crimes.

During Patterson's sentencing, a family attorney read a statement from Closs.

'He thought that he could own me but he was wrong. I was smarter,' she said. 'I was brave and he was not... He thought he could make me like him, but he was wrong.'

Jayme, pictured in 2019 in the months after her escape, said she initially feared going out in public

Her family released a statement one year after her abduction, saying she was feeling stronger and getting back to activities she enjoys and hanging out with friends.

That statement said Closs was 'moving forward courageously and reclaiming her life'.

Jayme said in a statement read to the court at Patterson's hearing that the night her parents were killed was a 'horrifying memory' that had left her too scared to go out in public and unable to visit her family home.

'Jake Patterson took a lot of things that I love away from me. It makes me the most sad that he took away my mom and my dad,' she said.

'I felt safe in my home and I loved my room and all of my belongings. He took all of that too.

'I don't want to even see my home or my stuff because of the memory of that night.

'My parents and my home are the most important things in my life. He took them away from my in a way that will always leave me with a horrifying memory. I have to have an alarm in the house now just so I can sleep.'

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Rep. Conor Lamb revealed Tuesday that law enforcement briefed lawmakers on a 4,000-person group of 'armed patriots' prepared to prevent Democrats from entering the Capitol as they move to impeach Donald Trump

A Democratic representative warned Tuesday that there is an 'ongoing threat' to the Capitol as thousands of 'armed patriots' are ready to descend on Washington D.C. to prevent Democrats from moving forward with impeachment and said they are prepared to use their weapons against members of Congress.

In a closed-door briefing Monday evening, law enforcement informed lawmakers, according to Pennsylvania Representative Conor Lamb, that an 'organized group' of 4,000 people will attempt to prevent Democrats from entering the Capitol.

He said this group of people who consider themselves patriots are following a published 'rules of engagement' on when to shoot and start taking more serious action.

'The threats we are facing are very specific,' Lamb told CNN Tuesday morning. 'I don't want anyone watching at home to think like we're just sort of imagining that things could be bad.'

'They're talking about 4,000 armed patriots to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in. And they have published rules of engagement  meaning when you shoot and when you don't,' the Marine veteran and Democratic representative explained.

In another sign that the threats are real and growing, lawmakers were reminded during Monday night's briefing on security threats that bulletproof vests are part of their 'reimbursable expenses.'

President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Washington D.C. Monday night as police revealed three plots to attack the Capitol ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration - including the 'largest armed protest in American history.'

It comes as the FBI alerted its staff to possible uprisings at capitals in all 50 states ahead of Inauguration Day on January 20, particularly if Trump is removed from office before Biden enters the White House.

National Guard members have been deployed to Washington D.C. to surround and guard Capitol Hill after a pro-Trump mob stormed the building last Wednesday. Law enforcement feel that was just the tip of the iceberg, and that there is more to come in the next two weeks.

By the end of the week, about 10,000 National Guard troops will be in position in Washington D.C.

Lamb said they were briefed that this group of 'patriots' are following a published 'rules of engagement', including instruction on when to use their weapons and shoot. National Guard members take post outside the Capitol on Tuesday morning

By the end of the week, 10,000 National Guard troops will have been deployed to Washington D.C.

Security fences have been erected all over D.C., including around the Capitol, White House and federal monuments

National Guard and other law enforcement in the city are bracing for more attacks on the nation's capital in the wake of the Capitol breach last Wednesday as Democrats moving forward with impeachment this week

President Donald Trump declared Monday night a state of emergency in Washington D.C. after police revealed three separate plots to attack the Capitol ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration - including the 'largest armed protest in American history'

Trump traveled Tuesday to Texas to visit his the U.S.-Mexico border and celebrate 400 miles of wall completed during his presidency as Democrats plow forward with efforts to remove him from office before his final day on January 20

A National Guard member carries 'emergency ration meals' as members from several states deploy to Washington D.C.

Representative Zoe Lofgren, a 13-term Democrat who was tasked with helping pursue impeachment proceedings in the House the first time around, said security has 'clearly' improved since last week.

While leaving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office on Tuesday, she told reporters the ongoing threats to Democratic lawmakers are certainly real.

'Well just go look at social media, and you'll see, you know, there's people who are unhinged and into overthrowing the government who are, you know, we saw them last week,' she said of the briefing last night and reports of three separate attacks being planned.

Thousands of protesters breached the Capitol building and spent hours roaming the halls and violating lawmakers' offices and the congressional chambers for around six hours  delaying Congress certifying the election for Joe Biden.

Capitol Police were not able to solely prevent the Capitol breach or fend off the rioters. It took longer than usual to call in National Guard and other law enforcement entities for backup.

'This is an organized group that has a plan,' Lamb said of those who plan to continue the assault on the nation's capital. 'They are committed to doing what they're doing because, I think, in their minds they are patriots.'

'So this is now a contest of wills,' he said. 'You know, we are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people. They have to be prosecuted, they have to be stopped. And unfortunately, this includes the president, which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office.'

Members of the National Guard, called in from several states like Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, are standing outside of the Capitol Tuesday as Democrats move forward with articles of impeachment against Trump.

'This is an action purely taken in terms of public safety,' Lamb said as he detailed what law enforcement told members of Congress Monday. 'We are trying to stop the active threat coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He is the person who ties together all of these different hate groups, white supremacy groups, whatever you want to call them.'

Trump's emergency declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as Democrats had been furiously demanding.

On Monday night, the new chiefs of Capitol Police told House Democrats they were looking into three separate plans, including one described as 'the largest armed protest ever to take place on American soil.'

But the most concerning is said to involve armed rioters encircling the Capitol and blocking Democrats from entering - killing them if necessary - so that Republicans can take command of government.

Another protest is being planned in honor of Ashli Babbitt, the USAF veteran who was shot at point blank range by a police officer as she tried to clamber into the Speaker's Lobby during the Trump mob's siege.

'It was pretty overwhelming,' one Democrat told Huffington Post of the police briefing.

Meanwhile the FBI's internal memo warned of a group which was calling for the 'storming' of state, local and federal government buildings, as well as court houses if Trump is removed from office.

The bulletin came to light just as Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced an article of impeachment accusing Trump of incitement to insurrection, five days after the mob of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol, leaving five people dead in a futile bid to overturn the general election.

Flowers lay on the steps of the East Wing of the Capitol. Five people died in Wednesday's riot, including one Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, and a pro-Trump female protester, Ashli Babbitt  both were veterans

Trump speaks to his supporters at a rally on Wednesday hours before hundreds of his fans stormed the Capitol Building in DC during violence which left five people dead

More than 6,000 members of the National Guard were deployed to Washington, DC, over the weekend, with dozens of them standing guard over the Capitol during Monday's proceedings.

Capitol Police told Congress that it was preparing for up to tens of thousands of Trump supporters arriving in the days ahead, including possible violence to take control of the White House and the Supreme Court.

Working alongside their colleagues in the National Guard, the police are said to have told Democrats that they had agreed on rules of engagement in the eventuality of an armed demonstration.

They do not plan to shoot anyone unless fired at first, but they added that there were exceptions to the rule.

The police urged caution on lawmakers about leaking any specifics to the press because Big Tech had so successfully 'cut off main communications' that many could now only learn of plans through traditional media.

One member remarked that the Silicon Valley gagging order on Trump's supporters 'might ultimately save lives.'

But as the Capitol Police expressed confidence it was making sufficient plans to combat any violent uprisings, some lawmakers questioned whether this was the case given the lax security last week.

One Democrat told the police chiefs that there was clear evidence that some in the police department could be 'in league with the insurrectionists who love to carry their guns.'

'You can't just let them bypass security and walk right up to Biden and Harris at inauguration,' this lawmaker told HuffPost.

A further area of Democrat speculation surrounded whether the Trump administration was preventing federal law enforcement from lending its expertise to the police.

The member told the HuffPost: 'I don't think anyone has confidence that the folks at the Pentagon, that may or may not even be needed for some of this, or the Department of Homeland Security, where we don't even know who's in charge, are going to be cooperative.'

Capitol Police are working together with National Guardsmen to patrol the area surrounding Capitol Hill

Without much backup on Wednesday, January 6, Capitol Police were easily overtaken by a mob of thousands of pro-Trump supporters who they were unable to prevent from storming the building

The National Park Service said Monday it would close the Washington Monument and other area facilities beginning today and lasting through January 24.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is reportedly considering sending as many as 13,000 guardsmen to secure the area on Inauguration Day. Prior to last week's breach, officials had planned to deploy roughly 7,000 guardsmen.

The hardened-up security plans come after the Department of Defense said it was aware of 'further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day', Congressman Jason Crow (D - Colorado) said in a statement Sunday after speaking with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy about security preparations.

The Department of Homeland Security is working with the Defense Department, local DC authorities and inauguration officials to sharpen the law enforcement response in the coming days, including by erecting non-scalable fencing and security checkpoints around Capitol Hill.

'Now that it happened people will take it much more seriously,' a senior DHS official told CNN in reference to last week's violence. 'Now, the planners, they are all going to take it much more seriously.'

Federal and local authorities have faced fierce criticism for their perceived failure to crack down on Wednesday's insurrection despite evidence that they knew it was coming.

Hundreds of people might now face federal charges in the wake of last week's Capitol breach, DC's acting US attorney said in an interview with NPR over the weekend, saying a massive, 24-hour-a-day hunt was on to identify suspects and bring charges against them.

In the meantime, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said she is 'extremely concerned' about security on Inauguration Day in a letter to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf over the weekend. She wrote that the event 'will require a very different approach to previous inaugurations given the chaos, injury and death experienced at the US Capitol during the insurrection'.

On Monday the National Park Service announced that the National Mall and Memorial Parks will be shuttered until January 24 'in response to credible threats' after last week's riots.

Monday's FBI bulletin said the bureau is aware of plans for armed protests in every single state between January 16 and 20 - with one major demonstration slated to take place in Washington, DC, on January 17.

On Monday the National Park Service announced that the National Mall and Memorial Parks will be shuttered until January 24 'in response to credible threats' after last week's riots

A National Parks Police vehicle sits near the Washington Monument on Monday after it was closed to the public

Images of Trump supporters clambering up the walls of the Capitol - supposedly one of the most secure buildings in the United States - and smashing their way in with little resistance shocked the world on Wednesday

It said an 'identified armed group', which was not named directly, intends to travel to the nation's capital ahead of the protest on January 16. 'They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment a huge uprising will occur,' the bulletin stated, according to ABC News correspondent Aaron Katersky.

Twitter cited online chatter about a 'proposed secondary attack' on the US Capitol and its counterparts in all 50 states when it moved to suspend Trump's account on Friday.

'Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021,' the company wrote in a blog post, without offering further detail.

Twitter was believed to be referring to the same chatter cited in the FBI bulletin.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to be sworn in on the west front of the US Capitol on January 20 before participating in a Pass in Review on the east front and then receiving a traditional escort to the White House by representatives from every branch of the military.

Biden's team has remained adamant that the inaugural events, which were paired down prior to the MAGA riots to avoid drawing large crowds rife for transmission of coronavirus, should go forward despite last Wednesday's events.

'We are confident in our security partners who have spent months planning and preparing for the inauguration, and we are continuing to work with them to ensure the utmost safety and security of the president-elect,' a senior Biden inauguration official said last week.

'This will mark a new day for the American people focused on healing our nation, bringing our country together and building it back better.'

A protester carries a sign calling for Congress to impeach President Donald Trump near the Capitol on Sunday

A Capitol Police officer stands alongside members of the New York National Guard on Monday morning

The National Guard deployed in force on Monday as House Democrats are expected to introduce articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump

Trump on Saturday said he would not attend the inauguration, becoming the first president since 1869 to skip his successor's swearing in. Vice President Mike Pence is still expected to be there.

The inaugural committee has been making last-minute changes to security plans in light of what occurred last week.

The event will undoubtedly look far different from previous years, when hundreds of thousands of people - and in some cases, millions of people - took to the streets to celebrate the start of a new administration.

In a letter sent Sunday, Mayor Bowser asked the Trump administration to issue an emergency declaration for DC, citing intelligence suggesting that more violence is likely in the lead-up to the inauguration.

In another letter to acting DHS Secretary Wolf on Saturday, Bowser called for the 'National Special Security Event' period - a designation which allows for greater law enforcement resources and cooperation - to be extended from January 11 to 24. The period was originally slated for January 19 to 21.

On Monday Wolf announced that the period would begin six days early on January 13. He did not say if it would be extended past the 21st.

Bowser also asked Wolf for the DHS to cooperate with other federal entities - including the Defense Department, Congress, the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice - to form a security perimeter fortified by troops around federal property.

She said doing so would allow DC's Metropolitan Police Department to focus on its normal civic duties.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, echoed Bowser's concerns in a statement following his conversation with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Saturday.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (pictured) said she is 'extremely concerned' about security on Inauguration Day in a letter to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf over the weekend

'The threat of violent extremist groups remains high and the next few weeks are critical in our democratic process with the upcoming inauguration at the U.S. Capitol to swear in President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,' said Schumer, a New York Democrat.

'Given that the same incendiary, dangerous rhetoric online that occurred before Jan. 6, which proved to be a warning of the insurrectionist attack, has only escalated since, I impressed upon Director Wray the vitalness of the FBI to work with other federal and state agencies to remain highly proactive and extremely vigilant to defend our democracy.'

Adam Schiff, chairman of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, on Monday said he expected law enforcement to ensure a safe event.

'I think that there certainly may be violence, but I have to imagine, hope and pray, that this time the Capitol Police, the National Guard, will be prepared, will understand the risks,' Schiff, a California Democrat, told CBS This Morning.

Schiff said the threat of more violence in the last nine days of Trump's term was a reason to swiftly remove the incumbent, who fired up thousands of loyalists in a speech before Wednesday's rampage. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced articles of impeachment on Monday morning.

'There's certainly a danger that the president will continue to incite his followers to further violent activity, aimed at stopping the peaceful transition of power,' Schiff said.

Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli on Thursday insisted that the previous day's Capitol breach would be a 'one-time event' and assured that Inauguration Day will be kept under control.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's letter to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf is shown in full above

Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli on Thursday insisted that the previous day's Capitol breach would be a 'one time event' and assured that Inauguration Day will be kept under control. Pictured: National Guardsmen gather on Monday

Members of the New York National Guard organize on the East Front of the US Capitol on Monday morning

The National Guardsmen added masks to their usual uniforms in light of the coronavirus pandemic

'You're going to see immediate improvement, fully aggressive posture by the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice as well, because we accept violence from no one,' Cuccinelli told Fox News.

The DHS has faced criticism for failing to step in when Capitol Police requested back-up during last week's insurrection.

Cuccinelli suggested the agency didn't get enough notice, saying that by the time the request came in, 'it was just too close to when everything began to heat up'.

But a former top DHS official dismissed that assertion, arguing that authorities were aware of the possibility of violence well in advance.

'Law enforcement was ill-prepared for an event the entire country knew was coming, and one that POTUS had been signaling for weeks,' Brian Harrell, former DHS assistant secretary for infrastructure protection, told CNN, referencing the president.

'The normal 'layers of security', with each inner layer being tougher to breach, was nearly non-existent. It's shocking, that in a post 9/11 world, we witnessed the 'people's house' be breached and ransacked with ease', Harrell said.

Harrell said he expects much more substantial security will be implemented prior to the inauguration. He said the biggest threats to the event will be an active shooter scenario, vehicle ramming and the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure.

Cops promise hundreds more MAGA riot arrests in 'unprecedented' manhunt - but only 80 have been caught so far Fewer than 100 people are believed to have been arrested in connection with Wednesday's MAGA riot and police are now scrambling to catch up with the many who got away thanks to the outnumbered Capitol Police let them all walk free from the scene. Some 85 people have been arrested and 55 have been charged in total across different jurisdictions but many of the indictments have not been made public. There are ongoing investigations by the Capitol Police, FBI, DC Metropolitan Police and the Department of Justice is assisting them all. The Secretary of the Army also revealed on Sunday that 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened. Because of the scale of the operation, hundreds of agents and cops are being deployed to track down the rioters who got away. It is being described as an 'unprecedented' effort that was hindered from the start because the vast majority of the rioters were able to leave Washington DC last week without being arrested and have now scattered back to their various home states across the country. On Friday, the Department of Justice released information on 13 of the people they had charged to date. Since then, some of the more prolific culprits - like QAnon Shaman Jake Angeli, who stormed the Capitol wearing a horned furry hat - and stay-at-home father Adam Johnson, 36, who stole Nancy Pelosi's lectern - have also been taken into custody. Multiple others have been named as persons of interest but they haven't yet been tracked down, including one man who is reportedly in hiding after being linked to the riots. At least two cops are also under suspicion of having some role in the riots, including an NYPD officer. It's almost an impossibility that the many thousands who stormed the Capitol will all be caught. Those who have been arrested and charged face will be prosecuted for an array of offences including unlawful entry, firearms possession, assault and making threats. No one has been charged with murder. Four rioters died in the chaos, as did one cop who collapsed after allegedly being hit over the head with a fire extinguisher. A second cop killed himself days later. See a list of those who have already been arrested here. Advertisement

Images of Trump supporters clambering up the walls of the Capitol - supposedly one of the most secure buildings in the United States - and smashing their way in with little resistance shocked the world on Wednesday.

Five people, including one Capitol Police officer and four protesters, died as a result of the chaos. A Capitol Police officer also reportedly killed himself three days after the melee. More than 80 insurgents have already been arrested and at least 25 are facing domestic terrorism charges as the FBI continues searching for others.

DC Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said in the Sunday interview with NPR that potentially 'thousands' of people could have information on alleged crimes committed during the Capitol break-in.

'I don't think there's any similar case in DOJ history that compares to that', he said.

Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and the Sergeants-at-Arms of both the House and Senate, announced their resignations on Thursday, at the request of congressional leaders.

Meanwhile, as Inauguration Day approaches, fears are mounting that the attack may have emboldened extremists to continue their campaign to block Biden's path to the White House, despite the fact that he won the election.

In the days since the Capitol riots, calls for future armed protests have only grown among far-right circles, according to Twitter, which has monitored the chatter on its service.

A former DHS official warned that the Capitol siege could serve as a 'rallying cry' for Trump supporters.

'We could start to see a lot of lives lost because of the moment that occurred on Wednesday, so very, very concerned about the cascading effects,' the official told CNN. 'It's a very concerning moment.'

Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, expressed similar concerns, saying that far-right extremists and white supremacists were emboldened by their perceived success last week.

'We fully expect that this violence could actually get worse before it gets better,' Greenblatt said.

A number of extremist groups were spotted among the sea of rioters at the Capitol last week, including the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, NSC131, New Jersey European Heritage Association, far-right podcaster Nick Fuentes' Groypers, American Nationalist Party and American Guard, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute.

Wednesday's unrest reverberated around the US as smaller protests were staged outside several state capitols. Local officials across the US fear that Inauguration Day could bring further violence to their communities as well.

Washington State Gov Jay Inslee on Friday announced that he was mobilizing up to 750 National Guardsmen to secure the state's capitol in Olympia at the start of the new legislative session on Monday.

'The actions we saw in both Washington, DC, and Olympia earlier this week were completely unacceptable and will not be repeated in our state again,' Inslee, a Democrat, said in a statement, referring to the dozens of people who occupied the state Capitol and breached the grounds of the governor's mansion last Wednesday.

'In light of the most recent insurrection activity, the state cannot tolerate any actions that could result in harm, mayhem or interruption of function of democratic institutions,' he said.

Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6 in a bid to block the certification of Joe Biden's victory

Members of Congress are seen running for cover as protesters attempted to enter the House Chamber

The protesters used flag poles and other objects to break doors and windows around the Capitol building

Shortly before 2pm, the rioters descended on Capitol Hill while lawmakers were inside certifying the vote. Over the next two hours, the violence escalated. Some broke into politicians' offices, tauntingly sat at their desks and left threatening notes. One of the protesters was shot dead by cops (bottom right)

In New Jersey, state homeland security officials are monitoring plans for protests on January 12 and 20, an official with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

'Some of the online rhetoric has called for protests at all 50 capitals plus DC,' the official said. 'FBI in particular has been continuing to put our threat assessments and we are at the state level as well.'

In New York, which sent about 1,000 members of its National Guard to assist at the US Capitol, state police have also been put on high alert.

'Given recent events in Washington and across the country, the New York State Police has, out of an abundance of caution, taken steps to harden security in and around the State Capitol in Albany,' spokesman Beau Duffy told Law & Order. 'These restrictions are in place until further notice.'

Unrest is also anticipated in Georgia, which was a key target of Trump's campaign to overturn the election results. In a now-infamous call on January 2, Trump pressured Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger to 'find' enough votes to erase Biden's victory in the Peach State, but Raffensberger refused.

Members of the Washington National Guard stand near a fence surrounding the state Capitol on Monday

Washington State Gov Jay Inslee on Friday announced that he was mobilizing up to 750 National Guardsmen to secure the state's capitol in Olympia at the start of the new legislative session on Monday

Asked what officials are doing to prepare for protests in the coming days, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Safety declined to offer details.

'We are aware of potential protests on Jan. 17,' Franka Young, the public affairs program coordinator, wrote in an email to Law & Order. 'However, we do not share our operational plans. We are prepared to respond in the appropriate manner as we have always done in the past. Our primary concern will always be the safety of everyone who works at or visits the Capitol grounds.'

In Michigan, the State Capitol Commission unanimously passed a ban on the open carry of guns in the building on Monday in reaction to the siege in DC last week.

'We continually monitor for security threats and maintain situational awareness of what is happening in Michigan and across the country,' Michigan State Police spokeswoman Shanon Banner said. 'Our security planning is fluid and adjustments are made as needed, from day-to-day.'
[January 12, 2021] Gene Therapy Leader Katherine High Joins AskBio as President, Therapeutics

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a clinical-stage adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy company and wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer AG, today announced that Katherine High, MD, has joined the company in the newly formed role of President, Therapeutics and will also serve on its Board of Directors. She will be responsible for driving the strategic direction and execution of the companys preclinical and clinical programs.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr. High to AskBio, said Sheila Mikhail, AskBio Co-founder and CEO. She is a seasoned leader who led the team that achieved the first FDA approval for a gene therapy for a genetic disease, as well as an accomplished hematologist whose pioneering bench-to-bedside studies helped characterize the human immune response to AAV vectors in a variety of target tissues. We are thrilled Dr. High is now bringing her unique leadership and insights to our team. Dr. High stated, In looking to the future of the field, I have been impressed with AskBios innovative, flexible and high-yield manufacturing capabilities and their inventive use of capsid engineering to expand therapeutic possibilities for AAV. Dr. Jude Samulski has been a long-time leader in molecular virology, manufacturing and engineering of AAV. Decades ago, I received the first set of reagents I used to make recombinant AAV at the benchtop from him, and I expect that our mutual interests and complementary areas of expertise within AAV gene therapy will be a powerful engine for continuing, and even accelerating, progress at AskBio. I look forward to joining AskBio and the growing family of cell and gene therapy companies within the Bayer organization.



Dr. Samulski, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of AskBio noted, Dr. Highs many firsts in clinical gene therapy, her longstanding commitment to the field, and her innovative approaches to solving problems in AAV therapeutics, make her an ideal addition to AskBios leadership team. We believe she will use her experience in gene therapy drug development to help advance the companys existing pipeline and identify new indications in the areas of genetic and complex acquired disorders. Most recently, Dr. High was a Visiting Professor at Rockefeller University. Previously, she served as President, Head of Research and Development, and a member of the board of directors at Spark Therapeutics, where she directed the development and regulatory approval of Luxturna, the first gene therapy for a genetic disease to obtain regulatory approval in both the United States and Europe. She was a long-time member of the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and the medical staff at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was also an Investigator of the Howard Hughe Medical Institute. She served a five-year term on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee on Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapies and is a past president of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy.



Dr. High received her bachelors degree in chemistry from Harvard University, a medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, a business certification from the University of North Carolina Business Schools Management Institute for Hospital Administrators and a masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians (London). About AskBio

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG acquired in 2020, is a fully integrated AAV gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines that cure genetic diseases. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic disease indications with a clinical-stage pipeline that includes therapeutics for Pompe disease, Parkinsons disease and congestive heart failure, as well as out-licensed clinical indications for hemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. AskBios gene therapy platform includes Pro10, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive AAV capsid and promoter library. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, UK, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary third-generation AAV capsids and promoters, several of which have entered clinical testing. Founded in 2001 and an early innovator in the gene therapy field, the company holds more than 500 patents in areas such as AAV production and chimeric and self-complementary capsids. Learn more at www.askbio.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, visit www.bayer.com. Forward-looking statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," "intends," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding AskBios pipeline of development candidates; AskBios goal of developing life-saving medicines aimed at curing genetic diseases; the potential benefits of AskBios development candidates to patients; and Dr. High being well-positioned to help advance AskBios therapeutic strategy. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond AskBios control. Known risks include, among others: AskBio may not be able to execute on its business plans and goals, including meeting its expected or planned regulatory milestones and timelines, clinical development plans and bringing its product candidates to market, due to a variety of reasons, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved in a timely manner, potential disagreements or other issues with our third-party collaborators and partners, and regulatory, court or agency feedback or decisions, such as feedback and decisions from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect AskBios business and results of operations. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. AskBio does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof. Contact:

Robin Fastenau

Vice President, Communications

+1 984.275.2705

rfastenau@askbio.com



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Gardai say the search for a Dublin man reported late last night remains an active missing person investigation.

Officers at Sundrive Road in Crumlin have appealed to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Paul Ward (49).

Paul has been missing from his home on Rafters Road, Drimnagh since Saturday, January 9..

He was last seen in the Drimnagh area. Paul is described as approximately 5ft 9, of medium build, with blue eyes and a shaved head.

Read More

Gardai say Pauls family are concerned for his wellbeing and have sought Garda assistance in locating him.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Gardai at Sundrive Road on 01 666 6600 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Jason Miller (C) at the 'Deconstructing: How Trump Won' panel during Politicon at Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, on July 30, 2017. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Politicon)

Trump Campaign Adviser Says DC Studio Refused Him Because Hes on a List

Jason Miller, a Trump campaign adviser, on Monday said that he was barred from entering a Washington, D.C.-based studio for an interview with Fox Businesss Charles Payne, as he has been put on a list.

Wow  the anti-Trump censorship/deplatforming is out of control, he wrote on Twitter. Just went to the LiveShots studio in DC to join @cvpayne on @FoxBusiness, and the LiveShots employees told me Im not allowed to use their studios because Im on a list.

Miller said that when he asked what sort of list hes on, and why the studio accepted the booking in the first place, he was told by Liveshots D.C. employees that the list was for health reasons.

Liveshots D.C. is located across the street from the U.S. Capitol, and is in the same building as CSPAN, Fox, and MSNBC, according to its website. It describes itself as the capitals premier liveshot facility.

I inquired a little more, since I havent been around anyone with COVID[-19], and I was told they have a list of people they wont allow in, because of, like, who youve been around, at the White House and stuff and its, um, because of health reasons, he recalled.

The only way these companies will learn is if we refuse to spend money with them. I hope @FoxBusiness and @FoxNews cease using the LiveShots studios for any guest appearances, Miller added.

Censorship and deplatforming might start with just one person, but if theyre willing to do it to the President of the United States, these companies are willing to do it to anybody  especially any of the 75M Americans who voted for President Trump.

Liveshots D.C. didnt immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times.

Companies Remove Trump Businesses

It comes as a number of companies have moved against President Donald Trump, his campaign, and his business in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building. Stripe and Shopify on Monday joined a growing list of firms to do so.

Stripe, a payment processing company, told news outlets that it wont process payments for Trumps campaign because of last weeks U.S. Capitol breach.

According to Stripes website, it doesnt allow certain groups of businesses to use its services. That includes any business that engages in, encourages, promotes, or celebrates unlawful violence or physical harm to persons or property.

Shopify, meanwhile, took down online stores for both the Trump Organization and Trumps campaign, saying that the company does not tolerate actions that incite violence.

Based on recent events, we have determined that the actions by President Donald J. Trump violate our Acceptable Use Policy, which prohibits promotion or support of organizations, platforms, or people that threaten or condone violence to further a cause. As a result, we have terminated stores affiliated with President Trump, a Shopify spokesperson said in a statement to outlets.

The Trump campaign has not responded to requests for comment.

In all, at least 13 companies or services have taken action against Trump and his supporters following the Capitol breach.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.

FILE PHOTO: Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson speaks during an interview while attending the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Kelsey Brunner/File photo

Richard Bransons mother Eve Branson has died of coronavirus, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group announced.

Branson said that his mother "held on for one last victory, managing to fight off the virus, but had expended all of her energy in the process." She was 96, Branson in a blog post while announcing the death.

He said that one of his sisters and his nephew, as well the "wonderful nurses who she entertained with tales from her life and much laughter over glasses of whisky", had been with her "until the end".



Im sorry to share that, sadly like a lot of peoples mums and dads right now in these days of Covid, my mum Eve has also passed away. Rather than mourn her loss, I wanted to celebrate her wonderful life & the joy she brought to so many https://t.co/i7rHAnBtBD pic.twitter.com/iDGASlAS0M

 Richard Branson (@richardbranson) January 11, 2021

Branson wrote that his mom had taught his siblings the "importance of hard work, of not taking yourself too seriously, of treating people how you wish to be treated, of entrepreneurship, and so much more."

She was "always working on a project" when he was young and that she was "inventive, fearless, relentless  an entrepreneur before the word existed." the British billionaire said.Branson also credits the start of the Virgin conglomerate to a 100 pounds given to him by his mother after she had sold a necklace. The name of one of Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, VMS Eve, is named after her and that she "will always be my mothership", he added.
Porterville, CA (93257)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 91F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low near 55F. NNW winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Fans worried about Deadpool 3 being a watered-down PG-13 version of the first two R-rated predecessors are breathing a sigh of relief on Monday, thanks to an update by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

The 47-year-old Feige was promoting the new Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series WandaVision, debuting on Disney Plus on Friday, when he was asked by Collider about Deadpool 3 starring Ryan Reynolds.

It was announced in November that writers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin have been tapped to work on the script, with Feige confirming it will in fact be an R-rated movie set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe... though filming won't start until at least 2022.

No worries: Fans worried about Deadpool 3 being a watered-down PG-13 version of the first two R-rated predecessors are breathing a sigh of relief on Monday, thanks to an update by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige

Update: The 47-year-old Feige was promoting the new Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series WandaVision, debuting on Disney Plus on Friday, when he was asked by Collider about Deadpool 3 starring Ryan Reynolds

'It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryans overseeing a script right now It will not be [filming] this year,' Feige confirmed.

'Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. Weve got a number of things weve already announced that we now have to make, but its exciting for it to have begun,' Feige added.

'Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life,' Feige concluded.

Rated R: 'It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryans overseeing a script right now It will not be [filming] this year,' Feige confirmed

Reynolds' first Deadpool movie in 2016 was a surprise R-rated hit, earning $782.6 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.

The 2018 sequel Deadpool 2 took in just over $785 million worldwide to set a new record, which stood for another year until Joker earned $1.074 billion worldwide.

Fans became worried about the sequel's potential when the franchise distributor, 20th Century Fox, was acquired by Disney, a studio that rarely releases R-rated fare.

Big hit: Reynolds' first Deadpool movie in 2016 was a surprise R-rated hit, earning $782.6 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time

Sequel: The 2018 sequel Deadpool 2 took in just over $785 million worldwide to set a new record, which stood for another year until Joker earned $1.074 billion worldwide

There was speculation that the franchise would be shunted to Disney-owned Hulu, though that was never confirmed, and now it seems the studio is committing to an R-rated release, which is significant in and of itself.

Reynolds himself also reacted to the news in his typical quick-witted fashion, with a humorous tweet on Monday afternoon.

He shared a headline from IGN reporting on the news, joking, 'Full disclosure: I showed them Spiderman 1 & 2 and told them it was Deadpool 1 & 2. #Deadpool3.'

Quick-witted: Reynolds himself also reacted to the news in his typical quick-witted fashion, with a humorous tweet on Monday afternoon

Reynolds has three films slated for release this year - Free Guy (May 21), The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (August 20) and Netflix's Red Notice.

He is currently filming The Adam Project for Free Guy director Shawn Levy, starring alongside Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner.

Reynolds is also attached to star in produce a new adaptation of the board game Clue, which may also be an R-rated project as well.
Washington: The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will be held on the same stands in the same spot at the Capitol where a violent, pro-Trump mob descended last week.

But the two events aren't even comparable from a security standpoint, said Michael Plati, the Secret Service special agent leading the inauguration security.

The inauguration is designated as a national special security event," which clears the way for communication, funding and preparation between multiple agencies in Washington, such as the Capitol Police, Pentagon, Homeland Security and District-area police. Other such events are the State of the Union, the Super Bowl and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Armed men stand on the steps at the State Capitol after a rally in support of President Donald Trump in Lansing, Michigan, on the same day as the US Capitol in Washington was attacked. Credit:AP

Last week's rally turned violent siege was viewed as a free speech event in the days before, despite multiple warnings about the potential for violence from right-wing extremist groups. Egged on by President Donald Trump and his repeated attempts to delegitimise Bidens win, the violent mob marched from the White House to the Capitol, where they occupied the building for hours to try to stop lawmakers from certifying Biden's win. Five people died, including a police officer. Two explosive devices were found, but they did not go off.
Arizonas largest COVID-19 testing company may be shutting down due to lack of funding. Embry Womens Health, a health care group offering many womens health services, opened over 60 testing sites throughout the pandemic with the capacity to perform 18,000 tests per day. By some estimates, 25 percent of all COVID-19 tests in Arizona have been performed through Embry.

According to Arizonas local Fox station, Embry has not received any funding from the CARES Act, and its CEO is now appealing to private stakeholders to fund the testing sites.

COVID-19 testing site in Phoenix, Arizona on June 27, 2020 (AP Photo/Matt York)

The threatened closure of a primary testing company comes as Arizona faces the highest per capita rates of new virus cases in the US. According to data from the COVID Tracking Projecta group that compiles and organizes data from state public health authoritiesArizona saw a weekly average of 9,742 daily cases. For reference, a previous COVID-19 surge in July brought the state to a daily case level of 3,600.

COVID-19 hospitalization rates in Arizona are also reaching all-time highs. Unlike testing and case numbers, which can be quite variable, hospitalization numbers are a reliable metric for the state of the community transmission as it represents people sick enough to seek care. As of January 10, 4,988 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in Arizona.

Arizona has the highest number of currently hospitalized patients per capita in the country. As of January 10, the state had 685 hospitalizations per million people. Alabama trails closely behind with 584 per million and Nevada and California both have 571 hospitalizations per million people.

High hospitalization rates have a direct impact on staffing in the hospital, increasing the number of patients a single nurse must care for and/or forcing staff to work overtime hours. On a Facebook page for travel nurses in Phoenix, Arizona nurses discussed the current COVID-19 surge and its impact on their working conditions. All names have been changed to protect the nurses identities.

Randy wrote: The hospital I am at is currently running at 132 percent capacity. It is busy but we are muddling through.

Pauline, a respiratory therapist, stated, Its so frustrating having the workload we are given and running out of equipment. They say more equipment is on the way but we are still short staffed and dont have more bodies to run the additional equipment if it were to arrive. We are out of high flow oxygen devices. Vents and bipaps are running low too. [We have to] clean and reset up on a new patient as soon as possible.

More nurses echoed the concern over staffing levels. Sandra added, We have been drowning since October. Every single staff nurse has been working one or more extra shifts every week since November. We had 55 patients waiting for one room last night. We are making units in the lobbies but we have no one to staff them. We have tents outside the ER because the ER is full of inpatients.

Arizona also has the highest average daily deaths per capita at 21.2 deaths per million averaged over the past week. This is almost double Californias average per capita daily death rate of 11.2 people per million per day. Arizona has an average of 154 daily deaths.

Hospitals across Arizona are struggling to meet the high demand for medical care. Data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that as of January 10, there are only 150 intensive care beds available across the entire state. Out of all the ICU beds, 65 percent are currently occupied by COVID-19 patients, while the other 27 percent are occupied by non-COVID patients.

The lack of ICU beds means that the quality of patient care will decline for critically ill patients, including those suffering from other health emergencies, including strokes, heart attacks and injuries. The limited number of nurses per patient will also lead to increases in mortality. Patients that under normal staffing ratios would have been saved will now lose their lives.

In a Facebook group, Arizona Nurses Covid-19, nurses discussed the data showing there are only 150 available ICU beds across the state. Several nurses expressed disbelief, stating that the figures sounded like an overestimate based on their experience.

Julie asked, Where are these beds hiding? I work home health and every time we send an acutely ill patient to the ER they are admitted but stay in the ER for 35 days before getting a bed or getting sent to a SNP [skilled nursing facility]. Ambulances are refusing to take many patients to the hospital when they call 911 and then we have to try to set up non-emergent transport ambulances that are so busy right now. Never seen anything like it.

Heather stated: Pretty wild to take a walk through one of our ICUs. Doubled up beds to rooms so narrow that the beds are side-rail to side-rail facing the door. Virtually everyone is intubated. Heather added that she cannot confirm that the patients she described had COVID-19.

Of course, the nightmare in Arizona is not unique. The herd immunity policy pursued by the United States government and its counterparts around the world is producing ever-spiraling heights of mass death. There have been more than 28,895 deaths in the US since the new year began.

Deaths are rapidly increasing. Before the reported holiday lull in deaths, the highest average daily deaths worldwide were reported at 11,731. Today, the daily deaths have increased to 12,680, and it continues to rise.

Arizona government officials stand exposed for their criminal indifference and negligence that led to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the deaths of more than 10,000 people in the state. Despite repeated warnings of the danger of the coronavirus, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and his cabinet failed to implement the necessary countermeasures at any point during the pandemic.

At the beginning of the summer, even with the knowledge that the July surge was yet to reach its peak, Ducey failed to respond adequately. Insultingly, he announced only band-aid measures like the closure of bars and outdoor water parks for 30 days. He also pushed school openings back two weeks. At the same time, nurses and physicians demanded that Arizona be placed in lockdown, drafting a petition and collecting thousands of signatures.

Throughout the pandemic, Governor Ducey has been a major proponent of the homicidal policy of reopening schools throughout the state. Ducey even incentivized the in-person reopening of school districts over the summer. Districts that reopened fully would receive 100 percent funding, whereas those that opted for hybrid or fully virtual learning would receive 1020 percent less funding, prying open the doors particularly for poor and cash-starved schools.

Ducey recently dismissed a proposal to have all public schools go to virtual learning for two weeks after the winter holidays. Even if passed, two weeks is inadequate and will do nothing to meaningfully lower infection rates. The governor also continues to reject a statewide mask mandate and calls for new stay-at-home orders.

Arizona teachers have responded to the current surge in COVID-19 cases. In early January, hundreds of Arizona teachers staged sickouts to prevent in-person learning and attempt to curb infection rates and protect their own lives.

The situation across Arizona and the entire country is not hopeless. Emergency measures that can contain and control the virus and end the wave of deaths exist, but they are not taken by the countrys ruling class because they cut across the economic interests of the financial oligarchies. Under capitalism, the lives of the working class will always be sacrificed in favor of corporate profits, stock prices and the wealth of the super-rich.

Against all expert scientific advice, workers are forced into virus-infested plants, health care workers into hospitals without appropriate PPE or organized testing, and students and educators into unsafe schoolsall to keep corporate profits flowing straight to the ruling class. This same ruling class refuses to provide economic protection for the nations growing ranks of the unemployed.

At the same time, the vaccine is touted as a glorious solution. But the glass vial is useless if its not administered. Vaccine administration is currently so slow that it would take six years to vaccinate the US population at the current rate.

Arizona has vaccinated approximately 150,000 people, or a mere 2 percent of the states population. The slow rollout of vaccinations is not the fault of medical personnel dedicating their time, sometimes unpaid, to assist with vaccination efforts. State and local health officials were given a task to carry out a massive vaccination campaignon top of other public health measures such as mass testing and contact tracingwith little to no national coordination or financial support.
Even though natural gas is considered cleanest of all fossil fuels, its still not entirely clean as it produces some amount of greenhouse gases on combustion. However, there might be a way to make the gas burn even cleaner by using a catalyst.

The 10-element catalyst, being called a Swiss army knife catalyst, will help burn the methane in natural gas at a much lower temperature.

The more efficiently we burn methane and the less energy we use to burn it, the less greenhouse gas and pollutants it produces. Anything we can do to get this combustion temperature down is an environmental win, said Reza Shahbazian-Yassar.

Yassar is a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago and lead author of this study published in the journal Nature Catalysis.

The groundbreaking catalyst with ten elements is very carefully planned. Each element helps reduce the combustion rate and temperature of methane as well as oxygen. Usually, the methane in natural gas burns at 1400 degrees Kelvin (1126.85C). But the application of this catalyst can help bring the temperature down to 600 to 700 degrees Kelvin (326 - 426.85C).

Shahbazian-Yassar had formerly worked on research where they multi-element nanoparticle catalysts, known as high entropy alloys. Before the team used a shock-wave technique to create this catalyst formula, nanoparticle catalysts were limited to a maximum of two-three elements. This was because when more elements were used, each elements atoms would separate from one another rendering the product useless.

It is almost impossible to maintain a perfect mix of these elements in a solid phase due to the differences in atomic radius, crystal structure, oxidation potential, and electronic properties of the elements, said co-author Zhennan Huang. But they showed that this was possible to achieve, he added.

Their alloy is made of various transition metals. These are rare-earth elements, noble metals, and oxygen. The resultant single, solid-state crystalline structure remains stable under duress and temperatures as high as 1,073 degrees Kelvin (799.85C).

According to Science Daily, Shahbazian-Yassar says that they created multiple alloys with multiple elements in the process but they discovered the one with 10 elements was the most effective at reducing the burning point methane. It was also the most stable of all their other experiments.

The application of this catalyst can be helpful in climate preservation. By reducing the combustion temperature of methane, and making the gas burn cleaner, emission of harmful gases is reduced. It can be applied in all-natural gas consumption areas like powering turbines or vehicles that run on CNG to have a better fuel run.
Crowdsourced Responses from Dermatologists on Twitter Found to be as Effective as Formal Telemedicine

At the start of the pandemic, many doctors on the front lines turned to Twitter and other social media platforms to find guidance and solace directly from their peers. In early 2020, information on COVID-19 had yet to be studied and published in peer-reviewed journals or printed in medical textbooks. Since then, social media has been characterized as both a boon to medical communities seeking real time information and a major driver of misinformation on the virus and its spread. A new study from researchers at the University of Paris provides support for social media as a potentially useful tool in the doctor's diagnostic toolkit and a way for general practitioners with questions to connect to specialists who may have the answers.

In France, some general practitioners have turned to social media for help diagnosing common dermatological conditions. They post a deidentified photo of a skin condition to Twitter or MedPics, a private social networking site for doctors, and other clinicians can respond with their diagnosis. In a retrospective observational study, researchers compared the accuracy of using social media to crowdsource a dermatological diagnosis to the accuracy of asking a dermatologist using more traditional telemedicine methods. Researchers found that diagnoses suggested by doctors on social media generally agreed with teledermatology results, and diagnoses were even more strongly aligned when dermatologists were active in the crowdsourced response. When the images posted to social media were reviewed by an expert committee of dermatologists, the researcher found that primary diagnoses from social media were accurate about 60% of the time, whereas teledermatology consultations were correct about 55% of the time, with no significant difference between the two studied methods.

These results suggest that social media can be as useful as teledermatology services for doctors when diagnosing common and minor dermatological conditions, but consultation with an expert dermatologist may still be necessary. The authors acknowledge that social media is less secure than standard medical communications technologies and that Twitter and other public platforms do not take the same measures to protect patients' privacy.

Diagnostic Agreement Between Telemedicine on Social Networks and Teledermatology Centers

Alexandre Malmartel, MD and Sophia Serhrouchni, MD

University of Paris, Department of General Medicine, Paris, France

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 24

Black and Hispanic Californians Face Health Care Discrimination at Higher Rates and Are Less Trusting of Health Care Providers

A recent statewide survey of Californians uncovered that 30% of Black adults and 13% of Hispanic adults felt that they have been judged or treated differently by a health care provider because of their race/ethnicity or language. One out of six Black and Latino Californians were more likely to report strong mistrust of their health care providers. Researchers at the Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles analyzed data from more than 2,300 White, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black adults who asked to report on perceived discrimination due to race, ethnicity, language, income, and insurance status or type. Black and Hispanic adults reported higher rates of discrimination across the board, including income and insurance-based discrimination. Black and Hispanic adults reported higher rates of discrimination, including income and insurance-based discrimination. In addition, 20% and 10% of Black and Latino adults stated that they could not get health care services they needed because of racial/ethnic or language discrimination, respectively.

The analysis also found a link between having a consistent primary care physician and overall medical trust. Adults who did not have a usual source of primary care were much more likely to report mistrust of healthcare providers. The research team discusses the link between medical mistrust, racial and ethnic discrimination in health care, and roots in institutionalized racism, declaring that "resolving mistrust requires addressing systemic bias and prejudice in the medical system," echoing recent sentiments expressed by the American Medical Association.

Discrimination and Medical Mistrust in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sample of California Adults

Mohsen Bazargan, PhD, et al

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, California

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 4

Editors of 10 Medical Journals Commit to Equity and Justice in Primary Care Research

Today there is a renewed call to action for all medical researchers to confront systemic racism, write the editors of 10 North American primary care and family medicine journals. Racism is a pervasive and systemic issue that has profound adverse effects on health. The editors have issued a joint statement that amplifies calls to action from antiracist and Black Lives Matter movements in the pursuit of health equity. The statement also outlines immediate steps the journals will take to address equity, justice and systemic racism in primary care research.

The statement, published by the major North American medical journals for family medicine, including peer-reviewed publications from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the College of Family Physicians of Canada, places deliberate attention on the role of systemic racism in creating inequalities in health and the need to make immediate changes within the academic medical community to further equity and racial justice.

Systemic Racism and Health Disparities: A Statement From Editors of Family Medicine Journals

Sumi Sexton, MD, et al

Georgetown University, Washington, DC

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 2

Healing the Pain of Systemic Racism: How One Community Clinic in Minneapolis Will Rebuild

The uprisings for racial justice in Minneapolis resulted in damage to a neighborhood family medicine clinic. In this essay, physicians from that practice witness the pain of their community manifested in damage to their clinic and reflect on how medicine can begin to heal the pain of systemic racism. COVID-19 health disparities and the murder of George Floyd are cultural milestones with the same root causes: lack of access to quality health care, discrimination, and sustained inequities perpetuated by multiple systems, including health care. They argue that family medicine, and medicine in general must begin to heal at the community level through direct and organized action to address social, structural and political factors that influence health. The authors recognize that "you can't heal what you don't reveal" and issue a call to family medicine, a specialty that began as a countercultural movement within medicine, to train future family physicians in community engagement and policy advocacy to heal communities.

Family Medicine, Community, and Race: A Minneapolis Practice Reflects

Shailendra Prasad, MBBS, MPH, et al

University of Minnesota, Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 69

Pregnant Women in North Carolina Gain Access to More Comprehensive Coverage Through Simplified Full Medicaid Enrollment

North Carolina did not expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, which continued to put many low income women at risk for losing health care coverage post partum. The state did comply with ACA standards for simplifying Medicaid enrollment, automating the process and removing a stringent and often cumbersome financial assessment process. Analysis from researchers at Duke University found that these reforms enabled more low-income women to qualify for full Medicaid and reduced the number of women who instead qualified for more limited benefits under the state's Medicaid for Pregnant Women program. Researchers examined Medicaid claims and vital statistics in North Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and determined that, after changing the full Medicaid enrollment process in 2013 to adhere to the ACA standards, enrollment in full Medicaid during pregnancy doubled and Medicaid for Pregnant Women fell. Full Medicaid does not expire after 60 days and allows women access to crucial preventative health services that include primary care and contraception.

Pregnancy Medicaid Improvements in a Nonexpansion State After the Affordable Care Act

Jonas J. Swartz, MD, MPH, et al

Duke University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Durham, North Carolina

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 38

Dear White People: Do Your Part to Actively Engage in Anti-Racist Education and Policy Change

Members of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Minority and Multicultural Health Collaborative write an open letter to their white colleagues, as reflected in this essay. They discuss their experiences of being educated in unbalanced and biased academic systems, including medical schools. They also share how they have had to carry disproportionately higher financial debt due to student loans. And while physicians of color produce essential research highlighting gaps in care for underserved communities--and tools to address those gaps--they are undervalued, underpaid, denied career advancement, and experience daily micro- and macro-aggressions. As medical doctors who are also people of color, they write that they have had to bear the exhaustive burden of a minority tax, including assuming the responsibility of explaining and then fixing racism and associated inequities of racism in medicine while also balancing the complexities of "white fragility." The authors provide a list of specific actions that their white counterparts can follow to support and elevate the voices of all people of color to break down structural and systemic policies and practices that enforce a culture of racism, inequity, and bias.

Dear White People

Krys E. Foster, MD, MPH, FAAFP, et al

Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 66

One Biracial Psychiatrist Describes Her Experiences of Nuanced Racism

Emma Lo, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, writes a first-person narrative of how she, as a biracial, female resident and early-career psychiatrist, has experienced marginalizing incidents in her practice. She also draws attention to the oversimplified categories that fail to consider racial nuances and the resulting culture that excludes and devalues biracial or multiracial health care clinicians. Lo writes about the emotions she feels in interacting with her colleagues who do nothing to stop the perpetuation of patients' racist views; her frustration about her inability to speak out against and confront the microaggressions she experiences for fear of awkwardness; and shame for her own perceived propagation of racist viewpoints. Lo hopes that her essay illuminates the ambiguity necessary in dialogues about race and enriches literature about racism in medicine. "Until the medical community appreciates a nuanced view of race, biracial and multiracial people should not be forced to choose a checkbox or a side; nor are we a sum of our parts," she writes.

What Are You? A Biracial Physician on Nuanced Racism

Emma Lo, MD

Yale University, School of Medicine and Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 72

How One Dutch City and Its Family Physicians Responded to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Family physicians play a central role in providing the first point of access for health care in the Dutch health system. Researchers studied the changes in presented health problems and the demand for primary care during the initial COVID-19 crisis in Nijmegen, a city in the Netherlands. They analyzed data from 25 family physicians and more than 26,000 patients in and around the city. Specifically, researchers examined the most prominent symptoms of COVID-19 including COVID-19 itself as a reason for the family practitioner visit, comparing February through May of 2019 with 2020. In March of 2020 more people presented with respiratory tract symptoms than in March of 2019. COVID-19 became the most common respiratory tract-related reason for contacting a family physician. However, from April to May 2020, presented symptoms dropped to levels lower than in 2019. Due to the pandemic, the demand for primary care changed rapidly. Acute and chronic health problems, and prevention visits, decreased, while mental health visits did not change. Study findings stress the importance of securing care for all health problems in a primary care's preparations for a major epidemic and to avoid the collateral damage of a health system's single-minded focus on an epidemic.

The Covid-19 Pandemic in Nijmegen, the Netherlands: Changes in Presented Health Problems and Demand for Primary Care

Henk Schers, PhD, et al

Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 44

Reviewing the Evidence for Cloth Mask Use Among Health Care Workers

A rapid, evidence-based review summarizes the effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting health care clinicians from respiratory viral infections, such as COVID-19. Nine studies were included in the review, and all but one were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The only randomized trial of cloth face masks published at the time of this review compared the infection rates of influenza-like illness among groups of health care professionals who wore cloth masks, medical masks, or inconsistent mask use in the hospital setting. That study reported wide-ranging confidence intervals when comparing groups, but overall, they conclude that cloth mask use was associated with significantly higher viral infections than exclusive use of medical masks.

A majority of studies were conducted in laboratory settings and evaluated either cloth face mask fit and airflow when compared to other kinds of mask or the filtration abilities of cloth material and masks. All filtration studies tested aerosolized particles including noncoronavirus, bacteria, and simulated biologic particles, and results were highly variable but suggested some level of participle filtration. Notably, available filtration studies did not specifically test COVID-19 transmission or respiratory droplet transmission. The lab studies all conclude that cloth masks provided an inferior fit and were less effective at filtering viral particles compared to standard medical or N95 masks. Conclusions of this qualitative review align with current Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that recommend use of an N95 respirator for care of patients with COVID-19. The authors also recommend that for health care professionals without access to medical masks, a cloth mask should be paired with the plastic face shield, with frequent cloth mask changes to reduce the risk of moisture retention.

The Potential for Cloth Masks to Protect Health Care Clinicians From SARS-CoV-2: A Rapid Review

Ariel Kiyomi Daoud et al

University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 55

Primary Care Plays Key Role in Managing COVID-19 in Three Asian Cities

Despite having some of the densest living spaces and the highest number of international visitors, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Beijing have utilized their respective primary health care systems to keep their COVID-19 cases and deaths relatively low. Researchers studied the primary health care systems in the three cities to identify features of each system that other cities can use as examples to prepare for and prevent deaths in future health crises. Wong et al write that all three cities have made use of primary care in performing public health surveillance and primary care functions, underscoring their assertion that primary care is an indispensable part of any health system and can play an important role in addressing future infectious disease outbreaks when it is supported, engaged, and integrated with other parts of a health system.

A Tale Of 3 Asian Cities: How is Primary Care Responding to COVID-19 in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Beijing?

Samuel Y.S. Wong MD, MPH, et al

Chinese University of Hong Kong, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Hong Kong

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 44

Becoming a Virtual-First Doctor and the Promises of Telehealth

The COVID-19 pandemic offers a glimpse into a world where virtual medical visits and telehealth could become the norm. In this essay, Ben Kaplan, a fourth-year medical student at the University of North Carolina, shares his experience providing all-virtual care for two at-risk patient populations. Kaplan is among a generation of doctors-in-training who have stepped up to provide virtual front line care during the coronavirus pandemic, all through expanded telephone and video-call based care. The author's experience making check-in calls for high-risk community members and providing video-based gender-affirming care experiences have led Kaplan to see telehealth as a bridge between the health care system and individuals who lacked access to consistent, high-quality care long before the pandemic. Kaplan recognizes some of the major limitations of virtual care, but ultimately calls for expanded access to telehealth and mixed virtual and in-person "hybrid" clinical care.

He discusses the American Academy of Family Physicians and other medical associations' endorsement of health insurance reforms that would achieve "telehealth parity," providing standardized reimbursement for telephone and video-based care on par with in-person visits. In order to ensure that telehealth reaches those who might need it most, Kaplan also argues for expanded access to broadband internet and investing in digital literacy skills as a social determinant of health. He writes, "Telehealth is not a one-stop solution to our nation's vast structural inequities, and its limitations with respect to in-person care merit serious consideration. However, if my brief experience is any indication, telehealth may continue to be a crucial resource for some of our most marginalized patients long after this national state of emergency has resolved."

Access, Equity, and Neutral Space: Telehealth Beyond the Pandemic

Ben Kaplan, MPH

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 75

Bonus: Visual Abstract at https:/ / umich. box. com/ s/ fesdz33vuefzcvge6qzb0nyefq42e8w6

US Pandemic Response Highlights Urgent Need for Health Care Reforms to Reduce Health Disparities

The US health care system has responded to the disruption caused by COVID-19 with short-term measures that do not fix the underlying problems with the current system. This approach underscores the ways in which that system fails low-income people, racial and ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable populations that have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Marshall H. Chin, MD, a physician at the University of Chicago, stresses the urgency of addressing the underlying structural problems that perpetuate health disparities now. He presents three keys to developing lasting equity-specific reforms to the health care system: greater implementation of already successful interventions (e.g., expanding health coverage, implementing interventions that attack drivers of disparities, addressing social factors); creating a business case to reduce disparities; and engaging in "hard conversations about whether we truly value the opportunity for everyone to have a healthy life."

Cherry Blossoms, COVID-19, and the Opportunity for a Healthy Life

Marshall H. Chin, MD, MPH

University of Chicago, Section of General Internal Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 63

Treatment for Chronic Pain Must Address Both Physical and Social Pain

Physical pain and social pain may be more closely related than previously thought. Social pain, which typically results from interpersonal rejection or abuse, has been viewed as a non-medical response to external factors. However, recent research suggests that some physical and social stress responses may arise because of shared processing in the brain. Long-term usage of opioid medications could perpetuate a cycle of experiencing both physical and social pain and may increase risk of addiction. The authors, both of whom prescribe opioid medications, caution, "We must recognize that when physical and social pain coexist, long-term opioid therapy is more likely to harm than help." They advocate a move "toward chronic pain care models that do not separate physical pain (as a medical issue) from social pain (as a non-medical issue)."

When Physical and Social Pain Coexist: Insights Into Opioid Therapy

Mark D. Sullivan, MD, PhD and Jane C. Ballantyne, MD

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 63

Fewer Patient Encounters Drive Decline in Total Primary Care Office Visits

Despite seeing gains in insurance coverage for preventive health services under the Affordable Care Act, the US has seen a declining rate of primary care visits over the past fifteen years. Are fewer individuals seeing primary care physicians. The authors of this study compared two factors that contribute to that decline to determine whether it was the number of primary care patients or the frequency of their clinical visits that contributed most to the overall decline. Over a fifteen year period from 2002 to 2017, both the number of unique patients seeing PCPs and the number of visits per patient declined. At the start of their analysis in 2002, most Americans saw a primary care physician about 4.3 times in a two-year span. By the end of the study in 2016, frequency of contact dropped to about 3.7 visits. Additionally, the total number of unique patients who had contact with a primary care physician decreased by 2.5% over 15 years and declined across all age groups at varying rates. Applying the rates to adjusted population estimates, the authors conclude that less frequent visits by the average American makes up a larger proportion of the primary care decline compared to the number of primary care patients overall.

Decreasing Use of Primary Care: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study of MEPS 2007-2017

Michael E. Johansen, MD, MS and Joshua D. Niforatos, MD, MTS

OhioHealth, Grant Family Medicine, Columbus, Ohio and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 41

Consent Forms Design Influences Patient Willingness to Share Personal Health Information

Patients are sometimes asked to share their personal health information for research purposes. Informed consent and trust are critical components in a patient's decision to participate in research. Researchers at the University of Florida conducted a three-arm randomized controlled trial to compare the effects on patient experiences of three electronic consent (e-consent) designs that asked them to share PHI for research purposes. Participants were randomized to a standard e-consent form (standard); an e-consent that contained standard information plus hyperlinks to additional interactive details (interactive); or an e-consent that contained standard information, interactive hyperlinks, and factual messages about data protections and researcher training (trust-enhanced). Researchers found no differences in preferences at one-week follow up. However, after six months, participants expressed the most satisfaction and subjective understanding with the trust-enhanced e-consent. The authors write that research institutions should consider developing and further validating e-consents that deliver information interactively, beyond that which is required by federal regulations, including facts that may enhance patient-informed consent and trust in research.

An Electronic Tool to Support Patient-Centered Broad Consent: A Multi-Arm Randomized Clinical Trial in Family Medicine

Elizabeth H. Golembiewski, PhD, MPH, et al

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 16

Medical Practice Patterns Vary Between Physicians More Than They Vary Within an Individual Physician's Practice Over Time

Harmful medical practices, like inappropriate prescribing of opioids and racial and income-based discrimination in clinical settings, can vary across medical practices and individuals. Patients may find that even common primary care health services, like getting a chest x-rays or a referral to a heart or lung specialist, can differ widely depending on your doctor or clinic location. These variations in medical practice can have serious consequences for the quality, equity and cost of one's health care; however, it's unclear whether these disparities can be attributed to individual differences, from one doctor to another or to changes in your doctor's individual practice over time, perhaps in response to shifts in clinical guidelines or advancements in diagnostic technologists. Is it person-to-person variation or variation over time? A group of Israeli researchers sought to answer this question in a retrospective cohort study using a decade of data from the largest health care provider in southern Israel. This study shows variations between physicians' practice patterns to be significantly more pronounced than variations within an individual physician's practice patterns over a decade. Researchers assessed the medical practice patterns of 251 primary care physicians, including their rates of imaging tests, cardiac tests, laboratory tests, and specialist visits. After adjusting for different patient and clinic characteristics, practice pattern variations remain high, while individual physicians' patterns over time appear stable. The authors propose that medical practitioners' personal behavioral characteristics might help explain variations across practice patterns.

Medical Practice Variation Among Primary Care Physicians: 1 Decade, 14 Health Services, 3,238,498 Patient-Years

Victor Novack, MD, PhD, et al

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Soroka University Medical Center, Be'er-Sheva, Israel

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 30

Innovations in Primary Care

Innovations in Primary Care are brief one-page articles that describe novel innovations from health care's front lines. In this issue:

House Calls Without Walls: Street Medicine Delivers Primary Care to Unsheltered Persons Experiencing Homelessness--A "street medicine" team brings full-spectrum primary care on location to unsheltered homeless individuals in Los Angeles, part of an emerging model of "reality-based medicine."

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 84

https:/ A Community Partnership to Improve Access to Buprenorphine in a Homeless Population--A new mobile health service formed through a community partnership in Chicago has improved access to medical treatment for opioid use disorder for individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 85

https:/ Targeted Inpatient Screening Mammogram Program to Reduce Disparities in Breast Cancer Screening Rates--A program targeting disparities in breast cancer screening demonstrates the feasibility of performing targeted inpatient screening mammograms to improve screening rates among Medicaid and dual-eligible patients.

https:/ / www. annfammed. org/ content/ 19/ 1/ 83

###

Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed, indexed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care disciplines. Launched in May 2003, Annals is sponsored by seven family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Medicine, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, the North American Primary Care Research Group, and The College of Family Physicians of Canada. Annals is published six times each year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups for each published article can be accessed free of charge on the journal's website, http://www. AnnFamMed. org .

Media Contact:

Janelle Davis

Annals of Family Medicine

(913) 912-0377

JDavis@aafp.org

Follow Us:

Twitter: @annfammed

Facebook: Annals of Family Medicine
(Natural News) In the age of President Donald Trump, nothing is as it seems as one norm, one system, after another has been torn asunder by his political enemies in their never-ending, maniacal effort to depose him.

And every step of the way, the garbage establishment media has been in on those efforts.

In recent days, several hundred of the presidents supporters broke away from the main group that had gathered to hear him speak Jan. 6, the day Congress was to meet in joint session to certify electoral ballots for Joe Biden in a stolen election. Frustrated and angry that too few lawmakers were at least willing to stand up and object to slates of electors in states that unconstitutionally changed their voting rules ahead of Nov. 3, those Trump supporters fought past barricades and Capitol Police officers and broke into the U.S. Capitol Building.

Was it wrong? Sure it was  but only to people who arent supporters of President Trump, the same ones who believe that Antifa and BLM rioting all last summer, to include attacks against police stations and the siege of a federal courthouse in Portland, were perfectly fine and were simply mostly peaceful demonstrations against racial injustice.

After the assault on the Capitol, Democrats and their media sycophants all claimed that Trump incited an insurrection when it fact, he never asked or ordered his supporters to storm the building. In fact, he said just the opposite:

We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for integrity of our elections, but whether or not they stand strong for our country, our country.

Meanwhile, it was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who actually went behind the presidents back in an attempt to stage a military coup against him, in an unprecedented manner, by trying to remove the commander-in-chief from the chain of command.

RedState notes:

Those on the left have been accusing President Donald Trump of fomenting an insurrection because of the Capitol protest. But Trump never called for violence or a riot.

But these are the same people who for four years tried to take out and undermine the duly elected president of the United States through a false Russia Collusion hoax story

The New York Times ran a story today about the actions of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi behind the scenes against the president. Talk about insurrection, she was essentially fomenting a coup, and fomenting the military against the president, trying to remove him from the chain of command.

In a phone call to the chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff], [U.S. Army] Gen. Mark A. Milley, Ms. Pelosi appeared to be seeking to have the Pentagon leadership essentially remove Mr. Trump from his authorities as the commander in chief. That could be accomplished by ignoring the presidents orders or slowing them by questioning whether they were issued legally, the Times reported.

But General Milley appears to have made no commitments. Short of the cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment or removing Mr. Trump through impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate, it is unconstitutional to defy legal orders from the commander in chief, the Times reported.

Straight up, it is Nancy Pelosi who is the insurrectionist, along with her Marxist Democrat Party and the enabling sycophantic media lying to their readers and viewers about what President Trump did and did not do.

If there are Americans who still believe Democrats are the party of unity or that President Trump, not them, is the real threat to the Constitution and our republic, then reread what the Times reported and let it sink in real good.

Nancy Pelosi attempted to stage a military coup against President Trump, and shes going to get away with it.

See more reporting like this at Treason.news.

Sources include:

RedState.com

Rev.com

NYTimes.com
PADUCAH, Ky., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bryant Law Center, with offices in Paducah and Louisville, began accepting entries in the firms' new Educating Kentucky Scholarship program to award two $1,000 scholarships to eligible Kentucky high school seniors and Kentucky college students who produce and submit winning video essays.

For graduating Kentucky high school seniors who will be attending a Kentucky college or university next fall, the topic is to produce 2-4 minute long video discussing how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your education with an emphasis on any unexpected positive changes you may have experienced.

And the topic for students currently enrolled in and continuing in a Kentucky college or university, compose and edit a 2-4 minute long video essay discussing either the impact and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and/or discussing the women who have made the greatest impact on your life.

Each winner will receive a check from Bryant Law Center made out to the school which they will attend. Winners can use the funds for tuition and other expenses. Recipients are responsible for any taxes applicable to the scholarships. Scholarship checks will be issued directly to the university or college you're attending.

'We are extremely pleased to be able to offer this new program for current and prospective Kentucky college students," said Mark Bryant, President of the Bryant Law Center. "We firmly believe that education holds the future for the betterment of the Commonwealth and we're excited to be able to help promote that."

Only one entry per person.

The firm will announce the Educating Kentucky Scholarship winners on social media and on our website on May 1, 2021.

For more information about submitting your video, scholarship guidelines and to apply: https://www.bryantpsc.com/scholarships/

Media Contact:

Karie Thornton

[email protected]

#EducatingKentucky

SOURCE Bryant Law Center P.S.C.

Related Links

http://www.bryantpsc.com


What to Expect From the New Supreme Court Term



The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to take on major cases in the copyright, patent, and employment law spaces, with questions about how the newly enlarged conservative wing will weigh in on these issues. Arguments have already been held in a case involving whether Googles Android platform illegally infringed software code developed by Oracle. Later in the year, the court will consider whether changes made to patent law designed to combat patent trolls are constitutional or not.

The Supreme Court only hears and decides a small number of cases each year, roughly one out of every 60 or 70 cases that are appealed to the court. Consequently, Supreme Court decisions carry extraordinary weight because they represent the final and unappealable outcome of a given legal issue. Court decisions in the intellectual property (IP) space are even less frequent, averaging about five or six a year, but they tend to be blockbusters.

Trademark Case

The 20192020 court term followed these patterns, with about a half-dozen cases in the IP space, each of which was unique and represented a significant clarification of the law. Among them was the trademark case, USPTO v. Booking.com, which held that a generic word or name, such as booking or hotels, when combined with .com or another top-level domain, can be entitled to trademark protection. The court ruled that adding the domain information changes a generic term to one that consumers can associate with a particular website. As consumer association with a product or service is at the heart of trademark law, the court found that a generic.com mark could be eligible for federal trademark protection.

Copyright Case

In the copyright space, Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc. determined that the annotations that accompany an official state statutory code are not entitled to copyright protection, even when produced by a nongovernmental publisher. The court applied the 19th-century government edicts doctrine, which holds that no one can own the law and is applicable not only to the statutes, but also to explanatory and procedural materials (even those created by third parties) that accompany the law. The case was limited to only official state codes (e.g., state-owned or mandated) and would not apply to unofficial codes such as the United States Code Annotated, published by Thomson West.

Patent Cases

The court also decided two patent cases: Thryv, Inc. v. Click-to-Call Technologies, which addressed whether certain decisions of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) can be appealed, and Peter, Deputy Director, USPTO v. NantKwest, Inc., which limits the ability of the USPTO to be reimbursed for attorney fees in litigation over USPTO decisions. The courts decision in Allen v. Cooper supported a North Carolina state claim that it could not be sued for copyright infringement due to sovereign immunity, which protects states from being sued for official acts.

Party Lines

An interesting note about all of these caseslike many other IP cases out of the Supreme Courtis that the decisions do not generally follow traditional conservative versus liberal lines. The Booking.com case was an 8-1 decision, and Allen v. Cooper was 9-0. The Georgia case was a 5-4 decision, with conservative justices John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh joined by liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Similarly, Thryv v. Click-to-Call saw liberals Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kagan, and Stephen Breyer joined by conservatives Roberts, Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito, with Gorsuch and Sotomayor in dissent.

As such, it is uncertain the extent to which the shift in the court to a 6-3 conservative leaningcaused by the death of Ginsburg and the appointment of Amy Coney Barrettwill impact upcoming court decisions in the IP space.

Upcoming Software Case

One of the most anticipated IP cases of the 20202021 term, Google v. Oracle America, was actually argued after Ginsburgs passing, but before the appointment of Barrett. The case dives deep into software code, with Google asserting that code that declares what a computer program will do is not protectable by copyright. Copyright protection does not extend to works that are purely factual or functional, such as a list of instructions, a recipe, or a mathematical formula. Declaring code, Google argues, is only functional.

Google admits that it uses parts of Oracles code in Android software, but only parts that are functional and therefore not copyrightable. Google goes on to claim that even if the code were protectable, because the company uses the code in the context of creating a new work, it is upheld by the Fair Use doctrine. Oracle asserts that because of the complexity of the declaring code, it is clearly expressive and therefore protectable, and Googles use is not transformative as required by fair useit simply adapted code from one platform to another.

The practice of copying declaring code, without permission or license, is widespread, and it forms the basis of a wide range of software innovation. Consequently, the courts decision, expected in spring 2021, is widely anticipated.

Upcoming Patent Case

A bit more technical, but with equal potential for broad impact, is the upcoming patent case, Arthrex v. Smith & Nephew, which challenges the constitutionality of a relatively new USPTO practice called an inter partes review (IPR). An IPR is an administrative trial held when someone wants to challenge the validity of an existing patent. It was adopted as a component of the America Invents Act of 2011 and was, in part, intended to give innovators a new weapon against patent trollspeople or companies that own questionably issued patents only for the purpose of threatening costly litigation against alleged infringers and demanding licenses as a settlement.

Because the threat alone was often enough to encourage a settlement, Congress created the IPR process so that parties who are at the receiving end of these threats have a less costly alternative to litigation to fight the patent trolls. IPR uses administrative judges within the USPTO to decide on the validity of the patents being challenged.

The courts case involves a challenge to the constitutionality of the process, specifically the judges who are appointed by the USPTO and its parent, the Department of Commerce. The issue is whether the administrative judges are principal officers, which require appointment by the president and confirmation by the Senate, rather than simple hiring by the agency. While technical, the importance of the outcome cant be understated. If the judges, and therefore the process, are found unconstitutional, not only would IPR be eliminated, but previous IPR decisions may be invalidated. The case is scheduled for argument in March, with a decision expected late in the spring or summer.

Looking Ahead

While the Supreme Courts new conservative majority may carry less impact in the IP space, it may provide challenges in other areas. A recent article in Law360 (registration required), pointed out that Trump administration appointees at both the Supreme Court and lower court levels have often sought to limit the power of administrative agencies in interpreting and applying the laws that they implement and enforce. Most of those judges will remain in place during a Biden administration, and while the Senate and House will both be Democratic, the majorities are both narrow enough that the administration may still need to rely on administrative action on climate change, telecommunications policy (such as Net Neutrality), and other issues. Court wonks and watchers will have a blast, but the information industry will need to pay attention as well.
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) ("Talon" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project ("Tamarack Nickel Project"), located in Minnesota, USA. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project.





Figure 1: 8.39 meters (27.53 feet) of massive sulphide mineralization grading 8.15% Ni, 3.01% Cu, 0.19% Co, 0.54 g/t Pd, 0.62 g/t Pt and 0.17 g/t Au (9.83% NiEq or 26.21% CuEq), starting at 414.73 meters (Drill hole 20TK0273)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/71775_bd737a20f443291a_001full.jpg

HIGHLIGHTS

Drill hole 20TK0273 intersected 8.39 meters (27.53 feet) of high-grade massive sulphide mineralization grading 8.15% Ni, 3.01% Cu, 0.19% Co, 0.54 g/t Pd, 0.62 g/t Pt and 0.17 g/t Au (9.83% NiEq1 or 26.21% CuEq2), starting at 414.73 meters as shown in Figure 1.

Of note, this thick intercept of high-grade massive sulphide mineralization was discovered in a zone that historically produced much thinner intercepts.

High resolution BHEM (geophysics) continues to be a successful geophysical tool for identifying nickel-copper mineralization at the Tamarack Nickel Project.

____________________

1 Where used in this press release NiEq% = Ni%+ Cu% x $3.00/$8.00 + Co% x $12.00/$8.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$8.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$8.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$8.00/22.04

2 Where used in this press release CuEq% = Cu%+ Ni% x $8.00/$3.00 + Co% x $12.00/$3.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$3.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$3.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$3.00/22.04

"The year is off to an excellent start at the Tamarack Nickel Project - the Tamarack operational team continues to deliver high grades with wide intercepts," said Sean Werger, President of Talon. "We expect this to be a very active and exciting year at the Tamarack Nickel Project with plenty of news flow. We currently have two drill rigs turning, with a third drill rig on its way to site."

SUMMARY

One of the main focal points for Talon's continuous drilling program is to expand the high-grade massive sulphide mineralization within the Tamarack Nickel Project's current resource area to better define the resource (see Table 1 for a summary of the Tamarack Nickel Project's current resource).

The eastern limb of the Massive Sulphide Unit ("MSU") became a key target for drilling after strong Borehole Electro-Magnetic ("BHEM") geophysical surveys identified off-hole anomalies along the 140 meter zone of nickel-copper mineralization (see press release dated November 24, 2020 for further details).

Drill hole 20TK0273 was targeting the geophysical anomaly identified from the BHEM survey previously conducted within drill hole 15TK0219, and successfully intersected 8.39 meters (27.53 feet) of high-grade massive sulphide mineralization grading 8.15% Ni, 3.01% Cu, 0.19% Co, 0.54 g/t Pd, 0.62 g/t Pt and 0.17 g/t Au (9.83% NiEq or 26.21% CuEq), starting at 414.73 meters.

Prior to these results, this portion of the eastern MSU limb had only drilled thin intervals of MSU (see examples of thin intercepts in Figure 2), but were book-ended with thick high-grade MSU intercepts (also see Figure 2 for examples of thick high-grade MSU intercepts), including:

Drill hole 16TK0235A intersected 11.26 meters of 4.74% Ni, 2.38% Cu, 0.09% Co. 0.28 g/t Pd, 0.32 g/t Pt, 0.10 g/t Au (5.90% NiEq or 15.73% CuEq), starting at 379.53 meters (see Press release July 13, 2016).

Drill hole 16TK0243 intersected 10.5 meters of 5.88% Ni, 2.32% Cu, 0.14% Co, 0.42 g/t Pd, 0.51 g/t Pt, 0.09 g/t Au (7.16% NiEq or 19.09% Cu Eq), starting at 418 meters and also 3 meters of 7.35% Ni, 2.91% Cu, 0.17% Co, 0.55 g/t Pd, 0.76 g/t Pt, and 0.14 g/t Au (8.97 % NiEq or 23.93% CuEq), starting at 435.3 meters (see Press Release November 21, 2016).

Because of the positive results from new drill hole 20TK0273, Talon now has increased confidence that this area contains continuous thick high-grade nickel-copper mineralization. Drilling plans in 2021 include returning to this area for additional drilling with the goals of bringing the remainder of the Tamarack Nickel Project's current resource area up to the indicated category and commencing a Pre-Feasibility Study.





Figure 2: Plan view of the central portion of the Massive Sulphide Unit (MSU) within the Tamarack Nickel Project's Current Resource Area, showing the location of new drill hole 20TK0273

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/71775_bd737a20f443291a_002full.jpg

Table 1. Summary of the Tamarack North Project Current Resource (Effective Date: February 15, 2018)

Domain Resource

Classification Tonnes

(000) Ni (%) Cu

(%) Co

(%) Pt

(g/t) Pd

(g/t) Au

(g/t) Calc

NiEq (%) SMSU Indicated Resource 3,639 1.83 0.99 0.05 0.42 0.26 0.2 2.45 Total Indicated Resource 3,639 1.83 0.99 0.05 0.42 0.26 0.2 2.45 SMSU Inferred Resource 1,107 0.90 0.55 0.03 0.22 0.14 0.12 1.25 MSU Inferred Resource 570 5.86 2.46 0.12 0.68 0.51 0.25 7.24 138 Zone Inferred Resource 2,705 0.95 0.74 0.03 0.23 0.13 0.16 1.38 Total Inferred Resource 4,382 1.58 0.92 0.04 0.29 0.18 0.16 2.11

All resources reported at a 0.83% NiEq cut-off.

No modifying factors have been applied to the estimates.

Tonnage estimates are rounded to the nearest 1,000 tonnes.

Metallurgical recovery factored into the reporting cut-off.

NiEq% = Ni%+ Cu% x $3.00/$8.00 + Co% x $12.00/$8.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$8.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$8.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$8.00/22.04

QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALIFIED PERSONS

Please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Tamarack North Project - Tamarack, Minnesota" with an effective date of March 12, 2020 prepared by independent "Qualified Persons" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Leslie Correia (Pr. Eng), Andre-Francois Gravel (P. Eng.), Tim Fletcher (P. Eng.), Daniel Gagnon (P. Eng.), David Ritchie (P. Eng.), Oliver Peters (P. Eng.), Christine Pint (P.G.) and Brian Thomas (P. Geo.) for further information on the resource estimate and information on the QA/QC, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack Nickel Project. Copies are available on the Company's website (www.talonmetals.com) or on SEDAR at (www.sedar.com). The laboratory used is ALS Minerals who is independent of the Company.

Lengths are drill intersections and not necessarily true widths. True widths cannot be consistently calculated for comparison purposes between holes because of the irregular shapes of the mineralized zones. Drill intersections have been independently selected by Talon. Drill composites have been independently calculated by Talon. The geological interpretations in this news release are solely those of the Company.

The locations and distances highlighted on all maps in this news release are approximate.

The Qualified Person who is responsible for the resource estimate in this news release is Mr. Brian Thomas, senior resource geologist at Golder Associates Ltd. and independent of Talon. Mr. Thomas has reviewed, approved and verified the data disclosed in this news release relating to the resource estimate including, sampling, analytical and test data underlying the resource estimate and has visited the site and reviewed and verified the QA/QC procedures used at the Tamarack Nickel Project and found them to be consistent with industry standards.

Dr. Etienne Dinel, Vice President, Geology of Talon, is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Dr. Dinel is satisfied that the analytical and testing procedures used are standard industry operating procedures and methodologies, and he has reviewed, approved and verified the technical information disclosed in this news release (other than the resource estimate), including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information.

ABOUT TALON

Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in Minnesota, USA, comprised of the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Talon has an earn-in to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Nickel Project. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon is focused on expanding its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101; identifying additional high-grade nickel mineralization; and developing a process to potentially produce nickel sulphates responsibly for batteries for the electric vehicles industry. Talon has a well-qualified exploration and mine management team with extensive experience in project management.

For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com or contact:

Sean Werger

President

Talon Metals Corp.

Tel: (416) 361-9636 x102

Email: werger@talonmetals.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the timing and results of the exploration program, including assay results, grades, geophysical results and potential, drilling plans and the use of a third drill rig; the news flow during 2021; the potential to extend mineralization; and the goals of bringing the remainder of the Tamarack Nickel Project's current resource area up to the indicated category and commencing a Pre-Feasibility Study. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company.

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, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the 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.

Table 2. Assay Table (Fall 2020 drilling)

Drill Hole From To Length Results # (m) (m) (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pd (g/t) Pt (g/t) Au (g/t) NiEq (%) CuEq (%) 20TK0273 414.73 424.38 9.65 7.28 2.69 0.17 0.48 0.6 0.16 8.78 23.43 including 414.73 423.12 8.39 8.15 3.01 0.19 0.54 0.62 0.17 9.83 26.21 20TK0266 203 236 33 Assays pending 20TK0266 236 247.75 11.75 1.03 0.72 0.03 0.14 0.31 0.25 1.5 3.99 including 246.5 247.75 1.25 2.3 1.09 0.09 0.15 0.27 0.3 2.99 7.96 20TK0267 224.33 249.02 24.69 Assays pending 20TK0268 287.12 312.59 25.07 Assays pending 20TK0271 236 245.55 9.55 2.12 0.97 0.06 0.14 0.28 0.23 2.71 7.22 including 242.84 245.55 2.71 5.13 1.70 0.16 0.20 0.35 0.21 6.15 16.41

Length refers to drill hole length and not True Width.

True Width is unknown at the time of publication.

All samples were analysed by ALS Minerals. Nickel, copper, and cobalt grades were first analysed by a 4-acid digestion and ICP AES (ME-MS61). Grades reporting greater than 0.25% Ni and/or 0.1% Cu, using ME-MS61, trigger a sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES finish (ICP81). Platinum, palladium and gold are initially analyzed by a 50g fire assay with an ICP-MS finish (PGM-MS24). Any samples reporting >1g/t Pt or Pd trigger an over-limit analysis by ICP-AES finish (PGM-ICP27) and any samples reporting >1g/t Au trigger an over-limit analysis by AAS (Au-AA26).

NiEq% = Ni%+ Cu% x $3.00/$8.00 + Co% x $12.00/$8.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$8.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$8.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$8.00/22.04

CuEq% = Cu%+ Ni% x $8.00/$3.00 + Co% x $12.00/$3.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$3.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$3.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$3.00/22.04

Table 3. Drill hole location (Fall 2020 drilling)

CGO EAST HOLEID Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (masl) Azm Dip End Depth (m) 20TK0273 490771.2 5168602.1 388 100.67 -86.53 461.16 20TK0266 491022.0 5168949.1 388 110.0 -82.5 283.5 20TK0267 491021.2 5168949.1 388 78.7 -70.1 295.5 20TK0268 491021.9 5168951.8 388 218.05 -66.17 388.77 20TK0269 491022.0 5168949.0 388 Hole abandoned 20TK0271 491019.0 5168955.0 388 111.02 -78.49 299.62

Collar coordinates are UTM Zone 15N, NAD83.

Azimuths and dips are taken from survey record at collar unless otherwise noted

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71775
Indian Army is on high alert not only in Eastern Ladakh but across the Northern Border with China, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Tuesday.

In an annual presser, General Naravane said: "We have gone into a winter deployment situation... We (India and China) will reach amicable solutions. However, we are ready to meet any eventuality."

General Naravane said that last year the Army had to walk the talk to meet the challenges and the force did so successfully.

"First biggest challenge was Covid and the next was the situation at the northern border," he said.

He also said there was no cause of concern on the logistical issues and the force's operational preparedness is of high order. "Morale of the troops is high," General Naravane said.

"The situation at the Line of Actual Control is the same as it was last year. The status quo remains the same. We have received directions from the government to remain in the same position where we are deployed at the friction point.

"There is no change in the deployment in the friction area in Eastern Ladakh," said the Army Chief.

"There is no decrease in the number of troops in the friction areas," said the Army Chief

"In depth area of the Tibet region, every year Chinese People's Liberation Army troops come for training and after training they leave. Troops from some training areas have been vacated.

India and China are engaged in a nine-month-long standoff at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.
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Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today announced the appointment of Jorge Insuasty to the position of Chief Life Sciences Officer, effective Jan. 15, 2021. Mr. Insuasty will report to the companys CEO, Andre Calantzopoulos.

Jorges wealth of experience across both the pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare industries makes him the ideal candidate to succeed John OMullane, who is retiring, said Calantzopoulos. Jorge is a transformational leader in science and medicine and excels in driving product portfolio development through to market success. Science and a consumer-focused product portfolio are the cornerstones of our ambition to replace cigarettes with products that are a better choice than continued smoking. Jorges impressive track record will help ensure we reach our goals and take full advantage of adjacent revenue-generating opportunities.

Mr. Insuasty joins PMI from Sanofi S.A., where most recently he was the Global Franchise Head of Immunology, Oncology, and Neurology for Sanofi Genzyme. During his nine-year tenure at Sanofi he led the companys product pipeline strategy, from candidate selection through the development and regulatory review processes, with a dozen novel drugs approved. He orchestrated significant transformational change within the R&D and commercial functions to substantially increase speed and efficiency, fostered external collaboration and innovation, and was highly engaged with the investor community. Overall, he played a pivotal role in the turnaround of Sanofis R&D efforts.

Prior to Sanofi, Mr. Insuasty spent eight years at Novartis International AG as Global Head of Development, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology. Before that, he was VP, Research and Development, Consumer Medicines at Bristol Myers Squibb. Mr. Insuasty holds an MD in cardiology from the University of Paris.

I am very excited to join PMI, said Insuasty. The companys transformation, and smoke-free vision represent a tremendous public health opportunity and a business challenge, both of which I will be thrilled to contribute toward. And I also look forward to developing adjacent future growth drivers.

This appointment follows the recent announcement that John OMullane, PMIs current Chief Life Sciences Officer, will retire.

We thank John for the enormous contributions he has made these last two years, driving innovation and rigor into our life sciences function, and we wish him well in his retirement, added Calantzopoulos.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized their marketing as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMIs smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of Sept. 30, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 11.7 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMIs heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 61 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111005569/en/
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Highlights Vivo has launched the Y51A in India.

The Y51A comes with triple cameras at the back.

The Y51A offers Snapdragon 662 SoC.

Vivo has quietly launched another smartphone in India. The phone maker has launched a toned-down version of its popular Vivo Y51 smartphone in the country. Almost identical to the Y51, the Y51A crucially differs from the former when it comes to the chipset -- the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC.

Apart from this, it offers a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and also packs a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. Considering that it has only been weeks since the launch of the Y51, it is interesting that Vivo has already launched a new phone so early with similar specs.

Vivo Y51A has been launched in India at a price of Rs 17,990 for the single 8GB RAM+128GB storage model. The company has said the device will be available in Titanium Sapphire and Crystal Symphony colour options, with the Y51A available for purchase on Vivo India e-store, Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, TataCliq, and across all partner retail stores.

As part of the launch offers, Vivo is also extending a Rs 1,000 cashback from HDFC Bank along with zero down payment schemes from Bajaj Finserv, Home Credit, IDFC First Bank, HDB Credit, and ICICI Bank.

Vivo Y51A: Specifications

As far as the Vivo Y51A is concerned, the phone comes with a 6.58-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,408 pixels) LCD display which offers no fast refresh rates. Under the hood, it comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC chipset. This has been paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage -- which can be expanded further via a dedicated microSD card (up to 1TB).

For cameras, there's a triple camera setup on the back with a primary 48-megapixel lens with f/1.79 lens. This has been sat next to an 8-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide f/2.2 lens, and a 2-megapixel lens with f/2.4 aperture.

These lenses working in tandem with the phone's camera software offer rear camera modes like Portrait, Photo, Video, Panorama, Live Photo, Slo-Mo, Time-Lapse, Pro, DOC, Super Night Mode, and AI 48MP. For the front camera, the Vivo Y51A has a 16-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.0 aperture.

For connectivity, the Vivo Y51A gets support for 4G (dual-SIM), dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo), 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C port. It comes using Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11. Keeping the lights on is a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.
WASHINGTON: The U.S. counter-intelligence chief said on Tuesday he was worried about threats from China and Russia to disrupt the coronavirus vaccine supply chain in the United States.

William Evanina, director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center, told an online Washington Post event that U.S. adversaries were trying to interfere with Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government operation distributing the vaccines.

Our adversaries are trying to disrupt that supply chain," he said. Asked which adversaries he was particularly concerned about, he replied, I would say China and Russia right now."

The Chinese and Russian embassies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Evaninas assertion. Russia and China have denied U.S. accusations that hackers linked to both governments tried to steal data from vaccine manufacturers.

U.S. states are scrambling to accelerate inoculations as infections and deaths surge - COVID-19 has claimed on average about 3,200 lives nationwide every day over the past week.

Since the pandemic began more than 10 months ago nearly 375,000 people in the country have died, according to a Reuters count.

Evanina said that his agency was working with the U.S. Army and the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the safe transportation" of the vaccines from the manufacturing site to the end-user inoculation."

Vaccines available are made by Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna. Nearly 9 million Americans have received the first of two doses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than one-third of the 25 million doses distributed by the federal government.

Public health experts have said no U.S. state has so far come close to using up its federal vaccine allotments, a much slower-than-expected roll-out blamed in part on rigid rules sharply limiting who can be inoculated.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
A woman from Manchester, N.H. was arrested on Friday and later charged with child endangerment.

Stephanie Goddu, 35, was taken into custody by police officers after authorities learned she had sent her three-year-old daughter to day care alone with the driver of the Lyft which was summoned to transport her.

The Sun reports that the child had reached the day care facility safely but was unsupervised. Upon further investigation, police found that Goddu was involved in other incidents of child endangerment that included both her three-year-old and three-month-old infant.

The official statement posted to the Manchester polices Facebook page states the first incident occurred when the two children failed to show up at the day care facility. Employees contacted police, prompting officers to make a call to Goddus house.

Upon arrival they found Goddu incoherent and disoriented. They also found the three-month-old covered in urine and strapped to a carrier seat that was positioned less than six feet away from a heater. The infant was additionally wrapped in heavy clothing and a blanket, giving rise to concerns that the baby could potentially overheat.

The observed condition of the infant prompted further investigation into Goddu, revealing the Lyft incident and giving enough reason to lead to Goddus arrest.

Goddu did not initially comply with police, barricading herself in her apartment until officers were able to reach her. Due to this, she was additionally charged with resisting arrest.

Further information regarding Goddus case, as well as the future of her children, has not yet been made available.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Just days after supporters of President Donald Trump violently gained access to the U.S. Capitol building, physically pushing past police in an effort to disrupt Congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election, the FBI is now warning of plans for armed protests across the country in the coming days.

An internal FBI bulletin verbally read to the Associated Press said that nationwide protests could start later this week and proceed through President-elect Joe Bidens Jan. 20 inauguration. Investigators believe that some of those involved in the planning are members of extremist groups, according to the bulletin, first reported ABC.

Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January, the bulletin said.

A poster previously circulating on Parler, a social media platform the Anti-Defamation League said is frequented by right-wing extremists, called on followers to engage in an armed march on Capitol Hill & all state capitols on Jan. 17.

Parler was shut down by its web host shortly after Google and Apple removed the site from its app stores. The sites CEO said that could keep the site offline for a week.

The National Guard said it would increase its troops in Washington D.C. to at least 10,000 by Saturday to boost security ahead of the inauguration. More than 6,000 National Guardsmen from nearby states are already present at the Capitol.

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the evolving situation across the country is also being closely watched.

Were keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that were monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested.

The New York State Police said it is aware of reports regarding possible protests ahead of the inauguration, said department spokesman William Duffy. We have been in touch with our federal and local law enforcement partners and will be monitoring the situation.

Given the attack on the nations Capitol building, the New York State Police has, out of an abundance of caution, taken steps to harden security in and around the State Capitol in Albany, added Duffy. These restrictions are in place until further notice.

The FBIs warning comes as the U.S. House introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump, charging him with incitement of insurrection following the deadly riot at the Capitol.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump while she pushed Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority to force Trump out of office.

A Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to resign and go away as soon as possible.
Tulsi Gabbard Warned Months Ago of Risking Civil War If Divisive Rhetoric From Media, Politicians Not Cooled

Former Democratic presidential candidate from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, said she warned of a potential civil war months ago if the media, Big Tech, and politicians did not stop pushing divisive narratives on the American people. She said the countrys leaders and media companies need to start leading to serve the publics interestsnot their own.

Months ago (I) was maybe one of a few people who warned of civil war if we continue down the path that we are on. And I think that what we are seeing now with this divisiveness that exists very much online  now being translated into action further points in that direction, Gabbard said in an interview with the host of the Rubin Report Dave Rubin.

The former congresswoman made her comments after then Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol building by some protestors and rioters, which marred a largely peaceful protest by thousands of other protesters. A group of rioters and a minority of protesters waving American and Trump flags illegally stormed the Capitol building as lawmakers were counting electoral votes in a joint session of Congress. Mayhem on Capitol grounds that day left at least five people dead, including one police officer, and dozens of officers injured.

Protesters gather on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Mark Simon)

Protesters storm the Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2020. (Ahmed Gaber/Reuters)

Tulsi added, Its heartbreaking to see this happening at our Nations Capital. This is a symptom of much deeper issues and challenges that have been stewing for a long time, especially as of this last year.

She called out the conflict culture being created on social media platforms and the lack of civil discourse between those with opposing points of view.

Youve got to look at whats driving this  whats fueling it, she said. You can look at political leaders who are more interested in fueling divisiveness, riling people up for their own personal or political benefit. You see the media, doing the same thing for ratings. You see these big tech monopolies and Facebook using their algorithms and social media to continue to push and push, and put fuel on the flames of this divisiveness.

This combination of photos shows Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in 2019-2020. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Evan Vucci, Jeff Chiu, Jens Meyer/AP Photo)

She added that influencers on social media platforms tend to only speak to a segment of people who generally hold similar views, which doesnt allow for civil discourse and makes attacks such as that seen on the Capitol more likely.

After the attack, Twitter restricted and then suspended President Donald Trumps account, citing risk of violence. Two days later, Twitter said it was permanently removing Trumps account, due to the risk of further incitement of violence after a close review of Trumps tweets and the context around themspecifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter.

In initial reports on the violence at the Capitol, anti-Trump voices in the media had started blaming the president, saying he was responsible for inciting violence among his supporters.

On the morning on Jan. 8, Trump made his last two posts before being banned from Twitter.

The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape, or form!!! he said.

Twitter said that the post was being interpreted as a further indication that President Trump does not plan to facilitate an orderly transition.'

In his last post, the president wrote: To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th. Twitter said this message was being received by a number of his supporters as further confirmation that the election was not legitimate, adding that both posts were in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy.

A Very Dangerous Thing

Gabbard said it is dangerous to condone any type of violence, even if you think the cause is just.

The riots that weve seen over the last year occurring (shows that) the violence is somehow okay if it aligns with your view of what these people are fighting for. And thats a very dangerous thing.

Protesters gather in front of a fire near the North police precinct in Portland, Ore. on Sept. 6, 2020. This was the 101st consecutive night of disturbances in the city. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

The former Congresswoman said the attack on the Capitol was wrong and people should use legal means to fight any injustice.

For example, if you are concerned about the legitimacy and the integrity of our elections, take action to do something. I introduced a bill called the securing Americas election act which if our countrys leaders had passed, would have prevented a lot of the angst that people are feeling and seeing right now with this election because it says that you have to have a paper trail, Gabbard said.

According to a summary of Gabbards 2018 bill, federal elections would need to produce paper ballots that the voter may inspect and verify before the vote is cast and counted.

The bill also requires the paper ballot to be suitable for manual audits, prescribe approved methods for such audits, and directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Election Assistance Commission to report on the desirability of using open-source software in voting systems.

The Army veteran shared her hope for how leaders will lead in the future, saying, Whether theyre elected or not elected, (leaders should say) I am here to serve this country and the American people, not my party.

To end the interview, Gabbard said that she will continue advocating for Americans freedoms and common-sense policies in her work while embracing the spirit of Aloha, which guides her to find common ground and humanity with all people.

I open my heart and I love you as a fellow person, as a child of God, as a fellow American  whether we agree or disagree on different issues, whether we come from different backgrounds or not, Gabbard said.
HHS finalizes rule protecting Christian adoption agencies from Obama-era LGBT regulation

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services finalized a new rule last week rescinding Obama-era regulations that critics argue constitute discrimination against faith-based adoption agencies that dont place children with same-sex couples.

The DHS, led by Secretary Alex Azar, found that a portion of the Code of Federal Regulations outlining requirements for awardees of HHS funds violated portions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The code was amended during the latter part of the Obama administration to require all HHS grant-receiving organizations to adhere to rules that forbid discrimination against same-sex couples and LGBT individuals.

Under the Obama-era rule, all recipients must treat as valid the marriages of same-sex couples under the Supreme Court decisions United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges, which established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

The regulation required that no person otherwise eligible will be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in the administration of HHS programs and services based on non-merit factors such as age, disability, sex, race, color, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

The Trump administration concluded that the imposition of certain nonstatutory nondiscrimination requirements on certain faith-based organizations as recipients or subrecipients in the Departments programs would likely constitute a substantial burden on the exercise of religion.

The HHS argues that the final rule better ensures compliance with RFRA, and allows the Department to avoid some situations where a substantial burden on the religious exercise may be applied by requirements that flow from the Department but not from a statute.

As a result, the final rule enables the participation of faith-based organizations that participate in or seek to participate in Department-funded programs or activities.

The department contended that the forbidding of entities that object to the current regulations from participating in HHS programs has hurt the effectiveness of the Departments programs and in the number of beneficiaries served overall.

The document detailing the new HHS rule changes specifically cites faith-based child placement agencies, which it describes as critical providers and partners in caring for vulnerable children and youth as an example of organizations harmed by the previous rule changes.

The Obama-era rule change mandating that HHS awardees treat as valid the marriage of same-sex couples had the effect of requiring faith-based adoption agencies to place children with same-sex couples against their religious beliefs or cease partnering with the federal government.

Some faith-based subrecipients, including some that provide critically important child welfare services to states and local jurisdictions across the child welfare continuum, may not be able to provide needed services  and indeed, might be compelled to withdraw from the provision of child welfare services  if they are forced to comply with the current nonstatutory nondiscrimination requirements," the Trump HHS contends.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal nonprofit that specializes in religious liberty cases, commended the rule changes in a statement.

ADF is currently representing two faith-based adoption and foster care agencies involved in federal lawsuits against state officials.

We commend the Trump administration for protecting a diversity of providers to ensure the greatest number of children find a permanent, loving family, ADF senior counsel Zack Pruitt said, adding that there are hundreds of thousands of children in foster care throughout the U.S. and faith-based providers play an integral role in serving these vulnerable kids.

Pruitt contends that the previous administration discriminated against faith-based providers simply because of their beliefs about marriage.

This is not keeping kids first, Pruitt argued. HHSs final rule to end this discrimination offers hope for children, more options for birth mothers, support for families, and increased flexibility for states seeking to alleviate real human need.

The new rule has also been praised by other conservative groups, such as the Christian conservative advocacy organization Family Research Council. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also spoke out against the Obama-era rule, saying it threatened to shut out faith-based social service providers.

The new regulation was criticized by LGBT advocacy organizations as well as Democrat members of Congress.

At the 11th hour, the lame duck Trump-Pence administration has published its parting assault on the LGBTQ community via a federal regulation that would permit discrimination across the entire spectrum of HHS programs receiving federal funding, Alphonso David, president of the Pro-LGBT Human Rights Council, said in a statement.

With just days left in President Donald Trumps term and Democrat Joe Biden scheduled to take office next week, the future of the Trump administrations rule changes remains uncertain. Biden has vowed to push Congress to pass the Equality Act, which would codify discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity into federal law.

Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the city officials in Philadelphia violated the Constitution by severing ties with faith-based adoption agencies over their opposition to placing children with same-sex couples.
The 2020 oil crisis has led to a crisis of confidence among the global workforce in the oil and gas industry, where 78 percent of professionals are now less secure in their jobs than they were a year ago, the fifth annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) showed on Tuesday.

According to the report by Airswift and Energy Jobline on job trends in the energy sector, hiring managers share the concerns of employees in the oil and gas industry77 percent of hiring managers feel that their employees jobs are less secure than they were last year.

For the first time in the five years of the GETI report, more oil and gas workers have reported a fall in pay (29 percent) rather than an increase (28 percent) over the past year, according to the survey of 16,000 energy professionals and hiring managers in 166 countries.

Yet, nearly half, or 49 percent, expect pay rises over the next year, compared to 18 percent who see further pay cuts down the road.

Advancement in career is the biggest incentive to relocate for oil and gas professionals, 89 percent of whom would consider moving to another region because of their job, the survey found.

The oil and gas sector continues to face competition from renewables and petrochemicals for attracting talent, with 50 percent of oil and gas workers open to switch sectors to renewable energy, the GETI report found.



Related: India Oil Demand Falls For First Time In 20 Years Due To COVID

Oil and gas employers may forgive themselves a little self-doubt, but reasons for cautious optimism remain. Technology represents a clear opportunity but so could the energy transition, if handled with care. And lets not forget that the workforce still has faith that growth  and rising remuneration  will return, Josh Young, Director at Energy Jobline, said, commenting on the report.

Over the past year, the oil and gas industry has lost thousands of jobs, as major companies moved to cut expenses and cut workforce numbers, while oilfield services companies laid off workers as their work reduced.

In the United States alone, the oilfield services sector had lost a total of 82,811 jobs due to the pandemic-related demand destruction as of December 2020, the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association (PESA) said in an analysis on Monday. The good news in PESAs employment report for December was that the oilfield services sector added an estimated 4,592 jobs in December, the fourth consecutive month of rising employment numbers.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

PureVPN in brief:

P2P allowed: Yes, select countries

Yes, select countries Business location: Hong Kong (officially)

Hong Kong (officially) Number of servers: 6,500+

6,500+ Number of country locations: 139

139 Cost: $50 per year, $10.95 per month

$50 per year, $10.95 per month VPN protocol: IKEv2

IKEv2 Data encryption: AES-256

AES-256 Data authentication: SHA-1, SHA-256

SHA-1, SHA-256 Handshake: RSA-2048, RSA-4096

We havent taken a good look at PureVPN in more than two years, and in that time the service has been busy updating network infrastructure, overhauling its apps, and focusing on streaming service compatibility. Its about time we took another look to see whats new and how the service compares to its former self.

Note: This review is part of our best VPNs roundup. Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them.

PureVPN says it recently finished upgrading all its major traffic servers to 10Gbps uplinks, and all other servers have at least a 1Gbps uplink. PureVPN also now supports a wide array of streaming services including Netflix in the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK; Disney Plus in Australia, Canada, and Germany; Channel 4 in the UK; and MX Player, Voot, and Zee5 in India. Theres more to come too, including Peacock TV, Denmarks DR TV, RTE in Ireland, and Tenplay in Australia.

One of the more noticeable upfront changes, other than the app overhaul, is that you no longer need to sign in to the app with a special username. Instead, you just sign in with the email and password you used for creating the account, as with other VPN services. It does require a short account migration on the PureVPN website, but it only takes a second.

IDG PureVPN with an active connection.

The new PureVPN app is quite different from its predecessor, which was showing its age with a non-interactive map, and some pointless links to social media sites like Google Plus.

All of that is gone. Instead you get an app thats cleaner and easier to navigate. The primary dashboard features a large connect button with the current server selection above that, and then the most recent connection underneath.

Anyone who wants to choose a specific country can click on the globe icon in the left rail. This shows you all of the country locations, with a ping time showing the best server response time at each location. Anyone who wants to drill down into specific regions in each country can click on the arrow to the far right of each country listing.

In addition to the country list, there are also sections showing recommended servers, recent locations, and favorites. As before, PureVPN uses some virtual server locations where its not possible to place actual servers. You can find PureVPNs complete server listings on its website. Any server location with a V next to it signifies the server is not physically located in the country it claims to be in.

IDG PureVPNs country listings.

In the settings, which is at the bottom of the left rail, you can find options for an internet kill switch (dubbed IKS). The IKS is turned on by default to prevent your activity from being detected should the VPN connection drop. There are also options to automatically launch the app at system startup and auto connect to a VPN server after launch. Although its hard to notice at first, theres a second tab here for protocol selection. PureVPN uses IKEv2 by default, but you can switch to OpenVPN via TCP or UDP if you like. PureVPN doesnt yet support WireGuard, but the company says thats coming soon.

The app is much easier to use than the previous version, though I do have a small quibble that the colors used for text and buttons are a little too soft, making interface components harder to see at times.

Performance

In our tests, PureVPN maintained about 27 percent of the base speed, which is a little less than we saw last time. There were some incredibly good speeds in there, but weak performance in places like Asia and Autralia brought the score down overall. And even the incredibly good speeds had occasional issues sustaining that level. Still, anyone using a North American, British, or European connection should see excellent performance.

Privacy, anonymity, and trust

IDG PureVPNs settings on PC.

PureVPN requires an email and password to sign up for the service, and it accepts payment via credit card, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum via CoinGate. PureVPN costs about $50 for a year, $24 for three months, or $10.95 on a month-to-month basis. The company runs frequent sales so you may catch better prices than these.

PureVPNs privacy policy states that it does not keep any record of your browsing activity or history, connection logs, timestamps, assigned IP addresses, your original IP, connection time, or DNS queries. PureVPN has been audited by both Altius IT and KPMG, both of which confirmed PureVPNs privacy promises. Thats a good step, but it still comes down to trust, as VPN services could easily change their servers when not undergoing an audit. Still, its a good sign.

The company does keep some logs. It knows the day you connected to a specific VPN location and the name of your ISP. PureVPN says it keeps this to help with technical assistance, solving connecting problems, and overcoming region-specific problems.

IDG PureVPNs protocol options.

The company also knows the connection length of time (but not the specific times), and how many connections you make when you use our VPN service. Finally, the company tracks bandwidth consumed to prevent abuse of its unlimited bandwidth promise.

Those privacy policies arent too bad, but we wouldnt call this a no-logs policy given some of the data it keeps.

PureVPN is officially based in Hong Kong and is owned and operated by GZ Systems Limited. Despite its official location, the majority of its team is based in Pakistan. The CEO and co-founder is Uzair Gadit.

Conclusion

PureVPN is still a solid VPN. Given time to work out issues with sustained bandwidth speeds and improving the speeds we saw in the farther-flung corners of the world, PureVPN will be even better. This isnt an ideal VPN for anyone who wants an absolute zero-logs policy with nothing kept whatsoever, but many people will find PureVPN an excellent choice.

Editors note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article.
Supreme Court rejects pro-life groups challenge to abortion clinic buffer zone

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The United States Supreme Court has rejected a request by a pro-life group to hear a challenge to a Pennsylvania city law that creates a buffer zone around abortion clinic entrances.

In an order released Monday, the high court denied without explanation a petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of Nikki Bruni et al v. City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania et al.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, known for his past legal opinions denouncing abortion, nevertheless respected the decision of the court to not take up the appeal.

The city of Pittsburgh, like many jurisdictions, has created buffer zones around abortion clinics. These zones often impose serious limits on free speech. Many even prohibit certain one-on-one conversations, wrote Thomas, as part of the order.

In 2000, we upheld one such law, determining that it survived under the First Amendment because it satisfied intermediate scrutiny. Hill v. Colorado, 530 U. S. 703 (2000).

Thomas went on to explained that he agreed with the denial of an appeal because it involves unclear, preliminary questions about the proper interpretation of state law.

But the Court should take up this issue in an appropriate case to resolve the glaring tension in our precedents, he added.

In 2005, Pittsburgh adopted an ordinance that prohibited demonstrations within 15 feet of any entrance to a medical facility or hospital, including abortion clinics among entities protected.

Pro-life activists Nikki Bruni, Cynthia Rinaldi, Kathleen Laslow, Julie Cosentino, and Patrick Malley sued the city over the buffer zone ordinance.

At issue was the claim that the buffer zone interfered with their efforts to dissuade women from having abortions via sidewalk counseling and other means.

While a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the ordinance in October 2019, they also ruled that it did not apply to pro-life sidewalk counselors.

No doubt, if the Ordinance by its terms did prohibit one-on-one conversations about abortion but not about other subjects within the zone, it would be highly problematic, wrote Judge Cheryl Ann Krause for the panel.

The text of the Ordinance says nothing about leafletting or peaceful one-on-one conversations, let alone on a particular topic or for a particular purpose.

In March of last year, Alliance Defending Freedom, which was helping to represent the activists, asked the Supreme Court to review the case.

The government cant silence speakers just because it doesnt like what they have to say, and as Pittsburghs mayor made clear, the bans purpose was to prevent women seeking abortions from hearing messages of hope, encouragement, and true choice, said ADF Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch in a statement at the time.

The city can still prosecute pro-life sidewalk counselors and censor pro-life advocates even after the 3rd Circuits ruling, and until the Supreme Court weighs in, the threat remains.
The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday "stayed the implementation of three farms laws until further orders". The apex court said that it would form a committee to solve the ongoing deadlock between the protesting farmers and the central government. "We are forming a committee so that we have a clearer picture. We don't want to hear arguments that farmers will not go to the committee. We are looking to solve the problem," the Chief Justice of India said on Tuesday.

"We are concerned about validity of the laws and also about protecting life and property of citizens affected by protests. We are trying to solve the problem in accordance with the powers we have. One of the powers we have is to suspend the legislation and make a committee," CJI Bobde observed, quoted ANI.

A four member committee will be be formed with Harsimran Mann of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Ashok Gulati academician and two others, the SC ordered. "This committee will be for us. All of you people who are expected to solve the issue will go before this committee. It will not pass an order or punish you, it will only submit a report to us," CJI further added, according to ANI.

The apex court sought cooperation of farmers' unions, mentioning "those who genuinely want resolution, will go to the committee" on farm laws. The court further added, "The committee is part of the judicial process in this case. We are planning to suspend the laws but not indefinitely."

"This is not politics. There is a difference between politics and judiciary and you will have to cooperate," said SC to farmer unions, reported PTI.

Pulling up the Centre for its handling of the farmers' protest, the apex court on Monday said it is extremely disappointed" with the way negotiations between them were going and will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse.

The apex court also issued notice on the Delhi Police's application filed seeking to stop the proposed tractor rally by protesting farmers on Republic Day. Farmers may apply for permission to the Delhi Police Commissioner for protests at Ramlila Maidan or other locations, CJI added.

Senior advocates Dushyant Dave, HS Phoolka, Colin Gonsalves, who represents 400 farmers' bodies, were not present during the Supreme Court's proceedings on Tuesday. "They were supposed to consult the farmers on formation of a committee and come back today," said senior advocate Harish Salve.

There is currently widespread farmer protest happening against the three reforms  the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. Hundreds of agitating farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping on Delhi's borders since 26 November.

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If cattle class is a lesson in patience, first class is a lesson in ego management. From the infamous nutgate incident of 2014 to Emirates (ostensibly) being forced to lock up its expensive booze in 2019, history is full of passengers who failed to keep their self importance in check.

Of course, its all too easy to paint all first-class passengers as conceited. We all have our hangups. As Sydney University professor of sociology Robert Van Krieken told DMARGE last year, standards of behaviour in public places dont actually vary that much across cabin dividers.

In other words: there are good people, and there are dickheads, in both economy and first.

He also said that, when he has flown at the pointy end, I havent felt at all that other passengers are particularly stuck up  its just a plane trip, and mostly everyone just keeps to themselves.

This in mind (as a friendly not all first class passengers disclaimer), the following video shows there are still some premium flyers who live up to the oblivious elite stereotype. Posted to Instagram on Monday by Guinness World Record holder for being the youngest male to visit all 196 countries, James Asquith, the video shows a passenger in the Air France first class lounge snoozing with no socks.

Think were hyperventilating at an innocuous act? Consider the warm aroma of ~feet~ in an enclosed space, and think again.

Umm, socks at least, Asquith captioned the video. Public place dude. First class, no class.

Asquith, who appears to spend more time in the air than most commercial pilots, told DMARGE this was a common occurrence in first-class lounges.

RELATED: Business Class Slammertime Ritual Causes Outrage At 40,000ft

This is not the first time in recent months a pointy end passenger has aired their grievences about other passengers behaviour. Business class blogger Zach Griff posted a video in August urging fellow passengers to stop standing up as soon as the seatbelt goes off.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zach Griff (@_zachgriff)

The pandemic has caused airlines to rethink many elements of the travel journey. But in the video above, youll see the one major social distancing challenge Id like to see airlines fix  deplaning, Mr. Griff wrote on Instagram.

On both of my recent flights, passengers popped right up when they heard the chime, despite repeated announcements to stay seated Not sure exactly what airlines can do about it, but it needs to be addressed.

Australian Wellness Ambassador for Etihad, Kiara Graham told DMARGE this chime crime, is always such a hot topic and I think its understandable that a lot of passengers will do things that theyve always done when travelling  and it does take a bit of time to adapt to a new way of travelling.

For me, communication is key here. We have to re-educate passengers on how to travel. Its my job to make sure passengers have absorbed this new information and feel comfortable with these changes. It takes time to get used to, but we understand that everyone is trying their best.

Read Next
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday ordered the activation of about 200 Illinois National Guard members in support of the 59th Presidential Inauguration.

Supporting the presidential inauguration is a great opportunity for the Illinois National Guard to be part of history and represent the state of Illinois, said Maj. Gen. Richard Neely, the Adjutant General of Illinois and Commander of the Illinois National Guard. Our Soldiers and Airmen are highly trained and I have full confidence in their abilities to support local and federal agencies as needed.
Peter Malia loves history.

Its as true now for the Cheshire resident as it was while he was in college, when, after his first year at Fordham University, he was challenged by a professor to find a unique topic to serve as a thesis project.

Little did Malia know that what he began in 1977 as almost a lark would be completed approximately four decades later  a resource to help future generations better understand the land of steady habits.

Malia has published the reference book New Haven Town Records, 1769  1819, tracking what was happening in New Haven from before the American Revolution, and the people who had a hand in crafting that history. The book takes what were mountains of handwritten notes and transcripts of meetings and speeches by prominent New Haven residents, and put them all into an easy-to-manage compilation for anyone interested in the early years of the New Haven colony.

The book is not intended as a front-to-cover read, Malia explains, but rather a place for history buffs and historians alike to turn to when looking for information on a particular issue or time period in Connecticuts past.

It can also serve, Malia insists, as a reminder of the enduring influence of an important aspect of the American form of government  the town meeting.

The resilience of the New England town meeting, its one of the most important things that helped New Haven in the early years (of its existence), said Malia. In order to do something, anything, you had to present it your fellow citizens (during the meeting). Its a shame they dont really have them anymore (as they did in the past).

The records compiled by Malia are littered with names that will be familiar to most Americans. Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, Charles Goodyear, even Benedict Arnold, are all prominently featured throughout, making their case for this issue or that. However, while some names stand out more than others, Malia believes that its the lesser-known names that are deserving of attention.

It was the thousands of people no one knew  they are the ones who really made New Haven, said Malia. Without them, New Haven wouldnt have survived.

For Malia, it all began with the names. In 1977, while contemplating a topic for his thesis, the soon-to-be college sophomore decided to focus on the new subject of computer science and, specifically, how it could be used to track history.

His idea was rather simple, though daunting: He would take all the old names included in the New Haven record books over a period of years and plug them into a computer program.

Doing so would not only help to ensure that all the names of old New Haven residents and leaders were compiled in one place, but also to determine whether Connecticut truly was the land of steady habits.

What Malia found when he began his project was that the early town records, kept in a small room in New Haven City Hall, were pages and pages of handwritten transcripts generated by two men  Samuel Bishop, Jr., and Elisha Munson  who served as the citys Town Clerks for a combined century.

Between the two, they had recorded all of the important moments in New Haven history, though their handwriting was not easily deciphered at times.

There were no computers, no printouts, said Malia. I convinced my to-be wife to help out and we hand-transcribed the entire book.

When it was all done, Malia had 300-plus pages of town records.

There it appeared the project would end, as Malia went on to pursue a career in both academia and the corporate world. However, after Malia decided to start his own publishing house, The Connecticut Press, he picked up the hand-transcribed pages of town meetings transcripts once again, determined to do something more with them.

When I started doing the records again, I headed down to the New Haven Museum, said Malia. I decided to add another 20 years (of records) and said, OK, I should get this thing done (and disassembled as a book).

Malia hopes that his final product helps transport people back to the time in which the early residents of New Haven lived, and learn directly from their own words what issues animated the populace. As Malia points out, New Haveners from the 18th and 19th centuries had to overcome many of the things we struggle with to this day, from the scourge of yellow fever pandemics that wiped out huge numbers of people, to the issue of racial intolerance and how the people of that time overcame it all.

In the end, Malia hopes it forces some to rethink how they look at that early time in Connecticut history.

For academics, I hope they come away with a different opinion of New Haven, and a recognition that a broad democracy was already in place (before the Revolution), said Malia. Looking backward with 20/20 vision, what I admire most about them is that the majority of the decisions they had to make were very difficult, [but] they oftentimes made the right ones.

To purchase a copy of New Haven Town Records, 1769  1819, visit www.connecticutpress.com.
Islamabad, Jan 12 : Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday held talks with leader of Afghanistan's Hezb-e-Wahdat-e Islami party Karim Khalili in Islamabad on the war-torn country's peace process.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said that Khalili, a former Vice President, arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Qureshi described the progress in intra-Afghan negotiations currently underway in Qatar to decide a future political roadmap as "good omen", according to the statement.

"It has been Pakistan's long standing stance that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict. A comprehensive negotiated political settlement is the only solution acceptable to the Afghan leadership," the statement quoted Qureshi as saying.

He said Pakistan will welcome decisions at the negotiations among Afghans and said intra-Afghan dialogue is a unique opportunity for the Kabul leadership to bring peace to the country.

"We believe that peace in Afghanistan is linked to peace and stability in the region," he said.

Qureshi told Khalili that Pakistan is taking measures to promote bilateral trade and has also introduced a liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals.

Khalili appreciated Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process, according to the statement.
Laois gardai have warned of a package delivery scam that is doing the rounds.

According to gardai, people are receiving text messages about bogus deliveries which says:

We have attempted to deliver your package but there is an unpaid customs charge. Follow the instructions"

The message comes with a link to click. Gardai say this link may lead to a reputable delivery company branded page, which is obviously a fake copy, with another hyperlink showing as the package number in the text. Clicking the link leads to a page to enter bank card details to pay for excise on the package in question which gives the scammers access to card details for the purposes of stealing money from you.

Gardai say a simple rule is to never click on these hyperlinks (blue coloured underlined text) and advise that you contact the delivery company via a verified phone number or email to inquire if there are any such customs charges.

Gardai add that scammers rely on hyperlinks to take you to fake pages and websites, so always search for websites by typing the name of it into your search browser.

Over 15 mourners farewelled Mr Mulik at The Spot beach in Western Australia

Mourners paid tribute to Mr Mulik's love of surfing and say he'll be greatly missed

Bali locals have taken to social media to pay tribute to 'absolute legend' Mr Mulik

Australian surfer Taras Mulik, 50, was found dead on a beach in Bali on Sunday

He was discovered lying face down under some stairs leading to Suluban Beach

Mr Mulik was bleeding from the mouth and chest was blue when he was found

Family and friends of an Australian surfer found dead on a beach in Bali have farewelled him at a private ceremony in Western Australia.

Father-of-two Taras Mulik was discovered lying face down under a set of stairs leading to Suluban Beach, South Kuta, on Sunday morning.

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The 50-year-old was bleeding from the mouth, nose and chest when he was found, but the cause of his death is not yet known.

A crowd of mourners gathered at sunset to send-off their 'much loved friend' at The Spot Beach in Perth, Western Australia.

The group of friends and family paid tribute to Mr Mulik, remembering his love for the beach and surf.

Father-of-two Taras Mulik was discovered lying face down under a set of stairs leading to Suluban Beach, South Kuta

Friends and family huddled closely in a circle on the beach around a small mural, a pack of Strongbow cider and other items.

Others expressed their condolences online.

'That's lovely, although incredibly sad for all those he leaves behind. I think the ocean will give you lots of peace in the coming days and weeks,' one wrote.

'Absolutely heartbreaking,' another said.

Mr Mulik's death also sent shockwaves through the close-knit local surfing community in Bali.

'We awoke to the sound of sirens. I went down the beach and heard the grim news,' one man posted on Facebook.

Friends took to social media to pay tribute to Mr Mulik, describing him as an 'absolute legend'

'He was a real gentleman and he will be sadly missed here on the Bukit (Peninsula).'

'You were not just a friend, you were more like a brother to me,' another wrote.

Another posted: 'Rage in paradise Taras Mulik. Gone too soon, great memories of ya mate'.

Australian surfer Taras Mulik was found dead on a beach in Bali, Indonesia on Sunday morning

'Taras Mulik you absolute legend... you gave everybody a room or your shirt off your back... you're going to be sadly missed,' read another tribute.

Mr Mulik is believed to have been from Perth but had been living in Bali for most of the past decade.

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His body was discovered under a cliff near Single Fin, a popular spot for tourists in Bali and Uluwatu, a world famous surf break.

Pecatu beach lifeguard supervisor, Wayan Somer, told AAP the Australian was found by a surfer heading to surf about 8.30am on Sunday.

'We immediately co-ordinated with the village's COVID task force and police. The victim was evacuated by lifeguards and the team and taken to hospital,' Wayan said.

'We knew the victim... he rents a house not far from the area.'

The body of Mr Mulik, a father-of-two, was discovered by a surfer lying face down under some stairs leading to Suluban Beach, South Kuta

Mr Mulik, 50, is believed to be from Perth but had been living in Bali for most of the past decade

A local, Imam Wahyudi, said he had recognised the man as someone he knew from the area.

Head of Public Relations of Denpasar Police Iptu Ketut Sukadi, said Mr Mulik was found lying on his stomach.

'According to witness Imam Wahyudi's statement, the victim was found prone on the beach by a guest who was going to surf, after being told by the guest the witness then checked and it was true that a foreigner was lying on his stomach, the witness then reported to Pecalang,' Mr Sukadi said.

Click here to resize this module

Authorities in Bali said a surfer heading into the water about 8:30am on Sunday discovered Mr Mulik's body

Mr Mulik's body was taken from the beach by lifeguards, police and the local village COVID taskforce

After the officers came to check and examine the incident, it was found that the victim was lying on his stomach and had died.

Mr Mulik's body was brought to the Sanglah General Hospital at around 10am.

Mr Iptu Ketut Sukadi said authorities have contacted the consulate to forward the news to Mr Mulik's family.

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Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement it was providing consular assistance to the family.
Right now hottie Siri enjoys adult industry recognition as we check pop culture, community news and top headlines to start the day.



KCMO Inferno Sparks Help

Community steps in to help struggling victim of Waldo Heights Apartment fire as key assistance runs out KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a massive fire at the Waldo Heights Apartments last month. In the meantime, many victims of that fire are struggling to get by. Josh Ramirez vividly remembers the first sign something was wrong at his apartment complex just before New Year's.

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KC Library hosts week of online panel discussions regarding the future of local dining Bluestem. Beignet. Poi-O. The Rieger. The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic extends all too sadly to some of Kansas City's most adored restaurants, from burger joints to fine food establishments, which permanently closed their doors over the past 10 months amid emptied tables and bars and devastated bottom lines.

Golden Ghetto Good Life Expansion Shut Down

Overland Park City Council nixes Ranch Mart South development KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Overland Park City Council voted down a proposed apartment complex at the southeast corner of West 95th Street and Mission Road. The council voted, 9-2, on Monday to deny the development. The council heard passionate arguments for and against the 190-unit apartment complex that would have been built at the old Ranch Mart South shopping center.

Pr0n Game Expose Push Back

Sex Workers Speak Out Against "Sell/Buy/Date" Documentary Last week, playwright and performer Sarah Jones announced Sell/Buy/Date, a forthcoming documentary about the sex industry based on her 2016 stage production of the same name. News of the project, which reportedly boasts Meryl Streep and Rashida Jones as producers, quickly attracted criticism from sex workers, with many in the sex industry taking issue both with the documentary's content as well as the names attached to it.

Prez Trump Resolved

House to vote on resolution calling to remove Trump from office by the 25th Amendment The House of Representatives is expected to vote Tuesday on a measure calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment in the wake of the violent siege of the US Capitol last week.

MAGA Reunited

Trump, Pence meet for 1st time since Capitol riot President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence met Monday for the first time since pro-Trump protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Pence oversaw an effort by congressional lawmakers to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the Electoral College.

Cuba Crackdown Otra Vez

U.S. Puts Cuba Back On List Of State Sponsors of Terrorism subscribe to The NPR Politics Podcast podcast The Trump administration is designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, in a move that will return the island nation to the pariah list from which it was removed nearly five years ago.

Plague Evolves

Coronavirus mutations: Here are the major Covid strains we know about Viruses constantly mutate, so it's not surprising that the coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2019 has gone through multiple minor variations. But it has also undergone several major mutations, and it's likely that more, significant variations will emerge. Most recently, strains have emerged in South Africa and the U.K.

Hollywood Catfight Contd

Sarah Jessica Parker addresses Kim Cattrall's absence in 'Sex and the City' revival "She will always be part of us," the actress behind Carrie Bradshaw wrote on Instagram. Sarah Jessica Parker has addressed the proverbial elephant in the room - or rather, not in the room - after news broke this week about HBO Max moving ahead with a revival of Sex and the City .

Community Brushes Up

New partnership to bring accessible dental care to Kansas City-area veterans KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A new partnership is making dental care more accessible to veterans in Kansas City, Missouri. Starting this week and happening periodically through the rest of the year a Love to Smile's mobile dental care center will be parked at the Veterans Community Project's Outreach Center at 8825 Troost Avenue in KCMO.

Startup Helps Out

Fund Me, KC: Tohi Ventures pours pandemic lemons into healthy drink donation effort "The need is staggering - we've all seen the lines at food banks. We also know that food banks are experiencing food supply gaps - especially healthy items," said Shari Coulter Ford, of Tohi Ventures. "We are a small company, but with a little assist, we can make a high value, impactful contribution."

Tuesday Thaw Out

Your Storm Track 5 Daily Forecast Get ready for a January thaw. Skies will stay clear this evening while a steady southwest breeze blows across our area. Temperatures will tumble to near freezing by the late evening hours before landing in the upper 20s by daybreak Tuesday morning.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones - All I Ever Wonder is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12)  Newly-appointed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos is proposing the construction of elevated bus ramps in U-turn slots to ease traffic along EDSA.

At the Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday, Abalos said there are many factors to consider in solving the horrendous traffic situation in Metro Manila.

We can now focus on the bus lanes... Pag dating po sa U-turn slots, ang project dito will be an elevated bus ramp," he said. "Basta pagdating sa kanto ng U-turn kung mayroon kang elevation, ay doon tataas. Makakapag U-turn na on these sensitive corners.

[Translation: We can now focus on the bus lanes... When it comes to U-turn slots, the project will be an elevated bus ramp. When they reach the corner of the U-turn slot, there will be an elevation. They can make a u-turn on these sensitive corners.]

Abalos said they will be closely coordinating with the Transportation Department for upcoming projects regarding the bus lanes.

The chairman added that it may also be possible for motorcycles to stay on the right lane as part of future plans.

Pag-aaralan po namin yan (we will study this)," he said. "We have to go through these studies.

He added that current projects at NLEX and SLEX will help decongest traffic on EDSA by at least 30%.

According to the data of the online database Numbeo, the Philippines has among the worst traffic situations in the world. The country garnered a score of 198.33, placing highest among six of 11 Southeast Asian countries included in the list.
One-third of the fertilizer applied to grow corn in the U.S. each year simply compensates for the ongoing loss of soil fertility, leading to more than a half-billion dollars in extra costs to U.S. farmers every year, finds new research from the University of Colorado Boulder published last month in Earth's Future.

Long-term soil fertility is on the decline in agricultural lands around the world due to salinization, acidification, erosion and the loss of important nutrients in the soil such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Corn farmers in the U.S. offset these losses with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers also intended to boost yields, but scientists have never calculated how much of this fertilizer goes into just regaining baseline soil fertility--or how much that costs.

"We know there's land degradation going on even in U.S. modern agriculture, but it's really difficult to pin down how much and what impact it has," said Jason Neff, corresponding author on the paper and director of the Sustainability Innovation Lab at Colorado (SILC). "These findings provide more information to farmers so they can make decisions that benefit them economically, but also support a more sustainable form of high-yield agriculture."

The U.S. is one of the most productive countries in the world when it comes to corn, growing more than 4.46 tons per acre farmed. In the 2018-19 growing season alone, U.S. farms produced more than 366 million metric tons of corn which generated $14.5 billion in revenue. The U.S. is also one of the world's largest users of fertilizer, applying more nitrogen and phosphorus per acre than its high-yield agricultural counterparts in the European Union.

But using fertilizer doesn't just cost farmers and governments money. It also comes at an environmental cost. A large portion of the global greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture--24% of global emissions in 2010 and 10% of U.S. emissions in 2018--comes from fertilizer production. This means that steps taken to reduce fertilizer use also help address rising greenhouse gases.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus that runs off fields and into rivers and lakes also creates unhealthy conditions for freshwater and marine life, and is responsible for the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico--a large area depleted of oxygen and devoid of ocean life, including many commercially important species. When we consider not only dollars spent by farmers but also nutrient loss and impacts to the Mississippi River, the costs go from billions to over a trillion dollars every year, said Neff.

"If you can drop the fertilization, while maintaining the yields that we need and the economic outcomes that farmers want, then why not, right? That's a win-win," said Neff.

Untangling the true cost of fertilizer

To separate out this true cost of fertilizer from other modern agricultural inputs, Neff and his colleagues ran a series of scenario-based model analyses using the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model, a widely used agronomic model used to estimate crop growth and how crop growth responds to variables like fertilizer, irrigation and climate.

"Doing that lets us then untangle, what's going on with degradation," he said. "What's going on when you change a system from natural to agricultural, and how much of an impact does that have on the nutrients available for plant growth?"

The researchers used four scenarios in this model to compare how using no fertilizer or irrigation--as is in done in many developing economies--differed from using only one or the other, or both (which is common practice in the U.S.). Irrigation was an important component of the analyses because while it can increase yields, it also increases erosion and fertilizer runoff.

By separating the impacts of fertilizer and irrigation, the researchers could see in different regions of the U.S. where each was more important than the other for agricultural success. In California, farmers add more water. In Ohio, fertilizer additions are more important than irrigation. But across the country, they found that it took a whopping one third of fertilizer presently added to cornfields to simply break even, bringing soil fertility back to pre-farmed levels.

Farming smarter

While this may sound like bad news, Neff sees it as a golden opportunity: with more information, farmers can make better decisions.

"Farmers do what makes sense to grow crops. When you're not able to see the cumulative effects of degradation, you have to add fertilizers but you're not going to know what the financial impact of that underlying degradation is," said Neff.

Practices like regenerative agriculture, which restore soil fertility on lands actively being farmed, will also reduce the costs and environmental impacts of fertilizer use. Healthier, more fertile soils can also capture more carbon, hold more water and keep excess nutrients from running off into ecosystems that can't handle them.

Farmers can reduce how often they till their fields, add and increase erosion control measures, as well as use more organic fertilizers, like compost. These can actually help reduce the amount of inorganic fertilizers--nitrogen and phosphorus--needed in the soil.

"My hope is that this information supports national and international efforts to build back soil fertility," said Neff.

###

Additional authors on this paper include first author W. S. Jang of Division for Public Infrastructure Assessment, Environmental Assessment Group, Korea Environment Institute (KEI); Y. Im of the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST); L. Doro with the Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Research; and J. E. Herrick with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service.
Major upgrades planned for Dense Air's Hyper Dense network at Millbrook

LONDON, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dense Air, the neutral host operator of the connected 5G testbed at Millbrook originally created by the DCMS 5G testbed and trials project AutoAir, has announced a major upgrade of the hyper dense, high performance 4G and 5G network. The network will be one of the first, and the largest standalone 5G neutral host network's in Europe. Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) developers will have access to the latest technology, including low latency connectivity, network slicing and the opportunity to test vehicles in more advanced networks which are available in key export markets.

These enhanced network technologies will be deployed at Millbrook's 700 acre independent test facility in Bedfordshire in early 2021. In addition to its extensive test tracks and laboratories, Millbrook is home to the UK Government Controlled Urban Testbed for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles - part of CAM Testbed UK.

The AutoAir network is being migrated to commercial grade Open RAN, disaggregated RAN and cloud native 5GC based 3GPP 5G SA (standalone) technologies, making extensive use of Airspan Networks' product suite. This deployment supports the UK Government's supply chain diversity initiative and is compliant with emerging O-RAN standards which seek to democratise the supply of Radio Access Units within an open source platform.

The network will operate on spectrum at 4G Band 40 (2.3 GHz), 4G Band 3 (1.8 GHz) and 5G Band n77 (3.8 & 4.2 GHz) under pioneering shared access licenses. This will allow private networks to work with their own allocation of radio spectrum for test and development, whilst also supporting public access from mobile network operators. The n77 band is the same as is already in commercial operation in Japan and which is currently being auctioned in the USA by the Federal Communications Commission. This means that users will be able to test CAVs in the UK, using the latest network frequencies, before exporting vehicles to Japan and the USA.

With standalone 5G, the full capabilities of the latest 3GPP release can be realised in a secure private operating environment with pervasive coverage across Millbrook Proving Ground. This brings Ultra Reliable Low latency Communications (URLLC), Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC), and network slicing capabilities into a real-world test arena for the first time in the UK. Each adds significant value to the technology landscape. With URLLC, latency as low as 3ms can be experienced and mMTC brings the potential of connecting massively more devices per km2 than previously possible. Network slicing in essence gives a dedicated portion of the network to each network service, facilitating separate localisation, edge-computing and cloud access. This is analogous to having your own dedicated lane on a motorway that can expand and contract depending on what is driving through it!

Paul Senior, CEO, says: "Our partnership with Millbrook goes from strength to strength, and we are delighted to announce this major upgrade to the very latest state-of-the-art 3GPP 5G SA Open RAN technology from Airspan Networks. One of the key goals of the DCMS AutoAir 5G project was to ensure that the network we constructed was sustainable and provided a lasting legacy for Millbrook and the UK's CAV eco-system. The deployment of a 3GPP 5G standalone infrastructure using the n77 band creates a unique test and development opportunity that can support both automotive and telecommunication eco-systems, within a bookable and accessible research facility."

Connor McCormack, President of Millbrook says: "This upgrade is a huge step forward in capability, bringing the latest technology to our 5G testbed. It brings vast benefits to customers within our secure operating environment and future-proofs our testbed for the long-term. We are very proud to be part of the AutoAir consortium and look forward to the roll out of this cutting-edge technology."

Eric Stonestrom, CEO of Airspan Networks says: "We are delighted to continue our long term relationship with the DCMS funded AutoAir project. The 5G upgrade using Airspan's OpenRANGE end-to-end Sub-6 GHz solution is another proof point for the use of OpenRAN technology to leverage innovation in the UK"

Contact the team at Dense Air via info@denseair.net or Millbrook via info@millbrook.co.uk to see how we can introduce you to the new era.

About Dense Air

Dense Air is headquartered in the UK and has spectrum interests in Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, New Zealand and Australia. Dense Air provides unique "carrier of carriers" neutral host small cell services to deliver cost effective densification to any existing 4G or 5G Mobile Carrier or Service Provider. Dense Air New Zealand is based in Auckland where it manages its operational commercial services.

About Airspan

Airspan is a US-based, multi-award-winning, 4G and 5G end-to-end, fully virtualized, cloud-native OpenRAN hardware and software vendor with more than 20 years' experience and over one million cells deployed in the most cutting-edge Tier 1 networks, non-public networks, and vertical applications across the globe. Airspan's expansive product portfolio of indoor and outdoor, Macro and low-power base stations and open vRAN software solutions create the perfect tool kit to fully exploit new technologies such as mmWave, Sub-6 GHz, Massive MIMO, and open vRAN architectures following O-RAN and 3GPP specifications, as well as an industry-leading Fixed Wireless Access and backhaul portfolio for PTP and PTMP applications using Wi-Fi 6. For more information, visit www.airspan.com.

About Millbrook

Millbrook provides vehicle test and validation services and systems to customers in the automotive, transport, tyre, petrochemical and defence industries. It is independent and impartial in everything it does.

It has a range of test facilities for full vehicles, tyres and components located in the UK, the USA and Northern Finland. These include varied outdoor and indoor test tracks, engine dynamometers, environmental chambers, e-motor and e-axle test cells, portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS), structural test laboratories, crash laboratories including a state-of-the-art ServoSled, interior systems laboratories, battery test facilities and advanced emissions chassis dynamometers.



Millbrook designs, builds, installs, and services dynamometer test systems and an associated data acquisition and control system.

Millbrook's employees are passionate about safety, customer service and technical excellence, making them ideal partners at any stage in the development and launch of the vehicles of tomorrow.

In December 2020, Millbrook and the French automotive testing group UTAC CERAM reached an agreement to merge their operations to create a market leading group in vehicle testing, homologation and emerging technologies for autonomous, connected and electric vehicles. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, subject to the normal regulatory clearances.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1418570/5G_AutoAir_Network.jpg
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 21:40:36|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's foreign ministry condemned on Tuesday the Israeli government approval for building 800 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

"It is a new violation of international legitimacy decisions," Ahmed Hafez, spokesperson of the ministry said.

The consequences of such Israeli steps will undermine the chances of the two-state solution at a time when different international parties are exerting tireless efforts to revive the negotiations path between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, Hafez added.

He added that "such practices will result in negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region."

On Monday, Cairo hosted a quartet meeting of foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, France, and Germany for reviving the peace process in the Middle East between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The four foreign ministers called for an immediate halt of any settlement activities including that in East Jerusalem, and urged to refrain from taking any unilateral measures that hinder the future of ending the conflict. Enditem
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Controversy has trailed the arrest of 47 armed Fulani herdsmen in Oyo State by military operatives under the banner of Operation Burst.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the operatives arrested the herdsmen on Sunday during a raid at Tapa/Igangan axis in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.

Military sources in the state told our correspondent that the herdsmen were arrested when they attempted to retaliate the killings of some of their colleagues by the Oyo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun in the area on Saturday.

This newspaper reported how the clash between Amotekun and armed Fulani herdsmen in the area led to the death of at least three people. Amotekun commandant, Olayinka Olayanju, said his operatives went on a raid at a hideout of kidnappers in four local government areas of the state when the killings occurred. He said his officers engaged in a shootout with the armed herdsmen.

This newspaper, however, gathered that there was reported unrest in the Ibarapa axis on Sunday which led to the visitation of operation burst operatives and the subsequent arrest of the 47 armed herdsmen.

The arrest was also confirmed by the Director-General of Operation Burst, Oladipo Ajibola, a retired colonel, who said those arrested have been handed over to the police.

In addition, the Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said the arrested herdsmen have been transferred to the state CID in Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Some Fulani herdsmen were arrested and they are currently in the state CID in Iyaganku, Ibadan. The Fulani herdsmen claimed that they were arrested when trying to also look for some kidnappers, who were about to collect ransom from relations of a kidnapped victim. Thats yet to be ascertained anyways but investigation is on-going on the matter.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Oyo State, Ibrahim Jiji, in a statement on Monday said the 47 Fulani herdsmen arrested by operation burst are members of Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) securing people in Ibarapa land.

Those who were going to fight criminals are the set of the people they are parading as criminals. Those people are not criminals; they are the people securing us. They are registered vigilantes and they are working with the police and other security agencies.

He said the herdsmen have been useful to the state for many years and they are not criminals.

Thief is thief and not Fulani. Tribe is different from criminals. We are ready to work with the Oyo State government to stop criminality in the state. I am appealing to the state government to leave these people. They are not thieves. They are the people who are securing us because we may need them another time. Why we want them to include our members in Amotekun is because of language barrier. We appeal to the Oyo State government to include people from other tribes in Amotekun for the job to be efficient, the statement read.

Oyo, like many other states across Nigeria, has been beset with kidnappings for ransom, some of which are carried out by armed herdsmen.
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The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), has said it would resume academic activities on January 18, in compliance with the directives of the Federal Government.

The Vice Chancellor, Felix Salako, made this known while addressing a press conference on Tuesday, in Abeokuta, after the ASUU Chair in the institution, Adebayo Oni, had said the university was not ready to cope with the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Mr Oni had earlier said in an interview that conducting physical lectures with students would be disastrous, but Mr Salako maintained that the university was quite ready to resume full activities as measures had been put in place, including COVID-19 protocols as stipulated by the Federal Government.

He said it was mischievous and political for any lecturer to go to the media to say that the university was not ready for academic activities, adding that it was a personal decision of the lecturer to think that the school could not resume full academic activities.

Mr Salako disclosed that the school had undergone fumigation more than 10 times since March 2020, just as there had been massive infrastructural rehabilitation.

He added that the management had been producing its own hand sanitisers, as well as procuring hand-washing basins and soaps needed to keep the students and members of staff safe from contracting the virus.

The vice chancellor also said the university would be running what he described as hybrid teaching, a mix of physical and virtual learning, while no fewer than 150 solar panels had been installed in some of the buildings, to provide alternative sources of electricity and facilitate the planned hybrid system of learning delivery.

The virtual learning will take care of large classes, like the part one students, but for fewer classes, we have large halls to accommodate the students, he said.

On the issue of pending admission of new students, Mr Salako said they had two sets but would only admit the first set, to resume in September.

Mr Salako took journalists on tour of some of the newly completed and rehabilitated buildings that had been equipped with latest technological gadgets to aid virtual teaching and learning.

Also speaking, the Students Union president, Abiodun Oloyede, who passed a vote of confidence on the VC, expressed gratitude to the management for putting in place everything to ensure a smooth academic session.

He, however, noted that not all the students would be able to access the virtual learning component, either because of network constraints or their locations.

Meantime, the FG through the Ministry of Education, Monday, said it was reviewing the January 18 resumption date for all schools in the country considering the surging cases of COVID-19.

Speaking on Tuesday, ASUU National President, Biodun. Ogunyemi, advised the FG to review its stance on the Jan 18 date.

Mr Ogunyemi, while on a Channels TVs Sunrise Daily, said our concern is rooted in the safety of our members.

What happens to congested hostels, crowded classrooms? What flexible arrangements are in place? It is a situation of emergency. I am not sure the universities can cope, he said.

(NAN)
Three Arrested in Murray Burglary, Assault

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MURRAY - The investigation of a New Year's Day burglary and an assault in Murray resulted in the arrest of three people.Murray Police learned that a burglary at a home on Kathy Drive was also connected to an assault that took place earlier that day, allegedly involving 18-year-old Jasten Murphy of Hazel.Officers charged Murphy with second degree burglary, third degree terroristic threatening, second degree assault, and first degree criminal mischief.Officers also charged 18-year-old Emily McLeod and 23-year-old Brian Craig, both of Murray, with second degree burglary and first degree criminal mischief. Craig was additionally charged with third degree terroristic threatening.All three were lodged in the Calloway County Jail.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping wave to people on a street in Pyongyang, June 20, 2019. Xi was on a two-day state visit to North Korea, June 20 and 21. AP-Yonhap



Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message congratulating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his election as general secretary of the ruling party and called for strong relations between the two countries, Pyongyang's media said Tuesday.



Xi noted that Kim's election "fully showed the trust, support and expectation of all the WPK members and other Korean people for him," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.



He also expressed his will to "safeguard the regional peace and stability, development and prosperity" by strengthening relations at a time of "confusion and changes."



In response, the North's ruling party expressed "sincere gratitude to the CPC Central Committee for sending a wholehearted congratulatory message to the congress ahead of others," KCNA said, referring to the Communist Party of China.




Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Chinese authorities sealed off a city of almost five million people and imposed strict travel restrictions on several others on Tuesday as they worked to quash a number of COVID-19 clusters near Beijing.

The country had largely curbed the spread of the coronavirus, which first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, with small outbreaks swiftly snuffed out using mass testing, local lockdowns and travel restrictions.

But Hebei province in northern China has reported 560 new cases in recent weeks234 of which are asymptomaticsparking a raft of new lockdowns and restrictions.

Residents of Langfang, a manufacturing hub around 55 kilometres south of Beijing, have been banned from leaving the city for seven days unless absolutely necessary.

"All family gatherings should be cancelled...all marriages postponed and funerals simplified until the epidemic situation has subsided," the Langfang city government said in a statement.

Officials will now rush to test all 4.9 million residents in two days, the local health bureau said, after one case was discovered in Langfang's Gu'an county.

Authorities last week launched a mass testing drive and closed transport links, schools and shops in the neighbouring city of Shijiazhuangthe epicentre of the latest outbreakwith its 11 million residents required to undergo two rounds of testing.

Neighbouring Xingtai, home to seven million people, has also been locked down since last Friday.

The worsening situation prompted Hebei province's local government to indefinitely postpone an annual legislative meeting that was due to be held this month.

A steady trickle of new coronavirus cases has surfaced in China's northern provinces since October, prompting strict restrictions despite the number of infections being small compared to outbreaks in many other countries.

The curbs come ahead of February's Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions criss-cross China to visit family and friends, and authorities are anxious to contain the spread of the virus before the massive annual migration.

Suihua city in Heilongjiang provincehome to over 5.2 millionwas sealed off on Monday after the city reported one confirmed case and 45 asymptomatic cases.

Shanxi province has also limited internal travel and rolled out mass testing, after a patient from neighbouring Hebei province was reported to have travelled there.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
In the setting of COVID-19, almost every country in the world closed its borders, locked down its citizens, and forced businesses to close. Today, most governments still restrict travel, economic activity, and social gatherings.

The justification for these unprecedented measures has been a growing number of COVID-19 cases. This has unleashed an epidemic of COVID testing - with PCR and rapid antigen tests as the means of identifying positive COVID cases. Our very own Dr. John Hunt examines the science behind COVID testing, whether the testing paradigms are effective, and the rationality behind government response to the virus.

What COVID tests mean and dont mean

RT-PCR tests can be designed to be highly sensitive to the presence of the original viral RNA in a clinical sample. But a highly sensitive test risks poor specificity for actual infectious disease.

Rapid antigen tests are different. They measure viral protein. They do so by reacting a clinical sample with one or two lab-created antibodies that are labeled with a measurable marker. These antigen tests are often poorly specific, meaning they can show as positive in the absence of any actual viral protein or any COVID disease.

For a lab test, what does it mean to be sensitive? What does it mean to be specific?

Ill use COVID to help explain these terms. In order to do this correctly, we need to avoid using the language of the media and government because those institutions tend to mislead us via language manipulation. For example, theyve wrongly taught us that a COVID-positive test is synonymous with COVID- disease. It isnt, as you will soon see.

So for this article, I will use the term Relevant Infectious COVID Disease to mean a condition, caused by COVID-19, in which a patient is sickened by the virus or has (in their airways) living replicating virus capable of being transmitted to others. This seems a fair definition of what we should be caring about in this disease. If the patient isnt sick and isnt capable of transmitting the disease, then any COVID RNA or protein that may appear in a test is not relevant, nor infectious, and therefore of little to no consequence.

You can think of a tests sensitivity like this: In a group of 100 people who absolutely have Relevant Infectious COVID Disease, how many people does the test actually report as positive? For a test that is 95% sensitive, 95 of these 100 patients with the true disease will be reported by the test as COVID positive and 5 will be missed.

Specificity: In a group of 100 people who absolutely do not have Relevant Infectious COVID Disease, how many will be reported by the test as negative? For a test that is 95% specific, 95 of these healthy people will be reported as COVID-negative and 5 will be incorrectly reported as COVID-positive

Sensitivity and Specificity are inherent characteristics of a test, not of a patient, not of a disease, and not of a population. These terms are very different than Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV). PPV and NPV are affected not only by the tests sensitivity and specificity but also by the characteristics of the people chosen to be tested and, particularly, the patients underlying likelihood of actually having true Relevant Infectious COVID Disease. The Positive Predictive Valuethe chance a positive test actually indicates a true diseaseis greatly improved if you test people who are likely to have COVID, and, importantly, avoid testing people unlikely to have COVID.

If you do a COVID test with 95% sensitivity and 95% specificity in 1,000 patients who are feverish, have snot pouring out of their noses, are coughing profusely, and are short of breath, then you are using that test as a diagnostic test in people who currently have a reasonable up-front chance of having Relevant Infectious COVID Disease. Lets say 500 of them do actually have Relevant Infectious COVID Disease, and the others have a common cold. This 95% sensitive test will correctly identify 475 of these people who are truly ill with COVID as being COVID-positive, and it will miss 25 of them. This same test is also 95% specific, which means it will falsely label 25 of the 500 non-COVID patients as COVID-positive. Although the test isnt perfect it has a Positive Predictive Value of 95% in this group of people, and is a pretty good test overall.

But what if you run this very same COVID test on everyone in the population? Lets guesstimate that the up-front chance of having Relevant Infectious COVID in the US at this moment is about 0.5% (suggesting that 5 out of 1000 people currently have the actual transmittable disease right now, which is a high estimate). How does this same 95% sensitive/95% specific test work in this screening setting? The good news is that this test will likely identify the 5 people out of every 1000 with Relevant Infectious COVID! Yay! The bad news is that, out of every 1000 people, it will also falsely label 50 people as COVID-positive who dont have Relevant Infectious COVID. Out of 55 people with positive tests in each group of 1000 people, 5 actually have the disease. 50 of the tests are false positives. With a Positive Predictive Value of only 9%, one could say thats a pretty lousy test. Its far lousier if you test only people with no symptoms (such as screening a school, jobsite, or college), in whom the up-front likelihood of having Relevant Infectious COVID Disease is substantially lower.

The very same test that is pretty good when testing people who are actually ill or at risk is lousy when screening people who arent.

In the first scenario (with symptoms), the test is being used correctly for diagnosis. In the second scenario (no symptoms), the test is being used wrongly for screening.

A diagnostic test is used to diagnose a patient the doctor thinks has a reasonable chance of having the disease (having symptoms like fever, cough, a snotty nose, and shortness of breath during a viral season).

A screening test is used to check for the presence of a disease in a person without symptoms and no heightened risk of having the disease.

A screening test may be appropriate to use when it has very high specificity (99% or more), when the prevalence of the disease in the population is pretty high, and when there is something we can do about the disease if we identify it. However, if the prevalence of a disease is low (as is the case for Relevant Infectious COVID) and the test isnt adequately specific (as is the case with PCR and rapid antigen tests for the COVID virus), then using such a test as a screening measure in healthy people is forcing the test to be lousy. The more it is used wrongly, the more misinformation ensues.

Our health authorities are recommending more testing of asymptomatic people. In other words, they are encouraging the wrong and lousy application of these tests. Our health officials are doing what a first-year medical student should know better than to do. Its enough of a concerning error that it leaves two likely conclusions:

1) that our leading government health officials are truly incompetent and/or 2) that we, as a nation, are being intentionally gaslighted/manipulated. Or it could be both. (Another conclusion you should consider is that my analysis of these tests is incorrect. Im open to a challenge.)

So what if you, as an individual, get a positive PCR test result (one that has 95% specificity) without having symptoms of COVID-19 or recent exposure to a true Relevant Infectious COVID Disease patient? What do you do? Well, with that positive test, your risk of having COVID has just increased from less than 5 in 1,000 (the general population risk) to about somewhere perhaps 5 in 55 (the risk of actual Relevant Infectious COVID Disease in asymptomatic people with a COVID-19-positive test). Thats an 18-fold increase in risk, amounting to a 9% risk of you having Relevant Infectious COVID Disease (or a 91% chance of you being totally healthy). That may be a relevant increase in risk in your mind, enough that you choose to avoid exposing your friends and family to your higher risk compared to the general population. But if the government spends resources to contact-trace you, then they are contact-tracing 91% of people uselessly. And they are deciding whether to lock us down based on the wrong notion that COVID-positive tests in healthy people are epidemiologically accurate when indeed they are mostly wrong.

For the 50 asymptomatic low-risk people falsely popping positive out of each group of 1,000, what makes them pop positive? For a rapid antigen test, it is because the test is never meant for use as a screening test in healthy asymptomatic people because its not specific enough. For a PCR test, positivity confidently means that there was COVID RNA in that sample, sure, but your nose or mouth very likely just filtered some dead bits of viral debris from the dust particles in the air as you walked through CVS to get the test before you learned you were supposed to use the drive-through. PCR can be way too sensitive.

A few strands of RNA are irrelevant. Even a few hundred fully intact viral particles are not likely to infect or cause disease. Humans arent that wimpy. But keep in mind that there is a very small chance that the test popped positive because you are about to get sick with COVID-19, and the test caught you, by pure luck, just before you are to become sick.

On top of this wrong use of diagnostic tests as screening tests, the government has been subsidizing hospitals for taking care of COVID-19-positive patients. Lets say a hospital performs a COVID test 4 times during a hospital stay as a screening test in a patient who has no symptoms of COVID. If that test pops positive once and negative three times, the hospital will report that patient as having COVID-19, even though the one positive result is highly likely to have been a false positive. Why do hospitals do this testing so much? In part, because theyll get $14,000 more from the government for each patient they declare has COVID-19.

When we see statistics of COVID-19 deaths, we should recognize that some substantial percentage of them should be called Deaths with a COVID-19-positive test. When we see reports of case numbers rising, we should know that they are defining case as anyone with a COVID-19-positive test, which, as you might now realize, is really a garbage number.

Summary:

We have an epidemic of COVID-positive tests that is substantially larger than the epidemic of identified Relevant Infectious COVID Disease. In contrast, people with actual, mild cases of COVID-disease arent all getting tested. So the data, on which lockdowns are supposedly justified, are lousy. The data on COVID hospitalizations and deaths in the US are exaggerated by a government subsidization scheme that incentivizes the improper use of tests in people without particular risk of the disease. Avoid getting tested for COVID unless you are symptomatic yourself, have had exposure to someone who was both symptomatic and tested positive for COVID, or have some other personal reason that makes sense. Know that getting tested before traveling abroad puts you at a modest risk of getting a false-positive test result, which will assuredly screw up your trip. Its a new political risk of travel. There is a lot more to this viral testing game, and there are a lot of weird incentives. There are gray areas and room for debate. Yes, the COVID disease can kill people. But a positive test wont kill anybody. Sadly, every COVID-positive test empowers those politicians and bureaucrats who have a natural bent to control peoplethe sociopaths and their ilk.

* * *

John Hunt, MD is a pediatric pulmonologist/allergist/immunologist, a former tenured Associate Professor and academic medical researcher, who has extensive experience and publications involving PCR, antigen testing, and analysis of respiratory fluid. He is internationally recognized as an expert in aerosol/respiratory droplet collection and analysis. Hes also Doug Caseys coauthor for the High Ground novels Speculator, Drug Lord, and the just-released Assassin, and he is a founding member of the LLC that owns International Man.

* * *

Unfortunately, most people have no idea what really happens when a government goes out of control, let alone how to prepare How will you protect yourself in the event of an economic crisis? New York Times best-selling author Doug Casey and his team just released a guide that will show you exactly how. Click here to download the PDF now.
The Queen's cousin faces prison for a violent sex attack on a guest at his ancestral home.

Simon Bowes-Lyon, the current Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, barged his way into the woman's bedroom while she was sleeping during an event he was hosting at Glamis Castle  the childhood home of the Queen Mother.

He repeatedly grabbed his victim and told her he wanted to have an affair with her during the drink-fuelled assault, which lasted more than 20 minutes.

He is said to have tried to pull up her nightdress, and pushed her up against a wall and groped her.

Simon Bowes-Lyon, a cousin of the Queen, faces prison after he sexually assaulted a guest at his ancestral home. Pictured: Bowes-Lyon outside Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday

The violent incident, to which the 34-year-old aristocrat has admitted, took place at Glamis Castle  the childhood home of the Queen Mother. The castle, found near the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland is the seat of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne

Bowes-Lyon, 34, who is the Queen's cousin twice removed, admitted a charge of sexually assaulting the woman at Dundee Crown Court

Bowes-Lyon (circled)  who as a 15-year-old walked behind Prince William in the Queen Mother's funeral cortege  issued an apology to his victim as he left court, adding that he is 'greatly ashamed' of his conduct and that 'alcohol is no excuse'

Laird's previous brushes with police including a 200-mile trip to Barnard Castle during lockdown Simon Bowes-Lyon is facing jail for a violent sex assault - but it is not the first time he's been in trouble with the law. He is a first cousin twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II, and a great-great-nephew of the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. His family owns Glamis Castle and inherited a share of his father's 40 million estate. In June 2020, Durham Police contacted the Earl for violating the COVID-19 related travel restrictions then in place. A report said he travelled 200 miles to Holwick Lodge, Middleton-in-Teesdale, and was outed when his butler went to the shops. 'It's the talk of the village,' a local source said at the time. 'His butler was spotted buying newspapers.' In 2010 he was banned from the road for nine months after he was clocked riding his motorbike at 100 mph on a 60 mph stretch of road. Advertisement

When she rejected his advances, he is said to have called her a 'rude, mean, bad and horrible person' and told her she could not tell him what to do in his own home.

She eventually managed to get him out of the room and sent messages asking other guests for help, only for him to return and try to get into the room again.

Bowes-Lyon, 34, who is the Queen's cousin twice removed, admitted a charge of sexually assaulting the woman at Dundee Crown Court yesterday.

He faces up to five years in jail for the offence. The aristocrat was granted bail yesterday and placed on the sex offenders register as his sentence was deferred for reports.

Sheriff Alistair Carmichael also ordered that Glamis Castle should be assessed for its suitability for a tagging order.

The charge stated that he repeatedly pushed his victim on to a bed, tried to pull up her nightdress, pushed her against a wall, and tried to kiss her and touch her during the event at the 16,500-acre estate last year.

The young woman managed to fend off his advances until he eventually left her room, located in his private wing of the castle in eastern Scotland.

Bowes-Lyon  who as a 15-year-old walked behind Prince William in the Queen Mother's funeral cortege  issued an apology to his victim as he left court, adding that he is 'greatly ashamed' of his conduct and that 'alcohol is no excuse'.

The court was told the incident happened as Glamis Castle hosted several people for a luxury weekend.

On the first night, the victim noticed nobody was talking to Bowes-Lyon, who is known as 'Sam', during dinner and she engaged him in conversation.

The following evening there was a black-tie dinner and, after the woman went to bed, Bowes-Lyon carried on drinking before arriving uninvited at her room at 1.20am.

Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said: 'She was asleep and was woken by knocking at the door.'

She said Bowes-Lyon, a great-great nephew of the Queen Mother, told the woman: 'It's Sam. It's important. Please let me in.

'She thought something was wrong so she got up. It was pitch black. The second she opened the door he pushed his way in and pushed her on to the bed.

'He was very drunk and smelled of cigarettes. He told her he wanted to have an affair. He tried to pull her nightdress up.

Simon Bowes-Lyon is a great-great nephew of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother through his great-great grandfather Claude

Bowes-Lyon, known for his love of fast cars and holidays with reality TV stars, was named one of the UK's most eligible bachelors by Tatler in 2019. Pictured: Simon Bowes-Lyon with his father the Earl of Strathmore in 2000

Glamis Castle has been the seat of the Bowes-Lyon family since 1372. The Queen Mother, who was born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1900 (pictured), grew up there

'She went into the en suite to get away but the accused followed her, stopped her closing the door, and lit a cigarette. She squeezed past and went back to the bedroom.'

Timeline: How the great-great-nephew of the Queen Mother ended up in the dock February 13, 2020: Simon Bowes-Lyon forced his way into a sleeping woman's room and assaulted her during a travel PR weekend he was hosting at the 16,500-acre estate, Glamis Castle. He sexually assaulted a 26-year-old woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. Bowes-Lyon admitted repeatedly pushing her onto a bed, forcibly grabbing her breasts, repeatedly trying to pull her nightdress, pushing her against a wall, touching her bottom and genilalia and trying to kiss her. February 14, 2020: The woman fled the castle in the morning and flew home to immediately report the matter to police. Both Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police were involved in the investigation. Bowes-Lyon emailed an apology to the woman - but gave police a 'no comment' interview at Dundee HQ. January 12, 2020: At Dundee Sheriff Court he admitted he sexually assaulted a 26-year-old woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. The wealthy aristocrat was granted bail and placed on the Sex Offenders Register as sentence was deferred for reports. Advertisement

Miss Mannion said Bowes-Lyon then pushed his victim up against a wall and groped her and grabbed her bottom.

She added: 'She raised her voice in the hope that another guest would hear her. She panicked because she did not know the layout of the castle. She had no signal. He refused to leave. He got into bed and began pulling at her. She had to keep pushing him off.'

Bowes-Lyon called her 'a rude, mean, bad and horrible person' and told her she could not tell him what to do in his own home.

After more than 20 minutes she eventually managed to get him out of her room and sent a series of messages asking other guests for help.

Bowes-Lyon returned and tried to get into the room again, but the woman managed to get hold of another guest in another part of the castle and he came to help.

The man later reported that she was 'distressed' when he spoke to her and that Bowes-Lyon had fallen asleep when he went to confront him about the incident.

The woman fled the castle in the morning and flew home to immediately report the matter to police.

Bowes-Lyon emailed an apology to the woman and he offered another apology for his behaviour in court yesterday.

His barrister, John Scott QC, said: 'He is truly sorry for what he accepts was shameful conduct.'

He said Bowes-Lyon had since been to counselling to try and understand his behaviour.

Speaking outside court yesterday, Bowes-Lyon said: 'I am greatly ashamed of my actions which have caused such distress to a guest in my home.

'Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident. As someone who is only too well aware of the damage that alcohol can cause, I should have known better. I recognise, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behaviour.

'I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.'

Bowes-Lyon, known for his love of fast cars and holidays with reality TV stars, was named one of the UK's most eligible bachelors by Tatler in 2019.

The 19th and 6th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, he was styled Lord Glamis until his father's death in 2016.

Among his famous friends are Made In Chelsea TV stars Hugo Taylor and Oliver Proudlock, Bryan Ferry's son Otis and model and socialite Poppy Delevingne.

Home to the Queen Mother... and Macbeth Glamis Castle inspired Shakespeare and was the childhood home of the Queen Mother. It has witnessed some of Scotland's most momentous historical events over the past 1,000 years. King Malcolm II was killed at a hunting lodge on the site of the present-day castle in 1034. In the Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth lived at Glamis Castle in the 11th century, although in reality the king had no connection to the place. Glamis has been the seat of the Bowes-Lyon family since 1372. The Queen Mother, who was born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1900 (pictured), grew up there. During the First World War she worked as a nurse when part of her ancestral home was used as a hospital for wounded troops. Glamis Castle was where she was wooed by the then-Duke of York  the future George VI  and they spent part of their honeymoon there. The Queen Mother, pictured, gave birth to Princess Margaret on a stormy night at Glamis in 1930. She was the first royal baby born in Scotland since 1600. Advertisement

Tragedy of Queen's secret cousins: The Crown tells the story of Queen Mother's nieces Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon had severe learning disabilities, were locked in an asylum and neglected after being registered as DEAD

The latest series of The Crown told the tragic story of the Queen's 'hidden' cousins who were locked up in an asylum and registered as dead after being born with severe learning difficulties.

The Netflix drama offers its take on the shameful scandal that saw sisters Katherine and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon - the Queen Mother's nieces - neglected and forgotten about for decades.

At the ages of 15 and 22 respectively, the pair, who were unable to speak due to their condition, were secretly placed in the Royal Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives in Redhill, Surrey by their parents in 1941.

They remained at the institution, cruelly dubbed The National Asylum for Idiots, for the majority of their lives and, according to reports, were barely ever visited and registered as dead.

The fourth season of The Crown tells the tragic story of the Queen's 'hidden' cousins Katherine (left) and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon (right), who were locked up in an asylum and neglected

The two sisters were the nieces of the Queen Mother; their father John Bowes-Lyon was her brother, making them first cousins to the Queen

Although the Queen Mother knew the statement in Burke's Peerage that both women were deceased - published after false information had been supplied by their mother - was untrue, she never visited either of them, and apparently saw no contradiction in her patronage of Mencap, which campaigns against families placing their mentally challenged relations in state care.

Nerissa passed away aged 66 in 1986 and Katherine died six years ago aged 87.

In a new episode of The Crown, which is set in the Eighties, the pair are seen in their sixties adoringly watching their cousin Queen Elizabeth II arrive at the Royal Variety Performance on TV.

Cuddling dolls, they stand for the national anthem and salute before being handed medication by a nurse.

The sisters were secretly placed in the Royal Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives, cruelly dubbed The National Asylum for Idiots, in Redhill, Surrey (pictured) by their parents in 1941

The pair remained at the institution for the majority of their lives and, according to reports, were barely ever visited and registered as dead. Pictured: Katherine Bowes-Lyon

The Earl and Countess of Strathmore, Claude and Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, pictured walking on the lawn at Glamis Castle to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary with a garden party

John Bowes-Lyon, pictured above in 1923, was the second son of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and the Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne

It's perhaps unsurprising that it's Helena Bonham Carter's character, feisty Princess Margaret, left, who passionately expresses her disgust at their harrowing treatment, flying into a rage at the Queen Mother, played by Marion Bailey (right)

Katherine and Nerissa's admission to the asylum was deemed necessary when, in 1923, their aunt Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (pictured with her daughters Elizabeth and Margaret in 1937) married the future King George VI

It's perhaps unsurprising that it's Helena Bonham Carter's character, feisty Princess Margaret, who passionately expresses her disgust at their harrowing treatment.

Flying into a rage at the Queen Mother (played by Marion Bailey), she cries: 'Locked up and neglected. They're your nieces - daughters of your favourite brother.

'It's wicked and it's cold-hearted and it's cruel and it's entirely in keeping with the ruthlessness which I myself have experienced in this family.

The Netflix drama suggests the Queen (pictured on Sunday) swallowed the line that the sisters were dead. It's not clear when she discovered the truth, but following a Channel 4 documentary in 2012 she was upset by suggestions they'd been abandoned

'If you're not first in line, if you're an individual character with individual needs or, God forbid, an irregular temperament... then you'll be spat out, or you'll be hidden away or worse: Declared dead. Darwin had nothing on you lot  shame on all of you.'

Who was John Bowes-Lyon - the Queen's uncle? John Bowes-Lyon was the second son of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and the Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. His sister Elizabeth later become Queen Elizabeth. He was educated at Eton and Oxford University, and worked as a stockbroker in the City of London for the firm Rowe and Pitman before the outbreak of WWI. He married Fenella Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, the younger daughter of 21st Baron Clinton in September 1914. The couple had five children; their firstborn, Patricia Bowes-Lyon, died in infancy. They went on to have Anne, Nerissa, Diana and Katherine. Anne married Lt.-Col. Thomas William Arnold Anson, Viscount Anson in 1938 but the couple divorced in 1948 after having two children. She remarried Prince George Valdemar of Denmark in September 1950. Diana Married Peter Gordon Colin Somervell in February 1960 and their daughter Katherine Somervell is a god-daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. When it was revealed Nerissa and Katherine had been placed in Earlswood Hospital, suggestions of a royal cover-up were rejected in the press by Lord Clinton, who claimed his aunt Fenella had completed the form for Burke's Peerage incorrectly due to her being 'a vague person'. However, Burke's Peerage included specific dates of death for both sisters. According to the Channel 4 documentary about the sisters, throughout their time at the hospital there is no known record that the sisters were ever visited by any member of the Bowes-Lyon or royal families. It's thought the sisters' symptoms were due to a genetic condition from their mother's bloodline, not that of the Bowes-Lyon. Katherine and Nerissa had three cousins in The Royal Earlswood - Edonea, Rosemary and Etheldreday, the daughters of Fenella's sister Harriet - who shared their disabilities. John Bowes-Lyon died at the family home of Glamis Castle in February 1930 of pneumonia, aged 44. His widow was a leading guest at the Queen's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947. Advertisement

The Crown does appear to use artistic licence in its fictional retelling of the saga as it implies the Queen Mother was involved from the start.

However, a newspaper claimed in 1996 that she was unaware of their existence until 1982, when she received a letter from the institution's league of friends.

Afterwards she reportedly sent a four-figure sum to fund Christmas and birthday presents for the pair - but there is no evidence the royals visited them.

The Netflix drama also suggests the Queen swallowed the line that the sisters were dead. It's not clear when she discovered the truth, but following a Channel 4 documentary in 2012 she was upset by suggestions they'd been abandoned.

It's also unknown whether Princess Margaret found out about her cousins and confronted her mother; it's certainly unlikely she was told of their plight by her therapist, as is the case in The Crown.

Nerissa was born in 1919, and Katherine in 1926. Their father was John Bowes-Lyon, one of the Queen Mothers older brothers and a son of the Earl of Strathmore. John died in 1930 and was survived, until 1966, by the girls mother, Fenella.

The sisters were unfortunate to have been born in an era when mental disability was seen as a threat to society and linked to promiscuity, feckless breeding and petty crime, the characteristics of the underclass; associations encouraged by popular belief in the science of eugenics, soon to be embraced by the Nazis.

For the Bowes-Lyons, this was a stigma that could threaten their social standing and taint the marital prospects of their other children. Nerissa and Katherines beautiful and healthy sister Anne became a princess of Denmark by her second marriage; by her first marriage, she was Viscountess Anson and mother of the society photographer, the late Lord Lichfield.

Their admission to the asylum was also deemed necessary when, in 1923, their aunt Elizabeth married the future King George VI.

The shocking story of their incarceration came to light shortly after Nerissa's death, when journalists discovered she was buried in a grave marked only by a plastic name-tag and a serial number.

The ensuing scandal, which prompted an anonymous source to provide a gravestone for Nerissa, made little difference to her sisters life.

Katherine received no visitors at the asylum, and as her aunt, the Queen Mother, lived on into cosseted old age, she did not possess even her own underwear  at least until her final years there  and had to dress from a communal wardrobe.

In The Crown the Queen Mother attempts to defend the cruel steps, telling Princess Margaret: 'I went from being the wife of the Duke of York, leading a relatively normal life, to being Queen.

'At the same time my family, the Bowes-Lyons, went from being minor Scottish aristocrats to having a direct bloodline to the crown, resulting in the children of my brother paying a terrible price.

'Their illness, their imbecility - their professionally diagnosed idiocy and imbecility - would make people question the integrity of the bloodline.

'Can you imagine the headlines if it were to get out? The idea that one family alone has the automatic birthright to the crown is already so hard to justify, the gene pool of that family better have 100 per cent purity.

The Duke of York, later King George VI, with his wife Elizabeth, then Duchess of York, and their daughters Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret

The shocking story of their incarceration came to light shortly after Nerissa's death, when journalists discovered she was buried in a grave marked only by a plastic name-tag and a serial number

'There have been enough examples on the Windsor side alone to worry people... if you add the Bowes-Lyon illnesses to that, the danger is it becomes untenable.'

It's thought the sisters' symptoms were due to a genetic condition from their mother's bloodline, not that of the Bowes-Lyon.

Katherine and Nerissa had three cousins in The Royal Earlswood - Edonea, Rosemary and Etheldreday, the daughters of Fenella's sister Harriet - who shared their disabilities.

When Charles and Diana wed in July 1981, Katherine and Nerissa are said to have watched the ceremony excitedly on TV.

Years later Onelle Braithwaite, one of the nurses who cared for them, remarked: 'I remember pondering with my colleague how, if things had been different, they would surely have been guests at the wedding.'

Speaking in the Channel 4 documentary, she added: 'Today theyd probably be given speech therapy and theyd communicate much better.

'They understood more than you'd think. It was so sad. Just think of the life they might have had. They were two lovely sisters.'

The Royal Earlswood was closed in 1997; at least one former nurse has alleged patients were abused.

The grandiose building has since been converted into luxury apartments.

The recent announcement by WhatsApp has created a buzz on social media. According to its new privacy policy update, WhatsApp has now created a more detailed data sharing plan with Facebook. Not only this, it has made it mandatory to accept the new terms and conditions by 8th February.



Now, users of the messaging app have started running away from the platform and switching to other available platforms like Signal and Telegram.

And now that all this has happened, social media is flooded with hilarious memes. They have been using popular meme templates to make fun of WhatsApps privacy policy and the memes will give you a laugh riot!

So, here you go-

Me and my friend's after installing signal app be like #SignalApp #WhatsappNewPolicyworst pic.twitter.com/9MwVeQTzQi  SaiGanesh R (@Sai_Ganesh_R) January 9, 2021

According to Reuters, more than one lakh users installed Signal across the app stores of Apple and Google in the last two days and Telegram also picked up around nearly 2.2 million downloads.

What do you think of the WhatsApp Privacy Policy? Let us know in the comments below!
Three police officers were killed in Puerto Rico on Monday when a carjacker opened fire at them and ran over one of the officers in the middle of a busy expressway, the authorities said.

The carjacker led the police on a chase outside San Juan that left a fourth officer hospitalized in stable condition with unspecified injuries, officials said.

A man who matched the suspects description was found shot to death early Tuesday near a Y.M.C.A. in Santurce, a San Juan neighborhood, the police said at a news conference. The authorities said the mans body was found with a cardboard sign with a handwritten message that read: I am responsible for the murder of the police. Here he is.

The police said they were investigating whether the man was responsible for the officers deaths, but stressed that a connection to the carjacking had not been confirmed.
NINE DAYS

The Race to Save Martin Luther King Jr.s Life and Win the 1960 Election

By Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick

The African-American struggle for freedom and civil rights is replete with dramatic and harrowing stories, many involving intimidation and threats of violence from white supremacist defenders of the status quo. One of the most consequential of these stories is the subject of Nine Days, a compelling narrative written by the father-and-son team of Stephen and Paul Kendrick, co-authors of two previous books on race, law and politics.

The story begins in mid-October 1960 with Martin Luther King Jr.s incarceration (his first) in a Georgia jail cell and ends three weeks later with John F. Kennedys narrow victory over Richard M. Nixon in the most competitive presidential election of the 20th century. Kennedys razor-thin triumph depended on several factors ranging from his youthful charm to Mayor Richard J. Daleys ability to pad the Democratic vote in Chicago. But, as the Kendricks ably demonstrate, one crucial factor in Kennedys electoral success was the late surge of Black voters into the Democratic column. In all likelihood, this surge represented the difference between victory and defeat in at least five swing states, including Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey, ensuring Kennedys comfortable margin (303 to 219) in the Electoral College.

This last-minute shift was precipitated by two impulsive phone calls: one from John Kennedy to Coretta Scott King, expressing his concern for her jailed husbands safety; the second from the candidates younger brother Robert to Oscar Mitchell, the Georgia judge overseeing Kings incarceration. Arrested on two minor charges  participating in a student-led sit-in at Richs department store in Atlanta and driving with an Alabama license after changing his residency to Georgia  King was thought to be in grave danger after a manacled, late-night transfer from an Atlanta jail to a remote rural facility in Klan-infested DeKalb County, and soon thereafter to the states notorious maximum-security prison in Reidsville.
Exactly one month after he formally announced his campaign, former state Republican Party Chairman Doug Steinhardt  an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump  abruptly dropped out of this years race for New Jersey governor on Monday night.

Steinhardt, a 52-year-old Warren County attorney, said in a statement he was exiting the battle for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, citing unforeseen professional obligations.

The shocking decision makes former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli the leading candidate in the June Republican primary.

Last month, I was thrilled to announce our campaign for Governor, and the positive response from grassroots activists and donors has been overwhelming, Steinhardt said in his statement. While our strong standing in this race make this decision even more heart-breaking, unfortunately, unforeseen professional obligations have made it untenable for me to continue in this race as a candidate for Governor.

Steinhardt, who stepped down as head of the state GOP to run for governor, did not specify what those obligations are. He is a law partner with former Gov. Jim Florio, a Democrat, at the firm Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor.

The announcement comes five days after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent protest, leading members of both political parties to sharply criticize the Republican president. On Wednesday, the U.S. House will consider impeaching Trump a second time.

Asked whether the siege had any effect on Steinhardts decision to drop out, Harrison Neely, a spokesman for the campaign, told NJ Advance Media it did not.

No, Neely said.

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Steinhardt also thanked his supporters, saying your message was heard loud and clear, and you do have a voice.

Together we will rise above, and we will ultimately Take Back New Jersey, he added.

Ciattarelli, who lost the 2017 Republican gubernatorial primary to then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, is now the clear frontrunner for the GOPs nod this year.

Two other contenders have entered the partys primary: businessman Joseph Rudy Rullo and Hirsh Singh. Former Franklin Mayor Brian Levine has announced an exploratory committee. And theres a chance another candidate could jump in.

But time is running out to meet filing deadlines to seek all-important county lines. And Ciattarelli has already secured key endorsements in several counties.

No matter who wins the primary, Republicans likely face an uphill road in unseating Murphy. The governor is vying for a second term in a state that has become increasingly Democratic in recent years and is carrying approval ratings that have risen significantly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even though polls have shown Trump is wildly unpopular in New Jersey, both Steinhardt and Ciattarelli have praised the president in recent months  likely to shore up support from the states Republican base heading into the primary.

Steinhardt openly touted his support of Trump, calling himself a true conservative, while knocking Ciattarelli for criticizing the president in the past and refusing to vote for him in 2016.

In the wake of last weeks attack on the Capitol, Steinhardt avoided blaming Trump, saying the actions of violent criminals do not speak for Republicans and supporters of President Trump and the conservative grassroots movement that Im proud to represent here in New Jersey, supports democracy and the rule of law.

Ciattarelli said both major political parties are responsible for hyper partisan rhetoric that inflamed the attack, saying no one is innocent here.

We need a bipartisan, zero-tolerance policy on this behavior  both in word and action, he said in a statement.

After Steinhardt dropped out Monday, Murphys campaign linked Ciattarelli to both Trump and former Gov. Chris Christie.

Just last week, Jack Ciattarelli responded to the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol by channeling Trumps infamous both sides defense of white supremacists in Charlottesville, completely failing to place the blame on Trump, his enablers, and his followers, Mollie Binotto, Murphys campaign manager, said in a statement. Ciattarelli refuses to stand up to Trump just like he declined to ever say no to Chris Christie when he was in the Assembly.

Chris Russell, a spokesman for Ciattarelli, responded via Twitter, writing that its so desperate, so soon to make this race about anything other than Murphy and his failed record of higher taxes, crippling debt, attacks on small business, and fleeing residents.

The New Jersey Globe was the first to report Steinhardts departure Monday.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.

The first consignment of Covishield vaccines left the Serum Institute of India in the wee hours on Tuesday ahead of the January 16 nationwide inoculation drive launch, marking a decisive phase in anti-coronavirus fight.

Three Trucks

Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute's gates shortly before 5 am and left for Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be flown across India.

A 'puja' was performed before the vehicles left the facility.

13 Locations

The 13 locations where Covishield vaccines will be flown from Pune include Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Karnal, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar, a source closely involved in the transport arrangements told PTI.

478 Boxes

The trucks carried 478 boxes of the vaccines and each box weighs 32 kg. The cargo will be dispatched to these locations by 10 am, he added.

On road to Mumbai

The consignment for Mumbai will leave by road, he said, adding trucks belonging to Kool-ex Cold Chain Ltd are being used to ferry the vaccine stocks.

The Central government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over 6 crore doses of COVID vaccine from Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive scheduled to start from January 16.

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Zayar Lwin, a leader of the Peacock Generation satirical performance troupe, is led to the Maubin Township Court to be sentenced on charges of 'defaming' Myanmar's military, Dec. 15, 2020.

Rights groups working to free political prisoners in Myanmar have called on the government and others in the country to arrive at an agreed definition of the term, saying that vague laws have led to the jailing of hundreds engaged only in peaceful protest, slowing Myanmars democratic transition.

Presidential Office spokesperson Zaw Htay raised eyebrows when he told reporters at a press conference in Naypyidaw on Jan. 8 that many of those now considered political prisoners in Myanmar were jailed not for political offenses, but for "breaking the countrys laws."

Someone should be considered a political prisoner only if they are arrested or sentenced to prison for staging a protest or expressing their political opinions in legal ways, Zaw Htay said in reply to a question from RFA. This definition does not apply to anyone who is arrested for breaking an existing law, he said.

Critics called his remarks disappointing and unbecoming of a ruling party that fought Myanmars military dictatorship for decades and has numerous ex-political prisoners in its ranks, beginning with leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Disputes over who is and who is not a political prisoner in Myanmar will be solved only if a more comprehensive definition of the term can be established, Take Naingsecretary of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners ((AAPP-Burma)said in a Jan. 9 statement.

There are even several former political prisoners in our ruling government and in the parliament, including the State Counselor [Aung San Suu Kyi]. Thats why we are demanding the release of an official definition of political prisoners, Take Naing said.

As long as there is no official definition [of this term], there will be disputes, since many different organizations have their own definitions, while the government sticks to its own, he said.

Tun Kyi from the Former Political Prisoners Society said the definition presented by Zaw Htay on Friday was incomplete, calling it an attempt to mask the true numbers of political prisoners now held by Myanmars ruling government.

Successive governments [in Myanmar] have distorted the definition of political prisoners and denied that they existed, but they existed before and now under the ruling government as well, he said. Now, a spokesperson has implied at a national press conference that we dont have any now, and this is not acceptable.

Moreover, our own definition of political prisoners is not based on the expression of opinions alone. In our work, we rely on more inclusive definitions that comply with international standards and designations, he said.

Hundreds are still held

Myanmar national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent a total of 15 years over a 21-year period under house arrest and several months in Yangons feared Insein Prison, where some of her own governments critics now languish, has publicly stated that even one political prisoner in the country is too many.

But the 75-year-old Nobel laureate finished her term with about 584 political prisoners in various stages of incarceration or prosecution in Myanmar, with 36 serving prison sentences, 193 held in detention while waiting to be tried, and 355 out on bail while awaiting trial, AAP-Burma says.

Critics point to two lawsSection 505(a) of the Penal Code and Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Lawthat are now frequently used to jail students, performers, Facebook users, and other peaceful critics of Aung San Suu Kyis government and especially of Myanmars powerful military.

In the past, the government used many laws and charges as excuses to arrest political prisoners, one former political prisoner told RFA, adding that he had once served on a commission set up under the former government of Myanmars President Thein Sein to review the status of political prisoners jailed by the countrys previous military regime.

We had records of all those arrests and campaigned for [those prisoners'] release while I served on the review committee for remaining political prisoners, he said. We also secured the release of many ethnic minority villagers who had been arrested for associating with insurgency groups by designating them, too, as political prisoners.

Zaw Htays comments are disappointing if they represent the governments views, he said.

Spokesperson for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party Myo Nyunt seconded the rights groups call for a better definition of political prisoner, however, saying that the question of designating prisoners as political offenders has become more and more complicated these days.

There have been many incidents that do not fit the existing definitions, and thats why I think it will be more appropriate to have a conclusive discussion on this issue so that we can have an official definition of what a political prisoner really is, he said.

Reported by Nay Myo Htun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Richard Finney.
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Secretary of State Michael Pompeo pressed Voice of America to be less critical of the U.S., delivering a speech that appeared at odds with the news organization's mandate to maintain editorial independence from the government.

Pompeo's address Monday at Voice of America headquarters in Washington -- where he said VOA "isn't the place to give authoritarian regimes in Beijing or Tehran a platform" -- adds to efforts to rein in the government-funded broadcaster in the waning days of the Trump administration.

"It is not fake news for you to broadcast that this is the greatest nation in the history of the world and the greatest nation this civilization has ever known," Pompeo said. "I'm not saying ignore our faults. Indeed, just the opposite. It is to acknowledge them. But this isn't the Vice of America, focusing on everything that's wrong with our great nation. It's the Voice of America."

The top diplomat made no mention in his remarks at VOA of last week's assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump's false claims that he was robbed of reelection by fraud. Last week, Pompeo said on Twitter that action should be taken to "swiftly bring justice to the criminals who engaged in this rioting" without criticizing Trump for inciting supporters to march on the Capitol.

Pompeo's speech had provoked controversy even before he gave it. Whistleblowers at Voice of America had filed a complaint arguing that it put the agency's staff at risk given the coronavirus pandemic. More broadly, the protesting staff members allege that Pompeo's speech violates regulations guaranteeing VOA's editorial independence, in part because it was broadcast live by the government-funded news organization.

"A broadcast speech by the outgoing Secretary of State on topics on which he has been widely covered should be seen for what it is: the use of VOA to disseminate political propaganda in the waning days of the Trump administration," the Government Accountability Project wrote to the news outlet on behalf of the whistleblowers on Jan. 8.

Rather than bowing to those critics, Pompeo cast the internal struggle at VOA and the criticism of his speech as an attempt to censor him, and indirectly linked it to conservative criticism of Twitter's decision last week to permanently suspend accounts, including those held by Trump.

"Censorship, wokeness, political correctness, it all points in one direction - authoritarianism, cloaked as moral righteousness," Pompeo said. "It's similar to what we're seeing at Twitter, and Facebook, and Apple, and on too many university campuses."

Answering questions after his speech, Pompeo said he hopes Trump's policies on China and the Mideast will survive the end of his term. "It's not 2015," Pompeo said of the changed situation in relations with Iran and between Israel and its neighbors.

Critics and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have repeatedly lambasted Michael Pack, Trump's appointed chief of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, for purging senior leaders at VOA and other U.S.-funded news agencies. They say it's a bid to turn the outlets into mouthpieces for the administration.

VOA's congressional charter says that it should deliver independent editorial content to audiences overseas. In October, Pack swept aside a rule maintaining a firewall between the Agency for Global Media and its broadcasters such as the Voice of America and the Office of Cuban Broadcasting. He said it made the organization more difficult to manage and was "harmful to the agency and the U.S. national interest."

In his comments Monday, Pompeo said VOA had lost its way after the Cold War, and its broadcasts "became less about telling the truth about America, and too often about demeaning America." He cast his efforts not as an attempt to politicize VOA but to depoliticize it, and thanked Pack for his work.

Pack's critics have included Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who tweeted in October that "it is unclear why CEO Pack is opposed to journalistic objectivity" at the agency and its networks.

After Pompeo's remarks, he was scheduled to be interviewed by Robert Reilly, Pack's choice to run VOA who has been criticized for holding anti-Muslim and anti-gay views, including in a book he wrote titled "Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything."
Infinite Blue, a leader in delivering extendable apps for organizational resiliency on their low-code platform, today announced the addition of Michael Jennings as its new Director of Advisory Services. Michael brings more than 26 years experience in business continuity, enterprise risk management and disaster recovery, and will join forces with Christopher Duffy, Senior Advisory and Account Executive.

Prior to joining Infinite Blue, Jennings was the Business Continuity and Disaster Readiness executive for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts where he was responsible for the enterprise business continuity, incident, and crisis management programs. Michael has held senior level practice management and consulting roles with RSM, Strohl Systems and most recently Assurance Software Inc. In each of these roles he worked with clients to improve their business continuity programs. He holds a Master of Science, Business Continuity, Security and Risk Management from Boston University and is a member of Continuity Insights Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. Mike is an adjunct professor and instructor at Boston University teaching business continuity and risk management at a masters level.

As Infinite Blue continues to evolve, we are excited to welcome Mike to the team, said Frank Shultz, Chairman and CEO of Infinite Blue. Mike brings a wealth of knowledge in the business continuity space. We are very fortunate to have someone with his caliber of expertise onboard as we continue to promote and develop a mindset of resiliency in organizations around the world.

Currently, Infinite Blues advisory services consist of program evaluation, program development strategy, plan and assessment development, and regulatory audit preparation. Administrative Concierge Services (ACS) also falls within Infinite Blues advisory offering. ACS provides direct support for product, training, implementation, and consulting services to assist with issues, improve understanding, get organizations programs started and improve best practices all within business continuity and disaster recovery.

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning have never been more critical, and what Infinite Blue offers is truly exceptional, said Jennings. I am impressed with the team that Frank has assembled, the strong client roster and the sophisticated work that is being done for the clients. I could not be more excited to join Infinite Blue and apply my expertise.

For more information on Infinite Blues Advisory Services visit https://bcinthecloud.com/services/consulting-services/.

About Infinite Blue

Infinite Blue provides a comprehensive low-code development platform and enterprise applications for the business continuity and disaster recovery industry. Infinite Blue is trusted by independent software vendors and enterprises across the globe. Infinite Blue Platform is at the heart of countless business applications running in a wide variety of industries worldwide. The Company was started in 2013, has grown over 250% over the past three years and was recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of Americas fastest growing companies and Deloittes 2020 Technology Fast 500.

Applications built on Infinite Blue Platform can be hosted on-premises or in a public or private cloud. Infinite Blue customers use the platform to build custom applications quickly, and to extend existing applications, customizing them to meet their needs.

Infinite Blue also provides automated tools and services for building and maintaining effective business continuity and disaster recovery plans that streamline and simplify Continuity, Governance, and Risk Management programs. As an organizations needs grow, the solution evolves to increase resiliency, mitigate risk, and adhere to deadlines. No other solution provider offers rapid speed-to-market and robust scalability in an all-in-one solution.

Infinite Blue is headquartered in Collegeville, PA.

For more information on Infinite Blue, please contact:

Courtney Eiceman

Vice President of Marketing

+1 (267) 930-0700

Email: info@InfiniteBlue.com
Deutsche Bank will not do business in the future with US President Donald Trump or his companies in the wake of his supporters' deadly January 6 assault on the US Capitol, the New York Times reported.

Deutsche Bank is Trump's most important lender, with about $340 million in loans outstanding to the Trump Organization, the president's umbrella group that is currently overseen by his two sons.

The NYT cited a person familiar with the bank's thinking.

A spokesman for Deutsche Bank declined to comment on Tuesday. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside normal business hours, and the White House press office did not answer the phone.

Christiana Riley, the head of the bank's US operations, last week condemned last week's violence in a post on LinkedIn.

"We are proud of our Constitution and stand by those who seek to uphold it to ensure that the will of the people is upheld and a peaceful transition of power takes place," she wrote.

Reuters reported in November that Deutsche was looking for ways to end its relationship with Trump after the US elections, as it tires of the negative publicity stemming from the ties.

Also read: Facebook has no plans to lift ban on Donald Trump's accounts, COO Sheryl Sandberg Says
Press Trust of India

Scientists have demonstrated that a single-dose Covid-19 vaccine candidate, which could potentially be stored at room temperature, can produce immunity against the novel coronavirus in mice. The vaccine, described in the ACS Central Science journal, contains ultrasmall nanoparticles studded with the spike proteins of the coronavirus which enables it to enter host cells. Our goal is to make a single-shot vaccine that does not require a cold-chain for storage or transport. If were successful at doing it well, it should be cheap too, said study co-author Peter Kim from Stanford University in the US.

The target population for our vaccine is low- and middle-income countries, Kim added. According to the researchers, viral-based vaccines which use viruses to deliver immunising proteins are often more effective than those which contain only isolated protein parts of a virus. They said nanoparticle vaccines balance the effectiveness of viral-based vaccines with the safety and ease-of-production of protein vaccines.

To develop the vaccine, the scientists first removed a section near the bottom of the spike protein of the coronavirus, and combined it with nanoparticles of ferritin  an iron-containing protein  which has been previously tested in humans. In the following tests in mice, the researchers compared their shortened spike nanoparticles to four other potential variations  nanoparticles with full spikes, full spikes or partial spikes without nanoparticles, and a vaccine containing just the section of the spike that binds to cells during infection.

The scientists then tested the effectiveness of these vaccines against a safer pseudo-coronavirus that was modified to carry the spike proteins. They determined the potential effectiveness of each vaccine by monitoring levels of virus neutralising antibodies generated in the mice immune system. After a single dose, the study found that two nanoparticle vaccine candidates both resulted in neutralising antibody levels at least twice as high as those seen in people who have had Covid-19.

According to the scientists, the shortened spike nanoparticle vaccine produced a significantly higher neutralising response than the binding spike or the full spike vaccines. After a second dose, they said mice that had received the shortened spike nanoparticle vaccine had the highest levels of neutralising antibodies. Based on the results, the Stanford scientists said their nanoparticle vaccine could produce Covid-19 immunity after just one dose.

The scientists believe the vaccine could also be stored at room temperature and are assessing whether it could be shipped and stored in a freeze-dried, powder form. This is really early stage and there is still lots of work to be done, said Abigail Powell, lead author of the study. The researchers hope to improve the nanoparticle vaccine candidate to move it closer to initial clinical trials in humans.

[January 12, 2021] iosBio signs exclusive worldwide licensing agreement granting ImmunityBio rights to OraPro oral vaccine platform technology for COVID-19

PRESS RELEASE iosBio signs exclusive worldwide licensing agreement granting ImmunityBio rights to OraPro oral vaccine platform technology for COVID-19

iosBio licenses its OraPro TM thermal stabilization technology to ImmunityBio for oral delivery of ImmunityBios second generation hAd5 vaccine candidate to protect against COVID-19

thermal stabilization technology to ImmunityBio for oral delivery of ImmunityBios second generation hAd5 vaccine candidate to protect against COVID-19 ImmunityBios oral T cell vaccine candidate could potentially address mutations in the spike (S) protein Burgess Hill, UK, January 12, 2021iosBio (the Company), a UK-based biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines that can be administered orally, today announced an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with ImmunityBio, Inc. a US-based, privately-held clinical-stage immunotherapy company, for iosBios OraPro vaccine platform technology currently being investigated in trials of ImmunityBios second-generation human Adeno (hAd5) COVID-19 vaccine candidate. OraPro is iosBios patented oral delivery vaccine platform technology that enables oral administration of thermally-stable, viral vector vaccines. These vaccine vectors are engineered to withstand temperatures of up to 50C, allowing them to pass through the hostile conditions in the stomach without loss of efficacy and providing long-term product stability at ambient temperatures. Oral administration delivers the vaccine directly to mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), generating mucosal, systemic and T-cell immune responses. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, iosBio has granted ImmunityBio exclusive rights to utilize its OraPro platform technology for the oral delivery of ImmunityBios human Adeno (hAd5) COVID-19 vaccine candidate. iosBio will be eligible to receive royalties on net worldwide sales of the approved oral vaccine. In a BARDA-sponsored study of vaccinated non-human primates, subcutaneous and room temperature oral formulations of ImmunityBios vaccine candidate inhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus replication to undetectable levels and cleared infection within days in 100% of vaccinated animals (10 of 10). The vaccine candidate, which delivers both outer spike (S) and inner nucleocapsid (N) antigens, induced T cells and antibodies leading to reduction of SARS-CoV-2 viruses in both lungs and nasal passages within seven days. The oral capsule formulation of the vaccine candidate was effective at room temperature in the non-human primate study suggesting that it may not require the cold chain logistics that can impede global distribution. Pending ImmunityBios discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the oral vaccine will enter Phase I trials as a prime and boost, and will be explored to provide a boost to subcutaneous vaccinations. Twenty participants have already completed testing in ImmunityBios Phase I trial at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, California, which evaluated both low and high doses of subcutaneous hAd5, with zero grade 3/4 adverse events reported. Chairman of iosBio, Wayne Channon, said: We are delighted to be able to support ImmunityBio with the oral delivery of its second-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate, through the licensing of our OraPro thermal stabilization technology. This technology is key to developing vaccines that can be administered orally without loss of efficacy and has the potential to truly transform vaccine development.



Oral vaccines have the potential to overcome global challenges of traditional vaccines, many of which need to be stored and transported at freezing temperatures. Oral vaccines are more cost effective to produce and can be easily stored and transported around the world. They also have the potential to be self-administered, reducing health systems dependency on trained health professionals to run immunisation programmes and present a future where people could have vaccines delivered straight to their door. Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Chairman and CEO of ImmunityBio, said: As we see multiple mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, there is an urgent need for a vaccine that not only offers immediate protection but also activates T cells to clear the virus. When multiple mutations occur at the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein, it renders antibodies ineffective. Our next-generation vaccine design drives both antibody and T cells to S and N protein, and so could potentially serve as a universal boost to current vaccines that focus only on the monovalent S protein, as well as address future mutations of the S protein.

It is also critical to develop a room-temperature, stable oral formulation of the vaccine, one that will provide mucosal immunity. Were doing that with iosBios unique oral vaccine delivery platform technology that has the potential to transform the way people take vaccines and addresses the challenges of storage and global distribution of vaccines. In our BARDA-sponsored, non-human primate challenge study, administering the oral formulation as a boost achieved 100 percent viral protection against a challenge and induced both memory B cells and Th1-dominant T cells, which cleared the virus. We are now moving urgently through clinical development in the US and globally. Ends For further information please contact: Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott, Melissa Gardiner, David Daley,

IosBio@consilium-comms.com

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700 NOTES FOR EDITORS About iosBio

iosBio is a UK based biotechnology company developing next generation vaccines that can be administered orally. The Companys proprietary OraPro thermal stabilization technology enables the oral administration of thermally stable, non-replicating viral vectors that can be delivered sublingually via the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and other routes. These vaccine vectors are engineered to withstand temperatures of up to 50 degrees, allowing them to pass through the hostile conditions in the stomach without loss of efficacy and providing long term product stability at ambient temperatures. iosBio is developing vaccines designed to stimulate mucosal, systemic and T cell immune responses, providing robust immunity to a number of infectious diseases including COVID-19, Zika and influenza. iosBio is headquartered in Burgess Hill, UK. For more information visit: iosbio.com About ImmunityBio

ImmunityBio, Inc. is a late-clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing next-generation therapies that drive immunogenic mechanisms for defeating cancers and infectious diseases. The companys immunotherapy platform activates both the innate (natural killer cell and macrophage) and adaptive (T cell) immune systems to create long-term immunological memory. This novel approach is designed to eliminate the need for high-dose chemotherapy, improve upon the outcomes of current CAR T-cell therapies, and extend beyond checkpoint inhibitors. ImmunityBios platform is based on the foundation of three separate modalities: antibody cytokine fusion proteins, synthetic immunomodulators, and second-generation human adenovirus (hAd5) vaccine technologies. Anktiva (ImmunityBios lead cytokine infusion protein) is a novel interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist complex and has received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for BCG-unresponsive CIS non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The company is also in Phase 2 or 3 trials for indications such as first- and second-line lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, metastatic pancreatic cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, and soft tissue sarcoma in combination with the companys synthetic immune modulator (aldoxorubicin). ImmunityBio is also developing therapies, including vaccines, for the prevention and treatment of HIV, influenza, and the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 with its second-generation human adenovirus (hAd5) vaccine technologies. NantKwest Transaction As previously announced, on December 21, 2020, ImmunityBio entered into an agreement to combine in a stock-for-stock transaction with NantKwest, Inc. (NASDAQ: NK). The combination, which is expected to close in the first half of 2021, would create a leading immunotherapy and cell therapy company focused on oncology and infectious disease.





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The second round of talks on signing the social security agreement between Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey has begun on Tuesday, January 12.

"We would be very happy to welcome the Turkish delegation to Ukraine, but the pandemic prevented this. I am convinced that the second round of talks will be a logical continuation of the first round and we will reach a common position on the issues that remained unresolved after the first round. The successful result of our joint work will undoubtedly benefit both our countries," Ukraines Deputy Social Policy Minister Vitaliy Muzychenko said in the opening remarks, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The head of the Turkish delegation reminded of the constant increase in the number of tourists from Ukraine to Turkey and the strengthening of cooperation between the countries in various fields.

"The first round of talks was very fruitful and I hope that the current one will be productive and positive. Relations between our countries, including social and trade, are strengthening. I hope that they will intensify and deepen in the future, and the current talks will facilitate this," said the head of the Turkish delegation at the talks, Deputy Head of the Social Protection Department of Turkey Ismail Yilmaz.

The second round of talks will last for three days - January 12-14, 2021.

As reported, the previous round of talks was held in Ankara. This round was supposed to take place in Kyiv but will be held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In May 2019, the working groups agreed upon 32 out of 36 provisions of the draft interstate social security agreement at the first stage of talks. Preparations for the first round of talks lasted almost a year.

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Exam body AQE has called on the Bishop of Derry to retract his comments that the transfer test process had become big business.

Bishop Donal McKeown warned that financial gain should not dominate the conversation around the test process.

AQE - the Association for Quality Education - cancelled three tests due to be held in January, with the PPTC also cancelling its exams for this year.

However, AQE later announced plans to hold a single rescheduled test on February 27.

AQE charges parents wanting grammar school places for their children 55 to sit the exams. The PPTC does not charge pupils.

Bishop McKeown told the BBC's Sunday Politics Northern Ireland programme: AQE would have about 9,000 pupils applying this year. That's half a million pounds coming in to run a business.

And let's say you work on the assumption that parents are spending maybe 250 on tutoring [for their children] - there's another 2.5m.

We're not just talking about making educational changes - we are talking about a business.

When business becomes a major element in educational decisions I think, perhaps, we've lost the point.

Read More

Responding to Bishop McKeowns comments, the directors of AQE told BBC NI that his comments were highly defamatory and that his statement completely lacked accuracy and was pejorative in tone.

The statement made by the bishop and broadcast by the BBC was highly defamatory not just of AQE Limited but also of those individuals who are the members of AQE Limited and of those who serve it as its directors and officers, carrying, as it does, the clear innuendo that such persons are acting from motives of pure self-interest, the body said.

AQE Limited does not engage in business, in the normally accepted meaning of that word.

It does not carry on its activities with a view to making a profit.

It is a company limited by guarantee and so does not have shareholders and hence pays no dividends.

The members of its board of directors are not remunerated and perform their roles voluntarily.

The fees which it charges to parents do not cover the costs which AQE Limited incurs in producing and administering the Common Entrance Assessment; the shortfall is made up by the schools which use the Common Entrance Assessment.

In light thereof AQE Limited would call upon the bishop to retract the statement which he made on January 10, 2021, and to issue an appropriate apology to AQE Limited.

Bishop McKeown said he did not wish to respond to AQEs statement.
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Non-teaching Staff Unions of Nigerian Universities have begun a 3-day nationwide protest to press home their demands for an equitable share of the N40 billion Earn Allowance to university-based unions, among others.

The Non-Teaching Staff Unions of the Nigerian Universities include the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).

The National President of NASU, Hassan Makolo, while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, said the unions were not happy about the sharing formula of the N40 billion Earn Allowance.

There are issues on the ground and we have been taken for granted. We are looking at what we called earn allowance, which everybody in the system is entitled to.

The federal government gave us N30 billion and we said that the N30 billion should be defined; that who and who are qualified for it.

The federal government then said all the unions on campus are qualified to enjoy it; and we agreed. We said that all the unions must be called upon to see how the sharing formula should be done, said Mr Makolo.

According to him, the government suddenly added another N10 billion, making the total money N40 billion, and before we knew what was happening, they said 75 per cent of the total sum is for one union, while 25 per cent is to the other three unions.

We will not accept a sharing formula of 75 per cent to Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and 25 per cent to three non-teaching staff.

This thing was done with impunity, and we feel that we have to protest for three days and we are going to appraise it after the three days, and if nothing happens we will decide the next line of action, he said.

Mr Makolo noted that the government was yet to meet some demands of the union, which included the use of Integrated Payroll Personnel Information Systems (IPPIS) as payment platform.

He said other demands were non-payment of arrears of Minimum Wage, delay in renegotiation of Federal Government, NASU and SSANU negotiation of 2009, retirement benefits, among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after nine months of negotiations, ASUU suspended its strike in December 2020, but only after the government suspended the use of IPPIS for payment of salaries of its members.

NAN also reports that the government had also approved N40 billion as Earned Academic Allowance and N30 billion as universities revitalisation funds.

(NAN)
A convicted child abuser is to be sentenced next month for the multiple attacks on a young boy 18 years ago.

Kevin Brazil (51) molested the 12-year-old in his flat after coaxing him up with the promise of letting him use high end electronic gadgets in the flat.

The victim later told gardai that Brazil psychologically tortured him by threatening to tell his friends what had happened in the flat if he didn't come to the flat again and carry out further sexual acts.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Brazil was first questioned in 2002 about the offending and made admissions to gardai at Rathmines garda station.

This case and another case were investigated at that time but for some inexplicable reason no file was ever sent to the DPP, Superintendent Barry Walsh said.

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Supt Walsh told Anne Rowland SC, prosecuting, that when he began investigating allegations from a third victim, he discovered the Rathmines cases.

He said files on these cases should have went to the DPP for prosecution, but he was not in a position to say why this had not happened.

Last July Brazil received a fully suspended prison sentence of three years after he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of sexually assaulting a child in the city on unknown dates between April 1, 2002 and June 30, 2002.

Today, Brazil of Wainsfort Manor Grove, Terenure, Dublin pleaded guilty to sexual assault of the child on dates between May and August 2002 at a place in Dublin city.

Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said today that his client had been working in a large supermarket and he lost his job after his convictions were publicised last July.

He has previous convictions for sexual assault of a minor in France on March 7, 1995. In November 2004 he was jailed for two years for sexual assault.

At the sentence hearing today his victim, in a victim impact report, stated that the abuse has left him with a life altering condition of anxiety and depression.

He said before he met Brazil, he was a happy child. He said the depression now impacts on his family life and means he cannot live in the same house as his partner and their children. He said he turned to drug use for comfort after the abuse and ended up in prison.

It's hard to see a time when anxiety or depression won't be a feature of my life, he stated.

Mr Gageby said his client was now a mature man who is full of remorse for the actions he committed 18 years ago. He told the court that it was through no fault of his that the cases were not prosecuted at the time.

Mr Justice Michael White said he would have to take this delay into consideration but he said there would be a custodial sentence.

He remanded Brazil in custody for sentence on January 19, next.
She recently responded to backlash for jetting off to Barbados over the Christmas period to spend time with her family.

But Montana Brown appeared to be in good spirits as she enjoyed a deep fishing boat trip off the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados, on Monday.

The Love Island star, 25, flaunted her washboard abs in a blue and white striped bikini as she waded through the sea to board the boat before the trip.

Day trip: Montana Brown appeared to be in good spirits as she enjoyed a deep fishing boat trip off the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados, on Monday

She showed off her toned physique in the skimpy two-piece as she continued soaking up the sun on the balmy Caribbean island.

Montana loosely styled her salt-licked brunette tresses in a messy bun as she was joined by her pal Frankie and another woman for the fun-filled day trip.

She clutched her flip-flops in one hand as she paddled through the shallows and protected her essentials in a large black handbag.

Montana and her blonde friend kept themselves protected amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by sporting blue face masks before boarding the boat.

Fun times: The Love Island star, 25, flaunted her washboard abs in a blue and white striped bikini as she waded through the sea to board the boat before the trip

After setting off on the trip, the TV personality and her two pals were seen chatting and soaking up the sun on the upper deck of the small fishing boat.

Her latest sun-filled outing comes after she hit back at backlash for travelling abroad to Barbados in the midst of the global pandemic.

On Monday, the bombshell said she 'needed' to be around her loved ones as she explained her decision to stay in the tropical country for the foreseeable future.

The reality star wrote: 'Hey everyone, I've had a few messages regarding me being away.

'I know it's a really difficult time for everyone in the UK and I completely understand everyone's frustrations.

Soaking up the sun: After setting off on the trip, the TV personality and her two pals were seen chatting and relaxing on the upper deck of the small fishing boat

'Just to clarify, I'm not in Dubai, I travelled to Barbados with my family before the UK lockdown (before Christmas) and made the decision to stay due to the new restrictions in the UK.

'I posted a Story when I first got out of quarantine to assess whether you guys felt comfortable with me posting (which I'll put on the next slide).

'If that's changed I do understand and I'll put a question box on this Story too as I want to hear from you and what your opinions are.'

Montana revealed she already had plans to travel and shoot content for her swimwear brand, Swim Society, this year. She also assured her Instagram followers that she valued their opinion.

She added: 'As a business, we did have a content trip planned for January for Swim Society and I knew I wouldn't be able to do that due to the restrictions, so that influenced my decision to stay [in Barbados].

Criticism: Her latest sun-filled outing comes after she hit back at backlash for travelling abroad to Barbados in the midst of the global pandemic

'I want to post uplifting content as I know it's a really awful and uncertain time however, I also don't want to be insensitive to what people are going through.

'It's a hard thing to manage and I really don't want to upset anyone or for people to think I don't care what's going on'. (sic)

In the next Instagram slide, Montana uploaded a previous Instagram story from December when she initially revealed she had left the UK.

The former Love Island star wrote: 'Just to let everyone know, I am not in the UK. I left a couple of days ago to join my family after receiving a negative Covid test.

'It's been a tough year for everyone and I understand everyone's circumstances are different. But mentally, I needed to be around my family and loved ones at this time.

Controversy: On Monday, the bombshell said she 'needed' to be around her loved ones as she explained her decision to stay in the tropical country for the foreseeable future

'Let me know if you guys are happy for me to Story/post. I don't want to seem insensitive to everything that is going on. I know it's a really tough time for everyone.' (sic)

At the time of the original Instagram post, the reality star was slammed by followers who claimed that the star was 'hardly in lockdown' as she had 'escaped the UK' in favour of balmy Barbados.

On December 20, London and surrounding areas were plunged into Tier 4, which saw travel abroad for leisure 'not permitted', with exceptions only allowed for reasons such as work, education and childcare.

During the first week of January, Boris increased coronavirus restrictions by enforcing a third national lockdown.

Explanation: In the next Instagram slide, Montana uploaded a previous Instagram story from December when she initially revealed she had left the UK

Criticism: She was slammed by fans for sharing 'what she's been doing in lockdown', despite having been in Barbados when the UK was plunged into a third lockdown

Her response came after she was criticised for sharing 'what she's been doing in lockdown', despite having been in Barbados when the UK was plunged into a third lockdown.

She shared a light-hearted clip of her and Frankie both happily dancing along to popular tune Fergalicious in her Barbados hotel room.

Alongside her clip, she penned: 'when people ask what you've been doing in lockdown.... with my Babygirl @frankiebowdenn'

The TV star was then slammed by Instagram users, who claimed that the star was 'hardly in lockdown' as she had 'escaped the UK' in favour of balmy Barbados.

Covid: At the time of the original Instagram post, the reality star was slammed by fans who claimed the star was 'hardly in lockdown' as she had 'escaped the UK' in favour of Barbados

One angry fan fumed: 'When the rest of the U.K. are following the rules and not travelling.....'

While another commented: 'LOCKDOWN?! Please stop'

And a third wrote: 'Hardly lockdown. Do anything to escape the uk whilst we're all in the s**t'.

A fourth angrily penned: 'How are you all getting away with this. Then rub it in everyones faces. It's disgusting and you c list celebs need to stop putting this all over the internet.' (sic)

The Barbados government recently brought in tough measures to suppress coronavirus transmission. Those breaking COVID-19 laws on the island face an 18,000 fine or jail.
The apostle Paul talks citizenship when he is talking kingdom or talking church. Notice these words in Philippians:

Phil. 1:25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, Phil. 1:27 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, Phil. 1:29 For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well

The terms faith and "live your life and believing and suffering are part of Pauls vision of how to live in the church as a citizenship life. Faith and believing are about allegiance and not just the opening act of faith for the Christian. But live your life is a weak translation in the NRSV and the NIVs is barely better: conduct yourselves. The Greek term is politeuomai and can be translated live your public life or live your citizenship in such and such a manner.

This but touches upon Julien Smiths discussion in his new book Paul and the Good Life. Citizenship is about a moral community, and Robert Wuthnows wonderful book, The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Small-Town America, illustrates in many ways the very thing Smiths book is on about. The disintegration of rural moral communities informs us of what makes up for a good citizen because, as it is fades, the realities become even more clear.

Anyway, this is a post about Smiths book. The proper term for life in a polis is pistis, but here shaped toward informed allegiance (not coerced, not blind). Here Smith is relying on Matt Bates stuff. Smith anchors his perceptions of the texts above in the Greco-Roman sense of city.

Is allegiance necessary? Yes. The issue is allegiance to what or to whom? (more below)

The argument so far can be summed up in the following points. The project of human flourishing in Mediterranean antiquity was a communal endeavor, involving membership in the polis. The function of the polis was to make virtuous people, a process that entailed habituation, imitation, and the collaboration of virtuous friends. Fully flourishing people in turn contributed to the flourishing of the polis. The leadership of the polis was entrusted to those preeminent in virtue; initially in theory, and later in fact, this ideal person was conceived of as a king. As a benefactor, the good king inculcated divinely bestowed virtue upon his subjects, and in return his beneficiaries owed him pistis, or allegiance.

The king matters in an empire, and the church has its own king. The whole is reconfigured!

He gets to Jesus as the formative power in shaping virtue for the church citizen, and does so through this sense of his kingship, and I turn to Smith with some reformatting.

To help sum up, let us imagine how someone who actually lived in this world might have answered the following questions. How would you describe the good life?

Living in a community of individuals who together seek the excellences of character - moral virtues - that contribute to individual and communal flourishing. How should such a community be govemed?

Those preeminent in virtue ought to govern, thereby inculcating virtue within the citizenry. How does such a leader inculcate virtue?

The gods bestow virtue upon the king, and as benefactor, the king bestows the benefit of virtue on the people. How does one relate to the good king?

By giving to him ones embodied allegiance. Where can such a king be found?

The true king, the vicegerent of the gods, the benefactor of humankind, the guarantor of victory, is of course none other than Romes glorious emperor. The pursuit of the good life in Pauls day thus entailed citizenship in the cosmopolis of Rome as well as allegiance to Rome's emperor. Allegiance is a necessary condition for the shaping of a virtuous character. The concept of allegiance presupposes a relationship of some kind, either to an individual, a group of people, or an entity larger and more complex, yet still composed of people. One cannot meaningfully pledge allegiance to an inanimate object such as a car, or to an abstract concept such as freedom.

The key point here and not to be missed is that the king of the church, Jesus, is not like the Roman emperor. Worthy citizenship becomes with Jesus a downward mobility (Phil 2:6-11) and can lead to suffering.

What matters here is CHARACTER and thats the subject of the next chp and the next post.

Allegiance to the crucified Lord is allegiance to a new virtue and the Servant, loving, tov king empowers the people to live that kind of Christoform life.

Its a new citizenship because the kings character is so different.

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The doorways of several Jewish homes have been smeared with blood in the shape of a cross in a suspected anti-Semitic hate crime.

The homes are in Stamford Hill, east London, an area inhabited by around 15,000 members of the ultra orthodox Jewish community.

Hackney Police are investigating the crime, which has been likened by members of the Jewish community to the actions of the Klu Klux Klan.

No arrests have been made concerning this incident, but police say they believe the culprit could be a local resident with 'mental health' issues.

Shomrim - the volunteer based force that protects the area - tweeted about the attack on Sunday.

They wrote: 'Hate Crime and Antisemitism 2am, several Jewish houses had crosses daubed onto their homes, offender appears to have used blood.'

Three homes were daubed with blood in the shape of a crucifix in east London's Stamford Hill, an area home to around 15,000 members of the ultra orthodox Jewish community

Three homes were left with the mark on the doors of their home, the Metropolitain Police confirmed.

President of Shomrim, Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE said: 'This attack bears similarities and invokes comparisons with actions by the KKK.

'It has a deep and profound meaning - the smearing of blood in this manner is deeply troubling for our community and invokes traumatic memories of pogroms and murders.

'When a person chooses to specifically place these daubing's on three Jewish homes, he is probably aware of its traumatic effect.'

Homes belonging to religious Jews are easily recognisable due to a commandment to have an encased parchment - known as a mezuzah - fixed to the doors.

Police confirmed they are investigating the suspected anti-semitic hate crime, which members of the Jewish community likened to the anti-semitic actions of the Klu Klux Klan

A Shomrim spokesman said that the families affected were 'shocked' and were being supported

A Shomrim spokesman said that the families affected were 'shocked' and were being supported.

They added that they hoped to catch the culprit through DNA samples and were looking at obtaining CCTV.

One Stamford Hill resident said: 'Some guy was knocking on doors in the middle of the night.

'No one answered, they didn't take notice. The next morning there was real blood on the wall like a cross, drawn from real blood.'

The resident added that no one saw the culprit and it is unknown if it was an individual or a group.

The Shomrim spokesman added: 'The families involved are shocked to wake up to find a cross drawn in blood.

'As a whole, the community has seen a sustained growth in antisemitic hate crime over the last few years.

'Shomrim are supporting the victims and have asked police to take DNA samples of the blood before it is removed.

Shomrim - the volunteer based force that protects the area - tweeted about the attack on Sunday

'Currently the culprits are unknown and Shomrim are making CCTV enquiries.

'The homes targeted all had a prominent Mezuzah and the crosses were daubed onto the homes near the Mezuzah.'

Rabbi Gluck added: 'Over the past four months, antisemitic attacks have risen exponentially and there hasn't been any proportionate and resolute action by the police to counter this.

'This feeds into the racist mindset that Jews are a soft target, which is of profound concern to us.'

It is understood no arrests have been made concerning this incident, but police say they believe the culprit could be a local resident with 'mental health' issues.

The Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'On the evening of Sunday, 10 January police were informed that during the previous night, small crosses had been daubed on the walls of three homes in Portland Avenue, Stoke Newington.

'Officers attended to speak to the residents of the three properties and ascertained that the person believed to be responsible was a local resident who is well known to people in the area but who suffers with mental ill health.

'Local officers have been made aware and will ensure that the incident is addressed in the most appropriate way.'
House Democrats introduced a resolution on Monday calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Donald Trump.

They also introduced an impeachment article against Trump charging him with "incitement of insurrection" for his statement to march to the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday last week.

The House is set to vote on the 25th Amendment measure by Tuesday and on impeachment on Wednesday, said NBC News. All these could happen a week before the change of White House leadership on January 20.

CNET noted in a report that if the 25th Amendment was invoked successfully, Pence would serve as the acting president until Inauguration Day.

Related Story: Pelosi Calls for Trump Impeachment in Fear He'll Pardon Capitol Rioters

The measure was first blocked in the House after some of the chamber's GOP members refused to support it.

25th Amendment Measure Requires Bipartisan Support

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a USA Today report that removing Trump from the White House can be done through either the 25th Amendment or impeachment, but both need bipartisan support.

The 25th Amendment vote needs to be unanimous to take effect and has only garnered support from some Republican representatives.

These two measures were put forward following the chaotic riot that took place at the U.S. Capitol where five people were found dead and at least 120 arrests were made.

The 25th Amendment was first ratified in 1967 after the assassination of John F. Kennedy renewed questions about presidential successions.

It also gives the Congress and the president shared power to find a replacement for vice president.

But the 25th Amendment's Section 4 can be used to strip a president's powers away.

It states that the vice president and majority of the Cabinet can assess if a president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."

This puts the vice president in the role of acting president, unless the president argues that he is fit for his duty, the two-thirds of both chambers of the Congress has to vote to put the VP in charge.

What's Next for 25th Amendment Measure?

House Democrats first tried to fast-track the resolution invoking the 25th Amendment. However, that plan didn't work.

So now, Pelosi said Democrats will bring the resolution introduced by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday.

If the resolution passed, Pence has to intervene within 24 hours before the House starts its impeachment process on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how fast discussions take place.

Read also: The Federalist: America's Institutional Decline Could Lead to US Looking Like Mexico

Pence has not yet made any public comments about using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump but a January 7 report from Business Insider aid the Pence had no plans to use it.

Later on, the vice president had reportedly "not ruled out" the possibility of invoking the said amendment. Pence's stance on the matter remains unclear.

Pence was urged by lawmakers and cabinet members to push through with the 25th Amendment following the January 6 riot. Around 240 lawmakers were said to back the proposal, CNET noted.

New York Times reported that Trump and Pence had not yet spoken since the violent riots, and that Trump was reportedly unhappy that the VP did not try to overturn election results.
Rodney Ho, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

Last week, a radio executive at Atlanta-based Cumulus Media sent a memo telling its talk show hosts to stop spreading rhetoric about a stolen election or face termination.

We need to help induce national calm NOW, Brian Philips, executive vice president of content for Cumulus, wrote in an internal memo after a mob attacked the national Capitol building, first reported by Inside Music Media.

The company will not tolerate any suggestion that the election has not ended. The election has been resolved, and there are no alternate acceptable paths, the memo said. If you transgress this policy, you can expect to separate from the company immediately.

Cumulus runs Westwood One, one of the nations largest syndication companies in the nation, includes major Trump-supporting hosts such as Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino.

Nationally, Cumulus is the second-largest radio operator with 416 stations, behind only iHeartMedia. Cumulus radio stations in Syracuse include 93Q (WNTQ-FM), 95X (WAQX-FM), The Score 1260 (WSKO-AM) and streaming station The Rebel Rocks.

Phillips, who wrote the memo, used to run Atlanta-based alternative rock station 99X in the 1990s. He also was the president of CMT, the basic cable channel, before joining Cumulus in 2019. He did not return a text for comment about the memo.

The Washington Post noted that Levin, the day before last Wednesdays attack on the Capitol, complained that the certification of President-elect Joe Biden in Congress was tyranny because he said President Donald Trump had the election stolen from him, echoing Trumps complaints of widespread fraud, which have not been shown to be true.

You think the framers of the Constitution ... sat there and said, Congress has no choice [to accept the votes], even if theres fraud, even if theres some court order, even if some legislature has violated the Constitution, Levin said. After the attack, on Fox News, Levin said he didnt believe Trump incited the violence and thinks the mainstream media is exploiting the riot in an effort to silence conservatives and Republicans.

iHeartMedia, which runs rival syndication group Premiere Networks and represents Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, has not commented about whether it has sent any guidance to its hosts.

Michael Harrison, who covers talk radio for his publication, Talkers magazine, said the Cumulus memo does not surprise him.

Corporations are responsible for whats on their air, Harrison said. They have to deal with client feedback. They have to deal with public image and protection of their license. Its naive to think there are times when corporate bosses in American media are not paying attention to what their talk show hosts and news people are putting out. If they are not complaining, that means they approve of it, and in some cases, encourage it. They change their minds based on whats best for their business.

And while some critics are complaining that Cumulus is censoring its hosts, Harrison sees it differently. Private corporations can control their platforms, and I believe that in and of itself is an expression of free speech in action, he said.
Northern Irelands chief scientific officer has said he is confident there will be sufficient intensive care capacity for critically ill patients in the coming weeks.

Professor Ian Young said patient numbers are likely to peak sometime in the last two weeks of this month, but he believes bed and staff numbers will be adequate to cope with demand.

He was responding to comments made by an ICU nurse who has warned doctors will have to withdraw care from patients to make way for people who have a better chance of survival.

Prof Young said: The modelling suggests the number of people requiring critical care is likely to be greater than the first or second wave.

We know a huge amount of planning has gone into ensuring there iscapacity within the system to allow everyone who needs management in critical care will receive it.

The chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, said it is too late to stop the number of people who will become seriously ill from the virus in the coming weeks.

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He said the projected patient numbers are a direct consequence of the mixing that occurred over the Christmas period.

And he poured cold water on hopes that the lockdown in Northern Ireland will be lifted on February 6.

Last week, the Executive announced a number of additional measures in a bid to ease the pressure on Northern Irelands health service.

These included the extension of remoted learning until the mid-term break in February, enhanced measures to limit contacts between individuals in domestic settings, and preventing people from leaving home without a reasonable excuse.

At the time, the Executive said the restrictions will be in place until February 6 and will be reviewed on January 21.

However, speaking this afternoon, Dr McBride described the proposed schedule as optimistic in the extreme.
OSWEGO COUNTY, N.Y. ---- Two and a half months after voters cast their ballots in the 2020 election, the 22nd Congressional district still does not have representation. Court Proceedings continued on Monday with testimony from the Oneida County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Carol Anne Cardone.

The judge also touching on the issue that was learned on Friday involving voter registrations through the NYS DMV. It was learned, that the Oneida County Board of Elections failed to process 2,418 voter registration forms before elections day. This caused those voters to not show up on registration lists at poll sites and either did not vote or were handed an affidavit ballot.

The judge asked legal counsel on both sides to produce legal arguments on that issue and present them to the court on Thursday.

Anthony Brindisi's team held a virtual press conference on Monday with Brindisi's lawyer Marc Elias. Elias served as legal counsel to Hillary Clinton's Campaign in 2016 and with John Kerry's campaign in 2004. This year, New York introduced a law requiring elections to be recounted if the margin for victory is 0.5% or lower. As things stand now, the margin for the 22nd race is closer than that.

Elias said his team hasn't been thinking about that yet and hopes to take this process one step at a time.

"We're focused on getting the counting done. What I've learned over the years from doing these is that you're better off taking one step at a time. I think if all the lawful ballots are counted, you will see that Congressman Brindisi is returned to Congress. And then the question for recounts won't really materialize," said Elias.

NEWSCHannel 2 did reach out to Claudia Tenney's campaign for a comment on Wednesday's proceedings but did not hear back from their campaign.

Closing arguments on the court cases are scheduled to take place on January 22nd. A final decision on the contested ballots may not come until February.
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SINGAPORE, Jan 12, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), has recently completed its Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta network gateway deployments for its TrueCONNECT Hybrid (SD-WAN, Software Defined Wide Area Network) enterprise connectivity solution.These latest SD-WAN gateways, powered by VMware, follow CITIC Telecom CPC's ongoing initiatives to anticipate and address demand for innovative, high performance, and agile Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions in the fastest-growing markets in ASEAN. In 2016 the company expanded Russian and Eastern European coverage to serve its customers better, encompassing CITIC Telecom CPC's full range of end-to-end managed services, including MPLS, cloud, and managed network security solutions.By further enhancing the footprint and capacity of TrueCONNECT Hybrid in ASEAN, CITIC Telecom CPC (CPC) is catering to the significantly growing base of Innovative Technology Businesses and Smart Cities being created in the region. TrueCONNECT Hybrid's ASEAN coverage now includes Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Jakarta."We have always focused on identifying and serving the most important needs in the most important market segments," said Mr. Taylor Lam, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Management from CITIC Telecom CPC. "Within a year of its launch, TrueCONNECT Hybrid already covers nearly 50 gateways across 49 cities in 15 countries, including six (6) in Southeast Asia. These new ASEAN gateways in Malaysia and Indonesia underscore our commitment to ASEAN customers and highlight our continued strong SD-WAN partnership with VMware. More network gateways translate to better link quality, lower latency and overall improved performance."With TrueCONNECT Hybrid, a fully managed and better secured SD-WAN connectivity solution, customers can leverage the most cost-effective bandwidth available without compromising QoS delivery. Enterprises can dynamically create hybrid networks that bind multiple access technologies into single logical paths, taking advantage of MPLS linkages' reliability, security, and performance, yet limiting associated expenses. Network traffic is steered intelligently on optimal paths at the best times to increase performance and reduce costs. It improves business agility, application performance, bandwidth conservation and maximizes business application accessibility. TrueCONNECT Hybrid achieves these compelling advantages without requiring the high traditional costs, additional in-house staffing or other ongoing overhead expenses, often prohibitive for companies with tight budgets and timeframes. IT managers also gain more visibility, traffic routing control, rapid deployment and recovery, all with almost zero on-site IT personnel.The new Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta network gateways significantly enhance TrueCONNECT Hybrid performance across ASEAN, long popular as an ideal region for world leading technology companies expanding physical presence. In particular, Singapore's political and legal stability and transparency have attracted considerable investment from MNCs and global technology pioneers to the city-state, including purchasing significant real property in the central business district and establishing innovation research labs. ASEAN as a whole is receiving increasing venture capital from around the world."A huge percentage of the ASEAN population is digitally savvy," said Mr. Derek Ung, General Manager, Enterprise Sales, CITIC Telecom CPC. "Companies and people are eager to embrace and enjoy new technological products and services. ASEAN is still relatively under-represented in terms of tech startups. The potential for solutions that support all these new businesses and government projects especially smart city initiatives is huge, and creates opportunities for win/win/win for our company, our partners such as VMware, and our customers."The latest Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is setting out the framework for becoming the largest free trade area in the world. It is a potential window to reshape the future of trade as well as to propel enterprises to capitalize new opportunities across Asia Pacific. Further, analyst research has pointed to potentially immense ASEAN growth of its digital economy to some $300 billion over the next five years, likely encompassing multiple areas including smart products and services in mobility, e-commerce, travel, social media, telecommunications and even healthcare, the latter driven by telehealth demands in Southeast Asian countries lacking sufficient medical workers, and COVID-19 social distancing impacts. The "Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025" has also forecast up to $625 billion in annual economic impact in ASEAN by 2030, through disruptive technologies such as mobile Internet, Big Data, Cloud and Internet of Things applications."We may also see tremendous growth in fintech as the financial sector leverages new connectivity and computing technologies to innovate banking and investment services," added Derek, CPC. "Manufacturing is yet another area that will evolve, with many regional companies relocating or building out their supply chain in ASEAN. With our latest gateway deployment, we want to be ready to serve our customers in ASEAN and those moving to ASEAN."The new ASEAN gateways for TrueCONNECT Hybrid fortify CITIC Telecom CPC's ability to maintain its high-quality SLA commitment to ASEAN enterprise customers, enabling high network performance without compromising on responsiveness or reliability. The enhanced network capacity is also crucial for the region's emerging new digital businesses and smart cities, including the New Normal "Work From Home" approach being adopted worldwide. Robust network performance without sluggishness or outages is especially relevant for organizations migrating applications and workloads to cloud platforms via business digitalization initiatives."We are very excited to partner with CITIC Telecom CPC and help them deliver TrueCONNECT Hybrid to ASEAN customers," said Abe Ankumah, senior director, SD-WAN and SASE Business, VMware. "VMware SD-WAN Gateways are a unique and key component of our architecture, and for even the most demanding connectivity requirements, enterprises will be well-supported by the many high-performance gateways deployed by CITIC Telecom CPC throughout this region.""We are fully committed to the long-term success of our customers," said Taylor, CPC. "From Q1 2021, we plan to expand our network gateways to 10 more cities including in the Philippines, to ensure that we deliver the best experience to our customers."About CITIC Telecom CPCWe are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT private network solutions, TrustCSI information security solutions, DataHOUSE cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD(Tm) cloud computing solutions.As a leading Global Local ICT Solutions Partner with worldwide footprint across East to West and native presence, we truly live our motto, "Innovation Never Stops." Being a preferred Digital Society Enabler, we lead our key markets at the forefront of pioneering ICT development, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into real-world value for our customers, helping them achieve higher productivity, agility, cost-efficiency, and ultimately, Digital Globalization.As one of the first managed service providers in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017 ICT-related certifications, CITIC Telecom CPC delivers on our superior quality commitment through a broad global self-managed infrastructure encompassing some of the highest growth markets in Asia, Europe and America, with over 140 points of presence, 18 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and two dedicated 24x7 Security Operations Centers.For more information please visit www.citictel-cpc.comVMware, and VMware SD-WAN are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.Media Contact:June TayCITIC Telecom International CPC Limited(65) 6692 8357Email: june.tay@citictel-cpc.comSource: CITIC Telecom International CPC LimitedCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers his opening remarks during a news conference outside Rideau cottage in Ottawa on Jan. 8, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Trudeau Reshuffles Cabinet as Bains Steps Down

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau conducted a small reshuffle of his cabinet Tuesday morning due to the departure of Navdeep Bains, the minister of innovation, science and industry.

Francois-Philippe Champagne was sworn in as minister of innovation, science and industry to replace Bains, who stepped down Tuesday and does not intend to run in the next election. However, he will continue will continue as the MP for Mississauga-Malton until the next election.

Marc Garneau will take over as foreign affairs minister, and Toronto-area backbencher Omar Alghabra was sworn in as the new transport minister.

Jim Carr has also returned to cabinet as a minister without a portfolio and will continue to serve as special representative to the Prairies.

The shuffle was announced ahead of the start of a cabinet retreat later on Jan. 12 to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament.

The retreat, which consists of four one-day sessions to take place over the next two weeks, is to focus on managing the pandemic, including ways to accelerate the rollout of vaccines, as well as economic recovery and government initiatives like job creation, affordable housing, and a national child-care program.

Parliament will resume at the end of the month.
Ty Pennington is back! After a long hiatus from the reality TV spotlight, the famous carpenter who hosted the original Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has resurfaced in a new HGTV show, Ty Breaker.

And he has a new renovation partner, too: guest designer Alison Victoria from "Windy City Rehab." At first, these two compete to come up with the best plan for Atlanta-based homeowner Morgan. Pennington proposes renovating Morgan's current condo, which she shares with roommates. Yet Morgan prefers Victoria's suggestion of starting fresh by buying a new house instead (which explains the episode's title, Roommates or Single Living").

So Morgan purchases a house for $205,000, but it needs work. This is where Victoria and Pennington team up to renovate the place with Morgan's remaining budget of $85,000. Here's how they make Morgan's first solo living experience special, which might inspire similar upgrades in your own abode, too.

A magnetic backsplash allows you to change up your look

If Morgan doesn't like this backsplash, she can easily change it. HGTV

Pennington and Victoria know that Morgan wants her home to look glamorous and elegant, but they also realize that, as a younger homeowner, her style will likely change and evolve during the years she lives here. Pennington and Victoria want the design of this house to grow with Morgan and change with her tastes.

So they decorate her kitchen with a simple but stylish backsplash made of large subway tiles. The look is timeless, but if these tiles dont work for Morgan in the future, they're easily changeable.

The installations magnetic, Victoria explains, so its supereasy to change out in 10 years. You can just take 'em down and stick new tiles onto the steel plates underneath.

Kitchen hardware can be easily swapped out, too

The hardware Alison Victoria chooses is simple and elegant. HGTV

While the magnetic backsplash is a clever way to enable this kitchen to change with the times, Victoria points out another kitchen feature that can be easily changed as Morgans style evolves: the hardware.

Pennington and Victoria choose simple, industrial-style hardware for this kitchen, but acknowledge that Morgan probably wont keep these pieces forever.

Ten years from now, when Morgans sick of this, all she has to do is change out the hardware and bring in brass," Victoria says. "If she wants to bring in chrome, if she wants to bring in purple, like, its up to you. This becomes like the jewelry of the kitchen."

A 'convertible counter' adds a dining area in a small space

This convertible counter is a a clever way to include a dining area in a small space. HGTV

Morgans old house didnt have enough space for a dining table, so Pennington and Victoria want to make sure Morgan's new home has space for formal meals. Unfortunately, the living room in the new house is still pretty tight, and with such a large kitchen, Pennington and Victoria realize that theyre going to have to get creative to find a dedicated dining space.

What she needs is a convertible counter that, when you need it, you can flip it and do whatever and its there, Pennington says. But when you dont need it, its not there.

Ty Pennington and Victoria show Morgan how to change this custom counter extension into a table. HGTV

Pennington comes up with an idea for fitting wood boards into the peninsula, which could extend the counter space to make a table. He notes that the boards can be installed one way to make a larger table, or in a different way to provide a smaller surface, which could act as a peninsula extension.

Penningtons convertible table is perfect for Morgan's space, plus it complements the kitchen with wood that matches the floating shelves. Its a beautiful, space-saving solution.

Combine your shower and tub

Before: Morgan wanted her bathroom to have a spa feel. HGTV

The house that Victoria picks out for Morgan is a big upgrade from her tiny condo, but it doesnt have a ton of space. In fact, the master bathroom has such a small footprint that Victoria and Pennington know, right away, that they wont be able to fit both the standing tub and the shower that Morgan wants.

However, they come up with an idea to include both the tub and shower by putting the bath under the shower head.

This bathtub/shower combo is an efficient use of space. HGTV

It gives Morgan the best of both worldsplus, Pennington dresses up the space by using subway tile in a herringbone pattern, bringing a fun, trendy feel to the bathroom.

Itll add, as you say, a little bit of bling to the bathroom, Pennington tells Victoria.

A painted mural is uniqueand easy to remove

Pennington's mural gives this room a personal touch. HGTV

Pennington and Victoria want to make sure Morgans new bedroom is as fun and youthful as she is, so Pennington decides to hand-paint a mural on the headboard wall.

At first Victoria is skeptical of Pennington's idea, but it turns out this carpenter has some serious painting skills! When she sees the soft, floral mural, shes impressed.

Its feminine, it doesnt compete with anything, and it just feels really organic, Victoria says.

The mural is proof that just a little bit of paint and creativity can go a long way. This mural cost next to nothing to put up, and it can easily be changed. Its a budget-friendly way to customize a room without making expensive alterations.

The post Ty Pennington Returns! 'Ty Breaker' Reveals His New Reno Partner appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.

SEATTLE, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit called In re: Keurig Green Mountain Single-Serve Coffee Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2542, Master Docket No. 1:14-md-02542-VSB-SLC, Civil Action No. 1:13-03790-VSB-SLC, pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit alleges that Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. ("Keurig") monopolized or attempted to monopolize and restricted, restrained, foreclosed, and excluded competition in order to raise, fix, maintain, or stabilize the prices of Keurig K-Cup Portion Packs (single-serve beverage portion packs manufactured or licensed by Keurig that are compatible with Keurig brewers and generally displays the Keurig brand name or logo on the package) at artificially high levels in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C.  1 and 2, Section 3 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.  14, and various state antitrust, unfair competition, consumer protection, unjust enrichment, and other laws. Keurig denies the allegations. The Court has not ruled on the merits of the claims.

Who Is A Class Member? All individuals and entities that purchased Keurig K-Cup Portion Packs in the United States and its territories, from persons other than Keurig and not for the purpose of resale, during the period September 7, 2010, to August 14, 2020 (except for claims under Mississippi which are for purchases during the period from March 24, 2011, to August 14, 2020, and for purchases in Rhode Island which are for purchases from July 15, 2013, to August 14, 2020) (collectively, the "Settlement Class Members").

What Are The Terms of the Settlement? Keurig has agreed to pay $31 million into a "Settlement Fund" as described in the Stipulation of Settlement and Release ("Settlement Agreement"). The Settlement Fund will be used to pay Settlement Class Members who submit a timely and valid claim, after attorneys' fees and costs and other expenses have been deducted. Settlement Class Members will give up certain rights to sue Keurig. Any uncashed checks or amounts remaining in the Settlement Fund after payments are made to Settlement Class Members will be distributed cy pres to Consumer Reports.

How Do You Get a Payment? Go to www.KeurigIndirectPurchaserSettlement.com to file or download the notice and a claim form. Claims must be submitted online or postmarked and mailed no later than July 15, 2021.

What Are My Other Options? If you do not want to be legally bound by the Settlement, you may send a request for exclusion no later than May 14, 2021. If you exclude yourself, you will not receive any money, but you will keep your right to sue Keurig for the claims in the Actions as specified in the Settlement Agreement. If you do not exclude yourself, you may object to the Settlement by writing to the Court explaining why you do not like the Settlement or the attorneys fees no later than May 17, 2021. You will still be bound by the Settlement if your objection is rejected. If you do nothing, you will not receive any Settlement benefits; you will be bound by the Settlement; and you will give up certain rights to sue Keurig. For details on how to opt out or object, please read the long form notice available at www.KeurigIndirectPurchaserSettlement.com.

Final Approval Hearing. The Court will hold a hearing on June 4, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern,, at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, New York, NY 10007, or by telephonic or electronic means, to consider whether to approve the Settlement, attorneys' fees, expenses, and Class Representative service awards as detailed in the Notice. You or your attorney may ask to appear and speak at the hearing at your own expense, but you don't have to. The Final Approval Hearing date may change, so check the Settlement website regularly.

For More Information. Visit www.KeurigIndirectPurchaserSettlement.com, write Keurig Indirect Purchasers Antitrust Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91382, Seattle, WA 98111. or call toll-free 1-833-794-0948. Class Counsel can also be contacted at www.kaplanfox.com, www.whafh.com, www.pswlaw.com, access the court docket through the Court's PACER System at https://ecf.nysd.uscourts.gov, or visit the office of the Clerk of the Court for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE COURT CLERK'S OFFICE.

SOURCE JND Legal Administration

Related Links

http://www.KeurigIndirectPurchaserSettlement.com


On a day when the Opposition in Pakistan took out an anti-government rally at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lashing out at the Imran Khan-led government, the country's army issued a statement. The Pakistan army's chief spokesperson - the DG-ISPR - on Monday said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders will be offered 'chai-paani' and looked after if they march towards Rawalpindi, asserting that the country's powerful institution was not interfering in the politics.

The PDM, especially Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz chief and former PM Nawaz Sharif, has often accused the Army of meddling in the country's politics and controlling 'puppet' Prime Minister Imran Khan. Major General Babar Iftikhar, the spokesman of the army's media wing - the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), made the remarks during a press conference in Rawalpindi, where the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters is located.

'We will offer them chai-paani'

"I don't see a reason for (them) coming to Pindi. And if at all they want to come, we will offer them chai-paani (refreshments) and look after them. What more can I say?" Maj Gen Iftikhar said while responding to a question about the threat of the PDM to march on Rawalpindi.

According to a PTI report, his remarks came days after PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the opposition alliance's movement would no longer be directed only at the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government but also "his backers", in an apparent reference to the army. He hinted that a possible long march to the capital "could also be to Rawalpindi".

The PDM, an alliance of 11 opposition parties, was formed against the Pakistan Army's interference in politics and installing "puppet" Prime Minister Khan through a manipulated election.

'We are not worried': Pakistan Army

When asked why action was not being taken against those targeting the army, the spokesman said the armed forces were doing their job and not worried about such criticism. "When it comes to criticism or allegations levelled, the army is doing its job. As to why are we not responding to that, only such allegations are responded to which have some weight or are based on facts.

READ | Sreesanth castles batsman with screamer for first wicket in 7 years; holds back emotions

READ | Virat Kohli & Anushka Sharma's baby's first photo shared by cricketer's brother? Toes here

"We have our hands full and we neither want to get involved in such things nor will we. We have stayed the course [and] we will stay the course. There is nothing to worry about; we are not worried," he added. The military has constantly denied meddling in the country's politics. Imran Khan also denies that the army helped him win the election in 2018.

Prime Minister Khan faces a serious challenge as the PDM set a January 31 deadline for him to step down or face a "Long March" to Islamabad. The PDM has held massive rallies in major cities to seek Khan's ouster and press the powerful military to stop interfering in politics.

READ | First batch of Covishield vaccine consignments leave Pune's Serum Institute by air & road

READ | Congress' Manish Tewari calls paperless Budget '21 'cheap theatre'; trashes India on Covid
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New Delhi:

Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur has become the latest victim of Ransomware virus or WannaCry cyber attack. A sudden problem developed in the systems at the premises of the hospital.

The ransomware cyber attack caught hold of the systems and the functioning of the hospital was paralysed.

SMS Hospital superintendent Dr DS Meena immediately alerted the staff of IT department, asking them to resolve the problem. The problem was fixed later and the officials had to work till late evening as they installed anti-virus on the systems.

More than 50 computers were affected at the biggest hospital in the state. The details of patients discharged from the hospital were collected by the hospital administration and the information was uploaded after the problem was fixed.

"Thankfully, the data of the hospital was intacted, that was not affected," Dr Meena said.

ALSO READ | Ransomware attack: French researchers develop wanakiwi to decrypt files locked by WannaCry without paying hackers
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has asked the federal government if the state can go to Pfizer Inc and directly buy 100,000 more doses more of the coronavirus vaccine.

On Monday, Whitmer sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting permission to purchase doses straight from the pharmaceutical company.

'This direct purchase will fill a two week lag in supply and ensure that we can continue to ramp up our vaccination efforts across Michigan,' she wrote.

'It is also consistent with Operation Warp Speed's commitment to deliver a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to Americans as quickly as possible.'

However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still has more than 500,000 doses sitting unused on shelves.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (left) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (right) on Monday. In the letter, Whitmer asked to buy 100,000 coronavirus vaccine doses directly from Pfizer Inc

Whitmer says the direct purchase 'will fill a two week lag' in the state's supply and all doses will be distributed according to CDC guidelines. Pictured: A nurse holds a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles, January 2021

If approved, Whitmer says the additional vaccine doses would be distributed and administered per CDC guidelines.

The request comes a hospital systems across the state say they don't have enough supply to get needles into arms.

It also coincides with Whitmer expanding vaccine eligibility to include residents aged 65 and older, police officers and other first responders and teachers.

According to the CDC, the government has distributed 765,900 doses to the state of Michigan since the federal rollout began last month.

This makes Michigan among the top 15 states when it comes to vaccine distribution.

As of Monday, 222,379 Michiganders have received their first dose - a rate of 2,227 per 100,000 people.

According to CDC data, the federal government has distributed 765,900 doses to Michigan, but only 222,379 doses have been distributed

The governor's office has not stated if the CDC tracker is incorrect or if there is an unknown bottleneck between supply and distribution

That mean an excess of 543,521 doses are currently sitting unused in hospital freezers across the state.

Therefore, it is not unclear why Whitmer is requesting the extra doses or if there is some unknown bottleneck.

It is also unclear if the CDC's tracker is inaccurate.

The Press Office of the Governor did not immediately return DailyMail.com's request for comment,

Last week, Whitmer urged the Trump administration to release millions of vaccine doses she said had been 'held back.'

Currently, 50 percent of the government's supply are not distributed to ensure everyone receives a second dose.

Whitmer - along with Governors Kate Brown (OR); Andrew Cuomo (NY); Tony Evers (WI); Jay Inslee (WA); Laura Kelly (KS); Gavin Newsom (CA); J.B. Pritzker (IL) and Tim Walz (MN)- sent a letter to the HHS asking that the government not hold back any supply.

'Last week, I joined the governors of eight states to ask the Trump Administration to immediately release millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines that it is currently withholding from states,' Whitmer wrote to Azar.

'As of the date of this letter, we have not yet received a response. Nevertheless, we remain ready to accelerate distribution to get doses into arms.'

After the letter, President-elect Joe Biden has said he will release the entire federal COVID-19 vaccine stockpile upon taking office on January 21.

It comes as several states abandon CDC guidelines and come up with their own methods of administering the vaccine to people .

According to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, several states are giving priority to healthcare worker and long-term care residents and staff.

However, several states are adding firsr responders, such as police officer and fire fighters, as well as teachers and child care workers.

Others have added all senior citizens to the first phase of the rollout,

'Overall, we find states are increasingly diverging from CDC guidance and from each other, suggesting that access to COVID-19 vaccines in these first months of the U.S. vaccine campaign may depend a great deal on where one lives,' the report read.
IRCC has now issued invitations to all those who were selected by lottery for the 2020 Parent and Grandparent program.

PGP 2020: Canada completes the process of sending out invitations IRCC has now issued invitations to all those who were selected by lottery for the 2020 Parent and Grandparent program.

PGP 2020: Canada completes the process of sending out invitations IRCC has now issued invitations to all those who were selected by lottery for the 2020 Parent and Grandparent program.

PGP 2020: Canada completes the process of sending out invitations IRCC has now issued invitations to all those who were selected by lottery for the 2020 Parent and Grandparent program. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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All invitations to apply for the 2020 Parents and Grandparents Program have now been sent out by the Government of Canada.



Invitations were issued to potential sponsors of parents and grandparents who had submitted an Interest to Sponsor form during the 2020 application period.

About two weeks ago, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its PGP 2020 lottery and began sending out invitations over a ten-day period.

Potential sponsors who received an invitation now have 60 calendar days to submit a complete application to sponsor their parents and grandparents.

IRCC stated in a press release that potential sponsors who have successfully submitted a sponsorship application form but have not received an invitation email should carefully check their junk mail or their inbox to see if they have been invited. The status of invitations can also be checked on IRCCs website.

The immigration department also indicated that those who received an invitation to this round were randomly selected and confirmed that up to 10,000 complete applications will be accepted for the 2020 Parents and Grandparents Program.

Have you received an invitation to sponsor for the 2020 PGP? Email Campbell Cohen to receive assistance.

It also noted that PGP continues to be very popular and that the number of people interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents always exceeds the number of applications we can accept. Those who submitted a sponsorship application form in 2020 but were not selected to apply in the 2020 round are encouraged to do so again when the 2021 program is launched.

In 2021, Canada plans to issue up to 30,000 invitations under the PGP program. More information and timelines for the upcoming PGP will be posted on IRCCs website as soon as it becomes available.

IRCC will once again use a randomized selection process in 2021.

The PGP allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Parents and grandparents who are approved under this program are granted permanent residence and may later apply for Canadian citizenship.

Anyone who wishes to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada may also want to consider a Super-Visa, which allows them to stay in the country for up to two years.

Get legal assistance for Canadas Parents and Grandparents Immigration Program

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
(CNN)  South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended coronavirus restrictions in the country Monday, citing a "massive increase" in COVID-19 cases driven by a variant discovered there last year.

The current measures were were due to expire on January 15 and include closing beaches and public parks, and banning the sale of alcohol.

"The pandemic in our country is now at its most devastating. The number of new infections, the number of hospital admissions, and the deaths that continue to take place come far higher than it has ever been since the first case was recorded in our country in March of 2020," Ramaphosa said in a live national address.

In addition to extending the existing measures, Ramaphosa announced that 20 land borders will be closed until February 15. The closures will have several exceptions such as those traveling for medical emergencies, he said.

Ramaphosa said that the speed and intensity of the second wave in South Africa is due to the 501.v2 variant discovered by genomic scientists late last year.

"We do know that this new variant of the virus tends to spread much faster than the earlier variant. This explains that many more people have become infected in a far shorter space of time," he said, adding that there was no evidence that the new strain caused people to get sicker.

Ramaphosa said the restrictions will be reassessed when the current peak of infections eases.

South Africa has reported at least 1,246,643 COVID-19 cases, including 33,579 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "South African President announces extension of Covid-19 restrictions, closes land borders."
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on Wednesday he was ready to provide COVID-19 vaccines for the undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Pres. Obrador to Provide COVID-19 Vaccines for the Undocumented Immigrants

There are many undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and most of them are from Mexico. Despite their immigration status in the country, it cannot be denied that most of them played very important roles during the global pandemic and putting their lives at risk.

Most of them worked as farmers, factory workers, household helpers, grocery store staff, and many more. This means that they are highly exposed to the virus.

It is no longer a surprise anymore why the country's Black and Brown residents are heavily impacted by the infectious and deadly COVID-19.

According to a report in We Are Mitu, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday he was ready to provide COVID-19 vaccines to undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

"It's a universal right. We would do it," said Pres. Obrador before his regular daily press conference after the press asked him if Mexico would step up to help vaccinate undocumented migrants living in the U.S. on which many of them are Mexicans.

Read also: Practical Tips to Reduce Delays With Immigration Papers This 2021

Undocumented Immigrants in Nebraska Will Not Receive the Vaccine

Obrador said this after Nebraska Gov. Pete Rickets announced that undocumented immigrants working in the meatpacking plants will not be eligible to receive the vaccine.

According to Migration Policy, they are comprised of at least 14 percent of Nebraska's meatpacking workers.

Gov. Rickets said during a coronavirus briefing that a person should be a legal resident of the country to be able t work in the state's meatpacking plants.

This means that illegal or undocumented immigrants will not be a part of the state's vaccination program.

Nebraska's Decision Was Criticized

After Nebraska Governor said that undocumented immigrants will not be included in the vaccination program, he was immediately criticized.

Roberto Velasco, a senior Mexican diplomat for North America, wrote on his Twitter account "To deprive undocumented essential workers of #covid19 vaccination goes against basic human rights," He also cited a text from the U.N.'s declaration of human rights.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leader of pro-migrant progressives in the Democratic party of President-elect Joe Biden, also gave her statement and asserted her strong opposition against Rickett's statement.

Ocasio-Cortez posted on her Twitter account and wrote, "Imagine being so racist that you go out of your way to ensure that the people who prepare *your* food are unvaccinated."

Read also: Everything You Need To Know About $300 Weekly Unemployment Benefit

Undocumented Immigrant Fill the Essential Jobs Amid the Pandemic

According to different studies conducted, they found out that most of the nation's essential workers are people of color with a large number of undocumented immigrants. The same applies also the country's meatpacking plants.

Meanwhile, a study from the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute estimates that 11 percent of Nebraska's meat-packing workers while 10 percent nationwide lack legal immigration status.


New Delhi, Jan 12 : As many as 2.64 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine, which landed in Delhi earlier on Tuesday, later reached the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), Delhi's only vaccine storage facility, officials told IANS.

The hospital has received the first consignment of 'Covishield' vaccine which arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday morning.

The officials said that 22 boxes containing 26,400 vials have been stored in the RGSSH.

"Total 22 boxes of vaccines have been received here. Each box contains 1200 vials and each vial has 10 doses," a senior doctor from the hospital told IANS.

The doctors at the hospital informed that they are waiting for directions for further rollout.

The Delhi government-run RGSSH is among the key Covid-19 facilities in the national capital, which is also doubling up as the vaccine storage house. From here, the vaccine doses would be distributed to 89 sites in the national capital, chosen for the first phase of the immunisation drive meant for healthcare workers.

The sites include government and private hospitals. AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital, Apollo Hospitals and Max Hospital will be among the vaccination centres here.

The RGSSH has undertaken robust preparations for the storage of the vaccine, which will first be used to innoculate around 3 lakh health workers in Delhi before other priority groups are immunised.

The officials informed that the vaccines will be stored in a three storey building covering an area of 4,700 square feet, located in a relatively secluded corner of the campus.

Ahead of the arrival of doses, the facility was taken over by the Delhi government's Directorate of Family Welfare.

The officials told IANS that even the hospital staff is not allowed to enter the building without permission from the government.

The officials involved in the process said that the vaccines would be stored on the ground and first floor of the facility while the third floor will be used to keep the syringes and other essentials required for the vaccination.

A total of 90 deep refrigerators have been installed there to store the vaccine in a temperature range of 2-8 degrees Celsius.

The aviation ministry informed earlier in the day that 9 flights from Pune carrying 56.5 lakh doses will be operated to 13 locations across the country on Tuesday. The locations include Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved two vaccines "Covishield by Pune-based SII and Covaxin by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited" for emergency use authorisation (EUA) against Covid-19 in the country.
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Record-setting number of political parties register to run in snap parliamentary elections in Armenia

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Robert J. Ward, 71, of West Hazleton passed away Saturday evening in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

He was born in Hazleton, son of the late Thomas and Mary (Vetashick) Ward. He was a member of Annunciation Parish at the Church of St. Gabriel, Hazleton.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served during the Vietnam War in the U.S. Army Material Command, attaining the rank of sergeant.

Robert started his career in fire service at the age of 14 in the Hazleton Rescue Squad. He joined the West Hazleton Fire Department and became a career firefighter for the Borough of West Hazleton in 1975, and was appointed chief on Jan. 1, 1982, a position he held until retiring in 2011. Along with his duties as chief, he was a state fire instructor and taught at community college fire training centers in Luzerne, Bucks, Harrisburg and Butler counties, to name a few, and practically every fire company or department in Northeast Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Six County Firemans Association, the Pennsylvania State Firemens Association and a number of state and national instructors associations.

In addition to his duties as fire chief, he served the Borough of West Hazleton in the capacity of code enforcement officer and zoning officer.

Robert was preceded in death by an infant brother; and a grandchild, Annsley Ward.

He is survived by his wife, the former Shirley Banks; his sons, Robert Ward and Patrick Ward; two brothers, Thomas Ward, Hazleton; Joseph Ward and his wife, Teresa, Hazleton; five grandchildren, Elleysea, Andrew, Daniel, Avaleah and Annalia Ward; and nieces and nephews, Kelly Ward, Julie Derr, Mary Lombargo, Lynn Ward, Eric Ward, Tom Ward Jr., Karen Kisenweather and Diane Stefanick.

Friends, relatives and firefighters are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial at at 10 a.m. Saturday at Annunciation Parish at the Church of St. Gabriel. There will be a gathering and a procession of honor into church for fire companies and firefighters upon his arrival at 9:15 a.m. COVID-19 protocols will be enforced.

Interment will be held at the convenience of the family.

A vehicle procession will follow at the end of services at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Roberts memory to the Lehigh Valley Burn Foundation or the West Hazleton Fire Department Santa Fund would be appreciated by the family.

Arrangements are under the direction of Frank J. Bonin Funeral Home Inc., Hazleton.
The S.C. Legislature has no more important obligation than providing a decent education to all children. It's right there in the state constitution (hence: obligation), and getting it right will do more than all the business-friendly efforts to attract good jobs to our state, chip away at poverty and make South Carolina a place we want our children and grandchildren to spend their lives.

And the crucial first step to getting it right is ensuring that all kids start school ready to learn: able to count and recite the alphabet and name their colors  and yes, there are a lot of 5-year-olds who cant do any of those things, and most of them never catch up  and able to play well with others and respect authority and use their indoor voices and possessing a host of other hard and soft skills that middle-class parents take for granted.

That makes offering poor kids a 4-year-old kindergarten program designed to teach those things one of the best investments our state can make. So were encouraged to see that, after getting off track in the fall with his efforts to pay parents to abandon the public schools, Gov. Henry McMaster has refocused on early childhood education.

In place of his ill-conceived voucher plan for public schools, the governor announced last week that he would spend $7 million in federal COVID relief funding to provide expanded day and summer programs for children eligible for the full-day 4K program. That will serve the dual purpose of providing even more enrichment for the children who need it most and enabling their parents to return to work.

And Mr. McMasters 2021-22 state budget proposal, released days later, urges the Legislature to spend $48 million to expand 4K to cover all children living in poverty, not just those in the highest-poverty school districts; that could nearly double enrollment.

"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, data indicated that South Carolinas lower income, five-year-old children are increasingly entering kindergarten unprepared to learn and without the necessary literacy and language skills, the governor said. This makes them immediately at risk and unlikely to ever catch up. By the third grade, the best indicators of progress and future success are reading and writing skills. Without them, these children are less likely to graduate or obtain the skills necessary to enter the workforce and contribute to our economy and their own success. A 10-month absence from a normal classroom has likely made this problem worse.

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Fortunately, a lot of kids didnt miss 10 months of 4K, although they all missed more than two months while Mr. McMaster had all schools closed and those enrolled in public school 4K programs missed three or four months as public schools refused to let students back into the classroom in September. Worse, many parents pulled their kids out of the 4K programs during the pandemic; enrollment is down 12% in private and nonprofit child-care centers and 23% in public school 4K classes.

Worse still, weve never had enough kids enrolled in 4K classes, which the state just got serious about two decades ago, despite decades of brain research showing that what happens in the first four or five years of life plays a critical role in a childs success.

With parents who read to them and play with them, childrens brains form the neural pathways that make learning easier for the rest of their lives. Without that stimulation  with hours in front of the TV, or any other screen, instead of personal interaction and encouragement, and education  their brains dont develop as well, and learning is difficult.

So we urge the Legislature to adopt the governor's 4K spending proposal and one-up it, by also expanding our state's commitment to even earlier education, through the smart S.C. First Steps to School Readiness programs designed to help parents be better teachers to their children from birth to age 3. Even if we eventually make up all the ground children have lost during the pandemic, that still won't be enough for the many, many children in our state who already weren't getting the foundation they need to succeed.
Explained: What the farmers protest is all about

Farmer leaders involved in violence, no culprit will be spared: Delhi police chief

Wife, brother of UP farmer who died in Delhi booked for draping body in Tricolour

Farmer leaders welcome SC verdict staying implementation of 3 farm laws, but say protest to continue

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Jan 12: Farmer leaders welcomed the Supreme Court's order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday, but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.

SC stay the implementation of the three farm laws, forms a committee to end agitation|Oneindia News

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action.

The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha.

"We welcome the court''s order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

SC stays implementation of three farm laws, forms four member committee

The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the controversial farm laws till further orders on Tuesday and decided to set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmers'' unions protesting at Delhi''s borders over the legislations.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it will pass an order to this effect.

The committee will look into the farmers'' grievances against the three laws.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.
LEVALLOIS-PERRET, France and NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Keyrus Group, a global leader in data intelligence, digital experience, and business transformation, announced today that Impetus Consulting Group, a leading Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) firm and Anaplan specialist, will rebrand under the Keyrus name.

In February 2020, Keyrus announced a strategic investment in Impetus in order to strengthen their presence in the North American market and accelerate the worldwide deployment of its EPM service offering. Joining forces with Keyrus helps Impetus ramp up its international development and offer its clients a broader range of services, including transformation management, the design and implementation of business processes, predictive forecasting using AI and Data Platforms, and the integration of EPM technologies into their extended data ecosystem.

Over the past ten months, and despite the constraints of the Covid-19 crisis, the Keyrus and Impetus ecosystems have been collaborating by leveraging digital technologies to bring their worlds closer together. Their combined global expertise across business functions and focus industries, including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, and Technology, is resulting in innovative technological solutions for the marketplace.

Furthermore, Impetus and Keyrus, which were previously an Anaplan Regional North America Partner and a Regional Europe Partner respectively, together signed an Anaplan Global Partner agreement in November 2020.

In order to offer their clients a wider range of services and solutions to manage performance across the value chain, Impetus and Keyrus have made the strategic decision to merge the Impetus brand into the Keyrus brand.

By uniting under the Keyrus brand, the team will help clients advance and unleash the power of the past, present, and future with the next generation of performance management, data strategy, data management and visualization, advanced analytics, and digital and business transformation.



"Transitioning to the Keyrus brand will further synchronize our global Performance Management strategy. Bringing our capabilities under one brand will facilitate our ability to offer impactful integration solutions, encompassing Digital, Data, Business Transformation, and Performance Management, for our clients," says Alex Cohen, Impetus's CEO.

"This announcement further supports Keyrus's mission to bring together the right people and innovative technologies to make data accessible and meaningful for our clients," comments David Rosenberg, Managing Director at Keyrus in the US.

"Bringing together the brands will enable us to seamlessly combine each region's unique Performance Management expertise, inspiring global perspectives and solutions that can help our clients further unlock the value of their Performance Management investment," adds Nicolas Camerman, VP, Service Portfolio Deployment, Keyrus Group.

ABOUT KEYRUS

Make Data Matter

An international player in consulting and technologies and a specialist in Data and Digital, Keyrus is dedicated to helping enterprises take advantage of the Data and Digital paradigm to enhance their performance, facilitate and accelerate their transformation, and generate new drivers of growth and competitiveness.

Placing innovation at the heart of its strategy, Keyrus is developing a value proposition that is unique in the market and centered around an innovative offering founded upon a combination of three major and convergent areas of expertise: Data Intelligence, Digital Experience, and Management & Transformation Consulting.

Present in 20 countries on 4 continents, the Keyrus Group has 3,000 employees.

Keyrus has 200+ consultants across 9 offices in North America, and offers highly skilled near-shore services with its 500+ Latin American resource pool.

Keyrus is listed in compartment C of the Eurolist of Euronext Paris

(Compartment C/Small caps  ISIN Code: FR0004029411  Reuters: KEYR.PA  Bloomberg: KEY: FP)

Further information at: www.keyrus.com

PRESS CONTACTS

KEYRUS

Felix Bassous

Tel: 01 41 34 10 00

[email protected]

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The flag flies at half-staff at U.S. Capitol as Democratic lawmakers draw up an article of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, U.S., January 11, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap



Poised to impeach, the House sped ahead Monday with plans to oust President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy and pushing the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly in an extraordinary effort to remove Trump in the final days of his presidency.



Trump faces a single charge  ''incitement of insurrection''  after the deadly Capitol riot in an impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday.



At the same time, the FBI warned ominously Monday of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, Jan. 20. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public amid the threats of disruption. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf abruptly resigned.



It all added up to stunning final moments for Trump's presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.



''President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,'' reads the four-page impeachment bill.



''He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,'' it reads.





Democratic representative from Rhode Island David Cicilline speaks to the media after authoring an impeachment article against US President Donald J. Trump in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 11 January, 2021. EPA-Yonhap



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is summoning lawmakers back to Washington for votes, and Democrats aren't the only ones who say Trump needs to go.



Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to ''go away as soon as possible.''



Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to ''vote your conscience,'' according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump's actions, but has not said publicly how she will vote.



Pending impeachment, Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke their constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before Inauguration Day.



Their Democrats' House resolution was blocked by Republicans. However, the full House is to hold a roll call vote on it Tuesday, and it is expected to pass. After that, Pelosi said, Pence will have 24 hours to respond. Next would be the impeachment proceedings.



Pence has given no indication he is ready to proceed on a course involving the 25th Amendment.



He and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, a senior administration official said.





Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer speaks to the media after introducing a resolution to ask Vice President Pence to 'mobilize' the cabinet to remove President Trump from office in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 11 January, 2021. EPA-Yonhap



Trump and Pence had a ''good conversation'' in the Oval Office discussing the week ahead, and they pledged to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.









No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office though the 25th Amendment.



As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was ''not afraid'' of taking the oath of office outside  as is traditionally done at the Capitol's west steps, one of the areas where people stormed the building.



As for the rioters, Biden said, ''It is critically important that there'll be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage  that they be held accountable.''



Biden said he's had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.



Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate's time, perhaps ''go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package'' for more COVID relief.





Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump gather near the east front door of the U.S. Capitol after groups breached the building's security on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. AFP-Yonhap



As Congress briefly resumed Monday, an uneasiness swept government. More lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege. And new security officials were quickly installed after the Capitol police chief and others were ousted in fallout from the attack on the iconic dome of democracy. Some GOP lawmakers, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, faced public blowback for their efforts on the day of the riot trying to overturn Biden's election.



House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., offered the 25th Amendment resolution during Monday's brief session. It was blocked by Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., as other GOP lawmakers stood by him.



Pelosi said the Republicans were enabling Trump's ''unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue. Their complicity endangers America, erodes our Democracy, and it must end.''



However, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, said in a letter to colleagues that ''impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.''



He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.



The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.





In this file photo US President Donald Trump smiles during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29, 2020. AFP-Yonhap
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The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
ARCHIVED - Travellers from Spain to UK warned to carry residency documentation for return trip



After a year of transition, Brexit is about to happen for real and the reality of the implications for British nationals wishing to travel in Europe has suddenly started to hit home.



Last week the British media gave widespread coverage to the unexpected dilemma caused by coronavirus which could mean that British nationals wishing to enter Spain after January 1st may be refused admission. (Click to read the full article; Is it true that UK nationals may be prevented from travelling to Europe after Brexit?)



As explained last week, measures were put in place during the first wave of the virus within the EU to prevent movement between EU nations and other countries in which there were high Covid infection rates. Apart from EU countries and those which lie within the Schengen zone, travellers from only 8 other countries are permitted to enter the EU currently.



Once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, its nationals will no longer be automatically entitled to enter the EU and will only be admitted if coronavirus case numbers come down to a level considered safe or if the EU makes a concession and includes the UK on the list of countries permitted to enter the EU.



Although theoretically, individual countries can make exceptions to this by creating safe travel corridors between themselves and the UK, those planning journeys for the early part of next year should be aware that this restriction may prevent them from entering Europe other than for essential journeys or for work reasons.



Only residents returning to their habitual place of residence will be permitted to enter Spain and the British Consulate in Spain has today issued a warning to all of those who live in Spain or have applied for residency before the December 31st deadline, that they should carry their documentation proving this with them if they are travelling out of the country during the festive season and will return to Spain after 1st January 2021.



The British Consulate says: As some of you will be travelling to the UK for Christmas, we wanted to advise anyone who is travelling to prepare for your return to Spain by carrying your residency documents (the green certificate or the new TIE card) with you, which accredit your residency in Spain.



If you live in Spain, but do not yet have these documents, we advise you to travel with any documentation demonstrating that you are a resident, for example: the positive outcome of your residency application, the demonstration that you have applied for residency or any other documentation with you that shows that you are a resident in Spain such as a work contract, tenancy agreement or padron certificate.

Dont forget that all travellers to Spain must provide a PCR/TMA/LAMP test taken 72 hours before arrival in Spain to prove that they are not Covid positive and must complete a passenger arrivals form prior to arrival. Click for information




SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Handshake , the leading site for college students to find a job and get hired, today announced the appointment of Asif Makhani as its new chief technology officer (CTO) to accelerate technological innovation and expansion of the company's product offering.

With around 20 years of experience leading technology and product teams at Google, LinkedIn and Amazon, Asif will oversee the development and execution of Handshake's product and technology roadmap. He will support the company's broader platform and data strategy, drive rapid innovation to support the needs of job seeking students, employers and higher education partners, and contribute to cementing the company's leadership in the early talent recruiting and job search market.

"Handshake has created a platform that has fundamentally transformed how companies recruit and hire early talent," said Makhani. "They've done this by creating a three sided marketplace with very strong value propositions for employers, institutions of higher education, and young professional job seekers alike. I am inspired by Handshake's mission to democratize opportunities for early talent, and I look forward to scaling the company's platform to further empower young people of all backgrounds to access and pursue meaningful careers."

Prior to joining Handshake, Asif was director and GM of Google Images and head of engineering at LinkedIn Learning Solutions. He led the creation of LinkedIn's Search Platform (Galene) and also spent 11 years at Amazon, where he was ultimately founder, director and GM of Amazon CloudSearch. Asif earned a M.S. in computer science from Stanford University and a BMath (Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo.

"With a broad cross section of B2B and B2C product development experience to draw on, Asif has a rich background of building highly scalable platforms to help companies during intense growth periods," said Garrett Lord, co-founder and CEO of Handshake. "Asif's commitment to our mission, along with the mix of his entrepreneurial and technical leadership is exactly what we need to take the company to the next level."

Handshake recently announced a $80M Series D financing round led by GGV Capital with participation from EQT Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Spark Capital and True Ventures. Earlier this year, the company announced that its platform grew to 17 million job seekers, over 1,000 institutions of higher learning and 500,000 employers, making it the largest early talent marketplace in the world. In 2021, Handshake will continue to shape the future of work by both serving an expanded universe of students across geographies and educational institutions, and building innovative solutions that revolutionize how employers attract and hire early talent to build a truly diverse and inclusive workforce.

About Handshake

Handshake is the number one site for college students to find a job. Today, the Handshake community includes 17 million students and young alumni at over 1,000 colleges and universities  including 120+ minority-serving institutions. We connect up-and-coming talent across all 50 states with 500,000 employers recruiting on Handshake  from every Fortune 500 company to thousands of small businesses, nonprofits, startups, and more. Handshake is democratizing opportunity and ensuring college students have the support they need to find a great job and kick-off a meaningful career regardless of where they go to school, what they choose as a major, and who they know. Handshake is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Denver and London, UK.

SOURCE Handshake

Related Links

http://joinhandshake.com


A push by one of the worlds biggest fund managers for greater racial diversity on company boards would see Irish FTSE 100 companies such as CRH, Smurfit Kappa and Flutter face opposition to their directors if they dont take action.

The CEO of State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), Cyrus Taraporevala, has written to the directors of all FTSE 100 and S&P 500 companies warning them to begin disclosing the racial and ethnic composition of their boards. Mr Taraporevala also wants companies with workers in the US to publish the results of legally required equal opportunity surveys, which ask employers questions about race, gender and disability.

The fund manager said it will vote against the chairs of the nominating and compensation committees for companies that do not get in line with these new policies before their 2020 AGMs.

The letter further demands that companies add at least one director from an underrepresented community by next year or face the same proxy voting sanctions.

The move puts SSGA, which controls $3.15trn (2.6trn) in assets globally, in the vanguard of the development of ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies as a force in the corporate world.

The company said these disclosures were just a starting point and that SSGA would be engaging with companies it invests in on these and related subjects in the coming year.

SSGA has already been pressuring companies to add gender balance to their boards and make serious progress on climate action.

According to the letter, SSGA added racial and ethnic diversity to its ESG palette following the Black Lives Matter protests in the US.

"In the wake of protests against racial injustice last spring, it was clear we needed to expand our focus to consider financial risks related to racial and ethnic diversity as well, Mr Taraporelava wrote.

He also mentioned improvements to risk mitigation, profitability and decision-making at companies with diverse boards.

"The preponderance of evidence demonstrates clearly and unequivocally that racial and ethnic inequity is a systemic risk that threatens lives, companies, communities, and our economy  and is material to long-term sustainable returns, he wrote.

SSGA is backing its words with action. The company is disclosing its board diversity this year and pledging to triple the number of minorities in leadership positions within three years.

CRH, Smurfit Kappa and Flutter dont meet American standards of diversity. Each has an all-white board, although Smurfit Kappa has a director from Colombia, Gonzalo Restrepo. CRH is the closest to gender balance with women in five of 12 directorships.

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A security company involved in Melbourne's deadly hotel quarantine outbreak has had its licence renewed by Victoria Police after being allowed to continue operating on an expired security licence for the past six months.

Unified Security Group was granted a three-year extension on December 26 by Victoria Police's Licensing and Regulation Division, after submitting its renewal application a day after its licence expired on June 21 last year.

Unified Security provided guards at hotels including Rydges on Swanston, the source of the most significant outbreak from hotel quarantine. Credit:Justin McManus

No new conditions were placed on Unified Security Group, whose guards were employed at 13 quarantine hotels and helped seed the second wave of COVID-19 in June last year, The Age has confirmed.

The leeway extended to the company has rankled some rival businesses, who claim Unified Security Group should have been required to change some of its business practices before receiving the extension.
The super-infectious South African strain of coronavirus is already 'taking root' in the UK, experts have warned.

So far the Government has only announced two cases of the variant in the UK, both were patients in London who had been in contact with travellers from South Africa last month.

But a top SAGE scientist claimed today that a 'small' number of Brits tested positive for the strain over the last few weeks, which have not yet been made public, Politico reports.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt hinted the mutant strain had become more widespread than the official narrative would suggest, adding: 'It seems to be taking root a little bit in the UK.'

Public Health England refused to confirm the reports today but said that it would be publishing an update of the variant 'very soon'.

The mutant variant prompted panic after it caused an explosion of cases in South Africa.

British scientists were particularly concerned about its discovery in London last month because the UK is already battling the Kent strain, which plunged the UK into its third national lockdown and triggered a wave of hospital admissions.

The South African strain is thought to be even more transmissible than the Kent one and has key changes to its spike protein which open the door to it being resistant to vaccines.

However, on Friday a top SAGE expert told MailOnline there was 'no evidence' of widespread transmission of the variant - called 501.V2 - in the UK.

The mutations of the South African strain have triggered changes to the spike protein on its outside (shown in red), which is what the virus uses to attach to the human body

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt hinted that the mutant strain had become more widespread than the official narrative would suggest, adding: 'It seems to be taking root a little bit in the UK'

Speaking about the Kent strain today, Mr Hunt, who chairs the House of Commons Health Committee, said: 'There is the danger of a large number of additional, avoidable deaths, because of this horrible new strain.

'And, indeed, the strain from South Africa, which seems also to be taking root a little bit in the UK.

'I think the NHS will in the end find intensive care, critical care, beds for all those who need it. But it is on an absolute knife-edge.'

The comments came just days after a SAGE expert claimed there was no evidence yet that the South African strain was widespread.

The Office for National Statistics found in its mass testing programme that almost two thirds (61%) of the positive tests it found in England appeared to be linked to the new variant of the virus. The figure was higher for some regions - particularly in London and the South - but lower in others

STUDY FINDS VACCINE GIVES IMMUNITY TO KEY MUTATIONS ON SOUTH AFRICAN STRAIN OF COVID-19 The Pfizer study  which hasn't been peer-reviewed yet  tested how well the vaccine worked on the key N501Y mutation, an alteration on the virus's spike protein which is thought to be responsible for making it far more infectious than regular Covid. And because current vaccines work by training the immune system to recognise the virus's spike protein and attack it, there were fears this change could render jabs useless, or less effective. Results showed that neutralising antibodies were made against the mutation, which is also found in the highly-infectious Kent variant that is spreading rapidly across the UK. But both strains contain a catalogue of mutations, and the researchers have yet to prove that the vaccine works against them all. The researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to a strain of the virus with the N501Y mutation. Phil Dormitzer, one of Pfizer's top viral vaccine scientists, said the vaccine stimulated a strong immune response against the altered virus, which he described as 'good news'. However, the findings are limited because the research only studied the N501Y mutation and did not look at the full set of alterations found in either the new UK mutant strain or the South African one. Both strains have more than a dozen mutations, although most of them have no impact on the way it spreads and affects people. Another mutation found in the South African variant, called E484K, which is not found in the UK version, is also concerning. It also seems to help the virus disguise part of its signature spike protein. Dr Dormitzer said it was encouraging that the vaccine appears effective against the N501Y mutation, as well as 15 other mutations the company has previously tested against. 'So we've now tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had any significant impact. That's the good news,' he said. 'That doesn't mean that the 17th won't.' The researchers plan to run similar tests to see if the vaccine is effective against other mutations found in the UK and South African variants and hope to have more data within weeks. Advertisement

They claimed it shouldn't become the dominant variant in the UK because it only 'slightly' more infectious than the Kent version, so it has no 'evolutionary edge'.

Scientists fear the South African version will make vaccines redundant or less potent because it has key mutations on its spike protein.

But experts are still carrying out tests to confirm whether it can evade antibodies triggered by the jabs and say it will take several weeks before this becomes clear.

The UK is monitoring the variants spread through its huge diagnostics arm including labs at the Covid-19 Genormics UK Consortium (COG-UK).

Experts sift through 10 per cent of all positive swabs carried out and sequence their genomes to identify which strain has been detected.

The strain can only be identified through sequencing the genomes of samples  which would then reveal whether it had the tell-tale mutations.

But only a fraction of positive tests are sent on to COG-UK for further investigation, meaning the South African variant could be spreading more widely.

Standard PCR tests that diagnose Britons with Covid cannot spot the South African strain because it looks too similar to the original variants.

The Kent variant, however, is much easier to track because it can be spotted through the standard swabs due to its genetic make-up, experts say.

The UK had recorded two cases of the variant by December 23, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed just before Christmas.

One was detected in London and the second in the North West. They had both been in contact with someone who had previously travelled to South Africa. Experts warned, however, that this was likely to be 'just the tip of the iceberg'.

But since then officials have declared no new cases of the variant, although scientists admit is is a 'difficult task' to track them.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned last week the current wave of jabs might not protect against the South African strain of coronavirus.

Mr Shapps said introducing a mandatory test and release system for travellers coming into the UK had become 'much more urgent' because of the threat the variant poses to Britain's mass vaccination programme.

The UK has made it compulsory for travellers to test negative when they arrive in the country in a bid to keep the viciously-infectious strain out. Flights to and from South Africa have also been banned.

Mr Shapps told Sky News: 'This is an extra check and we're doing this now because there are these variants that we're very keen to keep out of the country, like the South African variant, for example.

'There are the concerns about the South African one in particular about how effective the vaccine would be against it so we simply cannot take chances. So today because of that variant it has become much more urgent.'

A study by Pfizer suggested last week, however, that their vaccine may provide immunity against a mutation on the South African strain.

But their work hasn't been peer-reviewed by scientists and missed several of the key mutations on the strain including the concerning E484K change yet to be detected in the UK but that seems to help the virus to disguise its spike protein.
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Incarcerated Californians will soon be able to apply for federal Pell Grants to pay for higher education, a move with support across the political spectrum. The change was tucked into the omnibus spending bill signed into law in late December.

Pell Grants, which are the largest source of federally-funded college aid, have been off limits to incarcerated students since 1994, part of the crime bill that also led to mass incarceration.

The change is "incredibly exciting," said Keramet Reiter, who directs a new UC Irvine program that will offer the University of California's first bachelor's degree for incarcerated students. She started teaching in prisons in the late 1990s, when the end of Pell Grants led to a drastic decline in higher education offerings for incarcerated people.

Studies have shown that prison education programs reduce recidivism and increase job opportunities upon release. But they're expensive to run and beyond the reach of most incarcerated people.

"There are so many people in prison who just don't have the resources to even order books or participate in a correspondence course," Reiter said.

It was a bipartisan mistake and a bipartisan correction."



Congress poised to restore Pell grants for incarcerated students in sweeping higher education package tucked in stimulus bill: https://t.co/gjAkAsYhCY  Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) December 22, 2020

Despite Reiter's support for expanding Pell Grants to people behind bars, she and other prison education advocates have concerns: They fear it'll attract a flood of low-quality programs. And incarcerated students, who have very limited access to information other than word-of-mouth, may have trouble separating the good from the bad.

"It has all the ingredients for students to be taken advantage of," said Rebecca Silbert, director of Rising Scholars, a network of California community colleges that provide prison education programs.

Silbert is, nonetheless, hopeful that Pell Grants will provide desperately needed funding for incarcerated students who want to earn a bachelor's degree.

ASSOCIATE DEGREES ABOUND, B.A.'s ARE SCARCE

In recent years, around 10% of California's incarcerated population has been enrolled in college courses, according to Brant Choate, who directs the division of rehabilitative programs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

More than 2,000 people in the state prison system have associate degrees -- and many have multiple degrees, Choate said. This is largely because there's been a huge expansion in community college offerings at California prisons since 2014, when a state law allowed those schools to offer in-person courses at prisons and receive full funding for enrolling incarcerated students.

People incarcerated in all 35 state prisons can now earn their associate degree from a California community college. But few can continue their education beyond that.

"So the opportunity for a bachelor's degree program is really where I see the benefit of the new federal Pell," Choate said.

THE FUNDING PUZZLE

Clifton Gibson, who spent 25 years behind bars, starting at age 17, is one of a small number of students able to start earning his bachelor's degree behind bars, from Cal State Los Angeles. He was later released and graduated last year with a degree in communication.

Gibson, who now works for the criminal justice reform group Initiate Justice, hopes the expansion of Pell Grants will open up similar opportunities for more incarcerated Californians.

"The amount of personal growth that education brings I think is the foundational base for people being healthy and happy community members," Gibson said. "And that right there is going to make a difference in so many people's lives," he said, well beyond those actually taking courses.

Until recently, Cal State LA was the only public institution to offer a bachelor's degree program in California prisons. Now, UC Irvine and Cal State Sacramento are launching programs, as well as Pitzer College, which is private.

Cal State LA's prison education program is partially funded by Second Chance Pell, a pilot program started under the Obama administration and expanded under President Trump's former secretary of education Betsy DeVos.

#FBF In 2015, the Obama administration launched a new effortthanks in part to the recommendations of the My Brother's Keeper Task Forceto allow incarcerated Americans to receive Pell Grants to attend college: the Second Chance Pell pilot program. https://t.co/NAjU9wtyYY pic.twitter.com/u21MJh2MiE  My Brother's Keeper Alliance (@MBK_Alliance) January 8, 2021

Taffany Lim, who runs the Cal State LA program, said Pell Grants cover a portion of their costs, but not nearly enough to pay for the huge amount of infrastructure needed to make the program successful. Besides professors and class materials, Lim said, running a bachelor's degree program requires support from the admissions, financial aid, and registrar's office, along with constant communication with the Department of Corrections.

The Cal State program also supports students who transition onto campus after being released from prison. "We would not be able to do it on just Pell funding alone," Lim said. "It's not enough."

To even be eligible for Pell Grant funding, incarcerated students -- like all students -- have to complete the daunting task of applying for financial aid. Filling out the Free Application For Federal Student Aid requires access to financial and personal documents that many incarcerated people don't have. And incarcerated applicants usually have to fill out the six-page form by hand rather than online.

The application hurdle "is one of the huge reasons we don't draw down as much money as we could from Pell," Lim said.

Still, she hopes the promise of Pell Grants will entice other colleges and universities to launch bachelor's degree programs. "We can't meet the demand by ourselves," she said. "We need other colleges and universities to step up and help us with the load."

Cal State LA was the state's first public institution to offer a bachelor's degree program in prison. Now, several other schools are launching face-to-face programs. (J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)

PROTECTING AGAINST BAD ACTORS

Prison education advocates hope that when other schools do step up, incarcerated students will have quality options and the tools to decipher which programs are likely to result in a useful and timely degree.

Students can access Pell Grants for a maximum of six years. Jody Lewen, founder of the Prison University Project (now Mount Tamalpais College) at San Quentin State Prison, worries that incarcerated students will enroll in dead-end programs and deplete their Pell Grant eligibility before they get a degree.

Currently, Lewen said, "there are no quality standards at all" for prison education programs. Schools that offer such programs do have to be accredited, but that doesn't mean a particular program offered by the school is worthwhile, Lewen said.

"Accreditors will look at what's happening at the main campus, but no one looks behind the shed."

Lewen thinks the expansion of California community college programs into prisons has foreshadowed what could happen with the expansion of Pell Grants: the promise of funding fueled an explosion of programs, but quality varies greatly.

Despite good intentions, Lewen said, some community college prison programs are poorly designed and understaffed. "Many of those programs were driven by headcount," she said, noting that community colleges are "under enormous pressure" to enroll students in order to maintain or increase funding.

Lewen and other prison educators also noted that the expansion of Pell Grants for prison education was approved by a federal administration that has loosened quality regulations on for-profit colleges.

One private university has come under scrutiny for the quality and student outcomes of its prison education programs. The school, Ashland University, has used Second Chance Pell funding to rapidly expand its tablet-based college program to more than 100 jails and prisons in 13 states, according to The Marshall Project.

In that expansion, Lewen sees a cautionary tale. "My darkest fear is that we've been extremely naive," Lewen said of advocates who pushed for federal funding for prison education, and that "what's really going on is that the online, for-profit education community has created this invisible tail wind."

Choate, from the state Department of Corrections, said the prison system has measures to make sure colleges don't take advantage of incarcerated students, including an office of correctional education, and assigned college coordinators at each prison's adult school.

Incarcerated people can get time off their sentence for earning a degree behind bars, which Choate said creates an incentive for prison authorities to ensure quality education standards.

"We don't want to create a situation where you can essentially pay a college for a degree and get time off your sentence," Choate said. "We want the student to actually do the work."

Still, prison education advocates in California and nationwide are strategizing additional quality control measures, which could include legislation and working with prison authorities to set up further screening standards.

Gibson, the formerly incarcerated Cal State LA graduate, said he hopes incarcerated people will have access to approved lists of reputable colleges offering classes that are transferable when a student exits prison.

"Let's make sure that our second go-around with Pell Grants, that we do it correctly," he said, "that folks are going to be able to get the most out of it and not feel like they've been duped or that they wasted their time."
Family and friends of an Australian surfer found dead on a beach in Bali have farewelled him at a private ceremony in Western Australia.

Father-of-two Taras Mulik was discovered lying face down under a set of stairs leading to Suluban Beach, South Kuta, on Sunday morning.

The 50-year-old was bleeding from the mouth, nose and chest when he was found, but the cause of his death is not yet known.

A crowd of mourners gathered at sunset to send-off their 'much loved friend' at The Spot Beach in Perth, Western Australia.

The group of friends and family paid tribute to Mr Mulik, remembering his love for the beach and surf.

Father-of-two Taras Mulik was discovered lying face down under a set of stairs leading to Suluban Beach, South Kuta

Friends and family huddled closely in a circle on the beach around a small mural, a pack of Strongbow cider and other items.

Others expressed their condolences online.

'That's lovely, although incredibly sad for all those he leaves behind. I think the ocean will give you lots of peace in the coming days and weeks,' one wrote.

'Absolutely heartbreaking,' another said.

Mr Mulik's death also sent shockwaves through the close-knit local surfing community in Bali.

'We awoke to the sound of sirens. I went down the beach and heard the grim news,' one man posted on Facebook.

Friends took to social media to pay tribute to Mr Mulik, describing him as an 'absolute legend'

'He was a real gentleman and he will be sadly missed here on the Bukit (Peninsula).'

'You were not just a friend, you were more like a brother to me,' another wrote.

Another posted: 'Rage in paradise Taras Mulik. Gone too soon, great memories of ya mate'.

Australian surfer Taras Mulik was found dead on a beach in Bali, Indonesia on Sunday morning

'Taras Mulik you absolute legend... you gave everybody a room or your shirt off your back... you're going to be sadly missed,' read another tribute.

Mr Mulik is believed to have been from Perth but had been living in Bali for most of the past decade.

His body was discovered under a cliff near Single Fin, a popular spot for tourists in Bali and Uluwatu, a world famous surf break.

Pecatu beach lifeguard supervisor, Wayan Somer, told AAP the Australian was found by a surfer heading to surf about 8.30am on Sunday.

'We immediately co-ordinated with the village's COVID task force and police. The victim was evacuated by lifeguards and the team and taken to hospital,' Wayan said.

'We knew the victim... he rents a house not far from the area.'

The body of Mr Mulik, a father-of-two, was discovered by a surfer lying face down under some stairs leading to Suluban Beach, South Kuta

Mr Mulik, 50, is believed to be from Perth but had been living in Bali for most of the past decade

A local, Imam Wahyudi, said he had recognised the man as someone he knew from the area.

Head of Public Relations of Denpasar Police Iptu Ketut Sukadi, said Mr Mulik was found lying on his stomach.

'According to witness Imam Wahyudi's statement, the victim was found prone on the beach by a guest who was going to surf, after being told by the guest the witness then checked and it was true that a foreigner was lying on his stomach, the witness then reported to Pecalang,' Mr Sukadi said.

Authorities in Bali said a surfer heading into the water about 8:30am on Sunday discovered Mr Mulik's body

Mr Mulik's body was taken from the beach by lifeguards, police and the local village COVID taskforce

After the officers came to check and examine the incident, it was found that the victim was lying on his stomach and had died.

Mr Mulik's body was brought to the Sanglah General Hospital at around 10am.

Mr Iptu Ketut Sukadi said authorities have contacted the consulate to forward the news to Mr Mulik's family.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement it was providing consular assistance to the family.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the extraordinary order of stay of implementation of the farm laws will encourage the farmers' bodies to convince their members to get back to their livelihoods, both in order to protect their own lives and health and in order to protect the lives and properties of others.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian observed that the negotiations between the farmers' bodies and the government have not yielded any result so far. "Therefore, we are of the view that the constitution of a committee of experts in the field of agriculture to negotiate between the farmers' bodies and the government of India may create a congenial atmosphere," it said in its order.

Justifying the stay on implementation of farm laws, the top court said: "We deem it fit to pass the following interim order, with the hope and expectation that both parties will take this in the right spirit and attempt to arrive at a fair, equitable and just solution to the problems." The bench added this step would improve the trust and confidence of the farmers. "We are also of the view that a stay of implementation of all the three farm laws for the present, may assuage the hurt feelings of the farmers and encourage them to come to the negotiating table with confidence and good faith," it said, reiterating that it has no intention to stifle a peaceful protest.

The committee comprises four members: Bhupinder Singh Mann, National President, Bhartiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Coordination Committee; Dr. Parmod Kumar Joshi, Agricultural Economist, and Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist and former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; and Anil Ghanwat, President, Shetkari Sanghatana.

The top court said the committee has been constituted for the purpose of listening to the grievances of the farmers relating to the farm laws and the views of the government and to make recommendations. The bench added that the representatives of all the farmers' bodies, whether they are holding a protest or not and whether they support or oppose the laws, shall participate in the deliberations of the committee and put forth their view points.

"The Committee shall, upon hearing the government as well as the representatives of the farmers' bodies, and other stakeholders, submit a report before this court containing its recommendations. This shall be done within two months from the date of its first sitting. The first sitting shall be held within ten days from today," said the top court. The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing after eight weeks.

The top court noted that as a consequence of staying the farm laws, the Minimum Support Price System in existence before the enactment of the laws should be maintained until further orders. "In addition, the farmers' land holdings shall be protected, i.e., no farmer shall be dispossessed or deprived of his title as a result of any action taken under the Farm Laws," it said in the order.

Tuesday, 12 January 2021 14:55:24 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

According to Alacero, the Latin American steel association, the steel industry has been fundamental for the recovery of Latin America in the context of the pandemic, showing flexibility in its operation and focused on meeting local demand. In November last year, Latin American crude steel production totaled 5.29 million mt. The given month was recorded as the best month in 2020 in all countries in the region, with special emphasis on Brazil, which led the resumption. In the given month, the regional crude steel production from blast furnaces reached 2.76 million mt, increasing by 8.4 percent compared to October, boosted by the restart of equipment in Brazil, while the crude steel production from electric arc furnaces amounted to 2.53 million mt, remaining stable month on month.

In the same month, Latin American seamless tubes output totaled 82,100 mt, up by 9.7 percent month on month, driven by the increase in activity in the oil and gas sector.

According to Alaceros statement, the Latin American steel industry is focused on meeting local demand. In October, Latin American countries steel exports totaled 586,000 mt, decreasing by 30.3 percent year on year, while the countries steel imports increased by 10.8 percent compared to September. The share of steel imports in consumption was 28 percent in October. The accumulated deficit in the January-October period was 17.2 percent lower than that recorded in the same period in 2019, a significant decrease, with regional consumption being able to grow again with the steel trade deficit under control. In October, the apparent consumption of rolled products in the region was 5.40 million mt, the best for the year.

Alacero stated that China continues to be an important reference in the current steel industry juncture due to its relative weight in production, demand and trade of raw materials. According to worldsteel, Chinas steel production grew by eight percent year on year in November and by 5.5 percent in the January-October period last year, compared to the same period in 2019. Chinas rising iron ore imports, especially from Brazil, increased input prices.

Alacero noted that growing Chinese investment in Latin American countries is an issue of concern. This process causes a greater dependency that can become a risk factor due to their business practices, state-owned companies, deindustrialization and job losses. The phase of regionalization and the disintegration of value chains in the world, accentuated by the trade war between China and the United States, opens an opportunity for the countries of the region to attract companies that seek to relocate affected by this phenomenon. To achieve this, Latin America needs to create conditions, such as access to technology, infrastructure, administrative simplification, quality technical education, institutional certainty and respect for the rule of law, Francisco Leal, Alaceros general director, said.
WATConsult, the globally awarded hybrid digital agency from the house of dentsu international, has launched Bharat by WATConsult, a one-stop solution for all multilingual digital marketing needs. With the rapid growth in regional language users online, there is a strong need for the digital space to become more diverse in terms of language. Through this new introduction, the agency aims to help brands shape and sharpen their approach towards leveraging this multilingual digital opportunity.

The agency will be offering a holistic capability stack for local languages on digital, which includes creative digital content solutions, social media management, online reputation and response management, technology solutions for localisation, SEO and websites. Additionally, it will also consist of e-commerce and media planning & buying solutions.

WATConsult has successfully designed and executed several campaigns, keeping in mind the linguistic diversity of the Indian audience such as when it targeted different pronunciations and spellings of the word geezer to increase the reach for Racold water heaters. For SBI Lifes Real Life Real Stories campaign, each story was told in the protagonists language to maximise relatability and best bottle its essence. Also, having recently launched its report, Digital, Diverse & Multilingual India, Bharat by WATConsult comes as a step further in enabling brands and consumers communicate in the best possible way.

Commenting on this latest addition, Heeru Dingra, CEO, WATConsult said, India has always been known for its diversity. It has hundreds of major languages and many times more dialects. It only stands to reason that this linguistically diverse population, which is coming online in spades, gets a digital space that reflects this diversity. With people from the tier II & III cities gradually making up a major part of the online audience, a vernacular approach isnt just an add-on anymore, but rather a necessity. Our vision is to empower every brand to make a meaningful connection with digital India in the language thats best to connect in.

For the record, WATConsult has 14 years of expertise in various fields like market & consumer insight, creative & content creation, website/app development, interactive experiences, digital and social listening, e-commerce, ORM, SEO, media buying & planning, programmatic advertising, and much more.

Solomon Akuma, the father of Emmanuel Akuma, a pharmacist, who has reportedly been detained by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja for about nine months, has narrated to PREMIUM TIMES how the police deceived him to get his son arrested.

The father, who is a senior pastor at the Truevine Evangelical Mission based in Delta State, said his son, a pharmacist intern with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), was arrested on April 2, 2020, in Aba, Abia State.

The 29 years old Emmanuel was arrested for tweeting that he would pay a Russian sniper to eliminate Buhari and Kyari, apparently referring to President Muhammadu Buhari and his then Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who later died of complications attributable to COVID-19 later in the year.

The tweet was in response to a Twitter post asking respondents what their next move would be if they got $1 million.

The father said he thereafter received a call from a person who disguised to be a person seeking to reward him for praying for him in the past.

It was me they used as bait to get to my son. They used me as their link. Someone must have dug up my profile and they found out that I was a pastor, he said.

The cleric added, Someone called me that I had prayed for him at a place. He said he wanted to honour me and that he and others would be coming on a particular date.

They also said that they would visit me and give me an honorarium. I said I was not really aware of what they were talking about.

They said I should not bother that they knew me as a pastor. I said, okay, no problem. They said I had once ministered in their church.

I was not around at the time because I went for burial in my hometown. So I lodged in my in-laws place.

I said no problem, but something ministered to me that those guys were not what they said they were and as it turned out to be, they were policemen.

He said he reluctantly agreed to meet with them and took them to his in-laws place, where they arrested everybody and collected all our phones at gunpoint, and marched us into a red jeep they parked outside.

He said the policemen later used his phone number to call his son telling him that his father lost the phone.

In fact, because of all the weapons they had I couldnt react because I could not ascertain who they were, he said.

The cleric said when his son arrived at the scene, the men immediately arrested him.

So, at that point, they gave us back our phones, and they took him to the police station, down to Umuahia, to Enugu and the next day, they went to Abuja, he said.

Detained

He said he initially took them for kidnappers until after two days when his son called to inform him that he had been detained at the FCID at Area 10 in Abuja.

He said he had to defy the COVID-19 lockdown that was in place at the time to travel to Abuja the following day.

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The pharmacist was reportedly detained at the FCID in Abuja forabout three months before they eventually charged him with terrorism, sedition, criminal intimidation, and threat to the life of the President and arraigned him at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

His father told PREMIUM TIMES that he had yet to come to terms with how his son, a 2018 graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Port Harcourt, could be accused of such offences.

He said it had been hard to cope with the absence of Emmanuel, his only son among three siblings, for nine months.

He said the trial was being delayed by the police, who continued to keep his son in custody since April 2020.

He said his son had posted the tweet for which he was arrested out of frustration about the circumstances of his mothers death in 2017.

He said, I would say that it was his annoyance against the Federal Governments that made him write what he wrote, because the government had been owing the mother since her retrenchment from the federal service.

She worked at the Nigeria Airways and the workers had been retired since 2002, and they didnt pay them until my wife fell sick for four years.

We spent everything in our hands until she died in 2017. So, it pained my son so much.

PREMIUM TIMES efforts to contact the Force Public Relation Officer, Frank Mba, on Tuesday were unsuccessful as repeated calls to his telephone line failed to connect and a message sent to him was not replied.
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No permission given for use of vaccine against bird flu; not even by other nations: Centre

Uttarakhand on high alert over bird flu scare

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Dehradun, Jan 12: A high alert has been sounded across Uttarakhand with the samples of two dead crows testing positive for bird flu in the state Samples of two dead crows sent to a lab in Bhopal tested positive for avian influenza on Monday, forest officials confirmed.

With the confirmation of bird flu in Uttarakhand a high alert has been sounded across the state, State Animal Husbandry Minister Rekha Arya said. Officials have been asked to remain vigilant and keep a tab on import of chicken and eggs from neighbouring states like Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, she said.

Bird flu: Authorities cautious in several districts in Uttar Pradesh

"However, so far bird flu has been confirmed only in wild birds in Uttarakhand. The poultry sector is by far free from the virus," Arya said. "Still all precautions are being taken. People have been asked not to touch a dead bird and report the death to the authorities concerned," she said.

Forest personnel engaged in collecting samples of dead birds or burying their carcasses have been asked not to do it without wearing PPE kits, the minister said. Nearly 300 birds mostly crows have been found dead in different parts of Uttarakhand including Dehradun, Rishikesh and Kotdwar over the past few days.

Bird flu scare in Jharkhand as several crows, mynas found dead on streets

Bird Flu confirmed in 8 states and 1 UT: Delhi and Maharashtra confirm Avian Flu| Oneindia News

While a majority of the carcasses have been safely buried, some of them have been sent for testing to the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease in Bhopal and Indian Veterinary Research Institute Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

State level and district level committees were also set up on Tuesday to check the spread of avian influenza as per the guidelines and SOPs issued by the Centre, Animal Husbandry Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 14:43 [IST]
On Monday (January 11, 2021), Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi's brother-in-law Aditya Alva was arrested in Chennai. He was reportedly detained by the Bengaluru Police Crime Branch in connection with the ongoing Sandalwood drug case. Alva was allegedly absconding since September 2020.

As per reports, a case was registered against him for hosting parties at his residence where reportedly drugs were consumed by the guests. India Today has quoted a source as saying, "Alva has been staying in Chennai since then (September 2020). But he was leaving Chennai every now and then. We did not know where he was going. We received a tip-off that he is coming back to Chennai and we acted immediately and picked him up."

Alva was reportedly staying in a house in Chennai with his close aides. For now, he has been reportedly brought to Bengaluru and will be produced in court. Reports suggest that during interrogation, Alva has said that he is innocent and doesn't know anything about drugs being consumed in parties hosted by him.

Notably, a few days back a police raid was held at Vivek Oberoi's residence in Mumbai. The actor's wife Priyanka Alva Oberoi was also reportedly questioned by the Bengaluru Police then.

Also Read: Radhika Kumaraswamy Quizzed By The CCB In Connection With A Cheating Case

Also Read: Sandalwood Drug Racket: Sanjjanaa Galrani Gets Bail On Medical Grounds
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Tuesday that Pakistan continues to embrace terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

"Pakistan continues to embrace terrorism. We have zero-tolerance for terror. We reserve our right to respond at a time and place of our own choosing and with precision. This is a clear message we have sent across," said General Naravane during an annual press conference in New Delhi.

He said that India has zero-tolerance for terror.

Talking about collusion, General Naravane said, "Pakistan and China together form a potent threat. There is an aspect of collusive threat that cannot be wished away." He also said that there has been increasing cooperation between China and Pakistan in both military and non-military sectors. General Naravane stressed that India is prepared to deal with a two-front threat scenario.

Talking about local recruitments across Jammu & Kashmir, the Army Chief said the recruitments in various terror groups are still happening in Kashmir.

"We carry out successful counter terror operations in the valley but side by side recruitments do also happen in terror groups. We always try how we could stop recruitment," General Naravane said.

To stop local recruitment, the Indian Army is running various outreach programmes where the force tries to meet the youths who tend to fall into the trap of terror groups. "This is a continuous attempt we are making. Because of such attempts, there is a small decrease in recruitments every year. It does go up and down," said General Naravane, adding that they are hopeful that recruitments will eventually come down in the valley.

In the valley in 2017, the militant recruitment number was 127 followed by a big jump in 2018 when 219 locals joined terror groups. Last year, the number stood at 166.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
"David Burke is working on what he tags a Modern American Tavern concept which he intends to implement in Rumson."

At Ridge Road and Avenue of Two Rivers, the elegant Victorian building that was long home to the legendary French restaurant the Fromagerie and more recently, the Rumson House has been sold to a New Jersey real estate investor, as part of a 1031 real estate exchange, reports Richard Santore of Bielat Santore & Company, Allenhurst, New Jersey, the broker for the sale. Whenever you sell business or investment property and you have a gain, you generally have to pay tax on the gain at the time of sale. IRC Section 1031 provides an exception and allows you to postpone paying tax on the gain if you reinvest the proceeds in similar property as part of a qualifying like-kind exchange. Gain deferred in a like-kind exchange under IRC Section 1031 is tax-deferred, but it is not tax-free, adds Santore.

The investment was strictly a real estate play and the new owner has engaged the services of chef David Burke to operate the day-to-day restaurant business. David Burke is one of the best known and most respected chefs in modern American cuisine. Burke, a New Jersey native, is also recognized internationally for his revolutionary techniques, creative concepts, exceptional skills, as well as his many TV appearances. David is not unfamiliar with this territory. He worked as a line cook at the Fromagerie early in his career and then was part of a group that purchased and operated the Fromagerie restaurant from 2006-2015, until it was sold and then reopened as the Rumson House.

The new owner is a long-time client of the firm. Although we met when we sold him a restaurant on the ocean in Long Branch, in 1998, restaurants are not his primary business. He owns one of the largest commercial roofing companies in New Jersey and is a perceptive real estate investor. His pairing with David Burke fortifies the operation of a restaurant business at his investment in Rumson. David Burke is working on what he tags a Modern American Tavern concept which he intends to implement in Rumson, continues Santore of Bielat Santore & Company.

The property will undergo renovations, mostly cosmetic, to introduce a fresh, new and exciting look. There are eventual plans for an outdoor chefs table deck and an auxiliary take-out/curb-side component to the restaurant. Expect renovations to take 30-60 days and the new restaurant to open Spring  2021.

About Bielat Santore & Company

Bielat Santore & Company is an established commercial real estate firm. The companys expertise lies chiefly within the restaurant and hospitality industry, specializing in the sale of restaurants and other food and beverage real estate businesses. Since 1978, the principals of Bielat Santore & Company, Barry Bielat and Richard Santore, have sold more restaurants and similar type properties in New Jersey than any other real estate company. Furthermore, the firm has secured in excess of $500,000,000 in financing to facilitate these transactions. Visit the companys website, http://www.123bsc.com for the latest in new listings, property searches, available land, market data, financing trends, RSS feeds, press releases and more.
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While a number of Republicans are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump for inflaming a mob that went on to attack the Capitol  leaving a police officer and four others dead  state GOP leader Steve Pearce is standing by him.

And Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., is defending her objection to the electoral vote in several states, an objection that in some ways echoed what the rioters were demanding as they stormed the U.S. Capitol building.

Herrell said in an interview Monday that her objection on the House floor last week wasnt intended to overturn the results, just to call attention to voting practices in several states, not including New Mexico.

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She said that she is preparing to work with President-elect Joe Bidens administration and that its time to unify the country.

House Democrats on Monday took a two-pronged approach to try to remove Trump from office before his term ends next week. They attempted a resolution to call on the vice president to use the Cabinet to remove the president using the 25th Amendment. And they introduced articles of impeachment against Trump for inciting violence against the Government of the United States.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., said Trump is unfit to hold office and should be removed.

President Trump and his enablers incited a mob of domestic terrorists who attacked our country. To move forward as a Nation, we must hold the president accountable for fueling this assault on our sacred democratic institutions, she said in a statement. I hope my House Republican colleagues put country above party (Tuesday) and join us to pass a resolution calling on the Vice President to remove Donald Trump from office.

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., couldnt be reached for comment.

The impeachment charge relates to Wednesdays riot when pro-Trump extremists, whom the president had encouraged in a speech and on social media, stormed the U.S. Capitol building while a joint session was being held to certify the Electoral College victory for Biden. Herrell was one of dozens of Republican lawmakers who objected to the votes during that session.

Those objections have been widely criticized by Democrats, as well as some Republican lawmakers.

Herrell said her objection to the Electoral College vote  Biden won 306-232  was an attempt to raise concerns about the voting process in several states, including Pennsylvania.

In that state, the governor and Supreme Court changed some election rules to assist voters during the pandemic without the Legislatures approval.

In New Mexico, the elections followed state statute, followed the Constitution, so New Mexico was never a state that was going to have an objection raised, Herrell said. Other states had constitutional questions.

The Trump campaign did challenge New Mexicos election results in a lawsuit against Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. The lawsuit said she overstepped her authority by authorizing the use of ballot drop boxes amid the coronavirus pandemic. But the campaign withdrew its suit Monday.

Herrell said its time to unify the country and not to try to impeach Trump.

I wish there werent articles of impeachment being considered right now, Herrell said. I feel the way we bring the nation together is to put unity first.  I just feel like this is going to fan the flames a little bit and is obviously not something Im in support of.

Pearce remains a Trump supporter

While the Republican party is split on what to do about Trump during his administrations final days, Pearce remains a strong supporter.

God bless President Donald J. Trump. He will be our President FOREVER and no one can take that away from us, Pearces Twitter feed proclaimed.

Mike Curtis, a spokesman for the Republican Party of New Mexico, said the Saturday tweet, which was taken down on Monday, wasnt authorized by party officials or Pearce, who was out of town and didnt send the tweet. But Curtis said Pearce still strongly supports the outgoing president.

Steve Pearce feels strongly about Trump and he supports President Trump, but that tweet gave the wrong impression, Curtis said.

For weeks, Pearce has been using his radio show, Inside New Mexico, to push back against Bidens victory. He has spoken at length about unproven claims that Democrats purchased unused ballots and, for days, submitted them in states where the vote was close after the November election, and that voting machines were deleting Trump votes or switching them to votes for Biden.

Some in GOP support Herrell

While some Republicans were critical of their peers like Herrell who objected to the election results  there was no evidence of voter fraud or that the changes in election rules in some states affected the outcome  Herrell was supported by New Mexico Republican leaders.

What Rep. Herrell did  was within the rules and within her authority. She didnt break the rules, said state Rep. James Townsend, R-Artesia, the House minority leader. It might not have aligned with some beliefs, but that doesnt mean that it was wrong.

Herrell said that shes heard from many of her constituents in southern New Mexico who expressed their support for her objection.

But Herrell said she hopes Republicans are done objecting to Bidens victory.

We will have a new president in office on the 20th, she said. Its time to get ready to work with a Biden administration.
Michael McCormack said there are almost 50,000 jobs in regional Australia

Acting PM said it was time to 'turn off Stan and Netflix' and work in the regions

He said residents can 'have a better life' away from cities and traffic congestion

Said JobKeeper recipients were 'earning more than they ever dreamed' on dole

Latest gaffe as acting PM after controversial remarks on US Congress attack

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has labelled unemployed Australians 'lounge lizards' who need to 'turn off Neflix' and get a job in the bush.

He went on to say JobSeeker recipients, many of whom lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, were earning 'more than they ever dreamed of' on the taxpayer dollar.

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Mr McCormack has made a series of controversial statements while filling in for Scott Morrison, who went on holiday from Monday.

The Nationals leader said the Regional Australia Institute found almost 50,000 jobs up for grabs in country Australia, and the unemployed should go get them.

Australians are seen lining up at a Centrelink office in Melbourne at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

He made the 'lounge lizards' gaffe during an interview on Monday, and doubled down when Today grilled him about it on Tuesday morning.

'I say to those people, who have perhaps done reasonably well off JobSeeker - given the fact they might have been earning more than what they could have ever have dreamt of - it's time to turn Stan and Netflix off and come out to regions,' he replied.

'You can have a better life. You don't actually have to stick in congested traffic in the capital cities. You can get out to regional Australia.'

Today host Allison Langdon asked whether it was 'slightly insulting' to label unemployed residents 'lounge lizards'

She argued not everyone has the ability or freedom to relocate, particularly during a pandemic when they are subject to lockdowns and hotspot declarations.

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Mr McCormack replied 'there's not much Covid out here', speaking from Townsville in North Queensland.

'Many communities in regional Australia have hardly had a case of Covid if at all and they are craving for people from the city to come out and experience the bush,' he said.

The acting prime minister said there were a variety of available jobs - beyond working on a farm.

'They're not just jobs picking fruit, they're not just jobs in meatworks. They're jobs in all sorts of good endeavours and certainly good well-paying jobs,' he said.

'It's fun to pick fruit, it's good and well-paying work to work in a meatworks and goodness knows we need them.'

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack's had a point describing the unemployed as 'lounge lizards' with job vacancies soaring by 23 per cent in just three months to be at pre-pandemic levels

Mr McCormack made the 'lounge lizards' comment while holding a press conference in Narrabri, NSW, on Monday, during questions about JobKeeper ending in March.

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'Well, many of the people who are running businesses and do have JobKeeper in place also understand that it's time for many of the workers to return,' he said.

'Some of those workers who, you know, have been sitting on the couch and being, you know, dare I say, lounge lizards for too long, now it's time to get back to work.

'It's also time for people who are long-term unemployed to look beyond the hills, to look beyond that sandstone curtain that is the Great Dividing Range and to, you know, take up those job opportunities that are there and get off the couch and get out to regional Australia and take up one of those jobs.'

This argument is common refrain from the Nationals. Last month, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud claimed local unemployed people would rather sit on the couch than take up farm labouring jobs.

'Every Australian gets first crack at these jobs but sadly they don't want to get off the couch and have a crack at it,' he told Sky News.

'There's a large cohort that have been on unemployment benefits for some time that don't want to have a go at these jobs.'

The acting prime minister (pictured) on Monday referred to the storming of the US Capitol by rioting Trump fans that killed five people as merely 'unfortunate'

The government is offering $6,000 cash incentives to Australians willing to work on farms in regional areas, in a last-ditch attempt to save the agriculture industry.

'From November 1, 2020, relocation assistance will be available to people who relocate to harvest and regional areas to take up short-term agricultural work,' a government website reads.

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Workers from the Pacific Islands were also flown in to minimise supply chain disruption caused by labour shortages due to Covid-19 international travel restrictions.

Mr McCormack is acting PM until January 18 while Mr Morrison takes one week of annual leave.

Just hours after taking over on Monday, Mr McCormack referred to the storming of the US Capitol by rioting Donald Trump fans that killed five people as merely 'unfortunate'.

Mr McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC and instead likened them to the Black Lives Matter protests in remarks made on Monday.

Asked if Mr Trump helped incite the riot, Mr McCormack said the president's social media comments were 'unfortunate', as was his refusal to accept the outcome of the US election.

But although he was hesitant to call out the shocking incident which was labelled an act of insurrection by some American lawmakers, he was quick to lash out at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for banning President Trump from their platforms.

Michael McCormack failed to condemn the extraordinary violence in Washington DC (pictured) on Thursday and instead likened the mob to Black Lives Matter protesters

The US president was removed from the three social media sites, among many others, after posting messages the technology giants said could encourage violence.

'I don't believe in that sort of censorship,' McCormack told ABC radio on Monday.

'There's been a lot of people who have said and done a lot of things on Twitter previously that haven't received that sort of condemnation or indeed censorship.'

The deputy PM compared the the riot at the Capitol Building to Black Lives Matter protests last year and said it should not be up to Big Tech to decide whose voices were heard.

'It is unfortunate that we have seen the events at Capitol Hill, that we've seen in recent days  similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year,' he said.

'These are unfortunate events and of course many people don't remember how you rode the horse - they remember how you dismount the horse. And it is unfortunate that this has occurred.

'But as far as Donald Trump and his presidency is concerned, and the last few days of his administration, well, that's entirely a matter for the United States of America.'

Michael McCormack has urged unemployed 'lounge lizards' using government support payments to turn off Netflix and head to regional areas for work during the coronavirus pandemic (stock image)

Mr McCormack doubled down on his comments on Tuesday morning, but this time used stronger language to condemn the US Capitol invasion.

However, he continued to link last week's insurrection with the Black Lives Matter protests, which were frequently hijacked by looters and rioters, even when it was put to him they were different because BLM was protesting police brutality.

'Any form of violence, any form of protest that ends in death and destruction is abhorred,' he told ABC radio.

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'The United States goes through great change but any form of protest, whether it is a protest over racial rights or what we have seen on Capitol Hill in recent days is condemned and abhorred.'
SAGINAW, MI - The City of Saginaw is opening up for business to the marijuana industry in 2021.

The Saginaw City Council opted out of Michigans recreational marijuana system in July 2019, but has since allowed a sunset clause in the original ordinance that blocked city-based marijuana businesses to expire in 2020.

Before you setup shop, however, theres some key points and regulations that youll want to be aware for operating in Saginaw.

Click here to view the new ordinance in its entirety.

Youll need to submit an application

An adult use marijuana establishment permit/license is required through the City of Saginaw to operate any type of marijuana business within city limits. The Saginaw City Council adopted an ordinance establishing the licensing process and guidelines on September 14, 2020 and the first license applications were submitted on Jan. 4, 2021.

Applicants must file a special license application with the Saginaw City Clerk, 1315 S. Washington Avenue, Room 102, during the office hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Click here to view a copy of the application.

Its not just the city that you need to work with

According to the new licensing ordinance, any one desiring to secure a license must be prequalified for a marijuana establishment by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) before submitting an application to the city.

Its not an honor system either. A copy of the original application submitted to LARA and documentation providing evidence that the applicant has been prequalified for a state establishment license is required to be submitted to the City of Saginaw.

Not being prequalified for a LARA license is grounds for denial of an application, according to the citys ordinance.

Prepare for application fees

There is a $4,000 fee for each application submitted to the city. The fee is in addition to and not in lieu of any other fees for other requirements such as site plan review, zoning or building licenses.

Payment is required at the time of the applications submission and the fee is non-refundable.

Applications must be renewed annually. An application for renewal of an existing license is required to be submitted no sooner than 90 days before the existing license expires and no later than 30 days before the existing license expires, according to the ordinance.

In addition to paying a fee to the city, there is also a $6,000 fee that must be paid to LARAs Marijuana Regulatory Agency branch for those who are submitting an application fee for prequalification. Upon licensure, LARA also will asses an initial licensure fee. These fees varies by license type and can range anywhere from $4,000 on up to $40,000.

Know what type of license you want

The following types of license are allowed in the city and are eligible to be licensed:

 Growers

- Class A, Allows cultivation of not more than 100 plants;

- Class B, Allows cultivation of not more than 500 plants;

- Class C, Allows cultivation of not more than 2,000 plants;

 Excess grower (a person licensed to hold 5 class C grower licenses and licensed to cultivate marihuana and sell or otherwise transfer marihuana to marihuana establishments.)

 Processors

 Retailers

 Secure transporters

 Safety compliance facilities

In addition, the ordinance prohibits microbusinesses, designated consumption establishments, marihuana event organizers, and temporary marihuana events.

Plan on having a storefront

Youll want to make sure that youre planning on having your establishment at a fixed location, such as a physical storefront. Saginaws licensing ordinance prohibits mobile marijuana establishments and drive through operations.

The same goes for any type of e-commerce activity. The ordinance also states, Unless otherwise allowed by state law, sale or transfer of marijuana products by internet or mail order, consignment, or at wholesale is prohibited.

The ordinance also requires that applicants submit proof that they have or will have lawful possession of the property for the proposed marijuana establishment. Proof of possession can be in the form of a deed, a lease, a real estate contract contingent upon successful licensing, or a letter of intent by the owner of the property indicating an intent to lease the property to the applicant, according to the licensing ordinance.

In a separate ordinance, the City of Saginaw outlined the zoning classifications where marijuana establishments are located within the City. This ordinance allows for all license types in M-1, M-2 and M-3 zones, or light, general, and heavy industrial areas. Retail operations are allowed in all three industrial zones and B-1, B-1A and B-2 zones, which are local, interchange, and general business district. Click here to access the City of Saginaws official zoning map.

The ordinance also sets the following distance restrictions for marijuana establishments:

- 1000 feet from public/private K-12 schools.

- 250 feet from publicly owned park or playground.

- 100 feet from a church or place of worship.

- 500 feet from a hospital.

- 250 feet from a halfway house or other transitional housing.

- 500 feet of another marijuana business.

Theres specific criteria that have to be met

The application requires a variety of information and documents to be submitted before the City Clerk can give their final stamp of approval.

Applicants must provide documents such as proof of corporate/business registration such as articles of incorporation or organization, assumed name registration, IRS EIN confirmation letter, operating/partnership/shareholder agreement or corporate bylaws. In addition, a list of all marijuana permits and licenses held by the applicant, proof of insurance, and a certificate of occupancy or document designating zoning compliance.

Per the ordinance, an applicant also needs to disclose whether or not they or others included in the previously violated a similar ordinance in another municipality and if they have had a similar license denied, restricted, suspended revoked or not renewed.

Have a comprehensive operating plan ready

In addition to the previously listed requirements, a comprehensive operating plan must be submitted with the application for the establishment. There are 16 standards and requirements listed in the ordinance that must be included in the operational plan, according to the ordinance.

1. The identify of any person who controls, either directly or indirectly, the proposed establishment.

2. Financial and tax information.

3. Business organizational documents

4. A description of the type of establishment applied for and its location.

5. A diagram of the establishment including, but not limited to, all of the following: the proposed establishments size and dimensions, the location of common entryways, doorways, and passageways, means of public entry and exit, limited access areas and restricted access areas, and an indication of the distinct areas or structures for separate marijuana establishments at the same location.

6. A detailed floor plan and layout that includes, minimally, all of the following: dimensions of interior and exterior rooms, maximum storage capabilities, number of rooms, dividing structures, fire walls, entrances and exits, locations of hazardous material storage, and quantities of hazardous materials.

7. Means of egress, including but not limited to, delivery and transfer points.

8. Construction details for structures and fire-rated construction for required walls.

9. Building structure information such as new, pre-existing, freestanding, or fixed.

10. Building type information such as commercial, warehouse, industrial, retail, converted property, house, mercantile building, pole barn, greenhouse, laboratory, or center.

11. Zoning classification and zoning information.

12. Any occupancy restrictions if the proposed establishment is in a location that contains multiple tenants.

13. A comprehensive security plan.

14. For growers, processors, and safety compliance facilities: a ventilation system plan for the marihuana establishment describing in detail the equipment or systems that will be used to mitigate noxious gasses or other fumes used or created as part of any production process or operation.

15. A staffing plan that addresses the number of persons estimated to be employed at the establishment, employee training, and includes an employee training manual that includes items such as employee safety procedures, employee guidelines, security protocol, and educational training focusing on marihuana product information, dosage and purchasing limits, or educational materials.

16. A marketing plan that, at a minimum, details how the marihuana establishment will comply with all municipal ordinances and state laws regulating signs and advertising; and provides that marihuana products must not be marketed or advertised to minors aged 20 years or younger.

Be prepared to wait

A decision may not be instantaneous. There is a 90 day time-frame that the City Clerk is allowed to issue a license to an approved applicant after receipt of the application.

Once an application is accepted by the city, a provisional license will be issued by the City Clerk. But dont get ahead of yourself quite yet if you get a provisional license - according to the ordinance, a provisional license does not authorize the applicant to operate a marijuana establishment without first obtaining a final state operating license for the establishment, and obtaining all other licenses, inspections, and approvals required.

Essentially, per the ordinance, the issuance of a provisional license only means that the applicant has submitted a valid application for an establishment license and is eligible to receive the appropriate licensure from LARA.

The City Clerk may revoke a provisional license if the provisional license holder is denied a state operating license from LARA.

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Marijuana grower buys 5-acre industrial site in Bay Citys South End, plans to create 100 jobs

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Plagues and suffering have often produced the greatest hymns of hope, help, and joy!

Read the lyrics of songwriters who rose above darkness, depression, and disease by singing praise. See what you can learn from these men and women of faith who praised and thanked God during disease. Perhaps you will be inspired to write your own song of praise!

Miriam, the sister of Moses, witnessed the ten terrible plagues of Egypt. God spared His people from disease and death. After the Jews divine rescue, Miriam sang:

I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously, the horse and rider thrown into the sea! The Lord my God, my strength and song, has now become my victory. Exodus 15:20-21 KJV

Satan cannot steal our song! In Job 2, he begs God to inflict a deadly disease upon Job to make Gods righteous servant curse God. Job sang, The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:20 LB (By the way, one of my favorite praise choruses Blessed be the name of the Lord by Matt Redman, is taken directly from Jobs words).

King David, in his arrogance, defied God by counting his soldiers. He commanded over 1.5 million troops. God demanded punishment (1 Chronicles 21-22). Because of the kings disobedience, 70,000 Jews died of the plague in three days. Even in his deep remorse, David knew to sing to God.

I will praise you, Lord, for you have saved me from my enemies. You refuse to let them triumph over me. O Lord my God, I pleaded with you, and you gave me my health again. You brought me back from the brink of the grave, from death itself, and here I am alive! Oh, sing to him you saints of his; give thanks to his holy name. His anger lasts a moment; his favor lasts for life! Weeping may go on all night, but in the morning there is joy. Psalm 30:1-5 LB

We are not alone in our distress. Godly men and women throughout the ages praised God in the midst of disease and disaster. I was deeply moved when I learned of so many great hymns of praise that had been written by Christians during plagues throughout church history.

My favorite is Now Thank We All Our God, composed in 1636 by Lutheran pastor Martin Rinckart. Eilenberg, Germany, his tiny hometown, was ravaged by the Thirty Years War. The Swedish army set siege around the city wall. War refugees seeking safety overran the crowded town. Soon after, the Bubonic plague erupted there and almost 5,000 people perished within a year. Rinckart was the only pastor left alive to bury the dead. He often performed 40-50 funerals per day, including the burial of his own wife. In the midst of such pestilence and heartbreak, Rinckart wrote:

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices. Who from our mothers arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love and still is ours today!

Come to Your Temple Here on Earth, composed by pastor Paul Gerhardt, was written around the same time as Rinckart. Europe was besieged with war and plague, yet these words of assurance came to this beloved pastors heart:

Arise and make an end of all our heartache and our pain; Your wandering flock at last recall and grant them joy again. To peace and wealth the land restore, wasted with fire or plague or sword; Come to Your ruined churches, Lord, and bid them bloom once more.

Isaac Watts wrote When We Are Raised from Deep Distress during the London cholera outbreak in 1666. Cholera outbreaks were prevalent in various parts of the British Empire, including parts of Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. In 1854, 23,000 people died from cholera in Great Britain. Read Watts inspiring lyrics inspired by Psalms 89 and 90:

Pains of the flesh seek to abuse our minds with slavish fears; Our days are past and we shall lose the remnant of our years. Jehovah speaks the healing word and no disease withstands; fevers and plagues obey the Lord and fly at His command!

This great Congregational minister wrote 750 hymns! Watts always found a reason to praise God.

James Montgomery, born in 1771, Scottish-born hymn writer and poet wrote 400 hymns in the midst of controversial quarantines for yellow fever, cholera, and bubonic plague. Sing Hallelujah; Sing is one of his most famous:

Sing Hallelujah, Glory to God aloneBring your thank-offerings to the throne. The Lord put forth His hand, He touched us and we died. Vengeance went through the land, but mercy walked beside. He heard our prayers; He saw our tears and stayed the plague and quelled our fears.

What a statement of faith!

Dr. John Ryland was an English Baptist pastor and a close friend of John Newton, composer of Amazing Grace. The deadly Cattle Plague, or Rinderpest, (similar to smallpox, but even more deadly) ravaged Britain and many other parts of Europe. Ryland paraphrased Psalms 139 and 34 into lyrics for his hymn, Sovereign Ruler of the Skies:

He that formed me in the womb shall guide me to the tomb. All my times shall ever be ordered by His wise decree.Plagues and deaths around me fly til He bids I cannot die. Not a single shaft can hit til the God of love thinks fit.

Swiss pastor Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was one of the most influential voices in the Protestant Reformation. Black plague broke out in Zurich and he raced to minister to the sick. Zwingli caught the dreaded disease and almost died. But the hymn he wrote gives us an inspiring glimpse of his faith. The first four verses of his hymn were penned when the disease struck. Verses five through eight were written as his health deteriorated. Verses nine through twelve were written after God healed him. What a great model for us as we fight sickness:

Help me Lord, my strength and rock, Lo at the door I hear deaths knock. Lift up your arm once pierced for me, that conquered death and rescued me. Yet if your voice in lifes midday recalls my soul, then I obey.

During his illness:

My pains increase, haste to console; for fear and woe seize body and soul. Death is at hand, my senses fail, my tongue is dumb, now Christ prevail. He (Satan) harms me not-I fear no loss. For here I lie beneath the cross.

After his recovery:

My God! My Lord! Healed by your Hand, upon the earth once more I stand. Let sin no more rule over me-my mouth shall sing alone to Thee. Though now delay, my hour will come-involved perchance in deeper gloom. BUT LET IT COME, MY JOY WILL RISE. And bear my yoke straight to the skies.

What a great picture of how to handle suffering!

Do you have a song? You need one!

My dear friend has a debilitating condition caused by chronic disease. She suffers from crippling anxiety and fear. The doctors have tried behavioral therapy, psychiatric meds, and homeopathic remedies. Nothing has helped. Until one day I remembered that singing occupies both sides of the brain. When my friend suffers most, we sing hymns and praise songs. Relief comes. Jesus peace washes over her.

You did it! You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing;

You stripped off my dark clothing

and covered me with joyful light.

You have restored my honor. My heart is ready to explode, erupt in new songs!

Its impossible to keep quiet!

Eternal One, my God, my Life-Giver, I will thank You forever! Psalm 30:11-12

Sources:

christianitytoday.com  Black Death Inspires Zwingli's Plague Hymn

desiringgod.org  Job Reverent in Suffering

worship.calvin.edu  Hymns for a Pandemic  A Brief Historical Introduction

connectwithskip.com

Photo Credit: GettyImages/Paha_L

Dr. Julie Barrier, along with her pastor-husband, Dr. Roger Barrier, have taught conferences on marriage and ministry in 35 countries. The Barriers are founders and directors of Preach It, Teach It providing free resources in 10 languages to 5 million visitors in 229 countries and territories. The Barriers pastored 35 years at Casas Church in Arizona, Julie has served as a worship minister, concert artist and adjunct professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. She has authored or composed of over 500 published works.
Yesterday, with nine days left before Democrats take total control of the federal government, stunning news rocked the world of conservative media. In addition to a disputed report on a talk radio ban, a news release emailed to this reporter on Monday morning, and a subsequent article here, announced the new program lineup at Fox News, scheduled to launch on January 18  representing the most significant changes in the channel's daytime and early prime time schedule since 2017.

The release quoted Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott:

As we kick off a new year, we are excited to announce new changes to our schedule. We have the best-in-class anchors, interviewers, reporters and talent in all of news media. This new powerful lineup ensures FOX News Media will continue to deliver outstanding coverage for our viewers who depend on the most trusted names in the business.



Martha MacCallum.

The biggest change is the move of Martha MacCallum's 7 P.M. E.T. news program The Story out of early prime time to the 34 P.M. slot, replacing Bill Hemmer Reports. Hemmer was chosen to anchor that daily news program after the departure of Shepard Smith in October 2019. Hemmer is not out of the picture, however: starting next Monday, when the new schedule kicks in, he returns to co-anchoring a shortened version (911 A.M. E.T.) of America's Newsroom  the morning news show from whence he came  but with a new co-host, Dana Perino. Hemmer's previous co-host Sandra Smith is moving on to co-host a brand-new afternoon program, America Reports with John Roberts & Sandra Smith, from 1 to 3 P.M. Roberts is transitioning to a studio anchor role after having served as Fox News's principal White House correspondent for the past four years.

A significant subtlety in the evolution of Fox News is the replacement of MacCallum's early prime-time news show by an opinion program as the new lead in to Fox News's strongest suit: its three-hour block of opinion shows each weeknight from 8 to 11 P.M. E.T., all three of which are then repeated for the West Coast time zone. As Fox News's P.R. release noted:

A rotating group of FOX News opinion hosts will helm the 7 PM hour, entitled FOX News Primetime. A permanent 7 PM/ET opinion host will be named at a later date.

The successful conservative-dominated prime-time schedule consisting of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham will not be impacted. MacCallum is a prominent news anchor on Fox News. Since the departure of Megyn Kelly from FNC in January 2017, MacCallum has shared co-hosting duties with Bret Baier on FNC's coverage of important events like election night, political debates, and conventions.

Numerous media outlets have reported in the past two months about the precipitous decline in Fox News's ratings dominance, especially in the daytime. The fact that the 7 P.M. hour has not yet been assigned a permanent host suggests that the shake-up of the schedule has not been planned much in advance. It should be noted that predictions of Fox News's demise may be premature, as even Newsweek concluded after President Trump tweeted several attacks on the channel following his election loss.

Update:

Fox News media relations emails:

FOX News Media regularly considers programming changes, including to its daytime lineup, and will launch new formats as appropriate after the election. These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter. See example of story here: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-10-22/outnumbered-co-host-melissa-francis-is-off-the-air-and-her-status-at-fox-news-is-in-doubt

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. He also appears in the media, including recently as a contributor to OANN, BBC World News, and Fox News. Peter's website is http://peter.media. His YouTube channel is here. For updates on his work, follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka.


ALTBalaji, the OTT platform emerging on the country's digital frontier has been setting encouraging benchmarks by partnering with homegrown brands from their start. In an attempt to expand its narrative to the millennial women audience, the popular OTT platform ALTBalaji has tied up with leading global media company, Incnut Digital's properties - Stylecraze & Bridal Box, a brand operated by and for women with a vision to create a thriving ecosystem of information, opportunity and support for women.

"As India's biggest community of 50 million millennial women, we strongly believe that the media's role and power to influence the portrayal of women is more important now than ever. We have and continue to witness violence in various forms which stems from the struggle for power, acceptance and more importantly the physical and economic disparities which continues to co-exist between the sexes even in today's times," said Natasha Garyali, Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at Incnut Digital.

Walking on a similar line, ALTBalaji's latest release Paurashpur gives us a peek into a fictional kingdom dominated by men where the women initiate the ultimate battle of the genders, to win the war against gender inequality.

Speaking on the association, Divya Dixit, SVP, Marketing, Analytics, and Direct Revenue at ALTBalaji said, "With this partnership, ALTBalaji wants to ensure stringent support to the women out there who act as a strong catalyst now than ever before. We create shows that depict women's empowerment and stand by it. Our content viewership has a huge percentage of women audience and hence, there is no better tie-up than this to showcase our appreciation and respect to these influential individuals, along with helping us expand our narrative to inspire them."

HerHQs purpose is to help brands leverage heterogeneous women communities from different life stages. In this association, HerHQ acts as a catalyst bringing content and communities together. ALTBalaji's original content - Paurashpur gives us a peek into the kingdom dominated by men where women fight the ultimate battle of gender inequality eventually winning it. We believe, IncNut is the obvious choice given its expansive platform reach of 50 million women community Meera Chopra, Founder HerHQ Media.

Growing from strength to strength on the back of innovative business strategies, ALTBalaji has become one of the major players in the Indian OTT industry. With a vast library of 70+ originals across genres that cater to all kinds of audiences, the shows at ALTBalaji are a mix of thriller, crime, drama, romance, youth drama, horror, comedy, amongst others.
The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will host a special Dan Patch Virtual Awards Show on Saturday (Jan. 16) from 5 to 6 p.m.

This Virtual Awards Show has been made possible in large part by Jason Settlemoir and The Meadowlands, Roberts Communications Network, and the United States Trotting Association (USTA).

The Dan Patch Awards Show can be watched live on USHWAs Facebook page, as well as through the Meadowlands simulcast signal on the tracks website and through the RTN broadcast network. The next day, it will also be archived and available on USHWAs website and Facebook page, as well as the USTAs YouTube channel.

All 12 divisional winners in the racehorse categories, along with Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year, and the prestigious E.R. Harriman Harness Horse of the Year, will be announced on the Virtual Awards Show.

Additionally, the Norman Woolworth Owner, Driver and Breeder of the Year, the Trotting and Pacing Broodmares of the Year, and the Fair Island Farm Caretaker of the Year awards will be announced. As a unanimous selection by all the USHWA chapters, Nancy Takter has already been announced as the winner of the Glen Garnsey Trainer of the Year.

Here are the finalists for the human and broodmare awards:

Driver: Dexter Dunn, David Miller

Owner: Caviart Farms, Crawford Farms, Pinske Stables

Breeder: Brittany Farms, Order By Stable, Runthetable Stables

Trotting Broodmare: Dunk The Donato, Nantab, Margarita Momma, Steamy Windows

Pacing Broodmare: Beachy Girl, Great Memories, JK Shesalady, Swinging Beauty

(USHWA)
Washington: Donald Trump and his Vice-President, Mike Pence, have met at the White House, according to two people familiar with the matter  the first time the men have spoken since the President incited a riot at the US Capitol while Pence was presiding over the formal affirmation of Trump's re-election defeat.

According to a senior administration official, Trump and Pence had a "good conversation" on Monday evening (Tuesday AEDT) and "pledged to continue to work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term".

US President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence last year. Credit:AP

Pence was furious at Trump after hundreds of the President's supporters breached the Capitol on Wednesday (US time) disrupting the count of Electoral College votes and causing the Vice-President and Congress members to flee the House and Senate chambers.

Democratic members of Congress have called on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the constitution, which allows the vice-president and a majority of the cabinet to remove the president from office. But Pence has privately dismissed the idea as not feasible, according to one person familiar with the matter.

AfriAg Global PLC

('AfriAg' or the 'Company')

Change of Auditor

AfriAg Global PLC (London AQSE: AFRI) announces that it has appointed PKF Littlejohn LLP as auditor to the Company, effective immediately

In accordance with Section 519 of the Companies Act 2006, the Company's previous auditor, Chapman Davis LLP, has deposited with the Company a statement confirming that there are no matters to be brought to the attention of the Company's members or creditors.

The Board has approved the appointment of PKF as the Company's auditor for the financial year ending 31 December 2020. The re-appointment of PKF for the financial year ending 31 December 2021 will be subject to approval by shareholders at the next Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2021.

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

-ENDS-

For further information on AfriAg Global please visit the www.afriagglobal.com or please contact;

AfriAg Global Plc:

David Lenigas (Executive Chairman) +44 (0) 78821 825378

Peterhouse Capital Limited +44 (0) 20 7469 0930
Cairo: Egypt reopened its airspace to Qatari flights on Tuesday and will permit the resumption of flights between the two countries, aviation sources and state media said. The decision follows steps by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt to restore bind with Qatar after the Gulf leaders signed the Al-Ula agreement last week.

The lifting of Egypt's aviation ban allowed Qatari flights to cross Egyptian airspace and national carriers from both countries to submit flight operating schedules for approval, Al-Ahram state newspaper reported.

Alex Macheras, the Aviation Analyst, also tweeted that Egypt officially updates its NOTAMs to remove its airspace ban on Qatar, which lasted 3.5 years, following Saudi Arabia, UAE & Bahrain, and marking the end of the entire air blockade. Agreements set to be activated will also permit for goods transport between the two countries, according to sources from the civil aviation authority and aviation ministry.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have all announced the reopening of their airspace to Qatar. Qatar Airways and Saudis have already commenced flights between Qatar and Saudi Arabia with the first flights touching down yesterday.

Russia extends UK flight suspension until 1 Feb over new coronavirus variant

China imposes lockdown in three cities due to coronavirus

GlaxoSmithKline, Vir Biotechnology to test antibody for COVID-19 treatment
The Department of Public Health Mid-West is renewing its appeal to people in Limerick and across the region to help frontline workers by staying at home and strictly following all of the public health guidelines under the current Level 5 restrictions.

As of January 10, there have been 12,572 cases of Covid-19 recorded since the beginning of the pandemic in the Mid-West region.

An analysis of the figures shows that 7,040 have been recorded across the region since December 18, 2020. This compares to 5,532 confirmed cases between March 3 and December 18 - before the onset of the third wave.

The Department of Public Health Mid-West says the figures are a clear indication of how rapid the spread of infection was in the lead up to Christmas, due to the consistent and multi-layered socialising by a proportion of the population before, during and after Christmas.

"We noted numerous outbreaks and clusters in various social settings, including private households, among extended families, large house gatherings, the hospitality sector, and in workplaces. Our preliminary evidence indicates that cases identified in social settings and in the community in December have been contributing factors in a number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities and healthcare settings," said Dr Mai Mannix, Director of Public Health Mid-West.

We are now seeing the impact of this third wave in our community, as we focus our efforts on managing complex cases and outbreaks in nursing homes and residential care facilities across the region. Our focus right now is to break the chain of transmission so we can limit the spread among our most vulnerable population, and to prevent further loss of life in the coming weeks," she added.

The chief clinical officer at UHL says the UL Hospitals Group is likely to activate its surge plan in the coming days as the number of patients with Covid-19 continues to rise.

COVID-19 update in Mid-West region (January 10, 2021):

Limerick - 320 cases

Clare - 114 cases

North Tipperary - 63 cases pic.twitter.com/Exk4gLovQU  Public Health Mid-West (@PublicHealthMW) January 12, 2021

Meanwhile, Dr Mannix says the next few weeks will be the greatest test since the start of the pandemic.

"We are now dependant on the people of Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary to stay at home, limit your social contacts, and help us stop COVIDs spread in the community, to allow our frontline workers look after Covid and non-Covid patients, Dr Mannix said.

Public Health Mid-West says it is also managing a number of new outbreaks in workplaces. While the vast majority of workplaces are adhering to strict guidelines, particularly in relation to engagement with the public, some workplaces are dropping the guard when it comes to staff contact.

"For example, we have seen some instances where staff are not wearing masks or are in close contact in break rooms. These practices should no longer happen, as they can and will lead to workplace outbreaks," said a spokesperson.
The Times Union is providing free access to this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription.

The chart shows daily new cases of COVID-19 in the eight counties of the Capital Region. Graphics by Cathleen F. Crowley and Bethany Bump/Times Union (About the data)

Get the latest in your inbox: Sign up for the free Coronavirus Updates newsletter .

Saratoga County is reporting 17 new deaths from COVID-19 among its residents since Friday  the most fatalities the county has recorded in a three-day period since the pandemic began.

The fatalities were logged on the countys data dashboard late Monday night, raising the countys known death toll from the disease from 36 on Friday to 53 on Monday.

Aside from a day back in May 2020 when Albany County learned of 24 previously unreported nursing home deaths, the increase was the largest single-day jump in fatalities that any local county has seen since the pandemic began. Unlike Albany County, however, Saratoga County does not update its public COVID-19 data on weekends, which means Mondays numbers are usually inflated at least somewhat.

Read more

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12:50 p.m.: St. Peter's to staff 160-bed overflow facility at Albany County nursing home

Albany County officials announced Tuesday that St. Peter's Health Partners is preparing to staff a 160-bed section of the county-run Shaker Place nursing home to handle an overflow of COVID-19 patients from local hospitals.

St. Peter's president and CEO Dr. James Reed said Capital Region hospitals do not currently need the space, but cases are growing quickly and they may need it in the near future. Reed said hospitals in the Capital Region are currently running at 70 to 80 percent capacity  even with elective surgeries cancelled and surge plans activated to increase space in their facilities.

Read more

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9:45 a.m.: Schools switch to remote learning amid staffing shortages

All students in the Averill Park Central School District have moved to remote learning for the rest of the week after it was determined COVID-19 quarantining made it impossible to transport students, the district announced. Read more

Cohoes High School has switched to complete remote learning until Jan. 19 as quarantining due to COVID-19 has impacted the school staff, the Cohoes City School District said. Read more

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8:15 a.m.: Leaders in both parties slam Cuomo administration over vaccine hotline

County leaders and other local officials on Monday accused Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's vaccination team of fueling "chaos" and "bedlam" as phone banks were overwhelmed and much of the general public remains confused about when they can receive the shots.

The local officials expressed frustration at what they described as a continuing breakdown in information-sharing, a shortage of doses and overlapping and redundant efforts to vaccinate the first two groups who are authorized to receive the shots  a cohort that includes nursing home residents, front-line health care workers and teachers. People calling the states hotline number to schedule appointments for vaccinations also said they waited on hold for hours late Monday only to have their calls cut off.

Monday was the first day people 75 years and older who do not live in nursing homes could sign up for the vaccine.

The criticism came from both side of the aisle.

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, a Republican called the situation "bedlam"

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who also joined the Zoom call, said the state had pledged to share information with counties about how many residents have been vaccinated in their respective municipalities, but she had no idea if a single city resident has been vaccinated. She compared it to "trying to get tickets to the Super Bowl" and noted that "there are those who never even had a shot of getting tickets to the Super Bowl."

"Our residents are frantic," Sheehan said on the call. "We have no way of knowing how many of our residents are getting these vaccines."

Read more

Monday: New York county leaders say there's 'chaos' with vaccine registration

County leaders and other local officials on Monday accused Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's vaccination team of fueling "chaos" and "bedlam" as phone banks are being overwhelmed and much of the general public remains confused about when they can receive the shots.

The Times Union was allowed to listen to the conference call although the governor's administration had requested in its invitation that members of the press be excluded from the Zoom call.

The local officials expressed frustration at what they described as a continuing breakdown in information-sharing, a shortage of doses and overlapping and redundant efforts to vaccinate the first two groups who are authorized to receive the shots  a cohort that includes nursing home residents, front-line health care workers and teachers.

Read more

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Monday: UAlbany to open for mass coronavirus vaccinations Friday

The University at Albany is the location of one of 20 mass COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites the state is planning to open in the coming weeks. Candidates must have appointments in order to receive the vaccine. Other sites scheduled to open this week include the Javits Center in Manhattan, the State Fair Expo Center in Onondaga County, the Westchester County Center, and Jones Beach in Nassau County (drive-thru). Read more.

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Monday: Warren County launches coronavirus vaccine hotline

Warren County has launched a hotline for residents seeking updates about COVID-19 vaccination eligibility, sign-ups and clinic information. The hotline can be reached at 518-761-6200 and will include information as it becomes available, the county said. Residents should check back often. Read more.

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Monday: Albany County confirms 4 coronavirus deaths, 216 new cases

Albany County officials say four more people have died due to complications from COVID-19 as another 216 cases of the disease were confirmed among residents overnight. The countys latest victims were all women, and included one in her 50s, two in their 80s and one in her 90s. A total of 254 county residents are now known to have died from the disease, County Executive Dan McCoy said Monday. Read more.

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Monday: Several schools in the region went remote or canceled school Monday

The Averill Park Central School District said it is closing its three elementary schools and moving the middle and high schools to full remote learning for Monday to allow time for contact tracing after five recent positive COVID-19 cases. Read more

The Heatly Schools 4-12 grade students have moved to fully remote learning until at least Jan. 18 as a result of mandatory quarantine for people exposed to coronavirus in the Green Island Union Free School District. Read more

Kindergarten students in Hoosick Falls Elementary School will use remote learning until Jan. 19 due to a positive COVID-19 case at the school, the district said. Read more.

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Monday: New York's hotline for vaccination sign-up for those 75 and older

The state published a phone number Monday morning that will allow residents who are 75 and older to sign up to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

The state says people age 75 and over primarily will be vaccinated at pharmacies and other sites that are part of a "retail network." Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo cautioned last week that it could take months to administer the vaccinations.

At 4 p.m. Monday, the state will open a vaccination hotline to schedule appointments at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

Read more

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Tokyo:

Japans parliament passed a law on Friday that clears the way for its ageing Emperor Akihito to step down, in what would be the first imperial abdication in more than two centuries.

The popular 83-year-old monarch shocked the country last summer when he signalled his desire to take a back seat after nearly three decades on the Chrysanthemum Throne, citing his age and health problems.

The unexpected move presented a challenge since there was no law to deal with an emperor retiring from what is usually a job for life - and it reignited debate about allowing women to ascend the male-only throne.

The one-off rule was passed in the last-stage upper house today in a unanimous decision after the lower chamber gave its stamp of approval last week.

The abdication must take place within three years - and it only applies to Akihito.

Tokyo is eyeing the end of 2018 as a likely timeline for his retirement, Japanese media said.

The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20th-century history of war waged in the name of Akihitos father Hirohito, who died in 1989.

Some worried that changing the law to allow any emperor to abdicate could put Japans future monarchs at risk of being subject to political manipulation.

Akihito, who has been treated for prostate cancer and had heart surgery, is expected to step aside in favour of his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 57.

There have been abdications in Japans long imperial history, but the last one was more than 200 years ago, so politicians had to craft new legislation to make it possible.

The one-off law is a result of political compromises, but it will become a precedent for future abdications, said Setsu Kobayashi, a constitutional expert and professor emeritus at Japans Keio University.

Akihito was born in 1933 just as Japan was embarking on its militaristic sweep across Asia, and was 11 when the war ended in defeat.

His father was allowed to remain on the throne after Japans defeat, but his status was downgraded from semi-divine sovereign to a figurehead with no political power.

Akihito embraced the role and tried to use it to help heal the scars of the war while remoulding one of the worlds oldest monarchies for a democratic age.

Even before he assumed the throne, Akihito broke with tradition when he married the daughter of a wealthy flour magnate in 1959, becoming the first imperial heir to wed a commoner.

The emperor and his wife Empress Michiko are seen as being the more accessible face of a monarchy that largely remains in the shadows, unlike the British royals.

The couple have frequently attended public events and console victims of natural disasters, including Japans 2011 quake-tsunami disaster.

Akihito is barred from commenting on politics, but he has over the years hinted at his own anti-nationalist views.

Speaking at a memorial marking the 70 th anniversary of Japans surrender, Akihito expressed deep remorse for the countrys actions in World War II.

Some saw this as a rebuke to nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has pushed to change Japans pacifist constitution and prevent Japanese from having to apologise again for the nations warring past.

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TAIPEI, Taiwan, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In late 2014, the FBI announced it would make animal cruelty a Group A felony with its own category that would track crimes nationwide  the same way homicide, arson and assault are listed. Ever since the measure was put into practice in 2016, many countries have followed suit to amend laws to increase the punishment for animal abuse. The law is the most powerful and effective way to deter crime, and this is precisely why the World Dog Alliance (WDA) strives to eradicate dog and cat meat through a legislative means.

the Panel on Teaching Materials of Animal Welfare Education

Nonetheless, Genlin, the founder of the WDA, understands that while law may act as a deterrent, only a combination of life education and animal welfare education can put an end to the root cause by teaching people to respect lives and cherish animals, so the thought of harming them would not occur in the very first place.

Even for the WDA, a relatively large animal charity solely funded by Genlin, it is a formidable task to simultaneously promote the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats, and animal welfare education. While Genlin's current focus is on legislations, he has not overlooked the opportunities to implement animal welfare education in schools, particularly to include animal welfare in the mandatory curriculum and textbooks.

Such an opportunity did not come from Hong Kong or Japan, but from Taiwan. With the establishment of the Animal Protection Act in 1998, Taiwan is a pioneering country in Asia on animal-friendly policies. While Taiwan is only the 54th country in the world and the 11th country in Asia to adopt measures to better protect animals, it has been catching up swiftly by passing the "No-kill" policy on shelter animals in 2015, a ban on dog and cat meat in 2017, and the inclusion of animal welfare as a part of Taiwan's Guidelines for Curriculum for K-12 School System, which is the very first in the world.

In fact, Genlin is also the person behind the addition of animal welfare education in Taiwan. Over the years he has lobbied Taiwanese lawmakers to draw their attention on the importance of animal welfare education. Widely acknowledged by animal protection groups in Taiwan, the WDA was recommended for the position as a member of the Panel on Teaching Materials of Animal Welfare Education, participating in the creation process of educational content.

The academic circle in Taiwan turned out to be more complicated than expected. After the education reform, schools are no longer required to use the same teaching materials. In light of this, the Panel eventually agreed to create contents tailor made for teachers instead. The theme of the first textbook is about "companion animals" closest to humans; targeting primary school, junior high school and high school students, the content covers habits and characteristics of companion animals, as well as concepts and laws related to animal welfare.

The pilot scheme in late 2019, participated by a number of schools, was very well received, resulting in the textbook's digitalization that involves uploading all videos, articles and other follow-up materials online. The project is estimated to be finished in 2021 and teachers will be able to gain access to all materials online to use them in class. The WDA's graphic designer even helped make the digital teaching materials more aesthetically appealing.

Education is not limited inside the classrooms. A man of art, Genlin filmed a documentary to reveal the truth of the dog meat trade in Asia, he has also created giant oil paintings to express the pain and suffering of the voiceless animals, with the hope to awaken people's sympathy and kindness. This may well be the best form of education for all.

With laws to curb crime and education to nurture kindness, Genlin and the WDA has created a new epitome of animal protection, aiming to make this world a more beautiful place for humans, animals and environment alike.

Related Images

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the Panel on Teaching Materials of Animal Welfare Education

the Panel on Teaching Materials of Animal Welfare Education

SOURCE World Dog Alliance
While insurers continue to win four out of five cases in early rounds, in the past month two property owners with policies that contained endorsements specifically providing coverage for diseases survived motions to dismiss their COVID-19 business interruption claims.

On Thursday, the Stark County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio denied State Automobile Mutual Insurance Co.s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the owners of Sylvesters North End Italian Grille in North Canton seeking damages for lost income after being forced to close its dining room because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Taryn L. Heath cited an endorsement in the policy that specifically added coverage for income lost because of contagious or infectious disease.

On Dec. 21, the U.S. District Court in San Diego denied Markel Insurance Co.s motion to dismiss a business-interruption lawsuit filed by the Baldwin Academy, a private preschool. Judge Marilyn L. Huff said she cannot conclude without more evidence that a communicable disease endorsement in the schools policy does not provide coverage for income that was lost after the school was forced to close after one of its students parents contracted COVID-19.

Claims Journal reported previously that policies that had no virus exclusions were faring better in early rounds than those with exclusions in their policies, although there still were more wins for insurers than policyholders.

The Tzangas Plakas Mannos law firm in Akron, Ohio said in a press release that the Sylvesters case is one of seven lawsuits the firm is pursuing on behalf of restaurant owners in Stark and Summit Counties whose business-interruption claims were denied.

Situations like this are exactly why Sylvesters and other local businesses and their hard-working business owners made the significant financial investment in business interruption coverage, stated attorney Gary A. Corroto. We are committed to doing everything we can to get financial justice for Sylvesters, and our numerous other clients who we are fighting for and whose business interruption claims were wrongfully denied.

A litigation tracker maintained by the University of Pennsylvanias Carey Law School shows that 1,320 lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts seeking coverage for business income lost because of COVID-19 shutdowns. In cases that have resulted in initial rulings, insurers have won 107 motions to dismiss or for summary judgment, while plaintiffs won 25 of those motions.

Claims Journal reported previously that business owners with policies that had no virus exclusions were faring better in early rounds than those with exclusions in their policies  although there still were more wins for insurers than policyholders.

The lawsuits filed by Sylvesters and Baldwin Academy allege that they has even greater protection than policies with no virus exclusion: Their policies had endorsements that said income lost because of diseases is covered. In both cases the judges decided that because of those endorsements, the policyholders arguments can survive the insurers arguments that actual physical damage must exist, or at the very least, the coronavirus must be physically present on the property.

The Sylvesters Grille policy with State Automobile included an endorsement titled Business Income  Limited Extension for Food-BorneIllness. Under that header, the narrative says that coverage is available for actual or alleged exposure of the described premises to a contagious or infectious disease. There is no mention of food-borne other than in the title.

State Automobile cited previous Ohio cases that held there is no coverage under a property insurance policy unless there is some physical alteration to the property. The insurer cited an appellate court case that found no coverage for black mold that had attached to the wall of a property.

Judge Heath, however, said none of the policies in the cases that the insurer cited contained an endorsement that specifically provided coverage for communicable diseases. The judge also rejected State Automobiles argument that the use of the term foodborne Illness in the title shows that the intention was to provide coverage only for risks emanating from food.

The policy language contains no limitation that the risk must be related to food, but rather applies to a contagious or infectious disease, the judges order states.

In the San Diego case, Baldwin Academys policy contained an endorsement providing coverage for communicable disease such as, but not limited to, meningitis, measles, or Legionnaires disease

The preschool filed a claim after it decided to close the school last March when a parent notified the school that she had tested positive for COVID-19. The state and the mayor of San Diego issued stay-at-home orders a few days later.

The insurer argued that no coverage was owed because the policy language requires that there be an actual outbreak on the property. Judge Huff, however, said the parent who contracted the virus may be construed by a jury to constitute an outbreak. Whats more, state and local public health orders prohibited any gatherings of more than 50 people.

At this time, without sufficient development of the record, the court declines to decide whether plaintiffs claim is outside the scope of the Endorsements coverage as a matter of law, Huffs order denying the insurers motion to dismiss states.

The Baldwin Academy and Sylvesters Grille lawsuits are not concluded. The Sylvester Grille case now proceeds to discovery and a potential trial. In the Baldwin Academy case, the judge suggested that the evidentiary record might be better developed in a motion for summary judgment rather than a motion to dismiss.

Topics COVID-19 Claims
Syria: air raids against pro-Iranian Iraqi militia, NGO Attributed to Israeli or U.S. aircraft

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, 12 GEN - A series of air raids against pro-Iranian Iraqi militias have been carried out over the past few hours in south-eastern Syria at the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports. The NGO said that the attacks targeted a convoy of military vehicles of the militia "Batalion Fatimidi" that operates between Iraq and Syria and is backed by Iran.



The raids have occurred in the area of Abukamal near the border with Iraq. The sources did not say which military aviation carried out the raids but alleged that US or Israeli aircraft could have been involved.



In the past, pro-Iranian militias have been targeted in the same area in air raids attributed to the United States or Israel. (ANSAmed).




The Supreme Court on January 12 stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws until further orders and set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the farmers and the government.

In the interim order, the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said that the committee which will be a part of judicial proceedings will submit its report, after listening to both the parties, in two months.

Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian were the other two judges on the bench. The next hearing of the case is in eight weeks.

"We think that this extraordinary order of stay of implementation of the farm laws will be perceived as an achievement of the purpose of such protest at least for the present and will encourage farmers bodies to convince their members to get back to their livelihood," the court observed.

Follow our LIVE BLOG on Farmers' Protest here

The eleven-page judgement said that having heard different perspectives, it deems fit to pass the order, with the hope and expectation that both parties will take this in the right spirit and attempt to arrive at a fair, equitable and just solution to the problems

Some highlights from the operative part of the order are:

1) Three farm laws stand stayed until further orders

The implementation of the three farm laws 1) Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2020 2) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and 3) Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, shall stand stayed until further orders.

2) MSP before the enactment of laws applicable

As a consequence, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in existence before the enactment of the farm laws shall be maintained until further orders.

3) Farmers land protected

In addition, the farmers land holdings shall be protected i.e., no farmer shall be dispossessed or deprived of his title of any action taken under the farm laws.

4) Committee of agri-experts to listen to grievances

A committee comprising i) Bhupinder Singh Mann, national president Bhartiya Kisan Union ii) Pramod Kumar Joshi, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute iii) Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist and iv) Anil Ghanwant, president Shetkari Sangatana is constituted for the purpose of listening to the grievances of farmers relating to the farm laws and views of the government and to make recommendations. The Committee shall be provided a place at Delhi and Govt to bear its expenses and give it secretarial assistance.

5) Farmers opposing and supporting laws asked to participate

The representatives of all the farmers' bodies, whether they are holding a protest or not and whether they support or oppose the laws shall participate in the deliberations of the Committee and put forth their view points.

6) Report to be submitted within two months

The committee shall, upon hearing the government and the representatives of farmers bodies, and other stakeholders, submit a report before this court containing its recommendations. This shall be done within two months from date of its first sitting. The first sitting shall be held within ten days from today.

Read : Farmers' protest: 3 farmers' counsel miss SC hearing on farm laws
WASHINGTON (AP)  After days out of sight following the Capitol siege, President Donald Trump travels to Texas to trumpet one of the pillars of his presidency: his campaign against illegal immigration.

Trump will be flying Tuesday to Alamo, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S-Mexican border. The city is named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texan independence-fighters fended off Mexican forces during a 13-day siege. Most of them died but the mission became a symbol of resistance for Texans, who eventually defeated the Mexican army.

Trump's visit  no doubt a symbol of the president's defiance  comes as he spends the final days of his presidency isolated, aggrieved and staring down the prospect of a second impeachment after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week in an effort to halt the peaceful transition of power.

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Aides have been urging the president to instead use the days he has left in office to highlight what they see as the chief accomplishments of his presidency: a massive tax cut, his efforts to roll back federal regulations and the transformation of federal courts with the appointment of conservative judges. But Trump has repeatedly resisted their efforts as he has remained ensconced in the White House, behind closed doors, consumed by baseless allegations of voter fraud and conspiracies.

Indeed, the trip will mark the first time Trump has been seen in public since the speech he delivered to his supporters Wednesday, egging them on to "fight" before the Capitol violence.

Trump is expected to deliver remarks highlighting his administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration and the progress made on his signature 2016 campaign promise: building a "big, beautiful wall" across the length of the southern border  an imposing structure made of concrete and reinforced steel. Over time, Trump demanded modifications that have been largely rejected: He wanted it painted black to burn the hands of those who touched it; he wanted it adorned with deadly spikes; he even wanted to surround it with an alligator-filled moat.

In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction  likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. The vast majority of that wall replaces smaller barriers that had already existed, though the new wall is considerably more difficult to bypass.

Over the last four years, Trump and his administration have taken extreme  and often unlawful  action to try to curb both illegal and legal immigration. Their efforts were aided in his final year by the coronavirus pandemic, which ground international travel to a halt. But the number of people stopped trying to cross the southern border illegally has been creeping back up in recent months. Figures from December show nearly 74,000 encounters at the southwest border, up 3% from November and up 81% from a year earlier.

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Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has warned the next administration that easing Trump administration policies, including a halt to wall construction, would lead to a surge of people seeking to cross the border, creating "an unmitigated crisis in the first few weeks."

President-elect Joe Biden has said he'd halt construction of the border wall and take executive action where possible to reverse some of Trump's restrictions on legal immigration and asylum seekers. But Biden and his aides have acknowledged the possibility of a new crisis at the border if they act too quickly, and Biden has said it could take six months for his administration to secure funding and put in place the necessary infrastructure to loosen Trump-era restrictions.

Missing from the trip will be Chad Wolf, Trump's acting Department of Homeland Security secretary. He abruptly resigned Monday, days after he pledged to serve out Trump's full term.

After the Capitol violence, groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center urged Trump to call off his visit.

"The violence Trump incited last week, and the violence his anti-immigrant policies cause stem from the alarming mainstreaming of white nationalist ideology that our country must reckon with and fight to uproot," said Efren Olivares, deputy legal director of the center's Immigrant Justice Project.

"The president's planned trip to the border will only further the harm and beget more violence."

Associated Press writers Ben Fox and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Bryan, Garnier Co, a leading pan-European Investment Bank focusing on growth companies, is delighted to announce that Clifford Siegel has been appointed as Non-Executive Chairman at the firm.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005055/en/

Clifford Siegel, former Jefferies International CEO and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Vice-Chairman joins Bryan, Garnier Co as Non-Executive Chairman (Photo: Bryan, Garnier Co)

Based in London, Clifford will take up this new position to help develop Bryan, Garnier Co's strategy across Europe and the US.

Clifford, 63, has a distinguished career in the investment banking industry. After starting and running the US business of the Cresvale Group, he joined Jefferies in New York in 1990, before moving to London in 1993 to become the CEO of the group's international business.

During Clifford's 18-year tenure, Jefferies International grew from a small team in London to a global business with revenues of over USD 300m and offices in Asia and Europe. After retiring from Jefferies, he later founded and ran the debt capital markets boutique ISM Capital, before selling the business to Stifel Nicolaus Europe in 2016. He retired from his role as Vice-Chairman of Stifel Nicolaus Europe Ltd in the autumn of 2020.

Olivier Garnier, Co-founder Managing Partner states: "We are delighted to welcome Cliff to Bryan, Garnier Co. He brings both a wealth of experience in all facets of the banking business that will help us expand our business footprint and support our strategic ambitions".

Clifford Siegel comments: "I have admired the remarkable success and consistency of Bryan, Garnier Co for many years. I am delighted to be joining them at a time when, now more than even, there is a need for highly committed investment bankers with outstanding quality standards, deep industry expertise and broad transaction capacities to support growth companies and their shareholders".

In his capacity, Clifford will contribute to strengthening the group's corporate development initiatives. This includes strategic acquisitions and alliances following Bryan, Garnier Co's recent developments in the Nordics and the US, as well as the expansion of the firm's activities in complementary areas such as fixed income and debt advisory.

With more than 60 private and public capital-raising and M&A transactions closed in 2020, Bryan, Garnier Co benefits from its longstanding leadership in the healthcare, technology and environmental sectors in Europe. Recent transactions include the sale of smartTrade to leading software private equity investor Hg Capital, the take-private of ITSM player Easyvista by Eurazeo, capital for circular economy player asgoodasnew, the sale of Specim to Konica Minolta and the sale of BlueBee to Illumina. Over the years, Bryan, Garnier Co has distinguished itself by backing some of the most disruptive companies in the domain of alternative proteins (Prolupin), green hydrogen (McPhy Energy), cannabis (Canopy Growth), blockchain and cryptocurrencies (Bitfury Group), and mRNA biotech (Moderna and BioNTech).

About Bryan, Garnier Co (www.bryangarnier.com)

Bryan, Garnier Co is a European, full-service growth-focused independent investment banking partnership founded in 1996. The firm provides equity research, sales and trading, private and public capital raising as well as M&A services to growth companies and their investors. It focuses on key growth sectors of the economy including Technology, Healthcare, Consumer and Business Services. Bryan, Garnier Co is a fully registered broker dealer authorized and regulated by the FCA in the UK, the AMF in Europe and the FINRA in the U.S. Bryan, Garnier Co is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Paris, Munich, Stockholm, Oslo, Reykjavik as well as New York and Palo Alto.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005055/en/

Contacts:

Press contact: Profile

Margaux Frantz Leslie BOUTIN- SOSSAH

+ 33-1-56-26-72-32 33

mfrantz@agence-profile.com

lboutin@agence-profile.com
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Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) -QcX Gold Corp. (TSXV: QCX) (OTCQB: QCXGF) (FSE: 21MA) ("QcX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce plans for a large scale, high resolution magnetic geophysical survey across the Golden Giant project in the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. The survey will also capture the West Block of the Fernet Project in the northern Abitibi. Work is set to commence mid-January, with results expected during the month of February.

The Golden Giant project ("Golden Giant") comprises 3 properties, Golden Giant East ("GGEast"), Golden Giant West ("GGWest") and the Kali East block, covering 18,992 hectares and is contiguous to Azimut Exploration Inc.'s Patwon project as shown in Figure 1. The Fernet project ("Fernet Project") comprises two properties, Fernet West ("Fernet West") and Fernet East, covering 7,195 hectares and is contiguous to Wallbridge Mining's Fenelon and Martiniere projects as shown in Figure 2.

Aaron Stone, Vice President Exploration of QcX, stated, "Following an exceptional sampling program that led to the discovery of several new gold showings on both the GGWest and GGEast blocks, the Company has elected to conduct a large-scale airborne magnetic survey to further our understanding of the geology and pinpoint important geological structures at Golden Giant. The data from this program will give us a more precise geophysical image of the Golden Giant project, which when combined with grab sample data from our earlier program, will guide our upcoming drilling campaign. Once work is completed at Golden Giant, our geophysical team will relocate to Fernet West where we have identified several high-priority structural intersections. Fernet West is a relatively underworked area, so this survey is an excellent tool in guiding our exploration activities moving forward. Line spacing at both projects will be flown at 50m, which will provide an extremely high-resolution data set. This in turn will ensure the identification of important structures with clear precision. I am very excited by both projects, am keen to see these results and launch our inaugural drill program at Golden Giant."



Figure 1: Location of the Golden Giant project (red) with respect to neighbouring companies



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1791/71763_b815e8ab142428b8_001full.jpg





Figure 2: Location of the Fernet Project (red) with respect to neighbouring companies.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1791/71763_b815e8ab142428b8_002full.jpg

About QcX Gold

QcX Gold Corp. is exploring for gold and VMS style mineralization on its highly prospective and well-located properties in Quebec, Canada. The Golden Giant project is located in the James Bay region of Quebec, only 2.9 km away from Azimut Exploration Inc.'s Patwon discovery on their Elmer gold project. The Fernet Project is located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in the Province of Quebec and is contiguous with Wallbridge Mining Company Limited's Fenelon/Martiniere property. Both properties are in close proximity to major discoveries which bodes well for exploration.

For further information, please contact:

Aaron Stone

Vice President Exploration

aaron.stone@qcxgold.com

514-235-6012

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation, the planned exploration program, the expected positive exploration results, the timing of the exploration results, the ability of the Company to continue with the exploration program, the availability of the required funds to continue with the exploration and the potential mineralization or potential mineral resources are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "to earn", "to have', "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned exploration expenditures, failure to establish estimated mineral resources, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, general business and economic conditions, changes in world gold markets, sufficient labour and equipment being available, changes in laws and permitting requirements, unanticipated weather changes, title disputes and claims, environmental risks as well as those risks identified in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71763
The scenes of thousands of fascists storming the US Capitol last week in an attempt to overturn the results of Novembers presidential election have shocked millions of workers and young people around the world.

The coup attempt, directly incited by President Donald Trump, is a watershed in the erosion of democratic norms and a turn to dictatorship in the centre of world imperialism. It has graphically demonstrated that as in the 1930s, capitalism is hurtling towards authoritarianism and fascism. This threat squarely poses the need for an independent political intervention by the working class on the basis of a socialist and revolutionary perspective, as the only means of defending democratic rights.

Under these conditions, pseudo-left parties internationally have stepped in to downplay the dangers and to insist that nothing of significance took place at the Capitol last Wednesday.

Socialist Alternative, an Australian organisation, is no exception. For months, it derided warnings that Trump was preparing a coup as ludicrous and absurd. Now that those warnings have come to pass, Socialist Alternative has doubled down on its insistence that the extreme right poses virtually no threat; the American ruling class and military are committed to democratic forms of rule; and there is no crisis of capitalism in the US or anywhere else.

It often takes weeks or months for the organisations publication, Red Flag, to comment on major events, especially if they occur outside Australia. But in this instance, Socialist Alternative rushed to print, publishing an article headlined The fascist farce on Washington within hours of the storming of the Capitol.

Red Flag article, January 7

In other words, even before the dust had settled and as the events of January 6 were still unfolding, Red Flags editors commissioned an article insisting that all was well in Washington and there was no cause for concern.

The entire piece is written in the flippant, snide tone of its headline. The violent incursion of fascists into the heart of the American government for the first time since the construction of the Capitol in 1793 and the open attempts of Trump and large sections of the Republican Party to overthrow an election result with force, are treated as a joke.

The rally was a flopthe popular equivalent of a Rudy Giuliani press conference, Red Flag author Josh Lees wrote. The storming of the Capitol was hardly the stuff movies are made about (although Im sure someone will try). A few windows were broken, and the only person killed was one of the far-right protesters. No real damage to the building was done. Someone sat in House Speaker Nancy Pelosis chair (the horror!).

The sophomoric humour was all aimed at bolstering Red Flags central claim, that there was no coup attempt. Far from some serious coup or insurrection, this was a pathetic display highlighting the weakness of Trump and the right, Lees declared, before warning in his conclusion against breathless talk of imagined coups by small fascist groups.

That a coup was attempted is hardly the stuff of imagination. A well-organised group of extreme right-wing activists, who had travelled from around the country, succeeded in taking control of one of the most secure government buildings in the world for several hours. Their explicit aim was to prevent the certification of the Electoral College results of Novembers national ballot, thereby blocking the installation of a democratically-elected administration. Red Flags related claim, that the attack failed to win any institutional support, is so obviously false that it is repeatedly contradicted by the article itself.

In the first instance, the rioters were at the Capitol because they had been told to go there by Trump, who currently holds the US presidency, hardly an insignificant institution of the American state.

Secondly, the conditions for the assault were deliberately established by the leadership of the Republican Party, one of the two main parties of the American ruling elite and its state apparatus. As the WSWS noted, A majority of Republican congressmen and a substantial number of Republican senators orchestrated Wednesdays political debate at which the legitimacy of the Electoral College vote was challenged, to provide the necessary pretext for the planned right-wing uprising.

Thirdly, the fascists would never have gained access to the Capitol, without the active support of key sections of the state apparatus. In the days since the attack, substantial evidence has emerged of a security stand-down, implicating not only the leadership of the Capitol police, but the FBI, the Pentagon and the Secret Service.

After months of public warnings that there would be a major disturbance on January 6, a relative handful of Capitol police officers were left to defend one of the most important buildings of the American government. Some of their colleagues waved the fascists in.

This is so clear that even Red Flag was compelled to admit it. Their success in gaining entry had more to do with the sympathy that the cops and other security agencies have with the far right than the protesters actual strength, Lees wrote. Only a few paragraphs before, he had insisted that no section of the military had backed Trumps bid to overturn the election, nor any other section of the US state apparatus.

Indifferent to the obvious contradictions of his own argument, Lees added more. Besides their sympathy with the far right, this is the other reason the security apparatus was unprepared for the protesters entering the buildingauthorities knew that there was no coup, so they were quite relaxed, he stated.

It would be difficult to conceive of a greater muddle. In the space of a few hundred words, Lees alternatively insisted that no section of the state apparatus supported the coup; security agencies sympathised with and facilitated the coup attempt, and that they were relaxed because there was no coup.

The tortured character of the argument demonstrates that Socialist Alternative is peddling lies and a political line that has been contradicted by events themselves.

The most cynical aspect of the Red Flag article is its claim to be polemicising against the Democrats, who it accuses of exaggerating the fascist danger to keep the focus off the incoming Biden administration. Any reference to Trumps assault on American democracy is nationalist blather aimed at covering for the new imperial presidency of Joe Biden.

In fact, Biden and the Democrats are doing everything they can to downplay the events of January 6. Their immediate response was to plead for unity with their Republican colleagues. No calls have been raised from any section of the Democratic Party for a serious investigation of the coup, while Trump and the other plotters, who should have been arrested for their attack on the Constitution, have been given an effective amnesty.

For its part, the corporate media, in the US and internationally, including in Australia, has largely moved on to next business, treating the attempt to establish a dictatorship in America less than a week ago as old news.

All of this is aimed at chloroforming the working class as to the immense and ongoing dangers that it confronts, and covering-up the rot of capitalism and bourgeois rule revealed so graphically on January 6.

Socialist Alternative and the pseudo-left function as the most determined partisans of this ruling class campaign.

In the lead-up to Novembers election, Red Flag published two articles deriding warnings of a coup, as Trump was publicly declaring that he would not accept an election defeat. [I]t is ludicrous to think that a fascist coup or fascist government is on the cards in the United States, one of them declared, while the other stated: What is clear, however, is that right now, there is no indication that the US ruling class is preparing a fascist dictatorship.

The pieces were published days after a fascist plot to execute Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and take over the state capitol had been exposed. That conspiracy was not mentioned in either article, both of which consisted exclusively of complacent generalities. Under conditions in which the Michigan plot had graphically demonstrated the fascist threat, as well as the national strategy of Trump and his supporters, Red Flag blithely dismissed the danger.

As has since been noted by the New York Times and others, the Michigan operation served as a dress rehearsal for the January 6 coup. All those who covered it up, including Red Flag, functioned as links in a chain whose purpose was to keep the working class in the dark as to what was being prepared.

On November 23, as Trump was beginning to rally his fascist supporters for January 6, Red Flag again denounced warnings that anything was afoot. An article by editor Ben Hillier concluded: If Trumps is the worst, the most pathetic coup ever, it is exceeded in its piteousness only by the outlandish response it has generated.

Now that the coup attempt that Red Flag claimed would never occur has eventuated, the publication is insisting that the far-right is isolated, demoralised and far weaker than the Democrats make out. This, as the fascists are emboldened by their incursion into the Capitol, and are threatening greater violence on inauguration day next Wednesday.

The record demonstrates that at every point, Socialist Alternative has sought to downplay the fascist plans, deny that there is any crisis of democracy and insist on the stability of capitalist rule.

The argument of the pseudo-left, amid the deepest breakdown of world capitalism since the 1930s, the homicidal response of the ruling elites to an unprecedented pandemic and mass social anger among workers and young people, is that all is well in the US, and by extension, internationally.

This perspective, so clearly contradicted by what is taking place, is rooted in class interests. Speaking for affluent layers of the upper-middle class centred in academia, the union bureaucracy and the top echelons of the public sector, the pseudo-left is wedded to the existing political and social order and hostile to any threat to it. Tied by a thousand threads to bourgeois parties such as the Democrats in the US and Labor and the unions in Australia, the pseudo-left has a key stake in defending the viability of bourgeois-democracy and the official political set-up.

Above all, the aim is to prevent workers and young people from drawing the necessary conclusions from the extraordinary events of last week and the past twelve months. Namely that the defence of social and democratic rights requires nothing less than a break with the entire political establishment, and the turn to a new perspective aimed at the revolutionary, socialist transformation of society, if dictatorship, fascism and capitalist barbarism are to averted.
 Flash

U.S. House Democrats on Monday formally introduced the article of impeachment against President Donald Trump, taking the first step to impeach the president the second time during his presidency.

The single article of impeachment, contained in a resolution introduced while the House gaveled into a pro-forma session, charged the president with "incitement of insurrection," pointing to his repeated false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

Those claims and a speech Trump delivered to supporters in Washington on Jan. 6 incited a group of rioters to breach the Capitol as Congress convened a joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the election, the resolution said.

The resolution also cited Trump's phone call on Jan. 2 with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the president urged the secretary to find enough votes to overturn the election results in the state, as one of a series of efforts by the president to subvert and obstruct the certification of the election results.

"In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," the resolution said. "He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."

Citing the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the resolution noted that the law "prohibits any person who has 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against' the United States" from holding office.

Resolved to impeach Trump for the second time after they did so in December 2019, House Democrats are expected to expedite the impeachment process by holding a floor vote on the resolution on Wednesday the earliest.

Before unveiling the impeachment resolution, House Democrats sought to pass a separate, nonbinding resolution through unanimous consent asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution with a majority of Trump administration Cabinet members to remove the president from office.

That effort was shot down by Republicans in the chamber. As a result, Democrats is holding a floor vote on Tuesday on the resolution requesting the direct removal of the president absent the impeachment and the subsequent Senate trial.

Pence, who initially inclined not to invoke the 25th Amendment but who per a more recent CNN report hasn't ruled out that possibility, was given 24 hours to respond to the resolution. Should he decide not to move accordingly, the impeachment will proceed, warned the Democrats.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 19:44:32|Editor: huaxia

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Iran's police Monday requested an Interpol Red Notice for four people linked to its top nuclear scientist's assassination. Mehdi Hajian, spokesman of the police force, broke the news to the official IRNA news agency.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 15:24:08|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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DHAKA -- Vaccinations against COVID-19 will begin in Bangladesh in the first week of February, professor ABM Khurshid Alam, director general for Health Services in Bangladesh under the Ministry of Health, made the announcement at a press briefing Monday.

He said they are expecting to get first instalment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine from Serum Institute of India (SII) by Jan. 25.

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ULAN BATOR -- Mongolia reported 14 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 1,456, the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Tuesday.

"A total of 15,849 tests for COVID-19 were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours and 14 of them tested positive," Amarjargal Ambaselmaa, head of the NCCD's Surveillance Department, said at a press conference.

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SEOUL -- South Korea reported 537 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 69,651.

The daily caseload stayed below 1,000 for eight straight days, but it hovered above 100 for 65 days since Nov. 8 owing to small cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases.

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SUVA -- The total payment for COVID-19 assistance in Fiji stands at 189 million Fijian dollars (about 92.6 million U.S. dollars), including government top-up.

According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday, the COVID-19 assistance by Fiji National Provident Fund started last April.

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ROME -- Researchers from the University of Milan have recently found that a woman in the northern Italian city was infected with COVID-19 in November 2019, according to media reports.

Through two different techniques on skin tissue, the researchers identified in a biopsy of a 25-year-old woman the presence of RNA gene sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus dating back to November 2019, according to Italian regional daily newspaper L'Unione Sarda.

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BUJUMBURA -- The government of Burundi on Monday launched a second nationwide mass screening campaign of COVID-19, as the coronavirus cases have been increasing in recent days.

The 30-day campaign is taking place in the commercial capital Bujumbura and several provinces where cases have been reported. Enditem
Reluctance among healthcare workers and overwhelmed rural hospital systems combined to delay the rollout of the vaccine in Alabama, according to state health officials, prompting the state to open up vaccination to the elderly and emergency responders.

The main thing we dont want is to have vaccine sitting on the shelf. We want to get it into people as soon as possible, Dr. Scott Harris, Alabamas state health officer, told AL.com on Monday.

The state plans to start vaccinating people over the age of 75 on January 18. And today the Centers for Disease Control recommended states go further and open the vaccines to people over 65. Yet in Alabama, only a minority of healthcare workers and nursing home residents have received vaccines so far.

(Vaccinating healthcare workers) turns out to besubstantially more difficult than most people anticipated on the front end, said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who is a part of the CDC group that created a plan for who would get the vaccine first.

Alabama has been among the states to vaccinate the fewest people relative to its allotted vaccine supply. But the state is not alone in struggling.

What we have learned, and what is being learned across the country, there is much more hesitancy and skepticism, even in the medical community, than was anticipated on the front end, said Schaffner.

The CDC in December called for vaccinating healthcare workers and nursing home residents first. Then the elderly, frontline workers and Americans with preexisting conditions would follow.

As of Tuesday, just 87,138 vaccines had been administered in Alabama out of the 271,925 Pfizer and Moderna shots the state received from the federal government.

We want to do a better job, said Harris. Theres a lot of pent-up demand out there, and we understand why people are frustrated.

Harris said that he believes many of the initial challenges are resolved.

In December, Alabama allocated its first Pfizer vaccine doses to 15 hospitals that have the ultracold storage capacity needed for the vaccine. The state has since expanded its vaccination sites to a range of clinics, county health departments and local pharmacies with the arrival of the Moderna vaccine, which can be stored in a regular refrigerator.

We are increasing our number of providers all the time. We went from 15 sites to more than 200 sites. Weve got a couple hundred more that are seeking to enroll.

Dr. Harris said some of the early delay was due to the holidays as well as the 26,000 doses set aside for major pharmacy chains to immunize nursing home residents.

Beyond that, some of the 15 hospitals charged with distributing the Pfizer vaccine have encountered a surprising challenge, as many healthcare workers are reluctant to receive the injections.

In December, several hospitals reported to AL.com that about 50 percent of healthcare workers said they would get a vaccine.

Harris said he does not know the exact reason for delays among healthcare workers.

If somebody doesnt come to get a vaccine, does that mean they are vaccine hesitant or does that mean we just didnt communicate with them well or do they just not have access to care because theres transportation involved that we dont have access too? said Harris. Theres many different factors.

At Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville, in Tallapoosa County, the hospital has administered about 719 of the 975 Pfizer vaccines it received on December 16.

Hospital spokeswoman Heidi Smith said healthcare workers there were not reluctant to get vaccinated. She said on the day the vaccine arrived, the hospital lost one of its most beloved nurses to COVID-19. I think that really changed the mind of a lot of people, she said.

But her hospital still has had to move slowly on giving out vaccines, as it requires staff and time. The hospital can vaccinate about one person every 15 minutes or 30 to 40 people a day. Its very time consuming, said Smith.

She says her hospital would hire 10 more nurses if it could, because it is overrun with COVID-19 patients. Nurses are in shortage, so we just have to give as many (vaccines) as we can schedule, she said.

Such staffing shortages are happening across the state and nation, as the pandemic reaches new peaks in hospitalizations. Alabama, as of Monday, reported 3,088 patients being treated in the hospital for COVID-19, a record high since the start of the pandemic.

I think everybody is strapped for resources, said Dr. Harris. Hospitals are really overwhelmed with numbers of COVID patients. When theyre trying to set up a large vaccination effort, they have to be able to staff (it).

According to Dr. Harris, initial delays in administering vaccines to priority groups prompted the state to announce last week it would move on to vaccinating some Alabamians in phase 1b, those over the age of 75 and emergency first responders.

There are roughly 300,000 healthcare workers in Alabama. About 26,000 nursing home staff and residents are in the process of being vaccinated by a federal partnership with Walgreens and CVS.

There are roughly 350,000 Alabamians over the age of 75 and around 40,000 first responders. Some counties, including Calhoun and Etowah, have already gone ahead and started vaccinating people over 75 and some other groups.

Since the announcement, the Alabama Department of Health and the states hospitals have been inundated with calls from seniors seeking vaccination appointments.

In some states that have expanded eligibility early on, such as Florida, which is offering the vaccine to those aged 65 and above, disorganization has ensued.

Dr. Harris acknowledged that is a concern for Alabama going forward.

When you add extra groups that suddenly become eligible, it creates an expectation on the part of those people that not only are they eligible, but theres also vaccine for them, right now, for them to go get today. And, unfortunately, thats not the case.

He said the state has been following conversations at the CDC about moving people over the age of 65 for earlier vaccination nationwide, a recommendation announced to the states today. According to Harris, the 65-and-older group includes another 800,000 people.

Its very unfortunate that every decision you make has trade-offs, he said of the challenge of achieving the CDCs intended goals of equitable distribution based on both vulnerability and the need to keep society running.

Someone is going to be selected over someone else. Its the nature of what happens when you have a scare resource, but its certainly not anything people are happy about, he said.

To Dr. Schaffner, who is a part of helping guide the process at the CDC, the framework is meant to be flexible.

The plan is a general guideline. Some jurisdictions and states are adhering to it really quite carefully. Others are playing a jazz tune. Theyre riffing on it, he said.

What we dont want is to get too stuck on the plan too rigidly that, all of a sudden, your vaccine remains in the refrigerator.
New Delhi: India has continued its focus on Afghanistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) even as China once again played games at the top UN body.

China, which is one of the Permanent Five or P5 members of the body, prevented India from heading the UNSC 1267 (ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida) Sanctions committee that lists international terrorists. The same list, that has on its roll Pakistani terrorist nationals including Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Many of them responsible for terror attacks in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks for which Islamabad has yet to take action.

Last week, it was announced that India will be heading three crucial committees--the Taliban sanctions committee, the counter-terrorism committee for the year 2022, and the Libya sanctions committee. Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee was split in 2011, creating the new Taliban Sanctions Committee to separately deal with the Taliban.

By being at the Taliban sanctions committee, India gets a crucial multilateral foothold in the Afghan peace process. The Taliban need approval from this grouping to travel, and an increased level of violence in Afghanistan could impact future approvals.

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In fact, Taliban leadership had a few weeks back visited Pakistan to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister SM Qureshi. What raised the eyebrows and drew the ire of Kabul was Taliban leadership meeting cadres in the country.

New Delhi also chairs the Counter-terror body of UNSC in 2022 and can see India taking special initiatives. The committee was formed after the 9/11 attacks in New York and bolsters the ability of United Nations Member States to prevent terrorist acts both within their borders and across regions.

It is not the first time China has created problems for India at UNSC. In 2019, in the aftermath of India removing special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, China at the behest of Pakistan tried to rake the issue at the body. Ultimately the attempt was thwarted, given most members saw it as India's internal matter and the issue was never put on UNSC records.

In fact, French President Macron's top diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne extended his country's support to India at the body last week and said, "I mean the direct threats to India, we have always been very clear. Whether on Kashmir we have been very supportive of India in the Security Council, we have not let the Chinese play any kind of procedural games."

Interestingly, the actions of China in Hong Kong were raised at UNSC last year by member countries, much to the embarrassment of Beijing which could not stop it.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

A 17-year-old Los Alamos boy died Saturday when a snow cave he was making collapsed on top of him during a Boy Scout camping trip in Conejos County, Colorado, a Boy Scouts of America official confirmed.

Efforts to revive Josh Miko, a member of Boy Scout Troop 22 in Los Alamos, failed after fellow campers dug him out and took him to a medical clinic in Chama, according to KOAT-TV. The incident took place in the Rio Grande National Forest near the New Mexico-Colorado state line.

A snow cave is a domed structure made of snow that is used in winter-storm survival scenarios, according to Scout Life magazine. A snow cave is dug out of a snow drift or slope and is usually big enough to sleep in.

This is an extremely sad time for our Scouting family following the death of one of our youth members after an incident while camping, the Greater Southwest Council of Boy Scouts of America said in a statement. We offer our deepest condolences to the Miko family, and we will support them in any way that we can. We appreciate the efforts of the Scouts, volunteers and emergency personnel who responded.

Los Alamos High School Principal Carter Payne said that, in addition to Boy Scouts, Miko was also an active member of ROTC. He was well liked in the program and also participated in a number of other activities at school.

Miko was a member of the Sea Perch Team, which was involved in designing and computing an underwater robot. In addition, he was in the school choir program and all-in-all a really well-rounded kid.

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Payne said grief counselors are available for students, and the school is supporting classes and programs in which he was directly involved.

The Conejos County Sheriffs Department did not immediately return phone messages from the Journal on Monday.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  After waiting nearly two decades to realize his goal of leading the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners, Bob Scolnik said these are the right times for a moderate like him to take the helm.

Scolnik, a Republican who has represented the Norton Shores area on the board for 18 years, recently was voted by his colleagues to become the county boards new chair.

Scolnik believes his job now is to get the county board focused and united on issues that matter to county residents.

He takes over the top leadership role for a board that is split 5-4 among the two major political parties. A moderate, Scolnik faces the challenge of bringing together Trump Republicans on the board and Democrats.

To be honest with you, it was something I wanted but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would happen because I never expected to see a Republican majority on the county commission, Scolnik told MLive about being elected board chair.

The vote for him to replace Democrat Susie Hughes was unanimous, despite Scolniks belief that hes not a favorite of more conservative board members he calls Trump Republicans. They include newcomer Malinda Pego and second-termer Zach Lahring, who are vocal and ardent supporters of President Trump.

RELATED: Republican Party chair under fire from Democrats for Capitol violence response

It was Kim Cyrs defeat last November of incumbent Democrat Kenneth Mahoney that turned the board to a 5-4 Republican majority. As a result, the chairs seat opened up for Scolnik who said he identifies himself more as an independent than connected to either party.

Im going to do my best to make it as fair and bipartisan as possible, Scolnik told MLive. Its just a time to make peace with everybody. The Republicans are just trying to be tough about everything, and the Democrats are just going too far to the left.

Democrat Charles Nash was elected vice chair on an 8-1 vote, with Lahring casting the dissenting vote. Scolnik lauded the appointment of Nash, who is Black, saying the county needs to do more to move minorities into upper management positions.

Though hes served on the county board and the Norton Shores City Council for a combined 28 years, Scolnik is just as  or perhaps even more  known for his volunteer and philanthropic contributions to Muskegon County.

He served as chair of the United Way of Muskegon County, chair of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, president of Michigan Pine and Dunes Girl Scouts and president of Hackley Visiting Nurses.

A successful businessman as the former owner of Muskegon Brake, Scolnik donated funds in 2004 for the communitys first hospice residence and for the Depression-era Scolnik House. The latter, a historic site of the Lakeshore Museum Center, provided Scolnik an opportunity to place inside the house a photo of his parents, who were married during the Depression, he said.

Scolnik has served numerous other organizations and causes, including through fundraiser events he has organized and hosted.

His is a dedication to community that transcends any political aspirations, Scolnik said. In fact, he thinks the county board, like the city council on which he previously served, should be non-partisan.

Were the local leaders who set the price of dog licenses and worry about your water and sewer systems and your courts and health system and make sure the money is accounted for, he said. We dont set policy like who can marry who or the Right to Life issue. We dont control any of that, so why is it so political?

Scolnik, who identifies himself as a Reagan Republican, is staying independent of the current Muskegon County GOP, which he said has all but forced moderates like him out.

While Scolnik easily beat Democrat Mary Valentine in the 2020 general election, he first had to get past a primary challenge from Trump supporter Jim Riley who Scolnik said had significant party backing.

They didnt see me as a Republican anymore, Scolnik said of the party that he chaired for four years prior to his election to the county board.

Lahring, who is the chair of the Muskegon County GOP, said there will always be a seat at the table for Bob when asked about Scolniks comments regarding the Republican party.

I see Bob as kind of a bridge builder, Lahring said. Im hopeful Bob can be able to mend the fences between Democrats and Republicans and we can put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Lahring has come under fire for continuing his support for Trump following the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and for posting on social media to Stay the course, hold the line since then. Scolnik has been pressured to publicly condemn Lahring, which the new chair said would accomplish little.

There is no mechanism for such condemnation, Scolnik said on Tuesday, Jan. 12. I can do it personally, but not officially from the board. Beyond that, Ive been chairman of the board for a week. Things change over time. Ive to got to get along with people.

Scolnik said the attack was disturbing and not what we do in this country. He served in Vietnam and Korea with the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of captain.

I dont like it at all  this whole thing is disturbing. Its personal. Im part of a minority religion  weve been persecuted for years, said Scolnik, who is Jewish. Im very aware of that.

Scolniks selection as board chair and the continued fallout from the Capitol attack come as Scolnik faces one of the darkest times during his personal life. His wife of 50 years, Merle, recently was moved to the Poppen Hospice Residence following a two-year illness, Scolnik said.

Merle Scolnik is a retired special education teacher and has volunteered to support her own causes, including READ Muskegon and at Temple BNai Israel.

She has so many friends. Its just so sad. Shes a wonderful person, Scolnik said of his wife. Ive grieved for the past year because I know this cant be fixedIm going to be with her until the very end.

Hes dividing his time between comforting his wife and leading a county board struggling with division. Scolnik said he wants to unite the board to deal with the important issues facing the county. Those include the future of the Muskegon County Airport, which is suffering from a lack of passengers and operating with a significant deficit.

Because of revenue reductions related to COVID, Scolnik said managing the overall budget will be the biggest challenge for commissioners in the coming two years that he is chair.

I hope when this two-year term is up, people will look at that and say, This was good. He did a good job. He calmed things down.

Thats what I do, Scolnik said. Im fun to work with. I say nice things to people. Im not mean to people.

Also on MLive:

Muskegon community holding virtual events to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Psychologists license suspended after sexual relationship with patient, state says

Muskegon GOP chair remains strong Trump supporter after Capitol violence
2019: Australian intelligence services conclude that China was responsible for a cyber-attack on Australia's parliament and three largest political parties in the run-up to a May election.

April 2020: Australian PM Scott Morrison begins canvassing his fellow world leaders for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Britain and France are initially reluctant but more than 100 countries eventually back an investigation.

April 15: Morrison is one of the few leaders to voice sympathy with Donald Trump's criticisms of the World Health Organization, which the US president accuses of bias towards China.

April 21: China's embassy accuses Australian foreign minister Peter Dutton of 'ignorance and bigotry' and 'parroting what those Americans have asserted' after he called for China to be more transparent about the outbreak.

April 23: Australia's agriculture minister David Littleproud calls for G20 nations to campaign against the 'wet markets' which are common in China and linked to the earliest coronavirus cases.

April 26: Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye hints at a boycott of Australian wine and beef and says tourists and students might avoid Australia 'while it's not so friendly to China'. Canberra dismisses the threat and warns Beijing against 'economic coercion'.

May 11: China suspends beef imports from four of Australia's largest meat processors. These account for more than a third of Australia's $1.1billion beef exports to China.

May 18: The World Health Organization backs a partial investigation into the pandemic, but China says it is a 'joke' for Australia to claim credit. The same day, China imposes an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley. Australia says it may challenge this at the WTO.

May 21: China announces new rules for iron ore imports which could allow Australian imports - usually worth $41billion per year - to be singled out for extra bureaucratic checks.

June 5: Beijing warns tourists against travelling to Australia, alleging racism and violence against the Chinese in connection with Covid-19.

June 9: China's Ministry of Education warns students to think carefully about studying in Australia, similarly citing alleged racist incidents.

June 19: Australia says it is under cyber-attack from a foreign state which government sources say is believed to be China. The attack has been targeting industry, schools, hospitals and government officials, Morrison says.

July 9: Australia suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offers to extend the visas of 10,000 Hong Kongers who are already in Australia over China's national security law which effectively bans protest.

August 18: China launches 12-month anti-dumping investigation into wines imported from Australia in a major threat to the $6billion industry.

August 26: Prime Minster Scott Morrison announces he will legislate to stop states and territories signing deals with foreign powers that go against Australia's foreign policy. Analysts said it is aimed at China.

October 13: Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says he's investigating reports that Chinese customs officials have informally told state-owned steelmakers and power plants to stop Aussie coal, leaving it in ships off-shore.

November 2: Agriculture Minister David Littleproud reveals China is holding up Aussie lobster imports by checking them for minerals.

November 3: Barley, sugar, red wine, logs, coal, lobster and copper imports from Australia unofficially banned under a directive from the government, according to reports.

November 18: China releases bizarre dossier of 14 grievances with Australia.

November 27: Australian coal exports to China have dropped 96 per cent in the first three weeks of November as 82 ships laden with 8.8million tonnes of coal are left floating off Chinese ports where they have been denied entry.

November 28: Beijing imposed a 212 per cent tariff on Australia's $1.2 billion wine exports, claiming they were being 'dumped' or sold at below-cost. The claim is denied by both Australia and Chinese importers.

November 30: Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao posted a doctored image showing a grinning Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child. The move outraged Australians.

December 12: Australian coal is added to a Chinese blacklist.

December 24: China suspends imports of Australian timber from NSW and WA after local customs officers say they found pests in the cargo.

January 11, 2021: Australia blocks $300million construction deal that would have seen state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation takeover Probuild. The bid was blacked over national security concerns.

February 5, 2021: China confirms Melbourne journalist and single mother Cheng Lei has been formally arrested after being detained in August, 2020.

February 23, 2021: China accuses Australia of being in an 'axis of white supremacy' with the UK, USA, Canada and NZ in an editorial.

March 11, 2021: Australia is accused of genocide by a Communist Party newspaper editor.

March 15, 2021: Trade Minister Dan Tehan announced he wants the World Trade Organisation to help mediate discussions between the two countries over the trade dispute.

April 21, 2021: Foreign Minister Marise Payne announces Australia has scrapped Victoria's controversial Belt and Road deal with China using new veto powers.

May 6, 2021: China indefinitely suspends all strategic economic talks with Australia, blaming the Morrison Government's attitude towards the relationship. The move cuts off all diplomatic contact with Beijing under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, freezing discussions between key officials below a ministerial level.
Pakistan, China together form a potent threat: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Jan 12: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said that Pakistan and China together form a potent threat and the threat of collusivity that cannot be wished away.

Addressing the press conference, the Army Chief General said, "Pakistan continues to embrace terrorism. We have zero-tolerance for terror. We reserve our right to respond at a time and place of our own choosing and with precision. This is a clear message we have sent across."

General Naravane also said that Indian forces had to rise to the occasion in dealing with challenges last year, and was "fully prepared" to deal with any threat facing the nation.

No lowering of guard by India, even as China withdraws 10,000 troops from depth areas

"Last year we had to walk the talk and rise to the occasion in dealing with challenges," General Naravane was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. He added, "Pakistan and China together form a potent threat, and the threat of collusivity cannot be wished away."

Amid the standoff with China, General Naravane said India has maintained high alert level along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "We are ready to meet any eventuality; our operational preparedness is of very high order," he said.

April-May would be a crucial phase in the India-China standoff

SC asks govt to form COMMITTEE on farm laws, wants crisis SOLVED | Oneindia News

Naravane also accused Pakistan of continuing to use terrorism as "an instrument of state policy".On the need to restructure, the Army chief said, "We are transforming ourselves from manpower-intensive to technology-enabled force. A study was commissioned and a broad roadmap has been prepared to bring in all the new technologies to develop a technology-enabled army to meet challenges of future," he said.

"All that transpired last year has brought out the need to restructure and enhance capabilities. All-round development has taken place and we have signed multiple contracts. I am also glad to say that 80-85 per cent contracts signed are with Indian companies keeping in mind the call for at Aatmanirbhar Bharat by the prime minister," Naravane added.
British companies will face hefty fines unless they can show their supply chains are free from forced labour, the foreign secretary has announced.

The new measures unveiled on Tuesday are aimed at tackling human rights abuses of Uighur Muslims in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.

Companies will also be given new guidance on how to carry out due diligence on their producers to make sure they are not linked to human rights abuses. Firms found wanting will additionally be barred from UK public sector contracts.

The Chinese government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including mass internment, slave labour, and allegations of forced sterilisation.

The foreign secretarys comments came as the prime minister took his own swipe at Beijing - making use of an international green policy event to hit out at practices in traditional Chinese medicine that make use of rare animal parts.

"We must do more and we will," the foreign secretary Mr Raab told the House of Commons on Tuesday.

"Xinjiang's position in the international supply chain network means that there is a real risk of businesses and public bodies around the world, whether it's inadvertently or otherwise, sourcing from suppliers which are complicit in the use of forced labour."

Mr Raab added: "This package put together will help make sure that no British organisations, government or private sector, deliberately or inadvertently are profiting from, or contributing to, human rights violations against the Uighurs or other minorities in Xinjiang."

But answering questions from MPs, Mr Raab said so-called "Magnitsky sanctions" that target the financial assets of high net worth individuals would be kept "in reserve".

The fines, whose details will be spelt out at a later date, will represent an update of the UK's Modern Slavery Act, which already requires all companies over a certain annual turnover to explain how they are ensuring that modern slavery and trafficking is not taking place in their business or supply chain.

Mr Raab said: Here in the UK we must take action to make sure that UK businesses are not part of the supply chains that lead to the gates of the internment camps in Xinjiang.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 14 May 2021 Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers inside the Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh AP World news in pictures 13 May 2021 Muslim girls ride on a mini train after attending the Eid Al-Fitr prayer that marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya AFP via Getty Images World news in pictures 12 May 2021 Israeli artillery fire as the escalation continues between Israeli army and Hamas at the Gaza Border EPA World news in pictures 11 May 2021 Maya Nakanishi competes in the womens long jump - T64 category during a para-athletics test event for the 2020 Olympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo AFP/Getty World news in pictures 10 May 2021 A Palestinian man helps a wounded fellow protester amid clashes with Israeli security forces at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound, ahead of a planned march to commemorate Israels takeover of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War AFP/Getty World news in pictures 9 May 2021 Falconer Giovanna Piccolo performs with her Eurasian eagle-owl at 'Roma World' theme park, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Rome Reuters World news in pictures 8 May 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) is introduced as a starter against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena. USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 6 May 2021 Buddhist monks and believers attend a lantern parade in celebration of the upcoming birthday of Buddha at a temple in Seoul, South Korea Reuters World news in pictures 5 May 2021 Russian MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) and Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic teams fly in formation over the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin in Moscow during a flypast rehearsal for the WWII Victory Parade AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 May 2021 An elevated metro line collapsed in the Mexican capital on Monday, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens injured as a train came plunging down, authorities said AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 May 2021 Lightning bolts strike buildings during a thunderstorm in Bangkok AFP/Getty World news in pictures 2 May 2021 Samaritan worshippers arrive to take part in a Passover ceremony on top of Mount Gerizim, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus AFP/Getty World news in pictures 1 May 2021 A Gilet Jaune, or yellow vest, protestor stands in front of a burning barricade holding his hand up with an inscription calling for President Macron to resign as May Day Protest turn violent near Place de la Republique in Paris, France Getty World news in pictures 30 April 2021 A demonstrator from the Rio de Paz human rights activist group digs a symbolic grave in front of rows of bags symbolising bodybags on Copacabana beach, during a protest against the Brazilian governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in Rio de Janeiro AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 April 2021 An aerial picture shows dead carp fish flushed to the shores of al-Qaraoun reservoir in Lebanons Western Beqaa District in the countrys east. Tonnes of fish have washed up dead on the shoreline of the highly polluted artificial reservoir in eastern Lebanon in recent days AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 April 2021 Health workers wearing PPE attends to coronavirus patients inside a banquet hall temporarily converted into a covid care centre in New Delhi AFP/Getty World news in pictures 27 April 2021 The full moon, known as the Super Pink Moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Reuters World news in pictures 26 April 2021 Balinese people lay wreaths with names of the crew on board the sunk Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala during a prayer at the sea near Labuhan Lalang, Bali, Indonesia EPA World news in pictures 25 April 2021 An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worshipper walks around the Edicule, the place believed to be where Jesus Christ was buried, during Palm Sunday celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem AFP/Getty World news in pictures 24 April 2021 Fans of Wuhan Three Towns FC cheer for their team during the 1st round match Wuhan Three Towns FC and Beijing Institute of Technology FC during Chinese Football League One in Wuhan, China Getty World news in pictures 23 April 2021 A girl prays in front of the Dome of the Rock, in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalems Old City, on the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, as coronavirus restrictions ease around the country, in Jerusalem Reuters World news in pictures 22 April 2021 People walk through the art work 'THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS' by Yayoi Kusama, during the press preview of a retrospective exhibition of the Japanese artist at the Martin Gropius Bau museum in Berlin, Germany AP World news in pictures 21 April 2021 Hungary's Sara Peter competes in the Women's floor qualifications during European Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the St Jakobshalle, in Basel AFP/Getty World news in pictures 20 April 2021 South Korea university students gets their heads shaved during a protest against Japan's decision to release contaminated water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, in front of the Japanese embassy, in Seoul Reuters World news in pictures 19 April 2021 A spectator wearing a football jersey of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi attends the ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament singles match between Japan's Kei Nishikori and Argentina's Guido Pella at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona AFP/Getty World news in pictures 18 April 2021 People raise their fist during a demonstration near the George Floyd Memorial in Minneapolis, Minnesota AFP/Getty World news in pictures 17 April 2021 Security personnel stand guard outside a polling station during the 5th phase of West Bengal's state legislative assembly elections in Kolkata AFP/Getty World news in pictures 16 April 2021 Palestinians take part in the first Friday prayers of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City AFP/Getty World news in pictures 15 April 2021 A firefighter inspects the site of a car bomb attack in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 14 April 2021 This picture shows the 100 days countdown till the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games displayed on the illuminated Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo on April 14, 2021 AFP/Getty World news in pictures 13 April 2021 This photo taken and received courtesy of an anonymous source shows Buddhist monks gesturing while taking part in a demonstration with protesters against the military coup in Mandalay during the Myanmar New Year festival of Thingyan AFP/Getty World news in pictures 12 April 2021 An Indian holi man during the Kumbh Mela royal bath (Sacred Hindu Pilgrimage) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Thousands of pilgrims are gathering and taking holy dip in Kumbh Mela that is a mass Hindu pilgrimage which occurs after every twelve years and rotates among four locations EPA World news in pictures 11 April 2021 Nasa released images of of sand dunes on Mars captured using infrared reflections NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU World news in pictures 10 April 2021 People watch devotees pulling a chariot in Biska Jatra Festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal AP World news in pictures 9 April 2021 Maintenance workers clean the monument of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in Moscow on April 9, 2021. - Sixty years ago Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, marking it a new chapter in the history of space exploration. AFP/Getty World news in pictures 8 April 2021 Protesters hold a banner and burning red flares during a demonstration of called by unions of healthcare and social workers in support of their sector and to demand a bonus in their pay in Paris AFP/Getty World news in pictures 7 April 2021 Protesters laying on the street near the Election Commission office in Kolkata during a demonstration demanding the halt of the ongoing state legislative election and campaign rallies amidst the rising number of Covid-19 cases AFP/Getty World news in pictures 6 April 2021 Voters stand in queue to cast their votes at a polling booth during third phase of West Bengal state elections in Baruipur, South 24 Pargana district, India AP World news in pictures 5 April 2021 The Statue of Christ appears behind clouds from the Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon as the Portuguese government eased coronavirus restrictions AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 April 2021 Christian worshippers light candles during an Easter service in Yerevan, the Armenian capital AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 April 2021 Anti-coup protesters hold improvised weapons during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmars military Junta continued a brutal crackdown on a nationwide civil disobedience movement in which thousands of people have turned out in continued defiance of live ammunition Getty World news in pictures 2 April 2021 A rescue works at the site after a train derailed in a tunnel north of Hualien, Taiwan Reuters World news in pictures 1 April 2021 Man flashes three-finger salute next to burning tires during a protest against the military c Reuters World news in pictures 31 March 2021 Mannequins wrapped in barrier tape stand in front of Berlins landmark Brandenburg Gate as part of German artist Dennis Josef Mesegs Corona Memorial called It is Like it is AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 March 2021 A ship heads down the Suez Canal, in Ismalia, Egypt EPA World news in pictures 29 March 2021 Flocks of flamingos are pictured in a pond in Navi Mumbai AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 March 2021 Anti-coup protesters use slingshots and pelt stones towards approaching security forces on March 28, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmar's military Junta continued a brutal crackdown on a nationwide civil disobedience movement in which thousands of people have turned out in continued defiance of live ammunition. Getty World news in pictures 27 March 2021 The mother of Aung Zay Min, 20, who was shot and killed in the night by security forces, mourns over his body at his funeral in Dala township in Yangon, Myanmar Getty World news in pictures 26 March 2021 Farmers play cricket on a deserted highway road during a 12-hour strike, as part of protests against farm laws, at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghaziabad, India Reuters World news in pictures 25 March 2021 China Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2021 collection show in Beijing Reuters

And to make sure that the products of the human rights violations that take place in those camps dont end up on the shelves of supermarkets that we shop in here at home, week in and week out.

Labour's shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy criticised the lack of Magnitsky sanctions, telling MPs: The strength of his [the foreign secretary's] words are once again not matched by the strength of his actions and I am sorry to say that will be noticed loud and clear in Beijing.

It comes after Boris Johnson used an appearance at an international climate summit to hit out at the demented beliefs of traditional Chinese medicines that he claimed started the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at the One Planet Summit hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron with a focus on biodiversity and rewilding, he turned to focus on the suspected origins of the virus transferring to humans, describing it as a collision between mankind and the natural world.

Obviously its right to focus on climate change, obviously its right to cut CO2 emissions, but we wont achieve a real balance with our planet unless we protect nature as well, he said.

One final thought, dont forget that the coronavirus pandemic was the product of an imbalance in mans relationship with the natural world.

Like the original plague which struck the Greeks I seem to remember in book one of the Iliad, it is a zoonotic disease.

It originates from bats or pangolins, from the demented belief that if you grind up the scales of a pangolin you will somehow become more potent or whatever it is people believe, it originates from this collision between mankind and the natural world and weve got to stop it.
The release of South Koreas seized oil tanker and its crew is now a matter of the courts and out of the hands of the Iranian government, Irans foreign minister said Monday. The decision is the latest in a growing financial dispute between Tehran and Seoul ignited by US sanctions.

Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted by state news agency IRNA as announcing the decision to a South Korean delegation that had visited Tehran on Monday to press for the release of the tanker and its crew.

The case, Zarif was quoted as saying, is now under review within the framework of legal and judicial regulations. Instead, Irans top foreign diplomat flipped the script and urged South Korea to remove obstacles that would impede Iran's access to financial resources.

A South Korea delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Jong-Kun, arrived in Tehran this week to resolve tensions after the seizure of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker and its crew in the Strait of Hormuz on Jan. 4.

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cited environmental concerns when it initially seized the vessel, but the move fueled speculation that it was a tactical decision by the regime to force South Korea to unblock about $7 billion in Iranian oil sales held because of US banking restrictions against Iran. The ship is now anchored in Irans port city of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has since pressed Seoul to surrender the funds.

If anyone is a hostage-taker, its South Koreas government, which has taken hostage more than $7 billion of our revenues for no reason, government spokesperson Ali Rabiei said during a virtual news conference last Tuesday.

South Korea, among the worlds top five crude oil importers, had been one of Irans top oil customers before agreeing to halt purchases in May 2020 under pressure from Washington. Since then, Tehran has continued to press Seoul to release the frozen assets.

This is not the first time Iran has used the tactic of seizing a foreign-flagged oil tanker in the region. In July 2019, the IRGC took control of a British-flagged tanker, allegedly over breaking maritime rules. In another incident in August 2020, the US military said that Iran detained a Liberian-flagged tanker.
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
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Representatives of social media firms, including Twitter, are and will always remain safe in India: IT Ministry.

Through its actions, deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India's legal system: IT Ministry.

Twitter attempting to dictate terms to world's largest democracy: IT Ministry.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : In a virtual meet of Police chiefs of India and Bangladesh emphasis was laid on enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation especially against global terror groups. As a step towards that, designated 'nodal points' would be established for timely and effective handling and response to existing as well as emerging security and counter-terrorism challenges.

In the first delegation-level virtual Police Chiefs' Dialogue both sides agreed to enhance cooperation against terrorist entities including global terrorist groups, as well as other fugitives, wherever they are present and active.

Both sides also reiterated the need for sharing real time intelligence and feedback through the designated 'nodal points', while appreciating each other's ongoing action against insurgent groups operating in the region.

"The scope of enhanced coordination to combat trans-border criminal activities, including smuggling of drugs, Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), arms and ammunition and human trafficking was also discussed," the statement from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said.

In view of the limitations imposed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually on Tuesday. Both sides however emphasized the importance of this new high level mechanism, as the dialogue concluded with assurances of greater cooperation on both the sides to address all security challenges in future.

"The institution of the Police Chiefs' Dialogue, assisted by members of other security agencies on both sides, will further enhance the existing cooperation between the police forces of both countries, thereby further consolidating a relationship that transcends strategic partnership on this 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Bangladesh," the statement added.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Do you have questions about cremation? Tune in to watch A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Dont Plan to Die and learn what you need to know before you go! This episode is airing Albuquerques cable channel 27 on Tuesday, January 12 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 16 at 2:00 p.m. MST.

This 26-minute interview features Tom Antram, the president and CEO of FRENCH Funerals and Cremations, and Buck Dyck, a funeral director and funeral home location manager. Among the topics discussed:

Why cremation has skyrocketed in popularity.

What cremation actually entails.

The funeral homes process leading up to cremation, so families can know the remains they receive are the remains of their loved ones.

Examples of creative memorial services and creative things to do with cremated remains.

A Good Goodbye TV, the only television series devoted to discussing funeral planning issues, is also available on YouTube. Host Gail Rubin, CT, interviews experts in a range of end-of-life areas on what you need to know BEFORE theres a death in the family. Learn more about the entire A Good Goodbye TV series HERE.

The anchor sponsor for the series is the FRENCH Family of Companies. They include FRENCH Funerals & Cremations; FRENCH Advance Planning; Sunset Memorial Park; Best Friends Pet Services; Best Friends Forever Pet Cemetery and Cremation Society of New Mexico (CSNM). FRENCH is the recipient of the National Funeral Directors Associations 2012 Pursuit of Excellence Award and a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Their website is www.FrenchFunerals.com. Other sponsors include (in alphabetical order):

The four-DVD set of 12 interviews, from pre-need planning to grief counseling, is $24.99 plus shipping. Place your order for the A Good Goodbye TV series on DVD today! CLICK HERE to order.

Cremation Urns, Jewelry and Keepsakes

Need a cremation urn, cremation jewelry, or keepsake urns? Check out A Good Goodbyes Urn Store. At this online shopping site, youll find a wide selection of quality products, the same ones that funeral homes purchase. You can place your order through the secure site, or call 888-317-3099 and speak with a live person.

There are urns of brass, wood, ceramics, marble, and biodegradable options. The jewelry includes options in gold, sterling silver, stainless steel, and glass. There are lovely handmade urns and jewelry, and fingerprint jewelry that can preserve the unique patterns of people and pets in silver or gold. The site also features The Life Chest, beautiful memento storage boxes in a range of styles.

The online store is run by UPD Urns, a respected company with a long track record of providing cremation products to funeral homes. The public can now browse and directly buy the same products carried by funeral homes. The FTC Funeral Rule allows the public to bring their own cremation containers to a funeral home, which must accept it without charging a fee.

You can choose your products and place your order online through the secure site, which accepts payment by Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express and PayPal. If you prefer, call 888-317-3099 and speak with a live person. Visit the Memorial Store now!

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P. Lehman / Barcroft Media via Getty ImagesLast month, Selena Gomez told Billboard that she had "a whole little vessel of good things coming" in the new year, and also said there was a possibility that she'd do a Spanish-language project. Now it appears as though that project is on the horizon.

Selena fans in Mexico have posted photos on social media of murals of Selena have gone up on walls in that country, along with what appear to be the titles of two singles: "De Una Vez" and "Baila Conmigo" --- which translate to "At Once" and "Dance with Me."

Someone also posted a screenshot of Selena herself "liking" a post of one of the murals on Instagram, indicating that fans are onto something.

Selena's most recent album, Rare, just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Selena also just launched a new collection of her Rare Beauty line of makeup, and she's busy filming the Hulu TV series Only Murders in the Building.

DE UNA VEZ & BAILA CONMIGO another promo in Mexico! pic.twitter.com/O5Y1mQ2hpF  Selena Gomez Worldwide (@WorldwideSelG) January 12, 2021

By Andrea Dresdale

Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Justin Long has spoken about how he dealt with his mother Wendy's cancer diagnosis in 2006.

'We were all terrified,' the actor, 42, told SurvivorNet about the family health crisis that came in 2006, spurred by an initial misdiagnosis by her physicians.

'They thought for years that she just had fibroids that had become enlarged,' The Wave actor said. 'I think that's what they kept just diagnosing it as, and so they would keep an eye on it.'

The latest: Justin Long, 42, spoke about how he dealt with his mother Wendy's cancer diagnosis 14 years back

The Life is Short podcaster told the outlet that the 'area started to become distended' and 'finally, somebody investigated enough to discover that it was, in fact, a tumor' the size of a grapefruit , but had not yet metastasized.

Long, who's been seen in films such as Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball and Live Free or Die Hard, said that his mother 'played it very cool' and kept calm amid six months of chemotherapy treatment, which caused her to lose her hair.

'It struck me that she didn't seem to really worry about herself during that time. I'm sure she was, but ... if she was, she didn't really let us know,' he said. 'I was really proud of her and struck by that. 'We were all, of course, freaked. We were all terrified.'

He added: 'I remember it was interesting because she would get a little tired. There were moments where shed feel a little bit more rundown, but otherwise, my moms very plucky and bubbly.'

Long said that his mother 'played it very cool' and kept calm amid six months of chemotherapy treatment, which caused her to lose her hair. They were snapped in 2007 in NYC

Devoted: The mother and son posed at a film premiere in 2010 in LA

Long opened up about his emotional reaction when he saw his mother without hair.

'She had lost her hair and shes got a scarf ... and then she would either take off her hat and youd see and I know this is going to sound really superficial, but I remember there was something so striking about my mom not having' hair,' he said. 'Theres something so striking about it, so dramatic about the way she looked. It instantly reminded you' of her health battle.

'I remember the sensation of having to suppress my knee-jerk emotional reaction, which was a wave of fear and sadness,' he said. 'I think I probably think about death more than the average person.'

Long, who provides the voice of Roboto in the upcoming Masters of the Universe: Revelation miniseries, shared a selfie at home with his dog

Long, who provides the voice of Roboto in the upcoming Masters of the Universe: Revelation miniseries, said that the troubling time brought the family closer.

'I think it made me so much more appreciative for the time that we have left and the want to make more out of it,' he said. 'It was a scary time for sure.'

The actor said he 'was really touched by how well taken care of' his mother was at Yale New Haven Hospital amid her chemo treatments.
Louis Capriotti, 45, was taken into custody near his home in Chicago Heights on Tuesday. He is pictured in a 2016 mugshot

A Chicago man has been arrested for threatening to surround the White House on Joe Biden's inauguration and allegedly kill any 'mother-f***ing Democrat' who steps on the lawn.

Louis Capriotti, 45, was taken into custody near his home in Chicago Heights on Tuesday and charged with transmitting a threat.

Federal prosecutors allege that Capriotti made the inauguration threat in a voicemail that he left for an unnamed member of Congress from New Jersey last month.

In the voicemail, Capriotti that if people 'think that Joe Biden is going to put his hand on the Bible and walk into that f***ing White House on January 20th, they're sadly f***ing mistaken.

'We will surround the motherf***ing White House and we will kill any motherf***ing Democrat that steps on the motherf***ing lawn.'

He went on to say: 'Democrats are f***ing terrorists.'

Louis Capriotti, 45, has been arrested for threatening to surround the White House on Joe Biden's inauguration and allegedly kill any 'mother-f***ing Democrat' who steps on the lawn

According to prosecutors, Capriotti has a history of leaving profanity-laced voicemails for members of Congress.

He is accused of leaving dozens of threatening voicemails that date back to 2019.

He never identified himself by name in the voicemails but agents tracked the calls to Capriotti's cellphone.

Authorities believe he left similar messages using a different cellphone number between 2017 and 2019.

The criminal complaint does not mention the members of Congress by name.

In the voicemails, which were all forwarded on to Capitol Police, Capriotti screamed and referred to certain members of Congress as 'terrorists' or 'gun grabbing'.

Federal prosecutors allege that Capriotti made the inauguration threat in a voicemail that he left for an unnamed member of Congress from New Jersey last month

He also referenced their religion and race in some cases, prosecutors say.

When first questioned by the FBI back in February 2020, Capriotti admitted to leaving the threatening voicemail messages, according to the complaint.

At the time, he told agents he was 'just f**king with them' and that he 'didn't mean any ill will'.

Despite FBI agents telling him to stop, Capriotti continued to leave voicemails throughout the last year.

He identified himself in multiple recordings as a 'nine-year Marine, active duty'.

Capriotti also said that he had 'killed' several 'terrorists' at war.

The agents who interviewed him early last year say that he confirmed he had not served in the military.
NSW's Deputy Premier John Barilaro says sections of the Kosciuszko National Park should be free of feral horses and overall numbers should be cut to as low as 600, a dramatic shift from his previous positions.

We must reduce the number of brumbies, whether its down to 600, 1000, or 3000," Mr Barilaro told the Herald, adding that there are parts of the park that should have zero horses".

Feral horses at Long Plain near Kiandra, from last November. The latest count suggests numbers in the park may have fallen although researchers say they remain unsustainably high for the delicate alpine ecosystems of the Kosciuszko National Park. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Barilaro made the comments ahead of the release of the government's latest count of horses in the park. "Weve seen a lot of brumbies lost to drought and bushfires," he said.

The latest spring survey, obtained by the Herald, show the numbers of the animals totalled more than 14,000 compared with 19,000 a year earlier. Environment Minister Matt Kean attributed the drop to effects of bushfire and drought, movement of animals out of the park, and a smaller survey region.
From an early age, the need to be great was often drilled into me from the get-go. I was often told that I had to be greater than the generation before me, I had to be great at academics at school, and eventually, to be great at my profession, whatever that was. However, how I could become great was never explained to me, and this caused a tension in what I perceived as greatness, and my ability to understand what it meant to be great.

Challenges and changes

One of the recent conversations I had with a friend of mine was about this very topic, and for those who hear his story, it truly resembles something that I consider to be reflective of what it means to pursue greatness. My friend, Rajeev, or G-Vo, as his stage name suggests, was actually born in Sri Lanka and eventually moved to the States after the civil war in his home country forced him and his family out as refugees. Coming from a family where his mother was a Christian and his father was Hindu, Rajeev continued to question his faith, especially after his mother eventually passed away from cancer when he was nine years old.

I vividly recall the moment when I began to reflect on my faith in a deeper way, especially when I was a kid in primary school wanting to share with others. I had just started a Bible study group in the library and had begun inviting my friends to come along. However, being a Christian in school wasnt easy, and I began to question if my motives were authentic, or if I wanted to change others before I was open to change myself. Its a question I still ask myself to this day.

Calling

For Rajeev, the question of faith began to turn his desperation for people to know the message of Jesus into a pursuit of his calling as an artist. After going to university on a scholarship and eventually entering the corporate working world after graduating, he yearned for an outlet to express his faith using a more creative and authentic approach. He finally started making music, and realised that God was calling him, and, in his words, He felt the Lord say, I want you to do music, thats what I created you for.

Ive always contemplated the connection between what many describe as a calling and what others see as a profession. The difference between the two, I believe, is perspective. The latter is what many feel they should do, depending on their skills, interests and experiences; but the former is often what we are meant to pursue, especially as a desire or a passion that drives us to fulfill our purpose.

My friend Rajeev eventually went onto share in our conversation that he began to focus on his calling to be an artist, and started to perform at Christian conferences and venues, such as Urbana, eventually selling out Los Angeles famous House of Blues, and is currently working on a recent opportunity for a musical project at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in California.

Connecting passion to purpose

Part of his passion has also led him to write a book entitled, The New Great, which deconstructs the definition of greatness, and explores the wholistic meaning of what it means to be great at what we are meant to do.

Rajeev shares that despite releasing six albums and currently working at a church, as a married man, he has realised the importance of family, and hopes to continue to inspire people, not only through music, but in inviting people to become part of the family of God. It is in this way that we are able to influence others and pursue greatness in our own daily lives.

Redefinitions

As it says in Scripture, ...instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew chapter 20 verses 26-28). In other words, if we are meant to be great, we must first learn to start small, and in so doing, learn the way to pursue greatness in the way we choose to serve others.

Learning to redefine greatness is the key to leading a life that is truly great.

Dr Anthony Fauci said it is a 'possibility' that a homegrown variant of the coronavirus is fueling a spike in cases across the U.S.

The nation's top infectious disease expert said the rise in cases in America looks similar to the rise in the U.K., where the new strain was first detected

'It could be - a possibility - that we have our own mutant that's being more easily transmissible,' Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Washington Post on Monday.

'We don't know. We're looking for it...If you look at the slope of our curve, which is very steep, it looks a bit like the curve in the UK.'

Cases have been rising in the UK as London Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed one in 30 Londoners now has COVID-19.

He's also demanded that researchers ramp up their search for new variants as soon as possible.

It comes as the CDC says it has found no evidence of a new American strain, and health experts say the exponential rise in cases could be due to other reasons.

Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx have warned that a variant of the coronavirus may have mutated in the U.S. and could be responsible for the uptick in cases. Pictured: Birx listens as Fauci speaks during a meeting at the White House, April 2020

Birx warned that this new strain could be up to '50% more transmissible' and is spreading side-by-side with the new UK variant. Pictured: The rise of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

Fauci said the curve of U.S. infections 'looks a bit like the curve in the UK.' Pictured: The rise of COVID-19 cases in the UK

The UK strain is currently responsible for 82 cases in 10 states, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of federal and state data

'Based on scientific understanding of viruses, it is highly likely there are many variants evolving simultaneously across the globe,' a spokesman told CNN in a statement.

'Additionally, there is a strong possibility there are variants in the United States; however, it could weeks or months to identify if there is a single variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 fueling the surge in the United States similar to the surge in the United Kingdom.

'To date, neither researchers nor analysts at CDC have seen the emergence of a particular variant in the United States as has been seen with the emergence of B.1.1.7 in the United Kingdom or B.1.351 in South Africa.'

The CDC did not immediately reply to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

According to officials, the idea was first floated by Dr Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

She discussed the current surge that is nearly twice the rate of infections seen in the spring and summer and wrote the remarks during a weekly report sent to state governors.

Birx speculated the increase in cases could be because a new, more infectious variant of the virus is circulating - in the same way that Britain has been shaken by the new B.1.1.7 strain

'This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and summer surges,' the report read.

'This acceleration suggests there may be a USA variant that has evolved here, in addition to the UK variant that is already spreading in our communities and may be 50% more transmissible.

'Aggressive mitigation must be used to match a more aggressive virus.'

It is not immediately clear why the U.S. issued a statement about a potential new strain in a report to governors.

The CDC says it has no evidence that a mutant strain is responsible and other health experts concur. Pictured: A person gets tested for COVID-19 before working on the play Seven Deadly Sins at Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, Florida, December 2020

Some epidemiologists say an increase in cases could be due to more indoor gatherings or colder temperatures. Pictured: Respiratory therapists configure a remote monitoring device for a hospital at home program at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, December 2020

Despite the lack of evidence, health experts cannot rule out the possibility of a new mutation - especially with the U.S. hitting a new seven-day rolling average record for cases at 247,503 on Tuesday.

While there may be other factors fueling the rise, such as household gatherings and colder temperatures, some states do not have the ability to conduct genome sequencing.

This means the U.S. cannot adequately detect and trace outbreaks that may be linked to a randomly mutated virus.

''Are the variants that are out there escaping the protection of the vaccine? Yes or no? That's what they're working on right now,' Fauci in reference to scientists researching the mutations.

'I need that answer and I need it very quickly.'

However, health experts say it is too early to speculate due to lack of evidence.

'I think it's far too early to know, and I don't think we have nearly enough data to make that judgement call,' Dr Jonathon Kantor, a Jacksonville epidemiologist, told News 4 Jax.

Dr Scott Hensley, an expert on viruses and immunity at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN: 'I do not know of a variant that has been identified in the U.S. that could be responsible for the rise we are seeing.

'The rise in cases does not necessarily need a genetic explanation.'

Currently, Arizona, California, Rhode Island, Oklahoma and Arkansas have seen the greatest increases in cases over the last 14 days - by as much as 61 percent, according to The New York Times.

ARIZONA: Arizona has reported a total of 636,100 coronavirus cases, with a spike of 53% over the last 14 days

CALIFORNIA: California has recorded a total of 2,747,288 new COVID-19 infections with a 7% increase over the last two weeks

RHODE ISLAND: The toll of known cases in Rhode Island sits at 101,393 with a surge of 47% over the last 14 days

OKLAHOMA: The state has reported a total of 337,457 confirmed cases with an rise of 49% over the last two weeks

ARKANSAS: Arkansas has reported a total of 259,553 COVID-19 cases with a spike of 61% over the last 14 days

In the U.S., the UK strain - B 1.1.7. - has infected at least 82 people in 10 states, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of state and federal data.

However, there are likely many more unreported or undetected cases.

What's more, a Minnesota case of the new variant indicates it may have been circulating in the U.S. far earlier than previously believed.

The positive sample comes from a patient that was taken on December 18 and uploaded to the global genomic database GISAID.

The CDC has been running genomic tests of the variant first seen in Great Britain and has tested more than 5,700 samples.

The UK ranks eighth in the world for submitting the most viral genome sequences to GISAID while the US ranks 43rd.

Last week, a CDC official told DailyMail.com that quickly turning around results of the process to detect the new variant 'isn't an urgent need,' because the findings won't change how the US handles the pandemic.

'For less urgent sequencing, when there isn't an urgent need to get the data turned around quickly, it's much more efficient to batch them when it's [for the purpose of] large surveillance data,' Dr Greg Armstrong, director of the CDC's Office of Advanced Molecular Detection, said.

''There are no clinical implications for these patients, and a variant with this low presence is not going to impact what non-pharmacological interventions [that we employ],' he said.

In good news, however, the Pfizer vaccine appears to work against the mutated strains, according to a new study. and Moderna says it plans to soon release evidence showing similar results.

'What we have to have right now is to have public faith in a vaccine,' Kantor said.

'Keep in mind, this is a vaccine your doctors are getting, this is a vaccine your nurses are getting and there is a reason why your doctors and nurses are in line to get the vaccine.;
(@FahadShabbir)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence during a meeting at the White House pledged to work together for the rest of their term, a senior US administration official said in a statement.

Pence and Trump's relationship soured after the vice president upheld Biden's victory during the certification process in Congress last week that was interrupted when the president's supporters stormed Capitol Hill. The meeting reportedly was the first one between Pence and Trump since the January 6 Capitol Hill riots, which Democrats have accused Trump of fueling.

"The President and the Vice President met this afternoon in the Oval Office," the official said after the meeting on Monday. "The Two had a good conversation, discussing the week ahead and reflecting on the last four years of the administration's work and accomplishments.

They... pledged to continue the work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term."

Congressional Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment against Trump for allegedly inciting an insurrection and have called on Pence to invoke constitutional authorities to remove Trump from power.

The readout added that Trump and Pence reiterated that the protesters that stormed the US Capitol building do not represent the 75 million Americans that voted for them in the 2020 US election.

On January 6, a group of Trump's loyalists stormed the US Capitol building, clashing with police, damaging property, seizing the inauguration stage and occupying the rotunda. The unrest took place after Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claims is a stolen election.


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President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that the freezing of public sector salaries is a fair measure, given the current economic crisis, as there is less money in the budget.

"The freezing of salaries seems fair to me. We are in full pandemic, we are in an economic crisis, we are in the phase of trying to end this epidemic with vaccinations and restrictions, but we must be very aware that the economy has suffered and shrunk. The conclusion is simple: there is less money in the budget. The obvious conclusion: there can be no question of increasing public sector salaries in 2021 until we exit economic crisis. It is a simple conclusion, we are not talking about austerity because salaries and pensions are not cut, the pensioners remain with the increase that was decided last autumn, but, unfortunately, when there is an economic crisis, we cannot talk about increases in the area of public sector staff. I can understand there are dissatisfied people. People expected, after a pandemic year, with many sacrifices, to return to normalcy and increased salaries, but things must be seen as they are," the head of state told a press conference at the Cotroceni Palace.

He said that salaries and pensions will be be increased when Romania emerges from the economic crisis."I am convinced that this year we will emerge from the economic crisis," Iohannis said.The head of state reminded that pensions have increased."The approved increase remains in force, so pensions have increased and will remain so," the head of state added.
The Bombay High Court extends interim relief to Kangana Ranaut and sister Rangoli Chandel in the sedition case. According to reports, on Monday (January 11), the court observed serious reservations over invoking the penal section of sedition against the actress and extended the interim protection till January 25.

A report by ANI News said, "The high court was hearing the petition filed by actor Ranaut seeking to quash FIR filed against her in Bandra Police station. The court has adjourned the hearing till January 25, giving relief to sisters - Kangana Ranaut and Rangoli Chandel from any coercive action against them by police."

The court reportedly ordered the Mumbai Police not to call the sisters for questioning until the next hearing. For the unversed, Kangana and Rangoli had filed a plea in the court seeking a stay on the investigation against them, and that the FIR registered against them be quashed.

A division bench of Justice SS Shinde and Manish Pitale while hearing Ranaut and her sister's plea against the case, asked that a complainant is to be file as a response to Ranaut's plea to quash the FIR. Back in November 2020, the court had provided protection to the sisters against arrest, questioning the use of IPC 124-A (sedition) in the complaint.

On January 11, the court added, "We anyway have serious reservations about invoking 124A of IPC."

Notably, a case was registered against Kangana and Rangoli at Bandra Police Station on October 17, 2020, for allegedly posting derogatory tweets against Muslims on Twitter. Both sisters appeared before Bandra Police on January 8, 2021, to give their statements in the matter.

ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut Says She Was Grilled At Bandra Police Station For Hours; Leaves For Bhopal

ALSO READ: Fashion Designer Satya Paul Passes Away; Kangana Ranaut, Lakshmi Manchu & Others Mourn His Demise
This puts inside counsel in a tough spot because the finance team is leaning on their lawyers to control outside law firm costs, but the deal teams are frequently instructing outside counsel directly and comparing their relative value in isolation. Past News Releases RSS

Private equity (PE) firms are holding their in-house lawyers responsible for outside counsel costs, but the organizational structure of PE houses and lack of data inhibits their ability to control legal expenses. Thats according to a new study by Apperio titled Responsibility Without Control? Challenges Facing Private Equity Legal Leaders in 2021.

The study, which is based on an independent poll of 160 in-house legal professionals at PE organizations, found about two-thirds (62%) are accountable for selecting preferred law firm partners. However, fewer than half (46%) are responsible for approving budgets on new legal projects  and just about a quarter (28%) are tasked with measuring outside counsel performance.

This puts inside counsel in a tough spot because the finance team is leaning on their lawyers to control outside law firm costs, but the deal teams are frequently instructing outside counsel directly and comparing their relative value in isolation, says Apperio Founder and CEO Nicholas dAdhemar, who is both a former lawyer and PE investment manager.

Certain matters always go over budget

About one-fifth of respondents say certain legal matters always go over budget, according to the survey. These matters include investment financing (28%), regulation (22%), fund structuring (17%), and litigation (21%). In addition, another roughly 50% of respondents say these matters are sometimes susceptible to exceeding the budget.

Even more concerning, more than half (54%) say finance teams have resigned themselves to the idea that legal expenses will always be unpredictable. That notion suggests over-budget matters are becoming a cultural norm.

While this may sound like a potential windfall for law firms, the survey suggests otherwise:



76% of PE legal leaders frequently negotiate discounts in response to surprise invoices

74% delay payment on legal bills that exceed their expectations

72% regularly challenge individual line items in law firm invoices; and

81% are considering working with alternative legal service providers (ALSPs) in the future.

Trilateral relationship structure

The distributed authority structure in private equity is a significant factor that can lead to uncontrolled legal costs  and a sometimes-fractious trilateral relationship among legal, finance and deal teams. However, restructuring isnt feasible because this model provides dealmakers with the agility to rapidly pursue attractive deal opportunities.

Still, in-house lawyers may worry their lack of control over budgets may be roiling their relationships with business peers. The survey found 78% of respondents say cost overruns cause friction between legal and finance  and 79% say surprise legal invoices create friction between the legal team and the wider PE organization.

Legal spend data takes center stage

A focus on gaining better visibility into ongoing deals and associated matters, with timely spend data, is taking center stage. For example, nearly three-quarters (74%) of senior legal leaders surveyed say legal spend optimization is a key priority for 2021. Further, 84% agreed that having access to current, or live data, around legal expenses would improve a deal teams ability to take corrective actions and avoid budget overruns.

Deal teams ultimately have the power and incentive to make changes that will achieve efficiency gains, but they dont have the benefit of oversight and deep legal knowledge to manage this alone, adds dAdhemar. In-house lawyers do have this experience and with improved data and analytics, can bring increased predictability and value to their PE organizations.

About the survey

The report is based on a commissioned independent survey of 160 in-house legal professionals at PE organizations with an average of $14 billion under management in the US and UK. A complimentary copy of the report is freely available for download here or simply email marketing@apperio.com to request a copy.

About Apperio

Apperio is a legal spend analytics and matter tracking platform which effectively transforms how corporate legal departments function, bringing clarity, control and confidence to their operations. The platform provides complete real-time certainty on legal spend, aggregating data from all connected law firms and providing consistent, up-to-date information on all work-in-progress (WIP) and billed legal matters. Apperio visually represents for legal teams, finance and other corporate departments exactly what has and will be spent on legal fees, accurately measuring the performance of its external law firms. Quick to install, cloud-based Apperio requires no on-site IT team. Currently, the platform is used daily by more than 50 in-house legal teams including Network Rail, Royal London, Monzo and Farfetch.

Apperio is based in London, England. For more information, please visit Apperio.com or follow Apperio on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Media Contact:

Frank Strong

for Apperio, Ltd.

+1 202-352-5920

media@apperio.com

Apple, Google, Amazon ban Parler; conservatives decry censorship

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Conservatives, including Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson, blasted Apple, Google, and Amazon for banning the social networking app Parler based on the claim that it allowed violent comments before pro-Trump protesters and others breached the U.S. Capitol building last week.

At midnight on Sunday, Amazon will be shutting off all of our servers in an attempt to completely remove free speech off the internet, Parler Chief Executive John Matze wrote on the networking app Saturday.

Hours earlier, Matze had written, Amazon, Google, and Apple purposefully did this as a coordinated effort knowing our options would be limited.

Matze said Apple will not restore the app until we give up free speech, institute broad and invasive policies like Twitter and Facebook and we become a surveillance platform by pursuing guilt of those who use Parler before innocence.

Responding to the ban and supporting Parler, Robertson said millions of people use the platform to share Jesus and hear the Gospel.

You cant pull the plug on Jesus," he wrote.

They dont mention that in the mainstream media. Now theres a joint effort by Big Tech companies to shut us down. Well be on Parler till Amazon pulls the plug, and well be back here hollering about Jesus when Parler finds a new home.

Apple claimed it has always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity, according to CNET. It sought to explain that Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to peoples safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues.

Google has also said it will restore Parler only when it moderates its service better.

Matze argued against the claim that Parler was banned due to violence. The community disagrees as we hit number 1 on their store today. The same day Hand Mike Pence, a disgusting violent suggestion, was trending nationally on Twitter, displaying the horrible double standard Apple and their Big Tech pack apply to the community.

The CEO made it clear that "violence and coordinating riots ... and insurrections has no place on social media," and noted that "most people on Parler are non-violent people."

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee also called out Big Tech's double standard, writing on his website that there are countless legitimate users on Parler, including me.

These tech giants have allowed leftist groups such as Antifa and BLM to use their sites to organize protests that turned into riots, they allow violent rhetoric and death threats aimed at conservatives, and theyve even turned a blind eye to Iran posting death to America rhetoric. But they ban the U.S. President and those who support him, he wrote.

Huckabee said Republicans in Congress made a big mistake in not reining in their partisan monopolistic practices when they had the chance.

But that cannot be expected now, the former governor added. But I expect to see a flood of lawsuits following this, along with product boycotts and a mass exodus of millions of users.

Huckabee asked, But where will they go if these leftist corporations abuse their power to strangle or force censorship onto alternative sites?

Matze said Google didnt have a conversation with Parler about an objective standard. Our position is that all the content they wanted us to remove was already removed or existed only on Twitter.

He said Google employees met with some staff of Parler a week earlier through a Zoom call. After they realized the call was being recorded, they asked for clarity. Then they claimed they didnt know how to properly use Zoom and asked to reschedule the call. They never did and we have not spoken since.

He said he heard about their decision in the press.

"We value free speech per what the U.S. constitution allows," Matze stated. "What the media is doing is by continuing to attack is disgusting. We need to get together and Parley and heal and move on.

He said Parler is now rebuilding from scratch. We will try our best to move to a new provider right now as we have many competing for our business.

The bans come after pro-Trump protesters who claim voter fraud impacted the election outcome breached the Capitol building on Wednesday and forced an evacuation on the day when Congress was scheduled to count Electoral College votes and confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The riot led to five deaths.

Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that President Trump had been banned from the platform indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks following the rioting at the Capitol.

We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete, Zuckerberg said in a statement.

Twitter followed suit. After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them  specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter  we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence, Twitter said in a statement.

President Trump responded. I predicted this would happen, he said in a statement. We have been negotiating with various other sites, and will have a big announcement soon, while we also look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future. We will not be SILENCED!
Dunhill Early Morning Pipe Tobacco, 1990's Murray. Credit: Sjschen/Wikipedia

Researchers at the University of York are calling for more stringent regulatory measures to reduce the health burden of smokeless tobacco, a product often found in UK stores without the proper health warnings and as a result of illicit trading.

Smokeless tobacco is particularly popular in Asia and Africa and includes chewing tobacco as well as various types of nasal tobacco. They contain high levels of nicotine as well as cancer producing toxic chemicals, making head and neck cancers common in those who consume smokeless tobacco products.

In a study of 25 wards across five boroughsBirmingham, Bradford, Blackburn, Leicester, and Tower Hamletsresearchers looked at the types of products sold in local shops and assessed their compliance with UK regulations.

Cancer risk

They found that small amounts of smokeless tobacco are smuggled into the UK through domestic luggage, and larger amounts came through land and sea routes via Europe, whilst others are produced locally through small scale setups. In 52% of the local shops surveyed, products were sold under different brand names, none of which are legally permitted for sale in the UK.

Faraz Siddiqui, Research Fellow at the University of York's Department of Health Sciences, said: "Many people of South Asian origin use smokeless tobacco products, and it is particularly popular among women. Continued use of these products is known to lead to several oral and general health conditions, including cancers.

"It is imperative that smokeless tobacco products, which are directly implicated in head and neck cancers, are regulated in the same way that cigarette smoking is. And yet despite 181 countries agreeing to a common approach to controlling the demand and supply, there is still a serious lack of regulations in place."

Packaging issues

The research, funded by Cancer Research UK, showed that almost half of identified products did not match packaging requirements. These were often sold in colourful packaging resembling confectionery items, and carried misleading information on taste and experience. Only 15% of these products were found to have health warnings.

Products were also considerably cheaper than cigarettes, and some varieties were available for as low as 70p. Approximately 18% of surveyed shopkeepers were aware of laws that applied to smokeless tobacco.

Death rate

Professor Kamran Siddiqui, from the University's Department of Health Sciences, said: "In a study we conducted earlier this year, we found that the number of deaths globally due to smokeless tobacco has gone up by a third in just seven years to an estimated 350,000 people.

"Plain packaging and graphic health warnings applicable to cigarettes, for example, do not currently apply to smokeless tobacco, which is why we found so many products resembling sweet wrappers, readily accessible on shop countertops.

"Stricter laws and regulations of smokeless tobacco products in England are needed as a matter of urgency, as the absence of these policies will only see the health risks for South Asian people rise still further."

The researchers have suggested that a holistic approach to improving smokeless tobacco regulation could be the best way forward in communities with high numbers of South Asian people. This includes community engagement activities to raise awareness of health risks and offering dedicated cessation support services for smokeless tobacco in the same way that it is for smoking.

Explore further More policy work needed to reduce use of smokeless tobacco, say researchers

More information: Faraz Siddiqui et al. Smokeless tobacco products, supply chain and retailers' practices in England: a multimethods study to inform policy, Tobacco Control (2021). Journal information: Tobacco Control Faraz Siddiqui et al. Smokeless tobacco products, supply chain and retailers' practices in England: a multimethods study to inform policy,(2021). DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055830

French fintech partners with global enabler to deploy innovative digital financing

i2c Inc., a leading provider of digital payment and banking technology, announced its partnership with Jifiti, a consumer financing platform working to streamline loan programs for banks, lenders, and merchants throughout Europe. i2c will be leveraging its next-generation platform to support Jifiti in the launch of a mobile consumer finance program in France for an undisclosed global retail brand in the furniture space.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005303/en/

i2c Inc. and Jifiti Simplify Consumer Financing for Major Retailer in France. French fintech partners with global enabler to deploy innovative digital financing. i2c Inc., a leading provider of digital payment and banking technology, announced its partnership with Jifiti, a consumer financing platform working to streamline loan programs for banks, lenders, and merchants throughout Europe. i2c will be leveraging its next-generation platform to support Jifiti in the launch of a mobile consumer finance program in France for an undisclosed global retail brand in the furniture space.

Jifiti's program allows customers to apply for a loan on their phone or online when shopping with the major brand in France, issuing them a virtual card immediately upon approval, checking-out seamlessly whether online or in-store. i2c's ability to process authorizations through Mastercard allows Jifiti to work with the bank of their choice for financing, without Jifiti or the partner bank having to own the authorization process themselves.

"We are thrilled to partner with i2c, a market-leader in reliability with key in-region partnerships and technology to support the vision and scale of our initiative," Yaacov Martin, Co-Founder and CEO of Jifiti said. "i2c's commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions with their flexible and robust platform allows us to elevate the point-of-sale experience for both merchants and end-users alike."

"Jifiti is innovating and supporting global retail brands in such novel ways, and we're excited to have the opportunity to help them achieve their vision and accelerate time-to-market through our modular processing solutions," said Jonathan Vaux, General Manager EU for i2c. "Our partnership with Mastercard's European network allows Jifiti to focus on their core product, without sacrificing the ability to scale."

With i2c's highly configurable global payments platform, Jifiti is able to introduce new and innovative solutions for merchants, lenders, and customers quickly and easily, a model it is looking to expand to other retailers in Europe.

About Jifiti

Jifiti is a fintech company with offices in the US and Tel Aviv, Israel. Its proprietary POS-financing platform is changing the way lenders and merchants implement and offer consumer financing at the point-of-sale. The end-to-end solution works seamlessly with any existing POS or e-commerce system, eliminating the integration process between lenders and the merchant's systems. Jifiti operates in North America and Europe, supporting global retail brands and financial institutions. For more information, visit www.jifiti.com.

About i2c Inc.

i2c is a global provider of highly-configurable payment and banking solutions. Using i2c's proprietary "building block" technology, clients can easily create and manage a comprehensive set of solutions for credit, debit, prepaid, lending and more, quickly and cost-effectively. i2c delivers unparalleled flexibility, agility, security and reliability from a single global SaaS platform. Founded in 2001, and headquartered in Silicon Valley, i2c's next-generation technology supports millions of users in more than 200 countries/territories and across all time zones. For more information, visit www.i2cinc.com and follow us at @i2cinc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005303/en/

Contacts:

Heather Clifton

Chief Marketing Officer

media@i2cinc.com
By Andy Sullivan, David Shepardson and Paresh Dave WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress faced growing blowback on Monday from businesses that said they would cut off campaign contributions to those who voted last week to challenge President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The announcements by Amazon.com Inc, General Electric Co, Dow Inc, AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp, Verizon Communications Inc, American Express Co, Airbnb Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, Best Buy Co Inc and Mastercard Inc, among others, threaten to throttle fundraising resources for Republicans who will soon be ...
Scott Morrison made a tough but necessary call one month ago to cancel support for an Australian vaccine because he wanted to maximise community confidence in the treatment of COVID-19.

Now the Prime Minister has another challenge in shoring up that confidence, only this time the threat comes from within his own ranks.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to criticise backbench MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly over their controversial Facebook posts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly has become a dangerous source of dubious advice and outright lies on social media at a time when the government wants full support for a mammoth effort to vaccinate almost everyone.

Kelly rails against the use of masks and calls them "child abuse" for schoolchildren when political leaders and health authorities are telling Australians to cover up.




Carrying flags showing the name of President Donald Trump, the Capitols attackers are accused of killing one police officer and injuring many others.

Reports say they threatened Vice President Mike Pence.

Hang Mike Pence! they cried as they pushed inside. They had built gallows outside, complete with a tied rope. Guns and small explosives were hidden nearby.

Now, more stories are beginning to describe what really happened last week when attackers breached the Capitol. They were looking for the vice president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

They were not just a group of Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats. MAGA stands for Make America Great Again and is a favorite Trump statement.

Congressman Jim McGovern described how he saw the crowd.

What I saw in front of me, he said, was basically home-grown fascism, out of control.

Pelosi said Sunday on American television that the breach was a well-planned, organized group with leadership and guidance and direction.

Smartphone videos are being found, many from the attackers themselves, and lawmakers are telling their stories.



The attack

Thousands of attackers had moved into the area. They quickly pushed through the outnumbered police.

Outside, a man threw a heavy fire extinguisher at the head of a police officer. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was wounded in the attack. He died the next night. Officials say he had been hit in the head with a fire extinguisher.

At about 2 p.m., Pence was taken from the Senate to a secret area. Police announced security measures in the Capitol building, which is often called the Peoples House.

At 2:15 p.m., a voice said on the buildings sound system: The protesters are in the building. The doors of the House of Representatives were barricaded. Lawmakers inside were told they may need to hide or go to small rooms connected to the House floor because the attackers were in the building.

Capitol Police pulled Pelosi away from her podium, she told American television.

At 2:44 p.m., lawmakers inside the House chamber were getting ready to be leave. They heard the gunshot that killed Ashli Babbit, as she climbed through a broken window.



Ten minutes later, House lawmakers and employees were taken to a secure room. The attackers broke into Pelosis offices while her employees hid in another room. They sat silent, in the dark for more than two hours.

On the Senate side, Capitol Police had ordered all workers and reporters and any nearby senators into the Senate chamber and locked it. At one point about 200 people were inside. They were guarded by an officer holding what appeared to be large guns.

Officials then moved everyone out of the chamber and into a secure room. The Senate employees held onto boxes holding the Electoral College papers. The attackers breached the now empty Senate chamber. They took pictures and videos of themselves.

Outside the chamber, the attackers continued to search for lawmakers. Where are they? people could be heard yelling.

At about 5:30 p.m., the National Guard arrived and an effort began to clear the building. Using tear gas, they pushed the attackers out of the building and on to the grass.

Within the hour, the House and Senate had returned to work. Lawmakers confirmed Bidens election victory early the next morning. Many were still shocked by the events.



Federal and local police now have begun arresting those involved in the breach. More arrests are expected as police look at videos and pictures on social media. The justice department has charged at least 13 people so far. Others have been charged by the District of Columbia. Some face gun charges.

Those arrested include Jake Angeli. He wore a fur hat with horns. He has attended many Trump events and is a well-known believer in conspiracies.

Adam Johnson was photographed smiling as he took Pelosis lectern. Richard Barnett was photographed with his feet on Pelosis desk. Eric Munchel was photographed in military clothing holding plastic restraints in the Senate Chamber. And Derrick Evans, a newly-elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, also was arrested. He has since resigned.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English with additional information from the New York Times. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

gallows n. (pl.) a structure from which people are hanged

breach v. to get into a secured or secret place

fascism n. a way of organizing society in which a government is ruled by a dictator; very harsh authority

extinguisher n. a metal container filled with chemicals used to fight fires

barricade v. to block people into a place so no one can get in and no one can leave

podium n. a raised structure for a speaker or a performer

chamber n. a large room where members of a government group have meetings

conspiracy n. a secret plan by two or more people to do something harmful or illegal

lectern n. a small structure that holds books or papers which can be used for speaking

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Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman on Tuesday announced via Twitter that the state Senate will convene on Wednesday to swear in Democratic incumbent Sen. Jim Brewster as the senator for the 45th senatorial district.

Senators will gather at 11 a.m. for the swearing-in ceremony, according to the tweet from the Centre County Republican.

The Senate will return to session at 11 am tomorrow to swear in @SenatorBrewster  Senator Jake Corman (@JakeCorman) January 12, 2021

This announcement comes on the heels of a federal court ruling issued earlier in the day that affirmed Brewster as the rightful winner in the close election contest with Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli for this western Pennsylvania Senate seat representing portions of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan upheld the validity of undated mail-in ballots in Allegheny County, which pushed Brewsters vote count into the winners column in the race beating Ziccarelli by 69 votes. Ziccarelli sought to have those undated ballots not count  which is how Westmoreland County election officials dealt with those ballots lacking dates  which if she had been successful, would have meant she won the race by 24 votes.

Corman issued a statement, saying In his decision today, Judge Ranjan further clarified the proper handling of undated ballots and we will seat Jim Brewster as the senator for the 45th Pennsylvania Senate District at 11 am tomorrow morning. In this case, there was no dispute of facts. There were no allegations of fraud. Instead, we had voters in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties who made the same mistake on their mail-in ballots being treated differently.

He added: Senate Republicans believe that - considering this obvious defect - the Secretary of State Boockvar was premature in certifying the election. By delaying the swearing-in of a senator, we took the time to receive this imminent ruling.

In light of the courts decision, Gov. Tom Wolf, Democratic senators as well as others demanded Senate Republicans allow Brewster to be administered the oath of office.

It is time to move past the 2020 election and work together to deal with challenges that lie ahead, said Common Cause Pennsylvania executive director Khalif Ali. Were facing a continuing COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, an increasing budget deficit and people are struggling to make ends meet. Pennsylvanians are suffering. Lets move forward -- with a government that is of the people, by the people and for the people. Common Cause calls on our elected officials to demonstrate the type of leadership that will re-instill confidence in our democracy. Pennsylvanians deserve nothing less.

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County said that Senate race presented us with an historically unique scenario. Given the closeness of the race and outstanding legal challenges, sh said the Senate decided to delay seating Brewster to create space for outstanding legal cases to be resolved.

Ward added: Last week, we said we wanted to resolve this the right way not the fast way. We have done that. I welcome Senator Brewster back to the Senate and look forward to focusing on a legislative agenda that concentrates on helping our employers, schools and communities who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Further, I am committed to working with both Republican and Democrats in examining the 2020 elections to see what worked and what we can do better to maximize confidence in our election process.

Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County plans to attend Brewsters swearing in ceremony on Wednesday. He thanked Corman for acting quickly to set it up following the court ruling.

I speak for Senator Brewster and all of the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in saying that we look forward to getting to work on behalf of all of our constituents in this legislative session, Costa said.

Along with her federal lawsuit, Ziccarelli filed a contest petition with the Senate over the inconsistency in how the ballots were counted. Corman determined that gave the Senate the authority through a constitutional provision to decide the winner. On Friday, Corman refined that statement by saying if Ziccarellis federal legal challenge ultimately determines a winner as ended up being the case, the Senate Republican caucus would accept that result.

Brewster, who has represented the 45th senatorial district for the past 10 years, was not allowed to be seated last Tuesday when the 24 other senators who stood for election in November were administered the oath of office.

* This post was updated to include Sen. Jake Cormans statement as well as a comment from Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward and Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.
Panasonic AI-driven cameras empower an expanding vision of new uses

Imagine a world where video cameras are not just watching and reporting for security, but have an even wider positive impact on our lives. Imagine that cameras control street and building lights, as people come and go, that traffic jams are predicted and vehicles are automatically rerouted, and more tills are opened, just before a queue starts to form. Cameras with AI capabilities Cameras in stores can show us how we might look in the latest outfit as we browse. Thats the vision from Panasonic about current and future uses for their cameras that provide artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities at the edge. Panasonic feels that these types of intelligent camera applications are also the basis for automation and introduction of Industry 4.0, in which processes are automated, monitored and controlled by AI-driven systems. 4K network security cameras The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications Panasonics 4K network security cameras have built-in AI capabilities suitable for this next generation of intelligent applications in business and society. The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications. The AI engine is directly embedded into the camera, thus reducing costs and Panasonics image quality ensures the accuracy of the analytics outcome. FacePRO facial recognition technology Panasonic began advancing AI technology on the server side with FacePRO, the in-house facial recognition application, which uses AI deep learning capabilities. Moving ahead, they transitioned their knowledge of AI from the server side to the edge, introducing i-PRO security cameras with built-in AI capabilities last summer, alongside their own in-house analytics. Moreover, in line with the Panasonic approach to focus more on collaboration with specialist AI software developers, a partnership with Italian software company, A.I. Tech followed in September, with a range of intelligent applications, partially based on deep learning. Additional collaborations are already in place with more than 10 other developers, across the European Union, working on more future applications. i-PRO AI-capable security cameras Open systems are an important part of Panasonics current approach. The companys i-PRO AI-capable cameras are an open platform and designed for third-party application development, therefore, applications can be built or tailored to the needs of an individual customer. Panasonic use to be a company that developed everything in-house, including all the analytics and applications. However, now we have turned around our strategy by making our i-PRO security cameras open to integrate applications and analytics from third-party companies, says Gerard Figols, Head of Security Solutions at Panasonic Business Europe. Flexible and adapting to specific customer needs This new approach allows the company to be more flexible and adaptable to customers needs. At the same time, we can be quicker and much more tailored to the market trend, said Gerard Figols. He adds, For example, in the retail space, enabling retailers to enhance the customer experience, in smart cities for traffic monitoring and smart parking, and by event organisers and transport hubs to monitor and ensure safety. Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems Edge-based analytics Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems. On one hand, there are monetary benefits - a cost reduction results from the decreased amount of more powerful hardware required on the server side to process the data, on top of reduction in the infrastructure costs, as not all the full video stream needs to be sent for analysis, we can work solely with the metadata. On the other hand, there are also advantages of flexibility, as well as reliability. Each camera can have its own individual analytic setup and in case of any issue on the communication or server side, the camera can keep running the analysis at the edge, thereby making sure the CCTV system is still fully operational. Most importantly, systems can keep the same high level of accuracy. Explosion of AI camera applications We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications" We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications, said Gerard Figols, adding However, it doesnt mean the hardware is not important anymore, as I believe its more important than ever. Working with poor picture quality or if the hardware is not reliable, and works 24/7, software cannot run or deliver the outcome it has been designed for. As hardware specialists, Figols believes that Panasonic seeks to focus on what they do best - Building long-lasting, open network cameras, which are capable of capturing the highest quality images that are required for the latest AI applications, while software developers can concentrate on bringing specialist applications to the market. Same as for smartphones, AI applications will proliferate based on market demand and succeed or fail, based on the value that they deliver. Facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line technologies Panasonic has been in the forefront in developing essential AI applications for CCTV, such as facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line. However, with the market developing so rapidly and the potential applications of AI-driven camera systems being so varied and widespread, Panasonic quickly realised that the future of their network cameras was going to be in open systems, which allow specialist developers and their customers to use their sector expertise to develop their own applications for specific vertical market applications, while using i-PRO hardware. Metadata for detection and recognition Regarding privacy, consider that the use of AI in cameras is about generating metadata for the detection and recognition of patterns, rather than identifying individual identities. However, there are legitimate privacy concerns, but I firmly believe that attitudes will change quickly when people see the incredible benefits that this technology can deliver, said Gerard Figols, adding I hope that we will be able to redefine our view of cameras and AI, not just as insurance, but as life advancing and enhancing. i-PRO AI Privacy Guard One of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard Seeking to understand and appreciate privacy concerns, one of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard that generates data without capturing individual identities, following European privacy regulations that are among the strictest in the world. Gerard Fogils said, The combination of artificial intelligence and the latest generation open camera technology will change the worlds perceptions from Big Brother to Big Benefits. New applications will emerge as the existing generation of cameras is updated to the new open and intelligent next generation devices, and the existing role of the security camera will also continue. Future scope of AI and cameras He adds, Not just relying on the security cameras for evidence when things have gone wrong, end users will increasingly be able to use AI and the cameras with much higher accuracy to prevent false alarms and in a proactive way to prevent incidents." Gerard Figols concludes, That could be monitoring and alerting when health and safety guidelines are being breached or spotting and flagging patterns of suspicious behaviour before incidents occur.
Sheldon Adelson headshot, as Las Vegas Sands Corporation CEO, graphic element on gray

Sheldon Adelson, a rags-to-riches casino mogul who built one of the largest fortunes in the United States and spent it aggressively to bolster conservative politicians and causes, has died at the age of 87, his wife Dr. Miriam Adelson said on Tuesday.

Since 2019, Adelson had received treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which limited his travel and hours at the office, but he continued to helm his casino empire, Las Vegas Sands Inc. (LVS). He had struggled to walk since 2001, when he was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder.

His wife, Miriam, said on Tuesday that he had died after complications from a long illness.

Sheldon was the love of my life. He was my partner in romance, philanthropy, political activism and enterprise. He was my soulmate, she wrote in a press release announcing his death.

Over the past decade, Adelson and Miriam cemented themselves as two of the largest donors to conservative politicians and causes in the U.S. In the 2012 election cycle, Adelson and Miriam reportedly spent about $150 million on Republican candidates and the conservative organizations seeking to elect them.

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam listen to U.S. President Donald Trump address the Republican Jewish Coalition 2019 Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., April 6, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Four years later, they gave a total of $25 million to President Donald Trump alone, earning Adelson the designation of Trumps Patron-in-Chief from news outlet ProPublica. The couple made an even larger donation near the end of Trumps re-election bid, contributing a staggering $75 million to a Super PAC affiliated with his candidacy.

Spotting profit to be made in corporate conferences, Adelson launched a lucrative computer industry trade show in Las Vegas in the late 1970s. He parlayed that success into the acquisition a decade later of the Las Vegas Sands casino, which he expanded into a multi-billion dollar hospitality and gambling conglomerate that spans two continents and includes the Venetian, one of the most iconic hotels in the world.

A modest upbringing

Adelson was born in 1933 to a modest Jewish family in Dorchester, a hardscrabble Boston neighborhood.His father, Arthur Adelson, was a taxi driver; and his mother, Sarah Adelson, ran a small knitting shop. Growing up, Sheldon Adelson supported the Democratic Party, which was typical of the Jews of Boston in the 1930s and '40s, Adelson later wrote.

Showing a propensity for entrepreneurship before he even attended high school, Adelson bought the right to sell newspapers on a well-trafficked street corner. Later, at age 16, he ran a candy vending machine business.All the while, he endured anti-semitic bullying from Irish kids in his neighborhood.

He enrolled at City College of New York, in Upper Manhattan, but soon dropped out. After attending trade school to become a court reporter, Adelson served as a court stenographer in the U.S. Army.When he left the service, he worked a series of jobs as an ad salesperson and real estate broker,among others.

Adelson made his first major splash in 1979, when he and some business partners launched Computer Dealers Exposition, or COMDEX, an industry trade show in Las Vegas that drew large crowds and generated hundreds of millions in revenue. Sixteen years later, Adelson sold COMDEX and some other trade shows to SoftBank for $862 million.

Equipped with Las Vegas business experience and growing resources, Adelson and his partners purchased the Sands hotel and casino in 1989 for $128 million, setting up Las Vegas Sands Inc., the holding company that would later comprise his casino empire.

Less than a decade later, in 1996, Adelson tore down the Sands and began construction on The Venetian, a themed hotel modeled after its namesake Italian city, offering gondola rides through replica canals. Soon after it opened in 1999, the Venetian became a popular symbol of Las Vegas glamour, featured in movies such as Rat Race (2001) and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005).

When Adelson took Las Vegas Sands Inc. public, in 2004, he became a multi-billionaire overnight.In the years that followed, Adelson expanded the company into the hotel empire that catapulted him into the upper echelons of American wealth. Central to his success: Two hotels in Macau, a semi-autonomous region on the Southern Chinese coast, where newly reduced travel restrictions for Chinese citizens as well as the countrys surging middle class resulted in a boon for Adelson.

He followed his foray into Asia with the Marina Bay Sands, opened in 2010 in Singapore, which cost $8 billion in land and construction costs  the most expensive casino ever built.

President Donald Trump pats Las Vegas Sands Corporation Chief Executive and Republican mega donor Sheldon Adelson on the arm before speaking at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Hollywood, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Over the 1990s and early 2000s, Adelson underwent a rightward political shift, moving from his roots as a liberal Democrat in the blue state of Massachusetts to Republican activism in purple Nevada. The change of heart coincided with his fight against the Culinary Workers Union, the biggest union in the state, both in court and at his properties. Though unions made some inroads at his hotels, the Venetian remains the only major hotel in Las Vegas that is non-union.

After the turn of the century, as he amassed a net worth in the tens of billions, Adelson spent generously in support of rightwing political causes in the United States and Israel, becoming a close ally of likeminded political leaders such as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, both of whom received praise in editorials on the pages of newspapers Adelson owned in their respective countries.

Known as a passionate Zionist, Adelson spent hundreds of millions on Jewish organizations that promote the centrality and protection of Israel. For instance, he has donated nearly half a billion dollars to Taglit-Birthright Israel, which provides free 10-day trips to Israel for thousands of young diaspora Jews each year.

He was the proudest of Jews, who saw in the State of Israel not only the realization of an historical promise to a unique and deserving people, but also a gift from the Almighty to all of humanity, his wife noted in the press release announcing his death.

Alongside his direct political spending, Adelson purchased newspapers in the U.S. and Israel that praised his favored politicians on their opinion pages. In 2007, he launched a free newspaper in Israel called Israel Hayom known for flattering coverage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; in 2015, he spent $140 million to acquire the Las Vegas Review-Journal,one of the few major U.S. newspapers that endorsed Donald Trump in the presidential election the following year.

Our nation lost a remarkable American with the passing of my friend Sheldon Adelson," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday. "He climbed from sleeping on tenement floors during the Great Depression as a young boy to literally towering over Las Vegas and beyond."

In 1988, Adelson divorced his first wife Sandra, whose three children he adopted and helped raise. The next year, he went on a blind date with Miriam Ochshorn, an Israeli doctor whom he married in 1991. Adelson retained relationships with his childrenMitchell, Shelley, and Garyeven after a 2001 court ruling found in Adelsons favor in a lawsuit brought by his children alleging that he pressured them to sell stock below market value.

His two sons struggled with drug addiction; Mitchell, the younger one, died of a drug overdose in 2005. Five years earlier, Miriam and Sheldon Adelson had co-founded the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment & Research.

It still serves patients in the Las Vegas area.

Max Zahn is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Find him on twitter @MaxZahn_.

Correction: An earlier version of this article falsely stated that Adelson contributed less to the Trump campaign over the 2020 cycle than he did in 2016. He made a large donation late in the 2020 race.

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The suspects belong to Xiaopen-Nanlu, a gang targeting expatriates from China in the Philippines.

Ronald Dela Rosa (right), then chief of the Philippine National Police, confronts Chinese nationals and other foreigners suspected of involvement in a kidnapping, Metro Manila, July 20, 2017.

Philippine authorities said Tuesday they had apprehended eight members of a Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang, including its leader, who are suspected of preying here on citizens of China, including one victim who was slain last month.

The eight were arrested Saturday in a sting operation that ended at a residential village in San Pedro, a town just south of Manila, the national polices Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said. An influx of Chinese coming to the country to work in the Philippine gaming industry has been linked to a spike in crimes in recent years.

In December, the gangsters allegedly kidnapped their fellow Chinese nationals, Lyu Long and Liu Xue Xue, who worked at a Chinese-owned electronics firm, CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Their supervisor initially paid 400,000 RMB (U.S. $62,000) in ransom for Lyu, but the kidnappers did not release their victims. The company then informed police about the abductions after receiving information that Lyu Long was killed and dumped in a deep ravine, Coronel said.

Police operatives were immediately dispatched to investigate and confirmed that the decomposing body was Lyu Longs, based on the clothes he was wearing when he was last seen and on the video that was sent by the kidnappers, the CIDG chief said.

In the wake of the killing, police hatched a sting operation when the suspects kept demanding more money for the release of Liu Xue Xue, Coronel said.

A gang member, identified as Qun Den, had agreed to meet the victims supervisor but was arrested on Saturday. He then led police officers to the gangs safehouse where they held and allegedly had assaulted Lie Xue Xue sexually.

The female victim was rescued and the kidnappers arrested, Coronel said, adding that firearms, ammunition, and money  believed to be part of the initial ransom payment  were recovered at the crime scene.

Qun Den is believed to be a leader of the Xiaopen-Nanlu Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang, which has been known to operate locally and target members of the Chinese expatriate community employed in online casinos.

The same group is believed responsible for the abduction  also in December  of Guang Lin, whose relatives paid ransom in hopes of securing his freedom. His captors, however, shot him and left him for dead after dumping him in a creek, the police said.

But Guang Lin survived the gunshot wound to the nape of his neck, and recovered from his injuries to identify the gangsters, authorities said.

In July 2017, Philippine police arrested 43 foreigners  many of them Chinese nationals  who were suspected of kidnapping a Singaporean woman, who was gambling at a local casino, and holding her for ransom. The woman was rescued in a raid by police on the suspects hideout in the Metropolitan Manila area.

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration estimates there are some 150,000 Chinese nationals employed in the gaming industry here.

The government of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has sought closer ties with Beijing, in the past has resisted calls to put a freeze on the influx of Chinese nationals.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Andrew Cuomo's vaccine rollout timeline got worse Tuesday, with the governor saying it could take six months for all 'priority' groups to get an appointment as the state has used only 61.7 percent of the doses it's gotten so far.

Cuomo blasted the federal government's allocation of the vaccine, saying the 300,000 doses New York gets each week isn't enough for a state with a population of 7 million eligible residents.

Cuomo bowed to pressure on Monday to include people aged 75 and older in the current phase of the vaccine rollout after previously insisting the elderly come after healthcare workers. On Tuesday, the CDC then recommended expanding eligibility to people aged 65 and over, as well as people who are immunocompromised - a recommendation Cuomo took on.

As the state loosened up rules, its percentage of vaccinated people improved, though some said the state should still be doing more to get shots in peoples' arms faster.

New York had used 665,172 doses as of 3 pm Tuesday afternoon, according to the state, meaning it's used 61.7 percent of the vaccine in its possession.

While this marks a major increase of 60,000 shots in arms in the last 24 hours and is better than the national average of 36.4 percent, it's little comfort as states around the country struggle with the rollout of the vaccine.

In a conference call Tuesday, the New York governor upped his attack on the federal government over the slow vaccine distribution, saying around 7 million New Yorkers are now eligible for the shots.

Cuomo warned that with the expanded eligibility, people can now expect to wait a staggering six months for a shot if the federal government continues to send just 300,000 doses per week to the Empire state - up from the already dismal 14-week timescale he warned of Monday, with the smaller list of eligible people.

But while Cuomo has several times relaxed the rules as to who can get the vaccines and is pointing the blame for slow take-up at the federal government, critics have said the state needs to be doing more to use the shots that it has.

Andrew Cuomo's vaccine rollout timeline nosedived even further Tuesday, with the governor now saying it could take six months for all priority people to get an appointment

New York City endured one of the longest lockdowns during the first wave of the pandemic and many business owners such as restaurants and bars are teetering on the brink of closure with indoor dining closed.

Vaccine distribution is being touted by the governor as the key to getting the city back up-and-running.

But Cuomo has been accused of 'playing politics' with the vaccine as he hits out at the federal government's delivery of doses to the state while his own distribution plan is facing issues - including a narrow allocation of first phase doses leading to vials being unused and tossed.

The governor's top aide, Melissa DeRosa, defended the state's rollout, saying hospitals with unused doses are required under New York law to have standby lists, so that if someone doesn't show up for an appointment, there are still people ready for shots - making sure nothing gets wasted.

Fellow Democrat New York Assemblyman Ron Kim slammed the governor for 'punt[ing] this to under-funded hospitals in the first place' and organization Voices for Seniors accused him of viewing the elderly as 'disposable', as he stuck to rules that limited vaccines to people 75 and over until the feds came out with their 65-and-over rule on Tuesday.

The governor is also tussling with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio over the issue. The mayor on Tuesday urged him to add food delivery, deli and bodega workers to the priority list and announced he was opening Citi Field in Queens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for vaccination appointments.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer pointed out Sunday that hundreds of vaccination appointments were left unfilled as 'bewildered' residents - many of whom are elderly - struggle to navigate the 51-question online survey and technical issues.

Meanwhile, Cuomo announced Tuesday that the CDC added people who are 65-plus and immunocompromised to its recommended priority list for people eligible to get the vaccine now.

The Democrat said the change made things 'extraordinarily difficult' for states and said he was looking forward to the Biden administration taking the reins.

'The CDC made another change in vaccine policy,' he said in the conference call.

'Seems change is constant and to tell you the truth, I'm looking forward to the new administration because the federal policy is making things extraordinarily difficult.

'The CDC just announced that states should open up vaccines to 65-plus. This is another major change in a very short period of time. It's not just 65-plus, it's 65-plus and immunocompromised and they don't define immunocompromised.'

The addition of this group takes the number of New Yorkers currently eligible for the vaccine up to around 7 million, he said.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday urged Cuomo to add food delivery, deli and bodega workers to the priority list

De Blasio also announced he was opening the 24/7 Citi Field site to boost rollout in the Big Apple

However, the governor said the increase in eligible people does not correspond with an increase in vaccine supply from the federal government.

At present, the state receives about 300,000 doses of the vaccine per week.

Which means, if the supply continues along the current trajectory, it will take up to six months for all those in the priority list to be able to get their hands on a dose.

'At our current rate of supply, it will take close to six months to vaccinate everyone who's currently eligible,' Cuomo said.

'Is that helpful? I don't think so. I don't think this creates national confidence. I think it creates national frustration.'

New York state moved into Phase 1B of its vaccination plan on Monday, allowing for residents over the age of 75, teachers, transit workers and police to begin receiving shots,

This is in addition to healthcare workers who were covered in Phase 1A.

The new phase also broadened the types of healthcare workers that can receive the vaccine to include anyone who interacts with the public, such as licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, dentists and podiatrists.

Cuomo had previously been adamant that all healthcare workers should be inoculated before the state moved on to other categories but finally bowed to pressure from medics and the likes of de Blasio to expand the category.

'Phase 1a was 2.1 million, Phase 1b was 3.2 million, and you just added 1.8 million, plus the immunocompromised number we don't even have yet because it depends on how you define it, but you have a population now of 7 million,' Cuomo said Tuesday.

He added: 'We are going to accept the federal guidance of the 65 plus and immunocompromised. I don't want New Yorkers to think were not doing everything we can.'

Cuomo said healthcare workers are still the priority while supply remains limited saying 'I don't care how old we are, we're not walking into the emergency room dealing with COVID patients all day'.

'Hospitals must still prioritize healthcare workers. That is everyone's priority, and by the way, from a moral point of view, everyone celebrated the nurses and doctors,' he said.

'You and I, I don't care how old we are, we're not walking into the emergency room dealing with COVID patients all day.

'And if we get COVID we're not super spreaders. If my office closes down people won't die, if a hospital closes down people will die.'

Cuomo insisted that with the current expansion any hold-up getting shots in arms will now be down to the federal government.

'I don't understand how you could have 7 million people chasing 300,000 vaccines every week and anyone not be over-subscribed. Everyone will be oversubscribed. The problem is going to be the opposite,' he said.

As of Tuesday morning, New York City had administered just over a third of the doses delivered to the city.

Just 239,324 doses - including 216,014 first doses and 23,310 second doses - out of 669,175 delivered have actually gone into the arms of residents, data from the city's health department shows.

De Blasio on Tuesday announced that Citi Field in Queens - home to the New York Mets - will be turned into a new 24/7 vaccination hub by the end of the month to ramp up rollout in the city.

De Blasio at Queens Police Academy in the Queens borough where people received the Moderna Covid-19 vaccination Monday

Vaccine distribution is being touted by the governor as the key to getting the city back up and running but is being plagued with issues

'The Mets organization has stepped up to the plate to help us out,' the mayor said at a press conference with Mets owner Steve Cohen.

The site will be able to administer around 7,000 shots a day helping the city reach its target distribution, de Blasio said.

The mayor described the city's rollout as 'unbelievable' saying 'we are reaching thousands and thousands of people already'.

De Blasio said the Big Apple administered 26,528 doses Monday meaning it is on track for the week's goal of 175,000 shots.

'Freedom to vaccinate is what allowed us to do this and we're now going to take full advantage of that and reach New Yorkers,' he said, pointing to the expansion of Phase 1B.

He welcomed the changes but said he was now calling on Cuomo to 'go farther' and include food delivery workers and deli and bodega workers.

'We want to make sure that all the delivery workers who work in these [grocery] stores get vaccinated, in fact all delivery workers of all kinds get vaccinated,' he said.

'They are coming into contact with so many people. They're serving us, we depend on them - they deserve the right to be vaccinated.

'We want the freedom to vaccinate delivery workers. We want the freedom to vaccinate folks that work in bodegas and delis.

'They're there again on the frontline making sure every neighborhood in New York City has the food it needs. They deserve the right to be vaccinated so we're asking the state to help us clarify the rules in 1B.'

However, the downside of the city ramping up its rollout of the vaccine is that - if it reaches its target vaccination - it could run out of doses in just two weeks, de Blasio warned late Monday.

'In the real world, problems could be lack of vaccine,' de Blasio told NY1's Inside City Hall.

'At the rate we're going, we're going to be out in two weeks or so.'

De Blasio said that New York City's goal is to reach 400,000 doses per week by the end of January - 100,000 more than the entire state receives in a single week.

While the data shows New York state is not receiving the number of doses from the federal government it needs to hit its targets, the state is also failing in its role to distribute shots once it receives them.

Hospitals have complained of having to throw doses out because they could not find eligible people to take them - and did not want to risk hefty fines for getting a shot in the arm of someone not included in the narrow first phase of the rollout.

And, while hospitalizations top levels not seen since March, vaccines are sitting unused in hospitals and vaccination appointments are going to waste due to the cumbersome process by which eligible residents can sign up for a shot.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer highlighted glaring issues in the city's process to sign up for a vaccine appointment in a Twitter thread late Sunday.

Stringer said when he checked the sign-up website, which can only be accessed after creating an account on a separate site, there were over 200 slots available for January 12 at one of the sites.

Stringer said when he checked the sign-up website, which can only be accessed after creating an account on a separate site, there were over 200 slots available for January 12

Stringer shared this screengrab of an issue he encountered on the sign-up website

The process for signing up for appointments in New York City is especially arduous, including a 51-question survey (pictured) on a website rife with technological issues

He pinned the large number of vacancies on both the 'bewildering' complexity of the sign-up process - which includes a 51-question gauntlet rife with technical issues - and on city officials' failure to mobilize people to seek appointments.

'The @NYCHealthy site for signing up for a COVID vaccination is complex, burdensome, and buggy,' Stringer tweeted.

'It will present an obstacle for too many people  particularly seniors  trying to sign up. This is a major problem.'

Stringer pointed out that the system is especially challenging given the fact those currently eligible are elderly workers who are typically less tech-savvy.

'We should be #1 in vaccinations in the nation from day one  and we should be using every tool at our disposal to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible as quickly as possible,' he added.

It is unclear if any of the technical issues have been ironed out.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Stringer's office, Cuomo's office and de Blasio's office for comment on the issues.

On Monday, Stringer revealed the city had created an option for people to call 311 for an appointment but warned that people were on hold for almost half an hour on the line.

'Good news: The City now has 311 as an option to make a vaccination reservation. Bad news: The current hold time is 27 minutes. We can and must do better than this,' he tweeted.

New York Assemblyman Kim, who is also the chairman of the Aging Committee, and Voices for Seniors also hit out at Cuomo for the vaccine rollout

Meanwhile, Cuomo is also facing a backlash over his handling of the rollout from within his own party with New York Assemblyman Kim, who is also the chairman of the Aging Committee, questioning the entire process.

'First, it should be a two-step verification process to vaccinate older adults. But fixing hospital vaccination screening process is not the issue,' he tweeted Monday.

'Why did the governor punt this to underfunded hospitals in the first place? Why didn't the governor trust local protocols?'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Kim's office for comment.

Voices for Seniors, an activist group lobbying for change for the elderly, said the vaccine distribution is just the latest sign from Cuomo that he doesn't care about the elderly.

'Governor Cuomo and Dr. Zucker have made it clear: They feel our seniors are disposable,' the group tweeted Monday.

'There's no other explanation for their continued and criminal mismanagement of everything COVID; from nursing home policies to vaccine distribution.'

Cuomo has been blasted for releasing a book praising his own leadership during the pandemic and failing to address the thousands of patient deaths at New York nursing homes under his watch.

A senior medical professional said the fault for the slow vaccine rollout lies with Cuomo for not preparing a plan prior to shots being authorized by the federal government.

'Getting 8.3 million New York City residents organized to do anything is going to be hard. I'm struck by the lack of preparation. They could have foreseen the need for a registration system months ago. As it is, they seem to be managing things on the fly,' Bill Hammond, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at Empire Center, told Fox News Monday.

'He should have been working on exactly these issues since the summer or early fall. Not involving the counties  who had already done some the prep work  seems like a major mistake,' he told me.

COVID-weary New Yorkers are also growing frustrated with Cuomo's handling of the vaccine rollout accusing him of playing politics with lives.

'I hate to say that I really think Cuomo is slow-walking the vaccines so that Biden can take credit. The very fact that I'm thinking a man would be so evil as to play politics with peoples' lives is horrifying to me,' one person tweeted.

COVID-weary New Yorkers are also growing frustrated with Cuomo's handling of the vaccine rollout accusing him of playing politics with lives

'Is Cuomo going to write a book on how efficient his vaccine distribution has been?' another wrote in reference to his memoir.

Another raged: 'Governor's run states. Cuomo of New York(nursing home scandal) threw loads of vaccines out through waste and total incompetence.'

While others singled out the governor for the slow distribution.

'New York's COVID-19 #vaccine rollout is an utter disaster, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is to blame,' one person tweeted.

The New York Department of Health is setting up 20 mass distribution sites throughout the state over the next several weeks.

Two sites opened in New York City on Sunday, one at the Brooklyn Army Terminal and another at the Bathgate Contract Postal Station in the Bronx.

Another three will be open on Wednesday, Cuomo said, at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, the Westchester County Convention Center and the State Fairgrounds in Onondaga County.
Chinese health authorities say scores more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Hebei province bordering on the capital Beijing, Euronews reports in its article China's Hebei province scrambles to contain new COVID-19 outbreak.

The outbreak focused on the Hebei cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai is one of Chinas most serious in recent months. It comes amid measures to curb the further spread during next months Lunar New Year holiday.

Authorities have called on citizens not to travel, ordered schools closed a week early, and conducted testing on a massive scale. The National Health Commission said Monday that another 82 people had tested positive in Hebei and were showing symptoms. Around the country, another 36 people had tested positive without displaying symptoms, although it wasnt immediately clear how many of those were in Hebei.

Two other cases were reported in the northeastern province of Liaoning and one in Beijing, where more than 30 people have been sickened in an outbreak centered on the northeastern district of Shunyi. Housing compounds in the district were requiring proof of a recent negative coronavirus test from anyone wishing to enter.

Chinas has now recorded 87,536 total cases with 4,634 deaths. Hospitals were treating 673 people for COVID-19 while 506 people were in isolation and under observation after testing positive without showing symptoms.

The Hebei outbreak has raised particular concern because of the provinces proximity to the nations capital. Parts of the province are under lockdown and interprovincial travel has been largely cut off, with those entering Beijing to work having to show proof of employment and a clean bill of health.

Hebei has recorded 265 confirmed cases and at least 181 asymptomatic cases over the last eight days. China does not include those who test positive but do not show symptoms in its official case count.

Both Shijiazhuang and Xingtai have ordered millions tested, suspended public transportation, and restricted residents to their communities or villages for one week.

Investigators

China said Monday that a group of experts from the World Health Organization are due to arrive this week for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. A one-sentence announcement from the National Health Commission said the experts would arrive on Thursday and meet with Chinese counterparts, but it gave no other details.

It wasnt immediately clear whether they would be traveling to the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019. Negotiations for the visit have long been underway. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed disappointment last week over delays, saying that members of the international scientific team departing from their home countries had already started on their trip as part of an arrangement between the WHO and the Chinese government.

China's government has strictly controlled all research at home into the origins of the virus, an Associated Press investigation found, and state-owned media have played up reports that suggest the virus could have originated elsewhere.
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.

[January 12, 2021] Clifford Siegel, Former Jefferies International CEO and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Vice-Chairman Joins Bryan, Garnier & Co as Non-Executive Chairman

Bryan, Garnier & Co, a leading pan-European Investment Bank focusing on growth companies, is delighted to announce that Clifford Siegel has been appointed as Non-Executive Chairman at the firm. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005055/en/ Clifford Siegel, former Jefferies International CEO and Stifel Nicolaus (News - Alert) Europe Vice-Chairman joins Bryan, Garnier & Co as Non-Executive Chairman (Photo: Bryan, Garnier & Co) Based in London, Clifford will take up this new position to help develop Bryan, Garnier & Co's strategy across Europe and the US. Clifford, 63, has a distinguished career in the investment banking industry. After starting and running the US business of the Cresvale Group, he joined Jefferies in New York in 1990, before moving to London in 1993 to become the CEO of the group's international business. During Clifford's 18-year tenure, Jefferies International grew from a small team in London to a global business with revenues of over USD 300m and offices in Asia and Europe. After retiring from Jefferies, he later founded and ran the debt capital markets boutique ISM Capital, before selling the buiness to Stifel Nicolaus Europe in 2016. He retired from his role as Vice-Chairman of Stifel Nicolaus Europe Ltd in the autumn of 2020.



Olivier Garnier, Co-founder & Managing Partner states: "We are delighted to welcome Cliff to Bryan, Garnier & Co. He brings both a wealth of experience in all facets of the banking business that will help us expand our business footprint and support our strategic ambitions". Clifford Siegel comments: "I have admired the remarkable success and consistency of Bryan, Garnier & Co for many years. I am delighted to be joining them at a time when, now more than even, there is a need for highly committed investment bankers with outstanding quality standards, deep industry expertise and broad transaction capacities to support growth companies and their shareholders".

In his capacity, Clifford will contribute to strengthening the group's corporate development initiatives. This includes strategic acquisitions and alliances following Bryan, Garnier & Co's recent developments in the Nordics and the US, as well as the expansion of the firm's activities in complementary areas such as fixed income and debt advisory. With more than 60 private and public capital-raising and M&A transactions closed in 2020, Bryan, Garnier & Co benefits from its longstanding leadership in the healthcare, technology and environmental sectors in Europe. Recent transactions include the sale of smartTrade to leading software private equity investor Hg Capital, the take-private of ITSM player Easyvista by Eurazeo, capital for circular economy player asgoodasnew, the sale of Specim to Konica Minolta (News - Alert) and the sale of BlueBee to Illumina. Over the years, Bryan, Garnier & Co has distinguished itself by backing some of the most disruptive companies in the domain of alternative proteins (Prolupin), green hydrogen (McPhy Energy), cannabis (Canopy Growth), blockchain and cryptocurrencies (Bitfury Group), and mRNA biotech (Moderna and BioNTech). About Bryan, Garnier & Co (www.bryangarnier.com) Bryan, Garnier & Co is a European, full-service growth-focused independent investment banking partnership founded in 1996. The firm provides equity research, sales and trading, private and public capital raising as well as M&A services to growth companies and their investors. It focuses on key growth sectors of the economy including Technology, Healthcare, Consumer and Business Services. Bryan, Garnier & Co is a fully registered broker dealer authorized and regulated by the FCA in the UK, the AMF in Europe and the FINRA in the U.S. Bryan, Garnier & Co is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Paris, Munich, Stockholm, Oslo, Reykjavik as well as New York and Palo Alto (News - Alert) . View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005055/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
BURLINGTON, Ontario, Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. (RDT or the Company) (CSE: DOSE), a Canadian life sciences company focused on innovative drug and active ingredient delivery solutions, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) for the acquisition of 2544737 Ontario Limited, operating as Consolidated Craft Brands (CCB), in a share transaction (the Transaction) totalling $5,000,000.00CDN. (Five Million Dollars Canadian). CCB is a majority First Nations owned private company carrying on business in the development of packaged goods for cannabis edibles and cannabis infused health and wellness products.



Terms of the Transaction

Pursuant to the terms of the LOI, RDT is to issue 16,666,667 Common Share Units, each consisting of 1 common share and 1 common share purchase warrant at a deemed price of $0.30 per Unit in exchange for 100% of the common shares of CCB. Each warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.45 per common share for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Transaction. The number of common shares of the Company to be issued represents, after issuance, approximately 17.12% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company on an undiluted basis and approximately 27.53% of the Companys shares on a fully diluted basis after taking into consideration the exercise of all stock options and warrants outstanding after this Transaction.

The LOI contains terms and conditions consistent with similar transactions of this nature and will be the foundation for the Definitive Agreement which is expected to close by February 15, 2021. The Transaction is subject to negotiation of a Definitive Agreement which will contain terms and conditions of the LOI and other terms and conditions customary for transactions of the nature and magnitude of the Transaction, including completion of due diligence investigations and any necessary approvals of regulatory authorities, shareholders, and boards of directors. The selling shareholders of CCB will have the right to nominate one Director to the Board of Directors of the Company. The Transaction will be subject to a negotiated escrow agreement between the parties including timed releases of the Units over a period of 11 months.

What the acquisition brings to the Company

On completion of the Transaction, CCB will become a wholly owned subsidiary of RDT to accelerate and expand the Companys existing business model of developing, manufacturing and distributing precisely dosed health and wellness products. CCB brings CPG and Pharma manufacturing expertise, a Health Canada Cannabis R&D License with developed proprietary formulations, branded products several patent-pending technologies for rapid onset beverage enhancements and a consortium of strategic alliances including First Nation majority shareholders. CCB has no debt and approximately $3,000,000.00 of cash and cash equivalents, including a repayable advance of $500,000 to RDT in conjunction with the Transaction.

Comments from the Companys CEO

Mark Upsdell, President and CEO comments on the transaction: I am delighted with this acquisition  it brings significant benefits to our Company:

The total cash of $3,000,000 coupled with the proceeds from the Private Placement of $899,842 completed in December 2020, provides the Company with the liquidity and financial resources to execute our commercialization phase to meet and exceed our production commitments. The expertise and assets of CCB fit within our strategy to expand our product line offerings to customers in the cannabis sector. This new subsidiary will develop, produce, and distribute products and provide services to markets in North America not currently served by RDT. The unique relationship of CCB with its consortium partners and strategic alliances can be maintained and enhanced through combining RDTs products and licenced production facility with CCB shareholders channels of distribution.



About RDT

Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. is a publicly-traded Canadian life sciences company providing innovative, proprietary drug delivery technologies designed to improve outcomes and quality of lives. RDT offers Quick, Convenient, Precise and Discreet choices to consumers. RDT is focused and committed to clinical research and product development for the healthcare manufacturing industry  including nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cannabis industries. Within the cannabis sector, RDT also provides a turn-key Managed Strip Service Program enabling RDTs QuickStrip proprietary cannabis delivery technology to be licensed to select operators in identified markets. RDTs service-based annuity contracts drive recurring revenue and facilitate rapid expansion into emerging markets across multiple consumer segments. RDT is committed to continually create innovative solutions for humans, animals, and plants.

For more information, visit: www.rapiddose.ca

For inquiries please contact:
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Welch, of Hillside, won the endorsement of the House Democrat Latino Caucus on Tuesday, a day after the Illinois Black Legislative Caucus and its 22 members late Monday, bringing him to a little more than half of the votes needed to win the speakers chair. A majority of both caucuses had previously backed Madigan, the Southwest Side Democrat who has led the chamber for all but two years since 1983 but is now facing stiff opposition after being tied to a federal corruption probe.
The Paycheck Protection Program, a federal stimulus meant to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic, came back online Monday at 8 a.m. Businesses that received the low-interest, forgivable loans from the first iteration of the program in 2020 will soon be able to apply for a second, and restaurants and hotels will soon be able to qualify for larger loans proportional to their payroll costs.

The program is open to businesses with 500 or fewer employees, which are eligible for first-draw loans of up to $10 million, while second-draw loans are limited to businesses with 300 or fewer employees and capped at $2 million. For their second-draw loans, restaurants and hotels can receive as much as 3.5 times their average monthly payroll, while all other loans are limited to 2.5 times. The funding is part of a second, $284 billion, relief bill signed into law last month.

This time, following criticism that the first round of the program served disproportionately few minority-owned businesses, it began a little differently. It rolled out first with community institutions, which tend to have stronger relationships with minority communities.

It was to Unity National Bank, the only Black-owned bank in Texas, that Shipleys Do-Nuts franchisee Alan Bergeron turned when he applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan last April. The loan helped him keep his employees on payroll when the universities and churches that drove much of the business at his two franchises  one on Scott Street between University of Houston and Texas Southern University, another off Loop 610 at Martin Luther King Boulevard  closed.

Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox

"My stores became a ghost town, Bergeron said. To be able to get a lifeline was crucial I was able to keep people employed.

Community institutions include minority desository institutions, Community Development Financial Institutions, Certified Development Companies and Microloan intermediaries. In Houston, such lenders  which include Unity, Golden Bank and American First National Bank  will be the only institutions able to accept PPP loan applications until at least Wednesday.

The Small Business Administration, which oversees the program, will issue further guidance on when other lenders, including major financial institutions, will be able to submit applications during the week.

Amegy Bank spent the weekend preparing for its go-ahead to start processing applications. When the SBA released the PPP application forms late Friday, Amegys technology team went to work making sure its online webform would collect all of the necessary information, Jentri Smith, the banks SBA lending manager, said. The bank also added a link to its webpage where small businesses can sign up to receive an email when the SBA allows the bank to begin accepting applications.

While businesses who have not yet received any PPP funds are already able to apply through community institutions, businesses looking for their second PPP loan will not be able to apply until Wednesday. There are separate applications for the first and second loans, and it is feasible for a business to receive both a first and second loan in 2021 before the program ends. Both loans can be forgiven, making them essentially grants, if most of the money is used for worker pay and benefits.

Prime Property: Get Houston real estate news sent directly to your inbox

Bergeron, who plans to apply for a second loan on Wednesday, praised the opportunity to receive a larger loan in proportion to payroll than previously. Thats a great thing, and I mean to take advantage of that, he said.

Emily Williams Knight, chief executive of the Texas Restaurant Association, agreed. This is the lifeline restaurants needed at a critical juncture in our long-term road to recovery, she said in a statement.

Applications are already flowing in at a steady pace, said Kwame Cain, Unitys chief credit officer.

Carol Guess, who works with small businesses as interim president of the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce, urged Houston-area companies to take advantage.

For smaller businesses, first-time applicants, community institutions and minority businesses, this round of funding is designed to correct the issues of the first round of PPP funding, she said. While it still may not be perfect, seize this opportunity to get funding.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;

twitter.com/raschuetz
Two of South Africas four oil refineries are currently offline and expected to restart next year at the earliest, while the other two facilities also face an uncertain future as oil companies are reassessing their downstream portfolios in the wake of the pandemic that crushed fuel demand.

Two South African oil refineries, owned by units of Glencore and Malaysias Petronas, are forecast to remain closed at least until next year, Bloomberg reports, citing energy consultancy CITAC. Those two refineries account for 43 percent of South Africas total oil refining capacity of over 500,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Glencores Astron Energy shut down its refinery in July after an explosion and fire killed in early July two workers and injured another seven. In September, Astron Energy said it was still too early to determine when the 100,000-bpd refinery could be safely restarted.

Engen Holdings, a unit of Petronas, stopped operations at its 120,000-bpd refinery last month after a fire erupted at the facility.

The future of the other two refineries in South Africa, Sapref of a BP-Shell joint venture and Sasols Natref, may also be uncertain, considering that oil majors, including Shell and BP, are reassessing their asset portfolios.

Shell said two months ago it would halve the crude oil processing capacity of its largest wholly owned refinery in the world, Pulau Bukom in Singapore, as part of its ambition to be a net-zero emissions business by 2050 or sooner. Shell is also shutting down its 211,000-bpd refinery in Convent, Louisiana, after failing to find a buyer for the site.

In the wake of the pandemic which crushed fuel demand, refiners around the world started announcing permanent closures of refinery capacity last year, but significant overcapacity still remains, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in November. Permanent shutdowns of refinery capacity have reached 1.7 million bpd. But more than 20 million bpd crude oil distillation capacity was sitting idle as of November, the IEA said, noting that there remains significant structural overcapacity.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-13 00:07:24|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Various sectors in Hong Kong have expressed support to the requirement made by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government that serving civil servants of the HKSAR government take an oath of allegiance to the HKSAR Basic Law and the HKSAR or sign such a declaration.

They said that upholding the HKSAR Basic Law, and being loyal to the HKSAR and accountable to the HKSAR government are the political ethics that civil servants should abide by.

In order to enhance civil servants' awareness of the expectations and responsibilities brought on them by their official positions, the Civil Service Bureau of the HKSAR government has decided to require all serving civil servants to take an oath or sign a declaration. The bureau will explain to serving civil servants the arrangements related within this month.

Lo Man-tuen, executive director of Hong Kong Association for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, said that the civil service team of the HKSAR government is the operator of the implementation of the "one country, two systems" and the maintenance of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

Upholding the HKSAR Basic Law, bear allegiance to the HKSAR and be responsible to the HKSAR government are the basic criteria for them to perform their duties, Lo said.

"By taking an oath or signing a declaration, it will help ensure that there will be no problems of principle in governance and safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and long-term stability," Lo said.

Vice Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Coalition Kennedy Wong Ying-ho said that according to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR, residents of the HKSAR who assume public office shall confirm in writing or take an oath to uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR.

Wong added that this requirement complements the spirit of relevant articles of the HKSAR Basic Law; thus, a civil servant taking an oath or signing a declaration was a statutory duty and cannot be avoided.

Hong Kong practicing barrister Wu Yingpeng said that the social unrest that started in 2019 has damaged Hong Kong's social order and national security, during which, some public officials participated in illegal activities. Therefore, it is necessary to take specific measures to ensure that civil servants are loyal to the HKSAR and uphold the HKSAR Basic Law, so as to ensure effective functioning of the HKSAR government and safeguarding national security.

Some opposition parties falsely claimed that oath-taking was to imprison the thoughts of civil servants and stifle their freedom of speech. Interviewees strongly disagreed with this, saying that the requirements were political ethics and legal responsibilities that civil servants must abide by and had nothing to do with freedom of speech.

Willy Fu, vice chairman of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, said that civil servants belong to a special profession closely related to public interests. Oath-taking is not only the legal responsibility of civil servants but also important political ethics. Many countries have institutional arrangements for civil servants to take oaths.

If people are not willing to abide by such basic political ethics, it is difficult for them to become a qualified civil servant, Fu said.

Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a member of the HKSAR's Legislative Council, said that many countries such as Germany and Japan have relevant regulations and requirements on the oath-taking for civil servants. This shows that it is an international practice for public officials to swear to show their responsibility to the country and society. Civil servants of the HKSAR government should not be an exception.

As a civil servant of the HKSAR government, one must uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and be loyal to the HKSAR, Leung said.

Lo said that by waving the banner of freedom of speech, some people opposed the oath-taking of civil servants. Their purpose was to open the door for various anti-government activities. This so-called freedom of speech is against political ethics and legal requirements and will not be accepted or recognized by the general public.

According to the HKSAR government, more than 3,000 civil servants have completed the oath-taking or declaration signing, which was recognized as an important step to tackle the problem at root in the Hong Kong society.

Wu Yingpeng said that it reflected the effective implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong and the full respect for the legal spirit embodied in the HKSAR Basic Law, with thousands of civil servants have completed their oaths or signed declarations.

Willy Fu said that a series of measures taken by the HKSAR government showed that the work of clarifying the political responsibilities of the civil service team and regularizing the behavior of civil servants is proceeding in an orderly manner.

Fu hoped that the HKSAR government would speed up the progress of the relevant work in the future to ensure that the actions of civil servants conform to the requirements of the HKSAR Basic Law and the expectations of the general public.

As for how to better ensure that civil servants abide by their oaths and perform their duties faithfully in the future, Hong Kong Higher Education Convergence's secretary-general Chow Man-kong said that the oath-taking has a legal effect. All relevant departments in the HKSAR government, including the Civil Service Bureau should constantly review the performance of civil servants' oath and the implementation of relevant civil service regulations so that the effect of the oath can be demonstrated.

Kennedy Wong Ying-ho said that after completing the work of oath-taking or declaration signing for civil servants, the HKSAR government should make arrangements as early as possible to educate and train all civil servants on the Constitution, the HKSAR Basic Law and the national security law in Hong Kong.

This will ensure that civil servants better uphold the HKSAR Basic Law and are loyal to the HKSAR, so as to promote the steady and enduring growth of the "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, Wong said. Enditem
Katie Price was back in the saddle as she shared a cheery clip to Instagram on Tuesday, six months after she broke her ankles and feet in Turkey.

The former glamour model, 42, appeared in great spirits as she rode her horse with confidence.

Declaring her love for the sport, the reality star said in an accompanying caption: 'Being back on my horse today since breaking my feet feels absolutely amazing , riding is my passion and always has been.' (sic)

In her element: Katie Price was back in the saddle as she shared a cheery clip to Instagram on Tuesday, six months after she broke her ankles and feet in Turkey

The mother-of-five developed her penchant for horses during her childhood and later became an experienced equestrian.

Cutting a casual figure, the blonde opted for comfort in a baggy grey hoodie and white trousers.

The media personality was injured after she jumped off a wall at the Land Of Legends theme park at the end of July.

In November, the TV star arrived at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where doctors gave her the green light to walk again.

On cloud nine: The former glamour model, 42, appeared in great spirits as she rode her horse with confidence

'Horse riding is my passion and always has been': The reality star declared her passion for the sport in an accompanying caption

'Back in the boots': On Monday, the blonde revealed she had to return to wearing orthopedic footwear after being left 'in agonising pain from walking'

However, it will be a long road to her recovery, with a representative telling MailOnline: 'Katie is indeed on the mend, however she still has a long way to go in her recovery.

'This time away has done Katie the world of good and is making wonderful progress.'

The influencer had to undergo major surgery to fuse bits of broken bone together and, in October, doctors confirmed it could take up to '18 months' until she'll be back walking properly.

On Monday, the blonde revealed she had to return to wearing orthopedic boots after being left 'in agonising pain from walking'.

A source told The Sun that the precaution was necessary given how much pain Katie was experiencing.

They said: 'Katie has been left in agonising pain from walking recently so made a hospital appointment to check on how she's healing.

'Unfortunately, they decided that it's best for her to go back in the boots for a little while and hold off on using her feet again.

'Katie is devastated by this as in November she thought she was truly on the path for a full recovery, but she is following medical advice and will be sticking to the boots so that she can hopefully get back on her feet sooner rather than later.'
LONDON: There is no national shortage of oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients, British health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday, but some patients had to go different hospitals when local capacity has been used up.

The limitation is not the supply of oxygen itself, it is the ability to get the oxygen through the physical oxygen supply systems within hospitals, and that essentially becomes a constraint on an individual hospitals ability to take more COVID patients," Hancock told lawmakers.

There is no constraint - that we are anywhere near - on the national availability of oxygen (or) oxygenated beds. It does mean  that sometimes we have to move patients to a different part - as local as possible - but occasionally across the country, to make sure they get the treatment that they need."

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
Stephanie Goddu, 35, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after she sent her three-year-old daughter to daycare alone in a Lyft

A New Hampshire mother has been arrested for sending her three-year-old daughter to daycare alone in a Lyft.

Stephanie Goddu, 35, allegedly ordered a driver from the ride-share service to pick up her little girl from their home in Manchester last Monday morning.

The three-year-old arrived safely at the Southern NH Services daycare center - located a short distance away - but she was alone with the driver in the vehicle for the duration of the drive.

Police did not learn of the incident until Wednesday, when Goddu failed to pick up the girl from the daycare center that afternoon.

Employees were unable to make contact with Goddu via telephone, so police officers called around to her home to check on her.

When they arrived they found the mom inside with her younger child - a three-month-old baby.

Cops noticed the three-month-old 'covered in urine' and 'strapped to an infant carrier seat wearing extremely warm clothing and a blanket'.

According to an update posted on the Manchester Police Department's Facebook page, Goddu was 'incoherent and disoriented and had trouble answering questions'.

The carrier was reportedly located close to a heater, causing officers to fear that the baby would overheat.

Goddu is seen in a police mugshot taken for another unrelated incident prior to 2021

The Manchester Police Department subsequently launched an investigation into Goddu, during which they learned that her older child - the three-year-old girl - had traveled unaccompanied to the daycare center in a Lyft two days prior.

'Both the condition of the infant and the unsupervised ride to daycare were cause for police to charge Goddu,' the police department wrote in their Facebook update.

However, when police returned to the premises last Friday to arrest Goddu she barricaded herself inside her home.

Goddu was eventually detained and taken in to custody. She was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest.

It is unclear whether she has been released on bond and whether she has been reunited with her children.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Manchester Police Department for comment.
'Hoping for amicable solution': Army chief on Ladakh standoff

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 12: Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday hoped for an amicable resolution of the military standoff with China in Ladakh through talks and based on "mutual and equal security".

Gen Naravane at the same time asserted that Indian troops are fully prepared to deal with any eventuality along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) and will hold their ground as long as it takes to achieve the "national goals and objectives."

The Chief of Army Staff was addressing a news conference here ahead of the Army Day on January 15.

On increasing security challenges at the LAC, he said a need was felt about "rebalancing" of troops along the northern borders and subsequently steps have been taken to put adequate focus on the borders with China.

"I am sure that through dialogue and discussion, we will be able to reach an amicable solution based on the principle of mutual and equal security and in consonance with the talks...I am very hopeful for a positive situation. But as I said, we are ready to meet any eventuality," he said.

"We are prepared to hold our ground as long as it takes to achieve our national goals and objectives.

Pakistan, China together form a potent threat: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane

The Army chief said the Indian troops are maintaining a high level of alertness all along the LAC and not just in Ladakh.

"Our operational preparedness is of a very high order and the morale of the troops is high. Whatever has transpired in the last year has highlighted the need for us to restructure and for us to enhance our capability," he added.

Asked about the actual situation in eastern Ladakh, Gen Naravane said it remains the same that was prevailing last year, and there has been no change in status quo.

To another question on the same issue, he said the situation remains the same whatever existed earlier.

India and China are locked in a military standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5 last year.

When queried on China''s mobilisation of troops in May last year, the Army chief said it was not new as they came to the region for training and India was monitoring them. However, he added the Chinese Army had the "first mover advantage".

"We had the first mover advantage in August as they did not know we will surprise them," he said, in an apparent reference to Indian Army capturing a number of strategic heights along the Pangong lake in August last year.

Gen Naravane also said China has withdrawn some troops from depth areas on conclusion of training and noted there is no reduction in deployment of personnel at the frontline.

"Every year PLA (People''s Liberation Army) troops come to traditional training areas for training. With the onset of winters and completion of the training period, the training areas have been vacated and since these training areas have been vacated, it is fair to assume that those troops who were in depth areas on the Tibetan Plateau have gone back to their garrison," he added.

"However there is no decrease in strength either on their side or on our side as far as friction points are concerned."

Gen Naravane said the Army is carrying out restructuring with an aim to transform it from manpower-driven force to technology-intensive force, adding it is looking at application of high-end technologies like big data, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

He also said the Army is fully committed to tri-services jointness and proposals on having integrated commands.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 22:40 [IST]
[January 12, 2021] Ameritas Selects iPipeline's SSG Digital Platform to Enhance Life Insurance Processing for Financial Professionals

iPipeline - a leading provider of low code cloud-based software solutions for the life insurance and financial services industry, today announced Ameritas has chosen the SSG Digital Platform to streamline the application processing experience. Ameritas is a mutual-based provider of life insurance, financial services, and employee benefits. iGO e-App and Maestro Self-Service will be integrated with Swiss Re's Magnum Pure full-service underwriting automation to accelerate business processing, lower costs, and improve the customer experience for the Ameritas independent distribution channel. iPipeline has the life insurance industry's largest independent distribution and carrier network within North America. "In a recent Deloitte (News - Alert) survey, 48% percent of 200 insurance executives agreed the pandemic showed how unprepared our industry was to weather this economic storm. Digital technologies are essential to succeeding in today's contactless selling environment, and iPipeline's low code SSG Digital platform has what it takes to power the industry forward in 2021," said Larry Berran, CEO, iPipeline. "Using iGO e-App and Maestro Self-Service with Magnum Pure will help Ameritas to improve their financial professional and consumer experiences." "Ameritas evaluated several technology providers to find a platform that best fit our needs," said Robert Sharp (News - Alert) , Head of Independent Distribution at Ameritas. "iPipeline is a strong organization in the independent marketplace with integration experience and an innovative end-to-end platform. We look forward to working with iPipeline on automating our new business processes." To learn how you can implement iPipeline's innovations to automatehow your products are sold and processed, contact sales@ipipeline.com or call 1-800-758-0824, option 2.



About Ameritas

Ameritas is a marketing name for Ameritas Mutual Holding Company and its affiliated subsidiary companies, including Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York. Founded in 1887, Ameritas offers a wide range of insurance and financial products and services to individuals, families, and businesses. These products and services include life insurance; annuities; individual disability income insurance; group dental, vision, and hearing care insurance; retirement plans; investments; asset management; and public finance. Securities offered through affiliate Ameritas Investment Company LLC. (AIC), member FINRA/SIPC and investment advisory services offered through the business name of Ameritas Advisory Services. AIC is not affiliated with any third-party entity mentioned herein. For more information, visit ameritas.com. About iPipeline

iPipeline is a leading provider of low code, cloud-based software solutions for the life insurance and financial services industry. Through our SSG Digital, end-to-end platform, we accelerate and simplify sales, compliance, operations, and support. We provide process automation and seamless integration between every participant in our ecosystem including carriers, agents, general agencies, advisors, broker-dealers, RIAs, banks, securities/mutual fund firms, and their consumers on a global basis. Our innovative solutions include pre-sales support, new business and underwriting, policy administration, point-of-sale execution of applications, post-sale support, data analysis, reporting, user-driven configuration, consumer delivery and self-service, and agency and firm management.

iPipeline's platform is used by approximately 450 carriers and fund companies, 1,400 distributors and financial institutions, and their agents and licensed advisors in a cloud-based environment. With headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, iPipeline has locations in Boston, Bromley (UK), Burlington (Canada), Cheltenham (UK), Dallas, Davidson, Fort Lauderdale, Huntersville, Ontario ( CA (News - Alert) ), Philadelphia, Pleasanton, and Salt Lake City. Visit www.ipipeline.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005039/en/

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Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 87F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. S winds shifting to NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
The panicked father of three girls who died with their mother in a horror house blaze struggled to tell anyone his daughters were still in the house until firefighters arrived because he was too distraught, according to neighbours.

Emergency crews rushed to the townhouse on Tulloch Grove in Glen Waverley in Melbourne's eastern suburbs at about 1.40am on Sunday after the property's garage caught alight.

Kaoru Okano and her three girls - aged three, five, and seven - had tried in vain to take cover from the blaze in the en suite bathroom as the suburban home became engulfed in smoke.

Hiroyuki Kikuchi, her husband and father of the children, escaped the flames and was taken to Alfred Hospital in a serious condition where he remains under police guard.

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Kaoru Okano lost her life alongside her three young daughters (pictured) in a horrific house fire in Melbourne's east in the early hours of Sunday morning

Hiroyuki Kikuchi remains in hospital with serious burns after attempting to save his family from the fire

Mr Kikuchi's memory of events will be crucial to investigators trying to piece together what started the blaze, but police say it is unlikely he will be capable of being interviewed until later this week.

As arson squad detectives work to solve the mystery, witnesses have described the tragic scene as the house buckled from the heat and clouds of smoke billowed into the air.

Neighbour Hanish Poonia said the panicked father was black with soot as he attempted to douse the flames and did not tell bystanders his children were still in the home.

'He was in a panic and was trying to control the fire and because he was in a panic he was not able to communicate with us,' he told the Herald Sun on Monday.

'After the (fire) services got here, he started shouting "my kids, my kids, they are upstairs".

'If he had told us before, I think we would have gone in and tried to do something but it was too late,' he said.

The development comes after neighbours told Daily Mail Australia Ms Okano had allegedly separated from Mr Kikuchi, 50, just weeks earlier and he had had been notably absent from the property for the past few weeks.

The young family had no chance of escaping the inferno (pictured, the rear of their home)

Kaoru Okano (pictured with one of her daughters) had tried to take cover from the blaze in the home's en suite bathroom as the property became engulfed in smoke

Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia her husband, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, (pictured) was black with soot as he attempted to douse the flames

Mourners left flowers near the scene of the fatal house fire in Glen Waverley, Melbourne's southeast

Rows of flowers lined the driveway near the fatal house fire, with mourners also leaving large teddy bears

A message left by a mourner near where the three girls died with their mother in the fatal house fire

It is not suggested that Mr Kikuchi was in any way involved in starting the house fire.

Police investigators are treating the blaze as suspicious and the home remained cordoned off as detectives combed through the scene on Sunday.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill told the publication flammable liquids found at the scene have been connected to Mr Kikuchis restaurant, Rolls Japanese Kitchen, in Balaclava in Melbourne's inner-city.

Mr Hill said Mr Kikuchi would be questioned about that when medically cleared and at this stage it remained uncertain as to whether or not he would be able to shed light on what caused the blaze.

On Monday, friends and strangers alike attended the property to leave flowers and other tributes to the family.

Fire investigators returned to the home, checking licence plates in the car park underneath the rows of townhouses.

Neighbours have described seeing the family return home in the hours before the tragedy.

They had appeared happy, with the children enjoying ice-creams.

Alex Rodriquez said it appeared like any ordinary night in the neighbourhood until they woke to the sounds of screams and 'banging'.

Strangers attended the home on Monday to lay flowers and other tributes

People continued to bring flowers throughout Monday

Hanish Poonia lived directly next door to the family. He saw their father covered in black soot as he attempted to help stop the blaze

Ms Okano regularly posted loving photos to Facebook of her children smiling and playing together

'My brother told us to get out as quickly as possible,' he said.

Mr Rodriquez said the tragedy had shocked residents across the adjoining townhouses.

'The mother was beautiful. She was a wonderful, devoted, loving mother - the girls were beautiful and that's what's the saddest part about it.

'I saw them every single day going to school, the mum taking them. They were beautiful.'

Neighbours have spoken of the chaotic moments that claimed the lives of the young family.

It took only minutes for the fire, which is believed to have started in the garage below the property, to turn into an inferno.

The garage was reportedly full of flammable materials such as oils, chemicals and rubbish.

Mr Rodriguez, whose partner is on crutches, said they had no time to render assistance.

'We had to get out as quickly as possible and the fireys were all screaming at us to leave, so we had to just get out,' he said.

Neighbours have described the family as 'ordinary', with no apparent signs of conflict within the home.

Neighbours have described seeing the family return home in the hours before the tragedy

Hiroyuki Kikuchi in happier times

Tributes have been left outside the home where the young family perished

Alex Rodriguez (right) and his partner were forced to flee their own home as the inferno took hold.

The mother's body was found by emergency crews huddled together with those of her young girls

Police take a look at the boarded-up garage where the inferno is believed to have started

The house fire has also left another man in hospital with serious injuries (pictured, police at the scene on Saturday night)

'We've just noticed that the father hasn't been around the past few weeks. And he lived here,' a neighbour said.

Ms Okano had regularly posted loving photos of her children on Facebook as they smiled and played together.

Her father, Yutaka Okano, who lives in Japan, expressed his heartbreak over the loss of his loved ones in a Facebook post this week.

'January 10th will be remembered as a day that is too sad  too much to suffer,' he wrote in a post translated into English.

Detective Senior Sergeant Neville Major said the bodies were found 'huddled together' in the bathroom.

'There has been a very tragic incident here. There is a lot of damage in the garage area and the house has been engulfed in smoke,' he said.

It took 35 firefighters several hours to bring the blaze under control, at which point they found the four bodies in the wreckage.

Authorities are working to determine the cause of the fire, but the arson squad has been drafted in to investigate.

The tragedy comes just a month after another fire, allegedly deliberately lit, claimed the lives of three Melburnians.

Abbey Forrest, 19, Inda Sohal, 28, and their baby daughter Ivy were all killed in the blaze at Point Cook in Melbourne's south-west.

Jenny Hayes, 46, was arrested and charged with three counts of murder and arson causing death after allegedly starting the fire.

Anyone with further information on the Glen Waverley blaze is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Hiroyuki Kikuchi remains in hospital after the tragic fire

A view of the backyard of the home where four were killed

The backyard of the house where four perished in a tragic fire on Sunday
Toronto:

Eating red onions can be really beneficial as it may help cure cancer according to scientists including one of Indian origin. This has paved the way for a natural pill that can treat the deadly disease.

Onions activate pathways that encourage cancer cells to undergo cell death.

They promote an unfavourable environment for cancer cells and disrupt communication between them, which inhibits cancer growth, researchers from University of Guelph in Canada said.

Onions as a superfood are still not well known. They contain one of the highest concentrations of quercetin, a type of flavonoid, they said.

The team found that red onions not only have high levels of quercetin, but also high amounts of anthocyanin, which enriches the scavenging properties of quercetin molecules.

We found onions are excellent at killing cancer cells, said Abdulmonem Murayyan, post doctoral student at University of Guelph.

The team tested five onion types grown in Ontario and discovered that the Ruby Ring onion variety - that has hard, firm, tall globe-shaped bulbs with dark red colour features - has the strongest cancer-fighting power.

The next step will be to test the vegetables cancer-fighting powers in human trials, said Murayyan.

These findings follow a recent study by the researchers on new extraction technique that eliminates the use of chemicals, making the quercetin found in onions more suitable for consumption.

Other extraction methods use solvents that can leave a toxic residue which is then ingested in food, said Suresh Neethirajan, professor at University of Guelph.

This new method that we tested to be effective only uses super-heated water in a pressurised container, he said.

Developing a chemical-free extraction method is important because it means we can use onions cancer-fighting properties in nutraceuticals and in pill form, he added.

While we can currently include this superfood in salads and on burgers as a preventative measure, the researchers expect onion extract will eventually be added to food products such as juice or baked goods and be sold in pill form as a type of natural cancer treatment.

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New Delhi: Army Day is celebrated in the country on January 15 every year. On Tuesday, Army chief Manoj Mukund Narwane addressed the annual press conference. In the meantime, he attacked China and Pakistan and said that the two countries remain a powerful threat to the country at this moment.

The army chief further said that terrorism is being promoted continuously from the Pakistan side, but we have zero tolerance for terrorism. He further said that we will take appropriate action against it when it comes to the right moment. This is a clear message. "We faced these challenges and moved forward, "he said. He said that we have monitored a high level of monitoring not only in Ladakh but also on the entire LAC. The eighth round of core commander level talks have been held, now the 9th round of talks are awaited. The army chief said that we hope to find a solution for dialogue.

Army chief Narwane said that the most major challenge in the last year was the coronavirus and the northern borders. The chief of the Army staff informed that we have increased vigilance on the northern borders, we expect restoration of peace, but if there is any incident, it is fully prepared.

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Bloomberg photo by Daniel Acker.

Harvard University's Kennedy School removed Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik from a committee of the Institute of Politics after its dean concluded she made false statements about the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election.

Dean Doug Elmendorf said in a statement Tuesday that he and the director of the institute read public materials, listened to students and alumni, and consulted with colleagues about the status of Stefanik, a New York Republican and Harvard alumnus, on its senior advisory committee.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
In the late 1990s, the political leaders of the South Caucasus and some surrounding states concluded that it was necessary to establish a pact for stability and cooperation in order to achieve peace and security in the region and also unleash its full potential for economic development and transformation, Vasif Huseynov, a senior adviser at the Center of Analysis of International Relations of Azerbaijan, writes in the article A Stability Pact for the South Caucasus for Euractiv.

In November 1999, at the Istanbul summit of the OSCE, President Heydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan proposed the creation of a pact to resolve the regional problems and ensure peace, security and stability in the South Caucasus. His idea was supported by President Suleiman Demirel of Turkey who developed a broader proposal and communicated the message to the state leaders of the region. President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia and President Eduard Shevardnadze of Georgia joined the initiative.

There were proposals to build the pact on the basis of a 3+3+2 agreement (i.e., Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia + Russia, Iran and Turkey + US and EU) and include security and conflict resolution issues along with economic cooperation and democratic reforms.

President Aliyev underscored that the countries of the South Caucasus must enter the 21st century free from all conflicts and confrontations and accept their own Pact for Security and Peace.

However, in spite of this consensus on the necessity of establishment of a pact on peace, security and stability in the South Caucasus, there was a major deterrent which was not possible then to overcome. President Aliyev declared that there is one condition for the realization of these proposals: It is the solution of the conflicts in the Southern Caucasus in the first place Armenia must liberate the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and over one million Azerbaijani IDPs must return home.

The sides, unfortunately, failed to deliver a breakthrough in the settlement of the Armenia  Azerbaijan conflict. For Azerbaijan, it was unacceptable to build any kind of relations with Armenia as long as 20% of the countrys internationally recognized territories remained under its illegal occupation. The 10 November 2020 trilateral statement of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in the wake of the Second Karabakh War has put an end to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and as such opened a window of opportunity to realize those peace initiatives of former regional leaders.

The resolution of this conflict and the call of the trilateral statement for opening all transport and communication links in the region is indeed a unique chance to set in motion a virtuous circle of economic, political and societal developments.

We must create a new platform for cooperation in the region, Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev stated in the press conference with his Turkish counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 10 December in Baku, suggesting to combine the existing cooperation platforms (Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia, Azerbaijan-Russia-Iran, Turkey-Russia-Iran) in the region and uniting them into a single six-party framework.

Inviting Armenia to join the initiative, President Aliyev added If the Armenian leadership draws the right conclusions from the war, renounces its unfounded claims and looks ahead, then they can also take a place on this platform. We are open to this We must turn this page over; we must end the enmity.

President Erdogan did likewise support the initiative saying that President of Russia Vladimir Putin also supported it. For him, the regional states can achieve reconciliation with this platform which would include infrastructure, political, diplomatic and many other issues.

The idea of a stability and cooperation platform in the Caucasus has been voiced by President Erdogan in the past as well. In 2008, discussing this with Russias President Dmitry Medvedev, he proposed to develop cooperation between Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey in the five or 3 + 2 format.

President Medvedev supported the idea, describing this as an opportunity to conduct a denser, sometimes informal dialogue, to contribute to the solution of economic, transport, energy problems of the region.

This was not possible to be implemented at that time probably because of the challenges posed by the Armenia  Azerbaijan conflict of which resolution now allows to open a new chapter in the international relations of the South Caucasus.

Although the revanchist political groups currently prevail in post-war Armenia calling for rapid (re)armament and preparation for a new war against Azerbaijan, there are a few politicians who do not rule out Armenias participation in the peace platform. For example, Babken Tunyan, the head of an Armenian parliament committee on economic issues from the parliamentary majority My Step alliance, notes that If participation in any platform corresponds to [Armenias] interests, then it should participate.

The liberation of Azerbaijans occupied territories, Azerbaijans official recognition of the conflict as resolved and Armenias agreement to the re-establishment of the state borders as these were during the Soviet times raise hopes that the two countries will be able to overcome the long-standing enmity, remove the blockades, restart commercial, societal and diplomatic relations and will play a leading role in the establishment of Pax-Caucasia.
Bradley Walsh has praised John Bishop's casting as the new Doctor Who companion, after he departed the sci-fi series on New Year's Day.

The actor, 60, said he hopes the comedian can 'get a few funny lines in,' as he insisted John, 54, is going to do 'fantastically well' in the role.

John is set to join Doctor Who for the upcoming 13th series, which is still being filmed after facing delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

'He'll do fantastically well!' Bradley Walsh, 60, has praised John Bishop's casting as the new Doctor Who companion, after he departed the sci-fi series on New Year's Day

Speaking on The One Show, Bradley, who played Graham on the series, said: 'Actually Bishi I've spoke to Bishi a few times and he's a pal of mine, and he's gonna do fantastically well.

'Not just that Bishop's a fine actor, he's worked with Ken Loach he knows what's doing, he's a fine actor, I just hope he can get funny lines in!

'When you're my age, our age forgive me, you get the chance to do some quirky quips, so hopefully he'll get away with a few of those.'

Exciting: The actor said he hopes the comedian can 'get a few funny lines in,' after his casting was announced on New Year's Day

Bradley's final scenes on Doctor Who aired earlier this month as Graham decided to leave the TARDIS alongside his grandson Ryan, with the pair vowing to continue their extraterrestrial investigations on Earth.

Minutes after the episode's end, viewers learned that John had joined the cast, and will take on the role of Dan when he makes his first appearance later this year.

He will star opposite Jodie Whittaker as the titular Time Lord, and Mandip Gill, who plays Yaz.

Praised: Bradley said on The One Show: 'Not just that Bishop's a fine actor, he's worked with Ken Loach he knows what's doing, he's a fine actor, I just hope he can get funny lines in!'

Talking about the new role, the comedian said: 'If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the TARDIS, I would never have believed it.

'It's an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn't wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.'

It comes as rumours swirled that Jodie will be leaving Doctor Who after the 13th series, with another actor set to take on the iconic role when she regenerates.

Following reports by The Mirror about Jodie's departure, a BBC spokesman told Digital Spy: 'We won't be commenting on any speculation around Jodie's future on the show.'

He's off! Bradley's final scenes on Doctor Who aired earlier this month as Graham decided to leave the TARDIS

Jodie reportedly told BBC bosses that she won't be returning to the popular series following the conclusion of the upcoming series 13.

That will mark a three-year run for the actress, which is about average for recent actors playing the time-traveling alien.

Matt Smith, David Tennant and Peter Capaldi also appeared on Doctor Who for three series each, while Christopher Eccleston only appeared on one series after the show was revived in 2005.

According to a source for The Mirror, the show is already at work on figuring out how Whittaker will be replaced by the Fourteenth Doctor.

'Its all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration,' a source said.

'Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. Its very exciting.'

Rumours: It comes as rumours swirled that star Jodie Whittaker will be leaving Doctor Who after the 13th series, with another actor set to take on the iconic role when she regenerates
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  President-elect Joe Biden will call on Congress to immediately cancel $10,000 in student debt for all borrowers, according to a recent CNBC report.

His request is also expected to include an extension of the payment moratorium thats scheduled to lapse this month, the report said.

The $900 billion pandemic aid package passed last month didnt include an extension on the pause to payments, which was put into effect in March at the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Its unknown how long Bidens proposed pause will be extended, according to CNBC.

CNBC pointed to a recent Pew study that found six in 10 borrowers said it would be difficult to start paying student loan bills again in the coming month. Around 90% of federal student loan borrowers have taken advantage of the governments option to pause payments during the pandemic, the data shows, according to CNBC.

Canceling $10,000 in student debt falls in line with Bidens promises during his presidential campaign. However, he is facing pressure to cancel more debt and bypass Congress to do so, the media outlet reported.

Sen. Charles Schumer called on Biden last month, CNBC reported, to forgive $50,000 per student loan borrower on his first day of presidency, telling him: All you need is the flick of a pen. You dont need Congress.

According to Forbes, canceling $10,000 in student debt would erase all outstanding student loans for more than 16 million people. It would also reduce the loan balance by 50% carried by another 9.3 million people, or about 70% of borrowers.

STUDENT LOANS IN NEW YORK

Data released from LendEDU in 2020 found that the average student monthly loan payment in New York was $223.10  ranking fourth in the country. Nationwide, the average monthly student loan payment was $210.73.

LendEDU also analyzed how long it would take residents in each state to repay their average student loan debt. The payment time in years operates under the assumption that a student loan borrower made the exact same size payment each month until repayment was complete.

As New Yorks average student loan debt totals $31,523  and with an average monthly payment of $223.10  it would take nearly 11.7 years to pay off student loan debt in New York.

Nationwide, the estimated student loan debt payoff time was 11.3 years.

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Computer-based artificial intelligence can function more like human intelligence when programmed to use a much faster technique for learning new objects, say two neuroscientists who designed such a model that was designed to mirror human visual learning.

In the journal Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, Maximilian Riesenhuber, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience, at Georgetown University Medical Center, and Joshua Rule, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley, explain how the new approach vastly improves the ability of AI software to quickly learn new visual concepts.

"Our model provides a biologically plausible way for artificial neural networks to learn new visual concepts from a small number of examples," says Riesenhuber. "We can get computers to learn much better from few examples by leveraging prior learning in a way that we think mirrors what the brain is doing."

Humans can quickly and accurately learn new visual concepts from sparse datasometimes just a single example. Even three- to four-month-old babies can easily learn to recognize zebras and distinguish them from cats, horses, and giraffes. But computers typically need to "see" many examples of the same object to know what it is, Riesenhuber explains.

The big change needed was in designing software to identify relationships between entire visual categories, instead of trying the more standard approach of identifying an object using only low-level and intermediate information, such as shape and color, Riesenhuber says.

"The computational power of the brain's hierarchy lies in the potential to simplify learning by leveraging previously learned representations from a databank, as it were, full of concepts about objects," he says.

Riesenhuber and Rule found that artificial neural networks, which represent objects in terms of previously learned concepts, learned new visual concepts significantly faster.

Rule explains, "Rather than learn high-level concepts in terms of low-level visual features, our approach explains them in terms of other high-level concepts. It is like saying that a platypus looks a bit like a duck, a beaver, and a sea otter."

The brain architecture underlying human visual concept learning builds on the neural networks involved in object recognition. The anterior temporal lobe of the brain is thought to contain "abstract" concept representations that go beyond shape. These complex neural hierarchies for visual recognition allow humans to learn new tasks and, crucially, leverage prior learning.

"By reusing these concepts, you can more easily learn new concepts, new meaning, such as the fact that a zebra is simply a horse of a different stripe," Riesenhuber says.

Despite advances in AI, the human visual system is still the gold standard in terms of ability to generalize from few examples, robustly deal with image variations, and comprehend scenes, the scientists say.

"Our findings not only suggest techniques that could help computers learn more quickly and efficiently, they can also lead to improved neuroscience experiments aimed at understanding how people learn so quickly, which is not yet well understood," Riesenhuber concludes.

Explore further After learning new words, brain sees them as pictures

Actually, protests from right-wing activists have been a constant in both Jeff City & Topeka since the COVID lockdowns started but now they're getting a bit more notice.

Fun fact . . . Since both houses are dominated by the GOP, it's a bit harder for MAGA to claim suppression. Also, security is a bit tighter and penalties for breaking rules are MUCH tougher.



Read more . . .

ZURICH, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb today announced that Jeremiah Konz has been appointed Chief Reinsurance Officer. Currently, Mr. Konz is Executive Vice President, Reinsurance Officer for Chubb Overseas General, the company's international general insurance business. In his new role, Mr. Konz will have management responsibility for the design and purchase of reinsurance programs for Chubb and its business units globally, managing the company's reinsurance recoverable asset and overseeing relationships with its reinsurers and reinsurance brokers. Mr. Konz will also serve as Chairman of Chubb's Reinsurance Security Committee and as a member of its Global Credit Committee.

Mr. Konz succeeds Michael Kessler, who was appointed Division President of the company's global cyber risk insurance business. Mr. Konz will report to John Keogh, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chubb. The appointment is effective immediately.

"Reinsurance plays a critical role in how we manage risk, and we are pleased to welcome Jeremiah to this important leadership role for our company," said Mr. Keogh. "Jeremiah brings strong analytical and technical skills, and a deep understanding of insurance and reinsurance markets globally. Over nearly a decade at Chubb, he has held important reinsurance roles in both our U.S. and international businesses. I am confident that Jeremiah will be a strong partner to our company's insurance businesses while helping us to further develop, implement and manage our reinsurance strategy."

Mr. Konz has more than 20 years of insurance industry experience. He joined Chubb in 2012 as Senior Vice President, Ceded Reinsurance for Chubb's North American operations. In 2018, he was appointed Reinsurance Officer for Chubb Overseas General. Prior to Chubb, Mr. Konz worked as an executive for reinsurance brokerage firm Aon Benfield, providing analytic expertise to large commercial property reinsurance placements. In that role he worked in several geographies including Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis over a 13-year period.

Mr. Konz holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Economics from the University of Minnesota. He also holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) designations from the AICPU.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com.

SOURCE Chubb Limited
Scott Morrison made a tough but necessary call one month ago to cancel support for an Australian vaccine because he wanted to maximise community confidence in the treatment of COVID-19.

Now the Prime Minister has another challenge in shoring up that confidence, only this time the threat comes from within his own ranks.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to criticise backbench MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly over their controversial Facebook posts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly has become a dangerous source of dubious advice and outright lies on social media at a time when the government wants full support for a mammoth effort to vaccinate almost everyone.

Kelly rails against the use of masks and calls them "child abuse" for schoolchildren when political leaders and health authorities are telling Australians to cover up.

President Uhuru Kenyatta emphasized the importance of national unity, saying without it the country will not realize sustainable development.

The President said it was the quest for national unity that made him to choose to bring together all Kenyans through his handshake with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga after the election of 2017.

That is why after we finished the election of 2017, there were two roads. One was to say I have been elected and I will rule and finish my term. I had the ability to do that.

The second road was to look at how our nation was divided and decide to bring all Kenyans together. And if having a handshake and talking to our rivals will bring peace and unity which is the foundation of development, then lets follow that route, President Kenyatta said.

The President spoke Saturday at Mululu village in Vihiga County during the funeral service of Mama Hannah Atsianzale Mudavadi.

Mrs Mudavadi, who died at the age of 92 years, was the widow of the late Cabinet Minister Moses Budamba Mudavadi and mother to former Vice President Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi who is also the Party Leader of the Amani National Congress.

The Head of State pointed out that when he and former Prime Minister Odinga decided to shelve their political rivalry to unite Kenyans, they did not intend to lock out other people from exercising their political freedoms.

Our aim was only to bring all Kenyans together and that is where the foundation of BBI emergedWe said elections should never again be based on tribe but policies and good party manifestos that will bring all Kenyans together,  President Kenyatta said.

He said no one will derail his efforts and commitment to unite the country and advised politicians to be respectful and avoid utterances that could divide Kenyans.

We want one strong united Kenya of 48 million people. That is the nation we seek, that is the nation we desire, the Head of State said.

Speaking at the funeral service attended a cross-section of political leaders, former Prime Minister Odinga scoffed at politicians bent on dividing Kenyans on tribal lines.

Let us come together as Kenyans and talk as Kenyans. That is what will deliver the dreams of the founding fathers of our nation. That way, we will be able to build a united Kenya where plenty is found within our borders.

That is what we want and that is what my brother Uhuru Kenyatta and I stand for, Mr Odinga said.

Political party leaders Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (KANU), Martha Karua (Narc-Kenya) and Peter Kenneth (Kenya National Congress) also spoke at the funeral service.

Vihiga Governor Dr Wilber Ottichilo announced that Sabatia Sub-County hospital will be renamed Mama Hannah Mudavadi Sub-County hospital in honour of the departed Mudavadi matriarch.

Governors Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Prof Anyang Nyongo (Kisumu), Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia) and Council of Governors Chairman who is also Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi and Vihiga Senator George Khaniri also spoke.

Others were Senators Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi), Cleophas Malala, Irungu Kangata (Muranga), Senate Majority leader Samuel Poghisio and Senate Minority Leader James Orengo among others.
 Flash

Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing agreed in Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday to accelerate the construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to boost bilateral ties.

During the meeting, Wang said the main purpose of his trip is to communicate with Myanmar on implementing the results of Chinese President Xi Jinping's historic state visit last year when the two countries agreed to build the China-Myanmar community with a shared future, and exchange views on developing bilateral ties in the next stage.

As reflected by the China-Myanmar community with a shared future, China will continue to back Myanmar in safeguarding its sovereignty, national dignity and legitimate rights, supporting the country in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions and the Myanmar army in playing an active role in the process of the country's development transition.

China has agreed with Myanmar in principle on implementing the action plan of building the China-Myanmar community with a shared future, hoping the Myanmar army can make new contributions to the common goal of the two countries, Wang noted.

China decided to provide assistance of vaccines and medical supplies to help Myanmar fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and encouraged Chinese enterprises to carry out further vaccine cooperation with Myanmar, said Wang.

As a signature project of the China-Myanmar community with a shared future, China hopes the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor will be fully implemented after the new government is formed to help Myanmar to develop and revitalize, believing the army will also offer support, said Wang.

For his part, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar is glad to witness China's rising international status and influence, and will firmly enhance its all-round cooperation with China and support China's stance on its issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

Thanking China for its assistance in combating the pandemic, the top military official said the Myanmar army supports the two countries in conquering the influence of the pandemic and accelerating the construction of the CMEC.

He said Myanmar is willing to play an active role in deepening the friendly cooperation with China and communicate with China on maintaining national stability, promoting economic development and social unity.
Bharat Biotech on Tuesday announced that it has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos for the supply of its indigenously manufactured Covid-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' to Brazil.

The supplies of Covaxin will be prioritized for public market, through direct procurement by Brazil government, the company said in a statement.

Moreover, the supplies of Covaxin to private market would be based upon receipt of market authorization from Brazilian regulatory authority ANVISA, it added.

According to a press release by the Hyderabad-based pharma company, the team met Bharat Biotech chief Dr Krishna Ella on January 7 and January 8 at its facility in Hyderabad's Genome Valley. Ambassador of Brazil to India, Andre Aranha Correa do Lago also joined the discussion virtually.

"It is understood between both parties that supplies of COVAXIN (are) to be prioritised for the public market, through a direct procurement by the government of Brazil," the Indian company said in a statement.

On the development, Precisa Medicamentos pharmaceutical Director Emanuela Medrades said: "We identified highly technological, scientific and sanitary control levels. There were also excellent outcomes in clinical trials, which will be published soon. Bharat Biotech has exceeded our expectations, demonstrating quality and safety at the level of the largest vaccine suppliers in the world."

Covaxin is being indigenously developed byBharatBiotechin collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured inBharatBiotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) bio-containment facility, the firm had earlier said.

Brazil has registered over 8 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen over 203,000, the world's second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak.

Brazil has signed agreements to receive other COVID-19 vaccines. Authorities there are facing growing pressure to speed up the vaccine rollout, which is lagging regional peers. Mexico, Chile and Argentina have already begun immunizations.

Meanwhile, on 3 January, India's drugs regulator had approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country. The mega vaccination drive in India is slated to begin from 16 January 2021.

India is sourcing a total of 55 lakh doses from Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine.

-Out of these doses, Bharat Biotech has said that it will supply 16.5 lakh doses free of cost. "BBIL will provide 16.50 lakh doses of Covaxin free of cost to the Central govt as a special gesture," said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE American: FAX) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, today announced that it will pay on January 29, 2021, a distribution of US $0.0275 per share to all shareholders of record as of January 22, 2021 (ex-dividend date January 21, 2021).

Your Fund's distribution policy is to provide investors with a stable monthly distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the Rules adopted thereunder. The table has been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The table includes estimated amounts and percentages for the distribution to be paid on January 29, 2021 as well as the estimated cumulative distributions declared fiscal year to date (11/01/2020 -12/31/2020), from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated composition of the distributions may vary from month to month because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.



Estimated Amounts of Current Monthly Distribution per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Current Monthly Distribution per share (%) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share (%) Net Investment

Income $0.0124 45% $0.0371 45% Net Realized Short-

Term Capital Gains* - - - - Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains - - - - Return of Capital $0.0151 55% $0.0454 55% Total (per common share) $0.0275 100% $0.0825 100%

*includes currency gains

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2021 will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ended 12/31/20201 6.64% Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV2 6.71% Fiscal Year to Date (11/01/2020 to 12/31/2020) Cumulative Total Return on NAV1 7.09% Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV2 1.12%

1 Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan, with the exception of the most recent distribution which is using an estimated reinvestment price. 2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of December 31, 2020.

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2010, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the terms of the distribution policy. The final determination of the source of all distributions will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Fund's Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, Aberdeen Standard Investments is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments Australia Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Aberdeen Standard Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact [email protected]

aberdeenfax.com

SOURCE Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc.

Related Links

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[January 12, 2021] CES 2021 Experience the Revolutionized IoT Solution of 3drens On Your Map

TAIPEI, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 3drens is a Taiwanese tech startup that builds an intelligent mobility management solution for businesses such as logistics companies, vehicle rental services, ride-hailing services, and food delivery services. With its IoT technology combining with vehicles, business owners can quickly grasp the capacity and allocation of its overall resources with a visualized map. Changing mobility AI from Taiwan to the world Initially focusing on the local market, 3drens has worked with the largest e-commerce website, which has a daily revenue of 200K US dollars, to integrate the intelligent mobility management technology with its ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). In 2019, the startup successfully expanded its business into Southeast Asia, collaborating with a Singaporean bus sharing service, a Singaporean systems integration company, and a Malaysian e-commerce company. In addition, led by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), 3drens has attended CES twice and connected with multiple business opportunities locally. And it now looks to aim at the Asia market with increasing logistics demands due to the pandemic. Growing demands of logistics In response to the surge in the global pandemic's e-commerce businesses, 3drens' Vehicle Intelligence Platform has become ever more valuable. It empowers the logistic service providers from a delivery requirement is made to the package is delivered to the end customer. They can arrange the optimal size vehicle, predict the best delivery route, and even assign new tasks for the drivers on their way back. By using predictive analytics and machine learning to improve the decision-makin process, logistics companies can benefit every aspect from safety to productivity.



Aside from business intelligence for the mobility providers, data collected from the vehicles can be further utilized on the consumer end as well. One of 3drens' early clients is an electric scooter rental company that serves mainly tourists. The IoT box on the scooter lets the business owner know which scooter might have a traffic accident that requires roadside assistance, which one might experience collision without reporting, or which one is ridden over the plan and need to be charged more. On the other side, the IoT box data shows tourists' routes from different customer groups, which tells their preference. With the heat map displaying the visualized demand level of certain areas or spots, the rental company employed this insight to collaborate with local attractions and businesses that created an independent stream of value.

Building the MaaS ecosystem Striving to be the leader of Mobility-as-a-Service(MaaS) in Asia, 3drens has been strategically cooperating with different functionalities. 3drens has connected with one of the largest automotive companies in Taiwan, an innovative electric motorbike maker with a recent $10m funding, the largest e-commerce website in Taiwan, as well as a brand new ride-hailing service that multiplies. All of these cases are intended to help build the MaaS ecosystem and create a holistic technology structure to provide an integrated experience for individuals. For instance, the majority of e-commerce consists of small entities. However, it is tough to build a sophisticated logistics network without paying loads for them. The big entities in the industry, on the other hand, often have problems like unused resources. For this specific problem, 3drens is building the shared mobility platform that would give the smaller e-commerce companies fair competition with big e-commerce services like Amazon and eBay. A lean team that dreams big Although it's not a big team, 3drens has specific goals and moves fast. Oeo, CEO of 3drens, says that "When people think of the Internet of Vehicle, we want them to think of 3drens." 3drens has worked closely with Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) during its journey of expansion, allowing it to thrive beyond Asia and connect with more international opportunities, investors, and potential collaborators to advance the mobility intelligence field jointly. With the strong connection in the Taiwanese startup ecosystem, 3drens plans to hire more technical talents and modularized its technology to fit different platforms. CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3baq2n View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ces-2021-experience-the-revolutionized-iot-solution-of-3drens-on-your-map-301206206.html SOURCE 3drens

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[January 12, 2021] Artis Partners with Community Bank to Fund Consumer Loans through its Platform

Today, Artis Technologies, a provider of modern point-of-need lending and payment solutions, announced it has entered into a new bank funding partnership with Drummond Community Bank for its Artis Credit platform. The funding will fulfill consumer loans originating through the company's Home Improvement portfolio. Artis Credit is a platform for businesses to offer unique loan options direct-to-consumer with no start-up cost and minimal risk. It's made possible by connecting financial institutions ready to provide financing through Artis' API-based platform that uses alternative data sources, complex machine learning and AI to present real-time loan offers to individual borrowers. The platform is ideal for consumer-facing businesses with higher cost products and services. Barclay Keith, CEO of Artis Technologies, said "I am pleased to announce this strategic partnership with Drummond Community Bank. Community banks are drivers of local business growth, and we want to provide them with technology to help expand their footprint and drive demand to small businesses. This partnership will allow the bank to get affordable financing options in the hands of consumers when and where they need it, and allow merchants the opportunity to grow their business." When banks partner with Artis, they connect with a growing network of approved merchants able to extend unbiased credit to their customers on the spot. Artis equips businesses to be the face of that financing while giving banks aneasy pathway to gain a new share of the consumer loan market. This approach provides banks access to turnkey lending rails and enables them to quickly scale and diversify their portfolios with minimized risk.



"At Drummond, we strive to be the premier community bank in Florida," said Matt Gallman, VP Enterprise Risk Officer at Drummond Community Bank. "By partnering with Artis, we're able to get financing into the hands of consumers in real-time and in their moment of need. Deploying best-in-class solutions through fintech partnerships allows us to continue to grow our bank, generate new customer opportunities, and better serve our community." Through the partnership, Drummond Community Bank can grow their loan portfolio at scale, while customizable portfolio attributes allow them to be specific and strategic about distributing their assets. The combination of point-of-need financing with real-time funding allows the bank to offer the right loan at the right time with a simple, consumer-friendly experience.

About Drummond Community Bank Drummond Community Bank is a state-chartered financial institution in northern Florida with $800 million in total assets. Drummond offers a wide range of business and personal services and products to the communities through its 17 branch locations in Alachua, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, and Marion Counties. For more information on the bank, please visit Drummond Community Bank's website at drummondbank.com. About Artis Technologies Artis Technologies powers modern lending solutions for businesses to provide affordable, low-friction financing to their customers at the point of need. Its API-based platforms creatively leverage alternative data sources and ML/AI-informed decisioning to present real-time loan offers fit to each individual borrower, all done within the banking industry's current regulatory infrastructure. Visit heyartis.com for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005032/en/

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We can no longer tolerate Members coming to the floor or gathering in the halls of Congress without doing the bare minimum to protect those around them, he said in the statement. Those that flout public health guidance should be sanctioned and immediately removed from the House floor by the Sergeant at Arms for their reckless endangerment of their colleagues.
Cepton's miniature Nova lidar is easy to embed anywhere and costs less than $100 in high automotive volumes

Cepton Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of state-of-the-art, intelligent, lidar-based solutions, has announced its path-breaking miniature lidar sensor the Nova priced at less than $100 for high volume automotive applications.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005035/en/

With a lidar target size of 3.5 cm (W) x 3.5 cm (H) x 7.5 cm (D), and weighing less than 350 g, the Nova is extremely compact and easily embeddable for automotive applications. 2021 Cepton Technologies.

The Nova is a wide angle near-range lidar sensor intended to address major gaps in proximity detection of objects with current sensor technologies. Featuring best-in-class, high resolution 3D imaging with a high field of view (FOV) of 90-120 (H) and 60-90 (V), depending on configuration, Nova sets a worldwide benchmark with its unprecedented combination of compactness, FOV coverage and affordability.

Powered by Cepton's patented and proven Micro Motion Technology (MMT), the non-rotational, mirrorless, and frictionless Nova lidar can be hidden all around a vehicle to provide a complete 360 view of its immediate surroundings. With a lidar target size of 3.5 cm (W) x 3.5 cm (H) x 7.5 cm (D), and weighing less than 350 g, the ultra-small Nova is an easily embeddable lidar sensor that not only enables optimal styling choices but demonstrates the scalability of MMT to the smallest form factors.

Nova has an angular resolution of up to 0.3, with a maximum range of up to 30 m and is therefore ideal for automotive Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle (AV) applications such as blind spot detection, small object detection, automated park assist and free space estimation around the vehicle. For vehicles, a multi-lidar architecture can be facilitated, thereby creating a virtual safety zone all around while minimizing disruption to vehicle design aesthetics.

Nova is ideally suited for accurate detection of objects in proximity, such as small children, on-road objects, road edges, stationary objects and more. With this level of capability and its ultra-compact design, Nova can not only support ADAS and AV applications but also autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) and smart industrial applications.

With lidar's increasing presence in cars and trucks, Cepton has been innovating its technology to meet the stringent requirements from OEMs and Tier 1s while striving to advance lidar designs that enable easy integration in the next generation of automobiles. Nova is the latest representation of Cepton's state-of-the-art lidar innovation, that encompasses the goal of automotive-grade reliability, low power (<3.5 W) and high performance, along with an elegant, minimalistic design that requires only small amounts of real estate in the vehicle body.

Nova's modular design and easily accessible components make it highly manufacturable, with very low cost at high volume. Previously, Cepton was one of the first in the industry to announce a

"The Nova is an industry-first, transformational lidar that fundamentally changes the game for near-field sensing," said Cepton CEO Dr. Jun Pei. "Currently, consumer vehicles have been limited to technologies that cannot facilitate true Level 3 or Level 4 autonomy for the mass market. Radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors suffer from high false positives and false negatives. Rotational lidars are not embeddable, making them impractical for consumer vehicles. Near-range flash lidars either lack the wide field of view or cannot match the power and size requirements to be discretely hidden all around the vehicle. The Nova represents path-breaking lidar innovation for the automotive industry in that it achieves a level of performance that is unmatched for such a small form factor."

Nova is targeted for high volume production starting in 2023. Due to anticipated high demand for samples, Nova will only be available to select customers in 2021 through Cepton's Early Access Program. If you would like to be part of this program or would like more details, please contact Mitch Hourtienne, Cepton Senior Director of Business Development at mitch.hourtienne@cepton.com.

To learn more about the Nova and Cepton's automotive grade lidar capabilities, join Cepton at the upcoming digital CES 2021, from January 11th to 14th, via our virtual booth page (CES registration required). On Jan 12th, Cepton CMO, Dr. T. R. Ramachandran will join North American Lighting (NAL) for a virtual panel discussion on "Impact of Sensors on Mobility" at 11 a.m. (PST) and present at an online NAL-hosted webinar "Lidar, What's the Future?" at 2 p.m. (PST). Watch the online sessions for free to learn more about how lidar is transforming the world and how Cepton's smart lidar solutions are ideally suited for automotive and smart infrastructure applications.

About Cepton Technologies, Inc.

Cepton provides state-of-the-art, intelligent, lidar-based solutions for a range of markets such as automotive (ADAS/AV), smart cities, smart spaces and smart industrial applications. Cepton's patented MMT-based lidar technology enables reliable, scalable and cost-effective solutions that deliver long range, high resolution 3D perception for smart applications.

Founded in 2016 and led by industry veterans with over two decades of collective experience across a wide range of advanced lidar and imaging technologies, Cepton is focused on the mass market commercialization of high performance, high quality lidar solutions. Cepton is headquartered in San Jose, California, USA, with a presence in Germany, Canada, Japan and India, to serve a fast-growing global customer base. For more information, visit www.cepton.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005035/en/

Contacts:

Faithy Li, Cepton Technologies, media@cepton.com
Attorneys apply to fill vacancy on District Court bench

A nominating commission will meet June 23 to forward the names of nominees. The person appointed to the bench will serve a 10-year term.
Announced in May, Legally Blonde 3, co-written by Mindy Kaling and Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator Dan Goor, will show us how the French-manicured Harvard Law School graduate has fared. And one of the things that most excites Kaling is how audiences will respond to a more mature version of its lead character.
gauravanekar BHPian

Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Jaipur Posts: 212 Thanked: 451 Times

Back to biking - Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 MotoGP edition review My honest effort to pen down a comprehensive ownership report of a relatively rare bike



Likes:

1. Refined Engine

2. Looks, Looks & Looks (Add Joan Mir's win as Bonus)

3. Relaxed Compression ratio which lends a feeling of long lasting durability

4. Cross country touring ability



Dislikes:

1. Front end dive while braking

2. Less Windblast protection

3. No option for fairing protection, this keeps worrying me

4. The ability to change direction quickly is limited when compared to 155cc version



Who am I

A 30+ year old who is passionate about motorcycle



What have I bought

Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 MotoGP edition



So...

I believe that every ownership review is colored by the experiences of the person with his previous vehicles, location and other factors.



A well articulated ownership report would help many others in deciding whether the particular automobile is the right thing to buy. I would like to share my ownership experience and review with fellow BHPians.



Disclaimer

My opinion may be slightly controversial, please don't take it personally.



Firstly my riding history



I started riding bike in 2005, It was a gen 1 Bajaj Discover 125 (red, no ugly decals). Discover was launched with an ad campaign which has Jackie Chan playing a Buddhist monk who is captivated by this bike. Being the 10th standard student that I was, I was indeed influenced by that ad. In the same year my dad decided to replace his Chetak with a motorcycle, I suggested him this bike. We loved this bike. I started riding this bike "underage". Fast forward 5 years I had finished my 6th sem B.E exams and was at home with parents, pestered them to let me take this bike to Mysore (where I was studying). Rode this bike through for a year, did some long rides with college friends, it did give a lot of trouble due to age and suboptimal build quality. Due to bad advice and naivety I rebored the engine, the bike never came back to its former self after that. After I finished studies, I left it in home. Shortly after that my father sold it. Didnt look back, did not regret too.







5 month after I started working I was passing through Jayanagar in a bus in front of RE company owned showroom, I glimpsed through the glass at a captivating sight. Borrowed my friends bike immediately after I reached the destination and visited the showroom.

Saw the Desert Storm for the first time, I had not seen this version of classic 500 even once in the internet. When I googled I understood that this bike was launched just a day before. I was so attracted by the bike that the very next day morning I booked the bike after taking test ride of a regular classic 500, it was Oct 2011. Waited impatiently till march 2012 for my delivery.







The ownership of Desert Storm was full of great experiences, rode long and rode hard. Those were formation years for me as a biker. This was the time when I started discovering myself as a rider. This was attention magnet like no other at that point of time. REs were quite rare those days and Desert storm was drool worthy.



I did Hosur - Pune - Aurangabad - Hosur

Saddlesore ride (not proud of that though)

and numerous rides in the 4 southern states



During the same period my friend and roommate bought Yamaha R15V2. We used to ride each others' bike occasionally and tour together many times. My bike was Thor's hammer and his was like a katana sword. These two bikes complemented each other, I loved r15 too as much as my own bike.



I sold the Desert storm after 3.5 years with 36k km on the ODO. The reason for sale were 2:

1. I realized that I liked the bikes with high revving nature, I used to enjoy riding R15V2 and another friend's Apache 180 a lot.

2. RE Desert Storm had one or the other deficiency most of the time, for a person who has a little bit of OCD, this was too much to take. It never failed on me completely anytime, at the end it was an elephant to maintain.



after selling the desert storm I had 98k in hand and immediately wanted another bike. I did not want to spend too much on my next bike as I was tight on budget. I chanced upon team-bhpian preetam_KORG's ownership thread on Pulsar NS 200. Impressed with the looks and performance. I bought Pulsar AS200 in Red.







This was such a revelation. I was right!

I did indeed like the high revving nature of this motorcycles engine. Initially I was a little apprehensive about typically low torque in city speeds (same with any high revving engine), the low bottom end of the high revving bikes didn't bother me at all. in fact I liked the dual personality of such engines.



I had a great time with the Pulsar, One of my closest friend bought Gixxer SF 155cc, I liked the bike a lot.





Himalayan Dilemma

I was always on the lookout for new bikes and the RE Himalayan was too good to resist. I arranged for a relative's himalayan for 3 days and test rode in detail, at the end of it I felt unimpressed. The bike felt heavy for an offroader and the engine sounded stressed in highway.







R15 - the unmet love

Every now and then I would feel the urge to sell whatever I used to own (Desert storm or Pulsar) and buy the latest R15. I always used to stalk R15 in various dealerships wherever I lived. However I never ended up buying considering the sane advice of my close biker friends that Once one is used to a certain power figures, its difficult to go a step lower.







During the fag end I did get involved with Team-bhp Bangalore bikers group, did 2 or 3 breakfast rides, had a great time meeting and knowing fellow bhpinas. The pulsar was having oil leak issue on and off, in spite of getting repaired at Bajaj ASS the problem just didn't go away. I had an embarrassing moment in one of the last such breakfast ride, The engine suddenly started leaking too much near Krishnagiri, and on that day I had to drop my bike in Krishnagiri ASS. Dr. Vijay did help me out graciously on that day by dropping me back to Bangalore. I decided to sell the bike and not take it for any long rides before I sell.







What next



Meanwhile life happened, I had a cute 1year old son, I had decided to switch job and move to Jaipur, Rajasthan, sold the Pulsar before taking the flight. I was too busy with my new job since June 2019 and was bike less for 1.5 year. 1. Refined Engine2. Looks, Looks & Looks (Add Joan Mir's win as Bonus)3. Relaxed Compression ratio which lends a feeling of long lasting durability4. Cross country touring ability1. Front end dive while braking2. Less Windblast protection3. No option for fairing protection, this keeps worrying me4. The ability to change direction quickly is limited when compared to 155cc versionA 30+ year old who is passionate about motorcycleSuzuki Gixxer SF 250 MotoGP editionI believe that every ownership review is colored by the experiences of the person with his previous vehicles, location and other factors.A well articulated ownership report would help many others in deciding whether the particular automobile is the right thing to buy. I would like to share my ownership experience and review with fellow BHPians.My opinion may be slightly controversial, please don't take it personally.I started riding bike in 2005, It was a gen 1 Bajaj Discover 125 (red, no ugly decals). Discover was launched with an ad campaign which has Jackie Chan playing a Buddhist monk who is captivated by this bike. Being the 10th standard student that I was, I was indeed influenced by that ad. In the same year my dad decided to replace his Chetak with a motorcycle, I suggested him this bike. We loved this bike. I started riding this bike "underage". Fast forward 5 years I had finished my 6th sem B.E exams and was at home with parents, pestered them to let me take this bike to Mysore (where I was studying). Rode this bike through for a year, did some long rides with college friends, it did give a lot of trouble due to age and suboptimal build quality. Due to bad advice and naivety I rebored the engine, the bike never came back to its former self after that. After I finished studies, I left it in home. Shortly after that my father sold it. Didnt look back, did not regret too.5 month after I started working I was passing through Jayanagar in a bus in front of RE company owned showroom, I glimpsed through the glass at a captivating sight. Borrowed my friends bike immediately after I reached the destination and visited the showroom.Saw the Desert Storm for the first time, I had not seen this version of classic 500 even once in the internet. When I googled I understood that this bike was launched just a day before. I was so attracted by the bike that the very next day morning I booked the bike after taking test ride of a regular classic 500, it was Oct 2011. Waited impatiently till march 2012 for my delivery.The ownership of Desert Storm was full of great experiences, rode long and rode hard. Those were formation years for me as a biker. This was the time when I started discovering myself as a rider. This was attention magnet like no other at that point of time. REs were quite rare those days and Desert storm was drool worthy.I did Hosur - Pune - Aurangabad - HosurSaddlesore ride (not proud of that though)and numerous rides in the 4 southern statesDuring the same period my friend and roommate bought Yamaha R15V2. We used to ride each others' bike occasionally and tour together many times. My bike was Thor's hammer and his was like a katana sword. These two bikes complemented each other, I loved r15 too as much as my own bike.I sold the Desert storm after 3.5 years with 36k km on the ODO. The reason for sale were 2:1. I realized that I liked the bikes with high revving nature, I used to enjoy riding R15V2 and another friend's Apache 180 a lot.2. RE Desert Storm had one or the other deficiency most of the time, for a person who has a little bit of OCD, this was too much to take. It never failed on me completely anytime, at the end it was an elephant to maintain.after selling the desert storm I had 98k in hand and immediately wanted another bike. I did not want to spend too much on my next bike as I was tight on budget. I chanced upon team-bhpian preetam_KORG's ownership thread on Pulsar NS 200. Impressed with the looks and performance. I bought Pulsar AS200 in Red.This was such a revelation. I was right!I did indeed like the high revving nature of this motorcycles engine. Initially I was a little apprehensive about typically low torque in city speeds (same with any high revving engine), the low bottom end of the high revving bikes didn't bother me at all. in fact I liked the dual personality of such engines.I had a great time with the Pulsar, One of my closest friend bought Gixxer SF 155cc, I liked the bike a lot.I was always on the lookout for new bikes and the RE Himalayan was too good to resist. I arranged for a relative's himalayan for 3 days and test rode in detail, at the end of it I felt unimpressed. The bike felt heavy for an offroader and the engine sounded stressed in highway.Every now and then I would feel the urge to sell whatever I used to own (Desert storm or Pulsar) and buy the latest R15. I always used to stalk R15 in various dealerships wherever I lived. However I never ended up buying considering the sane advice of my close biker friends that Once one is used to a certain power figures, its difficult to go a step lower.During the fag end I did get involved with Team-bhp Bangalore bikers group, did 2 or 3 breakfast rides, had a great time meeting and knowing fellow bhpinas. The pulsar was having oil leak issue on and off, in spite of getting repaired at Bajaj ASS the problem just didn't go away. I had an embarrassing moment in one of the last such breakfast ride, The engine suddenly started leaking too much near Krishnagiri, and on that day I had to drop my bike in Krishnagiri ASS. Dr. Vijay did help me out graciously on that day by dropping me back to Bangalore. I decided to sell the bike and not take it for any long rides before I sell.Meanwhile life happened, I had a cute 1year old son, I had decided to switch job and move to Jaipur, Rajasthan, sold the Pulsar before taking the flight. I was too busy with my new job since June 2019 and was bike less for 1.5 year. Last edited by gauravanekar : 11th January 2021 at 23:19 .
Kampala: Uganda banned social media and messaging apps, two days ahead of a presidential election pitting Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, against opposition frontrunner Bobi Wine, a popular singer.

Users complained that they were unable to access Facebook and WhatsApp on Wednesday (AEDT), social media platforms being widely used for campaigning by all sides ahead of this week's election in the East African country.

Uganda's long-time President Yoweri Museveni seized power in 1986. Credit:AP

In a letter to internet service providers dated January 12, Uganda's communications regulator ordered them to block all social media platforms and messaging apps until further notice.

Campaigning ahead of the vote has been marred by brutal crackdowns on opposition rallies, which the authorities say break COVID-19 curbs on large gatherings. Rights groups say the restrictions are a pretext for muzzling the opposition.
A controversial advertisement for make-up removal wipes has been pulled from the internet in China, after it prompted widespread backlash on social media over claims it "demonized" victims of sexual assault.

The advertisement, produced by Chinese cotton product brand Purcotton, shows a woman walking down a dimly lit street at night followed by a masked man. As the man begins to approach her, the woman is shown using a Purcotton wipe to remove her make-up, seemingly horrifying her would-be attacker and causing him to run away.

Though it is unclear when the advertisement was first released, social media users in China have seized on the short video, decrying its apparent victim-blaming message, and labeling it "disgusting" and "wrong." Some have even called for a boycott of the company's products.

"You use what scares women the most for an advertisement, which is beyond comprehension and unacceptable," one user said on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform.

China Women's News, a website which is operated by the government-affiliated All-China Women's Federation, denounced the ad on their social media for "demonizing the victim."

"(It is) full of prejudice, malice, and ignorance. Women are consumers and not consumer goods. It is inevitable that 'creative' advertisements that insult women will be criticized by the public," the social media post said.

Purcotton, which is owned by Winner Medical Group, has more than 240 stores in China and an estimated 20 million customers, according to the company's website.

Purcotton originally defended the advertisement as a creative way to advertise the "cleaning function of the product," but as the calls for a boycott grew, the company removed the video from their accounts and eventually apologized on January 8.

"We have set up a team to hold people to account for the problem and, in the meantime, we will improve content production and the review process to prevent similar incidents from happening again," the company's post said. Purcotton posted a second apology letter to their Weibo account on Monday.

It isn't the first time that a Chinese company has been forced to apologize over accusations of sexism.

In 2020, supermarket chain RT-Mart apologized after one of its stores displayed a sizing chart which labeled women who wore large or XXL clothes "rotten" and "terrible."

One year earlier, China's top ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing had to backtrack on a curfew for female passengers using its service after 8 p.m., which had been put in place following the murder of two women who used the app.

Novartis expands Oncology pipeline with in-licensing of tislelizumab from BeiGene

Details Category: Antibodies Published on Tuesday, 12 January 2021 09:23 Hits: 924

Agreement expands Novartis Oncology portfolio, adding late-stage PD-1 for monotherapy and potential proprietary PD-1 combinations, driving mid- and long-term growth

Novartis secures development and commercialization rights in North America, Europe, and Japan

Accelerates Novartis immuno-oncology combination strategy with multiple potential tislelizumab plus Novartis therapy combinations

Tislelizumab already approved for patients with classical Hodgkins lymphoma and metastatic urothelial carcinoma in China; 15 registration-enabling clinical trials under way in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors

BASEL, Switzerland I January 11, 2021 I Novartis has signed a strategic collaboration agreement to in-license tislelizumab from BeiGene, Ltd. in major markets outside of China, accelerating the potential for Novartis to enter the large and growing checkpoint inhibitor field. Tislelizumab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody specifically designed to minimize binding to FcR on macrophages. In pre-clinical studies, binding to FcR on macrophages has been shown to compromise the anti-tumor activity of PD-1 antibodies through activation of antibody-dependent macrophage-mediated killing of T effector cells.

Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis will obtain the development and commercialization rights to tislelizumab in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Japan in exchange for an upfront payment of USD 650 million plus royalties and milestone payments. BeiGene will retain the rights to tislelizumab in China and other countries. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies.

More than 7,700 patients have been enrolled in 15 potentially registration-enabling clinical trials with tislelizumab in a dozen indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, gastric cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The first ex-China regulatory filing is expected in 2021. In addition, Novartis and BeiGene have identified multiple tislelizumab plus Novartis therapy combination clinical trial opportunities in solid tumors.

Novartis has a bold ambition to reimagine medicine and find new cures for cancer and blood disorders. This agreement expands on our strategy as the only company pursuing four different approaches to treating cancer: targeted therapy, radioligand therapy, cell and gene therapy, and immunotherapy. No other company has this range of therapeutic approaches, and the opportunity to combine them to offer the best outcomes for each patient, said Susanne Schaffert, PhD, President, Novartis Oncology. We are excited about collaborating with BeiGene, a leading global biotechnology company with roots in China, to bring tislelizumab to patients around the world, and pair it with our extensive portfolio and pipeline to develop transformative combination therapies for patients.

Tislelizumab is approved by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) as a treatment for certain patients with classical Hodgkins lymphoma and metastatic urothelial carcinoma. In addition, BeiGene has filed three supplemental new drug applications for tislelizumab in China for first-line treatment of patients with advanced squamous NSCLC in combination with chemotherapy, first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC in combination with chemotherapy, and previously treated unresectable HCC.

Closing of the transaction is subject to expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

SOURCE: Novartis

The New York Times

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founders money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsofts shares, Gates fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people  including four Cascade employees  complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larsons behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the companys lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Gates reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of womens empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls  a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsofts board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larsons misconduct. During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total, Giglio said. He added, Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larsons dismissal. Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascades, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace, Giglio said. Arnold said, BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. She added that any issue raised over the companys history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately. Larson said, Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture. Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI. Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A Generic Name Before Larson, Gates financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gatess own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundations $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: We dont want Bills name in the headlines. You Live in the Ghetto In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the companys shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larsons trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpaces stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people dont vote. The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larsons remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to Embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundations endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascades ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandviews reputation in part by spreading false and defamatory lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larsons children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation, Sydow wrote. We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons, Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarras departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larsons office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didnt seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. We dont need this, the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larsons conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as stupid or called their work garbage, according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as Larson bombs.) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees presentations with comments like, Thats the dumbest idea Ive ever heard. Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today, Larson said in the statement. I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change. At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. Which one of them do you wanna have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, Are you losing weight for me? according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. This is not true, he said. A Canceled Contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larsons chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harringtons firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right, Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harringtons firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting. By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harringtons firm that December. Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time, he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascades culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop managers complaint could not be substantiated. You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation, Giglio said. But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker. Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascades chief operating officer had departed during Larsons absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larsons influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larsons college and business school classmate. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Precision health is an approach to wellness that takes into account variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person. And thanks to advancements in technology, its here today. Credit: University of Michigan

Precision health is an approach to wellness that takes into account variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person. And thanks to advancements in technology, it's here today. Huge amounts of data are being collected and analyzed to manage our care, with data sources including laboratory tests, biometric sensors, patient records, hospital data, and more. But results can be slow in coming, and the wait between testing and diagnosis can be days or weeks.

However, recent breakthrough developments in technologies for real-time genome sequencing, analysis, and diagnosis are poised to deliver a new standard of personalized care.

Imagine a case in which a patient is admitted to a clinic and a simple blood or saliva test is administered. Before the visit is over, a complete diagnosis and personalized treatment plan is available. In another scenario, a surgeon who is seeking to remove a tumor with minimal impact to healthy tissue could confirm decisions through real-time tissue sample analysis. Finally, picture a portable pathogen detector that could alert a user to dangerous exposure during a pandemic or disease outbreak.

The key to making these and other visions real would be a handheld device that provides real-time genomic sequencing and analysis of patient DNA or pathogen DNA or RNA.

Advances in genetic sequencing

It cost nearly $3 billion to sequence the first human genome in 2001. Today, the cost to sequence a whole human genome is under $1000 and expected to reach about $100 soon. In addition, first- and second-generation sequencing systems were large, expensive, and designed for batch operation. Results would become available days or more after samples were taken. But new, lower-cost third-generation sequencing systems now exist, such as the Oxford Nanopore MinION, which can rapidly sequence individual samples and fit in the palm of your hand.

The human genome is made up of over three billion base pairs of DNA. To sequence a genome, the MinION employs small nanopores to divide a collected sample into billions of strands, called "reads."

"The MinION is a great handheld sequencing tool and is capable of rapidly sequencing biological data," says Reetuparna Das, an associate professor in CSE. "It takes the chemical sample, divides the DNA or RNA into strands, and sequences those strands into electrical signals, known as 'squiggles." However, it does not have the compute capability to analyze raw data in the field and quickly produce actionable results."

All that stands between us and real-time diagnosis is a computing system that can analyze the sequenced data and provide treatment and therapy recommendations before the patient even leaves the office.

The computing challenges

In what is known as secondary analysis, it is the job of a computing system to interpret squiggles as base pairs of DNA, a process which is known as basecalling. A base pair is essentially one rung on a DNA or RNA structure's ladder. Following that, the system must align the read data to genome reference data and then identify variants between the sample and the reference. The variant data of human genomes is used to identify a genetic disease marker. Sequencing is also used to identify pathogens by aligning DNA or RNA strands to a reference pathogen database and using metagenomic classification tools.

U-M researchers are working to bring real-time diagnosis to healthcare providers through combined efforts in computer architecture and machine learning development. This graphic depicts the full pipeline necessary to get from DNA sample to actionable diagnosis. Each step is labeled in a white box, and the tools being developed at U-M to address that step below along with an illustration. The researchers use DNA data sequenced by the Oxford Nanopore MinION device. Credit: University of Michigan

And although this sounds straightforward, sequencing produces about GBs to TBs of data and the processing challenges are steep because of the precision, complexity, and scale of the task. Two multidisciplinary teams of researchers at U-M are working on approaches to overcome this hurdle.

Associate professor Reetuparna Das and professor Satish Narayanasamy, along with professor David Blaauw in Electrical and Computer Engineering, are leading a team funded by the National Science Foundation and the Kahn Foundation that is developing a hardware/software platform to accelerate next-generation genomic sequencing with a focus on pathogen detection and early cancer detection. In this effort, they are collaborating with associate professor of internal medicine and of microbiology and immunology Robert Dickson and assistant professor Carl Koschmann of pediatrics, as well as with associate professor Jenna Wiens, who is also a part of the second research team.

The second team, funded by the Kahn Foundation, is developing data acquisition and machine learning techniques to dramatically improve the prediction, treatment, and management of disease in aging populations. A key component of this effort is the use of machine learning to speed metagenomic analyses.

This large-scale interdisciplinary effort is a collaboration between researchers at TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology, the Weizmann Institute, and U-M. The U-M researchers are led by Betsy Foxman, professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health. Wiens, who is also a Co-Director of U-M Precision Health, is a Co-PI for the U-M research group.

An accelerated computing platform for genomic sequencing

Blaauw, Das, and Narayanasamy are focused on dramatically accelerating and optimizing the pipeline to process data from the MinION. The goal, say the researchers, is to reduce the time required to analyze a sequenced genome from hundreds of CPU hours to a matter of minutes.

"To realize the full potential of genomic sequencing," says Das, "computing power needs to increase by orders of magnitude."

The problem is, that's not possible under traditional processor roadmaps, where additional transistors and cores are packed ever more tightly into a processor for incremental processing gains. Added additional programming cores won't solve the problem either.

"Sustainable growth of processor performance is only possible with custom layers including hardware, software, and algorithms," says Das.

There are a number of areas of inefficiency that occur during secondary analysis which the team is addressing.

First, says Das, is the read alignment process, during which read data is aligned to genome reference data. Read alignment is composed of two steps: seeding and seed extension.

A faster pipeline for analyzing sequenced data: An Oxford Nanopore MinION in the researchers' lab enables rapid, mobile genome sequencing. U-M researchers are working to accelerate the efficiency of downstream genome and microbiome analysis. | Credit: Reetuparna Das

Seeding finds a set of candidate locations in the reference genome where a read can align. Possible matches are known as hits in the reference. In seed extension, for a read, the reference strings at the hit positions are matched at the read. With current technology, this takes hundreds of CPU hours for a whole genome.

For seeding, the researchers discovered a huge memory bandwidth bottleneck. They did hardware/software codesign and developed a new algorithm, data structure, and index that trades off memory capacity for memory bandwidth. They then built a custom accelerator that traverses the new index efficiently to find hits and seeds. The seeding algorithm has been released as open source software and is planned to be integrated with state of art alignment software from Broad Institute and Intel.

For seed extension, they built a systolic array that would in a few hundred cycles use approximate string matching to match read and reference data.

The researchers have developed a custom ASIC to eliminate the throughput bottleneck by using a pruning algorithm to optimize the alignment of DNA reads and candidate mutations and by reducing floating point computation by 43x when tested on real human data.

These enhancements and others have been mapped to custom hardware. This includes an accelerator for seed extension which achieves 2.46M reads/second, a ~1800x performance improvement, and a 27x smaller silicon footprint compared to a Xeon E5420 processor.

According to the researchers, when run on a high-end 56-core server in the Amazon cloud, their secondary analysis tools will take about six hours for whole genome sequencing. On an Amazon FPGA server, this reduces to about 20 minutes. When run on the researchers' custom hardware, processing time is about a minute.

The team has also developed techniques to optimize the read process for pathogen detection. One is to quickly analyze the beginning of a read to determine if it is host or pathogen material. If it is host, the remainder of the read can be skipped since it is only the pathogen material that is of interest. In addition, the researchers are often able to accomplish this host vs. pathogen differentiation using machine learning on squiggle data, without the need for resource-intensive basecalling.

Microbiome analysis to provide faster insights

When processing clinical samples, a fast data processing pipeline is key to the delivery of actionable insights.

"In clinical samples, much of the datasometimes as much as 90%can be host DNA, rather than microbial DNA," says Meera Krishnamoorthy, a Ph.D. student working with Wiens. "As a result, existing metagenomic classification tools store a lot of information about the host, and this can get computationally inefficient."

In collaboration with a team of researchers in Michigan Medicine and the School of Public Health, Wiens and Krishnamoorthy are working on in-silico machine learning approaches to host depletion, or the removal of host data reads, which will become a part of Das, Blaauw, and Narayanasamy's custom hardware. Their goal is to remove all of that host data before classification allowing downstream microbiome analyses to focus solely on microbial data. Existing host depletion methods are laboratory based and can be resource intensive to perform.

In contrast, Krishnamoorthy and Wiens' approach is computational and does not rely on large reference databases, but instead is based on a convolutional neural network. It takes as input read output by the basecaller and then after a series of convolutions and pooling steps outputs a prediction regarding whether or not the read pertains to the host. The proposed approach proposes to increase the efficiency of downstream analyses, enabling microbiome research that has the potential to transform future medical care.

Explore further Research team develops software that cuts time, cost from gene sequencing
Figures just published by Cork Airport tell the story of how the pandemic has hit air travel, one of the worst affected business sectors of all, in the most spectacular way.

Passenger numbers fell by around 2m, 80% of a normal years throughput. Only 530,000 people used the airport last year and the majority of those  398,000  did so in the first quarter.

2020 has been a year like no other, said Niall MacCarthy, managing director at Cork Airport. We have gone from over 50 routes across eight scheduled airlines to two routes with two airlines."

The airport, a vital conduit for the region, is working to re-establish networks, but, he added, that would be a long journey.

International figures echo this implosion. The International Air Transport Association records that the number of airline passengers had increased for 15 years, jumping from 1.9bn in 2004 to 4.5bn in 2019.

Covid-19 reversed that trend and passenger numbers fell to 1.8bn last year, a figure below 2004 levels. This figure is expected to climb to 2.8bn this year, still 40% below pre-Covid-19 figures.

This unprecedented peacetime downturn inevitably has an impact on the 11m or so people directly employed in the global aviation industry. That figure stood at 44,000 in Ireland before the pandemic struck. It also has an impact on the millions more who provide services to those workers. Which, in an entirely different way, confirms the connectivity underpinning our globalised world.

Another sliver of data points to one source of recovery. Last October, 1.7bn was lodged in Irish savings accounts, bringing deposits to 123bn. In a world where so many certainties seem unanchored, these funds may offer some comfort but if the economy is to recover a good proportion of that 123bn will have to be spent to revive flatlining sectors.

Read More Cork Airport records 80% decrease in passenger numbers in 2020

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar yesterday looked ahead to when it might be possible to enjoy those opportunities. He said he is optimistic the country can have a good summer because of vaccines and is hopeful that all nursing home residents and staff will be fully vaccinated by mid-February.

It will be after Easter before the vaccine is rolled out to the general population. At that point, how we chose to use those savings  more a private but national rainy-day fund really  will be decisive. At this point, that, of course, is speculation, but perspective is necessary.

It is, almost to the day, a year since China announced the first death in Wuhan. After a rollercoaster 12 months, Covid-19 has claimed some 1.9m lives.

Yesterday it was announced that Ireland has had the highest rate of infection in the world over the past seven days.

Yet, in the city of 11m where the virus was first identified, it has been extinguished and residents are proud of the citys renewal despite a stiff media blackout on the year just past. Though commuters moved freely to and from work, the world must wonder if China will be as open as it needs to be when the next pandemic arrives  if it arrives in China.

However, the belated decision to admit a WHO team to investigate the Wuhan outbreak augers well.

And if Wuhan can make such a rapid recovery, why not the rest of the world and the airlines that connect us all?
State and local officials are starting to open mass vaccination centers to speed up coronavirus immunizations and to accommodate the millions of additional Californians now eligible for vaccines under the states new, looser guidelines.

Vaccination sites are opening as soon as this week at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego and Cal Expo in Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news briefing Monday. Some sites are also opening in the Bay Area, though for now they are for health care workers and by appointment only. But they are poised to open to members of the broader public in the next few weeks. (See more info on when and where you can get a coronavirus vaccination in the Bay Area here.)

Opening mass vaccination clinics marks the next stage of a historic immunization campaign that began just a month ago, when the first vaccines were injected into the arms of high-risk health care providers.

Since then, California has administered less than a third of the doses it has received from the federal government. That puts California near the bottom of U.S. states for vaccination rates and puts immense pressure on public health officials to speed up the process.

We recognize that the current strategy is not going to get us to where we need to go as quickly as we all need to go, Newsom said. So thats why were speeding up the administration not just for priority groups but opening up large sites to do so.

As of Sunday, the most recent date for which data is available, about 783,000 of the 2.9 million doses that have been shipped to California counties and health care providers have gone into peoples arms, according to the state. That works out to 1,981 doses per 100,000 people.

By comparison, South Dakota and West Virginia, which have the highest vaccination rates, have administered 5,451 and 5,376 doses per 100,000 people, respectively, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even though many health care workers can get vaccinated through their employer or health care provider, county officials hope that opening additional sites can speed the process. Plus, Bay Area counties anticipate that within a few weeks, the large-scale vaccination sites can start immunizing people in the next group, Phase 1b, which in California includes about 15 million essential workers and people age 65 and older.

The loosened state guidelines, announced Thursday, allow counties and health care providers to start vaccinating people in Phase 1b now, as long as they have made vaccines available to everyone in Phase 1a. But many Bay Area counties and providers are still working through Phase 1a, and do not expect to launch fully into Phase 1b until the end of January or early February.

In California, Phase 1a includes about 2.4 million health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1b, which the state has yet to finalize, likely will be divided into two tiers. The first includes people who work in education, emergency services and food and agriculture, plus people who are age 75 and older. The second tier includes people who work in critical manufacturing and transportation, plus people who are 65 and older and people who are homeless or incarcerated.

In the next two weeks well finish vaccinating the first groups of people and begin vaccinating the next group, said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, deputy health officer for Contra Costa County. Were looking at people over 75 and essential workers, such as teachers, child care workers, police and grocery workers. As more residents become more eligible for immunizations, health care providers will let their members and patients know how to make vaccine appointments.

The county announced on Monday that a Safeway location will begin offering shots this week, and that additional Safeway and Rite Aid stores will join in the next two weeks. Contra Costa County declined to specify the location of the Safeway because it is currently vaccinating only Phase 1a health care workers by appointment. The county is notifying people who may be vaccinated there.

Most residents in the county will get vaccinated by their own health care provider, not at a county vaccination clinic, Tzvieli said. Large health care providers, such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter, will be notifying their patients when they are eligible to make appointments for vaccinations, he said. Notifications are expected to start before the end of the month.

San Mateo County on Monday opened a mass vaccination center at a site that had previously been used for coronavirus testing. The San Mateo County Event Center vaccination clinic is currently only for health care workers, who must sign up for an appointment online and fill out an attestation form asking if they live in the county and work with patients in person, and advising them not to share or forward the link to others. Upon arrival, they will have to show photo ID.

In San Francisco, where most residents have private or public health insurance, the public health department will help get vaccines to the remaining vulnerable residents who are not covered. Public health officials said they would work with private providers like Kaiser to open larger vaccination sites.

Santa Clara County is also vaccinating health care workers who are not patients at the large health care systems by appointment at Good Samaritan Hospital and Regional Medical Center. It plans to open an additional site at El Camino Health in San Jose, which is slated to begin online appointment scheduling Tuesday and giving shots next week.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho

Punjab president Ashwani Sharma on Tuesday appealed to agitating farmers to call off their protest after the Supreme Court's decision to set up a four-member panel to look into farmers' greivances.

The Punjab chief also welcomed the apex court's decision to form the panel to resolve the issues raised by farmers in the three agriculture laws.

He hoped that all doubts of the farmers would be adequately addressed.

Reiterating that the farmers' fears about the discontinuation of minimum support price or the mandi system were completely unfounded, Sharma said the laws in no way were against the farmer interests.

In a statement, Sharma said the state farmers have contributed immensely to the nation's foodgrain stocks and the entire country is indebted to them for this.

Sharma regretted that no breakthrough could be made during the eight rounds of talk between the Centre and the farmer leaders and hoped that the intervention would help resolve the farmers' fears.

The Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three controversial farm laws till further orders and decided to set up a four-member committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

The four members of this committee are Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Maharashtra's Shetkeri Sangthana chief Anil Ghanwat, South Asia International Food Policy Research Institute's director Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

Farmers who have been camping at the Delhi borders for over a month are demanding a repeal of the farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price for crops.

(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.)
Sam Gefner, an Austrian-born child of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to the US at the age of three, grew up in the Bronx and Queens, New York, and retired after a forty-three-year career at various aerospace companies in the United States and Israel. He had since published his new book Secrets: A Memoir of Survival: a poignant account immortalizing the lives of two Holocaust survivors and their legacy of perseverance and sacrifice.

Max and Goldie were two Holocaust survivors who met in a Siberian detention camp during World War II. They both escaped from Poland at the outbreak of the war. Max was drafted by the Polish Army and left a wife and two small children in his Polish town. Goldie escaped to Russia with her older sister once the war broke out. Separately, Max and Goldie were arrested by the Russians and sent to the same refugee work camp in Siberia.

Near the wars end, Goldie gave birth to a child from a Jewish Russian army officer she met and wed, who was shot down sometime before the end of the war. Max was informed earlier by underground fighters that his wife and children were taken from their town to a concentration camp in Poland and summarily gassed.

Goldie and Max were not communists and decided that they would both flee to western Europe after the war. Goldies sister decided to stay in Russia. Once the war ended, Max and Goldie trekked to Austria and were housed in an American displaced person refugee camp. Max and Goldie wed at the camp, and soon thereafter, Goldie became pregnant with Sam.

Six months after Sam was born, he developed a tumor on his brain. The American medics were not trained enough to deal with the complex pediatric condition, so they ordered a detained Nazi concentration doctor to assist in the surgery. Max was totally against that doctor touching Sam; however, Goldie insisted that she would make a pact with the devil himself if her son could be saved. The operation was successful, and as Goldie thanked the Nazi doctor for his assist, he coldly answered, I am better at taking orders than I am a doctor.

Two years after arriving in the US, Max and Goldie were strolling down the main street in the south Bronx on a Saturday night when Goldie, window-shopping at a shoe store, noticed someone trying on shoes in the store who had a very close resemblance to one of her sisters, Ann. Goldie told Max she was going into the store and would approach the woman. Max was unable to discourage her from what he thought was her wishful thinking. As she walked in and approached the woman, Goldie exclaimed, Ann! Bedlam broke loose in the shoe store.

Ann eventually becomes a key character who helps connect the shocking hidden links to Sams family story.

Published by Page Publishing, Sam Gefners engrossing book is a riveting true story that keeps the pages turning until the poignant conclusion.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Secrets: A Memoir of Survival at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conducted a small shuffle of his ministers before holing up later in the day for a cabinet retreat to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands in front of his cabinet as he speaks to media during the final day of the Liberal cabinet retreat at the Fairmont Hotel in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Sudoma

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conducted a small shuffle of his ministers before holing up later in the day for a cabinet retreat to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament.

The shuffle is due to the departure of Navdeep Bains, who stepped down as innovation minister Tuesday and is not intending to run again in the next election.

In the first virtual swearing-in ceremony in Canadian history, Francois-Philippe Champagne shed his title as foreign minister to take up Bains' former role, while ex-transport minister Marc Garneau moved into Champagne's old job.

Toronto-area MP Omar Alghabra took over the Transport portfolio, which has seen 10 months of turbulence since the pandemic prompted a travel industry collapse and controversy over refunds for flight cancellations.

Jim Carr also returned to cabinet as minister without portfolio and special representative to the Prairies.

The former minister for international trade diversification stepped down after announcing his diagnosis with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in October 2019.

In a video message posted Tuesday morning, Bains said that after six elections, he wants to spend more time with his family.

"They have sacrificed so much over the last 17 years. This last year has been hard on families," says the MP from Mississauga, Ont. "My daughters, who are in Grade 5 and Grade 8, have needed me more in the last year and I've needed them, too. It's time for me to put my family first, and I couldn't be happier about it."

Trudeau has been clear that he wants departments crucial to the country's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to be overseen by ministers who will be around to help sell the government's agenda during the next election campaign.

In a news conference after the shuffle, Trudeau said he would prefer to keep dealing with suppressing the pandemic, distributing vaccines and restoring the economy than to have a federal election before the health crisis is over.

"I certainly hope to be able to work constructively in Parliament this winter and spring to be able to deliver those things for Canadians," he said.

Many of the federal government's supports and benefit programs have been approved unanimously by legislators. But, he said, in a minority Parliament opposition parties can trigger an election  and he refused to commit to not use his prime ministerial prerogative to call one himself.

"My commitment is to doing whatever is necessary to support Canadians through this pandemic," Trudeau said.

The shuffle, which played out online in a streamlined ceremony stripped of pomp and ritual overseen by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, follows a smaller round of musical chairs triggered by the resignation of then-finance minister Bill Morneau in August. Chrystia Freeland replaced Morneau while keeping her role as deputy prime minister.

The cabinet retreat  four one-day sessions to take place over the next two weeks  is to focus on what more the government needs to do to manage the pandemic, which continues to rage across the country, including ways to accelerate the rollout of vaccines.

It is also supposed to focus on the eventual economic recovery and the Liberal government's plans to invest billions in the fight against climate change, job creation, affordable housing, skills training and a national child-care program.

The retreat is taking place as the government prepares for the resumption of Parliament on Jan. 25, in what is bound to be a more aggressively partisan environment.

The pandemic forced a measure of cross-party co-operation last year, which allowed Trudeau's minority Liberal government to operate without any serious threat to its survival.

But the spirit of collaboration was badly strained by the end of last year and is likely to evaporate altogether this year, particularly once the government introduces a budget expected to send the already-historic federal deficit into the stratosphere.

The government will need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to survive a confidence vote on the budget.

Trudeau began holding periodic cabinet retreats six years ago, billing them as a way to encourage bonding among ministers while getting outside the Ottawa bubble.

COVID-19 put an end to the regional outreach aspect of cabinet retreats last September. Trudeau and his ministers confined themselves to a few days holed up in a government building in the nation's capital to ponder how to get the country through what was then just the start of the second wave.

And now the pandemic is putting an end to the bonding aspect of retreats as well.

Trudeau will be hosting a retreat that will be entirely virtual, with ministers participating via videoconference from separate locations around the country.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2021.
Iran-Iraq Annual Trade To Reach 20 Billion Dollars

01/12/21

Source: Tehran Times

TEHRAN - Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, who is the head of the Iran-Iraq Join Economic Committee, said on Tuesday that the two countries' annual trade is going to be increased to $20 billion. Ardakanian made the remarks in the opening ceremony of the two countries' fourth Joint Economic Committee meeting in Tehran, which he co-chaired with the Iraqi Trade Minister Alla Ahmed Al-Jubouri, IRIB reported.



Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian (L) with

Iraqi Trade Minister Alla Ahmed Al-Jubouri

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to support the export of Iranian engineering and technical services to Iraq by establishing a joint investment fund," he said, adding that new agreements are going to be signed between the two countries in the fields of water and energy.

He also underlined the development of transportation lines between the two countries as an important factor in the development of trade relations between the two countries and added: "We are ready to implement the previous agreements in the fields of electricity, gas, and water, and to formulate new agreements in this field in order to develop cooperation between the two countries."

The official further called for signing agreements for cooperation in other fields including double taxation, investment, preferential tariffs, and customs.

Ardakanian also mentioned the positive political relations between the two countries as a base for boosting economic relations.

He expressed hope that with the efforts of the two countries' governments and businessmen, the development of trade and economic relations between the two sides will become smoother and the talks in the Joint Economic Committee meeting will lead to the signing of documents to develop bilateral cooperation.

Further in the meeting, Al-Jubouri emphasized the significance of modern technologies in the development of economic relations between the countries, and said: "In today's world, the digital economy is very important and the existing obstacles and problems in the way of the development of economic relations between the two countries can be overcome accordingly."

According to Al-Jubouri, the presence of a high-ranking Iraqi delegation at the two countries' Joint Economic Committee meeting is an indication of Iraq's determination for boosting cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to identify and eliminate existing obstacles in the way of the two sides' trade development and to take the necessary measures.

"Given the important relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq, both countries can help each other by sharing their experiences and technical knowledge to have good cooperation on important economic issues," he stressed.

Attended by political and economic officials from the two countries as well as the representatives of the two sides' private sectors the fourth Iran-Iraq Joint Economic Committee meeting kicked off in Tehran on Tuesday and will wrap up on Wednesday.
Looming govt crisis 'inexplicable' says Di Maio IV's ministers may quit after Recovery Plan approved

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JAN 12 - Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Tuesday that he is bewildered by the fact that Premier Giuseppe Conte's government looks set to be plunged into crisis.



Ministers from ex-premier Matteo Renzi's centrist Italia Viva (IV) party may resign after a cabinet meeting later on Tuesday to approve the government's Recovery Plan.



Renzi has been at odds with Conte for weeks about the government's programme on how to spend over 200 billion euros Italy will get in grants and low-interest loans from the EU's COVID-19 Recovery Fund.



Renzi has blasted the plan as lacking ambition while also saying IV's problems with the government go beyond this issue. "A government crisis is inexplicable and not just because we are in the middle of a pandemic and we must pass a decree giving aid (to businesses affected by restrictions)," Di Maio, who is a former leader of the 5-Star Movement (M5S) and remains an influential figure within it, told RAI television.



"It is also inexplicable because Italy will be president of the G20 this year and there will be global health conference in Italy.



"A crisis is not something the Italian people are interested in and they are not interested abroad either".



It is uncertain what an eventual government crisis would lead to.



There is speculation Conte could resign and form what would be his third government after a cabinet reshuffle, with the premier being flanked by deputy premiers from the parties supporting the executive.



Conte's first government, which lasted from June 2018 until August 2019, was backed by the M5S and Matteo Salvini's right-wing League party.



The current government is supported by the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the left-wing LeU group, in addition to IV and the M5S. It is also possible that early elections will be necessary.



"I've held the position of deputy premier (in the first Conte government) and I know the value of that post," Di Maio said.



"It is being described as a panacea to all ills, but that's not true.



"We are not interested in power games at the moment, we are thinking of the Italian people. "We are vaccinated against crises". (ANSAmed).




( Natural News ) As the future of the world balances on a knifes edge, Americans wait to see whether President Trump will invoke decisive action to defend the republic against treasonous criminals who rigged the elections (and censored all Trump supporters).

About the author: Mike Adams (aka the Health Ranger) is a best selling author (#1 best selling science book on Amazon.com called Food Forensics), an environmental scientist, a patent holder for a cesium radioactive isotope elimination invention, a multiple award winner for outstanding journalism, a science news publisher and influential commentator on topics ranging from science and medicine to culture and politics. Follow his videos, podcasts, websites and science projects at the links below.

Mike Adams serves as the founding editor of NaturalNews.com and the lab science director of an internationally accredited (ISO 17025) analytical laboratory known as CWC Labs. There, he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for achieving extremely high accuracy in the analysis of toxic elements in unknown water samples using ICP-MS instrumentation. Adams is also highly proficient in running liquid chromatography, ion chromatography and mass spectrometry time-of-flight analytical instrumentation. He has also achieved numerous laboratory breakthroughs in the programming of automated liquid handling robots for sample preparation and external standards prep.

The U.S. patent office has awarded Mike Adams patent NO. US 9526751 B2 for the invention of Cesium Eliminator, a lifesaving invention that removes up to 95% of radioactive cesium from the human digestive tract. Adams has pledged to donate full patent licensing rights to any state or national government that needs to manufacture the product to save human lives in the aftermath of a nuclear accident, disaster, act of war or act of terrorism. He has also stockpiled 10,000 kg of raw material to manufacture Cesium Eliminator in a Texas warehouse, and plans to donate the finished product to help save lives in Texas when the next nuclear event occurs. No independent scientist in the world has done more research on the removal of radioactive elements from the human digestive tract.

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In addition to his activism, Adams is an accomplished musician who has released over fifteen popular songs covering a variety of activism topics.

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Who were the rioters attacking the Capitol last Wednesday? In the immediate aftermath, images highlighted deluded Trump fans snapping gleeful selfies and expressing their disdain for the system by vandalizing and defacing the building. But there were also rioters out for blood, seen in bulletproof vests and, chillingly, armed with zip ties to take hostages, shouting things like Hang Mike Pence. Images of them were not immediately available, and the full scope of the danger wasnt apparent: For some watching the footage at home, it was hard to say if this was a group of angry buffoons who took things too far, or an actual attempted coup.

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Over the next few days, details emergedfrom a wave of arrests by authorities, but also from an army of internet sleuths working in a frenzy to identify those who breached the building. Those details revealed a group of people who were not unified in their motivations and goals, who often failed to realize the seriousness of their actions, but who were universally angry and by no means harmless. Researchers and journalists dug up exchanges from far-right spaces of the internet showing extremists discussing tactics in the days leading up to the riot, with plans to arrest certain legislators. Some rioters arrived with weapons. The result could have been even worse, but the actual events were tragic: the deaths of five people, including a protester shot by police and a Capitol Police officer killed by rioters who overpowered him and struck him with a fire extinguisher.

QAnon and Proud Boys

Several people arrested had expressed belief in the QAnon conspiracy theory, including its claims that Trump has been plotting to expose a network of Democrats and shadowy deep state figures who traffic children and worship Satan, among other evil acts. This wasnt surprising: An attention-hungry man known as Q Shaman, decked out in face paint and horns, stood out in the crowds on Wednesday. His arrest and those of less flamboyant QAnon adherents followed. Doug Jensen, a man seen prominently wearing a Q T-shirt and attacking Capitol Police officers Wednesday, was arrested in Iowa. A family member told reporters that he had believed that Q was either Trump or someone close to the president. A 40-year-old woman named Tara Coleman had posted articles supporting QAnon to her Facebook page. Ashli Babbitt, the 35-year-old Air Force veteran who was fatally shot inside the Capitol, believed in Qs messages. She looked forward to Wednesday, which she believed would be the storm, when Trump finally and righteously vanquished his enemies.

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There were less convoluted and conspiracy-oriented extreme beliefs on display. One man, in one of the most repulsive images from the march, was seen wearing a sweatshirt with the words Camp Auschwitz. The man was identified as a Virginia resident named Robert Keith Packer and described to CNN as an extremist who hated the government. Some among the rioters were animated by the idea of engaging in ideologically motivated brutality. While the Proud Boys had shown up separately earlier in the week, some of the groups members were found at Wednesdays events. Nick Robert Ochs, the leader and founder of a Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys, was arrested the next evening in Honolulu. Ochs, who was the Trump campaigns vice chairman in Hawaii in 2016 and who ran an unsuccessful bid for the state Legislature (with endorsements from the Hawaii GOP and Roger Stone), claims he was working as a journalist, representing a podcasting and YouTube group called Murder the Media.

Law Enforcement and the Military

Off-duty police officers and former and current members of the military were present in the mob. According to the Washington Post, police departments and sheriffs offices across the country are investigating whether anyone in their departments participated in the riot. A number of officers have already been suspended or otherwise disciplined. One sheriffs lieutenant called Wednesday aside from my kids  the best day of my life. According to the Post, at least one police chief appeared to have attended the rally. Its unclear how these officersand the Trump supporters carrying thin blue line flagsrationalize the violence against the Capitol Police that took place Wednesday.

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Its also unclear how many active-duty members of the military were in the crowd on Wednesday, but there appear to have been a good number of ex-military. Babbitt, for example, served for more than six years in an Air National Guard unit pledged to protect the D.C area. Larry R. Brock, seen in photos in a helmet, tactical vest, and camoand identified by his ex-wife, who called the FBI when she recognized him on-screenis a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and combat veteran.* He was seen also carrying white flex cuffs, though he told the New Yorker that he had picked them up to give them to police.

A 30-year-old Army officer, Capt. Emily Rainey, was also identified in the crowd. Rainey, a psychological operations officer who had submitted her resignation after being rebuked for her actions in an earlier protest, led a group from North Carolina to Washington.* According to CBS News, the Pentagon is looking into how many Fort Bragg soldiers may have followed her. In a video she posted Friday, she told her followers that they should be ready to put everything on the line. In that same video, she insisted that rioters were antifa because Patriots [would not] smash the windows of a National jewel like the Capitol.

Remorse or Pride?

Many played down their actions, likely because of the realization that they faced jail time. Eric Gavelek Munchel, the 30-year-old man photographed with plastic restraints and dressed in all-black military garb, said in an interview that he and his mother entered the Capitol just to check things out and left when others started talking about stealing government property. Still, he expressed pride in their position, saying the two of them wanted to show that were willing to rise up, band together and fight if necessary. (Munchels mother told the Times of London, Id rather die as a 57-year-old woman than live under oppression.) Others couldnt help bragging. Richard Barnett, the man photographed sitting with his feet on a desk in Pelosis office, said, I wrote her a nasty note, put my feet up on her desk, and scratched my balls.

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Others were apologetic. Derrick Evans resigned from the West Virginia House of Delegates on Saturday after broadcasting his actions in the Capitol. Bradley Rukstales, the former chief executive of an Illinois marketing company, put out a formal apology. A few who never made it to the Capitol storming seemed shocked by how things devolved. Leonard Guthrie Jr. has said he thought hed pray for honesty and integrity at a peaceful protest. After being arrested for crossing a police barrier, he said, I doubt Ill ever do anything like that again.
Pastor killed in crash hours after warning church to be more prayerful about using social media

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Matt Netzer, the 44-year-old pastor of RockPile Church in Marble Falls, Texas, was killed in a crash last Friday hours after warning his followers about discussing politics on social media.

Netzer, who began leading his church in 1999, and was one of the congregations founders, was reportedly traveling north on RM 2900 toward Kingsland in a 2018 Mazda CX-5 when the vehicle veered across the southbound lane, left the roadway, and struck a fence, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was pronounced dead at the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Marble Fall.

The pastors death came just hours after he warned his followers to be more prayerful about what they share on social media in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump supporters last Wednesday.

Everyone wants to speak out on the riots, on Trump, on Biden, on race, on lockdowns and masks, on the elections, on conspiracies, on Democrats, on Republicans.... everyone has a thought, a judgment, a post just itching to be made. Just like we did all 2020, he began.

I know, I'm there with you, I've made and deleted about 1,000 statuses, and that's probably a good thing since I've also changed my mind about 1,000 times as my own emotions have fluctuated.

But really, the posts are made, and the needle doesn't move. In fact, it usually just leads to more fighting. Turns out, everyone having an instant platform has not been beneficial for the most part, I'd say the social media experiment has largely failed. Heck, social media may even be one of the biggest culprits for the anger and violence in our country, he said.

He then wondered out loud if Christians would be better off praying more than they posted on social media.

That question in itself is not meant to be a judgment as much as a refocus, and it's not meant to be a catchy gotcha slogan, but rather I hope we do better in 2021 than we already have only seven days in. I'm making a call to myself and to my own church to pray more and post less, he said.

I truly believe that social media, and all the noise it brings, is actually serving to hinder the only real thing that is going to change hearts and bring any kind of healing to our brokenness.... so make sure you, AT LEAST, pray before you post, he added.

A GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $100,000 to assist his widow, Sarah, and his two children, Lucy and Micah, had raised more than $69,680 as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

We want to take care of his family because he fulfilled the greatest commandment as found in Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus declared, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments, a message on the campaign organized by the church said.

Netzers memorial service will be held on Jan. 16 at First Baptist Church Marble Falls located at 901 La Ventana Drive, beginning at 1 p.m. The church will follow COVID-19 protocols and the family is encouraging the wearing of masks. A second service is also being planned in St. Louis, Missouri, the church said.

Unveiling the double origin of cosmic dust in the distant Universe

Two billion years after the Big Bang, the Universe was still very young. However, thousands of huge galaxies, rich in stars and dust, were already formed. An international study, led by SISSA - Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, now explains how this was possible. Scientists combined observational and theoretical methods to identify the physical processes behind their evolution and, for the first time, found evidence for a rapid growth of dust due to a high concentration of metals in the distant Universe. The study, published in Astronomy&Astrophysics, offers a new approach to investigate the evolutionary phase of massive objects.

Since their initial discovery 20 years ago, very distant and massive galaxies that form prodigious amount of young stars - so-called dusty (star-forming) galaxies - represent a serious challenge for astronomers: "On one hand, they are difficult to detect because they reside in dense regions of the distant Universe and contain dusty particles which absorb most of the optical light radiated by young stars", explains Darko Donevski, postdoctoral fellow at SISSA. "On the other hand, many of these dusty 'giants' have been formed when the Universe was very young, sometimes even less than 1 billion years-old, and scientists have been wondering how could such large amount of dust have been produced so early in time".

The study of these exotic objects is now possible thanks to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). This interferometer of 66 telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile is able to detect the infrared light which penetrates the dusty clouds, revealing the presence of newly forming stars. However, the origin of large amount of dust at early cosmic time is still an open question to astronomers. "Throughout many years scientists thought that production of cosmic dust was exclusively due to supernovae explosion. However, recent theoretical works suggest that dust can also grow through collisions of particles of cold, metal-rich gas which fills the galaxies," explains the researcher.

An international team of researchers from institutions based in Europe, US, Canada and South Africa, led by Donevski, combined observational and theoretical methods to study 300 distant, dusty galaxies in order to unveil the origin of these "Giants". In particular, they inferred the physical properties of these dusty galaxies by fitting their spectral energy distributions. "We found a huge amount of dust mass in most of our galaxies. Our estimates showed that supernovae explosions could not be responsible for all of it and a part had to be produced through particle collisions in the gaseous metal-rich environment around massive stars, as previously supposed by theoretical models" says Donevski. "This is the first time that observational data support the existence of both production mechanisms."

Scientists also looked at dust to star mass ratio over time to study how efficiently galaxies create and destroy dust during their evolution. "This allowed us to identify dust life cycle in two different populations of galaxies: normal, so-called 'main-sequence', galaxies, which are slowly evolving, and more extreme, rapidly evolving galaxies, called 'starbursts'", said Lara Pantoni, PhD student at SISSA, who developed the analytic model used for data interpretation. The model shows the great potential in describing differences in these two groups of observed galaxies. "Interestingly, we also showed that irrespective of their distance, stellar mass or size, compact 'starburst' galaxies always have dust-to-stellar mass ratio higher than the normal galaxies."

To fully evaluate the observational findings, the team of astronomers also confronted their data with the state-of-the-art galaxy simulations. They used SIMBA, a new suite that simulates the formation and evolution of millions of galaxies since the beginning of the Universe to present time, tracking all their physical properties, including dust mass. "Up to now, theoretical models had problems in matching both galaxy dust and stellar properties simultaneously. However, our new cosmological simulation suite, SIMBA, could reproduce most of the observed data," explains Desika Narayanan, professor of astronomy at the University of Florida and member of the DAWN institute in Copenhagen.

"Our study shows that dust production in 'giants' is dominated by very rapid growth of particles through their collisions with gas. Thus, it provides the first strong proof that dust formation occurs both during stars death and in the space between these massive stars, as assumed from theoretical studies," concludes Donevski. "Moreover, it offers a new mixed approach to investigate the evolution of massive objects in the distant Universe that will be tested with future space telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope."

###

Video Interview with D. Donevski:

https:/ / bit. ly/ 3qc60WK

This story has been published on: 2021-01-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Serum Institute of India (SII) will be selling Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine - Covishield - at Rs 1,000 per dose in private markets, said Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of SII, on Janaury 12.

He said the first 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were sold only to the Government of India at a special price of Rs 200 because the vaccine maker wanted to support the common man, the vulnerable, the poor, and healthcare workers, ANI reported.



We've given a special price of Rs 200 for the first 100 mn doses only to GoI on their request, that we want to support common man, vulnerable, poor, healthcare workers. After that we'll be selling it at Rs 1000 in pvt markets: Adar Poonawalla, CEO-Owner, Serum Institute of India pic.twitter.com/EmKwGhevc2

 ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2021

To the Government of India, we will still maintain a very reasonable price, but it will be a little bit more than Rs 200 which is our cost price. So, we decided not to make any profit on the first 100 million doses, as we wanted to support the nation and the Government of India, he said.

Saying that the main challenge for the Pune-based pharma firm will be to bring Covishield to everyone in the country, the SII CEO said: We make 70-80 million doses every month. Planning is underway to see how many will be given to India and foreign countries. The health ministry has made logistics plans. We also have partnership with private players for trucks, vans, and cold storages.

Poonawalla further said several countries have written to the Prime Ministers Office requesting supplies of the SII manufactured COVID-19 vaccine to their countries and said: We are trying to keep everyone happy, but need to take care of our population as well."

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

He added: We are trying to supply Covishield vaccines to Africa and South America.

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Mikayel Hambardzumyan, who served as the head of the Armenian National Security Service until November 8 last year, was not aware of the preparations for the signing of a trilateral statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.



He made such a statement in an interview with the Armenian Channel 5.



Hambardzumyan submitted his resignation letter on November 8, that is he did not know that the head of the government was negotiating an end to hostilities. According to him, the prime minister did not inform his country's NSS about the talks with Vladimir Putin and about the Russian leader's proposals.



The ex-head of the NSS stressed that one of the key reasons for his departure was the lack of understanding of the reasons why Pashinyan did nothing to end the war, although both the National Security Service and the Ministry of Defense reported to him on a daily basis about heavy losses of the Armenian side and military failures.



"This is not about an armistice, but about ending the war and starting negotiations. We did not understand what goal the authorities were pursuing not stopping the war," Hambardzumyan explained.



The security official clarified that the head of government was also reported on the need to stop the war on October 19 at an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council. Former Armenian Minister of Defense David Tonoyan also expressed agreement with this point.



"Then head of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan reported on the situation, presented the losses and said we are going to be defeated, offering to stop the war. But another decision was made," Ambartsumyan said.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 04:29:45|Editor: huaxia

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ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- A large explosion targeted a security patrol in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Monday evening, a government official told Xinhua.

The explosion, caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), struck a security patrol in Aden's neighborhood of Mansourah, damaging the vehicle at the scene, the local government source said on condition of anonymity.

He confirmed that there have been no immediate reports of casualties among the security personnel.

Witnesses said that additional security soldiers have arrived at the scene and began investigating the incident.

Local authorities are trying to maintain security in the strategic Yemeni port city considered as the country's temporary capital.

However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in Aden, where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has been based since 2015.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The six-year-old war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million and pushed Yemen to the brink of starvation. Enditem
TOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, England, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sosei Group Corporation ("the Company") (TSE: 4565) and PharmEnable, a UK drug discovery company, announce they have entered a collaboration to apply their respective technologies to drive novel drug discovery against a challenging G protein-couple receptor (GPCR) target associated with neurological diseases.

The collaboration will combine Sosei Heptares' world-leading GPCR-focused structure-based drug design platform, which has fully structurally enabled the GPCR target, providing detailed structural insights and an assessment of tractability, with PharmEnable's proprietary advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled and medicinal chemistry technologies (ChemUniverse and ChemSeek) to identify novel, highly specific drug leads for further development.

PharmEnable's approach identifies three-dimensional (3D) drug candidate hits with improved specificity compared with traditional screening methods and allows the company to take on particularly challenging biological targets, such as "peptidergic" GPCRs, which have proved difficult to drug using existing approaches.

The natural agonist ligand of a peptidergic GPCR is a large, complex peptide and is often very difficult to block with a small molecule, particularly one that has properties suitable for development as a therapeutic agent for neurological disease.

Under the agreement, the companies will jointly conduct and share the costs of the discovery and development program and will co-own any resulting products. No further financial details are disclosed.

Miles Congreve, Chief Scientific Officer of Sosei Heptares, commented: "We have been very impressed with PharmEnable's technology and approach, which we believe to be highly complementary to our own, offering important synergies for drug discovery on challenging GPCR targets. We are excited to apply these technologies on a peptidergic GPCR target that has proved particularly difficult to drug. We have so far assembled a wealth of structural and ligand-binding information on the target and created several promising molecules but have yet to identify compounds with sufficiently desirable neurological drug-like properties to advance into preclinical studies. Combining our respective technologies and expertise may be the key that unlocks this target and enables the identification of higher quality molecules to progress into preclinical development."

Hannah Sore, Chief Executive Officer of PharmEnable, added: "We are excited to partner with Sosei Heptares on this challenging and complex GPCR target. We have proven the strength of our platform in tapping unexplored parts of the chemical universe to find novel and specific hits for currently undruggable targets. Combining our platform with the technology and structural insights developed by Sosei Heptares should enable us to generate several potential hits, and to establish our pipeline of candidate molecules for the treatment of challenging diseases."

About Sosei Heptares

We are an international biopharmaceutical group focused on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary GPCR-targeted StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology and inflammatory diseases.

We have established partnerships with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Biohaven, Genentech (Roche), GSK, Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda and additionally with multiple emerging technology companies. Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with corporate and R&D facilities in Cambridge, UK.

"Sosei Heptares" is the corporate brand and trademark of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are trademarks of Sosei Group companies.

For more information, please visit https://www.soseiheptares.com/

LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco

About PharmEnable

PharmEnable is a Cambridge (UK) based drug discovery company, using a combination of medicinal chemistry and AI computational approaches to design the next generation of specific and cost-efficient small molecule drugs. A spin-out from the University of Cambridge, PharmEnable is creating a pipeline of drug discovery programmes across a number of disease areas including cancer and neurodegenerative disease.

The PharmEnable platform focuses on creating chemical diversity, making potential new medicines that are 3-dimensional (3D) and inspired by nature. This innovative approach has all the advantages of small molecule drugs. In addition, the 3D structures make the molecules more specific and less likely to be toxic, opening up new possibilities for treating otherwise undruggable conditions.

For more information, please visit www.pharmenable.com

LinkedIn: @PharmEnable | Twitter: @PharmEnable

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporation's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Enquiries:



Sosei Heptares  Media and Investor Relations



Hironoshin Nomura, SVP Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy

+81 (0)3 6679 2178 | [email protected]

Shinichiro Nishishita, VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory Disclosures

+81 (0)3 5210 3399 | [email protected]

Citigate Dewe Rogerson (for Sosei Heptares)



Yas Fukuda  Japanese Media

+81 (0)3 4360 9234 | [email protected]

Mark Swallow, David Dible  International Media

+44 (0)20 7638 9571 | [email protected]

PharmEnable



Dr Jelena Aleksic, CBO, PharmEnable

+44(0)779 3534121 | [email protected]

Charles Consultants (for PharmEnable)



Sue Charles

+44 (0)7968 726585 | [email protected]

SOURCE Sosei Heptares
narvikk/iStockBy JULIA JACOBO, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- A third House representative has tested positive for COVID-19 following the riot on Capitol Hill.



Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., announced Tuesday that he has become infected with the virus after sheltering with several Republicans who were unmasked for "several hours" during the siege.



"Unfortunately, I received a positive COVID-19 test this morning following being tested yesterday on the advice of the House Attending Physician," Schneider said in a statement.



Schneider said that several Republican lawmakers "adamantly refused to wear a mask" while confined in a room with dozens of other members of Congress, "even when politely asked by their colleagues."



Schneider is now isolating, "worried that I have risked my wifes health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff," he said.



"I am at least the third Member from that room paying the price, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a 75-year-old cancer survivor," Schneider.



Jayapal, D-Wash., announced late Monday that she tested positive, saying that "numerous Republican lawmakers recklessly refused to wear masks" while locked down in the secure room.



"Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them," Jayapal said in a statement.



Jayapal called for the lawmakers who did not wear mask to face "serious fines," adding that any House member who refuses to wear one should be "immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms."



"This is not a joke," she said. "Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy."



On Monday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., announced Monday that she had become infected with the virus, stating that some colleagues who sheltered in place in the same room as her during the siege refused to wear masks.



"Following the events of Wednesday, including sheltering with several colleagues who refused to wear masks, I decided to take a Covid test. I have tested positive," Coleman tweeted.



Coleman is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, she said in a statement. She previously received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Following the events of Wednesday, including sheltering with several colleagues who refused to wear masks, I decided to take a Covid test.



I have tested positive.https://t.co/wivlbwrmV0  Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) January 11, 2021

The attending physician to members of the U.S. Congress a day earlier advised lawmakers to get tested for COVID-19 due to possible exposure during the siege on the Capitol.



The potential exposure may have occurred when several members of the House and their staffers were in "protective isolation" in a large committee space for several hours with an individual who was infected with the virus, Dr. Brian P. Monahan wrote in a memo to lawmakers and staff Sunday.



Monahan reminded Capitol staff to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing and recommended they obtain a COVID-19 test next week.



The COVID-19 vaccine first became available to members of Congress late last month, but it's unclear how many have been vaccinated.



The riot on Capitol Hill could end up being a superspreader event, experts told ABC News.



However, public health officials will not know for weeks how many new COVID-19 cases are linked to the riot.



Thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden by Congress.



Many of the rioters came directly from President Donald Trump's "Save America" rally, held near the White House, where the president incited his followers to march to the Capitol.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
In the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol and planned protests across the country, state Assembly Democrat district offices will be closed through Jan. 20, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Given the events that occurred last Wednesday, in Washington DC, and the increased internet chatter, and subsequent potential demonstrations that may occur in our own state capital of Trenton, we advised all staff, including district office staff to work remotely, spokesman Kevin McArdle told NJ Advance Media.

The offices will remain closed through at least Jan. 20, the day President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be inaugurated, he said.

Most staffers have already been working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, McArdle noted.

Senate President Steve Sweeney told NJ Advance Media he is receiving a security briefing Thursday and will make a decision then on whether or not to close offices.

This is really in response into whats going on in the country right now, so what were looking for is our security to advise us, he said.

Five people died, including an officer originally from New Jersey, after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building. The FBI has indicated that armed protests are scheduled across all 50 state capitals and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. in the days leading up to the inauguration.

Brad Schnure, spokesman for the state Senate Republicans, said there are no plans to close their district offices.

In fact, many of our offices remain open on days when other State government offices are closed to continue serving constituents, he added.

The Assembly Republican offices did not immediately respond whether their offices will remain open.

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Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz.

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New Zealand import Let It Ride N improved his record since coming to the United States to six-for-six with a 1:52.1 victory from post position eight in the $30,000 Open Handicap Pace on Monday night at Yonkers Raceway as the 2021 meet kicked off.

Let It Ride had regular pilot Dexter Dunn at the controls, and Dunn floated away from the outside draw, landing a seat in sixth in the first turn. Meanwhile, Bettor Memories (George Brennan) shot out to the lead from the pole position and cut the opening quarter in 27 seconds. Bettor Memories would continue to show the way to the :56.3 half-mile marker, but Hesa Kingslayer (Jim Marohn Jr.), another New Zealand-bred, went first-over from fifth just prior to that marker, giving Let It Ride cover to track.

Bettor Memories remained in the lead at the 1:24.3 three-quarters and was able to keep Hesa Kingslayer at bay around the far turn as well, but Dunn turned Let It Ride loose three-wide before they entered the stretch, and he would out-finish his competition while not asked by Dunn, winning by a comfortable length.

Speed Man, a Kiwi transplant driven by Scott Zeron, slid out off the cones to follow Let It Ride after three-quarters and wound up closing for second at 99-1, while Hesa Kingslayer came in third, giving the race an all-New Zealand trifecta.

An eight-year-old gelding by Rock N Roll Heaven and out of the Bettors Delight mare Love A Gamble, Let It Ride N is trained by Nifty Norman for owner Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

Let It Ride, who was a two-time Group 1 race winner in Australia in 2018, has a record of 24-6-8 from 60 career starts and has now earned $375,959. He paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite. The exacta with Speed Man kicked back $61.50, and the trifecta of 8-3-5 was worth $129.50.

On the wagering front, the first edition of the new $1 Pick 6 at Yonkers had a pool of $2,839, and the sequence of 1/1/2/1,2/8/5 returned $355.50. The 50-cent Pick 5 handled $13,964, and the winning combination of 2/1,2/8/5/1 paid $122.00. As a reminder, the takeout on the Pick 4s, Pick 5s, and Pick 6s at Yonkers is now 20 percent.

Live harness racing at Yonkers will resume on Tuesday night with first post at 7:15, and the track will continue on a Monday-Friday schedule throughout 2021.

(Yonkers)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to announce an extension to Michigans partial shutdown at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, according to multiple Michigan business leaders.

Michigans most recent shutdown expires at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15 and includes a prohibition on in-person dining inside restaurants. The COVID-19 order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services started Nov. 18 and has been extended multiple times.

The reopening of indoor dining could be slated for Feb. 1, according to the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, which has been in talks with the governors office.

Restaurants and bars could be subject to a nighttime curfew  similar to Ohios 10 p.m. curfew  to limit exposure, per the MLBA.

Capacity limits are also likely once restaurants are allowed to reopen, and businesses taking additional health measures could be allowed to have a higher capacity of people inside, per the MLBA.

Although we are disappointed with the idea of being closed for another two weeks, finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel is certainly reassuring, the MLBA said in a Facebook post.

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association is making one final push in hopes of convincing Michigan leaders to reopen indoor seating sooner. The MRLA launched a tool on its website Tuesday that allows people to send a pre-written message to the governor and MDHHS Director Robert Gordon.

Within the first few hours, 2,000 people utilized it, asking state leaders to reopen restaurants.

Please reopen indoor dining upon the expiration of the current order on January 15  livelihoods depend on it, the pre-written message says, in addition to details about how Michigans COVID-19 numbers have improved.

The MRLA hopes state leaders will decide against extending the ban, but MRLA President and CEO Justin Winslow isnt confident it will happen.

Communication with the administration feels like it stopped being useful or productive, Winslow said. Usually when this administration gets real silent with everyone, you have a tendency to know where thats going.

MLive has reached out to the governors office for comment.

Michigan leaders have said theyre looking at three numbers when considering health orders: Cases, hospitalizations and percentage of tests coming back positive.

All three have declined since the order started Nov. 18. But state leaders havent publicly released goalposts for what numbers need to be hit for reopening to happen. State leaders have also said in recent days theyre concerned about the new COVID-19 variant thats made its way to the U.S.

Heres how those main three metrics have changed in recent weeks.

Seven-day average of new cases per day

Nov. 18: 6,932

Dec. 17: 4,234

Jan. 12: 3,029

COVID-19 hospitalizations

Nov. 18: 3,792

Dec. 17: 3,547

Jan. 12: 2,415

Percent positivity

Nov. 18: 13.45%

Dec. 17: 9.6%

Jan. 12: 7.16%

Other states, like Washington and Illinois, have made it clearer where the numbers need to be for restaurants to reopen or to advance to a higher capacity limit, Winslow said.

I am sure restauranteurs are frustrated equally in those two states, Winslow said. But at least they have the ability to make decisions because they can see data, they can see trends and know whats coming. That doesnt exist here in Michigan.

Business owners are left in limbo, Winslow said, calling it astonishingly offensive.

There have been far fewer restaurant outbreaks since the dine-in ban started, per state data. At the start of the pause, there were 65 active COVID-19 outbreaks in Michigan tied to restaurants and bars. Now, there are 10.

The number is not zero, of what your potential risk is for dining out at a restaurant, Winslow said. But theres just no clear causation of one to the other.

One-third of Michigans hospitality workers were unemployed as of November, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The industry has been callously left aside in Michigan, Winslow said.

He also advocates for Michigan to move hospitality workers up in the line for vaccinations, as other states have done. Under current estimates, such employees wont be able to get a vaccine until late May, Winslow said.

If youre going to keep them closed due to safety and you genuinely believe the threat (of open restaurants) is that legitimate that you have to keep an industry closed 143 days (and counting), then you should prioritize that, Winslow said.

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YEREVAN, 12 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 12 January, USD exchange rate up by 1.68 drams to 525.44 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.20 drams to 639.04 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 7.09 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 7.94 drams to 714.65 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 163.76 drams to 31206.12 drams. Silver price down by 26.01 drams to 422.67 drams. Platinum price down by 1,561.69 drams to 17163.58 drams.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2021) - Ely Gold Royalties Inc. (TSXV: ELY) (OTCQX: ELYGF) (FSE: I4U) ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will be conducting a Town Hall Meeting on January 14, 2021, at 11:00 am EST.

Mr. Wasser will provide a corporate update on recent developments at the company, with particular emphasis placed on the company's recent royalty acquisitions, strategy and outlook for the Company.

The webinar will be interactive and will be hosted by Follow the Money Investor Group. All stakeholders and interested investors are welcome to tune in and participate with questions. The playback will then be available on the Company's website. To participate in the Town Hall Meeting please register here:

https://www.bigmarker.com/ftmig1/Ely-Gold-Royalties-January-Town-Hall?utm_bmcr_source=ely

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.

About Follow the Money Investor Group

Follow the Money Investor Group is an investor focused digital marketing company that provides the content and information needed for investors to navigate the ever-changing capital markets. Our global community uses our platform to discuss and collaborate daily on all facets of their current and potential investments. Our goal is to help retail investors make the right financial decisions that fit their individual needs.

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71838
2 1 of 2 Paul Stephen / Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Paul Stephen / Staff Show More Show Less



For ages, declaring something tastes like saltines wasnt exactly a compliment. Theyre the humblest of crackers with little beyond, well, salt, going for them. Thats changed with a new product on the shelves at H-E-B stores.

Because our homegrown grocery juggernaut understands San Antonios palate so well, the grocer has released H-E-B-branded Jalapeno Saltines. And these crackers deliver something other similar crisps fail to provide: actual flavor.
Regulatory News:

The original French version of Elior Group's (Paris:ELIOR) Universal Registration Document for fiscal 2019-2020 was filed with the French securities regulator (the Autorite des marches financiers, or AMF) on January 12, 2021.

The document is available to the public in accordance with the applicable regulations and can be viewed and downloaded on Elior Group's website (www.eliorgroup.com Finance Regulated information Universal Registration Document) and on the AMF's website (www.amf-france.org).

Elior Group's 2019-2020 Universal Registration Document notably includes the following information:

The annual financial report, comprising the consolidated financial statements, the parent company financial statements, the management report and the related Statutory Auditors' reports

The Statutory Auditors' special report on related-party agreements

The Board of Directors' report on corporate governance; and

The required disclosures describing the Company's share buyback program.

The English version of the Universal Registration Document will be available shortly.

Next date for the calendar: publication of Elior Group's first-quarter revenue on January 28, 2021.

ELIOR GROUP

Societe anonyme

Registered office: 9/11 allee de l'Arche, 92032 Paris La Defense cedex

Registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Registry under no. 408 168 003

Market place: NYSE Euronext-Paris

Compartment A

ISIN: FR0011950732

About Elior Group

Founded in 1991, Elior Group is one of the world's leading operators in contract catering and support services and a benchmark player in the business industry, education, health welfare and leisure markets. With strong positions in 6 countries, the Group generated 3,967 million in revenue in fiscal 2019-2020.

Our 105,000 employees feed over 5 million people a day in 23,500 restaurants on three continents and offer services at 2,300 sites in France.

Innovation and social responsibility are at the core of our business model. Elior Group has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2004, reaching the GC Advanced Level in 2015.

For further information please visit our website at http://www.eliorgroup.com or follow us on Twitter (@Elior_Group).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005915/en/

Contacts:

Elior Group
WASHINGTON - A doctor and outspoken critic of the coronavirus vaccine was among those who entered the Capitol building last week during the siege that disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Simone Gold gained national attention in July when she and other physicians appeared in front of the Supreme Court for a sparsely attended news conference to decry pandemic lockdowns and criticize government efforts to stop the spread of the disease. Video of the event, organized by conservative activists, was retweeted by the president and viewed by millions before social media platforms took it down.

Gold confirmed to The Washington Post that she is the person pictured carrying a bullhorn on the Capitol grounds Wednesday in FBI and D.C. police bulletins seeking more information about individuals who were present.

Although dozens of Capitol Police officers were injured when they were overrun by pro-Trump protesters and one later died as a result, Gold said she did not witness any violence.

"I can certainly speak to the place that I was, and it most emphatically was not a riot," the California resident said in a phone interview Monday. "Where I was, was incredibly peaceful."

Gold confirmed that she went inside the Capitol, saying she followed a crowd and assumed that it was legal to do so. She said she has not been contacted by anyone in law enforcement.

After Trump supporters gathered on the Capitol grounds, tensions soon boiled over and an angry mob assaulted the building, breaking through doors and windows. Vice President Mike Pence was moved to a secure location in the complex. Police sought to evacuate lawmakers and their staffers, but some locked down in rooms behind makeshift barricades.

Gold said she traveled to Washington to speak at a "Rally for Health Freedom" on the East side of the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon. She attended the rally along with John Strand, the communications director for America's Frontline Doctors, a group she founded last year to speak out against the government's efforts to contain the coronavirus. Strand is pictured next to her in the photos circulated by the FBI and D.C. police.

Asked for comment, Strand wrote in a statement to The Post that he was at the event to assist Gold and "ensure her safety."

Gold and about a dozen others were expected to speak after President Donald Trump addressed supporters gathered for a large rally near the White House. But Gold said that as she was about to give her speech at 1 p.m., someone in the crowd told her that all speeches were canceled.

Gold said she followed the crowd up the steps and into the building. She estimated she was inside the Capitol for about 20 minutes before police ushered everyone out. She used some of that time to give the speech she had planned to make earlier.

A 30-second video of a person who appeared to be Gold speaking on the tiled Rotunda floor has been circulating on social media. Gold confirmed to The Post that the video depicts her. In the video, two police officers stand behind Gold, appearing to gesture at her and others in an attempt to get them to leave.

In the echo of the Rotunda, most of her words are inaudible in the video, other than "I'm a mom" and "massive medical establishment."

Gold said she gave the same speech she delivered the previous day at a rally in the District's Freedom Plaza, where Trump supporters were beginning to gather ahead of the "Stop the Steal" events. During that speech, she referred to the coronavirus vaccine as an "experimental, biological agent deceptively named a vaccine."

The coronavirus vaccines have been tested, and federal regulators have authorized their use. They have been administered to nearly 9 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gold first gained notoriety for an open letter to the president in May in which she called lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus "a mass casualty incident." She claimed that as a hospital physician she had seen hydroxychloroquine work as a treatment against the deadly virus.

The following month, the Food and Drug Administration withdrew its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, drugs that Trump had repeatedly promoted for treatment of covid-19. Federal health officials, citing scientific evidence, said that the drug is "unlikely to be effective" for covid-19 and that any potential benefits are outweighed by safety risks, including heart problems.

Gold's letter led to her participation in the event in July, organized with the support of the Tea Party Patriots group and featuring her group, America's Frontline Doctors. The participants' speeches were live-streamed by the conservative media outlet Breitbart and viewed online more than 14 million times - fueled by a tweet by Donald Trump Jr. and multiple retweets by the president, which have since been deleted. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube later removed the video.

Gold told The Post she worked as an emergency room physician for two hospitals at the time but was "promptly fired" after the event and has not worked as a doctor since.

Gold said she was worried that photos of her inside the Capitol would distract from her advocacy work with America's Frontline Doctors.

"I do regret being there," Gold said.
Jeremiah Johnson gets threats after Trump prophecy apology; slams some in prophetic movement

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Evangelical prophet Jeremiah Johnson said hes now getting death threats from Christians after apologizing to his followers Thursday for inaccurately prophesying that President Donald Trump would win a second term.

Johnson, who also called out Christians for their idolatry of the outgoing president, revealed in a statement on Facebook Sunday that the attacks have shown him that parts of the prophetic/charismatic movement are far SICKER than I could have ever dreamed of.

Over the last 72 hours, I have received multiple death threats and thousands upon thousands of emails from Christians saying the nastiest and most vulgar things I have ever heard toward my family and ministry. I have been labeled a coward, sellout, a traitor to the Holy Spirit, and cussed out at least 500 times. We have lost ministry partners every hour and counting, said the leader of Jeremiah Johnson Ministries.

I have been flabbergasted at the barrage of continued conspiracy theories being sent every minute our way and the pure hatred being unleashed. To my great heartache, Im convinced parts of the prophetic/charismatic movement are far SICKER than I could have ever dreamed of, he explained. I truthfully never realized how absolutely triggered and ballistic thousands and thousands of saints get about Donald Trump. Its terrifying! Its full of idolatry! If I helped to prop up this ideology concerning him, I will need to repent again and stir up even more hell.

Police shot and killed an unarmed woman as she attempted to climb into the House chamber, three others died from health emergencies, and a Capitol Hill police officer died Thursday after he sustained injuries while responding to the riots.

At the time of the riots, lawmakers were undergoing the electoral certification process and were forced to stop. The confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's victory was affirmed by Congress early Thursday morning after Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers reconvened.

I would like to repent for inaccurately prophesying that Donald Trump would win a second term as the President of the United States. I refuse to blame the saints and say, It didnt come to pass because they did not pray enough. Nor will I proclaim, Donald Trump actually won, so I was right, but now it has been stolen from him, Johnson confessed. I specifically want to apologize to any believer in whom I have now caused potential doubt concerning the voice of God and His ability to speak to His people. As a human being, I missed what God was saying; however, rest assured, God Himself is NOT a liar and His written Word should always be the foundation and source of our lives as Christians.

On Sunday, Johnson said he was beyond relieved that President Trump was only an assignment for a season and never a mandate.

Revival is never dependent upon who sits in the White House but rather who sits on the Throne in Heaven. I will continue to preach the Cross and the power of the resurrection. I will continue to help prepare the Bride to meet our Bridegroom, he noted. As we head into 2021, expect me to be more committed to the gospel and making disciples than ever before. By Gods grace I will walk in a greater measure of humility and repentance than ever before. I will learn from my mistakes and seek correction from Godly leaders always.

House Democrats are expected to file one article of impeachment against President Trump on Monday morning that charges him with "incitement of insurrection," according to a copy of the article cited by CNN. The article also references Trumps call with the Georgia Republican secretary of state in which Trump urged him to find enough votes to help him win the state.

In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government, the resolution notes. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Trump, who has claimed voter fraud impacted the election outcome, condemned the Capitol riot, saying, The demonstrators who infiltrated the capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy. To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country and to those who broke the law, you will pay.
Married At First Sight's Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson have celebrated one of their son Oliver Chase's first milestones.

The couple let their 230,000 Instagram followers know that they took their first trip as a family to the beach on Monday, after baby Ollie was welcomed into the world back in October.

'Clearly as excited & appreciative to be out & about hitting the beach as his parents. Either way another nice first time experience #beachday #grateful #firsttimeexperience #getmehomeplease,' he captioned the photo.

Beach baby! Married At First Sight's Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson have celebrated one of their son Oliver Chase's first milestones - a trip to the beach!

Cam also shared videos on his Instagram story, showing Jules pushing their baby boy along in his pram while donning a black mask.

'Nice afternoon for a family stroll... Should be quiet at the beach,' he captioned the footage.

Cameron followed up the post with a video of the couple returning to the shade when Jules needed to feed their baby.

'Taking in the serenity, but have to go to feed our son... #fair' he captioned the video with a laughing face emoji alongside it.

Mum life: Cam also shared videos on his Instagram story, showing Jules pushing their baby boy along in his pram while donning a black mask

The young family has had a lot to celebrate this month, with Cameron blowing out 37 candles last week.

The birthday boy rang in another year with Jules and their three-month-old son by his side.

In adorable footage posted on Jules' Instagram Stories, the smitten dad was seen playing with his firstborn and smiling ear-to-ear.

While the video began with Jules singing happy birthday to her husband, it ended with Cameron planting a kiss on his adorable son's face.

Birthday boy! The young family has had a lot to celebrate this month, with Cameron blowing out 37 candles last week. The birthday boy rang in another year with Jules and their three-month-old son by his side

Cameron and Jules met on season six of the Channel 9 dating show and have since been one of the most successful couples to come from the show.

After falling madly in love, they became engaged at the end of the TV experiment.

The two officially tied the knot in November 2019 in a lavish ceremony in Sydney, which was broadcast on a special TV episode of A Current Affair.

The REAL deal: Cameron and Jules met on season six of the Channel 9 dating show and have since been one of the most successful couples to come from the show. The couple officially tied the knot in November 2019 in a lavish ceremony in Sydney

Baby makes three! They welcomed son Oliver Chase on October 3

In fact, the pair's union is so infectious, they've also managed to find a huge online following in the UK after the show began airing its 2019 season on E4, on January 4th this year.

Earlier this month, the UK was plunged into lockdown after a surge in mutant coronavirus cases threatened to overwhelm the NHS.

As a result, residents found a failproof way to cope with with depressing reality of bunkering down for the third time in a year - watching the sixth season of MAFS.

International love: The couple have since gone on to find fame in the UK after the show began airing abroad earlier this month

'New Married At First Sight Australia is getting me through this lockdown,' one UK viewer recently declared on Twitter.

'Lockdown 3 instantly improved by Married At First Sight', another agreed.

Even British pop-star Ella Eyre praised the controversial program, Tweeting: 'New Married At First Sight Australia is getting me through this lockdown.
Baby sharks are being born smaller, undernourished and exhausted thanks to ocean warming wrought by human-driven climate change, a study has warned.

Researchers from Australia studying embryonic and juvenile egg-laying sharks from the Great Barrier Reef to determine the effects of rising water temperatures.

Sharks  along with their relatives, the rays and skates  are slow-growing species that reproduce less often than most fish and are threatened across the globe.

Baby sharks are being born smaller, undernourished and exhausted thanks to ocean warming wrought by human-driven climate change, a study has warned. Pictured: a shark embryo

In their study, marine scientist Carolyn Wheeler of the James Cook University in Queensland examined the effects of rising water temperatures on the development, growth and physiology of epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum.

The team studied the egg-laying species from the Great Barrier Reef both at the embryo and the hatchling stages. After they are laid, shark eggs are abandoned by their mothers  and must survive up to four months while unprotected.

'We tested shark embryos in waters up to 31C [87.8F],' Ms Wheeler said.

'The hotter the conditions, the faster everything happened, which could be a problem for the sharks. The embryos grew faster and used their yolk sac quicker, which is their only source of food as they develop in the egg case.

'This led to them hatching earlier than usual,' she explained  adding that the baby sharks were thus not only smaller, but also were born needing to feed almost straight away while also lacking significant energy reserves.

'The epaulette shark is known for its resilience to change, even to ocean acidification,' added paper author and marine biologist Jodie Rummer, also of the James Cook University.

'So, if this species can't cope with warming waters then how will other, less tolerant species fare?' she asked.

The Great Barrier reef will experience water temperatures up to  and potentially even beyond  87.8F (31C) by the end of the century, Professor Rummer said.

In their study, marine scientist Carolyn Wheeler of the James Cook University in Queensland examined the effects of rising water temperatures on the development, growth and physiology of epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum (pictured, stock image)

'The study presents a worrying future given that sharks are already threatened,' commented Ms Wheeler.

'Sharks are important predators that keep ocean ecosystems healthy. Without predators, whole ecosystems can collapse, which is why we need to keep studying and protecting these creatures.

'Our future ecosystems depend us taking urgent action to limit climate change,' added Professor Rummer.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Elimination Not Borne out by Facts: NSW Premier

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says West Australian counterpart Mark McGowan should reacquaint himself with National Cabinets COVID-19 suppression strategy after accusing her state of being out of step.

NSW recorded five locally-acquired coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. on Jan. 11 from fewer than 14,700 tests.

Two were reported on Mondaya man in his 40s who presented to hospital with respiratory symptoms and his partner.

The results come after McGowan claimed NSW was the only state trying to suppress and not eliminate the virus.

Western Australia has kept its interior border closed for much of the pandemic and in recent weeks has rapidly re-implemented hard border arrangements for NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

McGowan made his remarks notwithstanding National Cabinets agreement on a COVID-19 suppression strategy until a vaccine is available.

WA has previously required other states to go 28 days with no COVID-19 community transmission before reopening its border.

The idea that somehow its better to have the virus and then just manage it, I dont think is the correct approach, McGowan told reporters on Monday.

But Berejiklian reminded him Australias goal was not elimination but zero community transmissionparticularly while overseas Australians continue to return home.

Because we have confidence in our health system and health team, were able to make decisions which perhaps other state governments arent prepared to make, she told reporters on Tuesday.

I dont want a situation in NSW that exists in other states where theres a lack of certainty, things are done very quickly without perhaps the same kind of consideration we give in NSW, and thats a matter for other state leaders.

Anyone who thinks were going to eliminate or eradicate this disease, unfortunately doesnt appreciate what the pandemic means.

With the exception of Victoria at the height of its second wave, NSW has kept its interstate borders open for the entirety of the pandemic.

Of the five COVID-19 cases it reported on Tuesday, twowho were known to each otherwere situated on Sydneys northern beaches, and one directly linked to the 27-person Berala cluster.

The other two were the man who presented at Mount Druitt Hospital on Saturday with respiratory illness, prompting the emergency departments closure for deep cleaning, and his partner.

The source of the pairs infection remains undetermined.

Eleven cases were also recorded in travellers in hotel quarantine.

We really need to have higher testing levels if we are to combat the rumblings that are still going on and we know that it takes some time to completely get to the target of zero community transmission, Berejiklian said.

More coronavirus-affected venues in western Sydney and the northern beaches were identified on Monday evening.

Angelo Risso in Sydney
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NearU Services ("NearU"), a founder-led premier home services platform in the Southeast, today announced the acquisition of R.A. Hoy Heating and Air Conditioning ("Hoy" or "Company"), the largest HVAC services provider along the North Carolina coast. This acquisition broadens NearU's presence in the Carolinas and establishes a strong local foothold in the Outer Banks. R.A. Hoy is the fifth company that NearU welcomed into its family in the last 12 months. With the strategic partnership between NearU and SkyKnight Capital, NearU has significant capital available to accelerate growth and continue building the premier provider of essential home services.

"Hoy has been a proven leader in the Outer Banks market for over four decades. The Company has an established track record in serving thousands of residential and light commercial customers for their HVAC service needs, including providing them valuable annual maintenance services. The co-owners, Bob Hoy, and Doug Wakeley have built an outstanding organization, and NearU warmly welcomes the entire Hoy team to our family. We look forward to bringing more technology, training, and processes to the Company to further empower its very talented team," said Ashish Achlerkar, NearU's Founder, President and CEO.

"Over the last four decades, we have trained and instilled in our team the ability to change with the market conditions and have consistently delivered top-notch service to our valued customers. Our employee retention rate is outstanding, and we are very proud of the team culture we have built. NearU's unique vision for the industry and their proven track record gives us high confidence that they are the best partner to take our hard work and legacy to greater heights. We will continue to be the biggest champions of NearU's efforts to enhance the customer and employee experience  both at Hoy and in the home services industry," said Bob Hoy and Doug Wakeley, Co-owners of the Company.

Under NearU's ownership, the Hoy team will operate under the reputed local brand of R.A. Hoy Heating and Air Conditioning. The Company will continue to seamlessly serve customers under the existing management team led by Doug Wakeley and Jayden Chutskoff. NearU's operations team has a well-defined value creation plan for Hoy and is guided by industry veterans. Doug Wilson, a Vice Chair at NearU, said, "I am thrilled to welcome Hoy to the NearU family. I have been personally acquainted with the owners for over four decades and have watched them build their company into the finest HVAC contractor in their market. I look forward to NearU's very bright future with this great company."

NearU completed the acquisition of R.A. Hoy in December 2020 on the heels of its previously announced investment from SkyKnight Capital. NearU is well capitalized and is actively seeking other long-standing, highly reputable brands to join the growing NearU family.

About NearU:

NearU is an employee and customer-centric provider of essential home services with a focus on HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services. NearU is well-capitalized and seeks to grow organically and through partnerships with leading HVAC and other skilled trade contractors. More information is available at www.NearU.Services.

About R.A. Hoy Heating and Air Conditioning:

R.A. Hoy Heating and Air Conditioning, an Outer Banks-based company, provides recurring maintenance, repair, and installation services for HVAC equipment. The Company was formed in 1979 and became a part of NearU HVAC Services in December 2020. More information is available at www.rahoy.com.

About SkyKnight Capital:

Founded in 2015, SkyKnight Capital manages over $1.5 billion in private equity capital on behalf of leading institutional family offices, foundations, and endowments. SkyKnight makes long-term investments into high quality businesses in acyclical growth sectors alongside exceptional management teams. More information is available at www.skyknightcapital.com.

For More Information, Contact:

Ashish Achlerkar

NearU Founder and CEO

(704) 604-1574

[email protected]

SOURCE NearU

Related Links

https://nearu.services


Yangon, Jan 12 : Myanmar is set to convene its next Union Parliamentary session on February 5, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

The Union Parliamentary session will be held, following the concurrent convening of the House of Representatives and the House of Nationalities on February 1, reports Xinhua news agency.

The upcoming sessions will elect speakers and deputy speakers for both Houses of the Parliament and will form parliamentary committees while electing President and Vice-Presidents as part of forming the Union Government.

Myanmar held its multi-party general elections on November 8, 2020.

The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) won the majority of seats in both Houses of the Union Parliament.

The 2020 multi-party general elections were the third of its kind held under the terms of the country's 2008 constitution.

The general elections, which are held every five years, choose members of a new parliament that will elect a president and two vice presidents and form a new government.
Emirates Steel, a leading integrated steel plant in the UAE, has signed a MoU with Khalifa University of Science and Technology, as part of its efforts to boost co-operation in areas of mutual interest.

The scope of work includes implementing collaborative research projects; providing scientific and professional training and development programmes and offering technical consultations and student internships at Emirates Steel premises.

As per the deal, both entities will form a scientific committee to identify and agree on the potential sponsored research programmes related to the core business of Emirates Steel, mainly in slag utilisation in agriculture or construction; recovery of CO2 from flue gases; rebar discoloration problem; and cyber security issues, said Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, the CEO of Emirates Steel, after signing the deal with Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VP of Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

"This collaboration in research projects reflects our substantial commitment to placing innovation at the heart of everything we do, ensuring that our company can grow and realise its full potential in this challenging business environment," stated Al Remeithi.

"This is aligned with our endeavours to instill a research culture across the organisation, and engage young minds at an early stage so that they can dive into one of the core industries in the UAE where they can build their future career," he added.

Emirates Steel had recently formed a scientific committee to organise and promote the R&D activities across the organisation and boost collaborations that help in expanding its innovation aspirations.

Dr Al Hammadi said: "As a research-intensive university, we are delighted to enter into this collaboration with Emirates Steel and support their specialised production facilities."

"With our research strength and expertise, we will be able to support the emergence of new technologies that will facilitate some of the operational areas to bring in production efficiency," he added.-TradeArabia News Service

Finalists Announced for Lever's Mohawk Trail Entrepreneur Challenge

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Five entrepreneurs have been selected as finalists for Lever's Mohawk Trail Entrepreneur Challenge, which focuses on regional, woodland-based business models designed to create jobs and spur economic activity in the Mohawk Trail region.

Over the next few weeks, these business owners will work with Lever to refine their business plans and goals. The winner will receive a $25,000 award to advance their business at the final Challenge pitch event on March 11.

About the finalists

Berkshire Bike Tours, Luke Toritto

Charlemont-based Berkshire Bike Tours will provide guided mountain and road bike tours. Cross-country mountain biking and lift-accessed mountain biking will take place exclusively on Berkshire East/Schaefer property. Road tours will go through the Berkshires, the upper Pioneer Valley, and Southern Vermont.

Adventure East, Brian Pearson

Adventure East brings the experienced eye of luxury eco-tourism leaders to our backyard. The core of its business model is a membership club to ensure a consistent year-round draw to the region, including through partnerships with nonprofit organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club in order to increase equitable access to the outdoors.

VacationLand, Patrick and Katie Banks

Foolhardy Hill is an off-grid campground being developed in Charlemont. Foolhardy Hill aims to be the ultimate base camp for outdoor enthusiasts. Guests will have access to mountain biking, white water rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, zip-lining, and hiking within a 3-mile radius. Guests that venture out a few miles further will be immersed in museums, historical landmarks, local eateries, unique shops, concert venues, and more.

Wigwam Western Summit, Lea King

Based in North Adams, the Wigwam Western Summit's core product is the "Wigwam Experience. With the tagline "Cabins, Cars and Coffee," the Wigwam's owners were successful at launching antique car shows on Saturday mornings during fall foliage in 2019. The Wigwam is currently a seasonal coffeehouse (May-October) with four cabins, and was fully booked in 2020 by tourists escaping the city life (most from New York, New Jersey, Boston, Connecticut) for a connection with nature. The Wigwam is planning to develop a curated "Wigwam Woodland Experience" with new accommodations, woodland art installations, workshops, and the option to book other Berkshire experiences.

Remote Harvest Sensors, Dave Eve

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts professor Dave Eve, who co-owns a woodland in Conway, has developed a turbidity sensor that can be installed near watersheds and within small ecosystems to monitor erosion control during wood harvesting operations.

Lever has organized more than 15 previous challenges, working with a wide range of business models, and has supported more than 80 entrepreneurs whose companies have created dozens of jobs in the region.

Funding for the Mohawk Trail Entrepreneur Challenge comes from the Baker-Polito Administration. To mark Climate Week in the Commonwealth, $225,000 in total grant funding was awarded to Lever and eight municipalities in the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership (MWTP) region, with $65,000 going to Lever for this Challenge. Applications were accepted from businesses located in the MWTP region partner towns of Adams, Ashfield, Charlemont, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Conway, Heath, Leyden, Monroe, New Ashford, North Adams, Rowe, Shelburne, Peru, Windsor, and Williamstown. To apply, existing businesses had to be less than one year old with less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

The MTWP, a grassroots-led program based on conserving forests and supporting their sustainable management in order to advance economic development in rural MA communities along the Vermont and New York border, provides funding to assist 16 member towns in the Commonwealth's most rural and forested region to plan for the care of forests in the face of climate change, prepare forest offset projects, and improve nature-based tourism.

About Lever

Founded in 2014, Lever is an economic development non-profit focused on innovation-driven job creation. Lever supports entrepreneurs with startup expertise, an investment fund, research, mentors, and access to talent. Lever has helped launch dozens of companies that have attracted more than $10 million in equity investment and have created more than 200 jobs. Lever supports existing companies by helping their intrapreneurs innovate from within using proven entrepreneurial methods for top-line revenue growth and job creation. Learn more at www.leverinc.org.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Dr. Brent Roussin was encouraged yesterday in announcing 133 new COVID-19 cases, but he added the province would be in a much better place were it not for holiday gathering.

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Dr. Brent Roussin was encouraged yesterday in announcing 133 new COVID-19 cases, but he added the province would be in a much better place were it not for holiday gathering.

"This morning we have 538 confirmed cases that were identified on or after December 25 that our contact tracing indicates were related to gathering over the holiday season," the provinces chief public officer said, adding those cases are linked to 2,879 contacts.

That means nearly 3,000 people are now self-isolating and a certain proportion of those will become cases.

Of those gathering-related cases, 26 are children aged 10 or under and were reported Jan. 10. The province stated by email acquisition information is available for 11 of the 26 cases, so far. Five of those 11 cases were linked to two Christmas gatherings. Five of the 11 cases were linked to household spread among three households unrelated to the holidays. One of the 11 cases attended daycare.

"This is really why we needed to extend the restrictions we have in place," Roussin said, at the daily news conference.

"Were certainly not back to normal."

Roussin said the downward trajectory of numbers is a testament to the hard work of Manitobans, and that trajectory is what public health officials want to see.

Samaritan House outbreak

Meanwhile, at Brandons Samaritan House Ministries Safe and Warm Shelter, where an outbreak was declared this past weekend, five staff tested positive for COVID-19.

"Thats an evolving situation. I have been getting regular updates throughout the weekend and this morning," Shared Health chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said.

"My understanding is that Prairie Mountain Health leadership is working with the shelter, as well as the community leadership, the municipality."

Siragusa also said officials will be working with the community to find the isolation space.

"Whether that be in Brandon, or if they need to come to Winnipeg, which probably wouldnt be ideal for them, but it is an option if we need it. We will make sure that theres capacity for them," she said.

Executive director Barbara McNish declined to comment on where Safe and Warm clients were now being housed.

"We are working on a plan with the province, so with public health and all the different agencies. But I can tell you from our Safe and Warm perspective that we have staff on site every night, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., to provide clients with alternative options," McNish said.

The Brandon Friendship has also closed its doors for two weeks, with executive director Gail Cullen self-isolating at home. The Brandon Sun was not able to speak with Cullen before deadline.

Small businesses feeling hardship after months of restrictions

While he acknowledged how difficult the past many weeks have been for Manitobans in general, Roussin also acknowledged small businesses and issued a reminder that public health orders are in place.

"We all know that these restrictions have been quite difficult on Manitobans, especially those businesses that have had to close in the long haul with these restrictions. Weve heard from businesses just how difficult it has been for them," Roussin said.

But officials are also hearing from other businesses that, despite the public health orders, plan on opening.

He reminded those listening that the downward trajectory of case numbers is thanks to the restriction.

"If we open things up too soon, if we have Manitobans that are not following the public health restrictions or public health advice, well see those numbers come back again and, again, extend the need for restrictions," Roussin said.

Businesses who contravene the public health orders are subject to fines.

NDP leader Wab Kinew agreed that the level red restrictions in place are challenging, but after the news conference he focused on mental health and addictions support, as well as more support for small business

"Code red is challenging right. I think everyone wants to do their part to listen to Dr. Roussin, and I take what he says seriously about the need to have these restrictions in place but, at the same time, I do think its having an impact on mental health and some related issues like addictions," Kinew said by telephone.

"I think we definitely want to continue seeing public health prioritize battling COVID. But, I think weve also got to keep an eye on the impacts that its having on peoples mental health and economic situation."

Kinew also addressed small businesses defying public health orders.

"Small businesses shouldnt defy the orders, but I do think that is a reflection of the lack of support they received from the provincial government," he said.

"If youre being told by the government that help isnt coming, then I think thats where the frustration comes from. But, at the end of the day, I think the better solution would be if we could continue to ensure that everyone follows the public health orders, but that the government could provide more financial assistance to these businesses."

More financial assistance could match the costs the small businesses are facing, and adhering to public health orders wouldnt be such a stretch.

Finally, Kinew confirmed that neither he or any elected NDP official travelled over the holidays, contrary to statements Premier Brian Pallister has made, largely in defence of one of his cabinet members who did travel.

Vaccine roll-out

Meanwhile, Angus Reid released poll results which indicate 51 per cent of Manitobans say the province is doing a "bad job" on COVID-19 vaccination distribution.

Roussin repeated that the limiting factor is the quantity of doses the province is receiving.

Dr. Roussin, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer at the update to the media regarding COVID in Manitoba on Monday. (Winnipeg Free Press)

"As we get more quantity, well be able to open up eligibility more," he said.

In its daily vaccination update, the province stated a portion of this weeks Pfizer vaccine shipment arriving in Manitoba will be sent to the Brandon super site in advance of the opening.

"Eligible individuals can now start booking appointments at the Keystone Centre super site in Brandon, which opens on Monday, Jan. 18. There are many appointments available from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24." The bulletin stated.

Kinew said the poll just reflects the fact that vaccination roll-out hasnt been happening quickly enough.

"We all want this vaccine roll-out to be done in a safe way. But when you hear about the vast majority of vials still sitting in a freezer, I think thats where peoples frustration comes from. They want the vaccine to be rolled out safely. But I think they are ready to roll up their sleeves, so they want to see the vaccines used, not just just sit there," he said.

Roussin said, hopefully, in the fall, Manitobans will see life more normal than it is now as herd immunity is built.

 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.

The COVID-19 update from the province on Monday saw three additional deaths listed, including one patient from the Prairie Mountain Health region  a male in his 80s linked to the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre outbreak.

The province reported 133 new cases. The new cases are as follows:

- 11 cases in the InterlakeEastern health region;

- 34 cases in the Northern health region;

- 28 in the Prairie Mountain Health region;

- 13 cases in the Southern HealthSante Sud health region; and

- 47 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate was 10 per cent in the province, and 8.8 per cent in Winnipeg.

Lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba total 26,450, with 741 deaths or 2.8 per cent.

There are currently 3,414 active cases in the province, with 22,295 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19

The province also reported 162 people are in hospital with active COVID-19, as well as 154 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 316 hospitalizations.

Twenty-one people are in intensive care units with active COVID-19, as well as 16 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, for a total of 37 ICU patients.

In the Prairie Mountain Health region, there are 215 active cases, with 1,461 recovered. There are 14 people hospitalized, with no patients in ICU, and a total of 40 deaths.

Brandons active case count is 65.

Sunday, 1,566 tests were completed, for a total of 440,532 since February.

 Source: Province of Manitoba

PRAIRIE MOUNTAIN HEALTH OUTBREAK NUMBERS

As of Jan. 11, the status of COVID-19 outbreaks in Prairie Mountain Health were as follows:

 Brandon Correctional Centre: 108 total cases, 18 staff infected, 90 non-staff infected, one active case, 107 recovered, zero death.

 McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre: 35 total cases, eight staff infected, 27 non-staff infected, 34 active cases, zero recovered, one death.

 Fairview Personal Care Home: 109 total cases, 41 staff infected, 68 non-staff infected, 2 active cases, 90 recovered, 17 deaths.

 Gilbert Plains Personal Care Home: 41 total cases, 17 staff infected, 24 residents infected, 0 active case, 32 recovered, nine deaths.

 Grandview Personal Care Home: 36 total cases, 11 staff infected, 25 residents infected, 0 active cases, 31 recovered, five deaths.

Note: An outbreak is considered over one incubation period (14 days) after the final active case.

 Source: Province of Manitoba

MONDAYS VACCINATION NUMBERS

Since Manitobas immunization campaign began, 10,353 people have received a first-dose immunization.

The eligibility criteria for immunization was expanded Monday to include home care workers born on or before Dec. 31, 1965 (changed from Dec. 31, 1960) who are employed by a regional health authority (RHA), employed by a RHA contracted service providers or employed by a self- and family-managed care program client.

A full list of eligibility can be found at https://manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/eligibility-criteria.html

The province did not update vaccination numbers by health region.

 Source: Province of Manitoba
BOSTON, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Eagle Senior Loan Fund (the Fund) (NYSE: FSLF) today announced the declaration of its monthly distribution of $0.07 per common share, payable on January 29, 2021. Based on the Funds share price of $14.00 as of its close on January 11, 2021, the distribution represents an annualized yield of 6.00%. Information regarding the distribution rate is included for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of future results, the achievement of which cannot be assured. The distribution rate should not be considered the yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.



The following dates apply to this distribution:

Ex-Dividend Date:

Record Date:

Payable Date: January 18, 2021

January 19, 2021

January 29, 2021



A portion of the distribution may be treated as paid from sources other than undistributed net investment income, including but not limited to short-term capital gain, long-term capital gain or return of capital. As required by Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, a notice will be distributed to the Funds shareholders in the event that a portion of the distribution is derived from sources other than undistributed net investment income. In January or February of each year, investors will be sent a Form 1099-DIV for the previous calendar year that will define how to report the Fund's distributions for federal income tax purposes.



The investment return, price, yields, market value and net asset value (NAV) of the Funds shares will fluctuate with market conditions, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. Closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to NAV, which may increase the investors risk of loss. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

The Fund also announced today that Brian W. Good, a member of the Funds portfolio management team, will be transitioning as an ESG consultant for the Adviser effective January 21, 2021. As of January 15, 2021, Mr. Good will no longer manage the Funds portfolio. Robert J. Hickey, a member of the Funds portfolio management team and an interested Trustee of the Fund, has been appointed by the Board as the Funds President and Principal Executive Officer. Mr. Hickey, along with the other members of the Funds portfolio management team, Messrs. James R. Fellows, Brian J. Murphy and Stephen F. Krull, will continue to manage the Fund.

About First Eagle Senior Loan Fund

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company that is advised by First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC. The Funds investment objective is to provide current income and preservation of capital primarily through investments in U.S. dollar denominated senior secured corporate loans and notes. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

About First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC

First Eagle Alternative Credit is an alternative credit investment manager for both direct lending and broadly syndicated investments through public and private vehicles, collateralized loan obligations, separately managed accounts and co-mingled funds. First Eagle Alternative Credit maintains a variety of advisory and sub-advisory relationships across its investment platforms. First Eagle Alternative Credit is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein may constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. First Eagle Senior Loan Fund undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made herein.

Contact the Fund at 1.844.409.6354 or visit the Funds website at http://feacfslf.com for additional information.

Contact

Andrew Park

First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC

212.829.3126
Pune, Jan 12 : The much-anticipated Covid vaccination era finally kicked off when three trucks laden with the doses of the vaccine, rolled out of the Serum Institute of India (SII) plant for the airport, to save the nation, before dawn on Tuesday.

The trucks came out of the SII premises under a massive security cordon led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Namrata Patil and a few staffers of the SII who cheered and applauded as the consignment left the heavily guarded premises.

While two trucks belonged to SII, another belonged to its collaborator in the venture, Koolex, and the Pune Police would escort it right up to the airport, Patil later told mediapersons.

After reaching the Pune Airport, the security was taken over by the CISF and the unloading operations started around 5.30 a.m. before the boxes would be assigned and loaded onto flights to different parts of India.

Official sources said that as per the current plans, the vaccines shall be flown in two flights each to Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata and one flight each to Patna, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Gandhinagar, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati during the day.

After landing at their respective destinations, the local and state authorities shall start their distribution to vaccinate the frontline workers and other priority groups as decided by the government.

The consignment, in around 450 boxes weighing nearly 14.50 tonnes carrying the precious cargo of vials, were packed in white boxes covered with plastic for maximum safety and temperature protection.

Over the next few days, more consignments are expected to be delivered by SII to the government for what could be the world's biggest vaccination drive against the Covid-19.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

COMMERZBANK AG (London Branch) - Pre Stabilisation - E.ON SE EUR Short 8 year

Pre-Stabilisation notice

12 January 2021

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

E.ON SE

EUR Benchmark Fixed Rate Notes due 19 December 2028

Launched under the Issuer's Debt Issuance Programme, dated 27 March 2020, Supplemented 12 May 2020, 12 August 2020 and 19 November 2020

Commerzbank AG (contact: Ian Turner; telephone: +44 207 475 1817) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: E.ON SE Guarantor (if any): none Aggregate nominal amount: EUR Benchmark Description: Fixed Rate Notes due 19 December 2028 Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: payment date 19 January 2021, denoms 1k/1k, listing Luxembourg, 3mth par call, tax call, Rated Baa2/BBB (S&P). Stabilisation: Stabilisation coordinator:

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG

ING Bank N.V.

Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc

Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International plc Stabilisation period expected to start on: 12 January 2021 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg Stock Exchange, Regulated Market

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

END
The mayor of Congressman Mo Brooks hometown on Tuesday offered no support for the embattled lawmaker and acknowledged that there is some concern regarding federal government connections moving forward.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, the four-term leader of Alabamas second-largest city that includes a sprawling Army base with more than 42,000 employees, said the repercussions remain to be seen in north Alabama following Brooks fiery comments at a pro-Trump rally last week.

There are consequences for everything, said Battle, a Republican like Brooks. We are watching it very carefully. We would hope there are not any consequences for that but we would hope that people work in measured voices as they work through the transfer of power. Thats what I would call for  for people to work in measured voices.

Thats far from what Brooks did last week, exhorting tens of thousands of Trump supporters in a 10-minute speech near the White House to begin kicking ass hours before Congress met to finalize the results of the presidential election.

Related: Huntsville preacher says Mo Brooks bears some responsibility for Capitol protests

Related: Alabama Capitol, local governments eye security after threats following Capitol violence

During that session, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and took control of the historic building for several hours in a riotous protest that eventually claimed five lives and required the National Guard to bring under control. Brooks is facing a possible censure in the House of Representatives.

One of Brooks constituents, Lonnie Coffman of Falkville in Morgan County, has been among those arrested for occupying the Capitol. Coffman was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm and law enforcement officials said he had 11 Molotov cocktail explosive devices and guns in his truck.

Battle said he had not spoken to Brooks since the protest last week but minced no words when asked what he would say to him.

I would say words have meaning, Battle said. When you say words, those words have meaning. And the meaning of those words can call people to action and you need to be very careful.

Battle also echoed comments from Gov. Kay Ivey on Brooks future as the representative in the 5th Congressional District made up of five north Alabama counties: Madison, Jackson, Limestone, Morgan and Lauderdale.

Thats going to be up to the voters of the 5th District, Battle said. Everybody can say all they want to but when it comes down to it, it comes down to election day. It came down to election day and Joe Biden was elected president.

Brooks was unopposed in winning re-election in November. His seat will next be on the ballot in 2022.

As I said, we should have had a transfer of power that was peaceful, Battle said. Thats the whole bedrock of everything we do. Unfortunately, that did not happen. And we as a country are learning the lessons from that.

Huntsvilles reliance on federal government programs has historically been so strong that Battle has made it a priority as mayor to diversify the citys economic portfolio. Huntsville has attracted a number of industrial projects over the past 10 years  none bigger than the $2.3 billion Mazda Toyota auto plant scheduled to open later this year and eventually provide 4,000 jobs.

Even amid those efforts at diversity, though, Huntsville has only strengthened its ties to Washington. The FBI is constructing a campus topping $1 billion at Redstone Arsenal that could eventually bring as many as 5,000 employees to the Rocket City. And while Trump has targeted a 2024 return to the moon, the rocket program that would transport astronauts is being managed at Marshall Space Flight Center, also on the arsenal.

While Battle spoke in generalities about actions having consequences, he was asked if he thought there were now more concerns of those consequences in the aftermath of Brooks speech and the Capitol occupation.

I dont know, the mayor said. Thats going to be up to a lot of decisionmakers. I know what we can do: We can put our best foot forward and to show what this community is about. This is a community that represents everybody, 72 nationalities, people from all over the world. Thats what this community is about.
(ANSAmed) - ROME, JAN 12 - The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) on Tuesday warned ex-premier Matteo Renzi against plunging Premier Giuseppe Conte's coalition government into crisis.

Ministers from Renzi's centrist Italia Viva (IV) party may resign after a cabinet meeting later on Tuesday to approve the government's Recovery Plan.

Renzi has been at odds with Conte for weeks about the government's programme on how to spend some 209 billion euros Italy will get in grants and low-interest loans from the EU's COVID-19 Recovery Fund.

Renzi has blasted the plan as lacking ambition while also saying IV's problems with the government go beyond this issue, including the failure to take up the option of getting 37 billion in cash from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) for a national health system pushed to the limit by COVID-19. "A government crisis is inexplicable and not just because we are in the middle of a pandemic and we must pass a decree giving aid (to businesses affected by restrictions)," Foreign Minister Di Maio, who is a former leader of the M5S and remains an influential figure within it, told RAI television.

"It is also inexplicable because Italy will be president of the G20 this year and there will be a global health conference in Italy.

"A crisis is not something the Italian people are interested in and they are not interested abroad either".

PD leader Nicola Zingaretti echoed those remarks.

"The PD continues to ask for a revamp of the government," Zingaretti, who is also Lazio governor, told Sky television.

"But it is one thing to ask to reinforce it, it is another to bring it down.

"Provoking a crisis would not be understood by 99% of the Italian people.

"It's a serious political mistake and I make an appeal for good sense".

He said that if IV withdraws its ministers Conte will have to assess the situation with President Sergio Mattarella.

"I hope they realise that, in this way, we would enter a tunnel that no one knows the way out of," Zingaretti said.

"If you smash a vase you can't put the pieces back together" It is uncertain what an eventual government crisis would lead to.

There is speculation Conte could resign and form what would be his third government after a cabinet reshuffle, with the premier being flanked by deputy premiers from the parties supporting the executive.

But this executive may not have enough parliamentary support without IV, especially in the Senate.

Conte's first government, which lasted from June 2018 until August 2019, was backed by the M5S and Matteo Salvini's right-wing League party.

The current government is supported by the left-wing LeU group, in addition to IV, the PD and the M5S. It is also possible that early elections will be necessary.

Conte would find it "impossible" to form a new executive with Renzi's IV party if it causes a "government crisis in the full swing of a pandemic" premier's office sources said Tuesday (ANSAmed).


MASON CITY, Iowa  Criminal acts at two Clear Lake businesses are sending a Mason City man to prison.

Terry Lee Fink II, 48, pleaded guilty to 3rd degree burglary and 3rd degree criminal mischief and has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Authorities say Fink caused about $1,000 in damage to a business on Main Avenue on November 3, 2020, when he cut and damaged a large air conditioning unit. Law enforcement says copper wiring and piping was found inside Finks backpack. Fink was also accused of using a hammer to break into another business on S 4th Street and steal 15 cartons of cigarettes.
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In an interview with KHOU's Anayeli Ruiz, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez spoke about crowding in the county's jails and the dangers COVID-19 presents to inmates and employees.

"We are at capacity. Over the weekend we were busting at the seams," Gonzalez told Ruiz.

Gonzalez spoke about the health and spacing issues his staff and inmates are facing.

"I am concerned for the staff that works inside the jail. My employees that have to operate the system putting them in harm's way," said Gonzalez. "We are still facing an issue having to quarantine those individuals that may be symptomatic asymptomatic with COVID type illness."

Ruiz reports that Harris County jail bookings were down last year by 25 percent, but the jail population is currently up 300 inmates. The pandemic is to blameit has managed to slow down court processes, and many inmates are spending more time in jail waiting for their court date.

The news of the Harris County jail reaching capacity comes after a rapid increase in crime in the Greater Houston area.

RISE IN CRIME: Influx of murders in the Houston area likely linked to the pandemic, according to mayor

The holidays have only exacerbated wait times for inmates and families. People are still entering the system as backlogs accrue, making the jail more susceptible to overpopulation.

Under normal, pre-pandemic circumstances, the state would allow the jail to house up to 10,000 inmates. Currently, the Harris County Jail is housing 9,000 inmates. That number is the highest its been since March.

A full jail won't allow inmates and jailers to follow social distancing protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Crowding presents a real problem, as the new COVID-19 strain has been found in Harris County, and can spread much faster.

Sheriff Gonzalez said a temporary fix to the problem would be releasing non-violent offenders, a solution that was proposed in March of last year.

The Harris County Jail has currently has 59 inmates as well as 39 staffers who have contracted COVID-19.
NEW DELHI: With the much-anticipated vaccination drive to combat Covid-19 on the anvil, domestic airlines on Tuesday have started transporting doses of the vaccine to cities across the country. Flights across airlines would carry a total of 56.5 lakh doses to several cities during the day from Pune. The first two flights of carrying vaccines have already reached from Pune to Delhi and Ahmedabad.

A SpiceJet flight carrying the vaccines landed at the Delhi airport around 10 am. It had left for the national capital around 8 am, three hours after three trucks with the maiden consignment of the vaccines rolled out of the Serum Institute of India (SII) facility, 15 km from the Pune airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said four airlines will operate nine flights to transport 56.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pune to 13 cities across the country on Tuesday. Vaccine movement has started, he said on Twitter, adding that the first two flights operated by "SpiceJet and GoAir from Pune to Delhi and Chennai have taken off". In another tweet, Puri said that Air India, SpiceJet, GoAir and IndiGo will operate nine flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh.

Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute gates shortly before 5 am and left for Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be flown across India. A 'puja' was performed before the vehicles left the facility.

"I am happy to share that SpiceJet has carried India's first consignment of COVID vaccine today. The first consignment of Covishield consisting of 34 boxes and weighing 1,088 kg was carried from Pune to Delhi on SpiceJet flight 8937," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

Covishield is developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca and manufactured by the SII. The roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine will give priority to the healthcare and frontline workers who are estimated to be around 3 crore, followed by those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with comorbidities numbering around 27 crore.

The government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over 6 crore doses of COVID vaccine from SII and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive scheduled to start from January 16, together which will cost Rs 1,300 crore.

On January 3, two vaccines - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India - were approved for restricted emergency use. The vaccine approval process has been marred with controversies after Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin was approved for emergency use without the phase-3 trials. The total tally of COVID-positive cases in India have scaled up to over 1.04 crore cases and death toll stands at over 1.51 lakh, as per Health Ministry data.

Interacting with Chief Ministers on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the enormity of what he called as the world's biggest vaccination exercise, saying over 30 crore citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 2.5 crore people vaccinated so far in over 50 countries in around a month.

(With inputs from agency)

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-12 13:27:36|Editor: huaxia

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People wearing face masks ride on a street in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 11, 2021. Thailand on Monday reported 249 new COVID-19 cases, including a nine-month-old infant, according to the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Of the new cases, 224 were local infections while 25 others were those in quarantine upon arrival from abroad, CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin told a daily press conference. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)
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We have so few families who feel comfortable having their children back in school buildings, wed be looking at classrooms that would have maybe two or three students, or maybe none, Esposito said. When we asked why we have to go back into the classroom, we were told, its time. But weve been doing a terrific job with remote instruction, and we dont understand what the rush is.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images / TNS

NORWALK  To emotionally process the protests and subsequent violence at the U.S. Capitol last week, the Norwalk Democratic Town Committee, Mayor Harry Rilling and state Sen. Bob Duff will join forces to host a virtual Vigil for Truth, Justice & Unity Tuesday at 5 p.m., Democratic Town Committee Chair Eloisa Melendez said.

The intent of the vigil is to discuss the events that took place in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday and ways to move forward, she said.
A shark alarm that rang out at busy Australian beach ended up being a false warning, with the real culprit a hilarious surprise for beachgoers.

A dark, shark-like object floating menacingly just offshore scared people out of the water at Adelaide's Henley Beach on Monday.

But the cause of the commotion was not one of the ocean's apex predators, just a floating Christmas tree, tossed into the water from Henley Beach Jetty by young larrikins.

Beachgoers at Henley, Adelaide were understandably alarmed when the shark alarm went off

Brave swimmers - possibly part of Henley Beach's special branch - found the real culprit for the shark alarm

Brave swimmers - you might even say they were from the beach's special branch - carried the tree back to shore and it was 'planted' into the sand in an unusual but still distinctly Aussie scene.

Statistically given the low number of actual shark attacks, putting up and taking down Christmas tree decorations actually poses a greater threat to health on average.

Luckily, the Christmas tree that found its way into the water at Henley Beach had already been stripped no doubt saving the public extra risk, and extra rubbish in the water.

The young larrikins who tossed a Christmas tree into the sea at Henley, sparking a shark alarm, were captured on video

Most local councils accept Christmas trees cut up into manageable pieces - around 40cm long - and put out in green waste bins.

Homeowners can check with local council tooas but may have separate tree collection options.

For those with the time and the need, composting firework and mulching are also all good options.
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. said he was exploring ways for Democrats in Congress to advance his agenda while pursuing a second impeachment of President Trump.

Asked about the impeachment proceeding now underway against Mr. Trump in Congress, where House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment today, Mr. Biden noted that his top priority is the passage of a new economic stimulus plan and repairing the U.S. economy.

But Mr. Biden added that he had spoken to House and Senate Democrats about whether it would be possible to bifurcate Congressional business, splitting days between impeachment and confirming his nominees and passing his agenda.

I havent gotten an answer from the Parliamentarian yet, the president-elect said at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., where he received a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed, in collaboration with researchers in Germany and the U.S., new small antibodies, also known as nanobodies, which prevent the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from entering human cells. The research study, published in Science, shows that a combined nanobody had a particularly good effect - even if the virus mutated. According to the researchers, the nanobodies have the potential to be developed into a treatment for COVID-19.

Specific proteins, spike proteins, on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus help the virus infect host cells. Therefore, antibodies that block the spike proteins and prevent them from binding to the cell can be a way to stop infection.

From the perspective of potential therapeutic interventions, small fragments of antibodies, referred to as single-domain antibodies (sdAb) or nanobodies, may be a better alternative than regular antibodies. That is because nanobodies are significantly smaller. They are therefore able to bind to the virus in more places than regular antibodies. Nanobodies also have greater stability and are easier to produce cost-effectively on a large scale.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are now publishing, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany and the Scripps Research Institute in California, a study describing new nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

"What is uniquely special here is that we have stitched together nanobodies that bind to two different places on the spike protein of the virus," explains Martin Hallberg, researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet, and one of the research study's corresponding authors.

"This combination variant binds better than individual nanobodies and is exceptionally effective in blocking the virus' ability to spread between human cells in cell culture."

Additionally, the combined nano-antibodies worked even when tested on a virus variant that mutates extremely quickly.

"This means that the risk is very small that the virus would become resistant to these combined nanobodies," notes Martin Hallberg.

To generate the nanobodies, alpacas and llamas - animals whose immune systems naturally produce both antibodies and nanobodies - were vaccinated with the spike protein of the coronavirus. Among the nanobodies generated by the animals, the researchers selected the best binders. Among these, four were identified as showing an exceptional ability to block the virus' ability to spread among human cultured cells.

The research group at Karolinska Institutet then used electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) to study in detail how the various nanobodies bind to the virus' spike protein. Thanks to their structural knowledge, they were able to propose suitable protein links to bind different nanobodies together into combinations relevant for research, as well as provide a possible explanation for the mechanism of how the antibodies neutralise the virus.

"My 'favourite' is the nanobody from the llama," Martin Hallberg says. "It binds directly over the surface where the virus binds the host cell receptor ACE2, and the nanobody also shares a large majority of the amino acids critical for binding with ACE2. What this means is that the virus will have an extremely difficult time mutating extensively on that surface and at the same time being able to bind ACE2. A variant where this llama antibody is linked to one of the antibodies from alpaca was a fox trap that the virus never managed to get out of in our experiments."

The researchers now hope that their nanobodies will be able to be developed into a drug treatment as a complement to a vaccination against COVID-19.

"It possibly could be used clinically for those already ill, or for prevention for individuals who for one reason or another cannot be vaccinated, or who have a weakened immune system, and therefore may not form a sufficiently strong immune response after a vaccination," explains Martin Hallberg.

Dioscure Therapeutics, a spin-off company from the University of Bonn, will be conducting further testing of the nanobodies in clinical trials. The researchers at Karolinska Institutet will make attempts to improve the binding further by changing individual building blocks in the nanobodies.

The research was funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, as well as by research funders in Germany and the U.S.

###

The researchers behind the research study have filed patent applications associated with the nanobodies. Two of the researchers are also co-founders and shareholders in the company Dioscure Therapeutics, which will be commercialising the antibodies. Two of the researchers have connections with each other, as co-founders, consultants and shareholders in the IFM Therapeutics company.

Publication: "Structure-guided multivalent nanobodies block SARS-CoV-2 infection and suppress mutational escape", Paul-Albert Konig, Hrishikesh Das, Hejun Liu, Beate M. Kummerer, Florian N. Gohr, Lea-Marie Jenster, Yonas M. Tesfamariam, Lisa D.J. Schiffelers, Miki Uchima, Jennifer D. Wuerth, Karl Gatterdam, Natalia Ruetalo, Maria H. Christensen, Caroline I. Fandrey, Sabine Normann, Steffen Pritzl, Jan M. P. Todtmann, Leo Hanke, Jannik Boos, Meng Yuan, Xueyong Zhu, Jonathan Leo Schmid-Burgk, Hiroki Kato, Michael Schindler, Ian A. Wilson, Matthias Geyer, Kerstin U. Ludwig, B. Martin Hallberg, Nicholas C. Wu and Florian I. Schmidt. Science, online January 12, 2021, doi: 10.1126/science.abe6230.
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A heroin addict cancer patient has made a stunning deathbed confession over the theft of a frail disability pensioner's mobility scooter.

Jason Pye was due to face court next week charged with stealing the $6,500 scooter from Ultimo, inner Sydney, but succumbed to spine cancer on Sunday.

Visiting family on Christmas Day, Pye admitted he took the scooter of partially blind 82-year-old Laurie Adams despite previously maintaining his innocence.

Pye's former partner Silvana Cantali told The Daily Telegraph he was pale and sick when he confessed, 'I stole that man's scooter, I'm so sorry, I hope God forgives me'.

Jason Pye, pictured with his daughter Cheyenne Cantali-Pye, visited family on Christmas Day to admit he stole the scooter belonging to disability pensioner Laurie Adams

Pye had previously maintained his innocence, saying he had purchased the scooter from someone online. Pictured, a CCTV image released by police investigating the scooter theft

'He knew he was dying and came to see us on Christmas Day, he said he hadn't been sleeping because of the old man, it has been playing on his mind, he said he didn't mean to make him cry,' Ms Cantali said.

She said Pye had been battling a heroin addiction for several years to cope with the pain of lung cancer, which had later spread to the spine.

Mr Adams, who also has emphysema, parked his red scooter outside his home on Macarthur Street in Ultimo on the afternoon of November 8.

He contacted police after he noticed it was missing from his address and detectives launched an investigation.

Police released CCTV vision of the scooter being driven down a pavement by a man wearing a motocross helmet, which led to a huge public outcry.

Officers were able to recover the scooter and hand it back to Mr Adams, who broke down in tears when he was reunited with his only means of transport.

Pye's ex-partner Silvana Cantali said he had confessed 'I stole that man's scooter, I'm so sorry, I hope God forgives me'

Disability pensioner Laurie Adams (pictured), whose scooter was stolen, said while he forgave Pye he questioned why the scooter had been taken

Pye had claimed he did not steal the scooter but purchased it off a 'low life' online and picked it up close to Mr Adams' home.

He insisted he 'paid a lot for it' and 'would never want to upset an elderly man'.

Pye's daughter Cheyenne Cantali-Pye said while he had a drug problem 'he was a good dad'.

Mr Adams said he forgave Pye but was still dumbfounded as to why he took the scooter.

'I'm sad to hear he's died but God punished him for stealing it by taking his life, if he told me he had cancer, I would have helped him get one,' he said.

Mr Adams said he is unable to use the scooter because it no longer works properly as it had been taken over potholes.

Pye had been charged with stealing the disability vehicle and possessing a butterfly or balisong knife and an illegal pocketknife.

Syracuse, N.Y.  Ruby Bridges, one of the first African-American students to attend an all-white school in the South, will speak at Syracuse Universitys annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration 7 p.m. Jan. 31.

In 1960 when she was 6 years old, Bridges was escorted past angry crowds that gathered daily near the steps of William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. The image of federal marshals walking Bridges to class became part of the iconic The Problem We All Live With painting by artist Norman Rockwell. Despite the angry mobs and threats, Bridges refused to miss a single day of school.

Bridges is a civil right activist, author and speaker.

The 2021 MLK celebration will be held online because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the keynote address by Bridges, the event will feature community and student performances.

Registration for the 2021 MLK Celebration and all pre-celebration programs is free and open to all.

James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com
It is hard to imagine that in the last days of the Trump administration, a bolt of lightning is going to hit them and they are suddenly going to figure how not to keep these designations from taking an agonizing toll on Yemens civilians, said Scott Paul, the humanitarian policy lead for Oxfam America. We cant count on that happening.

Congressional aides voiced similar concerns after being briefed on Monday by officials from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Houthis, who call themselves Ansar Allah, or the Partisans of God, are the de facto government in a swath of territory where the majority of Yemens population lives, including the capital city, Sana, and the countrys biggest port.

Saudi Arabia and a number of Arab allies, which have pushed for the terrorism designation, have failed to restore the internationally recognized government as the war in Yemen has settled into a quagmire, birthing what United Nations officials have called the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Millions of Yemenis rely on government institutions the Houthis control to receive basic goods. Ships bringing food must pay port fees at a Houthi-controlled port, and Western charities support teachers and health care workers who work for Houthi-controlled administrations, whether they support the group or not.

Mr. Pompeo pointed to a Dec. 30 attack on the civilian airport in the Yemeni city of Aden, killing 27 people, as evidence of the Houthis capability for terror. No one has claimed responsibility for that attack, and both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are both active in the area.

Many analysts believe the Houthis pose no direct threat to the United States, and have voiced skepticism that the sanctions will pressure the Houthis to negotiate an end to the war. The United States has supported the Saudi effort in the war, which has killed thousands of civilians in Yemen.